Lessons in Being Still

It’s just a matter of happenstance, but may it never be a matter of the heart. In the rummage of cleaning up strewn items around the house, my planner was set on top of my Bible on the bookshelf. As I look at it now, I pray that what I’m seeing may never speak of my life priorities. To have my plans above His. This is the kind of heart that says, “Sure, Lord, I’ll follow you unless….”

I don’t want my life to reflect these misconstrued priorities, and yet how often do I settle into preoccupation over choosing peace? How often do I grapple for control instead of surrendering? Skipping over rest to rush, I push on with lies…”More, more more”, “never enough”, “prove yourself”.

How many of us live our entire day this way? Then days become weeks, weeks become months, and months bleed into years…

…and soon we arrive in the place where we’re more comfortable with our schedule than we are with surrender.

The hand that tightens my grip on control of my life is the same hand that has limited my capacity to receive more fully of His love.

You see- if we’re consumed by order, we’ll miss out on the fullness of love.

And so He speaks to me- “Let go in order to be full. Release, in order to be still.”

Matthew 6:25-34: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?…But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well…”

I read the full passage and allow these truths to sink in.

“He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’” Psalm 46:10

“Be still.” I can barely stand in the elementary school of such things. The world screams, our schedules chime, our phones ring relentlessly, emotions run rampant, and yet He speaks- “Be still”.

In our culture today this would seem nearly impossible, unless we learn to rest in following truth: “and know that I am God…”

Know it. Dwell upon it. Try to wrap your mind around it and find yourself consumed by awe every time. He is God. He does not change. He is constant. He is eternal. He is consistent.

And so we CAN learn this sacred and mysterious posture of stillness. In the midst of the alarms that seem to torment us, we can sit before Him whose mighty power does not ebb and flow with tides of our schedules, unsurrendered fears, and questions.

So in my heart, I begin to put the planner in its place. His sovereignty is grander than our schedules; His peace more restorative than the list that achieves a pristine life.

“Be still, and KNOW that I am God…”

May we step into this week with a newfound purpose and peace.

 

The Holy Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005. Print.

In the Clear: Mastering the Art of Sleep

After reading this title, you may chuckle to yourself. The art of sleep? Since when did sleeping become a skill to master?

According to the Better Sleep Council, 65% of Americans are losing sleep due to stress. 65%! That’s highly significant considering that the importance of sleep is nearly equivalent to everyone’s daily lifeblood. We live in a very stressed nation. Therefore we can tend to sleep restlessly. The result of sleeping restlessly results in the influx of our stress levels. And so the cycle continues.

To wake up with clear eyes and a clear mind can propel you into all the day holds with. In order to embark on mastering the skill of sleep, I am going to provide helpful and healthful tips to consider before you hit the pillow each evening.

Write or Flight Too much on your mind before you go to sleep? Try journaling your thoughts down before it’s lights out. Often times, we assume that the stresses of the day will disappear with our desire to escape them, but frequently that can leave us tossing and turning with our brains working on overdrive. Instead of holding your pillow accountable to being some magic cure to turn your brain off, try transferring all your concerns on paper before you sleep. Having had the opportunity to process through what is on your mind, you’ll free your brain up to take a break and sleep for the night. Not a “journaler”? Draw. Create. Talk out your problems with a close friend. Find a helpful and healthy outlet for that which makes you anxious.

Spa Sleep Treat your room as a getaway. As much as we’d like to think that our room is the canvas that reflects our life, your body will be able to rest better if you can create a calm atmosphere. This goes beyond keeping a clean space. Utilize the space you have to create an ambiance for sleep. Make sure you have blinds that keep out unwanted light and that your room isn’t too hot. Studies reveal that most individuals sleep best in a temperature between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re noise sensitive, consider investing in a sound machine that creates white noise. Invest in the value of your sleep by creating a peaceful environment to rest in.

System Slow Down Each time we eat, our metabolism and body reacts in order to digest our food. This is why it’s best to finish our last meal or snack two to three hours before climbing into bed. When our bodies are digesting, it’s much harder to sleep as deeply. Need a sweet treat? Try Chamomile tea with honey to soothe your senses.

Our bodies need to refuel each night. See each night’s sleep as a gift, not an intrusion on time or productivity. By considering sleep adjustments, you can make the most of work and social time by being fully present. Happy sleeping!

In the Clear: Healthful Benefits of Drinking Water

I remember the first time, as a child, that I heard the stereotypical advice about drinking water. “8 glasses per day.”My mind couldn’t fathom such an amount. Eight glasses?! I couldn’t even remember drinking that much of any liquid per day.

Now obviously perceptions change over the years and my knowledge as an adult leads me to understand that much of the hydration we receive comes from sources beyond the glass. These sources, such as fruit, therefore do not limit us to gulping down 64 ounces of straight H₂0 everyday.

So what’s the pull? You may say, “I’m doing just fine with my coffee, Diet Coke, and sweet tea.” Why does everyone keep harping on the importance of water? Like many other health related choices we are encouraged to make, this decision is more than a one-dimensional suggestion. Let me share some lasting benefits for upping your H₂0 intake:

Clear Mind I know many people who, upon waking up, will grab a cup of coffee and rush out the door onto their hamster wheel of life. An hour after they’ve seen the bottom of that coffee cup, they have a pounding headache and can’t think straight. As a quick solution, they pop some pain relievers and march upon their day. However, this is only treating a symptom of what is often the problem: Dehydration. Many medical studies have shown that headaches and “spacing out” are highly common results of hydration deficiency. Before you turn to medicine, ask yourself how much you’ve had to drink that morning.

Clear Complexion Ever wake up after the morning of that anniversary party, wedding, or office potluck and wonder why on earth you decided to go for that second piece of those quadruple chocolate fudge lava brownies? Or the third? After taking one look in the mirror, you swear that the regret of that decision is written all over your face. Because it is. Drinking water is a simple way to help your skin replenish its’ cells. By being more intentional about your water intake, your skin is better armed to fight the issues of breakouts or over-dryness.

Clear Eyed Let’s go back to our first scenario. Instead of having a pounding headache, you merely feel exhausted. This results in all mental capacity that could be put into your work being used to fixate on the desire for another cup of coffee or a long nap. We wonder why we feel tired when we seem to have slept well, and so, in an effort to keep moving along, our go-to is more caffeine. Many different sources have proven that dehydration and fatigue correlate strongly to each other. Rather than defaulting to another stimulant that will leave coming off of a caffeine crash, reflect on the amount of water you’ve drank of that given day and reevaluate your decision.

Have a hard time remembering to drink more water? Try buying a water bottle that you like and would therefore want to carry around. Often times, the more your water is in sight, the more you’ll come to see you’re often more thirsty than you would have realized.

Your body takes a lot of wear and tear from you- be kind by helping it run the way it was supposed to.

Today, aim to drink the clear and see more clearly!

 

“In the Clear”: 5 Steps to Beginning Tasks Less Stressed

Imagine the peaceful feeling that comes upon you when you hear the pilot of an airplane announcing clear flying conditions before take off. Now contrast that with any slight amount of concern when the winds are howling and you see dark clouds hovering through the tiny windows. Even if your safety isn’t a concern, the restful feeling isn’t quite as present when the plane’s motion is reminiscent of the last mechanical bull ride you attempted.

The same plane and the same flight will feel very different when all that surrounds it is tumultuous. Thus is the same predicament that many face when they try to start a task from a cluttered life. They might be prepared and fully capable, but their space is a mess! While many are able to function, they don’t realize that external stress they are making themselves susceptible to.

There are many articles that exist about the correlation between physical clutter and psychological clutter. How much does the space around us affect our mental space? Much more than we realize! Psychiatrists and medical professionals conduct studies on the overwhelming stress we can place on ourselves through clutter.

So where do we begin? How can you free up your mental stress by cleaning up your space? Here are 5 simple steps that will help you feel in the clear:

1. Cut the ties, keep the memories. How often have you saved old memorabilia, knowing full well that you haven’t looked at it in years? Do you really need to save every sweater you wore to high school football games? Every dance shoe you ever bought and wore out? Your memories are not embodied by everything you’ve ever owned. Look at your possessions and see what you could give away for the good of others.

2. Rock the routine. Simple tasks can seem daunting when they haven’t become a habit yet. Start associating little up keeping tasks with those that you already regularly do. For instance, everyone gets out of bed in the morning. What’s the first or second thing you do once you’re up? Training your body into a new habit could be a simple as a note that says, “Make your bed”. Baby steps toward cleanliness can make all the difference once they become something you budget your time towards.

3. Cyber….Space? Clutter goes beyond our physical space into the space that we interact with on our computers or cellphones. Do you talk to all of your “friends” or “followers”? Are the constant updates life-giving or progressively draining? You aren’t expected to be connected to it all. In fact, you’ll probably feel freer than ever if you aren’t. Don’t be afraid to minimalize the time you spend technologically connected and the breadth of people you “connect” with.

 4. Compile with Style. Start associating certain colors with certain categories of filing. For example, put recent bills in red to attend to first, yellow to indicate paid bills you may to reference soon, and green for information that’s been attended to and needs filed. Perhaps you do your billing online but have other papers that need sorting. Consolidate your life by categories and organize accordingly.

5. Less is more. Chances are, the greater quantity you have of an item, the less you’ll appreciate each one. Often times, there can be a compulsion to spend because we are able to. We’ll use a profit from selling for three additional items. Minimizing options is freeing by giving us the necessary amount to choose from. If you sell an item you haven’t used, revel in the opportunity to save that which you’ve earned for what you’ll need in the future. When that opportunity comes up, you’ll be thankful you’ve already made budget space for it.

How is your space leaving you feeling today? Free? Or frazzled? Look at your life as an ally in helping your mind have a clear flight. In future posts, we will be discussing different facets of life that would benefit by being in the clear…

Passion for Enhancement via Communication

People seem much more likely to remember a poor customer service experience than they are to remember a decent one. As an eighth grader, my family and I were on vacation in our favorite beach town. The evening had been rainier than we had expected and for that reason we decided it would be the perfect night for a movie rental. It was quite the privilege for my sister and I to be able to pick out the movie, and so we enthusiastically strode toward the counter with eager assurance and money in hand. As we approached the clerk to inquire about a particular movie we had been waiting to watch, I began to realize that we may not be getting the assistance we desired or anticipated.

I had never seen a store clerk with her bare feet up on the counter, and I assure you that I never want to see it again. Nonetheless, there she was: Feet on the counter, leaning back in her swivel chair, and gabbing on the landline with a friend about love life strife. When I began to utter the first syllable of my question, she looked at me with astonishment that begged to know why I was “bothering” her. She rested the phone receiver on her shoulder long enough to stop laughing and casually asked me to repeat the name of the movie. After I did, she nonchalantly stated with a flinging gesture of her arm, “I think it’s over there somewhere.”

I don’t know where “somewhere” was, but after sifting through video racks it became clear that the store did not own the movie at all. As we shrugged our shoulders and ventured out of the store, she called out a half-hearted, “Sorry!”, followed by one of those waves that always looks more like shooing than waving goodbye. Needless to say, I will never forget that experience. As repulsive as it was, I am thankful for the resolve it instilled in me.

From the moment that I felt compelled to become a Communications major, I knew the strong pull was grounded in the fact that I love being a bridge builder between people and improvement. Competency within interactions and the power of words create an opportunity to guide people to realizations and solutions that may have otherwise been buried in their lack of articulation. Communications goes beyond troubleshooting and creating solutions by framing these products in a way that speaks to an individual most potently. Being aware of personal distinctions enhances the ability to receive and apply messages more effectively.

In a world of workplaces that focus on efforts and achievements, I am committed to seeing enhancement of the individual increase. As I pursue Customer Relations and eventually Health Promotion, I seek to interact with customers, clients, and associates in a manner that leads to the enhancement of both the individual and the purpose of the company.

Rather than treating people as an inconvenience, I strive to validate the positive and redirect others to transform the negative. To administer tasks that play into others’ strengths and gifts. I strive to utilize the great potential that lies within each person, whether that is the potential to achieve a healthier lifestyle, or the potential to utilize a service in a more effective manner. With my highest ranked strength being Individualization, I can utilize individuals’ greatest strengths in working together, rather than maximizing the amount of time they spend trying to operate in an arena they aren’t inclined towards.

I am excited to work hard for my future employer and to begin each work day with a renewed sense of commitment to the company purpose. Whether it be in the world of business or the world of health, I can assure any company that my insight and communication competency will reap positive results and the betterment of both corporations and individuals.

Your Message: Maximized

After assessing the communicative heroes in our lives, we can use the wise treasures we discover to be intentional about the persona we exude. Recently, I had several interviews to attend and had to be very aware of the personal message I was delivering to some administrators. In a daily interaction with those who know me best, much grace would be extended if I were having an “off” day. However, when one is coming from a standpoint where credibility hasn’t been established yet, there is a strong need to put one’s true self forward in the best possible manner.

Employers, audiences, and new faces won’t be able to hold a first impression in light of who you already are, because the truth of the matter is that they don’t know who that is. For that reason, they are looking to you to tell them. Most of the time, they literally ask you to tell them, and they are also noticing and determining that truth based on their own observations.

Let’s say that I am generally a very neat and put together individual. Suppose that on the day of a big presentation, I am rushing about in a frazzled state due to some exterior issues. I show up to the conference, practically sprint up to the podium, and take a ragged breath of air. The front of my shirt is crumpled, because I was too irritated at everything else to take time to iron it, and I took very little time on my hair. After carelessly digging some notes out of my briefcase, I nearly slap them down on the podium shelf and say,

“Well….I guess it’s my turn to speak.”

What on earth is my audience going to think? Are they going to give me the benefit of the doubt? Anticipate an energetic and engaging presentation? View me as a reliable expert who should be listened to? Absolutely not.

It would matter very little that this presentation was an exception. Even if my presentation material flowed beautifully, my halfhearted tone, my unprofessional appearance, and my flippant demeanor would undoubtedly overshadow it.

This is just one example of a take away lesson from our leaders. Anyone can do a job halfheartedly. However, even the seemingly overwhelming majority at times is not enough incentive to commence once we’ve met the standard. If that were the case, how could you stand out as a leader in your field, the position you take, or the role you fulfill for others?

It’s not that we don’t each have struggles and bad days. We all do. But rather than allowing those externals to define how we’re perceived, we can choose to be self-aware and attuned to that which interferes with our communication. It’s helpful for communicators to realize that our public image is not about portraying a self that is inauthentic. On the contrary, it is verbally and nonverbally telling others about who we are- in a genuine way that reveals why we are a valuable asset.

Lessons of our Legacies

In my childhood years, I can very distinctly remember having heroes I looked up to. It’s interesting how our culture encourages having heroes in our youth but seems to neglect their importance or relevance in our lives as we mature. Ernest Hemingway is quoted as saying, “As you get older it is harder to have heroes, but it is sort of necessary.” Why is it more difficult? Perhaps we think we should have arrived by now? That we are of age to be heroes ourselves? Neither of these denies the role of heroes in our lives. It is necessary to observe the lives of others in a way that teaches us while we understand the value in what we’re witnessing. This is why I’ve bothered to study Margaret Thatcher at all. To learn. I would argue that every successful communicator, in whatever field they pursue, needs someone to admire and learn from. In the case of history, we are left with the opportunity to dive into and extract meaning from the lives of those who’ve gone before. Many lives are legacies that we can look to in order to enrich our own. Margaret Thatcher’s life has provided communicative treasures for me. Like any communicator, she isn’t perfect, but she offered an example for future orators and communicators.

The transformation of Thatcher’s fashion, public speaking mannerisms, vocal tone, and accent all worked collectively to affirm her role as a leader. Although the critics of the time may have accused her as an actress of sorts, after the transformation she was no longer perceived entirely as “silly”. In many ways she may have been perceived as tough and unwavering in a negative manner, and yet she embodied the face of a leader. Her public image was not flawless, but it was one that spoke with authority and competence. The very fact that she was the first female Prime Minister and held three consecutive terms speaks to the fact that she projected an image that her people trusted.

In a world that constantly has to question the validity of what they hear, as attaining a public voice is easily accessible, people are looking for trustworthiness of a message. If a communicator is committed to having an impact, the synchrony between verbal and nonverbal messages cannot be stressed enough. To be seen as credible, we must take the roles of humble students of our communicative heroes and attentive communicators who assess the perception of our message integrity. The extent to which one is able to do this is the extent to which one’s message is able to have an impact.

Are you a communicator whose message can be trusted?

The Intent Behind Analysis

Examining Margaret Thatcher’s political pursuits helps to build evidence to the fact that nonverbal communication is crucial to the impact of a message. Communicators today need to be reminded of examples such as this, due to the fact that we can be so shortsighted in our communicative endeavors. After my previous  revelation, I decided that nonverbal communication was the very issue that needed to be addressed in the Communications research analysis I had just recently been assigned.

Although I have never been what some might call a “movie enthusiast”, I have enough movie-going friends to keep tabs on what’s noteworthy in the Box Office. I remember seeing a preview for the Meryl Streep film, “The Iron Lady”, a couple years ago and my interest was immediately peaked. Despite the fact that I had heard mention of Thatcher’s time as Prime Minister, I had never fully realized the drastic public image overhaul she had gone through on her road to success. Seeing the impact of her transformation, that didn’t even revolve around her political skills, completely supported the previous revelation I had had about needed intentionality for a holistic message. For that reason, I decided that Margaret Thatcher’s image transformation was the perfect subject for an analysis based on nonverbal communication and message validity. Examining the types of changes she made can reveal the relevance of communicative aspects that may often be less acknowledged.

In following posts, we will continue to walk through the different transformations that Margaret Thatcher underwent and allude to why these specific transformations were significant. By observing her appearance, her public presentation, and her paralanguage (vocal communication), an aspiring communicator will be able to grasp a more complete concept of what the art of communication entails. The life of an individual can serve as a helpful tool for our own discoveries and education, and I am pleased to be able to utilize Thatcher’s life as such.

Who’s Speaking?: You? Or your appearance?

Many of us have heard it stated that 80% of what we “say” is expressed through our body language. Yet, the gravity of this reoccurring statistic can be lost once we start to formulate our verbal message. The verbal message is important, but it should not cloud over the awareness needed for all that is not being said. Our body movements and personal presentation exude a message as well. Will that message support the one coming out of our mouths, or will it be a contrary distraction from our message?

A particular experience from my early teenage years quickly led me to realize the importance of holistic communication. As a teenager, I was incredibly excited for my very first “real” date. The fact that my boyfriend was going to drive his car over and meet my parents made me feel incredibly mature. Upon meeting my parents, I thought the introduction couldn’t have gone any better! I was so confident of that fact that I questioned my parents with excited immediacy upon returning home that evening. Following my inquisition, my father’s very first comment was that, “his jeans had a lot of holes in them.”

In that moment, it was worthless to attempt to explain to my dad that clothes resembling his wood chopping attire were now a trend setting statement. The first few seconds of that meeting had already given my dad a perception that crowded out the rest of the interaction. As if it weren’t already difficult enough for a father to be objective about meeting his daughter’s date, my boyfriend’s attire had created a barrier within that introduction. Regardless of the truth, my dad saw his appearance as a message of a callous and laxidasical attitude. From that early experience, I started to understand how powerfully nonverbal communication and awareness of an audience impact a message.

Television producer Gordon Reece knew the importance of personal presentation in relation to a message upon stepping in to assist Margaret Thatcher in the 1975 election for Prime Minister of Britain. It wasn’t as if she had been looking unkempt in her past years of service. Her dress was always professional and seemingly appropriate, and yet it was apparent to Reece that Thatcher’s current look was portraying a message in which she didn’t intend. Thatcher’s conservative attire at the time was compiled of many suits, hats and bows that made her appear punctilious and fussy. Reece knew that helping Margaret create a wardrobe that would cater to the current fashions of a particular audience she was addressing would help tremendously in making her more relatable. With that piece of informative awareness, the transformation began.

What message do you desire to communicate at this point in your life, and how aware are you of the components of that message? The roles we fill in life should not demand us to be inauthentic, but it’s important to be aware of the crucial impact that nonverbal communication and appearance have upon the message you may wish to communicate. Prior to the next time you go to an interview or step up to a podium, ask yourself if your personal presentation alone would lay the groundwork for your desired message.

First Step in the Journey: Awareness

Do you remember the thrill of your freshman year of college? The anticipation of learning material that interested you, the elation of meeting new people, the endless opportunities? Yet, in the midst of breathing it all in, I couldn’t help but see past the shroud of excitement and notice something else: Exhaustion. It suddenly occurred to me that while so many students were receiving a high quality education, they were lacking in knowledge of themselves. Floating through life aimlessly and spreading themselves thin was leaving everyone burned out and unaware of the source and diagnosis. From that moment I understood that in order to give out of a full tank, I needed to be aware enough to apply the concept of self-care.

This desire to exercise self-care in my own life, as well guide others in awareness, coincides with my pursuit of a career in Health Promotion. Coming from a Communications background, I have witnessed the power that effective communication has on genuine life change. Communication is the missing link in bridging the gap between health knowledge and an individual’s decision making. For that reason, I am looking forward to being part of the implementation and promotion of life change that lasts.

It would be narrow minded to limit healthy living to solely physical awareness. Being intentional within one’s own life involves realizing the ways in which one’s own person affects others. Intentionality within the way one presents themselves to others will yield positive results and successful message communication. For this particular reason, I am going to be sharing some communicative insights from the life of Margaret Thatcher in my first blog series. Walking through her development as a powerful communicator will be a helpful tool in understanding the influence that intentionality has on the effective receptivity of a message. In posts to follow, we will be exploring just one of the essential pieces of equipment a communicator takes with them: public image.