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Have a Backup Plan for Life
By Monica Wheeler,
Abundant Life Coaching
     There are countless motivational speakers and gurus out there who insist that you can do anything you set your mind to.
     We are bombarded with phrases like “Follow your dreams,” “Reach for the stars,” and “Do whatever your heart desires.”  Following the wave of these affirmations, countless people quit their jobs, change their lives, and move across the country to follow their true calling.
     They start businesses, go back to school, and leave unfulfilling relationships in the pursuit of their happiness.  But what the motivational speakers and gurus don’t tell you is the number of these people who fall flat on their backsides.  These people were so caught up in the ride that they didn’t take the necessary precautionary steps in case they failed.  And sometimes failure is completely out of a person’s control.
     When I was 13 I wanted to go to the prestigious Air Force Academy.  I found out the stringent and competitive requirements to gain admittance and planned the next four years accordingly.  I applied myself academically, took on extracurricular activities, and worked hard on various sports teams.  I even took flying lessons, joined the Civil Air Patrol, studied fervently for the SAT, and worked on passing their stringent fitness test by learning how to do a pull-up.
     I did everything possible to get into the Academy and thought I would certainly make it.  I was wrong.  I didn’t get my congressional nomination and thus failed to gain admittance to the Air Force Academy my senior year of high school.  Anyone else in my shoes would have been devastated after four grueling years of hard work and dedication.  Yet I was only the slightest bit disappointed.  Why?
     I wasn’t overly disappointed because I had a backup plan.  My second choice was a full ride ROTC scholarship to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and the chance to go for my dream of the Air Force Academy the next year.  I already had the ROTC scholarship in my hands when I learned that I hadn’t got accepted to the Academy.  I went to my second choice school, worked even harder, and got accepted to the Air Force Academy with a congressional nomination that next year.
     My dream while at the Academy was to graduate and go on to pilot training.  It was a given that anyone who graduated from the Academy would be guaranteed a pilot training slot.  It was so guaranteed that if you didn’t want to go to pilot training and refused a pilot slot you had to meet with an advisor to discuss your reasons.  For years this was the case.
     The year I graduated, then-President Clinton cut the funding for pilot training and we lost the majority of our graduating classes’ pilot slots, including mine.  Sure of the guaranteed pilot slot the Academy offered, I had no backup plan.  I ended up spending 15 minutes choosing an alternative career path.  I picked “Space and Missiles” because it sounded cool and it turned out to be a poor fit.  This could have been avoided had I spent the time, energy, and research to formulate a backup plan in the off chance that I wouldn’t go to pilot training.
     Nothing in this life is guaranteed no matter how determined or motivated you are.  You need to have a plan in case the unforeseeable occurs.  You can give 110 percent toward a goal and still fall flat on your face.  It happens.
     You must be prepared and have a backup plan if this occurs.  There are many people living in homeless shelters or on the streets because they gambled it all to follow their dreams—only to fall short.  There are also just as many people wildly successful following their second choice of occupations because their first choice didn’t work as they had planned.  Many of them are just as happy if they were living their true dream.  Many of them are patiently waiting for the time to again pursue their true life’s calling and are paying the bills in the interim. 
    I am not saying to forget your dreams and goals.  On the contrary—go for it!  But have a plan in place for you to land safely rather than crash if things shouldn’t go as planned.
    If you want more one on one coaching, I can be reached at 541-383-2464 or by emailing:  coachmonica@hotmail.com.

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Matters of Substance: History of the Drug-Free Workplace By Jerry Gjesvold, Manager of Employer Services Serenity Lane Treatment Centers for Alcohol and Other Drug Dependencies      For more than 20 years, I have assisted companies that have decided to set up drug free workplace programs.      In 1983 I set out on this journey, and to say it’s been interesting is an understatement. Many companies in the beginning were motivated by the increasing incidence of cocaine abuse in America. That, accompanied by several tragic workplace incidents (Exxon, Amtrak-Conrail train wreck, New York City subway accident, and others) caused employers to pause and take notice of their possible liability, in similar circumstances.      Then, in 1988, the U.S. Congress passed the Drug Free Workplace Act, which meant any employer doing contract work for the federal government or receiving monies from them HAD to have a drug policy, educate employees and do supervisor training. Failure to do so risked the loss of those funds for up to five years.      Interestingly, there were no drug testing requirements in the bill, but many employers used this as a springboard to implement drug testing. Initially there were a high percentage of positive tests, especially if the employer decided to implement random testing.      This led to a variety of responses. Some terminated on the first confirmed positive test, while others offered what has come to be known as a Second Chance Agreement. Although many employees took advantage of this generous offer, many did not. This caused employers to question why they even offered the Second Chance Agreement. Many discontinued the practice and gave their support only to those individuals that came forward before testing positive.      Today, the problem that is placing the employer (especially the small ones) in a bind regarding the implementation of a DFWP is the limited labor pool. I’ll speak to that in my next column and reflect on the estimated impact it’s having on the overall U.S. economy.      The Bend Chamber’s Healthcare Council is focused on promoting a healthy community through advocacy and education with a principal focus on workforce wellness. The council meets the first Thursday of each month at 7 a.m. Information: Sandy Stevenson at the Bend Chamber, 382-3221. Back to Top

VoIP Not As Easy As Install It and Forget It
By Sandy Morse
Cascade Telecommunications
     So what is VoIP and why is there so much buzz surrounding it?  Simply put, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the ability to speak over a data network based on Internet Protocol.
     Its greatest benefit to companies is the dramatic gain in productivity by seamlessly connecting applications as well as interoffice communications.  Billed as the next best thing since sliced bread, VoIP has made believers out of many and given headaches to an even larger group of IT and facilities managers. 
     As with the adoption of any new technology, VoIP comes with a price that’s not only associated with the equipment, but more importantly the time, energy, and commitment it takes to do it right. 
     VoIP’s problems have been widely discussed by telecom professionals since its inception.  Common VoIP related issues include high or low voice levels, known as clipping, and exorbitant noise or echoing caused by poorly configured data networks.  Users may also discover a delay before they hear the other person’s voice.  If additional software is added to the network without modifications then latency will increase deteriorating call quality even further.
     Even something as simple as an employee accessing a file from a server can cause network congestion that will negatively affect a co-worker’s conversation.  Therefore, it is critical for IT managers to continually monitor performance and uncover these types of issues.
     The allocation of bandwidth for Internet connectivity causes an entirely new set of problems.  If there is a lack of upstream bandwidth VoIP will not be effective.  Upstream bandwidth is typically minimal compared to its downstream counterpart and quality will be impacted without system enhancement.  Furthermore, a growing number of users on an organization’s network will put a strain on bandwidth as well as network capacity.  As a result, voice quality will decline when the network is overloaded with too many users.  Since VoIP is a relatively new technology, it will not be compatible with many legacy systems or LAN/WAN firewalls, resulting in an additional investment in other network components.   
     Before investing in a large-scale VoIP deployment or even in a small trial, you need to know how well your network infrastructure will handle the additional, quality-sensitive voice traffic.  Properly assessing the system before, during and after installation will uncover hidden problems before serious damage is done. 
     Growth expectations are extremely positive for VoIP.  The issues raised are not deal breakers when analyzing whether VoIP is the answer for your business; however, they need to be taken into serious consideration.  Selecting the right business communications partner with a team of technicians that are industry certified on both VoIP technology and equipment will increase your level of comfort, minimize unforeseen problems, and create an environment for seamless transition.  The sooner one realizes that the implementation of VoIP is not as easy as plug and play the better the chances for a successful migration.
     Cascade Telecommunications is locally owned and operated and is a single source contact for all voice, data, and video needs.

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