Motivational Quote of the Day

I love to be inspired. Especially on those days where I just feel blah. I also love to be inspired on those days where I'm giving a big presentation to a large group of people and I want to make sure I really "wow" them (or when I'm instructed by my Vice President to really "wow" them...that's another thing I enjoy...being told that I have to give an amazing presentation because there are really "important" people who will be listening....no pressure).

Anyways, the other day before my big presentation, I wrote on a Post-it note a saying from a favourite singer of mine which helped me get in the right frame of mind.

This is what I wrote: "I cannot text you with a drink in my hand, eh" which is a line from Lady Gaga's hit song "Telephone".

Now this to you may not seem like a typical motivational or inspirational quote but for me it did the trick. It made me smile. I put the Post-it in between my presentation material so that when I was reviewing it before I did my big show, I saw it and it helped me stay calm. I remembered there's more important things in life than my work life. There's Lady Gaga.

Whether or not you like Lady Gaga or the song Telephone is irrelevant. What matters is finding something that resonates with you...something that will remind you that there's life beyond work, beyond your career. There are things in your life which you are passionate about. For me one of those things is music so looking at the quote reminds me not to take what I'm doing too seriously even though the world tells me to. It reminds me to be my authentic self even when work is pressuring me to try to woo insurance brokers.

In addition to this, this lyric is incredibly deep and a message to all those people who are trying to text and drink. Who knew you couldn't do both?! Clearly, Lady Gaga is onto something. Oh yes, and one other thing....don't try to wear a Lady Gaga inspired meat dress to your work's Halloween party...that doesn't go over so well either.

Question of the Day

What is up with people who "write" work emails and use "unnecessary" quotation "marks"?

My Thoughts On Being a Superstar

As you may recall, in my post from August 25th, Choosing Not To Become Famous, I clearly indicated I have made the important decision that everyone who works in insurance must make at some point: Fame versus Anonymity. I articulated all the reasons why I have chosen to reject the superstardom that threatens to entrap many in the insurance industry.

However, I must admit to you, the other day I got to thinking what life would be like if I was the Celine Dion, the Oprah Winfrey, the Sidney Crosby of the insurance industry.

Just imagine waking up in the morning, thinking of how weather patterns have wrecked havoc with the company’s profits, wondering what industry regulations could be coming down the pipe, contemplating rates, coverages, and combined ratios (I don’t know what that means but I hear the term a lot so I believe it has some sort of significance and thought I should throw it in). Pretty heady stuff. It’s intoxicating. I think it must be similar to Angelina Jolie’s life waking up next to Brad Pitt every morning.

The statement I’m making is obvious: who needs a hottie husband when you have this type of career?

Why aren’t more people clamouring to be in insurance and trying to attain superstardom in this industry? I often wonder. The intrigue, the mystery… the monotony. It’s everything a person could want in a full-time career. I think the average person must think it’s unobtainable and that they would never have the good fortune of being that “lucky” to work in insurance AND be an insurance star....it’s similar to winning the lottery.

Only this lottery is better...you don’t win millions of dollars and get to retire, but instead you get to work at a desk every day for 40 hours a week, attend meetings and read about specified perils (note: I do not expect you to know what “specified perils” means; I am simply using the term to dazzle you with my insurance acumen…and I wanted to use the word “acumen” after reading it in the airline magazine that was on the plane today).

Did you know that if you are a megastar in the insurance industry, there’s the possibility you might actually have an entourage? Who doesn’t want an entourage? Just the word “entourage” is scintillating. And it wouldn’t be just any entourage.... it would be an insurance entourage...filled with accountants, analysts and actuaries.

Insurance Superstar - if it sounds cool, that’s because it is.

How to Make Enemies at Work - Part 2

In October, I posted "How to Make Enemies at Work" which involved a real-life conversation between two of my co-workers.

Here is another work conversation. This one is from 1999 and involves "co-worker #1" from the other scenario.

Co-worker #1 (woman) to Co-Worker #2 (male):
"I see you're going bald. I once knew a guy who was going bald...he used to be good looking."

Work Idea of the Week

DCW's Work Idea of the Week: Record the song "What Do You Want From Me?" by Adam Lambert as the greeting for your voice mail at work.

So Last Week: Using a Justin Bieber haircut to woo the girls in the mail room.

Office Pranks to Pass the Time

Today’s post is taken from the book “Pranks and Pastimes for The Workplace” from Loncraine Broxton.

Suggestion #1 – Four Little Words

If your co-worker is called away from their desk and leaves a word processing or email document open, saunter over and change just a couple of words – four maximum. The changes are your co-worker won’t notice such small changes and will send the document out with your evil amendments intact!

Suggestion #2 - The Coffee Mugger

Switch the coffee in your office coffee-maker to decaf. Watch everyone become increasingly irritable as the day wears on, then switch back to espresso and make a quick getaway!

Sign Me Up For More Sinus Cold Medication

Sinus cold medication is my new friend. Let me tell you why. It makes work seem awesome.

Last week I made the important realization that when I am on non-drowsy, generic, sinus cold medication, I actually enjoy being at work. It feels like being slightly tipsy. It’s a feeling of serenity and calm. Maybe this is what all those people who meditate experience.

Normal work irritants seem trivial and are certainly not worth getting upset about. I appreciate my co-workers in a whole new way…I love them all! I am funnier and can easily laugh at my own “jokes” (when I say “jokes” I mean anything that I consider funny which can be just about anything; as I mentioned in other posts, I have a predisposition towards laughing at my own “jokes” but the cold medicine just enhances this characteristic).

Also, creative thoughts seem to flow out of me. I came up with brilliant slogans for some of our insurance products even though this has nothing to do with my job. Clearly, I am a blessing to my company when I am on this type of cold medication.

The moral of the story is the next time you feel you’re getting sick and you’re all bummed out because your body feels like crap, take some non-drowsy, cheap, no-name brand of cold relief medicine and experience the wonderment of these drugs. See how they mix beautifully with your work. Although I have to admit, it might be a good idea to have a colleague read all emails you send while on these drugs.

Coming Soon: the DCW ponders profound questions such as why can we put people into space but we can’t make a cough syrup that doesn’t taste awful? What does this say about us a species? What is wrong with us???? And how can you really describe it as “cherry” flavoured? Isn’t that an insult to cherries everywhere?

Alert! These are not the same!