I have been to my local gym to exercise, swim and use their public steam bath many times. One of my favorite things about this experience is to enjoy ten minutes of sitting in the steam bath. The heat and moisture make me feel good and more energetic during the rest of my day.

One of the things I hate about the steam bath is that many many times I’ve sat in the steam bath when there is barely any steam at all. I’ve watched people use various methods of trying to get the steam regulator to cool down, thus triggering the release of more steam. The small regulating device is strategically placed at a height of 6 1/2 feet and must be all of about 3/4 of an inch wide. Some people are successful at getting it to restart the steam. They were either taller than I was or had a better water bottle.

If you have ever tried to actually squirt water out of a drinking container, you’ll know that the water doesn’t go very far and accuracy is difficult to obtain. I have thought many times in the past as I was sitting in the steam bath that I should buy a cheap water gun and see if that would work. I had the idea months ago, but today I actually went to buy the water gun  and make it part of the necessary piece of equipment for my exercise routine.

I walked into the steam room. There were about six people sitting there and the steam looked like it was on its way to fizzling out. I sat down and inquired about the steam. I was told that it had just stopped but had previously been fine. I took my little water gun, filled with tap water and proceeded to take aim at the regulator. My first few attempts seemed to miss the bulls eye, but I continued until I could see that it was hitting it and felt that it had been sufficiently soaked. I walked to the seating area and within ten seconds the steam started coming forth with vigor. It provided the group with the best steam bath. In fact it got so hot in there that several people left.

What I learned from this experience is that if there is something that you can control to improve your life, do it. Don’t just think about it. Do it. The next time I go to the gym, I feel confident that I will be able to enjoy the best steam bath possible at the time that I want it to and it cost me 99 cents. That is really sweet.

When you work on the Internet and devote your days to building your business, many things that you choose to do can grow your business. However there are a slew of things that you can do that will not help you in the least. You have most likely already spent hours and hours getting distracted from your main Internet goals in the past.  Choose to do something that you know will help. Are you offering people better information? Are you offering them a reason to link to your site? Are you improving anything about your services and letting people know?

Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her. But once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game. ~ Voltaire

Great Expectations

I have cut, sliced and diced hundreds of onions. So many that when I cut this onion open and saw these funny faces smiling back at me, I had to laugh. I was amazed at how perfect these images seemed. To refresh my memory of what onions normally look like, I cut into another onion and found the look I usually find – one center and concentric circles. This onion produced two smiley faces. Totally unexpected! Sometimes it is better to expect the unexpected.

In any business people try to predict their success and  rely on statistics to back up their predictions. With the Internet this method doesn’t always work.

Many people start Internet businesses and plan to be successful. They’ve got a great business idea and they invest money and time towards building the business. They literally do everything they can do. What sometimes happens is that they don’t get enough traffic to sustain the business and they stop trying. This is not what they expected.

The Unexpected

On the other hand there are people who start an Internet business and have no expectations of being wildly successful, but they enjoy trying new things and testing different methods of getting their business to work. They actual stumble upon little ideas and little tricks that end up making their business earn more money. Repeating this as a regular work habit can make the site profitable.

Think about your expectations of your Internet business. Is it going well or is it a project that you have abandoned?

In a search for “websites that fail” an article was listed called The number 1 Reason Why Most Websites Fail. You would expect this site to tell you about reasons sites fail, however this site was an example of failure. Mistakes on the page were causing major errors that failed to pull in the correct information in five different areas. This is the advice they give.

Websites do fail. Lots of them fail. You will see many of them every day. Some of them fail to inspire or enthuse. Some fail to get found at all. Some fail to get completed. Some fail to understand the needs of the people visiting them. But there is an underlying common reason for all these failings..

This site expected to be an authority on why websites fail, but lost credibility because their own site was failing. That wasn’t what was expected.

Finding Success With Internet Start Ups

In 1969, Honeywell International Inc. developed a computer that sold for $10,600. It was advertised as a kitchen computer because back then, the engineers decided that the only reason people would want to use a personal computer at home was to store recipes. That was what they expected people to wanted to do. Not one of the computers they designed sold. Did they expect that when developing this product? I’m quite sure they didn’t.

When you start your business on the Internet remember to expect the unexpected. It will give you  patience while you work on your site and build it and continue to build it. Success for you may be right around the corner.

In life there is nothing more unexpected and surprising than the arrivals and departures of pleasure. If we find it in one place to-day, it is vain to seek it there to-morrow. You can not lay a trap for it.
~ Alexander Smith, Scottish poet

Creativity comes from looking for the unexpected and stepping outside your own experience.
~Masaru Ibuka, co-founder of Sony Corporation

Sometimes it is better to expect the unexpected.

Based on clinical experiences in Japan and the United States, drinking alkalized and ionized water has helped people feel more energy and regain a sense of health and well being.The Enagic Corporation, a Japanese water technology company, has patented a machine that will alkalize and ionize water and now it is finally available in the United States. That machine produces “Kangen” water.

Kangen drinking water has produced so many positive, healing results with people who are having health issues that Japan has named this device a “medical device.” This water technology has been used in Japanese hospitals for over 30 years. You may be wondering what benefits this Kangen drinking water could give you.

Here are the top four reasons for drinking Kangen water:

1. To Balance the Body PH – The water raises the PH of tap water by “ionizing” the water molecule resulting in H+ and OH- ions. Overall, this increases the bicarbonate buffers in the blood, balancing the body and helps in neutralizing and excreting built up acids and toxins.

2. It Increases Hydration – Ionization reduces the size of the water molecule by 2/3, making it more able to penetrate the cellular membranes in our bodies. It speeds up the building of new tissue and waste removal through the lymphatic system.

3. Increases Blood Oxygenation – The OH- rich alkaline water makes more oxygen readily available to enrich the blood. Increased oxygenation can speed healing and increase one’s energy level.

4. Neutralizes Free Radical – The alkaline water with an abundance of OH- ions have extra electrons that easily neutralize destructive free radicals circulating throughout the body. Kangen water carries a high negative ORP (oxygen reduction potential) when it is first produced, making it a potent antioxidant. It also improves the absorption and utilization of food or supplements. This allows the natural healing process to predominate and promote health. Here are some surprising benefits of using other PH levels of water that the Kangen Water Machine produces.

Strong Alkaline Water with an 11.5 PH has some very powerful absorption properties that makes it excellent for use as a cleaning agent. People have used this water to remove carpet stains, clean household items and as a pain reliever in muscle strains or deep injuries to the body.

Beauty Water with a 5.5 PH has amazing properties when applied topically. This PH is similar to your natural skin’s PH and acts as a toner. Used on the face and skin, it softens the skin and makes it look beautiful. When sprayed on hair, it makes your hair shiny and radiant looking.

Strong Acidic Water with a 2.5 PH is not to be used for drinking. It has the ability to kill germs. In fact it has been used in restaurants to keep utensils and cutting boards clean and used in hospitals as a disinfectant. As seen on a short movie clip at our websites, bacteria die on contact with the 2.5 PH water. This type of water has been beneficial in replacing pesticides in agricultural crops in Japan.

Please use the contact us link to find out more about the Kangen Water Filter for your home.

1. Set a goal – If there is a need for you to lose some weight through eating healthy, set a goal for yourself on how much weight you aim to lose in a month’s time. Of course, you would need the assistance of your doctor to determine the numbers that won’t be a health risk.

2. Commit to your eating plan – If you are doing it just because your doctor told you to, it won’t work. You have to be committed to eating healthy and you have to know that doing this will do your body a lot of good.

3. Plan a Menu – Plan a menu that suits your diet. If you cook it yourself, it’s better so you know what’s in the food you eat. Research online for easy to cook recipes that you can try. This way you won’t have to stick to eating carrots or celery or any of those boring and bland food.

4. Do Not Eat Fast Food – Do not order from any fast food chain. You have to think that this will not only ruin your diet but will also defeat the fact that you have a healthy diet plan.

5. Reflect – Before you give yourself a fresh start on your eating plan, reflect first on why you are sticking to your diet. Reflect on why you are doing it and once you know the importance of your diet plan you’re good to go.

6. Recognize that people around you are not on the same diet plan – With other people in your workplace eating burgers and other greasy types of food, temptation to eat fast food is everywhere. With this in mind, you can tell your colleagues or the people around you that you are trying something new so you’d have to say no to that pizza they are offering you.

7. Support System – A support system plays a huge part in staying on your healthy eating plan. Tell your family or your friends what you need to do and make them understand why you are doing this. With a good support system, by the time you feel like stopping your eating plan altogether, they will be the ones who will encourage you to continue with your diet.

8. Learn to Say No – Let’s face it, not many people will understand why you no longer eat what you used to eat. If some of the people you know keep on nagging you to eat something that is not included in your eating plan, just say “No”.

9. Live and Let Live – Accept the fact that your family or your friends may not join you in your diet. Do not feel alone at all just because of your diet. Let them enjoy what they eat while you enjoy yours.

10. Give Yourself a Holiday – You can take a break on Sundays and then go right back to your diet plan on Monday. Giving yourself a holiday is a good idea so that you won’t get tired of your eating plan.

Are you letting yourself dream about things that make you happy or about the life you want to have?

Dreaming is the precursor of reality, so dream on.

Our lives can become so wrapped up in schedules and routines, that we sometimes get bored with life. Vacations have a definite purpose in our psyches. When you are on vacation, you let yourself dream about how things could be different in your life. That dreaming is the basis of actual change.

Change something in your life today that you never thought of before. Do something different. Picture yourself in a different life costume and see how it fits.

Bishop John C. Wester of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, Utah, spoke at a recent luncheon held to honor Martin Luther King. It was inspirational and I felt honored to be able to attend. I wish that more people could have heard this speech. A small part of Bishop Wester’s speech is included in the video below.

For those that have trouble hearing this speech, I have included part of it below:

He did much to leave our country a better place, where peace and harmony could thrive. He brought us a long, long way. And although we have a long way to go, we are not defeated. We are after all a people of hope. A hope enlivened by President-elect Obama, in his historic journey to the white house. He has proven that Martin’s dream is more than that. It is a vision of greater things to come. The first installments of which we are all living in these days of transition. It is fitting then that we pause to remember Martin Luther King Jr. today as we anticipate the inauguration next week.

Ours is an arduous task as we seek to live the values that Martin Luther King espoused.

Taking that path of Desmond Tutu, we seek to fashion a country that embraces eulogy, harmony, and peace.

While this task is daunting, there are ways to begin immediately. For example, this January 19th is a Martin Luther King Jr. day of service. Based on his quote, “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve,” we are inspired to strengthen our communities and achieve common goals through service.”

Last year, hundreds of thousands of citizens across the nation participated in this day of service. What a great way to honor Martin Luther King. Not by taking the day off, but by making the 19th a day of service.

The Drum Major Awards luncheon has been held annually in Utah to pay tribute to community leaders that showed the “drum major instinct, that Martin Luther King referred to during a talk in a 1968 sermon. In that sermon, King requested that he would be remembered as a person who tried to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, be right on the [Vietnam] war question, and love and serve humanity.

Martin Luther King gave over 2,000 speeches in his lifetime and is known as a human rights icon. In 1963, when he led people in the March on Washington, to deliver his I have a dream, speech he became known as one of the greatest orators in United States history. Martin Luther King was one of the youngest people to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in ending racial segregation. He was assasinated on April 4, 1968.

His legacy however, lives on.

Although being terminally ill, Patrick Swayze has shown incredible courage and determination to live his life with uncommon valor.

His recent interview with Barbara Walters, that can be seen on youtube.com, allows viewers to see some of the incredible accomplishments he has recently made, despite his tragic medical diagnosis.

Millions of people lose the battle to cancer every year and also show incredible courage in their lives. Blessings go out to all who are suffering from this disease and who have lost loved ones to cancer.

For those who would like to express their thoughts to the Swayze family, click here.

There is also a prayer list devoted just for him. Email PrayerBuddies@thecatnip.fsnet.co.uk.

Personally, I’ll always remember the stunning performance he gave in the movie, “Ghost.”  Such an incredible movie with a memorable message!

Vacation In Hawaii

My recent vacation in Hawaii was so utterly relaxing and uplifting, I just had to share a few photos with you. It’s hard to imagine that a place can be so beautiful and although I spent my first 18 years of life in Hawaii, vacationing there is another story.

As our plane prepared for landing at the Honolulu airport, the flight attendant announced over the speaker, Welcome to Paradise. That awareness was the real beginning of my vacation in Hawaii.

Let me also share with you that I felt extremely reluctant to go on this Hawaiian vacation because I didn’t want to be away from my affiliate marketing business and away from the students that I coach on a regular basis, but it turns out that with the help of Tim Ferris (author of “The 4 hour Work Week,” one of my favorite books) I was able to sign up with a website that allowed remote access to my home computer. That site was a blessing. http://www.gotomypc.com

One of the greatest benefits of being in affiliate marketing is that it allows you to do business from anywhere in the world. You can take your laptop with you and when you have time, process email and check on your affiliate businesses. I had fun logging on to my own pc from my hotel room and not missing any emails or any affiliate marketing questions at all.

I am going to share some beautiful photos with you that I took on my vacation in Hawaii and hope you enjoy them as much as I did. If you ever want to get away from your day-to-day activities, change the scenery a bit and give yourself a fresh start in life, go on vacation in Hawaii.

This is the beach at Waimea Bay and is absolutely heavenly. Sometimes there are no waves and when you swim there it feels like you are swimming in a pool because you can see to the bottom of the ocean.

Makapu beach is famous for body surfing and the colors of the ocean are just what you see here. The blues and greens are breath taking.

This is the Honolulu Tabernacle Reflecting Pool. This is where my parents met each other in Hawaii back in 1946, after World War 2 ended.
The yellow hibiscus grows abundantly in Hawaii and blossoms year round. The colors are so brilliant that they stand out for miles.

There are three good reasons to take a vacation in Hawaii.

1. The temperature is always above 70 degrees.
2. The environment is absolutely amazing and relaxing.
3. The ocean provides peace, recreation and endless fun.

Hope you enjoyed the Hawaii Vacation post!

Where do you like to vacation?

Honolulu, HI
From: Bookable Hotels

Christine McFadden was miraculously able to recuperate from that tragic experience and move on with her life, eventually remarrying and having a set of twin girls.

Stress can ruin lives depending on how we deal with it. There are some easy ways that you can manage the stress in your life constructively and make good progress towards the goals you have set for yourself.

Tim Ferris, author of “The 4-hour Work Week”, a New York Times best seller, a Wall Street Journal best seller and a Business Week best seller, has some basic advice for people about time management and dealing with stress.

In a nutshell, Tim Ferris has laid out a plan for people who are working from 9-5 and feeling like they can’t get everything done that they wished for during that time. His golden nugget of time management is to create a business working plan that is automated, where the “you” in the picture is completely replaceable and the money comes in regardless of the way you spend your time in any one day.

Tim Ferris recommends cutting out any time wasters and to look at your list of things you have to get done and make some cutbacks.  If you had to eliminate one of your daily activities because you need an extra kidney, what would that activity be? His book is full of brilliant ideas about dealing with life.

I have compiled a list of 10 ways for you to effectively deal with stress in your life.

1. Write down or keep a mental list of the environmental stressors that make you feel like pulling out your hair.
2. During the day, rate each situation that is causing your stress on a scale of 1 – 10 with a 10 being you are ready to jump off a cliff.
3. When you have rated your stress a 10, ask yourself what you can do about it in the present, right now.
4. If you can’t do anything about it right now, decide when you can do something about it and make a plan to accomplish it.
5. The world is programmed to solve problems between 9 and 5 whether you have a job that requires your presence or not. Can you take care of this level outside of the normal 9 to 5 time slot?
6. Use the alcoholics’ anonymous concept – Grant me the wisdom to know when I can do nothing about this situation.
7. Pick one person that you can calmly and frankly discuss this stressor with.
8. Ask yourself how a three year old would handle this situation and then compliment yourself for not doing that.
9. For every stressful situation that causes you a level 10 experience, find 3 things that you are extremely grateful for.
10. Remember that people who have no stress are dead.

How do you deal with stress?

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