When do you use “I” and when do you use “myself” in a sentence? Can you tell which of the following sentences using “myself” are grammatically correct?

I found myself unable to get the teacher’s attention
The teacher asked Ben and myself to collaborate on the project
I myself saw Kathy steal Mario’s lunchbox.

The second sentence is wrong. The best way to figure out whether a sentence calls for “I”, “me” or “myself” is to see whether the sentence works with just the first-person subject case.

“Mary and myself went to see The Lion King last Friday.”

“Myself went to see The Lion King last Friday.”

It doesn’t sound right in that second sentence, does it?

The correct sentence should read as follows:  “Mary and I went to see The Lion King last Friday.”

“Just between you and myself, do you think Peter deserved that award?”

Here the correct sentence should say,

“Just between you and me, do you think Peter deserved that award?”.

“Me” is an object pronoun, part of the phrase “between X and Y” and so not a subject. However, in the first example, the phrase “Mary and I” stands in for the single subject in the sentence. If you’re confused, you can test out whether you’re dealing with a subject by replacing the word with “me” instead. The sentence “Me went to see The Lion King last Friday” doesn’t make sense either, as you’ll quickly see.

Myself is a reflexive pronoun

Let’s see one more example,

“Tired of waiting for Ben to do it, I did the laundry myself.”

In this sentence you cannot apply the tip above. This sentence in as example of the reflexive noun usage.  We use this when the action described in a sentence is directed back to you. This is so because myself is a reflexive pronoun; it reflects the action back to the subject (myself, yourself, himself).

Myself for added emphasis

Let’s see a third example, with the sentence “I myself saw Kathy steal Mario’s lunchbox.”

The word “myself” is grammatically redundant here, but it does serve a purpose: it emphasizes that the act of robbery was happening in front of my own two eyes. You can omit it and still have a grammatically correct sentence, or you can include it for emphasis.

To sum up, whenever you’re in doubt, use the this trick of stripping the sentence off of all other subjects and just keep the first person subject. If it still makes sense, you’ve got it right.

The most common misuse of “myself” and “me” is when there are other subjects in the sentence, as in the case of sentences like this:

“John, Natalie, and myself went for a picnic.”

You’d never say “Myself went for a picnic” or “Me went for a picnic” – you’d naturally say “I went for a picnic.” Use the single-subject test, and you’ll have the singular right answer.

4­year­old children are efficient tablet users before their reading skills are even fully developed. Pen and paper correspondence is becoming obsolete. Is today’s society ready for technology’s dominion over all aspects of our lives?

Being human is defined these days not so much by our biology as by technology and how technology is gradually becoming a part of us, just as our eyes and hands are part of us. For example, take the technological “prosthetic device” most of us have attached to our hand constantly: the smartphone. It’s with you everywhere, even in the most intimate of moments. It’s an incredibly useful tool, but it also satisfies your craving for connection, providing the reassurance of being present in the ever-growing and constantly changing online community, calming your fears of missing out on the next big news item broadcast on Twitter. But is technology inversely proportional to society? Have we lost the race over who controls who?

Technology might be advancing faster than we care to admit or have the perception to realize, but this doesn’t mean it’s bad for society. Today more than ever, technology is changing education, making it decidedly affordable, democratic, and fun. From vocabulary improving software to speed reading improvement mobile apps, technology has never been a more faithful servant in the cause of advancing education.

With technology and its tools now affordable for and accessible by more and more people, society can finally take steps towards achieving a more fair and democratic status quo. People who otherwise couldn’t get into college can now enroll in one of the thousands of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) that universities from around the world offer. Fifteen years ago you had a 6­digit debt by the time you finished a four­year undergraduate program. Today you can enroll in undergraduate courses free or for a fraction of the cost.

To consider technology as evil and the onset of the loss of human agency is to ignore the numerous ways technology helps us on a daily basis. It boosts our productivity, hones our skills, and helps us become better in small and large ways. These modern tools take learning out of the classroom and let us take new knowledge everywhere. They allow us to read on an e-­reader while on the subway, or practice our spelling skills on a spelling bee app while waiting for the bus to school. Technology is what we make of it. It’s not all bad, but it’s not all good either. It takes responsibility and conscious decisions to use technology to benefit yourself in particular, and society more generally, but no one can deny the potential for today’s technology ­ and tomorrow’s innovations – to promote learning and education.

Technology and the Internet have made home-based businesses a tangible reality for many stay-at-home mums. If the cut-throat corporate world doesn’t quite fit with your personality and sensibilities, you can create your own job opportunities from home.

Whether it’s a home-based start-up catering business, or a freelance typing job, there are currently plenty of options to choose from.

Call Center Agent

The requirements are usually limited but generally include verbal fluency, a headset, and a quiet home office or room. The working hours are flexible and pay can be weekly or monthly. Also, the pay can be either per hour or per talk minute depending on your contract.

Typist/Transcriptionist

A typing business is a surefire start when it comes to building any home-based business. Skills required are good English skills, typing accuracy and speed, sound research skills, and experience if the transcription project is technical (e.g. medical, financial).

Writer/Editor

Why not put your exceptional English language skills to good use? Freelance and telecommute jobs for technical writers, resume writers and other writing niches abound. The more specialized your knowledge is on a specific issue, the higher the pay.

Over the last decade or so, the Internet has been creating a parallel world and an unprecedentedly vast discourse in virtually every industry, so it’s rather easy to help small businesses jump on the Internet bandwagon and increase visibility and sales.

Blogger/Freelance Professional

Blogging is another home-based option that’s still a robust trend in the home-run business industry. Let the world know of your passion, skill or talent through a blog or website. If your talent or skills are worthwhile, before you know it companies and other bloggers will be asking you to guest blog at their blogs or give you opportunities to financially take advantage of your expertise either through advertising or other marketing opportunities.

Web designers, web programmers, graphic designers, and translators are but a few of the skilled professionals who are putting their skills and expertise in good use by starting their own home-based business collaborating with small businesses, institutions and other organizations.

Tutor/Teach

Whether you’re a teacher of English as a Second Language, a Math instructor with a PhD, or a Yoga trainer, you can use your hobbies, knowledge and education to make money from home.

Advertise your services in a blog or a job board online, detailing your expertise, experience and other technical aspects such as the learning medium you use (online, face to face), the class location (your home, a public park) and so on.

Virtual Assistant

Another service you can offer to other businesses is becoming a virtual assistant, taking over a wide range of administrative tasks including handling correspondence and calls, updating business social media and website content, managing appointments, and data entry.

Creative Services Business

Art, photography, catering, vintage e-stores, crafts, and “green” products are ways you can earn extra money without leaving the comfort of your home. Utilize a talent or art you’ve learned by promoting it through an e-commerce site, or a third party promotional marketplace.

These are time-tested home-based business ideas that you can consider for yourself, and they can allow you to earn a substantial monthly income. Perseverance, willingness to improve and professionalism are the three aspects of home-based businesses that will get you to a competitive, high-quality service level.

Twitter has astonishing potential that most of us never even think about. Used correctly, it can be your tool for growing into a better person. When you take advantage of its networking potential, it can contribute in advancing your career, too.

Friendly, Democratic, Interaction-Based Model Of Communication

Twitter lets you initiate or participate in trending discussions. What’s extraordinary about Twitter is that everyone can equally participate in a discussion and get back an assortment of different perspectives and interpretations on any given matter.

This plurality of voices is a crucial aspect of self-development. By exposing you to different views, including those that are often contradictory to your own opinions, these exchanges nurture your empathy and cultivate your tolerance. This is a type of emotional intelligence we often overlook.

Critical Thinking And Learning

Twitter is used for sharing what’s considered “share-worthy” – whether “worthy” means funny, inspirational, educational, or relevant. By following experts, self-improvement professionals and anyone else you admire or find helpful, the items that appear on Twitter will give you instant access to worthwhile resources for advancing your professional life and enhancing your personal one.

For instance, if you wish to learn HTML you can follow on Twitter professionals in the field to find your way to the best HTML classes and online courses and get recommendations on the best course of action. You can use Twitter to access virtually any type of learning, no matter if that’s a skill, a language, or an art.

Inspiration, Motivation, Support

Self-growth and goal realization requires a constant flow of inspiration, positivity, and support. Twitter is a potentially unlimited venue of pick-me-up resources. Follow a personal growth coach, a successful entrepreneur in the industry of your interest, anyone who already has what you’re after. They will offer you valuable insights and advice on how you can make your own dream come true.

Expand Your Learning Network

Why limit yourself to the friends, colleagues, family and extended network of acquaintances, when Twitter can offer you a chance to connect with experts and individuals who’ve made it to the top in their field?

Use Twitter to reach people you’d probably never meet in person. Ask them questions and benefit from a chat with them. Learn about their success habits and see how their wisdom can help you avoid certain risks, make smarter moves, and ultimately achieve your goals.

Develop Self-Awareness

Social media can become a tool we abuse in order to satisfy our needs for acknowledgment and applause. With Twitter, however you can concentrate on inspection and introspection, and re-focus.

Participating in Twitter chats lets you direct your gaze to things other than your immediate reality, it pushes you to challenge your views. It offers you the opportunity to critically evaluate your mindset, life approach and success plans through the simple action of hearing out what others say and believe.

Be The First To Know

The compactness and minimalism of Twitter makes it easier to be on top of new developments in the issues that concern you. Twitter is a must-use tool for announcing new releases, events, and even educational courses. With Twitter you’re the first to know about the latest approach to achieving a strong sense of self-worth or how to become more assertive professionally without putting off people.

Contribute

Most people tend to jump right into asserting their own expertise, be it a skill or profession. It’s best that you first test the scene and get something out of it, before starting to use it to teach, learn and influence others.

Use Twitter to promote your own blog or work, to show off your skills and talents and share your experiences of trying to attain professional and personal fulfillment.

People are more likely to engage with you if you are actively interested in sharing, discussing and creatively addressing issues that concern them. This will help you substantially in your efforts to become a better person and a professional.

Twitter can be your go-to social media platform for tips, techniques and insights as to how to achieve professional and personal development. No other social media platform offers such a level of instant, direct connection. Twitter, more than any other social media network, offers a greater chance of having your questions answered.

It’s there, the elephant in the room that you have to face eventually. You have to stand up and acknowledge that your self-esteem is low and find ways to improve it in a sustainable and beneficial manner.

Looking back, I realize that for me the solution was a matter of asking the right questions; finding the courage to face my fears, I gave voice to those questions that have long been haunting me.

I’ve found that in order to let yourself grow and allow your self-confidence to increase, you need to become your own best friend; to encourage growth and motivate yourself, to help generate new ideas, and support yourself in your own journey of achieving a healthy, increased self-esteem.

Responsibility

One of the questions I found hardest to verbalize and answer was this:

Why am I letting my low self-esteem control my life?

You see, when we don’t believe we have worth or power, it’s easy to brush off any personal responsibility and ignore – or avoid – thinking about we are capable of doing to change it. We refuse to assume responsibility over our lives, making up excuses, saying that “this is how things are” for us. We say to ourselves we don’t have the talent or skill to take that promotion, or don’t deserve better pay. We self-impose a limited control over what we can do in life, condemning ourselves to a mediocre, unfulfilling life.

This question helped me understand that limited self-responsibility is very convenient; you live in a no-risk, bulletproof reality where you absolve yourself from all responsibility and refuse any type of change, growth and challenge.

I realized this wasn’t sustainable, and that my so-called limited self-responsibility was an artifact I created to hide behind so that I wouldn’t have to face facts.

To turn this around, I looked for situations where I would normally, out of habit, not participate. In the past, I would generally exempt myself from putting myself forward, whether that was giving a presentation at a meeting, or speaking up against an injustice. Once I really looked at the reasons why I’d avoided those situations in the past, I started seeing things differently.

Once I started looking at things from a perspective of responsibility, those things would immediately become personal. By making things personal, by bringing in the moral factor, and by connecting my life to the event, I was capable of overcoming my need to hide away.

So for instance, when I was feeling unsure about speaking to my supervisor about my work not being duly appreciated, I would stop and say to myself that it’s my responsibility to do so. My self-esteem might be telling me I don’t deserve this acknowledgment, but self-responsibility was telling me that it was my right to have my efforts appreciated. Gradually I adopted a mindset of assertiveness and increased self-respect.

Comparisons and Self-worth

Once I became aware of how my low self-esteem was a trick to get me out of situations that made me uneasy, or preventing me from going after things I needed in my life (asking for a raise, being more confident of my skills), then the next question became clear:

How should I measure my self-worth?

The answer was simple. I had to see others as a source for inspiration and motivation, rather than using them only in ruthless, self-destructive comparison to myself.

Previously I was only comparing myself to others to remind me of how much better, prettier, richer (and on and on) I saw those others to be. It needs time and mindful effort to consciously believe you’re as capable, worthy and strong as those you’re comparing yourself to.

The secret to achieving this was realizing that people with self-worth had something I was refusing to take: risk. The assertive, confident risk-taking approach to life that I’d started exploring when answering my first question.

I realized that the people I admired had a healthy sense of self-love and self-esteem because they believed they were worthy of it. People with high self-esteem believe they deserve to have opportunities in life and so they aggressively seek them out. In my case, I had the habit of thinking that I didn’t deserve much of anything. My lack of self-worth told me I shouldn’t be allowed the same opportunities that those people with real value and skill were given. I wasn’t seeing opportunities at all.

Again, this was a self-imposed illusion that I created to make it easier for me to accept my current situation as an unchangeable fact.

When I focused on change, I choose to surround myself with people who would support and acknowledge my worth. Even more important, I decided to completely avoid anyone that I knew – whether that was a co-worker, a friend, or even a family member – who seemed to have the habit of trying to make themselves feel better by belittling me. I also made a conscious effort to accept that, without even changing a thing, I was worthy of that support, worthy of love, worthy of success. I forbade myself to compare my achievements and skills to those of other people. I only let myself be inspired by them, not intimidated.

Gradually this nurturing environment has helped me gain little bits of self-worth that gradually became stronger and more assertive. The journey to building a strong self-esteem is open-ended, there will always be more room for growth and change for the better, and I am ready to answer any other questions that come my way in a positive and life-affirming manner.

Are we putting too much pressure on the younger generation, forcing them to learn too many things in too little time? Should education become less intensive and more intuitive? How young is too young for making children aware of the responsibility for realizing their potential?

Letting Children Realize Their Potential on Their Own Time

It’s unhealthy to push children to start working towards life and professional success at a tender age. We ought to let our children play just as we had the opportunity to. Children are children, and they need play and fun, just as they need the experiences and lessons that come from the interactions they have with others in their age group, whether that’s getting (or giving) comfort for a skinned leg, becoming a leader (or an outcast), or inviting new schoolmates to join the group.

That being said, by letting children be children you help them cultivate — even unknowingly — social skills necessary for their growing up and advancement. What’s more, letting children savor their childhood enables them to become conscious of their potential on their own time. A child will come to understand he has leadership skills, when every single friend he has follows him and copies his actions, for instance.

Gradually Introducing Essential Skills to Make It A Bit Easier For Them

The most efficient way for letting children become aware of their potential is to indirectly equip them with skills, knowledge and tools they can use towards that end.

Don’t directly tell them “You’d be a good ____, you know.” Let them discover on their own what they can be in life and what they enjoy. You might think you know best, but your guess might be wrong, and you’re putting too much pressure on a child when you try to dictate their future.

Encourage Potential Discovery

So, instead of pinpointing what they should do, why not encourage them to discover it themselves? Urge them for instance to take part in a school spelling bee contest, or in the swimming club competition. This way you give them ample time and support to discover their call.

Ultimately, there’s no particular age for starting to make children aware of their potential. This is an ongoing process that can begin as young as 2 years old if you use the indirect, encouraging manner just described.

Remember to praise your child every step along the way too. Praise their efforts, even if these didn’t turn out to be sufficient. Praising them inspires them to become better spellers or swimmers, even if they seem to be terribly bad at it at first. In the end, the child will – in their own time – start to understand their potential and once they do, this is where you come in, supporting and guiding them through the hard work it takes to realize that potential.

Ever since the 1990s it’s been the case that people have less and less need to head straight for the local library to find references to use for a school report. Resources at home were usually sketchy before that time – if you were lucky enough you would have a 20+ volume encyclopedia you could browse through and find relevant but somewhat dated information. However, even the libraries had their limits, and information wasn’t always at the tips of your fingers.

Things have drastically changed today. Our access to quality information is more widespread, instant and effortless today. All we need to do is search for information online. Be it a book, video, DVD or audiobook, any type of information product can be retrieved and accessed through online libraries.

WorldCat.org

This website lets you search for titles in a number of libraries worldwide and offers you access to them online. It also has a feature for recommending nearby libraries that have the title you’re looking for. The website collaborates with a worldwide library network to ensure there are enough resources for whatever a person is looking for.

Something like the Google of libraries, WorldCat provides resources (some free, others requiring library subscription/membership) to about 71,000 libraries in more than 100 countries. WorldCat provides easy and quick access to valuable information, sparing you the need to visit local libraries.

Everybody’s Libraries

Everybody’s Libraries is a blog run by John Mark Ockerbloom, digital library planner and researcher at the University of Pennsylvania. Ockerbloom is also the developer of an online book catalogue which indexes over 1 million books available free online.

The rationale behind Everybody’s Libraries and the Online Books Page is that books and information should be easy to access online, as well as free of charge. Information access in the 21st century is gradually becoming a streamlined process that’s decidedly democratic. These two online book indexing services allow us to easily gain access to knowledge reliably, quickly, and electronically.

Libraries are no longer independent hubs of information, because the Internet makes it possible for these knowledge banks to connect with each other and form an infinite network of information people can access to educate themselves.

English is an extraordinary language. Its history and growth, its little secrets, and its idiosyncrasies all make up a magnificent structure people love to love. Did you know any of these facts about English?

1. English is the language with the richest and widest-ranging vocabulary. The Oxford English Dictionary numbers over 500,000 words and when regional and technical vocabulary sets are also considered, English vocabulary can boast of over a million distinct words.

2. English is the most widely spoken language on Earth. About 375 million people have English as their mother tongue while about 750 million speak English as a second language. Others estimate the English speaking population at well over 2 billion.

3. Every English syllable has a vowel, but not necessarily a consonant.

4. The consonant with the most English words using it as the initial letter is the letter S.

5. One in four people is capable of speaking English with a satisfactory competence level. Wherever you might be in the world there’s a 25% chance you will find someone you can easily communicate in English with!

6. The letter cluster “ough” has many different English pronunciations. Can you pronounce these correctly? Dough, rough, plough, thoughtful, slough, through, coughed.

7. There are only four widely used English words ending in –dous: hazardous, tremendous, horrendous, and stupendous. Technical and less commonly-used words exist, however, such as apodous and phyllocladous.

8. The world of the Internet is primarily built and conducted in English. It’s the language most Internet users use online.

9. Half the scientific publications and journals are in English which makes it easier for English speaking professionals to access the latest research.

10. If you’re spelling out number words in English, you will have to spell a number above 99 to use a word that’s spelled with an ‘a’!

11. There’s a reason why English is notorious for its pronunciation, and it’s aptly illustrated by this sentence: I deserted my dessert in the middle of the desert.

12. Eggplants have no eggs and hamburgers contain no ham, and if you’ve ever tasted pineapple, it tastes nothing like either pine or apple! However, English is a creative and illustrative language.

13. Shakespeare often invented words in order to capture the concepts he wished to describe. He came up with these words, among others: compromise, champion, lackluster, gust and dwindle.

14. The English language is officially getting larger by about 4,000 words each year, based on the amount of words officially added to dictionaries annually.

15. “Crutch words” are words we turn to when we need to fill in time when thinking, and they’re not the best aspect of English vocabulary. These words include basically, seriously, honestly, actually and the most-loathed of all, like. Improve your communication by minimizing these words in your everyday conversations!

Google has been introducing services and tools over the years that offer valuable help to the public. Apart from emailing and searching, Google offers many ingenious tools and features designed to make our life more fascinating and to make us more knowledgeable. Two of these tools are Google Helpouts and the revamped Google Maps.

Google Helpouts

How does the idea of an online personal SAT tutor sound? What about a chemistry Helpout before the finals? Google Helpouts is a video tutoring marketplace that allows experts to share their knowledge and skills with those that seek them out. Launched in November 2013, Google Helpouts lets experts – teachers, chefs, plumbers and everything else in between – provide one-to-one Helpout sessions. Some Helpouts are free, other cost up to $120 an hour.

The one-to-one model used ensures the user gets the expert’s full attention, making learning and problem solving practically foolproof. This paid advice service by Google makes it possible to find an expert to help you with virtually anything, whether that’s understanding the reason for your cat’s weird coughing to troubleshooting your bathroom leak. Google Helpouts runs a money-back guarantee for Helpouts that, well, didn’t help out much.

This is especially useful for students, because Google Helpouts can offer solutions on many levels. Assistance in many fields is available, to help students figure out how to use complex math formulas, improve reading efficiency, or take better lecture notes. With the help of experts, any issue becomes solvable.

The fact that Helpouts is a service globally available that can be solicited almost instantly makes this new Google service stand out. How many times have you wished an expert could be within reach to help you on the spot? Well, now it’s possible.

The New Google Maps

Learning about your travel destination, whether it’s 2 miles away or across an ocean, is now a complete experience with the new Google Maps and its advanced features. The new version of Google’s mapping program makes visually visiting and learning about unknown destinations easy and enjoyable.

Whereas previously it was only possible to obtain fundamental information when planning a journey from destination A to destination B, the new integrated technologies now make it possible to plan a journey that also includes airplane flights and combine it with public transit and other forms of transport to have the most complete itinerary.

Also, you are now able to plan a journey that has more than one set destination, allowing you to find the quickest and most traffic-free way to do your chores and then arrive at your desired destination. It’s a tool that many people are already using daily as it saves time and frustration and helps avoid being stuck in traffic jams.

A complete visual experience for Google Map users

A new image carousel at the bottom of the page allows the user to have a sneak peek into their destination, whether that’s a sushi restaurant or a new pop-up gallery.  Even if you’re not planning to visit a place, Google still offers you a visual tour to cities big and small around the world, unveiling fascinating new aspects of the world’s urban tribes.

The advanced but still user-friendly new Google Maps service makes journey planning to campus and across the Pacific equally easy. Efficiency and real-life integration seem to be two things Google has perfectly mastered, and it has never been more evident than it is with Helpouts and the new Google Maps services.

With a simple internet search, you’ll quickly realize that there is a plethora of resources designed to equip you with the qualities you need to rise to the top and be the ultimate success.  While these can be very interesting and even helpful, there are many other practical attributes that often get dismissed in the process.  The development of leadership qualities often tends to take the forefront in the “how to succeed” literature in the blogosphere, and there is no doubt that these are attributes you cannot be without in order to make it and maintain your hard earned success. However, it might be time to take a closer look at the lesser noticed but nonetheless highly valuable skills sets that will assist in growing your business and helping you reach the goals you want.

Regular Reading- Informational and Otherwise

Reading. Boring? Maybe. But not if you’re doing it right.  Outside of your regular workload, do you read anything that expands your mental capacity? Are you learning anything new? Chances are that if you are not reading anything new, your ability to process information is diminishing, or at best stagnating.  The creativity it takes to succeed doesn’t just happen – it comes from being able to focus as well as gain vision.  Vision comes from constructing a picture in your mind based on word description; this can be fiction, non-fiction, and even directions.  It provides an exercise in fine-tuning your ability to focus on one particular task while improving memory.  Furthermore, one of the most underrated and overlooked values of becoming well-read in today’s society is a markedly improved vocabulary, along with communication smarts, and refined oratory prowess. Any successful individual will tell you that speaking well is key. Creativity is great.  Creativity you can communicate?  A priceless characteristic.

Secretarial Know-How

Don’t forego what you might regard as menial tasks and the dexterity it takes to do them, and concentrate solely on power in your drive to become successful.  If you can’t operate a multi-line phone system, run the all-in-one fax/printer/copier in the center of your office complex, alphabetize those files and touch type, you will not be as successful as you hope to be. Why? Because you can’t multi-task.  Secretarial know-how is defined as multi-tasking savvy. Organizing, scheduling, answering calls, performing the art of touch typing with finesse and running that all-in-one office machinery at the same time is something that keeps any office running smoothly. Secretarial dexterity ensures you won’t soon forget how to manage these humble but vital tasks. Keep doing some of your own secretarial work.  This skillset is the lifeblood of success, and it will keep you appreciating those who work under you.

Appropriate Optimism

Having a good attitude and outcome-driven outlook is important.  Also important is appropriate optimism.  Many people sacrifice honesty for optimism in the hopes that it will be the magic ingredient to changing a flat-lining operation. Becoming discouraged is not helpful either. What you need is a fine balance between the two extremes.  No one appreciates the sugary, hyperactive optimist when the reality of difficulty is facing them. This often reads as disingenuous (even deceitful) to your workplace contemporaries.  On the other side, the doomsday, freakout, all-is-lost approach kills any creativity and productivity you might have otherwise inspired.  Without losing sight of the situation – good, bad or indifferent – you will rouse others to their fullest potential by building your reputation as someone who can be counted on to be honest about the circumstances.  Sometimes the optimism comes from your ability to get creative (and here’s where you can rely on your well-read mind). Sometimes it’s communicated by your willingness to lend a hand in menial task accomplishment (where your secretarial know-how shines) that creates an atmosphere of caring, teamwork, possibility and optimism.

In closing, you don’t rise to the top by dusting off your prior experience, and not solely by the latest and greatest tips on success.  You rise to the top by polishing even further the attributes you may once have assumed were a waste of your time, the attributes you assumed you would get to never do again once you succeeded. Never forget where you came from, and you’ll never struggle to remember where you’re going.