The Smithsonian channel officially launched on September 26, 2007. So as you might have guessed, I have been avidly watching every show they air.

The more I learn about the institute, the more uneasy I feel how little I orignially knew.
You might be thinking that the channel is just like the Discovery Channel or Science Channle, but it’s not. Mainly because the interum between shows in not cluttered with mindless advertising… yet… Hopefully never.

I like the programming so much that I donated $35.00 to the institution just now.

The channel is only available if you have Directv and HD equipment, but I think it is well worth the cost. (Channel 267)

Lately I have been listening to a CD called, “Einstein’s Dream CD.” Needless to say, I am amazed. If you have ever wanted to stay focused while writing or reading, then this music is for you.

I started listening to the music at an audible level when I was doing some journal writing the other day. And to begin I might add that I am a big fan of classical music. So if you are annoyed or appalled by it, then you might want to try a different approach to concentration. Getting back to the journaling that day… I am usually quite distracted by any type of noise in or even outside of my room, which usually causes me to break thought and start doing something completely unrelated. But the first time I started listening to the Einstein Dream music, I didn’t lose my train of thought at all.
The description of the product states that it is, “Einstein’s favorite music.” Not that I care who else likes the music, but the fact might be interesting for some people. I do however believe that the music does, “stimulate creativity and imagination,” because I am already starting to have multiple instances in which ideas just pop into my head.
Maybe you still don’t like classical music, or are afraid of trying new things. If you still have any hesitations about the music, just ask yourself one thing- What or Who could it hurt to try something new?

Maybe your job seems like a waste of time lately. Your car barely runs. Or perhaps you just don’t like your current financial or living status. Whatever it is weighing down on the top of your head like a ten-pound weight, all of the ‘problems’ have something in common. They are problems. Hmm. Did I just repeat myself? Can you think about the last time you wanted to change something positive in your life?-I can’t. The one thing that all of these problems have in common is that they are negatively impacting YOUR life. Not your co-workers, neighbor, or even your spouse. They are either creating stress in your life or causing you some other form of discomfort.
Making these problems clear is easy and it is a start to seeing a more positive life start to grow. So you have been ‘on edge’ for the past week and have probably forgotten all together why. Well I have found the best way to discover what is plaguing your life is to sit down and write down all of the positive things that you value. Even though this might seem like you are focusing on the opposite end of the problem, it is exactly what I want to happen to you. After you get done reading that list of family members, pets, morals, and so on, you notice your mind focusing on a more positive lifestyle. And because you had previously conditioned your mind to seeing only the negative around you, you will now clearly see the negative thoughts right in front of you. They usually come one by one depending on how much they are impacting your life. But one by one is how you should handle the problems.
So now that you have the ability to see what is bothering you, why not change? Change is so easy. If something isn’t working then try something else.

I think I will begin with a thought I had today about one end of the work force. At times I have thought that doing your job was the only reason you actually go to work. And even though you might think that this is a crazy thing to say, I know for a fact that at least 20% of the people you work with don’t fully do their job on a daily or even weekly basis. I have come to know these people quite well. Basically they come to work to simply get paid. As long as the paycheck on Friday arrives, they are happy.
I personally have a problem with this ideology when it comes to employment. Not that I am here to teach these people to live their lives (or perhaps I am) but I think it comes down to one simple fact- respect. Respect for yourself. Have enough decency to learn your job and learn it well. Otherwise you will find yourself in the middle of a day telling the customer the wrong thing and starting an avalanche in customer service.
You will find me at the other end of the job spectrum. I am not boasting my work ethic, nor my experience, but rather my dedication. I take pride in learning whatever I have to do on a daily basis from beginning to end. It may be my incessant urge to learn how everything around me works; in fact I think it is.
Perhaps at the end of this entire blurb, I have completed and answered my own thoughts and questions on the subject. Don’t just go to work to make money, because we all know that will drive you mad. Yet go to work wanting to learn something new. If you already know everything, then dig a little deeper. You’d be surprised what you will find when you ask the right questions to the right people.

In today’s world information can literally spread within seconds. Blink and you will definitely miss something important.

I personally think it is amazing how quickly information can spread. Take for example the way big companies now operate. In the past if a customer had a bad experience, the public would usually not hear anything about it. That is unless it was unique and news worthy. Yet, nowadays when almost anything happens, no matter how small, we hear about it. Reason being that the internet has become a massive forum to house the information. Instead of relying on media to filter our information with policy and procedure, we are beginning to cut out the middle man all together.

It is interesting the way that big companies must walk on egg shells in such an information critical age. If you deal with customer service then you may know what I am talking about. Whenever customer service tells a customer something, not only is the customer hearing it, but now the world. Customer service can even change the face of the company within minutes. A once thought private call with a customer could in fact be a publically broadcasted conversation on the internet.

So with all this in mind, everyone should begin to embrace the change. And I’m not saying that the change is recent because it has been here for awhile. On the other hand, I am saying that big companies have to start focusing on all of the information that the company acquires and generates.