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Newsletter Archive |
6
Although these celebrations and offerings of “thanks” influenced the
idea of Thanksgiving, Parliament didn’t officially recognize it as an
annual national holiday until 1879. Nearly 80 years passed as Canada
celebrated Thanksgiving Day on several different dates. But in 1957,
Parliament proclaimed the second Monday in October the permanent
holiday.
Now, Canada celebrates Thanksgiving with parades, people traveling
across the country to spend the holiday with their loved ones, and
families gathering around the dinner table eating turkey, mashed
potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pies.
And despite the fact that Canada observes Thanksgiving a
month earlier than the United States, the celebrations in both
countries focus on the same idea: giving thanks for our
blessings.
– Adapted from wikipedia.org
Fine-Tune Your Listening Skills
Listening is a skill – and a very important one at and away from work. Being a good listener can
make or break a relationship or career. Here are a few thoughts and facts about listening:
Television and radio have brought the importance of listening back to the world.
Today, listening is essential to the well-being and survival of an individual.
Most people can’t seem to find the energy to listen to what you’re saying unless they already
feel that you’ve listened to them.
If people feel listened to, they’ll feel accepted and appreciated rather than isolated and
rejected.
When we feel listened to, we feel that what we say really matters.
Being a generous listener gives the speaker a sense of well-being.
Some listening gaffes to avoid:
Interrupting.
Avoiding eye contact.
Rushing the speaker.
Letting your attention wander.
Rushing ahead and finishing the speaker’s thoughts.
Not responding when appropriate.
Use of negating phrases such as “yes, but…”
Trying to top the speaker’s story.
Forgetting what the speaker has already told you.
Asking about too many details.
– Adapted from the International Listening Association website
October 13
Canadian Thanksgiving Day
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