Sometimes We Forget How Lucky We Really Are

Back in January, I was rushing about town doing some errands when I came across a country music station. I had never been a fan of country music, but a song caught my ear as I was trying to find something other than news or commercials to listen to. The song was about how things may seem bad, but there’s still a lot to be grateful and thankful for. The song was “Lucky Man” by Montgomery Gentry.

Happy Birthday: My Toastmasters Club is Turning 30

Tomorrow I’ll be attending the 30th Birthday bash for the Toastmasters club that I was a part of for a little over four years. I still drop in when I can from time to time as the club constantly attracts nice and interesting people.

The club has changed significantly from the first meeting I attended in August of 2002. People have come and gone, yet there never seems to be a lack of enthusiastic people that want to help others become better speakers. I’m still friends with many of the people who were a part of that club when I first joined and it’ll be exciting to see some of them at the party.

Quick Tip: Did I Miss Anything?

If there was one question that I knew would immediately infuriate many of my teachers and professors, it was this one. There were always people that missed class, would ask this same question (even though the instructor blew up at the last person that carelessly asked it) and get an earful. And rightfully so – it implies that it’s possible that nothing was missed which translates to the class or meeting is a waste of time. Even if that’s the case, it’s still impolite.

Ten Tips for College Students – Part Two

Ten Tips for College Students - Part TwoIn the prior post from this series, we discussed some of the ways that college students can better prepare themselves for after graduation while still enjoying themselves. We’ll continue with this theme in this post and pick up from where we left off.

6. Get an internship

Internships (both paid and unpaid) can help get your career started quickly. Many of my friends in college ended up working for the companies they interned with after graduation. But even if you’re not offered a job, it’s great resume building experience (and you may even learn a thing or two). Students with actual work experience in their area of study are more attractive to employers than those without.

Success: Ten Tips For College Students – Part 1

Success: Ten Tips For College Students - Part 1Last week, I provided a list of tips to help high school students make the most out of their years in school so now I’ve come up with a similar list for people in college. College is an interesting period for most people. Some go overboard with all the freedom they have and end up having a lot of issues. Others view it as a reboot of their lives from high school – they’re in a new place with new people and a clean slate. While others see it simply as the next step in the progression of programs that make up their lives and miss out on some of the opportunities.

Are You Present?

Living in the present is much easier said than done. Ever been in a meeting but your mind is drifting elsewhere? Perhaps you’re thinking of a conversation you had right before your meeting or you’re planning out the rest of your day. It’s amazing how so many of us spend our days at work thinking about our next vacation yet when we’re actually on vacation, we spend so much time worrying about work.

Do You Walk the Walk?

Do You Walk the Walk?Do as I say, not as I do. It seems like everyone is guru these days yet many of these folks don’t follow their own advice. For example: the Facebook guru that tells people to “always include a personal message when adding someone as a friend” yet rarely does that herself. One of my biggest frustrations which many so-called speaking experts is that they tell people that they should do things when giving a speech, yet they clearly don’t follow these rules themselves when they’re “teaching” this advice.