Self Improvement Information
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Buy Happiness? Maybe

Can money buy happiness? It's easy to say no, and probably correct, but that's just a way to stop thinking about the tougher issues. What is your relationship to money, for example, and how do you use this most powerful of worldly tools? Maybe you see that chasing after money for its own sake is destructive, but isn't it equally damaging to have such a powerful instrument in your hands while pr. . .

Getting Robbed Overseas On A Bus

We knew better. Both me and my wife had a strong feeling we shouldn't get on that bus in Cuenca, but neither of us said anything. A taxi was two dollars, and the bus cost only twenty-five cents. Ana sat down, but there was no room left for me, so I was packed in with the other commuters standing up. Almost immediately I noticed the drunk pushing his way through the crowd, randomly going this wa. . .

Best Brainstorming Techniques

Have you been in a "brainstorming" session where each person just defended their own ideas? Worse is when people don't suggest ideas at all, for fear they'll be attacked. That's no way to brainstorm. Brainstorming is using the power of many minds, and ideas should flow freely and trigger other ideas. How do you make that happen? The Key To Good Brainstorming You have to have a good leader to ha. . .

For Sale By Owner Is A Mistake

Don't sell it yourself! Sometimes a "FSBO," or house "for sale by owner" can sell as fast, and for as much as it would have if listed with a real estate agent. Sometimes. Before you decide to give it a try though, consider the following ten points. 1. Most buyers work with agents. They look through MLS listings. If you don't list with an agent, most buyers will never see or hear about your ho. . .

A Backpacking List - Skills To Learn

Have you ever had a backpacking trip that was a disaster - even though you brought everything you needed? Maybe you had matches, but couldn't get that fire going. You need more than good gear to assure a safe and enjoyable wilderness experience. You need to know how to do a few things, and the following list will get you started. 1. Learn firemaking. Practice in your yard if you have to, but t. . .

You Can't Direct the Wind but You Can Adjust the Sails

Guidelines: You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy sent to article@itsm-made-easy.com would be appreciated. Format: 60 words per line Word count: 671 words (3926 chars) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "You Can't Direct the Wind but You Can Adjust the Sai. . .

Be Your Own "After" Photo In 2 Hours

You've seen them a hundred times: "Before" and "After" pictures. Are you ready to be the one in the photos? Don't wait until you lose more weight. You can have an "after" picture today. You've probably noticed that the photos from before and after a diet don't always show a great weight loss. Oh, many times they do, but what do they show just as often? They show a slouching, frowning man or wom. . .

Who Wants A $10,000 House?

How do you find a house for ten or twenty thousand dollars? In three steps: 1. Find towns that are affordable. 2. Find houses you like. 3. Make an offer. 1. Affordable Towns Altoona, Pennsyvania still had dozens of homes for sale for less than $30,00 when I checked today. The cheapest one is listed for $7,500. As the photo on our site shows, this is a cute little town, yet still big enough to h. . .

10 More Tips For Selling Your Own Home

Selling your own home can be a time-consuming and frustrating process. Sometimes, though, in the right market, it makes sense to save thousands of dollars in commission and do it yourself. If you've decided to give it a try, use the tips here to do it right, and to avoid common FSBO (for sale by owner) mistakes. 1. Understand value. It isn't what you think your house is worth, and it doesn't e. . .

Quality Schools

After presenting these ideas at the NAREN (National At-Risk Education Network) in Wisconsin last week, I was asked to write an article that would be able to reach more people to spread the exciting word about Dr. William Glasser’s work in the area of Quality Schools. There are many characteristics that are required in order for a school to be listed as a Quality School. There are currently 13 . . .

Easy Memory Tricks To Try Today

I remember a birthday party I went to as a child. There was a contest that involved looking at a table covered in 15 various items. After a few minutes, the things were taken away, and then we each got a piece of paper and a pencil. The object was to write down as many items as we could remember. I struck out after seven or eight, but one little boy got all 15 items, and won the prize. Only ye. . .

How To Learn More Effectively

How Do You Learn Something New? If you could learn fast and effectively, you might become the person with something interesting to say on any topic. It also can help you in your carreer or business. You can learn more efficiently. Just use a few of the following techniques, and use them until they become habit. First, when you want to learn new material, expose your mind to it as soon as possib. . .

How to Improve your Life Every Day

Would you like to become a better person? If I did a survey asking people this question, I'm sure I would receive 100% response YES!!!! " Who started today deciding on one thing they were going to be aware of and work on today to make them a better person?" I asked this question recently to a room full of people and only one person said YES!! Many of us have desires and aspirations that we wo. . .

What If You Were Intuitive

Think back to a time when you had a hunch about something. That was intuition. It is nothing more than your mind using more than what you are consciously aware of. But how do you trust your intuition? How can you improve it and use it? First, understand what it is. Gary Kasparov can play and beat the best chess computer. How is this possible when the computer can calculate positions many moves. . .

Easy One Minute Meditation

Maybe learning to meditate intimidates you, and in any case it's tough to find the time for daily meditation. The solution to both problems is an easy meditation you can learn right now, that will only take a minute to do each day. An Easy Meditation Technique Breathing through your mouth expands your chest, but if you breath through your nose you'll notice how your abdomen extends. You see, no. . .

Strange Ways To Make Money

The first time I heard about an old couple that went diamond hunting in parking lots, I knew there were more ways to make money than my scheming mind could imagine. By twelve years old I was taking Playboy magazines out of newspaper recycling bins to sell for a dollar each in school. I also sold ammunition to both sides in my brother's paper-wad war, so I had a taste for the more unusual ways t. . .

Be More Intelligent By Writing

Have you ever noticed what happens to an idea once you express it? Just talking about it or writing it down causes you to clarify it in your own mind. How can you use this to increase your brain power? Start writing. By putting thoughts into words, you are telling yourself the logic behind what you think, feel, or only partly understand. Often, explaining a thought is the process of understandi. . .

Who Cares What Your IQ Score Is

You Want Brain Power, Not Scores! Would you like to know what your IQ is? Want to improve it? What is IQ anyhow? The American Heritage Dictionary defines Intelligence Quotient as "The ratio of tested mental age to chronological age, usually expressed as a quotient multiplied by 100." Basically, it's a test of intelligence, with 100 as the average score. There are some problems with IQ tests ho. . .

Learn To Meditate Right Now

Why Should You Meditate? What if you could close your eyes, then open them a few minutes later and be relaxed, alert, and able to think clearly? Meditation can do that for you, and it's easier than you might think. Documented Benefits of Meditation Less anxiety.r Decreased depressionr Reduction in irritability and moodinessr Better learning ability and memory.r Greater creativity.r Slower agi. . .

Try Creative Procrastination

Do you ever postpone things, or just forget about them for a while, or tell yourself, "I'll get to that later?" Do you sometimes feel guilty about it? Well, it's true that procrastination can be a bad habit, but there are times when it can be useful. Procrastination When You Are Unsure Sometimes procrastinating makes sense if you aren't sure you should be doing something. If you haven't started. . .

Here's A Diet That Won't Work

How's this for a diet: Take in fewer calories than you expend and you'll lose weight. I just read another article that suggested this as the sure-fire way to lose weight. Of course it's true, and about as useful as telling an alcoholic he can beat his problem by not drinking. Yeah, right. Have you noticed that almost every diet is guaranteed to work if you follow it? Of course, it's your fault . . .

Busy Beavers Build Piles Of Sticks

"Well, you're just a busy beaver, aren't you?" You've either heard or used this cliche, but what do you know about beavers? Let me tell you about something I learned. One night on the Discovery Channel, I watched a scientist determine how beavers knew where to put the sticks to build their dams. It's by the sound of water, he discovered. A recording of running water would soon have the beavers . . .

Make Money Renting Rooms

I don't know why I didn't do it sooner, but one day many years ago, I decided to try renting rooms in my home. I was young and single, and had a nice mobile home on small piece of property. I found that it was easy to rent out the other two bedrooms. Suddenly, I had thousands of dollars extra each year. Why Room Rentals? In many towns where the rents are high, single people are forced to share . . .

A Forty-Five-Second Meditation

Is Meditation Too Much Time And Trouble? If you haven't meditated before, you might think it's too much trouble to learn. If you do meditate, you know it can be difficult to find the time to do it consistently. So is there really a meditation you can learn right now that can be done in 45 seconds? There is. Three Deep Breaths Try this: breath through your mouth, and notice how your chest expand. . .

Boost Brainpower By Learning A Language

Hablas Espańol? Do you speak any other languages? Maybe you've considered how good it would feel to be able to speak to people in another language, but did you know it also expands the range of your possible thoughts? It's true. There are concepts in each language that don't exist in others, as well as different expressions. These can give you new ways to think, and change your perspective on t. . .

My Son's Deployment

One of the most difficult struggles in life for a parent is the struggle that occurs when the parent is attempting to keep their child safe and the child is attempting to explore the world and find their place in it, often times not in the safest manner. A discussion of Inside Out cannot occur without me sharing some of my own personal struggles with the concept. Today is one of those days. . . .

Stop Lying NOW

Do you have a consistent problem with your child lying to you, even though he or she is normally a “good” child? Sometimes the lies are even about things that don’t really matter or your child continues to lie in the face of overwhelming proof to the contrary? It is my firm belief that we will not end lying behavior in our children until we take away the consequences for telling the truth. This. . .

Spring! Time for Love and New Beginnings

Prepare, prepare, prepare! The horizon screams of spring and the budding trees, tulips poking their head above the soil and thoughts of romance and love fill our hearts and minds. Are you ready for what awaits you? Well, if not, we need to get started right away! First things first, get your house in order, no I am not talking about the dwelling in which you reside, I am referring to the temp. . .

Top Secret Problem Solving Techniques

Do you ever run out of good ideas, or go around in circles trying to come up with a solution for a persistent problem? Maybe you just need to learn some simple problem solving techniques, and then start applying them. Choose one or two of the methods below, and get in the habit of using them in your personal life and your business. Using Your Unconscious Mind Let your unconscious mind do your p. . .

Why Mobile Homes?

There are mobile homes for sale, for much less than stick-built houses, in most areas of the country. Despite persistent predjudice against them, mobile homes are the cheap housing choice of millions. The advantages are not always obvious, but they are real. First of all, the big "truth" about mobile homes and depreciation is only half true. Mobile homes in parks generally go down in value ove. . .

Secrets Of Clear Thinking

Where is...car...my keys...hmm...and that...oh yeah, but...hmm - Does your brain feel like that sometimes? How can you combat "brain fog," and think more clearly? Try some of the following. Clear space equals clear thinking. Despite many protests to the contrary, it's rare that a person can work better in clutter. An organised office or home means you won't often have the thought "where is that. . .

A Secret Of Good Luck

Would you like to get lucky? There are at least a dozen ways. The simplest one is to just start looking for good luck. Have you ever noticed that when you buy a new car, you start to see similar cars all over? They were there, of course, but now you are seeing them, because your are looking. This is how it is with luck too. Start counting the ways you are lucky in life, and the first thing you'. . .

How To Ask Einstein For Advice

What If You Could Ask Anyone For Help? Have you ever noticed how sometimes you are at your most creative when you are interacting with another person? You and your friend or acquaintance feed off of each other's ideas and help each other clarify things. Well what about those times when you are alone, or you have no one you wish to share your ideas with? What can you do then to stimulate creativ. . .

Tom Sawyer Day

My river-rafting adventure started on a bicycle. The small daypack I wore carried a hatchet, a saw, some scraps of rope, food, water, a garbage bag bivy sack, a hat, and odds and ends. It weighed less than fifteen pounds total. It was late May, so Id stay warm in my homemade bivy, without a sleeping bag. I might wear my hat, and pile up some leaves to sleep on. If the mosquitos were bad, I'd us. . .

A Dirtbagging River Trip

Dirtbagging is stripping camping or backpacking down to the essentials: fun and adventure. Just throw a few things in any old pack, and get out there. You don't need all that expensive camping and backpacking gear. Leave the extra clothes behind, sleep in a pile of leaves or next to a fire. Dirtbagging is keeping it simple and using your wits instead of your wallet. Recipe For A Dirtbagging Tri. . .

How To Enhance Your Creativity

Have you ever heard the saying, "The harder I work, the luckier I get?" Guess what? That's the way it is with creative inspiration too. Don't Wait For Creative Inspiration Graham Green, the famous English writer, attributes much of his success to a simple habit: He forced himself to write at least 500 words daily, whether he felt like it or not. Creative inspiration can strike at any time, but . . .

Opportunity Knocks All The Time

You've heard people say that opportunity only knocks once. I say it knocks a thousand times, or at least it can. The problem is, we often don't listen, we don't see, or we don't want to work. The biggest problem, though, is that opportunity really isn't opportunity, if you're not ready for it. A couple I know had a business handed to them for free. The owner didn't want to deal with it anymore,. . .

The Spectacular You

I recently received a letter addressed to Spectacular Rachelle Lee. At first I thought it was a joke. Who would write such a thing? I then thought maybe it was a mistake. Whatever it was, I knew it did not feel comfortable. It turned out to be an advertisement, for what I am not even sure. What I am sure of is that the way it was addressed caught my attention, and I realized how difficult. . .

Don't Settle

Settling is about not embracing what is best for you, and accepting what you really don't want. When you settle, you accept less than you deserve. Settling becomes a habit and a way of life, but it doesn't have to be. According to Maureen Dowd, "The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for!” People settle every day in every way. They settle for u. . .

Why The Devil Is He Out To Get You?

The devil's agenda for tricking Adam and Eve into eating the wrong fruit and thus rebelling against God, was so he could be like the most high GOD himself. The devil (Lucifer) cleverly devised his plan to be like God by tricking Adam and Eve into eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil instead of The tree of Life. This made him the spiritual opposition to God Himself and total op. . .

Post-Divorce Alimony in Texas

This article provides a brief overview on Texas law concerning post-divorce alimony. Laws differ from state to state and individual circumstances vary, so you should consult with a qualified family law attorney in your area for specific advice on your particular situation. Additionally, this article deals only with post-divorce alimony. It does not address temporary alimony, which is provide. . .

Backpacking: Why Ultralight?

Want Safer, More Comfortable Backpacking? Contrary to what many think, ultralight backpacking is not just about the freedom to hike more miles or to take your whole pack up the mountain with you. It is also about comfort and safety. Backpackers with heavy loads work too hard and threaten their joints too much. Challenges may add to the experience, but why suffer more than is necessary? The Disa. . .

Have More Brainpower Today

What Do You Think? Can you solve problems easily? Can you learn new things efficiently? Can you increase your brain power? Whatever you think and feel about these questions, those thoughts and feelings will have an effect on your brain function, because brain power and psychology are intimately connected. Expectation Checkmate in four moves, the book said, so I looked until I found it. I love . . .

Who Wants To Be Creative?

Can You Learn Creativity? Have you ever watched Robin Williams do a stand-up routine? Could so much creativity and spontaneity result from a highly organized approach? Definitely. Wild and funny thoughts don't come from nowhere. Comedians have habits of mind, and even the most spontaneous ones get better with practice, because they're training their brains to find the humor in situations. You . . .

How To Concentrate

Can You Learn Better Concentration? Imagine how much more productive you would be if you could have total concentration whenever you wished. The good news is you can learn how to concentrate better. In fact, you can do so right now. Concentration Is Automatic When you start working on something, concentration is automatic, at least until you are distracted, usually by your own thoughts. That ma. . .

How To Help your Child Learn

How To Help Your Child Learn. Just as every snowflake is unique, so is every child. The way that your child learns depends a number of different factors, which combined together, create his unique learning style. By helping your child discover how he learns the best, you will set him up for life time success in learning, and reduce the frustrations that come through trying to learn in a way tha. . .

5 Ways to Drastically Improve Your Resume in 10 Minutes

Follow these quick and easy tips to build yourself a better resume in under 10 minutes flat. * Use strong, action oriented language that describes specific skills or accomplishments. Go through your resume from top to bottom and eliminate weak language. Don't write "Was in charge of large graphic design department that increased company revenues" when you can say "Managed 12 graphic artists in. . .

"7 Deadly Cover Letter Writing Sins"

Don't start off your job search with one (or more) strikes against you by committing any of these common cover letter blunders. Each is easy to avoid, but they can sink your chances of an interview if you include them in your letter. 1. Sending your letter to the wrong person, location, or department. Do you really want your letter to land you a job at the company you're sending it to? Then ta. . .

"How to Create a Great Electronic Resume"

After creating the perfect resume, you then need to distribute it. You'll likely be sending some professionally printed hard copies, especially to "A list" companies or organizations you've set your sights on. But just as likely, you'll be distributing other copies electronically. Presuming you've written a great resume to begin with, here's what you really need to know about your electronic ve. . .

Reaping the Fruit of Success in Life

Reaping the Fruit of Success in Life One way to become more successful in our lives is to look at the lifestyle and habits of people who are already clearly reaping the fruits of success in life and living and growing towards their unique God given potential. What are some common characteristics and behaviour that we can apply to our own lives to help us on our own personal journey tow. . .

Our House Cost $17,500

Good Homes Under $50,000? My wife Ana and I found cheap homes for sale all over the country during a seven-week drive, and we bought one in a great little town in the mountains of western Montana. It cost us $17,500. We spent almost $2000 to fix it, and lived there for several months before selling it for $28,000. There's a photo on our website (http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com). This wa. . .

Cheating Spouse: 7 Legitimate Motives for Spying

Should you spy on your cheating husband or wife? You believe you see signs of a cheating spouse. The need to know whether your spouse is cheating and EXACTLY what kind of cheating is taking place is often strong. There are a number of reasons why the drive to spy is powerful. Here are seven: 1. Trust is a big reason, not of your partner, but yourself. Probably for some time you have sensed some. . .

Behavioral Economics: What You Should Know

A new science sheds light on some of our most important decisions. Behavioral economics is the study of how and why people make money-related decisions. As a science it is relatively new, although some of its findings have been known intuitively by good salesmen and marketers for many years. Much of what has been learned from recent studies, however, has not yet been applied systematically in t. . .

Fear is Nothing to be Afraid of!

What do you do when fear shows up? Do you hide under the covers of life, shivering as you anxiously wait for the moment to pass or do you stand up with a confident smile and embrace it? Your answer to this simple question will have a considerable impact on the level of freedom, excitement and empowerment you experience on a daily basis. Whatever your response, the thing to remember is that you. . .

Be More Intuitive In Three Easy Steps

Have you ever used your intuition to solve problems? Can you trust your intuition? Can you improve it? What Is Intuition? Intuition is simply a feeling , sense, or hunch based on information not available to your conscious mind. Some say this comes from the ether or wherever, but I'm content to believe that our minds have a lot more going on in there than we know. How can Gary Kasparov win a ch. . .

Edible Wild Plants For Backpackers

Knowing a few edible wild plants can make your next backpacking trip, or any trip into the wilderness, a lot more enjoyable. You can pack lighter if you eat wild berries every morning for breakfast, for example, and leave your oatmeal behind. So push the bears out of the way and gorge yourself on blueberries. Less weight on your back always feels better. You'll also enjoy your backpacking more . . .

Seven Habits Of Ineffective People

For maximum effectiveness in life, love or business, it helps to have the right habits. You knew that, of course, but don't forget that it also helps to not have the wrong habits. What are these? Seven Effectiveness-Killing Habits 1. Short term thinking. I knew a man who paid $700 rent instead of $550 per month for a nicer place. The landlord didn't require a deposit, so he could move in for $. . .

The TRUTH About What REALLY Causes Negative Thoughts

Do you feel that your negative thoughts are holding you back from being happy in life? You’re about to discover HOW you can still live HAPPILY when things don’t go your way….even if your life is filled with conflict and turmoil right now…and you can’t see a way out. Are you a SLAVE to your circumstances? What I mean is, do you let the ups and downs of life control how you feel inside? If you. . .

Thankfulness

Thankfulness When in 1996 a local Secondary School opened, the staff decided to create a tradition to prepare Christmas Hampers for those in need. Each advisory class (of around 18 students G9-12) would adopt a family to help out. The students only know how many members in the family, ages of the children, and whether they have any food allergies. Every year, 65 –70 hampers are delivered to fa. . .

Turn Your Pain into Blessings

Have you been told that you need to forgive and forget? That you need to just get over it? That it's time to move on? That time will heal all wounds? That you should just put on a happy face? That advice is hogwash, plain and simple. It's what people say when they don't know what else to say to you, and they are experiencing discomfort at witnessing your emotions. If you follow this well-. . .

The RESULTS Diet!

The RESULTS Diet R...real food E...exercise S...spiritual stuff first and the other stuff second U...ultimately, you and you alone are responsible for your results! L... long term success requires long term commitment T... thanks for everything. Be grateful S...seek out the best in yourself and others The following guidelines will help you with the most difficult and confusing part of a fitnes. . .

Accepting New Ideas

Much of the time when a new idea comes to us, we handle that idea and move on, without ever becoming consciously aware of the process. During the times when we are consciously aware of the process of handling a new idea, we often reject that idea without understanding why we rejected it, or sometimes without even understanding that we did reject it. How can this be? To understand this, let's br. . .

Why Diets DON'T Work

One of the biggest scams ever successfully pulled on the American public is - somewhat appropriately - a 4-letter word. That word is, of course, Diet. By now you have seen advertisements for more diets than you can easily remember, and have also most likely seen an article or television show debunking some of those diets. Unfortunately, the art of shooting holes through the credibility of a die. . .

3 Biggest Benefits of Strength Training

Strength training is exercise that uses resistance to strengthen and condition the musculoskeletal system, improving muscle tone and endurance. "Strength training" is used as a general term synonymous with other common terms: "weightlifting" and "resistance training." Physiologically, the benefits of consistent strength training include an increase in muscle size and tone, increased muscular . . .

Getting out of the Zone!

Getting Out of the Zone! We’ve probably all heard the famous movie quip, “why don’t you wait here while I slip into something a little more comfortable”. It’s a comment to make most of our ears (particularly male ones!) stand up on end with the anticipation that the film has actually taken a turn for the better. In real life however, slipping ‘into’ something more comfortable can often lead to. . .

How to Overcome Procrastination in 4 Simple Steps

If procrastination is holding you back in life, these 4 simple steps are a sure way to help you overcome your endless struggle with procrastination. You’ll soon be able to achieve those daunting tasks and in some cases, even look forward to doing them! Step 1: Identify the REAL cause of your procrastination The first step is finding out what causes procrastination. People often use the word . . .

Just Breathe~ Is This Your Missing Link ?

Breathing is the vital force of life. It is considered to be the mind-body bridge. Breathing is something that is done everyday, unconsciously; yet the majority of people do it improperly. When babies breathe, it is instinctive. Watching a healthy baby while sleeping, one may notice the deep breaths that are taken which fill up the diaphragm and move up into the lungs. As a person ages, bad. . .

Making Commitments of Love and Courage

By Steve Brunkhorst There is a story about a little girl who suffered from a serious disease. Her best chance of recovery would be to receive a blood transfusion from her five-year old brother. The doctor explained the situation to the little brother. He asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. The young boy hesitated for a brief moment. Then he took a deep breath a. . .

Helping Others - What Did Jesus Say?

Helping others was something Jesus did on a daily basis. He was constantly approached by people, but He always found time to stop what He was doing to help those in need. This is a lesson we must learn if we want to be anything like Jesus, our savior. THE GOOD SAMARITAN While Jesus was teaching one day, a man in the crowd tried to test him to see if he would give a wrong answer. He asked Jesus,. . .

Battling Agent Orange and Gulf War Syndrome -- A Plan for Recovery from Chemical Neurot...

Agent Orange is the name now loosely given to all herbicides used during the Vietnam War to contaminate water and defoliate crops and jungles to deprive the enemy of food and cover, named after the orange stripe on the drums in which the Agent Orange herbicide was stored. The herbicides contain tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin (TCDD), often referred to as simply dioxin. 18 million gallons of A. . .

5 Result-Getting Time Management Tips

By Steve Brunkhorst How often have you tried to manage your time in more productive ways, and found the process to be difficult and confusing? Perhaps you simply gave up on the idea. As one friend said, "Time management takes too much time!" These tips will simplify time management with five important steps that can bring remarkable changes. They will allow you to easily customize a plan that . . .

Colloidal Silver -- A Safe Natural Antibiotic?

Have you heard that your skin can turn grayish or blueish after using the natural antibiotic colloidal silver? There have been very few instances of silver poisoning or argyria, where the skin becomes discolored, and most occurred long ago. These scare-tactic stories primarily originate in the allopathic medical field. The medical practitioners of the past used a different type of silver and. . .

Travel Money Belts - Travel Security

Travel money belts are still a good way to carry cash. They're common, and thieves know of them, but it isn't easy to tell if your belt has a hidden compartment, and it isn't easy for a robber to get at it quickly. It is a good way to carry SOME of your cash when you travel. Here are some more ways. Losing Money In An Ecuadorian Disco Travel gets me thinking of ways to hide money. I had the ide. . .

Ultralight Backpacking - Testing Skills

On Lake Michigan, at the end of the Stonington Peninsula, there's a stretch of empty beach. Part of the Hiawatha National Forest, it's framed on either side by private property, with no easy access. To walk on the beach, however, is legal. Past the last cabin, the public land starts, and goes for six or seven miles. This is where I would test my ultralight backpacking skills and gear. I hiked a. . .

No More Frustration: The Thorns of Opportunity...Part II

No More Frustration: The Thorns of Opportunity...Part II The quest for the ultimate victory. In part one I shared with you how not knowing what you don't know, much like the "thorny" gardener, can rob you of your time, and keep you from enjoying and living the life you want. You also learned how a seemingly accidental event can instantly change your life, as you experience the magic of an "ah h. . .

Creating Your Writing Space

It's important to have a space set aside in your home for writing. It can be a big cushion in a corner of your closet with a notebook and pen, if that's all you have room for, or the back seat of your car if that's the only place you can get some peace and quiet, but it should be all yours, waiting for you whenever it's time to write. If you go with the more traditional desk (and I'm not knock. . .

Insanity: A How-To Guide

Somebody once said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result. Optimal mental health, then, may include adapting your approach if you don't get the result you want. (NOTE: Seek help if you need it - this is just a general discussion of how to stay mentally healthy.) There is a problem solving technique that involves finding all the ways to cause a pro. . .

Why Our Healthcare System Isn't Healthy

Most people are well aware that an estimated 45 million Americans currently do not have healthcare, but is the crisis simply the lack of health insurance or even the cost of health insurance? Is there a bigger underlying problem at the root of our healthcare system? Although the U.S. claims to have the most advanced medicine in the world, government health statistics and peer-reviewed journal. . .

Learn Spanish - Ten Reasons Why

Why learn Spanish? Almost five years ago I met the most wonderful woman in my life in Ecuador. I'm not sure we'd be married today if I hadn't learned a little of the language before going there. Finding true love is not the only reason to learn Spanish, though. Here are ten more. 1. To understand better. Like it or not, you'll hear as much Spanish as English at the Miami airport, and in many o. . .

Life Balance Coaching: Balance Work and Life Like a Pro

“Circumstances are the rulers of the weak; they are but the instruments of the wise.” --Samuel Lover One of the most common complaints of clients who want life balance coaching is that their plate is fuller than full. From professional to business owner to home maker, having a quality life has become increasingly challenging. The demands of modern life often leave some people feeling dra. . .