Self confidence

Embracing Change: Why Leaving My Job Feels Like a Blessing

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A Surprising Calm in the Face of Change

After two weeks of traveling, attending conferences, and meeting with my boss in person for the last time, I received my year-end review—solid performance, full bonus payout, no surprises. But the bigger conversation was about what’s next.

Since I had turned down an offer to lead Risk & Control for digital, the writing was on the wall. My boss, Sam, even fought to keep me, but the decision was made. They needed my salary to fund that role, and my work was too far ahead of their priorities. Plus, as Sam put it, I was “too expensive” to be redirected elsewhere. (Guess I negotiated well five years ago!) ...  read more

How Making a Career Limiting Move can Lead to Greater Opportunities

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A lot happened last week, leaving me with a tough decision. I received an unexpected invite from my big boss (let’s call him Richard) for a one-on-one meeting at 8:30 AM on Tuesday. The invite simply stated that he wanted to discuss “upcoming opportunities.”

Unsure of what it meant, I reached out to my immediate manager (let’s call him Sam) to see if he had any insights. Sam speculated that it was likely about me helping out with some risk-related work we had discussed plus some Chief of Staff responsibilities. ...  read more

Epic Fail or Epic Day – Perspective Matters to Your Career Success

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In life, the same set of events can happen to two different people, and their interpretations of those events can be completely different. This difference in perception can turn what could be seen as a failure into a triumph—or vice versa. It all comes down to how we choose to see the situation. This story, drawn from a recent real-life experience, illustrates the power of perspective and how choosing a more positive interpretation can inspire and energize us. ...  read more

Unlocking the Door to Self-Confidence: How Belief Shapes Our Reality

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I debated whether to share this story.  It’s so trivial but it reminded me how our belief shapes our reality.  We often find ourselves in situations where a little bit of self-assurance can make all the difference.  This trivial experience revealed a profound truth. Here’s a simple story that illustrates the power of self-confidence and how it can impact our lives in unexpected ways. ...  read more

Tip of the Week – Give Yourself Permission to Do it Imperfectly

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I grew up believing “If I cannot do it well, I shouldn’t do it at all.”  Perhaps this is a typical Asian upbringing and teaching.   I am not even sure my parents actually said that to me.   However after receiving many “talks” from my dad about how I could have gotten a better grade on a test (e.g, 100 points vs 93), I think I told myself the above as I don’t want to “disappoint” my dad or get an extra long lecture. ...  read more

How to Use ChatGPT to Feel Good About Yourself

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chatgpt

Have you played around with ChatGPT yet?  I started last November when I first heard about it.    Hubby is now using it practically everyday.  I am still more of a novice.

  • I have used it to help me write a few birthday poems.  All I had to do was put in a few details about my friend and then I ask for it to make up a happy birthday poem.  It’s quite brilliant and fast.
  • I have tried to use it to find travel ideas and deals.  So far, that’s not been too impressive.  There is much more room for innovation there.
  • I have asked chatgpt to re-write my executive summary on my resume.  It gave me a few alternatives but none that I liked as much as my current one but it was cool to just see what it can come up with.

If you haven’t tried using ChatGPT yet, I recommend just trying it out.  It’s not always helpful but still amazing tech. ...  read more

A Good Example of Asking for What You Want and Getting It

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I just wrote about How to Ask for What You Want at work last week.  I happen to have a live example to share now which happened outside of work.  It is great to practice asking for what you want outside of work to help you better do it at work as well.   Here is what happened

Our Challenge at Hotel Registration

We just took a trip to Vegas to visit my husband’s godparents.  They are 87 and 89 years old.  We decided to stay at the Golden Nugget in downtown Fremont street vs staying with them just so we don’t trouble them too much.  We haven’t been to Vegas in 4 years but have stayed at the Golden Nugget before. ...  read more