Category Archives: 9-to-5er

SOAPBOX of the week: the cost of conflict

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“I cannot believe that war is the best solution. No one won the last war, and no one will win the next war.”     – Eleanor Roosevelt

It doesn’t matter the actual battlefield…be it Vietnam, Iraq or your own backyard…everyone experiences casualties, leaving no one celebrating an unscathed victory.  Lives are lost, time wasted and dignity sacrificed.  Communities are shaken and families are broken apart.  And you think, “What can I do?”  You can start by taking action in your own life.  Stop picking arguments, harboring anger and planning revenge!  Truthfully own up to the damage you’ve caused by instigating and fueling senseless conflicts.  And figure out a resolution that might actually help others while serving yourself.  Harmony might not immediately fill every neighborhood, but a peaceful feeling in your heart will certainly be resuscitated.  And that’s a good start.  Now, just think what might happen if more folks did just the same. 

Copyright 2008 by Kimberlie Dykeman

SOAPBOX of the week: woulda-shoulda-coulda

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“Waste not fresh tears over old griefs.”     – Euripides, playwright

Do they still perk up to haunt you?  Life’s countless regrets. The fashion trend you fell victim to.  Unexplainable hairstyles.  Person you dated.  Speaking your mind!  Quitting your job.   Spending the extra money.  Smoking this or drinking that.  Saying goodbye.  Saying I love you.  How about -that it’s taken forever to figure out what you really want to be when you grow up!  Pardon me, but aren’t you bored yet with the reruns, folks?  Unless you’ve got the power to turn back time, there’s no changing it.  And maybe some of those choices were really lifesavers!  Plus, the weight of grief…along with that weepy pout, ain’t making you any younger, smarter, or delightful to be around.  So dry your eyes and be glad you survived those not-so-fabulous experiences.  You might even come to laugh about ‘em!

Copyright 2008 by Kimberlie Dykeman

SOAPBOX of the week: Discovering your gifts

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“Each man has an aptitude born with him.  Do your work.”     – Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher

So you can’t flip an omelet, carry a tune, nor hit a 3-pointer.  Geometry just isn’t your bag, then there’s that speaking in public thing.  There are things in life that challenge our inborn operating systems right off the bat.  Even with upgrades and downloads, we get flustered and frustrate ourselves with half-hearted attempts to fix what we label a flaw in the hardware itself.  Truth is, we’re all perfect.  Each of our rare blends of God-given gifts is as unique as our fingerprints.  But it’s up to us to discover how to launch our software.  So delve in and develop the capabilities that bring you joy and satisfaction.  Capitalize on your built in programs and the egg-flipping becomes a thing of the past.

Copyright 2008 by Kimberlie Dykeman

SOAPBOX of the week: Results are not everything

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“Give up cleverness for bewilderment.”     – Dr. Wayne Dyer, motivational speaker and author

Funny, how sometimes the moment you achieve a goal you’d set, you immediately forget all the blood, sweat and tears you shed to get there!  You can’t believe you did it!  Were you really that sharp?  Well, there’s a cause and effect for everything.  Simply put, your investment of hard work paid off.  Conversely, there are reasons for when you don’t hit the mark.  But when you again stand in disbelief, this time at the disappointing results …truth is: you still shed blood, sweat and tears to get that far.  Regardless of the outcome, folks, the same go-getter in you still showed up to hustle for a “win”.  So, don’t dissect the details.  Acknowledge both as true steps on the path of life successes…and lose yourself in the fabulous mystery.

Copyright 2008 by Kimberlie Dykeman

SOAPBOX of the week: Easy does it, leadfoot

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“For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.”     – Lily Tomlin, comedienne and actress

Hey!  Where the fire, folks?!  Now, I’m not scolding you to come to a screeching halt.  But the old “smell the roses” adage does hold merit.  Our cars, computers and cell phones have not only allowed us to adapt to society’s breakneck speed…they’ve got us thinking we’re still not going fast enough.  New technologies once seen as solutions to easing our schedules and settling our nerves, now call for us to be in two places at the same and have the job done… yesterday!  They incite us to fret that every line item is a matter of life and death.  And chances are 90% of them aren’t!  So, take your foot off the accelerator, breathe, and ask what is priority.  The answers will shrink your to-do-list and the knot in your stomach…better than any fizzy little antacid.

Copyright 2008 by Kimberlie Dykeman

SOAPBOX of the week: The spine of your own truth

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“This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the day the night, Thou canst then be false to any man.”   – Polonius of Shakespeare’s Hamlet

Standing up for who you are, what you believe in always commands a high price.  Facing the angst of a crossroads that challenges your character, you must decide if the cause is worth the risk, let alone if the time is right to righteously defend it.  You might lose face, possessions, position – even be banished by those you’d thought were in your corner!  In the end, demonstrating loyalty to your core values it is the noblest act of love and respect for yourself!  When your own moral code surpasses society’s unwritten policy manual at a cost, have faith that integrity will replace your initial losses with even greater gains.  Remain steadfast in your adherence to “thine own self” and reap the rewards of a clear conscience and stronger heart.

Copyright 2008 by Kimberlie Dykeman