Why full catastrophe living is slowing you down

Why full catastrophe living is slowing you down Why full catastrophe living is slowing you down All illustrations by John Weiss.“Your pharmacy is too far away from my house! I don’t know why my doctor sent me here,” said the fidgety woman in front of me.Follow Ladders on Flipboard!Follow Ladders’ magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more!“I’m sorry Miss, but we’re a compounding pharmacy. Your medication is unique, which is probably why your doctor sent you to us,” said the woman behind the cashier. “We can work with a local pharmacy closer to you if you’d like to set that up,” she added.“No! I have to get to the airport, and I need the medication before I leave! How long will this take? Oh my God, is it raining outside? Great! That’s just great!”The frazzled woman fumbled in her purse, and then unexpectedly swung it over her shoulder. I ducked.“Okay, that will be $104, and you’ll need to do a brief consult with our pharmacist about this medication.” The cashier smiled, but it didn’t help .“One hundred and four dollars! Are you kidding me? Is that right? Oh my God! And how long will the consultation take, I have to get to the airport and it’s raining now! This is just what I didn’t need!” With that, Miss drama marched over to the consultation booth.There was more complaining and back and forth with the pharmacist, and then the woman stormed out of the building in a huff.“You did a great job being patient,” I told the cashier, adding, “For some people, life is a full catastrophe. I was a cop for 26 years and used to encourage people to tell me the ‘30 word or less’ version of events. Some did, but many just rambled on and on.”The cashier laughed. “The 30 word or less version! I love that,” she said.Patience is a form of  wisdomYears ago I read a book called  Full Catastrophe Living, by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Zinn is professor emeritus of medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where he was founding executive director of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society. He is also the founder and former director of the world-renowned Stress Reduction Clinic.Zinn’s book,  Full Catastrophe Living,  offers mind-body approaches like meditation and yoga to combat stress and foster greater well-being. The goal is to improve your moment to moment mindfulness, which means paying attention more and simply being, rather than doing.“Patience is a form of wisdom. It demonstrates that we understand and accept the fact that sometimes things must unfold in their own time.” -Jon Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe LivingI couldn’t help but think that the impatient and frenetic woman in the pharmacy would benefit from reading  Full Catastrophe Living.She seemed married to the drama in her life and blinded by how her anxious behavior affected others. Everything appeared to be a big inconvenience to her.She might be a wonderful person, but you wouldn’t have known it from her antics in the pharmacy.The texture of our life experienceThere seem to be two kinds of people in life. Those who navigate around obstacles, and the ones who fall apart.Some people don’t waste time complaining, they work around the setback and keep moving forward. Others behave like Sisyphus, forever trying to push that boulder up the hill.Being in law enforcement, I naturally saw people at their worst. Addicts and cheaters who focused solely on themselves, seemingly incapable of dealing with life’s roadblocks and hurdles.Sadly, I witnessed similar behavior in some of my colleagues. There were a few cops I knew who would lose it over an unwanted shift change or getting passed over for a promotion.Some seemed forever caught up in busy gossip over administrative decisions they didn’t like. They’d enlist supporters and expend a lot of energy on negativity and bad morale. It was totally unproductive and stole time away from more important pursuits, like enjoying their families and passions.“Because of this inner busyness, which is going on almost all the time, we are liable either to miss a lot of the texture of our life experience or to discount its value and meaning.” -Jon Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe LivingWell adjusted people feel sadness, anger, and disappointment just like everyone else. The difference is that they do something constructive about it, instead of complaining to everyone and reliving the issue over and over.I remember the time I lost a promotional opportunity to another, the better-qualified candidate. I complained to my father, feeling a little sorry for myself. Dad told me some great advice:“Johnny, we often learn more from defeat than victory. You’ll learn a lot from this disappointment. It will help you next time. Meanwhile, be gracious. Go to this guy’s promotion party, shake his hand and offer to be of help. Remember, people watch your behavior more when you lose than when you  win.”Steady-as-she-goes attitudeJust after I left the pharmacy, I received a phone call from a good friend. He’s fighting prostate cancer and mentioned that they found more cancer in his leg. “Well, what can you do?” he said. “We’re going to throw everything at it, including the kitchen sink. And I’m going to keep riding my bike and living my life.”Then he told me he was heading over to his son’s house to fix some plumbing. No grousing. No “why me.” Just a stoic, steady-as-she-goes attitude.It’s humbling and inspiring to witness such well-adjusted maturity. A far cry from the pharmacy woman, all worked up over perceived inconveniences and a little rain.“The truth is that stress doesn’t come from your boss, your kids, your spouse, traffic jams, health challenges, or other circumstances. It comes from your thoughts about these circumstances.” -Andrew J. BernsteinSo, here’s the deal. Things won’t always go your way in life. Stuff happens. Stress will alight on your shoulders, just like it does with everyone else. The question is, how do you want to deal with it?You can bitch, complain and tell your sad story to everyone who will listen, but it won’t improve the situation. Or, you can choose to navigate around the obstacles and disappointments. Like my friend fighting cancer, who’s busy fixing the plumbing in his son’s house.Steal a page from Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn. Learn more about mindfulness. How to slow down your brain, breathe deeply, and be in the moment more.When you’re out to dinner with your spouse or significant other, don’t stew about some transgression at work. Don’t cheat yourself, and your loved one, from being present. Because if you do, then the bad stuff in your life wins.The full catastrophe of life will unfold. The bills, work stress, traffic, noise, disappointments, illnesses and more. Don’t fixate on it all. Navigate around it.Learn to be more mindful. Be more present for your spouse, kids, and friends. Don’t be like Sisyphus. Let the boulder roll past you, climb out of that pit, and fill your heart with the moments in life that really matter.Before you  goI’m  John P. Weiss.  I paint, draw cartoons and write about life. Thanks for reading.This article first appeared on Medium.      You might also enjoy… New neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy Strangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds 10 lessons from Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule that will double your productivity The worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs 10 habits of mentally strong people

Marine Corps Landing Support Technician

Marine Corps Landing Support Technician Marine Corps Landing Support Technician American Marines stormed their first beach on the island of Nassau during the Revolutionary War, and theyve been leading the way in expeditionary warfare ever since. Few Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) represent this history of innovation and adventure better than the Landing Support Technicians, MOS 0481 or Red Patchers, so named for the distinctive red patches of fabric they wear on their utility uniforms. As one of the few adornments allowed on the Marines typically austere field uniform, its hard to miss. See, during the Battle of Tarawa in World War II, the brass found out just how confusing it can be to drop thousands of troops and tons of equipment on a beach. During such a complex operation, its easy for the boots on the ground to get a bit turned around. That’s why, according to the Marines’ 4th Landing Support Battalion website, planners decided to have shore party Marines set themselves apart with red patches on their uniforms. To this day, its still a tradition among Landing Support Technicians, who are the masters of coordinating movement to and from the beachhead in battle. Duties and Responsibilities Think of Landing Support Marines as air traffic controllers for the troops, tanks, and supplies on the shore. They form the “shore party” that land on the beach ahead of the combat troops, where they organize the movement of equipment from ship to shore, ensuring everything gets where it needs to go efficiently. But when it comes to tactics, the Marine Corps is about keeping with the times: Landing Support Specialists do more these days than just coordinate ship-to-shore movement. They also “support the establishment, maintenance, and control of transportation throughput systems on . . . [aircraft] landing zones, ports (air and sea), and terminals (rail, truck, and container),” according to the Marine Corps’ MOS Manual. So in addition to coordinating landings under fire, 0481s are on hand to support such large movements as the deployment and return of entire forces in countries like Iraq and Kuwait. I saw first-hand how crucial they were as my battalion, and many others, packed up tons of our equipment to be shipped home after the first phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom. That Marine had a hefty responsibility, but I would have preferred his job to be the grumpy Lance Corporal cleaning months of sand out of the shipping containers and gathering up all the inventory. Military Requirements To become a Landing Support Tech, you need a General Technical score of at least 95 on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, and a Mechanical Maintenance score of at least 100. Applicants must be US citizens who, after a background check, are determined eligible for a Secret security clearance. Education Landing Support is open to high school graduates. After earning the title Marine at recruit training, and attending Marine Combat Training (MCT) for non-infantry personnel, 0481s attend the Basic Landing Support Specialist Course aboard Camp Johnson. Thats a little a corner of Camp Lejeune in North Carolina that used to be home to the first boot camp for African American Marines, prior to the military’s racial integration. It’s also convenient if you joined the Corps on the east coast you’ll just have to pick up your seabag and walk across the street from MCT. According to the American Council on Education, the course lasts from a month to a month and a half and “includes lectures and practical experiences in camouflage, mine warfare, demolitions, amphibious operations, and field fortification construction.” In the words of school commander Lieutenant Colonel Carpenter, its most pressing purpose is produc[ing] Marines for the Operating Forces . . . to deploy with a combat organization.” Marines in other career tracks can be designated Landing Support Specialists, if their unit needs more, after six months of on-the-job training. However, they won’t be permanently assigned to the 0481 career track - for promotion and assignment purposes, they’ll still fall under the MOS they were school-trained for. Career Outlook Given the nature of the job, Landing Support Technicians should prepare to go on frequent deployments, both to combat zones in the War on Terror and for training cruises and exercises, such as those conducted every six months by Marine Expeditionary Units. Career Marines who reach Staff Non-Commissioned Officer rank (E-6 and up) may also be called on as “Combat Cargo Assistants (CCAs) onboard naval amphibious assault ships” (MOS Manual.) Marines in it for the long haul may eventually advance to MOS 0491 - Logistics and Mobility Chief - at the rank of Gunnery Sergeant (E-7). Like all other Marines, 0481s must continuously develop essential skills outside their job specialty through Professional Military Education. Furthermore, special duty assignments like Drill Instructor, Recruiter, or Marine Security Guard provide a break from the usual routine of the job. More importantly, they give you an opportunity to diversify your career portfolio and stand out when competing for promotion. For life after the Marine Corps, the American Council on Education recommends experience credits for computer applications, supervision, transportation management, and business communications. Military.com’s Military Skills Translator suggests such civilian careers as Shipping and Receiving, Merchandise Planning and Buying, and Operations or Plant Management.

5 Financial Habits to Start With Your First Job

5 Financial Habits to Start With Your First Job 5 Financial Habits to Start With Your First Job The habits that you start out doing are the ones that will follow you throughout your life. When you are starting your first job after college, you are in a great position to make some choices that can help you to be successful financially. A survival guide can help you stay on track when looking for your job.Landing a good job is only part of being able to build wealth and being successful. It is just as important to manage your money well  and start saving  in order to make it work for you. Even if you are not making a lot of money, these habits can set you down the path to building wealth and being successful. 01 Save for Retirement Hero Images/Hero Images/Getty Images   Whether it is money or time, make it a priority to find a way to give back to your community or the world in general. There are so many people struggling throughout the world, and you have the opportunity to make a difference. If you establish the habit when you are young, it will be easier to continue to help as you get older and busier. The volunteer opportunities may be simple like volunteering for a day or two each year at your local food pantry or more extensive like doing volunteer tourism. No matter what you choose, be sure to research to make sure that the money or time that you donate is doing the good you want it to.

These are the states you should move to if you are over 60

These are the states you should move to if you are over 60 These are the states you should move to if you are over 60 SeniorList  observed five key statistics to determine which state is the safest for the elderly. The factors that informed their list include: injury-related deaths, monthly housing costs, percentage living in poverty, the amount of people living alone as compared to the state population, and the number of fraud cases. The data comes courtesy of the  most recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau.Based on these stipulations, Iowa was determined to be the most ideal residence for seniors.Follow Ladders on Flipboard!Follow Ladders’ magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more!The challenges seniors currently faceThere are roughly 50 million people over the age of 65 living in America. The greater margin of which are increasingly filing for bankruptcy.This is due to the simple fact that people are living longer. When you combine the record number of senior citizens falling prey to fraud and the recent  recession  you have elderly Am ericans very ill-equipped to hack it in today’s economic landscape.Violence toward old people is also experiencing a curious surge. A global systematic review published in 2017 states 1 out of every 6 senior citizens is subject to physical or emotional abuse.  Hannah Bows, Assistant  Professor in Criminal Law at Durham University believes ageist preconceptions cause many of these incidences of violence to go overlooked by law enforcement and key agencies.Why Iowa?Last year Iowa ranked first on  U.S News and World Report’s list of best states. Their list of qualifying factors includes: Health care (Iowa got 3rd), Infrastructure (1st), Opportunity (4th), Education (5th) quality of life (9th), crime (15th), economy (17th) and fiscal stability (17th).Additionally, and more relevantly Iowa has the lowest incidents of injury-related deaths, reported fraud cases and poverty of any other state.KHQA recently sat down with Susan Grant, an administrator at Iowa’s  Mississippi Valley Heal thcare in Keokuk where she passionately revealed the safety and comfort of the institution’s residents is be an absolute priority.“To assure that the resident is able to function at their highest level of ability safety. We’ve had no major accidents this year. No major incidents. We investigate things thoroughly, look for opportunities to improve because if something happens once, we don’t want it to happen twice,”You might also enjoy… New neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy Strangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds 10 lessons from Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule that will double your productivity The worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs 10 habits of mentally strong people

4 ways to use technology to get your best nights sleep

4 ways to use technology to get your best night's sleep 4 ways to use technology to get your best night's sleep When counting sheep isn’t enough to get you to fall asleep, there are technologies offering to hack our tired brains with hardware. We’ve rounded up the best that you can use on your journey to find that elusive good night’s sleep.1) Sleep trackersThe first step with overcoming sleeplessness is recognizing that it’s a problem. Using wearable technologies can be a built-in sleep diary to help you keep track of how much you sleep, and what kind of quality of sleep you’re getting.If you’re skeptical of how a heart rate sensor’s light can accurately tell how little you’re sleeping, studies back up a wearable’s medical accuracy.In two studies, health startup Cardiogram and the University of California San Francisco found that wearables like Apple Watch and FitBit have the ability to detect an abnormal heart rhythm  with 97% accuracy and can detect sleep apnea, a potentially life-threatening condition where the afflicted stops breathing in their sleep, with 90% accuracy. Since we’re asleep when we’re suffering through sleep apnea, the condition often goes undetected. Eighty percent of the 22 million estimated U.S. cases of moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea go undiagnosed, according to the  American Sleep Apnea Association.If you don’t have access to a wearable tracker, break out your pen and paper to keep a written sleep diary.  Write down when you go to sleep and when you wake up, and how you feel before and after each of these moments.  Even if you don’t identify as an insomniac, you may be surprised by your sleep patterns once you see them charted out.2) White noise machinesFor those of us who live a car honk away from a busy street, going to bed in a noisy environment is outside of our control. But just because your neighbor decided to do a one-man 4 a.m. rock concert doesn’t mean that sleep needs to be outside of your control, too.Using a white noise machine allows you to fight noise with noise. Medical studies have found th at the random, constant white noise these machines emit can help people stay asleep in noisy environments such as hospitals. If you don’t want to buy a physical white noise machine for your bedroom, there are free white noise apps  for your phone that will let you use the soothing sound of rain and bells to block out unwanted noise.3) Software to change your screen’s blue lightThe blue lights on our screens may also be culprits preventing us from falling asleep. Our favorite technological devices  emit a light that convinces our brain it’s morning when it’s midnight.For those of us who cannot unplug from technology at night, using software to change your screen’s light could be the trick you need to keep your brain relaxed and sleepy. I use f.lux, a free software plugin that changes the harsh blues in my computer screen to a dimmer orange after sunset. From my personal experience, f.lux is effective at letting me scroll through the night on my devices without the guilt of looking at a blue light my eyes think is sunlight.4) Don’t have access to tech? No problem!When your phone dies and the batteries in your device fail, you can turn to the natural technology within your body to get yourself to sleep. Mastering your breath can be a “natural tranquilizer for the nervous system,” according to sleep expert Andrew Weil who has developed a yoga-breathing technique promising to have you “asleep in 60 seconds.” We know. These are strong claims. I, too, was skeptical of Weil’s grand promise until I found that it worked.As with all biological hacks, figuring out what works for you is a process of trial and error. Your mileage may vary.

If you dont have time to read this, read this

If you don't have time to read this, read this If you don't have time to read this, read this Each month,  When Growth Stalls  examines why businesses and brands struggle and how they can overcome their obstacles and resume growth.  Steve McKee  is the president of  McKee Wallwork + Co., an advertising agency that specializes in working with stalled, stuck and stale brands. The company was recognized by Advertising Age as 2015 Southwest Small Agency of the Year and again in 2018. McKee is also the author of  â€œWhen Growth Stalls”  and  â€œPower Branding.”SmartBrief offers more than 200 newsletters, including  SmartBrief on Leadership  and newsletters for  small businesses  and  marketers and advertisers.Remember when you were in grade school, and you’d stare at the clock on the wall hoping, wishing, the hands would move? (If you’re too young to remember analog clocks, just play along.) Time passed slowly, interminably, especially during mandatory reading time. Ugh. This. Day. Will. Never. End.The older we get, the more we realize that school does, in fact, end, days do go by, and time even flies. It’s a realization borne of experience and maturity â€" and science, believe it or not. James Broadway of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Barbara graduate   Brittiney Sandoval  say, “From childhood to early adulthood, we have many fresh experiences and learn countless new skills. As adults, though, our lives become more routine, and we experience fewer unfamiliar moments. As a result, our early years tend to be relatively overrepresented in our autobiographical memory and, on reflection, seem to have lasted longer.”Well, there you go.Despite that, we still can’t see the hands on the clock move. But what if we could? What if, through some shift in the time-space continuum, the minute hand suddenly started moving like the second hand? How would we react?Third-graders being asked to memorize their multiplication tables (do they still do that?) would probably be thrille d, but I’m guessing the rest of us would panic. Especially at first. “There already aren’t enough hours in the day!” we’d exclaim. “Not I’m never going to get it all done!” we’d complain. “It’s all coming at me too fast!”Once we catch our breath, however, I believe another thought might settle in: A powerful sense of prioritization. We simply wouldn’t be able to allow the urgent to crowd out the important. We’d realize how little we can actually get done and would more intentionally focus on that which would make the most difference. And in an odd way, we might even become sanguine about our lives. Coming to terms with the fact that we can’t do it all, we might re-evaluate our priorities and be at peace focusing on what’s most important.Guess what? This isn’t just a metaphor. Time really has sped up, at least in terms of the economy. Every business, every industry is moving through the stages of disruption, acceleration, maturation, saturation and c ommoditization ever faster. At the end of this “Disruption Cycle” comes innovation (sometimes) or obsolescence (often). Those companies and industries that anticipate the future and adjust accordingly begin a new loop. Those that don’t, flop.For most of the 20th century, the Disruption Cycle turned slowly, imperceptibly, like the hands on a clock. It moved so slowly that people could spend an entire career within one cycle. They didn’t even realize it was happening. It manifested itself in having one job (or at least one career) for life.With the advent of the technological revolution, however, it became not uncommon to experience multiple Disruption Cycles over the course of a single career. In the retail world, for example, brands today have to reinvent themselves faster than ever. Gap has found itself on the downslope of late, about which one analyst  quipped, “While the market is moving forward, Gap is, at best, standing still.”Once high-flying HM is also  in the dol drums  as it struggles to match the distribution muscle of online retailers, the pricing appeal of aggressive discounters and the product iteration of competitors with faster and more flexible sourcing models.More broadly, some consider the advent of artificial intelligence as a death sentence for entire classes of workers. I am not in that camp. I don’t believe AI will make humans obsolete for the simple reason that time and money have always been in limited supply. The more of each that are returned to us because of technological advances, the more we will be able to reinvest them in meeting as-yet-unmet needs and wants â€" two things of which human beings will never run out.After all, there are more jobs today than ever before in human history because there are more humans than ever before. That means more wants, more needs and more human ingenuity that is being applied to both.But that doesn’t mean we don’t have issues. The rise and fall of industries has always resulted i n worker displacement, from horse-and-buggy-whip makers to typist pools. In past ages, however, business models became  outmoded  slowly and sporadically, allowing the gradual reabsorption of displaced workers into new occupations. For most of human history, sons and daughters almost invariably followed in the occupational footsteps of their fathers and mothers. Today, however, none of our careers are safe from rapid obsolescence â€" perhaps more than once over the course of our working lives.I was leading a seminar about this recently and was struck at how readily the participants nodded in agreement. They, like me, can almost feel the breeze of the Disruption Cycle as it spins us around like a turbocharged Ferris wheel. Yet when I asked these professionals â€" who were all in senior management â€" what strategies they were implementing to stay ahead of the inevitable, all I received in return were blank stares. I couldn’t tell if it was fear, nausea or a flashback to third grade when they could bury their heads in their hands and make the world disappear. Whatever the case, denial won’t do.What will? Well, a little panic is understandable. But once you realize how unproductive that is, better to reflect and reprioritize. Better to think a step (or two) ahead and anticipate the coming disruptions. Better to be the  disruptor  rather than the disruptee.For the first time in history, it now does pay to keep our eyes on the clock. The sooner we realize those hands are spinning with increasing velocity, the better and more nimbly we can anticipate change and respond to it â€" or even lead it. We may have all graduated from grade school, but the test-taking never ends. And in this economy, there’s no grading on the curve. It’s pass/fail.This article first appeared on SmartBrief.

3 Tips for Family Caregivers Who Need to Work

3 Tips for Family Caregivers Who Need to Work 3 Tips for Family Caregivers Who Need to Work 3 President Obama declared November as National Family Caregivers Month. Recognizing the struggle that many people face trying to care for family, as well as balance their jobs, initiatives are being put in place to help families balance their work lives and their personal lives. The first-ever White House Summit on Working Families was held to help explore possibilities in terms of workplace flexibility to help ease the pressure these families are facing. But what if you’re caring for kids and parents and youre looking for a job, too? The task may seem daunting, but it is possible for caregivers to find work and take care of their loved ones, too. Here are just three tips for family caregivers who need to work. Be strategic in your job search. After reading through the description, the job sounds like a dream. Thing is, it’s a full-time, in-office position. While you may find out that there is some flexibility after you’ve applied for the position, chances are if the job doesn’t specifically say that it’s flexible, it probably isn’t. That’s why it’s smarter to focus your job search on positions that you know will offer you some flex, such as remote jobs, part-time jobs, flexible schedule positions, and even an alternate schedule job. That way, you can shorten your job search and find a job that gives you the flex that you need. Transfer your caregiving skills into job skills. Let’s say that you’ve been a stay-at-home parent for quite some time and are looking to onramp back into the workforce. When it comes time to revamp your resume, you may feel that the skill set section on your resume is looking pretty bare. Thing is, your caregiving skills do count as valuable skills that can translate into job skills. For example, you can write on your resume that you have superior communication skills (garnered, of course, from speaking with doctors at your mom’s medical appointments!). You can also include your ability to multitask from balancing your family’s needs with your work needs. And you can also list on your resume that you are highly organized, too! Find supportive companies. If you’re looking to find a faster way to launch your flexible career, the 55 Top Companies Hiring for Freelance Jobs or the Top 100 Companies with Remote Jobs lists are a great place to start. In doing your job hunting due diligence, find out what the companies’ policies are on elder-care benefits. Some of these organizations may offer not only workplace flexibility, but have policies in place such as discounted backup home care and paid time off. Finding a flexible job is a great way to help supplement your income while still performing your duties as a caregiver. Being strategic in your job search and being confident in your skills can help you launch your flexible career and still care for your loved ones, too. Caregivers who need to work! Are you trying to balance caregiving with finding a flexible position? Let us know about your experience in the comments section below!