Writers Block - Melting the Ice

What does one do as a writer who loves writing and feels empty of creativity?

When the writing process stops, there is the experience of fear. There is a sense that something precious has been lost. Out of this fear comes a sense of clinging. There is a clinging to all my beautiful words. It feels as if all my beautiful creativity is melting.

I guess all writers live with this fear. That is until they remember that this flow of creation does not belong to 'me' or 'mine.' I find a wondrous freedom in such recognition. If the writing is not mine then it is a gift given to 'little me.' The 'I' in 'little me' has only to learn how to receive it.

I remember that the fear of not being able to write creatively is the very thing that gets in the way.

This writer waits and watches. He waits as anyone with a little bit of wisdom waits. He waits as anyone who has been graced this day on this beautiful earth waits. He waits at the centre which is always empty but is always full.

I write one word and then I write the next word. There is no judgement of the word. Or there is the observation of such judgement. This is the watching. It is like observing a cloud passing through the blue sky of awareness.

This discipline is the observer observing the action of writing. When the focus is deep enough this writer disappears into the flow. Then creative writing happens. Then the discipline has become discipleship. 'Little me' disappears into the timeless. Creativity flows and freedom arrives. The soul is allowed expression and re-creation arrives. The soul is allowed expression and re-creation happens. There is fullness pouring into the emptiness of the surrendered heart.

This writing becomes a dance. The Beloved knows the steps and all I have to do is learn the grace of surrender. I remember that to live a life of grace is a balance between discipline and surrender. This is the real work. This is the real life.

Tony Cuckson is an Anam Cara. This Celtic term means "Soul Friend." He specializes in providing insight for the spiritual journey, Blessings for YOU, words of wisdom and finding inner peace. Visitors to Irish Blessings Matter website and Tony's Blog get the opportunity to develop a purpose driven life through articles, newsletters and other programs. Get your free report called "7 ways to it's a wonderful life" at http://www.irishblessingsmatter.com">Blessings for YOU or go to Tony`s Blog at http://www.irishblessingsmatter.info Blessings for YOU Blog where you will find links to information related to spiritual guidance, spiritual coaching and spirit in business.

Top Ten Ways to Promote Your Website When the Traffic Dries Up

Even the best websites with the best marketing plans can run into some problems with traffic every now and again. However, if this happens to your website don't worry because there are many different ways you can boost traffic with just a little effort. Consider the following 10 suggestions to re-gain your customers and boost your traffic.

#1 New Content

Adding new content on a regular basis is important because you want to keep your website fresh and provide new information for returning visitors.

#2 Keywords

Do some research and find out the keywords that pertain to your market, both directly and indirectly, and include these in your content. Then, when people search for these keywords your website will be returned as a result.

#3 New Links

Always work on getting quality websites to add a link to your website. The more links you have the more customers you will have. So work hard, always, at getting new links to your website.

#4 Re-Organize

If you have not done anything to change the look of your website in some time, maybe you need to re-organize. By changing the look and getting the website organized for traffic you will be able to keep people on your website when you get them there.

#5 More Search Engine Listings

List your URL with more search engines. You should make sure your website is listed with the larger and more popular search engines for sure and after you have completed this mission then work on the smaller less popular search engines. Remember, every search engine that lists your URL means more traffic for you.

#6 Directories

Locate the directories for your industry and that deal with your specific market and have your URL listed in these directories. You will get more targeted traffic this way.

#7 Submit to Newsletters

Write articles and submit them to newsletters, especially industry targeted newsletters. You will get more exposure and traffic.

#8 Put Keywords in First Paragraph

Review the content on your pages and make sure you have keywords in the first paragraph of each article. By doing this, you will increase your ranking in the search engines.

#9 Meta Tags

Write a Meta tag description about your website, including the main keywords in order to receive more traffic.

#10 Buy an Ad

Buy an ad in a newsletter and a small investment will result in increased traffic because many people will see your information and visit your site.

Try these suggestions, which should not take you much effort or time, and before you know it your traffic levels, will increase and you will have a website that is efficient again.

Michael Turner shows you exactly how to increase web site traffic in his free 7 part mini-series. Grab it today at http://www.powertraffictactics.com/

Anamchara - The Value of Ritual

Let me explain my approach to the practice of ritual. For me ritual is an act of presence. It is presenting myself fully in this moment. It is bringing focused attention to what is now. This is assisted by symbols and representations that I imbue with meaning. This is a feeling engagement with what is of real value in this life.

In my home I have an altar.

On this altar I place various things of import to me. These are representations of energies I value greatly. There is a representation of a Buddha. There is a representation of Quan Yin. Quan Yin is a representation of the Goddess of Infinite Mercy. There is also incense and there is a candle. None of these are the real flow of wisdom and compassion. To feel this flow one needs a human body. These symbols are there to serve as an aid to remind me to awake from the sleep of unawareness.

This altar is there to remind me of the experience of alteration.

This is not because "I am" needs altering but that "me" who feels separate from LOVE needs to come home. When I gaze upon this altar these representations of energies remind me to drop judgement. They remind me to drop the discursive mind. They remind me to be in this body and to breathe in and out. They remind me that I am gifted the experience of eternity in the ever flowing present.

My main ritual of the day is writing.

This is sometimes engaged in when propped up in bed. This happens during spring and summer. In the wintertime I go to the small living room to sit before the fire. This sitting is done with full attention. As I engage with this exercise a reverence falls and quietude descends. I am making preparation for entering that other room. This is the room of presence. This is the room of flow.

The practice of ritual offers you many things. When beginning a ritual practice it is common for us to grasp. We enter the practice of ritual with the idea of achievement or we may engage with it with the possibility of atonement for something termed sin.

We are told if we dutifully practice our daily ritual we can have presence, we can have flow, and we can have joy. "Me thinks," this is great. "Me" thinks this is something to have. Just think of all the benefits. More friends. More sex. More success and of course more money. This is the focus that "me" brings to the experience of reverence. This is you and "me." We all do it. I do it.

Ritual is like learning to ride a bike. We do it by learning how not to do it. Then one time the knack happens.

When we are told not to grasp at presence or flow we often feel confused. Some of us feel guilt. We want this experience and yet we cannot have it because we want it. You have to let go of wanting it for you. When you are looking for it you get over anxious. Just practice the ritual without attachment to results. Just be in love with the action. This will be the way into the other room.

Ours is a results orientated society.

We are all seeking to gain this or gain that. We are all collectors. Mostly we collect other people's ideas, beliefs and opinions. This is what we call our life. We collect our experience and we collect our memories. This is who we then believe we are.

We then become an accumulation of experience we call "me." This "me" writing this page is named "Tony Cuckson." I often think that this name and the fifty-three years experience of life is who I am. I am a collector of all the thoughts and feelings I have accumulated. I have those attributes that I like and those I do not. This then becomes the package named Tony Cuckson. Some people like this package and others do not. In between there seem to be myriad possibilities.

We all want results for our efforts. However, you cannot make God a result. You cannot make love a result. You cannot make the eternal a result. Once you make the aim of any of these a result it is gone. Once you have judged it to be yours it has disappeared. The paradox is that it becomes you when "me" and "mine" are no longer there.

Ritual reminds me of what I value.

These representations on this alter are not idols. They are imbued with the value I place upon them consciously. I value compassion. I value love. This is not my compassion but the energy of compassion. When this flows then the world is to right because the world is always to right. Even suggesting it is right does not convey it correctly. It is better to say it is only "what it is."

Ritual is a conscious action.

I enter it in silence. Sometimes I may include music. This is music that I consider scared. It is music were the musicians disappear and flow into the sound. This music is not the main focus. When I play music the focus is more on mood enhancement. It is part of the preparation for entry into the grace of being.

Ritual is done in time to remind me of the flow of the timeless.

It is a conscious action done to remind me that we are love flowing eternally. This action reminds me that we need to deeply understand our feeling relationship, as well as our intellectual understanding, of time. If you do not feel eternal, or have never had a feeling experience of eternity, then you will be continually stuck in the construct of time.

When I practice ritual I am reminded of time as Cronas time. For most of our human development we have lived by the rythmn of nature. It has only been since the time of train travel that we have become obsessed with time as seconds, minutes, hours and days. We have thus fallen out of the rhythm of life.

We measure our lives in minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years.

We feel we exist in this construct of time. We think we are our bodies which are born in time and which die in time. We are promised that if we are very good, or if we are one of the chosen, we will come to eternal life. This will be, we are told, on the last day of judgement. This is a day that must be with within time. How do I know this? It is because it is called "the last day." How long it will take this last day of judgement to arrive no one is really certain. It might arrive tomorrow or in another hundred million years.

What is certain is that you are told by those who profess to know that you better be prepared or else.

This would be funny if it were not so tragic. This is the ultimate projection of those who do not know. It is the clearest indication one can have, if proof were needed, that those who espouse this doctrine do not know. They cannot have ever entered the timeless experience while living in a human body.

They and we have forgotten that we are beings of the timeless.

We are the free flow of energy that expresses itself in form but which flows from the formless. This is the energy of LOVE. This is God. This does not begin or end. It is outside of time and space. The real promise of Jesus is that you will know this now. The promise is not that you will know when you are dead.

Ritual is a form of window.

Our task is to keep the window open. This is a practice that you "do." You do it each day. It is an honouring your connection to the Divine. You are making preparation for the gift of grace. This is like a bird that flies. You allow it to fly in through this open window. When it comes you allow it to be just as it is. In any moment you find you and the bird are not separate. You recognise that you are grace.

This is enough. This is flow.

? Tony Cuckson 2004

Tony Cuckson is an Anam Cara. This Celtic term means "Soul Friend." He specializes in providing insight for the spiritual journey, Blessings for YOU, words of wisdom and finding inner peace. Visitors to Irish Blessings Matter website and Tony's Blog get the opportunity to develop a purpose driven life through articles, newsletters and other programs.

Get your free report called "7 ways to it's a wonderful life" at http://www.irishblessingsmatter.com/, or go to Tony`s Blog at http://www.irishblessingsmatter.info/ for YOU Blog, where you will find links to information related to spiritual parenting, spiritual coaching and spirit in business.

7 Keys to Turning Cold Calls Into Warm Calls

Let's face it when it comes to cold calling many of us fear being rejected. What if I was to tell you I have come up with 7 keys to turning your cold calls into warm calls? Would you believe me?

Try these 7 cold calling ideas for yourself and see just how easy making a cold call can really be.

1. Change Your Mental Objective Before You Make Your Call

When making a cold call the traditional way, your main objective is usually to try and get the appointment or make the sale. The main problem with that is when you do make the call it is quite clear to the person on the other end of the phone that this is your goal and they usually think of an excuse to get you off the phone before they have a chance to hear what you have to say.

To turn your cold calls into warm calls you need to change your objective to creating a feeling of trust with the person you are calling. It is important to remember that the person you are calling needs to feel that you are calling to help them rather than just trying to make the sale.

2. Understand The Mindset of The Person Your Calling

This is an extremely important tip and one that can help you greatly with your cold calling success. By putting yourself in the mindset of the person you are about to call, you can move beyond making a sales pitch.

Imagine that you are that person receiving the call and you hear "Hello, my name is Clare and I'm with a company called Financial Solutions International, do you have a few minutes?" What would be your immediate reaction?

You'd probably think "Salesperson! How can I get them off the phone." Instead, try beginning your conversation with "Hi, my name is Clare, maybe you can help me out for a moment?" Something as simple as that puts you smack in the middle of your prospect's world of welcoming phone calls.

3. Identify A Problem That Your Company Can Solve

Knowing a specific problem that your prospect is having is how you can immediately create a natural conversation on the phone.

If your prospect feels that you really do understand their particular issues, then they are more open to hearing your solutions giving you the opportunity to see if you both are a good match.

Identifying the problem before you make your cold call really can make a major difference in the success of your cold call.

4. Start A Conversation, Don't Give A Presentation

Giving a presentation is the old traditional way of cold calling which has the negative affect of creating sales pressure and viewing people as "prospects".

Engaging people in a natural conversation is the only way to avoid rejection because you are relaxed as if you are talking to a friend. A genuine approach will always put your potential customer at ease from the start.

Never assume beforehand that your prospective customer should buy what you have to offer. Your prospect will pick up on this right away and you will be on your way to losing the sale.

5. Start By Asking A Question

After your opening cold calling statement, always begin by asking a question about how you can help them solve issues that you believe your solution can solve.

Think about it, how would you respond if someone genuinely knew what you were struggling with and had ideas to solve it?

By basing your cold call on honesty and truthfulness and knowing how to engage your prospect based on their issues, then all of a sudden your call becomes a two-way dialogue rather than a one-way pitch.

You will be able to open up a conversation and be able to build up trust at the same time.

6. Recognising and Diffusing Hidden Pressures

By being able to recognise hidden sales pressure you can turn your calls into pleasant conversations. And be aware, that enthusiasm can make your prospects feel pressure from you.

Learning to engage in a natural conversation can alleviate this pressure and leave your client open to the idea of hearing what you have to say.

Try to avoid controlling your calls in a way where your prospect feels you are taking them down a sales process. Give them a chance to share their concerns with you without having to worry about you trying to "close" them.

7. Determining A Fit

Let's say your call is going great and the dialogue is flowing well but the conversation is reaching its natural end. What do you do next?

Most people who sell assume they should try and close the person to an appointment. But there is a risk in that if the person's problem isn't a priority to solve. So it's important that you first ask "Is this issue a priority to solve or is it something that's on the back burner?"

Not only have you determined a need but you will also determine a time frame. This could save you months of wasted "follow-up" calls.

Now it's time to start putting these tips into practice. From personal experience, I can tell you that you if use these ideas on your cold calls, you'll know how to turn cold calls into warm calls.

Ari Galper makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets that even the sales gurus don't know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.Unlock-The-Cold-Calling-Game.com

How to Increase Your AdSense Revenue Stream

Google's AdSense program is one of the best, if not the best, revenue programs for web site managers. While the program has certainly created wealth for many site owners, there are opportunities for you to increase your wealth if you follow these important strategies.

1. Increase Your Content. A small 8-10 page site can generate AdSense revenue particularly if the information is up to date and the site is well maintained. A better option: increase your site's size by at least tenfold and include AdSense ads on those pages as well. So, you're not a writer? Don't let that stop you! There are plenty of article submission sites on the internet which will allow for you to take their content and include it on your site as long as all the links listed within the article remain in place.

2. Experiment With Ad Placement. Ads that are clean, borderless and above the fold of the screen are certain to get noticed. Google has some wonderful tips on their site outlining the best strategies for ad placement; incorporate their suggestions and your revenue will increase.

3. Wrap Your Article. Your ads can appear right in the middle of your article [actually, to the left or to the right of it] and the text of the article will wrap around your ad. Guess what? Because Google does such a superb job of serving relevant ads, your readers will notice that the ads served match your content. They will click for more information it they notice the ad.

4. Declutter Your Site. An overcrowded page will look too busy, distract your readers, and cause them to move on without clicking on your ads. Make your site as visually appealing as possible; use Verdana or Arial as your fonts, black or navy as the font colors, size your fonts appropriately. Have your ad match your page color, omit borders, and go for a clean look.

5. Use Channels. Google has this to say about channels:Channels provide you with a way to view detailed reporting about the performance of your pages. By assigning a channel to any combination of pages, you can track a variety of metrics across your sites. Track your leaderboard performance versus the performance of your towers, or compare your motorcycle pages to your automobile pages, by assigning each group of pages to a specific channel and comparing results in your custom channel reports. You can even assign a channel to each of your separate domains, to see where your clicks are coming from.Naturally, by utilizing channels you will learn the specific amount of income generated by each page and then be able to adjust your pages accordingly.

6. Include High Paying Keywords. Some keywords pay more than others, much more in fact. You may be generating steady income, but at a nickel or dime a click that does not translate into much money. Learn which words pay more and include content containing those words.

AdSense revenue can vary greatly from month to month and you will even hear stories of people making a living off of Adsense. You can, but you need to do plenty of work by building a site that is relevant, AdSense popular, and loaded with content.

Matthew Keegan is The Article Writer who writes on just about any and every issue imaginable. You can preview samples from his high performing site at http://www.thearticlewriter.com

Examining Drugs for ADHD, Particularly Strattera

In memory of 14 year old Matthew Smith; 11 year old Stephanie Hall; and 10 year old Shaina Dunkle and other children who have died from the use of psychotropic drugs for "ADHD".

The Eli Lilly company has been marketing a new drug for those who are labeled as ADHD known as Strattera. This drug is purported to be a non-stimulant medication, however the side effects are similar. Rather than effecting the dopamine system as do the stimulants such as methylphenidate and dextroamphetamine, it works upon the norepinephrine neurotransmitter. Strattera is considered a Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. Norepinephrine is the brain's adrenalin. Norephinephrine is involved in the increased rate and force of the heart muscle, constriction of heart muscles, pulmonary function (Hedaya, 1999).

If these functions are increased, it would be evident that Strattera could produce possible untoward effects on the cardiovascular system. It is interesting to note that in the safety information that Eli Lilly provides on its website, it refers to possible hazards to those who have heart disease or high blood pressure. Information provided by Eli Lilly accompanying prescriptions of this drug note the possibility of tachycardia, and increased blood pressure. Tourette's disorder, though the etiology is not fully known is being examined as difficulties arising in the metabolism of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. it is known that stimulant drugs can produce Tourette's like behavior in some children (Breggin, 1998).

If Strattera affects the norepinephrine system, then it would seem evident that the possibility of such Tourette's like behavior could also become manifest in some children using Strattera. Therefore, though Strattera is being marketed in the fashion of being a non-stimulant drug, its ill effects are quite similar to that manifested by the stimulant medications. Eli Lilly's website notes that growth suppression is a common side effect and needs to be monitored in children making use of this drug. Loss of appetitite and weight loss is also seen. The most common side effects as listed by Lilly are upset stomach, decreased appetite, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, tiredness, and mood swings. These are not unlike that associated with the stimulant medications.

Lilly states in its press release in regards to Strattera's introduction: "It's not known precisely how Strattera reduces ADHD symptoms. Scientists believe it works by blocking or slowing reabsorption of norepinephrine, a brain chemical considered important in regulating attention, impulsivity and activity levels. This keeps more norepinephrine at work in the tiny spaces between neurons in the brain." If we examine this statement carefully, we see it states 'it is not precisely known', therefore once again a drug is being prescribed whose effects are not fully known for a'disorder' whose psychopathology is not yet delineated. Clinical trials for Strattera have been limited and any information on long term effects has only been studied by Lilly itself. It is interesting to note that before Strattera was actually placed on the market and had just received FDA approval that the stocks for Eli Lilly rose 6% at the announcement (CBS Marketwatch, November 27, 2002). Lilly is aware that it will profit highly by being able to market a drug as a non-stimulant (though its ill effects are similar), that is not a Schedule II drug thus less subject to scrutiny and regulation. Hemant K. Shah, an independent analyst qouted in an AP Health News Report (August 15, 2002) states that Strattera's market potential is large at a time when Eli Lilly is seeking to offset recent setbacks. , "Parents who have refused stimulant dangers because of their knowledge of the hazards involved will now be coerced to utilize Strattera being led to believe it is somehow safer because it does not fall into the category of a stimulant/ Schedule II drug.

There is no test for ADHD and neurological testing shows these children to be perfectly normal. Dr. William Carey of Children's Hospital in Philadelphia states, "common assumptions about ADHD include that it is clearly distinguishable from normal behavior, constitutes a neurodevelopmental (brain) disability, is relatively uninfluenced by the environment (home, school)...all of these assumptions...must be challenged because of the lack of empirical support and the strength of contrary evidence...what is now described in the US as ADHD is a set of normal behavioral variations. This discrepancy leaves the validity (of ADHD) in doubt." The U.S. National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference on ADHD in 1998 reported, " we have do not have an independent, valid test for ADHD, and there are no data to indicate that ADHD is due to a brain malfunction...and finally, after years of clinical research and experience with ADHD, our knowledge about the cause or causes of ADHD remains speculative." Further, Dr. Edward C. Hamlyn, a founding member of the Royal College of General Practitioners in 1998 stated, "ADHD is fraud intended to justify starting children on a life of drug addiction." The U.S. Surgeon General Report declares, "the exact etiology of ADHD is unknown." Lastly, Dr. Joe Kosterich, Federal Chair of the Australian Medical Association states, " "The diagnosis of ADD is entirely subjective.... There is no test. It is just down to interpretation.

Maybe a child blurts out in class or doesn't sit still. The lines between an ADD sufferer and a healthy exuberant kid can be very blurred." What we are experiencing are children in conflict. We cannot blame and denigrate the child and not respect his dignity. We cannot label and suppress behaviors. If a child is conflict, we must take responsibility to see why this child is in conflict and to use responsible and carefully planned interventions to aid this child in being successful. Some believe that they see enormous benefits from children on medication. I will give them this benefit, only if we see suppression of behavior, basically chemical restraint, and the creation of zombies as our idea of 'progress' or 'success'. But once again, we are taking normal children and drugging them to suppress their behaviors. In order to achieve such a 'result', just what is going on in this child's body? Stanley I. Greenspan, a clinical professor of psychiatry at George Washington University states that, " The growing use of medication on their own is a worrisome trend while more and more people on Prozac or Ritalin are becoming bolder and less distractible, at the same time, more and more people are altering their moods without understanding what is happening to them or how it relates to their core personalities."

He also states, "given appropriate nurturing, many affected children may not require medication." University of South Florida Professor of Psychology, Diane McGuinness comments, "The first factor of being put on drugs is to attribute your bad behavior to factors beyond your control. Drugs become a substitute for learning self-discipline. This problem is compounded when children are taken off medication and problem behavior initially rebounds to fantastic proportions. Second, longitudinal studies have confirmed that children on drugs actually deteriorate in academic performance over time. And we must consider the sense of worthlessness most of these young people experience. (McGuinness, 1985). Paul Wender, M.D. lists criteria when beginning medication, he states that a child must first understand why he is receiving medication, yet as Greenspan states above, this isn't always happening. Wender states, "Most acknowledge problems in his own behavior that he himself does not like, so that -he will not feel that medicine is being given to him simply so that other people can tolerate him more." Now, Wender is one who began the first tests on the use of methylphenidate and is in support of its use in treatment.

I have had instances of being kicked, and even bitten by children going through behavioral difficulties, but at the same time, I found methods to help a child be able to deal with behaviors and to have progress while at the same time encouraging the child's own responsibility and sovereignty, and working on the creative strengths of the child. Greenspan comments, "working with the strengths of a child can create motivation." A child needs to be able to recognize and be motivated to change behaviors and work on strengths. Even Wender states that getting a child to 'label' behaviors is effective, that a child must recognize what is appropriate and what is not, and that parents should not encourage the idea that because the medication was wearing off or so forth that such excuses a level of knowledge and responsibility for certain behaviors. In my experiences, I would argue that a child often has complete knowledge of some of his or her behaviors and may develop a manipulative manner and 'test' the parent and find various triggers and weaknesses where he the parent will give in to his immediate desire. My concern lies too in that whereas some may feel medication to create some responsive in level of focus and so forth, it comes with a cost in side effects. Some may take the view that the potential for progress outweighs the potential side effects.

This is where I disagree, and feel it better to avoid that which would cause any side effects, that psychotherapy alone can manage the difficulties. These are some of the things that bring alarm to me. Wender states, "Most common side effects of the stimulant medications are appetite loss...difficulty in falling asleep." He suggests the use of a small dose of sedative 'major tranquilizer' an hour before bedtime to solve this in some cases. So, here a see a cycle of drugs needing to be used and that's worrisome. Wender states, "Research is being conducted to determine the -exact- effects of stimulant medication on growth." This tells me they are prescribing something, which they really do not know yet what the effects are on growth. He states as well that stimulant medication IS addictive in adults, but says, "The results suggest that there is no increased risk for drug abuse associated with treatment, although -more research is needed to rule this out conclusively.-" Here again, if it is addictive to adults, I ask, why not children too, and he says that research is yet conclusive. With effects on the cardiovascular system, Barkley states, "studies have -not- specifically addressed this important issue." So, they are prescribing something for which they are unsure of the effects on growth as well as the cardiovascular system.

Barkley states as well, "The side effect that should receive serious attention from clinicians is the possible increase in motor or vocal tics produced by stimulant medication." He continues- "It still seems prudent to screen children with ADHD adequately for a personal or family history of tics or Tourette's Syndrome." I recall having a session with a child with the mother first and being informed that he was being treated with Ritalin, I later had subsequent time with the father, and he had visible tics, this really alarmed me in reading about the issue of tics and Tourette's and I had to question not to the family but within myself if this was really the best option for the child faced with this risk. Barkley also states, "Isolated cases may arise in which parents note that a child is no longer 'spontaneous' or childlike in his or her behavior and appears -controlled- or -socially aloof-. This is concerning, and it appears that stimulants do have an affect in gaining control and conformity. Many of the stated results of the stimulant medication are too subjective, and Barkley states clearly that, "an improved ability to master increasingly difficult or higher-level academic material, such as that assessed in achievement tests, has -not- been demonstrated.

Here we have an example that it would not have been as a result of stimulant medication if we see academic progress. Barkley also says that 'low and moderate doses of methylphenidate do reduce the frequency of aggression and noncompliance in groups of children but have no appreciate effect on either direction on prosocial or nonsocial behaviors." So, I will acknowledge that stimulants can help with short-term behavioral inhibition, but what about long term? This is my main concern, with the side effects and without evidence of a long-term result and without knowledge of long-term results on growth and cardiovascular development, is this really the best option? Barkley states, " Few studies employing rigorous methodology have evaluated the long term efficacy of stimulant medication. Those that have examined the issue have generally found little advantage of medication over no medication when evaluated over extended periods (Pelham, 1985, Weiss & Hechtman, 1993) Children who had been on drugs but were off at the time of follow-up were not found to differ in any important respect from those who had never received pharmacotherapy."

Another concern is the effects in mood, I worked with one child who was already experiencing social withdrawal and was going through the trauma of losing a loved one. After receiving stimulant medication, this intensified. Wender states, "Instead of becoming high or excited, these drugs in general calm down ADHD children and sometimes they may even become somewhat sad." Barkley states, "some children may evidence various mild negative moods or emotions in reaction to stimulants...Some children describe feeling 'funny', 'different' or dizzy as a function of medication." What about self-esteem and confidence, Greenspan acknowledges that creativity can be affected, and Barkley states, " some concern has been raised that diminished self-esteem could be a emanative effect of methylphenidate as children may attribute the source of their success while on medication to external rather than internal factors."

Article By: Dan L. Edmunds, MA, EdD candidate

Acid Reflux and Your Diet

There is an undeniable connection between the occurrence of acid reflux and diet. Everything in your body has a delicate balance. The human body is a miracle of systems that maintains just the right conditions to keep everything running smoothly. Therefore it's the healthiest when there is an acidic balance or equilibrium. The stomach regulates acidic digestion with enzymes that convert acids into manageable alkaline or basal substances. However, when there is an over-production of acid, usually helped along by lifestyle choices like overeating or smoking, acid reflux is likely to occur, and if it goes unregulated, acid reflux disease can develop.

Fortunately, acid reflux and diet can be effectively improved by launching a few lifestyle changes. One of the most important things you can do to cool heartburn down is to avoid certain foods. In many cases, just changing the diet is all that is necessary to control acid reflux. Most health care professionals recommend a low-acid diet consisting of more alkaline or basal foods. Foods such as chocolate, foods with a lot of extra cheese, tomato sauce or catsup based foods, onions, chilies, caffeinated beverages, fatty or fried foods, alcohol, mint, and citrus fruits have been known to aggravate digestion, acting as catalysts for acid reflux.

So what foods are safe to eat? The key qualities in heartburn-friendly foods, for most people, are low fat and non-spicy. So, with that in mind you can probably guess that leafy greens and broccoli, lean cuts of grilled meat, egg whites, low-fat cheeses like feta, apples and bananas, multi-grain breads, and low-fat salad dressings are good choices. Junk food? Occasionally, but with caution, choose fat free cookies, baked potato chips, or red licorice. A good exercise to do if you suffer from heartburn regularly is to create a food diary and log your meal intake for 2 or 3 weeks. Then note each time you experience heartburn in order to target the foods you need to avoid.

In addition to making better food choices, consider changing your portion perception. Overeating is another acid reflux aggravator. Exercise caloric conscientiousness and choose to skip that second helping or fatty side dish, eat slow and drink plenty of water. Living without heartburn is within anyone's grasp, and shouldn't require drastic medical treatment. Simple, reasonable modifications in your eating habits can do wonders for quelling acid reflux, not to mention improving overall health.

Acid Reflux Info provides comprehensive information on the cause, symptoms, treatment, and diet associated with normal and infant acid reflux.

Why Bank Overdrafts May Be a Bad Deal For You

Many banks actively encourage their clients with low balances to overdraw their accounts. That means, if the customer writes a check or uses her debit card and has insufficient funds in the account, the bank clears the check by granting a temporary overdraft (a short-term loan), up to a specific limit. The customer is saved from the problems of bounced checks or interrupted shopping sprees.

Sounds like a good deal for the customers, right? That's what the banks say. They claim overdrafts are an added convenience to customers.

The truth is, they're often a very bad deal for the customers. Here's why.

When a bank grants a regular line of credit, the interest charged may be up to say, 20% or so. However, for overdrafts, banks don't charge interest -- they charge a flat fee on each transaction. This fee does not depend on the value of the transaction.

Let's see how that works. Overdraft plans fees may be as high as $35 per check. We'll assume a more conservative fee of $20 per check. If you have four checks totaling $200 that have insufficient funds against them and the bank automatically activates the overdraft and clears those checks, you will owe $80 in overdraft charges.

Unlike revolving lines of credit which you can repay at your convenience, an overdraft has to be settled in just a few days. Let's say the bank allows you to run the overdraft for 14 days.

A loan of $200 for 14 days incurring charges of $80 translates into an Annual Percentage Rate (APR) of 1043%!

A "convenience" for customers? Not at these rates.

What does this remind you of? It reminds me of payday loans and cash advances. Those are the other forms of lending which charge you such sky-high APRs. In fact, if you choose to repay a cash advance on due date and not roll it over, you'll likely be charged far less than what the banks charge you for an overdraft.

It gets even worse. Banks have software that ensures that your largest value checks and debits get processed first. There may be some logic to that. However, this arrangement also means that when there are insufficient funds in your account, instead of paying one overdraft charge on one large check, you pay several charges on several smaller checks!

Plus, most customers don't even realize that they are overdrawn until the bank notifies them about it.

Consumer advocates say that banks are perfectly aware that many people barely make it from payday to payday. These customers typically have very low balances. Rather than offer them a service that would be in their interests, banks extract high fees from them to cover bounced checks.

If you are caught short between paychecks, consider arranging funds from other sources rather than turn to overdraft protection. The best solution to the problem is to systematically build up cash balances so that you don't face such a situation in the first place.

About the Author

Prakash Menon is a financial expert and writer specializing in managing personal debt and providing wealth building solutions. He has written on signature loans, personal debt management and other topics.

The Subtle Secret Of Transformation

Great men and women succeed moment by moment, step by step, lifted up by one small victory after another, until they reach a lofty and impressive pinnacle of success and influence.

Similarly, a group or cause can move from obscurity to great renown through making consistent small wins.

Small wins may not inspire much attention, but through methodical persistence something large and awesome is created.

A striking example of the cumulative effect of small wins is that of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1980. By February of that year, the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League had won an astonishing 88 games and lost only 27. Under their coach, Chuck Noll, they broke about even with strong opponents and won by a landslide against weaker opponents. With strong opponents, they won 29 games and lost 26 games. Against weak opponents, they won 59 games and lost one game. Thus, their fabulous statistics were based on small wins spread over time.

Another example is that of the rise of the Women's Liberation Movement. The feminist campaign against sexism did not make much progress when they aimed for the big victory of changing legislation, the Equal Rights Amendment. But through the smaller victory of desexing language, they made successful inroads into changing the collective consciousness regarding women's rights. The smaller reforms worked and were adopted with less resistance because they tackled issues of a discernible, size, clarity, and visibility.

Persistent change in small doses over time creates a critical mass and shifts a struggling movement into the dominant paradigm. Never underestimate the power of small, incremental gains.

Resource Box

Saleem Rana got his Masters degree in psychotherapy from California Lutheran University. His articles on the internet have inspired over ten thousand people from around the world. Discover how to create a remarkable life

Copyright 2004 Saleem Rana. Please feel free to pass this article on to your friends, or use it in your ezine or newsletter. It's a shareware article.

Stylish Messenger Bags

Messenger bags are not only an ideal way to transport your items from point A to point B, but they have become somewhat of a fashion statement as well. It used to be that only bicycle messengers would carry these bags, but now everyone from students to business people can be seen carrying their own stylish messenger bag.

Comfort and convenience are of utmost importance and are tastefully combined in these messenger's bags. Men and women from all walks of life can look smart and sophisticated as they go about their daily business with their messenger carrying bag. Manufacturers are starting to create bag styles that appeal to an even broader range of lifestyles. This means there are messenger bags out there to suit everyone's tastes.

The fact that these messenger's bags are made with waterproof vinyl fabric sewn together with heavy duty stitching and protective padding gives you comfort in knowing your precious cargo will be protected from bumps and drops. There is plenty of space in a messenger carrying bag for all of your necessities such as laptops, business files, and other items. With all of the functionality of a briefcase, a messenger bag is more convenient for commuters who travel by foot or bicycle.

If you are looking to purchase a messengers bag, check out the internet for a great selection of brands and prices. Make your commute to work much easier by getting yourself one of these messengers bags, you'll be glad you did!

Chris Rodriguez is the author/publisher for http://www.a-designer-handbag.com

Visit her sight to discover a wealth of information on your favorite brand name designer handbags such as Gucci, Coach, Prada, Chanel, and many more.

14 Common Credit Mistakes

Establishing credit and wisely managing your credit becomes easier when you know how. You'll feel empowered by taking knowledgeable steps towards good credit, and you'll be on your way to purchasing real estate and greater financial freedom.

If you plan to finance real estate, either as a home buyer or an investor, avoiding these common credit mistakes will help you with your credit score and save you money in loan costs.

14 Common Credit Mistakes

1. Using expensive or undesirable types of credit costs too much and is negatively scored.

2. Accumulating too many lines of credit or too many credit cards causes credit report remarks like "too much consumer credit."

3. Only paying the minimum due keeps balances too high.

4. Being maxed out on any credit card or line of credit causes deep drops in scores.

5. Taking cash advances costs higher interest and extra fees.

6. Exceeding limit and having to pay over-limit fees is a negative with creditors and causes "high proportional amounts owed" remarks on credit reports and subtracts credit score points.

7. Paying a day or more late causes unnecessary late fees and often increases interest rates.

8. Charging more than you can afford causes a snowball effect of amassing debt with no easy way to pay it off.

9. Letting someone else use your credit, such as co-signing a loan, raises your debt-to-income ratio and possibly adds "too many consumer accounts" on your credit report, which lowers your score.

10. Ignoring credit problems causes unnecessary negative impact. Talk to creditors before being late and make arrangements. This action heads off negative reporting to credit bureaus.

11. Failure to report address changes to creditors causes misplaced bills and late payments.

12. Using partial name, different names, initials instead of whole name, or forgetting Sr. or Jr. causes mix-ups. Use your full legal name to protect you from confusion with similarly named borrowers.

13. Failure to report name changes to creditors also causes confusion.

14. Not checking credit report frequently is one of the most common mistakes consumers make.

You can buy real estate with poor credit, but you will save thousands in loan costs if you maintain good credit. A bad credit report leaves home buyers with sub-prime loans which have higher point charges, prepayment penalties, and higher interest charges, which therefore cost more money.

For instance, a mortgage loan of $150,000, 30-year, fixed interest rate of about 5.72 percent costs around $870 a month. Poor credit scores raise the interest rate over 9 percent and the payments over $1,200.

As you see from these payment differences, good credit means that you can finance a more expensive house with the same income, or save $330 each month.

Credit Requirements for Mortgages

Credit needed to buy real estate is not the same as good credit. Besides your credit score, mortgage lenders consider your debt-to-income ratio and other credit matters, unlike other credit grantors. Your debt-to-income ratio is the comparison of mortgage payment, including taxes, interest, and insurance to your total gross monthly income. Real estate lenders also consider your employment qualifications and your overall debt ratios. Understanding the difference between good credit and the credit needed to obtain real estate financing helps you buy houses!

Avoiding credit mistakes helps you get strong credit and keeps your credit scores up.

(c) Copyright 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Professor Jeanette Fisher is the author of "Credit Help! Get the Credit You Need to Buy Real Estate," "Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars: Using Design Psychology to Increase Real Estate Profits," and other books. Jeanette and her husband chose real estate investing to be able to care for their daughter with special needs. While buying and selling millions of dollars worth of real estate, the Fishers were forced into becoming credit experts. Forget what you've been told about credit. Get the credit you need to buy real estate. Real Estate Credit Help Center: http://RE Credit Help.com/

Turbo Strategy - A Book Summary

Businesses are run mostly on auto-pilot and any problem areas are only dealt with when they are already critical, but by then it may already be too late. Most business managers are too busy with the day-to-day work to sit back and look at the business critically in terms of its context and the direction it is going. Brian Tracey's Turbo Strategy provides a checklist of areas that should be regularly examined by all businesses to ensure that it remains on the right path towards success and profitability.

In the book, the author introduces practical techniques that will help you come up with strategies and more importantly turn up profit quickly:

1. The answers have changed ? most businesses operate the way they do because they are "tried" strategies, not because it is efficient and profitable.

2. Flexibility is essential ? from time to time, it is important to take a step back and reevaluate the situation, then do something about it.

3. The one true measure ? two basic questions you need to ask everyday "What is working?" and "What is not working?"

Conduct a Basic Business Analysis

Whenever you go in for a complete medical exam, the doctors and nurses follow a set procedure. In the same way, there are basic business examination questions that you need to ask and answer continuously to determine the overall health of your organization. Remember the following:

a. The Customer as Centerpiece.

b. Determine What You Sell.

c. Define Your Competitor.

d. Set Clear Goals.

Design Your Ideal Future

Practice Idealization. To do this you must think of what your company would look like five years from now if everything were perfect. Then think in terms of possibilities. Are the goals you set achievable in five years?

Create a Mission Statement and Determine Your Values

A mission statement is essential to an organization because it gives meaning and purpose to the people in their daily activities and work. It inspires loyalty, commitment and become a key factor when making business decisions and when you are clear then you can easily revisit your mission statement and follow its guidelines.

Select the Right People

The two key qualities in finding the best people are that they can be counted on to get the job done well and to get it done on time. Another quality is that they should be good team players.

Market More Effectively

The four essential elements of marketing are: specialization, differentiation, segmentation, and concentration. All marketing elements are important but you should constantly evaluate what you are doing. Remember that the market is changing and changing fast! You may have to change one of your strategies or more than one at the same time.

Analyze Your Competition

You have to know your competition. You have to find out why the customers buy from them, what values and benefits do they get from buying from them. The biggest mistake you can make is to belittle your customers. You have to study them and learn from them.

Three Potential Areas of Superiority

1. Operational Excellence

2. Lead the Field

3. Be Close to the Customer

Change your Marketing Mix

1. Product ? define your product or service in terms of what it "does" for your customers.

2. Price ? be open to the possibility that you may have priced your products or services wrong.

3. Promotion ? this encompasses everything you do in the process of marketing, advertising and sales.

4. Place ? this is the location where the sale of your product takes place.

Position Your Company for Success

Social proof is a major influencing factor to determine whether or not people buy your products or services. Your reputation is the value that people will pay for. Building a brand trust requires personal experiences by people with your products or services. It is very much like a personal reputation that takes a long time to build but can be damaged or destroyed overnight with bad decisions.

Develop Strategic Business Units

The strategic business unit concept revolutionized multi-product or multi-service businesses; each of the products is grouped with similar products or services in different ways. The starting point of implementation is to have someone specifically responsible for the operations and results of the unit. To make this work, you begin by drawing up a complete business plan that would include sales revenue, costs and profitability.

Sell More Effectively The fact is that 80 percent of your markets have not yet been approached by your salespeople. No one has told them about you. Your business could be probably being selling twice as much if you could just find out how to sell it to them.

Eliminate the Bottlenecks

There are two important steps that you need to take. First, decide on your specific business goals; make them clear, measurable and time-bounded. The next step is asking the question: "why am not in that goal already?"

Reengineer Your Company

To simplify and streamline your operations so that it is more efficient, faster and more effective and therefore more profitable, you have to reduce the number of steps in each process. You have to simplify the processes and make faster and better decision.

Pump Up Your Profits Conduct a complete profit analysis on every product. You must also remember that labor has a real "opportunity" cost along with other use of other resources especially in a multi-product or multi-services business.

Focus on Results

All your customers care about is results. They do not care much about your problems with your people, products, processes or any other aspects of your business.

There are four questions that customers answer before buying the product or service. These are:

What does it cost?

What do I get for the money?

How fast do I get the benefits you promise?

How sure can I be that I will get those benefits?

Seven Steps to Personal Performance

Step 1: Set clear, specific, written goals for each important area of your business. Make them measurable and time-bound.

Step 2: Make a list of activities before you begin a day, put it on paper. The best time to do this is before you go to bed so the subconscious mind can work on your list as you sleep.

Step 3: Set priorities on the list you made. Apply the 80/20 rule and select the top 20 percent of your tasks to work on.

Step 4: Practice creative procrastination. Since there are only 24 hours in a day, decide in advance which of those tasks have little value or importance can you do away with.

Step 5: Select the one most important job and have the discipline to accomplish that first thing.

Step 6: Practice single-handling with the most important task you have identified. Resolve to work on it until it is resolved.

Step 7: Develop a sense of urgency. The faster you move, the more work you get done and the better you feel. This will create momentum.

By: Regine P. Azurin and Yvette Pantilla
Regine Azurin is the President of BusinessSummaries.com, a company that provides business book summaries of the latest bestsellers for busy executives and entrepreneurs.

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7 Tips for Better Ads

The content of advertising is basically the same no matter what the media. It is good and it works, or it is bad. Some TV ads are so clever people tend to remember the cleverness and forget the product.

Here are seven tips to help you create better ads. Better ads for Newspaper, Radio, Billboards, Cable, Yellow Pages, anything with your name on it.

1 It's Not About YOU. Sell the benefits. The benefits of coming to your store or doing business with you is what the customer wants, They say "What's In It For Me?" Your mug shot on a 40 foot billboard can't answer that question.

2 Be Consistent Pick a theme and stick with it, in all your print, radio and TV ads. Pick a look and stick with it. Every ad builds on your brand, don't change the concept because YOU are getting tired of it. The exposure level with potential customers is much less than with you.

3 Sell Benefits not Features. Once you get the customer in the door you can brag about the features of your product or company, but lure them there with a promise of a great benefit. "Brushless Car Wash" is a feature "Cleaner than new in two minutes" is a benefit.

4 Be Different. Check your Sunday paper to see how many ads look alike. In the supermarket, most mustard is in a yellow package, most Ginger Ale has a green label. In advertising sameness is suicide. Don't look like or sound like your competition.

5 Use a Great Headline "Jim's Locksmith Shop" at the top of an ad is NOT a powerful headline, or a good opening for a radio ad. "We can Pick ANY lock!" or "Locked out? We Can Get You Back IN" are powerful and answer WIIFM ("What's In It For Me?")

6 Make it Easy to Find You The best ads, in print and in the air are directions, NOT address. Pay attention to ads you see this week. "809 Main" doesn't say much, but "On Main Street Downtown across from the firehouse" is a good as a map. Note: If your advertising will cover several communities (most do) be sure to include your city or community. No need to use state. "On Main Street in Downtown Smallville across from the firehouse"

7 Avoid Phone Numbers With the exception of Yellow Pages Advertising, where people are looking for telephone numbers, most folks don't carry a pad in the car or keep one next to the TV to jot down numbers. Remember how hard it was to find something to write with when you saw something on a TV news show that you really wanted to call about? By the time you found the pencil, it was gone. Same with advertising. Focus on getting them to remember your benefits and your name. Phone numbers are a big NoNo.

To have the best advertising, YOU must become the advertising expert. Advice from the person selling advertising is usually best only for the media being pitched and does not help you with the others. Become an astute observer of others who advertise and use the best elements you see.

For more about advertising from get my article "15 Tips for Better Yellow Pages Ads" Send a blank eMail to the MailTo:15TipsYP@BigIdeasGroup.com

?2005 BIG Mike McDaniel All Rights Reserved Mike@BIGIdeasGroup.com BIG Mike is a Professional Speaker and Small Business Consultant with over 30 years experience, http://BIGIdeasGroup.com

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