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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
April 7, 2008
/ 2 Nissan 5768
Meet the new boss …
By
Mitch Albom
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Last week, I learned that my long-time book publisher was resigning to try something new. A senior member of his staff would replace him. In short, I had lost an old boss and gained a new one.
It got me thinking how many times this has happened in my life, and how personal it still feels. Like a substitute teacher stepping before the chalkboard, like a babysitter waving hello, her coat over her arm, the introduction of a new "authority" goes back a long way in our lives. It almost feels primal.
But with a boss, it's a never-ending feeling. Think about how much of your day is spent trying to make the boss happy, how many hours you invest trying to please, avoid, impress or affect this person who controls your working fate. Most people I know have their daily outlook shaped by the mood of their boss. ("Oh, he's on the warpath today." "Oh, man, he's making my life Hell on Earth.") A great boss, work is upbeat. A bad boss, your day can be torture.
With a position this influential, any change can be profound.
Yet it happens all the time.
HERE TODAY, GONE TOMORROW
The guy who hires you suddenly gets promoted. The company you signed with suddenly gets sold. One morning you come into the office, same as the other mornings, but there is a certain buzz in the hallway, a hasty gathering in a conference room, and an unfamiliar man in a nice suit is standing with his hands crossed, being introduced with the words "… will be taking over for now."
At this newspaper, the man who hired me was gone a few months after I arrived. He was replaced with a guy I, luckily, got along with well, but in time that guy left and was replaced with another (who, thankfully, I get along with, too).
At my second book publisher, two of the top three people who signed me left for other jobs before I turned in a page.
At my first radio station, I saw four different men sit in the big office. Four different "heart-to-heart" talks about how I fit into their plans.
We constantly try to make headway with bosses, only to wake up and find another in their place. Alliances crumble. The guy who "kissed up" to the boss is laughed at for wasting his time. The woman who always angered the boss gets a new lease on life. The promises an old boss made evaporate like steam on a window.
And you wonder why you twisted yourself in knots for someone who could depart so easily.
WHO'S THE BOSS?
Have you ever met an old boss later in life? Run into him or her on the street? Isn't there part of you that wants to say something maybe beginning with "You know, now that I'm not working for you anymore…"? Or maybe you share a heart-to-heart, how bad things have gotten since that boss left, how much you yearn for the good old days.
Either way, when you walk away, you are reminded of just how much one person can affect you, and then become a person who has no bearing on your fate at all. It is the reason Kipling once advised to let "all men count with you, but none too much."
So this week, I have another new boss. And it's OK. I think I've learned, maybe the hard way, to let go of the "too much" part, to recognize that bosses are just men and women who, for a brief moment in life, make decisions that affect you. But how much they affect you is still in your control. The real trick in life, when it comes to bosses, is learning how to be your own.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
MITCH'S LATEST
"For One More Day"
"For One More Day" is the story of a mother and a son, and a relationship that covers a lifetime and beyond. It explores the question: What would you do if you could spend one more day with a lost loved one? Sales help fund JWR.
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© 2008, THE DETROIT FREE PRESS
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