Feed Your Good Dog

Positive Thoughts | Positive Actions | Positive Results

Power of Words

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from Voilà! – The Parks Image Group Newsletter by Peggy M. Parks, AICI CIP, CPBS
Voila! Newsletter

Lately I´ve been reading a lot on the power of words and how they can affect our attitude. For instance, nowadays many people prefer to use phrases like “let go” or “laid off” because they aren´t as harsh or violent-sounding as “fired.” Many folks talk about work by using negative-sounding terms that can make the office seem even drearier: grind, in the weeds, backlog, deadline. Describing your job that way makes it easy to see work as a negative part of your life. What would happen if you instead opted for upbeat terms like progress, projection, goals, and collaboration? I wouldn´t be surprised if it made you feel better about your job, simply by focusing on more empowering language.

I remember a time when I was going to the gym a lot to get in shape. I called it “skinny skool,” because that reminded me of my ultimate goal and made it seem more fun. “Workout” and phrases like “no pain, no gain” just felt too negative and like, well, work. To reach my goal, I needed a shift in attitude, and it worked! My advice: Take note of the phrases you use when you talk about various aspects of your life (work, relationships, money, etc.). If you are seeing a negative pattern and need to get motivated, perhaps switching up your language can help.
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About Peggy M. Parks and The Parks Image Group

The Parks Image Group, Inc. delivers high-impact corporate image and business etiquette training to companies in the Southeastern United States. Management and employee training is an investment in building corporate credibility and staff confidence.

CEO Peggy M. Parks is Atlanta’s premiere corporate image and branding expert — available for Corporate Workshops, Public Speaking and Civility in the Workplace sessions, which are customized to have major impact for whatever you would like to accomplish. Click here to contact Peggy M. Parks by email or you may contact her by phone at 404•266•3858.

Stay the Course – Keep Your Heart Open

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Feed Your Good Dog heartMahatma Gandhi inspires us with this quote:

Whatever you do may seem insignificant to you, but it is most important that you do it. ~ Mahatma Gandhi

When the sky appears to be falling, keep doing what you know in your heart will make the world a better place because it WILL even if you don’t see it.

And, remember . . . Feed Your Good Dog so your good dog always wins!

Source: Brainy Quotes

Think Self-Discipline

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Self-discipline word cloud“With self-discipline, all things are possible. Without it, even the simplest goal can seem like the impossible dream.” ~Theodore Roosevelt

In his article, How to Build Self-Discipline, Peter Clemens says: “Self-discipline involves acting according to what you think instead of how you feel in the moment.” Clemens discusses how inner purpose led to the self-discipline he needed to, among other things, become an early riser. He goes on to list five traits of developing self-discipline:

  1. Self-Knowledge
    Develop a personal mission statement. He suggests using Dr. Stephen Covey’s Mission Statement Builder.
  2. Conscious Awareness
    Become aware of your undisciplined behavior and eventually over time you will have awareness before you act in an undisciplined way; and you are aware you will be able to make the choice for self-discipline.
  3. Commitment to Self-Discipline
    Make a commitment to your goals and values. Make a conscious decision to do what you say you are going to do. Keep yourself honest by tracking your commitments.
  4. Courage
    Developing self-discipline is not easy; in fact, because it involves change can be down-right difficult. It takes courage to push through difficulty and sometimes pain, and face the challenges that surface during change. Self-confidence that you are on the right track will emerge as you experience the positive effects of self-discipline and courage will come more naturally.
  5. Internal Coaching
    Encourage and reassure yourself when your goals are challenged, you need courage, your commitment is waning, and you need to stay on task. Clemens has a quote he relies on when tested. It is “The price of discipline is always less than the pain of regret”. I simply say “Feed Your Good Dog.” and it takes me back to where I need to be.

What quote or phrase do you use to encourage or reassure yourself when situations occur to take you off track?

Roller Coaster – Life’s Ups and Downs – Monday Motivational Quote

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The first roller coaster opens in America on June 16, 1884 at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York.

Aimee Mullins - On Life Belted into a Roller Coaster
Aimee Mullins by David Shankbone cc BY-SA 3.0 view terms
World record breaking track and field paralympic athelete, fashion model, actress and motivational speaker Aimee Mullins, “an influential voice in today’s culture” says the following about living life on a roller coaster:

Giving up is conceding that things will never get better, and that is just not true. Ups and downs are a constant in life, and I’ve been belted into that roller coaster a thousand times.

And, remember . . . Feed Your Good Dog so your good dog always wins!

Sources: Brainy Quote and Aimee Mullins

Express Yourself!

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Use Music, Dance and Art to Channel Expression

Express Yourself imageI can’t express myself. No, listen, really . . . what I mean is I can’t express myself. It is not that there is anything wrong with my vocals or that I lack vocabulary . . . I just can’t get the words out. Why? I don’t know but it is frustrating. Everyone around me is expressing themselves, and I stand there as their words fly by, trying to keep up. Wait, what did they say? What was that? Slow your words down so I can follow. What is wrong with me? Why can’t I follow the conversation? Time and time again. It is frustrating and painful.

I venture to say that there are too many people who have had a conversation in their head with themselves similar to this one. If it is not addressed it can lead to depression, risky behavior or even to acts of violence. It is through creative expression that some of us have found a way around the debilitating emotions we experience due to our inability to express ourselves.

Anna Clendening brought light to depression and anxiety last night as she took the stage on America’s Got Talent to perform one of my favorite songs – Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. Anna’s expression of Hallelujah stopped me in my tracks the minute she started singing. Not a big surprise that she was able to deliver the show stopper as she said that music was her answer to depression and anxiety. She was able to express herself through music in ways she could not otherwise. It was obvious . . . I could hear her feelings flow through the deeply emotional Hallelujah lyrics. You can watch her video on Youtube here.

Additionally, evidence that artistic expression works to alleviate the pain from depression and anxiety is in the work that is done with young people by Express Yourself out of Beverly, Massachusetts. Thank goodness for this organization for they provide young people an outlet for positive expression, a place where they can learn different modes of expression. Its signature program is a year-long “multi-disciplinary arts experience in collaboration with exciting visual and performing artists. Participation in the program encourages self-expression, uncovers individual strengths, and deepens connection.” You can find out more about it on Express Yourself’s website under Our Programs.

The very first benefit Express Yourself points to when describing what the young people in their program experience is the power of self-expression. They say that “We all have a need for self-expression, and by engaging in the creative process, our youth discover healthy ways to be seen and heard.” And, when we learn how to communicate effectively the depression, risky behavior and acts of violence are less likely to occur.

Yet funding for programs like these continues to be cut and hard to find. Thankfully, there are private funds and donations that allow these organizations to exist, but we need more.