How to Handle Being Laid Off

July 9, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments
Being laid off sucks! As a broadcaster for many years, I experienced this over and over again.
 
Read on for the GenuLines look at ways to deal with layoffs.
 
 
call to action for being laid off
 

How to Handle Being Laid Off

You wake up every day and think about what you’ll need to do when you get to work. Once you get there you feel overwhelmed, but you know it’s good to have a job that pays the bills.
 
man laid offThis time, your boss calls you and several other coworkers into a conference room. A Human Resources person is at the meeting, too.
 
Then, your boss gives you the news that you’re losing your job.
 
 
 
 
Image by www_slon_pics from Pixabay
 
Your first thoughts are how are you going to pay the bills? Do you have enough money to cover your expenses for the next several months?
 
Where will I find a new job?
 
Even when you find something, it could take months before you end up starting it.
 
Don’t panic
Losing your job is a blow. But, it’s not the end of the world.
 
You’ll find something.
 
Or you may feel the urge to start an online business. It’s never been easier or cheaper to get something going.
 
Of course, taking that route isn’t an instant path to riches. It still takes work.
 
Don’t spend too much time on what happened with your job. Instead, focus on how you’re going to rectify the situation.
 
That focuses your energy and lessens the chance of having gaps in your work history.
 
Avoid crutches
Getting fired moves some people toward drugs and alcohol. It’s easy to get hooked, and once you do, it’s challenging to overcome the situation.
 
It could lead to you postponing your job search. Worse, you will likely alienate your family and friends.
 
Contrary to popular belief, alcohol is a depressant. If you’re pessimistic about your situation, it’ll drag you down even more.
 
Cut back on spending. Don’t rack up credit card balances that can reach unmanageable levels.
 
If you’ve saved some money for emergencies, use it instead of hitting up the credit.
 
If you find yourself strapped for cash, make sure you pay your mortgage or rent before other bills. You don’t want the bank hounding you or foreclosing on your property.
 
You can negotiate the payment terms on other bills.
 
JohnK 7-9-2019
 
stick figure is laid offOverheard: “Keep doing some kind of work, that the devil may always find you employed”                                                      
                                                ~St. Jerome
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer to deal with being laid off
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Make Your Exercise Routines Less Routine

July 2, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments

Your exercise routine is so, well, routine! GenuLines has a few ideas on making it less so.

And in the process making it less likely that you’ll abandon it.  

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Make Your Exercise Routines Less Routine

It’s difficult to get into an exercise routine, and for the few who do, it starts to become too routine. In other words, it becomes too easy to stop doing the routines and give up on exercising altogether.

 

exercise routine

When you do the same routines with exercise, you get fewer benefits from it after a while. Your muscles get used to the routine.

And they’ll reach plateaus that are difficult to break through.

By mixing up your routines, your muscles will have new plateaus to reach and will develop faster. This is why trainers vary their clients’ exercises.

They switch up the sets of routines to keep the muscles from not getting the benefits from new exercises. Then, over time, they bring back the previous sets to once again break up the routine.

Routine exercise is still better than no exercise at all. Without exercise, your muscles will start to break down and become out of shape.

But, once you start changing your routines, your muscles will develop quicker.

Also, your mindset about exercise will stay fresh. That’s one of the best ways to keep going with it.

Anticipation

You can look forward to trying something different. Of course, your muscles will hurt when you give something new a try for the first time.

But, it doesn’t last forever. In fact, it should be a reminder that those muscles haven’t been getting the proper exercises.

Most people break their exercises into two major categories, cardio, and weight training. You can do cardio exercises more often than weight training. In fact, you can do cardio every day.

But work the weights every other day or every two days. The rest period gives the muscles time to rebuild.

Even though you can do cardio training every day, it is still beneficial to break up the exercises. You can do the same exercise for a few weeks and then change to something different.

Or, you can alternate between two or more cardio exercises. If you use a treadmill one day, use a cycle the next.

If you jog one day, then swim on the next day, etc. Shaking up your exercise routines will give your body the most benefits.

And you increase your chances of sticking with exercising. You’ll be happier as well as healthier because of it.

JohnK 7-2-2019
 
stick figure learning exercise routineOverheard:   “Exercise should be regarded as tribute to the heart”

                                              ~Gene Tunney

 
 
 
 
 
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Knowledge, Trust and Being a Know-It-All

June 25, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments
 
man increasing his knowledgeQuestion: When is knowledge not a good thing?
 
Answer: when it goes to your head!
 
This GenuLines offering is aimed at keeping you grounded while acquiring and using your knowledge.

 

(Image by Tumisu from Pixabay)

 

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Knowledge, Trust and Being a Know-It-All

It’s said that knowledge is power. It gives you the power to make decisions and even keeps you from making the wrong ones.
 
 
people gathering for knowledge
 
But, trouble comes into play when you get to the place where you believe you know everything. That can hurt your ability to make those decisions.
 
At that point, you’ll lose trust in your abilities.
 
 
 
 
 
 
You’re one smart cookie. After all, you went to a respected college.
 
You landed a great job after graduation.
 
But once you start working, you come to believe that you know everything there is to know. That’s when you’re in danger of losing your edge.
 
You’ll start to make bad decisions which could end up costing you a job or two.
 
It’s important to trust yourself with the knowledge you’ve learned. Just remember, times and technologies change, and you need to be ready for those changes.
 
Too many people get left behind by getting comfortable in their current positions.
 
Companies have been trying to help by offering training or tuition reimbursement. It’s a step in the right direction.
 
But without appropriate corporate or college training it’s a waste of money.
 
There’s another danger with companies that offer internal training. They can blame employees when those employees don’t learn from the offerings.
 
Even if employees learn their knowledge may not boost the bottom line.
 
These companies don’t rate the effectiveness of their programs.
 
What’s worse are broad claims that their training makes them leading-edge firms.
 
There are some great training programs online. These include websites such as Udemy.com, SkillShare.com, and others.
 
Keep in mind, though, that anyone can submit training modules. This can make your selection process hit or miss.
 
There are good offerings with these programs. But, you’ll want to get feedback from others.
 
Expired knowledge
No matter where you find training there’s a chance it will be out-of-date.
 
And sometimes courses get high ratings based on the fact that they’re well-presented. That gives you a false sense of security.
 
Be selective when choosing training for the current work environment. Be critical, but don’t let it stop you from seeking training.
 
Good training exists. Ask people you know for suggestions.
 
Stay in learning mode, no matter where you went to school or how much knowledge you think you have. In a world that keeps on changing, you’ll be way ahead of the curve.
 
And you’ll have the tools you need to trust your decisions.
 
JohnK 6-25-2019
 
 
stick figure gains knowledgeOverheard:  “Time, as it grows old, teaches all things.” 
                               ~Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound
 
 
 
 
 
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Consider Doing a SWOT Analysis on Yourself

June 18, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments
We’re about halfway through a year-long GenuLines series of articles on self-improvement. It’s a good time to pause for an overall look at how we’re doing. 
 
The following offers a template for doing that.
 
 
call to action for analysis
 

Consider Doing a SWOT Analysis on Yourself

man doing analysis
 
When people create case studies on businesses, they often include a SWOT analysis. SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
 
If you can do this for business, why not consider doing one for yourself?
 
 
 
It can help you gain insight into yourself and reinforce the idea of believing in yourself.
 
The SWOT concept is usually diagrammed in quadrants or squares. Each represents one word or letter in the acronym.
 
You can put any of the words into any square
 
It’s customary, though, to use the upper left square for Strengths. The lower left square is for Opportunities.
 
The upper-right square is for Weaknesses, and the lower-right square is for Threats.
 
Fill up each quadrant with appropriate items relating to the heading of the quadrant. To take this a step further, ask family and friends to help you fill up the quadrants.
 
After you have them all filled, you can decide what needs improvement.
 
Stay positive
Don’t let the negative aspects of this process (Weaknesses, Threats) trip you up. You’re listing them to gain perspective in areas that you need your focus.
 
In fact, some weaknesses you may not want to tackle because it doesn’t interest you. Threats are merely items to be aware of and may help you try to overcome them.
 
The key to success is to be as honest as possible with yourself about all the items included in the analysis. If you aren’t, it isn’t going to help you much, and you may focus on the wrong items to improve.
 
Further, you may not be as strong in some areas as you believed, which also can lead you on the wrong path.
 
A good SWOT analysis is a great foundation for your personal and professional life. You can use it as a tool to advance your goals.
 
You’ll learn about yourself and who you are. But don’t rush this process.
 
You want it to be as representative of yourself as possible. It’s better to take several days or even weeks than to try to list items for the sake of filling up the quadrants.
 
Feeling comfortable with your analysis can help your self-belief.
 
It’s all there for you to reference and to refine your tasks and goals.
 
JohnK 6-18-2019
 
stick figure doing analysisOverheard:  “The analysis of character is the highest human entertainment”
                         ~Isaac Bashevis Singer
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer to help our analysis

Project Into Your Future: Appreciate the Small Stuff

June 11, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments
crystal ball to projectSuppose you had a crystal ball. You gaze into the ball, and it starts to reveal your life for the next twenty years.
 
It’s showing your future. How would it look?
 
 
 
 
Today GenuLines takes a “look.”
 
 
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Project Into Your Future: Appreciate the Small Stuff

While there are no definite ways to peer into the future to date, you do have some control over the process. There are random events that will be beyond your control.
 
Unfortunately, some of them will be unpleasant. But, there’s a lot you can do to shape your future.
 
The point of the exercise is to try and determine if you appreciate the small things in your life.
 
A look into the crystal ball
Are you spending time with family or friends? Or are you working long hours and not interacting with anyone?
 
If you keep your focus on making money, you may look back on your time and wish you hadn’t. There’s much more to life than work.
 
At some point, the company could turn you loose. They may replace you with someone younger and less expensive.
 
You aren’t as important to them as you make yourself out to be. Everyone is replaceable.
 
People do need to work. You have to be able to provide for your family.
 
But, you need to have a balance between work and spending time with your family and friends. Work and money are things you can always manage to find.
 
Family and friends are irreplaceable as is the time you spend with them.
 

Opportunity knocks

Another reason to spend time with people is they can also present you with opportunities. For instance, you may not like your career, but you stick with it because the money is good and it’s steady work.
 
As you interact with other people, you may hear about opportunities for work that you’d much prefer. This kind of thing happens quite often.
 
If you spent the majority of your time at your job, you would never discover these opportunities.
 
Of course, you don’t want your friendships to be dependent on the opportunities they provide. Yet, friendships often lead to forming new ventures.
 
That’s a natural part of the process.
 
But don’t pick your job on the basis of forming close friendships. In time some co-workers can become good friends.
 
Just remember that these relationships are professional.
 
JohnK 6-11-2019
 
stick figure ready to projectOverheard: “We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”
                       ~Albert Schweitzer
 
 
 
 
 
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Teaching Kids to Deal with Adversity

June 4, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments
Parents want to shelter their kids from adversity as much as possible. They see the world as dangerous, and going into protection mode is understandable.
 
But kids need to learn how to deal with adversity. Sheltering them can prevent this from happening.
 
Below are some GenuLines suggestions for showing kids the way through adversity.
 
banner to appreciate
 
 

Teaching Kids to Deal with Adversity

Can you teach kids about the difficulties ahead of them? It’s a delicate balance between knowing what to tell them and what to keep from them.
 
After all, many societies use movie rating systems to limit certain children’s viewing.
 
But they learn a lot from older siblings. And they learn from classmates in school (who also have older siblings).
 
They also take cues from parents who let profanities slip out, as hard as they try not to.
 
Kboy facing adversityids know more than we give them credit for, and they can handle much more than we want to believe. They watch the news and see stories of violence, terrorism, and other horrific events.
 
Even if you keep them from watching, they hear about the events in school. There is simply no way around it.
 
 
 
When kids know they can talk to their parents, they can handle most situations. It’s better to learn from the source, i.e., parents, rather than from outside sources such as friends.
 
Chances are the information from friends is not reliable. That’s one reason kids tell outrageous stories when they get home from school.
 
To help kids deal with adversity, be sure the set the stage for their behavior. If you lose it during your own challenges you can be certain they’ll do the same.
 
Stay as calm as possible and look for solutions. The kids will take your lead on this behavior as well.
 
Kids should also learn to help others at an early age. This way, they won’t be afraid to rely on others when they need help.
 
When they get older, they may be willing to reach out to friends or family members. Of course, they should try to take care of certain situations on their own before reaching out.
 
Again, it’s a delicate balance and a learning process.
 
Every family situation is different. Each may call for different ways of handling them.
 
The variety makes a step-by-step process tough if even possible. Early exposure to life’s situations is key.
 
This will pay dividends for them when they’re adults.
 
JohnK 6-4-2019
 
stick man looking for adversityOverheard: “The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.”
                                        ~ Chinese Proverb
 
 
 
 
 
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Let Your Daily Routine Move You Toward Success

May 28, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments
Spontaneity is a lot more fun than routine. It helps to mix things up and keeps life interesting.
 
But too much spontaneity can lead to an unstructured way of life. Some people love that, but most find would find that difficult to maintain.
 
Today GenuLines asks you to take a look at or set up your daily routine.
 
 
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Setting Your Daily Routine

For starters, enough sleep is important for proper function. If you don’t have a routine, it’s not likely you will get the right amount of sleep every night.
 
a boy's sleeping routine

Your body needs to have its internal clock set to the same sleep habits.
 
What if you don’t have those things in place? You might find it difficult to go to sleep at night.
 
Or you’ll wake up from time to time during the night.
 
 
 
To help you get to sleep faster, make sure you go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time in the morning. Try to avoid drinking too much alcohol as this will disrupt your sleep.
 
You may fall asleep easier, but you will not go into a deep sleep. That deep sleep interrupts your internal rhythm, and you may not be able to fall back to sleep.
 
Snoozing over screening
Try to limit the use of electronic devices before you go to bed. Studies tell us devices such as laptops and tablets stimulate your visual senses. This makes it tougher to sleep.
 
You should have a routine for your diet, too. If you don’t set up the right diet and eat at the same time daily, you will likely have digestion issues.
 
Your erratic schedule has a downside, too. That’s because your body’s inability to regulate can cause weight gain issues.
 
An article about routines would be incomplete if it didn’t cover getting exercise. Exercise is also the one element where many people have a problem being consistent.
 
But a routine here can be a stress-buster. And it can bring better sleep.
 
You don’t have to incorporate intense exercise. Take a daily or every other day walk.
 
Then you can check off a big part of your exercise need.
 
Find the routines that work for you, and work hard to stick with them. Routines are habits, and it takes some effort to develop habits to the point where you don’t even think about them.
 
There’s room for some spontaneous activity, which everyone needs once-in-a-while. Don’t try to make major changes all at once.
 
Small changes are best since it’s easier to succeed with them.
 
JohnK 5-28-2019
 
 
stickman looking for routineOverheard: “The only routine with me is no routine at all”:   
                                      ~Jackie Kennedy
 
 
 
 
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Today’s Chi For Yourself: “Panic Free” With Tom Bunn

May 23, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments

What if you could stop panic by tapping into a certain part of your brain? 

man talking panicLicensed therapist (and pilot) Tom Bunn discovered an approach to panic that uses a part of the brain not affected by the stress hormones that bombard a person experiencing panic.

Tom Bunn is the author of PANIC FREE: The 10-Day Program to End Panic, Anxiety, and Claustrophobia.

 

We get started at 1 pm Pacific, 4 pm Eastern time at ChiForYourself.com

 

JohnK 5-23-2019

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Stop Relying Too Much on Others

May 21, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments

If you have difficulty trusting yourself, you may be too dependent on others. The situation can grow and you become dependent on more and more people.

GenuLines knows that can present problems when called upon to handle situations on your own, so read for some helpful ideas. 

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Stop Relying Too Much on Others

Have you ever let someone else take over a part of your job? You may feel relief when this happens.

But you could be setting yourself up for future failure. The reason this happens is that you didn’t trust that you could do the job yourself.

 

character explaining to others

 

In the above scenario, you’re taking on something outside of your comfort zone. It may be that your boss wants to test how you will handle a new situation.

He or she gives you an assignment knowing that you have never dealt with it before.

It’s natural to ask others for help when you find yourself in unfamiliar territory. There’s nothing wrong with doing this.

But there’s little growth in letting others solve problems for you. You won’t develop the self-trust for handling new situations.

And your manager will see that you, for the most part, passed the assignment to someone else.

Positivity helps
Face your new challenges with positivity. Be willing to make an attempt even if you make mistakes.

The mistakes are the tools for you to learn. When you do make those mistakes, ask what you did wrong.

Over time, those mistakes will get less and less, and you’ll begin to trust that you can handle the situations.

There’s a subtle result of trying something new. You’ll prove that you can handle new tasks and develop new skills.

That’s enlightening and it’s a big factor in developing trust in yourself.

Every skill you are now good at and find easy you probably struggled with at the start. If you keep this in mind, you will give yourself over to trusting that you can handle anything that comes your way.

You’ll need less reliance on others. But you still should ask questions when you are unsure about something.

That’s another part of learning.

Some people may give you a hard time because it’s inconvenient. But, you’ll find most people want to help you succeed.

It helps them when you get up to speed with new skills.

JohnK 5-21-2019
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stickman listening to othersOverheard: “Trust but verify”
                           ~Ronald Reagan

 

 

 

 

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Become a “Turnaround Factory” for Negative Thinking

May 14, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments
Negative images bombard your life. They’re all over the television news and your favorite TV shows.
 
You see it online, at work and even at home. But, GenuLines suggests some out of the box thinking to turn things around 
 
call to fight negative

Become a “Turnaround Factory” for Negative Thinking

What if you could picture your brain as a factory? One that takes in negative thinking and processes it to churn out positive thoughts.
 
negative picture of factorySeems a bit odd since, of course, you’re not a factory. But, if you can think in these terms, you may be able to combat negative thinking.
 
Switching to factory status means you need to stop overreacting to what people say. When someone says something you don’t agree with, take a moment to consider what they’re saying.
 
 
When you get annoyed at others, you stop listening to them and only want to get your point across. You want to prove why they’re wrong.
 
Instead, after he or she speaks, take a moment and consider what the message is.
 
The next step is to try and see the other person’s point of view. If you have a difficult time doing this, calmly ask questions of the person making the statement.
 
You can say that you don’t understand the reason for the statement and would like to know more about why they said it.
 
You don’t have to agree with the other person, even after you start to process what they say. But, the act of listening and considering their point of view will transform you.
 
You may start to challenge your belief system. Sometimes you can get so focused on a belief, even when the reason why you feel that way has changed.
 
When you start to question your beliefs, you’ll be more open in considering what others have to say. The process will help you turn negative thoughts into positive ones.
 
Negative thoughts seldom lead to believing in oneself. You will end up challenging what everyone says as wrong if they don’t agree with your way of thinking.
 
You’ll become bitter towards others and at some point towards yourself. You won’t believe that anything is possible because you shoot down every suggestion.
 
This type of thinking doesn’t make people happy.
 
When you start to open yourself to others, you will learn more and be accepting of different beliefs. You’ll become enlightened when this happens.
 
JohnK 5-14-2019
 
 
stick figure hears negative talkOverheard: ” Negativity can only feed on negativity”
                                ~ Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
 
 
 
 
 
 
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