Where have all the colors and wonder gone? I think of McDonald’s in the 80s and 90s, for example, which was a lot more colorful and we had the mascot characters and the like. When I drive around most places now, I see lots of buildings with grays and blacks and brown...a lot more buildings look flat, dull, unimaginative...and some might describe gray skies, for example, as downright dreary and depressing. Sure, there is emphasis on functional and practical with building design and what have you, but there is joy and other things associated with color! To add, it isn't just my imagination --- look into a fascinating read from Alex Murrell, that discusses what he refers to as "The Age of Average", at:

The age of average — Alex Murrell

At any rate, today's episode seeks to explore the joys and wonders of color and imagination! As usual, check out my other spaces at:

https://rjsworldlens.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠https://www.meetup.com/757uplifters/⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-wallace-6637b545/⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/rjsworldlens/⁠⁠

⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@757uplifters?_t=ZT-8vNM3kOF9vm&_r=1⁠⁠

I spoke on the subject of focus in episode nine, and when we are able to focus more clearly and knock down some of the barriers we face (societal, personal, so on and so forth), what can we do with newfound clarity? Take your focus and think of the things that move you and/or inspire you, and jotthem down. There are many motivations in life, both extrinsic and intrinsic, and this episode seeks to speak on what extrinsic and intrinsic motivations are, through a series of questions to the listeners! As mentioned in the show, I have some links that you can read, discussing some of the job hopping that has been going on and why, with both intrinsic and extrinsic factors being at play. Check out the following at your leisure:

Millennials: The Job-Hopping Generation

Why millennial job-hopping shouldn't be a warning sign for recruiters - Workable

Gen Z and millennial staff have little loyalty to their employers, so the CTO at a $152 billion tech firm is embracing boomerang hires: ‘If you don’t lean in, you’re going to lose’

How Gen Z Is Reshaping Work Through Bold Salary Negotiation

Younger Generations Want To Change Jobs. Here’s How Employers Can Keep Them

Check out my website and socials (all new and growing), and if you like what you've seen or heard, please share and review! They help RJ and the podcast grow! Check out my websites below:

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://rjsworldlens.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠https://www.meetup.com/757uplifters/⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-wallace-6637b545/⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/rjsworldlens/⁠⁠

⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@757uplifters?_t=ZT-8vNM3kOF9vm&_r=1⁠⁠

What we focus on takes up more of our time and energy than what we don’t focus on. Unfortunately, if worry, hatred, and other not-usually desirable qualities are the focus, it is easier to go into self-sabotage mode. The good news is that there are different ways to make your focus aimed at things youenjoy! Listen to my advice on things to focus on, and be sure to check out what YOUNG PEOPLE are doing or have done, from all walks of life! Learn about some really FOCUSED kids at:

Teen Titans: 13 Young People Making An Outsized Positive Impact

As well as:

40 Kids Who Changed the World

Check out my website and socials (all new and growing), and if you like what you've seen or heard, please share and review! They help RJ and the podcast grow! Check out my websites below:

⁠⁠⁠https://rjsworldlens.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠https://www.meetup.com/757uplifters/⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-wallace-6637b545/⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/rjsworldlens/⁠

⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@757uplifters?_t=ZT-8vNM3kOF9vm&_r=1⁠

People often tend to beat themselves up over their weaknesses...and the topic of weakness is a big one in a lot of spaces, especially when some think of interviewsand job placement...but there’s good news! We can look atweaknesses in different ways. So, what sort of different ways can we look at weakness? In order to better assess weaknesses, it helps to understand that everyone has weaknesses, even people you look up to or admire for one reason or another.

Weaknesses are things we share in common with our peers, and there are many people out there who both share your same weaknesses AND strengths, who are doing things you want to do and/or are living the life you want to live. With that out of the way, you'll discover that knowing what your weaknesses are, can be hugely beneficial!

Check out my website and socials (all new and growing), and if you like what you've seen or heard, please share and review! They help RJ and the podcast grow! Check out my websites below:

⁠⁠⁠https://rjsworldlens.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠https://www.meetup.com/757uplifters/⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-wallace-6637b545/⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/rjsworldlens/⁠

⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@757uplifters?_t=ZT-8vNM3kOF9vm&_r=1⁠

We live in a world where there is positive and negative reinforcement, as well as positive and negative validation. Negative reinforcement and negative validation aren't always a bad thing (and excessively positive things aren't always good), but this episode focuses on positive reinforcement and validation, because I feel like positive reinforcement and validation, both in personal lives and in work spaces, tends to be lacking. There's a popular saying (with the wording varying slightly):

People won't congratulate you for the 100 things you did right, but they will criticize you for the one thing you did wrong, even if it is a small thing.

Fostering an attitude of gratitude in a way that gives people motivation when they doing good, rather than solely berating people for when things don't go your way, is all too common and the lack of balance is essentially the driving force for this episode. Actually, polls have consistently shown that a significant portion of employees, for example, feel underappreciated a work. Nearly two-thirds (!) felt unappreciated daily (!!) and many feel they've never had an employer truly appreciate their work (!!!), and it isn't just a work-related thing. Check out one related article on this at:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nearly-half-americans-quit-jobs-145250545.html

Validation and reinforcement should be authentic, considerate of the target audience or individual or people, and it does NOT have to be grand in scope. Essentially, in the most basic words, positive reinforcement and validation often comes down to showing courtesy and decency to whoever you are with, reminding them of their impact or their potential (in and out of work. One great way of being a positive influence on people is to be a positive role model, especially if you are working to change things for the better in your communities. Just be careful not to diminish people's experiences by turning absolutely everything into a positive --- there is balance, as well as a time and place, like with most things!

Check out my website and socials (all new and growing), and if you like what you've seen or heard, please share and review! They help RJ and the podcast grow! Check out my websites below:

⁠⁠⁠https://rjsworldlens.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠https://www.meetup.com/757uplifters/⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-wallace-6637b545/⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/rjsworldlens/

My lens on soft skills, leaders, and leadership. Knowledge is very valuable and hard skills, also referred to as technical skills, are great, but is it possible that the value of knowledge and/or hard skills is overstated? Listen as I explain how developing soft skills and good leadership traits are excellent because they have broad usage. Hard skills and knowledge, while valuable, have significantly less impact without developing soft skills and quality leadership traits/skills.

Check out my website and socials (all new and growing), and if you like what you've seen or heard, please share and review! They help RJ and the podcast grow! Check out my websites below:

⁠⁠https://rjsworldlens.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠https://www.meetup.com/757uplifters/⁠⁠

⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-wallace-6637b545/⁠⁠

⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/rjsworldlens/

https://www.tiktok.com/@757uplifters?_t=ZT-8vNM3kOF9vm&_r=1

Growing up in school, I felt like the "structured learning environment" was too restrictive...or rather, I learned that when I got older! In school and in life, we learn, fail, and succeed, and are more driven to succeed when different personal metrics are met. By playing things too safe, and being afraid to fail, is it possible to hinder growth and limit our own success? Very much so! Failure is not often looked upon very favorably, but through trying something and failing, you learn not only more about what you do, and build retention through failure (not just success), but you learn more about yourself.

The more you know about yourself, you are able to better position yourself to seeking things that align more with your personal desires, find work or work environments that are a better fit for you, and more! Future episodes will discuss both failure and success in more detail.

Check out my website and socials (all new and growing), and if you like what you've seen or heard, please share and review! They help RJ and the podcast grow! Check out my websites below:

⁠https://rjsworldlens.com⁠⁠

https://www.meetup.com/757uplifters/⁠

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-wallace-6637b545/⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/rjsworldlens/

We are often curious about other people, but not ourselves...why is that? Curiosity of self seems to be in low supply, and I've met many people who can talk about others all day long but struggle to tell others about themselves. Unsurprisingly, that can reveal that there are some amazing things within self that can be discovered and be brought from the background to the foreground. So much can be found by asking "Why?" --- Especially if you ask the question numerous times. Learn some of the ways I navigate life and self and become familiar with "root cause analysis" and "the five whys", and more! What you discover can help you improve in a personal sense and in a business sense.

Five whys - Wikipedia

APA Dictionary of Psychology

Future episodes will discuss topics like self-improvement, stories of RJ's community work (with 757 Uplifters, created by RJ, etc.) growth and development, leadership, hardships and strategies to overcome them, self-reflection, and more! Check out my website and socials (all new and growing), and if you like what you've seen or heard, please share and review! They help RJ and the podcast grow! Check out my websites below:

⁠https://rjsworldlens.com⁠⁠

https://www.meetup.com/757uplifters/⁠

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-wallace-6637b545/⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/rjsworldlens/