Posts Tagged ‘house’
Automatic Brain Works Overtime For You
Use all of your brain to be your most effective.
“Running on Automatic” is what I call the ability to visualize what you need to have happen. Automatic because the part of your brain that gives us most of our solutions is working all the time. When you are asleep or not. Most of us call it our subconscience. This part of your brain is processing what your awake aware or cognitive part of the brain is telling it is going on. Our subconscience is not aware of any rational or philosophical system. It just helps us process the stuff we see, feel, smell, taste and hear. It is the core of our intuition. And most of all it can be exercised and controlled.
When we understand how to feed our subconscious so it will work out our problems and help us get to where we need to be there is nothing you can’t achieve. Didn’t your mother tell you “There’s nothing you can’t do, if you just set your mind to it.” Listen to your mother, she was right. In fact she gave you the best advice you will ever get about how to get ahead in this world. If you can see it, you can do it.
Now you say ‘Andrew, that sounds all fine and good, but have you ever got this thinking stuff to work?’
“Yes I have!” In fact the reality of this web site is the result of my imagining what could be done and then seeing all the parts in place and how they will fit together. At this time it is not complete, but I know what I want to see in place and how I will get it done. It is something I did with my brain, but the results will be with my hands.
Limber Up The Neurons
Let’s do a very simple exercise so you can try it out for yourself. Look around the room you are in. Find something that someone made. Take a wooden chair for instance. Go back in your mind and see the tree that was growing in the forest. All green and beautiful. A trunk straight and tall. Then a lumberjack comes along with his or her chain saw and goes about cutting it down. Later a large piece of equipment comes along and gathers up the tree trunk that has been trimmed to a log and takes it to a lumber mill. At the mill the tree is cut into boards with a huge circular saw sorted, stacked, graded and finally the boards are placed in a kiln to dry the wood.
Heated steam dries the wood and then it is taken out, packaged by grade and then shipped to a furniture maker. At the furniture factory there are people who receive the materials from the trucking company that brought the wood to them and then again the lumber is inspected, sorted and then each piece goes through a manufacturing process. The legs, back, bottom supports, and back slats are all made by individual workers. At the end all the pieces come together and a worker assembles the parts and gets the chair ready to be finished.
Another worker applies the finish coats of varnish or paint to preserve and bring out the beauty of the chair design. Finally the chair is packaged, put on another truck and shipped to a furniture store where you see it and think, ‘That would look great in our living room. Let’s get it and have it for this evening.’
You might not have ever imagined all that about your chair. But something similar did happen to make that chair appear in your home. Relax and go back over each step as you see it happen in your mind. In a little while you will see each of the machines that you imagine created the chair and finally you will see the truck that brought the chair to your house.
Practice…Practice…Practice
Try this exercise for three or four days in a row and see if it doesn’t get more real each time you do it. As you do the reality of the chair becomes something that you can believe in more and more. Just as the chair becomes more vibrant and real in your mind. Any other thought can do the same. A famous 19th century scientist Nikola Telsa the inventor of the “telsa coil” that makes your hair stand on end with static electricity, once said he made no invention without first seeing the entirety of his experiment in his mind working as he knew it would. Mr. Telsa knew the power of using his mind to work out the problems he sought to solve. He actively employed his conscious and subconscious mind to solve these problems by seeing them as final solutions before he ever tried to perform any of the work for the project.
Now that’s mental power. But all of us have the same capability. All we have to do to make it work is to use our minds regularly and purposefully.
Write and let me know how you are coming along. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.
In the next segment I’ll share the secret to focused thought. How to keep our thoughts on track. Until then, don’t just sit there…
Let’s Get Started!
Andrew Abernathy
Founder, Put It iN Thought
About The Author
© 2004 All rights reserved to Andrew Abernathy and PutItiNThought.com. Your may reproduce this article without permission if the entire article, including this information tag is included. For other articles like this one visit www.aeautomation.com/newsarchives.htm
Mr. Abernathy presents a creative and clear body of work that is based on experience, scientific research and common sense. He created the PINT Web Workshop to train others in the practical use of proven neuroscientific discoveries that reveal how you can change your life. See www.PutItiNThought.com for a ten day introduction to the PINT Web Workshop.
Improve Your Golf Performance With These 5 Tips
Improve your golf performance. Is this always on your mind? When you go out to golf you’re hoping for a good round. I know I do.
How often does your outcome match what you hoped for? Do you usually shoot the scores you had envisioned before you teed off? If not, do you ever evaluate where and how you could have saved strokes and avoided those blow up holes?
I’ve got 5 easy tips for you to implement immediately that will improve your golf performance by shaving 4-6 or even more strokes off your score the next time you play. Give them a try and see what happens. Here they are:
1. First off you’ve got to put the proper fuel in your body before you leave home. Most golfers don’t give it a second thought. They either don’t eat at all before they leave home or they eat something that is not going to give them the long-term energy they’re hoping for. So whether it’s lunch or breakfast before you leave you need to consume a complex carbohydrate and a good protein source. This combination will warrant the best use of your energy for the long haul.
An example for breakfast would be a bowl of oatmeal and a couple of egss with a piece of fruit or a juice. For lunch you could have a turkey sandwich on whole wheat with a piece of fruit. Lot’s of lettuce on the sandwich and try to avoid mayonnaise or butter.
2. The second tip is to properly warm up your body before you even hit your first ball. I see so many golfers show up 5 minutes before tee time, hack a few balls and head to the first tee. Those golfers are headed for a double bogey right off the bat – but hey they’re just getting “warmed up” right?
A better approach is to give yourself at least 30 minutes before your tee time. First do some dynamic (movement oriented) stretches to prepare your body to perform. Things like arm circles, partial squats, toe touches, etc. Then take some half swings with a 7 iron. Now after that you’re ready to hit some wedges. You’ll find with this approach your hits on the range will be much better, which will build your confidence.
3. Drink lots of water even before you leave your house. Try to consume up to a gallon of Water before you get to the course. This will help you absorb and digest your pre-game meal and hydrate your muscles for optimal performance. Don’t take this lightly. Dehydration causes energy loss, lack of focus and concentration and fatigue later in the round. And remember, that’s before you even come to the course. Once you get their you should be drinking water every hole.
4. Don’t wait ’til you get tight to stretch on the course. You should be constantly moving your body and stretching your joints while you play. I see and hear too many golfers complaining of tight lower backs or shoulders during the round, What amazes me is that with all that complaining they do nothing about it. Why? Think of your body as a machine. If the machine starts to break down ? fix it. I mean stretch those areas while you’re playing. You’ll see a big difference in your swing mechanics late in the round.
5. Snack while you play. No I don’t mean the full meal at the turn with a beer. I mean bringing fruit and nutrition bars to eat every 4-6 holes. When you supply your body with the proper nutrients your energy levels stay balanced and you will avoid those mental lapses late in the round. How many times have you had a good score only to blow up late in the round? I’ll bet more than a couple of times. I know I have. Treat your body like a Ferrari not a Ford Pinto.
These tips if applied, will definitely improve your golf performance!
This article was provided by Mike Pedersen, golf fitness expert and author. Mike has a new book out that will quickly improve your game with easy tips and techniques to transform your game. Go take a look at http://www.ultimategolffitnessguide.com
Kitchen Design Online ? Understanding the Work Triangle and Kitchen Layouts
Good kitchen design online means having a layout for your kitchen that provides an efficient and pleasant area in which to prepare meals and do related tasks. Understanding the kitchen work triangle concept and basic kitchen layout types is a valuable starting point to design a kitchen online that you like.
The kitchen work triangle consists of the distance between the sink, refrigerator and range or cooktop. Each one of these areas becomes a focal point in the kitchen and forms the three points of a triangle with different distances between them. Done correctly, proper kitchen design online will give you the most efficient food preparation area layout in your kitchen.
Whether you’re remodeling an existing kitchen or building a new one, an efficient kitchen design online means that your work triangle minimizes the number of steps the cook must take between the three areas during meal preparation and cleanup. The total distance from the sink to the stove to the refrigerator and back to the sink should be not less than 12 feet total nor more than 27 feet. Each triangle leg should measure between 4 and 9 feet in length. The kitchen isles should be at least 42 to 48 inches wide to allow people to move around easily and for appliances to be opened with ease.
When selecting the floor plan for your kitchen design online, here are basic kitchen layouts to consider:
* L-Shaped Kitchen – this is the most popular kitchen design. It consists of a long leg and a shorter one and this type of design can be used in small and large kitchens. The L-shaped kitchen gives you the possibility of having a center island depending on the space available. In general, this design will have 2 or 3 appliances on one wall. The usual arrangement is to have the refrigerator at one end, the range or cooktop at the other end with the sink located in the middle. This shape of kitchen generally provides good traffic flow.
* Double L-Shaped Kitchen – this kitchen design has a lot of cabinet space and plenty of counter space. This design is used in large kitchens with two cooks, and it has two or more entering areas, which can cause traffic flow problems. To avoid some of these problems, create two separate working areas on each L of the kitchen so that work flow does not get interrupted by human traffic.
* U-Shaped Kitchen – this kitchen design online shape has three walls instead of two, and the sink usually is located in the middle wall section. The refrigerator and range or cooktop are usually on the side walls opposite each other. The U-shaped kitchen design gives room for ample countertop space, and you have three walls for cabinets and appliances. This kitchen layout tends to create a working triangle that is very efficient.
The working triangle for the U-shaped kitchen should be around 26 feet or less. The only problem with this type of kitchen design online is that sometimes the two U corners are not used appropriately. Make sure you buy the appropriate storage items for the corner cabinets created by the U shape design. The U shape design can also create dark kitchens because of the shape and the quantity of cabinets. Using skylights, large windows, lots of under-cabinet task lighting and light colors will help keep the kitchen bright with sufficient light to see what you’re doing.
* G-Shaped Kitchen – this type of kitchen shape is becoming very popular, and it gives you a fourth wall to use. The G-shape can be used if you have more than one cook in the house. This fourth wall section can be used for a counter, island and storage space. With this kitchen layout you can have two sinks, perhaps two cooktops or two ranges. You could have two working triangles — one for sink, cook top or range and refrigerator and a second working triangle with another sink, built-in grill and cooktop. It allows two cooks to do different things at the same time and entertain large groups of people.
* Single-Wall Kitchen – if you do not have much space, you may only be able to have an I-shaped kitchen. No problem. Just be sure the sink is placed between the refrigerator and the stove. Locate the refrigerator so that the refrigerator door opens away from the kitchen sink. This is a very common arrangement for small kitchen design online where narrow spaces exists.
* Galley-Shaped Kitchen – this type of kitchen design is more common in apartments or in homes where space is limited. It is often called the corridor style. The kitchen cabinets and the appliances can be located on opposite walls for better work flow. Place the range or cooktop on one side of the kitchen along one wall and the refrigerator and sink on the opposite wall.
To eliminate traffic issues in this type of kitchen design online, one entry is often closed off. This type of layout should only be used by one cook. If you want to maintain both exits, place the refrigerator near the end of the galley kitchen for easy access. This way, your family and friends can reach the refrigerator without interfering with the person who is cooking.
If you need extra storage in the galley kitchen, install tall kitchen cabinets that go all the way to the ceiling. Wall storage is crucial. Buy a stepladder to use when you need to reach the upper shelf of the cabinets, and place the items you use less frequently on the upper shelves.
By understanding the kitchen work triangle concept and how you want your kitchen to function, you’ll be more likely to create the kind of kitchen design online you’ve always wanted. Today, kitchens are often viewed as the hub of the home as well as a social center for family and friends. Planning your kitchen and doing kitchen design online can be a challenge, but the rewards you’ll receive are very much worth the time and effort.
Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing
Read more about how to design a kitchen online that’s right for you at kitchen design online. David Buster is webmaster of http://www.newsletterjournal.com and VP of InfoSearch Publishing – visit the website and learn more about home decorating and remodeling, bathroom design and décor tips, home plans, storage, fireplaces, log cabin rentals and more.
Get Fit From Home!
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Things Around The House
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Don’t feel that just because you don’t have any weights at home, that you can’t get a GREAT workout! Try using these items for the corresponding exercises. Change them around
Selecting The Right Type of Stroller For Your Lifestyle
Having a baby is exciting, but also very tough! There are tons of decisions you will make throughout your pregnancy, throughout your babies infancy and during their entire lives! One of those early decisions you will have to make is what type of stroller to by your precious baby. In case you weren’t aware, a stroller is a must have item for all new parents! Most parents buy their first stroller before they even buy a crib for their newborn. You can use your stroller from day one!
It’s easy to get wound up over the selection process. Fortunately if you use the tips below for selecting the right type of stroller, you won’t have any trouble at all selecting the right stroller! Here are some important considerations when buying a stroller for your baby.
Selecting a Style There are many different ’styles’ of stroller. Here are just a few:
- Conventional stroller ? this is your standard stroller. Most come with a harness or belt to keep your baby safe and secure, a snack tray, maybe a cup holder, foot brakes and removable padding to keep your baby comfortable. A conventional stroller may range in price from $30-$300 or more.
- Tandem or double ? if you are having twins or have two babies close in age, a double stroller may be your best bet. You can buy a side-by-side version or a front to back version. While bulky, these strollers do come in handy when shuffling around your little ones.
- Exercise or Jogging ? these strollers are increasingly popular in recent years. While many are more expensive than traditional models, most parents feel the added investment is well worth it. Most exercise strollers come with a durable aluminum frame. They can carry your toddler up to 80 pounds, twice as much as conventional strollers. Exercise strollers usually easily fold like any other model. They are a good selection for parents on the go who want to get fit while entertaining their child.
- Lightweight ? lightweight strollers feature lightweight materials. Most weigh less than 20 pounds. Most average 12-15. This is a bonus especially if you plan to haul around a hefty 30-pound toddler. Remember the heavier your stroller the more weight you’ll push around. A lightweight stroller makes quick trips to the grocery store a lot easier. Some families opt to have a lightweight and a conventional stroller in the house. They can use the lightweight stroller for traveling and the conventional stroller for walks around the block.
The first thing you should do when hunting for a stroller is decide what style best meets your needs. Once you do this, you can start looking for a stroller that has the unique features and accessories you feel make the package complete.
Stroller Accessories and Features Once you decide the style of stroller you need, it’s time to select accessories and features. Some strollers come fully loaded with accessories and features. You may pay a little extra, but you won’t have to buy these features separately. Here are just a few accessories and features that most parents find useful when buying a stroller:
- Extra cup and snack holders for parent and child.
- Weatherproof fabric.
- Additional rain or insect mesh shield.
- Adjustable canopy to keep sunlight away from your child regardless of the direction you turn.
- Reflective materials to keep you visible when walking during dusk or in the evening.
- Foot and hand brakes.
- Built in shock absorbers.
- Built in toys to entertain your child.
One feature you can’t live without is an adequate harness. Look for a stroller with a three or five point harness to keep your infant safe and secure while riding. You should always belt your child when riding, even when they are an infant, to make sure they don’t accidentally slip out of the stroller and hurt themselves.
Before shopping for your stroller, create a list of the key features and the style of stroller you plan to buy. This will help reduce your list of 500 strollers to perhaps 20. Once you have narrowed your list you can look at dozens of online reviews to select the perfect stroller for you and your family.
Ant Arthur is a successful freelance writer with 10 years of professional experience providing consumers with informative articles on such topics as Baby Carriers, Baby Slings and Baby Car Seats
Solitary Confinement — for Life
Sixty-five year old Arthur Jones served a self-imposed life sentence – in his own home.
Arthur lived in a high crime neighborhood, so he built iron cages around his outside doors and installed bars on all the windows. No one could find it easy to break in to Arthur’s house!
I met Arthur a few years ago, although you would hardly call our interaction meeting. When I arrived to deliver his meal, as part of the Meals-on-Wheels program, Arthur barely cracked open his front door even though his cage clearly protected him. He refused to open the cage door at all, so, to give him his meal, I had to angle the box through the bars. Without doubt, this maneuver scrambled the hot contents of his boxed meal, but Arthur would have it no other way. He clearly feared me, a 100-pound woman, and everyone else.
I wish I could say that Arthur’s family came to his rescue, finding for him the medical and emotional treatment he needed. I cannot. Arthur’s depression and paranoia compounded relentlessly, killing him at far too young an age.
Many elders live like Arthur, holed up in their own homes, barricaded against the world. Who cares? Family and friends must care, and they must assume the primary responsibility, acting before their elder’s condition rivals that of Arthur. We cannot shift this burden to our government. We cannot wish it away. Those among us lucky enough to have elders in our lives must shoulder the responsibility of seeing that they do not succumb to depression.
At this holiday season, many elders experience transitory depression, as celebrations bring memories of friends and loved ones who have died. Decreased hours of sunshine may add to their depressed feelings. How do you know if your elder suffers from serious depression? And, if you suspect depression, what you should do? Here are a few tips.
What signs should lead you to suspect serious depression?
- Lethargy and or refusal to get out of bed;
- Changes in Sleep Patterns, such as sleeping all morning
- Unusual Complaints
- Memory loss and loss of ability to concentrate
- Frequent sighs or weeping if unusual for the sufferer
- Feeling fear and loneliness;
- Thoughts of death
- Refusal to eat
- Refusal to take prescribed medications
- Thoughts or talk of suicide (remember, the notion that suicides do not signal their plans is a myth!)
- Significant changes in personality
- Irritability
What Can You Do?
A few simple steps may improve their condition rapidly:
- Call more often than usual.
- Take your elder for outings away from the house.
- Schedule a medical appointment to confirm or deny your suspicions, and be the one to take your elder to that appointment. Depression often accompanies the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
- Check bottles to be certain that your elder is actually taking prescribed medications at the recommended dosages. Too many or too few pills in the bottle can warn you of problems. If you find evidence that medications are not taken as prescribed, gently probe to see if you can learn why.
- Include the elder in parties and holiday festivities, but keep the duration of their participation at a level they can handle comfortably.
- Drop in more often than usual on homebound elders.
You don’t have to be a doctor or social worker to recognize the signs of depression. Take action now to protect those who protected you.
About The Author
Phyllis Staff, Ph.D. – Phyllis Staff is an experimental psychologist and the CEO of The Best Is Yet.Net, an internet company that helps seniors and caregivers find trustworthy residential care. She is the author of How to Find Great Senior Housing: A Roadmap for Elders and Those Who Love Them. She is also the daughter of a victim of Alzheimer’s disease. Visit the author’s web site at http://www.thebestisyet.net
Sawbones
I was rushing through the white-tented terminal building at Denver International Airport when my attention was diverted ? as if often is — by a storefront massage business. Checking my wristwatch, I calculated I had just enough time for a 20-minute chair massage.
I settled onto the light gray vinyl chair and placed my face inside the cushioned headrest. The massage therapist introduced himself. “I’m Lee,” he said. “But you can call me Sawbones.”
He must have seen the cartoon question mark floating above my head in an imaginary white bubble -”Sawbones?”-for he went on to tell me about himself.
Digging his thumbs into the back of my neck, Sawbones explained that massage was a new line of work for him.
“Do you like it?” I asked, my words muffled by the cushioned face rest.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, revealing a slight rancher’s drawl. “I get to meet interesting people, especially here at the airport. A few weeks ago, I massaged the lawyer for the Oklahoma City Bomber. He was on his way to his client’s execution.” Sawbones paused, as if remembering the occasion. “He was a little tense.”
Although his comment demanded a sarcastic response, I couldn’t think of one fast enough. Instead, I asked Sawbones if he worked only at the airport.
“No, ma’am. I also have an office by the Stock Show Complex.”
“The Stock Show Complex?”
“Yes, ma’am. That’s because I have another business. Custom cowboy hats.”
The cartoon question mark re-appeared. “Cowboy hats?”
“Yes, ma’am. I sell them at the Grizzly Rose, the country-western bar north of downtown.”
I inhaled the rosemary scent of the massage oil and debated whether to prod Sawbones for more information. Since I was unlikely to meet another cowboy-hat-making-masseur in the near future, I asked him if his massage business was growing.
“Yes, ma’am. See, I do horses too.”
“Horses?” I asked, feeling like I was being sucked down a conversational rabbit hole.
“Yes, ma’am. Horses like massage. They can get testy though.”
“I’ll bet.” I pictured a blonde Palomino lying hooves up on a massage table.
As Sawbones kneaded my upper arms, he asked what I did for a living.
“I’m a writer,” I said. Actually, I didn’t say that, because just then, Sawbones’ fingers pushed my head into the headrest making my answer sound more like “Imamiffer.”
Sawbones was unfazed. “Really?!” he exclaimed. “I’m a writer too!” He said this as if we were distant cousins meeting at a genealogy conference. “I write scripts!”
“Scripts?”
“Yes, ma’am. See, I also perform in Wild West Shows.”
The rabbit hole was getting deeper by the second. “What kinds of things are in your shows?”
“Shoot-outs. Stuff like that. I have a friend who looks like Abraham Lincoln. He’s gonna be in our show tomorrow night.”
Now, I’ve never been that great at history but I’ve never really pictured Abe Lincoln in a shoot-out, except, of course, for the incident at Ford’s Theater. I was about to ask Sawbones how Abe figured into his act when he pulled my arms behind my back and away from my body as if dressing a chicken. “You sure got some knots under here,” he said, poking underneath my shoulder blades. I began to comprehend the testiness of his equine clients.
Soon, our 20-minutes was up and Sawbones handed me his business card. “Massage,” it read. “For Horses and Humans.” “Just for future reference,” he added, “I also do home massage. It’s only 50 bucks and I bring my own table, oil, and CDs.” I accepted the card graciously even though I was fairly certain I’d never pay a man named Sawbones to tote oil and soft music into my house.
It’s been a week since my encounter with the custom-cowboy-hat-making, wild-west-show-performing, horse-and-human massage therapist and I can’t get him out of my mind.
Now, I know there are people who might find Sawbones a little low brow and unfocused. These people would assume Sawbones was a drifter who hadn’t found his true calling. But to me, Sawbones is wise. He can work indoors or out. He works with his hands and his mind. He also has built-in job security. The bottom could fall out of the cowboy hat market and Sawbones would still make it in the world.
Furthermore, Sawbones has already figured out what many of us spend our entire careers learning: How important it is to try new things. “Ma’am,” he said, “I do all these things because I promised myself I would never do the same boring thing all day long.”
Many people I know have said this same thing to themselves at one time or another. But the difference between Sawbones and most people is that he is not afraid to tackle new challenges, even if those challenges involve tense attorneys and testy horses. So think about Sawbones the next time you’re confronted with a new opportunity. Even if the job or project doesn’t work out the way you expected, you might end up with good fodder for airport conversation.
Copyright, 2005, Shari Caudron.
Shari Caudron is an award-winning columnist, writing coach, and author of “What Really Happened,” a collection of humorous stories about the lessons life teaches you when you least expect it. Shari regularly delivers speeches to women’s groups about how to transform ordinary experiences into opportunities for personal growth. Website: http://www.sharicaudron.com e-mail: shari@sharicaudron.com
Extreme Makeover ? Small Business Edition
Have you ever watched one of those home makeover shows? You know the scenario. The homeowners have decorated or remodeled their house all by themselves. After awhile, they realize that what they did is unprofessional, it doesn’t work, it’s not what they want, it’s not what they need, it’s ugly, or they just flat out despise it. So, they hire an expert designer to help.
After meeting with the family to find out their wants, needs, desires and dreams, the expert takes that information and goes to work, completely making over the house.
The final results are amazing. The differences are like night and day. The homeowners are surprised and utterly astonished. Some laugh and some even cry, because right in front of their eyes, they see what they never imagined possible. It’s what they want, it’s what they need, it’s what they were trying to do themselves, but simply couldn’t.
What does all of this have to do with graphic design and marketing?
Unfortunately, most small business owners, like the homeowners, do all their own graphic design and marketing themselves. They design the logo for their small business…themselves. They design the stationery for their small business…themselves. They write and design the brochure for their small business…themselves. They design and build the web site for their small business…themselves. Typically, they do ALL of the graphic design and marketing for their small business…you guessed it…themselves.
It’s unfortunate. Because the results of doing all of this…themselves…is similar to those experienced by the homeowners in the makeover shows. The graphic design and marketing materials they have created look unprofessional, they don’t work, they don’t get results, they look homemade and they aren’t functional. Simply put, they’re amateurish.
Sound familiar?
What should you do? Let’s reconsider the home makeover shows, and determine what the homeowners did right. You can learn something from the homeowners and apply this to your small business.
First. They realize that what they have done themselves, simply isn’t working. They’re frustrated that what they have done does not work anymore. They know that they need a change.
Second. They realize that they are not the experts in this particular area. They know that they need expert designer help to fix what they have done to make it functional, appealing and successful.
Third. They meet with the expert designer to discuss their wants, needs and desires. They express exactly what they want to accomplish. They also admit that what they have tried to do…themselves…doesn’t work.
Fourth. They let the expert get to work. They trust that they will get the results they want and desire. They know the finished product will far exceed what they could have ever done themselves.
Fifth. They get to see and experience the finished result, which is a beautiful, functional, valuable, contemporary, awesome solution that works and gives them the results they wanted to accomplish in the first place.
When it comes to creating and executing the graphic design and marketing materials for your small business, the same results can and will happen for you. But, you have to hire an expert to give your business an extreme makeover.
When the expert is done, the graphic design and marketing materials for your small business will be attractive, professional, beautiful, successful, what you want, what you need and it will accomplish the goals you are trying to achieve.
There is only one catch: you have to stop doing everything yourself.
If you are doing or have done all of the graphic design and marketing materials for your small business…all by yourself…it’s time to call in an expert.
Like the homeowners, chances are you’ll be surprised and completely amazed. Right in front of your eyes, you will see results that you always wanted, but could not achieve yourself.
Jeanna Pool is President of CATALYST creative, inc., located in Denver, Colorado. She helps small business owners who are really good at what they do, but struggle to market their services effectively to attract more clients on a consistent basis. She can be contacted at http://www.catalystcreativeinc.com or 303.380.9100.
Beyond A Mothers Nightmare To Radical Forgiveness
It was a moment I will never forget.
On February 22, 2003, I was visiting with my son Brian Michael (http://www.BrianMichaelGuthrie.com) at his home in North Carolina, where I had been since Christmas. Brian had had an accident at work a few days earlier and hurt his back, so I was keeping an eye on him.
At 7:00 am on that Saturday morning, I went into Brian’s room just to check on him – you know the way mothers check just to see if their children are breathing when they’re sleeping – even if he was 26 years old. I couldn’t see his chest moving, so I touched his arm. He felt cold, but I thought sometimes our skin feels cold when we are outside of the covers.
Then I felt his face and it was cool too. I shook his shoulder just a little, afraid to shake harder for fear of disturbing him because he had been in so much pain with his back. I thought maybe he would wiggle just a little and I would know he was okay. He didn’t.
I walked calmly into the bedroom where my husband, Dennis, was sleeping. I told Dennis I couldn’t wake up Brian and asked if he would come and see if he could wake him. Dennis came and tried. He couldn’t wake him.
I dialed 911 and told them I could not wake my son. They asked about my name, address, etc. and I asked them to please send an ambulance right now. They said it was on the way. The operator asked if I wanted to try CPR and I said my husband would try. He pushed on Brian’s chest, but it didn’t move. He tried to open his mouth and he couldn’t. Dennis looked at me and sadly said “I’m sorry.”
It was a moment I will never forget.
All the moments that followed are a blur. I remember several policemen in the house and they were asking questions. I felt like I was in a dream. My sister came before they took Brian away, and she and I had to argue with the police offers to get back into Brian’s room to say goodbye before they took him away.
I remember that I leaned across the bed and hugged Brian’s chest and I said, “I love you and I FORGIVE you.”
I’ve always wondered why I told him I forgave him. I even felt guilty for having said it.
A year and a half later I was introduced to a story, Jill’s Story, an excerpt from a book, Radical Forgiveness by Colin Tipping, and my perspective began to change. I began to understand. I realized that as I was saying goodbye to Brian I was “radically forgiving” him, acknowledging that my spiritual self knew that it was time for him to go and that his life had served a great purpose in my life.
Of course, I didn’t realize any of that when I said those words to Brian.
There’s more…
On that Saturday morning, after my Brian’s body had been taken away, my husband, my sister and I went over to Brian’s grandparents to tell them about Brian. I hardly remember exactly how we told them, but I remember my mother screamed “Oh, God NO!”
There was a mandatory autopsy which took more than five months to be finalized and the results are still not clear. The autopsy indicates that the pain medication prescribed for Brian’s back injury interacted with another prescription he was taking for a bi-polar disorder and caused a toxic level in his blood.
However, his grandparents and his friends were not able to see his face and say goodbye.
We made funeral arrangements the next day and I took Brian’s favorite clothes and shoes to the funeral home, along with his favorite gel for his hair and a photograph of how he liked his hair styled.
The next day we were scheduled to go to the Funeral Home for a private viewing before the public visitation in the evening. The funeral director called to ask if we wanted Brian’s mustache shaved. Brian had no mustache, but we thought he must have been talking about growth since Brian had been in bed for 3 days, so we said yes, clean shaven.
Later I learned that my sister was also called and told that Brian’s hair seemed too long for the hair gel and the style of the picture we provided. The funeral director also described a tattoo… and it was not Brian’s. My sister went to the funeral home and found that the funeral home had the wrong body. It was not Brian.
We learned that the bodies of two young men, both autopsied at the same hospital, had been transported to the wrong funeral homes. The family of the other young man had requested immediate cremation ? so my Brian’s body had already been cremated.
At that point, the funeral director came to our house and through tears told us that the bodies had been mixed up and that Brian had been cremated. He asked how we would like to proceed. I told him I didn’t want to change anything. I wanted the ashes to be buried in the casket as planned. Brian’s grandfather had made special arrangements for a burial plot for Brian next to where he and Brian’s grandmother will one day be buried, and that is where we all wanted him buried.
We went to the visitation scheduled that evening and of course had to explain to everyone why Brian’s body was not there. We put pictures and letters and poems in the casket. I put Brian’s new glasses that he loved so much and his favorite book (Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg), that a woman had given to him in the airport the year before while he was waiting in the airport to fly home from spending a week with us in Michigan for Thanksgiving. He felt he had experienced a miracle in meeting the woman who gave him the book. Brian was a writer and he wanted so much to write a book, so this little book was very special to him.
There were many people involved in the events that occurred in conjunction with Brian’s passing and the subsequent accidental cremation. It all seemed just too incredible to be true. How could this possibly happen to Brian and to me and my family?
I may never completely understand the purpose of these events, but as I continue to embrace the principles of Radical Forgiveness, it is becoming clearer and clearer to me that everything that happens is in divine order. There is no one to forgive.
I believe it is Brian’s gift to me of helping me to know that part of my life’s work is to share the concepts of Radical Forgiveness. Since I read Jill’s Story and Radical Forgiveness I have felt powerfully driven and compelled to learn and share these concepts, which mean much more than what we know as traditional “forgiveness.”
You are invited to read “Jill’s Story,” the first chapter of from Radical Forgiveness by Colin Tipping at http://www.ArtOfRadicalForgiveness.com
May the concepts and principles of Radical Forgiveness make a difference in your life too.
Copyright 2005 Linda Miller is a Spiritual Entrepreneur whose quest is to empower others to deliberately create true abundance and prosperity while contributing to increasing the consciousness of the world. This article may be distributed freely, provided that this resource box is included in its entirety.
http://www.SpiritualEntrepreneurToday.com
http://www.MyDivineDirection.com
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Do You Need an Expensive Padded, Cushioned, Air Bubbled, Gelled Running Shoe?
Nike Free does not think so; and neither should you. Read on to find out why this concerns every one of us, our health and a good deal of wasted money. This is not a story of the Nike Free shoe; it’s about our freedom and growth.
It has been a really long time since a major shoemaker has stepped forward and acknowledged that the human foot is the perfect running, walking machine.
Hence, a good shoe should be simple and that allows this perfect machine to execute flawlessly, rather than attempt to take over Nature’s function.
This is the core concept of the Nike Free line of shoes. Shoes that both mimic and allow the foot its freedom to get things done – in this case, walking, jogging and running.
Nonetheless, detractors argue that the lack of structural support and cushioning undermines the shoe’s ability to be a serious running shoe. The experts are spewing out terms like ? Stress Fracture, Calf Injury, Knee Injuries, Plantar Fasciitis.
The Footwear Market & You
In the footwear industry, structural support and cushioning are considered the benchmarks of shoe superiority. The more features a shoe has; the more acclaim it will receive and, coincidentally, the more expensive it will cost.
Do we, as consumers, really need all that expensive support and cushioning?
Is it really better for us?
For centuries across civilizations, shoes were only worn as status symbols by aristocrats; while the common folk went about barefooted.
The very people, who walked the most and ran the most, went about their daily lives barefooted!
Obviously, shoes did not come about as an invention because our feet failed; it came as an invention of luxury and ego.
In the centuries that have gone by, our feet still maintain this same powerful ability. Today, we have barefoot marathon runners across the world and complete communities of tribal people who live barefooted.
Our God given machine of motion still explodes power in this day and age!
Yet, weekend runners who barely run a tenth of a marathon are spending hundreds of dollars to buy advanced technology for their feet!
Why is the man on the street spending so much on high ? tech shoes when marathon runners and hunters happily thrive without them?
The answer is advertising and product branding.
Shoemakers astutely noticed that city folks are mostly overpronators or underpronators. Hence, in an effort to capitalise on this underlying dysfunction, they design shoes that support and cushion shock. Consequently, detaching and depriving the foot from its primary role as locomotion point guard.
Overpronation, Underpronation and Neutral Feet
More than 75% of city dwellers are either overpronators or underpronators. Essentially, it means that your feet lose their ability to accommodate ground unevenness and absorption of daily walking stress. Your foot has curved in one direction and cannot return to neutral state ? think of it as a jammed window that cannot close.
In its functional state, our feet are made to pronate; curve to suit the contours of the ground. This is how we can run side ways on slopes and edges without tumbling over. Hence, feet with full range of pronation can walk, run, jog barefooted and not injure themselves (assuming you are not silly enough to go running on broken glass).
Since the foot has lost its ability to fully pronate, shoemakers generally believe that a shoe has to be padded, cushioned, gelled and reinforced. The reason being that it will make up for the feet’s loss of pronation range. Hence, the natural progression towards spending millions on technology research and charging you hundreds of dollars more per pair.
On the other hand, I look at all these structured shoes like crutches. Yes, we may need it for a while. But, when we consistently wear them and use them, we can never regain our natural ability to move the way we were originally made to – Pain free, explosive and flexible.
A plain simple running shoe that allows your feet to spread out is sufficient and good for any weekend jogger. It also happens to be much easier on the wallet! If you do want a fancier shoe, the Nike Free series would be a good buy because it goes beyond un-restriction of the feet; it mimics the shape of the feet and offers the feet much more control.
Ultimately, the injury and pain does not come from the lack of a jazzed up shoe, but rather dysfunctional feet.
My Feet / Knee / Shin / Calf hurts because of my Pronation. What do I do now?
I would first make a wild guess that the sole of your shoe is eaten up excessively on one side of the shoe. This could occur on one or both shoes. Do not assume that both feet equally underpronate or overpronate.
The first thing to do is to throw away all your shoes that reflect this unevenness. Go buy new pairs of shoes; neutral shoes that do not have excessive support. Have fun shopping, do it with a friend, a spouse or alone!
After a while, if you do not buy new pairs of shoes, your recovery will be impeded because you never throw away the “crutch”.
The next step is to slowly walk barefooted and as often as possible. You can start with your house, followed by the beach or park. The aim is to re-introduce your 26 foot bones and muscles to the sensation of the natural foot movement. They have been trapped in the shoe for all these years.
Finally, you have to move into active rehabilitation to help your body recover its neutral state. It is not some costly procedure, but rather a series of simple movement patterns that specifically unlock your frozen foot muscles and reintroduce your body to its natural alignment.
Some familiar exercises like yoga and pilates do help in this process. Nonetheless, if you want it quicker, faster and simpler, drop by http://phenogy.com to find out how you can be free of knee pains, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, flat foot, raised arch and other musculoskeletal injuries that are by-products of feet pronation.
Even if you think that you are not suffering from any of this at the moment. Take 5 seconds to stand straight up, feet shoulder width apart?. Now look down? Are your feet parallel to each other? Both pointing forward?
It is a disservice to yourself to cheat by correcting them. You have to look at your feet when they are at a relaxed state. Take a look when you go to work, or go shopping.
If your feet flare out or curve in or are not parallel pointing to the front. It is a very strong hint of future musculoskeletal injuries, that includes the above conditions coupled with back, shoulder and neck dysfunction.
Nonetheless, you may be that rare 1 out of 4 who have neutral feet. Congratulations and keep up whatever good motion that you already have!
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The author, Winston Ng, is an avid peak performance coach and CEO of Phenogy Health Advisors Pte Ltd, based in Singapore. His Health Consultancy programmes are renowned worldwide for their efficiency, simplicity and independent unbiased advice. The Phenogy Health Concierge? is unparalleled internationally in providing cutting edge Natural Health Alternatives to the busy individual who needs viable options to invasive surgery, dangerous synthetic pills and overpriced ineffective therapies!
They want you to experience their service before spending a single dime! Receive FREE Health Coaching and find out more about their E-Manuals and Consultancy Services! http://phenogy.com
Winston Ng and his Coaches are contactable at enquiries@phenogy.com
