Archive for the ‘Projects & Ideas’ Category
I’ve taken to writing poetry. The words contained herein depict my recent feelings about life:
As a man,
Only human;
Without joy,
What shall I do then?
Come what may,
I lose control;
Open the tray,
Break the mold.
Repeat not worry,
Exhaust the pain;
Never sorry,
It’s yours again.
As a man,
Only human;
Without false hope,
I can begin.
i83
By my own thoughts I can become the man I choose. Nothing can stand in my way. I can choose to be, have, or do anything. This is what I was meant to be. A new life, a new opportunity for change.
I have not because I want not. I am not because I did not. I am who I am as a result of the decisions I made in response to the choices presented to me. I cannot choose every obstacle that enters my path, but I can choose my action(s) in response to the challenges presented to me.
“I think, therefore I am.”
Self-discipline is the key to self-control which can become self-mastery, and thus – resurrection.
“Cogito ergo sum.”
As a family we decided to put together a newsletter to send to all of our family and friends. Unfortunately we don’t have addresses or email for many of you, so we’ve decided to post the newsletter online. If you haven’t received a newsletter in the mail, please email us so we may update your contact information in our records.
View / download in PDF format.
The BRUINGTON Family
Annual Newsletter
2009Dear Family and Friends,
This has been a challenging, rewarding, unexpected, and life-changing year for our family. Among many, many other things we have moved three times and held four jobs (collectively), attended school (elementary and college), and had a wedding!
many, many other things we have moved three times and held four jobs (collectively), attended school(elementary and college), and had a wedding!This has been a challenging, rewarding, unexpected, and life-changing year for our family. Among many, many other things we have moved three times and held four jobs (collectively), attended school (elementary and college), and had a wedding!Sarah Helene (Crawford) Bruington and Stephen Boyd Bruington
were married on November 28, 2009 in Rocky Mount, Virginia.Earlier this year, Jennifer finished second grade with high marks and began a fun, relaxing summer. In August, Jennifer started third grade at Rocky Mount Elementary where she is part of an Accelerated Reader program. She loves her friends, teachers, and cafeteria lunches. Jennifer is doing well in every subject, and showing steady improvement in math. It’s hard to believe she will be nine in July; she is already quite a lady.
This has been a uproarious year for Sarah. Towards the end of the summer, Sarah hitched a trailer to her car, packed them both to overflowing, and began the two thousand mile journey from Utah to Virginia. She has experienced a whirlwind of changes, but handled each of them beautifully. In January, Sarah was a single woman, living in Utah, and working for T-Mobile. As of December, Sarah is a wife, step-mother, living in Virginia and working as a stay-at-home mom.
Stephen has also been privy to life’s curve-balls this year. He spent the first half of the year living in Utah, and moved back to Virginia in June. Stephen started the year as a student at Virginia Western Community College, but had to withdraw from classes and wait for a better time to finish his degree. He has worked for three different companies this year, including McDonald’s. Stephen is currently working for UnitedHealthcare, and is licensed to sell health insurance in all fifty states.
Mendy, the family dog is a thirteen year old black lab. She is full of spirit, but struggles with upper respiratory problems. Mendy has given the family a few scares this year, but she is alive and healthy.
We wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and hope you are able to spend this holiday season with your friends, family and loved ones.
It is important to us to be a part of your life, but we may not have your contact information. Please send an email to
thebruingtons at gmail.com.
If you have not already done so, visit our wedding and engagement photo galleries online at stephenbruington.com/wedding, and stephenbruington.com/engagement.
With love,
Stephen, Sarah, Jennifer and Mendy
I’ve started another project which I call, “Expanding Vocabulary“. If you are interested in learning new words please bookmark this page and come back often.
Here’s an excerpt from the Project page:
I am steadily, and increasingly dumbfounded at the words used by people with which I come in contact. I have learned a substantial percentage of the words I use from reading books. On that same subject, I find it laughable how many people have told me, “I hate reading.”
My LIFE goal is to own my own business, for more details visit my Goals page. I have already started, and ran (for a short while) my own business, The Bruington Corporation. In the future I intend to own a business consulting firm which I will probably call, “The Bruington Group”.
The purpose of this post is to identify a few workplace hazards, and provide advice for ‘Operations Transparency’.
(This advice is intended for “Upper Management”. If you’re not in “Upper Management” you should stop reading immediately. The information contained in this advice may be presented to you, at the discretion of “Upper Management” in the form of edited, re-written and otherwise defunct emails, memos, etc. ;))
What is meant by the term “Operations Transparency”? It means to run your business so all segments can see, and have access to the decisions that affect them from the top-down. In other words, as changes are debated, and new guidelines are decided, a business should make available the “Why” to the enterprise.
In business it’s unfair to assume the ignorance of the lower rungs of your corporate ladder. In many instances, younger, faster, fresh-minded employees grow with and become part of the business at the Upper Management level. It would be unwise to neglect these employees, especially those who think critically, and understand the big picture. The employee who lacks appreciation for the complexities of industry metrics, and corporate policy can be easily dissuaded, and even amused. The employee who realizes his/her value to the organization should be challenged, encouraged and rewarded where appropriate.
In an ever-changing technological world it’s easy for a business to have difficulty keeping pace. It’s understandable that policies change, procedures are [constantly] rewritten, and opportunities take different forms. It is, however critical to the success of the business, as a whole to approach this ever-changing landscape with the realization that employees are smart, capable and understanding. In other words, shoot straight, and tell-it-like-it-is!
What could be worse, as an employee than to arrive for work with a smile on your face, only to discover that what you heard in ‘the meeting’ yesterday has changed, twice or three times overnight. What you thought would be the new compensation plan, dress code, or benefit(s) had been altered, deleted or otherwise modified so as to negatively impact your work experience?! Employees have expectations, and they understand when changes have to be made. The point here is not to avoid budget cuts, policy changes or procedural development; rather, it’s to emphasize the importance of inclusion and transparency. Let the employee know, and take part in, the employer’s changes. Tell them the “Why”!
As a final note, don’t treat your employees as if they’re idiots because most of them are not. If you’re going to make budget cuts, reduce wages/commissions/benefits, be up front, and honest. Let your staff know that, “Hey, the economy sucks and we can’t afford to pay what we used to. We appreciate all of you, and the work you do which is why we’re keeping you as employees.” I guarantee that you will have greater ALIGNMENT with more (than expected) AGREEMENT. Employees are not machines, they have feelings, families, expenses and responsibilities and should be treated as though they can think!
Don’t let the Company down by operating behind closed doors, and leaking new information down the “proper channels”. Open your door, open your policies and embrace Operations Transparency, your employees will thank you for it. This improvement will empower your employees, leaving them feeling appreciated, and valued, and will advance the mission of your organization.