What does it take to be a good boss? You can answer this a bajillion different ways—being a clear communicator, earning employee trust, providing constructive feedback, and fostering a positive and supportive work environment while also being open to feedback and recognizing your team's contributions—but really, it all seems to stem from respecting your employees as fellow human beings. And part of that means acknowledging that these employees have lives that are, frankly, more important to them than the job, and not penalizing them for it. One manager, and Gen Zer no less, seems to fully understand this basic principle, and folks are applauding her for it. Elizabeth Beggs, who manages a five-person team for a packaging distribution company in Virginia, recently made a TikTok sharing which time-off requests she “rejects.”You’ll see why “rejects” is in quotes shortly. One example: when a female rep notified Beggs that she was likely having a miscarriage. After the team member asked how she can file for time off to see to the issue, Beggs immediately responded, “Girl, go to the doctor! We’re not submitting time off for that!”In Beggs’ mind, PTO is for “vacation,” not medical emergencies. What a concept. @bunchesofbeggs Edited to clarify- 1. My team is all salary. 2. These examples are not all recent or from my current position. 3. My team works hard and hits thier KPIs above and beyond. Time off is meant to recharge and be used how you need it, not to handle life changing events #mangers #corporate #genzmanagers #sales #vetstocorporate #veterans ♬ original sound - Elizabeth Beggs went on to explain a couple more situations, like when a parent who was “up all night” with a sick kid. And her last one wasn’t even negative—she had an employee who wanted to work a half-day to do something nice for their anniversary. “Seriously, if any of these triggered anyone, then you need to evaluate how you run your team as a manager,” she concluded.By and large, the response to Beggs’ management style has been overwhelmingly positive, and people seem to find it completely refreshing. “You are not a manager, you’re a LEADER,” one person wrote. @bunchesofbeggs Everything you do should be to better your team, not to make your life easier #leadership #ownership #corporatelife #veteran #military ♬ original sound - Elizabeth Another said,“The better you treat your employees, the more loyal they will be and the better work they will put out. Most people do not understand how management works.”A few noted how this attitude seems to be more present among younger leaders. One person commented, "millennial manager here. My team members are human first, employees second. Like just go do what you want but get the work done too.”Another joked that “Boomer managers could NEVER.”Beggs would later clarify this doesn’t mean she doesn't have clear productivity expectations for her team (who work on salary). Perhaps if she had a team member not making their KPIs (key performance indicator), there would be an additional conversation surrounding time off, but there is still an inherent respect as a fellow human being. Which, to her, means treating bona fide time- off as a way to “recharge and be used how you need it, not to handle life changing events.” @bunchesofbeggs If you’re planning does not account for people being human- it’s bad planning #genzleaders #armyvet #militaryvet #genz #corporatelife #corporate #manager #timeoff ♬ original sound - Elizabeth Younger generations might get labeled “lazy” or “entitled,” but they are also the ones fighting to change the status quo, so that we all may be treated less like cogs in the machine, and more like actual human beings. Its leaders like Beggs who show that operating in new ways doesn't compromise productivity, and in fact enhances it. We might not be able to change the global standard overnight, but we certainly aren’t going to get to a better place without leaders who choose to serve their community rather than a bottom line.This article originally appeared in March

Since technology has become such a large part of everyday life, it can feel as if you have to constantly portray this perfect image online. Even the most self-assured person becomes self-conscious and worried about the possibility of being recorded without their knowledge and becoming a viral meme. For me, technology became a strange time warp. Every time I open a social media app, the room becomes distorted as I transport to the same spot, but three hours later. It was extremely frustrating suddenly going from having eight hours to get something done to only having five or less. But the thing is, the passage of time seemed completely out of my control at the time. Picking up my phone became a habit that took away so many things that I didn't realize I was missing—so I stopped. When Lent rolled around this year, I decided to live more like the early 1990s and the results were so impressive that I don't think I'll ever fully come back. These are the five changes I made to transport my lifestyle back to the 90s... VHS tapePhoto credit: Canva1. No social mediaThere was no such thing as social media in the 80s and 90s, so I cut it out as much as I could. I downloaded an app called Opal which blocks any apps that are deemed a distraction. You can control the apps it blocks, but it also suggests which apps to block based on your phone usage. They offer body doubling options for better focus as well as different types of focus related music on top of sending quirky little messages when you attempt to access the app while it's blocked. Since my employment relies on me accessing social media, I set a two-hour limit per day so I could access the apps for work. This really helped me recognize how much time these apps were taking. Opal rewards you for staying off of the blocked apps by unlocking different gems that you get the satisfaction of hammering open on your screen. Two girls looking at cell phonePhoto credit: Canva2. No GoogleAs someone who enjoys learning, this was probably harder than giving up social media. But do you remember what it was like to wonder? Instead of Googling something random that felt urgent like "is Pluto a planet again," I just wonder. If it's something that is actually important enough for me to want to look up (not work related), I *gasp* go to the library. Apparently the library has books, magazines, scientific journals, CDs, computers, and more. It takes a little more work but I get to chat with the librarians and they help find the things I'm looking for. It has made researching much more tactile which seems to translate into absorbing and retaining more information. Avoiding Googling and asking Alexa and Siri has also resulted in me striking up more conversations in person and on the phone. Why ask Google how to get a kid to drink more water when I can ask my mom? Woman looking out windowPhoto credit: Canva3. Movies on DVDOkay, DVDs aren't early 90s but I honestly have no idea where you'd find a VCR or if they still make VCR tapes. Probably not, since having a VCR is like having an 8Track. Turns out DVD players and DVDs are fairly inexpensive, especially if you're not buying new movies. Watching movies on DVD instead of streaming devices allowed us to own the movies and series outright. On top of not having to worry about a streaming service ending an agreement with a series I'm in the middle of binging, I also don't get stuck in constant scrolling through endless options. 4. Spend more time outsideDuring the month of April, I spent a lot of time making my backyard inviting. Plenty of seating for when people stop by, a swing under our pear tree to enjoy the sunshine, lantern lights, and mosquito deterrents. Without social media sucking the time right out from under me, sitting outside listening to nature has been anxiety reducing. Woman with three kids drawing hopscotchPhoto credit: CanvaRiding bikes, roller blading, and drawing hopscotch boards in the driveway are now just part of our week. Going outside more has had the side effect of having my own child spend time outside learning games I used to play as a child. It has been fun to share these simpler games and activities with them.5. Reconnecting with friendsThis was something I'll admit that I didn't purposely seek out at first. It was a a happy consequence of not keeping up with people on social media. While social media can be great for keeping in touch with long distance friends or family, at some point I started relying on it to know what was going on in people's lives. Or at least it felt like I knew what was going on by watching their lives through pictures and curated updates. Without constantly logging in, I sought connection though phone calls, texts, hangouts in onesies on the couch, and brunch dates. Two teen girls sitting on bedPhoto credit: CanvaSpending more time speaking to people in my life no matter how far away they are connected us on a deeper level just like before social media. What people can't see from an Instagram post about a trip to the zoo is the tears or frustration the poster might be holding back due to something untold happening behind the perfectly cued up smiles. But when you hear your friend's voice, you know when something is off and can support them in real time. There's also something special about sharing more belly laughs in person or helping them clean their kitchen while belting along to the tunes pouring from their Alexa. Since many people work in a position that requires the computer, it can be nearly impossible to get rid of technology completely. But trying to limit use as much as possible can have a fair amount of unexpected positive side effects. Since limiting my own use of technology, I've been happier, more creative, more social, and I'm pretty sure I've increased my vitamin D levels due to the increased time I spend outdoors. There's no real way to go back to the 90s, but for now this is close enough and others may find it helpful to try to do the same.

Mispronouncing words happens to all of us. Even for the most diction and grammar literate, words can come out scrambled. But in the English language, some words are commonly mispronounced more than others—somehow becoming commonplace in our everyday language. Mispronouncing words or phrases irks many people, and in a popular online forum, member @Wonderful-Economy762 posed this question about mispronounced words: "What is one word that people wrongly pronounce that makes your brain just wanna jump a cliff?" And its fellow members did not hold back. Many shared their feelings about how it feels when they hear people mispronouncing them: "My rage bubbled up faster than expected reading this," one wrote. Another added, "Oh man, nails on a chalkboard. I instantly make unfair assumptions about the person who says this." And another quipped, "Does it count if I do it on purpose to be obnoxious sometimes?"These are 40 words that are commonly mispronounced that received a passionate mention–with many pointing out how to properly pronounce them."Supposably. When a grown adult says 'Supposably' to mean 'supposedly', they sound like a petulant infant who just threw their broccoli off of their high chair onto the ground." —@s7o0a0p "Lie-berry." —@DixonHerbox"Exspecially." —@iamhere-2 Coffee Conan Obrien GIF by Team Coco Giphy "eXpresso." —@Turbulent_Gene7017"On accident. (You don’t say you did something on accident. You did something by accident." —@Throwaway7219017, @_incredigirl_"'I could care less.' It's "I couldn't care less" which means you could NOT care less which means you DON'T CARE LOL." —@EmergencyPharmacy53"Real-la-tor instead of real-tor." —@jajabibi67"When people say Valentine’s Day as 'Valentimes day' ?." —@Glittering_Pea5599"Nuclear pronounced as 'New-queue-lur. Drives me bonkers!" —@Maleficent-Yam-5196 Test Boom GIF Giphy "Could of / should of / etc." —@Traditional_Goal6971"Eggcetera." —@ufficient_Space8484"Across. People here say 'acrost'. And I know it’s now accepted but it throws me when I hear people say 'axin' instead of 'asking'." —@UtahUtopia"Irregardless." —@fineline3061"For all INTENTS AND purposes." —@Doc308 Youtube Evil Smile GIF by Best.Cover.Ever Giphy "Mischievous. Miss-Chev-Us. But EVERYONE says Miss-Chee—VEE-us. I said it wrong for decades too." —@fleshvessel"Amblance instead of Ambulance." —@katmcflame"Pellow. Melk. Fustrated." —@KimboSliceChestHair"Punkin instead of pumpkin." —@Geester43 Happy Italian GIF Giphy "Italian. It's not Eyetalian." —@hairyairyolas"Hot take…When did we start pronouncing the 'T' in 'often?' I was taught in school it was silent :)" —@SilentConstant2114"Pacifically instead of specifically." —@PepsiMaxHoe"Pitcher for picture." —@shnarfmaster3000"'FentaNAHL'. It’s fentanyl." —@daveindo Get To The Point GIF by Aurora Consulting: Business, Insurance, Financing Experts Giphy "I’m going to expose my middle-class here but it’s KEE-NWAH, not KIH-NOAH. And it’s ‘Champing at the bit’, not ‘chomping’." —@creator_chronicles"Where people say 'seen' instead of 'saw'. 'I seen this car coming down the street...' My brain melts every time." —@Direct_Disaster9299"Kindygarten, kiddygarden." —@NeverDidLearn'Take for granite' u sound so dumb. Its GRANTED people." —@silly_creation650 Strawberry GIF Giphy "'Oh look! A strawbrery!'" —@WafflesTalbot "'verbiage' as 'verb-uj'." —@valentinakontrabida"Anyways. There is no 'S' in this." —@Zealousideal-Cook104"Writing 'ect.' instead of 'etc.' and pronouncing it wrongly - 'eccetera' instead of 'et cetera'." —@KiwiFruit404"Foyer. It's Foy-yay, not Foy-yer." —@hoosiergirl1962 What Is That Happy Birthday GIF by The Office Giphy "There so many. Here are but a few. 'Burfday'. It’s birthday, damn it! 'Alls I know'. I want to rip my ears off. 'Ax' instead of 'ask'." —@mbc072558"Poinsettia, people say it as pointsetta, it has irked me for years." —@dararie"When people say 'pitcher' for 'picture'." —@Desperate_Holiday_78

Sunshine and betrayal.

Catch 22.

He would know!

A throne for two.

Strangely enough, it's not 'morose'.

"A lesson I learned the hard way, from losing a friend."

Chiara Corbella Petrillo lived a saintly life, honoring the sanctity of life and devotion to God. As her and her husband excitedly started a family, she suffered multiple difficult pregnancies, but never gave up on life.  In the midst of very difficult circumstances, she consistently honored and chose God. She inspired Cardinal Baldassare Reina, who has been appointed to become the new head of the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences by Pope Leo XIV. READ MORE: A Hopeful Pope Leo Change for Life In this week’s episode of The Weekend Spectator, Paul Kengor tells Chiara’s inspiring story and sheds light on the hope that has characterized the start of  Pope Leo XIV’s papacy. Watch the full episode to find out more. READ Paul and Grace’s work here and here. READ MORE: The Weekend Spectator Ep. 39: The First American Pope The Weekend Spectator Ep. 38: May Day, ‘Deadnaming,’ and Chemical Abortion The Weekend Spectator Ep. 37: A Catholic and a Protestant on the Pope The post <i>The Weekend Spectator</i> Ep. 40: Culture of Life and Moral Clarity appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.