Good Afternoon!
March 3rd, 2016

2016 Mission Statement:

Provide support to our local government leaders, as we work together to promote the best interests of the business community. Provide support to economic and industrial development. Promote local tourism through Community Activities and t he Retired TN Program to improve the quality of life in our community and the region.


"Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try."

In This Issue

How to Improve Your Life in 12 Steps

By Remez Sasson



How many times have you told yourself that you are going to improve your life, but ended doing nothing?
How many times have been dissatisfied with some aspects of your life and vowed to change them, but did not follow through with your decision?
What is holding you back, preventing you from improving your life?
It is lack of enthusiasm, motivation, desire, determination, willpower and discipline.
Do you, like many others, promise yourself to make changes in your life, especially at the beginning of a New Year?This also happens after a reading a book or an article about a someone, who transformed his life or achieved great success. However, the desire to make improvements does not last long, and the enthusiasm quickly wanes away.
Is it possible to make positive changes? Yes, it is certainly possible, but you have to make a plan, follow certain strategies and techniques, and make some inner changes in your viewpoint and in the manner of your thinking.

How to Improve Your Life in 12 Steps

1. Decide what it is you want to improve. Be specific.  Sit down where you can be alone and undisturbed, and write down a list of goals.
Next, analyze what you wrote, to find out whether you really want to achieve the items on your list. You will most probably discover that you don't really want to achieve some of them. Strike off the one you don't really want.

2.Copy, on another piece of paper, the items left in your list, which you really want to achieve. Write them down in the order of their importance.

3. Think about a plan, how you can make them come true. Be as practical as possible, using your common sense, intuition, imagination and creativity.

4. Come up with something, a first step, even if it is quite minor, which you can do right now, such as buying a book with information about your goal, attending a lecture, listening to motivating CDs, looking for courses or workshops that can help you improve your life, or any other step that will take you closer to achieving your goal.

5. Read inspiring books and articles about people who have attained success in the area of your choice. This will enhance your enthusiasm and motivation.

6.  Visualize the improvements you want to bring about. See them as already real and true. Make the mental pictures vivid and alive.

7. Keep your desire, enthusiasm and motivation alive, by thinking often how you would like your life to look like. Also, think often about the benefits and advantages you will gain by improving your life, circumstances, your financial condition, health, or anything else.

8. Repeat  affirmations. They will constantly remind you of your goals, and program your subconscious mind to assist you in achieving them.

9. Don't let anything deter you from improving your life. Don't give in if there are obstacles, delays or difficulties. Be determined to do what you have decided to do, no matter how much time or effort it takes. This is the way successful people act.

10. Developing strong  willpower and self-discipline will endow you with the power to overcome any obstacle and difficulty and make you persistent in your efforts. These two skills, can be developed through special techniques and exercises.

11. Have faith in yourself and in your ability to improve your life, you financial condition, your habits and your behavior.

12. Be willing and open to accept change. Don't be passive, waiting for improvement to enter your life without doing anything.Take action, grab opportunities, and be willing to change your habits and lifestyle.

Remember, making resolutions is not enough; you need to do something about them. If you made resolutions in the past, but did not follow them through, it was because you were not serious enough and your desire was not strong enough.
You can improve your life on all levels, but you need to follow a plan, keep up your enthusiasm, desire and motivation, and   not give in, when facing difficulties and obstacles. It might take some time and effort to improve your life, but this is worthwhile and rewarding goal.




ITS NOT TOO LATE TO SIGN UP!!
Contact the Chamber to learn how you can receive discounts from local businesses when you sign up for The Biggest Loser! (731) 968-2126

Contact the Chamber to learn about exercise groups around lexington to help motivate and support you with your health goals!

Are you in need of a Yellowbook ? Come by the Chamber Office and get one FREE!

SOUTHWEST RECONNECT COMMUNITY LAUNCHES TO HELP ADULTS RETURN TO COLLEGE



 
Jackson, February 8, 2016:  March 1 will mark the launch of the Southwest Tennessee Reconnect Community, a regionally-based effort focused on increasing the number of adults in the area with a postsecondary credential.  The Southwest Tennessee Reconnect community is a program of The Southwest Tennessee Development District and will partner with the CO and the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce to provide adults with free advising, career counseling, support, a personalized path to and through college, and connect community partners in larger statewide degree attainment initiatives. 

The Southwest Tennessee Reconnect Community is part of a larger statewide effort, Tennessee Reconnect, to encourage adults to return to college to earn a degree or certificate. Tennessee Reconnect is part of Governor Bill Haslam's Drive to 55 initiative, a statewide effort to increase Tennessee's educational attainment rate from 37 percent to 55 percent by the year 2025.  Tennessee Reconnect Communities were established in 2016 by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission in partnership with The Graduate Network and through technical assistance and funding from Lumina Foundation and the State of Tennessee. Currently, over 900,000 adults in Tennessee have at least some college credits but have not yet earned a degree.
"Our goal is to provide high-impact services to adults between the ages of 25-64 in our 13 county service area.  There has never been a better time for adults in Tennessee to complete a certificate or degree.  Going back to college can be a very worthwhile experience and Southwest Reconnect will be there for an adult looking to 'reconnect' every step of the way," said Cedric Deadmon, Southwest Reconnect Community Director.  The Southwest Reconnect Community was awarded a $225,000 grant from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission last year to fund the adult learner outreach and resources. 
 
A regional launch event for the Southwest Tennessee Reconnect Community will be held March 7th-March 11th in Chester, Decatur, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McNairy, Carroll, Crockett, Gibson, Tipton, and Wayne counties.  The launch will include what is being called the first "mobile college access" bus in Tennessee.  The bus, owned and operated by grant partner, theCO, will be equipped with the latest in technology and wireless connectivity to make serving students in rural areas of Southwest, Northwest, and South Central Tennessee easier.  The bus will stop at designated locations in each county for an hour and a half so prospective adult students can speak with college access advisors and engage our higher education partners from across the region. 

For more information about the bus tour, location and services offered to adults considering going back to college, contact, Cedric Deadmon, Director of the Southwest Reconnect Community, at 731-668-6448, or visit  www.swreconnect.orgwhen our website launches March 1.
Tennessee Reconnect Communities (TRCs) are locally-based collaboratives focused on empowering adults to complete a postsecondary degree or credential. Each TRC is comprised of local leaders from the community, employers, and higher education institutions, each focused on a localized plan to engage adults in the area. The TRCs provide adults with free advising, career counseling, support, and a personalized path to and through college. TRCs were established in 2016 by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission in partnership with the Graduate! Network and through technical assistance and funding from Lumina Foundation and the State of Tennessee.

  If you are interested in participating in the Tennessee Reconnect Community and would like a bus schedule and times, please contact the Chamber of Commerce and we will be glad to send you that information.

For more information, please contact: Debbie Dunaway
(731) 668-6439


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