Its Not About You

Have you ever noticed how people will swear that something is true when they gossip. Or that they give their opinion on your matters but that the opinion is not really based on truth.  Perception is a strange thing.  It filters the truth through a distorted lens.  It is rare that any of us see the truth.

So how do you determine truth.  Truth is the same no matter whose perception it goes through.  The sun will rise in the morning. This is currently our truth.  The body needs food, this is also truth.   Wars are fought over perceived truth, this includes even religious wars.

Being balanced and centered means that you have to filter out the opinions of others.  The opinion of others is not about you. It is their filtered truth of you.  It is not the real you.  If you live right in your heart and do not strike out against your own beliefs,  you are living in truth and are exactly what you were meant to be.  It is only when we live against our beliefs and moral codes that we find hell on Earth.  This is because we live in guilt.  If you do not like your truth, you are the only one that can change it.  If you know you live in harmony with your own moral codes, then you live in truth.  Any one else's opinion at that moment, is not about you. It is their misconceptions of their world.  Do  not let others write the story of your life.  Live true to you and happiness will follow.

Adjust Your Sails

The pessimist complains about the wind;

the optimist expects it to change;

the realist adjusts the sails.

Willaim Arthur Ward

Every day I work with people who either are complaining about life or waiting for life to change.  You do not grow and progress this way and often the winds of life do not accommodate you. 

Ask yourself these questions on any situation you are complaining about:

1.  Do I have any control of it?   If not..  you need to let it go and move on.  Why worry about things you cannot control?

2.  How much control do you have?  Give it a number 10% .. 50%   Really think about it. Identify your areas of control in the situation. 

3.  Withe the __% control you have, are you honestly doing everything you can within that percentage?

4.  If yes.... let it go.. you are already doing what you can... life has to many other things you need to focus on.

     If no... well then.. you have work to do and you don't get to complain because you, yourself, are not doing everything you can.

Apply this formula and life will improve.  I have had people say.. well what if you have a life threatening illness or something else horrrible?   The formula still applies.  Are you doing everything you can within the control you have?  If no, get busy.  If yes, focus your energy where it is important.  If your days on this plane are numbered, them make every single hour count.  Say your I love yous.  Say your I am sorrys.  Offer forgiveness.  Fretting on what you cannot change will not make those last hours precious, only miserable. 

Adjust your sails!! Life is to short to live in misery. 

Just Today...

Just For Today
(and maybe tomorrow)

I was sent this.. I don't know who wrote it.. but Kudos to them. I liked it so am sharing it with you all!

Stand tall.
Start fresh.
Let go of guilt.
Don't look back.
Take an inventory.
Make amends.
Trust others.
Believe in yourself.
Discover God's love.
Appreciate your specialness.
Accept your humanness.
Ask for help.
Trust enough to take.
Have the courage to change.
Accept the unchangeable.
Be patient. Keep promises.
Bury regret. Discard hate.
Transcend self-doubt.
Don't dwell on the past.
Love each moment.
Live each day.
Build a better tomorrow.
Open your heart.
Explore your soul.
Expect the best.
Let miracles happen.
And smile!

Quote of the Day!

“Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisioned by the enemy, don't we consider it his duty to escape?. . .If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we're partisans of liberty, then it's our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can!”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

The Monster Under the Bed!

A child’s fear of a monster under the bed or in the closet is exceedingly common.  This fear is also acutely real to the child.  One of the most common mistakes parents make is to tell their child that they should not feel that way or that they are imagining the monster.  This sets up the child to begin to have self doubt.  After all, the person that they trust most is telling them that something they feel is inappropriate.  Feelings once manifested are very real.  That fear is as vivid to your child as the fear one would experience in the presence of a tiger.

The first thing to do is reassure your child and calm them.  This loving response to their fear validates that they are safe and loved.  Often this fear is a result of natural development of the imagination.  Adults have become desensitized to this manifestation of the day, and yet even then we occasionally can experience random nightmares.  This is just developing for your child and is a natural stage.  Offering them comfort and reassurance gives them security that they are safe at night as they move through this developmental stage.  

Relating your own experiences as a child can be helpful.  For Example, let  your child know that when you were little, you also feared the monster under the bed.  By letting your child know you have felt this way, you accept their emotions.  After all, you are still well and whole, and the monster never hurt you.

One way to help your child is to have them describe the monster to you.  What does it look like?  What color is the monster?  Is it a boy monster or a girl monster?  Does it have a name?  If it is a frequent dream, you may even, as part of the calming of the child, let him or her to draw the monster for you.  This refocuses their attention from their fear to this creative expression of their development.   It also allows you to see if there may be a specific trigger that is prompting their fear.  Maybe the monster looks like something from a cartoon you let them watch or something that happened in their day.  It will help you manage the triggers to avoid especially for reoccurring fear.

Do not attempt to scare off the monster.   This validates for the child that the monster is indeed something that must be feared.  Also, do not use it as a behavior management tool.  Threats, such as “if you are not good, that monster under the bed will get you,” will secure your child’s fear and in the long run will cause damage to your child.  One technique, if it is a reoccurring problem, is to tell your child that you know this monster, and it is very nice.   This reassures your child that you believe them but at the same time enforces that they are safe.

It is also possible that your child is not quite ready for solitary sleeping in the dark.  Minimize the impact of his or her sleeping environment.  Are there any toys or objects in the area that can take an ominous shape in the dark?  Consider a night light or leaving the door to the hall open.  Your child will progress through this stage of development, but they may need a little extra support during this time.Cloud B Twilight Ladybug (Google Affiliate Ad)Dream Baby Motion Sensor Led Night-Light (Google Affiliate Ad)

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My mother told this story to me when I was growing up.  I found someone to illustrate it and now it has found a life in print.  I am so excited and wanted to share with everyone.

Reprogram Your Brain

One of the first things I learned when I was working my direct marketing business was that I am my own worst enemy. It is not the recession or my product line that sabotages my business, it is me; first my thinking and then my habits. In a society where the media makes its income mostly on bad news and a world that competes, many of us have no idea that we are constantly inputting negativity into our lives.

The Brain is an amazing organ. In my research to find out why so many people seem to sabotage the very success they are about to reach; I ran across the comparison that the brain is like a smart bomb. A smart bomb is given a target and then as wind and resistance take it off target, it self corrects to hit its target. The difference is, the subconscious takes for truth what it hears the most.

The conscious mind can set a 1000 goals but if the daily thoughts are negative; the subconscious mind will self-correct. Just like that smart bomb, it will hit the real target believed. For example, the goal may be 100k income online a year. But if there is that little voice saying "I always fail" or "I don't deserve success" you will NEVER hit the goal. You will self sabotage your successes every time. So what do you do? You change how you think.

Affirmations are the way that one can reprogram the brain. Napoleon Hill wrote, "When you deliberately feed your mind with good, wholesome thoughts and information, and keep your proper frame of mind, you are supplying the subconscious mind with nourishing material to feedback to you. You condition your mind's output by the input you give it."

To use this skill, you pick the qualities you need to have in life. Start with the most important one you wish to have. Let us say that it is organization. "I am an organized person." Say this to yourself for one week as you look in any mirror. The more times you say it, the more that "smart bomb" is programmed to the new target - organization. Then second week, add the next skill or quality you wish to have. "I am a motivated and enthusiastic person." Keep adding one every week till you have all that you wrote down memorized. Remember, you MUST word them as if you have already acquired them. Then just keep saying them daily. The brain will make this your reality. Think that this is to easy to be worth anything? Almost every motivational speaker out there teaches affirmations. People pay 100's of dollars to "get motivated" but they never apply it.

Zig Ziglar wrote, "Are you willing to commit yourself to invest fifteen minutes every day for immediate results and long-term benefits?" Seriously, are you? The simplest thing you can do to reach your goals and most of us won't take the five, ten or fifteen minutes it would take to do so. This article, for most of you, is not new information. Yet, despite it's proven success rate; despite speaker after speaker and writer after writer telling us this is how they succeed, we do not follow suit.

When this finally hit me, I sat back stunned. On my shelf are 100's of dollars in self help books, seriously. And this investment is not counting all the times I have gone to motivational seminars. Yet despite this money invested, I had not invested the one thing that cost me nothing, my time. I am telling you. This works. Do not keep seeking the secrets to change. I just gave it too you.

Don't Feed Your Monsters

The Last Self-help Book You'll Ever Need By Pearsall, Paul (Google Affiliate Ad)

It is the oddest thing about human beings. We will do exactly what we know is bad for us. The addict will stick the needle in his arm one more time as he curses the very drug that he is craving. The overweight dieter will bemoan the box of donuts they just finished eating. How many times do those who know they struggle to tell others no, put themselves into situations to do just that. Those that struggle with constraining their anger will add elements to their day to create the very thing they 'say' they are trying to avoid.

The truth is, if we understood what wonderful beings we really were, we wouldn't do these things to ourselves. Very few of us would buy a sweet fast running vehicle and fill it with cheap gas. Yet we think nothing of destroying the one thing most precious to us, the body and mind that houses us. We fill it with foods created by those seeking profits that add nothing of value to our bodies. We smoke things we know will kill us. We add things to alter the states of our mind through alcohol and drugs.

You know what real happiness is? When you can live in your body without having to alter its state of being and be truly happy within your own skin. That is happiness. We can add so much more well being to our life, just by eating things made by nature.. and not by man. No, I am not saying don't eat meat. That is a natural substance of our world. However, you might want to think twice about all the chemicals in that Twinkie or Monster.

So how do we get there? How do you get to a place where you are content with who you are. Well first, if you do not like who you are.. change it. Don't say some day I will... do it now. Quit reading books and not applying what you learn. Quit reading others blogs (grin) but apply what you learn and work on you! Quit eating donuts, and other things bad for you. Go to treatment if you have an addiction. People do not fail in this process because they do not have enough information. They fail because they don't apply the information, resources and tools to their own lives that they have gathered.

My grandmother always said. "God does not make junk." I never really understood why she was always telling me this to recently. I looked in the mirror and I saw someone worth looking at. It hit me, she had been trying to tell me all along that I was as good as anyone else. God had not made junk. The more I realize that God dwells in each and every one of us, the more my grandmother's lessons drive home. She was always saying, "your body is the temple of god." I always thought that meant that if I wanted God in me.. I had to have this perfect body. Since I have yet to acquire that, do to personal weakness, there was always a part of me that thought God was not with me. I had no idea he had always been there and she was trying to tell me to get some paint, clean the carpets and I might want to wash those windows.

The truth is, what ever is making you miserable in life, stop doing it! Don't like your job, get a different one. No, don't quit the one you have in this uncertain economic time, look for a job. However, there are many ways in life that we make ourselves miserable and then we just keep doing those things.  Point of this article- stop it and do what makes you happy!

How do you fix Congress

I received this from a friend and would like to share it as a commentary on our current political situation, state and federal. My hope is that it will trigger each of us to think about what we can do to facilitate movement in our government at a time when all of our elected officials (Dem, Rep, Tea, other) seem to be politically paralyzed or frozen in time. There seems to be a void of true leadership.


Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best quotes about the debt ceiling:

"I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election.

The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc.

Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure."

Please pass this blog post on:

If we passed it on to just 20 people we know, in three days most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.



Congressional Reform Act of 2011

1. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.


THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!!

A letter to my elected officials

Below is a letter I have sent to my elected officials.  I hope you will take the time to send one to yours as well.  Feel free to use my letter as a structure but be sure to tailor it to your own area and family.

Dear Senators Maria Cantwell, Patty Murray, Congressman Adam Smith, and President Barack Obama,


My name is Cheryl Matthynssens and my sons are members of the Washington Army National Guard and Army. My sons have been serving our country for almost 8 years now.

We have all seen on the news and heard of the difficulties that our elected officials have had regarding the budget and have held out hope that they would come to their senses and resolve this issue in a timely fashion.


That however hasn’t happened. Many service men are now faced with deploying, leaving families behind, without the security of financial remuneration to take care of their loved ones. My oldest son opened his paycheck today and saw a debt balance due for almost half of his pay. In short...he is not being paid because our elected officials, yourself included, have failed to uphold your responsibilities to your constituents.

My oldest son's income is already low even as a sergeant leaving him living pay check to paycheck. He has a child and one on the way. Both my sons are very patriotic They serve this country and have deployed to Iraq at great sacrifice to their families. I know men are deploying even this week and had planned to do so, secure in the knowledge that their families will be financially provided for while they are gone. That security, no that trust...is lost!

Our soldiers should not be expected to continue to do what they do without compensation. Moreover, our government should not ask it of them. Do you work for free Senator? Would you go to a hostile environment and put your life on the line without pay? I think not. In fact, I find it embarrassing that our elected officials have secured their own paychecks during this time without ensuring that the individuals that protect this country get paid as well. That is fundamentally wrong!


This week, I got the privilege of my son calling in a panic unsure of how he was supposed to go into the field when he could not pay for the daycare required to do so. His wife has worked part time and will have to give up the job that they now need more then ever because our government has not paid them. They will have to hope that creditors understand that they will have to hold off on paying the bills this month.


I hope your family is safe and well fed and that you sleep well at night. I wouldn’t be able to if I were in your position. I would be ashamed.

Lastly I would like to make sure that you are aware that my parents, my family, we all vote! We will remember this at election time! Our elected officials have failed us. We will not forget.

One final note. If this is an aide reading this, please do not bother sending me a form letter. It would only add insult to injury.



Respectfully,


Cheryl L. Matthynssens

my son in the army and his daughter

The Price of Happiness

In our society today, we put price tags on happiness.  If I can afford this.. if only I had that. I would be happy.  And if that were true, happiness would be such an easy thing to find.  But the truth is, once we have the 'one thing' we have been coveting, (if we ever get it) we just choose something else we now have to have. 

In America, teenagers talk about that first car.  Oh yeah, the show room model would be nice but most teenagers get excited if it is theirs and it drives.  But soon, that is not enough and the competition begins to have one cooler then Joe.  Then it has to have the latest rims to be happy. The cranking pounding stereo has to be found to be happy.  Yet, this never truly lasts.

Today, I was reminded of this lesson on a simple ski slope.  Our daughter had never been skiing or snowboarding.  A local ski business had a special where you could go up and for $58.00 get a lesson and equipment, everything you needed to try it for the first time.  It was her Christmas present.  I fretted the whole time I was wrapping it up. What if she hates snowboarding? What if she breaks something?  And mentally, the price tag just kept going up. 

We got to that mountain and with great excitement she got her snowboard and boots and headed off to her class. I sat down on a bench on a beautiful snowy Sunday Morning and marveled.  It didn't last long. Twenty minutes into the lesson, I noticed my daughter sitting out of the class.  My heart sank.  Every fear hammered home.  $58.00 wasted for twenty minutes of lessons and her giving up.  The whole time I was waiting to join her, I was mentally seething at the cost and loss of money for something that she didn't even finish.  I joined her on the bench and looked into her eyes.  I didn't see the 58.00 wasted dollars.  I saw a life time of expectation crashing down in on her as her fondest desire had become a nightmare.  She couldn't stand in the boots required for snowboarding without pain in her ankle that she had injured.  "Let's just go home mom." I could hear the heart rending pain as it ripped through me.  I looked back out at that mountain for a long moment. 

I patted her on the head and told her to wait there.  I went into the ski school and talked to the instructors.  They were extremely sorrowed to hear that she was giving up.  They made a wonderous offer.  If she would reoutfit into a ski set up, they would set her up with a private instructor.   I girded up for the battle and headed back to Johanna.  It took a little maternal browbeating but we got her back into gear.  They sent over to her the nicest man and he took her by the hand and led her back out onto that mountain.   Her ankle was still giving her troubles and she struggled and fell but she didn't give up. 

The price of happiness was not a $58.00 dollar package.  The price of happiness was a little perseverance.  It sank home as she successfully made it up the rope tow for the first time. That smile was the same smile I saw when she walked the first time, rode a bike the first time, stopped her first soccer goal.  The price of happiness is the smile you give to another because you don't give up on them and  you don't let them give up either. 

Remember or Dwell

It is an amazing thing our mind.  It records everything.. but we only recall with regularlity that which has some kind of an emotional attachment. Unfortunately, that does not have to be a positive thing.  We can attach negative emotions.

Remembering where we have been is an important aspect. It is how we learn.  It is how we avoid repeating past mistakes.  Unfortunately, for many of us, rather then using this tool our mind gives us, we begin to dwell.

What is the difference?
Dwelling is allowing a negative memory to take root and take over.  Rather then moving forward with the lesson learned, we are suddenly angered in the past.  We rehash it over and over and over. We relive that pain and hurt again and again. To what end?? The truth is kind of scary. Because at some level we have become to believe we deserve it.  Only when we realize that we should only have to pay for errors one time, do we stop this hurtful pattern of self abuse.

Dwelling can become so powerful that it can create stress caused illnesses and depression.  Ulcers, heart disease, high blood pressure and many other ailments have been tied to staying in an increased stress state.  And the worst part is, most of us do this to ourselves.

How do I stop this?
 There are two major tools one can use.  First, the old cliche .. Let go and Let God.  The second thing is refuse to allow negativity to control your thinking.  The one thing that is almost possible to take away from man is his thoughts. You may lock away his body and still his mind is his own.  Even under the influence of the disease of addiction, there is still influence on thought.  When you catch yourself thinking in a negative manner; tell yourself .. STOP!  We are trained this word from a very  young age.   It will startle the mind for a brief moment. Then pick up something postive; a story, affirmations or a thank you letter.  Anything that has hope, peace or love within it.  This change in thinking will force the mind slowly to let go of the negative things in our past and move towards acceptance.


Remember.. do not dwell.  There is freedom to move forward with the assurance of not repeating a past mistake.

Make Today. .. just a little better then yesterday and your future will always be moving forward.

God Bless

What you are putting in.. is coming out!

Before you change your thinking, you h ave to change what goes into your mind.
                                              Zig Ziglar

The thing about universal wisdom is that it comes from so many mouths.  The above saying has been proffered a many ways by many teachers. It is in the bible, the Koran and in every self esteem curriculum out there.  TIt is a scientific fact that input is a direct influence on output.  What this means in regards to today's teachings is that if you are not having the success you want in life, if you are depressed, if you are unmotivated and even if you are just really negative all the time; what is your input?  Those things are the output.  What are you reading?  What music are you listening too?  What is your visual surroundings?  These things have a direct influence on what you think and how you act whether you are realizing it or not.

If you struggle with negativity but your only reading the Newspaper and the most uplifting thing you here is a sitcom and the evening news; it is no surprise.  Face it, newspapers publish what sells and saving puppies is nice for the occaisional piece but a full article on it will not sell.  Especially today where people can go online for fluff.

Ways to change this:

1.  Read uplifting stories.  Chicken Soup stories for example
2.  Make sure that even if you like hard core music, you take some time to add in something light and soothing whether it is elevator music, classical or nature sounds.  There are some cool sites you can just listen too like 
http://www.rainymood.com/ that really help with relaxing and stress.
3.  Practice positive affirmations.  "I am becoming happier every day."  "I am enjoying life."  They are most effective in the AM state with a verb ending in ing.  Never use can or will as the brain interprets this as someday down the road.
4.  Look at images of vacation sites.  They say just spending a few minutes looking at such pictures improves mood and stress levels.
5.  Eat right and drink water.  The brain needs nutrition to function and many of today's foods are just lacking.
6.  Talk to your higher power regularly!

Th gist of today.. what goes in.. comes out!  So watch what you are putting into your eyes, ears, mouth and body.

Unconditional Love

The Greatest Single Cause of Poor Self-Image is the Absence of Unconditional Love
                                                                  Zig Ziglar

It is hard to believe sometimes in life's struggles, but we really are our own worst enemy.  The most dangerous streets we walk in this world is in our own head.  You know.. those thoughts like ... should have... would have.. could have .. and the worst.. what if.


Your higher power is not in the business of creating faulty products.  There is nothing wrong with you that you are not choosing to keep as yours. It is like we have this bag of nasty smelling garbage and yet there we go, lugging it around on our shoulder.  Give yourself permission to be a human and make mistakes.  But also be responsible enough to take the time in a situation and ask what could I have done different to get a better outcome.  Then.. learn from it!!

Most important.. keep in mind.. your higher power does not make Junk!

Help me band together to plant 10,000 trees!

I am excited about Avon's program to PLANT A TREE WITH AVON and help create a better future for our next generation. Avon announced that they are planting their first 1 MILLION trees in South America's Atlantic Rainforest - often referred to as "the lungs of the earth". I would love if I could gain 10000 people to plant these trees with me.93% OF THE ATLANTIC RAINFOREST IS GONE, which has a devastating effect for everyone - everywhere. Deforestation is second only to the burning of fossil fuels as a source of carbon dioxide emissions that cause global climate change. Every $1.00 contributed through Hello Green Tomorrow plants a new tree. Join me in helping Avon in planting millions of trees today for a better tomorrow.The trees planted through the Hello Green Tomorrow program will support the United Nations Environment Program Billion Tree Campaign.You do not need to order any Avon products to contribute a tree. There is a quick order option on my website - Just put in the number - 552216.There is no shipping charges if you are not ordering any other products. If you also would like to order products - you can get free shipping for 30.00 or more orders. That free shipping code is: FS30REP.

http://youravon.com/smarketing

Balanced Life Includes Healthy Weight Loss Practices

Learning how to balance life is much like learning to eat a balanced meal. It needs variety, healthy choices and lots of color. However, due to a feeling of being out of control, many unhealthy weight loss practices are not only harmful but can lead to actual disorders.

There are a number of very dangerous eating disorders that effect people of all ages, races, sexes, and economic statuses. While you may hear a lot in the news about anorexia and bulimia, one of the lesser-known weight loss disasters sweeping the nation is binge eating. Binge eating is very bad for your body and can cause heart disease, diabetes, and a number of other medical conditions, which actually could result in death. Therefore, it is important to learn about binge eating and to seek help immediately if you think this could be a problem for you.

Binge eating is basically a form of overeating at its worst. There are times when we all overindulge in good foods, such as at a holiday or when eating out at a restaurant. However, a binge eater faces overeating problems more than a few times a week. Binge eaters often find themselves overweight and unhappy, which can make the situation worse.



Binge eaters will overeat to the extent that they feel sick. In many cases, they will eat thousands of calories in one sitting, and many of the foods they are eating are not very nutritional and include comfort foods. Binge eaters may enjoy sweet or savory foods, and may also have a problem with alcohol. In one day, a binge eater may eat more than the normal person will eat in a week. Foods that a person will binge eat vary and can even change for a particular binge eater from day to day.

Unlike people who are suffering from bulimia, binge eaters will not induce vomiting in order to rid themselves of the food they’ve eaten. Therefore, binge eaters tend to be overweight. In some cases, a binge eater may eat non-stop for an entire day, but then spend the next three or four days starving him- or herself and exercising vigorously in order to stay at the same weight if possible.

Binge eating goes hand in hand with a number of other physical diseases, but it can also effect a personal mentally and emotionally. Many binge eaters start because they turn to food for comfort as a way to work out their problems, which is unhealthy. Binge eaters are also usually very emotionally charged about their body weight and may experience depression because of it, regardless of if they are overweight or not. Binge eating is not only dangerous for the binge eater, but can affect everyone in his or her life. If you or someone you know is suffering from this disease, it is important to seek help as soon as possible. This is not a good way to lose weight.



Life must be given variety, mindful attention and as you know from the theme of this blog, balance! Eating should be no different, eat slow and with mindful attention to each bite. Eat a safe and moderate variety. Live life to the fullest, it is too short to be spent in regret.

You Can't Force Inspiration! It Will Strike When You Least Expect It!

What Innovation Can Do to Your Life

It's a talent that everyone has, yet they think they don't. The power of innovation. If you've ever marvelled at somebody's creative prowess, guess what, you can create and innovate too. It just takes time. Everyone is born creative. The box of crayons in kindergarten were not limited to those who possessed potential; because the truth is, everybody has potential.

You know how long it took to learn to ride a bike or drive or to never commit the same mistake again? It's the same with innovation. It takes a bit of practice and a lot of time before this mind function comes easily when called. This article will teach you a few tips on how to bring innovation into your life.



Don't listen to what other people say. Follow the beat of your own drum. Allowing for the input of other people will only bring cacophony to the music you are trying to make. If you have an original idea, don't waste your time and effort trying to make people understand. They won't. And the help you will probably get comes in the form of negative feedback. If all those geniuses listened to their peers, we would probably still be living in the middle ages.

Spend time on it. I cannot stress that enough, although, please do not mistake this tip to tell you to quit your day job entirely. Do not. This involves some tricky time management but with a little discipline you'll be able to squeeze both in.

Exercise. Take a walk. Run a mile or two. Send all those endorphins coursing through your veins. Exercising certainly clears and relaxes your mind and allows for anything to pop up.

Record your dreams. Aren't some of them just the craziest things that your conscious mind would never have thought of? If you've had these dreams before, and I'm sure have, this only shows you the untapped innovative power you have lying within. So jot down those notes. Those dreams may just create an innovative spark in you.

Find your own style. You can always tell a Van Gogh from a Matisse. You'll know Hemingway wrote something by the choice of words on the paper. So it is the same with you. People will appreciate your innovation more because it is uniquely yours and that no one else would have thought of what you were thinking. That will let people see how valuable an asset you are.

Don't hide behind nifty gadgets or tools. You don't need the most expensive set of paints to produce a masterpiece. The same way with writing. You don't need some expensive fountain pen and really smooth paper for a bestseller. In fact, J.K. Rowling wrote the first book of the Harry Potter Series on bits of tissue. So what if you've got an expensive SLR camera if you're a crappy photographer? Who cares if you've got a blinging laptop if you can't write at all? The artist actually reduces the number of tools he has as he gets better at his craft: he knows what works and what doesn't.

Nothing will work without passion. What wakes you up in the mornings? What keeps the flame burning? What is the one thing that you'll die if you don't do? Sometimes people with talent are overtaken by the people who want it more. Think the hare and the tortoise. Ellen Degeneres once said that if you're not doing something that you want to do, then you don't really want to do it. And that's true. Sometimes you just want something so bad you become a virtual unstoppable. And that is passion. Passion will keep you going.

Don't worry about inspiration. You can't force it; inspiration hits when you least expect it to, for those unpredictable yet inevitable moments you should prepare. An idea could strike you on the subway, yet alas, you poor unfortunate soul; you have no sheet of paper to scribble down a thought that could change the world. Avoid these disasters. Have a pen and paper within your arm's reach at all times.

I hope this article has helped you bring more innovation into your life. Keep in mind that you're doing these things for your own satisfaction and not anybody else's. But soon enough they will notice, and everything should snowball from there.

hoquiam middle school 7th grade band

One cannot be a momma and not brag.. My baby is a clarinet player so had o show the wallet off.

Nine Internal Traits Necessary for Success!

There are nine traits that those of us truly interested in achieving success in our lives, need to be developing. Many people think that you must measure success by material items such as money in the bank or land owed. However, many people that have things things, live miserable lives. There must be something more. I propose that money, land and other material items are rewards from having success in our lives. We know we are succeeding when these things begin to arrive, but to truly measure success we need to look at our progress in nine specific areas. As these nine develop, we will KNOW we are successful because we will be truly happy.

LOVE:
I am not speaking of the love between two sexual partners here. I am talking about a deeper thing. A love of life itself.. of people.. of events. The more we develop a spirit of love in our lives, the more we will attract the right people to us. This law of attraction is often rewarded with the material things that we need. This love is demonstrated at a far deeper level and is not something you can "fall out of." I plan to blog more specifically on this type of love in the near future.

Joy:
What good is a thousand things in life if you get know joy from what you have. If the sound of your child or grand child's laugh does not bring a soft smile to you own lips. People like to be around happy people. It adds to the law of attraction. In addition, when you get genuine joy out of your work, your life, your family or whatever you are seeking to improve, people notice. This in turn brings rewards that are often unasked for and unlooked for by the one who sees life though the eyes of a happy child. Childlike vision but not childish!

Peace:
This is an internal peace. Have you ever met someone that despite the fact that those around them are screaming how the world is ending, the ship is sinking and the company is failing, seem to calmly address matters at hand. This is the type of peace that each of us must strive for in our lives. A sense of centeredness that cannot be shattered by day to day chaos that will pass if we do not let ourselves get caught up in it.

Patience:
Our world has become caught up in a instant gratification message. We even complain when our fast food at McDonald's or Burger King is too slow? Despite the fast pace of the world, we expect our needs to be met even faster. However, with the internal peace above and some patience, one can spot opportunities that others would have missed. The rewards of the long journey outweigh the wants of the moment. If this is mastered, great things can be slowly gained.

Kindness:
Want to see the lack of Kindness in the USA today? All you have to do is go to a public high school or read teenage blogs. These children mirror their parents and are back stabbing, mean spirited and often cruel in packs. Teachers today are not surprised about the horrid things do and say anymore; they are surprised by unasked for acts of kindness and this is a sad statement. By learning to be kind and learning to teach our children to be kind, we an improve the world as a whole. Plus, people remember who was kind to them. Many people have received surprise windfalls years later from someone they did not even remember. But that person remembered the random act of kindness and it left a lasting impression in their lives. This is the concept from the movie "Pay it Forward." If only we could all practice paying it forward every day.

Goodness:
Often in my counseling sessions with those who are both criminal and addicted, we spend a lot of time talking about "doing the right thing when no one is looking." That is the type of goodness I am talking about. Not the kind where everyone pats you on the back, but the type where you know in your heart of hearts that you are doing the right thing. When one lives life this way, there is little to regret or feel shame over. This type of shame free lifestyle allows one to interact freely without others and hide nothing about who they are. This in turn builds trust which is often rewarded in life.

Faithfulness:
This can be to a higher power, moral belief system or whatever is the guiding principle of your life. Whatever it is that you believe in.. remain faithful to it. A person who is a chameleon may blend in to each and every environment but he can remain true to none of them. The self confidence that comes from remaining to faithful to one's beliefs, god or guiding principles instills a noticeable type of confidence. It also helps guide what is right in and for your life. You will not enter a business deal that goes against this because you know that it will increase stress and worry and likely fail due to an ability to fully embrace it.

Gentleness
My Grandmother always said I would catch more flies with honey, I thought that weird since who wants to catch flies? But now I know what she meant, I would attract things to me with a kind and gentle touch, a sweetness if you will. A gentle word is always appreciated; bad news received ever so much better if delivered with a gentle tone. My children respond better to a gentle order then a harsh command. Being kind and gentle just makes since. Never mistake these two together for weakness. Some of the kindest, most gentle people I know are hard as nails when it comes to what is right or enforcing their boundary.

Last but not least: Self Control
This one practically speaks for itself. Without self control, we fail at many of the above. Can we not over indulge, over spend? Can we control our temper or impatience? These things are paramount to success. How can we ever find the peace or love above if we cannot control our impulses?

No one will likely ever live all nine of these to perfection. The goal therefore, is progress and not perfection. By learning to work on these, we increase our attractiveness to opportunities, windfalls and genuine happiness and success in our lives. Pick one each week and make it a goal to improve one thing in that area. Eventually, every couple of months, you will come back around to the first one. Evaluate your progress over the two months and reset the goal from before or set a higher or new goal to improve that area. This creates a personal plan of self improvement that when embraced whole-heartedly cannot help but to improve the quality of life.

Have a Balanced week!

Isagenix® Donates 1.2 Million Meals to Haiti

CHANDLER, Ariz. (February 2, 2010) — Isagenix®, a company specializing in health and wellness products, is donating more than 45,000 canisters--equating up to 1.2 million meals--of its nutritionally-rich IsaLean® shakes to assist victims of the earthquake in Haiti. The meal-replacement shakes will be donated to Stop Hunger Now, a relief organization that has partnered with Mission of Hope in Port Au Prince, Haiti.

The UN estimates two million Haitians are in need of food, but only a quarter of those have received any thus far, and delivery operations depend on UN peacekeepers to control hungry mobs and keep bandits from convoys. Haitians needing food are choking on pepper spray used by UN guards at distribution points, according to CNN.

"It's devastating seeing thousands of Haitians charge down the street for only two distribution trucks of food," said Isagenix Co-Founder Kathy Coover. "Everyone deserves to have a high-quality nutritious meal and we can provide that."

IsaLean shakes offer balanced amounts of the best high-quality protein, "good" carbohydrates and fats, and a full-spectrum of vitamins and minerals. The protein complex, 23 grams of undenatured whey and casein protein that's enzyme activated to maximize nutrient absorption, is sourced from New Zealand pasture-raised dairy cows and has been clinically studied for its support to improving maintenance and growth of lean muscle. The shakes also feature lower lactose levels and a superior amino acid profile for easier digestion.

Founded in 2002, Isagenix prides itself in delivering long-term weight-loss results. More than 5.4 million pounds and more than six million inches have been lost by individuals using Isagenix products in the past seven years. Isagenix has helped more than 178 people lose 100 pounds, eight people lose 200 pounds and hundreds of thousands of others lose weight and improve their health and wellness.* ((To find more about Isagenix, visit http://sweetenergy.isagenix.com))

For more information on Stop Hunger Now, visit www.StopHungerNow.org. For more information on Mission of Hope, visit www.MissionofHopeHaiti.org.