How Your Biological Clock Affects Your Health and Your Weight

September 21, 2012 By admin

How Your Biological Clock Affects Your Health and Your Weight

Circadian Rhythms

Your circadian rhythm is the 24-hour clock that drives wakefulness and sleep. Disruptions to this biological clock have profound effects on our bodies and our hormones. New research has identified genes for the biological clock, known as clock genes, which may be the basis for metabolic diseases like obesity, diabetes and insulin resistance. The biological clock has a powerful influence on metabolism and appetite. When someone’s circadian rhythms are out of whack-by dysfunctional genes or by not getting enough sleep, jet lag or eating at unusual times, metabolism slows down and appetite increases.

Traditionally, the brain has been thought to be the main controller of our circadian clock. We now know that different organs in the body like the pancreas, liver and the intestines all have their own circadian rhythms. Each organ produces hormones, enzymes and other molecules at various times of the day. The brain acts more like a conductor of the symphony, coordinating the various organs. Metabolic disorders occur when the brain is not in sync with the organs. Insulin resistance is the classic example of this, when the pancreas is out of sync with the liver and the brain, causing insulin production to be too high or too low.

Clock Genes

The discovery of clock genes has led to questions about how disruptions in circadian rhythm can contribute to metabolic disease, and if fixing dysfunctional rhythms could help treat conditions like diabetes and obesity. For example, studies are underway to determine if there is an ideal time of day to eat to help with weight loss and blood sugar control.

It is difficult to reverse the effects of metabolic disease once the wheels are set in motion. Researchers have focused on the body’s internal clock to look for ways to treat metabolic derangements. The idea is to find out if a dysfunctional biological clock is the cause or the result of metabolic problems. It’s the classic “chick-and-egg” scenario.

Evidence for the clock: Researchers know that metabolism and the biological clock are connected. Studies have noted variations in genes that control the biological clock in patients with obesity, diabetes and hypertension. In mice, mutations of the clock gene and other genes related to the biological clock cause insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.

Evidence for the diseases: Some studies have shown that blood sugar other hormones can influence our circadian rhythms.

Chicken or the Egg?

What comes first? Do metabolic problems precede a dysfunctional biological clock or vice versa?

Dr. Hitoshi Ando, professor at Jichi Medical University in Japan has set out to answer this question. Dr. Ando is studying mice that are genetically deficient in the fat hormone, leptin and are susceptible to obesity and diabetes. It turns out that these mice have defective circadian rhythms. Dr. Ando fed one group of mice a healthy diet and the other group a high calorie diet for one month. The healthy diet only partially corrected the circadian rhythm problem. Next he tried giving leptin injections to the mice, which also had only a partial effect. The conclusion was that a healthy diet andreplacing the missing hormone only partially reversed the defective biological clock and that inherent defects in the biological clock have a detrimental effect on hormones. Dr. Ando concluded that the problems in the biological clock were not caused by metabolic abnormalities, but that treatment with leptin and a healthy diet can partially reverse the abnormality.

How Your Biological Clock Affects Your Health and Your Weight

http://www.yourendocrinologist.com
http://www.intelligenthealthcenter.com

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Coffee Bean Processing Method Affects Final Flavor

August 26, 2012 By admin

Coffee Bean Processing Method Affects Final Flavor

How do you take your coffee? Two creams, a dozen sugars? Nine splendas? Lots of high fructose corn syrup in that latte? Or are you more of a purist that loves the delicate nut and chocolate notes of a Guatemalan? How about the sweet caramel finish of the best straight espresso shot in town? Well, before you can drink up Joe in any method, coffee beans have to be removed from the cherry. Even organic coffee. That is done in a couple of ways depending on the country of origin and it is called processing. In addition to the growing region’s effect on cup taste, each method of processing helps to give the bean a distinct flavor profile in the overall final taste of the coffee.

The wet process is the process in which the fruit is removed from the seeds (beans) before they are dried. The wet process method is also called washed coffee. In this method the fruit is removed in water and the beans are usually dried on patios in the sun.

Wet processed coffees are like those from South America, Colombia and some from Ethiopia. Most Central Americans like Guatemalan and Costa Rican are wet-processed as well. These coffees are cleaner, brighter, and fruitier. Most countries with coffee valued for its perceived acidity, will process it using the wet-process.

The dry process is another method, also known as unwashed or natural process. It is the oldest method of processing green coffee beans where the entire cherry is cleaned and then placed in the sun to dry on tables or in thin layers on patios, completely intact and the dried cherry is removed after it has dried. This will give the coffee a sweeter taste due to the fruit drying intact.

Most of the coffees produced in Brazil, Ethiopia and India use the dry method. In rainy areas however, it is not practical. However, there are many characteristics that are directly related to the way these coffee beans are processed as well. Dry-processed coffees are like those from Indonesia, Ethiopia, Brazil, and Yemen. The dry-process (also known as the natural method) produces coffee that is heavy in body, sweet, smooth, and complex. This processing method is often used in countries where rainfall is scarce and lots of sunny days are available to dry the coffee properly.

Another method used in Brazil mainly but also used on some farms in Sulawesi, Indonesia and Sumatra. These are known as semi-dry processed coffee (aka pulped natural or semi-wet process). The coffee is prepared by removing the outer skin of the cherry and drying the coffee with the sticky mucilage and the inner skins still clinging to the bean.

As for the pulped natural method of processing coffee beans, eliminating the fermentation stage that removes the silver skin allows for a coffee that has both wet and dry characteristics. Therefore, more sweetness than wet-processed coffees, some of the body of dry-processed and some of the acidity of a wet-processed coffee. This type of processing only happens in countries where there is relatively low humidity and the coffee can be dried rapidly without fermenting. The country that has made this process famous is Brazil. FYI fermentation occurs when the inner slimy mucilage is removed before drying. Pulped coffee beans are put into cement fermentation tanks with water where they are allowed to ferment for 16-36 hours.

Usually re-passed cherries, or floaters as they are also called are discarded but some particularly have a flavor profile that is sweeter than most pulped coffees. These particular cherries float in the water during wet-processing because they have dried too long on the tree before being collected allowing the bean to stay in contact with the mucilage for a longer amount of time before fermentation begins. These are sometimes called raisins as well. This method may be considered a fourth method of processing coffee. However, these coffees are usually very limited.

Now before you go gaga and pull up to the local Starbucks for a taste test, get real! You won’t find anything near cupping quality at the green giant. You have to go to a quality independent coffee shop or roaster of gourmet coffee beans. Most of these places are your local independent coffee house. And if you drink your coffee black you are ready to go! You can really pick out the flavor profiles of any coffee when you drink it in its natural state. If you are one to drown your brew in cream and sugar or are a vanilla latte junkie forget about it! You won’t taste anything but sugar. Drowning the coffee will not let the natural flavors be enjoyed and savored.

There are natural sugars inside coffee beans just waiting to come alive. This is what the roasting process does. As the bean heats from the inside, the sugars naturally caramelize and permeate the surface. The degree of sweetness and other flavors are directly related to the length of the roasting period. That is why dark (French) roasted coffees usually taste burnt. Dark=burnt coffee sugars. Get it? In order to get every nuance and note out of a coffee, it must be cupped. That is, ‘slurped’ from a spoon. By doing this, the coffee has a chance to literally cover the inside of your mouth and tongue therefore engulfing your taste buds. There really is not a better way to test coffee.

Basic coffee tasting terminology is:

Acidity – This is a pleasant tartness that is you can taste on the back of your palate. It should be distinguished from sour, or an unpleasant sharpness. An acidy coffee is almost like a dry wine.

Aftertaste -The sensation that is experienced after the coffee is swallowed. It is also known as the finish.

Balance- It means that no one quality overwhelms all others, but there is enough complexity in the coffee to arouse interest.

Body- The overall mouth feel. This is the sense of heaviness, richness, and thickness at the back of the tongue when you swish the coffee around your mouth.

Flavor -Acidity has something to do with flavor, and so do aroma and body. Some coffees just have a richer, fuller flavor than others, whereas other coffees have an acidy tang that tends to dominate everything else

Even if you are not planning to ‘cup’ coffee as we professionals do, you will get more out of your cuppa Joe by drinking it black. So, give yourself a treat sometime and try coffee black if you never have. If you have and didn’t care for it, chances are you did not have high quality Arabica coffee beans for your brew! You can’t find the true flavor characteristics of a coffee bean unless you use the high quality stuff! Go to your local independent coffee shop and ask to talk about their whole bean selection. They may just have some amazing coffees. Some local coffee houses are doing coffee tastings (cuppings) nowadays. It seems to be an in thing. Try it sometime!

Coffee Bean Processing Method Affects Final Flavor

Tony DiCorpo is a coffee roaster, barista and coffee business consultant. He has authored many articles on coffee and the coffee business. Tony has extensive experience in business and collectively more than 20 years experience in sales, business management, entrepreneurship and the coffee business.

He is a partner in The North Coast Barista School and sells coffee equipment and wholesale coffee beans at Troubadour Coffee.

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Understanding How History Affects Our Present and Future

August 6, 2012 By admin

Understanding How History Affects Our Present and Future

Growing up in grade school, we probably did not appreciate the richness of what a good history lesson actually teaches us. As we live our day to day lives, we too, are creating history- which is why it is so important to know and be involved in what is taking place politically, economically, nationally, locally, and any other important area to you personally. Perhaps by focusing on history, one can realize how personal study and knowledge of events can truly make a difference in society. Studying current events along with its history can help us understand three things specifically.

History helps us understand our current situations with a more reasonable eye. We can see how human behavior has affected particular situations. It allows us to own responsibility for our own actions as we see results play out from lessons learned before us. This is a powerful tool in moving forward for the better. Conservative news sites offer a slew of informational articles that correspond to the history of some other event. Studying these will help one be more prepared for the future as well.

As we study history, compared to our current situations, we invite new understanding to society and people, and the manner in which both were established. This is important as history is society’s only key to holding the data of evidence on how society functions. With times and society’s always changing, history is the only experiment there is to go off of. Those who take it, personalize it, and learn from it will be closer to problem-solving and finding solutions than those who do not.

The study of history helps us find identity and moral understanding. Seeing how past experiences were handled helps us to contemplate our own moral paths. The lack of identity leads to a weakness in the ability to use moral understanding to handle a situation.

To teach by example is a common phrase we hear that applies perfectly to understanding history and learning from it to benefit our current situations.

Understanding How History Affects Our Present and Future

Right Side Publications LLC ( http://www.rightsidenews.com/ ) is about conservative news sites.

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How Massachusetts General Law 93A Affects Online Businesses

August 3, 2012 By admin

How Massachusetts General Law 93A Affects Online Businesses

Massachusetts General Law 93A, titled Regulation of Business Practices for Consumers Protection, is designed to protect those consumers who would otherwise be unaware of their legal rights. Mass. Gen. Law 93A. As it was originally drafted, 93A did not create a private right to sue, an issue which was quickly addressed by the legislature, and now both consumers and businesses can use 93A as a basis for enforcing their rights through private law suit. Unlike some other states, the Massachusetts consumer protection statute provides for an express, rather than an implied, right to sue for businesses who feel they have been victim of a deceptive or unfair act. It is often easy to spot a consumer protection issue with standard businesses, such as: bait and switch advertising, failure to disclose defects, price-fixing, faulty warranty claims and un-bargained for return/refund policies. It becomes much more difficult to determine when a consumer protection claim based upon Mass. Gen. Law 93A exists when the business involved is only involved in electronic commerce, and especially when that business is not located within the state.

When evaluating a potential consumer protection claim, it is necessary to keep in mind that the required elements are different for a business and a consumer. A consumer must follow certain procedural and substantive requirements outlined in section 9 of the act. Among other elements, section 9 requires a 30 day demand letter, a showing that they are in fact a consumer, an unfair or deceptive practice, and a showing of damages.

Businesses, especially online businesses, differ substantially in their required elements. Section 11 sets out the requirements for a business 93A claim, and requires that a business show:

That they are a “business” – [involved in the conduct of any trade or commerce];

That the defendant engaged in an “unfair method of competition” or the defendant’s actions were “unfair” or “deceptive;”

That these actions occurred primarily and substantially within Massachusetts (the burden is on the defendant to disprove this presumption as a defense); and

That these actions resulted in a loss to the business plaintiff of money or property, real or personal, for money damages to issue; or

That these actions “may have the effect of causing such loss of money or property.”

Mass. Gen. Law 93A

Because of the openness of the internet, and the anonymity involved, it can be extremely difficult to demonstrate that a certain method was either unfair or deceptive. More difficult, especially in the context of an online business, is demonstrating that a certain act has the effect of causing damages or loss. Since online transactions vary in amount and since the market is continually expanding, it can be extremely difficult to demonstrate actual loss, or even potential for loss. Since each element must be present before filing a claim, the prudent advocate will research the facts of the case prior to initiating a 93A claim. Without the properly pled elements, most judges will discard with the case at the first possible opportunity.

In addition, online businesses present unique jurisdictional issues that may confuse the use of 93A for consumer protection purposes. In order for there to be any hope of applying 93A to an online business, the “unfair or deceptive act” must have primarily or substantially occurred within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. When neither the deceptive/unfair act, nor the harm takes place in MA, a consumer protection claim will be barred based upon 93A, even if the victim is a Massachusetts resident or business. In the recent Massachusetts Superior Court case of Fillmore v. Leasecomm Corp., the judge dismissed a consumer protection claim brought by a Massachusetts company against a California company because the allegedly deceptive sales tactics and the unfair contracts were all consummated in California. Fillmore v. Leasecomm Corp., 18 Mass. L. Rptr. 560, 2004 WL 3091642 (Mass. Super. Ct. Nov. 15, 2004). In Fillmore, the plaintiff’s pleadings failed the ‘center of gravity’ test applied for jurisdictional purposes, and the claim was therefore dismissed. When deciding whether or not to file a consumer protection claim in Massachusetts, it is best first to look at the act, the harm and the jurisdiction. The more that occurred within Massachusetts jurisdiction, the more likely the claim will be allowed to proceed. However, Massachusetts courts do find in favor of Massachusetts companies when all the elements, including the jurisdictional ones are met. If a contract was to be performed in Massachusetts, and the damages took place in Massachusetts, then the jurisdictional element will be met and the court will find for the claimant, as the Massachusetts appeals court did in Auto Shine Car Wash Sys. v. Nice ‘n Clean Car Wash, Inc. In Auto Shine, the parties frequently met in Massachusetts, and the misrepresentation originated in Massachusetts. The court held in favor of the plaintiff for double damages, as there was a willful and knowing violation of Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93A 58 Mass. App. Ct. 685 (Mass. Appeals Ct. 2003).

Filing a consumer protection claim presents a substantially increased level of evidence and jurisdiction requirements when your client is a business. Beware of the consequences and potential wasted time you may use when filing a claim without having every element met. Simply because Massachusetts provides for an express right for businesses to file claims, doe not mean that judges will be willing to overlook even the smallest discrepancies in the pleading requirements.

How Massachusetts General Law 93A Affects Online Businesses

This article was written by Nicholas J. Deleault, Pierce Law Center ?07 and Attorney Michael Goldstein of the law firm Goldstien and Clegg LLC, a Massachusetts cyberlaw firm.

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If you have already read any materials related to Law of Attraction, you will understand that one of the main purposes for using affirmations is to strengthen our belief system so that we can harness the power of subconscious mind to attract and manifest what we want in our life.
You may start thinking, yes I did start to affirm what I want, but it just doesn’t seem to happen as things just don’t go according to plan and seem worse than before.
In this article, we will explore 5 main reasons why your affirmation doesn’t work:
1. Verbal instead of mind reading – During the time when we are working with an affirmation, we may be just using our mind to read from the material, such as an affirmation book or affirmation card. If that’s the case, our mind will just simply read and observe it, so it doesn’t have enough energy to hold the intention and it will not be able to create a solid belief and programming. The best way is to affirm it out loud verbally. Sound is form of vibration and when we use our voice, it creates a higher frequency, thus it helps to strengthen the belief, so your subconscious mind thinks you are quite serious and mean what you are saying.
2. Don’t be greedy – sometimes we just want everything in one go, especially when it comes to affirmations. Our ego may think, ‘the more affirmations we read, the better it will go!’ But do you know, when we are reading a list of affirmations, we tend to lose focus of which affirmation we are actually focusing on? Because of this, the mind is not able to register the affirmation since it has already become confused. To counteract this, why not just pick 1 affirmation and focus on it with all your energy and enthusiasm? I would suggest that affirmations are done at least twice a day for 5 to 10 minutes every time.
3. Lack of perseverance – affirmations mean we keep on affirming what we want so that it becomes a part of the positive belief in our mind. But, most of the time we tend to lose focus and become distracted by external factors such as work challenges or relationship issues, so it is very important to set your own time and focus on the affirmation everyday without letting external challenges beat you. From the scientific and metaphysic point of view, if we keep on doing the same affirmation for 21 days, it will form a positive habit and programme within our subconscious mind, so why not set yourself a goal, do it for 21 days and also show your faith to God?
4. Lack of Feeling and Emotion – How we are feeling when we are doing our affirmation work directly affects their efficiency. If you are affirming but feeling a fear of lack or you are doing affirmations for the sake of affirming then your affirmations are not likely to work the way you want them too. Our feelings and emotions serve as the “lubricant” for affirmations so if we charge up the affirmation with positive feelings of love, joy and enthusiasm, your manifestation power will be significantly magnified. It is the same process in reverse if you affirm with emptiness or coldness, the feeling will eventually block the manifestation process and your affirmations will not work.
5. Too focused on Positive beliefs – Our subconscious mind is full of a mixture of positive and limiting beliefs that may cause inner conflict. For example, we belief we want abundance, yet we also believe we don’t deserve it. This issue is known as having dual-beliefs. So these two beliefs actually counteract the other, with the end result of nothing being achieved. When we want to cultivate positive beliefs we have to be willing to be honest with ourselves to see if we have any negative and limiting beliefs that may block the “new” positive belief that we are trying to cultivate from being manifested? To do this, create a list of negative beliefs that you may have and clear them from your subconscious mind through affirmation work. By doing this, your new and positive affirmations are able to function easily and effectively.

July 12, 2012 By admin

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I Hear Voices…
This is not a statement of paranormal; it is a statement of truth. Yes, we all have an inner voice…Is yours an ally or an enemy? Do you realize you say things to yourself you would never let anyone else say to you? Don’t let your inner voice tear you down and strip away your confidence.
All outward success first starts with inward success…learn the secret strategies to winning communication with your self.

“Men ought to know that from the brain and from the brain only, arise our pleasures, joys, laughter and sorrows. …Through it, we think, see, hear and distinguish the ugly from the beautiful, the bad from the good, the pleasant from the unpleasant…To consciousness, the brain is messenger.” -Hippocrates

Did you know that each day you have more than 50,000 random thoughts flying around in your head? You might find it interesting to note that we all have voices in our head. Sometimes the voice is calm and reassuring providing you with great confidence in your abilities. Other times, this voice is the negative and self limiting voice that calls into question all of your deficiencies. The voice that brings up all of the past failures and shortcomings and reminds you of all of the things you have going against you.
In sports, this voice is the last thing you hear before you take action. In interaction with others, it is sometimes the voice that challenges your worth in relation to others and weakens our own esteem.
Although we are born with this amazing supercomputer, the most complex and incredible instrument known in the universe, it does not come with an owner’s manual.

Success principles are not secrets; they are hiding in plain view.

Famed journalist, Edward R. Murrow remarked, “The obscure we eventually see. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer.” They are not reserved for the rich or famous, but to everyone who will apply them. We are inborn by our creator with tools to guide us and protect us and to open the world of abundance to us; if only we will let it.
Like understanding the law of gravity will place you on your bottom if you violate it, principles of success are laws of nature. Every idea you produce consciously produces subconscious activity to fulfill what was first created in your mind.
A farmer choosing what to plant in a field is like the conscious mind. The field itself is the subconscious mind. Whatever the farmer plants, the field grows. The field does not possess a will of its own; it must grow what was planted. It would be ridiculous to think of the farmer planting corn and having beans grow. In the same way your subconscious mind will carry out the actions our conscious mind directs. If the farmer neglects the field and plants nothing, there will still be growth. The growth will be wild and weedy based on whatever was accidentally planted.
Over time the field will be out of control with weeds. In the same way our minds, if not consciously directed, will fill with mental weeds.
There is good news!
The good news is that just like any other skill, you can learn to take greater control of your inner voice and in doing so, create greater control of your life.
“The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.” -William James

Create Your Destiny
with the
Power Of
Questions and Affirmations

The Power of Positive Questions
Most people ask themselves the wrong question which produces a negative subconscious effect. You can learn to program your super computer brain by learning to ask yourself the right questions. The key is to ask yourself solution-based, positive and empowering questions rather than negative, disempowered, problematic questions.
In the past, you may have asked questions like the following. “Why am I so fat?” “Why is my life such a failure?” “Why do bad things always happen to me?” “Why am I so stupid?” These questions and all the ones like it take a terrible toll on you.
First they start with a negative assumption, stated as fact with the question supporting the wrong conclusion. If you ask yourself, “Why is my life in the crapper?” any answer you give provides support to the negative assumption. This can be compared to an attorney taking a witness from the opposing side down the path to prove the lawyer’s point.
Next time you find yourself doing this, interrupt yourself with the quip, “Objection your Honor; leading the witness!”
Improving your condition comes through asking yourself better questions. This allows the creative inspiration to work through our subconscious to bring about the conditions or magnetize the conditions we seek.
You not only have the ability, but also all the resources necessary to learn anything you need to learn to fulfill any ambition or achieve any goal you desire. The goal for your questions to yourself in any situation should be outcome or solution based. The assumption is that there is an issue that needs to be fixed. Rather than what was presented above, look at an approach leading to an action conclusion. “What do I need to change about my habits to get to my fitness goal?” “What do I want to do with my life that gives me meaning and satisfaction?” “What do I need to do differently to change this string of results?” “What can I learn and apply from this?” “What is affecting my mood that makes me feel my life is not going the right direction?”
Tony Robbins asserts, “Questions provide the key to unlocking our unlimited potential.” Probably the single best question you can begin to ask yourself in any situation is, “What outcome do I want from this event/situation?”
You may certainly wish to adapt this slightly, but when you go into a situation, whether it is a business meeting or negotiation or class, knowing your desired outcome is vital. As I began to work on this habit in earnest for myself, I was simply amazed at how many actions I took and how many activities I worked on without asking this clearly up front? I need to research a better mortgage for my house. What is my ideal outcome? Is it lower payments, less interest over time, more house for my money, flexibility? Without knowing the right question, the answers don’t help much. What outcome do I desire for my relationship with my spouse and children? Do I know and plan or just let it happen?
We have the power through understanding and training of our subconscious minds to plant the seeds and affirm health, security, happiness, abundance. We also have the opportunity to allow society’s programming to plant the seeds of lack, insecurity, fear, doubt, and negativity. I am not speaking about deep hypnosis or anything out of the ordinary.
It takes practice to keep your mind free from worry and insecurity. It takes dedication to constantly feed your mind new information and positive stimuli that will provide positive associations. It takes vigilance to associate with positive people and positive influences. Make sure your questions ask for what you want, not what you don’t want.
Remember…your mind is a supercomputer. In addition to the information and educational programming you provide as input to your computer, how you talk to yourself and the questions you ask is the most influential factor in your outcome.
The Simple Power of Affirmations
We need to find a way to control our thoughts to keep them as allies rather than adversaries. In her book, The Secret Door To Success, the late Florence Scovel Shinn talks about having a Watchman at the gate of our thoughts. Her assertion is that we have the power to choose our thoughts. She uses an analogy of a single sheep dog controlling frightened sheep into the pen through gentle determination.
“We cannot always control our thoughts, but we can control our words, and repetition impresses the subconscious, and we are then master of the situation.”
Although her book was written in the early 1900s, she hits upon a tool that is one of the best and yet underutilized tool for controlling and programming your thoughts, the power of affirmation.
Affirmation as a mental programming technique is an extremely powerful tool, yet one that is scoffed at by many. Affirmations are tremendously misunderstood and very much underutilized. What you may not realize is that you use them all the time although most time not to your benefit. Affirmations are simply statements of intent. You can develop into all that you desire to be based on what you chose to affirm about yourself.
I Am The Greatest!!
Mohammad Ali is one of the most widely known and recognized sports figures as a former heavyweight boxing champion of the world. Ali is famous for his repeating of an affirmation he used with great effectiveness to convince not only himself, but also his opponents and the rest of the world. “I am the Greatest!” Mohammad Ali’s affirmation created his legacy.
Like goals, affirmations work best when they are worded in the present tense as “I am” or “I achieve” type statements. The mind cannot hold a negative. Affirmations are nothing more than affirming the truth as you wish it to be to instruct your subconscious mind to take action in that direction. It is really very simple.
Affirmations help you believe in your dreams and what you wish to be. Belief is essential to convincing your subconscious to act the direction you want to go. Affirmations are like exercise. You will not see immediate results until you create the habit which over time helps you build strength in yourself and in your beliefs. This ultimately affects your actions which affect your results.
An affirmation in some cases might be a lie at present, but you are in a sense trying to convince your subconscious that it can be true to make it a reality in the future.

“To affirm anything is to state that it is so, and to maintain this as being true in the face of all evidence to the contrary. Repeating an affirmation is leading the mind to that state of consciousness where it accepts that which it wishes to believe.”-Ernest Holmes

Sometimes we inadvertently affirm and reinforce old established beliefs. “I am so stupid.” “I’m going to lose this account.” “I always flub this shot.” “There is no way I can make this deadline.” “I gain weight just smelling chocolate.” “I need a drink.” “I am a horrible golfer.” I can’t speak in public.” “I could never write a book.” “I am such a klutz.” “I never win.” “I’m not smart enough to do that.” “I could never do something like that.” “I am such an idiot sometimes.” “I would lose my head if it were not attached.”
Have you ever said things like this to yourself; or worse to others about yourself? Of course you have…we all have done this. This kind of talk while sometimes self effacing and done for positive effect, can actually have negative consequences. If taken to extreme and developed into a habit or pattern of self talk, the message and programming can be damaging. The issue that separates people is their underlying attitudes and beliefs about themselves. How do you respond to setbacks and adversity? Do you take it in stride, or do you take the glum and negative approach of “this always happens to me, I never catch a break, etc.”
The other choice is to create and affirm and reinforce our desired positive beliefs. This happens all day long, moment by moment, and takes hold a little at a time. “This is easy.” “I only eat when I am hungry.” “I feel great when I exercise.” “I know I can drop the pounds when I put my mind to it.” “What an awesome day!” “I don’t run and hide from problems, I attack.” “I feel great!” “My life is really working.” “I see a lot of opportunities in this situation.”
I have one friend who repeats to herself daily an affirmation of, “I feel healthy, I feel happy, I feel terrific!” Every time I see this person, I can tell it is real, applied and working in her life. Another friend of mine, when asked how she is, replies glumly sounding like the always depressed Eyore from Winnie The Pooh, “I’m here.”
You make the call which one is progressing faster in their lives. Can you guess which one has more abundant opportunities “luckily” come her way?
The Art (and Science) of Affirmations
When you learn to change and direct your thoughts and your internal communication your life will reflect the change (law of correspondence). Creating affirmations can change your beliefs and change the course of your life. For affirmations and autosuggestion to be effective it needs to have the following six elements. In order to be effective, your positive declarations should embody most or all of the following characteristics:
Personal (Usually a statement beginning with I)

July 8, 2012 By admin

Positive (The mind cannot hold a picture of a negative)

Present Tense (The time is now)

Short (Easy to remember and easy apply)

Specific (A specific target allows for a specific course of action and most direct route)

Emotionally Intense (This is necessary to break through the clutter of the thousands of thoughts and images that you are bombarded with on a daily basis)

The real goal is to imbed this into the subconscious to allow it to do the yeoman’s work. The only real obstacle is convincing your subconscious that you are serious and committed and that you truly have a burning desire for what you want. Long-term change will only happen when there is congruency between who you think you are and how you act and behave and the choices that we make.

Affirmations are Catalyst for Success

Positive affirmations mixed with emotional intensity produce amazing results. Music is an amazing mood catalyst. To really get the most out of affirmations and create an incredible Incremental Advantage in their effectiveness in your life, I suggest recording your affirmations to inspiring music.

A good friend of mine challenged me to do just this ten years ago. I purchased an inexpensive karaoke machine, put an upbeat instrumental tape in and recorded all of the affirmations I could create to change behaviors and support my goals.

Unless you are willing to step out of your comfort zone and give this a real opportunity to work in your life, you could never know the simply incredible power and way that this mental programming technique can work in your life. I literally wore my first tape out listening to it, but it created significant leverage and results for me. I know the vast majority reading this will not make the commitment to this habit. It is a shame, but for those of you who do, I promise your results in every area of your life will improve as your internal communication improves. I constantly look for, borrow, adapt and write down affirmations. I cannot claim originality for all of them as they have been collected and changed over the years.

I turn challenges into opportunities.

I eliminate debt as dead weight and a YOKE around my neck. I will only be as free as I am free from debt.

I am a leader and a developer of people!

I am calm and composed under pressure.

Stress makes me stonger.

I utilize my strengths and abilities to benefit everyone I come into contact with.

I actively pursue excellence in myself and others.

I get up at 5:00 every morning feeling energized and ready to take on the day.

I face my fears and conquer them.

I am empowered by the energy that I feel and that flows through me.

My daily routines are positive and improving.

I always increase my value to other people.

I am flexible and adaptable in every situation. I look for creative alternatives and seek out new ways of accomplishing my goals.

I have money in savings and a balanced plan for security and income growth.

I see people, not as they are, but rather for what they can be.

I am a strong, motivated and extremely dedicated leader.

I am a great leader and achieve my victories thru the victories of those I serve.

I choose to spend my time with positive and forward thinking life affirming people.

I am persistent in the pursuit of my goals.

Solutions and alternative ideas come easy for me.

I take time each day to play and to enjoy my family.

I am an excellent role model for others.

I forget the mistakes of the past and press on to my greatest achievement.

“What a man thinks of himself that is what determines, or rather indicates his fate.”

“I have learned this at least by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

-Henry David Thoreau

________________________________________

Excerpted from Stack The Logs!

by Frank F. Lunn

for information about “Building a Success Framework to Reach Your Dreams,” other valuable success resources or to purchase your copy, please visit www.stackthelogs.com or email tim@kahunaworld.com.

About The Author

Frank F. Lunn is an expert in leadership, marketing, and small business entrepreneurship. A former military officer and Gulf War veteran, Lunn is the founder of the Kahuna Business Group, a $20 million annual company. Lunn is the author of STACK THE LOGS!: Building a Success Framework to Reach Your Dreams, pledging to donate 10 percent of all sales to St. Jude Children?s Research Hospital, where his son?s life was saved.

tim@kahunaworld.com

Filed Under: Affirmations Tagged With: 1900s, 50000, abilities, Ability, About, Above, Abundance, Abundant, accepts, accidentally, Account, Achieve, Action, Actions, Activities, Activity, Actually, Adapt, Addition, adversaries, adversity, Affect, Affecting, Affects, affirm, affirmation, affirmationppAffirmation, Affirmations, AffirmationsppppThe, AffirmationsppWe, AffirmationsppWhen, affirming, Against, allies, Allow, allows, alter, altering, Although, Always, amazed, Amazing, ambition, analogy, Another, Answer, Answers, Anyone, Anything, applied, Apply, Approach, arise, Around, Asked, asking, assertion, asserts, associate, associations, assumption, attachedppHave, Attack, attitudes, Attorney, Autosuggestion, Awesome, Based, Beans, Beautiful, Before, began, Begin, Beginning, Being, beings, belief, beliefs, Believe, believeErnest, Benefit, Better, Bottom, Boxing, Brain, Break, Bring, Brings, Build, Business, Calls, cannot, carry, Cases, Catch, certainly, Challenges, Champion, Change, characteristicsppPersonal, Children, Chocolate, Choice, Choose, Choosing, Chose, Class, clearly, Comes, Communication, Compared, Completely, complex, Computer, conclusion, Condition, Conditions, confidence, confidenceppAll, Conscious, Consciously, Consciousness, Consequences, constantly, contrary, Control, Controlling, CONVINCE, convincing, correspondence, Could, Course, crapper, Create, Created, Creating, Creative, creator, Daily, Damaging, deadline, declarations, dedication, deficiencies, depressed, Desire, desired, Destinyppwith, determinationppWe, Develop, developed, Differently, Direct, Directed, direction, directionppTony, directs, Discovery, disempowered, Distinguish, Doing, Doubt, Dreams, Drink, Early, earnest, Educational, Edward, effacing, Effect, Effective, Effectiveness, Elements, embody, empowering, enemy, Enough, Essential, Established, esteemppAlthough, etcppThe, eventsituationppYou, eventually, Every, Everyone, Evidence, Exercise, Extreme, Extremely, Eyore, Factor, 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Luckily, magnetize, Maintain, Makes, manualppppSuccess, Master, Meaning, Meeting, mental, Message, messenger, Might, mindppA, minds, misunderstood, Mohammad, Moment, Money, Mortgage, Murrow, Myself, Nature, Necessary, Needs, Negative, negativity, neglects, negotiation, Never, newsppThe, Nothing, Objection, obscure, obvious, OfppQuestions, opponents, Opportunities, Opportunity, opposing, Order, ordinaryppIt, Other, Others, ought, outcome, outcomeppThe, outward, Owners, paranormal, Pattern, Payments, People, Person, Place, Plain, plant, planted, plantedppOver, Planting, Plants, pleasant, Pleasures, pointppNext, Positive, Possess, Potential, pounds, Power, Powerful, Practice, Present, presented, Principles, Probably, problematic, Problems, produce, produces, Program, programming, progressing, Protect, Prove, Provide, provides, Providing, Public, Question, Questions, questionsppIn, QuestionsppMost, random, rather, Reality, realize, Really, reassuring, recognized, Reflect, reinforce, relation, Relationship, remarked, reminds, repeating, repeats, repetition, replies, Research, reserved, Resources, Respond, Results, resultsppAn, ridiculous, Right, Robbins, Satisfaction, Science, scoffed, Scovel, Secret, Secrets, Security, seeds, seekppYou, seems, selfppppMen, Sense, separates, setbacks, sheep, Shinn, shortcomings, Should, Simple, simpleppAffirmations, Simply, Single, Situation, situationppAlthough, situationppI, Skill, slightly, Smart, smelling, societys, Solution, solutionbased, Something, Sometimes, sorrows, sounding, Speak, Speaking, Sports, Spouse, Start, Starts, State, Stated, Statement, statements, Still, stimuli, Strategies, Strength, stride, String, strip, Stupid, subconscious, Success, successlearn, Super, supercomputer, Support, Supporting, Taken, Takes, Taking, Talks, Technique, tense, terrible, terrific, Their, Themselves, theppPower, There, These, Thing, Things, Think, Thoughts, Through, Times, Tools, Training, tremendously, Truth, Trying, Ultimately, underlying, Understanding, underutilized, Universe, Unlimited, Unlocking, unpleasantTo, Until, Usually, viewppppFamed, vigilance, violate, Vital, Voice, voiceIs, voices, VoicesppThis, wantppRememberyour, Watchman, wayppThe, weakens, weeds, weedsppThere, weedy, Weight, whatever, Where, Whether, Which, While, widely, William, Winnie, Winning, Wishes, Without, witness, witnessppImproving, worded, Words, worked, Working, World, Worry, worse, Worth, Would, Write, Written, Wrong, youppFirst, youppIn, Yours, Yourself, yourselfppI

Electronic Signatures-Esign Origins, Understanding Laws, and the Affects

June 1, 2012 By admin

Electronic Signatures-Esign Origins, Understanding Laws, and the Affects

On June 30, 2000 President Clinton signed the “Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act” (ESIGN) using his electronic signature ID, and thereby established the validity of electronic signatures for interstate and international commerce.

In the fours year prior to this Act’s passage a dozen states had passed similar laws and guidance for state specific business purposes, and in the five years since the Act’s passing every other state has passed similar laws and legislation. What does it all mean, and in the end how can it benefit businesses, individuals and the nation or world as a whole?

The best way to answer a question like this is to take a look at the origins of the law, and understand the reasoning behind its passage and the passage of the state specific laws.

The Birth of the Electronic Signature – Faxing

In the 1980′s companies and even some progressive individuals began using fax machines for high priority or time sensitive delivery of paper based documents. Today, the fax machine is a staple of the business world. Most people do not even consider the original hurdles this new medium created, nor do they consider its impact on the speed of communication and the advantages of its use. However in its infancy many of the same issues surrounding electronic communications and electronic signatures had to be resolved when utilizing the facsimile.

When the first contract was signed and faxed it created the basis for the discussion of electronic signature validity. After all it was the first time someone could sign something, place it in a machine, send it from one phone line to another and deliver a digitally reproduced signature. The path this signature took was not controllable or traceable, and in most cases it traversed miles of wire before reaching its destination, so how could it be considered a valid signature? The intentions of the signature were clear to everyone, but businesses wanted to know they could count on the validity of the signature, and if no one actually witnessed the action of one individual or of a corporation how could a business put any faith in it? This of course caused quite a stir and in rapid fashion the courts ruled this signature carried the same validity as if the parties were standing in the room together. With this, the fax became standard operating procedure world-wide.

The courts found validity in this method of signature capturing and businesses also felt secure in this method. Quite a leap of faith considering the complications caused by fax machines early on. Many people didn’t realize that the original fax paper’s ink would vanish after a period of time and you had to make another copy of the fax using a copier if you wanted to store it permanently. Also many times the quality of the image was poor or barely legible, but businesses understood the intention and would consider it signed even if there was only a partially legible signature. So in essence you had a copy of a copy of a digital image, and even with so many loopholes for alteration and criminal malfeasance the fax still worked and business flourished.

The business logic behind this thinking was easily justifiable. Before the fax machine, the contract could have been signed verbally between the sales person and the client, and then somewhere down the road a paper copy would have been signed and mailed. Many sales before the fax machine were consummated with a simple “OK let’s do it” comment over the phone. This drive to get business and make the wheels turn demonstrates the most vital point in an electronic communications based world, or for that matter in a digital world with no physical or direct contact, is most businesses can operate on trust. They provide a service to a customer and the customer trusts they will provide that service in a satisfactory manner, while the service provider trusts that the customer will pay for services rendered.

Trust is not a new thing in business; it was often indicated by a hand-shake or “You have a deal”, and that was all you needed to get a deal done. Has that changed today? I believe the answer is no, but what about the courts, and their opinion on the validity of the electronic signature? After all the courts’ goal is not just to keep the wheels turning and generate revenue, so why did they trust this type of signature and what was the legal question this signature answered? This line of thinking brings us back to Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act or as it is more commonly known, the (“ESIGN”) Act.

Electronic Signatures, the Courts and the Government

The Government Paperwork Elimination Act (“GPEA”), Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (“UETA”), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (“e-CFR”), as well as the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (“ESIGN”) are all attempts by Congress, federal departments and the states to define the liability and validity of an electronic signature, and help the courts answer the questions about enforceability. These efforts all center around three primary concepts authentication, integrity and non-repudiation.

Authentication

Authentication is the reasonable basis on which to believe that the entity electronically signing the file is who they say they are. This can be accomplished in many ways. In the traditional world it might be done by checking a driver’s license or other form of identification, but in the electronic world this is not always an option, so other methods must be used.

The most common and popular way of accomplishing this identity check is to use an e-mail based identifier. This is a process most people have experienced at some point while using the Internet. If you signup for a web based service you generally need to create a user name and password. When you create this account many systems will send a verification e-mail to the e-mail address you entered for your record, thus proving that you own this e-mail address. You then copy and paste this verification information into the confirmation system provided by the web site and you become a verified member. That process and most processes that use your e-mail address are known as e-mail based ID systems.

Another way to verify an identity is to use a known third party validation mechanism. In other words, use something that presumably has already verified the entity in question. There are several common methods for achieving this type of authentication. You may have experienced it with a web site requiring you enter in your home zip code, an account number or in some cases a credit card number. Many web sites will have you enter your credit card information into a form, allowing them to cross reference the information you provide them with a credit card merchant. Presumably if you told the credit card company the truth about you, then it will match with the information you provided the website.

The methods available and in use for identifying and authenticating individuals are countless, and presumably the higher the value of the transaction the more authentication methods should be implemented.

Integrity

Integrity simply means providing a reasonable belief that any file electronically signed on a system cannot and has not been tampered with by anyone or anything. The concept is easy to understand and the requirement for it is certainly justified. When you are dealing with paper it is easy to give everyone a copy, and any discrepancies are easily found, but with electronic records it can be difficult to manually or even visually tell if the file has been altered. To demonstrate integrity electronic signature capture services generally use an encryption algorithm to lock a file once it has been signed. Even better services will continually validate a file all the way through the signature process and then create a final version once all signatures are finalized. Most technology used today for identification purposes can be more accurate than human DNA.

Non-repudiation

Think back to the Fax machine illustration. Someone can always say, “That is not my signature” and claim that the signature was forged. After all, someone could have placed an image of a signature on to a document, and faxed it back to you. The point is, under most circumstances you can never be 100% certain the person you are doing business with is who they say they are. Even in-person transactions can be at risk. Identity theft is the fastest-growing crime and criminals are not just buying and signing things online, they are going into banks, opening credit cards and walking into retail establishments. So what can be done to help protect businesses against fraud and abuse if they use electronic signatures?

Just as a notary verifies the intent of the signatory, electronic signatures can use verification methods to insure the signatory understood the purpose and the intent of the signature process. However, the road to a successful electronic signature implementation lies in the careful understanding that the electronic signature super highway has a minimum of three lanes. Each of the signatories has a lane of relationship “traffic” between them and the electronic signature service provider. The lane dedicated to the relationship between the sender and the recipient is just as relevant and important. It is this relationship that will help to legally define the intent of the signatories in various legal matters. Therefore, combining good business practices with a solid electronic signature capturing service will make non-repudiation less of an issue.

How Electronic Signatures Can Help You

In order to fully understand how electronic signatures can help you and your business we need to take a look at why we want to use them in the first place. Electronic signatures offer a wide variety of benefits to everyone involved in a transaction. They reduce costs associated with signing files by cutting overhead. Electronic signatures allow us to cut hard costs like paper, ink, printer wear, staples, pens, shipping and handling, but they also allow us to cut soft costs like storage, copying, filing, retrieval, auditing and tracking. Overall electronic signatures can save hundreds of dollars on a single contract for small contracts and thousands or tens of thousands for large contracts.

Let’s demonstrate how the savings can be realized. A business sends out 100 proposals per year that are approximately 150 pages long. It is primarily black and white ink. The client prints the 150 page proposal on regular stock paper 1 and binds it 2. The proposal is then placed in an overnight delivery envelope and shipped next day air, with a return envelope provided, which is also next day air 3. Once the client receives the proposal, reads it and signs their acceptance, the proposal is then shipped back to the business 4 in the provided overnight envelope. Once the proposal arrives at the business, the sales team and managers need to be notified, so they can engage the client. The proposal then needs to be filed and stored in a safe place. The person working at receiving desk will make three copies of the proposal 5, and distribute them to the required personnel, and subsequently file the original proposal in a filing cabinet 6. So what are the costs?

Total Cost of Using Paper = ($112.50) x (100) = $11,250

(1) 150 + Ink + Paper + Wear and Tear on printer = $3.

(2) Binding = $1.50

(3) Outbound Overnight Shipping = $20

(4) Inbound Overnight Shipping = $20

(5) 3 x 150 + Ink + Paper + Wear and Tear on printer = $9

(6) 150 Pages Storage Using Government Estimate = $19

Labor @ 2 Hours for Total Process = $40

2 Days Opportunity Time for Best Delivery Option = $Unknown

Total Cost of a Paperless Transaction = ($10) x (100) = $1,000

Labor @ 15 Minutes for Total Process = $5

Sending File Electronically = $5

Delivery Is Immediate = No Lost Opportunity Costs

———————————————————————————————

Total Savings Using Electronic Signature Service vs. Paper = $10,250 Per Year

Having a technology available to your business that will reduce overhead on a single expense by 90% is attractive for any business, especially one that will benefit other areas as well.

Give Electronic Signatures a Chance to Save Your Business Money

Businesses today should look at the logistic benefits of electronic signature technology and contemplate how they might benefit their organization. If you have a fax machine then you should certainly have an electronic signature service as well. Electronic signature services provide unparalleled speed to users. They are faster and more versatile than fax machines, less expensive than overnight shipping options and the soft and hard cost savings are extraordinary. Electronic signature services can be used on any file type, including audio, video, photos, and all text documents. Electronic signatures are also easy to store, track and audit.

In the end electronic signatures will not change your life, but they may change how you operate your business day-to-day. Just like the fax machine did, it will make you more efficient and help you get the job done faster, and that may just be the difference that separates you from the competition.

Electronic Signatures-Esign Origins, Understanding Laws, and the Affects

By – Jason McKay

CEO and Co-Founder – PrivaSign

Founder – Electronic and Digital Signature International Standards Commission

E-Mail: jmckay-article@privasign.com

Phone: 214.269.1414

Jason McKay is a co-founder of PrivaSign. PrivaSign provides web-based and transactional electronic signature capture services. “When you need a signature, and you want it now – PrivaSign It”

For more information on PrivaSign please visit [http://www.privasign.com].

Content About : Electronic Signatures-Esign Origins, Understanding Laws, and the Affects Article

Filed Under: Electronics Tagged With: Affects, Electronic, Origins, SignaturesEsign, Understanding

Affirmations get a bad rap by many in the areas of personal growth and development, and at the same time by others are touted as the magic to changing your life. There are those who tell you that using affirmations is THE way to changing your thinking thus changing your life, and others who say they are a useless waste of time.
Here I will attempt to clarify and set straight the place and value of affirmations in your self improvement efforts to change and grow in your life. The topic of affirmations fits into what I call “A fine line.” There is a fine line between going too far one way or the other. To get the value from something you must find the “fine line” place in the middle, too far one way or the other, and you loose it. And so it is with affirmations.
First, some of the misconception comes from people grasping for the quick fix. We all know how we can easily read into something what we want. And that what most people are looking for is the quickest, easiest way to make changes in their life, which does really not exist.
All related factors must be addressed to realize real results. Affirmations do play a role in your overall self development and growth but are certainly not the only tool that must be used to get the results you want. Affirmations alone will not bring about the major change in life some believe, on the other hand they are not totally worthless as many others make them out to be.
Much of what is taught in the personal growth and development field is just part of the story. Where someone has focused on one or even a few aspects of what is involved and highlighting just those parts, which gives the impression that, that is all there is. Yes, in short change it is simple, but there are many ‘between the lines’ aspects that come into play, and one of these is affirmations.
It’s easy to allow ourselves to get consumed with one aspect of life development when our focus is on just one element, which is the case with many books and trainings. It is good to study and focus on one aspect if this is something specifically you feel you need to learn and user, but don’t forget about the whole picture.
Now those who say that just using affirmations will fix your life, seem to ‘forget’ about the aspects of action, among other things, which we can’t escape as we are in this physical reality. Yes, your thoughts and your feelings play a crucial role in how you manage and develop your life, but that’s not all. You must take appropriate actions, it’s your job, your design here in this physical reality we enjoy. If we weren’t suppose to be involved physically why are we here?
And, those who say affirmations are worthless are missing out on a powerful tool that has some purpose when one is working on their thinking. And, yes, your thinking is absolutely critical as everything revolves around it. I think why some people look down on the use of affirmations comes from their reaction to others who say that affirmations are all you need. But this all or nothing reaction does not serve anyone well.
Here are some ways that affirmations are useful in your self improvement work:
* Affirmations help set your tone. Your overall attitude and feeling will affect what you think about. It affects how you act and interact with others. It virtually colors your day. Using affirmations will help direct your daily tone.
* Affirmations help keep your thinking positive – on what you want and away from what you don’t want. If affirmations serve no other purpose for you than this, it makes them well worth using, if all you do is use affirmations to replace unwanted thinking with desirable thinking you have won big. A critical part of change is to learn to stop focusing on what you don’t want and rather focus on what you do want.
* Affirmations help build mental discipline. As you learn affirmations and actually use them regularly, you are training your mind to a different way of thinking on a daily basis. You are learning how you can change your thought and how to keep it as you want. You are learning to take command of your thinking by directing it rather than allowing everything to be automatic.
* Affirmations help evolve your thinking in the direction you want. As you develop affirmations for yourself, you are thinking about and expanding your thinking in the areas that you want to play a greater role in your life. The more you work with developing affirmative and supportive statements, the more you will discover what is possible.
Now, maybe if your thinking is already 100% supportive of what you want in life, where you are going, and you never slip into any thought of doubt, worry and what you don’t like, you don’t need affirmations. Actually if this is the case, you have already assimilated the affirmation like thought into your everyday thinking. Your conscious mind is already always on the positive, supportive congruent thoughts of your ideal life as it is freely unfolding. For anyone else, affirmations can be a useful tool.
Affirmations are a wonderful tool for effecting your thinking, which is very important in your growth and development, as long as you don’t get stuck thinking that this is all you need to do. It takes more than just your thoughts to see results, but developing your thinking is key to your knowing the right actions to take, when and how to get the results you want.

April 30, 2012 By admin

John Halderman, I write about effective self improvement methods, more specifically how you can bridge the gap between information and creating effective results. To learn more about what you just read here and to discover how this can help you change your life, follow this link – Effective Personal Development Blog

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Foreclosure Affects ALL of Us! Eight Facts That May Shock You

April 28, 2012 By admin

Foreclosure Affects ALL of Us! Eight Facts That May Shock You

Foreclosure can be devastating, causing losses far greater than the family home. In fact, foreclosure affects all aspects of our lives-including our mental, physical, financial, emotional, and even spiritual well-being. Naturally, those facing foreclosure are directly impacted, but the effects of foreclosure into the homes, lives, and businesses of everyone throughout the community.

Eventually, even those who aren’t facing foreclosure will experience the negative effects in their lives, neighborhoods, and businesses. With today’s high foreclosure rates, the rising loss of homes will impact all of us in at least one of the following eight ways.

1) Foreclosures affect neighborhood stability, jobs, local business, service-related business, crime, and property values.

When homeowners lose their homes, their families are displaced, causing multiple problems in the neighborhood. Vacant and/or abandoned properties become a blight upon otherwise well-kept neighborhoods. Even upscale communities are not immune to the negative impact of foreclosure, as once manicured lawns become overgrown and weed infested, and a lack of routine maintenance creates an eyesore to other residents and would-be buyers, while driving down property values of homes in the near vicinity.

These properties are also appealing to criminals. Vacant properties can become hangouts for criminals and gang activity and are inviting to thieves, who sometimes dismantle these homes piece by piece, taking light fixtures, appliances, and copper pipes. Eventually, the damage and loss can make repairs more costly than the value of the home, deeming it unsellable to a permanent homeowner.

In addition, communities lose much-needed jobs to foreclosure. Businesses need homeowners and residents to survive, and each foreclosure results in a decline in customers. This also applies to service-related businesses and jobs. With each foreclosure is a loss of property or real estate tax-funds which support libraries, schools, parks, medical care, and support services for the residents in the community. The loss of jobs and social and support services lowers property values and results in neighborhood instability as homeowners relocate to other communities. In fact, some cities have had to file bankruptcy in response to the loss of revenue resulting from foreclosures.

Each of these has the potential to affect all of the residents of a neighborhood or community, and they all result in lower property values, higher crime rates, higher unemployment, and a decline in neighborhood services, safety and appeal.

2) Foreclosure affects our youth. Adults aren’t the only ones who suffer from foreclosure. Children are especially vulnerable to its effects. Not only does it increase their stress levels as they wonder about the uncertainty of their family’s future, but they are also affected by the stress their parents face. Foreclosure is emotionally devastating, and the worry and anxiety parents experience greatly impacts their children. Along with the loss of their home, stability, and childhood friends, they usually experience a change in schools and lifestyle. Extracurricular activities are often no longer possible. Some older children will seek part-time employment in order to assist their family, leaving less time for studies or the pursuit of other interests. Those who are displaced become homeless or move into less desirable neighborhoods, resulting in fear, loneliness, and anxiety.

Children who are victims of foreclosure have also been found to have less confidence. Their self- esteem is directly affected and they are more likely to exhibit behavioral problems, have health-related issues, and experience a drop in grades or interest in school, sports, and making friends. The trauma is further exacerbated when these children leave behind their belongings or pets, leaving them with little or nothing of their former lives.

3) Foreclosure causes health-related issues, depression, and has been the psychological force in many suicides since the foreclosure crisis began.

I’ve witnessed firsthand the stress of foreclosure on homeowners. Stress is a contributing factor to many physical and mental health-related issues. These health problems add to emotional burden and worries, often leaving them in anguish and despair, which compounds depression and increases suicidal tendencies. The National Bureau of Economic Research states that foreclosure rates directly impact health, resulting in significant increases in hospital visits for high blood pressure, diabetes, and anxiety-related issues. In addition, they found a 39% increase in suicide attempts among foreclosure victims.

This information is troubling, particularly since a large percentage of foreclosures can be directly attributed to joblessness, which means that these individuals are often without health insurance. As a result, they don’t seek medical assistance or wait until their condition is very serious, and the costs are passed along to businesses, insurance companies, and other patients.

4) Increased homelessness as displaced homeowners often struggle with home loss and job loss simultaneously. It’s a cycle that repeats itself. Job loss causes homeowners to fall behind on their mortgage payments, resulting in foreclosure, and foreclosure often results in joblessness, as people are displaced and move. Thus, there is an increase in homelessness, with people who are unemployed and cannot find a job or a home. The effects and costs of homelessness increase the need for shelters, food banks, and charitable donations.

5) Increased alcohol abuse. The psychological effects of foreclosure are among the most devastating. Foreclosure is more than the loss of a residence-it’s also the loss of social status and self-esteem, resulting in hopelessness. Alcohol provides some with numbness from their plight, resulting in a temporary reprieve. In the long-term, it can result in alcoholism, which creates health, emotional and mental problems, as well as unemployment. Alcohol abuse, as well as other addictive behaviors like gambling and illegal drug use increase as foreclosures increase.

6) Increased divorce rates. Financial problems are one of the biggest causes of divorce, and foreclosure increases the likelihood of a marital split. The stresses of foreclosure and financial obligations are often too difficult for families to overcome, and the increase in divorce numbers among this group is likely to continue as foreclosure rates climb.

7) Decreased job performance and ability to get a new job. The emotional burden of foreclosure can overwhelm all aspects of a person’s life, resulting in decreased job performance, absences from work, and an inability to concentrate and make decisions. Naturally, these factors all contribute to termination or poor work performance. In addition, many businesses now conduct credit checks on potential employees. When individuals who have faced foreclosure seek employment, the low credit rating and foreclosure make them an unfavorable job prospect.

8) Foreclosure affects people from all walks of life from blue-collar workers to celebrities, and not all foreclosures are the result of buying homes they cannot afford or irresponsibility.

Low to middle-income families, as well as high-income families, are all subject to foreclosure. It’s a misconception that most foreclosures can be attributed to buying more home than one can afford. In fact, many foreclosures are the result of hidden fees, rising interest rates, illness, injury, temporary or long-term unemployment, divorce, or death of a spouse.

As you can see from these facts, foreclosures directly or indirectly affect families, businesses, neighborhoods, and communities. Loan modification is the vital ingredient to stop the devastating effects of foreclosure. Now more than ever, when it takes a village to bring power back to the people of this country, it is important for us all to empower ourselves with the right information to fight back and be your own best advocate or become an advocate for a friend, relative, or neighbor. The costs of foreclosure are far too great for all of us to stand back and do nothing. Together, we can educate and help others take back their homes and their lives.

Foreclosure Affects ALL of Us! Eight Facts That May Shock You

If there was a superhero in the loan modification industry, Anna Cuevas would be it…cape and all. Proudly helping thousands of people save their homes and overturning countless foreclosures, Anna is a power-punched, fiery woman with a “take no prisoners” mentality. Her temerity in surviving ovarian cancer is just one more stripe that has fueled her into becoming an advocate for homeowners nationwide.

She has become the symbol for empowerment and a guardian to thousands of fearful homeowners that are faced with the hardship and stigma of losing their home. Providing a powerful resource and toolbox to guide homeowners in the right direction, she offers: proven step-by-step solutions, has taken the guesswork out of the application process, deciphered the legal jargon, and unveiled insider secrets. With Anna on their side, homeowners can now replace stress and agony with viable ways to fight back.

She is a featured blogger for The Huffington Post, contributor for EzineArticles and Articlesbase, founder of Ask a Loan Mod Guru, featured in FUSEing Families Magazine, and is seen on the online TV show Main Street Marketing Machine. Anna is author of “Save Your Home, Without Losing Your Mind or Your Money” and is co-writing the book Fight for Your Dreams with Les Brown, as well as launching a “Save Your Home” grassroots movement dedicated to empowering homeowners across America.

Her slogan, “Expect only miracles and question authority,” has become a mantra for thousands coast to coast. She has personally answered over 3,000 blog posts from suffering homeowners seeking guidance and helping to reverse the powerlessness behind foreclosure. Caped and soaring high, Anna’s mission is to transform homeowners into proud crusaders with the knowledge and strength to become their own superhero.

To Learn More Visit: http://www.saveyourhomethebook.com

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Filed Under: Foreclosures Tagged With: Affects, Eight, Facts, Foreclosure, Shock

Foster Care in America – How it Affects Children

February 27, 2012 By admin

Foster Care in America – How it Affects Children

Approximately 800,000 children end up in a foster care home in America each year. Foster care is designed to help orphaned, abandoned and abused children find homes where they are safe and can receive proper care until a more stable home environment can be found for them. The problem is that the American foster care system is loosely organized and makes living situations hard on the kids involved by not meeting their individual needs fully.

* Who is eligible for foster care?

Foster care is given to any child between the ages of birth and 18 years old. Children are usually placed in a foster home for an average of three years. After that, a child will typically be reunited with his biological family or become permanently adopted by another family. However, some children remain in a foster care situation longer than this time frame.

* How do young children fare in a foster situation?

Statistics show that young children placed in foster care often have some level of emotional and behavioral problems. They are removed from their homes because of neglect or physical, sexual or verbal abuse. They carry those memories with them for a long time. It may make many children timid around other people or just the opposite; make them direct anger at the families who take them in under the foster care program. Many of these children require mental health services and often have physical disabilities due to poor health.

Children in a foster care program do not do as well on average as their counterparts in school. They have lower grades and perform much worse on standardized tests. Some children become bitter and find themselves in trouble a lot of the time, even to the point of expulsion. This is not only hard on the child, but the family providing care for him.

* What happens to kids who “age out” of foster care?

Children who “age out” of foster care, become too old for the program, may find themselves in a troublesome predicament. While some agencies and previous foster families may help these teenagers transition into adulthood, it is often difficult for the teens to find work and afford another place to live. Sadly, many end up homeless.

Statistics show that children who age out rarely have anyone to turn to for advice or guidance once they reach the maximum foster care age of 18. There are mentoring programs available to help, but these children may not know where to find such outreach programs. Many of these teens become parents themselves at an early age, and only about 46 percent of them actually graduate from high school.

* What about the foster care family?

In almost half of all cases; 46 percent of the time, a child is placed in a foster care home with strangers. This may happen multiple times over the course of the child’s participation in the foster care system. Some will be able to live with relatives, and still others may be placed in a foster home that houses a group of foster children under one roof. A foster family is given a small monthly stipend to provide for the foster child, but this is often not enough, especially if a child requires counseling of any sort.

It all seems bleak for the children who are forced into a foster care situation. The purpose of the program is to give these children a loving and nurturing environment to get them through some pretty rough times, but is the system failing these children? Is there a way to make the system work better for these children? This topic is under thorough and continuous investigation. More and more Americans realize that something must change in the foster care system across our nation. Increased awareness in the problems faced by the foster care system is the driving force behind these needed changes. Only the future will tell if we have hit the mark.

Foster Care in America – How it Affects Children

Foster Care in America - How it Affects Children

Iuculanos website is [http://www.margaretlano.com] and http://www.angelsforfosterkids.org

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Filed Under: Adoption Foster Care Tagged With: Affects, America, Children, Foster

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Foreclosure Affects ALL of Us! Eight Facts That May Shock You

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Foster Care in America – How it Affects Children

Foster Care in America – How it Affects Children

Foster Care in America – How it Affects Children

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