How a sick day can make you feel better

How a sick day can make you feel betterHow a sick day can make you feel betterImagine youre at home and someone knocks on your front door. You open the door and greet a dapper gentleman in a suit, sporting a thin mustache and slicked-back hair. He looks like someone from the early 1900s.Illustrations by John WeissFollow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreNot a word is spoken. The fellow tilts his head to the right, inviting you outside. His face is kind. Curious, you follow.The gentleman raises his hand up as if to seemingly rest it against the scenery of your street. Except when he does this, he opens an invisible door. Beyond it, you see people celebrating at a wedding. They are dressed like the gentleman, in clothing from the past.You follow him and step through this doorway in time. You become a guest amongst the wedding reception participants. There are children, people dancing, fami ly laughing, and a robust priest smiling as he enjoys the feast.The wedding cake is cut and there is applause. You spy a photographer with an old style camera and flash. He is about to take a picture of the bride and groom. You glance over at them, and it hits you.They are your parents.More emotionally susceptibleToday I had the misfortune of coming down with a bad virus. The full-service kind, complete with fever, sore throat, aches, and general misery.Illness forces you to hunker down at home for a while. Restricted from the usual rhythms of life, you dont have much to do but read or watch television. I tried to do some painting and writing but didnt have the energy.Whenever I get sick, I become more emotionally susceptible to poignant books, movies, videos, and music. Maybe getting sick is our bodys way of taking time out from everyday life, so that we can slow down and revisit the past. Conjure old memories and feelings long dormant.So there I was, ensconced on the couch watchin g television when a commercial for FedEx came on. Most commercials I ignore, but this one was creative and touching. In fact, it was the very scene I described in the opening of this article.The commercial is titled Memories. Take a moment to watch it below.A silentguestIm bedrngnis sure how I would respond if some mystical gentleman opened a portal to the past for me, and I found myself at my parents wedding.Perhaps I would share with them our future vacations in Carmel, California, where we had picnics on the beach and watched the surf together.Or maybe I would warn Dad about his heart attack, and the distance that he and Mom would sometimes share in later years.Most likely, I wouldnt say a word. Id remain as a silent guest, taking in all the splendor and joy of the moment. The past is always there for us to visit, but visiting the past to verehrtester the future surely violates some cosmic rule.The call of our ancestorsYou can only watch so much television when youre sick at home . I tried to paint in my art studio for a while, but I didnt have the energy. I ended up reading the newspaper and came across an interesting story buried on the third page.It was about a World War II veteran namedFrank Manchel, who was on an all-expenses-paid weekend trip for veterans to Washington D.C. Manchel was on the Honor Flight back home to San Diego.Manchel was laughing, chatting and having a good time. And then, about an hour before landing, he collapsed. Doctors on the flight (including his son) unsuccessfully tried to revive him.Perhaps our ancestors know when to call us home. Maybe Mancels last visit to Washington D.C. and all those memories of his fallen buddies sparked some kind of unraveling in his soul. A sort of release, allowing him to pass over the veil.I can envision family, friends, and soldiers long gone greeting Mancel with open arms after he passed.Theres a beautiful Garth Brooks song titledThe Dance.All this reflection put me in a somber mood, and I decided to play the song.Its about the importance of living out our lives. There will be good and bad, but to miss out on the experience would be the greatest injustice.The following lyrics fromThe Dancesum it up perfectlyYes my life is better left to chanceI could have missed the painBut Id have had to miss thedanceRoses in ourwinterWhat do a FedEx commercial, dying World War II veteran, and Garth BrookssThe Dance,all mean?That life is meant to be lived in full. The good, the bad, and everything in between. We must not remain haunted by regrets, seize each day, remember to savor those sweet times gone by and embrace our memories.Author and columnist George Will once wrote thatMemories are roses in our winter.My 85-year-old mother can attest to that. She often reminisces, recalling vivid memories of the past. We smile and laugh as we talk about the good old days.Its amazing to me that all this reflection was spawned by one sick day at home and a silly FedEx commercial. But as noted above, perhaps thats why we get sick sometimes. To force us to slow down, shut out the world, revisit some memories and reflect on life.My sick day, ironically, made me feel better. It allowed me to reflect and focus on the important things in life, rather than all the other noise that gets in the way.I dont recommend getting sick, but if you do, use the time for some gentle reflection and reminiscence. Itll clear your mind, and make you feel better.All of our dances will end someday, and wasnt it Socrates who wrote that the unexamined life is not worth living?(Originally published atJohnPWeiss.com)Before yougoImJohn P. Weiss.I paint landscapes, draw cartoons and write about life. Thanks for reading.This article first appeared on Medium.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will ersatzdarsteller your productivityThe wo rst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

How to Overcome a Weakness Gain Confidence in Your Skills

How to Overcome a Weakness Gain Confidence in Your SkillsHow to Overcome a Weakness Gain Confidence in Your SkillsThere I welches, on an early Saturday morning, in front of a group of haggard, hung over, middle-aged men, presenting my companys new products to a key distributors sale team.After the presentations, the group of men voted on the best and worst speaker of the day. And guess who was voted the worst?Me.I was humiliated and horrified, but honestly, it was a good decision- I was terrible.So, I immediately hatched a plan to find a new job that would never require me to speak in front of a group of people again. How could I go through with it?But, I also figured out an alternate escape route If I simply gained the confidence to speak in front of people, Id never again find myself in that horrifying situation in the first place.Im happy to report that the competitor in me prevailed, and I chose the latter course. And if youre in the same boat- maybe youve had a similar catastr ophic experience, or maybe you just dont feel good enough in your day-to-day role- know that you, too, can boost your confidence in your abilities and face your weakness head-on. Heres how.1. Build Relationships and Trust With OthersWhen you build strong, trusting relationships with your co-workers (and even the clients you work with), youll gain an army of supporters- so even if you dont fully believe in yourself, your team will.After my career mishap, I approached my team to let them know how I intended to improve for future presentations. And suddenly, I had a group of raving fans who constantly encouraged me, gave me honest feedback, and shared their own trials and slip-ups with me. (When someone you trust says, Hey, I had an epic fail once- but I overcame it, and you can, too- its a pretty powerful confidence booster.)I also approached my customer and promised that Id never be the worst speaker again. He encouraged and supported me, and he trusted that Id follow through with my commitment.Having a team (and clients) that wants you to succeed is empowering. And with their motivation and votes of confidence, youll be encouraged to push forward.2. Have Clear Objectives and a Plan to Meet ThemWhile looking to others for encouragement is great, something that we often trap ourselves in when trying to overcome a weakness is looking to them for approval. On the contrary, when you tischset your own goals for success, you have something to grab onto and own yourself. You can be more concerned with reaching your own objectives than with meeting the approval of others.So, once you set your mind to something, put a plan in place to meet it. My goal, of course, was to learn to speak and present myself more effectively. To get to that point, I went to a local university and signed up for two terms of communications courses. And I didnt just sit in the back and take notes I asked for feedback on everything from my presentation outlines to the way I pronounced specific w ords.It was a humbling and powerful experience- but the end result was well worth it.Whats more, I learned that with a goal, well laid-out steps, and self-directed action, I had more power and potential than I ever imagined.3. Focus on Small Wins That said, as you work toward your ultimate goal, remember You do not need to win the gold medal on day 1.After all, did I return to the sales group the next week and knock them off their feet with a killer speech? Wishful thinking But no, I didnt.In my communications classes, the professor had us take baby steps and get small wins. So, we started by writing a good outline. Then, we gave a short speech on that outline. Next was a longer speech, then more complex and even longer speeches. Then, we recorded our speeches for feedback. And eventually, we attempted extemporaneous speaking (hows that for nerve-wracking?).Small step by small step, I gained experience, new skills, and confidence. Each small win gave me an opportunity to celebrate- which helped push me further.And you can do the same. As you work toward your goals, keep track of your progress in a journal or calendar- and celebrate each and every victory, no matter how small.4. Leverage Your StrengthsWhile you work on building your skills directly (like taking a few classes, as in my situation), surround yourself with opportunities to use your other strengths, too. This will amplify your sense of accomplishment- which will boost your confidence even more.For example, I wasnt a great speaker, but I knew I was good at building rapport, following up, and developing account management strategies, and I could help people understand complex situations quickly and easily. When I focused on these natural talents, it helped me build my confidence in every area of my work- including public speaking.Too often, we focus only on weaknesses (Im terrible at public speaking, so I dont even deserve this job), which dissolves any semblance of confidence we have and can impact o ur performance in other areas. So, although your strengths will never erase your weaknesses entirely, theyll be a good reminder that you are competent- and that with those skills, youll be able to overcome any shortcomings.The takeaway? Even if youre faced with a weakness, dont be afraid to stretch yourself, try new things, and take more risks. The more things you try, the more choices and opportunities youll have- which pretty much puts the world at your fingertips.Most of all, believe in your ability to succeed. Once you have that confidence, youll roll with the ups and downs of your job without a second thought. Surprise presentation? Bring it onPhoto of man at work courtesy of Shutterstock.

Securities Law Job Job Description

Securities Law Job Job DescriptionSecurities Law Job Job DescriptionAfter the 2009 financial crisis, investment scandal, and other white-collar crimes, securities law has become a specialization of particular interest to many legal professionals. History of Securities Law Securities law anfangsbuchstabely developed in response to another financial crisis- the far greater calamity of the market collapse in 1929. As part of Franklin Delano Roosevelts New Deal, Congress enacted the Securities Act of 1933 as well as the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which created the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Prior to the 1933 and 1934 Acts, state laws governed securities in what is known as blue sky laws. These state laws remain applicable in certain situations in which security remains exempt from federal laws. Job Duties Securities attorneys represent clients with respect to stocks, mutual funds, bonds, and other financial instruments. This work is primarily divided into thr ee broad areas- transactional practice, regulatory practice, and litigation. Transactions Transactional work entails managing the legal technicalities of initial public offerings, secondary offerings, mergers and acquisitions, and private sale of securities. Issuances of stock or other securities are used to finance business throughout the globe. Transactional attorneys facilitate these operations on behalf of their clients, ranging from large corporations to individual investors. Securities attorneys often work closely with tax specialists in structuring these transactions. Regulations While transactional attorneys revel in the glory of the deal, the regulatory aspect of the practice maintains the integrity of the transactions. At its heart, the 1933 Act ensures disclosure of important financial information. Attorneys specializing in regulatory work enable companies, and certain individuals, to disclose the appropriate information in a timely manner. These regulations are e nforced by not only the SEC but also other regulatory agencies, including the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, National Association of Securities Dealers, New York Stock Exchange, and NASDAQ. Securities attorneys frequently rely on paralegals to aid in filing the copious paperwork involved in regulatory work. Litigation If companies run afoul of the regulations, securities litigators then become the central players. Securities litigators work in both civil and criminal arenas, as they litigate civil suits as well as civil or criminal enforcement actions. For example, securities attorneys may represent a corporations shareholders in a securities fraud lawsuit against the corporations officers and directors, or they may assist clients in matters involving the breach of SEC regulations. Education and Skills A legal education is, of course, essential to becoming a securities attorney. While a Juris Doctorate degree is required, a background in finance or accounting is also crucial in a securities attorneys development.In addition to having excellent writing skills, securities attorneys must be able to read and understand financial data.