-------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~> eGroups eLerts It's Easy. It's Fun. Best of All, it's Free! http://click.egroups.com/1/9698/0/_/10996/_/977003668/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> ================================================================= A Better Life: ItsYourFuture! Be Happy Be Healthy, Live Long and Prosper ================================================================= Vol.2, No.24 December 15th., 2000 ISSN 1442-5211 CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE ---------------------- 1. Our Sponsor 2. Welcome - From the Publisher 3. Our Motto 4. BE HAPPY: the MIND-ATTITUDE ABLIFY Readers Help Another Person Towards Independence Inspiration: A Working Holiday Inspiration: Celebrating You Humor: You've Got To Be Kidding Romance: Hooray For Habitual Hugs 5. BE HEALTHY, LIVE LONG: the BODY-HEALTH/FITNESS/NUTRITION Does Physical Activity Prevent Cancer? 7 Ways to Drop 10 Pounds Glen's "Food Fit for the Fit" Recipe: Lite Fudge Brownies 6. PROSPER: MONEY-CAREER/BUSINESS/INVESTING/HOME BUSINESS Can You Hear Yourself Lead? 7. Our Companion Ezine 8. Classified Ads. 9. Privacy Policy, Disclaimer and Copyright Notice 10. Contact Information ================================================================= 1. Our Sponsor: ================================================================= Get 6 FREE isssues of Trading 101 from eSignal! Trading 101 brings you education, trading tips and strategies from leading stock market experts!! Your free subscription to Trading 101 includes 6 monthly issues delivered right to your computer via email. Click Here: http://www.onresponse.com/onR_Ads.asp?a=11168&d=1392 ================================================================= 2. Welcome from the Publisher ================================================================= Hi all! I'd like to thank you for your readership over the last year. I'd like to wish you all the best for whatever way you celebrate the holiday season. Our readers come from many and varied backgrounds -and I treasure them all. May the New Year and the New Millennium bring you, what we wish for you..to "Be Happy, Be Healthy, Live Long and Prosper" All my very best wishes, John ================================================================= 3. Our Motto ================================================================= Our Motto is- "Be Happy, Be Healthy, Live Long and Prosper." >From this Motto, we can define the three areas in which we intend to assist our readers. ================================================================= 4. BE HAPPY: the MIND-ATTITUDE ================================================================= Quote: "If you don't control your mind, someone else will." - John Allston ABLIFY Readers Help Another Person Towards Independence ------------------------------------------------------- Most of you will be aware that funds donated by some of our more wonderful readers are used by the LifeInAfrica Foundation to make small business loans to people who are 'too small' to get access to normal funds channels. It is one of the joys of producing this ezine, that it can truly reach out across the world, and touch people's lives in an important way. The LifeinAfrica system works by guaranteeing the loans. This means that we can guarantee loans 3 TIMES more than the capital available. Out original $220 in donations has enabled over $800 worth of loans in a few short months, as repayments are rolled over into new loans. We are now helping out 5th. borrower, Okello Vento. Here is her story, as published on the LifeInAfrica website... "Okello Vento is a widowed mother of 6 who produces a yummy sesame -peanut butter that she delivers and sells to regular customers. For the past year that she has been making her product, she has taken raw sesame and peanuts to be ground by a man she knows, who owns a grinding machine. That man is now relocating his machine, and has offered Vento his shack to use for her own business. With a loan of $165, Vento is adding to her savings to buy a grinding machine. She will put it in the shack, where she can not only produce her own product, but also provide grinding service to her friend's existing customer base. With the increased income and future loans, Vento has a long term plan of opening a small nursery school for children in her area. In addition to children who would pay normal school fees, she dreams of being able to offer free education to at least 5 orphans in each class. Vento's loan has been guaranteed by subscribers of A Better Life:It's Your Future Ezine." Call me silly, but that's lump-in-the-throat stuff! I'm proud that we can be making such a meaningful contribution to people's lives. Thank you to those readers who have contributed to this wonderful project. Your small sacrifice has a huge meaning to those being helped. If YOU would like to make a small contribution, from $10 up, just send an email direct to Christina Jordan at LifeInAfrica, mentioning ABLIYF. She'll arrange your donation via credit card (minimum $10), check, or international bank transfer. Please send a copy of the email to me. If you would like your donation kept private, I'll respect that. If you'd like it publicy acknowledged in ABLIYF, it would be my pleasure. You can reach Christina at mzungu@lifeinafrica.com Inspiration: A Working Holiday ------------------------------ The grocery store is common ground for most of us. The difference is the uncommon stories we carry in our hearts as we go about the business of shopping for our daily bread. On my last visit to the local grocer, an elderly lady said, "Excuse me," and asked if I knew where she could find the ground pork. As I helped her scout the meat cooler, she told me she needed the pork to make her annual meat pies. "I'm making them early this year. My two children and their families are going away for Christmas." Our search for the pork slowed down as our conversation progressed. Her husband, Jack, had passed away in the spring. The children wanted to cancel their holiday vacation and stay home, but she insisted they go, and made Christmas plans of her own. "I'm not having a tree or putting up decorations. I've had more good Christmases than any one person could ever hope for. This year, I'm giving back." The week before Christmas, she's going to help a couple of organizations distribute food and gift baskets to the needy. On Christmas Day, she's going to serve food at the Downtown Mission. Her eyes were firm and clear as she spoke. No sign of the sadness you'd expect to see in the eyes of a person about to spend their first Christmas alone after forty-one years of marriage. I soon found out why. "I'm giving my own self as a Christmas present this year," she announced, and promptly burst into laughter. The sound of it was contagious. I laughed with her. Then, making me privy to a delightful conspiracy, she whispered, "Everyone pats my hand and feels sorry for me. They think I'll be all alone, that Jack won't be with me." One look at the sparkle in her eyes, and I knew Jack had never left. "He's had it pretty easy these last six months," she explained, "While he's been resting on his laurels and shootin' the breeze, I've continued to work my way through the days. Look at me right now, trudging through the grocery store looking for pork." Another round of laughter ensued. "Fair's fair. I'm putting Jack to work over the Christmas holidays." We found the pork, eventually, and parted company. So much love, life and laughter in one little lady - the memory of our encounter will stay with me always. I thought of her husband as I stood in the check-out line, and stifled a sudden urge to laugh. "I hope you're getting plenty of rest Jack. You're definitely working this Christmas." ----------------------------------------------------------------- © 2000 Terri McPherson Windsor, Ontario, Canada tmcphers@mnsi.net ----------------------------------------------------------------- Inspiration: Celebrating You ---------------------------- An old story tells of an unhappy and discontented stonecutter. He one day came upon a merchant and was awe-struck by all of the marvelous goods the man had for sale. "I wish I were a merchant," said the stonecutter and, quite amazingly, his wish was granted. Not long afterward he saw a parade pass his little shop. Spying a prince dressed in splendor such as he had never before seen, he said, "I wish I were a prince." And he became one. But it wasn't too many days later that he stepped outside and felt the discomfort of the hot summer sun beating down upon his head. "Even a prince cannot stay cool in the sun," he said. "I wish I were the sun." This wish, too, was granted. He was happy being the sun until, one day, a cloud came between him and the earth. "That cloud over-shadows me," he said. "I wish I were a cloud." Again his wish was granted and he was happy -- until he came to a mountain which he could not rise above. "This mountain is greater than I," he said. "I wish I were a mountain." As a tall and mighty mountain he looked down upon the affairs of humans and felt that he was finally happy. But one day a stonecutter climbed up his side and chipped away at rock and there was nothing he could do about it. "That little man is more powerful than I," the mountain said. "I wish I were a stonecutter." So the circle was completed and now the stonecutter KNEW that he would always be happy just being himself. He would never dress like a prince, shine like the sun nor rise as tall as a mountain, but he was happy to be who he was. A sure way to unhappiness is to compare yourself with others. Like someone aptly said, "The grass may be greener on the other side of the fence, but it still has to be mowed." You are who you are and that is to be celebrated! ----------------------------------------------------------------- © 2000 Steve Goodier Publisher of Your Life Support System Write Publisher@LifeSupportSystem.com http://store.yahoo.com/lifesupportsystem/html ---------------------------------------------------------------- Humor: You've Got To Be Kidding? -------------------------------- I was with my husband at a footballl game when I decided to get myself some tacos. As I stood up, my husband asked me to buy him a beer. The young clerk at the concession stand asked to see verification of age. "You've got to be kidding," I said. "I'm almost 40 years old." She apologized, but she said she had to insist. When I showed her my driver's license, the clerk served me the beer. "That will be $4.25." I gave her $5 and told her to keep the change. "The tip's for carding me," I said. She put the change into her tip cup. "Thanks," she said. "Works every time." Ad--------------------------------------------------------------- Spent too much money this season? Look what you get for FREE at PhotoChannel: FREE digital image uploads; FREE 35 mm, APS film, and disposable camera processing and scanning; FREE previewing; FREE photo editing; FREE print sharing; FREE photo storage. Sign-up for FREE before January 8, 2001, and you'll be entered to win a $2500 dream vacation and a digital camera. Click Here: http://www.onresponse.com/onR_Ads.asp?a=11168&d=1326 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Romance: Hooray For Habitual Hugs --------------------------------- By Michael Webb In our modern culture, hugs and kisses are the backbone of any romantic relationship. I don't know any married couple who would say they had a fulfilling relationship if they didn't hug and kiss frequently. Would you (or your mate) like to receive more hugs and kisses? I began thinking about this and it reminded me of a childhood game I would play with my sisters. Each time we spotted a Volkswagen Beetle on the road we would lightly hit the other person and yell slug bug!, no slug bugs back! After playing that game for many years in the back of our maroon Toyota Corolla station wagon it became a habit. To this day I can't see a 'Herbie' without thinking of lightly slugging someone. I have a new habit now. Whenever I am stopped at a red light, I lean over and give Athena a light peck on the cheek while we are waiting for it to turn green. I guess I could start doing the same when we are at stop signs or if we spot a McDonalds or even a Volkswagen Bettle. Some theories say that you have to repeat an action 17 days in a row before it will become a habit. In other words, being romantic takes much effort and concentration at first and if we repeat it consistently, after a while it will come more naturally. Giving and receiving daily kisses and hugs are important but we must remember that hugs and kisses are NOT natural for many people. Turning them into a game may be the only way to teach some of us how to make those physical gestures a part of our daily routine. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Michael Webb is author of The RoMANtic's Guide: Hundreds of Creative Tips for a Lifetime of Love, available from Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786884347/itsyourfuture For more of Michael's FREE tips, visit http://www.TheRomantic.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- ================================================================= 5. BE HEALTHY, LIVE LONG: the BODY-HEALTH/FITNESS/NUTRITION ================================================================= Quote: "Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. " - Satchel Paige Does Physical Activity Prevent Cancer? -------------------------------------- Time has beaten me. I had intended to have an expanded version of this item for you, but I've got to push the 'Send' button, and drive to a family Christmas function 300k away. BUT, the story IS important, and you should read it. So, if you don't mind the reading being a liitle tougher than usual, duck over to the British Medical Journal and read the article, at http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/321/7274/1424 Then make sure you take time out from all the eating and drinking to get in some exercise! I don't want to lose any readers, especially YOU! 7 Ways to Drop 10 Pounds ------------------------ Dropping a pound a week is safe, sensible, effective...and really slow. But there are millions of ways to lose weight faster. Take, for example, the recent study that said that you can burn 11 calories an hour just by chewing sugarless gum. (Now we know exactly how the babysitter stays so skinny.) But we also figured out that it'd take 9 hours of gum chewing every day to lose 10 pounds in a year. (Those are some darned patient babysitters.) Lucky for you, there are much better ways to drop 10. To lose 10 pounds in...Do this... 6 months 1-hour swim workouts two times a week 5 months 1-hour boxing workouts two times a week 4 months 1-hour cycling workouts three times a week 3 months 1-hour basketball games four times a week 2 months 1-hour runs five times a week 6 weeks 1 hour of stairclimbing five times a week 1 week Go for a walk--for 24 hours every day -Source: Men's Health Belly Off Weekly Tips Glen's "Food Fit for the Fit" Recipe: Lite Fudge Brownies --------------------------------------------------------- with Glen Esse 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder 1 cup Self Raising Wholemeal Flour Grated rind of one orange 1/2 cup Raw Sugar 2 Eggs 120g Tin of Heinz Baby Apple Sauce 1 teas Vanilla 1 Tabs Kahlua or Irish Cream Liqueur (optional) 2 Tabs Peanut Butter 1/2 cup Walnuts 3 Tabs Orange Juice Combine 1st four dry ingredients. Warm liqueur with peanut butter in microwave to combine. Wisk in with all other wet ingredients. Pour wet mix into dry and add walnuts. Spread into 8" by 8" pan sprayed with canola cooking spray. Bake at 175 degrees Celsius for 25 to 30 minutes. Glen's Quote: "To live is so startling, it leaves little time for anything else." ================================================================= 6. PROSPER: MONEY-CAREER/BUSINESS/INVESTING/HOME BUSINESS ================================================================= Quote: "Life is not advancement. It is growth. It does not move upward, but expands outward, in all directions." - Russell G. Alexander Can You Hear Yourself Lead? --------------------------- by Bob Scheinfeld Do you find days turning into weeks, which turn into years and suddenly you're not sure where it's all gone? Does it seem like you're no longer navigating your own life, but your life and your schedule are navigating you instead? Can you hear yourself lead? Can you hear yourself period? If this describes you, stop. Just stop. Stand still, be still, and let yourself remember what the silence feels like. So often in the world we call business, we go so fast we lose our ability to keep up when, in fact, keeping up is impossible. Simply put, if you're caught up, you're out of business. Business is the competitive pull and push that can kick our navigational system clean out of whack. To get back in control, you have to stop and listen. It's as deceptively easy as that. But wait, not just listen. Listen to yourself. We are taught to listen to everyone else. That listening is the greater asset. However, we are never taught to listen to ourselves. Creativity dies in the face of too much noise. Without creativity everything in your life suffers, including your business. Sometimes the most important person to listen to is, you. Yes, you have something to say but if you never stop to listen you won't ever get back to navigating again. So here's what you can do to put yourself back in the driver's seat: 1. Start the day by emptying your emotions into a journal. Let all the emotional garbage out on paper. Now, don't read it. Ever. Too hard to do? Rip it up and throw it away. This is just a tool to get the frustrations processed and out of your life so you can move on. So you can hear yourself think again. Sometimes our lives get filled up with everyone else's chatter. This helps us empty that out. 2. Take 15 minutes out of the middle of your day and rest. Just stop everything. Go to a room; take off the phone, the fax, the instant messenger and the ringer on your email. Find a place where you won't be bothered and stop. Take ten deep breaths. Let your mind empty. Try to spend at least five minutes of the fifteen thinking of nothing. Don't laugh, it's really hard to do. Think of nothing. Empty your brain and give your soul a rest. 3. Walk. Walking doesn't just exercise your body, it relaxes your soul. Walk with a friend, or walk alone, but walk. This isn't about exercise, it's about letting your mind breath, outside, in the rain, in the sun, in the snow in the fresh air. It works! 4. Okay, this is the most important. At the end of the day, spend another 15 minutes writing down all the advice that was given to you today. All those noteworthy, seemingly wise bits of advice that get hurled at us everyday. It doesn't matter where they came from, a book, a phone call, a radio station - doesn't matter. If you can remember it write it down. Now read them all. Do any of them feel adverse to your own feelings and thoughts? Great, cross them out and forget them. Learn to trust that some things will work for you and some things won't. Once you have learned this principle you will find yourself getting back into the drivers seat of your own life again. Remember you're important too and you are the only one that lives the results and consequences of your own life. Be gentle with yourself and take the time to take the time. Suddenly hours will screech back to normal speed, life will feel worth the effort, and your goals will be realized again. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Robert Scheinfeld has dedicated more than two decades of his adult life to personal growth. He is a pioneer in the field of psychospirituality, which blends the best of psychology and spirituality. Visit his "Invisible Path to Success" web site and enroll in his free 5 lesson class to discover the "missing link" in self-help: http://www.lifechangetips.com/t.cgi/101892 Reach Bob at support@lifechangetips.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- ================================================================= 7. Our Companion Ezine: ================================================================= ===================== WEB MARKETING EZINE ===================== Let us help YOU succeed on the Web with Tips, Tools, News & Views on Web Marketing and E-Commerce, from a street-smart Marketer. Subscribe FREE at: http://www.itsyourfuture.net/ezines.shtml Or mailto:webmarketing-subscribe@itsyourfuture.net =============== THE HUMAN FACE OF WEB MARKETING =============== ================================================================= 8. Classified Advertisements: ================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Most Important Letter You'll Read This Year If you don't have much money to spend promoting your business or if you're sick and tired of wasting time and money on gimmicks that don't work (like bulk email, free-for-all link sites, classified ads and so forth), then this will be the most important letter you read this year. Read about your business's future at: http://www.ezinemoney.net/sgx/d.cgi?2742 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Store Your Files Online For Free with X:drive. X:drive gives YOU up to 100MB of FREE Anytime-Anywhere File Access! X:drive offers members a unique desktop application that looks and functions just like any other drive on your computer. Using this X:drive feature you can drag, drop, and edit files using the standard Windows Explorer or the My Computer interface. 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