My oldest, Dustin & Catherine Rauser, after giving stellar speeches at their high school graduation.

The deluge of inarticulate adults is frightening. I work with teenagers on a daily basis, and cringe as they butcher the English language. At times I have even heard these abhorrent speech patterns uttered from my own lips→Bad company corrupts! What is more frightening is that these teenagers are no longer growing out of these speech patterns as they reach adulthood! My stomach knots as I hear a college educated woman verbalize, in exact sequence, “Like…ummmm….yah.” The word “like” has invaded every sentence, two, three maybe even four times!!!

Public speaking courses should be compulsory starting in junior high and continued throughout high school. I am…just…like…um…ya’ know…saying.

The actual interview is key to getting the job. However, before the interviw you have researched the company, researched the postion and thoughtfully written out and practiced answers to why YOU are the best fit for the job. Why you would be of greatest service insuring they make a profit knowing this is the only way you will be paid. Then you practiced, practiced, practiced. In this whole process you will remember the Self Fulfilling Prophecy, that your thoughts are things. If you have constant negative self talk, “I know I will blank when asked a question. I am going to trip over my words. This is going to be horrible.” Then you might as well stay home. Instead you will imagine a successful interveiw, being able to confidently and fluently answer any question. You will be able to present your best self, the person they want to hire. Remember, you are the master of your brain, you would not allow someone else to trash talk you all day, so stop the negative self talk and replace it with, in the words of Zig Ziglar, “The pure, the postive and the powerful!”

Stop! Right now, as you read this you may have a little voice in your head saying, “Yah, right. How?” I will tell you how. Go now and find some great motivatoinal materials by people like Napoleon Hill, Zig Ziglar, Wayne Dyer, Jim Rohn …the list is endless. Overpower that negative self talk with postive messages. Remember, garbage in-garbage out. Make sure you feed your mind constantly with, “The pure, the positive and the powerful!” I know you can do it! So do it now!

Kelly Eggers writes:

If you’re in your final year of college, be warned: the rumors about landing a job in this economy are true. You should be taking steps today, not next semester, to prepare yourself.

An April 2011 survey conducted by Braun Research on behalf of Adecco Staffing U.S. found that 71% of 500 recent four-year college graduates would have done something differently to prepare for the job market. While companies will hire 9.5% more graduates from the class of 2012 than they did from the 2011 graduating class, according to another poll, employers are still looking for the pick of the litter.

“When you’re not familiar with the job market or job seeking, you really don’t know how much effort it will take,” said Kathy Kane, senior vice president of talent management for Adecco NA,

To find out what students can do to better prepare for the current job market, we spoke with career coaches, recruiters and recent graduates.

“I would have started looking for jobs earlier.”

Putting off your job hunt isn’t a wise move. Among the Adecco survey’s respondents, 26% said they would have started looking for potential positions earlier.

“It’s easy to fall into ‘my weekend starts on Thursday’ mode, rather than ‘I’ve got to put my job search into full gear today’ mode,” said Kane, “but procrastinators will have fewer choices.”

Most students don’t start thinking about their careers until they have to, said Lindsey Pollak, a career expert who focuses on Generation Y in the workplace. “There’s so much you can do that’s not a lot of work and not overly time consuming.”

“I would have actually networked.”

For students and older professionals alike, networking can feel like the most dreaded part of a job hunt. Twenty-nine percent of respondents to the Adecco survey said they would have spent more time building a solid professional network.

“Networking can be scary,” said Pollak, “but about 70% of jobs are found through networking.” Students who spend their time trolling job boards should instead spend that time making solid connections with people who are respected and involved in the workforce, industry experts and alumni, and spend only 30% of their time looking at job listings.

For the most part, Pollak said, people love to help students. As long as you are gracious and thankful and not trying to hard-sell yourself right off the bat, potential connections are likely to be receptive.

“I would have taken on a job or an internship in addition to my courseload.”

Bottom line: There’s no substitute for experience.

Having some professional experience under your belt before entering the workforce has become a necessity for many employers.

“I don’t know a company that doesn’t want people with internship experience,” said Pollak. “My advice is to get yourself through the recession any way you can, and come out with whatever experience you can.”

Look for internships that provide college credit or are paid. Otherwise, gain work experience in a setting such as waiting tables — and talk with people at each and every table. “There are CEOs who started networking while they were waiting tables,” Pollak said.

If you can’t find a full- or part-time position on- or off-campus, try going to the Internet for virtual work. “There are jobs you can get without even leaving your dorm room,” Pollak said, including maintaining someone’s social media outlets, working as a copyeditor or building a website for a small business. Many of these types of jobs have flexible hours, an added benefit for busy students.

“I would have gotten more involved in career-relevant extracurricular activities.”

On-campus groups, clubs, events and activities are a great place to get experience that translates to the working world. Skills are skills. You can show you have gained relevant experience by planning concerts on campus or working as a freshman orientation assistant, for example.

“Everybody wants to hire people who understand how to manage projects, work alongside difficult people, and have built their communication skills,” said Kane. If you were on the dance team, and choreographed a group performance, for example, you’ve developed creative, leadership and training abilities, all of which translate to the workplace.

Experts say it’s a matter of framing the extracurricular experience you’ve had in a professional way. Try thinking of your biggest accomplishments as a member or leader of an extracurricular group, and using them to brainstorm resume bullet points.

“I would have applied to more jobs.”

Many recent graduates regret not putting out more feelers. According to the Adecco survey, 26% of recent graduates would have applied to more jobs prior to finishing school.

Putting your hat in the ring is the only way to be considered for most opportunities. The trick is to keep track of the applications you send out. “Sending in your application for hundreds of jobs on Monster.com will work against you,” said Dan Schawbel, a personal branding expert and author of Me 2.0. Not only is it difficult to remember what you applied for and when, but you’re also likely to send out generic resumes.

Write your resume so it highlights your experience with each position’s requirements. Not sure what your relatable skill-set is? Try creating a Venn diagram that illustrates all of the skills and experience you’ve developed. The overlap can indicate your primary strengths, and the remainder can help you see where you have specific skills related to your prospective industry.

“I would have focused more on becoming ‘professional.’”

Save the sweatpants and fratty T-shirts for the weekend. Replace them with clothes that are fitted, pressed and at the very least casual-Friday appropriate even when you’re going to class. You may think dressing well every day doesn’t matter, but the professors you ask for recommendations will remember your style.

Another way to show your professionalism is to pick up the tab for networking coffees, and send thank-you notes for even a little bit of help. “If someone gives you advice, all you have to do is say thank you after the fact,” Pollak said.

And, of course, monitor your online appearance. Clean up and privacy-protect your Facebook accounts, start Tweeting interesting news (instead of which class you’re skipping), be careful where you “check-in” on your smartphone, and set up a solid LinkedIn profile, Pollak said. Add a signature line to your e-mail account and set up a professional voicemail message.

“I would have done more to figure out what my career goals were.”

Your first job out of college is unlikely to be your dream position, if you even know what that is. Indecision can hold you back, so set up some informational interviews to try to narrow your focus.

“It’s a rare gift at any age to know what your passion is,” said Bruce Tulgan, CEO of Rainmaker Thinking, a New Haven, Conn.-based management consultancy that focuses on integrating generations in the workplace. “In 99 out of 100 cases, people start to learn about a career path, gain experience in something, and over time they become passionate about it.”

Don’t be afraid to try something that you’re initially lukewarm about, said Pollak. “I don’t believe in dead-end jobs when you’re early in your career,” she said, “because everything is experience.”

“I would have gone to the career center.”

This is what they call a “no-brainer.” You might not think you need your university’s services, but there’s no reason to find out the hard way you did something wrong that could have been avoided.

“College students have an advantage other job seekers don’t — an on-campus career center staffed with people who have one purpose: to help students find jobs,” said Kane of Adecco. “Most career centers aren’t taken advantage of to their full extent.”

Once you get to know the counselors and they know what you’re looking for, they can tell you about new opportunities, Kane said. It’s also a good place to practice your elevator pitch, draft introductory e-mails or cover letters, perfect your resume, or any other measures you don’t want to run by friends or family members.

“I would have kept better track of my achievements.”

Experts say that even on-campus accolades belong on your resume.

“Start creating tangible results with your name on them so you have evidence of your ability to add value,” said Tulgan. “Save the tangible results, date them, and be prepared to present them.”

Tracking how many donations you collected from calling alumni or that you created a new filing system for the admissions office are achievements that translate to everyday work activities. Don’t forget to highlight your academic awards, such as making the dean’s list or honor society.

“Any accomplishment matters,” said Schawbel. ” Track them in a public setting, like your LinkedIn profile.” If it’s not out there for people to find, those achievements won’t be doing anything to help you, he said.

“I would have focused more on developing relevant skills.”

Having an awareness of industry-specific skills as well as broad, transferable ones is a way to really stand out.

“Companies aren’t investing as much in training, so companies are more likely to look for someone who can hit the ground running,” said Kane. That isn’t just familiarity with industry terminology, it’s also having professional “street smarts.”

“Show your understanding of chain-of-command issues, working with older, more experienced colleagues and working with people in parallel roles in other departments, or with vendors and customers,” said Tulgan.

You should also have excellent customer service knowledge – not only to use as a professional, but also to use as a job seeker. That includes making yourself available, being fully prepared for interviews,and knowing how to problem-solve, Tulgan said. “Above all, develop self-management skills and the ability to work effectively with a manager,” he said.

This paper is about the wisdom that my parents have taught me, but when they taught me their wisdom, it was through not only their words, but their actions. My parents have taught me a lot of wisdom through out my life and if I were to write it all out, I probably would write a book as big as the dictionary. So I have decided to pick three main things of wisdom to write about; Christian Love, Humor, and Hard Work.

Christian Love is a high priority of my parents’ lives. My parents have taught me Christian Love through their actions, some of their actions being which: They took in a teenager when he was unfairly kicked out, my dad works overtime for the church and refuses pay for it, they often invite people over for dinner who are struggling, and my dad teaches Jr. High Sunday School (and you know how those annoying Jr. Highers can be ). Because I have grown up in such an environment full of Christian Love has really affected my life. I am inspired by my parents to be more loving towards people and to show them how a real Christian should be.

Laughter surrounds my life because of my parents. My parents always try to make laughter out of most situations. My mom has said many a time that humor is a key in public speaking. The reason my dad teaches Sunday School is not only because he wants to or that he knows a lot about the Bible, but because he can make us laugh until we explode. Because of my parents, I try to make laughter as often as I can. Laughter is happiness, happiness is what God loves.

I have learned from my parents that Hard Work is a key element for life. My dad leaves for work at 7 a.m. and gets back at 9 p.m. which is more then most men. My mom has to deal with us from dawn to dusk and sometimes in between, which I think sums it up that she is a hard worker. Our parents have us go to every work day at the church and my dad always out works every man there. My parents have taught me that I should always try my hardest at everything and to always go the extra mile.

My parents have taught me wisdom which I will try to use until eternity. No other human being could ever take the place of my parents. I hope that I can make the same affect in my future children as my parents did in me.

Now is the time for etiquette! Grab hold of your future and learn the art of etiquette that is guaranteed to make you a much more likable person. Do it for yourself, your professional life, and most importantly, your personal life.

Call today and schedule a workshop for your business, organization, college, club or church: 408.340.0655

Etiquette is no longer a competitive edge, it is a prerequisite!

Happy New Year!

For more information on the Harvard Business School study conducted by Harvard Business School professor Tiziana Casciaro and Duke University’s Miguel Sousa Lobo, please go to: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/4916.html

Kathy McManus writes for The Responsibility Project. McManus’s article on October 20, 2009 entitled Should Walking While Texting Be Illegal? is a must read:

“Exactly forty years after a man first stepped on the moon, a walking, texting teenager took another giant leap forward and stepped into an open manhole, becoming the latest case-study of responsibility in America.” Click here to continue reading.

Society has taken a disturbing downturn in character. Bad manners and high crime rates are parts of the same disease. When I live by the Golden Rule, when I treat you the way I would want to be treated…I will not lie to you…I will not steal from you…I will not cheat.

There is an easier and less expensive way to protect yourself and your loved ones and you can do it today. It is called Wasp Spray. Click on the following link to watch a video on how this works. Wasp Spray

These beautiful Easter eggs are colored with dyes made from beets, onions and blueberries. Rosalind Creasy

By Rosalind Creasy

When Alex, my 10 year old grandson, came to stay with me during spring break, he was eager to color Easter eggs. Also, I hadn’t seen Jody Main, my friend and an Easter egg maven, for far too long — what a perfect excuse for a visit!

When we entered Jody’s farmhouse kitchen, there was a table with teacups full of dyes and a big bowl of eggs ready to go. Alex and I had great fun, and we learned a lot that afternoon about colors and which combinations produce which colors. We went home with cartons full of unique eggs.

After years of dying eggs with a wide range of botanical sources, Josy had streamlined the dyeing procedure. She had narrowed the necessary ingredients down to three…to continue click on link: Natural Dyes