October 27, 2003

From the Inside Out
THE LEARNING MOMENT

You are familiar with the Buddhist saying, "When the student is ready the teacher will appear." That is what the learning moment is. The student being ready to hear the message. Like everything, learning is a process. In the beginning, the student has no awareness of what is going on.

It's like learning a foreign language. When you first hear the foreign language, you have the impression the people speaking are in a race. The sounds flow rapidly from one to the next. It seems impossible for anyone to be able to understand such a language.

Once you begin to know the sounds of the different letters and you learn a few simple words, it seems like the speakers have slowed down a bit. You begin to catch a sound or a word that is recognizable. Their speech still seems incredibly fast, but you start to see how a native might just be able to understand the language.

And so the process continues. You learn more words. You begin to get comfortable with the sounds. You learn a few phrases. The language becomes more understandable. After awhile you are able to have a simple conversation. Then are able to understand a newspaper. Maybe you even get to the point of thinking or dreaming in the language.

It's a process. Novice to master. You have to go through all the steps. Nothing happens when you are exposed to some knowledge before you are ready for it. Your awareness level is not sufficient for you to understand the knowledge. You could have access to the best business-writing teacher on earth for your new language, but if you can't have a conversation in the language, the teacher cannot teach a thing. It doesn't matter how simply teacher make the lesson, you are not ready for it.

No matter how hard you study, you are still not ready for the message. But once you are ready, the learning is easy. It's like a door opening. Before, when the door was closed and locked, no amount yelling, knocking or pounding on the door would open it. But once you have the key, it takes little effort to open the door.

OK, so what does the learning moment mean to me? Awareness. If you are aware of where you are in the learning process, you are in a better position to learn what you can at that moment. And, when something happens and you can recognize it as a learning moment, your awareness can help learn the lesson instead of missing the opportunity.

This could be anything.... Your child had fight at school. This could be a learning moment for him about handling arguments. Your ad in a newspaper didn't pull a single response. This could be a learning moment for learning how to write ads.

Every negative result could be the opportunity to learn what is necessary to advance to the next level of achievement. Your awareness determines whether or not your can take advantage of the opportunity as it comes up. Your awareness determines when you are ready for the teacher.

You must go through the learning process. Open your awareness. Pay attention to the results of your actions. Keep learning and growing. Listen to your intuition. They all clue you in to your learning moments. The more aware you become, the more learning moments present themselves.

Open yourself to the learning moment and step closer to achieving your dreams.

~ © 2003 Russ Stiffler
Discover the Secrets of the Super Successful
and open the door to the life of Your Dreams.
I DesireSuccess.com

Yes You Can!
DRIVE SAFELY IN WINTER

One way to cope when inclement weather strikes is to be prepared and to use common sense. The Bureau of Traffic Safety of the Kansas Department of Transportation offers tips for driving in adverse weather conditions

• Make sure tires and brakes are in good working condition, that the radiator reservoir is full, and that front and rear defrosters are working. Replace windshield wiper blades periodically.

• Routinely carry items like flares, a flashlight, ice scraper, candles, blankets, a first aid kit and spare water in your car. Other useful items include jumper cables, a tow rope or chain, a basic tool kit and a shovel. If possible, motorists also should carry a cell phone to use in the event of a weather-related roadside emergency.

• Before you drive in snow, clear all windows, headlights and brake lights of ice and snow, check tire tread. Get a good set of snow tires.

• Always wear seat belts.

• Proceed cautiously during rain and snow. The road can be slippery, especially when precipitation mixes with oil, grease or dirt. Remember that streets are slickest just after a rain begins. Avoid slamming on brakes in wet or snowy conditions.

• In inclement weather maintain a greater distance from the car in front of you, so that you'll have plenty of stopping time.

• Remember that bridges, overpasses and exit ramps may be hazardous and iced over even when other roads are in good condition.

• In fog, use low-beam lights, slow down, watch the tail lights in front of you carefully, but don't follow too closely. Be especially alert for brake lights. If fog becomes so bad that driving is unsafe, pull your vehicle far enough off the roadway to ensure another motorist doesn’t collide with it. Use emergency flashers.

• During a heavy rainstorm, don’t drive into running water as it could be deeper than it looks, and the roadway surface underneath could be damaged. Obey barricades and warnings. If your vehicle stalls in water, leave it and seek shelter on higher ground.

• IMPORTANT: Don't use cruise control on rain-slicked roads, in foggy conditions or on icy and snow-packed roads. The cruise control is designed for normal road conditions and doesn't know when the pavement is slippery. Under slick conditions, you need to be in complete control while monitoring road conditions. You're more likely to notice hydroplaning if you are not relying on the cruise control. With some cars, it is possible that the wheels will actually spin faster when the cruise control is on and the car hits a slippery spot. When the tires make contact with firm road again, the car can skid or lose control. On most cars, the cruise control is disengaged by tapping on the brake. In an emergency, this adds a fraction of a second to your response time as well as the risk of the braking action itself causing a loss of control on a slippery road.

~Kansas Dept. of Transportation

Photo: Webshots

South Korea holds the Dahyangje ("aroma of tea") Festival around harvest season in spring. It begins with the Dasinje ("sprit of tea") Ritual on the first day and proceeds to a leaf picking contest, brewing competition and demonstration of the ancient "Dado" tea ceremony. The Boseong tea industry dates back to the Japanese colonial era, to the year 1939 when Japanese tea specialists selected the area as optimal for black tea cultivation, and planted imported India tea there. From the late 1970s to early 1980s the tea plantations were greatly expanded, making Boseong the largest tea cultivation area in Korea. The tea is gathered by hand, leaf by leaf, and the drying of the leaves into tea for drinking must be done within a few hours of picking, before the juices in them start to oxidize.

LINKS
THAT SHINE

"Flu Shot Locator"

The American Lung Association offers the Flu Shot Locator, intended for people who are high risk, including those with asthma and lung disease and the elderly. The best time to get the flu vaccine is from early October to mid-November, although it is administered throughout flu season.
www.FindaFluShot.com

CLICK FOR MORE LINKS

Fascinating Facts
COLD WEATHER CARE FOR DOGS (Part 2)

Many canines love to frolic in the snow, but there are some things caring owners should know before stepping out into the winter wonderland with their dogs.

Vet Checkup
If you are considering having your dog spend any considerable amount of time outdoors, it is always a good idea to have your vet give his or her approval, especially if you plan to participate in strenuous exercise or canine winter sports. You may also want to ask your vet about increasing your dog's rations during the winter months.

Protect Paw Pads
Snow, ice, and the typical chemicals used during winter all have the potential for causing serious problems. Chemicals used to combat cold temperatures are dangerous if ingested and contact with them can crack the pads on a dogs' feet and dry them out. Snow and ice are dangerous because they can cut into the pads. You can and should condition your dog's pads to stand up to these seasonal stresses. The pads will toughen up some by walking, however, this isn’t the complete solution. If you and your dog have been couch potatoes all summer, it will be necessary to start a walking program gradually and extend the distance slowly and reasonably. Do not start off by jogging as you will put too much stress on both of you. Do stop along the way to take a look at the beautiful fall colors and offer your dog a drink of water.

There are also products available to toughen and strengthen the pads and feet of dogs. They are used when feet are sore from exercise. Some are especially designed to prevent drying and cracking and may be used for elbow calluses. One of the products is designed to shield your dog’s paw with a thin coat of natural wax to prevent contact with road chemicals, hot sand, or cold pavement. It is non-staining and non-allergic. Products like Paw Butter, Tuffoot and Sadie's Choice are most often used by owners of hunting dogs but certainly have a place in the average home. Note of caution: Please do not think that you can substitute household products for the above. You could make your dog very sick and cause serious internal problems.

Trim Foot Hair and Nails
Fur in and around the foot should be kept well-trimmed. This is very important in preventing snow from building up between the toes. For trimming I recommend a couple types of scissors: surgical scissors which are quite small and have rounded tips; bandage or nurses scissors which are angled and have rounded tips. Both types of scissors are fairly small and lessen the possibility of you accidentally cutting your dog. Keep nails well-trimmed, this will help keep the quick back. When your dog walks across the bare floor you should not hear his nails click.

Check Paws After Outings
Snow can conceal hidden hazards such as sharp stones, sticks and even metal or glass shards. If you will be outside for an extended amount of time, check pads periodically during your outing. Get in the habit of checking your dog's feet for debris after a walk. Make sure the pads are not cracked or dried out. Rinse the paws in some warm water to remove any chemicals. Even if you don’t see any salt or sand on your walk, it may be there and get into the area between the toes. It can irritate the delicate skin, and if your dog licks its paws ingestion of the chemicals could cause an upset stomach.

Next week: More important tips for winterizing your dog ...

~Katie Ward, Minneapolis Star Tribune
and T.E. Ellis, DogsAbout.com

How did Halloween originate?

Click for Answer

Laughing It Off
SURVIVAL AT WORK

Use computers to look busy: Any time you use a computer, it looks like "work" to the casual observer. You can send and receive personal e-mail, chat and have a blast without doing anything remotely related to work. When you get caught by your boss, claim you're teaching yourself to use new software, thus saving valuable training dollars.

Never walk without a document in your hands: People with documents in their hands look like hardworking employees heading for important meetings. People with nothing in their hands look like they're heading for the cafeteria. Above all, make sure you carry loads of stuff home with you at night, thus generating the impression that you work longer hours than you do.

Messy desk: Build huge piles of documents around your workspace. To the observer, last year's work looks the same as today's work; it's volume that counts. Pile them high and wide. If you know somebody is coming to your cubicle, bury the document you'll need halfway down in an existing stack and rummage for it when he/she arrives.

Voice Mail: Screen all your calls through voice mail. If somebody leaves a voice mail message for you and it sounds like impending work, respond during lunch hour when you know they're not there — it looks like you're hardworking and conscientious even though you're being a rascal.

Looking Impatient and Annoyed: According to George Costanza, one should also always try to look impatient and annoyed to give your bosses the impression that you are always busy.

Leave the office late: Always leave the office late, especially when the boss is still around. You could read magazines and novels that you always wanted to read but have no time until late before leaving. Send important emails at unearthly hours (e.g. 9:35 pm, 7:05 am, etc.) and during public holidays.

Creative Sighing for Effect: Sigh loudly when there are many people around, giving the impression that you are under extreme pressure.

Stacking Strategy: It is not enough to pile lots of documents on the table. Put lots of books on the floor etc. (thick computer manuals are the best).

Build Your Vocabulary: Read up on some computer magazines and pick out all the jargon and new products. Use the phrases freely when in conversation with bosses.

~DebsFunPages.com

Untangling the Web

WHAT A SITE!

Fast Recipe Finder...
Simply use the search box or any combination of keywords and selection criteria in the Advanced Search to find a match. You can also browse through categories that are divided by Main Ingredient, Meal/Course, Cuisine Type and more.
www.House&Home.MSN.com

COMPUTER-EASE

Webpage Word Search ...
To search for a word or phrase on a webpage, press CTRL+F to open the
Find dialog box and enter the word.

Photo: Pat Vasquez-Cunningham/ /Albuquerque Journal


The balloon "Sunny Boy" ...
of Akron, Ohio, is inflated in the foreground as
other balloons float above the New Mexico fiesta grounds during this year's Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, held every year in October. More than 800 balloons participate in the event that has
become the premier balloon festival in the world. Mass ascensions at dawn fill the skies over Albuquerque with hundreds of balloons in all designs and sizes, while the evening showcases (called "Glowdeos" — like "Rodeos") feature special shape balloons in the light of their own fires. In 1972, on a cool April morning, 20,000
sleepy spectators gathered to witness Albuquerque’s inaugural hot air ballooning fiesta. ~MSNBC