Articles written by Pamela A Mertz

What is Helium

About me - Pamela A Mertz

Pamela Mertz has been a Toastmaster since April 2006, and presently serves as President of her local Toastmasters club. She earned her Competent Communicator (CC) and Competent Leader (CL) Toastmasters awards in less than a year and a half. Pam also earned

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Religion & Spirituality > Self-Awareness & Realization Finding your life's purpose: 3 of 111
No pain, no gain! How clich, right? I always used to scoff when I heard people use this phrase so loosely, with seemingly no real meaningful experience to back it up. Well, I have finally found out what it means to have profound good come out of a really bad experience.Some of you who have read my bio or some of my other arti... More..
Creative Writing > Memoirs Testimonies: Thoughts on death and living: 1 of 28
A recent memorial service for a friend really gave me pause to think about community, and how critical it is to have a community of love and support while we are living. We should not wait until someone dies to celebrate the goodness we have in life.I met Jean at a time in my life when I needed help, and I was strong enough t... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Spiritual Insights On living your life to the fullest: 2 of 27
A really great book I read recently is "When Nietzsche Wept" by Irvin Yalom. It is the fictional account of two men who become profoundly connected with each other through what became the beginnings of modern talk-therapy. At one point, the main character Nietzsche reflects about "the horror of an unobserved life".That is ver... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Childhood memories: 11 of 144
I was 10 or 11 years old that day, when I came around the corner and saw the fire truck down the street. Even from the corner, I had this sinking feeling that the fire truck was at my house. I couldn't see which house it was in front of, but I just knew it there for my house. My first thought was to turn around and go back, g... More..
Creative Writing > Essays Essays: Observing people: 4 of 32
Hospital ObservationsYou see a lot of the human condition while spending time at a hospital. There are always people milling around, at all hours of the day and night. This includes employees, medical staff, patients, families, visitors and strangers. It is a place where you can see the whole gamut of human emotion, just by o... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Expressing thoughts: 5 of 39
On AbandonmentI have been thinking of the whole concept of abandonment a lot. I have experienced some in my life. I recently tried to talk about what that means for me, and my feelings connected to abandonment. I found it was easier to write it.I have always been afraid that whenever I get close to someone and bare my soul wi... More..
Jobs & Careers > Job Interviews Tips on making a lasting impression at a job interview: 4 of 26
When you interview for a job you really want, your number one goal should be to be sure the interviewer remembers you. Sometimes hundreds of people will send in a resume for only one available position, especially in tough economic times. From that pool of candidates, a small group of people is selected for the first round of... More..
Sciences > Psychology Change and how people deal with it: 5 of 31
My cheese keeps moving and I don't like it. I get used to my cheese being in a certain place and that's where I expect it to be when I look for cheese. Change is an inevitable part of life, but still, most of us resist it. One of the best books I ever read is Who Moved My Cheese? (by Spencer Johnson). The story is a fable a... More..
Jobs & Careers > Getting Ahead Worst types of bosses: Control freaks, too friendly, weirdos and more: 4 of 24
One of the worst bosses you can have is the one who manages by intimidation (MBI). You know the type - threatens you at every turn, embarrasses you publicly when you make a mistake, and has absolutely no positive words in their vocabulary.I have encountered two bosses like this in my career. Both happened to be male, and very... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Political Values How globalism will change our lives: 1 of 6
Globalism has already changed our lives. We have become that global society that was forecast not too many years ago. Everyday, we knowingly, and sometimes unknowingly, communicate with people around the world, using this great technology that connects us all. Twenty years ago, we worried about long distance telephone charges... More..