It's been a few months since I completed a triathlon.

Unlike most people, I didn't congratulate myself on a job well done or feel any positive feelings about it. Not. at. all. No matter who said they were inspired or gave their accolades, I wasn't having it.

I did finish. So, yea!

The minute I started the race I knew something was off. I was in slow motion and felt like I was carrying a load of 100 extra pounds. No amount of effort, prayer, or affirmations could change it.

For some reason, I had some things to learn on this journey.

Here I am, months later, finally willing to share an episode that I recorded in October. The race was at the end of July.

I will do it again. Training starts soon and I know it will be different. My leg is healing. My heart will at some point. And I'm actually going to implement the good ideas, like riding a racing bike instead of a life-changing heavy duty Huffy mountain bike from Walmart. But I will use THAT crazy bike for training.

Grateful for the family and friends that have been on the journey.

These experiences are life-changing in good ways if we let them be.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/bRccV1xSo9M

Mind and time management have been popular topics these past few years. And time management gurus acknowledge that to use time well, you must take the time to plan AND be committed to executing that plan. That's the actual hard part for most of us - the wanting to do the thing we planned in the moment it needs doing.

Dr. Bill Brantley shares some of his insights from experience, research, and experiments as he leverages AI to manage his mind, his schedule, and his work priorities.

Bill is a wealth of knowledge, and I continue to learn from him through these conversations.

Connect with Bill on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/billbrantley/

I hope you take a listen to this and other episodes we've recorded together. There are actionable tips to help you manage priorities, uplevel your work, and keep yourself in check.

n a world of turmoil, there's also a lot of good going on. And I'd argue that a lot of truth being uncovered, discovered, and re-visited.

My entire life I have sought truth, but lately I've taken it to a next step as I interact with people of many faiths on a daily basis.

In the past few months, I've been reading Christian scripture, the Koran, the Bhagavad Gita, Urantia, and the teachings of Budha. I've watched Near Death Experiences (NDE), which include accounts from people from many faith traditions. And I've gone through the Lent, Ramadan, and Easter celebrations this spring.

I'm enjoying it all. Absorbing new insights, gaining perspective on things I already believed, and a continual appreciation for anyone who seeks truth.

In this episode, I meander through some of my experiences, primarily sharing to get some thoughts out of me while nudging you to keep seeking truth.

You'll find that all the labels that make us different are a little deceptive because we really do have a lot in common. The truth is often stated in different ways—through a variety of characters, unique stories, and common themes.

“We believe in all truth, no matter to what subject it may refer. No sect or religious denomination [or, I may say, no searcher of truth] in the world possesses a single principle of truth that we do not accept or that we will reject. We are willing to receive all truth, from whatever source it may come; for truth will stand, truth will endure.”

― Joseph F. Smith

Working virtually means that some days have very few interactions. However, I can count on one interaction each morning and afternoon regardless of the absence of human interaction.

The bus stop.

I had to drive pretty far to a bus stop each morning and afternoon during the first couple of years of school. But now it's a walk up the street.

Showing up at the bus stop takes effort. It takes effort to stay focused on yourself and your phone. Or, interact with others sharing the journey.

You decide.

I share a few thoughts today about my current experience. And I'll probably talk about this again as I add in the layers from prior years at bus stops.

I wrote a reflection last night and decided to read it on this episode today. Perhaps there is a little book in here somewhere, at least that is what a friend has nudged me to do with the learnings. I may take her up on it, after I finish another couple of books in process.

If you see the podcast thumbnail associated with this episode, I'm wearing the jean shirt that the Chinese grandmother gave me. And she's the woman holding my arm. Listen to find out why she is so special.

Happy Mother's Day. Happy Women's Day!

I am the oldest living child of 10 children. My parents had twins before me who passed away during childbirth. They are buried in Pensacola, Florida. So, I have seven living siblings. For most of my life, I've been a daughter, sister, and aunt to a few dozen nieces and nephews who live across the United States. I've also been a wife and, more recently, a mother, which is something that I have always wanted to experience. I'm grateful to be a woman.

For the four years I've had this podcast, I've wanted to talk about being a woman. But each time I've recorded an episode, I've felt like there is more to learn. Conversations with friends and family confirmed those thoughts.

Of course, there is more to learn!

This week, I decided to share a few thoughts during the Mother's Day season, even though I'm still learning and growing.

My DNA is filled with the history of amazing women. My sisters (including sisters-in-law), mother, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and beyond were driven by faith, adventure, hard work, pushing boundaries (and handcarts), and not judging themselves by cultural and media expectations. In many ways, I feel like I'm not living up to the heritage of women in my family tree. However, one thing is for sure: we are all moving, growing, and seeking to fully embrace the possibilities of life.

Setting aside the DNA, I have a lot of thoughts about being a woman in the world today. I change my mind frequently while still holding on to certain standards despite the outside influences that impact some women more than others.

Friends and family continue to help me learn more about being a modern woman, femininity, feminism, and everything else.

I'm sure there are more thoughts to share, but I shut down my work computer today and just started to record.

Reach out if you want to talk and offer more thoughts. I'm open to exploring this topic more.

Correction: I am the oldest living child of 10 children (not 8 stated in the episode). We are 8 living children.

Available through all major podcasts through https://pod.co/move-your-desk

#podcast #mothersday #pioneers #pioneerwomen #lauraingalls #karana #islandofthebluedolphins #barbie #mediainfluenceonwomen #women #womensfashion

Are you work lonely?

I didn't realize that this was a thing until I recognized that I had felt it numerous times over the last few years and that others had, too. There are even a couple of courses about it on LinkedIn and other sites.

Perhaps some of you have felt it, too. It was a bit of a shock to my heart and mind to go through this experience after years of what felt like too many interactions to keep up with on a daily basis.

But then....crickets.

No matter your personality, it can be a challenging experience. However, it can be a chance to pause to learn more about yourself, learn or re-learn how to reach out to others in new ways and provide a chance to show more compassion to others as you interact, lead, contribute, and serve.

Though I'm still working through some work loneliness right now, I am very lucky. As I mentioned in this episode, it only takes one person to feel included. You are working on you, of course, but I have at least one co-worker that I can share thoughts with at any time, and it makes all the difference.

Move Your Desk® podcast is available through all major podcast services at https://pod.co/move-your-desk

#moveyourdesk #worklonely #lonely #inclusionatwork #personaldevelopmentforwomen #compassion

It's always a pleasure to speak with someone who has turned lessons learned from their life and work experiences into a book. Drafting, editing, and accepting reviewer feedback takes time, research, reflection, and self-compassion.

And the compassion for self and others is exactly what this conversation is about.

Jennifer Anderson, a seasoned executive coach and personal brand strategist, has now added 'author' to her list of accomplishments with the release of her book, Call for Compassion.

As a father and son journey through restoring a bicycle, we are introduced to a series of principles and practices that teach about developing the attribute of compassion.

In this conversation, Jennifer and I discuss a few key principles in the book and several of our experiences observing this attribute in others and seeking it for ourselves.

Building compassion may be an opportunity to connect humans to humans in personal and authentic ways in a world that includes more AI, virtual work environments, technology advancements, and a focus on efficiency each day.

I hope you take a listen and read the book available on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3wbhF0W. Also available through all major podcast episodes at https://pod.co/move-your-desk.

Connect to Jennifer

- Connect on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/careercoachjen/

- Call for Compassion Manifesto - https://callforcompassion.com/

- YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@MovingForwardSolutions

It's always a pleasure to discuss technology with the innovators and early adopters on the change adoption curve.

Dr. William Brantley brings his expertise and insights into this discussion about leveraging AI in project management and the associated value streams and decision-making activities. He started using artificial intelligence to increase his work effectiveness and efficiencies back when it all started and continues to add to his personal knowledge base as he goes about his work as a strategic thinker, designer, project manager, and public speaker.

You'll want to connect with him on LinkedIn to keep learning from his daily posts and insights pulled from multiple disciplines.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billbrantley/

Website: https://bas2a.com/

#artificialintelligence #projectmanagement #projects #valuestreams #agile #technology #design #projectplanning #projectexecution #teams

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Do you remember the story about the emperor who had no clothes? He trusted some tailors that he'd never met more than those who had kept him in royally outfitted for years. Even when he couldn't see the amazing results the tailors touted, he was so proud that he boldly went forward assuming that those closest to him were advising him properly. But, they had their own misconceptions, fears, and a bit of mistrust. We each take our own turn as naked emperor, tailors, and advisers. So, what can we do about it?

Michelangelo was once asked how he went about the sculpting process. His answer? 

“I saw the angel in the marble, and carved until I set him free.”

This is something we can do for ourselves too - spend time carving and chiseling away to find the real person inside.

In recent years, I’ve noticed that keeping my physical belongings in check is not a problem. It’s the digital hoarding that weighs upon my mind.

The emails, the photos and videos, the files, the journal entries, the blogs and websites. It produces the same effect on my mind as a physical hoarder may experience, except I really can’t tell how big my issue is because it doesn’t overwhelm my home. It just sits neatly in a table showing up as a laptop, phone, and a couple of hard drives.

Though I know that my digital items will expand daily as I go through this process, I’m tackling it. A digital de-junk.

It’s a process like Swedish death cleaning, the practice of going through all your belongings long before you die (hopefully) so that your friends and family aren’t left with all of it to figure out.

This effort is a lot more than de-junking. It’s showing me what I’ve valued, how I’ve behaved, what I’m afraid of, and the achievements, mistakes, regrets, and hidden dreams. Everything that had been tucked away to address later in life.

It involves chipping away to find the real person hidden deep within. It is hard. It hurts. It is mentally draining.

It’s both becoming and unbecoming.

But it’s worth it.