English Corpus

I have never lived anywhere else where when you walk outside in the summer you not only feel like you have walked into a sauna, you also want to change your shirt after just walking from your car to your office (Tallahassee).

At the same time, I really can’t imagine ever living anywhere else. I’m not so much complaining as I am pointing out that these 4-H days (hot, humid, hazy, and one hundred degrees) have quite a powerful effect on people. These days seem to bring on a certain malaise in folks, what I call not just the summertime blues, but the 4-H summertime blues.

Let’s looks at several different types of summertime blues, and what we can do about them.

GENERIC SUMMERTIME BLUES

For some people, the heat simply wears them out and keeps them inside. The heat saps their energy and motivation. Once inside, it’s very easy to become inactive, lethargic, and get a little bit of cabin fever. You wind up getting most of your exercise from channel surfing.

Suggestions:

Get outside! Take the necessary precautions, just get outside.

Malls, gyms and theaters are air-conditioned. Go do something. How many reruns can you watch, looking at other people live while you waste away?

INVERSE CHILDHOOD BLUES

Part of the problem with summer is we have gotten something backward in our culture. Here’s what I mean. When we were kids, we had the summer off, and even if we knew what we wanted to do, we didn’t have the money or the ability to do it. Now that we are adults, we know more of what we want to do, may have some discretionary income to spend, and we have to work all summer.

Suggestions:

What’s one thing you always wanted to do as a child that you could do now, maybe even just a little?

Do something child-like. A squirt gun fight or a slip-and-slide in the front yard could be a blast.

TRANSITION BLUES

For some people, the beginning of summer brings a time of transition, such as a graduation, or perhaps an impending move. Whatever it may be, transition involves the end of one phase of life, and with it, a possible sense of loss. While this may be called good stress, it’s still stress. Transition also involves the beginning of another phase of life.

Suggestions:

Make room for the sadness that the end of one phase of life can bring.

Celebrate the accomplishments of the phase of life that is ending.

Make room for the excitement a new stage of life can bring. What can you look forward to with anticipation? What is something you can do now that you couldn’t do before?

VACATION BLUES

For some people, vacations can be the most stressful time of the year. Trying to cram a year’s worth of leisure and living into a few days or two weeks can be exhausting.

Suggestions:

Think small, aim low, go slow. Trash the itinerary and have fun.

Consider vacationing at home. It can be incredibly restful. And inexpensive.

POST-VACATION BLUES

This is what psychologists call “post-reinforcement pause.” What this means is a slump after lots of good stuff. Sometimes coming back to the same routine can be very difficult. This is even more difficult when you feel like you need a vacation from your vacation.

Suggestions:

Come back in time to give yourself at least a day of transition between vacation and work.

Make several small vacations instead of one large one.

Make sure you have something else to look forward to after your vacation.

CHRONIC BLUES

Chronic blues can be defined as pervasive sadness or depression. Chronic blues are experienced by people who are already feeling sad or depressed, and the summer heat just seems to intensify the problem. Sometimes even well-meaning friends, in their efforts to cheer you up, can make you feel worse. If you recognize yourself in this category, try the suggestions I’ve already mentioned and make an appointment with your doctor and then a good therapist.

There’s no shame in asking for help if you feel depressed; the only shame is in not asking for help.

While summer is traditionally a time to relax and enjoy, it’s not always that way for everyone. If you find yourself in any of the above categories, use these suggestions for curing the summertime blues.

For more tips and tools for successful living, you are invited to visit Jeff Herring’s ToolsforSuccessfulLiving.com

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Every creative business idea begins with a question.

A question that grabs attention. A question that might sound ridiculous at the time. A question that propels a wrecking ball of through the walls of ordinary thinking. But still, a question that makes every person in the room stop what he’s doing, sit back in his chair, stare off into space and say, “Huh. Now that’s an interesting idea…”

What is QREATIVITY?
QREATIVITY is creating something out of nothing by asking BIG questions.

This idea of question-based creativity has evolved through centuries of study from around the world. “One who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; one who does not ask a question remains a fool forever,” says the ancient Chinese proverb. In the same light, E.E. Cummings once said, “Always the beautiful answer who asks a more beautiful question.” And Voltaire is famous for his words, “Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.”

However, in the last few hundred years, other creative powerhouses like Einstein, Edison and De Bono went on to perfect question-based creativity with various techniques and experiments still used by businesspeople around the world.

But sometimes, businesspeople need to ask bigger questions. Questions that push an ideas to their very limits. Questions reminiscent to Kant’s Universalized Maxim which states “Act as if the maxim of your action were to become by your will a universal law of nature.”

In other words: what if everybody did it?

Here are some excellent examples of businesspeople - some of whom became businesspeople unexpectedly - because they asked universalized questions to spark their QREATIVITY.

What if I met everyone who shared my same name?

Dave Gorman was a stand up comic from London who decided to search the world for other people named Dave Gorman. While it began as a whim discussed over a pint in a pub, Dave’s adventures of searching for his “namesakes” led to books, television shows, DVD’s and a traveling concert tour across the world. Talk about an interesting career!

What if I always said yes to everybody and everything?

Danny Wallace was a television producer who met an estranged old man on a bus who told him three words that changed his life: say yes more. So he did. In fact, he didn’t just say it more, he said it ALWAYS. To EVERYTHING. For 6 months! And it changed his entire perspective on life, helped him meet his future wife, and of course, inspired him to write a hilarious book called The Yes Man. Danny is now somewhat of a superhero around London. (Interestingly enough, Danny Wallace was Dave Gorman’s old roommate. Guess the QREATIVITY acorn doesn’t fall far from tree!)

What if everybody wore their Lee jeans on the same day?

In 1995 somebody at Lee Jeans asked this question. 10 years later, Lee National Denim Day is the world’s largest single-day fundraiser for breast cancer. On one Friday in October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Lee Jeans encourages millions of people nationwide to slip into their favorite jeans and make a $5 donation to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Since 1996, Lee National Denim Day has raised more than $52 million for breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment programs.

What if everybody in Seattle read the same book?

It’s doubtful that either Nancy Pearl, executive director of the Washington Center for the Book at the Seattle Public Library (WCB), or Chris Higashi, associate director for WCB, realized just how influential an idea they had conceived when they launched “If All of Seattle Reads the Same Book” in 1996. Today, over 50 cities, counties, or states have begun programs that encourage communities to read the same book at the same time and then to discuss it in numerous venues.

What if everybody donated just one dollar to cancer?

You’ve seen those ubiquitous yellow bracelets on the wrist of your friends, family members, politicians, athletes, even rock stars and actors! And all those people did was donate one dollar to cancer through The Lance Armstrong Foundation. Founded in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist, Lance Armstrong, the LAF provides the practical information and tools people living with cancer need to live strong. Not to mention, their initial campaign was recorded as one of the most successful in history, raised millions of dollars for cancer awareness, and even started a wrist band fad that will probably go down as one of the most memorable trends of the new millennium.

What if every customer was always greeted at the door?

Leave it to Sam Walton when it comes to QREATIVITY. Not only was he the pioneer of employee nametags, but he changed the entire customer service process by introducing a church-style icon to retail stores: greeters. You’ve no doubt had a conversation with one of these people - probably sometime in the last month! According to www.walmart.com, greeters are the front-line “soldiers” of the company, and prove that people and customer service make the difference in building customer rapport.

What if I wore a nametag all day, every day - for the rest of my life?

This is single most important question I ever asked myself. It was November 2nd, 2000, and I was wearing a nametag for a seminar. And I thought, hmm…what if I just kept this thing on my shirt every day? I wonder what would happen…

Five years, two published books, 80+ articles, over 100 speeches and I-can’t-remember-how-many interviews later; I’m still wearing that darn nametag. Every single day. And I love it. So much so that I got it tattooed on my chest! And it’s the validation for my existence, the most fun I’ve ever had and, interestingly enough, how I make a living.

That’s QREATIVITY.

And so, I ask you: what BIG question could YOU ask today to spark your QREATIVITY?

© 2005 All Rights Reserved.

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Scott Ginsberg is a professional speaker, “The World’s Foremost Expert on Nametags” and the author of HELLO my name is Scott and The Power of Approachability. He helps people MAXIMIZE their approachability and become UNFORGETTABLE communicators - one conversation at a time. For more information contact Front Porch Productions at http://www.hellomynameisscott.com.

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In today’s business environment, motivational art has quickly become the darling of entrepreneurs. Why? Simply because it works! In short, motivational art posters/prints are photographs or drawings that carry an inspirational message that corroborates the picture. Therefore, they make the perfect office wall décor. Not only do they add some esthetics to the room but surrounding yourself with motivational art will help inspire you and boost productivity.

Here are 5 power tips when buying inspirational posters online:

(1) It does not matter having more than 1 inspirational print in your room. You can have as many as you want, as long as you don’t end up cluttering your wall.

(2) Every motivational artwork will deeply influence your mood. Therefore, try to find a print that not only serves as a good office décor, but also as a therapy during hard times. For example, if you procrastinate a lot, find an artwork with a compelling statement about procrastination. This will motivate you to stop procrastinating and finally get the job done.

(3) Never ever try to decorate your wall with bare posters. They look cheap and sweetly degrade your whole office décor. Remember that motivational art is nothing short of art! Always either laminate your artwork or frame it for a better coup-d’oeil. It is also good to mention that you should only buy from companies that have an in-house framing and laminating service.

(4) Place your artwork in a strategic position where you will often come to have eye contact with it. Do not place it in your back unless you have a good reason for doing it, as in if you receive people in your office and want them to peep at it while talking to you. (…) This helps create a friendly atmosphere and puts people at ease. You might also want to place a few in your waiting room if you have one.

(5) As far as possible, purchase “art prints” instead of “posters”. Motivational art prints are printed on a higher paper grade and does not degrade easily in time. Posters are, well, just the contrary.

As simple as it might seem, the right inspiring words can make a real difference to the right person. Whatever is your objective in business or real-life, motivation is a key factor to success and having a motivational print on your wall is the first step to success.

Ashvin Ramasawmy is a young netpreneur who sells art online. You can visit his http://www.motivational-posters.net website by following the link.

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