Is adversity a destination or rather a fork in the road that requires a decision to be taken? Stay in the mire of present circumstances, or look for the sign post of opportunity? Our destiny is determined by our choices during crisis.

My mother really knows how to influence people. My father, her neighbors, and at one point, even a random woman in a grocery store, has fallen under my mother's influence.

Happiness

Get up, get going, and thoroughly enjoy the process of achievement. Remember why you must, and get it done.

Are you struggling to stay awake on your morning commute to work? Discover some clever ideas for jumpstarting your body and mind, and arriving to work feeling fresh and alert!

What To Expect When You Finally Kick The Habit. It's not as undoable as they describe. You can abandon smoking. With the correct motivation, the correct tactic and the...

Happiness

Reading books is a great way to tap into the knowledge and experience of those who are willing to share what they know. Could you imagine a world without books? Reading expands up our awareness and challenges us to either agree or disagree with what the author is conveying. Reading books can cause phenomenal changes to a person's life.

Inspiration

Create yourself the way you want to be. Choose to be and feel joy, success, light heartedness, simplicity, trust and love. These will become your experience when you focus and energize them. And in creating a happier and more empowering life for yourself, you will be a beacon, a way-shower for others.

Self improvement is part of the journey we all go through to discover our true self. It is a never ending journey that will allow us to continuously raise our standards and have a greater quality of life. The journey of self improvement makes us be the best we can be.

Happiness

With your imagination, create beautiful possibilities. Then know the joy and fulfillment of making those possibilities real.

Happiness

They are too busy talking about what are they going to do that they actually forget the most important part, that is to actually do it. Too many of them don't understand what it takes to be successful. Are you one of them?

Enrollment is up for Jewish and Arab students attending the Read more... (http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/civics/general/hand-in-hand-school-jerusalem.html)

The US Environmental Protection Agency today announced the next steps in a coordinated strategy to reduce emissions from ocean-going vessels

"In 2007 the company I cofounded, the Blackstone Group, held a most successful public offering. I found myself, at 81, an instant billionaire. I wish I could've called my father, a Greek immigrant who had spent most of his life running a 24-hour diner in Kearney, Neb. The news might have pleased him as much as my being the first Greek cabinet officer, which he never hesitated to tell perfect strangers. In the 1930s, when I was growing up, there was all this talk about millionaires like John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie. Now I was a millionaire 1,000 times over. But immediately I began wondering: what do I do with $1 billion? The idea of trying to make the money grow felt empty to me." This Newsweek article shares more.

The town that has suffered recently endless political humiliation, has Read more... (http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/inspired/individuals/men-brave-explosion-to-save-woman.html)

The most complete terrain map of the Earth's surface has been published.

"When life makes us face difficult situations -- such as a personal loss -- we have to understand that eternity is taking one more step. I personally hate the dilemma of loss, but at times there is no solution and it just has to be faced." So begins this Ode magazine article that shares three fables from the beloved, best-selling author of The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho.

The Tour de France begins Saturday, July 4, in Monaco. Here's how to follow the three-week bike race using streaming audio and video, Twitter, Google Earth and other online tools.

What do snakes, spiders and success all have in common? If you guessed "sources of fear" or "things we avoid" you are absolutely right. While we can easily understand recoiling from snakes and spiders, it seems a bit strange to actively avoid success. Isn't success something you highly desire? Or do you? Find out the 5 easy ways to tell if you are avoiding success.

A year or two ago, it looked like instant messaging and other forms of online chat had reached their full potential as a business tool. Millions of people were using IM to interact with corporate colleagues. Live chat had also become a fixture on websites, giving customers a way to inquire about products and receive answers in real time.

Alice.com, which launched recently, is the fourth Internet start-up from co-founders Brian Wiegand and Mark McGuire and, according to Wiegand, "our biggest swing of the bat." Can the partners, who sold their last business to Microsoft, disrupt the stolid consumer-products industry? Method: Running Through the Legs of Goliath Slideshow: How Two Friends Built a $100 Million Company

Penguins, famous for the lengths they go to to protect their eggs and rear their young, may not be the most supportive couples around. When one member of a penguin couple is handicapped, the other doesn't step in to pick up the slack.

A 16 year old kid creates a company that is sold in less than two years for $40 million and a second one in less than 3 years for $300 million. What is the secret of this amazing entrepreneur?

You can't go far wrong in a truck equipped with an Astrata box. The device, half the size of a cigarette pack, can be wired into anything that moves - truck, car, shipping container - to head off nearly every conceivable type of disaster.

Restaurants are one of the most common types of small businesses, but also one of the most difficult to make successful. The competition is intense, and margins are thin. Here’s some advice from top restaurant owners, including star chef Tom Colicchio, on how to survive and thrive. Creating the New American Restaurant Slideshow: The Best Industries for Starting a Business Right Now

By now, everyone knows that there are ways to sell art online, but there are other ways as well. Here are 3 things that you need to know in order to become successful at it.

Learn to use social networking sites to lure quality hires.

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To succeed in achieving your goal, there must be an inward satisfaction as well as the outward achievement of the goal. A goal that is related to anything in the world, for yourself or for others is what we call an 'outward' goal. In order for an outward goal to be achieved you must have an inward goal behind it, its reason for being.

Goal Setting

The "Getting Things Done" philosophy has helped me make better, clearer plans for achieving my goals. I want to share with you some of the best points of this philosophy so you can use them in your plans as well. These next two question will change how you do your planning forever.

Goal Setting

If you plan on achieving goals that you've set for yourself you want to be aware of certain pitfalls that may keep you from meeting your goals. When you first set goals you'll also want to establish a well thought out set of action plans that will help you accomplish your objectives. Read more to see 5 common mistakes made by many that eventually keep them from achieving their otherwise well intended goals.

Goal setting is one of the most natural things that we do as humans. But most people don't fully harness the power of it. Here are some ideas you can use to achieve more of your goals more often.

Goal Setting

How can you ensure that you do not miss out on your targets of opportunity?

Pasting sticky notes is a thing of the past. Avail the facilities of online sticky notes service… its cool; it's fun!

This fear of failure is the single biggest affliction in society. The comfort zone and a fear of failure paralyze people from making the steps they need to in order to improve their situation. If you look at anyone in a low paying, dead-end job or who stays in an unhealthy relationship you are seeing a person who is in a comfort zone.

Fourth of July is all fun and games - until someone gets food poisoning! OK, while that may not be your biggest concern this holiday, don't forget food safety when making salads and moving meat from the kitchen to the 'cue. Here are a few important rules to remember. Clean your plates. If you transport raw meat to the grill on a platter, be sure to wash the platter before plating up the cooked meat or swap out a clean one. Keep separate cutting boards. Don't use the same cutting board for raw meat that you do for other foods, and be sure to wash rigorously anything that comes into contact with the raw stuff. Take the temperature. Use a meat thermometer to determine when you meat is cooked: the FDA recommends a temp of 160°F for ground beef and 165°F for poultry. For tips regarding the nonmeat part of the meal, read more. Wash the produce. Even if you're grilling the veggies, be sure to rinse them thoroughly and give potatoes and root veggies a scrub with a brush. Opt for loose lettuce. Avoid potentially contaminated bagged produce and go for heads of lettuce instead. Better yet, discard the outermost layers before washing. Mind the mayo. Don't leave mayonnaise-based salads like potato salad out for more than two hours or, if it's above 90°F, an hour. Put it away. Refrigerate any leftovers within two hours of eating.

Maybe you’ve found yourself feeling self-conscious on evening walks while five people pass you (perhaps twice) in their best running forms. Perhaps you spent the day at the lake canoeing or hiking around the beach and later felt guilty for not having made it to the gym. Or maybe you’re frustrated having to mow or [...] Related posts:The Definitive Guide to PlayDefinitive Guide: The Primal BlueprintThe Definitive Guide to Insulin, Blood Sugar & Type 2 Diabetes (and you’ll understand it)

My friend, Jere, had a strange incident the other day. It was wonderful reading it: Blind Prophecy » Hey, good looking! You know how sometimes you’re walking down the street casually glancing in the windows of the various shops on a sunny day. And then you pass a shop where you see [...]

Blue Bunny Ice Cream Bars products have gotten mixed reviews here on Iateapie.net. The Blue Bunny Orange Dream Bar got the 5 kiss seal of approval, while the Sweet Freedom Strawberry Lites Ice Cream Bar only got three stars. When...

After posting my blog entry regarding hierarchical workouts I went to the gym and did one. I was in and out in no time and felt great leaving and for the whole day after. There really is nothing more productive and the research is just now beginning to document what is evident (to me at least) from the physiology and the evolutionary record. But, you must see the Essay for more on that. And, yes I do the db rows alternating sides; one set on one side and then one on the other. As for the question about GH I will say that GH is known to be a protein conserving hormone that shifts metabolism away from protein to other sources of energy. Thus, with my work outs and rest and deep sleep favoring GH release I am able to fast (a fast releases GH also) and still retain or even build muscle mass. For my work out today here is what I did. (I can't believe how good I feel even now from this work out and all I did today beyond it). !. I did 30 leg presses to warm up and went straight into the 15, 8, 4 protocol. I ran out of weight on the leg press machine, but stayed with it anyway. I had to peg the machine on the last set and could have done far more than 4, but went to a slight burn anyway. Then I pressed up with both legs and lowered with one for 4 more negative. 2. I did standing leg curls in the same manner. 15, 8, 4 with increasing weight and speed with each set. 3. I did incline bb presses on the Smith machine in the same manner, but with no negative. Just 15, 8, and 4 to a good burn in each set. 4. I did the same protocol in the bent over deltoid raise through the legs that I have described in other posts. 5. Then I did a drop set of Arnold presses for the deltoids; as many as I could with a heavy weight (only 40 pounds by that stage), then a lighter weight for as many reps as I could, then a still lighter weight to slight failure. 6. I finished with a few curls on a machine, one set only and some crunches in the correct way and some bird dog poses on the bench press bench. Then a nice walk in my neighborhood after a short drive home from the gym. It was so easy, yet hard for a moment. This kind of work out gives you a toughness that makes life seem so easy. Every set hurt a bit and then came a harder one. But, when you move to the next exercise the pain goes away and you are ready for another hit. I love it.

50% less fat • 50% less sat fat • 23% fewer calories than the original recipe—see the comparison. Rich and gooey just got a makeover for a treat that tastes as decadent as the original but has a lot less fat. From eatbetteramerica.

If you have not tried it before then you might be confused by the many differing varieties of Yoga practices that are available. Before deciding which sort of exercise is right for you it is an excellent idea to attend a class of each style that interests you so you can try out each style to find out which you like. Here is a quick overview of the most well liked of Yoga to help you get started...

A seemingly silly public service announcement helped Debra Bader save her husband's life. The couple was walking in the woods when 53-year-old Christopher Bader suddenly collapsed from cardiac arrest, the same heart problem that recently led to Michael Jackson's death. Thankfully, Bader recalled the American Heart Association's campaign from last year, teaching people that the Bee Gees song "Stayin' Alive" has a perfect tempo to match the recommended pace of chest compressions. So she called 9-1-1 and started singing. "I sang the song and gave directions to the EMTs at the same time. It was like, 'Stayin' alive, stayin' alive - take a right here, take a left here - Stayin' alive, stayin' alive - take this path down here - Stayin' alive, stayin' alive,' " Bader remembers. For 15 minutes Bader, who had never taken a CPR class, beat on her husband's chest until the ambulance arrived and the EMTs delivered a shock to his heart with a defibrillator. Christopher Bader survived, even though 95 percent of people who go into cardiac arrest die before they get to the hospital. Wow! What a heartwarming story, and don't you love hearing that a funny PSA actually worked? Perhaps it helped that an episode of The Office also featured a riff on the "Stayin' Alive" connection. Want a laugh? Check out the clip.

The work out I always come back to and the very best for all round strength and muscularity, not to mention leanness is the hierarchical work out. Briefly described, it is done in a hierarchy of movements and weights. Its objective is to ascend the fiber hierarchy from ST to FTa and FTb and then finish with an eccentric movement or explosive movement. A long discussion of this type of work out may be found in my Essay under the Research link at the top of this page. The rest interval is nil, just long enough to change the weight on the bar, cable or machine. New research now confirms that this style of work out is best for muscle mass and for strength. It is equally effective in comparison to other routines for power. Of course, the researchers did not add the finishing touch that I do and I suspect they would have also found that my routine gives an edge for power as well. Read the essay for a discussion of the theory behind the hierarchical work out. The essence is to promote a maximal anabolic hormone response and to shut off the stress hormone response through its brevity and relatively low volume. You begin with a target of about 15 reps with a weight that is challenging, but do not go to failure. Just use the "burn" to know when to move on. Lower the weight more slowly than you raise it and increase the pace of the movement as you progress through the reps. Then, with no rest, increase the weight and aim for about 8 reps with the same protocol. Then increase the weight again and aim for 4 reps in excellent form. Then do a couple of negatives if you can do so safely in that particular lift (few meet this standard, but some do). Then do an explosive move similar to the exercise or do drops. My favorite way to do this was with squats, but there is no way to do negatives with squats and, for safety, you should not descend to full depth on the last set. If you alter the depth, progressing to less depth with the heavier weight, you will hit all the fibers in the hips and quads and at many angles and extensions. Hitting all the mass is the only way you will get a fullness and completeness to your musculature. An example where this is quite safe is to do leg presses on a seated machine. Not one where you may get trapped under the weights. Do 15 presses, increase the weight and do 8, increase the weight and do 4. Then increase the weight or with the same weight press out with both legs and lower with just one leg. Do only 2 negatives this way. Then do some leaps either dropping off a bench to a rubber floor or holding a squat bar, placed on the rack, leap up as far as you can while holding the bar. Do as many as you can. Alternately, find a high bar you can leap up to and grab. Drop off and do it again, as many times as you are able. You can do a similar protocol with a cable row or one-armed db rows. With the db rows, I do the first three sets, the ascending 15, 8, 4 and then just go down the rack doing one rep. Go right down the rack to the heaviest db you can do in excellent form. Don't try this until you have prepared with light weights. You will get so sore you might stay in bed a few days, not worth it. Perfect form always, stop as soon as form begins to break down. Here is a recent abstract on short rest intervals. I am trying to obtain the other article I came across that further documents brief rest intervals for strength and mass gains. I am heading for the gym to begin my new sessions of hierarchical work outs. I am not recommending them for you; you must make that choice yourself. I used to work my 78 year old mother out this way. It is safe if you plan and take care. And the results are unbelievable. Keep it brief and do only 3 such movements in a single work out and get out of the gym. If you leave tired, you over did it. You should feel fresh and alive.

Turkey can be a good replacement for beef, but it can taste a bit bland. How to spice it up? Start by combining a pound of ground turkey breast and one egg white. Then mix in one of these flavor combinations. chopped veggies, like mushrooms, spinach, or roasted red pepper. and lemon rind grated onion or pressed garlic and a teaspoon of a kickin' spice such as coriander or curry a dash or two of salt and pepper and three-quarters of a cup of old-fashioned oatmeal or wheat germ Shape into burgers, cook, and serve on buns made with whole grain. Enjoy!

So many of us think about creativity in the context of being an artist or musician. However I prefer the definition that resiliency expert Frederic Flach uses. Creativity is “a response to a situation that calls for a novel but adaptive solution, one that serves to accomplish a goal.” That’s why, when dealing with the challenges of our times, the best thing we can do is grow our creative capacity. We need to come up with thoughts and solutions that are different from ones we’ve used in the past. Otherwise we will be responding in habitual ways that may not serve us now. But the way to access our innovative thinking is not the same for everyone. It actually has to do with what stimulus triggers your right hemisphere. Without knowing your unique formula, you can mislabel yourself as uncreative. Imagine you’re a fly on the wall of my house as I work. What would you see? Some days I’m on the phone all day talking to clients. On those days, I have a headset on and wander from room to room. Other days, when I’m writing, I alternate between typing at my computer and jumping up to go into my back yard. Am I hyperactive? Do I have ADD? Actually it is very easy for me to sit in one spot unmoving for hours. So why all the jumping around? Because I’ve discovered that movement helps me be at my most creative, and I want to access that part of myself when I’m working. The crucial question is what conditions allow me to be at my most innovative in my thinking? I wander, but Angie needs to listen to music without any words and then talk to someone who says nothing but just receives what she has to say. Louis needs to scribble on a white board or doodle on paper. You may already know what works for you. If so, go for it. If not, one way to figure out your best way is to think about when you have your best ideas. What were you doing? For Will, it’s when he’s on a golf course. For Grace, it’s when she’s journaling. For Patrick, it’s when he talks to his colleague. Once you begin to pay attention, a pattern should emerge of what helps you generate ideas and possibilities. Then, when you need to be at your most innovative, you’ll know what to do. About MJ A member of Professional Thinking Partners who is recognized as a leading expert in change, M.J. Ryan specializes in coaching high performance executives, entrepreneurs, individuals, and leadership teams around the world to maximize performance and fulfillment. Her clients include Microsoft, Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron, Hewitt Associates, and Frito Lay. Her work is based on a combination of positive psychology, strengths-based coaching, the wisdom traditions, and cutting edge brain research. Her new book, titled “AdaptAbility: How to Survive Change You Didn't Ask For” was recently released published by Random House’s Broadway Books. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and daughter. www.MJ-Ryan.com      

Eating behaviors are so basic that we do them without thinking.  Here's a little exercise I developed for my clients a while back as part of mindful eating re-training.  I call it "shadow-eating." Shadow-eating, like shadow-boxing, is movement without an opponent, i.e. going through the motions of eating without the actual food. Imagine a bowl of soup. Shadow-eat it in real time. Sit down at a table, pick up the imaginary spoon, dip it in the imaginary soup and carry it to your mouth. Shadow-eat the whole bowl. Note the uncertainty of your movements, the thoughts about whether you are doing it right. Note the tendency to skip the steps of eating or to do them out of sequence. Are you unsure about what to do with your hands between the bites? Isn’t it amazing that without the sensory feedback of the actual food and tableware, our minds find it so challenging to replicate a series of motions that they had performed on so many occasions so mindlessly?! Try this with different kinds of food: shadow-eat a hot-dog, a bag of potato chips, and a plate of spaghetti.  Practicng this exercise will help you raise the overall level of awareness of your eating movements which, in turn, will help you be more mindful next time you eat. Pavel Somov, Ph.D., author of "Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time" (New Harbinger, 2008)  www.eatingthemoment.com copyright 2009

"Dear Hillary,  On your first tele-class you spoke about different types of diets. I find the idea interesting but I don't know where to start! Can you point to some resources and tell me what benefits/changes you noticed from changing what you eat? Thanks.”   For me diet has been very important and allowed me to feel more in the driver seat with my diagnosis. I see the body like a car and fuel does make a difference.You wouldn’t put a low grade gasoline in a Masarati or Bently so why do this with your body?  Learning to take out foods that are not healthy to cleansing to finding what was best for me gave me good results like sleeping better, more energy and clarity when thinking.   Changing the way I east has been a process and I have learned one to be careful with to not shock the body. When I took out sugar specifically artificial sugars,  I noticed what I thought were symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis to be gone. Dairy causes mucus in the body and this will cause a lot of different negative effects on our bodies and when I stopped I found to be clear in my mind, body and have more energy.  Now this may bring up issues I totally get it however its worth trying and seeing what would foods  affects you and keep a log of it as well.   It is important to have on your team of healing a doctor (Chinese, Ayurvedic, Natropath, Holistic) who is open to seeing the importance of diet but again you want to make sure you know there methodology and credentials. What made the biggest shift for me was following Ayurveda which taught me how to cook and that food is part of your medicine. What I love the best about Ayurveda is that each season you eat different foods to help your body be at its best. Additionally, I found what I was allergic to and stopped eating meat (red, chicken and pork) and only eat wild fish (salmon, scallops, tilapia) watching mercury levels.  By cutting out meats made me feel lighter and less aggressive.  This may seem likes a lot but when you see yourself as a Masarati or some other vehicle that is taken care of then you may get on board.  Remember for me it's has been a 13 year process to find what works for my body. Each of us is unique and it will take time to fine tune what will work for YOU and it changes over time.   This is what I do when I work with clients : 1. I have then write out a days of eating as they rise and then go to bed for a week to see the patterns of eating times and see if emotions are involved with your eating – this is more than diet but behavior.  Its tough but good inventory to see. (When you take out foods you may have to take 1 or 2 to start then work you way down the list and keep this on file to record the results. ) 2. I have them cut out processed foods, fast food, junk foods, corn syrup, sugar, sodas, coffee, alcohol and anything that has colors or artificial anything. (cutting out foods make a huge shift) 3. If they are feeling tired, having a lot of colds and such we then take out dairy, wheat, yeast and sometimes go full to gluten free diet. 4. I suggest they do an allergy test and choose to work with an Ayurvedic Dr., Chinese Dr., Natropath, Chiropractor or Nutritionist that is well rounded in food allergies. It is good to know what you may be allergic to as this could be creating upset in your system and you have no idea about.   You always can go to the bookstore but there is sooo much there as well as the internet and I feel taking out what is not working the best way to begin. And then eat as much whole foods as possible and mix it up. This is a process of learning your relationship to food and how you are getting energy which will help you listen to your body as well. I must say though that with healing its not just one thing its the integrative approach to make sure you are eating well, drinking water (1/2 your bodies weight in ounces), exercise, sleep and having fun.   There are many other ways of eating which I have tried many and now bring in a bit of each.What to keep an eye out for is cleansing too much. Some diets are great for a few months to clean out the body but then you must go back to eating what works for you so you don't deplete your body of its nutrients.   Some I have worked with and recommend: Ayurvedic Diet (you must get checked to learn your constitution or eat for all of them which is explained in books) Macrobiotic Gluten Free which can also be Candida Diet The Body Ecology Diet (good for 6 month cleanse) The MS(Multiple Sclerosis) Recovery Diet Vegetarian (this is without fish and soy can be a problem so proteins are a bit tougher to get) Alkaline Diet Some titles to check out: (my bookstore) Prescription for Nutritional Healing – Balch & Balch Healing MS – Diet Detox and Nutritional Medicine for Total Recovery - Ann Boroch A Life in Balance – Maya Tiwari Ayurvedic Cooking for Self Healing – Usha Lad The Body Ecology Diet – Donna Gates MS Recovery Diet Ann D. Sawyer – Judith Bachrach Have more questions about diet or lifestyle?  Then now I would like to invite you to get your questions answered for FREE each month during our live Mastering Your Diagnosis Q&A. Ask your question today at AskHillarynow.com. On our next call I will personally be interacting with you to work through your challenges.   This post originally was posted on my personal blog I am not a Mess Blog.com  

Do not look in the mirror every morning and see just your defects; on the contrary, look for your greatest qualities and attributes. List out loud your positive features and be thankful for everything that you are. Love and accept yourself as you are. Love and respect others as you would like to be loved and respected. One of the most beautiful lessons I learnt in a monastery in India is that a true master is one who teaches the ability to laugh at oneself.    Your reality is like a mirror: the things that scare you in the outside world exist in you, and what you do not want to face up to in yourself, out there in the world will shock you. So work daily towards living in a state of consciousness where you remain alert, so that you may detect how many times you hear or say things that you should not. Maintain as well a positive mind, a quiet mind whose focus is inward towards your true strength: love.    

Whether you’re a first-time or seasoned meditator, chances are high—about 100%— that when you start to meditate, you will be subject to what appears to be an actual, incessant, and absolutely uncontrollable stream of thought.  In the Zen meditation tradition, this is called “watching the waterfall”—that perpetual Niagara gushing out of your mind. Most beginning meditators believe that meditation itself is responsible for their cascades of thinking.  But the truth is exactly the opposite:  Your personal Niagara Falls is, and always has, been there. It’s just that you’ve been too busy drowning under it to notice it! The practice of meditation affords you the amazing opportunity to not only keep your head above water, but safe and dry. First off, don’t start feeling badly about Roving Mind.  Your mind is a perpetual thought machine whose sole job is to think.  It’s a loyal, indefatigable worker who will never let you down.  And, by the way, you have no say in the matter. So, if we can’t stop or suppress our thinking, how do we deal with it so we can live in peace and calm?  This is where meditation comes to the rescue with a simple, elegant, and powerful solution: Don’t suppress thinking.  Surpass it. How in the world, you say, can I do this?  Well, you can start by remembering our new definition of meditation, and “allowing what is.”  And how do you do that?  By doing The Meditation Three-Step: Step 1: Recognize that you are thinking. Step 2: Gently return to meditation. Step 3: Repeat steps 1 and 2 as needed.  (this will be a lot!) Meditation is the art of gently returning—over and over again.  And again.  This is why we call it meditation practice.   8 Minute Meditation. Over 53,000 sold.  Get yours now from your bookstore or Amazon. Also, check out the  8 Minute Meditation Guided CD at  cdbaby, Amazon, and　iTunes. simply8. Helping you take back your life. 8 minutes at a time.  

Laptop anti-theft, or protecting your mobile data, is a MUST for corporations and consumers. Almost half of workplace identity theft takes place because of mobile data. And the average value of the data on your laptop can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to a corporate spy or experienced identity thief. At the higher end of the scale, the value of the 26 million Veteran identities on a laptop lost over a year ago was estimated to be worth more than $100 million. Those are the types of computer security risks that can make your business unprofitable. But there are solutions.   Broken Window Theory: By removing graffiti and repairing broken windows in crime hot-spots throughout New York City, the NYPD was able to drastically reduce the entire city’s overall crime rate (not just the quantity of graffiti and broken windows), including thefts, burglaries, muggings and murders. In other words, certain actions that we take (e.g., focusing on crime hot-spots rather than on every type of crime) can have a disproportionately positive effect on achieving our goal (e.g., lower crime rates). Business translation: you get a far higher return on investment for certain well-planned tactical strikes than you do for far more expensive strategic initiatives.   My point? In the world of workplace identity theft and corporate data breach, laptop computers are the biggest broken window. Not only do laptops account for a disproportionate amount of data theft, but training the organization to properly protect mobile computers has a radiant effect on all other types of identity protection. Good habits in one area breed good habits in others.   Stop the theft of corporate laptops (or personal laptops with corporate data on them) and you have eliminated approximately 50% of the entire data breach problem at a fraction of the security cost. Laptop theft generally occurs in transit: airports, hotels,  cars, commuter trains, conferences, off-site meetings, vacations, coffee shops, etc. Build laptop anti-theft training into your organizational culture of privacy:   7 Laptop Anti-Theft Tips for Travelers   1. Laptop Anti-Theft Tip #1: Leave it at home. Okay, I know most of us won’t leave our laptops at home when traveling because we would be leaving our digital identity behind. But data theft goes through the roof on the road, so consider using your password protected iPhone or BlackBerry to keep in touch. If it is critical that you travel with your laptop, then…   2. Laptop Anti-Theft Tip #2: Carry less data. Stop carrying data on your laptop computer that you don’t absolutely need. If you don’t need to have client information on the hard drive, don’t put it there in the first place. If you have an encrypted VPN connection with your company, pull the files off of your corporate network once you are at your destination (e.g., work, hotel, meeting). Many executives that have hired me to speak to their organizations (and take computer data security seriously) have an inexpensive netbook (very small laptop) that they take on the road. Its only purpose is for travel. Instead of carrying all of their sensitive files on the netbook hard drive, they take only what they need for the trip, and still have the ability to access the web, email and any cloud computing software (Salesforce.com, Wordpress, etc.) during their travels.   3. Laptop Anti-Theft Tip #3: Use strong passwords. Passwords are the primary locks on our laptops. Make sure that you create an alpha-numeric-symbol-upper-lower-case password, like P@55w0rd! (do you see the hidden word that makes this easy to remember? By the way, don’t use this password). The longer the password, the better. I recommend passwords greater than 8 characters. I use a password protection program that I love called 1Password (available for the Mac, which I use because I find it to be a safer computing platform). It allows me to use highly-secure passwords that I don’t have to keep track of in an unsafe way (a spreadsheet, in my phone, in Outlook).   4. Laptop Anti-Theft Tip #4: Use the hotel safe (See Video here:  ) Most hotels have safes in the room that let you determine the combination. I feel that these are relatively safe. Sometimes your laptop won’t fit, so I suggest that you pull the hard drive out of the laptop (which is where all of the identity lives) and place that in the safe. In a pinch, place the DO NOT DISTURB sign on your door when you leave for the day to lower the chances of someone entering your room during the day. True, your room won’t get cleaned, but you are keeping potential thieves not just from your laptop, but from any client documents, passports or intellectual capital that might be in the room. No matter how clever we are, hiding valuables is a poor option. Can’t you just picture a person who appears to be a hotel employee leisurely searching the few hiding places in your room?  A thief will know every one of those spots by heart. See the video above. 5. Laptop Anti-Theft Tip #5: Encrypt your hard drive. The data on your hard drive is no good if the thief can’t make any sense of it. For a very small investment, you can install software on your laptop that makes it exceptionally difficult for a thief to get to your private information. Encryption turns your data into a puzzle that only your password unlocks. If you are using a company laptop, check with your I.T. department before installing encryption. They may have already done it for you. Apple laptops come standard with encryption, but you have to turn it on and understand the implications for your network sharing.   6. Laptop Anti-Theft Tip #6: Lock it up. Even when you are not traveling, the best policy is to physically lock up your laptop. More laptops are stolen out of the back of cars while you are shopping, out of your laptop bag while buying coffee, out of your office while it is unattended and out of homes while you are on vacation. Take an extra minute to lock it up in a locking filing cabinet, a fire safe or behind a locked door. Even if it only makes it less convenient for the thief, it improves your chances that they will move on to a less prepared victim.   7. Laptop Anti-Theft Tip #7: Destroy it. Remember, your data has a whole lot longer life than your laptop! When you are through with it, make sure that you digitally shred the hard drive before you donate it, give it back to the HR department or throw it away. Just because the laptop is out of date doesn’t mean that the data on it is too.   --   About the author: After losing his business to data breach and his reputation to identity theft, John Sileo became America’s leading identity theft and data breach speaker. His recent clients include the Department of Defense, the FDIC, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Pfizer. Learn more about Identity Theft Expert John Sileo here .  

So often illness can be an habitual response to old stimuli. When I’m stuck in old patterns, I use an updated version of an ancient Hawaiian healing practice called Ho’oponopono. (hoe-oh-PO-no-PO-no) The four powerful phrases are a tool for forgiveness, reconciliation and transmutation of old inner memory programs.   T.I.P.I. is the acronym. To take 100% responsibility for your experience of reality, repeat the phrases within, addressing your own inner divinity:  Thank you. I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I love you.  You can use all four phrases or one or two or three depending upon the experience you’re having. My “default” phrase is Thank You most of the time.   The goal is to clear your memory and those of others so that old programming is released and divine inspiration drives your actions instead.     For spiritual nourishment, visit Dr. Susan Corso's blog

 When it comes to losing fat, success doesn't happen overnight. Sometimes it doesn't even happen over a few weeks, a few months or a few years. Don't rush it, don't crash and don't expect too much of yourself too soon. Life is for the living; for the making of mistakes and learning from them. Below I have outlined my 5 Keys to Fat Loss Success so that you can not only lose fat but keep it off -- forever:   1. Set realistic short-term goals: The best way to think of these is as "mini-goals." When I was actively training in road racing I didn't start out running a marathon. I first started with smaller mileage races and each time I would try to better my time -- and better my distance -- until I was running a competitive marathon. There is no way to reach such a huge long-term goal without a few mini-goals along the way. What are your mini-goals? 2. Short-term goals should lead you to long-term goals: Allow for occasional setbacks along the way, but regard them as learning experiences. That's the beauty of short-term, or mini, goals. You can make a few missteps along the way and still reach your ultimate goal, as long as you simply learn from your misstep and get back on track. 3. Set a training schedule and stick to it: It helps to have a contract with yourself; how formal a "contract" is up to you. Some clients put the schedule in writing; others tack it to their fridge or keep a sticky-note in their wallets. Some keep it in their heads, but all do one thing in common: stick to it. 4. Listen to Your Body: If I've taught you one thing in this book it's to listen to your body. We talked about not eating too much, stuffing, and not eating too little, starving. Your body sends you signals when it's too full or too empty; listening to them is one way to stay in balance. Your exercise should be the same. Fatigue is a sign to take a break, and it's OK to do so. The old adage of "no pain, no gain" has gone by the wayside. 5. Constantly challenge yourself: Life is meant to be a challenge. We strive to meet challenges and move beyond them. If we don't learn, we can't grow. Success is like a muscle; it doesn't grow if it isn't stretched. How far can you stretch today? ©2008 Wendy Chant Author Bio Wendy Chant, MPT, SPN, is a certified personal trainer and a specialist in performance nutrition. She holds a bachelor of science degree in medical sciences and nutrition science. A champion body builder, she opened her own training center, ForeverFit®, in 1998.  Her book, Crack the Fat Loss Code, is available now from McGraw-Hill. http://www.joinforeverfit.com/index.html

 I'd like to share some tips on livin' the good life even in a bad economy. 1. Instead of Take Out...Take In There's this great outdoor café in Santa Monica called Urth Café. It's kind of pricey so on Tuesdays and Fridays (when I'm in town), I'll pack a lunch and enjoy it in Urth Café's sun-drenched patio. That way I get all the atmosphere without needing to pay. This is something that anyone can do in their favorite restaurant with outdoor seating. I do recommend being aware. The other day the manager kicked me out after saying, "Sir, I know you're not a customer. We don't serve corn dogs, fruit rollups, and Capri Sun." 2. Donation Yoga Let's face it. Yoga costs a small fortune. So I've started taking donation-only classes where you place a donation in a wooden box after class. In lieu of money, I've been paying with little notes  that say,  "This note is worth 1,000,000 hugs" and then I'll draw something nice like a sun with a smile or an image of small phallic people in a faraway land.    3. Involuntary Altruism I'm not sure if you've tried the licorice flavor Altoids, but they are absolutely fabulous. When paying the check at a restaurant, you'll often notice the server will write a little note on the check: "Thanks, Come back soon! Rhonda." After paying the bill, in lieu of tipping with money, I'll leave 3 of those licorice Altoids and write back to her: "Rhonda, Instead of tipping you, I've decided to donate the $10 to a poor child in Africa. God Bless You." It's a great way to bring out the best in servers while helping them see the value of altruism.   *****   I encourage you to take a deep breath, and loosen your grip. There's nothing more healing in tough times than a little humor. I recently read that the freedom of any society varies proportionately with the volume of it's laughter.   If there's one thing that will blossom through the darkness of 2009, it will be greater freedom. Freedom to laugh, freedom to relax, freedom to trust that money is not the end-all-be-all we once thought it to be.  And as I just shared, you can live the good life practically for free. Henrik Ibsen said, "Money may buy the husk of things, but not the kernel. It brings you food but not appetite, medicine but not health, acquaintances but not friends, servants but not faithfulness..."   Namaste, David Romanelli www.yeahdave.com  

Don't be late. Being punctual can score you big. Making a girl wait for a date will not only turn her off --- you're making a totally bad impression.

Did you know that the current recession can negatively affect your relationship? Many couples break up under the additional pressures of dealing with financial challenges. However you do not have to allow this to happen to you. Read on to find out what you can do to strengthen your bon even during the worst of times!

Forgiveness

So, you think you've found the woman of your dreams on the internet. You've been emailing back and forth for days and things are going great! It's time to take things to the phone... but how do you get her phone number? Read on to find out how to get a "Quality Phone Number".

If you're wondering how to turn her on, then here's some advice - keep reading. She'll love you for reading this.

Forgiveness

My answer to this question is: “yes.” I came to this conclusion in my mid-30s after asking myself this very thing over and over. At the time I was well, I guess what you could call obsessed with self-esteem-building, spirit-lifting, relationship-advising, co-dependent, neurotic, feminist, esoteric, astrological, paleontological, philosophical paradigms and relief. There was enough of [...] Related articles:Don’t Lose Yourself To Get LoveConfront the Confusion to Avoid the FightWhy Won’t He Tell His Family About Our Relationship? (Video)Is It Possible to Love Two Men? How do I choose?Relationship Happiness When The Love Of Your Life Hasn’t Shown Up Yet!

Everyone has their fantasy or fetish, and everyone likes different things. It’s part of what makes us such a sexually diverse culture! Many people are into BDSM, or bondage, whether it’s soft BDSM or really getting into dominant and submissive roles. If you like BDSM, how can you introduce it to your partner without getting [...] Related articles:Asexual Wanting BDSM But Not Sex - Is It The Medication? (Video)How to Get Your Freak On - The Beginner’s Guide to BDSMIs It Normal For a Virgin to Be Into BDSM? (Video)BDSM 101 - Moving Beyond Plain Vanilla SexAre My Sexual Fetishes And Kinky Fantasies Bad? (Video)

Taking that huge step to move in with your partner is a big decision. Before moving in with someone, make sure it’s what you really want. But what if the “damage” is done already? What if you’ve moved in with your partner and now you’re realizing that you just weren’t ready? How can you move [...] Related articles:I Think I Moved In With Him Too Soon. What Should I Do? (Video)In The Thick Of A Break UpBreak Up Confusion - Does She Really Want To Break Up With Me? (Video)My Boyfriend is a Total Liar! Should I Dump Him Or Give Him Another Chance? (Video)Long Distance Relationship - What Do I Do? (Video)

Have there been times when you’ve had a heated argument with someone and you wished you could have been a little calmer? Your Emotional Channels get so flared up, you lose yourself and you say things you wish you hadn’t? Or do you hold on to your resentments and when you do finally explode you [...] Related articles:How to Resolve Relationship Difficulties Without Making Your Partner WrongHow To Be More Attractive & Less Needy By Releasing The Fear Of Being Alone Today4 Financial Steps Towards Being More Relationship Attractive!Five Little Words That Strike Fear Into The Hearts Of Men (Video)Why Your Relationship Success Depends on Feeling Your Feelings