The PR fix Tag

FullSizeRenderMany of us come from families in which our parents have gotten divorced.  Children of divorced parents experience mental, emotional, and even physical strain that weighs heavy on them, not only in the early stages of divorce but also in various ways for the rest of their lives.   While divorce is common these days, this does not lessen the hurt, sadness, anger, and confusion that children in these situations feel. In my experience, here is what kids of divorce want their parents to know:
Beach BudsWe believe that one of the building blocks of fostering good relationships is being easy and comfortable with conversation in everyday social situations, such as at work, school, the drugstore, the gym, etc.  Having a friendly demeanor, grace and tact in everyday conversation are learned skills that take practice.  Many of us hone these skills through experience.  Often, this happens as we get older, move away from home, and become independent. When I look back on my younger years, I realize that I only began thoughtfully considering my social etiquette in college, where I found myself in a new city full of strangers and a variety of cultural and societal norms that I was a bit unfamiliar with.  I grew up in a small island community where everyone knew each other or were somehow connected, and this set a scene for mostly casual, comfortable personal interactions.  I didn't consider myself uncouth or anti-social, but apprehensive and awkward at times.  I think that this resulted in somewhat holding myself back on exploring a handful of opportunities.  As the saying goes, I lived and learned, and I am appreciative for my experiences as it helped me grow.
IMG_0567Given the choice, few people want to visit or live in a country in a state of civil war. Likewise, few people want to visit or be someone who is at war with themselves. When you’re facing internal battles you are just like a country in a state of civil war. You’re distracted, you have little attention for anything besides your unrest, you may be irritable, you may collapse and isolate yourself, and when you do finally see the light, it’s hard work to fully recover. Many people don’t even realize that they’re in a state of civil war. Like those who live in war zones, they get used to being on edge, to living in conflict, to that feeling of malaise, and to being in survival mode all the time. They don’t remember what it feels like to be happy and at ease, or to be confident and decisive, or how to thrive instead of just survive.
Warthog_06-13There is always a way to graciously address any situation, no matter how uncomfortable. Plain and simple: ignoring the truth or being phony feeds into the discomfort of the most awkward situations and makes them worse.
CandlesThis may seem elementary, but it isn’t. The truth gets cloudy sometimes, and that’s what gets us in trouble. Most of us don’t intentionally lie or exaggerate the truth to hurt anyone. In fact, many of us get caught up in an occasional white lie or embellishment to avoid hurting someone’s feelings. You know what we mean. “I’m so sorry, I can’t attend your son’s play because I have another appointment at that time,” (even though you don’t).  In today’s modern world, we’ve become too accustomed to seeing media, paparazzi, and advertising exaggerate the truth.  Embellishment has almost become the norm, and we’ve become desensitized to it. What’s so wrong with a white lie to preserve a friend’s feelings? Well, first off, what would happen if they found out that you fibbed? How would they feel then? And what would your friend feel about you?  Besides that consequence, the fact is, when you tell a lie, your intentions are to deceive, and deception is never the right thing.  It’s just not good for the soul.
THE PR FIX LOGO FINALThe following is an excerpt from “The PR Fix for the Everyday Person” © 2013 by Jenny Fujita and Joy Koerte. We always tell our clients that when they’re asked questions about a situation involving several parties, they must only answer for their own company. The same goes for you. If you’re asked a question about how another person may feel about a situation, pause and then say, “I can’t answer for them but I know that I…”
The following is an excerpt from “The PR Fix for the Everyday Person” © 2013 by Jenny Fujita and Joy Miura Koerte. “The trouble with talking too fast is you may say something you haven't thought of yet.” - Ann Landers Thinking before speaking seems obvious but most people don’t do it consistently. We have become a society of blurting out things without regard for the consequences.  We see it in politics when politicians put their foot in their mouth in front of a news camera. We see it in the grocery store when impatient people berate the cashier.  We see it at public hearings when people yell out their opinions.  We see it in high-drama reality TV shows and think, “Can you believe she said that?”
The following is an excerpt from “The PR Fix for the Everyday Person” © 2013 by Jenny Fujita and Joy Miura Koerte. Have you ever been caught up in a drama with family, friends or co-workers? Those incidents usually boil down to what someone told so-and-so about someone else who told the next person, and so on.  In the midst of it, you feel like you’re back in high school, where everyone is acting pouty and impulsive.  One of the reasons we celebrated our high school graduations was to be done with those shenanigans!