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Last week I shared some of the lessons and AHA moments that I’ve experienced so far – really my philosophy on life and work. Originally written for my university aged children, I reflected on my thoughts and I realized I often shared the same insights with my coaching clients. This week, at our HRPA Halton event, I had the pleasure of hearing Paul Copcutt, a leading Personal Brand Architect, talk about 3D Branding. He referred to branding as giving yourself permission to be your authentic self.  In his talk he mentioned my brand as being “the happy HR person.” What a nice thing to say … “The Happy HR person.” Life is too short, not to live (and work) a happy one.  You can read Part 1 or start here with Part 2. 

The World So Far According to Me (Joanne Royce)

-Don’t judge or criticize unkindly. Everyone has good in them so look for that. When you do provide feedback, do so from a place of L.O.V.E.

-When your tummy tells you something isn’t right, it probably isn’t right. Don’t ignore it. Use your intuition as a prompt to check things out more rigorously.

-Sometimes the mean folks from school, work, and beyond don’t get what they deserve. Yep, life isn’t fair, so don’t spend another moment thinking about the mean ones. There are plenty of other nicer and kinder fish in the sea, so seek them out.

-Respect others and your self. Don’t be pressured into doing something to please someone else or because you are worried about fitting in. You might think that’s a good thing to do to build a relationship, but in the long run you will end up being resentful. Politely and assertively stand your ground if it is important to you.

-Ask yourself, “Is this really important to me, or can I let it go?” If it isn’t that important then you don’t need to work to have your opinion heard. This makes it easier to stand your ground when something is important to you.

-Budget. Ask yourself – do I absolutely need it or is it just a great big want. A great big want isn’t worth going into debt for.

-”Engage brain before opening mouth.” Wise words from my dearly departed father C. Donald Royce. You can say anything in a thoughtful tactful way that respects another person, but that means thinking before blurting something out that you might regret later.

-”Everyone does something they regret and won’t do again. Learn from it. Pick yourself up, hold your head high and keep going.” Wise words from my dearly departed mother Miriam Royce. Don’t let a mistake paralyze you or destroy you.

-Sometimes to get to living your passion, you need to do the not so fun stuff. The garbage needs to be taken out, the laundry needs to be washed, the Excel spreadsheets need to be created, the files need to be purged and policies written. Do it well, with a smile on your face, and the fun stuff – living your passion – will come.

-Know your strengths and weaknesses. Why? Because you don’t want to spend a life time trying to develop your weaknesses. Your weaknesses will be someone else’s strength and they will always do it better. It’s best to know your strengths and then head in a career that will make good use of those strengths!

-It’s never too late to make a change for the better in your life and in your work. You just have to believe you can do it, rise above the fear of the unknown, and take action to make it happen.

-Don’t compromise your values and principles.  They are your guide through life. If you try to ignore them and live a life or work at a job not in sync with those values, it will make you sick.

-Everything will be alright if you surround yourself with people who care about you and love you!

Royce & Associates
A Human Resources and Training Solutions company
Creating happy, healthy, and productive workplaces