Consumer Escort

I have a few questions for you —What if we as individuals adapted and utilized some of the same tried and true processes and methods that have given businesses the edge they need to succeed over their competition? My sense is that understood and implemented correctly professionals would be able to gain the same competitive advantage. Remarkably, this is not anything overly complicated or new and I can’t take credit for developing it. But I can (and will) take credit for suggesting we take it out of the boardroom and adapt it for personal use to achieve greater personal and professional success. This classic business tool is the process of Strategic Planning.

Consider what you could achieve if you had a clear vision of your short and long term objectives, understood where the greatest growth opportunity is now and where it will be in five years and had an effective action plan with measurements for evaluation.. That’s what a strategic plan can do for you. It’s like using a map to understand the best way to get across town knowing that are various options, but some are more direct and efficient then others. Strategic Planning is a deliberate, purposeful thought progression that when implemented will ensure your success.

I have taken the process and broken it into 5 steps. The first is Visioning- meaning you need to know at the beginning where you want to end up. Create a vivid mental picture of your future and list the specific results you want to achieve.

The second piece in the process is Preparing - strategically. To be strategic is to be calculating, deliberate and intentional. We’ve all heard the saying that knowledge is power so this is how you “power-up”! Strategically preparing incorporates research, resources and identifying potential options across a broad range of concerns. As with a corporate plan, an individuals’ plan must include a SWOT analysis. This step is critical as it identifies your “Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats”.

Taking this further, an effective SWOT analysis can not be developed without looking outside yourself (or your company) to consider external conditions such as industry and market conditions, technology advances, available resources, potential opportunities, core competencies and overall fit.

Step three involves creating your action plan. Based on what you now know, what do you need to do and how do you need to do it.

Step four is all about Implementation. As Nike says, “Just Do It”.

Step five requires the ability to Evaluate and Adjust. This will not only help you to keep on track, but will promote continued learning and improvement.

Jeannette Kraar, president of Performance Management International is the Breakthrough Career Coach and a highly-acclaimed trainer, speaker and consultant. Hundreds of PMI clients have succeeded even in the most turbulent times. Jeannette is the author of BREAKTHROUGH, The Hate My Job, Need A Life, Can’t Get No Satisfaction SOLUTION.

Learn more about the book at http://www.breakthroughcareersolutions.com

Email Jeannette at pmi@manageyoursuccess.com or visit her on-line at http://www.manageyoursuccess.com

The condition commonly known as “Kennel Cough” is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases that dogs can contract. The disease is not serious in most cases, however, and often resolves itself after one to two weeks. The accepted medical term for kennel cough is tracheobronchitis, indicating a form of bronchitis that affects the dog’s trachea.

Kennel cough can be caused by several airborne bacteria and viruses. It is generally accepted that most cases of kennel cough are caused by the bacteria Bordetella bronchiseptica but it has also been associated with the canine distemper virus (CDV) and canine parainfluenza. It is the general consensus of the veterinary medical community that in order to cause the illness, an animal must be virtually bombarded by multiple versions of these pathogens at one time. For this reason it is dogs that spend a lot of time around other dogs that are most at risk for the disease. Dogs that participate in dog shows or spend a lot of time in kennels are the highest risks for kennel cough.

The primary symptom of kennel cough is a dry, spasmodic cough which is caused by the inflammation of the dog’s trachea and bronchi. Coughing spells will often result in the dog coughing up a white and foamy discharge. Some dogs will also develop conjunctivitis - an inflammation of the membrane that lines the eyelids. Nasal discharge may also be present. In effect, the dog appears to have a very nasty cold or flu. As stated above, the disease is rarely serious and almost never life-threatening. Still, if you have seen any of these symptoms or have reason to believe that your dog has or has been exposed to kennel cough, you should consult your vet immediately.

Your vet will be able to diagnose kennel cough with a physical examination and medical history. The cough associated with the ailment is very characteristic and a simple massage of the dog’s throat can usually cause it to cough on cue. In some cases, such as if the dog is depressed or feverish or expelling a yellow or green discharge, the doctor may require additional diagnostic tests such as a complete blood count (CBC) and laboratory testing of microorganisms in the dog’s airway. These tests will help the doctor rule out other infectious diseases such as influenza, pneumonia, or canine distemper.

Immunization can help prevent kennel cough and is recommended. When kenneling your dog or traveling it may be required before your dog will be admitted. Effective immunization can be difficult, however, because the disease can be caused by so many different pathogens. Active prevention on your part can be accomplished by not allowing your dog’s toys or water and food bowls to be accessed by unfamiliar dogs. If participating in dog shows make sure that the area is well ventilated to assist with the expulsion of airborne pathogens.

Kennel cough is treated with antibiotics in most cases. Antibiotics will help prevent any secondary illnesses from developing while the dog gets over its case of kennel cough.

About The Author

Kirsten Hawkins is a dog lover and animal expert from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.doghealth411.com/ for more information on dog health, the care of dogs, and dog travel.

In my work as a coach and therapist, I have seen many clients dealing with losses of all kindsloss of loved ones through death and divorce, for instance. These experiences are difficult for everyone.

Stages of Recovery from Loss

There are some predictable stages that most people pass through after losing something or someone important. In her work on death and dying, Elisabeth Kbler-Ross outlined five stages of grieving.

Shock and Denial: The first reaction to loss is often the inability to feel anything. This may include feeling numb, weak, overwhelmed, anxious, not yourself, or withdrawn.

Anger: Blaming yourself or others for the loss.

Bargaining: “If you’ll just let him live, I’ll promise to go to church every Sunday for the rest of my life.”

Depression: Feeling deep sadness, disturbed sleep and eating patterns, thoughts of suicide, excessive crying.

Acceptance: Beginning to look for the lessons of the experience.

Kbler-Ross said that the grieving process involves experiencing all five stages, although not always in this order. She also said that people often cycle back and forth through a number of the stages before coming to the stage of acceptance.

Kinds of Losses

Some examples of significant losses are:

• Loss of a person through death

• Divorce

• Job loss

• Loss of your good health when you are diagnosed with a disease

• Loss of a body part through accident or surgery

• Loss of an ability, such as blindness

• Loss of a friend who has moved

• Loss of everything familiar when you move away

Each kind of loss affects each person in a different way, but the recovery process usually follows Kbler-Ross’s five stages.

Recovering from Loss: Some Key Points

1. You are responsible for your own grief process. No one can tell you how to grieve, and no one will do your grieving for you. It is hard work and you must manage the process by yourself.

2. The grief process has a purpose. It is to help you learn to accept the reality of the loss and to learn from the experience.

3. Remind yourself that your grief will end. You will not feel like this forever. You will heal.

4. Take care of your health. Grief is extremely stressful, and it requires energy to manage the stress.

5. Be careful with food and drink. While it may be tempting to numb the pain with food and drink, this can lead to the additional problems of alcohol dependence and overweight. Also, numbing the pain means you are prolonging denial. This will make your grieving process longer.

6. Talk about the person who is no longer in your life. People sometimes avoid talking about the loss as a denial mechanism. However, this prolongs denial and the grieving process.

7. Take time to be alone. In the days and weeks following the loss of a loved one, there is often a flurry of activity with many visitors and phone calls. Added to the stress of your loss, this can be completely exhausting. People will understand if you don’t answer the phone for an afternoon or go to your room and close the door for a while.

Don’t make any important decisions until your life feels more balanced. It can be tempting to make some important change right after a major loss as an effort to feel

more in control.

8. Maintain a normal routine if you can. You have enough changes in your life right now. Try to get up in the morning, go to bed at night, and take your meals at the same times you usually do.

9. Ask for help. You will need it. If you don’t want to be alone, or if you want someone to take you somewhere, it is okay to ask. People don’t expect you to be self-sufficient right now.

10. Let people help you. People want to help because it gives them a way to express their feelings. Staying connected with people is especially important now, and accepting help is a way of staying connected.

11. Keep a journal of your feelings and experiences during the grief process. Writing about your feelings helps you express them, rather than keeping them inside. It also gives you something to remember and review in the future, which you will appreciate.

Writing about your feelings helps you express them, rather than keeping them inside.

12. Avoid making extreme life changes after a major loss. Don’t make any important decisions until your life feels more balanced. It can be tempting to make some important changes right after a major loss as an effort to feel more in control. If you can, put off such changes and decisions until later.

13. Don’t hurry your grief process. People sometimes want to put their feelings and memories behind them because they are painful. But grieving takes time, and there are no shortcuts.

14. Remind yourself that although grief hurts, it will not harm you. Grief is painful, but you will survive and even grow from the experience.

15. Expect to regress in your recovery process from time to time. This is normal. It may happen unexpectedly, but it probably won’t last long.

16. Acknowledge the anniversary of your loss by taking the day off or doing something special. Have supportive people ready to be with you. It could be a difficult day and it’s better not to be alone.

How to Help Someone Who
Is Grieving

1. Don’t try to get them to feel or be anything but what they are.

2. Don’t reward them for acting cheerful or “like your old self.” This teaches them to suppress their feelings around you.

3. Don’t avoid them. They need your support.

4. Let them tell about the loss again and again, if they need to.

5. Recognize that unexpected, perhaps inappropriate behavior is part of the grieving process. It means the bereaved person is moving forward.

Garrett Coan is a professional therapist,coach and psychotherapist. His two Northern New Jersey office locations are accessible to individuals who reside in Bergen County, Essex County, Passaic County, Rockland County, and Manhattan. He offers online and phone/telephone counseling services for those who live at a distance. He can be accessed through http://www.creativecounselors.com or 201-303-4303.