The Ruby Receptionists phone answering team is dedicated to improving the way we do and say things. We’ve found that a few positive changes in vocabulary can dramatically shift our callers’ moods. A masterful receptionist can make a caller’s day by staying professional and cheerful, no matter what. Here are a few specific ways you can improve your phone skills and show callers you care:

Find an alternative to “What?.” The tone you set in a phone conversation is just as important as the content of it. On its own, a simple “What?” can sound very blunt. Add some padding to your questions. Try an alternative, such as “May I ask who’s calling?”

Work may into your vocabulary. This is another way of padding questions to make them seem more friendly and professional.

Instead of saying,

“What’s your telephone number?”

“Who is this?”

“What company are you from?”, or

“Can you leave a message?”

Try these:

“May I have your telephone number?”

“May I ask who’s calling?”

“May I ask what company you’re with?”

“May I take a message?”

The second group of responses set a much more polite, professional tone.

Pause politely.When you need a second, take an extra moment or two to politely tell your caller. If you need a moment to get more information, you should prepare the caller in the proper way. Use an alternative to “Just a sec,” even for a brief pause. A phrase like, “One moment, please,” has a more professional ring to it. If the pause is going to be more than brief, make note of the next tip:

Ask to put them on hold, rather than telling them. There are better ways to let a caller know you’re putting them on hold than a brief “Hold, please.” Though you may have added a please onto the end, asking to put them on hold is a far better alternative. Also, remember to thank the caller when you resume the conversation. A “Thank you for you patience” when you pick the call back up goes a long way. A final note from our live virtual receptionist team: If the caller doesn’t want you to put them on hold, don’t do it. Allow the caller to stay on the line as you perform your task.

Finally, keep in mind that it’s not always best to answer your own phone. Many of our clients have found that their callers feel flustered when the owner, president, or other high-ranking employee answers the phone. In addition, answering your own phone can cause callers to question your reputability. Finally, answering your own phones takes a lot of time that you could be using to grow your business more effectively. A virtual receptionist service is a great solution to all of these challenges.

Have any helpful telephone etiquette tips of your own? Please comment and share them with us!

WHAT EXACTLY IS MINDFULNESS?

Mindfulness is not just a way of thinking about others and their state of mind, but it can also be used a form of meditation. Using Mindfulness Meditation allows you to focus on the moment, becoming aware of your senses and what you are feeling right then and there. When you are able to focus just on that particular moment, there is no need to try to interpret things or make judgments about how you feel.

You are simply present.

If you have ever studied Eckhart Tolle or other spiritual teachers, you realize that the present moment is all that actually exists. The past no longer exists, and the future has not yet come. So focusing, being mindful, of the moment, can help you relax and eliminate stress.

Think about all the time we spend planning for, or worrying about the future, thinking negative thoughts about the past, worrying about all the things we need to do – pick up the kids from school, make dinner tonight, pay the bills, etc. All those things are draining and can even be exhausting. When you are able to be mindful, you are able to put those things away, and focus your attention on the present moment, which reduces your stress and anxiety. Mindfulness meditation can be very powerful!

WHY SHOULD I MEDITATE?

For years, spiritual teachers and their students have been practicing meditation, and espousing its benefits. Now, thanks to advances in modern science and medicine, there are actually many clinical trials that scientifically back up these claims. It is amazing that for hundreds of years people have known that meditation works, but there is always a certain percentage of the population that needs to know how and why before they will believe it.

There are so many studies now that provide empirical data as to the how and why of meditation, and its effects on the body and brain. Those studies are so diverse that they need to be in a separate article on their own. But suffice to say that the overall evidence of these studies show that meditation is effective for reducing stress, anxiety, pain, depression, and even a host of “medical” conditions and disease.

WHEN AND HOW OFTEN SHOULD I MEDITATE?

There is probably no such thing as too much meditation, especially if you are struggling with any of the issues previously mentioned. Studies have shown that there are certain times of day when meditation may be more effective than others. Those times are when the brain is emitting certain waves that enable it to be more receptive to suggestion and meditation. Books have been written on that topic alone, but for our purposes, for most people that time is before you go to bed, or right when you wake up in the morning. During those times your brain is emitting the proper waves and producing the proper chemical to allow the mist benefits from meditation. But as Dr. Joe Dispenza says, “There is no such thing as a bad meditation.”

The best way to develop your mindfulness meditation routine is to practice, practice, practice. Do so, and you may be truly amazed with the results.

At about this time of year, some months after New Year’s resolutions have been made and kept, or made and neglected, one thing is undeniable: we have a chance to learn and grow every day, no matter what we did not do yesterday or neglected to do last week.

Make Use of This Moment

Making use of this moment, of the NOW, is a principle that stress management experts, psycho-therapists, meditators, and many authors such as Dr. Wayne Dyer, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and Eckhart Tolle have been talking and writing about for years.

The only moment, the only life we have is in the NOW. What happened a few moments or several years ago is gone, what will happen this evening, or next month when we go on holidays is not here yet. Thus, if we live our lives thinking about past events or future possibilities, we are literally not living our life.

Developing Flow

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote a wonderful little book “Finding Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” which addresses the issue of the importance of remaining in the moment, of the inestimable value we can find in those activities that cause us to “go into flow”, or lose our sense of time.

When you discover what those activities are in your life, they need to be developed. Is it music, writing, or painting, or another creative activity? Is it being outdoors and practicing some kind of sport? Is it working on your computer or editing digital movies? Perhaps you are an avid reader, observer of documentaries about the hunch-backed camel, or participant in the Dakar rally and spend all year preparing. Whatever it is, cultivate it, make it expand in your life, and use it to enrich yourself. These activities are priceless ways of being – and remaining – in the now.

But that is not all.

Nurture the Now at All Times

Being in the now needs to be nurtured at all times. The more time you spend in the now, the more you actually live your life. Yesterday – and even just one short hour ago – is gone. Tomorrow is not yet here. Now is what we have. Now is the time of our life. Now is the time for living.

Start by gently bringing yourself to this moment more and more often on a daily basis. If you are at work, with your partner or family, or simply running errands, become aware of what you are doing, actually participate consciously in your daily activities … don’t just get through them in order to be able to do something else later on. Doing that means that you have lost this moment forever.

Stay in the Now

By staying in the now, notice how you seem to have more time. Notice how you feel less stressed. Notice all that is potentially enjoyable, positive, or could be a latent learning experience in the now moment. Even if you are going through a difficult situation, remain aware and in the now in order to better understand what is happening and in order to get to know yourself more intimately by observing your feelings, thoughts, and possible reactions.

Live here rather than in the past or the future. The more you practice, the more it will become a habit, and the more you will truly live your life, rather than just live on memories of past glories or future hopes and plans.

INTRODUCTION

Fourah Bay College library came into existence in 1827 and it was affiliated with Durham in 1876. This affiliation scheme enlarged the college regulations, and as a result of this, new phases of development were introduced and included in the improvement in the condition of the library. Its first Board of Curators was appointed and a regular supply of standard newspapers and other publications were provided. Professor Richards was appointed Librarian-In-Charge with Mr. T. Taylor as Library Assistant.

DEVELOPMENT OF FOURAH BAY COLLEGE LIBRARY

Fourah bay College Library management was virtually established, and attracted valuable donations such as a special collection donated in 1881 by Rev. H. Wright who served as Honorary Secretary to the Church Missionary Society. Later in 1917 Bishop James Johnson bequeathed his set of 24 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica to the College Library.

During the World War II period, that is 1939-1945, little was done about the development of the College Library. By then the library was located at Mabang, and continued to maintain a library which was originally intended to be an Agricultural College. The College had few teachers and a small student population of about twenty students. The conditions of the war in the 1940’s caused the library to be managed by student librarians. The library was generally faced with lack of resources in the war years. In those years the library minimal collections consisted mainly of theological and literary works which was transferred to Mount Aureol. The materials was housed in several buildings such as the student dining hall, the college Chapel, the College Bookshop, stores and Games and Sports Office.

The library facilities of the college at this stage formed part of the higher education development programme. The most area of priority at Fourah Bay college was the development of Library. With the establishment of a stable information Centre, Fourah Bay College became an attractive venue for foreign funds. In 1954, following a visit to the Fulton Commission which improved the status of the college, the library was awarded a grant of $8,000 by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, to be used for the purchase of essential reference and bibliographic materials. The British complemented this donation in 1955 with a grant of £15,000 from the Colonial Development Welfare Funds. Two-thirds of those donations (£10,000) were spent on books and periodicals and the rest on equipment. These grants and other donations led to an accelerated growth of the library and formed the foundation of a steady development during the 60s. It was at this critecal period that the library was assigned its rightful position as a priority affiliated college of the University of Durham.

In 1961, the second expatriate Mr. R.S. Burkett, relinquished his appointment as College Librarian after a period of four and the half years. The third expatriate librarian, the late Mr. Michael Jollife (after whom the library has been named), was appointed in 1961. He was initially concerned with the improvement of the physical facilities of the library. In 1968, the college received full university status and with this elevation, the library also played leadership role in the development of other librarians in Sierra Leone. Within the library itself, Mr. Jollife established the Reprographic and Micrographic sections. In his 1961/1962 annual report, Mr. Jollife decided to the provide funds under the British Technical Assistance Programme for the purchase of bindery equipment and Mr. W.J Askew, a British Book Binder was assigned this responsibility. He arrived in Sierra Leone in August 15, 1964. By then, there were ten thousand (10,000) books and periodicals for binding and rebinding. Mr. S.T Browne, a Sierra Leonean craftsman succeeded Mr. Askew after his three years tenure in April 1966 as Head Book Binder. Currently, the Bindery is headed by Mr. Patrick James. At the end of March, 1970, Mr. Michael Jollife resigned his post to become Librarian at Royal Halloway College, London and was succeeded by A.C. Butler who arrived in 1971. Thus, Mrs. Gladys Jusu-Sheriff was the first Sierra Leonean College Librarian after Mr. Butler left in 1972.

Fourah Bay College administration reacted to an acute shortage of library personnel in that period, and instituted a course for the City and Guilds of London Assistant Certificate jointly organised by the college library and the Extra-Mural Department. Deficiencies in the library certificate provided an apparent long-term need for a library course in Sierra Leone. This programme was a junior assistant’s qualification which was purely western system of library management and there was an evident gap between the City of Guilds and the ALA. There was a need to institute a programme locally to provide an intermediate qualification to bridge the gap between the junior clerical level staff and full professionals. This brought about the response for the formation of the Institute of Library, Archive and Information Studies in 1986 through the dynamic leadership of Mrs. Gladys Jusu-Sheriff who eventually became the first director. In November 1999 the Institute was merged with the Mass Communication unit within the Faculty of Arts to form the Institute of Library, Information and Communication Studies (INSLICS) offering certificate, diploma, degree and postgraduate qualifications.

The late Mrs. Deanna Thomas succeeded Mrs. Gladys Jusu-Sheriff as librarian of Fourah Bay College library in 1990 but traveled out of the country in June 1997 during the interregnum of Freetown. Mr. Oliver Harding acted as librarian in her absence until June 1998 when a more senior officer in the University of Sierra Leone, the late Prof. L.N. M’Jamtu-Sie the then librarian of College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS) was appointed to supervise activities in the library. She resigned in January 2005 and returned to COMAHS. Mr. Donald Davies acted until August 2005 and was succeeded in an acting capacity by Rev. Oliver Harding who returned to Sierra Leone from Nigeria after he obtained a second master degree in Biblical Studies from West Africa Theological Seminary, Lagos (an affiliate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka). He is still the current Acting Librarian at Fourah Bay College Library with only twenty-nine(29) staff. Of the twenty-nine staff, only eight(8) are professionals. This indeed is a big setback to Fourah Bay College Library which needs to be rectified.

Currently the library consists of a four-storey building composed of the following sections: The lower ground floor consists of the Bindery and the Sierra Leone Collection. The Ground Floor consists of the Reception Desk, Librarian’s Office, Issue Desk, Cataloguing Department and General Reference collection, photocopying room, the American Shelves and the United Nations Collection. The first floor is the Periodicals/Serials Collection, while the second floor represent the lending collection or the textbook collection and the third floor which originally housed lending library matarials is currently not functioning due to licking roof of the building.

The following are the various sections in the library and their functions:

• Librarian’s Office & Acquisitions Department;
• Cataloguing Department;
• Issue Desk;
• Textbook Collection;
• Periodicals Department;
• Sierra Leone Collection;
• United Nations Collection;
• The American Shelves/Corner; and
• The Bindery

The first section is the Librarian’s Office which generally controls all other areas in the library. The office also serves as the Acquisition’s Department. This is where selection of library materials is done. Lecturers are encouraged to make selection of materials to be acquired for their use. Once the selection is made and bibliographic data are scrutinised, the stock of the library to avoid unnecessary duplication of orders is checked. These materials are sent to the library, and their details are checked against those of the order slips following these materials which are accessioned before passing them over to the Cataloguing Department. There is also availability of audiovisual equipment such as projector which the librarian uses during orientation programmes and also used to conduct lectures.

Library materials on receipt from the Librarian’s office/Acquisitions Department are classified and catalogued in the second section. This second section is not within sight or it is out of bounds. The organisation of materials into a set pattern of classes facilitates the arrangement of these materials on the appropriate shelves with materials on specific subjects being housed together in the same area of the library. The excellence of the Catalogue is the pride of the library because once a material is wrongly classified and shelved, it does not stay with members of its class and in some cases, it is like a lost material. Fourah Bay College library currently utilise the 23rd edition of the Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme and the AACR2 (Anglo American Cataloguing Rules 2).

The third section is also called the Circulations Department where materials that go out on loan are charged to patrons and discharged on return to the library. Information about materials not found on the shelves could be retrieved from the Circulations Section. Shelving arrangements are also under the supervision of the Circulations Section staff. This section also process and issue students library cards.

The forth section is currently the most heavily used section in Fourah Bay College library. It is a closed access collection. This means that materials are not directly available to readers but issued out upon request. Materials in this section cover varied disciplines based on the curriculum of the college. This collection also houses past examination papers of courses taken on campus. Messengers from the library are sent to examination halls with a formal letter from the Librarian requesting copies of examination papers from invigilators. These are eventually sorted out and sent to the bindery department to be bound into volumes.

The fifth section is also called the Journal/Serials Section. It houses quarterly, bi-quarterly, annually, semi-annually publications. These are publications of several volumes which come about at regular intervals and intended to indefinitely continue. Several authors contribute articles to them. They also have distinct titles. At the end of the year, back issues are sent to the bindery to be bound into volumes and stocked in the section for researchers on varied disciplines. This section can also classify and catalogue periodical materials to ease work done by the Cataloguing Department.

As the name implies, this sixth section houses material about Sierra Leone. Materials in this collection are difficult to weed since they form part of the national bibliography of Sierra Leone. The unit also contains newspapers which are bought daily. This grey literature is unique as the newspaper collection date-back to the 1930s to present day.

The seventh section is located in the Ground Floor of the library and is currently in a room renovated by the United Nations and stocked with computers, printers, photocopiers which are used by students, lecturers and administrative staff. However, this section is managed by a private owner instead of FBC library.

The eighth section is the American Shelve. This is located at the Ground Floor of the library. It was established in July 2007, after a “Memorandum of Understanding” signed by the then U.S. Ambassador and the then Deputy Chancellor of Fourah Bay College. The purpose was to promote public diplomacy of the Embassy of the United States of America in Sierra Leone, hence its name the “American Shelves.” Materials housed in this collection are purely American. Collections include books, CD-ROM, Posters, Periodicals/magazines and other programming materials of the Embassy of the United States of America in Sierra Leone. The American Corner has a television set. The book collection consists of materials in history, literature, education, health, economics, management, business, culture and law of the United States of America. Funds are usually made available by the Public Affairs Sections of the United States Embassy in Sierra Leone to the library to undertake joint sensitisation programmes on relevant issues to society such as black history day, democracy, human right, the girl child and “Ebola”, in which keynote speakers are either provided by the Embassy or the library from local professionals with regards the topic of discussion. Video shows are also organised.

The ninth section is located at the Lower Ground Floor and is the economic nerve centre of the library. Paperbacks with less than fifty pages are treated as pamphlets and are processed and stocked in boxes. Materials with fifty pages and above are regarded as books and sent to the bindery for hard covers. Customers desirous of using this section of the library must observe the following procedures:

• Secure proforma invoice for binding work;
• Settle invoice at Librarian’s office and collect receipt for amount paid;
• Collect bound work from bindery on presentation of a valid receipt;
• Departmental jobs from FBC should be accompanied by an order from respective heads of departments and paid for in cash or cheque;
• All cheques should be made payable to Fourah Bay College.

Other kinds of jobs done in the bindery include rebinding dissertations/theses, paperbacks, newspapers, engagement Bibles, ledgers and gold lettering. However this sections is limited with basic bindery equipment and facilities to bind and rebind the library materials.

CHALLENGES

It is clear that Fourah Bay College Library has some challenges in managing the library. Some of the challenges are as thus: inadequate funding and current materials; inadequate sitting accommodation; inadequate trained and qualified staff; and inadequate provision of photocopying machines. Of the varied challenges, the major being the inadequate sitting accommodation and the inadequate funding and non-current materials.

The current state of Information Management amidst the new management at Fourah Bay College is that there is regular power supply which is obtained from three (3) sources, that is, the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA); a stand-by generator which is shared with the main administrative building; and a solar panel which only supplies the lower and ground floors of the library. This has a lot of challenges for the library as the other floors are presently out of electricity supply as the entire building is under refurbishment. There is availability of Internet connectivity via hotspots, though its strength is very weak only users with sophisticated systems can have access to it. The developments of ICTs have offered Fourah Bay Library existing and challenging opportunity that requires it to respond positively in all facets of their services and functions if they are to remain relevant in the new information age.

RECOMMENDATIONS

I recommend that:

• the university management should provide more sitting accommodation by building more library structures.
• University should employ more trained and qualified professional librarians or immediately promote the existing staff that have already gone through the librarianship training;
• the university should provide more funds so that the old material be replace the currents ones;
• Sierra Leone Collection which hold a significance number of grey literature should be digitised and create online database that should be access by researchers. The bindery section should also be provided with modern machines for printing and binding books on reasonable cost as is the income generating section of library;
• the internet connectivity should be stronger that the existing one;
• electricity power supply should be continuous;
• lecturers-library staff relationship should be strong in selecting library materials base on the college curriculum; and
• disaster management plan should be provided in case any fire outbreak or flooding.

CONCLUSION

It is evident that Fourah Bay College Library over the years has been crippling with inadequate trained and qualified library professional due to aging librarian crisis. The remaining professional staff are not promoted immediately after retirement of a retiree staff because of excessive bureaucracy/protocol in the administration process. Thus the trained and experienced staff had to wait for years or satisfy certain academic bench marks before they are promoted.

The Many Different Kinds Of Kisses are endless in potential possibilities but that does not mean that they will be useful or even appreciated. Much of what makes for a great relationship is being able to sense the moment. Being able to be fully aware of what the moment demands and being able to respond accordingly. The different methods of lip-locking can be best applied when the moment itself demands or dictates a particular kind of kiss.

Knowing the appropriate way to respond to the moment can help to avoid many arguments or disagreements in any relationship. For the most part women tend to be more aware of moments and the right responses but nothing is without exception. Those men who do learn to understand others, also learn the truly awesome power that a quality kiss can have and the level personal trust that is involved.

Believe it or not it is a skill to know how to be aware and to become sensitive to the actual moment itself and like any other skill it can be learned. However it takes a lot of practice and a very sincere effort. The best advice on learning how to utilize ‘moment awareness’ would have to be To Give and To Constantly be Thinking of Others.

This is the best way to achieve your goal. If you can seize the moment and look around you noticing every minute detail and how others are reacting, then you are well on your way heading in the right direction. Only by constantly thinking of others, wanting to serve them as well as help them whole-heartedly will you begin to become intuitive to their needs.

That is what kissing is all about, it is about giving of yourself. Kisses are a very intimate and personal way of communicating. There is a lot of power in kissing, and all kisses have a meaning of their own.

So a good beginning to learning more about this would be to know and understand exactly what they are. So here are “The Top Ten Most Common Kinds of Kissing.” In no particular order they are as follows:

Gentle- Soft, slow, a caress of lips and tongues. Eyes closed, if and when they do open carefully keeping the lids lowered as much as possible. The two words most fit to describe the Gentle kiss would be Careful and Soft

Passionate- Medium to hard. Movement, pressure, using hands to caress all over the body beginning with the face. You should always begin by placing your hands on the face and then work your way down the neck to other parts of the body.

Touching a persons’ face is about trust.

A) This is an incredibly private and intimate gesture that is all about trust. So it must be done carefully. A persons face is very psychologically connected to who they are personally. So great care should be taken. Do not just slap your hands right on their face and start feeling around. You must proceed with caution and always provide noticeable and unmistakable warning signs and gestures.

B) You should begin at the back of their head while your kissing them and maybe slowly curve your hand from the side above their ear. Just then curl your hand and at first use the back of your fingers to graze their cheek. After that you can turn your hand(s) around and press your fingers(very gently) to their face and trace your way up to their forehead and opening your fingers if possible run your fingers through their hair.

Hard- A hard smooch is flexible when it comes to speed. They can be slow or fast but they are always deep in the mouth. Licking the tongue from as Far Back into the other persons mouth as it will go. This requires a lot of pressure which is why it is termed as hard. Then slowly licking the length of the tongue from back to the front tip.

Deep- A deep kiss is generally the exact same as the one mentioned above. Although it can be soft too, as well as taking one other variations.

The Caring- This one kind of bothers me personally but there is nothing wrong with it. This is the one that is usually given when sending someone off to work or school. It is the one that says; “Honey I love you your great do not forget your lunch, and be sure to wear your seatbelt.”

The Daring- This one is always the first one between any two people It is exciting and scary all at the same time. But it can also be when you lay one on all of a sudden and/or a stranger. Whenever there is risk involved.

The Sensual- Sexy is the first word that comes to mind. It is a great way to describe sensuality and vice-versa. It is unique in that not everything sexy is sensual but pretty much everything sensual is sexy. Sensuality is very wet, very passionate and instantaneously creative. Like when your partner or you are upside down and then you begin kissing. This is sensual, like chocolate and strawberries sensuality and sexuality just seem to go together.

The Pitiful- Unfortunately there are such things as pity kisses. They ring of the “Awe, mom do I have to.” These take place whenever there is a complete lack of enthusiasm for whatever reason. Usually there is an almost Hollywood type of dialogue surrounding these. Like when someone says “Kiss me” and then afterwards they reply, “No. I mean really kiss me.”

The Crazy- This one is all over the place. For two teenagers I guess this is fine but for the most part this is the one you want to avoid. When he goes left she goes right. Nothing is in sync. No one seems to be on the right page at the same time. It can also be a bad moment too. Crazy is as crazy does.

The I love You- Dreamy. Also delicate in every sense of the word. This is the one that counts and tries to say too much. The one way to make sure things are getting more serious or to find out if they are even heading in this direction is by an I love you kiss. It is very telling. Whether it works or not can mean so many things.

The farewell- Seems appropriate to end on the goodbye kiss. This can be of many varieties as well but for many it is a longing kind of lip locking. It can say a lot of things really. Sometimes it says; “I do not want you to go but you are still mine.”

As mentioned earlier there are many more different kinds of kissing these are just a small sampling of the limitless list of smooches. The many kinds of kisses are as varied as the people who give and receive them.

Whenever you kiss someone in the right moment and in just the right way you seem to know the moment itself is alive with your connection. Sometimes, it feels as though for those few precious moments the world has now become aware of you, in place of you being constantly aware of the world.

A worrisome state is limiting. It prevents you from reaching your truest potential through lack of focus on what you can control. Conflict at home can be managed through focusing on the moment. Consciousness with each breath will help to remind you that you have the blessings in your life. Focusing on the moment will help you to have a sense of gratitude in your relationships and become more motivated to celebrate your life everyday, instead lurching from one conflict to another!

Challenges of tomorrow rarely affect your ability to enjoy today and be thankful. The more you focus more thankfully on the positives of the present moment, the less likely you will allow the misunderstandings and the conflict of the moment lead to stress and physical violence at home. Protect yourself by knowing when to strategically agree and move on and when to ask for help.

Research has shown that stress and conflict at home is as bad for your health as habitual smoking is to your heart. How can you take care of yourself? Participating in daily exercise will improve your mood and increase your endurance and ability to manage conflicts and stress at home. Stress can lead to increased high blood pressure, increased plaques in blood vessels and increased stress hormones.

Conflicts and stress can affect your health.

As you go through your daily activities, make it a point to walk a little further. One of my favorite tricks for doing this is to park far away from the entrance each time I go to the grocery store or the mall. This will help you take a few more steps everyday. Try it. You will be surprised how effective this can become for you without changing your lifestyle a great deal.

There are several different exercises that you can do to help manage conflict at home. The easiest one is walking. Walking is among the best, as you can easily lose yourself and your troubles by walking. Even if it is just around the block, walking can do wonders for your health. It can also help to reduce your stress level.

You know the other great thing about walking, it is difficult to have a conflict all by yourself. The next time things start heating up at home consider stepping out and going for a walk. If you have a friend you usually walk with, call him or her. There is safety in numbers. Give yourself time to analyze and decide on next steps.

There are four questions that the actor should concern them with. What? Why? and How? And Who? Are matters of production and should not be ignored, but they are not essential to the success of the actors performance.

On the other hand, these questions are vital.

The WHAT. Simply enough relates the text, the script or material you are working from. It is fixed in stone, it is respected, it is not altered to suit your inadequacies as an actor. The writer wrote something, you have to act it. I’ve lost track of the stories of rude actors not understanding this. The WHAT, the text is a fixed entity, it is your job to do something with it. Learn it perfectly, over-learn it, but keep it fresh (it is possible because I teach this method of working).

The WHY. Again, fairly simple, it’s your job as an actor to dissect the text for action. What I mean by this is that you must analyse the text until you understand enough of what is going on to make some choices. The choices that you make as an actor should be based on what you find in the script and should be evidenced there and not just an idea that you came up with. If there’s no proof, then you’re just making it up and again disrespecting the text. Once you have a very clearly articulated and practicable task to carry out on stage, as gleaned from your analysis, time acting will be more fun because you have a focus point.

Finally, the HOW. The most important, but it cannot exist without secure lines and a thougthful and evidenced analysis of the scene. The HOW is what you DO on the stage or on camera. Every moment is filled with your behaviour. It is not a character up there, it’s you, and you can pretend all you like, it’s still you that has to fill those moments with something and it’s an awful lot easy if you have a clear idea of what you’re meant to be doing up there. The HOW, the behaviour, it is the main part of the actors job and the success or failure of your role rests firmly here. Here we see self-consciousness or self awareness, tension or ease, pretending or truthfulness.. it’s all there in the moment of HOW.

The HOW reveals everything about an actor. And it’s tricky. The reason that it is so tricky is that it needs to be different every. single. time. Every take, every moment on stage or screen. Once you start to try to replay any past moment, you IMMEDIATELY through yourself back into your head, come out of the moment and begin to become false. Because yesterday’s moment or five minutes ago is GONE, you can only behave as you will in the NOW. The HOW relates to what you do, the actions you take whilst acting.

THE WHO is another vital question. The answer is NOT YOU. It’s not about you. Actors are often very selfish (not as people but as professionals) the WHO is the person or people you are acting with and this is where the WHO and the HOW (same letters different order) are uniquely bound.

Once you have established a concrete and practicable TASK, (strictly called an ESSENTIAL ACTION in Practical Aesthetics) your HOW is driven by the relationship between achieving the TASK and the WHO. What do I mean? You have a task to achieve from the WHO and all of your behaviour, every moment of the HOW is driven, lead, guided, compelled by the WHO, by the other actor you are working off.

A reminder:

THE WHAT – the text – fixed and unchanging

THE WHY – the task YOU the actor need to achieve during the scene

THE HOW – what you DO on stage or screen

THE WHO – the source for your behaviour, the other actors, the target from whom you are seeking the TASK.

“Are you complaining, darling?” she gently said,

A calming hand upon my head,

Given a moment to gather instead,

I’d been “whispered,” relaxed, ready for bed.

A comforting, authoritative look to her eye,

Just enough strength to quash my belie,

Tact and resolve, a confidence I’d buy,

She that day, barely a knot awry.

It was a solemn moment as I was whispered down,

Hardly a thought, I simply dipped the crown,

So willingly did I do this I nearly fell down,

Amongst the steadfast drill but certainly not a frown.

An instant in time under the gun,

Certainly special barring none,

A driving heart, hers to be won,

Yep, she’ll be mine till the day life’s done!

Man whispering’s definitely an art,

Adjust the will and then just start,

A comedy moment as funny as a fart,

Reminiscent of the wedding cart!

Apparently not everyone thinks farts are funny! Women find them less humorous I’m “reliably” told (?). Notwithstanding, man whispering is a golden age-respected art, just the same as woman whispering is. They exist equally and in good, healthy tension with each other.

It’s the convolution of humour, humility, good sense and mutual submission. It’s the spice of married life.

Being ‘whispered down’ is a concept made famous by an unmentioned beer advertisement; it’s a play on horse whispering (or taming) legendary in equine circles. Brumbies aside, the nature of taming is not exclusive to horses or the animal kingdom. In reality being whispered down is about submitting to the common sense moment; finding the mirth in laughter in the seriousness of tempting emotional pride.

The partner who whispers down their mate holds the moment beautifully, but the response is all-important too. Both in partnership need to be at one–synchronised–for it to truly work.

This, of course, is a light-hearted dig at myself as much as it is about anything else.

The moment made “famous” by this poem was a true event. My wife and I both learned something very profound in it.

© 2010 S. J. Wickham.

The goal of every brand is to create a strong bond with customers whenever they need them. Keeping your brand visible before your potential customers during various micro-moments is crucial for your brand success.

Micro-moments refer to a short term of attention any potential customer uses on a mobile device in order to buy, search or watch something.

Mobile is no longer just a tendency and micro-moments are here to stay. Here are some effective ways to target mobile micro-moments and boost your sales:

1- Identify the Right Micro-Moments For Your Brand

As per Cassandra Wesch, Founder of the digital media agency, Upward Ecommerce, “Identifying opportunities to share relevant micro moments with your customer make it easier, faster, and more fun to connect with your brand”.

For a hotel owner, it would be great if the customers are able to check in immediately without having to wait in the queue.

From the customer point of view, the micro-moment happen when they are traveling and wanting to get into a hotel room without having to wait in line to check-in.

Well, you can do just that with the help of Starwood app. The customers are able to check-in right on the app.

As soon as the customers enter the hotel, the beacons recognize that the customer is there. Verification is done with the help of a fingerprint (if you’re on an iPhone), the app provides a room number, and then you simply hold your phone up to the entranceway and can go right into your room. That’s an amazing way for a brand to help the customers in a micro-moment.

2- Your Brand Should Be Seen Whenever the Potential Customer Needs You

As a brand, being present in all phases of consumer journey, not just when someone is ready to buy, is where the biggest opportunities exist. Google has defined four micro- moments that represent the full user needs.

I want to know moments – The consumer is exploring and researching but not yet in the purchase mindset. They are looking for useful information, education resources or an inspiration.

I want to go moments – Consumer is searching for a local business or considering buying a product at a local store.

I want to buy moments – The all important buy moments are when shoppers are ready to make a purchase and may need help determine what, how, or where to buy.

I want to do moments – These refer to moments when shoppers are looking for help getting something done or learning something new.

3- Mobile is the New Shopping Assistant – Your E-Store Must Understand This

Americans are shopping online, allocating their shopping budgets to browsing, expanding a regularly of five hours per week purchasing online.

The telecommunication company sprint discovered that one in four people who click on their mobile search ads actually end up being physically present in a sprint retail store.

As a business, you need to get your website mobile friendly and have an app that will help you to connect with your customers in real time.

It is essential to find out the different mobile search queries that the potential customers are using while locating your brand and further optimize your business presence in order to reap in more sales.

4- Deliver Relevant Messaging and Tap Into the Power of SMS Marketing

In this age of mobile connectivity, it is important to leverage the power of SMS marketing to improve your business visibility and increase sales.

8.6 Trillion text messages are sent every year on average and such messages are read within 5 seconds. This is a tremendous opportunity to explore where people are able to read your message within seconds of receiving it.

Tools like TextMagic are excellent in automating the SMS efficiency and reach. You can easily build one to one dialogue with your customer using dynamic inbound SMS messages.

While sending messages, it is recommended to follow the below tips:

Segment your audience and send the right message to the right customer.

Send messages that have time bound deals which are set of expire soon. This will drive instant actions.

Send triggered messages based on the action of the user. For example, if the customer has placed some items in the shopping cart and didn’t ordered them then you can send a triggered message with a special discount in order to persuade the customer to make an order.

Mobile is no longer in its teens. Your brand must understand the real power of mobile micro-moments and must ensure to be present at all times depending on the needs of the customer.

Once in a while, during a moment of apparent moment of personal insight and enlightenment, I am compelled to write a poem. These poems seem to have a life of their own; they almost write themselves. Until the poem is finished, the emotion I am feeling or the insight I have reached, won’t subside. And when the poem is is completed, I then reach deep feelings of satisfaction–a moment of catharsis.

Five years ago, during a life changing Victories of the Heart retreat, I had one of those peak moment, which compelled me to write the following poem. It speaks to the part in me who decided to start a journey of healing and growth. Even though personal transformation take their toll on us, we know in our hearts and our minds that we really have no choice. Here is my “jewel” of a poem:

Transformations

I am a coarse stone. Yearning to be touched Dreaming of being smooth rounded and glassy.

I am a colorless piece of rubble. Wanting to be held and caressed. Desiring to become a cherished part of a beloved rock collection.

I am a sharp edged rock. Isolated and alone. Needing to no longer be a tool Used to cut and divide a person from his own heart.

Today is the day I allow myself to toss, turn and tumble. To be kicked around. Stomped into the earth. And dug up again.

The endless cycle of seasons take its toll Autumn’s blustery winds Winter’s freezing blizzards Spring’s drenching rains And Summer’s blanching sun transform my surface Forever alter what I look like.

After what seems like a lifetime I find myself resting in a dry river bed. To eventually be carefully chosen by a boastful youth, Who sublimely skips me across the river’s tranquil but rippled surface.

Because of honest youthful enthusiasm I am reconnected to my destiny. Plunging back back down into the river’s cold and dark waters, I am carried further down-river. Carried quickly with a sense of urgency Toward a tumultuous raging white water river.

Violently crashing grinding into unforgiving boulders. I begin to lose necessary parts of myself.

Pushed lower and lower Submerged deep at the bottom of the river, I remain dormant for years that stretch toward no apparent endpoint.

With a torrential downpour And hurricane-like winds, I am moved from my murky muddy and silted home, to be wildly churned in stormy waters

With a tremendous gust of wind and a resulting wave, I am cast shoreward To be perfectly placed on a path where a wandering dreamy child is exploring the river bank seeking his perfect jewel of a stone.

And during this magnificent bright summer day, the shining rays of the afternoon sun strike me so perfectly that my surface explodes with eye-catching glimmering sparkles.

Capturing the attention Of this adventurous and seeking child. Who stops, notices, stares, and picks me up.

With the excitement of a discovery, The boy carefully examines my glassy translucent surface, Marvels at my rainbow colors, Caresses my smooth contours. And with a burst of pride places me in his shirt pocket to be forever close to his heart.