The Positive Pathfinder

I had to make cold calls at work recently. I got stressed. You might think that I was stressed thinking about having to make cold calls. But this wasn’t the case at all. I found it easy to make the calls. “Hello, my name is Jamie Soo. I am calling from the Ontario Society of Senior Citizens Organizations.   We are offering a free 2-day workshop on how to start up a business. The workshop is for individuals 50+ who are looking for a job...We have a poster on this event that perhaps you might like to post at your organization…?” My message didn’t resonate with everyone. But sometimes it resonated with someone. I got stressed because I had an expectation that I would be able to attract lots of people to the workshop. A colleague (wisely) commented that what I was doing (cold calling) was valuable. I may not see immediate results, but I was planting a seed for the future. I’ve always had a sense of urgency about me ...

I read an article today called “ How to Connect With An Aging Parent ” by David Maxfield. As I was reading the article, the things that this article talks about applies to connecting with ANYBODY. The article is set up like an advice column. A reader wrote in to say that when her husband talks to his mother about current events, that his mother seems to get very categorical. Mr. Maxfield suggests that the husband change the topic of conversation and make it more personal when he talks to his mother. Mr. Maxfield suggested some ways to make the conversation more “personal.” Inclusivity . Mr. Maxfield suggested that the husband call his mother every day, so that she feels more included in his life. When I was chairing committee meetings at Combined Insurance and I was telling something to the committee, I would make sure that I made eye contact (briefly) with each and every person. I wanted to make sure that they felt included. If I’m at a...

I like being open. I tell people that I don’t have a smartphone. This elicits different reactions. Scenario 1. A friend noticed that I was using a flip phone. He intimated that I was making myself look outdated by using a flip phone. I didn’t enjoy how he said it, but yeah I know that he has a point. Scenario 2. More recently another friend took a more thoughtful approach to my admission. He said he was interested in how I came to my decision to stay smartphone-free. You open up a window of opportunity when you are open and take on a curious stance. People will open up to you, which in turn could lead to a meaningful conversation.           In Scenario 1, I reacted to my friend’s comment by shutting down and wanting to move on to a different subject. The comment felt judgmental to me. In Scenario 2 I was happy to explain my reasons to my friend. I took my friend’s comment ...

I am an atypical Baby Boomer in his 50’s. I say “atypical” because the people I know run the gamut from someone in his 20's to someone in his 80’s. The people I hang with are in their 30’s and 40’s. I learn something from everyone no matter what their age. For people younger than me, I get that they know all about social media and the latest technology. For someone who doesn’t have a smartphone, I admire people who know all about technology. Their knowledge is pretty cool. I also think that the knowledge that an “older” person has (50+) is pretty cool as well. Older people have a wealth of knowledge and experience accumulated over a period of time. We can learn from their trials and tribulations and ensure that history doesn’t repeat itself.   Sometimes I can relate better to an older person. The other day I ran across a post called “ 5 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘The Sound of Music .’” I saw the movie and didn’t know...

I was talking to a friend of mine on the phone the other day. We hadn’t talked for awhile. I mentioned to him that I was taking improv classes at the Bad Dog Theatre Company . My friend said that he has taken improv and that he worked at a company that offered improv to its employees.   I highly recommend that companies offer improv to its employees for team-building purposes. I started improv on January 8, 2017. There were 12 of us on the first day of class. We started off as strangers. But by the time the classes ended 8 weeks later on March 5, 2017, I was sad that it was the last day and the last day that I would be seeing my classmates and instructor. We had snippets of conversation here and there, but the bonding experience took place during the actual participation in class. All of us got to be silly.  For example, during the last day of class, we got to take on some very interesting and creative characters like a b...

I wrote a post on March 3, 2017 called “ Nudge Part 3 .” I sent the link to two friends and received different responses to the post. One friend “got” the post. My point in writing the post was to say that each of us has a story to tell and that all of us are interested in hearing each other’s stories. I love to hear other people’s stories. Maybe someday I could provide a platform so that we can tell each other’s stories, because each of our stories is important in the mosaic of life (as my friend might put it). My other friend was perplexed by my post “Nudge Part 3.” He asked what I was trying to instruct readers about. Where were the resources that I could impart to readers? His e-mail got me thinking. Why do I write? I write because I feel I “must” write.   I write about my personal experiences that I hope may resonate (or inspire) some readers. I know that what I write doesn’t resonate with everyone, and that’s OK...

I had an a-ha moment this week. I realized something about myself that I like stories. I like to tell stories and I like to learn something about people through the stories they tell.    I am preparing to facilitate a Job Search workshop on March 6 & 13, 2017. I am going to tell participants that they can differentiate themselves in their job search if they were to tell their stories. Everyone has a story and an interesting story to tell.  I thought to myself that I could advise other people, but I should take my own advice and tell my own story. I gave myself a major nudge. And I went ahead and changed my LI Headline and Summary. The concept of “connection” is important to me. I’ve always felt that I excel in connecting with people. I listen deeply to people and care what they have to say. I connect emotionally with people through my LinkedIn posts.  I can bring my ability to connect to a workpla...