The Best Life Coach: You

Self management is about taking responsibility for every aspect of our life. Some take the easy (and expensive) route and hire a life coach. But by adopting a few behaviors and practices, we can be our own life coaches.

The Limits of Responsibility

Self responsibility has very clear limits. And it must be learned; not all of it comes automatically. First, a fully functioning human is charged with the responsibility of basic survival: food, clothing, shelter, personal safety. When these things are taken care of, the next ladder of responsibility involves emotional comfort and mental stability. After we have managed these significant aspects of our life, we are responsible for intellectual development, material gains and all the bonuses that bring us happiness. Being aware of our responsibilities is the first step in self management.

Basic Survival Needs

To provide for these basic needs of food, clothing, shelter and personal safety requires that we manage broad areas of our lives. A source of income is the usual route and at different times in our lives, we may depend on others (parents, spouse, significant other). However, we leave our parent’s homes and marriages and relationships can fall apart. So the first step in self management is preparing ourselves for independence. We map our skills and interests and look toward training or education as the key to employment. If we are just beginning a career or changing a career, we must manage the acquisition of knowledge. In other words, we go through vocational training, on-the-job training or receive a college degree. We prepare ourselves for employment. Employment of some sort is essential if we are to provide for our basic needs as an independent human being.

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Flu Drugs: The CDC’s Top Four

If the flu has struck you or your family this season, it’s not too late to stop it in its tracks. The government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued its list of four drugs to combat flu viruses for the 2008-2009 flu season.

These antiviral drugs all must be prescribed by a physician and come in the form of pills, liquid or inhaler. Their action is to “decrease the ability of flu viruses to reproduce,” according to the CDC website. These drugs are not vaccines, however, there is a 70% to 90% possibility that these same drugs might prevent the flu, says the CDC. The agency strongly encourages U.S. citizens to get a flu vaccine for prevention.

The CDC advises that the antiviral drugs be taken within two days of the start of flu symptoms, and states that the drugs are effective in reducing the duration of the flu by one or two days. This is welcomed relief for anyone who has suffered the debilitating aches, the feverish nights and the lost days of work as a result of the flu.

The four flu antiviral drugs approved by the CDC include oseltamivir (brand name Tamiflu ), zanamivir (brand name Relenza ), amantadine (Symmetrel, generic), and rimantadine (Flumadine, generic).

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Tutoring: A Recession-Proof Venture

Tutoring can be a profitable business venture regardless of economy.

Educational services are the number two industry in the United States with over 13 million employed in this sector. Of these numbers, 195,000 are self-employed, according to the government’s Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Effects of the Recession

The economic downturn is having a profound effect on the need for retraining as thousands are dismissed from their jobs and forced to find employment in new fields.

The recession is also affecting those who are currently employed in the school system as teachers with layoffs and downsizing taking place in Boston, New York, California and Florida. Private tutoring is a perfect job choice for these unemployed educators.

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Acquiring the Muse: Memory, Tranquility and Thought

When nothing pours from our pens, when the keyboard is silent, when we go for days without starting that article or poem, what do we do?

Invoke our muse.

Who is this elusive being? How can we call on this creature when we do not know its identity? Without a name, who do we address? And why is it that when our writing limps along, the “muse” takes the blame? Yet, when our writing soars, more often than not, we pat our own back and congratulate ourselves for a job well done?

The answer is that we are our own muse.

The word “muse” derives from the Greek “Mousa” which is connected to Mnemosyne, Titan goddess of memory and time and mother of the Nine Muses. Mnemosyne represented the memorization that was required to preserve oral histories before writing was introduced. Not surprisingly, “memory” is an extended form of the word which means “to think” (men-). So the Greek “mousa” takes on the connotation of “having mental power.”

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Get official energy statistics at the EIA

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is a low profile, high impact government agency with the responsibility of providing official energy statistics.

A look at the EIA homepage quickly reveals the vastness of this mission. A visitor will find updated crude oil prices, the cost of a gallon of fuel, energy outlooks for petroleum, reports on greenhouse gas emissions and details on alternative fuels such as solar, wind power and biodiesel.

And this is just scratching the surface.

Five major energy sources are covered by EIA, and reflect the industries that the EIA serves. They include coal, petroleum, natural gas, electric and nuclear energy,

Public and private sector interests can obtain reports, surveys, projections, outlooks, efficiency ratings, system documentation, refinery yields and data on exports and imports along with pipelines.

Within these major industries, the EIA furnishes specific details on a diverse number of topics including coal, a monthly energy review, surveys on the energy expenditure of commercial buildings, a comprehensive breakdown of energy use by sector, and a Monthly Energy Review of Electricity, which includes an analysis of current retail prices.

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Feng Shui in the Home Office

The art of feng shui can encompass everything from the geographic placement of your home to proper choice of upholstery materials to the shape of rooms. Applying feng shui principles or “cures” is practiced in order to bring chi energy into your surroundings and remove or redirect negative energy flow. For the purpose of this article, we will look at one major aspect of feng shui: decluttering the home office.

Feng shui is all about order. The Chinese developed the practice as a way to keep the twin energies of yin and yang in balance. A cluttered workspace will affect your energy level and result in a cluttered, disorganized mental outlook. Your attention will be thwarted and your productivity will decrease. Applying a few basic feng shui habits on a regular basis will yield higher productivity and create a calmer and more attractive space in which to work.

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Web Review: Powell’s Books dot com

Powell’s Books, the landmark book retailer of Portland, Oregon, has neatly integrated almost all the joy of browsing books in its company website, Powells.com.

Well almost. You can’t smell the printed page or feel it crinkle under your fingers or heft a new hard cover under your arm as you wander toward the check-out. Absent is the camaraderie of perusing shared by book lovers, the monthly book club gatherings, the authors’ events, the special sales.

But the online Powell’s works hard to give an electronic version of these human pleasures.

There are the books – nearly every category in the alphabet, from Art and Africa to Computer  Languages, Green Press, Pulp Fiction and Technical Books, to Sexuality, Self Help, Windows and Writing with volumes in between.

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The Terrible Boss – For some it comes naturally

Being a terrible boss is not a difficult job. For some, it comes naturally. Others may work at it and refine their skills. Likewise, at one time or another, we have each been subjected to the Terrible Boss. We all recognize the signs.

Here are eight essential keys to becoming a successful Terrible Boss.

1. Blaming

A great boss will accept responsibility for errors. The Terrible Boss will find someone to blame.

2. Neglecting Employees

The Terrible Boss overlooks the gifts and skills of her staff. She ignores pleas for assistance, keeps her office door shut as a matter of policy and is always surprised when conflict arises. She dictates rather than delegates, refuses to listen and forgets the art of conversation. In the environment of a Terrible Boss, the staff whisper and complain, conspire and curse. They realize they are powerless and accept that the Terrible Boss will never be their advocate. Many are checking the Internet for possible job openings.

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Figuring Out FAFSA: A guide to financial aid

The best way to launch your  college financial aid application is through the government’s FAFSA website. But beware of look-alikes and scams that charge the applicant a fee for applying. If the site does not say: “Free Application for Federal Student Aid,” back up and search again. You are looking for the government website (.gov), not a commercial entity (.com).

The FAFSA site is fairly user friendly, though the process itself is time consuming. Its various sections must be completed before the application can be submitted. However, applicants can save their work and return later to complete the application. And, the online FAFSA offers help for applicants, as well as a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. The most efficient way to complete the FAFSA is to assemble all your documentation before beginning and to print out and use the worksheet provided.

The home page presents three areas to guide the applicant through the process from start to finish. Applicants can also check the status of their completed FAFSA here.

Part One is important, so do not skip it. “Before Beginning a FAFSA,” gives the student the application deadline dates, the link for applying for a PIN number, listings of school codes, information regarding dependency status and a selection of worksheets.

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Web Review: Free Credit Report dot com

Freecreditreport.com is a misnomer.

The website lures customers with its bold headline: “You’ve seen the commercials now get America’s #1 Free Online Credit Report!” The “Free Online Credit Report” includes your credit score from one credit reporting agency, Experian. There’s a bright gold button right under the headline. Clicking it enables you to receive that free credit report and score.

But beware!

The light-colored, small print in the box below the headline contains the most important information. Read it or you’ll be in for a surprise.

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