Environment Matters

"You are a product of your environment.  So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective.  Analyze your life in terms of its environment.  Are the things around you helping you toward success - or are they holding you back?"~W. Clement Stone

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"Be careful the environment you choose, for it will shape you."~W. Clement Stone

I've had several jobs and lived in many placed throughout my life.  The positive, and the negative, environments in every situation tremendously effected my 'world' more than any other thing.  Not the home I lived in, nor the salary I made, has ever been the deciding factor on whether I was happy; felt balanced or even fulfilled.

One of the happiest times of my life was when my children were young; while living in a modest house and I had a home day care.  We didn't have cable TV, a dish washer, new cars and I worked 12 hours days.  However, I was very, very happy.

My environment was full of children and love.  Being a mom and babysitting for me was fulfilling and I felt appreciated by my both my own family and the families of the children that I cared for like my own.

When my children got older and didn't need me home all the time; I was lucky enough to find a job I loved and with people that were like family.  I was appreciated and felt I was very good at that job... so again I was happy and fulfilled.

Then I moved to Iowa, where I've had many ups and downs in the last 7 years.  Most of those ups and downs had to do with environments.  My son had good, positive environments in high school and college.  However, living in someone else's small town the first 6 years, and the target of some negative/evil people; left us feeling sad and even fearful at times.  Negative environments cause us to find fault with both ourselves and the people around us.  Neither of which create a positive feelings outlook.

When we moved last summer to a new home; my son and I both felt happier in this beautiful & peaceful place.  An environment we thoroughly enjoy everyday.  Now I am looking for a more positive work environment... taking steps to move toward a new career direction that will be more positive, less stressful and more fulfilling.  I know those jobs are out there... because I've had them before. :-)

"The environment you choose will effect your mood, your health and your future.  I know, it has for me every time."~ME 

How to have Positive Energy in a Negative Environment
The Importance of Positive Environments

"Somewhere along the path, I realized that I am extremely sensitive and must be careful what I expose myself to.  I believe that all of us share the same sensitivity and that ignoring it leads to vague unhappiness or downright misery." ~Silver Rose

IOWA LANDS GRANT TO HELP PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO FIND WORK

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Iowa enjoys relatively low unemployment, yet the jobless rate for people with a disabilities hovers at nearly 40 percent.According to the latest figures from the Governor's 21st Century Workforce Council, there are 87,000 Iowans with disabilities who are either unemployed or underemployed.

The state has received a federal grant aimed at reducing that number by helping schools come up with incentives that can give students with disabilities a better chance of finding a job, says Becky Harker, director of the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council."What we know is that families and educators, and community members often don't have real high expectations for youths with developmental disabilities to be integrated into the workforce." 

Many people with disabilities who do have jobs are often sheltered behind the scenes in low-skill and low-paying jobs, she says.   

This is where many individuals with developmental disabilities really fall through the cracks.  Because even if they do find employment, they seldom make enough to support themselves.  Which is what these individuals both want and can accomplish with the right programs and employers giving them a chance.  

"We're looking at working alongside others without disabilities, receiving the same rate of pay and the same benefits for doing the same work."Harker says the state's project is one of six that will share $3 million from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities.

Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council

Unwind at Work in 5 Minutes By: Holly Allender

I remember an editor once said to me “I love the sound of deadlines as they go whooshing by.” This has always caused me much stress – why would you let a deadline get by you? Wouldn’t you control it? As an overachiever with Type A personality and a project manager and writer, I constantly stressed about meeting deadlines and expectations. Usually, I fell short, and I let myself down. On some level, I knew I was being unrealistic.

I’ve learned from yoga that when life throws you off center, find center within yourself. The following asanas (exercises) helped me stretch my tightly wound back, release my shoulders and hips, and relax my neck. By relaxing my body, my mind would disconnect from the stressors, and I would feel more balanced.

As with any exercise routine, do these exercises at your own pace, and follow your intuition.

Pelvic Tilts
1.Sit upright in your chair, feet firmly planted on the floor. Place your hands, palms down, on your knees.

2.Inhale through your nose and draw the breath into your belly. Tilt your hips forward, causing a curve in the lower back. Look up towards the ceiling.

3.Exhale through your nose, squeezing the breath out of the belly. Tilt your hips back, causing your lower back to curve outward. Allow your chin to rest on your chest.

4.Repeat three times.

Sit and Twist

1.Sit upright in your chair, feet firmly planted on the floor. Turn your body to the right.

2.Place your right hand on the cushion side of the chair and your left hand on the back of the chair.

3.Slowly twist from your lower back. Continue the twist up your spine and into your shoulders. Lastly, turn your head and look over your right shoulder. Hold the pose as you slowly inhale and exhale two to three times.

4.To come out of the pose, slowly release your head, shoulders, arms, and spine.

5.Sit with your hands resting on your knees/legs. Inhale and exhale two to three times.

6.Repeat two more times and then switch to the left side.

Leg-Crossed Forward Bend

1.Sit upright in your chair, feet firmly planted on the floor. Place your left ankle on your right knee. Place your hands, palms down, on your left knee and ankle.

2.Exhale and drop your chin to your chest. Slowly roll down, folding at the waist.

3.Bring your nose over your bent leg, feeling a stretch in the hips and lower back. Hold the pose for two to three breaths.

4.Inhale and slowly roll up.

5.Repeat two more times and then switch legs.

Meditation
Sit upright in your chair. Place your feet on the floor, and rest your hands gently in your lap. Breathing slowly, imagine yourself sitting next to a swiftly flowing river. As the river flows by you, drop any issues you have into the river. Watch them float away. Know that there is no need to interact with them. As they drift away, feel yourself relaxing, releasing, and becoming more centered. If the issues return, turn and look downriver to a waterfall. The issues float down the river and over the waterfall. Continue to breathe slowly, and when you’re ready, open your eyes. ~ By: Holly Allender