Learned skills

Learned skills are a big subject on the internet. Poker players from beginners to tournament winners are all looking for the next big tip that will win them their next game. Study and research all you want if you have the drive to learn. It won’t hinder, and it might help.

There is memorising the rules, obviously, learning to fold when you’re unsure, or to bluff more as part of your strategy and other strategic moves.

Plus, like any other skill, it takes practice. If you’re not a fan of the idea of losing your money, you can practice online. There are loads of apps that will let you play for free or with real money, and, crucially, with real people. GGPoker is a site that offers every form of poker game you can think of and will allow you to watch or participate in tournaments. Watch the pros in the GGTeam as they stream their games and learn what makes them the best of the best.

You can progress as you play, starting with playing for free against the app or site and eventually working your way up to live tables for real money and maybe one day winning the World Series of Poker bracelet itself.

Innate skills

The initial innate skills you’re most likely to think of when you think of poker are the ability to read faces and predict moves. This may do to help James Bond save the world, but even innate skills can be improved upon with practice.

The internet is full of body language analysts looking at police interview tapes trying to determine if a suspect is guilty. That’s two industries described that practice and hone the ability to read faces. Now, body language experts will be the first to tell you there is no hard and fast rule to determine what someone is thinking, but rather a combination of ideas, so it’s not foolproof, but if it was poker would be no fun.

And if you walk into any Waterstones on the high street, you will soon come across an enormous self-help aisle. In that aisle is book after book on how to convey confidence, how to understand social cues better and other guides to understanding the human condition.

A lesser-known talent useful in poker is patience. Guides to strategies in poker will tell you to know when to lose. Stick to low stakes in the beginning, play with players on your level and don’t open too many hands, just focus on the one. Maybe that is harder to control or nurture, but it will do you well to not think about the pot until you’re gathering chips.

Sure, it would greatly help to have a natural talent for all of these, but so would a natural talent for strategy and creating good hands.

And like anything else in life, if you have a passion for it, you will want to seek out information and improve your skills, and it won’t feel like homework. Sure, a certain something that cannot be named or described is in only the best poker players, but if you have the drive to play, you’ll have the drive to improve and will someday sit amongst them.

Sure, Canada gets cold in the winter, but Nova Scotia really feels the freeze. Temperatures have been known to plunge as low as -30 degrees Celsius in the winter, meaning that you’ll need more than just a thick jacket to get you through the long, dark winter nights.

The season can also be a thing of beauty for the region as well, with very lucky visitors even getting the chance to see the Atlantic Ocean freeze over once in a blue moon.

Apart from staring at ice sheets, there are plenty of things you can do to make winter in Nova Scotia just a little bit more bearable. Here are the top five tips for surviving winter in Nova Scotia.

Get Your Gear On

The first thing you need to know is that winter in Nova Scotia isn’t like winters in most other places. The snow isn’t necessarily too bad, but the ice, wind, and damp will seep into your bones and make you really feel the chill. Nonetheless, there’s no such thing as bad weather – only bad clothing.

Follow the Canadian authorities’ recommendations and invest in a heavy-duty Arctic coat, some top-tier snow boots, some waterproof gloves, and protection for your face and head, and your time exposed to the elements will quickly feel like a light breeze.

Your Home is Your Castle

If you’re the kind of person that hates to sit in the house, it’s time to fix your attitude. Like it or not, you’re going to be spending a lot more time indoors during the winter months, so it’s time to make your home as fun and hospitable as possible. Start by creating the perfect entertainment zone for you to enjoy with your friends.

This might take a little investment, say by installing a home theatre system or buying the right video games. It’s all about keeping things exciting, so try to kick things up a notch by doing something interactive and fast-paced. One way to do this is by getting into online casino games, such as slots, roulette, and blackjack. All you need is a decent Wi-Fi setup to be able to play literallythousandsd of games on your phone or laptop, meaning you won’t need to lave the house for anything. Bring the excitement of entertainment into your home, and the winter will fly by in an instant.

Source: Pixabay

Embrace the Indoors

You’ll have to leave the house at some point – just don’t do it for long. Take the time to research to cosiest, most hygge-inducing spots in Halifax to help you feel the homely winter vibes. There’s no shortage of inviting cafes, intimate restaurants, cramped bookshops, and of course, well-insulated bars to help you numb yourself to the outside world.

Also, make sure to embrace the best that the city has to offer during winter time by keeping track of the extensive list of winter events going on in town. There’s the Atlantic Fashion Week Show, the Goofy Moose Show (a real must-see), and the always-delightful Halifax Christmas Market, to name just a few.

Stay Positive

The hardest part of the winter is the effect it can have on your mood. This isn’t down to you as a person, it’s just simple biology. That’s why it’s important to take the right steps to keep your mood as elevated as possible during the dark winter months. Start simple by taking plenty of vitamin supplements, particularly vitamin D, which is proven to be a strong mood-booster when the sun is in short supply.

Also, think about investing in some helpful technology such as a SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) lamp to help give you the boost you need. Most importantly, remember to stay social. People are the best mood-booster, so keep on chatting to your friends and family, no matter how dark and cold it might get.

Enjoy Your Winter Wonderland

At the end of the day, Nova Scotia is a very special place. The winter might seem especially harsh if you’re not used to this sort of climate, but that’s not an inherently bad thing. Winter in Nova Scotia can look truly, unforgettably stunning.

Tourists come from across the world just to experience it, so you should as well. The snow, ice, and wildlife are like nothing else on this Earth, so make sure to get yourself out there and soak up one of the most beautiful regions on the planet. Don’t forget to take lots of pictures as well.

I pose this question to clients when I’m working with them to build their personal brand. Whether building a corporate brand, a product brand or cultivating one’s personal brand, branding is becoming a critical component in consumers purchasing decision. This is especially true when what you’re marketing is you, and is based on factors including your skills, knowledge, experience, connectivity, ability to deliver results and charisma.

Many people think personal branding is just for celebrities. The truth is everyone has a brand, which is why it’s important to be aware of what personal brand building entails.

Personal branding, by definition, is the process by which we market ourselves to others. As a brand, we build what is called brand equity, a term used to describe the value of having a well-known brand name. The basic idea is that the owner of a well-known brand name can generate more money from products and services marketed under that name than from those with a less known name. In some circles it is believed that brands are one of the most valuable assets a company can possess.

It is important to know when it comes to building a personal brand there is no formula and no shortcuts. There are certain practices that will help you be successful, but there are no guarantees these actions will lead to the results you may be seeking. That is the very nature of personal branding.

In my experience, people who are more extroverted tend to execute personal branding strategies more efficiently and successfully than introverts. Personal branding can work for introverts, but it tends to be more challenging for them.

And while social media is an integral part of any personal branding campaign in 2015, it’s not the final word. Building a personal brand involves face-to-face relationship building as well as how you physically present yourself, what community groups and organizations you connect with, and, most importantly, the consistency around what you do and write and say.

At the end of the day, branding is a long-term strategy where you reap what you sow. If establishing a strong personal brand is an integral piece of your business strategy, it will require a much greater commitment than building a personal brand as a value add. Knowing the difference will help you determine the degree of effort you need to invest in building your personal brand.

So start thinking about your unique point of view. This will frame the face you present to the world and define how you position yourself for success.

The founder and President of Abundant Living Inc., Debbie Lawrence is a life, business & career coach and author of “Standing In Your Light: Women and Entrepreneurship” and “Dancing in Your Light: 6 Steps to Attracting A Life That Makes Your Heart Sing”.  The former Director of the Professional Ethics Review Committee for the International Association of Coaches, she has been an adult educator and business coach for three decades. Debbie is also the recipient of the NS Champion Ambassador Award for Workplace Education. Check out her website at www.abundantliving.ca or call 895-6987