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A. Rey of Hope
Blog
Develop a Can-Do Attitude: Success Principles Gleaned From Teaching the Deaf
| Posted on 10 May, 2016 at 15:05 |
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When
I was a little girl, my parents took me to visit our cousins. I noticed
immediately that something was different in the way they communicated.
They used hand gestures and had an interesting accent when they spoke
orally. Their children were also using these hand gestures from the crib
and play pen. I learned that my cousins were Deaf and that their two
children were hearing, but were communicating with them in American Sign
Language (ASL). I was completely and utterly enthralled to say the
least. I loved watching them communicate and vowed to learn their
beautiful expressive language. As I got older, I became interested in
Helen Keller after watching The Miracle Worker, and decided that I wanted to teach Deaf children at some point in my life. I
realized that dream the year after I graduated from college. I chose to
take a year off between college and law school, and obtained a position
as an instructor and sometimes interpreter at the NY School for the
Deaf. I wound up staying 3 years as I loved it so much! I attended law
school in the evening instead of the day in order to continue teaching.
Those three years were very important to me. They helped me develop my
love of ASL and become an advocate for persons with disabilities. I
wrote and published many pieces on disability law, taught disability law
classes for a law school as an adjunct professor, and served as the
co-chair of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Committee for the
American Bar Association. Eventually,
I left my law career and that ended my official disability law
pursuits. However, it did not end my love affair with sign language, or
my support of Deaf rights. I carried many lessons with me that I learned
from my years working within the Deaf community. Did you
ever notice that when someone is speaking to a deaf or hard of hearing
person, they do the one thing that makes absolutely no sense? They start
speaking a lot louder! Sometimes they even start yelling. This makes
absolutely no sense because the one thing the deaf person can't do is
hear. In
fact, the Deaf community has a popular phrase: "I can do anything but
hear!" It is an empowering phrase that reminds them that although
deafness may be perceived by the hearing world as a disability, that is
their only limitation. What is
your perceived "disability"? How would you answer the phrase "I can do
anything but _______." I am hoping that there is nothing after the word
but. However, some of you may have something that came to mind. It may
be a limiting belief, an outdated assumption, a block, an objection, a
stereotype, a negative message that you were programmed to believe.
Those things may be your version of a disability. Here
are 5 success principles I learned from teaching the Deaf that will help
you develop a Can-Do Attitude and start breaking through your own
limitations. 1. Don't Make Assumptions We all make assumptions based on our background and experience. We often have a running commentary in our head that is like a broken record playing over and over. Be careful of that recording! I learned about not making assumptions from my experience working with the Deaf. For example, sign language isn't Universal. Not all deaf people can read lips. Not everything is as it appears in life. What "assumptions" are you holding onto that may be wrong, outdated or are not serving you in business and in life? Work on identifying them, turning them on their head and challenging them. 2. Make Eye Contact You must look at a deaf person to communicate. In the hearing world, it is amazing how many people don't make eye contact when speaking to each other. Making eye contact is a great habit to cultivate in general, but it is even more vital for an entrepreneur, coach, consultant and certainly for a speaker. Pay attention to people when they are speaking to you. Make eye contact and show them that you care! 3. Don't Just Hear... Listen and Understand Deaf
people can't hear, but they do listen. A common phrase that the Deaf
often use when having a conversation is "I understand". They are showing
that they are paying attention to what you are communicating, and that
they are truly listening to you. Many people are good speakers, but not
good listeners. If you are not truly listening, try it. It can make a
huge difference in your communication and relationships. 4. Keep Your Sense of Humor Many
deaf people have a wickedly good sense of humor, and can laugh at
themselves. This is a great lesson for all us in life and business. It
helps you to keep a positive attitude and draws people to you. Find the
humor in everything and keep things as light as you can. I often think
humor is a wonderful way of diffusing many difficult or challenging
situations. Learning to laugh at life, and ourselves, is a great skill
to cultivate. 5. Plan Ahead for Life's Bumps in the Road If you know there may be a roadblock ahead, don't bury your head in the sand... plan for it. I had a student named Matthew that had Usher's Syndrome. He was deaf and was slowly losing his eyesight also. Usher's Syndrome causes loss of vision slowly over a period of time, first affecting your peripheral vision and then slowly affecting your entire eyesight like a tunnel closing up. Matthew planned ahead for this eventual vision loss by learning braille and sign language in hand so he could continue to communicate. Talk about dedication and planning ahead for a bump in the road! Take a page out of Matthew's book. When you plan ahead, prepare and face life head on. It helps you to not only obtain a better result, but possibly enjoy the journey and the process. I hope
you are inspired by these brave deaf individuals and their can-do
attitude. Now ask yourself, can you develop a Can-Do Attitude? What
success principles do you have in your bag of tricks to help you start
overcoming your perceived limitations? Start tapping into those success
principles and tools. Here's to a Can-Do Attitude! Copyright 2016 © Lisa Montanaro Lisa
Montanaro is a Productivity Consultant, Success Coach, Business
Strategist, Speaker and Author who helps people live successful and
passionate lives, and enjoy productive and profitable businesses. To
receive her free Toolkit, Achieve Powerhouse Success with Purpose,
Passion & Productivity, visit www.LisaMontanaro.com/toolkit . Lisa is the author of several books, including DECIDE to be Organized: An Empowering Process for Change .
Through her work, Lisa helps people deal with the issues that block
personal and professional change and growth. To explore how Lisa can
help you be purposeful, passionate and productive, contact Lisa at (530) 564-4181 or by e
-mail at [email protected] |
Do You Have S.T.A.R.S. in Your Eyes?
| Posted on 28 July, 2014 at 19:01 |
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After 6 years working closely with a wide variety of people looking to organize their homes, their offices, their files and paper, and their lives, I have come up with a term that describes a common experience that is a key factor leading many to the cluttered situations they exasperatingly find themselves in. The term is S.T.A.R.S. "Shiny Things (© Annette Reyman) Syndrome". Want to know if you're suffering from seeing STARS? Here are the symptoms -  Characterized by:
Can sound like:
 Can lead to:
Read more... |
Record it, Review it, Renew it - Managing Your Lists
| Posted on 25 April, 2014 at 16:22 |
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Do you make lists? I do. Grocery lists, packing lists, party-planning lists, to-do lists…my list of lists goes on and on!  The basic rules of list-making are to record all the pertinent information, review the list regularly in order to utilize it well and finally to renew or update the list as items are crossed off and new ideas need to be captured. Yet, Sometimes, even with the best of lists, it can feel like time is galloping out of our control and we are merely trying to stay on the horse that is our crazy schedule – never mind the style points! When it comes to lists, there are some challenges that seem to be universal. Here's..well yes, a list! of some common hurdles:
Click here to read about tips and tricks that will keep you on the horse and set the pace that works for you. |
Qualities of Organized People
| Posted on 11 March, 2014 at 18:57 |
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Organized people are decision makers.  "In general, organized people can say, 'This is good enough,' and then move forward," says Reyman. "It doesn't have to be perfect, and we don't have to rehash it 10,000 different ways." Organized people consider their options, choose one and stick to it, without looking back with regret on the paths not taken, she says. (read more...) |
Free Time
| Posted on 11 January, 2014 at 22:29 |
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 Using my schedule in this way helps me make my Busy life, a Full one - and that is worth my time. Because, its not about the time, it's about the Times of my Life. I'm looking forward to my lunch with Sue on January 23rd. |
Give Credit Where It’s Due – You!
| Posted on 31 December, 2013 at 12:12 |
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What do you have on your plate that is just crying out to you, needing to get done? Chances are, several
things flew through your mind when you read that. What were they? Write them down, get them out of
your head, and then ask yourself “What can I do to get these things taken care of right now?” Notice I
didn’t say “What do I have to do myself to get these things taken care of right now?” I don’t mean that
you need to take care of everything personally, but you do need to be in charge of getting the ball
rolling. Where I live, we have these bright yellow flags at each crosswalk called “Take It to Make It” flags, and
our city claims that more than 60 people have been injured or killed when not using the flag, and zero
injuries/fatalities have resulted when pedestrians do carry the flag with them when they cross the
street. I’m not saying that all of the responsibility falls on the pedestrian for road safety, but when a
pedestrian is willing to take that extra step to be safe, they are often willing to go the extra mile and
tend to be more aware of their surroundings, which makes them safer all-around. You may be wondering how these two things relate, and I’ll tell you...it is all about YOU taking
responsibility. YOU have to make sure that you have the right team in place to take care of your stuff for
you. YOU have to be in charge of making sure your stuff gets done, either by you doing it, or by
delegating it out (my preferred method). It is up to YOU to go that extra mile and make sure that YOUR
stuff gets done. In the end, it’s up to YOU, and in the end YOU get to give credit where it’s due! It’s time
to start walking forward, and don’t forget to Take it to Make it! Susan Brennan is a speaker, personal assistant and productivity enthusiast. You can learn more about
her and how she helps people Be Productive Vicariously, by visiting her website at
www.consideritdonepersonally.com.
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