Ever feel like your conversation partner is not listening to you? 

How dare he ignore your golden nuggets of wisdom?

How do you regain his attention?     Increasing loudness is a tactic often employed.     After all, you’re presenting an important point don’t want him to miss it.
But, wait!    Have you tried using a quieter voice?    While it may seem counter-intuitive to get quieter when you want to make a point, this can be an extremely effective tool to use.    Your listener will be caught off guard and respond by having to attend better.    Instinctively, he will re-establish eye contact and incline his head and body toward you. 

Mission accomplished. No yelling necessary.

 Perseverence to complete the task requires rate modulation

When continuing a comfortable pace becomes difficult to maintain, assuming a faster pace can be more effective than slowing down.

Human minds and bodies are designed for hard work. Over time, they become worn out or just plain bored. Several options exist to revive your energy.

Taking a break with the intent of getting back to the job at hand works sometimes. However, if the break stretches out, it can be difficult to return to the job. Important things are often left unfinished for this reason.

Slowing down can help to releave pressure or reduce pain. It can be difficult to muster the resources to increase speed and return to the original pace. Soon, more slowing is required, then more, and you can guess the final outcome. Work grinds to a halt.

Speeding up is an option some have not considered. While it seem impossible, finding a way to increase exertion results in increasing competence and gives the body or mind a new outlook. When it reaches the point that the higher exertion level cannot be maintained, allowing the rate to slow can help return to the original rate refreshed.

Is this nuts? Well, it has worked for me. When I feel that I can no longer make the pedals go around on a bike ride, I stand, increase speed, then find myself smiling. I know I can and will go on. When writing becomes tedious, I give my head a shake and pound the keys a little faster. No worries, I can go back to edit later.

I challenge you to give it a try!

Each day provides unexpected opportunities. While some of them may not be a total surprise, many are.For example, when a preschooler started coughing and made an attempt to cover his mouth just a little too late, with germs flying everywhere, I made a choice.I thanked him for remembering to cover his mouth.When other co-workers were voicing concerns about possible budget cuts, a friend and I brought up benefits about our present employment now and in the foreseeable future.

Many things look bleak right now. The future seems a little more unpredictable than usual. It's a good time to choose to invest positive energy in things that are healthy and enjoyable. Music, art, friends, family. Creating adventures during your daily activities. Sharing smiles. Finding ways to show others that you care for them. These are goals I strive to reach. What's great about today is the same thing that will be great about tomorrow. There will be opportunities to do good. Some will readily present themselves and some I will seek out purposefully.

Autumn is here.
I see it in the intricate interlacing spider webs gracing the fence in my backyard. Sadness pulls at me when I look at the flowers that have bloomed so beautifully and faithfully all summer. Their stalks and leaves are now tinged with brown, and the blooms are not as plentiful. The air feels crisp in the early mornings and late evenings. Daylight shrinks daily. Yet, sadness is only for a moment.

Although autumn is beginning and after that, winter; the renewal of spring will follow. The true beauty of autumn is that it signifies the surety that each season has its time and is followed by the next. I am reminded that the death of each important person and relationship in my life has been followed by new beginnings. Death of a loved one was followed by the birth of a grandson. Death of important relationships led to greater knowledge and acceptance of self to prepare for future relationships. Seeing plants wither away and all but disappear has been succeeded by finding new little volunteers the next spring.

I appreciate the seasons, especially autumn, for helping me understand more about the cycles of life. Each event shapes and prepares us for what lies ahead. I'm looking for what is waiting around the next corner!

What about those days when it seems impossible to put one foot in front of the other? Or when you are anticipating meetings with clients that you would prefer to never have to look at, much less treat civilly?

Since my job typically consists of 30 minute sessions with clients, I adopted an “I can do anything for 30 minutes†attitude. After all, how much pain and torture can take place in 30 minutes? I can stand tall, act responsibly, and get through anything. Since using this philosophy has worked well during typical workdays, I have attempted to use time increments to lessen the impact of other negative experiences. I have found that hiking feels better after the initial 20 minutes. Then I peel off a layer, have a drink of water, and am ready to get serious.

On the other hand, bike riding feels miserable at the start, but my body acclimates to it within 15 minutes. Writing gets better after get organized. If I sit down without my notes, drink, and glasses, I am up and down and getting more ancy by the minute. Gathering tools beforehand gathers mental resolve.

What do you need to conquer your task? Gather your tools, Make an adequate time commitment to acclimate to task demand.