Audio Tidbits
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Do you have the misfortune of having to deal with a know-it-all, the humility challenged, a certified screw-up? If so, a little sympathy is coming your way. These humility challenged experts on everything are out there, just itching to screw something up and then point the finger at you, as they creep away. -- Let's dip into this a little further.
Six for Sunday may sound like something special, but not this time. It's just a six-pack for everyday that happens to be posted on Sunday. Even so, I think you may find at least a couple of these little tidbits worth a minute or so for quick consideration.
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Communication Matters Look Up When I was young, my mother told me and then told me again to look at her when she was talking to me. One time I responded by saying, "I'm blind so what makes the difference?" Her response? "Yes, you are blind, but that's never an excuse for being rood or lazy." I suspect that you get my point. For my mom, not being able to see was never an excuse for not doing what I was able to do. Even if I couldn't see her, I definitely could turn my head in her direction when she was talking and at least act like I was paying attention. I could look up and in her direction. That was at least the place to start. Success required feedback though. The problem was learning not to look too high or too low, too far left or right. I needed to focus on her voice and where it was coming from. The technique I developed is to focus a little below where I think the voice is located. It helps to shift my head and shoulders, so my shoulders are squared with the person talking. The best way to get this right is to ask someone who you are around a lot and you are comfortable with to coach you when you are seeming not to be paying attention or are just getting lazy. Let them know that too much coaching gets irritating and not to coach when others can observe what's happening. With practice, all of us who can't see can get better at looking at people when they are talking to us. As the skill improves, we can learn to look at anyone who is talking whether he or she is talking to us or to someone else. (Although I don't know how it works for others who can't see, I tend to look too far up and slightly to the right when someone is talking to me.) • Even though I can't see, I'll look at you when you're talking to me. Speak Up Let me just assume that you are looking at me when I'm talking. You are looking, aren't you? If you aren't managing that skill, speaking up will still help, but not so much. Although this may not be a problem for you, it is for me. If I get a little lazy and don't pay attention, I tend to look down and mumble or at least talk too quietly for others to hear without needing to make a special effort to hear. I'll bet you see where my problem starts. Sure, it's tending to look down. Speaking up definitely hooks up with looking at people when they are talking. It's important to also look at people when you are talking. It's pretty easy for me to slip into not looking up, not looking at the person to whom I'm talking. People who can see are much more comfortable when they and those with whom they are talking can look at each other. Face-to-Face is most always the preferred mode. If they are having a Zoom call, they want the cameras on. In-person is preferable to telephone calls. But here's the clincher. Those of us who can't see can usually hear when people who are talking to us aren't looking at us. • Even though I can't see, here's what I'll do, I'll look your way, when I'm talking to you. When having a conversation, look at the other person, whether you or the other person is talking. When you are talking, speak up, clearly and loudly enough for the other person to hear without any special effort. Look up and speak up. That's definitely good advice for anyone, whether or not he or she can see. But for those of us who can't see, it's particularly important, since we may tend not to look at people when in a conversation and may not talk loudly enough or clearly enough to be easily understood. If you can't see but don't have any issues with always looking up and speaking up, way to go. I'm just mentioning it since I sometimes forget and thought reminding you can't hurt. Straighten Up Now for the third element to remember when talking with other people. Who knew that a simple conversation could be so complicated?
Have you ever been told that you have a bad attitude but didn't know what they were talking about? Well maybe it's as simple as just stopping watering the weeds? If you want to check it out, just click that play button.
Do you recall those true/false tests in school? Bad news. School may be over but those test are with us every day. Much of what we hear or read is itself another one of those true/false tests. Is it true or is it just another lie or maybe even one of those damn lies?
Someone who I don't recall said that smart people know what to say and when to say it. But a wise person knows what to say and when not to say it. Sometimes the better part of wisdom is to just shut up and sit down.
There are the regular fools among us. They neither know better nor do better. We tend to give those folks a pass, since they have no control over just how stupid they are at times. And there are the rest of us who don't have the excuse of being standard fools. We are just damn fools, yes all of us. We do our foolishness despite knowing better. We just don't do better. This is not a permanent condition unless we extend our foolishness beyond five minutes a day. Gary has the skinny on this universal fact of life.
Giving advice when asked is dangerous; and giving unsolicited advice is just stupid. Hearing Gary's take on this may be worth a listen; but of course, that is not advice, just an opportunity.
The title says it all. There is about five minutes of me fussing about my SM7b microphone and my mixer; but after that, some nice country music from Kevin is there for you.
My guess is that you don't personally remember the Nelson family. No problem. Gary will get you up to speed. Spoiler alert! It's all about "Nice."
Happy Happy plus peace and health from us at Audio Tidbits to you and to those who love you. Please enjoy Kevin's Christmas concert.
You have believed in Santa or at least you likely have. If you are one of the lucky ones, you still believe. But the more important question is, "Does Santa believe in you?" Gary has a couple of tips for making sure that he does.
I'm not sure whether this episode is important wisdom or trivial nonsense, but there is a point worth a couple minutes thought. Is happy actually optional? Join Gary for his take on the question.
You may not have noticed that there are many ways to do nothing. It may look as if something is being done, but therein lies the illusion. The much easier approach is to do nothing, with intention. Gary help us sort this out.
Amateurs at the success game believe that the more people they know, the more successful they will be. How silly. The real question is, "Who knows you and what do they know about you?" Gary shares his take on how this works.
I suspect that you think talking to a brick is right up there with watching paint dry, but you would be wrong. Talking to a brick has hidden benefits that most people never consider. Gary has ten for your evaluation and enlightenment.
Dave Barry has a problem, although he disagrees. He thinks having no friends is a wise financial decision for him. As might be expected, Curious George disagrees. It's all about diplomacy, or the lack-there-of. Gary has the scoop for you.
Gary has a really quick self-check. Easy Peasy. Just give yourself a thumbs up or perhaps not on each statement. The only catch is the standard: every time, with everyone, no exceptions, no excuses.
Are you into being creative or perhaps an inventor? It's actually pretty simple. Just think a thought that no one else has thought. For the skinny on that little trick, listen to this episode of Audio Tidbits.
You may think I have a run of the mill public speaking tip for you, not particularly different than a hundred others. But this tip is from Blackie, a guide dog extraordinaire. You didn't know that guide dogs gave public speaking tips? That would be silly talk. Regular guide dogs may not, but Blackie was far from regular. He was a good friend of Denny, who was himself a professor. I think you may as well listen to pass your own judgment about the unexpected brilliance of extraordinary guide dogs.
Do you like to gossip, or are you content to be a passive consumer? "Neither," you say? Well, OK; but I don't think I easily believe you. I suspect if you ask a hundred random people if they believe that you neither gossip nor consume gossip, they would just laugh at the silly question. At any rate, Gary has some thoughts on the topic. As with most good gossip, it's short and vague enough to make sure you aren't sure one way or the other.
There is a secret the most successful people are slow to admit to. They trust their hunches. But you worry that your hunches may be wrong? Sure, they may be, but so may be your best, considered judgment. The point is that hunches are more often right than wrong. Ignore them at your own risk. Gary shares some thoughts about intuition and hunches on this episode of Audio Tidbits.
Amateurs think it's fine to get angry and blow off without much thought or planning. They just wind up and let it spew. What they don't realize is that to get angry with style is way more complicated. Actually, it's seldom worth the time and bother. In this episode of Audio Tidbits, Gary explains why.
What we do with our day is not totally a choice for most of us, but there is a part in there most days for us to be in control. How we choose to use that gift is our call. Sure, it's up to you, but I do have a small suggestion.
Imagine yourself back when, back before. Not yet an adult but past being a child. You hang around with your friends; and each of you had an idea for yourself about what success would be. Here's the question. Since you all started from a similar place and time, why does success very from a lot to not so much within your friend group? Where are you in that range and why? Let's think about that in this episode of Audio Tidbits.
Gus and Gary have provided two perspectives for us in this episode of Audio Tidbits. Gus warns us to ask twelve questions before initiating any change; and Gary helps understand that emotions are not just there or not there. Rather there is an emotional sweet spot where we balance not enough with too much. I think you will definitely find some food for thought here, and get a musical treat from Kevin as a bonus.
Are you interested in ramping up your success? Do you like trains? Do you have a few minutes to think about getting better and better at getting better and better? Are you ready to say "YES" to success? Sure, It's "YES" to all of that. Do It! Come for a ride on the Success Train.
Gary and Gus join up to bring us two short takes on sticky problems and banity, and are crashed by an unexpected podcaster who shares her take on privacy, especially for young children.
Gus is here and Heather is making her first appearance with the Audio Tidbits team. I hope you enjoy Heather's thoughts about The Productivity Plateau.
