Yoga for Relaxation

Discover the true meaning of yoga?

In taking any modern yoga class, you will find parallels to ballet. Like ballet, the promise of poise, grace and flexibility encourages much interest. Yet if yoga is like any other exercise, it is only at first glance. Underneath the coveted health and fitness benefits of modern yoga practice are the roots of a great spiritual tradition blending cultures and religions.

Unfortunately, through the westernization of yoga, we have lost an essential component of this peaceful practice. Though the ritual remains intact the meaning has gone astray. Where previously the postures of yoga practice were merely a branch of a tree; today they are viewed by western society as the tree itself. How do we bring meaning to our poses?

Modern Yoga's Roots and Benefits

Though the development of yoga cannot be pinned to an exact year, the discovery of the Indus seals, which show figures in the classic yoga asana (posture) of lotus pose, trace yoga back to at least 3000 BCE. At this time the Vedas were being written, which today's yoga postures are derived from. These gave birth to Vedic yoga, which accommodated the ancient Indians fixation on ritual and sacrifice. We see evidence of the importance of sacrifice in the yogic corpse posture. Lying as though we were placed in a coffin, this represents the ultimate sacrifice-that of death. Though seemingly morbid, corpse posture is one of hope when we understand that according to the Vedanta sutras, death results in liberation

Sacrifice was meant to join the material and the physical, and create the longed-for "union" that defines the word Yoga. The Vedanta sutras (vs.4:4,13-14) declare that the liberated soul is not materially motivated.. By asking us to free ourselves from the bondage of material motivation, compassion requires us to be selfless. Surely, this giving is an exercise in compassion. Even still, the modern practice of yoga facilitates this. Through postures and stillness, we alter our consciousness and therefore change our perspective. In our new realization of others as being part of the cosmic whole, we feel that in giving to them we are also giving to ourselves.

The ancient philosophy of yoga saw its postures as part of a greater whole. Thousands of years ago during the time of Astanga yoga, posture practice was one piece of a more important whole. Astanga yoga, which originated during Vedic India, was derived of eight branches; yama (control and discipline), niyama (rules, methods and principle), asana (posture), pranayama (focused breathing), prathyahara(avoidance of undesirable action),dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (contemplation). In contrast, most contemporary yoga focuses on postures and uses breath work as a small component or an afterthought. Though admittedly, the current vision of yoga over-emphasizes asana, it is extremely important and has enormous benefits. The medically studied benefits of yoga include the following: Stress reduction, improved muscle strength and tone, increased energy and flexibility, improved balance and coordination and a reduction in depression. . Moving with Compassion

Through most of asana practice, we are unconsciously engaging in physical metaphor. Many yoga postures are named after and imitate the living world; tree pose, eagle pose, frog pose, cat pose. By developing postures that imitate the stance of animals, the vedic seers may have been seeking not only to embrace the qualities of these animals, but to formulate compassion for them. The way that compassion serves as a partner to yoga's goal of liberation can be understood through reading the ancient yogic texts. Understand these vedas; whether they be the Rig Veda (knowledge of praise),Yajur-Veda (knowledge of sacrifice), Sama Veda (knowledge of chants), and Atharva-Veda(knowledge of atharvan), is likelier while deep in meditation. Understanding the vedic sutras, we are permitted to experience a bliss unknown through material grasping.

In this state everyday experiences fade away and a greater perspective unfolds. Over time, meditation also allows us to become more intuitive and receptive. This opens us up to others, enhancing our compassionate nature. This experience has been discussed by Eastern sacred-text expert "H.P. Blavatsky's in "The Voice of the Silence." Blavatsky writes: "Compassion is no attribute. IT is the LAW of LAWS-eternal Harmony, Alaya's SELF; a shoreless universal essence, the light of everlasting Right, and fitness of all things, the law of love eternal."

In order to experience compassion for others we must first extend it to ourselves. Straining too forcefully in a pose is counter to compassion. Why? Yoga teaches us that we are all connected, so when we hurt ourselves this pain eventually reaches others. Instead we must strive for gentle self-acceptance, competing with nobody-not even ourselves. This is essential to a rewarding experience of yoga.

Postures for Peace

By the time of Patanjali's yoga sutras, which were written near the beginning of the common era, we begin to see a discussion of the more practical aspects of yoga. Posture is discussed (be it mainly for meditative purposes), as is concentration of the mind during this exercise. In the Yoga-Sutra, Patanjali presents relaxation as the very essence of yoga practice. He teaches us that posture should be steady and comfortable .This sentiment is reflected in the postures (asanas) of today's practice. The physical dimension of yogic exercise requires us to have compassion for our limits. We are never asked to push, instead only to release. Mercifully, our small efforts are graced with us connecting to a life-force that is divine and encompassing.

Asanas urge us to see our body as divine, and to nurture health in this mortal temple. Yogic adepts understand that their body is flawed, however slender and toned it may look externally. This acknowledgement leads to less judgement of other's bodies. However pleasing to the eye a yogis shape may be, the same vedic texts that encourage the practice of yoga for health, also remind us that true "liberation" comes from being free of the cycle of rebirth-free of the physical form.

Yogic postures work in contrast to the western notion of exercise. Here we see exercise as an end, such as an end to overweight and fatigue. Yoga is different. While in most forms of exercise the physical results are the sole goal, in yoga the soul is the goal. The ancient tradition of yoga exercise stands apart in its doctrines. The ancient yoga texts insist that the mind and spirit are more important than the physical body. While many other eastern forms of mind-body fitness also encourage this awareness, no other physical practice has the ultimate goal of union with the divine. In yoga, the process of attaining this union is as important as the actual attainment.

Yoga practice is not a means to an end. It is an end in of itself. Even distinguished from vedas and sutras, the modern practice of yoga posture is a beautiful and calming pursuit. Though modern yoga practice makes little mention of the scriptures that it is based on, the experience of union and compassion can be woven into each pose. In doing this we are enhancing more than our practice, we are improving our life.

Galina Pembroke is an internationally published writer. In addition she publishes and edits New View magazine online, http://www.nuvunow.ca. New View is dedicated to providing unique, non-mainstream articles for personal and planetary growth. To aid this we have rapidly expanding sections on Green Living, Animal Rights and Self-Help.

10 Tips for Selecting the Perfect Costa Rica Vacation Rental

Planning a Tropical vacation full of lush jungles, secluded beaches, and friendly people but not too expensive? Costa Rica is the place to go! But where do you stay, a resort or a private villa? Do you want long lines, crowded pools, kids running up and down the corridors? I think not.

Selecting the best Costa Rica vacation rental can be the difference between a great vacation and one where you feel like you are 'doing without'.

Many vacationers consider the Costa Rica vacation rental as 'just somewhere to stay' since most of your time will be spent in or on the water, or enjoying local attractions. Don't make that mistake. There is no reason to settle for less when, with a little planning, you can find a great Costa Rica vacation rental that you'll enjoy as much or more than the other parts of your vacation.

Remember, your vacation home is where you'll be sleeping, waking up, having many of your meals, and resting.

If it rains or is unseasonably hot outside, you may end up stretched out reading a book to while away the day or wanting to watch one of your favorite movies on the DVD ? assuming there is a comfortable sofa. And when you meet new friends, you'll want someplace nice for entertaining. Shouldn't your vacation rental be a pleasant get-away with the amenities that make vacations a real treat? "A home away from home"

Here are 10 tips to for selecting the perfect Costa Rica vacation rental:

1. The single most important factor is whether or not you can "see" actual recent photos of the interior and exterior of the vacation rental. It's one thing to read a great description ? and some of them are quite 'complimentary' (sometimes overly so) - but you need to see what you are getting.

With the Internet, a website is the quickest most convenient way for you to get information on prospective Costa Rica vacation rentals. If there are no pictures, you'll know right away to keep looking. Brochures, books and guides are nice, but may have out-dated information.

2. List the amenities that are important to you, the ones without which you will feel incomplete. Next, jot down those that are nice to have, but not deal-breakers if not available.

With these lists as a guide, you'll be able to quickly eliminate those rentals that won't meet your needs. Your list might include proximity to the water, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, type kitchen (full versus fridge and microwave), outdoor amenities such as decks and BBQ grills, ocean views, private pools, outdoor eating areas, tennis courts and other items important to you.

On your secondary list, you might have things like a hammock for lazing about, or pool waterfall for the relaxing sounds. Exterior stereo speakers, to enjoy your favorite music around the pool. Ice makers to mix your favorite drinks, especially in the heat of the day.

3. List the activities that you want to be able to enjoy while on vacation. A morning activity like scuba diving, snorkeling or canopy tour then coming back to the villa to relax may be a high priority for you. You also need to consider how close the vacation rental is to the airport. It is very important to know how far the rental is from your arrival airport. Some rentals can take a half a day's drive and after your flight even an hour's drive can seem an eternity. Your travel time back to the airport at departure can also frustrate your entire vacation. Enjoying your last morning of your vacation by a private pool instead of traveling for hours to the airport can be very important to you. For Costa Rica vacation rentals that are only 20 minutes from the Liberia International airport visit http://www.costarica-vacation-getaway.com. This will help you in selecting a general location.

You also need to consider how close you want your vacation rental to be to the attractions.

Some people feel that a great vacation is being able to walk or bicycle everywhere. Others don't mind a short drive, and still others think nothing of getting on a freeway to enjoy attractions.

If you prefer a vacation without the hassles of traffic, parking problems, crowds and long lines, select a villa located in the quaint waterfront town of Playa Panama, Costa Rica. Visit http://www.costarica-vacation-getaway.com to learn more.

4. Identify your first, second and third choice of dates for renting the villa. With several dates, you'll save time when making arrangements.

If you find a villa that you really want and you have some flexibility in scheduling, having alternate dates ready allows you to book right then, saving yourself the time and hassle of having to re-check everyone's schedule and call back ? and risking losing those dates in the interim.

5. Call the telephone numbers for the vacation rentals that seem to meet your needs and speak directly with either the owners or the person who is handling the property.

Be prepared with a list of questions. This allows you to compare apples to apples, and keeps you from forgetting something important during the conversation.

It also gives you a feel for the person who will be your contact should you rent the villa and then encounter a problem. If you don't get a warm, friendly welcome to your inquiries, don't expect anything different when you have a problem.

6. Ask what amenities are included. You may learn of something that's not on your list but is perfect for your plans. Does the rental have maid service? Last thing you want to do is make the beds or clean the dishes, even if there is a dishwasher. Does the rental have a washer and dryer? If so, you will not have to take as many cloths with you. Will the maid wash your cloths before your departure? Coming home with a suitcase full of clean cloths is certainly a benefit.

Other things to consider: Is there a welcome basket? Will the owner have essential items in the refrigerator for you, before your arrival? Can you make arrangements for tours? Are there plates, utensils, pots, pans and other essentials for eating and meal preparation ? or will you have to bring your own? Does the rental have air condition or do you have to depend on the winds to comfort you?

7. Inquire about restaurants, events and activities and other forms of local entertainment that are close by. Here's where your list of preferred activities comes in handy. You should be able to find links to local attractions, calendars and restaurants on the website of your Costa Rica vacation rental.

8. Are the owners local or do they have a management team helping 24/7? Owners are a wealth of information about the area and can give you tips on great out-of-the-way places that aren't in the guidebooks. They also care about your enjoyment and comfort while at their villa.

This can make a huge difference; especially should something need immediate attention in the villa. There's nothing worse than calling the rental company about a stopped-up toilet and getting somebody's bored teenager who's manning the phones for the summer.

9. How long has the owner been renting vacation rentals? If the owner has worked with rental properties, they know what tenants expect and how to get things done.

If this is a new venture, beware. The owner may be in it for "fun" and have no idea how to prepare the villa so that you can have a great vacation.

10. And last, when you look at the pictures, can you see yourself having a great time there?

If the pictures make you want to go right now, and the answers to the questions above meet your satisfaction, you've found yourself a great Costa Rica vacation rental!

Paul has been traveling to Costa Rica since 2001. Purchased property 2001 and built a villa in 2002. Handles villa rentals for five additional villas. Two, three, four and five bedroom villa's available.

http://www.costarica-vacation-getaway.com
info@costarica-vacation-getaway.com

Be Abundant...Set a New Mental Equivalent

Limiting beliefs, just like positive, empowering thoughts, provide a foundation for our experiences and what we demonstrate. Old beliefs can leave us behind ? and are often stale, lingering ideas left-over from our childhood experiences or from other areas of life that no longer carry any useful meaning. Abandoning negative assumptions about lack opens room to develop an abundant mindset. We can do that by setting a new mental equivalent that resets the dial on our trust channel ? the channel we listen to that tells us to trust that we already have everything. A belief system must change in order to create a new reality.

Emmet Fox, a 1940's New Thought minister and author, stressed the importance of setting a mental equivalent to create an abundant life, borrowing the term from chemistry and physics. For example, engineers must work out the equivalent of heat in order to determine how much energy it represents in the form of another energy. They can determine how much fuel it takes to drive an engine and how much processing energy it takes to produce the fuel. A mental equivalent is a wonderful metaphor for how we are perfectly capable of instituting positive change in our lives and world. Like engineers, we can create the equivalent of every experience or object in the physical world by changing the thought to which it corresponds.

Scientifically, we've accepted that one kind of energy translates into another to produce that same effect. Everything on earth is energy anyway. All matter, when it's broken down into sub-atomic particles, is energy. This article is energy, the dog is energy, you are energy. The same is true for the energy of thought. To attract goodness, you must set a mental equivalent of goodness by accepting you are worthy of receiving good, visualizing it, and feeling the goodness coming to you. If you want prosperity, wealth, happiness, that is where you must spend time mentally, not once a week, but all the time.

Emmet taught that whatever you want in life - a satisfying job, healthy body, friends, or opportunities, you must first set a mental equivalent to attract it. If you have something you want to get rid of - ill health, strife or poverty - then first get rid of the mental equivalent by striking the belief that those ideas and experiences must be part of your world and the world at large. Shed your old mental equivalent skin. Then you will begin to make change, not just for yourself but for others around you.

Feel what you want with tremendous emotion, be grateful, rejoice in the abundance of everything. Notice joy and prosperity everywhere, be thankful to be part of an incredible, spiritual universal equation of such magnificent complexity that you are humbled by its awe. Think gigantic. Set the bar as high as you want - there is no reason to feel limited because your true nature makes that impossible anyway. Don't be fearful of living, of failure, of the future - you already know how unproductive fear can be, as our collective consciousness has translated fear over the millennium into a belief in lack, poverty, and illness.

Emmet's concept of mastery included two key principles he called clarity and interest. An abundant life is derived from the ability to mentally straddle the line between clarity, or knowing exactly what you want and believing you are already in receipt of it, and interest, or the emotional feelings you have about what you want. People generally have a problem with clarity. There's an old saying, "If you don't know where you're going any road will get you there." In other words, by not knowing exactly what you want, or how you define your success and dreams, you can take any path and wander indefinitely. You'll receive exactly what you've asked for, and that is a nebulous vision of success and dreams. First homework assignment in Manifestation 101: ask for what you want. Visualize it clearly and revisit the idea often.

An error people frequently make is articulating what they want in great detail, but they lack the passion or belief in the idea. If you want to use part two of Emmet's abundance formula, then you must be sincerely interested in what you want, and emotional about seeing yourself within the idea. You must absolutely love what you want, love your vision passionately, feel it deeply, embrace it, live and breathe it. That is how something becomes part of you. It's how you claim it as your own.

Your experiences, as well as what physical objects you manifest, are effects of your thinking because they are all tempered by your belief system. Greed, selfishness, war, lack, bad economic conditions, or struggle can be manifested because they flow through a belief system, or your outer layers. We are always told not to judge by appearances. Why? Because the appearance has no value in itself. Nothing is what it seems on the outside, meaning, the effect has those attributes that you give it and nothing else. When we look behind an appearance, we look through it to the truth that lies behind it. As soon as the spiritual truth is evident to us, the appearance changes. This is the mental world that Fox spoke of, not the material world.

Abundance is a deeply spiritual lesson because it is about knowing that the presence within you constitutes your supply, which is your true source of power. Attune to your true self and channel the energies you need to create the life you desire. You can do it!

Charlene M. Proctor, Ph.D., author of Let Your Goddess Grow! 7 Spiritual Lessons on Female Power and Positive Thinking and The Women's Book of Empowerment: 323 Affirmations that Change Everyday Problems into Moments of Potential (2005) provides guidance through everyday complexity with female imagery and positive thinking. Focusing on the Divine Self, and setting a mental equivalent to institute positive change on earth, has always provided the infrastructure to Charlene's work as a researcher and simulation architect. She is deeply committed to helping others along their soul journey. Please visit http://www.thegoddessnetwork.net and register for her many self-help and inspirational programs, which include The Divine Woman, a free monthly newsletter!

A Quick and Simple Tip For Gaining Customers

In the course of my career, I've had to deal with a lot of vendors-software companies, sensor manufacturers, electronics distributors and more. Some of them have left lasting impressions on me, whereas others have been eminently forgettable. I'd like to talk about two of the more memorable vendors, and the simple technique that they used (perhaps unknowingly) which made them stand out in my memory.

As my bio shows, I have the letters "Ph.D." after my name; however, I seldom use that title, except in my various writings and official correspondence. For professional reasons, I do have these initials on my business cards and my e-mail signature; however, I never expect people to call me "Doctor," and if they do, I almost invariably insist that they call me by my first name instead. For most of my daily affairs, this title simply isn't very important.

Most salespeople don't mention this title either, which suits me just fine; after all, I've always been a fairly informal fellow. On two occasions though, a vendor actually took notice of my degree, and chose to address me using the "Doctor" honorific. Even though I normally eschew that title, this was still a pleasant surprise. It was nice to see a prospective vendor take notice of such details, however unnecessary they may be.

Any good salesman knows that building rapport and making yourself pleasantly memorable are key elements in developing customer loyalty. This simple, trivial act made these particular salesmen stand out prominently in my memory, and in a pleasant way. I'm almost ashamed to admit this, but I found that I almost wanted to send these people some of my business-perhaps because such deference is noticeably rare.

This simple tactic can be especially helpful when dealing with prospective customers of foreign descent. Remember that some cultures are more title-conscious than American society is. The failure to mention this title may prove offensive to some of these individuals-or at the very least, it may suggest a lack of attentiveness. Better to err on the side of caution, I would say.

This simple technique is exceedingly trivial to use, requiring no additional investment of time or effort. At the very least, it can be one way to make yourself stand out from the crowd of other vendors who are vying for someone's attention. So why not try it? It costs nothing, it can't possibly hurt, and it may just land you some new customers.

V. Berba Velasco Jr. is a senior electrical and software engineer at Cellular Technology Ltd (http://www.immunospot.com, http://www.elispot-analyzers.de, http://www.elispot.cn) a biotechnology company with its headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio.

PR: A Potent Force for Success

What's REALLY potent for a business, non-profit or association manager is public relations' ability to alter individual perception leading to changed behaviors. And then, to persuade those key outside folks to the manager's way of thinking, and help move them to take actions that allow their department, division or subsidiary to succeed.

Potent because public relations does something positive for managers about the behaviors of the very outside audiences of theirs that MOST affect their operation.

And ESPECIALLY appropriate when such potency helps create the kind of external stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving those manager's managerial objectives.

But how potent is it when business, non-profit and association managers are handed the precise public relations blueprint they need designed to get all their team members and organizational colleagues working towards the same external stakeholder behaviors? Wouldn't that insure that their PR thrust stays focused?

Talking about a PR blueprint plan like this one: People act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.

Yes, potent's a pretty darn good word when results like these start to crop up: a rebound in showroom visits; capital givers or specifying sources looking your way; new proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; membership applications on the rise; new feedback channels; community service and sponsorship opportunities; enhanced activist group relations; new thoughtleader and special event contacts; improved relations with government agencies and legislative bodies; prospects starting to work with you; customers making repeat purchases; promotional contest overtures, and even stronger relationships with the educational, labor, financial and healthcare communities.

It must be a prime concern to you as to who carries out this PR plan for you. Just who is going to do the work anyway? Will it be a regular public relations staff? Or people sent to you by a higher authority? Or possibly a PR agency crew? Regardless of where they come from, they must be committed to you as the senior project manager, to the PR blueprint and its implementation, starting with key audience perception monitoring.

Something to keep your eye on. Simply because a practitioner describes him/herself as a public relations specialist doesn't mean they've bought into the whole the program. Assure yourself that your team members really believe deeply why it's SO important to know how your most important outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. Be certain they buy the reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your unit.

Now spend some time reviewing the PR blueprint with your PR team, especially your plan for monitoring and gathering perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. Questions like these: how much do you know about our organization? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the interchange? How much do you know about our services or products and employees? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

Now you can use professional survey counsel for the perception monitoring phases of your program if your budget will allow. But remember that your PR people are also in the perception and behavior business and can pursue the same objective: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

It's goal-setting time. Here, you do something about the most serious distortions you discovered during your key audience perception monitoring. In other words, establish your public relations goal. And that could be to straighten out that dangerous misconception, or correct that gross inaccuracy, or stop that potentially fatal rumor dead in its tracks.

For success, you need a solid strategy, one that clearly shows you how to proceed. To keep things simple, note that there are only three strategic options available to you when it comes to handling a perception and opinion challenge. Change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. Of course, the wrong strategy pick will taste like week-old cole slaw, so be certain the new strategy fits well with your new public relations goal. Naturally, you don't want to select "change" when the facts dictate a "reinforce" strategy.

Now you need to hit members of your target audience with a powerful message. But persuading an audience to your way of thinking is hard work. Which is why your PR folks must create some very special, corrective language. Words that are not only compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual. Only in this way will you be able to correct a perception by shifting opinion towards your point of view, leading to the behaviors you are targeting.

Check out your message with your communications specialists to make certain its impact and persuasiveness measure up. Then, sharpen it before selecting the communications tactics most likely to carry your message to the attention of your target audience. You can pick from dozens that are available. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others. But be sure that the tactics you pick are known to reach folks just like your audience members.

It's well-known that the credibility of a message can depend on its delivery method. So you might consider unveiling it in presentations before smaller gatherings rather than using higher-profile tactics such as news releases. People will soon request progress reports, which will alert you and your PR team to get back out in the field and start work on a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. You'll want to use many of the same questions used in the first benchmark session. Difference this time is that you will be watching very carefully for signs that the bad news perception is being altered in your direction.

Should program momentum slow, try speeding things up with more communications tactics and increased frequencies.

By now you know this secret about potent public relations: the right PR can alter individual perception and lead to changed behaviors which, in turn, lead directly to achieving your managerial objectives.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net. Word count is 1170 including guidelines and resource box.

Robert A. Kelly ? 2004.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communi- cations, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net

Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

Motivation - The Key to Your Childs Educational Success

For the first year or two of life outside the womb, our brains are in the most impressionable state they will ever be in. A baby's brain is immediately shaped by interacting with their environment. As a parent, one can have a large influence on their newborns first encounters with learning.

The mind learns optimally when appropriately challenged in an environment that encourages taking risks. However, under perceived threat, the mind does not perform as well. This makes it harder to learn when you are nervous, stressed, or not feeling well.

Before a child learns to talk, they experience emotions. Emotions are another source for improving memory. People are better at recalling stories that held strong feelings. The emotional context plays an important role in the learning process. People with excellent memories have multiple interests. We naturally remember what we are interested in. As a parent, it is crucial to teach your child the value of learning.

Motivation is the key to learning. You can help your child to discover this thirst of knowledge before they even enter school. Here are some key steps in preparing your child to be a stellar student:

1. Fill your home with reading. Read to your child daily. Fill your home with reading material such as novels, newspapers, and educational magazines. A child is influenced by their surroundings. When a son or daughter sees a parent reading at a young age, it makes an impression. As parents, we can foster that with a love for learning. Parents are the most important modeling agent in a child???s life.

2. Encourage your child to explore his or her interests. If you have a son who loves animals, offer him some educational books about animals. If he's young, allow him to explore the world Of the National Geographic Magazines. You could also direct him to some websites that explore animal facts. You're enthusiasm over your child is motivation in itself.

3. Provide play opportunities that offer different types of learning styles. Play is one of the most powerful vehicles through which children master new skill, concepts, and experiences. This will help them solve the challenges they meet in school. Through the use of blocks, your child will develop his or her creative expression and problem solving skills. A cash register would help them recreate their own experiences. However, boxes of various sizes can be great toys that encourage your child to be creative in his or her creations.

4. When your child starts school, make sure that they are organized. An organized folder lends To an organized mind.

5. Celebrate achievements. Reward your child for large and small achievements, whether it's finishing a book or completing a major assignment in school. Positive reinforcement encourages a child to continue to challenge themselves.

6. Use everyday event as learning opportunities.Encourage your child to explore his/her world. Continually ask questions and make connections that build upon their existing knowledge. The brain learns through associations.

As a central role model, moms and dads have the responsibility to create an environment that fosters a love for learning.

Alli Ross is the webmaster at the Baby Names Box - Where you can explore over 6,000 baby names and their meanings. Read articles ranging from parenting and family to home and garden or find the perfect recipe. Be sure to say hi to GranMamma!

Establishing A Daily Meditation Practice

It's important to establish a daily practice and then stick to it. This doesn't mean dedicating 12 hours a day to meditation, it just means creating a space in your home where you can take a few minutes and meditate and do the exercises. I advise people to start with some of the basic exercises and devote 10 -20 minutes a day as they develop their physical and mental abilities. Many people quite simply overload themselves and expect too much too soon, then get discouraged when they don't see the results they thought they should see.

Getting Started

Set aside a corner in one of your rooms. You can stock it with whatever accoutrement you wish. Many folks have cushions, candles, incense and a small CD player for music or guided meditation CD's. Use whatever tools and accessories you want to, as there's no right or wrong at this point.

Once you've created your 'sacred space' then all you have to do is use it. Set aside a few minutes each day and begin working on your breathing and Full Body Awareness. Don't worry at this point about how long you meditate, just get into the habit of doing it. The effects of meditation are cumulative, so 5 minutes a day everyday is better than 20 minutes once a week.

Eventually you'll get to the point where you don't need any accessories and you can clear your mind and meditate anywhere, at any time, but for now don't worry about that, just create a pleasant, sacred atmosphere and get started.

On 'Expectation'

In the spiritual circles we often hear people talking about doing things 'without expectation'. It's amazing how often the simple truths are all around us.

When we begin meditation or working towards the kundalini, we often feel that we should be able to do certain things within a certain time frame. We expect to be able to clear our minds and access our deeper abilities. We expect to be able to sit for an hour and meditate, or to see auras, or feel other people's chi. Then when it doesn't happen we become disappointed and confused. I can't tell you how important it is to break free of these expectations.

When we let go of expectations and learn to just relax in the moment and just BE, then we are making progress of the most important kind. In the west we tend to be so goal oriented and have a need to see results, but frequently the cumulative effects of meditation aren't noticeable until much later. Meditation is about this moment, about BEing totally in this moment, rather than about who you'll be when you've become a good meditator.

The important thing with a regular practice is to just do it. The effects are cumulative and one day you'll look back and see that all those short meditation sessions actually added up.

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Robert Morgen is a Reiki Master who currently holds a Black Belt in Hoshin Roshi Ryu. He's the founder of the Kundalini Awakening Discussion Group, the Druids Circle Discussion Group and the (offline) Druids Circle in Lakewood, CO. You can find more info on all these at; www.druidscircle.info

He's also the founder and Executive Director of the Windhaven Foundation for Sustainable Living.

He writes a regular column on subtle energy for Fight Times Magazine and a twice monthly column on Kundalini Awakening at Alumbo.com.

In addition to teaching about energy work and Kundalini Awakening he donates time to teach about Renewable Energy, Alternative Building and Creating Sustainable Lifestyles in various Public Schools.

He travels and teaches as much as possible and you can find out how to attend one of his Kundalini Awakening seminars at his website at; www.windhavenco.org

His new book "Personal Mastery: Develop Your True Inner Power By Awakening Your Kundalini" is now available at http://www.lulu.com/RobertMorgen.

Secured Holiday Loans- Your Chance To Unwind Your Senses

"All work and no play makes jack a dull boy".

The phrase sounds more as a clich?, having been used innumerable times right from the time it was coined, but has a vital message enclosed within itself. It sermonizes about the place rest has in the life of a person.

After months of hectic work, one looks forward to a day for relaxation - a day when he can rest his senses. Our body needs time to reinvigorate itself. And what better way to do this than to go on a holiday through a secured holiday loan.

But, is that so easy? No! At least not for the common men. Most of the tourist spots have become so dear that people fear going to these places. What ever refreshment they get out of the holiday, fades on watching the burgeoning bills.

Add to this the woes of credit card payment. It nearly doubles the holiday bills. However, people have a wrong conception that they can pay the holiday bills more comfortably through a credit card. It is really convenient to pay through credit cards. They do away with the need to carry a large amount of cash. Nevertheless, they have disadvantages. When we use the credit cards for making payments, we are in fact taking a loan. Credit cards charge a heavy rate of interest, and as time elapses on the payment, the amount goes on burgeoning, thus adding to the debt.

A much better idea will be to take secured holiday loans. These loans are specially designed to foot the holiday bills. The customer would have to keep his home as collateral. The amount of loan depends on the equity in the home. Larger is the value of the home, larger is the amount of loan.

To some borrowers, the prospect of keeping home as collateral will give sleepless nights. Home being a prized possession cannot be lost for a triviality like a holiday. Nevertheless, they forget that any loan, whether secured or unsecured will utilize home or any equivalent asset to settle the balance amount.

Besides, lenders charge a lower rate of interest on secured holiday loans. This is because of the comparatively lower degree of risk that they have to face. The borrower decides to pay the loan amount in small and easy monthly repayments. If he fails to pay the amount in full then the lender can initiate repossession proceedings against the borrower. Thus, the lender is assured of full repayment in any case.

Choosing the appropriate lender would be an important step in the process. There are many lenders offering secured holiday loan. However, not all of them are suitable to take loans. Some may not suit your budget. Others may be charging a higher rate of interest. The search process may differ with every borrower but it is recommended to go in the following manner. The website of the loan companies give enough information about the product they are offering. Some lenders out of these are requested to place no obligation quotes of their loans. A personal meeting with a few lenders is scheduled for a final selection.

It normally takes two weeks to get the secured loan approved. It may take more time depending on the individual circumstances. Secured loans are more time taking because they necessitate valuation of the property that is a time taking process. It is better to plan for the loan weeks before the day you venture out on a holiday.

Andrew baker has done his masters in finance from CPIT. He is engaged in providing free, professional, and independent advice

to the residents of the UK.He works for the personal loan web site http://www.ukfinanceworld.co.uk for any type of uk secured loans or unsecured loan please visit http://www.ukfinanceworld.co.uk

Nine Things More Important than Capital

When starting any enterprise or business, whether it is full-time or part-time, we all know the value of having plenty of capital (money). But I bet we both know or at least have heard of people who started with no capital who went on to make fortunes. How? You may ask.

Well, I believe there are actually some things that are more valuable than capital that can lead to your entrepreneurial success. Let me give you the list.

1. Time.
Time is more valuable than capital. The time you set aside not to be wasted, not to be given away. Time you set aside to be invested in an enterprise that brings value to the marketplace with the hope of making a profit. Now we have capital time.

How valuable is time? Time properly invested is worth a fortune. Time wasted can be devastation. Time invested can perform miracles, so you invest your time.

2. Desperation.
I have a friend Lydia, whose first major investment in her new enterprise was desperation. She said, "My kids are hungry, I gotta make this work. If this doesn't work, what will I do?" So she invested $1 in her enterprise selling a product she believed in. The $1 was to buy a few fliers so she could make a sale at retail, collect the money and then buy the product wholesale to deliver back to the customer.

My friend Bill Bailey went to Chicago as a teenager after he got out of high school. And the first job he got was as a night janitor. Someone said, "Bill, why would you settle for night janitor?" He said, "Malnutrition." You work at whatever you can possibly get when you get hungry. You go to work somewhere -- night janitor, it doesn't matter where it is. Years later, now Bill is a recipient of the Horatio Alger award, rich and powerful and one of the great examples of lifestyle that I know. But, his first job -- night janitor. Desperation can be a powerful incentive. When you say - I must.

3. Determination.
Determination says I will. First Lydia said, "I must find a customer." Desperation. Second, she said, "I will find someone before this first day is over." Sure enough, she found someone. She said, "If it works once, it will work again." But then the next person said, "No." Now what must you invest?

4. Courage.
Courage is more valuable than capital. If you've only got $1 and a lot of courage, I'm telling you, you've got a good future ahead of you. Courage in spite of the circumstances. Humans can do the most incredible things no matter what happens. Haven't we heard the stories? There are some recent ones from Kosovo that are some of the most classic, unbelievable stories of being in the depths of hell and finally making it out. It's humans. You can't sell humans short. Courage in spite of, not because of, but in spite of. Now once Lydia has made 3 or 4 sales and gotten going, here's what now takes over.

5. Ambition.
"Wow! If I can sell 3, I can sell 33. If I can sell 33, I can sell 103." Wow. Lydia is now dazzled by her own dreams of the future.

6. Faith.
Now she begins to believe she's got a good product. This is probably a good company. And she then starts to believe in herself. Lydia, single mother, 2 kids, no job. "My gosh, I'm going to pull it off!" Her self-esteem starts to soar. These are investments that are unmatched. Money can't touch it. What if you had a million dollars and no faith? You'd be poor. You wouldn't be rich. Now here is the next one, the reason why she's a millionaire today.

7. Ingenuity.
Putting your brains to work. Probably up until now, you've put about 1/10 of your brainpower to work. What if you employed the other 9/10? You can't believe what can happen. Humans can come up with the most intriguing things to do. Ingenuity. What's ingenuity worth? A fortune. It is more valuable than money. All you need is a $1 and plenty of ingenuity. Figuring out a way to make it work, make it work, make it work.

8. Heart and Soul.
What is a substitute for heart and soul? It's not money. Money can't buy heart and soul. Heart and soul is more valuable than a million dollars. A million dollars without heart and soul, you have no life. You are ineffective. But, heart and soul is like the unseen magic that moves people, moves people to buy, moves people to make decisions, moves people to act, moves people to respond.

9. Personality.
You've just got to spruce up and sharpen up your own personality. You've got plenty of personality. Just get it developed to where it is effective every day, it's effective no matter who you talk to - whether it is a child or whether it is a business person - whether it is a rich person or a poor person. A unique personality that is at home anywhere. One of my mentors, Bill Bailey, taught me, "You've got to learn to be just as comfortable, Mr. Rohn, whether it is in a little shack in Kentucky having a beer and watching the fights with Winfred, my old friend or in a Georgian mansion in Washington, DC as the Senator's guest."

Move with ease whether it is with the rich or whether it is with the poor. And it makes no difference to you who is rich or who is poor. A chance to have a unique relationship with whomever. The kind of personality that's comfortable. The kind of personality that's not bent out of shape.

And lastly, let's not forget charisma and sophistication. Charisma with a touch of humility. This entire list is more valuable than money. With one dollar and the list I just gave you, the world is yours. It belongs to you, whatever piece of it you desire whatever development you wish for your life. I've given you the secret. Capital. The kind of capital that is more valuable than money and that can secure your future and fortune. Remember that you lack not the resources.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn's Weekly E-zine. Copyright 2005 Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved worldwide. To subscribe to Jim Rohn's Weekly E-zine, go to http://Jim-Rohn.InspiresYOU.com

Shopping Tips and Tricks to Finding the Perfect Pair of Shoes

This article will provide you with some useful shopping tips and tricks to finding a perfect pair of shoes.

Following a recent advertising campaign I asked a number of women what information they would find most useful about womens shoes.

After collating the feedback received the majority asked for:-

• How to find the right size and width
• How to find discount or inexpensive designer shoes
• Assurance of return policy/shipping service etc
• How to choose fashionable shoes that are comfortable
• Reasonable priced shoes without searching all day to compare prices
• Quality - how to recognise poor quality shoes

HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT SIZE AND WIDTH

Know your shoe size and always choose a pair in your true size. The size you usually wear.

Most online shoe stores offer half sizes.

Unless the store is in Great Britain or Australia, most online shoe stores list their shoes in US sizes.

Check your country shoe size. For instance I live in England and my size is UK 7. In US this would be a size 9.5 and European size 40.

Not all online shoe stores offer narrow or wide width shoes.

If you require a narrow or wide width shoe try to choose stores that provide these.

It would be disappointing to go shoe shopping and find a pair of shoes you love only to discover the store only offers standard widths.

HOW TO FIND DISCOUNT OR INEXPENSIVE DESIGNER SHOES

The beauty of online shoe shopping is that the majority of the top stores offer up to and more than 100 designer branded shoes.

It is unrealistic to expect to get yourself a pair of Gucci shoes and only pay $30 for them.

However, there are shoe stores that offer such designer names at far lower prices than you would expect to pay at a boutique or mall store.

There are sites that have unique partnerships with designer houses and only offer end of season or discounted items.

Be very wary of doing random searches for designer shoes online.

The increase in fake or replica items is on the increase.

You might end up paying a little more than some of these sites offer. However, shopping with a reputable store will ensure you get what you are paying for and not some fake or replica item that will only be very poor quality.

Sadly sites offering fake goods are only after your money and not to give you any customer satisfaction in terms of service or quality product.

ASSURANCE OF RETURNS / SHIPPING POLICY

There a few top stores that offer free shipping [usually within the US or their own country] and free returns.

Stores usually only charge for worldwide delivery.

Always check the return policy before actually paying for your shoes.

Reputable online stores offer excellent customer service and make great effort to ensure their customers are happy.

They give you fast delivery and a free or inexpensive return service.

HOW TO CHOOSE FASHIONABLE SHOES THAT ARE COMFORTABLE

Almost all top internet shoe stores offer designer and branded shoes which means they are well made and have comfort elements taken into account.

There will always be reports out there that high heels will ruin your feet.

A poor quality pair of any shoe including high heels certainly will but you can be fashionable without sacrificing the comfort and health of your feet.

Current fashion spreads across an enormous selection of styles which means you don't have to have towering high heels to be fashionable.

Wedge heels are very fashionable at the moment.

Due to the fact that you have a wedge heel rather than a spike or narrow high heel they are very easy to walk in.

You won't feel like you have the height they actually are.

Wedge heels give you all the benefits of high heels such as lengthening and slimming the look of your legs and lifting the posture of your bottom.

They also come in closed toes, sandals and lots of different colours and textures with ankle ties or straps.

High heels will always be fashionable and wedge heels are a great way to get the heel without the wobble if you struggle to walk in heels.

Sabrina or kitten heels are quite in vogue.

The heel is only up to a couple of inches in height. You do still get the heel benefits but are extremely comfortable and easy to walk in.

Flat sandals or flip flops will always be comfortable if they are well made.

If you don't fancy being completely flat you can get wedge flip flops or small heeled sandals.

A shopping tip to remember with sandals is to choose something that flatters your feet.

If you have long toes or feet, choose a flip flop that has some detail at the centre of the thong. This draws the eye away from your toes and creates width rather than length.

Sandals that have a strap or band across the foot to reveal your toes will draw attention to your toes. Trying sandals that have a thong style will reveal more of your foot.

Shopping tips show that an ankle tied sandal which will draw attention to your legs as well as your feet.

Loafers or slip on flat shoes are always comfortable.

Shoe shopping trends show that indian style satin slippers are extremely fashionable at the moment you can choose a few pairs in a variety of styles and maintain the flat heel.

A good shopping tip is to choose one with a genuine leather hard sole. The quality is better and they won't fall to pieces after short while either.

Mules and pumps are becoming more popular and designers are creating collections of colours and styles in these ranges.

REASONABLE PRICES WITHOUT SEARCHING ALL DAY TO COMPARE PRICES

Top online shoe stores are extremely competitive.

Behind the scenes each store will compete for certain key words that their visitors search for.

For instance if you are looking for a flip flop and go to your search engine and type in 'womens flip flops' you will see pages of listings to choose from.

Each company's listing has competed against the next to get higher up on the search engine page.

Their listings then entice you to click on their listing.

Just because you click on the top listing doesn't mean you are getting the best store for womens flip flops.

It just means that particular listing has competed better for that particular word and got to the top.

Unless you have purchased shoes online and know of a few reputable stores, its best to check out a guide or read up on what to look for.

Prices vary enormously online. The top online stores remain at the top because they offer their customers low prices and quality products.

These stores will regularly offer sales and maintain low prices.

Again, don't expect to buy a pair of Gucci shoes for $30. You can expect to get shoes far cheaper than in the stores at the mall and a greater choice of quality designers and shoes in general.

A good shopping tip is to shop around the top online shoe stores. All have regular sales and heavily discounted lines.

HOW TO RECOGNISE POOR QUALITY

Due to the fact that online shoe stores only offer branded items, you can be assured of the quality.

A good shopping tip is to look at the shoe images on the sites you are shopping at. They should be clear and a description and larger photo available for you to view.

Don't waste your shopping time buying shoes from sites that offer little or no choice in terms of both styles and sizes.

The store doesn't have to be the largest out there but any store should offer you a good selection to choose from.

The quality of the site itself is also a good indication on what you can expect in terms of service and value for your money.

If you find it impossible to locate the policy, terms of use or contact us page try and avoid. Its important to have clear policies.

A shopping tip to remember is the more customer service benefits you see the better your overall shopping experience will be with them.

IMPORTANT TIPS

Shopping tips are important if you want to do this in a breeze. Try to decide what you want before starting out and remember some of the things outlined above.

Payment is an extremely important factor and you should never give your credit card or personal details if you are not on a secure site or subscribing to something.

An accurate way and most important of the shopping tips is to check that the payment page is secure is to look at your browser. It takes a second.

The browser is the white box you see at the top of the web page beginning http://www.thenameofthepage.com

When you have selected your item[s] and click to checkout the browser screen should change to https://www.thenameofthepage.com/paymentorcheckout.html

Or something along those lines.

What is important is the little letter s. This means you are on a secure page to provide your payment details.

If you note these shopping tips your online shoe shopping experience will be a good one.

Shelley Costello is owner and author of the Womens Shoes Guru. The site gives a factual and honest guide to choosing womens shoe online. Provides extensive information on little known secret benefits of womens shoes as well as giving a clear understanding of shoe designs.

http://www.womens-shoes-guru.com

Credit Reporting: How Does It Work?

In order to determine a consumer's credit worthiness, creditors and lending institutions have come to depend on credit reporting agencies. Credit reporting agencies supply individual reports that provide consumer specific information for lending purposes. With the advent of technology, most creditors now have automated systems that provide them direct access to credit reporting agencies. In most cases, credit agencies or credit bureaus provide personal, legal, and account history related information. In recent years it has become more common for lending institutions to use multiple credit reports to meet lending requirements. Besides meeting lending requirements, multiple reports also provide additional security measures. Using multiple sources for reporting purposes provides a more comprehensive and complete background check on a consumer's credit and spending history.

Traditionally, when a consumer submits a credit application, creditors forward that information to the credit reporting agencies. This is how credit reporting agencies are able to accumulate personal information on people. This information often includes items such as the consumer's name, address, social security number, employment information, marital status, telephone number, and possibly income. By utilizing credit reports, lending institutions are able to cross-reference the information that a consumer provides on a credit application with the information that the credit reporting agencies have on file. Some credit reporting agencies even hire companies and or contractors to research and verify that the information entered on a consumer's credit application is accurate and verifiable.

Most credit accounts, on a monthly basis, are reported to credit reporting agencies; these reports will reflect a payment and account history for all credit related accounts. The information that a credit reporting agency provides is known to as a tradeline. On a credit report, there is traditionally a tradeline for every creditor that reports account information to the bureaus.

As I mentioned earlier, not all lending institutions report to the credit bureaus; however, most do. The major credit bureaus provide reports which include a consumer's payment history in 30-day intervals. This is due to the fact that most consumer billing cycles follow a similar payment pattern. Most lending institutions have a proprietary set of rules and guidelines that govern the thresholds at which they report consumers as being delinquent in their payments. It has been my experience that some lenders have gone as far as not report delinquency until the consumer's account reaches 60 days past due. Other lenders are much stricter in their guidelines and will report delinquency at 30 days past due. Traditionally, a credit report will provide a detailed summary of any delinquency you have had with your creditors. This is measured by the number of times that you fallen more than 30, 60, 90, and 120 days past due. Many of these credit reports use a rating system that assigns a specific status code to each 30-day period of missed payments.

In the consumer lending industry, this method is often referred to as the simple method. For example, an R-1 rating represents a consumer account that is current or an account that was paid properly and that is in good standing; an R-2 rating indicates that payments were paid 30 days or more after the due date but less than 60 days after the original due date; an R-3 rating represents that the bill was paid 60 or more days after the original due date but is less than 90 days past due; an R-4 rating shows that a consumer has fallen 90 or more days past due but is less than 120 days delinquent; an R-5 rating indicates that a consumer has fallen 120 or more days past their original due date; an R-7 rating shows that a creditor was forced to repossess collateral on the account and an R-8 rating means that the account was referred to collections in an attempt to recoup payment. The rating of R-9 is traditionally used to show that a debt or debts have been discharged through bankruptcy, have been repossessed or foreclosed upon, or are currently in collections.

Alan Barnes IAPDA Certified Debt Arbitrator and President and CEO of Debt Regret, Inc. http://www.debtregret.com

My First Year In Cyber Space

My first year as a Cyberpreneur was a steeplearning-curve. I was an academic beforestarting an online business, so I had a lot to learn.But even if you were in offline-business before goingonline, you may still have to learn some new skills-online business is a whole new ball-game. Here aresome of the things I learnt in my first year in CyberSpace:

(1) Be careful who you register your domain with.Some domain name registrars make it very difficult tochange your web host.

I registered my first two domains with a registrarthat caused me more headaches than I care to thinkabout.

When I needed to transfer one of my domain names to anew web host, my original email address had changed. Iwas no longer able to send them an email from thataddress and so I couldn't authenticate my request fordomain transfer.

So I tried to update my personal record with my newemail address. I got a message saying that I couldonly change my email address by sending an email frommy original email address (which no longer existed).

This bureaucratic nightmare went on for 4 weeks. Toadd to my frustration, I was communicating with amachine, not a human being. By the end of that time Ihad no less than 35 computer-generated emails tellingme that my domain could not be transferred.

Finally, I sent my request for domain transfer in a5-page fax, including photocopy of my passport. Theythen sent me an email saying my request for domaintransfer could not be processed because my request wasnot on company letterhead.

So I designed a letterhead and re-submitted the 5-pagefax. Finally, 6 weeks after my first request, my domain wastransferred.

To avoid this kind of experience I recommend you useregister.com: http://www.register.com

Using their online Domain Manager, it took me lessthan two minutes to transfer my domain!

(2) A slow-loading index page is still one of themain reasons that online businesses lose customers.

Surveys show that the average surfer will wait no morethan 8 seconds for a web page to load before movingonto another website. So 'load-time' is a vitalconsideration when you choose a web host.

Below is a website that allows you to check the load-timeof a web host:http://www.hostpulse.com/app/networktools/ping.asp

(3) Once you've designed your home page and uploadedit to your server space, check to see what it lookslike to other people. What you're seeing may not bewhat other people are seeing.

I once designed a home page I was very proud of - Ihad added a piece of javascript that gave the day anddate.

Then one day I checked my home page at Anybrowser.com.I was horrified to see that my home page was invisibleexcept for my company logo and the navigation bar. Fortwo weeks it had been virtually blank to mostvisitors! So take a minute and look at your websitethrough your visitors' browser:http://www.anybrowser.com/siteviewer.html

(4) If a customer asks you for a refund, give it tothem immediately, even if you think it's unjustified.You'll be out of pocket by a few dollars, but yourname and your integrity will be intact. Your good nameis perhaps your most precious commodity on theInternet. Remember these words from Shakespeare:

"Who steals my purse steals trash;

'tis something, nothing;

'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands;

But he that filches from me my good name

Robs me of that which not enriches him,

And makes me poor indeed."

(Othello, Act III. Scene III.)

(5) Reply to emails quickly. Nothing impresses memore on the Internet than a rapid response to abusiness enquiry. Try and respond within 2 hours, orat least within 24 hours.

(6) Never reply angrily to abusive emails or flames.People who send flames want you to reply, but there isnothing to be gained by replying. An abusive email canbe very disturbing, but the best thing to do is ignoreit. Better still delete it - that way you remove itfrom your life and you remove the temptation to reply.

(7) Lastly, never give up. Most successes are due tosheer persistence:

"Nothing in the world can take the place of

persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common

than unsuccessful men of talent. Genius will not; the

world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and

determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan, 'press

on' has solved, and always will solve, the problems of

the human race." (Calvin Coolidge)

------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Southon has been writing for the Internet for over 3
years. He has shown hundreds of webmasters how to use this
simple technique to build a successful online business. Click
here to find out more: http://ezine-writer.com/
------------------------------------------------------------

Cable Ads 5 Bucks!

Cable has grown from 13 houses connected together in 1948 to coverage of nearly 70% of all households in the U.S. With dozens, even hundreds of channels, Cable is now a major player for local advertising dollars, some for less than 5 bucks.

On the Mary Tyler Moore Show in the 1960's, most of the people shortened her name from "Mary" to "Mare". We, as a group, have a tendency to find the short cut, giving nick name to names that could stand on their own. Mary didn't need to be any shorter, but it was cute to cut it down. Many Margarets are called Peggy, figure that one out. And many if not most John's are called Jack.

It is little surprise that Cable became the shortened name for Community Antenna Television, CATV. In the days of CATV, local commercial inserts were not available.

Community Antenna Television, CATV originated as a service to those who lived in an area where TV was impossible to see. I visited the home of a friend's mother in the mountains of North Carolina several decades ago. With a tall antenna and booster amplifiers, the best she could do was a fuzzy picture on ONE channel. Legends abound about who had the first community antenna. Most research says the first official CATV company began charging a fee to hook up in 1948. In those days CATV was no more than one big antenna tower on a high hill (or mountain) with a Cable running down the side and two or more homes connected.

In 1972, Charles Dolan and Gerald Levin of Sterling Manhattan Cable launched the nation's first pay?TV network, Home Box Office (HBO). Cable became more than an antenna for local stations. Cable became a major player.

Today, most Cable companies have the ability to INSERT your commercial into many of the Cable networks. The networks don't stop the show with a black screen for local commercials, instead they fill the space with ads that sell something (exercise machines, fancy knives, or something from Ron Popeil). "..order now and we'll make the 4th payment for you!"

Local Cable commercial insertions are available 15 (or more) major networks and the list grows every month. Local advertisers can no longer afford to ignore the marketing potential, and lost cost, available through the use of Cable advertising.

Most offer a package that will put your commercial into a mix of Cable network programs at all hours of the day for as little as $5 per commercial. Yup, $5 for a commercial on ESPN, CNN Headline News or the Discovery Channel. The premium channels (those that cost extra above the standard cable package, HBO, Showtime etc.) do not allow commercials to be inserted

The Cable people sell very large packages with hundreds of commercials, splattered over all the networks allowing insertions. You have no control over where, when, or what channel your ad will appear. As a result, you get hundreds for a low price.

You can see why this is so by working the math. Ask the Cable TV salesman how many channels he has on his system, and how many homes are connected. Then ask how many channels will have your commercials.

If there are 10,000 homes connected and the system has 25 channels and your ads will be inserted into 5 channels you will need a lot of ads to reach even a small percentage of the people. Ads are inserted into news and sports channels and entertainment and super station channels. Computers do it automatically, so the Cable company doesn't have to have people on the job 24 hours a day to run your commercial. Cable companies can insert one or one thousand commercials with a few keystrokes and with thousands of slots every day, they have no problem selling you a bunch for little money.

The major drawback of advertising on Cable is the amateurish way most Cable commercials are produced. Because of the low price for the ads, Cable companies often produce commercials with a tech school graduate and a mini cam.

Don't expect award winning commercials for five bucks. Some charge extra to produce your commercial, some offer it as a part of the package. Take a look at what they have done for others. Ask to see a demo reel. If you don't like what you see, consider hiring your own crew to do it your way.

One way or another you will have to pay some extra to get a good commercial. Make one that will last for some time. After all it will take a long time for it to show up in all the prime slots on all the insert networks.

Professionally produced commercials can cost over $5,000 for 30 seconds and may take as long as a week for initial taping, longer for final editing.

This cost can be reduced if you perform the creative function and write your own commercials as well as furnishing talent for the ads. Some frugal advertisers have been able to hold production costs to as little as $200 per ad.

As with all commercials, make sure your name and what you do is at the beginning, at least in the middle and at the end. Phone number is not as important as name. You don't watch TV with a pad and pencil to write down phone numbers and neither does anyone else. Get them to remember your company. Cook up a slogan.

Avoid the trap of being talked into standing in front of store and doing the ad yourself. Most Cable sales reps will trot this out first thing. Ego sells! Your friends may mention it, but it will not sell as well as a commercial featuring what you can do for those viewing at home. Remember, advertising is not about YOU, it's about THEM. Value and benefits, value and benefits, not, "look at me and my kids".

Cable can be an effective part of your local advertising mix at a very reasonable price.

For more about advertising get my article "What the Newspaper Won't Tell You" MailTo:NewspaperAds@BigIdeasGroup.com

?2005 BIG Mike McDaniel All Rights Reserved Mike@BIGIdeasGroup.com BIG Mike is a Professional Speaker and Small Business Consultant with over 30 years experience, http://BIGIdeasGroup.com

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