"take it home" notes

i was looking at some notes i took throughout the summer and i found some that were interesting. some were mostly advice from professionals in the entertainment industry to newbies that eventually will take their jobs in, give or take, 10 years? and others were just tips for interns. so, to my dear readers, enjoy:

be present in the present.
ask questions.
understand how each person's role fits.
do your job.
be engaged.
be committed.
show up.
find new ways.
perception is reality.
know HR.
don't assume.
ask for clarity.

a few notes from TWC (Time Warner Cable):
excellent performance comes out of confidence; confidence comes out of excellent performance.
know yourself.
do your research.

respect others.
put yourself in their shoes.
believe you are supposed to be where you are.
share. get involved.
don't let the box you check box you out. (referring to what ethnicity or gender you are and being a minority in the workforce)
don't alienate yourself.
align yourself.
if you need to know something, just ask.
be ready.
make a list of people you want to meet. (once you establish an internship)

the next few refer to dress code:
spend $ to make $.
don't dress where you are, dress where you want to be.
if you don't feel it, don't force it. (PPPAAAUUUSSEE)

technique is important, but style is critical. (referring to a company's style of writing)
the power of the English language is strong enough to use it less.
the most difficult skill is to learn how to LISTEN.
read.
some people improve, some don't.
editors are critical. never judge them.
have a second set of eyes on everything you write.
read everything out loud.
check all your facts.
imagine.
solve.
build.
lead.
keep your contacts.
don't burn bridges.


so, yea, they were all scattered; but mind you, they were notes. i wasn't going to organize them. sheesh. i jotted these down back in the beginning of june and i just barely looked back on them today. time flies, but there's a reason why i decided to write all of those down specifically. i'm sure my thoughts now aren't the same exact thoughts i was thinking back when i wrote them down, but the fact that i did jot them down got me thinking. now some of these sayings can relate to any aspect of life, being at the workplace, in relationships, in friendships, day to day situations, or what have you. language is powerful. we use and abuse language everyday ; and we never realize how whatever we may have said impacted someone's life in some way, shape, or form...positively or negatively. (1) when we think, then (2) we say what we think, and then (3) we do what we think. not all the time do we do what we think, but at least the first two steps are inevitable. ummm, i forgot where i was going with this, but HEY! new thought!

in the workshops that i facilitate or any oral presentations that i conduct, i always try to leave my audience with something to "take home" with them off of something i said. so, in many of my presentations to the students that i speak to, i often say "if there's one thing that i want you to remember after you walk out of this classroom, it's this..." in which case i then insert some amazing and awe-inspiring message that i hope helps them in life, in general. why, you ask? because i was fortunate to have the opportunity to listen to wonderful motivational speakers throughout high school to today. and when i watch them interact with their audiences and when i listen to what they have to say (because, believe me, EVERYONE has a story)...i'll remember one important message that they were trying to get across, basically the "moral" of the story, and i've taken it home with me. some friends have told me how they're inspired by me or how they admire my work or, really, life ethic that i have... but really my mentality comes from my gathering these "morals" of each story (whether they be from actual motivational speakers, family members, long-time friends, or even new friends). i learn from the people i surround myself with and from the people i just so happen to meet along the way or journey we call "life".

at any rate, thanks for reading this far. if it doesn't make sense, it doesn't. who am i to tell you otherwise? but if it does, i'm glad. =)

on another note, i made a 13 yr. old boy student of mine happy the other day. and NO, not like that! you pervert! he loves to skateboard and i haven't put my skateboard to use in a very long time so i gave it to him. the area that he lives in is labeled as "high at-risk/low income families"... and as sad as communities are labeled as such...well, it just sucks. his face lit up though. =) good deed, indeed.