I was starving so I had no problem devouring my mushroom fried rice with chicken curry and ribs.
But my daughter has a fever today and only managed to pick at her cheesy pasta with ham and sweetcorn dish.
I hope she’s feel better soon – I miss my mischievous princess!
Image credit: ninamalyna / 123RF Stock Photo
There are many ways to express disappointment, criticism and approval in my work life. Here are the top 5 phrases I’ve heard over the years:
5. “We need to move the needle!”
My first reaction to this was, ‘what needle’??? I totally didn’t get it but I know now that it means we need to improve profitability, performance or whatever the speaker fancies.
4. “It’s revenue gone begging!”
I still don’t really get this one to be honest. I think it means that we are losing money that should otherwise be in our pockets??? If someone out there knows how revenue might actually be begging, please get back to me – thanks.
3. “We are just navel-gazing.”
This literally means we are staring at each other’s belly-buttons. So our shirts are either off or too short…. On closer examination, I think it means we are giving each other credit for work that perhaps needs external validation? Again, any geniuses out there can correct me.
2. “We need to get into bed with the customer…”
Eh, there’s no sexual misconduct happening here – promise. This means we need to get closer to the customer, show them some love, TLC. It’s an obvious one I think. I remember wishing this wasn’t thrown around in meetings so much – it made me uncomfortable.
1. “We can’t keep drinking our own bath water!”
I agree because that is a pretty disgusting thing to do. This phrase has the same naming as the navel-gazing comment but it’s obviouslymore…poignant.
Later x
Image credit: robodread / 123RF Stock Photo
I never really understood depression until recently. A person might feel down for a while but to use the word ‘depression’ in my culture seemed like an excuse not to pull your weight – to lie in all day. That’s probably why when I become depressed 5 years ago, I didn’t recognise it.
Even now, I sometimes wonder how I got away with being depressed while holding down a job, taking care of a 3-year old and a husband. I remember how much of a struggle it was to get up in the morning – and when I did finally get up, I’d feel an overwhelming urge to cry. I succumbed to this urge many times. I was always tired and I wanted to be alone most of the time. When my family asked me what was wrong, I couldn’t really explain. My life seemed perfect but I had a deep sadness that loomed over me all day.
My depression lasted about 18 months. I never confided in anyone about it and I didn’t seek help. I dragged myself out of bed every day, often disappointed that I’d woken up alive. When I think about those times I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I feel proud of myself of getting out of depression alive. Truthfully, something deep inside me – deeper than I’ll ever know – wanted to live. It pushed me out of the endless darkness. On the other hand, I lost a lot of time and opportunity. There’s so much I could have achieved in 18 months. I could have been enjoying time with my family and friends but I mostly ended up upstairs in my bed at every chance.
I have some idea why I was depressed. I was incredibly hard on myself and I guess my morale broke into pieces. I’m sharing this because I know millions of people suffer from depression. Everyone is susceptible to it –all you need is a trigger, a memory, the last straw. It matters to know that it affects others – even those who seem strong. Some famous personalities that have suffered from some form of depression are Stephen Fry, Brooke Shields and Victoria Beckham. I thought no one would understand. Looking back now, perhaps they would have. Telling someone would have eased some of the burden but I was worried about being mocked and judged.
There are days I feel down, especially when I’m tired or something hasn’t gone my way but I’ve promised myself I’ll never get that low again. I’m maintaining spiritual, emotional and physical health. I’m building greater capabilities so that I can understand my own limits and limit my battles. Past hurts may sting a little but my head is higher now…as I look forward to a promising future.
Thanks for reading.
I hardly recognise myself.
A few years ago, I was rather naive about ambition and went about it foolishly – to the point of hurting myself. For instance, I once went on a business trip even though I was ill. I ended up having an operation in a foreign country and really resenting myself for not drawing the line. Then I did it again…
Don’t get me wrong. I want to be the best I can be so I keep pushing my limits on all fronts. Can I get more exposure to this? Can I be better at doing that? How can I be prepared to take on more responsibility in X number of years? I am still ambitious but I’m getting wiser about the way I fight my battles – and believe me, I do fight. I think one thing that’s changed is I know now that I can do whatever I set my mind to. But I don’t need to do “whatever”…
Occasionally, it’s not the perfect time to take a vacation but I take it anyway because I miss spending time with my kids and I want a day off to chill out with them. Sometimes, I need to stop the work I’m doing on my laptop and play a card game with my son. And that’s ok. A few years ago, I would have been irritated by the distractions. I admit that I often think, “I’m blowing that opportunity to shine with the bosses” or “I really wanted to beat that deadline so they can see what a high achiever I am.”
I do shine and beat deadlines often but it’s not the be all and end all. I’ve learnt the hard way that my family don’t care what I do. It doesn’t matter whether I work in a grocery store or clean windows or just stay home. They love me.
In my darkest “career moments”, they were there for me even when others said I was “crap” or “average”.
I will always want to do a great job but I also want to make better, fearless decisions about my life. Like I said, I don’t recognise myself. It’s almost like I grow up overnight.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
I was away from home this week. Spending three nights in Florence, Italy for work meetings wasn’t bad at all.
Hotel Brunnelleschi made me feel at home with a gorgeous bed that looked like it was meant for a Roman princess.
This Chicken Caesar salad was just incredibly tasty… Indeed, it was a home away from home.
