More dog abuse
Well then, this explains everything!
From the Vancouver Sun’s article on the Top 100 surnames in the Lower Mainland:
#77 - Wood (664 entries)
An English and Scottish last name, Wood almost always denotes someone who lived in the woods, or who worked as a woodcutter or forester. However, a secondary origin for the name Wood is a nickname for a crazy or violent person, an interpretation derived from the Middle English word ‘wod’, meaning mad or frenzied.
Remember what your mother taught you
Abstract thought of the day: Manners are seriously lacking in this day and age.
Hold the door open for the person behind you. Smile back when someone smiles at you. Say thank you when someone does something for you. Don’t treat your waitress like your slave. When someone asks you how you’re doing, ask them how they’re doing; being polite is not just for customer service personel. Hold back the urge to swear, finger and honk at the driver who might have accidentally cut you off in traffic. Don’t yap loudly on your cell phone like no one is around when in reality, you’re surrounded by people. Refrain from pushing, cuting, or budging.
Be considerate of others, for goodness sakes. It won’t kill you.
Not looking to be e-famous
My father, on sharing his personal information on the internet:
“You better not be posting anything about me on your website.”
“Just tell ‘them’ your dad passed away or something.”
I came, I saw, I talked on the phone
This just in: Contrary to what you might believe, talking on the phone will not kill you.
Me and the phone have a hate/hate relationship. You see, I’ve always avoided talking on the phone with most (read: 99.9%) people. It’s awkward and weird. You can’t see the person’s expressions. There are uncomfortable pauses. You might run out of things to say. I also get somewhat nervous when I’m about to call someone, especially if I have no particular reason for doing so (i.e. “just for a chat”).
I can make conversation in real life, but on the phone? No. Because chats about the weather don’t go over as well when the other person isn’t in the same vicinity as you.
“Lovely weather today, eh?”
“… Did you call me just to say that?”
So maybe I’m exaggerating a bit. I can make conversation over the phone, but it’s usually forced and my brain is always in “must think about what I’m going to say next” mode. I’ve even written down lists of possible conversational material before calling someone. Yes, a list of possible conversation material. Always prepared for the worst, I am.
However, as of lately, it’s become apparent that my fear of talking on the phone is holding me back. My occupation requires lots of phone calls, and my network’s growth has been somewhat hindered (though I have tried my best to delegate the task of phone conversations off to my mother) because of it. Simply put? I need to get over it. It’s a “suck it up, princess!” fear.
I know I’m not the only one who doesn’t like talking on the phone. Why is that? I mean, really… What makes it so different from talking to people “in person”, face to face (don’t even get me started on webcams - that’s for a whole other entry), or over IM?
Of course, being the ever-prepared person I am, I’ve already developed a plan of action to conquer and dominate this irrational sillyness head on. I’m going to force-dive myself into this phone business and bring out my list of people I should have called months ago. Clients. Friends. Clients. Clients. Clients. Dear god. What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger!
This stepping out of your comfort zone stuff ain’t easy, but it isn’t as bad as I thought. I’ve already started on The Plan and called a few clients. Surprisingly, the world did not stop spinning and my head did not explode. It went well. Very well, actually, and the fact that I survived the experience to blog about it says it all. I’m alive, aren’t I?
The Goal Wall
November is hard month to get by for a lot of people. If you live in Vancouver, November is often known as The Month of Rain. For students, the ‘new school year’ feel is wearing off and a sedated routine is likely to have set in. For everyone else, November is just ‘that month before Christmas’ - that month where you get bombarded with Christmas carols (’but Halloween just finished!’) and inevitably end up loosing your Christmas cheer before December even rolls around.
This month, I’ve decided to get the whole family involved in something that will make November a whole lot more exciting and a lot less blah. I’ve set up a goal wall.
What is a goal wall, you ask? Well, basically put, the goal wall is where we’ll put our goals for that month. For example, my brother wants to save $250 dollars this month. He’s put that goal up on the wall. I want to make promotion by next Saturday and loose five pounds by the end of the month. I’ve put those two goals up on the wall.
We’ll each write our goals down and put them on the wall where we’ll see them every day. No “out of sight, out of mind” business here! Nobody can skip out and the entire family has to work together to help strategize ways we can meet our goals. This way, we’re all moving forward as a connected unit.
Feeling the November blues? Want to participate in NaNoWriMo or NaBloPoMo but don’t have the time? Instead of joining a challenge you don’t think you can swallow upfront, consider setting up your own goal wall and sharing the challenge with a roommate, family member or friend. Your goals can be as small or as big as you want, but regardless of the size, you will see results if you’re committed to them. You’ve got nothing to loose!
I’ve come to realize that in order to really succeed in life, you need to step out of your comfort zone.
It’s not always easy - in fact, nine out of ten times it’s downright hard. Sometimes it means talking in front of a crowd. Sometimes it means handing your brochure to the person sitting next to you on the plane, someone you’re so sure won’t be interested. Sometimes it means raising your hand and asking tough questions nobody else has the guts to voice. Sometimes it means stepping up to the plate and calling the shots, silently praying to God you’ve made the right choice. Sometimes it means taking the road less traveled, even if the path is darker and obscured by the fog.
Sometimes you just have to do it, and sometimes you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Sometimes it’s not so bad. Sometimes it is. But sometimes, you just need to feel the fear and do it anyways.
