Become a Babe Magnet without Surgery or Drugs!

"I'd like to find a partner who dances. Do you?" my profile on Match.com asked. My now-husband Drew emailed that he was willing to take lessons, and that was enough for me. Non-dancer Drew�s courage to put himself out on the dance floor and to show in lesson after lesson his amateur status was truly impressive. We took private dance instruction for a year before our wedding, and as a result, got around the dance floor quite gracefully at our reception.Women are dying to dance. Any man who can ask a woman to dance, then take charge of what happens on the floor and move relatively smoothly to music, has enormous appeal. Fat or skinny, short, tall, or not even close to attractive, even old, old, old, a man who is comfortable on the dance floor has his pick of the ladies.For whatever the reason, dancing intoxicates. Especially women.Few men can really dance, and those guys are on the floor constantly. Some men think they can dance and do get up, ask the ladies, and have fun. But at least half the men sit or stand uncomfortably on the sidelines with all the women who wish to be on the dance floor. We women don't get to dance nearly as much as we'd like to, even the ladies who are good dancers. There aren't enough dancing men to go around. You can almost feel the yearning, the sadness, and the disappointment in those women and between those non-dancing couples. And the non-dancing guys? Pathetic.I personally know three women close to my age who met their now - spouses on the dance floor, and those ladies were great catches! Gentlemen and ladies, there's a message here. Guys: 1. Take lessons and learn how to dance. Leading well takes skill, but if Drew could learn how, so can you.2. Go to dances. 3. Ask women to dance. Lots of women. They'll love it. Even if you aren't so good, they'll appreciate your efforts. Dance lessons themselves are good places to meet women, and most dance studios have regular parties for their students to practice what they have learned.Ladies: 1. Take dancing lessons yourself and learn how to follow. Here I was, 50 years old, thinking I loved to dance, and I had no idea how to do the woman's part! Following takes skill! You have to figure out what your partner has in mind for you to do in a split second, and then actually do it, all while dancing backwards.2. Buy yourself some real ballroom dancing shoes, maybe with high heels. Believe it or not, those shoes are comfortable. They have to be. Not only do they look very sexy, they stay on your feet!3. Hang out at dances, too, if you like to dance. Single guys go to dances. If you are connected to a dance studio, other single women will be at their parties as well as the studio instructors and male students, so you will know people. Dance parties are safe and comfortable for single women.Guys -- nothing enhances as man's romantic marketability more than becoming a decent dancer. Learning to dance is cost efficient and relatively painless. No surgery or blood loss, no sweaty hours at the gym, no personality makeovers needed. Just dance lessons. What's stopping you? Look up the dance studio nearest you and make that call! You'll become a dancing babe magnet!

CAN PEOPLE REALLY CHANGE?

MOST PEOPLE NEVER REALLY CHANGE
Sad, but true.
Some people never even try.
But those of us who do – and I assume that you are in that group – often experience great frustration and disappointment as we encounter the same limitations over and over again.
Life can start to seem downright repetitive.
CREATING SOMETHING FROM NOTHING
Why is it that in most cases your life keeps looking like some variation of whatever you’ve experienced before?
The answer is: because you are creating something from something. You’re attempting to create a new and different future based on the limitations of your past.
Imagine that you are a potter and you have a piece of clay. You can study your craft and make pots that are smoother, sturdier, or more beautiful than before. But when all is said and done, they’re still just clay pots.
Who says you have to be a potter? And who says you can only make things out of clay?
G-D CREATES SOMETHING FROM NOTHING
There is a fundamental kabbalistic principle of Creation known as ‘yesh m’ayin’ – something from nothing.
This principle explains that G-d is bringing the entire world, including you, into existence from absolute nothingness at every moment.
G-d didn’t create this world once and withdraw back into Heaven, where He supervises from a distance and intervenes when appropriate. Rather, He is actively and intentionally speaking the world into existence from nothing in the present moment, again and again and again. In fact, if G-d would stop creating this world – with all of its myriad details – at any moment, the world and everything in it would disappear as if it had never been.
Based on this, two things are clear:
1.The world has no existence outside of G-d. Everything we experience in life is part of G-d and His intention and purpose for Creation.
2.G-d desires the world – and you – with an intense and personal desire. Everything you do has great meaning and significance to Him. That’s why He keeps on creating you.
Remember those old commercials where a little kid said something like: “I must be good because G-d made me, and G-d doesn’t make junk”?
Actually, the truth is much more powerful than that. G-d doesn’t make anything or anyone without a profound purpose. He passionately desires you and just as passionately wants you to desire Him. And He is waiting - with bated breath - for you to embrace the Divine purpose for which you have been created. To make your life, your relationships and your circumstances a “dwelling place” for the Divine.
WHAT’S NOTHINGNESS?
G-d creates from Nothing because Nothingness, ayin, actually means absolute, infinite possibility. No limitations. No restrictions. None at all.
When you don’t need to be any particular something, you’re free to be anything. Kabbalah calls this infinite potential nothingness – not because there’s nothing there, but because there are absolutely no limitations that define or restrict this infinite possibility in any way.
YOU’RE ALREADY CREATING SOMETHING FROM NOTHING
As a human beings created in the image of G-d, you are also empowered to create something from nothing. And you do, all the time.
Unfortunately, most of the time what we create from nothing are the stories about what we can’t do, aren’t capable of, will never have – together with all the reasons why.
These stories are continuously being recreated from nothing in each of our lives. But unlike G-d, who creates consciously, we create this reality unconsciously. It’s a sort of default programming. Yes, I understand that you have reasons for what you believe, but those reasons, while they may help to explain your past, do not have the power to limit your future. Unless you think they do, and act accordingly.
Most of us don’t wake up in the morning in awe of our own potential, in touch with our Divine purpose, filled with the joy of life, ready to create. More often we wake up all-too-conscious of our limitations, our disappointments, our frustrations, our unfulfilled needs, and the burdensome problems we need to solve. No wonder so many of us are worn out before we even get out of bed.
HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON
You might have read a cute little children’s book called “Harold and the Purple Crayon”. In this book, Harold, a baby, draws things with his purple crayon on his bedroom walls. He draws things like castles, mountains, roads and tigers. The interesting part is that then Harold climbs the mountains, runs down the roads, explores the castles and runs away from the tigers. Sometimes he gets so far into the picture that he can’t figure out how to get home again – but then, he just takes his purple crayon and draws the road back.
Harold is always creating something from nothing.
YOU CAN CREATE SOMETHING FROM NOTHING TOO
Your life, your present and future, is actually an ayin – nothing. Yes, as a soul in a specific physical body, there are some limits to what you can create.
But you have no idea what they are.
- - Do you want to experience unconditional love? How would you behave if you were committed to love others unconditionally, especially those people who long for your love? Your parents. Your children. Your spouse. Your friends. What if you noticed, accepted and appreciated the way they love you – even if it doesn’t yet look exactly the way you want it to look?
What might happen today if you behaved that way? What if you stayed committed to that experience over time – what might happen to your most intimate relationships, your family, your community, your world? Don’t shortchange yourself by skipping over this question. Really think about it.
- - Do you want to experience your power to live as a creator rather than a victim in your life? How would you behave if you refused to let your fears and past failures put any limits on what you do right now?
What would you do that you’ve been putting off? What else? What might you actually create or achieve over time if you do those things? And perhaps even more important, what would life be like for you right now if you choose to be a person who isn’t stopped by fear?
Do you want to be more intimately in touch with your Creator and your Divine purpose? How would you behave if you were a person committed to seeing G-d’s intimate, infinite and loving presence in all aspects of your life? What if every action you take was based on the assumption that nothing is wrong – because G-d is intentionally, creating your world right now on behalf of your ultimate purpose and fulfillment?
What might your life be like – today – if you behaved that way? How about your relationships? Your energy? Your happiness? Your peace of mind?
HOW TO CREATE MIRACLES
Like a farmer who tills his field, plants seeds, waters and tends them, sometimes it can take time to see the results of your efforts. But if you are willing to create something from nothing, you don’t have to twiddle your thumbs while you wait for things to grow. The very decision to be a creator in your own life brings with it some powerful, intrinsic rewards; rewards like joy, fulfillment - and miracles.

Change How You Say It, Change Your Attractiveness

Language, whether it’s emerging from our mind, our heart, orour lips, says a lot about ourselves. It tells others whatstate we're in at the time, actually where we are in ourlife, as well as how we dress our self, our body and oursoul. It also tells us what we will do now, what we did inthe past, and what we will do in the future. Yet, we are socomfortable with our own voice and too busy to hear itsvoice that negative expressions escape constantly. Doeswhat you say and how you say it count? U-betcha.
For those of you who are students of the laws ofattraction, also known as manifesting what you desire withthe power of energy, this is another way you can use the lawfor your benefit. Let me expound on this in the simplest ofways.
What you say is how you are. There are usually many ways tosay what you say. Many ways will not attract, others will.Let’s journey together on this with an example. Let’s usean expression we tend to use more mindfully and lessexpressively, "I could care less."
"I could care less," taken literally means "I care more thanI might seem to." You are saying that you do care some andthat isn't what you intended to mean which was not caring atall. The true way to state your feelings would be, "Icouldn't care less." It may sound harsher, yet it’s thetruth. It is important to be true to your words.
Being true in your language is a vital step to being in aplace of truth in yourself and in the world. As a I child,my Dad drummed the expression into me, and probably to you aswell, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't sayanything at all." Practicing the laws isn't about sugarcoating your feelings or your language. It’s aboutexpressing them from your own truth. But what the sayingtells us is that, even though we can acknowledge this as ourtruth we don't have to express that truth verbally.
Because we are so comfortable with our language, we havestopped hearing what we are saying 90% of the time. Theonly way to catch your language is to use this exercise.
Here is a practice that will help you begin your journey inhow to uncover the truth to your language. It will alsochange your hearing process anytime you speak. Afterlistening consciously to your words, then and only then, canyou begin a strong path to attractiveness. Also, hearing andacknowledging what you said takes courage. Is it easy tolisten to yourself? Heck no. To me, my voice sounds likechalk squeaking on a blackboard. Focus on the outcome tomove past the squeal. The shift in attractiveness is wellworth the practice.
Audio record your telephone conversations. Just your sideof the conversation. There isn't any country or state lawsthat affect you since they are one sided as there is inrecording two-way conversations or in-person conversations.And you don't have to ask the other person’s permission.
Extra tip: This is also a great way to improve yourmarketing and telephone skills as well.
Listen to the recording. Listen for the incompletesentences, unfinished thoughts, and vocal expressiveness orflatness. Did you really say what you meant? What wasn'tsaid that you thought you said? What wasn't finished andyou thought was finished? What words were slung together thatattracted the opposite of what you wanted?
Extra tip: Tape record your conversations with yourchildren. We become so comfortable with those we love thatour language sabotages our relationships frequently.Especially with teenagers.
Awareness and acknowledgment are the first two steps tochanging anything. We can't do either without hearing itfirst. And you can't change what you don't acknowledge.Attractive language allows you to walk a different paththrough life. Take the leap, find just enough courage topractice this exercise, it may be painful at times, but itwill rewrite your life and all those that touch it.

Be Selfish and Save the World

Why do we help others? There is a whole lot of pain and poverty, illness and despair in the world. I can't speak for you but I would like to make a difference and improve the quality of life for others. Volunteer work is a great way to begin.
No single person can change the entire world but you can have an impact on the lives of others in your own corner of the universe. That, in a small way, changes the world ever so slightly. Multiply that by a billion and it is a brave new world.

How many times have you heard people say " You can't change the world. You are just one person?" It begins with one. Forget all that nonsense the defeatists choose to fill there heads with. That's their business. The contents of your head is all that matters.
Your happiness counts. How can you share your happiness if you have none to share? You can't be happy if you put others happiness ahead of your own. You have to put yourself first in order to have the tools to affect change.
I don't know how many people I have met that speak of all the hungry people of the world living in poverty. And how they dream of helping them. These are people that are wallowing in consumer debt, the working poor, just inches away from bankruptcy. They want to help others when they cannot even dream of themselves living in prosperity. Such noble nonsense.
If you want to help your family, help your community or change the world, you have to help yourself first. You have to be selfish for pete's sake! It's not a sin or a crime to put yourself first. You have to lead by example. Nobody chooses to follow the disempowered.
Make your happiness and peace of mind your number one priority. Once you have that you have the power to really affect change. Helping others is a wonderful thing. Look at the global efforts to help the Tsunami victims and affected areas. You could rationalize it and say that helping is the right thing to do, that contributing to any good cause is the right thing to do. I agree.
But, we are not motivated by our intellect or rationalizations. It is emotion that moves us to act. Helping out makes us feel good and inversely we know that watching others suffer and not helping when we know we can will make us feel miserable. We don' t want to make ourselves unhappy.
If you can truly be honest with yourself you will see that beneath all the sentiment is a need to tend to our own happiness. I like to volunteer because it makes me feel good. That is the bottom line. The rest is just window-dressing. I have a selfish desire to feel good and so do you. There is nothing wrong with that.
Yoga, meditation and prayer make me feel good, too. Can you call those selfish pursuits? How about attending church or worshipping your higher power? Do those things make you feel good? Of course they do or you would not do them. If pursuing your own emotional well-being and feeling good is not what you would consider selfish, than I think that the term "selfish" is highly misunderstood.

China Travel Tips

Survival China Travel Tips and Tricks

These China Travel Tips, Survival Techniques, will help you get around and make your trip to China easier, so you will be able to experience the real China with a little less stress.
China is an odd beast that needs to be respected; the major cities, Beijing, Shanghai, and Xian, all have their own personalities.
Some complex situations that you think would be an organizational disaster turn out to be great and you wonder afterward what all the fuss and worry was about. Then the simplest of tasks can turn out to be a major calamity.
This is when you have what we call here a “China day”.
These days come and go and are part of the experience of everyday travel in China. One needs to have an open mind when travelling China. It is a place with thousands of years of history and culture that is trying overnight to adapt to Western ways of living.
You need to have a very open mind when you Travel in China.
I have listed below a few China Travel Tips that will make life that wee bit more bearable on your Travel China experience.
China Travel Tips – Be Toilet Wise
• Never expect a clean toilet 100% of the time.
• Be prepared; Carry some tissue.
• You may have to use a squat toilet, again if you know this before hand it is not a shock. If you don’t know how to use a squat toilet, try the following experiment at home.
While holding onto something for support with both hands, lower your body down into a low squat position, so that the cheeks of your bottom is almost touching your heels or the back of your calf. Now, let go with your hands. See if you stay in this position for at least 1 minute. If you fall backwards or you cannot get up, then a squat toilet could be a problem for you! Practice, you will be happy you did.
• If you see a clean toilet, Go… it may not come again for a while.
• There are many public toilets around the cities, usually the ones you pay for are OK, (RMB .5), the others best to stay away from if you can. You will soon notice them as you walk around the cities.
• Be warned that public areas like bus and train stations are usually what I class as “tough toilets”, however if gotta go you gotta go.
• Outside of the major cities, the toilet systems are old or have very narrow plumbing /pipes and get blocked easily. In these cases a small basket is usually beside the toilet, this is for your used toilet paper.
One of the best China Travel toilet Tips I can give you, is use hotel lobby toilets; these are everywhere and are always clean. Still they may not always have toilet paper. It depends on the class of hotel that you are using.
I do not wish to scare you. However, of all the China Travel Tips in all the other web sites I have read, this is a topic not often mentioned, but it is very important to us all.
So outside of the major cities conditions can be tough. But most of the time everything will be fine, especially if you book a tour; everything will have been checked out before hand. However even the best laid plans can go wrong, so be prepared, the toilets in the smaller cities, towns and villages can be scary.
China Travel Tips – The Food
• The food is great and the variety is overwhelming. Most of the time you get to choose what you eat, or you can recognize what you’re eating, however sometimes you do not get a choice. Carry a chocolate bar or something; this will keep you going until some food that you can recognize turns up. Drink bottled or boiled water, as the tap water is NOT safe to drink, this is for the whole of China. Even boiled water, while sterilised can contain a lot of minerals and iron deposits that you probably do not want in your system. The safest bet is to drink bottle water. Tap water in most big cities is OK for brushing teeth.
• Eating habits - Most Chinese people have a great habit of being very noisy when they eat and lunch and dinner times can be a wonderfully noisy celebration, food tends to go in all directions, its just part of being in China.
• People also smoke at the table while everyone is eating, so some restaurants get very loud and smoky.
• If you get stuck what to order as most of the menu’s are in Chinese just look at the table next to you and point to the dish you fancy and ask how much it is, this system works really well and know seems to mind.
• I have a basic menu that will help you order safe food, (no Cats or Dog) this will enable you to visit a larger selection of restaurants, not just the tourist ones with high prices. You can carry it with you and use it in the local restaurants where most will be able to serve what is on it. This way you will know what you are eating.
These local places are very cheap and the food it great. Contact me if you would like me to send it to you.
China Travel Tips – Taxis
• China Travel Tips- Taxis - Taxis are an experience that can have you griping the seat and gasping for breath; however you soon get used to it, after the first few rides, you’re an old hand.
• The taxis in Shanghai are, overall, quite good. Try to get the Blue, Blue’ish Turquoise, Gold and White taxis, these are the best… these are the four major taxi companies and are generally recognised by their single colour paintwork. The others are OK, just older and a rougher ride (the others also may have faulty metres). No drivers will speak English.
• Carry your hotel or accommodation business card with you, written in Chinese, this helps if you get lost walking around town.
• In all the taxis around the country you will see the drivers name and taxi registration number in plain sight. If you have any problem, or if you think you have been over charged etc, just take this number down, make a big fuss about it, and the driver then should wake up and fix whatever problem you have. Even better is to take the receipt. This has all the trip details on it and you can ring the taxi company if you want to take things further or if you’ve left something in the taxi.
• The government takes rip-off drivers in all cities, Beijing and Xian especially, very seriously and if you complain they will lose their license. This is their livelihood. So far I have had not one driver in 3 years that has not backed down and we have then agreed a price for the trip or solved our problem.
• In Shanghai, it is common practice for taxi fare increases after 11pm. However, one can usually bargain for a 20% discount, which will get the fare back to the pre-11pm rate.
Be strong with the taxi drivers, never-the-less, keep your cool, smile and negotiate.
China Travel Tips – Shopping
• China Travel Tips - Shopping - China is a shopper’s paradise, Markets, Bargains; Top labels… anything and everything if you have the time. With clothes, the larger (Western) sizes can be quite hard to find, however in the major cities where you get a lot of tourist traffic, you can find them.
• Electrical gear, DVD’s, Cameras, stuff like this is not worth buying in China, Hong Kong is still the best place for this.
• Store hours in the major cities are from 10am to 10pm, 7 days a week.
• Visa card is still the best card to carry, with ATM’s in good supply all with PLUS access etc.
There is usually a surcharge for use of VISA, MasterCard or other forms of credit card.
• Wait on purchasing if you can, look around to get a feel for the prices. The Chinese are VERY experienced at selling and know that we halve the opening price when bargaining.
In the markets go for 25% of what they first ask; go so low that they let you walk away. This will give you an idea of the bottom price. The resulting end-price will probably be around 40% to 50% of where they started.
Whatever the market people say, they are used to pushing and haggling for best prices. Do not worry about being too hard, they are used to it and will not sell you an item unless they make a profit. Don’t be concerned with the apparently hurt body language when you go low – it is all part of the game. As soon as they have wrapped up your first purchase, they will try to sell you something more. Remember to keep smiling and having fun while bargaining.
China Travel Tips – Medical Treatment and Records
• Most hotels will have a doctor that you can see. In the major hotels English will be spoken.
• Always take a small first aid kit, cold remedy, headache tablets at the very least. WATSONS is a very large chain chemist. Most of the remedies, tablets etc, that you may require should be in these shops. These shops are all over China.
• There is a great network of pharmacy type shops; these are indicated by a Green Cross. There will always be a 24 hr Green Cross pharmacy in the city you are in. It is handy to carry a Phase book, as no one will speak English, however you will end up with something that will help.
• INPORTANT POINT – for most of the mass produced packet type medicines, the packaging will be written in Chinese on one side, English on the other. However in the shops you only see the Chinese side. Have a good look, turn the packs over, it gives you a lot more confidence knowing you can read the package.
• If you have a specific medical issue, take records, most of the Doctors will have OK written / reading English, even though their oral English will be poor.
China Travel Tips – Telephone
• Using the phone is as easy as at home. However the person picking it up will not speak English or have very broken English… the Major 4- or 5-Star Hotels will all be OK.
• What is worth doing is buying a Chinese Telecom SIM card, they are about RMB100 and with this you get RMB50 in calls, the other 50 is for the price of the SIM card; this SIM card will go into all major brand phones and work OK.
By doing this, people can reach you within and out of China if there is an emergency. If you have a couple of phones, you can short (txt) message each other (SMS). Also you are able to call your tourist guide, hotel etc if you have any major problems. It is a cheap way to keep in touch.
NB.Before you buy a Chinese SIM card, check that it will work in your Cell / Mobile phone. There are plenty of China Telecom shops that can help.
China Travel Tips on when NOT to move around China.
• Spring Festival, this would be the Chinese New Year time, around the end of January / Early February
• Early May; Labour day Holidays
• Early October; National Day Holidays
Of all the China Travel Tips National Day is the biggest one. Millions of Chinese travel at these holiday times of the year. Most are travelling back to home towns or visiting family. Hotels, trains, planes, cars, buses, and roads are all crowded to the maximum. Major congestion, everywhere.
Also travel fares are at their full price. No discounts are offered!
Stay in one place and enjoy where you are. It’s best and causes fewer hassles.
China Travel Tips – TV
• If you want to watch TV, most of the major hotels will have cable and if you are in the smaller places, the national channel, CCTV9 is in English. Over the last couple of years it has got a lot better, with some great China Travel Tips programs, news and views on people and places around China.
China Travel Tips – Airport Tax
• There is a “construction fee” at almost all airports.
Domestic flights RMB 50
International flights RMB 90 – which is to be paid in local currency.
Just recently, tickets are being tissued with the Construction Tax included; however make sure you have the Tax money with you just to make sure.
I hope some of these China Travel Tips will come in handy and will make your trip to China that little bit easier.
If you have been to China and wish to share your China Travel Tips, please feel free to contact me anytime.

10 Essential Steps to Developing a Successful E-Mail Marketi

Developing and executing a successful e-mail marketing campaign is becoming more challenging. The SPAM problem isn't improving and laws are tightening their grip on e-mail marketing. So, you need to carefully develop your e-mail marketing campaign with great care. Here are 10 steps you can use to develop a successful e-mail marketing campaign: Step #1 - Define the purpose of your e-mail campaign Whilst this step may seem pretty obvious, you will be surprised at how many e-mail marketing campaigns are carried out without a clear purpose or goal. This is especially prevalent with online newsletters or e-zines - many don't provide the reader any valuable or useful information. So, start your e-mail campaign right - by first defining a clear purpose or goal. Step #2 - Develop a clear call to action A call to action is a specific set of instruction(s) contained within the e-mail with the sole purpose of leading the reader to take a specific action. Here's an example of a call to action: "Click here to download your f~ree Special Report" With the introduction of the CAN-SPAM act and advancement in SPAM filter technology, it is difficult enough these days to get your e-mail pass SPAM filters, yet alone opened and finally read. It would be a sheer waste of time for both your reader and yourself if you didn't create a clear call to action in your e-mail. Step #3 - Personalize your e-mail message Use your full name in the From: field rather than your company's name. And use your recipient's name in the subject line. This will increase the "open rate" of your e-mail (The "open rate" is the percentage of e-mails opened against e-mails successfully delivered), because recipients will more likely open and read e-mails from people they recognize. Personalization will also reduce the probability of the e-mail being mistaken as SPAM. Step #4 - Develop an interesting subject line It's true. First impressions DO count in e-mail marketing! If you have an important e-mail you want your reader to open and read, you need to develop an interesting subject line to woo your readers attention. The reason's really simple. If your subject line does not appeal to the reader, your e-mail will not get opened and your e-mail campaign will fail miserably. And remember not exceed 40 characters when developing your subject line. Step #5 - Remind your subscribers where and when they opted-in If you do not e-mail your subscribers very often, say once every fortnight, it would be good to remind them where and when they opted-in, right at the top of your e-mail. In e-mail marketing, the popular axiom, "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" bears much truth. Don't expect your subscribers to remember where and when they opted-in to receive information from you if you're not in frequent contact with them. If they can't recall when they opted-in to your list and you fail remind them - don't be surprised if they scream "SPAM"! Step #6 - Provide an unsubscribe link In e-mail marketing, you should never ever hold anyone hostage. You'd rather settle for happy unsubscribers than angry subscribers, right? So, provide your readers with an easy and convenient method to unsubscribe. They'll sleep more soundly at night and so will you. Step # 7 - Check and test your e-mail You've spent a great deal of time crafting your e-mail. So it is a good practice to check through your e-mail to make sure you do not overlook the following: 1) Spell check your e-mail 2) SPAM check your e-mail 3) Test all e-mail links 4) Double-check mail merge codes (if any) e.g. $firstname$ vs. {FIRSTNAME} (especially if you're sending out the same e-mail using different autoresponder software) Step #8 - Use fixed-pitch font and proper formatting Use a fixed-pitch font like Courier and perform a hard carriage return at the end of each line at 60 characters to avoid formatting problems. Step #9 - Track all e-mail links This is an often over-looked step. Tracking your e-mail links will allow you to gain valuable insights and discover what works and what doesn't. Use the tracking information to refine your future e-mail marketing campaigns. Step #10 - KISS (Keep It Simple and Short) Lastly, keep your e-mails simple and short. The more e-mail content you create, the higher the chance of triggering the SPAM filters. If possible, use e-mail marketing to Pre-Sell, not Sell. Follow these 10 steps in your next e-mail marketing campaign and watch your campaign results skyrocket!

How To Analyze a Dream

There are many theories as to what 'dreams' are. Doorways to the subconscious, glimpses into the spirit realm, or visions of the future - at one point or another we all probably subscribe to one or more of these theories. Personally, I believe that dreams are the ways in which our subconscious minds attempt to show the conscious that the cold hard view of the world we see while awake is not the only dimension of existence. The most marvellous kind of dreams are 'lucid' dreams. These occur when you realize you are dreaming, but stay in the dream. At that point you can usually start to control the dream. This has led some researchers to think that dreams are simply random 'processes' in the mighty supercomputer that is the human brain, firing off as the system slips into 'power saver' mode!
Whatever your beliefs, you will no doubt at some time or other wonder what one of your dreams 'means'. The first thing to remember is that the subconscious mind deals in images, not words. So try to focus on the imagery of the dream, not the language. Nevertheless, you need to record your dreams on paper or dictaphone so you can study them later. The main problem here is that when you wake up it may take you several minutes to remember that you should be writing down your dreams, by which time, of course, they will have evaporated into thin air, so keep your pen and paper near the bed. You may wake up in the middle of the night, and if you don't immediately write down the dream, it will most likely vanish forever. This is what poeple who say 'I don't dream' really mean - they simply can't remember their dreams!
Once you have some raw material to work with, how do you interpret it? Interpretations of dreams are highly personal, although there are a few culture-specific symbols we all seem to share (such as 'snake' meaning sex, for example). Other symbolism may be obscure to your, but you need to remember that your subconscious is trying to show you something, and even if it is couched as a riddle, it makes sense on some level.
The trick is to look for repeated imagery - these are symbols your subconscious believes are truly important to you at this point in time. What symbol is the most significant or confusing to your waking mind? Make a note of it. You will by now have realized that it is not only the actual symbols that are important when interpreting dreams but the feelings and implications your conscious attaches to those symbols. Without both sides of that puzzle, you can't interpret dreams accurately.
Most people have several types of dream, the most common probably being the 'anxiety' dream. On one level, this is your subconscious trying to let you know that it understands there is a problem and sympathises. On another level, if you can unpick the puzzling symbolism, you may find that your subconscious has actually supplied a solution to the problem, and this is particularly true of recurring dreams. Something really important is being communicated - can you accept the message and act on it? Because until you do so, the dream will recur.
So can you learn how to interpret other people's dreams, given that a sound interpretation relies on much personal knowledge? Head over to www.psychicSuperstore.com and find out!

It’s All About The Abs - Abdominal Exercise Equipment

There have been many studies and reports about how our society as a whole has grown heavier and chubbier. The stomach, in particular, has become a trouble spot for many people. This is due in part to the fact that many of us have desk jobs where we rarely use our stomach and abdomen muscles. For others, this is where the excess fat, brought on by the fast food and extra beers, settles in our bodies. Whatever the reason for our big bellies, there has been a host of abdominal exercise equipment and gadgets to help do away with stomach flab. Some of these techniques and equipment work better than others. This article will help you sort through the hype.
Before beginning a discussion of abdominal exercises and equipment, it is important to point out that even the best ab machine will not help you loose fat in your stomach area. Abdominal exercise equipment can tone and shape your muscles, but the only way to loose the fat is to consume more calories than you take in. Exercise will help you do this, but it is a total body process, not targeted to certain areas.
It is also important to note, that for many people, a flat stomach is not in their genetics, even if they are in good physical shape. Some stomachs have a small curve, and all the crunches in the world won’t change that. However, the exercises and equipment discussed below will help tone, strengthen and define your abdominal muscles.
Abdominal Exercises & Equipment
There are many different types of ab exercisers and equipment. One of the most effective of these, the Roman Chair, is not strictly an ab machine. It is a common piece of equipment found at the gym but it can be used to perform a very effective ab exercise. The Roman Chair is a somewhat taller machine with two stationary, parallel arms and a straight, padded back. There is nothing to sit on.
When working on abs, the best way to use this piece of equipment is to place your forearms flat on each armrest, with your back firmly against the padding. You should have the Roman Chair set high enough that your legs dangle straight down when you are in position. Then slowly bring your knees toward your chest as far as you can go and hold for a few seconds before extending them to the beginning position. This exercise was number two in a San Diego State University survey that ranked the top abdominal exercises and equipment.
According to the survey, the best ab exercise is the Bicycle maneuver. Many of you are probably familiar with this fun exercise. We’ve been doing it since we were kids in gym class, and it turns out, the bicycle is one of the most effective exercises for working those abdominal muscles. To do the exercise correctly, lie on a mat and press your lower back flat. Put your hands beside your head. Tighten your abdominal muscles and bend your knees toward your chest until they are at about a 45-degree angle. Bring your right elbow in contact with your left knee. Then alternate with the opposite knee and elbow and repeat. You should feel it in your sides and abs.
Leg Crunches are similar to the Bicycle, but with crunches, your torso does most of the movement. Lie on the mat again with your lower back pressed flat. Place your hands at your sides or by your head, whichever is more comfortable. Be sure not to put any pressure on your arms or you will take away from the effectiveness of the exercise.
Lift your legs straight up above your head and bend your knees slightly. Squeeze your abdominal muscles and then lift your torso up off the mat toward your knees. Return to the original position with your back flat on the mat. Relax your abdominal muscles and then repeat. Remember to breathe during the exercise.
Crunches can also be done on an exercise ball and many feel it is more effective than standard crunches. You sit on the ball and place your feet on the floor about a foot apart. Roll back carefully on the ball until you are lying with your back fully extended on the ball. Tighten your abdominal muscles and raise your trunk off the ball to about a 30-degree angle. Return to the extended position and repeat.
Exercise balls are one of the most versatile and effective pieces of fitness equipment relative to their cost. Another low cost equipment alternative is a stretch band. These are just what they sound like, a stretchy band made of lycra, nylon or sometimes rubber. Sometimes called resistance bands, they allow you to work one muscle group while the resistance of the band stabilizes the opposing muscles. It is good for stretching and strengthening muscles and is often used with beginners and those who have experienced an injury.
If you are looking for something a bit more high-tech, there are several pieces of equipment made especially to work the abs. There are the Ab Crunch Machine and the Back and Ab Machine. Both of these pieces of abdominal exercise equipment have been designed to support the lower back and the neck. They also come with adjustable resistance settings.
The Ab Slider, Ab Wheel, and Ab Trainer are other examples of equipment designed to target abdominal muscles. As with most types of fitness equipment, their effectiveness often is dependant upon correct usage and, in some cases, combining them with other abdominal exercises. It is important to fully research the equipment and read instructions before using.
The quest for six-pack abs and flat stomachs has intensified over the past few years. In response, the fitness industry has resurrected some old, faithful exercises, developed new and improved versions, and even created equipment specifically to target abdominal muscles. Combine these top abdominal exercises with an overall exercise routine and a healthy diet, and chances are you will loose the flab and have a stronger, more shapely mid section in a matter of months.

Being a Continuous Learner

When people ask me what business I'm in, I often say, "I'm in the learning business." It sounds intriguing, and it is certainly true. But, truth be told, we are all in the learning business.
Why?
Because as humans, we are learning machines. We are most alive and functioning closest to our potential when we are learning, adapting, adjusting, and finding new ways, approaches and techniques to improve our lives (or the lives of others) in some way.
I believe in the above statements. They are as true as any other statement I could write here. But rather than talking about the philosophy of humankind, let me get much more pragmatic.
Change and Learning
Change is all around us. Some say the rate of change is increasing, but whether that is true or not, this is definitely a fact in our business lives. Products change, Customers change, process and policies change. We are put on a new team, we are entering new markets, and we have set new goals. In all parts of our daily professional lives change surrounds us.
In order for us to cope with that change, we need to be willing and able to change. And learning is a key component in developing that ability.
So when I talk about continuous learning or life long learning, I'm not suggesting everyone needs to take a course at their local college, or go back to school for a new degree. Continuous learning is an attitude and a set of behaviors that allow us to succeed in our ever-changing environment, and is the best lever we have to turn who we are today into who we want to be tomorrow. Change requires learning and conversely, there is no learning without change.
So if life long learning doesn't necessarily mean the "professional college student" and doesn't require us to be the person who was always asking questions in every class we ever attended, what are the behaviors that make up a true continuous or life long learner?
I'm glad you asked.
The Behaviors
There are some common threads among those who actively are learning and growing as professionals (and humans). Life-long, continuous learners:
· Have a beginner's mindset. If you approach anything with the mindset of an expert, you will learn nothing. With the expert's mind, you are looking for confirmation and validation of what you already know. A beginner on the other hand, looks constantly for one new tidbit, one or more ways to expand on their current expertise. In other words, expert or not, they don't think that way, because they know that only with a open, beginners mind, can they benefit from the learning opportunity.
· Make connections. Peter Drucker, the famous and influential management thinker wrote, "To make knowledge productive we will have to learn to see both forest and tree. We will have to learn to connect." Continuous learners do that. They continue to think about what they have learned in one part of their life and how it relates to and connects with challenges, problems, opportunities and situations that occur in other parts of their life.
· Are flexible and adaptable. Learning requires change, so continuous learners realize that they must be willing to adapt and change if they want to grow.
· Are always learning something. Continuous learners learn new things "just because." They've always wanted to play guitar, so they take lessons. They want to ride a unicycle, so they try it. They learn how to quilt. They learn a new language. These people don't invest the time required just so they can play "Love Me Tender" or say "good morning" in Chinese. They also do it because they realize that our brains are like muscles. The more we exercise them the stronger they will be.
· Are continuously curious. One of the most powerful learning questions we use is "Why?" Why is the question of the curious. Continuous learners remain curious about people, places, important and mundane things as well. By cultivating their curiosity they are adding to their knowledge and perspective, while exercising an important part of our learning brain at the same time.
· Learn in multiple ways. In school we learned in a relatively limited number of ways, which unfortunately leaves some people with a limited view of learning. Continuous learns know that they can learn by reading, by listening, by trying, through others, with a mentor, etc. (etc.!)
· Teach others. Something magical happens when you teach someone something - you suddenly understand it better yourself. Continuous learners teach others not just to help the other person (or to show them how much they know) but because they know it helps them deepen their mastery of their own learning.
How to Use This List
Now that you have read this far I hope you are convinced of how valuable it can be to be a more active learner. You have also read a list of characteristics. Now that you have read that list of characteristics, I'd like you to read it again. As you read it ask yourself these questions:
· How well do I stack up against these behaviors?
· Which ones would I like to get better at?
· Who do I know that is exceptionally good at each of these characteristics?
· How can I learn these traits and habits from those I know who are better at them than I?
Your answers to these four questions (and the action that you take) will put you on the road to being a more continuous and life-long learner.
Enjoy your journey.

Boost Your Bottom Line by Asking Powerful Questions

"He who asks questions cannot avoid the answers."
-African Proverb
Powerful questions yield powerful answers. Here's an example...
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My beloved grandson, the battle inside every person is between two wolves. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, false pride, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, compassion and faith."
The grandson thought for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf wins?" The old Cherokee gently grasped the boy's shoulder and replied, "The one you feed."
Are you getting the results you want in your life? Do the questions you ask get to the bottom line?
Last December I wrote an article called The Power of Personal Accountability. In the article, I mentioned that asking the right questions can help us find the right answers. After publishing this article, one of my subscribers -- Lee Wise -- sent me a list of powerful inquiries he wrote. Lee has graciously given me permission to share them with you.
There is great power in asking a good question, especially when asked in the form of an inquiry. (An inquiry is a question you ask over and over, that does not necessarily have one "right" answer.) The potential for meaningful change may lie before you in the form of your own seriously considered answer to a selected question. Any one response to any of these questions can have a powerful impact on your life.
Here are Lee's questions...
19 GOOD QUESTIONS FOR LIVING THE GOOD LIFE
(Asking Just The Right Question To Get Just What You Desire)
© Lee Wise All rights reserved.
http://abeautifulmomentintime.blogspot.com
What one small thing is holding me back from doing my best today?
What one small thing is hindering me from becoming the person I be could be today in one area of my life?
What action could I take today to brighten someone's world? (Key: make it simple, doable, and even fun!)
How can I double my value as a ___________ this year? *As a... husband, father, employee, friend, etc. Suggestion: ask this question many, many times.
Where should I influence my world in a positive way?
Are negative thinking patterns eating away my potential in any area of my life -- no matter how small?
Am I saying "I can't" when I should be saying "I can" or "I must!" anywhere in my life?
My greatest area of tension at work or home right now is ____. How could I improve just 10% in this area?
What positive discipline have I let slip lately? What price am I paying for this slip?
Where can I, or should I, make a positive difference?
If I took a thirty second "happy memory break" right now, what would I remember?
How can I schedule a small break in my life -- just enough to be refreshed and recharged a bit?
What untapped potential could I bring to my world?
Am I learning what I need to learn?
Are my associations making me or breaking me?
Who is challenging me or inspiring me right now? Who could?
Should I procrastinate on anything, or set aside anything, that is not important for what is most important?
Is there anything I should stop doing?
Am I out of balance anywhere in terms of striving to perform? Am I seeking a standard of excellence in the right way, for the right reasons?

Use these strategies to get the best results...
Pay attention to your initial feelings about an inquiry you read.
Should you notice a "first impression answer" that ushers in a sense of excitement, challenge -- or a deep sense of "I should do this" -- be sure to slow down your internal speed of life and park there a moment or two.
Repeating a question over and over sets in motion an on-going search to discover just the right answer for you.
Consider recording your thoughts in a journal.
Enjoy the process!
For additional reading about the power of asking the right questions, visit our article The Power of Personal Accountability at the link below.

Become More Creative - Here's What You Need to Know!

Would you like to enhance your creativity? Do you think that increased creativity is something that would improve your life?Before you answer yes or no to that question, take some time to explore what the word ¡Ècreativity¡É means to you. If you think that creativity is something that you only need if you¡Çre an artist, while you happen to be a middle-manager in a corporation, you may decide that increased creativity is not really important to you. But creativity is actually something far broader than artistic expression, and it¡Çs required in many areas of life. Your idea of a creative person might be someone who lives in a loft, painting gigantic canvases all day long. Or perhaps a writer at her computer, working on a long novel. Or a musician, actor, or singer performing on stage to an audience. All these people are expressing themselves artistically, and they can all rightly be said to be creative people, even if no one else enjoys their art. But what about an entrepreneur who has an idea for a new product, who forms a new company to produce and distribute it, eventually employing hundreds of people? Doesn¡Çt this also require creativity?What about a research scientist toiling in a lab, developing new compounds in an effort to cure disease? Isn¡Çt this creative? What about a single mother who manages to come up with healthy delicious meals on a tiny budget? Isn¡Çt that creativity? To one person, creativity can mean gluing seashells to a picture frame. To another, creativity might mean solving a grand unified theory in physics. And to another person, being creative might mean coming up with an ingenious new way to speed up a factory assembly line. When we define creativity only in terms of artistic expression, we miss a lot of other potential applications for creative thinking and problem solving. An artist painting a picture, or a writer working on a novel, both have something in common with the researcher in the lab, and the entrepreneur, and the person gluing seashells to picture frames. They are all working on problems and devising solutions that didn¡Çt exist before. These people are using their minds to imagine fresh ways of doing something, putting together existing forms and ideas in new ways. They may be creating a new idea, a new look, a new product, or new technique. Sometimes the ability to be more creative can lead to personal fame and fortune; sometimes it just provides a deep sense of personal satisfaction.Can we improve our ability to be creative? Yes, in fact, learning to be more creative can be quite enjoyable and easy to do. Most of us were very creative as children, before we learned the official rules about how things are supposed to be. We can resurrect our ability to be more creative by exploring some of the many techniques that have been developed to improve creative and artistic ability, as well as to improve creative problem solving. Some of the techniques that are used to improve creativity include brainstorming, mind-mapping, various forms of hypnosis and meditation, and guided imagery.The techniques that have been developed to try enhance creativity all have one thing in common. They are all trying to bypass the inner ¡Èjudge¡É or ¡Ècritic¡É we have in our minds.Most of us have an inner voice that is running a constant commentary on everything we think and do. We might barely notice this inner voice much of the time, yet it has a great impact on what we can accomplish in our life. In many of us this inner voice is usually very negative. No matter what we want think about, or want to do, this inner voice is running like a tape in the background of our minds, criticizing our ideas, our performance, and our ability to be successful. When we come up with a new idea, our inner voice may be saying, ¡ÈThis idea is stupid.¡É Or it might tell us, ¡ÈI should never be mediocre or average, I must be brilliant and perfect all the time. All my ideas should be totally brilliant and innovative. If my ideas aren¡Çt perfect right from the start, I am a failure and it¡Çs better not to even try¡É. Our negative inner critic does not always appear as a voice. Sometimes we see visual images of ourselves failing. Or we may have physical sensations of fear and embarrassment that stop us from pursuing new ideas or new actions. Your inner critic isn¡Çt being evil when it criticizes you, or when it tells you your ideas are not very good. Your critic is actually trying to protect you from being ashamed or embarrassed by the potentially negative comments and reactions of other people to your ideas. Our inner critic is trying to make us perfect and safe, but it can have an unforeseen damaging effect. If our inner judgmental dialogue is mostly negative, our creative abilities will suffer. Instead of helping us to come up with better ideas, this endless barrage of negative inner commentary will hurt our ability to come up with new ideas. You can¡Çt be creative, and be critical at the same time. These two processes require different ways of thinking. The critical, judgmental, analytical function of the brain is not the part that knows how to generate creative ideas. Even the types of brainwaves that you generate when you are being rational and analytical are quite different than the brainwaves that go with maximum creativity. When it¡Çs time for you to be creative, you have to send your ¡Èinner critic¡É out for a walk.

10 Characteristics of A Home Business Professional

Home Business Professionals are unique people. We are all very different people, with very different personalities and thinking processess. However, all successful home business professionals have the following characteristics in common.
1. Home business professionals are usually leaders, not followers. We like to set the standards, not adhere to them.
2. Home business professionals are always looking for new and better ways to do things. We believe that there is always a better, more effective way to get things done, and we seek to find it.
3. Home business professionals are very open-minded. We never say that an idea won't work without looking at all the facts, and if possible, testing the theory in question.
4. Home business professionals are generally very organized. We are our own bosses. There is nobody to tell us when, or how, to get things done. It is something we must do for ourselves, and being organized is usually the first step in getting things done effectively.
5. Home business professionals are hard workers. We know that starting a business is hard work, with long hours. However, we know that eventually, we will be able to work fewer hours and enjoy the same success. However, we do understand that work will always be involved, even if the hours are shorter.
6. Home business professionals like to help out others. If you talk to a home business professional, the chances are good that you will find that person does charity work of some sort.
7. Home business professionals are honest in their business dealings. When they see others being dishonest, they are quick to call them on it, and point it out to others.
8. Home business professionals are very dedicated. We love what we do. It is something we have chosen for ourselves. We make our own rules, and we love "going" to work each day. Our love for what we do drives us to do it better than anyone else and keeps us very motivated.
9. Home business professionals are very energetic. We don't have the stresses that the people in the corporate world have. We are not a part of the rat race. This allows us to have more energy. While traditional corporate employees tend to go home from work and stretch out on the couch to watch television, home business professionals walk out of their home offices ready to go have fun. We have alot of energy left over at the end of the day.
10. Home business professionals are happy people. We love what we do. We've made our own rules, and we are living the lives that we have chosen to live. Who wouldn't be happy?

Believe In Yourself

Believe In Yourself (Believe Your Way to Success)
Believe in yourself. It sounds so simple, doesn't it? Some people will tell you it is easy and others will say it is impossible depending on their own experiences. Yet, most of us have learned that is necessary to believe in your abilities to achieve a particular goal.
Have you ever done something just because somebody told you to do it, but you didn't think you could get it done? I don't know what that task was for you, but I do know you didn't give it your best and it did not have a positive outcome for you. Think about that for a moment. You can probably make of list of the things you failed at because you did not believe you could do it or that you could not do it well enough.
On the other hand, you can probably think of successes in your life that were made possible because you believed in yourself and your capabilities even if no one else did.
You must learn, if you haven't already, that you can achieve whatever you set out to do. But... (there's usually a but) you must be willing to do what is necessary to build your competence and confidence; your persistence and your patience; and your knowledge and your stamina. These are but a few of the building blocks for learning to believe in yourself through preparation for the task to be accomplished.
The same applies to running a successful business of any kind. You must believe in yourself and that you are able to do whatever is needed to make it successful - for you. Not because you have to, but because you choose to prepare yourself for successes. I often say that "if you believe in yourself - you will prepare yourself"
When it comes to operating a successful online business you must prepare yourself for success. The best way to do this is to learn from the 'masters' or 'gurus' who have made their fortunes
on the Internet.
There are a numerous sources of information on internet marketing, etc., but many of them are pitiful, unproductive schemes. Fortunately, there are a number of informative online newsletters (Ezines) full of useful advise and resources to direct you on the right path to a successful business of your own.
Yes, it's true. You can believe your way to success.
Manna Success News, a free weekly Ezine provides short, information packed online marketing articles by experts in the industry. Each issue includes at least one FREE E-book for subscribers and links to the best resources to help you start or grow your business.
Until the next time Keep on believing.

Benefits of a Variety of Fruits and Vegetables

We know we need to eat a minimum of 5 servings of fruit and vegetables everyday. Actually now, to prevent cancer, 8 to 13 servings per day are recommended. A serving is one cup of raw fruits or vegetables, or ½ cup cooked. At a recent lecture I asked a lunch audience to raise their hand if they had at least one fruit or vegetable already that day. No one in that group raised their hand. This is not uncommon. Our processed and convenience foods contain very few fruits and vegetables. To prevent chronic diseases, fruits and especially vegetables are very important. Vegetables especially have the antioxidants, minerals, and phytochemicals in the correct combination that help keep the blood sugar in balance, create better energy in the body, and along with fruits build up the immune system. Each color found in fruits and vegetables focus on building the immune system in its own way. It is important to get a variety of colors, so that you will get a full range of phytochemicals (beneficial plant chemicals) in your daily diet. Research is finding that eating whole fruits and vegetables gives you many more nutrients than you could possible add to a vitamin and mineral supplement. There are over 12,000 phytochemicals, and I have yet to see a supplement, unless it has whole fruits and vegetables in it, have all of the 180 different vitamins or minerals that are required by our body to function daily. The different colors in fruits and vegetables help our immune system react to different stresses in our daily life. So look at the different colors in your diet. See if they include each of the colors listed below. This is one way to know that you are getting the full benefit of nutrients possible in your diet.Green Foods – broccoli, kale, leaf and romaine lettuce, spinach, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Green foods are especially good for the circulatory system. They contain many minerals and B-complex vitamins. Some phytochemicals found in green foods are sulforaphane and indoles that are very powerful anti-cancer compounds. Researchers have tried to use these as isolated phytochemicals but find that they only work while in the whole food form. Red Foods – tomatoes, watermelon, red cabbage. Red foods contain many phytochemicals that reduce free radical damage. The phytochemical called lycopene is especially helpful to prevent prostate problems, and reduce the effects of sun damage on the skin. Lycopene is the phytochemical that make the red foods get their red color. Orange Foods – carrots, pumpkin, squash, sweet potatoes, apricots, cantaloupe. The orange foods have the carotenoids the help prevent cancer by repairing the DNA. As our mothers told us, carrots, and other orange foods, are especially good for our eyes, and help with night vision. The deep orange foods help our bodies get the vitamin A we need, without getting excess that can lead to osteoporosis. Green/Yellow Foods – yellow corn, green peas, collard greens, avocado and honeydew melon. This combination of green and yellow foods contains the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin that help reduce the risk of developing cataracts and macular degeneration. These foods are also helpful in reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Orange /Yellow Foods – oranges, pineapple, tangerines, peaches, papaya, nectarines These foods that are orange and yellow in color are high in antioxidants, especially Vitamin C, and help to improve the health of the mucus membranes and connective tissue. They help prevent heart disease by improving circulation and preventing inflammation. White/Green Foods – onions, garlic, celery, pears, chives White and green combination foods contain a variety of phytochemicals. Garlic and onions contain allicin, the anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal phytochemical, and they can act as a poor man’s antibiotic. Add garlic and onions in your meals to reduce the effects of potential toxicity of high fat meats. Celery has many minerals, especially organic sodium, that keeps the fluid in the joints healthy. Red/Blue/Purple Foods – red apples, beets, blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, prunes, concord grapes, blackberries. These dark colored red/blue/purple foods are very rich in powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins that protect again heart disease by improving circulation and preventing blood clots. They have many anti-aging phytochemicals that keep the blood circulating reducing the effects of the Standard American Diet rich in trans fats and processed foods.When you make a salad make sure you have a variety of different colors. Strive to get at least 5 colors on your plate. Use fruits to balance the rest of the colors needed. This way you will get closer to the 8 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables required, and you will get the variety of nutrients you need daily.

Glamour Cars

Long and sleek! With Elvis as the hero of the day during the1950s, whatever he drove become the car of the day. And Elvis loved the glamour that shiny new tail-fins exhibited. His fans loved them, too, which led to over thirty heart-stopping models being designed during the 1950s. No one cared back then whether cars were gas-guzzlers or whether the paint job would last, or whether the shiny chrome that protruded out the back begged to have dents inserted within the first few weeks. The appeal of cars during the 1950s was more than just Elvis. It was prestige and glamour for even the average working person. The feeling of luxury seeped into one’s feelings and emotions, and romance bloomed with respect while riding in these elegant vehicles.The Chrysler Town & Country Newport coupe which came out in 1950 didn’t have fins (they started creeping into the designaround 1952). Yet it wasn’t the typical car of the 1940s. Almost a dinosaur compared to today’s styles, the Newport featured distinctive, external wood framing (referred to as being a ‘Woodie’) and strongly appealed to the hunter and sportsmen.Pontiac had a mascot – an Indian Chief– whose unsmiling faceformed the base of the front hood. His headdress consisted of streaks of chrome sliding back over the hood and being picked up again on the trunk. Sleek looking! Everyone wanteda car with a personality, and the Indian Chief gave the Pontiac one. Because the cars of the early 1950s had a somewhat dowdy appearance but reflected the potential of sparkling glamour,car designers became aggressive in their creativity. By 1957and 1958 the designers produced disastrously overblown responses. Sharp clean fins reached in all directions. They were streaked with chrome, and somewhere in the middle a body was grafted into them. Bright yellows! Passionate reds!Baby blues! And regardless of the weather where one lived, convertibles were in, even if you never lowered the top.The intense competition among the car manufacturers meant that each model became extinct quickly. Planned obsolescencemeant the customers had to choose between buying a new car each year or being a social leper. Because of the expense ofredesigning all models every year, the manufacturers took tokeeping the inner workings of the cars basically the same and only changing the outward look. By 1958 some models,such as the 1958 Oldsmobile, were beginning to be called ‘ugly.’ Some even said it looked like a brick with a hardtop sitting on it. However, the indented chrome on the doors still caught one’s eye of respect. All systems self-destruct from within. The era of the glamour cars had outdone itself and common sense dictated that what would follow in the 1960s would be based on performance, a concern for the environment, and conservativepackaging. During the 1960s people weren’t impressed with external appearances to the exclusion of what existed underneath. This attitude was reflected towards both people and cars. Yet, who will ever forget Elvis? Or the glamour cars of the 1950s? Cottis Pardens is the webmaster and operator of CarsUlike Dotcom whichtackles all motoring issues.

Be More Creative

Would you like to be a more creative person?
Before you answer yes or no to that question, think about what the word “creativity” means to you.
If you think that creativity is something that you only need if you’re an artist, while you happen to be a middle-manager in a corporation, you may think increased creativity is not really necessary to your life. But creativity is something far broader than artistic expression, and it’s required in many areas of life.
Your idea of a creative person might be someone who lives in a loft, painting gigantic canvases all day long. Or perhaps a writer at her computer, working on a long novel. Or a musician, actor, or singer performing on stage to an audience.
These are all people actively expressing themselves artistically, and they can all rightly be said to be creative people, even if no one else enjoys their art.
But what about an entrepreneur who has an idea for a new product, who forms a company to produce and distribute it, eventually employing hundreds of people? Doesn’t this require creativity?
What about a research scientist toiling in a lab, developing new compounds in an effort to cure disease? Isn’t this creative? What about a single mother who manages to come up with healthy delicious meals on a tiny budget? Is that creativity?
To one person, creativity can mean gluing seashells to a picture frame. To another, creativity might mean solving a grand unified theory in physics. And to another person, being creative might mean coming up with an ingenious new way to speed up a factory assembly line.
When we define creativity only in terms of artistic expression, we miss a lot of other potential applications for creative thinking and problem solving.

An artist painting a picture or a writer working on a novel does have something in common with the researcher in the lab, and the entrepreneur, and the person gluing seashells to picture frames. They are all working on problems and devising solutions that didn’t exist before. These people are using their minds to imagine fresh ways of doing something.
They are combining existing ideas or materials in unexpected ways, creating something different from what has gone before. It may be a new idea, a new look, a new product, or technique. Creativity can be exciting, fun, personally fulfilling, and even financially lucrative. It can also be frustrating, challenging and scary.
Can we improve our ability to be creative? Yes. In fact, learning to be more creative can be quite enjoyable and easy to do. Many techniques have been developed to improve creative and artistic ability, as well as to improve creative problem solving.
Thes include such techniques as brain storming, image streaming, mind mapping, and various forms of guided imagery and meditation.
All techniques that enhance creativity have one thing in common. They are all trying to bypass the inner judge or critic we have in our minds.
Most of us have an inner voice that is running a constant commentary on everything we think and do. We might barely notice this inner voice much of the time, yet it has a great impact on what we can accomplish in our life.
In many of us this inner voice is usually very negative. No matter what we want to do, this inner voice is running like a tape in the background of our minds, endlessly criticizing us, and our ideas.
When we come up with a new idea, our inner voice may be saying, “This idea is stupid.” Or it might tell us, “I should never be mediocre or average, I must be brilliant and perfect all the time. All my ideas should be totally brilliant and innovative. If my ideas aren’t perfect right from the start, I am a failure and it’s better not to even try”.
Our negative inner critic does not always appear as a voice. Sometimes we see visual images of ourselves failing. Or we may have physical sensations of fear and embarrassment that stop us from pursuing new ideas or new actions.
If we want to become more creative, we need to find a way to bypass or shut off our inner critic.
Our inner critic is trying to make us perfect, but it usually has the opposite effect.
If our inner judgmental dialogue is mostly negative, our creative abilities will suffer.
Instead of enabling us to come up with better ideas, it is far more likely that the negative inner dialogue will destroy our ability to come up with new ideas to dry up completely.
The creative part of us will feel inadequate and embarrassed and shut down.
Your inner critic isn’t being evil when it criticizes you, or when it tells you your ideas are not very good. Your critic is actually trying to protect you from being ashamed or embarrassed by the potentially negative comments and reactions of other people to your ideas.
The critical, judgmental, analytical function of the brain is not the part that knows how to generate creative ideas. The types of brainwaves that you generate when you are being rational and analytical are quite different than the brainwaves that go with maximum creativity.
Even if you have the most kindly inner critic in the world, you still need to bypass the judgmental part of yourself when you want to be creative.
When you want to be more creative, tell your inner critic to go out for a walk.

Beauty Basics - Eight Tips For Naturally Beautiful Skin

Not sure what to look for when choosing cosmetics? Need some advice on taking care of your skin? Here are eight tips to help your skin look and feel its best.
1)Select moisturizers made with vegetable oils. The lotions, creams and body oils that you use should be made with vegetable oils, not mineral oil. Vegetable oils, (like olive oil, sweet almond oil, corn oil, etc.) contain fatty acids which help to moisturize and soften the skin. Mineral oil is derived from petroleum and does not contain anything that helps to nourish the skin.
2)Look for herbs and herbal derivatives in your cosmetics. Herbs and their derivatives (essential oils, extracts, infusions) contain natural chemicals which soothe, tone and help condition the skin. Two herbs which are especially useful in natural cosmetics are Lavender and Tea tree. The essential oils of both lavender and tea tree are gentle, natural antiseptics.
3)Once a week soak your feet in warm water, and gently exfoliate dead skin with a pumice stone. Follow up by moisturizing your feet with a natural foot oil or foot lotion.
4)Every week soak in a tub of bath salts. Salt, especially salts mined from the Dead Sea in the Middle East, are rich in minerals and help draw impurities out of the skin.
5)After a shower or bath, seal in moisture by using a body oil or lotion made from natural vegetable oils.
6)If you have blemishes and your skin is dry, moisturize your skin in the morning and at night with products that contain vegetable oils which are high in essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids help to soften and hydrate the skin and they can also help soothe minor irritations. Vegetable oils that contain large amounts of essential fatty acids are: corn oil, sunflower seed oil, safflower oil, borage oil, blackcurrant seed oil and evening primrose oil.
7)Look for toners and astringents that are made without ethyl alcohol, rubbing alcohol or isopropyl alcohol. These ingredients are solvents that are extremely drying to the skin.
8)Every time you wash your hands, moisturize them with a natural lotion or cream to help them stay soft.

Barriers to Self Care

For many women, the term self-care often becomes a foreign concept once motherhood occurs. Why?
I believe there are several key reasons why mothers find it difficult to take better care of themselves:
Time - One of the major barriers to self-care is the feeling that there’s just not enough time. Going from leisurely lunches with friends (before the days of motherhood), to sleepless nights, packed lunches and car pooling, is a huge adjustment. Often we are left feeling stretched for time.
Multiple Role Players - In today’s society, moms play multiple roles - everything from career professional, soccer mom and committee volunteer, to chauffeur and housekeeper. How can we find time for ourselves while juggling all these roles?
Guilt – Feelings of guilt play a huge part in why mothers spend little time taking care of themselves. Guilt can be associated with being away from our family due to work commitments, taking an hour to ourselves when there already seems to be so much to do, or by just trying to do something that is important to us and does not involve the family.
As moms, we believe that by being away from our kids, or not involving them in virtually everything we do, we are somehow not living up to our duties and responsibilities.
Perfectionism - The need for perfection in our lives is another barrier to self-care. Perfectionists are always seeking that ultimate feeling of having everything under their control, often not doing (or enjoying) anything unless it can be done perfectly.
Seeking perfection in our self-care may lead to not participating in it at all. Self-care can’t wait until everything else is perfect.
At times you will need to forego the housework, committee meeting or staying late at the office. Not all things can be completed before incorporating self-care into your day. For perfectionists, this concept is a difficult one, therefore adding to the neglect.
Lack of Support - Lacking a support system is a common reason many mothers do not participate fully in their self-care. Many women may not have the support of a partner or family members to help out in order to give them time to themselves.
Poor social supports and few friendships can contribute to the lack of connection women feel at times. This emotional connection is necessary for your health and happiness, and is also a major part of self-care.
Finances - Financial status may also play a part in the frequency in which women participate in their own self-care. Often mothers conclude that if only they had more money they would take better care of themselves.
As you can see, there are several reasons why we as mothers may put
self-nurturing at the bottom of our list. For our own health and happiness however, we need to start moving it up to the top.

Be Nutrition Savvy: Seven Simple Ways to Eat Healthy

The key to better health is learning the difference between healthy and unhealthy nutrients. The choices we make greatly affect our health. Making a few simple healthy and nutritious changes in our dietary choices can have a profound and positive impact on our health, well-being, energy levels and life span. For instance . . .
Healthy proteins provide the amino acids our bodies require to build and repair lean body mass (like muscles, skin, hair and nails), and are low in saturated fat, cholesterol and chemicals. Good sources include wild salmon, beans, legumes, soy products (tofu, tempeh, TVP), seeds (sunflower, pumpkin), nuts (walnuts, almonds, peanuts) and nut-butters (peanut, almond, cashew, etc.).
Unhealthy proteins are loaded with saturated fat, cholesterol, hormones, or antibiotics (like beef, lamb, beacon and sausage). While they give your body the needed amino acids, they also clog arteries and compromise your immune system.
Healthy fats are unsaturated fats (mono and poly), omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. Good sources of these fats include extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, ground flax seeds and walnuts. They help your body absorb fat-soluble antioxidant micronutrients like vitamins A, E, D, and K, and lycopene.
Unhealthy fats are saturated fats and trans fatty acids (trans fats), like butter and margarine. These fats contribute to heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, hypertension and obesity.
Healthy carbohydrates are high in fiber and are considered complex carbohydrates. Good sources include rolled oats, brown rice, whole wheat, broccoli, squash, green leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes, beans and whole fruit. These help lower cholesterol, aide digestion, regulate blood sugar and insulin levels, and reduce caloric intake.
Unhealthy carbohydrates are high in sugar and are called simple carbohydrates, like candy, white bread, sodas, ice cream, cake and cookies. These spike blood sugar and insulin levels, and increase caloric intake (they are considered empty calories).
Eating nutrient-dense foods that are high in antioxidants, phytochemicals and fiber help the body function optimally, promote overall well-being and improve digestion. These nutrients also help fight and prevent heart disease, cancer and diabetes, strengthens the immune system, slows the aging process, increases energy and improves cognitive performance.
Additionally, as we age our appetite lessens, making it even more critical to choose foods wisely. When every bit counts, picking foods with the highest nutritional profile is more important than ever.
An easy way to make your nutritional choices is to look for foods that are bright in color, for they usually contain more beneficial vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. For example, red and pink grapefruit have the heart-healthy cancer-fighting antioxidant phytochemical called lycopene while white grapefruit does not. Here are seven more simple ways to start eating healthier.
Switch from iceberg lettuce to romaine lettuce. Romaine lettuce has more vitamins and minerals like vitamins A and C, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium and potassium. It also has more fiber than iceberg lettuce.
Eat brown rice instead of white rice. Brown rice naturally has more fiber and riboflavin, and less sugars than white rice. It is digested slower and is more filling.
Switch from white bread to whole-wheat or whole-grain bread. Whole-wheat and whole-grain breads have more fiber, iron and potassium. Slice per slice, they are more filling and satisfying than white bread.
Drink iced teas (black, green and herbal) instead of sodas. Black, green and herbal teas provide antioxidants and phytochemicals that enhance your health. Unlike sodas, you can control the sugar content when brewing your own iced teas.
Choose whole-grain or whole-wheat cereals with bran instead of sugar-coated cereals. Whole-grain cereals and whole-wheat cereals with bran naturally have more protein, fiber, calcium, iron, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin than sugar frosted cereals. Besides having less sugar, they are metabolized slower and are more filling. So you have more energy during the day and you will not get hungry right away.
Switch from cows milk to fortified soymilk. Soymilk contains no cholesterol or hormones, and is extremely low in saturated fat. It also provides isoflavones and other beneficial phytochemicals that promote good health. Fortified soymilks also contain easy to absorb calcium, vitamins D and B6, and some even add extra antioxidants (like vitamins A, C, and E), folate and omega-3.
For dessert, have frozen fruit sorbet instead of ice cream. Frozen fruit sorbet is fat and cholesterol free and has more fiber. It is also loaded with antioxidant vitamins A and C, and contains beneficial phytochemicals.
To get you started, try Monique N. Gilbert's deliciously nutritious homemade sorbet recipe. It is cholesterol-free, and high in antioxidants and fiber.
Strawberry Orange Sorbet
1-1/2 cups frozen strawberries
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup fortified soymilk
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (optional)
Blend in a food processor or blender for 1-2 minutes, until smooth and creamy.

Chickens And Pigs Help Define Two Things We Need For Success

This article is about involvement and commitment, two of the
things we need to be successful. This applies to our jobs or
businesses, relationships, and even our recreational pursuits.
Any type of success, whether it is personal, professional,
academic, or athletic, will usually require a combination of
involvement and commitment.
I hope the headline stirred your interest. Here is how chickens,
pigs, and even cows, can help define involvement and commitment.
Think about a meal consisting of eggs and ham and consider the
contributions made by a chicken and a pig. A chicken provided the
eggs and a pig provided the ham. It can be said the chicken was
involved, because the chicken continues to live as it lays more
eggs. It can be said the pig was committed, because the pig gave
its all to provide the ham and other pork products.
The same principle can be applied to two cows and a cheeseburger.
The cow that provided the milk to be processed into cheese was
involved, while the cow that provided the beef for the hamburger
patty was committed.
It is not my intention to make light of animals that lose their
life to provide food for humans, nor to offend anyone that does
not eat beef or pork for religious or dietary reasons. These
examples simply illustrate that being involved may mean being a
participant with little or no effort, while being committed takes
time and energy, and means much more than just being involved.
Consider a recreational activity, such as a game of chess, or a
softball game. You can be involved by just playing the game, no
matter how good you are. However, to really be successful, to win
more than you lose, you must have made a commitment at some point
in your life. For chess, it means taking the time to understand
the game and study winning strategies. For softball, it means at
some point you practiced hitting and throwing a ball. There are a
few fortunate people with a large degree of natural ability to do
certain things, but most of us need to work at it.
Most of us have made some commitments for which we put forth a
small effort on a regular basis. For example, things like taking
a bath/shower and brushing our teeth are often taken for granted.
However, those things can be thought of as a commitment to good
grooming and proper hygiene.
Marriage definitely takes involvement and commitment. You can be
involved just by signing a marriage license and saying some vows.
For the marriage to be a lasting success, it takes a commitment
from both people. It means working together toward shared goals,
communicating with each other, and resolving the occasional
conflicts that may happen. It may take a little effort, but the
personal rewards are well worth it.
A commitment isn't something to fear, nor does it mean that your
entire life must revolve around the commitment. You simply direct
some time and effort toward accomplishing your goal. You may have
several goals in your personal and professional life. Things such
as striving for a promotion, improving your golf game, losing
that extra twenty pounds, and being a better spouse or parent are
examples of worthy goals. It takes a commitment of both time and
effort to reach each milestone.
Involvement and commitment are also important when it comes to
business opportunities; especially network marketing (MLM). You
need to put forth some effort to really make things happen, no
matter how much hype you hear about your downline being built for
you. When you look at an opportunity, try to find out the level
of commitment that is needed to reach a desired level of success.
People who are successful in their chosen endeavors agree that we
can all get more out of life when a little bit of involvement and
commitment is applied to the things we consider to be important.
Start making improvements today by deciding which things are most
important to you and make a commitment to do those things better.
Often, just a little more effort will produce tremendous results.

Balanced Diet: Know More on Healthy and Nutritional Balanced

In this fast paced world, good nutrition may sound very simple but it is indeed really difficult to practice it. We eat too many processed foods or we tend to miss some meals. Some of us even smoke or drink alcohol. We also choose food on the basis of the taste. This not only make us overeat but also we ignore rich nutrient food items which we feel have bad taste. Foods lose substantial nutritional value during storage. There are many such factors which rob us of the nutrients we need for the maintenance of general well being.
We all talk of balanced diet, but how many of us really know the actual meaning of the balanced diet? Balanced Diet is a diet which has adequate amount of all nutrients required for healthy growth and activity. Sounds simple!
We have divided food into five groups on the basis of their nutrient content which are the most integral part of balanced diet.
Group One :
Wheat, Rice and Cereals. They are major sources of starch, carbohydrates, B-Vitamins and fibre.
Recommended Servings : 6-8 servings daily.
Group Two :
Dairy products. They are major sources of calcium , protein and vitamins (A,B2, B6, B12 and D).
Recommended Servings : 2-4 daily.
Group Three :
Fruits and Vegetables. They are major sources of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and fibre.
Recommended Servings : 4-6 daily.
Group Four :
Meat, Fish, Poultry and Pulses. They are major sources od protein, Vitamin B12 , zinc and iron.
Recommended Servings : 2-3 daily
Group Five :
Fats, Oils and Sugar. They are major source of energy in our body.
Recommended Servings: Should be barely adequate.
Recommended servings of each group daily comprises a balanced. Now does it still look simple? To make it worse, our hectic life schedules make it more difficult for us to achieve this goal. Hence it has become a challenge now. We cant ignore this vital part of our life too. So we should better gear up for it!
Random Tip: Eating fruits increases your immunity against the development of age-related maculopathy and eye diseases.