Grateful locals give man big thank-you for ending police chase through Syracuse Park
I love hearing about things like this. This guy unselfishly used his truck to cut off the driver in a police chase through a local park, and the local auto repair shop gave him $15,000 in repairs and upgrades. Seems like society is increasingly selfish, and it's heartwarming to know there are still people like this guy. Big kudos to the auto body repair shop too, for not only making repairs, but adding upgrades that cost more than the repairs. A thank-you like that is even more meaningful because it's not why this guy did what he did. Here's to how America should be.
Thursday, July 03, 2014
Friday, June 06, 2014
Value-able tips for graduates
For some time, I've been meaning to pay it forward a little by offering recent graduates some advice as they start their careers. I mean pay it forward in the sense that I want to help them avoid some of the same mistakes I made. Not so much what I did as what I didn't do.
I've come to learn over the years that the most important task you have when beginning your career is creating and projecting as much value to a company as you can.
Employers obviously want to know what you can bring to the table. This means getting as involved in college as you can. Make yourself a problem-solver and working on projecting that image to potential employers as part of your professional brand.
College should be as much about learning to solve problems and offer solutions as it is to getting the best grades you can. Always think in terms of your "Here's what I can offer you" answer. Developing that mindset as soon as possible will help you out immensely.
Once you've landed the first job, don't just show up every day. Anybody can do that. Absorb as much knowledge as you can, as questions and learn how you can be part of the solution to the company's challenges.
I'd always thought of myself as a "What do you need?" guy. Willing to take on any task that had to be done. Even better, especially these days, are employees who learn to predict what the employer will need before he or she even knows it.
As you learn more about the job, develop a vision of where you see things going, and collaboratively share that with co-workers and managers. Not all of your ideas may be implemented, so be flexible and don't take that personally. Learn from the answers you get. Again, it's making you more valuable as an employee.
Don't forget to keep track of that value, as well. Your future employers are going to want to know what you ACCOMPLISHED at your previous job, not just what you DID. Develop the mindset of being able to answer the question "How is the company better because of me?" Don't fall into the trap of coming in every day, doing your assigned tasks and collecting your paycheck. Regularly evaluate what you are actually accomplishing on the job, and if that inventory is found wanting, figure out ways to improve it. Volunteer to take the lead on a project, for example, and keep track of your contributions. You'll need that later when writing resumes and cover letters for any future employers.
Always be thinking in terms of "Someday, somebody is going to ask me what I accomplished here and how I made this a better company." You'll be glad you did when you are competing against a bunch of achievers for a position somewhere else one day. Your goal should be to be the go-to employee for the job you do. Think of your boss telling others, "There's nobody I'd rather have doing this."
If all this is revelation to just me, that's fine, but have a read. It might be a good refresher or might spark some inspiration. Good luck!
I've come to learn over the years that the most important task you have when beginning your career is creating and projecting as much value to a company as you can.
Employers obviously want to know what you can bring to the table. This means getting as involved in college as you can. Make yourself a problem-solver and working on projecting that image to potential employers as part of your professional brand.
College should be as much about learning to solve problems and offer solutions as it is to getting the best grades you can. Always think in terms of your "Here's what I can offer you" answer. Developing that mindset as soon as possible will help you out immensely.
Once you've landed the first job, don't just show up every day. Anybody can do that. Absorb as much knowledge as you can, as questions and learn how you can be part of the solution to the company's challenges.
I'd always thought of myself as a "What do you need?" guy. Willing to take on any task that had to be done. Even better, especially these days, are employees who learn to predict what the employer will need before he or she even knows it.
As you learn more about the job, develop a vision of where you see things going, and collaboratively share that with co-workers and managers. Not all of your ideas may be implemented, so be flexible and don't take that personally. Learn from the answers you get. Again, it's making you more valuable as an employee.
Don't forget to keep track of that value, as well. Your future employers are going to want to know what you ACCOMPLISHED at your previous job, not just what you DID. Develop the mindset of being able to answer the question "How is the company better because of me?" Don't fall into the trap of coming in every day, doing your assigned tasks and collecting your paycheck. Regularly evaluate what you are actually accomplishing on the job, and if that inventory is found wanting, figure out ways to improve it. Volunteer to take the lead on a project, for example, and keep track of your contributions. You'll need that later when writing resumes and cover letters for any future employers.
Always be thinking in terms of "Someday, somebody is going to ask me what I accomplished here and how I made this a better company." You'll be glad you did when you are competing against a bunch of achievers for a position somewhere else one day. Your goal should be to be the go-to employee for the job you do. Think of your boss telling others, "There's nobody I'd rather have doing this."
If all this is revelation to just me, that's fine, but have a read. It might be a good refresher or might spark some inspiration. Good luck!
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Head Up
This blog is taking a somewhat new direction, one that is onward and upward with a particular emphasis on the positive and, as the name suggests, keeping a head up and eyes forward. These are not new ideas, but hopefully can be a reminder to focus on the good and the positive in this world, with some thoughts that have occurred to me.
It's easy nowadays for despair, disappointment, envy and frustration and regret to drag a head down, but replacing those with hope, fulfillment, gratitude and focus will prop that head right and keep your eyes forward where they belong.
Forward is where the opportunities are. Look back just long enough to see how something might have been done better, and apply the lessons learned to the most important path: the one in front of you. Keeping a head up and eyes forward also lets you see obstacles before you are right on top of them.
Not that it's anything new, but you can't change circumstances. What you can change is your thinking, specifically your attitude about the circumstances and how you deal with them, and trying to adjust better and live smarter.
The focus needs to be on opportunities, whether it's opportunities to work, make the world a better place, give joy to someone else, even if briefly, or help someone else. Always be on the lookout for needs in this world to fill.
By staying focused on the positive, and by the way, keeping yourself and your skills relevant, you don't have time to be downcast, disappointed, frustrated, which leads to anger, or envious of others.
Trust God for He is with us
"If God Be For Us, Who Is Against Us?" Romans 8:31
Fear can shape our lives as much as anything. It is a fog that clouds our way, blinding us to what lies ahead. It is a shackle paralyzing us before it turns us in a direction we wish we hadn't taken. Fear gives nothing and takes everything. Its grip can seem overwhelming to bear.
Fear will tighten the loose grip of caution to the point where you are stuck on the curb forever after you've looked both ways before crossing the street, as author Neale Donald Walsch would say. Caution can guide, fear will crush your dreams and leave you looking back at a life littered with "If only I hads."
Trust in God. He will provide what he knows you need in his time. It is easy to get impatient with God's timing, but our human timing is nowhere close to His, and his plan for our lives is perfect. We need to trust in it, though it can be very hard. Pray each day for God's grace and protection and He will give it to you through our risen Lord Jesus Christ. He is always indeed for us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)