self help

With selp help you can quit you bad things

2008-12-30T01:18:00.000-08:00

Smokers find it very hard to quit smoking because their have no determination to quit smoking. No one can help you, it is only yourself whether you want it to quit or not. If you can manage yourself and with self help in yourself you will be able to quit smoking. I had a friend who try to quit smoking by trying all sort of methods but when a friends or a person offer him a stick of cigarette he will never refuse, in the end he became a heavy smokers because he does not had self determination to stop smoking.

Another friends of mine who is a drug addict and when out of the prison, told us he wanted to quit the bad things. At first we do not believe in him but after a more ten years when I met him again with two kids and a wife with a good personal looking. Holding a executive post in his job. He told us if you want to do a things you must had the determination and with self help in you, you will be able to conquered it. First get out of your addict friends and moved into a new clean environment. Find your self a job and during free times occupied yourself with exercises and join society to help other so that you do not have the time to things of the bad things.

Managed your spending with self help

2008-07-22T00:47:00.000-07:00

With the world economy growing up its years because of the wars and fuel oils, every parents and individual must learned and start building up their own income by spending less and the unnecessary items. Control your spending power and never spend more then your income each month. Always learned to keep some money for future investment or for a rainy day. Every body can do it and if you had the self help in you, you can self managed your spending.

Everybody knows things grows up every year sometimes a few times in a year but pay only grows up in a year or none. Learning to spend less can help you solve your financial problems. Try to use your two leg or bicycle than your car if the distance is not very far or used public transport if you think it can save you a lot. Do not buy thing to keep, buy it if you only want to used it. Control your food buying, sometimes I see somebody buy a lots of food to keep and in the end throw it away when it turns bad. Cuts the unnecessary such as liquors or cigaretters or lower the amounts, that can save you some money.

With only yourself and self help addiction can be quit

2008-05-08T21:31:00.000-07:00

I had a friend who is addictions to alcoholism and every morning when he wakes up he must drinks at list two small bottles of beer or not his whole hand and body will be shaking. After drinking he will have a light breakfast then proceed to the coffee shop and drinks until very late at night with his friends who will join him after works. Most of the time someone has to carry him home. One day when he was too high in alcohol he and his friends started a fight with another groups of people and landed himself in hospital for two weeks and with many stitches on his head and body. This nearly cause his life and the price of addictions to pay.

After discharge from hospital he told us and promised his wife that he will quit alcohol. With self-help and determination, helps from friends and his wife he is now a holy man praying most of the time. With self-help he make himself busy most of the time like instance jogging in the morning, look after his business in the afternoon and doing yoga exercises every evening. After dinner he will take family outing. Before ten he will be in bed. With only yourself and self help, bad addiction such as drug addiction, smoking and alcoholism can be quit.

With self help it can change a person

2008-03-02T23:23:00.000-08:00

Using self help methods to control my temper. I read a article from a magazine book which describe many self help methods in a simple terms, With self help it can help me to solve many problem which arise because of our wrong doing, tamper and ignorance. If you understand how a problem started with a small silly things and with self help methods you can able to change things for the better.

Reading the article, helps me to ask myself how I am going to apply the methods of self help in everyday use. As we know we living from today to tomorrow and what have I learned about psychology that would help myself in this situation. With self help methods its helps in many changing. Walk away if you know you are going to loose your temper or take it as nothing been say or do. With self help methods I am a better man today with good working position, with more friends, understanding and respect. Its also help me to quit cigarettes.

Getting rids of bad addition by self-help

2007-11-20T03:09:00.000-08:00

There are many ways that self-help can help you fight addition. There are many types of addition that is bad for human being such as drug addition, smoking, alcoholism. Glambling is also one of the bad addition. Inorder to quit this addition we must have a will power and self helf to quit it. Most people knows that smoking is bad for health but yet most people still smoke. Alcohol and drugs are cases where addition itself can destroy, control when under this influence which can literally destroy parts of the brain in long runs.

I had a friend who is addition to drinking coffee and smoking. You can hardy see him without a cigarette in his mouth and a cup of coffee besides him. When you ask , how many cups of coffee did you take today, he will give you the answer more then ten cups and nearly three to four packets of cigretters. We give him a lot of advise but its just when on the wrong ears.

One day he was admitted to hospital with heart attack which nearly cost his life. When he comes out from the hospital he tolds us that he wanted to quit the bad addition. With self-help, he quit both the bad addition. His self- help is to avoid this place. It is now one year getting rids of this bad addition.

Self-help and self power in quitting smoking

2007-09-11T23:30:00.000-07:00

Quitting smoking is quite hards to most heavy smokers and smokers. I started smoking when I left school at the age of sixteen when I help my uncle opening his coffee shop and selling drinks till the early morning at a night market. Over there everybody had a cigaretters in his mouth or in their hands. That is how I started smoking as cigaretter is free which I took from my uncle shops. I stopped smoking at the age of fifty five after having a mild heart attack. Now I have quit smoking for nearly two years.

Quitting smoking is depends on individuals whether you have the intentions of quitting or not. Most people knows that smoking is very bad for health and its brings a lots of disease and also cause us our sex life. Yet they still smoke and said they have try but very hard to quit like myself until I stay in hospital for a week but some people still smoke after they are discharge but myself dicided to quit because life is precious.

Quitting smoking you must have the will power to quit smoking as saying goes if you wanted to quit smoking but keeping on saying you wanted to quit but do nothing, you will never able to quit smoking. I quit smoking with some self-help like when ever I wanted to buy a packet of cigaretter, I will delay or said I buy it afterwards as one day and one day will passed but I will never buy a stick of cigaretter. Never carry a lighter in your pocket and always keep yourself busy. When there is a offer, said I just throw it away as not to offends them. I keep doing the routine until I am sure I quit smoking. Thanks god its already reaching two years.

Helping yourself with self help

2007-07-18T00:28:00.000-07:00

During thirty years time getting stroke is a rich people disease where the patients has to lied in bed most of their time until death arrived and needs people to help them in eating, moving, turning and sitting up and down because stoke at that time has no cure. The only cure is to get an ancient massage people to massage our vein and the infected parts. Today stoke can be treated with the moden technology and exercises equipments.

Last year my brother got into stoke and had to lie in bed after his return from the hospital. We had to arrange people to come to the house to massage for him. After a few massage he was able to walk with the help of people holding him when walking.During meals time someone had to feed him. One day a old friends of him tell him to do the things on his own but we will be watching him very closely. The man tell him without self will and self-help how are you going to be cure. With his self power and self help he is now walking on his own with the help of a walking stick.

Budgeting your expenditures with self help.

2007-06-22T01:11:00.000-07:00

Living in todays enviroment, the standard of living is going up each year. The price of food, gas, petrols and even small items are going ups every years. When you hear the governmont announce the governmomt sevant pays up you will notice within a month food starts to goes up. Sometimes you notice a one kg of sugar up ten cent, all the drinks in the coffee shop up by ten cents so we must learn how to save our spending with our self-help.

Less frequents our visits to coffee shop and cook at home more often. If house lights or air condition not in use off if to save electric bills. If leaving yours house for short distance journey, you must learn to walk or take a bus to save gas bill. With your own self help you can help yourself by budgeting your expenditures.

Self help tips to reduce corns and callus when playing golf

2007-05-09T01:46:00.000-07:00

Corns and calluses are one of the most commom problems with the feet that golfers experience. These problems are cause by the friction of the rubbing of the skin of the foot against the shoes. Thigh shoes can also cause the toes to rub against each other. Skin around bunion is also prone to develop into calluses.

Commom sites of corn and callus formations are the ball of the foot, under the big toe, the tips and tops of the toes, where the skin is moist from sweat or inadequate drying. Sometimes the pressure of the corn or callus may produce inflammation, acutr pain, swelling and redness.

With self help tips ones has to check your golf shoe, apply pad around the corn area, wear larger shoes to comfortably fit your foot without rubbing. Use topical medication tp soften the corns, used paddle insoles or orthosis for flat feet to improve the biomechanics reduce friction and using good and thick socks to reduce friction between the feet and the shoes.

With self help, help depression go aways.

2007-04-05T20:43:00.000-07:00

Mostly everyone has gone through depression in life. Depression are mostly comes from someone who is so near to you is no more in this world, breaking up with your lovers whom you love so much, did not achive the goal you set, fail in your examination and so on. Some people take things and depression very seriously that they want to take their owm life while others will forget it and start with new life after a few momths. However for those who who are still on depression and want to get it out. They have to help themself by working on their self-help.

First of all, think positively whenever you have thought of the bad things or things that will make you in stage of depression, change your thought to somethings more pleasant and happy. You might find it very though in the first place but eventually you will used to and forget it. No one can help you, they can only give you advice and console you. By having selp help in yourself you can only help your ownself.

Exercise is one of the best things to release depression, going out often with friends for holidays, shopping or a group gattering or night club. Forget placees where memory can get you back to depression. Music can help you relieved depression
Get song that you want to listen and enjoy as it can help you forget. Lastly always busy yourself with works. With selp help in yourself you can help depression go aways. If this are not successful then it is most advised to see your doctor as soon as possible.

Self help in quitting smoking

2007-02-28T19:17:00.000-08:00

Quitting smoking is quite hard to do unless you have the will power to quit smoking. I had been trying to quit smoking for many times but most of the times I would said successful and not succesful. Everytimes I quit smoking I started to smoke again after three to four months because most of friends are smoking. I even visit few doctors, with their help and medicine I still smoke. One day I met a friend who is a heavy smokkers and already quit cigaretter give me an advice how to quit smoking with self help.

With self help in quitting smoking I had already stop smoking for about two years and this very pleased my wife and children. For the beginning it is very hard but you will get to use to it in times to comes. Whenever I go to shop to buy a packet of cigaretter, with self help I will said I buy it later on. When there is a offer I will said I just only throw away. Busy your times with works and never carry a lighter or putting an ash tray at home to remainds you of smoking.

self help ebook

2007-02-13T00:10:00.000-08:00

Many of us often find ourselves in situations when the world becomes too much to handle and there is simply not enough air to breath. Every day stress takes hold on us and prevents us from functioning normally, sometimes leading to depression or nervous breakdowns. Busy life of big cities spins too fast, making days go by so quickly that we lose track of time passing by.

At such times the world seems a dark and unwelcoming place, a place we want to withdraw from. And then we try to seek help. Some people go to professionals or friends to talk about their problems. Others prefer to hide everything inside, refusing to deal with issues that trouble them in hopes that with time they will go away. But some choose to help themselves.
E-books offer a rich selection of self-help resources. Materials on smoking cessation, anger management, personal growth and coping techniques can be bought or downloaded for free. Self improvement e-books will talk about how to better yourself and grow from your experiences. They will tell you how turn even the most negative experience into a valuable lesson and use it to your advantage.

E-books on battling depression and anxiety are available for free and for a charge. Depression can literally suck the life out of a person, make the world seem gray and hostile and take away the will to live. Self-help e-books can show you a way to gain that will back, will equip you with ways to fight off the sinking feeling of hopelessness and lead you towards renewed personal growth.

These materials are easily accessible and carefully tailored to the needs of many people who seek to improve their lives. Within minutes you can have useful information available to you on how to solve your problems or how to help your loved ones cope with theirs. Take advantage of these materials, use them well and watch as stress of every day life gives way to new hopes and dreams.

Why Most Self-Help Schemes Will FAIL

2007-01-15T19:13:00.000-08:00

Most of us have tried some sort of self-help or self-improvement plan at some point in our adult lives. It's only natural to want to change, especially (and stereotypically) at the start of a New Year. Perhaps you've wanted to battle a weight problem, become a better entrepreneur, improve your self-esteem or…of course…increase your success with the opposite sex.

But most people who try to tackle an obstacle in their lives, despite taking the first step, typically FAIL. Usually this is after only a brief period of giving it a try.

Why does this pattern repeat itself over and over? And what makes the difference in the lives of the relatively few people who succeed at making real and lasting change in their lives?

Well, in the case of dieting and exercise, the answer may be as simple as it's just too difficult to break the habits one has to in order to get into better shape. Indeed, the media knows this and therefore there's a marketing bonanza tied to endless physical self-help programs. The same can be said for programs designed to help smokers quit.

It's all about self help

2007-01-08T23:27:00.000-08:00

The district administration has decided to earmark Rs 1 crore for development of self-help groups of the district.

Dhubri deputy commissioner Ganesh Chandra Kalita announced this during an interactive session with around 200 office bearers of 75 self-help groups at the deputy commissioner’s conference hall.

He appealed to the self-help groups to take their income-generating ventures more seriously.

“There is hardly any job opportunity in the government sector and in view of this scarcity, there seems to be only one way open to the common people to become self-employed, that is, by taking up income-generating activities through the formation of self-help groups,” Kalita said.

He said in order to assist the self-help groups, the state as well as the central government is willing to extend all aid, including development of required infrastructure.

2006-12-10T20:54:00.000-08:00

The track is a hypnotic trance which you should listen to with your eyes closed (and not while driving!). Michael relaxes you and makes suggestions that he believes will have a positive effect on your unconscious. All the words are synchronised with the music and 3D stereo effects (which work best when listening with headphones) that are designed to take you into a deeply relaxed state of awareness.

The theory is that the self help recording targets both the left and right sides of the brain, giving a whole-brain experience. The left side of the brain is associated with logical and analytical thought whilst the right brain is more creative and subjective. The result? Freedom from depression and anxiety!

2006-11-26T23:35:00.000-08:00

In the next year at least 14 families will get to build their own part of the American dream in Castle Rock.

Next spring, the Lower Columbia Community Action Council (CAP) plans to start work on its latest Self-Help Housing subdivision for low- to moderate-income families. The homes will be built on an old Little League field near the city's water treatment plant.

The goal, officials said, is to allow families to build quality homes they otherwise couldn't afford.

CAP built another subdivision in Castle Rock several years ago, but those homes were smaller and don't have all of the features now available. CAP has wanted another project in the city for some time, said coordinating manager Marie Robbins.

Applications are still being taken for the project, which officials hope to build in two stages of eight homes each. The land they own now -- 100 Michner Street SW -- has room for 14 lots but they hope to buy two more nearby for a total of 16.

While not intentional, the CAP project is part of a recent Castle Rock boom that includes up to 200 conventionally financed homes in or near the city.

Similar CAP subdivisions are underway in Kalama and Napavine. Two more are planned in West Longview -- on 36th and 44th avenues -- and those are still taking applications. Since 1989, the program has helped families build 341 homes in Cowlitz, Lewis and Clark counties. Robbins said many people have the wrong idea about the program and affordable housing in general. The income limit for a family of four is $44,000, for example, which is a good salary but not always enough to pay the bills and buy a home with conventional financing.

"People hear it and think it's housing for people on welfare. And while there's nothing wrong with helping people on welfare, they can't afford these homes and loan payments," Robbins said. "These are your children or your neighbors (building these homes). And the families work for everything that they get."

The program helps families qualify for low-interest loans. Families and friends must commit to 30 hours a week of work until the homes in their project are completed. Loan payments are adjusted based on income, and training is available for all of the work. An on-site supervisor also oversees the projects, which generally take a year to 15 months.

All of the homes are at least three bedrooms. There is no down-payment required, and mortgage payments do not start until a family moves in.

Applicants must meet credit guidelines, but CAP can help people improve their credit scores. About one in five applicants qualify, Robbins said.

Housekeeping project

2006-11-16T22:26:00.000-08:00

Self-Help Housing

Of the projects, she said, the one that is consuming the most time right now is Self-Help Housing. The program is one that helps families build their own homes by putting forth "sweat equity" instead of a mortgage or down payment. By putting in 30 hours of labor per week in the construction of the homes, the families obtain the "sweat equity."

Currently, Hunter said, they are constructing three houses for the program, and they have dug all of the basements and are doing the concrete, work which is actually subcontracted out.

"The families are not working yet," Hunter said. "The families won't work until the framing is done."

For now, Hunter said, they are also working on building up the next group of five families, which will allow for the eight homes for which the grant allowed.

Hunter also added they would probably begin writing another grant before all eight of the slots are filled.

"So we'll rewrite probably before the first of the year," Hunter said. "So, hopefully, that will just be a continuous program."

"It's a very exciting program," she added. "It will benefit the community and, again, we're just in the beginning phases of it. These are our first three houses and we're excited."

2006-11-06T17:50:00.000-08:00

When you think about self help, what do you think of first? Which aspects of self help are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge.

Anxiety self-help is actually an empowerment of the mind. Assertive self-talks help improve your self confidence significantly. Simple modifications in your daily routine can contribute greatly to the improvement of your state of mind. Time management also helps you live a balanced life. Sharing your feeling with someone is an important way to relieve your anxiety. Involvement in favorite activities is another way to divert the mind.

Regular exercise is recommended for a sound mind and body. Relaxation training can soothe your mind and free it from anxiety. Breathing techniques and muscle-relaxation techniques can be adopted to supplement-relaxation training. Meditation has the power to remove all unnecessary tensions haunting your mind. Taking to spirituality is one of the a time-tested method of relaxing your mind.

If you find yourself confused by what you've read to this point, don't despair. Everything should be crystal clear by the time you finish.

Self-help guidance kits are also available. They include motivating books along with audio and video tapes. Guidance can be sought through the telephone and Internet. A personalized, mineral-enriched diet is also recommended for anxiety relief.

So now you know a little bit about self help. Even if you don't know everything, you've done something worthwhile: you've expanded your knowledge.

about stutter

2006-11-01T22:17:00.000-08:00

Current info about self help is not always the easiest thing to locate. Fortunately, this report includes the latest self help info available.

The kind of advice I was given to control stutter or to overcome thestutter were varied. These are some:

slowing down my breath
costal breathing
prolonged speech
taking a deep breath before spoke

someone had began in the class called, preschool stutter. This term is labelled by the stutter speech therapist or the stutter speech pathologist. Their parents were reassured that most people who stutter in childhood soon grow out of it.

Then joined the class called, childhood stutter. He continued to attend speech therapy and joining in with their speech therapy activities and their speech therapy games.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on self help now have at least a basic understanding. But there's more to come.

Then progressed to the class called, adult stutter. and he now decided that speech therapy was not really working for me.

He decided to try his own form of stutter self help. Even though he had a stutter, at times he could talk very well. As an example when he was drunk, he spoke nearly perfectly fluent.

After nearly a year he managed to overcome his stutter and eradicate the stutter once and for all. As a career now he help other people to stop stuttering.

There's a lot to understand about self help. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.

2006-10-29T23:42:00.000-08:00

When most people think of self help, what comes to mind is usually basic information that's not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there's a lot more to self help than just the basics.

Self help books come extremely helpful in areas like developing self confident, self esteem, interpersonal skills, self motivational thinking, morale boosting, persistence, positive thinking, staying away from negative influences and everything that is required for the success in personal, professional, family and social lives. There can be different self defeating behaviors that need to be addressed permanently.

All so called self help books may not give the same results. There are self help books with pragmatic approach to individual traits modification. Such books will help you quickly identify problem areas and tell you about the steps to be taken to overcome such issues. Then there are self help books that will tell about the problems and no clear way to a solution. Such books are not very useful. You need practical solutions to the problems you encounter.

Think about what you've read so far. Does it reinforce what you already know about self help? Or was there something completely new? What about the remaining paragraphs?

There can be different places you can look for self help books. The first place you think about can be Amazon.com. There are offline sources also. You can check with your local bookshop manager, who will be able to help you locate the right self help book that will be of real help to you.

When word gets around about your command of self help facts, others who need to know about self help will start to actively seek you out.

A Simple Self-Help Tip For When You're Stressed

2006-10-09T20:58:00.000-07:00

These particular points on the forehead, known as frontal eminences, are reflex points with connections to the central meridian (involved with the brain), the stomach meridian (and your stomach often churns when you're anxious or angry), and the bladder meridian (trips to the loo/bathroom are often necessary when we're apprehensive).

I recently explained this self-help technique to a business colleague - a keen mountain biker who'd had a serious bike accident at 30 miles an hour and had broken his skull and collar bone. This is what he wrote to me later:

"I don't know how to thank you enough for the technique you described to me over the phone the other day, it helped me enormously!"

The following week he sent me this message:

"Your tip worked once again last night - went out (in the pitch black with my Light&Motion 'daylighter' light) and did some serious single-tracking and downhilling!!! I never thought I'd be doing that again - ever! Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was brilliant!!!!!!!"

Fortunately you don't have to break a lot of bones to try this tip - it's great in all sorts of situations - before you visit the dentist or make an important speech; after you've heard some bad news or had a fall; when thoughts about the past are upsetting and disturbing or when you are worrying about the future.

Development of self-help agricultural projects

2006-10-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

Current info about self help is not always the easiest thing to locate. Fortunately, this report includes the latest self help info available.

Realizing that the suffering of the majority poor would be even worse during the holy month of Ramadan, the Muslim community in locations and rural areas had to change.

Sheikh Kanyamula said many mosques in the country had realized the need to work in order to provide their local communities with iftar.

"As a Muslim community, we are trying to cope with new trends. Whilst appreciating the role being played by some organizations on the ground, we would want to develop a sense of self-help," he stressed.

"Muslims in Malawi should be taught to fish and not be given fish. People need to be provided with resources, such as seed and fertilizer, that would help them acquire plenty food."

He said some mosques had to do without iftar due to lack of sponsors, motivating the development of self-help agricultural projects to guarantee sustainable availability of maize, the country's the staple food.

It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of self help is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about self help.

Some mosques, Kanyamula added, have made tremendous development in self-reliance.

He said over the years, the Muslim Association of Malawi has been able to source seed to help empower mosques to engage in agricultural activities, allowing them to acquire the most wanted cereal.

"Giving is greatly encouraged in the Islamic faith, but we should analyze the situation properly. We should give to please Allah, and I believe the more beneficial the project is to the community, the more we would please Allah," he added.

"So we're saying let's engage the people in projects that will also enable them to be givers," Kanyamula said, adding that by providing local communities with farm in-puts, they would be able to cultivate and harvest plenty, thereby assisting the under-privileged in addition to providing iftar in Ramadan.

The Malawian Muslim leader commended the wealthy Muslim community for taking an interest in the project, that is fast being emulated by people of others faiths and institutions.

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.

The role of Self Helps Groups

2006-10-01T21:41:00.000-07:00

If you're seriously interested in knowing about self help, you need to think beyond the basics. This informative article takes a closer look at things you need to know about self help.

The role of Self Helps Groups (SHG) has assumed national attention in rural development instead of single beneficiary activities, group (10-20members) activities are broad based and rewarding. The Self Helps Groups are micro institutions, which contribute largely to the rural development and Environmental Conservation Programmes.

This paper brings to the light the role-played by the NGO led Self Help Groups in preserving and conserving our environment.

The concept of Self Help Group:

Think about what you've read so far. Does it reinforce what you already know about self help? Or was there something completely new? What about the remaining paragraphs?

A SHG is a group of about 20 people from a homogeneous class who come together, for addressing their common problems. The lower age limit for the member is 18 and the upper age limit is 60. The group members of SHG are encouraged to make voluntary thrift on a regular basis. They use this pooled resources to make small interest bearing loans to their members.

The group has an animator to co-ordinate and two representatives from the members. The animator acts a leader of the group and help in smooth running of the group activities.

Sometimes it's tough to sort out all the details related to this subject, but I'm positive you'll have no trouble making sense of the information presented above.

realize self help than you may have first thought

2006-09-27T22:16:00.000-07:00

This article explains a few things about self help, and if you're interested, then this is worth reading, because you can never tell what you don't know.

The best help is the kind you give yourself. The only thing you can control in life is your own attitude, actions and reactions, so start there. What part do you play in the cycle that leads to abuse? Try to avoid the things that set your spouse off. This does not mean to give up and roll over, but it does mean learning to express yourself cleanly and not to provoke. In most disturbed relationships, there is some pattern of action and reaction that builds to an eruption. Try to understand your part and stop the cycle.

Don't be a victim. Spouse abuse is a very common problem, so you are not unique or alone. Nearly every community has professionals, agencies, and support groups that have a great deal of experience and special knowledge about domestic conflict. This is your most important source of help and support. Get in touch with them. To find a local support group, ask a minister, call the police department or a social services agency. If one group or counselor isn't what you want, try another.

Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there's more to self help than you may have first thought.

There are many practical steps you can take. Maybe you can get help from friends and family, possibly have someone move in with you for a while, or get a roommate. In general, abuse is drastically reduced when other people are around. One obvious practical solution is to move away, either for good or at least until things cool down. Or change all the locks, bar the windows and get an unlisted phone number. Or get a big dog. Or take self-defense classes. If necessary, hide--it may be better than being someone's easy target. The main thing is this: do whatever you must to create your own peace and safety; do not depend solely on police or court orders to solve your problem.

Those who only know one or two facts about self help can be confused by misleading information. The best way to help those who are misled is to gently correct them with the truths you're learning here.

self help is good for your own

2006-09-25T20:07:00.000-07:00

The more you understand about any subject, the more interesting it becomes. As you read this article you'll find that the subject of self help is certainly no exception.

Anxiety disorders can be controlled using self-help tools. Self-help is the first remedial step you should try when dealing with anxiety disorders. Anxiety is not a mental illness; it is only a natural response to some alarming stimuli. But when the body starts responding in a disproportionate manner, anxiety assumes the dimensions of a behavioral disorder. Unnecessary anticipation and overt alertness can disturb the normal life of a person.

A self-realization of the situation and early diagnosis can rectify the disorder. Anxiety self-help tests available on the Internet can be used to diagnose the disorder yourself. You can also decide on a course of treatment in tune with the severity and stage of the disorder. Most anxiety disorders in the beginning stages can be rectified through self-help techniques.

How can you put a limit on learning more? The next section may contain that one little bit of wisdom that changes everything.

Anxiety self-help is actually an empowerment of the mind. Assertive self-talks help improve your self confidence significantly. Simple modifications in your daily routine can contribute greatly to the improvement of your state of mind. Time management also helps you live a balanced life. Sharing your feeling with someone is an important way to relieve your anxiety. Involvement in favorite activities is another way to divert the mind.

Self Help and Parenting Gurus are too quick to appease; slap the kid! Perhaps it these self help psychologists who told us to try to win the hearts and the minds of the International Terrorists and show them some respect and then they would calm down and see the light and stop killing innocent people. That obviously is not working and it only lets them know they can act out without any serious discipline. Are we causing more International Terrorists by all this political correctness of human behavior? Consider all this in 2006.

Those who only know one or two facts about self help can be confused by misleading information. The best way to help those who are misled is to gently correct them with the truths you're learning here.

self help topic is very good to read

2006-09-21T23:32:00.000-07:00

If you have even a passing interest in the topic of self help, then you should take a look at the following information. This enlightening article presents some of the latest news on the subject of self help.

Alcoholics face a difficult decision when they finally come to the realization that they need help. Many prefer to try a self-help approach to alcohol rehabilitation. There are several self-help programs to choose from. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is, without a doubt, the most popular self-help group dedicated to alcohol rehabilitation. It is the largest self-help group and is dedicated to assisting an alcoholic deal with alcoholism on a day-to-day basis.

Alcoholics Anonymous uses the twelve-step program written by its founding members. Group meetings are held in local communities in several locations, and a person can go to as many as he or she wishes. Newcomers usually are introduced to the “buddy system” shortly after attending their first meeting. The buddy system pairs up a newcomer with a sponsor who has been sober for a year or more. The sponsor gives support on a 24 hour a day basis.

A self-realization of the situation and early diagnosis can rectify the disorder. Anxiety self-help tests available on the Internet can be used to diagnose the disorder yourself. You can also decide on a course of treatment in tune with the severity and stage of the disorder. Most anxiety disorders in the beginning stages can be rectified through self-help techniques.

See how much you can learn about self help when you take a little time to read a well-researched article? Don't miss out on the rest of this great information.

Regular exercise is recommended for a sound mind and body. Relaxation training can soothe your mind and free it from anxiety. Breathing techniques and muscle-relaxation techniques can be adopted to supplement-relaxation training. Meditation has the power to remove all unnecessary tensions haunting your mind. Taking to spirituality is one of the a time-tested method of relaxing your mind.

Self-help guidance kits are also available. They include motivating books along with audio and video tapes. Guidance can be sought through the telephone and Internet. A personalized, mineral-enriched diet is also recommended for anxiety relief.

You can't predict when knowing something extra about self help will come in handy. If you learned anything new about &keyword% in this article, you should file the article where you can find it again.

latest info from self help experts

2006-09-20T02:28:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like you know just enough about self help to be dangerous? Let's see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from self help experts.

Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension, fear, or worry. Most everyone experiences temporary anxiety, a feeling of nervousness or fear, as a normal reaction to a stressful situation at some point in life. While anxiety is a natural response to some situations, it can develop into a debilitating disorder in some people. It is estimated that about 13% of the United States population has anxiety. Most peope suffering from anxiety do not consult a doctor as they believe only "mentally sick" people need to visit a psychiatrist.

What are subliminal messages? A subliminal message is a message displayed for such a short period of time that your mind does not consciously register what it sees or hears. Instead your mind registers it sub-consciously. This means that your conscious mind cannot build and use arguments against the ideas exposed and thus you can be more susceptible to the unconscious idea. We’re talking about mind control from the outside that is working below the threshold of our awareness.

The more authentic information about self help you know, the more likely people are to consider you a self help expert. Read on for even more self help facts that you can share.

Like many others you may ask, is it really possible that the content or meaning of an event can affect people’s behaviour without their being aware of this event? The commercial and advertising businesses would probably pay millions to confirm whether or not such techniques are more effective than promotional communications of which people are aware.

The important thing is to understand that anxiety can be treated and that living with constant anxiety is not necessary. Untreated anxiety disorders can push people into avoiding situations that trigger or worsen their symptoms. People with anxiety disorders are likely to suffer from depression, and they also may abuse alcohol and other drugs in an effort to gain relief from their symptoms. Job performance, school work, and personal relationships can also suffer.

This article's coverage of the information is as complete as it can be today. But you should always leave open the possibility that future research could uncover new facts.

what do you think of self help?

2006-09-17T23:55:00.000-07:00

The following article covers a topic that has recently moved to center stage--at least it seems that way. If you've been thinking you need to know more about it, here's your opportunity.

People think they can benefit from the advice of professionals who have passed through the different stages of the problems they now suffer. There may be different inhibitions that prevent persons from achieving their full potential. They think with some professional coaching and advice they will be better equipped to achieve the goals of life including professional and personal goals. They believe the words of professionals that achieved what they wanted to in their lives. Different people experience stress, lack of time management skills, lack of interpersonal skills, laziness, lack of concentration, lack of self awareness, poor memory etc are that needs professional support.

So far, we've uncovered some interesting facts about self help. You may decide that the following information is even more interesting.

Self help books with life experience of different people can motivate people in a new direction. However attaining professionals skills like programming skills can’t be achieved through self help books. There can also be areas of personal improvement that can’t be fully addressed by self help books. May be self help books can assist a counselor in motivating a person in such a way that he or she wants.

Did you know choosing a career is much easier rather than developing it? Landing a suitable job may take less than a year but making a career is for the rest of your working life. Once you land up at your chosen career, you must try to manage it carefully by gaining deeper knowledge and skills, working ethically and with integrity, and climb the ladder of success, to achieve your goals by rising to a higher level or position in that organization. Slightest initial complacency would mean a longer stay at the same level for a long time, develop leadership qualities within and rise to higher level. Work conditions and ethics permit that you can have multiple careers to explore your capabilities. Be good at decision-making and this will be the step forward to boost your career. Never give up hope, as the saying goes `In every difficulty lies an opportunity’.

Now that wasn't hard at all, was it? And you've earned a wealth of knowledge, just from taking some time to study an expert's word on self help.

“Self help peer groups” for HIV patients

2006-09-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

If you're seriously interested in knowing about self help, you need to think beyond the basics. This informative article takes a closer look at things you need to know about self help.

There are six Bhutanese HIV patients sat down with health officials to share their experiences and lessons on coping and living with the infection.

What came out during the interaction was the usefulness of maintaining a state of good mental health through meditation and regular prayers. “All of them stated that family support and understanding was crucial for healthy living,” said a health official.

Adopting healthy habits such as a good diet, adequate sleep, and avoiding smoking and alcohol was also recognized as being very useful in staying healthy.

It was the first time Bhutanese HIV patients came together as a group to share their views with health officials.

Sometimes the most important aspects of a subject are not immediately obvious. Keep reading to get the complete picture.

According to a health spokesman, the participants considered “self help peer groups” among people living with HIV/AIDS as an immediate strategic option. The participants expressed that other people living with HIV/AIDS could immensely benefit through such meetings and workshops. They hoped that more would join the network of Bhutanese people living with HIV/AIDS.

The first meeting was facilitated by the National AIDS programme of the Ministry of Health.

As of July 2006, the number of Bhutanese infected with HIV had reached 90. Of the total, 12 had died. The first HIV positive case in Bhutan was detected in 1993.

You can't predict when knowing something extra about self help will come in handy. If you learned anything new about &keyword% in this article, you should file the article where you can find it again.

self help: Self-Help Tips For Dealing With Depression

2006-09-13T02:35:00.000-07:00

Most of us have been there at some point. We're overcome by a feeling that doesn't seem to want to go away. Some event or circumstance may have brought this on, or it could possibly be a condition that we're predisposed to. Depression.

It can be quite debilitating to some people. So much so that they get to the point where drastic measures need to be taken to protect their well-being. Most often at this point harsh drugs would be prescribed to control the depressive state.

However, for those who may not quite be at that stage, but are looking for a way out of their depression, there may be steps they can take to help lift the cloud. Here we will explore some options for self-help.

First of all, think positively. It sounds easy, but this may be the most difficult step for a person suffering from depression to take. Whenever you find yourself drifting into thoughts of self-doubt, do your best to correct yourself and channel your thoughts to something more pleasant. It can be tough at first, but the more you work at it, eventually the easier it will be. The mind CAN be trained to think positively.

Do something nice for someone else. Often times the act of performing a selfless deed can be quite rewarding. Help a friend if they're in need, or if you're feeling really ambitious, join a volunteer organization and begin a regular routine of chipping in some of your valuable time. You'll be helping those in need and the sense of satisfaction you take from it can be more rewarding than you think.

Exercise. Exercise is a terrific stress reliever and has the power to help foster a more vibrant attitude. If you're feeling the effects of depression, get up and take a walk, or start a regular exercise routine. Set goals for yourself fitness wise and watch the results. Your sense of accomplishment at meeting and even surpassing your goals can be quite uplifting.

Sing. Find a song, or CD you enjoy with an uplifting beat to it. Turn your stereo up and let fly. Have fun with it and before you know it, the blues will melt away.

Chocolate. It may sound silly, but eating chocolate has been found to help lighten a person's mood. Chocolate helps release endorphins, which help foster improvements in well-being, as well as help relieve pain. So indulge in your favorite chocolate when you're feeling blue.

Associate with happy people. The more you associate with more cheerful friends and family, the less chance you have of feeling down. So spend time with people you enjoy as often as possible.

These are just a few tips to help you along. If you have tried these tips with no success and you find that your depressive state has not improved, or has gotten worse. You would be strongly advised to see your doctor as soon as possible. You may suffer from a chemical imbalance or a disorder that may require professional treatment. If left untreated your condition could lead to serious harm to yourself or someone you care about. So if you feel you're at risk, seek help immediately.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Depression

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

self help: Self-help planning project discussed

2006-09-10T23:03:00.000-07:00

Ukiah Daily Journal Staff

The Daily Journal

The Mendocino County Planning Commission met Thursday to discuss the possibility of a new development by the Rural Communities Housing Development Corporation (RCHDC) on Lake Mendocino Drive, north of Ukiah.

The development, if approved, would consist of 62 lots ranging in size from 3,580 square feet to 15,310 square feet in two phases of a self-help housing project. The area in question is approximately three miles north of downtown Ukiah on the north side of Lake Mendocino Drive and approximately one-half mile east of North State Street at 500 Lake Mendocino Drive.

One of the most discussed problems that the county planning staff had with the development was that there was no park in the project. According to Diann Simmons of RCHDC, if there were a park included in the plan it would cause quite a few problems.

"We have already lost $500,000 because of the delay, and if we were to say lose two lots to make a park we would again lose another $250,000 in funding," she said. "It would also increase costs for the homeowners from $7,000 to $14,000. We would have a lot more cost associated and it would not allow some people to even be in the program.

Simmons also said that if the project continued to be delayed the development would not be built.

While that was one of the concerns of the planning staff, the requirement of the park could be waived to allow the building of this project because it is an affordable housing development.

Commissioner Don Lipmanson had specific concerns with the staff reports that covered the effects of this development on animal life and wildlife, schools and the exposure of people or property to geological hazards, because the Maacama Fault runs parallel to the eastern property line.

He also had concerns with the future stability of Coyote Dam and asked why the RCHDC didn't develop this subdivision with the homes sharing walls to open more space in the development.

While Lipmanson had concerns, all but one person from the audience who attended the meeting applauded the RCHDC and hoped and wished that there were more developments like this one so low-income families could afford to buy homes.

"I am a county employee, and this is the only shot for me to buy a home for me as a single parent," said David Barnett. "I hope that you can find some way to make this work."

"I would give anything to own my own home," said Lori Powers.

"It's an experience to own your own home," said David Garcia. "This project could be a dream come true for me and many other families."

The public hearing was left open because many who attended the meeting were unable to speak because they had to leave for other engagements. All who stayed for the full meeting had the opportunity to voice their opinions.

The issue was continued to the Oct. 5 Planning Commission meeting, and the commissioners are tentatively scheduled to do a site visit prior to that meeting.

For more information about the Mendocino County Planning Commission and a more detailed description of this or other planning issues, visit www.co.mendocino.ca.us/planning/ or call 463-4281.

self help: Self-help housing key to better life for special needs mother

2006-09-08T00:42:00.000-07:00

Published: August 31, 2006

By LAURENT L.N. BONCZIJK
Of the News-Register

CARLTON - Eying home ownership for the first time at age 32, Bi-Mart clerk Cathy Martin has special needs. That's because her autistic 10-year-old son, Joseph, has special needs.

Totally nonverbal, one of the ways he expresses his pent-up feelings is fleeing with reckless abandon. He might bolt at any moment, and has no appreciation for concepts like the importance placed by others on their personal privacy or the dangers posed by swift-moving traffic on local streets.

He is also prone to breaking glass anywhere he can find it. He wouldn't hesitate to run headlong into a set of sliding glass doors, given the opportunity.

In one respect, the nonprofit Yamhill Community Development Corp. is an unlikely place to turn. That's because the self-help housing agency keeps its costs down by building every house to the same specs and buying in bulk.

But in another respect, it's the perfect place to turn. That's because the program is designed for people exactly like her - people facing such tough life circumstances they've never been able to achieve the American dream of home ownership.

The program's client families understand how much it means to have a place you can call your own. So they are willing to make accommodations.

Because Joseph runs, Martin needs double-deadbolt locks on the exterior doors of her new Carlton home. Because he breaks glass, she needs tempered panes throughout.

The other 10 homes in the first phase of the 43-lot Rolling Hills subdivision will feature sliding glass doors off the kitchen. But Martin needs a solid door instead.

Not only did the other home owners graciously agree to accommodate her, but the McMinnville Lumbermen's eased the way by donating the expensive tempered glass she needs. And she couldn't be more grateful.

Martin is a divorced mother of two. She also has a 13-year-old daughter, Katrina, who is living with her father in neighboring Yamhill.

This summer, Joseph is staying with his grandmother. A school district employee, she had the time to devote.

That's a godsend, as Martin has a 55-hour commitment to keep each week - 40 hours earning a living at Bi-Mart and 15 hours making the sweat-equity investment required of all Community Development Corp. clients.

In fact, it would be even greater were it not for Martin's dad. Clients must commit to 35 hours a week working on their houses, but up to 20 can come from friends, relatives or community volunteers, and he has been helping her meet that requirement.

When her mom returns to work, Joseph will be returning to school. It won't be easy, but Martin will be able to manage once he's back under professional school-day supervision.

Babysitting and day care aren't really options, given Joseph's propensity for running away and breaking glass. She just can't bring herself to entrust his care to others, no matter how well-meaning.

"Joseph's needs also limit what I can do professionally," Martin said. She said she had to turn down a promotion because she couldn't work the shift it required.

But she said, "I miss him. Not being able to have my son with me (this summer) is the hardest part.

"The program, and everything that I am doing, is for Joe. I want to have a safe place for him to live."

If something ever happened to her, Martin fears Joseph could end up in an institution. She sees the house as a hedge against that, figuring it would bring enough on the market to help finance his care in a community setting.

Martin said she has warned her partners in the program to be on the lookout, should Joseph ever escape.

"He has no concept of personal space or privacy," she said, so he could end up in someone's kitchen. She said she's warned future homeowners in the Rolling Hills development that if they find a wordless little boy rummaging around in their fridge, he belongs to her.

Martin said most people have no appreciation for the special challenges she faces with Joseph.

He once needed some dental work, she said, and that requires the services of an anesthesiologist. He has to be completely under.

It took three months to get an appointment with the right parties in place, and Joseph suffered in the meantime, she said. "This was a time when we were having a lot of window breakage," she said.

But Martin said, "I try to focus on the little boy in there, not the autism - a little boy who loves Mickey Mouse and Disney stuff."

He loves listening to music by the Australian rock band AC/DC. He also loves riding horses.

But he hates the sound of a bell. It frightens him.

Joseph has some unnerving habits, such as eating Kleenex and sticking rocks into bodily orifices.

The latter sometimes requires trips to the doctor's office. "Employers don't really like it when you have to leave in the middle of the day to take your kid to the doctor to get a rock out of his ear," Martin noted.

He will eat almost anything, whether he should or not.

But he does have preferences, both positive and negative. And he is able to express them after a fashion.

He likes orange juice. Sometimes he will take it out of the fridge and bring it to her so that she can pour him a glass, Martin said.

He's not so fond of eggs. And he might let you know by throwing them every which way.

Relatives have sometimes been forced to lock him out of the fridge and pantry, she said.

While Joseph cannot speak, he can communicate.

At school, his instructors are teaching him to use pictures to indicate his needs and desires. At home, his mother often resorts to a form of 20 questions, simply making guesses until she gets it right.

Martin sees the new family home now taking shape in Carlton as the key to a brighter, more secure future for her and her son. And that's something she shares with most of her fellow self-help housing clients.

"We are trying, we are really trying," she said. "We are single moms and dads trying to have a decent place to live and raise our children."

self help: Self-help workshops to focus on safe-sex practices, relationships

2006-09-06T02:35:00.000-07:00

Dwan Brumfield
Issue date: 9/6/06 Section: News

The Professional Counseling Center will begin offering self-help workshops for male and female students next week. Participants will be able to talk openly and learn about a variety of issues surrounding safe-sex practices and maintaining emotionally healthy relationships.

The men's workshop will be led by Dr. William Price Curtis, director of the Professional Counseling Center, every Monday from 3-4:30 p.m. beginning Sept. 11.The women's workshop will be co-facilitated by Dr. Yvonne Montgomery, a licensed professional counselor and professor of psychology, and Neniva Haysbert, a Langston University student who has a degree in psychology and will be receiving her master's in rehabilitation counseling this spring. Their meetings will be held every Wednesday from 3-4:30 p.m. beginning Sept. 13.

This is the second year the self-help workshops have been offered. The groups will first learn about safe-sex practices to prevent illnesses such as HIV.

Price Curtis feels that educating students on the HIV virus is important in light of the HIV crisis in this country and particularly in the African-American community.

"The very first thing we do is make sure the participants have good authoritative information about the virus," he said.

Price Curtis will cover how HIV is contracted, how it is not contracted, the importance of testing, and what the results mean. Students will also learn how to protect themselves from sexual diseases, which include strategies such as only being involved in monogamous relationships and practicing abstinence.

Curtis says there is a lot of abuse going on in relationships today, both physical and psychological; this is one of the reasons why he wanted the workshops to focus on relationships as well as safe-sex practices. Last year's workshop participants appreciated being able to talk candidly about their love lives.

"They are struggling with how to establish safe, meaningful, nurturing and affirming relationships," Price Curtis said.

Dwan Brumfield
Issue date: 9/6/06 Section: News
PrintEmail Article Tools Page 1 of 2 next > The Professional Counseling Center will begin offering self-help workshops for male and female students next week. Participants will be able to talk openly and learn about a variety of issues surrounding safe-sex practices and maintaining emotionally healthy relationships.

The men's workshop will be led by Dr. William Price Curtis, director of the Professional Counseling Center, every Monday from 3-4:30 p.m. beginning Sept. 11.The women's workshop will be co-facilitated by Dr. Yvonne Montgomery, a licensed professional counselor and professor of psychology, and Neniva Haysbert, a Langston University student who has a degree in psychology and will be receiving her master's in rehabilitation counseling this spring. Their meetings will be held every Wednesday from 3-4:30 p.m. beginning Sept. 13.

This is the second year the self-help workshops have been offered. The groups will first learn about safe-sex practices to prevent illnesses such as HIV.

Price Curtis feels that educating students on the HIV virus is important in light of the HIV crisis in this country and particularly in the African-American community.

"The very first thing we do is make sure the participants have good authoritative information about the virus," he said.

Price Curtis will cover how HIV is contracted, how it is not contracted, the importance of testing, and what the results mean. Students will also learn how to protect themselves from sexual diseases, which include strategies such as only being involved in monogamous relationships and practicing abstinence.

Curtis says there is a lot of abuse going on in relationships today, both physical and psychological; this is one of the reasons why he wanted the workshops to focus on relationships as well as safe-sex practices. Last year's workshop participants appreciated being able to talk candidly about their love lives.

"They are struggling with how to establish safe, meaningful, nurturing and affirming relationships," Price Curtis said.

self help : Tip For When You're Stressed

2006-09-04T04:08:00.000-07:00

This is a fantastic tip from Touch For Health to help you when you're stressed, angry, anxious, or upset. Try holding your frontal eminences. These are bumps on your forehead that many people hold instinctively when they're upset.

For those of you who don't do this naturally, let me help you locate them. Feel up from the middle of your eyebrows going towards your hairline. Your forehead comes outwards before it curves back in towards the hairline. Hold your forehead at the points where it is furthest out - about 3cms (1.25 inches) above the middle of each eyebrow.

While you hold these points think about the stressful event. It can be something that has already happened, something that is about to happen, or something you fear may never happen! Gradually you should find that the stress lessens.

You can use it for small things, but you can also use it for more traumatic events too. If the thoughts/images are too overwhelming initially, imagine you are watching it on a TV - you can always switch it off if becomes too stressful - you're the one in charge. You can watch it in black and white if that feels easier too. Use it to defuse anything that you feel anxious, stressed, angry or fearful about.

You may want to do it several times covering different aspects of the problem. You can do them one after the other, or at different times, whichever feels best for you.

As you hold the points and think about/imagine the event, you will probably start to feel calmer - you may even find that you start to feel a little bored thinking about this scenario that previously stressed or angered you so much.

Why does it work?

These particular points on the forehead, known as frontal eminences, are reflex points with connections to the central meridian (involved with the brain), the stomach meridian (and your stomach often churns when you're anxious or angry), and the bladder meridian (trips to the loo/bathroom are often necessary when we're apprehensive).

I recently explained this self-help technique to a business colleague - a keen mountain biker who'd had a serious bike accident at 30 miles an hour and had broken his skull and collar bone. This is what he wrote to me later:

"I don't know how to thank you enough for the technique you described to me over the phone the other day, it helped me enormously!"

The following week he sent me this message:

"Your tip worked once again last night - went out (in the pitch black with my Light&Motion 'daylighter' light) and did some serious single-tracking and downhilling!!! I never thought I'd be doing that again - ever! Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was brilliant!!!!!!!"

Fortunately you don't have to break a lot of bones to try this tip - it's great in all sorts of situations - before you visit the dentist or make an important speech; after you've heard some bad news or had a fall; when thoughts about the past are upsetting and disturbing or when you are worrying about the future.

It may be hard to believe that something this simple could be effective in removing anxiety and stress, but try it and see.

By Jane Thurnell-Read

self help : Tips For Dealing With Depression

2006-09-04T04:02:00.000-07:00

self help: TN self-help groups to go up to 1 lakh

2006-08-14T21:37:00.000-07:00

Chennai, Aug 12: The Tamil Nadu government will increase the number of members of Self Help groups in the state to one crore within the next five years, State Local Administration Minister M K Stalin said in the State Assembly today.

"The government would take steps to add another 25,000 SHGs and 10,000 youth SHGs to the existing strength, during this current fiscal," Stalin announced, while replying to the demand for grants for the Rural development and Local Administration Department.

"A sum of Rs.10 crore will be allocated for SHG loans and training the members," Stalin said.

Accusing the previous AIADMK government of "hastily" forming as many as 1.2 lakh SHGs on the eve of assembly polls, for "political gain", Stalin said those SHGs lacked proper training and most of them failed to meet the standards.

In a bid to provide them training, the government has increased the grant for voluntary organisations involved in training SHGs, from Rs.100 to Rs.350, Stalin said.

The government will also increase the daily grant for SHG members to Rs.45 from the existing Rs.7.5, he added.

Denying AIADMK's claim that the concept of SHGs was an AIADMK pet project, Stalin said it was the DMK which introduced the SHG scheme for the first time in Dharmapuri in 1989. (Our Correspondent)

Published: Saturday, August 12, 2006

self help: Self-help book is irresistible to little miss charming wannabes

2006-08-09T00:36:00.000-07:00

SARAH HOWDEN
showden@edinburghnews.com)

HOW people love self-help books. Why should we waste precious time mulling over where our lives are going wrong when the golden answers are to be found within a glossy cover in the popular psychology section of our nearest bookstore?

The latest example to hit the bookshelves is Lisa Helmanis' charm-offensive How To Be An Irresistible Woman. Simply follow the rules, she says, and "you will have the techniques and skills to become irresistibly attractive and super confident".

But the only thing to do with such a boast is to put it to the test.

BODY TALK
According to Helmanis, non-verbal communication makes up 93 per cent of the messages we send out, so to be irresistible I needed to work my body.

Mirroring was first up. It's making other people feel good about themselves which, in turn, makes them warm to you. So, if someone crosses their legs, subtly do the same; if they lean their hands on their chin, follow suit. Repeating phrases or acknowledging feelings is another sure-fire winner.

I decided to practice on my unsuspecting friend Siobhan. With some bottles of wine to get through and gossip to swap we got comfy on the sofa. As she talked, I attempted to mirror her body language.

I have to admit, I got good results. When she leant forward to emphasise a point, I learnt forward too. When she voiced her frustrations at a recent situation, I mirrored her.

Siobhan opened up more, her relaxation ensured I got more details from her stories. And at the end, she said: "Wow, it was really, really good to see you. Let's hook up next week." Result.

Now, eye contact is another key facet of body language. Nobody likes the person who's constantly looking over your shoulder. But striking a balance is difficult. . .

When trying to return a pair of shoes in Jenners - a couple of days out with the returns policy - I thought some "irresistible" eye contact would suffice. I held the shop assistant's gazeand stared intently into her eyes.

She looked frightened and uncomfortable. And I felt slightly psychotic. I got my refund in record-breaking time.

Touch is last. Now, the book warns there is a fine line between appearing warm and seeming needy or like the office pervert. It must be respectful and appropriate, and only directed at people who like it.

INSIDE THE MALE MIND
According to the book, men fall into one of three types, and they relate to the world through one of three senses: sound, visual or feelings. So if us women use their way of relating to relate to them, they'll feel empathised and understood.

It also suggests to take an interest in what he's doing. So I had a "friend" round for dinner on Friday. Before the evening even began, I decided to get with my "friend's" visual senses. He responds to visual stimuli so dress sexily, it claims. Done. Look groomed, I'm told. Nailed it.

I then cooked him his favourite kind of food, bought his favourite wine and beers, and did my homework on his beloved football team.

He was impressed. The evening went well. I wouldn't say he reciprocated by announcing his undying love for me, but he didn't run screaming from the flat either.

Then, I slipped into conversation how I thought Hibs had a good chance of winning the SPL and I got The Look. "What are you doing?" he quizzed suspiciously, his eyes narrowed. "You don't really like football." Eh, yes I do. "Okay, who's the goalie?" Damn.

By the end of the evening, he seemed happy enough. I, on the other hand, felt like some sad, desperate lap dog which is never cool.

THE CHARM OFFENSIVE
The book tells you to give other people some "lovin'" and you'll get plenty in return.

Easy. My friend Charlotte, who lives in Manchester got a Miss You card in the post, while Faye got a text message thanking her for a good weekend, and Lindsay got an e-mail thanking her for dinner. Charlotte promptly rang me to thank me for such a kind gesture, Faye was appreciative of the text and gushed much the same back. And Lindsay offered to cook for me again.

But then I spent the day searching for the perfect card for my "friend" wishing him good luck in his Fire Service exams . . . thoughtful, funny and poignant, I thought. The response? "Er, thanks?" Mmm, maybe the charm offensive should be restricted to girls.

THE HARD STUFF
I've always been told it's not what you say but the way you say it. However, for the Irresistible Woman, it's about WHEN you say it. So if he's just walked in from work don't be poised behind the door ready for a verbal assault. The key is to give him time to unwind. Don't call him at work to talk instead ask him if he can make time to talk.

I tell my dad I would like a chat. His diabetes is worrying me, as is his increasing blood pressure and high cholesterol. His eyes glaze over and I'm told abruptly: "I'm not in the mood." Maybe later, after the football then? "Yes," he hisses.

Ninety minutes later I try again, asking him if he had time to talk. This time he did. And so I talked - making my point succinctly and expressing my feelings quickly. And you know what? He rolled his eyes and yawned.

VERDICT
So am I now an irresistible woman? Call me modest, but I wouldn't say I am now oozing charm nor could I effortlessly attract everyone and anyone I meet.

However, I do have some new-found skills in communication, confidence and self-projection which, with practice, could give me more poise and style. And maybe - just maybe - with some extra homework and tuition I could master the techniques "to become irresistibly attractive and super confident". And even know who the Hibs goalie is.

• How To Be An Irresistible Woman by Lisa Helmanis is published by Carlto and available from John Lewis Edinburgh, priced, £9.99

Last updated: 08-Aug-06 13:36 BST

self help: Council looks to form self help group

2006-08-07T22:05:00.000-07:00

HAWICK Community Council is looking into forming a self-help group that would outline what local residents should do in the event of flooding.
The issue was raised at last month's meeting in response to Newcastleton Community Council funding a similar initiative which produced a leaflet that contains advice in the event of a local flood..

Scottish Borders Council's Emergency Planning Officer, Jim Gill, attended the meeting to give his advice on the way forward.
He said: "The main purpose of the flood response group is to look after vulnerable people in the community."

The meeting heard that the 'Flood Response Group' could advise townsfolk of how to cope with the emergency, whilst also considering elderly neighbours.
Mr Gill loaned an emergency planning video to the Community Council which would assist in forming the basis of their plan.
He concluded: "The flood group would certainly help achieve community spirit."
27 July 2006

self help: Self-Help Enterprises Awarded Grant for Central Valley Housing

2006-08-06T21:53:00.000-07:00

California Political Desk
August 2, 2006

SACRAMENTO – Assemblyman Bill Maze (R-Visalia) is pleased to announce that the Department of Housing and Community Development has reserved over $500,000 funding from the 2006 HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program Awards for Self Help Enterprises (SHE) of Visalia. This award is part of $13 million block grant designed to help meet the affordable housing needs of low-income household.

The San Joaquin Valley is amongst the world’s most productive agricultural areas, yet there is an astonishing quantity of inadequate, if not hazardous housing. Self Help Enterprises has been providing services to improve the lives of low-income residents for over 40 years throughout the San Joaquin Valley through housing and related programs and services.

Of the first-time homeowner projects offered by SHE, the “Self-Help Housing” program employs families to form an informal partnership and agree to help each other build their houses with technical assistance provided by a competent construction supervisor from start to finish. The HOME grant will assist up to 11 families with secondary financing to lessen the cost of their primary mortgage, as well as, pay the costs for those who help with the construction and building of the housing developments.

Through the Self-Help program, SHE is able to help over 150 low-income families a year acquire a home of their own.

Said Maze, “The Central Valley isn’t immune to the larger housing crisis in California, and we have our own unique circumstances that further complicate the problem. HOME funds are instrumental in creating affordable housing for low-income households. As housing costs continue to escalate, this calling is greater than ever before.”

Assemblyman Bill Maze represents Tulare, Kern, Inyo, and San Bernardino Counties.

self help: New Distribution Channel for Self-Help Authors

2006-08-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

Now accepting title submissions for AchieveYourFullPotential.com.

Victoria, BC (PRWEB) August 2, 2006 -- It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there in the publishing industry and getting your material distributed is no easy task -- or is it? Pacific Innovations Ltd. is removing the barriers to entry and helping self-help authors get their work in front of their target market by launching AchieveYourFullPotential.com. This new online self-help depot is specifically designed to promote self-help materials and any extra services provided by their authors. It is the missing link in the self-publishing market today.

Getting your work into the hands of your target market is as simple as sending an email to admin @ pacificinnovations.net requesting a copy of the terms & conditions of AchieveYourFullPotential.com and the application form. Authors who are self-published or have the right to distribute their own materials can apply immediately. If you must go through your publishing company for distribution, drop us a line, as we may already have an account with them and we can simply add your title to our list.

The site is expected to launch the week of August 7th with a flurry of promotion and news surrounding the launch. Ensure your material is there for the launch by applying today. Send your request for an application to admin @ pacificinnovations.net or call Jennifer at 250-686-0132 and get your materials generating the sales you desire.

About Pacific Innovations Ltd.
Pacific Innovations is an international training company based in Victoria, British Columbia. For over 21 years consumers have utilized their training programs to improve their personal and financial lives. In the spirit of win/win and abundance mentality Pacific Innovations has created a new portal for authors of self-help material to distribute their products to their target market. By working together with experts in the self-help arena, customers of AchieveYourFullPotential.com will receive insider’s access to the authors of their favorite books and get more value for their purchasing dollars. For more information about Pacific Innovations, visit: www.achieveyourfullpotential.com.

self help: Council looks to form self help group

2006-07-30T22:01:00.000-07:00

27 July 2006

HAWICK Community Council is looking into forming a self-help group that would outline what local residents should do in the event of flooding.
The issue was raised at last month's meeting in response to Newcastleton Community Council funding a similar initiative which produced a leaflet that contains advice in the event of a local flood. Scottish Borders Council's Emergency Planning Officer, Jim Gill, attended the meeting to give his advice on the way forward.He said: "The main purpose of the flood response group is to look after vulnerable people in the community."The meeting heard that the 'Flood Response Group' could advise townsfolk of how to cope with the emergency, whilst also considering elderly neighbours.Mr Gill loaned an emergency planning video to the Community Council which would assist in forming the basis of their plan.He concluded: "The flood group would certainly help achieve community spirit."

self help: Why Sir Bob should try cosmic ordering

2006-07-25T00:55:00.000-07:00

Tim Dowling
Tuesday July 25, 2006
The Guardian

Most people, I imagine, would not necessarily choose to regard Noel Edmonds' comeback as a sign that the cosmos responds directly to our wants and needs. We may not understand the exact mechanism by which the cosmos, DJ-style, takes requests, but we may safely assume that Please Put Noel Edmonds Back On Telly did not scrape in ahead of End All Human Suffering or even Help Me Lose Weight Before Summer in the overall vote.

Noel, however, insists it was his devotion to "cosmic ordering" - as laid out by self-helpster Barbel Mohr in her book, The Cosmic Ordering Service, and now in Edmonds' new book, Positively Happy: Cosmic Ways to Change Your Life - that got him Deal Or No Deal. So he says, you just write what you want on a piece of paper, and the cosmos delivers. I'm not saying I believe in all this, but if I'd known what Noel had written, I'd have made a counter-request.
Of course, you also have to believe in yourself, stay positive, work hard and "make a positive commitment to actively changing your life", as Edmonds puts it in this week's Daily Mail serialisation. You must stop saying such things as "I never win anything", "I can't do that" and "I've always been that way" (which are, coincidentally, the first three subject headings on my CV). Frankly, if you possess Edmonds' bullet-proof self-belief, I think you can probably leave the stamp off that letter to the cosmos.

You can't deny that the system works for Edmonds, although looking at him - a freakishly youthful 57-year-old fronting a dire game show which is nevertheless absurdly popular - you have to wonder whether it's actually the cosmos he's struck his bargain with. But if he can help somebody else, what's the harm? And there is somebody who needs his help badly: Sir Bob Geldof.

You will have heard that Sir Bob was forced to cancel two Italian gigs at the weekend because fewer than 400 tickets were sold. In Milan, only 45 people turned up to the 12,000-seat venue, and Geldof refused to go on. He did not, it has to be said, take the whole thing very positively. He was quoted in Italian newspapers as saying, "Your country doesn't like me when I sing." This self-deprecation is not new. In the past, he has referred to himself as a "mediocre rock star". Does that sound like something Noel would say?

Though I have always thought of Sir Bob as a man of great determination, it's impossible to ignore the obvious conclusion that, in this case at least, he simply didn't want it badly enough. I can't help noticing that he hasn't wiped out world hunger either. One can only guess what Noel would have achieved if his wishlist had read "End poverty in Africa and make me a modestly successful musician, please", instead of "new game show and helicopter".

Apparently, there are two as-yet unfulfilled orders on Edmonds' cosmic account. One is doubtless "congratulatory autobiography thinly disguised as self-help new-age bollocks (w/ v big serialisation deal)". But the other? Who knows?

self help: Including women through self-help groups

2006-07-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

Posted online: Thursday, July 20, 2006 at 0000 hours IST

When State Bank of India got into Wmicro-financing five years ago,it bet on women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs).Today it lends to all kinds of SHGs with nearly seven million beneficiaries across the country – a vast majority is still women. Lending has touched nearly 1,800 crore rupees and the repayment record is close to 99%-SBI seems to have picked up the right gender to back.
This is leading to financial as well as social empowerment.A case in point,Sabitri SHG in Kuruguda Village in Kalahandi – one of the most backward districts in India,formed by women,who had no means of livelihood,received a loan of 2.3 lakh rupees for fish-farming.The group now earns 25,000 rupees per month.

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SBI supported women SHGs are doing well in numerous places,Bichpuri in Uttar Pradesh,Nagpur,Nashik, Andhra Pradesh,Kerala and Gujarat.Income generation SBI: Including women through self-help groups activities include fish farming,vermicompost making,spice-trading, pottery making,dairy- farming,bamboo-craft and wood carving.The loan amount ranges from 14,000 to 3.5 lakh rupees.

Many of these women were landless laborers earning no more than 30- 40 rupees a day,while others remained indoors.

Today,they have become self- reliant earning as much as 2,500 rupees per month and are also full of confidence.In Bichpuri, an area historically marked with communal issues – all communities have come together as SHGs and are leading a prosperity driven harmonious life.

self help: "Fix It: Comedy about Love, Self-Help and the Recovery from Both"

2006-07-18T01:09:00.000-07:00

By WorthSeeing, Citizen Journalist 7-17-06

Megan Griswold brings her funny, self-deprecating and poignant observations about a lifetime of therapy and self-help to The Dairy Center for the Arts (2590 Walnut St., Boulder) on August 3 for a three-night run. Griswold's never-ending attempts to "fix it" include more than 10,000 hours of therapy including traditional talk therapy, meditation, yoga training, fasting, traditional Chinese medicine, rolfing, plant spirit medicine and so much more.
Fix It explores the journey of self-discovery and the unwavering belief that a solution to life's problems is just one therapy session or medical miracle away. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased by calling 303-444-SEAT (7328). Performances are Aug. 3, 4 & 5 at 8 p.m. Group discounts are available.
So, how does a smart, successful, well-educated woman embark on the path of obsessive self-help? She starts young. When she was just seven-years-old, Megan asked for a mantra for Christmas. When she was 12, she participated in a multi-weekend self-help seminar. When her college peers were saving for Eurail Passes, Megan was embarking on a year-long training course for personal development. When her marriage began to fail, Megan entered therapy with her husband and engaged in countless hours of psychotherapy, spiritual practices and alternative treatments with the belief that if she could just fix herself then everything would work out.
At the age of 37 she made the radical decision to freeze her eggs for future fertility. A barrage of news reports and studies told single career women everywhere that their chances of getting pregnant dropped dramatically as they approached the age of 40. Megan, in a struggling relationship at the time, decided to take matters into her own hands by using modern medicine. One of the first women to choose this expensive and medically unproven tactic to increase fertility, Megan was featured on ABC's "Nightline," on NBC Nightly News, on Anderson Cooper's "360," and more. She will be talking about her experiences on an upcoming edition of NPR's "All Things Considered."
Though she pokes fun at her own obsessive need to seek professional help for every problem, Megan still believes in the healing powers of self-discovery. Far from being an emotional wreck, Megan is an accomplished and independent woman. She holds a graduate degree in International Relations from Yale and a bachelor's degree from Columbia. She worked for NPR's "Talk of the Nation" and the BBC News program "The World" and as a freelance reporter in Seattle. She is a licensed acupuncturist and runs a thriving practice in Seattle.
Fix It makes its world premiere at The Dairy Center. For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Tiffany Q. Tyson at 303-971-0290 or Megan Griswold at 206-276-2801.

####

Megan Griswold, L.Ac.
Author, Performer

Fix It: A Comedy About Love, Self-Help
and the Recovery from Both

Megan Griswold runs a thriving acupuncture practice in Seattle. She trained in Boulder, Colorado, with one of the foremost experts in Classical Five Element Acupuncture, Hilary Skellon.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Columbia University and a Master's degree in International Relations from Yale. She has worked for NPR's "Talk of the Nation" and the BBC News program "The World" and as a freelance reporter in Seattle.
Fix It is the comical story of her lifelong relationship with the self-help industry and her many attempts to "fix" herself.

self help: Self-help guru helps Valley

2006-07-07T02:03:00.000-07:00

T. Harv Eker brings personal development camp to town
By
Reporter
Sylvie Paillard spaillard@squamishchief.com
For seven years, the extremely popular self-help guru T. Harv Eker has been sharing the beauty of the Squamish Valley with groupies from all over the world. Now those same visitors are helping to keep Squamish pristine.
Eker, author of New York Times bestseller The Millionaire Mind, which has been printed in 26 languages, holds numerous self-help camps in the Upper Squamish Valley every summer.

“The great thing about Squamish is it’s got natural teachers. The mountain can teach you and the river can teach you much more than I ever could teach you,” said Eker. “I can help interpret the lessons but I can never teach what a mountain can.”

The cost of each week-long training camp is approximately $2,000. Participants work up to the camp with an introductory three-day, $1,200 seminar. But many initial participants use the two free tickets included in Eker’s bestsellers to attend seminars, which are held regularly in Vancouver

Eker’s latest program, Mind of Steel, Heart of Gold, promotes service as a means of empowering one’s self, so organizers set out to find ways to help the area.

“We have manpower of 60-something one week and the next 80 people just waiting to help out all afternoon,” he said. “If there were any trails that needed to be fixed up or any roads needing to be cleaned... anything we could do to help.”

John Harvey of the Squamish Trails Society put the volunteers to work on trails in the area, and Edith Tobe of the Squamish River Watershed Society led the group in substantial restoration planting in the estuary off the training dyke at the Windsurf Spit.

“They were wonderful,” said Eker of the local leaders. “They even did a little talk about why each of these projects is important and what they do to the river and how the trees grow. It was very effective for our people. Really heart opening.”

The visiting group also quickly learned what volunteerism means to locals.

“So many of the residents in the area, when they saw what our group was doing, they would come... and we would tell them, and they would start helping!” said Eker. “It was phenomenal.”

But not everything about Squamish impresses Eker. While his personal development organization, Peak Potentials Training, holds camps in numerous North American locations, Squamish is the only town that doesn’t offer some a lodge.

“I looked for what I perceived was the ultimate spot for these adventure type camps. We love the area. It’s the adventure land of Canada, so we take advantage of it,” he said. “All I can tell you is I wish Squamish had a lodge that we can house 200 people in and feed them properly in kind of a mess hall place, and have staging or at least a conference centre of sorts. There would be a lot of call for it.”

But despite the less convenient accommodations of the area, Squamish continues to be Eker’s preferred location, and visitors agree.

“First of all the Chief alone is worth its weight in gold. You’re driving up that highway, you see the Chief, what are you supposed to think? Than you’ve got the waterways,” he said. “In this last camp and ones coming up this year I would say you’re talking at least 50 to 60 per cent Americans in those camps. They love Canada, they love Squamish and think it’s real jewel."

Peak Potentials is one of the fastest growing and largest personal development seminar companies in the world. Eker said he made the leap between personal and financial development by working through his own struggles.

“I wasn’t the excellent father. I wanted to be, that was very, very, very important to me, so I started personal development programs myself... and not let my mind take me out, not get upset so fast, have some patience, a lot more compassion,” he said. “At the same time I noticed my financial situation was doing a lot better, so I started putting those two together... Low and behold I became a millionaire in two-and-a-half years starting from zero.”

The organization now boasts approximately 160 employees, and runs over 100 events a year. There are 13 programs in a variety of areas including business, life directions, money and investment, and empowerment type of programming such as Mind of Steel Heart of Gold, Enlightened Warrior and Wizard Training.

self help: You can work at home and love it!

2006-07-04T20:33:00.000-07:00

What are you passionate about? What do you believe in? Is there a product or service that you find yourself just raving about with friends and family! Share your talents, experiences, and beliefs through a home business. Cho...

by Geoffrey Faivre-Malloy

What are you passionate about?
What do you believe in?

Is there a product or service that you find yourself just raving about with friends and family!

Share your talents, experiences, and beliefs through a home business.

Choosing a work at home business is rewarding.

Earn extra money - meet your savings and debt reduction goals faster!

Have Flexible Hours - schedule your work around other duties or your household duties around your work. Either way, you set the schedule.
Set your own goals - You decide what is enough.

Provide a creative outlet to do something you love to do. You might feel motivated to work at home because you need a little extra money. Perhaps you just need a creative outlet.

Maybe you've become so good at your household management skills that you just have too much time on your hands.
With the many challenges of family and household management I congratulate you if the latter is the case! Give yourself a pat on the back!

You know we learn our most valuable lessons from our failures and successes. Hopefully, Right!

I have learned one undeniable truth in my work experience.If you love it and have a passion for it, you WILL be successful.

There is nothing easier than doing what you love to do. This is an undisputable fact of human nature. We all know this instinctively, but somehow fall away from the idea.

If you can incorporate what you love to do, are passionate about and truly believe in, into your work at home business you will find success!

You can choose to live your work or work to live. The decision to live your work can only be successful. It just makes sense!

Until you find your niche in life you are just trudging along doing the necessary steps to survive.

It's when you find and work your passion in life that you begin to live.
Your work naturally becomes your life.

No, I'm not talking about being all about work 24/7. I'm talking about bringing something you are passionate about in life into your work at home business.

There's a huge difference.

That being said, you need to really analyze what it is you like to do. Think about something productive or creative that you love to do in your spare time.

WHAT IS YOUR "THING?"

You may instantly know what your "thing" is or it could take you several days to figure it out. You may not have been able to do what you love for so long that you have forgotten what it actually is you love to do.
Unfortunately, this happens to a lot of us.

For example, through all my experiences I found nothing that excites me more than what I am doing right now! Bringing my family back to basics, getting my financial goals back on track and teaching my children to be financially responsible and successful.

When I started looking for an extra income I tried so many things that just seemed to be out of character for me.

I accepted offers only to discover that the program either required me to sell something (which I determined early in life was definitely not my thing), or required me to do something that I had no clue how to do. Like building a website or internet marketing.

I was shot down from the start and couldn't even get motivated to try.

I learned that you don't always get what you expect when you accept a work at home offer. You have to be careful to read everything.

Make sure you know what you're getting!
If you choose an internet business and you're a "newbie", make sure you will be provided with all the educational and technical tools you need.

Internet marketing and website building is very technical. If you have no knowledge of .......

writing HTML text

Search Engine Optimization - click and pay hits - search engine spiders?

Keyword brainstorming

affiliates - associate programs

Well, you can see it's another college degree it seems. At the very least it would involve a great deal of reading, studying, and trial by error to create a website much less be successful at it.

You need a step-by-step program to help you through. Some programs can leave you in a sea of confusion! Where do I start? What's that mean? How do I promote it? Build a website? Advertise with search engines? You will be defeated before you've even begun if not careful.

If you've bought into any of these informational offers and still feel lost on how to get started on your work at home venture, you know exactly what I mean.

So, if you're not internet savvy, or a webmaster, be sure the program offers the assistance that you need to be successful!

Perhaps a work at home internet business is just not your cup of tea. There are lots of other wonderful ideas for generating a home based income.

Child Care, crafts, and cleaning services are just to name a few. And, yes, there are people out there that do love to clean! Just remember - Do what you love to do to be successful!

Find something that interests you or adapt an idea to suit your interests. You'll be meeting your goals in no time! No matter what it is you love to do, you can find a way to use it to make extra money.

The best part is you'll love doing it if you love the work!

If you chose to include a work at home business to strengthen you family's foundation, I wish you the best of luck.

Remember, if you pursue what you love and are passionate about, YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL!

About the Author

Cheryl Johnson is a mother of four helping herself and others become, and remain, debt free. Simple Debt Free Living is a self-help plan for personal financial independence including home business ideasto earn extra income.

Copyright Geoffrey Faivre-Malloy - http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=27851

self help: Self-help groups turn four, celebrate

2006-07-03T00:39:00.000-07:00

Staff Reporter

Officials said savings of the Kalanjiams now stood at Rs.50 lakh with a common fund of Rs.12 lakh.

TAMBARAM: Women's self-help groups belonging to the Dhan Foundation of Kancheepuram district at Maraimalai Nagar celebrated four years of operations with a procession and a mammoth meeting on Wednesday.

The celebrations were held to commemorate four years of operation of these groups, known as Kalanjiams.

The Dhan Foundation initiated the Kalanjiam programme in 2002 in Kattankulathur and Kunrathur Panchayat Unions of Kancheepuram district and today it covers 53 villages in 32 panchayats with about 3,250 members.

Officials of the foundation said the savings of the Kalanjiams now stood at Rs. 50 lakh with a common fund of Rs. 12 lakh. Nationalised banks had loaned the women Rs. 92 lakh.

Of the 202 groups, 160 had formed a federation called `Kanchi vattaara kalanjiam' that was formally inaugurated during the function.

The formation of the groups had improved the quality of life of people belonging to the marginalised sections. With the savings and loans from financial institutions, the women were able to contribute significantly to the income of their families, speakers said.

self help: Fast track to self-help at city libraries

2006-06-30T00:44:00.000-07:00

PEOPLE in Glasgow with mild mental health problems such as stress, anxiety and depression could soon have access to self-help books.
The Healthy Reading scheme set up by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Glasgow City Council was launched today by Minister for Health Andy Kerr.
The first project of its kind in Scotland it lets patients pick up books quickly from libraries through referral by a GP.

Publication date 28/06/06

Share based on self help

2006-06-27T21:31:00.000-07:00

By Bob Holliday
bholliday@pantagraph.com

CARLOCK - Laura Jean Child of Carlock is a 78-year-old widow on a fixed income. But she wouldn't dream of accepting free food.

"I don't need to get free stuff. That's for those who are desperate," she said.

Instead, through a program called Share Food, Child pays $15 to get about $30 worth of food each month.

The nationwide program, which buys in bulk and uses volunteer help to unload and distribute its goods, has been in Central Illinois for 20 years.

The self-help nature of the program is one of the things that convinced John Truitt Sr. to introduce it to Central Illinois.

"When you're handing people food, it's a Band-aid, and it becomes a habit of coming back for more," said Truitt.

The program began in San Diego, Calif., 23 years ago.

Child has been participating in the program since her husband died about 12 years ago.

The program requires participants to donate two hours of community service per month.

Child takes money and gives receipts during the monthly food distribution at the White Oak Township building in Carlock.

Other volunteers drive elderly neighbors to the doctor, or act as Scout leaders.

The homebound can pray two hours a month, Truitt said.

On average, the program serves 11,000 families every month. Food is distributed in 33 counties. Fresh fruit and vegetables and frozen meat is warehoused in downtown Peoria.

"Last month (in May) we distributed 118 units," said Lorene Smith, who with her husband Kenneth, volunteers as a host at the Hilltop Mobile Home Park clubhouse in Bloomington.

"We have people coming from Clinton and Heyworth," she said, adding the program "is good for people on fixed incomes or people with kids."

Nancy Bohannon is Smith's counterpart at the White Oak Township building.

"It's very good food for a very decent price," she said.

Added Child, "it's popular because you save money and it's not a charity program."

self help: Noel Edmonds writes self-help book

2006-06-22T01:31:00.000-07:00

THURSDAY 08/06/2006 15:52:37

Noel Edmonds has signed a reported £500,000 book deal about his new belief in "cosmic ordering".

The TV presenter will publish the self-help tome Positively Happy in July.

It will reveal the meaning of the bizarre symbols seen on his hand as he hosts Channel 4 show Deal Or No Deal.

Edmonds, 57, claims to have changed his life with the aid of the New Age faith invented by a German guru.

He made a series of cosmic "wishes" which have all come true - including his plea for a new challenge after the break-up of his marriage.

Soon afterwards he landed the Deal Or No Deal game show which has revived his TV career.

"It`s not totally mad. You`ll think I`ve gone away with the fairies but it`s fantastic," Edmonds said. "And it is quite reassuring about life after death and spiritual things."

The presenter has credited his success to the book Cosmic Ordering Service by German author Barbel Mohr, which has subsequently shot to the top of the best-seller lists.

Publisher Vermilion said Edmonds` own book will show readers how they can harness the same techniques to "banish negativity, make constructive changes in your life, create your own luck and ultimately find greater happiness".

Publishing director Clare Hulton said: "We`re thrilled to be publishing Noel`s book.

"As well as being a fascinating insight into the life of Britain`s best-known television presenter, it`s a powerful and engaging self-help book that will show readers how they, like Noel, can achieve happiness."

Vermilion declined to comment on how much the deal is worth.

self help: Self-Help Housing: 18 Families Chosen for New Program

2006-06-19T21:04:00.000-07:00

Posted: June 17, 2006 10:45 AM

A groundbreaking ceremony today in Pontotoc County moved one family another step closer to becoming new home-owners. That family in Ada, and seventeen others are teaming up with Tri-County Oklahoma to build their own houses. KTEN's Andrea Kurys has the story.

The families come from Pontotoc, Coal and Johnston counties. They are all taking part in a self-help housing program. Over the next two years, they'll be working with Tri-County Oklahoma and each other to build their dream homes. Tri-County Oklahoma is a non-profit corporation that works to create economic opportunities and adequate, affordable housing. This program targets low income families who may never have had this opportunity otherwise.

Jay perkins said, "We've got four kids in my family, me and my wife, and a lot of people stacked on top of each other at the house we're at now. Now maybe nobody will have to share a bedroom anymore."

Seanna Miller said,"It's gonna be incredible to have our own house, and everybody have their own bedroom. It's going to be nice."

Bryson Miller said, " I'm happy about my new house."

Ada Mayor Donna York and the State USDA Rural Development Director were among some of the people that attended today's groundbreaking ceremony. The families will participate in homebuyer education classes and receive construction training. Tri-County Oklahoma will supervise the sub-contractors and partner with the chickasaw nation for credit counseling services.the money used in the housing project comes from a federal designation that was awarded in 1999.

Andrea Kurys, KTEN News.

self help: Diabetes self-help classes offered this week

2006-06-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

Special to the E-E

A free diabetes self-help course designed to educate those with diabetes on how to manage, control and live a healthy life will be offered at the Washington County Health Department.

This four session course will include professionals speaking about what diabetes is specifically, how it affects eyes and the body in general, how to manage stress, helpful nutrition planning, the role of exercise, and a discussion of medications and self-blood glucose management.

Dates of course:

Monday, 6-8 p.m., “What Is Diabetes”

Tuesday, 6-7 p.m., “Diabetes and Your Eyes”

Tuesday, 7-8 p.m., “Diabetic Medications”

Thursday, 6-8 p.m., “Diabetic Diet”

Friday, 6-7 p.m., Testing Your Blood Sugar

Friday, 7-8 p.m., “Exercise & Stress”

Call 335-3005 to sign up.

self help: The Talent Magnet

2006-06-13T02:12:00.001-07:00

From: Issue 106 | June 2006 | Page 80 | By: Robert Buderi

Kai-Fu Lee was waiting serenely at the upscale sushi and seafood buffet he had selected for our meeting in Redmond, Washington. One thing about Lee: Friends let him choose the restaurant. He keeps copious notes on scores of establishments, so dining out with him is pretty much a sure bet.

Over the eatery's din, Lee spoke eloquently about two of his favorite subjects: China and its students. The nation, he observed, was hungry to transform itself from an outpost of low-cost manufacturing to a hub of technology creation--and it boasted an enormous and growing reservoir of newly graduated engineers and scientists. The challenge for foreign companies was to help those new technologists leaven their traditional Asian values with a more Western mind-set. "What it is going to take for success in the 21st century is a combination of both," Lee explained. "How you adjust the humility with confidence, the perseverance with self-criticalness, the courage with the serenity."

It was May 31, 2005, and Lee was still a vice president at Microsoft. Although he was working in Redmond then, few knew China better. Microsoft had hired him in 1998 to open its research lab in Beijing. The lab attracted top Chinese computer-science graduates, and it has since made its presence felt in just about every Microsoft business, contributing key algorithms for MSN's new search engine and developing ever more realistic graphics for Xbox games.

Lee was promoted to Microsoft's headquarters after just two years in Beijing, but he returned often to China, giving scores of lectures aimed at helping university students learn how to prosper in a modern, internationally competitive world. He was becoming, in fact, an A-list celebrity on Chinese campuses, a Brad Pitt-meets-Albert Einstein blend of movie star and scientific statesman. His Mandarin-language book, Be Your Personal Best, sold more than 400,000 copies within six months of its debut last September. And his Web site--www.kaifulee.com--draws tens of thousands of Chinese seeking advice on education and work.

All of which was why Microsoft's archrival, Google, was at that moment dangling a package worth at least $10 million to lure him away.

Google wanted Lee to help it conquer the search market in China--a meager $278 million in 2005 but growing at a dizzying pace--where it currently trails homegrown Baidu. Even more important is the market for talent. In 2004, roughly 350,000 computer scientists, information technologists, and engineers graduated from Chinese institutions of higher education, compared to 140,000 in the United States, according to a study by the U.S. National Academies, the nation's top science advisory body.

Soon after our dinner, to Microsoft's utter dismay, Lee would accept Google's offer. His new job, which comes with the title vice president for engineering and president of Google Greater China, is to create a talent magnet, building an R&D center that will tap into the nation's trajectory and mining the best and brightest from Chinese universities to feed Google's own growth. His story speaks volumes about the global race to apply talent to innovation--and what it will take to win.

The Guanxi Imperative
The fact that Lee, who was raised in Taiwan and the United States, has found such an audience in China underscores the importance there of role models who can thrive in both Asian and Western cultures. He was born in Taiwan in 1961, the youngest of seven children. Both his parents came from mainland China. His father, a Nationalist Party legislator during the 1949 communist revolution, fled to Taiwan for safety; it took a year for Lee's mother to escape with their then five children.

Lee's oldest brother moved to the United States and took in Kai-Fu, who was 11 at the time. Lee eventually earned his bachelor's degree with highest honors from Columbia and a PhD in computer science at Carnegie Mellon, where he pioneered an approach to speech recognition based on statistics and machine learning. After a brief stint on the CMU faculty, Lee joined Apple Computer, where he helped develop QuickTime into a standard multimedia format, and then Silicon Graphics. In 1998, he was already a minor Silicon Valley legend when Microsoft came knocking, asking him to open a China research lab.

Lee had three key goals in founding the Microsoft lab. One was obvious: to do great research that would feed new products. The second, which in 1998 put Microsoft far ahead of its competition, was to open a novel conduit for attracting the untapped talent in Chinese universities. The third and most ambitious was to help create the innovation infrastructure--starting with world-class education and training for students--that would enable China to become a more integral part of the modern world.

The three goals, clearly, were intertwined. To attract students, for example, Lee had to show government and university officials that he was not just grabbing the best talent but was also seeking to create a system from which everyone would benefit. In short, Lee needed to build guanxi, the networks of mutually beneficial relationships essential to success. In China, there's no such thing as a purely business relationship. Instead, you must blend formal relationships with personal ones, often on different levels. And even as you take, you must also give back.

Lee understood this from the outset. While some at Microsoft leaned toward building the new lab in business-savvy Shanghai, he chose Beijing, which was home to more top universities and closer to key government agencies. He and his colleagues then called on universities and government officials, entered into academic collaborations, and spoke to thousands of students about what was needed to succeed in the 21st century. The Microsoft lab became the top draw for Chinese computer-science graduates and built top programs in speech recognition, wireless, multimedia, graphics, and search.

For his success, Lee was called back to Redmond and named vice president of Microsoft's natural interactive services division, charged with commercializing features like text-to-speech technologies. But last May, when he learned that Google planned to establish a China R&D lab, he emailed CEO Eric Schmidt, expressing interest in the job. The Google brass bit hard, offering Lee a $2.5 million signing bonus and another $1.5 million after one year, plus stock worth more than $5 million.

Lee inked the deal last July. Microsoft quickly sued to enforce its noncompete clause, drawing headlines around the world. But the firms settled within a few months--and last fall, Lee began putting his guanxi to work for Google.

"It's Overwhelming."
Lee rushed to China for the fall job interview season. Nearly simultaneously, he launched into a book tour, visiting 25 universities in three weeks. Be Your Personal Best is rooted in Lee's imperative of incorporating the best attributes of the United States and the Middle Kingdom. But it also offers something deeper and more personal, describing three concentric circles--representing value, attitude, and action--around which people should evaluate, plan, and live their lives.

It's a self-help book in the best American tradition, but tailored to Chinese tastes--and brilliantly so. Even Lee was astounded by the turnout for his appearances, with an estimated 60,000 young people cramming into halls in the course of the tour. Tickets to the "free" talks were scalped for up to $55 each, a staggering sum for Chinese students, and an online survey ranked him as the most influential person on Chinese university campuses.

"Kai-Fu is a pop star among university students in China," says Wei Sun, dean of the Beihang University College of Software Engineering in Beijing, who has worked with Lee since his Microsoft days. "He is an eloquent speaker. He prepares well. His topics are right on with what the students are keenest to hear." One talk, he remembers, was simply about making presentations, a skill unknown to many Chinese students. Lee carried it off like a motivational speaker. "He was getting into Martin Luther King, 'I have a dream,' " says Sun. "He did things they have never seen before." Lee's message about realizing one's potential found even wider resonance. "It's overwhelming," says Sun.

Students are flocking to Lee's volunteer-run Web site in growing numbers. From about 30,000 registered users just before he left Microsoft, the site has swollen to 110,000 users today, many of them seeking help with fundamental issues of career and life. Typical questions: "Can't female students be software engineers?" "I'm a student of computer science but more interested in marketing and economics. Do you think it makes sense for me to get a master's degree in computer science?"

Not surprisingly, Lee's soaring appeal is already helping Google. Some 10,000 résumés arrived at its Beijing offices in the first two months; the figure is several times that now. Lee had intended to hire 50 R&D staffers during his first year. Now, he notes, "we have found so much talent in China, we have already exceeded our hiring goals. It appears I will easily double that."

Whatever pull Google has for Chinese graduates, for now it's often Lee himself who seals the deal. Xin Zheng, who earned his doctorate in computer science from Tsinghua University early this year, turned down a Microsoft job to join Google as a software engineer. "Kai-Fu is a leader of life values for Chinese students," Zheng says. "He knows a lot of Chinese students' puzzles and problems. His instructions lighten the road ahead."

Lee, of course, must parlay his personal appeal into a sustainable R&D organization--which comes back to building guanxi. "Part of being successful in doing business in China is to be viewed as sincere, trying to do something positive," Lee says. "[There's] no substitute for that."

So Lee has already hosted a nationwide programming competition, dubbed CodeJam, that drew 13,500 entrants. The final round, held live in Beijing, consisted of three programming problems worth 1,500 points. Lee notes that only "a handful" of programmers in the world typically exceed 1,000 on similar tests. To his astonishment, four of the 50 CodeJam finalists topped that figure. The winner, Chuan Xu, a student at Zhejiang University, will join the Google lab after he graduates this spring.

Reversing the Flow
In April, Google announced a Chinese-language brand name for its search engine: Gu Ge, or "harvesting song." But before they harvest anything, Google's new Chinese scientists still have much to learn. At Microsoft, Lee found that many new hires, accustomed to following explicit instructions, had a hard time with Western management, where it is common to confront a boss and where seizing the initiative without specific directions is often prized.

To speed his recruits' progress, to help East meet West, Lee is trying out new Internet-based training and team-building exercises--sometimes even before new hires begin work. Lee is also seeking mentors, Mandarin-speaking experts skilled in the ways of Western research and development who will advise the young recruits.

The hope is that, by year's end, Lee's bright-eyed researchers will be on the way to creating technologies that improve the company's standing in China. In the past, Lee notes, Western firms have "localized" products created elsewhere, tweaking menus or changing documentation for Chinese users. That is no longer enough. "User behaviors and preferences are different in different parts of the world, so you can't take a one-size-fits-all approach to innovation," he says.

So the R&D center, staffed by homegrown talent well-versed in local preferences, will create products initially for the Chinese market: Search and paid advertising for mobile phones are likely, as is Chinese speech recognition as a search interface. Eventually, though, Lee expects the lab to help change the flow of innovation worldwide. In areas such as mobile-phone usage, China is leading the world. "So we will build a product first in China and then understand the product and move it back to the United States or Europe when that market matures," he says. That chance to make a global impact is another big drawing card for the Google center. Yang Liu, an early hire lured from Sybase's China operation, puts it this way: "A group of smart and great people could do something really great for the world."

It's clear already that realizing such ambition will be more than a matter of nurturing top talent--and that meshing East with West won't be a pro forma exercise. Google, which recently launched Google.cn, attracted the wrath of many in the United States by agreeing to the self-censorship dictated by Chinese laws, which includes blocking search results on sensitive topics such as "Tibetan independence." In February, Lee was hounded on the subject when speaking at UC Berkeley and Stanford University. Lee declines to comment on the censorship issue, referring to Google's testimony at a congressional hearing that it does far more good than harm by offering its services in China and that it simply must respect the regulations of different governments.

Google is, of course, playing with a double-edged sword. The democratic urge it represents--its mission is "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful"--is fundamentally at odds with China's restrictive policies. Lee must appreciate that. Given his commitment to working with Chinese officials and supporting change from within, though, it is almost inconceivable that he does not support Google's line.

That stance may yet compromise the search giant's global ambitions. In the Middle Kingdom, though, it seems unscathed. In fact, Google is hot. Lee still draws excited crowds wherever he speaks. Top tech grads clamor to work for him. A new generation of talent is rising, raw but potent, eager to change the world.

Robert Buderi is a writer in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His book with Gregory T. Huang, Guanxi: Microsoft, China, and Bill Gates's Plan to Win the Road Ahead (Simon & Schuster), was published in May.

self help: Legal self-help organization offers free guide on writing wills

2006-06-13T02:12:00.000-07:00

Washington, DC – HALT, a leading publisher of legal self help publications, today released a new guide to assist consumers in writing their will. The Citizen’s Legal Guide Write Your Will: No More Procrastination is available for free on HALT’s Web site (http://www.halt.org/) and through HALT’s Legal Information Clearinghouse.

“It’s easy to put off writing your will, but it’s definitely a mistake,” said HALT Program Director Theresa Meehan Rudy, the guide’s author. “The rules regarding your estate have scant regard for your wishes. The only way to make sure those wishes are carried out is to get your estate in order, and a great way to begin that process is by writing your will.”

A recent nationwide survey conducted by one of the largest financial advisors in the country found that many affluent Americans have not taken the necessary steps to plan their estates. This same survey found that more than one-third of the nation’s wealthiest individuals do not have wills, health-care proxies or trusts. Procrastination is the excuse most cited by the survey respondents who do not have a will.

HALT’s easy-to-understand guide answers consumers’ basic questions about wills and estate planning including: what it takes to make a will legally valid, what property can pass to heirs outside of a will, how to choose an executor, what the executor’s duties are, and how to make changes to a will. The guide also advises consumers about their will-writing options such as using do-it-yourself software, working with independent paralegals or hiring a lawyer.

HALT's 8-page free Citizens Legal Guides, which also include Plan Your Estate and Probate: How to Settle an Estate, supplement HALT's existing range of resources, which includes brief brochures and handouts along with Citizens Legal Manuals, full-length books that offer detailed information on a legal topic, such as legal research, probate or small claims court.

Founded in 1978, HALT—An Organization of Americans for Legal Reform is a nonpartisan, nonprofit public interest organization. HALT pursues an aggressive education and advocacy program that challenges the legal establishment to improve access and accountability and reduce costs in the civil justice system. Please visit http://www.halt.org/ for more information.

Web link: http://www.halt.org/self_help_resources/internet_brochures/Writing_Your_Will.pdf

June 8, 2006 2:37 PM

self help: Do the Write Thing

2006-06-09T05:37:00.000-07:00

Article Title: Do The Write Thing
Author Name: Dr. Donald Schnell
Contact Email Address: Donald@spiritualjava.com
Word Count: 560
Category: Personal Development, Motivation, Self Help
Copyright Date: 2003

*******************

by Liz Sumner, Life Coach

Article Title: Do The Write Thing
Author Name: Dr. Donald Schnell
Contact Email Address: Donald@spiritualjava.com
Word Count: 560
Category: Personal Development, Motivation, Self Help
Copyright Date: 2003

********************************************
Publishing Guidelines:
Thank you for publishing this article in its
entirety including the resource box. When possible, please
notify me of publication by sending either a website link
or a copy of your ezine upon publication via email to
Donald@SpiritualJava.com Thank You!
********************************************

Do The Write Thing ©2003 Dr. Donald Schnell

Dear Colleague,

Here is one of the real, hidden secrets of those who
consistently produce product: make inviolate
appointments with yourself to write. You most likely do a fairly
good job at keeping the appointments you make with others.
You have mastered this skill, so why not use it to get
things done?

For example, I have to write the Spiritual Java course,
the Dream Achievers course, the daily Winning Edge,
my coaching practice, there's another
novel I'm working on, a newsletter in a different field, seminar
planning etc.

I block out several hours days in advance of
the due date. If I didn't block out that time in advance,
I'd wind up desperately scribbling out copy minutes before
the due date.

Some years back, I was counseling a hypnotherapist new to his
practice. I shocked him when I told him to close his
practice for a day if he wanted to see more business
success. I suggested that instead of seeing clients that
he devote an entire day to "marketing". This was a day that
he was to call patients, visit health foods stores, give
speeches, and his charity work.

Most of these important tasks weren't getting done
because his time was eaten by talking to patients.
his little extra time to promote his business
paid him back in huge dividends. He had to block
out time for himself, so that he could accomplish this.

I'm often asked about how I manage to do as much writing as
I do, along with everything else I juggle. There are two
answers. First, I write for at least two hours every
morning, no matter what. The first hour of my morning, I
write. At home, on the road, weekdays, or weekends, it
doesn't matter. Tired or not, inspired or not, it doesn't
matter. Second, I block time, often weeks, occasionally
months in advance, as appointments with myself-just as I
would keep an appointment with a client.

Here is another power technique is to minimize any
unplanned activity. By reducing unscheduled time and
unplanned activity, you automatically reduce waste. If you
look carefully, you'll see that most people just sort of
show up.

They arrive at the office, at work, and react to situations.
If you press them for their day's plan, you'll find they
may have only one or two scheduled activities-one of which
is usually lunch-and maybe a few things on a vague
things-to-do-list. All the unscheduled time somehow gets
used up, but if you again press them at the end of the day,
or better yet, at the end of the week, they cannot tell you
where it went. The person who cannot tell you where his or
her time goes is forever destined to be unpubished.

Ideally, have your day scheduled out by the half hour, from
start to finish. I recommend blocking out each hour into
four, 15 minute segments. At the top of each hour make it
a point to see how many of your most important items you
can clear. Start your planning with 15 minutes.

Why not try to plan for just one week?

It is a cliché, that those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Cliché
or not, it is worth remembering and worth taking the time
to plan. When you plan, you free up mental energy that is
pulling on you because you don't have a clear direction.
When this happens, practically no writing gets done.

Do the write thing,

Donald Schnell

About the Author

Dr. Donald Schnell co- founded with Marilyn Diamond
of Fit For Life, the Spiritual Java Diet Coaching Program,
that is transforming thousands. The New Spiritual Diet,
Incredible Value, One on One coaching Amazing Results.
http://www.SpiritualJava.com or email:
Donald@SpiritualJava.com
Donald Schnell is the author of The Initiation. Free Motivational
Newsletter, The Buzz http://www.spiritualjava.com

self help: Do-It-Yourself Indexing

2006-06-09T05:35:00.000-07:00

Indexing a book is a science in itself. I have a friend who is a professional indexer, but if you have written a book and need an index created, you can do it yourself. And adding an index gives your book or ebook a professional edge, a bonus that the rea...

by Judy Cullins

Indexing a book is a science in itself. I have a friend who is a professional indexer, but if you have written a book and need an index created, you can do it yourself. And adding an index gives your book or ebook a professional edge, a bonus that the reader will appreciate.

I indexed my nonfiction ebook, From Old to Gold: How to Start and Run an Antiques Business. Here's how I created a "quick and dirty" index for my book:

1. I started by looking at the indexes of other similar how to books. I checked out which words they list in their index to get an idea of which words are relevant for my book.

2. I then went through my book, making a list of words that would be relevant to readers in their search for specific topics. The list included words like antique malls; appraiser; art; collectors; dates, of antiques; styles, of antiques; trends. Decide how detailed you want your index to be.

3. Next, after my book was ready to go, that is, all final layout was finished so no page numbers would change, I searched my book (in Microsoft Word, click on Edit, Find, then type in each word you want to add to your index, one at a time). I then
wrote down each page number where each word appeared in my book.

4. I did this process for each word then typed in the index as the last section of my book. I listed the word then the page numbers where the word appeared. I did not get too detailed,
but I listed enough general words that someone can easily find a topic by using my index.

This is the simplified version of how to create an index. There is software you can use or professional indexers, but this process worked for me and it can work for you too!

About the Author

Peggy Hazelwood runs the Albooktross Electronic Bookstore, http://www.albooktross.com/, where you can find ebooks from A to Z in categories like How To, Self Help, Writing/Publishing, and so much more.

self-help: "Will That Be Cash Or Credit?"

2006-06-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

From Bangkok to Edmonton, credit card statements stuff mail and email boxes with payment deadlines. Every bill reminds the giver that gifts given freely do not come free. Giving and buying often exce...

by A. Raymond Randall, Jr.

From Bangkok to Edmonton, credit card statements stuff mail and email boxes with payment deadlines. Every bill reminds the giver that gifts given freely do not come free. Giving and buying often exceed generosity and need as a brittle piece of plastic becomes an avaricious spoiler of hopes and dreams.

During this week, two families emailed me about credit card debt. One family lugs $12,000, and $50,000 shackles the other. Each family wants relief; however, debt accumulation comes easily while debt relief sucker punches emotions and wallets.

Consumer debt burdens the workers of all economies. Highways jam with the doldrums, "I owe...I owe...It's off to work I go". . Truly, as an ancient proverb reminds us, "The debtor is servant to the lender".

Nearly every government graphs consumer debt. The U.S. Federal Reserve's January report set U.S. consumer debt at 2 trillion dollars; the highest level in U.S. history. Canadians report an all time low savings rate (when debt goes up, savings goes down). Thailand consumers pushed debt levels up 25% last year. United Kingdom families might be forced to reduce their spending or sell their homes if interest rates ratchet up just 1%.

Debt management resources can guide consumers to the high ground of debt relief as many credit management companies discover the need for debtor assistance and education. However, consider these steps before doling out more money to a credit assistance agency.

1. Manage your feelings. Take some time journaling your emotions about money by asking yourself where you learned personal definitions for fear and greed. Have some fun taking the innovative surveys found at Emode.com.

2. Push-off the weights of procrastination. Take action; do it now. This work requires sweat and concentration, but the rewards assure you of freedom and achievement.

3. If you learned to spend, you can master saving (ultimately, it's all about saving). However, before spending more money on reducing your debt and increasing your savings, educate yourself. Go to Myvesta.org, a non-profit consumer financial education organization. You will find "how to" books, such as "How to Eliminate Your Debt Like a Pro" along with many other self-help resources. Don't let someone else do for you what you can do for yourself. Working through your debt as a fascinating experience allows you to own your choices by changing your viewpoint.

"Creditors have better memories than debtors." - Benjamin Franklin

4. Myvesta may not suit all your needs, therefore add the Alexa.com toolbar to research other similar sites.

5. If married, discuss credit card management with your spouse. Two issues undermine romance: money and...well, you know the other one.

6. Don't take a consolidation loan whether personal or home equity unless you find this the very last alternative. If you accept a loan, "shop...shop...shop 'till you drop" the interest rate.

7. If behind on payments, call credit card companies NOW...today...this minute. Find the right person for you to discuss your circumstance. If greeted with putdowns and parental tones, end the conversation, wait awhile and try another person. When you must, request a supervisor. Be gracious, professional and persistent with a plan of action.

Most Americans carry 5 or more credit cards around. Take four of them and bury them in the backyard. Keep one for emergencies. Diligent efforts now will guide you toward financial freedoms in the future. Best wishes; if you act on this or similar recommendations, you will stand in a small crowd. Best wishes; if you act on this or similar recommendations, you will stand tall in a small crowd.

About The Author

Ray Randall serves clients as a registered investment advisor with his firm, Ethos Advisory Services, Essex, Massachusetts http://www.ethosadvisory.com . He has wide experience within the financial services industry, writes a weekly newsletter for Ethos Advisory Services, and coordinates the developments at Echievements . Ray holds a Masters Degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Hamilton, MA. You may email him or call (877-895-3756).

rayrandall@echievements.com

Copyright A. Raymond Randall, Jr. - http://www.ethosadvisory.com

self-help: You can work at home and love it!

2006-06-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

What are you passionate about?
What do you believe in?
Is there a product or service that you find yourself just raving about with friends and family!
Share your talents, experiences, and beliefs through a home business.
Cho..

by Geoffrey Faivre-Malloy 24

What are you passionate about?
What do you believe in?

Is there a product or service that you find yourself just raving about with friends and family!

Share your talents, experiences, and beliefs through a home business.

Choosing a work at home business is rewarding.

Earn extra money - meet your savings and debt reduction goals faster!

Have Flexible Hours - schedule your work around other duties or your household duties around your work. Either way, you set the schedule.
Set your own goals - You decide what is enough.

Provide a creative outlet to do something you love to do. You might feel motivated to work at home because you need a little extra money. Perhaps you just need a creative outlet.

Maybe you've become so good at your household management skills that you just have too much time on your hands.
With the many challenges of family and household management I congratulate you if the latter is the case! Give yourself a pat on the back!

You know we learn our most valuable lessons from our failures and successes. Hopefully, Right!

I have learned one undeniable truth in my work experience.If you love it and have a passion for it, you WILL be successful.

There is nothing easier than doing what you love to do. This is an undisputable fact of human nature. We all know this instinctively, but somehow fall away from the idea.

If you can incorporate what you love to do, are passionate about and truly believe in, into your work at home business you will find success!

You can choose to live your work or work to live. The decision to live your work can only be successful. It just makes sense!

Until you find your niche in life you are just trudging along doing the necessary steps to survive.

It's when you find and work your passion in life that you begin to live.
Your work naturally becomes your life.

No, I'm not talking about being all about work 24/7. I'm talking about bringing something you are passionate about in life into your work at home business.

There's a huge difference.

That being said, you need to really analyze what it is you like to do. Think about something productive or creative that you love to do in your spare time.

WHAT IS YOUR "THING?"

You may instantly know what your "thing" is or it could take you several days to figure it out. You may not have been able to do what you love for so long that you have forgotten what it actually is you love to do.
Unfortunately, this happens to a lot of us.

For example, through all my experiences I found nothing that excites me more than what I am doing right now! Bringing my family back to basics, getting my financial goals back on track and teaching my children to be financially responsible and successful.

When I started looking for an extra income I tried so many things that just seemed to be out of character for me.

I accepted offers only to discover that the program either required me to sell something (which I determined early in life was definitely not my thing), or required me to do something that I had no clue how to do. Like building a website or internet marketing.

I was shot down from the start and couldn't even get motivated to try.

I learned that you don't always get what you expect when you accept a work at home offer. You have to be careful to read everything.

Make sure you know what you're getting!
If you choose an internet business and you're a "newbie", make sure you will be provided with all the educational and technical tools you need.

Internet marketing and website building is very technical. If you have no knowledge of .......

writing HTML text

Search Engine Optimization - click and pay hits - search engine spiders?

Keyword brainstorming

affiliates - associate programs

Well, you can see it's another college degree it seems. At the very least it would involve a great deal of reading, studying, and trial by error to create a website much less be successful at it.

You need a step-by-step program to help you through. Some programs can leave you in a sea of confusion! Where do I start? What's that mean? How do I promote it? Build a website? Advertise with search engines? You will be defeated before you've even begun if not careful.

If you've bought into any of these informational offers and still feel lost on how to get started on your work at home venture, you know exactly what I mean.

So, if you're not internet savvy, or a webmaster, be sure the program offers the assistance that you need to be successful!

Perhaps a work at home internet business is just not your cup of tea. There are lots of other wonderful ideas for generating a home based income.

Child Care, crafts, and cleaning services are just to name a few. And, yes, there are people out there that do love to clean! Just remember - Do what you love to do to be successful!

Find something that interests you or adapt an idea to suit your interests. You'll be meeting your goals in no time! No matter what it is you love to do, you can find a way to use it to make extra money.

The best part is you'll love doing it if you love the work!

If you chose to include a work at home business to strengthen you family's foundation, I wish you the best of luck.

Remember, if you pursue what you love and are passionate about, YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL!

About the Author

Cheryl Johnson is a mother of four helping herself and others become, and remain, debt free. Simple Debt Free Living is a self-help plan for personal financial independence including home business ideasto earn extra income.

Copyright Geoffrey Faivre-Malloy - http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=27851

Related Keywords:
, work, home, love, geoffrey, faivre, malloy, business, finance, free, articles, articles, authors, credit, reporting, free, reports

self-help: Lottery win does not always breed success

2006-05-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

By Khary K. McGhee
Staff writer

It’s not like Jack Whittaker needed the money.

When the West Virginia businessman won a record $315 million jackpot in a Powerball lottery drawing in 2002, he already had a net worth of $1 million and owned a successful contracting business.

But the $113 million lump-sum payment he took home after taxes certainly couldn’t hurt Whittaker and his family, could it?

Actually, Whittaker’s newfound wealth could be seen as more of a curse than a blessing. Since winning the money, he’s had several brushes with the law and been robbed of $500,000.

He’s also had personal tragedy. A friend of his granddaughter died of a drug overdose in his home. Not long afterward his 17-year-old granddaughter was found dead from a drug overdose.

Troubles such as these aren’t what lottery ticket-buyers think about. But like the Notorious B.I.G. once said, sometimes more money equals more problems.

RELATED
Powerball attracts players
How to play (PDF)
“I wish it never happened,” said lottery winner William Post in an interview with bankrate.com.

Post won $16.2 million in a 1988 Pennsylvania Lottery drawing. Now he lives on Social Security.

The pressures that come with sudden wealth aren’t well known. But dealing with a quick flush of cash can be problematic.

It’s so common that a cottage industry, which includes wealth managers and self-help books for the newly rich, has sprung up to help those who have suddenly come into a lot of money. There’s even something called the Sudden Money Institute in Florida.

self-help: A Self-Help Book That Shows That the Path Of Kaizen is the Path of Disciplined Action

2006-05-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

"The Locked Treasure Chest: The Black Book of Tools for Super Achievement" is meant to serve as a roadmap along the path of kaizen. Why do some people go for greatness while others settle for mediocrity? There are no simple answers to this question, but one of the most important factors underlying this decision is whether the person has a deep, driving need to scale great heights. Some people just can’t live with being average and ordinary. To them, settling for mediocrity is simply unacceptable. The tools and concepts in this book can each provide the reader with massive leverage, to reach the highest stratosphere of achievement in the shortest time possible.

Toronto, ON (PRWEB) May 22, 2006 -- Richard Hayashi has released his book entitled “The Locked Treasure Chest: The Black Book of Tools for Super Achievement” in conjunction with Lulu (www.lulu.com), the world’s fastest-growing provider of print-on-demand books.

Why do some people go for greatness while others settle for mediocrity? There are no simple answers to this question, but one of the most important factors underlying this decision is whether the person has a deep, driving need to scale great heights. Some people just can’t live with being average and ordinary. To them, settling for mediocrity is simply unacceptable.

This book is meant to serve as a roadmap along the path of kaizen. The tools and concepts in this book can each provide the reader with massive leverage, to reach the highest stratosphere of achievement in the shortest time possible.

About the author:
Richard Hayashi lives with his lovely wife Aika and his feisty miniature yorkshire terrier Mozart in Toronto, Ontario. A computer programmer by day, he is an avid self-help reader by night. He obtained a combined Bachelor of Commerce and Economics degree from the University of Toronto where, graduating with numerous top academic prizes, he was offered a full scholarship to pursue a graduate degree in economics. Richard has a CA designation, a black belt in taekwondo, and a professional degree in piano performance. This is his first book.

About lulu.com:
Founded in 2002, Lulu is the world’s fastest-growing print-on-demand marketplace for digital do-it-yourselfers. Please see www.lulu.com for more information.

Media contact: Kathy Lim, 416-962-4567.

self-help: Health self help groups to tackle child mortality

2006-05-25T02:00:00.000-07:00

Amravati (Maharashtra): Faced with shortage of trained personnel to tackle malnutrition in Melghat area of the district, the administration has deployed Health Self Help Groups (HSHGs) to assist regular medical staff in preventing neo-natal and infant mortality in the area.

"Twenty-five HSHGs are being set up in each `aanganwadi' area comprising five to ten women in each group," Amaravati Divisional Commissioner, S K Goyal told PTI.

These groups will carry out most of the preliminary work before the children are medically examined by the staff. These women would be community volunteers and willing to do the social work, he said.

The authorities have drawn a ten-point programme which include registration of pregnant women, medical check-up of 0-6 year-old child on a regular basis and assistance to women after delivery of child by `dai' (a type of midwife).

Goyal, however, refused to attribute higher number of deaths of children to malnutrition in the Melghat area. He was evasive on actual figurues but claimed it was below the state and national average.

However, sources, quoting unofficial figures, said 612 children have died between March to February this year due to malnutrition.

self-help: School being built on self-help basis

2006-05-25T01:58:00.000-07:00

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, May 22 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Residents in the Chimtal district of the northern Balkh province Monday started reconstruction of a school torched by miscreants a week back.

The school has been constructed by people of the area on self-help basis with their personal contributions. Unidentified gunmen set afire the Arab Mazari girls' High School on May 16.

People of the area said they were reconstructing the school to save wastage of time of their children. They criticised the government for not taking steps to start the work.

Taj Mohammad, a dweller of the area and among the volunteers, told Pajhwok Afghan News waiting for help from the government would result in loss of time. "We started the work so that our children may get education."

According to the education department officials, about 1,000 students were enrolled in the school constructed by the National Solidarity Programme (NSP).

Commending the urge among the citizens, district chief Amir Mohammad Waqar said the people enthusiastically started work to complete reconstruction work of the school as soon as possible. He hoped it would soon be completed.

Ahmad Naim Qadiri

amm/dk

self-help: Floyd doing whatever he can

2006-05-19T00:27:00.000-07:00

BY DAVID LENNON
Newsday Staff Correspondent

May 17, 2006

ST. LOUIS -- It's probably not a good sign when your slumping leftfielder is reading a self-help book before the game, but that's exactly what Cliff Floyd was doing yesterday on a clubhouse sofa inside the new Busch Stadium.

Really, what could it hurt? Floyd had done everything else to that point. Extra batting practice. Watching video. And with no other options, manager Willie Randolph did the only thing left at his disposal over the weekend by benching Floyd for two games in Milwaukee.

Obviously, Floyd was annoyed by the move, but there was not much he could say in his defense. He was hitting .195 at the time, and even on a Mets team with Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and David Wright in the heart of the order, that was unforgivable for a player of Floyd's caliber.

But did the chance to clear his head actually help Floyd? There was no way of knowing until he stepped in the batter's box last night against the Cardinals, and he could only hope for the best in the hours leading up to the first pitch.

Before the rain came last night, Floyd appeared to be making progress. In his first at-bat, Floyd ripped a line-drive double into the rightfield corner, but was stranded when Xavier Nady struck out to end the second inning. In the fourth, it took a nifty barehanded play by Suppan to rob him of an infield hit, but Floyd followed that with a two-out single in the sixth.

"I'm going down swinging," Floyd said.

After dropping two consecutive series in Philadelphia and Milwaukee, it did not seem like a good time to be paying a visit to the Cardinals, who entered last night 16-6 at shiny new Busch Stadium - the best home record in the majors. To top it off, last night's starter Jeff Suppan was 3-0 with a 1.55 ERA in five career starts against the Mets.

With all the talk of infield shifts, pitch selection and just plain bad luck, Floyd's psyche has been a little scrambled lately. But there was no guarantee he would snap out of it, either, after a long weekend to step back from his problems.

Before the game, Floyd studied the well-worn book, the pages highlighted in yellow marker, then sat with first-base coach Sandy Alomar at his locker. Alomar is the self-help guru on the Mets - sort of their Dr. Phil - but Floyd seems to need more than the power of positive thinking these days.

Teams are defending Floyd perfectly with the exaggerated shift, plugging the middle and leaving the leftfield line open, and the frustration has been getting to him. As much as he tries to exploit the shift, the more Floyd's slump deepens, and he had yet to come up with a solution.

"I never knew I hit the ball up the middle that much," Floyd said. "I haven't really been a guy my whole career who could hit the ball to leftfield. I wish I could. I wish I was better at it. You find yourself trying to do it and that's why I keep getting jammed."

As for Randolph, he couldn't keep Floyd out of the lineup forever, even after Jose Valentin's big weekend filling in for him at Miller Park. The manager was hoping last night that Floyd's mental breather would make a difference. Nothing else had worked to that point.

"Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't mean --," Randolph said yesterday afternoon. "If he goes 4-for-4, it would make me look smart. So get going, Cliff."

Still, Randolph would not commit to Floyd beyond last night's game with lefthander Mark Mulder pitching for the Cardinals tonight. Floyd is 0-for-6 with two strikeouts against Mulder, but he's batting .095 (2-for-21) against lefthanders this season, and that could nudge Randolph to start Valentin instead.

"We'll play it one day at a time," Randolph said.

self-help: Families move in to Self Help homes

2006-05-19T00:26:00.000-07:00

Vicki Alvis was daunted when she first saw the empty lot where she was to build a house.

Alvis, a single mother of four, is among 10 families who are moving into new homes this month in the Pearson Self Help Neighborhood just off Upper River Road.

Each family spent hundreds of hours constructing their homes with help from volunteers.

It was hard, daunting work, Alvis said, but crewmembers such as construction supervisor Buck Beaudry gave her confidence and helped her finish the job.

“He had a lot to do with feeling like you could do it and get it right. When I first came out, it was a stick in the ground. Then the foundation went up, then the walls, then boom. Look at all of this,” Alvis said, looking around her spacious four-bedroom home.

Read more about Alvis and her new neighbors in Friday’s Tribune.

Originally published May 4, 2006

self-help: Self-help method gets results

2006-05-19T00:23:00.000-07:00

Seeing that May is Mental Health Month, I would like to take this opportunity to reach people who suffer from anxiety, panic attacks, sleeplessness, fears, depression or other assorted symptoms. There is help out there, and it's free.

Recovery Inc. has been in existence for close to 70 years. There are over 600 meetings in the U.S., Canada and other countries.

The program was founded and developed by Dr. Abraham A. Low, associate professor of psychiatry, after 15 years of research, study and treatment of patients. The self-help method is based on Dr. Low's book, Mental Health Through Will Training.

The Recovery method follows a structured framework designed to help people reduce their nervous symptoms and increase their ability to cope with daily challenges.

Recovery is not a substitute for professional care, but an adjunct to it.

The American Psychiatric Association honored the organization for "the extaordinary contribution Recovery Inc. is making to the field of psychiatric rehabilitation."

Pesonally, the Recovery method gave me back my life. I suffered from heart palpitations, chest and head pressure -- I called it pain then -- and I was sure I was dying every minute.

I was dizzy, nauseated and felt fatigued even after sleeping for hours. I felt useless and hopeless. I couldn't work because I would have panic attacks. I couldn't drive for the same reason.

But after a few months of learning and then practicing the Recovery method, I began to start living a normal life.

For some time now I have moderated a weekly Recovery group in Deerfield Beach. Visit us, or visit our Web site.

David Shapiro resides in Coconut Creek.

Busecca ticinese

2006-05-18T02:14:00.000-07:00

Busecca Ticinese (Tripe soup with garlic bread) TICINO

Servings: 6

3 tb Borlotti beans 1 tb Tomato paste
3 x Carrots 1 1/4 l Bouillon (5 cups)
1 x Leek 1/4 ts Caraway seeds
1 x Small knob celery 1 x Twig thyme
500 g Honeycomb tripe (1 lb) 80 g Parmesan, grated (2.75 oz)
30 g Butter (1 oz) 1 x Twig parsley
1 x Clove garlic, mashed Salt, freshly ground pepper

200 g French bread (7 oz) 10 g Gruyere, grated (0.25 oz)
50 g Butter (1.75 oz) 1 tb Parsley
4 x Cloves garlic, mashed Salt, freshly ground pepper

Preparation: 30 minutes, cooking time: 3 hours

Yields 6 servings as a first course, as a main course double the
ingredients.

Soak beans overnight. Drain beans. Cook in lightly salted water until
tender. Drain. Set aside.

Clean, trim and wash the vegetables (carrots, leek, celery). Slice the
carrots finely, slice the leek diagonally, slice the celery finely and cut
into squares.

Cut the tripe into strips 4 cm ( 1 9/16 in) long and 2 mm (1/16 in) wide.
Fill a kettle with water, add salt, bring to the boil. Add tripe and cook
for 2 1/2 hours. Drain.

In a saucepan heat butter. Saute' vegetables briefly. Add tripe, garlic
and tomato paste. Saute' briefly. Moisten with bouillon, simmer for 20
minutes. Season with caraway, thyme, salt and pepper. Add Borlotti beans
and heat.

Serve in soup plates, sprinkle with cheese (Parmesan) or serve separately.
Garnish with parsley.

Garlic bread: cut bread into slices, toast in oven. Beat butter until
creamy, chop parsley finely, blend butter with garlic, cheese (Gruyere)
and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Spread bread with butter
mixture, gratinate under broiler until golden brown. Serve with soup.

From: r.gagnaux@chnet.ch (Rene Gagnaux)

self-help: Having A Positive Attitude To Life Brings Many Rewards

2006-05-17T00:09:00.001-07:00

I am the type of person who used to have a very negative attitude to most aspects of life. I am not alone in thinking this way as most of the people I meet seem to be constantly moaning about different things and basically feeling sorry for themselves. This article looks at the reasons and benefits of having a more positive outlook on life.

About ten years ago I decided that I needed to have a change of approach. I wanted to be a happy and care-free person and was fed up of always being stressed and worrying about the future. To achieve this I started to read many self-help, confidence type books and websites.

There was a regular message which came from this literature which was to think more positive and to believe in your ability to succeed in whatever you attempt to do.

This is easy to write or say, but in reality it is difficult to implement in practice. Of course I tried but in truth I did not really believe in the whole practice. I would go into a task thinking, I can do this, but it would still end up in failure.

I could not understand what was going wrong so I therefore went back to the books to try to learn more. There was a new and even more important message which I had missed the first time around. What I had to do was to take a positive out of whatever happens to me, even if this is learning from my failings.

As an example of taking a positive from whatever happens in life, is something which happened in my family recently. My nan has recently passed away, she was eighty-eight. I used to visit her at least once a week at the flat where she lived. She was a very honest person and always talked very openly to me. Around two months before she died she told me that she was very tired and that she no longer wanted to be on this planet.

I was quite shocked by her admission and asked her what was wrong. She stated that she had nothing to look forward to and that she did not want to reach a point where she could no longer bath herself etc. She continued that she hoped that I would not grieve for to long when she did die and that she wanted me to be happy for her.

This was quite upsetting for me to hear but at least she was being honest of course. Two months later my dad phoned me and told me that my nan had passed away in the night.

I was obviously upset and the thought of never being able to see her again hit me hard. I then thought about what she had said and looked up to the sky and gave my nan a smile and a message, I love you.

I thought positive about the whole event and was actually happy for her. I hope that one day we will meet again.

Stephen Hill helps to promote a number of websites including:

help for phobias

hgh advice

stuttering information

self-help: Get Organized Secrets

2006-05-17T00:09:00.000-07:00

1. Tell yourself that no matter what, some level of clutter with a child is going to happen.

2. Begin with messes and clutter that you see every day. Get organize your kitchen, garage, and family room before your hallway closet.

3. Use drawer dividers for socks, underwear, lingerie, and tiny items, to keep them separated and organized.

4. Use this same principle to organize your silverware, with clearly defined places for every fork and knife, or drawers for ties and socks or, underwear. Think in this same way for every aspect of your home. This will save many hours of searching for things. It will dramatically cut down on the clutter of items left out "for now" or "until I find a place for it." Develop a new mantra: everything has its place and a place for everything!

5. Allocate everything in your house a place. This way your family will know exactly where to find it and where to put it away, when they searches for something they need.

6. Keep items that are used frequently in places where you can reach them without stooping or bending, and store them close to the place they will be needed.

7. Establish one defined place in your house for storing library books, and end a house-wide hunt when it is time to read or return them.

8. Hang hooks for your keys and purse at the entry to your home, so each time you walk in, you can hang them up.

9. Get rid of all junk drawers, or allow yourself just one that you clear out once a week or more. When you establish certain items are being used repeatedly, designate a drawer for those.

10. Enlist a new rule: throw out one old thing for every new purchase that enters your home.

11. Make a mental note to observe what things pile up in your house and where they cluster, and then come up with a place nearby that becomes the official home where those things will reside. For this purpose baskets, shelves, and folders will work well. Set aside one basket for you and your partner for incoming mail, bills, and receipts and letters.

12. Never go up or down empty-handed when using stairs. Always grab some items that belong to upstairs rooms and quickly put it away while you are there.

13. Create a number of brightly marked folders for discount coupons, invitations and directions, and other time-sensitive papers that just clutter your counters.

14. Things you don't need any longer: · Expired medications. · Clothes you no longer wear. · Extra paper or plastic grocery bags. · Makeup and samples you have never worn. · Sunscreen that's expired or more than one year old. · Organize your coupons and throw out all that have expired. · Cookbooks you rarely use. Cut out your favorite recipes only. · Magazines you meant to read but have never taken the time for. · Stuff your crumpled plastic bags from your grocer inside a cardboard roll like a hand towel roll. Keep under your sink.

You will free your mind to remember your daily chores by getting rid of your clutter and organizing your home top to bottom. Be vigilant about cleaning about once a month and you will find it much easier to keep up, week-by-week.

Summary:

You will free your mind to remember your daily chores by getting rid of your clutter and organizing your home top to bottom. You need these 14 Get organized tips to solve your problem.

Keywords:

Self help ,Organizing ,Organize, Get organize ,Self improvement ,Personal growth

Nishanth Reddy is an author and publisher of popular self help blog. Visit his blog for more information on Self help, self-improvement and personal growth. http://www.selfhelpzone.com

self-help: Real Weight Loss Solutions

2006-05-17T00:06:00.000-07:00

Much of the weight loss industry likes to focus on overweight Americans. That's where the money is for them. But the truth is, much of the world is overweight, too.

Studies showed that in 2000, 45% of adults all over the world were overweight. Overweight people are more likely to have chronic health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and knee arthritis. Overweight people also die at younger ages than persons of normal weight.

Many overweight people want to lose weight to improve their health and their appearance. Because so many people want to loose weight and doing it is difficult there are many commercial weight loss programs on the market. Many are expensive, capitalizing on the huge demand. Of those programs many are ineffective.

Each year millions of Americans and Europeans enroll in commercial and self-help weight loss programs. Health care providers and their obese patients know little about these programs because of the absence of systematic reviews. Unfortunately, many patients and their doctors know little about the effectiveness and safety of these programs, either.

Few high-quality studies have assessed weight loss programs. Many of the existing studies present the best-case scenario because they do not account for people who drop out of the program. he evidence to support the effectiveness of major commercial weight loss programs is limited. Patients considering the use of commercial weight loss programs should realize that these programs have not been carefully studied.

So, do weight loss programs really work? Some do in the short term but long term results are doubtful.

The real effective way to lose weight is jsut what we all want to ignore: behavioral change done diligently over time.

Changing behavior over time and engaging in a regular exercise routine is what will take excess weight off and keep it off. There is no magic potion, pill or program. Change behavior from what you eat to how you eat it, how much you eat and when is the key to long term, sucessful wight loss.

It comes down to more calories used each day, called "burning calories," than taking in, called "eating."

If you are fighting obesity haphazardly, start to change your behavior TODAY. Use a smart yet systematic approach to behavior modification. It will take time but the long term benefits and permanent weight loss will be there!

JM Jackson is a fitness and helath consultant. For more information see her website at Weight Loss Hypnosis

self-help: The rhyme and reason behind ebooks

2006-05-16T23:48:00.001-07:00

To everything there is rhyme and reason

So your thinking, why ebooks?

First of all lets explain what an ebook is. An ebook is a downloadable, electronic digital version of information or a book. These digital versions are also sometimes referred to as etexts. The etext versions are usually text versions.

An ebook can come in several formats. The two most popular formats are listed below

* PDF An ebook that is in PDF format created with Adobe Acrobat and readable using Adobe Acrobat Reader available free of charge from Adobe. The format There are also a few other software products that can create PDF files as well. PDF Creator is a good example of software that can be used for digital format distribution.

* Executable There are many compiler that can create ebooks in executable format using text or html pages. Just like a webpage it can show the images and text properly formatted leaving a professional looking ebook with links.

Now the answer to the question "Why Ebooks?"

What are the advantages to ebooks?

* The text within the ebook can be searched by using keywords * Loss is limited if a backup copy is kept, especially in cases of physical disaster. * Does not require much space for storage. Compilations of ebooks are usually small in size, depending on how much content you have, of course. * Ebooks are inexpensive to create. There are many software creators that can be purchased for $30 or less.

What are some of the disadvantages?

Some formats of ebooks do not run on all computer systems. Especially the executable files. They sometimes may not run on Mac systems.

Many ebook authors prevent copying and printing of material contained within the ebook due to theft of material. There are people who plagerize.

It is sometime difficult to find the downloaded ebook file on a computer hard drive.

Use of a computer to read these ebooks for a prolonged amount of time can be harmful to the eyes.

There are many people who have made a fortune in selling ebooks online. Even though there are disadvantages the demand for digital versions of books is very high. Many ebooks have been created and sold with resell rights, allowing you to pocket 100% of the money.

Now you're thinking how can I do this?

The best way to start is to find ebooks with resell rights. In this way you can earn and learn at the same time. Read the ebooks yourself to get information on how to market, how to setup a website, how to build traffic and much more.

Make it easy for me. Tell me where the ebooks are.

One of the largest sources of ebooks on many subjects is GoldenStarEbooks.net It contains ebooks on business, cooking, self-help and much more.

Packages are the way to go though for more ebooks and low start-up.

http://www.goldenstarebooks.net

Copyright 2006 GoldenStarEbooks.net

Copyright 2006 Goldenstarebooks.com http://www.goldenstarebooks.com

self-help: An Insight Into Stammering

2006-05-16T23:48:00.000-07:00

Stammering is a condition that affects around one in every hundred people in the UK. According to the latest reports on average three quarters of people who have a stammer are male. This article looks into the affects that stammering can have on a persons life and about possible solutions which can help people to achieve fluency.

In truth, I believe it is very hard for a fluent person to fully understand just how difficult life can be for people who stammer. They can of course imagine what it could be like but only a fellow sufferer or former sufferer can really know.

Using the telephone is one of the most difficult of daily tasks facing the stammerer, to such an extent many of them do whatever they can to avoid using it. Tasks which the average fluent person would consider very easy, like ordering a pizza can be very hard for people who stammer. Answering the phone is no easier however the ever rising use of mobile phones has helped as they can now see who is calling them.

Socialising can also be very daunting. Other people constantly asking questions and expecting exciting and interesting conversation puts a huge pressure on people who stammer. Then there is the actual ordering of food and drink. Most people who stammer have certain sounds which they are aware they have most problems with and if for example the drink which they have to ask for begins with this sound, this as you can imagine can fill them with fear.

Gaining employment and progressing up the career ladder is another potential problem for people who stammer. An interview is hard enough for fluent people but is a thousand times harder for people who have a speech impediment. If they stammer they then believe that there is no chance that they will be successful in obtaining the job.

Dating is another area of life which can be a daunting prospect for any person who has a stammer. Even when they meet a woman that they like, there is then the other issues such as meeting her parents and meeting her friends.

As you can see there is a seemingly never ending list of potential hazards for people who stammer and many sufferers can easily become depressed.

Solutions for stammering

There are various different options for people who are looking at overcoming their stammer. These include a private speech course, these can be in a group but there is probably a much higher chance of success by attending a one-to-one course. The duration of the courses can be anywhere between three and five days.

There is also a number of self-help options including dvd's and stammering ebooks.

It is not easy to eradicate a stammer but if the person who has the stammer has enough determination and is willing to work very hard on practicing whatever techniques they learn, fluency is very much achievable.

A number of famous people have managed to beat their own stammer such as Bruce Willis and these people should be seen as an inspiration to other sufferers.

There is no longer a need to accept second best in life and to have a constant fear of talking.

Stammering is a condition that affects around one in every hundred people in the UK. According to the latest reports on average three quarters of people who have a stammer are male. This article looks into the affects that stammering can have on a persons life and about possible solutions which can help people to achieve fluency.

In truth, I believe it is very hard for a fluent person to fully understand just how difficult life can be for people who stammer. They can of course imagine what it could be like but only a fellow sufferer or former sufferer can really know.

Using the telephone is one of the most difficult of daily tasks facing the stammerer, to such an extent many of them do whatever they can to avoid using it. Tasks which the average fluent person would consider very easy, like ordering a pizza can be very hard for people who stammer. Answering the phone is no easier however the ever rising use of mobile phones has helped as they can now see who is calling them.

Socialising can also be very daunting. Other people constantly asking questions and expecting exciting and interesting conversation puts a huge pressure on people who stammer. Then there is the actual ordering of food and drink. Most people who stammer have certain sounds which they are aware they have most problems with and if for example the drink which they have to ask for begins with this sound, this as you can imagine can fill them with fear.

Gaining employment and progressing up the career ladder is another potential problem for people who stammer. An interview is hard enough for fluent people but is a thousand times harder for people who have a speech impediment. If they stammer they then believe that there is no chance that they will be successful in obtaining the job.

Dating is another area of life which can be a daunting prospect for any person who has a stammer. Even when they meet a woman that they like, there is then the other issues such as meeting her parents and meeting her friends.

As you can see there is a seemingly never ending list of potential hazards for people who stammer and many sufferers can easily become depressed.

Solutions for stammering

There are various different options for people who are looking at overcoming their stammer. These include a private speech course, these can be in a group but there is probably a much higher chance of success by attending a one-to-one course. The duration of the courses can be anywhere between three and five days.

There is also a number of self-help options including dvd's and stammering ebooks.

It is not easy to eradicate a stammer but if the person who has the stammer has enough determination and is willing to work very hard on practicing whatever techniques they learn, fluency is very much achievable.

A number of famous people have managed to beat their own stammer such as Bruce Willis and these people should be seen as an inspiration to other sufferers.

There is no longer a need to accept second best in life and to have a constant fear of talking.

self-help: THE PATCH THAT KILLS SMOKING

2006-05-16T23:38:00.000-07:00

"I wish i knew how to quit you" -Brokeback Mountain, 2005

Webster defines "vice" as "an abnormal behavior pattern in a domestic animal detrimental to its health or usefulnes." Evil as it may sound, vice is coupled with another evil, which comes in the form of what we call "withdrawal symptom." It starts as soon as you stop a vice, therefore making it difficult for you to take control over it.

Smoking, being one of the most widely practiced vices, is one jealous lover..It haunts the smoker, making it almost impossible to part with puffing. The nicotine in it creeps through the bloodstream, much like a poison, controlling and defeating the host.

Nicotine, by the way, is a poisonous alkaloid that is the principal active ingredient in cigarettes. It is addicting, habit forming and is responsible for negative emotions such as depression, anger and lack of concentration.

But the God of the 21st century -technology-has given hope! Recent studies have found ways to neutralize the luring effect of withdrawal symptoms, completing every long-life-and-healthy-living advocate's fight force against the ill effects of smoking. Every aspiring quitter's inherent want to stop smoking is now made easier by the wonders of nicotine patches.

I am talking about a skin patch much like a topical sticker, which contains a pad of nicotine. Because the skin is a natural absorbent, once the nicotine patch is applied, the skin absorbs the nicotine from the pad to the bloodstream. Over a period of time, the nicotine patch maintains and ensures the presence of nicotine in the blood, therefore, avoiding the onset of withdrawal symptoms. But nicotine levels are kept low enough so that it won't substitute cigarette smoking. The patches just supplies a minimum amount of the substance in the body to combat the withdrawal symptoms while the person recuperates.It acts as a stop smoking aid that provides a dose of nicotine that's gradually lowered over a period of a few weeks to eliminate dependency.

In an article written by Jarred Mitchelle in an emagazine, he further pointed out that, "Nicotine patches come packaged under varying trade names - most popular being Habitrol which are predominantly round in shape and are available in varying strengths - twenty one, fourteen or seven milligrams of nicotine per patch and the efficacy period of any particular Habitrol patch being twenty four hours. Conversely Nicoderm CQ patches are rectangular in shape and come in are available in varying strengths of twenty one, fourteen or seven milligrams of nicotine per patch with a efficacy period of twenty four hours which makes the two patches but a variant of identical concepts and the efficacy spectra could well be identical - there being little to choose one over the other."

But let it be known that these patches are not the absolute treatment. It only aids and lighten up one's burden during the adjustment period. In the end, it has to work hand in hand with self-help groups, other treatment modalities, professional counseling and most of all, one's inner desire to break smoking habits.

Other articles from the same author: How To Finally Be Nicotine Free

Erica Alexia Bachelor of Science in Nursing Registered Nurse

self- help: Concern over Madhya Pradesh maternal mortality rate

2006-05-15T23:55:00.000-07:00

Bhopal - Expressing concern over the high maternal mortality rate in Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal Archbishop Pascal Topno has called upon self-help groups to help check the menace.

With 13,000 reported deaths every year during or post pregnancy, the maternal mortality rate of the state is one of the highest in the country.

Addressing a women’s meet at the missionary-run Asha Niketan Welfare Centre here, Topno urged them to tap government programmes and schemes to promote safe motherhood.

More than 250 self-help groups from various districts, including Hoshangabad and Sehore, participated in the meet organised by the Madhya Pradesh Samaj Sewa Sanstha.

‘The main causes behind the high rate of maternal mortality include delay in recognising complications in the first pregnancy, hindrances in getting pregnant women to hospitals and pregnant women not getting any medical facility at all,’ other speakers noted.

However, they acknowledged that the government was beginning to tackle the issue of maternal mortality on priority basis ever since activists encouraged by the UNICEF started the issue.

While UNICEF communication officer Anil Gulati helped accomplish an action plan to combat maternal deaths, Vandana Agarwal of the same organisation elaborated on the causes of such deaths and measures to prevent them.

‘Anaemia is one of the important factors contributing to maternal deaths,’ she told the participants and explained how to recognise its symptoms and prevent it early.

Chief medical and health officer D.S. Ohri detailed various schemes run by the health department to promote safe motherhood.

Copyright © IndiaeNews.com. Reproduction of news articles or any other content in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of India eNews is prohibited.

self-help: Supporters rev up Measure H campaign

2006-05-15T23:54:00.000-07:00

Government, business groups rally for transportation sales tax
By KERANA TODOROV, Register Staff Write
Friday, May 12, 2006 1:12 AM PDT
The campaign to pass Napa County's first transportation sales tax officially kicked off Thursday with a rally near the epicenter of the debate -- Jamieson Canyon Road.

Pro-Measure H spokesman Bill Dodd, chairman of the Napa County board of supervisors, introduced the speakers to more than 60 supporters gathered at Kirkland Ranch Winery.

Dodd spoke as the late-afternoon rush-hour traffic backed up on nearby Jamieson Canyon Road, which links the Napa Valley to Interstate 80 in Solano County.

"We need to fix, once and for all, Jamieson Canyon Road," Dodd told the crowd, which primarily included city, county and business representatives.

On June 6 Napa County's voters will decide on the proposed 1/2-cent transportation sales tax which could raise about $537 million over its 30-year life.

The measure, which needs a two-third majority to pass, would raise the county sales tax to 8.25 percent.

Under Measure H, more than 66 percent of the money raised -- about $356.6 million -- would go to maintain and repair local roads; about 28 percent, or $149.6 million, would be spent to improve the Jamieson Canyon Road corridor; and about 6 percent -- or about $30.7 million -- would be set aside for public transportation services.

Opponents of the proposed tax increase, including the Independent Taxpayer Oversight Committee, question the need to raise the sales tax as well as specifics of the measure.

Planned improvements on Jamieson Canyon Road include widening the highway from two to four lanes and installing a barrier in the center of the roadway.

Six speakers took turns voicing their support for Measure H as a plane tailing a "Vote Yes on H -- Fix our Roads!" banner circled the winery overlooking Jamieson Canyon Road.

One of the speakers, Joe Anderson, chief executive officer of Napa Valley Expo, recalled how a drunk driver hit him at 95 miles per hour in 1999 on Jamieson Canyon Road.

Anderson, whose right foot was amputated due to injuries he sustained in the accident, said he endured 25 different surgeries over the five years after the crash.

Had the road been wider, he said, "I might have had some place to go" to avoid the other driver.

Napa Mayor Jill Techel, Calistoga Vice Mayor Jack Gingles, Dey LP executive Mel Engle and Stewart Slipiec, general manager of Piner's Napa Ambulance Service also spoke during the one-hour event.

"Having a barrier on this dangerous highway is a simple and effective method to make this highway safer," said Slipiec, who estimates there is one accident every four days on Jamieson Canyon Road.

Techel noted Measure H will provide money for transit services for seniors.

If approved, the sales tax would make Napa County a "self-help" county, supporters said. This means the money raised under Measure H would help the county attract more state and federal transportation dollars, explained Mike Zdon, executive director of the Napa County Transportation Planning Agency.

Dodd noted that 20 counties representing 85 percent of all Californians are "self-help" counties.

Bob Peterson, public works director for Napa County, and Michael O'Bryon, public works director for the city of Napa, said the money would be a "significant" new source of revenue.

Napa's roads are "in desperate need of repairs," O'Bryon said.

self-help: Disabled volunteers increase awareness of development goals

2006-05-15T23:52:00.000-07:00

HA NOI — Thirty-five disabled and able-bodied volunteers reached Ha Noi yesterday after a 21-day cross-country trip from HCM City, carrying the message of hope and determination of the disabled to rise against all odds.

The group, which travelled in three-wheeled motorbikes, visited many towns and cities on the way and met local disabled and young people to increase awareness on disability issues and ways to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Viet Nam.

"Disabled people do not need charity, but they want to be involved in the community and should have the opportunity to participate in social activities," said Huynh Cong Son, a disabled person who led the group.

"I hope the trip would strengthen the resolve of people with disabilities, prompting them to establish more self-help groups and play an active role in helping the nation achieve the MDGs," he added.

Son said his group promoted awareness of eight MDGs, including those on fighting poverty, HIV/AIDS and other diseases as well efforts for gender equality and reducing mortality rate.

"This particular journey may end in Ha Noi, but the larger journey to raise awareness of the MDGs is ongoing and shows that every single one of us can make a contribution," said Koen Van Acoleyen, United Nations Volunteers Programme Officer.

"This incredible trip also draws attention to the important role of self-help groups in Viet Nam, which effectively facilitate the voluntary contribution of people with disabilities," he said.

Son, who now works for the HCM City Disabled Young People Association, said he expected a change in the way society looked at the disabled and that "they shared what they have with those living in poorer conditions".

The group will visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum today and then return to HCM City by train. The programme "Continuing the Tradition 2006" was supported by the United Nations Volunteers and other donors. — VNS

self-help: Around the Valley

2006-05-14T23:18:00.001-07:00

Driver in fatal wreck had been drinking, police say

YAKIMA — The driver accused of causing a fatal wreck on U.S. Highway 97 Wednesday had a blood alcohol level of 0.34, more than four times the legal limit in Washington, according to court documents.

Shane L. Hannigan, 23, of Toppenish, was booked into jail on suspicion of vehicular homicide and made a preliminary appearance Friday in Yakima County Superior Court. Bail was set at $100,000 while prosecutors review the case.

A passenger in Hannigan's car, 23-year-old Darrin M. Lewis of Wapato, was killed when a Dodge Caravan broadsided the car on the passenger-side door.

The crash happened at 9:50 p.m. Wednesday when Hannigan tried to cross the highway in the Parker area and was struck by the Caravan, which was northbound on the highway and had the right of way, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The state patrol said Hannigan initially said he was the driver, then reversed himself and claimed Lewis was the driver. Lewis was dead by the time police and paramedics arrived.

According to the state patrol, physical evidence indicated Lewis was the passenger. Hannigan suffered only minor injuries. The car belonged to his mother.

All of the occupants of the Caravan were injured, but none seriously, troopers said.

Fire in trailer spreads to mobile home, destroying both

YAKIMA — A fire that reportedly started in or near a camp trailer and spread to the adjacent single-wide mobile home destroyed both structures Friday afternoon, West Valley firefighters said.

The incident was reported about noon in the 400 block of West Canyon Road, according to a news release.

No information was given about the cause of the fire. No injuries were reported.

The family that lived at the address was being assisted by friends and relatives, authorities said.

Calling all bookworms

YAKIMA — Name your genre: Mystery, romance, self-help, science fiction.

Your favorite will likely be found at Tuesday's "Big Book Sale" at the Donald House, 304 N. Second St.

Paperbacks cost 50 cents. Hardcovers are $1.

Proceeds benefit the literary department of the Woman's Century Club, which is sponsoring the sale. Money will be donated to the club itself to help maintain the 1908 Donald House, where the club meets.

— Yakima Herald-Republic

self-help: Cosby to deliver self-help message

2006-05-14T23:18:00.000-07:00

By LYNN FRANEY
The Kansas City Star

Bill Cosby

Bill Cosby thinks that poor people from the central city are “sleeping” and says he wants them to “wake up.”

Wake up to keeping up with their children’s activities at all times to keep them out of trouble.

Wake up to the concept of fathers staying in their children’s lives.

Wake up to the need for good choices — not doing or dealing drugs, not killing one another, not dropping out of school.

That’s part of the self-help message Cosby will bring to Kansas City during a “call-out” town hall meeting May 23 at Penn Valley Community College.

When people wake up to leading their lives in the right direction, he said in an interview, “there’s a potential for a happy ending.”

“We’re trying to get people away from accepting ideas and behaviors that lead people to have to depend on the government, have to depend on other relatives, have to depend on other people to take care of them for them, to never really achieve what’s between their two ears,” he said.

Cosby is touring the country, sharing his message of empowerment with low-income urban families in town hall meetings.

Organizers expect about 1,500 people to attend. Tickets have been issued to those requesting reservations.

Cosby hopes people who attend will “realize it’s time for the elders to not be afraid to speak back.”

When elders in the community hear someone who is young saying he won’t live past 24 and that’s why he’s making bad choices, he hopes elders will take the time “to explain truth, to explain the future, to explain that one must never stop trying to learn. That one must learn to want something of value and quality and work very hard to get it. That the short money that they know that comes with drug dealing or prostitution, the violence that comes with those things, there’s a life (beyond that).

“Once people wake up, they tell you about it onstage and say they don’t want that anymore.”

Motorola Bluetooth Home Stereo Adapter DC800

2006-05-14T22:52:00.000-07:00

The Motorola Bluetooth Home Stereo Adapter DC800 is the latest in Bluetooth technology. With Bluetooth A2DP Streaming Music Profile, your Motorola Bluetooth Home Stereo Adapter DC800 can stream music from your home stereo to your Motorola Bluetooth Stereo Headset HT820 or other Bluetooth stereo headset device with A2DP support. Or, you can stream music from your A2DP-enabled Bluetooth phone to your home stereo. You can keep the tunes flowing wirelessly throughout your home! Plus, with Class 1 Bluetooth support, you can connect wirelessly up to 300 feet away with other class 1 capable Bluetooth devices. Includes 2 RCA to RCA cables, 1 RCA to 3.5mm cable, power supply, quick start guide.

Copyright © 2004

Home Theatre PC Guide

2006-05-11T01:58:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, one of the exciting times in our household was when a birthday or a special occasion would come around and my father would rent a VCR from the local movie store along with a couple of quality titles. The family would then sit around this wonderful invention and enjoy movies together. I'm dating myself a little by admitting that but when the VCR first came out, it was considered quite an invention and it was really expensive (as with every new technological innovation). Eventually the prices dropped and VCRs became a part of almost everyone's TV room, not only for playback but for recording content while you were home or away.

Let me walk through a scenario that has probably happened to everyone at some point in their lives: You're late to go out for the evening and just as you're about to run out the door you remember that Melrose Place is going to be on that night and you just can't miss it. You rush back into the living room and quickly pound away on your VCR remote setting up which channel to record and for what timeframe. You go out and have a good time and when you arrive home, you're excited at the prospects of sitting down and catching up on what had taken place with Kimberly, Michael and the rest of the MP crew. Alas, nothing was recorded! Why? Well, there could be several answers to that question: 1) You forgot to power off the VCR. 2) There was a brown-out and you're now faced with the classic flashing 12:00AM on the display. 3) Worse yet, you had the recording set to SP and you hadn't fully rewound the tape so you're left with the first 15 minutes of the episode. While the details may have been slightly different for you, I can guarantee that everyone has been forced to deal with a VCR snafu at some point in their lives. A wonderful invention, but it was far from perfect.

My VCR is now in storage because I, like other geeks and laymen alike, have chosen the new recording path. It is a digital world and I am a digital girl err dude. TIVO and devices like it have taken the world by storm but as computer geeks we had to ask the question: "Couldn't we get a computer to do that?" We sure can.

Objectives

I've been writing here for a lot of years, and for the most part everyone is comfortable with my style and familiar with my tendencies. You all know that when I take on a project piece like this I'm going to try and provide all the information that I can. That said, I'm going to try and cover all the bases on the topic of Home Theatre PCs (HTPC). You'll probably want to grab a beverage and get comfortable, because there's a lot to talk about on the subject.

Written by Jim

self-help: When the pain won't go away

2006-05-11T00:30:00.000-07:00

By ASHLEY ADAMS

Evening Sun Reporter

Diane Fetters said she has found a ray of sunshine in her dark, dreary world.

Janice Smith now has more good days than bad.

Wendi White knows there is no cure, but at least she's found a way to manage her symptoms.

All three women have struggled with pain over the years, only to be bounced from doctor to doctor without a diagnosis.

They suffered a range of symptoms from habitual flu-like symptoms to chronic fatigue.

All were diagnosed with a disease called fibromyalgia and found a way to manage the symptoms.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain illness that affects an estimated 10 million Americans, with the illness being most prevalent in women.

Although characterized by chronic, widespread body pain, fibromyalgia has a variety of other symptoms that include fatigue; problems with cognitive functioning, memory and concentration; irritable bowel; headaches and migraines; and neurological symptoms such as dizziness, vision problems, numbness, noise sensitivity or impaired coordination.

The cause of fibromyalgia remains a mystery and there is no known cure. Treatment mainly focuses on relieving symptoms and improving functions.

Fetters, a Gardners resident, was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 20 years ago. She has been on medication for her pain ever since she was diagnosed. She experienced extreme tiredness and restrictive movement, even having to walk with a cane at times. Her symptoms, Fetters said, come and go.

"It is horrific," she said. "There are times you think it is going away. Then all of a sudden it comes back and you think 'What did I do?'"

Fetters saw an ad in the newspaper for a FibroFit class hosted by White. FibroFit is a 12-week, self-help wellness course that teaches participants how to manage the symptoms of fibromyalgia.

"It has helped me physically and emotionally and spiritually," Fetters said. "I think that the reality of (fibromyalgia) is it can be managed but it's not going to disappear."

Smith was diagnosed with fibromyalgia three years ago. She has since been diagnosed with Lyme disease instead of fibromyalgia. But she goes to White for massages to help relieve her pain.

"It helps a lot with the pain and keeping it under control," Smith said.

In addition to the FibroFit class, White developed the massage technique specifically for fibromyalgia patients. The technique focuses on stretching the tissue around tender points, which can trigger pain in fibromyalgia sufferers.

Regular massages, White said, can often be painful for fibromyalgia patients because pressure on different muscles and points of the body trigger pain.

White knows this because she also suffers from fibromyalgia. And after years of pain and taking medicine, White found a way to manage her symptoms through natural remedies.

But she knows she isn't alone when it comes to fibromyalgia. So to help others, White just completed her third book, educating other sufferers on how to manage the symptoms without taking medication.

The books discuss all the techniques she uses to help her symptoms.

"You can't cure it but you can manage it," she said.

White founded the Fibromyalgia Wellness Institute and holds support groups once a month.

"I just want people to know there is help out there," White said. "You go to the doctor and get all these medications but they don't really help you get well."

And although she feels better and has made a living out of making others feel better, the best part of her job, White said, is hearing her patients' success stories.

"Some couldn't walk or do their gardening," White said. "They leave me messages or tell me that my techniques have given them peace of mind. I'm glad I could help them feel better."

Contact Ashley Adams at aadams@eveningsun.com.

IF YOU GO

Fibromyalgia Awareness Day is Friday. To mark the day, the Fibromyalgia Wellness Institute will host a wellness conference from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the First United Methodist Church, 200 Frederick St., Hanover.

The conference is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required by calling Wendi White at (717) 495-4478.

self-help: In facing our problems, ultimately self-help means help-self

2006-05-11T00:27:00.000-07:00

FATHER LOU GUNTZELMAN | PERSPECTIVES
The woman was disturbed with her therapist. In her last session she had asked him, "Do you think it's time for me to get out of my marriage?"

He answered, "The important questions are usually unanswerable, especially by other people." Then he asked her, "What do you think you should do?"

That's why she's angry. Instead of a definite answer he put the ball back in her court. "I'm paying him money so he can know me and tell me the best thing to do," she fumed, "but he just takes my money and won't tell me."

The multitude of self-help books today imply there are always answers to the problems and ambiquities of life -- but only a few other people have them. We think "self-help" means to find a guru (an all-knowing wise person), read their book or make an appointment to see them, present our problem, and they'll tell us what to do. Adroitly we're saying to them, "My world is broken and you have to fix it for me."

There certainly are competent people who can be of immense help to us at times. We should not hesitate seeking their insights. But in the long run what self-help really means is help-self.

An old Zen teacher instructed his followers thus, "If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him." That's not an invitation to violence but an invitation to destroy the idea that another human can run our lives, solve all our problems, or make us happy. We bring on many of our own problems, we unconsciously hide from the awareness of what we must do (because we're afraid it will hurt too much), and the answers are already inside us.

The woman angry at her counselor is actually being given a vote of confidence by him. He is willing to discuss her problem with her and offer valuable insight.

But his respect for her keeps him from trying to fix or run her life -- even though she is trying to get him to do so, if he did what she wants, eventually she would lose respect for him. She would also reach a point where she disrespects herself by thinking, "How weak and useless I am that I can't even handle my own life!" His goal is to skillfully guide her to follow the road inside herself where she can choose her solution.

Therapist Sheldon Kopp imaginatively describes what he sees is really happening when a new patient comes to him: "It is as if I stand in the doorway of my office, waiting. The patient enters and makes a lunge at me, a desperate attempt to pull me into the fantasy of taking care of him. I step aside. He falls to the floor disappointed and bewildered. ... If I am sufficiently skillful at this psychotherapeutic judo, and if he is sufficiently courageous and persistent, he may learn to become curious about himself, to know me as I am, and begin to work out his own problems."

Father Lou Guntzelman is a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Reach him at life@communitypress.com. Please include a mailing address if you wish for him to respond.

Self-help: The Allergy Self-Help Cookbook: Over 325 Natural Food Recipes, Free of All Common Food Allergens.

2006-05-11T00:26:00.000-07:00

by Marjorie Hurt Jones

(Rodale Press, Rev. Ed. 2001), 432 pages, $16.95

This book needs to be in your kitchen if any of the following apply to you:

* You are vegan.

* Someone in your family has food allergies.

* You are vegetarian and want to include more vegan recipes in your diet.

* You enjoy baking but cringe at the amount of butter and sugar in most recipes.

Author Jones was diagnosed with food allergies in 1976. She defines a food "allergy" as the following experience: "eating a food causes you distress, or if you discover any clear cause-and-effect symptoms that are relieved by avoidance of specific foods'

Her completely updated and revised cookbook includes over 350 recipes. Each is free of all common food allergens. No more getting halfway through a recipe only to realize that it would have been gluten-free if only you had used the other flour option. There are also chapters on ingredients that may be new to you, rotary diversified diets, keeping your home allergy-free, eating out, and helping children with allergies.

Note that this is not a vegetarian cookbook. However, the majority of the recipes are vegan. There are 17 vegetarian main dishes, and several of these have become instant hits at my house. The Better Burgers are the greatest. For Thanksgiving, I served the Zesty Loaf for the first time and an hour later, the loaf was gone and my sisters-in-law were begging for the recipe.

We have also grown quite fond of the Fresh Apple Muffins. They will be going with us to our La Leche League meeting this month, and I'm willing to bet that none of them will be making the return trip home.

The only recipe that hasn't turned out well was the Date Pecan Pie. Too much blackstrap molasses makes things taste like cough syrup.

My only complaint with the book is that quite a few of the baked goods call for white buckwheat flour or a combination of flours. While the author explains how to grind whole buckwheat groats in the blender, I find that to be too time-consuming. With a preschooler and baby around, I don't have time to grind my own flour. I have the same issue with the combination of flours used in some recipes. It takes extra time to get out and measure three different flours.

However, as one who eats a vegan diet in the comfort of my own home, I have to say that I love allergy-free cookbooks: no dairy, no eggs, and all-natural sugars. As a fine example of a cookbook that fits this bill, The Allergy Self-Help Cookbook will always have a place in my kitchen.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Vegetarian Baby and Child
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group

Self-help: Energy psychology: always more to learn

2006-05-10T21:46:00.000-07:00

Six years ago I was attempting to climb out of a depression and I was fighting the effects of PTSD — nightmares, flashbacks, etc. I had not been able to work for almost a year.
A healer friend suggested I go to Las Vegas for the Second Annual International Energy Psychology Conference, sponsored by The Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP). I packed my tent in my little car and went. With that event my world changed.
First, I discovered energy psychology, a broad, new field of psychology and healing with huge potential for helping people better and faster.
Beyond the eye-opening discovery of energy psychology, another life-changing thing happened for me at the conference. I met some great energy psychology healers who have become long-term friends. Three of them provided a few intensive days of therapy with me after the conference.
My depression lifted completely and I had no further symptoms of PTSD. What I had been struggling with for a year was gone in a few days with the skillful application of energy psychology.
Through numerous courses and conferences over the last six years, learning has never slowed down.
As I write this I am about to go to Santa Clara, California for the Eighth Annual International Energy Psychology Conference. Go to www.EnergyPsych.org and check it out. I return on the day you read this. Expect future columns to reflect more new learnings.
But what have I learned up to now about using energy psychology?
The following is my attempt to distill it all into my nine most important understandings from my studies and practice of energy psychology.
• Energy psychology is a family of alternative healing processes that releases feelings of being stuck and other emotional problems. It takes advantage of the human energy field, energy flows and energy centers of the body to do its work.
• Energy psychology is efficient. Time and time again I have seen people heal in a few sessions from problems that would have taken dozens of sessions with traditional methods.
• Energy psychology is effective with people who know they have a problem, but are unwilling or unable to talk about it, even with the therapist.
• Energy psychology mixes well with supportive talk therapy and other traditional psychological interventions.
• Energy psychology blends well with Christian faith.
• Energy psychology is compatible with other spiritual practices, including those of First Nations.
• Energy psychology is very effective in supporting life enhancement and optimum performance. Do you want to make more sales, play better golf or deepen your spiritual awareness?
• Energy psychology is at the cutting edge of self-help. You can learn the procedures and use them on yourself. Any methods I use with clients I use on myself.
• Energy psychology is safe.

The good news for Oceanside residents is that various local psychologists and counsellors now incorporate energy healing methods in their practices.
Just ask.
As always, if you have a suggestion for a future column, please send me an e-mail.
Contact Dr. Neill Neill, Registered Psychologist, at 752-8684 or neill@neillneill.com. Subscribe to free newsletter at www.neillneill.com.

Self-help: Self-help a hit as Harvard goes pop

2006-05-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

CAMBRIDGE: The setting is an august, wood-panelled lecture hall at Harvard University but the content of the class comes straight from a confessional TV talk show.
Tal Ben-Shahar regales his students with the inspirational story of how he became squash champion of Israel at 16 only to get injured and realise that what truly matters is what you feel inside.

The moral, he explains, is to learn to overcome failure because it is inevitable. His slogan for today's session is: "Learn to fail or fail to learn."

Mr Ben-Shahar, 35, has become the most popular lecturer at Harvard by teaching the university's over-achieving students how to be happy - no simple task. His "positive psychology" course is this year's most popular, attracting 855 undergraduates.

"I see myself as creating a bridge between the ivory tower and main street," Mr Ben-Shahar explained.

"Right now, there is a disconnect. You go into the bookstore and you see the self-help section and it's huge. Many of these books are well-written, relevant and accessible but with very little substance.

"You go to academic libraries and take out journals. They are focused on research and rigorous but are not accessible."

Mr Ben-Shahar is helping to pioneer a new movement to teach self-help on campuses, and positive psychology is now on the curriculums of more than 100 colleges across the US.

The movement's founder is Martin Seligman, author of about 20 books and head of the Positive Psychology Centre at the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr Ben-Shahar's Harvard class is light on research and heavy on popular culture. His lecture on perfectionism is illustrated with the REM song Everybody Hurts and a comedy skit from the TV show Saturday Night Live.

The lecturer displays a respect for the TV talk-show queen Oprah Winfrey that other academics reserve for Plato, Shakespeare or Einstein.

"I think she ... does make the world a better place," he said. "I look at what she does as 'positive psychology'. She exemplifies what I mean to give oneself 'permission to be human'. She does not hide behind the eternal smile."

self-help: Self-help groups’ role in backward regions lauded

2006-05-10T21:44:00.000-07:00

Statesman News Service
BARIPADA, May 9: Self-help groups have helped to solve the unemployment problem to a great extent, minister for animal husbandry, Mr Gulak Nayak, said, while inaugurating a 10-day workshop on Dokra art and craft, organised by an NGO here.
Mr Nayak said people in backward regions of the state lag behind mainly due to the ignorance of government programmes and schemes.
Tribals find it difficult to access the benefits that are meant for them, he said.
Schemes like the PMRY and other capacity-building efforts remain unknown to many tribals in remote pockets of the state, he said. He assured artisans of greater attention from the government and said he would talk to the chief minister to find out ways to support Dokra art and artistes.
At least 200 artistes, both women and men from various parts of the district, participated in the workshop.
Director of art and handcraft, secretary and senior members of many NGOs and Krushnananda Mohanty, chairperson of the Baripada Municipality, took part in the discussions about how to revive Dokra art.

self-help: A fresh take on self-help books

2006-05-09T00:04:00.000-07:00

Natasha Munson had never read a self-help book, but in 1997 she decided to pour out the pain of her 25 years on paper. She reflected on how much she had learned after "misplacing" her values by having sex too early and geeing pregnant in her junior year of college. And before she knew it, she had written a guidebook that could help her, a cousin she was concerned about, and others as well.

Life lessons for My Sisters (Hyperion, $11.95), which Munson originally self-published in 2000, has been inspiring readers while propelling the author to the top of a new category of self-help books: those targeting Black women under 40. We see why. Munson, who claims she has a short attention span, infuses her book with get-to-the-point chapters. As a result, reading Life Lessons is like talking to your homegirl, from the hugs to the occasional flip of the hand telling you, "Get over it." Munson is raising daughters Mecca, 11, and Kenya, 9, and has left behind a career in technical writing to focus on saving girls from mistakes she made when she was younger. "You don't want to regret the choices you made or did not make," Munson says. "Live your life in a way that, in the end, you can say, 'I loved, I lived, I laughed, I learned, I helped." For more on Munson, visit sisterlessons.com.

COPYRIGHT 2005 Essence Communications, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group

Self-help: Effectiveness of Audiovisual Self-Help Material on Sexual Problems: A Controlled Study

2006-05-09T00:01:00.001-07:00

Effectiveness of Audiovisual Self-Help Material on Sexual Problems: A Controlled Study, Alfons Vansteenwegen and Goedele Liekens, Institute of Family and Sexuality Studies, Belgium

We investigated the effect of audiovisual therapy material on individuals with orgasmic dysfunction, erectile dysfunction, and premature ejaculation, without contact with a therapist. In the experimental group (n = 138), each had an audiovisual self-help program at their disposal at home, consisting of four lessons with illustrated exercises. The control group consisted of individuals of the same group at random on a waiting list (n = 77). With the inter-phase of four months, both groups filled out 5 scales (ILKS, NSMS-2, BP, M/VOK, M/VSM) focusing on how sexuality was experienced. A repeated-measures analysis of variance delivered only three significant results. In comparison with the control group, performance anxiety and embarrassment decreased in a significant way in the experimental group with premature ejaculation. Men with erectile dysfunction were significantly more receptive to sexual fantasies and erotic stimulation. Women with orgasmic dysfunction experienced positive results on the value they gave to non-demanding sexual actions (foreplay). Overall, sexual self-help videos had an extremely small effect on sexual dysfunctions.

COPYRIGHT 2006 Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2006 Gale Group

self-help: Farmers set up self-help groups on marketing

2006-05-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

Puneet Pal Singh Gill / New Delhi/ Ludhiana April 26, 2006

Progressive vegetable growers of District Sangrur have set a new precedent by organising themselves into a "self-marketing" help group to eliminate the middle man and earn profit.

This unique set up is at the initiative of farmer Nishan Sigh Pannu of village Kalyan. His group of 16 now acts as a role model for the rest of the fraternity across Punjab.

Pannu is winner of Punjab Chief Minister Award for his pioneering work in growing vegetables and adopting scientific approach and precision-farming practices to harvest rich dividends from his farm. Pannu received the Award at Punjab Agricultural University Kisan Mela in March last.

Commenting on this step of "self-marketing" help group, PAU Vice-Chancellor, Dr Kirpal Singh Aulakh said, "Such role models must be replicated across the state by all farmers, who by now must also realise that to overcome marketing difficulties and get remunerative returns from their farm produce farmers shall have to base their farm operations from sowing to marketing on "scientific knowledge" and work with their own hands".

Dr Aulakh was speaking at a "field day" organised on the farm of Nishan Singh Pannu on Thursday, where a large number of farmers had gathered. The Vice-Chancellor pointed out that since learning is a two-way process both the university scientists and farmers had much to imbibe from each other's experience.

Being at the cutting-edge of the production-protection technologies evolved by PAU, unalloyed feedback from farmers was imperative to enable scientists respond to their needs and re-draw their research strategies.

One basic factor responsible for the success of the first green revolution was the symbiotic relationship between PAU and farmers, and the manner the latter practiced the recommendations of the scientists. These included preparing the fields, which seed, variety or hybrid to sow and when, what agronomic practices, including number of irrigation schedules, fertiliser applications and plant protection chemical sprays to apply and when etc.

"This supplementary and complimentary role between scientists and farmers has helped the country make a turn around from food deficit to food surplus nation. It is in the interest of the state and nation that this relationship is continued through mutual learning experiences", he added.

The common refrain was that unless progressive farmers in the three regions, Malwa, Doaba and Majha, shared their experiences, pooled their resources and organised themselves into self-help groups and acted not only as "role models" but also "catalysts" of social awakening and harbingers of scientific farming, a bleak future awaits agriculture.

If Nishan Singh Pannu shared his experience admitting he had picked up vegetable cultivation techniques as much from PAU, like benefits of net-cultivation, as vegetable growers of Malerkotla, who earned more from less land than the likes of him, Avtar Singh Rataul said dairy farming would be successful only if farmers grew their own fodder and prepared animal feed, learnt management techniques and art of marketing.

Octogenarian farmer, Joginder Singh won applause for disclosing that in the past 25 years he has not purchased any kitchen-shelf vegetables, pulses, fruits etc. From the market, since he raised these at his two kanal fields. The only purchase he made from the market was of matchboxes, salt and tea leaves.

self-help: Self-help neighborhood nearly complete

2006-05-07T22:24:00.000-07:00

Family workers are building more than just structures in the Pearson Self-Help Neighborhood — they're building a community.

"You can buy a house and not know anybody on your street," said Vicki Alvis, a single mother of four who helped build her house as part of the program.

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"Here, I feel like I know them and their extended family," she said. "It's been more than building a house."

Since May of last year, 10 families, their relatives and community volunteers have been working to build houses in the development just off Upper River Road.

Now most of the houses only have finishing touches remaining to be completed.

The Pearson Self-Help Neighborhood is part of a Rural Development Mutual Self-Help program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Neighborhood Housing Services.

Under the program, families work together to build all the houses, then all move in together when all are completed.

The Pearson Self-Help Neighborhood is scheduled to hold an open house at 12:30 p.m. Friday and move-in dates are expected by May 15.

Between 65 to 70 volunteers also helped out in the construction process, each logging 32 hours a week for almost a year, said MeLinda L. Suhr, group coordinator for NHS.

Suhr said the 10 families are anxiously looking forward to moving in, and the experience of building their own homes helped some overcome initial doubts.

"(Alvis) really didn't think she could do this in the beginning," Suhr said. "And her and her mom did this."

Alvis said though it was hard work, crew members such as construction supervisor Buck Beaudry helped encourage her to finish the job.

"He had a lot to do with feeling like you could do it and get it right," she said. "When I first came out, it was a stick in the ground. Then the foundation went up, then the walls, then boom.

"Look at all of this," Alvis said, looking around her spacious four-bedroom home.

Alvis' mother, Lori Humble, said she became known as "Mom" by the other families and volunteers.

When the house was finally carpeted, it wasn't just another job complete, Humble said. It was almost like a sign post saying you're close to home after a long journey.

"I cried when I saw the carpet go in," she said. "I was upstairs just crying like a baby."

On the as-of-yet-unmarked road in an as-of-yet-uninhabited house where new friends were brought together, each sharing a common goal, Alvis is ready for her family's future to begin again.

"My cup runneth over," Alvis said. "I'm truly blessed."

Reach Tribune Staff Writer Clifton Adcock at 791-6560, (800) 438-6600 or cadcock@greatfal.gannett.com.

Originally published May 5, 2006

self help: Tinnitus - Causes and Treatment

2006-05-05T21:51:00.001-07:00

What is Tinnitus Tinnitus is a symptom and not a condition in itself. Tinnitus describes the symptom of being able to hear things which nobody else can, although in a rare number of cases, this isn't true. Tinnitus is a very common condition with approximately 10% of the population suffering from Tinnitus to one degree or another. It is most commonly found in elderly people although it is becoming much more widespread in the younger population. Also, Tinnitus can be found in one or both ears or sometimes it feels like it is coming from the middle of your head.

The Symptoms of Tinnitus Tinnitus is most commonly found in elderly people although possibly due to the different lifestyles it is becoming much more common in younger people now. Maybe this is due to the fact that people are living in noisier environments today.

The sounds which are heard vary from patient to patient. Some patients hear a musical tone, although most patients hear something which sounds more like a hissing or whistling or a buzzing or a ringing noise. For a lot of patients, it is more of an inconvenience and doesn't affect their daily lives although for a number of patients, it is so bad that they need some kind of treatment to relieve the symptoms

The Causes of Tinnitus Tinnitus is caused by damage to the nerves in the inner ear (cochlea). These nerves transmit electrical impulses to the brain which the brain then interprets as sounds. When these nerves are damaged, the signal becomes distorted. When this distorted signal gets to the brain, the brain interprets it as a noise which is Tinnitus.

In elderly people, it is seen as part of growing older and is called presbyacusis. However, in younger people medical professionals believe it is due to be exposed to loud noises.

There are other causes of Tinnitus as well which include Anemia - where the thin blood rushes around the body so quickly that it can cause a sound. Excessive wax in the ear can also cause tinnitus. Menieres Disease which is a condition affecting balance can also have a side effect of Tinnitus. Some drugs both legal and illegal can cause Tinnitus as the body reacts to them.

The Treatment of Tinnitus For most patients, there is no cure for Tinnitus. Most treatments simply relieve the symptoms by masking the cause of Tinnitus.

Tinnitus is sometimes strongly related to the patients level of stress. By managing this level of stress via the use of sedatives, tranquilizers or anti-depressants, the symptoms of tinnitus can be relieved.

Some drugs which affect the conduction of electrical impulses in the affected nerves have been found to relieve the symptoms of stress.

There are a number of self help measures which patients can employ either on their own or in tandem with any assistance that a doctor can prescribe. These include listening to soothing music on a personal stereo before the patient goes to sleep. There are white noise generators which can mask the noise inside your head. This means that you can't hear the noise generated by tinnitus.

If you want to read more about this subject from other people visit my website Tinnitus where you'll lots of useful information on the treatment and symptoms of Tinnitus

self help: Compulsive Gambler's Journey To Week One Stop Gambling

2006-05-05T21:48:00.000-07:00

We take you through the first week that Arlene made the conscious decision to stop gambling. This was a very emotional period where Arlene's self esteem was at the lowest in her life. She's a single woman who was just about to turn thirty-six years old and her life was crumbling around her.

Arlene decided to share her story of how she made it through her first week as a non gambler. Her goal was to reach out to others who also have a compulsive gambling addiction because she remembers the pain she went through.

From the first day until the seventh day, Arlene went through various emotional revelations that helped her to achieve her goals. She was a special person with a good sense of humor. Even through her self destructive period she always had a smile on her face. For this reason alone people close to her never realized she had a problem gambling.

Arlene easily made it through her first day because she had already depleted her checking and savings accounts. She had also maxed out her credit cards. She fortunately would have to wait three more days till pay day before she could gamble again. In the past she borrowed from friends and then would have to give them half her pay check to pay them back. She remembers the pain she was in with no one she could tell or talked to. She was afraid her family and friends would not understand. She didn't even understand how this happened to her. She decided to go online and find help. She tried a year earlier Gamblers Anonymous, but it was something that she could not relate to. She found a website called I Stopped Gambling So Can You. She liked the name of the site and decided to give it a try. She purchased a self help manual and a year membership to the chat room. Her first thought was "How can something under fifty dollars really help a person who has lost thousands of dollars gambling in one year?" Then she thought maybe she shouldn't spend any money right now. Her mind was playing tricks with her. During this time she was confused, had major amounts of guilt for losing so much money and her self esteem was at her lowest. She decided to make the investment in herself. This was her justification for the purchase. She eagerly read the manual and joined in the I Stop Gambling chat room. A whole new world opened up for her.

In the chat room she met others who could relate to her and help her understand what she was going through. Each and every day she would follow the manual and pop in and out of the chat room. There were times where the chat room was quiet, so she left messages on the tag board of when she would be chatting and other members joined in.

As each day passed during Arlene's first week, she noticed changes in your behavior. For the first time she was taking it one day at a time. She was planning for her future and starting to realize she could live with out gambling. She admitted to people that she was contemplating suicide because she felt there was no way out. She once told me she wouldn't mind living in a cave as long as her life was peaceful. Her self destructive behavior and low self esteem was taking its toll on Arlene.

The one other thing that kept Arlene from going back to gambling was the pain she was in and finally realized she can now move forward with an anticipated positive future.

Some people have close friends they can talk to. What ever it takes to share what you are feeling will speed your recovery. It's going to take time to talk about how you feel. Listening to others that have walked in your shoes will help you start the healing process.

For more information on gambling addiction and stop gambling you can check out

Stop Gambling Addiction website has the useful resources and links on how to stop gambling. http://www.istoppedgambling.com/

Introducing my son to culinary delights

2006-05-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

I decide to take my son, Jared, to San Francisco for a few days. He is off from school and has never been anywhere. Considering that San Francisco is my favorite food city, it seems like a great way to share my food passion with him.

We catch a very early flight, thinking it will allow us to spend an extra day in the city. Arriving in the early afternoon, we hit the streets.

Our first stop is crowded Chinatown. We walk for miles past huge produce markets displaying piles of fresh Asian vegetables. Baby bok choy, Chinese broccoli and bright green beans, 2 feet long. Store fronts are piled high with dried ingredients ranging from shellfish to beans, whole sides of fish, strange berries and leaves, all contributing pungent aromas -- not all of them pleasing.

We pass Chinese apothecaries loaded with preserved roots, dried bark and ancient cures for any ailment. Large glass jars full of ginseng roots look like dancing figurines. Windows filled with hanging squid, duck and every other kind of creature abound, and every one of our senses is assaulted.

I can tell Jared is astounded. I don't know if it is the new sights or because I know my way around so well. I think he has a new respect for me, and it becomes a bonding experience.

Our next stop: Union Square. He is in sneaker heaven, and I am happy that it has stopped raining. We take a cable car to Fisherman's Wharf and watch the street life. Bobbing wooden barges filled with noisy sea lions are great entertainment. They live here full time. I take Jared past all the Dungeness crab shuckers. We watch as giant crabs are drawn from tremendous steamers with wire baskets and served to people lined up on the street. In another line, large round sourdough bread bowls, called boudin, are filled with steaming clam chowder. Not much vegetarian food on Fisherman's Wharf.

We catch an English-style double-decker bus, sitting up top, hoping the rain holds off. We play tourists and when it rains again, we throw plastic bags over our heads, and it becomes part of the fun.

That evening we end up in North Beach, the Italian section. We have the best hand-formed pizza we ever ate. The oblong cracker-thin crust is 2 feet long. Made with three cheeses and almost no sauce, it is baked and then piled with arugula and roasted peppers.

Next day, I want to give Jared a food experience that he has never had, so I take him to an authentic Indonesian restaurant. We order Ristaffelâ, meaning rice table. A product of the Dutch involvement in Indonesia, it is a tapas of sorts. Rice is always served in the center of dozens of small plates.

The restaurant has vegetarian and nonvegetarian dishes, all totally new to the American palate. One of my favorites is the steamed vegetable and tofu salad called Gado Gado. It is served as an appetizer, but is a meal in itself.

A plate brimming with fresh-steamed vegetables, hard-boiled eggs and tofu lightly tossed in spicy peanut sauce, it is classically garnished with krupuk, which are fried shrimp chips that look like brightly colored potato chips. You can omit these when making this dish at home. I coerce the waiter into getting the recipe from the chef so I can offer you my version.

We cap the night with strong espresso and a dreamy chocolate ricotta torte. Jared looks at me after three days of feasting and says, "Dad, I can't believe this is what you do for a living." Neither can I.

Steve Petusevsky is the author of The Whole Foods Market Cookbook

Celebrating Asian heritage

2006-05-04T19:37:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for a variety of Asian food, entertainment and, of course, shopping, a Circle-the-Pacific air ticket to a dozen countries will cost you upwards of $2,000.

A quicker, more inclusive and -- best of all -- free route is to head to the Greater Richmond Convention Center Saturday for the ninth Asian American Celebration.

The biggest dilemma is deciding where to start the trip.

Saigt Koh Ang from Cambodia or Nasi Goreng from Indonesia or Singapore Laska?

Or maybe you should check out the hands-on activities for kids. Kite making? Origami? Henna hand painting? Calligraphy?
You could watch the Thai dancers, listen to the Chinese drummers. Celebrate a mock Indian wedding. Get revved up at the Korean or Japanese martial arts demonstrations or the annual Iron Chef competition. Start some early Mother's Day shopping at the international marketplace, where nothing costs more than $5.

"It's amazing to see so many cultures under one roof at one event," said Rumy Mohta, community relations director for the Asian American Society of Central Virginia. The annual event fetes the cultures of more than a dozen communities that have a presence in the Richmond area.

And although many of these communities have individual festivals during the year, the Asian American Celebration offers the 50,000 or so Richmond area residents of Asian descent a chance to teach their cultures and celebrate their heritage under one really big umbrella.

New to the festivities are Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. The featured country this year is India, and festival highlights will include a mock wedding and an Indian dance troupe from the Washington area performing a "Tsunami Wave" dance.

By Lisa Crutchfield

Weddings and engagements

2006-05-04T01:32:00.000-07:00

Kristina Marie West of Birmingham and John Jay Hicks of Birmingham were married April 22, 2006, at 5:30 p.m. at The Beach Club in Gulf Shores with the Rev. David Carboni officiating.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Wade West of Tuscaloosa. The groom is the son of Mr. Bobby Ray Hicks of Tuscaloosa and the late Jill Rosenau Hicks. He is the grandson of the late Judge and Mrs. David L. Rosenau Jr. of Athens and the late Mr. and Mrs. Willis C. Hicks of Hartselle.
The bride, given in marriage by her father, wore a strapless dress of ivory matte satin.

Matrons of honor were Jobi Hicks Richard of Plano, Texas, sister of the groom, and Amanda Blackburn Darby of Birmingham.

Bridesmaids were Anna Marie Napenas, Claire Elizabeth Bazemore, Haley Carroll Tingle, Whitney Kathryn Poole and Helen Milam Cochrane, all of Birmingham, Martha Liddell Patton of Nashville, Tenn., Suzanne Marie Howard of Jackson, Wyo., and Tracy Ann Raymond of Sacramento, Calif.

The groom's father was best man. Groomsmen were Todd Newman Richard of Plano, Texas, brother-in-law of the groom, Blake Edward Ward of Charlotte, N.C., Jason Brandt Schmersahl of Cincinnati, Ohio, Jay Christian Lomenick of Tampa, Fla., William Scott Salmon, Justin Ross Truelove and Peter James Powell, all of Birmingham, and Timothy Ackley Hoffman of Mobile.

The couple honeymooned in St. Lucia. They reside in Birmingham.

Blackman, Wallace to wed

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Blackman of Hartselle announce the engagement of their daughter, Jamie Bunnell Blackman, to William Bradley Wallace, son of Mr. and Mrs. William E. Wallace of Hartselle.

The bride-elect is a 2004 graduate of Hartselle High School and attends The University of Alabama. She is employed with The University of Alabama Gymnastics. She is the granddaughter of Herbert Ogle of Hartselle, JoeAnn Hester of St. Louis, Mo., the late Bunnell Ogle and the late Walter Blackman Sr.

The groom-elect is a 2003 graduate of Hartselle High School and attends Auburn University. He is a private first class with the United States Marine Corps. He is the grandson of William and Margaret Wallace of Double Springs, Glenda Hampton of Palestine, Texas, and the late Richard Reast.

The wedding will be held June 3 at 2 p.m. at East Highland Baptist Church.

Whatley, Aldridge to wed

Mr. and Mrs. Todd Whatley of Hartselle announce the engagement of their daughter, Kelly Rene/ Whatley, to Brett Byron Aldridge, son of Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Snyder of Pensacola, Fla.

The bride-elect is a 2002 graduate of Hartselle High School and will graduate this May from Mississippi State University with a degree in marketing.

At MSU, she has been an orientation leader, alumni delegate, Presidential Scholar, Delta Delta Delta sorority president, College of Business ambassador, and a member of the American Marketing Association.

She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Staudt of Hartselle and Mr. and Mrs. Billy Joe Whatley of Falkville.

The groom-elect is a 2001 graduate of Pensacola Catholic High School and a 2005 graduate of Mississippi State University with a degree in communications. He is employed with BellSouth as an account executive in Birmingham. At MSU, he was Phi Delta Theta vice president and a member of the student association.

He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Rusty Snyder of Crestview, Fla.

The wedding will be held June 24 at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Cullman.

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=26423413

Self help: All 1000 Spots ''Snapped-up.'' 500 More Just Added

2006-04-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

Reference: For Business Owners, Entrepreneurs and
Professionals-ONLY:

Jay Abraham's Two Hour Long, Business Building -
"Teleconference".

Earlier I sent an invitation to participate on an
exclusive, "one-of-a-kind," (LIFE CHANGING), two hour,
Business-Building Workshop "Teleconference" --- with
Marketing Phenomenon Jay Abraham, the Super Consultant to
The Business Stars --- as our gift to you.

All 1000 Lines Taken In The First 12 Hours,
500 More Just Added. But They Won't Last Past Today

We were only able to open up 1,000 phone lines. But with
so many subscribers on my list, all 1000 were snapped up
in the first 12 hours we announced it. Now, just a
day before the call we've moved mountains, and been able
to add 500 more lines. But that's it. We can't get any
more.

So I strongly urge you to visit:

To IMMEDIATELY register and reserve one of the very few
remaining lines --- if you want to see your business
profits soar.

Why All The Excitement About THIS Teleconference Call?

In case you missed the earlier email, this is probably the
most heavily responded to, gift opportunity we've ever
made. Here's an executive summary of what's being offered
(and why it's so valuable):

Executive Summary

We've arranged a F*R*E*E* two-hour, teleconference-based
"Quick Start" course with world famous marketing genius,
Jay Abraham. Here's exactly what Jay will cover in this
call:

Hour 1.) Marketing Secrets That Will Increase Your
Financial Stability

Hour 2.) Fortune Building Business Lessons Your
Competitors Don't Know About! What YOU Can Have In Common
With Tony Robbins, A Founder Of Federal Express,
The 300 Top Business Experts, President Of Nightingale
Conant, and 8 Inc Entrepreneurs-Of-The-Year.

Would YOU like to learn the same income enhancing
marketing lessons and fortune-building business ideas that
people like Tony Robbins, a founder of Federal Express,
the owner of Nightingale-Conant, Football legend Fran
Tarkenton and eight Inc, Magazine Entrepreneur of The Year
Winners learned!? Each of these people paid a SMALL
FORTUNE to learn these "success lessons" from Jay Abraham!

But You Get A Second Chance To Learn It as our gift. Now
We've Opened Up 500 More Lines. You Must Sign Up
Today---If You Want To Participate.

NOW you can have access to master marketer --- Jay Abraham
--- to teach you LIVE his best business building
strategies, on a special two-hour interactive
teleconference call. More importantly, YOU GET THIS
TRAINING FOR F*R*E*E,* and you never need to leave your
home or office to do it, either.

That's RIGHT! Learn from Jay Abraham for F*R*E*E*!
So many of my readers have seen all the laudatory letters
people have written about super consultant Jay Abraham in
the past. But they wondered...

What could any one man possibly know that made his books
worth $400 or $1,000 a copy, his tapes worth a shocking
$2,000 - $5,000 a set --- and his seminars sell out at a
staggering $25,000 per person?

Now You Can Find Out First-Hand Without Spending A Penny
I've arranged for just 1,000 (Now 1500) of our subscribers
to be taught a two-hour, "crash-course" on Marketing Ideas
That Create Great Business Wealth. Jay Abraham, himself,
has agreed to personally conduct this entire breakthrough,
two-hour class.

Why? Because Jay is a great friend and a passionate
believer in what we're doing. Jay has become our personal
marketing advisor and mentor for engineering massive
profit breakthroughs. People I know have paid him
hundreds of thousands of dollars to millions a year for
his expert advice. - But THAT was a BARGAIN, compared to
what that advice earned each of their businesses.

One idea Jay gave Bob Allen early in their relationship
put over two million extra profit dollars in Bob's bank
account -- within less than 45 days! The first idea he
gave Vic Conant, made Vic $900,000 in 30 days time. The
second one made Vic A TON more.

Maybe that's why I'm one of the greatest fans of Jay's
mind and methods. So when I was looking for a wildly
profitable, business strategy to help you enhance your
financial state --- I called Jay. JAY'S MINDSET AND METHODS
WERE MY FIRST & ONLY CHOICE. Jay's offering this conference
call, as added value for our e-mail subscribers.

The man probably knows more ways to make someone like you
more money from your business than any fifty other
marketing experts combined. He knows more powerful ideas
for increasing sales, generating more customers,
multiplying profits and creating great business wealth
than anyone else I know. (A bold sounding statement, I
know. But one that's totally true.) I take my reputation
and credibility with you very seriously.

I wouldn't put myself or our organization out
on a limb for that kind of statement --- if I wasn't
absolutely confident it was 100% true and possible to do
for you --- on Jay's upcoming teleconference session.

That's why in this two-part, two-hour long intensive
teleconference session I've persuaded Jay to cover ...

HOUR 1: How to Attract More Customers Than You Can Handle
and How to Sell More to Every Customer you deal with:

HOUR 2: How to Sell More Profitable Items to Every
Customer!

Jay also knows how to take a new idea for a business (or a
small start-up enterprise) and explode it with immediate
revenues and profits and positive cash flow ... even if
you don't have a cent to spend on advertising, promotion
or sales people.

Jay knows how to get you no-cash advertising. He knows how
to find you all kinds of strategic partners, and joint
ventures who'll put up all the people or money you need.

He can teach you how to do more lucrative money generating
business deals than you ever dreamed possible.
The man is an absolute idea-a-minute, money multiplying,
cash-flow generating "Wealth-Building, Marketing Machine."

You are about to find all that out for yourself--- IF you
get to be one of only 1,500 people from our e-mail list
that Jay will be teaching his Marketing Methods to --- on
our special two-hour, teleconference session.
Is this man REALLY worth listening to for 120
"thought-provoking" minutes --- broken into two
back-to-back segments in a row? You tell me.

He has over 12,500 major business success stories credited
to his ideas. He's been featured two different times on the
front page of USA Today in their MONEY Section.

Impressive Credentials: Forbes Called Him "The Real Thing"
Investor's Business Daily ran two of the largest stories
-- ever -- on Jay in their prestigious Leaders & Success
section--one on the front page. Then they hired Jay.
Entrepreneur has written about Jay twice. The founder
said Jay made him over a million dollars. Success wrote
five major stories on him. They hired him, too.

Forbes ran a two paged feature that named Jay one of only
five Executive Business Coaches Forbes called "the real
thing." Jay was the only one, out of all five, Forbes said
could "...turn an under performing corporation into a
marketing and sales whiz."

Jay's latest book was lavishly endorsed by Stephen Covey,
Harvey McKay, Ken Blanchard, Tony Robbins, a co-founder of
Federal Express, The Founder of Home Shopping Network, The
Publisher of Investor's Business Daily, Seth Godin, Martin
Edelston and 146 other prominent experts.

Mark Victor Hansen says he and Jack Canfield got the major
idea behind their wildly successful Chicken Soup For The
Soul-series from an idea Jay gave them.

Find A 10,000-1,000,000 Dollar Windfall On This Call
Tony Robbins says Jay shows everyone he ever talks to how
to find a 10,000, a 100,000 dollar profit or even a 1,000,000
windfall. I'm confident he'll find one (or more) for you,
too --- over the two hours Jay will be teaching you his
money generating marketing ideas on this enriching
conference call.

I hope I've excited you; because that's my intent.
But as I said earlier, there's a problem here: I've got so
many people I'd like to get onto this conference call. But
we are only able to get 500 more of you on the extra
lines! That is the MAXIMUM number of people we can add
on! So I strongly urge you to visit:

At this point, we can't add one more place beyond that to
Jay's two-hour, conference call "business building"
course. Jay agreed to do this two-hour teleconference
course for us -- One Time Only.

I can't promise he'll ever do it again for F*R*E*E*.

Forbes said Jay charges $20,000 --- per person --- when
Jay trains people in large groups at his seminars (and
$40,000 a day when he works privately). I know that over
10,000 people have already paid many thousands each to
attend one of Jay's past programs.

So the chance to learn a short-course, two-hour "primer"
on Jay's biggest & best wealth-building business ideas FOR
F*R*E*E* seems (to me, at least) to really be the
financial break you have been waiting for.

A Look At What You'll Learn

Jay has promised to share with you his three best ways to
grow ANY business. He's given me his word he'll explain
The Strategy of Preeminence, the potent strategic
philosophy that sky rocketed one of his clients from a
$1,000 start up all the way to the 450 million dollar market
leader in 8 amazing years, with zero financial risk. He's
told me he'll also tell YOU about the 21 power principles
the very richest business people use to create their
enormous wealth.

Jay also says there are ten major marketing mistakes that
keep most small/medium business owners from ever making
really big money. But you can eliminate all ten from your
life within the two hours Jay will spend with you on these
teleconference calls.

Geometric Profit Boosts

Jay developed a simple "proprietary system" he calls the
eX-Factors that guarantee any business owner who uses them
geometric boosts in their profit growth. He'll teach you
the basics of his system (and its key concepts) on one of
these two hours.

PLUS, he has agreed to set time aside at the end of the
second hour (time allowing) to take your biggest
unanswered questions, help solve your biggest business or
money-making problems or help find the biggest overlooked
profit opportunities you may be sitting on.
A World Class Expert/A World Class Opportunity

This is a "World Class" marketing expert offering to
personally work with you by group conference call for
F*R*E*E*; because you're one of our valued friends. Jay
charges $75,000 to speak for 90 minutes in front of a
private group. But he will spend a total of two enriching
hours with you, over this fast-paced F*R*E*E*
teleconference session.

Why is he doing it? Because he knows his ideas can make
you a "bundle" and he wants to invest in your success first.
We moved heaven and earth to make this two-hour conference
call available FOR F*R*E*E* for those of you who act FAST.

IMMEDIATELY to register. The call is this Thursday,
August 4th, at 2:00PM Pacific (5:00pm Eastern). The 500 lines
we just added won't be available beyond today.

Jay Abraham has the marketing ideas that make people
multi-millions. You can pay Jay $5,000 an hour to hire him
privately --- OR be on our two hour teleconference course
on Marketing Secrets That Enhance Your Financial
Livelihood ...and learn some of Jay's best ideas and
business wealth building lessons for F*R*E*E* --- for
yourself!

GET REGISTERED NOW... don't miss out on this exciting "one
of a kind" two-hour conference call!

Go Now And Register By Clicking Here

Best of success to you!

Patric Chan
CEO, eSuccessMastery.com

P.S. Most people find it hard to believe that ideas can be
turned into money, success, wealth, power, happiness or
business advantage with relative ease. This conference
call will teach you: it's absolutely true.

But not just ANY ideas. Jay Abraham stands out as the
preeminent idea man in the business arena. I turn to Jay
for strategy, ideas and breakthrough business concepts.
Now you can too, IF you get in on Jay's teleconference
call.

Finally --- Everyone who gets onto this conference call
will also receive an 87-Question Self Diagnostic
Marketing Assessment Tool called, "How Does Your Business
Stack Up?" You can take the test before you even get on
the call and know in advance when your biggest
breakthroughs and profit windfalls can come from.

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