Inspiration Corner

In the year 2000, I heard Oprah say on one of her shows, "In life, we should use our creativity and passion to serve those who have been forgotten." I added, "and those who have forgotten themselves." With Oprah being my greatest teacher and a role model, her words and inspiration helped me create Silver Lining Solutions for myself, those I know and those I desire to help.

 
 
Click to Watch Nancy's "Born Into Inspiration" Story
 
 
Think about the inspirational people you have met or know. Think about the quotes you have read or heard. Listen and follow them closely and make a great life for yourself, others and society. This is what we are meant to do.

Here are a few more:

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined."
~Thoreau

"People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
~Unknown

"The essential question is not, "How busy are you?" but "What are you busy at?" "Are you doing what fulfills you?"
~Oprah Winfrey

"People are definitely a company’s greatest asset. It doesn't make any difference whether the product is cars or cosmetics. A company is only as good as the people it keeps."
~Mary Kay Ash

"The task of a leader is to get people from where they are to where they have not been.”
~Henry Kissinger

"Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning.”
~Winston Churchill

"The reason why so little is done is generally because so little is attempted.”
~Samuel Smiles

"Being in power is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't."
~Margaret Thatcher

"It's never too late to get happy."
~Nancy Stampahar

celebrate
Nancy's Notes to Lead By

 
When we open our minds to learning, we can discover that something else is possible. Dr. Wayne Dyer, states, "When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change”. Powerful.
 
Why do we either perceive a person's message correctly or do not understand the message’s true intent when we communicate with our customers, employees, colleagues, family and friends?
 
It's been stated that we have misunderstandings because either the speaker has not been clear about what was intended to be said; or their body language contradicts the words spoken; or the listener has predetermined what the message means through their own perceptions that can be affected by individualized filters or recordings playing inside their own mind. Perceptions are very different for everyone due to our unique past experiences, education, training, gender, culture, etc. These individualized perceptions can greatly impact the true intent of the message and block the need for empathy.

 

It is the understanding of the message being sent that affects communication more than the words being spoken. This is why the power of empathy is critical to building healthy relationships with your customers, employees, colleagues, family and friends. Empathy is not the same as sympathy. Empathy is about deeply understanding and validating another person’s perspective and needs. Even if you do not agree with the situation, you get it. Sympathy is about sharing the emotions and ideas of another person. There is mutual agreement and similarity.
 
You can change your perceptions (filters/recordings) by opening your mind and being exposed to new ideas, people, situations and environments. The more you learn and experience in life and work, the more you can see other ways of being and doing. The more you know, the less you fear. So, get out there and discover all that life has to offer. Or as we say in Pittsburgh, go ahead and cross the river "an nat.” ☺
 

The next time you have a misunderstanding, put forth some effort to become self-aware to minimize the negative effects of filtered perceptions by asking yourself the following questions:

  1. What is making me believe this is true?
  2. What are the facts of the situation? When and how did it actually happen?
  3. Is my reaction based on the actual current facts or my past experiences?
  4. How are my predetermined filters and recordings impacting the current situation and the people involved?
  5. Most importantly, what will I do differently the next time it happens?
When faced with conflicts, many people take the path of least resistance through avoidance in hope that the problems will go away. They do not; moreover, they usually get worse and relationships become distant and estranged. If you find the courage and take the initiative to approach your conflicts within yourself and others, you will not waste time or energy. You will feel better about yourself and build deeper relationships with people in both your personal and professional lives. It’s up to you to be open to seeing things differently. Take the lead!