Hey, Michele! Write About This!
You know me. I aim to please and I want to give you something to read that will help. So I asked for writing topic suggestions on Facebook.Renee asked me to write about myself, so here's: What I Believe.Beth asked me to write about knowing the value of what you do. My answer: If you can solve a billion dollar problem with one phone call, do you charge for the ten minutes it took you to make the call, or do you charge on the value of the solution? Always, always, always price on the value of the solution you bring - not what you'd value it at, but the value to the person you're serving.Mary Lou asked about encore careers - so here you go: Find what you're curious about and follow that. Your encore career may be about money or it may be about meaning - but following your curiosity will always be engaging. And that's where happiness, contentment and meaning derives. Jobs After 50Sam asked about virtues that shape the way we live, so I say: When in doubt, be kind. That's really all any of us have to remember.Susan asked how to be a champion for American society in a divisive time: See my answer to Sam.Laura asked for ideas about navigating transitions, and Beth agreed on that topic: The Way Of TransitionThen Laura brought up transcendent leadership and Nancy thought that was fascinating. It is fascinating - I'm going to write about that in the future.Dixie suggested I take the Hunger Games: Mockingjay movie as a starting point: The Heroine's JourneyBill asked for a haiku:
Fear or confidence?
The difference lies between
this here and that there
Tom asked about working with Millennials. I say - you were once 28 years old, weren't you? And you knew you had skills, and ideas, and strengths to bring to the table. So do Millennials. Let them grow and flourish. Treat them the way you would have liked to be treated when you were 28 (PS I was 28 and working in The White House. I certainly didn't think I knew nothing and had nothing to offer - food for thought).Andrea suggested something about The White House: Ronald Reagan and MeBeth said she'd like to read about how women do really have to give up something to achieve in the workplace. How about this? What Do We Tell Our Daughters?Laura piped in again and asked for a recipe:
Recipe for the Easiest, Tastiest Salad Ever
Get yourself a ripe avocado. Test for ripeness by smooshing your thumb into the skin - if it gives a lot and squirts green goo all over your hand: overripe. If you press and sprain your thumb: not yet ripe. "Ripe" is right there in between those, and only lasts for 27 minutes, so act fast. Get yourself a ripe tomato just about the same size as your avocado (which is now 1 minute less ripe). I prefer the gnarly heirloom tomatoes over any other type but you go ahead and choose. Cherry tomatoes will work, beefsteak tomatoes are fine, but Roma tomatoes? No bueno - too dry. Romas are figurative tomatoes, best used only in winter to jog the memory of what real tomatoes are like.Get yourself one green onion and chop up about a tablespoon or one stalk. We call this "stalking". OK, chop up your tomato and put it in a bowl. Dice up your avocado. I do this by halving the 'cado and then cutting lines in each half crisscross then scooping into the bowl. Kind of McGyver-ish. Throw in your chopped green onion. Salt, cracked pepper to taste. Then, the piece de la resistance, toss with vinaigrette - a tablespoon or more, depending on votre desir. You can use bottled vinaigrette (I like the La Martinique True French Vinaigrette) but you can also make your own or choose another dressing. Or scotch. Scotch might work in a pinch. Toss, toss, toss, like a starlet after a night at the Chateau Marmont. Let it sit for 10 minutes if you can wait that long, then eat. Eat with joy! Eat with abandon! Eat with a spoon! Bon appetit!
And then the very same Laura mentioned pay equity. That Laura has a million ideas!Ann asked about workaholism as a way of life. And, for the record, I am against it. You miss too many beautiful sunrises and baby steps if all you do is work.Bonnie brought up being thankful. Which I am, especially at 3 a.m.Debbie offered a reminder about how to Go Big. And I've got this: The Perils of Thinking BigDaniela, who lives in Europe, asked about dealing with the threat of terrorist attacks. I offer: Don't give up hope that good will ultimately win, people are basically good, and more people run toward a crisis to give help than run away.Rose asked about how to keep your mind, body and spirit open to new ideas and experiences. Which, if you know Rose, you know she's doing every day. And her question made me think about this: An Ocean of PossibilityJohn suggests connectedness. I suggest: How Are You Connected...To Yourself?Maureen offers how to be truly happy. OK, I got that: Change One Thing To Be Really HappyBruce, who observed me wielding a Toro blower, suggests managing autumn leaves. He's a pistol. And a great next door neighbor.Gretchen asks about the best advice I was given as a young woman. It was: Be nice to the support staff.Sarah asks about how job interviews have changed and what to remember when you're walking into an interview. How about: The Best Job Interview Question EverThanks to everyone for playing. See you next time on "Hey, Michele! Write About This!"