Administrative Assistant's Update

JULY 2017 2 E D I TO R ' S N OT E George Pearson Beware the wearing away of the spirit Taking care of ourselves and finding our potential, Deepak Chopra warns us, is undermined by entropy, a gradual decline into disorder. Physical entropy, he says in a recent LinkedIn "Best Advice" post, "is linked to aging in most people's minds, but in reality we are worn down by overwork, stress, poor sleep, the inability to take downtime, and a frenetic pace that the body can adapt to for only so long." And it isn't just physical entropy that diminishes us. Emotional en - tropy is intertwined with physical, Chopra says, because when we are worn down we lose enthusiasm and interest in what we're doing. "Emotional entropy is also caused by psychological issues like depres- sion, anxiety, strained relationships, abusive behaviour, and low self- esteem." A third kind of entropy, spiri- tual, occurs when we lose a sense of purpose, which may happen, for example, when we retire or become empty nesters. While the media "equate hap- piness with youth, beauty, a toned body, sex and riches," says Chopra, none of these will prevent the gradual degradation made by entropy over time. Science has made progress slow- ing down factors influencing physical entropy. But expanded awareness is needed to counter emotional and spiritual entropy. "The evolution of the inner person holds the key to energizing the entire system, including the body," Chopra says. "Research into meditation, for example, indicates that its benefits are holistic." You cannot ignore the emotional and spiritual issues "that drain away enthusiasm, self-confidence, curiosity, inspiration and self-worth," he main - tains, because if you do, "you have pushed away the possibility of evolv- ing and growing. When that possibility lies fallow, entropy finds a way to win, no matter how smart, good-looking, physically fit, and rich you are." Administrative Assistant's Update is published once a month by Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. Director, Media Solutions, Canada: Karen Lorimer Publisher: Todd Humber Editor: George Pearson george@adminupdate.ca Associate Editor: Jennifer Lewington jennifer@adminupdate.ca EDITORIAL OFFICE (519) 271-6000 Administrative Assistant's Update Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. 1 Corporate Plaza, 2075 Kennedy Road Toronto, ON M1T 3V4 CUSTOMER SERVICE (416) 609-3800 (800) 387-5164 FAX (416) 298-5082 (877) 750-9041 customersupport.legaltaxcanada @tr.com Contents copyright. All rights reserved. © 2017 Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. Contents may not be reproduced without written permission. Brief extracts may be made with due acknowledgement. Annual subscription: $189. Publications Mail Registration No. 40065782 GST# 897176350 UPDATE Administrative Assistant's Quitting is sometimes smart to do Winners never quit and quitters never win. Agreed? Not necessarily, says Travis Bradberry, co-author of Emotional Intel- ligence 2.0. Sometimes quitting is the best response to a situation, he says in a recent LinkedIn post. "Whether it's a failed project, a thankless job, or a doomed relationship, quitting can be a virtue." Some of the things we should quit doing, according to Bradberry: Quit doubting yourself. Have confidence in yourself. But you must believe it, because faking it does not produce the same results. Quit putting things off. Putting it off until tomorrow means you don't really want to do it or that you're not willing to put in the hard work to succeed. Quit thinking you have no choice. To succeed, "you have to quit giving your power away." Quit doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. To get different results, change your approach. Quit thinking everything is going to work out on its own. Take responsibility and face down difficult situations. Quit saying yes. When you say no, you're freeing up time and en - ergy for the important things in life.

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