It's October!

Why Hello October! Happy to see ya!

You know how there are our regular calendar holidays and then there are these random holidays like "Hug Your Dog Day" or something. Well, since October is one of my favorite months, I thought I would share the random holidays of October, found at Holiday Insights, for you.

The Month of October is the following: Adopt a dog month, Apple Jack Month, Awareness Month, Cookie Month (Oh! I like that! Let's all make cookies and give them to someone who might be lonely or something.), International Drum Month, Pizza Month (Awesome!), National Popcorn Popping (Haha, let's make sure to sing "the song" multiple times this month... don't forget to bounce out of your chair.), and Sarcastic Month.

Each of the Days:

1st World Vegetarian Day

2nd Name Your Car Day

3rd Virus Appreciation Day (odd)

4th National Golf Day

5th Do Something Nice Day (I agree! The world needs more of this)

6th Mad Hatter Day

7th Bald and Free Day

8th American Touch Tag Day

9th Curious Events Day

10th National Angel Food Cake Day

11th Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day

12th Moment of Frustration Day (haha... um ok?)

13th International Skeptics Day

14th National Dessert Day

15th White Cane Safety Day

16th Dictionary Day (Learn a new word and use it!)

17th Wear Something Gaudy Day

18th No Beard Day

19th National Newspaper Carrier Day (Watch Newsies!)

20th Brandied Fruit Day

21st Count Your Buttons Day

22nd National Nut Day

23rd National Mole Day

24th National Bologna Day

25th World Pasta Day

26th Make a Difference Day (Big or small it all makes a difference so why not do something)

27th National Tell A Story Day

28th Plush Animal Lover's Day

29th National Frankenstein Day

30th Mischief Night

31st Besides it be Halloween it is also Increase You Physic Powers Day

Happy Halloween and October!

Peru!

A few people have asked when I will be blogging about my trip to Peru. I have started to blog about it on my travel blog, so you'll have to go check it out! I'm actually really excited to share about this incredible country and this experience. Pretty much if you are considering to maybe go to Peru... go!

Postcards From Amy

Sometimes We Just Have Days Like This

My Generation in the Workforce

For the past few years I have been thinking a lot about my generation in the work place.

Well for starters, what is my generation? Generation "X" is considered to be those born in the 60s up to those born in the early 80s. Generation "Y" applies to those born in the late 80s up until the Millennium. I think the sample group I'm thinking about is generation "Y" along with the tail end of generation "X."

My senior year of college I had a discussion with a co-worker (I'm part of generation "Y" while he is the tail end of generation "X") about the different generations in the workforce through out the years. We talked about how our grandparents grew up in the time that you took whatever trade you were able to train in and you worked hard in it. Our parents grew up in the time to get the best job and education possible, the one that would make you the most possible money even if you didn't entirely enjoy it, and worked hard at the minimum 9am-5pm day schedule but not limited to it. Our discussion continued on to how our own generation wants more fulfillment in their careers; we want to love what we are doing and we want there to be purpose behind what we are giving up our time for. Some of our generation is willing to work hard others are not.

As the years have gone on I have found this discussion to be true and false. I've seen a mixture of workers, from my generation, in the work force who are still following their parent's exact footsteps, while others are taking on the theory of Generation Y, and lastly a mixture of both. I would have to say that I have found success in the workplace by working with the work ethics that have been taught to me by my parents; work hard, go above and beyond, do your best, etc. I have also found success by applying things that my dad has valued in his employees in his own business; ask what else you can help with, be friendly and professional, ask questions, be willing to learn new things, teach your co-workers your job so that if you were to "die" the office would not fall apart, etc.

BUT I still have the itch to LOVE what I'm doing. A career takes up a big chunk of your life and I still want to experience life. It's kind of like the saying, "You either live to work or you work to live." I only want to work so that I can live; see the world, serve others, have a family, create memories, etc.

I found an interesting article about how to motivate generation Y. I agree with somethings while disagree with others; well, I guess on how it applies to me. But as a whole, I can see this true to the average generation Y person.
15 Tips for Motivating Generation Y in the Workplace

I found it interesting how true some of the things were; a need for feedback, wanting to work as a team (When I first read this caption I thought, "No... I hate group projects," but as it went on, it talked about how we like to throw out our ideas and get confirmation that we are taking the right steps. I do that all the time. I'm fully capable of making my own decisions but if I have the time to run them past others in the work place, I will.), don't assume fully technology savvy, teach them they're making a difference (Like I was saying above, we want there to be a purpose and we want to believe in that purpose), give them flexibility (Sad but true. Why does Google, for example, seem so appealing to work for? Because they offer time during the work day to go work out, the ease of playing foosball while brain storming, etc.) and teach them to write (Oh wow! I'll be honest, I don't have the greatest writing skills, and because of it I was never confident at work and would usually ask co-workers to double check something before I sent it out, but I've seen even worse. We are a generation of writing notes in Jr. High with acronyms and text messaging the rest of our life with its own "language." I once saw an admission letter to an university with a smiley face icon in it.... ummm yeah... not appropriate).

I also found the "be prepared to negotiate" and "assume they are venting about you online" bullet points interesting as well. When I worked for my university in college I would get phone calls from parents, of new incoming students, who would say things like, "I can see why that rule/requirement is set in place but that shouldn't apply to us because..." These parents were also negotiating for their kids and I saw it more and more in the students themselves of each incoming class. They seemed to think they were entitled to get the easy way out and not work for a thing. This was so foreign to me because I am a rule follower; if I'm asked to do something... I do it. If I'm told that I have to reach certain requirements... I reach them or understand that I can not get what I want when I don't reach them.
"Assume they are venting about you online," we all see this all the time; I personally think it is sad at how true this statement is. I personally think that venting about work and co-workers in a public place is unprofessional, petty and childish. And honestly... a good way to cause more problems at work and even end up loosing your job.

Anyways! These are my thoughts lately on my generation in the work place. Now I wonder, what will generation Z be like?

Random Facts!

Imagine yourself watching an infomercial...

"Have you ever found yourself stuck in a conversation with nothing interesting to say and then you hit that point when the weather comes up?! Oh boy! You know you've hit rock bottom when the weather comes up... It's time to spice up your conversation skills, avoid rock bottom and start memorizing random facts. You heard me! Why not memorize some random facts to share with your friends, family and co-workers during conversations to keep them lively, interesting and informative..."

Haha, ok, don't memorize random facts to improve your conversational skills; I sometimes just think it's fun to know a few random facts. So.... enjoy:

When you die, your hair still grows for a couple of months (that's kind of gross/creepy)
A skunk's smell can be detected by a human from a mile away
Henry Ford produced the Model T only in black because the black paint available at the time was the fastest drying paint
When snakes are born with two heads they fight each other for food
There are twice as many kangaroos in Australia than people.
In the average lifetime, a person will walk the equivalent of 5 times around the equator
The elephant is the only animal with four knees
The average person spends about 2 years on the phone in their lifetime
Americans make up 5% of the world's population but they produce 35% of the world's waste
A typical pair of tennis shoes will last 500 miles of walking

7 Effective Ways Happy People Think

I stumbled across this article and thought I would share it. It's not GREAT, but I thought it had some good and interesting ideas. Sometimes it's good to have a reality check, even a small one, to give ourselves perspective on our lives. I just thought it was a nice reminder (not that I had forgotten) that we can control our attitudes.

7 Effective Ways Happy People Think
1. Feeling Privileged and Satisfied To Be Alive
2. Believing in the Possibility of a Better Tomorrow
3. Knowing Deep Down that Every Step is Worth it
4. Appreciating the Beauty in All the Small Things
5. Feeling Good Enough
6. Consciously Detaching and Living in the Present
7. Embracing Change

Book Reviews: I Sit All Amazed and Austenland

I'm slowly but surely plugging along on my reading list for the year. Here are two more books:

I Sit All Amazed by Steve Mikita
Oh my goodness, this is an amazing must read. I highly recommend it. This book is written by and is about Steve Mikita who is a paraplegic. Mr. Mikita talks about the power of the atonement and how Christ is there with you and knows the good and hard times. He also talks a lot about the power of a mother's love and how much his mother sacrificed for him so that he may have that much more of an enriched life. It was very humbling to read about this man who looks at his life, not by what he can not do but, by what he is able to do and what possibilities he has reached.

The book itself was an easy read and only 130 pages. I read it on a flight from Salt Lake City to Boston and it really shouldn't have taken me that long. I loved it because it was thought provoking, humbling, inspiring and an easy page turner. I bought this at Deseret Book and have no regrets about owning it.

Quotes I liked from the book:

"I cannot repay my mother. Can anyone? I can only give thanks and honor her by living the principles she taught me and by loving others as she loved me."

"Brigham Young once explained, 'Education is the power to think clearly, the power to act well in the world's work, and the power to appreciate life.'"
"With Education comes information and choices and preparation, all of which provide an increased awareness of who we are and what we can become. Education draws us closer to the truth of all things. It also makes us useful to other people rather than a burden to them. In spite of my physical disability, I knew I had something to contribute and that education would be the means of delivering it."

"Change provides us with the opportunity to learn more about our Lord and to trust His love and promises for each of us.... But we are not left alone; we are not abandoned. Our loving Godhead is there to comfort and guide us through these changing times."

"Faith is an active thing. Faith requires confidence and effort. Faith requires courage, research, and sacrifice. Faith demands that you and I act."

Talking about being accepted to Duke University and how the Dean of Students was excited and willing to prepare a smooth pathway for Steve Mikita's higher education. "Once again, Mom was right. So long as we had active faith, it only took one -- one extraordinary university and one understanding heart -- to open the way."
(Not only do I love that he is quick to give thanks to his Heavenly Father for this opportunity, give credit for the blessing and recognize the blessing of having active faith but I love that this is an example that Heavenly Father blesses us through other people at times and we too can be making a difference in other's lives when we are listening to the spirit.)

"When we were children, Dad would often remark, 'The greatest gift that a father can give his children is the knowledge that he loves their mother.'"

"my body is destined to fail me. But what won't fail me is my attitude, my family, my friends, and my Savior. Those are the things and the people I can count on and trust. Those are the things that fill my life with hope, happiness and strength."

"it is because of Him that joy is attainable each and every day, wherever we find ourselves and whatever we are experiencing.... Humor does make a difference in our lives. One cannot live a full life without being touched by life's ironies and comedies. Being able to laugh at one's self or at life's paradoxical turns makes every day more enjoyable."

Austenland by Shannon Hale
This book was fun. It wasn't a major page turner like it was for my friend but I still enjoyed a little guilty pleasure of getting slightly wrapped up in a chick flick. I liked that the book was clean and a light easy read. It is about a girl who is obsessed with Pride and Prejudice and she has a wealthy great aunt that sends her off to this resort that is set up to be as if you are living in the time period of Pride and Prejudice. The great aunt sends her there to get all of the Pride and Prejudice fantasies out of her system because it's beginning to take over the reality of her life. The book continues on to have twisted romances and in the end everything works out and she finds herself. Again, nothing amazing, but just light and fun.