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If you are a person who has tried dieting to lose weight, but saw few results, you may want to consider one of the many effective fitness routines available on the internet. A fitness routine will help you stay on track and not get discouraged. Plus, when you go to the gym you will have a game plan so you will be less likely to waste time deciding what to do next. Studies show that people with fitness routines tend to lose more weight and keep the weight off in the long term.

Fitness routines will range from beginner to advanced and will fit into any schedule. If you only have 30 minutes to workout every day, then your fitness routine will fit into that time slot. Basically, if you want results, you just have to devote yourself to making the necessary changes to your life. Do other things to help you fitness improve like giving up fast food or starting to take healthy vitamin supplements to help your body out. As you begin a fitness routine, you must make sure you are getting enough protein for energy to help you muscles recover after workouts. If you aren’t you will be sore and unlikely to continue working out.

A good routine will consist of cardio and weight training. Because muscles burn more calories than fat, you are going to want to build muscle to drop that fat successfully. Now is the time to lose that unwanted weight just in time for summer. You can fit into your skinny jeans and bathing suit this year. Have no fear because if you are devoted, you will lose the weight.

Beta Carotene is a carotenoid . Carotenoids are light absorbing pigments
occurring in plants and animals. Beta carotene stores light in plant
leaves during the process of photosynthesis. Found in many plants
including asparagus, apricots, broccoli, carrots, kale, pumpkins, sweet
potatoes and tomatoes; it can easily be added to the diet naturally.

This carotenoid can absorb light wavelengths that evade chlorophyll.
This can help to increase the range of usable light waves during
photosynthesis. It also helps the plant reach for the light unless the
light is too severe then it sends the plant growing into the opposite
direction.

In the human body beta carotene through a series of conversions joins
with opsin, the red pigment of the retina to make rhodopsin which is
necessary for night vision. Rhodopsin is also called visual purple and
it is the substance in the back of the eye that is responsible for the
first steps in light recognition. Beta carotene may also serve as a
cofactor in enzyme systems. These serve the enzyme in its catalyst
functions.

The human body converts every one beta carotene molecule into two
vitamin A molecules which are stored in the liver. People on average
store a two year supply of this vitamin in the body. There are some
vitamins which need to be replenished on a daily basis because they are
not stored in the body. By contrast vitamin A is to be supplemented only
with great caution because of the potential risk of overdose.

Beta Carotene not only helps with night vision, it aids in the treatment
of some eye disorders. It helps to promote bone growth and teeth
development and aids in the reproduction process Beta Carotene helps us
to maintain healthy skin, hair and mucous membranes. It also builds the
body’s resistances to infections, especially respiratory as it is an
antioxidant and helps to remove free moving radicals in the body. Its
thought to help prevent acne, impetigo, boils and open ulcers when
applied to the skin. The symptoms of Beta Carotene deficiency are Night
blindness, inability to create tears, subtle changes in the eyes,
xeroderma, weight loss, poor bone growth, weakened tooth enamel,
diarrhea, acne, insomnia or fatigue.

It will take several months of a Beta Carotene deficient diet before
symptoms will begin to develop so don’t be concerned about a few days
without eating carrots. Also don’t take beta carotene if you are
allergic to Vitamin A. If you are pregnant do not take doses of Vitamin
A larger than the Daily Value as it can cause growth retardation and
urinary tract malformations in the fetus. Similarly don’t take doses
higher than the daily value if you are breastfeeding.

Stanley Home Products

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As business owners, we all know that the key to fantastic sales is to let your customers have a personal experience of you. The difficulty, of course is that to give every customer that experience personally requires a tremendous time commitment of ourselves and our staff. So what do we do?

One solution is to leverage our time by doing the “wooing” once and then let that effort live on forever in a virtual format. It is about creating multiple products, programs, or streams of income from the core of our business that can sell and propagate without our direct intervention!

But how do we do that?

By using the up and coming medium of teleclasses!

By leading teleclasses (classes by telephone) you can leverage your classes in a way which will increase your productivity and the profitability of your business while becoming highly visible in your field or profession. You can become the expert in your field — the “go to” person! This article will provide you with ten ways to leverage your teleclasses for maximum visibility and for driving thousands of customers to your door.

If you would like to know more about what a telelcass is and how it can support your business, download this audio What is a Teleclass? (http://www.blipstudios.com/bea/teleclass_audio/teleclass_streaming.rm)

(1) Create audio recordings of your teleclasses.

Using a digital recording device such as the DM-1 Recorder by Olympus or a recording service such as Maklitel.com, you can capture your teleclasses on audio, which can be leveraged in multiple ways. This recording can be used as:

-A free download on your website (people love added value and a way to get to know you when they visit your site)

-A fee-based download (The going rate for a one hour download is approximately $19.00)

-A recording transferred to a CD and used as a business card (people love to have great content to listen to as they drive or walk)

(2) Combine several teleclasses, including recordings and written content, and create an online digital library.

An online digital library is a wonderful way to allow people the opportunity to buy a lifetime, annual, or month to month membership to your teleclass programs. Many people are unable to attend the teleclasses due to time constraints, so an online library will allow people the ability to experience your teleclasses in a self-study format. I recommend that you develop 20 solid teleclasses, record each teleclass, and combine the recordings with written content converted to PDF form, before opening your library. From here you will want to continue adding new content to the library each month to keep people interested and jazzed enough about what you are offering that they re-subscribe from year to year or month to month.

(3) Turn your teleclasses into an article(s) for online and hard copy publications.

Teleclasses are a wonderful opportunity to build written content which you can share with your target audience in the form of an article or press release. By writing articles, you can take the content from your teleclasses and put it into a format which positions you as an expert in the media. This article you are reading is taken from a telelcass by the title of Leveraging Your Teleclasses for Long-Term Sustainability, and I am submitting this in multiple locations on the internet and to several hard copy magazines. The great thing about article writing is that your written word is then disseminated to thousands of people around the globe who are in the market for the products and services you are offering.

(4) Take the content from your teleclass, and develop a 7-10 week e-course.

Marketing studies show that it takes 7-10 touches with a client before he or she will buy from you. By writing a 7-10 week e-course (a weekly lesson delivered by e-mail) you can drop valuable tips which are related to your teleclasses into the inboxes of your target market. Make sure to include information on your upcoming teleclasses in your e-course, and create an active link in the course so that folks know how they can purchase a product or a program from you in the future.

(5) Develop and sell assessments based on the content from your teleclasses.

People LOVE assessments, because they provide valuable insight into their needs, wants, strengths and shortcomings. A well-designed assessment can give you an instant connection to your target market and can position you as an expert in the marketplace. I highly recommend Assessment Generator for a professional looking template that is user friendly and very attractive. To learn more, take the assessment Are You Ready to Lead Teleclasses by visiting this link: Are You Born to Lead Teleclassses? (http://www.fivestarleader.com/AreYouBornToLeadTeleclasses.htm)

(6) Use a teleclass as the basis of a workshop.

A well written teleclass can provide a great outline for a workshop, and with very little effort, you will have a live presentation you can market to your target audience. You can customize the teleclass to integrate the language and address the needs of your audience. The core of your teleclass will not change…just the way it is packaged.

(7) Use your teleclasses as a basis for a radio or television interview.

Many radio and television talk show hosts are always on the lookout for guest experts for their shows who can provide them with valuable content for their listening audience. A great way to proceed is to transfer your teleclass to a CD and send this to as many radio and television talk show hosts as possible.

(8) Create a strategic alliance/fusion marketing alliance.

The strategic alliance is one of the most economically feasible and effective ways to reach your target audience and to make a big impact with your teleclasses. By forming a strategic alliance with businesses who are working with your target audience, you will be able to disseminate your teleclsses to a wider audience at a much lower cost. This approach will increase your visibility and will make you appear stronger to your market. An example might be:

You align yourself with a group of attorneys who provide legal services to your target market. You ask them to give your teleclass information to others, and in return, you send them business when a client needs legal services. It is that simple.

(9) Use your teleclasses to create a voice mail “Tip of the Day.”

Make the most of voice mail and answering machines by posting a message that says “WOW!” Take the information from your teleclasses, turn the content into quick tips, and add a “tip of the day” on your message tape. This approach can prove to be highly entertaining and educational to callers, as well as a credibility and rapport builder for you. Tie this message back into your teleclasses as a way to generate interest by announcing upcoming calls or offerings on your website.

(10) Combine your teleclasses with those of your clients, colleagues, and prospects.

Combined programs are usually much more robust and interesting than programs offered by a single individual. By collaborating with your clients, colleagues, and prospects, you have the opportunity to strengthen relationships with others and create something incredible that you can leverage later.

This article was co-authored by Bea Fields and Roger DeWitt, who can both be contacted through TeleclassLeader.com

Bea Fields is an Executive Coach and the President of Five Star Leader Coaching and Training. She is a Consultant, Trainer, Public Speaker and author of the Five Star Leader e-course. Along with Mitch Meyerson, Founder of Guerrilla Marketing Coach, she is the co-leader of the Guerrilla Marketing Coach Certification program (http://www.gmarketingcoach.com/coach_training.htm). She is the co-author of the Marathon Marketing E-Course for Coaches and Business Owners. For more information on the Marathon Marketing Course, visit: The 90 Day Marketing Marathon (http://90daymarketingmarathon.com/).

Graduation Hats

Graduation hats, alternatively known as graduation caps, were used as medieval scholar hats during the 13th and 12th centuries. However, in the modern world, they are worn during graduation ceremonies at times with togas. Graduation hats normally consist of tough, square tops known as mortarboards or trenchers in other countries, nylon tassels and headpieces. The hats are made of cardboards and clothes and usually come in a variety of sizes. Although the procedure for hiring gowns differs from one school to the other, most of the time representatives of suppliers of graduation hats go to the school campus during the spring semesters that precede the graduation ceremony.
The students will then be required to place their hats and gowns orders. The representatives of the schools will then specify the types of hats that are best for the students. This is to ensure uniformity during the graduation ceremony. The students will be required to pay for the hats. There are various types of hats including novelty graduation hats. These hats create a less formal way for seniors and graduates to celebrate their graduation. The hats may be worn at graduation events and parties. Other school functions such as pep rallies also permit them.

GraduationSource, a leader in graduation regalia products since 1960.

Hold a “progressive” goal party

If you have a group of friends with the same goal who live in close proximity (or who can meet up comfortably in a third-party establishment), get them involved in a progressive goal party. The idea is to meet at one location, where you all complete one part of the goal as a group, then move on to the next (carpool or walk) to complete the second part, and so on. This can be extended to include shops and other buildings as well as houses. Be sure to have appropriate snacks, fun activities, etc., at each stop to make it a special day.

A good example would be a Christmas shopping/preparation party: Everybody starts at one house making lists, planning the day’s activities and eating a light brunch. Next, hit the malls (or other predetermined shopping areas) together, making sure to help each other hunt down those hard-to-find items – and don’t forget to stop by the coffee bar or other dining place to fuel flagging energy and regroup. Afterwards, it’s on to the next house to wrap (and have a late lunch or early supper), then on to the next to bake cookies (don’t forget the eggnog and late-night snacks!). It’s good fun, great camaraderie, and everybody gets their stuff done and over with at one time.

(c) Soni Pitts

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Soni Pitts is the Chief Visionary Butt-Kicker of SoniPitts.Com. She specializes in helping others reclaim “soul proprietorship” in their lives and to begin living the life their Creator always intended for them.

She is the author of the free e-book “50 Ways To Reach Your Goals” and over 100 self-help and inspirational articles, as well as other products and resources designed to facilitate this process of personal growth and spiritual development.

Abuse is the most horrible attempt at power that I have ever researched! This is why:

The shame that is felt by an abused person is so deep that it takes years to unfold, then years to put in a safe place. Some never get that far. They turn to drugs, alcohol, and even eating disorders that tear their physical being apart. Some even repeat the same actions that were done to them with, their spouses or children.

Definition of Shame: “the painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable, improper, ridiculous, etc., done by oneself or another.” In the issue of abuse, shame is what the victim is left to deal with and live with forever.

An abused person can turn their guilt towards their abuser to free themselves of that horrible feeling, but they are still scarred by shame. They continue to suffer in a torture that is far worse than the actual abuse they have experienced. To feel powerless and unable to stop the abuse, is just the beginning of the after effects of the horrible shock that their mind has had to deal with. To know and to fear that it will occur again and again, and that they are just one step away from crying out for help, but cannot, is another part of the shame that haunts them.

Most abuse victims do not understand that it is not their physical self that has undergone the abuse. The mental abuse is what hurts so much. It’s just a means to an end in the abusers mind. It’s a green light, so to speak, for them to enter. The abuser will use that to feel the power that is being seeked through abuse. And also to take away your power, thus leaving you powerless. By making the abused person feel powerless, their emotional well-being is tortured. That is where the abused needs to start to repair themselves, in their mind. They need to focus on their emotional wounds first and foremost. Only then can the healing process begin.

I really want to stress here that the abuser made sure that you are in a NO WIN situation and that all the aces are in their hand. There is not one thing that you could have said, thought, or done in preparation for this horrible attack. You are NOT at fault. The entire demeaning, emotional attack was way out of your hands to stop. The abuser used a very detailed plan in regards to what steps would get you at exactly the right time and with what method.

Many victims will seek out professional help. Some victims wait until they have already tried many, not so healthy, ways to escape the reality of the abuse period. Some never even get that far. They are the ones that give in to the pain and elect to erase themselves. (suicide).

A very important thing that all abused victims should HEAR me say is that your abuser has put a lot of energy and thought into their plan. Their plan was to delete you of all power and to make them “The All-Powerful”. You had NO chance, even before the beginning of your abuse. Have you ever said that you would rather endure physical pain than to have the mental agony eat you apart? That is what an abused victim feels with every breathe they take.

The abuser will use any tricks to corner its prey, such as coercion, weapons, surprise attacks, and an age difference whether it be younger or much older victims. Abusers have even been reported using their power in their job title, or position as landlords. Male abusers may hold financial security over their victims head as a threat in order to keep them from leaving and seeking help outside the home (prison). Men, in general, are more capable of using violence than women. This fact alone places women as an easier target for abuse.

Victims of abuse go through many different emotions through out their existence, after the abuse, and even during. They tend to:
-Think only negative
-Think with two minds
-Be quick to assume outcomes
-They are constantly comparing themselves to others and usually putting themselves down
-They feel sorrowful for everyone around them, continue to nurture a
resentment emotion, feel the need to always be holding someone
responsible for their pain or vice-verse
-They allow low self-esteem to control them, thinking that in some way if they keep themselves down, they will be forgiven for their guilt. The same guilt that comes from the shame of their nightmare.

Shame is a very controlling emotion. It’s an emotion that your mind can rid itself of. You must stop judging yourself. Hate the abuser, hate the actions, and hate the ways that you feel from the horrible experiences that you have survived. Hate that you did not kill that bad person, hate that someone else did not hear your cries for help, hate that you were the chosen victim, hate that you did not wake up and it was all a very bad dream. Hate all that and hate it hard.

Now, separate that hate from the hate that you feel for yourself. Scream at the hate that you feel inside. It is that hate that is keeping you weak. With that weakness, shame, guilt, self doubt, and self-hate are being allowed to toy with your mind which is totally abusing your life now. Can you see what has happened now? You, in fact have become the abuser to you. The one thing that you hate so much is in you now. As quickly as you can say “STOP”, do it. Stop abusing you. Stop allowing the past abuse to rule your life. Laugh at it, kick at it, spit at it, call it the worst names you can think of. PLEASE, PLEASE , JUST STOP HURTING YOU. Love you, hug you, know that you are SPECIAL, and that you are not the abuser. You were the victim, the innocent person in a NO WIN situation. You can do it. Have faith in you. It’s time to change the chapter in your book and write a much sunnier, happier chapter. You are the author of your book of life. You can change the page. It is in your hands to do.

Build your self-esteem so that you can stomp out your fears, anxieties, and anger. I will look forward to reading your new book. Please feel free to share with me your story, so I can appreciate your book of life. There are also others that may gain strength through your book. Abuse is not acceptable, nor is it human. Please stop the abuse!!!

*******************************************

“Domestic violence causes far more pain than the visible marks of

bruises and scars. It is devastating to be abused by someone that you

love and think loves you in return. It is estimated that approximately

3 million incidents of domestic violence are reported each year in the

United States.”

-Dianne Feinstein

********************************************

“Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime.”

-Herbert Ward

Dorothy Lafrinere
Owner/Operater
Website- http://www.womensselfesteem.com
Weblog- http://www.justblogme.com/Dorothy
Forum- http://womenselfesteem.proboards29.com
email- dorothy@womensselfesteem.com

Cancer of the mesothelium is a infrequent cancer of the tissue that lines people’s internal organs. Almost 2,000 new occurrences are pinpointed each year in the whole United States. From these, aboutthree out of four of occurrences affect the sac around the lungs, called the pleura. This type of cancer is called pleural mesothelioma. In nearly ten to 20 percent of cases, malignant mesothelioma may concern the tissue that encompasses abdominal organs, named the peritoneal membrane, resulting in what is then known as peritoneal mesothelioma.

Introduction to asbestos is positively the overwhelming influencing factor for this rare sickness. Following exposure to asbestos, the delay to development of the mesothelioma disease could be 2 to 4 decades. As a result of occupational exposure, cancer of the mesothelium is nearly 3 times more common in males, than in females. Due to the amount of cases goes up with age, there are around 10 times more occurrences in the males over age 64 than in the males in their midlife.

Having Mesothelioma is a weighty cancer, which, at the current time, has a very poor percentage of continuing endurance. On the other hand, if it is pinpointed early, regimens are then at hand that will considerably prolong the patient’s life. Advanced approaches continue to be and are being tested by the way of clinical trials.

From its simple definition, Dyslexia is defined as trouble reading. More precisely, dyslexia translates to say that a person who is very smart in most areas, and whom is provided educational and training resources, repeatedly show difficulty reading.

It certainly does not indicate that an individual is slow or mentally handicapped, just the opposite! By its very nature, Dyslexia shows only in smart people and especially in ingenious people. However talented might be, they have a hard time reading as children and even adults .

Assessment for dyslexia almost always starts with realization by parents or tutors that a reading difficulty exists. A primary physician is occasionally the first-line diagnostician to analyze the reality of the difficulty. The medical practitioner should figure out if the source of the difficulty in reading by taking a standard medical work-up and compiling a thorough health history. If necessary, the child may be referred for {a neurological examination. Should dyslexia is instead suspected, the physician should refer the struggling reader for help from a speech-language pathologist or needed evaluation by a dyslexia testing specialist in psycho-educational diagnosis.

Even though it’spossible to locate quality dyslexia help in most big cities, exercise caution. Uneducated people are disseminating lies. Some solutions are being sold as dyslexia fixes such as colored overlays for “dyslexia reading glasses”. Should these dyslexia products address any disability or problem, it is surely not dyslexia, and could be a scam, it may very well be nothing.

Hello,

You are reading this article because you are one of those rare people who really want the best life possible for yourself and those you care about.

A Generalization About Success

Now, you might feel it unfair for me to describe you as “rare” when it comes to wanting the very best that life offers. And yet, for well over twenty-one years I have been in the position of professionally helping people to change their lives for the better. Whether in the past working as a “Psychotherapist,” or now as a “Life and Business Coach,” I have clearly seen that there are those who want things to get better– if it does not require “too much” from them…and then there are those who are willing to design, and actually do the work, of building a life that is rarely seen or experienced! To be sure, these are generalizations, and in my experience, fair ones.

Yes, there are many factors that go into how and why some people succeed on levels that others reach for and never seem to grasp. For instance, skills are important. Before you learned the fundamentals of riding your bike, you could not ride your bike, for all practical purposes. And, now that we are thinking about it, what actually got you up on your bike for that first thrill of a ride?

Your Desire Is The Place To Start

Was it not a desire that reached a point where you began to build in the necessary skills to actually riding a bike? Meaning, you found yourself wanting to learn something that would be rewarding in and of itself, and more than that, the thrill and independence of taking yourself where you wanted to go. Wanting it enough that you took the next step of acquiring skill and practice in your new endeavor. No longer were you just a little kid anymore! You took a step into owning your world at that time! No longer did you have to just stand by and watch others doing what they wanted to do, and going where they wanted to go! No longer did you have to watch someone else disappear around the block, waving to you with glee as they picked up speed. Remember the “Look Ma, no hands!” That’s right! Mastery on a whole new level. And what fun!

Myths About Life and Success

Now who said that life is difficult? I believe it was a certain psychiatrist…who was finding his own life difficult…and projected that onto the rest of humanity! And I fell for that at the time! I bought his book when it arrived on the scene a little over 25 years ago, and I bought the writers beliefs about life being difficult. Beliefs about how difficult it would be for me to change my behaviors, my beliefs, and beliefs about how long it would take for me to get what I most wanted. After all, “change is difficult,” according to most “people helpers.” I never stopped to ask, “whose life is difficult?” “When is life difficult for them?” “How might they themselves be making their own lives difficult?” “Where did they learn to do that?” “From whom?”

You, Success and Learning

That is until I learned otherwise. Until I realized that life is all about learning, and that learning can be fun and easy. And what do you think happened when I really understood that all behavior is learned. Period. And the more we learn useful behaviors, useful skills, useful beliefs and values, the easier “life” becomes. The more “flow” we experience. So, who do you want to listen to? Who do you want to model? Someone who learned somewhere along the way to make their life difficult, or someone who learned how to design and build the life they truly desire, having fun along the way?

The unfortunate thing is that learning to make life less than fun and easy is something that most people learn to do unconsciously, on an ongoing basis. They are simply modeling those around them that have learned how to make their life into something they did not want in the first place. This is quite unintentional, for the most part, with all concerned.

Intentions, Choices and Consequences

Remember that consequences do not concern themselves with intentions, good or otherwise. Consequences are built into each choice we make, each behavior pattern we develop. To change the consequences we experience, to alter the circumstances we have been living with, we ourselves must change. And it really is not a matter of “must,” as it is a matter of “can” and “I have the opportunity and the capability to change!” Knowing that when we change, all else changes with us. Our circumstance change, those around us change. Period.

Now, the ultimate change is to go from reacting to that which is all around us…to waking up to the fact that each one of us can own our own respective worlds… worlds that we are in fact creating, choice by choice, behavior upon behavior. And, in waking up and taking ownership of our world, we end up creating a world altogether different and more pleasurable and rewarding than the world we have lived in up to this point.

Is this what you truly desire? There is a litmus test for differentiating what you truly desire vs. what you just say you desire. (More on that in another coaching letter.) For now, take a moment or two to get a feel for and envision what your life would evolve into as you learn to own your world. Very few human beings will get themselves to the level I am speaking about. Will you? Tiger Woods decided sometime back that he was going to own the world of golf, to make it his world. A few others have done the same. Now, Tiger Woods did not get there by himself. He has been quite outspoken about the role his coach has played in his taking charge of his game and his world. Perhaps you can do it on your own. After all, isn’t the “game of life” easier to master than the game of golf?!

Chart Your Own Path

If you follow the masses of people, you will end up where the masses end up. Or you can decide to chart your own path, along with like-minded individuals. This way, along the way, you can be your own person, while sharing the joys and challenges of life with others who will support who you are and what you truly desire, as you will have the privilege to do with them. Life is meant to be shared, and we can do that in a manner that enhances all of us, on individual levels and collective levels. A community that reflects shared values and deep respect is a powerful force for the better.

You can continue to listen to those who have learned to make life difficult for themselves, or you can learn from those who are learning just how enjoyable it all can be. You might have some questions on your mind…give me a call. Or you might want to e-mail me and let me know what is on you mind. Give me a call or e-mail me today. You can reach me at 630-355-2111 or at: alan@geniusdynamics.com

Coypyright, 2004-2005, Alan Allard

Alan Allard is president of GeniusDynamics, offering life and business coaching. He is certified in Human Performance Engineering ™ and offers seminars and training as well as private coaching. Free Coaching e-Letter at: http://www.geniusdynamics.com

America years ago was the eye candy of the world. People around the globe who knew about us thought this country was worth dying for just to try to get here. There are still some people who believe that, but the numbers are dwindling. Jobs are being shipped overseas, goods are being created and produced by borderline 3rd world countries, and in this country violent crime is higher than in any other country in the world to the best of my knowledge. What happened to the days of “Made in America” being the most sought after label? What happened to the days of baseball, hotdogs, apple pie and Chevrolet? What happened to our ingenuity and innovation? Why are our kids calling each other stupid for trying to be smart? How can we regain our composure? How can we become all that we’re capable of as a nation? How can we be the role model for the world instead of just the protectors?

First off, I say we must stop complaining about everything. This would be a great start! If you read the message boards on the internet, or listen to the majority of the radio talk shows, or watch the evening news you’ll know what I mean when I say too many people complain about too many things and the majority of what they complain about is either something that can’t be changed or something very insignificant on a big picture standpoint. Plus a great majority of the complainers offer no solution of their own or ideas of their own as to how to come up with a solution. Wouldn’t it be nice to hear someone say “I don’t like it this way, and here’s how it can be changed and why” and follow it up with the best explanation why.

I’ve had many such experiences and I’ve read about many many more. For example, my father moved us to a beautiful island in South Carolina named Hilton Head. Now, he wasn’t rich but he was full of energy and he was a retired Army general and so was very opinionated as well. When we moved there, our community had a lot of problems financially and otherwise. The island was owned by a town that really wasn’t very close to us and they were imposing rules and policies that weren’t in the best interest of Hilton Head but rather were in the best interest, of course, of that town. To make a long story short, my father and some of his friends went to work to stick up for our community and ended up successfully securing it’s independence. He didn’t just complain about the situation like many people were doing as evidenced by editorials in the newspapers. Instead he decided there was a better way of doing things and set out to persuade people that it was in their best interest to do so.

Second, open your minds and your hearts. A closed mind is a terrible waste of intelligence. As soon as someone thinks he or she knows everything, it’s over. If the world had listened to people like that, America would still be a big forest with Indians hunting with bows and arrows. Many in the Western world had visions of a flat world and were afraid to venture out too far because they would surely fall off the edge of the Earth and fall into oblivion and many in the Eastern world didn’t have aspirations to explore that far. One group of people, most famously Christopher Columbus, decided that they didn’t know everything and set out to find answers.

Renaissance really is about people opening their minds and being creative. In my own life I’ve experienced many occasions where I could just give up. My parents were very strong willed. They grew up in a specific society and way of life where they thought and still think today that working for someone else is the only way to become successful and that no one in our family is qualified or deserving enough to venture out and make a difference. It’s not safe enough besides all of that. John Alston gives a funny demonstration on stage when he shows how people live their lives. Go to his website, johnalston.com, and see excerpts of it, I promise it’s worth the effort. He says that every day people get up, go to work, come home, and go to bed. 5 Days a week they do that. There’s also a statistic out there that I’ve seen, and I don’t have a link for it I’m sorry to say, that says the majority of heart attacks happen Monday morning. I wonder why that is.

Open your minds to something new. Don’t accept the status quo as being the only solution. Don’t accept someone’s interpretation as being written in stone just because it’s in a book (even an old book) or just because so many other people believe it’s true. There’s normally another viewpoint that’s just as valid or more so. The problems in the middle east are because of closed minds and closed hearts with a little bit of pride mixed in. Ok, maybe a lot of pride. The point is that if Israel and Palestine would both open up to more than negotiations of land ownership and settlement, if they would not be so stuck in the idea that theirs is the only interpretation of the world that’s correct, if they would not be so stubborn as to insist the other side is evil because of their interpretation, then maybe, just maybe peace would follow.

Here in this country I experienced something that unfortunately is becoming a norm among teens. I was waiting in the middle of the street on a bicycle waiting for a friend to catch up and I was looking in that direction. It just so happened that there was some teen sitting on a milk crate between where I was looking and where I was standing. Instead of looking to see what I was looking at, he decided he knew everything and said in a pick-a-fight manner and tone “Whatchu lookin’ at!?” Besides the incredible grasp of the English language I could tell that his mind was closed to everything except his own little gang-related world where anyone who looks his direction must be interested in fighting.

Third, focus on excellence rather than tomorrow’s paycheck. Every day we witness the aftermath of this issue. Greed is the common word for it in some circles. Rut is the word for it in others. Either way, the money is portrayed and thought of as more important than being happy or of doing what you do best as well as you can do it. Termination, or at least drastic reduction, of some “diseases” such as cancer has been long overdue because of corporate greed. Homelessness and theft are because of greed. Apathy is because of the rut. We could, as a nation, come together and cooperate on a plan to solve many of the money related issues and perhaps even eliminate the need for money altogether. Something I say often is that the world will live in peace and joy and abundance when we all decide to do so. Hollywood, Government, and media among others could play a very good role in helping this come to pass. Will they? That’s up to you and I. If we all focus on doing what we believe will create a better tomorrow for the world, if we think about each decision we make in the light of a bright future, if we take our minds off of “what’s in it for me” and put it on “what’s best for my kids’ grandkids” then we will have a focus of excellence and excellence is what we will have as a nation an as a world. We all of excellence inside of us. Let’s release it so that we and the world can all benefit from it.

Scott Keller – Author, speaker, philosopher, visionary. See more at newamericaparty.org/scott_keller_author_speaker.htm and associated websites.