The LuxMob Info Tags

How good is the quality of your marriage right now? Your answer will depend in large part on the quality of the habits you and your spouse practice.

We are all creatures of habit. Habits are those patterns of behavior that you’ve learned to the point where they are automatic and unconscious. The tone of your marriage is largely set by habitual ways you and your spouse think and behave with each other.

Have you ever stopped to really look at the habits you use in relating to your spouse? Probably not, unless someone has asked you this question before. Most of us behave on automatic pilot, without taking time to consider if we should do things differently.

Think about it. What is your automatic reaction when you disagree with something your spouse says? How does he (or she) normally respond when he gets angry with you? Do you use sarcasm or put downs? Or do you typically listen with respect, even when you disagree? Do you criticize your spouse often? Or do you focus on what he’s doing right and compliment him for it?

Whatever exactly happens in your marriage, you’ll notice that certain patterns are repeated over and over again. The habits that you and your spouse have adopted play a major role your relationship and can determine its ultimate success or failure. The good habits can affirm and sustain your marriage; bad habits can destroy it.

The good news is that even if your marriage is going downhill, or it’s not where you’d like it to be, chances are it could be improved by reevaluating the habits you and your spouse have adopted in relating to each other.

You’ve heard the saying “What goes around comes around?” In Eastern philosophy, it’s known as the Law of Karma. It basically says that you get what you sow.

This is true in a marriage as well. Regarding habits, this means that if you can identify and work on changing your own habits that cause disharmony and conflict in your marriage into ones that engender love and respect, your spouse will be more likely to respond in kind.

You can start doing three things to strengthen marriage-enriching habits:

1. Make goodwill deposits. The idea here is that couples have emotional “bank accounts” with each other.

Whenever you do something nice for your partner you are making a goodwill deposit with that person. But when you do something irritating you are making a goodwill withdrawal.

Deposits can be strokes of affection, a gesture of respect, an acknowledgement for something the other has done, or a sincere compliment to the other person.

2. Chose alternate words. When you’re angry with your spouse, substitute “I” statements for “you” statements.

For example, instead of saying “You make me furious when you come home late,” say “I get furious when I have dinner waiting and don’t know that you’re going to be late.”

“You” statements come across as more accusing and attacking. When you choose “I” statements instead, you are taking full responsibility for your feelings. You do less harm to the relationship by avoiding personal attacks on your spouse.

3. Take responsibility for your part in any conflict. Say the words “I’m sorry for my part in what happened” whenever you have a chance to make up after a fight.

Whatever the situation, in saying these words, you acknowledge that every argument has two sides and that each of you share the responsibility for what happens in the marriage. Humility goes a long way in patching things up.

Even if your partner doesn’t take responsibility for his (or her) part in things, set a healthy example by your actions.

The simple act of being open to changing your own habitual behavior requires courage. But the rewards can be substantial.

You may find the quality of your marriage spirals upward to heights you never imagined. And while forming better relationship habits takes some effort, the results feel so good that they become addictive.

You condition yourself and you condition the relationship itself in a way that becomes habit forming when it feels that good.

The following passage by an anonymous author expresses the enormous power of the habits in your life:

“I am your constant companion. I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden. I will push you onward or drag you down to failure. I am completely at your command. Half the things you do you might just as well turn over to me, and I will be able to do them quickly, correctly.

I am easily managed — you must merely be firm with me. Show me exactly how you want something done, and after a few lessons I will do it automatically. I am the servant of all great people; and alas, of all failures as well. Those who are failures, I have made failures.

I am not a machine, though I work with all the precision of a machine plus the intelligence of a human being. You may run me for a profit or turn me for ruin — it makes no difference to me. Take me, train me, be firm with me, and I will place the world at your feet. Be easy with me and I will destroy you.

Who am I? I am habit.”

Lee Hefner is the co-author of Keep Your Marriage: What to Do When Your Spouse Says “I don’t love you anymore!” This e-book is available at http://www.KeepYourMarriage.com. You can also sign up for the free Keep Your Marriage Internet Magazine to get weekly ideas and support to help you save your marriage.

All wealth is a product of mind. Some economists will try to convince you that wealth comes from productivity. Many people believe that wealth is a matter of ownership or the accumulation of possessions. They are blind to the truth. They see only effects, not causes.

It is ideas that produce wealth. The process of creating anything, including wealth, begins with the idealization, the conceptualization, the visualization. Everything that follows is simply the implementation of the original thought. Everyone has the capacity to think and to choose what and how to think. Therefore, everyone can be wealthy.

The great thing is that ideas are free. You don’t have to exchange or pay anything to have an idea. The problem most people have is that they don’t have any original ideas. Of course, it is possible to refine someone else’s idea or to find a better way to implement someone else’s idea and thereby create wealth. That is actually what most people do. But why not just come up with your own concept. After all, ideas are free. Yours for the asking. No cost.

Hold onto that thought. Something you can produce with no visible effort, something you can have an endless supply of, something that you can have for free, can make you wealthy. Just one simple idea.

Hey, why don’t we create an online flea market?

Zap. eBay. A multi-billion dollar company.

Hey, why don’t we create a 24-hour international TV news channel?

Zap. CNN.

Hey, why don’t we create a better delivery system than the post office?

Zap. FedEx.

Hey, why don’t we create a personal computer?

Zap. Apple Computer.

The experts at IBM laughed at the two Steves. “Who would want a computer in their home? You guys are nuts.” Now IBM’s business relies on the sale of PCs. And the world is a different place. What would your life be like without a personal computer?

His college professor gave Fred Smith a ‘C’ on his paper proposing the need for a guaranteed overnight delivery service. Now even the post office copies Fred’s FedEx concept. Fred is wealthy. The prof is still not. Not wealthy and not thinking correctly. Thinks A ideas are C value.

Ted Turner knew nothing about TV. His business was outdoor advertising. Billboards. Now, the major TV networks copy little old upstart TBS. And now it is CNN/Time Warner/AOL.

Ideas. How great they are compared to tangible things. Here’s why. If I have clay pots and you have apple pies, I can trade you a clay pot for an apple pie, but then I’d have one less clay pot and you’d have one less apple pie. But if I have an idea and you have an idea, I can trade you my idea for your idea and now we both have two ideas. Not only that, two ideas often act synergistically to make a third idea and maybe even a fourth or a fifth idea as well.

Tangible things do not grow when exchanged. They merely change hands. Ideas change the world. Tangible things do not create wealth. They are the effects of wealth creation. Ideas are the cause of wealth creation. Had any good or original ideas recently? You are equally as capable of having them as any one else. Ok, maybe you don’t know how to think original thoughts. Improved upon anybody else’s ideas lately? At least you can do that. No? The find a good idea and implement it. Copy. Mimic. Do the same thing.

Michael Dell did not invent the personal computer. DHL is merely copying FedEx. The boys at Google did not invent Internet search engines. They just built a better one. It was someone else’s original idea.

I did not invent eBooks. Online marketing was not my original idea. I took my ideas, added the ideas of others and presto, a wealth creation business.

Yes, you can think and grow rich. I know. I have the proof. That’s what I do. So can you. Go ahead; I dare you. Think. Idealize. Imagine. What if…

Why don’t we create a…

© Leslie Fieger. All rights reserved worldwide.

Leslie is the author of The DELFIN Knowledge System Trilogy: The Initiation, The Journey and The Quest plus many more success publications. He also the co-author of The End of the World with Hugh Jeffries and Alexandra’s DragonFire with his daughter Ashley. Subscribe to his free and ad-free eZine at http://www.ProsperityParadigm.com or http://www.LeslieFieger.com.

Reprinting and republishing of this article is granted only with the above credit included. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright.

I’ve never laid carpet, tiles or lino but there is one floor I do know how to lay and that is the carpeting for the outdoor room. I speak of course of the most popular garden ground-cover the lawn.

Prepare before you sow

The best time to sow grass seed is between early April and early September, however you must firstly carry out some preparation. Ideally sometime between March and August you must “burn off” any unwanted growth. Achieve this by spraying all weedy soil areas on a dry day with a herbicide containing the active ingredient Glyphosate. Apply according to the manufacturers instructions and heed safety warnings.

Grading the site

A minimum of 1 month must elapse before you start to grade or level the site, this will allow the spray to reach the roots of weeds such as docks and dandelions. Ensure nothing but light rainfall occurs when you are carrying out soil movement and grading whether it be by hand or machine. This will prevent creating a pan in the soil (a layer of smeared soil or subsoil that water cannot drain through). You must grade the site to an acceptable level without bringing subsoil to the surface; subsoil on the surface has ruined many the new lawns by causing hungry looking brown patches. When grading your soil remove any half buried timber and old tree roots as they will lead to toad stools in the established lawn. Also remove any concrete blocks and large stones; basically remove any debris bigger than your fist.

Fallow before final cultivation

Leave the graded site to settle and regrow any dormant weeds for at least a month then spray the weed growth again with a Glyphosate based herbicide. For the final cultivation give the soil a shallow rotovate or lightly dig it over with a garden fork whilst breaking clods with the back of the fork. Rake to an acceptable level whilst removing all surface debris down to the size of a 1 euro coin including weed stems and roots. The soil should have a nice fine tilth like the texture of cake crumbs; it should not be fine like powder as this will prevent seed germination.

Seed sowing secrets

The ideal situation would be to sow the seed before you get the next heavy shower of rain as at that stage you will begin to loose the soil tilth. You will need approx 40 to 50g of seed per square metre, which can be broadcast by hand or use a wheeled spreader Divide the seed into 2 lots and spread half the seed whilst walking up and down, with the other half being spread whilst walking left and right across the lawn When spreading any seed avoid spreading onto drives, patios and beds. Lightly rake the seed into the soil with a sprung rake, do not drive it in or bury it. Follow this by lightly rolling the area with a half-filled water roller; the idea is to get firm seed and soil contact to ensure germination. Have some extra soil and seed to hand as a hollow or two may show up when rolling, you can then top up the soil and give it a shake of seed. Depending on the weather conditions your seedlings will begin to appear within 2 to 3 weeks.

James Kilkelly runs a professional garden design service in Galway, Ireland. He has a regular gardening column in a Irish regional newspaper. Visit his website at http://www.gardenplansireland.com/

He also regularly posts his expert advice on the gardening forums at http://www.gardenstew.com/

Article’s original location: Seeding Your Lawn, Laid Bare

There’s no better way than “blowing a few cobwebs” out of the system than by taking a cruise. It’s often easy to get caught up in work and day-to-day life and forgetting about some of the pleasures life has to offer.

I needed a break and my body was screaming at me to take one! So when an offer came in from “out of the blue” from a close friend in Atlanta to head off on a five day cruise out of Fort Lauderdale to Cozumel in Mexico, I jumped at the chance. I’m glad I did.

We sailed on Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment Of The Seas, a magnificent vessel which had recently undergone some modifications. The ship amazingly was extended in length and the result was a bigger, more spacious cruise ship which provided every possible amenity you could think of.

From the time we boarded in Fort Lauderdale to the moment we walked into the ship’s main entrance foyer I just knew I had made the right decision. It was one of the most cost effective holidays I had taken. Not that I’m in the “scrooge” category; $400 bucks for four nights and five days surrounded in total luxury was money well spent. Sure, I didn’t have an outside window in my stateroom but I wasn’t intending on spending the bulk of my time in my room.

Royal Caribbean certainly got my attention. Eleven levels of spectacular cruise ship and I’ve got to hand a dozen bouquets to their level of customer service…simply outstanding. There was one lady who worked in a side coffee shop. Her name was Carla. I must have consumed a good deal of coffee…hey, I didn’t sleep much! Anyway, Carla knew my name from the first moment she swiped my card after I’d purchased my first brew. I must have bumped into her two dozen times during the cruise after that and she always greeted me by first name. That’s pretty impressive when you consider how many people were on the ship.

It was all part of the Royal Caribbean service. We sailed to Key West first up and spent the day there. Then it was back on board and off to Cozumel. I guess the only downside was the hurricane damage that was still evident in Cozumel from the previous year but these resourceful people are re-building in a real hurry. Amazing place.

There was no shortage of activities on board the Enchantment Of The Seas. Everywhere I went on this mighty cruise ship there seemed to be something going on. I took part in some physical stuff but I’ll admit, most of my time was spent laying buy the ships pool. It was my relaxation time. And cruise ship staff never pressured me into doing anything.

Royal Caribbean provided an excellent catering service and arrangement on the Enchantment Of The Seas. I gave the fine dining areas a miss I will admit but my favorite eatery was up on the ninth floor. Casual and one didn’t have to be too concerned about one’s “beg your pardons.’ Once again, relaxation seemed the aim of Royal Caribbean and it’s staff.

It was a cruise ship experience to help re-charge the batteries. I treated it that way and Royal Caribbean responded in wonderful fashion. For the price, it exceeded my expectations.

Dean Caporella is a professional Journalist and Sportscaster who takes an interest in a wide range of topics. Cruising is one of his favorites. Get views, reviews and news in the world of cruise ships at http://www.cheapcruiseheaven.com

Around 850 A.D it is thought that a lone shepherd and his sheep
happened upon a strange and mysterious plant growing upon a
secluded and forgotten hillside. Before he could stop them
some of his herd had began to gnaw away at this unusual
berry. After about fifteen minutes or so the herder started
to notice that his sheep were behaving in an odd manner. Not
only were they unusually alert but they also appeared to be
extremely hyperactive. Now being a little weary and
extremely tired the shepherd decided to try the berries and
see if the end results would be the same for him as they had
been for his flock. To his pleasant surprise the shepherd
began to feel wide awake and he too became very alert. After
a few hours had passed along came a wandering monk who,
after being informed of the plants amazing qualities
proceeded to scold the poor shepherd and lecture him on his
foolish indulgence. After he had finished telling the
shepherd just what a sinner he had been the monk set upon
his journey but not before he had added a little something
to his backpack and supplies.

Back at the abbey the monks decided to try this new magical
stimulant. Soon the endless hours of praying became easy to
endure. Coffee the beverage had been unleashed. Its
widespread use first took hold in the Ethiopian regions
before then moving on to the Arabian empire. Here it was to
be held for many years as a sacred substance until it was
illegally exported to the outside world by an Arab called
Baba Budan. Word of its effects then began to spread and in
a short while coffee was to become one of the most treasured
commodities in our history. Today we drink a staggering 4
billion cups each and every year and there are many among us
who would simply refuse to start our day without it.

Although coffee is mainly known as a sleep suppressant there
are those who consider coffee to have many health benefits.
It is thought that people who suffer from asthma and partake
of the beverage have at least 25% less symptoms which may be
due to a substance in coffee called theophylline. This is
known as a bronchodilator and quite simply it is thought to
help those who suffer with the disease to breath with a
little more ease. Drinking coffee on a daily basis is also
thought to help lower your chances of developing colon
cancer by a figure also in the region of about 25%. This may
be due to the fact that coffee helps to keep you regular.
Coffee can do more than just help you get through your day.

Apart from the benefits that have just been mentioned it has
to be said that simply drinking coffee as a beverage is a
delight that cannot easily be surpassed. The amazing thing
is that the average person has no idea of the varied tastes
that this hallowed bean has to offer. One of the growing
trends of recent years has to be the rising popularity of
ordering coffee via the wonder we call the internet. Never
before have we been able to sample such a wide variety of
tastes, blends and aromas without having to endure the
tedious trials of hiking around the city. I myself tend to
place small orders but I always make a point to record the
name, blend and of course exactly from whom I purchased.

Now that you are aware of the tale of the mystical beans I hope
that if in the days to come you are considering visiting your
local coffee shop you recall the story of the lowly shepherd
and think about just what you might be drinking were he not
to have wandered onto that bleak and lonely hillside. Why
not take advantage of the internet and try the many
different varieties and blends available. Not only will you
impress your tastebuds, your friends will be grateful as
well.

Cappuccino or latte?

Valerie Shapero is the owner of Fuzzy
Coffee which is a
premier source of information about coffee. For questions or
comments about this article, please visit:
http://fuzzycoffee.com

While I don’t condone “spam”, (unsolicited advertisements sent
by email) we all realize it is a fact of life. It is one of the
fastest growing segments of Internet advertising today, and is
expected to triple in volume next year. The approximate 400
million dollars spent last year is expected to grow to 1.2
billion in 2002.

Many people who have been around the Internet for awhile, have
seen this grow to big business. But like any new industry, it is
going through growing pains, and basic mistakes are being made.
Until these mistakes are corrected, if you use it, like a ship
without a rudder, you will eventually founder.

The first mistake being made is sending multiple copies of the
same ad to the same person. When you get five or ten copies of
the same email, one right after the other, it is immediately
recognized as spam, and relegated to the trash bin.

Why do they send so many copies? They get their email addresses
usually by harvesting them from the Internet. They have software
with search capabilities, much like the Search Engines, that can
target specific types of web sites. They collect every email
address they find at a site, and move on to the next.

The problem is that most people who own their own domain, have
all email delivered to their main domain address. Example - my
main domain address is “adv-marketing@adv-marketing.com.
Anything sent to anybody@adv-marketing.com will come to my
mailbox . So they find a “bunch” of addresses at a web site and
consider them all “fair game”. Until they solve this problem,
you are wasting your money if you contract with them.

Misrepresentation is also high on the list. You get the same
email with a different title in the subject each time. Many
times the title has absolutely nothing to do with the contents
of the email. It is simply their way of trying to get your
attention, and entice you to open the email.

Formatting errors are rampant. Many advertisers send out
attractively formatted HTML emails. There is a growing use of
these types of emails, and they have a lot going for them on the
plus side. But they don’t recognize that all email clients
(readers) are not the same. AOL for example, is probably the
most difficult ISP to send HTML documents to. If it is not done
correctly, all they receive is a bunch of garbled information.

Unless you are sending primitive HTML documents, you must have a
separate one for AOL, and another for the rest of the world.
And, you must check to make sure that they work. Many common
HTML commands that work with most ISP’s, simply don’t work with
AOL, and all they get is garbage.

I did an analysis of the subscribers to the Newsletters we
publish. In one of my publications, 14 percent of them are AOL
users. In another it is 10 percent, and in another it is 8
percent. These numbers represent a sizeable block of the
subscriber base. It would be a major mistake to send something
out without testing first to make sure that everyone can read it.

The next error some make, is trying to hide their identity, so
their ISP doesn’t cancel their account. Well, it is pretty easy
to superficially mask your identity, but someone who is
determined can find out who your ISP is. The professional
spammers own their servers, so they aren’t as concerned. What
are they going to do if they get a complaint - cancel themselves?

Forged Addresses are simply a waste. Do they really expect you
to print a form and mail your order to them? If you are tempted
to go with a professional group, make sure the people receiving
the email can immediately order online. Get a group that will
accept all the orders and pass them along to you. This way, your
email address does not appear in the ad, and you are immune from
complaints to your ISP.

Can’t get off the list is probably one of the biggest
complaints. Obviously if the address is forged, your reply is
going to be returned to you. Responsible emailers honor “remove”
requests immediately.

If you do plan to use email as one of your advertising methods,
either build the list yourself, or find a responsible company to
do it for you. The dividends will be worth it, and will not
simply result in another “Lost Opportunity”.

As the price of broadband has come down in recent years, its
availability is far spread, with more and more people choosing
to make the switch to a sophisticated technology, that can cope
with the demands of modern living. In order for you to get full
value for money and usage, here are some advantages on getting
connected to broadband over dial-up.

1. You can download software, and transfer files quickly, such
as, email photos from the digital camera, or send home movies
from your camcorder to friends and family etc.

2. With a high speed connection, you can play games online,
against other people in real time, via gaming websites. This can
be done on the PC or games consoles such as PSP, PS2, Xbox etc.

3. One of the best aspects of broadband is that you can now
easily watch thousands of web cams set up all around the world,
so you can see what’s going on anywhere you want. If your
friends or family have a web cam at home, this could provide an
excellent and FREE way of communicating with loved ones around
the world.

4. Watch live web casts, internet tv and short films online.

5. You can now watch music videos at a much better quality than
before, with high speed downloads, you can watch the latest
videos from your favourite bands and artists.

6. Music downloads are now a doddle, and you can now order
singles and albums, which are cheaper than buying it at your
local store. Total convenience.

7. One of the latest innovations is VOIP. This, in a nutshell,
allows you to use the internet connection to make and receive
phone calls. With technology currently developing, this will
gain in popularity and eventually bring prices down for current
call charges.

8. Listen to a selection of streaming radio stations for free,
whilst you surf the web, and not have any interference.

There are so many other uses for ADSL broadband in the home and
at work, that being without it can have you missing out on some
of the greatest innovations of this era.