================================================================= A Better Life: ItsYourFuture! Be Happy, Be Healthy, Live Long and Prosper ================================================================= Vol.2, No. 9 , May 1st., 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 Inspiration: -Weakness or Strength? -His Name Was Fleming Humor: -Now You have Everything! -Score One For Dad -The Procrastinator's Creed Romance: Make A Rose 5. BE HEALTHY, LIVE LONG: the BODY-HEALTH/FITNESS/NUTRITION -Free Logs To Help You Plan Your Food, Exercise and Progress -Glen's Food Fit for the Fit Recipe -Second-Generation Antihistamines Produce Less Drowziness -Seniors: Prevention (Exercise) Is Better Than Cure (Drugs) -Exercise Longer- Recover Quicker 6. PROSPER: MONEY-CAREER/BUSINESS/INVESTING/HOME BUSINESS -The Four Paths To Increased Sales -Credit Card Companies Crack Down On Web Merchants -Free Magazine: Fast Company Sample Issue 7. Our Companion Ezines 8. Classified Ads. 9. Privacy Policy, Disclaimer and Copyright Notice 10. Contact Information ================================================================= 1. Our Sponsor: ================================================================= WOMEN! THIS LIST IS FOR YOU! THE BALANCED WOMAN! Parenting tips, household hints, ideas for pampering yourself, articles on subjects such as time management, money management and more. Subscribe to The Balanced Woman. It's easy and it's FREE! Just send a blank email to: -TheBalancedWoman-subscribe@onelist.com ================================================================= 2. Welcome from the Publisher ================================================================= Hi Everyone! Each Issue, down at the bottom of the e-zine, I put a little note that lists our number of readers, and the number of countries you come from. Each time, I faithfully update the readership numbers, but I must admit it had been some time since I went through all the email addresses to count up the number of lands our readers call home. An hour after publishing the last Issue, I decided to do a new count. Imagine my delight to find that our e-zine A Better Life:ItsYourFuture!, is now read in at least 46 countries! It's an example of the power of this creature called the Internet, and not a little humbling. In 5 days, we celebrate our first anniversary. Just under a year ago, this ezine started with 24 subscribers. There are many of you who have been supportive, contributed, and made the e-zine possible. To you, and to all our 1000+ readers, thank you very much! We will try to provide even better value for you over the coming year. John ================================================================= 3. Our Motto ================================================================= Our Motto is- "Be Happy, Be Healthy, Live Long and Prosper." >From this Motto, we can define the three main areas in which we intend to assist our readers.. ================================================================= 4. BE HAPPY: the MIND-ATTITUDE ================================================================= Quote: "A rose only becomes beautiful and blesses others when it opens up and blooms. Its greatest tragedy is to stay a tight-closed bud, never fulfilling its potential." - Dale Galloway Inspiration: Weakness or Strength? ----------------------------------- Sometimes your biggest weakness can become your biggest strength. Take, for example, the story of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident. The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn't understand why, after three months of training the master had taught him only one move. "Sensei," the boy finally said, "Shouldn't I be learning more moves?" "This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know," the sensei replied. Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training. Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals. This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened. "No," the sensei insisted, "Let him continue." Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion. On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind. "Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?" "You won for two reasons," the sensei answered. "First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm." The boy's biggest weakness had become his biggest strength. - Bits & Pieces, August 15, 1996, Economic Press Inc. Found at: Afterhours Inspirational Stories Inspiration: His Name Was Fleming ---------------------------------- His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to eke out a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death. The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved. "I want to repay you," said the nobleman. "You saved my son's life." "No, I can't accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer replied, waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel. "Is that your son?" the nobleman asked. "Yes," the farmer replied proudly. "I'll make you a deal. Let me take him and give him a good education. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll grow to a man you can be proud of." And that he did. In time, Farmer Fleming's son graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin. Years afterward, the nobleman's son was stricken with pneumonia. What saved him? Penicillin. The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son's name? Sir Winston Churchill. Humor: Now You have Everything! -------------------------------- A businessman on his deathbed called his friend and said, "Bill, I want you to promise me that when I die, you will have my remains cremated." "And what," his friend asked, "do you want me to do with your ashes?" The businessman said, "Just put them in an envelope and mail them to the Internal Revenue Service. Write on the envelope, 'Now, you have everything.'" Humor: Score One For Dad ------------------------- Dear Dad, College i$ really great. I am making lot$ of friend$ and $tudying very hard. With all my $tuff, I $imply can't think of anything I need, $o if you would like, you can ju$t $end me a card, a$ I would love to hear from you. Love, Your $on. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Dear Son, I kNOw that astroNOmy, ecoNOmics, and oceaNOgraphy are eNOugh to keep even an hoNOr student busy. Do NOt forget that the pursuit of kNOwledge is a NOble task, and you can never study eNOugh. Love, Dad. Humor: The Procrastinator's Creed ---------------------------------- 1. I believe that if anything is worth doing, it would have been done already. 2. I shall never move quickly, except to avoid more work or find excuses. 3. I will never rush into a job without a lifetime of consideration. 4. I shall meet all of my deadlines directly in proportion to the amount of bodily injury I could expect to receive from missing them. 5. I firmly believe that tomorrow holds the possibility for new technologies, astounding discoveries, and a reprieve from my obligations. 6. I truly believe that all deadlines are unreasonable regardless of the amount of time given. 7. I shall never forget that the probability of a miracle, though infinitesmally small, is not exactly zero. 8. If at first I don't succeed, there is always next year. 9. I shall always decide not to decide, unless of course I decide to change my mind. 10. I shall always begin, start, initiate, take the first step, and/or write the first word, when I get around to it. 11. I obey the law of inverse excuses which demands that the greater the task to be done, the more insignificant the work that must be done prior to beginning the greater task. 12. I know that the work cycle is not plan/start/finish, but is wait/plan/plan. 13. I will never put off until tomorrow, what I can forget about forever. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Want more clean jokes? Subscribe to Dave's Daily Chuckle! daily_chuckle-subscribe@egroups.com or visit http://www.Daily-Chuckle.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- Romance: Make A Rose --------------------- by Michael Webb Have you ever given someone a rose? Has anyone ever given you a rose? On your wedding day did your bride have roses in her bouquet? This is an idea that will take a lot of patience, a bit of luck and perhaps a little assistance from some friends or family. Let's just take as an example a bride who has roses in her bouquet. If you are crafty enough, you can retrieve some of the roses from the person who catches the bouquet (I don't know any woman who wouldn't go along with this after you explained what you are doing). Now the more difficult part. You need to cut off the head of the rose and a small amount from the bottom of the stem. Dip the bottom in a rooting hormone (easily obtained from any nursery). Then plant in a container of half Perlite and half soil. Keep the soil moist until the stems have rooted. If this sounds like it is way out of your league, then ask a friend or family member with a green thumb to give you a little assistance. You might even find a compassionate women at a nursery who would do this for you for little or no charge. Of course this can work with roses given for other occasions such as birthday, anniversary, job promotion or "just because." Hopefully your rose stems will sprout into rose bushes. Then on your first anniversary or other special occasion you can give a present of rosebushes that will have more meaning than all the dozen roses you could ever give. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Michael Webb is author of The RoMANtic's Guide: Hundreds of Creative Tips for a Lifetime of Love. Why not buy your partner a copy, fromAmazon.com http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786884347/itsyourfuture or for more of Michael's FREE tips, visit http://www.TheRomantic.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- ================================================================= 5. BE HEALTHY, LIVE LONG: the BODY-HEALTH/FITNESS/NUTRITION ================================================================= Quote: "There is no such thing as a "natural." A natural dancer has to practice hard. A natural painter has to paint all the time and a natural fool has to work at it." - Joe Louis Free Logs To Help You Plan Your Food, Exercise and Progress ----------------------------------------------------------- If having targets set down in writing works for you, and it does for most people, then copy these free log pages. They'll not only help you plan your activity, but they'll show you how you're progressing with your program. Note: You'll need the (free) Adobe 4 plug-in on your computer to view, and download the logs. If you don't have it, don't worry, there's a link to the download on this site. Just go to http://www.healthcentral.com/fitorfat/CB_Logs/CB_Logs.cfm http://www.ivillage.com/diet/features/fitnessfind/ Glen's Food Fit for the Fit Recipe: One Go Steak ------------------------------------------------ with Glen Esse -------------- 4 lean pieces of Oyserblade Steak 1 1/2 cups Water 1/2 packet French Onion Soup Mix 2 large Potatoes 1 Onion, sliced into rings 1 Carrot, cut into chunks 2 Tomatos, quartered 1 tabs. Tomato Paste 8 Black Olives (optional) Mix together tomato paste, french onion soup and water. Place steak in large baking dish surrounded by the veggies and pour over the liquid. Cover with foil and bake in mod. oven for 30 mins. Remove foil and bake a further 20 mins. or until potatoes are cooked. Serve with fresh parsley and a side serve of Bruchetta. Second-Generation Antihistamines Produce Less Drowziness -------------------------------------------------------- Antihistamines are widely used to treat the effects of allergies. Unfortunately, users of the the first generation of antihistamines suffered a number of side-effects, particularly drowziness. In situations where the user was driving, or at work, safety became a real issue. A new, second generation of antihistamies is now on the market. They are just as effective as the first generation, but cause less side-effects. A report published in this week's British Medical Journal compares four of them to check their sedative effects. The conclusion? While they were all equally effective, the study found that "Loratadine and fexofenadine resulted in a significantly lower incidence of sedation than cetirizine and acrivastine." Time to check out the medication you are using! Prevention (Exercise) Is Better Than Cure (Drugs) ------------------------------------------------- Seniors are reported to be exercising more than any other age group, and the benefits are outstanding. A study on the effect of exercise on mortality followed 8,000 sedentary British men between the ages of 52 and 72 for ten years, after which they were interviewed and evaluated. The study showed that "in the four years following the interview, exercisers were 45 percent less likely to die of any cause than non-exercisers." The AMA has also shown that active seniors are 40% less likely to lose mobility, than those who don't exercise. Sufferers of coronary rtery disease who exercise, can reduce their chance of death from another heart attack by up to 25% As someone once said, "If exercise were a pill, it would be the most prescribed medication in the world" Try taking the advice, and the medication! Exercise Longer- Recover Quicker -------------------------------- If you want to extend the length of your training sessions and recover more quickly, then you need to study up on sports drinks. While good old plain water is useful up to about an hour of exercise, above that you need to think about using a sport drink. This is especially true if it's a hot day. The main action of the drink is to quickly replace the muscle glycogen that powers our activity, but the electrolytes contained aid fluid absorbtion, stopping us from being dehydrated. While you may think that it doesn't matter when you drink them, and that all sports drinks are alike, it's not so. To check out a good article on the subject, go to http://www.dietsite.com/SportsNutrition/index.htm This will tell you the best times to use sports drinks, and an associated table even compares 7 of the most popular ones on the market with Coca-cola, orange juice, diet soft drink and water. Unfortunately, Coke doesn't rate at all highly! I'm shocked, and looking for a second opinion! ================================================================= 6. PROSPER: MONEY-CAREER/BUSINESS/INVESTING/HOME BUSINESS ================================================================= Quote: "I always made the most money when I bought at the point of maximum pessimism." - Sir John Templeton The Four Paths To Increased Sales --------------------------------- While most of the Web Marketing Industry tries its best to convince us that the Web is a whole new world; that the rules are different, and that we need their software to increase sales, there is also a place for good old-fashioned common sense! Any time you find yourself confused by this brave new world of the Web, I strongly advise you to go back to basics. And what are 'the basics' when it comes to increasing sales? The answer is that there are only 4 ways to increase your sales... 1. Find more customers 2. Get your existing customers to buy more often 3. Increase the size of your order by 'selling up' to higher-priced products, and 4. Increase the size of your order by 'add-on' selling, or offering desirable packages. Understand these four common-sense options, and you can start setting out the strategies and tactics you will employ to achieve your goal of increased sales. Good luck. Of course, the object of being in business is not to make sales, it's to make a profit. In a future Tidbits, we'll have a look at the common-sense ways you can increase your profit. Credit Card Companies Crack Down On Web Merchants ------------------------------------------------- Mastercard and Visa are tightening up their rules on chargebacks. If you accept these cards, you need to read up on what is happening. Increased chargebacks could cost you a fortune. If they get too high, they could even cost you your merchant account! I strongly recommend that you read an article by Alexis Gutzman at the following address; http://ecommerce.internet.com/solutions/tech_advisor/article/0,1 281,9561_345671,00.html Free Magazine: Fast Company Sample Issue ---------------------------------------- Get a free sample issue of "Fast Company" magazine, a publication that offers "the tools for success." For U.S. and Canada only. Check it out at http://www.thefreesite.com/fastcompany424.htm ================================================================= 7. Our Companion Ezines: ================================================================= Marketing Adzine is THE ezine providing Marketing, Advertising, Promotional and E-commerce Solutions for the Netpreneur. For your FREE weekly copy, send a blank email to mailto:adzine-subscribe@egroups.com Successful Thinking? We can all use some of that! 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