3 Things You Need To Know About Finding Your Work Bliss

3 Things You Need To Know About Finding Your Work Bliss3 Things You Need To Know About Finding Your Work BlissEveryone wants a job that makes them happy. When your job makes you happy, its easier to feel engaged, productive, and satisfied at work and that makes you a better employee.Unfortunately, according toGallup data on engagement in the office, only one-third of employees actually feel engaged at work.So whats the deal? And how can you find work that will actually make you happy and engaged?Personality plays a role in job satisfactionWhen it comes to being happy at work, who you are could be just as important as what you do. In fact, your personality could play a mora important role in your job satisfaction than you may think.Recently, the Truity team surveyed 25,759 respondents about their personality types, earnings, managerial responsibilities, job satisfaction and more. Thestudy results suggest that certainBriggs Myers personality types are more likely to be satisfied at wo rk than others.Not sure what your Briggs Myers personality type is? Heres a basic breakdown of the four categories. Think about where you fit into each category to guess your four-letter type before you read onEnergy Style (E vs. I) Outgoing Extravert or reserved Introvert?Cognitive Style (N vs. S) Imaginative Intuitive or realistic Sensor?Values Style (T vs. F) Logical Thinker or compassionate Feeler?Life Style (J vs. P) Organized Judger or flexible Perceiver?As a job seeker, understanding your personality type and how it affects your job satisfaction can set you on a path towards your work bliss. These three things are important to know about being satisfied at work1. Job satisfaction is not all about incomeOne of the fruchtwein interesting insights from the Truity study is that income doesnt necessarily predict job satisfaction. Thinking personalities personality types who tend to seek monetary compensation and other status symbols in their careers are among the highest earn ing types and manage the most people but lag behind when it comes to job satisfaction. Their counterparts, Feelers, make up four of the top five most satisfied employees.As you can see, job satisfaction isnt all about income.Feelers take a different approach to work success. Instead of looking to income and other status-based symbols of success, Feelers tend to follow their hearts in their careers. They choose careers that allow them to serve others and make a positive impact on the world, not careers that lead to the stereotypical version of success.2. Its important to reevaluate your job satisfaction oftenIf youre a Thinker, you may think that a raise or new parking space are the keys to job satisfaction. The data, however, suggests you may be wrong. Take time to really think about what motivates you in the office.If you find that you put too much emphasis on income and power-based success measures, challenge yourself to find success measures that align with your personal values a nd attempt to achieve both.If youre a Feeler, continue doing what youre doing, but dont stop thinking about new ways to reflect your values in your work. Do your best to make connections between your work and the causes you care about, and you will continue to be satisfied at work.3. Its OK not to worry about job satisfactionYes, being satisfied at work is important. After all, 50 percent of Americans spend more than 40 hours per week at work, according toGallup survey data from August 2014. But its also OK to worry about other things.WhileENTJs may be motivated by the pursuit of power and influence,ENFJs may use their careers to make a positive impact on the world. Other personality types like ISFPs who perform lower on career success and satisfaction measures may just put less of an emphasis on a high-profile career. For these personalities, having a rich and happy home life is the first priority and lets them recharge so they can keep doing good work.No matter what your persona lity, take time to determine how you measure satisfaction in your work and personal life. Understanding what motivates you will help you make decisions about the jobs you consider and the direction you take your career, bringing you one step closer to your work bliss.When is the last time you considered what makes you happy at work? How do you evaluate satisfaction at work?Molly Owens is the CEO ofTruity, a California-based provider of online personality and career assessments and developer of the TypeFinder personality type assessment. Learn more aboutpersonality type and career achievement and connect with Molly and Truity onTwitter andFacebook.

The Battle Between Papa Johns and Pizza Hut

The Battle Between Papa Johns and mafiatorte HutThe Battle Between Papa Johns and Pizza HutYouve seen the ads. You know the tagline Better ingredients. Better mafiatorte. Papa Johns. Papa Johnsfounder John Schnatter makes a claim in almost every ad he throws onto the airwaves, radio stations, and these days, online buys.But sometimes he takes that claim beyond the ads, which is evidenced by a battle between Papa Johns and Pizza Hut that began way back in 1998. The Birth of a Slogan...and a Battle. In 1995, Papa Johns hired a consulting firm called Trout Partners, and they coined the tagline that has become synonymous with the now multi-billion-dollar company. At the time, Papa Johns had just a quarter of the stores that Pizza Hut had, so the focus was not on accessibility, but quality. Better Ingredients, Better Pizza was a winner. But not with everyone. David Novak, President of Pizza Hut at that time, was more than a little upset by the phrase. The natural inference people wer e making was oh, theyre better than Pizza Huts ingredients. But where was the proof? How could Papa Johns get away with saying such a thing? The war of words turned into a nationwide advertising offensive, with attack ads coming from both sides. Papa Johns listed unsavory ingredients found in Pizza Hut recipes. Pizza Hut used Papa Johns own advertising against it. And then, the lawsuits began. Papa Johns vs. Pizza Hut CEO John Schnatter claimed Papa Johns pizza was better than Pizza Huts. It was a claim Pizza Hut didnt take lightly. In fact, the companys lawyers filed a federal false advertising lawsuit against Papa Johns. The problem stemmed from Papa Johns famous slogan, coupled with a national advertising campaign. One of the ads stated Papa Johns won big time in taste tests over Pizza Hut. Other ads in the campaign alleged Papa Johns sauce and dough were better than Pizza Huts because they were made with fresh tomatoes and filtered waterand did not include ingredients likexa nthan gum and hydrolyzed soy protein. That aggressive ad campaign prompted Pizza Hut to file the false advertising lawsuit. The companys lawyers said they had scientific evidence proving Papa Johns ingredients didnt affect the pizzas taste. The Legal Decisions Initially, a jury sided with Pizza Hut, agreeing that Papa Johns claims of better sauce and dough were false or misleading. The judge ordered Papa Johns to stop using the better ingredients, better pizza slogan and awarded Pizza Hut $467,619 in damages. A drop in the bucket for Pizza Hut, but the real prize was getting Papa Johns to stop using the slogan. The judge told Papa Johns to stop using any materials with that slogan, pull ads, and also pay Pizza Hut $12.5 million in damages. If youre thinking, hang on...theyre still using that tagline, then strap in. The story is just getting started. Papa Johns appealed the decision. The company stated that the slogan was simply a matter of opinion, not to be taken as literal fac t. They, as a company, believed they used better ingredients, resulting in better pizza. And how could Pizza Hut claim to have the best pizza under one roof with a straight face? The federal appeals court said the jurors were never asked if consumers relied on Papa Johns better claims when deciding what pizza to buy. And so, in September 2000,the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the verdict and ruled in favor of Papa Johns. John and his company were allowed to use the slogan againand did not have to give Pizza Hut the $12.5 million damages sum. The Aftermath To this day, the rivalry between Pizza Hut and Papa Johns is more than friendly competition. The lawsuits made a lasting impression, and, allegedly, their rivalry is so fierce that Pizza Hut reserves any phone numbers that spell out the letters P-A-P-A just so Papa Johns cant use them. The better-best argument also had a lasting impression on advertising. Youve seen commercials where a company claims to have the best thingamajig. Best can be used without having to back up your statement. However, when you use better, you better have proof to substantiate your claim, or risk getting into another heated lawsuit. Now, almost 20 years after the lawsuits began, Papa Johns adamantly denies Pizza Huts false advertising charges. The companys lawyers maintain the statements made in the ad campaign arent falsebut were merely statements of personal taste. Lawyers for Pizza Hut said Papa Johns ads violated federal law. They claimed, even without evidence, that customers relied on the better ingredients, better pizza slogan on which to base their pizza-buying decision thus, Papa Johns ad campaign is deceptive in their eyes. Pizza Hut execs continue to say the decision was unfair to both consumers and responsible advertisers. But with both companiesand Dominos doing very well these days, the in-fighting may have just brought more attention and more sales to all parties.

How to Research a Company before a Job Interview

How to Research a Company before a Job InterviewHow to Research a Company before a Job InterviewAfter weeks of painful job hunting, youve finally gotten a callback for a job interview. Youre excited, but youre also very curious about the company youre about to interview with. Do they have a good standing in the community? What is their corporate culture? These are things you should want to know- and should find out- before a job interview.What will you discover about your profil employer before you sit down for an interview? Heres how to research a company before a job interview.Visit the companys website. When you start your search, you should visit the companys main website. There you can learn valuable information such as recent news, contact information, the companys inception, ideals and goals, and mission and culture. Another important area to peruse is the press section to discover recent information on the company like successes and financial information.Google the company.Go ogle is a good way to landsee how much information is really out there on the Internet about the company you would like to work for. You can find out if the company was recently in the news (and for what), in addition to corporate history and recent changes in staff.Surf social media channels.Todays companies know the power (and importance) of social media. Thats why almost all companies are on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. You can check out its social media channels to see how the company presents itself- and more importantly- how it interacts with the public.View corporate blogs.Some companies may have a blog on their official website, which you should read to stay abreast of any new information you can later use in your interview. You should also look for blogs written about the company by a third-party source. You may be able to uncover new information written with an industry insiders perspective.Use the Guide to the Best Companies for Flexible Jobs. has researched over 25, 000 companies that have offered jobs like telecommuting, part-time, freelance, and flexible schedules in the past. You can search the database for free to learn about companies in your industry and what theyre all about.Sure, youre excited about going in for that job interview, but you should still do your research too. That way, when you are offered a job, youll be assured that this is a company you want to work for as well.Readers, how much research do you do before going in for a job interview? How do you conduct your research? Let us know in the comments section below

Workplace Relationships and Problem Solving Tips

Workplace Relationships and Problem Solving TipsWorkplace Relationships and Problem Solving Tips

What You Dont Know About Should You Put Your Picture on Your Resume

What You Dont Know About Should You Put Yur Picture on Your Resume Up in Arms About Should You Put Your Picture on Your Resume? Walking into a new job and starting over can be a big obstacle in regards to proactively earning a move. As soon as its advised that you spend at least an hour every day on your job search if youre currently employed (and two to three times that if you are now unemployed), make certain youre tracking how much time that youre spending, and what it is that you are spending it on. A resume should be targeted to the requirements of an employer and prove where you may add value. In truth, its been dead for some time. You dont require the most recent software. Applying on the businesss website is normally preferred to applying through work search portal, even when application button takes you to the exact saatkorn form. You want to personalize your tool for the job. Utilize content youre permitted to use. Should You Put Your Picture on Your Resume - t he Conspiracy Even though its possible to add a photo in some conditions, it doesnt imply that you should. There are many resume templates with photos which you may use. Just dont put an image on your resume. You dont need to use a picture for each and every word. Ok, I Think I Understand Should You Put Your Picture on Your Resume, Now Tell Me About Should You Put Your Picture on Your Resume Prepare a succession plan so that your responsibilities can be readily assumed and understood by other people. Each level focuses on various abilities and experience, placing the most crucial front and center. Its highly unlikely your contact knows someone whos hiring for a position by means of your skill set at this time. Dump the picture, and concentrate on shoring up your abilities and abilities to land the job which you would like Should You Put Your Picture on Your Resume - Is it a Scam? Additionally, there are ways that you can get employers to observe your picture without needin g to add your photo to your resume. Because of the great world of social networking, an individual would believe the question of whether to incorporate a photograph on your resume would be almost completely inconsequential. You must keep finding new methods to inform your story and sell your private brandincreasingly with pictures and graphics. By asking for information as opposed to a job, youre more likely to find a response and initiate a conversation. Connecting to the correct person at a corporation can produce the difference between getting hired, and not even obtaining an answer to your application. If you dont know for certain that the business wont do that, dont add a resume photo (though its a good idea for some other reasons). Your network is comprised of all of the people which you know and also all the people they know. If you believe that a photo will aid your chance of obtaining a job but, for any reason, you dont need to include it on your resume, there are al ternatives. Assuming you are merely likely to work in the industry world, its better to depart from your picture off, and instead pay attention to your skills, past experience, and more. Take a look at the one which youve been using, maybe even for a couple of years now. Whatever They Told You About Should You Put Your Picture on Your Resume Is Dead Wrong...And Heres Why Humor is very good for presentations. The absolute most important work for our presentation is completed. Perhaps you would like to switch topics frequently. You understand how to earn a simple presentation with Prezi. Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for Should You Put Your Picture on Your Resume Everybody who is in work search wants the silver bullet. If youre currently employed, be mindful with your work search. A job search is similar to a marathon. A job search can be hard. The Importance of Should You Put Your Picture on Your Resume You can also incorporate details beneath the photo, like your conta ct info and summary or private statement. You most likely already know that each and every element of your resume or CV is going to be scrutinized by recruiters. Use 1 word to put all of the information in. Put all of the data in a digital document. The size of your resume photo shouldnt be so small that its hard to understand your face. You are able to look at a Prezi presentation as a massive mind map. If you do opt to incorporate a photo on your resume, the advised place is at the very top of the webpage. The kind of photo you decide on depends largely on the position. In reality, your application may be ignored without one. Its simple to get overwhelmed by the technology in work search. CV formats vary widely from nation to nation, and should you need your work application to not be dismissed lightly, yours needs to adhere to the most suitable layout. The challenge is to create data visually more attractive.

Being Authoritative with Grace in the Workplace

Being Authoritative with Grace in the Workplace Imagine an authority figure that not only gets things done but does so without threats, bribes, or raising his/her voice. While it may be rare to come across people who are assertive without being overbearing, they are easy to remember when you meet them in the workplace. On the opposite end, there are plenty of aggressive people around bully and cajole to improve productivity. Once you distinguish the line between the two behaviors, it is simple to see where one set of behaviors will get result (assertiveness) and the other will generate resentment and low morale (aggressiveness). So how does one go about asserting authority without becoming the enemy? The following five suggestions should help anyone looking to improve his or her ability to lead a team while improving output and inspiring loyalty.1. Avoid mixed messages at all costs. Dont be overly apologetic, make constant excuses, or be wishy-washy when giving instructions or other orders. Phrases that fit this description include, Im sorry to ask you this but would you, I feel bad about this but, and I wouldnt be asking you except that.2. In contrast to that sort of diluted gestalt of directive, be clear and direct with your communications. Before you confront anyone, prepare what you are going to say ahead of time so that you can work out the most direct and clear manner to present the information. You want others to feel that you know exactly what you want, what you need them to do, and how you feel about them as a team member. The more confidence you inspire, the more people will believe you and following your instructions perfectly.3. Being concise with your directors helps them to be more impactful and more easily understood in their instruction. The fewer words you are able to use, the more efficient your use of language will be and the less time you will spend speak ing instead of listening. After all, the more you listen the better you will understand the progress and pitfalls your plans have produced.4. A behavior that can be nearly as counterproductive as being pushy and mean is to fawn or be overly affectionate with people. The key to being effectively assertive is to remain positive at all times without being ingratiating. Politeness, smiling, and regular recognition for the efforts of others will keep your people feeling valued without being inappropriate.5. Finally, never give the impression that you are unable to give your full attention to anyone you are directing. Looking directly at someone and offering your attention will help them take you seriously and feel as though they matter. Speaking unclearly or hastily while otherwise occupied gives the impression that you dont mean what you say and that you, yourself, are not taking your instructions seriously.

U.S. Workers Hit the Road

U.S. Workers Hit the RoadU.S. Workers Hit the RoadU.S. WORKERS HIT THE ROADHow commutes have changed their impact on career decisions23% OF WORKERS HAVE LEFT A JOB BECAUSE OF A BAD COMMUTECITIES WITH THE MOST WORKERS WHOVE LEFT A JOB BECAUSE OF A BAD COMMUTE1. Chicago2. Miami3. New York4. San FranciscoEMPLOYEES SHARE IF THEIR COMMUTE HAS GOTTEN BETTER OR WORSE IN THE belastung 5 YEARS39% Better22% Worse39% No changeCITIES WITH THE MOST WORKERS WHO SAID THEIR COMMUTE HAS GOTTEN WORSE1. Seattle2. Denver3. Austin San Francisco (tie)60% OF WORKERS SAY THEIR COMPANY HASNT TAKEN ACTION TO ALLEVIATE COMMUTE CONCERNS(Respondents who said their commute has gotten worse.)

Peggy Noonan tells Notre Dame class of 2019 to break up big tech

Peggy Noonan tells Notre Dame class of 2019 to break up big techPeggy Noonan tells Notre Dame class of 2019 to break up big techOn May 19 Peggy Noonan gave a commencement speech to Notre Dames graduating class of 2019 at the Joyce Center. Noonanis a New York Times best-selling author, a journalistfor The Wall Street Journal and contributor to NBC nachrichten and ABC News, and a former speechwriter for President Ronald Regan.President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., andThomas Burish, Charles and Jill Fischer Provost welcomed the guests and introduced the speakers for the 174th commencement ceremony. Here is her speech in its entirety and video footage.Peggy Noonans commencement speech for class of 2019 at Notre DameGood morning all, Father Jenkins, Board of Trustees, esteemed faculty, students, distinguished fellow honorees. I thank you for this from the bottom of my heart. Father, I must say I found the tribute you just read to be almost embarrassingly flattering, but thats because I w rote it. So I guess factor that in. Normally I just say I dont deserve those kind words, but then I have arthritis and I dont deserve that either. So what the heck?I want you to know, Father John, I count it as a great compliment of my life that you said I sound like I went to Notre Dame. This makes me want to go to old Finneys and have a Natty Light. Lets all meet there. Well get through this. Well meet there.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraI must begin - I note, a remarkable thing to begin with, this great institution is 177 years old, which of course makes it younger than some of this years presidential candidates. But in all those years, it has never quite happened in an utterly formal sense that the class valedictorian, salutatorian and commencement speaker were all women.Now, this reminds me of a story. A few years ago, a boy came home from grade school and told his fath er that he welches second in his class and that a girl had won top place. So his father started to tease him and he said, Surely, Tommy, youre not going to be beaten by a mere girl. And Tommy said, You know, Dad, girls arent nearly as mere as they used to be.So it is a delight to be with these strong, smart women who are not at all mere, with Annalise and Sofia, and who along with Notre Dames strong, smart men make this University the great thing that it is.And so I am honored to address the great and fabled class of 2019. This is your day. We honor not only you, the graduates, but your parents, your families and all the overflow rooms, your friends, grandparents, aunts and uncles, everyone who made the triumph of a Notre Dame degree possible. Nothing happens alone, or no great personal achievement does. So all honor to whatever little platoon helped you land on this shore.I mean to be brief today. Im going to try to be at least as interesting as the redacted Mueller report.I do not wish to take part in any campus controversies, though I note that under our gowns, many of us up here are wearing leggings. Even Father Jenkins.But I must say there is a tenderness to the sight of all of you today. Its a corny thing to say, but I want to say it. When people show unhidden joy in their accomplishments and good fortune and blessings, witnessing it feels almost intimate, and that is why all graduations, for all the pomp and ceremony and brass bands, all of them are so personally moving every year. I remember Bobby Kennedy saying - of another bright class at another time - he said in a commencement address, Youre about to enter the great world with all its splendor, but all its challenges and hardships and tests also, and he said, and so my advice to you is dont go. Stay here. Its nice here.I found I too have only one piece of advice for you, and it is for when you yourselves, if you choose, and if you are blessed, become parents. That advice is Never put a child wear ing sthlerne pajamas on the top bunk. Just dont do it. Nothing good will happen. Youll thank me one day.Now, you are well used to great praise for this great school. I join it. You are a great private institution and a great Catholic university. You have a mighty endowment, access to the best, a rich field of scholars and thinkers. You are an intellectual powerhouse, but it is also true that Notre Dame occupies a very special piece of terrain in the American psyche. If you are perhaps of a certain age, certainly Irish Catholic, Notre Dame lives in your head whether youve ever been here or not. It is now and always, as you know, Knute Rockne. It is the soundtrack from Rudy, that rousing music when they carry him on their shoulders off the field. Notre Dame is Touchdown Jesus, the Hail Mary Pass, the Fighting Irish, the Four Horsemen, the Golden Dome. It is Ted Hesburgh. It is what we have been as Americans, how weve seen ourselves and wish leise to be - heroes living and working tog ether.Now, if you worked for Ronald Reagan, as I did, of course you think of George Gipp, whom Reagan played in Knute Rockne, All American. Now Reagans attachment to this University, as you well know, was such that it was the first school he visited after hed been shot in March of 1981, but hed made a commitment to speak at graduation and he kept it, marking what he called the first time he ever turned in a college assignment on time. You gave him an honorary degree. He said he always thought the first one was honorary. But on that day, May 17, 1981, Notre Dame having a sophisticated sense of what he had been through - it had been worse than had been said by the White House. You knew it. Having had a sophisticated sense of what hed been through, Notre Dame wore its heart on its sleeve, greeting him with a standing ovation and great spontaneous cheers. Now the president that day said a university like this is a storehouse of knowledge, mostly because the freshmen bring so much in an d the seniors take so little away.He said the thing that had interested him most when he was a young man about the story of George Gipp is the fact that the students, the team had never known Gipp. Hed been a few years older than all of them. They didnt know his story until coach Rockne told it to them in the locker room on that terrible day when they were losing so bad. Now they were a fractious team. Reagan said apparently they didnt get along, but they went back onto the field and turned the game around, not out of affection for Gipp, whom, again, they hadnt known, but out of sicherty to the idea of having a heart of hanging together, working together, coming through - out of loyalty to the idea of loyalty itself.Reagan that day touched on the great themes of 20th-century conservatism - man and the state. He raised high the individual.But he also said these words Government has certain legitimate functions which it can perform very well. It can be responsive to the people, it c an be humane and compassionate. But when it tries to do things that are not its proper province, it will not do them so well. It has a tendency to fail there. He wasnt saying find the balance. He was saying, use your discernment, use your judgment. And he was speaking not in a partisan way, but to both parties.So today I want to speak briefly about that phrase, proper province.Reagan respected reality. The spirit of Reaganism was in line with the real need of the era. The economy was stagnant with double-digit inflation and unemployment - a mess. He knew the America of his time was in need of being unleashed, of rising, of throwing off unhelpful barriers so the country would flourish. That was the urgent need.To me, and at its best, conservatism, which of course is one of Americas two great political tendencies - conservatism is not a reaction, but a reminder from a wise old friend. It is not the antidote to progressivism. It is not the antidote to anything. It is its own vivid an d particular mood, or attitude. It is an attempt at wisdom, grounded in knowledge of human history and human nature. It lacks the shine of newness, but perhaps thats because it has withstood the test of time. Its weathered look is testament to its enduring power. Edmund Burke spoke of an unseen compact between the living, the dead and the unborn. Margaret Thatcher was less poetic. She said the facts of life are conservative.Conservatives are always still trying to define conservatism, which suggests it is a lively thing - dynamic, still changing, finding new expressions in new eras.Adam Gopnik of the New Yorker has just written a good book about what he calls the moral adventure of liberalism. And thats good. I think he is in part trying to free liberalism from a feeling of mere ideology. He says liberalism finds its best expression in a thousand small sanities.So I ask, how does conservatism find its best expression now, in the 21st century? What are its small sanities?I happen to see wisdom in the words of Oscar Hammerstein, the great Broadway lyricist. Asked in a TV interview 60 years ago by Mike Wallace if Eastern media folk werent mostly or all liberal, Hammerstein wasnt defensive at all. He said, Yes, we are. He said, Yes, I am. And yes, he said, this affects the view of the world that Americans are given. But he figured liberals need conservatives to hold them back, and conservatives need liberals to pull them forward.And in our history that has been pretty much true.Now, there are many conservatives right now who, looking down the road to future presidential cycles, to moments beyond this one, who long to return to the twentieth century arguments for smaller government and spending. And I understand. You dont want government bigger than it has to be. You always want taxes lower rather than higher. You dont want to dishearten people. In an age of deficits you want to keep your eye on spending.But I believe that limited style of conservatism, while very right for its time, is not now enough in and of itself because it is not fully in line with the crises of this moment or of its reigning facts.I believe the need now is not so much for unleashing as undergirding - steadying, strengthening, supporting so that America can flourish.The federal government will not likely become smaller and less expensive in our lifetimes. Theres almost no political will for it in Congress - they privately admit this - or within the parties, where theyll privately admit it. What we have now and for the foreseeable future is two parties of large government, one leaning a little this way on the issues, the other that.And to me now the important question is what that government does.I believe America needs help right now and America knows it. The reasons are so obvious that weve almost stopped saying them. But weve been living through an ongoing cultural catastrophe for the last 30 years. You know all the words that I will say now - illegitimacy, the d ecline of faith, low family formation, child abuse and neglect, drugs, poor education. But all of that exists alongside of and is made worse by an entertainment culture from which the poor and neglected are unprotected and which is devoted to violence and nihilism.Politically as a people, we are constantly bitterly pitted against each other along racial, religious and many other lines. Culturally we are force-fed a picture of America as an ugly, racist, misogynist nation - fruit of the poison tree, as somebody said. So even honest love of country isnt allowed to hold us together so much anymore. I believe were losing, through all these things, some higher sense of ourselves.America right now has a strong economy, growth is solid, unemployment is way down, employment is way up, thank God. But underneath that America is, as Father John quoted, a torn-up, wounded place in need of repair. And honestly Im not fussy about where the repair comes from, what levels, what entities, and I don t think the American people are either. I just think they want it to come soon.And all of this to my mind comes within a certain historical fact. You cant see all the worlds weapons, all its mischief, its malice, its accidents too, and not know that someday we as a country will face a bad day or a series of bad days. And everything will depend on our ability to hold together and hold fast. A strong people will make their way through it, together, and to the other side. But with so much tearing us apart now, will we have that sense of cohesion and solidarity? This is often on my mind.So my belief is that whatever holds us together now, whatever makes us stronger, brings us together, binds us close right now is good and necessary and must be encouraged with whatever it takes.Conservatives pride themselves on being earthbound, and thats nice. They respect gravity. But I would say - they havent asked - but I would say they should step up. Just step up a few steps higher, change the va ntage point, see the country more clearly. Dont be battling right now to make government smaller, dont be talking about that, I mean dont make believe thats what youre doing. Instead, make government more helpful, more pertinent to all of the urgencies around us.Shift focus - direct government toward conservative ends. Focus on conserving.We are hearing now and listening to those running for the Democratic nomination for the presidency. They would, most of them come forward and say they would shift things more towards progressive ends. And they will talk about it and they have many interesting thoughts on global climate change, Medicare for all, reparations debates and such. Fine. Let those debates commence and continue.But what would a government aimed at conservative ends look like? I cant fully say because we cant go too long in a commencement address, but these are just a few things that my mind went toFirst of all, whatever might help families form, grow and endure. Whatever w ill help, do it. Make it a matter of national policy.America is in a severe, and each year growing, mental health crisis. Lets try to solve it. Help give families what they need. They dont have enough recourse now when somebody inside the family is turning sick.My goodness, teaching the lost boys of the working and middle class how to live - the infrastructure bills floating around Washington are good in themselves to me, because we need better bridges, tunnels and roads, and because we need the pride as a nation that comes from making them better. Like Eisenhowers building of the U.S. highway ordnungsprinzip in the 1950s, a spirit of we can still do that.But I am most for infrastructure because it could provide a great national setting for breakthrough mentorship in which men teach boys how to do something. I swear they should go out and recruit in the most difficult and detached neighborhoods and towns, dragging teenage boys out of the house integrating them into a world of dynam ism and competence.Couldnt we work a little bit harder on helping our immigrants become Americans? However the illegal einwanderung crisis is resolved or not resolved, there are tens of millions of immigrants, legal and illegal, already here. Who helps them love America? Who can teach them lovingly our history and what it means to be part of this great project called America? It is a tragedy of the past 15 years in immigration debates that weve lost sight of a central fact that has everything to do with our future. We, America, we have the best immigrants in the world. Lets just try to help them a little bit more. Thank you.Only two more.What can be done to focus more on threats to religious freedom? They are real and will get real. You know this. The polls are interesting. They say Americans are not always breaking down the doors to go to church, but they respect religious life. They intuitively understand the crucial nature of religious institutions, and they dont want to see them under siege. They dont want long-held religious beliefs compromised or trampled by the state. I feel Ive known America a long time. Deep down it actually respects you when the dogma lives loudly within you.That was my shout-out to Amy Barrett. Thank you. Thank you, Amy.You know, just for fun, break up big tech. You know all the reasons. Deliberate abuse of privacy, deliberately addicting people, monopoly. They turned a convenience into a utility. Fine. Regulate it. At this point, do it to prove we are not passive observers of the corruption of our society, but active combatants against it. We would be showing, as in the highways and I hope in the infrastructure, we can still do something big, and together, as a people.So theres many more points. I mean, you could all do your 10-point system if you wanted to because you live in America and look at it every day and you know whats not working.But to me, really the point of conservatism is to conserve. It is to protect and strengthen, to focus on ends not abstract and notional but immediate and concrete.Everyone in politics always want to go through the old motions because everyone in politics wants to be safe. They figure what worked in the past will work in the future. But challenges change, eras change. It does no good to repeat old mantras, especially when you dont even mean to enact them.So be far-sighted, I would say to my friends see Americas real state and real plight.If a government will be a large, it will need sober-minded stewards. If a government will be large, it will require protecting the system that made our wealth and allowed us to be generous with the world and with ourselves. And that is free-market capitalism. Conservatives especially dont just accept that system, they actually love it. And you fight hard for what you love.And so let me add only one more thing from the writer and thinker Yuval Levin. He said conservatives have to stop hating our institutions. A conservatism that despises it s ocietys institutions is self-destructive. He is exactly right.In our political life, both sides have big sins. But you cannot hate and denigrate government, the press, the courts, our institutions and claim that the same time that you are trying to be constructive. You are not. You cannot hate the other side and claim you are trying to help. You are not. Fight failures, fight oversteps, fight arrogance and high-handedness. But we must do it in a spirit of repair.The secret of successful politics Be moved more by what you love than what you hate.And so I am done. But I would say all of this is a matter of proper province. All of this to me is being loyal to the team. All this to me is being loyal to the idea of loyalty itself.And so I thank you. It has been an honor to be here on this great day, May 19, 2019, in South Bend, Indiana, at the University of Notre Dame in the house that Rockne built, and Ted Hesburgh too. May God bless you and keep you, the class of 2019. Thank you.You mi ght 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 double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

What to Do if Youre Failing at Your New Job

What to Do if Youre Failing at Your New JobWhat to Do if Youre Failing at Your New Job After months of searching and more interviews than youd like to count, you finally landed what you thought would be your dream job . Only instead of rocking your way through those early workweeks, youre constantly struggling to understand what on earth is going on around you.Its not an unusual scenario to be in, but its a frustrating and nerve-wracking one nonetheless. Heres how to cope if you feel that despite your best efforts, youre just plain failing at your new gig.Maybe youre not getting the hang of things as quickly as you wouldve hoped - but that doesnt necessarily mean youre falling down on the job, either. Before you beat yourself up for a job poorly done, ask your manager for a sit-down and get his or her input on your wertzuwachs to date. You may come to find that in their mind, youre meeting expectations given your fairly new status at the company.Keep in mind that e ven if you come into a job with a strong knowledge base and skill set , every company works differently, and it takes time to learn the ropes. So rather than despair or stress over your performance, create a timeline by which you hope to achieve certain goals or milestones, whether its compiling your first major report or learning to navigate your companys tricky content management system.Maybe demand is a strong word, but when youre in a new environment, you can only expect to learn so much without a decent amount of training. So if thats something you feel youre lacking, be open about it with your boss. Even if they dont have the time to train you themselves, they might be able to point you toward some resources that will allow you to independently get up to speed.Another option you might consider is signing up for a ratgeber within your company. Not all employers offer this option, but if yours has a mentorship program in place, pairing up with someone seasoned might help you ove rcome a lot of the knowledge gaps youre facing early on.Even if you and your colleagues are mostly on the same level, the fact that theyve been at the company longer than you have automatically puts them at an advantage. So why not get a piece of their knowledge? Walk around, introduce yourself and ask questions when youre curious or otherwise stumped. You can also attempt to shadow some colleagues to get a sense of what they do, as this might help you grasp the big picture of how your team or company operates.Along these lines, if you find a coworker you get along with easily during those early weeks, admit that youre struggling and ask for advice. That person, like your boss, might be able to share some resources thatll help you catch up more quickly.No matter where you are in your career, starting a new job can be challenging, and its natural to feel that youre lost and behind. Just remember that youre apt to get better at things with time, so dont be too hard on yourself durin g those early weeks. Instead, stay positive, set goals, and focus on improving slowly but surely.