Is Critical Illness Insurance a Waste of Money?

A good critical illness insurance policy can provide real peace of mind knowing that you'll receive financial support should you be diagnosed with a serious illness helping you to concentrate on getting well without worrying about paying the bills.

In the UK, nearly 20% of men and 17% of women will be diagnosed with a critical illness such as heart attack, cancer, or stroke before they reach the age of 65.

Critical illness insurance won't decrease your chances of becoming critically ill, but it can help ensure that a critical illness won't have serious financial consequences for you or your family.

Most people understand the importance of life insurance. Everyone will die eventually, so it only makes sense to invest in that certainty and provide for your loved ones after your death. However, it seems that a much smaller number realise how important critical illness insurance can be. Most people think "it won't happen to me" but the unfortunate fact is, it can and does happen. Just think about your family and friends, people you know at work, and chances are you'll know of several people who have had critical illnesses.

Critical illness insurance pays out a lump sum, usually within 28 days of your diagnosis of a critical illness that is covered by your policy. The money can be used for any purpose; for example, to pay off your mortgage, adapt your house or car for wheelchair accessibility, or simply to provide income if you are unable to work.

One of the main reasons people decide not to get critical illness insurance is the expense. This type of insurance is more expensive than life insurance, because until a certain age, most people are more likely to experience a critical illness than they are to die. This means that many people put off getting critical illness insurance at the very time when it is least expensive - when they're young. The earlier you get this type of insurance, the cheaper the average premium payment becomes. Although the final premium will depend upon your medical history and personal circumstances.

Deciding whether or not you need critical illness insurance is a very personal choice, much more so than life insurance - simply because, of course, you can count on dying eventually, but you don't know if or when your health might suddenly take a turn for the worse.

Who needs critical illness insurance?

It's a personal choice, but it could be said that everyone does, because everyone has a chance of developing a critical illness, and most people will find themselves dealing with financial hardship if it happens. This is an important choice for single people as well as those with families.

If you live alone and become critically ill, without insurance you are likely to become dependent on the state, friends and family, and to suffer from the loss of income. As a general rule, if you know that you'll experience financial hardship if you become critically ill, and if you can afford the insurance, then it's a good idea to get it. This is particularly true if there is a history of a certain conditions in your family.

If you decide you do need critical illness insurance, it's important to do some research and find out exactly what types of critical illnesses are covered, and under what circumstances. All policies cover several "core" conditions such as cancer, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, major organ transplant, and coronary by-pass surgery. However, some policies do not cover all types of cancer. In addition to these core conditions, individual policies may or may not cover a wide range of critical illnesses, including Alzheimer's disease, loss of limbs, sight or hearing, Parkinson's disease and third degree burns. Most critical illness insurance policies cover approximately 25 conditions, but the exact list will vary.

As such it's important to read the small print when comparing policies and be fully aware of exactly what conditions are covered and under what terms the cover will pay out. If in doubt, get advice from a professional, independent adviser who will recommend a suitable policy based upon your specific needs and budget.

Cut the cost of critical illness insurance by comparing quotes from up to 20 major UK insurers at discounted rates. Life Saver sacrifices most of the commission paid by insurance companies to keep your premiums low.

By Chris Johns
Published: 8/7/2007

Human Waste Disposal; A Survival Issue

When the subject of survival is discussed some of the more important issues that come to mind is the initial food and water supply. One of the least considered dilemmas of survival is the disposal of human waste. Human waste consists of feces, urines, toilet paper, and possibly, feminine products. Human waste poses some of the most contagious threats such as bacteria that can lead to diarrhea, typhoid, cholera, and dysentery.

As a female in the United States Army, I have been through many stinky field exercises. Amazingly, during many of the excursions that I have participated in there was always a portable bathroom on hand. The only bad thing about the portable toilet is that it only gets cleaned once a week so for a platoon of thirty soldiers this luxury only last for about three days. As soldiers we are always taught to rely on our basic survival skills to eliminate any human waste related incidents. Besides the possible infections linked to human waste, it also can cause for a rather undesirable work environment. Particular importance should be paid to the location of the human waste in reference to the food and water supply. It seems easy to just run off into the woods for a tinkle, but what if that wooded area is upstream to your water supply. Human feces should be placed into the ground in one of several different types of holes. The deeper the feces is buried, the better; you wouldn’t want a hard rain to uncover that treasure.

The most recent tragedies that our Nation faced were the natural disaster of hurricanes. As I watched the commentaries on the most widely covered hurricane, Katrina, I couldn’t help but wonder about the human waste issue. Considering that this mass casualty was unexpected there were no portable toilets available during the first 48 hours. Inside of the stadium where the evacuees were held there were well over 20,000 people using about eight bathrooms. These bathrooms were probably ruined after the first four hours since diarrhea is associated with stress, coupled with the bodies’ general need to void. After this particular event a good planning tool for the future would be to improve upon the human waste management issue to eliminate the possibility of some illnesses.

A nifty survival tool that I have come across in my Army career is the human waste disposal bag. It is a bag designed to take human waste and turn it into a biodegradable gelatin substance that can be tossed without any worry or damage to the environment. This solution would be ideal in a situation that demands that the waste be removed, much like the evacuee situation.

Overall, there are many things to be considered when survival is at hand. Planning for a long occurrence can be very beneficial since we are a country at war. There was a time when survival was not an issue to be taken serious, but now we all must explore our options while we are comfortable enough to do so.

Email: hurstdg@yahoo.com

By Elray Jones
Published: 11/10/2005

Two Essential Factors for Building Self Esteem

What can a person with a low self esteem do to improve their self esteem and confidence? This article explores two important factors that build self esteem.

A good self-esteem is important for building and maintaining good health and staying positive in today’s world. You can learn to enhance your self-esteem by practicing inner talk. This takes skills, which you already have within you, and you can learn to use these skills positively. You can really benefit from these techniques by applying positive thinking into your daily routine.

Self-esteem affects many aspects of our life. We need healthy self-esteem to be successful and to feel good about whom we are. Self-esteem is the foundation of our confidence and the way we perceive ourselves.

Healthy self-esteem helps us to make good decisions, and feel confident. It also benefits us physically. It helps to avoid heart problems, high blood pressure and even gives energy to do our daily duties at home. If we have a poor self-esteem it is far more difficult to be motivated to make any changes in our life. Poor self esteem is often the reason that we become lazy, overeat, make poor decisions, become depressed, and have pain.

There are things we can do to improve self esteem. Self esteem is related to the way we think, not only about ourselves, but also about life in general. By having a more positive outlook and perspective on life, self esteem can grow, and we can also become physically healthier. We can build self esteem through exercise, reading, writing, setting goals and most importantly by positive self-talk. Most people think negatively 77% of the time, and this is a major contributor to poor self esteem and performance.

Two essential factors to building your self esteem are to set goals and create a new habit of thinking positively. By thinking positively and setting goals, we will be happier with our lives and our self esteem will grow

A successful strategy to improve self esteem is to write goals on paper and start to write a journal. By digging down deep to connect with your inner self, your self-esteem can improve. Journaling is an excellent way to connect with your inner self. When you write in your journal, write your goals and create plans to achieve them. Writing them will bring them alive so you can keep rereading your goals repeatedly. The process of rereading your goals regularly enables your mind and brain to relearn previous negative thought patterns substituting them with positive thoughts.

As you start to experience success in your goals, inevitably you will feel better about yourself. This process can also relieve stress and help prevent heart disease. Changing your negative self-talk to positive can set you on the right path to success in whatever area you want to see change.

By Barbara White Published: 8/9/2007

Your Gray Hair - Where Did They Come From?

Worried about those recently appeared gray hair? Is would be useful to learn where they come from anyway. The answer may be in your age, or genetics, or even your lifestyle.

Sam has just noticed a strand of gray hair at his temple and is a bit worried. Is it the time to declare his innings or he still has the power and the will to go for more? Gray hair has been an interrogatory issue for quite long. These days’ people have their own choice when it comes to graying of hair. They can leave it as such and celebrate the natural look or dye them to conceal their graying and sport their ever young looks.

To prevent gray hair is also one of the options which people are trying out but gray hair treatment is yet to deliver confirmed results. Health, heredity and environmental factors are considered to be the factors involved in contributing to the graying of your hair but the main cause is attributed to aging.

It starts when our body stops producing melanin pigment which is responsible for giving color to the hair. Each strand of your hair grows out of a follicle that has cells filled with melanin, called melanocytes. Melanocytes pass melanin to adjoining cells called keratinocytes, which produce keratin - the chief component of hair. When keratinocytes undergo their scheduled death, they retain melanin. The pigment visible in hair and in the skin lies in these dead keratinocyte bodies. With loss of keratinocytes, the pigment of hair is gone. Also, with a period of time the amount of melanin in the keratinocytes decreases. Gray hair is simply hair without melanin. The declining presence of melanin also supposed to be contributing to lack of moisture in gray or white hair. As a result, hair becomes lighter in color and its texture gets dryer and coarser. In actual, hair never turns gray. It is the pigment melanin which is absent in them which gives them the look.

Every day, hairs fall out and are replaced by new ones. At any given time, about 85% to 90% of hairs are actively growing, while the rest are in a resting state. A strand grows for two to four years and then enters into a resting state for about two to four months. After the resting phase, it falls out and is replaced by a new hair. On an average, most people lose about 50 to 100 strands of head hair daily.

There is currently no scientific way to detect as to when a particular cell or group of cells will stop producing melanin. In the initiation stages of graying, the melanocytes are still present but inactive. Later on, they decrease in number. This natural process of graying can begin as early as our teens. In most people, however, graying first becomes noticeable in their late 30s. Some researchers have shown that gender plays a role in graying. The average male starts to gray around age 30, while women typically began to notice lighter strands around age 35. Genetics are also a contributing factor. In some families, many members develop white hair in their 20s. So is the way you live your life – you are likely to get a gray head much faster if you are prone to get tense.

In fact, a tense lifestyle is known to cause hair loss and even baldness in extreme cases. However, biological fact of life varies greatly from person to person, which lead dermatologists and geneticists to conclude that age is not the most accurate indicator of when gray hair will appear. Today there are numerous products in the market which promise to prevent gray hair. If you are not comfortable with your shade of gray, opt for dying of hair or bear your natural look that defines your maturity and wisdom. However, try natural treatments before you turn to chemicals.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The problems like male pattern baldness and alopecia are commonly found in most men of around 35-40 age group bracket. These problems have been well understood by the author. The author also gives his views on various other hair loss solutions.

Spices and digestion

There is only one body, therefore only on way to eat. One diet (central theme plus two variations, spices and herbs) can prevent and or cure most disease, as long as you know and can unite the building up and breaking down nature of the body, with the building up and breaking down nature of food, herbs, exercise, sex, gender, climate,. etc.

Spices are herbs that are not only used for taste but also medicine. They are hot and drying in nature, which in turn, aids digestion.

Digestion is a fire, enzymes and acids that transforms food, nutrients into blood. It also kills harmful bacteria, molds, parasites, etc. Too many cold, cleansing foods, drinks, milk, yogurt, salads, raw vegetables, fruits, juices, shakes, smoothies, ice water, cold drinks, sodas, etc. in the extreme tend to dilute and weaken digestive fire, enzymes and acids. It also tends to cool the lungs, causing the following pathologies:

1. Indigestion- bloating, gas, burping, stomach gurgling
2. Loose stools, diarrhea and or constipation
3. Less blood via less absorption via less digestion
4. Fatigue, pallor, coldness, shaking
5. Water, mucous, phlegm, edema, cellulite

The fire, heat of digestion rises into the lungs dissipating fluids. Weak digestion, fire tends to cool the lungs causing excess condensation (water, mucous, phlegm) to occur. Cold condenses.

Spices not only increase digestion, absorption but also dry and or prevent dampness, loose stools, diarrhea, mucous, phlegm, edema, cellulite, etc. Many women and or vegetarians tend to eat low protein, low fat, high carbohydrate (fruits, vegetables and grains) diet which is conducive to the above mentioned symptoms, pathologies. A drier diet; higher protein and fat, rice, cooked vegetables, spices help alleviate these conditions.

In Ayurvedic medicine, many spices, 7+ are used in cooking: cardamon, cumin, coriander, fennel, cayenne, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, etc. each having different healing properties: turmeric (anti inflammatory, digestive aid, etc.); fennel (liver, digestion); cardamon (aids in digestion of dairy); cinnamon and ginger can be used in cookies in the prevention and treatment of colds. Spices also have their contraindications: exacerbate dry conditions.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Richard G. Heft, Acupuncture Physician (FL 1992-2002); author: Hot and Cold Health (July, 2007); web: www.hotandcoldhealth.net

Alternatives to morality

Some people say 'If it ain't against the law, then why can't we do it?' but there is more to life than that. There's morality. People might disagree on the details but discussing 'right and wrong' is topical in any culture. What works now? Join Mike Scantlebury in thinking about consequences.

Most people know that murder is wrong. It's ugly, and disruptive, to family as well as society. Most crucially, it's also against the law.

That last point is perhaps the most important. It means that when violent death happens, the cops are entitled to look into it, gather evidence and arrest anyone they think might be involved. The courts then have the power to pass sentence and hand out punishment. Not all aspects of life are so simple. In fact, there are times when things are clearly wrong, but because nothing about the facts are illegal, it means that there's no action. Nothing happens.

Let's think about banks. In Britain we have a well-known institution, a High Street bank that's a household name in this country. It's a large, old-fashioned body, and thanks to mergers and acquisitions, is also quite famous in other parts of the world. Not always for good stuff. Back in the 1970s, this bank was a real bad boy and many young people were calling for customers to boycott it services. Why? Because it had a reputation for doing lots of business with the evil regime in South Africa. Not everyone remembers those government people now, but they had a fearsome history of locking people up and oppressing the native population. They weren't nice people. Students in England campaigned against them, including one who is now a member of our current British cabinet. Of course, being the government of South Africa, they weren't illegal. They'd been elected. Well, they had to pass a few laws to make sure that not everyone could vote, but those who could, yes, they voted for them. They were the law, why shouldn't a bank from England do business with them?

The '70s have come and gone, but this particular bank is back in the news. Ten years ago they invented a special type of mortgage for older people. It enabled the oldsters to get money in their hands. It was based on the value of their house, and meant they would have cash for improvements. They wouldn't have to sell up and move on. At the time, it was seen as a pretty good thing, a big help for people who had assets but no ready funds. Well, as they found out in the long run, there was a catch. The interest rate on the loan was kept low by a promise – 'If you sell your house eventually, you must split the increase in the value of the property with us, the bank'. That sounded reasonable at the time and anyway, it was all a long way off, in the future. Well, 'the future' is now. A man who got too old to manage in his own house recently made plans to move into a nursing home. He sold his house and was astonished to find that the bank wanted £99,000 out of the sale. He got £12,000. It was all to do with the fact that the small print on the contract said that when it came to 'sharing', the bank got most. The actual owner got a small part of it.

Okay, it's legal, and I didn't just say that: as fine a body as the Financial Services Authority has ruled that there's nothing wrong with the deal. Oh, yeah, sure. It's just not fair, that's all. And it's being put into effect by a bank that made record profits last year, just about four and a half billion pounds. That sounds pretty clever, and admirable for shareholders. It sounds pretty stinky when you realise that they made it off the savings of vulnerable old people. That doesn't sound like anything to boast about at all.

A very wise man once said, 'Some people rob you with a six-gun, and some with a fountain pen'. He must have been thinking our High Street bank. The joke is, of course, that the boys at the bank seem to think that because they haven't broken the law, then they haven't done anything wrong. Made an obscene level of profit from an old, frail gentleman? The gents in suits seem to think that there will be no repercussions, and they can safely go on about their disreputable business. Funny thing is, over the last 30 years I've opened bank accounts with just about every bank in England, (including the Bank of Ireland and the Royal Bank of Scotland!) In all that time, I've always steered clear of the one I mentioned earlier. Why? Because of the furore in the 1970s. Even though South Africa has changed out of all recognition, I figured that a bank that could do business with the leaders of that poor benighted country had the misfortune to call their government in those days couldn't be trusted. I was right, wasn't I? The fact that we now know that this up-right institution has done the dirty on old folks in present-day England is just one more reason why I won't be risking my investments with that particular investment opportunity. If a few more customers and potential investors agree with me, then some employees in the bank's plush offices might come to see that just because you can claim that something is 'legal', it's no alternative to a dose of good old-fashioned morality.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Scantlebury is an Internet Author, with stories, novels and educational material to his credit. Some of it can be found on Lulu.com and he has recently added videos to YouTube and FreeIQ. He currently lives in Manchester, England, where he rubs shoulders with the surviving members of that iconic group of the 1980s, The Smiths. Try Mike Scantlebury at his website: http://www.mikescantlebury.com

Play Is Serious Business For Childrens' Intelligence

Too many parents consider play as simply a means of diverting and distracting their children. Playthings are often seen as a means of keeping children happy, rewarding them, keeping them out of mischief, and giving parents free time. It is actually crucial their development! Here is how you can help and have fun at the same time.

Not often enough do parents think of play and toys as fundamental aspects of a child's education, as a means through which children learn to understand the world around them, and as the primary method by which children acquire many basic skills.

Parents can help make their children's play stimulating by doing three things.

First, they can adopt an attitude of conscious, deliberate planning in which play is regarded as one of the most important aspects of their children's environment.

Second, they can see to it that their children are provided with the kinds of toys and playthings that will help develop the widest possible varieties of skills and abilities.

Third, they can assume a direct, participating role in their children's play. Planning a child's play does not mean planning each activity for every moment of the child's playtime. On the contrary, children should have maximum independence in choosing their own activities. And, within the limits of the daily routine of the home, a child should also choose the time for their activities, as well as the duration of each. Good planning makes sure that play is as varied and stimulating as possible.

A child should play at different times, with friends, with parents, and by theirselves. This play should include, within a period of about a month, all or most of the following types of activities, each geared to the age level of the child. Here are 5 of them:

#1. Games

Games are perhaps the most basic of all forms of play. From peek-a-boo to chess, from pat-a-cake to baseball, games occupy a central role in the lives of most children from infancy to adolescence. Games may be physical or mental. In general they involve the development of skills, although some lead to the acquisition of information.

#2. Arts and Crafts

Arts and crafts give children many opportunities to express their desire to make things. Crayons, paints, clay, construction paper, scissors and paste, wood, leather, felt, and cardboard are among the materials that help children develop their creative imaginative, and aesthetic abilities. Arts and crafts also develop skills in manipulation, perception, and analysis.

#3. Construction Play

Construction play involves assembling objects from what are usually prefabricated parts. It is less creative than arts and crafts, but is also useful in developing many skills. Putting together a set of railroad tracks and trains is a form of construction play, as is play with erector sets, tinker toys, blocks and the like.

#4. Projective Play

Protective play is play in which a child adds dramatic and emotional meaning to activities with representative toys dolls, trucks, soldiers, homemaking sets, and doctor kits. Its great value lies in the role playing done by the child rather than in the development of specific skills.

#5. Hobbies

Hobbies which cannot be otherwise classified will generally fall under the heading of collecting activities. Collecting stamps, coins, rocks and minerals, butterflies and insects, sea shells, and leaves are all common and popular hobbies. While some help in the development of certain skills, their greatest value is in the considerable knowledge a child can acquire in pursuing them.

Most play can be classified in one of these five groups, and, ideally, play should include all of these types. Also, as skills develop, the activities should move to a higher, more mature level.

However, a child does not automatically vary his play or develop in it. This is where the parent's planning comes in - continually making the child aware of the broad opportunities available to him in play; initiating certain activities during playtime; making suggestions when the child needs and wants them; buying toys that will, in themselves, lead to new pursuits; stimulating new interests and ideas in any of a variety of ways. The parent should not manage the child's play, but should try to nudge it in the right directions.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

FREE valuable information on Gifted Children and raising IQ
scores can be found here at All for Gifted Children. Visit
it today! www.AllForGiftedChildren.com

Benefits of Sharing Grief with Your Child- 7 Ways to Share, 17 Benefits For All

Grief often isolates parents from their children. There is a false belief that children need to be protected and left in their innocence for as long as possible. Such an attitude can have devastating effects on the chidrens' development and the parent- child relationship. Talking and sharing grief and loss makes it normal, boosts the resilence of children and teaches them how to grieve by reaching outwards, instead of going inward into depression. There are many ways the communication can be built into the routine of daily life.

If the experience of grief is crushing and complex for adults, it is alarming and incomprehensible for children. When parents keep silent, children suffer a triple whammy. They suffer bereavement, “loose” a parent who has opted out by grieving alone, and are bereft of tools to come to terms with their shattered world.

The cores of children’s worlds are their parents. They are very sensitive and acutely tuned into the feelings and well being of their parents. They have to be, because their lives depend on it. “If mom and dad are well and happy then I am too,” is the foundation on which youngsters build their lives. Children need to be included in parental experiences of grief and loss so that their security blanket is not stolen from them without adequate preparation. If parents don’t communicate openly about their grief, children resort to imagination and fantasy which can often be more devastating than the reality, crippling their future emotional development.

How to share grief after bereavement:

1. Show and talk about your feelings. Be honest about your moods. Let your child know that grief has not wiped you out. Cry openly but always let your child know why and that you will soon recover.

2. Construct a framework for understanding. Clarify matters for your children by leaving the door open for questions as and when they arise.

3. Include them in your task, rites and rituals. Allow your child to help out in practical ways. Allowing your child to become part of the process of comforting is the best way of demonstrating their importance to the family. Your child will then not have to jostle for a place in the hierarchy of your attention.

4. Relate memories: tell stories to one another about the lost family member. When eating out talk about what that departed one would have ordered, what DVD they would have chosen to rent. Recall the things that irritated you about the loved one. Avoid making the lost relative a paragon of virtue.

5. Make a story book. Draw, write and paste photographs in a story book involving you, your child and the deceased. Recall the typical phrases used by the departed, laugh about them, and add them to the repertoire of shared memories. Encourage your child to make up songs and poems about life with and without the lost family member.

6. Make family audio tapes of conversations with the lost relative as if writing to them. Make up new recipes with ingredients that the dead person favored. Have fun naming them in the memory of the departed. Sow seed of plants that the deceased would have liked which your child can tend.

7. Put on mini stage plays that include the departed in scenes. This is an excellent way for you and your child to tell your lost loved one things that were left unsaid, and to complete any unfinished business.

Benefits for you the parent

1. Guilt free parenting

2. Remaining tuned into your child’s needs

3. Developing a closer relationship with your child

4. Having a child that remains well adjusted, less prone to anxiety problems

5. Weaving a strong and flexible bond with your child with your openness

6. Creation of inter-generational links, uniting families lovingly

7. Passing on the vital legacy of making grief healthy

Benefits for your children

1. Reassurance that they are not forgotten or put aside
2. 
   
3. Realization that they are not to blame for your sadness or distant mood
4. Permission to ask questions and form a framework for understanding loss
5. Learning that grief comes in different stages and forms
6. Learning about the tools of expressing grief and the importance of doing so
7. Relief that negative emotions are not shameful and can be tolerated by parents
8. Opportunity to clarify the emotions, rites and rituals associated with grief and loss
9. Learning how to let go without forgetting the loved one
10. Acceptance of themselves when both good and bad memories of the departed one is normal
11. Chance to rehearse how to get on with life, assimilating the memory of the lost relative.

Copyright Jeanette Raymond, Ph.D.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Jeanette Raymond is a licensed phychologist and psychotherapist. She has over 20 years experience working with children and families. She enables families to share their grief whether new or several generations old. She uses art, dreams and joint activities to make grief and loss a natural part of life and not to be feared. You can find out more at http://www.drjeanetteraymond.com

Would you like a slice of love with life?

Love , love, love the powerful emotion. As powerful as it is, it can either work with us or againest us. Let me show you how to have it work for you, come follow me....

A slice of love please

The powerful emotion that will take you over the line to success

Oh the feelings stirring deep within, wallowing, waiting, wishing to surface.

The feeling that you are in love with someone, the feeling of a burning passion for someone, the feeling that you would sacrifice anything to be with them for another moment.

Love , oh love, oh love

You enthuse color into life.

How though can the emotional power of love thrust you forward to achieve success on a massive scale?

Love slices through negative emotions like a knife cuts through butter.

If you stay positive and in love with yourself, others and life you will live it worth more gusto and much more appreciation of its wonders, its beauty and treasures it offers.

The love you give life is the love you receive. It mirrors what you put in.

So how much love are you enthusing into your life?

How many people do you show daily how much you love them?

Or is this something in your life that lost its spark long ago?

If it is, no worries because its an emotion like any emotion that can be learnt. We can learn to love ourselves more, to live with more warmth and passion. But most importantl we can triumph over an obstacle with love. Because you are a mistake maker you are also a mistake breaker. You can not make a mistake without also too knowing how to break it and breaking it sometimes is the funniest part. Blunders, oh massive blunders come to us all. But it is our response or reaction to those blunders that will make us a success or a failure and only you can determine that. You can control everything with breaking the mistake but you can control your attitude and if you don’t know how I suggest you learn three important principles of the mind

1) Discipline an

2) Relaxation

3) Imagination.

I wont cover them here that can be a separate topic. You can control your mind, and emotions when faced with adversity in relationship, at work, at home and in life. You can spruse yourself image with the emotion of love and compassion toward yourself for making the mistake, and secondly you can spread this to others by modeling this feeling toward yourself when around others. After you have mastered this self love then you can offer it to others, but don’t force it upon them please! It is said to be believed that you can not give anyone else more love than you give yourself. So if you have a low self image and low self esteem of yourself I suggest you begin raising it if you expect lashings of love from other people. Get in love with yourself first and foremost, your goals, and with your life… And if your single don’t worry about Mr or Mrs Right the love you have for yourself, your goals, and your life will attract that person subliminally to you. So sit back, relax, and love your life !

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah liddle

www.totalhealthecology.mionegroup.com

www.imperativecoaching.com

7 Tips and Exercises to Boost Your Creativity and Original Thinking

Do you have a problem or project that has you stumped? Or maybe you are just not satisfied with the solutions you have so far. Use these suggestions to boost your creative power. By following a few steps, your ability to create original solutions will increase.

1.Gather Information: you might not have enough information about your project/problem to come up with a great creative solution.

Exercise: Go to a source of information you don’t typically use. When is the last time you went to a library? Is there a government agency that has related information? How about a local community college, is there an instructor that teaches something connected to your subject? Clerks at bookstores are often very helpful. There may be trade magazines addressing your area of interest.

2. Be Active: yes, you read correctly. Your brain uses a lot of oxygen and does not work well when undernourished.

Exercise: Go do something active and FUN! This will get the blood flowing and when you have fun, your creative juices start flowing. Do something that you haven’t done in long time: dance, roller skate, hike, ride horseback, garden, or ride a bike.

3. Change your viewpoint: As Einstein is quoted as saying: "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." Your perception determines the path to a problem’s solution.

Exercise: Look at your problem from another point of view. What would your problem look like if you were a different person? Imagine…from the viewpoint of a child, a co-worker, your dog, a gambler, a professional athlete, etc. This may sound silly, the point is to shake up your normal routine and help your brain create new pathways of thought.

4. Compare and Contrast: Compare your problem/issue/project to something very different; an object or a concept. Through juxtaposition, you may find combinations you never saw before.

Exercise: Grab a blank sheet of paper. Write your problem at the top. Next to it write an unrelated idea such as “shoe”, “the national highway system”, “a candy bar”, “cat litter”….you get the idea! Underneath write every way you can think that these two things are alike. Remember to have fun. This is simply another method of changing your viewpoint as well as generating more ideas.

5. Be Visual: Thinking is very fluid and visual, making use of symbols and pictures instead of words. Give your problem a color…even a smell! What shape is it? What does it feel like to the touch?

Exercise: This is best done with a large sheet of paper or a white board. Use a regular piece of paper if that’s all you have. Draw a rectangle in the center and label it with your problem/project. Draw at least 5-6 radiating lines coming out from the box. Label these lines as different aspects of your project. For instance, if the problem is Planning a Wedding on a Tight Budget, some of the radiating lines could be Food, Entertainment, and Wedding Dress. If the problem is Building a Team at work, some of the lines could be Collaboration, Productivity, and Communication. At the end of each line write whatever you think needs to happen with that area. This exercise can help you see the big picture as well as prioritize all the parts of your project.

6. Generate LOTS of ideas: You have gathered information, pumped up your enthusiasm and reviewed your problem from many angles. It’s time to really let loose with ideas.

Exercise: Brainstorm! I mean REALLY brainstorm. Don’t just toss out a handful of ideas and call it quits. Put some energy into it. Collaboration is good for this as everyone will get some different ideas. Hand everyone a piece of paper (preferably large, that you can stick to the wall). Set a time limit. Allow enough time to get plenty of ideas but not so much time that you judge the ideas coming out of you (5-10 minutes). Also set a goal for the number ideas, a goal that will force you to work fast. Speed is important as well as reserving any judgment.

7. Give it to your subconscious: Let your subconscious mind have another crack at it. You have plenty of information and ideas. It may be challenging to pick the best course of action.

Exercise: Sleep on it! Let your mind have it while you are resting. For this to really work you must do a review just before going to bed and place a notebook by your bed so you can jot down ideas if you wake up during the night and first thing in the morning. Intend that you will have some answers when you wake up. As you wake up, you may have to catch the ideas in the half-awake state. The notebook is right beside you so you won’t lose any good thoughts.

Congratulations! You came up with some very creative solutions to your project.

You can repeat this process with any subject.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lucretia Torva is a freelance artist painting murals, portraits and faux finishes in the Southwest. She received her Master of Fine Art from the University of Illinois. Lucretia has taught college level art courses, helping hundreds of people tap into their creative abilities, also managed a department of artists for a production art company. Successfully freelancing for the last 7 years, she has been selling her artwork for the last 25 years. She coaches people in creativity to assist them to get the most out of their personal and professional lives.Check out her site: http://www.creativepowergenius.com, and get on her mailing list!

Mp3 Player Buying Advice

This article talks about important features of mp3 players, and it provides a valuable guide for those trying to make a good purchase.

Music is one of the best sources of entertainment. It is music that can work wonders at times. Even medical science believes in the miracle of music, and incidents are not very rare where the so-called `music therapy` has cured diseases that medical therapy has failed to do. Hence, the popular propensity towards music has improved considerably.

However, this interest for music has increased in an unprecedented fashion ever since the market was flooded with gadgets like MP3/MP4 players and iPods. These gadgets are widely popular due to their portability. But, portability is not the only deciding factor that you should consider while buying an MP3 player. There are several other elements that have to be taken into consideration before buying an MP3 player.

1. What do you want an MP3 player for? Choose according to your needs, listening to music in your bedroom is different from doing so in the kitchen or living room. In such cases, go for an MP3 player with an optional stereo dock. If you want to listen to tunes during work-out, then opting for a flash-based MP3 player is a wonderful idea.

2. It is always a good idea to spend some time with the MP3 player in person instead of assuming that it would be as good as it is shown in the ads. Incase, you want to buy it online, visit an electronics store to physically handle it and see if it is suitable in all circumstances of your day-to-day activities.

3. Always make a research before by an MP3 player. You can read magazines such as CE Lifestyles or take the opinions of your friends, colleagues, acquaintances and relatives who may have used it before. It will save you a great deal of time and after-buy regret.

4. It always pays off if you carry a small notebook to compare different shops before buying an MP3 player. Note down the standard features of each edition or brand and take the decision on the basis of that.

5. Though buying an MP3 player online has its own advantages such discount, but when it comes to possibility of return and exchange, it is actually difficult doing so online. On the other hand, if you buy the same from an actual electronics store then you are most likely to get the exact model you want.

6. Check out the earphones to find if they are really compatible with your need or if you are feeling comfortable using them. Check the battery back-up capacity and other features as well. Besides, it is worth spending some time playing the MP3 player to get used to the functions and application of player to prevent any possible future damage due to mishandling.

Tip 1 - Know your music files.

MP3 players can play music of different formats. Some popular digital formats are WMA, ATRAC3, OGG and AAC. However, not all MP3 players can play all formats. For example, if you buy songs from an iTunes store, they are in AAC file and your MP3 won`t play them unless its software favors these formats. Hence, knowing about this will avoid future tense and disappointments.

Tip 2 - Keep your music organized with ID3 tags:

ID3 tags enable you to store data along with your MP3 files such as title, artist, album, and track number. It also allows you to edit your PM3 ID3 tags using Windows XP or any other music software such as iTunes or Musicmatch Jukebox. ID3 tags are the best way to keep your music organized.

Tip 3 - Back up your digital music:

Be on the safer side by having a back-up of your purchased tunes against any unforeseen computer crash. Most online music store including iTunes do not allow redownload facilities to the purchased files.

Taking Control of Your Time

The business organisation is getting more important these days due to the fast communication lines and extreme information surplus. Here is a well-tried guide to organise your time, lower your stress levels, and be really productive in your work hours.

Today’s advisors are faced with an overwhelming volume of information. I’m often faced with 50 to 60 e-mails and another 15 voicemails on a daily basis. I soon realized an effective organizational system was needed to maintain my profitability and my sanity.

Developing an organization action plan will allow you to:

• minimize your stress level
• optimize your level of creativity
• increase the profitability of your practice

Most high level advisors have a good understanding of the correlation between being organized and having a more profitable and fulfilling life. The following steps will help increase your level of organization and create a sense of balance in your life.

Get Started

The first item needed is a large recycling bin or waste basket. I usually devote a day of my time and my assistant’s time every 6 months to clearing the junk from my office. This semi annual purge will create space in your office and your mind.

Next step is creating time friendly and efficient input sources i.e. phone, e-mail, fax and mail. It’s crucial from a business standpoint that clients be able to reach us by all of these methods. What creates the separation from our competitors is how we deal with these inputs?

Action Plan in Place

You walk into the office and you’re hit with 50 e-mails. Try responding to your e-mail, by applying one of the following four actions:

Delete it - if it is an item that is of no value trash it.

Defer it – This does not mean simply skip it and move on to the next item (which is what most advisors do). If it is an item that can not be dealt with in a timely manner and can’t be delegated, file it and write it down in your electronic or manual organizer, assigning an appropriate time to deal with the activity.

Take Action – if it’s something that can be dealt with on the spot take action and move on.

Delegate – I’ll discuss this in more detail in a few moments, but the ability to distribute less profitable tasks to your supporting team is a key driving force in creating time and maximizing profitability.

Overcoming Obstacles

Where most advisors fall of the wagon is when life throws a curveball. You are half way through your e-mail and your cell phone rings your client wants to discuss their policy. While it’s great to be accessible to your clients this will prevent you from dealing with the task at hand and if you’re half way through you’ll have to start over once you’re able to come back to the e-mail. Solution forward your cell phone and business phone to your assistant or respond to your client’s voice mail after you completed your outstanding tasks.

Dealing with Delegation

The ability to effectively delegate outstanding work will create time and is vital to becoming and staying an elite level advisor. When a client inquiry comes into my office my assistant attacks it in the same way I would: delete it, defer it or take action. I’m the last option and I’ll only be asked to step in after the 1st three options are explored. As my business has grown, a secondary assistant was brought in to deal with the overflow of work and the system simply repeats itself.

Fine Tuning Your System

The basics of how you and your team handle incoming work remain constant. However, changes in technology can create opportunities to enhance your organizational system. The preferred choice of exporting information has shifted from fax to e-mail in recent years. E-mail offers tremendous flexibility and time efficiencies but the means in which I handle e-mails or faxes have remained constant.

Bottom Line

The ideas discussed will allow you to create separation from your competitors. The increased time will allow you to be more productive and profitable. Additionally, the reduction in both mental and physical clutter will allow you to be more creative in your thinking – a muddled mind has no room to explore new concepts. I’m reminded of an unconventional executive who lives in a 6000 square foot home furnished with only a bed and a television. He says the space maximizes his mental productivity.

While this level of eccentrism is not required, there is a definite correlation between your level of organization and your creativity. The reduction in mental and physical confusion will enhance both your professional and personal bottom line.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lorne S. Marr, President of Lorne S. Marr Insurance Services Ltd. has been a practicing financial planner since 1993 having graduated from the University of Windsor with an MBA. In the year 2000 he completed the internationally recognized Certified Financial Planner designation. He's a professional life insurance agent in Toronto, Canada.

How Your Ipod Can Aid Exercise

This article talks about the iPod together with Nike shoes, as a sport kit in helping people to get the best of physical exercises. Good guide for those who want to be in good shape.

Modern living has become much more technology based and sedentary, with virtual entertainment being the most popular pastime of choice. This has obvious effects upon health and the world has startling increasing obesity levels. Although technology is not to blame, rather than the people who choose to use it, more could be done to integrate technological entertainment into a more active lifestyle. The iPod is redressing this balance with the addition to its available accessories of the Nike iPodSports Kit.

Research has consistently shown that listening to music improves mood, and the most recent findings suggest that music actually gives a cognitive boost. Listening to music during exercise improves most people`s performance in a number of ways. Music provides an encouraging rhythm which synchronizes with the movement during exercise, and which helps push further. It also distracts from event. The iPod has already helped many sports enthusiasts to enjoy their regime more fully, but now the iPod can offer some real assistance.

The Nike iPod Sports Kit consists of two elements; a music player and a pedometer. These two items have been important for the runner for a long time, but the iPod version has many additional features. The device works as follows; a sensor fits into the sole of a specially designed Nike + shoe. The receiver is plugged into the iPod Nano which has the battery power, the memory and all required software installed. The sensor detects footfall like any other pedometer, and sends the information through transmitted radio waves. Each device has its own unique code and so even if there a few runners using the iPod accessory, only your information will be received. Another clever feature is that different sensors can be used on a single device, so more than one person can benefit.

The real beauty of the Nike iPod Sports Kit is the extent of the information transmitted. It sends to the device the number of calories burned, but also calculates speed using equations which consider foot fall and the amount of time the foot is spent on the floor. Other information provided to the mp3 mp4 player device includes distance and comparative statistics to previous performances. Goals can be set on the software and the results will state how your performance compared to your goals. In addition to this, the device allows you to create play lists for your workout.

Although the level of information is excellent, it is easy to read whilst working out. The iPod Sports Kit come with a click wheel which acts as a control whilst running. The information is not just stored on the screen, but is also provided by a computerized voice system. The device is easy to use overall, with the required software already installed in the latest models, with the software available to download for older iPod`s through the online update feature.

Once the workout is complete, the statistics can be stored on a computer. There is then the option to join a huge online iPod community where information uploaded from the device can be shared with other runners. This can be helpful for goal setting and to set challenges. Running enthusiasts can compare information, and even share routes with an innovative mapping function. This additional feature of services gives an excellent social dimension to an often lone sport. It is amazing that this can be done online.

Overall the benefits of the Nike iPod Sports Kit include advanced equipment which combines two important elements for sport; music and information. The device is lightweight, compact and the software is top of the range. It helps improves health, through enjoyment and factual assistance, and is available for all users despite the age of their model.

The only real disadvantage is the fact that there is much apparatus needed which can be costly. The basic requirements are an iPod Nano, the Sports Kit and the Nike + shoes. Although other shoes can be bought that have a pouch for the sensor, these use a different angle so do not achieve the same results.

The IPod – A Gadget To Change Lifestyles

The iPod has revolutionized the world of music. While there are lots of satisfied users, a fair number of people are still unaware of this phenomenon sweeping the times we live in. Its time to get in on the act…

Sometimes we are left wondering what we are doing with our lives. A similar revelation took place recently when I read an article on Apple selling its 100 millionth iPod. Having heard about it all these years as a wonder gadget, I’d just let it pass by, assuming it to be an advanced version of the Sony walkman, or Diskman at most. How wrong I was! A visit to the Apple website opened my eyes. Starting from the smallest sized Mini that has a capacity of 1GB, to the latest fifth generation 80GB Video there is a huge variety to suit each need. Besides these two, iPods are available in sizes of 2GB, 4GB, 10GB and 30GB. When I pause to think that just a few years ago I was the proud owner of a PC with a HDD of a then princely 4 GB, I feel humbled. Why, even my current laptop (bought the latest available three years ago) has a now seemingly low 30GB of space. One look at the iPod and I didn’t know where to hide! Is it time for me to exchange my laptop for the little magical gadget, then? Well, maybe not quite, but even that time is not far I guess. The iPod offers multiple choices for its users, the very basic being its function of allowing you to download music from the Apple website and a host of others. Apple allows downloads which are compatible with its in-house development, the itunes music software that allows seamless integration with the audio.

Now here’s the best part - you don’t have to restrict yourself to just music. There’s a host of options available – like listening to audio books that you always wanted to read but could never find the time for. Or you could listen to those French lessons you always wanted to take while driving to work, and slowly, at that – the iPod allows you to run the audio at variable speeds. The author of the article I read, a doctor by profession, uses it to store his patients’ x rays and medical histories, always carrying a ready bank of medical cases to refer to. Others use it as a travel companion, downloading the latest movies and watching it at leisure on the 2.5-inch LCD screen. 80GB is a lot of space. You can even hook up your iPod to a host of accessories like a Bose stereo, your TV, or even your car audio. Use the convenient charger to charge it from your laptop, or use a common adapter for your car charger. The battery life achieved depends upon the usage – the least batteries being consumed while listening to audio, and the maximum, naturally, seeing video.

Besides the Apple website, the iPod is one of the hottest selling items on ebay as well. Not to mention the thousands of other online stores whose sales figures I didn’t have time to check out. You have a choice between buying a brand new 80GB iPod ranging upto the current $350 on the Apple website, or a refurbished one generally available cheap on one of the e-auction sites. Going by the reviews to the refurbished ones (which are basically nearly new iPods, but gone faulty due to some reason and now repaired), not many people are complaining. So maybe it’s not a bad option if you want to save a few dollars. Don’t think any more. It is not a product - it’s a phenomenon. As for life passing me by - I’ve already ordered one!

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The author loves mixing music. You can make your own music by setting up a home recording studio and using a good music production software . Learn all the music terms with the help of an online music dictionary.

Digital Camera Purchase Advice

Get to know some standard features and important purchase tips of digital cameras. Also learn about the co-relation of image quality and onboard image capacity.

Digital Camera has become a very popular consumer item, since it makes so easy and cheap to take pictures. However, some buyers are impulsive by nature and they are hardly aware of the standard features of digital cameras. Only after using the camera, they may realize its drawbacks. Therefore, it is important to know some standard features of digital cameras so that one can make the right decisions while buying this gadget.

The following are some standard features:

Computing Platform: Most digital cameras have interface compatibility with Mac as well as Windows operating system platforms. However, some cameras might have more software for one platform than the other, where as a few will work only on one platform. In this case, usually these cameras work on Windows platform.

Image Quality: It basically includes factors such as exposure accuracy, color purity, optics (lens) quality and image compression techniques.

Onboard Image Capacity: Whether a specific amount of onboard image capacity is sufficient or not depends largely on your application. Image capacity and image quality share a strong co-relation with each other. For instance, there is not point in having a digital camera that offers high image capacity whereas the amount of storage is not adequate in relation to the resolution. Beware of the cameras that promise a large number of images but lack actual storage space. It might affect the image quality of your photos. Standard onboard camera memory might range from 2 to 16 MB and the image storage capacity can vary from 10 to 100+ images, depending on the image resolution.

Reusable Memory Cards: There are quite a few digital cameras that allow storing images on plug-in cards and this enables users to add as much or as little memory to the camera as per individual requirement. Unlike the older version of memory card where a single type of memory card known as Liner PCMCIA was being extensively used, now memory cards can be found in different types. Some of the most popular cards are Compact Flash and FlashMedia.

Exposure Versatility: Digital cameras are unable to handle different lighting conditions. This drawback is not found in film cameras as we can compensate for different lighting situations by using different types of films. So, since the image sensor of a digital camera acts as a film, users find nearly impossible to change this setup. However, you can ensure that the digital camera you are buying has the ideal camera exposure system, such as shutter speed, variable lens opening and supplementary flash to handle a wide range of shooting conditions.

Other features:

Consider buying a waterproof camera as it can withstand moistures.

The camera you are buying should preferably have ISO support for crisper and cleaner images.

Go for higher mega pixel resolution cameras, which will offer you greater cropping ability. The higher the mega pixel resolution, the more one can enlarge his photographs. But don`t get too fussy about mega pixel resolution as it is not everything in a digital camera.

Look for pre-programmed scene modes in your camera which will take photos even in the tough and challenging lighting conditions.

While buying, focus more on optical zoom of a digital camera and not so much on the digital zoom. Optical zoom makes use of lens to get closer shots and delivers better images.

Finally, you have to be careful of not being lured into buying a camera with a `package deal` offer. What costs cheaper could also be cheaper in quality too! Digital cameras have made it easy for those who want to capture special moments. Now with so many features and affordable prices, digital camera have really become a world wide consumer product.