I’ve Been Doing It Wrong for Quite Some Time (WAW)

It’s Wednesday (at least where I am), so it means it’s time for me to write about … something.

As you know, I’m a bit of a perfectionist. In terms of drawing (seriously) and writing, this is true.

Famous Sayings: #16 — ‘Be Careful What You Wish For’

June 26, 2016

Be careful what you wish for …

© Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons, via Wikimedia Commons

“… You just might get it.”

This is kind of a twofer. First, you have the saying above. Second, there is another saying that may be connected to the first.

I Can’t Get Enough Sleep (WAW)

Image by Me

This week’s Write Anything Wednesday is late because … well, look at the title.

I alluded to this on Sunday, but my sleep patterns are messed up. Sadly, I don’t see any relief in sight.

Famous Sayings: #15 — ‘Anyone Can Be a Father…’

June 19, 2016

Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.

I’m running a little late. (You may say that I have been burning the candle at both ends.)

Regardless, there’s still time (where I am) to make a post about Father’s Day. In honor of this day, I wanted to share a great quote about male parents.

A Little Bit of Levity (June 15, 2016)

I don’t care what people say, this is a masterpiece.

I’ll try to write a regular Write Anything Wednesday post next week.

Good night, everybody!

Famous Sayings: #14 — ‘Honesty Is the Best Policy’

June 12, 2016

Honesty is the best policy.

Image courtesy of kibsri at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Chances are you have heard this quote in some form or another.

I stumbled upon this quote while looking up information about Benjamin Franklin in a previous post. I believe he was credited for coining the phrase, “Honesty is the best policy,” in one of my sources.

Many of us were led to believe that Franklin did indeed coin the phrase, but is that correct?

Typing and Stuff (WAW)

For this week’s Write Anything Wednesday, let’s talk about typing – and sentence rephrasers.

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My Typing Speed

Out of boredom, I went looking for a site to test how fast I type.

I found a typing test widget via a Daily Mail article that was posted late in 2015. The widget is connected to a website started by Dutchman Juerd Waalboer. Of course, there are other sites that have typing tests, but this was the first I saw from a simple Google search.

How does the widget work? You have to type a series of 47 common words. Only the words that are spelled correctly count towards your final score.

Anyway, I took the challenge to at least see how I stacked up (against the averages of 187 characters per minute and 37 words per minute.

You want to know my score, right? SPOILER ALERT: I am not a stenographer. (I totally respect the talents of those who are. 😉 )

Famous Sayings: #13 — ‘Burning Both Ends…’

June 5, 2016

Burning both ends of a candle

As I was working on a series of blog posts I plan on releasing sometime this month — either here are elsewhere — I was thinking of using this saying in my text. However, after consulting a quick definition, I realized that it wouldn’t fit at all.

Originally, I had another saying lined up, but this one fits better this week.

(By the way, don’t worry if you’re concerned about Worldwide Candle Lighting Day. It will be on December 11 this year and I am also looking into a saying to commemorate that, too.)

Now, let’s get into the history and meaning of this phrase.

5 Ways to Become a Better Leader

The following text came from a post entitled, “5 Ways to Become a Better Leader” on According to Greta (which is now defunct).

“Power isn’t control at all – power is strength, and giving that strength to others. A leader isn’t someone who forces others to make him stronger; a leader is someone willing to give his strength to others that they may have the strength to stand on their own.” –Beth Revis

There is generally a misconstrued view of what it means to be a leader. The majority of individuals in leadership positions believe that force, power and authority is what makes a good leader. Yes, you can achieve certain goals using these methods, but there is a goal that will be far from your reach – loyalty.

Being a good leader is about serving others and not about being served. A good leader leads the team from the back because they know that the team is only as strong as its weakest member.

Here are a few tips to assist you to improve your leadership skills:

Be Present

Being a good leader means being present with the team, not wandering about the whole week attending to other matters and then requesting updates when deadlines arise. Your team will get frustrated when their leader is not present to assist with difficult tasks. Being present does not mean sitting with your team the entire day, but it means being readily available to attend to their requests.

Be Honest and Authentic

Being a good leader means being honest and authentic in your interactions with staff, stakeholders and people who you don’t have an interest in. Your team will appreciate a leader who admits that they make mistakes more than a leader who claims to know it all.

Be Sympathetic

Being a good leader means being in tune with your team’s emotions. Yes there are team members who are overly emotional, but your role is to be sympathetic when real situations occur.

I once witnessed an incident where a colleague asked for leave because she got news that her father passed away; this poor girl had to fly back to the United States to be with her family and all the Manager could think of was who would take up her duties while she was gone. Understand that you are working with other human beings, not robots.

Communicate with Your Team

Being a good leader means being able to effectively listen to your team. Effective communication is a skill that most of us still need to master. Mastering this skill comes best through practice. Try to repeat (in your mind) what the other person said in your own words-that’s the best test of your listening skills.

Delegate Fairly

Being a good leader means being able to delegate tasks as equally as possible. Don’t hand more tasks to somebody because you trust them better to deliver, but rather share tasks equally and support the weaker team members.

Do Not Show Favouritism

Being a good leader means being able to be impartial. I do not dispute that we can have team members that we appreciate more than others, but it is important not to show it to the other team members. Favouritism fosters animosity between team members which later causes a lack of unity.

Motivate Your Team

Being a good leader means being able to inspire those around you. We all feel demotivated at times and it is your job as a leader to lift the spirits of your team. You can motivate them by giving rewards, sending inspirational messages and acknowledging good work.

This post really resonated with me because I think about leadership constantly, especially now.

Random Blog Thoughts (June 1, 2016 — WAW)

Now, this image is quite random.

This Write Anything Wednesday post is disorganized. I have a lot on my mind but not enough focus to hone on one thing today.