Pouring Out

Knowledge applied.

In this newsletter:

• Praxis Work: Week Four of the Job Hunt Module

• Youth Group Teaching

• Art of the Week

• Co-worker Chat: Heidi

• Girls’ Conference: Purpose

• What’s in the Works

Praxis Work 

For week four of the job hunt module, I learned about writing professional emails, and how to create a job-hunting plan. Professional emails should be straight to the point, and not force the receiver to go out of their way unless you have a strong enough connection with the person you’re sending it to. 

A good professional email is like a friendly chat in written form—it gets your point across without any confusion and shows that you know your stuff. Whether you're talking to a colleague or a client, keeping your tone right is important. It finding the sweet spot between being too casual and too formal.

Starting with a friendly greeting, keeping the message to the point, and throwing in a closing that's not too stuffy, will really help. No one has time for lengthy emails, so be brief and clear. Mastering the art of writing laid-back professional emails is like having a secret weapon for smooth and effective communication at work. 

Youth Group Teaching

This week we went over the Relationship Bank account. This lesson emphasizes the importance of building and maintaining healthy relationships in various aspects of life. It begins by prompting self-reflection on personal relationships and encourages individuals to assess the state of their connections with friends, siblings, parents, and teachers. The lesson introduces the concept of the Relationship Bank Account (RBA), comparing it to a financial account with the ability to make deposits and withdrawals. The RBA is presented as a crucial element in achieving success and personal happiness, highlighting the need to master oneself before mastering relationships. The Private Victory, focusing on personal development, precedes the Public Victory, which delves into interdependence and cooperation with others.

The six RBA deposits – keeping promises, doing small acts of kindness, being loyal, listening, saying you're sorry, and setting clear expectations – are discussed in detail. Each deposit is illustrated with real-life examples and anecdotes, emphasizing their impact on relationships. The lesson underscores the significance of genuine and consistent efforts in building and repairing relationships, urging individuals to make continuous small deposits to maintain positive balances. The concluding personal challenge encourages readers to select a damaged relationship and commit to rebuilding it gradually through intentional and sincere deposits. The action steps provide practical ways for individuals to implement the principles discussed in their daily lives, fostering healthier and more meaningful connections.

Art of the Week

Co-worker Chat

On Wednesday I talked with Heidi, who does some of the financial work, think things like applying for loans, dealing with creditors, and more. It was a very insightful chat, and she mentioned a couple of things that she was willing to teach me how to do. She is currently part-time, so when she’s not in the office, I would be able to cover for her.

We also talked about the office culture, and from my conversation with her and Alex last week, it seems like there is a lack of training documentation. Things are kind of piled on one person, but if they’re sick or gone, no one else knows how to cover. After I’ve learned more, maybe that will be a project to tackle.

It could be pretty extensive from the way that it looks. The financial and service management sides both need it. I haven’t talked to a salesman yet, but perhaps they do too, haha! Could be an idea!

Girls Conference

Saturday I went to a girls’ conference and spoke on Christian purpose. We had twenty-five girls, from kindergarten to juniors, and during my part, I spoke to the older girls. It was a great experience, but very different from teaching the youth group. Usually, I’m not on a stage with the mic, so it felt more formal. I had a couple of different things to encourage audience engagement, and I think it went well! If you want to read the essentials of what I spoke about, I made a blog post about it here! I even include a couple of the 50 slides I prepared for the talk, (anything for attention retention, am I right)~

What’s in the Works

I’ve started my taxes, but hopefully, over the next couple of weeks, I can get them finished and done. It will be an interesting little project to work on.

That’s it for this week, thank you so much for reading!

(Youth Group lesson inspired by Sean Coney’s book–The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens, and summarized by ChatGPT.)