Material Monster

Not many never imagined the indestructible Colleen Utsinger, my youthful partner in crime, could wear medical wigs. Her voluminous hair was synonymous with her femininity. Guess what? Our favorite gal will be eternally celebrated because of her impeccable looks. Very few realize she lives confidently wearing wigs. Keep it on the DL.

Back in the day as kids growing up in Arizona, we always stole the spotlights to every dance. But in college her hair loss reared its head and she went bald. I mentioned these synthetic wigs. But you know, she just shaved her head. The incredible woman took the time and showcased her bald-headed look.

Attending her boyfriend Jacob’s homecoming, we taunted the players till some kluts purposefully kicked the puck (or that thing they use) into the stands. With quick reflexes she tried to get it when her cute little hat flew right off, uncovering her shiny head. Like nothing happened, she lobbed it playfully right back at him. She’s that kind of girl.

However, who can be invincible at all times? The same summer we got together for a stroll to the art gallery, where she looked me in the eye and revealed that she opts to go bald out of bitterness. She missed her natural hair too much to consider wigs, secretly acknowledging she knew it was a good idea. Suddenly she our fearless protagonist turned flush red and begged that I should think nothing more of it. So I did.

I thought about it all night. Later on, I called about settling the wig issue. Finally the two of us arrived at the only logical action: we were going wig shopping! We have a knack for making online wig shopping fun.

The both of us were bewildered by how natural they looked. We never knew that synthetic wigs could be this fashionable for a lot of people. These wigs were marvelous. I built an entirely creative wardrobe to match our wigs. Out of solidarity, but you knew that already. Recently she sent me her thanks for reintroducing, and said it rekindles new vibrance in her life. It’s encouraging to see her strut her stuff like never before. I’m right there with her.

A CV presents yourself to the prospective employer. It creates the first impression on the prospective employer on the applicant’s skills, qualification, certifications and work experience. Thus, a quality well-written and well-composed resume may assist in securing an interview with the potential employer.

While preparing a CV, the focal point must be on the prerequisites of the business and your capableness to fit in the role put up. The curriculum vitae should be written by mixing the job applicant’s skill sets and experience with the demands of the company. It is writing about how someone can fulfill the demands of the particular opening in the business.

There are several delusions around resume writing that needs to be cleared up. Trying to stand out among other people by making the curriculum vitae attention-getting will not serve the purpose. The resume should not be something unusual, unique or tricky. However, if the facts are incorporated in a professional fashion, outlining particulars relevant to the occupation’s necessities, it will definitely impress the recruitment agent to call the candidate for a first interview.

The all-important objective of a resume is to introduce the job applicant and present the skill sets, qualification, experience and credentials of the individual so that the HR manager is impressed enough to call them for a face-to-face interview. The CV should only comprise information, which is relevant to company’s requirements. This may include the experience of the applicant, which is good for the job opening. Avoid writing a long history of your former job experiences.

A thorough, well-composed resume is the key to opening the exact doors to the exact opportunity in the job seeking process.

Hardly do we witness teens & young adults during their early twenties with patches of hair missing from their heads. Most hair loss in men occurs in their thirties & 40’s, however it isn’t odd from men in their late twenties to drop hair as well. The apprehension of aging is dreaded throughout today’s society. Where aging was once upon a time a symbol of enlightenment and judiciousness, it is now essentially looked upon as if the elder you are, the more boring you become. This is without doubt not TRUE in most cases. However, since this is how the media & modern society depict middle aged men and women, and losing hair is a symbol of getting older, it is no ponder that hair loss can often affect someone’s self-esteem.

TV shows often portray middle aged men with hair loss as the people most unlikely to succeed with obtaining dates, or being happy in general. The character George Costanza in NBC’s hit TV sitcom, Seinfeld, is one perfect instance of this. Costanza was in his late thirties and endured exemplar male pattern hair loss. He quite often referred to his hair loss as one of his biggest excuses for never before succeeding at just about everything in life. Men & women alike both enjoy a tendency to feel self conscious, exceptionally when it comes to the opposing sex. In our culture, a full, luscious, head of hair is envisaged to be beautiful, & make one show up more youthful & healthy.

Modern technology is most useful in restoring hair loss. Advanced hair loss treatments are available to restore one’s hair & make it look effectively normal as if you had not lost any hair to begin with. It isn’t essential in this era and age to have to settle with hair restoration. One’s quality of life doesn’t have to be changed with low confidence when there are so numerous advanced hair restoration treatments to choose from. Whether a medicinal drug, current therapeutics, follicle transplants, or laser therapy, there are lots of options that will probably suit any budgets.

Hair loss treatments are presently particularly popular & used by both men & female. People who have lost their hair due to illnesses & have found it is never to grow back can sometimes be advantageous from advanced hair therapeutics. Even if people are not effectively losing hair, but experiencing from a receding hair line or your hair is thinning, they can benefit from an array of hair loss treatments. The days of entrusting on fake looking wigs and spray on hair are history. With so abounding choices of various hair loss treatments, people no longer have to live life feeling any less confident than they did in their early twenties.

Not that I eschew drama, ’cause without a date, I get pretty lonely. Get this, yesterday I ate a whole bag of Oreos. On a weekend of datelessness, for once. That actually happened. Am I crazy? Actually, it’s when I honestly thought about meeting new singles in North Dallas.

I already knew the solution. I can mix up my social life thru a professional dating service, Denver Great Expectations. And it turned out to be my golden ticket. The reason I mention my dating woes: After practically choking down some of grandma’s potato salad at my boy’s t-ball game at Oak Park last night, Richard had to know if I’ve met the woman I’m going to marry. I don’t know why they even care. I didn’t want to answer, but then laughed, “what’s your deal, yo?”

And of course Gramps chimed in along the lines of my personal matters. I joked to each of them: “I’ll be fine, do you even know me?”

Guess what? No one knew what I was talking about, as usual. Quite promptly, I fell asleep that night so I could clear my head. I still have no idea what to do! It was more useful listening to my dad, which is never the case. Chuck, who was just deployed on military commission advised that I browse the singles profiles at Great Expectations. I said, “That would do the trick.” But it really was a good idea. I love Great Expectations Denver.

Early on, dating services were new as I am a simple guy. I’d never done anything like this before, so much so that I got a little queasy. That slight disaster could not pull the plug on a great time. The evening was full of crazy-fun mingling. The one cool thing that really struck me were the other members, some who are my new friends.

There’s something great about going to these incredibly satisfying Great Expectations Dallas, I got in touch with a collection of dynamite friends who I could tell have similar ideas for how dating should be done. Don’t know why I ever let so many people get on my back about me being single at my age. Amazingly enough, matchmaking with Great Expectations is my pleasure and a remarkably refreshing dating experience.

Pat
Advice Giver

Our reality is stuffed with burdens. It seems that the more we grow technology and ways to make things more speedily, the more panic anxiety attacks increase. That is food for thought. You would think that bothersome demands and anxieties would diminish with our consistent advancement in technology. Yet, anxiety and depression seem more commonplace now than they ever were in the past. It is quite possible that in the past, such conversation topics were avoided. Well they surely make an issue of it these days. Fact is, if you’ve ever spent an afternoon in front of the TV, I’m sure you’ve witnessed some sort of ad for a medicinal drug, which provides panic attacks treatment (anxiety–attacks.org).

These issues are rising to the surface and being discussed openly. Whether it be sleep related or dread of public places, scientists are always coming up with different ways to fix it. Anxiety and depression are certainly at the top of this long list. When I consider depression, I think of an individual who has recently lost a loved one or someone who is afflicted in such a way that precludes them from carrying on normally. This is not necessarily accurate. Numerous people are stressed out by the burden of anxiety and natural depression for other reasons. Some of which are not even known. The food we consume could easily be a reason. For some reason or another, folk seem to have troubles with remaining content.

We need to some degree to pay attention to teenagers’ plight. Panic attacks and depressive disorder seems to be striking them more than anyone these days. Granted, being a teenager is challenging in some aspects, and unbelievably delightful in others. While some teens may contend that it’s horrible. We all were teens at least once. We certainly know much of what they are going through. Nevertheless, I can never recall being depressed. It is challenging to understand the changes of the last ten years. Panic attacks should not be a part of childhood. As a matter of fact, anxiety attacks and depression should be much less frequent than it is altogether.

Writing your own obituary sounds and feels a little strange, I know. If the idea doesn’t appeal to you, try pretending that you have just won an award and the newspaper is doing a feature story on your accomplishments. By recording what you wish to be remembered or acknowledged for, you will be able to pinpoint the values you would like to live by. And, by identifying your life’s values you will be more able to live them now and in the future.

Values are those things that are more important to you than anything else. Values pave the path for an ideal life. When we live according to the values we have embraced we live a life of fulfillment. If we neglect those values that are of great importance to us, we feel emptiness in our lives.
What would you like your legacy to be? How would you like to be remembered? Think of four of five words that describe behaviors and activities you have noted in your obituary or feature article. Perhaps you noted that you will be remembered for your community service, your love of family, your artistic abilities and your position as an expert in your field. What values do these suggest to you?

Community service would mean you value Contributing. Love of family could mean you value Relating. Remembering your artistic abilities, you would be acknowledging the value of Creativity. And, noting your position as an expert says you value Excellence.

Once you have identified the values you want to be identified with you can work on integrating them into your life in the present. You can create a life that holds true those values by choosing your goals to your fit your values.

If you want to honor the value of Creativity, for instance, you might have a goal of learning to sew or taking an art class.

Keep a list of your values handy and when contemplating a new goal, check it against your values. Values often shift over time. Someone, who once valued Adventure, may now place a higher value on Discovery or vice versa. It’s a good idea to check your values once a year, and what better time than at the start of a New Year.

Beth Densmore is a Personal Life Coach and Motivational Speaker who offers support, inspiration and motivation to those who are in transition and want to achieve a goal. For more information and more free articles like this, visit her site at http://www.newfocuscoaching.com.

It’s one of the most nerve-rattling-and necessary events in
every good relationship. Mr. Boyfriend Material eventually has
to become The Boyfriend. You’ve decided once and for all to take
it to the next level and send Mr. Boyfriend Material to
real-life coupledom.

You can charm the pants off anyone with your sugar lips and
defuse most potentially deadly showdowns with your razor-sharp
wit. Still, somehow, when it comes time to initiate the
relationship conversation (read: turning Mr. Boyfriend Material
into The One) none of that makes a damn difference.

You’re left tongue-tied and nerve-racked. That’s because that
couple-status report inevitably puts you in the clichéd
nagging-woman-pointing-at-her-stopwatch position — and him on
the utmost defensive. Someone is bound to get freaked out, hurt
or misled.

Because the check-in is a necessary milestone in any growing
relationship, you’ll have to face the music at some point. We’ve
come up with a plan for making the commitment conversation a lot
easier on both of you, and it’s actually effective.

When you kiss Mr. Boyfriend Material you get goosebumps. And at
the end of each date, you both agree to do it again…soon. But
since your status with Mr. Boyfriend Material is loose, “soon”
sometimes turns into days or even weeks.

Your goal is to establish some sort of romantic rhythm with Mr.
Boyfriend Material. Problem is you’re afraid that upping the
ante will cause him to fold his hand. Here’s the nudge. There’s
something he likes about this breezy setup or you’d be seeing
him more often than you do your manicurist.

Most likely, he fears sacrificing his time for steady dates with
you. So ease his anxiety by stressing how much is happening in
your life, the concert you saw last week or your friend’s
margarita party, and you’ll zap any jitters he has that dating
you will chip away at his independence. You’ll also become a
more valuable commodity.

Looking to be an exclusive couple? Dying to get engaged?

In a perfect world, all romantic relationships would sail
smoothly from sort-of-dating to madly-in-love. More often than
not, though, the road to Coupleville with Mr. Boyfriend Material
is dotted with commitment detours, ones that your man seems
unable to navigate.

Who doesn’t want to get closer to a man you’re crazy about? But
pushing for a tighter bond is a tricky task. After all, many men
are perfectly happy keeping things between the two of you the
same…indefinitely. So how do you give your love a nudge
without causing him to jump ship?

Things may feel serious with your man. After all, your
Friday-night dates often turn into 48-hour get-togethers, and
his rottweiler recognizes you when you walk in the door. But
since you haven’t had the official “talk” yet, you have
absolutely no clue if you’re his one and only…or if he even
wants you to be.

When the mood is relaxed, find out for sure whether Mr.
Boyfriend Material is seeing someone else by casually asking,
“Don’t the other women in your life get jealous that you spend
so much time with me?” If he just shrugs, follow up with a
playful “So, how many are there? I need to know what I’m up
against.” If he admits he’s dating around, don’t freak. You just
need to communicate calmly and clearly how long you’re willing
to be one of several.

Mr. Boyfriend Material will eventually be The Boyfriend if you
know how to work it. Either way, he’s yours for the taking.

“The secret to happiness is contentment”
(Dali Lama)

If we are content with what we have, and where we are, then we are happy.
This means not grasping for attainment of material objects or even spiritual understanding, but being content and just allowing life to happen.
How does this help us to achieve the things we “want”?

I’m glad you asked! This brings me to Maslow’s theory on the hierarchy of human “needs”, the answer to that question is revealed within the following explanation and its accompanying story.

Maslow, was an eminent Psychologist who developed a theory on the psychological need of humans; it is often demonstrated in the form of a pyramid, and referred to in relation to Education, Motivation and Sales training.

A summary of his theory would be: that we humans have “needs” that must be satisfied in an order of priority, before higher ideals can be achieved the lower ideals MUST be met.
The order of these needs doesn’t change from individual to individual, they are as follows:

1. PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS, air, water, food, rest, exercise, etc

2. SAFETY NEEDS, shelter, job security, retirement plan, insurance

3. LOVE AND BELONGING, children, friends, partners

4. SELF ESTEEM (1), fame, recognition, reputation, dignity

5. SELF ESTEEM (2) Confidence, achievements, FREEDOM

If we don’t meet all the needs in the lower levels we will always be in deficit and be trying to meet them before we can obtain the highest levels of complete self actualization and FREEDOM.

Here’s a story I wrote to illustrate Maslow’s theory in a practical situation, it’s illustrated in a negative context because most of us will understand it better this way. Note: (L5) means level 5 as per above.

The following is based on a true story; some details have been changed to allow for publishing here.

A Person’s car breaks down on an old dirt road in the Barclay plains it’s a scorching 44 degrees in the shade, but there aren’t any trees to provide shelter, he’s in the middle of nowhere, outback, Australia.
He was on his way to Darwin to give a lecture on Self Defence. He had been giving these talks for some time now and really enjoyed sharing his knowledge, not for the respect that others gave him, but because he is a master of the subject and it felt good doing it. (L4/5)

At first he wasn’t concerned about the situation and he allowed his mind to be free and ‘take in’, the beauty of the landscape, he started to reminisce about his friends and family, wondering what they’re doing at that time, then he turned on the radio and drifted off to sleep.
When he woke up he realized that he was feeling lonely and would love to have someone to talk to. (L3)

After a few hours he started to feel a little uncomfortable and realized that he could be in some danger so he tried to think of a plan for his safety.

After some time he decided to head off in search for help.
It started getting dark and he became really worried; his senses were tuned into every sound. (L2)

Then he realized that he hadn’t eaten since breakfast and that he was hungry and thirsty. (L1)

After two more days his only thoughts were about finding water to stay alive, he wasn’t concerned about eating because his body knew it could survive for weeks without food, but only a few days without water.
So then his immediate concern was for the basic need of water.
SUDDENLY!! Someone jumped on him from behind, and started to choke him he couldn’t breathe! Then his need for air was stronger than his need for water!

It was only a joke; his best friend had come looking for him when he didn’t show up in Darwin on time.

He found the car then tracked his mate to where he found him, looking pretty rugged. Then as all good mates do, he decided to play a practical joke to give him a fright! They are still good friends today.

The end

The simple lesson here is this:

This story shows a person who had met all his needs and was at the highest level. He had truly manifested his dream into reality and how he quickly went into “Needs Deficit” (ND)

Clearly we must walk before we can run, If we can’t breath we aren’t worried about water, we NEED air, our ND is air; this is a very basic example.

To look at it another way we could say that; trying to be a highly regarded successful whatever (4/5) will not be possible if we are in ND of (1, 2, or 3).

Our ND needs attention first; this doesn’t mean that if we don’t have a house and family we can’t achieve our dream ambitions.
On the contrary it means that we should, let go of our graving, yearning and striving to achieve success at any cost type of attitude, and maintain our lower levels of needs so that we can open the path to the higher levels.

Many of us, myself included have been guilty of forgetting about our needs for friends and family when we are trying to obtain the higher ideals of success.

This area can be a particular problem with the internet, because it uses up so much of our time and attention.
If we maintain our basic needs we will be able share our dreams and talk about them and believe in them and be content and happy about them.
Thus allowing our dreams to manifest into reality.
Doesn’t it make sense that with this kind of thinking we will all be able to move on to the higher levels of self actualization?

Maintain your ND and believe in your DREAMS the rest will happen!

Bill Boyd, has been in business for 20 years, he has studied Chinese medicine, Oriental Philosophy, and has a 3rd degree Black Belt in Tang Soo Do. He has coached and mentored several elite athletes to international success. http://www.lifecoachelite.com

Personal technology has revolutionized business and working in general over the past twenty years. Personal computers, cell phones, the internet, personal organizers and other high technology devices have made the working world of the mid-1980’s and earlier seem like the Stone Age. These devices have improved efficiency, flexibility and the overall speed of interactions of all types. One area where technology has been a mixed success has been in the areas of leadership, supervision and coaching.

While the advent of new technologies and tools has made the best coaches even better, it has provided obstacles for inexperienced and less-effective coaches. There are several reasons for this.
- Emails rather than face-to-face coaching
- Voice mail messages rather than real time conversations
- Top down, spread sheet driven objectives rather mutually defined “SMART” objectives
- The advent of telecommuting and other work from home alternatives (which have significant upsides also)

Some tips for executives, managers, supervisors and other coaches operating in this high technology environment:
- Meet your people individually face-to-face at least quarterly. If you cannot travel to meet them, they should travel to meet you.
- Never put in an email or a voice mail what you can deliver either face-to-face or over the phone live. Follow it up with an e-mail or voice mail if necessary.
- Objectives should be more than a series of numbers from top down. They should be arrived at jointly and discussed face-to-face in an objective setting session. If not face to face, they can be handled on phone call or calls.
- Some people do great working from home away from their supervisor and peers. But other people need the direct interaction with their coach and with their co-workers. This depends on the job function, the individual and amount team versus individual contribution required for success. This must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

The combination of technology plus effective personal coaching can create an environment for individual and team success.

George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group - a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. He is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants and the International Coach Federation. Franks Consulting Group can be found on the web at:
http://www.franksconsultinggroup.com
George’s blog is:
http://consultingandcoaching.blogspot.com

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.

There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas.

There are distinct processes that enhance problem identification and idea generation and, similarly, distinct processes that enhance idea selection, development and commercialisation. Whilst there is no sure fire route to commercial success, these processes improve the probability that good ideas will be generated and selected and that investment in developing and commercialising those ideas will not be wasted.

Artists and Creativity

There is a common perception that being creative and being an artist are one and the same. That if you are one, then you are also the other. This is bad thinking:

a) What people are referring to is their perception of a creative type. In fact it is highly contentious that there is a creative type at all. Whilst some theorists argue that there are creativity traits such as tolerance for ambiguity and intolerance for conformity, others counter that these traits are hard to identify and are situation dependent. Further, motivation is more important than traits.

b) If creativity is problem identification and idea generation then we all have this ability. Further, we can all produce large numbers of ideas, numbers of diverse ideas and numbers of novel ideas. This is related to task competency.

c) Creativity is a cognitive ability. People may look “creative,” but this is a bad guide to their actual cognitive performance.

d) There are many types of “artists.” Poets and painters are two very different types. Bunching all “artists” together compounds confusion. The ability of painter, for example, is related to at least two factors. First, there is his or her cognitive activity - what he or she finds aesthetically pleasing etc. Second, there is the mechanical capability of being able to translate those images onto a physical canvas with paint. This second ability is related to the hard wiring of the painter - motor neurons etc.

These and other topics are covered in depth in the MBA dissertation on Managing Creativity & Innovation, which can be purchased (along with a Creativity and Innovation DIY Audit, Good Idea Generator Software and Power Point Presentation) from http://www.managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop MBA, is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com/