Friday, September 28, 2012

Teaching Children to Make Good Choices

When it comes to childhood obesity, I'm not on the "blame-game-train." Looking for someone to blame is a cop-out. Instead, I vote we take responsibility and fix the problem. How? That's the problem and it's where we all come in, as parents, as educators and as a society.
The job of a parent is to nurture, raise, teach and guide our children. No one should take that away from us, but it is a hefty responsibility. While the schools and others in the community play a role, we as parents are the ones ultimately responsible for teaching our children to make the right choices. It's not going to be easy, but here are a few steps that may help.
Set Limits: While they complain about them, most children want limits they can depend on. This applies to many aspects of their lives. Limits should be set on the length of time the computer is used, the PlayStations (etc.) are used and even how much they can use their cell phones to text their friends.
Instead of these "mouse potato" activities, they need to play. Maybe the can join a team or be on the pep squad/cheer leading team. Maybe there are a bunch of kids in the neighborhood that can get together for a game of basketball or baseball at the park. Look into ways to get them physically active.
Food: Did you know that fast food companies like to put their facilities near schools? They know they'll make a lot of money from the kids. We, as parents, shouldn't blame these companies. What we should do is educate the kids to make good choices with their food.
There are a lot of ways of doing this. If there are fast food places near the school, help the child choose healthy things off the menu. You can find the nutrition information on-line very easily, and these companies are beginning to hear our cries for better, healthier food.
Packing a lunch may not be a bad idea either. Take the kids to the store and let them pick out the healthy options they want. There are a lot of single serving salad, fruit and vegetable items in the produce aisle which can replace chips and cookies. Low fat/low sodium deli meats are also often available at the deli of the local supermarket.
Lead by Example: You knew there had to be a catch, right? Yep, it's us. Our children will do about 80% of what we do right and usually 100% of what we do wrong. Want them to exercise...go play with them, go for a walk, go jogging. It will let them know that this is a lifetime thing, not just what kids have to do.
Do the same thing with food. Eat healthier stuff and be willing to pack a sack lunch. To be honest, you can make a really tasty lunch with good nutrition for a lot less than some of those "value meals" at the fast food places.
Talk to the Schools: There is a debate about whether or not the schools should be blamed for childhood obesity. As I've said before, that doesn't wash with me. However, they do have some responsibility. Perhaps they need reminded. Don't just read the lunch menu in the paper, go and eat one of them. Preferably on pizza day. If you don't want your child eating what's being served do something about it.
There are a lot of reasons schools choose the foods they do, and while I don't agree with their logic I can see the point. When healthy foods are provided, those foods end up in the trash. The kids won't eat the apple or green beans or the salad. Rather than watch hard earned tax dollars head out to the garbage dump, they provide what the kids want.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Five Secrets to Creating Your Dream Career

There are countless career opportunities in this economy for you to create your dream job. Why be unhappy with your career when you can create the perfect job that leads to a happy fulfilling career using a little creativity?
The following are seven secrets to creating your dream job and very successful career:

1. What Do You Want to Achieve in Your Career?
This may seem like a fairly obvious question; however, when I interact with employees who are unhappy with their careers I ask them, "what do you want to achieve in your career?" At that point most employees can't answer the question or I may receive an answer of, "I Know What I Don't Want." I have found out that the lack of career goals is one of the leading factors of job dissatisfaction, conflict, and stress in the workplace.
The foundation of a successful career is knowing what you want from your career. Take the time to develop career goals. Once you have done this, break your goals into manageable pieces and time periods so that you can continuously track how successful you are in achieving your goals.

2. What Are Your Job Requirements
Now that you have developed your career goals, recognize your requirements for success. Some career questions you can ask yourself are:
* What additional education needs will I have?
* Are my career requirements in harmony with my family goals, etc.?
* Do I want to work at home or in the office?
* Do I want the added responsibility of being a leader or would I be happier as a team member (be honest with yourself).
3. Look for Your Perfect Job
Ideas for your dream job are all around you every day. Look for career ideas from the following resources:
* Look for trends for career opportunities in newspapers, magazines, or TV or radio, and the Internet. Act as an "opportunity filter" and look for the career opportunities where others only see the negative.
* Think like your internal and external customers and find out what their biggest challenges are and how you can provide solutions.
* Think like management, and constantly seek to discover the challenges they face and develop solutions. The biggest gold mines for finding organizational solutions are the meetings you attend. Listen for the little gold nuggets of opportunities that will help you develop you dream job.

4. Sell the Solution
Once you have completed the research and preparation, it's time to sell management on your solution and your dream job. Remember to tune into management's W-I-I-F-M, What's In It for Management, when communicating your solution. Stress the benefits of your proposal and why they should adopt it. Stress how you would deliver the solution in your new position. Make sure to discuss your career requirements (resources, telework vs. office, education, etc.) for success in detail and how they relate to the solution. Close with conviction by asking for management's input on your presentation and address any concerns at that time.
5. If You Don't Succeed at First...
If you don't succeed at first, stay positive and continue to fine tune your proposal Remember, there will always be changes in management, the economy, situations, personnel, and organizational opportunities. Constantly be aware of them so that you can rise to the occasion when the career opportunity presents itself again.
Apply these five career secrets to achieve more career success in your life. Act today to start developing the foundation for your dream job tomorrow.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Making Your Money Work For You

There is a common misconception about money. Thanks to our consumer-driven society, the belief is that the purpose money is to spend it. This could not be further from the truth. The purpose of money is for building wealth. You must reprogram the way your brain thinks about money and approach your finances with a fresh perspective and plan of action.
Whether you are making $50K or $8.00 an hour, you can learn to make your money work for you. The key is in handling your money the way the rich do. Most people don't understand what this looks like, so allow me to give you a blueprint for using your money to build wealth.
The key is in designating certain parts of your income to specific areas of your life.
The first category is tithing. Tithing is defined as giving back financially to the work that God is doing through the church. If you are not religious, then substitute giving to a specific charity that you believe in. It is always good to give. What good is the wealth that we build if we are unable to help those less fortunate? 10% of your income should go to tithing. By establishing giving as the very first thing you do with your income, it helps to keep you from falling prey to greed.
The next category is savings. Once you have paid God, pay yourself. 10% of EVERYTHING YOU MAKE should go immediately into a savings account. This is the money that you should try not to dip into, whenever possible. It is certainly acceptable to borrow from your savings for important, well thought out purchases, (IE, a down payment on a new home, a big family vacation, etc) but avoid using this money for every day and/or frivolous spending.
The next category is self-education. In the business of network marketing, the most valuable asset that you have is YOU. Set aside 10% of your income each month to invest back into you education about the business. Use this money to purchase books, audio trainings and coaching on things like money handling, marketing techniques, and self-improvement. The more knowledge you acquire, the more value you present to your prospects. Remember; people don't join businesses, they join people.
The next 10% of your income is designated for investing in Income Producing Assets. Some great ideas of ways to invest your money in assets that will earn money for you include but are not limited to buying and renting out an apartment building, purchasing a laundromat or a parking lot. With any of these things, you will quickly make back your initial investment and it will soon turn into an extra stream of income that works for you. Once your budget allows for it, outsource the management of these assets to qualified people and you have created a stream of income that works for you without your ever having to touch it. Do some research and find out what works for your budget and what opportunities are open to you. Then put the plan in motion to get these income producers on their feet ASAP.
The next category is my favorite; Entertainment. We all need to be entertained, we simply need to learn how to be smart about the way we budget for it. You guessed it, 10% of your income is set aside for the soul purpose of entertaining yourself. Use this money for whatever brings you enjoyment. If it's shopping, shop. If it's dining out, eat. If it's attending sporting events, theatre, or just going out to the clubs and shaking your groove thang, do it. The only rule about this category is you must spend every dime of it each month! This category is a great motivator to make more money. If you make more money overall, you have more money to blow on things that you enjoy.
Once you have budgeted accordingly in all of the previous categories, you are left with 50% of your income. This is what you use to pay your bills, make payments on your existing debt, buy your groceries and all of those day-to-day expenditures you encounter. Learning to live off of 50% of your income may mean needing to make some sacrifices. Do you really need all 900 channels? Do you need to buy the brand-name paper towels? Get really honest with yourself about what it is that you are spending money on now that you do not absolutely need and get rid of it.
It may be difficult at first to implement these principles, especially when it comes to making those sacrifices up front. Remember though, that the number one purpose of money is not to spend it, but to create wealth. Start putting these principles into practice now. Make sacrifices today for a better tomorrow. Remember, it's not about how much money you make, it's about knowing what to do with it.

Free Online Games Can Provide Great Family Entertainment

Adults and children can enjoy free online games that provide an excellent distraction from the problems of everyday life. The games are fun and many are very educational and mentally stimulating. You can choose from hundreds of games, all for free.
Mental exercise is especially good for adults. During the aging process, the brain's capacity diminishes but, when stimulated on a regular basis, it can stay alert and active. For kids, playing online games is a fantastic way for them to learn new skills and have fun.
Selecting a suitable game is very important if you want your kids to get constructive mental stimulation. Scrabble, for example, helps develop vocabulary, and Tetris is excellent for the development of spatial skills. The games can be played as one-player or on a multi-player basis.
Playing online games is a wonderful way for families to bond and interact in an atmosphere of fun. Everyone can laugh, relax and put aside all other day-to-day problems for one or two hours. It's also a great way to get the kids away from the TV for a while.
There are plenty of free games to cater for all interests. These include sports games, arcade games, card and word games, and puzzles. They can be played for absolutely no cost. While certain sites may try and lure you with offers to buy a fancier version of a certain game, you are under no obligation and can continue playing for free.
Some free game sites might ask for your email address so that you can register. This is fine, but be cautious if any site asks you for financial or personal details. Many sites offer free trials then give the option to upgrade to fee-based playing. If you want to avoid this temptation and play for free all the time, find another site.
If you prefer your kids to play games with educational value, the internet has plenty of sites for this particular purpose. They offer a wide range of word jumbles, board games, Science and Math quizzes and lots of other interactive options. You can choose the level of each game according to your child's age.

Friday, September 7, 2012

The Girl of Your Dreams vs The Girl That is Available

Having listened to men over the years sharing their greatest ordeals as regarding dating and relationship, I can as of today authoritatively tell you that the biggest challenge men face is the challenge of approaching the woman they are attracted to and confidently expressing themselves like a real man should. Some that were able to summon the courage to step up to lady of their dreams did not know how to take things from one step to another, so they get stuck feeling embarrassed.
Most married men that come to me for counseling seem to have similar problems. What is the problem, I know you are yearning to known; that is what am about to share with you. A very large chunk of the marriage men you see around are not fulfilled in their matrimonial homes anymore. Outwardly they may pretend to be happy but deep inside they feel imprisoned by their own cowardice.
You see, my friend, the trouble started while these men were still single but they were either too scared or lacked the crucial dating skills they required to go for the woman they truly desired to be with. I will give you a true life story to illustrate my point but before I do that I would want to advise you to take your time to read this article to the end, you would be glad you did.
Now, here is my story, I hope you will learn one or two things from it. This was an account of a client of mine who latter become a very close friend. For the sake of this article let's call him jack. Jack came to me for counseling after his marriage of two years fell apart. After listening to his story for about ninety minutes I could tell exactly where Jack missed his opportunity for true fulfillment and happiness in marriage.
Jack used to work at a cinema, there he had the opportunity of meeting all sort of people. One among these people was a lady Jack knew from high school. Her name is Jessica (not her real name), Jack have always liked Jessica. She was exactly the type of lady Jack wanted; she was just the right package, the right drug that Jack needed to cure his madness.
While they were in high school, he always sorts for the perfect opportunity to ask Jessie out, but he was always intimidated by her social and academic status. Jessica was the most popular female student in the school. She was obviously the most beautiful and plus that, her grades were the best in her class.
So Jack was scared that he might be rejected if he asked her out, but Jessica was the girl of his dreams. So, Jack did everything in his power to impress this girl. He started studying extra hours to raise his grads, he thought if he could at least get his academics right, that maybe she would be impressed and that might make her pay him more attention.
He also tried to get popular, so he became a basket ball player, but none of this change anything. He did all these nice stuffs but failed to do one thing that is most important than the other things he did; approaching Jessica and letting her know how he felt about her.
They graduated from high school and faced their different destinies. Jack parents were broke so they could not afford a university education for him but Jessica's dad was a doctor and was rich. So, Jessica went to Georgia Tech, graduated and got a good paying blue collar job, while Jack was just a regular guy who worked in a cinema house.
So here they were again, four years later after high school. Jack could not believe his eyes the first time he saw Jessie at the cinema where he worked, it felt like an angel just fell from heaven. Jessica looked even more beautiful than she looked way back in high school but that was not even the problem. The trouble here again was that Jessica earned five times what Jack took home at the end of the month.
Those same old feelings of intimidation came back but this time with a greater intensity. Jack wanted to ask Jessica out one more time but once again he feared he would be rejected. He had that feeling you get when it seems like something you want is out of your reach.
Jessica kept coming back to that same cinema for the next three months and for that whole time Jack could not do anything about what he felt for this girl; he didn't know how to go about asking Jessica out and not being rejected. After three months of coming to the cinema where jack worked, Jessica suddenly stopped coming and later moved out of town. Nine months after Jessica moved out of town, Jack got married to a colleague who worked at the same cinema with him.
Two years after they got married, things fell apart. That was when he came to my office for counseling. It is so painful and shameful that most men feel powerless when it comes to approaching the woman they truly desire and need. This is why good girls don't have any choice but to end up in the arms of men that don't treat them right.This type of things happens because the good guys don't have the boldness to go for the women of their dreams.
Most men simply end up dating and marrying the woman that is available. That was what Jack did and that is the same mistake most guys who had gone through a divorce also have made. Marrying the girl that is available instead of the woman of your dreams, is one reason why some men cannot be faithful to their partners. This is also why the feeling of affection they felt at the onset of their relationship fizzle out with time. My advice to you today is this; don't go for the girl that is available but for the one that your heart truly wants to be with(the girl of your dreams).
She might be very rich, she might work in the government, she might have a doctorate degree, she might be a top Hollywood actress, she might be a super model, no matter what she is, never let have status, beauty or money scare or intimidate you in any way. My friend get educated on how attraction and seduction works with women, with proper and quality training on these topics(attraction and seduction), getting the girl of your dreams to fall in love with you would be a piece of cake. By the way I am Lemar Bloom and I appreciate you taking your valuable time to listen to what I had to say. God bless you and please stay out of trouble.