With this bone I thee wed...

It's not my idea of a romantic gift, but couples are now being given the opportunity to exchange rings made from their own bones. It's not quite as gruesome as it sounds - you don't actually have to remove any of your bones to make the ring. Bone cells are extracted from wisdom teeth and samples of bone are then grown in a laboratory. One lucky recipient of such a ring described it as being 'like ivory but more ethical'. If you're reading this and considering buying me jewellery, I think I'd prefer to stick to the more traditional gold and silver if you don't mind...

Read the full story here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6215702.stm.

Christmas - the season to be jolly? by Margaret Collins

Here's a timely article by Margaret Collins, one of the wealth coaches at The Money Gym. Their blog, http://www.wealthcoach.typepad.com/ is one of my favourites and always worth checking out.

Christmas can be many things - a great family occasion, a time to celebrate or something to endure. For many it is an opportunity - or an excuse to escape to sun or to snow.

With each Brit spending an astonishing £2,200.48 - that's the average spend over the festive season last year, it can also be a financial nightmare.

Cornhill Direct's survey of 4,000 people revealed that £693.05 a year is spent on presents for loved ones, £337.27 on presents for friends, whilst £45.45 on people such as neighbours, tradesman and the postman.

Now while it's great to be generous, a third of people go into debt for Christmas in a bid to make it the best year ever. Personally I have different definitions and aspirations for my best year yet!

Twenty per cent of people are still trying to clear the debt by March and 10% are still in debt by the next Christmas. Does this sound familiar???

We're also pretty good, on average, of eating and drinking our way into debt spending £269.48 on food and £180.24 on alcohol - that's a collective total of £449.72 a year but all within a couple of weeks! (Thank goodness nobody has yet calculated the calorific content of our consumption or I'd be really scared.)

I've no intention of "doing a Scrooge" here. In the middle of winter there are pretty good reasons for wanting to celebrate something and have a good time - just try to make sure you don't have to live with unpleasant consequences for months afterwards. Whether it's debt on the credit card or inches on your hips - it can be so easy to put on and so difficult to lose!

As sure as the sun rises at dawn, the sales will be upon us as retailers try desperately to part us from our money. By now you've missed the boat so far as shopping early goes so wait until you get the bargain. Shop online so as to get the best price - and be tempted less by the impulse buy. I can't imagine a friend worth having who would wish you going into debt to fund their flashy Christmas present.

If you're looking for something different why not try that ethical Christmas gift - a dozen ducks or two small goats can make a world of difference to a family in the developing world - really the difference between life and death - and you still get a really great card to give to your friend. (Apparently someone has used my Christmas gift to feed 30 schoolchildren???!!!)

Remember enlightened millionaires live in integrity - and still have fun.

Here's hoping you attract all you need and most of what you want!

Learn how to levitate for the holidays!

Keep everyone spellbound during those family get-togethers. Levitate your nieces and nephews, push a cigarette or rolled-up bank note through a coin or cough up a playing card. Learn to do all this and more at http://www.squidoo.com/beginningmagic/. (And just think how useful the ability to levitate would be if you ran out of seats around the dinner table...)

Free hugs...

If you're feeling a little bit down or grumpy this Monday morning, have a look at the following film and I defy you not to smile:

Impress your kids...

Steve Watson at The Money Gym has blogged about this really clever site that lets you send e-cards like the one on the right. I bet your kids would love to receive one - and just think how cool you'd look in their eyes...

The only problem is that the site is German - which means that it's written in German, so, if like me, you don't speak a word of the language, you'll have to fiddle around with it for a while until you get the hang of it.

You can find the site at www.letterjames.de. Have fun!

How roughage 'keeps you regular' - BBC News article

I'm a great believer in eating fibre-rich foods and I wouldn't dream of starting the day without my bowl of branflakes with fruit and skimmed milk.

The benefits of a high-fibre diet are well known - but now US researchers have found out just how roughage keeps people 'regular'. Read all about it here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5274420.stm.

How to get published

The Squidoo 'Lens of the Day' for today is The Perfect Pen: How to Get Published by best-selling author, Connie Briscoe. Connie's lens has information about getting your first novel published, advice about whether to submit your novel to a literary agent or direct to a publisher, and even resources to help you find that agent or publisher. Visit http://www.squidoo.com/howtowrite/ if the urge to write that book is still burning away inside you... (And you will send me a first edition copy won't you? :-))

Good quotes

Life is like a box of chocolates. Sometimes you take a big bite out of something that you just have to spit out.

Author Unknown

Does what you want to do with your life seem too silly and irresponsible?

Regular readers will know that I often recommend coach Michael Neill's radio show, 'You Can Have What You Want', on Hay House Radio. This week's programme looks interesting. Here are the details:

This week on 'You Can Have What You Want'!

Thursday, August 24 at Noon pacific/3pm eastern/8pm UK:
(Internet radio at (http://www.hayhouseradio.com)

*****FEAR MASQUERADING AS GOOD TASTE*****

Does what you want to do with your life seem too "silly" or
"irresponsible?"

If so, you may be suffering from a condition Michael calls "fear
masquerading as good taste." Tune in as Michael helps you
uncover your hidden fears and step boldly into the life of your
dreams!

To get coaching live on air, use these numbers:

Inside the US (Toll free)
1-866-254-1579

From the UK/Outside the US
001-760-918-4300

You can also e-mail your questions for me to
questions@geniuscatalyst.com.

To listen to the show each and every Thursday, go to
at Noon pacific/8pm UK and click on
the button marked 'Listen Now'.

Coming Next:

August 31 - Thriving on Change

If you missed last week's show on finding ways to feel better in
the midst of whatever is going on in your life, please visit
http://www.hayhouseradio.com/ and click the button for the
'Listen Again' archives!

Wise words

"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air. You name them - work, family, health, friends, and spirit - and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls - family, health, friends, and spirit - are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life."

Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca Cola Enterprises from 1959-1994

Mid-life crisis? Check out LifeTwo.com

Wearing my other, retirement coach's hat, I put out a request for guinea pigs to test my new eCourse - the Retirement Detox Programme which was picked up by Wesley Hein of LifeTwo.com. LifeTwo is a fantastic resource, packed full of articles relevant to baby boomers, middle-agers and retirees. Here's what Wesley has to say about the site:

'Life Two is many things and will certainly create a different experience for different people. In short Greg and I want to create a place that helps people make better decisions with their lives. Of course the scope of this task is ridiculous, how can we even propose to do such a thing. Well, a couple of ways.

First, there is an old saying that goes something like "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." We aren't going to solve everyone's problems in one day. But we hope that this site is a catalyst for people improving their lives one bite at a time.

Second and more importantly, we will likely have very little to do with whatever benefits people will get form the site. Our part is to put up the plumbing and do what we can to attract the early visitors, but after that it is going to be community members helping community members. This is not a novel concept and recently a number of web companies have launched to help new parents (Minti) or to help people make travel decisions (RealTravel). We applaud these efforts and hope that they succeed. But if one wants parenting help or travel suggestions there is no shortage of good online/offline sources for this information. But for the more complex life decisions (such as "what do I want to do with my life") there are places to turn. Furthermore, these are sometimes the types of topics that people have trouble having with people they are close--making the anonymity of the Internet a plus.

Life Two is a long-term project and you will see us add new features and functions over-time based on reactions that we get from other community members.'

Definitely well worth a look!

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...

I hope that you're enjoying the Summer and that the global heatwave isn't causing you too many problems. I'm not really a Summer person myself - I find that the heat saps my energy and make me cranky, and, personally, I much prefer Spring, Autumn and Winter. I take a perverse comfort in the fact that the Harrods store in London has already opened its Christmas department.

Only 139 shopping days left to Christmas... :-)

Living in the raw

I love the idea of incorporating more raw food into my diet - no, I'm not talking about raw meat or anything like that - I'm talking about more fruit, salads, smoothies, nuts and seeds, etc. Would you believe that you can even get raw chocolate cake and apple crumble? Or flapjacks, cookies and ice-cream?

If you're even the slightest bit intrigued, have a look at Karen Knowler's 'Living in the Raw' blog, at http://karenknowler.typepad.com/living_in_the_raw/. Karen is The Raw Food Coach. She is also an author, presenter, MD of The Fresh Network (The UK's raw and living foods organisation), founder of The Fresh Festival and creator of Get Fresh! magazine. Karen has appeared on LK Today (GMTV), Channel Health, The Wellbeing Channel, Rude Health, LBC radio and Radio 4, as well as appearing regularly in the press in her capacity as raw food expert and food/life coach. She really knows her stuff and she makes the idea of raw food seem an absolute 'no-brainer' (without appearing to be the slightest bit 'crusty' or 'cranky').

Single in the summertime

I heard about a free teleseminar entitled 'Single in the Summertime' which is a joint offering from David Steele, the author of 'Conscious Dating' and Ken Donaldson, the author of 'Marry Yourself First, which is to be held on Wednesday 9 August. Here are the details:

SINGLE IN THE SUMMERTIME

So it's the middle of summer and you're still single. If the above sentence raises any angst for you, we want to help. Join David Steele, author of "Conscious Dating" and Ken Donaldson, author of "Marry Yourself First" for a unique, one-time tele-seminar FREE for our subscribers."

Single In The Summertime

with David Steele and Ken Donaldson

In this seminar you will learn-

- Why being single is an opportunity, not a disease
- How to have a fun and fulfilling life while single
- What works, and what doesn't in the dating world
- Ten things you can do RIGHT NOW to find your perfect mate by the end of the year

Be sure to mark your calendar-

DATE: Wednesday, August 9, 2006
TIME: 6:00pm pacific/9:00pm eastern for 90 minutes
TO JOIN: Call 865-362-4150 PIN 8906#

(Note: Only 99 lines are available for this event, so call in a few minutes early)

Please forward this to your single friends and family members- they'll be glad you did!

For more information about Conscious Dating visit- http://urlcut.com/consciousdating

For more information about Marry YourSelf First http://urlcut.com/marryufirst

Many in the UK 'don't wear suncream'

A survey of 1,010 people carried out by The Institute of Cancer Research and Superdrug has found that whilst 67% of them used high-factor protection while on holiday, only 33% did whilst in the UK. The survey also uncovered the fact that almost four out of 10 people do not put on sunscreen for gardening and that nearly half do not put it on for playing sports. You can read the full article here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5232010.stm.

7 Reasons to Get Off the Couch Already! by Gabrielle deGroot Redford

Are you a baby boomer that still needs convincing of the benefits of regular exercise? How about:

• you'll live longer
• you'll remember where you left your keys
• you'll heal faster
• you'll increase sexual function (well, at least your partner will!)
• you'll have fewer hot flashes
• you'll reduce muscle and joint pain AND
• you'll save money?

Read all about it in an article from the AARP magazine at http://www.aarpmagazine.org/health/seven_reasons.html.

How dolphin training can improve your relationships by Michael Myerscough

When I was younger, and didn't understand the political implications of keeping animals in captivity, I wanted to be a dolphin trainer. As a result I used to do a little work at a dolphinarium.

As you probably know dolphins are very smart and love to play games. When I began feeding them they'd come right up the edge, however over time they began to move a little further away. It started out with me having to straighten my arm a little more but quickly progressed to me leaning over the pool trying toreach them. At this point it all seemed innocent enough, I mean let's face it, Dolphins are amazing and any contact with them is good contact. I was willing to forgive them their laziness as I just felt privileged to be able to play with them. It struck me recently that this is how we feel at the beginning of any relationship that excites us.

Visit http://www.therelationshipgym.com/newsletters/post/12 to find out how some simple dolphin training can transform the quality of your relationships.

Michael Myerscough is the co-founder and the head coach of The Relationship Gym. He has 16 years experience as a counselor and coach and specialises in coaching people on their relationships and dating.

Maca - aka Nature's Viagra

Karen Knowler is The Raw Food Coach, author, presenter, MD of The Fresh Network (The UK's raw and living foods organisation), founder of The Fresh Festival and creator of Get Fresh! magazine.

I just spotted an entry about Maca - a plant related to the radish, on Karen's 'Living in the Raw' blog which you may find interesting. Apparently, Maca is nature's alternative to Viagra and its properties are beneficial for both men and women. You can read the full posting here:

http://karenknowler.typepad.com/living_in_the_raw/2006/06/maca.html#more.

Reset your wealth thermostat

The topic of Michael Neill's radio show this week is 'Your Wealth Thermostat' and how to reset it. Here are the details from Michael:

This week on Hay House Radio!

Thursday, July 13 at Noon pacific/3pm eastern/8pm UK:
(Internet radio at http://www.hayhouseradio.com)

*****YOUR WEALTH THERMOSTAT*****

Inside all of us is a "wealth thermostat" that makes sure we never have too much or too little money in our lives. Tune in this week to find out how to reset your thermostat . . . and how to make it okay to have so much more!

As always, we'll be taking your calls throughout the show. If you would like to effortlessly increase your income, phone in for some live 'wealth coaching' on these numbers:

Inside the US (Toll free)
1-866-254-1579

From the UK/Outside the US
001-760-918-4300

To listen to the show live each and every Thursday, go to http://www.hayhouseradio.com at Noon pacific/8pm UK and click on the button marked 'Listen Now'.

Coming Next:

July 20 - Ending Relationship Conflicts

July 27 - It's About Time w/special guest Mark Forster,author of 'Do It Tomorrow'

If you missed last week's show on 'The Path of Choice' with my special guest Bill Cumming, please visit http://www.hayhouseradio.com/ and click the button for the
'Listen Again' archives!

New courses for July from Barnes and Noble University

'Backyard Astronomy', 'Exploring Herbal Medicine' and 'Web Pages Made Easy' are all included in the list of free courses starting in July at Barnes and Noble University. All you need to do is buy the book on which the course is based. New courses and reading groups starting July 10th are listed below:

LIBERAL ARTS

Backyard Astronomy: Skywatching Basics
Becoming Human: The Story of Evolution
Buddhism and Everyday Life
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Discover Dungeons & Dragons
Everyday Math for Everyday Life
French for Beginners with Living Language®
The History of Western Culture: 1500 to the Present
How to Read a Film: Creating Meaning
Jazz: A History of America's Music
The Poet's Table: Walt Whitman's Poetry and Prose
Thinking Like an Editor: How to Get Published
Writing Fiction with Gotham Writers' Workshop
Writing Poetry with Writer's Digest Books

LIFE IMPROVEMENT

Become Your Own Pilates Trainer
Designing Your Own Garden
Diet Simple with Katherine Tallmadge
Discover What You're Best At
eBay the Smart Way
Exploring Herbal Medicine
Feng Shui for Your Life
How to Grill Well
Learn Wine Basics with Morrell & Company
Reel Fulfillment
Simplify Your Life Now
Vegetable Gardening
Web Pages Made Easy
Your Home Spa

ONLINE READING GROUPS

Meet Anthony Bourdain
Jacquelyn Mitchard on Cage of Stars
Debbie Macomber on Susannah's Garden
Special July-August Event: Four Thrilling Summer Reads
Special July-August Event: Four Twentieth-Century Classics
Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City
D. H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover

COURSES ON CD-ROM

Foreign Languages with Living Language®
Foreign Languages from Pimsleur
Portable Professor Series

Don't fry too close to the sun by Michelle Andrews

Apparently, yesterday, it was hotter in the South of England than it was in Miami. If you're looking for a way to stay safe in the sun (and let's face it, we all should be), check out an article entitled 'Don't fry too close to the sun' by Michelle Andrews from USNews.com. You can read the article here: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/articles/060703/3sun.htm.

Oh, and I can wholeheartedly recommend the Neutrogena sunscreen that she mentions. If you hate the usual heavy, sticky feel of sunscreen on your skin, try their UltraSheer dry-touch sunblock - within a couple of minutes of application, it feels almost powdery to the touch and it goes up to SPF 55 - I find it absolutely perfect for my face.

Happy Independence Day

To all our American readers,

Have a great 4th of July!

Good quotations...

'This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.'Ralph Waldo Emerson

Give yourself a financial detox

If you always have too much month left at the end of the money or if you just want to sock away some extra cash to fund your dreams, you could do worse than sign up for the free 21-day Financial Detox ecourse from http://www.financialdetox.com/. Here's part of the course description from their website:

How will it help me?

When you join Financial Detox you'll discover ...

• How to get out of debt and into credit
  
• How to find your 'Cappuccino Factor'
  
• How to use the amazing Power of Compounding
  
• How to control and get more from your spending
  
• The difference between assets and liabilities
  
• How to have the lifestyle you desire
  
• How to organize your finances
  
• How to manage your credit cards
  
• How to improve your credit record
  
• How to reduce your credit card payments
  
• How to make the most of your money
  
• How to earn more money
  
• How to retire rich
  
• How to save a fortune from everyday expenses
  

What do I get when I sign up?

When you sign up to be a Financial Detox Community Member, you'll get a free 21 Day Financial Detox Program packed full of information designed to help you take control of your finances.

We'll send you regular updates about what Financial Detox can do for you and how you can make the most of your money.

Here's what's included in the 21 Day Program.

• A full e-course giving you everything you need to start your own Financial Detox. You get it all in your 21 Day Financial Detox Program delivered directly to your inbox.
  

• Daily emails providing you with information, actions, tools and resources to make your Financial Detox work
  
• Plenty of pictures and diagrams to help explain the topics.
  
• Simple and clear personalised worksheets to help guide you through the programme at your very own pace.
  
• Free Resources to make it easy for you to succeed.
  
• Daily Actions for success.
  
• Downloadable worksheets for managing your finances.
  
• A Frequently Asked Questions Section to make sure that you never feel out of your depth or confused and you're supported at every stage.
  
• Access to our expert coaching programmes where you can sign up for personal coaching designed just for you.
  
• Loads of hints and tips to help you save and make money.
  
• You'll also get personal invitations to our fantastic live "Financial Detox Seminars" where you'll get to meet other members and get even more control of your finances.
  

A bumper crop of frogs...

Don’t you just love frogs? I do. I’ve just had the most gorgeous, tiny-but-perfectly-formed frog sitting on the end of my middle finger. It was about the size of a penny and we ‘grew’ it from the frogspawn that was deposited in our pond a few months ago.

Well, strictly speaking, it grew itself, but we feel very proud because we’ve had such an excellent ‘crop’ of frogs this year. Last year the fish ate all the frogspawn and we didn’t see one single baby frog, but this year, we have froglets in abundance. Chris is halfway through building some decking around the pond and, when it’s finished, I’m just going to sit and watch them all summer…

Sit and get fit

If you sit at a desk or computer all day long,

if you can't walk distances, climb stairs or do high-impact exercise or

if you just need to squeeze a little more exercise into your day,

then visit http://www.cherylmillerville.com/sit.htm and sign up for Cheryl Miller's free 'Sit and Get Fit' ecourse. I've signed up for mine - I spend waaaay too long sitting in front of my computer...

Eight superfoods that can make you healthier

If you're interested in the medicinal powers of certain foods, check out 'Go for the Gazpacho: Eight superfoods that can really make you healthier' by Nissa Simon at http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/yourhealth/gazpacho.html.

The Unweddables by Solosingles.com staff

I was doing some internet research yesterday on people who have never married and I came across the following thought-provoking article on the www.solosingles.com site:

Keith Moore, an ambitious professional, devoted his 20s to his career. He drifted into the dating scene in his early 30s, ready to "settle down with a nice girl and start a family."

After four years of dating around, he decided the "nice girls had all moved to another town."

Janet Douglas found herself divorced at the age of 30. She described her husband of six years "as a good father to our daughter, but a man who never should have married."

This single mom grieved, adjusted, then enthusiastically entered the dating scene again. She fully expected to "meet a good guy, marry, and have more children before the age of 40."

After five years of dating and only two short-term relationships, her enthusiasm was wearing thin. As friends and family pushed her to marry, she would lament, "I'm trying; I'm trying. All the men I date, though, really aren't the marrying kind."

There are people in the singles world who, for whatever reason, are unable to sustain a marriage. Unfortunately, they do meet and marry--on the way to the divorce courts.
This story has a happy ending for Keith and Jan. They joined a matchmaking service, met there, married, and produced two beautiful children in a good union.

Not all singles fare so well. Why?

Terry Jensen, matchmaker for Connections Matchmakers Plus in Dallas, Texas, explains,

"When singles are dating in their early 20s, it is easy for them to meet, form couples, and marry. However, some men and women, like Jan's first husband, are unable to sustain a marriage.
"I call them the unweddables because, for whatever reason, they are not suitable for marriage. With each round of divorces, these unweddable men and women make up a larger proportion of the singles' population."

How does this happen?

To simplify the explanation, start with 100 men and 100 women, college kids, never married. Unfortunately, 20% of these men and women are unable to sustain a marriage.

In a perfect world, they would marry each other. They don't; these unweddables meet and marry people who normally could stay coupled but can not remain married to these particular spouses.

Time goes on, these college kids are in their 30s. The unweddables do their thing, they leave the marriage. There are 40 divorces.

Now 80 of the 200 college kids are back in the singles scene. Since 40 of these singles are unweddable, 50% of the men and women in this singles' population are unable to sustain a marriage.

Ms. Jensen continues, "There is another problem here. Most of the unweddables think they want another wife or husband. They are out in the singles' scene actively looking and dating. Since they don't wear a defining sign for all singles to see, these men and women do marry again on another journey to the divorce court."

There are 40 new couples. Ten couples are both unweddables and will divorce quickly.
Twenty of the couples have one unweddable partner; they will eventually divorce.
Ten couples are comprised of men and women who are both the "marrying kind." They do what it takes to make the relationship work, thus never divorce.
Time continues to roll, the college kids are now in their 40s, and thirty couples are divorced again.
Of these 60 singles, 40 are unweddable. A whopping 66% of the original singles' population is unable to sustain a marriage.
The good ones are almost gone.
If you are single and hoping to marry, you probably feel slightly depressed by this illustration. What can you do to protect yourself?
We'll discuss this next month.

Ann's note: You will need to keep an eye on www.solosingles.com to find read next month's discussion.

The Selfish Pig's Guide to Caring

I put the TV on today whilst I ate my lunchtime sandwich and discovered that this week is National Carers' Week here in the UK. With an ageing population, many of us will spend some part of our life as a carer and the extreme importance of carers practising good self-care is often overlooked. Therefore, I was interested to hear about a new book, entitled 'The Selfish Pig's Guide to Caring' which was written by Hugh Marriott, who cared for his wife, Cathie, for 10 years. The book was described as 'invaluable', 'easy-to-read' and 'a book that will lift your spirits' by the show's presenters and I am enclosing below a description of the book (which costs £7.99) from the 'This Morning' website:

In 'The Selfish Pigs Guide To Caring', Hugh tries to put his finger on the advice he would like to have been given while he was struggling to learn new skills and find his way in a new and unfamiliar role. The book airs such topics as sex, thoughts of murder, and dealing with the responses of friends and officials who fail to understand. The book states that it is not a medical text book, a care manual nor is it politically correct but simply an honest guide book revealing the truth behind carers and all the things he wished he'd been told. In the book he uses the term "piglet" to describe the person being cared for and has called the book "The Selfish Pigs Guide" as he said; " I felt resentful towards Cathie for wrecking my life. I didn't know it would strike a chord with anyone but then I realised that all carers go through that same thought process. There's a lot of guilt that hangs over carers".

Ann's note: PIGLET is an acronym for Person I Give Love and Endless Therapy to

Questions that can change your life by Michael Neill

Regular readers of my blogs will know that I often recommend Michael Neill's radio show and newsletter. Here is a thought provoking article from Michael's newsletter for this week (sign-up details are included at the bottom of the posting).

QUESTIONS THAT CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE
====================================

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."-Albert Einstein

Let me ask you a question - if you knew that there is at least one thing in today's tip that will absolutely change your life for the better, how attentively would you choose to read it?

If you experienced any shift in your state in response to that question, you've just experienced the potential power of questions to change your life.

Here's how it works:

Imagine that your conscious attention is like a flashlight and the untapped power of your mind is like a darkened room. Each new question encourages us to shine our flashlight in a new direction so that we can find information and resources that may always have been available to us but were 'hidden' in the dusty recesses of our mental attic.

For example, 'What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?' shines the light of your attention into a corner of your mind where as a child you piled all the hopes and dreams you had been taught were 'unrealistic' and 'childish'.

Asking yourself 'What would you want if you knew you didn't have to be unhappy about not getting it?' shines the light into the part of your mind where you keep the 'scary goals' - things you really want but fear the disappointment of trying and failing to achieve.

Here are some great questions from Michael Masterson's 'Early to Rise' newsletter (http://www.earlytorise.com):/

1. Imagine you are at your own funeral. What do people say about you - not from the pulpit but in whispered voices at the back of the room? What would you like them to say?

2. What would you do with your money if you had all you could ever need?

3. How would you live your life if you knew you were going to die feeling perfectly healthy in five years?

4. What would you feel you've missed if you found out that you had 24 hours to live?

Again, taking the time to ask and answer these questions can make a tremendous difference to the way you live your life. One similar question which completely changed my approach to my business was this:

Imagine you are on your deathbed and you have had a wonderful life. What are the four or five things you are most glad that you did?

When I realized that one of the things on my list was 'I was there while my kids were growing up', I decided that a life on the road as an actor and speaker was not the life for me. While I still travel for work from time to time, (I am writing this from a hotel room in San Francisco), I was home last week to attend my eight year old daughter's mime show, to see my eleven year old son's presentation on an imaginary culture who worship a frog god named 'Bruce', and to play Dora the Explorer with my 4 year old.

I can't honestly say whether or not that's made a huge difference in their lives - but it really has made a huge positive difference in mine!

--------------------
Today's Experiment:
--------------------

1. Ask yourself any or all of the questions in today's tip. Here they are again below:
*What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?
*What would you want if you knew you didn't have to be unhappy about not getting it?
*Imagine you are at your own funeral. What do people say about you - not from the pulpit but in whispered voices at the back of the room? What would you like them to say?
*What would you do with your money if you had all you could ever need?
*How would you live your life if you knew you were going to die feeling perfectly healthy in five years?
*What would you feel you've missed if you found out that you had 24 hours to live?
*Imagine you are on your deathbed and you have had a wonderful life. What are the four or five things you are most glad that you did?

2. If you have a question that has changed your life in a positive way, please post it to the MNCT forum at:http://www.geniuscatalyst.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=3

(You can also post some of your answers if you like...)

Have fun, learn heaps, and live the questions!
With love,michael
Comments? Feedback? Please post your thoughts on the discussion forums at
:http://www.geniuscatalyst.com/forums/index.php

=========================
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
=========================

Here are some of my favorite resources for putting the power of questions to work for you:
Books *Emotional Options by Mandy Evans
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0976090139/geniuscatalys-20
*Loving What Is by Byron Katie
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0609608746/geniuscatalys-20
*Unconditional Bliss by Raphael Cushnir
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0835607925/geniuscatalys-20
*You Can Have What You Want by Michael Neill (UK edition only) http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1401910785/geniuscatalys-21

Related Tips and Audio

Members of the Solutions Café will also enjoy these related tips and audio selections:

*Change Your Life in One Hour w/Paul McKenna (audio)
*Deathbed Goals
*A Question of Money
*Question Storming
*Through the Gateway of Ourselves

You can join the Café at:http://www.geniuscatalyst.com/public/cafepublic.php
=========================================================
To subscribe to the MNCT, simply send a blank e-mail to subscribe@geniuscatalyst.com or visit us online at http://www.geniuscatalyst.com/
©2006 Michael Neill All Rights Reserved

Simple 'no effort' tips to improve digestion... from a nutritionist

Have you noticed that, as you get older, something happens to your digestive system which means that all the bad habits you got into in your youth (you know, the ones like eating on the run, throwing your food down, not chewing and eating whilst lying horizontal on the couch) can come back to haunt you and leave you with terrible indigestion problems?

Lucy-Ann Prideaux MSc BSc RNutr is a registered Nutritionist. She has a Masters degree in Human Nutrition, as well as a 1st class BSc degree in Sports Science. Here are Lucy's simple 'no effort' tips to improve digestion...

'Drink a large mug or glass of water on rising - preferably warm with a little fresh lemon juice. Sit upright at a table when eating.
Never over eat.
Chew food thoroughly.
Be aware of your natural appetite signals and work with them.
Don’t eat if you feel stressed, angry or over anxious.
Eat fresh food (especially fresh vegetables) and take time to taste your food.
Eat when you are hungry and don't eat when you are NOT hungry.
Avoid drinking too much fluid with food, but drink water between meals.
Do NOT drink tea and coffee with meals.
Avoid late meals (especially high fat or calorie dense meals).
If you suffer with poor digestion, avoid eating after about 7pm.'

You can see Lucy Ann's website at http://www.simply-nutrition.co.uk/

The power of incisive questions

The title of Michael Neill's radio show this week is 'Incisive Questions' and his special guest is Nancy Kline, author of the excellent 'Time to Think'. Here's what Michael has to say about the show:

This week on Hay House Radio! Thursday, June 8 at Noon pacific/3pm eastern/8pm UK: (Internet radio at http://www.hayhouseradio.com)/

*****THE INCISIVE QUESTION*****

If you knew for a fact that the only thing between you and what you really want was a limiting assumption, what would you do to break free? This week, I'll be joined by Nancy Kline, founder of 'Time to Think International' (http://www.timetothink.com)/ and one of my favorite authors and coaches.

We'll be discussing and demonstrating the power of 'incisive questions' - questions that ignite the human mind with freedom and possibility. Because of the in-depth nature of Nancy's coaching, we'll only have time to work with a few callers during the show.

If you would like to step out over the edge of your world and discover how much is really possible for you, the numbers to call are:

Inside the US 1-866-254-1579
From the UK/Outside the US 001-760-918-4300

To listen to the show live this Thursday, June 8, go to http://www.hayhouseradio.com/ at Noon pacific/8pm UK and click on the button marked 'Listen Now'.

Coming Soon:June 15 - Mental Movie Making
June 22 - Motivation vs. Inspiration

For podcast and streaming versions of past shows, please visit http://www.hayhouseradio.com/ and sign up for the 'Listen Again' archives!

10 fat-fighting tricks of the naturally lean

Whilst noseying around the excellent AARP website for my Contemporary Retirement blog I found an article, entitled 'Eat More, Stay Thin: 10 fat-fighting tricks of the naturally lean' by Brian Good, deputy editor of Men's Fitness. The article is aimed at both sexes and the principles apply whether you are male or female. You can read it at http://www.aarpmagazine.org/health/stay_thin.html.

A nation of borrowers...

If you live in the UK, you might be interested in a new programme that is running at 9.15 am everyday this week on BBC1. 'Britain's Streets of Debt' will look at how the UK became a nation of borrowers (we apparently have two-thirds of Europe's total credit card debt) and what this means for our financial future. Might be worth setting your video for...

Your divorce questions answered...

Divorce lawyer, Andrew Woolley, has very kindly given me permission to publish the following article in which he answers the most frequently asked questions about divorce and family law. Andrew's website can be seen at http://www.divorce-lawfirm.co.uk/

'Listed below are some of the most asked questions about divorce and family law and our responses. I hope this Article may help you help someone you know going through this difficult situation.

You may also find this divorce and family law jargon buster useful.

I've heard that a divorce takes years and costs thousands of pounds - is this true?

Not really. You might sometimes have to wait for two years before actually starting a divorce, if you have both agreed to base the proceedings on two-years separation and you have only just separated, but in all other cases a divorce takes between three and six months to complete, especially if you have expert representation to 'smooth out' any problems along the way.

As for the costs of a divorce case, a uncontested UK divorce can cost as little as £750 plus VAT and court fees. Initial advice is often available from as little as £50 plus VAT.

How do I know I'm getting good value for money - there seem to be a lot of variations in lawyer's fees?

A lot will depend on the number of years that the lawyer has been dealing with family and divorce cases. You may find a firm offering what looks like a low quote but what they may not tell you is that your case would be handled by a junior lawyer, or even a trainee. A fixed fee option helps you to understand what the divorce will cost in total and some firms now offer these.

Does a divorce include sorting out the house and finances?

No. A divorce these days is a 'stand alone' case as far as the courts are concerned, and any dispute about money or property is no longer part of a divorce case.

Apart from interim maintenance, you have to obtain a Decree Nisi before the court will become involved in any dispute about matrimonial finances or property. Even then, the court does not do this automatically. One of the parties has to commence a separate case (called an ancillary case) by filing further papers at court and paying a fee. Ancillary cases take many months to go through the courts and are also very expensive. There are at least two, and sometime three court hearings, and this type of case costs several thousand pounds by the time you have included barristers fees, valuers fees and many other fees and costs.

The best way to deal with matrimonial finances and property is to negotiate a settlement, and then ask the court to make an agreed final order. You don't have to appear in court for this, and it is much, much cheaper than a separate court case, just a few hundred pounds. For more details on financial settlements click this link.

If I agree to a divorce from my wife, will she automatically get custody of our children?

Custody and access no longer exist in legal terms. The court can no longer award custody of children to either parent, or order the parent who has the day-to-day care of the children to allow access to the other parent.

Instead the court has the power to make certain orders which may affect where the children live, how frequently you see them and so on. These orders will only need to be used if you cannot agree with your partner. The first step should be to try and come to an amicable agreement with your partner. If this is not possible you may wish to apply for a Residence or Contact order to secure your rights to contact with your children. Your lawyer can arrange this for you.

Is it true that if I split from my husband I will get half of everything?

Not necessarily. You can both agree to split everything like this if you wish, but if there is a dispute about the matrimonial assets, the court will take a lot of factors into account when deciding who gets what, including the length of the marriage, the needs of any children and the future housing, income and capital needs of both parties.

You really do need expert advice on the likely outcome of division of the assets at an early stage. Read more details here.

As soon as I mentioned divorce to my husband he said he'd stop paying to support our children. What can I do to ensure he continues to pay towards their upkeep and education?

As the courts no longer have the power to award maintenance for children it might be better to consider a separation agreement before obtaining a divorce. Such an agreement can include provision for child maintenance, and is enforceable through the courts. Once you have such an agreement you can obtain a divorce afterwards.

My wife and I have separated but do not want a divorce just yet - is there anything we can do as an interim measure?

If you have decided to separate, but do not want to consider a divorce for the time being, a separation agreement is strongly recommended.

Such an agreement sets out what you both agree should happen to the matrimonial home, and all the other assets such as savings and investments, endowment policies and pension funds. This means that there are no 'loose ends' which can cause problems later. Also, maintenance for children can be agreed in such a document. The courts can enforce all aspects of a separation agreement if necessary.

For more information read Separation Agreements

I understand from 5 December 2005 same sex couples were able to get married, is this true?

On 5 December 2005 the Civil Partnership Act became law, allowing same sex couples to register their partnership legally at their local registry office. This is not classed as marriage but does extend many of the same legal rights to the couple as a married couple would get. For a more detailed look at Civil Partnerships click here.


Divorce-lawfirm is the divorce and family website of Woolley & Co solicitors. Our head office is in Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, UK and we have lawyers throughout the country and can offer advice to British expats living overseas. If you are facing divorce or family law issues and need to consult a specialist solicitor contact us
http://www.divorce-lawfirm.co.uk/

Do you travel for business in the UK?

Just heard about the following site from a contact on Ecademy

'Ladiesaway.com is a new networking concept designed for businesswomen who travel.
Have you ever thought of the number of occasions you’ve stayed in a hotel and there may have been someone else also staying there that you could have done business with, or perhaps someone who shares the same interests as you, and would have appreciated some company at breakfast, dinner or in the gym.

Well now you can meet those people because the ladiesaway.com network aims to put like-minded travelling businesswomen together.

All members of ladiesaway.com have access to our database of travelling businesswomen. So if you’re away on a business trip or travel around the UK on a regular basis, you can easily arrange to meet in advance.

Become a member of Ladiesaway and make all your business trips enjoyable and productive - let the ladiesaway network work for you.'

Sounds good to me and it's free to join!

Springwise.com

Springwise.com, which is based in Amsterdam, has a global network of 8,000 spotters in 70 countries who scan the globe for smart new business ideas. It's a fun site that will really get you thinking and, who knows, might spark that million dollar idea that will fund your retirement. You can submit your own ideas or become a spotter. I particularly liked the following ideas: http://www.springwise.com/food_beverage/urban_farming_update/ http://www.springwise.com/nonprofit_social_cause/mobile_schools/

The Breast Cancer Site

Did you know that http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/ provides mammograms for those who can't afford them from corporate sponsors, and at no cost to you, every time you click it? Add it to your favourites and click every day...

New Courses from Barnes and Noble University

Have you heard about Barnes and Noble University? For those of you who are not familiar with them, Barnes and Noble is a massive company which sells books on-line and in-store in the US. Their B&N University offers a range of free on-line courses - all you need to do is buy the book on which the course is based. New courses and reading groups starting June 5th are listed below:

LIBERAL ARTS

The Art of the Short Story with Gotham Writer's Workshop
Being Jewish in Today's World
The Civil War Era
Discover Dungeons & Dragons
Everyday Ethics
Forensics with Court TV
From Planets to Pulsars: Astronomy Basics
Grammar Fitness
How to Read a Film: The Technology of Art
Italian for Beginners with Living Language ®
Picasso, Braque and the Dawn of Cubism
Thinking Like an Editor: How to Get Published
Understanding Poetry
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Genius at Work
Writing Mysteries with Writer's Digest Books
Start Writing Science Fiction with Gotham Writers' Workshop

LIFE IMPROVEMENT

All About Your Dreams
Beauty: The Basics
Become Your Own Pilates Trainer
The Best Year of Your Life with Debbie Ford
Caring for Your PC
Discover What You're Best At
End Your Addiction Now!
Find a Job You Love
Give Your Lawn a Makeover
Golf Basics
Homeschooling Your Children
How to Grill Well
Learn to Play Guitar
Money Management for Women
Total Memory Workout
Unpuzzling Your Past: An Introduction to Genealogy and Family History

ONLINE READING GROUPS

Meet Kate White
Paulo Coelho on The Alchemist
Rebecca Wells on Ya-Yas in Bloom
Javier Sierra on The Secret Supper
Elinor Lipman on My Latest Grievance
Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes
Bob and Melinda Blanchard on Live What You Love
Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy
Ian McEwan's Saturday
Anthony Trollope's The Way We Live Now
Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin

COURSES ON CD-ROM

Foreign Languages with Living Language®
Foreign Languages from Pimsleur
Portable Professor Series

Women in business

I had a message in my email box this morning telling me about a new UK website which advertises local services and businesses which are all owned by women. I know that many women living alone say that they would feel more comfortable being alone in the house with a female plumber or tiler, so if this is your preference, or, if you just enjoy giving female-owned companies a hand up by giving them your business, have a look at www.ladyskill.com.

What motivates you - purpose, passion or profit?

What motivates you as far as your work is concerned? Purpose, passion or profit? Try the following short quiz devised by David Batstone, a professor of ethics at the University of San Francisco. Just click the link below (but you will need to submit your name and email address to get the results).

http://www.triplepquiz.com/quiz.aspx

The Office of the Future?

I woke up a little early this morning, so I thought I'd check out my email and stuff before I started my workout. Whilst I was on Squidoo, I spotted the following and at first I thought it was a joke, (well it was 5.05 am) but apparently not. Here is what the 'lens' (or site) owner has to say about it:

James Levine, M.D. and his colleagues in the NEAT (Non-exercise Activity Thermogenesis) lab at Mayo Clinic have pioneered an "Office of the Future" -- a fully functioning office that bears a marked resemblance to a gym. Complete with treadmills that serve as both desks and computer platforms and a two-lane walking track that serves as a meeting room, Dr. Levine and his entire staff have a unique, active work environment.

and this is the lens itself: http://www.squidoo.com/walkingwhileworking/

Organ recital, anyone?

Do you know anyone who gives ‘organ recitals’? I came across this term in a book I’ve been reading this week. (The only problem is that, since I’ve read three books already this week, I can’t remember which book it came from.) Anyhow, giving organ recitals involves giving everyone you meet a blow-by-blow account of your latest illness, operation or stay in hospital.

There’s an old man in our village (I’ll call him Jim) who gives organ recitals and, to be honest, people dread meeting up with him. On warm, sunny days, he sits on his garden wall and, whenever anyone walks past, he tries to engage them in a conversation which very quickly turns into a litany of his various ailments, his trips to hospital, the amount of time he has spent in the I.C.U. and a verbatim report of what the doctors said to him.

Now I really don’t mean to sound unsympathetic – this man has, undeniably, suffered a great deal and, during the 3 years since he moved to the village, he has probably spent a year of that time in hospital. What I am attempting to do is point out that the kind of result that this man is probably hoping to achieve, (which I imagine would include an alleviation of his loneliness and boredom, the receipt of time and attention from his neighbours and maybe some recognition of and sympathy for his undoubted suffering) is being withheld from him. Because the first time you engage with him, you listen to his sorry tale and feel sympathy and compassion for him, but then, after you have listened to him for about half an hour, you realise that he is showing no signs of running out of steam, he is still very much ‘on topic’, that you (genuinely) have things that you need to do and that, without appearing rude, you need to make your excuses and go off to do them. Eventually, with difficulty, you manage to make your exit and you go home and tell your partner about how much the old man up the road has suffered and how ill he has been and isn't it a pity that he seems so lonely?

The next time you meet Jim, he greets you like an old friend and so you stop for a quick chat with him, and before long, you realise that you are having exactly the same conversation with him that you had before and that, once again, he is showing no sign of ‘drying up’ and that, once again, you could be in for an extended conversation (except that it isn’t really a conversation because a conversation usually implies more than one person taking part).

So, what happens next time you see him? You either turn around before he spots you and take a different, more circuitous route around the village that will get you home in twenty minutes, rather than the five it would normally take you, or you put your head down, speed up your pace, pretend you haven’t seen him until the last minute and then say, ‘Oh, hello, Jim. I’m sorry I can’t stop for a chat, I’m expecting a caller…’

So what is the answer? Would it be kinder to gently explain to him the effect that he has on people? Or would that just be too devastating for him to cope with, coming from a virtual stranger? Should I just stand and talk to him for as long as he needs me to, whilst, at the same time, ignoring my own needs and the things that I have to do to keep body and soul together? Or do I, like everyone else in the village, try to dodge him and politely ‘shortchange’ him whenever I can’t avoid running into him?

I suspect that I will plump for the latter and live in hope that when I get to the same age, I will remember Jim, his attempts to engage with people and the fact that, not everyone enjoys organ recitals.

Happiness is a dry toothbrush...

Chris and I are both a bit fussy about our teeth – twice-yearly check-ups at the dentist, flossing, inter-dental brushing… we do it all. So you can imagine how disconcerted he felt when he came to brush his teeth yesterday morning and found his toothbrush already wet.

We have two bathrooms in our house – one downstairs and one en-suite upstairs. Since Chris, Philip (his 17 year old son) and I all need to get ready at roughly the same time each morning, the two of them use the downstairs bathroom and I use the upstairs one. Consequently, there are normally two toothbrushes in the stand in the downstairs bathroom – one that belongs to Chris and one that belongs to Philip.

Now Philip has been away for a few days. All the toiletries that he took with him have been returned to the bathroom, but his toothbrush was missing from the mug. All that remained was Chris’s brush… and it was wet. Now Chris was the second person to use the bathroom that morning and Philip had already left the house.

What would you have done? Used a toothbrush that you suspected had been used by someone else, even if it was your son? Or go and buy another one?

It’s a good thing that the only shop in our village opens at 6 am…

Step-parenting issues

I've written before about being a step-parent and the fact that I haven't found it easy, by any stretch of the imagination. (Chris's kids were 13 and 15 when I first met them and I previously had a relationship with a man who had a 10 year old daughter.)

I was looking around the SAGA website yesterday in my other role as a retirement coach, and the following article caught my eye - you might find it interesting if you are in a relationship with a man who has children or think that you might someday form such a relationship:

http://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/article/A6529345-47E3-408D-B66E-7DD1F0DA52BA.asp?bhcp=1

Do you hate packing?

Here in the UK, the holiday season is starting to ramp up. It began with the Easter holidays (when kids have a 2 week holiday from school), then, two weekends ago, we had our first Bank Holiday of the season (May Day) and, at the end of the month, we have Spring Bank Holiday, when schools will close for a week. The weather is warming up nicely and people are starting to dig the fake tan out from the back of the bathroom cabinet (you do use fake, rather than frying yourself to get the real thing, don't you?).

Anyhow, if all these holidays are turning your mind to the thought of getting away for a break, you may want to check out the following sites for ideas to help ease the burden of deciding what to take with you and how to fit it all into your baggage allowance:

www.travelite.org
www.smartpacking.com
www.onebag.com

Life Expectancy Calculator

Check out the Life Expectancy Calculator at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/interactive_area/calculators_lifeexpectancy1.shtml. (90, in case you were wondering...)

The Cost of Fear (for women)

I came across the following, thought-provoking article by Denise Michaels, author of "Testosterone-Free Marketing".

Fear can be incredibly expensive.

Over the last five years I've mentored a lot of women in marketing in their businesses and I've discovered that fear is very often a much more important hurdle to be overcome than deciding on a marketing strategy. Fear takes up more time than deciding what you're going to say on your website or when sitting across from a customer. If you don't overcome fear your strategy really doesn't even matter.

Fear causes women to hold back from being as fabulous as they can be. It rips them off and allows others to step out right in front of her and take all the goodies that her business could have to offer - but doesn't because she's trying to satisfy the mythical "they."

Fear means that she won't tell others about who she is and what she offers with confidence, passion and gusto. Fear means that she will say, "Oh, I couldn't possibly do THAT! People might think that I'm being pushy or I'm being too 'out there.'"

Fear stops us from going for what we want. It waters women down to milquetoast and keeps us in the bondage of living a boring life without the financial gain you deserve. Fear causes us to make excuses like, "I didn't REALLY want that." And, "I'd rather be happy than rich." As if the two are mutually exclusive. Duh! (smile)

Fear keeps us wearing beige, black and gray rather than hot pink, bright yellow or tangerine orange. Fear says, "I don't want to reach out until I have ALL my ducks in a row." Fear also says, "I don't want to put myself out there until I know everything humanly possible about my product and I can answer every question that anyone might ask." Fear keeps us dressing like a girl or a boring banker instead of a brilliant, creative and savvy woman.

Ladies, I've had some time to think and think some more the last couple weeks as I've been recovering from surgery (finally got my laptop back today too after nine days without it). I've been resting, watching TV, sitting on my porch with a cup of tea, feeling the summer breeze in my hair and just thinking.

It seems to me that the women who succeed and really make it in the the world of business are the ones who aren't afraid to be out there and fabulous and wonderful and while they may not SAY that they are - they show everyone by their actions that they are.

Think Madonna.
Think Jennifer Lopez.
Think Martha Stewart.
Think Kimora Lee Simmons.
Think Suzanne Somers.

Madonna started it by embracing the idea of being a fabulous brand. One that's constantly re-inventing itself but still true to herself and yet she expresses a piece of us that many women would like to be but they don't quite have the nerve to be. Like her or hate her - she still makes waves after two and a half decades.

Jennifer Lopez is a triple threat - a dancer, singer and actress. As well as a new mogul in fashion, fragrance, sunglasses and I'm sure that there will be more to come. Yeah she wore a dress cut below her navel to the Grammys and she's got the business acumen to be a force to be reckoned with.

Martha Stewart has an empire in publishing, the Internet and on TV. She redefined what it means to do homemaker things making them glamorous and lovely. Even after a prison stint almost two years ago she's come back stronger than ever.

Kimora Lee Simmons was modelling for Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel in Paris at the gentle ago of 13. Now in her 30s she commands a fashion business called "Baby Phat" that's urban, hip and accessible to millions while helping women aspire to a lifestyle they may have never imagined. She happily admits she's a diva AND takes no guff in her business.

Suzanne Somers may seems like a has been in the world of TV acting but she's authored 14 best-selling books, she has a business that does $100 million a year in sales of clothes, jewelry, food, skin care and exercise stuff. She's been married to the same man for 30+ years and has a wonderful family life and grandkids at 58.

Can you find something to admire in any one of these women? Or maybe there's another woman in the world of business that you admire. I'll tell you something that they do have in common. They're not running around like chickens with their heads cut off trying desperately to please everybody and homogenize their marketing message so that everyone loves them. They are who they are and oh well, maybe the rest just aren't their ideal customers. No big deal. Can't please everyone.

How much has fear cost you since you started your business?

What would it take for you to embrace the idea of being fabulous? What would it take for you to be a diva - not in the b*tchy sense purely for the sake of being difficult, but in the good sense of getting what you want so that you can help others more? What would it take - and what would your life be like if you played full out to win?

Do you Squidoo?

I’ve been doing a lot of web surfing this weekend and one of the most interesting sites I found was Squidoo. It’s a site where enthusiasts or experts write and blog about their ideas, advertise their services and generally make themselves known. Squidoo is free to join and you can also earn revenue by the various links to Google Adsense, Amazon and Ebay that your site contains.

Oh, and if you click on the links to Squidoo in this blog, and you open a 'lens' (that's a site) with them, you will be joining through my affiliate link - which means that when your lens earns its first $15, both you and I will each get $5 free. Sounds like a win-win to me!