Get Healthy, Get Wealthy and Be Successful

2011-04-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

Frustrated Salespeople

Are you a frustrated salesperson who loves selling and working with people but are frustrated that you only get paid once for each transaction, and you feel like you are only as good as your last sale?

Thank you for requesting the FREE REPORT on building an income that doesn’t stop coming in when you stop working and selling and working, and learn how to ROCK YOUR LIFE.

The profession and act of selling can be a very enjoyable experience on many levels including emotionally and financially. A great pleasure and excitement can be received while helping a customer or client get the product or service that best suits there individual needs.

While traditional sales can be very fun and enjoyable, it does come with its setbacks. With traditional sales positions you are only paid once for each sale that you make, and the company that you work for may receive recurring payments for the product which you sold one time. For example while selling at places such as a gym, cell phone store, auto lot and many other places you as a salesperson put much effort into creating the relationship and building the rapport necessary to make the sale. After you make the sale the company that you work for receives recurring payments on the sale that you got paid on once.

Thankfully, you do not have to be a struggling salesperson who only gets paid once for each sale and relationship that you make. You can use the skills and talents that you have cultivated and honed over your life and sale career in a way where you can earn a consistent stream of income that comes in weekly or monthly. For more information and a free report titled “The ultimate money machine” by New York Times Best Selling Author Robert G. Allen on how you can leverage these skills and those of others, enter your contact information in the box below.

Email Marketing You Can Trust

Opportunities Abound

2010-08-31T19:50:00.000-07:00

Are you concerned about your current J.O.B, future job opportunities, and your overall financial future? With the uncertainty of the current economy, news about increasing unemployment in many parts of the country, decreasing value of pensions and 401(k) accounts, and decreasing home values it can become very easy to get very concerned and scared about your personal and financial future.

"If you change the way you look at things, the way you look at things change- Dr. Wayne Dyer

Thankfully, amidst all of the negative news which we hear so often about everything happening around us, there is a HUGE silver lining. There are actually more opportunities now to create WEALTH AND ABUNDANCE for ourselves than there have ever been in the past. For example, with the right knowledge and education there are many opportunities to money to make in the stock market, Real Estate is at record lows in some parts of the country and is at a perfect time for investment properties and other real estate type investments. and my personal favorite way to create multiple streams of passive income for myself while helping others do the same is INTERNET MARKETING and NETWORK MARKETING. These two fields offer an opportunity for average individuals to create passive income for themselves in there spare time, which with enough time and effort can grow into enough to exceed your expenses and become financially free.

Another key factor and benefit to these types of businesses and cash flow streams is that it can be very cheap to get started, normally with little to no money down, while having no ceiling on the income they can make.

Here is an news story from an Australian TV Channel about Direct Selling:

Why we chase security

2009-12-07T20:36:00.000-08:00

The first reason is conditioning. We are all affected in one way or another by what we see, hear, and the people that we are surrounded by as we grow up. Many many people grow up hearing the mantra of "get good grades, get a good education, get a SAFE and SECURE JOB, save your money, try and buy a reasonable house, invest through your 401k or similar retirement plan, and hope to be able to have enough money to retire after 30, 40 or even 50 years of working. If that is the blueprint we are given for how we should live our life, it will most likely stick with us unless we make a conscious decision to change it, and live our lives differently. It can be very easy to get stuck in the "rat race trap," and settle for what an employer decides to pay us, how many vacation and personal days they decide to let us have, the amount of holiday/christmas bonus we get, and what kind of retirement plan we get.

We are also influenced by the people you hang around and surround yourself with. There are individuals who grow up in a household where there parents or caregivers work during the day, come home, eat and watch TV for the rest of the evening, while repeating that process over and over for years on ond. It can be very easy to be majorly influenced by that type of lifestyle and begin to life it yourself. Whereas, If you surround yourself with winners, and people who are doing things with there lives, it will begin to rub off on you, and you will want to do the same as they are.

Secondly, I believe that our self esteem and self worth can have a large impact on whether we choose to settle for security. If we have a low self esteem and view on our capabilities we will be much less likely to believe we have the ability to create the life of our dreams. Unfortunately people grow up believing that if they don't get good grades in school, they are destined for a life of mediocrity. While grades are very important in many areas, it is not a true determining factor for how you are destined to live your life and how much money you will make. Some people believe that you need some sort of super power to live a life of abundance, or that massive success is only for a few select few. But in reality, we all have special talents that we were given as a gift from above, and we should use them to the best of our ability to create the life that WE WANT FOR OURSELVES, NOT THE LIFE OTHER PEOPLE WANT FOR US

Vitamin D-WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

2009-10-12T09:21:00.001-07:00

Check out this very interesting new article on VITAMIN D, and the positive impact that it can have in our lives.

(I personally feel like I just walked out into a beautiful sunny day when I take 4000 IU of VITAMIN D3)

Dr. Frank Lipman Integrative Physician Vitamin D: What You Need To Know

Hardly a day goes by without some groundbreaking news about Vitamin D. Originally known for it's crucial role in maintaining calcium levels for bone health, it is rapidly becoming apparent that we have vastly underestimated Vitamin D's significant importance for our overall health and wellbeing. In short, judging by what I see in my practice and speaking with colleagues around the country, it's looking very much like we're facing an epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency, with potential grave consequences. This Vitamin D FAQ will help to get you up to speed on this important topic.

What diseases are associated with Vitamin D deficiency?

Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to play a role in almost every major disease, including:

Osteoporosis and Osteopenia
17 varieties of Cancer (including breast, prostate and colon)
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Obesity
Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes
Autoimmune diseases
Multiple sclerosis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Osteoarthritis
Bursitis
Gout
Infertility and PMS
Parkinson's Disease
Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder
Alzheimer's Disease
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Fibromyalgia
Chronic Pain
Periodontal disease
Psoriasis

What is vitamin D?

Although it's called a vitamin, vitamin D is really a hormone not a vitamin. Vitamins cannot be produced by your body, we get them from dietary sources, whereas hormones like vitamin D are made in your body. It's your body's only source of calcitrol (activated vitamin D), the most potent steroid hormone in the body.

What does vitamin D do?

Like all steroid hormones, vitamin D is involved in making hundreds of enzymes and proteins, which are crucial for preserving health and preventing disease. It has the ability to interact and affect more than 2,000 genes in the body. It enhances muscle strength and builds bone. It has anti-inflammatory effects and bolsters the immune system. It helps the action of insulin and has anti-cancer activity. This is why vitamin D deficiency has been linked with so many of the diseases of modern society. Because of its vast array of benefits, maintaining optimal levels of D is essential for your health.

Where do I get vitamin D from?

The only 2 reliable sources of vitamin D are the sun and supplements. Sunlight exposure is the only reliable way for your body to generate vitamin D. Vitamin D is produced by your skin in response to exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. In fact, this is such an efficient system that most of us make approx. 20,000 units of vitamin D after only 20 minutes of summer sun without suntan lotion (or clothes!) That's 100 times more than the government recommends per day! There must be a good reason why we make so much in so little time.
You do not generate vitamin D when sitting behind a glass window, whether in your car or at home because these UV rays cannot penetrate glass to generate vitamin D in your skin Also sunscreens, even weak ones, almost completely block your body's ability to generate vitamin D.
The other reliable source is vitamin D3 supplements (not vitamin D2)
Only about 10% of your vitamin D comes from diet, so it is nearly impossible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from your food.

What are the food sources of vitamin D?

1. Fish liver oils, such as cod liver oil.  Fatty wild fish like mackerel, salmon, halibut, tuna, sardines and herring
2.  Fortified milk, orange juice and cereal
3. Dried Shitake mushrooms
4. Egg yolks
But to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from food, you would have to eat at least 5 servings of salmon a day or drink 20 cups of fortified milk

My Doctor told me to avoid the sun, what do you think?

There is an old Italian saying "Where the sun does not go the doctor does."
For about the last 25 years, doctors (dermatologists in particular) have demonized sun exposure and repeatedly told us it is bad for you and causes cancer. But is that true? In the last few years, numerous studies have shown that modest exposure to sunlight may actually be good for you, helping the body produce the vitamin D it needs to keep bones healthy and protect against cancer, including skin cancer. Though repeated sunburns--in children and very fair-skinned people--have been linked to melanoma, there is no credible scientific evidence that moderate sun exposure causes it. Since it's almost impossible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from food alone (including fortified milk and fatty wild fish), the sun is your best source. I'm not suggesting you go bake in the sun with your suntan oil or go to tanning salons. But getting some sun without getting sunburned makes healthy sense.
 We evolved in the sun; we were made to get some sun, not to live our lives indoors and slather on sunscreen every time we go outside. If the sun is shining where you are today, get out and enjoy it, talk about a free natural treatment! All you need is a little common sense when heading outdoors, do it gradually and always avoid sunburn.  
Special Note: Remember to take antioxidants when you sit in the sun, as these can help prevent skin cells from sun damage.

How much sunshine do I need?

All living things need sun, the key is balance. Too much sun exposure can cause melanoma and skin aging, while too little creates an inadequate production of vitamin D. The amount needed depends on the season, time of day, where you live, skin pigmentation and other factors. As a general rule, if you are not vitamin D deficient, about 20 minutes a day in the spring, summer and fall on your face and arms or legs without sunscreen is adequate. It doesn't matter which part of the body you expose to the sun. Many people want to protect their face, so just don't put sunscreen on the other exposed parts for those 20 minutes.
 If you live north of 37 degrees latitude (approximately a line drawn horizontally connecting Norfolk, Virginia to San Francisco, California) sunlight is not sufficient to create Vitamin D in your skin in the winter months, even if you are sitting in the sun in a bathing suit on a warm January day! The further you live from the equator, the longer exposure you need to the sun in order to generate vitamin D

How much vitamin D do I need?

How much vitamin D you need varies with age, body weight, percent of body fat, latitude, skin coloration, season of the year, use of sun block, individual variation in sun exposure, and - probably - how ill you are.
As a general rule, old people need more than young people, big people need more that little people, fat people need more than skinny people, dark-skinned people need more than fair skinned people, northern people need more than southern people, winter people need more than summer people, sun block lovers need more than sun block haters, sun-phobes need more than sun worshipers, and ill people may need more than well people.
What I and many of my colleagues around the country are finding is that even people spending what we thought was adequate amount of time in the sun, are still showing up with low blood vitamin D levels. I am not sure why at this stage but there is an easy and cheap solution...vitamin D supplementation.

How much vitamin D should I supplement with?

Most important is that you take vitamin D3, (cholecalciferol) the active form of vitamin D. Do not take vitamin D2 as it is not as biologically active nor as effective, and nor as safe as vitamin D3. And taking the right amount is crucial, most doctors tend to under dose. The current recommendations from the Food and Nutrition Board of the U.S. Institute of Medicine: from 200 to 600 IU/day depending on one's age, are way too low. These values were originally chosen because they were found to prevent osteomalacia (bone softening) and rickets
Here are some guidelines
If your blood level is above 45ng/ml and for maintenance, I recommend 2,000-4,000 IU daily depending on age, weight, season, how much time is spent outdoors, where one lives, skin color and obviously blood levels
In other words if you are older, larger, living in the northern latitudes during the winter, are not getting sun and have dark skin, I recommend the higher maintenance dose.
If your blood level is 30-45 ng/ml, I recommend you correct it with 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day for 3 months under a doctor's supervision and then recheck your blood levels.

If your blood level is less than 30 ng/ml, I recommend you correct it with 10,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day under a doctor's supervision and then recheck your blood levels after 3 months. It takes a good 6 months usually to optimize your vitamin D levels if you're deficient. Once this occurs, you can lower the dose to the maintenance dose of 2,000 - 4,000 IU a day.

What are the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency?

There is no clear pattern of symptoms. In fact many people remain asymptomatic despite low levels. But here are some of the more common symptoms:

Fatigue
General muscle pain and weakness
Muscle cramps
Joint pain
Chronic pain
Weight gain
High blood pressure
Restless sleep
Poor concentration
Headaches
Bladder problems
Constipation or diarrhea

 What about vitamin D toxicity?

It is impossible to generate too much vitamin D in your body from sunlight exposure: your body will self-regulate and only generate what it needs. Although very rare, it is possible to overdose and become toxic with supplementation as vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin and therefore stored in the body for longer periods of time. Therefore if you are taking 5,000 IU or more daily, you should have your blood levels monitored approximately every 3 months. 

What blood test should I have to check my vitamin D levels?  

The only blood test that can diagnose vitamin D deficiency is a 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25 OH vitamin D). Unfortunately, some doctors are still ordering the wrong test, 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D. In fact a common cause of high 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D is a low 25(OH)D or vitamin D deficiency. So when doctors see the 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D is normal or high and tell their patients that they are OK, they are often vitamin D deficient.
Your doctor should do this test for you. Unfortunately even some of the labs, in particular Qwest, have had problems with correct results, usually giving erroneously high results.
If you don't want to go through your doctor, the ZRT lab does a blood spot test that you can order without going through a doctor.

What is the ideal blood level of 25 hydroxy vitamin D?

The current ranges for "normal" are 20 to 55 ng/ml. These are much too low!!! They may be fine if you want to prevent rickets or osteomalacia, but not for optimal health. The ideal range for optimal health is 50-80 ng/ml.

How often should I have a 25 hydroxy vitamin D blood test?

At least once a year especially at the beginning of winter. If you are supplementing, I suggest you monitor your vitamin D levels approximately every 3months until you are in the optimal range. If you are taking high doses (10,000 IU a day) your doctor must also check your calcium, phosphorous, and parathyroid hormone levels every 3 months

My doctor prescribed Drisdol, 50,000 IU per week. What is it?  

Drisdol is a prescription of 50,000 IU tablets of vitamin D2 or ergocalciferol. Ergocalciferol is not vitamin D but it is similar. D2 is not normally found in humans and most studies show it does not raise 25(OH)D levels as well as (cholecalciferol or vit D3) does. If you are vitamin D deficient, the best thing to do, is to take vitamin D3.

Can I take cod liver oil to get my vitamin D?

  Although Cod liver oil contains a fair amount of vitamin D, it also contains high amounts of vitamin A. Vitamin A antagonizes the action of vitamin D and can be toxic at high levels.

Why is there an epidemic of vitamin D deficiency?

It is estimated that anywhere from 30 to 100% of Americans, depending upon their age and community living environments, are deficient in Vitamin D. More than half of all American children are vitamin deficient. Supposedly almost 3/4s of pregnant women are vitamin D deficient, predisposing their unborn children to all sorts of problems. Worldwide, it is estimated that the epidemic of vitamin D deficiency affects one billion people. In my practice over 80% of patients whose vitamin D levels I check are deficient. No one is exactly sure why this is happening apart from the fact that we spend too much time indoors and when we go out into the sun, we lather sunscreen on ourselves. I think it must be more than that. But whatever the reason, the reality is we have a major epidemic on our hands.

What about the use of tanning beds to get my vitamin D?

I tend not to recommend them because we don't really know if they are safe. Because the light sources vary with different tanning beds, it makes them unpredictable and possibly unsafe. In addition, most commercial tanning beds emit an unknown amount of EMF and because one is so close to the actual bed, it may be an unnecessary high dose. Theoretically both these problems could be overcome, but in reality they usually are not.   
For more information on vitamin D, go to http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/

The "Recession" is a state of mind

2009-07-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

As sure as the spring will follow the winter, prosperity and economic growth will follow recession.-Bo Bennett

Which mindset do you have? A recession mindset or a realistically optimistic mindset?

While listening to a satellite radio show this morning, the hosts were talking about what is currently going on with the economy and a caller called in and made a very interesting point. The caller said something like "What would happen if the media and the press had told everyone that the economy was great, and they have nothing to worry about." While it may not be a wise choice to always go out and spend our money recklessly in any economic cycle, the news and information that we feed into our head can have a large impact on our thoughts and actions. When we concentrate our minds heavily on how bad the economy is, and how things may seem to be we are putting our minds into a negative state, which will continue to focus on negative things.

I firmly believe that it is our personal choice of whether or not we allow ourselves to be affected by all of the negative news we hear about the recession, and have that control our lives. The nation's economy and our own personal economy are two completely separate entities. We do not have much control over what goes on in the nation's economy, but we do have control of how we handle our own personal economy. and whether we choose to accumulate assets which will create cash flow for ourselves, or whether we continue to accumulate liabilities which take money out of our pocket. Each one of us has the ability to take control of our own lives, and take the necessary actions that it will take to create the future we have always dreamed of.

During recessionary periods, there are many more opportunities to accumulate assets which will enable you to create massive wealth for yourself. For example; houses prices have decreased, foreclosures are up which gives an opportunity to help out an individual who may be in foreclosure, stock prices are down and may be at a "sale price," and there are business opportunities available that can create both cashflow and long term wealth possibilities.

I think it is imperative that everyone take a look inside themselves, and decide what they really want out of life, and take the actions necessary to achieve it. We were put on this great earth for a purpose, and that is to live a life full of abundance, and enjoy everything that it has to offer. There are too many great things to experience and learn about, instead of just sitting around and letting outside circumstances control our lives.

Here is an excellent video from Robert Kiyosaki about THINKING LIKE A CHAMPION

Think Like A Champion from Conspiracy of the Rich on Vimeo.

Just Do it

2009-07-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

At first glance, it may look as if it would take a lot of strength and effort to break this board in half without hurting ourselves. But once you get in the right mindrame, clear out any negative thoughts, it becomes as easy as breaking a piece of paper.

At a recent New Jersey powerteam meeting, the first person that got up to break the board was a young girl who seemed at first, but once she got in the correct stance and mindframe, she was able to break the board with ease as if it were a piece of looseleaf paper.

Here is a picture of the wooden board that I broke after clearing any negative thoughts or emotions that I had, and kept my mind in the moment to avoid hurtinf myself or anyone around me.

Many people are able to do otherwise un thought of things such as walking on fire, walking on broken glass, and breaking a steel tipped arrow with the bottom portion of of our neck. Under normal conditions these actions could lead to a serious injury, or worse, but when we put our minds in the correct state of mind, and concentrate on our goal, our possibilities are limitless.

Robert G. Allen's Recession Proof Formula

2009-07-09T12:03:00.000-07:00

"There are two doors, one marked security, the other one marked FREEDOM."

New York Time's Best Selling Author Robert G. Allen talks about his Recession proof formula, and how YOU can create recession proof in good economies, and in bad economies.

The War Within Your Bodies And What You Can Do About it

2009-07-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

"We are living too short, and dying too long."

Oxygen is both a necessity for life, and can also be very dangerous to the inside of our body. The same process that causes a cut apple to turn brown, and metal to rust is what causes your body to rust inside. During the process of oxygen being utilized to create energy, there is a by-product created which is known as free radicals. In it's scientific form, free radicals are charged oxygen molecules that are missing at least one electron, and desires to attach itself to another electron in its surrounding area. It is very important that the free radicals become neutralized by an antioxidant, because if it does not, it can go on and create more free radicals and damage the cell wall, vessel wall, proteins, fats, and even cause a change of the DNA nucleus of the cell. Recent medical literature has shown that many of the worst diseases we have, are a result of oxidative stress. These include cancer, diabetes, alzheimers, arthritis, coronary artery disease, parkinsons, and many others.

The Power of Antioxidants

In order to prevent oxidative stress and the major negative effects it can have on your body, you need to have more antioxidants and there supporting nutrients than the amount of free that you produce. Thankfully, we are not defenseless against this damaging process. and antioxidants are key to keep our cells healthy.

Here is a slide which shows what antioxidants and oxidation defense mechanisms are utilized.

Where and how do we get antioxidants?

We are able to get most of our antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene from fruits and vegetables that we eat. These and other antioxidants work best in synergy with one another to fight off free radicals in different parts of our bodies.

In the past, we were able to get the necessary antioxidants and minerals through our foods and diet alone, but unfortunately this is not possible anymore. There are a couple of reasons for this. The typical American diet is low in fruits, vegetables, healthy proteins and fats, and high in bad sugars, high glycemic carbohydrates, bad fats, and processed foods. In addition to our unhealthy diet, the quality of our food, has decreased drastically over the past couple of decades. According to the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, there are decreased levels of six nutrients in vegetables and fruits. This report also shows that the levels of calcium, riboflavin, Vitamin C, Iron, Potassium, and Protein have declined drastically since 1950. There are many reasons for this including produce that is picked prematurely, changing climates, commercial fertilizers, and increasing carbon dioxide levels.

Thankfully, we do have help, high quality nutritional supplements are able to help our body use it's natural defense system, and healing power to keep our cells and body healthy. Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium and so forth are natural substances which support natural enzyme, antioxidant and immune systems. Through supplementation, we are able to provide our body with nutrients at optimal levels. Optimal levels are levels that have been shown to provide a significant medical benefit in medical literature. For example, when our bodies receives nutrients at optimal levels LDL cholesterol becomes more resistant to oxidation, homocysteine levels, and our eyes have greater protection from the sunlight.
All supplements are NOT created equal:

When it comes to nutritional products, and supplements all products are definitely not created equal. Many companies formulate there products to RDA levels which were created during World War II, when soldiers were dying from diseases such as scurvy, rickets, malaria, and other deficiency diseases. These levels are far below what the optimal levels are. Additionally, it is also important to make sure that the product which we are taking is bio-available, and will break down in your body shortly after taking it. If a product does not break down in your body within 30-45 minutes, it will not break down at all, and will go right through your body. One of the brands that is advertises widely, is known to be referred as bedpan bullets (Think from A TO ZINC.)

Here are some things that are ESSENTIAL for you to look for in a product:

Optimal Levels of Vitamins and Minerals
Look for studies to show that the product is bioavailable, or do your own bio availability test.
Look for a product that is formulated to Pharmaceutical grade standards, and does not contain any hidden toxins. Many products are formulated to food grade standards, and what you see on the bottle is not really in the bottle.

Our bodies natural defense and healing system are amazin.g, and is able to do amazing things with the help of healthy foods, and optimal supplementation.

Sources:

Dr Ray Strand: www.raystrand.com/nutritional-medicine.asp, www.raystrand.com
What your Doctor doesnt know about nutritional supplements may be killing you.

Usana Health and Freedom Newspaper

Toxic Skin Care and Formaldehyde

2009-06-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

As the summer is approaching, and we expose more of our skin to the air and sun, it is important to learn about how to keep our skin healthy and beautiful.

:: Imidazolidinyl Urea And DMDM Hydantoin

These two chemicals are just two of many preservatives that release formaldehyde. They are called formaldehyde-donors. It is a colorless liquid or gas with a pungent, distinctive smell. It is utilized in the manufacturing of synthetic resins that are used in adhesives for plywood, particle board, coatings for paper and textiles, in molded plastics and for sound insulation. It is extensively used in the textile and apparel industries to:

• Produce fabrics, so that they are permanent press
• Make fabrics waterproof
• Enhance the colorfastness of dyes
• Formulate fabrics that are fire retardant

Any materials treated with a formaldehyde-based resin emit formaldehyde gas until it is rinsed out, washed, cleaned or shampooed. If anyone tells you that the gas will dissipate when the resin finishes “curing”—that will take months or years.

Formaldehyde is also utilized in disinfectants, drugs and cosmetics, as a tanning agent for leather, as a laboratory and photographic chemical and in embalming fluids.

Formaldehyde is used in so many beauty products, that the expression, “well preserved” isn’t too far-fetched. The Safe Cosmetics Campaign is doing its best to fight against its use, but this particular chemical is a specialist in masquerading with different names. It may appear on the label of your product under various names such as these:

• Paraformaldehyde
• Benzylhemiformal
• 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1, 3-diol
• 5-bromo-5-nitro-1, 3-dioxane
• Diazolidinyl urea
• Quaternium-15
• DMDM Hydantoin
• Sodium hydroxymethyl
• Glycinate
• Methenamine

A European Union Working Group on Cosmetics discovered that these formaldehyde releasers can off-gas a portion or even all of their formaldehyde content to the air. Formaldehyde as an ingredient in cosmetic products is restricted in Europe as well as in Canada.

Research has revealed that even low levels of formaldehyde can have health effects. Low levels of contact may irritate the eyes, nose and throat; cause skin problems, severe breathing problems. OSHA regulates formaldehyde as a cancer-causing substance. Since this article is in regard to skin, these are the skin problems you may encounter when using a product with formaldehyde:

•Skin blisters
•Fingernails that may turn brown and soft
•Skin that become red and cracked
•Skin that may dry out
•Irritations that deteriorate with heat and sweat

Formaldehyde is used in nail treatments and polish, moisturizers, eye make-up, lip make-up, shaving products, shampoos and even a couple of baby shampoos.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BOTTOM LINE:

1) Avoid Imidazolidinyl Urea and DMDM Hydantoin (chemical preservatives) at all cost for they release formaldehyde upon degradation. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen.
2) Sense Beautiful Science products do not contain added chemical preservatives so they do not contain Imidazolidinyl Urea nor DMDM Hydantoin nor any formaldehyde-releasing preservative agent. :)

Take care of your skin, it is your first defense against the environment.

Marie Bertrand
SkinScience Clinic
www.skinscience.md

Source: Toxic Cosmetics (2007)

Toxic Skin Care

2009-06-20T18:38:00.000-07:00

Imidazolidinyl Urea And DMDM Hydantoin

These two chemicals are just two of many preservatives that release formaldehyde. They are called formaldehyde-donors. It is a colorless liquid or gas with a pungent, distinctive smell. It is utilized in the manufacturing of synthetic resins that are used in adhesives for plywood, particle board, coatings for paper and textiles, in molded plastics and for sound insulation. It is extensively used in the textile and apparel industries to:

• Produce fabrics, so that they are permanent press
• Make fabrics waterproof
• Enhance the colorfastness of dyes
• Formulate fabrics that are fire retardant

Any materials treated with a formaldehyde-based resin emit formaldehyde gas until it is rinsed out, washed, cleaned or shampooed. If anyone tells you that the gas will dissipate when the resin finishes “curing”—that will take months or years.

Formaldehyde is also utilized in disinfectants, drugs and cosmetics, as a tanning agent for leather, as a laboratory and photographic chemical and in embalming fluids.

Formaldehyde is used in so many beauty products, that the expression, “well preserved” isn’t too far-fetched. The Safe Cosmetics Campaign is doing its best to fight against its use, but this particular chemical is a specialist in masquerading with different names. It may appear on the label of your product under various names such as these:

• Paraformaldehyde
• Benzylhemiformal
• 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1, 3-diol
• 5-bromo-5-nitro-1, 3-dioxane
• Diazolidinyl urea
• Quaternium-15
• DMDM Hydantoin
• Sodium hydroxymethyl
• Glycinate
• Methenamine

A European Union Working Group on Cosmetics discovered that these formaldehyde releasers can off-gas a portion or even all of their formaldehyde content to the air. Formaldehyde as an ingredient in cosmetic products is restricted in Europe as well as in Canada.

Research has revealed that even low levels of formaldehyde can have health effects. Low levels of contact may irritate the eyes, nose and throat; cause skin problems, severe breathing problems. OSHA regulates formaldehyde as a cancer-causing substance. Since this article is in regard to skin, these are the skin problems you may encounter when using a product with formaldehyde:

•Skin blisters
•Fingernails that may turn brown and soft
•Skin that become red and cracked
•Skin that may dry out
•Irritations that deteriorate with heat and sweat

Formaldehyde is used in nail treatments and polish, moisturizers, eye make-up, lip make-up, shaving products, shampoos and even a couple of baby shampoos.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taking care of your body inside and out.

2009-06-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

These next couple of articles are going to be about our health and well being. Our health is our most important asset that we have, and we should all make it important to learn about what it takes to obtain true health, and prevent against degenerative diseases.

"We have forgotten what it is like to die of old age in this world. Instead we die of man-made diseases that could and should be prevented. Statistics tell us that one in three Americans will die of cancer, one in three will prematurely die as a result of heart disease, and that most of the rest will die of either another form of disease or by accidental death. Only a few of us will die of old age."- Dr Myron Wentz, Microbiologist, entrepreneur, philanthropist.

:: Phthalates

Ok, what is a phthalate? They are a group of extensively used compounds known technically as dialkyl or alkyl aryl esters of 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid. There are numerous phthalates with countless uses, and just as many toxicological traits.

Phthalates moved stealthily into prevalent use over the last several decades due to the many useful chemical properties. Now they are everywhere, not just in the products in which they are deliberately used, but in addition as contaminants in just about anything. It is used in so many things now, that about a billion pounds per year are produced worldwide.

You can find phthalates in softeners, plastics, oily substances in perfumes, additives to hairsprays, cosmetics, lubricants and wood finishers. Or how about that cool “new car smell”, which becomes especially overpowering after the car has been cooking in the sun for a while—that is in part due to the strong odor of phthalates volatilizing from a hot plastic dashboard. When evening comes, the fumes cool and condense to form an oily coating on the inside of the windshield.

According to trial statistics from the Center for Disease Control, an approximate 5% of women of reproductive age from the general population are polluted with 75% or more of the level of just one of the phthalates, DBP, that may begin to damage normal reproductive tract development in their baby boys.

Phthalates show numerous toxic effects in animal studies following chronic exposure or even after short-term exposures in particularly vulnerable organisms. These consequences include: damage to the liver, kidney, heart, and lungs as well as adverse effects on reproduction, development, and blood clotting. The outcome of human exposure to phthalates has not been well examined. Lengthy dormant periods between pertinent exposures, and understated effects that are hard to detect complicate and limit the small amount of existing epidemiological studies of phthalate impacts in humans. But these restrictions do not completely expound why the impacts of phthalates on humans have not been systematically investigated.

Here are a few personal care products that may contain phthalates and which kind:

• Powders- (DEP)
• Fragrances- (DEHP, BBP, DBP, DEP)
• Nail Polishes- (DBP)
• Hair Preparations- (BBP, DMP, DBP, DEP)
• Skin Creams- (DEP)
• Deodorants- (DBP, DEP)
• Aftershaves- (DEP)

In August of 2000, scientists at the Department of Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico discovered a link between exposure to DEHP and premature breast development in young girls.

In 2003, a study was done by scientists from the Centers for Disease Control, Harvard School of Public Health, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, that stated, “men with higher phthalate levels have reduced sperm counts, lower sperm motility and more deformed sperm.”

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BOTTOM LINE:

1) Never let the absence of data prove the safety of a chemical.
2) Sense Beautiful Science skin care products are free of phthalates. :)

Wishing you a wonderful day!

Marie Bertrand
SkinScience Clinic
www.skinscience.md

Source: Toxic Cosmetics (2007)

Purpose by Og Mandino

2009-06-16T18:18:00.000-07:00

I am not on this earth by chance. I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply all my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy. I will increase my knowledge of mankind, myself, and the goods I sell, thus my sales will multiply. I will practice, and improve, and my manners and graces, for they are the sugar to which all are attracted. I am nature’s greatest miracle.

I recently found this quote from best selling author Og Mandino, and found it truely inspiring. Og's story of going from an alcoholic insurance salesman who could not keep a job to one of the greatest salesman in the world is truely remarkable, and an inspiration to many.

We should all view our lives as gifts from above, and strive to be the best that we can be in all that we do. Our lives are meant to be lived in abundance, joy, and to make a positive impact on the world.

Be True To Yourself

2009-05-02T21:55:00.000-07:00

Chase your passion, not your pension-Denis Waitley

Being true to yourself means trusting in yourself, and acting in accordance with your core beliefs, and the dreams and goals which you have set for yourself. We are in ultimate control of our lives, and deserve to create the life of our dreams through health, wealth, and prosperity.

When you do things which are in alignment with your core belief system, and your core interests it does not feel like work, but it feels more like you are doing what you were meant to do. We are all. We were born into a world of abundance, and full or opportunities for each and every one of us.

The path we choose does not have to be the one in which was suggested or taught to us from our parents and society, but it has to be the RIGHT ONE FOR US, and how we want to live our lives, find what you are truely passionate about and go out and live the life you were meant to live through Freedom, Prosperity and Happiness.

To be continued.

2009-04-18T22:09:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting article that recently came out in the New York times. Prevention, and taking active measures to be healthy is more valuable than words can say. In addition, we begin to feel better, have more energy, and vitality, and are able to enjoy our life more as we live healthy lives.

As Economy Is Down, Vitamin Sales Are Up

Published: April 4, 2009

It was a nasty head cold that sent Kerry Parham to Cinagro’s, a health-food store in suburban Cleveland, for an $8 bottle of herbal supplements.

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Enlarge This Image

Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times

Jacqueline Kreiss of New York shuns doctor visits but is a frequent buyer at the Vitamin Shoppe.

Enlarge This Image

Stephanie Diani for The New York Times

Monique Miedema, with her dog, Skittles, in Santa Monica, Calif., holding the Adrenal Health supplement she takes.

“If I had a job with health insurance, I probably would have gone to see a doctor by now,” said Ms. Parham, 39, who lost her clerical job at American Greetings a while back. “But instead, I’m here buying echinacea. I hope it works.”

In flusher times, Ms. Parham said, she spent $50 a month on prescriptions for her asthma, allergies and other chronic problems. Now, she pays $6 a month for over-the-counter protein supplements and oregano oil capsules. “That’s an important savings for me,” she said. “It means I can rent a movie or make the kids food that they actually like.”

A lot of consumers seem to be doing the same math. Sales of vitamins and nutritional supplements, which have grown consistently for years, have surged in recent months, rising as the stock market has fallen. People are clearly cutting back on many items, from bread and milk to designer jeans and flat-screen televisions, but they are stocking up on pills that they think can spare them expensive doctor visits.

“When you go to the formal health system, you very quickly lose control over what this costs you,” said Uwe E. Reinhardt, a professor of economics at Princeton whose specialty is health care policy. Instead of turning immediately to a doctor, “people try to initially tough it out,” he said.

Professor Reinhardt sees the growing interest in vitamins and herbs as a logical extension of the concept of “consumer-directed health care” — the idea that people will take more preventative measures if their insurance deductibles are set higher — which has been working its way from conservative policy circles toward the mainstream over the last 20 years. Critics say this approach leads to predicaments like Ms. Parham’s, with people staying sicker longer and avoiding much-needed medical treatment.

At the Vitamin Shoppe, a national chain with 414 stores, customers have been expressing alarm over health care costs and the high unemployment rate, said Tom Tolworthy, the company chairman. “The reduction of benefits associated with prescription drugs is sending people to prevention and alternative health care,” he said.

The Vitamin Shoppe has tracked a rise in new customers of about 20 percent over the last six months, Mr. Tolworthy said. That increase is at least 25 percent higher than the rise in new customers that the chain saw in the recession of 2001.

Nationally, the numbers tell a similar story. For the three months ending Dec. 28, sales of vitamins rose nearly 8 percent compared with the same period in 2007, according to Information Resources Inc., a market research company in Chicago. At the same time, sales of other health-related products — like cough and cold remedies, first-aid products and pain relievers — have been dipping, according to the Nielsen Company.

The strong sales of vitamins and supplements have continued into this year. “Our best January and February in history are the ones that just happened,” said Tom Newmark, chief executive of New Chapter Inc., a 26-year-old supplements manufacturer in Brattleboro, Vt.

Direct evidence linking the rise in sales to the recession is more anecdotal than scientific, though industry analysts said they saw the same correlation — though less pronounced — in previous downturns.

“I don’t have health insurance, so I can’t go and see a doctor because it’s very expensive,” said Jacqueline Kreiss, an unemployed hairstylist and makeup artist in Manhattan who joined the frequent-buyer club at the Vitamin Shoppe a few months ago. “The economy just really put me backward, so I started relying on the vitamins.”

Whether a testament to vitamins or the power of placebo, Ms. Kreiss, 40, said she was happy with the results. “I feel very energetic,” she said. “I feel strong again. I feel I’m in full form to go out there and get a job.”

Certainly, America’s interest in supplements did not begin with the current recession. The industry has accounted for as much as $23 billion in domestic sales annually in recent years.

Even so, the jump in sales last fall amid such widespread financial distress caught some people by surprise. “We didn’t expect that,” said Patrick Rea, publisher and editorial director of Nutrition Business Journal, a trade paper based in Boulder, Colo. “We were like, ‘What’s going on here?’ ”

Doctors caution against putting too much faith in supplements, and recent studies have cast doubt on the long-term effectiveness of products like multivitamins and vitamin E for certain cancers and heart disease. Dr. Edward L. Langston, a former chairman of the board of the American Medical Association, said he counseled his patients to take limited doses of vitamin C, but said supplements were no “panacea,” nor a substitute for traditional health care.

“A little common sense here goes a long way,” Dr. Langston said.

But science does not seem to have shaken everyone’s faith. Amy Breslin, who is 33 and studying to be a physician’s assistant, has pared back on fresh fruits and vegetables and stocked up instead on fish oil capsules and antioxidant supplements.

“Organics are expensive,” she said at a vitamin store in Los Angeles. “Supplements may be more of a bang for my buck.”

Because of consumers like her, supplement sales have been a rare bright spot for Whole Foods. “We just reported our first quarter of negative growth in our company’s history, but the supplement area is performing better than the rest of the store,” said Jeremiah McElwee, a senior coordinator who oversees supplements sales for the company.

While multivitamins and fish oil capsules have sold particularly well, many people have their own personal favorites. Monique Miedema, who is 42 and works in finance in Los Angeles, places her faith in a supplement called Adrenal Health, which its manufacturer, Gaia Herbs, describes as a mix of six herbal ingredients meant to “support calmness.”

“There was no salary increase this year, and I live in Santa Monica in a high-rent apartment,” she said. Holding up a little brown bag with her purchase, she added, “I’ve been doing this more.”

Whose Recession?

2009-03-17T22:37:00.000-07:00

The United States and world economy have been going through a major recession over the past six to twelve months. Over the past couple of weeks and months, we have been bombarded with negative news about the stock market hitting new record lows, large companies laying off thousands of employees, shrinking retirement funds and decreasing house values.

Nobel Laureate Economist Paul Krugman has recently said that the world is in a coordinated global slump, which looks worse in Europe and Japan than in the United States. The financial turmoil that started in the United States has ricocheted through the global economy, and has pushed Europe and Japan into the worst recession in more than three decades. While Krugman does believe that the current stimulus package should help the country out, he believes that the stimulus should peak at four percent annually.

MY ECONOMY vs THE ECONOMY

While the figures above may seem very frightening, the nation's and world's economy are completely seperate from your own personal economy. Economic recession's produce huge opportunities to take your life into your own hands, and create the life of your dreams. In fact, some of the world's biggest and most successful companies were started during a recessionary period, such as; Hyatt, Lexis Nexis, Fed Ex, Microsoft, CNN, GE, HP, and many others. The founders for these companies recognized a need, and was able to fill it successfully.

Just as there are four seasons in a year: winter, spring, summer and fall, there are also different financial seasons such as recessions, economic booms, and depressions. Economic downturns are the times in which you should be planting your financial seeds in preparation for the spring of the next economic boom. This is the best time to create your own THRIVING ECONOMY, and model what rich and successful people do to recession proof there income, and live the life of there dreams no matter how the rest of the economy is doing.

According to Len Clement's of MarketWave Inc. a recession causes people to open there mind's to other gaining alternative sources of income because they realize that there once secure "j.o.b." is no longer secure, and they would like to find way's to take a hold of there own future. During the early '90s there were 3.6 million American families with a net worth of one million dollars or more, and as of the end of '05 there were ten million such families, and are growing at a rate of one million per year. Even in a recessionary period, millions of ordinary people who were not born into wealthy families, but who chose to apply themselves in the new and changing emerging where new wealth is being created.

A Perfect Storm of Opportunity

THE EMERGING INDUSTRIES OF
WELLNESS AND NETWORK MARKETING
ARE COMBINING TO CREATE TODAY’S
—AND TOMORROW’S—NEW WEALTH.
BY PAUL ZANE PILZER
(adapted from paul zane pilzer's new book, the next millionaries,
which focuses on the central role of direct selling in years ahead)

There is a strong correlation between stress, health and financial challenges. According to a study by Harvard University 75% of those who declared bankruptcy had health insurance at the start of there illness.

Feel free to check out this site which has information on how stress can impact our bodies.

http://www.lifepositive.com/mind/psychology/stress/stress-and-health.asp

The main two features of an opportunity in the health and wellness industry are: 1. Products that prevent illness and Promote Wellness. 2. A business model which promotes steady income and an opportunity to create financial freedom. In addition to the two above mentioned features you also have the opportunity to make a positive impact in the world, and make it a better place
while leaving a legacy behind.

The Baby Boomers are at the front of the wellness trend as they are currently spending billions of dollars to further there wellness, and represent an economic sector who are eating healthier than anyone ever before in history. The stereotypical "large wealthy man" is no more, wealthy individuals are starting to look for ways to become healthier outside of the regular medical practices. In his book "Unlimited Wealth, Paul Zane Pilzer wrote that in the '90s wealth would be created through distribution of products, rather than the creation of products, and today's wealth will be created through teaching people about new products and services which they did not know existed or were are now affordable.

Network marketing and direct sales, are forms of communication that have been used for ages, and it allows one to teach otehrs about a new product or service that they would not have known about through regular forms of communication and advertising. Companies are beginning to realize that they can save on there advertising budget, and have an independent team of representatives teach others about the product and service that they offer.

Network Marketing also offers many features and advantages, which are not typically available at a regular j.o.b. such as:

Security
Financial Freedom
Time Freedom
Self-Development
Purpose Driven
Unlimited Income

CONTACT ME AT CPOORTEN@COMCAST.NET FOR AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE TRUE HEALTH AND TRUE WEALTH WHILE CHANGING LIVES

Article from fortune magazine in the 1930's

2009-03-07T08:50:00.000-08:00

Background Information - Fortune Magazine in the 1930s

The first issue of Fortune magazine hit the stands in February of 1930, four months after the dramatic crash of 1929. That kind of timing may seem the result of an ironic, if not an unfortunate, business decision, but the release date of America's first real business journal was actually quite a savvy maneuver. It reflected the good intuition the magazine's founder, Henry R. Luce, would continue to demonstrate in the coming decade. At a time when other dealmakers were cowering, Luce built Fortune magazine into one cornerstone of a media empire.

The crash only piqued Wall Street's desire for a smart and stylish journal of entrpreneurial culture. Briton Hadden, Luce's partner and the man who had founded Time with him in 1923, thought that a magazine devoted to business would be boring and unmarketable. But Henry persisted, and Fortune's 184 bright, lavish pages debuted with 30,000 subscribers. Luce believed that most businessmen were stodgy, uncultured, and lacking a social conscience. The spate of trade periodicals available at the time attested to this. They were no more than facts and statistics printed in black and white, and the Wall Street Journal was hardly the comprehensive paper it is today. So Luce didn't hire MBAs or experienced economists to write his copy; he recruited young literary talent instead. Archibald MacLeish, John Kenneth Galbraith, and Alfred Kazin filled the pages of Fortune with flowing human interest articles that were brash, irreverent, and critical. Fortune's advertisements were colorful and lush, and the photography of Margaret Bourke-White provided stunning looks inside the factories and farms that fed the American economic machine. Fortune style was an upscale and intelligent upgrade of the older and more middle-class Time. The result was a product that matched Luce's vision of business itself, an activity he called "the distinctive expression of the American genius"¹.

Henry wanted to bring entrepreneurs out of their back offices, give them an identity, and make them accountable to the public. In those first months after the crash, most people expected economic recovery. But when no recovery came and the decade wore on, Luce turned the attention of Fortune to a tempered brand of muckraking. It exposed the munitions industry without losing advertisers. It published pieces which alternately criticized both Hoover and Roosevelt. And though the tone of its columns had a socialist twinge, Fortune presented a disturbing picture of communist Russia in March of 1932 while praising Italian fascism in July of 1934. Fortune seemed to have a magical ability to be seen as both a challenge to business and a boon, to keep its integrity while throwing its hat into the political ring. This balance yielded consistent and respectable profits, and in 1937 the magazine netted close to half a million dollars with a circulation of 460,000. By decade's end Fortune had become required reading on Wall Street.

WORKIN ON A DREAM

2009-03-05T20:19:00.000-08:00

I'm working on a dream
Though sometimes it feels so far away
I'm working on a dream
And i know it will be mine someday

Rain pourin' down, i swing my hammer
My hands are rough from working on a dream
I'm working on a dream

Let's go!

I'm working on a dream
Though trouble can feel like it's here to stay
I'm working on a dream
Well our love will chase trouble away

These are the lyrics to Bruce Springsteen's new song "Working on a dream," and I find the lyrics to be very powerful about how we should be living our lives.

The average person works eight plus hours a day, sleeps around six to eight hours, and how we spend the rest of our time determines whether we will fully achieve our dreams, and experience all that the world has to offer. Best selling author Dr Denis Waitley states that the difference between success and mediocrity is what we do in "Primetime (7-11 pm est)," whether you read, write, network, and anything that will let you and others realize the options you have in a world full of abundance, and live it rather than watch it. Dr Waitley has written fifteen books, all of which were written in prime time.

Tension relieving or goal achieving? How do you spend your evenings, weekends, and free time? What are your commitments to your goals?

Instead of watching others live there dreams on television, unhooking from the monotony of our lives, and live through the celebrities and others on television, we should work on setting goals for ourselves, and work on achieving them. It can be so much more enlightening, and inspirational to learn new things, meet new people, and create the life we have always dreamed of for our self, and not get stuck in the same old process of going to work, watching whatever is on TV, and continuing that cycle.

In conclusion, turn off your television, put your remote down and begin to write down where you see yourself in 5 years, 10 years, and so on. Once you have done that, begin to think about what you will need to do in order to get there. Most importantly, take action, and find others who would like to join you on your journey. It is much more fun when you have someone to help you along the way.

In conclusion, GO OUT AND WORK ON YOUR DREAM!!!!

Want to be a rockstar at presentations? Try Karaoke!

2009-02-25T23:46:00.000-08:00

Karaoke and Public Speaking

Do you enjoy singing and being a rock star?

Whether it may be in your house, shower, car, or any other place, the emotions and presence which you have while singing can be transferred over into a work presentation, or work environment. An office meeting or presentation does not have to turn into a Broadway musical, where everyone gets up and starts singing in the middle of a sentence, but the enthusiasm one shows while singing are the same type of emotions that should be expressed while presenting a product or idea.

In Jeffery Gitomer’s book “How to speak, write, present, persuade, influence, and sell your point of view to others” he talks about how he learned his speaking and performance skills by singing Karaoke in bars (without alcohol)

When you sing your favorite song in a karaoke bar, you already know the song, and the words are right in front of you. Even if you can’t sing one note, the words are there as a guide, and it is hard to fail unless you can’t read. When you already know the words to your favorite song or songs, it becomes much easier to concentrate on your performance and your mannerisms. For example, how you gesture, body movements, eye contact, and even how you hold the microphone.

My first exposure to singing Karaoke was in August of 2006 at a friend’s wedding party. I sang three songs that evening.: Light My fire By The Doors, Home Sweet Home by Motley Crue, and Dance the Night Away by Van Halen. Because I had heard those songs countless times in the past, and knew the words by heart I was able to concentrate on performing for the audience and emulating the singers whose songs I was singing. While I was singing, I was able to get the audience involved and singing along with me, which made the performance that much more enjoyable for me and the audience.

After seeing a singer who had a great voice, but minimal performance skills, he offered these suggestions to him:

1. Take the microphone with you into the audience.
2. Don’t look at the words on the screen; look at the people in the crowd.
3. Put a little passion into your song.
4. Finish big. Lean back. Hold the last note.

After doing research on Karaoke, here is what Jeffrey Gitomer discovered:

The Realities:

Singing sets a positive and relaxed mood in your mind.

Because you know the words, you can concentrate on the process of performing.

Too often people concentrate on what they say and forget to communicate. Singing increases communication effectiveness.

Fast and slow songs have different dynamics . Rock and country songs have different dynamics.

The audience wants to be entertained. And they are receptive, even if you can’t sing. Sometimes the worst singers get the biggest ovation.

In presenting and performing there is a big difference between good and dynamic. Singing brings this out immediately.

The When:

Becoming a verbal performing artist.

Realizing you are a performer, not a speaker.

Being challenged to stand up to the audience.

Being challenged to make eye contact with people in the audience.

Singing accentuates performance- not speaking.

Can you get them to dance?

Can you get the audience to clap?

If you have a cordless microphone, singing can get you out from behind the karaoke screen and give you a chance to interact with the crowd.

The benefits of singing instead of talking:

It makes you stretch and gets you out of your comfort zone.

Your backup music is there, you sound great even if you can’t sing.

It allows you to pick someone and sing to them. When you sing the song to the group, they may not pay attention. When you sing to one person, the entire audience is paying attention and gets the transferrence.

It tells you the key to sing in, sets your vocal tone, and makes you concentrate on your verbal tone.

Your rhythm makes your gestures congruent with words.

Your gestures are wider and more active; they flow, not jerk. If you do it singing: why wouldn’t you do it speaking?

It loosens you up.

You put your entire body into the message.

It puts melody to your verbal-vocal message.

It makes you use your voice to its maximum capacity-its full range of vocal variety.

It shows you the value of dual eye-contact impact training.

It’s all about you

You’re performing in a new way.

You’re the star.

You can spot your mistakes in a second.

You can feel yourself get better.

It’s fun.

It’s fun to practice.

The more fun you have- the better you get.

Speaking by comparison is easy.

You’re in tune with your song, your rhythm your message, your audience, and yourself.

Transfer the power of understanding and involvement to the audience

The message is melodic not verbal.

Music gets the audience in a great mood.

Music gets the audience to listen.

The song has a message- it often ahs lyrics you can identify with.

The audience can identify with your message.

If the audience likes your song, they like you.

If you are introduced to an audience, the introducer sets the tone. If there’s music, the music sets the tone.

Failure

2009-02-24T08:30:00.000-08:00

"Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing." -Denis Waitley

Is failure bad?

While developing throughout our lives, there are always times in which we are told, or given the impression that failing is a bad thing, such as failing on a test in school, playing baseball and "striking out," a falling out with a friend, partner (boyfriend/girlfriend), and not living up to our parents or elder's standards. While experiencing these situations we may feel that we are a "failure," and feel bad about what had happened, but it does not mean we are a failure overall.

My favorite movie has always been "Top Gun," particularly because of the messages that are portrayed during the movie. This main message is to learn from what has happened in a situation, and apply it in the future. In a scene where Tom Cruise, a Navy Pilot is speaking with his instructor about his partner being killed the instructor says:
"A good pilot is compelled to evaluate what's happened, so he can apply what he's learned."

This is something that we can all apply in our daily lives to help us grow, and become our best self.

Here is an excellent article from selfgrowth.com about failure, and it's impact in our lives.

*** Article: Fear of Failure: What Does Failure Mean to You? - By Margaret Paul, Ph.D. ***

------------------------------------------------------------

What do you believe about failure?

The ego wounded part of ourselves, the left-brain part of ourselves that has been programmed with many false beliefs, often believes that:

"If I fail, I am a failure."

"If I fail, I am stupid."

"If I fail, no one will like me or value me."

"If I fail, then there is no point in ever trying again."

"If I fail, it brands me for life as incompetent."

"If I fail, then everyone who thought I was smart will now think I am stupid."

"If I fail, I will have made a fool of myself."

On the other hand, the loving adult part of us -- our right brain, open, creative, and learning part of us -- generally believes that:

"If I fail, then I just need to work harder, to put in more effort."

"If I fail, I will have learned valuable lessons that will eventually lead to success."

"Failure is a part of life. No one succeeds without some failure."

"Failure does not at all reflect on my worth as a person. I am intrinsically worthy, regardless of success or failure."

"Failure offers me incredible opportunities to think outside the box, to think creatively. Let's get to work!"

"I love learning, and I love challenges. What I do is not about success or failure -- it is about the joy of creativity, learning, and expressing who I am."

Which way of thinking prevails within you? What are the consequences to you of allowing yourself to think from your wounded self instead of from your loving adult?

Failure - A Part of Life

The fact is that mistakes and failure ARE a part of life. Instead of fearing them, why not make it okay to make mistakes and to fail? Why not take the onus off of failure? Why not embrace the process of learning and growing instead of only being focused on the outcome of your efforts? Why not focus on enjoying the process of learning and creating something that is important to you?

People who don't worry about success or failure, who instead are excited about their learning and growing process, generally find their way to succeed. The reason for this is that they don't let failure stop them. Instead, failure spurs them on to work harder, to put forth even more effort to learn what they need to learn to succeed.

On the other hand, even very smart people, who are dominated by their ego-wounded selves, generally allow failure to derail them. Believing they ARE a failure if they fail, they become too afraid to make more effort. In addition, they often believe that success or failure is not dependent on effort, but on ability. When this is their belief, they often give up at the first sign of failure, fearing that, if their natural intelligence and ability is not leading to success, then there is no point in trying harder.

Creating Success

Every successful person knows that effort, creativity, openness to learning, and perseverance are what create success, not necessarily high intelligence, talent, or ability. Every truly successful person is someone who has not allowed failure to stop him or her from forging ahead with passion and purpose.

I encourage you to tell yourself that it is okay to make mistakes and okay to fail. I encourage you to see mistakes and failures as wonderful learning opportunities for growth. I encourage you to let go of the outcome and allow yourself to become fully excited about the process of learning, of growth, and of creation. Being fully present and excited for the process is what life is all about!

About the Author:

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is a best-selling author of eight books and co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding® healing process. Are you are ready to heal your pain and discover your joy? Learn Inner Bonding now! For articles, help, and a FREE Inner Bonding course, visit her website at http://www.innerbonding.com. Phone Sessions Available. Join the thousands she has already helped!

Importance of Personal Development For Success

2009-02-23T12:56:00.000-08:00

“Formal education will make you a living; self education will make you a fortune.”
– Jim Rohn

Throughout my life I have always enjoyed learning about psychology, human development, philosophy, and the traits that it takes to live a fulfilling and successful life.

The skills and lessons that you can learn through personal development classes are immeasurable, and can be utilized in all walks of life such as work, personal relationships, family relationships, dating, and your health and wellness.

The opportunities are endless when you open your mind to read and learn from successful people about what it took for them to be successful, and live the life of your dreams.

So why not learn from the best, people like Robert Kiyosaki, Og Mandino, Jim Rohn, Robert Allen, Anthony Robbins, Jack Canfield, etc.

Introduction

2009-02-22T20:43:00.000-08:00

This site will be devoted to all types of information related to success, what it takes to get to where you want to be in life, the importance of personal development, health and vitality, education, and other important factors relating to living your best life possible.