Bryan E. Wilson

Sir Richard Brason is a Failure!

November 14, 2013

Kennesaw, GA – Sir Richard Branson is known for many things but being a failure isn’t one of them. If you study his accomplishments though, you see how he applies courage to risk big on his ideas. Sometimes he fails. But even in failure, he learns valuable lessons that he takes forward. He weighs the risks and surrounds himself with very talented people. Sir Richard understands how to “Encourage Excellence”.

“The key to bouncing back is to learn whatever lessons you can from the experience so that you can avoid making the same mistakes in the next launch,” he writes. “This will help you to overcome your fear, take a leap of faith and try again.” Entrepreneur Magazine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH35Iz9veM0

The Most Preserved Mammoth in the History of Paleontology

November 13, 2013

By: Suzanne Ostrander

In May of 2013, the most preserved wooly mammoth in the history of paleontology was discovered in Siberia. Frozen in a tomb of ice for thousands of years, this mammoth still had hair on his body! Since the discovery, Tokyo researchers have been conducting extensive research on the extinct creature to shed light on its cause of death. Further study on the mammoth led scientists to infer that the creature perished over 39,000 years ago, by getting stuck in a swamp.

Upon further examination of this captivating animal, Japanese researchers are investigating the possibility of repopulating the earth with these creatures. Due to the impeccable condition of the discovered body, blood and muscle tissue were collected from the mammoth. Since the mammoth was a female, professionals are discussing the plausibility of implanting its egg into a live elephant for a 22 month pregnancy.

After reading about this plan, my first thought was that it reminded me of the 1993 box office hit”Jurrasic Park”. If we recall the plot, paleontologists scientifically manipulated a way of preserving the existence of long extinct dinosaurs, including the majestic brontosaurus and the intriguing yet terrifying T-Rex. As many of us suspected, the achievement was far from foolproof and became disastrous to all visitors of the park. Still, I will never forget the rush I felt when I saw that glass of water ominously ripple, as the newly preserved and fully alive T-Rex approached that tiny touring car!

In light of the future plans for the recently uncovered wooly mammoth, I began to mentally calculate the pros and cons of such a pursuit. There are some things that, though possible through scientific effort, may not be the best solution for mankind. Of course, as a science nerd, I will not deny that the attempt is nothing short of fascinating.

Is it right though?

Did God have a plan and a reason for allowing these creatures to become extinct thousands of years ago? If we do this, then what next?

Again, this is not a complete endorsement nor is it a rebuttal of the idea. I am writing this to initiate a friendly discussion on the matter. I would love to hear your thoughts on this!! Regardless of what happens, I think we can all agree that it is breathtaking to view such an ancient being almost 40,000 years following its extinction.

So, that’s the question I leave with you all. Is extinction where these creatures should stay, or should we see where science can take us?

As always, remember to encourage excellence in your everyday lives.

Till next time,

Suzanne

For direct access to the article outlining this amazing scientific discovery, click the link below:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2358695/Woolly-mammoth-frozen-Siberia-39-000-YEARS-goes-display-Tokyo-woolly.html

Thoughts from Sir Issac Newton

November 12, 2013

Kennesaw, GA –Sir Isaac Newton, one of our most prolific scientists, worked his way through college at Cambridge cleaning other student’s rooms and waiting tables in the dining hall. The humble Newton never worried who got the credit for his ideas and this caused other great minds of his day to be attracted to his brilliant discoveries. Use your mind to seek out new ideas and remember to encourage excellence in everything that you do.

http://www.biography.com/people/isaac-newton-9422656

“Newton did foundational work in physics, mathematics, astronomy and natural philosophy, and wrote Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica still in print (and avidly studied) more than 300 years after its first publication”.

Bryan

What Do Children Learn From a Parent’s Low Self Image?

November 4, 2013

By: Suzanne Ostrander

As I opened up my laptop to write today, I planned on writing in another tone- my favorite tone: humor. Simply put: I live to laugh and words cannot express how much I truly love laughing with others. Looking for inspiration, I skimmed through a newsletter by Ed Foreman. It was at that time that I realized that something greater was on my heart, and it was captured in a post about how to love yourself more.

As a new parent, I often wonder if I am up to the task of presenting the world to my son in a manner that captures my values as a Christian. After all, the way I perceive myself effects not only my perception of the world around me, but it also teaches my child how to think.

Let’s face it, not everybody wakes up in the morning ready to walk on the runway. If we aren’t careful, we may catch ourselves making derogatory comments about the way we look, and our children can catch wind of it.

What are these types of comments teaching our children?

For starters, it teaches them low self esteem! Parents always will be a child’s first and most influential teacher. Always.

Even if we are working through our own issues of self-worth, DON’T pass it on to your children!! Bite your tongue if you have to! Even better, take measures to learn to love yourself, so you don’t have to worry about letting such self critical comments slip!

Lessons learned from the home can be unlearned later in life, but the amount of effort and years it takes to correct such thinking is enough to make any parent think twice before constantly verbalizing their “bad hair day”. Of course, a bad hair day is sadly a censored version of some of the awful things some parents will say about themselves.

We were all made by a loving Creator who made no mistakes. Can you imagine how much it hurts God each time we ridicule ourselves? Our words have power. Proverbs 18:21 tells us that “life and death are in the power of the tongue”. It’s reckless behavior to disregard the power of our spoken words on a daily basis.

Below is one of my favorite poems on parenthood and the things we teach our children. It is hanging in my son’s nursery now. There is no such thing as a perfect parent, but I pray that I can use this and God’s wisdom as a guide throughout my journey to help me be the best parent I can be.

Children Learn What they Live

By: Dorothy Law Nolte

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

I am also pasting below the wonderful article by Ed Foreman on how to love ourselves better. These words of wisdom can serve as a reminder to us all from time to time. Enjoy! As always, never forget to encourage excellence in your everyday lives.

Eight Steps to Loving Yourself More

Learning to love yourself is the first step toward loving others and effects how you view the world and your place in it. Loving yourself means accepting yourself unconditionally and understanding that in life there are some things that you cannot change. To have self love is not conceited or arrogant but is part of recognizing your worth as a human being. Once you are able to appreciate yourself for all your strengths, weaknesses, talents and flaws you will begin to appreciate these things in others as well.

Here are eight steps to encourage you to love yourself more:

Don’t Nag Yourself: Everyone is his or her own worst critic, but it is important to give yourself constructive criticism. Learn to control the little voice inside your head and cut the nagging.

Believe in You: There is not a soul alive without some talents or skills, including you. Having the confidence to believe in yourself and your abilities will go a long way in creating your successes.

Be Forgiving: Many of us are haunted by our past mistakes and never fully recover from negative experiences or traumas. Allow yourself the chance to heal by forgiving yourself the way you would forgive others.

Express Gratitude: Whether you pray every morning and give thanks for being alive or go through your day telling those you love that you appreciate them, gratitude is key to loving yourself. Appreciating what you have makes room in your life to receive more.

Take risks: A little calculated risk taking every now and then never hurt anyone. Learning to go outside of your comfort zone and try new things can be an instant confidence booster and help you grow.

Be silly: When you were a child you never worried about what people thought of you but somewhere along the way it became important. Learn to face the world like a child again and act a little silly – blow bubbles, make funny faces, sing silly songs. Don’t take yourself too seriously.

Let Yourself Be Pampered: Taking time to relax and regroup can have a wonderful effect on your spirit. Whether you get a massage or spend some time listening to soothing music, learn to enjoy doing nothing but letting go.

Honesty is the Best Policy: Being truthful in regards to your wants, desires, and feelings is imperative to loving yourself. After all, if you cannot believe what you are telling yourself, why would anyone else believe you? Do not lie to yourself, instead just let yourself feel what you feel and accept what is.

Information on Year-End College Scholarships!

October 27, 2013

The end of the year is upon us, and there are two separate college scholarships available for around $500 each.

For consideration, please send your paperwork to 1457 Winterfield Court, Kennesaw, GA 30152

Completed applications must include:
1) A short letter of recommendation from a current professor or teacher;

2) A verifiable record of participation in the arts, technology, science clubs, contests, athletics or other activities;

3) A typed 150 word essay that responds to the question, “What does it mean today to be a Scholar, a Servant, and a Steward?;”

4) A recent report card or transcript.

Best of luck to those interested, and as always, remember to encourage excellence!!

Ethical Interviewing: From the Other Side of the Table

October 27, 2013

By: Suzanne Ostrander

In corporate America, it seems like we are constantly hearing about how to ace an interview, from tips on what to wear to final resume edits. We are taught the proper questions to ask, and the customary behaviors for following up.

What about the other side of the equation, though? It’s not unreasonable to assume that many employees outside of the HR department will be involved in the interviewing process. Members of a job applicant’s potential department need to meet and have the opportunity to interact with a candidate, in order to make a well informed decision from the company’s standpoint.

So, where do we draw the line when it comes to how much we allow non-HR employees to get involved in the interviewing process?

It’s wise to remember that HR personnel have been trained on the ethics of holding interviews. Not only is it immoral to make “false promises” to a job candidate, but it is extremely unprofessional. Unfortunately though, interviewers are giving exactly this type of false hope to applicants all of the time. Perhaps it starts out innocently. The interviewer may be completely convinced that a candidate has a position “in the bag” so he gives a verbal promise to the hopeful candidate.

What happens next? Oops, the interviewer that made these promises didn’t realize that there was a new mandatory test or additional qualification that must be met. Suddenly, the same candidate does not appear to shine as brightly. Or, it could be that the very last candidate blew everybody away in the interview and he gets the job instead.

If a non-HR employee becomes involved in the interviewing process, it is imperative for he or she to refrain from making a “job promise”. It’s one thing to have a good feeling about a potential fit, but it should be left at that.

Another possible solution would be for companies to hold periodic recruitment training for all HR and non-HR employees involved in interviews. It can take years to build a good company reputation, but just moments to destroy it. If we aren’t careful, we could be sending the wrong message to the people who walk into our doors.

Aside from the ethical issue, I tend to cling to the “golden rule” when it comes to interviewing: Treat others the way you would like to be treated.

Let’s face it, we’ve all been on the other side of the table before. At one point, even the biggest business executive, manager, or CEO was just a young intern or new college graduate applying for an entry level position. It’s not just the young ones we should be kind to. What about those looking for a career shift or the people between jobs doing everything they can to find a position to pay the bills?

Regardless of the reason for their job search, no candidate wants to be promised a job one day and then login to Linkedin the next day to read about the person who received the job. Sure, you could probably get away with doing it, but just remember- at one time, that person was you.

Let’s try and remember to treat others as kindly and professionally as possible when it comes to holding interviews, as well as our interactions in everyday life. If we are ever tempted to act otherwise, or if we forget, remember Galatians 6 verse 7: “Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. We reap what we sow”.

In other words, God sees everything, and he knows our hearts. Even though good deeds come back to us, those who truly love the Lord treat others with kindness because it’s in their nature. Our love for God should be our motivation, not the reward. What’s even better is that when we put God first and focus less on ourselves, God’s blessings seem to be even more abundant.

I hope you are blessed by this message and, as always, I urge you to encourage excellence in your everyday lives!

To read more about the ethics of interviewing, click the link below:

http://mediacareers.about.com/od/gettingthejob/a/Ethics.htm

SHADOW: The Newest Technology for Remembering Dreams

October 24, 2013

By: Suzanne Ostrander

For as long as I can remember, I have been captivated by the phenomenon of dreams. Some are good, some bad, some recurring with a possible meaning, and let’s face it, some are completely hilarious and random. Long ago, I read about scientific research that indicates a distinct pattern to all of our dreams. According to science, if we are diligent enough to record our dreams as soon as we wake up every morning, we will begin to see a distinct pattern over time! Maybe I am corny, but I find that fascinating!

The problem to this theory for me is obvious, though. Kudos to those of you who are natural “morning people”, but I never have been and probably never will be. The first thing on my mind once I hear the alarm is to reach for the snooze button. The next tangible thought probably involves a cup of coffee. According to the scientific theory of dream recollection, by the time I am semi-functional and ready to record the details of my dreams, too much conscious time has passed and I have already forgotten many of the pertinent details that should be recorded.

So, for those of you who are fascinated by this theory, but despise the notion of “the early bird getting the worm”, science has created a solution. With the new SHADOW technology, you can speak your details into an electronic device to be recorded and played back. It may be a bit humorous to hear how groggy we may sound when this is played back, but I say- if it works, why not?!

Click below to read the original article that gives details on this newest advancement in scientific technology. As always, remember to encourage excellence today and follow your “dreams”!

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alextaub/2013/09/18/remember-your-dreams-with-shadow-a-social-dream-database/

Three Essential Rules to Communicating with Recruiters

October 23, 2013

By: Suzanne Ostrander

The below article on Forbes.com is an excellent guide that gives us all guidelines on the proper etiquette when it comes to communicating with corporate recruiters. If you have any other useful tips for working with headhunters, I would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for reading and remember to encourage excellence!

http://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2013/08/28/3-rules-for-following-up-with-a-recruiter/

Stranger Danger: How to Keep a New Hire from Becoming an Unfamiliar Face

October 17, 2013

By: Suzanne Ostrander

-Kennesaw, GA You feel like you’ve missed the memo, but unfortunately there was no memo to begin with. In fact, that’s kind of the problem.

It all started two weeks ago on a Monday morning. You thought the unfamiliar face who showed up at your meeting might have been an auditor. You give a friendly smile to the same gentleman as you pass him by in the break room the next morning, because hey- you always want your visitors to feel welcome! When returning from lunch on Wednesday afternoon, you are somewhat surprised to still see him roaming the halls carrying what seems to be an important stack of papers and an even greater sense of urgency. Once again, smiles are exchanged by both parties, as you secretly think to yourself “this guy must be a big deal”! Thursday rolls by uneventfully and the next thing you know it’s quitting time on Friday and you’re the last one to leave the office.

Or so you thought….

Like an eerie movie, you notice an unfamiliar, dark sedan next to yours in the parking lot. Who else is here? Curiously, you begin walking up and down the halls. Nothing seems out of place, until you get to the last cubicle on the left. That’s when you see it. Apparently, the friendly yet relatively ambiguous man who you took to be an auditor, is now sipping on the company coffee in his own office.

He is neither an auditor, nor is he here to clean the toilets. Congratulations, he is your new colleague.

________________________________________________________________

Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation in your own office? The above example was written from the perspective of a clueless employee, but I can only imagine what it would be like for the new hire himself. Starting up a new job can be scary enough. It’s even worse when you’re “thrown to the wolves” and surrounded by nothing other than unidentified faces.

A successful company is not just about training employees to execute tasks. While the notion of productivity is important, we can only go so far in our career endeavors without an underlying network of strong relationships established by kindness and strengthened through trust.

Many of these relationships begin on your first day at the company. It rests on the shoulders of management to properly introduce any new employee in his group, albeit full-time, part-time, temporary, hourly, or contractor. Of course, managers might not always be able to identify every vendor, prospective client, or job candidate who walks into the front door. If they have an email address, however, the “worker bees” need to know who they are.

Announcing a new hire can be easily achieved via a company memo (you know…the ones you always miss?) or a casual, yet informative quick announcement in an office-wide meeting.

Timing is essential, though. Experts say that this should probably be done on the first day. Therefore, if a manager does not get an opportunity to gather everybody for an announcement on a new hire’s first day, he should take five minutes to send out an email to introduce the newest member of the group and make him or her feel welcome.

Earlier, I mentioned the aspect of trust to be the single, most unifying force in all relationships. How can this failure to welcome a new employee damage both the new hire’s sense of trust for the company, as well as the rest of the employees’ trust for the company?

There are many ways, really. To begin with though, the new employee may begin to question how much faith the company has invested in him or her. Perhaps it could make the new team member think that, despite being hired, management may not be expecting them to make it very long.

Let’s flip the coin, and view the scenario once again from the perspective of the confused and uninformed employees. At first, many employee’s may simply assume they “missed the boat” (a return to the repeated”missed memo” theme). Maybe they were on the phone with a client or daydreaming in a staff meeting. Who knows, maybe they just had to go to the bathroom!!! Yet, I imagine that once this event continues to occur with new people throughout the office, the other employees will start to notice management’s failure to explain who the man in the suit is sitting next to them. Other employees may also begin to wonder how much faith management has in the newest addition. They may even wonder if they were excluded from the announcement, because their position was perceived as irrelevant to the new hire’s. Nevertheless, in all scenarios, management’s failure to introduce their new hire has likely created a stir, not to mention confusion among the rest of the workers.

The solution? Always welcome and properly introduce your new employees! No excuses. We never get a second chance to make a first impression, and new-hires who start out on the right foot are most likely to make long-term commitments to their companies!

As always, remember to encourage excellence with everybody you interact with! A friendly gesture or simple act of kindness can result in 20-years or more of employee loyalty!! Sounds like a fair exchange to me!

God Bless,

Suzanne

Click below for tips on introducing new-hires to the office culture:

http://www.experience.com/entry-level-jobs/employers/tips-for-introducing-new-employees-to-your-office-culture/

Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. — Aristotle