Resource: Ed2Go (Online Education)

September 30, 2011 By 1 Comment

Looking for a time and cost effective way to participate in personal or professional enrichment courses?

Try Ed2Go.com, an online education system with classes covering a variety of topics.

I enrolled in my first class, Beginner Writing, over the summer. I didn’t know what to expect. I admit, the course exceeded my expectations.

As a result of this 6 week/12 lesson course I read, speak, write, and listen differently. I’m more curious about how I use my words. When other people speak I hear their words more clearly and have a better understanding of how to create more effective sentences (how am I doing?)

I liked the course so much I enrolled in a  second course: Writing and Publishing the Non-Fiction Book.

Below are 5 reasons I like the Ed2Go class:

Time: Lessons are released on Wednesday and Friday and include written content and activities.  You do not have to be online when the lessons are released. Log in to the dashboard when time allows. I can work on the projects any time within the 6-week time frame. After 6 weeks the lessons and discussion boards are no longer available.

Cost. You can register for a class directly through Ed2Go or through a local university. Not knowing the difference I did a little research. The biggest difference I found: cost. I registered through a local university and the course cost $89. If I had registered directly through Ed2Go the fee increased to over  $100. You do not have to be enrolled in a college to register through that college.

Future Reference. Even though my first class is over, I saved each lesson as a PDF file to my desktop. Now I have this content for future reference if needed.

Discussion boards. You can post your work, questions, thoughts, and receive feedback from the instructor and class participants on the discussion board. I felt less alone through the process.

Clear, concise instructions. The courses (at least the ones I’m taking!) are written in a very clear and concise step-by-step how-to format. Each lesson provides information and action steps, making it easy to accomplish a goal. I appreciate the structure.

Ed2Go offers a variety of classes including foreign language, starting a business, business sand creative writing, health and wellness, using technology, starting a blog and so much more. Check out the Ed2Go.com website for details on courses and how to register.

Your turn: Have you taken an online class through Ed2Go or other learning system? What was your experience?

Filed Under: Product and Service Resources

What’s in Your “I Want to Feel Better” Toolbox?

September 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A friend recently posted on Facebook:

Stress…It really is about how you HANDLE it, not how much you have.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

There is no such thing as stress free. Stress is a response and we all respond differently. Some people withdraw, others get angry, irritable or impatient. Some people pause and ask questions. Maybe you know people who worry a lot, are forgetful, or have trouble sleeping at night.

How do you respond? And more importantly are you satisfied with how you respond?

When I’m on thinking overload, I feel like my head is buzzing and I can’t focus. In those moments I’ve learned to shift my attention away from my thoughts (stress) and to my breath (present moment = feel better.)

The tools I most often access in my toolbox include: exercise, stretching, yoga, journaling, meditation/breathing, connecting with friends.

The tool I choose depends on how I feel. If I feel lethargic, maybe it’s time for a walk to boost my energy. If overwhelm is keeping me from being productive perhaps a quick stretch or a few deep breaths is what I need to relax and get focused.

I don’t always have time for a 90 minute yoga class. I can find time for a neck stretch, forward bend or a few deep breaths. Even in that short amount of time, I instantly feel better.

It’s not about the stress you do have. It’s all in how you handle it.

How do you handle the stress in your life? What is in your “I want to feel better” toolbox?

Filed Under: Stress Management and Relaxation

3 Quick Tips: Creating Strong Connections

September 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Whether for your personal or professional life, surrounding yourself with supportive people is critical to your success and satisfaction.

How do you create those connections to ensure you are in good company? Below are three quick tips I’ve found invaluable to creating strong connections in my personal and professional life.

Be Genuine. Mean what you say, say it without expectation, and say it from a place of wanting to help. If you can’t commit to help, silence or self-awareness may be your best bet.

Be curious. Rather than think about “how will I benefit” think about “how I can help someone today”. If you’re genuine in your message, this really shouldn’t be hard. Ask questions, be interested, listen more than you speak.

Stay in touch. Whether you send a note via email or snail mail, connect on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, or (gasp!) pick up the phone and say hello, it’s important to stay in touch if you want to create and enjoy strong connections.

PERSONAL STORY

I recently picked up the phone to call a friend/colleague I hadn’t talked to in a while (I’ll call her K). K and I spent about an hour on the phone. I caught her on a not so good day. I listened and offered guidance when asked. Mostly I listened. K was heading off to a conference for the weekend.  As we hung up I said “have fun!” She didn’t really want to go.

When I saw K the following week, she greeted me with a hug. “Thank you so much for the phone call last week. You got me off the couch, running my errands and packing my bag for the trip. I had a great time. I told everyone I was there because of you.”

K called me later that same to day to share a story. She ran into a colleague who needed support. Because K felt good, she could offer her colleague support and guidance, too.

That’s magic. Helping people is contagious. The next time you’re connecting online or off, consider being genuine, curious and committing to staying in touch. And then watch your relationships flourish. That’s something we can all feel good about.

How about you? How do you create strong connections with folks so you have people to turn to for help and who can reach out to you for the same?

Filed Under: Connections

Are You in Good Company? (and a few photos from the Stars 40 Under 40 event)

September 19, 2011 By 1 Comment

On Friday I attended the 2nd annual South Shore Stars 40 Under 40 Emerging Leaders fundraiser event, recognizing 40 south shore professionals under 40 years old for their professional, leadership and community accomplishments. South Shore Day Care/Stars is a local non-profit providing day care and educational support to families south of Boston.

I’m humbled and honored to be chosen as one of the 2011 40 under 40 emerging leaders.


I watched, listened and applauded as names were called one by one congratulating each young professional for his/her accomplishments. As I sat amongst this impressive group, a mix of self-employed and corporate professionals, I felt chills run through me.

People are good, I thought. I am lucky to live in such a special place, surrounded by people making a difference in his/her own way.

Once upon a time I didn’t trust others and had a hard time seeing the good in the world around me. I also had a hard time trusting and seeing the good in myself. In fact, my high school yearbook quote reads: Before you can begin to love others, you must first learn to love yourself.

What you see in others is a reflection of what you see in and how you feel about yourself.

Over the years I’ve learned to trust myself. The more I trust myself, the more I trust others. As a result, I’m surrounded by the goodness of people every day. I also enjoy stronger more meaningful relationships.

How did I learn to build trust?

  • Being aware of myself, my actions and my surroundings
  • Finding time for quiet to listen to my instincts and silence the distractions
  • Built my confidence by tuning into fear, allowing vulnerability and taking action. Every time I act on something I learn and I build my confidence. No matter what I’m still standing!
  • Create strong connections with people who could help me and I could help in return. I “fired”, at least temporarily, folks who weren’t growing in the same direction. (this is not easy yet sometimes necessary)

As you think about your goals, values and work, and community involvement think about the company you keep and get curious about the role these people play.

  • Are you in the company of supportive go-getters?
  • Or are you in the company of people who complain a lot and feel less than satisfied?
  • What company do you want to keep? And where might you find those folks?
  • Are there people you might need to “fire” or distance yourself from in order to feel better about yourself, your work or your contribution to your community?

These are challenging yet powerful questions to ask. When you feel good about yourself, you are more confident and know exactly who you want to surround yourself with.

Stacey Shipman and Bianca de la Garza

Stacey with Channel 5 News Anchor & Event Emcee Bianca de la Garza

Are you in good company?

Congratulations to all of the 2011 Stars 40 Under 40 awardees and best of luck in your future endeavors. You can read more about the 40 Under 40 event here or view photos from the event here.

Filed Under: Confidence, Connections, Miscellaneous Inspiration

How Is Your Self Talk Serving You?

September 15, 2011 By 1 Comment

I worked with a client recently who wanted to feel more confident delivering a speech. Perhaps you can relate to how she felt:

  • Unsure of what to say
  • Nervous at the thought of addressing an audience of 100 people
  • Afraid that her speech wouldn’t inspire and motivate the audience to take action

During our time together we created a clear outline for her talk and discussed strategies to manage her nerves on stage. She even had time during our session to practice.

As she spoke, she admitted her fears were elevated, she didn’t believe in herself. Her self-talk and thoughts were keeping her from feeling confident delivering this speech.

I stopped her and suggested she get curious about her self talk by asking the following questions:

  • Where is the fear coming from? (Did she have a past experience that kept her a little stuck?)
  • How is it serving you? (Does it make you feel confident or incompetent? Are the thoughts true?)
  • How else might you think? (Acknowledge the fear and then think about the outcome you’d like)
  • What actions can you take to ensure a positive outcome? (Need more practice? Support and feedback?)

She very much appreciated this line of inquiry. Turns out she had a less than satisfying public speaking experience in the past. This awareness allowed her to shift her thoughts and believe that the outcome of this speech, with the right preparation, could (and would!) be different.

Your thoughts are powerful. Take the first step to boost your confidence (in many situations) by acknowledging your thoughts, noticing how they make you feel and getting curious about them.

She sent me the following email the day after her talk:

Thank you for all your help!  The speech went so well. 98% of it was because you started me on the right track, got my thoughts together, and I practiced practiced practiced.  I also appreciated the advice you gave me about never leaving the podium before the speaker arrives on stage, and to always thank the speaker appropriately. I let the speakers know in advance of our tight time line, and the meeting flowed smoothly. I felt very confident, a first for me in that environment. Thank you again.  Your tips, suggestions and feedback were right on and so appropriate.

Success!

How you think about a situation will affect how you act in a situation. Do you have the tools you need to feel confident? Start by noticing your self-talk and get curious. Ask, “How is this serving me?” Then, figure out the best course of action to take to feel good about accomplishing your goals or tasks.

Your turn: How do you manage self-talk? Does your self-talk hurt you or help you?

 *   *   *

Need assistance with an upcoming speech or presentation? I now offer 1-1 guidance to provide strategies to manage your nerves, create a clear succinct presentation and present it confidently. Contact me for more information. I’d love to help you.

Filed Under: Communication, Confidence, Stress Management and Relaxation
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