Over the past two years of social and economic disruption, U.S. education has experienced an extraordinary transformation that can best be defined by 3 Es: Empowerment, Exit and Entrepreneurship.

Beginning in the spring of 2020, and prompted by widespread school closures and remote schooling, parents began to reclaim control of their childrens education. For some, getting a close-up look at their childrens classrooms and curriculum over Zoom was the prompt they needed to make a change. For others, they may have long pondered a different learning environment for their children but lacked the catalyst to take the leap. The education upheaval of 2020 provided that catalyst.

By summer 2020, pandemic pods emerged, as parents began taking their childrens education into their own hands to confront the uncertainty of fall schooling plans. These spontaneous, parent-driven learning communities brought together small groups of local children in someones home, often with a hired teacher or with parents taking turns facilitating a curriculum.

With most American children beginning the 2020/2021 academic year remotely, many parents exercised their newfound empowerment through exit. Some shifted their children into private schools that were more likely to reopen for in-person learning than district schools in certain locations. Others delayed early school entry for their preschoolers and kindergarteners. Many parents left schooling altogether, pulling their children out of school for independent homeschooling. The U.S. Census Bureau found that the homeschooling rate doubled from the spring of 2020 to the fall of 2020, with more than 11 percent of the U.S. school-age population being homeschooled at that time. The largest increase occurred among Black homeschooling families, who experienced a five-fold increase in homeschooling rates between the spring and fall of 2020. Black children were overrepresented in the homeschooling population in the fall of 2020 compared to theoverall K-12 public school population.

Even though most district schools reopened for full-time, in-person learning in the fall of 2021, many parents stayed away. This was particularly true if they lived in a school district that adopted remote learning the previous academic year. Those districts continued to lose students, though not by quite as high a rate as the previous year, according to new data analyzed by the American Enterprise Institute.

A similar pattern was true for homeschooling. Homeschooling numbers this year dipped from last years all-time high, but are still significantly above pre-pandemic levels, the Associated Press reported last month after evaluating data provided by 18 states. It concluded that homeschooling numbers rose 63 percent in the 2020/2021 academic year, then dropped by 17 percent this school year, remaining significantly elevated.

Recognizing mounting parent demand for a variety of learning options and schooling alternatives, education entrepreneurs began to create solutions. Some of these entrepreneurs were parents or teachers themselves who were frustrated by school closures and ongoing virus-related policies. New Jersey mother of four, Jill Perez, began teaching in public schools 20 years ago and then shifted into a student-teacher advisory role at a local university until Covid hit. She started a pandemic pod with several other families in 2020/2021, but demand grew for something bigger and more formal.

In the fall of 2021, Perez opened Tranquil Teachings Learning Center that allows children to attend part-time or full-time. She hired teachers, especially public school teachers who wanted more freedom and flexibility. These teachers are loving what theyre doing in a way that they hadnt in years, she told me in a recent podcast interview. Her program has grown to over 50 children, and she recently purchased a building for her learning center with plans for continued expansion.

Education entrepreneurs who introduced new learning models, such as microschools, prior to 2020 found their growth hasten over the past two years. As I wrote at Forbes.com last fall, the fast-growing microschool networks, Acton Academy and Prenda Learning, saw interest in their programs soar.

Microschools are typically small, multi-age classrooms led by a facilitator or guide that often meet in family homes, re-creating a one-room schoolhouse feel with personalized learning as a top priority.

Other microschools meet in small, storefront locations in local communities, offering convenience and customization. KaiPod Learning, for example, launched its pilot microschool model in Newton, Massachusetts last year, bringing together a small groups of students into a public, commercial space with an experienced educator. Each student comes to KaiPod with whatever virtual learning curriculum the family has chosen, ranging from a tuition-free public virtual school option, to private, online options such as Sora Schoolsor the Socratic Experience, to a faith-based curriculum if a family chooses. This allows for maximum family autonomy in terms of curriculum decisions, while gathering groups of children together for social and enrichment activities facilitated by the KaiPod educator. Students can attend a couple of days a week or full-time.

KaiPod is expanding into more states this year, including Arizona where a child could participate in KaiPod part-time for $25/day. If the child was eligible for one of Arizonas education savings accounts and scholarship programs, or enrolled in a virtual public school, the total cost to attend KaiPod would be minimal.

KaiPod participated in the prestigious Y Combinator startup accelerator program in Silicon Valley last year, and has already raised $1.5 million in venture capital funding. Amar Kumar, KaiPods founder and CEO, has found that many of the families who are joining his program are doing so because their children thrive with the personalization of online learning, while also wanting daily access to a consistent peer group and adult mentors.

Kumar thinks learning models similar to KaiPod, that bring together the best features of online learning platforms with crucial in-person, human-to-human interaction, is the future of education. It all starts with students getting a very mastery-based content delivery, something thats personal to them, with another human, and something thats flexibly delivered, Kumar told me in a recent interview.If we can keep those touchstones or pillars in our mind, then all the innovations that come out of that are almost certainly going to be net-positive for kids.

Over the past two years, parents have been empowered to regain control of their childrens education and explore, or create, new learning models. Many parents exited district schools in 2020 for a variety of private education options, including homeschooling, and a lot of them have decided not to return. Entrepreneurs continue to invent and innovate, building fresh K-12 education solutions that work better for families than old models of schooling. This dynamic cycle of empowerment, exit and entrepreneurship is poised to continue and accelerate, expanding education options for more families. Its a great time to be a learner, a parent, an educator and an entrepreneur.

This article has been reprinted with permission from Forbes.com.

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How Empowerment, Exit and Entrepreneurship Will Continue to Transform Education - Foundation for Economic Education

Staff Reporter

THE Cancer Association of Namibia (CAN), with the support of Standard Bank, hosted a Cancer Support and Patient Workshop on Saturday to raise awareness of the state of cancer in Namibia.

According to the CANs Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Rolf Hansen, on average 3 700 Namibians get diagnosed with a form of cancer every year. Of these, he said, 54% are women. He stressed the importance of formulating a national cancer control plan that considers and addresses the obstacles that hinder the fight against cancer.

One of the workshops presenters, Afra Schimming-Chase, a womens empowerment advocate, also emphasised the importance of having an action plan with clear objectives and said that it is important to begin with the end in mind.What is the vision that we have over the next three years? Where is it that we would like to be? Schimming-Chase said.

The attendees of the workshop also shared their experiences, particularly about their personal battles with cancer. By sharing these stories, they highlighted the various obstacles that hinder the fight against cancer on a national level. Chief among these obstacles is the inaccessibility of treatment facilities in the country not only because of the costly nature of treatments but also because these facilities are not widely available throughout the country.

One of the attendees explained that most cancer patients in the country have to travel to Windhoek to receive treatment. She asked for these treatment facilities to be provided in other places as well.We do not have to be as grand with the technology we have here in Windhoek, but we need the basic services in other places. Just to make it easier for us, she said.

Another attendee pointed out that there is a lack of awareness regarding cancer in the country. She advised the association to produce and distribute educational cancer videos across the country. These videos, she suggested, should be made in every Namibian language to accommodate and educate the diverse Namibian nation.

File photo for illustrative purposes only.

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CAN hosts cancer support and patient workshop - Informante

I dont regret my abortion, it was the right decision for the situation at the time.

Content warning: This article mentions sexual assault and domestic violence

Though we may be watching from across the other side of the world, the news that the United States Supreme Court has voted to overturn the landmark ruling of Roe v. Wade (according to an initial draft majority opinion), is alarming. If passed, it would end federal constitutional protection of abortion rights in the United States, leaving it up to individual states to decide whether to implement restrictions or ban abortion altogether.

While this doesnt spell the end of abortion in Australia, its an important reminder of how vital access to abortion is for womxns sexual and reproductive health, and that we should continue to normalise conversations around it. When I think about the womxn in my life, while we might speak about abortion in abstract, philosophical terms, Ive never heard anyone directly share their experiences.

But if one-quarter to one-third of womxn in Australia will have an abortion in their lifetime, it doesnt mean people arent having them it means theyre not talking about it. Although we might be starting to overcome other taboos surrounding topics like sex, masturbation and gender roles, it still feels as though abortion stories are somewhat stigmatised, and are often absent from our conversations.

It leaves me wondering if this will be made worse as events unfold in the US, and abortion is used as a political tool. But on our own shores, abortion-related stigma is made worse by the fact that there are still significant barriers to abortion access in Australia, the implication that its something womxn must go through alone, and the expectation that well then act as if it never happened. In an effort to challenge the taboo, we asked Australians to share their abortion stories.

I was 26, with a new partner, both my parents were sick and it wasnt the right time in my life by any means. I went to my GP and they suggested Marie Stopes. I tried the medical abortion pill but ended up having to go in for a surgical abortion. It was obviously a harrowing experience I will never forget, but I dont regret it for a second.

It was the right choice for me and I feel lucky to have had the financial ability to make that choice. [Its] almost unbelievable we are witnessing whats happening in the US in 2022 at the hands of a bunch of old White men. The ramifications for gender equality and equal rights in the US and globally are plain to see.

My first abortion was after what I would best describe as a slut stage [where I was] faking empowerment by dismissing my mental and physical safety through having unprotected sex with multiple people in a short period of time. To this day I am unsure who I got pregnant with. I knew immediately I was pregnant and didnt hesitate to seek an abortion. I obviously never contacted any of the men it could have been. I was lucky to be surrounded by supportive friends who helped me through the process.

Eight months later I got pregnant again with my partner at the time. Before I even told him I had booked an appointment at the clinic. His reaction was to propose to me, which I hated. It was already an abusive relationship and this was the final sign that I knew I needed to get out. Had I carried either of these pregnancies through I would not have been able to complete my degree and work towards my career and would be tied to men who in reality, couldnt have supported me financially or emotionally. I am grateful to live in a country where I have easy access to abortion, in clinics where the staff are non-judgmental and supportive.

To be able to choose the terms of when I become a parent and with who, [is] incredibly empowering. I know neither of my pregnancies was at the right time, or with the right people. I was consciously born into the world by two loving parents and I would like to do the same when I am ready. It scares me that the future of abortion access in Australia could potentially lead down the same path as America, where mostly conservative men are making choices about the bodies of those who can get pregnant. Its a gross concept that we dont have the autonomy over our own bodies and futures.

I was 14 at the time. I was in a happy relationship with my ex, everything was perfect until I found out I was pregnant. I was so scared and frightened, barely being a teenager myself. I didnt want to tell my boyfriend at the time and still have never told him even after not being together for roughly three years. I never told my parents or his parents.

I was a kid wondering how the hell I would go about this. My friends mum helped me through it all and helped me get an abortion, and still to this day, I thank her. I think about it now and how things may be different if I didnt go ahead with the abortion. But I was a kid, barely able to take care of myself. Its something Ill have to deal with for the rest of my life.

I was 24 and then 26 the second time. The first time was my first pregnancy and the baby had genetic issues. It was done in Victoria (I lived there back then) [and] I got access to it through the specialist who I was seeing. I didnt know what to expect and dealt with my emotions and personal health concerns as though nothing had happened. The second time, I was on thyroid meds and my GP recommended it. I had it done in NSW through a GP referral. It was done at home and it was the loneliest experience ever. I was married to the same person on both occasions.

The amount of support available for people who make these decisions versus for involuntary losses is day and night. [The issue of abortion] goes way beyond my body, my say. Having the ability to choose enables the woman involved to be able to make calm decisions based on factual, circumstantial and personal information. There are people that are already judgemental about these decisions only because they dont know what its like to consider how the life of the baby may be and whether they will live with the freedom they deserve and with a mother who is mentally stable or available.

This is something that governments wont know and [they] should leave it for the mum to decide. The government should be here to provide options instead of providing people reasons to hide and do procedures in obscure places. If the US goes through with shutting down these rights, it is only a matter of time before Australia will follow in its footsteps. Im hoping were much more mature about it and dont follow suit.

I had my first when I was 19 [and] another a little later on. The first was traumatic physically, and the second was a mindfuck emotionally. My parents are relatively progressive, but I went through the Catholic education system which was very sex is bad, mmmkay and didnt really arm me with the knowledge I needed to a) fully understand consent or why I was even having sex and b) then practice it safely.

For the most part, I try not to think about it too much, but over the years my anger and frustration spike when the conversation about attempts to police and politicise the bodies of people with a uterus arises.

I was 24 and one year into a relationship. There was no question at all that I needed to have an abortion. I was not emotionally stable enough to even consider bringing a child into the world. My mum had just been diagnosed with stage four cancer and I was still working through some past sexual assault trauma. After doing an at-home pregnancy test my boyfriend and I went straight to the doctor and received the confirmation. I immediately asked about options to abort, which was not well received by the male doctor in front of me.

The whole process from there was a constant fight to prove that I was of [a] sane mind and wasnt going to regret the decision. At one point I remember bursting into tears after being berated with questions. The procedure and recovery were quick and painless. I was back feeling normal after about 36 hours. I have never for a second had any regrets and dread to think how my life could have turned out if the option wasnt there for a safe and free abortion.

I got an abortion when I was 16. I was a sexually active teenager without a proper understanding of the consequences of my actions. When I found out about my pregnancy, there was only one option available in my mind, I kept it a secret for the longest time out of shame, eventually, my mum found out and helped me with the process.

The only times available for me at the clinic were during school hours so I had to skip school. I left my pregnancy so long that I almost couldnt have the termination but was able to do it surgically, which was actually a blessing as I didnt have to experience [a] miscarriage on the toilet as others have. I have never once regretted my decision in 12 years, but I do think about it a lot still.

[I had an] accidental pregnancy [due to] failed contraception at age 25 in 2007. [I] didnt want to have a child at that time it was not my time to be a mother. [The] hospital told me they didnt offer abortions as they were a Catholic hospital and suggested I talk to my GP. [My] GP gave me the details of the clinic and I contacted them and booked in. [My] partner at the time refused to contribute to the cost, but fortunately I could just afford the $320 on my credit card. [I] had a low income at the time that only covered my living expenses.

I was relieved that I could access the option. It wasnt a pleasant experience but [it] was smooth and medically uncomplicated. [I] had a general [anaesthetic] and a surgical abortion. [Ive] never questioned my decision. [It] was definitely the right choice. I felt guilty about it for many years because I thought I was supposed to feel bad or regret it and I have never regretted it, ever. But then I read Clementine Fords book, Fight Like a Girl, and felt such a release. Havent felt a shred of guilt since.

I was a 26-year-old mum of one daughter who was three at the time. I was in a high-risk domestic violence relationship and [was] questioning bringing another child into such a violent environment. This made me realise I could no longer keep myself or [my] existing child in such a situation. I accessed a phone number from a friend who had accessed an abortion previously, phoned and made the booking. I had the abortion at a clinic in East Melbourne [in] Victoria in 2012.

Protesters were present and [it was] extremely intimidating. It was completely overwhelming. I had a friend support me. I wanted to have access to these options in my previous pregnancy but was told by my doctor in Queensland that it was not an option due to laws and as I did not have a medical condition she would not be able to discuss this as an option for me to consider.

To read more about what is happening to abortion access in the United States, head here.

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9 Fashion Journal readers share their experiences with abortion - Fashion Journal

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) After the last two years, many people may be living with trauma, and the Columbus Department of Public Safety wants to help those people.

On Saturday, the department will host a first-of-its-kind Trauma Care Conference entitled Healing Columbus: Awareness, Education, and Direction.

According to the department, trauma can be an event or a series of events that someone sees as physically or emotionally harmful or life-threatening, affecting mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being. The department cites such events as upheaval during the pandemic, record violence in Columbus, or more specific personal experiences like abuse, grief, or bullying.

Saturdays event will teach attendees what trauma is, how to see it in others, how it affects the brain, and what can be done to lessen its impact.

Experts from the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Centers STAR (Stress Trauma and Resilience) program, Big Lots Behavioral Health Services and The Center for Safety and Healing at Nationwide Childrens Hospital, and Columbus Public Healths CARE (Community, Action, Resilience and Empowerment) Coalition will be on hand to offer information, guidance and help with childhood trauma, adult trauma, and community-based trauma.

The day-long event will be held at the Church of Christ of the Apostolic Faith at 1200 Brentnell Avenue in Columbus from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. While free to the public, registration is required. Click here to register.

For more information, click here.

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First-of-its-kind trauma care conference Saturday in Columbus - NBC4 WCMH-TV

People these days seem to be always searching for something better or a purpose in life. Many look at self-help books, of which there are more than twenty million titles in circulation. The Power of Positive Thinking, by Norman Vincent Peale and Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson are two of my favorites. The number one book is How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie. Although my eyes have never gazed upon this book, I seem to be able to win friends and influence people none-the-less.

My attempts to look better are more insubstantial. For instance, I admire women who wear make-up, especially beautiful make-up. My oldest daughter is a make-up artist, and her talented hands could make a pig look pretty. She did my make-up once and the results smile back from my Facebook page every day. Doing make-up is a chore at my age, with declining close vision and hand tremors that smear it all over the place. When I had an important meeting at work the other day, I splurged and spent time putting on mascara. Pleased with the results, I put on my glasses and my efforts were magnified. Unfortunately, later in the day with my glasses off, I felt something in my eye, and rubbed vigorously before remembering the mascara, which by that time was smudged into raccoon eyes; so much for my attempt to look prettier.

Many people, myself included, want to be more physically fit, but I have the ridicules excuse that my work schedule does not allow the time to exercise. In response, someone gave me a portable fitness pedal stationary under desk indoor exercise machine, that is, a set of bicycle pedals that can be used while seated at a desk. Just looking at it made me drive to Healthtrax to talk about a membership.

Losing weight is a big challenge. I love the ads for the weight loss product that was embraced by every panelist on Shark Tank, a television show that rewards entrepreneurs with lucrative contracts for their inventions. TruKeto is publicized to flush out harmful toxins, block excess fat production, curb appetite, improve mood and sense of well being, improve sleep, lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and regular blood sugar levels. Oh, and people who used it lost more than twenty pounds a month. Somehow it sounds too good to be true and I am not sure it is trustworthy. In a different tract, I will be forming a more traditional method for weight loss by combining eating fewer calories, exercising, and creating group encouragement by starting a Biggest Loser-like weight loss contest with all of my friends. (It will be done virtually, and anyone can join the fun. More details will follow next month.)

People often want to improve their lives by living in bigger, more beautiful houses. We were fortunate to be able to buy our ranch house on a pond for a mere $35,000 more than 40 years ago. It has served our family well with its four bedrooms and two bathrooms, but now it seems too large for just two of us. It crossed our minds to look for something smaller and cozier, but when doing so, we came across much smaller homes priced higher than our home is worth! With home prices being so high, it is a wonder that anyone can afford more than a shack in the woods.

Many people are searching for the bigger answers, such as the meaning of life. For answers to questions like this, it is helpful to believe in or belong to some type of religious organization such as a local church or temple. All religions and philosophies of which I am aware lead in some way to God. They stress the basic values of compassion, solidarity, and the Golden Rule of respect for our fellow humans. I suspect it would be extremely difficult to feel positive about the meaning of life without this type of connection.

Whether we are looking for self-improvement, better looks, a slimmer body, bigger, better houses, or the meaning of life, let us provide encouragement to others who are on the search for the same things.

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Self-help and the meaning of life | Johnston Sun Rise - Johnston Sun Rise

Affirmations are positive thoughts and possessing a mental attitude of being able to achieve success using these thoughts. It is a self-help strategy that is used to promote self-confidence and a belief in ones abilities. But the big question is, do they actually work? And the quick answer is, it depends.

Creating a mental image of acing an interview or scoring a goal, or parachuting off a plane can actually activate these emotions and a feeling of success. This means that regularly repeating these affirming statements can encourage your brain to make these things happen in reality, so the thought precedes the action.

Studies show that the brain is wired to mix up reality and imagination at times and this can be effective when using affirmations as it promotes a strong self-trained belief of being able to do or accomplish things in the future.

As much as affirmations can help, action is imperative. Taking action is a must, affirmations can only do so much.

Making them count

Make affirmations that are set in the present, and take small steps at a time, as lofty goals may be too overwhelming. Ultimately, self-affirming statements will depend on how you use them to your benefit.

Setting them in the present means acting as if youve already succeeded. Start imagining yourself working in that company or on the project that you hope to get, and youre halfway there. This is also a good way to change long-standing patterns or self-limiting belief systems like I cant do it or Thats definitely not for me or Good things dont happen to me which work against you as a negative belief system.

Create an affirmation that works for you and that is tailored to your own personal goals and desires, and try making them specific in a way you can take affirmative action towards that goal.

Also, it is always helpful to tie affirmations to good values and principles such as loving kindness, honesty, dedication and/or hard work.

So if youre feeling down about your career track and things arent going your way, you can always say something like I love my job and my co-workers, Im productive, and I know I can make a difference.

This both sets the goal and intention of staying the course, working well and ultimately translating that into a rewarding career, promotion or better paycheck.

Be realistic

Bear in mind that affirmations are not a magic bullet, sometimes change doesnt happen at all, and sometimes it doesnt happen immediately, but it can be a catalyst for other things or teach you to appreciate the things that are going well for you.

For example, if youre working out and want to lose weight, your physical structure may never be that of a supermodel, but you can always affirm that you are fitter, stronger, and leaner than before, and youre working towards a healthy lifestyle in general.

Everyone is unique, so focus on what youre good at, affirm that it will work and most importantly work towards that goal consistently and diligently.

Dont forget to throw in a dash of compassion, always be kind to yourself and dont go crazy with ultra positive affirmations like I have 10 million dollars or I am the most beautiful person ever and you should be on the right track.

Most importantly be consistent and make it a daily practice. Try something like its going to be a good day today a couple of times before starting your day, for example.

Daily affirmations can be a great step toward self-improvement, depending on how you use them.

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Daily Affirmations: Great step toward self-improvement & personal success, but it depends on how you do it - The Independent

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Nikki Reed, 34; Derek Hough, 37; Trent Reznor, 57; Craig Ferguson, 60.

Happy Birthday: Put greater emphasis on health and emotional well-being schedule time for relaxation, creative endeavors, personal growth and fitness. Surround yourself with people who put a smile on your face. Call the shots, set the stage for a year filled with self-improvements that make you feel and look your best, and achieve a healthy lifestyle. Romance is on the rise. Your numbers are 9, 12, 21, 26, 33, 38, 42.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Invest in your future. Supplement your qualifications, update your look and prepare to promote what you want to do next. Dont limit what you can do; follow through with your plans. A healthy attitude will prompt others to join your quest. 5 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Consider what others expect of you, and address your responsibilities head-on. Leave nothing to chance or up to others to complete. Keep your money and important papers and passwords tucked away someplace safe. Change what isnt working for you, then move forward. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Participate in something that concerns you. You can make a difference if you speak up and offer concrete solutions. Dont trust anyone promising the impossible or delivering vague responses. Show your willingness to work hard, and youll get the backing you need. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Put on a happy face, even if you find someone irritating. Its amazing what a positive attitude can do when youre faced with cranky people. Pitch in, keep busy and show compassion, and youll make a difference and set an example. 3 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Choose your associates wisely. Listen carefully and be resourceful. Follow through and get the facts. Take responsibility for your actions and words, and live up to your promises. Self-improvement projects will earn compliments. 5 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Open your mind and learn. A change of attitude will give you a new take on an old situation or relationship. Pick up the pace and say whats on your mind. Clearing sensitive issues tactfully will ward off an untimely vendetta. 2 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Open topics of conversation that need addressing. Show compassion, but dont let anyone take advantage of you. Keep your money and possessions tucked away someplace safe. Change things around at home to better suit your needs. Comfort and convenience will pay off. 4 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Call the shots and do things your way. Dont waste time trying to convince others to follow your lead. If someone doesnt like your decisions, give them the freedom to take a different path. Avoid emotional spending. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Distance yourself from people who take you for granted. Put more time and effort into domestic responsibilities and personal growth. Make improvements to your surroundings or clear a space to relax or take on a creative pursuit. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Be secretive regarding finances, contracts or medical issues. Focus on changes that improve your lifestyle or drum up worthy connections at networking events. Take better care of your health, and avoid a run-in with a friend or lover. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Youll attract unique people and opportunities, but before deciding to change your life, do your research. If you act on hype alone, disappointment will follow. Know what you are up against, and use your intelligence to outmaneuver anyone who opposes you. 4 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Be careful not to offend someone. Choose your words wisely and concentrate on doing whats right. Unique action will have greater validity than empty promises. Control your emotions, work on yourself and dont try to change others. 2 stars

Birthday Baby: You are charming, playful and friendly. You are demonstrative and generous.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. 2 stars: You can accomplish, but dont rely on others. 3 stars: Focus and youll reach your goals. 4 stars: Aim high; start new projects. 5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.

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Horoscopes May 17, 2022: Trent Reznor, romance is on the rise - The Mercury News

Looking for some coaching? A good coach is likely sitting right in your chair.

Okay, so youre ready to stretch? You want to boost your performance as well as your value in the marketplace? You want to put your career on a more upward trajectory?

Youd love to have one of those highly touted personal coaches. But you find that theyre too expensive? Or unavailable? Or both?

Theres good news. By following the right approach, you can get helpful coaching every day of your life. And at a price you can afford.

The recipe for success can be found in Take Charge of You: How Self-Coaching Can Transform Your Life and Career.

Combining their years of professional coaching experience, David Novak and Jason Goldsmith give you a self-coaching toolkit that includes do-it-yourself exercises, thought-provoking activities, and insightful questions to ponder as you maximize your personal growth and professional development.

Who are these guys? Novak is cofounder and former chief executive and chairman of Yum! Brandsowner of more than 45,000 restaurants including KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut. Under his leadership, Yum! grew from a $4 billion to a $32 billion market cap. Goldsmith is performance coach to some of the worlds top athletes, including NBA, MLB, and NFL stars as well as Olympic gold medalists.

No matter where you are in life or in the workplace, here are some insights you can put to immediate use.

Rodger Dean Duncan: Aside from obvious monetary considerations, whats the advantage of hiring yourself to provide coaching on personal growth and professional development issues?

David Novak: The biggest challenge most people face when it comes to getting coaching that can help them grow and improve is that there simply isnt enough good coaching in the world. Daniel Goleman, who wrote Emotional Intelligence, has said that of his six leadership styles, the coaching style is used least often in our high-pressure economy. Leaders feel like they dont have time to coach, and most arent trained to do it well.

David Novak

Right now, a lot of people are looking for a job upgrade. Theyre competing for the best roles at the best companies. For anybody who is looking, showing off your self-coaching skills is a great way to impress a potential employer. Leaders know self-coachers will ease pressure on managers and will get up to speed faster and be more successful in the future.

Even if youre lucky enough to have a good coach in your life or career, taking advantage of the opportunity requires you to have the right mindset and the right self-knowledge. What do you want? What brings you joy? How do you handle setbacks? Answering those questions and being open to feedback and insights from others requires self-coaching work.

Duncan: What are telltale signs that someone is a good candidate for successful self-coaching?

Novak: The most important sign is ambition. That word can get a bad rap, but all it means is wanting a better future. That might mean something better in your career, something better in a personal passion or hobby (I use self-coaching all the time to improve my golf game), or something better in your health or your relationships.

Heres a personal story. I have three fantastic grandkids. My relationship with one of them, Claire, was solid, fine. I wanted it to be amazing. So, I used self-coaching strategies to understand what was getting in the way and what behaviors I could change to deepen our connection. When I did, I realized that she didnt like it when I would tease or joke around with her. Thats my approach to the world, but not hers. So, I told her I would stop, I used strategies to help me stop, and our relationship has become amazing.

If all youre interested in is maintaining the status quo, theres no point to self-coaching. Self-coaching is a method of personal development. To be a candidate, you need to be interested in growth, see the need for it, believe that its possible, and be willing to take action to achieve it. Self-coaching can help you develop this kind of thinking, but you need a foundation.

The fundamental question is, do you want something bad enough to make the changes necessary to get there?

Duncan: If a person decides to engage in self-coaching, what safeguards should be taken to avoid self-deception? In other words, how does one recognize and deal with personal blind spots?

Novak: Developing your self-knowledge is the foundation of self-coaching. The more you work at it, the better you are at recognizing and dealing with blind spots.

Usually, when we come up against a self-deception, its uncomfortable. It makes us feel vulnerable. For instance, thinking about our weaknesses and times when we havent been at our best is uncomfortable. Thinking about moments weve failed is uncomfortable. Retreating from the discomfort is the path to self-deception.

The framework for self-coaching can help you push through it instead. It can help you reframe your thinking about issues you havent wanted to address in a way that makes it possible to tackle them. It helps you be more vulnerable with yourself and encourages you to see the world the way it really is, not how you want it to be. In many ways, its the solution to self-deception.

Duncan: What do you tell someone who wants to engage in self-coaching but doesnt want to go it completely alone?

Novak: Coaching yourself doesnt mean that you should expect to go it alone. The opposite is true. I had good self-coaching skills that I leveraged throughout my career, but I was also fortunate enough to have many amazing coaches who helped me along the way. Self-coaching helps you figure out who you need to learn from and when.

When I first became CEO, my background was weighted toward marketing and operations. I didnt have a lot of experience working with the investment community. So, I used a few contacts and did everything I could to get a meeting with Warren Buffett. I traveled to Omaha, and over lunch I asked him everything I could think of about how to deal with investors and Wall Street analysts, what he would do if he was me, and more. What I learned from his coaching was invaluable.

Developing your self-coaching skills helps you build a coaching mindset, which helps you spot opportunities for growth wherever you are in your career or life. It helps you identify people who can offer the most support and opens your mind to the feedback they offer. It also helps you spot good coaching skills in other people, so youre more likely to find the right person to help you when you need it.

Being a good self-coach can grow your ability to coach others, which improves your ability to coach yourself. Its a virtuous circle.

Duncan: Thanks to so-called motivational speakerswhose message is more high-octane rah rah than realistic advice on personal improvementsome people are skeptical about the notion of self-coaching. How do you persuade them that they really can access their untapped potential?

Novak: Most of us want to grow and improve and achieve our goals. The difference between wanting to and actually doing it is understanding our personal motivation and then turning that motivation into action.

Often, people dont access their untapped potential because they dont know what it is they actually want, what brings them joy. If they do, they dont know what steps to take to get there.

Katy Milkman wrote about our tendency to assume that other people know what we know and think how we think in How to Change. We don't go looking for frameworks or solutions to our action problem because we assume that if we're struggling to make it happen, other people are too. We believe they don't know any more than we do about goal achievement. That's just not true. Some people have turned growth and development into a habit. I have and so has Jason Goldsmith, my partner in this work, and so have all the people Ive learned from and been inspired by over the years.

What most people are missing is a framework that helps them take personalized and necessary steps to bridge the gap between motivation, insight, and action.

Duncan: In starting new paths to self-improvement, you recommend that people identify their joy blockers and joy builders. What exactly are those, and how does identifying them help launch a successful self-improvement journey?

Novak: Joy blockers are simply those things that get in the way of your happiness and enjoyment in work or life. Joy builders are those things that feed it. The important step is to be specific and unapologetic.

When I left Yum! after 16 years as CEO, I had to make a choice about what I was going to do next. I didnt jump onto the obvious next thing. I spent time deeply considering what brought me joy in my work and life. The answers were clear: my family, developing leaders, and golf. The last one might seem like it doesnt deserve equal footing with the first two, buy why hide something that brings you joy? Ive devoted myself to growing and achieving in all three areas and my life is full of joy.

To be motivated enough to put in the effort and energy that growth requires, we have to be working toward something we really want, and the process of getting there needs to generate more joy in our life. Joy feeds our motivation and our confidence that what were doing is working and is worth it.

Duncan: Much is being said these days about mindset. What role does mindset play in navigating the path to self-improvement?

Novak: Mindset is essential, whether youre coaching yourself or being coached by somebody else. We describe the coaching mindset as being open to anything and everything that can drive your growth or progress toward your goal. This takes effort, because the human brain likes to focus on those things that seem certain, not possible. It also focuses on the future, trying to make predictions.

Developing a coaching mindset helps you be more present and calm yourself so you can focus on opportunities all around you. Instead of relying on preconceived notions of what should happen, youre searching for insights. This expanded way of thinking and seeing the world reveals so many opportunities for growth and achievement.

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Duncan: You write about changing nots into not yets. Tell us about that.

Novak: Changing your nots into not yets is the favorite reframing tool of my coauthor Jason Goldsmith. Reframing is an approach to overcoming the tendency to focus on the negative, to get sidetracked by small failures, and to lose confidence. It helps you re-orient yourself to the coaching mindset by looking at setbacks as opportunities for growth and more progress in the future. Anything worth going for will come with challenges.

Thats where not yets come in. When you doubt yourself and start thinking, I cant do this, Jason asks you to add yet to the end of the statement: I cant do thisyet. Cant is absolute, theres nothing more to talk about. But if you havent done something yet, there are more questions to ask, more possibilities to explore.

This is just one of many reframing tools, and we need a lot of them because we fall back on limiting beliefs and self-sabotaging thoughts every day. To return to an earlier question, reframing isnt a method of self-delusion. Its a way of getting to reality-based thinking that isnt overly positive or overly negative. Try this technique now on one of your limiting thoughts. Its incredibly empowering.

Duncan: What seems to be the most common roadblock to personal improvement, and whats the key to getting past that roadblock?

Novak: Our minds are our biggest roadblocks to improvement. With our thoughts and beliefs, we get in our own way. When Jason and I talk about elements of self-coaching that we think are most important, I always turn to joy builders and he always turns to reframing. Theyre both tools of developing a positive orientation to life and our ability to control our future.

Ive had big, public failures in my career. Ive had moments when I was almost fired because I developed tunnel vision. I studied journalism at state university. I never got an MBA. Was I a likely candidate for becoming CEO of one of the largest corporations in the world? No. But thats not how I thought about it. I just kept coaching myself into and through the next opportunity. And before I knew it, I was in that role at only 46 years old.

Thats the power of getting out of your own way, of overcoming the assumptions and predictions that what you want cant happen or will take too much work. If you really want it, its worth it.

Duncan: So, you regard self-coaching as an essential leadership skill?

Novak: Absolutely!

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You Really Want To Get Better? Take Charge Of Yourself - Forbes

This feature is coordinated by The Post-Standard/Syracuse.com and InterFaith Works of CNY. Follow this theme and author posted Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.

Weve established that suffering is the bridge which brings us together. Now we can find our way toward love. If I was lost, standing on a bridge called Suffering, Id get out a map! If the map says that behind me is a town named Ignorance, and ahead of me is a town called Love, Id start walking toward Love. You would too. Were all suffering and Suffering is how we get to Love.

Bell Hooks, author and professor, notes that love is an action word. In her deep dive on love, Hooks studied many great philosophers, including Thomas Merton and Parker Palmer. She notes they viewed love as a verb, an action. Love is a choice, a movement, a path that we walk with others. In newer definitions of love, love is described as personal growth and self-improvement. Those interpretations, by definition, will likely not lead us toward creating community.

Dara Harper, yoga teacher of 25 years, resides in CNY with her partner and two teenagers. She also works in communications at the Central New York Community Foundation.

Originally posted here:
CNY Inspirations: Love is the destination - syracuse.com

There is so much talk of self improvement these days. I hear people saying things like, Im trying to be a better person or Im just trying to get it right! and it just doesnt sit right with me.

There were people in my childhood who gave me the message that I wasnt enough, or in some cases, too much. I was given the consistent message that I needed to try harder to win their approval. It never dawned on me that I wasnt the problem. I just accepted their opinions of me and kept striving to please them.

If you learn this in your early years, youll be caught in the treadmill of constantly trying to be better all your adult life. Are you trying to earn love or avoid criticism by working harder, losing weight, quitting smoking or caregiving to the point of exhaustion?

Never feeling good enough is not about needing to improve yourself its about needing to see yourself for who you truly are.

Thanks to my meditation practice, I gradually realized that I was actually good enough, just as I was. I didnt need to be more of this or less of that. Does that mean I stopped growing or learning? Of course not. I still engage in all kinds of personal growth practices. The difference is, now Im not doing them to try to gain anyones approval.

As children, we desperately need our parents and other caretakers to think highly of us. But sadly, some of them are too broken to be able to give us that. Thats a tragic and painful story for a child, but it doesnt have to be your story as an adult.

What if you could learn to see yourself through the eyes of your highest self? What if you could speak with yourself like you would speak to a beloved child or pet? Replace the voice of your inner critic with the voice of unconditional love and acceptance?

Its possible, but it takes practice. Its called reparenting yourself, and the good news is that you dont have to blame or reject your actual parents in order to do it. All you have to do is stop believing the voices in your head that tell you youre not enough.

Deep inside each of us is a spark of light that has remained untouched by all our human experiences. Meditation helps us to reconnect with that part of ourselves, and each time we do, it expands. That light is who you truly are.

Each time you connect with your inner light, the lies of not being enough lose their grip on you. You dont even have to argue with them anymore. Remembering who you are means not having to prove yourself to anyone ever again.

If everything you do is motivated by love and acceptance for yourself, you are much more likely to succeed. So instead of trying to be a better person, try to love the person that you are.

Sita Rebizant is a resident of Clearwater and author of the book Safe, Loved and Free: How hitting rock bottom inspired by awakening and led me to the life and love Id always longed for.

ALSO READ: Mystic Musings Just be

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Mystic Musings: Do you feel the need to improve yourself? Clearwater Times - Clearwater Times