Happiness -> Success

"Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence."
                                                                                                              Aristotle
"If we were to ask the question:  'What is human life's chief concern?' one of the answers we should receive would be:  'It is happiness.'  How to gain, how to keep, how to recover happiness, is in fact for most men at all times the secret motive of all they do, and of all they are willing to endure."
                                                                                                             William James
"Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in this religion or that religion, the very purpose of our life is happiness, the very motion of our life is towards happiness."
                                                                                                             Dalai Lama
Happiness -> Success
 - Happy people are successful.
 - Happiness precedes success.
 - Happy people are better workers.
     - Get more promotions, earn more.
Ancient wisdom:  Bad to Good
     Rabbi Nachum said:  "Even this can be good."
     Epictetus said:  "No matter what happens, it is within my power to turn it to my advantage."

To receive a "happiness" newsletter, contact newsletter@enjoylifebook.com
To learn more about authentic happiness, check out http://www.authentichappiness.org/

Copyright 2010 by Lynn D. Johnson, PhD

Body Language

Body Language

Body language is the unspoken communication we all use every day whether in classroom or communicating with others. Body language is more powerful than all the words we speak. Ninety-three percent of our communication is nonverbal! Sometimes what body language says is not the message you want to deliver.  You tell people a lot with how you present yourself.

Remember you want to come across to others as calm, assertive, and confident:

• Don’t get too close! Vision a hool-a-hoop to maintain good distance.
• Maintain eye contact.
• Look at the other person, with square shoulders.
• Stand or sit straight in the chair — do not lean back or slouch..
• Lean forward slightly when listening – show you are interested.
• Use gestures for emphasis and care.
• Do not twist your mouth or purse your lips.
• Maintain a pleasant facial expression and do not do facial exercises, grimace, frown, etc.
• Keep your voice calm.

• Speak at an even tone and at a tone for pleasant conversation.

Try these tips and people WILL listen to what you’re saying!

Live, Work, Play and Learn Here!

One of our area communities has the motto –Live, Work and Play Here!!  At Iowa Lakes we can say “Live, Work, Play and Learn Here!!”  With all of this you will most likely find yourself pulled in many different directions while trying to balance the areas of your life. Too much studying may create stress while too much playing may also get in the way of goals.

The juggling act of your personal life (LIVE),   a job or family demands of keeping the household running (Work), a social life and entertainment (Play) and taking a class or classes (Learn Here).  With all this you will most likely find yourself pulled in different directions.  Too much studying may create stress, while too much play and fun will get in the way of your educational goals. The juggling of Live, Work, Play and Learn Here” is about making good decisions and focusing your energy in positive ways.  

Make sure you are aware of resources to assist you at Iowa Lakes Community College. The Student Services area encompasses a wide range of services including the Success Center, Educational Counseling, the Career Resource Center, Registrar’s Office, Library and Financial Aid.

http://www.iowalakes.edu/student_services/

Email Ettiquette

Email Etiquette..

All capital letters – I can hear you!!

Welcome to the world of digital communications, where what you write and intend to say can be worlds apart from what is read by the reader.  A friend likes to type in all capital letters, this is rude in email etiquette as it is though you are screaming at the reader – even if it is good news and you are excited.   “GUESS WHAT", "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TODAY?” can feel a lot more sharp and bristly than a calmer greeting, “What are you doing today after work? Let's go for supper”.

There are many articles and writing out there on email etiquette.

Common email etiquette hasn’t changed much, but people seem to forget that the email signature at the bottom of the page needs just as much attention as the rest of the message.  The content of your message should certainly be the focal point of your email, but the signature might be the last thing the readers sees and ultimately the one thing they remember about your email – or even you. Who is the message from??

A signature – what for you ask??

Are you emailing or texting a friend or coworker?  If not, then do not assume that the recipient will know exactly who you are, what class/course you are in or who you are. You may need to specifically identify yourself toward the beginning of the body of the email and/or include your name, the class you are in or what you are corresponding about. ”

Email and texting is so second nature to many students and workers that they forget the formalities of introduction that you don’t take for granted when meeting someone for the first time in person or on the telephone.

An email signature should have a few key elements:

• Full name
• Course/class name
• Section or time of day
• Telephone number
• Email address

Yes, the signature may actually be longer than the message but what information is pertinent to the receiver of your message if it is college or business related?

What does an email address say about you?A few signature items can make you seem unprofessional?  What does your email address say about you?

Some people even have fun with their signatures. The famous “Sent from my…” messages that are tacked on to many smart phone, ipads, blackberry's.

Do you have some email/texting pet peeves or etiquette to share? 

Add/Drop dates

 The first important reminder for fall semester is the Course Add/Drop Dates and Refund Policy listed below for the 2011 fall semester.  The deadlines for online courses are highlighted in yellow.  It is important you are aware of these dates if you plan to add or drop a course. 

 

http://www.iowalakes.edu/registrars_office/academic_calendar/index.cfm
Online courses started Monday, August 29^th.  It is very important you log in and begin working on your courses right away.  The last day you were able to add or drop a course online through the portal (WebAdvisor) was Monday, August 29^th.  After that date an add/drop form will need to be filled and turned in to the Records Office.  The Counselors would be happy to assist you with the process if needed.  If you plan to receive financial aid for your courses please keep in mind the Census date for fall is Friday, September 2.  Any registrations completed after this date will not be eligible for financial aid.

Less Stress

Stress is different things to different people.
Stress is very individualized; what stresses one person may not be a stressor to another person. 
Whether something becomes a stressor to you depends on a variety of variables in you and your life.

 

Your response to the stressor also depends on your physiological state. Every stress transaction we’re involved in is affected by our health, sleep, psychoactive substances, our food intake and our daily activity.

Yet at times we feel like we’re powerless to stressors. 

A Toolbox for Coping with Stress

1. Reorganize.

Take time to exercise or walk for 30 minutes each day, this is your basic defense against stress.”

2. Rethink.

What your mind tells you about a potential stressor will determine whether it becomes an actual stressor, always think of the positives.  Do not let the baggage drag you down; simply leave the baggage at the door.  Think positive - "No stinking thinking" as my friend Patti would say!  

Be aware of "that" baggage and how it impacts you and your life.

3. Reduce.

This is the balancing act- know how much you can do and if it is too much reduce something or somewhere.  This may mean dropping a course or saying "No" to a community commitment. 

4. Relax.

Try some deep breathing or muscle relaxation techniques -practice clinically proven relaxation techniques.  

5. Release.

Do something to reduce muscle tension - use a stress ball, vigorous walk, etc.

Ideas from  Stress Less, Live More: How Acceptance & Commitment Therapy Can Help You Live a Busy Yet Balanced Life by Richard Blonna, Ed.D, a nationally certified coach and counselor.

adapted from 5 Ways to Stress Less by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S.  http://psychcentral.com/lib/2011/5-ways-to-stress-less/

* * *

Attitude is Everything

Attitude Is Everything

Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate.  He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say.  When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, “If I were any better, I would be twins!”

He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant.  The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude.  He was a natural motivator.  If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, “I don’t get it!  You can’t be a positive, up person all the time.  How do you do it?”

Jerry replied, “Each morning I wake up and say to myself, ‘Jerry you have two choices today.  You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.’  I choose to be in a good mood.  Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it.  I choose to learn from it.   Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life.  I choose the positive side of life.”

“Yeah, right, it’s not that easy,” I protested

“Yes it is,” Jerry said.  “Life is all about choices.  When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice.  You choose how you react to situations.  You choose how people will affect your mood.  You choose to be in a good or bad mood.  The bottom line: it’s your choice how you live life.”

I reflected on what Jerry said.  Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business.  We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in the restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers.  While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination.  The robbers panicked and shot him.  Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center.  After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.

I saw Jerry about six months after the accident.  When I asked him how he was, he replied, “If I were any better, I’d be twins.  Wanna see my scars?”  I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place.

“The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door,” Jerry replied.  “Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die.  I chose to live.” 

“Weren’t you scared?  Did you lose consciousness?”  I asked.

Jerry continued, “The paramedics were great.  They kept telling me I was going to be fine.  But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared.  In their eyes, I read, ‘He’s a dead man.’  I knew I needed to take action.”

“What did you do?” I asked.

“Well, there was a nurse shouting questions at me,” said Jerry.  “She asked if I was allergic to anything.  ‘Yes,’ I replied.  The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply.  I took a deep breath and yelled, ‘Bullets!’  Over their laughter, I told them, ‘I am choosing to live.  Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.’”

Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors and nurses, but also because of his amazing attitude.  I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.  Attitude, after all, is everything.

by Francie Baltazar-Schwartz

from Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work,  1996

Your attitude in life is your choice!  Remember what Jerry said:  “Life is all about choices.  When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice.  You choose how you react to situations.  You choose how people will affect your mood.  You choose to be in a good or a bad mood.  The bottom line: it’s your choice how you live life.”  You can choose to adopt an attitude like Jerry’s and empower yourself to look at life from a positive perspective.  Try it you may like it!  What do you have to loose except a bad attitude.

Bits and Pieces - Studying

~Get an attitude!

            An attitude about studying, that is.  Commit yourself to spending time every day to working on your class assignments.  Building good study skills takes time.  But you can do it if you work on improving each day.  Don’t put things off!!

~Some other tips

            When you sit down to study, work on the most difficult assignment first.  Once you’re done with that, everything will be easier!

            Don’t cram all night before a test.  It doesn’t help you learn.  Besides, it’s very stressful! Your best bet is to keep up with your class assignments, take good notes and review your notes regularly.

            Learn to say no.  If you have an assignment you need to get done that day, don’t accept an invitation from your friends to go somewhere.  But plan a time when you can meet your friends-when you don’t have an assignment to work on.

            The fact is, when it comes to getting good grades, you’re in control.

Skills Employers Are Seeking

Skills Employers Are Seeking  

1. Communication skills - verbal and writing
2. Strong work ethic - being dependable, hard working and committed
3. Teamwork skills - working well with others
4. Initiative - Not waiting to be told what to do
5. Analytical skills – interpreting data
6. Computer skills – using technology tools

7. Flexibility and adaptability – not being afraid to embrace change

8. Interpersonal skills – relating well to others, listening

9. Problem-solving skills – taking them on rather than avoiding

10. Technical skills – those that apply to specific fields

Source: adapted from Job Outlook 2009, National Association of College and Employers

 

Spring Graduation at Iowa Lakes

The Spring 2011 Commencement Ceremony for Iowa Lakes Community College will be held Friday, May 13. A record number of students have completed or are in progress to complete the requirements for their degrees or diplomas at Iowa Lakes. More than 350 students plan to attend the Commencement Ceremony.

The ceremony will start at 7 p.m. in the gymnasium at the Estherville Campus. Due to the record number of students graduating, guests are advised to arrive early to ensure seating.

Keynote speakers this year are John Lorenzen, an Environmental Studies major from Holstein, and Christine Vredenburg, an Associate Degree Nursing major from Primghar.

Attendees will be welcomed by College President Valerie Newhouse; Jan Lund, president of the Board of Trustees will acknowledge the Trustees; Mark Gruwell, Executive Dean of Instruction and Development, will lead the special recognition section and introduce the Presidential Scholars with Jolene Rogers, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement, presenting the Jim Hall Outstanding Alumnus Award. The roll call of candidates will be led by Mark Zabawa, Science Instructor, and Holly Jensen, Nursing Instructor. Jim Miller, vice president of the Board of Trustees will confer the degrees and diplomas.

After the ceremony, everyone is cordially invited to attend a reception to be held in the college 4-plex.

Resume Tips and Hints

Resumes Tips and Hints

Resist the urge to share everything about your past. When interviewers ask you to “tell me a little about yourself,” what they want to know is your professional work experience or professional skills that make you the right person for the job.

When crafting your resume – don’t share too much.

·         Any job you held before college is irrelevant once you enter the professional world. Don’t list jobs more than 10 years old.  Have a diverse list of references available to provide when they are asked for.

·         Your name and address is the only personal information you need to share; your marital status, children, family and all other topics do not need to be shared.

·         Employers want you to be professional and to the point – no cute pictures or graphic borders on the resume. Calligraphy and script fonts should also be avoided.

·         Cite skills and duties on your resume that build your case and market you for the specific job.

The length of the resume should be one to two pages.  Threes pages gets to be too much detail and information. 

                                                                                                Ideas from CareerBuilder.com

Where the boys are (and aren't): Non-traditional jobs for women and men

MSN and Career builder has some great information on non-traditional jobs for men and women in the workplace or looking at career opportunities. 
http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-2524-Job-Info-and-Trends-Where-the-boys-are-and-arent-Non-traditional-jobs-for-women-and-men/?SiteId=cbmsnhp42524&sc_extcmp=JS_2524_home1&gt1=23000

Work-Life Balance

Managing Work-Life Balance by Taking a Step Back

http://psychcentral.com/news/2011/03/31/manage-work-life-balance-by-taking-a-step-back/24853.html

March 31, 2011

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on March 31, 2011

As the pace of life escalates, many find themselves with conflicting demands and increased stress from work, home and — if a high school, college or graduate student — the classroom.

One strategy to deal with the stress is to take a step back and withdraw.

Researchers say this is not all bad as a momentary break. Self-reflection could do us all a world of good.

“People need to ask themselves, ‘What roles do I play?’ and ‘Are these roles working for me?’” said Dr. Julie McCarthy, associate professor of organizational behavior at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC).

“And if they’re not working, we then need to ask, ‘What are the strategies I’m using to make things better?’”

In her latest study, McCarthy worked with Tracy Hecht of Concordia University to look at how undergraduate students with jobs outside of school attempted to achieve balance.

The researchers looked at three strategies often used to deal with opposing demands on time, attention and energy: solution-driven active engagement (problem-focused), venting to others (emotion-focused) or ignoring those problems altogether and distracting ourselves with other activities (avoidance-focused).

While the problem-focused approach is traditionally viewed as the best of the three, McCarthy and Hecht’s research found that strategy could actually cause more problems as a result of stress, over-exhaustion and lack of recovery time. “People need time to refocus in order to learn or study well,” said McCarthy.

The most surprising conclusion had to do with the third coping mechanism: avoidance. When the student participants simply set aside some of their issues for a while, they actually experienced a reduction in conflict between life roles.

“This technique is traditionally seen as ‘running away from your problems’,” said McCarthy. “But maybe by backing off and taking breaks, students are able to replenish their resources.”

Feeling drained leads to lower levels of satisfaction with life and higher rates of burnout, depression, and ill-health.

And while playing multiple roles can be stimulating, interesting and lead to a sense of accomplishment and achievement, McCarthy said there are real risks we need to be aware of.

“People need to assess which strategies they’re using to cope with their problems and make sure they’re making time for resource recovery,” she said.

“Too many roles can be detrimental unless we begin asking ourselves honest, pointed questions.”

Source: University of Toronto

Summer Registration

Online registration is open for 2011 summer courses.

The Summer 2011 Course Listings is available online at the following link:

http://www.iowalakes.edu/registrar/courses/schedules.htm  or you may search for 2011 summer courses using the WebAdvisor tool available through the My Iowa Lakes (portal).

In addition, several Fast Track and online courses are also offered throughout the summer months.  Some of the Fast Track courses offered are Social Problems, Music Appreciation, Art Appreciation, Jazz History and Appreciation, Minority Group Relations, Human Relations, and Fundamentals of Oral Communication.

Test Anxiety

Test Anxiety

From grade school to college, tests are an important part of the educational process. Unfortunately, they can also be intimidating, leading to test anxiety that can adversely change a person’s test results.

In the majority of cases, test anxiety is a minor roadblock. After all, most people are a little nervous when taking a test, but that apprehension usually disappears once you become focused on and involved in the test. This kind of mild test anxiety is easily overcome and rarely affects the final results of the test.

However, in more extreme cases, the anxiety experienced when taking formal tests factors into a student's final scores more than his or her knowledge of the topic being tested. Some students are so paralyzed by test anxiety that they feel no amount of study or preparation will enable them to pass an exam, regardless of how important that exam might be. This realization can be disheartening and demoralizing and, in extreme cases, can cause these individuals to give up on their goals if achieving them requires taking any sort of formal test.

For those whose academic or professional career goals depend on being able to pass a milestone test such as a certification exam or other standardized test, this is not good news. However, there are many ways to combat, manage and even defeat test anxiety so that students plagued by this debilitating problem can successfully make their way through stringent exams. Once people can gain control of their anxiety,

The http://www.testanxietytips.com/  web site is designed to help provide strategies for dealing with test anxiety, from test preparation to coping strategies that will help both before and during the actual test. Some of these strategies will be specific to the actual task of taking a test, while others will help improve your outlook. Factors you might not consider, such as exercise, stress and diet, can have more of an influence on your ability to perform well on a test than you might think.they can focus instead on answering test questions to the best of their ability, allowing their knowledge, experience and dedicated study to shine through.

Using the information and tips presented on the http://www.testanxietytips.com/ website you can achieve your education goals.

Spring Graduation - May 2011

 

Are you planning to complete your degree this Spring Semester (ending May 13th) at Iowa Lakes??

Even if you do not plan to attend the graduation ceremony, you must fill out the graduation application form to receive your degree or diploma.

SPRING  GRADUATION APPLICATIONS ARE  DUE BY

Thursday, February 10th.

Click on the following links to apply: http://www.iowalakes.edu/registrar/graduation_application.htm or

go to our website: www.iowalakes.edu, click on the “Online Services” heading in the gold bar, then select “Graduation Application”. 

Ø  There will be a short survey to fill out before you go to the actual application form.

Ø  If attending the graduation ceremony, be sure to fill in your height, weight, and cap size. 

Ø  Don’t know your cap size (do not use S, M, L)? 

Stop at any of our Business Offices to get measured or measure the number of inches around your head about 1 inch above your ears.

The Spring Graduation ceremony is Friday, May 13, 2011 at 7 p.m. on the Estherville Campus.

If you have any questions, please contact the Records Office:

Ø  Elaine Sidles at Emmetsburg  (712-852-5265 or 1-800-242-5108 ext. 5265) or

Ø  Sue Madison at Estherville (712-362-7922 or 1-800-242-5106 ext. 7922).

Time Management

Time Management

Do you take on more activities than you have time for?

 Do you feel like the deck is stacked against you? 

The first step in time management is to decide how much time it will take to:

• Go to school (class and lab time)
• Job time
• Family and/or social time
• Time for rest and sleep

After deciding how much time is pent on each of these area, you should have a better idea of where you 24 hours of the day goes.  If the total of these 4 activities exceeds more than 24 hours something has to give.  Social time and activities are usually the first area to cut.  Cut back where and when necessary.