In This Edition:
1. Control Your Spaces: Like Your Car
2. Tidy Up Your Glove Compartment
3. Do You Like to Speak in Public?
4. Gluttony Worth Remembering

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Control Your Spaces: Like Your Car

As we approach the mid point of the year, with perhaps some extended travel coming up for you, now is as good a time as any to assess how you maintain your car. You’re probably often on the go in your car. It’s important to keep your car organized and neat. Organization doesn’t have to be difficult; in fact, disorganization proves to be more difficult.

Keep a set of house keys hidden in your car and a set of car keys hidden in or around your house. If you ever lock yourself out of your house, there’s an extra set of keys in your car. You can keep an extra car key hidden in a magnetic case somewhere under your car, but if you feel uncomfortable doing this, keep an extra car key in your purse or wallet or hidden somewhere in your yard. This may be under a designated rock or attached to the inside of the doghouse or wherever is best for you.

If you lock yourself out of your car and house, you can still get into one of them, and hence the other, without breaking a window or calling a locksmith.

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Tidy Up Your Glove Compartment

Most glove compartments contain a lot of clutter and junk. Only a few papers need to be in your glove compartment–car registration, insurance, safety inspection and emission test information, and the like. Since most newer model cars have consoles for storing extra items, other stuff can go elsewhere. With a clean glove compartment, you’ll have room for a few other items, but pick and choose those carefully. You don’t want your car to become cluttered again so that you can’t find what you’re seeking.

If the door to your glove compartment is getting harder to close, it’s time to clean it out. The glove compartment is not a trash can or semi-permanent home of unnecessary papers and receipts. If the items are important, take them inside and put them in a folder where you can maintain them. In addition to the above mentioned items your glove compartment need only contain your car manual, a small flashlight, and perhaps recent service records. If you’re ever pulled over by a police officer and spend five minutes digging through the glove compartment looking for your registration, take that as a clue to get organized.

If you’ve kept your glove compartment free and clear of clutter, there are a few extra items that you can keep there on a temporary basis. An extra pair of sunglasses (in a case) will usually fit perfectly in the glove compartment of your car. This way, anytime you get into your car, you’ll always have sunglasses even if you leave the pair you normally wear at home.

Whether you’re a busy parent or businessperson, chances are that you have many small items to keep up with in your car. Pens, coins, CDs, and other items can be difficult to find when they’re thrown in a glove compartment, purse, or briefcase. To make common small items easier to find, put them in a clear plastic case or bag so you can see through to the contents and find what you’re looking for easily.

Keeping your car simplified, yet prepared, can make your daily commute and errand-running go more smoothly.

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Do You Like to Speak in Public?

In a discussion group with non-speakers, I came upon an interesting insight. Public speaking is routinely rated as the number one social fear. People would rather do anything else than have to speak in front of others. I always thought the reason was because people got excessively nervous and thought that they would drift or embarrass themselves in some way.

I learned, however, that some people fear public speaking because they are afraid they would reveal their true selves! Either they will say something they would not have ever said in private conversation or otherwise trip up in some way and be marked for life! All the more reason, I suppose, to walk our talk whether speaking in casual conversation in private or speaking to a large group using a microphone.

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Gluttony Worth Remembering!

Speaking of speaking…. In 1992 I spoke to the National Association of Pizza Store Operators at their annual convention held at the Las Vegas convention in Civic Center. My speech was in the morning, and it went well. Afterwards, I walked into the exhibit hall and was amazed to see more than 20 rows, each about 50 yards long, filled with vendors of all sorts.

Walking down one row after another, it became clear to me that there were going to be at least three or four vendors per isle offering sample pizza. There was Hawaiian pizza, Mexican pizza, wheat pizza, veggie pizza, every conceivable kind of pizza. I was hungry, it was free, and the vendors were only too glad to offer it. I pigged out that day like never before and certainly beyond reason in dignity. I sampled more than a dozen slices of pizza. It was a gastronomical delight, one I’ll remember for the rest of my days. However, it wasn’t without its price. I was bloated, stuffed to the gills, and I payed for it! Oh, what a way to go.