What a cool centerpiece for a colleague’s baby shower.
All those rolled up and tiered diapers and baby toys.
Creative and fun-looking and the couple having the baby gets to keep all the goodies and put them to good use hopefully.
Nice to celebrate even with smelly diapers to be. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
So I saw a smart video about which are the best jobs.
They are not the ones that just pay the most!
Here are the three criteria to look for in your next dream job (aside from the money):
1) Autonomy – Work that is self-directed provides satisfaction that jobs that are closely or micro-managed do not.
2) Mastery – Jobs that allow you get better at them over time (technical proficiency) provide a sense of mastery and self-respect.
3) Purpose – When you have a deep sense of purpose and meaning from your work there is simply no greater motivator and satisfier than this.
I’d also add that the best places to work are the ones with:
Overall, if we can reconnect the profit motive with the purpose motive then we have truly have the best jobs out there. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Thought this was funny at work.
One person writes:
Be Happy. Have Fun.
Another chimes in:
Ok, I will!
And finally a 3rd person writes:
Me too.
Smiley faces and all.
Never take yourself too seriously.
It’s true–try to enjoy the ride! 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
So thought this was an interestingly funny flip chart.
It’s titled “Colors”.
And it has the typical ones you’d expect: blue, red, green, yellow, orange, purple, black, white, grey, brown, and tan.
But thrown into the mix is beer (and Summer)–maybe these go together!
Perhaps, someone had a little too much beer when asked about colors.
On second thought, maybe beer is a color. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Funny T-Shirt on solving computer problems:
Does it work?
Did you screw with it?
Does anyone know?
Can you blame anyone else?
This little flowchart seems to capture so many issues in the office like:
– Accountability
– Problem-solving
– Doing the right thing
Oh, maybe that’s a different flowchart. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
So the same things don’t seem to drive happiness for everyone.
Some like big jobs and lots of power.
Others are happier with more work-life balance.
Some like to pursue lots of degrees and certifications.
Others like to learn on their own and through life experience.
Some like to travel the world.
Others like a day in nature or at the museum.
Some like big families and lots of people around them.
Others like smaller families, close friends, intimacy, or even being more on their own.
Some like lots of money.
Other are happy with having what they need.
Some like to be tremendous athletes.
Other like to just stay fit or maybe are more comfy as “couch potatoes.”
Some like to be very religious and follow all the laws.
Others prefer mindfulness, a sense of spirituality and being a “good person.”
Some like lots of activities and to always do different things.
Others are more comfortable with routine and incremental change.
We all have basic needs, but we also have different values, priorities and comfort zones.
Happiness isn’t a yes or no answer, but what makes us feel on track and doing good. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Starting a new week…
Pick a sign for your desk:
– Good morning let the stress begin
– Step away from my desk and no one gets hurt
– I found your nose, it was in my business
– I’m pretty sure I have no idea
Which one would you pick?
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
So we had our holiday party today, and guess what I got?
Yes, a Sharp Twin Bell Alarm Clock!
Of course, with each gag gift came a mini-speech by some of the managers as why they choose this gift for you.
So of course, I am consistently the first one in every morning and the person who opens up for everyone else–reliable, dependable, and hard-working Andy! 🙂
Some of my other colleagues got a hula hoop, a toy toolkit, a mini teapot, a little school bus, coffee mugs with funny sayings, a rock and roll trophy, mini boxing gloves, stuffed pillows with smileys, and more.
Each came with its own unique story.
Pizza, beer, and bowling were part of the festivities.
It’s nice when people appreciate each other and can have some fun.
Thanks for the holiday party and the alarm clock. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
So a colleague told me about an awful experience at work.
They came into the office and had a big surprise.
I won’t ask you to guess what it was.
I’ll start off by giving you a hint.
It came from a mouse.
Yep, they actually had what they called, “mouse poop” on their desk.
Have to laugh even at the term…
But this is not what you want to have to deal with first thing in the morning, or anytime for that matter.
What can you do though?
We share the world with other living creatures and if they want to poop on your desk–what are you really gonna do about it?
I suggested setting some traps, but they said they want to see if it happens again.
That’s two too many times for me.
Now though I learned to be grateful if my desk is poop-free. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
I am seeing this all the time now…
Parents of little children, or even older children, who are too busy working to pay much, if any, attention to their families.
Call it a disease of the industrial revolution + information technology.
Whether people worked on the assembly line making widgets or nowadays on the computer and smartphone answering their bosses and colleagues compulsively–it’s become a global obsession.
On one hand, with the impending robot and AI revolution taking over jobs, people need to be grateful to even have a job to earn a living for the families.
On the other hand, with the connections to each other and our work 24/7, the depression-era saying of:
Brother, can you spare a dime?
Has morphed into:
Brother, can you spare some time?
Yes, we all need to be responsible adults, earn a decent living and pay our bills.
But in the end, it’s not money or things that we give to our families that is the most important.
I would argue money and things are the least important, and what is truly most precious is the love, time, and attention you give to yours.
As the old saying goes:
Money can’t buy love.
But time and attention given to your loved ones can build meaningful relationships that last a lifetime and beyond.
Yes, of course, people need to work to earn a living and productively contribute something to society, but it is also true that work is used as an excuse to run away from parental and familial responsibilities.
It’s easier to give an Amazon gift certificate or a Gameboy then to actually spend the afternoon with the kids.
These days, people say ridiculous things like:
I love going into the office to get away from home.
But you can’t run away from your problems at home–you need to work on them and solve them.
The diabolical murderous Nazis used work as a tool to enslave, torture, and exterminate their victims as the sign over the gate of the Auschwitz (and many other) concentration camps read:
Arbeit Macht Frei (or Work Sets You Free)
But as we all know inside, true freedom is being able to give generously from your time and effort to your loved ones, and slavery is not being able to let go of your work.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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