Category: Self-Improvement

How to Stop Interrupting People

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Good advice to stop interrupting: Keep Calm and Wait for Your Turn

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”
-Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

One of my biggest pet peeves is also one of my own worst habits: interrupting people. I usually do it inadvertently — I think a person has finished speaking and I jump in with whatever is on my mind, only to cut them off in the process. It comes from a place of engagement and wanting to contribute to the conversation, but it’s rude and gives the impression that I’m not interested in what the other person has to say. In an effort to break myself of this habit, I’ve scoured the internet for the best advice on how to stop interrupting people and become a better listener. Here’s a roundup of what I found.

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Tell Your Story

- Alexis 3 Comments

My One Line A Day Five Year Memory Book, with a pen on top

I’m a big believer in the transformative and connective power of telling your story.  It’s been almost a year now since I began my practice of writing creatively on a nearly daily basis, and I have learned so much about myself in the process.  While most of what I’ve written has never been shared publicly, taking the time to reflect on the events of my life and how they’ve shaped me has been truly invaluable from a personal development perspective.  And while I was a little nervous about starting this blog and putting my thoughts and personal stories out there on the internet for anyone to read, I’ve been so moved and encouraged by the feedback I’ve received.  I love getting an email or comment from someone who can relate to what I’ve posted, and this blog has helped to deepen the conversations I have with some of the people in my life.

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How to Lift Yourself Up When You’re Feeling Down

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An oil painting of a blooming bradford pear tree
Pear Tree in Bloom, 2015. For details and purchase information, please contact Alexis.

Even the most optimistic and happy-go-lucky among us occasionally have bad days.  I’m not talking about clinical depression; I’m talking about those days when things don’t go your way, or you get some bad news, or a long stretch of misfortunes culminates into a wave of negative emotions.  We all deal with those days in our own ways, some healthier than others.  May I offer a few suggestions for working through these tough times?

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“When I’m in the Middle of a Dream, Stay in Bed, Float Upstream…”

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I had planned a different post for today, but I awoke this morning in the middle of a dream and decided to write about dreams instead.  I’ve always been fascinated by dreams.  I view them as windows into my subconscious.  They often reveal anxieties of which I hadn’t been consciously aware.  I experience and remember dreams often, probably a few times a week.  After I wake, I lie in bed for a few moments and think through the details of my dream, attempting to understand it and tie it to my waking life.

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Infusing our Environments with Reminders of our Values

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A painting of forsythia trimmings in a clear vase and a blue pitcher on a table
Still Life with Forsythia, Oil on Canvas, 2015. For purchase information, please contact Alexis.

You may have noticed that in each Monday’s Quote of the Week post, I usually include a link to an item bearing the selected quotation or other words of wisdom spoken or written by the same person.  I do this not because I want to encourage you to buy things (I am not compensated for these links), but because I like to surround myself with statements of my values and important lessons.  Read more