self development Archives - Page 2 of 2

Putting Your Best Interests to Work

December 22, 2014December 31, 2014 Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

“Stay hungry, stay foolish.” This was advice that the late Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs gave to the Stanford University Class of 2005 during their commencement speech.

In his speech, Jobs in effect said that you will do your best if you do work that you love to do, not what other people think you should do (that may not be for you). This can be what “stay foolish” means, not necessarily acting reckless, but rather if what you love to do means that you will not be running with the herd. Do you risk being called foolish? Perhaps. Do what you love to do. This was advice that Jobs gave himself on a daily basis during his tenure at Apple.

Staying hungry means doing the work you love to do with such dedication, that it was as though each day of your life was your last. This puts in to stark perspective the preciousness of the choice you have in regard to the type of work or career you want to pursue.

I don't get no respect Rodney Dangerfield

Age does not matter. The choice can be there for you. Consider the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield. He did not start his successful stand-up comedy routine (highlighted by the self-effacing phrase “I don’t get no respect”) until he was in his early 40s, after working for some time as a salesman.

While this may not apply if you are in your 40s, never played professional basketball, and you want to be the next NBA all-star, there are still opportunities with other interests where age may not matter.

The inspiration here is to tap into your interests and you have an opportunity to do your best work, and without necessarily regard to age.

What do you really love? Sometimes finding the answer to that question is harder than we think. Try finishing these sentences to help get you started.

1. I can hardly wait to _____.

2. I really lost track of time when _____.

3. I always find the time / money for _____.

4. The best gift someone could give me would be _____.

Once you’ve established your interests, it’s time to reflect on them.

What about this activity is so interesting to you? What emotions do you experience when you do this activity? What could make the activity even better? Interests what would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail

A great resource to help you pin point your unique interests and enable you to discover your best self is our founder Shannon Cassidy’s workbook V.I.B.E.. Your V.I.B.E. consists of four specific pieces:

Your VALUES.

Your INTERESTS.

Your BELIEFS.

Your ENERGY SOURCES.

Finding your V.I.B.E. helps our clients discover who they are and what makes them tick.

Please share with us in the comments – if you could add ONE more hour to each day, what would you do with it?

For more information on our programs, please visit our website: bridgebetween.com.

Three Components of Emotional Intelligence

November 5, 2014December 1, 2014 Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

For a long time, intelligence was divided into “book learning” and “street smarts.” People now come realize the importance of emotional intelligence. A person with emotional intelligence produces better work, knows how to relieve stress, manages emotions well, and forges stronger relationships. They also get along better with people and can work well as team members and leaders alternately. Whether your particular brand of intelligence involves book learning or street smarts, you can still develop emotional intelligence and become successful in your field.

See the Glass as Half Full. A key component of emotional intelligence on which everything else depends. How do you develop the talent of seeing the positive side? One excellent way is by watching what you say. If you find that you are a critical person who tends to see the glass as half empty, make an effort to see things the other way while you’re talking to people. Instead of saying, “Bill never finishes anything on time,” you might say, “Bill is a very detail-oriented person who takes his time doing things. However, he does them well.”
Make Yourself Happy. Oftentimes people focus on keeping others happy. You may spend a lot of time doing the things others want you to do. As you go through your day, you need to ask yourself if the things you’re doing are making you happy. In the eastern traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism, this is called mindfulness. In truth, it’s using self-awareness. Ask yourself how you feel and use your feelings as a map.
Stay Healthy. As any psychologist will tell you, physical health is an important constituent of mental health. If your body is unhealthy, your mind is also going to be unhealthy. Your very first priority in life should be your physical health. Make an effort to eat healthy and exercise every day. Keep in mind that you don’t have to push yourself more than absolutely necessary. If you’d rather take a brisk walk than do weights, then by all means, take a brisk walk.
Surround Yourself with Positivity. You can literally surround yourself with positivity by changing your surroundings. Paint your walls a cheery color. Hang paintings or posters that you like. Buy books that appeal to you. Listen to music that recharges your batteries. Make friends who are also positive so that you can learn from their example. Work in a place that you find encourages positivity. Honing your social awareness will enable you interact well in groups by recognizing dynamics and picking up on social cues.

Where are areas you want to improve your emotional intelligence?