Latest news with #SandyBeach
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
When we 'drop the rock,' we gain serenity and improve our relationships
When We 'Drop the Rock,' We Gain Serenity and Improve Our Relationships 'Drop the Rock' is a short talk by the late speaker Sandy Beach. (Yes, his real name!) It is a favorite message of mine. You can click here to listen to it on YouTube, but to summarize, the story describes a person struggling to swim out to a boat where her friends were waiting. She was weighed down by a rock around her neck (her friends could see it, yet she could not). The friends kept yelling, 'Drop the rock!' When she finally began to untangle the strings holding the rock around her neck, the load became lighter, and she could swim out to the boat and meet her friends. In this analogy, the boat represents recovery. The 'rock' is a symbol of the baggage she carried: fear, anger, resentment, and so forth. The message is that we can have emotions that weigh us down without our even realizing it. Many of us have our own rocks we carry around. We might underestimate how much they are holding us back. They harm our serenity and damage relationships. I have a CEO friend who will periodically call me after reading a column of mine. During a recent conversation, I asked how a new member of the senior team was doing. He said, 'Funny you should ask,' and shared the situation. The person had just come from an organization in which the top leader was a hard-charging, get-it-done, no-excuses type of person. The top leader described his leadership style as KITA leadership. KITA stands for 'Kick in the a**.' When he started at this organization, the CEO suggested he listen and build relationships. After some weeks went by, the feedback on the new hire was not good. People did not want to work with him. The CEO met with him and shared the feedback. The new hire admitted he had not adjusted his style to the new culture. He then said, 'I need to detox myself from where I came from.' Though a strong statement, it was accurate. The new hire apologized to his team and began listening and building relationships. I have another friend who is a managing partner of a company. Over the years, when we discussed the previous company he had worked for, it was obvious he had hard feelings for the founder. I asked if I could share an observation, and he said yes. I explained that the founder had taken a chance on him, and he earned enough money to become a managing partner of another firm. While very few leaders are perfect, overall, it seems like he ran a good company. After thinking for a while, my friend said, 'You are right. I am going to send him a thank-you.' My prediction is this will open more communication. A few tips for getting rid of baggage: Take self-inventory. In recovery, we are taught to print the names of people we resent, get angry with, are envious of, etc. Try this. Write down the reason you feel this way. Then check how your experience with the person impacted you. It usually comes down to security or self-esteem. Then write down your role in the situation or relationship. This helps you to take a more objective look. Share your list with a trusted person. This also helps get things out on the table. Say a prayer for the person. Ask that they receive what you want for yourself. All of the above will help you to stop letting a person or experience live in your head and impact your serenity. Of course, do not stay in a toxic environment. But also make sure you're not creating or adding to your own toxic environment internally by feeding negative emotions. Drop the rock. You will be surprised at how much lighter and freer you feel. Quint Studer is the author of 16 books on leadership in the workplace and the community. His book Building a Vibrant Community is a valuable resource for civic leaders, business owners, and all citizens who have a stake in building a community they can be proud to call home. In Sundays with Quint, he shares a selection of his popular leadership columns for leaders, employees, and business owners in all industries. He can be reached at Quint@ This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Studer drop the rock to gain serenity, improve relationships Solve the daily Crossword
Buzz Feed
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
If You'd Describe Yourself As Being All Over The Place, Here Are 24 Products That'll Come In Clutch
We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page. Shopping · If you're attached at the hip with your phone, this timed locked box will help you *actually* get some work done. 1. A pocket-size Tile GPS tracker that'll put an end to those frantic mornings spent searching for your keys or purse — simply ring your Tile Mate using the free app and follow the sound to your misplaced items. And if you lose your phone, don't sweat it! Just double-press the button on your Tile Mate and your phone will ring, even if it's on silent. Here's what BuzzFeeder Tasia Bass has to say about it: "I'm gonna tell you now, I have a ton of these on a lot of things like my keys, my wallet, and even my Nintendo Switch. My mom always asks, 'How can someone so brilliant lose everything?' The app lets you connect as many Tiles as you want (thankfully). I actually found out about these right before I was going to Japan. A friend recommended them to me and I am so glad he did because the airline lost my luggage during a layover in Vancouver, and when I landed in Osaka, I was able to give them the exact coordinates so they could get it to me by the next morning and I didn't have to spend money buying months worth of clothes." Get it from Amazon for $17.99 (available in two colors and three pack sizes). 2. A 52-week tear-off meal planning pad since you're already juggling a million things and meal planning feels like another chore. Each week, you can jot down all your meals (from breakfast to dinner) in advance and even include snacks for your mid-afternoon treats. It also includes a perforated shopping list you can neatly tear off and take on your next grocery run. Check out a TikTok of the weekly meal planning pad in action. Sweetzer and Orange is a small business specializing in planners, stationery, and educational products. Promising review: "The magnet is great, sticks to fridge very well, does not slide or move. Perfect for planning meals and adding needed grocery items to the right side. Then you just tear off the right side and head to the store. This has made our family meal planning so much easier!" — SandyBeach Get it from Amazon for $8.99 (available in two styles). 3. An adhesive under-the-desk phone holder because we're kicking that phone dependency to the curb one step at a time. This baby will keep your phone out of sight, out of mind, and out of your hands every two seconds. All ya gotta do is stick it under your desk with the included tape and bam! You've got yourself a distraction-free zone. Beyond 3D Creations is an Massachusetts-based Etsy shop established in 2020 that specializes in 3D-printed desk accessories. Promising review:"This is definitely a hit! Now I'm so used to reaching my phone from this holder without looking down at my desk, and my screentime has decreased a lot during day time. This really helps in terms of being more efficient so that I can finish my work early and get more me time back at the end of the day. Highly recommend it if you want to be less distracted while working!" — Shelby Cedrone Get it from Beyond 3D Creations on Etsy for $11.88+ (available in six colors, custom sizing available). 4. Or a kitchen-safe locking container so you can put your device in phone jail and keep it safe from your wandering hands. And it's not just for phones — stash away your gaming controllers, snacks, or even cash if you need a little reward system to keep yourself motivated. Check out a TikTok of the locking container in action. Kitchen Safe is a US-based small business that specializes in lockboxes to help curb distracting habits. Promising review: "I love using this product to stop myself from going on my phone so much. Once you start implementing this into your daily routine, you will see many changes for the better in your life! Especially if using for your phone, you learn to be away from it and to not focus on the stresses that phones can create. I highly recommend this product also because of the sturdiness of the box. The full white base is the one I got and the plastic is thick enough where I don't feel like it'll crack. It has proven to be very effective in the weeks that I have had it. The functionality of the timer is awesome as well. I love how easy it is to set a time up on it and to quickly do so as sometimes I hesitate in wanting to put my phone in there. But once I do I can't go back and that is a great thing!" — Julia Get it from Amazon for $59+ (available in 10 styles and three sizes). 5. A weekly shower cleaner that requires zero scrubbing, so even if you get distracted and wander off after spraying, the job still gets done. This bleach-free marvel tackles soap scum and hard water deposits, leaving your shower gleaming. All you have to do is spray it on, let it work its magic, and rinse it off the next day. Promising review:"I saw this product on TikTok and decided to try it out for myself. The name doesn't lie — spray it on, shut the bathroom door, and in a few hours, the shower is 100 times cleaner. Usually I'll let it sit overnight, and by morning, the visible grime on the shower is gone, include soap scum. I'll usually let the shower water rinse the residue out, and then will take a bucket just to get everything off the shower walls. It is a bit slick if you try to get in the shower without rinsing the residue, but otherwise it's a worthy cleaning staple in my house." — Tara D. Get it from Amazon for $20.98 (available in two scents). 6. A transparent monitor attachment if you can't knock the ol' tried-and-true sticky note habit and the inevitable clutter that comes with it. It's basically a little see-through board where you can stick all your notes, to-do lists, and even inspirational quotes. No more rummaging through a mess of papers or forgetting important tasks because they're buried under a pile of stuff. Amazon Each of the attachment has a sticky film that's strong enough to adhere it to your monitor, but easy enough to remove that it won't damage it. Promising review:"I have 568 stickies on any given day and this is exactly what I needed to keep myself organized. They came packaged nicely, no cracks or scratches, and was easy to adhere. The adhesive is awesome. It's not going anywhere!!! I recommend this to anyone like me who needs a cool place for their notes. You will be the envy of your coworkers!" — Mason's Mom Get it from Amazon for $8.98 (available with or without the phone holder). 7. A subscription to Silk + Sonder that sends you a brand new planner with drool-worthy designs every month to help you stay organized and grow personally. You can jot down your thoughts, track habits, and plan out your days, all while being gently nudged to unleash your creativity and manage stress. Silk + Sonder Silk + Sonder is a small business founded by Meha Agrawal, a former software engineer who developed the planners as a way for people to stay emotionally and mentally connected with themselves through self-guided structure and creativity. Promising review:"I started S+S to try and get my anxiety and depression better managed. I was struggling with a pretty bad depression period and wanted to be more proactive. It has kept me accountable and given me a mindfulness outlet which was much needed. I noticed a big change even just in the first week of having my first journal. Now, I am going to stick with it for a while longer! LOVE my Silk + Sonder Journals!" — Lindsey S. Get it from Silk + Sonder at $34.95 /month (also available for $23.70/month with a 3-month membership or $19.95/month with a 12-month membership). 8. Or a tear-off weekly notepad to break your week into manageable chunks, highlighting the top priorities for each day. It's helpful for big-picture thinkers who often get lost in the whirlwind of tasks and ideas swirling around in their head. Each page gives you a clear picture of what needs to be tackled so you can focus on one thing at a time without feeling overwhelmed. Amazon Promising review: "I carry a weekly planner in my bag for scheduling appointments, meetings, classes, etc. Then on Sunday night or Monday morning, I transfer everything from the planner to a sheet from this pad. It stays sitting on the counter in my kitchen where I can easily jot down errands, groceries, etc either in the extra space or on the back. At first this seemed like an unnecessary duplication of effort, so I was looking for a better solution, but I've realized over the past couple of weeks that this really works for me." — Toledo Get it from Amazon for $9.98. 9. An internet-beloved time-marked water bottle, because let's face it, we all forget to drink enough water sometimes. This bottle has time stamps on it so you can keep track of how much water you're drinking throughout the day. It also has encouraging phrases (like "keep chugging" and "almost there") at each time mark so you keep the motivation to reach your water intake goals. Promising review: "LOVE IT! I am very picky when it comes to water bottles, but this one is perfect! It is 32 ounces so it holds a lot of water to drink throughout the day! My favorite part is that you can add ice to it, and it will not sweat due to the material it is made of, which I LOVE!" — Bianca Aguilera Get it on Amazon for $17.84+ (available in two colors). 10. A "Did You Feed The Dog?" tracker since we can't forget about Fluffy's morning routine. This easy-to-mount chart can stick to your fridge or wall with either the included magnets or adhesive stickers. You can use the slide button to keep track of meal times and *finally* stop the double feedings — perfect for those busy mornings when everyone's in a rush. Promising review:"Awesome product! There are four of us who were working together to feed the dogs. It simplified everything because I no longer have to text to see if anyone had fed them every morning. Now I just to see if it's green and if not, I feed them and indicate it. We all love it so much!" — Toni Deegan Get it from Amazon for $7.95 (available in four styles, including a version for cats). 11. A set of Monkey Noodles that may sound like some sort of exotic dish, but they're actually these super fun, colorful sensory toys designed to keep your hands busy and help you focus — great for those boring meetings or endless brainstorming sessions. You can stretch them, twirl them, wrap them around your fingers, or just squeeze them! Promising review: "This is my absolute favorite fidget! I'm an adult with autism and ADHD. I carry one around with me everywhere I go. It definitely assists me in staying calm/still while I'm at work. I've recommended it to several friends!" — KaelynnVP Get a set of five from Amazon for $12.99. 12. A splurge-worthy detachable leather Bandolier crossbody iPhone case if you're *constantly* misplacing your stuff. This crossbody holds your phone and also sports a subtle built-in wallet to stash cash and credit cards. Huge bonus: It's also super stylish with its sleek leather design. Amazon Bandolier is a small business that specializes in crossbody bags for fashion and utility. Promising review: "Worth the cost. So perfect for daily use, vacations, theme parks and hikes. Not having to dig through my bag/purse to snap a picture, check my phone and get my ID/credit card out is so nice and easy. The quality is unbeatable!" — Angeleno4Life Get it from Amazon for $98 (available in two different iPhone models). 13. A convertible standing desk riser to combat the dreaded effects of sitting for prolonged hours, which not only takes a toll on our health but also hampers focus and productivity. With this, you can incorporate energizing standing breaks into your day — and when you *do* decide to sit, it doubles up as a sleek monitor stand, ensuring your screen is always at the perfect eye level. Tech Orbits is a small business that specializes in desk converters and office accessories. Promising review: "I've been looking at these for months and finally decided to buy one. Super happy with my purchas e. I didn't want to replace my entire work desk so I opted for this. The entire unit slides up and down easily. Plenty of room around the monitor for speakers, pens, notes, even a fan. easily assembly. Not too heavy. I've really enjoyed being able to stand at my desk. I've been struggling with lower back pain and standing more seems to be helping. I find myself wanting to stand more often than I thought." — halaly Get it from Amazon for $129.99+ (available in three colors and four sizes). 14. A user-friendly hexagonal productivity timer with six preset countdown times that you can activate just by flipping it onto that side. It has a really satisfying display screen that you can use to count up or down. The best part = its mute function, which means no more annoying beeps or alarms to startle you or, worse, disturb your coworkers — perfect for maintaining that zen office vibe. Promising review:"Love love love this product. Simple design, works great. I time myself during writing sessions so I'm not sitting in long stretches. This little timer is perfectly shaped and has several pre-programmed time options. Highly recommend." — Mimi Foster Get it from Amazon for $39.99+ (available in three colors). 15. An outlet timer equipped with clearly marked time increments so you don't have to constantly second-guess whether you turned off the hair straightener or unplugged the slow cooker. The increments range from 15 minutes to a whopping six hours, so it's perfect for both quick tasks and longer cooking sessions, adding safety and saving energy with its auto-off function. Check out a TikTok of the outlet timer in action. Promising review: "I was looking for a better countdown timer to turn off corded entertainment devices after I fall asleep. The one I've been using has small buttons and a LCD display. Although any countdown time can be set on it, the display is hard to see in low lighting. This BN-LINK has larger buttons and knowing their order allows me to select a preset time in the dark. Yes, not infinitely flexible, but 15 and 30 minutes, plus 1, 2, 4 and 6 hours is close enough for my needs." — Picky Consumer 01 Get it from Amazon for $11.99. 16. Plus, a SwitchBot Smart Switch button pusher letting you turn on and off light switches and your coffee machine without lifting a finger. You can install this faster than you can say "Alexa, what time is it?" thanks to the simple peel-off sticker — and speaking of Alexa, this Bluetooth device can even sync with voice assistants (including Siri and Google Assistant) so you can sit back and relax. Amazon, Reviewers love this because it doesn't require you to "smart enable" other parts of your home. It's also a great way to turn on your kettle or coffee brewer from the other room so it's ready for you when you get out of bed! Note: You have to pair this with the Switchbot hub to use the voice control function and control it from anywhere. Otherwise, you can just control it using the app within Bluetooth range. Promising review:"Super great! Comes with clear instructions, the mobile app is clear and well designed, and it's super easy to set the whole thing up. Honestly I'm really happy with the product. Now I don't have to get up all the time when I inevitably forget to turn the lights off. I can just hit the button on my phone and VOOP the little arm comes out and presses the switch!" — Noah R. Get it from Amazon for $29+ (available in white and black). 17. A weekly pill organizer saving you time and hassle when it comes to staying on top of your daily meds. At the start of the week, just line up your medications and vitamins day by day and pop them through the silicone lid — it's as easy as that. Amazon Sagely is a family-owned small business founded by husband-and-wife team Ellie Glazer and Ivor Miskulin, who spent three years designing the ideal, stress-free pill storage solution. The silicone lids are super secure, but also designed for gentle and easy opening and closing to account for users with dexterity issues. Promising review: "Love this thing!!! I'm only 30 and didn't want an old lady pill this one was modern and cool. The little slots to push in pills is fantastic and the containers are very large. It keeps my huge vitamin pills on either side and could fit over 10 large ones if needed. Love this thing. Worth the price and looks like it'll last forever. I do wish the magnets were stronger. They just keep them in place but will slide off if bumped. I assume this is helpful for people with arthritis. It's an easy fix. I take down one days worth of pills, set it on my counter and now I'm not too lazy to take my pills!" — Chicken McNugget Get it from Amazon for $34.99. 18. A discreet seat gap filler that slides over your seat belt buckle to fill that extra space between your car seat and center console, aka a black hole that seems to consume everything in its vicinity. No more fishing around under your seat, getting your hands dirty, or, worse, having to pull over to retrieve your phone when you're already running late. Amazon, Drop Stop is a small business (as seen on Shark Tank!) that specializes in car accessories. Promising review:"Somehow my phone manages to ALWAYS fall perfectly between the large gap between my console and seat. And MAN when I'm driving it is so frustrating, because I can NEVER reach it without stopping the car, because it's wayyyy under my seat. Before I ordered this I tried the traditional insert that is a popular solution because it gives you extra storage and such, but it didn't fit the gap, it was loose, sloppy and would literally slide forward with the brakes. UGH, Those are now sitting on my bar waiting to be gifted to some lucky person hopefully with a smaller gap. I immediately ordered these and love love love them!" — Ronald & Shannon White Get a two-pack from Amazon for $24.99. 19. A felt handbag insert so you can finally experience the feeling of glancing into your bag and instantly knowing where everything is. It'll feel like a mini miracle for your daily routine, preventing you from feeling like you're rummaging through Mary Poppins' bag just to find a stick of gum. Promising review:"My summer handbag has no dividers, so everything falls into a lump together. I was so pleased to find the smaller slender option for this organizer. It slides down into my purse with room on the sides to spare —this is exactly what I wanted since it lets me put things into the organizer and then other things outside of it on either side. I ordered the gray color and am very satisfied with the construction and fabric used." — Jay Get it from Amazon for $9.39+ (available in six sizes and 16 colors). 20. A Scrubbing Bubbles toilet cleaning stamp to help keep it fresh in between cleanings, which can be so hard to stay on top of. Each stamp lasts up to 12 days and cleans the toilet with every flush so you don't have to pick up that nasty toilet brush and scrub as often. Bye-bye, rings and limescale! Amazon, Check out a TikTok of the Scrubbing Bubbles toilet cleaning stamp to see it in action! Promising review:"I was sooo skeptical and confused about how they'd work but the gel solidifies and with every flush, suds wash through with the water and it really makes a fresh difference. Also the scent is light but really nice and fresh! I recommend these 100%! They're super interesting but they do the job." — Janet Get it from Amazon for $4.99. 21. A cleverly designed mug warmer so you'll never have to suffer through the tragedy of cold coffee. This will save you from taking a million trips to the microwave and possibly getting distracted along the way! And unlike other coffee warmers, this one only turns on when your cup is sitting on it and automatically shuts off when you take your cup away. Promising review: "I drink coffee pretty much all day especially during the fall and winter. It was a hassle to go back and forth to the kitchen at work to warm my coffee. I saw this product and thought I'd try it and I absolutely LOVE it. It has a weight sensor so it turns on when you place your cup on the top plate and turns off when cup is lifted. I use it at work daily. I also think you could place a candle in a glass container on the warmer and it would work as well. My coffee is never too hot. It's perfect. The only CON is that I wish it had a longer cord so I could move to a diff spot on my desk." — Kim bur lee Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in five colors). 22. A handy minimalist weekly cleaning printable that breaks your cleaning duties into manageable chunks, focusing on a specific room each day. This approach prevents you from feeling daunted by the overwhelming scope of your cleaning to-do list. Feel free to take it slow by ticking off a few items daily or spread it out over a few weeks for a stress-free cleaning experience. Creative Type Store / Etsy You can also print and place it inside a frame, then use a dry-erase marker! Creative Type Store is a woman-owned, Canada-based Etsy shop that specializes in designer printables to make life easier. Promising review: "Great for what I needed! I had started my own schedule, but felt like I was forgetting things, too much in a day, etc. This is super helpful!" — Erin Brie Get it from Creative Type Store on Etsy for $3.39. 23. A cleverly designed weatherproof hide-a-key rock in case you come home from a long day at work to realize you left your house key on the kitchen counter the third time this week. This handy trinket allows you to hide a spare key in plain sight by blending in with your doorstep decor, making it the unsung hero of your daily routine. Amazon, Check out a TikTok of the key rock in action. Promising review: "This fake rock was exactly what I had been hoping to find. It blends in extremely well with the rock from my landscaping, and the key fits inside perfectly. The slide on the bottom was very easy to close as well. I definitely recommend it!" — P Gilroy Get it from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in five styles). 24. A pack of food spikes ready to keep your green babies well-fed for up to two months straight! Now you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the lush greenery without worrying about checking soil nutrients and fertilizing every few weeks.
