Strategies of Success: Providence

Hi Everyone...

If you've been reading my SOS newsletters recently,you know that I was recently in Chicago, a city I fell in love with. Why? The wide streets, the lake,the flowers everywhere, the beautiful architectureold and modern, the river that runs through the city.

Today as I was driving home from a wonderful surprise birthday party for a friend of mine, I hadto take a detour because an accident was blockingmy normal way home. So I drove though the citythat I've lived ten minutes from for most of my life - Providence.

And I looked around and noticed...wide streets,the bay, flowers everywhere, the beautifularchitecture old and modern, the river that runsthrough the city. Wait a minute...that's beenhere all this time and I never truly noticed??

Yup...pretty true. I've taken it for granted...the Waterfire (waterfire.org) along our river that is trulyunique, the Tony award winning Trinity RepertoryCompany, the art along the river most likelyconnected with the renown Rhode Island Schoolof Design, college hill with Brown University,...I could go on and on...

I remember a week ago telling my Dad I'd liketo live in Chicago for month, maybe San Diego.He asked what about Vancouver and Toronto - twoof my favorite Canadian cities...and then heasked, "What about Boston?" Now I'm thinking...

What about Providence? Yes, I love my travelsbut have I really appreciated what's right in front of me? I'm not so sure I have. When weare surrounded by the familiar, our thoughts arenot on what makes them special, but on whateverelse is going on in our lives. We focus on thequickest way through, or worry about being late,or so many other necessities which we don't tend to do when we're somewhere 'special'.

What's in your life that might need another look?The people in your life...do we see what makes themspecial, or just what needs fixing? Do we seethe things we dislike about our jobs or the reasonwe wanted them in the first place? Are we alwayswishing we were somewhere else when where we areis worth truly looking at?

Look around, pay attention...appreciate...we eachhave so much more than we often realize.

Thanks Providence...lesson learned...

Secrets of Success: Got work? Have fun!

I'm sitting at my favorite work place - PaneraBread where I can sit all day and work with freeinternet and a change of scenery from working athome.

I got up to get a free refill on my cup of teaand heard the three young women working behindthe counter laughing. I said something like,You sure know how to have fun" and they saidthey were laughing to motivate themselves todo the cleaning they had to do. I told themthat I'm in the business of motivating peopleand asked them what their secret was. They toldme that they found out what job they each likedto do best and which ones they weren't too crazy about. Then they split up the jobs soeach got to do the one they liked best and didn't have to do the one they liked least.

What a great strategy! They were laughing andhaving fun all the while really working hard(as opposed to when you see a bunch of peoplelaughing and talking while ignoring the customersand not getting much done).

It reminds me yet again that it's all about howwhat we experience in our lives is all abouthow we choose to look at it. They made a commitment to each other...saying that theyeven "pinky swore" (a serious commitment fromchildhood days) to do a good job on the taskthey were assigned to.

Nice...reminds me of when I was a teenager working in the grocery store. My friendDonna and I hated the long hours on Saturdaywhen the store was so crowded...until oneday we decided to make a contest of it. Whoever had the most money in their drawerat the end of the day won. You should haveseen us trying to get the customers intoour lane!

What's on your to do list that you could make more fun? It's your life...you get tochoose...as for me, I'm having fun watchingthose girls have fun while I'm getting my work done!

Cheers!