Daily Inspiration -Thanksgiving Day Eddition

"Lord, 'tis Thy plenty-dropping hand 
That soils my land,
And giv'st me for my bushel sowne
Twice ten for one.
All this, and better, Thous dost send
Me, to this end,
That I should render, for my part,
A thankful heart."

-- Robert Herrick


"To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant,
to enact gratitude is generous and noble,
but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven."

-- Johannes A Gaertner


"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.
It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order,
confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast,
a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace
for today and creates a vision for tomorrow."

-- Melody Beattie

Happy Thanksgiving!

Give Thanks!

A Thanksgiving message we all should consider...

The Right Ways to Use Credit Cards this Christmas

A lot of consumers fall in to deep credit card debt right after Christmas. No one can really blame them because indeed, it is easy to lose control in the midst of the crazy holiday's shopping. However, being stuck in debt is a credit card blunder that can cause financial ruin if not rectified early on. But consumers don't have to end this way if they know how to handle their Christmas shopping. Using the right ways to use credit cards this Christmas, consumers can have a wonderful time without the debt.

Shopping at Sales

One way to save money during shopping is by buying items at a discount. During Christmas season, sales and discounts are plenty and this is the right time to buy all the gifts they'll going to give. Sales can be found in the malls, garage sales, thrift shops, and even online.

Setting a Budget

If there is one thing that should be clear during Christmas shopping that is the budget.People must determine early on how much will they be willing to spend on each present. This may depend on the kind of presents they have in mind. Some may come cheap and some expensive. But regardless, people must list everyone that needs gifting and they should write the amount of the corresponding gift.

During shopping, they must stick to their budget and avoid charging unnecessary things. This will cause impulse buying and they would end up regretting this shopping crime later on. By sticking to the list people don't lose the discipline and will to keep away from debt.

Redeeming Points

If a consumer has diligently earned points throughout the year, Christmas would be a good time to redeem them. This can tremendously help in saving for Christmas presents because the rewards may give gift certificates or discounted shopping at select stores. Gift certificates can mean free shopping. In this case no credit cards will be involved thereby saving a consumer from debt. In some cases, prizes can be in forms of items. The consumer has a choice to whether gift the item or save it for himself. Either way, he won't have to use his credit cards to buy gifts.

After the holidays, even if a consumer managed to escape the troubles of deep debt, he would still accumulate some debt from his other charges. The best way to get out of this fast is by paying on time and in bigger amounts. This shall finish off the debt in a short span of time.

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Sean Teahan co-founder of Cash Doctors,Australia's preferred short term lender, shares his insights on money matters. Founded in 2005 Cash Doctors has helped thousands of Australians with their fast cash loans but that's just the short term solution. Cash Doctors also help people in the long run by providing budgeting tools, e-books and individually researched articles on money matters and financial tips. The aim is to assist people in achieving instant and long term financial freedom.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/credit-articles/the-right-ways-to-use-credit-cards-this-christmas-3697302.html

Daily Inspiration -November 24, 2010

By Terry Minion -

"Out of clutter, find Simplicity.
From discord, find Harmony.
In the middle of difficulty lies Opportunity."

-- Albert Einstein

Life would not expand if we always got what we wanted. To go even deeper, there wouldn't even be a choice that exists. In order to choose, there must be something to choose from.

The choices don't have to be so even as dark and light, yes and no, but contrast of one thing that doesn't feel as good compared with something that feels better allows expansion as well.

From that then, out of clutter, simplicity is possible and if desired will come. From discord, harmony is a possibility if desired. And, as with opportunity always existing within difficulty, born of the contrast, a desire is born that chooses a preference and makes a decision to focus on this instead of that.

Perhaps then at some point, realizing this, expands into accepting it as it is, as it always has been and that there never need be concern again about the clutter, discord or difficulty, for out of them, we learn to pay attention, make choices that feel better, move toward them, and expand.

Daily Inspiration -November 23, 2010

By Terry Minion -

"The essence of optimism is that it takes no account of the present,
but it is a source of inspiration, of vitality and hope where others
have resigned; it enables a man to hold his head high, to claim the
future for himself and not to abandon it to his enemy."

-- Dietrich Bonhoeffer


"Optimism doesn't wait on facts.
It deals with prospects.
Pessimism is a waste of time."

-- Norman Cousins

No matter how optimistic you think you are, there is probably someone to help you strengthen it. For me, that is my business partner, Ryan Stone.


I've always considered myself an optimist, looking toward a brighter future, but a lot of that was smoke and mirrors for a long time. It was a trained response. You see, I got into sales as a career when I was 22 and then at 25 became a sales manager, so I had to learn to be optimistic, to encourage and to be a leader--or try to be a leader. As a newbie in this field, I studied and studied and read books, listened to records and did everything I could to become an optimistic person and lead accordingly.

As a result of the constant study, (which I have yet to stop over 30 years later) I have to say that I think I succeeded for the most part. But, there are days. . . You probably know what I'm talking about--days when you feel pessimistic and doubtful; days when you just didn't get enough sleep, or feel like you need a vacation from the hustle and bustle of life, you know. . . escape!

I have to admit that I have those days. I am also very pleased that they are few in comparison with my past; however, when they come, sometimes I just need a little help from my friends, you know? Ryan is that. He can turn me back around toot sweet and have me laughing and cashing imaginary checks and what not. I think we do that for each other actually. It seems he gets that way too sometimes, and I help him get back on track.

We all need some friends sometimes. One of the most awesome things we can all do is to surround ourselves with people who, for the most part, are uplifting, optimistic, and encouraging. It can make all the difference, I know it for a fact.

Thanks, Ryan! The best partner I can imagine having. I'm blessed.

This Week on BABU Radio - The Benefits of Being Thankful

Thanksgiving is here again and everyone is talking about all that they have to be thankful for. But did you know that there are actually benefits to being thankful, in and of itself? Discuss this an more during this edition of BABU Radio.
______________________

Join Craig DeLuz for Building a Better U (BABU) Radio, where he provides advice to help you address the issues and challenges you face in everyday life. Family, Relationships, Business Health... you name it. Call in to our live show or email us at craig@USmediagroup.net and we will answer your questions live on the show.

Click Here to listen in live or to download the podcast.

DETAILS

Wednesday, November 24, 2010
5:00 - 5:30 pm (PST)

Call-in number: (347) 826-9116
Text Line: (916) 468-0594
 Email: craig@usmediagroup.net

11 Easy Ways to Lose Weight in 2 Weeks

By Jason Oh -

Looking for easy ways to lose weight and in 2 weeks? Below are 11 surefire ways you can do now to lose your weight now-


1. Beware scale obsession - weight should come off slowly - a half pound to one pound a week - as a result of cutting junk calories while fueling your body properly for the next workout and recovery. Think of your body as a high performance engine - raise the octane of the fuel you use and stop filling when the tank is full.

2. To lose weight in 2 weeks, you have to cut down on the junk foods (not completely), stop eating out and drink less sugary drinks, including the diet kinds.

3. Eat more fresh wholesome foods and whole grain products. It's simply the best and loaded with the essential fiber to keep you satisfied longer. The simple rule is, try to get in 2 serves of fruits and 5 serves of veggies a day.

4. Make it a point each day to include a good habit like drinking one less can of coke or eating one more serve of fruit.


5. Eat 6 healthy mini meals a day to keep your stomach satisfied. The key here is eat in controlled portions and never go for that second serve or a super size meal. Stick to the 1 plate rule to keep your calorie intake at bay.

6. Even 'bad foods' can be good, in 'moderation'. The keys are portion size and cooking method. Juicy, tender cuts of steak are fatty, but are fine to eat if you trim the lard before cooking, or grill it so excess fat can drip away. As for easy guideline on portions, always eat less steak than you would chicken.

7. No matter what you've eaten, take note of how your body feels after a meal, rather than how you think you should feel. If you're still hungry later in the day, treat yourself to a piece of sweet in season fruit rather than a sugar filled snack or dessert. Then go ahead and pat yourself on the back.


8. Food is not the enemy. Food powers your brain and your muscles; without it, you'll lose your energy soon. If you missed a midday meal, eat a piece of fresh fruit or a handful of whole wheat crackers before you head for the gym.


9. How many of us slip chips and chocolate into our trolley for emergencies? It's vital to stop buying junk if you want to stop eating junk! Be strong and avoid purchasing extra snacks. You'll notice that both your grocery bill and snacking habits will start decreasing. If the foods aren't there, you can't eat them!

10. Your favorite exercise - only better - daily walker? Seasoned swimmer? You get kudos for your commitment, but you maybe short changing yourself. As you become more accustomed to your favorite activity, you burn fewer calories. This doesn't mean you have to ditch your go to exercise - just mix it up. As your fitness improves, increase the intensity levels to challenge your body (but train with in your limits). Look at jogging 100 yards followed by another hundred yards of walking, rinse and repeat. It's a great way to jolt the body's metabolism.

Alternatively, look at a combination of interval training and strength training like Turbulence Training to get the maximum output from your body - And when combined with good nutrition, it is one of the easy ways to lose weight with.

Ladies, strength training is good for you too - you will not bulk up and with muscles, you will burn more calories.


11. Use your lunch break wisely - spend half your lunch break walking. Taking a midday walk or a run can boost your energy, and reduce stress. Best yet, it gives you more time after work with family or friends.

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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/11-easy-ways-to-lose-weight-in-2-weeks-490991.html

Daily Inspiration -November 22, 2010

By Terry Minion -

"As long as you think the problem is out there,
that very thought is the problem."

-- Stephen Covey

That which we battle against gets more attention than it deserves and it often wins the battle in that it is expanded without its own effort. We expand it for our attention to it. In that, the battle is won by the problem, disease, situation, relationship, job, whatever.

The problem is not the problem, it is our focus on the problem that is the problem. So, what does that mean? If there is a problem, learn to be grateful for it, bless it, and then turn and focus on the solution. A simpler way to say it is that when you find something you don't want or don't like, then be thankful for that information, turn and focus on what you want or what you would like. It's all the same thing.

So many times, we have an issue and we continually look at that issue and fret or worry about it, see how we can combat it or eradicate it, who else has had the problem and what they did about it, search the Internet for more information about the problem, tell our friends and coworkers about the problem, ask the prayer group to pray about the problem, complain about the problem and even cry about the problem. What is reinforced is the problem. It has grown way out of proportion by now. It is now a much larger problem than it was when it was first presented.

When we understand that the problem is not the real problem, but instead an opportunity to choose what we want, we can learn to get out of that old habit of reinforcing and expanding the problem, and immediately, or very soon, thank the problem for the information, turn and speak of what is wanted. Expand what is wanted. Focus on what is wanted.

If I have ill health and speak of the ill health, research all about the disease and continually expand the importance and presence of the disease, I am expanding the disease. I must thank the disease for the information, turn and focus on my health instead of the disease.

The same is true of losing a job, the state of the economy or whatever has presented itself in our lives that is not what we want. Thanking the problem for the information, and turning toward what we want and giving 100% of our attention to that is the thing that will change everything for us.

Why Do People Start Smoking?

By Aaron Gregory -

There is no other way to say it; smoking is extremely dangerous to health. Although a word of warning is written in each pack of cigarettes, its effect and value to smokers suffered defeat. If only smokers would take a look at the chemicals contained in a cigarette, there are many more toxic ingredients that they don't really know about. These are chemicals known to cause lung cancer and other cancers, along with a range of other life threatening diseases.

Well there are quite a few different reasons that folk go ahead with smoking first cig, which is obviously what gets them started in the first place. When kids are at school they are really inclined to fall for peer pressure because if some other person is doing it, they want to feel cool and slot in and don't want to be picked on.

This is the age in fact where the bulk of people start smoking because this is the first time that they try it, and even if they try smoking first cigarette and feel sick for example and then don't try it again for a while, they are still rather more likely than others to start over for good in the future.

Are Smokers Still Thought Of As Cool?

Another reason that many folks start smoking first cigarette is due to the image that it portrays. A lot of people feel extraordinarily dignified and sophisticated when they're holding a cigarette, while others feel that it gives them that bad boy look and though they are going to be more attractive to girls.

In fact, in studies that have been done, it shows that very few people are actually drawn to the image of somebody smoking and so smoking first cigarette would really not make sense here, unless you go back to the time of the 1950s as an example where it seemed as though pretty much everyone smoked and it was actually the cool thing to do.

Why You should Not Start Smoking - And Why It Is Not Ever too Late To Kick The Smoking Habit

Of course there are tons of different reasons as to the reasons why a person could start smoking, but there are even more as to the reasons why you should stop smoking. Smoke odor is another reason (that's not health related) to quit smoking. When you stop smoking, you'll stop permeating your hair, mouth, clothes, house, and car with the smell of cigarette smoke. There are lots of different ways to stop smoking: Stop smoking hypnosis, wearing a nicotine patch, or blowing through water vapor cigarettes. Which stop smoking method is right for you depends on a variety of factors including your personality and how often you smoke. Which method will make it easiest for you to stop smoking is hard to say - it depends on you, your health, and how often you currently smoke. Generally speaking, the less frequently you smoke, the easier it will be for you to stop smoking all together.

Some people find that gradually lessening the number of cigarettes they smoke each day is an effective approach to quit. However, this strategy does not work for everyone, having to adapt a personal plan to fit your specific needs and requirements can be a big help. A good method to start is thinking about why you want to quit and then writing down all your reasons and options. Stopping smoking requires understanding of your choices and preparation for quitting as it will be more convenient for you to manage quitting, even probably after many unsuccessful attempts.

It is a fact that numerous smokers wish that they didn't started to smoke and that they could give up tomorrow. When quitting, it can be helpful to realize that the first few days are the hardest. So don't give up. Willpower, determination and mindset are the most important aspects when giving up smoking. Take your life back! Deciding to stop smoking must be abrupt and not gradual as some people suggest. Staying smoke free will provide you an entire new perspective of everything, more energy, better appearance, more money in the pocket, and of course, more life to live.

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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/addictions-articles/why-do-people-start-smoking-3682179.html

Daily Inspiration -November 21, 2010

By Terry Minion -

"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door."

-- Milton Berle

I absolutely love this quote by Milton Berle. To me, it speaks of the difference between hoping for an opportunity and expecting one and that difference is everything.

I've known people out of work, lost in transition, hoping for the right opportunity, then hoping for any opportunity, and often the opportunity doesn't come. They cite examples of the economy and its present state of disrepair, along with a long list of reasons and excuses, facts, fantasy and rumor. It's depressing to see. It represents an attitude that is completely build around lack, or what's not right, or what's not right yet. It's an effort in problem solving at best. Days are stacked one on top of another in fear and despair.

I've known people out of work, interested in the transition, expecting the right opportunity, expecting lots of opportunities, and the opportunities come in quantity and quality. These folks cite belief in themselves, excitement for life, a sense of adventure, and confidence in getting what they want and need. It's exciting to watch. It represents an attitude that is build around self-confidence, love of life and a desire to express themselves in what they love doing while being open to new horizons. It is an effort to expand ones self to the fullest. Days are added one unto another as accumulations of experience.

These are highly contrasted situations and I have seen them both and lots of places in between. The main difference in how it all works out comes down to what Milton Berle said jokingly, but so correctly is that if opportunity doesn't know, build a door. How true, how true. Thanks Milt!

How To Get Your Kids To Organize Their Bedroom

By Marilyn Bohn -

I was not a perfect child by any stretch of the imagination. But one thing I don't remember is my mother having to nag me to organize my room and get rid of clutter. Maybe I just have selective memory.

Now my brother on the other hand is a different story. He was very popular at school. He was into all kinds of sports and student government. But at home he was, how do I put this nicely? He was messy. If there was anyone who needed to get rid of clutter it was him. He didn't leave things around the house but his room was awful and he didn't want to clean it.My mother used to worry that he would be hurt on the football field and the medical people would have to carry him home on a stretcher to his room and she would be mortified that it was so awful.

As an organizing expert I see firsthand the problems between parents and children as they fight over keeping their rooms organized and they insist they have to get rid of clutter. Many times the kids can't see any clutter in their rooms as we as adults do.

It is ineffective to say to a child go and clean your room and get rid of clutter and organize it. Have you tried it? Has it worked? Probably not, not even with older children does that technique work. Here are 8 sensible ideas on how to get your kids to organize their bedroom.

1. Teach the child, no matter the age, what it means to have an organized, clutter free room. Walk around their bedroom with them and look in the drawers, in the closet and under the bed and talk to them about what you expect the room to look like when it is organized. Listen to them about what they think an organized room should look like. Come to an understanding so when you need to tell them to clean or organize their room they will know what it needs to look like when they are done.

For a young child it is never effective to say clean your room. They need specific instructions such as: put your dirty clothes in the hamper, put the books on the book shelf, hang up the clothes on the floor in your closet, and put your toys away. Children can't remember more than one or two instructions at a time and many adults can't either. So the child may need to be given one task to do and then come back to you for another task to do. For older children have them write it down and have them check it off after it is done.

2. Make it easy for a child to stay organized and get rid of clutter. Provide a waste paper basket in their room for trash. They will be responsible to empty it once a week or when it is full, whichever comes first.

3. For small children have plenty of child friendly containers to separate their toys into. Label the container with a picture or words to help them remember what toy goes where. Get their input as to which bin they want to use for which toy. When you get their opinions they are more likely to cooperate and have a feeling of ownership for things that are theirs. Also it is a great time to teach how to organize and get rid of clutter.

4. Have containers, drawers and closet rods at the child's level so they can use them.

5. Don't cram their closet with clothes they can't wear. In their closet and drawers only keep clothes they can wear. Seasonal clothes should be removed and placed in bins that are labeled and put on top of their closet or in some other room. If you are saving their clothes for another child label the bin with the size of the clothes.

6. Teach children the joy of giving by giving them the opportunity to clean up toys they no longer play with and take them to a local shelter.

7. Put a bookcase in their room for books and teach them how to take care of books. You could keep one shelf free for small toys they use often.

8. Teach children to make their bed every day. When their bed is made their room looks neater and it will encourage them to get rid of clutter and keep their room neat and tidy.Kids can be expected to keep their rooms free of clutter and adults can teach them and encourage them to do so by example and providing them the tools they need.

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Marilyn Bohn is the owner of Get it Together Organizing, a business dedicated to developing practical organizing solutions that help individuals and business professionals live clutter-free and productive lives. She is the author of "Go Organize! Conquer Clutter in Three Simple Steps" and is an experienced, enthusiastic public speaker, a member of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) and the author of hundreds of articles covering various organizing topics.

Marilyn takes the often stressful subject of organizing and breaks it down into a simple, easy to understand system. Her methods are both eye-opening and encouraging! She has a passion for helping others reach their personal goals and living a better, clutter-free life!

Marilyn also offers personal, private consulting to assist in organizing. She invites you to visit her website http://www.marilynbohn.com for easy organizing.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/how-to-get-your-kids-to-organize-their-bedroom-3698333.html

Daily Inspiration -November 20, 2010

By Terry Minion -

"All riches have their origin in mind.
Wealth is in ideas--not money."

-- Robert Collier


"Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps,
down new roads, armed with nothing but their own vision."

-- Ayn Rand

I've been writing about change in the last few pieces, and how those changes--sometimes sudden, sometimes not--affect our lives and work. Hidden inside every problem or seemingly (at first) negative circumstance, lies boundless opportunity, and if we can really come to not just acknowledge this as a possibility or a fact, but as a joyful event that always brings joy, though it may only be a matter of looking for it, there is nothing on earth to stop us.

Even though I know this, I haven't yet reached the joyous expectation phase immediately, but I am getting good at it and will have it mastered soon enough. And, the best way to get good at it, and approach mastery of it is to practice going over the positive aspects of where you are now, and where you want to be, while completely (as much as possible for now) ignoring the situation that is causing the change.

So, today, I was driving on the freeway to an early morning appointment with an existing client and another appointment with another client right afterward. As I'm driving, I'm thinking about the changes happening right now, and I feel myself looking back a bit. . . and all of a sudden, it hit me! Just three years ago, last month, the business that my partner and I have built was just an idea. It was just a thought. It barely existed in my mind as a complete thought. I wasn't sure how it would come together, when or any other material factor. I just wanted it to happen, and the funny part of that is that I wasn't even sure what it was exactly, I just knew approximately what I wanted. It was just an idea.

When I expressed this idea to someone, the ball began to roll without my even realizing it. In fact, within 50 days of sharing the idea, the opportunity presented itself in reality. It took my breath away for a second or two literally, then it began to sink in slowly as a new reality. The business was born. I didn't even have a partner at that time except a name written down in a notebook along with my choices of other key team members I wanted on my team someday. Within 90 days of beginning, my partner came on board. It was just an idea. He was just an idea. It was all just an idea.

As I looked back for just a minute and realized it was just an idea only 3 years ago, I was overcome with the joy of the journey to where it is now, while at the same exact time looking forward with even more joy to where it is going and watching it unfold. Those are the kind of thoughts that are so powerful in helping you turn changing circumstances into boundless joy.

One a side note, be careful when you really decide what you want, because it might go from a thought to a reality much faster than you would have imagined.

Constructive Criticism - How to Give and Receive It

By FerragusLapointe -

We all dream of success in life but unfortunately not everyone can succeed. This is a saying... "Only the fittest will survive". Well, this saying was not just thrown up without a reason. There is a reason behind this statement. But perhaps you are asking... who is the "fittest"?

Well, we all know that life always tosses up a few challenges for all of us every now and then. It doesn't matter what you do, you are going to face many challenges in life. Only those who have the courage to face and break through the challenges will come out as a victor. That is why there is a term like... Only the fittest will survive.

You will receive countless criticisms along the way; some good some bad. What you have to understand about criticisms is that, despite the harshness of words, they were spoken in truth and so it is up to you how to digest it.

Successful people are able to take criticisms and transform them into advantages for them. It is not going to be easy to face the wrath of criticism from others, but if you can take them in your strides, you would become a better each time when you swallow a criticism and devour its full essence.

Different people take criticisms differently. Some grow even stronger with criticisms while others just fall flat. If you want to survive, learn how to take criticisms lightly, no matter how harsh they are. If you are able to do that, you are actually going to benefit from them.

Of course, learning how to accept criticisms lightly is crucial to your success, however, on the other hand, you must also learn how to give constructive criticism.

How to Give Constructive Criticism?

Constructive criticisms should be utilized to transform you; but there are some guidelines that critics should consider before voicing out their own opinions. Follow the following guidelines when giving criticism to others:

1. Do not criticize the person as a person, focus on criticizing hir or her behaviour instead.

2. Focus your criticism on the present situation. Don't bring up the past. Let bygone be bygone and focus on making thing better for the future.

3. Before throwing out your punches or criticisms, try to understand first why you are offering such criticism. What are your bases?

4. Before speaking, take a quick role reversal in your head and deal with the criticism as if you are the one receiving it.


5. Always remember that while you give criticism, you must be prepared to receive it too. If you can't, then you should not criticize others!

6. Before you give criticism, always throw up a few positive aspects of the person first, this can really help take away some of the bitterness.

7. Use the word "I", to emphasize to the person that it is your own opinion.

8. Encourage a two-way dialogue. Don't just firing out all your criticisms at once, ask questions and encourage them to share with you their feelings and opinions. This is the secret to giving constructive criticisms.

If you follow the above guidelines when criticizing others, people will sense that you are actually giving them positive feedbacks and they will appreciate it because they know that you want them to be better.


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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/self-improvement-articles/constructive-criticism-how-to-give-and-receive-it-3697175.html

A Prayer To Heal A Broken Heart - 5 Suggestions

By Marie-Claire Smith -

Love is a bond between two people whose connection lies deep in the hearts of each one. A romantic relationship means so much on so many levels, especially when the other person feels like our soul mate.

Of course, as powerful as the love between two people can be, it is also a very fragile thing. A mistaken action (such as an affair), long-term neglect, or just two people growing in different directions can lead to a breakup.

The aftermath of a difficult breakup almost always means a broken heart for one or both of the people. Whether the relationship was a marriage or just a very serious romance, the pain of a breakup can be unbearable. The pain can come and go as time passes, feeling sharper at some times that at others.

Fortunately, prayer can heal a broken heart. Whether or not you consider yourself religious or spiritual, prayer can have a powerful effect on a person's well-being and healing. Prayer is a very personal thing, but there are some guidelines you can learn for praying to heal a broken heart.

If you are looking for a prayer to heal a broken heart, here are 5 suggestions:

1. Bring into your heart all of the underlying feelings you still have:

Bring into your mind and heart all of the feelings that you harbor inside you about the breakup. By keeping them within your awareness, you can allow the prayer to influence them more.

2. Pray on guidance for what the best next steps are:

Ask God, the Universe, or your higher self (depending upon your belief system) for guidance on what you should do next in order to get over the breakup and heal your broken heart. Then, be inwardly silent so that you can hear the response.

3. Send positive thoughts toward your ex:

Take this opportunity to send warm, positive, and well-wishing thoughts toward your ex. Remember, beneath all of the issues your relationship had, your ex is still a warm, loving person.

4. Pray for your own healing:

Next, be sure to pray for your own healing process to advance even further so that you can get on with the next phase of your life.

5. If you still believe the two of you belong together, pray to make it so:

During your prayer, you may come to the realization that you believe you should still be with your ex. If so, put together a plan to make that happen. And, of course, pray on it.

Take these 5 suggestions for a prayer to heal a broken heart.

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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/breakup-articles/a-prayer-to-heal-a-broken-heart-5-suggestions-3698157.html

Daily Inspiration - November 19, 2010

By Terry Minion -

"Anxiety doesn't attack."


"The components of anxiety, stress, fear, and anger do not exist
independently of you in the world. They simply do not exist
in the physical world, even though we talk about them as if they do."


"Simply put, you believe that things or people make you unhappy,
but this is not accurate. You make yourself unhappy."

-- Dr. Wayne Dyer

We can certainly feel the emotions of anxiety, stress, fear, anger and unhappiness, but many, if not most of us, were taught that there is always something outside of ourselves to blame for this. People say, "it's so stressful at work," or "I don't need this extra stress!" or, "that guy sure knows how to push my buttons," and other such statements. It would seem by those statements that stress is being issued unevenly, or that it is running around looking for a victim to stress-out.

If we really think about these, it is easy to see that they don't really exist except as a response within ourselves to. . . not something or someone else, but from our own thinking. Something is said or experienced and we react to it. Maybe the reaction is automatic since we learned it so long ago, or sometimes we react in a way that we think is appropriate, even though in reality, we may not feel that way at all. For example, maybe someone is crying and showing sadness at a funeral, but they really don't feel that way if it weren't for the people around them expecting them to feel that way. It might be easier to just follow the "rules" though they may not be your own.

The analogy of "pushing my buttons," is a good way to see the action of these emotions, except it isn't someone else pushing our buttons, it is ourselves pushing them. I've said this before, but I used to get angry in traffic and cuss at the people doing stupid things and get all uptight. It didn't help and it didn't serve me. One day, I decided to stop it and just say to myself, "that's an interesting way to do that! I wouldn't have thought of doing it that way." With a bit of practice, I never get upset in traffic anymore. But, it wasn't the other drivers pushing my buttons, it was my reaction (my own emotions from my thinking) to what they did and I became upset (I upset myself). It was a stimulus-response scenario. Maybe I can't change the stimulus, but I know for certain that I can change the response, and I do that by changing my thoughts about it.

This is the way to change anything. Feeling stressful? We can change our thinking and our response the the stimulus that we were previously reacting automatically to. Same applies to anger, anxiety, unhappiness, or any other level of emotion. It may not be the "norm," but I don't need to follow the norm off the cliff, just because they are going that way, do I?

How Do I Calculate Finance Charges?

By Peter Kenny -

Having some knowledge of how to calculate finance charges is always a good thing. Most lenders, as you know, will do this for you, but it can helpful to be able to check the math yourself. It is important, however, to understand that what is presented here is a basic procedure for calculating finance charges and your lender may be using a more complicated method. There may also be other issues attached with your loan which may affect the charges.

The first thing to understand is that there are two basic parts to a loan. The first issue is called the principal. This is the amount of money that is borrowed. The lender wants to make a profit for his services (lending you the money) and this is called interest. There are many types of interest from simple to variable. This article will examine simple interest calculations.

In simple interest deals, the amount of the interest (expressed as a percentage) does not change over the life of the loan. This is often called flat rate or fixed interest.

The simple interest formula is as follows:

Interest = Principal × Rate × Time

Interest is the total amount of interest paid.

Principal is the amount lent or borrowed.

Rate is the percentage of the principal charged as interest each year.

To do your math, the rate must be expressed as a decimal, so percentages must be divided by 100. For example, if the rate is 18%, then use 18/100 or 0.18 in the formula.

Time is the time in years of the loan.

The simple interest formula is often abbreviated:

I = P R T

Simple interest math problems can be used for borrowing or for lending. The same formulas are used in both cases.

When money is borrowed, the total amount to be paid back equals the principal borrowed plus the interest charge:

Total repayments = principal + interest

Usually the money is paid back in regular installments, either monthly or weekly. To calculate the regular payment amount, you divide the total amount to be repaid by the number of months (or weeks) of the loan.

To convert the loan period, 'T', from years to months, you multiply it by 12. To convert 'T' to weeks, you multiply by 52, since there are 52 weeks in a year.

Here is an example problem to illustrate how this works.

Example:

A single mother purchases a used car by obtaining a simple interest loan. The car costs $1500, and the interest rate that she is being charged on the loan is 12%. The car loan is to be paid back in weekly installments over a period of 2 years. Here is how you answer these questions:

1. What is the amount of interest paid over the 2 years?

2. What is the total amount to be paid back?

3. What is the weekly payment amount?

You were given: principal: 'P' = $1500, interest rate: 'R' = 12% = 0.12, repayment time: 'T' = 2 years.

Step 1: Find the amount of interest paid.

Interest: 'I' = PRT

= 1500 × 0.12 × 2

= $360

Step 2: Find the total amount to be paid back.

Total repayments = principal + interest

= $1500 + $360

= $1860


Step 3: Calculate the weekly payment amount.

Weekly payment amount = total repayments divided by loan period, T, in weeks. In this case, $1860 divided by 104 weeks equals $17.88 per week.

Calculating simple finance charges is easy once you have done some practice with the formulas.

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Peter Kenny is a writer for The Thrifty Scot, please visit us at Unsecured Loans and Bank Charges.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/how-do-i-calculate-finance-charges-218237.html

To Prevent Snoring Try These 3 Simple Tips

By Jon Cielo -

Sleep snoring has been the cause of breakups as well as bad health problems. So you need to take it seriously, it isn't funny, neither for the snorer nor the sleeping partner. To reduce the risk to your health and your relationship you really do need to prevent your snoring. Here you'll discover 3 simple ways to stop snoring at night.

All around the world people struggle trying to cure their snore. On the other hand, some just soldier on unaware that it is a serious problem. But, you know, there's no need to suffer like that. There are many ways to prevent snoring, including home remedies and anti snoring aids. And you don't have to look far to find stop snoring aids that can help. You can get these at the pharmacy or even online.

But there are things you can do even before you go that route. Some simple changes in your routine could help to prevent snoring at night. Here are 3 simple tips to prevent snoring:-

1. Sleep on Your Side

Since snoring is more common in 'back sleepers' it makes sense to try to change to your side. Of course it's hard to do this without help, so you can attach a simple tennis ball to the back of your pajamas to force you onto your side whenever you turn onto your back whilst asleep. You can also buy such aids.


2. No Meals Before Bed

When you have a full stomach the undigested food puts a whole lot of pressure on your diaphragm which helps to restrict your air passageways. This can help to cause snoring. And as it takes several hours to digest food, your last meal should be at least 3 to 3 1/2 hours before bed. The longer the better.

3. No Alcohol Before Bed Either

This is a well-known trigger for snoring as alcohol eventually acts as a depressant. When asleep, under it's influence, your muscles in and around your throat relax even more so that the soft tissue in your airways can move into them, constricting them enough to cause snoring. So, no alcohol within say, 4 hours of going to bed.

There are tons of other things you can do to prevent snoring such as special exercises, herbal remedies, plus, as I said at the start, there are special anti snoring aids like snore pillows, snoring mouthpieces, chin straps, nasal strips, etc. As a last resort of course you have surgery, but this really is just a last resort.


To discover more about how to prevent snoring please now go to www.howtostopsnoringatnight.info and get the facts.
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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sleep-articles/to-prevent-snoring-try-these-3-simple-tips-3689981.html

Daily Inspiration - November 18, 2010

By Terry Minion -

"In the measurement world, we set a goal and strive to achieve it. In the universe of possibility, we set the context and let life unfold."

-- B Zander


"There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all."

-- Peter Drucker


"None of our men are "experts." We have most unfortunately found it necessary to get rid of a man as soon as he thinks himself an expert because no one ever considers himself expert if he really knows his job.

A man who knows a job sees so much more to be done than he has done, that he is always pressing forward and never gives up an instant of thought to how good and how efficient he is. Thinking always ahead, thinking always of trying to do more, brings a state of mind in which nothing is impossible.

The moment one gets into the "expert" state of mind, a great number of things become impossible."

-- Henry Ford

Today is the final piece from the talk several days ago. Yesterday I discussed goals and how I've changed my thinking about goals dramatically. Today, I promised to expand on that and how to work with this new type of "goal."

First off, I don't think much of goals any more. I don't think they are motivators and I know that so many people think they are. It's okay to disagree. As I said, I've set hundreds, maybe thousands of goals over the years for myself and teams I've worked with. I've met a lot of goals, even exceeded some, and missed a much larger percentage of them.

Missing the goal is always a downer--and the closer you get to a goal and miss it, the worse that feels. I'll never forget missing a wonderful trip to Japan by missing the sale of two trucks. The goal was 50, and our team hit 48. Of course, 48 was a stupendous achievement considering, but it didn't help much. This is what I mean about goals not helping. The next time they come up, people are less interested, not more interested.

They've gone from a picture on the horizon to an expectation of achievement and a methodology of sorting the herd. I could go on and on with what I've studied and learned and experimented about goals, but suffice to say, I am not longer a fan of typical goals, and especially numeric goals.

One of the world's most celebrated management experts, W. Edwards Deming published his 14 points. It was designed for manufacturing and he was instrumental in helping Japan become a world economic power, but I think they make sense for sales teams, and any business really. In point number 10, he states, "Eliminate slogans, exhortations and targets for the work force." Point number 11 states, "Eliminate numerical quotas."

What you say? Eliminate numerical quotas in manufacturing? Yes. If they can be eliminated there to the benefit of the production, they can easily be eliminated in most other places. Besides, in my own experience, they are not helpful to say it mildly.

So, what to do? I said yesterday that I have now only one goal: to feel good. I am a joy seeker. What brings me joy? A sense of purpose is one, excellence is an other, innovation gets me giddy, laughter softens the sharp edges, effective leadership inspires me, mutual respect is a delight, I am ecstatic with encouragement, excited in enthusiasm, and serving the customer is my mantra.

All of these things are joy creators and all of these things will move the needle whereas numeric goals will not. In fact, numerical quotas are a joke compared to these other qualities, which are business builders. Henry Ford said it well twice: "A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business." and "A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large."

Deming suggested a few other ways in his points to help this change to success happen: Point number 1: "Create constancy of purpose for the improvement of product and service. and Point number 3: "Cease dependence on mass inspection." and Point number 5: "Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service." and Point number 7: "Institute leadership." and Point number 8: "Drive out fear." along with Point number 9: "Breakdown barriers between staff areas." and the last one I want to mention here: "Remove barriers to pride of workmanship." This last one speaks strongly to feeling good, as do the others.

As people feel good about what they do, where they do it, how they do it, the results of what they do cannot do anything but improve. That, after all, is the whole idea behind goals, isn't it? But, we cannot wait for our bosses, supervisors, spouses or whomever is on the outside of us to get around to learning this, so we do have the power to create all of this ourselves until they finally get it. We need to find ways to feel good ourselves first. The rest will come, or not, and it won't matter for we will have already made it.

Building a Better U - Facebook Etiquette

Are you one of those folks who put people's personal business on their Facebook wall? Do you tag folks in photos when they are looking all tore up? Are the only messages, notes or posts you put on Facebook focussed on promoting yourself and your newest business venture? If any of these descriptions fit you, then you need to listen in as we discuss the do's and don'ts of healthy Facebook interactions.

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Join Craig DeLuz for Building a Better U (BABU) Radio, where he provides advice to help you address the issues and challenges you face in everyday life. Family, Relationships, Business Health... you name it. Call in to our live show at (347) 826-9116 or email us at craig@usmediagroup.net and we will answer your questions live on the show.


Building a Better U - Facebook Etiquette