Daily Tip: Slow down and Shut Up

I have to answer phones at work.  I find people are extremely rude oftentimes, expecting me to say who I am, but never willing to disclose who they are, or what they want.
You give them a friendly greeting, a voice full of cheer, and you identify yourself.  What do you get in return?  You get an idiot who is demanding, and what's more, unwilling to clearly state what he or she wants.
It stays in your memory.  The older people get the less courteous they seem to be.  You would think after years and years of employment, folks would know about phone courtesy.  Usually, they have something to complain about.  How does one find the rough edges to ward off the annoyance of their complaints?
I guess I need to get tough.  To pucker up and suck it up.  If you try to reprimand them, and say, "Why don't you identify who is calling so I can help you better?" they take offense.  For my part, I need to slow down and shut up.  I will be friendly, say the Thomas Edison-made greeting, "Hello," and identify the place they are calling and who they are talking to from now on, and then I will be silent.  If I try and pump them for information, I would be a fool.  I won't.  If they can't speak up, then I will hang up.
Crazy world, isn't it?  People get so much handed to them, and it is never, ever enough.
My problem is I am too obliging.  I try and be helpful, thoughtful, and kind, and come out smelling like a pile of crap.  So, if it is true, "No good deed goes unpunished," then I will just try and play it cool.  I won't compromise my phone courtesy, but I certainly won't be anyone's whining board, or patsy, or Mother Theresa.  Today's gratitude is for my phones, everywhere...
If you have A.D.H.D, or A.D.D. use good phone courtesy, and then shut up.  It will do you a world of good.
© Amalia Zents 2010

Daily Tip: Try and take a compliment

One of the hardest things I have found is to accept a compliment.
I got an email from a girl I work with, and the subject referred to a radio commercial I produced.
"Eggstravaganza ad."
Immediately, I thought, she is probably emailing me to complain.  Maybe she didn't like my work....
Well, this is what the email said:
I heard the Eggstravaganza ad and it sounds great!!
I would have never thought of putting the “Chicken Dance” behind it.
Thanks for helping me out!
So, my fears were not warranted.
It is hard for people who have A.D.H.D to believe in themselves.
Maybe it's time we do.
My daily gratitude is regarding my part-time radio job. I am grateful to have a glamorous job in show business as a radio broadcaster.  It helps me to feel good about myself while I inform and entertain others. And it makes me get out of myself, interview people on-air and it keeps me up to date with my community events, world affairs, and it is fun!

So, here's to self-confidence.  Let us find self-worth in what we do, and not by relying on others to praise us.  Once in awhile it is NICE to be complimented too!
Peace,
Amy Zents
© Amalia Zents 2010

Daily Tip: Don't start your engine late. Read my scary tale.

You see I am late.  Always, always late. What? You gotta be kidding!  Well, it takes me awhile to warm up to an idea, a problem, a gig, a place.
My boss gave me an ultimatum (well sorta, he teased me about tossing me in the dumpster,) in a kidding way.  Recently for my on-air shift he asked me politely to arrive 10 minutes early to work.  Happily, my attempts at doing so, have resulted on my arriving for my board-shift on time, with me being a lot more composed and prepared for the show.  Now the out-of-town, on-location gigs are a different story.    Read my scary tale:

This morning was a fast and furious one.  I had to move fast this morning.  When I'd finally arrived to meet a colleague to follow him to a broadcast, he was furious I was late!  He'd anxiously waited for me to arrive for our appointment.  It was pre-arranged that I should follow him in my car to another town for the broadcast, and he was positively fuming when I finally walked in the door.  He growled at me that we would have to drive fast.  So, I followed him out of town and he drove so fast, I lost him for awhile, but caught up to him even though I felt he was over-dramatizing my tardiness by driving dangerously at scary speeds to make it to the Cafe on time for the broadcast.  When we had both finally arrived to the broadcast location, and I had warmed up to the idea that it was time to get to work, then things settled down, and it was business as usual. 
The other day I had to meet a different salesman to drive to a broadcast except, in that instance, HE was late, and I felt a tad vindicated THAT morning.  But, NOT this morning! 
It was I who was the one who got dumped on for being late.
Most of all, it was stressful raising the ire of a respected colleague. 
It was also quite nerve-wracking to me to have to follow an angry driver out of town in rural country parts hastening at scary speeds on slippery roads.
The message of this story? 
Don't start your engine late.
Warm up to the idea of your appointment, task or chore, well in advance of crunch-time. 
This goes for me and anyone who has time management and organizational issues. 
A lot of A.D.D., and A.D.H.D-sufferers have problems shifting gears from one activity to another, but real life demands it. 
Just like sticking your hand in a pot of boiling water will make you cry "Ouch," lateness, and the REALITY of it, can bite you in the butt if you ignore getting to where you need to be, or doing what you need to do on time. 
If he says, "Meet me at 7:10am," and you say, "OK."  Then meeting him at 7:25am is late!
Don't be late.  Know what you need to do, and think about shifting gears, and activities before you wind up in a frenzy.
Remember: warm up your brain before you wind up late, or dead!
Peace,
Amy Zents
© Amalia Zents 2010