In This Edition:
1. June 2010
2. Control Your Spaces: Like Your Car
3. Tidy Up Your Glove Compartment
4. Do You Like to Speak in Public?
5. Gluttony Worth Remembering
June 2010
June is busting out all over, and for me that means the NBA playoffs. My
teams departed early this year, but at least I can still watch a classic
rivalry!
Control Your Spaces: Like Your Car
As we approach the mid point of the year, with perhaps some
extended travel coming up for you, now is as good a time as any to assess
how you maintain your car. You're probably often on the go in your car.
It's important to keep your car organized and neat. Organization doesn't
have to be difficult; in fact, disorganization proves to be more difficult.
Keep a set of house keys hidden in your car and a set of car keys
hidden in or around your house. If you ever lock yourself out of your house,
there's an extra set of keys in your car. You can keep an extra car key
hidden in a magnetic case somewhere under your car, but if you feel
uncomfortable doing this, keep an extra car key in your purse or wallet or
hidden somewhere in your yard. This may be under a designated rock or
attached to the inside of the doghouse or wherever is best for you.
If you lock yourself out of your car and house, you can still get
into one of them,
and hence the other, without breaking a window or calling a locksmith.
Tidy Up Your Glove Compartment
Most glove compartments contain a lot of clutter and junk. Only a
few papers need to be in your glove compartment--car registration,
insurance, safety inspection and emission test information, and the like.
Since most newer model cars have consoles for storing extra items, other
stuff can go elsewhere. With a clean glove compartment, you'll have room for
a few other items, but pick and choose those carefully. You don't want your car to
become cluttered again so that you can't find what you're seeking.
If the door to your glove compartment is getting harder to close,
it's time to clean it out. The glove compartment is not a trash can or
semi-permanent home of unnecessary papers and receipts. If the items are
important, take them inside and put them in a folder where you can maintain
them. In addition to the above mentioned items your glove compartment need
only contain your car manual, a small flashlight, and perhaps recent service
records. If you're ever pulled over by a police officer and spend five
minutes digging through the glove compartment looking for your registration,
take that as a clue to get organized.
If you've kept your glove compartment free and clear of clutter,
there are a few extra items that you can keep there on a temporary basis. An
extra pair of sunglasses (in a case) will usually fit perfectly in the glove
compartment of your car. This way, anytime you get into your car, you'll
always have sunglasses even if you leave the pair you normally wear at home.
Whether you're a busy parent or businessperson, chances are that
you have many small items to keep up with in your car. Pens, coins,
CDs, and other items can be difficult to find when they're thrown in a
glove compartment, purse, or briefcase. To make common small items easier to
find, put them in a clear plastic case or bag so you can see through to the
contents and find what you're looking for easily.
Keeping your car simplified, yet prepared, can make your daily
commute and errand-running go more smoothly.
Do You Like to Speak in Public?
In a discussion group with non-speakers, I came upon an interesting
insight. Public speaking is routinely rated as the number one social fear. People would rather do anything else than have to speak in
front of others. I always thought the reason was because people got
excessively nervous and thought that they would drift or embarrass
themselves in some way.
I learned, however, that some people fear public speaking because
they are afraid they would reveal their true selves! Either they will say
something they would not have ever said in private conversation or otherwise
trip up in some way and be marked for life! All the more reason, I suppose,
to walk our talk whether speaking in casual conversation in private or
speaking to a large group using a microphone.
Gluttony Worth Remembering!
Speaking of speaking.... In 1992 I spoke to the National
Association of Pizza Store Operators at their annual convention held at the
Las Vegas convention in Civic Center. My speech was in the morning, and it
went well. Afterwards, I walked into the exhibit hall and was amazed to see
more than 20 rows, each about 50 yards long, filled with vendors of all
sorts.
Walking down one row after another, it became clear to me that
there were going to be at least three or four vendors per isle offering
sample pizza. There was Hawaiian pizza, Mexican pizza, wheat pizza, veggie
pizza, every conceivable kind of pizza. I was hungry, it was free, and the
vendors were only too glad to offer it. I pigged out that day like never
before and certainly beyond reason in dignity. I sampled more than a dozen
slices of pizza. It was a gastronomical delight, one I'll remember for the
rest of my days. However, it wasn't without its price. I was bloated,
stuffed to the gills, and I payed for it! Oh, what a way to go.
