Lessons I Live By #6

Time to read: 16 seconds

More vintage!

Today is short: Happiness is counter-cultural. Satisfaction is revolutionary.

Think for a moment of all the complaining you heard today. Perhaps your own complaining :-). People complain constantly about their jobs, the service, traffic, food, family, fill in the blank, and people complain about it.

What if instead, you found reasons to be satisfied? Grateful? Even happy?

Sometimes being fulfilled and happy feels like a salmon swimming upstream.

Try it. It feels good to swim upstream.

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How Are You Compensated?

Time to read: 46 seconds

As we speed toward the end of the year, 'tis the season of year-end reviews and raises. I invite you to think about how you are compensated.

You are compensated with money, of course. I have a new side hustle selling vintage jewelry and housewares, and the money is certainly nice. However, if money were the only compensation, I'd be making pennies per hour. If money were your only compensation, you'd be a mercenary.

I hope you make more than pennies per hour. And, consider all the other ways you are compensated: travel, wonderful colleagues, free lunches, learning, challenges, things to talk about, and opportunities.

Most of the compensation for selling vintage items is social for me…the people I've gotten to know buying and selling. It's also good stories…funny things that happen, touching moments, and weird stuff and places.

Expand your thinking about your compensation, you'll find you are paid handsomely indeed!

Spread Joy!

Time to read: 53 seconds

I was working with a leadership team last week, and after hours of exercises and reflection, they were preparing to declare their personal commitment to the team.

They asked for examples and I said, "The commitment I make everywhere I go and whatever I'm doing is to spread joy." I believe that a positive attitude is revolutionary. Cynicism of other people and institutions is rampant, and it's not an effective way to build community and connection.

It's easy:

• Say a kind thing to every service worker, all day
• Openly appreciate your family
• Express gratitude to your colleagues
• Compliment people

The easiest words ever:

• Thank you
• I am grateful for....
• It's great that you....
• That project was tough and you knocked it out of the park.

As JFK said, "A rising tide, lifts all boats." What commitment do you make to raise the tide?

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3 Easy Ways To Cultivate Joy

Time to read: 56 seconds

Like this little beauty!

I love having a mail bag of questions and topics from all y'all. A number of you asked me to focus on joy, especially when there are so many things to worry about. So, today I'll show you the easy path to joy.

Worry and stress are easy. You only have to read the news or pay attention to the constant changes in the workplace to find things to keep you awake.

Humans are designed with a negativity bias. Our evolutionary interest dictates that a rustling in the bushes prompts us to think, "tiger!" and run. If we approach those bushes with curiosity and openness, we likely get chowed and that's our evolutionary end.

The good news? You are not stuck with your negativity bias. Humans also have choice and intention. You can cultivate positivity and joy.

Here are three easy ways to cultivate joy:

1. Look for it. Joy doesn't have to be huge gestures and momentous events. Find tiny moments. Sparkling snow. Delicious bread. A bird. Your first sip of coffee. You don't have to wait for vacation to find joy. It's around you right now, even people in Zoom calls say hilarious things or have a cool painting behind them.
2. Appreciation. Take every opportunity to offer appreciation - to your family, co-workers, the barista, your child's teacher. Make it your business to be the one who sends the appreciative email or notices what someone has done.
3. Gratitude. Do I dare go all cliche? Attitude of gratitude and all that. Gratitude matters. For real. Go to bed at night and wake up each morning thinking of one thing you're grateful for.

Put these three practices together, and you will have more joy. Works every time!

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Be well and have a good weekend.

Something Beautiful and Thought-Provoking

Time to read: 1.5 minutes

I belong to a writing group and last month one of my friends, Patty Walbillig, wrote something so beautiful I asked her if I could share it with all of you. The world can be a hard place sometimes and her piece was full of hope and love. Enjoy!

July 13, 2021

Already, Rose and Margie have arrived and departed. A whirl wind of activity in the last two weeks and so much fun: days at the cabin, a trip to Brainerd, a birthday party at Heather’s house, and Teddy Bear Park. All the effort was rewarded, and all the worry was for nothing. I can’t, God can, I’ll let him (Al-Anon).

With great gobs of gratitude, I reflect not on single events but on the overall existence of my immediate and extended family. The unique and extraordinary personalities and intellect of those who I claim as my people. And then I consider a world full of such people and such connections.

At which point I begin to ponder why? Why are we in this place and why have we connected? What creates those connections beyond the biology of reproduction?

When I ponder, with no science behind my thoughts, I think that there must be an order to the way we come together. I don’t love my people with so much of my heart only because we are related closely, distantly, or indirectly. I think some of us have existed closely connecting spiritually for many lives. Our time together cannot be as brief as one lifetime.

At this moment, I raise up my eyes from my page and bring into focus: lush green trees and pale blue sky, I hear the singing birds, and feel a cool dry breeze, and observe volumes of traffic stacking up. The lovely gifts we receive, the urgency of life needed to exist, a complex bio that maybe surpasses the original plan.

I think we humans, far from messing up, have done amazingly well to exist at all. Despite all the landmines that continue to appear – out of nowhere – things we could not imagine. Despite all the worry, that happens in the darkest of night, in the darkest rooms, in the darkest corners of our minds, the real day dawns, no matter what. No matter our fears, real or imagined, no matter what took place in those dark corners, the real day dawns. Trees grow and birds sing. The car starts and the construction begins. It’s all simply amazing, and I continue to just ponder why.

Do You Wish For a Free Lunch? You Can Have It!

Mmmmm…..lunch!

You've heard the adage, "there's no such thing as a free lunch," right?

IMHO this is a rather cynical perspective that there is an ulterior motive behind acts of generosity and kindness, especially from a corporation. I am happy to report that there actually is a free lunch, literally. And I'm going to help you find your free lunch, even if it doesn't come in the form of food.

I am coaching and doing team development for a company that actually offers free lunch. For all their employees. Like, you walk into their cafeteria and fill your plate with fresh salad, hot soup, entrees and soft serve ice cream. As much as you want, for FREE. I've never seen anything like it in all my corporate years!

Munching on some delicious chicken salad got me thinking about you.

Sometimes it's hard to see the free lunch that is right in front of you. I know. I know. Some of you are going to write to me and say that you pay for your "free lunch" with your time and talent. (I count on hearing from you!)

Of course, you do. That is the employment contract. You work. We pay you.

Consider this: You can choose to see the benefits of that contract through a lens of scarcity and cynicism (i.e. what you don't get, what you deserve and are not getting, how you are stuck) or you can see it from generosity and gratitude (i.e. how your life is easier, "I can't believe I get _____!" How you are always free to make a different choice.)

Here are some contenders for your free lunch. See if one of these is yours or sparks your gratitude cells:

• You can visit the doctor whenever you want because you have health insurance. Even better if the company covers your family. (As someone who was self insured for many years, I can tell you the free lunch of insurance is pretty awesome.)
• You have the flexibility to leave the office for appointments or your child's holiday pageant.
• You get to work out during the day.
• You get bonuses or spot awards or cool little gifts for years of service.
• Paid professional development.
• Affinity groups.
• Great colleagues.
• Collaboration.
• Making a contribution in your industry.
• Selling a product and/or service that brings people pleasure and/or changes lives.

Sometimes in the bustle and stress of working life, it's easy to stop seeing the generous and kind things that happen to you every day. What free lunch is right in front of you?

Have a great week!

Christina

P.S. If you love the Corporate Rebel Unplugged Video Podcast and Newsletter, please share it with some friends. Next week you'll get an interview with a woman who will show you how easy it is to live and work from pure joy, even when things are hard. Your friends can join our merry little tribe here.

Want more freedom, gratitude + badassery in your life?

Estimated read time: Maybe 1 little minute.

The word badassery is fun to say so let's say it as many times as we can. Badassery, badassery, badassery.

It's Thanksgiving in the USA tomorrow, and I am so, so grateful - for my family's health, for the love that surrounds us, and for all of you. I'll be giving thanks in a big way.

The whipped cream on the pecan pie was being invited to participate in my dear friend, Sandra's, interview series, Unleash Your Inner Badass. What she calls badassery (said it again!), we in Corporate Rebel Land call rebelicious.

Thanksgiving is not a traditional gift-giving holiday, and we don't do things the traditional way around here.

Too many people settle for mediocrity, become victims of their circumstances, and simply complain about the way things are. I don’t think that’s you, though. I think you are someone who sees the value of investing in yourself, training your mind, and taking responsibility for your life and the world around you.

That's why I said yes to Sandra (and because I just downright love her). I'm careful with your time and only put things of real value in front of you. Sandra has produced a series of interviews that are fun and meaningful.

These interviews are packed with info to help you:

• let go of what’s holding you back;
• be more unapologetically you;
• build a new, more badass (rebelicious), reality for yourself.

If you're too busy eating and watching the National Dog Show to catch our entertaining and real interview on Thanksgiving, no worries. It will be available for 72 hours. And all the interviews will be available starting December 1 so you can gorge yourself like a Thanksgiving feast.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Christina

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