The passenger was Matsu, a gold-plated statue believed to be an actual goddess. The mainland Chinese sent her on a tour of Taiwan, some say as a ploy by Beijing to bring Taiwan eventually under its rule through cultural infiltration. The Taiwan Independence Party denounced the goddess’s arrival with banners that read, "Chinese people should worship Chinese gods, Taiwanese people should worship Taiwanese gods."

The Bible bluntly rejects idolatry. Isaiah speaks of a man who chops up a tree. Half of it he burns as firewood to keep warm, and the other half he fashions into an idol and worships as his creator. "No one stops to think!" Isaiah exclaims (Isa. 44:19). The half he burnt as firewood did him more good than the other half!

The psalmist twice speaks of gods with eyes that don’t see, ears that don’t hear, hands that don’t feel, and feet that cannot take them anywhere. Those who trust them, he says, will be like them (Ps. 115:4?8; 135:15?18).

Before we gloat over the foolishness of the blind, deaf, and mute, and unbreathing first-class passenger, let’s look closer to home. We sing, "I have all for Him forsaken, and all my idols torn from my heart." Is it true? Whatever our idols are–money or booze, sex or power, drugs or food, or just self–it is just as mistaken for us to allow these to usurp God’s place as it is to think that Matsu can do anything for us.

"No other gods" means the LORD has an exclusive claim to the temple of our hearts. Our God is a jealous God. There is room for no one else. No one else can save us. No one else will hear our prayers. No one else even cares.

Copyright ©2005 Steve Singleton, All rights reserved.

Steve Singleton has written and edited several books and numerous articles on subjects of interest to Bible students. He has taught Greek, Bible, and religious studies courses Bible college, university, and adult education programs. He has taught seminars and workshops in 11 states and the Caribbean.

Go to his DeeperStudy.com for Bible study resources, no matter what your level of expertise. Explore “The Shallows,” plumb “The Depths,” or use the well-organized “Study Links” for original sources in English translation. Sign up for Steve’s free “DeeperStudy Newsletter.”

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Everyone gets to experience a moment of grief, loss and sadness at some point in their lifetime. Grief is something that follows a loss. Grief can take many forms: it can initially settle in as numbness and later evolve to become a mixture of sadness, anger, confusion, sense of being lost, frustration nd desperation. Losing a child causes grief that can be very painful. A parent who is emotionally and physically close to the child finds himself losing a portion of his own identity along with the loss of a child. This puts the parent in a sort of psychological trauma. They may find themselves wondering how to bring back their child - searching for them or reminders of them. They may even hear their voice or think that they see them in familiar places. It takes a long time to gradually get accustomed to the great loss. The intense emotional pain that takes over the parents when they first hear of the loss of their child can make them feel if they can ever survive through this pain. Progress is made through grief slowly as the feelings are worked through. Freud called this grief work.

Each individual reacts in a different way to the loss of a child. While some people seem to cope well with the grief, others isolate themselves and become depressed and even consider suicide. Isolation is not a good thing unless the person is self-determined and tough or spiritually detached in mind. Isolated people do not let their feelings show and suppressed feelings lead to depression and other kinds of physical and mental ailments as well. Research shows that it is not a good thing to pretend that nothing happened when a loss as huge as the loss of a child happens. Without adequate help from others, the parents are likely to feel unease, restlessness and anxiety. If they have more children, they might fear for their lives. If the child they have lost is their only child, they might fear thinking about their own future. It is important they need someone to listen and ask questions and not just offer them words of comfort.

When the loss of a child happens, the parents need people to help them confront the fears of the new and unknown future. It’s very important that they are able to share their grief with close friends, family members or counselors. It is said that in times of crisis such as this, parents need a kind of emotional first aid - love and a shoulder to cry on. Parents do need privacy and time to mourn the loss of their child. They also need people for support. There should be a balance between grieving alone and sharing grief. Some people find it helpful to spend fifteen to twenty minutes alone every day. This time acts as a safety valve. In it they deal with any emotions they have stored up during the day. There are different ways of grieving in private: thinking, crying, praying, meditating, writing or drawing, talking to the dog! Keeping a journal or grief diary also helps. Parents can write down their feelings and the memories of the loved one. They can then see how their grief changes over a period of weeks and months. This is proof of progress. If the diary is kept in a safe place the written memories become precious in the future. Alternatively some people feel more comfortable with drawing pictures or seeing photographs of their child. Sharing the grief with loved ones help people to talk through their grief. They can relive their happy moments with their child by talking to people or counselors, or by joining a bereavement support group.

Turning inwards for spiritual strength also helps in understanding and coping with grief. Spirituality helps a person be grateful for the things that he has rather than grieving for what he has lost. It also enables a person to accept that his child is now in the hands of God and happy in Heaven.

Thus we find that different people have different strategies for coping with grief. When then loss is as great as the loss of one’s precious child, parents need a balanced approach to dealing with grief. They need to have moments of isolation to work through their feelings, moments of prayer to help them acquire new understanding and strength, and moments of sharing to have the support of family and friends. This mix is different for different people and when they find the right balance, they can find a way to cope with the loss of a child.

About The Author

Gene Torrey - runs a non profit grief and bereavement website (www.linda-angel.com) who’s sole aim is to provide free information to those in need. The website provides articles, resources, advise, forums & a free book.

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Yesterday I decided to “get back in shape,” and today I’m already checking in the mirror to see if there’s a difference. Sound familiar? Everything else is instantly obtainable from microwave dinners to pay-on-demand TV, so why should weight loss take so long?

Before microwave ovens people had to decide in the morning what to make for dinner because it took all day to thaw the meat. Today most people don’t even think about what’s for dinner until 20 minutes before they want to start eating.

You Didn’t Gain it Overnight, You Won’t Lose it Overnight Either

Stop and think about how long it either took you to gain all your extra weight or how long you’ve been overweight. If it’s been years, then relax. You won’t take it all off in a few days. Give yourself some time to melt into a new shape. Have you been overweight your entire life, yet now you expect to lose it in a matter of weeks? Have you had emotional issues since childhood but now you think a day or two of effort should be all it takes? It takes time to make a change, so give yourself a break.

Accept that the process will take time, take a deep breath and relax. Even though you’re in a hurry, each minute passes like the minute before, each hour, each day, each week. Time passes, whether you make a change or not. Why not make a change and notice yourself getting more fit as time passes?

Every Monday comes around quicker than ever. A week’s gone by. Did you do anything positive toward your goal of losing weight during that week or did you put it off again? Did you start out Monday with enthusiasm only to watch it disappear by Wednesday?

If you use EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) to work on the emotional issues, you can end the underlying anxieties over how long it will take once and for all.

Here are some EFT suggestions for the “How Long Will This Take” question and “Why is this taking so long?”

“Even though this is taking too long, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

“Even though I wish the weight was gone, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

“Even though I can’t wait for results, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

“Even though I’m sick of this stupid weight, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

“Even though I want this done and over, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

It only takes a minute to do a round of EFT so do as many rounds as are necessary to bring your SUD level to a 2 or lower.

Some people stop using EFT because it seems too easy, or they are actually getting a good result but then something stops them from continuing. What do you think could be the problem? More issues perhaps? Exactly! When you find yourself thinking, “Oh, I don’t need to do this anymore,” or “This is silly,” or “This is a waste of time, I’ll never lose the weight so why bother …” that’s a perfect opportunity to use EFT on those limiting beliefs. The words you use to make the statement are the words you’ll use while tapping:

“Even though I don’t see why I should have to keep doing this, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

“Even though I think I look silly, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

“Even though this is stupid and a waste of time, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

“Even though I’ll never lose this weight, and I don’t know why I bother trying, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

Do a round of EFT every time you catch yourself in a negative frame of mind and you’ll soon find you have less and less of those moments.

Are We There Yet?

Many people call and ask me, “How long will this take,” as if we were removing a stain from a favorite sweater. This is life people! Start now and within six months to a year you can be either at your goal or so much closer than you’ve been before. Plan to do something every day to work toward what you want, and plan to move away from those behaviors you’d like to leave behind, a little at a time. Small changes build up over time to create big results.

Long standing emotional issues may take many months to resolve but so what? It’s like the 17-year old who worries that medical school takes four more years after college. “That’s eight years!” they cry. Yes, that does seem like a long time, but that time will pass whether you attend school or not; the time will pass whether you do something about your emotional issues, or not, life happens while we’re busy making other plans to paraphrase John Lennon. When I received an invitation to my 30-year high school reunion that eight year commitment for medical school suddenly didn’t seem like such a big deal since I would have completed it 22 years ago.

Commit to giving yourself a year to achieve the goals you want for yourself. Then break that year down into months, weeks, days, and then just take it one day at a time. Most of those who take my eight week course end up saying how quickly the weeks fly by; many ask for more time. If you think of it as if you’re taking a class at college, then you’re more likely to commit to the daily exercises (homework) and do what is necessary to achieve a passing grade (get a result). It’s up to you to take the tools you’ve been given and start to use them. Do it today. You deserve to feel better, right now.

“Even though I don’t think I deserve to feel good, I deeply and completely accept myself.” (I’m not worthy)

“Even though I can’t take this much time all to myself, I deeply and completely accept myself.” (Everyone else comes first)

“Even though I’m too busy to do all this, I deeply and completely accept myself.” (I don’t have time - maybe I’ll do it later)

No matter what your issues or doubts, use EFT on them, and you’ll find as time passes, so will your difficulties, until you reach the point you are able to either ask for help (from me or someone else) or you are able to help yourself.

~~ Kathryn Martyn, Master NLP Practitioner, EFT counselor, author of the free e-book: Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss, and owner of OneMoreBite-Weightloss.com

Get The Daily Bites: Inspirational Mini Lessons Using EFT and NLP for Ending the Struggle with Weight Loss.

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of lung cancer. Women with the highest blood levels of lutein, zeaxanth in and beta-cryptoxanthin had the lowest risk of developing lung cancer.

The risk reduction associated with these nutrients was 69% for lutein zeaxanthin. Men with the highest blood levels of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) were 41% less likely to develop prostate cancer. Firstly, for a good, all-around antioxidant boost, everyone can benefit from daily vitamin C, vitamin E, and Selenium.

Vitamin C

What It Does:

May protect against GI (gastro-intestinal) cancers, cataracts, and heart disease; reduces severity of colds. Optimizes vitamin E utilization. Best Food Sources:

Fruits and vegetables (eg., strawberries, citrus fruits, broccoli, dark leafy green, red peppers). Suggested Dose:

500 to 1,000 mg. (or more) a day. Best taken with meals.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E comes in two forms: tocoperols (the most common form of the vitamin) and tocotrienols. Take a vitamin E supplement to assure youre getting optimum tocopherol levels. Less is known about the tocotrienols; research is ongoing. What It Does:

Tocopherols may protect against heart disease, stroke, Alzheimers, and certain cancers; they may also enhance immunity. Tocotrienols may

fight heart disease and breast cancer; may also protect skin against the suns UV rays.

Best Food Sources:

Tocopherols: Nuts and vegetable oils have a small amount. Tocotrienols: Rice bran. Supplements are beneficial to supply a therapeutic dose of these vital vitamin compounds.

Suggested Dose Tocopherols: 400 to 800 IU of natural vitamin E a day, preferably as mixe d tocopherols; best taken with meals. Selenium

What It Does:

Protects against cancer, heart disease, cataracts, and macular degeneration. Assists other antioxidants to function at optimum levels. Best Food Sources:

Brazil nuts, grains, vegetables (selenium content varies depending on the

soil produce is grown in.) Suggested Dose:

100 to 200 mcg. a day; avoid higher daily doses, which may be toxic. Take with meals to help boost absorption. Coenzyme Q10

What It Does:

May fight cancer and heart disease; strengthens gums; protects nerves; helps generate energy, naturally. Where Its Found and Specific Food Sources:

Present in all cells of the body, especially in the heart. Also found in

nuts and oils, but supplementation is required to get a therapeutic dose. Suggested Dose:

At least 30 mg. a day. CoQ10 is particularly important for anyone who has heart disease. In addition, anyone taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, such as Mevacor (lovastatin), Lipitor (atorvastatin), or Zocor (simvastatin) should take CoQ10 because these drugs deplete the bodys store of Coenzyme. Alpha-Lipolc Acid

What It Does:

May protect against heart disease, cataracts, stroke, cancer, and diabetes-related nerve damage. May also help boost critical glutathione levels. Best Food Sources:

Found in tiny amounts in some foods (eg., spinach, beef, potatoes).

Suggested Dose

100 mg. a day with food. For people with diabetes, 200 mg. three times aday. These Additional Antioxidants May Also Be Beneficial To Your Health. Other antioxidants that may be worth including in your antioxidant mix depending on your individual health concerns are carotenoids, ginkgo biloba, and proanthocyanidins. Glutathione, an amino-acid like antioxidant, is very important for immunity and proper liver function . Taking these additional antioxidants boosts your bodys natural production of valuable glutathione. Carotenoids What They Do: May lower your risk of certain cancers, heart disease, cataracts, and macular degeneration.

Best Food Sources:

Orange and red fruits and vegetables; dark green vegetables. Suggested Dose:

If diet is lacking in fruits and vegetables: Take mixed carotenoids supplying 25,000 IU of vitamin A activity a day. Ginkgo Biloba

What It Does:

Improves circulation; may fight heart disease, Alzheimers, impotence. Where Its Found:

Extracted from the leaves of the ginkgo biloba tree. Suggested Dose

30 to 60 mg., of extract (equivalent 250 mg. - 500 mg. of whole herb) once or twice a day, with or without food. Proanthocyanidins (Grape Seed Extract / Pine Bark Extract / Berry, Fruit Extracts)

What It Does:

Boosts bodys production of vitamins C and E and glutathione.

Where Its Found:

Extracted from grape seeds, berry extracts or pine bark (such as Pycnogenol). Suggested Dose

30 to 200 mg. a day. SOURCES / REFERENCES:

The Doctors Complete Guide To Vitamins and Minerals

Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, 2003;2003:518-526.

Roger Jirves is an authorized dealer of the Vitamin Power line natural nutrition-science products. Antioxidant Vitamins, Minerals and other Anti-Aging Nutrients . . .

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If you’re ever going to take control of your life and make it

grand, you’ll need to start by taking control of your time.

Without question, effective time management is fundamental to

succeeding in any area of life. In fact, it is often the main

difference between life’s achievers and those who, although

always busy, never get anywhere.

Not surprisingly, an entire industry has been created out of the

need to better manage our time. But if you look a little deeper,

you’ll see that its not so much about time management as it is

self management. Because in reality, you can’t control time, but

you can control yourself and what you do with each moment of

time.

Most experts agree that success is the result of habit.

Therefore, the first step in improving how you use your time

starts with your habits (self control). And your habits start as

consciously made decisions (i.e. what time you get up, what kind

of books you read, etc.).

Once established, good habits become second nature. In many

cases, success is not so much the result of doing the unusual,

but rather the result of one’s ability to “master the mundane.”

By consistently performing all of the little rudimentary tasks

that are important, over time these activities transform into

huge achievements.

Here’s some simple rules to follow for better time management:

Don’t procrastinate. Do it now. When people put things off, it

kills momentum, slows achievement of current goals and restricts

future opportunity as time is clogged up. The way to tackle

procrastination is to set deadlines by which goals should be

achieved. The way to avoid last-minute deadlines brought on by

procrastination is to set intermediary goals which must be

achieved and then steadily track progress.

Track your activities. Memory is a poor guide when it comes to

assessing how you spend your time. A better way is to record your

activities throughout the day, listing everything you do. Most

people will find that they have about three hours each day that

can be used in a more constructive or efficient manner. Take

stock of the time you spend chatting on the phone, flipping

though magazines or aimlessly surfing the Web, and eliminate all

that isn’t necessary.

Concentrate on results. Many people spend their days in a frenzy

of activity, but achieve very little because they are not

concentrating on the right things. Don’t confuse working

efficiently with working effectively. Activities can be

tension-relieving, but not goal-achieving. By concentrating on

fewer “major” priorities regularly, you can achieve a lot more in

less time.

Remember the 80/20 principle: 20% of your key activities will

give you 80% of your results. Your aim is to change this to

ensure that you concentrate as much of your effort as possible on

the high payoff tasks.

Use travel time wisely. It’s easy to overlook time spent

traveling in your assessment of time management. Consider

carefully whether this is time that you could use more

productively. For example, if you opted to take the bus or train

to work, would this provide an opportunity to make better use of

your commute time? Or if you do drive, are you listening to

educational or motivational tapes (rather than the Top 40) which

could help improve your skills and make you a more productive and

well-rounded person?

Develop action plans. An action plan is a brief list of tasks

that you have to complete to achieve an objective. It differs

from a “To Do” list in that it focuses on the achievement of a

goal, (and the specific steps to get there) rather than just on

the goals to be achieved in a period of time. Whenever you want

to achieve something, drawing up an action plan allows you to

concentrate on the stages of that achievement, and monitor your

progress towards that realization.

Respond quickly. For example, take care of your mail as you

receive it. Don’t let those bills and letters pile up on you. If

you’re unable to respond to a letter immediately, file it in a

special place that’s visible, and note on the envelope the

required action and date you intend to resolve it. When possible,

act on requests the same day you receive them. Don’t let your

computer, your desk or your mind become clogged with useless

things.

Be Decisive. Learn to say no to people. Your time is important,

so don’t let other people impose or use you to compensate for

their poor planning. Eliminate distractions as much as possible.

Close your door, turn off the ringer on your phone or simply ask

not to be disturbed.

Schedule time to relax. When you’re organizing your time and your

business, make sure to set aside some time for relaxation. If you

plan for it in advance, it’s less likely to come up spontaneously

and distract you from other tasks. (No, sitting at your computer

with a mouse under your hand does not qualify as relaxing).

Your first step toward better time management is to take stock of

the time you waste each day and from there, reorganize your

activities to maximize every minute. (Essentially, it boils down

to exercising better self control - it’s simple, but not easy).

Above all, stick to your plan. Your schedule will work only as

well as you commit to it. Keep it with you everywhere you go and

refer to it often. By following these tips, you’ll create more

space to be, do and have more in your life. Best of all, you’ll

approach life in a more proactive and intentional manner.

About The Author

Archie R. Lawhorne is an experienced writer and marketing

consultant. To receive his free one-page report on how to boost

your energy, enhance your mental focus, relieve chronic

tiredness, and lose weight, send an email to:

vibe@freeautobot.com. For more info on how this powerful

anti-aging supplement can also improve blood pressure, reduce

cholesterol and enrich your overall cardiovascular health, go to:

www.liquid-vibe.com.

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What can you do with nothing but a set of dumbbells, you ask? Provide resistance to your body’s movements - also known as weight lifting. That’s all weight lifting is - resistance. The terms “weight lifting” and “resistance training” have become one in the same because they are describing the same activity - moving your body under more resistance than it normally has to handle.

In fact, you’ve just stumbled upon the basic secret of exercise in general! Whether you are talking about resistance training, Pilates, Yoga, cardiovascular activities, or any other form of exercise, all of these programs have one thing in common - performing more activity than you would get sitting on the couch. WHY should you exercise, though?

How about defying the aging process for starters? Do you know that the primary reason why elderly people end up in nursing homes is because they lose the ability to think and move on their own? Do you also know that the entire process of thinking and moving on our own happens because we do it every day? Until we retire, that is. Once we don’t have to go to work anymore, or deal with scheduling and lifestyle issues, suddenly the only thing that we have to think about is whether to watch game shows or soap operas all day long, and the only exercise we get is deftly flying our fingers over the remote control.

Mush. That’s what our brains and bodies turn into when we stop using them. Think you are still sharp as a tack, and at the height of your game? Try to say the alphabet backwards in 30 seconds or less.

Yes?. sharp indeed.

What about physically? Think that you can still hold your own even though you don’t really exercise much? Stop reading this article and drop down on the floor for some correct-form push-ups. Did you do at least 30 if you are female, or at least 40 if you are male? No? How about 20 or 25? 15? Unless you pulled off 30 or 40, you are probably at less than the 50 percentile mark for your gender - health conditions notwithstanding.

Okay, so you’ve determined that you aren’t exactly Olympic athlete material. So what? You don’t even like sports, let alone being very good at them. That’s fine, and there is nothing wrong with that. So what about fat? Do you like bodyfat? Do you find it physically appealing? Do you think it’s healthy? If so, we’re done speaking. Go on about your business, and thanks for reading this far.

For everyone else, here is a newsflash: In America today - the year 2004 - obesity related health conditions account for more deaths in the United States each year than all known forms of cancer COMBINED. Heart Disease alone is the number one killer of American adults, and it is a PREVENTABLE CONDITION!

How about self-esteem? 64% of Americans are overweight. That is almost two-thirds of the population. If you think that a figure like that and the skyrocketing sales of prescription anti-depressants aren’t related, you now have a second opportunity to stop reading this article and continue on with your day.

Here is the bottom line, folks: Exercise and a reasonable nutrition program are necessary for ALL people, for their ENTIRE lives. Note, however, that I said “exercise”, and that I also said “reasonable nutrition program”. At no point did I say anything about spending 2 hours per day at the gym, or about eating nothing but carrots and celery for the rest of your life. Why? Those practices are just as ineffective at long-term weight loss as diet pills and late night infomercial products. Here is what DOES work:

1) Weight/Resistance Training - Weight training for both men and women has the same effect - it makes your muscles more metabolically active. In simpler terms, it means your muscles will burn more calories - even when you are sleeping. Muscle is the only site on your body where bodyfat is broken down. Weak muscles = weak metabolism. Weak metabolism = slow calorie burning.

2) Cardiovascular Training - Contrary to popular belief, this type of training is meant to help your cardio-respiratory system function more effectively, and ultimately to last longer. Does it burn a lot of calories? Sure it does. However, if you don’t combine it with resistance training and supportive nutrition, you’ll likely just burn off water weight and the muscle tissue that you worked so hard for up in step number 1.

3) Reasonable Nutrition Program - Quality sources of complex and fibrous carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, and lean sources of protein. Eat those nutrients in reasonable proportions frequently throughout your day, and your metabolism (refer again to #1) will crank up to high, and you’ll be burning more calories on a day to day basis than you ever have before in your life.

So far we have seen that not only can exercise keep us out of a nursing home, but it can also keep off excess levels of bodyfat which will - literally - keep us alive. We haven’t even touched on sports performance, recreational activities, improved energy levels, ability to focus, or many of the other benefits of a regular exercise program.

Personally, I’d be happy with just staying out of a nursing home, and staying alive long enough to look good in a bathing suit. What about you?

Aaron Potts is the owner and creator of Fitness Destinations. Aaron’s experience in the health and fitness industry includes one on one personal training in many different environments, maintenance of several health-related websites, and authoring of many fitness-related products for consumers and fitness professionals. http://www.fitnessdestinations.com

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The human mind is so powerful that it can achieve whatever it wants. Past Conditioning does affect your life. Pavlov the Russian Scientist did an experiment with a dog. Every time he rang the bell the dog came to him and he rewarded with the biscuit. After a few days when the dog heard the bell it went straight to him thinking he would get a biscuit. After a week Pavlov found out that the dog would start to salivate as soon as it heard the bell because it was connecting the sound with food. The dog was thinking every time when the bell rings it is going to be fed. So Pavlov had conditioned the dog to expect food when it heard the bell ring. The same applies to human being. You are conditioned to believe that your life is going to be a failure. Every time something happens immediately we say it only happens to me. So change your past conditioning and recondition your mind with positive thoughts to reach your new destination. Look for the positives and dwell on them.

Goal Setting

Focus on what you want and not on what you don’t want.

Be Specific and Realistic.

Write your goals on paper. When you write them you are convincing your mind that you can achieve them.

Every goal should have a purpose.

Have Short term, Intermediate and Long term goals.

Have a clear cut plan how you are going to achieve your goals.

Create a burning desire to achieve those goals.

Be committed and dedicated.

The last and most important have a positive mental attitude.

To achieve your goals you need to be

Passionate Energetic Enthusiastic Confident Have faith in your ability and in God Fill your mind with thoughts of faith, confidence and security. Affirmations

God is with me no one can defeat me.

I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me The Kingdom of God is within me.

Visualization

Every night before going to bed repeat 10 minutes God is with me, God is helping me, God is guiding me.

Winston Saga is one of the world’s leading sales legends. He is also the CEO of Sales and Motivation International. Winston has been acknowledged as a unique and distinctive authority in the field of sales and personal development. Last year International Biography Centre selected him ‘’International Man of the Year'’ for his outstanding contribution to sales and Service. He has written 100’s of articles to magazine, journals and websites. Visit http://www.telesalestips.com to know more about the Author

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If you have excess weight only in specific parts of your body, you still must look at yourself as a whole. It’s not possible to spot reduce; in other words, you can’t dictate that you only want weight to come off one place or another. In most cases your so called “trouble spots” is where the fat will come off last, so be prepared to lose weight in your fingers (rings fall off) and your face (friends may ask if you’re feeling all right) first. There is hope for losing that belly fat though.

Work Toward Building Muscle and Reducing Body Fat

If you work toward building muscle and reducing body fat you will eventually tackle those trouble spots though, and develop a better physique in the process. Muscle tissue is active meaning it requires calories to be maintained. If you were stranded without a food supply, eventually your body would turn to its own muscle tissue as a source of nutrition first (muscles are protein) while saving the fat stores for last. Simply put, fat is nature’s way of ensuring survival during times of famine. That’s why the prevalence of heart failure kills someone who is severely malnourished. By building more muscle you become a more efficient energy burning machine which translates to mean you can eat more food! That to me is a good thing.

The More Active You Are, The More You Get to Eat!

That explains why some people can eat so much more than others yet not gain weight; your efficient energy burning friend simply has a greater proportion of muscle to fat than you. Muscle is more dense than fat. It’s often said that a pound of muscle is heavier than a pound of fat, but the truth is a pound is a pound. What they mean is a one pound volume of muscle is a smaller package than a one pound volume of fat, or put another way, fat is billowy and fluffy while muscle is sleek and compact. Lady No. 1 weighs 120 pounds with 30% body fat so she has 84 pounds of lean tissue and 36 pounds of fat, while Lady No. 2 also weighing 120 pounds but at 18% body fat is carrying roughly 98 pounds of muscle and 22 pounds of fat. Would you rather be Lady No. 1 or Lady No. 2? Which do you think takes up more space, 22 or 36 pounds of fat? I’d say 36 pounds of fat would be a lot bigger package than 22 pounds.

How Much You Weigh is Meaningless

That is why body weight as a number by itself is meaningless, but your ratio of fat to muscle is very important and worth working to change. Strive to decrease your body fat and increase your muscle mass and you’ll look better, you’ll feel stronger and more energetic and you’ll simply be healthier.

You can generally have your body fat tested at fitness centers and most gyms so ask about having it done. It’s better to know you have 30% body fat and work to reduce it to 29, than not to know and only think in terms of body weight. Most people who think only of how much they weigh tend to do everything to reduce that weight, and it’s usually at the expense of losing more valuable muscle.

The best way to increase muscle and decrease fat is through a consistent exercise program. Start at whatever is your beginning, but do start.

Begin with an overall body conditioning type exercise program, doing whatever you enjoy, whether it be a sport, gardening, weight lifting, biking, hiking, or any other activity. Any physical movement you do regularly counts as exercise even if it is doing laundry or taking out the trash. Get as much as you can out of every chore you do, and stop thinking of it as a chore but instead as an opportunity to move your body.

In the early 1900s a washing machine was a new invention. People used to wash their clothes by hand, and hang them outside to dry. Being a housewife was actually a pretty strenuous job. It’s no wonder women were thankful for modern conveniences like automatic washers and dryers, but now we’ve come to where our daily activities are not taking our bodies at all, so unless we want to get fatter and fatter we must do something about it.

Get Fit and Belly Fat Disappears

It doesn’t make sense to drive around and around in the parking lot looking for the closest space when you’re on your way to run or walk on the treadmill. Why take the elevator five flights every day at work and then pay a monthly fee to do the StairMaster after work? What if we all started to notice that our world is full of exercise equipment.

We could become so much more fit if we’d just start to notice all the opportunities for physical movement we miss in the name of convenience. Look around and see if you can spot some exercise opportunities, and then get busy and get fit.

~~ Kathryn Martyn, Master NLP Practitioner, EFT counselor, author of the free e-book: Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss, and owner of OneMoreBite-Weightloss.com

Get The Daily Bites: Inspirational Mini Lessons Using EFT and NLP for Ending the Struggle with Weight Loss.

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I personally love the analogy of candles on a birthday cake.

Like a candle on a birthday cake, each and every one of us has come here with a special light, special talents or gifts, to contribute to the celebration of life. If we are playing small, ignoring our gifts or barely living, our light cannot shine bright and the celebration is diminished. When we all step into our full power, realizing our hopes and dreams, our lights shine bright and the celebration is truly remarkable!

We are all here to BE an expression of higher wisdom.

When we all begin to claim our power, live the life we came here to live, treat each other with respect, dignity, love, kindness and compassion, there can be no darkness!

The darkness we see on our planet now is full of fear, worry, control, anger, and hatred. This is lower vibrational energy that cannot survive in a higher vibrational (love-based) environment!

When enough of us shine our light, the darkness will no longer be a point of focus!

Every one of us feeling the urge or chaos of change is being encouraged to step fully into our own power now. We are being activated by higher wisdom to be an evolutionary force in the world. This means that we need to begin to see that the power is not outside of us, but within us.

This is not Motel 6 and no one is keeping the light on for you. Each of you must be willing to turn the light on within yourself and stand out to shine!

YOU ARE THE LIGHT!

Now with this shift of consciousness is a pressure to get rid of anything that is dark within ourselves or is no longer compatible with the person we are evolving to be. We are being guided by higher wisdom onto new paths for life and living.

On the physical plane, many people are being challenged with disease or conditions that are seemingly incurable. And yet, the reports continue of unexplainable recoveries and miraculous cures as people claim their power to heal themselves. Alternative medicine and healing techniques are spreading worldwide as people recognize that they have the power within themselves to heal anything.

Many people are finding their sleep patterns are changing. Either they are requiring a great deal of sleep or they are waking up at odd hours filled with energy. Tastes and appetites in all areas of our lives are shifting.

Some people have been experiencing a wrenching open of their heart. On a physical level it feels like it might be a heart attack, but it is a prying away of the walls around our hearts that have limited our capacity to love. This often happens in the middle of the night during our sleep state when we are more open to assistance from the spiritual realm.

Many people are experiencing a time of challenge, depression, frustration and emotional pain. This is a sign that you are being asked to give up some behavior pattern, some belief, some memory that has kept you trapped in the old paradigm. See these experiences as gifts that are allowing you to transform. Learn the lesson, change the pattern, and move on into the new dimensions.

Many people are aware of new sensitivities, new abilities to be intuitive as they connect with higher wisdom and levels of consciousness. Many people who have been aware of their gifts are now finding their gifts in different forms. This intuition may be presented as an ability to see in visions, hear as if voices are speaking, simply knowing, sensing or feeling, and even the sense of smell.

The veil is being lifted and our access to higher wisdom is available to us all in ways we’ve never experienced before. All you have to do is ask, and you will receive the guidance or support you’ve requested.

YOU deserve it!

About The Author

Debbie Friedman, M.S., C.Ht., is the Manifesting Maven who helps people

consciously create the life they love to live. She is the creator of the popular

Cleaning Out the Closet of Your Mind for Wealth series.

http://www.CleaningOutTheCloset.com

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Life is training

How does this pertain to you and why the hell am I brining it up? The segue’s here: when you train, you want to look good. You want to hit hard and perfect every time. You want to throw for ippon every time. You want to score a knock out or submission every time. Every technique you throw hits its mark. Just like that parent- you want everything to go smoothly with out any hiccups or mistakes. As in life: "what you want and what you got, aren’t exactly the same thing." If you are training and you never make a mistake, you are probably not pushing your self or being pushed enough. If that’s not the case- give me your number, I want to train with you. If you have ever been in a situation where you had to survive, hardly anything goes smoothly- save the one punch knock out. It’s frustrating, it doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing; it’s moments of frustration highlighted by some good or bad luck. Please note: according to my Dad "luck" is where preparation meets opportunity. No doubt a sentiment echoed from his days in the Marines.

Like that parent I mentioned before- you treat your training like that child. You are worried about the minutia. Micro-managing your work out so you feel better every second without looking at the big picture. How will you deal with the frustration of a real knock down, drag out fight? Unless you’re dealing with a push-over, you will you’re your hands full. Where a lot of tradition type martial artists fail is that they expect that perfect reverse punch to hit its target EVERY TIME. This is a goal of training. An idea, like finding the perfect cherry blossom or the perfect cheese steak; the one shot, one kill can be translated any number of ways. Again, the Japanese language is comprised of a lot of synonyms. It could mean, when you get the opportunity- make it count!

In your training you need to replicate the frustration when you train. If you are hitting your training dummy perfect every time- go harder and faster. If you are being too successful- push the people around you. Get them a little agitated (I’ll leave that to your imagination). If you don’t, you will be setting yourself up for a big let down. When it really counts- YOUR instincts will not be ready to fight through it. Just like that child, you will look to back away and quit because that’s what you were taught. What do you do when you get frustrated?- you train harder and fight through it.

Remember: Life is Training

Training enables you to handle what life hands you better. Experience is what you get after you deal with what life gives you. Your experience gets put back into your training.

You are constantly training and teaching- whether you like it or not. No matter what you do you are shaping your behavior and the behavior of people around you. People affect you the way you allow them to. But that’s a whole other discussion.

Copyright 2003 www.thetruthaboutselfdefense.com ©

Damian Ross is the owner of Zenshin and instructor of Tekkenryu jujutsu and Kodokan Judo. He started competing in the combative sport of wrestling in 1975 at the age of 7 and began his study of Asian martial arts with Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do at the age of 16 in 1984. In 1989, Shinan Cestari gave a seminar at Sensei Ross’s dojo. Sensei Ross has trained under Shinan Cestari’s direction ever since. In addition to Tekkenryu Jujutsu, Judo and Tae Kwon Do, Sensei Ross has also studied Bando. Sensei Ross continues his study of Judo under the direction of 8th degree black belt Yoshisada Yonezuka and Tekkenryu Jujutsu under it’s founder, Carl Cestari. Below are is a list of some of his title ranks Yodan (fourth degree black belt) Tekkenryu Jujutsu under Carl Cestari Shodan (First degree black belt) Kodokan Judo under Yoshisada Yonezuka Varsity Wrestling Lehigh University under Thad Turner 2nd Degree Black Belt Tae Kwon Do

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