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.

See the original post here:
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.

Want to get a link to your daily horoscope delivered directly to your inbox each weekday morning? Sign up for our free Coffee Break newsletter at mercurynews.com/newsletters or eastbaytimes.com/newsletters.

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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.

.

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!

View original post here:
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

China is one of the world's greatest economies and its largest developing country. It not only possesses Asia's largest economy, but it also has a motive to contribute to regional peace to enable the implementation of Chinese President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which is aimed at helping China and its Asian and African allies expand economically.

Over the past 5,000 years, Chinese people of all ethnic groups have worked diligently and wisely to build a magnificent culture and a cohesive multiethnic country. The Chinese culture is distinct in that it is long-lasting, inclusive and open. Moreover, through decades of interaction with the rest of the globe, the Chinese nation has sought to learn from other nations and develop itself, contributing significantly to the advancement of human civilization.

Overcoming challenges and downfalls, the Chinese people have progressed with the times, drawing on both knowledge and lessons from China's and other countries' development, deepened understanding of the laws governing human society's development, and encouraging the socialist system's self-improvement and growth. As a result, after a long battle, the Chinese people have succeeded in identifying a route of development that conforms to China's reality, a road of socialism with Chinese features. China's overall goal of peaceful development is to promote domestic prosperity and harmony while pursuing international cooperation and peace.

While China is the world's largest developing country, it wants to help other developing countries by utilizing the same strategies it used to get through poverty. However, following China's non-intervention principle, China must provide this assistance while respecting the host country's sovereignty. This means that China would work hard to improve the lives of its citizens and contribute to human progress via hard labor, innovation and reform, building long-term friendly relations and fostering equality and mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries. This has evolved into a national commitment reflected in national development strategies and progress made in China's development.

A small group of Chinese researchers coined the phrase "developmental peace." In 2019, He Yin, a well-known scholar, stated that developmental peace is a significant departure from liberal peace because it is based on China's peaceful rise and international aid practices and that developmental peace aims to achieve political stability backed by strong institutions and economic development. The main goal of China's peaceful development is to achieve modernization and common prosperity for the people.

Only when a country's national conditions allow for development is it viable. In the Chinese environment, China's development path has taken shape. China is well aware that peaceful development is a long-term process and that the current internal and international contexts are undergoing significant and complicated changes.

The principle of maintaining the stability of governing institutions and providing foreign aid without political strings is based on China's own experience of strong state-led development and oversight of political reforms and China's principle of maintaining the stability of governing institutions and providing foreign aid without political strings. Even if there is no conscious desire to do so, China is poised to become a major player in peace building for the simple reason that the payout of its political and economic activities in post-conflict societies will give it both a major stake in their stabilization and the resources required to play a leading role.

Moreover, many Chinese initiatives in peacekeeping, conflict mediation and infrastructure construction, for example, are arguably already pointing in this direction and may eventually converge in this paradigm. Due to its geographical and demographical characteristics, South Asia has focused on global attention. This region in general, and Pakistan in particular, has received attention since it launched the BRI.

China and Pakistan have agreed to construct the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is supposed to bring peace and prosperity to South Asia. The visualization of mutual success and economic development is linked to provincial connectedness and growth. This project, which is seen as the main pillar of the BRI, connects Pakistan and China to more than 60 countries, not just their immediate neighbors.

The CPEC also includes multiple energy, hydro, nuclear, coal and solar power projects totaling 21,690 MW, the development of numerous economic zones, and the Pakistani city Gawadar's ports and international airport renovation. The CPEC promises to benefit 66% of the global population, including Europe, Asia and Africa.

The CPEC is a regional connectivity structure as it will benefit China and Pakistan and Iran, Afghanistan, the Central Asian republics and the regions. Improved road, rail and air transport networks with frequent and free exchanges of expansion and people-to-people contact enhanced understanding through academic, cultural and regional knowledge and culture, the activity of higher volume of trade and business flow, producing and moving energy to have more optimal businesses, and enhancement of cooperation through a win-win model will result in the well, interconnected region.

Pakistan and China hope that the CPEC will help them expand economically and bring peace and prosperity to Pakistan's less developed areas. It is a journey toward economic regionalization in today's globalized world. It established peace, progress and a win-win paradigm for all of them. It promises a brighter future in the area, with peace, prosperity and economic growth.

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Chinas developmental peace model and ties with Pakistan | Daily Sabah - Daily Sabah

Southwest Airlines is working on a plan to transform the customer experience. To achieve this goal, is willing to make a strategic investment of USD 2 billion.

According to the company, the initiatives to be implemented are designed to improve and simplify customer travel from the time of booking the itinerary, in transit through the terminals and during the flight. The objective, according to Southwest, is to offer a more pleasant, efficient and productive experience.

Among the services to be developed, the company highlighted enhanced onboard connectivity, the installation of personal device power ports at all seats, larger overhead bins with improved accessibility, a new fare category with greater flexibility (Wanna Get Away Plus), more onboard entertainment options, increased refreshment offerings and the enablement of new self-service options.

As we continue to welcome back loyal Customers and win new ones, these initiatives, combined with the best people in the industry, support our purpose of connecting people to whats most important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel, said Bob Jordan, Southwests CEO.

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The airline said it is working to improve onboard bandwidth on all its aircraft. In addition, it said it will adopt a strategy of diversifying WiFi providers for the next aircraft to join its fleet. The company is currently upgrading its existing fleet equipment with state-of-the-art hardware from connectivity provider Anuvu, which can provide a significant improvement in speed and bandwidth, up to ten times better than today.

Separately, Southwest recently signed an agreement with satellite connectivity provider Viasat to offer high-quality connectivity and live TV programming onboard aircraft delivered starting in the fall of this year.

Beginning in early 2023, the companys Boeing 737 MAX aircraft will feature USB A and USB C power ports in every seat. The ability to keep your devices charged while you are connected inflight is a request that weve heard consistently in ongoing conversations with our customers, said Tony Roach, Vice President of Customer Experience and Customer Relations.

The addition of new digital options will include new self-service options, such as the possibility to purchase priority boarding from the mobile app or the option to add non-seating minors to the reservation at airport self-service terminals. Improvements in that regard reduce phone calls and waiting times.

Southwest will also enhance its in-flight entertainment portal. By the end of the year, it will double the number of free movies currently available and upgrade the flight tracker to provide 3D views with aircraft information and personalized destination guides.

See also: Delta to resume flights between Orlando and Amsterdam

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Southwest to invest USD 2 billion to improve customer experience - Aviacionline

Too often, incarceration leads to more incarceration - the reoffending rate for adult prisoners is 42 per cent.

This leads to a cycle of crime in offenders and costs the taxpayer 15 billion a year. Education in prison, however, cuts this rate by 7.5 percentage points.

The 2016 government-commissioned Coates Reviewalso found that prison education improves employment opportunities, community safety and prisoners' wellbeing.

This last factor goes beyond employment or even reoffending, stretching to improved self-confidence and mental health.

The problem is that the Coates Review also found that prison education was inadequate.

Six years later and the story is unchanged, and often worse. Ofsted found that two-thirds of prisons had poor-quality education, skills and work management, and just nine of 32 institutions were judged to be of a high standard (compared with eight out of 10 community further education providers).

Prisoners themselves are falling off: between 2011 and 2018, there was a 90 per cent drop in prisoners taking level 3 courses (AS level or above).

Something desperately needs to change.

So, the Commons Education Select Committee, which I chair, has been looking into adult prison education for the last 18 months.

We found some deeply worrying deficiencies that the government should remedy as fast as possible.

The first, and most important, recommendation is that prisoners need educational assessments. The available data shows that 30 per cent of prisoners have a learning difficulty, but evidence shows this is an underestimate.

The current system is inconsistent, incomplete and relies heavily on self-declaration, so the true scale of learning challenges in prisons is unknown.

But 40 per cent of prisoners have been permanently excluded from school and 57 per cent have English and maths proficiency below the level of 11-year-olds.

Most prisoners do not come from a stable educational foundation and it's counterproductive to act as if they have.

Education that isn't at the right level or doesn't provide the right support is likely to deter prisoners from life-improving learning.

That's why our new report urges the government to implement a consistent system in which every offender receives an assessment for learning needs from an educational psychologist.

This new assessment system is a key element in what the report recommends should be a wholesale overhaul of prison culture to sufficiently prioritise education.

The inquiry heard that education improves employment prospects, making prisoners less likely to reoffend.

However, a number of charities and unions were keen to stress another point: that learning has value in itself.

Witnesses told the committee that education improved prisoner wellbeing, prison culture and behaviour. Learning can transform our prisons if given the right priority.

That's why the government should further promote learning in prisons, pay prisoners the same rate for education as unskilled work, and, most importantly, ensure each prison has a deputy governor of learning who is directly responsible for the educational outcomes of offenders.

While education has its own value, for many prisoners it is their ticket to a new, more stable life on the outside. Currently, just 17 per cent of prisoners are in stable employment a year out of prison.

Thankfully, the government has taken some key steps to strengthen the link between prisoners and employers.

The government's education White Paper proposals to establish employment advisers and local employment boards are welcome, and we look forward to hearing the proposed implementation timeline.

It has also accepted a key recommendation, borne from this inquiry, to extend the Skills & Post-16 Education Act's apprenticeship scheme to prisoners.

With further incentives, such as tax breaks and targeted funding, this could be a lifeline that helps prisoners reintegrate into society.

Finally, our inquiry found that digitally speaking, prisoners are being left behind. Prisoners are often moved to different prisons with little notice.

Currently, when this happens, their education record is effectively wiped - there's often limited communication and scant educational records.

If prisons were to introduce digital passports, detailing specific needs and progress, prisoners would be far less likely to fall off a fractured learning pathway.

It's also a fact that modern learning requires modern tools.

We wouldn't expect school or university students to study without access to digital resources, so how can prisoners be expected to receive a competitive standard of education without some of technology's key learning benefits?

There are legitimate fears about security but, if prisons can ensure that access to online educational resources will be tightly regulated and monitored, then it's in everyone's interests to give prisoners the benefits of digital education.

Education can break the cycle of incarceration to incarceration.

Prisons can't purport to be places of rehabilitation without putting learning, with all the opportunity and self-improvement it entails, at the heart of their mission.

Robert Halfon, Conservative MP for Harlow and a former skills minister, is chair of the Commons Education Select Committee

Read more:
Prison education must embrace digital tools to tackle reoffending rates - Tes

Theres a higher probability that executives will change employers multiple times during their career than the probability theyll remain with only one organization their entire career. Sometimes its by choice, but, unfortunately, its often because of a number of factors outside of their control.

Therefore, the prudent executive understands the importance of preparing for their next career move while they are currently employed. Executives who fail to utilize a portion of their time to position themselves for their next job search make a serious career mistake. Dont think of your job as your career. Your job may be the most important stepping-stone for your career, but its not your career.

While youre employed, put these professional activities on your to-do list:

Continue your education

What a tragedy it is that many executives spend a concentrated period of time in academic studyand then focus only on the job at hand. A number of self-improvement courses and formal academic programs are available to professionals. If youre not interested in those, listen to some of the great speeches available on YouTube. Listen to Simon Sinek, Zig Ziglar, Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins, or John C. Maxwell. Some of the best speeches and advice ever given are free to anyone taking the time to download them and listen.

Even if you dont intend to complete another degree, consider taking courses that will strengthen your abilities in finance, economics, human resources, or some other subject where youre lacking expertise. Make it a priority to find programs and seminars that will benefit you the most. Often, your current employer may pay for part or all of the expense of such programs.

Participate in professional associations

There are regional, state, and national associations for almost every profession. All offer opportunities to meet others within your field or industry. Participate toward honing your leadership skills. Its not enough to just attend association gatherings. Seek leadership positions within the organization. One way to ensure that happens is to volunteer for jobs no one else wants to do.

Perfect your communication skills

Of the thousands of executives Ive known, there is only a handful who couldnt improve their speaking skills. The rest of us are just a work in progress. And, more often than not, the writing skills of these same executives leave something to be desired as well. In perfecting your speaking skills, the most important factor is practice. Teaching at a nearby college or university where you are presenting to students can be a great learning experience, and it can look good on a rsum.

If you cant teach a course, at least seek professional speaking engagements. Appearing before an audience of professional peers and delivering an effective presentation is one of the most challenging things you can do. To perfect your writing skills, write articles and books. The best advice that can be given in this regard is to simply begin. It takes time, but it enables you to develop an in-depth expertise in a field. And in doing so, you gain exposure to colleagues in the field, which enhances your networking capabilities.

Maintain a job search folder

Keep the folder at home and include information youll need for your next job search. At a minimum, the folder should include copies of your one-page, two-page, and multiple-page rsums. And those rsums should be updated every four to six months. Also include the names and addresses of employer prospects you might want to contact regarding a career move, and also the contact information for appropriate executive recruiters and recruiting firms.

Add to the file any information or clippings youve saved about anyone youre thinking of contacting. If your organization has used an outplacement firm in the past, learn as much information as you can about that firm in case you find yourself forced to use it because of a termination.

Part 2 of this article will address two other important issues in preparing for your future career move or advancement.

Terence Moore, former president of MidMichigan Health and co-editor of The Health Care Executive Search: A Guide to Recruiting and Job Seeking, authored this column as a part of a monthly series focusing on career survival and advancement for the Daily News. He may be contacted at tfm43@speednetllc.com

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Strategies for career survival and advancement: What to do between job searches (Part 1) - Midland Daily News