💎 Friday Gems #32 (Artist Affirmations, Speaking Up at Work, Resilience During Job Search)

Plus a reader poll!

Dear Low Fidelity readers!

I love hearing from you, whether it’s getting feedback on what is working or not working in this newsletter or just checking in and saying hi. I especially love it when I hear messages like the one below letting me know what this newsletter means to you. A lot of the time, I feel like I am screaming into the void, but messages like this let me know that you are getting value from the words I share.

Thank you for being a part of our journey.🥹💜

P.S. I wouldn’t mind at all if you replied to this email to let me know if this newsletter has been helpful to you in any way at all. ;)

On to the gems!

💎 Beginner Artist Affirmations

Whether you’re a new or a seasoned artist, you know how quickly the inner critic pops into your head to make you second guess yourself and to keep you from making art, let alone sharing it with others. Affirmations are a great way to remind ourselves that we matter and that what we create matters to us and to the world.

This is why I loved reading

Carolyn Yoo

’s Beginner Artist Affirmations because we need a constant reminder of the gift within each of us and share what brings us joy with the world.

Her four affirmations are powerups you can use to get over the objections that come up as you create your art, so memorize them, print them out, post them up, write your own, and take a moment each time you sit down to create art as a reminder that nothing will come in between creating your art and sharing it with the world.

Carolyn’s newsletter is full of goodness and support for artists at any level. She shares advice on materials and supplies while giving us a glimpse into her own processes and inspirations so you will definitely want to subscribe to her newsletter.

Source: Carolyn Yoo’s Newsletter - CYOO

💎 Don’t Let “Being New” Stop You From Speaking Up

Speaking up = Succeeding at work.

I see it too often at work: employees who sit on the sidelines and don’t participate in discussions, especially when their manager or an executive is present. They sit quietly and don’t share their ideas or don’t add anything to the team discussions. Actually, I used to be one of those people who would join silently, stay quiet, hoping not to be called upon, and pray for a silent exit to get back to my work, my safe space.

But my silence got me nowhere.

Why was I staying quiet?

Because I wasn’t confident in myself or my ideas, it was a self-fulfilling prophecy. I didn’t speak up because I didn’t think people liked my ideas, and because I stayed quiet, people didn’t know about my ideas, let alone like them, so they never asked me about my ideas; it was a vicious cycle.

As I developed my skills and practiced speaking up in meetings, I noticed people didn’t negate my ideas as my anxiety led me to believe. My ideas actually resonated with people, which gave me the confidence to keep sharing ideas and to speak up more. By getting out of my comfort zone, I started the positive reinforcement of speaking up and getting feedback on my ideas, and the inner struggle slowly subsided.

This is why I believe that speaking up means succeeding at work.

Even though this article is targeted at those new to an organization, I believe the advice in it applies to anyone, no matter how long you have been at a job or where you are in your career.

Speaking up at work counts because it helps you:

• gain visibility

• increase your influence

• enhance your credibility

• build your social capital

Now, the goal of speaking up isn’t for the sake of speaking up but to make it count. To do this, we need to be intentional, respectful, and strategic with our words, but most of all, we need to practice humility because we can learn so much from others as well, so we must be open to changing our minds and hold our beliefs lightly to learn, grow, and enjoy our work and life.

Source: HBR

💎 How To Handle The Emotional Side of Job Loss and Job Search with Resiliency

Photo by Slim Emcee on Unsplash

Losing a job through no fault of your own can bring a lot of emotions to the surface. So, how do you show up without letting the emotions weigh you down, especially in a prolonged job search?

In this article, Al Siebert, author of The Resiliency Advantage: Master Change, Thrive Under Pressure and Bounce Back from Setbacks, shares ten guidelines to skillfully handle the emotional challenge of dealing with a job loss and searching for new employment.

Here are a few that stood out for me.

1. Write how you feel - Writing about our pains is cathartic. Getting all those feelings out of you can help you get back on track and help you see a way forward.

2. Form a small support group - This is a moment we need more human connection, not less. Our friends can help encourage us and be a sounding board for ideas.

3. Rebuild your self-esteem - Take some time to think back to all the amazing things you have done and accomplished. Write them down and collect endorsements from your recent coworkers. These don’t need to be earth-shattering accomplishments; they can be tiny wins along the way to remind you and your future employer of just how amazing you are.

Check out the rest of the guidelines to see which ones resonate with you.

Source: Resiliency Center

💎 A gem of a quote

💎 Weekly Poll

Let me know in the comments if any of the gems resonate with you. I always love hearing from you. :)

Thanks for reading, and have a fantastic weekend!

Rizwan

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