Word to the Wise #7: Stole this from a friend's facebook page yesterday......"You wouldn't have to worry so much about how much greener the grass is on the other side, if you'd water your own grass every once in a while."  And the morale of the story is......no matter how bad it gets, it could ALWAYS be worse.

Word to the Wise #6: Everyone makes mistakes. It's how you recover from them that sets you apart from the rest.......

Word to the Wise #5......I'm on a government kick this week. Hang on...it's gonna be a bumpy ride!!! Soooooo.....you pay your taxes........you get refunds......you submit your paperwork on time. What for? None of the government offices that are SUPPOSED to keep track of all of this work together. They don't know how to communicate with one another. AND they do whatever they get ready to with your money however they see fit and whenever THEY deem it logical. You have absolutely NO CONTROL and NO POWER when it comes to the government agencies that deal with your money. Long story short? Make sure you keep good records. Make sure you know where those records are. And make sure you apply common sense when it comes to networking and reaching out to the powers that be. Get to the person that can resolve the issue. Don't talk to people who just have to go in circles to get anything accomplished. Know your rights and stand your ground at all times.  Be in control of your finances.  IF you're not, THEY will be. There.....I'm done.....for now. :)

Word to the wise #4: I guess I'm on a common courtesy kick this week. Bear with me.....it will pass. :)  So... you're a server in a restaurant. Big or small, busy or not, upscale or dinky....it doesn't matter. Take your pick. You've had a really long day. Maybe it started off good, maybe it started off bad. Maybe you have a lot of personal stuff going on at home creating extra stress. Maybe you're on cloud nine and everything is going well. Who knows.

Whatever the situation and no matter how you're feeling, IF you expect to earn an extra monetary compensation completely reflective of your table-side manner (better known as a TIP), you will want to be very certain that you treat each customer like they are your first for the day....like your day has been the best you've ever had, like you absolutely LOVE your job and really want to be serving them.  Be mindful that your customer just may have had a bad day, too, and that you could be the one person to turn that bad day around. Become the customer and think for a moment, 'How much tip would I leave if that had been my server?'

Word to the Wise #3......if you use public social web pages (you know the ones I mean) and you make general posts on your page for anyone to see instead of sending someone a private message, be prepared for any comments that may come back to you. Please remember that it is always more difficult to infer the tone behind a written message. Don't assume someone's trying to slander you or call you out. Be prepared for playful banter. Laughter is the best medicine and MOST people are just out to have a good time. Please do not criticize or call someone out for commenting on your post. Social web pages are not intended to be gathering places for public disputes or heated discussions. Be the grown up....if you don't like something they said, pick up the phone and call......OR better yet....IGNORE THEM. Word to the Wise - You never know who's reading your posts.......

Word to the wise #2.......if you are cash register clerk in a retail outlet, please do not comment on a customer's purchases, sniff the merchandise, or admire anything being purchased for a long period of time. Please also do not talk on your cell phone or text your buddy while trying to ring up a sale. For example, 'Wow, you sure must like this soda to buy so many' is not an appropriate choice of conversation. Sniffing a bag of cucumbers because they smell sooooo good to you or because you are just absolutely starving is not an appropriate behavior. Texting your buddy, Joe, is not the best way to make your rings per minute very efficient. Make sure your actions reflect what you would expect if you were standing on the other side of the counter. Be kind to yourself by being kind to other people......

Word To The Wise #1......if you live in a neigborhood, your neighbors' yards are not public property. Please do not walk through, play in, park in, or congregate in a neighbor's yard without prior permission. Please do not assume that play equipment, a pet, a pool, or even just something that picques your curiosity is yours to use at your leisure. Please pay courtesy to those around you. Remember the golden rule.....'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'.