Scanlon Blogs

      Communication is the key to success in all aspects of life.  We often assume people know how we are feeling, but this is not the case.  Nobody truly understands how you are feeling unless you tell them.  To quote Eleanor Roosevelt, “You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realize how seldom they do.”  The Importance of Communication      Without communication, we tend to overthink, overreact, and become emotional.   We lack answers so we make them up in our heads.   Small problems become big problems real quick, and we may lash out at the other person.   If you don’t know what’s going on in the other person’s head, how can you expect to understand their way of thinking?        When we communicate, we learn from the other person’s perspective.   Instead of using our own perception to justify something, we learn the real reason behind someone’s actions, ...

     Everything we do, accomplish and experience is a result of choice.  There is no limit to how high one can fly.  We are limited only by our ambition and imagination.  If we want to accomplish a goal, we must make the choices necessary to reach it.  Obstacles, such as a lack of self-confidence, feeling tired, and laziness are choices that prevent us from succeeding.  We often make ourselves believe we are too busy, tired, or not skilled enough to succeed.  It is important to realize that the way you see yourself is a choice, and this can change whenever you want it to.      If you want something, go out and get it.  If you want to lose weight or be more active, go exercise.  Do not makeup excuses to stay home and do nothing.  By doing so, you are choosing to fail at your goal.  Always keep in mind that goals take effort to achieve, and making the wrong choices will hinder your progress.  The right...

     The worst decision a person can make is to give up on a dream, goal, or achievement.  We are capable of success, but it can come at a cost.  Whether it be loss of free time, sleep, or putting one's social life on the back burner, chances are one will be affected.  So, why do people lose their drive to succeed?  In my opinion, there are two reasons, comfort, and responsibility.      When people are comfortable, they may question why they would want to spend extra energy working towards a goal.  Now, I am not saying that comfortable people do not reach for the stars.  I am, however, saying this type of thinking can be present in the back of their minds, making it difficult to work towards a goal.  subconsciously, they believe their lives are good enough.  They do not need to put themselves through something strenuous unless they choose to do so.  Some allow these thoughts to hold them back, preventing ...

     Throughout my life, I have noticed people are often quick to follow someone else's lead.  The older I became, the more I realized this behavior was linked to comfort.  Of course, there is nothing wrong with wanting to be comfortable, but it is often used as an incentive to benefit those who seek power, opportunity, and control.  When someone or something provides comfort to others, the people who "benefit" will defend the source.  They believe they are better off as a result of this source, and as such, they will do whatever they need to do to maintain it.  Sometimes, this can mean suppressing one's own thoughts, opinions, and beliefs.  Some are afraid to discuss their views as a result of violence, hatred, and propaganda.  Speaking up could run the risk of being ridiculed, judged, being subject to violence, and most noticeably, losing a structured, comfortable livelihood.      Basic human rights dictate people h...

     Something as simple as a break can be overlooked easily.  Today's fast-paced society can be strenuous to keep up with.  It is no wonder why people can forget to get away from their work and relax.  However, people need to realize that without breaks, productivity can decrease, we can feel overworked, and our focus diminishes.  So, as a reminder to all of those hard-working folks out there who forget to think of themselves from time to time, here are three reasons to incorporate breaks into your daily routine. 1. Breaks Can Increase Focus      We can sometimes get so invested in our work that tunnel vision kicks in.  When this happens, we seldom stop what we are doing and 'focus' on the end goal of our projects.  This, ironically, can lead to a poor work performance.  Tunnel vision can cloud our minds and judgement, making us focus on getting the project done rather than the minor details.  As a result, mistak...

     As we discussed in the last blog, true happiness takes many different forms, one being the satisfaction of helping others.   Making memories with loved ones, as well as being there for them, is another form.   The importance of family, friends, and loved ones is something few can argue against.   If we did not have the people who love, support and cheer us on while moving through life, our achievements may feel mundane.   Even if you consider yourself a lone wolf, I am sure you can think of someone who is or was there for you.   These are the people who push us to succeed, follow our dreams, and make our achievements more exciting.   This is because we have people to share our experiences with, people who we know genuinely care about what we have to say.   If we did not have that, we can become lonely, depressed, and lose motivation to succeed.   Without loved ones to share our joy with, we cannot truly be happy.  ...

     True happiness lies within our humanity, not our possessions.   Today’s ever-growing society emphasizes the importance of materialism.   Most of today’s commercials, advertisements, and media will have you believe money, power, and material gain are what creates happiness.   Of course, this is because companies and individuals have an agenda, to sell their products and increase their own wealth.   Although they have the right to do so, to say materialism is the best way to experience happiness is unprecedented.   People are losing their sight on the true values which generate long-lasting happiness; giving back, making memories with loved ones, personal development, etc.   In short, true happiness is something money cannot buy and it comes in many forms.      There are many people who strive to be rich, believing money is the answer to their problems.   Financial success means the freedom to do whatever, whenever,...

     We all have those days where we feel undervalued, underappreciated or lost.   The duration of the day is spent overwhelming ourselves with the thought of being unimportant, or worse, just another face in the crowd.  We dwell on these days so much that they seem more abundant than the good times.  Our biggest critic is ourselves in most cases, and we often allow this to control our thoughts, feelings, and actions.  More often than not, we convince ourselves we are unremarkable, ordinary, or unintelligent, believing we will never move up in the world.      We are unique and similar, special and ordinary, intelligent and foolish.   Personality plays a role in our development, development helps in recognizing our abilities, and our abilities are the foundation of strengths and weaknesses.   Each of us houses pros and cons while adding our own flavor.   We all have a uniqueness about us but are also similar i...

     Work can be stressful in various ways.   Fast-paced environments, deadlines, and having to deal with difficult problems are all common stress inducers.   Often times, people stress themselves out over work to the point where their personal lives are affected.   This is unfortunate, as we should be enjoying life outside of our usual 9 to 5.   Work-related thoughts should not even pop into our heads when we are outside.   This can be difficult to do without proper guidance.   Today, we will discuss three quick methods of dealing with work-related stress. 1. Leave Work at Work      What people tend to do is bring the work-related baggage home with them.   This is normal but also unhealthy.   Work-related stress can already be difficult to deal with, but it is worse when it affects one’s personal time.   The free time we have with ourselves, families, and friends should be spent making memories and ...