Microwave Fitness™ #5- Thigh Toner - High Intensity

Welcome to the newest Microwave Fitness™ blog article. My hope for you is to help you find better ways to use those spare minutes in your busy day to look & feel better.

Here's how it works.

While you are microwaving your lunch, instead of being bored, focus on fitness. Microwave Fitness™ exercises will improve your muscle tone and circulation, improve your energy level, help your concentration, and help you relax from your day's stress. You won't work up a sweat, so you won't need a shower afterwards. You'll just feel better and you'll soon notice you look better too.

Most lunches take from 2 to 7 minutes to heat up. If you have a 2 minute lunch, pick your favorite microwave fitness workout. If you have a 5-7 minute lunch, you can do 2 or 3 workouts! They are quick, fun & easy and each one focuses on a different muscle group.

Thigh Toner
Stand normally, with your feet together.
Make sure you have a little room around you and be careful not to kick your friends and coworkers while you do this exercise!

Put your hands on your waist. If you find you need a little help with your balance, gently rest one hand against a wall or table. Try not to put your weight on the hand, just use it to steady you.
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Stand on your right leg. Bend both knees to do a mini squat, lowering your bottom about 4 inches. Lifting from the heel, raise your left leg out to the side about 6 inches while straightening your right leg. Don't bend your legs. Gently lower your left leg. Repeat 5 times to start. Gradually work your way up to 20.

Stand on your left leg. Bend both knees to do a mini squat, lowering your bottom about 4 inches. Lifting from the heel, raise your right leg out to the side about 6 inches while straightening your left leg. Don't bend your legs. Gently lower your right leg. Repeat 5 times to start. Gradually work your way up to 20.

In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash

What is Money?

When we were young, we used to watch "the rich" in cartoons doing what we would do if we had lots of money: rolling in it, fondling it, tossing it in the air, and playing "keep away" from the hero (who was NOT rich.) It was fun and it was all we could imagine to do with money. Money was a toy, but a very special toy that EVERYONE liked to play with.

When we grew up, money changed a little. For most people, there is a bit of desperation attached to money. No longer just a fun toy, it now becomes something WE NEED.

But what is money, really?

Actual money is little pieces of cheap metal and fabric (no, we only call it paper money, its actually more like a heavy linen fabric.) It can be made of anything, as we just found out. I, personally, think the new paper money looks more like monopoly money than the old money did. But it still gets me to the gas station and through the grocery store.

In fact, you don't even have to touch any money to spend it. Checks, debit cards, and credit cards make shopping so much easier than carrying a thick wad of bills in your pocket. And then there are always gift cards. They act like money, but only at one store.

So why does all this stuff work?

Because money is all about trust.

When I buy that gift card, I can trust the store I bought if from to allow my loved one to purchase something they like at that store.

When I use a debit card, the store is trusting my bank that they will transfer some money from my bank account into the store's bank account. Same thing with a check; it just takes a little longer.

When I use my credit card, the credit card company is trusting me that I will keep making my monthly payments.

If you read the back of your paper money, it says 'In God we trust."

Honesty and trust are the foundations of living in a society where it is so easy to earn money and to spend it.

So I would have to say the answer to the question "What is money" is "Trust."

Small is Beautiful

When it comes to creating wealth, small is beautiful. Although when it comes to owning wealth, a corporate structure gives you much better tax benefits.

So how to combine the best of both worlds?

If you intend to become wealthy, its unlikely that you will achieve that end as the employee of a large corporation or government agency. What you will do in a corporate environment is work at low intensity for your career, say 40 years, in exchange for being paid just enough to keep you from leaving - assuming that what you do provides more benefit to the corporation than what they are paying you. This is assuming no graft, corruption, bribes, or other illegal ways of obtaining money from your working environment. The corporation will try to provide ways of improving your productivity with tools like a desk, telephone, and computer. Sadly, the corporate environment, with rare exception, also provides far too many "force de-multipliers" that sap your productivity. "Active sound damping" is one that has pushed many employees to the edge of homicide by shutting down all reasoning capability in the higher levels of brain functioning.

At the other extreme is the very small, high tech startup. Economically, you can think of a startup as a way to compress your whole working life into a few years. You work as hard as you possibly can for about four year. Trim out the pointy-haired boss, the staff meetings, the constant interruptions by slacker coworkers, mind-numbing "active sound damping," sick time, vacation time, human resources issues, annual performance reviews, and commuting time and we can assume you have maximized productivity. This can be a "force-multiplier" of maybe as much as 30 times. So instead of the $60,000 to $80,000 a year of productivity your corporate employer expects, your actual productivity may be as much as $2million to $3million a year.

Assuming you have, indeed, created a product the customer wants, and can sell it at a price the customer is willing to pay, we begin to see where wealth is created.

But it isn't just magic. Never forget that if you want to make a million dollars, you have to endure a million dollars' worth of pain. The question becomes: Do it the hard way, or the reaaaallly haaard way?

Microwave Fitness™ #6- Derriere Toner

Welcome to the newest Microwave Fitness blog article. My hope for you is to help you find better ways to use those spare minutes in your busy day to look & feel better.

Here's how it works.

While you are microwaving your lunch, instead of being bored, focus on fitness. Microwave Fitness™ exercises will improve your muscle tone and circulation, improve your energy level, help your concentration, and help you relax from your day's stress. You won't work up a sweat, so you won't need a shower afterwards. You'll just feel better and you'll soon notice you look better too.

Most lunches take from 2 to 7 minutes to heat up. If you have a 2 minute lunch, pick your favorite microwave fitness workout. If you have a 5-7 minute lunch, you can do 2 or 3 workouts! They are quick, fun & easy and each one focuses on a different muscle group.

Derriere Toner
Stand normally, with your feet together.
Make sure you have a little room around you and be careful not to kick your friends and coworkers while you do this exercise!

Put your hands on your waist. If you find you need a little help with your balance, gently rest one hand against a wall or table. Try not to put your weight on the hand, just use it to steady you.

Stand on your right leg. Lifting from the heel, raise your left leg straight back about 6 inches. Don't bend your legs. Gently lower your left leg. Repeat 5 times to start. Gradually work your way up to 20.

Stand on your left leg. Lifting from the heel, raise your right leg straight back about 6 inches. Don't bend your legs. Gently lower your right leg. Repeat 5 times to start. Gradually work your way up to 20.

This exercise works the gluteus maximus and erector spinae muscles, important for a trim bottom, but also helps relieve lower back pain caused from sitting at a desk.

August Blog Carnivals

I am privileged to be featured on the following blog carnivals this month.



Weight Management & Fitness Forum has been posted at:
http://weight-master.blogspot.com/2008/08/weight-management-and-fitness-forum.html

Carnival of Ethics, Values, and Personal Finance which is now up at:
http://moneyandvalues.blogspot.com/2008/08/carnival-of-ethics-values-and-personal.html

Mercury Poisoning in Children Causes Autism?

So rages the controversy. And if you believe the reports, there has been a 10 fold increase in autism cases from 1980 to 2004.

Shocking, if it is true.

But since we are talking about the difference between 6 cases and 60 cases, we are still dealing with a VERY SMALL number of children.

But is mercury really the problem, or just a symptom of a deeper, underlying problem.

There was a fascinating study done in 2004 that identified a signature metabolic impairment or "biomarker" in autistic children that manifests as a severe imbalance in the ratio of active to inactive glutathione, the body's most important tool for detoxifying and excreting metals. Glutathione is the "master" antioxidant and it is normally made in every cell of your body. When your body can make enough glutathione, your body can keep in check the potentially destructive process of oxidative stress caused both by normal metabolism and environmental contaminants. A number of studies have shown autistic children showed a significant impairment in every one of five measurements of the body's ability to maintain a healthy glutathione defense. So a level of lead or mercury that would cause no problems in a normal child, can be disastrous for children with this metabolic impairment.
Read the whole article

Is there an answer?

There is a promising patented formulation with compelling clinical results that raise glutathione levels an average of 292%.
Clinical studies

Clinical studies on autistic children are being conducted by Dr Allen.

Click here to learn more about the glutathione accellerator.

Magic or Economics?

Why do you work?

Think deeply on this for a few minutes. Do you work to earn a paycheck? Do you work for personal fulfillment? Do you work because you want to make the world a better place? Do you work because you'd be bored otherwise? Do you work because you hate to be alone?

Now let's flip that around.

Why did your employer hire you?

Because you're cute and he likes having you around? Because you're stupid and easy to intimidate and your boss enjoys the power? Because your employer is rich and has nothing better to do with her money? Because the government told him to hire you?

In economic theory we learn that a free market employer will hire employees to enable that employer to meet customer needs for goods and services at a price the customer is willing to pay. A government employer will hire employees to enforce government mandates, no matter what the cost. So from an economic standpoint, government has no checks & balances, which is why government programs cost so much and produce so little good. While in the free market, customers and employees provide the checks and balances. Which is why American have access to the richest offering of goodies money can buy.

So why do you get paid what you get paid?

For this article, we will ignore the drivers for government programs. Its not a pretty picture and you, as an individual, can't do a lot to change it.

But in a free market job let's be honest. How much work do you really get done at the office each day? What is that work worth to your employer's customers?

Let's take a very simple example, sadly culled from my personal experience.

You are hungry and want to buy lunch. You walk up to a sandwich shop counter and ask for a sandwich. The person behind the counter is rude, not very clean, and extremely slow. When you order the sandwich, you are told you can't have the salami/ham/pastrami combo because they are out of ham & pastrami. You ask if you can substitute roast beef and turkey for the ham & pastrami. The sandwich maker says yes, but she'll have to charge you for 2 extra meats because those aren't part of the sandwich. So the $5 sandwich you want is now a $7 sandwich that you didn't want.

What do you do?

As a free market customer, you will probably walk out of the store and go somewhere else for lunch, a place where you can get the sandwich you want for $5.

But what if I tell you that this sandwich shop is the best place to work because they pay above minimum wage, offer medical coverage, generous vacation benefits, and a 401K plan? Does that make a $5 sandwich worth $7 to you? Or would you rather pack lunch and eat at the office and pocket the savings?

There's no right or wrong answer to this question, just a choice to be made. In a free market, you have the right to make that choice. But when the government passes laws requiring small business to provide benefits they can't afford, the end result is usually a "Going out of business" sign in the window of a formerly successful sandwich shop. Because most people care about their money and how it is spent.

Wealth - Making It Up As We Go

Pie is great stuff! Who doesn't look at a piece of cherry pie, or dream of apple pie a-la-mode, or drool over a fresh, home made berry pie! There's only one problem with pie. The more people who want some, the smaller everyone's slice is! Or the government launches a PSA campaign warning you of the dangers of eating too much pie and encouraging you to eat stale cookies instead, because they are "better for you."

Your normal family budget and government economics works the same way. If Dad wants to buy a monster truck, Mom & the kids have to go without new clothes. Or if the kid gets accepted to a private university, the entire family has to do without to pay for tuition. Or if Mom wants a new dress, Dad can't get the latest electronic gadget. And government programs ultimately bankrupt the nation, because all they can do is raise taxes to fund the new programs, because the only way the government can get money is to take it from YOU, who earn it.

Free markets, on the other hand, actually do something a little magic. They create wealth. Now this is a difficult thing for many people to visualize, because all they know is slices of pie. But what happens in a free market when more people are clamoring for pie? Government would divide the pie into smaller slices. The free market finds a way to make more pies so everyone who wants one can have a piece. And this is the magic of wealth creation. Clever people, with the incentive of doing a little better for themselves and their families, find a way to make more pie. And if the pie is tasty, these clever people become rich! Its as simple as that.

Simple, but not easy. If it were easy, everyone would do it.

What is the trick to creating the magic? Eliminate obstacles, focus only on what is important, and work very, very hard. For a great treatment of how startups work, see How to Make Wealth by Paul Graham.

Cure or Kill? What IS blood pressure medicine?

I'm not one to knock the medical or pharmaceutical industry just for the sake of knocking them down. They do a lot of good for a lot of people. I've had more good experiences than bad with the medical profession.

But medicine is not about statistics, it's about individuals. And when the doctors, pharmaceutical companies and health care plans forget that, people die.

Take for example high blood pressure. Affects more men than women. No symptoms or immediate problems. But if not controlled, can lead to heart attacks or strokes, which are very bad indeed. So your doctor will encourage you to take one of 4 or 5 blood pressure medicines. And you will have to come in every 3-6 months for blood work.

Why is the blood work needed? Because of the side effects of the blood pressure medicine. Here is just one example of a man who had both common and most uncommon side effects.

Medication was accupril. Less serious side effects listed are:
• cough;
• muscle pain;
• dizziness, drowsiness, headache;
• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea; or
• mild skin itching or rash.

However, this man had some uncommon reactions. Over the years his blood work showed a severe potassium deficiency had developed. And potassium deficiency can affect your body's fluid balance, proper function of your nerves and cellular enzymes. Was this related also to increasingly severe asthma? The doctor didn't think so. But over 10 years this man went from a normal, healthy, hard worker to someone so sick with asthma he could no longer hold down a job. He would get a cold in early November and be sick with either cold, flu or asthma till the end of February. He progressed from Albuterol to Advair, a corticosteriod and still barely had the asthma under control. Finally, in desperation, he stopped all medications gradually over a few months. Before he stopped, he started taking his own blood pressure each day. He found that 20 minutes of exercise each and every day made a huge difference in his blood pressure. But because he had been so sick for so long, he could not exercise regularly. So he was in a vicious circle of decline. But once he weaned himself off the medications, he had the healthiest winter he'd had in 10 years. His health continued to improve as he stayed off the medication and continued to exercise. Even losing 50 pounds over the previous 3 years had not made as much difference to his health as stopping his blood pressure medication.

So again, don't just stop your medication. But do know ALL the risks so you can make an informed decision about your health.

Wealth is Lots of Money?

By any standard you care to measure wealth, Americans are the wealthiest people that have ever lived on the face of the earth, bar none. But it wasn't always so.

Net worth is the difference between a family's assets and liabilities.
The average net worth in the United States in the 1980's was around $20-$50,000 As the years went by, American citizens experienced an increase in their net growth.From 1994 to 1997 average net worth rose a robust 17.4% and continued 10.3% between 1998 and until it it is around $93,100 today. Most people would be amazed by how much they are worth. I heard on the radio recently that anyone who owns a house today will be a millionaire by the time they retire!

So why do media scare stories seem to work for so many people?

People lose heart when they look around them and see others who are doing so much better.

For example, Hilary Clinton released her 2000 to 2006 tax returns recently and disclosed that she and her husband have earned $109 million over the last eight years, a watchdog group reported.

Sen Edward Kennedy, Democrat-Mass, jumped from an average net worth of $7.1 million in 1995 to $102.8 million in 2006.

The wealthiest members of Congress, based on their average worth, were Rep. Jane Harman, Democrat, CA, at $409.4 million, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-CA at $337.4 million, and Sen. John Kerry, Democrat-Mass., at $267.8 million. (source story). But the average Congress person has a net worth of over a million dollars.

But there are many ways to earn lots of money. Persistence and a little creativity are keys to succeeding.

Take for example Kaile Warren of Rent-a-Husband.

Or a company like Max International , that helps average people earn above average incomes.

To quote Winston Churchill, Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm and many successful people have proven this age-old adage.

Microwave Fitness ™ #5- Thigh Toner

Welcome to the newest Microwave Fitness™ blog article. My hope for you is to help you find better ways to use those spare minutes in your busy day to look & feel better.

Here's how it works.

While you are microwaving your lunch, instead of being bored, focus on fitness. Microwave Fitness exercises will improve your muscle tone and circulation, improve your energy level, help your concentration, and help you relax from your day's stress. You won't work up a sweat, so you won't need a shower afterwards. You'll just feel better and you'll soon notice you look better too.

Most lunches take from 2 to 7 minutes to heat up. If you have a 2 minute lunch, pick your favorite microwave fitness workout. If you have a 5-7 minute lunch, you can do 2 or 3 workouts! They are quick, fun & easy and each one focuses on a different muscle group.

Thigh Toner
Stand normally, with your feet together.
Make sure you have a little room around you and be careful not to kick your friends and coworkers while you do this exercise!

Put your hands on your waist. If you find you need a little help with your balance, gently rest one hand against a wall or table. Try not to put your weight on the hand, just use it to steady you.

Stand on your right leg. Lifting from the heel, raise your left leg out to the side about 6 inches. Don't bend your legs. Gently lower your left leg. Repeat 5 times to start. Gradually work your way up to 20.

Stand on your left leg. Lifting from the heel, raise your right leg out to the side about 6 inches. Don't bend your legs. Gently lower your right leg. Repeat 5 times to start. Gradually work your way up to 20.

Wealth and Trust

By any standard you care to measure with, Americans are the wealthiest people that have ever lived on the face of the earth, bar none. But it wasn't always so. And the frightening part about is how few people realize how quickly it can all evaporate into thin air.

You hear the daily media barrage of hate and mistrust. The funny thing to me is the media adores the people with the guns and hates the people who serve.

Take for example "Big Business." A typical media scare story goes something like this:
Walmart scans all your purchases. They store all that information in huge computer databases. They know ALL ABOUT YOUR PURCHASES!!!!

Then the flip side of this.

The media raves about the new California state law that requires health care companies to collect members' preferred written language, spoken language, race and ethnicity. This will HELP US BE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE they tell us.

So let's think about this.

What does Walmart do with your purchase information? They use it to negotiate with suppliers to get larger volumes at cheaper prices of the things people buy a lot of. Suppliers sell more products and hire more people to make them. Customers get cheaper prices on the stuff they really want to buy. Even the government gets their cut in sales taxes. Tell me, in your wildest dreams, how can this possibly be an evil thing?

So how can you protect yourself from this danger? Just don't shop at Walmart. Pay a little more and go to your local mom & pop store.

On the other hand, the state of California not only requires YOUR health care company to collect race and ethnicity information, but they require YOUR health care company to report that information to the state regulators. What happens if your health care company doesn't comply? The government sends men with guns to close the company down. And then they take the race & ethnicity information they want right out of the data systems. Then what will they do with YOUR information?



Let's take a not-so-wild future projection. Instead of the movie version of a Terminator, Arnold Schwarzeneger, Californians foolishly elect a real genocide pusher like a modern day Adolph Hitler, for example Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir or Pol Pot, leader of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.

Sound outlandish? Ask a few old timers who were born somewhere other than the United States. Or ask the professors at the Yale University Genocide Studies Program

"I'm from the Government and I'm here to help you" used to be a common joke when our grandparents were young. They understood that government is not reason nor eloquence, it is the undisguised use of force to impose someone else will on YOU.

Wealth is based on trust. That is why in countries that have corrupt governments, you see a only moderate degree of wealth in the politically protected classes, and abject poverty among the masses. Compare poverty in Iran or Burma or Darfur children from a Darfur village.

America is far from perfect, but mostly the government is honest and the worst corruption is generally dealt with. And what is the number one health issue of Americans living in poverty? Obesity!

Microwave Fitness ™ #4- More Neck Stretches

Welcome to the newest Microwave Fitness™ blog article. My hope for you is to help you find better ways to use those spare minutes in your busy day to look & feel better.

Here's how it works.

While you are microwaving your lunch, instead of being bored, focus on fitness. Microwave Fitness exercises will improve your muscle tone and circulation, improve your energy level, help your concentration, and help you relax from your day's stress. You won't work up a sweat, so you won't need a shower afterwards. You'll just feel better and you'll soon notice you look better too.

Most lunches take from 2 to 7 minutes to heat up. If you have a 2 minute lunch, pick your favorite microwave fitness workout. If you have a 5-7 minute lunch, you can do 2 or 3 workouts! They are quick, fun & easy and each one focuses on a different muscle group.

Neck Stretches
Stretching is great for relieving tension and improving blood circulation. If you have frequent headaches, this may become your favorite Microwave Fitness workout! This stretch can even relieve pain in your upper arms - deltoid and trapezius muscles for the body-builders and med students reading this.

ALWAYS do stretching exercises slowly and DO NOT yank or jerk. You can hurt your neck and that ruins the whole point of Microwave Fitness™ .

Stand normally, with your feet together. Hold your left arm down at your side. Imagine you are reaching for your toes. Reach behind with your right arm and grasp the left fingertips. Gently tug the left arm down.
Tip your head gently to the right, your right ear should be close to your right shoulder.
Watching the timer on the microwave, hold for about 5 seconds to start.

Repeat on the left side. Hold your right arm down at your side. Imagine you are reaching for your toes.
Reach behind with your left arm and grasp the right fingertips. Gently tug the right arm down.
Tip your head gently to the left, your left ear should be close to your left shoulder.
Watching the timer on the microwave, hold for about 5 seconds to start.

As you do this stretch more often, you can work up to 10 seconds on each side.

Stuff or Assets?

In an earlier post we talked about owning stuff. Owning stuff is lots of fun. Shopping is fun and playing with toys is fun. But will it get you where you want to go in life?

Stuff: Inexpensive things people buy that they don't really need.
Assets: Things that earn you money.
Investment: Spending your money on assets, things that can earn you money

Buy assets, thing that earn you money.

Education may be one of the most important assets you can buy. If you think education is expensive, just look at the price of stupidity! But remember, education isn't always a college degree. So many college degrees have been watered down to the point of uselessness. Education is books, tapes, seminars, podcasts, RSS feeds, lunches with people who are wiser than you.

Basic business education will teach you some of the following business principles followed by any successful business owner.

1. Look for a huge expanding market of customers
2. Provide a unique consumable product
3. Timing
Trends - making money or losing money?
Baby boom generation creating trends 65% of all money
Every 8 seconds someone is turning 60.
Health
Looking Younger
Retirement Issues
Efficiencies, simplifying technologies
4. Employ others so you get more done
Work for someone else - you are limited by your time
Be a professional - pay is better, but you are still limited by your time
Exchange expertise for someone's dollars
Own your own business
Sole proprietorship eventually run out of time or talent
Employ others, leverage efforts of others

Wealth is created either by people at work or money at work

Microwave Fitness™ #3 - Bottom Toner

Welcome to the newest Microwave Fitness™ blog article. Celebrity trainer Jackie Warner, star of Bravo's hit show Workout and owner of Sky Sport Spa in Beverly Hills, helps her clients achieve maximum results in minimum time. My hope for you is to help you find better ways to use those spare minutes in your busy day to look & feel better.

Here's how it works.

While you are microwaving your lunch, instead of being bored, focus on fitness.

Most lunches take from 2 to 7 minutes to heat up. If you have a 2 minute lunch, pick your favorite microwave fitness workout. If you have a 5-7 minute lunch, you can do 2 or 3 workouts! They are quick, fun & easy and each one focuses on a different muscle group.

Microwave Fitness™ exercises will improve your muscle tone and circulation, improve your energy level, help your concentration, and help you relax from your day's stress. You won't work up a sweat, so you won't need a shower afterwards. You'll just feel better and you'll soon notice you look better too.

Bottom Toner
Stand normally, with your feet together. Hold your arms down at your side to start. If you find you need a little help with your balance, gently rest one hand against a wall or table. Try not to put your weight on the hand, just use it to steady you.

Stand on your left leg and raise your right heel up until it touches your bottom. Watching the timer on the microwave, hold for about 5 seconds to start. Gradually work your way up to 30 seconds Gently lower your foot to the ground. Repeat on the other side.

Stand on your right leg and raise your left heel up until it touches your bottom. Watching the timer on the microwave, hold for about 5 seconds to start. Gradually work your way up to 30 seconds Gently lower your foot to the ground.

The Road to Wealth is Procrastination?

"Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow" has always been trumpeted as the losers motto. Lazy ne'er-do-wells who choose to eat, drink and be merry, as long as someone else is picking up the tab. So how can the vice of procrastination put you on the road to wealth?

Any tool or personality trait has its pros and cons and procrastination is no different. Let me share a little trick I invented in college. Its called "creative procrastination."

I have never been noteworthy for my housekeeping skills. Yet when I left home & started college, something became apparent to me. I noticed there were about 2 times a semester or quarter when I got the house-cleaning bug. They happened to be mid-term time and finals time. For some reason, whenever a major exam loomed, I suddenly noticed just how disgusting the kitchen floor was. In fact, there turned out to be some grease behind the stove that really needed scrubbing. And those cupboards! I never noticed the spatters on them before! On and on it went, until my kitchen was spotless and I was too exhausted to study.

After exams were over, my kitchen slowly went back to its normal disgusting state.

Being a fairly intelligent person (yes, I graduated cum laude) I finally put two and two together and realized that the procrastination was a way of dealing with the stress of exams. Once I made the connection, I figured I could use my seemingly self-destructive behavior to motivate me to achieve higher levels of success. The trick was to find something I didn't like that I "had to do" to balance the thing I really had to do. That way I could procrastinate on one task by doing the other task. Given that I was going to feel guilty either way, I'd at least feel a little less guilty because even though I procrastinated on the one task, I actually DID do something I was supposed to do.

For example, I hate running even more than I hate cleaning my kitchen. So I would schedule jogging time when I needed to study for my exams. I'd put on my shorts and running shoes, While I was stretching & warming up I'd look at the textbooks on the table. Then I'd guiltily decide to skip the running tonight because I really ought to be studying for tomorrow's exam. But I could feel a little less guilty about not running, because, after all, I really DID have to study.

I've also used this technique at work. I always have a foreground project that is the main thing I'm working on at work. But I also have a background project. When I hit a roadblock on one, I work on the other until my brain unwinds & I'm able to think again. Or I guiltily procrastinate on one by working on the other. As always, I assuage my guilt by knowing that I really AM doing something useful.

Blog Carnivals

I am honored to be featured in a few blog carnivals the last few weeks.

7/24/08
The Nineteenth Edition of the Carnival of Improving Life can be found at: http://www.improvedlife.ca/content/nineteenth-edition-carnival-improving-life

The Healthbolt blog is hosting the 23 July 2008 Healthbolt Carnival at
http://www.healthbolt.net/2008/07/23/yet-another-healthbolt-carnival/

The FitBuff Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog Carnival 59 can be viewed at
http://www.fitbuff.com/total-mind-and-body-fitness-blog-carnival-59/

7/18/08
http://www.livingalmostlarge.com/2008/07/17/finance-fiesta-7-mamma-mia-edition/
http://www.thiswriterswallet.com/2008/07/16/money-hackers-carnival-xx-chicago-style/
http://www.budgetsaresexy.com/2008/07/carnival-of-20-something-finances-viral.html
http://weight-master.blogspot.com/2008/07/weight-management-and-fitness-forum.html

7/10/08
http://www.fitbuff.com/total-mind-and-body-fitness-blog-carnival-57/
http://www.healthbolt.net/2008/07/09/the-healthbolt-carnival-is-back/
http://www.moneyhackers.net/money-hacks-carnival-19-personal-finance-destinations/
http://www.improvedlife.ca/content/seventeenth-edition-carnival-improving-life

If You Hack It Up, Spit it Out!

WARNING - If you are sensitive to graphic descriptions of biological functions, you may want to skip today's posting. If, on the other hand, you love slimy talk, read on.

We've all had a bad head cold. Some of us suffer from allergies and the dreaded post-nasal drip. When all that nasty, gooey mucus is flowing, you have a few options, none of which are pleasant. Blowing your nose becomes a hobby and eats up a couple of boxes of tissues. But the post-nasal drip is tricky, and sometimes hacking it up is the best you can do. But then what? My mother always told me it is rude to spit in public, which really limits your options of what to do with a mouth full of goo. But a nasty little secret mother never told you is that swallowing the goo might lead to cancer!

How can this be? Let me quote from Wikipedia.

Deposition of fibres in the parenchyma of the lung may result in the penetration of the visceral pleura from where the fibre can then be carried to the pleural surface, thus leading to the development of malignant mesothelial plaques. The processes leading to the development of peritoneal mesothelioma remain unresolved, although it has been proposed that fibres from the lung are transported to the abdomen and associated organs via the lymphatic system. Additionally, fibres may be deposited in the gut after ingestion of sputum contaminated with fibres.

In other words, if you hack it up, spit it out, don't swallow it.

Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. If you believe you may have mesothelioma risk, talk to your doctor about diagnosis and mesothelioma treatment options. As with any serious disease, early detection and treatment of mesothelioma has a huge impact on the mesothelioma survival rate.

For more detailed information, please refer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesothelioma

The Road to Wealth is Stuff ---- NOT!

My dictionary defines wealth as "A large aggregate of real and personal property." To me, this means "lots of stuff." Is wealth about how big your house is, or what car you drive, or the new stereo or computer or other fun piece of consumer electronics you just bought? Or might your stuff be actually getting in the way of your ability to develop true wealth?

If you look at the difference between the way rich people, middle class people, and poor people spend their money, you begin to see where some of the differences begin. Each of us has choices in life, sometimes very limited choices, and sometimes a great number of choices.

When you choose to spend your money, do you spend it on liabilities or assets? Now watch out, this is something of a trick question.

If you are talking traditional accounting, an asset is something you own and a liability is something you owe. If you own more stuff than you owe, you are rich!

"Take advantage of your most valuable asset!" cry the home equity line of credit ads and the online insurance quotes. "Put your house to work for you with home equity loans!"

Until the bad times come & you have to liquidate your assets to pay off your liabilities.

But for a rich person an asset is something that produces income while a liability is something that buys you stuff. And since most stuff is bought on credit these days, you have a double liability of paying interest on top of the price of your stuff.

So if you want to move in the direction of "Rich" from wherever you are at now, you have a choice to make each time you get ready to spend money.

You have to decide "Is this purchase a true asset?"

Ask yourself if this will help you increase your income. Assets include educational books, tapes & movies if they are part of your business or your profession. A car or truck may be an asset or it may be a liability. Think hard now. If you are a gardener, a reliable truck can increase your income. If you are a realtor or salesperson, a mini van or SUV can allow you to drive prospects. If you are a fashion model, that breast augmentation could very well be a sound business investment. But if you are a claims processor for a health care insurance company, all of these purchases constitute "stuff" and will only keep you trapped where you are.

Browse this blog for ideas to convert your cash into assets instead of stuff and move yourself along the path to wealth.

Without Limits or Malaise?

Why is it some people thrive in spite of overwhelming problems in their lives, while others barely scrape by in spite of wealth, power, and place?

When people allow themselves to get stuck in a "limitations" mindset, life starts collapsing around them and its very hard to stop the implosion.

So what is a limitations mindset?

First a little warning: If your eyes glaze and your mind wanders when looking at numbers, please skip the next 2 paragraphs. I promise the article gets fun again after that.

Compare today to the 1970's, the Decade of Limitations. The media invented a catchy new term, the Misery Index, used to describe inflation over 10% and interest rates over 10%. On June 30, 1979 President Jimmy Carter delivered his infamous "Malaise Speech" blaming the American people for what was wrong with the nation. And there was a lot wrong.

Inflation peaked at 10.75% in 1979. Unemployment peaked at 10.1% in 1983. Mortgage interest rates peaked at 20% in 1980. And don't even ask about a home equity line of credit, home equity loan rates, 2nd mortgage, or refinancing.

Today the newspapers crow doom and gloom with 6.26% mortgage rates, inflation rates around 4% and 2.4% to 6.2% unemployment rates. "Its never been worse!" we hear some people cry. But that's only for those people who are still stuck in the '70's.

People who look around them and cry "We must conserve!" "The earth is dying!" "We're running out of oil!" and "All the good song writers are dead!" are still stuck in the '70's, the Decade of Limitations. They are like an anorexic bulimic who is surrounded by food, yet starves themselves to death. They are just out of touch with reality.

People who live without limits, look around them and see endless possibilities. Take one simple example. If you walk down a beach and complain because you have sand in your shoes you are stuck in the 70's.

On the other hand, if you live without limits, you look at the sand and you think "Hey, there sure is a lot of this stuff. And its really cheap and easy to come by. I wonder what I could do with it?" If you and a bunch of really creative friends get together, someone says "Hey, did you know sand is made up of silicon, which has some pretty cool electrical capabilities?" Then the next thing you know some crazy place called Silicon Valley is born and the world will never be the same again.

Or to put it in simple terms: When life hands you lemons, made lemonade.

Microwave Fitness™ #2 Neck Stretch

Microwave Fitness™ #2

Welcome to the newest Microwave Fitness™ blog article. As Kathy Smith said, the best workout in the world won't do you any good if you don't have time to do it. My hope for you is to help you find better ways to use those spare minutes in your busy day to look & feel better.

Here's how it works.

While you are microwaving your lunch, instead of being bored, focus on fitness.

Most lunches take from 2 to 7 minutes to heat up. If you have a 2 minute lunch, pick your favorite microwave fitness workout. If you have a 5-7 minute lunch, you can do 2 or 3 workouts! They are quick, fun & easy and each one focuses on a different muscle group.

Microwave Fitness™ exercises will improve your muscle tone and circulation, improve your energy level, help your concentration, and help you relax from your day's stress. You won't work up a sweat, so you won't need a shower afterwards. You'll just feel better and you'll soon notice you look better too.

Neck Stretches
Stretching is great for relieving tension and improving blood circulation. If you have frequent headaches, this may become your favorite Microwave Fitness workout! A funny thing I learned from a physical therapist is that this stretch can even relieve pain in your upper arms, deltoid and trapezius muscles for the body-builders and med students reading this.

ALWAYS do stretching exercises slowly and DO NOT yank or jerk. You can hurt your neck and that ruins the whole point of Microwave Fitness.

Stand normally, with your feet together. Hold your left arm down at your side. Imagine you are reaching for your toes.
Tip your head gently to the right, your right ear should be close to your right shoulder.
With your right hand, GENTLY apply a little pressure to your head to bring your right ear a little closer to your right shoulder.
Watching the timer on the microwave, hold for about 5 seconds to start.

Repeat on the left side. Hold your right arm down at your side. Imagine you are reaching for your toes.
Tip your head gently to the left, your left ear should be close to your left shoulder.
With your left hand, GENTLY apply a little pressure to your head to bring your left ear a little closer to your left shoulder.
Watching the timer on the microwave, hold for about 5 seconds to start.

As you do this stretch more often, you can work up to 10 seconds on each side.

Microwave Fitness™ #1

The microwave is a symbol of quick, easy food, but what does fast food have to do with fitness? As Kathy Smith said, the best workout in the world won't do you any good if you don't have time to do it. And with the busy lifestyle most of us lead, we just don't have time to go to the gym. But we know how important physical fitness is. So what's the answer?

Microwave fitness™

Here's how it works.

Do you have a break room at work? If you do, you probably bring lunch from home and microwave it so you can have a tasty, hot lunch in just a few minutes. If you are like most people, you stand around bored for a few minutes waiting for your food to heat up, then head back to your desk to eat.

Well, instead of being bored, focus on fitness.

Most lunches take from 2 to 7 minutes to heat up. This series is going to teach you exercises you can do in 2 to 7 minutes that will improve your muscle tone and circulation, improve your energy level, help your concentration, and help you relax from your day's stress. You won't work up a sweat, so you won't need a shower afterwards. You'll just feel better and you'll soon notice you look better too.

Excited? OK, let's get started.

Microwave fitness™ exercise #1 - Calf raises or relevees
Stand normally, with your feet together. Keep your heels together, but spread your toes out like a duck's feet.
Now gently, slowly, raise up onto your toes. Ladies, think ballerina. Basketball fans, think lining up for a rim shot.
Now gently, slowly, lower back down to your heels.
Watching the timer on the microwave, repeat for about 30 seconds to start. Work your way up to 60 seconds.

Your calves will be aching a little, so its important to stretch them back out.

Stand normally, with your feet together. Step forward about one foot with your right foot. Bend your right knee while holding your left leg straight. Watch the microwave timer and hold the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds.

Repeat with the other leg.

If you have a 7 minute lunch in the microwave, repeat the entire exercise series.

One Simple Change

Why am I so depressed?
I am so angry I can barely control myself!

I can't lose weight!
Why does my stomach hurt so much?
I can't seem to control my blood pressure or diabetes.
I have a lump in my breast.
I might be having prostate problems.

"Its a draaaag getting old."
- Mick Jagger

Disease management or health management? Take your pick, you can do it the hard way or the reaaaaallllllyyyyy hard way.

Make no mistake, your doctor can prescribe pills or surgery for almost anything. But as anyone with a serious health condition will tell you, sometimes the cure is worse than the disease.

What if I told you one simple lifestyle change could improve your blood pressure, reduce depression, reduce stress, ease stomach problems, avoid weight gain, urinary & prostate problems, female health problems, and even slow your rate of aging? How much would you pay for all of that? Priceless, of course. And it will actually save you money both in the short term and in the long term.

What is the magic secret? Just give up caffeine.

Aaaaaaaggggggghhhhhhhh!

At least, that was my initial response. Don't get me wrong. I don't even LIKE coffee! But my body was just not made to get up at 5:00 AM every day. In a perfect world, I would sleep from about midnight to about 8:00 AM. I'd exercise, shower, eat breakfast at 10:00 AM, eat lunch at 2:00 PM and maybe a light snack in the evening. And when I have the freedom to follow my own schedule, I don't drink caffeine, I don't gobble up sugary food, and I keep my weight under control.

Then Monday morning rolls around and I am rudely reminded I don't live in a perfect world.

We all know we should eat better, sleep more, exercise more and take better care of ourselves. But what can we do when life just doesn't give us that freedom? One very exciting health breakthrough is a glutathione accelerator called Max GXL.


Its been scientifically proven to safely increase your energy and improve your sleep by increasing blood levels of glutathione, your body's master antioxidant. It helped me eliminate caffeine from my daily diet. It also reduces cellular inflammation, so muscle and joint pain is significantly reduced. And with cellular inflammation at the root of many diseases, you can imagine the side benefits of increasing your glutathione levels. You if you just can't shake the caffeine monkey, give Max a try. Thousands do.



Several reasons why caffeine is bad for you.

The Secret to Better Grades is Dancing?

June is a special month. Graduations, weddings, Father's Day, and dance recitals. A time of endings, and new beginnings. A time of happiness and joy, with just a touch of bittersweet.

I've been a proud supporter of local dance schools for over 10 years. I've been backstage volunteer for probably 20 performances with duties ranging from dressing and entertaining 3 year olds to putting on makeup to altering costumes to organizing the entire backstage volunteer workforce. If you have children, just imagine the organizational talents required to keep 150 to 300 young people entertained for 2 hours without missing a single on-stage cue. Its a lot of fun, a bit stressful, but very rewarding.

One thing I've noticed over the years is that the best dancers are also honors students in high school.

Which really seemed confusing when I first thought about it. Consider those girls are at the dance studio 2-5 nights a week dancing for 7-10 hours. This on top of high school classes, PE, and homework. How much sleep can they be getting?

But compare your body to your car. When you car has a tune up and an oil change, it runs smoother, gets better gas mileage, and will last a whole lot longer than a junker that no one takes care of.

Well dancing is even better than a tune up. The more research we look at, the stronger the case is in favor of exercise. Research described in Can Exercise Improve Grades? and Getting students to do more exercise can improve their grades shows a strong link between fitness scores, grades and scholastic test scores.

Physically, strenuous dance improves your blood circulation, increases your body hormone levels, improves the flow of nutrients to your brain, and allows the brain to function optimally. Developing your physical talents builds your self esteem and self confidence. And its just plain fun! And fun is the #1 antidote to stress! Stress is a killer of brain cells as well as your body.

So when the going gets tough, the tough go dancing.

Funny Things I've Seen on Job Listings

Makes recommendations on solutions to leadership.
Do I actually get to solve the pointy-haired boss problem? Would that be a fun job!

Go to college, get a degree, success is assured!

How much is an education worth? What is the best way to reach your financial goals?

I once embarrased myself in a staff meeting by blurting out "Is that all an MBA is worth?"

At the time I was feeling a little stuck in my job. The salary was not bad, but I was not seeing any opportunities for advancement in my near future. I had been contemplating going back to school for an MBA and trying to decide if the dollar cost of the degree, added to the personal cost to my health, and the family-life cost of time away from my family is worth the potential increase in my career advancement prospects. When I heard my manager practically drooling over the prospect of hiring an MBA for an open position, it got my attention. The position in question is a business analyst, who would be paid $40,000 to $60,000 a year. He felt he was getting the best qualified candidate. My thought was why would an MBA accept a $40,000 a year job? Shouldn't they be able to do better than that?

Today I received an advertising email from a degree mill. You know, those on-line "get your degree fast" programs? Since they are trying to entice me to spend my money with them, I would expect their marketing people to put some tantalizing, sweet salary numbers in their ad to get me all excited about getting my MBA online. Well, I have to conclude either the marketing people are really dumb, or most business graduates are just not earning a lot of money.

Here is the deal: If you have a business degree, they tell me the average salary is $52,888. BUT if you get their MBA, your average salary might be $74,038!!!!

I guess compared to McDonalds or Walmart, that looks pretty good. But coming from the high tech industry where even the "monkeys" in our profession earn $50,000 to $60,000 a year, this fails to excite me. My goal is a comfortable 6 figure income with plenty of time to reflect and relax.

So no, an MBA is not in my future. I'm exploring a couple of different ways to better leverage my time and improve my earnings. I'll continue to share these with you in future blogs.

The Road to Wealth is Stuff

“He who dies with the most toys win!”

You see it on bumper stickers and so may people you see act as if it is their guiding principle in life. So today we'll talk a bit about material wealth or having lots of stuff.

We live in a free market, consumer-driven society. Some people decry this as the end of civilization as we know it. Others see the economic power as providing the most good for the most people. Others hate and fear us and seek to destroy us. The funny thing is that they seem to hate the fact that people are happy and having a good life. Go figure.

No one can deny we live in the wealthiest society that has ever existed on this earth. America is the most generous nation on earth. When there is a tsunami, which county bands together as private citizens to raise millions of dollars to help the victims? When earthquakes strike, who takes their privately owned, extremely expensive Caterpillars and other earth moving equipment to clean up the rubble? When hurricanes strike, where do the “chainsaw brigades” come from to cut up the 100 year old trees lying like twigs in the roads? And the riots start, how can a hand full of police possibly protect thousands of citizens at the same time? People need to have the tools to protect themselves.

Now in a different country with a different type of economy, an individual can't just go out and buy stuff because he or she wants to. The government says only government utility workers can own a chainsaw. So if a bad storm knocks a tree down in the road, an entire town may be cut off until that government agency decides they are ready to remove the tree. Worst case scenario, the town is cut off for weeks, the water supply becomes contaminated, half the town dies from cholera, and the government has that many fewer people to worry about. Its a win-win for the government, a big loser for the citizens.

However, in a free society, there's always one or two guys who just think Husqvarna's are the coolest piece of equipment and have one in their garage. The rest of the town might think its a waste of money, but hey, its a free country, so whatever. Then the storm comes, the tree falls down, the guys need to get to work just like everyone else, so they team up with their Huskies and cut that tree down to size. Then a couple of other guys with those expensive over sized pickup trucks haul the chunks of wood out of the road, and before you know it, life goes back to normal.

In case you had any doubts at this point, I'm a big supporter of having lots of stuff.

But does having lots of stuff mean you are wealthy? We'll talk a bit more about that in another post.

When you've lost your health, the rest doesn't seem to matter

Why do I feel so bad when I have it so good?

Americans are the wealthiest and healthiest people to have ever lived in human history. Don't let the evening news convince you otherwise. Babies who would have never been born even 50 years ago are now being saved by surgery performed in the womb. People who would have once wasted away due to "consumption" can count on their doctor to diagnose & treat tuberculosis, diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and Montezuma's revenge.

But there is trouble in paradise. 

Obesity, aging, diabetes, Alzheimer's, heart disease, cardiovascular disease, women's health issues are causing people who should be in their "golden years" to struggle with quality of life issues that in many cases could have been prevented. "Disease management" is the focus of pharmaceutical research and most medical practices. Once the body has broken down, we often need a medical mechanic to patch things up and hopefully get us through a few more years.

But mother was right when she told you an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The tricky part is how to know what the right things to do are.

What if I told you one change in your life could improve your blood pressure, reduce depression, reduce stress, ease stomach problems, avoid weight gain, urinary & prostate problems, female health problems, and even slow your rate of aging? Would you want me to tell you about it, or keep it a secret?

We'll find out next post.

3 Way Calling - Why and When

When is the sum of the parts greater than the whole? Why are team sports so much fun? Why is synergy such a cool word? And why do I want to do a 3 way call?

With a degree in psychology, I learned pretty early on about Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

Once you get through your basic eat/breathe/sleep and safety needs, your most important needs are your social needs. The need for companionship, approval and a sense of belonging are among the strongest human needs. And this, in a nutshell, is why 3 way calling is such an important tool.

But first, what is 3 way calling? 

Mechanically, it is just a way to have you, your prospective customer/associate/employee and a credible, neutral third party together in a conversation. Any proper office phone has a conference call feature. Most cell phones do. And you can even set up your home phone to allow you the ability to talk to 2 people at once. If you don't know how to do this, practice on a friend or family member until it becomes natural. You DON'T want to practice on your prospective customers and associates.

Here is how it works.

You have a product or service to sell. You have a person you wish to sell this product or service to. The person is somewhat interested, but not convinced. Your job is to help them work through any fears, concerns, or objections they may have that are preventing them from saying "Yes" to what you are offering them. By using 3 way calling appropriately, you will address their social needs by letting them see you are part of a larger team and inviting them to be part of the team. You will be bringing in an "expert," which will let them know they are important to you. You will be building trust and friendship with them by taking the time to talk through their questions. If all this is done with a desire to do what is best for the customer, you will either "get the sale" or at least get a few referrals for other possible customers.

Your next step is to say something like the following.

"Mary, I can tell you have a few questions that I'm not able to answer for you. Would you mind if I bring Chris on the line for a few minutes? She has a lot more experience in the area you are asking about and she can do a great job of answering your questions."

When Mary says yes, use your telephone to dial Chris. Chris is someone who has a great deal of credibility and expertise in whatever it is Mary is uncertain about. Mary will be on hold during this time, so please don't make her wait more than 10-15 seconds. Remember how much you hate to be on hold.

When Chris picks up the line, give her a brief description of who Mary is, what she is interested in, and what her objections or questions are.  Then conference Mary into the phone call.

This next step is VERY IMPORTANT.

Introduce Chris by talking briefly about her expertise and why you asked her to join the call. Let's say for example Mary was interested in a weight loss product, but was uncomfortable about having to take pills every day. Your 3 way call might go something like this.

"Mary, I've asked Chris to join us. 

"Chris is a certified nutritional therapist and has been working many years with people who are looking for better ways to manage their weight. She has had  lot of success helping people with this product.

"Chris, Mary has been asking some great questions about our weight loss product. She really understands how weight management can work. But she has some questions about where our product fits in.

"Mary, please ask Chris the question we were just talking about."

Now the next part is for you to be very quiet and let Chris and Mary talk things through. If handled correctly, Chris will have left Mary feeling happy about purchasing your product. Or, if it turns out the product really is not right for Mary, she will know that you care about her and aren't trying to force her to buy something she doesn't want. When Chris hangs up, you move on to the next step with Mary. Either take the order, or ask for referrals. And enjoy the fact that you have made a new friend today.

As Angel Lee says, "Being a millionaire isn't about having a million dollars. Its about having a million friends."

What is wealth?

Is the key to happiness wealth? Or is the key to wealth happiness? And what, truly, is wealth?

Every good discussion starts with an interesting question. I have found in life that the key to learning is to have a question. Without a question, your mind is like a locked box. The question is the key that opens the world of possibilities. And once your mind is open, you will be amazed at "all the thinks you can think!"

This blog will range from the pragmatic how-to tips & tricks, to hard-nosed scientific research results, to the fanciful,  to the metaphysical. Occasionally, I may even get silly. But ultimately, my goal is to help others in their pursuit of a better life.  To maximize what you get out of life, you need to maximize your health and wealth. So let's start with wealth, a subject near and dear to many hearts.

What is wealth? 

Is it economic, having lots of money?

Is it material, having lots of stuff?

Is it power, the ability to have others do your will?

Is it emotional, being loved by many?

Is it spiritual, having a close relationship with God or your higher power?

Is it a state of abundance, where you simply have more?

Most people think of wealth in terms of their paycheck. And most people do not count themselves among the wealthy. A paycheck is, after all, trading hours for money and there are only so many hours in each day. Each hour you spend working is an hour you don't spend doing something else. In wealth management terms, there is an "opportunity cost" to going to work each day. You lose out on the opportunity to do something better. A future blog posting will talk about ways out, practical ways to improve your income starting today.

My dictionary also defines wealth as "A large aggregate of real and personal property." To me, this means "lots of stuff." Is wealth about how big your house is, or what car you drive, or the new stereo or computer or other fun piece of consumer electronics you just bought? Or might your stuff be actually getting in the way of your ability to develop true wealth? On another day we'll talk about the difference between stuff and wealth-building tools.

In days gone by, being wealthy meant you could own other people, as servants or slaves. Today, many people think being wealthy means you don't have to care about "the little people." Only your needs matter. But a future post will explain a seeming paradox: In order to lead, you must serve.

An older definition of the word wealth means well-being. Is it enough to be loved? Do material things matter at all if people care about you? Or is money a way to buy the love you need? Its no secret that the most popular guy at the bar is the one who bought the last round. But on the other hand, Mother's Day cards the best selling special occasion cards. Yet without wealth, even the most loving mother cannot meet the physical needs of those who depend on her. We'll talk a bit about the thought that "Money can't buy me love" but why even today "Diamonds are a girl's best friend."

While most people think of wealth in material terms, there are those special people who shine with the light of spiritual wealth. Some think a rich man has as much chance of entering heaven as a camel's chance of fitting through the eye of a needle. But with God, all things are possible. Spiritual wealth may require a vow of poverty for some, but if service is truly God's love manifested, perhaps wealth is a measure of one man's ability to serve others. Warning - if you are offended by this sort of talk, be sure you skip that post!

In its purest sense, wealth is about abundance. We will have many happy hours talking about how you can change from a person of limited means, to a person of abundant means.