03.31.10

What Should You Be Doing?

Posted in Humor~Business, Humor~Health & Goals, Humor~In The News, Humor~Social Media at 6:36 pm by Dr. Trina Hess

“You have to write an e-book!” That’s what most everyone has told me. But there is someone who thinks differently about this: Eoin Purcell, of the blog PublishingPerspectives. http://publishingperspectives.com/?p=13674
He writes that it doesn’t matter which form of media you use. E-books are good, they are popular. But they–like all great ideas–will become obsolete.
If we focus too intensely on the vehicle, we won’t know when it’s time to get on the road. So to speak.
Instead, he advises that we focus not on all the thousands of devices and new technologies that are birthed every day. No—we only need to do 2 things. Focus on the message and on the relationships.
That’s it. Those are the only universal constants in this sea of techno-change that we are swimming, floundering, or drowning in.
This is great news! Because I missed the whole blue-ray DVD genre. I can’t even tell you who won the formatting wars. And all I know about my computer is that it is beige.
But it doesn’t matter. We don’t need to be cutting-edge in order to succeed in this world. We just need to be willing to do these few things:
1. Learn
2. Share
3. Connect

Permalink Comments

03.24.10

Health Care ~ Are You Persuaded (Yet?)

Posted in Humor~In The News, Humor~Inspirational at 12:19 pm by Dr. Trina Hess

Facebook Fan Page readers: To read the ‘rest of the story’, please click this link: http://yourshiningexample.com/wp-blog

Pelosi think’s it’s a brilliant idea! Many people think it’s a horrendous idea! The Palestinians want their land back! Schools need more money! Taxes are too high! Municipalities need more money!
Everyone has their angle. They know what they need. And they are solidly on their side.
We make a mistake when we think that by talking louder and getting angrier, we can change people’s minds. Make them think rationally. Break through their denial and join our side. Then things will be easier.
We do this when we “add” humor, too. Much like “adding” women to studies conducted on men, this strategy doesn’t work. It doesn’t allow us to see the whole picture. We can’t see what’s really going on in the minds and intentions of our adversaries (or those we want to persuade).
But when we really see their needs, intentions, problems, and concerns–then we can start speaking their language. We will know what kinds of topics we can safely joke about. We’ll know their sore spots, the places where they will not budge.
And the paradox is that when we respect the other person’s viewpoint, then they are much more amenable to hearing our side.
What will you laugh about today? Whose side have you investigated?

Permalink 1 Comment

03.09.10

Get Bizet

Posted in Humor~Events, Humor~In The News at 2:42 pm by Dr. Trina Hess

One of the best things I like about being a movie extra is meeting fascinating people. Not only celebrities like Eric Roberts, Donnie Wahlberg, and others. But the every-day people who choose to work 16-hour days for the love of the art.
One of my new friends is William Kania, who I met on the set of the SPIKE TV series, The Kill Point.
This month, he’ll be in the Pittsburgh Opera’s presentation of Carmen. “I would absolutely love it for you all to come and see this show I am in. I am in the entire first act and fourth act as well. It is music that you will all be familiar with. I have a good amount of time on stage, Benedum Center, so if you can spare the time–enjoy an evening out.”
I especially like Bill because he’s the one who took all the pictures of me with Eric Roberts on the set of Shannon’s Rainbow!! :) http://www.yourshiningexample.com/photo_gallery_1.htm
Here is the link so you can see the times & days of the show.
Welcome to Pittsburgh Opera
http://www.pittsburghopera.org/shows/view/13

Permalink Comments

03.08.10

Humor at Work–Literally

Posted in Humor~Business, Humor~In The News at 1:51 pm by Dr. Trina Hess

http://yourshiningexample.com/wp-blog
“What we’re hearing from employers is that they need a work force that’s broadly prepared, that adapts to changing circumstances, that knows how to work in groups and in teams, that can communicate well, and that has problem solving ability.”

That’s what Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts’ President Mary K. Grant said in an interview with The Berkshire Eagle. Teaching and learning are also being turned upside-down. Grant continues: “It is more about students being able to absorb information, analyze the information, and use it again in different situations.”

Adaptability is the key. The key to conforming to, and then transforming, the current technological climate.

How can humor help us in this goal? Well, with a humorous mindset, we can more easily
*adapt
*problem-solve
*work in teams
*communicate well (a.k.a. The S.H.I.N.E. System of Communication!)

How can I help you reach your work goals? Ask me today!
http://www.fastweb.com/student-news/articles/2119-in-an-evolving-workplace-21st–century-skills-are-paramount?page=1&utm_content=fw_c1_20100302_&utm_source=nlet

Permalink Comments

03.02.10

Happy Birthday To Seuss

Posted in Humor~Events, Humor~In The News at 8:00 pm by Dr. Trina Hess

http://www.seussville.com/lb/bio.html
Click on the link above to find out more info on Dr. Seuss, whose birthday is today! To honor him and his humorous hi-jinks in the field of literacy and education visit the site. Play some games in the playground. Browse through his many books. And remember him fondly. And thank Dr. Seuss if you can read this all by yourself.

Permalink Comments

02.24.10

What do Madonna and the PKK Have in Common? by Trina Hess

Posted in Humor~In The News at 7:06 pm by Dr. Trina Hess

Read more at http://yourshiningexample.com/wp-blog

I was listening on the radio news about our new policy on terrorism. The U.S has declared that the PKK, the Kurdish Workers’ Party in Turkey, is a terror organization. People who defend this organization in court will be prosecuted.

What does all this mean? It means that we will have to re-organize our mind-set. Whether or not you think about the PKK on a daily basis doesn’t matter. We have been given our orders on how to treat these people. We know what to call them, and we know how to respond to them.

Madonna did this same thing. She didn’t create a new party (although she may someday with all her devoted followers). But she did tell us how to respond to her. She used to be the Material Girl. The trashy pop singer. But then something new happened. She started singing more classic types of songs. And then she wrote a book. And then she wrote a children’s book. She was photographed reading to a group of children. We had a different experience of Madonna. We had to adjust our mind-set about Madonna.

What the PKK and Madonna show us is that we do the same thing. Every day. If you are online, you are teaching people how to perceive you. You are showing them your attitude. Your fears. Your accomplishments. Your ideas.

Are you perceived as a Madonna–someone who can continually reinvent yourself? Moving cat-like into new areas? Being adept and agile? Unafraid of change?
Or are you threatening, clandestine, and silent about your ideas?
What party do you belong to?

Permalink Comments

02.18.10

What Would Tiger Do? by Trina Hess www.yourshiningexample.com

Posted in Humor~Business, Humor~In The News, Humor~Social Media at 5:48 pm by Dr. Trina Hess

http://yourshiningexample.com/wp-blog
CNN asks, “Too little, too late?” No people around. He’s the only one who’s going to talk. What will he say? What would you like him to say?
Answer: Who cares?

The Tiger Woods scandal is one of those items of interest that make me ask, “Why is this news?” In light of all the more vital events, wars, crises, and disasters occurring at any given moment in the world–how important, really, is this man?

We can offer our listeners this same type of schlocky story. Of course it’s popular. But is it substantial? Does it build us up? Or does it distract us from more important matters? Is there anything useful that we can lift from this story?

Answer: No. No. Yes, and No.

Sometimes we are like the Tiger story. In comedy we call this person a hack.
From the word, “hackneyed”: Pronunciation: \ˈhak-nēd\. Function: adjective. Date: 1735. Meaning: lacking in freshness or originality. Synonyms: See trite.

Maybe you’ve seen the hack. Talking about airline food. Or piercings that don’t allow you to pass airline metal detectors. Or maybe viagara jokes that have circled the internet more times than flies over a cowfield.

The problem we have is that it’s very tempting to jump on the schlock wagon. Pronunciation: \ˈshläk\. Variant(s): or schlocky \ˈshlä-kē\ also shlock or shlocky. Function: adjective. Etymology: perhaps from Yiddish shlak evil, nuisance. Date: 1916. Meaning: of low quality or value. It’s the easy way out. It is what’s popular at the moment.

Unfortunately, the popular means, literally, that everyone’s using it. Synonym: Common. Your input will get lost in the fog of nothingness that characterizes schlockdom. And unfortunately it is disastrous to be common in today’s world. It is financial suicide. Business self-mutilation.

If your message is so common, it will be tramped underfoot along with the millions of grains of sand that look like the most popular message of the day. Why not instead choose some better adjectives. Peculiar. Unequaled.
Unusual (= not the usual speaker, message, advertisement, event).

I think that’s what Tiger did.

http://www.merriam-webster.com

Permalink Comments

02.14.10

Ohno Not Again?

Posted in Humor~General, Humor~In The News, Humor~Inspirational at 4:45 am by Dr. Trina Hess

Tonight I watched the Winter Olympics. The short track speed skating event was fascinating. Not only because it seemed reckless and dangerous, but because of the stragegy.

In one of the heats, Apolo Ohno was at the back of the pack for almost the entire race. Then, with a few laps to go, he seemed to merely glide effortlessly past all the other competitors.

Think of how humor-rich that illustration is. The event, like life, holds many reckless and dangerous curves. But when we have our strategy set on humor, we can be like Ohno.
We can appear calm and collected. We can conserve our energy, even if we aren’t in the lead. We are acting rather than reacting.

Because our vision is clear, we can see our chance. To move ahead. To leave the competition behind.
What is your seamless strategy?

Permalink Comments