Category: Entrepreneurial Wellness

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Will prospects remember that you’re alive? On word-of-mouth marketing (with a nod to Michael Katz) . . .

Last week, I sent off a spate of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and secular holiday cards, each with a personal note for the recipients. These included former hair stylists, college roommates, church ministers and a slew of other friendly folk.  I selected stationery carefully, thinking and writing in it about these individuals’ professional and personal attributes. I felt a surge of accomplishment in sealing them and dropping them into a high-traffic postbox nearby.

I happened to mention this activity to a non-entrepreneurial friend, who commented that she had “long ago” stopped sending holiday mail, citing the “waste of paper,” soaring cost of postage and looming overseas postal strikes. I countered that holiday card preparation was part of my periodic “marketing” plan, but she still doubted the sense.

The same day, in his illuminating (not to mention always hilarious) newsletter (much like a blog posting), Massachusetts marketing expert Michael Katz wrote that in life, “most things left unattended get steadily and progressively worse.” Instead of the progress we hope for, we regress–especially in the minds of others.

Katz cited the downward pattern of events like “after your car gets dinged, or your computer gets a virus, or you tell your brother-in-law [at a family gathering] what you really think of him and his know-it-all wife . . . it’s clear that most things in life do not recover with the simple passage of time.”

anxiety and interview

And when it comes to professional services marketing, your prospecting efforts are proof: “Left unattended, they wither and die, along with whatever value they might otherwise provide.”

Start the elegiac violin music: Approaching the end of 2022, we might feel depressed by this. If we get preoccupied by a steady flow of work and/or family or other commitments, we can work steadily, even happily, but still put off making those cold or warm calls. We may procrastinate over reaching by social media or writing that card. Before long (and in Covid times, all the more so), the proverbial phone stops ringing. Our name regresses from being “top of mind” to our prospects, to lost in their mental rolodexes.

And yet we might be very well-liked and well-regarded for our skills, knowledge and personalities–as Jane Austen wrote, a perennial “flower, born to bloom unseen.”

So, as we wind down the work of 2022 and launch the new year, Katz reminds us self-employed folks (regardless of your niche) to “use a system” that consists of simply two steps: First, “make a list of everyone you know. Not just ‘potential clients’ or ‘influential people.’ Everyone,” including your college roommate . . .  your friends from your professional associations, your brother-in-law (maybe wait until things cool down).”

Secondly, devise a method to reach out to these people “at least three times a year. Send an email; say hello on LinkedIn; send a birthday card; call them up. It doesn’t really matter.  [So] they remember you are alive.”

Of course, we could all make much greater efforts in the self-marketing department. I have two book ideas that would enhance my reputation among my prospects, if I could only find the time to write them.  A fellow facilitator at the Praxis School of Entrepreneurship frequently criss-crosses the country (even in pandemic times) to speak professionally about her services. A large-scale, local networking organization regularly encourages its members to recruit other entrepreneurs. . . . As a self-professed stationery collector (obsessive?), I keep a record of prospects’ birthdays and send those individuals personal notes, on relevant days.

To Katz, the “word of mouth” method remains (in his words) “the best, most cost-effective means of professional services marketing.” But it will only work “if you come to mind when the moment arises.” That requires repetition and effort on our parts.

So while I will join in this season at parties with non-entrepreneurial (often skeptical) friends and family,  you can be sure I’ll be at my desk, writing or responding to prospects’ mail to me, on and after January 1st.

So they’ll remember that I’m alive.

And now it’s your turn: as a professional service provider, what prospecting methods do you use to stay “top-of-mind” in your niche?

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“Do you know the secret to feeling alive?” On fun in this month’s issue of “Tell Your Story Newsletter”

November 2022 Vol 4 Issue 11

 

Tell Your Story Newsletter (TYSN):

Specializing in Entrepreneurial and Linguistic Communication

Let me teach you to tell your story!

 

Welcome Mid-November 2022!

What a difference a day makes! November fourth was a beautifully crisp autumn day, followed by our first snowstorm of the season–on November fifth and sixth, which has stayed! Since transitions in seasons in Saskatchewan tend to be brief (or non-existent), I’ve been especially grateful for the frequent updates on weather conditions from Environment Canada!

Unseasonable cold caused many of us to break out our long-johns and parkas in the first week of this month, as I started to prepare this issue of “Tell Your Story Newsletter.”

Winter often feels like the cruellest season of the year in Saskatchewan, since it brings reduced daylight hours and at times brutal cold, wind and snowstorms. But it’s also a time when many professionals like you, good reader, dig deep and excel in your work, since the distractions of the outside world are minimized (unless you’re a winter enthusiast!).

If you can (like a neighbour of mine) already foresee “winter blues/blahs” coming, then I encourage you to keep reading–or, rather, to widen the topics of the books you’re already reading. My writerly colleagues (and friends) Julie Barnes and Ashleigh Mattern are regularly posting the books they’re devouring on Goodreads (aka “Facebook for writers”).

And what about music? Have you tuned into opera from “the Met” (Metropolitan Opera House) in New York, which is often broadcast at Cineplex theatres across the country? My ESL student in France has introduced me to the recordings of German tenor, Jonas Kaufmann, whose subtle voice would make anyone forget the breath of hoary-bearded, “Old Man Winter.”

Whether through books, music or other activities, I find the perfect antidote to prairie winters is to have more FUN!

FUN, you say? An absurd suggestion?

In Article One, this month, I visit science journalist Christine Price’s recent TEDTalk on the topic of FUN. While most of nature sleeps during winter, how can we feel fully alive? Price suggests that “fun” is the best answer.

Most of us enjoy some fun during winter, whether from hitting the ski trails or curling up by a crackling fire to read Alexander McCall-Smith or Louise Penney.  But how do we go about having more fun, on a regular basis? Article One shares some hints on that.

And in “Storytellers’ Corner,” I visit a potentially troubling phrase that itself sounds fun-ny–“tuna fish“–in the words of our resident etymologist (and a man of humour), Bryan Garner.

Perhaps we can view the snowy and cold portion of winter as being like the influence of a schoolyard bully? We can work around his (or her) blasts of nasty wind and frigid air, by immersing ourselves in our own creative activities and exercise . . . .

I wish more FUN for you this winter, good reader, that even the coldest of winds and the heaviest snowfalls cannot dispel.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth

Principal

Storytelling Communications

www.elizabethshih.com

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IN THIS ISSUE:

ARTICLE 1: “Do you know the secret to feeling alive?”  On FUN and how to get it 

STORYTELLERS’ CORNER:  The case of “tuna fish” from American etymologist, Bryan Garner

SHOP NEWS

ABOUT US

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Article One: “Do you know the secret to feeling alive?” Christine Price’s TEDTalk on FUN and how to get it

In her recent TEDTalk, science journalist Catherine Price observed something that should make us all pause: “It’s harder than we think it should be to actually feel alive.”

Consider that statement: We’re so busy constantly scrolling (and often “doing” things) that we have forgotten how to live! We forget that life is more than days filled with frenetic activity.

Price says: “We keep ourselves busy to the point of exhaustion. But we’re also languishing. We feel a little bit dead inside.” She thinks we’re living something close to despair, staying busy because we know that we are not truly living, but we simply don’t know what else to do about it.

Her answer? “Have more FUN!”

But what does that mean?

Our confusion over what actually constitutes “fun” arises from the “sloppy” way that we use the term: we often use it to describe what we do in our leisure time (e.g. “We had a fun weekend with my in-laws at the family cabin”), when the activity is often not enjoyable and may even be “a waste of time.”

Price gives as an example our scrolling through social media, which we assume is “fun,” but which she says can “make us feel bad about . . . everything.”

Even our best English language dictionaries have trouble defining the term “fun”: According to them, fun is “amusement or enjoyment, or lighthearted pleasure,” and refers to what children experience “in the play area.”

Fun seems to be, Price observes, “frivolous and optional.”

 

When she was working on a project, collecting stories about having “fun” from people all over the globe, they would “tell you about some of the most joyful and treasured memories of their lives.” That means that FUN is not simply “lighthearted pleasure, it’s not just for kids and it’s definitely not frivolous.”

Price suggests on the contrary that fun is “the secret [to] feeling alive.”

Clearly the term deserves a new, “more precise” definition!

Fun is a feeling, she asserts, not an activity, although when asked to describe “fun,” most people still list “dancing” or “skiing,” or “pickleball.”

Some “serendipity” (or downright chance) is involved in the word, since activities or events we expect to be fun often disappoint us, while those we don’t expect to enjoy can become “ridiculously fun.” Sound familiar?

Price says that it’s easy to identify someone who is having fun, because they look as if “they’re being illuminated from within.” True fun “produces [a] visceral sense of lightness and joy.” People can radiate fun.

From her interviews with dozens of people from diverse cultures, Price says that “three factors are consistently present” when we experience fun, yielding a much more accurate definition than what the OED or Webster’s tells us.

These three terms are “playfulness,” “connection” and “flow.” Where these experiences overlap (see the venn diagram, courtesy of Price), is the space of “true fun.”

“Playfulness,” she says, is not playing games or make-believe but “having a lighthearted attitude, of doing things for the sake of doing them and not caring too much about the outcome. Letting go of perfectionism.” Playfulness means not being defensive and “not taking ourselves too seriously.”

“Connection” refers to “the feeling of having a special, shared experience.” It is possible to be alone when this happens (and so to feel connected to oneself and/or to an activity), but most often, another person is involved—“even for introverts.”

“Flow” is a state where we’re so intensively engaged and focused on what we’re doing that “we can even lose track of time.” (e.g. “in the zone” as a musician or athlete).

Price argues that “it’s possible to be in flow and not [to] have fun, like if you’re arguing. But you cannot have fun if you’re not in flow,” she says.

Each of these three factors is enjoyable on its own. “But when we experience all three at once, something magical happens: we have fun.” And that “doesn’t just feel good, it is good for us.”

(i) Price says that fun is so beneficial that it “is not just the result of human thriving, it’s its cause.” For instance, fun is “energizing,” so that when people talk about such moments, “they glow: It’s like a fire has been lit inside of them and the energy and the warmth they give off is contagious.”

Whereas “so much of life drains us . . . fun fills us up.”

(ii) Fun requires us to be “present,” or in-the-moment, but doesn’t require meditation, yoga, etc. Apart from being present, there’s no other way that fun can arise.

(iii) Fun also unites us in a “really polarized world.” When we have fun with others, “we don’t see them as having different ethnicities or religions from ours. We connect with them as human beings.” She adds that such a connection is the first step whereby we can begin to solve the world’s problems.

(iv) “Fun also makes us healthier.” Isolation and loneliness can cause hormonal changes in our brains and bodies that increase the risk of disease. But when we have fun, we become “relaxed and more socially connected,” both of which are health-giving. So, Price argues, “having fun is a health intervention.”

(v) Finally, fun is “joyful.” While we read books or listen to favourite music, the truth is that “when we are in a moment of having fun, we are happy.” Price says this: The “secret of long-term happiness may be simply to have more everyday moments of fun.”

In order to have “more fun,” she says, we should do all we can to increase our everyday moments of playfulness, connection and flow.

Here are some ways:

(i) Reduce distractions in order to increase flow. Distractions disrupt flow. The chief source of distraction in 2022 is our smartphones. (Act accordingly!)

(ii) Increase connection by interacting more with other human beings in real life. This is easier and less scary than we (huddled over our phones) tend to fear.

Interaction starts by making eye contact with someone. “Say ‘Hello,’” Price advises. If that goes well, introduce yourself. From there, ask an interesting question (e.g. “What’s one thing that delighted you today?”)

(iii) Increase playfulness “by finding opportunities to rebel.” This doesn’t mean becoming a total iconoclast, but to show “playful deviance,” to “break the rules of responsible adulthood” and “give yourself permission to get a kick out of your own life.”

(iv) Finally, Price recommends that having fun should be a “priority.” Try to reproduce the circumstances (including other people’s presence) that have created fun for you in the past. Make some time in your schedule to have fun. “Treat fun as if it’s important, because it is,” she enthuses.

Fun brings “more creativity, more productivity, more resilience,” Price says. Fun can make us, as she claims, a better spouse, parent and friend.

Fun, she concludes, for anyone still puzzled by it, is “a distillation of life’s energy. And the more often we experience it, the more we will feel that we are actually alive.”

And now it’s your turn: do you agree with Price’s definition of fun and why it matters? 

Please write in; I’d be delighted to hear from you!

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STORYTELLERS’ CORNER . . . . 

STORYTELLERS’ CORNER: Words, storis, riddles and articles on speaking, listening, writing and editing . . .

The case of “tuna fish” with American Etymologist, Bryan Garner

In his recent blog on modern English usage, American Etymologist Bryan Garner observed that the term ” ‘tuna fish’ is redundant (see last month’s issue that differentiates between “redundancy” and “tautology’) because “tuna” is always a fish. The issue surrounding whether to write “tuna” or “tuna fish,” he says, arose around 1914.

Garner cites three more recent examples of this use, including this one in Sports Illustrated (“Letter from the Publisher, July 9, 1984):

“If he had his way, he would rid the world of ‘tuna fish.’ What else can a tuna be? asks Anderson.”

But the term “tuna fish . . . denotes a useful nuance,” Garner observes. ” ‘Tuna fish‘ is the type of processed, canned fish that is commonly served in sandwiches, whereas tuna typically refers to fresher types, such as those found in seafood restaurants and sushi bars.

How’s that for a fishy example for this month’s usage tip?

Do you have an, idea, problem or joke involving any aspect of language or communications? Please share it with me; I’d be delighted to use it in an upcoming issue. 

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SHOP NEWS:

Special thanks this month to the very gifted business coach and facilitator, Deanna Litz, of “Powerful Nature Coaching & Consulting Inc.” In previous years, Deanna has coached me through Praxis’  startSMART, staySMART and digiSMART programs, and through her excellent private coaching program, as I pivoted in 2021 toward teaching English as a second language (ESL/EFL).

Deanna and her husband, Saskatchewan Polytechnic facilitator, Rick Cumbers, own and operate “Lazy Hounds Farm,” located in Marysburg, SK (near Humboldt), where, for over 110 years, Deanna and generations of her family before have been stewarding the land.

Why is this relevant? Because in a recent delivery, Deanna shared with me some of their farm’s tantalizingly flavourful tomatoes, succulent peppers and zesty garlic!

In fact, Deanna and Rick grow free-range, naturally grown fruit, vegetables and herbs, raised by earth- and bee-friendly methods, for humans (and when the wildlife and the couple’s three lazy hounds don’t beat them to the harvest).

You may already have eaten Deanna and Rick’s beautiful fruit, vegetables and spices without even knowing it.

Their food has been enjoyed by folk from all walks of life, from Saskatchewan’s premier to those needing a helping hand. Deanna and Rick supply produce for some of Saskatoon’s finest restaurants, caterers, regular folk, foodies and local food banks. Their produce will spoil you for mass-produced, grocery store crops!

To learn more about “Lazy Hounds Farm,” purchase some of this year’s bountiful pumpkin and garlic crops (still available), or to tap into 2023’s harvest, please email Deanna at this address:

deannalitz@sasktel.net

Delivery to/within Saskatoon regularly and readily occurs.

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Special thanks also go out this month to Lisa Focardi, Community Development Worker at Saskatoon’s Open Door Society (ODS). An Italian-Canadian immigrant, Lisa capably organizes (amongst many programs) the volunteer-led conversation circles, throughout the calendar year.

At Lisa’ s invitation, I offered an introductory presentation on “brain health” last week, pitched at a beginner level of English, and found newcomers from Europe and Asia all very interested in the topic.

Lisa’s organizational efforts and generosity with others makes sharing conversation skills with newcomers a great pleasure. Thank you, Lisa!

Are you a native speaker or are you otherwise fluent in English? Do you have 60-90 minutes (each week) to share your skills with others? Please drop me a line and I will connect you with Lisa, who is always glad to have more volunteers on board.

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There are always new businesses, non-profits and entrepreneurial programs to promote.   

Please write me to share your success stories!

I’m excited for what’s ahead in our entrepreneurial community.

But for now, this is a wrap for mid-November!

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ABOUT US:

Between 2011 and December 2018, Elizabeth Shih Communications chronicled the stories of B2B marketing and communications on the Prairies and across the country.

Effective January 1, 2019, I rebranded as “Storytelling Communications.” I now help newcomers to Canada land better jobs and economic immigrants to secure contracts by improving their English skills; I help SMEs close more sales by communicating more effectively; and I help major companies tell their legacy stories.

Interested in learning more? Please contact me through my CASL-compliant website (www.elizabethshih.com).

After I receive your message, I’ll be pleased to discuss projects with you!

Please visit my website for more information (www.storytellingcommunications.ca).

Published by www.storytellingcommunications.ca–Storytelling Communications – Copyright © 2022.

 

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Sleepless in Saskatoon? Tips to treat insomnia in this month’s issue of ‘Tell Your Story Newsletter’

October 2022 Vol 4 Issue 10

Tell Your Story Newsletter (TYSN):

Specializing in Entrepreneurial and Organizational Storytelling

Let me teach you to tell your story!

Welcome Mid-October, 2022!

The shortening of our daylight hours has become perceptible this month. And with the return of at least some professionals to commutes and the pressures of sharing public office space, not to mention the next set of deadlines and in-person training, we may not be surprised to find that regularly getting a good night’s sleep can be a challenge!

So in Article One, this month, some tips for treating insomnia from Australian psychologist, Chris James.

In Storytellers’ Corner, I visit the difference that exists between the words “tautology” and “redundancy,” with help from world-class etymologist, Bryan Garner.

Although our golden and crimson leaves have now mostly fallen, autumn is still beautiful in Saskatchewan. This coming week will bring temperatures as warm as 20 degrees Celsius, to remind us that the season is more than simply a precursor to another Canadian winter!

But as winter does return, crisp, cold days will prevail, encouraging us to pack away those shorts and sandals for warm sweaters and boots; and to replace our iced “bevvies” with hearty soups and hot ciders.

Although these late Covid days bring many challenges to us all, good readers, my hope is that we will continue to feel gratitude for the blessings that we sometimes overlook, but which still grace our lives.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Shih

Principal

Storytelling Communications

www.elizabethshih.com

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IN THIS ISSUE:

ARTICLE 1: Sleepless in Saskatoon? Tips to treat insomnia

STORYTELLERS’ CORNER: The case of “tautology” and “redundancy” with  etymologist, Bryan Garner

SHOP NEWS

ABOUT US

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Article One: Sleepless in Saskatoon? Tips to treat insomnia (as we brace for another winter) . . .

I’ll get to the point: How are you sleeping, these days?

Have you been struggling with a lack of good sleep, while fighting one of the many viruses (besides Covid-19) that have infected our province in recent weeks?

In last June’s issue of the ezine “Psyche,” an article titled “How to sleep well again,” by Australian psychologist Chris James, updated us on effective methods to relieve insomnia—and with methods beyond the usual “pills and potions.”

We don’t need James to remind us that “insomnia” for entrepreneurs and other professionals can be a “debilitating, distressing [and] deeply frustrating condition that affects all aspects of sufferers’ lives.” We all know that we need sleep to recharge our bodies and minds, to allow our bodies to heal and to process the day’s events. If we get seven to nine hours nightly with little (if any) disruption, we should consider ourselves blessed! Good quality, deep sleep can be elusive.

Sleep-deprivation causes us to drag ourselves through meetings, to manage time intended for thinking and writing amidst a groggy, tired, irritable fog. It can, as James says, “feel like torture.”

To diagnose the term, he says, we must have “persistent difficulty with getting to sleep and/or staying asleep, at least three nights per week.”

But who among us hasn’t ever plodded through the “vicious cycle” that can cruelly develop between the desperation to sleep and the frustration of being unable to do so (tossing and turning), that actually “makes it even harder to get to sleep?”

I remember being told to try Zopiclone a few years ago (pre-Covid), by a medical professional who used it herself to catch sleep when she had sick children at home and a demanding, daytime career. Zopiclone is habit-forming, however, and I never felt comfortable relying on it, which undermined its usefulness to me in the first place.

Medical science tells us that about one-third of the population experiences one or more symptoms of insomnia, of which 10 percent have chronic insomnia. James notes that the condition is one of the most prevalent to beset us in current times.

It may consist not only of failing to get the usual seven to nine hours that modern medicine says we need; insomnia can also involve having “highly fragmented” sleep, and struggles to get and/or stay asleep, throughout the night.

Insomnia, James says, is distinct from sleep problems that arise from factors like work-shift patterns, perhaps the late-night parties (that some attend, post SABEX awards!) or noisy neighbours. And the term also excludes those with other conditions like circadian rhythm disorders or sleep apnea.

We don’t have to have long-term insomnia to know how it detracts from work performance, relationships and the motivation to exercise regularly and eat healthily. Sufferers report that they stop doing extracurricular activities and lack the energy to maintain their health.

Feelings of powerlessness and deep depression can ensue. But few insomniacs seek support for their sleeplessness and the field is partly populated with unregulated practitioners. It doesn’t help that most medical students in North American and Australia receive only two-and-a-half to three hours of sleep education in the whole of their degrees!

Therefore, doctors often overlook or minimize symptoms. Patients’ desperation may lead them to try supplements and remedies (“pills and potions”) that offer to quickly fix the problem, without substantiating how.

But James claims that the last 10 years have brought “highly effective treatments . . . supported by solid scientific evidence.” Doctors and psychologists who specialize in sleep disorders say that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is now considered the “gold standard” treatment for insomnia, because it focuses on sleeplessness as the result of self-perpetuating, negative behaviours and thoughts.

If you have experienced more insomnia lately than earlier in the Covid pandemic, this bears out medicine’s claim that insomnia results from changes in routines and periods of elevated stress, due to illnesses, having babies, changing jobs, losing a loved one or other relationships troubles.

Sufferers often try to treat their problem by taking “more caffeine, going to bed earlier, drinking alcohol, taking sleep supplements, sleeping on the sofa” and so on, which tend only to fuel the problem and persist, even if stressful events or bereavements have long passed.

James says that learning about how sleep works, making changes to habits, learning ways to relax properly and debunking damaging myths can all be helpful. This treatment, he says, is more “training than . . . therapy,” because it requires self-discipline and emotional (and physical) exercise. But he says the treatment does work.

As a sufferer of occasional sleeplessness, but not full-blown insomnia, I’m aware that negative thought patterns can coincide with sleeplessness, as though the “world is too much with us” to leave us a few hours to find some peace.

While James says he’s found success as a psychologist offering CBT methods, as outlined in such classic books as Mind Over Mood, I’d personally recommend some strategies that may be less laborious: listening to hypnotherapy recordings (https://hypnoheather.com/may refer you to some) and to CDs of relaxation music (e.g. “Letting Go of Stress” and “Sleep Soundly” by Emmet Miller and Steven Halpern) have been composed to include sleep-inducing rhythms and sounds.

I also urge you to read about and consider taking Dr. Jud Brewer’s program “Unwinding Anxiety,” which assists sufferers in resolving anxiety and depression. (And no, I do not receive any affiliate or other compensation for recommending these providers.)

And now it’s your turn: Do you suffer sleeplessness, or worse, insomnia? What strategies are you using to free yourself from the agony? Please write in; I’d be delighted to hear from you.

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STORYTELLERS’ CORNER . . . .

STORYTELLERS’ CORNER:  The case of “tautology” and “redundancy” with etymologist, Bryan Garner

Anyone who has read or studied the Arts or Fine Arts will be familiar with this month’s words: “tautology” and “redundancy.” I can remember first using the word “tautology” when translating medieval poetry in my Middle English course in the early 90s. (Remember translating “The Parliament of Fowls,” anyone?)

American etymologist Bryan Garner recently clarified the difference between these two words.

“Tautology,” he writes, is a term “found mostly in discussions of logic and rhetoric,” and specifically “to a restatement of something already said within the immediate context—in words that are different but do not add anything new.” Tautologies  often underpin circular reasoning, so that the words may sound convincing, but on closer analysis, merely circle back upon themselves.

To demonstrate the term “tautology,” Garner quotes Daniel Mitchell in a 2022 article on the “European Cult of Multinationalism” (“Washington Times,” 7 Nov. 2022, A25):

“Some people in Europe seem to think international bureaucracies and global treaties automatically generate good policy. Indeed, they define good policy as anything that is produced by this process—a rather convenient tautology.”

Garner distinguishes “tautology” from the more general term, “redundancy”: the latter refers to a word or phrase that adds nothing to the overall meaning because its sense has already been expressed (for e.g. “advance planning,” or “first introduction,” etc.).

Redundancies are common in wordy and imprecise writing that can (of course) be found all over online and off-line sources. Prior to retiring, the former Managing Editor of The Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Wilf Popoff, gave workshops to local writers and editors that cited many such laughable redundancies, as  “new baby,” as well as “fatally killed” and “permanently deceased.”

Redundancies can tickle your funny bone, as well as alert your mind. Some of my favourites are “absolutely essential,” “first conceived,” “basic fundamentals,” “harmful injury,” “joint collaboration,” “major breakthrough,” and “very unique.”

Put simply: brevity and precision carry power. And language matters!

And now it’s your turn. Have you wondered about what a “tautology” is, or how it is different from mere redundancy? Please send in your examples for me to use in a future issue!

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SHOP NEWS:

Thanks and kudos this month to the staff at The Franklin (Revera’s senior assisted living building) in Saskatoon, who cultivate empathy and caring for our seniors without sacrificing professionalism.

I’m particularly grateful to Executive Director, Vin Rana; transportation director, Steve, and duty and building managers, Dea, Mason and Charmaine for taking very good care of seniors who need their care and dedication.

If you have a senior in your family who would benefit from assistive living support, please contact Daniel at The Franklin for a tour, at (306) 664-6366.

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Congratulations to Monica Kreuger, Chief Visionary Officer of Global Infobrokers (Home of the Praxis Group of Schools), and her team, including Vice-President Brent Kreuger, Facilitator Deanna Litz and Program Administrator, Elaine Mantyka, for reaching “finalist” standing for “Business of the Year” at Saskatoon’s 2022 SABEX Awards, last Thursday evening, October 13th!

Also included in this thanks are PSE staff, Marie Weinkauf (bookkeeper) and Silvana Cracogna (Coordinator and facilitator of Language Programs).

Of the 400+ attendees of the awards, no business other than Global Infobrokers had provided entrepreneurial training and preparation to more than 1200 Saskatchewanians, including alumni who were present to promote their separate businesses, and even to win awards in other categories.

And no other business hosted a larger number of its team (me included) for the event—more than three lengthy rows of Praxis delegates, who attended to support them.

For more than 30 years, Monica and Brent Kreuger and their team have introduced to and deepened the practice of entrepreneurship in the province of Saskatchewan, shaping and making many, many careers in the process.

Those entrepreneurs remain affiliated with them and become part of a large network, which reflects Praxis’ commitment to excellence.

From among the list of finalists and the winner (Magnus Construction Services), I can think of no company more worthy of the “Business of the Year” than Praxis/Global–and yes, I am partial, as an alumna who also facilitates for them, every quarter. (But no, I am not paid for affiliate marketing!)

Global Infobrokers wins as the Business of Every Year, for those fortunate enough to train through it or work with its team.

So deepest THANKS, Monica, Brent and Team, for all you’ve achieved and continue to do!

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While the above companies are not new businesses, they continue achieve excellence across all fields, including community service, which earns them recognition, here.

There are always new businesses and entrepreneurial programs to promote.

Please write me to share your success stories.

But for now, this is a wrap for mid-October!

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Finally, my spirits as a teacher and writer are regularly buoyed by local friends Laura Van Loon (Parish Nurse), Monica Kreuger (Chief Visionary Officer of the Praxis School of Entrepreneurship), (Lesley-Anne McLeod (Regency novelist), Steve Cavan (Classicist and ESL teacher), Rev. Roberto DeSandoli (Minister of Word and Sacrament), Julie Barnes (professional writer and philanthropist), Erin Watson (librarian, University of Saskatchewan), and Dani Van Driel (painter and director, Action Battery).

When waters get choppy around issues like cutbacks to publicly funded health and senior care in the province, these friends have expressed their support in fortifying. ways and words.  Merci beaucoup, mes amies!

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ABOUT US:

Between 2011 and December 2018, Elizabeth Shih Communications chronicled the stories of B2B marketing and communications on the Prairies and across the country.

Effective January 1, 2019, I rebranded as “Storytelling Communications.” I now help newcomers to Canada land better jobs and economic immigrants to secure better contracts by improving their English skills; I help SMEs close more sales by communicating more effectively; and I help major companies tell their legacy stories.

Interested in learning more? Please contact me through my CASL-compliant website (www.elizabethshih.com).

After I receive your message, I’ll be pleased to discuss projects with you!

Please visit my website for more information (www.storytellingcommunications.ca)

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STAY IN TOUCH:

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Posted on

Want to succeed as an ESL teacher? 16 tips to increase motivation and engagement from your ESL students (A webinar presentation by Carl Cameron-Day)

Carl Cameron-Day, a very experienced (and affable) TEFL teacher, based in Northern Ireland, has hosted many webinars on EFL/ESL teaching topics (see Tefl.org). You can find them posted on YouTube and Facebook. Recently Carl discussed how motivating students to learn and to engage with your lessons (and each other) can present a challenge.

How to encourage motivation and engagement may be especially challenging when you teach “young learners” (YL) and when adult learners (AL) have such busy lives that attending class (and preparing homework) can be tough

Carl suggested numerous strategies for EFL/ESL teachers and tutors. Here are a sample:

  1. Adopt a friendly teaching personality, even on your worst days (e.g. when you’re sleep-deprived, sick, etc.): Only the most ungracious and tactless student can resist the power of a friendly teacher/facilitator. Aim to be magnanimous!

2. All education involves at least some degree of suffering on the part of the student. So, when students are struggling, reassure them that if they keep trying, what you’re teaching will soon make sense.

3. Learn your students’ names as quickly as possible. You may need to use signs initially or nametags but make the effort to match faces to names.

4. Treat students individually and not according to stereotypes you may have heard about their cultures. Ask why they’re taking your course, and what music, food, pop culture, etc. they like.

5. Show students that they’re improving, by doing group vocabulary or grammar
“progress tests,” about every four weeks. You can also encourage students to make portfolios out of their marked exercises and projects; the portfolios provide a record of their efforts, in which they can take pride.

6. Explain how to use English in the real world—for instance, what words would you use if you went on holiday to New York City or to London, UK?

7. Use topics for conversation practice that are appropriate to the age of your students: For instance, what have the Kardashians done lately?

8. Think about different learning styles among students and use coloured images, pictures, YouTube videos and a wide variety of teaching activities (e.g., games, music, TedTalks, etc.)

9.Think about the bad teachers you had in life and do the opposite: smile, laugh, use humour, including having a laugh at yourself. Avoid being too serious.

10. Learn how to praise students without sounding like a sycophant.

11. Move students around in the room (or breakout rooms, on Zoom), so that every 10 minutes or so they must often work with someone new.

12. When giving “bad news,” remember to use a “bad news sandwich.” Preface and conclude bad news with good news, so the criticism doesn’t sound too harsh.

13. Male students often like to compete, so you can assign them words to define and use in sentences—“the first one with correct answers gets to choose the music for the class break.” By competing against their peers, some students are motivated to learn better. 

14. If your students know the grammar rules but are not applying them when they speak, then choose an activity that requires accuracy. For instance, you can search for online grammar and vocabulary games, where only one answer can be correct.

15. Be confident as a teacher, even if you do not feel that way. Remember the education and training that you have. Send yourself positive thoughts about how prepared you are to teach new learners of English.

16. You can create a Facebook group for each class and encourage its students to meet and practice their English with each other, in that group.

And now it’s your turn:

To facilitators/teachers: What ESL teaching tips or strategies do you use in a classroom?  

To students: What activities do you enjoy most in class?

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On finding calm with a new app (from Dr. Jud Brewer) in the mid-August issue of ‘Tell Your Story Newsletter’

August 2022 Vol 4 Issue 8

Tell Your Story Newsletter (TYSN):
Teaching ESL and Entrepreneurial Communications
“I will teach you how to tell your story”

Welcome Mid-August, 2022!

Another heat wave is upon us, this month, with temperatures expected to reach above 33 degrees Celsius, today! We might all be relieved not to live in Europe, however, where temperatures greater than 40 degrees
continue to break weather records. One of my ESL students in France has described images of drought familiar to Saskatchewanians: “brown grass, parched soil and air that is oppressively still.”

More evidence (if we needed it) of environmental degradation, due to climate change. Here at home, in happier news, the CBC announced last Friday that adult consumers in Saskatchewan (under 50 years of age) can now acquire their second Covid booster vaccinations. This is great news, as it is well overdue and remains our best defense against the “seventh wave,” now
evident in spiking infection levels in our local wastewater.

Do you find that any of life’s uncertainties—such as Covid, or a new program year—cause you anxiety? If so, keep reading!

In Article One, this month, I discuss some of the salient insights of a watershed mindfulness app, recently developed by psychiatrist and neuroscientist, Dr. Judson Brewer. Brewer and his team have named the app “Unwinding Anxiety,” picking up on the name of his earlier book on the topic (2021; reviewed in the November 2021 issue of “Tell YourStory Newsletter”).

The app dives deeply into how we turn to anxiety (unconsciously) as a “habit-loop” (i.e. a kind of easily triggered, bad habit) and shows us how to use mindfulness to break free of that. On the horizon? A healthier, happier state of being.

Then, in “Storyteller’s Corner,” we visit the blog of American etymologist, Bryan Garner, on the somewhat unflattering adjective, “embattled.” Most of the world could be said to feel “embattled” by Covid, as we enter year three.

To my valued readers: I hope these dog days of summer still give you time to sleep a little later than usual; linger over a cup of coffee a bit longer, maybe with family or friends; breathe deeply into sensations of anxiety you might otherwise try to flee. . . . . When you find inner-peace from any anxiety in your lives, I know you’ll share it with those whom you love, and with others who need it most.
Happy late summer! And may the program year that is about to launch bring you both fulfillment and peace of mind.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth

Principal
Storytelling Communications
www.elizabethshih.com
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IN THIS ISSUE:
ARTICLE 1: On finding calm with a new app from Dr. Jud Brewer
STORYTELLER’S CORNER:  Bryan Garner and the origins of “embattled”
SHOP NEWS
ABOUT US
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Article One: On Entrepreneurial Wellness–Finding calm with a new mindfulness app

In a 2021 book called Unwinding Anxiety: Treat your Brain to Heal your Mind, Brown University based addiction psychiatrist and neuroscientist, Dr. Jud Brewer, wrote compellingly about the depth and despair of human anxiety. (Note: I apologize for erring earlier by saying Brewer was based at Yale–he is no longer).

Brewer discussed (for the first time in a laypersons’ book) the habitual nature of anxiety, and discussed how the practice of curiosity, mindfulness and other strategies can help us to “unwind” anxiety and panic and shed unhelpful coping behaviours (e.g. OCD, overeating, gambling, alcohol and drug abuse, etc.). But the program he recommended was less than fully clear, especially to lay readers.

I’m writing this month to share that Dr. Brewer has since developed for international subscribers, a computer app, in which he defines the concept of anxiety the app will defuse, as “a feeling of worry, nervousness or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.”

As emotions go, anxiety is one of the most painful in human experience. Most of us have endured it in the past. And without being conscious about it, many sufferers only “feed it,” or “make it worse, in our efforts to make ourselves feel better.” When we feed anxiety, our minds become more and more
tightly wound up in stress and fear, even though most of those fears are unfounded and seldom come to pass.

Dr. Brewer reminds us that the human brain is wired for reward-based learning. The brain learns by identifying a “trigger,” which causes us to exhibit a particular “behaviour,” that in turn gives us a predictable “reward”: Trigger—> Behaviour —>Reward.

His app shows that reward-based learning works well when we have good experiences—and can overwhelm us, when they are bad. As Brewer says in his app, “a bad feeling triggers anxiety, we distract ourselves and we feel slightly better, temporarily, and we repeat.” Therefore, we binge on
chocolate bars, ice cream, excess gambling, smoking, drinking, etc. We get caught in what Dr. Brewer calls a “habit loop,” where we’re only distracting ourselves from the emotional sources of anxiety, and which traps us from addressing what underpins it.

In the app which was years in the making, Brewer actually illustrates how to use specific exercises, so that even people who thought mindfulness would not work for them, can learn “to pay attention to the present moment and non-judgmentally.” We learn in real time how to use curiosity, focused
breathing and other simple and effective exercises.

Amazing truths arise from the “Unwinding Anxiety” app. If you’ve ever experienced anxiety surrounding performance or relationships—or any other stressor–I encourage you to subscribe and study it for yourself:

https://unwindinganxiety.com

(Recognizing that some sufferers cannot afford private medical apps, Dr. Brewer and his team, who also staff an online community meeting place for clients, can offer short-term access, pro bono.)

When we learn the reality of how anxiety works, as he says, “we can begin to care for our minds ourselves, becoming the ‘master mechanic’ ” of them.

This is life-altering medicine, good readers, and I encourage you to explore it for yourself and to find what steps you can take to liberate you from anxiety.

Rather than trying to ignore or distract ourselves from it, we can learn how to maintain calm and sustain more joy in our lives than we otherwise would feel.

Thank you, Dr. Brewer!

And now it’s your turn. When have you experienced anxiety in this hyper-digital, fast-paced age?How have you managed it? Would you consider using an app to train yourself to restore calm and resilience?

Please write in; I’d be delighted to hear from you.

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STORYTELLER’s CORNER . . . .

STORYTELLER’S CORNER: Words, Stories, Riddles and Jokes on Writing and Editing . . . 

Bryan Garner and the origins of “embattled”

American etymologist Bryan Garner recently discussed in his “Usage Tip for the Day,” the term “embattled.”

He tells us that “embattled” has “traditionally meant “ready for battle,” usually in reference to an aggressor whose troops and weapons are ready for fighting.” For instance, we could read: “The enemy’s army waited, embattled, for the sun to rise over the battlefield.”

But in the last 70 years, Garner writes, the adjective has taken on the sense of “beleaguered (perhaps through sound association with battered) and has been applied instead to the victim of aggression.”

We might describe former UK prime minister Boris Johnson as “embattled” during his last months of office, when his dishonest and illegal activities finally caused the Conservative party to expel him.

Closer to home, a classic example of “embattled” individuals was furnished by the “Canadian Senate expenses scandal” (also known as “Duffygate”) in 2013. Then, “embattled” senators Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau were publicly exposed for their excessive spending habits and dubious expense claims.

The late American actress Elizabeth Taylor was seen for much of her life as an “embattled” screen icon, whose affairs, eight marriages to seven men, religious conversions, substance abuse and many years of ill health became tantalizing fodder for the tabloid press on both sides of the Atlantic.

“Embattled” is an adjective in active use. For instance, consider the following sentence (from yours truly): “After enduring years of Covid-19’s mercurial symptoms, unexpected contagion, high mortality rates, repeated testing and vaccinations, our embattled public have expressed ‘wishful
thinking’ that Covid may soon be over.”

Do you have a question, story, riddle or joke on any aspect of communications?
Please share it with me; I’d be delighted to use it in an upcoming issue.

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SHOP NEWS:

PROMOTIONS & SHARING

And now for my favourite feature of this newsletter!

This month, I’m delighted to introduce you to the acrylic landscape painting of Saskatoon based artist, Steph Pister.

A family member recently gave me one of Steph’s remarkable landscape paintings, to beautify my office. The painting is called “Take Cover,” as rain clouds advance on the prairie horizon (shown below, with apologies for icontact’s small image size limits):

Steph describes herself as having “a passion for capturing Canadian landscapes and living skies.”

I was introduced to her work through her Facebook page, “Steph Pister Art” (@StephPisterArt), where she has more than 400 followers.

There you’ll find her remarkable vision of rural Saskatchewan, and especially of the lake country where she grew up.

She has trained with expert Robin Adair, of U of S community arts, and is highly prolific.

Steph is available for commission painting and invites inquiries over Facebook.

Make your home or office reflect some of Saskatchewan’s under-appreciated beauty and support a gifted local artist who is also a hardworking mom!

Steph’s prices also make her art affordable for gift-giving. (As they say, Christmas is right around the corner…!)

I invite you to follow her on Facebook, where she updates her large collection, frequently.
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I’m also delighted to update you on the success of cohort two of digiSMART, the latest program offered by Saskatoon’s own Praxis School of Entrepreneurship.

DigiSMART allows entrepreneurs of all ages and niches to “upskill” their digital knowledge. The program’s second cohort is fast at work, applying what they’ve learned.

And PSE Vice-President Brent Kreuger, Chief Facilitator Deanna Litz, along with alum from the startSMART program, Christina Cherneskey and I, have queued up to present special modules on digital communications
(including videos, podcasts. blogging and social media).

Now be honest: Wouldn’t your business grow faster and stronger if you could adopt these kinds of marketing? Want to use communications to tell your unique story? Here are the details!

DigiSMART has been made possible by provincial government funding, so is available FREE for business owners in and around Saskatoon.

Select from a range of 40 modules, including “basic,” “strategic” and “specialized.” Register for just one, four, or all 40 modules to build your skills toolbox!

A new cohort will shortly start. Contact program administrator Elaine at (306) 664-0500 who will answer your questions, send you the outline of modules and show you how to register.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity of the year: digiSMART!

And please spread the word to other entrepreneurs who know that upgrading their tech skills will grow their businesses!

There are always new businesses and entrepreneurs to promote. Please send me your list of faves!  But this is a wrap for mid-August!
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ABOUT US:

Between 2011 and December 2018, Elizabeth Shih Communications chronicled the stories of B2B marketing and communications on the Prairies and across the country.

Effective January 1, 2019, I rebranded as “Storytelling Communications.”

I now teach English as a second language (ESL) that helps new and economic immigrants to secure better jobs; I write communications documents that help SMEs to close more sales by communicating more effectively;
and I write ebooks and chapbooks that help companies share their legacies.

Interested in learning more? Please contact me through my CASL-compliant
website (www.elizabethshih.com).

After I receive your message, I’ll be pleased to discuss projects with you!
Please visit my website for more information (www.storytellingcommunications.ca)