Girls on the Run International’s Post

Great blog post from GOTR International

One of the most important things to humans is to feel valued and respected by others, and like we belong to something. According to research, people feel “significantly better” after both giving and receiving a compliment, compared to how they felt beforehand. As a father, I've really tried to be a beacon of positivity for my boys. It can sometimes be challenging as I grew up with a father who pushed me pretty hard and compliments were somewhat hard to come by. I often catch myself being too critical and remind myself that there are different ways to motivate people and making them feel good and encouraged is a great way of doing it! Here's a TIME article sharing a few compliments that never fail to make someone's day: 🙌🏾 “You handled that situation so well.” 🤩 “I’m really impressed with your ability to work under pressure.” 💚 “I love the way you bring out the best in people.” This article also reminds us: When you receive a compliment, remember to say “thank you." It shows others that sharing words of encouragement can make a positive difference in our lives. #PMA #Compliments #mentalhealth #parenting

Recognition, awareness and effort can go a long way.

Don’t know about your workplace the last few years, but here we’ve had some disagreements. And speaking candidly, some of my co-workers opinions are just plain wrong…and offensive. And, here’s the shocker, they believe the same thing about mine! “You can CHOOSE to be ‘unoffendable.’” That’s how the book by Brant Hansen, Unoffendable, begins. And having read it, I still live like I’m skeptical. So what better way to challenge my thinking than to take our entire team at River Radio | 104.9 | 89.3 | 90.9 through the book study over the next 6 weeks during our “Mandatory Chapel” (Yeah, our work has a mandatory chapel. We don’t sugar coat it. It’s called Mandatory Chapel). Somehow, we have to find a way to work together, accomplish goals that are way bigger than us, and do it in a spirit of cooperation and unity. The reality is, we get along here decently well. But most of our challenges stem from working with people. So why a team book study? It promises a few things we need: - Getting freedom from anger that isn’t destructive. (HINT: starts with forgiveness) - Addressing injustices in life better WITHOUT anger. - Letting go of our “right” to be offended can actually reduce stress and simplify our entire lives. This concept really challenges me. But I believe that if we practice what it says together, we will all live better lives at work, at home and in our community. And we will also do a WAAAY better job of showing people who Jesus really is. And that just happens to be our mission.

Life can be difficult not just for us, but also for the people around us. In our efforts to comfort them, we may sometimes say or do things that are not as helpful as we intend. To ensure that our support is genuinely beneficial, it’s crucial to be mindful of what we do and say to those who are hurting. In this blog post, I share three key things to avoid when comforting people during tough times. Read the full blog here:

8 Pieces of Advice I’d Give Any Young Man in His Early 20s By John Coyle. 1. Continuing to put one foot in front of the other on the proven path will get you where you need to go. 2. It will be hard. 3. Others will try to distract you with things that aren’t your goals. 4. You will see other “opportunities” that look easier/more fun - they’re just as hard as the path you’re on. 5. Most the time you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. You need someone who’s done what you want to do to tell you the path you need to follow. 6. Don’t forget the goal. 7. Be able to picture what your day-to-day life will look like when you reach it. Be able to describe it in detail. 8. Have the humility to listen.

Right at the end of summer break Dr Lindsay Foreman came to visit me at home as part of her positive psychology research. We had a great chat about the elements of a good life. My little cat Yin makes a guess appearance too! 🐈 There's a mention for Time for Kindness & the kindness spotting work of Sarah Browning (she/her) too. What do you think makes a good life? What brings you hope? #positivepsychology #coachingpsychology #leadershipcoach

Give Them Some GUFF Someone I love called me recently to tell me about a major change they had made in their life. They prefaced their recounting by asking me for flexibility, grace, and understanding. My brain immediately formed these words into the acronym GUF. This made me chuckle because giving someone guff is not usually a positive thing. What was being asked of me was. I listened. She told the tale of slogging through a difficult time where she realized how unhappy she was with a choice she had made in her life. She took time to feel all the different things she was feeling during that time. She also teased out from the tangle of her feelings exactly what about her current situation wasn’t working for her. Then the Universe met her. It made a space for a different choice, one that addressed what was missing in her original choice. She wasn’t just walking away from what wasn’t working but towards something else that would. I was so proud of her for making the journey. For not choosing to see herself as a victim. For not expecting someone else to magically make it better. She communicated her choice to those in her life who would also be affected by it. She still has a little undoing to do before she will be completely free of her original choice. She’s handling that. I was touched that she shared her new choice with me. I was even more delighted that she shared her journey and her process. It was easy to listen to her with GUF. There are so many ways to be happy in this life. It’s a beautiful thing when we can honor the healthy choices others make for themselves no matter whether we would make the same choice or not. The way I see it Grace is about taking in what is being said without judgment. Understanding is about really listening until you see what is being said from the speaker’s point of view. And finally, Flexibility is the ability to bend your own expectations out of the frame so they don’t cloud the other person’s picture. I’m grateful that thinking of these practices as a GUF response will help me to respond in these ways more often in the future. Cinse Bonino 2024 #life #expectations #listening #awareness #love #communication https://lnkd.in/ery6GB85

We each have a human need to socially represent ourselves without being compared to others. The brave work of discovering 'who' you are and showing up as YOU at work and in life comes with so many rewards. - Social worthiness and better teaming - Values aligned actions and decisions - Increased self expression and honest conversations - Reducing shame and loneliness - Feeling a social connection with others and the list goes on. What are some of the benefits you experience when you are being your true self at work? Some books / articles on the topic: 📖 https://lnkd.in/eM8VvDda Some articles to explore: ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e6QJ8niD ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eu4kC8dc

In our fast-paced, ever-changing world, the ability to adapt and remain flexible is a vital skill that can significantly impact our personal and professional lives. As I delve into Piero Ferrucci's insightful book, "The Power of Kindness," I find myself reflecting on the importance of cultivating flexibility and resilience in the face of life's countless frustrations. "…the children who most easily accept the frustration turn out to be the strongest, most pleasant in the company of others, most conscientious, and most open to new experiences. Years later, these children will be adults who will more easily accept the little oppositions so common in everyday life: You can't find a parking spot; the person you are waiting for is late; the computer crashes; the weather is poor and your trip is canceled… Reality knows nothing of your plans, and it comes up with ever new ways to pester you. According to recent research, you are bound to meet twenty-three frustrations today (up from thirteen a decade ago). Will you fight or will you dance? The ability to be flexible resonates in our relationships. We may be endowed with warmth and goodwill, but if we do not adapt to the new, we will be stressed, in a bad mood, irritated, hostile, or overwhelmed by a situation we do not expect, and will therefore have less mental and emotional energy for expressing the best of ourselves with others. We will be only half there. The other half will be battling, grumbling, resisting. Because flexible people accept what is, they are easier to be with. With whom would you prefer to dine – someone who complains if there are no prawns flambé, accompanies by a ’67 Riesling, or someone else happy with a plate of pasta and beans? Who would make a better guest – a friend who is grateful for a good night’s sleep and who, with no particular demands, manages independently in your home or a relative who needs your company all the time, complains that the mattress is too hard, and requires you to help him find an expert in Japanese stamps? No doubt about it: Easygoing people are a blessing.” At work, flexibility is especially crucial. Faced with constructive criticism or a project that doesn't meet expectations, it's essential to approach the situation with patience and an open mind. By calmly seeking additional information and treating the experience as a learning opportunity, we can avoid defensive reactions that create unnecessary conflict and strain relationships. Cultivating flexibility and resilience is a gift not only to ourselves but also to those around us. As Ferrucci eloquently states, "Easygoing people are a blessing." By embracing adaptability and maintaining a positive outlook in the face of life's frustrations, we are more pleasant to be around, reduce stress for ourselves and others, and create a more harmonious environment both at home and in the workplace. Get "The Power of Kindness" here: https://bit.ly/458CJ5i #Resilience #Adaptability