NEWS RELEASE YMCA-YWCA OF GUELPH ************************* For 25 years, the YMCA-YWCA of Guelphs Women of DistinctionTM celebrations have honoured hundreds of local women who are breaking new ground and raising community in Guelph and Wellington County.

Scientists, community leaders, athletes, advocates, women in business, trades and the public sector have all shared the stage and the spotlight. Theyve inspired the community with their stories of innovation, resilience, grit and success and raised funds for key programs in the process.

The Y wants to know whos next? and opened nominations for the 2020 Women of DistinctionTM Awards today.

The Guelph Y was really a trailblazer when they launched these awards 25 years ago, says 2020 Honorary Chair, Dominique ORourke, who points out the ongoing relevance. Women of DistinctionTM was far ahead of the curve by seizing the notion of you need to see me to be me which is popular now. At the time, the focus was on the exceptional few. Now thats broadened to what we can do together and, unfortunately, acknowledging theres still work to be done.

Showcasing exceptional women at the annual spring gala is still a key component of Women of DistinctionTM, as well as raising funds for important community programs run by the Guelph Y.

YMCA-YWCA of Guelph CEO, Geoff Vogt, explains The impact beyond the evening is really what its all about. The Women of DistinctionTM event raises funds to support Guelph Y programs for girls and women at all stages in life in Guelph and Wellington County, including the Teenage Parents Program (a program that supports the personal growth and development of pregnant and parenting teens and their families and connects them with valuable resources), the Power of Being YOU Conference (a one day conference for young femme-identified youth that helps them build self-esteem and raises awareness about healthy relationships) and Encore (a holistic program for women who have experienced breast cancer).

Nominations are now open for the 2020 Women of DistinctionTMseason and will remain open untilFriday, Jan. 17, 2020. Nominations can be submitted either in person or online.

For more information on how to nominate an incredible woman who deserves recognition please visit http://www.guelphy.org/nominate or pick up a nomination package at the YMCA-YWCA of Guelph, 130 Woodland Glen Drive in Guelph.

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Nominations open for Women of Distinction awards - GuelphToday

November 21, 2019 10 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

If you ask Dwayne Clark, founder and CEO of the senior care company Aegis Living, what he is most thankful for in life, he will unabashedly tell you growing up poor.

For Clark, a childhood spent in poverty instilled a compassion-first mentality and a burning desire to help others lead lives of dignity.

Today, Clark is seen as a change-maker in his industry. Aegis opened its 32nd location this year and has eight more facilities in development. The company is on track to have operating revenues of over $300 million in 2020, with real estate holdings approaching $3 billion.

Clark is the youngest of four children raised by a single mother in Walla Walla, Washington. When he was 16, his mother told him they were completely broke and had no money for food.

The youngest of four children, Clark was raised by a single mother who struggled to feed her family.

Image credit: Dwayne Clark

To feed her family, she made potato soup from a bag of potatoes shed stolen from the restaurant where she worked as a line cook. She vowed to replace the potatoes when she had money again. While Clark felt powerless to help his mother, he remembers being in awe of her strength and resilience.

My background truly is a gift to me, he says. It helps me relate to the dishwasher and has given me an affinity for struggling immigrants, for the poor kid, whoever needs help. If I hadnt grown up knowing what being hungry is really like, I would not have created the business I run today.

By the time he was 26 years old, Clark had worked his way up from a correctional officer to shift commander at Washington States Department of Corrections. He was good at it, but he hated the job. He wanted to go back to college (hed dropped out in his junior year) and then to law school, but his sister interrupted these plans with a call out of the blue. She insisted he read a new study about aging in America.

This was before we had the internet and I could just pull it up on a computer; so I went to the library to look up the study, says Clark. It was around 400 pages. I didnt particularly want to read it, but it seemed important to her. So I read the whole thing and realized there was a silver tsunami coming fast.

He learned that life expectancy was on the rise and the elderly population was expected to double. His takeaway: eldercare was going to be a booming industry. Clarks sister was on the advisory board of one of Leisure Cares communities, so he asked her to help get him an interview.

I didn't want this to be a courtesy 10- to 15-minute interview. So when they asked if I could come in for an interview that next week, I said I could come in 30 days, says Dwayne. I wanted to do my research on the company, their competitors, and the industry. I wanted to be the best interview theyd had in 10 years.

Thirty days later, Dwayne went in for the interview, and, as expected, they asked a few cursory questions, spent no more than 10 minutes with him, and thanked him for coming in. Before they could shoo him out the door, Dwayne reached into his backpack and pulled out a three-ring binder and dropped it on the desk in front of him.

Id like to talk to you about where I think the aging industry is going and how I think I could contribute, he told them. Clark says they spent the next 90 minutes going over his manual, and they made him a job offer within the week.

Leisure Care hired Clark as the marketing director in Colorado. Forty-five days later he was put in a manager training program, and two years later he was named VP of Operations.

At age 33, Clark was recruited by Sunrise Senior Living, which would the biggest senior housing company in the world. In less than five years he helped grow Sunrise from an $18 million company to a company with a $3 billion market cap.

Despite his seemingly overnight success in the eldercare industry, Clark wasnt satisfied working for a public company. He decided to quit and make his own way.

It wasnt in my personality, and I didnt like what Wall Street did to the culture of the companies, says Dwayne. I thought I needed to just do it on my own.

You need a significant amount of money to do well in the senior care industry, and I dont mean $10 million; I mean tens of millions of dollars, he says. Today you would need $150 million to start a company like Aegis.

Dwayne spent much of 1996 looking for partners and capital sources and eventually found the right person: a developer in California named Bill Gallaher, whom Clark had built a relationship with during his time at Sunrise.

Together they founded Aegis, were able to raise $10 million, and built their first property in Pleasant Hill, California, in 1998. But it wasnt all smooth sailing.

I underestimated just how capital intensive the process was, says Clark. We burned through that first $10 million in six to nine months.

After two more rounds of capital financing, which yielded another $12.5 million, Gallaher called and told him they were out of money. By this point, Clark had exhausted all his resources except his sons college fund.

My son had just committed to UCLA, his dream school, says Clark. I needed the college money to cover payroll or Aegis could not stay afloat. I had to go to my son and have a tough conversation. I said, You know, that in-state tuition at the University of Washington looks really good.

Thankfully, his son understood and never felt bitter about the decision to abandon UCLA. Clark credits the college fund for saving the company.

In 2007, Clark says he bought out Gallaher due to a difference in philosophies. He took full control of Aegis and set out to grow it into the premier assisted living community on the West Coast.

As the company expanded, Clark became an expert on how to care for people with Alzheimers and dementia. He believed hed learned everything there was to know about how to manage this type of care facility until the day he received a massive blow that challenged him as a CEO and son: his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimers.

Image credit: Dwayne Clark

Imagine the feeling of being the guy leading the industry in this type of care but I couldnt help my own mother, admits Dwayne.

She moved into one of his memory-care communities, and Clark began to have a major shift in perspective. It was a game changer, he says.

His mother loved music; so Clark read studies on the positive effects of music on patients with dementia and Alzheimers and expanded the music programs in his Alzheimers wing.

She also loved doing her hair and make-up, which became harder as her illness worsened. As a result, Clark brought traveling salons to his senior health communities to give all the residents makeovers. This started a long list of improvements throughout his facilities that werent always good for his companys bottom line but he believes improved the lives of the residents. Clark says he created hundreds of longevity aids, including aromatherapy to improve mental clarity, spring-loaded chairs to allow seniors to stand without assistance, and shorter hallways to facilitate walking.

Clark also took action to create a culture where employees feel genuinely invested in and cared about.

I want to be an employee-first company because I truly believe culture is everything, says Clark. We are a service-oriented company that aims to do our part in treating the Alzheimers epidemic by serving the high-risk communities of senior health.

Clark created a program called E.P.I.C. (Empowering People Inspiring Consciousness) to transform Aegis Livings annual meeting from a traditional year-end review to a three-day celebration of the human spirit. It is a seminar for self-improvement with the primary agenda to ignite personal development among the employees. E.P.I.C. attracts celebrities like Michael J. Fox, Carlos Santana, and Dr. Deepak Chopra to teach and inspire his employees.

Clark says one of his lifelong obsessions has been the pursuit of health understanding it and attaining it. As a young adult, he lost sight of that passion and burned the proverbial candle at both ends. He worked long hours, lived on a junk-food diet, partied late into the night, and slept very little.

Everything came to a head one Labor Day weekend with his wife, when he began to experience the most acute abdominal pain of his life. It was so bad that he ended up in the hospital where he was diagnosed with severe gastritis.

Clark says the experience was a wake-up call. Hed learned so much caring for people well into their 100s, but ironically, hed never consciously applied those lessons to himself.

My health crisis inspired me to seek out longevity, study it, achieve more of it, and share my findings with a broader audience, says Clark. While Id been living and breathing questions about the health and longevity of my Aegis residents, Id separated myself from what Id learned. Overnight, my commitment changed.

Dwayne became a longevity explorer, traveling to over 80 countries to interview hundreds of people on what it means to age well into their 80s, 90s and 100s. His obsession with health and longevity led him on a journey of research into finding every conceivable way to live a more vibrant, healthier, and more fulfilled life.

In his latest book, 30 Summers More, Dwayne takes what he has learned about longevity by caring for more than 60,000 residents and writes a new plan for aging in America. He challenges the status quo for people over age 60, using the wisdom of Aegis residents.

Clark, far right, with former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, former President Bill Clinton, and Clarks wife, Terese, after a lunch where the couples discussed politics, business, and longevity.

Image credit: Dwayne Clark

Hes also taken an interest in exploring what makes successful people tick, and Clarks recently launched podcast, Walk This Way, discusses the journey of CEOs, athletes, and celebrities and how they made their way to hit mega-success by not following the traditional path.

Clarks own path was no doubt untraditional.

I have never had a woe is me mentality or seen my background as a drawback, says Clark. Entrepreneurs share one thing: theyre trying to run as fast as they can away from poverty. It creates rocket fuel for them to be successful.

Follow Dwayne Clark on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, or visit his website.

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The New Face of Longevity: Dwayne Clark's Solution to America's Silver Tsunami Crisis and How Living on Stolen Potatoes Made It All Possible -...

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360 feedback is a whole pandoras box on the leadership development front! From an organizational perspective it can be a great tool. It helps organizations see where their leadership development programs are working, where things are breaking down, and where employee strengths areor, are notaligned with organizational goals.

On the surface it sounds like a good thing.

But most organizations are notoriously BAD at teaching individual employees (yes, even those senior management types) how to use 360 feedback constructively. What most often happens is some version of: Suzy or Sam Motivated Employee gets feedback from certain people that says, this version of you is not fun to play with so you should go fix that about yourself. So, Suzy or Sam M. E. trots off and tries once again to shove him or herself into some ill-defined pigeonhole to satisfy the needs of that particular feedback group and work on that thing about you only to further lose their true selves in the fog.

Then a few years later, they get another 360 feedback that either has the exact opposite thing highlighted as the problem (you were too aggressive before; now you dont speak up enough) OR worse in my opinion the feedback has become completely flat because the subject human has flat-lined into a robot.

As a result, everyone wonders why people seem disengaged, tuned out, lost, unimaginative, unmotivated, and uncreative! (Can you tell I have strong feelings around this topic?)

That said, Im not willing to put the blame squarely on the organizations. While employee engagement may be an organizational problem, the solution lives inside each individual employee.

This is what I mean when I say, You not only deserve to have a job you love; you have a responsibility to.

Why? Because you are awesome. The world especially the world of government service needs you and your gifts. But those only come out when you bring ALL of yourself to work every day.

So, what if we talk about a better way to use your 360 feedback? Here are a few pointers:

What you put your attention on grows. Pay attention to those areas that others have identified as strengths for you. Because those areas are so much a part of who you are, you might be surprised to see others recognize those areas as strengths. Furthermore, you might be confused as to why someone would consider such a thing a strength. In other words, whats the benefit of my being ?

This is the place you want to lean in. And, trust me, its gonna feel a little weird because you actually want to ASK those people to tell you how and why youre amazing in this area.

Yep. You need to ask other people to brag about you to your face. How is the way you do that-thing-you-do different from the way others do it, and why does it work so well? And then listen openly and generously to what they say.

Yeah, told you it would feel weird. Most people would rather take a beating than do this.

Heres the thing. A key element of developing your personal leadership foundation is owning the value of your unique contribution. A big piece of owning it is allowing yourself to be recognized and appreciated for it so that you can also market yourself with it. But first you really have to get that its great.

Ok, admittedly, doing Step 1 above probably didnt feel natural at all. But, of those strengths that people highlighted, which ones feel most natural to you? What were those things that others appreciated that you didnt even know you were doing?

Do more of that. Take those most natural aspects and begin to experiment with using them in different contexts. If you LOVE detail and data organization, where else can you bring that strength forward? If you have a knack for seeing unintended consequences in new projects, how can you share that insight in support of existing projects? If you have a gift for understanding what makes people tick (like me), how can you use that to navigate project negotiations?

As you move up in your professional career, you may notice that some qualities, skills, or behaviors are valued and rewarded more than others. (Incidentally, dont be surprised if those qualities are NOT the ones the organization says they value and recognize.) As a result, youll find yourself unconsciously adopting some of those rewardable aspects.

Nothing wrong with that. Its a survival skill, and we all have it. Thank goodness!

The problem is that those adopted aspects, including the ones youve become particularly skillful at, come at a high cost in terms of physical energy, mental focus, and emotional bandwidth if they are not tightly aligned with your natural gifts. Result = burnout. How do you know? Pay attention to those that feel most natural and easy. Those are your gifts.

Thats easy to say when you are reading the feedback around your strengths. Its a little harder when youre reading the developmental areas.

Weve been conditioned to view developmental areas as aspects of ourselves that are somehow broken and in need of adjustment. Other schools of thought label these developmental areas as strengths overused in the vein of when all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.

As with most things, the truth is somewhere in the middle. In many cases, the parts that other people dont like otherwise labeled as developmental areas are also huge gifts for you. They hold the seeds to your greatest strengths. And, because those elements are generally tied to shadows, and other things you can never allow yourself to be, they come out all sideways. (And thats before we get into the discussion around perception, projection, and running into OTHER peoples shadows.)

Did I lose you a little in that last paragraph? Thats ok.

What you need to know is this: trying to fix your developmental areas or trying to not be whatever was in your developmental area list will NEVER work. Any time you try to not be something, you waste physical, mental, and emotional energy trying to navigate around part of yourself.

Talk about a waste of time and energy!

So rather than trying desperately to not be that, ask yourself, in what context is that quality of particular benefit?

I know Im treading in the touchy-feely, borderline-woo stuff, so let me give you an example.

Lets say your developmental areas section said something about, when Suzy is really focused, she can be pushy and aggressive.

If Suzy now expends her energy trying very hard to NOT be pushy or aggressive, shes EITHER constantly holding herself back, second-guessing herself, and not expressing her opinion (AKA sharing her expertise), OR aggressively trying to prove shes NOT pushy or aggressive, thereby inadvertently showing up as even more pushy and aggressive.

ARGGHHH!!! No wonder shes frustrated, burned out, and pissed offmentally shaking her fist at the whole dang organization.

Lets look at this a different way. As Suzy begins to explore in what context pushy and aggressive would be of particular benefit, now the brain/body system is working in a whole different context. Its in curiosity and experimentation mode.

First, new opportunities come to light in which pushy and aggressive are really good qualities to have.

For example: Crisis situations? Areas within her specialized expertise (meaning she really IS smarter than everybody else in this area)? Defending a softer colleagues expertise against someone else who is pushy and aggressive? What others do you think of?

Secondly, since she doesnt have to not be something, she has nothing to fight against (no resistance to push in to) so theres no extra pushy, aggressive, or passive-aggressive leaking out on the sides.

As an added bonus, Suzy is also being more of who she already is in all the best ways and is better equipped to position herself on a team that needs exactly what she brings to the table.

Now, its a win for Suzy a win for the organization and a win for our nation. Thats what Greatness In Government is all about.

At Greatness In Government we show leaders, especially those in government, struggling with burnout, career stagnation, and Walking Dead Syndrome how to access greater bandwidth, make a bigger impact, and enjoy more personal satisfaction in their lives both inside and outside the office. For more tips and strategies, check out 5 Unexpected Success Principles for Creating Greatness In Government. Its my gift to you, and youll find it at http://www.FreeGiftfromMartha.com

2019 Martha (Austin) Wilson. All rights reserved. This article may not be reproduced without express written consent from Martha (Austin) Wilson.

Tags: Employee Relations

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Weathering the Storm of 360 Feedback - FedSmith.com

Living a healthy life is supposed to be simple.

Too often we complicate things, adding activities into our day-to-day lives that arent actually sustainable.

Sure, the first day or two is fine because youre super motivated. But I dont think any of us are strangers to that one-week motivation slump.

Youre trying to maintain relationships, be sociable, look after your family, clean your house, go grocery shopping (we all know thats a whole day gone), the list goes on and on. Sometimes, we just dont have time for exercise.

I get it, exercising wont always be your highest priority, so here are some other healthy habits you can add into your life that wont take up too much time and will get you on a healthier path.

And remember, health isnt just about fitness, its also about your relationships with yourself and the people around you yourmental wellbeingand your lifestyle.

Here are 9 easy ways you can be a healthier person without ever stepping foot in a gym.

Water has many health advantages that cant be seen, and thats why its important to keep up your water intake.

Yes, youll notice physical advantages, like healthier skin, but its doing a lot on the inside too. Water maintains the function of every single cell in your body, so keep those beauties hydrated.

Drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning is a really good way to make sure youre starting your day hydrated. You lose a lot of hydration while you sleep, so try and fix that first thing in the morning.

Stretching keeps you nice and limber.

It also helps keep your fascia healthy. What is fascia, you ask? Its the tissue that covers your muscles, nerves and organs; it keeps everything in the right spot. Stretching gives it some TLC by breaking up the collagen in your fascia, allowing more oxygen to your muscles.

Stretching also happens to be an excellent way to add more mindfulness into your day. Use a 10 to 15-minute stretch as a way to get in touch with your thoughts and be present. Take deep breaths in and out to help reduce stress levels. This can form an excellent part of self-care.

Spending less time on your phone, in general, is always a good idea. But if that seems a little tricky, start putting your phone away before bed.

You have to give your brain some time to relax before you go to sleep. Spending less time on social media will not only do wonders for your self-esteem and mental health, it will also help you get a better nights sleep.

Aim for at least half an hour of no phone time as a way to implement adigital detoxright before you go to sleep;read a book,practise meditationor have a conversation with a loved one instead.

Ever have those days where you just dont feel like yourself? Practice gratitude.

Say out loud, in your head, or even write down, at least three things you are grateful for.

They can be as significant or as small as you like the important thing is that you identify the three things you are grateful for that day.

Reminding yourself of the things you are thankful for will help you stay in a positive mindset, as it helps you live in a place of abundance.

If youre having a bad day, it will distract you from the things that are bothering you and will bring you back to the present moment which will help shift your mood.

I want you to set this as one of your non-negotiables for each day because your self-fulfilment is dependent on you doing the things you love.

If youre not spending time each day doing something you love, you wont feel fulfilled. If you dont feel fulfilled, youre not able to love and support the people around you as best as you can, because youre not treating yourself that way. As the saying goes, fill your own cup up so that it can overflow to the people around you.

So, how do you do this?

Write a list of every single thing you love doing, big or small. It might be having a cup of tea, reading a book, getting a massage, orworking on a hobby. Then, each day, spend five minutes (or more) doing one of those things. It is so important that you prioritise this.

If you dont have time, you must make time. It should be as important as brushing your teeth.

I know that reading isnt everyones cup of tea, but I encourage you to give it a go.

Find a genre you love, whether its personal development, fiction orempowering books by female authors, read for 15-30 minutes a day. It can be good for a bit of me-time, education or entertainment.

No matter what the outcome is, its relaxing and allows you to take some time out of your day for yourself notice the self-care theme here?

Okay, this might sound a little woo-woo to some people, but bare with me.

Practising mindfulness allows you to bring yourself back to the present moment. Its excellent for stress relief, relaxation and getting in tune with your body and thoughts.

Once youre familiar with your bodys way of communicating with you, youll be able to identify warning signs easier and react accordingly.

There are so many different ways to practice mindfulness, and it doesnt have to be meditation.

Try an app likeHeadspace, or sit in a quiet place and simply focus on your breathing: take a deep breath in and then let it out slowly.

Forget your stereotypical meditation and find what works for you.

You know a little bit of junk food wont kill you, right? So stop being so darn strict on yourself.

Dont get me wrong, its important to eatnourishing foods that fuel you with energy. But if you do eat takeaway from time to time, dont beat yourself up over it.

And dont you dare go and punish yourself at the gym to work it off. When you punish yourself for eating what you or society deems as bad foods, you create an unhealthy relationship with food.

Eat foods that make you feel good but hey, if you want to eat a doughnut, you go and eat that doughnut, girl.

As often as you can, try something new.Allow yourself to dream and find the things youre passionate about.

When you live a life filled with what youre passionate about, it makes you a happier and more fulfilled person.

After all, lifes not about how much time you spend in the gym, or how many calories you eat its about finding happiness and love.

This article was written by Natalie Parry andoriginally published on A Girl In Progress.

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9 healthy habits that don't involve exercising - Ladders

Published November 22, 2019, 12:09 AM

VOICE FROM THE SOUTH

By FR. EMETERIO BARCELON, SJ

Fr. Emeterio Barcelon, SJ

In a couple of weeks we come to the end of the liturgical year. The liturgy reminds us to look at the end of times and the end of our lives. It is a time of taking assessment of our lives. How successful have we been in the goals we have set for ourselves? Without proper assessment we can go on blissfully to our own destruction, far from the objectives we set for ourselves to attain. But first of all what goals have we set to have accomplished? What have we set for ourselves to have accomplished here in this world and in the world to come? Perhaps we have neglected this important phase of our lives. How can we tell if we have succeeded in life?

First of all we have to set goals for success in this life and in the next. Then we have to plan on how to reach those goals. Then implement our plans. Then check on how successful we have been in implementing our plans. As we make plans for this world we also have to make plans for the next world. The end of times may not be imminent but each of us has to face individual death. We must face a time of reckoning for the resources and graces that we have received. GOAL, PLANS, IMPLEMENTATION, and REVIEW is the slogan that we have to keep repeating to ourselves. And this has to be done for both worlds in which we live, the material and the spiritual lives that we live in.

After we have set goals in this life we need enthusiasm or a can-do spirit. This ideally can come from those around us, especially those who are charged with our development, namely parents, elders, educators, and bosses. Without this encouragement we have to rely on our own. This is more difficult but it can be done. But encouragement is needed and this is a sacred duty of those given the responsibility of our development. Beyond personal development there is the question of finances that we can have enough for a comfortable retirement. Also included in our goals is a goal to help fellow man. This can be wide ranging but we have to choose one or two to be of use to our fellow man since we are a social animal that depends on the help of others.

On the spiritual side we also have to make goals. However, here we have an overarching goal of getting to heaven. But under that we have sub-goals is like keeping out of sin or preventing our tendencies to run wild. Here we have religious obligations condensed in the two great commandments: To love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves. These are then detailed in the common five pebbles. We have to go to Mass and Communion on Sundays; say the rosary at least once a day; read the Scriptures if possible for thirty minutes a day; make some sacrifice at least once a week; and finally go to confession once a year but preferably once a month. (The Holy Father in Rome goes to confession every week.) Our target in the spiritual life is to live like saints here on earth.

The end of the year gives us another chance to reset our goals and make new plans for the coming year and ask the Lord for grace and assistance and reboot our resolve once again to do our best.

Tags: Fr. Emeterio Barcelon, SJ

Read more from the original source:
End of the year - Manila Bulletin

The new constables including a former refuse collector, hotel receptionist, a police community support officer (PCSO) and an airport valet parking manager, who is originally from Romania paraded in front of their families and senior officers, including their new chief inspectors at Hertfordshire's police headquarters.

Chief constable Charlie Hall said: All of our new officers go through a vigorous recruitment process before undergoing intensive training to ensure that they are fully equipped to deal with life on the frontline and I wish them all luck with their policing careers.

We are recruiting to all kinds of roles: police officers, police community support officers (PCSOs) and volunteer police roles so Id encourage people to consider a career with us. Think: They did you can.

The new recruits

New recruits completed a 16-week training course at Letchworth Police Station which includes a mixture of classroom-based and practical sessions, covering a vast range of topics including law and powers, personal safety and dealing with volatile situations, first aid and safeguarding vulnerable victims.

The officers have now started shifts at local stations across the county, putting into practice all they learned, with two PCs based in Borehamwood; Hemel Hempstead; North Herts; Three Rivers; and Watford; and one in Broxbourne; Dacorum; Hertsmere; and Stevenage.

Charlie added: Joining Hertfordshire Constabulary gives you the chance to be a part of a team that is passionate about your personal development, career progression, positively contributing to our local community and offer a welcoming, supportive workplace to people with different life experiences and backgrounds.

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14 more bobbies on the beat in Hertfordshire - Hemel Today

Professional development and career growth can be dauntingbut with the right resources and preparation, the only constraint preventing you from getting where you desire to be is your own ambition.

Thats why we should never say no to that extra push, and reading books that inspire us to get further might just do the trick.

With so many resources and opportunities at our disposal, building a successful career in just about any field is quite possible. By the same token, it is also easy to move to a different field altogether and rebuild your career from the ground up. Because its never too late to grow professionally and to broaden your experience, the eight books listed in this article may serve as both inspiration and guides that could truly kickstart your new life.

Said to be one of the greatest books ever written, author Stephen Covey communicates the power of personal worldview and how our perspective greatly influences our behavior. Focused on changing ourselves to transform the world around us, this book highlights key characteristics in our own control that we can adapt to influence our surroundings.

When looking at some of the reviews of 7 Habits, you can tell that the book truly helped readers to become betternot only as professionals but also as human beings. Perhaps, you, too, could benefit from reading it.

A book cultivated on principles to become a more successful person, Think and Grow Rich curates the habits of the wealthy and successful, breaking them down into executable objectives that are easy to implement in our own lives. Three of the most impactful habits demonstrated in this book are autosuggestion (or self-fulfilling prophecy) to visualize your goals into reality, sticking and standing by your decisions by filtering cheap opinions, and joining a mastermind group of people working toward the same goals.

If youre looking for something clever that is also accessible, this handy guide will do the trick.

Focused on getting you where you want to go by shifting your habits, this book shows us that our habits comprise the majority of our decisions. So when we become stuck in a routine that is leading us nowhere, the book helps us to focus on making conscious changes to have a lasting effect. The book also discusses the importance of establishing willpower through delaying gratification, such as training for a marathon or following a strict diet to build consistency over time.

These lessons are important and useful to everyone, so even if youre not trying to change careers at the moment, you will be able to take something positive from The Power of Habit.

Considering the fact that we make numerous decisions on a daily basis, The Slight Edge presents the argument that our decisions can be harnessed to create a compounding effect, resulting in the lives we truly desire to live.

Because every bit of information we need can be grasped at our fingertips, this book attempts to instill the philosophy that success is achieved by winning everyday battles, focusing on how repeated behaviors can help us achieve our desired outcome.

Ultimately, determining what we actually want to achieve can be one of the most critical aspects of planning our careers trajectory. Therefore, this book targets different ways to discover your strengths in order to build a fulfilling career.

With a methodological approach, The New Rules of Work is an excellent career resource, walking readers through a precise system of steps that will help them choose and refine their profession.

A fascinating read, this book debunks the myth that following your passion is key to a fulfilling career.

Instead, author Cal Newport articulates the important idea that how you do what you do is far more significant than what you doarguing that passion comes after discipline and that skills that make you an expert are far more valuable, especially during the preparation process.

To some, the truths in this book might be somewhat hard to swallow. Nevertheless, the reader walks out with the feeling that, at least, he knows what he needs to do to get his career on the right path.

In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be "positive" all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people.

For decades, weve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. "F*** positivity," Mark Manson says. "Lets be honest, s*** is f****d and we have to live with it."

In his wildly popular Internet blog, Manson doesnt sugarcoat or equivocate. He tells it like it isa dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***is his antidote to the coddling, lets-all-feel-good mindset that has infected modern society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.

Manson makes the argument, backed both by academic research and well-timed poop jokes, that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade but on learning to better stomach lemons. Human beings are flawed and limited"not everybody can be extraordinary, there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault." Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek.

There are only so many things we can give a f*** about, so we need to figure out which ones really matter, Manson makes clear. While money is nice, caring about what you do with your life is better because true wealth is about the experience.

A much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real-talk filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.

Tina Fey isnt a beauty queen, shes a comedian. But more than a comedian, shes the boss. With Bossy Pants, Fey teaches the reader that managing a team as a woman isnt as easy as she makes it seem, especially in the wilderness that is the entertainment industry.

In her book, which many believe to be a simple memoir, Fey offers pearls of wisdom in the form of condensed one-liners, producing an effectiveand funnyhow-to guide that teaches the reader to be an effective leader without having to rely on the drama.

We all need a little more comedy in our lives, and Fey makes it a business model. Needless to say, she nails it.

No matter the trajectory you intend for your career, each of these books offers excellent guidance and tools to continue down any path.

As she so eloquently puts it in the book, we should never waste our energy trying to educate or change opinions.

Go Over! Under! Through! and opinions will change organically when youre the boss. Or they wont. Who cares? Do your thing and dont care if they like it.

Whatever the case, Fey gives the unlikely new boss of his own career a foolproof blueprint, and one that doesnt center around blood, sweat, and tears, but fun, sarcasm, and wit.

For any readers desiring career advice, these books provide more than a sense of direction, as they also offer a framework that helps the reader find passion in any career path.

No matter the trajectory you intend for your career, each of these books offers excellent guidance and tools to continue down any path. Now its up to you to decide which one speaks to your needs and faults and let the book do the talking.

Original post:
8 Books on Personal Growth That Can Help Launch Your Career | Chloe Anagnos - Foundation for Economic Education

ARIES

March 21 to April 20

MOVING from a partnership sun to a personal change sun is such a positive shift. You balance give and take, finding ways to reinvent your true self.

Career-wise, you have strong emotional control, which means you can push through tough plans but stay focused. Cash you earn means more than a generous gift.

1

April 21 to May 21

A communication-rich moonscope shapes your chart in a fascinating way as you break through old barriers and reach faraway names.

Venus makes love rules fun and partners can reconnect fully. If you are single, a personalised number plate is a passion giveaway. Mars inspires you to top a fitness best.

Your week starts with high creative activity, so be on alert to record every idea. You will strike gold when you least expect it but will recognise at once.

A moon of practical cash talks and choices ends a time of indecision but do be clear about who is going to do what, at home and at work. Love is physically amazing.

June 22 to July 22

Your sense of belonging warms up and you are able to commit so words of love that once stalled flow freely.

Elsewhere, you extend a circle in some wonderful ways as the sun lights up your zone of performance and play.

Language meant for fun finds an audience as Mercury helps refine it. Your writing talent gets expert praise.

July 23 to August 23

Your chart brims with positive communication opportunities, so take the next couple of days to work out exactly what you should say to someone special.

Dont let the moment pass! A moon of digging deep and letting your true feelings show takes a personal goal to the next stage. A clear conscience has no price tag.

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August 24 to September 22

A moon of sharing but also protecting yourself makes this the perfect time to tackle unfairness, setting out new rules while still keeping key names onside.

Love is chatty and warm but helping with a word puzzle can spark hot new feelings. A positive mindset sun reframes career changes into exciting challenges.

September 23 to October 23

The sun is on the move and leaves your sign in great shape, so this is the time to act on deep, unspoken ambitions.

You have a layer of confidence to protect you along any path and you now feel sure about what and who really matters to you. Neptune and the moon soften a tough love line.

October 24 to November 22

You cant avoid strong emotions this week, so embrace them and find sincere ways to show special people you care.

A cool, casual attitude no longer fits with what you want and need. Elsewhere, as the sun moves into your personal zone, ambitions wake up and so do you. Ready, steady, action. You are a fast and smart learner.

November 23 to December 21

You naturally steal the show but now is the time to step out of the limelight and work out deeper dreams. They are smaller but more intense, so listen to your heart.

Your moonscope centres on strong personal development. In love, you say and do all the right things. Single? Look twice at a twin.

December 22 to January 20

What you want and what you need are not always the same but now you know the difference, it is time to take back control of your heart and your ideas.

Elsewhere, a sharing sun turns a group chat into a successful stepping-off point and the moons focus on gentle cooperation takes a learning goal to the next level.

January 21 to February 18

Not everybody is on the same page as you but the planets keep conversations open and efforts flowing, making your chart persuasive.

You really play to your personal strengths this week. A transformation moon matches with a success sun and you can be whoever you want. Passion is hottest at a friends celebration.

February 19 to March 20

WHAT THE CHOP Woman leaves hairdressers during 70 colour 'for food' - and never returns

HAVING A BALL Thrifty mum wears 10p dress she found in charity shop to black tie event

that won't wash Can you spot all the errors in Primark's mistake-riddled tea towel?

SCRUBBING UP Woman uses Mrs Hinch's favourite 1 cleaner to get grotty bath sparkling

SLEEP DREAMS Scientists claim lying with your kids until they fall asleep is good for them

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN Mum transforms stairs for 70 by shopping at Ikea, The Range and B&Q

Your charts gift is the ability to use every aspect of your life and personality to work towards a key goal. But you also have the strength to let stale dreams go for something that suits you better.

This is a world-beating combination! Neptune softens your heart so a sincere apology gets through this time.

Go here to read the rest:
Daily horoscope for Sunday October 20 heres what the stars have in store for you today - The Sun

Before his team played its preseason finale Friday night, Brett Brown labeled the game as something approximating a dress rehearsal. But, unless a flurryof unexpected misfortunehits the Sixers before their regular-season opener Wednesday night vs. the Celtics, Furkan Korkmaz will not start, as he did against the Wizards in place of Ben Simmons (out with back tightness).

It does appear, however, that the Turkish wing will play legitimate minutes early this season. Brown seemed to confirm as much before the Sixers' 112-93 loss, talking about Korkmazs progress and resilience in glowing terms.

The Sixers declined Korkmazs third-year option last season, then ultimately re-signedthe 22-year-old in late July.

I am [looking for him to contribute]. And I dont want to be harsh about itthats what hes gotta do," Brown said of where Korkmaz finds himself now after his struggles last year. "Thats part of life in the NBA. Its not like hes an established player. This is not the league for the weak.

He should go to Europe if that was going to dismember his spirit. Hes great people, and hes fighting to stay in the league, hes fighting to get minutes hes fighting. Thats the phase and the stage that the young man is at, and I give him credit for not blinking. He just didnt go away. Now, here he is.

Browns answer was impassioned, and his words weren't bogus. But Korkmazs character and attitude alone dont warrant a spot in the Sixers rotation. He started Fridayfor one primary reason the notion that he is an outside shooter.

Though Brown praised Korkmazs defense and his maturation, the Sixers head coach also said this:

Were always just trying to mine shooters. Youre trying to find and mine and help cultivate shooters. If he is anything, he is that.

Korkmaz has, in fact, not been a good shooter at the NBA level. Hes shot 38.8 percent from the field in 62 NBA regular-season games, 32.3 percent from three-point range. After a 2-for-9 performance Friday, he finished 10 for 25 overall during the preseason, 4 for 13 from behind the arc.

The concept of Korkmaz filling a three-point shooting void after JJ Redicks move to the Pelicans is, on its face, appealing tothe Sixers. Korkmaz has a pretty shot; hes done well in international play; he had an incredible July night last year in Las Vegas, scoring 40 points in a summer-league game.

Perhaps those hints of promise will translate to the NBA. However, if theres an assumption that Korkmazs identity as a shooter makes him worthy of a rotation spot, it would be misguided.

There are alternatives in that mix for bench wing minutes, though theyre also young and unproven in the NBA.

Shake Milton, a two-way player last year,has played both at point guard and on the wing during the preseason. The SMU product, who averaged 24.9 points in 27 G-League games as a rookie, is a more advanced playmaker and a superior defender to Korkmaz.

The 23-year-old told NBC Sports Philadelphia he hasnt been given an indication yet of his regular-season role.

No, he said. My job is just to come in and do whatever the team needs me to do. Ive kind of been flip-flopping during practice. Ive just got to do whatever the team needs me to do, bottom line. Guard and either make plays for others or be ready to knock down shots and score.

This time last year, Milton was returning to competitive basketball aftermissing summer league because of a stress fracture in his back. He acknowledged Friday night he feels more explosive, and hes looked it, showing off a burst on the fast break that wasnt present early last season.

I feel like its been a huge jump, personally, he said. For one, the confidence that I have out there, my body feels good, feel physically ready. I go out there with confidence, my teammates have confidence in me, the coaches have confidence in me. Just going out there and being fearless.

Zhaire Smith, meanwhile, has been seen exclusively in garbage time this preseason. Just as Korkmazs shooting or Miltons versatility might be attractive to Brown, one would think Smiths pogo stick athleticism and penchant for on-ball defense could boost his stock.

That hasnt been the case, with Smiths novel of a rookie year one that included a broken foot, a severe allergic reaction and jumpers with tubes in his stomach putting him behind Milton and Korkmaz at the moment, in Browns eyes.

Hes expecting me to develop all around, Smith said Friday of Browns expectations. Last year we tried to develop, but then obviously I had the setback. He feels like this is my rookie year, like this is [about] development.

The perspective that this season should be centered on learning and personal growth for Smith is fair enough. So is the idea that Korkmaz might have unique value for the Sixers.

He hasnt delivered it yet, though. The Sixers would, in this writers view, be wise not to let their vision of his potential block out other options.

Click here to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.

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Sixers will waive 3 players, which should leave them with roster for opener - NBCSports.com

A quarter of secondary schools in Southend are falling behind the required standard, the education watchdog says.

Of the 12 schools in the area, Ofsted rates one as inadequate, its lowest mark, while two require improvement, as of 30 September.

Its latest figures list five as outstanding and four as good.

The regulator visits all new schools, including academies, within three years of opening.

Inspectors judge them on categories including the quality of teaching, personal development and welfare, the effectiveness of the leadership and pupils' achievement.

Schools requiring improvement will be inspected again within 30 months, while those rated inadequate now face mandatory conversion into academies, funded directly by central government.

In Southend, there are 52 schools registered with Ofsted including primaries, one of which is rated inadequate while six require improvement meaning 13% overall are below standard.

This is, though, in line with the 15% average for the East of England.

Across England, 20% of all schools were classed as outstanding, 66% good, 10% requires improvement and 4% inadequate.

But with more than 1,000 "outstanding" state schools going without an inspection in a decade, the National Education Union warned this did not accurately reflect the quality of education they offer.

Dr Mary Bousted, the union's joint general secretary, said: "The fact that some schools haven't been inspected for over 10 years demonstrates that the information Ofsted provides is misleading at best and may be downright wrong.

"This is yet another reason that Ofsted is past its sell-by date."

The Department for Education recently announced it will consult on plans to remove the exemption for outstanding schools, a move Ofsted says it welcomes.

"This is something that Ofsted has long argued for, so we're pleased the Government has made this announcement," said a spokeswoman for the regulator.

"Routine inspection assures both parents and schools that the quality of education on offer is of a good standard.

"In the interim, inspectors can and do go into outstanding rated schools if necessary.

"We have powers to inspect at any time if we have concerns about the standard of education, or if there is a safeguarding concern."

A DfE spokeswoman added: "This Government is committed to providing world-class education for all students and, where a school is judged as inadequate by Ofsted, the Department will not hesitate to step in and ensure that swift improvements are made so that all children at the school can receive the education they deserve.

"The gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has narrowed considerably in both primary and secondary schools since 2011.

"Teachers and school leaders are helping to drive up standards right across the country, with 85% of children now in good or outstanding schools compared to just 66% in 2010."

See more here:
1 in 4 Southend secondary schools 'falling behind' national standards - Echo