Learning to Face Your Fears

October 11, 2016October 5, 2016 / Mary / Leave a comment

worried October 11, 2016 is National Face Your Fears Day, a day for confronting, if not overcoming, things that scare you.

The Cheshire Library is here to help. Try some of these online classes from lynda.com. FREE for Cheshire Library card holders. Login in via cheshirelibrary.com/elearning.

Overcoming Your Fear of Public Speaking. Although it may seem to come naturally to some people, public speaking is actually a skill that can be learned. Learn techniques to prepare yourself mentally and physically so that you can feel comfortable—or even enjoy—delivering your message to an audience. 26 minutes.

Learning To Say No. Learning to say no is about making choices about what is important to you. Learn how to classify your work into categories of importance and decide how it matches your own goals and values. Using these guidelines, you can choose what to say “yes” to and what to say “no” to more effectively and in a way that is brief, honest, positive, and respectful. 22 minutes.

Learning to Be Assertive. We all get frustrated when we feel taken advantage of, or alternatively, respond too aggressively when we feel provoked or trapped. Overcome these knee-jerk responses by learning how to be assertive. This course reveals what assertiveness really means, and how it is different from aggression, and outlines specific techniques you can use to respond to challenging situations and difficult people. 55 minutes.

Building Self-Confidence. Confidence can help you accomplish your goals and build strong relationships. But the reverse is also true; a lack of confidence can hurt you personally and professionally. Luckily, there are steps you can take to build lasting self-confidence. In this 20 minute course, you will learn 10 techniques for building confidence you can apply at work and in your personal life.

Embracing Change. In this short course (12 minutes!), author and business coach Todd Dewett explains how you can harness the power of change and benefit those around you by avoiding quick reactions, adopting a positive attitude, and developing a 30-day plan to integrate change.

Or try some downloadable audiobooks books:

Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm / Thich Nhat Hanh

Fear of Success and Fear of the Dentist / Sanjay Burman

Speed : Facing Our Addiction to Fast and Faster– and Overcoming our Fear of Slowing Down / Stephanie Brown, PhD

And downloadable ebooks:

100 Ways to Overcome Shyness: Go From Self-Conscious to Self-Confident

Goldsmith, Barton.

The Fear Cure : Cultivating Courage as Medicine for the Body, Mind, and Soul / Lissa Rankin

A Joosr Guide to Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers and How to Turn Your Fear and Indecision into Confidence and Action / Various Authors

Or some books off the shelf:

Rewire Your Anxious Brain : How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic, & Worry / Catherine M. Pittman, PhD, Elizabeth M. Karle, MLIS

The Science of Fear : Why We Fear the Things We Shouldn’t– and Put Ourselves in Greater Danger / Daniel Gardner

Growing up Brave : Expert Strategies for Helping Your Child Overcome Fear, Stress, and Anxiety / Donna B. Pincus

I’m in Love with lynda(.com)

September 14, 2016August 18, 2016 / Mary / Leave a comment

Yahoo! The Cheshire Library now has lynda.com.

lynda is an online learning site with over 3,000 courses covering a myriad of topics. Microsoft Office. Personal Finance. Web Design. Social Media. Photography. Happiness.

You can login to lynda.com from the library’s eLearning page on our website. All you need is a Cheshire Library card.

You can take a class on Computer Literacy for Windows 10. You can follow one of lynda’s specially curated Learning Paths and learn how to become a graphic designer, digital marketer, IT security specialist, and many other careers. You can take a ten minute class on Managing Your Time or an 8 hour course on Word Essential Training.

It’s not all about work and career, either! Focus on personal skills such as Balancing Work and Life, Managing Stress, or Overcoming Procrastination. There are classes on Mindfulness, Learning to Say No, Embracing Change, and Building Self-Confidence.

You can watch a video at midnight. At 2 in the afternoon. Or at 3 in the morning. lynda.com is available 24/7. And the classes are FREE if you have a Cheshire Library card.

Keep an eye on this blog. In the future, I will be highlighting groups of courses available from lynda ranging from business to technology to lifestyle. There’s something for everyone!

The Day I Forgot My Phone

August 22, 2016August 4, 2016 / Mary / Leave a comment

taber-No-Cell-Phones-Allowed I left the house without my smartphone and didn’t realize it until I arrived at work.

It felt funny at first. I had become used to carrying my phone with me. But as the day went on, I noticed something peculiar. I felt calmer.

There were no texts interrupting my concentration. No buzzing of a phone set to silent to distract me during a meeting. No notifications from apps warning me of impending weather fronts.

I didn’t text my husband with thoughts the second I had them. I didn’t send any “how are you” or “where are you” messages to my daughter.

As if to reinforce the strange but not bad quiet of my day, I saw a book on the new book cart that caught my minimalist eye. The Joy of Less: 101 Stories about Having More by Simplifying Our Lives, a book in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Flipping through the pages, I discovered, by a great cosmic coincidence, a section titled “Joyfully Unplugged”.

This section has stories about taking a sabbatical from Facebook, going without television, and generally disconnecting from electronics in order to reconnect with life. One of my favorites is titled, “Why I Gave My Smartphone a Lobotomy” by Nicole L. V. Mullis. It is simply a short essay about a woman who began to pay more attention to her phone than to those around her and cured herself by deleting all her apps.

I’m not quite ready to do that, but I am ready to lay my phone aside and forget about it from time to time. I don’t need to be available 24/7. I don’t want to be available 24/7.

The quiet of my phoneless day was an unexpectedly nice surprise. I realized with a shock that quiet is now a treat, something that needs to be planned. And, I have decided, it is something worth planning.

Interested in the effects being constantly online? Try these titles, which explore the bad and the good sides of being online:

Downloadable Audiobooks:

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What’s Happening At Cheshire Library in August

July 29, 2016August 1, 2016 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

Our summer programming is at its peak in August, with lots of things going every day! Check our Event Calendar for the full lineup, here are some of the highlights:

Nature Nick Animal Show

Wednesday Aug 3, 2016, 4:30 PM

Let Nature Nick introduce you to the true athletes of the animal world! This show will feature hopping kangaroos and lightening fast falcons! Nature Nick will also read excerpts from his new book entitled Animal Athletes. Registration Required.

Intro to Kids Hip-Hop at United Rhythms Studio

Friday Aug 5, 2016, 1:00 – 2:00 PM

Join us for a special kids introduction to hip-hop workshop at United Rhythms Dance Studio! Meet us at United Rhythms at The Watch Clock Factory at 134 Elm Street in Cheshire. Don’t miss this fun chance to try out your best dance moves! For ages 5 to 12, no registration required.

Movie Matinees

Tuesdays: Aug 9, 16, 23, 30, 2016, 1:00 PM

Our movies all have a sports theme this month:

Aug 2 – Knute Rockne All American (1940)
Aug 16 – Flying Scotsman (2006)
Aug 23 – Miracle (2004)
Aug 30 – McFarland USA (2015)

Introduction to Hatha-Tantra Yoga

Wednesdays: Aug 10 – 31, 2016, 5:00 – 6:00 PM

In this series, participants will experience gentle stretching, basic postures (asana), breathing techniques (pranayama), and guided meditation. This slower-paced series is a good place for those looking to begin a yoga practice or to learn more about what yoga is and experience some fundamental practices and philosophy. Suitable for beginners, no prior experience with yoga is necessary. Please wear comfortable clothing and bring your own mat. Accommodations for those who may prefer to practice using a chair are possible. Space is limited – register today!

Massage Guru

Thursday Aug 11, 2016, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

Come learn the benefits of massage with licensed massage therapist Mary Rossi. Learn how you can reduce stress and anxiety, promote deep sleep and improve circulation in the body and much more! Registration required.

The Cheshire Performing Arts Academy – Creative Movement

Friday Aug 12, 2016, 1:00 – 2:00 PM

Join us for a introductory ballet and creative movement class presented by The Cheshire Performing Arts Academy! Ages 3-4, no registration required.

Managing Stress in a 24/7 World

Thursday Aug 18, 2016, 7:00 – 8:00 PM

Does trying to juggle work, family and self-care leave you feeling exhausted and stressed out? Join Nancy Boudreau for an informative seminar on managing stress. During this talk you’ll learn how stress affects your body, strategies for dealing with stress (including meditation) and breath work that will help quiet your mind and calm your nervous system. Registration required.

Beginner Irish Dance Workshop

Friday Aug 19, 2016, 1:00 PM

Join us for a special Irish dance beginner workshop from The Horgan Academy of Irish Dance in Naugatuck and Cheshire. This is a unique opportunity to take a demo class with an award winning studio! Ages 5 to 12, no registration required.

Kid’s Summer Reading Finale @ Cheshire Pool

Wednesday Aug 24, 2016, 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Join us for our Summer Reading Finale hosted at the Cheshire Pool at Bartlem Park, 520 South Main Street in Cheshire. Enjoy swimming and bring a picnic!!! You will be able to purchase dessert from the Sugar Bakery Cupcake Truck. Have a family picnic and swim during our last program for the summer. All ages welcomed! No registration required.

To The Nines

Thursday Aug 25, 2016, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

Author and golf enthusiast Anthony Pioppi will profile notable 9-hole golf courses around the county, including Fenwick Golf Course in Old Saybrook. In addition he will discuss the long gone 9-hole Honey Pot Country Club in Cheshire. Copies of Mr. Pioppi’s book To the Nines will be available for purchase. Registration required.

Adult Summer Reading Finale: Hula Hoop Dance Fitness @ Cheshire Park

Wednesday Aug 31, 2016, 6:30 – 7:30 PM

Join Meg Geyser for this upbeat, aerobic workout mixes low-intensity and high-intensity moves for an interval-style, calorie-burning dance fitness party with a SPIN. We will be using specially designed and easy to use adult sized hula hoops on the waist and off the body to add an extra element of fun and fitness. At the conclusion of this program we will reveal the grand prize winner for the Health is Wealth Adult Summer Reading. Registration required.

Taming Information Overload

July 20, 2016June 27, 2016 / Mary / Leave a comment

Ironically, here’s some more information for your information-overloaded life that is actually about coping with all the information that bombards us each day. Fortunately, you can relax and quickly browse this easy-to-read post. There’s no need for long descriptions. The titles say it all.

The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less by Barry Schwartz