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CK Daily Updates

CK Daily – 09.14.2021

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In This Issue: Giving Golf a Shot | Cisco 8861 Five Line Color Display IP Phone | News to Start Your Day

Happy National Cream Filled Donut Day & National Eat a Hoagie Day! Seems like the perfect duo, don’t you think? Enjoy a delicious hoagie filled with meats, cheeses, vegetables, and sauces – then follow it up with your favorite filled donut! 

The CK Daily – Giving Golf a Shot

Good Morning & Happy Tuesday! As you are reading this, I will be hitting the golf course for a charity golf tournament that CK participates in every year! I’m really excited about the opportunity to play in it even though I am a complete rookie when it comes to golf. In fact, I have only ever played once, and that was only a couple of months ago!

Golf is a sport that I’ve been wanting to try for years, but I always found that my fear of the unknown and of being a complete failure was a powerful enough deterrent to keep me from giving it a shot. Back in July, I had the opportunity to play in another golf tournament that CK was participating in and I figured it was time to seize the opportunity and just go for it. I’m so glad I did because it was so much fun! Full disclosure, I’m pretty terrible at it (shocking, I know). Regardless, it was a great experience, and I came away from it wanting to learn more and get better!

Overall, it was a good reminder that sometimes the desire to be perfect (or the fear of failure) can keep us from experiencing some awesome things in life. I like to remind myself that no matter what the activity or skill is, no one ever started as an expert. Everyone who is great at something was once a beginner, and you won’t ever reach greatness if you don’t try!

Rebecca

Product Spotlights & Updates

Happy Tuesday! Today’s spotlight is the Cisco 8861 Five Line Color Display IP Phone.

This Cisco CP-8861-K9 desk phone is an excellent choice when looking for a phone to help you increase productivity through an engaging user experience. This phone features crystal clear wideband audio performance, comes with 5 programmable lines, Bluetooth, Cisco Intelligent Proximity, an integral Gigabit switch, and the ability to add Key Expansion Modules. Not only is the 8861 highly functional, but it comes in a sleek ergonomic design and is highly reliable and secure.

Better yet, it comes with our industry-best lifetime warranty!

Learning Center Article – Your Guide to Cisco Catalyst Switches

A network is only as effective as its weakest link. When you have heavy demands, you need good options to meet and exceed those demands. Cisco has been providing top-quality options for every network design for decades. This overview on the CK Learning Center will introduce you to some of the most common, versatile, and widely-used switches Cisco has to offer.

Today’s News to Start Your Day:

  • Four people are set to launch to space Wednesday night aboard a SpaceX capsule, and none of them are professional astronauts. It will be the first completely private mission to orbit. 
  • Colassal has landed $15m in funding to restore the wooly mammoth to the Arctic and it thinks it can birth calves in four to six years. Would you like to see one of these walking around? 
  • Intuit has bought email marketing company MailChimp for $12 billion in cash and stock. 
  • Google is looking to launch Gmail ‘nudges’ in Google Messages to remind you to answer your texts. Does anyone else think this would be incredibly helpful, especially on busy days?! 
  • Apple has recently released an article informing those who drive powerful motorcycles that the vibrations could damage the phone’s camera system. Guess iPhones aren’t born to be wild! 

CK Daily – 09.13.2021

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In This Issue: Football Overload | RJ11 Single Port Surface Mount Jack | News to Start Your Day

September 13th is National Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day! Looks like it’s the perfect day to take a seat on the couch and let the kiddos whip up their favorite meal for dinner. PB&J and mac n’ cheese it is! 

The CK Daily – Football Overload

Good Morning CK Fam!!

Being a football fan comes with a commitment of time, energy, and a slew of emotions. Both college and pro football can consume a lot of that, as many of you may already know.

One of my favorite aspects that is missed quite a bit is community. I have friends that are only friends because of our allegiances to the same team, and it blossomed over into a deeper friendship. For those of you who may play fantasy football, the exact same. Life-long friends made over competing in an online event. This isn’t a “join the football crowd” moment, just an appreciation post for all the football lovers that does take place, and really the kicking off (pun not intended, but appreciated) of fall. It’s a rush of nostalgia from being a kid in autumn back in school, trick or treating, and enjoying the weekends watching my favorite teams. The season of harvest is a beautiful one, let’s enjoy each season we are in for what they are.

I hope you have a love-filled, blessed week!

Corey

Product Spotlights & Updates:

Happy Monday! We hope you enjoyed the weekend. We’re kicking off the week this week with the RJ11 Single Port Surface Mount Jack. This tool is small but mighty!

The RJ11 Surface Mount Jack gives your wiring installation a finished look. Mount these on any flat surface for a simple and easy connection. The best part is, you only need a phillips head screwdriver to install it!

Grab one today for 20% off!

Learning Center Article – The Right Ethernet for the Right Network

An efficient Ethernet cable management plan, especially in high-density and challenging network environments, increases the versatility of network maintenance and operation. It also contributes to the system’s uptime and lowers operation costs, which makes your life a whole lot easier! 

Read more about how to choose the right cables for a high-density network center here. 

Today’s News to Start Your Day:

  • British tennis player Emma Raducanu beat Canadian star Leylah Fernandez to win the U.S. Open women’s final on Saturday.
  • Google Maps may no longer default to the fastest route. The company says its navigation algorithm will soon select the most fuel-efficient route to take. If the estimated time of arrival at the destination is the same, Google will choose the route with the lowest carbon footprint.
  • The Perseverance rover’s first rock samples from Mars are already providing insights. NASA researchers’ early analysis of the samples indicates water was present in Jezero Crater for a “long time” — think tens of thousands or millions of years. 
  • Are you excited about the release of Hawkeye? Watch Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye – Official Trailer (2021) here. 
  • Apple is holding its annual iPhone launch event tomorrow! Apple’s hype-filled, expensively produced fall launches are a signature quirk of the company going back over a decade. What do you think they’ll announce or release? 

CK Daily – 08.30.2021

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In This Issue: Cisco Catalyst 3560-X Series 48 Port PoE+ Switch | Top Products for Your Data Centers | News to Start Your Day

Anyone wishing they were at the beach?! You must be in the holiday spirit because today is National Beach Day! What’s your favorite beach spot? Do you enjoy relaxing on the beach with a good book in hand, building sandcastles, or surfing the waves? We’d love to know!

The CK Daily – Hurricane Ida and Afghanistan

Good Morning CK Fam!!!!

I hope y’all have had a wonderful, restful, recharging weekend and are ready to hop back in the work saddle this Monday morning!

While most things may be going smoothly for you at home, it is not always the case for our countrymen and women, domestic and foreign. This is not meant to be a saddening or downtrodden message, simply one of support.

Often we can feel helpless, we have obligations (work, family, caretaker, small children), but that doesn’t mean you can’t help.

Some real groups that are on the ball and helping that I support and would love to share:

Hurricane Ida relief:

Team Rubicon (Veteran operated relief program) – teamrubiconusa.org

Cajun Navy – https://cajunrelief.org/

Afghanistan Relief and Human Trafficking Prevention:

Operation Underground Rescue – ourrescue.org

Tim Tebow Foundation – https://www.timtebowfoundation.org/ministries/anti-human-trafficking

While it may be difficult to feel like you are doing nothing, support them monetarily, through prayer, sharing with friends and family how they can help, or with care packages.

May all of our neighbors have God’s protection through these tribulations. Join me in prayer for these people who are losing their homes, hope, family members, and more.

Have a great week,

Corey

Hot Topic of the Day

In a recent poll, 2,000 American moms with children ages 3–18 to identify the traits of a “cool” mom—and then asked their kids to set the record straight. The results showed that 3 in 5 kids think moms who help with homework and school projects are considered “cool” moms.

The poll mainly revealed that snacks are really the true way of winning the kids over. Half of moms have made a cheese board for their children, and more than half admitted that their kids eat more sophisticated snacks and lunches than they do.

Do you think snacks win over the “cool” mom title? What snacks do you pack in your kid’s lunches? Would you admit that your kids eat more sophisticated snacks than you? We’d love to know what you think! Let us know your thoughts over on the CK Facebook page! 

Product Spotlights & Updates

Happy Monday! Today we’re taking a closer look at the Cisco Catalyst 3560-X Series 48 Port PoE+ Switch!

Cisco 3560 X switches help maximize productivity by giving IT managers the tools needed to support enterprise applications and advanced traffic management. With an array of network modules and redundant power supply options available, these standalone switches can be customized and scaled to support nearly any application. Options for the 3560X include Gigabit and 10GE uplink ports, PoE+ and non-PoE support, redundant fans, and an array of port densities that allow the devices to be tailored and customized. By upgrading IOS versions users and add OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) routed access, multicast routing, IPv4 and IPv6 support, advanced QoS (Quality of Service). Hardware security, Cisco Energywise power management and type A and B USB interfaces are standard. These feature-rich, fixed-configuration devices are the switch of choice for small to medium-size businesses looking to maximize IT budgets while maintaining rich functionality.

They have several incredible features – so be sure to snag one today! 

Top Products for Your Data Centers – CK Learning Center

Data Center Racking, Cabinets & Accessories

You wouldn’t buy a car and just leave it sitting around without taking care of it and protecting it, right? You definitely would not buy network equipment and just leave it sitting around on the floor or stacked on boxes where it is not secure or safe, would you? Of course not!

Having the right data center layout and network racking setup is just as important as the switches and cabling you use in your data center and business. We have a huge selection of all of the racking components you need to get organized and to keep your data center from getting cluttered.

Check out all we have to offer at CK in this learning center article. 

Today’s News to Start Your Day:

  • China is cracking down on youth videogame addiction. No gaming will be allowed during the school week and only one hour a day will be allotted on Fridays, weekends, and public holidays. 
  • Ikea announced plans to launch a furniture buyback and resale program in the U.S. The program will be piloted at its store in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, through Sept. 19, with the goal of eventually making the service available at all U.S. locations.
  • Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana on Sunday as a Category 4 storm with winds of 150 miles per hour, one of the strongest storms to hit the region since Hurricane Katrina. Ida has since been downgraded to a tropical storm.
  • Apple’s new iPhone 13 is set to have satellite connectivity. This will allow you to be able to make calls and send texts in areas lacking cellular coverage. 
  • TikTok owner ByteDance has made its first foray into virtual reality (VR) through the acquisition of a start-up called Pico.

CK Daily – 08.27.2021

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In This Issue: Cisco 10GBase-LR SFP Module | Purpose Driven Goals | News to Start Your Day

Happy Friday! We hope you had a great week and are looking forward to the weekend! Any fun things planned? Also, we know that a lot is happening in the world. If there is any way that we can be praying for you, please let us know!

The CK Daily – Back on the Conference Route!

Happy Friday, folks!

I don’t know about you all, but I’m looking forward to a restful weekend! Why? We attended our first conference this week, the first conference I’ve been to since January 2020! I love to travel, meet with prospective partners, and enjoy some GREAT food! It was exciting to be able to attend a conference again! I will say it’s WAY smaller than it used to be. However, the smaller conference allowed us to spend more time with prospective partners, which is always good!

So this brings me to the question: are you ready to attend conferences or meet face to face with your partners or clients?

Chris

Hot Topic of Day

Manchester City is the reigning champions of the English Premier League and they are now seeking to reduce the amount of landfill waste. They will introduce an “edible coffee cup as an amazing solution to waste. You’ll be able to eat your cup!

The cup is made by a Scottish startup called BioBite, and is essentially a 100-calorie vegan biscuit in the shape of a cup. Made with wafer in much the same way as an ice cream cone, the cup will stay leak-proof for 12 hours, and even more amazingly, crunchy for a full 45 minutes, which for the American readers is exactly and always one-half the duration of a ‘football’ match.

Do you think you’d enjoy this cup alternative? Would you drink it fast enough before the biscuit becomes soggy? We’d love to know what you think! Let us know your thoughts over on the CK Facebook page! 

Product Spotlights & Updates

We’ve made it to the end of the week CK Family! We’ve saved one of the bests for lasts – the Cisco 10GBase-LR SFP Module.

The Cisco 10GBase-LR SFP+ transceiver module was designed for long range data transmission and supports data transfer over a distance 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) using singlemode fiber. This transceiver module transfers data at a rate of 10 Gigabits per second and is an ideal option for connectivity needs in large data centers, enterprise wiring closets, large campuses, and Metro Area Networks.

While this SFP+ module is capable of transmitting data over long distances, there is no minimum distance required. As such, this module is also suitable for short range data transmission as well.

Pick one up for 25% off this week!

Purpose Driven Goals – Jon Gordon

Enjoy today’s motivation from Jon Gordon. You can find the full article here. 

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For years I chose Organic Valley milk over other brands in the supermarket. I had no idea why until I spoke at their remote headquarters surrounded by acres of farm land in the middle of Wisconsin.

I discovered a company that didn’t believe in sales and revenue goals. Of course they forecasted sales for budgetary, planning and growth purposes and measured numbers and outcomes, but they did so with the belief that numbers were just a byproduct of how well they were living and sharing their purpose.

Instead of focusing on goals with numbers, Organic Valley passionately focused on their purpose driven goals: providing opportunities for farmers to make a living; sustainability of the land; and providing families with healthy dairy products that were free of hormones and antibiotics. The result: Organic Valley’s numbers kept growing and growing.

While speaking to an NFL team a few years ago I had each player write their goals on a piece of paper. After a few minutes I had them rip up the paper they had just written on. I was inspired by my friend Joshua Medcalf’s book Burn Your Goals but didn’t want to be the guy known for causing a fire in an NFL meeting room so I had them rip up the paper instead.

You could hear the complaints and feel their anger and frustration while they ripped up the paper they had just spent time and energy writing on. I then asked, “How many of you wrote down win a super bowl, win x number of games, achieve x number of yards, have x number of interceptions, etc.?”

All the hands went up. I told them that every person in every NFL meeting room has the same goals. So it’s not the goals that will make you successful. Otherwise everyone and every team would be successful after writing down their goals. Instead it’s your commitment to the process, your growth and your purpose that drives you to reach these goals that will determine what you accomplish.

I then had them write down their commitments and purpose for playing and had them share with the rest of the team. It was powerful.

The truth is numbers and goals don’t drive people. People with a purpose drive the numbers and achieve goals. Research clearly shows that true motivation is driven by meaning and purpose rather than extrinsic rewards, numbers and goals.

A study of West Point alums showed that those who had intrinsic goals, “I want to serve my country and make a difference” outperformed those with extrinsic goals “I want to rise in the ranks and become an officer because it’s prestigious.”

Goals may motivate you in the short term but they will not sustain you over time. Without a good reason to keep moving forward during challenges you either quit or go through the motions like one of the walking dead.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t measure numbers or have goals. It’s okay to have a goal you want to achieve but once you identify a goal or outcome you will be more powerful and energized if you focus on your purpose. Your greater purpose will lead to greater performance!

Purpose-driven goals sell more milk, win more football games, enhance performance and lead to outcomes that far surpass your numbered goals.

Today’s News to Start Your Day:

  • Apple will allow app developers to email their users about alternative purchase options, in a major change to App Store policies. App makers want to contact their customers directly to encourage them to pay directly and avoid Apple’s App Store fees, which range from 15% to 30% of gross sales.
  • The U.S. Department of Education announced Thursday that it will forgive $1.1 billion in student debt for 115,000 borrowers. The debt forgiveness will go to those who attended ITT Technical Institute, a for-profit school that is now defunct.
  • Peloton said it’s cutting the price of its less expensive Bike product by about 20% to $1,495. The price drop will also take effect in the U.K., Canada, Germany and Australia.
  • Tropical Storm Ida is strengthening in the Caribbean Sea and is forecast to threaten the northern U.S. Gulf Coast as a major hurricane this weekend.
  • Tesla filed an application with the Texas Public Utility Commission to sell electricity in the state.

CK Daily – 08.26.2021

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In This Issue: Cisco 8861 Five-line Color Display IP Phone | What does AWG mean for Ethernet patch cables? | News to Start Your Day

Happy National Dog Day! Today we celebrate our 4-legged friends that protect us, make us feel safe, and aid us when we need them. Do you have the title of dog mom/dog dad? Send us a photo and show us your pup! 

The CK Daily – Too much of a good thing. 

As you are reading this, I am flying back from an event in Chicago. It has been a phenomenal trip meeting with new and old vendors, learning a lot, having great conversations, and seeing some old friends in the industry. Oh, and probably the best part is getting to eat some amazing food…ok, getting to eat WAY TOO MUCH of that amazing food.

When in a different city, you, of course, have to eat stuff that is local to that area. We always joke about not eating at a chain restaurant that we have back in Georgia or at least in our area. We succeeded in not doing that again this year, but dang, we did eat some good food this week. I am a huge fan of deep-dish Chicago pizza and so was everyone else with me on the trip. We ended up eating at Giordano’s twice. That might not sound like a lot, but trust me when I say it was a ton of pizza in the three days we were here. The pizza was absolutely amazing! The sauce was perfect, the cheese was great, the meats (all the meats…) were so good. I literally could not stop eating it…both times. I regretted the decision of not stopping…again, both times.

As we all know though, too much of a good thing can be bad. Chris joked about us going there again last night. Normally I would have been fine with it, but immediately I had to say “no!”. It was a sad moment, but I knew I had reached my limit on the deep-dish pizza. It is even shocking to me. Haha!

While I am a huge Giordano’s fan, I know this is a very heated topic all over. I have had all three of these but what’s your favorite type of Chicago deep-dish pizza – Giordano’s, Lou Malnati’s, Gino’s East, or another option?

Have a great Thursday and go order yourself a deep-dish pizza from somewhere!

Jason

Hot Topic of the Day

A German animal shelter began using the Tinder dating app to post profiles of lonely dogs and cats looking for love. They hired a photographer to come in and take their profile photos and write their profiles to help them all find “the purrfect match.” People could then swipe right on the animals. Many requests have been processed and the shelter has started interviews in hope of finding homes for the single pets.

Would you use Tinder to find the perfect four-legged friend for you? What would you like to see in their profile to be able to swipe right on them? We’d love to know what you think! Let us know your thoughts over on the CK Facebook page! 

Product Spotlights & Updates

Happy Thursday! Today we’re highlighting the Cisco 8861 Five Line Color Display IP Phone and this is one you want to snag while it’s 20% off!

This Cisco CP-8861-K9 desk phone is an excellent choice when looking for a phone to help you increase productivity through an engaging user experience. This phone features crystal clear wideband audio performance, comes with 5 programmable lines, Bluetooth, Cisco Intelligent Proximity, an integral Gigabit switch, and the ability to add Key Expansion Modules. Not only is the 8861 highly function, but it comes in a sleek ergonomic design and is highly reliable and secure.

What does AWG mean for Ethernet patch cables? – CK Learning Center

What does AWG mean for Ethernet patch cables? What is the AWG for Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat6a cables?

AWG stands for American Wire Gauge. It is the common measurement used in the U.S. and Canada to determine the thickness of a wire made for electrical purposes. First established in 1857, AWG originally measured basic solid wire. Now it is used to measure stranded wire as well, which can lead to some confusion when looking at a cable to determine AWG. Stranded wire contains air pockets, which can make a cable look much bigger than it is.

Gauge size can be counterintuitive for some, as smaller numbers mean larger wire diameters, which means there is less resistance for the signals carried through the cable. The wire in Cat6 and Cat6a patch cables, with their improved performance abilities, run slightly thicker than their Cat5E counterparts, giving you a better quality of throughput.

Cat5e cables usually run between 24 and 26 AWG, while Cat6, and Cat6A usually run between 22 and 26 AWG.

One of the newest types of Ethernet cables on the market, Slim Run Patch Cables, actually have a 28 AWG wire. This allows these patch cords to be at least 25% smaller in diameter, than standard Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat6a Ethernet. While the higher AWG in slim Ethernet cables limits the length of the cable you can run without creating resistance, these cables are beneficial for high-density networks and data centers, as well as a lot easier to install and manage.

Find this on the CK Learning Center here. 

Today’s News to Start Your Day:

  • Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat battle to achieve price parity with real meat. Meat substitutes and alternatives cost more than animal meat products due to supply-chain issues, higher costs of ingredients, and higher costs of production.
  • Using Microsoft Teams on an iPhone may require some serious updating soon as the platform will only work on certain versions of iOS. Microsoft has revealed that its video conferencing service will soon only work on iOS 14 and above, meaning a change for many users with older devices.
  • Spencer Elden, who was photographed nude as an infant and appears on the cover of Nirvana’s “Nevermind” album, is suing the band over the image. In the filing, Elden’s lawyer claims the image constitutes child pornography, violating federal laws. Elden is seeking $150,000 in damages from each of the 15 defendants named in the suit.
  • Disney has reached a deal with the Service Trades Council Union to require all of its unionized employees working at Walt Disney World in Florida to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by October 22, 2021.
  • Cryptocurrency creators who claim they are trying to educate consumers say their content is getting censored and taken down for violating community guidelines on TikTok. TikTok recently rolled out a system that automatically removes content that violates community guidelines. Many creators are now considering a shift to Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Discord if TikTok continues to remove crypto-related posts.

CK Daily – 08.25.2021

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In This Issue: Cisco Catalyst 3560-X Series 48 Port PoE+ Switch | 12 Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy Life More | News to Start Your Day

Calling all thrifters!! Today is your day – it’s National Secondhand Wardrobe Day! Head on over to your favorite thrift store and snag some great deals on some new items for your wardrobe! What’s been your best thrift store find? 

The CK Daily – Getting Through the Ups and Downs

Happy Wednesday!

Can you believe August is almost gone? This month has flown by for me, but I am not complaining. This weekend my husband and I are celebrating many different things. My son’s birthday is this weekend, and we are throwing him the ultimate Home Depot/Construction themed birthday party. He is all about excavators, so we are pretty excited to see his eyes light up with all of our decorations. We are also having a gender reveal party for our unborn child this weekend, along with celebrating 8 years of marriage. So yeah, the last few days of the month are jammed-packed for my household.

With all the exciting things happening in my life, I can’t help but think about those who are not experiencing such joyous times right now. From COVID-19 ramping back up and affecting people to the helpless people in Afghanistan, times are rough for many. It’s so easy to take life and health for granted, but the recent events that have been happening around our country and in the world have caused me to take a break and thank God for protection. 

As you finish out your week, I ask each of you to take a moment to think about the great things going on in your life. Once you’ve done that, take another moment to think about those who aren’t doing as great as you. We all have our ups and downs, but as a good Samaritan, let’s not forget about those that are not as fortunate.

Have a great week friends! 

Shanyce

Hot Topic of the Day

Yesterday, Starbuck officially launched their autumn drink menu. To try and get a leg up on Starbucks, Dunkin’ launched its pumpkin cream cold brew and pumpkin spice signature latte drink on August 11th. They even added apple cider doughnuts to the mix! Panera is also seeking to have a spot in the running with their fall drinks being added to their menu on September 1st! 

Where is your favorite place to get fall-themed drinks? Are you a big pumpkin spice fan? Do you think it’s too early to have fall-themed drinks on the menu? We’d love to know what you think! Let us know your thoughts over on the CK Facebook page! 

Product Spotlights & Updates

We’ve finally made it to the middle of the week! Are you already looking forward to the weekend?! Today we’re focusing in on the Cisco Catalyst 3560-X Series Switch that has (48) 10/100/1000 Ethernet Ports and (2) USB Ports, WS-C3560X-48P-S.

Cisco 3560 X switches help maximize productivity by giving IT managers the tools needed to support enterprise applications and advanced traffic management. With an array of network modules and redundant power supply options available, these standalone switches can be customized and scaled to support nearly any application. Options for the 3560X include Gigabit and 10GE uplink ports, PoE+ and non-PoE support, redundant fans and an array of port densities allow the devices to be tailored and customized. By upgrading IOS versions users and add OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) routed access, multicast routing, IPv4 and IPv6 support, advanced QoS (Quality of Service). Hardware security, Cisco Energywise power management and type A and B USB interfaces are standard. These feature-rich, fixed-configuration devices are the switch of choice for small to medium-size businesses looking to maximize IT budgets while maintaining rich functionality.

This week, enjoy 25% off this product!

12 Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy Life More

Today’s article is from Ramsey Solutions – read the full post here!

Ironically, it’s hard to slow down. It takes a ton of discipline. You’ve got to choose to go against what the rest of the world is doing. But it’s worth it—I promise. Here are a few practical ways to slow down.

1. Pay attention to what gets your attention.

Slowing down starts when you begin to pay attention to the world around you—to be truly focused on what’s in front of you. The problem is that we try to divide our attention between a million things all at once. We think multitasking will help us get more done, but in reality, it only leaves us stressed and frazzled.

2. Be present.

It sounds nice, doesn’t it? Just be present. Just be where you are. If it were that easy, we wouldn’t struggle doing it. But in our busy lives, with so much competing for our attention, it feels almost impossible to focus on what’s in front of us.

3. Don’t allow your phone to be a distraction.

Speaking of barriers to being present, let’s talk about cell phones. We’re addicted to our phones—addicted to the temporary rush they bring. The noises, alerts, dings, and little red dots keep us feeling hurried because there’s always another notification to check.

Don’t let your phone run your life. Don’t allow it to flood your body with stress hormones. Don’t give it the power to steal your time, attention and peace of mind.

4. Focus on the people in front of you.

When we’re rushing, we often push people to the side. We don’t take time to look the cashier at the grocery store in the eye and ask how their day is going. We never take time to just hang out with a friend or neighbor (here in the South, we call that visitin’).

So, stop and slow down, put the device away, look your loved ones in the eyes, and spend quality (translation: unrushed and undivided) time with them.

5. Drive the speed limit.

Yes—I know. This one is tough. If you’re like me, you’re tempted to speed through traffic, weaving in and out of cars to shave a few minutes off your commute. But you’re not a NASCAR driver, and this isn’t a race.

6. Do something creative.

We’re all creative. Whether you like to do watercolors or make spreadsheets, there’s something you’re good at bringing into the world—something that brings you life. Making time for creative work helps us slow down and enjoy the moment.

7. Accept your limitations.

I don’t know about you, but I have a Mother Teresa complex sometimes—I feel like it’s my job to save the world. I sign up and say yes to things I don’t even want to do, because if I don’t show up, won’t it all fall apart?

8. Take the Why Do I Feel So Busy? life balance quiz.

You know you’re too busy, but you might not know why. Time-management hacks are great, but a lot of the time, they only address the symptom of the problem—not the source.

9. Make time for play.

As we age, we have a hard time making fun a priority. We might even feel guilty for having fun—like it’s a luxury we can’t afford. Maybe you’ve entirely forgotten how to have fun! When we slow down and make time for play, we recharge our batteries, laugh, connect with people, and reignite the spark of joy that’s missing from our hectic lives.

10. Practice silence.

Can you be still? What if you could just stop? Stop the noise, stop the rushing, stop trying to perform, stop trying to keep up. Just stop. Be still. Schedule little pauses throughout your day—even just a minute or two can help calm your mind.

11. Journal.

One of the problems with being too busy is that we don’t make time for reflection. We never pause to check in with ourselves, think back on the day, or consider whether or not we like how we’re spending our time. Journaling is an awesome practice that helps you slow down and connect with yourself.

12. Add these books to your reading list.

Here are a few books that have helped me—on a personal and professional level—learn to slow down and enjoy my life:

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer

Redefining Anxiety by Dr. John Delony

Take Back Your Time: The Guilt-Free Guide to Life Balance by Christy Wright

Today’s News to Start Your Day:

  • Microsoft is planning to launch cloud gaming services on Xbox consoles this holiday season. This will allow people to stream games over the internet rather than install them locally. 
  • Airbnb says that it plans to temporarily house 20,000 Afghan refugees. Refugees will be housed in properties listed on Airbnb’s platform and the stay will be funded by Airbnb. 
  • Chewy, the now publicly-traded company, wants to hold on to the corporate culture that drew customers when it was a start-up. Chewy CEO Sumit Singh said he wants to order dog food — and even getting a delivery of cat litter — to feel a little like going to Disney World.
  • Serena Williams has pulled out of the U.S. Open to recover from a torn hamstring.
  • Waymo is opening up rider testing of its self-driving car in San Francisco.