How to Lose the Weight in 2006

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

THE #1 RESOLUTION IN THE U.S. IS "LOSE WEIGHT"

So here's how we do it.

WEIGHT LOSS TIP: DON'T GO HUNGRY, by guest writer Kathy Burns Millyard

If you're planning to work harder on losing weight in the new year, it will help tremendously if you can figure out how to avoid the most common problem: Hunger.

Many people make the mistake of starting a diet that restricts their food intake, or restricts certain kinds of foods. And many of these diet plans just make you hungry... and that makes weight loss even harder.

This may be hard for you to believe, but certain foods actually make you hungrier. If you can avoid these, you'll go a lot farther with reaching your weight loss goals and resolutions this year.

1. Sugar - Yes, it makes you hungrier. It's sly though... when you first down a can of sugary soda, or grab a doughnut on your way out the door, it seems to kill the hunger almost immediately. This happens though, because it spikes your blood sugar (glucose) levels. Within an hour or two of having that dose of sugar, your glucose levels start dropping drastically again and you start feeling ravenous again.

2. Simple Starches - Pasta, white bread, white rice, and other simple starches are just another form of sugar to your body. They spike your glucose levels quickly, then when your body starts crashing you find yourself hunting through the fridge or visiting the vending machines again.

3. Low Fat - This is one people don't like to hear... but I've tested it personally myself and with my family, plus I've researched it quite a bit. In short, keeping your fat intake too low will cause you to eat more, because it doesn't satiate you. If instead, you increase your fat intake even slightly - with "good" fats of course - you'll find yourself feeling full faster, and staying satiated longer. [Here we recommend you use Arbonne's NutriMin Fatty Acid Supplement. For me, it cuts out all craving for potato chips, mayonnaise and butter AND makes my hair shine!]

In addition to adding a little fat to your eating habits [and the Arbonne's NutriMin Fatty Acid Supplement], one other excellent resource for feeling full longer is fiber. Now, it's not easy to add more fiber to your diet - particularly if you eat from boxes, or use a lot of frozen or microwave meals. Even the "high fiber" cereals you find these days have just 2 or 3 grams of fiber per serving. That's definitely better than the high sugar cereals, but it's not enough. Try eating raw veggies and fruits, and try buying some of the specialized foods that have recently come on the market with additional fiber in them. Quaker Oatmeal for instance, recently released a version of their product which has 6 or 8 grams of fiber per serving, and there are a few other cereals out with as much as 10 grams of fiber per serving.

If you still need help getting additional fiber in your daily eating schedule, try a high quality fiber supplement like ProFibe [or Arbonne's Fiber supplement].

© 2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard - Kathy is a professional published writer who covers a variety of popular topics such as health, fitness, decorating, and gardening. Find more HREF="http://www.ScaleTippers.com">weight loss tips and resources
at ScaleTippers.com
==========
Give yourself a break. Get ARBONNE'S Figure 9 Weight Loss Program. No ephedra. I love the Chews. Keep them with you and pop one in when you're craving. When you buy the whole package you get an incredible discount. Check it out1
=============
BEFORE
AFTER

The hardest part of the diet is the last 10 lbs., when you've been dieting for a while, and are close to your desired weight. Victor Holtreman did it in just 9 weeks, and in his ebook he tells you how.

"How to Lose the Last 10 Lbs." is an extremely helpful ebook written by someone who figured out how to do it and tells you how. ORDER WEIGHT LOSS EBOOK HERE, just $12.95.

What you'll find in "The Last 10 Pounds":

· Continual fat loss: How you can keep your body from adapting.
· Setting your goals. How do you figure out what's realistic?
· The best exercises to lose weight quickly.
· What kind of results to expect in what timeframe.
· Determining your baseline.
· You'll learn what to eat.
· You'll learn to determine how much to eat.
· How to lose fat and still enjoy your favorite foods.
· The absolutely critical thing that most people never do.
· How to keep yourself absolutely on track.
· What types of workouts you should be doing.
· How often to work out.

What you will not find:

· This is not a plan that crosses your favorite foods off your list forever.
· This does not involve the use of supplements to boost your metabolism.
· This is not a "lose 10 pounds (of water weight) in 2 days" diet.
· ...or any other kind of "lose fat while you sleep" or whatever else nonsense.

ORDER HERE

If you order, in addition to the eBook you will also receive the following:

--Access to a message board where I will answer your questions, help you with your progress, and where you can discuss the techniques in "The Last 10 Pounds" with others.

--A custom spreadsheet I've developed for tracking your overall weight and body fat loss progress with just two easy measurements done once a week.

--Links to cutting edge fitness resources on the web.

ORDER THE LAST 10 LBS. HERE

To guard your health during the process, order Arbonne supplements and Figure 8 HERE. It's crucial when dieting to make sure you take a good nutraceutical so you'll stay healthy, and DefenseBuilder for your immune system. It's just as important when you're not dieting because we no longer get the nutrition we need from our food.

Flu Pandemic

WHAT'S A PANDEMIC OF AVIAN FLU GOT TO DO WITH EQ?

Everything!
=======================
“Worrying about a Pandemic of the Flu?”
by Susan Dunn, MA, The EQ Coach

Q: Could there by a pandemic?
A: My physician says we’re overdue for one.

Q: Should you panic?
A: Panicking doesn’t help anything.

Q: What IS a flu pandemic?
A: An influenza virus that adapts to humans and since it’s new, humans have no immunity to it.

There are some things we can count on when there’s something that could effect a lot of people in a bad way, thereby increasing the odds it could happen to YOU. One is that there will be panic. Emotions can overtake thinking clearly, gathering facts, considering the source of rumors (reality-testing), coping intelligently with the risk, and making good decisions.

Another is that opportunists will capitalize on the panic to get you to buy something that will “cure” it which they will “guarantee” will keep you safe. Remember all the hype at the millennium?

Lastly, politicians and activists will capitalize on the situation as well, leveraging fear and hatred to attack opponents and polarize groups, and agitating to influence people to support or vote for them. We need only consider the recent flooding in New Orleans to get a look at this.

AS IF THE FLU WEREN'T ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT.

How does this work? I heard not long ago, via blog and friends, that flu vaccine would be in short supply, in one case that the government was stockpiling it, and in another case that “they” were hoarding it so only “[one ethnic group] could have it or so that [another ethnic group] couldn’t have it.

Imagine my surprise when I wandered into a neighborhood clinic on Christmas Eve (with a sick relative) and saw a huge sign on the door: FLU SHOTS AVAILABLE HERE - $25.

Not only was it “in supply,” so much so they were advertising, but it was affordable to most pocket books

This flu thing is an excellent example of how Emotional Intelligence can benefit you: It’s a good time to THINK about a very EMOTIONAL issue.

People who want to sell us something, get elected, get us to support a cause, or are just plain hate-mongers will prey on our emotions any way they can.

It's Marketing 101 that you can get someone to buy something by scaring them about what will happen if they don’t buy it, and/or making it scarce (or appear to be scarce). That's called "urgency." It’s “hype” - - from “hyperbole,” an extravagant exaggeration. We can also get carried away by our own fears, when what is needed is information - - facts, not rumors.

To deal with "the flu" intelligently you need to unemotionally gather information from reliable sources, and then analyze it. Someone’s blog, what your neighbor says, or information garnered from someone who has something to gain are not necessarily reliable. Panicking never helps anything, except people who use your panic against you.

Here’s some information for you to consider, but don’t take my word for it, do your own research. Talk to your doctor. Check out resources. Verify. THINK.

THIS IS NOT LIKE THE BLACK DEATH OR THE PLAGUE

”The Plague” or “Black Death” that swept Europe in the 1300s was bacterial, carried by rodents and spread to humans via infected fleas. In 5 years it killed 25 million people, 1/3rd of the people in Europe. Why? The conditions of the times made it unstoppable - - poor nutrition, poor sanitation, ignorance, superstition, and rudimentary medicine. The germ theory had not yet been conceptualized and cause-and-effect were not understood, i.e., the Plague would subside in the winter and return again in the spring, but nobody knew why. The reason was that fleas are dormant in the winter.

All 3 types of plague - Bubonic, which effects the lymph glands; Septicemia, which effects the blood; and pneumonic, which infects the lungs – can be treated with antibiotics if caught in time and supplies are ample. Antibiotics work optimally in a body that's healthy and well nourished with a strong immune system.

THE FLU ("INFLUENZA") IS VIRAL.

There is no known cure for a virus. Vaccinations help because they raise our immunity, the only way we can fight it off. Therefore, whatever bolsters your Ommune system can help you fight off a virus, or recover from one.

Shopping for a good nutriceutical requires thinking. Consider a product such as Arbonne’s Defense Builder. Look for products with pure safe ingredients that have the scientific research backing their claims. [See resources for evaluation below.]

Flu pandemics are rare, but recurring. The World Health Organization (WHO) notes 3 in the previous century: “Spanish influenza” in 1918, “Asian influenza” in 1957, and “Hong Kong influenza” in 1968. The 1918 pandemic was by far the worst, killing 40–50 million people worldwide.

Previous pandemics circled the globe in 6-9 months, when global travel was by ship. Today, with air travel, this could probably happen in less than 3 months.

As to pandemic preparedness planning, WHO currently classifies Avian flu (H5N1) as phase 3, i.e., “a virus new to humans is causing infections, but does not spread easily from one person to another.” If H5N1 evolves to a form as contagious as normal influenza, a pandemic could begin.

Influenzas are transmitted the same way as the common cold, a virus - - by coughing, sneezing (airborne droplets), or by contact with an infected person’s saliva.

THEREFORE, TAKE THE USUAL HEALTH PRECAUTIONS:

1. Get your immune system up-to-speed. Eat right, exercise, get enough sleep, manage stress, and use a nutraceutical that nutritionally supports your immune system such as Arbonne's DefenseBuilder, or Get Well Soon Dietary Supplement, scientifically proven to nutritionally support your immune system.

2. Avoid things that weaken your immune system like diseases untreated and negative emotions. (Take The EQ Alive! Program to learn about the effects of emotion on the immune system and what you can do about it. Email me at sdunn@susandunn.cc for information.)

3. If you get sick, take care of yourself. See a doctor, take the medication prescribed until the dose is complete, rest, and stay home so you don’t infect others. It is crucially important to complete the course of an antibiotic. Each time you do not, you allow that particular bacteria to "get used to" the antibiotic and therefore become resistant to it, so it can go on to attack you, and others, again, and resist treatment. There are several bacteria around now that are resistant to antibiotics because of this. That's not a nice way to treat the ecosystem you live in. (The theory is more or less, "don't leave it wounded.")

4. Practice common cleanliness, washing your hands after you use the restroom, not drinking from a public water fountain, avoiding people who are sneezing, coughing, or obviously infected, and checking the sanitation in public restrooms and restaurants. (Is there a sneeze shield at the salad bar? Is the server wearing plastic gloves and a hairnet?) One item I noticed on a recent cruise was a packet of papers attached by the door to the restroom so you could use one to open the door handle, assuming that not everyone washes their hands. Good idea whose time has come!

5. Educate those around you. For example, a study that came out last year revealed that the telephone in an average office has more germs per square inch than the office toilet. Use an antiseptic cleaner, starting with your own desk, telephone and keyboard.

PRACTICE GOOD EMOTIONAL HYGIENE

6. Practice good emotional intelligence, good EQ hygiene, as it were. Our emotions effect our immune system. Programs such as The EQ Alive! Program can teach you about this. Don’t panic, use your head. Don’t pass on rumors. Verify what you hear with reliable, educated sources like your personal physician. See a doctor if you’re ill.

IN OTHER WORDS, USE YOUR HEAD!

USEFUL RESOURCES :

10 Things You Need to Know about Pandemic Influenza from WHO.

National Academy of Science Information on functions and potential benefits of vitamins and minerals, as well as upper safe limits for nutrients.

FDA, Tips for the Savvy Supplement User: Making Informed Decisions And Evaluating Information. How to evaluate medical and nutritional information and resources on the web.

MedWatch, FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.
============
ARBONNE'S DEFENSE_BUILDER - - for your health. Order HERE.

And avoid further assault on your body, which can weaken your immune system with Arbonne cosmetics, lotions, hormone replacement, shaving cream and baby products. What you put on your skin is absorbed into your bloodstream. Go HERE to order.

Kiss and Make Up in 2006

MAKE SOME CHANGES IN 1006

Resolve to work on your emotional intelligence for the New Year and it can help you keep all those other resolutions!

Among a great list of resolutions from msn.com comes this comment from Dr. Ned Hallowell, a psychiatrist in Boston:

"A growing body of evidence shows that nursing a grudge can make you sick. Similar to the stress response, harboring negative thoughts about someone restricts blood flow, decreases oxygen consumption and throws your immune and gastrointestinal system out of whack. You may never forget how your ex dumped you, but you will sleep netter, be more energetic and be happier if you put it behind you."

The article is titled, "Let's Make Out in 2006," and includes the suggestion that you kiss your partner more. This generates the kind of good feelings that combat that stress response.

Here's another great resolution - - avoid baby oil and other impure ingredients found in cosmetics and lotions that can harm you. What you put on your skin is absorbed into your bloodstream.

===========
ARBONNE for your health in the New Year. Don't neglect taking care of yourself physically with good nutraceuticals, cosmetics, lotions, and supplements that help you get well and stay well. Try DefenseBuilder and Get Well Soon Dietary Supplement.

For the full article, go here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10410959/site/newsweek .
Graphics on this blog are royalty free from www.clipart.com unless otherwise noted. Images above are from My Arbonne - - click here to buy products or become a consultant.

Where is Psychotherapy Going?

Should you lower your defenses? Absolutely not. Build them for better health.

Of all your lifestyles, your emotional lifestyle makes them most difference in your life. How about a new one for the new year? Email me at sdunn@susandunn.cc for more information on our EQ Alive! Program.

At a recent conference in California, the future of psychotherapy was discussed. Among the presenters was Dr. Martin Seligman, whose positive psychology we incorporate into the study of emotional intelligence. The article about this is currently one of the most popular on the New York times website. You can read the whole article here. Or cut and paste this in your browser: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/27/science/27ther.html?incamp=article_popular

Seligman's positive psychology includes his 3-P attributional theory. This means attributing negative things that happen as not Personal, not Permanent, and not Pervasive. One mistake, rejection, etc. doth not a devastation make! It also invludes gratitude, knowing and using your innate strengths, and positive thinking.

Our EQ Alive! Program includes as assessment that ascertains your innate strengths, giving you a profile as unique as you are. We also study neuroscience - - the wiring of the brain.

One of the most interesting points at the conference was made by Dr. Dan Siegel, a child psychiatrist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who emphasized how psychotherapy actually changes the wiring of the brain. We can measure these things now with the brain imaging technology.

We've known for a long time how popsitive and secure relationships help children. Siegel noted that brain imaging findings suggest that it's fostering the integration of disparate parts of the brain.

In other words, there are things we can do that will actually repair connections in the brain, and this, to most of us, translates into feeling and thinking better, resulting in happier and more successful lives.

Our EQ Alive! Program focuses on brain balance and whole-brain functioning. We learn how to unhook non-productive connections and form new ones that work better. How does that sound for the new year? Learners report feeling better and functioning better almost immediately, with long-term changes resulting for the better.

Classes are starting weekly and your EQ Alive! Program will be shaped to fit your unique situation. For more information, prices, and schedule, please email me at sdunn@susandunn.cc .
===========
Add ARBONNE to your list for the New Year. We know that what we put on our skin is absorbed into the bloodstream and who needs more toxins. The cosmetics, shaving cream, baby products and lotions all have pure, natural ingredients that are no-allergenic, and will help you feel better. We especially recommend the neutraceuticals - - Get Well Soon Dietary Supplement and Defense Builder.

Don't lower your defense, folks, BUILD THEM - - with ARBONNE.

From the mailbag: "It's cedar time in Texas and I get a sinus infection every year at this time. I get the antibiotics but it lingers on. This year I got over it almost immediately. I've been on Defense Builder for several months since you told me about it. What a difference it makes!"

Emotional Intelligence - - Total Wellness

ANTI AGING products from ARBONNE will reduce the wear and tear on your skin, making you look years younger. Arbonne products have pure, natural ingredients. Now you can shop safely online with me at My Arbonne. Check out the NutriMin products. I use them and am often mistaken for 10 or more years younger than my age. I swear by them!

Today's guest article, "Anti-Aging - - Look and Feel 10 Years Younger without Drugs and Surgery," is by Chris Chew

Is it possible to look and feel years younger than what you are now without expensive drugs and surgery? Yes, of course you can. Here is how.

. Do Cardio Exercises - When you exercise your cardiovascular system, your heart and lungs get stronger. You will breathe better and oxygen circulates better. You may be able to avoid age related diseases like high blood pressure, stroke and heart problems. Since your blood circulates well, that will put a glow of pink health on your skin and face. And since you are fitter, you won't look tired and haggard. Cardio exercises will also help you to maintain a healthy weight. With low body fat, you will also avoid many age related diseases besides look great and younger.

. Build Muscle - In order to build muscles, you will need to lift weights. Weightlifting with strengthen your bones too and helps prevent other aging diseases like osteoporosis and muscle dystrophy (wasting away of muscles). With cardio exercises, weightlifting and correct eating habits, you will keep your body fat down and owned [sic] an attractive well toned body. This will boost your self esteem and your added confidence will be another look young factor.

. Avoid Direct Sunlight- Always wear at least an SPF 15 sun block when out in the sun even on cloudy days. Sunlight is now known to be one of the main factors of skin aging. Prolong exposure to sunlight will cause wrinkles, skin pigmentation, rough and coarse skin and even skin cancers.

. Vitamins and Antioxidants - Take multi vitamins and antioxidants regularly as a supplement. They will mop up free radicals and improve your general health besides providing better immunity to diseases and great looking skin. [We recommend Arbonne's Defense Builder, Get Well Soon Dietary Supplement and other neutraceuticals, scientifically proven to nutritionally support your immune system.]

. Sleep - Sleep at least 8 hours a day. More even better. Sleep helps your body to recharge and repair itself from stress and work. Your muscles build up from the exercises you have done during your sleep. Furthermore, with enough rest, you will look fresh and radiant. They don't call it "beauty sleep" for nothing right?

. Water - Drink lots and lots of plain water. It will help flush out toxins and waste products and thereby hydrating your skin for a better glow.

. Say No To Cigarettes and Alcohol - Cigarettes and alcohol are a no no if you want smooth beautiful skin. Cigarettes with its many toxins will speed up the aging process. Wrinkles and fine lines on your face and hands will appear even when you are young. Alcohol will dehydrate your skin and you will have with flaking and dry skin. Combine the two together, you will look much older than you really are. Just do all these anti aging and very soon, you will look years younger without surgery or drugs.

About The Author: Chris Chew is a personal trainer who count fashion models, international pageant winners, actors and other celebrities as his clients. He authored "Burn Fat Build Muscles Fast!" ebooks at http://www.sgfitness.com and runs a health and fitness outfit in Singapore http://www.sgfitnessonline.com
============
Give yourself a break with ARBONNE'S anti-aging program.

Merry Christmas!

BEST WISHES FROM SUSAN DUNN AND STAFF FOR A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.

The dawning of another Christmas Day. What's it like where you live?
How are you feeling emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually?

Here in San Antonio Texas USA it's a perfect day - - crisp and cold with bright sunshine. I was hoping to be able to have a fire in the fireplace, and this is just the day. I have a few more things to prepare for the feast, and family is coming over shortly. Then we have taken rooms down at the beautiful La Mansion on the River. The SA River, a great tourist attraction and boon to us locals, will be lits up like the proverbial Christmas tree at night, very festive.

I feel like I did a reasonable job at Christmas, keeping some balance. I gave gifts I was pleased with, to the people I wanted to remember, and they got delivered on time. I always think of those who are extra-stressed at this time of year with their jobs, like postal workers, sales people who must meet a year-end quota, restaurant owners and caterers, doctors and ministers, for instance. I met the postman at the mailbox yesterday and I asked him how it was going. He said they'd be working "until the last package is delivered." He looks like Santa, a middle-aged man with a full white beard and a big smile on his face, and "Santa" he is!

Well, time to go light the fire in the fireplace and put the last finishings on the house and meal. It will be another great Christmas. They all are, and some of them have been very different from others!

Jacquie Lawson has outdone herself with this one. Enjoy this beautiful holiday card or cut and paste: http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=TH34293890

So How's Your Christmas Going?

To learn more about EQ, go here: http://www.susandunn.cc.

THE KEY: How can I reinterpret this event in a such a way that I can feel good or at least OK about it?

How is your Christmas going? Are you keeping to the old traditions. As a lead in to today's article, here are some of the REAL traditions at my house (past and present).

1. Someone will be sick.

Always if you have babies or kids, but sometimes a grandparent as well, and someone will be taking them to a clinic, or ER, and also hunting down a pharmacy that's open.

2. A major appliance will break down.

If you have a kid coming home from college with tons of clothes to wash, it will be a washer or dryer. Likely other candidates are oven, garbage disposal, or dishwasher. Could even be your car.

3. "There will be a fight. There's always a fight."

Men particularly vent on the woman they love when they're "emotional," with one advisory - - the woman they love but know won't leave them, and that means "Mom." If you have a grown son, you may get this instead of him fighting with his wife.

However, anyone's fair game - - couples, you and your best friend, the cousins, whatever.

4. You didn't pack the most important thing to you (if you traveled for Christmas and packed a bag). If you traveled and packed a bag, you will find out when you unpack that you've failed to include the most important thing. Might be a toothbrush, the scarf that ties your whole Christmas outfit together, a pair of shoes you can walk in, something like that.

5. You will blow your budget at the end.

You'll have been "good" for a month, buying frugally, and then at the end it will be "Oh it won't hurt, I've got to get her {him] that" and pennywise and pound foolish, you busy your budget on one person or item.

6. Someone will leave the door open and the dog (or cat) will get out.

7. You'll burn the rolls. Or forget and let the water boil away under the potatoes, or forget to add the raisins and pecans to the sweet potato casserole because you're too busy laughing with your sister, changing a diaper, or showing your grandmother your new house.

8. Eight minutes after you put your daughter's beautiful party dress on, she'll either stain or tear it.

This is much more what your Christmas will be like than what we see on television and in the movies. How do I know? Because that's what mine are like.

In today's article, "Master Your Beliefs, Master Your Emotions," guest writer Joe is talking emotional management, one of the things we learn in emotional intelligence coaching. For instance, if you EXPECT that someone is going to be sick on CHristmas day, you might even plan around it, and then when it happens you have a feeling of "Good, that's the way it's supposed to be" and it doesn't throw you at all.

Here's Steve's article:

Joe makes a comment and you suddenly feel a rush of energy. Your face flushes and your knuckles whiten as you begin squeezing the edge of the table for dear life. Some part of you knows that this feeling is not proportionate to Joe’s comment or intention, but something was triggered in you nonetheless, and you’re ready to bite his head off.

To be effective as a friend, spouse, significant other, coworker, manager, leader, or whatever role you’re playing at the moment, learning to manage your feelings is a critical step toward living a happy, successful, and fulfilled life.

Managing your feelings doesn't mean that you repress them. It means that you become aware of what's going on inside of you, own your feelings as your own, heed the message that they have for you, and act responsibly.

What is emotional mastery? Emotions are often described as energy in motion. They become problems only when we judge them as wrong, bad, or inappropriate. When we let our emotions run us, we miss the message that they carry. When we stuff them down for fear of what they might cause us to do, they simply lie in wait to emerge with a vengeance later on. Emotional mastery is the ability to process our emotions so that we receive their message and use their energy for appropriate action.

Our emotions are a reflection of our beliefs about life events. For example, if you believe that you are your work and you suddenly lose your job, you are likely to feel an incredible amount of fear, as you perceive your very survival to be at stake. If you repress this fear, you’ll probably experience anger or rage and at some point, you will likely lash out at whoever’s available.

If on the other hand, you are a person who views your job simply as one aspect of your life, and you know that your inherent value lies in your unique skills and qualities, then your feelings and response to losing your job will probably be a whole lot different. You may just view this loss as an opportunity to explore a whole new path for yourself.

The bottom line here is this: how you feel in any situation corresponds exactly with what you believe about yourself and the situation. Master your beliefs, and you’ll master your emotions.

Knowing that you can change how you feel simply by changing how you think about each experience is a powerful concept. If you feel upset about something, ask yourself, “How can I reinterpret this event in a such a way that I can feel good or at least OK about it?” If you have a bill you can’t pay for example, instead of getting upset, decide that this is an opportunity to redesign your financial life. Ask for help, develop a plan, and use your energy to get moving on it.

How you think about your emotions adds another layer. We often give ourselves a double whammy when we get upset about feeling upset. Here are some positive ways to interpret the purpose of our basic emotions, set down by Peter McWilliams in his book, "Do It."

- Fear is the energy to do your best in a new situation. - Guilt is the energy for personal change-it is anger directed toward ourselves, and anger is the energy for change. - Unworthiness keeps us on track--just as we can have anything we want, we can't have everything we want. So too, we are worthy of anything we want, but we may not be worthy of everything we want. - Hurt feelings are a reminder of how much we care.

So how can you use this information in your life? I suggest that you examine any beliefs you hold around emotions and the situations that trigger them. Begin to cultivate present moment awareness as your emotions arise. Just notice them and look at them, not as good or bad, but simply with curiosity, and with the question, what's this energy for and how do I choose to use it?

Practice. Begin the practice of observing emotions when they arise and identify any judgments you might have about them.

Focus instead on listening to the message they hold for you. Then, act on this message by expressing the emotion in a positive fashion.

About the Author:Steve Davis, info@masterfacilitatorjournal.com
========
ARBONNE NEUTRACEUTICALS: For your health, emotional stability, and to fight off viruses such as flu and bird flu. Go HERE to order from catalogue. Go HERE to become a consultant.

Is Your Job a Hazard for Your Diet

CONTENTMENT ... isn't that the feeling we're all after?

Our emotions depend on our physical bodies and chemicals and hormones. You can't manage your emotions well if you're not in optimal health. And is there anything overal more depressing than being overweight?

Today's guest article gives tips on one of the most hazardous places for your health in today's world - - the workplace:

"Is your workplace a hazard for your diet?" by guest writer, Janice Elizabeth

It can be easy to overeat at work. Your colleagues bring in treats every day because it's always someone's birthday or leaving party. There's a culture that people eat muffins or doughnuts every Friday or even every day. The staff restaurant is full of fried food or mayonnaise laden salads and the nearest place outside work serves nothing but fast food.

Here are 8 tips to immunise yourself against unwanted workplace calories.

1. Bring your own healthy lunch and snacks

You know it makes sense. If you have something healthy and delicious to eat you'll be less tempted by all the other unhealthy stuff around. It takes a bit of planning when you do your weekly shop but you'll reap the rewards. Choose food which is easy to prepare and get as much as you can ready the night before to avoid last-minute panics in the morning. (Be sure and pack some ARBONNE CHEWS.)

2. Say "No" nicely

You can get a lot of pressure from others to sample the snacks they bring in so this one may take some practise but it does get easier after a while. Just say "No thanks not just now" or "No thanks, I'm just about to have an apple" or "No thanks I've just eaten" or simply "No thanks" - no need to explain or apologise.

Saying you're on a diet seems to make some people try and persuade you more forcefully. ("One won't hurt", "Surely you don't need to lose any more weight you'll fade away" etc). Before you know it you're giving in. If you really can't stand the
pressure say "Thanks I'll save it for later", take it home and throw it out.

3. Keep your desk clear of food

It's asking for trouble to keep food on your desk. Put the lunch and snacks you brought out of sight so that you have to go and get something from the kitchen or locker room when you're hungry. On the other hand, if the kitchen at your place of work tends to be loaded with treats people have left for sharing, you may be better keeping your food at your desk. But at least keep it out of sight in a cupboard or drawer.

4. Stop to eat

Don't nibble food unconsciously at your desk - it's the easiest way to overeat. Pause in whatever you are doing whenever you decide to eat and take time to really taste the food. If there's somewhere you can go away from your desk to eat then do
that, otherwise just stop working on your report or reading your emails for 5 minutes and be fully aware of the food you are eating.

5. Stay away from vending machines

Vending machines tend to be full of unhealthy calorie-laden food. Having your own snacks should help you resist the temptation to treat yourself. But, in any case, keep away from the room with the machines and if you really can't resist, stop
bringing any change to work - it's the only way!

6. When you need a break

Don't eat just because you need a break. Instead, take a quick walk or have a glass of water or herbal tea - even coffee is better than eating food you don't need. If you find that there are times you just have to nibble on something make sure you
always have plenty of healthy snacks with you. You can nibble quite a bit on carrots sticks, cucumber and celery without doing any damage to your waistline.

7. Team up

If you have a colleague who is also trying to lose weight, join forces and help each other stay on track. It's great to have someone to go for a walk with at lunchtime or to commiserate with when everyone else is wolfing down cakes someone has brought in.

8. Choose wisely
You don't have to turn down social invitations from colleagues to be able to succeed at losing weight so go ahead and join in. But you do have to select what you have to eat and drink carefully when you eat out on a regular basis. Choose the smallest
portions you can and get to know the menus at the local restaurants so that you can plan what to eat ahead of time. Even fast food places now have healthier options but remember it's often the extras which are the most fattening - condiments, dressings and sugary or milky drinks can more than double the calories in a meal.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach and author of "The Diet Exit Plan". Request her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!
======================
Contentment depends on feeling good and you can't feel good when you're fat, or when you're hungry all the time. What can you do?. ARBONNE'S CHEWS are absolutely marvelous for maintaining or losing weight. I use them myself! Easy to put in your purse, briefcase or pocket, they stop the craving to eat and satisfy the urge to bite or chew on something. The Figure 8 WEIGHT LOSS products provide all the support and nutrition you need. Now you can shop with me online at My Arbonne (http://susandunn.myarbonne.com).
===============
all images on this blog are royalty free from www.clipart.com unless otherwise noted.

The Best Holiday Soul Snacks

STRESS MANAGEMENT HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER

ARBONNE neutraceuticals are the best soul snack. We recommend ARBONNE for pure, natural products that really work. Your immune system is your FIRST line of defense against bacteria (like pneumonia) and your ONLY line of defense against viruses (like flu, andbird flu). Get armed today, and recommend ARBONNE to others so they stay well and don't infect you with their germs.

Shop with me online safely at My Arbonne.

Today's guest article, "Holiday Soul Snacks" is from Susie Michelle Cortright.

Soul Snacks are spontaneous time-outs: creative ways you can nurture your spirit in 15 minutes or less.

Here's a week's worth, specially designed to help you balance the busy-ness this holiday season.

Day One

What are your favorite holiday memories? Pose the question tonight at the dinner table. Use your family's answers to plan this year's celebration. You may be surprised at the special memories that have nothing to do with gifts or elaborate events.

Day Two

For fifteen minutes, write down things in your life that you are grateful for.

Day Three

Bundle up and head outside. Make snow angels or build a snow fort with your kids. When it's time to warm up, build a cozy fire and roast marshmallows in your living room.

Day Four

What's your favorite homemade holiday treat? Write down the recipe, and share it with your friends. Encourage them to do the same.

Day Five

Challenge each member of your family to fill a box or bag full of items to give away. Decide as a family where to make a donation.

Day Six

Get out and enjoy the crisp winter air today, all by yourself. Listen to the crunch of snow underfoot. And treat yourself to a steaming mug of hot chocolate (with
marshmallows) when you return.

Day Seven

What was the favorite book you read this year? With whom would you most like to share its message? Purchase a copy for them and drop it off...anonymously.

Taking just a bit of time each day to nurture yourself will ensure you enjoy every last fa-la-la during this magical season. Happy holidays!

Copyright 2005 Susie Michelle Cortright
About the author: Susie Cortright is the founder of Momscape.com and Momscape's Free Online Scrapbooking Magazine - sites devoted to celebrating life with children. Learn more about her
scrapbooking club or about starting your own scrapbooking business on Susie's team: http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/business.htm

Give Yourself a Great Gift - - Emotional Intelligence

PREPARE FOR A BETTER NEW YEAR. Give yourself the gift of emotional intelligence.

Look at all the emotional intelligence terms in this great article, which is very true. Guest write Christopher Green's article, "Give Yourself The Greatest Gift," hits on several of the EQ competencies.

One reason I love coaching is that many clients arrive at my virtual door announcing, in so many words, I've reach the point where I
know something's got to change. When I hear this I'm always excited about the prospects of coaching, because only once you own something can you get rid of it. Enjoy today's guest article.

=====================================
Imagine if you could give yourself the best gift ever. A gift that would bring success, happiness and abundance into your life, not just temporarily, but for
the rest of your living years.

Would you be interested in having such a gift? Hmm, let me guess! The good news is that YOU CAN. The gift I'm talking about is personal responsibility. Let me share with you precisely why this gift is the best you will ever receive!

When you decide to take personal responsibility for your whole life, a remarkable series of reactions takes place. All of these reactions increase your personal power.

Acceptance is the first, crucial reaction. You accept that where you are right now is all your doing. No longer will you blame anyone else for your current situation or list excuses such as bad luck or lack of opportunity. Blame and excuses are heavy baggage and they do not bring success. Acceptance will help you abandon them for good.

In accepting full responsibility for your current situation, you also accept that where you'll be in a year or 5 years is also down to you. You chose the paths to the destination you're at right now. Therefore, you can choose better paths to lead you
to a greater destination.

Acceptance leads to the realization that you have the power to change your life for the better. So exercise your power: Choose what you want to do with your life. Choose where you want your life to take you. Choose to be the person you truly want to be. Choose to live life the way YOU want to live it. Spend time thinking about all of the above andcommit your ideas to paper. Don't let the whims and fears of others guide you in this. Only YOU can be the person you want to be.

Be in total control of what you allow your mind to be exposed to. If you listen to people who live life craving for security, you will take on board their fears. So be responsible for your own education. You've found this article so you're already taking steps to fill your mind with positive information to help you achieve your ambitions. Resolve to make this an ongoing process.

I was once told "if you don't take responsibility for what enters your mind, you risk allowing others to educate you. And they may not have your best interests at heart." Think about this. It is so important to take responsibility for what you allow into your mind. Eliminating negative inputs and focusing instead on positive, life-enhancing feedswhich take you closer to your goals is vital.

Taking personal responsibility is a big step - somewhat frightening initially. No more crutches to lean on, no more "I could've been something if only...", no more hand holding from well meaning but misguided souls who fuel your fears and stop you
from taking action. From this moment on, accept that you are the Captain of your ship. You plot thecourse, you select the landmarks and ports you need to stop at en route to the final destination: the real you who lives your dream life.

This gives you power to command. Yes, it means you will make mistakes as you learn to become the master of your destiny. But don't let fear stop you from taking
command. Seize it. Plan. Act. Learn. Plan. Act. Learn. Refuse to be blown off course. Resolve everyday that no matter what happens, you will handle it and overcome it. And you will learn from experience and use it all as stepping stones towards your destiny.

Look at it this way: the world is full of people who do the same things week in, week out. Through no fault of their own, they will never ever achieve their full
potential because they've been educated to conform. Why be like everyone else when you can be the unique, inspired and fulfilled person living life on YOUR terms instead of the terms of the masses?

The world is crying out for your special talents. Why keep it waiting any longer?

About the Author: Chris Green is the author of the new book "Conquering Fear", a special program which will show you how to conquer fear and attract greater happiness, success and prosperity into your life. For a FREE e-course, please go to => http://www.conqueringfear.net .
==============
Let me design your personal emotional intelligence program uniquely for you. I've seen so many people's lives improve once they're learned some EQ.

As clients have told me, "When I changed, my whole life changed.

Start on an EQ program now, and by Valentine's Day you'll see dramatic improvement.

Email me at sdunn@susandunn.cc - - do it RIGHT NOW while you're thinking about it.

===========
Complete the change process with ARBONNE. Neutraceuticals, cosmetics, lotions, shaving cream, vitamins, baby products ... all designed with your health in mind. Now you can shop safelty with me online at My Arbonne. Check it out.

The Purpose of Shame

THE PURPOSE OF SHAME

Many people on a healing path have found it extremely challenging to heal their shame. Yet when you understand the purpose of shame, you will be able to move beyond it.

Shame is the feeling that there is something basically wrong with you. Whereas the feeling of guilt is about DOING something wrong, shame is about BEING wrong at the core. The feeling of shame comes from the belief that, "I am basically flawed, inadequate, wrong, bad, unimportant, undeserving, or not good enough."

At some early point in our lives, most of us absorbed this false belief that causes the feeling of shame. As a result of not feeling seen, loved, valued, and understood, we developed the belief that we were not being loved because there was
something wrong with us. While some children were told outright that they were not okay - that they were stupid, bad, or undeserving - other children concluded that there was something wrong with them by the way they were being treated.

Once we establish our core shame belief, we become addicted to it because it serves us in two primary ways:

1) It gives us a feeling of control over other people's feelings and behavior.

As long as we believe that we are the cause of others' rejecting behavior, then we can believe that there is something we can do about it. It gives us a sense of power to believe that others are rejecting us or behaving in unloving ways because of our inadequacy. If is our fault, then maybe we can do something about it by changing ourselves, by doing things "right." We hang on to the belief that our inadequacy is causing others' behavior because we don't want to accept others' free will to feel and behave however they want. We don't want to accept our helplessness over others' feelings and behavior.

2) It protects us from other feelings that we are afraid to feel, and gives us a sense of control over our own feelings.

As bad as shame feels, many people prefer it to the feelings that shame may be covering up - loneliness, grief, sadness, sorrow, or helplessness over others. Just as anger may be a cover-up for these difficult feelings, so is shame. Shame is totally different than loneliness or grief or helplessness over others: While shame is a feeling that we are causing by our own false beliefs, loneliness, grief, sadness, sorrow, or helplessness over others are existential feelings - feelings that are a natural result of life. We feel grief over losing someone we love, or loneliness when we want to connect with someone or play with someone and there is no one around or no one open to connection, love or play. Many people would rather
feel an awful feeling that they are causing, rather than feel the authentic painful feelings of life.

If you are finding it difficult to move beyond shame, it is because you are addicted to the feeling of control that your shame-based beliefs give you - control over others' feelings and behavior and control over your own authentic feelings. As long as having the control is most important to you, you will not let go of your false core shame beliefs.

You will heal from your shame when:

1) You are willing to accept that others' feelings and behavior have nothing to do with you. When you accept that others have free will to be open or closed, loving or unloving - that you are not the cause of their feelings and behavior and you no longer take others' behavior personally - you will have no need to control it. When you let go of your need to control others and instead move into compassion for others, you will let go of your false beliefs about yourself that cause the feeling of shame.

2) You are willing to feel your authentic feelings rather than cover them up with anger or shame. When you learn to nurture yourself by being present with caring and compassion for your own existential feelings, you will no longer have a need to protect against these feelings with blame or shame.

Control and shame are intricately tied together. When you give up your attachment to control and instead choose compassion toward yourself and others, you will find your shame disappearing.


About The Author: Margaret Paul, Ph.D., best-selling author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You" and co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or email her
at mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone Sessions.
=================
Clear your aura of negativity to make yourself more attractive for love, health, wealth and happiness. Special on healing crystals for shame, blame, fear, hatred, your love life. Go HERE.
=================

If you're overwhelmed with emotions like shame, guilt, fear, and hatred, it is going to effect your health in all areas. We recommend ARBONNE products because we're interested in your health - - emotional, mental, spiritual and physical. Emotions cause "wear and tear," ultimately eroding your immune system which IS your health. Bolster your immune syste, with Arbonne neutraceuticals like DefenseBuilder and Get Well Soon Dietary Supplement. You'll be glad you did.

Thanks be to the Teachers of the World

THANKS BE TO THE TEACHERS OF THE WORLD (gk)

~ GO GET THE KNOWLEDGE ~ of the difference between good and evil, or whatever else captures your fancy. Check out REPLAY: Knowledge you've always craved, deliciously peeled, cored, seeded, diced, sliced and served up to you by the greatest teachers in the US. Gently used tapes and CDs you can finally afford from The Teaching Company.

=======

About today's story, Garrison Keillor's "American Gratitude"

My Schwimmfuehrer ultimately threw me out of the row boat to make it back to shore. Or not.

Yes, I cried. Yes, I was mad. Yes, I made it. Yes, I was proud of myself.

In this way, he taught me something more vital than just how to swim. He taught me how to know when I knew it well enough ... when to quit hanging on and take off ... when to quit asking head-questions and live the answers ... when to quit pretending I don't know how/am too young/too old/too dumb/too smart/too hurt/too confused/too little/too scared, and just do it. In other words, how to remove myself from the horns of my own dilemma.

GO TEACHERS! Some of the greatest are ready to teach you at THE REPLAY STORE.

There's a great anecdote in EQ-land, about that bastion of brainiacs, the University of Chicago. Not that there's anything wrong with brainiacs. For some unknown (but lovely) reason, it still remains a requirement for graduation from that venerable institution (which has produced some of the best economists we have) that one must pass a swimming test. Sing ho! for the classic education.

The "final," of course, takes place in Lake Michigan.

Simon showed up one fine day last year to take the final, jumped into the water on cue, and proceeded to flail, flounder and sink. Fast forward to when the ambulance crew had succeeded in resuscitating him, and the dean put forth the obvious question: "Young man, what made you think you knew how to swim?"

Simon's reply: "I'd read all the books about it."

Now our article . . .
=========
American gratitude
We bellyache, we kvetch, we get our undies in a bunch. But we still have so much to give thanks for.
By Garrison Keillor

Nov. 23, 2005 | Family, friends, good health (knock on wood), lots to be thankful for, including this $1.59 Rollerball pen and its flowing cursive line that makes me feel as elegant as Michel de Montaigne.

Gratitude makes sense for an American. We occupy a bountiful country of great civility (yes, really) and robustness and freedom, and if not the No. 1 Country in the World, nonetheless it has some great stuff, including Lake Superior, the Supreme Court, the Greatest Show on Earth, the Four Tops ("Baby, I Need Your Loving") and the World's Largest Ball of Twine Ever Rolled by One Man (12 feet in diameter) in Darwin, Minn. Cawker City, Kan., claims a bigger one, but it's more oblong and was done by committee.

Truly we should be thankful.

And we do try to be. But the English language is so rich in terms of complaint and insult and groaning and rather sparse in the Exaltation Dept., so the Lord doesn't get praised as He should. Instead, we bellyache, we kvetch, we get our undies in a bunch. After all, we're descended from people who considered rejoicing to be bad luck: It tempts fate. So they grumbled about the weather, politicians, children, popular music, new cars, anything modern, and complained about their health year after year until they died and went to heaven, where no doubt they are a little edgy even now -- nice place, paradise -- a little surprised at who else is here, harrumph, harrumph, but never mind -- plenty of bliss, no tears and so forth -- not sure how long it can last, but we shall see.

As for me, I am grateful for the functional. In our home, we are going through a series of malfunctioning coffeemakers that sputter and vomit quarts of hot brown sediment on the kitchen counter and floor, and that makes me grateful for things like this pen, which really is a pleasure.

Or Google, which can bring up 2.3 million references in .03 seconds, none of which sheds light on the subject, but they distract you so that instead of writing about "The Mill on the Floss" by George Eliot, you get interested in dental hygiene.

I'm glad for the E-ticket, which frees us from standing in line at the airline counter so that we can swiftly go stand in line at the security check.

And for the chat room, which frees everyone from inhibitions so that we can find out how much we'd rather not know about other people.

And let us all be thankful for the newspaper, a truly useful object. The press is the watchdog of a free society, and while TV reporters are styling their hair and practicing winsome facial expressions, newspaper reporters are on the phone, knocking on doors, doing the work, holding power accountable. And you read their work and absorb something from it, or not, and then you spread the newspaper out on the floor and it absorbs paint drips, or you pack it in a box around fragile objects, or you roll it up and swat cockroaches, or stuff it into cracks to keep the wind out, or stuff it under the kindling and light the fire -- one simple thing with six distinct uses. Or you can recycle it and it will transcend into cardboard. You can't do that with images on a screen.

These days I am grateful beyond words for a swimming teacher, Alyssa, who is a functional person of a very high order. Twice a week, she takes my sandy-haired, gap-tooth daughter in tow and puts her through her paces. Alyssa is young, blond, brimming with confidence, with broad shoulders and a car horn voice. She hollers, "Kickickickickickkick" and "GOGOGOGOGOGOGOGO" and the little girl puts her head down and swims for all she's worth. A few months ago, she was timid in the water, like me, and now she is a fish, all thanks to her wonderful teacher, a taskmaster with a sense of humor, who is in the pool with her pupils, unlike the Schwimmfuehrer of my youth who strode alongside the pool and showered us with contempt and ridicule. Alyssa's gift is enormous to us. My daughter gets a taste of discipline and success and this makes me very happy. So much that is dismal and destructive in the world, but for me, the joy of a 7-year-old girl putting on her swim goggles almost makes up for it. Thanks be to God for the teachers of the world.

Happy Thanksgiving.

um, how could he forget the bottom of the bird cage??
===============
THE REPLAY STORE. Gently used tapes and CDs you can finally afford from The Teaching Company.
===============
BABY YOURSELF WITH ARBONNE PRODUCTS - - pure, natural ingredients designed with your health in mind. Shop with me online at My Arbonne.
=================
Looking for some charms and crystals for the New Year? Go HERE.

Are You Enjoying Music This Christmas?

SWEETS TO THE SWEET

A good way to enjoy the holidays is with music. It can calm your frazzled nerves! We have access to some of the most beautiful music in the world at this time.

This season I've enjoyed "The Nutcracker" with a friend, and then went alone to Trans-Siberian Orchestra, because I couldn't find anyone else intereste in going. Guess what? It was held at our SBC Center (where the San Antonio Spurs play) and (1) It was the first time the SBC Center has ever SOLD OUT and (2) It was the largest audience the Trans-Siberian Orchester has ever played to. GO SAN ANTONIO! It was a fun event. The audience liked the rock version of "Nutcracker" best of all. The light show was amazing, the singers wonderful. Like an opera, the story made little sense and was just thematic. The individual presentations were amazing. My fav. was the young male guitar player with the big, big smile and mane of golden hair. I think the guys liked the female first violinist best with her long black hair, fit body, and black spandez bicycle pants!

MUSIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU

Here's a great list (non-affiliated) for mid-range and budget recordings that are recommended.

Click HERE to join Club Vivo Per Lei / I Live for Music, and learn more to increase your enjoyment year round.

The Met's radio opera schedule - - Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. CST.

Check in HERE for the upcoming televised operas from the Met.

Club Vivo members enjoyed Rigoletto this weekend. I was all set to listen to it at the perfect time - - I was driving 2 hours to meet my son, who was driving from Dallas, to give me my grand-daughter for the weekend. Unfortunately, radio contact went out after the first act. I can't believe Austin doesn't have a PBS station, but I searched the entire dial. I was so diappointed!!!

Enjoy your Christmas! It's your decision and choice as to how you spend it, and how you react to it.
=============
Go HERE for healing crystals for 2006 - - for love, wealth, health and happiness. This is a great deal you don't want to pass up.
=============
Single? Check out the Single for the Holidays Blog, and watch out for dating at this time. All accounts continue that the men are going buts and madly seeking on the Internet. If you're a guy, take it easy. Christmas will pass and, alone or not, you'll survive. If you're a woman, I'd pass on the passes at this time and wait till things cool down after the holidays.

As a famous actress once said, "It was so cold that winter I almost got married." None of us wants to get into something like that, with someone like that, yes?
============

Take time now to TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH with ARBONNE. Now you can shop safely online with me at My Arbonne. Take the neutraceuticals now, like Defense Builder and Get Well Soon Dietary Supplement. I've been taking these and some others (email me for list), and haven't been sick in ages. It's wonderful.

At this time of year with the bacteria and viruses, people overdoing, bad allergy problems in many areas, and people around you sick and spreading their germs - - your first line of defense against bacteria is your immune system, and your ONLY LINE OF DEFENSE AGAINST VIRUSES, like flu, and bird flu, IS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM. Bolster if NOW with ARBONNE. Pure, natural ingredients. Cosmetics, shaving cream. The perfect gift.
==========
all images on this blog unless otherwise noted are royalty free from www.clipart.com.

Overwhelmed?

FEELING A BIT INADEQUATE AND OVERWHELMED? FEELING STRESSED? Remember, it's all about CHOICE.

INTENTIONALITY is the EQ competency for the holidays. What do you intend? How do you intend to feel?

If you're on the treadmill right now, and feel like you want to stop the world and get off, take note. When Christmas is over, process.

Ask yourself - -
1. What worked and what didn't?
2. What did I do out of obligation, or to keep up with the Joneses that needs to be let go next year.
3. Did I feel the way I wanted to? If not, what will I do differently next year?
4. This article is already "too late" about the packages ... would it help to shop and mail earlier? Would it help to limit parties?
5. Did you really enjoy this or that, or were you just going through the paces?
6. Is there some traditional that's outworn it's welcome? If so, eliminate it. Kiss it goodbye, remembering it fondly, but let it go.
7. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, or uncle or aunt, there are children around? What kind of example are you setting? If you yell at your kid because you're stress out over Christmas, ho ho ho?
8. How materialistic were your gifts? How much did you bust your budget? Change this next year.
=========
Today's guest writer is Kathy Paauw, and she writes about 7 Tips to Save Time & Reduce Holiday Stress

My dad used to say that the holidays are when you get a whole bunch of people that really aren't that close and don't know each other that well and overcrowd them into a small room for an extended period of time so they can make each other miserable." --Dr. Phil McGraw

As we approach the holiday season, that sense of "overwhelm" rings as loud as the Salvation Army bells.

For some, the holiday season represents stress, pressure, expectations, guilt, disappointment, pain, loneliness, exhaustion . and the list goes on.

And it doesn't have to be that way!

We choose who we spend time with. We choose what activities we say yes and no to. We choose where we go. Your holiday season can be as simple or as elaborate as you choose to make it, and it can be a lot of fun if you plan accordingly.

Take some time this week to think about what's most important to you this season, and then do a little planning. Here are some suggestions to help save time and
reduce stress.

1. Create a list of holiday rituals that are important to you.

Seek your family's input on holiday decisions. Ask family members what they liked and disliked about last year's holidays. Write down the most important elements and
activities you wish to include this year, and plan to make it happen.

Keeping time-consuming and irrelevant traditions or rituals "just because we've always done it that way" can increase stress. Keep only those traditions that have meaning to you, or create some new ones.

Give yourself permission to be in the moment and enjoy the smells, sounds, feel, and tastes that are unique to this season of the year.

2. Make a list of those you want to spend time with during the holidays.

Who nourishes you? Who are the family members, friends, and colleagues you enjoy being with? Who brings you down? Maybe this is not the year to get together with them!

Do you want to do any entertaining? If so, when and with whom? Plan ahead and ask for help if you want it. True friends and loved ones will not care how many hours you
slaved over the stove. Spending time with you is what they'll cherish most. You don't have to be Martha Stewart to throw a great party!

Are you invited to holiday parties that you really don't want to go to, but you've gone in the past because you should? Be at choice -- don't play the victim! This is not about whom you should see, but rather whom you choose to spend time with.

3. Send holiday greeting cards with ease.

I've found a great service that enables you to send a real card in the mail for less than a dollar, including postage, without leaving the comfort of your desk. SendOutCards was recently reviewed in the Wall Street Journal. I have been using their service for a couple months now and I can vouch for the quality of their greeting cards. With a simple click of your computer mouse, you can select from several hundred holiday cards to choose from, write a message (using your own handwriting font and signature) and send a printed greeting card. SendOutCards will print it, stuff it, stamp it (with a real stamp), and send it in the mail for you. Visit http://www.bethoughtfulnow.com for more information and to request a free gift account.

4. Mail packages with ease.

Mail packages early in December to avoid longer lines at the post office and ensure they will arrive in time. Or, better yet, sign up with Stamps.com or another online
postage service and avoid the lines altogether. You can mail large packages without standing in any lines -- as long as you have an accurate way to weigh them before you
purchase the postage online. Once you have added the correct postage (printed from your computer), you can drop the packages off at the loading dock of your local post
office and avoid those long lines.

5. Thoughtfully plan your gift-giving.

Give from the heart, not out of obligation. Decide whom you choose to give to and make a list. This will help you avoid overspending through impulse buying.

If you think back to the most cherished gifts you have received, they are often homemade or from the heart. A gift of time -- such as a gift certificate redeemable for an activity you can do together -- can be very meaningful. Among the most prized gifts I've ever received have been homemade cards with a heartfelt note written inside. Value goes far beyond the cost of the gift.

A great resource for homemade gift ideas is a book called The Perfect Mix. It contains creative edible gift ideas, including wrapping suggestions and tag instructions, along with a source guide for supplies. The book offers more than
90 recipes for soups, breads, muffins, cookies, and other gifts. The gifts I've created from this book have been very well received and appreciated.

Instead of exchanging gifts with friends, consider having a holiday or post-holiday party with them.

Avoid parking hassles, gridlock traffic around the malls, and long lines at the register by shopping online and through catalogs. A number of retail stores now offer
merchandise online, as well. If you are purchasing a gift that needs to be mailed, you can arrange to have it sent directly to the recipient, thus avoiding the extra steps of wrapping, labeling, and mailing the gift.

Wrapping gifts can take a lot of time. Instead of wrapping all of them, use a gift bag with a nice bow tied at the top, or use a decorated gift box.

Consider giving an alternative gift to a friend or loved one by giving to a charity in their name. One of my favorite charities is Heifer Project International. Through
living gifts of animals, HPI is helping families worldwide to become self-reliant. You can buy an animal that can change the life of a hungry family and at the same time honor family and friends. Visit HPI's "gift catalog" at http://catalog.heifer.org/index.cfm

6. Spread holiday cheer with those in need.

Volunteer to serve a holiday meal to the homeless, work in a soup kitchen, or work at a food bank.

Adopt a family for the holidays and provide them with gifts or holiday foods. Many churches and non-profit organizations can match you with a needy family.

Look for a Giving Tree in your local retail stores. The tree is filled with cards that list a specific gift desired by someone in need. You select a card off the tree,
purchase the suggested gift listed on the card, and return the gift to the tree with the card attached. The store wraps the gift and delivers it to the intended recipient.

The end of the tax year is a great time to review your budget and consider a year-end gift to your favorite charities. This can represent a significant tax deduction
if you itemize, while doing great things locally and globally.

7. Use your calendar to help organize your time to reflect your priorities.

Once you are clear about your intentions, calendar them in. Writing them down for follow-up on a specific date will help you to remember to do it and will keep things from falling to the last minute. In other words, make appointments with yourself to follow through with specific tasks by a specific time. As you prepare for the holidays, remember that the greatest gifts of all won't be found under the gift wrap. They'll be found in those special moments when you make a heart connection with those you care about.


About the Author: Wouldn't you love to stumble upon a secret library of ideas
to help you de-clutter your life so you can focus on what's most important? Kathy Paauw offers simple, yet powerful ideas, on how to manage your time, space, and thoughts for a more productive and fulfilling life. Visit her website at: http://www.orgcoach.net
=======
BABY YOURSELF WITH ARBONNE PRODUCTS - - pure, natural ingredients designed with your health in mind. Shop with me online at My Arbonne.

Thanks be to the Teachers of the World

THANKS BE TO THE TEACHERS OF THE WORLD (gk)

~ GO GET THE KNOWLEDGE ~ of the difference between good and evil, or whatever else captures your fancy. Check out REPLAY: Knowledge you've always craved, deliciously peeled, cored, seeded, diced, sliced and served up to you by the greatest teachers in the US. Gently used tapes and CDs you can finally afford from The Teaching Company.

=======

About today's story, Garrison Keillor's "American Gratitude"

My Schwimmfuehrer ultimately threw me out of the row boat to make it back to shore. Or not.

Yes, I cried. Yes, I was mad. Yes, I made it. Yes, I was proud of myself.

In this way, he taught me something more vital than just how to swim. He taught me how to know when I knew it well enough ... when to quit hanging on and take off ... when to quit asking head-questions and live the answers ... when to quit pretending I don't know how/am too young/too old/too dumb/too smart/too hurt/too confused/too little/too scared, and just do it. In other words, how to remove myself from the horns of my own dilemma.

GO TEACHERS! Some of the greatest are ready to teach you at THE REPLAY STORE.

There's a great anecdote in EQ-land, about that bastion of brainiacs, the University of Chicago. Not that there's anything wrong with brainiacs. For some unknown (but lovely) reason, it still remains a requirement for graduation from that venerable institution (which has produced some of the best economists we have) that one must pass a swimming test. Sing ho! for the classic education.

The "final," of course, takes place in Lake Michigan.

Simon showed up one fine day last year to take the final, jumped into the water on cue, and proceeded to flail, flounder and sink. Fast forward to when the ambulance crew had succeeded in resuscitating him, and the dean put forth the obvious question: "Young man, what made you think you knew how to swim?"

Simon's reply: "I'd read all the books about it."

Now our article . . .
=========
American gratitude
We bellyache, we kvetch, we get our undies in a bunch. But we still have so much to give thanks for.
By Garrison Keillor

Nov. 23, 2005 | Family, friends, good health (knock on wood), lots to be thankful for, including this $1.59 Rollerball pen and its flowing cursive line that makes me feel as elegant as Michel de Montaigne.

Gratitude makes sense for an American. We occupy a bountiful country of great civility (yes, really) and robustness and freedom, and if not the No. 1 Country in the World, nonetheless it has some great stuff, including Lake Superior, the Supreme Court, the Greatest Show on Earth, the Four Tops ("Baby, I Need Your Loving") and the World's Largest Ball of Twine Ever Rolled by One Man (12 feet in diameter) in Darwin, Minn. Cawker City, Kan., claims a bigger one, but it's more oblong and was done by committee.

Truly we should be thankful.

And we do try to be. But the English language is so rich in terms of complaint and insult and groaning and rather sparse in the Exaltation Dept., so the Lord doesn't get praised as He should. Instead, we bellyache, we kvetch, we get our undies in a bunch. After all, we're descended from people who considered rejoicing to be bad luck: It tempts fate. So they grumbled about the weather, politicians, children, popular music, new cars, anything modern, and complained about their health year after year until they died and went to heaven, where no doubt they are a little edgy even now -- nice place, paradise -- a little surprised at who else is here, harrumph, harrumph, but never mind -- plenty of bliss, no tears and so forth -- not sure how long it can last, but we shall see.

As for me, I am grateful for the functional. In our home, we are going through a series of malfunctioning coffeemakers that sputter and vomit quarts of hot brown sediment on the kitchen counter and floor, and that makes me grateful for things like this pen, which really is a pleasure.

Or Google, which can bring up 2.3 million references in .03 seconds, none of which sheds light on the subject, but they distract you so that instead of writing about "The Mill on the Floss" by George Eliot, you get interested in dental hygiene.

I'm glad for the E-ticket, which frees us from standing in line at the airline counter so that we can swiftly go stand in line at the security check.

And for the chat room, which frees everyone from inhibitions so that we can find out how much we'd rather not know about other people.

And let us all be thankful for the newspaper, a truly useful object. The press is the watchdog of a free society, and while TV reporters are styling their hair and practicing winsome facial expressions, newspaper reporters are on the phone, knocking on doors, doing the work, holding power accountable. And you read their work and absorb something from it, or not, and then you spread the newspaper out on the floor and it absorbs paint drips, or you pack it in a box around fragile objects, or you roll it up and swat cockroaches, or stuff it into cracks to keep the wind out, or stuff it under the kindling and light the fire -- one simple thing with six distinct uses. Or you can recycle it and it will transcend into cardboard. You can't do that with images on a screen.

These days I am grateful beyond words for a swimming teacher, Alyssa, who is a functional person of a very high order. Twice a week, she takes my sandy-haired, gap-tooth daughter in tow and puts her through her paces. Alyssa is young, blond, brimming with confidence, with broad shoulders and a car horn voice. She hollers, "Kickickickickickkick" and "GOGOGOGOGOGOGOGO" and the little girl puts her head down and swims for all she's worth. A few months ago, she was timid in the water, like me, and now she is a fish, all thanks to her wonderful teacher, a taskmaster with a sense of humor, who is in the pool with her pupils, unlike the Schwimmfuehrer of my youth who strode alongside the pool and showered us with contempt and ridicule. Alyssa's gift is enormous to us. My daughter gets a taste of discipline and success and this makes me very happy. So much that is dismal and destructive in the world, but for me, the joy of a 7-year-old girl putting on her swim goggles almost makes up for it. Thanks be to God for the teachers of the world.

Happy Thanksgiving.

um, how could he forget the bottom of the bird cage??
===============
THE REPLAY STORE. Gently used tapes and CDs you can finally afford from The Teaching Company.

Christmas Affirmations with Emotional Intelligence

LET'S DO SOME CHRISTMAS AFFIRMATIONS!

"By repeating an affirmation over and over again, it becomes embedded in the subconscious mind, and eventually becomes your reality. That is why you need to be careful what you think and believe, because that is exactly what you will get!" -Tony Robbins

Make your affirmations positive (don't use negative words like "don't" or "no longer" or "no more".

Repeat them persistently.

Use "process" so you don't over-ride your subconscious with something you don't really believe [yet]

Present tense



EXAMPLES:

I am in the process of having a stress free Christmas.

I am giving everyone the perfect gift, effortlessly. I know just what to get them.

I am getting along beautifully with everyone around me and spreading Christmas cheer.

I am keeping with my budget and feeling great about it.

I am handling Christmas just fine this year.

I am using my EQ skills to make this the best Christmas yet.

Divorced and Dejected

Divorced and Dejected - 5 Powerful Reasons to be Proud of Yourself
Copyright 2005 Flaming Life Coaching INC.

A painful divorce usually leaves people at the end of their
tether.

This is understandable, considering the amount of energy
that goes into making concessions, holding it together and
completely miss-managing your emotions.

Every life changes, wanted or unwanted ultimately play a
"roller coaster" on our emotions.

For the majority of people, ending a marriage is a huge
step. Thus most people would rather remain in an unhappy
marriage than leave.

If however, you find the courage to let go of an unhappy
marriage or are forced into doing so, the following reasons
can help remount your morale quickly.

1. You can have compassion for yourself. I'm convinced that
when you got married, your intention wasn't to divorce at
anytime.

Your primary reason for getting married was to share your
life happily with your chosen partner. Even it didn't turn
out that way.

None of us has all the answers or control over our lives,
least of all, over the lives of others.

We can only learn to accept what we cannot change. When you
made your vows, you alone knew what it meant to you at the
time.

2. You can stop feeling like a failure, because you're
not! Life is about learning and growing.

Don't get intimidated by statistics quota and let go of the
image of fitting into a model.

You possess all the capabilities to create a great life for
yourself even after a divorce! And don't you believe
otherwise.

Failure only occurs if you give up on yourself. If you're
still hurting, give yourself time to heal. Learn to forgive
yourself and move on when you feel ready.

3. You can start celebrating your success as a free and
wholesome individual.

As beautiful and fulfilling a great marriage can be, you
don't require someone else to make you complete.

I once pointed out to a client that his wife leaving him
could be exactly what he needed. This could get him to
start thinking about his own needs and taking charge of his
own life.

Sometimes people get sucked into their marriage and
completely lose sight of their own identity. I am not
saying that you shouldn't commit to your marriage.

Think about this for a moment: you had an identity before
you got married and you still had that identity after
marriage, so why give it up?

You owe it to yourself and deserve to evolve to your best
possibility in your own time.

Sadly enough, most couples seem to forget this. Especially
those who marry very young.

4. You can give yourself some credit for facing up to the
truth and ending what was no longer fulfilling to you or
your partner.

It requires true honesty and courage to "pull out the
plug," face your chagrin and be consequent.

There are a number of people living in unfulfilling
marriages, as a result of fear of being alone.

Evidences also show that some people remain in their
marriage for circumstantial reasons or based on mutual
arrangements.

Pat yourself on the back and feel proud of being strong
enough to stand on your own. You now have a great time
ahead of you. A time to get re-acquainted with YOU and your
needs.

5. You can be determined to see this new phase as a time of
"becoming".

Envisage your future as an opportunity to examine other
exciting areas of life.

Have a sense of purpose and focus on making the best use of
this period.

How many times have you taken a decision in the past quite
uncertain about its outcome? Only to realize later on that
it was one of your best decisions ever. This could be one
of those times.

Who knows, you might even discover new values deeply hidden
within you.

As you can see, viewing your divorce from the right right
perspective is essential for your inner healing. This can
help you let go of guilt and self persecution. The sooner
you can begin to perceive yourself as someone of worth, the
quicker you can relinquish the past. Thereby you can focus
fully in the present to create a more fulfilling life.


About the Author:

Kunbi Korostensky, N.D., Psychotherapist and Certified Life
Coach is specialised in supporting people in transition,
turn the changes in their lives into invigorating joy and
happiness. View her ebooklet Top 10 holistic Questions to
Embrace Change and Grow at:
http://www.embracingchanges.com/Books-and-Tools-to-facilitat
e-Changes.html or: mailto: kunbi@embracingchanges.com
==========
Shop with me online at My Arbonne. Pure, natural cosmetics, hormone replacement, hair loss treatment, weight loss, and neutraceuticals for your health. Perfect gifts for the holidays for everyone on your list. (Check out the marvelous baby products too - - what you put on their skin is absorbed into the blood stream.)

A Christmas Gift for You

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE - - REACHING AROUND THE WORLD

Check out our SPECIAL CHRISTMAS OFFERINGS HERE or copy this and paste it into your browser: http://www.susandunn.cc/christmas.htm.
====================
IT'S CHRISTMAS. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR YOURSELF LATELY?

"How Not To Be Disappointed This Christmas - A Practical Tip"
by Guest Author Silvia Hartmann

Many years ago, when I was living in circumstances not quite like today, I invented something in the spur of the moment which is fascinating and has significantly improved my life.

It actually started four months earlier, for my birthday in fact.

I had wanted to buy something very esoteric for me - a personal development tape set about wealth and success; but it was massively expensive and although my husband didn't exactly beat me with sticks on a daily basis, there would have been NO WAY I
would have been "given permission" to buy this with the meagre family funds.

This sort of thing was held to be "stupid" and "pointless" and "a waste of money", and there wasn't anyone at all in my life at that time who would care enough or even try to understand me enough to actually go out and buy it for me.

Please. Start the violins! And then bring in the cello section, for good measure!

Ok, so I was feeble back then, had no self esteem, didn't know what I was doing because I hadn't received my personal development tapes yet :-) but I came up with the idea to sneak the money and then in order to have an excuse for having the tapes around the house, to say that a girlfriend had given it to me as a present.

I went into action. I sold some things, skimmed some of the money off the shopping budget, ordered the set (without using the family checkbook but with postal orders instead!); sat on the doorstep for a week so I could intercept the postman; when it arrived, I hid it carefully and then got gift wrap, wrapped it, put a card to it and signed it with a greeting from the imaginary friend.

Then I put it on the hall table because now, it could be seen and stand up to questioning.

When my birthday came, I hadn't been so excited about it in YEARS.

I raced down the stairs like a kid to get "my present", and even burst out into tears when I opened it (which was explained with an onslaught of PMT) and hugged it.

It was the best present I'd had in YEARS.

Then, Christmas turned up and even though I felt guilty as hell, I did it again with something I similarly desired.

I've been doing this ever since.

Now you may say that's not in the spirit of things, but 25 years later and with the hindsight of a professional career in counselling and psychology behind me that began with that gift I gave myself, I would say that what I did there was to CHANGE
MY LIFE.

There was no-one there to give me what I wanted, and finally, I stopped waiting for that mysterious knight in shining armour, or the glowing angel manifesting on my doorstep, or the mysterious rich uncle who I never knew about, or my husband to undergo some instant personality transformation so he would finally "get me", and instead, I took my life into my own hands.

*I* gave *me* what I need and wanted.

And the result was that I *actually GOT WHAT I NEEDED*.

That's an amazing lesson, in many ways and on many different levels.

Women are STILL deeply entrained to be the providers and to take nothing for themselves; the "culture of everything for others and nothing for you" is even more global than that and extends to EVERYONE.

There are many things about the bold move of DELIBERATELY choosing and wrapping a present complete with a card TO YOUR SELF which are remarkable.

ALL the religions say that you should give service - there is no logical reason to EXCLUDE one single person from the service, of all the many people on this planet.

8 billion minus - one?

And that one is ... YOU?

That makes no sense, but that's the way we have come to understand it.

In psychology terms, to exclude the self from the service and devotion extended to others is actually pathological and a sign there's something wrong with you!

One could argue, and I would indeed argue this, that if you give gifts to other people but NOT TO YOURSELF, you are sending the wrong message, big time.

And practically speaking, this shouldn't be anything special. It should NOT be like the first time I did that - full of guilt or shame or so significant or evolutionary as a concept.

You should just simply be on your own shopping list at Christmas, just the same as everyone else you are buying presents for!

Everyone should buy themselves a gift at Christmas! And on their birthdays, and on whatever holiday or celebration their culture prescribes. They should take the opportunity to express thus practically their support and gratitude for all that was
done, for WHO THEY ARE, with a small gift and a card which carries the words so they may be read, and understood.

That is in essence, a blessing.

To perform this ceremony on behalf of one's self is not only fair, and more than that, it is a HUGE metaphor of integration and integrity.

It is a fantastic opportunity to sit back and assess, very practically, where you're at, what might make you happy, and to enter in a communication with the "forgotten self" that brings this one back into the fold of the 8 billion.

This is not a selfish act at all, but instead, a golden opportunity to ensure that on many levels, this one person gets what they want; that this one person is as happy as circumstances will allow; and you know, beyond all material goods, it really is the thought that counts.


About The Author: Dr Silvia Hartmann is the author of "Oceans Of Energy" and "Project Sanctuary". You can get a free, beautifully illustrated ebook, The Enchanted World, free meditation downloads, a great free wealth course, stories,
fairy tales and articles at http://SilviaHartmann.com
======================
ARBONNE: The best gift you could give yourself this holiday season. Neutraceuticals, shaving cream, lotions, aromatherapy, BABY PRODUCTS, natural hormone replacement, DefenseBuilder for your immune system, hair loss treatment and revitalization. All pure ingredients, no mineral oil, no ephedra, never tested on animals. Mfg in the US.

Tired of never having enough money? Become an ARBONNE consultant and work for yourself for a change. It's a great feeling.

==============
CHRISTMAS IS MUSIC FOR THOSE OF US WHO VIVO PER LEI / LIVE FOR MUSIC. Join Club Vivo Per Lei / I Live for Music.