Category Archives: Femthoughts

LIKED ENOUGH

IMG_0057Steve Jobs once said, “If you want to make everyone happy, don’t be a leader, sell ice cream”.

The qualities we tend to like in women (modesty, humility) are not the qualities that get professional recognition. Qualities we tend to like in men (self-confidence, assertiveness, asking directly for what you want) are the same qualities we uphold in the business world.

Caring too much about what others think of you stifles your ability to take risks and disrupts your social satisfaction. While you can’t control what other people think of you, you can control what you think of yourself and how you respond towards those who judge you.

People you work with do not need to like you.

People you work with need to respect you.

Strong leaders treat everyone well, but their actions are focused on the organization’s mission, vision, and goals rather than getting everyone to like them.

Be comfortable with the fact that not everyone will like you at work, in your neighborhood, and in your community activities; they never will.

Jesus, Gandhi, and Mother Teresa weren’t liked by everyone. So how can you and I possibly expect to attain 100% adoration? If we try to achieve that, we’ll bend and flex so much no one will know what we stand for – including ourselves. Be true to yourself and your values. It’s important that YOU like yourself and what you stand for. When that happens, others will stand with you.

Liz Weber

Your story, our platform: If you’ve got a story and would like to share it with other Femflectors, please let us know. Femflection is all about transferring learnings to help others, be they big or subtle. We want to connect with your feelings, your learnings, your reflections or your hopes for the future – in blog or interview format. Express yourself here. Get in touch with us via anja.uitdehaag@femflection.com

For more content visit our website http://www.femflection.com

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You were put on this earth with a unique talent that nobody else has or will ever possess

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The more we try to be something else—what our parents told us we should be, what our jobs demand us to be, what other people seem to think we should be—the more the desire to just be ourselves grows stronger.

In other words: Our authenticity comes under pressure as soon as we are challenged to act in a way that is foreign to our nature.

As long as we are able to find our own voice, adapt our behaviors and at the same time maintain our personal values and integrity we will function well.

The key to maintaining your balance of self and to become the most authentic version of yourself is simply focusing on what makes you happy by regularly checking in with yourself.

Taking care of your self is the most powerful way to begin to take care of others. Your wellbeing is the platform from which you serve others.

Embrace your individuality and be true to yourself!

Take care!

Your story, our platform: If you’ve got a story and would like to share it with other Femflectors, please let us know. Femflection is all about transferring learnings to help others, be they big or subtle. We want to connect with your feelings, your learnings, your reflections or your hopes for the future – in blog or interview format. Express yourself here. Get in touch with us via anja.uitdehaag@femflection.com

For more content visit our website http://www.femflection.com

What did you learn yesterday/this week?

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When evaluating a position on any given topic, smart leaders must ask themselves, are they trying to learn something, or are they just trying to justify their opinion? The most profound and commonly overlooked aspect of learning is recognising the necessity of unlearning.

Dealing with life’s blows.

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 “What are you made of? What are you really made of? When push comes to shove, when the rubber meets the road, when the chips are down, what lies at the very core of your character?” – Brian Tracy

Tough times, events, and circumstances can teach us much about ourselves and other people.

Every challenge and every difficulty we successfully confront in life serves to strengthen our will, confidence and ability to conquer future obstacles.

Learning to deal with and overcoming adversity is what builds character and resilience.

We all face obstacles in every facet of life, work included.

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Lindsay’s In Business: PART 19: Tapping into new energy

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By: Lindsay

What happens when you realise your path is entrepreneurship rather than employment? Lindsay takes up the challenge and shares an account of her journey as it unfolds…

 I go to a yoga class every Saturday morning. It’s a lovely, easy, stretchy class – nothing too taxing. At the end of the class, the instructor Cassandra always give us some homework for the week ahead. Homework? Doesn’t sound nice. But actually, the homework is always about a way to think about being in the world that helps us be the best version of who we want to be.

This week, the homework was to find the positive energy and perseverance that you need to keep doing what you want to do, even if the going gets tough.

I need that. People are telling me it takes time to get a business off the ground. Sometimes it feels a bit insane: believing, pushing, smiling, developing, chasing, imagining…

But I know that the Mirror Mirror concept is solid, pioneering even. I am convinced it can take off. I know that it will add value. I am passionate about the angle it takes. I am not giving up.

In search of clients

I realised I’d been in touch with so many people over the past 6 months that now was the time to thank them for their support and update them on progress. And if you read this blog regularly, or just occasionally, I’d like to thank you too for your interest, curiosity and good vibes:

  •  especially now I have a new websitemirrormirrorhub.com – do you like it? (Natali Drake, a very good value brand and marketing consultant worked with me on that.)
  •  especially now that I’ve just put out a post on LinkedIn to promote the test offer for teams. If you could go to that post and share it for me, I’d be most grateful!
  •  and especially now that we are focusing on the message that Mirror Mirror is great for a team away day, via this new flyer, as below. If you know anyone who might like to get that flyer, you can earn double bonus points from me, by downloading it from here and passing it on 😊

So here I am. Feeling better than I did last month. Still working on business development like mad. Drawing energy from the fact that energy can come from within if you can just tap into it.

The world of opportunities is waiting. Reach out to select yours

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Anna Zubytska is Sales Director of Danone Dairy in Ukraine. She holds EMBA degree from Central European University and has 17 years of leadership and business management experience developed in multinational FMCG environment in Europe. In her today’s interview, Anna speaks about her approach to individual development and life in general, which helps her to keep learning, growing, discovering and having fun J

 

Life motto

So far, my live and personal growth has been advancing this way due to my belief, that the outer world is full of opportunities. Seeing the world big allows us growing and gaining new experiences, insights, enriching our lives with joy, satisfaction and new levels of mastery.

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“Give, give, get.”

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A full 70% of jobs are found through networking, and 40% of job seekers say they found their dream job through a personal connection.

So, building a strong network of connections is crucial to career success.

Build your network way before you need it.

Make networking a part of your everyday routine, rather than relying on it only when you are desperate.

There are always new people to meet and relationships to deepen.

Give before you take!

A “How can I help you?”- attitude builds trust into any relationship. It shows you care about a person and that you are backing your caring up with concrete action.

As Adam Grant, professor at Wharton and author of Give and Take has found, the people who give more than they take go further and experience more success.

Your story, our platform: If you’ve got a story and would like to share it with other Femflectors, please let us know. Femflection is all about transferring learnings to help others, be they big or subtle. We want to connect with your feelings, your learnings, your reflections or your hopes for the future – in blog or interview format. Express yourself here. Get in touch with us via anja.uitdehaag@femflection.com

For more content visit our website http://www.femflection.com

OFFICE HOUSE-WORK

By: Anja Uitdehaag

In her book “Lean In”, Sheryl Sandberg talks about “office housework”, administrative tasks that help but don’t pay off. Women are often expected to take care of such tasks, bringing in the cakes for a birthday, making coffee, training and mentoring junior staff or taking notes during a meeting.

Women often step up for such tasks because they fear that saying no will get them branded as a non team player.

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A NEW YEAR

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Live your own life!

 “You were put on this earth to achieve your greatest self, to live out your purpose, and to do it courageously.” – Steve Maraboli

365 New Days – 365 New Chances.

What the New Year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the New Year.

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