Posts Tagged “Education”

Peak Potentials is T. Harv Eker’s training company that hopes to inspire and help people live free of fear, obligation, need and want. While that sounds like a pretty big promise, and I was dubious at first, you’ll see that it’s not. While getting rid of our problems and negative emotions sounds difficult, it can be done.

It isn’t impossible, however, and this program can show us all how to reach to our peak potential. Once I found out that this was one of the fastest growing companies out there that was helping people reach their own peaks, I started looking further. You’ll be amazed at what I discovered.

Peak Potentials’ goal is helping us discover and put behind us all the obstacles that hold us back and keep us from being truly happy. More than five hundred thousand clients have used this program to transform their lives, proving that this isn’t some new startup with no record. People participating in the program go through big changes, both immediate and long term, helping them in their relationships, financial situations, and their lives in general.

Does this program have the potential to improve your live? There’s a pretty good chance that it does. You just need to understand that when the goal is the very peak, it will take a little bit of effort to reach it.

Regardless of all the things that Peak Potentials Training can offer us, we’re really the only ones able to scale that peak in every aspect of our lives. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t been willing to put some effort in, and you’ll have to do the same. People who are expecting easy handouts should try another program.

However, if you’ve got the dedication and know that actions matter more than words, this could be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. Every time you feel like stopping on the trail to your peak potential, you’ll get the help you need to keep on going. There’s something extremely comforting about knowing that you have a guide to show you the way to the fulfillment and success you’ve been striving to reach for so long.

Peak Potentials Training can really live up to its title’s promise, providing many seminars and courses to help us climb to the peak of our own personal mountains. All it takes is a mindset change. To succeed, we have to learn to give up our doubts, fears, and other mental obstacles.

You might be dubious, and I wouldn’t blame you. However, if you’re dedicated to changing your life, you owe it to yourself to at least see what Peak Potentials Training can offer you. You’ll be amazed by the difference just one of their courses can make in your life.

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A foreclosure can only be on your credit report for a maximum of seven years. There are inaccurate statements that say a foreclosure must be on your report for a minimum of seven years.

This information is wrong; the truth is credit reporting is entirely voluntary on behalf of the lenders. A lender can remove a negative mark from your credit at any point in time and do not have to report the negative mark in the first place.

I suggest the first step you take is to dispute the listing with the credit bureaus. This is done through a dispute letter sent to each credit bureau.

In this dispute letter you must include why the listing is inaccurate or invalid. Reasons why include; account paid in full, not my account, information is wrong and etc.

Credit bureaus will often deem your first dispute letter invalid. They will respond by requesting more information about the dispute. This is a stall tactic; it costs the bureaus potential profits to hold an investigation.

Therefore you will have to send your dispute letter again, with some persistence you can get a dispute submitted that is valid. Then the bureaus will hold an investigation into the listing.

If they are unable to verify the foreclosure then it must be removed from your credit report. Since the housing crisis many lending institutions have gone under or are unwilling to spend money verifying debt. With some luck your listing will be unverifiable.

If it is verified or you are having trouble getting a dispute letter deemed valid by the bureaus I suggest you hire a credit repair service. They will often have credit attorneys on their payroll with an expert understanding of the credit laws and they can use advanced dispute tactics.

We fully prepare to see some new credit laws or case precedents come out of this housing crisis. I would recommend a credit repair service to individuals trying to remove a foreclosure. In addition a service will be able to remove any other negative marks on your credit report.

There is one last option. You can negotiate a settlement offer with the lender. You must negotiate that in exchange for your payment they will remove the foreclosure from your credit report.

In sum, items of bad credit do not have to stay on your credit report. You can remove negative items and clean your credit report.

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This book promises a lot, and if you’re like me, you’re probably starting out feeling skeptical about its ability to deliver. After all, T. Harv Eker says that with five minutes, he can predict a person’s lifetime financial future! However, closer examination of the book and what it has to offer could make a big difference.

You see, all of us have certain attitudes about money and success that either hold us back or allow us to go forward. That’s the biggest thing that Secrets of the Millionaire Mind has to teach us. Every one of us has picked up a personal money blueprint that determines how we behave towards money and how our financial stories progress.

What this fact means is that despite my knowledge about finances, despite knowing about stocks, real estate, marketing and sales, unless I have the right blueprint for success, I can’t succeed. Fortunately, all of us can change our money blueprint to one that’s naturally suited to make us successful. That’s what’s in Secrets of the Millionaire Mind - how to reset our blueprints.

We’ve been programmed to either be rich or poor, and for most of us, that programming has caused us to be poor. However, I’ve managed to change the way I think about money recently, and so can you. If you want to be a millionaire, first you have to think like a millionaire.

This book will spend a lot of time talking about the financial blueprint and telling us what we think about money and why we think this way. However, the metaphor of the blueprint isn’t allowed to obscure the truth of the message. By ourselves, it’s hard to see what’s holding us back from success, which is why checking out Secrets of the Millionaire Mind can help.

This process might take longer and seem slower than you want, but each time you open up the book, changes are really taking place. You’ll actually begin getting results, even though the journey to success takes quite a bit longer. This really is million dollar advice, but it doesn’t cost that much.

Not sure if you should take a look at Secrets of the Millionaire Mind to see what it can do for you? Well, if you’re not willing to deal with having your mind changed, thinking about things in a while new way, and the mental discomfort that comes with being told you’ve been wrong, stay away. It takes dedication and endurance to learn a whole new way of thinking about money.

On the other hand, anyone who’s determined to succeed should definitely give this book a few moments. It’s not just one affirmation after the other - many of the things it has to say are quite uncomfortable to hear. However, you’ll know they’re true once you hear them, and get ready to change the internal money blueprint that’s been blocking your way to success.

If it was possible for me to change my mind about finances, you can too. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind could be the perfect path to financial success. Find out what this book can offer you, and get started on the road to financial fulfillment.

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For you to remove bad credit items from your credit history you must dispute the credit bureaus. You have two ways to do this.

1. Create a dispute letter

This method requires you to create a dispute letter. In this letter you identify the negative mark you want removed and provide a reason why that mark is inaccurate.

Reasons typically include; item is out of date, information is wrong, not my account, account paid in full and etcetera. This letter will need to be sent to each credit bureau.

2. Hire a professional credit repair service.

Using this method the service will create a dispute letter on your behalf and send it to the bureaus. These services have advanced techniques to remove negative credit such as; debt validation, creditor direct intervention, and escalated dispute information requests.

I suggest a firm if you have multiple negative marks on your credit report. However if you only have one mark then I suggest do it yourself credit repair.

When the credit bureaus receive your dispute letter and deem it a valid dispute then they will conduct an investigation. If the listing can not be verified then it must be removed from you credit report.

Be aware that it is common for bureaus to use stall tactics to avoid conducting investigations. This is because it costs the credit bureaus potential profits to conduct an investigation.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act says the bureaus must investigate a disputed listing and if it is found unverifiable it must be removed from your report. The difficulty is getting the bureaus to find you dispute letter valid.

If you have trouble I suggest a credit repair firm, however if you are persistent then the bureaus will eventually deem your dispute valid and conduct an investigation.

It is common for investigations to result in removal of negative marks. This is because many lenders are unwilling to spend the time and money to verify a debt.

However you choose to dispute negative marks on your credit, they can be removed. You do not have to live with these marks for seven years.

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To remove a negative mark on your credit from Midland Credit Management you should dispute the listing. You can dispute a listing by creating a dispute letter or hiring a credit repair firm.

If you have little damage to your credit report then I suggest you repair your credit yourself. However if you have multiple negative marks on your report then it would be wise to hire a company.

When the bureaus get your dispute letter they will investigate the dispute. They will ask Midland Credit to verify the account and the details.

If the mark can not be verified then it must be removed. There is a good chance that Midland Credit will not spend the resources verifying an old non collectible debt.

However some accounts are verified and this is when having a credit repair service can help. Many services are able to use advanced dispute techniques that include; escalated dispute information requests and creditor direct intervention.

In addition a service can take your case to court if it is required. However it is common for investigations to result in the removal of negative marks, regardless of its accuracy.

Who is Midland Credit Management?

They are a collection agency. They buy accounts from other collection agencies and directly from lenders.

They have offices in San Francisco, Phoenix and Minnesota. They are a subsidiary of Encore Capital Group which is traded on NASDAQ.

They have a reputation of seeking judgments. This means they will file a civil case and sue you for repayment of the debt.

If a judge finds in their favor and places a judgment against you then you can have your wages garnished and your credit score will drop dramatically. If you get a mark from Midland Credit you should respond immediately to avoid a judgment.

In addition if you just pay them, it will not remove the mark they reported on your credit. It will only change the status of the mark, and this mark will still damage your credit score.

In sum if you have negative credit from Midland Credit Management you should dispute it immediately. You do not have to just pay them, or live with the bad credit mark for 7 years.

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The reason credit repair services are effective is because they employ attorneys. These attorneys specialize in credit legislation.

The attorneys have more tactics to use to remove a listing such as; debt validation, escalated dispute information requests, and creditor direct interventions. They will also research court precedents and if necessary go to court.

Be careful because some firms are only looking to make a quick buck. While you shop firms I suggest you look at what past clients have said about the service they received also how long the firm has been in business.

Use extreme skepticism when a company makes a guarantee. This is like a defense lawyer telling you that he guarantees you will be found innocent. It just can not be done.

I recommend looking for warranties or refunds if results don’t happen. Many customers can have all their negative marks removed however some can not without negotiating with the creditor.

Fraudulent credit repair services have been bilking consumers for years. There are estimates that they earn up to $50 million a year.

Thus it pays off to really do some homework on a service before you employ them. There are legit firms and some will even be listed with the Better Business Bureau.

There are two different ways you can pay for credit repair. You can either be charged for each action the service performs or you can be charged a flat monthly rate. I suggest the flat rate as it will make your dollar go farther.

Many firms will be willing to charge either rate and there will be an initial account set up fee. For a good firm this should be roughly a $100, if a company wants a large upfront payment do not employ them.

The process of removing negative credit on average takes between 6 - 12 months. The typical client should expect to pay roughly $700 and that is with excellent service.

Credit services can often deliver superior results than an individual. This can be attributed to attorneys being experts on credit laws and having the ability to use more complex tactics.

However if you are not in a rush and only have a few negative marks you should repair your credit yourself. This can be done with a dispute letter, which you mail to each credit bureau.

You will have to employ some patience. This is because credit bureaus often require you to send multiple dispute letters before they will conduct an investigation. However be persistent and you can have negative listings removed.

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Judgments are also called default judgments or credit card judgments. These terms all have the same meaning.

You are legally responsible to pay back a debt. This has happened in a court of law.

Your creditors’ attorneys went to court and filed a lawsuit against you and won. This means that you wages can be garnished to pay this debt.

This is a very bad mark to have on your credit and will cause your credit score to be lowered. Often collection agencies will try and win a judgment. Judgments can happen with any form of unsecured debt.

This mark will stay on your credit for 7 - 10 years dependent upon the state that court was held in, and the statute of limitations in that state. However it is common for creditors to renew judgments.

This makes it very difficult to ever remove a judgment from your credit. However it can be done and with a little luck you may not even have to pay it.

I recommend you first disputing the judgment with the credit bureaus. This is done by writing a dispute letter in which you explain why the listing is wrong and should be removed.

The bureaus then must conduct an investigation into the disputed listing. They will try to verify the existence of the debt and the amount of it.

If the debt is inaccurate or is not verified then the bureaus must remove it from your credit. Frequently investigations result in a negative listing being removed.

However a judgment is a very bad mark and these marks are more likely to be verified. This typically means you are going to just have to live with the negative mark.

However in some instances a judgment is wrong and inaccurate. Thus it should legally be removed from your credit.

This is when I would suggest a credit repair law firm. They can use their knowledge and expertise and if necessary a court of law to prove that this judgment is not correct and not accurate.

Credit attorneys do not have to be paid thousands of dollars. You can actually hire them at a reasonable rate. A very popular credit repair service Lexington Law has over 20 attorneys and can be hired for as little as $39 a month.

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by Price Bennett

Do you share or release my information with anyone? Absolutely not. Examsheets is dedicated to your privacy. Since we only have your email address, even our employees do not know your details. Examsheets also does not share any private information with any party.When a certification test changes and we produce an upgrade for the certification program, we offer our previous customers free upgrades on the videos. The customer simply returns their old videos (or CD-ROMs) and receives the new ones absolutely free.

Self Study - Why? We guarantee that you will pass the Microsoft and/or CompTIA Certification Exams if you use our study material.* If the registered user fails any one certification exam twice after using our study material consisting of the entire course - showing us 2 scores of 95% or better on two different practice exams, within 180 days of purchase you present original proof of failure in the exam, then we will purchase a voucher for you to retake the exam a third time.Examsheets offers tests for an unbeatable price of $99 to access all the latest version files with membership for six months . That means you can access any certification file any time you want and will never have to worry about spending hundreds of dollars on buying individual guides. This is an absolutely amazing deal that you should take advantage of today.

What if I want to keep my old videos, but still need to get the upgraded version? We always offers an extremely low upgrade price to customers who don’t want to send in their old videos back. This way our customers can keep their information on the old technology as well as stay current with the new.No. Existing MCSA and MCSE credential holders will retain their certifications, and candidates currently working toward an MCSA or MCSE are encouraged to complete their certifications. No changes are planned for the MCSA and MCSE certification credentials for Windows Server 2003. When Microsoft releases the next version of the Windows client and server products, the new credentials will follow the new structure, with a Technology and Professional Series.Yes.

Which is best for me? Videos or CD-ROMs? Good question! We have found that everybody learns differently. Some people prefer the classroom lecture style format of the videos (you can watch them from the comfort of your favorite chair), and some people prefer the interaction of the CD-ROM version. The CD-ROMs contain various interactive features such as an online exam simulator as well as the video content, so a student who doesn’t mind sitting in front of his/her computer for long periods would prefer the CD format.Absolutely not. Examsheets is dedicated to your privacy. Since we only have your email address, even our employees do not know your details.

Do you guarantee that I will pass the certification test with your programs? YES! We guarantee YOU WILL PASS THE MICROSOFT and/or COMPTIA CERTIFICATION EXAMS if you use our material. If the registered user fails any one certification exam twice after using our study material - showing us 2 scores of 95% or better on two different practice exams, within 180 days of purchase and can show proof of failure for the exam, then the product may be returned for a refund of the purchase price, less shipping and handling charges.There are many unique advantages to Examsheets. Our tests are not glorified braindumps like our competitors try to sell you, which often have incorrect answers or questions types that you will not even see on the official test.

What if I have a question about the course material or content? All of our courses include one year of unlimited technical support. You can email our technical support personnel who will answer any questions you have about your training program.The MCSA credential is for professionals who implement, manage, and troubleshoot existing network and system environments that are based on the Microsoft Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 operating systems.

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by Kyle Richey

If you have had a faulty memory occasionally or even often, you’re not alone. Many people do. Perhaps you have driven home from the store, only to remember something that you should’ve gotten but didn’t. Or perhaps you’ve forgotten important dates, such as anniversaries or birthdays.

However, take heart, because you can improve your memory so that these types of things won’t happen. There are a few easy training techniques that you can use to make dramatic improvements in your memory so that you never have to worry about forgetting things again.

Your memory utilizes several different categories for retention. These are: names and faces, factual information, lists, dates and events, and so on. Each of these areas utilizes different techniques and tools that you can also use for memory improvement.

If your one of these people that can never remember someones name there are several techniques that you can use. The most commonly used one by people around the world is to associate a rhyme with their name. For example, if your out at a party and get introduced to a new person named Tony. The first thing you want to do is make sure you repeat their name once or twice in conversation. “Hi Tony, pleased to meet you.” This will help to confirm their name in your short term memory.

To make the person’s name stay in your long-term memory, use a rhyme that helps you associate that person’s name with something that’s easy to remember. For example, “Tony” and “pony” rhyme, so you can associate Tony the person with the pony, the animal.

You can also use the rhyme you choose to associate that person’s name (or the rhyme itself) with that person’s appearance. For example, if Tony has a long mane of hair, this means that he can be associated with a “pony” in that way. This will help you recognize the person you meet in the future so that you know his or her name on the spot.

Another common technique for the improvement of your memory when it comes to lists is to make a word a saying/sentence or just remember the first letters of the list. By doing this it will help to jog your memory to exactly what was on the list. For example if you had to go to the shop and remember 5 items you could do it like follows.

Lollies
Bread
Chocolate
Apples
Ketchup

Your list becomes like so:

B read
L ollies
A pples
C hocolate
K etchup

Now from the first letters in this case it spells Black. Now all you have to do is remember Black and when you get to the supermarket it will help you to know there were 5 things and they started with B L A C K.

So, if you are working on memory improvement, use these simple tips and techniques to make sure that you improve your memory over time. No doubt you’ll soon notice a big difference.

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by Avery Henderson

Research in psychoneuroimmunology (the study of the interaction of behavioral, neural, and endocrine factors and the functioning of the immune system) reveals that stress and the resultant way we think can have positive or negative effects on our immune system. Laughter results in breaking the stress cycle, positive effects on the immune system, and helps in the development and maintenance of a positive attitude. There are many stressors currently facing employees during this time of depressed economy. Relieving stress is a key to keeping employee performance and productivity at a premium!

Recent research is showing that most diseases are stress related. Absenteeism, insurance premiums, accidents (on and off the job), interpersonal conflicts and violence are connected to physical and mental diseases and are affecting the bottom line. Businesses that support and encourage appropriate positive humor in the workplace are finding that it can actually be good for business.

Positive humor is fostered by a positive attitude, positive creativity and constructive actions. All of these are keys for dealing with new business challenges, as well as the associated change and stress. With supportive research, I assert that

People who are humorous are more playful

People who are more playful are more creative

People who are more creative find more solutions

People who find more solutions can better deal with everyday challenges, change, and the associated stress.

Tips for Using Positive Humor in the Workplace

By all means tell jokes and humorous stories. However, recognize that they are about 5% of all possible techniques to evoke mirth and subsequent laughter. I encourage you to be creative with the many other ways to be humorous.

Listen to great joke tellers, learn their jokes and pass them on as you see fit. More importantly, put on your creativity hat to improve such jokes and to make up your own jokes. Many great jokes come from real life situations and the creative license of the person telling them.

Tell humorous stories. Tell these one-on-one, in small co-worker groups, or during a presentation just for fun or to introduce a concept or principle. The greatest reservoir for humor is your life, especially your childhood. Take the time to sit down, close your eyes, and reflect on fun things in your life from early childhood, through elementary school, middle school, high school, secondary and post-graduate education. Then, go through all your jobs, military service, church events and activities, community events. Think about fun things you and your friends did. Now, write them down by title or outline. By taking things from your life, you will connect with your audience as do the best humorists.

Emphasize the importance of “positive” humor. Most comedians are into “negative” humor, i.e., putting down people. Most jokes, but not all, are put-downs and that’s why some people avoid telling them. Some of us tend to use put-downs with our friends to show that we care about one another, to laugh at ourselves and to bond. I’m okay with that. Some of us use put-downs to intentionally hurt others. I’m not okay with this.

If there is no malice in your heart, there will be no malice in your jokes or your creativity.

By using creativity, one can change a socially unacceptable joke to one that is appreciated, remembered and used by others. Changing offensive words and using self-deprecation to change are the keys. Making up funny sounding nonsense words to substitute for offensive words is a fun challenge. Once you learn how, you get better and better.

Making fun of yourself is an age-old humor strategy that works extremely well! People love other people who can laugh at themselves rather than trying to hurt someone else. A little sarcasm is okay. However, if it is the only meal you serve, people will stop coming to your table! Positive humor and positive attitude go hand in hand. Here’s some advice: Keep employees with negative humor, negative attitudes and foul mouths away from the frontline or else you will lose customers!

Have a training session on “positive” humor in the workplace. Identify “positive” and negative” humor. Talk about the application of positive humor and positive attitude to customer service. Distinguish the difference between taking risks to be humorous and “rampant silliness” that will turn off customers (internal and external). Emphasize that we all have different senses of humor and that you will never be able to please everyone. However, it is important to be assertive and set boundaries with people who insist on telling certain kinds of jokes that are offensive (sexual harassment, racism, and the over- the- top derogatory words and phrases). Encourage constructive feedback from co-workers so employees who use offensive language will understand. Discuss the appropriate times and places for the humorous activities suggested in this article because they differ from organization to organization.

Use ice breaker and energizer games for group settings. Make them invitational (some people just don’t want to participate). One of my favorite ice breakers involves getting people to share humorous stories about themselves with one another. For a quick and fun energizer with a group, I lead aerobic patting. Starting with my hands, arms, head and neck, then down to the front of my thighs, my shins, my calves, the back of my thighs, ending at my “booty.” In both of these cases, people are laughing and no one has told a joke. Like I always say, you don’t have to tell a joke to get people to laugh. There are books written on ice breakers and energizers, so all you need to do is a little research, as well as use your creativity. Make up your own with items like balloons, balls, marbles, rubber chickens, stuffed animals, candy bars, fruit, marshmallows, etc., etc.

On breaks or during celebrations, play nonsense, cooperative and low competition games for fun. Emphasize that it doesn’t matter who wins the game; it’s for fun! The more mistakes that are made, the more fun it is. These games are true tests of whether or not people are able to lighten up! Play nonsense, cooperative and low competition games for fun. Emphasize that it doesn’t matter who wins the game; it’s for fun! The more mistakes that are made, the more fun it is. These games are true tests of whether or not people are able to lighten up! A great nonsense game I love to play alone, as well as with others, is Bop-It. It’s a game that can be played on short or long work breaks. Caution: It’s addictive! You can purchase various sizes of Bop-It at your local toy store.

Use fun props. Having a prop box in the workplace is a good idea. Funny glasses are always great props. You have a choice of Grouch/Beagle Puss glasses, huge sunglasses, thick bottle glasses, zany shaped and colored glasses, and glasses with funny shaped eyes. Turn your back to a person or group, slip on the glasses, turn around and make a funny comment. You’ll get a laugh or a groan (a groaner is better than nothing) every time. I like to use props to communicate an important observation about co-workers behaviors. For example, if one of your co-workers who you consider is a friend is acting like a jerk, walk over to that person’s desk while they are there and sit a stuffed Eyore (the donkey in Winnie the Pooh books) in an auspicious place. Say nothing, just give the person a big smile and walk away. Since stuffed Eyores come in different sizes, having at least two will give you an opportunity to show whether you thing the person is being a big or a little jerk. Other things like a huge aspirin you can get at a magic/clown stores can tell someone that they are being a pain. A heart balloon can tell someone that they have touched your heart with their act of kindness. Smile always helps to keep the messages in a fun context.

Noisemakers and humorous musical instruments really get attention. I love the sliding flutes, train whistles, zinger whistles, kazoos and nose flutes. People can’t stop laughing when I play a “nose” flute for them. Even better is when I try to teach them to play. It has something to do with images, I think! When I give new nose flutes out to attendees in my programs, someone always ask if they have been recycled. It always gets a laugh.

Practical jokes can be a lot of fun! There are practical jokes you can buy, e.g., the “whoopee” cushion, the hand buzzer, exploding golf balls, etc., but the best ones are those you think up on your own spontaneously. Be carefulhave fun but avoid scaring people into heart attacks. And remember, what goes around, comes around. Be willing to accept what comes back to you and laugh about it.

Use string figures and balloon sculptures are great props to help you teach points in a fun way, to help a coworker get out of the dumps (make their favorite balloon animal), and to decorate in fun ways for celebrations. Both are easy to learn. You can find books on string figures at bookstores. Appropriate balloons, balloon pumps and books on balloon sculpting can be found in magic stores and toy stores.

Celebrate successes and achievements (small and big) and recognize coworkers with fun gifts and cards, as well as personalized gifts. Recognition is something everyone wants. Whether it’s job success, personal achievement, birthday, holiday, other special occasions, or “just because I’m thinking of you,” we all like the special attention given to us. Whether it’s giving humorous cards, gag gifts, crazy candy, goofy flowers, funny skits or birthday roasts, coworkers will appreciate one another and enjoy their jobs better when they are celebrated and recognized. Important Note: It’s okay to buy things for people, but making something for them will be appreciated more and be more memorable. Why? We show our love/how much we care when we take time to personalize gifts.

Create a “Fun” Bulletin Board. This is a place for sharing cartoons, email jokes, poems, short stories, photographs, quotes, humorous newsletters, etc. It’s a good place to post notices of local fun activities, such as performances by humorists, plays, festivals, concerts, and other activities that will help employees have joy in their lives.

Share humorous audio tapes and watch humorous videotapes. On work breaks, coworkers can share humorous audio tapes (purchased or self-recorded) or watch humorous videotapes. The old time radio bloopers are my favorite. Taping radio programs, like Prairie Home Companion, Car Talk, etc., is a good way to store humor for a later time when a humor boost is needed. Remember the scout motto: Be Prepared!

Use humor in training. Let me say it loudlyTRAINING DOES NOT HAVE TO BE BOOOOOOORING!!! Lectures and reading off of PowerPoint slides is the best way to bore your audience. When employees are bored or fall asleep during training, they fail to get the messages. Research in adult training shows that individuals learn best when they are entertained, involved in experiential activities and get some laughs. Human Resources can use some humorous videotapes for training. John Cleese and other humorists have some great training videotapes available. Having in-house trainers, and other presenters in the organization, take train-the-trainer courses on “edu-tainment should help in their presentations. Additionally, hiring speakers and trainers, who are known for their “edu-tainment” abilities, for special presentations can be a good way to show staff appreciation.

Reading is usually thought of as an individual activity; however, reading humorous short stories or poems out loud to others is another possibility. After reading some humorous material, one can share it during work breaks, during training, before or after work. Sharing humorous reading resources might peak the interest of others enough for them to start reading similar things. Who knows when it will help someone who is always in a bad mood?

Sharing cartoons by clipping them out of the newspaper, photocopying (sometimes modifying) and posting on a bulletin board, or just giving them to someone personally, can help coworkers get a laugh. Cartoon books are great gifts, not only for others but also for yourself. I have given myself all the collections of “The Far Side, “Calvin and Hobbes,” “For Better or Worse” and “Herman.” With CRS (Can’t Remember Stuff), I get to read them again every year and laugh just as much as the first time.

With many people having e-mail now, sending and receiving humorous material is much easier. (Yes, yes, yes, let’s not overdo it! Eliminating it altogether prevents some much needed stress relief.) I keep a humor buddy list and exchange materials on a daily basis. When I get notes back from someone saying that a particular piece helped her or him to cope, I know it’s a good thing to do. Share humorous email newsletters. Maybe sending them to one’s home email address is more appropriate, depending upon an organization’s policy.

Learn new skills or renew old skills to share with coworkers in humorous ways. Here are some suggestions unmentioned heretofore: magic; buffoonery juggling; mouth sounds and cartoon animal voices (e.g., Mickey Mouse

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