Tag: Importance

  • Selecting the Character's Emotion

    Selecting the Character's Emotion

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    The last article covered the process used in selecting and portraying the character's objective. Many of the same principles also apply to the selection of the emotions. As with the objective, the ability to choose and convey strong emotions is a valuable tool for the actor. Many performances work mainly because of the powerful emotional portrayals.

    In a dramatic sense, what are emotions and how do they affect the audience? Emotions, together with intentions and obstacles, are the forces that move the characters through the story. They are feelings so powerful that they can change the character's life or destroy it. And by destroy, I mean decimate one's inner powers, beliefs, even one's life. For the actor, such feelings must be larger than life. They must also be readable to stir and lead the audience in the desired story direction.

    Emotions affect the audience in many ways. Most important is the empathy they create causing the audience to care about certain characters and follow their struggles. They likewise, create a for or against polarity for each main character as the audience observes, evaluates, judges, and even takes sides. As part of the behavior, emotions create deeper awareness of the character, often justifying their actions. In addition, emotions can change the audience perspective and the way they feel or think about a given issue. They are instrumental in leading the audience in the desired story direction

    Like the intention, the emotion can intensify the conflict within or between characters. It can likewise, establish sympathetic or antagonistic roles, ones that make the audience root for the hero and boo the villain.

    In choosing the emotion, the guidelines are similar to those used in selecting the objective. First read and study the entire play. Look for clues in the dialogue, the action, the stage directions, and in the resolution of the story. Select choices that result in the story line making sense.

    Like the intent of the character, the emotion is derived from the character's viewpoint, what the character knows and feels up to that point in the story.

    No one lives in a realistic world. We occupy a space of our own creation – bits and pieces of actuality mixed together with our internal perceptions, our hopes, our fears, our memories, and our anticipations. This "reality" we live in – half fact, half fantasy – is as much the product of our emotions as our rationality. Thus, in any given situation, what might be an acceptable intention and emotion for one character might be a contradiction for another character. Knowing the character's goals, flaws, and inclinations in context of the total story will aid in determining these choices.

    Next, we need to answer the question, does the character's emotion assist the intention or does the emotion create an obstacle? Placing the objective, what the character wants, in conflict with what he or she feels will likely shift the focus of the scene to the character with the greater internal struggle.

    Let's use the example where a man is at a dance and sees the women of his dreams sitting alone. His intention might be: To get to know her. But his emotion, fear of being rejected, would be in conflict with his intention. Thus the focus of the scene would be primarily on his internal struggle and the purpose of the scene might be to show the man overcoming his fear.

    But let's say her intention, to marry rich, is assisted by the emotion, ambition. And the scene resolves when the women walks away when she discovers the man is dirt poor. If his initial emotion of fear were replaced by desire and his intention remained to get to know her then the focus of the scene would center more on the relationship and the impending discovery. The purpose of the scene could be to introduce his major obstacle in the story, the women, along with his over all goal: To win her love.

    The initial choices for each character might look like this:

    MAN

    Objective: To get to know her

    Emotion: Fear / Desire

    WOMAN

    Objective: To marry rich

    Emotion: Ambition

    The above choices set up confrontations, the inner doubts of the man, and then, his desire for her is countered by the revelation that he's not rich enough for her. After the woman learns this, her emotion changes to contempt for the man and she walks away. The characters' choices would now change to:

    MAN

    Objective: To win her love

    Emotion: Determination

    WOMAN

    Objective: To marry rich

    Emotion: Contempt (for the man)

    These choices place the focus of the scene on the major conflict that is resolved later in the story when he wins her love. It, likewise, centers on what's important, the relationship.

    As with the intention of the characters, the emotion need not follow the logic of the dialogue and action. Modern plays and movies do not always express the thoughts and emotions of the characters clearly, nakedly, up front. Today, we have to play the duality of people; playing what they appear to want against what they really want. And sometimes the two may have no connection what so ever.

    In modern plays, every character has two behaviors. What is really going on and what they are willing to show to the world? So many emotions, to be played properly, need to be partially masked or repressed.

    Using the man and woman from our earlier example, let's set up a scene later in the story, one that demonstrates the duality of the characters and uses of partially masked or repressed emotions. At a shopping mall, they meet by chance and their dialogue is mainly small talk. The scene ends with each alluding to errands undone. The only hint about what is really going on is found in the following script action lines:

    He rarely looks directly at her.

    They shake hands, each holding on longer than necessary, and then each goes their way.

    In view of the story's final outcome, this is likely a scene where her objective, to marry rich, is weakening, and that she has some attraction for the man. Based on how their first meeting resolved, their selections might be as follows:

    MAN

    Objective: To not upset her / To win her love

    Emotion: Desire / Determination

    WOMAN

    Objective: To show him I don't care / To make him want me

    Emotion: Determination / Curiosity

    This would be a scene where the characters are not open with each other, yet the audience (or camera) is aware of the inner conflicts and what's really happening. The behavior could best be reflected through masked and / or repressed emotions.

    If the man were to play his emotion of desire openly, he would surely upset her. So he has to repress it or use a mask technique and unleash his desire when she is not looking at him. The woman is determined to show the man she doesn't care about him, but now he appears to have no desire for her. From her point of view, something has come to change the relationship and as a result, she alters both her objective and emotion.

    His apparent disinterest makes her curious and her objective in now: To make him want me, like all men do. Her actions might be to get his attention, to entice him. But the problem is, he's not looking at her. How can she obtain what she wants? She uses the lingering handshake.

    You can see where these choices create conflict both within and between the characters. They also create subtle shifts in behavior that move the story forward. Interest in the relationship is likewise increased because the audience is aware of something the characters are not. And as the scene ends, the audience has a pressing question: "What will happen the next time they meet?"

    The foregoing example demonstrates one answer to the character's choices. These are, by no means, the best or only selections. In fact, the type of actor you are is also a consideration. If you were Jack Nicholson, your emotions might be different than if Arnold Schwarzenegger were he playing the same role. Each actor brings to the scene his or her own perspective and emotional latitudes. Furthermore, a scene played as a comedy versus one being played as a drama might result in different sets of emotions for the characters.

    Here are some other factors that should be considered: Who are you in the story? What is the situation, and what is the relationship? For instance, if you were playing a love scene as a character that had little experience with the opposite sex, your emotion might be fear (fear of the unknown) rather than the expected desire or lust.

    Now change the situation to your having a good dinner with your loving spouse. Your emotion would change to maybe contentment or joy. Now change the relationship to your having dinner with an important client. Your emotion might range from apprehension to ambition to greed. Who you are, the relationships, and the situation, all have a bearing on the emotion selected.

    How many emotions can you use in a scene and how long do you play an emotion? As a general rule, work with only one dominant emotion in a scene – until something occurs to change it. These occurrences could be a change in the relationship, the situation, who you are, new information, overcoming obstacles, new obstacles, and succeeding or failing at one's intention. Any one of these events could have enough impact to motivate a change.

    Most scenes have one dominant emotion running through them and while the actor may use subtle shadings of other emotions, that one feeling prevails – until something occurs to change it. If the actor were to change the emotion at each minor occurrence, the audience would question the character's integrity and loyalty to the cause for which he is fighting.

    Too many changes cause the character to lose part of his identity. We become uncertain about who he is, what he's attempted in the past, or what he's after now. Credible characters are made up of consistent behavioral patterns. By that I mean, what has happened before will likely happen again should the same situation occur. There will, of course, be a few surprises, but for the most part, certain emotions will dominate each character's behavior as he or she progresses through the story.

    So when you research and study the entire play, you will likely find certain emotions and emotional patterns repeated to reinforce the identity and commitment of the character. For instance, the repeated pattern of mischief – embarrassment – fear might be the dominant emotions for a small overly rambunctious boy. A young executive struggling with business ethics might have an emotion pattern of ambition – determination – greed – guilt. A woman in jeopardy might follow a curiosity-suspicion – fear – terror progression.

    As you can see, certain emotions and their progressions make up a portion of the character. Also look for surprises where the emotion swings 180 degrees, ie, contentment to fear, desire to contempt, revenge to compassion.

    When working on a play or scene, write down in the margin of the script your choices in objectives and emotions, where the changes occur, and the motivation for making the change. Beginning actors tend to be non-committal while experienced actors, however, take dramatic risks and commit themselves to their choices. By writing them down, you've made a major step to that commitment.

    To aid in selecting the emotion, I've compiled discussions of root emotions , the primary forces in most scenes. These discussions explore the physical sensations, sources, forms, and dynamics of the most common root emotions. They will serve as a guide in stretching the clarity, strength, and polarity of your emotional repertoire.

    This article has covered the basic skills used in the selection of dramatic emotions. Use these skills as tools to nurture and release the character's true feelings, to foster the isolation and control of emotional behaviors, and to achieve the desired strength (story importance), clarity (audience knowing / feeling it) and polarity (protagonist-antagonist orientations ).

    Implementation of your selections is addressed in another article. This article will cover the various methods used to generate credible emotions.

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    Source by Erik Sean McGiven

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  • Words Can Help Heal – Sending a Pet Loss Card

    Words Can Help Heal – Sending a Pet Loss Card

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    Anyone that has ever owned a pet knows that no matter how small an animal is, they each have their very own personality. Pets appreciate you. They look forward to seeing you daily. They make you feel wanted and needed. They can get you out of a funk. It is no wonder that we get attached to our pets.

    Losing a pet is one of the hardest things that a pet owner will ever have to face. When someone loses a husband, a parent, or a child, we automatically think to send a card. We sometimes underestimate the importance of sending a pet loss card to a loved one. It is equally important to show you care by sending a heartfelt message. Simple words can mean so much to someone. It is comforting to a person who has lost a pet to know that their loved ones recognize their loss and respect their feelings of grief. The support of close friends and family during any loss can make the process a little easier to go through.

    There are many way to express sympathy in a pet loss card. Here are some tips when writing words of comfort in a pet loss card:

    1. Make sure to use your loved one’s pet name. Instead of saying “sorry about your dog”, say “sorry to hear about Max”.

    2. If you have a specific story that your loved one ever talked about, mention it. It shows that you cared about the life of the animal and that not only were you listening, you were thoughtful enough to remember it.

    3. Depending on your friend’s beliefs, mentioning the pet being in heaven can be comforting.

    4. A lot of the time, pet owners feel some sort of guilt for having to euthanize a pet. It is important to let them know what good pet owners they were. Remind your loved one how awesome they were to their pet, and all the special little things they did to make their pet feel loved and special.

    5. Offer your time. Mention that you are available any time to get a bite to eat, go out for coffee, or just listen. It helps not to be alone when you’re grieving. Although a lot of things probably aren’t exactly fun right away, doing things to keep your loved one’s mind off of the loss of her pet can help with the healing process.

    No matter what you choose to say, make it personal. Remember that this pet played a huge role in your loved one’s life, and that your words mean more than you might know.

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    Source by Lisa Falsetti

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  • Fractures & Sprains – When There Is No Doctor

    Fractures & Sprains – When There Is No Doctor

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    Oops it could happen anytime, anywhere, without advance warning, even to the fit, the active, and the healthy. A slip or a fall and – ouch – you’re landed (sometimes literally), with a fracture or a sprain. An expert orthopaedic surgeon outlines emergency procedures to help a victim until he can be got to a doctor.

    The basic mistake that people make in the handling of fractures and sprains is that both are given the wrong kind of importance. Sprains tend to be treated as a minor disability that time and home remedies will heal; fractures, on the other hand, generally result in the pressing of all panic buttons. Both approaches are faulty.

    “A neglected sprain could result in permanent instability of the joints which may require a major operation later,” warns orthopaedic surgeon. A sprain occurs when soft tissues such as ligaments, joint capsules, muscles and tendons are stretched beyond their limit, mainly as a result of lifting heavy weights, exercising in fits and starts or playing a strenuous game like badminton after a long interval.

    On the other hand, people over-play fractures. Because of the immediate and often unbearable pain they generate they are looked upon as a dire emergency and it is believed that if urgent treatment is not given, it will result in the permanent disability or loss of the limb. So, in sheer panic, the patient is rushed to the nearest doctor who, if inexperienced or incapable or plain mercenary, may perform an unnecessary operation “because it could develop into gangrene.” A corollary myth is that all fractures require surgery when in fact most fractures can be treated without an operation.

    When is it a fracture and when is it a sprain?

    When a person suffers a fracture, i.e. a break in the bone, he experiences a shooting pain, and the affected limb is incapacitated. In a sprain, the pain may not be so powerful. The exception is a spinal column sprain which could cause severe pain and result in a stiff back.

    In children, it’s usually the elbow and legs that suffer fractures whereas in adults, it’s the thigh, hip and spinal column. The parts most likely to suffer a sprain are the ankles (especially in women who wear high-heeled shoes), wrists, lower back and the neck.

    Don’t…

    “Till a definite diagnosis is made by a good orthopaedist, don’t give in to the temptation of resorting to a home remedy such as using a turmeric powder pack, it may only worsen the condition,” advises orthopaedic surgeon.

    And do’s…

    Both, sprains and fractures are best treated by lightly pressing an ice pack on the area to reduce the swelling and/or bleeding. Next, tie a firm bandage on the affected part, preferably reinforcing it with a handy splint like a foot-rule or a wad of newspapers or cardboard. The victim should be reassured and kept calm and made to rest while arrangements are made to take him to the doctor. Pain-killers may be given.

    However, if the accident occurs on the road or playground, the victim should be lifted by four to six persons, their bodies serving as cushions as far as possible and made to rest nearby. If the upper limbs or neck is injured, the victim can be helped to walk to a cab or other available transport. However, if it is the legs that are injured, he should be either carried or placed on a stretcher, if it’s available, all the time making sure he does not exert pressure on the affected limb.

    A child is less tolerant of pain and his agitated parents could alarm him further. Calmly reassure him with a drink until he can be got to medical attention. Tincture of iodine, or an antiseptic ointment or lotion could be used in case of an abrasion or cut.

    Any upper limb injury should be put in a sling (available at the chemist or you can make one at home).

    Making a sling

    A square metre of cloth (in an emergency a bedsheet or even a towel could do) cut diagonally across will make two slings. Support the hand by placing the widest angle pointing towards the elbow. The other two ends will go around the neck and are tied into a secure double knot at the nape.

    Head injuries

    Head injuries are usually caused by violent road accidents or by a fall from a height. This is a serious problem which requires quick action. The patient may become unconscious immediately or may gradually lose consciousness. If he is unconscious, do not let him lie flat on his back or he could choke if he swallows his saliva or blood (if he is bleeding in the mouth). Slowly turn him on to his side in ahead low position (without a pillow), so the secretions if any can flow out. Call the doctor or get an ambulance.

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    Source by Andy G

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  • Types of Mental Health Services

    Types of Mental Health Services

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    In the last few years we have gained awareness of the various needs that individuals with mental health issues need in order to achieve overall well-being. Many times, we talk about the importance of medication, individual counseling, family counseling, and, socialization.

    Those are all of extreme importance when it comes to mental health but the one service that seems to be forgotten is care management. A lot of people attribute care management services to individuals who are aging or who have chronic medical conditions. Although, care management can be very helpful for those issues, we also see a huge need for intense care management for individuals who have a chronic mental illness and cannot get access to any services. It is not a secret that severe and persistent mental illness like schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, and major depression can require intense care management and advocacy.

    Just as a refresher, the duties of a mental health care manager include:

    • Acting as a connector between the individual and the community resources
    • Advocating on behalf of the individual so that he or she gain access to needed quality services
    • Overseeing the care of an individual including medication management, doctors' appointments, therapy, psychiatric services, and anything else related to their care
    • Connecting the client's family to support services such as individual, family, or group counseling
    • Being an advocate if there is need for hospitalization to ensure the safety of the client and their family members
    • Facilitating access to needed benefits
    • Assisting the individual with navigating all the different services so that it does not become overwhelming for them
    • Crisis intervention
    • Alleviating family members of some stress regarding the care and wellbeing of their loved one
    • Coordinating for advanced planning for the individual
    • Connect individual with social services and programs
    • Any service that the person may need the care manager will make that connection.

    As professionals in the field of mental health, we see that families with loved ones living with a mental health condition often want an immediate and instant "fix" for their family member. It is important for them to keep in mind, that a mental illness is a lot like a physical illness that needs constant care. This is not to say that you cannot live a "normal" life with a mental illness however extra care is needed. In addition, as family members it is important to remember that you also have a vital role in the recovery of your loved one. The more involved you are, the more likely your loved is to recover.

    There is a lot of value in having a care manager involved in the care of your loved one with a mental illness. A care manager will initially do a full initial assessment of your loved one's needs and wishes and will explore what services can add value to the life their life. They will explore the physical, psychological, social, and emotional well-being of your family member and will assess for possible gaps that need to be filled. For example, your family member may be living with schizophrenia and has been in and out of the hospital while being non -compliant with medication. Once this happens we know that your loved ones has probably had many psychotic episodes resulting in severe impaired functioning. Therefore. he or she may need home care services to assist with activities of daily living such. However, every case is different some more severe than others.

    Another common case for care management is one that your adult child has recently been diagnosed with a mental illness and you as parents / family members do not even know where to start. In cases like this, the care manager steps in and coordinates for all initial care. When this occurs we often see a sense of relief in our family members as they often will say "I do not even know how I would have started this process without you". A care manager is also a huge support system for the individual as they now know that they have an advocate overseeing their needs and wishes.

    It is important to remember that living with a mental illness or having a family member with a mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of. In addition, the diagnosis of a mental illness does not mean that the person's life is over as many people mistakenly think. We have worked with many individuals and their families as they cope with diagnoses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, and many others. The beginning of the process is usually made up of what we like to call growing pains full of discomfort. It is important to note that many of our clients with these diagnoses live normal lives but are able to do so because they gained access to the resources in the community. One very important step is accepting the presence of this new diagnosis and what it may mean. Another important step is realizing that you may need the help of psychiatric and / or home care services. It is important to act as early as you can, as early intervention can lead to the best results.

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    Source by Tom Mike

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  • How to Overcome MLM Challenges – Multi Level Marketing Tips For Success

    How to Overcome MLM Challenges – Multi Level Marketing Tips For Success

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    There are plenty of helpful tips available to help you overcome your MLM challenges. In my opinion most of the challenges we face in MLM are avoidable but only if you start off on the right path. When I am faced with a challenge in my primary opportunity its usually around developing new techniques for marketing, lack of customers, or lack of money. As business owners in the field of MLM we are faced with difficult challenges but they aren’t unlike those that any other business owner faces. We do face different challenges because of the nature of our business but if you plan for the unexpected and have a vision for the day-to-day operations of your company you’ll be able to thrive in your business.

    Every day businesses are birthed around the world within a dynamic and formidable marketplace where only the toughest survive. If you are in the network marketing industry you know that our environment is particularly fickle and can be a tough training ground for the almost 25,000 people that join Multi-level marketing business everyday in the U.S. and the 95% that fail within their first year.

    Most people join network marketing companies not recognizing the importance of having a vision for how their business will grow and function in its infancy. There is concept that many large corporations use to lead their work on a daily basis and I think that it can be particularly effective for network marketers. Its called Strategic Planning. Planning is not a new concept to business corporations but it might be to those that don’t know about its extreme effectiveness for providing a roadmap for any business for periods of 6-months, to 3 years, to 20 years.

    By understanding the importance of this process and the questions that go into taking you through it, you can gain a better sense of preparedness for your company’s growth. As someone new to this industry you need as much structure in the beginning as possible to understand how to plan and set and meet your goals. By taking the first step in this process you will exhibit your commitment to your business and your leadership for your organization.

    You have to believe in something yourself first, before you can get others to believe.– Ashraf Seddeck, Oracle Corporation.

    What does your company do?

    What product or service do you provide?

    What is your mission statement?

    What are your company’s values?

    What is your plan for your first 30 days, 6 months, 1 year?

    What are your weaknesses/strengths?

    How will you market your business?

    Who is your competition?

    What might be challenges that prevent you from reaching your goal?

    What is your plan to grow your business over the next 12 months?

    What is your plan for recruiting for your business?

    What resources do you have to build your business?

    What is your budget for your business?

    What does your organization look like and what types of people are your recruiting?

    What actions are you taking on a daily basis to build your business?

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    Source by Inger L McDowell

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  • Importance of Evidence-Based Complementary Medicine

    Importance of Evidence-Based Complementary Medicine

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    The modern-day world has many challenges and thus good health is one of the greatest blessings in today’s era. For example, a rich man with a bad health will always be unsatisfied and unhappy! “Health is Wealth”. Improving your health is an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed. It is a fact that your health affects all the aspects of your life, be it professional, or personal. Probably that is the reason why evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine came into existence!

    With increasing number of health-related apps and journals on the internet, you can now easily move towards a healthier lifestyle. Even the experts of medicine have admitted that the advice and products of work best when supplemented with a doctor’s standard care and supervision.

    As the famous proverb suggests, “Prevention is better than cure” and evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine helps you achieve this goal. So, here are a few benefits that you might get if you follow an integrative healthcare protocol:

    • It helps you in receiving specific treatment plans as per your physical requirements. As each individual has a unique body, it is not advisable to subscribe to a generalized treatment protocol. An effective biotyping assessment studies your inherited traits such as body frame, personality type, digestive capacity, metabolic activity, nutrigenomics, as well as environmental factors. In this way, it provides you with a personalized holistic Integrative healthcare medicine advice.
    • It aims at examining and treating all the aspects of physical as well as emotional components. It is proven that daily stress negatively affects your emotions, biology and genetics. All this further results in greater risks of several chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease!
    • It offers a wide range of Natural Cure and Remedies so that you are not completely dependent on pharmaceuticals, many of which have side-effects. The food that you eat is one of the biggest reasons behind your healthy (or unhealthy) life! Following unhealthy food habits can result in an increase in the risk of heart conditions, high blood sugar, obesity, etc. So, what could be better than utilizing food as a medicine?
    • It focuses on the prevention of diseases before it even occurs. While conventional medicines are prescribed for a lifetime for chronic disease, alternative medicine examines the root causes of the disease. It also encourages the patients to focus on preventing a disease by eating healthy foods, exercise, meditation, etc.

    So, if you also wish to treat or prevent any disease with Natural Cure and Remedies, evidence-based complementary medicine is the key! After all, it’s never too late for improving your health.

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    Source by Luke Harper

    Views: 0

  • The Importance of Business Systems

    The Importance of Business Systems

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    “If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing” – W. Edwards Deming (1900-1993)

    What are business systems?

    Business systems are documented procedures setting out how your organisation operates. They are processes, usually combining actions taken by people and some form of automated application, organised in such a way so as to meet a given set of business objectives. Such systems can generally take place without the business founder / owner’s direct action, over and over again, as efficiently as possible.

    Examples of processes may include how your staff should answer the telephone, how they take and pass on messages; the procedure for raising, approving, placing and receiving orders; the process for generating, checking and sending out client invoices, as well as receiving payments and following up on outstanding bills etc.

    Regardless of the size or type of your business, it is likely that you already have set procedures in place covering many functions within your organisation, which employees follow out of habit or as directed by their supervisor / manager.

    Business systems are the manual for your business; the “know-how” of any business that many business founders / owners usually hold in their head, and have not got round to putting onto paper.

    Why implement business systems?

    There are many reasons and just as many benefits for having established and documented systems in your business, some of which include the following:

    1. They provide a framework for your operations and an effective structure to support your business.

    2. They improve consistency: production, delivery, customer service, after-sales care etc.

    3. They improve results and/or productivity, because you and your employees don’t have to re-invent the wheel every time.

    4. They provide a better work environment for your employees, as an effective system will contribute to clarifying roles and responsibilities as well as providing staff with some guidelines to refer to.

    5. They ensure compliance with legislation, safety regulations or any other legal requirement specific to your type of business operations.

    6. They give your business the ability to expand and they facilitate business growth, as they will make your business more attractive to any potential investor or buyer.

    What system works best?

    Although there are similarities across many functions, such as Accounts, Human Resources, Sales, Stores, Logistics etc., unfortunately there is no one perfect, one size fits all system that works for all companies. Any system will need to integrate the company’s business objectives, its people and the way it provides its products or services.

    It is important to have a well-designed system, customised to your type of operation, and thought out by people at all levels within the organisation.

    Such a system will be more likely to be followed by all employees, because they have been involved in its design, and they understand the value that having a system in place brings to the quality of their work and the service they provide to customers.

    One point to keep in mind is that having great people working with poorly designed systems – or no systems – is likely to lead to an under-performing business. On the other hand, great systems without good people won’t work either, hence the additional benefit of involving employees in designing a system, or simply in documenting the processes they are following.

    Equally so, employees who have been trained in your business systems should also feel empowered enough so that they don’t feel they just have to follow a given script without using their head.

    For this reason, it is important to encourage feedback not just from your customers, but also from your employees and to use such comments to review and to continuously improve and develop your business systems.

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    Source by Cecile Scaros

    Views: 0

  • HOLISTIC Approach To Medicine

    HOLISTIC Approach To Medicine

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    Most people seek better health, but, often, their fear of going to the doctor, or needles, or taking certain medicines, and / or, their desire to avoid what they might consider the risks / side effects, associated with some convention treatments, become a risk to their personal health, and well – being. In the United States, our system of medical treatment is often referred to, as allopathic , which focuses on treating diseases, as opposed to preventive medicine. In many / most of the rest of the world, the emphasis is on reducing illnesses, by enhancing / improving our resistance, and / or immunity, and avoiding taking chemical medicines, initially, but only, when other approaches, aren't indicated. With that in mind, this article will attempt to briefly, consider, review, examine, and discuss, the HOLISTIC alternative / approach, using the mnemonic method.

    1. Healing; homeopathy; heart / head: Holistic practitioners, often focus on healing the entire / whole person, including balancing the emotional and logical considerations, in a head / heart balance, without resorting, first, to merely treating symptoms. Most nations use homeopathic medicine, in a thorough, wellness program, as well as many other modalities.

    2. Options: The focus is on taking advantage of all, viable options and alternatives, used together, towards creating better health!

    3. Listen; learn: Wellness medicine treatment takes the time, to ask lots of questions, and listen carefully, in order to learn more, and be best positioned, to better health!

    4. Importance; ideology; ideas; investigate: Utmost importance, in an alternative regimen, is possessing an ideology, of considering the bigger – picture, and take advantage of the finest relevant ideas / alternatives. When one investigates the options, and alternatives, he places himself, in the best position, for a potentially, healthier life, etc.

    5. Systems; stronger; sustain: When one focuses on the best way to sustain our existence, and proceed, in a stronger way, he accepts alternative systems, focused on a healthier lifestyle!

    6. Timely; trends: Pay attention to the discoveries, trends, and new alternative techniques, with the focus, on the best. most relevant alternatives, might create a healthier – you! In every medically – related, instance, it's essential to pursue, well – considered, timely actions and treatments, while ruling out major illnesses, such as cancer, etc.

    7. Imagination; insist; improve: If you hope to improve your health, you will have to work, on it, while maintaining the imagination, to consider options and alternatives, and insist, on doing everything, possible, to enhance your well – being.

    8. Care; caring; coordinate: Coordinate your care, and know, when allopathic approaches are needed, and necessary, and when, holistic approaches and techniques, might be best, for you! Happy people are generally, best – positioned, to be healthier, and are often, the most caring individuals.

    Wise people don't ignore the possibilities, and are ready, willing and able, to consider, when HOLISTIC medicine and techniques, are best – suited, for you. Will you maintain the open – mind, to be the healthiest, you might possibly, become.

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    Source by Richard Brody

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  • Why Is Medical Coding Essential in Healthcare?

    Why Is Medical Coding Essential in Healthcare?

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    Nowadays, there are a lot of health care professions out there, but medical billing is on the list of top professions. Around 20 years back, there were not many job opportunities in the healthcare industry. Now, there are lots of job opportunities in the healthcare market. And this has increased the demand for medical coding professionals. Let’s find out why medical coding is essential in healthcare.

    What is medical Billing and Coding?

    What do you do when you are sick? You go to a medical doctor. At the doctor’s office, you deal with a doctor and his assistant. But you may not have noticed but there is another professional in the process who ensures you get the best treatment. They work in the background but are just don’t pay attention to them because of our health problems. The role of these professionals is to make sure your medical claims are billed and processed properly.

    There is a difference between medical billing and medical coding as different individuals handle them. For this purpose, individuals train and prepare for the job. Let’s find out the difference between their roles.

    The primary role of a medical coder is to decode the procedure or service mentioned on the documents given by the doctor to the patient. Next, he decides on the right type of procedure and diagnosis code for submission. Actually, the medical coder takes their time to assess and code the data to ensure the billing is free of errors.

    Next, the medical biller uses the right codes to enter the claims and then submits them to the relevant insurance provider for billing. For updates, the biller keeps in touch with the insurance provider to ensure the approval of the claims. In case of any discrepancies, the medical biller may update the patient on what is going on.

    Career Opportunities

    If you want to ensure that the medical institutes run efficiently, the importance of medical coders and medical billers can’t be denied. The billing and coding professionals are an integral part of the system to ensure that the records are updated and handled properly.

    Recently, there has been an increase in job opportunities for trained medical coding and billing professionals. As the life expectancy and population increases, the demand for these pros will keep on going up, says the reports released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Actually, these professionals are appointed at nurse care, medical billing companies, rehabilitation facilities, insurance companies, private clinics, and hospitals, just to name a few.

    If you want to join this field, make sure to get certificates by undergoing proper training. Usually, these pros need to undergo post-secondary training.

    It’s not hard to achieve this feat. All you need to do is sign up for a medical billing and coding program. As soon as you have gone through short training, it’s time for you to apply for your desired job at a nearby medical facility.

    So, this was a description of the importance of medical coding in healthcare.

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    Source by Shalini M

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  • Learn How to Cultivate Self-Discipline As a Success Mindset

    Learn How to Cultivate Self-Discipline As a Success Mindset

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    Do you understand the connection between what you think and the success you experience, or do not experience, in your job or career? If you could learn to discipline your thoughts towards an attitude of success, do you believe it is possible you could in turn become successful?

    There is a well-known phrase that talks about the importance of working smarter and while there are many interpretations of what it can mean, overall it is meant to emphasize the benefits of being focused, disciplined, and working hard. Hard work is the backbone of any career but over time, and when routine work habits are established and set in, the effort that a person exerts may become conditionally based. It could be due to a person’s perception of a “bad” boss, poor working conditions, not receiving a pay increase or recognition for their effort, and the list continues. While there may certainly be merit to these feelings, it serves no real purpose to make working hard a conditional characteristic of your job performance.

    If you care about your career development then working hard needs to be a top priority every day. However, hard work may seem unjustified if a person’s expectations are not being met and that is where self-discipline comes into play. It is a matter of always being in control of your performance and responsible for the quality of your work. It also involves making a commitment to yourself and your career, one that is not dependent upon circumstances or influenced by circumstance no matter how challenging it may seem at the time. This will allow you to become disciplined and know that your best performance depends upon consistent effort, which establishes a mindset of career success.

    Why Self-Discipline Matters

    The development of a disciplined mindset allows you and your job performance to shine; whereas, the lack of intentional discipline sets you up for failure. Self-discipline is based upon a logical and rational perspective, is focused on being in control, and prompts the use of productive work habits. It is proactive with regards to job duties and career development, and it requires concentrated effort rather than striving to achieve absolute perfection.

    Without self-discipline a person is more likely to be impulsive and unfocused, act based upon emotional responses, and be reactive to circumstances. It is easy to begin to work on becoming self-disciplined, whether or not it is a habit now, if you start by establishing an intention and make it a goal to perform your best at all times. It does not require prolonged struggle, only career goals. You can make choices based upon what is best for your job and/or career. Self-discipline involves maintaining control over your attitude, mindset, emotions, and thoughts at all times.

    Discipline and Doing Your Best

    Your job has a specific description, or at least an expectation of what it is you are supposed to accomplish. Over time, and as you become familiar with the daily tasks, you can determine what the minimum amount of effort is needed to complete the required duties and that may be enough for you to feel good when the workday ends. Then there are circumstances that influence the amount of effort you put in. There may be too much work, an upcoming deadline, or person in authority who is pressuring you to take on more work. You may willingly or grudgingly do more as requested; however, when you stop to consider this job do you realize it is your career at stake?

    The attitude you develop about your job will also influence the attitude you have about your career development and progress. If your job performance involves putting in the minimal effort it is usually accompanied by feelings of job dissatisfaction and that may create a negative mindset about your career. It means you view your effort from the perspective of what you get from the job rather than what you can gain from it in the long term. When you are disciplined you maintain behaviors and an attitude that bolsters your daily productivity, which also provides you with the confidence needed to excel even when circumstances are less than perfect.

    Learn to Develop Purposeful Intent

    How do you feel good about a job and maintain that attitude, even when circumstances cause you to dislike it? You cannot force yourself to feel positive emotions when there are events or people who prompt negativity or feelings of frustration. What you can do is to change your perspective and that is where self-discipline matters. You can decide that you are going to feel good about yourself as a professional or as an employee despite the current conditions and anchor it to a position statement that is focused on your career goals. This allows you to create a disciplined mindset with purposeful intent and focus.

    Your career is a series of steps and progress will occur over time and for some it will be accomplished through more than one position or job. At the heart of this is you as a person, and it is you who has an ability to learn and grow. With purposeful intent you can view each job as a stepping stone, which provides skills, knowledge, and direction. If one job does not meet your expectations or provides difficult conditions to work in, itemize what you have gained from it, list this information on your resume, and decide upon your next step. But no matter what, always make certain you have a disciplined focus or you will venture off course in your job and career plans.

    Consider How an Employer Views Your Disposition

    Consider for a moment that you are a hiring manager. What is the type of candidate you would consider hiring, if you were looking at more than the job description? Is it someone whose tone displays obvious frustration and does not seem to have much to say that is positive about their current employer or existing job? That is not a likely candidate for an employer based upon their attitude alone.

    Now consider a candidate who comes along and has a professional presence, demonstrates a clear understanding of their career path or goals, and can articulate what they have gained from each of the jobs they’ve held throughout their career. That is a candidate who will likely gain your interest, even if they are not considered for the position, because they have demonstrated a disciplined mindset.

    The point of reviewing these scenarios is to show the contrast between someone who possesses an underlying feeling of career helplessness or career control, which also demonstrates the difference between a disciplined and undisciplined mindset. If would like to be the candidate who is likely to get hired, establish a goal to be highly disciplined and productive.

    Your disposition will carry over into the tone you convey when you speak with potential employers, along with your overall attitude about career development. As a professional resume writer I can spot a person’s disposition through their choice of words and how they describe their jobs when I talk to them. Someone who is disciplined and views all jobs as a learning experience has self-confidence about who they are and the talents they possess, regardless of job conditions or circumstances.

    How to Develop Self-Discipline and Focus

    Career Planning: You can begin to develop a hard-working, self-disciplined mindset right now by first examining your career plans. If you cannot articulate the specifics of your career, now is the time to get started. At the very least, decide upon a short-term and a long-term career goal. This will give you a sense of direction, one that can help you find what can be learned instead of focusing on existing working conditions.

    The purpose of developing a career plan is to provide you with an ability to create purposeful intent. When you walk into the workplace each day you can remind yourself you are able to learn from any situation, even if what you learn is that you are no longer growing or moving forward in your career.

    Learning and Growth: An important component of a disciplined mindset is maximizing your learning and growth potential. If you have developed a productive working relationship with your supervisor or manager, ask them if there is more that you can do. For example, perhaps you can take on an extra project that is based upon a departmental or business need. To some people this may seem to be counter-intuitive and an attempt to become the “teacher’s pet” – or some other type of negative phrasing.

    If you are asking from a perspective of having a genuine interest and seeking professional development, and the need is recognized, this will create a feeling of accomplishment within you. As you continue to work hard you may even extend the timeline that you work for this particular employer. You will also likely be viewed as valuable employee, although the ability to remain disciplined will matter most in the long term for your career.

    Self-Discipline as a Success Mindset

    Becoming disciplined can have a variety of descriptions, including working hard, attaining maximum productivity, or maintaining a focus on what must be accomplished every day. The most meaningful correlation between a focused mindset and effort is the development of peak performance. This working definition speaks to the heart of what working to the very best of your abilities should mean. It is striving to maximize your performance with your current skills and abilities while being open to learning and development, and putting in more than the minimum effort required.

    There are going to be times when you aren’t at the top of your game and that is certainly understandable. There will be some days that you find yourself working to the very best of your abilities and other days that find you putting in the best effort possible. The importance of being disciplined means that you do not allow job conditions be the reason why you are not functioning at peak productivity; whether there are new policies to adapt to, additional demands made of your job, or other circumstances.

    You can always be in control of your actions and strive for peak performance as a matter of your career development. Learn to develop self-discipline as a mindset and attitude about how you work every day and watch your career continue to evolve as this sense of self is reflected in the outcomes you experience, both personally and professionally. The most effective way to be in control of your career and establish a pattern of success is to control how you think and how you work. Self-discipline is a productive state of mind and focused attitude that you can implement starting now. When your attitude is honed on performing your best, you will find yourself mentally resistant to adverse conditions and ready for new career opportunities. You are mentally disciplined and both you and your career are transformed.

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    Source by Dr. Bruce A. Johnson

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