July 24, 2007
The promises of THE AMERICAN DREAM (to have it all and enjoy it all, based on materialistic values system) has been holding us captive and threatening to take our power and freedom away- without our awareness, like a thief in the night.
Consciously or unconsciously we make daily decisions to either be a master of our own ship or destiny, if you will, or be a slave to our own circumstances and to other people*s expectations and belief systems that don*t serve our highest good and purpose. After all it*s your life script - claim it and discover how your own personal power can truly transform your life to make it an adventure to be lived rather than a problem to be solved. Life becomes more of a struggle only when we are not true to our own calling and we give our power away.
Superficial/external values are indeed the ultimate slave master that demand nothing less than our complete attention, and sacrifice of our power and freedom. In order to be truly happy and fulfilled, one must feel free. However, in a culture that worships external values and is driven by the promises of THE AMERICAN DREAM (to the point where we become slaves to our addictions), one can*t help but wonder if we are truly free in America, Land of the Free. Just when we thought that slavery ended with the Civil war, the rat race we are all caught up in, in order to *get there*, painfully reminds us that there are still many slaves among us who are disguised as successful people. But looks can be deceiving. Behind all the outward appearances of having it all and enjoying it all, they are held prisoners and victims of the promises of THE AMERICAN DREAM. And sadly enough, those who do achieve THE AMERICAN DREAM (after considerable sacrifice) eventually realize that when you get *there,* there is no *there* there. They eventually discover that there is definitely more to life than achieving material success.
Isn*t it time to reclaim your own power and freedom and declare your own independence? It*s easy to do when you gain awareness and develop your own spirituality. Remember that awareness and the road to discovery and recovery run parallel. When you become aware of your true nature, that is beyond the man-made, narrow definition, you*ll be amazed to discover real freedom, real success and real joy that have been overlooked because of limited awareness, misconceptions and false belief systems perpetuated by THE AMERICAN DREAM, and reinforced by Hollywood and the media. If you wish to live with purpose and meaning and want to experience the difference between living consciously and unconsciously, live by the motto: *He with the most joys lives,* rather than *He with the most toys, lives.*
Don’t underestimate your power to change yourself and even the world - become somebody*s hero. All you have to do to break free is to resist the temptation to live your life according to the interpretation of what someone else expects you to be, do or have. Listen to your heart and live by your rules. Why shouldn*t you? After all, it*s YOUR life and YOUR dream.
About The Author
Copyright © 2004, Geela
Author of *The American Dream*
http://www.Geela.com
Geela is an award winning singer/songwriter/composer, columnist, and author of the best-selling book *THE AMERICAN DREAM,* her true- life story of how she came to America as a young immigrant with nothing and overcame incredible obstacles to achieve mega-success. She founded ONE SPIRIT, ONE WORLD to help children and promote a culture of peace and harmony. Get a free sample of her music and her book at http://www.Geela.com.
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Don’t let shopping for that special evening dress intimidate
you! With a little help, you can start early and find the
perfect dress for evening out. Here’s how:
Decide on the formality. Is it cocktail or evening attire?
Cocktail and evening attire is dressier - think little black
dress. Long dresses are reserved for formal black-tie affairs.
The most important feature of your new dress is it’s style and
color. Not every dress works for all body types. Dress to
flatter your figure. If you aren’t sure what is your best asset,
ask a friend or salesperson.
Once you know the type of dress, now choose a style. Instead of
going trendy, select a dress that reflects classic, timeless
elegance. Here are some styles to choose from.
Halter Dresses are one of the sexiest formal looks around.
Several version exist including a tie-behind-the-neck look.
Straps vary in size, width and fabrics. A halter dress draws
attention to the upper half of the body including the face,
shoulders and bust line. This is great to draw unwanted
attention away from the hips and legs. Skip the necklace and opt
for earrings when wearing a halter dress.
Cocktail dresses are the most versatile for special occasions.
Most opt for the little black dress which is the most popular
look for a cocktail. Today, jewel-tones, bright and rich fabrics
do well for a short evening dress. Most cocktail dresses can be
easily accessorized with pearls, diamond, gold and silver. If
you want to hide wide hips, opt for a dress that is strapless or
has cap sleeves.
For simplicity, nothing beats a sheath dress. They are
flattering with clean lines to keep the dress from overwhelming
your figure. The sheath dress can be dressed up or down as the
situation dictates. The jacket dress provides more coverage
without the fuss of a wrap. The matching dress and jacket is
perfect for anniversaries and weddings.
Not every figure looks best in a one piece dress. For those
hard-to-fit bodies, a dressy separate can do the trick. Choose
one special piece and mix it with a solid piece for that special
occasion. Off the shoulder dresses instantly shows off lots of
skin but not in areas that make you uncomfortable. Accentuate
the look with a great necklace piece or brooch.
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Walking - The New Health Prevention Pill
If I could bottle up a special health prevention pill, it would
be comprised of your shoes, and feet. Recent research has shown
just how much more powerful walking is than previously thought.
I don’t need to be convinced, since people regularly see me
walking all over Los Angeles with my training clients. They have
all benefited from the powerful, health producing, results of
their walking programs.
Compared to other cardiovascular training methods, walking is
extremely convenient, and inexpensive. You can walk just about
anywhere. All you need is a pair of shoes, and you are off. No
expensive high tech equipment is necessary. How much easier can
it be?
Another positive feature of walking is its low impact on joints,
muscles, and bones, as well as, for most people, the physical
ease of doing it.
Three recent research studies suggested there are even more
benefits associated with brisk walking. These benefits include
better survival rates for women with breast cancer, reduced risk
of endometrial cancer, and lower rates of cardiovascular
challenges.
Please be aware, walking should not be simply a shopping stroll,
but a brisk, 2.0 mph plus walk. Your walking heart rate should
reach more than 55% of your maximum heart rate for an extended
period of time. Your maximum heart rate can be calculated by
taking 220 minus your age.
The breast cancer study was recently published in The Journal of
the American Medical Association, and was conducted at Brigham
and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Women diagnosed with breast
cancer who walked 2-3 mph, 1-3 days per week were 20% less
likely to die from the disease. Those who walked 3-5 times per
week reduced their risk by 50%.
The study suggested physical activity has been linked to lower
levels of circulating ovarian hormones, which could explain the
relationship between physical activity and breast cancer.
The endometrial cancer study, conducted at Vanderbilt
University, and the Shanghai Cancer Institute, found that women
who walked for exercise in adolescence and adulthood had a 37
percent reduced risk of the disease. Even post menopausal women
who recently started to walk reduced their risk 24%. The study
sample was 1700 women. Reductions in risk began after 25 minutes
per day up to 50 minutes per day.
In another study conducted at Queen’s University in Belfast,
Northern Ireland, researchers examined the effects of 30 minutes
of self paced, brisk walking, 5 days per week for 50-65 year old
individuals.
The results were very impressive with significant decreases in
systolic and diastolic blood pressure, reduction in stroke risk,
and increased functional capacity.
Now that we understand some of the many great health benefits of
walking, we need to understand what is the best way motivate
yourself to get those 3-5 days per week in.
Researchers have found that counting steps is by far more
motivational than using time to track progress. Shoot for 10,000
steps per day. I recommend investing in a pedometer to keep
track of the total amount of steps you walk per day. You can
find them anywhere online, or at your local sporting good store.
10,000 steps per day walkers seem to be more aware of how many
more steps they need to achieve their goal as a result of the
constant reminder from the pedometer.
A good resource for the 10,000 steps concept is The Step Diet:
Count Steps, Not Calories to Lose Weight and Keep It Off
Forever.
Staying consistent, week after week, with your walking program
is great, but adding 2 days of strength training, and
flexibility work is even better.
For my “secret health prevention pill” consider starting a
walking program today. Lace up your shoes, take the prevention
pill, and pound the pavement!
______________________________________________
For more beneficial health and fitness tips, tricks, and
strategies, you quality for a FR^E subscription to the famous
Wellness Word “Multimedia” Newsletter.
Claim your (zero cost) multimedia gift subscription by clicking
the link below.
http://www.WellnessWord.com
______________________________________________
*** Attention: Ezine Editors / Website Owners *** Feel free to
reprint this article in its entirety in your eZine, Blog,
Autoresponder, or on your website as long as the links, and
resource box are not altered in any way.
Jim O’Connor - Exercise Physiologist / The Fitness Promoter
Copyright (c) - Wellness Word, LLC 9461 Charleville Blvd. #312
Beverly Hills, CA 90212 1-866-935-5967
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Attention Deficit Disorder is a very complex, and often times
misunderstood, disorder. Its basis is physiological, but it can have a
host of ramifications that come along with it. That aside, what are the
differences between ADD and ADHD? ADHD stands for Attention Deficit
Hyperactive Disorder, with the main symptoms being visible
hyperactivity and/or impulsivity. These are the symptoms that
stand out to the objective observer. ADD stands for Attention
Deficit Disorder with the main symptoms being inattention. Now
many other things can come along with both of these subtypes of ADHD,
but those are the distinguishing features of both.
For many years, the typical picture of Attention Deficit Disorder has
been the little boy that is bouncing off the walls and driving his
teachers and parents crazy. ADHD is by far the most diagnosed of
the two subtypes because it is so much more visible than ADD. Since
hyperactivity creates a lot more distraction and problems for
classrooms, it gets the most attention and will be picked up on a lot
faster. Unfortunately, even though ADD is less invisible, the results
of the disorder can just as destructive.
With inattentive attention deficit disorder, or ADD, the person
suffering from it will seem spacey and disorganized. Most often,
sufferers with this type will be staring out the window during classes
and will appear as if they are never quite present. It is much
more difficult to diagnose and many people with this form of ADD go
years without even knowing they have it. But the results of the
wandering mind can be just as destructive.
For many years, it was thought that only boys had ADHD. This myth
has been shattered recently, though. It is now known that both
boys and girls can have attention deficit disorder, and many do not
grow out of it in adulthood. One difference that has been noted is that
girls tend to have the inattentive version of ADD, and many times it is
misdiagnosed as depression. Because inattentive ADD does not
cause obvious problems and distractions to the surrounding environment,
many suffer in silence for years before they find out the real cause of
their troubles.
With both ADHD and ADD, diagnosis early is very important.
Although problems with academics is the most obvious symptom, some
sufferers do not have significant issues with getting school work
done. Keep track of your children, not just academically, but
socially and emotionally as well. Do they have trouble with other
children? Does it seem as if they have trouble organizing or are
excessively messy? Do they have trouble sitting still for a period of
time? Are they excessively quiet or excessively talkative? Now any of
these symptoms do not specifically signify ADD or ADHD, but they do
point to asking for outside help from a counselor or therapist. Your
child’s psychological health is just as important as their physical
health and how they do in school. Check it out if you feel like
something is off. If left for years undiagnosed, ADD can cause
lots of other secondary problems that can take a long time to undo and
can be prevented.
Keith Londrie II is a well known author. For more information on ADHD, please visit ADHD for a wealth of information. You may also want to visit keith’s own web site at http://keithlondrie.com/
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I feel the most effective way to get people to link to your web
site is by offering web masters the option of giving away your
free stuff. In exchange, they link to your web site. Why would
other web masters want to do this? They may want give away a
freebie to draw traffic to their web site. They also may not
have the time, knowledge or skills to give away certain types of
electronic freebies from their web site.
Your links will just keep multiplying. When a web master offers
your freebie to his or her visitors. Those visitors may decide
to also give away your freebie. And so on and so on… The more
people that link to your web site the more traffic you’ll get.
Below are four of the most popular types of freebies given away
on the internet to increase traffic.
Free Software
Offer free software from your web site. The software could be
freeware, shareware or demos.
Free Online Services
Offer a free online service from your web site. The online
service could be an e-mail account, search engine submission or
e-mail consulting, etc.
Free Information
Offer valuable free information from your web site. The
information could be a report, article, e-book, online audio
recording or e-mail course, etc.
Free Affiliate Program
Offer a free affiliate program from your web site. The affiliate
program could be pay per sale, click through, two tiered, etc.
Now, I know, there are many other ways to get links like
trading or exchanging links with other web sites or joining a
banner exchange. You can also do joint ventures or cross
promoting. I feel these are not as effective as multiplying your
links. I hope this article can help you increase traffic to your
web site.
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Having a Google AdSense site is a great way to make money. And to create an AdSense site, all you have to do is have a Google AdSense account (which is free), a website or a blog (which is free), and some articles (which are free if you write them yourself). Once you get your site up and running, the AdSense ads will be targeted to your content.
Therefore, those looking for your content will come by, read your articles, and have a high probability of being interested in the targeted ads. Every time someone clicks an ad, you get paid! That is, as long as you have designed your site to maximize AdSense clickthroughs!
Let’s look at seven tips for creating AdSense sites that create money.
#1: Keyword Density
Before you place ads on your site, be sure your keyword density is good. You will want to be sure that the right kinds of ads are placed on your site. A free way to determine what the ads will look like on your site is to go to http://www.resultsgenerator.com/adsense/ and type in your keywords. You will then be able to see exactly what ads would show on your site.
If you don’t like what you see, then you know that you need to make changes to your keywords! You can get keyword suggestions from Results Generator from Overture or from the free trial version of Word Tracker.
#2: Focused
Not only will the ads be based on your keywords, but they will also be based on your content. You definitely want your keywords and your content to match as closely as possible.
#3: Write Often
The more information you have the better. Why? Because the more content you have, the more visitors you get. Many people suggest that you write a new article every day since no one wants to come back to your site to find the same old messages!
#4: Choose The Right Format
AdSense allows you to choose many different ad formats. Research has shown that wider ads are more successful. The top three formats are:
336×280 large rectangle
300×250 medium rectangle
160×600 wide skyscraper
Additionally, the 468×15 horizontal ad link under the navigation bar is also a good bet.
#5: Color Counts
You have the option to create a Google AdSense ad in any color of your choice. The best thing to do is to make your ad blend well with your site color scheme. You should make the border color and the background color the same color as your web site. You will want your text color to either be black or the color of your main content.
When creating your Google AdSense ads it is recommended to use the color scheme and style of your website so that the ads blend in well. Ads without background color and borders perfom better than ads within borders with background color.
#6: Position Counts, Too
It is well known that visitors to a website scan the site to determine if it is worth reading. You definitely want them to see and scan your AdSense ads. Therefore, the best place to put them is in the top left part of your page or directly under your headlines.
#7: Increase The Number
AdSense allows you to use up to three AdSense units on a page, two AdSense search boxes, and one unit of ad links. Using all that you can increases the chances of earning money.
Keep these seven tips in mind when creating your AdSense site and you will find that your clickthrough rates increase, thus increasing your money making potential.
AdsenseSitesForSale.com makes it easy to generate Google Adsense Income, quickly & easily. Find all the tools and resources you need to get started fast. To receive your free Google Adsense site visit: Google Adsense Sites For Sale
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A value-added network can be achieved through explicit actions to develop, expand, and promote trusted relationships. One successful example is Thomas Powers, the founder and chairman of ecademy, one of the largest UK-based business networks. His passion and commitment to networking compares to none; he is ranked among the top business networkers in the world. Ecademy’s philosophy is “Winning by Sharing”, a theme of paramount importance. Donna Fisher and Sandy Vilas, of Power Networking, define networking as: “Networking is making links from people we know to people they know, in an organized way, for a specific purpose, while remaining committed to doing our part, expecting nothing in return.”
So how can you add value to your network?
Strategy
Over the years my primary networking focus has been establishing contacts that provide valuable job search-related opportunities. More recently, I have expanded my focus to include promoting services and exploring business opportunities. My networking strategies are simple – contact people and offer a mutually beneficial relationship through shared business contacts, opportunities, and potential partnerships. By connecting people with potential for shared mutual benefits, I am delivering an important service and developing trusted relationships. This is extremely rewarding for me and seems to be greatly appreciated by those I have connected.
Developing a strategy will help you focus on developing your network effectively. Don’t be afraid to change your approach frequently until it feels right and you are certain that it will serve your goals and objectives. The key driver is ongoing communications regarding mutual goals, interests, and opportunities, as well as expansion of your network.
Using established networking groups and on-line communities allows you to become linked to people all over the world. Nina Camp, an expert on the subject says, “Linkedin is the best business networking site – not social –which is attractive to Fortune 1000/500/100 business executives. Recent additions to the site make interfacing more attractive. The ability to send a message from the site when accepting connections is a good new feature, along with the V Card download and the opportunity to endorse immediately.” Linkedin,www.linkedin.com, is also my choice, and the on-line business community I use most frequently. To grow your network, initially you may need to be proactive in contacting people who you would like to connect with, but as your contact list grows, people will seek you out and want to become part of your network.
Building Network Contacts
While building your network, you will find that no matter how hard you work to establish relationships, a simple fact of human nature dictates that you will naturally hit it off with certain people, finding common goals, interests, and reasons to connect. This is not to say that you should give up on individuals less inclined to form a trusted relationship, but the amount of time you dedicate to such communications will define the potential for a successful connection. Finding mutual values, interests, and levels of comfort takes time and work. Making an effort to find such common grounds requires two-way communication, without which you will have a void of knowledge and information-sharing necessary for the growth of the relationship. Timing is also an issue and one which you need to keep in mind when you reach out to a contact, especially to someone who may not be as aggressive or interested in expanding or exploring networking benefits. Give potential contacts plenty of room to communicate using their own timetable.
Building and expanding your network requires a plan or set of processes that you can follow repeatedly. The following are some practices you might want to include are.
1) Communicate with your most trusted contacts frequently and share information, ideas, or just an update on your current status. Show interest in their activities, job, company, and common interests. Send an interesting article or information you feel that would be of value.
2) Share new contacts with others who you feel may realize mutual benefits.
Provide referrals to others for business services, opportunities, and information, or
as a common connector. It might be as straightforward as saying, “I met Joe
Smith’s boss and he said he knew you.”
3) Keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities to expand your network. If you are just starting out, set a goal for establishing X new contacts a week. When I first joined ecademy.com, I set a goal of adding 50 new contacts a week, which resulted in developing 1151 contacts in a year’s time.
4) Be open to new contacts that may want to communicate with you. Connected people like to connect with other connected people. I have never refused a new contact. You will learn that as you continue to grow your network, others will find you and want to become part of your group of associates.
5) The last step in your process is the most important one. Give to your network contacts, expecting nothing in return. The act of giving will earn trust and understanding and demonstrate that you have a genuine interest in your associates. “Winning by sharing.” It works, so give it a try.
Those Who Did
As most successful business people will tell you, failures are an important part of your personal and business development process. Don’t discard failures, instead learn from them and use your new knowledge to address future challenges and goals. Laurence J. Peter said, “There are two kinds of failures: those who thought and never did, and those who did and never thought.” If you don’t make an attempt, you will never realize the potential of what you might have been able to achieve. Building network relationships is not a task with a beginning, middle, and end; it is an ongoing process. Network and you will build a valued and trusted contact community.
About the Author
Russ Kovar is a Senior Information Technology Manager from the Chicago area. He has published several other articles about networking and is actively involved in delivering technology and business solutions, as well as building his own network. Russ is also the Moderator for Chicagoland Ecademy Regional Club, an organization of us.ecademy. Russ can be contacted at rkovar1@msn.com. His profile can be view on http://www.linkedin.com
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Las Vegas and its casinos have always been an inspiration for
filmmakers looking to inject excitement and intrigue into their
movies. One of the most famous movies with a Las Vegas backdrop
is 1960’s ‘Ocean’s Eleven’, which sees the members of the
original ‘Rat Pack’ - Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis -
planning to rob five of the top casinos in Vegas in just one
night. Things go according to plan - at least until after the
heists.
‘Ocean’s Eleven’ was remade successfully in 2001 by Steven
Soderburgh, who cast George Clooney in the leading role of Danny
Ocean and Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Elliott Gould as gang
members, amongst others. The 2001 version updated the storyline
while still putting across the same glamorous image of Vegas as
in the first movie.
Nicolas Cage visited Las Vegas in 1992 for his film ‘Honeymoon
in Vegas’. This comedy tells the story of Jack Singer (played by
Cage) who decides to wed his long-time partner Betsy (Sarah
Jessica Parker) in Vegas. However, when they arrive, Betsy is
spotted by a high-stakes gambler who decides he wants to spend a
weekend with her. He engages Singer in poker games in an attempt
to wrestle her from him. With Cage acting his best as the
love-struck bridegroom, James Caan as the sinister gambler, and
a number of parachuting Elvis impersonators, ‘Honeymoon in
Vegas’ offers plenty of laughs.
Matt Damon is Mike McDermott, one of the world’s best poker
players in the 1998 film ‘Rounders’, who has given up the game
in order to concentrate on finishing law school. When his old
friend Worm (Edward Norton) is released from prison, he
persuades McDermott to return to the game in order to pay off
some bad debts he’s accrued. McDermott consequently finds
himself playing in a series of poker games where the stakes are
forever increasing and the tension is forever building.
Finally, a list of casino movies is incomplete without a mention
of the 1995 Martin Scorcese movie ‘Casino’, which is considered
by many to be the definitive casino film. This tells the true
story of Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein, a mobster who moves to Las Vegas
and becomes the operator of the Tangiers casino. Robert De Niro
makes the lead role his own, as Rothstein copes with marriage to
a drug addict (played by Sharon Stone) and friendship with Nicky
Santoro (Joe Pesci), a fellow mobster slowly spiralling into a
world of violence.
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If you are disabled and that disability hinders you from working, you may be able to claim benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA).
An essential factor that needs to be given attention in claiming disability benefits is that you must prove you are severely disabled preventing you from doing any gainful activity for at least a year or your disability may cause your death. Determining if your claim is valid rests on the shoulders of medical experts under SSA’s employ.
The Social Security Administration has set these standards in establishing what is “disabled.” One, if you are earning $700 a month or more, then you are not disabled. Also, if your condition does not interfere with your work, your claim will be denied. The SSA maintains a list of disabling impairments and if your condition is not on that list, they will have to determine if your condition affects your capacity to work. If you can no longer do the work you used to do, SSA tries to see if you can do any other kind of work taking into account your age, education, past experience and transferable skills. If you cannot work, you will be considered disabled.
Application for disability benefits entail and in-depth interview from an SSA representative. Topics that will be touched include applicant’s disability, medical history, leisure time activities, and financial status. Several application forms will have to be filled-up by the applicant as a proof of his intention of claiming disability benefits.
Completion of all the requirements does not necessarily mean that your application will be approved. A caseworker from SSA and a caseworker from the state Disability Determination Service (DDS) will have to determine if your claim is valid and recommend a decision regarding the status of your application. If your application is approved, your SSI benefits will include cash payments at a minimum of $579 per month for an individual or $869 per month for a couple (2005). Your state may supplement this amount. The federal amount is adjusted in January of each year, depending on the U.S. cost of living.
You will also be eligible for Medicaid, food stamps, rehabilitation, and home care if necessary.
However, not all applications are approved. Fact is two out of three persons who apply for disability benefits are initially rejected. What you can do is make an appeal for reconsideration of your case. Appeals have a good chance of winning provided that your disability is indeed valid.
About the Author
For additional legal information and inquiries about the article log on to http://www.attorneyservicesetc.com
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