Author Archives: annamfarley

“Never give up on a dream just because of the length of time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” – H. Jackson Brown I was sitting here tonight flipping through my Life\’s Little Instruction Book, smiling about all of the good advice in it, and then I read this. It remindedContinue reading “The Time Will Pass Anyway”

Back when I was in high school economics, I remember our teacher asking us one day if any of us had ever purchased anything online. When one student raised her hand, I had the inner monologue of Kevin on the Wonder Years in my head: “What an idiot!” It was only a few years laterContinue reading “My Online Retail Addiction”

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies…The man who never reads lives only one.” – George R. R. Martin My mom always encouraged us to read when we were kids.  She didn’t even care what it was, she just wanted us to grow up with an appreciation for reading.  She didn’t just doContinue reading “The Influence of Reading”

This morning I read, “Don’t be thin-skinned.  Take criticism as well as praise with equal grace.”  This was in a book of short sayings by H. Jackson Brown called The Complete Life’s Little Instruction Book.  It is a cute little book and filled with truly wise advice, given by someone who appears to have learnedContinue reading “Triumph and Disaster”

This is a subject that always makes me laugh and makes me think people aren’t listening to themselves when they speak. As my sister says, “’Actually’ makes it worse!” Take any compliment and insert “actually.” “You actually look really good today.” “This dinner you made actually tastes really good.” “Wow!  You actually did a reallyContinue reading “Backhanded Compliments”

I am not a sensitive person, and I don’t offend easily.  Even when others are less than polite, I am pretty \”go with the flow\” and don’t take too much exception to it.  However, I have been reading a lot about etiquette lately just out of curiosity. I remember one of the course books IContinue reading “Social Grace in Modern Times”

Back in July, a coworker of mine was seriously injured in an accident.  He has been in the hospital or in a rehab facility ever since.  It was a terrible situation to hear about, but these types of things always seem to bring out the very best in people. His wife started a GoFundMe campaignContinue reading “The Kindness of Strangers”

Back in an early season of Frasier, Frasier Crane says, “You know the expression, “Living well is the best revenge.”  Niles replies, “It’s a wonderful expression.  I just don’t know how true it is.  You don’t see it turning up in a lot of opera plots.” This cracks me up every time.  While most ofContinue reading “Living Well and Empowerment”

“Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr. This quote really ties into one that I have often repeated to myself as a leader, and that is that people who feel appreciated will always do more than what is expected.  Managers always ask what they can doContinue reading “The Power of Appreciation”

I remember reading somewhere that everyone has a story to tell; some people just want to tell it more than others.  I am often reminded of this when I talk to a lady I know.  She dearly loves to talk about her life story.  In her eyes, her life has been a fairy tale adventureContinue reading “Every Life Story”