Dannicka from Montreal Asked: My company recently gave me an opportunity to work from home 3 days a week. I’m thrilled but what advice do you have for setting up my home office?

Career Coach Caroline:  Dannicka – many organizations are rewarding and retaining employees with more flexible work hours and the option to work from home. Some professionals work exclusively from their home office and others enjoy the perk every now and then, but unless you have a designated space, the work-from-home situation can be more difficult than not.

Home based workers whether full-time or occasional have the responsibility of being self-motivated and disciplined since they are out of view from co-workers and supervisors.  Whether you are commuting from the stairway or the highway, it’s important to set specific work hours as well as a space in your home that is only for work.

Your office at home should be totally separate from your living space, preferably with a door that closes so you can eliminate all outside noise when talking on the phone. If you don’t have the luxury of a door, consider a folding screen to really set boundaries and differentiate your workspace from your living area.

While rolling out of bed in your PJs and starting the work day über casual is ok every now and then, consider dressing for work at home just as you might if you had to commute to the office. We take behavioral cues from our environment as well as our wardrobe. You will speak differently during that important conference call if you are dressed the part than you would if you are lounging in pajamas and slippers.

Try and establish a set schedule so you can be most productive and so your virtual colleagues will know when they can reach you. If you have your own business, you can set the rules but if you work for another organization from your home, you will need to maintain a schedule so colleagues can find you.

Make sure you have a separate landline for your work at home or a cell phone so you don’t mix business with personal calls. Even though your three year old is adorable when she answers the phone, the client on the other end won’t be as amused when trying to reach you.

Your office desk, lighting, computer, and chair are just as important at home. Purchasing an ergonomic office chair and desk are investments in your physical well-being and will save your back, neck, and posture in the long run.

Lastly, if you find yourself going stir crazy working alone from home, schedule lunch meetings with colleagues or work a few hours from your local Internet café each week. Coming in contact with people might just help you stay focused and energize you to be more productive.

CDH 

* www.carolinedowdhiggins.com

Join CAREER COACH CAROLINE every Tuesday @ 5 pm ET on COACH ME RADIO on CBS!

A: Go for it Denise! May not hit on the mark with autism, at first, however, close enough with child development and care. But, your career grows and develops more from that point. Especially over long distance travels too. I also see alignment with missionary work. Remember that all happens in good time. So anytime we think we’ve fallen off path or have been delayed, it is in part of the plan, to develop skills, learn lessons that are applicable to the big picture. Such as our loved ones, family especially, are soul mates that help us access deeper levels of love for self and others. And if their role was to help you find more self-confidence ~ then they’ve done their job…right?! That will propel you forward to move on your life mission with more passion. Your maternal sides with faith, family connection, will resonate deeply with this direction..…sensing a female guiding you….and that’s why you’ve felt inclined to revisit church in past and which has influence in your future work. Keep me posted.

Bless, LL • www.MediumLauraLee.com

Join Medium, Laura Lee’s SPIRIT SALON every Tuesday & Thursday @ 5 pm ET on CBS The Sky!

John says: Dear Toni, Why should having a trusting and big heart always bite me in the butt? Should I feel guilty when I say no? Why do my parents treat me like the black sheep of the family when I say no?

I am the oldest of 6 kids, we grew up with very little, I worked full time during high school to help my parents to support all of us. I worked and put myself through college, started my own businesses and even had a few failures. And even with the economic down turn (which really hurt me too) I am still debt free, have money in the bank and a small retirement set up for me and my wife. And my own 2 kids, both have finished college and support themselves. But my youngest sister who is now age 47 can not seem to pay her rent on time or her $516 per month car payment. (Which I told her not to buy).

I have given her money for years, and notice when I say given because I know I will NEVER GET IT BACK. I told her no at Thanksgiving last year. No more money. Until this day my parents will not speak to me. It’s been 6 months.

My parents have the attitude “John” you can afford it, you are being selfish. I’m really upset and hurt. Thanks, John

Career Coach Toni: Dear John, I’m sorry that you are going through all of this. But, speaking frankly here it’s the best thing you are doing for your sister. Although several years late. She’s 47 and teaching her to be responsible is going to be hard for her. And believe it or not John. SHE IS NOT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. She is an adult.

And as for your parents, I’m sorry they take her side of things, but parents love their children and don’t want to see her do without.

I think you are doing the right thing by her and by anyone who ask you for money.

If you give someone money, consider it given because most people especially family may never pay it back. I wish I could fix this situation with your parents for you. But, hopefully they will come around to your side. If you believe in God do yourself some praying and ask God for resolution to this. But,  John I’m in your court, you need to tell them THE BANK OF JOHN IS CLOSED. And stick to it. Tell your sister to go to my website saveyourmoneysaveyourfamily.com and download my FREE budgeting workbook. She really needs it. Thanks for contacting me and I wish you the Best. Toni

• www.SaveYourMoneySaveYourFamily.com

Join SAVE YOUR MONEY with Toni House every Monday @ 5 pm ET on COACH ME RADIO on CBS!

Every day it seems that there is a new skincare product, service or “expert” shedding light on the good, bad and ugly of how our daily activities affect our skin. And with so many sources weighing in on every aspect of the epidermis, my Spry readers and CBS radio show listeners are still confused and have asked me to sort out what is fact and what is myth when it comes to beauty. For example: Is coffee bad for your skin? How about alcohol? Is that glass of white wine that restores one’s sanity faster than you can say Xanax really doing more harm than good? Does it cause broken capillaries? If you don’t sleep enough—and I mean, who does?—are there temporary or permanent effects on your complexion? What about smoking? Stress? Do we really need all those Omega-3s or is that just hype, as well?

So many questions, so little word count!  So I went straight to a reliable source, renowned cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Oscar Hevia, founder of Hevia Cosmetic Dermatology and The Hevia Center for Research. Below he and I talked about his insights into those Top 7 Beauty Myths and Facts to help in our journey to become Better Than Before.

Click for the rest of the article from Jane on spryliving.com

You can listen to Jane Wilkens Michael: Better Than Before every Thursday at 11am ET on New Sky Radio. To join in the conversation call 248-545-7685

To contact Jane on her website: janewilkensmichael.com

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In an earlier column, I talked about how some people are born with more papillae on their tastes buds making them “supertasters” and therefore averse to such healthy but bitter foods such as kale or Swiss chard. I also cited a study from the University of Missouri that said we can have a genetically “lazy” gene causing us to not want to exercise. Now researchers at Oregon Health & Science University and their colleagues at Harvard have discovered yet another excuse as to why such an inordinate number of Americans are overweight and unable to lose pounds efficiently. Apparently, an internal circadian rhythm is responsible for increased hunger and craving for high-calorie food in the evenings and late night. Who knew?

Click for the rest of the article from Jane on spryliving.com

You can listen to Jane Wilkens Michael: Better Than Before every Thursday at 11am ET on New Sky Radio. To join in the conversation call 248-545-7685

To contact Jane on her website: janewilkensmichael.com

Click to download Jane’s podcasts

LISTEN LIVE

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. It is perhaps the most common cancer in the United States, as one in five Americans will be diagnosed with it in their lifetime. If that isn’t unsettling enough, here’s another frightening fact: One American dies of Melanoma, the deadliest of this type of cancer, almost every hour. But I scare because I care. Now for the good news! When it’s caught early, melanoma has a 98 percent cure rate. According to the Melanoma Research Foundation, a combination of family history, genetics and environmental factors are to blame. However, the greatest contributor to melanoma – all skin cancer, in fact — is exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from natural or artificial sources, such as sunlight and indoor tanning beds.

Click for the rest of the article from Jane on spryliving.com

You can listen to Jane Wilkens Michael: Better Than Before every Thursday at 11am ET on New Sky Radio. To join in the conversation call 248-545-7685

To contact Jane on her website: janewilkensmichael.com

Click to download Jane’s podcasts

LISTEN LIVE

Hear how as mother’s we have a unique and important societal contribution to make that goes beyond raising children.  Get fired up to wear your Mommy badge with pride!  We’ll talk about 3 simple things that busy moms can do to create positive societal impact.   Join us as we talk to the founder of one of the most powerful mother’s advocacy group in the US Mom’s rising and listen to her State of the Union in the US for mothers. If you can’t make it Wed make sure to SUBSCRIBE and we’ll send you an email when the MP3 becomes available, or Friend us on Facebook to get updates on published shows.

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We recently welcomed the beautiful and gifted actress MELINDA PAGE HAMILTON onto our show.  With roles in ”Mad Men,” “Big Love” and “Desperate Housewives,” Melinda is a top talent.  But there’s much more to her than a star’s pedigree.  Her early life was leading her on a different and much more conventional path… and that was when divine fate intervened, resulting in a brilliant career and fulfilling personal life.

Clearly, we don’t all need to be stars to be happy, but it’s important for each of us to sometimes take the road less traveled, as Melinda has done.

Here’s what the Zodiac Divas had to say…

Kyra (www.KyraOser.com) says:

We had the pleasure of talking to actress Melinda Page Hamilton on tonight’s show. She mentioned that she initially wanted to pursue a career in investment banking, but ended up becoming an actress.

So many of us might start in one career and end up doing something we’re more passionate about. We each have a calling, and for some of us, that might include being a banker. However, for many of us, it will be something completely different. So how do we know what our calling is?

In ancient Greek mythology, demons were supernatural beings who guided us on our life path. A daemon’s calling was something the Gods had given us the chance to do, and that was decided before our birth. Everyone has a daemon assigned to them. The Gods then gave us several skills to make the fulfillment of this destiny possible. Muses remind us in our dreams and reveries that this destiny still awaits us. However, it can only happen with the assertion of our own free will, as life is a co-creation with The Divine.

To trace your life historically for clues of a calling, think of the things you naturally did as a child that brought you happiness. When children repetitively play the role of nurse, teacher, counselor, scientist, poet, or painter and can get lost in that for hours, one of these abilities could be their ultimate destiny. A calling is something where you feel like you’re in the right place at the right time and there’s nowhere else you would want to be. It’s the experience of being completely in the moment, focused on the task at hand, and undistracted by memories of the past or anticipation of the future. Why does a meaningful vocation make us feel so present? Perhaps the ancient Greeks would have said that a calling is beyond time and space because the idea was originated in a timeless dimension beyond our own. That alternate dimension is perhaps akin to the ideal world, the source of truth, and the Form of the Good as expressed in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” in his book, The Republic.

Can there be multiple demons? Yes, there are some of us who will want to follow a calling for a particular period of time, only to find another calling that suits a different era in our life. As long as you are engaged in something that’s meaningful and beneficial to you and to others, you’re doing your part to make this world a better place.

Lynn (LynnMillerPsychic.com) says:

On our previous episode we welcomed the talented actress, Melinda Page Hamilton. She was very open to receiving our guidance and we learned quite a bit about her astrological chart. Melinda told us when she was younger she thought about going into investment banking and it wasn’t until a teacher influenced her down the path of the acting world!

Our actions can influence many people and sometimes we don’t even realize it!  The universe sends people along the way to help guide us.  If we are open to receiving the message brought before us, it can shift our direction for the future. Have you ever been thinking of a different career path and an hour later you are in a store and strike up a conversation with a random stranger?  It just so happens they are in the career you were just thinking?  Is this coincidence?  I believe the universe is so divine and when we are aware of our surroundings we are guided in the direction we are meant to go.  We set our intentions and “believe” in what we wish to achieve and watch the amazing transformation come around us.

I always say there are only two driving forces in life… fear and love… and at any given time we are acting on one or the other. The goal is to learn to take actions solely based on love.  Under love comes faith, belief and trust. Fear restricts us.  If you are struggling with a decision, sometimes it is best to sit back, take a moment and ask yourself, “why do I want to do this?’”  Is it out of fear or love?

My advice? Trust your inner guidance.  Look around you and the messages you receive from others.

Guest Astrologer Hudson Comet (www.HudsonCometAstrology.com,  Twitter… @HudsonComet) says:

Our guest tonight was Melinda Page Hamilton — A Leo with a Scorpio Moon and also an upcoming star of the comedy-drama serious Devious Maids premiering June 23rd on Lifetime. Born in New York City to an actor, she originally wanted to do anything but follow in her father’s footsteps. It was only after a middle school teacher encouraged her natural gifts that Melinda changed goals from investment banking to Hollywood. You may have caught her Big Love, Mad Men, CSI: Miami orNip/Tuck to name a few (though she admits her favorite role was on stage).  When Kyra asked what in her chart would indicate a draw towards “quirky” roles — including but not limited to her role as a dog-loving sexual deviant in Bobcat at Goldwaith’s Sleeping Dogs Lie – I thought it might be that searing depth and sexy edge of the Scorpio Moon coupled with the wear-it-on-your-sleeve pluck of Uranus in her First House of persona.  Jokes aside, Melinda uses her mental tenacity, systematic thinking and disciplined work ethic (Mars/Mercury in Virgo) to crunch diverse character roles into believable human beings that we both love to love and love to hate. Or at least find a little deviant.

Join ZODIAC DIVAS: Lynn & Kyra every Tuesday @ 11 pm ET on SPIRIT GUIDE RADIO on CBS!