The Refresh Orlando Heirs

First lets look at WHAT it is, and Why would we want to make one?

CSV means Comma Separated Value, so that means; a ‘value’ that is separated by commas. It is usually made in XL or a txt file.

A ‘value’ is explained, in context below.

CSV files are the most common kind of format used by most software programs for importing data. This means that if we want to put several hundred names and addresses (values) into a “bulk mailing program” we can usually use a CSV file.

The CSV file would have to have all the names and addresses in it, and then we could go to our software program and use the ‘import’ function to upload all the names and addresses (values), with one click instead of spending hours entering each one by hand.

But, how do we get the names and addresses into the CSV file in the first place? It depends where they come from, if we are simply extracting the names and addresses (Values) from one program to another we can often choose to ‘export’ to a file in CSV format. If we have a list of ‘values’ that is, say, in Microsoft word, or some other kind of document, we would first need to copy and paste them into an XL document.

Once all the ‘values’ we want to use, are pasted into the XL document, WITH EACH VALUE IN A SEPARATE COLUMN. We can then save the XL document as a CSV file, and then upload it into our software. Easy!

Before we continue please note: It is often necessary to have these values in our CSV file in a particular order for example; some software, will require Column ‘A’ to have the ‘Name’ and column ‘B’ might have to be the ‘eMail’ or vise versa and etc…. So it’s a good idea to check first.

Some software allows us to choose where each ‘value’ will be loaded to, so in this case, the initial order in our CSV file won’t matter, because in the upload process we may be prompted to select which ‘fields to place which ‘values’ into.

Now, how to turn a XL document into a CSV file!

1. In your XL document with the info you wish to upload. Go to “file/save as” then select the option “as file type” and scroll down to “CSV (Comma Delimited)

2. Then name it “WHATEVERYOUWANT” and click save.

3. Now you will get a window asking a lot of questions.

4. Answer “OK” or “YES”, then you’ll get about two or three more windows one after the other. Answer each one “OK” or “YES”, until it is done then close the workbook. You’ll get more windows again. just answer “OK” and “YES” until it closes

5. Go to your software and find the import function, browse for your file and upload it!

6. Then check your “mailing List” to see the results!
Your CSV file will look like this a, if you saved it correctly!

If it doesn’t work for you, make sure it is in this format.

You may find that you need to play around with this a bit, but as long as you finish with an XL document in CSV format, you should be able to upload to just about any program. Of course this isn’t limited to email lists you can use this format for a range of different applications.

Bill Boyd; has a degree in business, he has run several successful email campaigns and found the following tool useful, so he became an affiliate: http://www.internetgoldenweb.com/groupmail/index.html
To visit his Internet marketing site go here: http://www.internetgoldenweb.com

With the holiday season soon upon us, it’s time to think about some fun crafts you can do with your children in preparation of Christmas. My kids love doing holiday crafts, and I’m sure yours will too! It has always been challenging to find age-appropriate crafts that all of the children will enjoy making. My children each have a few years between them, so we have amassed quite a collection of crafts and craft ideas. Here are a few suggestions you can use. Consider it an early Christmas gift from me to you!

Bead garlands are one of my all-time favorite crafts. They are fun to make, extremely colorful, and great for children of all ages. You will need some string or plastic cord, a whole lot of beads, some scissors, and some glue. Cut the string or cord to the desired length, and thread it through the first bead. Tie a knot around that bead, and add some glue to keep it secure. Now add the rest of your beads. When you reach the end, tie the string off on the last bead and add some more glue. Now that was fun, wasn’t it?

Pine cone ornaments have also become classics in our Christmas craft repertoire. They are appropriate for children of any age, and keep very well in storage. You will need to spend some time collecting the pine cones. We collect them when we are out walking the dog. We simply paint them with silver or gold paint, and cover them with glitter. Let them dry somewhere safe, and tie them to your tree with a piece of ribbon. Are you getting in the holiday spirit, yet?

Bell ornaments are also a lot of fun to make, and they will last for years to come. We feel that small terra cotta pots are the best to use. Have the children paint the pot green, and allow it to dry. Once the pot is completely dry, attach fake jewels or beads to it with glitter glue. Then thread a small bell with some ribbon, and pull the ribbon up through the hole in the pot. Tie a knot in the ribbon so the bell stays secure, and add any other final touches you might like. I am sure your kids will love these crafts as much as mine do! Have a wonderful holiday, all!

Catherine Spelling absolutely loves spending Christmas with family and friends. When she is not counting down the days until Christmas, she writes for christmaslightsanddecorations.com – an online resource for all things relating to Christmas and decorations, with information about Decorating for Christmas, Christmas Lights, and Everything Christmas.

According legend, first nested doll prototype appeared in Russia in the late 19th century (believed to be year 1890), it was figurine of bold headed old man, Buddhist sage by the name of Fukuruma, on the island of Honshu, Japan.

According Hakone Town Office, Japan, products such as “Shichifukujin” and “Irokawaridaruma” have been created from Junitamago. “Shichifukujin” was shipped to Russia at the end of the 19th century, becoming a folkcraft called Matryoshika, or a doll having children. It is thought that Russian missionaries from the Russian church which used to be in Tohnosawa visited Hakone for the summer and took “Junitamago” back to Russia as souvenirs. Let us explain what Shichifukujin mean.

According Japan sources -

Japan`s Shichifukujin–usually identified as Ebisu, Daikokuten, Bishamonten, Benzaiten, Fukurokuju, Jurojin, and Hotei–are traditionally believed to bring good fortune and happiness to people. The seven have long been depicted in painting, sculpture, song, and dance and began to be worshiped as a group several hundred years ago. The practice of making a meguri, or pilgrimage, to shrines and temples of all the Shichifukujin during the New Year season became popular during the Edo period (1603-1868). Shichifukujin Meguri are still popular everywhere in Japan–including the Fukagawa and Kameido districts of Tokyo`s Koto-ku.
But Russian nesting doll got another name and had a different meaning from the very beginning.

At the end of 19th century at Russia Children`s Education Workshop at Abramtzevo village near Moscow was established. Abramtzevo workshop started to produce dolls in traditional ethnic dress. That workshop collected dolls from all over the country and from countries abroad. Dolls series was designed to entertain childs and to give them knowledge of other ethnicities.

It is believed that Fukuruma doll inspired Russian artist S.V. Malyutin to produce first “Matrioshka” (nesting doll in Russian) doll.
But Russian doll was different from original Japanese one.
At Russia it became toy, game for childs, it depicted the chain of life, and got woman name.

It is the diminutive form of Matrona or Matriona. Therefore, Matroska, should be a feminine noun. “Matrona” is Bysantee and ancient Rome originated name, which means “well respected woman”.

Matrioshka appeared as synthesis of Buddhist sculpture, pre-Christian toys of Russia and Christian beliefs of 19th century.

Original, ancient Russian dolls was produced from solid piece of wood and depicted ancient - pre-Christian gods. That dolls was in fact, miniature ancient Indo-Iranian pagans, they depicted Horses, Cows, Birds, Humans.
Once Bysantee Empire style Christianity appeared in Russia at VIII-IX century, that type of dolls was transformed into wooden figures of animals and Heroes of fairy tales, cause ” pagan toys ” was not Ok to use anymore.
Russian Matrioshka produced from solid piece of wood too, but became nested, and depicts people, fairy tales heroes or animals - same as many centuries ago, but now - with Buddhist sence, nested.

Nested doll was very popular toy for childs cause it helps to develop motility of fingers, imagination, representation about the sizes and colors.

“Matrioshka” nested doll spelled differently outside Russia.
Exactly, According to the spelling mat + ros (as in albatross OR as in metros) + ka (as in Alaska) [mæ̀trɔ́skə, mæ̀tróuskə] According to the original Russian word ma as in machine; tro as in tr in try + Yo in New York, but shorter and narrower; ska as in sh in ship + ka in Alaska [mətrʲóʃkə] —-

Article provided by Russian nesting dolls internet shop: http://www.rus-sell.com

When Halloween approaches, you know that face painting season is kicking into high gear. Try these easy, but immensely child-pleasing Halloween “cheek art” designs at class parties, fall festivals and homecoming carnivals.

Begin with good quality, water-based face paints. You can find them online or in some theatrical stores. A palette of six, good-quality face paints is priced around $12.00 and includes enough paint for 70 or more cheek art designs. Water-based face paints apply as easily as watercolors and remove cleanly with a paper towel and water.

For a small gathering of children, two or three small to medium sized paint brushes will be sufficient. A bowl of water to rinse the brushes and a roll of paper towels conclude the list of basic supplies.

In my opinion, the simplest design to paint is that of a ghost. The basic shape of the ghost is that of a triangle. With a brush loaded with white paint, paint a loose triangle by creating a wavy line to outline the ghost. Fill in with more white paint, dot on black eyes and a smile and the ghost is complete.

Nothing is “sweeter” than a face dotted with painted candy corn. The basic shape is a pyramid, with yellow on the bottom third, orange on the middle third and white at the peak. You can create a candy corn crown by painting the candies in succession along the forehead.

To paint a jack-o-lantern, begin with a circle or oval of orange paint. When the orange paint dries, add small triangles in black paint for the eyes and nose and paint a toothy smile in black as well. Add a green stem and your jack-o-lantern is complete.

The most important thing to remember when face painting is to have fun and keep it simple! Children aren’t expecting a Picasso to be painted on their face. They simply love to celebrate the occasion and face painting is the perfect way to light up the face of any child.

JoAnne Westcott is the author of the downloadable e-book, Easy Face Painting: How You Can Get Professional Results Even If You’ve Never Picked Up A Paintbrush. You can learn more about face painting and how to acquire the simple skills to get started by visiting http://www.easyfacepainting.com

My first experience of deliberate birdwatching took place in Richmond Great Park. The time; 1966, the occasion; one of the first dates with my (now) husband. There I was, all dressed up and ready to knock him out with my drop dead gorgeousness (memory plays strange tricks as you get older!) and there he was, luring me into the undergrowth of the park, hissing to me to keep my head down. No, it wasn’t this bird’s feathers he was after observing, but a green woodpecker that he had spotted. It must have been love on my part because, although I don’t remember seeing the flash of emerald, I do remember getting my trendy high boots covered in mud.

And that was the first of many times that I have shared the joys of avian observation with my spouse. He had been a committed twitcher from an early age. As a boy, a family friend had dragged him along to many birdwatching expeditions, from sighting a large wader (a ruff) on a one time sewage farm, soon to become the fifth terminal at Heathrow, to happy weekends spent observing the many migrants arriving on the Norfolk coast from Europe.

Birdwatching is one nature pursuit that just about anybody can get something out of, and most of us have ‘twitched’ at some time in our lives. What child hasn’t fed the ducks, or pigeons? That’s the good thing about birds. They are so accessible. You can see them almost everywhere at any time of the day. And you can hear them; blackbirds and nightingales have been immortalised in song and verse. The ubiquitous gull can be heard far inland; pigeons coo vociferously in our city centres; rooks squawk as they arrive at their evening roosts and starlings chatter as they gather in flocks on our roofs, telegraph wires and urban trees. No other wild animal group is so easy to see and admire. The skill of flying, and therefore the ability to get out of the way if needs must, has been a boon for the latent birdwatcher in all of us.

That birdwatching foray with my husband to be was the first of many enjoyable observations of our feathered friends. Some I will never forget. Standing on top of the Preseli hills in Wales and listening to the liquid bubbling coming from the throats of hundreds of curlews in the gathering dusk of the evening; sadly not a common occurrence nowadays. Or that magic afternoon, cycling along a country road with my young son and counting 32 larks as they rose skywards from the fields either side of us. Another sight, rarer now than it used to be, was the spectacle of thousands of starlings darkening the sky and turning as one with a whoosh of wings, above the field next to our first home; We’ve watched puffins and guillemots on Skomer island off the coast of West Wales and along the seashore we have seen countless flocks of all sorts of waders. And how to describe the thrill of seeing two peregrine falcons screeching over a deceased pigeon that they were devouring at the base of a sea cliff; or watching red kites circling lazily in the thermals above the hills of mid Wales.

And there are always more. I’m so glad I’ve seen at least one dipper, incongruously running along a stream bed, underwater feeding. Another stream frequenter, the heron, can also be sighted, perched in prehistoric stance, in the middle of a field. What is it doing? I am assured by that fount of all bird knowledge (my husband) that it’s on the lookout for a tasty mole; and sometimes, if we went out on a Summer night, we would be lucky enough to catch sight of a little owl, staring down at us from his high perch on a telegraph pole.

We called one of our houses Hafod Y Wennol, Welsh for summer house of the swallows, because, in it’s previous life as a cow parlour, the swallows had swooped in and made their little mud nests on it’s walls. We felt so guilty at evicting them from their home, especially after such a long and perilous journey from their Winter habitat somewhere in Africa. But swallow poo is prolific and not to be tolerated indoors; and they did have a garage and another barn to breed in. For many years they were a significant part of our summer; the sighting of the first arrival was always noted. Their twittering and swooping round the farmyard a never ending source of enjoyment; their gathering on the telephone wire and subsequent departure a gloomy time, heralding as it did the approaching winter.

And at our next home, a tall Edwardian town house, we had the amazing luck to be the Summer residence to a flock of swifts, whose ariel acrobatics, as they screamed past our windows, would have put the Red Devils to shame. We never tired of watching as they swooped and dived after insects, banking at the last second when it seemed they must collide with the house wall. It was better than television!

We have been lucky enough to live in a beautiful part of the country where birdlife is prolific and constant. But town dwellers have opportunities too. In any urban garden a wide variety of town birds can be seen; especially with a little bit of encouragement. Introduce a nut feeder and a bird table and, abracadabra, in an amazingly short space of time there will be blue tits, robins, blackbirds, sparrows and various finches; if you’re lucky there might be the odd nuthatch. The tiny wren might hop about underneath, picking up any titbits and, if, they all suddenly scatter for no apparent reason, look up to the skies and search for the shape of a sparrowhawk, on the lookout for an unwary prey.

Yes, bird watching is something that you can do all through your life; from a window or outdoors. Introduce your children to this fascinating world and they will have a pleasure that will last and last; it’s free entertainment and an excellent grounding in learning how to appreciate some of the wonderful world around us.

Jackie Gee is a professional freelance writer with many varied works published on and offline. She is currently sponsoring this blog which can help with wild bird identification. If you like the content of this article then you may like to know that (at the time of writing) Jackie is currently accepting article jobs for consideration. Her rates are by no means the cheapest but you get top quality article content. She can be reached by contacting Fabio Marcell’s offices here: Internet Traffic and Brand Building

If you are writing a report, manual, reference document or even a book, you may want to create a table of contents. You can do this automatically and update it at the press of a key in Word.

To start with you must use heading styles for your section titles; use these 3 shortcuts to apply headings styles as you type:

Ctrl + Alt + 1 ……Heading Style 1

Ctrl + Alt + 2 ……Heading Style 2

Ctrl + Alt + 3 ……Heading Style 3

Create a Table of Contents for your report or book: position the cursor where you want the contents to be listed.

From the menu: Insert (then in XP on Reference) Indexes and Tables, and then on the Table of Contents tab.

Choose the Format you prefer and click on OK.

Update your Table of Contents after making changes to your document:

Select the Table of Contents and press [F9] .

To Update the Table of Contents in your document, automatically, before printing..

Select the checkbox for Update fields choice on the Print tab in the Options dialogue box (from the Tools menu). The table will be updated before a print / preview instruction is carried out.

Finding Alternative Words, Dictionary Language, Spell Check & Hyphenation

Thinking of different words when writing can sometimes be difficult. Word can help when you keep coming up with the same word. Just use the thesaurus to find an alternative:

Press Shift & [F7] to open the Thesaurus dialogue box. (In XP alternate (right) click and choose Synonyms).

Spelling Problems?
Do you sometimes look at a word you’ve typed, you’re convinced you’ve spelt it correctly, but Word thinks differently and underlines it in a red wavy line? Check you are using the correct dictionary for the language you are working in.

If you are not sure if your system is set for the correct language, open the spell check dialogue box (Press [F7] ) and examine the title bar for the language being used.

Set the dictionary for the language to be used in your documents, e.g. the dictionary being used may be a different variation of English, e.g. US instead of UK or vice versa:

Select the whole document - press Ctrl + A,

From the menu: Tools, Language, Set Language and select the language version to use. Click the Default button to set it for future documents.

You can quickly start checking your document for spelling mistakes - Press [F7]

Alternatively Double-Click the open book icon at the bottom of the document window to check the next mispelt word in your document.

Hyphenation in a Sales Letter Tools, Select Language, Hyphenation.

Set the hyphenation zone to its lowest, 0.25 cm, and click on Manual.

You will be asked to decide on the hyphenation of any words falling at the end of the line. By doing it manually you can prevent the words in your headline being split.

In the other articles in this mini-series I share another 17 tips:

* Preparing Word – How to Stop Word being ‘bossy’ and taking over your document.

* Keyboard shortcuts (some well known, others not so well known) to save you time.

* 8 tips on how to get your page looking exactly as you want it to

* More on Paragraph numbering and spacing (Including how to stop your numbers and bullets disappearing when you want a line gap between paragraphs!)

©2005 Original Work by Carol Bentley

Learn more about Persuading People to Buy… Subscribe to your free reports, with no obligation, at http://www.CarolBentley.com.

Carol is the author of ‘I Want to Buy Your Product… Have You Sent Me a Letter Yet? (How to create powerful sales letters, advertisements, flyers, brochures, web pages and newsletters that persuade hundreds, or even thousands, of additional customers and clients to buy from you!) by Carol A E Bentley (Rated 5-star on Amazon.co.uk) This book is available at a special offer at http://www.CarolBentley.com/offer.

Carol is one of the highest paid direct response copywriters available. If you would like to talk to Carol’s office about having her work on your current or next sales project you can use the contact form on her website http://www.CarolBentley.com/contact.asp.

Outsourcing is the secondary product of the globalization phenomenon that swept the world in the 1990s. The immediate and most remarkable effect of globalization was that it resulted in many economies opening up for foreign investments, in a reciprocative basis, subsequently resulting in the economy of many countries becoming dependent on each other in some respect or the other. Also, alongside globalization came the communication revolution, which eventually bridged distances, as a result of which continents became accessible in the matter of a fraction of a second. The much talked about outsourcing phenomenon of today is a result of the combination of both – globalization aided by communication revolution.

Outsourcing can be best defined as a way of obtaining services from outside supplier – probably in a second country - predictably at a cheaper rate than possible in one’s organization or country.

To look back to the early days of outsourcing, it started off slowly by outsourcing back office works to English speaking third world countries. But, as the world started becoming more and more digitalized, and Information Technology the new buzz word, it became necessary for multinationals involved in cutting edge technology to have more technology savvy brains at their service. When they felt a dearth of trained brains in the area/place of their functioning, obviously they all turned to expert brains of the third world countries. Such a move weighed heavily on the existing economy equations of the corporate majors as outsourcing to a developing country always incurred less expenditure than doing the same work at home. In fact, this was exactly the reason why corporate technical domain became more and more pro-outsourcing. There logic is simple - if one could get quality workforce and expertise at a cheaper rate, why can’t use it to the fullest advantage?

But the direct fall out of the trend for outsourcing – as observed recently – is that it resulted in massive loss of job for employees in the developed countries, a sticky issue that had attracted a lot of political as well as public attention off late. In fact, economists had anticipated such an effect before hand, but now only it started taking its toll in large numbers. So what is the future of outsourcing? Will it be banned by law or is it there to grow in the coming years?

Well, there are certain jobs that need expert handling; the completion of the job at hand may need an expert in the respective domain to execute. In such cases, companies are left with no choice, but either to hire one at a higher cost or outsource the work to some second company that has the resources to handle such work. Corporations support the latter option as there is a marked savings made in terms of expenditure by getting the work done at a third world country and that without compromising on the quality of the work. No wonder, it is the big companies who are lobbying for pro-outsourcing.

On a flip side, loss of jobs in millions is a concern for any government or country. So it is possible that some State at least will pass a bill that bans outsourcing to an extent, as a partial solution of loss of jobs to other countries. But how far and what all clauses it may have is what ultimately is going to make a difference. And that exactly is what all are waiting to have a look at as well.

Mind you, something that affects the economy and on the other hand, its people, is a sticky issue of many dimensions. It implies that drawing conclusions is immature at this point of time. As of now, it is clear that outsourcing is going to stay. But it is also likely that government may step in to rein in the current trend if the loss of jobs continues in a bigger scale. As the outsourcing saga heads towards a thrilling climax, let us hope that everything will end well, without much damage to thorn and the leaf.

Keisha Seaton is the owner of http://my-articles.com. To read more Outsourcing Articles please visit http://www.my-articles.com/Category/Outsourcing/65.

There are many factors that create poetry. There are many factors that create all types of writing. With a poem, not only do you have to focus on meaning and style of writing, you also have to deal with size and form. Some people choose to use already made and famous forms, such as a sonnet, while others prefer free styling it. Either way, there are plenty of creative ways to make the poem stand out even more.

This is all about adding something more visual to the poem, not about actually altering the writing. Though it may seem unimportant to some, bringing the poem out of just being a piece of writing and more into a visual art can really capture the feeling and expression in the poem and make the reader’s experience more enjoyable.

The simplest way is to add artwork. This is the simplest way because it doesn’t involve actually dealing with the poem, but rather just adding some images near it. Depending on if the poem is on a website or a page of a book can determine just exactly what type of images you want to add.

The most complex would be scenery that brings the imagery of the poem to life. This can be very helpful for longer poems, those of more epic proportions, and help strengthen a particular scene or moment in the piece. For a smaller, shorter poem, this can be overpowering and not necessary.

Smaller images, a sketch of a character or object, can be effective too. It can put emphasis on certain meanings and focus in the poem. The key here is to not go overboard. You don’t need an illustration for everything mentioned, but one per page or so can just compliment the piece enough.

There is also borders, headers, or similar types of images. These don’t at first glance really have to do with the poem, meaning that sometimes the items or designs in them are not even mentioned in the poem, but they can be visually stimulating and help express a certain feeling the poem is getting across. Lighter designs, like using objects like flowers, butterflies, stars, etc, can bring a happy or romantic poem to life, while darker designs, like using weapons, bones, scary eyes, etc, can bring a sad or scary poem to life.

Another thing to consider is adding color to the poem. It doesn’t necessarily have to be in the whole piece. Like all the other visuals, this is to compliment the poem, not to overpower it. The key is to use colors that benefit the poem, such as using blue for a water poem or a sad poem, red for a scary poem or a romantic poem, green for a nature poem, and so on. There are a few ways to add color effectively to a poem.

One is to emphasis repetitious lines, phrases, or words. Not only does it make it clearer that these are repeated, it also puts more dramatic effect to them.

There’s also using color to make patterns. Even subtle hints in color can create beautiful designs, weather it makes the poem looked striped or something well-known, or a completely different and unique design. Putting a few blue letters to create a swirl might just be the thing to make a water poem pop out of the page. Or maybe it is some browns and tan diamonds to emphasize the ruggedness of a mountain poem, or green spots to compliment a tree poem.

The third way to add creativity to a poem is to play with its form. This doesn’t necessarily have to effect its style so to say. This could be as simple as indenting a few lines and making the outline curvy. It could also be making the poem look like an object: a poem about butterflies shaped as a butterfly, a poem about water shaped as a drop of water, etc. This can be very unique for short and medium sized poems.

Even putting the poem into an abstract form, with sentence breaks and not following the rules of grammar and typical poetry, can provide something different. It doesn’t half to look like a real object, or look like a common poetry style. It can be your own unique and quirky form.

Poetry doesn’t need visual aids to make it powerful. Visual aids can however make the poem more than just a poem. It blends literature with art and not only shows the author’s other talents and creativity, but can make people think differently about how they view your writing. It’s not a bad thing to think outside of the box. It’s not a bad thing to think outside of the poem once in awhile.

Jake Rose is an artist and an author on http://www.Writing.Com/
which is a site for Fiction Writing.

45 year old John terrorized his family when they were his
passengers. He would yell at them if they complained about his
driving.

He would ignore them when they showed signs of discomfort and
even seemed to enjoy scaring his passengers with his maneuvers
such as tailgating, weaving in and out of traffic, passing other
cars dangerously, and pulling too far into crosswalks so
pedestrians are unable to safely cross the street. John would
show aggression in other ways too — like insisting on choosing
the radio station, controlling the volume of the radio, and
controlling the temperature, the fan setting and where the vents
are aimed while driving. He refused to stop for restroom breaks
on long trips.

John was anything but “passengerfriendly” yet he did not see
himself as the problem. Statistics show that while 70% of
drivers complain about the aggressiveness of others, only 30%
admit to their own aggressiveness. John saw other drivers as
“stupid, ” his family/passengers as “whiney,” and the roadway as
his personal terrain. Unfortunately, we all pay the price for
this kind of distorted thinking.

High Cost of Aggressive Driving

According to recent statistics, aggressive driving is at the
core of numerous fatalities, injuries and dollar costs
associated with accidents. More specifically, it is linked to:

Fatalities (425,000 per decade) Injuries (35 million per decade)
Dollars (250 billion per year)

The cost to the emotional well-being of family members is also
very high. Often, family members develop a fear of driving with
the aggressive driver. While they may not talk about it,
passengers may lose esteem, respect and affection toward the
driver.

Younger passengers may also be affected later in life by being
exposed to this kind of driving behavior. By watching and then
modeling their aggressivedriver parent, the child may develop
similar attitudes and driving behaviors when he or she becomes a
driver.

Driving Under The Influence

At its root, aggressive driving is caused by poor ability to
handle angry feelings. The aggressive driver is, in effect,
driving under the influence of impaired emotions. Studies list
many reasons why driving arouses anger in aggressive drivers.

Some of the most common are:

- Territoriality. The car is a symbol associated with individual
freedom and self-esteem. Our car is our castle and the space
around it is our territory. When other drivers invade our space
the aggressive driver responds with hostility to protect his
“castle.”

- Restriction. In congested traffic, you are prevented from
going forward. This can lead to frustration, anxiety and an
intense desire to escape the restriction.

- Multitasking. We become irritated at others when we see them
driving poorly while talking on the cell phone, eating, or
performing personal grooming.

- Poor life planning. We don’t allow enough time to get to our
destination on a consistent basis so we “press” to make up for
the lost time and then become stressed and angry at other
drivers who we see as frustrating our mad dash.

What can you do as a passenger?

While aggressive driving behavior ultimately must be changed by
the driver himself, the following are some survival tips that
may help until that occurs:

1. Refuse to passenger with such a person until he or she
changes.

2. Share with driver how you feel when they drive aggressively.
For example: I feel anxious about how fast we’re going (instead
of “you are driving too fast”); I’m upset about the way you
swore at that driver and I am fearful how it will affect our
children who heard you; I feel afraid when you approach
pedestrians too fast; I feel bullied by you when you won’t stop
for a bathroom break.

3. Encourage person to look at their “driving philosophy” and to
develop more empathy regarding how others (like the family) are
being negatively impacted by his or her poor driving behavior.
That is, help him see himself through the eyes of his family.

This honest feedback from loved ones can be a powerful tool to
encourage the aggressive driver to become a better citizen of
the roadways.

2006 © Dr. Tony Fiore All rights reserved.

The Real Challenge

Disciples and mentors are both called to action. Disciples are called to learn or follow and mentors are called to teach or coach. Jesus called Simon and his brother Andrew into discipleship, “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17) Whereas Bell (2002) discussed how a mentor is called as a teacher, a guide, and a sage. (p. 10 – 14). As a mentor, a leader must show humility in that he or she can also learn from the protégé. Bell (2002) continued asserting that mentoring is about surrendering to the process rather than controlling it, mentoring is about “providing the gift of advice, and helping the protégé to become a self directed learner.” (p. xxi).

Humility was the first and very important attribute Jesus pointed out in the Beatitudes. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3). Winston (2002) reminded us “To be poor in spirit is to recognize that you can hold more, and to recognize this means that you must be humble.” (p. 23). A mentor must first realize that he or she will also benefit from the mentoring process. Though mentoring is intended primarily to help the protégé, there are definite gains to be made by everyone engaged in the relationship. Mentors and protégés should consider the benefits that both are likely to get from taking part in the process. If they are to achieve all the benefits, it is essential that they know what they are. Kay and Hinds (2002) affirmed “When agreeing on your objectives you should also consider the likely benefits for each of you and plan to review their achievement as your relationship progresses.” (p. 96 - 102). Should a leader accept the call to discipleship before becoming a mentor?

Understanding the Process

Before undertaking the mentoring role it is essential to understand the process and the difference between mentoring and other personal development. Being an off-line relationship, mentoring shouldn’t be confused with coaching or tutoring. It’s a confidential relationship between mentor and protégé and this confidence must be respected at all times. The role of the mentor is to help the person bring about the transition from reliance on others to reliance on him or herself. “Every day we each grow older, meet new people, encounter new problems and challenges, and perhaps suffer some defeats. No matter how little we seem to change, remaining the same is impossible.” (Shea, 2001, p. 46). Helping someone to learn and grow should be the goal of a good mentor. Bell (2002) stated, “The real aim of mentoring is not mastery, because it implies closure or an ending.” (p. 10). The ultimate goal should be continuous growth.

Mentoring should not be confused with discipleship in that mentors are traditionally thought of as a teacher or coach. Bell (2002) defined mentoring as “the act of helping another learn.” (p. 3). To be a Disciple means to be scholar; a learner; especially, a follower who has learned to believe in the truth of the doctrine of his teacher, and implies that the pupil is under the discipline of, and ‘understands’, his teacher; an adherent in doctrine. Merriam-Webster defined a Disciple (from the Latin discipulus, a pupil) as “one who receives instruction from another: one who accepts the doctrines of another and assists in spreading or implementing them.” (2005).

Accepting the Call

Discipleship is about the transition to relying on something bigger than you. Mullen (1999) maintained that “. . . the intent is to develop a relationship where trust, confidentiality, and accountability are established and one’s relationship with God is deepened.” (p. 96). There are occasions that call for discipleship over mentoring; such as compassion during despair, a peacemaker during conflict, or understanding during times of discipline. “It should be clear to all employees in the workplace that this person is indeed a Christian, but the light should not be so overpowering that those around the leader turn away.” (Winston, 2002, p. 95).

“Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’” (Mark 10:21). Later, in Mark 10:29 Jesus tells his disciples that you surrender everything “. . . for my sake and the Gospel.” True surrender will go beyond natural devotion. If we will only give up ourselves, God will surrender Himself to embrace all those around us and will meet their needs, which were created by our surrender. Beware of surrender that is motivated by personal benefits that may result. All too often, leaders will mentor for all the wrong reasons: achievement, recognition, power, or control. Most leaders have been cultured to control the process of growth and learning. Bell (2002) described surrendering as “Completely relinquishing any effort to control or manipulate the outcome.” (p. 33). Surrendering is the first step in Bell’s “Model for Great Mentoring.” (p. 14). The bottom line is that before you can be a great mentor, you must first accept the call to discipleship by surrendering yourself to the process.

Contemporary Mentoring

Mentors should encourage informal learning at every opportunity. Bell (2002) maintained that great mentors should always search for creative ways to cultivate organizational values and encourage learning such as company magazines, newsletters, bulletin boards, media and technology, as well as cross-unit training. (p. 135-136). Simply stated, Cross-unit mentoring is cross-team or small group mentoring which is a form of informal learning. Bell (2002) also states why many organizations provide mentoring opportunities within a small group environment. (p. 136):

 Provide Differing Perspectives;

 Decrease inter-unit conflict;

 Increase employee scope of knowledge;

 Increased protégé support base.

Bell (2002) also suggested that “…mentors should set up an expansive, boundary-free learning environment.” (p. 11). Corporate mentoring programs utilize the individual skill of those other than the mentor to facilitate learning. In Mentoring Advantage, Stone discussed how they often start as “informal relationships in which management finds value. It then formalizes them into programs. Sometimes, the mentoring effort extends past the boundaries of the organization.” (2004, p. 3). The main thing is that the organizational structure and social systems within organizations should not be restricted to the traditional mentoring program but rather be defined by the needs of the individual and the organization. “The application of mentoring is limited only by the needs and desires of today’s organization to leverage the talent within the organization and maximize relationships both within and outside their organizations.” (Stone, 2004, p. 102).

Mentoring Individuals as Part of the Team

When mentoring individuals, it’s easy to specify desired performance. Traditional mentors often take on the roles of a teacher or guide of others. Mentoring a team, on the other hand, is more like coaching or facilitating. In moving from a traditional role to that of team mentor, you should shift the focus toward facilitating rather than directing. When Jesus traveled from village to village teaching and “. . . he calleth unto him the Twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two and gave them power over evil spirits.” (Mark 6:7). The purpose of going in pairs was not only to boost credibility by having the testimony of multiple witnesses but also to provide mutual support during their training period. You should learn to rely on the expertise of others by incorporating individual skills into the entire organization and empower others to solve problems rather than being the sole problem solver.

Your job as a mentor is not to manage results but to focus on the aspects of performance that cause those results. That’s where your team emphasis becomes difficult. Integrating your protégé’s strengths so that the team reaches optimum performance requires similar yet different skills. Team members have different ways of listening, learning, and expression. There’ll be times when what’s good for the team may not be the best for an individual. For example, a protégé who brings you a plan for reorganizing files. His idea might be innovative but implementing it could be depressing for two other team members who have been researching different approaches for the same result. Recognizing your protégé for the great idea while not accepting the action requires creative mentoring. Micki Holliday (2001) suggested “balancing individual needs and team needs is as tough as looking at the short-term and long-term goals you are constantly reassessing.” (p. 200).

Moving Towards Discipleship Attitudes

Imagine an organization where the attitude of the leadership with regards to learning is that their cup is always half-full. Our attitude may not be the asset that makes us great leaders, but without good ones we will never reach our full potential. “It is improbable that a person with a bad attitude can continuously be a success.” (Maxwell, 1993, p. 101) Followers will recognize a leader’s attitude long before his or her actions.

A leader’s attitude also helps to determine the attitude of the protégé. Maxwell (1993) wrote “…the actions of a leader multiplies in reaction because there are several followers. For a smile given, many smiles return. Anger unleashed towards others results in much anger returned from many.” (p. 106). Therefore it is imperative that a leader maintain a positive attitude not only for his or her success but also for the success of those they lead.

Characteristics of Effective Discipleship

Discipleship, though often caricatured as “soft” and “docile,” calls for generous portions of humility, coolness under fire, and results-oriented thinking. It requires you to be comfortable creating the conditions that enable subordinates to excel. Beyond a solid sense of self-worth and self-confidence, this calls for a cluster of essential characteristics. These are by no means innate, quasi-mystical traits that you either have or you don’t—they are all concrete capabilities that you can acquire and develop. In order to build stronger organizations in the future, we must move toward discipleship attitudes. Winston (2002) derives a list of attitudes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mountain (p. 22 – 86):

 Humility

 Compassion

 Controlled Discipline

 Mercy

 Integrity

 Focused Purpose

 Peacemaker

Disciples for the future

Discipleship prepares organizations to accommodate future generations by caring for them. Too often organizations request commitment from people without showing them proper care. People are the principle asset of any organization. Nothing moves until people make it move. Maxwell (1993) maintained that “leaders must care for people before they can develop them.” (p. 134). The greatest potential for organizational growth is the growth of its people. It will be future generations, the new members to the team, that young protégé that will be the asset of future organizations.

The vision of the disciple prepares leaders to work with future generations. A vision should be greater than the person who has it. Within every great movement or organization there is always one man who knows his God and where he’s going. “What a terrible waste of life to be climbing the ladder of success only to find when you reach the top that you were leaning against the wrong building.” (Maxwell, 1993, p. 148). Leaders must continuously remind themselves that they are never on the ladder alone and that there is someone beneath them awaiting guidance and direction.

The Way Ahead

Though mentoring is intended primarily to help the protégé, there are definite gains to be made by everyone engaged in the relationship. The organization as well as its people benefit when mentors accept the call to discipleship. The mentor and protégé should consider the benefits that discipleship contributes to the learning process. According to Mullen (1999), “This learning process might require consistent spiritual meetings; specific growth goal setting; and work compatibility alongside each other with encouragement toward insight.” (p. 128). To accept the call of discipleship means to be honest and reflective, discussing areas that need work, adjustment, or correction. When mentors accept the call to discipleship by surrendering to the process, the protégé “…will be able to go forth and disciple two additional people.” (Mullen, 1999, p. 128).

References

Bell, Christopher R. (2002). Managers as Mentors. Building Partnerships for Learning. San Francisco, CA. Berrett-Koehler, Inc.

King James Version. Holy Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan. Zondervan

Holliday, Micki. (2001). Coaching, Mentoring and Managing: A Coach Guidebook. The Career Press, Inc. Franklin Lakes, NJ.

Kay, David and Hinds, Roger. (2002) A Practical Guide to Mentoring: Play an Active and Worthwhile Part in the Development of Others, and Improve Your Own Skills in the Process. Oxford How To Books, Ltd.

Maxwell, John C. (1993). Developing the Leader Within You. Nashville, TN. Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Merriam-Webster (2002). Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Retrieved October 03, 2005 from Merriam-Webster. http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com.

Mullen, Carol A. (1999). New Directions in Mentoring. London, UK: Routledge Falmer.

Pell, Arthur R. (1999). Complete Idiot’s Guide to Team Building. Indianapolis, IN. Alpha Books

Shea, Gordon F. (2001). Mentoring: How to Develop Successful Mentor Behaviors. Menlo Park, CA, USA: Course Technology Crisp.

Stone, Florence. (2004). Mentoring Advantage: Creating the Next Generation of Leaders. Chicago, IL, USA: Dearborn Trade, A Kaplan Professional Company.

Winston, Bruce. (2002) Be A Leader for God’s Sake. School of Leadership Studies. Regent University. Virginia Beach, VA.

Lieutenant Kenneth Rice is an Active Duty Naval Officer stationed in Norfolk VA. Lieutenant Rice is a graduate of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia where he received a Masters of Science in Educational Leadership and an Education & Training Management Subspecialty. He is currently enrolled in the Naval War College completing the Joint Professional Military Education Phase I and at Regent University working towards a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership.