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Self-discipline is a powerful tool that can help you accomplish about anything you can dream or imagine. Self-discipline is the act of controlling our emotions, actions, thoughts, words and personal direction. Some people seem to be naturally self-controlled and some seem to have no self-control at all. Others seem to constantly struggle with self-discipline.

Discipline is learning to say “no” to our primitive uncontrolled cravings and selfish
destructive desires. We develop self-management when we begin to distinguish the
difference between what is actually needed and what is truly unnecessary.

Because of the ease of modern society and our ability to get anything we want at a
push of a button or the swipe of a card, it is far more difficult to exert self-control
today than it has been in any other time in human history. Added to this is the
brainwashing of advertising that tells us to crave things.

The first step to gaining self-control is to identify the areas where we are out of
control. Work on self-denial in the areas you want to change. Deny your self a
certain pleasure each day. Then begin to start small with little victories each day,
like eating one less snack or watching one less television show.

A key to discipline is developing routines. People who have routines tend to be more
disciplined and accomplish more. If you are one of those people who have trouble
with routines, try adding just one at a time. Keep it simple. Work on the things that
are most important first. Evaluate yourself regularly to see how you are doing.
Reward yourself for keeping at it. Once it becomes a habit, it is much easier to
maintain.

Of course, routines can be done to excess, so remember to give yourself a little
healthy leeway in case the unexpected comes up.

The power behind some of the world’s greatest achievements is strong motivation
and the ability to persist despite previous failures. Motivation is the fire that fuels
our efforts toward success. There is no use in trying to master self-discipline if you
have no motivation to have it. Motivation is a result of strong personal desire that
directs a person’s actions and thoughts and helps create situations that move
toward a specific accomplishment.

Motivation must come from within, not from an outside source. For example, if you
diet because your spouse wants you to, it is poor motivation, and you will probably
not do well at it. It is only when you truly desire to control your habits and
behaviors that you will achieve self-discipline. Motivation brings about true change.

One way to increase motivation is through pressure. Tell your friends, co-workers
and family about your commitment to change something in your life. Peer pressure
can be a powerful motivator.

Motivation works hand in hand with self-discipline and organization. Lack in these
areas can lead to a greater number of failures and failures lead to poor motivation.
When you begin to structure your day and organize yourself, the motivation that
moved you to change will continue to add fuel to the fire.

As you work toward change in your life, you will eventually experience failure. The
only way to defeat failure is through persistence and perseverance. The most
common reason people give up on achieving their goals is because they
encountered failure once or twice and they become afraid to try again.

Winston
Churchill once said, “Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of
enthusiasm.” Before you even begin, you must plan to deal with failure. Be ready to
persevere. Vow to never give up, no matter what, no matter how long it takes!

By Dianne Ronnow © 2005 Mohave Publishing. All rights reserved. From the
Enzyme-health Blog found at Enzyme-Health.com.

Dianne Ronnow’s best selling book, “Coconut Oil Diet Secrets” reveals how
thousands of people are losing weight and getting healthier with coconut oil diets.
To find out what the secrets of coconut oil dieting are, Check out her site at: Coconut-Oil-Diet.com. Get the book now
and start losing weight today!

Those colorful loops of rubber should be quite familiar to you by now. Yes, we are talking about rubber band bracelets. They have become ubiquitous in the last couple of years. You can see them on the wrists of Tsunami aid workers, citizens campaigning for a cause, and even the on wrists of school children.

The rubber band bracelets have become the most-preferred and the most inexpensive way to show your support for a cause, or to donate to charity, or to raise awareness about an issue or a disease. You can see them used for extremely different purposes, such as to proclaim one’s religious affiliation, or as a fashion statement! The rubber band bracelet is the modern way of wearing your heart on your sleeve, er wrist!

What are rubber band bracelets? They are simply loops of solid rubber, worn on the wrist by stretching and sliding them over the palm of one’s hands. They come in any color imaginable — yellow, orange, blue, green, black, pink… Some are translucent, others glow in the dark… And they are worn in support of many a message or cause — they are as versatile as they are stretchable! Not all rubber band bracelets are rubber, though. Some of them are made of silicone.

You can have any message stamped over the rubber band bracelets, or designs crafted on them. In fact, some of the latest rubber band bracelets sport more than one message! Rubber band bracelets usually sell for $1-5 a piece, and can be ordered online from many Web sites, in multiples of five hundred, or smaller packs of a dozen or more. The manufacturers often give discounts for the larger orders.

The most famous of the rubber band bracelets is the yellow ‘Livestrong’ wristband worn by cycling champion and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong. The pink ones are worn to show support to breast cancer patients. SHeDAISY’s ‘Come Home Soon’ yellow rubber band bracelets (named for the group’s Top 15 single) with the words ‘Come Home Soon’ stamped on them are highly popular among relatives of American servicemen.

The rubber band bracelet is a very useful and inexpensive tool for crowd control: it is used as a cheap identifying device in restricted access events attended by large numbers of people, such as music concerts. The rubber band bracelets are also issued by hospitals to their patients as identifying devices with some basic medical information stamped on them.

So what makes these rubber band bracelets so popular? Sociologists say people have always used amulets in times of trouble. Now we are just using them in a more positive way. Yes, rubber band bracelets are more than simple loops of rubber; they represent the human urge to fight and survive great odds.

Chamonix Haute Savoie France is a prestigious location with the famous Mont Blanc as well as majestic glaciers. My friends love to go walking or from time to time visiting the Aiguille du Midi. I usually fly from Gaithersburg and stay at a Chamonix lodge during my stay.

I previously visited Big Sky Resorts Stillwater Condos however it never lived up to its marketing: Stillwater Condominiums are within walking distance of the Mountain Mall and the core base area, and approximately 60 miles from Gallatin Field Airport. Big Sky’s Mountain Village lies at the foot of majestic Lone Peak, nine miles west of US Highway 191. Guests have access to shops, restaurants, nightclubs, a grocery, deli, cafeteria, rental and repair services, meeting rooms, and daycare center in the center plaza. Workout facilities, an outdoor pool, and two jetted pools are located at the Huntley Lodge. Outside condominium guests may use the Huntley facilities.

On the other hand in Chamonix village the catered chalet is always good. As well dining out in our groups number one hotel restaurant, Genes Bar & Restaurant Inc, eating pineapple-marshmallow filling is a treat. Chamonix Mont Blanc is a big enough village to insure that there is plenty for the holiday maker to do. Amongst other things it includes a spa and a weekly market with fresh local produce, Chamonix provides a combination of skiing, old town charm and shopping which barely any French ski resorts can hope to rival.

Done properly, dental implants require several appointments over an extended period of time. The reason for this is that the implants themselves – essentially, miniature titanium screws – have the opportunity to osseointegrate, or meld with the bone tissue underlying the patient’s gums.

This said, you have no doubt heard about “Teeth in an Hour;” the claim is this type of dental implant can be done immediately, much like “Lumineers,” the “instant” dental veneer.

There are several dental implants from as many private corporations about which such claims are made. Essentially, all use computed tomography, a type of radiologic, computer-assisted medical imaging, in order to create a high-resolution, 3-D image of the patient’s jaw, from which a mechanical template can be constructed – allowing any dentist to place dental implants with a high degree of accuracy. The claimed advantage here is that the patient can get dental implants immediately instead of having to go through an arduous and uncomfortable period of several months.

What should be disturbing is that when one goes to these websites – the contents of which are primarily directed toward dental practitioners – the emphasis is not on quality of patient care, but rather on “increasing profitability” – a concept unique to the U.S. healthcare system.

In short, success rate and patient benefit takes a distant second-place to making a lot of money in a short amount of time. In fact, “teeth in an hour” is considerably more expensive than the traditional method of doing dental implants. Also, there is no guarantee that the new teeth will truly be “instant;” if mistakes are made, the new teeth may not fit the patient’s jaw correctly and the result will be a considerable delay – almost as long as if the dental implants had been done correctly to begin with. Most significantly, the failure rate on these “instant implants” is higher than that of traditional dental implants.

The dentists who train to do “New Teeth in an Hour” through weekend training sessions offered through these corporate entities generally have good intentions, but tend to be young, inexperienced and burdened with several hundred thousand dollars’ worth of student loan debt. Meanwhile, the corporations offering such instant dental implants are focused on high profits and high dividends for shareholders – not dental health.

To be fair, there are some experienced prosthodontists who will perform such procedures for patients who specifically request it and will do the best they can – but significantly, very few of those who are thoroughly trained in Prosthodontics recommend anything but the traditional method of dental implants.

Prepare, prepare, prepare! The horizon screams of spring and the budding trees, tulips poking their head above the soil and thoughts of romance and love fill our hearts and minds. Are you ready for what awaits you? Well, if not, we need to get started right away!

First things first, get your house in order, no I am not talking about the dwelling in which you reside, I am referring to the temple (your body, mind and soul) of all existence! Time to throw out all preconceived notions of what the other sex is looking for and re-create the person you are, the person you want to be!

Put that smile to work, make eye contact, approach a stranger (be careful), strike up a conversation, and take the initiative for the new beginning you want to have this year! There is no happiness greater than that which is within you, and love evolves from loving oneself.

Next, get out of that house, off that couch, turn off the TV, and enjoy the world around you. Open your eyes to the beauty of your surroundings and look in amazement how everything changes so rapidly. You are like a flower in spring, let your heart bloom, outstretch your arms and let go of that wall you have been holding up. Update your profile to reflect your newfound understanding of yourself, express your heart, your desires and watch life explode before you. Build it and they will come!

The flowerbed has always been there, but like any growing thing it needs to be nurtured and cultivated. Till your garden, pluck out the weeds, and blossom into a heart open to love and friendship. Be open to all possibilities, it is more than opening your heart, you must open your mind as well to new experiences, new people, new possibilities.

Spring is our opportunity every year to begin again, it is not a resolution, it is a cleansing of all that has been pushed to the back, open the doors and windows to your heart and find what has been waiting there all along.

It is in the air, catch it, make it your own, take what is there and let life and love happen, it will when you reveal all that is beneath the soil to grow and thrive.

Spread your wings this year, fly with no fear, be all that you know you are and can be. Make it happen!

Linda Reeves is an advice cloumnist for http://www.CupidsBlackbook.com a free dating site. She is 47 years old and lives in the American Midwest.

We stood in the kitchen talking. I was discussing my upcoming change in lifestyle. I was excited yet hesitant as I talked about it. We set a goal many years ago to change our lifestyle from one of the hectic city life, working to pay the bills….. to one of a slower country pace, working on our “wanna do’s”. Yet as I talked to my friend about this, there was hesitation in my voice. Leaving a company where I had worked for over 26 years, leaving friends who have become like family to me, leaving a province where I had lived, raised my children and worked for the last 16 years. I expressed my concerns of leaving a steady paycheck for a much, much lower income. As I talked, that little voice in my head was saying, “what are you doing, will you be able to make it?”

My friend left the room and came back carrying a bag. “This is for you,” she said smiling.

I opened the bag and in it was a plaque with the following poem:

Believe In Yourself
And in your dream
though impossible
things may seem,
Someday, somehow you’ll get through to
the goal you have in view.

Mountains fall and
seas divide before
the one who in his stride

Takes a hard road
day by day
sweeping obstacles away.

Believe in yourself
and in your plan.
Say not – I cannot but, I can.
The prizes of life we
fail to win, Because we doubt the
power within.

As I read the poem, my hesitation disappeared, my confidence restored, I knew it would be all right. I did have a dream, and although, at times it appeared impossible, I set my goal and never lost sight of that end goal. Yes, many times as I worked towards that goal I had setbacks, obstacles. However, I never lost focus. I believed I could do it. And, as I reflected on the poem I knew, tomorrow will work out. I have come this far and faced many obstacles, but I overcame them.

I am writing this story on Sunday, and tomorrow, on Monday, June 23rd, the moving truck will arrive. I am leaving Mississauga, ON and moving to the country in New Brunswick. My goal now a reality!

What are your dreams?

Do they seem impossible?

Set your goal, don’t give up when you face obstacles, and stay focused, as the power within is truly amazing!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Catherine Pulsifer is one of the editors of Words of Wisdom 4 U, http://www.wow4u.com. You will find a collection of motivational thoughts, stories, quotes, poems, smiles, proverbs, and more at Words of Wisdom 4 U!

Heating a house with a wood fire is such a neat thing.Fires in the home create a beautiful and lovelyenvironmentin the winter time.What is the best type of wood to burn to stay warm? Oak wood burns hot and for a long time. If you want to stay hot in the winter in the coldest of temperatures, then get a woodstove and fill it with oak firewood.

You can’t burn green wood (meaning it was just cut). The wood has to age and dry out. It takes at least six months before it can be at its perfect burning age. You cut down an oak tree, then with a chainsaw cut it into sizes that will fit into your wood stove. Then you have to chop it. Chopping it will make it fit better in the wood stove and also it will dry out faster. Stack the chopped firewood in rows and cover it to protect it from rain. Keep the sides of the stacked rows open so that the air can dry it out. Be sure to stack it in an area that does not have termites. Once you have enough for the winter, the let it sits there.

Now when winter comes around. Every day just grab a few pieces of that oak firewood and put it in the woodstove. Burn it all the time. Your house will be hot and toasty. Imagine when you will be walking around in your house in summer shorts when it is below zero outside. This will happen if you put burn the ever -popular oak firewood.

Can finding a stray rubber band flood a person’s heart with warmth and joy? Yes! Especially if you are participating in a rubber band collection contest with childhood friends. Long ago, a friend challenged me to compete in such an event. I said yes and vowed to win. I frequently rode on my bike to search neighborhood driveways and streets for rubber bands. I proudly added the ones I found to the growing collection that I kept on the handlebars of my bike. Whenever I spotted a rubber band, I felt like shouting, jumping up and down and telling the world that I had found another one. I was sure I would be the winner of the competition.

When I first laid eyes on the boy who showed off the rubber bands that completely filled both sides of the handlebars on his bike, I was certain that he had cheated. It was a disappointing loss. A few days later, the same boy admitted that his father bought the rubber bands for him. Even though nobody won the contest, I decided that I was a winner because I learned how powerful it was to be fully present to the happiness I experienced each time I found a rubber band.

The impact of the joy I felt upon finding those small treasures in those early days remains with me. Even now, when I go on my morning walks, I occasionally notice that I still have an eye open for stray rubber bands. Why? In my mind, rubber bands still equal happiness!

Happiness comes to us in all shapes and sizes and sometimes in the strangest ways. How often do you notice the moments when you experience happiness? What would bring more happiness into your life?

Here are a few avenues that can lead you toward greater happiness.

1. Simply notice when you are happy. Take time out to check in with yourself and notice your blissful moments. It is likely that you are surrounded by more happiness than you realize. As you become more aware of your happy moments, you will be more in touch with the uplifting energy that is in your life.

2. Pay attention to circumstances that make you smile or laugh. Once you know what makes you glow, you can create those circumstances more often. I often laugh when I am engaged in conversation with friends. This tells me that connecting with others is one of my pathways toward happiness.

3. Here is a tip that is suggested in Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach. Practice gratitude by keeping a gratitude journal. List five things you are grateful for every day. Put more attention on what is good and abundant in your life and watch it grow!

4. Let your inner child play. Connect with that part of yourself that still adores play and fun. Allow yourself a little silly time. Let that little person in you lead the way for a couple of hours and see where he or she takes you. If only for a short while, revisiting the energy of childlike, carefree behavior can be very uplifting. My next play date is going to be a trip to the roller skating rink!

5. Create an uplifting environment for yourself. Turn the place you live into a sanctuary by filling it with things you adore. As your eyes wander around your home, you will be embraced by the love that has been created by cherished items you look upon. If you see something that doesn’t feed your soul, consider passing it on to someone who might be better served by its presence.

(c) 2006 Beverly Keaton Smith

Beverly Keaton Smith, CPCC owns and operates Embrace Your Gifts and Soar! She is a certified life coach who offers individual
life coaching, group coaching, workshops, classes and retreats to women who are ready to discover and embrace their unique gifts so they can live more athentically and joyfully. To learn more, see http://www.embraceyourgifts.com

In pursuit of happiness, what will we do as women? Whatever we possibly can. We want to do things for ourselves, but always put others before us. What’s the result of this? Resentment…..we start resenting our spouses, kids, family, etc.., but never stopped to take a look to see why we deferred our dreams.

Women it is time that you started thinking for yourselves….not allowing your spouses or family to make decisions for you. Sometimes they only make the decisions that will have you five years from now thinking, what happened to my dream? Oh I know, my husband, family, or kids said to wait until they accomplished all they needed. When it’s your time to start accomplishing, you’ll be too tired to do anything.

Get up now and start your own businesses, wives get out of the house and start gaining some career skills…..you never know what may happen in the marriage if he decides he wants to trade you in. At least you’ll have skills and can live on your own and take care of the kids.

So with this written, In Pursuit of Happiness, be a Go-Getter. Stop putting others before you and make your dreams come true. Be Happy…..Do What You Want for a change and love every minute of it!

To Your Happiness,

Monica M. Burns

copyright2005 Monica M. Burns

Monica M. Burns is a small business owner, an author contributing to several anthologies, and publisher of Monica Burns, Inc. website and weekly newsletter. To find out more email her at monicaburnsinc@yahoo.com

What does it take to be happy? In our age of consumerism many will likely tell you that in order to be happy you have to keep up with the trends, or as they used to say in the 50’s and 60’s “you must keep up with the Jones’s”.

I think it is clear that if this were a solution to your unhappiness you likely would not have been drawn to this article. You see, the fact that you are reading this at all means that you likely are still confused about this critical issue.

The fact that you are concerned about something as simple and basic as your own happiness also says something important that many of us forget. That is that our happiness is perhaps the most important thing to many of us.

Isn’t that what we try to base most of our decisions on? Well perhaps you’d like to think so but I would suggest again that if you did then again you would have no desire to read this article. You see if you reflected on each decision you were about to make and noted whether it was truly going to make you feel happy then you would already have your answer.

Many individuals “think” that this is what they do but in fact are doing something altogether different. What is that, you ask? Well in order to address this it is important to look at what it means when one says that “a particular decision makes one happy”.

If you look at it closely, I think you’ll find that it means that that “particular decision” fulfills something “one wants” for themselves. How often do you make decisions based on what you want? How often are you even feeling that “wanting” what you want is even acceptable? Don’t many individuals live with the inner belief that “wanting” is selfish or bad?

These days, many individuals are so stressed that what they base their decisions on is not what they want but rather on what they “think” they need. In other words, their “wants” or their “desires” are left completely out of the picture.

What is the net result of all of this? Well it often leaves individuals feeling empty, unhappy and unfulfilled. Indeed it is this state of unhappiness and lack of fulfillment that I define as “stress”.

So what is going on here? Well if you look closely at where your “desires” or “wants” originate from within you, I think you will recognize that they are felt in your “emotional heart”.
That is also where I know you will likely feel the feelings of happiness when your desires or wants are fulfilled.

To fulfill your desires or wants means to heed your emotional heart. That is when you experience the feeling of happiness or feel happy. To do less means to feel unhappy or unfulfilled.
How many of you are in the habit of consulting the emotional heart in matters that have to do with happiness or fulfillment?

Well again if you’re reading this article likely not as much as you would like!

In a recent article (see “Intelligent Emotions”) I discuss this in greater detail.

Dr. Nick Arrizza is trained in Chemical Engineering, Business Management & Leadership, Medicine and Psychiatry. He is a Key Note Speaker,Editor of a New Ezine Called “Spirituality And Science” (which is requesting high quality article submissions) Author of “Esteem for the Self: A Manual for Personal Transformation” (available in ebook format on his web site), Stress Management Coach, Peak Performance Coach & Researcher, Specializes in Life and Executive Performance Coaching, is the Developer of a powerful new tool called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) that helps build physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being by helping to permanently release negative beliefs, emotions, perceptions and memories. He holds live workshops, international telephone coaching sessions and international teleconference workshops on Physical. Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Well Being.
Business URL #1: http://www.telecoaching4u.com