MUSE
Ramblings, Musing and thoughts from from Chicago based keynote speaker and motivational humorist Conor Cunneen
Who Was St. Patrick? Why is Shamrock Important to Irish?
Who was St. Patrick?
He’s our patron saint
Which is really quite quaint
He brought Ireland the faith
He made us holy and great
But Irish? St Patrick? He ain’t!
St. Patrick’s first visit to Ireland did not exactly evoke images of “Ireland of the Welcomes.” Captured by marauding Irish warriors, the Welsh or Scottish born 16 year old spent about 6 years in Ireland as a slave. After his escape, precipitated by a voice from God telling him to leave, he became a priest.
Patrick then returned to Ireland bringing the Catholic faith. Legend has it he drove the snakes out of Ireland. Well, the ones that crawl anyway.
St. Patrick and the Shamrock
Another legend has it that St. Patrick used the shamrock to illustrate the mystery of the Holy Trinity and how three could be one. To the native born Irish, the shamrock is a three leafed item. Technically it is a clover, but in our thinking a four leaf clover is NOT a shamrock and it drives us nuts when the two are mixed up.
Today the shamrock is probably the fastest way for the stranger to appreciate an Irish association. You will find the shamrock adorning Aer Lingus planes, Glasgow Celtic jerseys and the windows of Irish pubs from Maine to Madrid.
Purchase your personally signed copy of For the Love of Being Irish today. ORDER NOW at Conor’s Bookstore
Micro-Goal # 3 to a GREAT Workplace: USE POSITIVE WORDS
This gallery contains 1 photo.
Definitions:
B-HAG = Big Hairy Audacious Goal.
S-HAG = Small HIGHLY Achievable Goal (a Micro-Goal)
Creating a Great Workplace
As referenced in previous posts, the Big Hairy Audacious Goal (B-HAG) is to create a Great Workplace, one that is welcoming, supportive, challenging and one that has colleagues saying “I like working there.”
Achieving a B-HAG normally requires Micro-Goals. These are Small Highly Achievable Goals (S-HAGs) which if completed on a regular basis WILL help you create that better workplace.
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“A small task, if it be really daily, will beat the labors of a spasmodic Hercules.” Anthony Trollope
How often do you use Positive Words?
I have previously written about the power of a complement (Micro-Goal #1). In a similar vein, I encourage clients and my audience to use positive words in conversation with colleagues and clients, your spouse or kids.
Words count, So are you?
Amazingly Awesome,
Brilliant and Bubbly,
Cute and Cuddly,
Dazzling, Delightful, Delicious, Debonair,
Ecstatic, Exquisite and Energizing,
Friendly, Fresh, Fragrant, Flourishing
Gloriously Giggling, Gorgeously Graceful, Gentle, Glowing and Generous
(more below!)
Frederick Douglass: “Whatever constantly occupies your thoughts will magnify in your mind.”
You don’t need research by Positive Psychology gurus like Barbara Fredrickson to know that it is much more fun being around positive people than some Moaning Minnies. The same applies to your work colleagues. How do they see you? Do you change the vibe in a room, positively or negatively?
Everyone has down days. Everyone complains from time to time. That’s life. The challenge is to understand the balance between positive and negative phrases in your vocabulary.
You know positive words lift people.
You know positive words make you feel better.
You know work colleagues will respond better to someone who uses positive words and is complementary.
Ask yourself: “How often do I use positive words?”
Ask yourself “Have I used any of the following words (or similar) in conversation today?”
Excellent
Great
Fabulous
Positive
Superb
Enchanting
Buoyant (love that word)
Classy
Flourishing
Inspired
Magnificent
The MICRO-GOAL for you today is USE POSITIVE WORDS.
I promise you, the results will be BRILLIANT!
and more positive words below!
Micro-Goal (S-HAG) #1: Complement Your Work Colleagues
Conor Cunneen – IrishmanSpeaks
PHONE Conor at 630 718 1643 to discuss how he can help you Improve People, Performance and Productivity – with a smile!
See Micro-Goal #2 to a Great Workplace: HEAR the words “THANK YOU”
Substance with Humor to:
Improve People Performance & Productivity – with a smile!
Conor Cunneen – IrishmanSpeaks is an Irish keynote speaker, author and business humorist who claims to be happily exiled in Chicago, where he says the natives are friendly and he has been force fed more corned beef than he ever had in Ireland
“Fabulous, Compelling, Entertaining and Memorable.”
SITE Annual Conference, Malaga Spain
“In my close to thirty years of association work,
I have NEVER seen a speaker as well received as you.”
Incentive Marketing Association
WATCH: Conor on his YouTube channel – IrishmanSpeaks
..
Heartwarming, Heavenly, Healthy and Happy
Inspiring, Invigorating and Irresistible
Jovial, Joyful, Joyous and Jolly
Keen, Kindhearted, Kindly
Loving, Lovely, Lucky – Luminous
Motivating, Memorable, Matchless
Nice, New, Nourishing
Opulent, Outrageous, Outstanding and Original
Peaceful, Perfect, Pleasing and Placid. Precious, Productive, Pleasant , Polite, Positive and Passionate
Quality
Radiant, Ravishing, Rapturous, Remarkable
Seductive, Satisfying, Sexy, Slick, Smooth and Soft
Tingly
Unrivalled, Unsurpassed. Unbeatable?
Vivacious, Vital, Vibrant, Vigorous
Warm, Wise, Wonderful – WOW
Xcellent, Xtraordinary, Xemplar
Are you Zealously Zipping with Zesty Zing and Zeal
The Blarney Stone, Bart Simpson and the Rolling Stones!
Illustrated, Humorous Coffee Table Book about Ireland and Irish History.
Signed by author Conor Cunneen.
Order your copy of For the Love of Being Irish and I will personally sign your book.
– Conor Cunneen
Only $19.95 (FREE Shipping)
St. Patrick
Joyce
Kennedy
Yeats
Bono
Oscar Wilde and more in one fun illustrated book
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Below are some of the many wonderful images in For the Love of Being Irish written by Chicago based motivational humorous business speaker Conor Cunneen and wonderfully illustrated by Mark Anderson
Order your copy of For the Love of Being Irish and I will personally sign your book.
– Conor Cunneen
Only $19.95 (FREE Shipping)
BUY Author Signed copies at Conor’s Bookstore
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Order your copy of For the Love of Being Irish and I will personally sign your book.
– Conor Cunneen
Only $19.95 (FREE Shipping)
Written by Chicago humorous motivational business speaker and award winning humorist Conor Cunneen and illustrated by the wonderful Mark Anderson, For the Love of Being Irish is a beautifully illustrated book providing an A-Z of Ireland, This is a book that will have you Laughing and Learning through lyrical limericks, powerful prose and Imaginative Illustrations. Here you will see, read and feel all the emotions of a tiny country that has taken the world by storm. You will read humor, horror, history. You will laugh, maybe even shed a tear in a wonderful book that showcases all the emotions of Ireland and you will be raise a glass that you can say (or wish to be) For the Love of Being Irish
Laugh and Learn with For the Love of Being Irish Author Conor Cunneen speaking at Harley-Davidson
St Patricks Day Gifts
Irish Actors: Pierce Brosnan, Peter O’Toole and My Left Foot
Illustrated, Humorous Coffee Table Book about Ireland and Irish History.
Signed by author Conor Cunneen.
Order your copy of For the Love of Being Irish and I will personally sign your book.
– Conor Cunneen
Only $19.95 (FREE Shipping)
St. Patrick
Joyce
Kennedy
Yeats
Bono
Oscar Wilde and more in one fun illustrated book
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Below are some of the many wonderful images in For the Love of Being Irish written by Chicago based motivational humorous business speaker Conor Cunneen and wonderfully illustrated by Mark Anderson
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
BUY Author Signed copies at Conor’s Bookstore
Order your copy of For the Love of Being Irish and I will personally sign your book.
– Conor Cunneen
Only $19.95 (FREE Shipping)
Order your copy of For the Love of Being Irish and I will personally sign your book.
– Conor Cunneen
Only $19.95 (FREE Shipping)
Written by Chicago humorous motivational business speaker and award winning humorist Conor Cunneen and illustrated by the wonderful Mark Anderson, For the Love of Being Irish is a beautifully illustrated book providing an A-Z of Ireland.
This is a book that will have you Laughing and Learning through lyrical limericks, powerful prose and Imaginative Illustrations.
Here you will see, read and feel all the emotions of a tiny country that has taken the world by storm. You will read humor, horror, history. You will laugh, maybe even shed a tear in a wonderful book that showcases all the emotions of Ireland and you will be raise a glass that you can say (or wish to be) For the Love of Being Irish
Laugh and Learn with For the Love of Being Irish Author Conor Cunneen.
St Patricks Day Gifts
Micro-Goal # 2 to a GREAT Workplace: HEAR the Words “Thank You.”
This gallery contains 1 photo.
Conor Cunneen – IrishmanSpeaks
Substance with Humor to Improve People Performance & Productivity – with a smile!
.
Micro-Goal #2 to a GREAT Workplace: Hear the words “Thank You”
Chicago Employee Engagement Speaker Conor Cunneen – IrishmanSpeaks
Definitions:
B-HAG = Big Hairy Audacious Goal.
S-HAG = Small HIGHLY Achievable Goal (also referred to as a Micro-Goal)
*****
Your B-HAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) is to create a great workplace with engaged employees and world class productivity.
As I have indicated previously, these things don’t happen just because you want them to happen. That B-HAG will only occur (if at all) through the implementation of S-HAGs (Small Highly Achievable Goals.)
The idea behind S-HAGs or Micro-Goals is that deliberate daily implementation of them will change your work environment and your relationship with colleagues. These goals appear almost simplistic. The irony is that very few of us regularly implement and achieve them.
Let’s have a look at Micro-Goal #2 to a GREAT workplace.
HEAR the words “Thank You” every day from your work colleagues
This Micro-Goal is to HEAR the words “Thank You” each day. “Huh?” I hear you say!
My challenge to you is to go into work tomorrow with the deliberate intention to HEAR “Thank You.”
Quite likely, a few times today, someone said “Thank You” to you, but it probably went over your head and you paid little heed to it.
However, if you set yourself a Micro-Goal to HEAR “Thank You,” what will happen?
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You will have to do something to generate “Thank You.”
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In generating “Thank You,” you are obviously helping a work colleague in at least some slight way.
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When you HEAR “Thank You,” you are going to feel slightly better about yourself because you have achieved a goal.
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Now, that you feel good because of satisfying a Small Highly Achievable Goal, you are quite likely to be motivated to deliberately do something else to again HEAR “Thank You.”
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All those work colleagues that you helped are going to appreciate you more.
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You are creating a better work environment and likely a more engaged workforce.
SEE Micro-Goal #1: Complement Your Work Colleagues
Conor Cunneen – IrishmanSpeaks
PHONE Conor at 630 718 1643 to discuss how he can help you Improve People, Performance and Productivity – with a smile!
Substance with Humor to:
Improve People Performance & Productivity – with a smile!
Conor Cunneen – IrishmanSpeaks is an Irish keynote speaker, author and business humorist who claims to be happily exiled in Chicago, where he says the natives are friendly and he has been force fed more corned beef than he ever had in Ireland. This Chicago based Motivational , Funny, Employee Engagement will leave your team with a smile on the face, a spring in the step AND memorable takeaways to improve the work place.
“Fabulous, Compelling, Entertaining and Memorable.”
SITE Annual Conference, Malaga Spain
“In my close to thirty years of association work,
I have NEVER seen a speaker as well received as you.”
Incentive Marketing Association
WATCH: Empoyee Engagement Speaker Conor on his YouTube channel – IrishmanSpeaks
..
Micro-Goal #1 to a GREAT Workplace: Complement Your Work Colleagues
This gallery contains 1 photo.
Conor Cunneen – IrishmanSpeaks
Substance with Humor to Improve People Performance & Productivity – with a smile!
.
Micro Goal #1 to a GREAT Workplace: Compliment Your Work Colleagues
Definitions:
B-HAG = Big Hairy Audacious Goal.
S-HAG = Small HIGHLY Achievable Goal (also referred to as a Micro-Goal)
*****
Your B-HAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) is to create a great workplace with engaged employees and world class productivity.
Unfortunately, these things don’t happen just because you want them to happen. That B-HAG has a significantly better chance of happening through the deliberate implementation of S-HAGs (Small Highly Achievable Goals.)
Goal Achievement makes me and you feel good. So, why not find ways to feel good and upbeat. In other words, why not set yourself some Small Highly Achievable Goals, that you know you can achieve.
Small Highly Achievable Goals that when you achieve them, you feel better and you have probably made a difference to your work colleagues as well. Over coming days, I will identify some of these S-HAGs or Micro-Goals that can make a difference to your workplace.
Micro-Goal (S-HAG) #1: Compliment Your Work Colleagues
Conor Cunneen – IrishmanSpeaks
CLICK to SEE Micro-Goal # 2: Hear the words “Thank You”
PHONE Conor at 630 718 1643 to discuss how he can help you Improve People, Performance and Productivity – with a smile!
Substance with Humor to:
Improve People Performance & Productivity – with a smile!
Conor Cunneen – IrishmanSpeaks is an Irish keynote speaker, author and business humorist who claims to be happily exiled in Chicago, where he says the natives are friendly and he has been force fed more corned beef than he ever had in Ireland
“Fabulous, Compelling, Entertaining and Memorable.”
SITE Annual Conference, Malaga Spain
“In my close to thirty years of association work,
I have NEVER seen a speaker as well received as you.”
Incentive Marketing Association
WATCH: Conor on his YouTube channel – IrishmanSpeaks
..
Click to Buy Conor’s New Book:
Tags:
Employee Engagement Speaker Chicago
Best Motivational Humorous Speakers
Funny Motivational Workforce Speakers
Congress, Ethics and Mark Twain
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Congress, Ethics and Mark Twain
Only three days into the new year and the political shenanigans start again in Washington. (I like to believe they stopped for the Holidays!!)
Even though the GOP now seems to have pulled its plan to gut the independent ethics panel, their antics are enough to raise the blood pressure.
When commenting on my book Suppose You Were an Idiot… Mark Twain on Politics and Polticians, I am often asked what would Twain say of today’s current set of “vultures that now infest the filthy den called Congress.”
As a man who had a decidedly jaundiced (he would say accurate view) of politics, he probably would not be surprised. Here is a selection of this thoughts that might just as well have been written today. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.
A Mark Twain Gallery of Quotes on Politics and Politicians
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From ..
Suppose You Were an Idiot… Mark Twain on Politics and Politicians 
Buy Autographed Copy HERE
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A Mark Twain Gallery of Quotes on Politics and Politicians
From ..
Suppose You Were an Idiot… Mark Twain on Politics and Politicians
Buy Autographed Copy HERE
Mark Twain on
Teddy Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, King Leopold of the Belgians
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- “Theodore the man is sane; in fairness we ought to keep in mind that Theodore, as statesman and politician, is insane.”
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- “This man, in whose heart knowledge and charity had left no room for malice, was marked by Providence as the one to “bind up the Nation’s wounds.”
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- “Leopold of the Belgians: This moldy and piety-mouthing hypocrite, this bloody monster whose mate is not findable in human history anywhere.”
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Suppose You Were an Idiot… Mark Twain on Politics and Politicians
Buy Autographed Copy HERE
Mark Twain on the Astonishing Teddy Roosevelt
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In Suppose You Were an Idiot… Mark Twain on Politics and Politicians, I quote numerous comments from Twain (Sam Clemens) on US Presidents ranging from Washington to Teddy Roosevelt.
Twain was thoroughly intrigued by Teddy Roosevelt, but hardly a fan of his.
Here are some gems from Suppose You Were an Idiot… Mark Twain on Politics and Politicians
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Mr. Roosevelt is easily the most astonishing event in American history—if we except the discovery of the country by Columbus.
—Mark Twain: Eruption
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“Theodore the man is sane; in fairness we ought to keep in mind that Theodore, as statesman and politician, is insane.”
❖ ❖ ❖
Then we have tried for governor an illustrious Rough Rider, Continue reading
Mark Twain on Ulysses S. Grant – A Very Great Man
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Buy Autographed Copy of
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In Suppose You Were an Idiot… Mark Twain on Politics and Politicians, I quote numerous comments from Twain (Sam Clemens) on US Presidents ranging from Washington to Teddy Roosevelt.
There is no doubt though that Twain had a particular fondness for Ulysses S. Grant. They were on opposite sides during the Civil War (at least initially) but Twain came to see a goodness in Grant that bordered on brotherly love as the ex-President, dying of cancer, struggled to finish his memoirs. Continue reading