Be serious. Otherwise you won't be taken seriously, right? How many times have we (especially we women) thought that we need to remain serious and focused, perform perfectly, and then we will be successful? The problem with that scenario is that when we are so focused on perfection, we are destroying the productive, comfortable climate that fosters that very success we want to attain!

When we take ourselves too seriously--when we try to cover over our mistakes, or deny that they exist; when we try to be perfect--others are uneasy, waiting for us to fall, to fail. And they themselves are afraid to fail, because they see you do not allow yourself to fail. So what are we to do?? "Get Your SHINE Together!"

We need to borrow from the comedian's toolkit--the one that creates a creative atmosphere where new ideas flourish, new perspectives find a welcome place to germinate, where people can--LAUGH! Research has consistently shown that humor, laughter, comedy, help us to be healthier, think more clearly, see things from a new perspective, and most importantly--to create rapport.

In today's technological age of speed, information overload, and stress, we sometimes lack the human connection that allows those technological advances make sense to us. We need that rapport that brings us closer again, that reminds us that although we communicate through metal, wires, and even wireLESS--we are still human beings, people talking to other people. No type of device yet invented can deny or replace that fact.