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I am, or was, an avid tennis player, until my injury that is. During a particularly vigorous session of tennis, I suffered an Acl Injury. As a result, I had to schedule surgery, and now I am in physical therapy to recover from the injury. It is a slow healing process for this type of injury, especially for me. I really miss being active and playing sports, but there won’t be any of that for me in the near future. I have been advised by my doctor not to play any sports for a nine month period, during which time I have to consistently wear a knee brace.

There I was, all set to go, during my senior year of high school. I had the world at my feet, so to speak. I had offers from all the major colleges to come and play football with a full, four year scholarship included. Then, in the last game of a championship season, I was hit from the side in a tackle and I suffered an Acl Injury. I felt that there was something wrong immediately. The team’s athletic trainer advised me that there was a good chance I had torn my Acl. Sure enough, that is what had happened. Now, my plans to play college football are a little delayed. However, the doctor is very positive and he expects me to make a full recovery and return to sports.

Have you ever had one of those days when you woke up feeling kind of run down, tired, even a bit out of sorts?

It is particularly difficult if you run your own home based or small business.

Those days seem to go from bad to worse, unless we make a continuous effort to turn it around.

How do you do that?

Here are ten ideas that can turn that dark day to one of sunshine.

1. Commit to changing your attitude from glum to fun.
If we dwell on bad fortune or aches and pains, we are on a one-way downhill trip to Bluesville. Immediately say to yourself, “This is going to be a great day.” Then start to make it so. You can do the rest of the ideas in any order and as needed.

2. Sing or whistle a happy tune. Over the next few weeks, notice what songs leave you feeling upbeat and ready to meet the world. Write the names down and then try to find their lyrics. Sing them whenever you feel down. It sounds stupid, but it really works.

3. Take time to make yourself look and feel extra nice. Wear that new shirt or blouse you have been saving for a special occasion. A few compliments from those you meet about, how great you look, will go a long way toward lifting your spirits. Don’t forget to give out a few compliments of your own.

4. Speaking of appearance, don’t forget your smile. Remember the advice from the hit musical, Annie: “You are never fully dressed without a smile.” You can never get rid of a smile, because the one you smile at, will insist on giving you one back. Again it is an aquired skill for some, but worth practising.

5. Make a list of all the good things in your life. Don’t forget to write down the things that most of us take for granted, such as sight, hearing, mobility, and a clear mind, if they are among your blessings. It is hard to stay depressed in the face of abundance.

6. Make an effort to brighten someone else’s day. Take someone flowers, or write a note to someone who could use cheering. Your day will brighten as theirs does.

7. Do something good for yourself. Keep in mind that I said something good for yourself. Buying something new is good if you can afford it, and eating a candy bar is all right if your health permits. Splurging occasionally is great therapy.

8. Make time for fun. All work makes Johnny a dull boy, and Mary a drag,(my apologies to all the Johnny’s, and Mary’s). Go to a funny movie, or ride a merry-go-round, let your hair down.

9. Start planning a fun event like a vacation or party. Just thinking about its will give you something to smile about.

10. Give your body some good physical exercise. Much of the tension that makes us feel bad can be released by getting involved in a regular exercise program. A healthy body is, as they say, an important step toward having a healthy mind.

If you try some or all of these ideas and they work for you – as I know they will, you should be warned that having a great day can be addictive, but it is a wonderful way to live.

Bill Ritchie helps with developing home based businesses, startups, business ideas, Internet Marketing Tips, plus writes the occasional article, and runs a useful, informative website at http://www.thehomebusinessprofessor.com

Are you creative but lacking in wealth? Your inborn talent can only blossom into its
greatest potential when you are rich enough to finance all your needs. Whatever may
be said in praise of poverty, the fact remains that it is not possible to live a really
complete or successful life unless you are rich.

Every sane person wants to be fulfilled and prosperous.

I can attest to that. My life as a classical composer was not bringing in much
money. My music was being performed around the world, and I had commissions,
but most of the fees only covered a life of poverty. So I chose to make a change.

However, in order to make that change, I took a hard look at my views on money.
Sure enough, I was conditioned to expect little in monetary rewards for my creative
work. Whether you are a writer, painter, dancer, musician, or composer, society
expects you to be a “poor artist”.

Well, I have learned that what I expect does happen!

Your thoughts about your life become your future. Let me repeat that. Your
thoughts about your life become your future!

In order to undo and cast off these deeply conditioned thoughts, I stopped them in
their tracks when they reared their ugly heads. Instead I learned how focus like a
laser-beam on the life I wanted. With joyous concentration I could smell, see, feel,
hear and taste the life I wanted.

Soon enough, things began to shift. The first shift confirmed an idea, a yearning, I
had had for a long time.

Now, I am writing classical/new age/world music for a much broader audience. My
heart and mind are supremely focused on creating an uplifting listening experience
for all ages. As a result, my life has changed – I am creating the life of my dreams.

You are the creator of your life. You can choose between a life of worry and
sadness or a life of joy and abundance. Only you can make that change.

Worrying about how to pay this month’s bills takes precious energy away from your
creative life. Joy is never present in a stressful environment. When your energy is
drained by worry and stress, your creative life suffers.

Life has advanced so far, and become so complex, that even the most ordinary man
or woman requires a great amount of wealth in order to live in a manner that even
approaches completeness. You naturally want to become all that you are capable of
becoming. This desire to realize innate possibilities is inherent in human nature.
We cannot help wanting to be all that we can be.

Show the world your gifts and, in return, you will draw riches to yourself. Your
creative energy is money just waiting to flow back to you. Apply yourself, and you
will be fulfilled and prosperous. The very best thing you can do for the world is to
make the most of yourself!

For your common-sense guide to living a fulfilled and wealthy life, http://www.prosperousartist.com click here.
Tania French is a composer who has enjoyed performances and radio broadcasts of
her music worldwide. Articles about her music have been published in major
European and American newspapers and magazines. Her latest CD “Renewal”
(released in December, 2005) will feature a rejuvenating fusion of new age,
classical, and world songs.
© 2005 Tania French. All Rights Reserved.

“Courage is the passion to follow your heart.” Anonymous

This has been my motto for most of my life, although I have not always lived like it was. Following my heart has led me on many adventures and to great fulfillment. When I was in first grade I was furious at the inequities between boys and girls in my school. I wanted to do something about it, but I was 6 years old! After college and 5 years teaching in the public schools, I went to work for a federal grant project, funded to implement Title IX, mandating sex equity in the classroom. WOW! Now I was following my heart and making a difference. As a result, today there are many your women who grew up being able to participate in things I was never allowed to do nor had the opportunity. It brings me great satisfaction to know that I had a hand in that.

What is your heart calling you to do?

If you had the courage, how would your life be different?

How much good could you do?

How happy could you be?

How much fun could you have?

If you have ever asked these questions or wanted to find the answers, I encourage you to have the courage to explore it. As your coach, we will discover them together. Whether once a week or once a month or something in between, don’t be afraid to ask for assistance. If you don’t know much about personal coaching, call me. Your initial session is FREE! Coaching is all done over the phone, so your location is not a factor. The only prerequisite is your willingness to see things differently and ask for support. I look forward to hearing form you.

Deb Melton, Singles Coach and Certified Fearless Living Coach lives in Denver and coaches singles all over the country to help them find their soulmate. Deb’s philosophy is, “It’s never too late to find the love of your life and live the life you love! Deb also offers teleclasses and seminars on a variety of subjects for singles of all ages. Whether you have never been married or you are recently divorced, Deb’s coaching and classes are interactive, fun and full of helpful information. Go to her website to learn more http://www.denversinglescoach.com

Bind together men’s dominating quests and what you’ve got is a craze that’s known as a sportsbook gambling web site. And really, what could be more original. If you think of a group of friends clapping for a preferred local club, and constantly wagers are arranged parallel to the rumpus. Seeking to get their piece of the excitement, bystanders will ordinarily endeavor to augur who will win in the running challennge. In the end, this turns to become a chummy little challennge termed sportsbook gambling web site.

Don’t miss the action! Top online sports betting site games 24/7 right here!

To wager, I would advise you surf to a sportsbook gambling web site, which is a place that offers sportsbook gambling web site. In the US, you have four states where everyone can go for wagering sportsbooks in a legit manner, but beyond legality you can attempt it practically anywhere providing you are able to find a bookie *and* happen to be of legal age. Included among the sports events you have a choice of betting on are pro plus, obviously, college football + basketball, professional baseball, professional hockey, plus, obviously, dog and horse racing. Customers could choose to wager on the total tally of a contest or game, on what round a contestant will be vanquished, and even whether a coin toss in a contest or game will come down either heads or tails.

The sportsbook provider will lean on number to help you out judge which club you feel will win. There is the spread, that’s leverage in points tallied to a trailing party that is assumed to take a licking by X number points. This is the bookmaker’s manner of offering lays for a Sportsbook. For a practical example, a client may bet money on a party that is assumed to take a licking and and regardless win that bet providing the party goes down by X number of points.

You can see plenty of so many varying classes of lays– straight bets, parlay stakes, and so on, the straight being the general favorite in wagering sportsbooks.

So, why don’t you just experiment with it, and have lots of fun in tandem. But make sure that you won’t get gripped and squander your entire retirement income on a whim… If you don’t, could be you will find yourself bewailing it for the rest of your life…

The war, taxes, the economy, increased health problems, crime on the rise, overwhelming divorce rate, corruption in corporate America, and, oh yes, Janet at the Super Bowl! Where does it end? With so much going wrong, whats going right in the world?

It is times like these that I find myself mired down in the muck spewing forth from every media outlet. Like water dripping on a sponge, this negativity begins to seep in and pervade my thoughts and influence my reactions to the world around me. Often, a bad attitude or a grumpy mood can be traced directly to what I have been exposing myself to.

Look at many of the recent studies about TV violence and childrens behavior. The evidence is clear that the thoughts and actions of kids are significantly altered when exposed to violent acts for extended periods of time. Are adults any different? Sure its important to keep up with current politics, the war, the economy and even Pop culture but when is enough, enough? Dont get me wrong, Im not vowing to stick my fingers in my ears, close my eyes and yell, Find a happy place! Find a happy place!

I still follow the news. There are very significant events happening in the world these days and I do believe that it is important for me to be informed. I also enjoy watching a few TV shows. Just because Im cutting back on my media consumption doesnt mean that Im shutting the Soprano family out of my life! So a few people get whacked here and there. That doesnt mean that there are not some redeeming qualities to gangster life (okay, so there arent). Regardless, the Sopranos and I been though too much together over the past six seasons and recently one of my favorite actors, Steve Buscemi, joined the cast.

I have, however, made a specific effort to be very aware of the information I consume. Along with this effort I have created a diet, of sorts. Balancing the protein, carbohydrates and fat that I eat is no different from balancing the harshness that I partake of from news and entertainment; all in moderation, with a little exercise on the side.

The moderation mantra is, of course, a good philosophy for most areas of life but most particularly for that, which enters our minds. I recently heard an NPR interview with Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was talking about the impact that health and fitness has had on his life and the role that it continues to play. He stated (now, read this with your best Arnold accent), A healthy body is a healthy mind. While certainly this holds true Id like to take that a step farther (using an Arnold accent, of course), A healthy mind is a healthy world! Ready for a diet?

© 2004 by Dr. Robert A. Eubanks

Article URL: http://www.bridgetosolutions.com/pages/8/index.htm

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About The Author

Dr. Robert A. Eubanks is the founder of Bridge to Solutions Coaching. He coaches people around the country via telephone to improve organization, time management, goal setting and to create the best darn life possible! For a free 30 minute coaching session, e-mail bridgetosolutions@yahoo.com or visit www.bridgetosolutions.com.

As responsible employers, parents, and friends, we have an obligation to correct the mistakes of other people in order to enhance their personal success. The task before us is how to correct a deficiency without damaging the delicate ego that can sometimes get in the way. Too often people criticize someone’s behavior without providing a solution and this is detrimental because it then becomes a personal attack on the person that only aims to demerit them. Constructive criticism involves pointing out their weakness and offering a solution to correct it. In order to give constructive criticism, we must seek the solution to the problem before we point it out to the person. By doing this, we effectively separate the behavior from the ego and preserve the relationship in the process.

Here Are Some Strategies For Giving Constructive Criticism:

1. Never criticize while you are angry with the person. If your emotions are controlling your actions, then avoid any type of criticism. It becomes too easy to use that criticism as a chance to make a personal attack on the other person when emotions are high. Distance yourself and regain your own composure before you address a behavior that needs correcting.

2. Offer a better solution. Know the difference between disliking a certain behavior because it disagrees with your own personal preference versus disliking a behavior in favor of a more efficient way or correct way of doing something. Avoid making a criticism and then attempting to support it with emotional appeals because the issue then becomes a matter of personal preference and conflicting egos. Instead, use the power of logic to show the person that there really is a better way of doing the same thing that will enhance their own success and productivity.

3. Always let the person save face. This means respect the person, even if they did something completely inappropriate. The psychological consequences of embarrassing or disrespecting someone in front of their peers is very severe. It is so severe in fact, that such embarrassment has been a major factor in 80% of all violent incidents in the workplace and at schools. Criticism is a personal and private process that is not to be shared with anyone else. Also, it is just as important not to make it apparent to other people that you are giving, or going to give criticism. Asking someone to come into your office in front their peers can be just as damaging as criticizing them in public. Keep it very confidential and respect your counterpart’s needs to save face in front of their peers.

4. Focus on the problem, not the person. When giving constructive criticism, make sure that you stay focused on addressing the problem and not the person. The problem is an objective issue that you can work cooperatively on to enhance both of your interests. Focusing in on the person, however, will always be construed as a personal attack against themeven if it is not meant to be. Personal attacks are always followed up with resentment and anger, which can actually be more detrimental in the long run because it can cause deep-seated resentment, which in turn, can lead to poor moral, clandestine or saboteur behavior, and passive-resistance. Remember that the person has feelings and those feelings can be easily broken by a wrong approach. Whenever you give criticism, follow the golden rule of attacking the problem, while being gentle on the person.

5. Empathize with their position. Empathy is the ability to step into the shoes of the other person and see the world from their perspective. Sometimes we forget what it is like to be the new person on the job because we have grown accustom to a certain procedure or routine that is second nature to us. Remember that people don’t always see things as you do and part of being a good educator is being able to understand the other person’s position and work with them at their levelnot your own.

6. Never label the person. Attaching a negative label on the person being criticized is an inappropriate approach because it dehumanizes them, making it easier for you to be angry with them and it demoralizes them.

7. Focus on the future, not the past. Blaming someone for their past behavior does nothing but create conflict. The past is over with and your main concern is that it does not happen in the future. So instead of dwelling on past behavior, use it as a teaching tool so that they can improve in the future.

8. Use softening words to pad your criticism. Softening words are designed to “soften” harsh-sounding statements.. Softeners work because they leave a lot of room for interpretation of the statement that follows it. Some examples of softeners are, “I think,” “I suppose,” “it seems,” “I believe,” etc. So instead of making a harsh statement such as, “You’re report is terrible.” Replace it with a softened criticism such as, “It seems to me that this part of your report could use some revision.” The psychological effect of rewording a statement can lead to a greater amount of persuasion and conflict avoidance.

9. Give them an opportunity to correct their behavior. This is an important step for any criticism because it works at two different levels. On the first level, giving them the opportunity to correct their behavior or actions lets them take responsibility for their behavior and reinforces the point that they must be held accountable for their actions. On the second level, giving them the opportunity to correct their behavior will give them an opportunity to redeem themselves and save face with you, which will make it easier for them to put their past behavior behind them and move one.

10. Constructive criticism is a sign of compassion. Criticism is often associated as a negative thing because it is often abused as a transport device for personal attacks. However, constructive criticism is a positive gift because the core message behind that criticism is that you care about the person enough to want them to succeed in the future. Constructive criticism is one of the main tests that separate regular people from true caring friends. Caring people will be honest with you and even risk generating conflict if they believe that their constructive criticism will help improve your life. Make sure that the person knows that your constructive criticism is done because you care about them and that you value your relationship with them. They will respect you more for being honest with them.

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