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An American Poet – A Deeper Look At Emily Dickinson

Leave a comment September 11, 2022 Writers Nexus

An American Poet – Emily Dickinson

There’s something about Emily Dickinson’s story as a woman and a writer that really hits deeply when people discover more about this enigmatic lady.

Let me introduce you to a deeper understanding of Emily Dickinson;

She was born in 1830
She lived to be 56 years old
She never married and never had children
She didn’t travel beyond 50 miles of the Massachusetts home she was raised in
She gave us hundreds and hundreds of poems
Many of her poems have been memorized, recited and studied by thousands of people in universities and for personal interest over the last 150 years.
Her work still resonates with readers to this day

Here is a short passionate poem that speaks to someone who feels deeply…

“Wild nights – Wild nights!
Were I with thee
Wild nights should be
Our luxury!”
– From Fr269

Emily Dickinson never married. However, she wrote so many magnificent love poems, many have speculated about her love life.

Readers have been intrigued by this interesting author since her first publication in the 1890s.

She spent much of her time alone. Especially, in her later years. Although, there is much speculation about her possible romances. These sources include Emily’s own childhood relationships, her “Master Letters,” and her correspondence with Judge Otis Lord.

Emily Dickinson fell in love with a married man —>

The man in question was Judge Otis Lord who was a friend of her father’s and a married man. Judge Lord and his wife Elizabeth, were frequent guests in the Dickinson household. So, the family knew them well.

Emily listened in and engaged in the inevitable political talk between powerful men. Dickinson and the judge’s relationship only developed after the death of his wife, Elizabeth Lord in 1877.

Below is a picture of Judge Otis Lord

Only fifteen manuscripts, written by Dickinson, survive from their correspondence. Most of these writings are in draft or fragmented form.

Some passages suggest that Dickinson and Lord contemplated marrying.

However, this would have meant that the reclusive writer would need to move to Lord’s home in Salem, Massachusetts. This question was eliminated when Judge Lord’s health declined dramatically.

He died in 1884, just two years before Emily Dickinson’s own death.

Below are a few of Emily Dickinson’s BEST poems…

‘Success is Counted Sweetest’ (1859)

Success is counted sweetest

By those who ne’er succeed.

To comprehend a nectarRequires sorest need.

Not one of all the Purple Host

Who took the Flag today
Can tell the definition
So clear of Victory

As he defeated – dying – On whose forbidden earThe distant strains of triumph

Burst agonized and clear.

‘I’m nobody! Who are you?’ (1861)

I’m Nobody! Who are you?
Are you – Nobody – too?
Then there’s a pair of us!
Don’t tell! they’d advertise – you know!

How dreary – to be – Somebody!
How public – like a Frog –
To tell one’s name – the livelong June –
To an admiring Bog!

‘“Hope” is The Thing With Feathers’ (1861)

“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops –

At all –

And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet – never – in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of me.

Wishing you much imagination…

STAR Interview Response Method – The STAR Technique Is For More Than Jobseekers!

Leave a comment August 28, 2022 Writers Nexus

What Is The STAR Interview Response Technique

& How Do You Use It?

Some job boards have described the STAR technique as a strategic storytelling tool… which is not a bad way to put it.

In my experience, it’s also a great technique to use for situations that don’t involve interviewing for a new job.

The Star Technique is straight forward and easy to remember.

It’s often used by hiring managers to determine that your personality and tendencies toward people are suited for their work environment.

Today, employers are looking for more than skills. They’re looking for a good personality fit for their company’s culture.

Sooo……

Let’s take a closer look at what the acronym “STAR” stands for and what this method helps you create when in an interview situation.

Below is an easy-to-follow storyline and what each part of the technique means:

SITUATION

When asked about how you might handle a hypothetical situation at work, you may want to set the stage for the story by sharing a work challenge you faced successfully.

You could also relay transferable life experience, an academic projects or volunteer work you were a part of too.

Just remember it’s also imperative to talk about a specific instance rather than your general responsibilities.

Remember, interviewers are more concerned with the actions you took and results you got than your general tendencies in a general work situation.

Example: “In my last position as senior account manager, there was a time when my team was short-staffed and we had a huge backlog of work. We were faced with unrealistic deadlines, which was caused a lot of stress for my team. I successfully negotiated an extended deadline with several clients and went to upper management to hire extra contractors so we could get the job done on time. In the end, the clients were please with our work and we met all of the extended deadlines.”

TASK

Describe your responsibility or TASK in the challenging situation you told.

What was the goal and what were your duties in responding to that goal.

Example: “As a senior account manager, I was tasked with coordinating and delegating the work in a way that accomplished the goal we had. I not only had to ensure my team met our deadlines, but I had to communicate between other departments, our clients and keep my team on task and motivated.”

ACTION

Next, tell them about the specific actions you took to handle the situation or overcome the challenge.

This response requires the most in-depth description. It’s this part of your answer that will help the potential employer visualize you in the position… or not.

Clarify a few of the most impactful steps you took to find success. This is also the part where you don’t want to be modest.

It’s a mistake to use “we” to elaborate on what actions YOU took to succeed.

Example: “As senior account manager, I set up a formal creative request processes that included project timeline estimates and inter-departmental work timelines. I scheduled weekly meetings with junior account managers to discuss our teams progress and give updates. I also kept my team informed, so they could feel accomplished in what they were doing.”

RESULT

Now, what is the result of all your hard work? The interviewer want to know what outcome you reached through your actions.

If you can quantify your success with data or compare with past projects this would be good. Perhaps you can provide concrete examples of the effects of your efforts where possible.

In addition, discuss what you learned. How did you grow as a result of meeting this challenge successfully? Why are you stronger as an employee/manager because of this experience?

Example: “By providing more transparency and setting better expectations with clients and junior account managers, we were able to re-prioritize the team’s tasks and complete everything in the backlog. I continued to streamline, use transparency and coordinate effectively with departments into the next quarter. In doing so, it shortened our average project timeline, saved on our budget, and overall provided a much more energized and focused team working environment.”

Just in case you’re looking for work… I can recommend the indeed.com platform. Check out their blog and a few tips to applying for work here…

Job Interview Tips: How to Make a Great Impression

Do you see how valuable this simple technique is? It can be used in any situation where you want to demonstrate you are capable and competent for the job. Freelancing. Contracting. Employee or even connecting with people at a social event.

You can discuss the process of what it is you do and demonstrate that you’re good at it too!

Just a Few Example QUESTIONS & How You Could Use the STAR Technique To Answer Them:

Share an example of a time when you faced a difficult problem at work. How did you solve this problem?

Situation: “I was working as a retail manager at a department store during prom season. A customer purchased a dress online and had it delivered to the store. One of my associates accidentally put the dress out on the floor, where another customer immediately purchased it.
Task: I knew I needed to make this right for the customer to meet my own service level standards and to uphold the reputation of the company.
Action: Before calling the customer to let her know about the mistake, I located the same dress at another store location nearby. I ordered it to be pressed and delivered to her home the morning of prom, along with a gift card to thank her for her understanding.
Result: The customer was so thankful, she wrote us a five-star review on several review sites.”

Describe a time when you were under a lot of pressure at work. How did you react? What would you say using the STAR method below…

Situation
Task
Action
Result

Tell me about a mistake you’ve made. How did you handle it? Fill in your answers below…

Situation
Task
Action
Result

Here’s a good article to read when responding to potential employers questions… or frankly anyone who you want to impress. When you know yourself and know your worth on the job you have so much more confidence everywhere else – Situational Interview Questions and Answers

Wishing you much imagination…

Cognitive Processing Therapy {CPT} Is A TOP Performing Technique In The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy {CBT} Category

Leave a comment July 17, 2022 Writers Nexus

Cognitive Processing Therapy {CPT} in essence is a way of ‘witnessing’ your own thought process and a top performing technique in the array of such in Cognitive Behavioral Coaching and Therapy.

It’s based in the belief that thinking patterns impact your emotions and behavior. So, if you learn to catch negative thoughts early you can interrupt the pattern and end that emotional trigger.

Cognitive Processing Therapy {CPT} is currently one the most widely used and trending technique in Cognitive and Behavioral Coaching and Therapy.

One reason for this is the dramatic increase in the diagnoses of PTSD and CPTSD.

Have you or someone you know been diagnosed with PTSD or CPTSD?

According to the American Psychological Association (APA) PTSD is aided by CBT because it goes after the problem from three angles; thoughts, emotions and behaviors and how they affect each other.

Cognitive Processing Therapy can be very effective for PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and CPTSD (Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

Nowadays, you’ve almost certainly encountered someone suffering from this type of trauma and didn’t realize it.

There are many reasons for the development of psychological trauma.

Not the least of which has to do with the societal, global and technological circumstances we find ourselves in.

The hard truth is, it’s not only war veterans with this condition anymore.

If you have or suspect you have a form of PTSD or CPTSD, this top performing technique (CPT) is much more effective when the patient is willing to work at it.

You’re still the one in charge. You just need some outside help for now.

Let’s take a look at the Top Performing Technique CPT….

The category of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) encompasses various types of treatment which includes Cognitive Processing Therapy. Some of these techniques are;

Journaling – Keeping a diary or journal of your thoughts and moods
Unravelling Cognitive Distortions – This is where you identify what distortions you have in your thinking patterns. Then you challenge those thought when they come up. Eg. Thinking you’re fat when by observation and medical weight charts you are actually underweight for your height and age.
Cognitive Restructuring – Once you’ve identified your cognitive distortions, you can learn how those distortions originated. Understanding often breeds compassion.
Exposure & Response Prevention – This where you put yourself in a situation that triggers the negative thought and behavioral patterns. You then witness your thoughts and then put into practice the positive behavioral techniques you’ve learned to diffuse and eventually eliminate the desire to perform the negative habits. *This is especially good for those suffering from OCD.*
Interoceptive Exposure – This technique has a lot to do with a fear and anxiety response. It’s the understanding that there is no real danger and you can allow the fear to subside as a result.
Nightmare Exposure & Re-scripting – This technique involves exploring nightmares the client has had, examining the emotion attached to it and reframing or “rescripting” the reasons why the nightmare is terrible. Eg. Perhaps the nightmare is indicating an end to something unwanted or is perhaps cautionary instead of spelling doom.
Play the Script until End – This is a technique whereby you imagine the outcome of the fear or negativity to its worst-case scenario. Then appreciate the logic which is either highly unlikely or manageable.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation – This technique teaches you to relax a group of body muscles at a time thereby restoring peace of mind
Relaxed Breathing – This is a conscious way of breathing and allowing your body to relax and take in oxygen and release stress. Simple and very effective.

There are actually many more CBT and CPT top performing techniques that are not mentioned here.

The Process A Client Goes Through When They Begin Using The Top Performing Technique CPT

CPT is usually performed over 12 sessions with the therapist. This is based on a one hour once a week session. It’s this length of time that, on average, takes for a client to see improvement in breaking their negative thought and behavioral patterns.

First the patient begins to identify their “automatic thoughts” or those thoughts that swoop into the mind when we’re not fully present. These are the thoughts that maintain the PTSD symptoms.

Next, the patient writes an impact statement which details their current understanding of why the traumatic event happened. This includes the impact they’ve seen and felt in their belief system about themselves, other people and the world at large. It also includes any physical symptoms they may have experienced since the trauma.

After that, the patient writes down a detailed account of their worst traumatic experience. Then the patient reads it out loud to the therapist. This helps to interrupt the pattern of avoiding thoughts and feelings associated with the trauma.

The therapist uses Socratic questioning among other strategies, to help the patient question his or her unhelpful thoughts about the trauma (e.g., self-blaming thoughts) in order to modify any maladaptive thinking.

Finally, once the patient has developed the skills to identify and address unhelpful thinking, she or he puts those skills in to practice. They will continue to evaluate and modify their beliefs related to the traumatic events.

At this point, usually around the 12 week mark, the therapist has helped the patient develop a sense of safety in their lives, an ability to trust their own instincts, a sense of their own power, a sense of self-control and self-esteem and the ability to invite intimacy into their relationships.

These are all areas of our psychology that are most often affected by traumatic experiences that CBT and CPT help to alleviate.

Thank you for reading. I wish you much imagination.

Contact Renee: thewritersnexus@gmail.com

Discover Renee’s other services…

Cognitive and Behavioral Coaching for Creatives, Executives & Entrepreneurs

Developmental Editing Services

Freelance Writing

The Nexus Blog

An American Poet – Emily Dickinson

“Wild nights – Wild nights! Were I with thee Wild nights should be Our luxury!” – From Fr269

Emily Dickinson fell in love with a married man —>

Below is a picture of Judge Otis Lord

He died in 1884, just two years before Emily Dickinson’s own death.

Below are a few of Emily Dickinson’s BEST poems…

‘Success is Counted Sweetest’ (1859)

‘I’m nobody! Who are you?’ (1861)

‘“Hope” is The Thing With Feathers’ (1861)

Wishing you much imagination…

What Is The STAR Interview Response Technique

& How Do You Use It?

SITUATION

TASK

ACTION

RESULT

Just a Few Example QUESTIONS & How You Could Use the STAR Technique To Answer Them:

Wishing you much imagination…

Have you or someone you know been diagnosed with PTSD or CPTSD?

Let’s take a look at the Top Performing Technique CPT….

**There are actually many more CBT and CPT top performing techniques that are not mentioned here.**

The Process A Client Goes Through When They Begin Using The Top Performing Technique CPT

These are all areas of our psychology that are most often affected by traumatic experiences that CBT and CPT help to alleviate.

“Wild nights – Wild nights!
Were I with thee
Wild nights should be
Our luxury!”
– From Fr269

There are actually many more CBT and CPT top performing techniques that are not mentioned here.