RENO – Keynote speaker and author Christine Cashen addressed STN EXPO Reno attendees on being a positive force for change.
Those who attended the Transportation Director Summit on Saturday had heard from Cashen as she discussed conflict resolution and how to connect as a leader with all your employees, regardless of personality differences. On Monday, Cashen took the stage to inspire attendees to be proactive in creating personal and professional success.
Cashen’s first tip was regarding the dependency many people have on cell phones. She continued that people need to “wean from the screen,” as oftentimes they are either constantly checking work related emails or scrolling on social media, which gives brains no time to relax. “Give yourself a little break in the morning,” she said. “Start your day by taking a deep breath, not overwhelming yourself.”
While Cashen noted that many times constraints of the job do cause student transporters to be in work mode for most of the day, it’s important to take time for a breather. She said that to stay inspired, a force field needs to be created around one’s energy and time.
Cashen challenged attendees to try the “Two Hour Good Mood Commitment,” in which you commit to waking up in the morning and telling yourself you’re in a good mood, whether or not you feel like it. “When the two hours are up, what do you think happens,” she stated. “You’re in a good mood and you don’t even know why.”
She explained there is an untapped resource of positivity and happiness that can be reached when the “What you say comes your way,” truth is realized.
Cashen related her school bus rider experience to her bus driver, Mrs. Crabtree, who always greeted students with a smile as they boarded the bus, responding to the “how are you” inquiries with a cheerful “It just got better now that you’re here.”
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She encouraged attendees to strive to be the person that people look forward to seeing, rather than being the person everyone wants to get away from. She explained that the latter personality type is often created by constant whining, negativity and complaining. To flip the script, she said, one must realize that all humans are facing daily struggles and challenges and that “only I can change the way I am, I can’t control other people’s behaviors.”
Cashen also spoke on the importance of not being negative about one’s own perceived flaws or struggles. She recalled incidents of when she had tripped in public and how she had to train her brain to say, “I’m not normally like this,” even though her internal response might initially be to accept that problem as permanent. Over time, she said, a winner’s mindset can be built. Cashen demonstrated this technique by calling up an attendee on the stage and asking her to think of an embarrassing moment from her life. She then had her repeat out loud that she’s a terrible person five times and then attempt to keep her arm lifted under pressure of being pushed down by Cashen. After the attendee’s arm easily went down, Cashen had the attendee repeat five times “I’m a terrific person” and think of a happy, proud moment from her life. When Cashen attempted to push her arm down again, the attendee was able to resist. She had the audience partner with each other to try the exercise on each other to demonstrate the difference achieved through positive thinking.
Cashen explained that this is not only a metaphor for how we can train our brains to think positively but also an indication of the mental and physical toll it can take on a person to be in a constant state of negativity. “Think about the things you say to yourself hundreds, thousands of times,” she said. “Put it [positive, uplifting thoughts] out there, the people who win, they name it and claim it.”
Being overly critical of oneself is not the only pitfall to success, said Cashen. She explained that people are often trained to watch for other’s mistakes and to criticize perceived wrong behavior. She suggested another exercise called the “10 Coin Challenge,” where ten coins are placed in one pocket and every time a compliment is given to someone else a coin is moved into the opposite pocket.
“Just because you don’t feel appreciated doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate someone else,” said Cashen. “Consider putting on your grateful goggles instead of your gotcha goggles.”
Cashen recounted her own experience practicing this with her children and focusing on the good things they accomplished without undercutting the compliment with issues in how the task was completed.
“No one ever leaves because of too much appreciation,” said Cashen, referencing the challenges of the driver shortages and absenteeism in the transportation industry. “We need to be appreciated. Don’t wait for people to bring it to you, bring it to someone else. ‘There’s a gift in the lift.’ When you lift other people, you feel lifted.”
Cashen asked attendees to consider if they are worthy of being mirrored. She recounted stories of when certain students would misbehave on the bus, and the other students would step in to reprimand them and encourage them not to give the driver they liked a hard time. She said this comes about when we choose to “be the fountain, not the drain.”
While it’s important to also allow people to air grievances, Cashen stated that it’s best not to dwell on those problems, given that there is no possible way to make everyone adhere to the same standard one might have personally. She explained the importance of compassion, because oftentimes people may not verbalize the hardships they’re going through, even when it is affecting their behavior. She recounted her own battle with cancer and said she got through it by bringing a positive attitude with her to every treatment.
“People got mad I didn’t call. They didn’t know about the diagnosis. If someone is quiet, maybe they’re going through something hard.”
She continued all people have struggles of some sort, but there’s nothing stopping us from also learning to lighten the situation and control our own thoughts and actions. She used the metaphor of “be a thermostat, not a thermometer,” staying active not simply reacting to stress and worry. She encouraged attendees to “compose and dispose,” identify what is causing stress in your life and don’t worry about the things that you have no control over.
Cashen concluded her session saying “What you put out there comes back to you. Be good to yourself, when you’re happier you’re a better person to be around. Create a good culture, and that starts with you.”
STN spoke to Tina Day, a driver trainer for North Clackamas School District in Oregon, about her experience in the keynote session. “Today Christine was very uplifting. Her comedic delivery really kept the crowd engaged. I loved all of her tips on how we can help improve the culture where we work.”
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