Hello Everyone, 
We tend to have multiple tools for the same job, and not all of the tools we use are the right tool for the job. Have you tried and tried to use the wrong tool for the job. One example that comes to mind is trying to cut a new loaf of bread with a butter knife. It will eventually cut it, but only after I have destroyed the entire loaf of bread. Using the incorrect blade for cutting wood, tile or steel also is less effective and can cost you both time and money. Communication tools can be misused as well. For example, we may be using tools that were never designed for communication. We often can clearly see the damage that using the incorrect tool has caused. Knowing what needs to be repaired, addressed or identified is part of communication skills. However, at times we will continue to use a communication tool that is clearly ineffective and instead of replacing the tool, we get better at using what we have. We also tend to do it "harder, louder and longer".  To be able to use the right tool, we need to first asses the tools we have and the tools we are using. For example, do we use a mega phone to communicate, or boxing gloves or running shoes? It starts with understanding ourselves first and then knowing what we need to educate ourselves on. There are times we need new different tools, and other times we need help learning how to use the tools that we may already have. 
I hope you use this week to focus on your communication tools, and to begin to identify what tools are not working for the job that you are intending to do, and then educate yourself. Google communication skills or watch videos on Youtube.
​Take care everyone and have  a great week! 

Hello Everyone, 
Sometimes the thought of beginning again is encouraging and sometimes it's discouraging. One way to begin again is in making peace. Sometimes we have to make peace with ourselves, our choices, actions or in relationships. Making peace allows us to grow and to begin again. Most times, the peace we need to make is within ourselves and then that frees us to make peace with others. At some point, we all need to begin again, the better we get at making peace the better we get at growing. 
Take care everyone, I hope you find your way of making peace... Have a great week! 

Hello Everyone, 

Today is a new day and today is what you have to work with right now. With each day comes a fresh start, a new chance. No matter how many days prior we have "blown" it, with today comes a fresh start for us, if we take it. We can choose to hang on to past regrets and bad decisions or out comes we may have encountered and not see today as a fresh start and stay stuck as long as we want to. We can also decide that today is a fresh start and decide to make the most of what we have in this moment.  This does not mean that we do not have to clean up our mess, but we can clean up our mess and see today as a fresh start. Try giving yourself a break and seeing today as a fresh start. Take a breath and a step towards a new direction. If you truly do get a fresh start the sky will be the limit for you, but if you choose not to take today as a fresh start, there is a great chance that very little will change for you, 
Be kind to yourself and give yourself a fresh start today! 
Take care everyone and thanks for reading.,,

Hello Everyone, 
Do you ever feel like you keep learning the same lesson over and over, to the point where you finally say something like, "When am I going to learn?" Do you ever find you are frustrated with your self or your circumstances because you feel like you are on repeat? I would challenge you to learn. Don't just keep living your life... learn from it. Life is constantly offering us great opportunities to learn and to grow from. We don't grow when we do not learn. Challenge yourself, the next time you go through something, especially involving great discomfort or loss, ask yourself what you learned from it, and also what you could have or what you will try to do differently next time. We are in such a hurry these days that we do not take the time to learn and to grow. It does take time, time to reflect and to slow down so we can observe and think about what it is that we are learning and doing.  Journaling is a great way to  begin to track and make sense of ourselves and our experiences. Tracking your mood is a simple and easy place to start. Each day at the bottom of your calendar, draw a face or a symbol of your overall mood and then jot some notes (even bullet points will do) about your experiences that day. 
We hope you are encouraged to keep living and to go a step further, LEARN. 
Thanks for reading and take care everyone!