Monthly Archives: March 2023

Secrets of Book Writing For the Whole Family

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Book writing can be fun for the whole family.

I’d be willing to bet that just about everyone in your family would like to write a book. Some will want to write fiction, others will want to write non-fiction. There may be one or two who want to create a picture book (I’m hopeful it’s the small children, but who knows.) Here’s how you can get everyone involved.

Start writing your own book. Make it an enjoyable hobby for yourself but make sure you’re working on it every day. Then, before you slip away from your desk to do your writing, or at least while everyone is nearby and awake, start looking at a few pages you’ve produced and put in a few editing marks on the page.

Casually ask your spouse or your children, or your sibling, parent, whoever is nearby, if they’ve ever thought about writing a book themselves. Your objective isn’t to get into an argument, just reflect back what they say and be encouraging…

“Oh I could never write a book.”

“Well I think you could and I think you’d have a lot to say that’s important.”

“My life hasn’t been that exciting.”

“Well, your offspring three generations from now won’t think so. And they’re not even going to know you if you don’t write about yourself.”

“I can’t think of a story to write.”

“Most people can’t until they start and then you’d be surprised at how the imagination can take off.”

You get the idea. Be encouraging, not demanding.

No writing problem is insurmountable, they’ve all been encountered before. Get them feeling that the writing of a book should be an enjoyable, albeit challenging, task that they’ll get a lot from, not to mention the benefits others will receive.

Maybe they could start with a series of letters to people in the future, or maybe they could talk about all the shoes they’ve ever worn. (Remember the Forrest Gump movie? It was all about shoes!)

If nothing else, they should at least give it a try. Who knows, you say to them, they could be the very next bestselling author.

Writing has nothing to do with how old you are, or if you can sprint 40 yards in 4 seconds, or slam dunk a basketball. It has to do with thinking.

If there’s a member of your family who likes puzzles, I guarantee they’ll like the puzzle that’s created when they start writing a book.

And for the little ones, even if they can’t write, you can ask them to put together a story about something in their mind and all they have to do is draw the pictures of what happens on every page. Then you can come along with a marker and write the story with their help. Wow, talking about giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Six years old and already a published author.

Dog Training Lessons – Are They Even Worth It?

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If you are thinking of giving your dog training lessons, then you have a lot of options. There are places that you can bring your dog to get him trained, but they can be very expensive and time consuming. Instead of signing up for one of these, why not train him in the privacy of your own home, by following a dog training lesson that you can find online?

Dog training at home has a lot of benefits.

1. If you are doing your training lessons at home, you have the convenience of being comfortable and you don’t even have to get dressed if you don’t want to. You can do it in your pajamas! You’ll feel more comfortable, and so will the dog because he is on familiar ground. You are one step up on your training already because he is more relaxed, and therefore he will be more responsive.

2. Some dogs get very traumatized from a ride in a vehicle. Some even get carsick. Is this the way you want to do training lessons for your dog? If they are already upset, how can they possibly follow the training lessons? On the other hand, some dogs get overly excited going in a car, and when you arrive at the location where the lessons are being held, you need to take time to calm him down. This is not an ideal situation for training.

3.If you decide to take him out of the house for his training, you will most likely be taking him to a place where there are a lot of other dogs. This will be confusing for your pet because every dog reacts to other dogs in a different way. Some are aggressive, while others are friendly. Putting your dog in a mixed crowd like this can make them quite confused.

When you are considering which form of dog training lessons is right for your dog, consider getting a lesson book that will show you how to do it from the comfort of your own home. In this way you will be more set up at the start of the training to have your dog listen and obey you. You will not have the unnecessary distractions to deal with, and you can work in a one on one environment with your dog. This is by far the best method to do any dog training. Try it and see the results for yourself!

Best Nursing Schools – How to Find the Top Schools to Start Or Continue Your Nursing Education

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The standard for ranking nursing schools is U.S. News and World Report, which asks deans, administrators, and faculty members to evaluate other schools based on the quality of academic programs and how well students are prepared for a career in nursing. Professionals who hire new graduates also are surveyed to help create the list of the best nursing schools.

There are two more common levels of nurses: ADN (Associate Degree Nurses 2 years of study), and BSN (Bachelor of Science Nurses 4 years of study. Accelerated programs are available for both degrees, especially if you have college credits or a degree in another field. Those with bachelor’s degrees can expect to make more money the national average for a BSN is $52,000 and advance to supervisory or management positions more quickly than those with an ADN.

In its most recent rankings for the top nursing schools, U.S. News and World Report put the University of Washington in Seattle at the top of the list, followed by the University of California-San Francisco, the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Nursing.

Close behind were the Oregon Health and Science University, the University of Illinois-Chicago, the University of Maryland-Baltimore, the University of Pittsburgh, and Yale University. A total of 395 college nursing programs were examined in the ranking process.

The University of Washington School of Nursing has ranked Number 1 since 1984, when the first national survey on the best nursing schools was conducted (U.S. News and World Report began its rankings in 1993). What sets it apart from the other schools is a good guide to use when choosing what nursing school you wish to attend.

The University of Washington has partnerships with local hospitals that provide on-the-job training, which is perhaps the most important part of learning to become a nurse. Pick a school that is close to at least one good hospital and has an active training program. Other important factors to consider are research opportunities, nursing board passing rates, and class.

Learning and Transforming

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What does it take to learn something that seems difficult or to learn enough to be transformed?
Why bother trying to learn anything?
Who are the real transformers?

In Stand and Deliver, Jaime Escalante emphasized the importance of the desire to succeed so that a student could reach a high goal and have a life transformation. The movie focused on his years of real life work with students who had to overcome great adversity to make it into college. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have Dream,” speech has encouraged countless people to hold onto their dreams, to learn how to fulfill their dreams, and to transform their lives and others. Helen Keller, born healthy but stricken blind and deaf in an illness said a peson gains strength and character is transformed through overcoming suffering. Viktor Frankl, a psychologist who survived years in a Nazi concentration camp, wrote in Man’s Search for Meaning, people have the power of self-determination even when their freedom is limited. In other words, everyone has the ability to make a positive choice, even when their situation seems desperate. With a desire to succeed, goals to help keep a person focused on success, dreams of what can be, a person can learn, transform, and affect change in even the most difficult circumstances.

L iving
E nergizing
A ctive
R eflective
N nurturing
I nspiring
N ascent
G rowing

Learning keeps a person involved with life and helps people to appreciate different parts of living. Struggling to learn something new is like exercise-it might be tough but there are constant changes and improvements in the struggle. Active learning finds a person listening, repeating, remembering, connecting, practicing, and making progress. Reflection is taking time to think over what a person has learned and what that learning has changed within one’s life. Learning nurtures the mind, soul, and body, not always in that order. Inspiration comes to learners through connections made, through role models, through the process of moving forward. New growth causes a different person to emerge; now the nascent potential becomes more obvious-the person is growing in more ways than had been imagined.

If we find a life of peace where we never have to learn anything, never have to be active, never have to change and grow-we won’t be alive. Vibrant life includes constant changes, and vital to coping with change is learning. Embracing learning is a choice each person must make. The more difficult the task, the more we can learn even in ways we cannot foresee. People who welcome and pursue learning are people who find far more in life than they expected. They transform and help transform the world around them.

Maya Angelou, in “Commencement Address,” pointed out the transforming power of learning. Learning is not a degree. Maya Angelou said, “Look beyond your tasseled caps and you will see injustice…go out and transform your world, welcome to your graduation, Congratulations.”

The Vet is Not a Dance Instructor

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Your veterinarian’s job is to diagnosis and treat your horse, not to fix a horses’ rude behavior during routine procedures. It is the horse owner’s responsibility to be sure their horses behave for the vet, farrier, and others. If your horse spends more time dancing around than standing still for exams or treatments you will benefit from practicing the following lessons to teach your horse to stand quietly for the veterinarian.

Place a halter with rope lead on the horse or if you need more control, a bridle with full cheek snaffle and continuous round rope reins. You should also put leg protection on the horse as well so we can work the horse without the interruption of an injury. Go to an enclosure where you and your horse will be able to work safely.

When a horse does not do what we want there are two reasons: 1) We have not designed and implemented a lesson plan to teach the horse what we want. 2) We have not worked on a lesson long enough for the horse to have a clear picture of what we want. Our lesson plan for teaching the horse to stand still for the vet will have several parts and the lesson can be broken up into hours, days, or weeks to accommodate your schedule or your horses learning pattern.

We know what the horse is not doing, standing still. What do we know the horse is doing? Pulling back, stepping into you, moving past you, pulling away from you, each of these issues needs its own lesson. For pulling back we would work on the head down cue and the go forward cue. Stepping into you, we would work on the horse moving the shoulders away from you in hand and even outside turns in a round pen. Pushing past you forward, we need to work on go forward, and back up lessons that teach the horse the correct place to stay next to us. And pulling away from us we need to work on giving to the bit and disengaging the hip. In short, you will teach the horse a cue for the ‘wrong’ movements as well as cues for the counter moves. Then use them to counter his moves and thus teach him to wait for the cue. You will work your lessons with the horse until he does them softly and consistently.

At this point you are ready to put all your new cues to practice. Have your friend do all the things that normal set your horse off and be ready to counter his movements with what you have taught him. If he is unresponsive to your cues, go away from the place you usually have the vet examine your horse and work with energy on the exercises. When he is soft and willing, take him back to the exam site and let him stand. We are teaching him that this spot is a place to rest/stand still. If he wants to move, let him move, but you tell him where, when and how much. He will learn quickly that standing still is a very nice thing to do.

If your horse does not like shots, wormer, his temperature taken, or other specific procedures your vet administers, you will go through specific lesson plans to address these issues as well.

Advancing Your Skills: Online Teacher Education Courses

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If you are looking to enhance your teaching and advance your career, it may be a great choice for you to earn graduate credit for teachers. High quality, graduate-level online teacher education courses are a great alternative to the traditional classroom atmosphere. We all know that teachers are busier than ever, but with online classes, it is easy for teachers to fit time in their schedules. Online courses are easily accessible and will make your time learning fly by! The benefits are also incredible: enjoy fun and flexible learning while earning graduate credit that will allow you to move farther in your career. The online teacher education courses will inform you on different strategies and resources to utilize directly into your own classroom. You will not be the only one to benefit from this opportunity. Your students will learn better, your school will gain reputation and your school district will be recognized for improved instruction and student outcomes. All of these results will help increase your chance of a higher salary and a more rewarding career experience.

There is sometimes a misunderstanding that online classes are not interactive since you are not face to face with other people. However, that is not the case at all. Most, if not all, online courses offer the option of online discussion boards so that you can be in constant contact with other colleagues to discuss ideas, problems, and questions regarding your programs of study. Additionally, you receive one on one recommendations and criticism from your professor. When choosing this program, you really are getting the best of both worlds since you can be at home in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere while at the same time learning material that will prove beneficial in leading to greater opportunities for your future career.

Online teacher certification courses are also developed and taught by highly qualified professors. You will definitely not be caught up in a scam when you choose to enroll. Most universities are now offering online programs because of their convenience, practicality and interactivity. Graduate credit for teachers can be achieved during your own time, with even the degree programs being flexible. In fact, the only face-to-face requirements are the field experiences in your subject and/or grade specialization. To make things even easier, this can be conveniently arranged and completed in a school near you, so that travel time is minimal. The programs are also very practical because you are provided with the tools to lead curricular advancements and instructional improvements, in any subject area of your choice.

During these tough economic times, alternative options to traditional graduate programs must be considered. The advantages of online teacher education courses are evident. They provide a quality education while minimizing costs and travel. Additionally, taking these courses will provide the foundation for a strong teaching background and provide a unique perspective on teaching. Teaching certifications and graduate credit provided by these programs make them a viable option. If you are looking to advance your teaching career today, consider the endless opportunities that these online programs will provide.

Database Tips From an Excel Training Course

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The benefit of an Excel training course is not just learning new things but also learning new ways to do old things. An experienced instructor provides hints and shortcuts that have you designing spreadsheets in new ways.

For example, let’s look at tips from Excel training courses that can help in maintaining a database. Excel is an easy way to keep a simple database and a few design steps can save you huge headaches later.

Hide Blank Formulas

The simplest databases are a collection of data records but some have formulas off to the side providing analysis of each entry. However if any data is missing from the record then these formulas clutter up the sheet with “#NUM!” and “#DIV/0!” and other errors.

Consider a database of payments from a client, a typical example in an Excel training course. Each line contains, among other information, the date of invoice and the date of payment. You have a formula on each line that calculates the time between invoice and payment using a formula like “=G2-F2” to subtract the invoice date (F2) from the payment date (G2). Until you have a payment date, this field will read as a very large negative number.

Instead, enter this formula: =IF(G2=””,””,G2-F2). This says “If there is no payment date, leave this field blank otherwise calculate the payment delay”. Even better, try “=IF(OR(F2=””,G2=””),””,G2-F2) which leaves the payment time field blank if either date field is blank.

Mark Blank Formulas

There are a lot of reasons you might have blank cells that actually contain formulas. They could be examples of the above, formulas that won’t calculate until all data is present. Another reason, and another trick you might pick up in an Excel training course, is that cells used for intermediate calculations can be formatted to be white text on a white background so they don’t clutter up the sheet.

These blank cells are easily overwritten by a careless user so need to be marked in some way. Using a light gray or other colored background is a good way to indicate that there is something there without detracting from the main information on the sheet.

Use Border Rows

Databases outside of Excel training courses are seldom static. As you add new records to them you don’t want to update every formula that refers to the old range. By using border rows, the formulas all update automatically.

Take one row above and below your database and mark it in some way. You might put symbols such as asterisks or dashes, or you might color the background of the cells to create borders. In any formula that refers to the database, be sure to include these border rows in the range designation. The range automatically adjusts as you insert new lines even if you add them before the first row or after the last because you are still adding them within the two border rows.

The Difference Between Student Loans and Grants For College

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When students decide to go to school, one of the last things on their mind is considering how they’re going to pay for college over the next few years. Here are the differences between student loans and grants and the benefits and negatives of each one.

One of the first things you need to consider is how much money it is going to cost to go to college. You need this as a determining factor when considering whether or not to take out a student loan or to apply for grants.

Student loans are taken out usually as an easy source of funding to pay for college education. I recently took out tens of thousands of dollars to cover the money that I needed to earn for a master’s degree. If I could go back and do it again, I might not have made this choice.

Grants are better way to go because this is money that you do not have to repay. It is like getting a windfall check in the mail to pay your bills and not using your credit card because that’s all you have to use. One of the benefits for student loans is that the application process begins on line with the FAFSA and typically ends with you signing several papers called promissory notes which you don’t have to worry about until you have earned your degree.

If you decide to go the free money route, the best way to go is with the teach grants or the Pell Grant which is limited to about $5000 each semester but will provide you with enough money to pay for your first couple years of college.

Too many people take out both grants and student loans without realizing that it is a bad decision to make if they really didn’t need the money. They may spend it frivolously and at the end of it all realize it should have gotten another source of income instead of making a choice to accrue future debt.

At the end of the day, or at the end of your college career, you will realize whether or not you made a good choice or not regarding your funding. If you land the job that you’ve always wanted and can pay off your debts, if you have any, then you probably made the best choice.

Is a Business Coach the New Black for Small Business Owners?

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Have you ever heard this one before? All you must do is find a great coach to succeed.

There are a tonne of small business coaches and consultants who want to help you succeed, however, they can’t always inspire you to move ahead finish the dream that you see in your head.

Have you ever wondered to yourself why you needed to start a business on your own? Your answer to that question will tell you what inspires you.

Have you ever heard of the quote: “You may lead a horse to the water but you can’t make him drink?” I never truly grasped the meaning of this quote till I began my very own business. This is additionally true for anybody who decides to make the leap in achieving any aim in life. A small business coach can provide the instruments and strategies you’ll want to market effectively, but it’s you who have to execute them in a persistent manner.

Understanding your market is necessary for success. By having a coach to help, you don’t have to worry all the time, in regards to the altering market conditions and what your potential clients are thinking. A coach will offer you effective advice that will assist you to gather and please your clients successfully in any number of market conditions.

The most helpful advice you may get from a coach is about learning how to enhance the efficiency of your business. Offering useful insights and marketing methods, a business coach will help you streamline what you are promoting effectively. This will allow you to improve the efficiency of your workforce, if you have one.

Motivation of yourself and your team is important. The most effective ways to stay motivated in enterprise is to connect yourself to other folks with a “faster motor”. In other phrases, do your finest to get around people who are talking, considering, and chasing prosperity. This can assist to build your confidence and learn how others succeed. Have you ever wondered why most businesses fail in 18 months or much less? In most cases, they lost motivation to keep up the fight.

So, back to the question. Can a small business coach and advisor really assist you to succeed in your own business? The answer is of course yes and no. Yes they can provide the business tools, ideas, and methods that a marketing consultant provides to help market and brand your business. The No is definitely dependent upon your individual motivation and efforts to keep fighting long enough, and to keep focused on the initial vision of your business that you saw in the beginning.

Your Career Change – Look Carefully Before You Leap!

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Of course, the problem is not those one or two off days that everyone has, it is the times when you have that sick feeling in your stomach every day before you go to work for who knows how long.

While your job may be the problem, you just might be transferring some negative feelings from other parts of your life onto your career. Before you decide to make any big career changes, maybe you need to look at other areas.

Here are a few ideas.

o Look at your commute. For a lot of people, particularly those who live in big cities, the job that they have is not the real problem; the big problem is the commute.

Depending on which city you live in your trip to work in the morning can take an hour or more, with the trip home taking as much time, and that is on a perfect day. Add an accident or any other traffic problem, and you can double that.

What this commute time essentially adds up to is a ten hour work day, two or more of which you are not being paid for.

Maybe it is time to move closer in or to carpool so you can use that HOV lane!

o Take an objective look at your home life. Aside from work, families can be the biggest stress causing factor in one’s life.

If you have teenagers or really small children, you are going through some of the toughest times in your life, and it is likely that you are transferring some of that negative energy to work. In addition, any added stress at work will add to the bad situation at home.

It is important to work out which stresses are family caused and which are work related, and then try to deal with them individually. There’s nothing wrong with counselling, either; it gets everybody talking.

And it is better than trying to start a whole new life right in the middle of your old one!

o Co-workers. Some of use work with fellow employees or managers who make our jobs a lot more difficult than they have to be.

A co-worker who rubs you the wrong way can make you feel as though you hate your job, even though if you looked at it objectively the work itself is probably fine.

Unfortunately, there just aren’t a lot of good ways to deal with this problem – but you might want to try to set up a meeting and talk your issues through.

Before you decide you need a change in careers, take a look at the other factors that might be affecting your life. You might find that the job is not the problem after all!