Tag: life

I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag. 

Today’s tip is to look for the good in others and notice their strengths.

This can be challenging when you disagree with someone, but it is helpful to stop and think about others, even when you agree with them. The world has been polarized in many ways during the pandemic, so it is helpful to stop and change your view.

I have been trying to do this with one of the kids I coach. Often I might have an impression of the kids’ effort level, desire, even how well they listen. At the same time, I have empathy that this moment isn’t always representative of them.

For one kid, they haven’t always seemed to be focused, and haven’t had much effort after the holidays. I remind myself to stop and appreciate that this person still shows up, they do have some strengths, and I need to praise and appreciate those. I can try to get them to work on others, but pausing to appreciate the good helps me stay balanced in how I view them.

I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag. 

Today’s tip is to write a list of things you feel grateful for in life and why.

I am grateful for:

• my health – I survived COVID 19, and it was mild, mostly I think due to my health
• my family – I appreciated the chance to get time with them, and see my oldest, over the holidays
• my employer – Redgate is a fantastic company, and I’ve enjoyed my (nearly) 14 years there.
• our animals – they bring joy and excitement to my life
• the Colorado weather – it’s amazing and I get to enjoy it often
• the SQL community – they inspire me often, and I appreciate the interactions I have
• my volleyball club – it’s been great for my daughter, and it’s given me an outlet to work with kids and enjoy their youth and enthusiasm

These are the big ones that I put down today.

I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag. 

Today’s tip is to make time to do something kind for yourself.

For me, I do little things for myself, but not enough. I’m more interested in doing things for other most of the time. Often those dovetail, and so I’m doing that today.

While it won’t be actually today, I have some time this weekend, so I’m going to set aside a few hours and get back into the wood shop and start a project there. I’ve been wanting to make something, so I’m going to do that. I’ve had a plan to do something for my daughter and I haven’t made time.

I will this weekend. It will be good for my soul to spend some time making sawdust.

I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag. 

Today’s tip is to let someone know how much you appreciate them and why.

This is probably easiest with family, but I wanted to step outside my comfort zone here. I decided to take a minute and chat with someone that has taught me a lot and enriched my life the last few years.

I coached my kids when they were young, but I stopped at some point. As my daughter became a competitive volleyball player, I enjoyed watching and supporting her. It brought back memories of all the times I’d enjoyed the game as a young man. At some point she become more independent, and I was less involved in her activities. I decided to start coaching at a competitive level.

The director of the club where she spent her last 4 years is someone whose company I’ve enjoyed over the years with lots of conversations and shared memories. I spent a year apprenticing with him and then assisted a few others before getting my own team.

In the time I’ve know him, he’s taught me a lot about a game that changed from my youth. He helped me learn how to coach, with all the tricks to push, inspire, motivate, comfort, and more, outside of teaching skills. He’s challenged my thinking and helped me to grow as a more well rounded person that has to work with and influence others.

I’ve really appreciated my time with him, and hopefully will get more as the world returns to a more normal pace in the future.