Communication Matters

August 2014 Issue 74

Finding the Treasures Hidden in My Clutter

In This Issue

Themes and Thoughts

TELL US YOUR STORYFeatured Article

If you are a foreign born professional, we would like to hear from you. We are very interested in the story of how you are overcoming self-doubt and learning new skills.

We would be happy to feature your story in a future issue.

trOur Mission is to help our clients transform their accents from a communication barrier to a charming cultural flavor using "listener friendly" speech.

Order Mastering Meaning from Lulu.com today online. For an autographed copy contact Judith Bergman through our web site. (Pay for autographed copies with check by mail or credit card phone order only). $19.99 + S & H and applicable sales taxes.

We can help you fulfill your unique purpose by improving your spoken communication!

Go to our Archive Home Page to read more fascinating newsletters.

Triangle Speech Services is the private, professional practice of Judith L. Bergman, a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP) who specializes in foreign accent and regional dialect modification and related communication skills. I offer customized, individual tutorials to corporate-sponsored and self-enrolled individuals who speak English fluently but with moderate to severe accents that create challenges and frustrations in the workplace.

Every month I'm amazed at how many newsletters I've composed with so little "angst" and stress just by looking at what is going on around me, what I'm learning from it and what I'd like to share.

While my home/office appears quite orderly, actually I often have no idea what is stored in many "neat" piles of folders and books and drawers and shelves. Every few years I become curious about what I might discover (and also recycle, shred or discard) if I decide to systematically sort through every item on a single bookshelf, in a single drawer, in a stack of file folders next to my desktop.

Those of you who watch "Antique Road Show" on PBS are familiar with the amazement of owners of various items found in attics or flea markets or handed down through the generations when a few of them are assessed as true high value "treasures" worth thousands of dollars. Some owners use the "auction or retail value" for insurance purposes and vow always to keep these treasured items in their family.

Another Way to Define A "Treasure"

The "treasures" I rediscovered while I carefully sorted through the contents of every file, every pile of papers and looked in every book, were inspirational quotes I had copied onto index cards and yellow legal pads in the previous eight or ten years since I last "de-cluttered." Some were written by scientists and inventors like Einstein and Steve Jobs and some by respected spiritual teachers. They had offered me encouragement and inspiration, "lighting my path" like this lighthouse when I needed guidance in making choices .

Themes and Thoughts Found on Notes I Discovered in the Clutter

Work and Money:

"What are your gifts and how can they make the world a more beautiful place?"

"As long as we're making money righteously, we're not only receiving a blessing, but also extending one to others."

"A fair exchange means I am increasing abundance for both of us."

Marianne Williamson in The Law of Divine Compensation: On Work, Money and Miracles.

"We're not supposed to find our own blessing; we get blessed by finding out and doing what we're supposed to do to serve and bless other people." (Unknown source. Found on a blue index card!)

"Keep looking. Don't settle. You've got to find what you love. Do what you believe is great work. The only way to do great work is to love what you do."

Steve Jobs, Stanford University Commencement Address,
2005.

Trust and Faith:

"In a networked world, trust is the most important currency." Eric Schmidt, U. of Penn. Commencement Address, 2009.

"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase." Martin Luther King

"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore." Andre Gide

Appreciation and Gratitude:

"It's not happiness that brings us gratitude; it's gratitude that brings us happiness." Paramahansa Yogananda

We invite you to click on Triangle Speech Services to visit our informative website. Our goal is always to provide information, inspiration and encouragement since these are essential components of any successful learning experience.

If you are seriously considering enrolling yourself or an employee in an individual tutorial with us or simply want to talk to us about our programs, please contact us through the contact page of our web site.

Sincerely,

Judith L. Bergman M.A. CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist and Corporate Speech Trainer
Founder & Director of Triangle Speech Services