Self Esteem and Self Help

Check This Out - 1 Corinthians 14:34

2009-10-02T13:36:00.001-07:00

If you're a woman, you might not want to read this article. If you're a man who supports male chauvinistic ways, I guarantee that this is going to be an article that you won't want to miss.

I have watched women who believe in other religions, all over the world, consider men to be superior to them. I have watched men treat women as subservient and sometimes has subhuman beings, even though these women are someone's wives, sisters or daughters.

But the Holy Bible, come on I can't believe that this is the word of God. Read this and if you have to read it again, but is this really in the Bible, did God actually write this or is this something that was written by man, to make women live lives of servitude.

Here it is, read it for yourself, 1 Corinthians (TWB) 14:34 let your wives keep silent in the assemblies, for it has not been permitted for them to speak; but let them be in subjection, as the law also says. Is this what Christianity is all about or is this just part of what Christianity represents.

Are women really supposed to be quiet in the assemblies of God, in church or places of worship? Am I reading this right? Your wife's keep silent in assemblies, it doesn't say anything about men remaining silent in assemblies.

Oh yeah, for it has not been permitted for them to speak, what the heck are they talking about. Are you telling me that Christian women are not allowed to speak inside of their place of worship? Is that where these assemblies meet or are they talking about something else.

I would like to make a suggestion, too any Christians that are reading this article, this would be a great topic for discussion, at your next prayer meeting or Bible study group.

With religious text like this, you can understand why some women don't have equal rights to men. Its beliefs like these, that will eventually end up forcing large religious organizations to change or become part of our history.

Watch this Video on Women and Bible Problems

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site: If your interested in a different point of view READ THESE ARTICLES - Great Articles For Christians

Greg Vandenberge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. He has been involved in religious research for almost 30 years, and his influence in the Christian community is growing. The Holy Bible, is the core to Christian beliefs and most Christians don't even question it. Was the Bible actually written by men?

His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible.

Could Christian Pride Get You in Trouble?

2009-10-02T02:37:00.001-07:00

There's a good chance that most of us know at least one person who seems to be very prideful. These people are often hard to deal with and can easily get their feelings hurt. When someone who has a lot of pride, gets trapped in a corner, they often come out swinging in full attack mode.

When a Christian has a lot of pride, and is faced with a problem about their religion, the opposition had better be prepared, especially if this person is large and intimidating. I'm not referring to every Christian here, I'm not even referring to every Christian with a lot of pride either, I'm referring to Christians who mix their prideful beliefs with factual evidence.

These people can often become stubborn and the more that you push or pull, the deeper they dig their heels in, until they can't even be moved in either direction. It's almost like they're feet are buried in a large concrete slab of cement.

Yes pride can get you into trouble, they key is, knowing how to get yourself out of trouble. When someone approaches you with a question about your beliefs that you don't have the answer to, simply respond with," I will have to do some research and get back with you."

Don't let your pride get in the way and create an enemy out of someone that could provide you with some useful information about other beliefs or even your own religion. Think about it, your pride can often dig holes that you might not be able to get out of.

Eliminate Bible Propaganda

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. He has been involved in religious research for almost 30 years, and his influence in the Christian community is growing. The Holy Bible, is the core to Christian beliefs and most Christians don't even question it. Was the Bible actually written by men?

His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible. This book provides Christians with advanced biblical knowledge, answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

Click here if you're Interested in Christianity.

Where Did God Come From?

2009-10-01T15:09:00.001-07:00

If you believe in certain religions, like Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and even Buddhism, there's a good chance that you believe in some sort of God like being or cosmic force, especially the one that created our world that we live in today.

Where did God come from? What are we doing here? And where are we going, after we die. Some of these questions, are hard to answer and scientifically difficult to prove. There is very little evidence to prove, where God actually came from, what are we suppose to be doing here and where we are going to go, after we die.

If nobody knows where God came from, why are there so many religions, that believe in a God? Think about it for a moment, the Christian God, was the creator of the universe, and the creator of everything. Where's the proof? Why do people continue to study the Bible, and believe in a God, that they can't really even put their hands on?

If God is truly real, why wouldn't we have ever seen him? It doesn't make a lot of sense, to believe in imaginary beings, or invisible entities and pray to a God that we might not ever see or touch. It might not make a lot of sense, but if you ask serious religious followers, of these religions a question like, can you prove that there actually is a God, there's a good chance that these religious believers will reply, with a simple yes.

They have no proof, no evidence, and almost base their entire beliefs on faith, instead of facts. Rarely do they seek any evidence or even read their religious text, with a goal to understand what they're reading. Most of these people take everything that they learn, lock it away in their head, and never ask any serious questions about their religious beliefs, like these.

If there is a God, why wouldn't he show himself? If there is a God, why wouldn't he prove that he does exist, so that others wouldn't have to doubt his existence? Something to think about, on the days that you're not going to your place of worship.

Who's God Is More Powerful

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

If your interested in a different point of view READ THESE ARTICLES - Great Articles For Christians

His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible.

What Faithful Religious Followers

2009-09-15T00:49:00.001-07:00

How can you honestly understand someone else's opinion if they sincerely differ from yours? For years I have been trying to understand the beliefs portrayed by organized religions around the world. Whenever someone is explaining part of their religion to me and I bring something to their attention, about their religion, and they don't know the answer, their replies always seem to be based around faith. You just need to believe.

I've been asking people for years, why do you believe? The answers vary from time to time but the essence of the answers are similar. Our conversations seem to start out with a few facts, which leads us into a friendly discussion about their religious beliefs and how they were formed. Whenever I start to dig a little too deep or ask some of these people questions that they don't have the answers to, the conversation always ends abruptly and the word faith always seems to appear.

I feel like this is the easy way out for religious believers.

I'm sure that they get frustrated with me, asking them questions about their religions, that they can't answer. Most of these people won't even bother to find the answers for themselves either, this has often irritated me, but at the same time I think I understand. Most people want to be a part of something but won't take the time to be involved in it. Living a life based on a little information, a lot of hope and the rest completely immersed in faith, seems like a life that is lived without questioning the most important thing in your life.

If I went to a place of worship and asked this question "What's the Most Important Thing in Your Life?" I would imagine most of these people would tell me it was their God or gods. God seems to be the main focus on their lives but they don't seek to understand how he came to be, why he doesn't help the poor, why won't God communicate with us, or even something as simple as understanding some, at the least 10% of your religion.

I don't believe there's anything wrong with living a faithful life. I have faith in things that are out of my control and am still seeking answers to their origins and existence. The sun, Earth, air, water and even God. I suggest to religious, nonbelievers and spiritual people all over the world, to gather a little more information about your beliefs, if they are indeed important to you.

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended books, You Can Heal Your Life

If you want to read something funny and get your daily laugh in, you need to read this, it's funny Using Religion Responsibility . It's based on overindulgence

The Aging of Relationships

2009-09-14T11:51:00.001-07:00

"Yes, I will marry you.....and they rode off into the sunset and lived happily ever after." If only it were that simple. Most of us have visions of our relationships turning out this way, but that is often not the case. Somewhere between the "I do" and "happily ever after" problems arise. Over half of all marriages end in divorce. Of those marriages that stay together, a large percentage are not necessarily happy. What happens? Why do the majority of couples find it so difficult to stay together and remain happy? Just as individuals go through identifiable stages (infancy, childhood, adulthood, old age) so to do relationships pass through distinguishable stages. There are many different ways to name the stages of relationship. We prefer to use the following three stages: Romantic Love (also known as the honeymoon stage), the Power Struggle Stage, and Mature Love.

Many people are familiar with the romantic stage. This is where our lover is in our thoughts 24 hours a day and every moment apart seems like an eternity. We live for the moments that we can be together. We are aglow with love. Everything in our life seems to go well. Colors are brighter, sounds more distinct, foods tastier. We find that we need less sleep. We can stay out with our loved one dancing the night away and still be up early the next morning, energized and ready to tackle the day ahead. If we have disagreements with our partner, we are willing to listen and even let them win. We are in a state of bliss. Then something happens. Instead of continuing along happily in this state, our eyes (and our hearts) begin to shift their focus and we enter Stage 2.

Stage 2 is the power struggle. Most of us are familiar with this stage as the majority of relationships stay here a long time. It is the stage in a relationship where two individuals try to live together harmoniously while still standing up for their individual differences. This is the time when we try to combine two different ways of being and two different backgrounds into one workable relationship. It includes but is not limited to such things as combining two distinct ways of handling money, keeping house, and juggling time schedules with regard to work, hobbies, family, recreation, etc. It involves consideration of differing personal habits and parenting skills, varying degrees of sexual desire, different ways of communication, and more. Is it any wonder that Stage 2 brings to light what we perceive as flaws in our partner's character? She/he charges too much on the credit cards, puts recreation before chores, does not understand why I need to spend so much time with my parents, or has little desire for sex. Differences are difficult to live with, especially when we assume that we are right and our partner is wrong. Our reasoning is: "I've done it this way all my life; can't you see that this is the way it should be done?" Learning how to collaborate with a partner while at the same time maintaining our individuality is the lesson of Stage 2. It can be a lengthy undertaking and usually makes or breaks the relationship.

Some relationships will never go beyond the second stage. The power struggles that occur during this time put the "relating" in relationships to the test. Just as a teenager learns how to become an individual and relate to a world outside himself and his family, an adult learns how to become a partner and be in a relationship. We learn how to get along with others at work, in our community, our state, and in our ever expanding world. Most of us learn skills to go out into the workplace and perform at a job, but few of us learn the skills to communicate and be in relationship. Basic relationship skills can go a long way to move us through this difficult stage of power struggle. Tools such as "I" messages, reflective listening, and a basic understanding of the differences between men and women are an important start. We feel it is equally important to have an awareness and understanding of two basic concepts about relationship: 1) that we alone are responsible for our feelings as well as our actions; and 2) relationships can be used to either heal or rewound the individuals in that relationship.

Marilyn: Having been in a twenty year relationship that I now recognize was one continual power struggle, I can appreciate the flow of my present relationship. Chuck and I both have an uncompromising desire to be in a relationship that works, a relationship that we can use as a path to our spiritual growth. Dr. Wayne Dyer in his tape series Freedom Through Higher Awareness comments: if you have a choice between being right and being kind, always choose to be kind." This is a choice Chuck and I are consciously trying to make in our relationship. When we disagree, we make every effort to deal with those conflicts in the moment. We try our best to go inside and discover how we feel and what our part was in the upset. This is not an easy task, especially since we have been programmed to value being right over being loving. We are used to looking outside of ourselves and blaming the other party. My automatic response to an upset used to be "why can't he understand this, it's so simple!" For the life of me, I could not understand why my partner was so dense; why he could not appreciate that this was the way it was for me. What a world of difference it makes when I can take responsibility for myself. All the blame and frustration disappears. I no longer feel that sinking feeling of disappointment and frustration that I used to feel.....that hole in pit in my stomach that asked the same questions over and over: "why am I in this relationship," and "is it as hopeless as I feel it is at this moment?" In contrast, when I can come from the understanding that I alone am responsible for the emotions that well up within me, then I can look inside and examine those feelings. This is usually easier said than done, especially when those emotions remind me of unpleasant memories about how I was treated in the past. I try very hard to share those feelings with Chuck. Sometimes, the only word I can get out is "ouch," but that is enough to get us started. This effort pays big dividends. It allows us to come to a resolution about our misunderstandings and prevents the build-up of resentments. It is also a path to healing the old wounds and building a new relationship based upon the trust of self and each other.

Chuck: The difference between my relationship with Marilyn and my previous relationships is my willingness to look at what parts I play in our upsets. It wasn't long ago that I felt I was right during most of my arguments with women. I can even remember the times that I knew I wasn't right but still couldn't give in. This power struggle was a pattern I had followed for over 30 years and I don't really know how it started. It has been a slow progression of small realizations that has led me to the point where my relationship is usually more important than my being right. Notice I said usually. There are still times when I know I'm not right or realize that I am hurting Marilyn and our relationship by staying mad, but cannot break out of the old pattern. Fortunately these times are diminishing.

How did I begin on my road to recovery? It began with very intelligent women calmly questioning me about my reasons for staying angry. They wanted to understand what kind of benefits or rewards I received for this behavior. Even when they questioned me during a fight, it was done in such a way that I felt their concern. It was clear that they truly wanted to understand what was happening within me. There was no blaming or ill will.

This process led me to begin to question myself. I went to therapy. I learned techniques I could use during a fight such as active listening, taking responsibility by using "I" statements, fair fighting rules, active listening and more. Finally I decided that I wanted to have a GREAT relationship. Now I work on trying to let go of my need to be right and consciously make the choice to be loving. Believe me, it takes a constant effort within the relationship to maintain that awareness, but it is worth it.....and so is Marilyn!

Marilyn and Chuck: The final stage of relationship is mature love. We have traveled the long road of power struggles to get here and learned what we need to learn from that path. We have completed a 180 degree turn, back to the peace and harmony that we felt with our partner when we first met. Our heart (and mind) has shifted away from finding fault and instead is focused on the specialness of our partner.....the uniqueness that attracted us to them in the first place. We have come full circle. We started out in the Romantic Stage seeing only the good, went through the Power Struggle Stage seeing mostly the negative, and now we are able to hold both. This is an expansive state. It is at this time that we make the conscious choice to put our relationship first and give up the need to always be right. This does not mean that we become less of an individual. It is at this stage that we become comfortable with who we are as individuals so that we no longer feel that we are losing a part of ourselves or our needs in order to have our relationships flow smoothly. In reality, we become more fully alive as we have expanded within ourselves to accept both the positive and the negative in another person.

Many of us have had the privilege of experiencing the rare couple who just seem to flow together. Their love and appreciation for one another glows from their very being. They fit together and feel right and everyone can see it. There is a calm and radiance about them that makes others want to be in their presence. This state of being did not happen over night. This couple has done a lot of work to get where they are. There is a deep level of commitment and understanding between them. For us, knowing that this depth of relationship exists gives us hope for our own relationship. When the power struggles seem overwhelming, we let the vision of this couple give us the strength to stay on our path and just let go. It is our belief that it is within all of us to have this type of relationship. It is a merely matter of choice.

Great relationships don't happen by accident. Learn the secrets to having successful one. Marilyn Hough and Chuck Schmitt, the Relationship Specialists, are licensed Marriage and Family therapists in the Portland, Oregon area. Visit their website at http://www.relationshipspecialists.com for tools and tips on how to improve your relationships. You can also sign up for free bi-monthly relationship hints.

A Feng Shui Living Room is Peaceful

2009-09-13T22:30:00.000-07:00

One of the most important places in a home can benefit from feng shui. Living room decor usually takes a lot of thought. Most of us are quite happy to spend some extra cash on this room. It is the place in the home that is shared by the whole family. This also makes it quite hard to decorate. We have to take into account every member of the family' likes and dislikes. Because this is where the family meets up and will spend many hours together it should be a haven. Each member of the family is caught up in the modern world. This means plenty of stress throughout the day. But there is an ancient practice that will turn your living room into a place of tranquility and peace.

Every family needs a feng shui living room. It will make you feel a whole lot better to spend time in a room that is well organized and devoid of clutter. One of the first benefits you will notice is that everyone will start feeling calmer. This affects how we think and ultimately how we behave. The whole point of using feng shui is to open up a room the flow of positive energies. If your environment is jumbled and chaotic it will have a negative effect on your life. How you feel is very important to your sense of wellbeing. This is where feng shui comes in very handy. You will learn about how to use specific colors in the room. Each and every color you use has a specific impact on your mood. Make sure you choose the right colors for your surroundings.

To get your feng shui living room you must get all the tips you can. It's not necessary to fork out huge sums of money. You can start with free information such as 'Secrets of Feng Shui Revealed'. With the right information you can reorganize your living room into a feng shui haven.

Levi Parker is the director of popular blog FengShuiGuideOnline.Com. He is an expert on Feng Shui and his blog provides stacks of information on things like Feng Shui color and much more. Get free tips when you visit his site today!

Ancient Chinese Secrets For a Lasting Marriage Or Relationship

2009-09-13T09:14:00.001-07:00

Are most long married couples unhappy with their relationship? This is the question that has being bugging me for a while. As a Feng Shui consultant, I come across many clients with less than happy marriages. Many times my clients will ask me for a 'secret' cure or recommendation that would miraculously improve their relationship with their spouse.

So, I asked a few of my married friends for their opinion. I chose this select group because they are older - over fifty years old - and have been married for many years. Their answer was quite shocking- to me. Based on their personal experience and those of their friends, they think that 90% of married couples are, in one way or another, unhappy with their relationships.

Granted that they do not live happily ever after, as in the fairy tales, this is still quite sad - if it is indeed true.

Is there a cure? Maybe there is.

In many olden societies, such as the Chinese, where arranged marriages are commonplace, it is a practice to check the horoscope (Ba Zi) of the intended couple for compatibility, before they are allowed to tie the knot.

Does this always work? It increases the chance but it does not work all the time. However through years of observation, they found out that if you combine it with some conditions, you can increase the chances of having a happy and lasting marriage.

While this wisdom is for everyone, it is even more critical for those with a history of unsuccessful marriages or relationships, to take note.

Here are some of the conditions.

In the old days, the husband must always be older than the wife. This is like a tradition. It cannot and should not be broken. However the ancients also observed that for those with unsuccessful marriages or relationships, breaking the tradition - i.e. having an older wife - can strangely be the answer. To the ancient Chinese, the wife is considered older even if she is a day older than the husband. However for better results, a wider age gap is preferred.

The other option for a more successful relationship is for the husband to be much older than the wife. To the ancient Chinese, much older means at least 8 years apart. In practice, 10 or 15 years older is perfectly acceptable or desired.

It would also increase the chances if there is a big disparity in the social and economic standard between the husband and the wife. For example the husband is a highly educated CEO of a large corporation while the wife is a much lesser educated person from a poor family. Can it be the other way around? It is unlikely in the old days because the husband is always the breadwinner. However in this modern times, where many women out-earn their husbands, why not?

This next condition only applies to the woman - at least in the old days. If she cannot be a successful first wife, it does not mean that she cannot be successful being the second or third one. So, being the other women can be an option that leads to success! I am not sure about being the other man though!

What if none of the above works?

The final option is to have a spouse that is of a different race or from a different culture. For example, an Indian and a Chinese or between two Chinese brought up in different places. For example, one brought up in China and in the other in the United States.

These are wisdoms that our forefathers have passed down to us. So, and especially, if you are relationship challenged, give it a try. There is nothing to lose!

Henry Fong Feng Shui Consultant

Feng Shui Absolutely

Healthy Party Snack Ideas

2009-09-12T19:44:00.001-07:00

Planning a party is always a time consuming and difficult task. You want your party to be unique and memorable, and your guests talking about how much fun they had for weeks to come. Of course the food you choose will be a big part of your partys success. Appetizers, finger foods, or snacks, what ever you call them are an important component to starting your party out right, and keeping those guests with big appetites satisfied after the main course is long over.

Starting your parties dining experience out with a healthy great tasting snack that can be enjoyed by all is not easy. It can be overwhelming to choose a starter that is all natural, unique, and appealing to men, women, and children, but this is your task. And to make it even more difficult you want your food choices to be unique.

The easy choice would be chips and dip, crackers and cheese, or pretzels and sweets. But then no one of these choices satisfies all of the criteria we set for our memorable food experience. Not to mention that many people have a negative reaction to food additives like: MSG, Sodium Nitrate, Sodium Benzoate, and Sodium Erythorbate. It is almost impossible to find wholesome all natural foods that taste great, and that your guests can and will actually eat.

If you want a unique choice that is healthy, great tasting, a crowd pleaser with universal appeal to men, women and children, and a terrific conversation starter to your party, choose The Jerky Guy brand All Natural beef jerky. Gourmet beef jerky is usually 98% fat free and has no Trans or Saturated Fats. A one ounce serving can contain only 4%* Cholesterol of your percent daily value, and 23%* Protein of your percent daily value.

Here are some decoration ideas, you can stuff a party basket with bags of The Jerky Guy beef jerky, randomly lay them around your coffee, serving and dinner tables, to make your guests feel relaxed and more at home. And dont forget they make great stocking stuffers as well. The Jerky Guy gourmet beef jerky meets the highest nutritional requirements, and the packaging is colorful and festive, as well as practical every bag is re-sealable, so you dont have to worry about leftovers. Go ahead and pick up a few extra bags this is the perfect snack food for the skiers and snow boarders in the family, they won't have to worry about falling on it, beef jerky is indestructible.

The Jerky Guy gourmet beef jerky is a food choice that will start your party out right and keep it going strong until the last guest packs it up for the evening. Really tender gourmet beef jerky not only tastes great, and has wonderful aroma, but it will also impress your guests because most people have never had great tasting beef jerky before. And it is guaranteed to make you the host of the town!

You can find The Jerky Guy beef jerky at Wild West Snacks and ordering is fast and easy. So stop worrying about what to serve and visit http://www.WildWestSnacks.com now!

* Percent Daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower based on your calorie needs.

Carl DeSalvo is the owner of Wild West Snacks a beef jerky distribution company. Carl is also the Web Master for his site http://www.WildWestSnacks.com Wild West Snacks is dedicated to providing gourmet beef jerky to health conscience consumers everywhere.

Some Advice for the Rowie Baker, Listen Very Carefully!

2009-09-12T06:33:00.001-07:00

It's Friday the end of another tough week of fighting the good cause on my path to making 2 million dollars. It's an almost perfect day, its warm and the sun is shinning, I'm feeling fantastic, it's amazing what having a bit of sunshine does for your sense of wellbeing, life is sweet.

I can't wait to move to Barbados and have this sort of weather virtually all year round, but that's another story! I sort of get the picture as to why all those guys in Barbados spend all their time at the rum shop!

As part of my usual Friday ritual I head down to the Local bakery for my end of the week treat, you guessed it Rowies. They maybe taste delicious but they are too unhealthy to eat on a regular basis. I want to stay good-looking, young and healthy, so I eat them in moderation.

Rowies to the uneducated may all look the same, but they sure don't taste the same. I like mine soft and fluffy. I asked the shop assistant for four soft Rowies, he was a young Indian guy, that's something new to me, usually in our bakers in Aberdeen, the requirement to get the job is you must be old, grumpy and slow.

He politely told me, they weren't very soft today, but he would give me the softest ones they had, that was something new to me an extremely polite assistant in the baker. What could I do, the next nearest baker was miles away, so I gave him my 1.20 and bought the not too soft looking Rowies, I was desperate for my fix, dam I had earned them.

I rushed home, I put the semi soft rolls in the toaster, they came out even harder than they went in, way too much salt in them for me, I'm too young to die of a heart attack!

Some advice for the Rowie baker, not all of us like hard Rowies, it's the 21st century, do you not have some sort of system for making your Rowies. How difficult can it be to make soft Rowies, you have been making them for decades. Listen, you can make some soft fluffy ones and then make some hard ones, it aint too complicated.

I wondered if Donald Trump or Alan Sugar have these problems, sometimes life is so unfair, but I did what any go-getter does. I walked down to the supermarket and bought some croissants, they were soft and fluffy and tasted absolutely delicious!

If I wasn't so busy becoming a successfully businessman I would go and make my own, but time is precious and that's why you have bakers.

http://www.2milliondollarbills.com

Park Your Car in the Garage? What a Novel Idea!

2009-09-11T16:55:00.001-07:00

Do you hate running out in the rain to your car? Do you look forward to scraping your windshield in the frost of the morning? Wouldn't it be great to park your car in the safety and warmth of your garage? We organizers always think it's interesting on how a valuable investment, such as a car, sits on the street, vulnerable to theft and wear, while the garage interior houses all sorts of things that are worth - not that much...

Now is the time to take advantage of the last few days of clear skies. If you jump on this opportunity you can prep yourself for a stress free winter.

Here's how:

Pick a day for a family garage-a-palooza. Invite an organizer, friends and/or family to help. Schedule a pick up or drop off with a friendly donation organization. When the day arrives, eat a hardy breakfast, get dressed up in your grubbiest clothes and grab the tools -- empty boxes, garbage bags, tape and markers for labeling. Take a quick stretch to get warmed up for the big job ahead.

Ok! Ready, set and go! Set aside staging areas for trash, donate and keep. Labeling them with duct tape on the ground helps keep you focused. Begin at one corner of the garage. Ask yourself questions like "Do I need this", "Do I LOVE this", and "Do I use this". Keep in mind the last time you used a particular object - if it was more than a year ago it is probably safe to say goodbye. Remember, your reward will be huge! Consider this; how long has "clean up the garage" on your "to do" list?

Once you have cleared, sorted and had your donations and trash items picked up, it is time to put the "keep" items back. When it comes to garage - think vertical. Tall shelving units like post industrial shelving will allow you to take advantage of the ALL the wall space. Clear bins for storage will save your stuff from the mold and dampness of many garages as well as giving you a visual reminder of its contents. And don't forget to label, label, label. There are also many storage solutions for tools and bikes available at home improvement stores and organizing stores.

Sweep the garage down, hang some hooks for extra winter coat storage, check that all the lights are as bright as they can be and congratulate yourself! Whew, what a great feeling - no more freezing fingers and late mornings this winter! And your vehicle has a clean, safe home, perhaps for the first time!

Interested in more ways to clear clutter and gain control of your environment? Get our free eBook: The Getting Started Workbook: Overcoming Fear, Procrastination and Overwhelm When Starting An Organizing Project at http://www.emptyyournest.com

How to Become a Better Grandparent

2009-09-11T03:03:00.001-07:00

All grandparents want to play a critical role in their grandchildren's lives and be helpful. However, creating that crucial link takes more than just a simple wish. One has to get more creative and constantly review whether things are working out in relationships. Sometimes, a grandparent may be forced to play the role of a parent due to unavoidable circumstances. In such a case, they should remember that they have a distinct role in their grandchildren's lives.

The best starting point when trying to build a better relationship with grandchildren is to bond with them. This will involve spending time with them and taking part in activities that they like most. Play is definitely top on the list. This will create plenty of memories that will always be vivid in the child's mind. Understanding children requires that a grandparent get down to their level. They will therefore need to look at life from the grandchild's viewpoint, especially if they are young children. Children are not only innocent; they are genuine, curious, very energetic and fun to be around. Take their naughty stunts with a corrective grace.

Communication is another area that can help keep the relationship between a grandchild and their grandparent. Talk to them about issues that they have in their lives or things that they find interesting. Write to them or send them emails. Keep the content very simple and full of fun. It is wise to ensure that they enjoy reading those letters or emails. Appreciation is another key element that grandchildren understand and crave no matter how young they are. Appreciate them by praising every effort they make to learn new things. Additionally, be helpful and get involved in their activities. Cherish their art or gifts by placing them on a conspicuous place where they can see.

Give them an opportunity to be themselves. This way, the grandchild will be free therefore building a comfortable and friendly relationship. Do not try to control their schedule in a way that is unnecessary. Additionally, it is wise to find activities that both the grandchild and their grandparent can do together and have fun. For some it is singing while story telling works best for others. Some grandchildren will be content watching childhood videos and going through pictures. If telling a story, try to visualize it and give the child a role to play. Make it funny and real and allow emotions to flow.

Try to help the grandchildren develop their milestones without appearing to do so. Help them acquire the desirable characteristics by modeling these aspects in different circumstances. Finally, as they grow, move along with their developmental stages by adopting activities that are more advanced in nature. Develop a genuine interest in their life and always keep track of what is happening to them.

Grandchildren need to find reasons to spend time with their grandparents. Find out what they like and try to do it as often as possible. Be patient with them and take time to explain out things however simple they may seem. They will appreciate it as they grow.

Find helpful and creative ideas for parents and grandparents while you shop our great selection of kids furniture (including our popular toddler beds) and classic toys. Visit http://www.TheMagicalRockingHorse.com today!

Feng Shui - Property, Home, Land and Office Shapes

2009-09-10T13:08:00.001-07:00

It can be said that the most important factor cited in opening up a restaurant or eatery is "Location, Location and Location". So is the concept of "Shape" when it comes to Feng Shui. In dealing with the advanced concepts of Feng Shui "shape" is not one small factor.
Rather shape is everything.

The shape of your block. Your house, your rooms and even your furniture play a most important component and together play a more than important part in the Feng Shui of your home, your abode or your working areas. Generally it can be stated that symmetrical shapes are considered most ideal. If on the other tack or side one considers the "L-shape" of a room - then the basis of the "L-Shape" can, will and does poses problems because at its very core the "L-shape" is unbalanced and incomplete. If and when you have not primary, basic, balanced shapes, you will need to look, think and ponder at how to balance these shapes. It's all at the beginning and basis of Feng Shui and the practice of Feng Shui.

In dealing with the shape of your land or property, wider on the northern and southern ends is considered to be best. If your block is not a true triangle then try to choose or even arrange your property lines so that the back is wider than the front or the converse that the front is narrower than the back end. What to do is this is not the case? First you might want to place a live plant or even a lamp in the very opposite corner if there is a corner portion that juts into your land. If there is planting space or soil around the offending corner then planting a hedge, hedges or even creeper plants up the walls to counter any of the sha qi offending energies that these corners might be emitting or generating. Lastly if your property of plot of land is based on a triangular shape then in order to fill out these corner areas in order that qi does not get trapped there.

When it comes to the shape or shapes of your home or office building then the wisest choice of all is basic rectangular shape. With simple rectangular shapes you can be assured that all rooms and their corner areas will be covered and not left exposed outside the basic areas of the flow of vital "qi". If you not fortunate enough and your home, abode or office structure does have "L shapes" then these missing corners again can again be covered with the use of trees or plants being planted in critical areas. A spotlight, lamp or even a skylight on the roof can be utilized. Alternatively mirrors can fill the void, or as an alternate the beautiful sound of wind chimes a be used to fill the voids.

In a similar manner rooms with L-shapes can be trouble. These can be enclosed with partitions, standing bookshelves or if necessary furniture itself or plants can be used to close the loop to shield and keep out negative sha qi.

If there is one word when it comes to shapes apparent in your rooms and their arrangement it is the word "symmetry". Symmetry means a whole by itself, and balance. Each room, each piece of furnishing, each accessory should call out by itself "symmetry".

The whole can never be greater than its parts. Work to choose furniture and accessories that are symmetrical in their own right. This way these components can both stand alone, build and contribute to the peace, serenity and arrangement of the rooms of your home, office or abode that you occupy. Feng Shui.

Morris E. Brown Winnipeg Wedding Catering King Cole Catering

Winnipeg South Hotel

Moisture Against Gravity - Destroying Walls

2009-09-08T06:59:00.001-07:00

Well I'm going to start this article with a little information on a job I did once.

I had been repairing a rental house for one particular homeowner for about three years when all of a sudden I got a phone call from him telling me the rental house was destroyed and he had never seen nothing like this. He sounded so upset over the phone I told him I would meet with him immediately.

On my way to the house I was trying to get an idea in my head what the house was going to actually look like. Since I have been repairing rental properties for over 20 years at this point of my career, nothing really shocked me. I had pretty much seen everything that could possibly be done to rental property by the tenants that lived there. There is a lot to be said about taking care of it as if it were your own.

He was waiting for me at the front door and he looked thoroughly disgusted. As I approached him he was shaking his head and yelling at the same time can you believe these people, can you believe what they did to my house. I was expecting to see the front door ripped off and all the windows broken out of the house but this wasn't the case.

As he led me through the home and I could see the usual clothing on the floor, broken cabinets, a few holes in the walls and of course that awful smell of mold and mildew. All of this stuff was nothing new to me because I'm the guy they call to fix it when a renter moves out of the property.

As I entered one of the bedrooms I got my first glimpse of something I had never seen before but heard stories about and could not believe my eyes. Looking at the walls in the bedroom about 3 feet from the floor all the way around the room, the plaster was soft. It actually looks like someone shoved popcorn into the wall somehow.

The homeowner wasn't even looking at this because of the rest of the damage in the home. I started to explain to him I'd never seen nothing like this but I could guess it was water damage somehow since the plaster was soft. I could actually stick my finger into the wall, that's how soft the plaster was.

My first thought was to examine the carpeting a little closer to see if it was wet. Well it was damp but it wasn't as wet as I would've expected it to be with the amount of water in the walls. With a little more home inspecting I had found the culprit, it was a broken water bed. The water bed was now in the backyard looking innocent.

I couldn't believe a broken water bed could do this much damage so I looked around for broken or leaking water pipes and could not find any. The other bad news I had to inform the homeowner was that the water had damage the bathroom and closet walls also. These walls of course were on the other side of the bathroom walls that were damaged.

Well the point of this story is that water will actually wick its way up or worked its way up into a wall. I had to remove 4 feet of drywall all the way around the room. The plaster or drywall actually acts like a sponge pulling the water into the walls. Hard to imagine that gravity in this case seems to reverse. I would've never thought that water would've traveled so far up the walls creating that much damage.

To repair the rental property I had to remove the damaged drywall, remove the carpeting, dry the wood framing out and put the whole thing back together.

I'm still amazed and will remember that project for as long as I live.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more Building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on House Water Damage

Was Jesus A Good Example

Motivation and Positive Thinking - Self Help Tips

2009-09-08T01:34:00.001-07:00

There are many ways to improve self-motivation but very few that seem universal.

Many people tend to look at the outside, and tend to ignore the inside where all people hold their esteem. There are 3 simple rules to live by are the three- D's. Desire, Determination , & Dedication. The first step would be to ask if feel the desire to improve yourself! The second step is to put forth effort to overcome. Then finally, you must be dedicated to see to achieving the success that you desire.

If you can remember those three simple- D's, they will inspire so much passion in you to obtain what ever you seek! Motivation is key to what ever we do in life. If we are feeling unmotivated then we feel lethargic. If you are motivated you can really bring excitement and thrill into the most simple tasks. Positive thinking is the key to finding motivation in everything you do! It starts with waking up and thanking the lord for another day. Every day that you wake up, you should have goals to obtain that day. Make it a challenge to yourself that day, you must complete those missions. It will bring more excitement and something to drive your emotions that day.

The four things I try to obtain each day are as follows; Try to make someone laugh Try to read and learn something new and intellectual. Try to exercise and improve your energy. Then try to make a new connection with someone or rekindle an old one. Well I hope this brings some basic motivation spikes that will be implemented for your future success.

Remember that it is all a mindset you need to place yourself in!

"Pura Vida" means pure life in Costa Rica... Now it is up to you to find it!

This article was written by Matthew Gruenke - Please visit my web-site at http://www.mymysterywealth.com
God Bless & Pura Vida

Old Versus New Construction Adhesives

2009-09-07T23:34:00.001-07:00

When I first started building in 1978 as a young carpenter and an apprentice to my father. I had the grand illusions of becoming what they call on the east coast a master carpenter and on the West Coast a journeyman carpenter.

Part of my training in construction was learning to use the proper adhesive and caulking for different parts of the building project. We used to use a standard solvent-based construction adhesive when we were building our stairs and they would also use this adhesive on the floors to eliminate squeaks.

This glue dried extremely hard and everyone thought the harder the better. This construction adhesive was great when I started using it in 1978. There wasn't the polyethylene super elastic expandable multi-use glue and caulking construction adhesives at that time.

We used this brittle glue and it always seemed like a waste of time. As the wood dried and started to shrink the brittle hard glue would crack and break away from the wood it was glued to. Normally the glue was breaking away from plywood floor sheeting. I have seen 2 x 12 shrink 3/8 of an inch before in as little as a few months during the summer.

Now as time went on the old construction adhesives were replaced with a new window sealant made by a company called TOPS. This stuff was the hottest and best product of the decade to me. I used this stuff for everything.

This new urethane glue was now being used for sub floors, stair treads, sealing the windows flashing and siding. This stuff is still in use today and is a great choice for all of the uses I mentioned above. The price for this sealant is about double that of most water-based or solvent-based glues. But it's worth it.

So there you have it I like the urethane glues because of their flexibility, elasticity, their ability to adhere to wood concrete or metal and their performance in the years ahead.

There is one thing to keep in mind when using construction adhesives. Most construction workers seem to ignore the fact that the wood needs to be dry and clean before applying the construction adhesive. There have been quite a few times I have witnessed carpenters working with me and ignoring my advice.

Don't put yourself into this category. Doing quality work and following the manufacturers recommended installation instructions for their product will decrease your liability if there is ever a problem. Read the instructions carefully on all of the building products you use.

The manufacturers of these construction adhesives have thoroughly tested them. So use them properly and follow all safety warnings.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Carlsbad Structural Repairs

Christian Articles

Boosting The Self Morale

2009-09-07T18:01:00.001-07:00

For conducting life, a certain amount of motivation is required. For a person to perform daily needs it is important to cut the routine and add a few elements of interesting things so that the monotony does not affect life. Actually problems get solved themselves if we continue to live with a lot of positive behavior. The best friends of a person are prayers, books and a circle or positive people. In case we look around, we find the solution and fixes right there but there is a need to pull up our socks and seek that particular solution.

Self morale is badly affected when a student misses his seat after failing in his CET or is not selected for the final round of sports. A mother feels frustrated that despite cooking the best meals, the child does not seem inclined towards meals. The security personnel feels neglected that his efforts go unappreciated. Hence the root cause of low morale is when expectations are not met with the right results or when the connected person is totally a different personality.

It is true that we can change only ourselves and cannot change others or circumstances. For boosting self morale there is only one rule and that is to stay unfazed in normal as well adverse situation. The common causes of morale is about low self esteem, rejection in love, being let down by friends or not winning the esteemed position through promotion. But sometimes there are no answers even if we look for them. Hence it is better to change ourselves rather than engage in mental debate.

Boosting self morale means getting more social. There are community organizations that need volunteers or join a club to meet people regularly. Select a place like a jogging park or a garden where you can see new faces. The initial smile and the first good mornings will become habitual in the future days and you can win many friends hereby. Invest in some good books and get into a reading habit. Learn about a new skill, the new inter continental recipe or learn to make a tattoo.

Get a makeover done or arrange for refurbishing your wardrobe. Visit the old aunt in the next city and take time in the weekends to just be 'you'. This festive season apart from buying gifts for your parents or spouse, splurge on yourself. Take your finance more seriously and join in a workout-diet program to lose that excess weight. Looking good is conducive to feeling good and does much to boost the self morale.

Find out how to motivate and boost your self morale and also check inspiration and motivation blog on these links

Planning Your Bathroom Remodel Budget - Home Improvement Ideas

2009-09-07T16:08:00.001-07:00

As a bathroom remodeling contractor, I get calls from people, that have no idea what they want or how much anything is going to cost. Here's some simple tips that can be very helpful when planning a bathroom remodel budget.

Bathroom Remodeling Investment

In 2008, the average mid-range bathroom cost around $16,000 and you could recoup around $12,000 of your original investment upon the sale of your home. According to a popular remodeling magazine, larger bathrooms using expensive fixtures, tile, bathtubs, woodworking, toilets and showers had an average of $52,000. Upon the sale of a home, you could recoup around $36,000 of your original investment.

Finding out How Much Things Cost

My first suggestion, would be to visit your local home improvement center, lumber yard or plumbing supply warehouse. Larger stores like Home Depot and Lowe's, seemed to provide you with value pricing but don't have a large selection. While doing some research on the Internet I noticed that some of their pricing is outrageously, outrageous. Some plumbing supply warehouses can provide value but beware others won't.

Create a List of Bathroom Remodeling Parts

You can get a good idea of your bathroom remodel costs for your budget by making a list of bathroom parts with pricing and then adding them up for a grand total. If you're a total bathroom remodel budget is $15,000 and you have a $6,000 bathtub with $4000 worth of tile, you could have a budget problem.

Figuring out the Labor

You will have to contact a contractor to get an actual cost for the labor. Sometimes you can double the cost of your bathroom remodeling parts to get a rough idea. If you have a list or a couple of lists and a few pictures of some sample bathrooms, this will make the contractor's job easier and often they can give you a labor price within a few days.

Give Yourself a Cushion

I would suggest leaving yourself a small financial cushion for any additional remodeling items. For example, you could see a different toilet, or instead of painting the walls, you now choose to wallpaper, you could incur additional expenses that you haven't planned for. If you know exactly what you want and stick to the original bathroom remodeling plan, you shouldn't need the cushion.

Financial problems often transfer into construction problems, so spend some time figuring out, how much money you want to spend on the bathroom remodel and try not to go overboard on the budget. I hate to see homeowners struggling with home improvement loan payments. Try to create a bathroom remodeling budget that is realistic and will not create a financial burden upon you or your family.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more bathroom remodeling or home building ideas.

What Happens To Nonbelieving

How Harmful Can Some Words Be

2009-09-07T10:23:00.001-07:00

Could you imagine someone telling you that if you don't do something, you're going to suffer a horrible punishment and possibly death, because you chose to ignore their message. Can simple words create powerful beliefs, isn't this what some religious doctorines create? Even the media does it, think about it the next time you turn your television on or read the newspaper.

You seem to believe something because someone told you that's how it is and when you go to question them, they simply repeat the simple statement, that's how is. It's hard to imagine a few words, articulated almost perfectly can create an overwhelming emotion in someone.

The Germans used propaganda to create fear with a few of these words. It's not just a few of these words, there's more power behind these words if their repeated often. These words can build up someone's hopes and dreams or tear them apart.

Is there a quote that you're fond of? You probably memorized it and it has some sort of significance or creates a certain feeling when mentioned. Quotes are organized words that create powerful beliefs in some people.

If I mention the words," I have a dream" you probably think of Martin Luther King. These four words meant a lot to people that were struggling for their freedom, not only in America but around the world. These words are a example of powerful words that have created a wonderful feeling.

When these powerful words create fear you know it. If you watch the news, night after night and they keep telling you how bad the economy is, it doesn't take long before you believe it. You tighten up your budget and stop spending money, because you are now fearful and don't want to lose what you have. When everyone starts holding onto their money, the economy actually does become worse over time.

Can simple words create powerful beliefs? Yes obviously they can and they do, so be careful when listening to words that create fear and try not to spread this fear around to others. Fear can be turned into relief if the right words are used, I would suggest using happy words to create a happy world. Have a nice day.

Greg is currently working on a self improvement articles filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Ways to Stop Losing Your Car Keys

2009-09-07T08:54:00.001-07:00

You obviously don't need to read this article if you rarely lose your car keys. However if you misplace your car keys often and have a pretty good relationship with your locksmith, it's time to change these bad habits into good ones.

One of my friends, recently lost their car keys. I would like you to listen to what I'm about to say and see if it makes sense to you. Most people get two keys when they buy a car. This means, if they lose one key, they now have a spare key. When they lose their first key, this should give them a pretty good clue that the second key is now the only key, if they wish to drive their car.

Does that make sense? If you lose your first key, you don't have a second or spare key anymore. Now is a good time to purchase a spare key or have one made. Don't wait until you lose the second one, unless you are planning to change your bad habit into a good one.

Now let me get back to my friends who recently lost their car's key. The car they were driving was a new Honda and you can't go to the locksmith to get another key made. You have to order one from the Honda dealer and this key cost them over $200. That's a lot of money for one key.

Now my friends lost both of their original keys and now have one key to operate the vehicle and this key cost them over $200. Now if I had to pay this amount of money, I would make sure that I never lost this key ever again. I would do whatever it to to change my old habits and create some new ones.

How hard is it to get in the habit of placing your keys inside of your purse. Placing your keys in your pockets and then only removing them when you are going to place them inside of a drawer, container, cup, bowl or on a shelf in your bedroom. If you place your keys in a drawer, this will keep them out of other people's temptation.

If you choose to lay your keys in a bowl, in the kitchen, there's a good chance someone will take them or another member of your family could lose them. Place your keys in a protected area, do not leave them out in the open ever.

If you want some tips to prevent you from losing your keys, simply talk to someone who rarely if ever loses their keys. Most of these people have simple and easy to follow tips. You can consciously create a habit that can save you money and frustration in the future.

Greg is currently working on a spiritual video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world.

Was Jesus A Good Example

Stunning Motivational Makeover

2009-09-07T02:54:00.001-07:00

There is a common saying which says - we become what we think. Can we give a thorough makeover to what we think? Can we transform our negative thoughts to positive ones? Can we sharpen our mental imagery and transform our self-esteem so that it can positively create a mental strength? These days we put a great deal of emphasis on the way we look. Everybody is talking about external makeovers. The television, magazines, radios are all talking about a makeover, a new look that can totally transform your lifestyle. We see individuals receiving makeovers in all types of television shows ranging from talk shows to fashion shows. It is as if a snake is shedding its skin for a new one. The transformation is considered to be drastic. But have you not ever wondered that such transformation is merely an eye-wash that can to a certain extent improve the materiality of our life, but not our inner being? We should not merely focus our attention on looking our best, but rather more importantly focus on feeling well.

It would be interesting if we give our inner being, our soul, our personality a motivational makeover so that it can transform our life permanently for the better. We can start effecting this internal change by using the motivational wallpapers as background to our home and workplace computers. So even while you are busy with our work our senses would be immediately heightened. We need not busy ourselves in motivational readings or motivational exercises. We can have the wallpapers in the background and we will feel energized. These jewels of photography with their words of wisdom can renovate our attitude and outlook to life. They would excite in us new thought processes and new ways of thinking.

Motivational wallpapers contain quotes within a serene and soothing background so as to immediately incite us to a positive action. The background imagery moulds our thought processes, boosts our self-perception and opens up endless vistas of self-exploration. It results in positive energy which gets reflected in our body language, verbal expressions, and our look and in our personality.

These motivational wallpapers are tremendously appealing. It seems always to interact with us in a silence. The nature photographs soothe our senses so that we have tranquil mind and then we can easily reflect on the words of wisdom depicted on them. We can ponder over the thought and how it can positively affect our life. We do not relax in our lethargic complacency; instead we are aroused to positive action. In the modern society we have become so excessively materialistic that we spend a lot of money on make-ups and clothes to have a new look. Instead, if we could just change our thought process, motivate our soul and our psyche we will be able to make our life more enjoyable. The makeover of our outward selves for which we are thus striving would automatically get transformed with a change in our inner being. Thus by using these motivational wallpapers we will be able to bring permanent and lasting changes to our life.

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http://appearingeverywhere.blogspot.com/

Frederick Snelling is an author, multimedia designer and positive thinking founder of this inspirational website with motivational quotes, positive affirmations, positive energy articles and much more.

Stair Lighting Problems

2009-09-07T01:28:00.001-07:00

Walking up and down the stairs in the dark could become a safety issue. If the stairs in the house are not that old, there should be a light switch at the top and a light switch at the bottom of the stairway. This is a three way switch and is designed to allow you to turn the stair lighting on as you walk up the stairs and then turn the stair lighting off, once you've safely reached the top of the stairway. And vice versa as she walked down the stairs.

If you don't have a light switch, there are motion sensor lights that are battery operated and can be installed easily in the stairway. These lights can provide you with peace of mind, while protecting your family from accidents.

Stairway accidents are nothing to joke about, I lived in a two-story house with four other people and was the last one to fall down the stairway. None of us got seriously injured and the stairway was built to meet local building codes and was inspected by a building and safety inspector. The stairs were built correctly and the stair lighting was no problem, but people still fell down the stairway and it always happens in the evening.

During the day time there were two windows that let plenty of light into the stairway and in the evening the stairway became quite dark, rarely was the stair lightning ever turned on. This could have been outright laziness but nevertheless, it was rarely used and eventually became a safety issue.

Lighting your stairway might not end all of your problems but it can and some of your problems. There are plenty of stair lighting systems available on the market today and some of the battery operated stair lighting systems can be installed by most homeowners.

Think safety always and do your best to solve your stair lighting problems as soon as possible to prevent injuries or accidents.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more building stairs or home building ideas.

Spiritual Dictionary

3 Keys to Personal Self Help

2009-09-06T19:25:00.001-07:00

Personal self help is one of the greatest ways to reach your purpose and achieve your goals in life. The more you grow and increase personally the more you will succeed in your life. However, its not always easy to know where to start or what to do. Here are 3 keys to personal self help.

1. Read.

One of the simplest ways to start your personal self help is to read books, magazines, and articles on the topic that you are wanting to grow in. There are so many books in the world today that you can find a great book that will help you. This is one of the ways that I first started my personal self help. Its not always possible to sit down and get the knowledge and wisdom from someone personally but you can get it first hand in a book that they have written.

2. Get a mentor/coach.

Probably the most powerful way to grow is to get a mentor or a coach. This will allow you to learn directly from someone that you respect as well as get hands on experience. Another great thing that you will get is the gift of accountability. This may not seem like something you want but it will do wonders for your progress in life. If you really want the most personal self help, you need to have a mentor or coach.

3. Be honest with yourself.

I have talk to many people that say all the right things but arent honest with themselves. They deny that they have certain areas that they need to change and are always sidestepping the real issues at hand. For you to truly change and be all that you can you have to be more honest with yourself then with anyone else.

Is there greatness on the inside of you but you don't know how to achieve it? Jason has just completed his brand new 7 part e-course, 'Find Your Greatness'

Get it free here: Find Your Greatness

Do you want to learn how to create successful habits and goals? Download Jasons new FREE ebook here: Goal Setting

Jason Osborn has dedicated himself to changing thousands of lives by helping people find their greatness and true potential through his Find Your Greatness Newsletter.

Inerrancy of the Bible - Are There Mistakes in the Bible

2009-09-06T17:58:00.001-07:00

What does the word inerrancy main? Inerrancy would refer to text that is accurate and totally free of any errors or without any mistakes. Does this sound like any book that you have ever read or have knowledge of. Maybe there is a one sentence book that could fall into this category.

Most books however and even this article has mistakes. If I made a decision to base my life, my entire life and that of my children and grandchildren, I would want to make sure that it was accurate as possible.

Is the Bible, 100%, 90%, or even 50% accurate. Are these stories that were written by people many years ago and the lessons have been helpful but now need to be rewritten.

Does the Bible actually contain the will of God? Some scholars believe that certain sections of the Bible meet this criteria while others do not. How can these people judge if they are not God and how can we believe in this stuff is not true.

If the Bible was inspired by God but written by men, this could actually mean that God had complete control over writing the Bible or does this mean that the man wrote the Bible with gods inspiration. I'm inspired by God daily and often write about it, but don't seem to have enough followers to make it into the biblical Hall of Fame. I'm writing with inspired beliefs right now.

If there are errors in the Bible, how extensive or how many errors are there actually. There are actual stories that can be documented as historical facts. This doesn't mean the rest of the Bible is factual, nor does it mean it is historically inaccurate.

The Bible has some errors in it and some facts that we can prove but leaves us with the question, is this a book from the Creator of the universe or a book written by men, to make us believe, it was written by God and if so why are we still believe being in it. Why do some people read this book and other religious text daily? What motivates them to read holy Scripture regularly but doesn't seem to allow them enough time to find out if they are reading accurate information.

The biggest problem I have with the inerrancy of the Bible is the fact that most people tend to ignore certain truths and cling to their childhood beliefs about religion. If this is not the way or the truth, I would want to start looking for it, instead of following someone else's dreams or religious doctrine.

Greg is currently working on a video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion. Religious Education And Fear

What Happens To Nonbelieving

The Beginning of Religions

2009-09-06T12:03:00.001-07:00

It seems like everywhere we look in the world, we are always focused on something in the middle. Often we are spending most of our time thinking about the end and never thinking about how it all began. In the holy Bible, it states in the beginning but doesn't talk about the beginning of the beginning. Where did God come from, that is the actual beginning.

I don't know how many stories I've read in the Bible about other people's triumphs and defeats, but keep in mind that some of these stories cannot be proven, factually. Some people believe in Krishna, others Jesus, Buddha, God, and the vast and numerous creators of the world and the entire universe. I don't know which one or if all of them are the true God's and by that I would refer to God as the creator of the universe.

It seems to be extremely difficult to prove scientifically and without any doubt, that the earth was created by a creator, according to popular religious text and would be very difficult to prove with in the leading religions of the world.

Let's get back to the question of where did God come from? There obviously had to be someone before the creation of the universe, if you choose to believe in a creator. Is God a man, woman or some sort of spiritual entity, like a ghost or maybe some smoke that can form into anything at any time and if so, did his secrets come from another creator or superior being. Was God involved in self-help and learned all these secrets on his own, through trial and error.

I often wonder, how long the creator of the universe was alive before our creation and what other worlds has this all mighty and powerful being built before or after ours. Do we have sister universes and if so, will we ever be able to see them or visit them, during our lifetimes.

Most people dismiss the creation of the creator, but wouldn't this be one of the most important parts of any religion? There's obviously something to think about here and I wish that most people practicing religions, which involve a deity or superior being, could take a little more interest in finding out where their God actually came from.

Oh yeah, one more thing. If you do find the answers, I would love to hear from you and by the way, you would be solving one of the universes most perplexing and complicated secrets. You could be a gazillionaire and make the cover of Time magazine, something to think about.

Religious Education

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg is currently working on a Christian help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Slow Market Home Pricing Advice

2009-09-06T10:16:00.001-07:00

Homes are going to be sold in good markets and bad. When times are good, people often forget that bad times will be coming eventually. During good times, people often get caught up in the hype of the real estate boom. During tough times, houses will be sold eventually, or taken off the market and sold later. If you need to sell the home as soon as possible, for financial or other reasons, you will have to adjust your price with the current market and don't get greedy.

This is the hardest thing for most people to do, lower the price of their home in order to sell it in a slow real estate market. Don't get caught up in the value of your home, six months or even a year ago. Last year's prices are not going to be this year's prices and you need to get that through your thick skull. If the average homes in your neighborhood are selling for $250,000 and you have a swimming pool or done some upgrades, maybe a room addition. Your home is going to be worth more than the average selling price.

Most real estate professionals will price your home according to the length of time you have to sell it. If you're in a hurry to sell, they don't have time to test the market. The price of your home would need to be competitive or lower than homes selling in the area. Whether homes are selling fast in a good market for selling slow in a bad market, if you have time, you can ask a little bit more for your home. If the market hasn't reached the bottom, waiting could actually hurt you, because the prices of the homes in the area would still be dropping.

Listen to your real estate professionals advice when pricing your home. That's what you're hiring them for, they are in the real estate business. Your neighbors, relatives, friends and people you work with, will probably be guessing if you asked for their opinion on pricing your house.

Your house is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Finding that person is the key to selling your home, finding that person as soon as possible could give you the illusion that you sold your home to cheap. Don't worry about it, your final objective is to sell the house.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If you really think your home is safe, check out these pictures about home water damage.

When Do We Get To Meet God

Communication Style Quiz

2009-09-06T04:20:00.001-07:00

Try this fun self-quiz to find out your dominant Communication Style. Afterwards read about the different styles and reflect on how you can work with others of a different style. Choose the number of the statement that most closely resembles you:

1. At a large social gathering, you are most likely to:

a. interact with many different people, strangers included.

b. talk one-on-one mostly with people you already know.

c. use the opportunity to make important contacts.

d. leave as soon as it is polite to do so.

2. When you first arrive at a meeting you are usually

a. ...a bit late, and try to sneak in the back without being noticed.

b. ...purposely a bit late, you like to get there when things have started happening already.

c. ...arrive right on time and feel impatient if the meeting starts late.

d. ...arrive early so that you can be ready and organized when the meeting starts.

3. If you were famous in your field, which career would most suit you?

a. Movie star

b. Head of a company

c. Inventor

d. Humanitarian

4. What style of entertainment do you most enjoy watching?

a. Something warm and friendly.

b. Something quirky and intellectual.

c. Something political or satirical.

d. Something wild, outrageous and/or fun.

5. Of these four personality traits, you consider your strongest to be:

a. Compassion

b. Assertiveness

c. Imagination

d. Persistence

6. The statement that most closely describes you is:

a. Sensible and frugal.

b. Rational and quick-witted.

c. Sensitive and reliable.

d. Creative and fiery.

7. Which appeals to you the most?

a. Taking action on a calculated risk.

b. Creating harmonious human relationships.

c. Discovering the secret behind a complex mystery.

d. Going to an exciting social event.

8. Which rules you more?

a. Your heart

b. Your head

c. Your wallet

d. Your libido

9. New and non-routine interaction with others:

a. ...usually stimulates and energize you.

b. ...revitalizes you, if you have a special connection with someone in the process.

c. ...taxes your reserves, and you arent afraid to let people know it.

d. ...taxes your reserves, so you quietly slip away when no one is watching.

10. When doing group projects, which part of the process is most important to you?

a. Creating relationships with people.

b. Sorting out who is playing what role in the project.

c. Organizing the way the project is done.

d. Making sure the process of doing it is fun and exciting.

11. If you suddenly have some spare time on a weekend, what you usually most WANT to do is:

a. ...contact several friends and see if there is something fun going on.

b. ...have some quality time with one or a just a few people.

c. ...get a number of important things done on your TO DO list.

d. ...focus your energy on one specific hobby or project.

12. You want to buy a special gift for a new friend that you dont know very well. You are most likely to:

a. Buy the first thing you see that you intuitively think they would like.

b. Carefully find just the right thing, after much comparison-shopping.

c. Buy the same special gift you always buy for special people.

d. Get someone else to buy the gift, or just give your friend some money.

13. Which description most fits you?

a. Hard working and ambitious

b. Animated and gregarious

c. Focused and efficient

d. Cooperative and gentle

14. Most of the time, when working, you prefer:

a. To do your job quietly on your own.

b. To be an integral part of a team working together.

c. To influence the team in new and creative directions

d. To be the leader and structure-maker for the team

15. When the phone rings do you

a. ...answer it immediately and talk at length.

b. ...look forward to the call, but wait a few rings before answering.

c. ...deal with whoever it is quickly and efficiently.

d. ...hope someone else will answer it.

16. Your favorite type of clothing to wear:

a Something comfortable, practical and low key.

b. A unique ensemble that makes a statement.

c. An expensive-looking power outfit.

d. Something easy-going and nice.

17. Which genre of fiction to you most prefer:

a. Mystery, documentary or science fiction

b. Feel-good story or romance

c. Epic, historical or action

d. Comedy, psychological thriller, glitzy

18. Which is more admirable:

a. The ability to organize and be methodical.

b. The ability to take charge in a chaotic situation.

c. The ability to motivate others to succeed.

d. The ability to make people feel comfortable and included.

19. In terms of comedy, I most closely identify with people who can:

a. tell a heartwarming, funny story.

b. tell a good joke.

c. create great characters through movement, voice, costume, etc.

d. tell a witty one-liner, pun, or wordplay.

20. If a conflict arises between a friend and I, my first reaction is to:

a. make sure they understand my position on things.

b. make sure the relationship doesnt get damaged.

c. avoid that person for a while.

d. find a compromise, where we both get at least part of what we want.

Communication Style Quiz - Answers

Circle the answers you chose. Then, count the number of As, Ds, Ns, and Cs you have at the bottom

1. a. D b. N c. A d. C
2. a. N b. D c. A d. C
3. a. D b. A c. C d. N
4. a. N b. C c. A d. D
5. a. N b. A c. D d. C
6. a. C b. A c. N d. D
7. a. A b. N c. C d. D
8. a. N b. C c. A d. D
9. a. D b. N c. A d. C
10. a. N b. A c. C d. N
11. a. D b. N c. D d. C
12. a. D b. N c. C d. A
13. a. A b. D c. C d. N
14. a. C b. N c. D d. A
15. a. D b. N c. A d. C
16. a. C b. D c. A d. N
17. a. C b. N c. A d. D
18. a. C b. A c. D d. N
19. a. N b. A c. D d. C
20. a. A b. N c. C d. D

Total As _____

Total Ds ______

Total Ns ______

Total Cs ______

Total should come to 20

Read on about the various Communication styles. Keep in mind, the descriptions that follow are extreme examples to illustrate how they differ. Most people are a combination of the four styles, and some people are so unique, they dont fit into any quadrant. Use the descriptions simply as a guideline to help you see how workplace communications can be greatly affected by an individuals style

Demonstrators

Demonstrators are people-oriented, fast-paced and enthusiastic. They usually have more open and casual body language. They tend to be animated and outgoing, and prefer an informal atmosphere. Demonstrators can be outrageous, spontaneous, excitable and sociable. They are ideas people who like to be in the limelight. If over-balanced in this style some weaknesses may show up such as being unreliable, self-centered, overly optimistic and indiscriminate.

How to recognize Demonstrators

They tend to:

be somewhat disorganized

have trouble being on time and keeping track of details

wear bright colors

sit in an open posture

take the initiative in the conversation

laugh easily and loudly

are fun-loving

like to talk about themselves

Types of professions where you find many Demonstrators

Salesperson

Trial Lawyer

Entertainer

Public Relations Officer

Advertising Executive

Social director

Famous people who are predominantly Demonstrators

Steve Martin

Carol Burnett

Robin Williams

Jim Carey

Lucille Ball

Jerry Lewis

Elvis Presley

Zig Ziglar

Pierre Trudeau

Marilyn Monroe

Charlie Chaplin

Assertors

Assertors are fast-paced and direct, like Demonstrators, but are more task-oriented, than people-oriented. They tend to be hard working, ambitious, leader types. They are good at making decisions quickly and efficiently. They are goal-oriented, assertive and confident. Assertors are the take-charge people who let nothing stop them. If over-balanced in this style some weaknesses may show up such as being too impatient, competitive and judgmental.

How to recognize Assertors

They tend to:

like timeliness and efficiency

look and appear powerful and formal

sit in an erect posture

be highly discriminating in many areas (people, opportunities, food, etc.)

laugh less frequently than demonstrators, maintain a more serious demeanor

take a leadership role in most situations

ask pointed or challenging questions

have strong opinions and creative ideas to share

Types of professions where you find many Assertors

Corporate CEO

Politician

Stockbroker

Lawyer

Hard-driving newspaper reporter

Independent consultant

Drill sergeant

Film/TV Director

Entrepreneur

Famous people who are predominantly Assertors

Jonathan Winters

Bea Arthur

Joan Rivers

John Cleese

Muhammed Ali

Carroll OConnor

Ed Asner

Clint Eastwood

Candace Bergen

George C. Scott

David Letterman

Margaret Thatcher

Contemplators

Contemplators are task-oriented like Assertors. However they are more indirect and slow-paced. Contemplators tend to be analytical, detail-oriented, thinker types. They are persistent, good problem solvers, and pride themselves on their orderliness and accuracy. Often seen alone, they tend to have quiet, low-key personalities. If over-balanced in this style some weaknesses may show up such as being too withdrawn, rigid, closed-minded, and overly pessimistic.

How to recognize Contemplators

They tend to:

wear conservative, simple, functional clothing

sit in a closed posture

keep to themselves

not initiate conversations, wait for you to do that

take copious notes

maintain meticulous organization

stay serious, rarely laugh

like to hear facts, figures, statistics and proof

Types of professions where you find many Contemplators

Accountant

Secretary

Bookkeeper

Repair person

Engineer

Draughtperson

Electrician

Plumber

Jeweller

Scientist

Famous people who are predominantly Contemplators

Albert Einstein

Rick Moranis

Steven Wright

Woody Allen

Leonard Nimoy

Paula Poundstone

Deepak Chopra

Victor Borge

Carl Sagan

Al Gore

Angela Lansbury

Narrators

Narrators are slow-paced and indirect like Contemplators, but they are more people-oriented like Demonstrators. They are warm, friendly, gentle and cooperative. They highly value relationships over goals. They are good at listening, have a sweet temperament, and tend to be open-minded. Most people find them to be loving, and emotionally intuitive. If over-balanced in this style it can show up as overly meek and easily sidetracked.

How to recognize Narrators

They tend to:

come across as very accommodating and helpful

wear casual, simple clothing, nothing too loud

take the initiative to create relationships, like to both talk and listen

have pictures of family on their desk

laugh quietly and often (but sometimes theyre laughing just to be polite)

show gratitude easily

Types of professions where you find many Narrators

Counselor

Teacher

Minister

Human Resources Manager

Nurse

Social Worker

Famous people who are predominantly Narrators

Mary Tyler Moore

Bill Cosby

Jean Stapleton

John Candy

Mr. Rogers

Gilda Radner

Dan Ackroyd

Jack Canfield (Editor of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books)

Leo Buscaglia

Jimmy Carter

Barbara Walters

Bill Clinton

Florence Nightengale

Carla Rieger is an expert on creative people skills at work. If you want a motivational speaker, trainer, or leadership coach to help you stay on the creative edge, contact Carla Rieger.

Web site: http://www.carlarieger.com
Tel: 1-866-294-2988
Email carla@carlarieger.com

Installing a 32 Inch Back Door

2009-09-06T02:45:00.001-07:00

In some older houses you will find a 30 inch back door. Have you ever tried to move a refrigerator or some large furniture through a 30 inch door? Keep in mind most bedroom doors are 30 inches wide and are in 36 inch hallways. 30 inch doors and bedrooms make it tough to move some furniture in too.

Let's start with the price difference between a 30 inch door and a 32 inch door. The cost difference is usually going to be around $20. If you are building a hundred homes this could become quite an additional expense. So we can understand why the home builder installed a 30 inch door in the back of our home.

He got the extra money in his pocket, you got a headache.

Here's the big problem. If you ever want to install a larger door you will need to replace the structural door framing. Now this is where you could run into a little bit of an expense. Changing the framing for a wider door could become quite costly. It could actually cost over $1000 in some cases.

Now if the homebuilder would have originally installed a 32 inch door in your house it might have ran him as high as an additional $45. How can this be? I will give you the first clue. There is a good chance the homebuilder will not be moving into any of these houses. If for some strange instance he did move into the house, he would learn the same lesson whenever he needed to move a large item into the house.

I'm a contactor and learned this lesson in a long time ago.

If you are building a new home you might even want to consider installing a 36 inch back door. This door will give you plenty of room when it comes to moving large items in or out of your house. The cost difference between a 36 inch door and a 32 inch door is usually around $20 also.

When building a new home most people don't give very much thought about their interior or exterior doors. Here's a simple chart I made to help with some basic door decisions.

Bathroom Doors Should Be 28 Inches Wide Minimum.
Bedroom Doors Should Be 30 Inches Wide Minimum.
Front Doors Should Be At Least 36 Inches Wide
Back Doors and Garage Doors Should Be At Least 32 Inches Wide

If you are a professional football or basketball player don't use these numbers above.

If you have large sliding glass doors or French doors throughout your home and can use them to move large items into the house you can install whatever size doors you choose that are comfortable to walk through.

Give some thought when installing a new door on your next project and keep some of the above tips in mind..

If you are designing a home give some thought to the stairways and hallways in the home as well.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Bay Window Ideas

Ask And You Might Receive Or Ask

Religious Thought

2009-09-05T20:37:00.001-07:00

As a young boy and even into my early adult hood, I asked almost every one that I knew, what they thought heaven was going to be like. These people painted me the most wonderful and beautiful pictures, with the words coming out of their mouths. One woman told me that heaven was going to be the most wonderful place you could ever imagine. She told me that, I would be able to do anything that I wanted to do at any time of the day or night.

All I can say to this, is why are we afraid to die and why do we put that much effort into staying here, when heaven sounds like the place we all want to be. This becomes very confusing during troubled times. We live our whole life to be the best we can possibly be, and then and only then do we get to enter the kingdom of heaven, the most wonderful place in the universe.

Another man told me that, if I wanted to go to heaven, the more good deeds I did on earth, the better buy chances were of actually entering heaven. He said that some people don't get to go, because they did a couple of bad things or maybe one really, really bad thing, like murder. I often wondered what would be worse, murder or painting demonic symbols on the walls of a church, mosque or synagogue. I hope I'm not confusing you anymore than organized religions.

Well now that I have a pretty good idea, that in order to enter into heaven, I need to do good things... that's what I will do for the rest of my life. Sounds simple doesn't it. Now for the bad news, depending on which religion you choose to follow and don't forget that Christianity is one religion that allows you, something special, right before you die, no matter how bad of a person you were to accept Jesus Christ into your heart and accept him as the Almighty God, and this gets you one free pass into heaven.

Am I confusing you at all, does this make sense? When the man told me, that, the only way I would get to go to heaven was by doing good deeds and then the Bible tells me that, I just need to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and I get to go to the promised land, heaven. All right now were talking, this sounds pretty good now. I won't have to do very many good things and before I die can ask forgiveness for all the bad things I did.

I don't know what's true, but I can say that it gets a little confusing and as you go from religion to religion and place of worship to other places of worship, you will hear different stories, from different religious leaders. I can't make much sense out of some religions, but if you want to believe in heaven, there is someone out there who can paint you, the most wonderful picture of heaven in your mind. Whether we really get to go there or not, depends on what you want to believe in.

I wrote this article to get people thinking about the choices they've made and the religions they choose to follow. Is your religion right and others are wrong? Ask yourself this one question, think back, to when you made a conscious choice to follow the religion you're in right now, if any, most of the time you started believing as a child and never really got to choose because your parents, teachers, friends, family or guardians made a choice for you.

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

If you want to read something funny and get your daily laugh in, you need to read this, it's funny Using Religion Responsibility. It's based on overindulgence.

Slow Market Home Pricing Advice

2009-09-05T19:11:00.001-07:00

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If you really think your home is safe, check out these pictures about home water damage.

Ask And You Might Receive Or Ask

Personal Self-Esteem Equals Profits

2009-09-05T12:47:00.001-07:00

Since birth we have been taught to obey our elders, watch our manners, work on our hygiene, and a myriad of other behavioral molding characteristics. Though in many instances we are taught and have worked fine for most of us, we nevertheless also forget the freedom to think independently. Therefore, what evolve overtime is the skills to solve problems and address issues of personal self confidence and the faith in ourselves. We get stuck with negativity's and thoughts that hinder creative thinking. Some in many instances begin to development feelings of fear, anxiety, stress, and issues of anger which then lead to frustration and a low level of personal self esteem.

The purpose of this article is bring to light the skills one can develop to deal with the everyday challenges of interactive relationships. Identifying the elements needed to cope with fostering collegial relations with colleagues, friends, and business associates. The importance of identifying a true purpose in this world and that you can be a contributing factor in promoting positive and progressive thinking. Finding the appropriate avenues of being a servant, to help others, and to establish a process for communicating service for the benefit of mankind.

The program of personal self development and leadership presented in my leadership formula addresses the issues that negatively impacts personal growth and progress. It works on personal management progression and output results based on performance and accomplishments. It is done through focus driven exercises designed to make you be a successful business person. The formula of personal self development will in essence make you a success in the business world allowing you the opportunity to help others.

This program of leadership development establishes the key core values for progressive thinking people interested in self improvement, business development, program design and management and the creation of personal self development and leadership models to be an inspiration to your community, friends, colleagues, business associates and future clients.

Dr. Richard C. Baiz is a Doctorate in Business Administration. He is a College and Corporate Personal/Leadership Development Instructor and Coach. Dr. Baiz is an expert in Personal/Organizational Development and Management. Dr Baiz gets his clients top notch successful results fast: Personal and Leadership Development

Attic Odors and Strange Smells

2009-09-05T11:27:00.001-07:00

If you've ever opened up your attic access hole, only to find one of the worst odors you have ever smelled in your whole life, I've been there too. What causes these horrible smells and what can you do about them?

Let's start with the cause of these smells, moisture, dirt, mold, mildew, dead animals, animals that make their home in your attic and the biggest problem of all is normally poor ventilation.

Poor ventilation is the biggest problem with musty smells in the attic. These smells are often caused from moisture accumulating in the building materials over time. If there is enough moisture in the attic, the wood will start to rot but this wouldn't be a normal situation, unless there was a roof or water leak.

Roof leaks can cause a constant supply of water to one part of the attic. This constant supply of water will eventually rot the wood and damage the ceiling. Water leaks from pipes can provide a steady supply of water and the situation can attracts termites and mold. Not a good thing.

One of the worst possible smells or odors in your attic would be a dead animal. Don't under estimate the size of some of these animals, they have found dead raccoons, cats, snakes, large birds, squirrels, rats and mice in some attics. These animals usually enter through damaged access holes or vent blocks, roof vents, large gaps, holes and even fireplace chimneys.

Once these animals die, their bodies start to decompose and produce one horrible odor. Once the body is completely decomposed, the smell usually goes away if the attic is ventilated properly. These smells can seep into the homes living area, often creating a room that no one wants to enter.

Home peststhat make their home in your attics, often create smells from urinating and defecating in the areas around their nest. Large birds like owls can become a problem over time.

Now that we've figured out some of the causes for attic odors and strange smells, what can we do to prevent this from happening and if it's already happened, how can we get rid of the smell.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your having problems in your attic, find out more at pest control books and home building ideas.

Questions To Ask Your Pastor

Beyond Motivation - Passion

2009-09-05T05:10:00.001-07:00

It seems that just as we shifted paradigms in the eighties, we worked synergistically in the nineties; now we are passionate in the naughties. Even my local petrol station has passion brochures at the pump! So what are we passionate for ?

Last October I got some unasked for, but expert, advice from an extreme extrovert to be more passionate. After I had calmed down, I took a long hard look at what I was doing and seriously questioned my passion level. This was after all, expert advice.

My research took me through a motley assortment of superficial pop psychology and self help books, all with Passion in the title and each more inane than the last. Finally I stumbled across a book by Sydney author Peter Wallman, The Wisdom of Passion. He appeared to get to the real core of what Passion is, and after meeting with him I was convinced that he had identified a simple but powerful process for identifying and capturing our core passions. I loved the simplicity of the process and the clarity it brought to me and my business. Now I assist others to identify what it is that gets their juices flowing.

Along the way through research, self analysis and questioning of my clients and others who have Passion Mapped I have identified some keys to passion.

Passion is very personal and unique to the individual.

Most of our strongest passions are kept internalised and rarely expressed outwardly.

The most powerful passions are not material (or sport).

Connecting strongly with our passions creates a magnetic effect We attract people and opportunities.

Eliciting deep passions requires skill, we have learned well from the school of hard knocks to keep this side of ourselves hidden.

When we express our passion, our voices change, our eyes sparkle, and our physical demeanor shifts.

Passion is contagious be very careful.

Passion comes before motivation and way before action.

Passion makes a difference.

I share my story of being told to be more passionate with colleagues and clients and generally get snorts of bemusement. As an introvert, I am not given to bounding into a room, leaping in the air, giving great shouts, or jumping up and down on a sofa Oprahs or anyone elses. So how do I express Passion? Tell me after you talk to me!!!

Passion is not something you have more (or less) of. Passion is inherent and intrinsic.

Last week I had the opportunity to coach 10 leaders and staff members of a niche organisation during three intense days.
Each of these individuals has a determination and a spark in their eyes, a tone of voice and a body posture which unmistakably conveys the depth of their passion about the work they do. Unsurprisingly, the organisations Director is passionately leading from the front - a true visionary leader. I felt honoured and very humbled to be coaching this particular team. Their common focus and harnessed energy, steered by their Director, is making a huge difference to their client base. Truly a high impact and passion based organisation.

One of our tasks as leaders is to uncover and unleash the hidden power of Passion in our employees, to harness and direct this passion towards a common shared goal. Just imagine, if you will, for a moment what your team could achieve this year if they were as passionately involved and focused as the organisation I mentioned earlier.

Kofi Annan said To live is to choose. But to choose, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go, and why you want to get there.
In business our Mission and Values statements spell out who we are and what we stand for, Our Vision statement gives where we want to go, and our Strategy gives us the how. But the why is missing.

Passion is the why!!

Liz Cassidy, founder of Third Sigma International is an author, Speaker, Trainer and Executive Coach and is passionate about facilitating results in the businesses, professional and personal lives of her clients. For more information http://www.thirdsigma.com.au

The Bible's Power Over One Child

2009-09-05T03:51:00.001-07:00

I mentioned Sean in another one of my articles, the story of a young foster boy that we were taking care of. Sean's father was my ex-wife's uncle, and they were going through some tough times for a while and their three children ended up as wards of the state. We eventually ended up taking the oldest child because he was the hardest one to place and another home. His brother and sister ended up with a family that wanted to adopt them and eventually Sean went to live with them and I believe all three of them were adopted by this family. I don't know this for a fact though.

Sean was a emotionally damaged child. His parents would punish him with some strange and bizarre punishments. They weren't really physical punishments but seemed to leave the emotional scars on him and I often think about where he is and what he is doing.

We watched him for about a year and I learned quite a bit from this young man. He was in the third grade but was still at the first grade level for reading and math. I would spend a couple of hours each night during the week helping him with his schoolwork, I seem to have created some sort of allusion that I would be able to bring him up to the third grade level within a short period of time. Wrong. He must've had learning disabilities and of course I don't think I was that good teacher.

Sean was easy going, polite and extremely obedient. He would do anything to avoid getting in trouble and often blamed others for his mistakes. His punishments must have been more than he could bear before he arrived at our home. I think you're getting the picture about what kind of a child Sean was.

One day I found myself in a dilemma with Sean, I couldn't get him to tell me the truth, even though I knew he was lying. I forget what the problem was but I remember a hollow look in his face. It was almost like he wasn't really there. It was almost like he was just doing time, sitting on the bed, listening to me asking the same question over and over again, "Sean are you lying", but he wasn't even paying attention.

I normally would not punish my children for accidents, and never tolerated lying. I was trying to explain to him that he wasn't going to get in trouble, I just wanted to know the truth. He wasn't budging at all and stuck to his story. I remembered that his mother and father were Catholics and feared the church, almost as much as they loved it.

That's what I came up with my evil plan. I don't know where I come up with these ideas, but every once in a while one pops up in my head and I run with it.

I told Sean that I was going to bring the Holy Bible in, and if he could swear on the Bible that he was telling the truth, I would accept that and this would be the end of our conversation. I couldn't believe my eyes, as he started crying and screaming, frantically and excitedly as a yelled out, I did it, I did it, don't bring the Bible in, I won't do it again.

I couldn't believe that was all it took to get information from him. I have always been a pretty good interrogator and found myself gathering information from those people easily, but this was amazing. His fear of the Holy Bible got me thinking about how powerful this book actually is to some people. I remember when I looked upon this book, pretty much the same as Sean did.

It's just a book, like any other book. It's not made at a holy factory or a secret monastery in the Swiss Alps somewhere, it's made from paper and ink and can be damaged and destroyed like other books. I would be surprised if I threw the Bible into the fire, that it wouldn't burn. I would be even more surprised, if I seen three men standing in the fire, wait a minute that's another story in the Bible.

Is it possible for this book to actually control the lives of people. It seemed to control Sean, I wonder if I, could have actually been driving a nail home that his parents started. Could I have added to his belief, that the Bible is a book from God the creator of everything.

Are Christians Really Interested

A College Party Changed My Life Forever

2009-09-04T21:49:00.001-07:00

Excitement immediately exploded as one person after another was asked to the Toga party at the elite sorority house surrounding the pristine college campus. To be invited to this occasion was like finally arriving at the top! Now you would be forever associated with the 'in crowd' who set the highest bar to the most elaborate parties around.

I couldn't believe how lucky I felt! What was I going to wear to the Toga party? Quickly I text messaged my friend telling the news and together we planned my entrance. I wanted to be noticed and invited back again and again.

I arrived at the sorority house filled with anticipation. Entering the house, I walked through two Roman like columns with white cascading draperies across the top and long flowing white sheers on either side. My hostess handed me a beer. Looking around I saw a tent with more sheers and drapes and skimpily dressed girls standing by the entrance beckoning everyone to come in. There were pillows and mattresses spread all over the floor.

Music flooded my ears and the smell of tobacco and marijuana wafted through the air. There was a group of girls all wearing olive leaves in the shape of bikinis and they were dancing and enticing others to join them. One girl grabbed my hand and encouraged me to let go and have fun.

I was from a small town and I was raised by a very conservative family. This was the first time I had attended any kind of toga party with my friends. I had to admit I was a little shy about letting go and enjoying myself. I took a puff from a joint that a friend handed me and before long everything I was taught about faith and obedience to God was pushed aside.

I wanted to have fun. I didn't want to think about whether it was right or wrong. Before long the girls and guys began disrobing and it was no longer about drinking, but about hooking up with as many people as you desired. I was feeling so free and they were so enticing! Why shouldn't I join them?

Not many people understand that we live in a teaching world. It all began when Satan entered into the snake and tempted Adam and Eve to eating the apple from the tree of knowledge. In order to attain knowledge you must be presented with right and wrong choices. Now the once perfect world God created was instantly changed because Satan entered into the world bringing the full force of evil with him.

Satan became man's greatest adversary and he corrupted the souls of men by luring them away from the right teachings of God. Satan does this by attacking man's human desires. He uses sex and the feelings of desire that awaken within a man at the sight of a beautiful woman to lure him into giving into lust. He uses feelings of not being accepted to trap us into drinking until we are drunk and taking drugs so we can feel totally free. He knows just what to say even using our very friends to get us to think with our emotions and not with our heads.

This is the reason why there are orgies because young men and women become so filled with lust, they can't control there desires. This is the reason why there are rapes that lead men into taking sex by force. This is why, young people especially, fall prey to pornography that stimulates there desires to an explosive energy that makes them fall prey to giving into their desires without thinking about the consequences.

During the time of Moses, God separated the Israelites from evil by taking them into the Promised Land. But the people were so corrupted by the teachings of the Egyptians that they wandered in the desert for forty years until he could get them to understand the difference between following Him or Satan. He did this by teaching Laws that gave them the key to resisting evil.

The Ten Commandments taught them how important it was to believe in God. The Commandments taught them how to resist Satan by not committing adultery, murder, stealing, lying and many others that were meant to give them an upper hand against the very things that Satan would use to tempt them into doing evil.

Because Israel was the chosen people they also became the world's example of what happens when you give into sin. They wrote hundreds of stories of their experiences in the Bible so the entire world would understand the consequences for giving into sin and how it can ruin your life for an entire lifetime. One such story was when they were about to enter into the Promised land and they came into the country of Moab. Moab had an evil King named Balak. He found out through a corrupt evil soothsayer named Balaam how to defeat Israel and keep them from taking over their land.

Balaam had a donkey who spoke to him. The donkey saw an Angel of God standing in the road and he stopped Balaam from cursing Israel. As the story unfolds we find that Balaam blessed Israel instead and this made King Balak very mad. So Balaam manipulated the circumstance and encouraged the king to lure the men away and trap them by instructing beautiful Moab women to have sex with the Israelites. (Numbers 31: 16)

Once the Israelites gave into their lust then they would invite them to parties in order to get them to worship their god Baal. When they were no longer serving God then they would be under a curse and the Moabites would easily defeat Israel.

Numbers 25: 1-3a, "When the Israelites were camped at Acacia Valley, the men began to have sexual intercourse with the Moabite women who were there. These women invited them to sacrificial feasts, where the god of Moab was worshiped. The Israelites ate the food and worshiped the god Baal of Peor. So the Lord was angry with them."

In the Old Testament every sin had a sentence that had to be followed in order for God to bless them. This was a sin that could only be rectified with death. Immediately an epidemic spread through Israel killing 24,000 Israelites that committed a sexual sin and were led into worshiping Baal. Remember, this may have seemed like a very harsh punishment, but it had to be like this so we could see what happens when sin enters into a person's life.

The Old Testament clearly illustrates what happens when you give into sin. It tells stories of what happens when God isn't first in your life. It presents stories of real people who allowed Satan to come in and use the very weaknesses found in man to lead them away from God and trap them into living there lives for evil.

If you are not on God's side then you are on the side of Satan and evil. Satan uses lust to tempt the men into turning their backs on God. He uses parties as a means to corrupt your thinking through the use of alcohol and drugs. He uses the desire to fit in as a means to get us to let go of our moral values and give into sin.

2 Peter 2: 13-19, "Pleasure for them is to do anything in broad daylight that will satisfy their bodily appetites; they are a shame and a disgrace as they join you in your meals, all the while enjoying their deceitful ways? They want to look at nothing but immoral women; their appetite for sin is never satisfied. They lead weak people into a trap. Their hearts are trained to be greedy. They are under God's curse! They have left the straight path and have lost their way; they have followed the path taken by Balaam son of Beor, who loved the money he would get for doing wrong and was rebuked for his sin. His donkey spoke with a human voice and stopped the prophet's insane action.

These men are like dried-up springs, like clouds blown along by a storm; God has reserved a place for them in the deepest darkness. They make proud and stupid statements, and use immoral bodily lusts to trap those who are just beginning to escape from among people who live in error. They promise them freedom while they themselves are slaves of destructive habits-for a person is a slave of anything that has conquered him."

When you are in a huge multi-faceted world game of good versus evil you must understand the rules of engagement. Believing in God is the difference between winning and losing your game of life. Understanding sin and temptation is the difference between following God or giving into your desires.

The excitement of the toga party faded when the doctor told me that I had contracted Aids. I couldn't believe how stupid I was to have allowed the pressure of being accepted to lead me into having sex with someone I didn't even know. Now I was under a death sentence for the rest of my life. Who would want a person who could infect them and destroy their life too?

The Old Testament taught us about sin and the consequences. The New Testament tells us about the saving power of grace and how believing in Jesus Christ as your Savior can bring about forgiveness of sin. Jesus' can take a hopeless situation and turn it into good if you will give your life to Him!

Linda C Dipman author of THE GAME OF LIFE IT'S ALMOST OVER http://outskirtspress.com/gameoflife presents AND HIS LOVE SHONE DOWN my true life story! It describes all the persecutions I endured. It will put you on the edge of your seat as you read each vivid detail. You will feel terror and experience love like nothing you have ever read before. http://lovinghandsministry.com

Ways to Stop Losing Your Car Keys

2009-09-04T20:16:00.001-07:00

Greg is currently working on a spiritual video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world.

Personal Development

A Customer's Review of Jonathan Manske's Book, the Law of Attraction Made Simple

2009-09-04T14:17:00.001-07:00

I have been studying the law of attraction for quite some time now and find the concept absolutely extraordinary. There is no denying the forces of this law when you look at instances in your life or things you have acquired. I have many examples in my own life of the law of attraction in action and every time I reflect upon those things I realize the power of the infinite as well as the power of myself.

While I have manifested many wants and desires in my life there are still things that have fallen short. Therefore, I am always seeking out new resources to better my skill of attraction and to help others who want to master the creation process of their own life as well.

Not to long ago I came across a video interview of Jonathan Manske in which he spoke of his book The Law of Attraction Made Simple. I was intrigued and for the nominal price of $27 I felt it could be a good resource for me.

After spending only a day and half reading it from cover to cover I concluded that it was one of the best books I had read when it came to utilizing applicable strategies to create your desires. The law of attraction is powerful, but unfortunately most of us just go through life blindly attracting things, wanted and unwanted.

Jonathan gives you a step by step process to truly master your creation and clear out any blockages you may have. I found this part to be exceptionally useful and I use the techniques taught in the book on a daily basis. Jonathan gives you, what I call, a blueprint to the law of attraction with real strategic exercises to perform through out your day.

Thank you, Jonathan, for writing such an educational tool for the betterment of society.

You can order your copy of Jonathan Manske's book at http://www.jonathanmanske.com

I am no way associated with the income of this book. I simply am a happy customer

Stacy McIntosh is a leader in the network marketing industry and shows others in her organization how to powerfully utilize the law of attraction in their own life and business. Stacy can be contacted through her websites http://www.theDNAdevelopment.com or http://www.successinyourslippers.com

Change Your Thinking About Life

2009-09-04T12:54:00.001-07:00

What do I do when I get down and out. Well that use to happen to me often and I seemed to suffer with some minor depression. It would seem like time would stand still. I would look at the clock and notice the time. Let's say 2:23 in the afternoon. I would look back to see what time it was about fifteen minutes latter and it would be 2:26. Wow what in the heck is going on with this clock.

I just couldn't believe it seemed like the day would never end. I would just sit there and think about all the stuff going on in my life, good and bad of course. This seemed to last until I was in my early twenties. I just didn't want to feel like this any more. I made a Conscious design not to get depressed period. I never wanted to feel like that again.

I read a book on ESP and in the book it described visualizing a rose as you went to sleep. I started doing this every night and while I was doing the exercise it seemed to make me feel relaxed in a way I never had felt before. The reason for the exercise was to teach you to visualize something peaceful. This in turn would put you in a peaceful state of mind.

Then a thought came into my noggin. What if when ever I start to feel bad or seem to be going into a sort of depressive state of mind I change my thoughts. It worked... I would start to visualize something else that made me feel comfortable and give me a peaceful feeling. Man was I surprised with my results.

Keep in mind I didn't think of this all on my own but I did put the pieces of the puzzle I needed to together that I needed to change my life. It seemed like I could use this form of self control in different parts of my life. If I was at work and someone made me mad.... Well this didn't work all the time... I still got mad. Let's pick something else OK.

I would worry about something on the job that wasn't going right. Then I would get irritated over something else that wasn't even related to what I was worrying about. Why did I take it out on the other person when what I was really mad about was something else. We do this all the time in our lives. We seem to get mad, get even or give up. Why do we do this and what can we do to stop it.

My main point to all of this is we can change our thinking and change our lives. We can learn new things to change our thinking. We don't need to give up hope that we will always be like this. Change the things you don't like about yourself. Do it today. If you need some help there is a great book that will help you change your life for the better.

You can find it at http://www.live.spiritualideas.com This book has a lot of tools to create the change in your life you want to have a more full filling life.

Most people give up just when they're about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game one foot from a winning touchdown. Ross Perot.

Start Living Your Dreams Today and Create a Wonderful Life For Yourself And Your Family. Greg Vanden Berge is one of the best inspirations on the planet. You will be hearing a lot about this guy in the future. You can count on it.

Personal Development

Christianity Saved Me From Something

2009-09-04T06:56:00.001-07:00

I would like you to think about something for a minute, have you ever met somebody who has been saved in a Christian church. There's a good chance you know quite a few people if you live in the United States of America. Over the years I've heard people tell me, "I've Been Saved," it can be a new beginning for some or lead to a life of frustration and pain for others.

If you don't know what being saved is, or have never heard of it, let me give you a brief description of a saved Christian. This would be someone who accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior, it's not that difficult and you really don't have to go to church, this ritual can be performed anywhere.

If you're reading this article and would like to be saved, here's how you do it. Get up out of your chair, run outside the building you're in and start running up and down the streets yelling, I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, 1111 times. Be careful because if you missed this by one number, in either direction, you have to start all over again.

Okay I'm just kidding about the running out of the house, and yelling at the top of your lungs, oh yeah and the 1111 times. Anyway the truth about being saved according to the Christian church, is quite simply saying the words to your self or out loud, "I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior."

That's it, it's really quite simple and your saved.

The problem becomes a little bit later in your life and this could be within a few days or even a few hours, if most people don't see a drastic change in their life, they quit their newly founded Christian religion and go back to their old ways.

I hope you have a pretty good understanding about being saved in the Christian religion and you can do it anytime of the day, at any period of your life. If you're going to die and you been a liar, committed adultery, murdered or raped another person, lived a life of crime, ruined the lives of others or even been part of another religion you're whole life, simply state the words "I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior," and you're instantly a Christian. That's a pretty good deal for anyone.

Oh yeah I forgot to tell you, this simple statement gives you a one way ticket to heaven and spend eternity in one of the grandest most beautiful places you could ever possibly imagine, even though you might not have been, what most people would consider a decent person. Now this is looking pretty good isn't it.

Being saved can provide you with a lot of benefits if you're a believer but I forgot to tell you one very important thing about this whole process. There is no hard evidence and most Christians will tell you that they base their whole life on faith and a book written by a man but inspired by, one unbelievable, supernatural and incredible entity.

I've seen a lot of people live their lives tormented from the decisions they've made throughout their lives. If you choose to believe in Christianity, I would suggest you spend some of your time reading the Bible but most of your time gathering information about other religions also. Don't take someone else's word, that this is the way to eternal salvation. I beg you to at least, find out where the Bible really came from, always question your religion.

Education has freed me, to pursue other ideas and release me from the bondage and fear of organized religion.

Dangers Using Wood Stair Cleats - New Stair Construction

2009-09-04T05:13:00.001-07:00

I would imagine most people don't even know what it wood stair cleat is, in construction we have so many words that describe the same thing. A stair cleat is another word for a thread bracket. In other words it's the part of the stairway that connects the stair stringer to the stair step. These have been used for years and over time, most of them will develop the same problem.

Most wood stair cleats loosened up and create a safety hazard. If the stairs are located outside in extreme weather conditions, for example, if it rains or snows a lot, extremely humid humid weather, or extremely hot and dry temperatures, your staircase might not last that long, if it is or isn't maintained properly. It's not a bad idea to use steel or concrete for stairways in these climates.

If you're ever walking up a set of stairs with wood cleats and the stair steps feel a little loose or wiggly, make sure you examined the stair cleats for safety. It's not uncommon for someone to be walking up or down a set of wood stairs and having the stair step or tread giveaway because the wood cleats has loosened.

If the wood stair cleats are nailed to the stair stringer, the nails can loosen up, causing it to become loose, as you walk up and down the stairs applying pressure to the stair cleat, this will create movement in between the stair step and the stair stringer. This could cause the cleat to crack, break and separate the connection between the stair step in the stair stringer.

I would suggest using metal brackets instead of wood cleats. The metal brackets will not crack or disintegrate like some wood cleats. Stair building brackets of course can loosen up and should be maintained regularly.

If you decide to use wood stair cleats, I would suggest using screws instead of nails and drilling holes in the wood stair cleats, most of the time this will prevent cracking the cleat. Try to use a thicker material for the stair cleat, for example using a 2 x 4 with lag screws and washers would be better than using a 1 x 4 with nails.

If you're walking up a set of stairs and a stair step feels loose, contact the owner of the property and let them know, they have a problem with their staircase.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more stair building books and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Personal Development

A One Minute Meditation

2009-09-03T23:11:00.001-07:00

Maybe learning to meditate intimidates you, and in any case it's tough to find the time for daily meditation. The solution to both problems is an easy meditation you can learn right now, that will only take a minute to do each day.

An Easy Meditation Technique

Breathing through your mouth expands your chest, but if you breath through your nose you'll notice how your abdomen extends. You see, nose-breathing causes the diaphram to pull air to the bottom of your lungs. This delivers a good dose of oxygen into your bloodstream and brain. It also tends to relax you.

Breathing through your nose is healthier, and it's the basis of this one-minute meditation. You simply close your eyes, let the tension go out of your muscles, let go of your thoughts (to the extent possible), and take four slow, deep breaths through your nose, paying attention to your breathing.

Is Meditation This Easy?

You're not likey to get you into a deep meditative state with this simple exercise. You will get benefits, though. These will almost certainly include a clearer mind and a reduction in stress.

Try to develop a "trigger" for your meditation. You can do your four breaths when you get into the car, for example, or right after lunch each day. A trigger is a place or time that reminds you, so your meditation becomes a habit.

Some may say this isn't "real" meditation, but there's nothing wrong with enjoying the relaxation you'll get from this technique. You can always pursue deeper meditation later, if you wish. In the meantime, remember that not everything has to be difficult to be of value. Why not do an easy one-minute meditation right now?

Steve Gillman writes on many self help topics including boosting brainpower, losing weight, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, learning gratitude, generating luck and anything related to self improvement. You'll find more at http://www.SelfImprovementNow.com

Home Selling Tips - Best Real Estate Advice Ever

2009-09-03T21:44:00.001-07:00

One of the most important things to remember when selling your home is to keep it as clean as possible. If you need help or don't have the time to organize your stuff, you can hire a home staging professional in your area. Ask your real estate professional for more information.

1. Remove any clutter from the home and place it in storage. Do not store this stuff on the property if you don't have enough room. Storing clutter in closets or in your garage, will often make these areas look smaller. By removing clutter or even large pieces of furniture, the rooms will look larger.

2. Disconnect yourself emotionally from your home. This is a big problem for people who have lived in their house for long periods of time. If you've raised a family here, the children could have emotional ties also to the home. Some home sellers are looking for someone special to buy their home, if you've got the time and money to wait, you can be selective but be careful, because the longer you wait, the market could go up or down.

3. When your real estate professional is showing the house, it's always a good idea to leave the home until the potential homebuyers are gone. One example of this would be if you were in a bad mood or didn't have a good day and were a little upset at the world. Your mood could cause potential homebuyers to lose interest in the property. I've seen this more than once.

4. Make sure everything is operating properly. This would include doors, door knobs, windows, kitchen appliances, garage door openers, cabinet drawers, bathroom fixtures, toilets, faucets, lights, switches, electrical outlets and anything else that moves, slides, turns or rotates that is part of the home.

5. The Interior and exterior walls of the home should be in good shape. Make sure there's no termite damage, wood rot, peeling paint, broken windows or holes in the walls.

6. Make sure the flooring is in good shape. Some real estate professionals will suggest, replacing the carpeting with a neutral color. This method often works pretty good but I have seen plenty of homes that were re-carpeted and after the home was purchased the carpeting was replaced again, by the new owners. Just make sure the flooring is in good shape.

7. Here's a trick that definitely works a little magic when selling a home. Leave some cookies or a nice fruit bowl on the dining room table. There is no need to leave a sign that says "Eat Me". It gives the home a warm feeling, almost like a country atmosphere.

8. Even better than home selling tip number seven would be baking some cookies just before the perspective buyers arrive, it's not the cookies, it's the smell from the cookies that most people cannot resist.

These are just a few home selling tips but the most important is to keep the inside and outside of the home clean.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

Don't buyers sell a home without checking how the problems with poor home repairs.

Religion Articles

52 Ways to Live a Better Life by Shadonna Richards

2009-09-03T15:28:00.001-07:00

Infinity Publishing (2009)

ISBN 9780741451675

Shadonna Richards, a Canadian registered nurse, freelance writer and former newspaper columnist, has put together a simple but concise book on how to live a better life. As a nurse working with terminally ill cancer patients, who are told they have only six months to live, she was inspired to write empowering words of wisdom. Richards also interviewed many individuals for her newspaper columns, thus compiling inspirational stories to encourage us to look at our own lives, makes changes as necessary, and to live a fulfilled life. Although her resources are Canadian, the concept of her book is global and I'm sure readers will find similar resources in their respective countries and areas.

"A Gift of Hope" is designed to be used as a workbook, with each week having an exercise to be done daily. For example, the first week starts with "Stay Mentally Fit." The text talks about the stresses in our lives and then gives exercises. The first exercise for the first week is to "Identify, then rectify." Richards says "A crucial part of any solution is locating the problem. Do worries keep you up at night? Go directly to the source of your tension." The second exercise for the first week is "Detox Your Mind." Richards says "We always have a choice. We can choose to dwell on being hopeless in situations or dwell on having hope."

The second week covers "Dare to Dream: Believe that Anything is Possible" and captures president-elect Barrack Obama's "Yes We Can" powerful slogan. Using his story and his dreams, Richards iterates that our dreams can become reality if we persist and believe.

Other weeks cover topics like: Understand That Money Isn't Everything, Reach out to those in Need, and Be the Friend You Desire to Have. For the purpose of this review I didn't have the opportunity to test the system for a full 52 weeks; however, being a student and teacher of transformation, I know it works. Shadonna Richards has provided a book, "A Gift of Hope," to take us to a higher level of consciousness, a place where we can manage our personal lives with ease and contentment.

http://www.readerviews.com/

When We Choose Misery Over Happiness

2009-09-03T14:08:00.001-07:00

I am not one to feel sorry for most people. They seem to have a unique ability to cause themselves the most damage during certain parts of their lives. I have met some pretty self destructive people in my life. Being raised by a mother that lived in misery and love.

My mother had a difficult childhood. It seemed as if every corner she turned there was a obstacle either right in front of here or waiting just around the corner. Her father died when she was 12 year old. He was a farm laborer and didn't make much money. In other words they were poor...... She got sent to live with a few foster families and according to her she was molested by one of the fathers she lived with.

Soon her older sister invited her to live with her. My aunt was married to the owner of a pottery business and had 2 children about 10 years younger than my mother. My aunt soon realized she had a live in baby sitter that allowed her to stay out drinking most of the day.

My Uncle was what you would call a drunk back then, now we call these people alcoholics. Well any way I think you are starting to get a picture of my mothers life up to this point. It is probably safe to assume that this isn't the ideal life for a young woman.

The next event to happen in my moms life was for my uncle to fall in the shower one night after tying one on that night. He died soon after but my aunt seemed to make a another good choice and ended up marring the owner of the bar that they spent most of their time in.
The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. Allan K. Chalmers

By this time my mom was in High School and met my future father. It wasn't exactly a marriage made in heaven. My dad was always an easy going man. He seemed to let most stuff go in one ear and out the other.

As you guessed it they had a few children. Nice one Dad and Mom. According to the books I have read on Angelic beings. People that believe in the after life and angels. They tell me I had a choice and was able to choose my parents....... What was I thinking...... I should have choose someone with some money and a couple of parents that were deeply in love .

How did I end up here in this situation.

I ended up loving my parents like most of us. They seemed to be doing the best that they could possibly do raising me, my bother and my sister. My mom and dad ended up getting a divorce and I went to live with my father.

My Father is remarried to a wonderful woman that seems to bring him a lot of happiness.
I haven't seen my mother for a while now. She lives with a life of excuses and misery. Her childhood was not the greatest but that doesn't give her the right to bring misery into other peoples lives. She has made a conscious choice to live what seems to be a painful life. Maybe her choices in life have made me choose happiness over misery.

I have always wondered what it is that motivates someone to live a life of true unhappiness when it takes the same amount of energy to live a life of joy. Life is meant to be full of joy and happiness so start today by making the right choices to live a fulfilling life of happiness.

If you are reading this and can't make up your mind what kind of life you truly want to live visit me at http://live.spiritualideas.com/ . Change your thinking and change your life.

Greg Vanden Berge will help you create a new approach to life and discover talents you never knew you had. We can help you get the most out of yourself all the time. Start developing your innate strengths and abilities to start enriching your life TODAY !

Religion Articles

Managing Motivation in a Recession

2009-09-03T07:48:00.001-07:00

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going"

Write this old, but still very true, quote down on a 3" x 4" file card and stick it on your bathroom mirror, fridge or someplace in your home that forces you to see it everyday. Read it when you get up in the morning and when you go to bed at night.

Visualization of this quote everyday will give you strength to motivate you in your current business or to find a new business career in these recessionary times. Don't underestimate the power of creative dreaming or visualization. Most of the best inventions in life came from people who were not afraid to dream big.

Successful people have mistakes and failures, but they never loose vision of the goal they have set in their mind to achieve. They learn from their mistakes and push forward towards their goal. Goal oriented people become aware of how powerful the force of dreams and desires are.

Take steps to develop these skills beginning in very small ways everyday. You have to own your dreams or desires. Set one or more manageable goals to accomplish everyday. At the end of the day, week and finally the month, you will be amazed at what you have accomplished. The feeling of pride you get from each achievement will keep increasing your energy level to continue accomplishing even more goals. You now have created a road map to achieve success.

Mine your dreams and desires. Don't let setbacks or negative comments bug you. Pay attention to your dreams, fantasies and desires. Face the fears and challenges that have caused you to stop mining those treasures, the treasures that can give you the life you deserve. Think about it, avoidance is really not helping anything. You still expend a great deal of energy on the negative feelings of pain, frustration, guilt and hurt. Remember, "avoidance always prolongs the pain".

Successful people always keep their vision on the larger picture, constantly taking steps to achieve their goal. They constantly visualize the steps they must take to attain the good things they want in life and to avoid the bad things that will hinder them from accomplishing their goals. In short, they rarely do anything without thinking positively about the rewards of their goal and how it will enhance their life.

Successful people don't dwell on blame or fault. Even if someone else is at fault, they take the initiative to address the problem and seek a solution. Whatever the answer may be, they don't loose sight of their goal. Don't just sit there wishing someone would fix the problem, it's your goals at risk, you fix it.

We know the economy is currently in a recession. Don't wait for it to change take action now. Take up a new skill, change your career, and look at a different field of employment. Look somewhere else to find another career, find a niche that is hot, enlarge your network of searches, and be open to new job or career opportunities. Read the newspaper, entrepreneur magazines, start thinking outside the box. What have you always dreamt about doing? Don't just sit around and wait.

Force yourself out of your comfort zone. Nothing will happen unless you get started taking action now. Start off by taking baby steps; this will decrease your setbacks while building your confidence.

"If an ant picks up one grain of sand at a time, the city will still be built. But if the ant looks at the grain of sand and says this is not a city; there will be no city at the end."

Who am I?

At best, I am a life coach! I was an inner city child with a single mom until the age of 8. I had an abusive step father that forced me to leave home at 16. I grew up on the streets. My life as you can imagine with the role models I encountered quickly shaped my future. After years of alcohol abuse, therapy sessions, counselling and anger management courses, I was at a crossroad. My life was not what I envisioned it would be and it was spiraling out of control. Realizing my barriers was painful to say the least. I couldn't mask my emotions anymore and that is when I decided I needed a life change! Even though my career was in the right direction at the time I couldn't experience happiness.

Change came after applying the teachings and secrets that I am about to reveal to you I use in my own life. I am student of life's teachings in all aspects. My teachings are a condensed version of experiences, encounters, lessons and action plans that are put together in an easy to use manual.

I am committed to transforming my clients to start living their life to the fullest! If you are looking for an easy to read ebook guide to help you attain A Happy, Healthy Lifestyle, get your copy Now to Start Living the Life You Deserve!

http://www.wellbalancedlifestyle.com

Moisture Against Gravity - Destroying Walls

2009-09-03T06:41:00.001-07:00

Well I'm going to start this article with a little information on a job I did once.

To repair the rental property I had to remove the damaged drywall, remove the carpeting, dry the wood framing out and put the whole thing back together.

I'm still amazed and will remember that project for as long as I live.

Visit us and get more information on House Water Damage

Will All Men Ever Hate Jesus

Through Any Obstacle - Self Help Tips

2009-09-03T00:21:00.001-07:00

If there were no obstacles, I could accomplish anything. I'd just get up, do the things I needed to do and "viola!" one day my goal will be achieved. Unfortunately, the real world doesn't work like that. No path to success is smooth or easy; otherwise everyone would do it. Life throws obstacles in our way and the daily grind gets us down so that we have to continually motivate ourselves.

But what if you had a motivation that was so powerful, so ironclad, so inspiring to you that no obstacle couldn't be overcome or worked around? What could you accomplish then?

Oh, we think we have strong motivators. We think we're motivated by the benefits we're expecting from the actions that we take. These benefits might be more money, more time, the finer things in life, but these aren't the real, true, and strong reasons "why" we are going to get up and fight the good fight every day.

What is the reason why? I can't tell you because everyone's why is different. And sometimes it's hidden deep beneath consumer-cravings and societal pressure. So here's a no-fail, simple process to find your personally motivating why.

Steve Siebold, author of 177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class tells us that champions are driven by emotional motivators, not logical reasons or benefits. We're used to thinking of the benefits to our actions as enough motivation. But these are logic-based. Your inescapable "why" has to be an emotion behind your actions.

Here is the simple statement you need to complete to find your personally motivating why:

"I want to _____________, so that ________________ because _______________"

It's deceptively simple, but for the most powerful result, you will need to dig deep into your feelings and emotions.

Let's walk through the process. Start with a benefit that appeals to you. This is what gets you started. That goes in the first blank. For example, "network more to get more clients."

Your sentence now reads, "I want to network more to get more clients, so that ..." What? What is the purpose of having more clients? You will have more money, experience more stability, grow the business? Let's choose, "I can have more money."

Because why? What does the money do for you? What do you want from it? Perhaps you want to retire early. Now, our statement is "I want to get more clients so that I can have more money, because I want to retire early."

Are you done? Is that a strong enough motivating statement? No it's not because this is a logical statement, there is no emotion tied to it. If the "because" doesn't make your throat tighten, or your heart beat faster, or make your eyes tear up, this motivating statement will not work

If the "because" is not emotionally compelling to you, keep going. Repeat the "so that" and "because" statements until you have an absolutely ironclad, emotion-laden statement. You can repeat them in pairs or separately.

I want to get more clients so that I can have more money, because I want to retire early, so that I can travel the country with my wife because she's never traveled and because I love her and want her to experience the wonders of America by my side.

Which part of that statement would make you get up early every Tuesday for your leads club meeting? More clients? Or traveling the country with your wife?

Here's another example:

I want to expand my networking contacts so that I have a safety net because I'm concerned about layoffs so that I don't have to worry about finding another job because my children see the job losses on the news and ask me if I could lose my job because I don't want them to feel fear and because I want them to feel proud and confident that Mommy has lots of friends who would help her find a better job really fast.

The final statement must be a positive, love-based statement. Steve Siebold emphasizes that great people evolve from fear-based to love-based motivation. If your last "because" is fear-based, then you need to keep going until the last statement is full of love and gratitude. Fear will sap away your strength and reduce your enjoyment. You want to move "toward" something positive, not "away" from something negative. Your why must be positive-emotionally motivating if you want to achieve great results and break through any obstacles.

Follow the "I want to/so that/because" formula. Write it down, post it, and review it when you feel tired, or discouraged, or lack motivation. Your love-filled, emotional statement will give you strength and the ability to continue on toward your goal.

Beth Bridges is the Membership Director of the Clovis Chamber of Commerce in California. She has helped thousands of people get connected through hundreds of networking events with the Chamber and other organizations. For tips, tricks, and networking strategies, visit http://bethbridges.blogspot.com For more motivation and personal development training, access thousands of hours of top authors, speakers, and writers (including Steve Siebold) at http://www.NetworkWithILG.com

Bathroom Faucet Leaks

2009-09-02T23:27:00.001-07:00

Faucet leaks can waste more water than you think. Have you ever put a cup or bowl underneath a leaky faucet and actually seen how much water is wasted. Leaky faucets should be repaired as soon as possible to prevent the waste of water in your home. Water is a precious resource and should be used wisely.

One slow drip from the faucet can waste over 5 gallons of water per day. If you think that's not a big deal, let me put it in perspective for you. 5 gallons of water per day equals 35 gallons per week, times 52 weeks in a year, that equals over 1800 gallons of water, and that's a lot of water.

The problem with a faucet leak isn't just the amount of water it waste, it will soon start to deteriorate your sinks, bathtubs and showers and could damage other sections of the home, like the wood framing. I've seen a water drip in a steel kitchen sink, in just a few years, wear a hole right through it. Keep in mind water and wind formed the Grand Canyon, water can be extremely erosive.

Faucet leaks can attract house pests, like mice, flies, ants and a wide variety of other insects.

Most faucets can usually be repaired for under $20. Most of the time the problem will be in the valves or handles that turn the water on and on. If you're not familiar with plumbing parts, you could pick up a do-it-yourself home repair manual or go online and look up the manufacturer of your faucet, for more information.

Usually the manufacturer has a diagram of the faucet, broken down into sections and you could get a pretty good idea, what parts you will need to remove, in order to replace the damaged part or parts that are creating the water leak.

Calling a plumber seems to be most homeowners last resort. They only do it if they absolutely have to. If you don't understand how a faucet works and have no desire to learn how, I would suggest you call a plumber or contact someone who can help you with your faucet leak, but get the faucet leak fixed and quit wasting water.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.
If your looking for some more bathroom remodeling or home building ideas.

Meditating On Religious Scriptur

5 Personal Development Tips That Will Enrich Your Life

2009-09-02T17:00:00.001-07:00

Personal development is all about improving yourself as a person and reaching your goals in life. The goals vary between people. Quite commonly it relates either one or more of the following:

- improving your career
- improving your personality
- making more money
- finding your spiritual side
- Improving and building relationships
- finding your purpose in life

The above goals are common amongst people but the vast majority of people simply plod through life with no real regard to how they will achieve any of their true goals. It is only once we stop and think about our life do we start to realize that we may not have achieved what we want or that we are not on the right path to making those dreams come true. Whatever the case, making self improvement a major focus in your life has countless benefits.

Here are some quick tips to help you use personal development to your advantage:

1. Make a plan and write it down
Writing down your plans and goals on paper reaffirms them to you. It makes them real. Reading through this plan every day, twice or more per day, is the best way to train your brain to see them as reality.

2. Envisage yourself where you want to be
Do you want a new job, better marriage or more money? Then start imagining that it is happening right now. You will be surprised how events will fall into place once you have accepted the fact that you CAN have these things.

3. Take small steps
You can't achieve your life goals in one day. But you can take steps towards it every day so make sure you make a move everyday that is just a small part of your overall development plan.

4. Be grateful
Only through being grateful through what you already have and the changes that have come about will you learn to accept even more good fortune into your life.

5. Take responsibility
Stop blaming others for where your life has ended up and realize that everything that you have now is a direct result of the decisions you have made each and every day. You can start making better decisions today and take full responsibility for the path your life will take.

These simple tips can help you make the most of what personal development has to offer.

One great personal development tool I've started using recently is the Quantum Mind Power Program. I have posted a review about it at my website. Visit http://www.mindpowerreviews.com/quantum_mind_power_review.html to check out whether it will be suitable for you, too.

Nailing Or Screwing Drywall

2009-09-02T15:56:00.001-07:00

Nails versus screws who will become the winner. When drywall first came out the installers used everything from regular steel nails to galvanized roofing nails. After a short amount of time they started to develop major problems from nails popping out of the finished drywall.

Nail popping results when the nail is driven into moist lumber and as the lumber shrinks the house settles and nail can actually pop out to the walls. Hard to imagine the nail could actually pop out of the drywall as the wood was drying out.

How far the nail would actually pop out was determined by how far it was driven in to the framing studs or ceiling joists. Well pretty soon drywall installers started to use ring shank nails to eliminate this problem. This worked great but these nails were hard to drive in and would often break.

As time went on the nails improved and were made out of galvanized metal with cupped shaped heads and came in a few different sizes. The size of the nail used was determined by the thickness of the drywall. These new nails worked great and had good holding power and eliminated a lot of nail popping.

Using nails means driving them in with a hammer. If you miss the nail you damage the drywall. This seemed to be a big problem and was virtually eliminated with the screws.

Well pretty soon people started using screws which had greater holding power and pretty much nail popping. Another advantage to using screws over nails is the simple fact you need less screws than you do nails to attach the drywall to the metal or wood framing.

This means less labor installing and finishing the drywall.

There is one problem with the screws and that is they have to be set perfectly. They can not break the paper surface on the drywall but have to be set enough into the drywall so that it can be finished properly. Most screw guns have an adjustable setting used to get just the right depth for the screws installed in the drywall. But this also was a problem when screwing into a hard piece of wood you can actually snapped the screw head off, strip the screw head or break the screw.

Nails on the other hand can bend while driving them into a hard surface.

Who wins the nails versus screws while installing drywall? I have got to give it to the screws. That doesn't mean the nails just got screwed or the screws just got nailed.

I couldn't resist. I actually preferred the screws over the nails except for when nailing the drywall corner bead on. Some drywall professionals use nails to hang the drywall and go back with a screw gun and some screws to finish the job. The nails sometimes seem handier than the screws when installing the drywall.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Carlsbad Home Improvement

Are Christians Really Interested

Attract More Love & Romance By Altering Your Perceptual Position

2009-09-02T09:42:00.001-07:00

If you want to learn more about how to attract the attention of others and to attract more love into your life, it can help to alter and vary the position of your perception of your self and others.

How do you view your self? I want to run an idea past you about how you perceive the world around you and your self. Your perception of any experience depends on the position from which you perceive it. I am going to mention three positions here that are useful to you with developing attraction and enhancing the love in your life.

They are known quite simply as the first, second and third positions.

- In the first position you are in your own body, looking out through your own eyes, seeing things from your own point of view.

- Being in the second position means stepping into someone elses shoes, imagining what it is like to be them, looking at the world through their eyes.

- The third position is taking the stance of a third person that is viewing events in which you are involved, a bit like being a fly on the wall (how many times have I wanted to do that?).

You see, taking different perceptual positions enables you to step out of what you are currently experiencing and experience your self in a fresh, new light. It can spice up your perception of your self and make it easier to understand what others perceive in you and how to make you easier to lavish lots of love upon. It allows you to see yourself from a different perspective and gather different kinds of information about your self.

You can also keep a keen eye on how your own behaviour might be affecting other people, and then of course how they might feel about you. Taking different positions enables you to access information that your unconscious mind already has that you may have been overlooking. You can be aware of things that you may not have had a conscious awareness of previously.

So, how about in addition to having your ongoing experience of life solely seeing from inside your own eyes in the first position; you wonder what it is like to be someone else in the same situation, from the second position? Look at your self and see what it is that you can love about your self and you will no doubt find it much easier to ensure you get lots of love without waiting for Valentines day to come around.

Imagine how other people might see you; this is especially useful if that person was someone you know to have a good level of self-esteem and love in their life too.

Thirdly then, see yourself and others as if from an outside perspective, looking at the larger picture as in the third position. Then you can think of using this idea of taking different perceptual positions when you encounter any kind of conflict or when planning a project or evaluating a situation or if you ever feel stuck on something or you are ever in need of a bit more love and want to find more things to enjoy about your self and your life.

Loving your self is like growing and developing self-esteem and confidence in your self and helps with so many things that you and your personal development will benefit from.

When you truly appreciate how others perceive you and update your behaviours accordingly, you can discover how easy it is for others love you more. Enjoy experiencing life from a new perceptual position.

Adam is a best selling author, consultant and speaker please visit his website for a vast range of personal development resources and to receive your free, instantly downloadable hypnosis session and amazing ebook: http://www.adam-eason.com Thanks.

What Does a GFI Do? - Electrical Problems

2009-09-02T08:34:00.001-07:00

In your bathroom you should have a GFI electrical outlet. Most new homes or newly remodeled homes require you to have GFI electrical outlets in the kitchen. Most older kitchens do not have GFI electrical outlets. GFI stands for ground fault circuit interrupter.

Why not call it a GFCI instead of a GFI electrical outlet? Well it is called a GFCI in some instances. GFI is short and is the most common name used by most electricians and builders for this type of outlet.

GFI 's come in 15 amp and 20 amperage outlets. GFI outlets must be wired properly. Make sure you're using the proper wire size when hooking up the GFI outlet.

How do I know which size wire to use? This all depends on how far away you are running it from the electrical panel. There are charts you can use to figure this out. If you are not running the electrical wire more than 80 feet from the electrical panel you can use 12 gauge electrical wires for a 20 amp GFI. This is a general rule of thumb for most electrical house wiring.

If you're going to be using a 15 amp GFI and you are going to be less than 80 feet away from the electrical panel you can use 14 gauge electrical wires. Again this is just a general rule of thumb for most electrical house wiring.

A GFI is a light duty electrical plug used in bathrooms, kitchens and the exterior of your house. The sole purpose of the GFI is to shut the breaker off faster if there is any moisture or light load problems.

Let's say for instance you have your hair dryer plugged into the GFI outlet. The hair dryer somehow falls into the sink while it is on or plugged in. The GFI outlet will instantly shut off because of the sensitivity of the breaker inside of the plug it self.

The GFI plug has a test button and a reset button on it. If you are continually resetting the GFI you will wear it out eventually. I have had GFI plugs after resetting the button about 10 times break and no longer able to use them.

The GFI electrical plug is a great idea and if you don't have them in your bathroom or outside of your home it would be a great idea to have an electrician install them for you.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more Home Building Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

San Diego Termite Damage

Religion Articles

Want To Control Your Thoughts?

2009-09-02T02:03:00.001-07:00

Do you think that your thoughts can rule you? If your answer is YES then you are in the right path. Thoughts play an important role in our life. Our thoughts can be so influencing that we can even heal ailments with just only thoughts. Most of us know this. Also we can make things happen in the way you want them with your thoughts. With your thoughts you can do both good and bad. You may wonder how, just keep reading further.

Thoughts are broadly classified as Positive and Negative thoughts. As the name conveys, positive thoughts are the ones that we will have to give more importance as they do more good than the negative thoughts. There is never a moment a person is not thinking. Most of the time, we are carried away by our thoughts. And most of our thoughts are influenced by people around us.

First of all we must watch our thoughts. Just observe them cautiously. Of course it is difficult the first time. But, you know practice makes a man perfect! You will be able to master this art in no time, if you practice it regularly. Now, after watching them, the next step is to identify them. You can easily find out if it is a Positive or a negative thought. A negative thought is not only those which are bad for us but also the thoughts which will affect others are considered to be negative thoughts. After categorising, our major step will be to control the negative and replace them with the positive thoughts. This is not as easy as we say.

We have to replace the negative thoughts with our positive ones immediately whenever we find them taking control. Longer intervals for this replacement will weaken the positive thoughts and hence the effect will be less. When a negative thought comes and controls? Its origin is from the external forces. Majority of them is from the place and the people. They influence our thoughts and thus affect us. But we need not worry for this because; our thoughts will get influenced only to the extent we allow them. So its very easy for us now. We must be strong and must not allow our thoughts to get influenced. For this we need to practice.

For example, if you have failed in any of your attempts to complete an activity and you thoughts are in such a way which makes you feel more depressed then they are negative thoughts. Say if you think 'Oh I failed! I could not do it! How impotent I am' all these will add on to your failure and will never allow you to try again and succeed. Instead if you start thinking 'these are my new experience and learning that will help me in succeeding in the next attempt. I can do it!' then you will be a winner always!

When we keep reinforcing positive thoughts over the negative ones, we will soon realise that our negative thoughts are gradually getting vanished and we are in control of our thoughts, in turn our emotions. This will surely lead to a happy and peaceful life.

To learn more on thoughts, emotions, dreams do href=" http://mindmanage.blogspot.com/">Visit us

Moisture Against Gravity - Destroying Walls

2009-09-02T01:13:00.001-07:00

Well I'm going to start this article with a little information on a job I did once.

To repair the rental property I had to remove the damaged drywall, remove the carpeting, dry the wood framing out and put the whole thing back together.

I'm still amazed and will remember that project for as long as I live.

Visit us and get more information on House Water Damage

Greg Vanden Berge Quotes

You're Closer to Your Goal Than You Think

2009-09-01T18:28:00.001-07:00

Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them--a desire, a goal, a vision. They have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill." Muhammad Ali

Have you ever noticed someone that came ever so close to their goal, only to give up before getting there? A poem that I have always posted on the bulletin board in my locker rooms is about not quitting:

Don't Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must
But don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit!
Anonymous

So what do you need to be able to stick to your guns?

You need to believe: When former football coach Lou Holtz took over the football program at South Carolina, they weren't very good. South Carolina was getting ready to play a game where they were a 21 point underdog. No one believed they could win--the players, the alumni, or the media. Holtz asked his team, "Tell me all of the reasons why we are going to win this game." Silence filled the room. After what seemed like an eternity someone answered. Although the process started off slowly, within an hour Holtz had over 50 reasons why they would win the game. The focus shifted to why they were going to lose to why they were going to win the game. They won the game!

"When the why gets stronger, the how gets easier." Jim Rohn

You need a plan of action: President John F. Kennedy said, "There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less that the long range risks of comfortable inaction." As my Uncle Harold used to say--Off and On--Off your butt and on your feet. Remove can't from your vocabulary. Go forward or go backward. Do whatever it takes. But do something!

You have to have the desire to succeed: According to race car driver Mario Andretti--"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal--a commitment to excellence--that will enable you to attain the success you seek." What if that South Carolina football team believed they could win that game, and the coaching staff had a game plan, but it just wasn't important enough for the players to succeed? What do you think the outcome of that game would have been?

You need to stay the course: H. Ross Perot, Texas billionaire and former Presidential candidate has this to say about persistence--"Most people give up just when they're about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game, one foot from a winning touchdown." What if the Pittsburgh Steelers had given up when Arizona had taken the lead in the last minute of the game? There is a Japanese proverb that applies to sports, business, and life--"Fall seven times, stand up eight."

How small is the difference between winning and losing, success and failure?

According to S. L. Parker in his 212 Degree-The Extra degree, the difference between first place and being just another contender is miniscule. Parker cites the following examples:

1. During the period 1977-2001, the average margin of victory on the professional golf tour was 2.36 strokes. Or, 0.59 strokes per day.

2. During the period 1998-2002, the average margin of victory in the Triple Crown horse racing series (15 races) was 2.2 lengths. Six of those races were decided by less than a single length.

3. During the 2002 Winter Olympic Games the margin of victory between a gold medal and no medal was: Men's Downhill Skiing 0.65 seconds, Women's Downhill Skiing 0.93 seconds, Men's 500 Meter Speed Skating 0.26 seconds, Women's 500 Meter Speed Skating 0.62 seconds.

4. During the 2000 Summer Olympic Games the margin of victory between a gold medal and no medal was: Men's 800 Meter Run 0.21 seconds, Women's 800 Meter Run 2.36 seconds, Men's Long Jump 29 centimeters, Women's Long Jump 16 centimeters.

"The line between failure and success is so fine that we are often on the line and do not know it. How many a man has thrown up his hands at a time when a little more effort, a little more patience, would have achieved success. A little more effort and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success." Elbert Hubbard

So what's it gonna be? The choice is yours. Remember--"Failure will never overtake you if your determination to succeed is strong enough." Og Mandino

Tom Hughes is a coach, educator, author, and motivational speaker. He has an MEd from Pittsburg State University. He has taught and coached on the high school, college, and professional levels. Since 2001 Tom has written Motivational Moments, a free motivational newsletter. He authored "Power Thoughts for Coaching Basketball, a multi-purpose source book for basketball coaches.

Tom has spoken to business and civic groups, college and high school students, faculty and staff workshops, and athletic teams. The most popular program topics are - Goal Setting for Success; Team Building - On the Court or in the Office; Developing and Maintaining a Positive Attitude; Leadership Training; Improving Performance Through Achievement Motivation.

His website is: http://www.motivationnmore.com

Surviving As A Contractor In California

2009-09-01T17:50:00.001-07:00

So you want to make big money making a living as a contractor in the state of California. Well now I bet you have seen contractors on TV or maybe you know someone who is a contractor. You see these men and women playing the part as Mr. or Mrs. Money bags. If you have the slightest thought that becoming a contractor will provide you with a life of riches think again.

Most contractors that I know and have worked with over the years don't think of there jobs as easy. They have to work everyday and a lot into the night doing estimates or meeting with potential clients because they are to busy during the day. The life of most contractors in the beginning will be difficult to say the least. But if successful you will make a great living for yourself and your family.

Now that we got the false illusion of the contractor answering his cell phone all day at some nice golf course having lunch talking about the money that he just made selling his oil stocks. We can start on reality. If being a contractor was that easy everyone would be a contractor. Right..... Well maybe not everyone.

I have been a contractor for over 22 years and in construction for 30 year. I have seen a lot of changes over the years. I remember when a few contractors that I worked for made a lot of money during the late 1970's. These guys had Ferraris and money to burn with one exception they had no idea how to save any of it. These guys went on vacations and bought extravagant toys for them selves. Out of most of the big framing contractors I worked for about 10 percent are still in business or actually saved their money during the good times so that they could make it through the bad times.

These contractors never thought it was going to end. Life on easy street that is. But it did and most went by the way side. I guess that is the nature of business. Especially the current economic business cycles that we seem to go through over the years. If you don't have the money to advertise or carry a payroll. Your business is going to suffer during the bad times. Sure there is credit and bank loans but you still have to pay that money back. IF you can't save your money stash some away for advertising.

Some of the best advice I can give a contractor anywhere especially in the state of California is " Don't Think The Great Times Of Easy Money Will Last Forever". Save some of the money you make just in case you need to get through the bad times. You will thank me for this latter, Some time down the road. Take this advice and put it into action starting right now.

Greg Vanden Berge has over 30 years of experience in residential home building and remodeling. This provides you with the comfort of knowing that you have a professional with the knowledge and skills to complete your construction projects in a timely manner.

Our low overhead along with our new online estimating system will provide you with the most competitive construction pricing in the area. We continue to educate ourselves about the new home improvement books and building systems in the construction industry. If we have any doubt that something might not work we don't use it. We have found some of these products to be the root of some major home building problems.

Click on the Home Remodeling Ideas to get more information and a possible online estimate for your home improvement project.

Wrong With Bible Verse

Satan's Little Kingdom

2009-09-01T10:57:00.001-07:00

In 1967, the world was abuzz with something sinister going on in San Francisco, CA. A new church had arisen, a church dedicated to the Devil. Created by a former musician and magic enthusiast Howard LaVey who renamed himself Anton Szandor LaVey, it performed public rituals supposedly dedicated to the glory of Satan and the celebration of Earthly pleasures and delights.

Every Friday night, LaVey and his friends and followers conducted a black mass that was a purposeful perversion of Christian church traditions. The music was a corruption of Catholic hymns. The altars were nude women. Semen and milk were used instead of wine. And crowds of reporters looking for shocking pictures and juicy stories (especially reporters for men's magazines) snapped away at the show in front of them, writing story after story. Many Christians were aghast in fear that Revelations 13 was slowly starting to play itself out especially as the Church of Satan's membership grew by leaps and bounds.

But hidden from the cameras was an internal struggle within the Church. The whole point of the Church was to scare and shock Evangelicals and Catholics. It was a show, a performance and many members joined for the glory of being associated with the infamous church, its naked altars and sinister allure. In an interview, Tom Blackwood, a former Priest of the Church shared that when it came to its membership tally, LaVey would pad the numbers.

"If you sing a song with Satan in it, write a book or some articles about Satanism or black magic and you're in."

LaVey also realized the problem of Satanists joining the group just to scare the willies out of Christians among their family and friends. In a Newsweek interview in 1971, he addressed the problem head-on.

"Satanism is developing two circles, an elitist group which I always intended my church to be, and the faddists who are becoming Satanists because it's the thing to do."

He was growing tired and frustrated of just spooking people he didn't like very much. He wanted to practice what he called real Satanism. Combining Nietzsche, Rand and supposedly some writings of the infamous Cabalist and Hermetic Aleisteir Crowley, LaVey preached an ideology that celebrated the human being and all the inherent flaws, imperfections and pleasures the human form entailed as divinity in its own right. While Ayn Rand preached that people should only worry about themselves and their own personal interests, LaVey took the concept one step further and said that each person was a God or Goddess.

But that caused even more of a problem, especially after LaVey's death and the subsequent splintering of the Church. Each member was a supposed divinity and free to create his or her own doctrine. These individual doctrines competed with each other and leaders of small Satanic groups were constantly fighting with their flocks which often thought they created a better magic theory after a year or two of listening to the High Priest. As Blackwood puts it...

"Because LaVeyan Satanism teaches that each human is a God, everybody thinks he's Zeus or Thor. So what happens when you get Thor and Zeus in the same room? They're going to fight. Satanists today bicker endlessly about what's true Satanism and who has the best theory of it."

When LaVey stopped all public ceremonies in 1975 and worked until his death to create a real culture of celebrating the individual and Earthly pleasures, he unwittingly engineered the splintering of the Church. The infamous Black House from which the group was ran since the 1960s was demolished in 2001 after its condition declined so much, it was deemed unsafe for habitation by the city. The current leaders of the Church of Satan are now based in New York City. They advertise some events and a radio show but the original group that made headlines in the 1960s and 1970s is no more. Satan's kingdom on Earth is limited to a small number of people busily engaged in arcane arguments over the finer points of what they think is black magic.

This article is featured on Weird Things (http://gfish.wordpress.com), a blog that explores the strange, unknown, technology, space, science and strange things with a skeptical and analytical eye.

Attic Odors and Strange Smells

2009-09-01T10:21:00.001-07:00

Let's start with the cause of these smells, moisture, dirt, mold, mildew, dead animals, animals that make their home in your attic and the biggest problem of all is normally poor ventilation.

Home peststhat make their home in your attics, often create smells from urinating and defecating in the areas around their nest. Large birds like owls can become a problem over time.

Now that we've figured out some of the causes for attic odors and strange smells, what can we do to prevent this from happening and if it's already happened, how can we get rid of the smell.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your having problems in your attic, find out more at pest control books and home building ideas.

Are Christians Really Interested

A Simple Cure For Anxiety And Depression

2009-09-01T03:45:00.001-07:00

Our innate desire is to be happy, and when we move away from it, we experience fear.

This fear is actually millions of years old, for it arises from the biological programming of our species.

While we may not have to contend with a sabre-toothed tiger on any given day, we still use those very reactions to deal with events looming ahead.

We think, Will I be fired for making that mistake at work? or Will I be able to meet the mortgage after I fix the car? or Will my health continue to decline? or Will my relationship fall apart after that argument we just fell into?

Running questions with this type of urgency and helplessness trains our brains to prepare now for future danger by loading our bodies up with the stress hormone cortisol.

Anxiety is our anticipation of a dangerous future. We imagine having even less of the little that we have today.

This anxiety does not help us in any way to meet the future any better. In fact, it weakens and exhausts us. We usually worry most about things that we can't even control. Worrying about your dental visit, for example, will not make the visit better.

Anxiety, in fact, is a silent killer. It is enervating, and it drains you of purpose and hope, faith and initiative. It fogs up your thinking. And it makes the body susceptible to illness.

When anxiety--a fear of an event in the future--is high enough then you feel a deep sense of helplessness. This, in turn, translates into depression. You even begin to view the past as disappointing.

Caught between a miserable past and a frightening future you create a pattern of emotions that can lead to a variety of mood disorders, including manic-depression.

How do we escape from this vicious cycle?

Here is what I did 20 years ago and I have never since suffered from any serious mood disorder.

I started to cultivate my awareness of my mood swings--from elation to black despair.

I did this by basically watching myself when I was manic, and watching myself when I was depressed, and watching what I did to turn on these states. For example to get depressed, I used my love of literature to focus on dark, morbid, and unhappy stories about life. And to get elated, I would talk a lot, move very quickly, and do things in a dramatic way.

An interesting thing happened when I made my unconscious behavior conscious. I could not take my mood shifts seriously.

This is what I learned from that experience: when you are able to observe yourself over the course of a few weeks, you develop a curious detachment.

A paradoxical situation developed for me: I found it difficult to stay anxious and depressed when I was observing myself feeling anxious and depressed.

Ultimately, anxiety and depression are culturally-induced patterns of thinking that can be overcome through a deliberate cultivation of awareness. When you become your own observer, you weed out the unconscious habits that afflict you.

Despite the billions of dollars spent to heal anxiety and depression, and all the mood disorders and behavioral anomalies that arise from them, the cure is simple, quick, and free.

Resource Box

Saleem Rana got his masters in psychotherapy from California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, Ca., 15 years ago and now resides in Denver, Colorado. His articles on the internet have inspired over ten thousand people from around the world. Discover how to create a remarkable life

Stair Lighting Problems

2009-09-01T02:50:00.001-07:00

Think safety always and do your best to solve your stair lighting problems as soon as possible to prevent injuries or accidents.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more building stairs or home building ideas.

When Do We Get To Meet God

Chosing Misery Over Happiness

2009-08-31T20:21:00.001-07:00

How did I end up here in this situation.

If you are reading this and can't make up your mind what kind of life you truly want to live visit me at http://live.spiritualideas.com/ . Change your thinking and change your life.

New Versus Old Lumber - Structural Failure

2009-08-31T19:23:00.001-07:00

During my 30 years of remodeling and building new homes. I have ran across quite a bit of structural framing failures. I find myself answering this question a lot when explaining to a homeowner about the structural failure I am repairing on their home, "Why Didn't They Use Better Lumber" or " Why Didn't They Use Larger Lumber." I really have a hard time answering these questions because I honestly don't know the answer.

However I can try to use some logic and reason to give these people an answer that seems to make sense to both of us. Why didn't they use better lumber, quite simply because, with most older homes that were built before the 1970s they actually do have better lumber. Now you're probably thinking how can these homes have better lumber when the lumber is old versus the new lumber used in a brand new house.

Most of the structural repairs I have made over the years has nothing to do with the lumber and whether it was new or old. A large number of these repairs were caused by neglect and poor maintenance.

The lumber in most older houses are from older growth trees. Some of these trees were extremely large and only the premium parts of the trees were used. The premium lumber is cut farthest away from the center of the tree. Now the larger the tree it makes sense that there will be more premium lumber.

A large majority of the newer lumber used in home construction comes from trees about 6 inches in diameter. Now you're probably wondering how can they cut a 2 x 8 piece of lumber out of a 6 inch tree. Of course they cannot, the larger lumber comes from larger trees.

Most 2 x 4's that are less than 8 foot long can be cut from these trees. This scrap or waste that comes from cutting these two by fours will now go into engineered building materials like particleboard, oriented strand board and engineered beams. Another name for an engineered been would be a paralam.

I hope you're starting to get the picture now when it comes to using new or old lumber. There are companies that are going into old logging rivers and retrieving old growth lumber. These were logs that sank to the bottom of the river's and were never retrieved because it was too costly.

The old growth lumber is quite expensive. Who's to say what problems we will happen in the future from the newer products created with modern day technology. When it comes to building houses it is not an exact science and as contractors we have been repairing the damage from poor engineering for years.

When I use the word poor engineering I am not pointing fingers at engineers. We now have more knowledge about home construction then we had years ago.

New versus old lumber, who wins the battle. Only time will tell.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Structural Repairs.

When Do We Get To Meet God

How to Overcome Fear and Procrastination

2009-08-31T12:55:00.001-07:00

If we listen to world news today, they give us every reason to be fearful. If we give in it seems that something dark lurks around every corner of our mind. The challenge with fear, either real or imagined is that it can hold you back from doing well in life.

When one lives with constant fear you may also be prone to procrastination because they are two sides of the same coin. In fear you cannot move forward which makes you hesitate or procrastinate on a lot of issues, especially if one believes nothing he does is good enough. Instant fear is designed to quickly move people out of dangerous situations, but prolonged or constant fear is not the natural state of the body.

Take Susan as an example. She is someone who really wanted to be a nutritionist but because she was always heavy she thought she couldn't do it. Many people told her she should take classes at the community college but she was too afraid to even call them for fear of rejection. Susan had already negatively assumed the outcome of her efforts in her mind.

When you are in the midst of feeling afraid of anything take a step back and really look at the situation. Are you in danger of some kind? Is it moving you out of your comfort zone? Are you afraid of succeeding? Are you afraid that if you make that move your life will change way too much?

If so, close your eyes and ask yourself, "What would I do if I weren't afraid?" As you calmly wait for your answer(s) without judgment you will find that fear is a complex illusion. It is an elaborate scheme by your ego to stop you from moving ahead. The dominant ego keeps you from experiencing your life in a way that will make you happy. Fear is based on events from the past that make us wary of making certain moves, old rhythms or patterns often set long ago by life experiences.

How can you release the fear and help heal procrastination? First of all by acknowledging it and then taking an action step forward. The problem lies in basing your present on the past or the future. One simply should not accept that what happened in the past will be some variation of what happens now. This vicious cycle can keep one trapped in negativity. The more closely related to the now you can be, by breaking your fearful goal into tiny manageable steps or a smaller to do list, the easier it will be to release the fear.

Going back to our example, if Susan had just called the community college it would have been a step towards her goal. She could have talked to a counselor and then perhaps have signed up for one class at a time, opening the door to new possibilities. Susan can always leave herself open to changing her mind as she moves along, helping to get past her fears.

Life can be wondrous when you release fear and side step procrastination. Now is the time to move out of your fear and take the first step. You never know what will happen to make your life become bigger than you ever imagined. I always like to keep in mind the old adage "Fear is just, False Expectations Appearing Real."

Become part of something that is sweeping the world with inspiration. You will find a wealth of spectacular material including free affirmations, beneficial worksheets and other useful tools to download at http://motivatingmessages.ning.com.

Priscilla Parham coaches on awareness and goal setting for your health, your business and your relationships, motivating others to rebuild from the inside-out.

You can post this article on your web site or blog as long as no changes are made, the author's name is retained and the links to our site URLs remains active.

Attic Odors and Strange Smells

2009-08-31T11:49:00.001-07:00

Let's start with the cause of these smells, moisture, dirt, mold, mildew, dead animals, animals that make their home in your attic and the biggest problem of all is normally poor ventilation.

Home peststhat make their home in your attics, often create smells from urinating and defecating in the areas around their nest. Large birds like owls can become a problem over time.

Now that we've figured out some of the causes for attic odors and strange smells, what can we do to prevent this from happening and if it's already happened, how can we get rid of the smell.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your having problems in your attic, find out more at pest control books and home building ideas.

Are Christians Really Interested

How to Develop a Positive Mental Attitude

2009-08-31T05:23:00.001-07:00

Why develop a positive mental attitude?

Well, if you look around at the high achievers in this world...in any field, you will find nearly always that they display a positive mental attitude to their field of success. They may do this knowingly or otherwise but simply put you will get much more success if you do the same.

Here are a few qualities that successful people with a positive mental attitude display which you can emulate with a bit of effort:

1) The word failure does not exist and therefore has know power over successful people. Look for the positive possibilities in every situation. What other people would term 'failure' should simply be translated into a sign of what not to do the next time you attempt to do it, and believe me successful people will always try again...

2) This neatly brings us to the quality of perseverance. If something is worth doing now, then you will likely still want to achieve it next month, next year or whenever, so why stop trying? If you desire your goal there is no reason to stop trying until you have attained it, come what may. Know before you start that success won't be immediate, accept this, formulate a realistic plan, write it down, follow it through, make modifications if necessary but keep going. Writing down your plan immediately gives you a confidence boost as it allows you to see exactly how you can achieve your goals which in turn stimulates your motivation as well.

3) Take responsibility for your situation and actions. Most successful people acknowledge that they created their current circumstances due to their previous actions. Their current situation is believed to be merely a reflection of their previous thought patterns. If you have this the opposite way around then you will seemingly feel the victim to circumstance rather than the controller of it and the deliberate creator that you can be.

By taking responsibility there is therefore know attempt to blame others or for you to hide from the fact that you might have made a mistake which created your situation. By being honest in this way it is easy to make amendments to your thoughts and actions to create future success.

4) Be committed. Develop a 'whatever it takes' approach. This mentality is an extremely important part of a positive mental attitude. Life is full of stories of people with less natural talent becoming more successful than their more talented counterparts. They go the extra yard to be successful, they do the extra training, stay behind after class, run a few more minutes on the treadmill and so on. In short they make life pay the price. Often this part of displaying a positive attitude can feel frustrating. However successful people realize that success is just on the other side of frustration and use it as a good sign post towards future success.

5) Focus your energies on what you do want and not what you don't want. Energy is always creative, particularly your thought energy so don't waste it on negative things. Remember, what you resist persists. So, by seeing the negative in a situation you are actually fueling it and making it into a greater problem. Simply, if you have what you term a negative situation look again and focus on the positive possibilities and give them your thought. These areas will subsequently expand in your mind with avenues that could lead to positive solutions to the initial problem. These thoughts will naturally lead you to more successful thoughts and the spiral continues.

6) Be decisive. Successful people with a positive mental attitude make decisions and stick to them. If they decide they will achieve a certain goal then they will not go back on their decision regardless of how fruitless their task can seemingly appear to be. Remember Thomas Edison the famous inventor of the light bulb. 9,999 attempts and no success commented that he had achieved 9,999 ways not to invent a light bulb, before actually doing so. Imagine if he had given up after 2, 3 or even 500 attempts!. His decision to invent a light bulb was made and remained unchanged until he had done so.

The above are just a few of the main ways in which you can adopt a positive attitude which only you can develop through your efforts and through being persistent. Make a conscious effort each and everyday to be positive and it will naturally become a habit and lead you to success.

Author Tim Ryan provides FREE guidance and training on the power of positive thinking. View positive thinking articles, profiles tips and more by simply clicking: Personal Development or Positive Steps now.

Cost Effective Stair Building

2009-08-31T04:20:00.001-07:00

What is the most cost effective way of building stairs? Why do the tract homes use on site methods of construction? When you think of a factory assembling a product on a assembly line you think why not a home. Why do they still build homes on lots or residential home sites?

If homes could be built in a factory cheaper than on site that is exactly what every home builder would be doing. They just haven't quite figured it out yet. When dealing with the large amounts of materials required to build a house and of course the expense of shipping. It is not cost effective to build a conventional home in a factory and ship it over long distances.

This is the biggest problem with cost effective stair construction. Most prefabricated stairs you will notice are spiral stairs. These stairs are smaller than most stairs that are used for multi level construction.

Spiral stairs are hard for your average carpenter to build. These stairs can be purchased from a factory easily and quite inexpensive.

The stairs in your average two story house are going to weigh about 3 times the amount of a spiral set of stairs that could be shipped in a cost effective way. Spiral stairs are not going to be the main stairway in a home and normally go up to a loft or an attic. Most spiral stairs don't meet the minimum building requirements for the main stairway in your home.

When building tract homes the lumber is shipped in bulk directly to the house site where it will be assembled. The lumber and other building materials will be shipped once. If it went to a factory and then assembled it would also have to be sent to the site on which the house was to be built. This added expense in shipping the materials twice is the problem for such a large and heavy item such as a set of stairs.

There are other prefabricated types of stairs that are built locally and the shipping usually is not a major expense. If you are building a stairway that is not to difficult to build for the average carpenter it will normally be cost effective to build the stairs on site. This would require having the carpenter build the stairs as part of the rough framing and then after drywall have the finish carpenter build the stair handrail system.

Visit us now for easy Home Constuction Help

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more building stairs books and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Does God Make Mistakes

Energy and Life Work Effectiveness - What Are the Factors That Matter?

2009-08-30T21:53:00.001-07:00

In a recent survey with working woman from all over the world I wanted tofind outhowtheyare able tomaintaina healthy levelofemotional, physical and spiritual energywhile living and working in an environmentof constant exposure toever increasing demandsfor speedand an ever increasing flow and exchange ofinformation?

The results are varied,interesting and speak for themselves.

Question 1: At what age did you experience the highest level of effectiveness both in life and work?

35 to 40

Question 2: At what age did you for the first time become aware of a lack of energy?

20 to 30

Question 3: Describe how do you recharge your energies?

Highestscore:sleep

2ndExercises in form of walking, swimming

3rdRelaxation, music, retreat

4thReading inspirational books, positive thinking

5thFamily and friends

Question 4: Think of the last time you felt your energy being drained. In which areas did it happen? What was the trigger?

Work87%

Family69%

Colleagues/friends 52%

Other20%

Question 5: In which area do you possess a higher energy capacity?

Mental 73%

Physical 26.1%

Question 6: At what age did you start to practice self-care on a regular basis?

Between the age of 30 to 35

Question 7: How much time do you currently spend onwhat type of self-care/exercises, etc. on a regular basis?

Average time for self-care per day: 1-2 hours

Highest score:Walking

2ndSwimming, biking, yoga, meditation

3rdNutrition

4thPositive affirmations, reading, planning, alone time

Question 8: Imagine that at the age of 45 you have already sufficient savings for a comfortable retirement. Would you prefer to -

A) continue working full time in the same job until the retirement age of (for example) 65, or

B) work at a reduced rate in your current career and spend more quality time with your loved ones now, or

C) re-fire and change careers and do what you had always been dreaming of doing on a full-time basis, or

D) re-fire and change career and work on a part-time basis

The answers were:

A) Work full-time until retirement age 0%

B) Work at reduced rate in current job 17.4%

C) Re-fire full-time in dream career21.7%

D) Re-fire part-time in dream career 60.9%

Question 9: In which are(s) of your lifewould you love to achieve a higher degree of joy and satisfaction right now?

Highest score:Relationships

2nd Self

3rdCareer

4th Leisure

5thFamily

90% of the participants selectedthree and more areas where they wish to benefit from a higher degree of joy and satisfaction!

It is also clear that there is no magic formula that works for all. You need to define and create - for yourself and nobody else - your personalformulafora well-balanced life. You are the master of your life, and it's all up to you.

Let'slook atthe three basicfactors that influenceour emotional, physical and spiritual well-being:

The Emotional factor - only the wholesome approach works

Emotional harmony is an essential element in health. Mind and body are connected, and what affects one part will eventually affect the other. Your health practices (exercises, adequate sleep, the nutrition you take), positive and negative emotions - all these influence your energy levels and your life work effectiveness.

The physical factor - make your well-being prioritynumber ONEin your life

Well-being and good health are totally personal to everyone. You will want to create a personalized self-care program that serves your needs and fits into your lifestyle. Once you have successfully integrated self-care in your daily routine, you will soon experience lower stress, higher energy and increased effectiveness in all areas of your life.

The spiritual factor - keep living in balance, purpose and joy

What resonates with your heart and inspires your soul? Focus on what works for you. You are a unique and special person and you deserve to live your best life! What leisure activity do you enjoy? Remember, in the game of life, emotional and physical health is wealth, and lifeis about thriving and not just surviving.

Thank you for reading this article. If you have any questions you are welcome to contact me.

About the Author, Ursula Goh, Life and Career Change Coach:

Providing professional coaching with a holistic approach that centers around you as a unique individual and as a whole person with your life in context, I will help you rediscover that central connection with who you really are.

I have helped my clients learn to expand their vision, take the action that resonates with their heart and create meaningful changes in life and career, so they could spend more time doing the things they are passionate about, and live and work with greater purpose, joy, and fulfillment.

Based in Switzerland, I offer one-on-one coaching to clients across the globe. Languages - English and German. For further details and to get started with a complementary introductory coaching session please visit http://www.newhorizoncoaching.net or contact me at Ursula@newhorizoncoaching.net

Luck is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity

2009-08-30T20:57:00.001-07:00

You must be ready when an opportunity comes before you, opportunity often comes in the form of work and that's why most people seem to miss it. Most people are too busy looking for the easy path through life. They seem to lay around waiting for the opportunity of a lifetime,... to simply fall at your feet.

Why would you want to spend so much time complaining about something, or someone? Other people can help you along the way, if you let them, but it's up to you, ultimately, to become the most you can possibly be. I have had plenty of opportunities in my life and have took advantage of some, while letting most of them pass by.

I'm no different than most people but now seem to be aware of my surrounding opportunities, all the time.

How many times do you wish for an opportunity to come along? It's probably one that you missed already, at some point during your life. Are you going to be prepared for the next opportunity when it comes along? These opportunities seem to repeat themselves throughout our lives and if we're not in the right state of mind, we often overlook them and let them pass by, time and time again.

You need to prepare yourself in advance for the next opportunity. If you are prepared and have your eyes open, you will be able to see the next opportunity that comes your way. Preparation will increase your chances for success and good fortune always.

Opportunities come in all shapes and sizes. Be on the lookout, when you're walking to the grocery store, taking a break at work, reading the newspaper, talking to your neighbor, walking down the street or even while you are sitting alone, letting your mind wander away. Your chances for success could come while your in your quiet places, or relaxing. Be prepared.

Nothing Will Be Impossible

Fantasy and Healthy Escape

2009-08-30T14:33:00.001-07:00

One curse of the modern world is to always keep us busy. Playtime is generally the priviledge of children. So are flights of fancy. Adults are supposed to be productive, and the products of the imagination aren't concrete enough to hold much weight in our society.

And yet, fantasy novels, movies and visual arts continue to flourish. This is because many of us need a certain kind of consolation that is best offered by magical tales. Our busy-body activities can only keep us distracted from our woes. Fantasy offers escape - and I mean escape in a noble sense.

Sometimes we need to escape even when everything is going well in our lives, and our days are relatively free from conflict and stress. There still may be an underlying sense of sadness, loneliness, or fear. Like Buddha observed, all life is sorrowful. To some extent we're always aware that we will, sooner or later, lose everything that we cherish in life.

Becoming lost in a fantasy world brings a kind of comfort that is hard to explain to those who haven't experienced it. In a way, it shouldn't be described as escape at all - because we're really IMMERSED in life. But we're witnessing all the themes in human experience being played out in another place and/or time.

This kind of "mental vacation" brings not only relief but also new insights. I'll describe something I'm sure many of you have experienced. I've dwelt upon something that's bothering me, examining the situation from every possible angle. Finally I've given up in frustration and turned to something else...and it's only THEN that a solution pops up in my thoughts from out of nowhere.

What happens in those situations is that we stop focusing on the problem and feeding it our energy. Once we turn our attention somewhere else it's like there's a space created within our minds through which inspiration can flow.

Perhaps this explains why the heart can so easily grow cold towards the familiar. At times it takes something exotic to stir it to life. There should always be fantasy - and new inventions within its worlds, so that the stories never grow stale. Reading about a protagonist struggling against incredible odds, we can realize that our own suffering is not so private an affair after all. If he or she can prevail, then so can we.

We will always need new stories to capture the spirit of grand adventure with all of its perils and wonders. Escape is healthy.

Seth Mullins is the author of "Song of an Untamed Land", a novel of speculative fantasy in lawless frontier territory. Visit Seth at http://authorsden.com/sethtmullins.

Bathroom Moisture Problems - Home Repair

2009-08-30T13:22:00.001-07:00

Right above my bathtub in my master bathroom the paint is peeling off the wall. The area is peeling above the tile in my bathtub and shower combination. I tried to glue the peeling paint back and only made the situation worst.

First things first. The paint is peeling because there is to much moisture in the bathroom while you are using it. Do you have any windows you can open or a ventilating bathroom fan. If you have a window crack it open part way while you are showering.

The water droplets will accumulate on the walls and drip into any cracks. Right above the tile grout is a great place for moisture to accumulate. Oh yeah moisture loves grout and drywall. If you have any unpainted areas or an area that has cracked. Guess what you have now.

Your paint is peeling because the bathroom gets hot and cold. Moist and dry. If you have the door and windows shut. You just created a moisture trap. Most people prefer their privacy and will closes the door when using the shower. Well then open the window and let some cold air in while you are taking a nice warn shower. I don't think so. Most showering fools don't like that idea either.

Ok one more idea keep the windows shut so you don't let the cold air in. Then lock the door so no on barges in on you. If you have a ventilation fan turn it on. This will at least pull fresh air in from under the door and send the moist air out of the house.

But the fan is so noisy and I can't enjoy my nice warm vapor producing shower that will eventually cause me to get sick from mold particles floating around in the air while I am using my bathroom.
Does this about sum it up for you and don't we all do this from time to time. We want to enjoy our shower time, so we close up everything and when we are in our bath sauna environment relaxing our house is getting some damaging moisture that could cause mold and mildew.

Open a window or door a little when you shower. Get some air circulating through the bathroom and prevent damage to your nice house.

Put up with a little inconvenience for you homes sake and your pocket book.

Greg Vanden Berge has been in the home building and remodeling business in California for over 30 years. With this knowledge he has created a few websites that provide useful information for home owners as well as contractors. His main goal is to educate professionals in the home related businesses, dealing with problems that can easily be avoided with just a little bit of information.

His website provides all kinds of answers to remodeling and new house building in North San Diego Home Remodeling Carlsbad Home Remodeling

Visit us now for Bathroom Ideas

Personal Development

You Can Change!

2009-08-30T07:15:00.001-07:00

People spend to much time dwelling on the thing that they can not change. Past mistakes, past relationships, events that went poorly, are the things we tend to focus on. We can not change the things that have happened and we have to realize that by making those mistakes we have learned to be different in the future. If we take all that energy we use on our past and put them into our future we could really become a healthier, self improved person.

When you lean towards a more positive direction you will feel better about yourself. Work on what you are inside and not just how you look on the outside. The more positive you become the more people will notice you. Remember that you have to feel good about yourself first.

If you run into someone who is having a bad day or going through something bad in their lives, acknowledge them, listen, show you care. The best thing would be to do something nice, find any way to bring their spirits up a little. Often when we are around people that are down, we tend to join them and all of a sudden it has created a extremely negative atmosphere. If you find a way to bring their spirits up then you both become brighter, a positive response will bring positive results.

There are many opportunities offered to us today to learn further or join organizations that can add to our life. If you dwell on the past where you were afraid or didn't do so well in the learning area you will never be able to enjoy and grow in future adventures. You may be passing up a opportunity that will make your life fulfilled.

Set goals for yourself and start taking steps to make them happen. This can happen by simply putting one foot in front of the other. Make sure your goals are really something you want and make them ones you know you can accomplish in time. Make your time count, make you count.

Learn More Today Visit http://mentallynewme.blogspot.com/ for more information on becoming a mentally new me.

Change Your Thinking About Life

2009-08-30T05:54:00.001-07:00

You can find it at http://www.live.spiritualideas.com This book has a lot of tools to create the change in your life you want to have a more full filling life.

Most people give up just when they're about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game one foot from a winning touchdown. Ross Perot.

Nothing Will Be Impossible

Higher Self

2009-08-29T23:45:00.001-07:00

Sometimes you might allow your emotional input to dictate your choices, which could be an indication that you are acting compulsively. The best way to make a distinction between intellect and emotion is to engage with your higher self to hear the wisdom of your spirit.

Your higher self (a.k.a. subconscious or collective unconscious) is connected to the universe, and also has access to your thoughts and feelings. Consider your higher self (subconscious/collective unconscious) as having a helicopter view of your actions, reactions and goings on in your life. It has the ability to weigh all the factors from a neutral place of peace. Even before a sudden impulse can be triggered, you can go within the space of your higher self by taking a deep breath and blowing it out slowly-quieting your mind-to access the wisdom within. Meditation or yoga are also highly effective in helping to connect with the higher self.

When you practice connecting to the wisdom within regularly, you will learn to discern quickly which voice is advising you. When you notice it is the ego mind or an emotional aspect, you can stop it in mid-stream.

To learn which aspect is in control you can look back to learn from previous choices and recall what your inner guidance was advising you-albeit you might not have followed it. You will learn when you have listened and when you have gone against its direction, and this information is helpful for your learning and growth. Every choice you make is an opportunity to learn about life and about yourself as you co-create with the universe.

There is no right or wrong, only choices that take you closer or farther away from your goals. Growth is a process of trial and error; experimentation. The 'failed' experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately 'works.'

When you use your higher self you know you have your best interest at heart, you can listen and trust you will be on the right track. The answers to life's questions lie inside you. All you need to do is look, listen and trust.

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, Life Coach, Hypnotherapist, Author, "101 Great Ways To Improve Your Life." Dr. Dorothy has the unique gift of connecting people with a broad range of profound principles that resonate in the deepest part of their being. She brings awareness to concepts not typically obvious to one's daily thoughts and feelings. http://www.drdorothy.net

Old Versus New Construction Adhesives

2009-08-29T22:39:00.001-07:00

So there you have it I like the urethane glues because of their flexibility, elasticity, their ability to adhere to wood concrete or metal and their performance in the years ahead.

The manufacturers of these construction adhesives have thoroughly tested them. So use them properly and follow all safety warnings.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Carlsbad Structural Repairs

Religion Articles

Achieving Inner Peace

2009-08-29T16:20:00.001-07:00

Achieving peace of mind begins with finding an inner peace that can be achieved at all times, not only when a person actively participates in meditation to find it. True peace is something that is within always.

Some simple ways to achieve the inner peace you are looking for can come from other places, not only mediation.

Spiritual Exercise

Practice spiritual exercises and develop strength and understand of adversity.

Practice gratitude for everything in your life

Even for the adversity as it is a lesson for growth. External gratitude leads to inner peace.

Practice the positive affirmations about yourself

Look for the positive in everything and everyone around you. When practiced, a warm glow of inner peach will fill your insides.

Practice choosing peace

Choosing to stay calm in adversity and stressful times will subconsciously allow you to develop positive actions in the face of any challenge.

Learn to love yourself

Learn to practice self love through self compassion and self nurturing. This will lead to building a foundation of inner security allowing you to remain calm and serene.

Learn to forgive yourself

You are human and will make mistakes. Practice not judging yourself and release your resentments you hold against yourself for making a mistake.

Forgive others

Learn to forgive others when you are holding onto judgments resulting in grudges and resentments. This will only lead to disharmony within you. To get inner peace, you must learn to forgive and forget.

Practice Honesty

The most difficult aspect of honesty is to be honest with you. If you can't be honest with yourself, then it is impossible to be honest with others. When you can be true to yourself, this is one of the greatest gifts you can give yours towards obtaining true inner peace.

You are more than your physical body

Your core is your divine essence or your spirit. It deserves peace, true inner peace.

Practice Positive

Practice thinking positively. Look for the good in every situation and every person. Practice positive actions that result in receiving positive feed back.

Practice being Neutral

In every situation practice looking at it from an outside observer taking neither side. This will open your awareness up giving you more choices in life.

A Journey

Remember life is a journey, it is not a destination. A journey that will allow you to learn and grow in self awareness if you allow it that will bring true inner peace.

Practice these simple suggestions on a daily basis to become full of greater inner peace and quiet serenity.

Bright blessings,
Ashira
http://www.ashira.ws
ashira@ashira.ws
Ashira is a Practicing Pagan for over 15 years. Currently she is a featured columnist at
Asknow.com.
The Witches' Child Author
Bacon Bits Author
FFWA Member
Cassel Network of Writers Member

When We Choose Misery Over Happiness

2009-08-29T15:12:00.001-07:00

How did I end up here in this situation.

If you are reading this and can't make up your mind what kind of life you truly want to live visit me at http://live.spiritualideas.com/ . Change your thinking and change your life.

Meditating On Religious Scriptur

Weight Loss Motivation - The 7 Pillars of Self-Belief

2009-08-29T08:47:00.001-07:00

It is not hard to understand why so many of us find it hard to believe that we are special, unique and very much loved. In a culture where there are little or no positive affirmations for people with weight and size issues it can be hard to muster the self-belief we need to lose weight permanently.

In fact, our whole lives may have revolved around the absorption of messages that we are 'Not Good Enough', so much so that self-belief can be completely smothered. These are the messages that destroy the motivation of self-belief - you are not 'good enough' if...

You are over a certain weight or size;

Not on a diet and losing weight;

You regularly eat food consider a 'sin' or 'bad'

The great thing is that we can turn this around and see our motivation for permanent weight loss soar, though the development of our own motivational self-belief. All it takes is an understanding and actions to live by the 7 Pillars of Self-Belief...

1. Stop believing that you're 'Not Good Enough'. The fact is you generate and hold on to your own negative beliefs, so the great news is you can also turn them around!

2. Accept 'What is' i.e., "I am overweight" and add a codicil "And I am gradually discovering the weight I was born to be" The more you fight 'What is' the more your stress rises and your comfort eating increases.

3. Start identifying your negative beliefs and replace them with positive ones i.e., "I am fat and ugly" can be replaced with "I am a wonderful and lovable person." You don't have to fully believe it at first. Just keep telling yourself the positive.

4. Start noticing the positive messages that come your way that tell you how good other people think you are. Start believing them!

5. Look into your eyes, in a mirror, at least once a day and tell yourself how beautiful you are. Even if you don't believe it to begin with, you will see the truth in it eventually.

6. Visualise yourself as a slim trim you. Make it picture clear in your mind and focus on it several times a day.

7. Tell yourself, on waking and before you go to sleep, just how wonderful you are and how much you are loved by yourself and others. Believe that you deserve all this love and more. Feel its glow and the happiness it makes you feel inside.

The more you work on your self-belief, through loving thoughts and actions, the more your motivation rises. By taking the focus off food and onto self- love, the remarkable happens - you stop your struggle with food and fear and begin a love affair with yourself and life.

Chrissie Webber is a published author and weight management motivation coach. Through her online company http://www.lifeshapers.co.uk/ she offers support, motivation and re-parenting to the 95% - 97% of dieters who are still struggling to find the weight they were born to be. Her web site and blog http://www.chrissiewebber.co.uk/ offer motivation 'Keys' that help children, parents and adults discover a life without guilt, shame and self-loathing. To learn/relearn the skills of 'Conscious Eating' and how to live in harmony with food and nature become an online member today: http://www.lifeshapers.co.uk/

DIY Bathroom Remodeling Or Hiring a Contractor

2009-08-29T07:55:00.001-07:00

The first question you need to ask yourself when remodeling a bathroom is can you actually do the work yourself or do you have someone that can help you with the remodeling. If you don't know anyone and can't do the work yourself, I would suggest hiring a contractor with experience remodeling bathrooms.

If you can do the work yourself or think you could do the work yourself, why not give it a shot. Any experience you have in construction or home remodeling, is going to be beneficial to your bathroom remodeling project. There is plenty of information on the internet or in your local libraries on bathroom remodeling and these often prove to be great resources for do it yourselfers.

As an experienced contractor I have gathered a great deal of information through books, at work and watching local home improvement shows. The biggest problem with the show's and quite a few of these books, is they don't provide enough information. Most of the time they provide you with the basics of bathroom remodeling and you could soon find yourself in trouble or seeking the advice from a home improvement professional.

The largest benefit for doing the bathroom remodeling project yourself, could be the money you save, along with the satisfaction of completing the project. It makes homeowners feel good when they've completed a large home remodeling project, like a bathroom remodel.

If you don't have the time, lack the experience or a combination of both, I would suggest hiring a contractor to relieve you from the stress and frustration of your bath remodeling project. The more complex your bathroom remodeling project is, the greater the degree of difficulty, the longer it will take to complete the project. Some of these projects can take up a lot of your time.

If you're working on galvanized water supply pipes or old cast iron waste pipes, you could find yourself hiring a plumber to install your bathtub and fixtures. These old pipes create problems for most do it yourselfers and I would suggest hiring a professional, whenever you run into a problem you don't feel comfortable with.

Choosing to tackle some of these difficult problems yourself, could lead to water leaks and more damage to the home eventually costing you even more money than the original cost of hiring an experienced plumber in the first place. When it comes to water, structural framing and electricity, think twice, especially if you're not experienced in these areas.

My advice to do it yourselfers is to hire a professional if you're not comfortable or seek the advice from a contractor or someone with considerable experience bathroom remodeling.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more House Remodeling Pictures or home building ideas.

Christian Articles

Achieving Your Objectives Every Time - Goal Setting 101

2009-08-29T01:24:00.001-07:00

If you want to achieve your objectives in sports, politics, leadership, career or business then you are going to have to concentrate on the details, just as much as you do the end goal. In fact, you must break your end goal into little tiny goals that you can accomplish along the way and you must treat these little tiny goals as important as the dream or end goal.

Have you ever heard that saying; "The Devil is in the Details? Well, perhaps he really is and thus, if you do not pay attention to the details the devil will and he will destroy all your chances for success. It's not difficult to break your larger goals into smaller ones, you will find this comes quite naturally when you divide up tasks you need to accomplish when you do most anything.

The difference is that when you apply this strategy to your personal goals it will work just as easy as when you apply this technique to your educational or career goals. For instance, you cannot merely get a PhD in one step. You must take tons of classes, attend all the classes get decent grades, and then do your dissertation, which in itself must be broken down into many smaller tasks to complete such an undertaking.

The trick to achieving your Objectives Every Time is to use a strategy that works for you. I recommend that you try my Goal Setting 101Challenge. Take any goal you have big or small and break it into very tiny bite size tasks, assign each task to be completed a drop dead date, a date in which you must complete it.

Then stretch that out to the date you need to complete it by and schedule yourself out a work sheet and complete each little goal as if it were the big goal. Oh and you must reward yourself along the way for staying on target. If you do that you will accomplish your goal and have more confidence for the next important goal you set. Anything is possible.

"Lance Winslow" - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net

New Versus Old Lumber - Structural Failure

2009-08-29T00:31:00.001-07:00

Most of the structural repairs I have made over the years has nothing to do with the lumber and whether it was new or old. A large number of these repairs were caused by neglect and poor maintenance.

When I use the word poor engineering I am not pointing fingers at engineers. We now have more knowledge about home construction then we had years ago.

New versus old lumber, who wins the battle. Only time will tell.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Structural Repairs.

Effects Of False Prophets

Self Knowledge

2009-08-28T17:51:00.001-07:00

Self knowledge means more personal power. You can more effectively use a computer when you know more about it, and in the same way, you can more effectively use your own brainpower, mind and body when you understand them better. There is, however, one big stumbling block to learning more about ourselves. It is our tendency to rationalize, as demonstrated in the extreme in the following true story.

Jack, while hypnotized by his therapist, was given the post-hypnotic instruction to get up and put on his coat whenever the doctor touched his nose. Once out of the trance, he and the doctor talked. During the conversation, the doctor scratched his nose, and Jack immediately stood up and put on his coat.

The doctor asked why. Jack said "Oh, I thought we were finished," and he took off the coat. A few minutes later, the doctor touched his nose again, and Jack again immediately stood up and put on his coat. "It's getting cold in here," he explained. By the third time, it was getting more difficult for Jack to explain his behavior, yet he still tried to.

Now, is this scenario really unique to hypnosis? I don't think so. We are often just assuming that we know all that goes into our decisions and actions. Like poor Jack, we feel compelled to explain ourselves, and to believe our own explanations. Of course, this isn't self knowledge, but self explanation, or rationalization, and it is one of our strongest human habits.

Self Knowledge Versus Self Explanation

When a child throws a book at his brother, and his mother demands "Why would you do that!?" What usually happens? The child answers, "I don't know," which is true, but entirely unacceptable. With five seconds to come up with an answer, the best psychologists couldn't understand the child's action with certainty, yet a five-year-old is expected to do just that.

Though he may not understand, he learns quickly how to explain himself. With this pressure to explain, it is no wonder that by adulthood, we rarely say "I don't know" when asked about our behavior. Instead, we simply create an explanation. Isn't this a problem if we want true self knowledge? How do we learn the true causes of our behavior if we already have our explanations?

Self Knowledge - I Don't Know

A better approach is to say "I don't know." If it helps, follow it with "Maybe it's because of..." and let the explanations spill out, but don't be too quick to accept any of them. It isn't always necessary to explain.

For example, suppose you are avoiding a certain person. If you never know why you are avoiding them, isn't it better to leave the question open than to accept a false explanation based on a habit of self-justification and rationalization? When you leave questions unanswered, you may someday have a better understanding. A quick answer just means a quick stop in your thinking, and less self knowledge.

Why not just say, "I don't know." Isn't it better to learn to accept your ignorance, and to keep observing yourself? Don't let self-explanation get in the way of of self knowledge.

Steve Gillman has been studying brainpower and related topics for years. For more on How To Increase Brain Power, and to get the Brain Power Newsletter and other free gifts, visit: http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com

Installing a 32 Inch Back Door

2009-08-28T16:46:00.001-07:00

He got the extra money in his pocket, you got a headache.

I'm a contactor and learned this lesson in a long time ago.

When building a new home most people don't give very much thought about their interior or exterior doors. Here's a simple chart I made to help with some basic door decisions.

If you are a professional football or basketball player don't use these numbers above.

Give some thought when installing a new door on your next project and keep some of the above tips in mind..

If you are designing a home give some thought to the stairways and hallways in the home as well.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Bay Window Ideas

If I Hate My Brother

Steps to a Positive Attitude - Self Help Tips

2009-08-28T10:10:00.001-07:00

Habitually, life is a grind, don't you think? Ask your friends, "Why do you go to work everyday?" Nine out of ten of them will probably say, "Because everyone else does." How about that for inspiration? It's that painful attitude that we find ourselves subjected to every living day. Therefore, you could ask me, "What makes you think that I can break free from the bonds of conformity?" And I would answer, "Because you can. It's a choice; as your attitude is a choice and not a feeling."

So you wake up this morning still thinking about last night's argument you had with your spouse about the pile of debt you have collectively constructed. You swing your feet off the couch only to feel the cold remnants of the dog relieving his bladder in the middle of the night because you were too depressed to let him out. You ooze into the bathroom to rinse off and take the obligatory shower and there stands your counter-part. With the argument still lingering in the air you both choose to avoid the topic by not speaking at all.

How frustrating can this be since your son has the biggest game of the season tonight and your daughter's performance at her dance recital this evening will make or break her scholarship opportunity. You have a mountain of responsibility riding on a positive attitude today, but your ghastly experience of last night still lingers like a leach; slowly draining your life's energy one little suck at a time. How do you let go? How do you strap on a positive attitude?

Here is a short process that you can put to work right now to brighten you life...for at least a moment. You decide whether to change your life forever. It just takes a little courage.

First, connect yourself with the discomfort that wrecked your attitude. Whatever created this mountain of debt must be recognized. You granted the power to create the situation that brought on this discomfort, so be proud! At some point, this situation you created served you well, didn't it? It just took a quick turn for the worse. So forgive yourself. Express your gratitude towards the ability to have created the mountain of debt to begin with. Express your gratitude towards the ability to pay the bills that support your purchases. Forgive yourself! Now, reclaim your power so that it can be used for a greater purpose. Reflecting on the current example: to support your children in a time when they need your positive attitude the most. Serving the greater purpose with a positive attitude is a choice.

Secondly,allow your reclaimed power to rush through you like you have just leaped into a cool, fresh-water spring in the middle of a hot summer day! Feel it. Really feel it. Then remember this feeling and revisit this place over and over and over again. Indulge in the wonderful feelings it conjures. Smother your children with a positive attitude when they need it most. Serving this greater purpose with a positive attitude is a choice. And be happy you made the choice.

Third, now that you have reclaimed your power, choose your attitude. While experiencing your heightened state of happiness, make the choice that will carry with you an uplifting, positive attitude throughout the rest of the day. And when you begin to feel the intrusion of discomfort, immediately revert back to step two and remember that you have reclaimed your power. Remember the rush of energy that consumed you and brought you to this happy, powerful moment. Smother your children with a positive attitude when they need it most. This is your greater purpose.

Lastly, practice, practice, practice. Once you become even moderately efficient at reclaiming your power, your positive attitude will become a clear choice. Doors will open that will lead to places and dreams that you had only imagined for you and those for which you feel deep affection.

Make the choice to spread the virus of "positive attitude" with everyone you encounter and try to encounter as many people as you possibly can everyday. This epidemic you create will spread faster than you can presently imagine. However, with practice, you will soon realize how commonplace choosing a positive attitude can be.

Be well and know that you are loved...

Published by J.C. Spearry whose goal is to introduced you to ideas that will transform your life, define your purpose, determine your motivation. Discover effective goal setting techniques that will inspire you, your congregation, your charitable organization or your sales staff so that you can take on the day with integrity and passion! Visit http://www.find-your-purpose-for-life.blogspot.com to gather more information!

Installing a 32 Inch Back Door

2009-08-28T09:19:00.001-07:00

He got the extra money in his pocket, you got a headache.

I'm a contactor and learned this lesson in a long time ago.

When building a new home most people don't give very much thought about their interior or exterior doors. Here's a simple chart I made to help with some basic door decisions.

If you are a professional football or basketball player don't use these numbers above.

Give some thought when installing a new door on your next project and keep some of the above tips in mind..

If you are designing a home give some thought to the stairways and hallways in the home as well.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Bay Window Ideas

Personal Development

Becoming the Old Woman Full of Wisdom

2009-08-28T02:46:00.001-07:00

A woman in society is a very interesting creature. She is a sign of beauty and all the male people want to be associated with her. In the life of a woman, there are many stages. First, there is the beginning stage, when she is born. The female child is a blessing in most societies of the world. Today, their arrival is celebrated as they are ushered into the real world. The girl child will then develop as they reach a stage where information and understanding comes to them. After this, they will enter into a stage where they will start to discover the opposite sex and the power of attraction. This is a crucial stage and many girls do things their bodies have never done. It is the verge of adulthood, however strange and confusing, the lady will enjoy every minute because it is a gateway to new and exciting things until she becomes the old woman. From this stage, the lady will start to look more keenly at the opposite sex as they look out for a person who could be destined for them.

It does not take long before a young man comes calling and depending on the feelings of the lady, she will either accept or deny. When a girl is treated with love and respect from an attractive man, it is very easy for them to say yes. The next transition might be marriage if everything goes well. This is the stage where the girl becomes a woman. They say that this is the stage where ladies learn most. The wisdom will last until they are referred to as the old woman. Life will be based on this institution which is called marriage and a lot comes from it. Children and even wealth of many sorts will come to a woman at this stage. She is not yet the old woman. Sometimes, there will be feelings of inadequacies but, they will pass and if the partners are still committed to the marraige it will last. The woman will then learn to harbor great wisdom that will seek to direct her children. Sometimes, she will be shocked at the fact that a lot of sense comes from her mouth. She will just see herself as the young girl who was mesmerized by the thought of having her own home. At time, she will feel like the old woman but, it is not yet time for that.

A dry season might set in and the husband might begin to change. They will engage in all business that is strange and, people will refer to it as mid life crisis. This crisis will not spare the woman. She will have to undergo her fair share of challenges as she recounts all those dreams she has not yet fulfilled. But at this stage, the children are grown up and some are leaving home. She will be feeling like the old woman. When the kids mature up, little things will not worry her anymore, she is happy observing the success of her children. At some point, the grand children will start to beckon and, she is the old woman. She will be the source of wisdom and guidance to her children. Her words are invaluable. Years of experience have taught her all she needs to know about life. She is the mature older woman. It is pretty exciting going through the journeys of life knowing that you have no regrets.

Francis K. Githinji Is An Online Dating Expert. His Latest Project Free Online Dating Shows How The Power Of Online Dating Can Be Harnessed Internationally and With Great Success, Or You Could Post Your Valued Comments On His Blog At Free Online Dating

Creating Your Electricity

2009-08-18T19:17:00.001-07:00

Creating your own electricity and generating your own power has always been one of my dreams. Having a self sufficient home, not only a house that takes care of itself by generating its own electricity through windmills or solar panels but the satisfaction knowing that no matter what happens to the electrical companies you will always have electricity at your home.

What a wonderful feeling it would be to get a check back from the utility company instead of paying them every single month. I don't know about you but my utility bills are ridiculous and seemed to be going up in price constantly. I can't believe all the fees they have been charging for years to all of their customers. If you add all the fees for every person in the city or county this comes to a large, a very large number and it's getting worse not better.

Generating your own electricity with solar or wind power is definitely green thinking. This is going to be the wave of the future as fuel used to create electricity continues to rise in price. I really can't imagine what the price of electricity is going to be like in 10 years as the mass consumption continues to rise in developing countries.

We have got to start taking care of our own needs through solar or wind power. We have got to start creating our own electricity to become self reliant. The more self reliant we become as a nation the less dependent we will be on major corporations, especially large power conglomerates.

Creating our own electricity can also be used for electrical cars that can be purchased in the future. Think of the money you will say in fuel costs as the price of gasoline continues to increase as well as less pollution into our environment.

This is definitely the wave of the future and common sense tells us this. I suggest you read this article again if you haven't figured out some of the problems coming our way in the future.

Think green and together we can start saving the planet.

While searching for new alternatives and trying to get some advice on creating your own electricity I came across a book you can purchase in digital format. This book seems to have quite a bit of information on creating your own electricity for a totally self sufficient home.

This book has been created in digital format to reduce the consumption of trees and the waste involved in creating a regular book. What a wonderful idea for helping our environment in quite a few ways.

For more information visit http://www.gregvan.com and look for Get Earth4Energy Here Create your own electricity! Save 1000's with Earth4Energy

Power Of Affirmations

7 Secrets of the Millionaire Mindset

2009-08-17T07:48:00.001-07:00

Ask anyone, "do you want more money?" and the answer is usually "yes!" More money can mean many things: freedom, fun, adventure, escape from bills, no more worries, a brand new BMW. Whatever it is we want, money is often the means to get it.

Why is it we don't have everything we want? We are definitely smart enough - we have after all sent a man to the moon, should we not be able to make a few extra thousand dollars? We certainly work hard enough - statistics have Australians working 40-60 hours per week. Americans have barely two weeks annual leave per annum. There is no lack of work ethic here.

So what keeps us from achieving the wealth we truly desire?

Is it lack of knowledge? No - there are thousands of books and articles on how to build wealth and there are thousands who have done it before - it is achievable. The answers are out there, for anyone to access.

Is it lack of desire? Surely not since most people express a true craving for more cash and can see the real benefits of building wealth.

The distinction between those who make millions and those who do not is not about intelligence, drive, work ethic, knowledge, skill, opportunity, or even luck. The difference lies almost entirely with beliefs and attitude. These distinctions boil down to seven basic secrets of what I call the "Millionaire Mindset".

Secret #1: Beliefs about Money

Millionaires have specific beliefs about money and wealth. This is the most fundamental and most important aspect of becoming (and staying) a millionaire.

Millionaire beliefs include:

* I deserve to be rich.

* There is more than enough wealth to go around.

* When I grow rich, so do others.

* I grow rich by adding value to people's lives. I do this by providing services, knowledge, or products that enrich others.

* Creating wealth is enjoyable and fun.

* If I desire it, I can achieve it, attract it, possess it, enjoy it.

* I am the captain of my own ship.

* I am not alone - in building wealth, I have many partners who assist me in the design, implementation, and administration of my products and services. We all benefit from the growth of wealth.

* Nobody suffers as a result of me being rich.

* Wealth brings the opportunity to assist others.

* I am very grateful for everything I have in my life already.

* I am on this planet to enjoy my life.

* I am already wealthy beyond measure.

How many of those beliefs do you share with the millionaires? Chances are if you do not have all the wealth you desire it is because you may have some limiting beliefs about yourself and money.

We develop our money beliefs primarily from our family and from our early experiences with money. Do you remember your first conscious thought about money? Was it a positive one? Quite often our experiences with money are negative or unsupportive, associated with guilt, blame, fear, jealousy and all manner of low-level emotional states.

Culturally we are also bombarded with messages about money. Have you heard of these ones?

* Money does not grow on trees.

* Money is the root of all evil.

* It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to pass through the gates of heaven.

* The meek shall inherit the earth.

* There is virtue in poverty.

When you think about it, these maxims are not at all helpful if you want to grow wealth. If you subscribe to these beliefs, then your ambitions will be in constant conflict with your underlying notions about wealth. The result? A stalemate. No wealth can be grown in these conditions.

Secret #2: Reasons for Building Wealth - The Carrot and the Stick

Millionaires have very specific and very compelling reasons for WHY they build wealth. These reasons keep them focussed on their goals. These may include the desire to experience freedom of choice, provide a solid education to their children, assist their favourite charity, eliminate personal debt, ensure a secure future for themselves, or simply to have fun.

Regardless of the particulars of 'why' they want to build wealth, all the reasons fall in to two distinct categories. These are the 'Carrots' and the 'Sticks'. Both 'Carrots' and 'Sticks' are essential components of the Millionaire Mindset.

'Carrots' are the juicy incentive. Just like the horse that has the carrot suspended out in front of him to keep him trotting along, aiming for the yummy treat, millionaires also have 'carrots'. These might be a new Jaguar, a house on the beach, overseas travel, a fancy wardrobe, a solid education fund for their children, the ability to donate to their favourite charity, a sense of freedom, a sense of adventure, the freedom of choice. The reasons are both tangible and esoteric. Basically the most important thing is that the 'carrots' feel good.

'Sticks' are the painful reminder of what they don't want. My aunt who is now very wealthy says the primary reason she worked so hard for financial independence is that she never wanted to experience again the poverty of her childhood. It was such a painful experience that it served as a whip, a 'stick', to drive her wealth creation activities. Other wealth creation 'sticks' might be the pain of oppressive debt, fear of retirement without sufficient funds, the worry of wondering from where the next meal will come.

Anthony Robbins claims that people will do more to avoid pain than they will do gain pleasure. This is a key observation in the development of the Millionaire Mindset. In order to carry through plans for wealth creation, the millionaire on the make needs to have both 'carrots' and 'sticks'. The sticks keep the feet to the fire, keep the awareness of pain as a spur to keep trying, to keep working the plan. The 'carrots' however provide the inspiration, the joy, and the rewards. The wealth 'horse' moves a lot more effectively if it has both 'carrots' and 'sticks' encouraging it along.

One last word about 'sticks'. If you have too many of them, your life becomes filled with fear - fear of poverty, fear of debt, fear of an under-funded retirement. This is no way to lead a life, and certainly a very anxious way to approach developing wealth. Some 'sticks' are a good way to get started, and then focus more on your 'carrots'. Not only are these much more fun to think about, they will make the process of building wealth far more pleasant and enjoyable.

Secret #3: It's not about the money

Every wealthy person knows that creating a fortune is never about the money itself. It is however about what the money can do. Money allows the experiences that provide pleasure. Ultimately building wealth is about feeling good - nothing more, nothing less. Can you feel good without building wealth? Absolutely! This is why a wealthy person feels good, feels 'wealthy', regardless of the balance of their bank account. For the wealthy person, accumulation of wealth is a process that is as enjoyable as the results.

Wealthy people are not hung up on outcomes or on the balance sheet. Wealthy people focus on the process of adding value to their clients, to their colleagues, to their employees, to their field of work. They know that in adding value, the laws of reciprocity dictate that value comes back to them in the end. In this way they can feel good at any given time. Creating wealth is as much about service to others as it is about feeling good in their own life.

Secret #4: Awareness is a key skill of wealth creation

Those who create and attract wealth have a heightened sense of self. They are keenly aware of what might be stopping their personal growth including personal effectiveness, limiting beliefs, low-level emotional patterns, and lack of knowledge or skill. They take active steps to eliminate blocks to their success.

Those with a Millionaire Mindset are also keenly sensitive to their environment. They surround themselves with people who support and assist them with their goals. They hire coaches, select mentors, and pay for the best advisers they can afford. They avoid individuals who are negative, pessimistic, or caustic in any way. They design inspiring surroundings that remind them of their personal vision and reflect their individual values. Everything around them is a reflection of who they are at the core and resonates with their vision of themselves already in possession of the wealth they desire.

Secret #5: Focus reveals opportunities

Along with heightened awareness, focus on key priorities operates like a giant floodlight: opportunities are revealed by the powerful, focussed light. Without clear focus, these same opportunities may still exist, but because awareness is unfocussed, the individual may not necessarily notice them.

Secret #6: Repeat baby steps

Having focus and heightened awareness is not enough to become wealthy. Inspired and deliberate action is required to create results. Wealthy individuals take measured steps in creating their outcomes. They know that some action is better than none and that baby steps in the moment lead to significant results over time.

Secret #7: Connect to joy, in the moment

True wealth comes in the experience of joy, in the moment. This is in fact a choice brought on by awareness of our connection to the whole of mankind, the whole of the universe. When we feel integrated and a part of the great experience of life, we can relax and savour the experience of the moment, now. A great sense of peace thus allows the flow of joy, happiness, and ultimately wealth and prosperity.

So how do you actually create wealth?

This is the question people always ask first when they want to escape poverty and make more money. It should in fact be the last question to answer. You cannot attract wealth if you do not have the right beliefs, reasons, focus, awareness, and attitude. Any financial project will flounder without these elements in place first.

With that caveat out of the way, how do you build wealth?

The simple answer is that there are a multitude of methods and strategies. You can employ one or many. These include:

* A traditional business enterprise

* Investing in shares, managed funds, bonds, etc

* Property investment

* An online business.

What we know for sure that there are very few 'jobs' that pay an extraordinary salary that turns in to massive wealth. Business and investment is really the key to wealth that does not depend on you actually turning up to deliver a service.

How do you get started on the technical side of things of wealth building?
First of all, pick the strategy that you will enjoy. If you are a technophobe, then maybe an on-line business is not for you. If you enjoy home making and decorating, maybe property investment is something for you to pursue. Whatever you choose, you have to enjoy it and make it fun!

There are plenty of good resources out there to teach you the nitty gritty of investing, business building etc. Don't feel you like you have to go it alone! Get advice, get help, get a coach, get a mentor. Educate yourself - read, read, read. Then take action - baby steps of course!

As a starting point, here are some great resources for you:

Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert Kiyosaki

Cash Flow Quadrant - Robert Kiyosaki

The E Myth Revisited - Michael Gerber

You Were Born Rich - Bob Proctor

The One Minute Millionaire - Mark Victor Hansen

Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill

There are plenty of more books, links, and articles on my website www.innercompass.com.au to help lead you in the right direction.

Now go forth and prosper!

I wish you a life of love, laughter, joy, health, and prosperity.

Best wishes

Cancer survivor Zoe Routh is the Head Coach at Inner Compass, a personal development organisation that helps busy professionals work less and achieve more. Inner Compass offers practical strategies and solutions to improve personal effectiveness and live an inspired life.

Zoe has worked with groups and individuals since 1987. She has worked as a trainer, coach and facilitator in helping people achieve their personal best.

Inner Compass offers articles, resources, and coaching programs to help busy professionals radically improve their personal effectiveness to live an inspired life.

http://www.innercompass.com.au

Personal Development

Managing Motivation in a Recession

2009-08-15T21:59:00.001-07:00

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going"

Force yourself out of your comfort zone. Nothing will happen unless you get started taking action now. Start off by taking baby steps; this will decrease your setbacks while building your confidence.

"If an ant picks up one grain of sand at a time, the city will still be built. But if the ant looks at the grain of sand and says this is not a city; there will be no city at the end."

Who am I?

http://www.wellbalancedlifestyle.com

Jeffrey M Schwartz

Can You Ask God For Wisdom

2009-08-15T19:05:00.001-07:00

What Are Affirmations
Let God Handle It

Hindutva - A Lifestyle in Political Arena

2009-08-14T13:44:00.001-07:00

Though Savarkar was a controversial figure (He was also accused of murdering Gandhi by instigating N R Godse without himself taking up arms.), this definition of Hindutva was taken up by the BJP in its political agendas. The Supreme Court of India also ruled that Hindutva is only a culture and, it cannot be compared to the prevalent Hindu fundamentalism. A Hindu can be of any religion. Embracing any particular religion cannot stop a Hindu from adhering to Hindutva. A Hindu believes that the celestial powers balance each other for the well-being of the world and humankind.

Hindutva: The Political Effects

Very soon, this idea was taken up for personal gains by the BJP and its allies: The Sangh Parivar, The RSS, VHP etc. Though BJP maintained its stand on the original meaning of Hindutva, it could not stop its allies from creating a divide that resulted into the demolition of the Babri Masjid. This was only because, the BJP never strongly asserted its viewpoint on Hindutva and used it rather for its vote bank, thereby ignoring its very ideology.

Other political parties also started making use of the term as a weapon against the BJP saying that the latter is non-secular political party. This further led to divide the Indian community, which always was under the shadow of religious and communal hatred (even before the independence.) After the beginning of the fashion of calling oneself secular by drumming the Muslim tune or by taking pro-Muslim stance, Hindutva entered Indian politics in a different tone (totally ignoring the essence of Hindutva).

One cannot take a look at Hindutva within politics in isolation. It has to be looked in the context of secular politics. Muslims are being taken for granted as vote banks by the politicians. They are being treated less as Indians and more as Muslims, even though they come under the category of Hindutva.

The Present Scenario

Now that the mentality of Indians has totally changed regarding the term Hindutva thanks to the follies of VHP, RSS, and above all, the BJP, Hindutva has been delimited to the word: Hindu (a so-called religion). Even if we think of it in cultural context, the question - Who is a Hindu - offers an answer very simple: The one who prays (to one of the thousands of deities, Mother Nature, and its elements like the rivers, the trees etc). Is there any philosopher related to Hindu who started this religion? Is there a single religious book that teaches what and how to implement? Of course, there is Bhagvad Gita, but then what about the Vedas, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata etc etc etc. When did and who started it. Lord Krishna dates back to 7200 BC as per archaeological studies. Ram was even a century before that.

The Future:

The concept of Hindutva is lost and there is no use trying to revive it. What was supposed to be a pure explanation has been spoiled to an extent that there is no scope of reviving the spirit. The position of India, thanks to its political moves has broken the society into many pieces. Earlier it was only two-three religions, now it is OBC, BC, SC, ST etc etc etc. The identity of an Indian is may be Indian abroad, but in its home country, people belong more to the castes than they are Indian.

Seeing all this, I do not think the army and other people who fight for unity need to lay down their lives for dirty politics of Indian politicians.

A child filling in the kindergarten admission form is asked for his nationality later, but is asked to fill in his caste first. This is the first step in letting the kids understand his caste while religion it already put into his mind as he tries to befriend others.

There was a time when people used to take pride in saying that they are Indians, now they obstruct the normal functioning of the country to get their caste registered under the special castes for additional benefits. Under such circumstances, forget the concept of Hindutva, we can see the spirit of being an Indian is also dimmed. Are not these the people who sell of their souls to devils in return for luxuries?

So where is Hindutva seen: In case of emergencies, such as war, fighting against terrorism, and the most recent example of Hindutva was shown in the Mumbai Seige. In other words, to keep Hindutva alive, are such events necessary. The second is cricket, where whole country unites irrespective of the religion and castes. All other games are again preceded by the caste-tag. For example, in a Newspaper I read, Mr XYZ, a dalit, won the race. Finally, the third sector where there are traces left for Hindutva is the Entertainment Industry. Nobody cares is SRK is a Muslim, Christian or a Hindu, forget about people asking about his caste.

I cant see an ending to this so am keeping the article open ended. You all are requested to suggested to write a proper ending to it, if at all it is possible.

DreamSkape India caters to a range of business communication and Internet Marketing requirements. Some of our most used services are: Internet Marketing, Online Advertising, Content Service (graphic design, video tutorial, and ebook), and Business Presentation and Reports for corporate communication.

From designing and creating your message in the format that appeals most, we distribute it to your intended audience using: email campaign, web promotion, Internet marketing, and many more proven methods.

To make sure your message reaches all your intended audience, trust DreamSkape India.

Walt Disney

Should Christians Buy This Book?

2009-08-13T18:23:00.001-07:00

Spoiled Children
Attracting A Mate Into Your Life

Books On Financial Freedom

2009-08-13T04:11:00.001-07:00

Financial freedom is the most important thing a person can have, but it can also be very difficult to achieve. Most people will need assistance from an outside source. For those of you who cannot afford to hire a financial expert to manage your finances, there are many books available that will teach you how you can use your money wisely and eventually achieve financial freedom.

There are many financial experts, as well as people who have already achieved financial freedom, writing self-help books for people wanting to free themselves from the clutches of living in debt. The hardest part is choosing the right one. You will need to make sure that the advice you follow is the right one; you do not want to follow the wrong advice and go further in debt.

These books are not very expensive, and they are very helpful. They will be able to give you very valuable advice. There are also books available on the Internet that contain the same material.

If you are able to access the Internet, you should first look for online books on financial advice. This will save you money, considering these are usually free. If you have the need to have a paper copy of the book, there are many places from which you would be able to obtain one. Obviously, bookstores carry books of this nature. You will also be able to buy financial books on the Internet, since most major bookstores have a website where you can place orders. There are many websites available from which you can purchase your book. In fact, some of these websites will offer these books at a lesser price than if you buy them at a bookstore.

Debt is the number one cause of many problems in peoples lives. Getting out of debt is the first and most important step a person needs to take in the process of achieving financial freedom. If you think this task is too difficult to achieve without assistance, then it is best that you buy a book that will aid in your struggle to achieve financial freedom.

Financial Freedom provides detailed information on Financial Freedom, Steps To Financial Freedom, Financial Freedom Resources, Financial Freedom Services and more. Financial Freedom is affiliated with Commercial Equity Line Of Credit.

Cslewis

Building the Foundation Towards Personal Development

2009-08-11T03:53:00.001-07:00

To achieve any form of success, personal development should be on top of one's priority. You cannot expect growth in your business when you lack certain aspects in terms of personal growth. Hence, the sad reality that only a few among those aiming for success achieve it. Through personal development methods, you might not ensure yourself of success but you can be one step closer to it.

Create Goals As Your Stepping Stone

When it comes to self improvement, goals serve as both your driving force and endpoint. In concept, setting a goal is like building a solid foundation. Hence, it ensures that whatever you place thereafter or what steps you take are supported by that strong foundation.

It might seem obvious at first, after all it is what most self-help books would initially point out. But stressing the importance of a goal is critical to your success. When you have a goal, you are able to determine what actions to take in order to reach that. Accordingly, you will also identify whatever it is you need to avoid so as not to be stopped on your tracks.

As much as you can, set specific goals: monthly, weekly, or daily. This helps keep your focus on what needs to get done for you to become a step closer to achieving your goal.

How Do You Create A Goal?

Now that you realize the importance of setting goals, the next dilemma is to determine healthy goals. It is easy to set goals, but recognizing the important goals is the tougher part. Hence, you might find these tips helpful:

1. Think of something, whether short or long term, that you want to achieve or acquire. Hence, you can use that goal towards personal development.

2. Devise a plan that will enable you to reach that goal.

3. Within that major goal, trim them down to smaller and shorter goals that will serve as steps towards achieving that bigger goal. This assists in the personal development process because it practice discipline in meeting those smaller goals.

Pillars of Personal Development

Depending on your habits, you can determine whether your day to day activities are productive or not. Indeed, our habits control what you do and the way you think. Learn to recognize your healthy habits from those that are not. Then, you can work on improving your unsuccessful habits and turn them into a more productive activity.

When it comes to your way of thinking, developing an optimistic outlook could spell success in personal growth. You become what you think about. Also, having a positive outlook in life will enable you to examine things objectively so you recognize the areas in your personal life that need improvement.

Improving Your Self Image

If you have a healthy self image, you do not have to worry about living up to anyone's expectations. Do not stress out over convincing others but focus on what you need to do instead.

In terms of business, you can get more people to trust you or find you credible when you act like one. Then, surround yourself with people that will help you grow and aim for the same goals as you do. Work only with people that are committed to helping you succeed. When you have a healthy working relationship, you assist in the process of personal development. Also, limiting the amount of negativity within your immediate surrounding improves your own self-esteem and capacity to succeed.

Just a few steps to take and keep in mind in your quest to achieve personal development.

Larry Rivera is a Internet Network Marketer who teaches people how to use the internet to start a home based business. Success University is the #1 Personal Development website on the internet. It gives you a place to earn while you learn. Having problems with relationship building, Learn the skills they never taught you in school.. Success University Review

Sometimes You Need to Cry

2009-08-09T19:13:00.001-07:00

I recall a period in time, at about 18 months after my husband passed away, that I felt pretty good about myself. I had handled what life had thrown me and come out battered, but mostly okay on the other side. After caretaking my husband for almost a year, I was battling some minor health problems of my own, related mostly to stress, but most days I was certain my life was on track. Steady and focused, my three boys were also adjusting and it seemed we all had a grip on reality.

On this day, I was on my way to an appointment with my holistic doctor when the radio began playing a song I had never heard before. The singer's words stirred something inside me. The song spoke of loving someone through the years, and even with that person gone, the threads of memory remained.

The words reverberated through me, and I experienced almost a kind of shock as their meaning sank in. Out of nowhere, I began to cry so hard I had to pull off the road. I had no control over the rush of anguished emotion. All my hard won calm fled, chopped off at the knees as I hugged the steering wheel of my car.

I cried as if a great well had opened inside and pulled my guts out. When I finally began to calm and the tears subsided, I had to wonder where this emotional outburst had come from. How could a song open a wound of such profound loss?

I arrived at my doctor's office, and as usual with holistic doctors, they not only want to know about you physically, but they dig deeper into the emotional aspects of your life. I hesitated only briefly before telling him what had occurred on the way to his office. I felt embarrassed by my earlier semi-breakdown. I tried to explain that I'd been feeling good, and then to suddenly have this upheaval had thrown me for a loop.

He explained it was to be expected there would be days where emotion could still catch me by surprise. With the loss still relatively fresh in my life, how could I expect to be 100%? I admitted to him that I'd been feeling excruciatingly lonely, but I thought I was handling it. Some days my idea of "handling" it meant ignoring or burying my feelings. Always a very private person, I hadn't shared much of my thoughts with anyone. When friends asked how I was doing, I would usually say I was okay. Inside, I kept thinking, who wants to hear that I just want to get through another day?

I felt much better after speaking with him. Not only was he a sympathetic ear, it felt good to open up and share my worries about being alone, my concern for the kids' welfare and fears that I wasn't handling my finances to my best advantage.

We talked extensively about the triggers that stirred my own private misery. Something as straightforward as a song, or as complex as past memories, seemed to have the power to entrench me in great emotion. He made me realize there would be times I merely needed to cry as part of grief's healing process. There was nothing complicated about it. Each time we are brave enough to reach down and allow our true emotions out, it brings a little more healing into our lives. As time passes, and we remain true to ourselves, a new sense of empowerment emerges.

Elaine Williams 2008

Elaine Williams is a writer across various genres. She is a mother and a widow of four years. She can be contacted at onwingspress@yahoo.com - http://www.ajourneywelltaken.com

Keep Believing in You

2009-08-08T10:27:00.001-07:00

January is just about done (can you believe it), time waits for no man. I hope everyone is following their plans, guidelines or whatever you label your project to be. I know it can be overwhelming but if we want to get to our goals we just have to woman/man up and do what we have to do. That's were changing your mindset comes into play.

Since to the beginning of the New Year I have just been taking it one day at a time, everyday I'm doing something that relates to my business, even when I don't feel like doing it, because if I don't do it it will just sit there waiting to be taken care of. Whenever you get that thought in your head to go take care of whatever project you may have going on, that's when you go tackle it and take care of business (you don't have to get it right you just gotta get it going).

Changing your mindset does not mean you stop being who you are as a person its just means you are looking at things in a different light, you now believe in your dreams/goals, you know that you deserve nothing but the best, You basically giving yourself an upgrade on the inside a makeover on the inside your mind and heart.

I'm am so happy and excited of this New Year 2009 because I feel the change in myself, I'm really proud of the accomplish Ive made in the past 5 months not just with my business but with myself.
I want you to have the same changes I'm having, and to feel the changes within yourself that you are headed in the right direction.

This is your friend DawnW wanting nothing but the best for you, I love and appreciate you have a wonderful week.

God Bless
Dawn W

Dawn is a part-time Network Marketer, she shares her marketing skills, and business oppurtunites with others who are looking to change their mindset and really learn how the Online Marketing industry works, so they can take their business to the next level.

http://MeetDawnW.info

http://imdawnw.com/classroom.aspx