By Deana Hudson

     More and more every day everyone is talking about the growing epidemic of obesity and overweight people, and it is being recognized happening all over. This problem isn’t just happening to adults but children as well, and those with this ever growing problem tend to develop a multitude of serious health problems. Due to these serious health problems developed by being overweight or obese people are dying every day from this very preventable problem. You hear and read about it every day how this growing problem has been costing the U.S. economy billions of dollars every day in healthcare, and prescription costs. It seems people have time due to their active lives, they have little to no motivation, or they are not proper educated on how they can become and stay healthier.

     What is definition of being overweight and obese? According to The National Archives from the Department of Health (2009), overweight and obesity are clinical terms used to describe excess body fat (p.1). So why it that more people are becoming more overweight and obese? Excess weight is known to be caused by an imbalance between energy in versus energy going out as an example: with what a person consumes through eating (energy in), and what is being used by the body over a period of time (energy out). There are other factors that can causes a person to gain weight such as an individual’s biology like genetics and their metabolism, eating behaviors like what foods are being consumed, and physical activity habits. All of these factors can have a big effect on how a person maintains a healthy body weight. There are also significant external influences such as environmental, social factors, and work or home lifestyle patterns that could affect their body weight.

     There are many adults that are struggling to battle risk factors such as smoking, poor eating habits, and lack of exercise that causes a lot of them to become overweight and obese. All these habits have been known to contribute to chronic diseases such as heart disease, strokes, cancer, and even diabetes. These chronic diseases are preventable, but with the lack of effort from some people, the problem is growing in to an epidemic level, even with children and adolescents. Ofei, F. (2005) says, that obesity is a common and preventable disease of clinical and public health importance (p.1).

      Obesity is growing faster than any previous public health issue our nation has faced according to America’s Health Rankings (2009). Today more than one in four Americans are considered obese (31 percent). If current trends continue, 103 million American adults – or 43 percent of the population – will be considered obese by 2018. This makes obesity the nation`s biggest health crisis in recent history. Included as supplemental data to this year`s rankings are estimates around the growth of health care costs over the next 10 years if obesity continues to rise at unprecedented levels. Left unchecked, obesity will add nearly $344 billion to the nation`s annual health care costs by 2018, and will account for more than 21 percent of health care spending… millions (p.1). People that are considered overweight and/or obese have been associated with many different types of health problems, and it has had a significant economic impact on the U.S. health care system and even employers. The affects it has on employers include less productivity, higher cost for sick leave, and increased health care premiums. According to Rudd Center for Food and obesity (2010), obese workers miss more days of work and cost employers more in medical and disability claims, as well as, workers compensation claims. As a result, an average firm with 1,000 employees faces $285,000 per year in extra costs associated with obesity (p.1). This affects us all not just those who have seriously health conditions due to this problem.

     With many adults being obese and overweight they are setting the tone with their own children that being like that there is nothing they can do about it, and it is recognized as not being true. The best way to teach our children to be healthy is by setting a good example ourselves, starting with our eating habits, and how active we are. It has been said that we are the teachers and roles models of these very impressionable young people, but yet some still continue to make excuses for why they are not with our own actions. Children duplicate what they are subjected to such eating and lifestyle habits, but if all they see is their peers living with unhealthy eating and poor lifestyle habits they too will grow to form the same unhealthy habits in the future. Some could say that parents are relying too much on other sources to teach their children to be healthier such as: schools, daycare, and even babysitters, instead of playing the active role model themselves.

     Many may even think that with today’s society many parents seem to be more busy with their careers and social activities to bother with encouraging them to be active like finding something fun to do outside, or maybe go with them for a walk or bike ride this teaches them to be active. Instead young children and adolescents are spending more time in front of the television or with electronic devices such as handheld or computer games this teaches them no healthy habits. With parents being so busy proper eating habits are not being met either. If more parents would set some time aside to engage in healthy activities with their children, TV’s and electronic devices would not be as significant of a contributor to children and adolescents becoming overweight or obese. If parents would set better eating habits by paying closer attention by preparing healthier dinners, and not keeping unhealthy snacks around. But most of all, by practicing these healthier lifestyle habits children and adolescents would learn not become victims of being overweight, obese, or even developing serious health issues as much as they have become today.

     One of the largest parts of the root cause of these chronic conditions such as obesity involves one’s attitude and behavioral choices, and some encounter significant barriers with their social and physical environment. With these attitudes and behaviors one may resistant change even when the desire to change is there even though their actions would eliminate much of the morbidity and mortality. To a large extent there are practicable measures that the average person can take by changing the way one lives by changing their personal health status, and would dramatically change the health landscape of the nation By doing this they could save themselves, their employers, and the nation substantial amounts of money if they took certain measures that are well understood and relatively simple overall.

     There is clear evidence that the costs of chronic conditions are huge, but so are the potential savings from preventing them even if there may not always be an agreement on the exact amounts of these costs and savings. This growing problem can no longer be ignored. It’s not just a problem for those that are obese it is a problem that affects us all. Shouldn’t we all take an active role to help to solve this problem? Even though some efforts over the last several decades to educate individuals about ways to improve their health, and prevent disease have had limited influence on a large portion of our population while others have been very successful.

     Today there are more programs that are being set up by people that are wellness coach’s to help those that want to lose weight, and one these programs are called “weight loss challenges”. Those that hold these non-profit community service called weight loss challenges begin with providing a wellness evaluation on each person to help determine a starting point with that person, and which direction to go to lose weight. The wellness evaluation calculates a person’s body mass index (BMI) then calculates how many calories to take in for that person’s body type, also determine the amount of protein they will need to lose weight. These challenges help educate people about proper nutrition, good eating habits, and exercise in hope to break the cycle of repeat weight gain in the future.

     What is body mass index (BMI), and what does protein have to do with a healthy diet? Your body mass index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. The BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We need protein because it is a part of every cell, tissue, and organ in our bodies that are constantly being broken down and replaced. The protein in the foods we eat is digested into amino acids that are later used to replace these proteins in our bodies (p.1). If you would like to know more about these weight loss challenges and what they are all about you can check out this website for more details at www.herbalifewlc.com. Here are a few other websites that will help those who want to learn more how to live healthier: calorieking.com helps you count calories for the foods one eats, and chefmd.com and sparkrecipes.com for healthy food recipes.  The website dhbewell.com offers a way to calculate your body mass index (BMI); in addition, this website also offers a variety of helpful information for those that are looking for a healthy weight management program, and wellness coach.

      This is a great way to start learning how to get back on track are start living, and getting healthy. By offering the community weight loss challenges it will help many people to become more aware of the obesity epidemic by educate them about living a healthy lifestyle versus what they are doing that’s not working. These programs will also set good examples for our children, and help them learn the proper nutrition. This is a great start to solving this obesity epidemic from getting worse  it will save employers time and money, and eventually it will begin to lower health care cost for the future, and by reducing the rate of health problems. What can you do to help your community by becoming more active?

References

America’s Health Rankings. (2009). 20th Anniversary Highlights: Unhealthy behaviors – Our Nation`s Legacy. Retrieved from http://www.americashealthrankings.org/2009/highlights.aspx

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Healthy weight-it’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle! Body mass index. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/index.html

Ofei, F. (September 2005). Ghana Medical Journal.  Obesity: A preventable disease. Endocrine and Metabolic Clinic, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, P.O. Box GP 4236, Accra, Ghana. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1790820/pdf/GMJ3903-0098.pdf

Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. (2010). Economic impact of obesity: Obesity and the workplace. Retrieved from http://www.yaleruddcenter.org/what_we_do.aspx?id=82

The National Archives. (2009). Department of Health: Obesity. Retrieved from http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Healthimprovement/Obesity/DH_078098

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2010). Healthfinder.gov: Help your child stay at a healthy weight. Retrieved from http://www.healthfinder.gov/prevention/ViewTopic.aspx?topicID=62&areaID=1&TopicContentID=331

By: Deana Hudson

Something has changed my life in the last four weeks, and I feel that it is my duty to share my story. First, I want to explain what was going on, and then how something awesome has happened for me that I wished would I have had happened to me a long time ago. Hopefully after you read this article if you want to make some positive changes in your life as well be sure that you take notes, and write down all the information I give you at the end of this article. I CAN and WANT to help you too!

I really won’t get in to writing my life story and make this a book I will just keep it short and sweet instead. So, here is a quick summary over this last year starting May 09-current I have been laid off from an Aircraft business and living on unemployment due to the economy situation here in Kansas. I have obligations to pay and they are not going to go away just because I have no income coming in, you know? I thought, “well hey maybe I will go to college and learn a different trade, and that will always be in demand so I hopefully won’t worry so much about getting laid off,” and so I am now going to an online college called Colorado Technical University. In 3 years I should have my bachelors in Information of Science Technology (Web Design). Well of course I can’t wait 3 years to start making money when I knew that I have to do something now! I knew I had to keep looking for an opportunity to pop up in my face, but then again who doesn’t wish an opportunity to out in your face, right? I really didn’t know what to do and it has really has taken a toll on my health, motivation, and self esteem big time!!

Okay,  now that is just the outside factors: Being laid off, bad economy, health issues, and trying to get through 3 years worth of college, and now the sense of urgency to have income coming in other than unemployment. With all this going on the stress was really affecting my health inside and out. I already deal with allergies, fibromyalgia, neck and back pain, IBS, chronic fatigue, depression, poor appetite, poor nutrition. All my life I have had to take prescription drugs for one thing or another, and depended on chiropractic care to make all I have to deal with my health more bearable, but I never really felt better, and I was not getting well. This is what I have to deal with all the time, and a month ago I was battling with diarrhea. I was one phone call away from just paying for a doctor’s office visit along with any lab work done on me. It was very awkward needing to go to the store, or anywhere else due to my persistent issue I was having. I lost a lot of weight (124 lbs to 109 lbs), and I really didn’t need to be doing that. I wasn’t sleeping well even with different types of sleeps aides. I am pretty sure the sleeping aids are what aggravated my IBS, and that didn’t help my nervous stomach, or allowing me to rest. I know poor girl huh?

Four weeks ago I was browsing the web researching information for my school assignment, and I really don’t know for sure what site I was on, let alone how I ran that opportunity to popped out right in my face!! Wow! It actually happened, and I couldn’t believe it! This awesome opportunity was a 2 part bonus! The first part of this great opportunity was to make lots of money guaranteed as long as I follow their proven system. This is all by a company that has been around for over 27 yrs, and what is even better is that during the starting of the economy recession in 2008 this company made 3.8 billion dollars. So apparently this company has something going on. It was obvious that whatever they were doing must be working, so I checked it out. I filled out a questionnaire page to get more information about this system, and I received a response immediately with more information on their company, and about their products for me to view. OMG! I couldn’t believe the stories I heard they gave me goose bumps! These were very real people telling their life story about how they too were in the same similar boat I am in now, and they were making lots of money including a residual income. To top that all off they were in much better health than ever, and feel great all over! All they did was follow this company’s proven method and to be trainable, and was willing to learn, listen, work hard, and have the burning desire to change their financial situation. The more I heard the more convinced that I too could do this. I was set up with an appointment over the phone, and after speaking with, and listening to my mentor I made a decision to go ahead and order their startup kit (all the materials I needed to get started with this company, and the kit came with samples of their products. I ordered this kit on a Friday, and received my kit on that following Monday. When I got my kit I opened it I immediately started on these products. Now my new mentor/sponsor did a follow up call with me soon after she knew I would have received my order, and she asked me a few questions about the product I received, and she gave me some more information on how to get me started on my training. So I followed here direction because this person was on the millionaire team with this company, and she was in bad shape with her health, and financially. Well, that is all I’m going to say about that other than this last bit of information about my plan  for the next 90 days or less…that  I WILL be making at least $2500 a month or more by then!! REALLY!

Now here is the second part of this awesome opportunity that just jump out in my face the whole purpose of this story I started. First, I want to recap what I said about my health! Remember when I said I was having serious trouble with all that I was suffering from? Oh this is the best part, and this is what has me so excited and grateful for this incredible opportunity I have received! This is what I have been waiting and wanting to share with you all!  After only 4 DAYS taking in these fabulous nutritional products I can honestly say, “I FEEL BETTER than I have in a LONG time!” A lot of my aches and pains were lessened, my allergies haven’t been as bothersome, and my diarrhea is GONE!!! Yes you heard me right! GONE! That’s not all I have noticed. I noticed I have better mental clarity, I sleep better, and just overall I feel absolutely terrific! I have never been so excited about anything in my life and the idea of something so good for your body can have such awesome effects. I would not have believed any of these was happening to me if I hadn’t lived it myself. True story! My Son is 6’2” and approx. 20 lbs over his ideal weight. He has been on these products for 2 weeks has lost 3 lbs and 1 ½ inches around his waist since he has been taking these products, and didn’t even change what he already loves to eat! Did you all get all excited yet? Are you asking yourself, “Who is this company and what is this product she is so excited about?”

In order for me to really truly share more about this great company, or about their products…you have to really need and want to make changes in, and for your life. If you think you can never have better health or just don’t want it, or if you think you can never live beyond your means…then this information will not benefit you by any means. BUT if are seriously tired of the way your health and nutrition issues are, and you are wanting to live life to its fullest, and make your dreams come true, or you want more time with your family, or you are tired of working for someone else then this is what you have been waiting for! That opportunity you have been hoping, and waiting for to pop out and hit you right in the face just like it did me!! I will now give you all the awesome information I too received, maybe more, so you can too see firsthand this is truly an incredible opportunity, and that you will be glad I shared with you. Just remember you are not alone, the training has been proven over and over again that is really does work! You will have a sponsor (hopefully me!) to help you get and do what you have only dreamed about! I have a sponsor too, and I listen and do exactly what she tells me just like she had done with her sponsor, one day soon I will be successful just like her, and everyone before her! I too want to be on that Millionaire team! And I will be there! Don’t you?

To receive more information on how to get yourself on the road to success please email me with your full name, telephone number and best time to reach you, and your email address. In the subject line write, “I want to be successful too!”  The day I receive your email I will immediately send you an email back confirming I received your email, and once that is done I will call you to set up a date and time when we can talk more. I can’t wait until you join my TEAM, and want me to help YOU reach your dreams and goals! Send me an email at charmed1@leadingincome.com remember to type in the subject line, “I want to be successful too!” so that I will know you are serious about wanting to change your life whether it is for better health, to gain financial freedom, or BOTH!!

Here is my website www.dhwealthnow.com  if you are really serious about making those changes you want, and you need please visit my website. This information will excite you like it did me, so be prepared!!
Ask yourself whose team do you want to be on? The team you’re on that isn’t working for you right now, or would you rather be on a team that WILL work for you and WITH you? Keep that in mind when you watch the video on the website listed above, OK?  I am really glad that I got this opportunity and I know that you will be too! Best Wishes!!!

By Deana Hudson

Hum! That is an interesting question, but I don’t think anyone can really define when someone is too old to go to college. Look at me! I am almost 43 years old, and I go to college. I think that only you yourself can determine when you feel you are too old to go back to school don’t you think? I’m sure most of you that are reading this are wondering why I chose to go back to school, huh? Well it wasn’t a decision I made lightly I can tell you this. After being laid off from the aircraft industry last year due to the economy crash I knew that I had to make a big decision like “What do I do now?” I really couldn’t go back in to the auto body industry where I had a career for over 17 years before going to aircraft. Why? That is a very long story, but the bottom line is that I just couldn’t be around the chemicals any longer. Being exposed to constant paint fumes was damaging my health in so many ways, and it took me getting away from it all to realize just how much. I can tell you one thing for sure, and that is I feel so much better compared to how I was feeling during the time I was around that stuff. Even now I cannot even be around someone spraying paint from an aerosol can because it makes me very weak. Right there should tell how dangerous it is to be around that stuff without being in a fresh air suit, or a very well ventilated area, but even that does not guarantee you that you are keeping your health safe.

I only worked in the aircraft industry for only 3 years and I really liked what I did, and I really liked the people I worked with. When I first started I thought I was making a necessary change and that it seemed to be a solid career change. At that time the economy way very plush and it looked like I didn’t have to worry about job security as far as getting laid off because the company I worked for was back logged until 2010. Who would of known that the stock market crashing like it did would take away so many jobs, and leave so many of us on the unemployment line? Even now there really haven’t been any positive changes with the economy so far for this New Year, and that is really scary! So many people’s lives where affected by the events of the economy that some have had to leave their families to scout out new employment elsewhere, and there are some that are holding down multiple jobs to make ends meet. With that effect there are so many kids that are going long periods of time not getting to spend quality time with their parents because the economy has failed us all, and that is so sad. I’m not going to get started on how I really feel on that matter because that would get me started on a whole new subject, and I really don’t want to get off track here.

With me I am pretty lucky that my kids are grown up and I no longer have to worry about school supplies, clothes, or funding any school activities. My son’s are doing pretty good as far as having employment, and being responsible for themselves so that leaves just me and my own personal obligations. Yes I am currently unemployed still today and I do receive unemployment for now, but that isn’t going to last forever and it is still pretty hard finding a good job that at least allows you to pay your bills, and have enough over to buy groceries. Now that takes me back to the beginning of this story and the question I asked “Too old for college?” I knew I had to make a change in my life, and find something that has opportunity and more security. When I was first was laid off last year I took a month off letting it all sink in that I was now without a job, and while I was doing that I decided to do some long overdue landscaping in our back yard. When I was pretty much done with all that I was going to do to the yard I started thinking about starting my own website business. I checked a few ideas and found what I was most passionate about, and set out to getting it going.

I wish I could take all the credit of setting it all up, but I can’t. I bought it all pre built with products included, and a blog the only thing I needed to do was to get a web host, and I did. That is how I started my website business and my blogging, and I know that I still need to learn so much more like with my blogging. But I know that one day I will get the hang of it all eventually, and that I will be more successful than when I first started this all.

After getting everything up and running I had noticed that there were a few things I wanted to change about my website and my web stores but I did not know what to do. I started looking at all that computer language stuff that my website was written with, and realized I had no clue what it all meant let alone how to change anything without shutting my site down accidentally. That is when I started to do some research about JavaScript, CSS, and HTML. Man was there a lot of information out there, and some very confusing to say the least. I even went to the library to buy a book for dummies on these subjects. It is amazing how many books for dummies are out there for just about anything you want to know and learn. I guess that is a good thing because I knew I was one of those dummies so I’m thankful that the author’s that produced these types of books for someone like me. Even with that there was so much to learn and know. I even have a friend that use to web design a long time ago help me out, and the funny thing is that for every question I ask him and he had to look up because he couldn’t remember I found the answer before he was able to give me the information. That is when I realized that I had a passion for knowledge for wanting to learn how to design websites! There was no way in heck that I was going to pay anyone to fix, or redesign my own website especially when I really couldn’t afford it. That’s when I started digging around online about colleges that have classes for web designing, and after weighing the pros and cons of each one that did I chose to go to an online college. I chose Colorado Technical University and I am very pleased with the decision I made to do so.

Yep! That’s right! I am officially a college student since November of 2009, and will continue to go until I graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in web designing in 2013! Yes you heard me right! At 43 years old I am going to college and I love it. At first I was overwhelmed with the fact I was going to school again especially when I wasn’t too great at it the first time around with H.S., but so far I am actually very pleased to say that I am currently on the Chancellor’s and Dean’s list holding a 4.0 GPA! Don’t get me wrong it sure hasn’t been easy, but with the support of my family and friends through all this so far it has made it a lot smoother. So don’t ever think that you are too old to go to college, and believe me it really isn’t that hard you just have to stay focused, and have the determination to make a positive change to your life like I’m doing! I do hope after reading this if you were seriously thinking about if you should go to college whether it is a ground campus or an online campus I would highly recommend giving it a shot! With all that said I will end this article with a motivational quote that I hope will help.

“When a goal matters enough to a person, that person will find a way to accomplish what at first seemed impossible.” ~Nido Qubein~

post by: Deana Hudson

    All through history people have sought advice about those crucial areas of life which are so important to us all such as health, love and financial matters. While these days we are lucky to have so many experts in these areas who have superb technical knowledge and training, we am also at times seek out some source of wisdom which has a spiritual dimension of sorts, and that can also tap into those powerful psychic resources that we are all unsure  of. We know them as the telephone psychic.

     Many people seeking guidance would often go on long and at times dangerous journeys to reach some source of wisdom, whether it was a person endowed with special psychic abilities or, as in the case of the famous Oracle at Delphi in Greece, a site renowned for its power to tap into a psychic dimension. These days we have at our disposal the means to get such precious advice and guidance without even having to leave the comfort of our own homes. Through the agency of telephone psychics  we can access gifted people with the abilities to shed some light and perspective on our day to day lives, and  problems we all have encountered.

     One may ask, “How can these psychic telephone readings make any real or practical difference to my life?” Most of us are aware of some psychic or spiritual aspect of the world we live in, and while it may not be immediately apparent to us, these forces have a powerful effect on our lives. Just think of the sheer power of those unseen natural forces such as electricity and gravity. Because something is unseen does not mean that it does not exert an important influence on us.

     There have always been those people, such as psychics, who have a natural born ability to tap into this area. In ages past those psychically gifted have become the medicine man, the shaman or the local wise woman. Indeed, a wonderful source of guidance for our ancestors. And today these same gifted ones are readily available through the medium of the telephone psychic, performing telephone psychic readings to bring us comfort and advice whatever our problems, be they ever so big or small.

     The methods used by the telephone psychic are in fact, tried and tested down the ages. Just because the method of communication is different, does not mean the reading is less effective. Probably one of the most important is the tarot reading, a method of divination which has great potency in the hands of a properly trained psychic. Telephone psychic readings are much more than a glib entertainment; they are in fact a wellspring of wisdom and knowledge gleaned from an age old source.

If you are seeking a source of inspiration and quidence, visit http://www.tarot.com, they also have telephone psychic readings as well. Another good source for psychic guidence is California Psychics visit http://www.californiapsychics.com.

By: laura Turner 

This may sound a bit odd coming from me, but I believe that regardless of what you eat – how many times each week you exercise or what particular diet you decide to try – if you do not have your inner life in order, it will be difficult to be at peace with yourself and your body.

In discussing ways to love your body, therefore, it is important to look at ways we can have peace with ourselves. Moreover, in this article, we will discuss an idea you may not have considered: forgiveness.

The Past Is The Past, Let It Go:

The most important process we can undertake for our health and well being is to make a conscious effort not to leave negative energy embedded in the past. In effort to move into present time, and be at one with our own body, it becomes essential to let go of all the hurts and struggles that have led us to this moment. There is only one road to this state of oneness, however: The act of letting go.

As it turns out, I’m not the only one who stands by the belief system of releasing the past in effort to improve the health of our minds, as well as our body and spirit. Carolyn Myss in her healing lecture series: Why People Don’t Heal, makes the claim that forgiveness is the #1 way to move forward in health. And she can back it up. She has used the healing process of letting go to transform people from near death to glowing health. With this in mind then, ask yourself: Is there anyone or anything from my past which prevents me from moving forward? Said differently: is there something in your past that’s holding you back?

Learn To Forgive Others, The Process:

This brings us to the next step in our progress of releasing the past: learning to forgive others. Keep in mind, most often others say and do things as a result of how they are feeling about themselves. In most cases, whether they are aware of it or not, unhealthy individuals inflict their wounds upon us to salve their own pain. This can no longer affect us if we make a full effort to do as Don Miguel Ruiz says in his book The Four Agreements, and “not take things personally.” When we do take things personally, we really could gather up a lifetime of emotional baggage.

As it pertains to body image and self-esteem, however, is there anyone you need to forgive? Has someone knowingly or unknowingly inflicted a negative body view onto you? Here’s my personal example: When I was in high school, I had a “friend” who was popular, pretty and blonde. As an introvert and troubled youth, I took everything most personally. Imagine my emotional baggage when any time I would so much as mention my interest in a particular boy, she’d make sure she would go out of her way to get his interest.

Needless to say our friendship wasn’t long term. And later I learned she was living in an unstable home. Yet, when I was younger, her actions just plain hurt my feelings and gave me a negative self image. Now I realize my insecurities at the time were my wounds to heal, and once I’d forgiven her and not taken her actions personally, I could move forward without holding on to past insecurity.

Learn To Live In the Present, An Exercise:

When we can learn to let go of the past and live fully in the present, we are also growing. After all, how could we grow if we have negative energy lodged in the past? Moreover, there are many other active ways to learn to live in the present. Begin the process by taking a current inventory of your body. I like to do this by using my journal (you do have a journal, don’t you?)

Here’s how it works:

• Take a scan of your body. First take body part by body part and make a note of what you are happy about. Ask yourself: What do I love about me? At first this may seem awkward, but I cannot stress the importance of taking time to spend time with your self and learning to know “you.”

• After you’ve noted all the positive aspects of your self, make note of those parts you’d like to change. Keep in mind your boundaries – are these changes within your control? If so, make notes to yourself as to how you may go about making a change for the better. If changes are out of your control – take time every day to consciously send love to those parts of your body. When ever possible, tell your mind that you accept your body and your self for who you are, right now.

• When you’ve finished, take a look at your list. What can you do right now that would make you love a part of yourself? Consider this your permission slip: Today take time to do something good for yourself. Better yet, walk to the phone right now and make an appointment to do something for your self. My favorite self-love activities? Here’s a couple suggestions. Ladies: A manicure or pedicure? Gentlemen: A massage?

Today, take time to focus on all of your positive qualities. Make an effort to forgive the past and move into the present moment. Prepare to grow!

Journal Entries:

Make note: What do I love about myself?
What can I do for myself this week that is “just for me”?

About the Author: Laura Turner is a natural health practitioner and author. She publishes the New Body News and Wellness Letter, The Online Magazine Healthy People Read! ( www.new-body-news.com ) Subscribe for f.r.e.e. and receive her Special Report: “Take Charge of Your Health!” Visit: www.beauty-and-body.com and check out her latest book: Spiritual Fitness!

Article Source: http://www.newagearticles.com/

posted by: Deana Hudson

Over the years, I’ve seen many people who want to make changes in their lives, including myself. Some succeed completely, some partially, and others disappear when they begin to make breakthroughs. I’ve discovered that there are four main reasons why a person may not follow through and achieve their goals.

1. You don’t want the goal enough to do what is necessary to achieve it. Some people want to just dream about their desire, without putting any effort or action into its creation. Just imagining how a room will look with new paint on the wall and the furniture recovered won’t get it done. Visualizing what you want and then taking steps to order the paint and sew the fabric for the furniture will be what manifests it for you.

The same is true for any goal. To reduce weight, you have to ingest fewer calories than you use and get active. If you want a greater income, you may need to ask for a raise, get more training, or move your residence. In some cases, a complete lifestyle change (mental and physical) may be in order.

2. There’s a conflict between your conscious and subconscious minds. Consciously you want your goal, and have been taking steps to achieve it, but keep getting blocked. If this is the case, your conscious and subconscious minds may be disagreeing on whether your goal is acceptable. You subconscious mind is acting on the sum total of all the information its been given over your entire lifetime.

By blocking you, your subconscious thinks it’s helping you. But it’s doing it in a way that you no longer need. You need to communicate to it that you really do want this goal. Let it know that the old messages about the goal no longer applies, that you deserve your desire. You can use affirmations, self-hypnosis, action, journaling, talking to yourself in the mirror or various other techniques to get the subconscious mind’s attention and cooperation.

3. The change makes you too uncomfortable. This is more common that you’d guess. If you change too much, too fast, your subconscious will pull back on the reins. You’ll miss appointments, get sick, or lose interest in your goal. One of the things you’ll probably need is to find new ways to cope with the challenges of your life. This is one of the reasons the subconscious sabotages progress. You’re starting to make changes, but haven’t created new strategies to deal with stress.

If you truly want a fuller life, you have to change the way you think about yourself to fulfill your complete vision. When someone inappropriately criticizes you, instead of heading to the refrigerator to make yourself feel better, tell them to cut it out. If you feel inadequate to handle being promoted, instead of backing out of it, remind yourself of all your positive qualities, all the things you’ve accomplished, and that you can learn new skills.

4. You’re trying too hard. You may want your goal too much, so much that you’re trying to force it to happen. The reason for this is fear that it won’t happen. If this is the case, your subconscious is acting on the fear, and there’s no way you can accomplish your goal while in this state of mind.

Once you’ve done everything you can, let the Universe work with you. Your subconscious is the creative part of you, and the Universe is the power. Tell yourself that your subconscious and the Universe know how to manifest anything you want. Remember things you’ve manifested in the past by trusting in the Universe. Then let your subconscious and the Universe take care of the details.

Most people want to improve their lives, but don’t know what to do when things aren’t moving forward. They can’t identify what’s holding them back. Once you recognize the obstacle, you can then begin to dismantle it. Use any tools that can help you, and start chipping away at the blocks. Soon you’ll have a clear path to your goal.

By: Dr. Kelly Psychic Counselor

Too many of us live in a “bad reality” state of mind. All it takes is flipping that little switch in your mind. Whenever I feel down or want to throw in the towel in regards to my life path and dreams, I know that it’s just my negative thinking switch that’s on! Trust me, sometimes it’s in the on position for a long time! But, I also know that thoughts are just thoughts and in no way reality unless I make them so. That allows me to flip the switch the other way and begin thinking positively which keeps me moving forward.

I do an average of one thousand readings per year. Nearly everyone has some dream in mind that they feel is totally out of reach, yet they can’t let it go! They want to lose weight, to be in a better relationship, to have a more stable financial life, to start their own business, to go back to school, to eat healthier. Many of these people have carried around the dream for a very, very long time. And you know what? The only thing stopping them from achieving their dreams is themselves! Yes, we all have obstacles, but nobody is ever backed completely into a corner with no way to move. There’s always at least a tiny bit of room for movement forward.

How to move forward when you’re feeling crushed under the weight of your problems? Trust me, I know what it’s like to be in a deep, deep hole of debt, health problems, and no food in the house with kids to support. You get to a place where you can’t possibly see the light at the end of the tunnel. Even if you did, you’d think it was a train coming to run you down! Now, you have two choices: Spend the rest of your life buried under your problems and dream your days away, or buckle up your courage and determination and change things around! I don’t know about you, but no matter how hard it is to create a better life, I’d rather try than admit defeat!

Buy a notebook and grab a pen, this is your first step to having a better life. Give it an empowering title like, “My life from this moment on”, or, “From dreams to reality.” I titled mine, “This is who I am.” It may sound cheesy, but having that title on your notebook helps to imprint this new life into your mind since you’ll read it each time you pick the tablet up.

Getting down to work. On the first page make a list of where your life isn’t working. On the next page make a list of your dreams. Now…each consecutive page will hold the title of one problem and one dream. So, one page may be titled: Getting out of debt. Another may be titled: Going back to school. Under each title brainstorm ways to overcome the problem or make the dream into reality.

For instance, a few years ago I was living on only $900 a month and had 5 kids to feed, bills to pay, etc. I titled one page: Ways to bring in extra money. I listed as many things I could think of to make extra money without having to go out and get a regular 9-5 job and leave my kids alone all day. (I home school my kids.) I’m an avid book collector, so I figured I could sell them on Amazon. I also went to library sales and bought books for pennies on the dollar and sold them on the site as well. And, I started offering psychic readings on eBay. Great! That got me out of the financial hole I was in! Of course, each of those ideas had their own small steps such as creating ads on eBay, but those two ideas were the quickest, easiest, and cheapest way to begin bringing in money.

What about dreams? I had always wanted to be a multi-published author, and had written romances since I was in my 20‘s, though had never gotten published. Those manuscripts sat collecting dust for 15 years until I found myself divorced for a second time. Being on my own again had me dredging up all sorts of dreams! So, I made a list of ways to get published. I was far too eager–and broke!–to go the traditional publishing route. Printing out manuscripts, paying for postage, waiting eons for a reply…So I did extensive research into eBook publishers and sent some query letters to the top ones on my list. Within the last year alone I’ve signed nine book contracts!

Whether getting out of a rut, overcoming a problem, or making a dream come true, all it takes is determination, courage, and a step-by-step plan. The biggest obstacle to achieving what you set out to do is lack of focus. By breaking big projects or problems down into small steps you can overcome just about anything, and begin living the life of your dreams!

posted by: Deana Hudson

Are you living life by chance or by design? Living by design takes a few simple but neglected steps including purpose, discipline, and one other…

In order to take the first steps towards living by design, you first need to create a purpose for yourself. Find the “why” (What Holds You) for you. When you keep the “why” before you, decisions become straightforward. Zig Ziglar, in his great audio program called “Goals,” gives us two questions to ask as we make choices:

1.) Is it morally right and fair to everyone involved?

2.) Does it get me closer or further from my primary objective?

With a clear, created purpose and these questions, life becomes clear and you will know the direction you are moving. It’s your responsibility to find and achieve your best and highest calling. Will you do it?

Strengthening Discipline and Will Power

Thanks to the “me” focus of our culture for the past generations, we have lost sight of the need for, and the benefit of, discipline and will power. Instead of denying themselves in the present in order to achieve a future benefit, most people want to receive the benefit today and then be rewarded the benefit tomorrow! Credit problems, government programs, and the constant drone of the “blame game” all reflect the idea that there should be no consequences for taking the easy and enjoyable patch today. However, life doesn’t work that way. The overriding law of nature is that of cause and effect: the consequences of your life are ultimately determined by what you have done and how you have done it.

So here is the ultimate question for you: Are you willing to invest now in order to receive a return later? What you do and the way you do it will ultimately determine the path of your life. Jim Rohn often says, “We can choose the pain we experience, the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.”

It takes will power to deny yourself, but with a purpose, it’s easier. If you know you are going to weigh a certain amount, it’s easy to turn down that dessert. If you know where you are going, choosing the turns to get you there is actually pretty easy.

Managing Time

For many years “time management” has been a staple of business management seminar speakers and personal development books. The problem, of course, is that you can’t really manage time. Time just moves forward. Moments turn in to minutes. Minutes turn into hours. Then days, weeks, months, years. There’s nothing any of us can do to “manage” time. Everyone has the same amount: 24 hours in every day. You can’t buy time, save time, or make time. As in the immortal words of that great philosopher of my youth who states, “Time keeps on slippin’ slippin’ slippin’… in to the future.”

So if you can’t manage time, you need to learn how to manage and improve what is happening with your time. This is simple but challenging: You have to learn to manage yourself. It is self management. It is discovering in your very soul that each moment passing is a moment that will never pass again. How you are spending it and all of the other moments of your days, months, and years will determine the path and results of your life. You will discover that how you live each moment makes a difference in what ultimately happens in your life.

Remember those goals for the next year that you have written out? How present are they for you right now? Have you thought about them today? If not, why not? Take a moment now and focus on them.

Aligning Goals and Life

Keeping them present for yourself will help you to adjust your days and your use of time to align with accomplishing what’s important to you. That’s one reason that you write them down and a good reason to review them once in a while. I review my goals daily and I actually keep my primary goal on a laminated card which I carry in my pocket everyday. It’s on a florescent orange cardstock allowing it to stay really active in my mind so I can use them as I make decisions throughout my day. The more active you are in engaging your goals with your life, the more real they become to you. And the more real they become.

There is nothing as sad as human beings who have left their destiny to chance. Those who think that life is something that happens to them rather than something they design are sad shadows of what they are made to be. You see, you design your life by deciding how you’ll use it every moment of every day. Each moment is the most precious gift that you have. So how do you spend them? How will you spend the moments that stretch out before you? How many do you have?

No Mortal Knows

While we don’t know how many moments are left to us, what we all know is that there are only so many. You can’t recover one that is gone. You can’t buy or find more. So they are valuable, precious and of infinite worth. But they’re free. Because of that we treat them as though they are worthless, but nothing could be farther from the truth. So, starting right now, live your life with focus. Know where you’re going and why you’re going there. Manage yourself and move towards your vision. Let’s go!

By: Michelle Beaudry

The past cannot be undone. What you change is how you feel about it.

How Are You Going To Do It?
You’re tired of being negative. You’re ready to change. You need a plan. Read on, my friend, for this is the process of releasing negativity and restoring your spirit. Change is good.

Fear and Anger Are Killers
Ask any doctor. The stress of feeling badly all the times can easily lead to medical disorders. Your body and mind are a continuum. In other words, although they are not exactly the same, a great overlap exists between your mind and body, uniting them. Relieve your mental stress and your body will be happier, too. It’s time to unburden yourself of everything that has been blocking progress in your life by keeping you attached to an unhappy past.

Feeling Better Is a Process
Negativity accumulates in our lives, in our souls, over time. The process of removing it optimally happens in layers. It’s best to release as much of each stored neagtive emotion as you can during each sucessive attempt. And of course, you want a safe, private means of release that is as quiet and effective as possible. You can jettison all that old negativity easily and thoroughly by following simple instructions.

Visualization
Sports teams have used visualization to improve their level of excellence for decades, visualizing themselves winning trophies, for example. This same technique that so wonderfully installs positive expectation can also be used to eliminate negativity. This means that you can literally let go of old stored feelings of anger, fear, abandonment, embarrassment, and so on, that have been accumulating inside of you all of your life.

Let a Higher Power Help You
Do you prefer the word God, Source, Universe, Goddess, Higher Self, or do you have yet another name for that which is all that is? Let your choice reflect your tastes, and let your Higher Power help you. For once you release negative energy, your Higher Power can then transform it into something positive elsewhere in the Universe.

Humans Store Emotions Physically
Your body is made of cells, the cells are made of molecules, the molecules are made of atoms, and those are made up of whirling bits of energy; ergo, your body is pure energy. We humans store old memories and emotions in our bodies. That’s why the releasing of negativity is a physical, visceral feeling of expelling energy, because energy is what it is, what it all is, what we all are. Ask Einstein.

Examples of What To Release
Fear, anger, rage, abandonment, rejection, guilt, shame, worry, blame, numbness, hurt, hatred, jealousy, and disgust are good places to begin. Your unique soul will know which feelings most need releasing, and in which order to do them. You may need to release some of the deepest ones several times to remove ever deeper layers.

What Does It Feel Like?
Expelling negativity is not a negative experience, it is a relief. For example, when you let go of a deep layer of fear, you do not feel afraid, you feel relieved of fear. Letting go of rage does not mean that you’ll be shouting and thrashing about. Rather, your feelings of rage simply pass out of you, and it is a relief. The old negative feelings are fully released and expelled outwards. Releasing negative emotions needn’t involve experiencing the pain inherent in any individual emotion. You’ve already experienced way too much of that. Getting rid of them feels like what it is: a release. It’s like taking a gorilla off of your back. It’s removing old baggage that does not serve you anymore. It actually feels good. And you will feel progressively better afterwards each time.

Follow Instructions Through the Steps
Get quiet and close your eyes. Be in a quiet, comfortable place without distractions. Vizualize that you are standing in a beautiful place with your arms up, way up, looking up at your Higher Power. Select the negative emotion you first wish to release, and make that happen. Feel it physically leaving your body, sailing up your arms, and then being jettisoned out into space, gone for good, released permanently. Repeat with all the rest of the stored emotions you wish to release. Another approach is to phrase it like this: “I release whatever is obstructing me from my goals,” and let the stored emotions let you know what they are as they leave.

Then Restore Your Spirit
Once the bad layers are released, it’s best to fill up the spaces they left with something wonderfully positive. May I suggest that you begin the restoration of your spirit with Personal Power, Love, Acceptance, and Inner Peace. Personal Power restores your boundaries to normal settings, Love returns you to harmony with all that is, Acceptance assures you that you are wanted and welcomed in the world, and Inner Peace encloses you in a wonderful blanket of secure and peaceful feelings. Simply visualize each of these in turn, whatever they look like to you, and bring each inside of you, merging and bonding with it, soaking in its individual positive energy, then radiating its clarity and serenity everywhere throughout your person. Think of these as permanent upgrades to your soul.

Is There An Easier Way?
Yes, there is an easier way. “Release Negativity and Restore Your Spirit” is a CD takes you through all the steps in under an hour. Using emotive visualization, you’ll be able to have both the release and restoration experiences privately, in your own time, in your own home. You are unique, and may require repeated listenings for full relief. And full relief is what you want. Emotive visualization combines music, narration, and detailed instructions in order to open the hard drive of your subconscious mind and upgrade your files by forming new neural connections.

Michelle Beaudry, board certified hypnotist, works out of Central Florida, and takes clients in person and by phone from all over the world. Contact her at info@beaudryhypnosis.com. She wrote and narrated “Release Negativity and Restore Your Spirit” CD. www.beaudryhypnosis.com

posted by:Deana Hudson

To explore relationship models that are counter-productive, one need go no further than what is presented by the media, film, and literature of modern society, as it descends now through the last phase of its materialist mode.
In answer to this dysfunctional arena, and to feed into an alternative stream, this article delves into some of the more whole-some relational and metaphysical dynamics of partnering, by apprehending what takes place beneath appearances.

Entering into relationship

A karmic bond is often the initial drawing force between partners. In a karmic relationship the underlying magnetism can be powerful, as a deeper wisdom works with the alchemic process of karmic balance. Despite suffering entailed (often a semi-sweet tableau), a rich harvest awaits.
Once the mainstay of learning has been processed, by one, or both, of the partners, the drawing force can abate.
Many long to transcend the karmic level, and move into the grace of a “soul-mate” communion. Either way, karma or grace – the shadow, or “pain body,” is activated to ensure spiritual growth.
Bringing consciousness into the arena of shadow is a central raison d’etre for relationship. No matter who you hook up with, whether the relationship is about karma, grace, destiny, or one’s soul-mate – call it just plain lucking out – shadow will be along for the dance.

Especially for pre-midlife adults, unborn children also create a powerful attracting force between partners. These souls striving to be born select their would-be parents and influence them to get together. The force these “spiritual babies” exert accounts for much of the principle energy moving within a couple’s attraction and sexual intensity. The force of attraction can decrease to the extent the spiritual-plane activity of the children abates. For example, by age 7, children have incarnated their own etheric body, by 14, their own astral body. Each phase reduces parental cohesion orchestrated on the spiritual plane, as the child moves deeper into incarnation.

By midlife, a more soulful aspect of a (functional) individual’s biography often plays a bigger part in the bonding force.

A key aspect for transcending the “child factor,” as well as enhancing the union in general, entails co-forming a foundation before engaging on a sexual level. The typical model of relationship that Hollywood has been serving up to ticket-paying masses tends to deliver lovers to the same unviable arena of relating that its own celebrities find themselves so often engaged in.
About 95% of love stories that modern film portray entail new partners advancing to sexuality at lightning speed – if not on the first day, then at least in the first week. On film you can do anything. In reality, this factor invites an early dissolution – or, at very least makes for a precarious basis for unity and rapport.
Imagine re-writing these barren scripts, so that a couple spends considerable time in the initial courtship phase, exploring all manner of experience – sharing interests, getting to know each other’s diverse facets, cultivating a soul-deep affinity. In effect, developing a solid foundation upon which to sustain the relationship.
Imagine, also, the dimension nurtured in a prolonged courtship, and the compelling body of experience that gets passed by when a couple depreciates their relationship. Driven by whims of unconscious craving, the intense fire of sexuality takes on a force of its own, so that these potential aspects of intimacy get short-circuited.
A foundational phase also lends room for resolving obstacles, including left over issues from past relationships, in preparation for the new communion. Partners can become active during the courtship phase at clearing themselves, as well as helping each other’s process (most of which is about being supportive, since every individual ultimately has to accomplish such clearing by virtue of their own intention – it can’t be done for someone).

“Love at first sight” can be a very real phenomena – but, then, it is only first sight this life. . . which brings to mind that statement people so often throw around carelessly, “You only live once.” I always add on – “. . .yes, but it’s forever. . . .”

Engaging, once in relationship

As a noted spiritual counselor has stated, “The purpose of relationship is not to make one happy, but more conscious.”
Relationship in action tends to address the existential question, where am I? Finding orientation within the soul’s terrain is a natural by-product of relating.
We know it’s working when a relationship induces the partners to fulfill their destinies, to optimize their potential.

Forgiveness at every turn opens doors of deeper awareness. The word itself, for-give – suggests that one give before having full comprehension of a situation, an act that serves as a catalyst to remove barriers to understanding.
At the same time, a true act of forgiveness does not entail condoning a dysfunction.

When I consider what a relationship would look like when it has evolved beyond the karmic level to a level of grace, I come to a perspective that views partners as revolving spheres that interact – an image that honors the multi-facetted nature of a human being, in which dynamics that might otherwise be shunned can find a place at the banquet of relation, and so come to wholeness.
On the face of the sphere are arrayed all possible conceptions and roles of an individual. As the sphere turns, the individual moves from vulnerable, to invulnerable, parental, to child-like. Aspect by aspect, moving through feminine, masculine, or “balanced” states. One phase as a lover, the next as a poet, servant, guru, healer, patient, humorist, teacher, student, visionary, seeker. . . an endless cast of roles. Meanwhile, the partner’s sphere is also revolving, engaging an equally limitless array of inter-weavings.
In a whole-seeking relationship this modality can work, as long as the partners are cognizant of the ever-revolving sphere. Problems can arise, if a partner gets “stuck” in one dynamic for a lengthy duration. But with a reasonable degree of functionality, the dance of partnering can assume all manner of dimension and proportion.
This becomes love acting in freedom. Practicing the engagement of one’s Being, and facilitating the same in one’s partner.