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Many of us grew up learning multitasking was a hallmark of a productive person. While sounding good in theory, this practice has proven to be incorrect. Studies now reveal that multitasking is nothing more than switching back and forth between tasks and it lowers our productivity. Below are 5 points that deal with the facts behind project hopping and the lack of performance that occurs when we allow seemingly innocuous interruptions to occur in daily life.

Bullet Journal:

Staying

Organized

The way my husband structures his day is different from how I organize mine, but there is one thing we both do. We start with a morning routine. I make coffee, read the news while eating my breakfast, and then dive into an hour of bible study. Once I finish, I pull out my journal and plan my day. About 2 years ago I discovered an organizational method that resonated with me.

4 Quick Points

to Know About

the Thank You

Note

Remember as children, during holidays, we would spend what seemed like hours creating homemade craft projects for our parents? It might be a paper Christmas snowflake sprinkled with glitter or a cutout heart for Valentine’s Day. We would address it: To: Mom or To: Dad. We would sign our name, and this become the gift we gave our parents. The act of giving is how we should view all letters, especially a thank you note. We may not be cutting out cute hearts, but when we take time to put pen to paper and share a little of ourselves with someone else, we are giving a part of our heart to another.

7 Tips to

Become a

Gracious Gift

Receiver

People give to make you feel loved and remembered. Sometimes gifts are given out of obligation, but mostly they are presented to honor a special relationship or occasion. No matter the reason, we need to know how to show our appreciation. Here are my 7 tips to become a gracious gift receiver.

How to Do

Introductions

Table manners seem to be the area in which I receive most of my questions, but it is introductions that have people the most baffled. After I explain the correct way to conduct an introduction, I often get that starry-eyed stare that tells me, “I really don’t understand what you just said.” To help all of us, I have broken down the process into a simple format. Before I proceed, let me say this. Do not let a lack of confidence in handling an introduction keep you from DOING an introduction.

A Holiday

Survival Guide:

Be Intentional

I recently bumped into a friend at the store, and as we began talking, she expressed how she struggles with the holidays. When January rolls around, she feels like she somehow “missed out.” I understand this feeling because I, too, have often felt this way. Life was so busy with the preparation of celebration, that I missed the joy that awaited each of us this time of year.

Make an

Entrance with

Confidence

Have you ever seen someone walk into a party that looked scared to death, unsure of themselves, and then watched them slink off to an obscure corner? Their body language screaming, “I wish I was anywhere but here!” Entering a room full of people that you do not know can be intimidating. I get that. Yet, your entrance is important in displaying overall confidence and portraying a strong image.

My 10 Favorite

Hostess Gifts

Giving a party, of any type, requires a great deal of work. If you have been fortunate enough to be included in a festive soiree, it is nice to arrive with a gift for the hostess. The typical present will cost between $15-$30, but there are less expensive things you can find at the local discount store.

Top 7 Tips to Be

the Perfect

Guest

When attending a party, there are certain expectations we have of our hostess. We will enjoy and appreciate everything she has done, but we do assume there will be food and drinks. We would also like a clean bathroom and a home that does not smell like the local pet store. What some people forget is there are also expectations of the guest.

What Do I Wear

to the Party?

Attire: Shabby Chic; Razzle Dazzle; Cowboy Couture

WHAT????

Word to hostesses: when listing the attire on the invitation for your party, make it clear. Do not let your creative thoughts have you writing a description that requires an interpreter. We do not want to force our guests to solve a riddle to understand what is expected of them. There is a phrase I like to quote, “To be unclear is to be unkind.”

Invitations/

RSVP

There is something special we feel when we receive an invitation. It is the anticipation of a celebration, the excitement of choosing what to wear, but more importantly, it is the affirmation that tells us, “I was chosen!” We know a hostess has responsibilities to ensure her party is a success, but did you know there are expectations of the guests? And your first job begins when you receive an invitation that says RSVP.

A Christian's

Approach to

Politics Part 4:

Choosing

Leaders

Throughout history we have seen God place people in power that made us say, “What is He thinking?” Yet God clearly reminds us in Isaiah that the way He thinks is far beyond what we can sometimes understand. In a child’s eyes, a parent giving her yucky medicine when she already feels poorly can seem cruel. “Why would Mommy make me take this?” The child lives in her “here and now” moment of life, yet the parent sees the big picture. The mother knows what is best for the child, even when the child does not understand.

A Christian's

Approach to

Politics Part 3:

Pratical

Application in Our Daily Life

Our 4-part series on living as Christians in a political world was written in response to questions I have been receiving on knowing how to separate truth from lies, when to engage in our political system, and the most effective way to stay informed. In Part 1 we learned the biblical formula for seeking truth. In Part 2 we discussed the importance of knowing your foundation. In this post, Part 3, I will provide you with 7 practical tips I use to find truth in our news driven world.

Lisa Lou
- Dec 1, 2020
- 3 min read

Make an Entrance with Confidence

Updated: Dec 2, 2020

Entering a room full of people that you do not know can be intimidating. I get that. Yet, your entrance is important in displaying overall confidence and portraying a strong image. At a party or business event, guests tend to keep their eye on the area where others enter. Hoping you will not be seen is pointless. Instead, embrace the fact that others will spot you, and remember first impressions are formed within 2 seconds, even from across the room. You have the power to control the message you send by the body language you display. Learn the right way to make an entrance and leave your uncertainty behind!

1. Make sure your attire fits the party. If you feel good about what you are wearing, your confidence level will increase.

2. Be on time (or within that 15-minute window I talk about). The biggest way to draw unwanted attention to yourself is to arrive late.

3. Before you enter the room stop for a moment. Take a deep breath, correct your posture, stand up tall and relax. Use this time to remind yourself why you are attending this event. Is it for networking? Is it for social reasons? Knowing the “why” can help put your mind at ease.

4. Put a smile on your face when you walk into the room, and let others see that you are happy to be there.

5. Do not rush into the room. Walk calmly but with a purpose. People will be able to read your body language and know if you are anxious. Even if you feel fluttery on the inside, you can display confidence on the outside by the way you carry yourself.

6. If I am nervous when entering a room, I do some self talking. I have a daily personal goal to try to make someone else’s life a little brighter. I remind myself of this before entering a room, and it calms my nerves as I re-focus on my mission.

7. Soldiers are taught to recon a room immediately upon entering. This is great advice for the civilian world, too. After walking into the room, immediately pause. Look around the room. Find your hostess. Find the bar. Find the buffet. Determine where different groups of people are gathered. Is there someone you hope to network with? If so, locate them. Rushing into a room and grabbing the first person you know to talk to is usually a reaction to feeling insecure or nervous. Just slow down, take a deep breath and survey your surroundings.

8. After you have surveyed the room, greet the host and hostess. Then head to the bar for a drink. With beverage in hand find a group you wish to speak with. My personal philosophy is to approach a person or couple standing by themselves in a corner. They become my first “mission.” I think of this as my way of rescuing them from the uncertainty they are obviously feeling!

9. When determining who to speak with, approach a single person (or single couple) or a group of 3 or more. If you see just two people conversing do not interrupt. They may be in the middle of an important or private conversation.

Master the art of the entrance. Walk into a room with shoulders back and a smile on your face. You will make a first impression that says, “I’m the friendly guest everyone wants to talk to!”

Together with you,

Lisa Lou

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Make an Entrance with Confidence

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