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Use Your Resume to Help You Move up the Corporate Ladder

So, you’ve been working in the same position for several years and now feel the time is right to elevate your level of responsibility along with your title and salary. However, with this being your first time attempting to move into a more prominent role, you have no idea where to start.

Many people are in your position and also wonder what steps they should take to move up the corporate ladder. One thing you can do is stay on top of current trends and educational requirements in your field. But once you’ve fulfilled these tasks and are ready to apply for a job, you’ll need a great resume to get your foot in the door. Let’s look at some ways to create the right resume to match your accelerated career goals.

Try a Functional Resume Style

One recommended way to create a resume that appeals to higher-level recruiters and hiring managers is to shine a light on the skills you’ve acquired. You can get this done by using a functional resume format.

For example, if you were to use a functional format to describe your skills as an IT tech, instead of listing each job you’ve had year after year, you would focus on specific skills. By creating headings for each skill (ex. Software Development) you would be able to describe in detail all of the software you’ve developed for each company you’ve worked for. Using a functional resume in this way can help you expand on each skill you possess and show the employer your versatility as an employee.

Highlight Your Outside Achievements and Awards

Another great way to make your resume appeal to upper-level recruiters and hiring managers is by using a section to highlight anything you’ve achieved outside of your hired role. This works especially well if you focus on roles that have required you to act as a supervisor or manager of others.

For example, let’s say at your current company you have worked as a training coordinator for 5 years. However, in your spare time you founded and led a diversity awareness group that consisted of 10 volunteer employees. With this group, you used presentations and focus groups to demonstrate the need for diversity awareness in a work setting. By noting such a huge accomplishment on your resume, you show the hiring manager that you’re able to successfully develop and manage projects outside of your hired role.

Staying at Your Current Employer?

If you want to move up the corporate ladder while remaining at your current employer, it is a good idea to create a resume similar to one you would create for an outside employer. Why? Because it is very likely that the hiring manager won’t have any idea what you’ve accomplished on the job. But don’t feel bad about this duty as there are benefits to applying in-house, including being able to use respected employees for recommendations, and noting in-house training programs that are very relevant to the company.

Working your way up the corporate ladder can be an exciting ride – especially when you come equipped with the right tools. By showing up with a great resume and even better attitude, you’ll see in no time that your ride to the top will move smoother than you could ever imagine.

Heather Eagar is a former professional resume writer and is passionate about providing working professionals with current, reliable and effective job search tools and information. Compare the top resume writing services in the industry at http://www.resumelines.com

The Next Time You See a Firefighter

Give him a kiss. Well, if you’re a man, a handshake will do. Think about it. You don’t call 911 unless you’re having a bad day. Unless it’s a law enforcement issue, you’ll be connected to the fire department and, whatever your problem, you’ll expect them to help you. Unless it’s something really stupid, in fact even if it is something really stupid, they will be on their way ASAP.

Firefighters have an amazing amount of training, an incredible range of skills, and a level of physical conditioning, which no one ever thinks about.

Twenty-five years ago, 80% of calls to the fire department were about fire. Today, approximately 10% are about fire and the rest are about health problems, traffic accidents, construction accidents, explosions, spills, trapped hikers, people in rivers. The list goes on and on.

The L.A. County Fire Department receives as many as 1,500 911 calls a day, and that excludes calls to L.A, City Fire. If you have fallen off your roof, cut off your finger, or spilled hot grease on yourself in the kitchen, you should hope a paramedic shows up (he will). If you are trapped in an automobile accident, you should hope they know how to use the Jaws of Life or a K2 Rotary Saw (they do). If you get zapped on a high power line, you should hope someone will know how to get you down (they will). If you are trapped in a structure fire, you should hope they understand what kind of fire it is (electrical, flammable liquid, gas, or just plain combustible materials), understand how to fight it, know where to cut ventilation holes, how to revive you, and how to keep you alive until medical help arrives (they do).

If you are being swept away in a flash flood, or have fallen down the side of a mountain, you should hope they know their ropes and knots and remember their rappelling skills (they do) and that they are not afraid to come after you (they are not). If a wildfire is coming to your neighborhood, you should hope they understand weather patterns, fuel models, humidity indices (they do) and that they are ready to be dropped from helicopters onto mountain sides to cut fire lines to stop the blaze (they are).

The physical demands are incredible. Full turnout gear and respirators can weigh 50 pounds. Try climbing up a two-story ladder wearing that. Try dragging an additional 50 pounds of (empty!) fire hose. Try holding onto a fire hose pumping 150 gallons per minute. Try carrying someone the size of a football player out of an inferno.

When firefighters ask, “How can I help you?” they really mean it. That’s how they get their kicks. This is a group of positive thinking, “can do” men (and a few women). When the tone sounds in the firehouse, it’s an opportunity to go out and get killed or injured. They don’t stop to consider whether they should respond, or to find someone else to handle the problem. When the tone sounds, they are on their way, that’s what “first-responder” means, and they will rely on all of their training and skills and physical endurance to help you. Need them at 2:00 in the afternoon? No problem. Need them at 2:00 in the morning? Still no problem. Cat up a tree? No problem.

Firefighters never stop training and learning and one of them could someday save you in one of a hundred different ways. For a firefighter it’s not a job, it’s a life. An old firefighter’s phrase says, “Let no firefighter’s ghost return to say his training let him down.”

Finally, just so you know, here’s the history of the Maltese Cross, which is the badge of a firefighter. When a group of crusaders known as the Knights of St. John fought the Saracens in the holy land, they were faced with a new weapon unknown in the West. When the Knights moved to the walls of Jerusalem, they were hit by glass bombs containing naphtha. The Saracens then dropped burning torches on them, burning them alive. The surviving Knights were awarded a cross similar to the ones worn by firefighters today. The Knights of St John lived on the island of Malta, and the cross became known as the Maltese Cross. Today it is our symbol of protection.

So, next time you see a firefighter, give him a kiss, or shake his hand.

Kurt Kamm writes novels about fires and firefighters. A resident of Malibu, he has lived through several wildland fires. He is a regular visitor at the fire camps, stations and training academies of L.A. County Fire Department and CalFire. To learn more about his novels, One Foot in the Black, and Red Flag Warning, visit Kurt Kamm.

Top Ten Things You Need to Know to Become a Celebrity Personal Assistant

When someone meets me for the first time, the top two questions I can guarantee I will be asked are: “What’s your celebrity really like?” and “What do you need to know to become a celebrity personal assistant?” If you have no interest in those questions, I want to meet you! Please email me. Let’s have lunch. (I digress.)

Seriously, dear reader, you and I know the obsession with celebrities and their assistants won’t be dying down anytime soon. So we might as well take a look at the skills needed to become a personal assistant. Having worked for almost ten years as an assistant, and having met and worked with many assistants for much longer than that, I believe you must have the following skills to make it:

1. A college education. This seems like a no-brainer but you’d be amazed how many kids right out of high school come to Hollywood or New York hoping to land a job as the right hand to a famous star, yet they have neither the life experience nor know-how required to represent a celebrity in the real world. College allows a student to experience many different ethnicities, age groups and philosophies during the course of a year.

2. A command of the English language. And if you are bi- or even tri-lingual that can be a huge advantage for you in the work place. I know the assistants to some very well known Spanish A-list actors and the assistants’ knowledge of Spanish has definitely been an added plus. You must be able to effectively communicate verbally and in writing. All students out there take note. Those writing assignments you had to do in English 101 really will pay off at last.

3. The ability to listen and take direction. It may seem that I’m stating the obvious, but you’d be surprised how often a person given a series of tasks to complete has to ask again and again for direction. Listen and get it right the first time. If you truly missed one of the ten items on a list, ask another person in your work area (if that’s possible) for help. If that doesn’t work, read #5 on this list.

4. Know how to handle typical office equipment, ie, the computer, fax machine, copy machine, scanner and various types of communication devices, such as cell phones and Blackberries. The majority of assistants I know spend the majority of their time in a home office environment. Are you Bluetooth savvy?

5. The ability to laugh at yourself and not take things too seriously. Mistakes are a normal part of life, and you will make some mistakes in any job. But, what’s the worst thing that can happen if do make a mistake and you tell the truth? My advice is, if you do something wrong — break something, double-book an auditorium, or simply forget an item on the list — tell your employer immediately and ask for help to fix the situation.

6. The ability to take charge. Once you feel comfortable in your working environment, take the lead and complete tasks before they’re even asked of you! The more you can take command of your responsibilities, the easier your working relationship with the celebrity will become. They will begin to entrust you with more and more interesting work, not to mention letting you into their private lives. Both of you will see more of each other in a week than you see of your own friends and family in a month.

7. The ability to speak up for yourself. Ask for what you need and accept that you deserve it. I wouldn’t suggest asking for a raise when you’ve only been on the job for two weeks, but do let them know if you have something on your mind. I know an assistant who never established his working days with his celebrity. He just assumed it would be Mondays through Fridays, however at the end of his first Friday night at work, the celebrity said, “Great! See you tomorrow morning.” Not wanting to lose his job, the assistant showed up on Saturday and worked a full day. At the end of that day, the celebrity again said, “Great! See you tomorrow!” On a Sunday? This went on for a month before the assistant finally spoke up. Dear reader, promise me you won’t wait a month to speak up!

8. The ability to leave the job at the office. We need to play more and focus less on work! Start with a hobby or something that makes you happy and focus on that. I suggest starting small. Take a walk at lunchtime, or buy a magazine that you normally wouldn’t buy and read it cover to cover without interruption. Once you discover that the world isn’t crumbling around you because you took a few minutes off, then aim for higher rewards. This may seem like a minor irritation — to actually have to think about yourself and not work — but it’s very therapeutic to direct one’s attention to something other than work for a few minutes every day.

9.The ability to be discreet. The celebrity is always right, except when they aren’t, but your job will be to always profess in public your undying devotion to them and how fabulous they are. It might appear to be easier to learn a foreign language (see #2 above), but this is part of the job description for personal assistants. Of course if you observe something illegal or obviously unethical, such as illegal drug use, I assume you’ll get help handling that by bringing in the proper authorities. Asking people around the celebrity like the spouse, adult children, or business manager, to help is always a good idea. Don’t try to do anything on your own!

10. Have a support group. Nothing is more frustrating in the world of the celebrity personal assistant than to feel all alone. Once you begin working as a personal assistant, make friends with as many other assistants as you can. There are other people out there dealing with this unique job experience too. Network!

Oh, by the way, to answer the first question: “What’s your celebrity really like?” She’s fabulous!

Shelley G. Anderson is the personal assistant to self-help author Louise L. Hay, and writes the column Dear Miss Know It All. She is the author of Dealing With Divas: A Survivor’s Kit for the Celebrity Personal Assistant (or Anyone with a Pushy Boss). To learn more about her, visit Dealing with Divas.

Does Your Company Need an Accountant?

The world’s most successful companies have hundreds of accountants and chartered financial analysts working in their accounts departments. Isn’t that reason enough why your company needs an accountant too, if not an entire accounts team / department? Well, the answer is no. There’s more to it than just following the global business leaders. However, your company needs an accountant, and here’s why.

Your business runs with the motive to earn money, and you need to keep the cash flowing in and out to keep your business alive. A lot of transactions happen on a daily basis in your company. An accountant helps keep track of them all, even if the transaction was worth just a cent. Your earnings, savings, expenditure and other monetary transactions, and their details are recorded by an accountant. Hence, in order to know where your business would stand after a year, it’s advisable that you hire an accountant today.

While you might say that you’re good at accounting and/or have computer software to help manage company accounts, the big question is – is that what you specialize in? If you’re reading this page, then chances are high that you’re not. You sure know to manage and promote your business and its products / services well, but it becomes very difficult to keep track of all the transactions besides handling other business activities.

An accountant is an expert in dealing with money and recording what a company does with it. With that said, the accountant, or a chartered accountant, sometimes called a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)comes with sufficient knowledge of managing your company’s tax structure and liabilities. He will be in a better position to tell you which expenses can lead to more tax savings for the company and its employees; apart from advising you on whom to levy certain commercial taxes on, and in what circumstances.

Also, while making certain big purchases like commercial property or media time and space, an accountant will probably be in the best position to help you setup step-by-step procedures. You might want to pay fairly to your employees, but can your company afford it while it isn’t making enough profits? Not sure? Talk to your company’s accountant. He will help you fix a viable pay structure.

If your company hasn’t hit the breakeven point in business yet, an accountant, in coordination with a Finance Manager, can assist you in formulating financial time-lines, which will help you forecast (to a great extent) what you would be doing after a year.

If you can’t afford an accountant on a full time basis as an employee consider hiring an accounting firm. The firm can provide advice on an hourly basis. The per hour fee will be much higher than what you would pay an employee but you will only have to pay for a specified number of hours. The accounting firm can oversee your accounting system, answer questions, prepare your tax documents, and provide advice.

Interview the accountant or accounting firm so you’re comfortable with their experience level and personality. Check references and talk to previous clients. Hiring an accountant or accounting firm is an important step for your business.

Corey Landis contributes articles on business and Internet marketing, and credit card and debt management Find out more about accountants

The Pros and Cons of a Cheating Spouse Support Group

Cheating spouse support groups are, unfortunately, growing in rapid numbers all around the world as more and more people are turning to one another for guidance and advice However, what one person perceives as a negative quality may indeed be a positive aspect of the whole support group process, so much like anything we must decide upon, the decision to join a cheating spouse support group mainly boils down to being merely a matter of personal opinion and choice.

What type of person are you? Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Do you enjoy sharing your feelings and opinions with others, or are you more of a quiet, tight-lipped type of person? Would you prefer an online support group where you can communicate with others via forum posts, email and instant messages, or would you rather attend meetings in person so you can really get to know the people and quickly learn their stories?

The answers to all of those questions should help you to decide whether or not a cheating spouse support group would be something of benefit to you, or if you’re better off finding another form of support to get through this tough time. But, as the old saying goes, there’s really no harm in trying, and if you happen to find that it simply isn’t for you, just leave the group and wish everyone well in their future endeavors.

Misery Does Love Company

After a spouse has been unfaithful and has broken the ultimate sacred vows of marriage, not to mention your heart and your trust, the often long road to recovery, either with or without them in your life, can most certainly be a lonely one. However, after joining a support group, loneliness definitely goes right out the window as you’ll quickly be surrounded by people who already know what you’re going through and will be there to lend an ear or a few encouraging words when you need them.

Besides the genuine caring and camaraderie you’ll find at these types of forums, there are many other benefits to be had such as virtual libraries of informative articles written by counselors and learned people of all walks of life offering invaluable advice, as well as numerous references and referrals, and also links to marriage counselors and divorce attorneys all over the world.

Becoming Mired in Anger

Many times friendships are quickly formed amongst participants of a support group, which is definitely a positive thing as one can never have too many good friends or too much support, unless, however, those friendships are based purely on anger, with one person feeding off the other’s self-destructive thoughts and behaviors.

This is definitely one of the cons of some cheating spouse support groups, although, it can be avoided by following the guidance of the group’s leaders or moderators, as well as remembering what the main purpose of joining was in the first place, to heal yourself and become healthy, independent, and happy.

Is your spouse cheating or do you suspect that they

6 Signs of Female Infidelity:How to Know if Your Wife or Girlfriend is Cheating on You Once and For All!

Although it’s true no one wants to find out their wife or girlfriend has been cheating on them and has been betraying their trust, not to mention exposing them to a possible host of sexually transmitted diseases, protecting yourself and your best interests is something to seriously think about, especially if you have that gnawing feeling in the pit of your stomach that never seems to go away.

Here are six classic signs of female infidelity you should be on the lookout for:

1. Apparent boredom: If the two of you once had a good rapport, enjoyed each other’s company and truly liked spending time together, but now, she seems distant, preoccupied, or generally disinterested in you, take a closer look to find out why this may be. In most any relationship that electric spark that’s present in the beginning will inevitably fade over time, but, change into something different and equally as pleasant, manifesting itself as a sense of comfort and stability. And, there’s definitely a different between comfort and boredom.

2. Changes in appearance: Changes in appearance is a tricky one as women often change their hairstyles or try different makeup or things that will make them appear younger or make them feel attractive, but, if her nails are always done now, her hair is always just so and she’s dressing now more provocatively than ever before, you should be wondering why.

3. Lack of interest in sex: There’s no doubt women’s sex drives differ from men’s and that hormonal changes, stress, work, and dealing with the kids can all come together to create the best form of birth control ever thought of, abstinence, a lack of desire may also indicate something else is going on behind the scenes.

4. Unexplained phone calls: In general, women do tend to spend a lot of time on the phone, but if your wife leaves the room to make a call or leaps out of her skin every time the phone rings, it’s probably safe to say that it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee.

5. Unexplained gifts: Is your girlfriend suddenly showing up for dates wearing new, and expensive looking, jewelry that you haven’t given her? What about clothing, does she always seem to have a new outfit on but you’re well aware of her financial situation and she can’t seem explain her newfound wealth?

6. Unexplained absences: If your wife or girlfriend is usually right on time and is where she says she’ll be, then take note of any changes in this behavior that can’t be attributed to circumstance. Spending more time with “the girls” than normal and going out on the weekends more often without inviting you to come along should also give you reason for concern.

While each of these signs on their own may not necessarily indicate that a female is being unfaithful, if two or more of them are occurring together, then it may definitely be time to start paying attention and getting some truthful, honest answers.

Is your spouse cheating or do you suspect that they

How to Catch Your Cheating Spouse With Text Messages

It’s no secret that the many recent advances in technology have made it much easier to keep track of what people are doing on a daily basis, whether they want us to or not. But, this also allows us to protect ourselves in the unfortunate event our spouse is being unfaithful and having an affair especially when it comes to cell phones and text messages.

While text messages may be a quick and convenient way of communicating with someone, much like “talking” with someone over the internet, it also allows us to lose some of our inhibitions as the interactions aren’t actually taking place face to face. Texting may also allows to be more open and honest, but on the other side of the coin, it also allows some people to act inappropriately.

Asking the Phone Company for Help

Depending on the cell phone’s carrier, it may be possible to contact the company and ask if there’s any chance of retrieving an “accidentally” deleted text message. Many companies say that text messages are stored for 24 or 48 hours and then deleted, making them irretrievable, and if your name isn’t on the phone bill, you may have to take legal action to access this information if by chance it is available.

Tell a “White” Lie

While lying certainly isn’t something we’d want to make a habit of, in this case, it can be justified as if your spouse is in fact cheating on you, then they’ve committed a far worse sin and you are merely trying to protect your own interests as they obviously haven’t been thinking of them too much lately.

The white lie in question in this case would be alluding to the fact that you saw a questionable text message on your spouse’s cell phone, when in fact, you’ve seen nothing at all. A very important warning must follow this particular way of catching a cheating spouse as if you aren’t already certain that they are indeed cheating, you’re going to not only look rather foolish, but you’ll also be damaging your relationship and be telling your spouse outright that you have absolutely no trust in them.

Using Technology

A relatively new device has come on the market, unknown to most people which is fortunate for those of us who may have been cheated on, that allows you to retrieve all deleted information from a cell phone. They’re called SIM card readers or SIM card data recovery recorders and they work relatively simply and are also easy to use.

The SIM card within the cell phone is usually located under the battery, which is accessibly by removing the back cover of the phone. The card is inserted into the reader which is then plugged into a computer’s USB port and accompanying software tells you what to do with simple onscreen instructions. Detailed reports provide data such as any SMS (short message service) text messages on the phone, whether they’ve been deleted or not, as well as phone numbers both called and received.

While catching your cheating spouse with text messages may be difficult, it certainly isn’t impossible, but hopefully, the only thing you’ll ever find is that you need to take a closer look at your own self as well as your relationship.

Is your spouse cheating or do you suspect that they

Contingency Planning – Top Ten

However solid your business plan, there is no way to predict the future, but what you can do is to plan for unforeseen circumstances. There are a whole host of factors that can have a financial impact on a small business, and in times of economic uncertainty, it is a sad fact that many small businesses that encounter a major disaster never resume trading.

Steve Jennings from Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank has the following advice to help businesses to plan for the future to prevent the unpredictable from becoming the unmanageable:

1. Keep a business diary. New legislation can have a major impact on your margins, so make a note of dates when legislation or tax changes come into force so that you can prepare well ahead of important deadlines.

2. Market changes. Your market can change in a number of ways from new competitors through to changing initiatives within your industry. By keeping abreast of any changes you can make appropriate adjustments to your business plan, and prepare for the impact of any major market changes.

3. Monitor interest rates. Business banking interest rates can change quickly, and are announced on a monthly basis. A rise can have a big impact on your outgoings and income, so if you are borrowing money, look for a fixed rate, as this will allow you to budget more effectively.

4. Be prepared for disasters. Every business needs a continuity plan that outlines key members of staff along with specific tasks, this will allow a swift recovery and a quick return to normal business operations. If your business makes use of a computer system, off site storage and back ups should be incorporated into it to ensure that IT problems are minimized in the event of an emergency.

5. Reduce your outgoings. By looking at regular costs such as utilities and bank charges, you may well be able to find many savings. According to research, a UK small business can save around £3,500 each year on their banking costs by shopping around for the best possible deal.

6. Deal with bad debts. Late payments can be crippling, especially if they account for a large proportion of your business’ income, so credit check new customers, and dedicate some time each month to chase outstanding money.

7. Create a contingency fund. You need to have a financial buffer in the event of an emergency, so don’t leave surplus funds sitting unused. Set aside regular sums in a high-interest business deposit account. Interest earned on this money can be used to pay for your quarterly VAT or annual tax expenses.

8. Update your business plan. Changes to your situation can cause your business plan and budget to go out of date relatively quickly. By keeping a record of actual figures against predictions, you can spot variations quickly, and amend your forecasts to take them into account.

9. Insure yourself. Ensure that you have the right type of cover for your business. By finding a flexible insurance policy with business interruption, as this will provide for you under circumstances that could otherwise result in loss of earnings.

10. Arrange an overdraft. With a business overdraft, you can get access to short term finance. Unlike a loan, an overdraft will only charge interest on the money that you need, and can be arranged easily as a service from your business current account provider.

Alistair Leckie provides expert information about business banking particularly if looking to open a business current account or a business deposit account.

Health and Safety Risk Assessment: A Must For Your Business

In the litigious society we live in, risk assessments have become as necessary for businesses as remembering to stock up on pens. Every business is liable from multi-billion pound corporations to ‘mom and pop’ outfits.

Smaller companies often choose to do these risk assessments themselves although larger companies often choose to outsource it to Health and Safety experts to minimise any potential risks.

In this kind of situations being the smallest company can be extremely hazardous. Even though you stand a much lower risk of being at the receiving end of litigation it can be very hard to be able to be objective and look through a critical eye at a workplace.

A businesses obligation as far as health and safety goes is not necessarily to remove all element of risk but to protect you, employees and members of the public as far as is ‘reasonably practicable’.

A basic risk assessment has 3 major stages:

Identifying the hazards and who is at risk from them.

Decide what course of action is required depending on the degree of risk.

Implement any necessary precautions and make a record.

Once these are complete a regular review is required to ensure that the original assessment was correct and to account for any changes in the workplace.

There are 3 main divisions of hazards:

Environmental hazards: such as pollutions i.e. smoke, grit or dust.

Activity hazards: a hazard that may result from a activity a worker must perform i.e. repetitive strain injury.

Workplace hazards: a hazard resulting from the location or layout of the workplace.

There are thousands of potential workplace hazards, a list of the easy to overlook ones include:

The adequate storage, handling and disposal of potentially hazardous chemicals

Faulty electrical equipment

Loose cabling

Insufficient rest breaks

Wet, slippery, unclean or badly surfaced floors

Poorly lit areas

Inadequate Ventilation

Poorly designed workstations

Inappropriate training or procedures

To help identify all potential hazards in a small company it is useful to get all staff members involved to help to get a range of views on the risks they may face in their day to day jobs.

Once risks are identified classify them as low, medium or high risk. High and Medium risk problems will need to be dealt with immediately. While low risk may require the implementation of new training, procedures or possibly no action at all if current safety precautions are adequate.

Taking steps to minimise the risk of workplace injury may include replacing old equipment, introducing new procedures, modernising training etc. Any hazardous materials that have been identified may be reduced as a risk by replacing it with a less hazardous substance, using it in lower quantities, introducing protective equipment/ clothing or reducing the amount of time people are exposed to it.

In a company with fewer than 5 employees it is not a legal requirement to have a written risk assessment, however it may be beneficial in many circumstances to ensure liability is kept to a minimum and that any future risk assessments have a previous basis to work on. It is a good idea to do an annual review to ensure any new equipment, personnel, procedures or premises changes are accounted for.

Often companies will carry out risk assessments after an accident to ensure that it is not a hazard for which they are liable or that could be a danger to another employee or member of the public.

Risk assessments should be a vital part of your business practices regardless of whether you are going it alone or hiring in a professional Health and Safety company. They protect you as a company in the short term, in the case of litigation and, in the long term, by protecting the health and well being of everyone who steps foot in your businesses workplace.

Done properly, they can nip a problem in the bud. Done badly, they can leave you open to a variety of problems. In a choice between a comprehensive risk assessment or the cost of hiring a good solicitor to sort out all the problems created; the assessment will always be the money better spent.

Richard James works for HSE Services, where UK companies can receive quotes from up to 4 reliable health and safety consultants. Visit http://www.hseservices.co.uk for details.

Life’s Precious Moments

Learning to fully live during tough times…

“Bad times have a scientific value. These are occasions a good learner would not miss.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ken’s asleep now. It’s been a big couple of days. Seems like a life time has come and gone; perhaps it has. Surgery for the new melanoma was Wednesday morning—early. Ten hours later, it was over. Four hours later he was out of recovery and into the next phase of life, learning to survive cancer. My work with the men at the Oregon State Correctional Institution gave me gave me an appreciation for freedom. Ken’s rollercoaster ride with cancer has given me a whole new appreciation for life and a deep understanding of the preciousness of each of life’s moments.

I know now why people close down and create walls around themselves for protection. Being open is painful when what is present is filled with sadness and suffering, but that is my commitment, to not close down in any way so here I sit wide open, allowing it all to be what it is, without story, without running or hiding. The love of everyone is so present here too. One would miss that if they closed down. You have to accept it all, to remain open to it all, or you miss the joy inherent in the sorrow, you miss the deep connection that lies amidst the pain.

The natural instinct of self-preservation creates walls easily, automatically, lending itself well to fight or flight, and misses the opportunity of being present. It would be nice if we could partition off the good from the bad and experience only happiness and joy, but we can’t. When we partition off the unacceptable, we partition ourselves off from life. We build walls that prevent us from experiencing all of life. Rather than experiencing life, being truly alive, we unconsciously tone down our experience to one we deem more acceptable. Unfortunately what we get is a mental experience rather than the entire experience, one that leaves us feeling disconnected and lost.

“Every life has dark tracts and long stretches of somber tint, and no representation is true to fact which dips its pencil only in light, and flings no shadows on the canvas.” Alexander Maclaren

A picture is worth a thousand words, so let me draw one. When we build a wall, it is as if we create a shell around ourselves. Consider yourself an egg inside an egg shell. Without the shell the egg slides all over the place…including into the frying pan…erase that…good for a picture but the analogy, while accurate, will most likely add more fear rather than opening an opportunity to shed it.

Let’s try again with a trip down memory lane. Back in 1976 John Travolta starred in a movie called, “Boy in the Plastic Bubble”, a film about a boy who was forced to live in a plastic isolation chamber because he was born with a non-functioning immune system, leaving him vulnerable to even the most common everyday viruses. The bubble is a great analogy for what we do to ourselves when we say ‘no’ to any aspect of our lives. In “The Grand Experiment” we call it the crystalline shell. Rather than being forced to live inside the bubble, though, we choose it, believing it to be safer than this painful experience of life. The virus we are vulnerable to is fear. When something good comes along, we don’t drop the layers and step free of the bubble. If we did that, the painful energy might find us, so instead, we engage life, the good and the bad from inside the bubble.

None of this is conscious, and though it may sound contradictory, it is a choice. It becomes a choice when we realize what is happening. At that point, we choose either to stay safely inside the bubble or choose to crack it, dissolve it, dismantle it…whatever it takes to live freely. Even knowing, we may continue to choose what appears to be safety, at least until the pain of being ensconced within the bubble exceeds the pain we perceive to be on the outside. In the movie, John Travolta’s character fell in love with the girl next door. He decided that life on the outside, even if it meant his death, was better than a long, safe life, disconnected from the ability to fully love—a true coming of age story.

Coming of age…what does that mean? It usually means growing up and entering into adulthood. Consider using it to mean growing into a true human, into our humanity, into our full compassion, fully aware of what it means to be human and that includes the good and the bad, the suffering and the pain. We are not meant to find the golden bucket at the end of the rainbow. There is no prince on a white horse. We cannot and should not choose only the apparent good in life. If we do we miss out on life…messy life…complex life…real life. We miss out on the ability to engage life. We miss out on the ability to live life fully present—present and accounted for! We look through the bubble and wonder why it feels as if we are missing out on something, why we feel so disconnected, why life just doesn’t satisfy. Inside the bubble we have the appearance of safety, but it is killing us slowly, roasting us one dream at a time. Outside is painful. Outside is joyful. Outside is all full! Outside is life. Inside is mind’s version, mind’s game, mind’s diversion from life.

Live now. None of us know how long we have here or how long the people we love will be with us. These moments are precious. They are God’s gift to each of us when we choose to fully experience life. Hell is inside the bubble of mind’s making. Heaven is filled with sorrow and suffering, joy and ecstatic, full-on living and it is here, outside the bubble. Come out and play.

“Just as the wave cannot exist for itself, but is ever a part of the heaving surface of the ocean, so must I never live my life for itself, but always in the experience which is going on around me.” Albert Schweitzer

Gayle Gregory, co-author of The Grand Experiment, an Expedition of Self-Discovery, is a coach and consultant dedicated to radically transforming humanity’s interactions, personally, locally and globally. Freedom from fear is not only possible, it is our birthright! Her coaching business is Pure Possibility and is affiliated with WE, Workplace Evolution.

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