Wealth, Success, and Love.
A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat."
"Is the man of the house home?", they asked.
"No", she replied. "He's out."
"Then we cannot come in", they replied.
In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.
"Go tell them I am home and invite them in!"
The woman went out and invited the men in"
"We do not go into a House together," they replied.
"Why is that?" she asked.
One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home."
The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. "How nice!!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!"
His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?"
Their daughter-in- law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!"
"Let us heed our daughter-in- law's advice," said the husband to his wife.
"Go out and invite Love to be our guest."
The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest."
Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?"
The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!!!! !"
MY WISH FOR YOU...
LOVE.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Work Etiquette: Why Self-Deprecation Is A Workplace Mistake
Work Etiquette: Why Self-Deprecation Is A Workplace Mistake
Posted: 12/18/2012 Briana Fasone
The Daily Muse
Before Tina Fey and Chelsea Handler—and even before Joan Rivers—comedy’s queen of self-deprecation was the late Phyllis Diller. Sassy one-liners (“I once wore a peekaboo blouse—people would peek and then they’d boo”) spun out of her mouth for some serious laughs. It was funny when Diller did it—and it’s still funny when Liz Lemon does it, with her self-deprecating jabs that sizzle on the small screen.
We love people who don’t take themselves too seriously. We applaud self-deprecation. And we like to use it ourselves—especially in the office.
For example, self-deprecation can be used to keep our colleagues’ expectations for us in check. “By self-deprecating a little, you’re making sure your co-workers and employers aren’t expecting too much and you gain points for modesty,” says Mark Leary, a professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Director of the Social Psychology Program at Duke University.
For years, I’ve attempted to master my own self-deprecating inclinations. I kept a handful of one-liners in my pocket, which I could whip out to charm and soften any kind of awkward exchange. Then, one day at work, I made fun of my inability to spell. I can’t remember exactly what I said, but I do remember receiving an email that afternoon from one of my colleagues—a completely heartfelt but serious email—that concluded with a postscript: “You may want to rethink boasting about your spelling issues while working at a magazine!” Yikes.
Turns out, self-deprecation can backfire. It’s counterproductive in the most obvious way: People might actually start believing you. Of course there’s no hard and fast rule for when we should and shouldn’t use it—but for starters, here are three situations that demand a little self-censorship.
1. A Job Interview
This should be self-explanatory, but during interviews, nerves and the desire to be likable tend to fuel self-deprecation. Think, “Oh, don’t look at the early part of my resume—as you can tell, I couldn’t really figure out what I wanted to do with my life!” Trust me, not the way to impress a hiring manager.
Though no one likes a self-aggrandizer, don’t be modest in an interview. Practice talking about your achievements and addressing your shortcomings in a way that is realistic, that paints you in the best light possible, and that you can be comfortable with.
2. A Meeting
Know your audience. If you’re not in a high position of power, knocking yourself down in front of your boss or colleagues, whether it’s about your skills at work (learn from my mistake) or your less-than-stellar date last night, isn’t doing you any favors. Remember that promotion you want? You’re selling yourself for it, every single day.
And sure, a little humor keeps things light-hearted, but remember that, unless you’re a comedy queen (or king), self-deprecating humor can fall flat. The only thing worse than a bad joke is a bad joke about yourself.
3. When You Receive a Compliment
When someone says to you, “Great job on that presentation,” what’s your first instinct? A self-effacing “no problem”? Well, your two words should be “thank you.” Hey, someone at work is actually pointing out how awesome you are—why would you want to redirect him or her to your weaknesses?
Self-deprecation is endearing. Self-deprecation is funny. Self-deprecation reminds us that we are all flawed and that nobody has it together all of the time. But self-deprecation is tricky. And unless we are stand-up masters or have a hit television series on NBC, it’s probably wise to rethink it sometimes. Especially when we’re trying to land our dream job (or any job). Especially when we’re trying to impress our colleagues. And especially when someone is trying to focus on our strengths. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/18/work-etiquette-self-deprecation_n_2322785.html
Posted: 12/18/2012 Briana Fasone
The Daily Muse
Before Tina Fey and Chelsea Handler—and even before Joan Rivers—comedy’s queen of self-deprecation was the late Phyllis Diller. Sassy one-liners (“I once wore a peekaboo blouse—people would peek and then they’d boo”) spun out of her mouth for some serious laughs. It was funny when Diller did it—and it’s still funny when Liz Lemon does it, with her self-deprecating jabs that sizzle on the small screen.
We love people who don’t take themselves too seriously. We applaud self-deprecation. And we like to use it ourselves—especially in the office.
For example, self-deprecation can be used to keep our colleagues’ expectations for us in check. “By self-deprecating a little, you’re making sure your co-workers and employers aren’t expecting too much and you gain points for modesty,” says Mark Leary, a professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Director of the Social Psychology Program at Duke University.
For years, I’ve attempted to master my own self-deprecating inclinations. I kept a handful of one-liners in my pocket, which I could whip out to charm and soften any kind of awkward exchange. Then, one day at work, I made fun of my inability to spell. I can’t remember exactly what I said, but I do remember receiving an email that afternoon from one of my colleagues—a completely heartfelt but serious email—that concluded with a postscript: “You may want to rethink boasting about your spelling issues while working at a magazine!” Yikes.
Turns out, self-deprecation can backfire. It’s counterproductive in the most obvious way: People might actually start believing you. Of course there’s no hard and fast rule for when we should and shouldn’t use it—but for starters, here are three situations that demand a little self-censorship.
1. A Job Interview
This should be self-explanatory, but during interviews, nerves and the desire to be likable tend to fuel self-deprecation. Think, “Oh, don’t look at the early part of my resume—as you can tell, I couldn’t really figure out what I wanted to do with my life!” Trust me, not the way to impress a hiring manager.
Though no one likes a self-aggrandizer, don’t be modest in an interview. Practice talking about your achievements and addressing your shortcomings in a way that is realistic, that paints you in the best light possible, and that you can be comfortable with.
2. A Meeting
Know your audience. If you’re not in a high position of power, knocking yourself down in front of your boss or colleagues, whether it’s about your skills at work (learn from my mistake) or your less-than-stellar date last night, isn’t doing you any favors. Remember that promotion you want? You’re selling yourself for it, every single day.
And sure, a little humor keeps things light-hearted, but remember that, unless you’re a comedy queen (or king), self-deprecating humor can fall flat. The only thing worse than a bad joke is a bad joke about yourself.
3. When You Receive a Compliment
When someone says to you, “Great job on that presentation,” what’s your first instinct? A self-effacing “no problem”? Well, your two words should be “thank you.” Hey, someone at work is actually pointing out how awesome you are—why would you want to redirect him or her to your weaknesses?
Self-deprecation is endearing. Self-deprecation is funny. Self-deprecation reminds us that we are all flawed and that nobody has it together all of the time. But self-deprecation is tricky. And unless we are stand-up masters or have a hit television series on NBC, it’s probably wise to rethink it sometimes. Especially when we’re trying to land our dream job (or any job). Especially when we’re trying to impress our colleagues. And especially when someone is trying to focus on our strengths. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/18/work-etiquette-self-deprecation_n_2322785.html
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