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success
The picture we paint of what it means to be “successful” is both limiting and inaccurate.
"Always a bridesmaid and never a bride, hey?" I was on the receiving end of that a couple times. Despite being in law school, despite having lots of friends, despite having travelled and by all accounts being pretty damn happy with life, the insinuation was that I wasn't successful because I wasn't married.
If we try (by applying for that job, going to the gym or doing something outside of our comfort zone) and don't achieve a 100 per cent success rate, we deem ourselves to have failed. Stop comparing yourself to what society says you should be, and instead create your own measurement system.
Having relationship problems keeps us in a stress response and irrational fears can sneak into how we perceive simple requests or exchanges at work. So, let's treat Valentine's Day like a do-over for that New Year's resolution on improving our relationships.
Using the principles I have developed over the years I have found a path to exceptional living. As a professional therapist I have been able to apply these principles to the clients I work with and have assisted them in achieving an exceptional life as well.
If you're like most people (myself included), you probably have areas for improvement, or opportunities for growth you could tackle. A year end review helps you identify the ones that are most important to you. The key to an effective review is asking yourself specific questions and being brutally honest in your answers.
So what does a mentor do? Mentors are those generous people who are open to sharing their knowledge, wisdom, experience, insight and offering their counsel. The best mentors are great listeners who understand your challenges and offer different strategies and ideas to not only help you overcome obstacles but excel at them. Mentors will often see something in you that you may not see yourself.
Although the firing process should be like ripping off a Band-Aid, it's still important to be respectful -- no one should be surprised they've been fired. Employees should be made aware of problems and given a chance to correct them. It's just good business sense.
