...when I was a kid!!

When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning....Uphill. Barefoot...BOTH ways, yadda, yadda, yadda.

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap on today's kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!

But now that I'm over the ripe old age of...well let's say "over 30"... I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a damn Utopia! And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!

I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the damn library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!

There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get there! Stamps were 10 cents!

Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our ass! Nowhere was safe!

There were no MP3's or Napsters or iTunes! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself!

Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio, and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up! There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our car. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished, and then the tape would come undone rendering it useless. Cause, hey, that's how we rolled, Baby! Dig?

We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it!

There weren't any freakin' cell phones either. If you left the house, you just didn't make a damn call or receive one. You actually had to be out of touch with your "friends." OH MY GOD !!! Think of the horror... not being in touch with someone 24/7!!! And then there's TEXTING. Yeah, right. Please! You kids have no idea how annoying you are.

And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your parents, your boss, your bookie, the collection agent....you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!

We didn't have any fancy PlayStation or Xbox video games with high-resolution
3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your screen guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen....Forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your ass and walk over to the TV to change the channel!!! NO REMOTES!!! Oh, no, what's the world coming to?!?!

There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying? We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little rat-finks!

And we didn't have microwaves. If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove! Imagine that!

And our parents told us to stay outside and play....all day long. Oh, no, no electronics to soothe and comfort. And if you came back inside... you were doing chores!

And car seats - oh, please! Mom threw you in the back seat and you hung on. If you were lucky, you got the "safety arm" across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling "shot gun" in the first place!

See! That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled rotten! You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1970s or any time before!

....wipe that smile off your face!

Be honest...are you positive or negative? I had a boss that thought he was "keeping everyone upbeat"...when in reality...he was the problem! So ask yourself....
what am I doing to make my life better....for me?

Positive thinking in the workplace is extremely important. Positive thinking is a mental attitude. What we think affects how we behave. It is therefore important for us to begin with our thoughts.

It is a mental attitude that expects good and constructive results. However, it does not deny the existence of negative results or things beyond one’s control. It is a way of looking at things from a different perspective. For instance, one that concentrates on solutions rather than problems.

When our thinking is positive, our attitude is positive and we transfer a feeling of success to our colleagues and clients. In other words – we transfer energy and enthusiasm to those around us. People feel good towards us and are more willing to help us.

Positive thinkers know that when things go bad or unexpected result occurs, it is only momentary. That positive result is achievable. If you are new to applying positive thinking, here are 3 simple steps I suggest:

Practicing Positive Thinking in the Workplace #1

One cannot pay lip service to positive thinking. You need to practice and make positive thinking your prevailing attitude towards life. This will transfer towards positive thinking in the workplace. So, how do you make it a prevailing attitude? Entertain positive thoughts. It takes as much effort to think about the negative as it is for the positive. Concentrate on the positive and expect a positive result. Associate with colleagues with a positive attitude. Read inspiring quotes. These are simple ways to create a habit of positive thinking in the workplace.

Practicing Positive Thinking in the Workplace #2

Positive thinking in the workplace is solutions thinking. For example, when a project goes poorly and not in the desired direction…a positive thinking person concentrates on solutions instead of the problem. Ever noticed some colleagues have a natural tendency to point fingers when things do not go right? They tend to whine and complain instead of starting to work on a solution immediately? We have ALL had to suffer with idiots like that! And….what if your boss is super negative? Positive thinkers live up to the challenge of the problem and commit themselves to seeking a solution to the problem. They do not dwell in unproductive activities.

Practicing Positive Thinking in the Workplace #3

How many times have you thought – “Oh no, I am never ever able to do this.” When that happens, you end up dwelling on it and wasting precious time. Positive thinking in the work place involves thinking in these words – “I can”….”I will”…….."I am able”…….. "I am ready." It also involves taking the initiative to seek answers and solutions. And to be proactive in learning about the information needed to complete the assignment at hand. A positive thinker in the workplace concentrates on the assignment and is not distracted by negative thoughts.

Is positive thinking in the workplace easy? Well, it is as easy as you want it to be. It is also as difficult as you expect it to be. There will be times when you cannot help but feel negative. When such feelings arise, remind yourself it is as easy to look for a positive angle to things as it is for a negative angle.

Or do what I did…..turn your keys in.... and find another job! It helps to be around other "positive" people.

...what color are you?

Whether we’re aware of it or not, color plays a major role in our lives. We’re drawn to certain colors in the same way that we’re naturally attracted to a specific piece of art or even another person. Often, our response to color is so strong that it can create an appeal to a physical location or place. While we often can’t control the exterior design and color of our office building, chances are that we do have a say in the interior colors. And, while “color psychology” isn’t a topic we likely talk about during board meetings, it is often more important than we’ll ever know. After all, we could be sending the completely wrong message to employees and visitors just because of the shade or our office walls.

Understanding Color Importance: Marketing and branding teams spend weeks designing company logos and developing products that will appeal to customers. These groups know how important color is on a potential customer’s senses and attitudes. If customers feel drawn to a specific product, chances are it’s because the color scheme works. Similarly, if they feel turned off, the marketing team has likely failed at choosing a color pattern that sells. Therefore, shouldn’t we look at our interior colors with the same focus as we do our product development?

Using Color as a Tool: Different colors have different effects on both employees and clients. Because we want employees to be happy and productive at work, the color scheme of an office should promote the right energy. The same goes for clients. If we want our clients to feel attracted to our business, color just might be the best way to keep them in the door. So, what color trend is best for which room in your office?

Cool colors include shades of blues and greens that have a calming effect by reducing stress and tension. They work well in hospital waiting rooms where patients might nervously await a doctor’s appointment.

Warm colors include bold reds and yellows and are better suited for more social offices that seek to stimulate. Lounges, lobbies, cafeterias, or other places where conversation should be encouraged are good spots for warm colors.

Available light also plays a role in a room’s color scheme. Colors that reflect light reduce shadows, which help to increase visibility. In turn, better visibility means more productivity in the office.

Visual accents and wall decorations such as paintings, mirrors, or other wall accessories can work well for short-term spaces that don’t see a lot of repeat visitors. For example, a doctor’s office examination room can benefit from visual accents that work to stimulate a patient who likely only visits the room a few times throughout the year. On the other hand, heavy traffic rooms such as the office boardroom are better off with fewer visual accents that won’t be seen over and over by employees. In rooms that are frequently visited by the same group of people, it’s better to balance color and mix tones for fresh, interesting looks.

Accentuate the Positives: The truth behind most any office design is that each room has its positive and negative features. Stunning hardwood floors should stay as the room’s focus by blending coordinating colors that won’t take attention away from the room’s strengths. On the other hand, unattractive tile floors would be better off downplayed with a contrasting color scheme to divert attention away.

While the importance of color in the workplace is most certainly an interesting concept, few of us are true color psychologists. Rather than taking a stab at designing the office’s interior color schemes, consult professional office interior designers who make it their job to understand color. Let the professionals work their magic and the office will soon make a statement all on its own.

I am an office environment expert. Contact me for more details.