4 Ways To Increase Happiness Immediately

Most self help is ultimately about discovering how to be happy.

I've read over 5,000 books related, in one way or another, to improving either my own life or the lives of others. And, in so reading, I can say that ultimately what we seek when reading such a book is to increase our happiness from one of the following things:

1. Increases in:
a. Pleasure; improving how much we enjoy the things we do.
b. Career Success; be a better boss, creating a dream job, etc.
c. Dating/Relationship finding/keeping someone special and improving how we relate.
d. Financial Abundance; making more money, investing more wisely, etc.
e. Health; being healthy in diet, weight, muscle, shape, etc.
f. Hobby/Free Time; improving certain aptitudes in recreational activities.
g. Wisdom; gaining perspective in life, philosophy, and experience.

Sometimes, our success increases when our failure decreases, so many additional books deal with decrease. Therefore, our happiness increases when we decrease some of the following:

2. Decreases in:
a. Getting rid of doubt and self-incrimination.
b. Fear; removal of fear or ways to overcome fear.
c. Blocks; removal of blocks to success.
d. Debt; ways to remove or eliminate debt or poor money management.
e. Poor relationship choices; bad dating or inter-relational habits.
f. Failure; learning from failure to turn losing into winning.
g. Disease; overcoming disease or other health ailments.
h. Time management failure; overcoming procrastination, etc.

Almost all self-help topics could be categorized in one of these sentences above.

Based upon this analysis, I'm going to give you four simple ways to increase happiness:

First, Take three.

If you wish to increase happiness, why not take the simple approach to address THREE of these at any given time. No more than three, just three. If you're having a problem with doubt, start a new discipline of confidence. Find the experts on teaching confidence and learn the essence of what they share. If you're struggling with getting in shape, take one new action that will do that for you: in my case, I've joined a new gym today that will enable me to drop the next 10 pounds in my weight management goal. Or, if you're not enjoying your career, do a career evaluation. Read a few books written by people who LOVE their career and follow some of their advice. By working on several aspects of your life and continually improving, you're creating a habit of life improvement. This habit will lead to increased happiness.

Second, What really matters most?

If you ask almost anyone who has lived a full life, they will tell you that sharing laughter and stories with good friends and family are the moments that matter most in your life. To improve this aspect, why not create special time for those you love, who add the most joy to your life, each week? Perhaps Saturday coffee with friends, or meeting for a happy hour on Thursday or Friday night? Maybe a special Tuesday dinner night that moves from couple to couple? Do something like this a couple of times a week and you'll never feel like you've missed something important. By spending time with those you love, you automatically ensure you'll be happier.

Third, simplify.

In Eastern philosophy, common wisdom is to simply "be" in the moment and experience life right now. What can you do to help you accomplish this? Can you reduce the clutter in your home? Can you make your commute shorter? How can you reduce wasted space or things you no longer use? How can you minimize time spent wastefully and replace it with things you love the most? To the extent you can accomplish some of this simplification, your life will improve and you will be happier.

Last, it may sound silly, but LOOK UP and show the sky your PEARLY WHITES.

We need sunlight and I always find it remarkable that when I make a practice to look up to the sun and show the sky my pearly whites, I automatically lift my mood. The converse is watching television. The more we watch television, where we commonly look straight or down, and let life get dictated or shown to us, we have happiness decrease. So, this last one is simple: get outside more often and spend less time in front of the television. When you're outside more often you will bump into people and have a chance to witness, create, and experience life more fully. While you're at it, why not learn something new? Tennis, golf, basketball, play an instrument, paint a landscape, whatever, but doing something outside is likely to make you happy.

So, there's a simple four-part strategy to increase happiness and enjoy your life more completely. If you find this useful, share it with friends!

Did I miss anything on your own list of happiness creation? If you've got more ways to improve happiness, feel free to weigh in on my comments page.
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Setting and Reaching Your Goals

Are you living the life you want? If not, perhaps it is a good time to revisit your dreams and goals and WRITE DOWN what you really want the most.

I've got a formula I've used in the past and recently revisited regarding goals. It worked before, and I believe it still works, today.

How to set and reach better and more powerful goals:

1. Write down goal categories.

I recently made the following categories:

1. Personal growth and spiritual development
2. Career development
3. Fun, hobbies, and recreation
4. Money management
5. Social network
6. Family and friends
7. Health and body

Through utilizing this system, I broke down my goals into the top 1 - 3 goals for each category. If this is too daunting, just set ONE goal for each category.

For example, my biggest health and body goal right now is to get back to 195 FIT lbs total weight. I've made progress on this having lost 24 lbs in the past six months; however, I still have to get more toned and drop another 20 lbs. by the end of August to hit my goal.

2. Frame each goal in terms of "I am" and "sooner or on" and "or more than" and "or less than" in your phrasing.

For example, with my health and body goal, I've phrased it like this:

I am exercising regularly, weighing 195 lbs or less, physically fit, and eating healthier foods by August 31, 2008 or sooner.

See how it works?

3. Put each goal on an index card.

4. Read each goal as an intention twice every day.

5. Additional recommended step: create vision boards for your goals.

I recommend utilizing Orange Peel Software for a "dream board" on your computer. They're not expensive and it's a cool way to create the exact vision of what you want to see instead of a screen saver!



In addition, create a cardboard vision board with cutouts you create on your computer or from magazines. Just be careful using magazines ... I'd rather paste the EXACT thing I want rather than something SIMILAR to what I want. It is more powerful to picture the EXACT representation of what you want to realize in your life.

When revisiting your index cards each day, I suggest you read each one in the morning, and then again late in the day before you go to bed or when you say your prayers.

I've also written an article on Executive Goal Setting to help you realize more of your career aspirations over at ARRiiVE's blog. I recommend you check it out before completing your business goals.

I wish you the best in setting and reaching your goals. I've found this system to be the best over the course of my life. If you regularly revisit your goals, cross off the list the ones you've achieved and added new goals, over time, you'll realize far more than your counterparts and live a much more happy and fulfilled life!

View related articles:
How To Succeed More Often
A Vision Board Can Help You Manifest
How To Lose Weight
Fun Dating Ideas
Find The Man (or Woman) Of Your Dreams
Smashing The Goal Barrier
7 Steps To Living The Life Of Your Dreams

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How I Lost 20 lbs In 5 Months

I've officially done it: I lost 20 lbs in 5 months.

Those of you who know me closely know that I don't like being overweight. I never date anyone significantly over weight, nor do I, myself, ever let myself get out of whack with my fitness routine. That was, until last year. What happened is I'd had toe surgery to repair an ingrown toenail. Now, a toe may not seem like a big deal, but that toe problem kept me off the beach (no walks), away from the dance floor (yep, no dancing), and pretty much stopped most of my other power aerobic activity. Unfortunately, I sat around and ate more with all that extra time. The result: I went from 18 lbs overweight to 38 lbs overweight! And even though I'm 6'3" tall, people were starting to comment: not good!


This year, I decided to take action and get myself back into shape.

How did I get in better shape? I'll share my tips here:


1. Do what you love. I started going for walks on the beach, playing golf, playing tennis, and going dancing again. These activities that I love gave me an easier start back into getting into shape. It didn't feel HARD to do any of these things. On the contrary, it was EASY. Always start with something pretty easy before getting into the harder aspects of any program.


2. I started working out. By implementing a workout program, I started to gain muscle again. At first, this didn't help me lose any weight. I stayed the same weight on the scale. BUT I gained muscle. And muscle burns off calories faster than fat, any day. To burn more fat you must gain more muscle! So, I started working out. Not only that, but I feel more toned now and enjoy the feeling of being more muscular.

3. I quit drinking. Okay, not completely, but I cut back on the booze. You retain 4x more fat when you drink alcohol than when you don't. So, if you want to reduce fat, it only makes sense to eliminate or significantly reduce your drinking of alcoholic beverages, including mixed drinks, beer, and wine. The side result is I think more clearly and spend less money! How did I do it? I drink 8 oz. water any time I feel the urge to drink. It works!

4. Dance more! I started seriously upping the amount of dancing I was doing starting on April 1. I did this for two reasons: (a) I wanted to be a better dancer, (b) I had gone through a breakup and wanted to meet other single women. I didn't realize at the time that I'd get in better shape from dancing, but man-oh-man some of those dance lessons kicked my butt! Especially the Afro-Cuban dance lesson with the professional choreographer. See my article on Salsa dancing to learn more on this one...


5. Eat healthier. Instead of drinking a soda, I now drink water or apple juice. Yes, the apple juice has calories. But, the saying "an apple a day" makes sense to me, so I'm not on a low-carb diet, just a healthier diet. I'll eat my fruit, vegetables, and less meat and processed foods like chips or french fries. Since I made this diet change, I found myself initially VERY hungry - to the point of feeling like I could eat the paint off the wall. However, after about two weeks of this hunger my stomach adjusted and now I'm fine with my new diet.

6. Aerobic techniques. The next step of my workout program has been to implement aerobic techniques to combine distance, repetitive, and short-distance activities into my workout. At the beach, I now combine walking with jogging, backwards jogging, and sprinting during two phases of my walk. Doing this aerobic work is raising my heart-rate and also helping rid the fat.


7. Play Competitive Tennis. My final step of my workout program is to find other tennis players and start playing tennis two or three times a week. I'm doing this because (a) I'll make new friends, (b) tennis players are in good shape and (c) I might have a little fun competing.


See, there's an old saying "If you want to be successful, copy other people who are successful." I noticed that people with the best physique are those who either: (a) workout, (b) play sports (like tennis, surfing, volleyball, and racquetball), and (c) dance. If you're seeking a way to get into your ideal shape, what program will you use?


Yes, I still have 18 more lbs to go, but now I'm in the discipline of living in a way that WILL drop the weight and WILL get me in better shape. I started small, and worked up to it. Disclaimer: As with any workout program, always consult a doctor before beginning your own program. But once you start, commit to it and stick with it! Sure, I didn't achieve my initial goal of 20 pounds in 30 days, but I did realize this goal withing 5 months! I hit my goal when I followed through on my commitment and stuck with it.

We don't have to starve ourselves to drop the weight and gain the muscle. We don't have to kill ourselves in the gym 10 times a week, either. We just need to be more disciplined to take the time and make the effort to be our best self.
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How To Lose Weight

Losing 20 pounds in 30 days is actually my number one goal at present. I need to lose this weight because I'm going to be on television in February. In October, I visited a friend who toured me through KGO (Channel 3 TV) in San Francisco. While touring, I stood where they discuss the weather and traffic report, and then looked on the screen and thought "uh oh! I've gotten fat!" While some people still think I look great, when you're on television you look 10-20 pounds heavier.

So, I've determined to lose 20 pounds in one month.

How will I lose the weight?

Here's my plan on how I will lose 20 pounds in 30 days or less:

1. Mental Focus:

My goal is to be at my optimum health, which includes being slimmer and trimmer. To achieve this goal I must commit to eating more healthy foods and beverages in my diet, working out regularly, getting regular sleep, and eat at regular times.

2. Physical Activity:

a. I commit to working out 4x a week, with a cardiovascular workout in the afternoon, for at least 45 minutes.

b. I commit to 15 minutes of stretching, sit-ups, and general toning work before starting my workday 5 times a week.

3. Diet:

a. I commit to eating more fruits and vegetables, especially vegetables. I commit to eating more protein and less carbohydrates. I commit to remove the junk food from my diet for the next 30 days. This includes red vines, fried foods, and foods high in sugar or carbohydrate (bread, wine, etc.).

b. I commit to reduce the amount I drink in alcoholic beverages to no more than five drinks a week; however, during the next 30 days, I commit to drink no alcohol at all.

c. I commit to drinking more vegetables as beverages, whether in a V8 or other drink I create from raw vegetables and fruit.

d. I commit to eating regular meals at prescribed times in order to balance my sugar levels.

4. Sleep:

a. I commit to a regular sleep schedule, to help balance my diet and eating schedule. I'm trying this as something new, but believe it can help keep the stress of changing my diet and exercise habits. I will go to bed earlier, and rise earlier, in order to complete my workout routine.

So, that's my list. I haven't read any fancy dieting books to figure out this list. It's just my way of losing this weight. Everyone is different, so as with any diet program, you might consider consulting a doctor before starting. I've already talked with my doctor when I was sick recently and asked him about my plan to lose weight and exercise more, and he approved my plan and said it sounded like I knew what I was doing! Funny, huh? I'm not a dietitian, but I know several and they are always trying to get me to eat fewer carbohydrates, less sugar, and more healthy overall diets. They also want me to push my body more than I do. The challenge for me is creating time in my schedule. With all of the writing, consulting, training, and program development I've been doing for both AspireNow (http://www.aspirenow.com/) and ARRiiVE (http://www.arriive.com/), it is not always easy to make the time.

However, this television interview is really important. It is the number 2 goal behind losing weight and becoming my optimum weight for my New Year (more public speaking in 2008). I achieved this goal last year with speaking in person, and when I put on my suits I noticed I'm filling them out more.

The benefits to achieving my optimum weight and losing weight include:

1. I'll be able to fit into many of my clothes easier. This will save me money as I won't have to replace as many garments.

2. I'll feel better about myself. Any time we look slimmer and feel we are at our "optimum" it is also easier to have optimum state of mind. This will make me more productive and more powerful when I am on stage performing, speaking, and training people.

3. My diet will be healthier, which ought to extend my current energy as well as possibly lengthen my life by treating my body better.

4. I'll have more energy because I'll be working out more often. Any time we have muscles, we also burn more fat when stationary. It will be easier to keep the weight off because of my workout schedule and new muscles I'll redevelop.

5. I'll get more sleep and have a more disciplined lifestyle. Even though I'm a jazz musician and this is a little challenging for me, I'm going to get my schedule more disciplined, because I know
I can accomplish more if I am more organized.

So, that's my focus on losing 20 pounds in 30 days. Obviously, your situation might be different.

You might be smaller and eat healthier than I do. Or, you might be eat worse and never work out at all. If that's you, ease into it the first week or two. I always recommend starting with a smaller goal and then working up. So, rather than focus on losing 5 pounds each week, just focus on your program, then look at your scale after two weeks. If you're off your pace, adjust and refocus on your goal. It may take at least 21 days, and probably at least 40 days to create your new habits. That's the way I'm approaching this goal.

If you like the way I suggest you improve your life through achieving your optimum weight, you might enjoy my other blog posts at http://aspirenow.blogspot.com/ (for self-help) and http://arriive.blogspot.com/ (for business).

Here are some resources from Amazon to help you reach and maintain your optimum weight:

Meditation for Optimum Health: How to Use Mindfulness and Breathing to Heal Your Body and Refresh Your Mind
Amazon Price: $11.75 List Price: $24.95

Andrew Weil, M.D. - 8 Weeks to Optimum Health & Spontaneous Healing
Amazon Price: $8.35 List Price: $14.95

Andrew Weil, M.D. - Eating Well for Optimum Health
Amazon Price: $8.72 List Price: $19.98

Low Carbon Diet: A 30 Day Program to Lose 5000 Pounds--Be Part of the Global Warming Solution!
Amazon Price: $7.43 List Price: $12.95

8 Minutes in the Morning for Real Shapes, Real Sizes: Specifically Designed for People Who Want to Lose 30 Pounds or More
Amazon Price: $3.98 List Price: $24.95

Kevin Trudeau Natural Cures - LOSE 30lbs in 30 Days CD ~ As Seen On TV ~
Amazon Price: $19.95 List Price: $19.95
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Setting Goals For 2008

Are you wondering what New Year's Resolutions people are setting this year?

In a release this week over the Businesswire, FranklinCovey (NYSE:FC), a global leader in effectiveness training, productivity tools, and assessment services, today released the results of its third annual New Year's Resolutions Survey, which polled 15,031 customers. The survey found that respondents' top three New Year's resolutions or goals for 2008 are to (1) get out of debt or save money, (2) lose weight, and (3) develop a healthy habit like exercise or healthy eating.

The Top 10 New Year's resolutions or goals were ranked as follows:

TOP 10 NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FOR 2008
1. Get out of debt or save money
2. Lose weight
3. Develop a healthy habit (e.g., exercise or healthy eating)
4. Get organized
5. Develop a new skill or talent
6. Spend more time with family and friends
7. Other
8. Work less, play more
9. Break an unhealthy habit (e.g., smoking, alcohol, overeating)
10. Change employment

The survey also found that 35 percent of respondents break their New Year's resolutions by the end of January and only 23 percent of those surveyed don't ever break them. Nearly 40 percent of those surveyed attribute breaking their resolutions to having too many other things to do, while 33 percent say they are not committed to the resolutions they set.

Interesting survey, don't you think? If only 2/3 of people are truly interested in their resolutions, and of those only 23 % follow-through, then people are obviously closely following the Pareto principle, where 20% of people do and 80% of people either watch them or just try to do, without action succeeding. Notice that commitment is a mental promise to our own self. Making or breaking, on the other hand, is an ACTION word. So, to me, the first key to success with your resolution or goal is to have the proper mindset. Then, take the right action to achieve the goal. If you have the right mindset, finding the choices and making the right actions are far easier.

When it comes to recommendations, I expect myself to achieve over 80% of my goals. However, if you set too many goals, you'll struggle to achieve them all. So, set a simple goal, get the right mindset, and then keep the goal in mind until you achieve your vision.

I suggest you keep one primary goal in mind. In order to succeed, you must set the right mental thinking around your goal. You must first associate pain with NOT achieving your goal.

The first goal from the survey is to get out of debt and save money. With the skyrocketing credit problem in America and other countries, clearly debt is a huge problem for many, many people. So, say your primary goal is to get out of debt.

First, make a list of all the negatives, in terms of events, charges, cost, stress-level, fun-factor, and influence on all areas of your life that this debt is having on you. I know - debt can be a bummer! Now, before you get too frustrated and give up, make a NEW LIST.

The second list will include of all the BENEFITS - both in fact and emotion - that you will receive from saving money and getting yourself in the black. These may include ability to go out, buy what you want, do what you want, launch that company you've dreamed of, and also impact your weight, friendships, dating/relationship, and more. After all, dating with no dough isn't easy! It's also hard to have as much fun without money. So, getting out of debt might FREE you to do so much MORE with your life!

You want to make sure you use EMOTIONAL words when you associate the benefit. Here's an example of how I would set a goal to get out of debt and get financially free to save and get my money working for me:

Eliminate Debt: I will eliminate struggle with finances, earn more than I make, and pay off all of my debt. I will resolve, negotiate, and clear my name of all debts and get my credit clean. The feeling I get from my debt is burden, negative, and restraining me from doing all I need to with my friends, love, family, and business. It also impacts my ability to grow and do what I want. This makes me feel more stressed-out and causes mental worry that distracts me from my purpose.

SHIFT TO NEW THOUGHT:

My finances are healthy and in order. I pay my bills ahead of time. I earn more money than I spend each month. I am able to save through my 401K, IRA, savings accounts, and put money away for my future needs. I am able to do what I want, when I want, because I have the financial wealth that supports me. I attract riches and earnings in abundant ways that are both pleasantly surprising and timely. People are drawn to give money to me and contribute towards my goals and objectives. I feel so alive with my financial health! My financial future excites me, and I can see and feel the difference in how I can contribute to make a difference in the world with my financial resources that I accumulate. I experience joy through abundance. Waves of money come to me and give me freedom and flexibility to save, spend, or use my money wisely. I love the way I feel when I save money and have all the money in the bank I need to support my dreams, life, and goals.

Do not put your focus on the first list. Many people make this mistake and therefore miss out on their potential to manifest the law of attraction.

After you write both of these, I strongly suggest you BURN the first list, and keep ONLY the SECOND LIST. This is how you shift your thinking, eliminate the old, and move to focus only upon what you want.

Now, to achieve and put the focus of this second thought statement's benefits into reality, read this list EVERY DAY for 40 days. Tape it to your mirror where you get ready in the morning. Read it after you shave or put on facial lotion. Read it out loud, while looking yourself in the eye (goals tend to manifest better when we connect with our own soul physically).

After 40 days, see how much progress you're making. Evaluate, refocus, and continue to grow in realizing your goal!

Here are some related books from Amazon to help you set your goals:

The 10 Keys to Personal Power 64mins VHS Brian Tracy
Amazon Price: $28.00 List Price: $70.00

View from the Top
Amazon Price: $4.70 List Price: $14.99

Deepak Chopra: The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire
Amazon Price: $39.99 List Price: $43.98
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Contact Franklin-Covey for more information about their survey at: 801-244-4474 debra.lund@franklincovey.com. Survey Source: Business wire. Copyright 2008, no infringement intended. The remainder of this article is written by Scott Andrews, Founder of AspireNow. Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. To get more articles like this, Subscribe to the A-Blog.

Is Stress Giving You Wrinkles? 10 Ways to Improve Your Health

How stressed out are you in your daily life?

I just finished reading a report on the impact of stress on our health. I'm committed to better health. How about you? Do you want to be more healthy?

Stress can weaken the immune system, impact our heart, nerves, skin, affect our sleep patterns. Excessively high stress can cause mental disorders, nervousness, anxiety, and other conditions. How is stress affecting you?

I'm convinced that stress is a huge contributor to wrinkles, and increases the impact of age.

To help impact the challenge of wrinkles and lower stress, I've put together a list of the TOP TEN WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH:

1. Take extra time in how you treat your body. Not just your face, but give extra care to how you treat your whole body. How much do you exercise? I think going for a 45-minute walk at least three times a week, plus daily stretches and yoga, are critical to maintaining good health. In addition, swimming, dance, yoga, and other forms of activity are recommended. Slow down a little and take time to meditate and give back to your body.

2. Get rid of the junk. Okay, this is a multi-subject thing for me. Junk could be viewed as things that block you from being healthy, such as cigarettes or booze. Junk could be candy. Oh, it's just a little candy bar... really? Did you see what they put in it? Start reading labels and then putting the things back on the shelf that don't look healthy to you. I'd rather not eat than eat junk is becoming more and more of a mantra. If you can't quit smoking on your own, try getting a massage, then hypnotherapy. It worked for a friend of mine. If you're blocking your thoughts by reading the paper and watching the news or too much television, either cancel cable or put the t.v. in the garage for a while. While this may seem dramatic at first, eventually you just might find that you don't miss it. When I don't watch television, I have more time to read a good book, write music, and work on articles for AspireNow (http://www.aspirenow.com/). Would you say those things are a better use of my time? I'm not going to decide for you what is junk in your life. Just get real with yourself and make a little list. Then ask yourself: "Are these things in support of my BEST SELF?" If the answer is "no", then when you eliminate these junk things from your life you will be clearing a path for PEAK PERFORMANCE to truly occur. Awesome! Why not start now?

3. Trade or schedule a Massage (face, scalp, back, feet, hands especially) to help you reduce stress and reduce the impact of stress on your body. Massage is very useful to help us lower stress. In addition, I'd add hydrotherapy in a hot tub or hot spa. I personally find this to be one of the top 5 ways I de-stress after a long day. If you haven't treated yourself to a massage and you're going through stress, I'd recommend you schedule a massage with a trained therapist right away.

4. Stay hydrated. Lots of fresh water, preferably from a clean and pure spring, helps you keep moisture and oxygen flowing through your body and skin. My favorite water is TRINITY and CRYSTAL GEYSER. And, nope, neither of them paid me to recommend to you. I'm not a fan of water from the faucet -- especially in municipalities who fluoridate their water (another topic). Make sure you drink extra water when exercising and also if going into a hot-tub or a hot bath, as both dehydrate you. Also, for people who drink a lot of coffee or beer, you'd better match it with water, because coffee dehydrates you. Either that, or quit drinking all that coffee and beer. It just makes you nervous or gives you a gut anyway, right? If you're drinking a lot of soda, you might find that you have skin conditions. Whenever I start having skin conditions, the first thing I look at is what am I drinking? If it's a soda or more a day, you'll likely develop a skin problem, from my experience. My ex-wife, when I first met her, had awful acne like skin under her chin. I remember asking her how she got that, because it was such unusual looking skin. She said, "I dunno. I just got it a couple of years ago. I'd love to get rid of it, it makes me self-conscious." So, I asked her what she ate and drank. She ran through her list of diet and then said, "oh, I love diet coke. I'm an addict. I drink six diet cokes a day." (yikes!) I got her to agree to limit her diet coke intake to no more than 1 a day by cutting down by 1 until she reached 1. She did it, and guess what, her skin cleared up.

5. Commit to the basics (sunblock, foundation, etc.). Okay, that's good for women, but what about for men? I personally use a moisturizer that comes from my sister's company, Skin Strategies, and it has double duty moisturizer and age impact with both peptides and amino acids. Email me if you want to get hooked up with these awesome spa products and I'll send you either to my wonderful friend, Tami or my wonderful sister, Terri. They didn't pay me to say that, either. I think the most important thing to do is to practice good hygiene, clean your hands regularly, and wash with antibacterial soap and water at least two minutes each time. It is amazing how people don't do that even when in highly germ-infected and confined areas like cruise ships.

6. Proper diet. Monique Gilbert (http://www.moniquengilbert.com/ ), who has helped many people eat healthy, lose weight, and keep it off. I've been looking to do that myself, lately, and following her advice, which is: "Eat foods rich in antioxidants (like vitamins A, C, E and lycopene), omega-3 fatty acids, and folate. Antioxidants fight and neutralize free radicals, which are molecules that damage cells and cause heart disease, cancer and premature aging. Omega-3 fatty acids (a polyunsaturated fat) have anti- inflammatory, cardiovascular-enhancing and immune-regulating properties." I'd rather get that treatment from food than a drug, wouldn't you? Monique continues: "It is helpful in preventing and controlling high cholesterol, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, depression, inflammatory and auto-immune disorders." All things we'd rather avoid. And ends up with, "Folate prevents age-related cognitive decline, damage to blood vessels and brain cells by lowering homocysteine levels. It also ensures DNA integrity (important as we age and when pregnant) and promotes healthy red blood cells. Excellent food sources for these nutrients are as follows. Antioxidants - pumpkin, sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, grapefruit (red and pink), blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, oranges, peppers (red and green), tomatoes, broccoli, sunflower seeds, almonds and olive oil. Omega-3 Fatty Acids - ground flax seeds, walnuts, salmon, soybeans and pumpkin seeds. Folate - dark green leafy vegetables (turnip greens, mustard greens, spinach, romaine lettuce, collard greens, etc.), beans, legumes, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, beets and okra." Have you been eating enough greens lately?

7. Laughter. Schedule a comedy show. Watch a comedy. Laugh. I try to laugh hard at least a few times a day. I've made a game out of trying to make other people laugh (and not at anyone else's expense) because I find it makes my own life more enjoyable to hear someone else laugh. I wrote an article on the power of laughter at http://www.aspirenow.com/ back when I first launched the website. I equate laughter to "God" energy. If we laugh more, we get more God within us. Hey- if it is true, you certainly can't knock it. All I know is I like funny people and feel better when I'm laughing than when I'm not laughing and super serious.

8. Listen to good music. I've read several other places to include music. Okay. But, they don't say what KIND of music. I find it so amazing to look at the Top 50 Billboard songs today and compare to the Billboard songs from 1950. You might want to consider music that you find RELAXING rather than upbeat or yelling at you. Also, what are the words? If they're singing about being a loser, drinking, getting screwed-over, or other negative topics, you might just want to replace that with more healthy and relaxing music. I've taken to acid-brazilian music lately as it makes me feel more relaxed and happy. One, in particular, is Bebel Gilberto, who has a voice I'd describe in one word as VELVET.

9. Get regular sleep. Notice, I didn't say "get 8 hours of sleep" because frankly, some people don't need that much sleep. I also didn't say when to go to bed or when to get up. We're all different. Just make sure your sleep is as close to the same time each day, and about the same number of hours. If you find yourself yawning throughout the day, you either got TOO MUCH or TOO LITTLE sleep. Modify your schedule until you find yourself feeling optimum and your energy-level restored, then stay with this program. If you're having problems with sleep apnea (a problem typified by snoring) you might not be getting solid sleep or healthy sleep. If this is you, consider seeing a specialist to determine if there are ways to treat the cause of sleep deprivation.

10. Look up, be happy! I recorded a radio show at AspireNow Radio recently on the idea of Mood Boosters. Click NowLive, enter AspireNow into the shows, and you'll find it. Being happy comes mostly from optimistic thinking. As we think, so shall we be. I will add to this that what we put in our brain is often what comes out of our body. If you put "I can do it" thoughts in your head, you probably can. In addition, if you look up, smile, and take time to be happy, you probably will. So, don't worry, be happy!

Eliminate the stress in your life and improve your health and well-being by seeing if these tips don't give you a better, more healthy life.

This article is by Scott Andrews, Founder of AspireNow and Life Coach. Scott is the author of "The Keys To Discovering Your Purpose" audio/e-workbook programs and many articles on the subjects of Life Purpose, Smooth Sailing relationships, and Elegant Simplicity lifestyles. You may reach Scott at http://www.aspirenow.com/ or call him directly at (805) 459-6939 to schedule a coaching call directly.

How I Got Rid Of My Joint Pain In My Hands

I was listening to a program today about health and wellness programs. You know, so many people are focused on thinning their waistline, diets, workouts, but even more people are taking prescriptions for problems with energy, brain power (mental clarity), focus, stress, joint-comfort, and other diseases.

Are you looking for peak performance in your work, play and daily tasks?

I might have a solution for you, as simple as a daily drink of water (or other liquid), that costs less than a Starbucks cup of coffee.

Still here? Cool. I'll take the attention from your eyeballs as an expression of interest and permission to share more.

I recently got involved with a product that is delivering on this promise of lower stress, optimal health, higher joint flexibility, and better mental clarity. These are all things that, in running a site like AspireNow, I always have interest in learning more. How about you?

In just a short time after learning about it, the stories about this product are incredible.

For example, a friend of mine said she started taking this juice supplement after being diagnosed with Lupus (a mysterious blood condition). She started taking Xperia and after only one month was given a CLEAN bill of health.

Personally, I found that my mental accuity is more focused, my sense of taste and smell seems heightened, and more than that, the pain I'd experienced for the past year in my foot and hand WENT AWAY! Pain in the hand, which, by the way, a doctor had told me to "just live with it, you're getting older." I'm a saxophone player, so I can't have my hands hurt and play optimally.

My bass player, Jamie, who gifted me product to introduce me to this daily supplement, stopped going to the chiropractor and took off a knee brace he'd worn for 10 years after using this supplement regularly. As a result, his work production in his masonry business went up dramatically. He went back into his chiropractor's office with a box of this liquid supplement. The chiropractor said, "I haven't seen you in a while, Jamie, what's up?" Jamie said, "well, try this, Doc, and you'll find out why."

Shoot, if you ask me, CEO's ought to gift every employee in their company this product. Isn't productivity good for the bottom line? How much money do companies lose on "sick time" for mental, stress, and health issues?

Professional athlete coaches ought to get their athletes (and other personnel) using it... teachers ought to get their parents to give it to kids. One story I haven't personally experienced, but heard about from Jamie, was this kid who took Univera's products and went from being a "D" student, diagnosed with ADD problems, to an "A" student (with remarks about how quickly he changed and improved his focus).

I'm not giving you a sales pitch. This stuff doesn't need one. I just want people to get involved and at least TRY it. What could you lose? Yes, ask your doctor first. But try it... I'll offer it to you without charging you for your first try, that's how much I believe in it.

I can't promise that you'll have this same result, but if you're going to a chiropractor, taking meds, trying to lose weight (and struggling with it), experiencing pain, or simply want to live longer and sustain PEAK PERFORMANCE, visit my Abundance Awaits You website, sign up for the free gift, and try it out. Why am I gifting this free? Because I care about HELPING PEOPLE. You probably already know that from reading the articles at AspireNow.

You can learn more at my site for Univera:
http://www.univeraPowerTeam.com/AbundanceAwaitsYou

This is the only mention I'll make of this at my blog. I'll post more at http://www.advancedbreakthroughs.com/ and also probably a page that describes more at AspireNow in the future. As you can tell, I'm excited about Univera's products enough to post them here on the A-blog - but, hey, it's about SELF-HELP. I haven't had a product that literally healed me of pain (other than a temporary drug) and delivered on the promise before like this one, so can you blame me?

Learn more about it here:
http://www.univeraPowerTeam.com/AbundanceAwaitsYou

P.S. - There IS a business opportunity if you wish to share the product with your friend, too. I won't go into details on that, except to say that people are making anywhere from $500 to $27,000 per month (not kidding) after getting involved in this program. Just try the Univera product yourself for a while, and if you're convinced that you like the product, why not share it with others? I'll help you get started if you're interested. Also, there's a link for that at my site, too:

http://www.univeraPowerTeam.com/AbundanceAwaitsYou

Note: claims are true personal stories of the author and two of his friends. Your individual results obviously may vary. According to the FDA guidelines, consult a physician before beginning any supplemental diet program.