For Families

I once conducted a marketing training to a group of business professionals. During the training I shared that repetition is critical for audiences to retain messages, and that an individual needs to hear a message at least six times for them to understand and act on it.  I advised these professionals to "repeat, repeat, repeat" their key messages to their customers. As I was talking, one of the training participants popped his hand up to ask a question.  I called on him and he said, "I feel like my wife is always repeating the same thing over and over and over again to me.  But, the more she repeats, the more I don't want to listen or do what she says.  Is there ever a time when repeating gets to be too much? And, more so...how do I stop my wife from nagging me?"
IMG_9721Do you ever fall into the holiday funk?  You know what we mean, that feeling of being overloaded with obligations and activities during the end of the year.  The holiday funk can also be brought on by feelings of loneliness or sadness due to a loved one who has passed, a relationship that is broken, or even bad holiday experiences of the past.  I think we all go through periods of the holiday funk from time to time. While there are many reasons that we and up in a holiday funk, we need to remember that we can choose not to be prisoners of the holidays, but rather drivers of the experience that we want.  A good place to start is deciding what is truly important to you this holiday season and work towards that goal.  Ask yourself, "What will make me happy this holidays?"  For some, it may be spending time with family.  For others, it may be enjoying peace and quiet at home and catching up on much needed rest.  It may even be taking a trip and getting away from home.  Then, stick with your goal. Do whatever it takes for you to achieve it and resist the feeling of guilt if you forgo a tradition or turn down an invitation.
IMG_3114   I'll admit it. I am so guilty of overindulging in many ways during the holidays.  I usually end up wearing leggings everyday after the New Year because my pants feel a bit too snug from all of the food I consumed. Over-eating, over-scheduling, over-spending, etc. is fine once a while, but with more than a month of festivities from Thanksgiving through the New Year, overindulging can catch up with you, and its consequences may last longer than you expect.  For example, we all know someone who had a bit too much to drink at a holiday party that resulted in some crazy behavior.  These stories are then retold every year, probably more often than 'The Night Before Christmas." This year, I'm intent on reigning in my overindulging and have come up with a few ideas to combat the indulge monster within me:
IMG_0214The holidays are supposed to be a season filled with fun and cheer. However, it can also be a stressful time given full schedules, parties, presents, and more. Here are 5 PR Fixes to help you navigate through and have a happy holidays:
FullSizeRenderMany of us come from families in which our parents have gotten divorced.  Children of divorced parents experience mental, emotional, and even physical strain that weighs heavy on them, not only in the early stages of divorce but also in various ways for the rest of their lives.   While divorce is common these days, this does not lessen the hurt, sadness, anger, and confusion that children in these situations feel. In my experience, here is what kids of divorce want their parents to know:
IMG_2831 copyMy grandfather has a bit of difficulty hearing sometimes, especially when he chooses not to wear his hearing aid (chuckle, chuckle).  Phone conversations with him can be challenging and involves a lot of yelling and eventually spelling out words on my end.  Once a conversation that should have taken 20-seconds ended up being a 2-minute cacophony of frustration on both ends.  That said, I love my 86-year-old grandfather dearly, and he is fairly tech savvy.  He uses a smart phone and email.  So, in recent years I've come to text and email him as much as possible.  It's an easy way for us to communicate clearly with each other. Senior citizens, individuals who are 65 years or older, are one of the largest, and growing, groups in our population. They are also some of our most important publics.  In our personal lives, seniors are our grandparents, aunties, uncles, mentors, and neighbors.  In business, older individuals can be the most loyal customers with big buying power.  Communication needs to take into account specific needs and preferences for people of all ages, including seniors.

IMG_7537I’ve noticed lately that sarcasm has become pervasive in our society. No matter what a person’s background, situation, level of affluence, race, creed or any other defining characteristic, almost everyone expresses some level of sarcasm. Usually, it’s cloaked in humor.  Sometimes it’s combined with self-depracation as a way to humble ourselves. Often it gives us a way to connect with people about the “harsh realities” of a certain subject (like parenting, relationships, or marriage).

flowersThere are relationships in life that happen by default, such as with  co-workers, stepchildren, in laws, college roommates, or the parent of your child's BFF.  In these cases, you find yourself automatically connected to someone, who you may not have normally chosen to befriend, because of your relationship with your loved one or work. Default relationships are not to be underestimated. They could make or break your most important relationships. So, what if you don't particularly get along with your default relationships?  You don't have to be besties with these folks, but you do need to put time and effort into making these interactions easy going and comfortable. Why? Because your relationship with your spouse or child or status at work depend on it.  A peaceful family or workplace is a content one.  You never want your spouse to feel like he has to choose between his parents or you or his children from a previous marriage or you.  That's not fair. Here are 5 ways to connect with your default relationships:
Beach BudsWe believe that one of the building blocks of fostering good relationships is being easy and comfortable with conversation in everyday social situations, such as at work, school, the drugstore, the gym, etc.  Having a friendly demeanor, grace and tact in everyday conversation are learned skills that take practice.  Many of us hone these skills through experience.  Often, this happens as we get older, move away from home, and become independent. When I look back on my younger years, I realize that I only began thoughtfully considering my social etiquette in college, where I found myself in a new city full of strangers and a variety of cultural and societal norms that I was a bit unfamiliar with.  I grew up in a small island community where everyone knew each other or were somehow connected, and this set a scene for mostly casual, comfortable personal interactions.  I didn't consider myself uncouth or anti-social, but apprehensive and awkward at times.  I think that this resulted in somewhat holding myself back on exploring a handful of opportunities.  As the saying goes, I lived and learned, and I am appreciative for my experiences as it helped me grow.