Bonus Track

I Disagree with Buddha

by Ray_anne

“If anything is worth doing, do it with all your heart.” A plaque used to hang on my wall that attributed this quote to Buddha. I once ran a quick Google search for clarification and found, indeed, several references to this as a quote by Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism sometime around [...]

May 16, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

A Slice of Life

by Ray_anne

I grew up in a large family A little sister, four brothers, and at various times, a couple of foster kids graced the halls of our five bedroom house. My parents were happy to share their home with anyone who needed a meal or a bed, at any time. My mom worked very hard and regularly [...]

May 14, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

My Cousin Angela

by Ray_anne

It is 11:30pm and I am in a Marriott Hotel in open-sky confines of Utah. I just returned from my cousin Angela’s wedding reception. Angela was my best friend growing up. This is my Cousin Angie’s Story of Survival… When I was a senior in High School, I worked in a little dress shop [...]

May 11, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Lessons in Customer Service

by Ray_anne

Once upon a time… Several years ago, I planned and paid for a trip entirely online. It was my very first experience in trusting internet travel planning. It meant that I could budget better and bring less cash and charge less while traveling. It was a special trip for me and my oldest [...]

May 9, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

My Famous Mom

by Ray_anne

We all know what can potentially happen when you “assume” something. Assumptions can lead to unfortunate and misguided understandings. The best way to correct an invailid or incorrect assumption is to make sure all infomation and details are shared regularly and with accuracy. Assumptions occur when true information is not forthcoming. Behaving professionally isn’t [...]

May 8, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Personality Tests: As Defining as Your DNA?

by Ray_anne

Several years ago, I engaged in an online survey/test called StrengthFinders. My employer, at the time, thought that if we got to know each other’s strengths, we might focus less on each other’s weaknesses. We might actually play up to the revealed strengths of each team member and figure out how to best play [...]

May 3, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Are You Defined by What You Do?

by Ray_anne

Who are you? What do you do? While these two questions are very different, we are sometimes (unfortunately) more clearly defined by what we do. Deep thoughts, indeed, as it is not always so easy to recognize that the inner you might be very different than the you you present to the world. Knowing how to manage you can be an elusive [...]

May 1, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

The Kaizen Philosophy and “I can do that in my sleep”

by Ray_anne

Busy Much? Do you ever have those weeks when you are so busy that you cannot even fathom what it is like to not be busy? To have forgotten what it is like to relax or go to bed at a decent hour? This has been my life for the last several years. Time management isn’t [...]

April 30, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Decency Needs to Be Practiced

by Ray_anne

When faced with a serious ethical dilemma, what would you do? It is often discussed about what is right and what is wrong but when it comes down to putting your money where your mouth is, how many of us would sacrifice our reputations or a significant amount of money? Do we fear losing [...]

April 29, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Systemize, Organize, Colorize: The Loss in Going Green

by Ray_anne

I miss color-coding I still color code my clothing… All my blouses, skirts, and dresses hang in my closet according to color and length of sleeve, leg, or skirt. It works out well for me. But, I love and miss file folders in all different colors, I miss having a reason to use my 36 [...]

April 25, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Expectations and Outcomes: The Peter Principle

by Ray_anne

Time is Not Renewable The month is almost gone. It wasn’t nearly long enough for all that I needed to do. I am often overwhelmed these days by the passage of time and the reality that no matter what I might consider, it is a very important asset that is not renewable. Days quickly turn into [...]

April 24, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Regard Your Work

by Ray_anne

I used to plow through my days at the speed of light. If I slowed down, I would fall behind. I couldn’t afford to fall behind. What if I got left? My greatest fear as an adult has always been failure. I have much to do, so I haven’t stopped, but I have learned [...]

April 23, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Know Your Force.

by Ray_anne

Things don’t always go the way we want or expect. It just seems to be the nature of the universe and, of course, it rarely makes sense at the time or, even, ever. We all know someone who has been diagnosed with and either lived with or died with a devastating disease. A few years ago, the daughter of [...]

April 22, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

What Do You Consider a Win?

by Ray_anne

I coached seventh grade volleyball for ten years. There had been years when this particular middle school had varsity and junior varsity teams. There were other years when only one team was allowed but coaches held tryouts and were permitted to make cuts. While cuts are never easy to make (mostly because twelve year old girls’ hearts break [...]

April 19, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Avoiding Fault & Dodging Blame: It’s nothing new…

by Ray_anne

Sitting in the waiting room, my friend’s wife heard the footsteps coming down the hall. She didn’t even look, for hadn’t his surgery only just begun? It was surely not his doctor. But soon the steps halted right in front of her and she gazed upward to see his surgeon standing there with hands folded before him. He [...]

April 18, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Two Sides to Every Conversation

by Ray_anne

We all spend a significant amount of time working on the phone, as well as meeting with individuals face-to-face. Over the years, I have learned a bit about how to present myself and the company/position that I represent. That’s not to say that I am, by any means, perfect at communicating. It is something that [...]