Avoiding the Health Risks of Anger

Well, you should have thought about that first!

The womans voice was loud, too loud for the restaurant. We were trying to enjoy a relaxing meal when the argument erupted a few tables over- a couple in open disagreement.

I didnt want to think about it, he shouted at her.
By now my meal was loosing its flavor, disrupted by the unpleasant outbursts projected from across the room.

Its called anger. We all know it. Weve all experienced it. For some of us it happens rarely. Others dip into its dark shadows daily. But did you know that anger isnt just emotionally damaging?

Its true. Anger can do more than upset us emotionally. Anger can have deleterious effects on our physical bodies. It can actually produce heart disease and keep us from having a healthy heart.

Sound far-fetched? It shouldnt. Medical science has known about the harmful effects of anger for hundreds of years, but only lately have physicians been recommending people address their anger.

Dr. Kirk Laman, a board certified cardiologist, with a special interest in heart disease prevention suggests that we look at anger just as we look at other risk factors for heart disease.

Anger is a powerful emotion. If left unchecked it can actually cause a heart attack, said Dr. Laman. All of us are aware of the traditional risk factors for heart disease- smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Yet, recently the American Heart Association has recognized that emotional issues can also place us at risk for developing heart problems.

Numerous medical studies have cited anger as a cause of heart trouble. In the medical journal, Circulation (October 1995) anger was shown to precede and actually trigger a heart attack.

In the article they studied 1623 men and women, evaluating the amount and timing of anger in the peoples lives. These researchers were able to find a direct relationship between having anger and developing a heart attack.

In another study on anger (Circulation, May 2000), 12,986 people who carried more anger were twice as likely to have a heart attack, die, or need angioplasty or bypass surgery when compared to people who were less angry.

Indeed, anger isnt just an emotional issue. It truly can be harmful to our health.

What can we do about anger? Well, the first thing is to become more aware of when we are having anger. We can do this by becoming more aware of our hearts in general. We can also begin thinking more about stress reduction.

One useful thing to do is to set aside 20 minutes each evening for reflection. Journaling can also be helpful. Reflect how your heart felt throughout your day. Were you upset, frustrated? Just by spending time reflecting, you can begin to conquer the harmful feelings that over take your heart.

If youre someone who is angry a great deal seek professional help. Find a psychotherapist or counselor and begin developing the skills needed for creating a more healthy heart.

Anger is a risk, but you can avoid suffering from debilitating heart disease.

Kirk Laman, D.O., F.A.C.C. is a cardiologist, author, and public speaker. His unique message, How Heart Centered Living is the Key to Health and Well Being captivates and motivates audiences to improve their lives.

Dr. Kirk Laman is a board certified cardiologist with a special interest in preventative cardiology. Dr. Laman has written for the Detroit News, Medical Economics, as well as Lansings, Healthy and Fit magazine. He has been interviewed on ABC, NBC, and PBS television in Michigan. His book, How to Heal Your Broken Heart- A Cardiologists Secrets for Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Health: http://www.drlaman.com/book.html published by Advantage Press. In the book Dr. Kirk Laman offers readers a simple and easy way to begin the process of healing the psychological and emotions issues that trouble their hearts.

Dr. Laman is also an avid public speaker. He brings his twenty years of practical experience as a cardiologist and healer/pastor to the table as he offers useful lessons in heart felt living. Developing a deep connection with others in one of the key skills for success.

Crispin the Cross of Lead - Book Review

Newbery Medal winner of 2003, Crispin The Cross of Lead is an action packed historical novel set in the 1380's of England's peasant revolt. The protagonist is a thirteen year old peasant boy known only as "Asta's Son" (Asta being the boys mother) because he has never been called by his own name. In fact he doesn't know he has a name until his mother dies. The village priest discloses he baptized him and gave him the Christian name of Crispin.

Also, after Crispin's mother dies the only home he has ever known is burned to the ground. Crispin is forced to begin his life as a fugitive for thievery and murder. He is declared a "wolf's head" by the corrupt steward John Aycliffe, for crimes he didn't commit. This means that anyone can kill him like a common animal and collect a sizeable reward.

Feudalism is the way of life for many in 14th century England. There are countless taxes that lowly peasants must pay and constant violence. People were either very poor or very rich. Common people had no say over their destiny. The church is unable to protect parishioners and subject to many cruelties.

"Time was the great millstone, which ground us to dust like kerneled wheat. The Holy Church told us where we were in the alterations of the day, the year, and in our daily toil. Birth and death alone gave distinction to our lives, as we made the journey between the darkness from whence we had come to the darkness where we were fated to await Judgment Day."

There are plenty of chase scenes as well as undisclosed plans shrouded in mystery. Avi develops a couple of compelling characters but Bear, a traveling juggler, will become Crispin's deliverance from the bounty hunters that follow them everywhere. The relationship between the juggler and the peasant become the heart of the story.

Learn more about children's writing tips and award winning book reviews by visiting Carma's Window at http://carmaswindow.blogspot.com Download the free EBook, "Unite to Write," a compilation of thirteen top expert authors as read on Ezine article directory and "Free Tips on Freelance Writing."

What is Hypnotherapy?

We all go into a trance every day maybe reading, or watching the television, and that imaginary world can become real in your mind, in the sense that it fully engages your emotions. As you get fully engrossed in the story, your worries fade away until all you are thinking about is the story - you become highly suggestible to the positive messages the therapist is giving you.

Some clients go into trance deeply even in the first session, whilst others only experience a light trance. However for hypnosis to be effective it doesn't matter if you go into a light trance or a deeper one. It is a truly enjoyable experience.

For hypnosis to be effective, it is very important you trust the therapist you are working with, and to feel comfortable with them, you are always in charge at all times during hypnosis. If you don't feel comfortable with your practitioner you might create resistance to your own success. This is why it is important to find someone you trust.

Some people think that they will lose control whilst in hypnosis. This is not so, they remain in full control the whole time. They cannot be made to do anything against their will (unfortunately this is probably because of the misconception of stage hypnosis). No one can get stuck in hypnosis, and no one can be made to say or do anything they do not want to do.

Hypnotherapy is therapy using Hypnosis to treat many conditions including stress, anxiety, panic, phobias, smoking over-eating, binge drinking, lack of confidence, fear of examinations, irritable bowel syndrome, and sports performance. It can also help with relationship difficulties, natural birthing and much, much more.

In fact hypnotherapy is pleasant and relaxing, and it is extremely enjoyable. So unlike a visit to the dentist, a hypnotherapy session can often be something to look forward to!

Thousands of people look for hypnotherapy in Plymouth for methods to improve the quality of their life every year. Increase your chances of having a happy, healthy life by contacting Lyta Humphris, an experienced counsellor and hypnotherapist in Plymouth at the Hypnospot website.

Old Versus New Construction Adhesives

When I first started building in 1978 as a young carpenter and an apprentice to my father. I had the grand illusions of becoming what they call on the east coast a master carpenter and on the West Coast a journeyman carpenter.

Part of my training in construction was learning to use the proper adhesive and caulking for different parts of the building project. We used to use a standard solvent-based construction adhesive when we were building our stairs and they would also use this adhesive on the floors to eliminate squeaks.

This glue dried extremely hard and everyone thought the harder the better. This construction adhesive was great when I started using it in 1978. There wasn't the polyethylene super elastic expandable multi-use glue and caulking construction adhesives at that time.

We used this brittle glue and it always seemed like a waste of time. As the wood dried and started to shrink the brittle hard glue would crack and break away from the wood it was glued to. Normally the glue was breaking away from plywood floor sheeting. I have seen 2 x 12 shrink 3/8 of an inch before in as little as a few months during the summer.

Now as time went on the old construction adhesives were replaced with a new window sealant made by a company called TOPS. This stuff was the hottest and best product of the decade to me. I used this stuff for everything.

This new urethane glue was now being used for sub floors, stair treads, sealing the windows flashing and siding. This stuff is still in use today and is a great choice for all of the uses I mentioned above. The price for this sealant is about double that of most water-based or solvent-based glues. But it's worth it.

So there you have it I like the urethane glues because of their flexibility, elasticity, their ability to adhere to wood concrete or metal and their performance in the years ahead.

There is one thing to keep in mind when using construction adhesives. Most construction workers seem to ignore the fact that the wood needs to be dry and clean before applying the construction adhesive. There have been quite a few times I have witnessed carpenters working with me and ignoring my advice.

Don't put yourself into this category. Doing quality work and following the manufacturers recommended installation instructions for their product will decrease your liability if there is ever a problem. Read the instructions carefully on all of the building products you use.

The manufacturers of these construction adhesives have thoroughly tested them. So use them properly and follow all safety warnings.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more Building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Carlsbad Structural Repairs

Festering Emotional Wounds - How Disturbing Memories Can Remain Bothersome For Years

Imagine being about 6 years-old, when you ask a friend to play with his or her toy. He or she says, "No." As an adult, you know that if this scenario had happened in your life, it happened because 6 year-olds are basically selfish and do not know how to share. As a 6 year-old, however, you would not have known that that was the real reason. As a way of making sense of the senseless, you might have adopted a negative belief about yourself, as it related to the situation. In other words, you may have suggested to yourself that "I am not good enough." Or, "I am not likeable."

This interpretation may have meant little, except when later, a parent says, "No" and a teacher says, "No." Now, one may begin to use this random life experience, in order to support this erroneous set of beliefs that "I am not good enough" or "I am not likeable."

Within adolescence, a teacher may say, "No" or a date may say, "No." Now, as one enters early adulthood, one may not simply think these things to be true, but one may begin to feel them to be true. The beliefs that we feel to be true tend to guide our actions. If we feel it to be true that "I am not worthy" and "I am not likeable," we are probably not heading in a direction that is consistent with our desires.

The things that we feel to be true tend to guide our actions, as we allow things to happen and do things, consistent with the beliefs. Although these beliefs seem to offer an explanation, however, their assertions are not true. Yet, it may be initially difficult to believe otherwise, since these initial beliefs seem to offer a plausible explanation. The truth, based upon the wealth of one's other life experiences, however, insists that despite what happened, "I am worthy" and "I am likeable." In great part, therapy is a way to resolve disturbing memories, in order to release the erroneous beliefs. As a result, one is finally able to begin to embrace the truth that "I am worthy" and "I am likeable." These new, healthier perspectives begin to guide one into the more positive direction of one's intentions.

http://www.ThePsychologist.com Gerald Solfanelli is a Pennsylvania licensed psychologist and certified hypnotherapist in full-time private practice. As a presenter for PESI, he provides national continuing education workshops for mental health and educational professionals. He also hosts his own website that helps visitors simplify their overall healthcare, by improving their emotional health with popular psychology-related links, best-selling e-books, hypnosis and other FREE self-help programs.

Included within his site is also a FREE hypnosis for smoking cessation instant audio MP3 download, links to discount coupons for other quit smoking aides, and free e-book access to best-selling quit smoking publications. Solfanelli is a member of Pennsylvania's Pre-approved Tobacco Cessation Registry. His American website is accredited by the HON Foundation, a non-governmental agency in special consultative status with the United Nations that promotes health trustworthy information.

(c) Copyright 2008 - Psychologist Gerald A. Solfanelli. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

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Daily Motivation: 7 Methods

Isn't a lack of daily motivation one of the biggest problems we face when trying to better ourselves? We often know what to do, or at least the first few steps. But we hesitate, something else catches our attention, or we just don't feel like doing what we need to do.

Want some help? Here are seven ways to get motivated - ways that have worked for others. If you find only one or two here that work for you, you'll be on your way.

Seven Methods For Daily Motivation

1. Create desire. See the rewards of your effort clearly. This motivates many to sign up for get-rich-quick plans. A good salesman can have you living in your imagined dream home in minutes, and you'll feel motivated to do anything to make it real. Learn to be your own salesman.

2. Create pain. In Neuro-Linguistic Programming they teach you to link pain with not acting. An imaginary scene of your wife walking out the door with another man, as you sit there silently - that might motivate you to have that talk you've been avoiding.

3. Talk about your plans. By the time I tell my wife about the newsletter I'm going to write, I'm out of my slump and back at the keyboard.

4. Have a true interest. No interest at all might mean you need to do something else, but if it's just a task you dislike, relate it clearly in your mind to the greater goal. I don't like to drive, but when I remember those mountains I'm going to, I get motivated to drive.

5. Have energy. Caffeine will substitute for health for a while, but one way or another, you need some energy to have daily motivation. Exercise, sleep well, and watch out for sugary foods - the "sugar blues" will kill your motivation.

6. Create the proper mental state. It's hard to be depressed and motivated. Resolve some of your negative feelings, or at least do your important work when you are in a better mood.

7. Take a small step. Commit to raking up one bag of leaves, and soon you'll want to finish the yard. Any small step towards your goals feeds your daily motivation.

Now you have seven ways to self-motivation, but you have to actually use them. How do you get motivated to do that? Oh the irony! You'll have to figure that one out yourself. By the way, here's a bonus motivation method: Humor. Laughter often breaks up the feeling of being overwhelmed that sucks away motivation.

Steve Gillman writes on many self help topics including boosting brainpower, losing weight, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, learning gratitude, generating luck and anything related to self improvement. You'll find more at http://www. Self Improvement Now .com

Achieving Maximum Altitude

Like most people, there are not many things I like about flying. Except for one thing! When I fly, I always choose the window seat and wait for the best part of the flight! I just love when the plane cuts through the clouds and soars above them. I absolutely love flying above the clouds and looking down onto a sea of puffy cotton balls! It is at this point, when the plane reaches its maximum altitude. It is a moment of stability, weightlessness and pristine beauty!

How can we achieve our maximum altitude? How can we obtain those moments in life of flying above the clouds? Life's goals and personal visions are a lot like packing for a trip! The departures may be different, but the destinations remain the same. Here are some flying tips to reach you closer to your life's destinations:

Pre-preparation! It is the little details that get you to your final destination. Booking the flight, hotel, choosing your clothes etc. Making a list and checking it twice! Prepare a list to make your journey to your final destination a pleasant one. What are the little details that you need to check off on your list to bring you closer to landing your goals?

Pack only your essentials! When we have a goal or mission in mind, keep focused on only what you need to carry to achieve them. Packing for life's goals is a lot like reading a book: take what you need and leave the rest! If not, your luggage is too heavy to carry!

Compartmentalize everything! When packing your luggage, there is a place for everything: your shoes, your suits and your toiletries. Separate your life's goals much in the same manner. The immediate tasks, your short term goals and your future long-range goals. Like your luggage, tag and label them and check them often!

Listen to the instructions! On any flight, we are forced (we have no choice!) to listen to the instructions and know what to do in case of an emergency and where the exit doors are. Do we listen to instructions, advice and creative criticism from our mentors or family members? Probably not! But, like that flight attendant, they are there to protect us and make our journey a pleasant one.

Letting your loved ones know where you are! We have a family pact. When I am traveling, I always leave my hotel info and flight #'s with my family. It not only shows respect, bit it is a way of keeping them informed of my journey. When was the last time, you informed your family/friends where you are in your life goal's, your dreams, your destination spot? Share your life's itinerary with the people who are most important in your life.

Encountering turbulence! I wish all flights of life were smooth sailing! In trying to reach our personal goals and missions, we sometimes will encounter air pockets and altitude shifts. Know that they are only temporary. Hold you breathe if you have to. Grab a friend's hand in panic. Know that your 'plane' will stabilize again. As the saying goes: this too shall pass!

Say a prayer! My sister is a white-knuckled, terrified passenger. I always joke with her and say that if something happens to me on a plane, at least I am closer to heaven! (To say the least, she does not appreciate the humour!). All joking aside, there are not many people who know, that when I fly, I carry my rosary in my pocket. I, invariably, always say a couple of prayers along the way. Touching the rosary brings me peace and some calmness. In the air or on land, know that your personal prayers do not fall on deaf ears.

Clap when you land! Many of us have been on flights, when the pilot lands us safely on that runway, that we give a round of applause. When you goals have been met, give yourself a round of applause. You have landed safe and sound!

Give thanks! When leaving a plane, the airline staff and crew are always at the door saying goodbye and wishing you a safe trip. I personally thank each and every one of them. When reaching your goal's destination, give thanks to those that helped you get there. We are not on this journey of life alone. Have an 'altitude of gratitude' for those who have helped you on your 'flight' towards your goals.

Enjoy your trip! Treasure your moments. Know that with every flight in life, you will reach greater heights, soaring with greatness above the clouds.

Nominated for Canada 100 Most Powerful Women, Canada's Diamond Coach Adele Alfano http://www.AdeleAlfano.com is an Award Winning Professional Speaker, Author, Co-Publisher, who has helped thousands of people capitalize on their unique abilities to maximize their potential through her specially designed and created systems. Her proven techniques have helped people mine passion and purpose in their lives and in an evolving workplace. Adele is also the co-author, co-editor and Publisher for the first ever in a series of collaborative books titled Experts Who Speak Books

Setting Goals That You Can Achieve!

We often hear the old saying that Failing to Plan is planning to Fail. Planning is indeed critical if we are to achieve what we truly want in our lives. For me there are a number of stages to creating a Plan:

The Vision

What I quite often refer to as the "Mountain Top View." Imagine that you are stood on top of a mountain and as you look around you everything you want in your life, in say five years time, is in place. Five years is probably as far as you should go and more often people feel more comfortable thinking about three years in the future. So as you look around you what do you see? Now don't go putting barriers in the way because remember you have achieved what you wanted to achieve, you have climbed the mountain! Everything from where you are stood now is what you wanted to be able to see.

Now for me in five years time we will have stopped working in someone else's box/business. We will instead be working in our own business, which will be based online, but have lots of real contact with people. We will be earning sufficient to maintain our lifestyle living in a wing of a large old Country House (of which there is a picture sat beside my computer monitor.) We will also be earning sufficient to keep us in the style we want to live long into the future when we move to live in Italy.

When I have worked with others in the past and when you are doing this part for yourself you should be able to say what colour Front Door your house or apartment will have etc in other words really paint the picture that you can see from the top of the mountain.

Boulder Avoidance.

This is where you look back down the mountain and try to spot the boulders you have overcome on your way to the top of the mountain. What were they? Were there some big boulders and some little ones? Make sure that you have a clear view of the things that tried to stop you getting to the top of the mountain so that when you sit down and work out your objectives over the medium and short term you know what you have got to overcome.

Now to give you an example probably the biggest boulder in our way at the moment is generating the income from our online activities and knowing which of the activities will generate what we need and which will not contribute to what we want to achieve. So here we are starting to think about where we need to focus our activities and are asking questions. Are there online activities which are taking up a large percentage of our time but contributing little to what we want to achieve?

It may be that there are some that you want to continue to take up a large amount of time without them contributing. However, you need to consciously be aware of that rather than bemoaning the fact that you are not achieving what you say you want to. If you are serious about running an online business and want to move full time online your mindset needs to change from "hobby" to "business".

Now I will turn to the specifics of creating your Plan. The two elements I have mentioned so far are the parts which people normally miss out. However, they are critical if the detailed part of your planning is to have a context and an aim.

Detailed Planning

In terms of the detail of the Plan you create it needs to have a focus on the Vision and be constructed in the Long Term (9 months plus), Medium Term (1 to 3 months) and the Short Term ( the next month).
You need to have a very clear focus on what you want to achieve in those time frames. In order to do that I work with SMART Objectives:

Specific - what exactly do I want to achieve?

Measurable - what numbers or other measurable element do I want?

Achievable - is what I am proposing achievable? Relevant - is what I am proposing to do relevant to enabling me to achieve my Vision?

Time bound - so I will achieve by xx/xx/06

SMART has always worked for me and if you combine it with PDR (Plan, Do and then Review) it's a surefire way of focusing you on what you need to achieve.

I will finish by simply saying that you should always keep asking yourself "have I done today what I planned to do and has it contributed to achieving my Vision?"

Paul Duxbury is a successful online entrepreneur with many successful websites. Some of the latest to launch include http://www.ecoach4u.com and http://www.sort-your-finances.com

What Does a GFI Do? - Electrical Problems

In your bathroom you should have a GFI electrical outlet. Most new homes or newly remodeled homes require you to have GFI electrical outlets in the kitchen. Most older kitchens do not have GFI electrical outlets. GFI stands for ground fault circuit interrupter.

Why not call it a GFCI instead of a GFI electrical outlet? Well it is called a GFCI in some instances. GFI is short and is the most common name used by most electricians and builders for this type of outlet.

GFI 's come in 15 amp and 20 amperage outlets. GFI outlets must be wired properly. Make sure you're using the proper wire size when hooking up the GFI outlet.

How do I know which size wire to use? This all depends on how far away you are running it from the electrical panel. There are charts you can use to figure this out. If you are not running the electrical wire more than 80 feet from the electrical panel you can use 12 gauge electrical wires for a 20 amp GFI. This is a general rule of thumb for most electrical house wiring.

If you're going to be using a 15 amp GFI and you are going to be less than 80 feet away from the electrical panel you can use 14 gauge electrical wires. Again this is just a general rule of thumb for most electrical house wiring.

A GFI is a light duty electrical plug used in bathrooms, kitchens and the exterior of your house. The sole purpose of the GFI is to shut the breaker off faster if there is any moisture or light load problems.

Let's say for instance you have your hair dryer plugged into the GFI outlet. The hair dryer somehow falls into the sink while it is on or plugged in. The GFI outlet will instantly shut off because of the sensitivity of the breaker inside of the plug it self.

The GFI plug has a test button and a reset button on it. If you are continually resetting the GFI you will wear it out eventually. I have had GFI plugs after resetting the button about 10 times break and no longer able to use them.

The GFI electrical plug is a great idea and if you don't have them in your bathroom or outside of your home it would be a great idea to have an electrician install them for you.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more Home Building Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

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Collaboration Creates Harmony

Sometimes unwittingly you might engage in a power struggle, both at home or at work. These conflicts often stem from an unconscious desire to retain control of your circumstances or surroundings. However, your strong-willed and defensive approach to solving issues, may cause you to come up against a stronger resistance from perceived adversaries.

When you let go of your need to be in control and engage in a collaborative strategy that will help you work in tandem with others, rather than against, others you will notice that together you can create powerful solutions that allow you each to have your needs and desires fulfilled. You will feel your defensiveness disappear as you seek out a fair and balanced workable solution.

When you cease pushing against those with whom you are involved in struggles for dominance, the conflict dividing you from one another, eases, and you can begin working on an equitable solution to your differences. Hostility only engenders more hostility, blinding you to the cooperative and fair strategy you can use to diffuse aggression.

By avoiding to provide any more resistance, you create a situation in which cooperative energy can flow. Once the blockages that existed between you have been eradicated through the channel of your openness, you can begin communicating with your adversaries. As you gain a new understanding of one another, you are each empowered to devise a universally beneficial resolution. You will gain the power to dispel conflict when you recognize that letting go is the ultimate antidote to anger and conflict.

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, Life Coach, Hypnotherapist, Author, "101 Great Ways To Improve Your Life." Dr. Dorothy has the unique gift of connecting people with a broad range of profound principles that resonate in the deepest part of their being. She brings awareness to concepts not typically obvious to one's daily thoughts and feelings. http://www.drdorothy.net

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You're Closer to Your Goal Than You Think

Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them--a desire, a goal, a vision. They have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill." Muhammad Ali

Have you ever noticed someone that came ever so close to their goal, only to give up before getting there? A poem that I have always posted on the bulletin board in my locker rooms is about not quitting:

Don't Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must
But don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit!
Anonymous

So what do you need to be able to stick to your guns?

You need to believe: When former football coach Lou Holtz took over the football program at South Carolina, they weren't very good. South Carolina was getting ready to play a game where they were a 21 point underdog. No one believed they could win--the players, the alumni, or the media. Holtz asked his team, "Tell me all of the reasons why we are going to win this game." Silence filled the room. After what seemed like an eternity someone answered. Although the process started off slowly, within an hour Holtz had over 50 reasons why they would win the game. The focus shifted to why they were going to lose to why they were going to win the game. They won the game!

"When the why gets stronger, the how gets easier." Jim Rohn

You need a plan of action: President John F. Kennedy said, "There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less that the long range risks of comfortable inaction." As my Uncle Harold used to say--Off and On--Off your butt and on your feet. Remove can't from your vocabulary. Go forward or go backward. Do whatever it takes. But do something!

You have to have the desire to succeed: According to race car driver Mario Andretti--"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal--a commitment to excellence--that will enable you to attain the success you seek." What if that South Carolina football team believed they could win that game, and the coaching staff had a game plan, but it just wasn't important enough for the players to succeed? What do you think the outcome of that game would have been?

You need to stay the course: H. Ross Perot, Texas billionaire and former Presidential candidate has this to say about persistence--"Most people give up just when they're about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game, one foot from a winning touchdown." What if the Pittsburgh Steelers had given up when Arizona had taken the lead in the last minute of the game? There is a Japanese proverb that applies to sports, business, and life--"Fall seven times, stand up eight."

How small is the difference between winning and losing, success and failure?

According to S. L. Parker in his 212 Degree-The Extra degree, the difference between first place and being just another contender is miniscule. Parker cites the following examples:

1. During the period 1977-2001, the average margin of victory on the professional golf tour was 2.36 strokes. Or, 0.59 strokes per day.

2. During the period 1998-2002, the average margin of victory in the Triple Crown horse racing series (15 races) was 2.2 lengths. Six of those races were decided by less than a single length.

3. During the 2002 Winter Olympic Games the margin of victory between a gold medal and no medal was: Men's Downhill Skiing 0.65 seconds, Women's Downhill Skiing 0.93 seconds, Men's 500 Meter Speed Skating 0.26 seconds, Women's 500 Meter Speed Skating 0.62 seconds.

4. During the 2000 Summer Olympic Games the margin of victory between a gold medal and no medal was: Men's 800 Meter Run 0.21 seconds, Women's 800 Meter Run 2.36 seconds, Men's Long Jump 29 centimeters, Women's Long Jump 16 centimeters.

"The line between failure and success is so fine that we are often on the line and do not know it. How many a man has thrown up his hands at a time when a little more effort, a little more patience, would have achieved success. A little more effort and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success." Elbert Hubbard

So what's it gonna be? The choice is yours. Remember--"Failure will never overtake you if your determination to succeed is strong enough." Og Mandino

Tom Hughes is a coach, educator, author, and motivational speaker. He has an MEd from Pittsburg State University. He has taught and coached on the high school, college, and professional levels. Since 2001 Tom has written Motivational Moments, a free motivational newsletter. He authored "Power Thoughts for Coaching Basketball, a multi-purpose source book for basketball coaches.

Tom has spoken to business and civic groups, college and high school students, faculty and staff workshops, and athletic teams. The most popular program topics are - Goal Setting for Success; Team Building - On the Court or in the Office; Developing and Maintaining a Positive Attitude; Leadership Training; Improving Performance Through Achievement Motivation.

His website is: http://www.motivationnmore.com

Living Life in the Divine Flow

How would you like every moment of every day to feel like one miracle happening after another? How would you like to accomplish your goals and realize your dreams without undue struggle or strain?

Its possible. Its called living life in the divine flow.

Whether you are consciously aware of it or not, there is a divine flow in your life that is continually guiding you toward the effortless fulfillment of your hearts desires. The trick is learning how to recognize and cooperate with that flow, instead of blocking or restricting your experience of it.

Fortunately, thats not a very difficult thing to learn how to do. In fact, there are two fundamental steps that you can take right now to begin living life in the divine flow.

Step one is to simply pay attention. The divine flow is continually guiding you toward the effortless fulfillment of your hearts desires . . . continually! But to take advantage of that guidance, you must be aware of the subtle ways that the flow is attempting to guide you.

Here are three ways that you receive guidance from the divine flow:

First, you are continually receiving direction from your own intuition. Your intuition is the most valuable and reliable source of guidance you have. It is the spirit of the divine within you. It is the spirit of the divine that is you! Your divine spirit always knows the next right step to take. And it is continually trying to tell you what that step is. So take the time to slow down, get quiet, and listen to that still, small voice. Honor it. Respect it. Follow it.

A second form of guidance comes to you through the wisdom of others. The divine flow often speaks to you through the people who cross your path. It is through their wisdomtheir intuitive guidancethat you are often led to your next right step. That doesnt mean that you have to accept and act on everything that everybody says to you. But you should at least be open and receptive to others, and willing to consider what they have to say.

A third way that the divine flow communicates with you is through signs, coincidences, and synchronicities. These occurrences are not mere chance or happenstance. They are meaningful. They are divinely designed to open doors for you and create opportunities for you in direct response to your desire. But you have to pay attention to those signs and synchronicities. And you have to act on them. You have to go through those doors and take advantage of those opportunities.

Which brings us to the second step for living life in the divine flow: You must let go of what you think you know. The divine flow often guides you to your good in a way that is far differentand far betterthan anything you would ever come up with on your own. But to take advantage of that guidance, you must be careful not to hastily dismiss it or overrule it because you know better.

That doesnt mean that you have to forget everything you have been taught, or ignore the conclusions you have drawn based upon your experience. It simply means that you must keep an open mindand realize that there is always more to know than you currently know. As certain as you are about something, if you are willing to admit that there could still be something that you just havent considered, you will leave an opening in your mind that is wide enough for divine direction to get through.

So there you have it. Let go of what you think you know. And pay attention to the flow. Stop trying to force things to go they way you think they should go, and be willing to move in a direction that is different from what you planned on or expected.

Do those two things, and you will begin to live a life that is dramatically more fulfilling, immensely more joyful, and, on top of it all, remarkably effortless!

Steven Lane Taylor is a spiritual author and speaker now living in Sedona, Arizona. Since the publication of his book, Row, Row, Row Your Boat: A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow, Steven has been sharing his message with congregations and organizations all across the country. For more information about Steven and his work, to see where he is speaking and conducting workshops, or to sign up to receive his free weekly inspirational email, visit http://www.rowrowrow.com

Finding Homes Using the Internet - Home Shopping

You can simply type the words real estate or homebuying into any search engine on the World Wide Web and you will come up with hundreds, maybe even thousands of websites that are extremely helpful and full of great information. Like the one you're on right now.

Finding homes with the internet, combined with a skilled real estate salesperson, provides you with the most effective technology available today. Most websites start out, having you select a state you would like to search in and then, select a city, with your price range.

By answering their questions, this narrows the search down to all of the homes available in the area. The internet has made home shopping very simple. Considering what you had to go through in the 1970s. You found a realtor or by looking in the yellow pages, sometimes you found a good realtor and if you are lucky, maybe you would find you a good home.

Most of the time, the first homes you would look at, were owned by the real estate professional you were working with.

There are however a couple of problems with using the internet to find your dream home. Some of the verbage used and photographs taken can create a wonderful illusion of a tropical paradise but the reality, it's a regular home in a decent neighborhood.

Some of these photos are taken by skilled photographers who take advantage of every angle and tend to give an illusion of grander. When you actually start driving around and looking at these homes, only then will you get a reality check, of what the home actually looks like. You'll get used to it.

After you've looked at a few of your future dream homes, you will get a better idea of what I'm talking about with these wonderful pictures and the extraordinary home descriptions like "Beautiful Three Bedroom House with an Ocean View." When reality it's a two-bedroom house with an extra closet for the third bedroom and the ocean is 45 miles away, but you can see it on a clear day if you actually climb to the top of the largest tree on the property.

Take your time when searching for your dream home and don't let any one push you into making a decision if you're not ready. If you find your real estate professional a little too aggressive or pushy, get out of your contract, if you've signed one and find another, more helpful real estate salesperson to help you with your home purchase.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

Find other real estate tips and great advice, from another one of the Internet's best website creators.

A Book Review of the Law of Attraction

This self titled book gives a very descriptive account of how to use the Law of Attraction into our lives. The book itself is well suited to read as a "how to" book and gives short, definite plans how we put this concept into our lives. The author, Michael J. Losier is a sincere person who cares about delivering his message of the Law of Attraction. He does seminars around the world. I have attended one of the seminars here in Edmonton, Alberta which I totally enjoyed.

The book starts off with an explanation of Law of Attraction, then goes into positive and negative vibrations. When we have positive thoughts, these thoughts are further translated into vibrations. The words that we use cause our feelings and our feelings...vibrations. Negative thoughts bring on negative feelings that bring on negative circumstances or negative people. Positive thoughts bring on positive feelings and positive circumstances.

When we focus on what we don't want, we end up getting it. For instance; don't slam the door, really your asking to slam the door. Instead say close the door slowly. Or don't play in traffic; you're really saying to play in traffic. Instead say play in a safe area. Stay away from using the words don't, not and no. The book also goes on to say that we can reset our vibration at any time. When we are upset, we can push an imaginary reset button to change your words and vibrations.

The next areas are deliberate action, contrast and relationships. He gives specific case studies of a girl wanting more from a relationship. The other case study is someone who needs more money in their life. Both people have gotten really exciting results. Michael Losier has examples of worksheets in his book to help us define what we want and what is contrast (stuff we don't want).

He gives us a simple 3 step formula to follow the let the Law of Attraction into our lives.

1.) Identify Your Desires (what you want)
2.) Give Your Desire Attention (focus on what you want and do whatever it takes to get it)
3.) Allow It (remove any doubt)

The book is extremely easy to read, not very long and can be easily read because the font is large. This is good for me because I enjoy reading large print. The book goes on and gives powerful tools to get what you what you want in life, be it physical, emotional or spiritual. Michael also has an audio library membership to help people learn from other people what works and what doesn't.

Michael is an excellent author and has a way of expressing complex ideas into simple, easy to understand concepts that are easy to understand. Buy this book; it can change your life.

Neil Armstrong lives in beautiful Edmonton, Alberta with his 2 teenagers. He is a 2nd. Class Power Engineer working in a Control Center in Edmonton. His interests are camera repair, electronics, computers and Marketing. Edmonton has lots of bike trails so he likes to spend his time riding with the local bike club. It's getting colder now so the bike will go away and the skis will come out.

100% Free SpiderWeb Marketing System for huge cash and leads. Multiple streams of income provides large value for you.

http://neilarmstrong.ws

Positive Thinking - Self Help Tips

I am a huge advocate of positive thinking. I apply it in every aspect of my life. But lately, I have been wondering, is all this positive thinking starting to cloud my judgment? Am I so focused on the positive that I am just not in touch with reality anymore? When does positive thinking become delusion?

It all started about two weeks ago when I started to have a dangerous moment of self reflection. If someone asked me at that point, 'Are you happy with your life?' I would have said 'Sure, pretty much'. I would like to be less busy, I would like to have a bit more time, I would like to see my friends more, but generally, I am pretty positive about where I am with life. The problem is that then I started to question whether that positive feeling was in fact justified, or was it simply a state of mind.

So, I started to examine the facts, which is even more dangerous than self reflection! I started to look at my life as it stands and compared it with how I wanted it to be. I mentally skipped through every aspect of my life; relationship, friends, family, work and self. At the end of it all, low and behold, I wasn't feeling very positive anymore. It was actually a fairly sad and dreary tale.

Now don't get my wrong. I am not saying that everything in my life is awful or that there is nothing good that is happening for me. But, when I looked at where I am and where I wanted to be, there was a pretty big gap between the two. So, for someone that thought life was pretty good and easy, I was suddenly forced to consider that perhaps it was not.

Firstly, I thought about whether my goals were realistic or just down right ludicrous and some did not pass the test. If I did everything that I wanted to, I would never sleep and even then would struggle to get through it all, which resulted in reestablishing my expectations. But, even after that, I realized that there were parts of my life that I wanted to believe were amazing and fantastic, but when I looked at the cold hard truth, were a far cry from what I wanted them to be. For all my focusing on the positive, I had failed to see that the negatives were actually things that mattered to me and simply ignoring them would not make them go away. In this case, I had been so hell-bent on looking at the positive; I was deluding myself and damaging my life along the way.

Armed with this new awareness, I have since been forced to conduct a major review and the outcome continues to remain unknown. And, (surprise, surprise), I feel pretty positive about it! As I said, I am a huge fan of positive thinking. It can be the difference between amazing or ordinary, sparkling or flat. I truly believe that it is a conscious choice and way of life that drives satisfaction and well-being. But used in the wrong way, as I have now learned, it can result in misguided choices and poor direction.

I have absolutely no idea what the answers are for me right now. I am in a fairly confused state as a result of all of this turmoil. However I do believe that I will make all my dreams come true one way or the other, and that is something to feel positive about. So with that in mind, I will continue to bubble along and try to remember my important lesson. Stay positive, but do not lose sight of what is real!

find4me has been created to make it simpler and easier to manage your health and wellbeing. We provide practical information about what health and wellbeing services are available and finding those that are right for you. To read more articles like this one or suggest a topic of interest, just visit our blog

find4me was founded by Kareene Koh and is based around her passion for health and well-being. To find out more about find4me please visit http://www.find4me.com.au

Prayer In My Earlier Life and Its Effects

Healing With Your Mind
Spoiled Children
Searching For A Soul Mate
What Is A Exorcism

The Power of Positive Affirmations

Positive affirmations are powerful tools to help you manifest what you desire into your life. This is not a new concept but now that science has documented a new energy field, simply called The Field, that they say is the primary component of all things, positive affirmations have new and powerful meanings.

Everything that exists is made up of energy in the form of radiating wavelengths. The denser the form, a rock for example, the lower the energy levels, at the other end of the spectrum there exists things that have high levels of energy. These high energy level forms are things like light, colors, and thoughts.

Yes, thoughts!

You see, the things we think about are sent from us as energy and permeate the things and people around us. Everything starts as a thought! Ford motor company started as a thought in the head of Henry Ford, it was his idea of bringing the automobile to the masses that created the Ford Empire we know today. The skyscrapers that line our beautiful cities, at one time, were thoughts in an architects mind.

In order to understand the power of positive affirmations we need to better understand the power of our thoughts. The things we think about continuously will materialize in time. Therefore, it is important to always think positive thoughts. When you spend your time thinking about what you lack in life, all you will ever have is lacking. In order to acquire all that you wish for you must focus on it with laser accuracy and put a plan in place to achieve it. Affirmations give us this focus and keep us going in the right direction.

Thoughts, when focused on and combined with passion, in time, are manifested into reality. That is the power of positive affirmation, it is the repeated reading of a statement or thought that gets into the sub-conscious mind and radiates from us to attract the necessary means to bring forth that thought into reality.

It is the absolute knowing, with the absence of doubt, that you will acquire what it is you desire. It doesnt matter if it is a material possession, love, or spirituality; we become the things that we think about. Unfortunately, if all we focus on is negative things or wishes all we will ever have is negativity and mere wishes.

By using positive affirmations and repeating our desires and goals daily in our thoughts we begin to manifest them into reality. Suddenly, changes begin to happen in our lives that begin to bring forth our desires. If we want more financial freedom and use affirmations aimed at acquiring more wealth then, almost miraculously, we get the promotion we wanted or our business takes a turn for the better providing the added income we desire.

This must be done in the sense that what it is you desire has already manifested itself. Do not use an affirmation that is stated as a want or desire. A good example in the case of financial freedom would be:

Wealth flows into my life like the water of the streams and rivers to the oceans. I have plenty of income to meet my needs, with lots left over to help my fellow man.

You notice that there is no asking for wealth or money it is stated as if you already have it. By sending this message out into the universal intelligence, the field, it will attract like energies and manifest itself into reality. Things that we perceive as miracles are the fruition of thoughts that have manifested themselves into reality. That is the power of prayer and meditation, God gives us what we ask for, good or bad!

Use this simple guide to let the power of positive affirmations help you in your life.

1. Write down on paper what it is you desire. It is best to keep this personal, sharing it with others only allows negativity into your mind. Society, family, and friends like to tell us that things cant be done. They mean well but you do not want to let those thoughts enter your mind. Memorize the affirmation and remember to keep it in the sense that you already have what it is you desire.

2. In the morning when you have time to yourself repeat the affirmation 20 times. Make sure that it is stated with emotion and passion, not just stated out loud. Envision yourself with your desire and how you will be once it becomes reality. Repeat the process before you go to bed at night.

3. Any time you feel yourself doubting your desire or any negative thoughts enter your mind, clear your mind and repeat your positive affirmation. Do not let negative thoughts or setbacks deter your focus from achieving your desire.

4. Lastly, stay focused and be receptive to opportunities when they present themselves. The path to your desires may not come in the form that you envision! So pay attention and be alert to opportunity.

I hope this article has helped you see the potential in yourself and the power you have when you use positive affirmations. I promise, that if you will use these simple steps as outlined above you will see great changes in your life. It is important to understand that what we think about becomes our realities in life, so be careful what you think about.

Good Luck on your Journey!

There is unlimited power with Positive Affirmation Mark Williams has a web site that is full of Motivational Quotes and Personal Development Strategies that can help you reach your full potential.

Be Glad the Hard Times Are Upon Us!

If you ever had a hard-driving athletic coach, these and other phrases will probably bring back memories and might even summon his screaming face back into view:

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going!"

"Show me someone who loses and laughs, and I'll show you a loser!"

Vince Lombardi, legendary Green Bay Packers coach, said there's something in "good men" that loves a struggle. You're being beaten up on the playing field, bruised and bloodied, but you give the game all you have, exhausted as it ends, but you WIN!

Or, you may have heard it this way: "Winning isn't everything; It's the ONLY thing!"

I summon these quotes because they're designed to have what psychologists refer to as, "sleeper" effects. Like messages in bottles, they're cast across our consciousness from the land of our youth, and they're intended to wash up and be read some time later, on a distant shore of adulthood.

We might have goofed about them privately, outside of earshot of our coaches. But if these proclamations didn't rouse us and help us to perform in the games at hand, that grouchy leader with the whistle or clipboard knew these admonitions wouldn't be forgotten, completely.

Some day, circumstances would arrange themselves so we would feel deeply dejected, helpless and hopeless before seemingly overwhelming odds, and a small voice would echo in our mind:

"Winners never quit and quitters never win!"

And like Rocky Balboa, we'd struggle to our feet and miraculously knock out anything or anyone standing in our way.

Well, looking at our economy and world events, it seems like a fine time to deliberately awaken these sleeper messages, and to put them to work.

If you have ever played sports or striven in any competitive environment, you already have what it takes to respond to adversity. Recall all of the steps you took to achieve in those arenas.

Remember as well, the self-doubts you overcame. Because now, we have a chance to prove, yet again, what we're made of, who we are, and what we can do when we want to, and need to.

Someday, when these difficulties are overcome, you'll look back and realize times were hard, "But YOU DID IT HARD," as motivational speaker Les Brown would say.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is a top speaker, sales, customer service and negotiation trainer, best-selling author, and TV and radio commentator. He conducts seminars and convention presentations around the world and can be reached at: gary@customersatisfaction.com. His profile can be read at: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/a91/833.

Mastering Our Minds' Manipulators by John Bear 2001

Your life is a product of what you think; it's not so much about what happens to you or what's going on around you, but how you react. John Bear aims to raise our awareness on the basic principles that govern our lives. He covers many areas that affect the quality of our lives and discusses how becoming more aware of these, gives us the opportunity to make more informed, and therefore better, choices. Without this basic understanding and awareness the reason for many of the choices we make, and subsequently, the results of those choices cannot be understood.

What is it that governs our decisions? Why do we have to have the latest gadgets bought on credit? Buy designer clothes we can't really afford knowing they are overpriced? What are the thoughts and impulses that drive us to succeed or not? Are we driven by fear and if so, fear of what? How do our choices impact the world around us?

The subjects raised may challenge your beliefs and if you decide to read this book require an open mind willing to give consideration to the thoughts put forth.

When we rely on sources outside of ourselves for our well-being we give away our own personal power. Governments, the media and institutions rely on this for their own gain above ours. Once they have won us over with promises and policies, it remains in their interest to only give information that benefits them and strengthens their position. Expanding your knowledge base and awareness through self education, exploring private investing and always questioning the information you are given is essential if you are to stand up and accept responsibility for your own life.

To sit back and complain about the state of your life, the economy or world has no effect except to leave you more exposed to the events that will happen. Remember it's not about what happens to you, but how you respond that determines the outcome, at the time and in the future. John Bear looks deeply into how the governing bodies of politics, religions and the media use their power to manipulate our thinking, so that they will profit and be secure in their positions, whilst we flounder with no choice but to reach out to them for help.

'Mastering our Minds' Manipulators' is an eye opening exploration into who we are, and what responsibilities we carry by being here. It encourages self education and awareness that allows you to make decisions in your life based on reaching out for the truth. You don't have to accept everything you're told, or believe that only one way is right. You will empower yourself by deciding you are no longer a victim of circumstance, 'For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.' Prov.23.7.

Absolute Wealth Education. Introducing a range of educational packages suitable for young and old. Homestudies, dvd's, books, ebooks, seminars etc. delivering knowledge and investment strategies that if implemented can provide individuals and families long term lifestyle and security . http://www.absolutewealtheducation.com

Who Said The Bible Was Easy To Understand

Secret
Awfulizing Creates Negativity
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Attracting A Mate Into Your Life

Home Selling Tips - Best Real Estate Advice Ever

One of the most important things to remember when selling your home is to keep it as clean as possible. If you need help or don't have the time to organize your stuff, you can hire a home staging professional in your area. Ask your real estate professional for more information.

1. Remove any clutter from the home and place it in storage. Do not store this stuff on the property if you don't have enough room. Storing clutter in closets or in your garage, will often make these areas look smaller. By removing clutter or even large pieces of furniture, the rooms will look larger.

2. Disconnect yourself emotionally from your home. This is a big problem for people who have lived in their house for long periods of time. If you've raised a family here, the children could have emotional ties also to the home. Some home sellers are looking for someone special to buy their home, if you've got the time and money to wait, you can be selective but be careful, because the longer you wait, the market could go up or down.

3. When your real estate professional is showing the house, it's always a good idea to leave the home until the potential homebuyers are gone. One example of this would be if you were in a bad mood or didn't have a good day and were a little upset at the world. Your mood could cause potential homebuyers to lose interest in the property. I've seen this more than once.

4. Make sure everything is operating properly. This would include doors, door knobs, windows, kitchen appliances, garage door openers, cabinet drawers, bathroom fixtures, toilets, faucets, lights, switches, electrical outlets and anything else that moves, slides, turns or rotates that is part of the home.

5. The Interior and exterior walls of the home should be in good shape. Make sure there's no termite damage, wood rot, peeling paint, broken windows or holes in the walls.

6. Make sure the flooring is in good shape. Some real estate professionals will suggest, replacing the carpeting with a neutral color. This method often works pretty good but I have seen plenty of homes that were re-carpeted and after the home was purchased the carpeting was replaced again, by the new owners. Just make sure the flooring is in good shape.

7. Here's a trick that definitely works a little magic when selling a home. Leave some cookies or a nice fruit bowl on the dining room table. There is no need to leave a sign that says "Eat Me". It gives the home a warm feeling, almost like a country atmosphere.

8. Even better than home selling tip number seven would be baking some cookies just before the perspective buyers arrive, it's not the cookies, it's the smell from the cookies that most people cannot resist.

These are just a few home selling tips but the most important is to keep the inside and outside of the home clean.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

Don't buyers sell a home without checking how the problems with poor home repairs.

The Latte' Factor - Never Too Late to Learn to Save (Even With Pocket Change)

In my early adulthood, when I was finally able to afford, at least some of the things I wanted and/or needed, I became a big fan of frivolous spending. I had to have that new issue of Esquire, that personal trainer at the gym (not just the gym), an office in a better location, a more trendy breed of dog or cat, live in a nicer neighborhood, and, of course, later, "My morning Starbuck's". I "had arrived". The "American Dream"...or so it seemed, for awhile.

I am not proud of having been a male version of Madonna's "Material Girl", but I was young, in my thirties and early forties, and was naive enough to believe that peer pressure at least ended after high school, and certainly after college. Not so. It became worse. If my friends bought a better house, I sure better call my Realtor immediately. They got a Lexus, time for a Mercedes. It all seemed like fun and games and, in fact that is all it was. A proverbial game of "show off".

Then came the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. Within twenty minutes, all that I had acquired as a material consumer was gone. And insurance didn't come close to covering my collectibles, antique furniture, family albums/videos, memorabilia from as far back as kindergarten, etc. I was left with my car, and a few boxes of clothes, and a one year old golden retriever puppy named Otis who saved my life (barked wildly before the earthquake), I thought to go out to do his business, but to alert me at 5 a.m to get out of harm's way.

Fifteen years have passed and I learned something I never had before, and never thought I might learn. It is called "humility". Please do not confuse humility with sainthood, far from it. Rebuilding one's life from scratch midlife, after "having it all" teaches a few lessons, and, I am certain I am not

unique in this situation. When I say "having it all'; I don't mean the Forbes 400. I mean whatever I wanted, I could generally afford it.

At least I had my health. For awhile. But then that went too for a number of years. This was a motivating factor in my going back to college as an adult, and reading voraciously when not in college, visiting the library often.

One of the most interesting books I ever read was not within the genre of books I usually consume. The book is titled "Start Late, Finish Rich" by David Bach. In it, he talks at length about something called "The Latte' Factor". Strange name I know, but it describes how the American consumer is taught from birth to consume all he/she can in this material world, that life is short, get it while you can, carpe diem, etc.

Then he calmly suggests ways to counteract that. Do we really need that magazine subscription, must we have a latte' and bagel each morning at Starbuck's. Do we have to even buy his own book if its available at the library. Must we have a car that is made to "show off"when a pre-owned Honda, Saturn, etc. does the trick. I have a wonderful eight year old 4-door Saturn now and it rides better than my old fancy German car ever did. Better gas and reliability as well.

When you add it all up, just the small non-necessities, that we don't need, or, in the case of Starbuck's could make coffee at home with flavored creamer for pennies and a bagel for a quarter, nix the magazines, etc. We are talking saving anywhere from $800-2000 or more a month. If that is put into an IRA, even if you are in your fifties now, you will be wealthy by the time you are of retirement age.

Gifts need not be expensive. He recommends memorable personalized gifts that people see daily and enjoy and think of you when they see or use them.

He recommends losing the credit cards and paying as you go, cash, check and/or debit card. I began doing that, and noticed a huge difference in my extra cash at the end of the month. I never used to budget. I do so now.

There is much more to the book, but the bottom line is that The Latte' Factor need no longer be a part of our lives. Yes, at first it seems strange and a little boring, but it is a self behavior modification in which, once done, we never go back. And we are happier and more prosperous in the long run for it.

Rick London is a cartoonist, freelance writer, and e-tailer, and was founder of the Internet's top-ranked award-winning London's Times Cartoons which is known to feature the Funniest Cartoons On The Internet and owns a number of critically-acclaimed e-shops featuring his images on funny gifts He offers personalization for $2 and most gifts are in the $15 range.

Create Joy While Doing Boring Tasks

There is something about doing chores and routine tasks that most people dread. Is it the repetitive actions-cleaning, laundry, cooking meals, gardening, etc.-that dulls our enthusiasm and imagination?

When I was nine, I remember the wave of boredom that washed over my mind when I was faced with yet another stack of dirty dishes that I was designated to wash and/or dry. No automatic dishwasher. My younger sister was designated to be the dryer, but, often feigned being sick, until the dishes were done, so I often washed and dried. With a family of six and sometimes hired help, the mountain of dishes often seemed insurmountable, especially when it was bread baking day. The huge mixing bowl, spoon, measuring items, and the 4 or 5 baking tins made the pile higher. Not to mention the milk separator needed to be washed, which was like having another stack of dishes-the huge milk strainer and bowl were nearly half my size.

The thought that I could find joy in these routine chores and tasks I was bored with came to me one morning. I realized that I could change my attitude, a different approach and challenge myself to see how fast I could get the task done. The first morning I estimated the time at thirty-minutes to do the breakfast dishes. Breakfast was not a bowl of cold cereal or a protein bar. Breakfast was bacon, ham, or sausage and eggs with pancakes or oatmeal with grapefruit sections or chunks or other fruit. The oatmeal breakfast was the easiest to clean up. I worked as fast as I could muster and was able to finish in twenty-five minutes.

I was proud of my ability to meet this challenge. Wow! I was onto something. From then on I would estimate the time for the stack that lay before me to see if I could beat that time. It worked to lessen the dullness and boredom of this routine chore. I still use this method today, not for doing dishes, as I have the best automatic dishwasher available, but, for all the other chores and errands life produces, it compels me to 'get things done in record time.'

Gardening is my time to commune with nature and have meditative time. Digging in the dirt is therapeutic for my psyche. And to add more benefit on gardening days, I don't need to go to the gym as I have gotten a light workout.

Many people tend to put off what they dislike doing. Surprisingly, as I learned at age nine, the best approach to unpleasant tasks or dull chores is to dive right in and be fully engaged in what one is doing.
You may not cherish doing laundry or mopping the floors, but you can view it as a loving act for both yourself and your family. Or you can add a challenge of seeing how quickly you can accomplish the task and set a bench mark on which to improve upon next time.

Other ways to change your attitude about chores is saying, 'Thank you,' to the universe for being able to have these chores in the surroundings you have-a lovely home and neighborhood. Each morning, see how quickly and neatly you can make your bed and take pride in knowing that you are taking good care of yourself and your environment.

Another way to create a pleasant experience, while doing mundane chores, is play your favorite music, singing or dancing about while you are working. Creating a mental list of all the things you are grateful for keeps your mind occupied on positive thoughts versus the negative thoughts of how boring and tedious the chores are.

You could ask a friend(s) to exchange helping each other with tasks such as: cleaning the garage, basement, painting or wallpapering a room, etc. Remember to look for joy in doing the mundane tasks and chores and all your life maintenance activities will be a source of enjoyment rather than a duty you simply tolerate.

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, Life Coach, Hypnotherapist, Author, "101 Great Ways To Improve Your Life." Dr. Dorothy has the unique gift of connecting people with a broad range of profound principles that resonate in the deepest part of their being. She brings awareness to concepts not typically obvious to one's daily thoughts and feelings. http://www.drdorothy.net

Your Blissful Life - Your Definition

The beauty of your blissful life is the simple fact that it is all yours! You, and only you, define exactly what it means to you, in every part of your life. There have never been two individuals wanting exactly the same thing in every part of their lives. While they may share some common desires, they will have unique meanings for their respective blissful lives. Just as each of us are a unique beautiful people, so is our definition of our blissful life! As you execute the process of defining your blissful life, you are creating a work of art that is all you. Your work of art is you in all your beauty and glory.

How can each of us have such a unique definition for the same object of our desires? Let me explain;

As I discussed in earlier articles, we are all made up of many components or parts. Recall also that all of these aspects or parts are unique to each and every one of us. It is because of this that we all place different values on our various parts. l place a certain value or importance on my professional career while you place a completely different value or importance on yours. You may place greater importance on your relationship with your friends (your friends part) as opposed to your professional career. Everyone you know such as your significant other, mother, father, and siblings, acquaintances etc. will all place various parts higher or lower on their importance scale when compared to yours.

The importance that we each place on our various parts uniquely defines not only who we are and how we act; it also uniquely defines your blissful life. The reason that you are currently reading this article is you, for some reason, feel a need to redefine, re-rank, resolve a conflict within or between your parts, or to define new parts and integrate them into yourself. This is your unique definition. This is how you identify, compare, and take action on a daily basis, in every moment. Everything you do is driven to satisfy and achieve the definition you have for your parts which, when combined, define yourself as a person.

After completing my this and my next two articles, you will have identified all of your parts, ranked them in order of importance to yourself and your life, and what you want your blissful life to look, sound, and feel like to you.

For me, your blissful life means a balance between my parts that allowed me to assist others in achieving their goals while providing a satisfactory standard of living. It also means that I have the freedom and permission from myself to continue to grow and discover more about myself and the world I live in, no matter what! To me this means that there are no silly or ridiculous ideas or paths. I have given myself permission to explore all of them, no matter where they might lead. I have learned that in order for me to live my blissful life, I must be true to myself, my ideals, my thoughts, my intuition, and my feelings. When I do this, I can do anything, be anything, and discover anything I desire. When I am doing this and helping others enrich their lives that I am truly living my blissful life.

Take some time now to reflect;

Review your list of parts my previous article Your Blissful Life: The Struggle Within.

Review all of the parts you identified after reading the article.

Have you discovered any other parts? If so, note them here.

Mr. Timothy A. McGinty is the published co-author of the highly regarded Wake Up... Live the Life You Love series. This series is a collaborative effort with such inspirational leaders as Tony Robbins, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Brian Tracey, Steven E, and Lee Beard.

Mr. McGinty is also the author of "Your Blissful Life", a book which takes the reader by the hand and walks them through a process for defining their "Blissful Life" and the action plan for achieving it.

Imagine Yourself... is an organization focused on enabling clients "breakthrough" in achieving their success. Mr. McGinty has helped many organizations and individuals discover their passion, define the life balance they seek, develop strategies for achieving that balance, and held them accountable for reaching their goals. His clients have been so successful that Mr. McGinty is known as "The Breakthrough Guy"

Imagine Yourself...
13477 Prospect Rd. Suite 204
Strongsville, Ohio 44149
Telephone: 440-236-6519
Web: http://www.timothymcginty.com
E-mail: tim@timothymcginty.com

Old Versus New Construction Adhesives

When I first started building in 1978 as a young carpenter and an apprentice to my father. I had the grand illusions of becoming what they call on the east coast a master carpenter and on the West Coast a journeyman carpenter.

Part of my training in construction was learning to use the proper adhesive and caulking for different parts of the building project. We used to use a standard solvent-based construction adhesive when we were building our stairs and they would also use this adhesive on the floors to eliminate squeaks.

This glue dried extremely hard and everyone thought the harder the better. This construction adhesive was great when I started using it in 1978. There wasn't the polyethylene super elastic expandable multi-use glue and caulking construction adhesives at that time.

We used this brittle glue and it always seemed like a waste of time. As the wood dried and started to shrink the brittle hard glue would crack and break away from the wood it was glued to. Normally the glue was breaking away from plywood floor sheeting. I have seen 2 x 12 shrink 3/8 of an inch before in as little as a few months during the summer.

Now as time went on the old construction adhesives were replaced with a new window sealant made by a company called TOPS. This stuff was the hottest and best product of the decade to me. I used this stuff for everything.

This new urethane glue was now being used for sub floors, stair treads, sealing the windows flashing and siding. This stuff is still in use today and is a great choice for all of the uses I mentioned above. The price for this sealant is about double that of most water-based or solvent-based glues. But it's worth it.

So there you have it I like the urethane glues because of their flexibility, elasticity, their ability to adhere to wood concrete or metal and their performance in the years ahead.

There is one thing to keep in mind when using construction adhesives. Most construction workers seem to ignore the fact that the wood needs to be dry and clean before applying the construction adhesive. There have been quite a few times I have witnessed carpenters working with me and ignoring my advice.

Don't put yourself into this category. Doing quality work and following the manufacturers recommended installation instructions for their product will decrease your liability if there is ever a problem. Read the instructions carefully on all of the building products you use.

The manufacturers of these construction adhesives have thoroughly tested them. So use them properly and follow all safety warnings.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more Building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Carlsbad Structural Repairs

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Improve Employee Motivation

You can't deny the fact that your organization works because of teamwork. The more the team works together harmoniously, the more successful your organization is. However, this is easier said than done. Many organizations fail because they are filled with unmotivated employees. If you have a problem with employee motivation, then take notice. A team that doesn't have employee motivation means that they have poor performance, which translates to bad business for you.

Improving the Motivation of Your Employees

- Build a good foundation at the start.
You improve motivation if you build a solid foundation at the beginning of your employee's career. Once the employee becomes a part of your organization, make sure that he is given an orientation of the history of your business and the mission and vision. Be aware also of his career expectations and goals and how you can make them feel as part of your team.

- Promote a positive environment in your organization.

A positive environment can always promote a positive outlook among employees. This means that you do not have preference over your other employees and you make all your employees feel important. Try to keep your doors open to all your staff, that they can approach you with problems and issues.

- Lead by example.

As a leader, you must lead by example. If you want your employees to come to work on time, then you should do the same. You communicate to your employees the things that you want by leading a good example and not simply talking about it.

- Make sure that your employees have a career path.

Employees always aim for career advancements and possibilities of promotion always improve employee motivation. You can work with your employees in charting their career growth plan taking into consideration their current skills and future goals. You will see how this would create magic among your employees' self-esteem.

- Be liberal with seminars and trainings.

You motivate your employees when you provide means to increase their professional skills through seminars and trainings. If there are possibilities of attending workshops and seminars related to your business, then offer these to them. If the employees feel that you are investing in them, they would feel cherished and would eventually improve their job performance.

- Let your employees have fun.

All work and no fun would make Jack a dull boy. Once in a while, engage your staff in fun activities together like annual excursions or dinner out for some job well done. If it's possible, you can reward your staff with an unexpected day off or early closing in a Friday.

- Offer incentives to the good worker

Offering incentives is a way of acknowledging a job well done. This can be in cash or in kind. Aside from the usual praise, you can offer small tokens of appreciation like gift certificates or performance-based bonuses.

- Be true to your promises.

Stick to your promises and your employees will feel motivated all the time. If they see that the people leading them are doing what has been promised, they would realize that they are working with a credible company and that they are lucky to be part of it. Remember that not keeping your promises would only translate to a decrease in employee motivation and eventual loss of trust.

There are many ways to improve employee motivation in your organization. All in all, it is all about being people-oriented and not losing sight of the fact that you need your staff to make your business successful.

Learn how to map out your path to success with comprehensive tools and guides to get your life back on track. Discover how to more effectively obtain personal, career or business goals and learn how to stay motivated right to the end

For More Great Content Please Visit http://www.settinggoals101.com/business-goalsetting.html

Hindsight - Looking Forward

You know how "they" always say "hindsight is 20/20", meaning that it's easier to see the problems and pitfalls of your choices after they're over? Well, sometimes we spend a little too much time looking backwards at the choices we've made and the things we've done and we forget to look at the opportunities we have right now and in the near future; that or we see the current situations through the filters of our past.

With all the talk about the Secret and the Law of Attraction, it occurred to me that a whole lot of people are looking back at their lives so far and making their lists and affirmations about corrections to what they see as problems instead of creating opportunities for new lives and new experiences.

We don't want to attract more baggage from our past. Let me explain.

Ever notice that when you pack a bag for a trip, things never repack as neatly or compactly once you've started going through the contents? You could use this analogy for your memories and experiences, too. Once you begin rummaging around in the memory pile, things don't fit back neatly and you find errant thoughts and memories creeping into your daily lives like a staticky white sock that attached itself to the back of your good gray wool suit. And they don't match any better, either! Your past is just that, p-a-s-s-e-d. It's all over and done with, things happened and you cannot un-happen them. No matter how much effort and perspiration we put into it, we can't change things that happened 2 seconds ago yet we spend countless hours in contemplation, personal debriefings, should'ing all over our best selves and wishing we'd done something different at the time.

Well, I'm sorry to tell you this, but you didn't and that's that. You made the best choice possible at the time based on the information, experiences, gut instincts you had at your disposal and the situation you were in at the time. There's no backtracking for a do-over. Yet we spend so much time trying to relive less than optimum experiences so we can do better next time. It's not foresight or hindsight we need. We need sight, plain and simple. We need to see what is right in front of us.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret.... You can remember the experiences - I'm not trying to say forget everything that has happened to us- but we don't need to relive these things over and over. Once is enough to make an impression.

Sidney Madwed says... "How many of your judgments, when you made them, were you perfectly sure they were correct, would you want to change now with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight? Since every judgment is only an opinion based on the limited information at hand, filtered through one's personal value system, it might be safe to assume no two people will judge anything exactly the same. Even concepts of right and wrong, good or bad, good or bad morals and ethics are only opinions, for what may be good in one case may be a disaster in another. "

You may have heard this before, but you know, human beings are hard wired to be meaning making machines. We just HAVE to ascribe a meaning to everything that happens. We can't help ourselves. I've heard some people say the weather that is terrorizing the globe lately is a punishment for the world's evil ways, some blame it on global warming. Okay, that's fine, but what is happening is we are experiencing lousy weather. Period.

When we're faced with an opportunity,whether it's favorable or not it's still an opportunity, do we look at it through all the filters of what has gone before, or look at it for what it is?

Five days before my 45th birthday, my life as I expected it to be ended. My mother passed away and disinherited me for a reason known only to herself. I was evicted from her home by her executor with nowhere to go. I felt betrayed, alone, and all the other things loss brings about.

Now I could have wallowed in self-pity (which I did for about three weeks, I admit - it didn't do anything to get me out of the situation I was in), gotten angry, bitter, cynical or any other way of being, feeling put upon and sorry for myself. I could have dug out my violins and looked at the situation as an insurmountable barrier and just given up, thinking I was a terrible person for my own family to have thrown me away like that. I didn't.

I'd had a huge revelation. I was no longer anyone's daughter, no longer anyone's mother. The roles that had defined my life had suddenly dropped away and I had a very rare opportunity to totally change my life as well as my view of the world and everything in it. I knew I had to begin again. I had to sit down and figure out just what I wanted my new life to be. I could have struggled to find the meaning in what had happened to me.

I remember the events, but the emotional charge has gone. There's no anger, there's no wasted energy in blame and sadness. I've unpacked those bags and don't intend to fill them up again (In fact, I've thrown them away). One of the things that's so great about discovering the difference between what happened and what we make something mean is that once we know we give events and situations their meanings, we can make them mean anything we want!

Now what I'm getting at is this: As you go forward into 2009, 2010, and on and on, you can choose to see each opportunity as something brand new and exciting or a rerun of a boring, sad old tape. If the first thought that enters your mind when something occurs is, "oh, no, not again" or "here we go again", that's your signal that you're just replaying old tapes and digging through those old bags. Fluff all that old stuff up, expose it to some fresh air and sunshine and toss out what doesn't fit anymore. You don't need it, really. We've turned the corner on Winter and Spring is coming. Start your Spring Soul cleaning a little early.

DeBorah Beatty is the "Created Life" coach. She is a speaker/trainer and solopreneur expert. She speaks from experience having been an entrepreneur for almost as long as she's been alive (and that's a long time!). She offers tips and tricks on her blog, Opportunity's Knocking, Open the Door, on her radio show on BlogTalkRadio and in her newsletter, Living in Left Field. She is the creator of the upcoming Disconnect Your Oughta-Pilot Telecourse and is currently accepting coaching applications. For more information about DeBorah and to request a free report, "Are You Living On Oughta-Pilot?", visit her website

http://www.DEBORAHBEATTY.COM
Walla Walla, WA 99362
contact-dbc@deborahbeatty.com
http://www.deborahbeatty.com

Success Starting in Your 40s

You're going to find it hard to believe, but very seldom does an individual peak with creativity until they reach the age of 40. The average individual usually makes the most money between the age of 40 and 60. This doesn't have anything to do with retirement. Most highly creative people keep producing until they die.

If you're 55 years old and looking for a new career or can't seem to find a job in the profession you have worked at your whole life, don't be alarmed or fearful. Do you think you could start your own business? Is there something, you have always wanted to do but have put it off until retirement, or until you had enough time to do it?

Why wait, if you can't find a job in a business you never truly enjoyed, maybe you can find a new job doing something you love.

I have worked in construction for 30 years and at 44 years old started to pursue a career in writing and plan to create award winning websites and best selling books, for the rest of my life. This doesn't mean, I won't work in construction ever again, but I will become a best selling author within the next 20 years.

Most people don't take the time required to learn a new profession. If you're sincerely interested in another career, and you're 50 years old, there is plenty of people out there to give you hope and inspiration.

If you would like some proof, here's a couple successful American businessman who succeeded after the age of 40. Henry Ford is probably one of the most popular and became extremely successful after the age of 40. Andrew Carnegie, an American industrialists who transformed the steel business and did not start reaping the rewards of his efforts until he was well past the age of 40.

I gathered this information from the book "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. There is a section in the book where he talks about people after the age of 40 with phenomenal success. Anyone who's interested in gaining wealth through spirituality or finances should read this book.

I've often heard the statement, "People Often Over Estimate What They Can Do in a Year and Often Underestimate What They Can Do in a Decade." If you want to accomplish something after the age of 40, I would advise you to start with a plan and then put that plan and the action. Your plan could take five to 15 years to achieve or longer but think about the rewards, whether spiritual or financial.

Gregory Vanden Berge is working to promote personal development ideas and spiritual reform. He has started a web site for videos and articles based on current information about subject he is very familiar with.

"Education has freed me, to pursue other ideas and release me from the bondage and fear of organized religion."

Gregory Vanden Berge