by Johns Wu
Entrepreneurs are the brave souls who make our economy go, or at least they were when our economy was actually going anywhere. Especially in this currently questionable financial climate, starting your own business is undeniably a dicey proposition.
Start-ups go out of business all the time, often before they even have a chance to even really star up at all. The main culprit in the savage slaughter of these young establishments is the same perpetrator behind the bulk of our fiscal difficulties: Debt.
Click Here to Continue Reading "8 Easily Avoidable Causes of Business Debt"
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
White wines for your spring table: The herbal scents and clean tastes of Sauvignon Blancs and other whites are a welcome addition to the season's fare
By Patrick Comiskey
As sure as there are flowers in April, a new crop of white wines from every corner of the world makes it to your dining room table each spring. This year, more than ever, they'll arrive with an almost palpable pulsing energy, limpid and clean, having been aged in steel tanks rather than oak barrels.
And many of them -- New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, white wines from Greece, crisp northern Italian whites -- will lead with aromas and flavors borrowed from herb gardens and greenhouses, from produce stands and window boxes.
These "green" wines infatuate the senses with aromas reminiscent of scallion, celery leaf, snap peas or young parsley sprigs. It's hard to imagine a better accompaniment to a spring meal.
Click Here to Continue Reading "What causes good wine to go bad?"
As sure as there are flowers in April, a new crop of white wines from every corner of the world makes it to your dining room table each spring. This year, more than ever, they'll arrive with an almost palpable pulsing energy, limpid and clean, having been aged in steel tanks rather than oak barrels.
And many of them -- New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, white wines from Greece, crisp northern Italian whites -- will lead with aromas and flavors borrowed from herb gardens and greenhouses, from produce stands and window boxes.
These "green" wines infatuate the senses with aromas reminiscent of scallion, celery leaf, snap peas or young parsley sprigs. It's hard to imagine a better accompaniment to a spring meal.
Click Here to Continue Reading "What causes good wine to go bad?"
Friday, March 28, 2008
Build Your Finances like a Good Wine Cellar
From nationalpayday.com
Learning how to do a little proactive financial planning is a lot like establishing a good wine cellar. You have to follow the right guidelines ahead of time to establish the best conditions to protect your assets and avoid risks and expenses that degrade them.
People would never think of stocking their cellars with expensive wine that goes bad overnight, yet many people manage their money like this, taking out bad investments or not thinking through the terms of loans until it is too late.
The difference may be in the “look and feel” of wines versus money. A good wine cellar touches the senses with a sensual reality that cold, hard, cash fails to do for most of us.
Appreciation is the Key to Money and Fine Wine
Fine wine is actually an investment that many people understand better than their finances, however, because you can taste and enjoy a good quality wine (unlike your cash).
A connoisseur of fine wines isn’t working with pieces of paper, interest rates, contract terms, and other abstract concepts. They can smell, touch, and feel the joy of a fine wine. That’s how you should approach your finances too.
Learn to appreciate the value that sound financial planning can bring to your life and how it adds pleasure down the road. Learn some lessons from building a wine cellar:
*Establish the right conditions – Just like a wine cellar needs specific temperature and humidity controls, so do your investments. Don’t put your money into areas that are risky or return a poor investment.
*Stock up with quality, not quantity – A good wine cellar is made to stock quality wines. Your investments should also reflect companies with a good track record and potential for future growth.
*Invite a few friends – Seek out professional advice on wines and finances. You not only learn how to manage your money better, but also get the enjoyment of meeting other knowledgeable people.
Learning how to do a little proactive financial planning is a lot like establishing a good wine cellar. You have to follow the right guidelines ahead of time to establish the best conditions to protect your assets and avoid risks and expenses that degrade them.
People would never think of stocking their cellars with expensive wine that goes bad overnight, yet many people manage their money like this, taking out bad investments or not thinking through the terms of loans until it is too late.
The difference may be in the “look and feel” of wines versus money. A good wine cellar touches the senses with a sensual reality that cold, hard, cash fails to do for most of us.
Appreciation is the Key to Money and Fine Wine
Fine wine is actually an investment that many people understand better than their finances, however, because you can taste and enjoy a good quality wine (unlike your cash).
A connoisseur of fine wines isn’t working with pieces of paper, interest rates, contract terms, and other abstract concepts. They can smell, touch, and feel the joy of a fine wine. That’s how you should approach your finances too.
Learn to appreciate the value that sound financial planning can bring to your life and how it adds pleasure down the road. Learn some lessons from building a wine cellar:
*Establish the right conditions – Just like a wine cellar needs specific temperature and humidity controls, so do your investments. Don’t put your money into areas that are risky or return a poor investment.
*Stock up with quality, not quantity – A good wine cellar is made to stock quality wines. Your investments should also reflect companies with a good track record and potential for future growth.
*Invite a few friends – Seek out professional advice on wines and finances. You not only learn how to manage your money better, but also get the enjoyment of meeting other knowledgeable people.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Build Your Strength
From http://www.millionaireinside.com/
When it comes to personal empowerment, feeling strong and grounded is crucial. Without a perception of yourself as strong and resilient, you’ll find yourself cowering in the face of challenges; feeling intimidated by other people, and weighed down by your own fears and insecurities.
A strong person, on the other hand, knows that he or she can handle life’s challenges and triumph over any adversity. There are four key areas where strength needs to be built in order to fully empower yourself:
Mental Strength.
Mental strength includes qualities such as clarity, focus, determination and positive self-image.
Are you confident, self-assured and proud of who you are? Do you know exactly where you’re headed in life and exactly how to get there?
Do you feed your mind with positive fuel each day and push yourself to move beyond your comfort zones? If not, you’ll want to start building your mental strength by developing a stronger focus and transforming limiting or negative thoughts.
Your thoughts form the basis for your life and determine the way you see yourself in the grand scheme of things. Make it your mission to strengthen your mind, change unproductive habits and improve limiting perceptions.
Emotional Strength.
Emotional strength pertains to your level of resiliency, flexibility and your beliefs.
How well do you handle the stress of life? Do you tend to take things personally? Do you cringe when someone says something negative about you?
Are you easily upset by minor conflicts? Are you afraid to assert yourself? Emotional strength is all about being tough and resilient in the face of adversity - being flexible enough to bend without breaking, in other words.
A good place to start is by making yourself feel loved and valued on a daily basis. A strong foundation of self-love and respect will help you to feel stronger, but it will also reduce your need to seek validation and acceptance from others.
Also important is gaining control over your emotional state by choosing not to allow external influences to upset you. Avoid taking things personally and learn to become more self-contained, impervious to situations that threaten to upset your emotional balance.
Finally, get into the habit of stepping back emotionally and challenging beliefs that don’t serve you.
Spiritual Strength.
Spiritual strength is all about feeling connected and balanced on a deeper level. Do you have a regular spiritual practice that you engage in daily or weekly? Do you feel connected and guided by a power greater than yourself?
Do you feel like your life has meaning and purpose? This has nothing to do with religion, but everything to do with your own perception that there is more to you than your physical body.
It doesn’t matter which religion you practice (or if you practice none at all) – it matters only that you choose to believe that there is a reason for your existence and you feel supported and loved by a power greater than yourself.
Spend time in daily meditation or visualization to help foster a deeper connection between yourself, the universe, and others.
Physical Strength.
Physical strength may seem to be the least important of these four cornerstones of empowerment, but it is actually one of the most crucial.
Have you ever noticed that people who are physically strong usually carry themselves with more confidence and feel better about themselves? When you feel strong physically, you tend to perceive the rest of you as being strong and capable too!
Are you in good physical shape? Do you eat well and exercise frequently? If not, you’ll want to take steps to get your body back into the best shape you can. Speak to your physician about starting a fitness regime, and begin treating your body like a cherished temple.
Give particular attention to nutrition, rest, and self-care. As your body becomes stronger you should notice positive changes elsewhere too.
When it comes to personal empowerment, feeling strong and grounded is crucial. Without a perception of yourself as strong and resilient, you’ll find yourself cowering in the face of challenges; feeling intimidated by other people, and weighed down by your own fears and insecurities.
A strong person, on the other hand, knows that he or she can handle life’s challenges and triumph over any adversity. There are four key areas where strength needs to be built in order to fully empower yourself:
Mental Strength.
Mental strength includes qualities such as clarity, focus, determination and positive self-image.
Are you confident, self-assured and proud of who you are? Do you know exactly where you’re headed in life and exactly how to get there?
Do you feed your mind with positive fuel each day and push yourself to move beyond your comfort zones? If not, you’ll want to start building your mental strength by developing a stronger focus and transforming limiting or negative thoughts.
Your thoughts form the basis for your life and determine the way you see yourself in the grand scheme of things. Make it your mission to strengthen your mind, change unproductive habits and improve limiting perceptions.
Emotional Strength.
Emotional strength pertains to your level of resiliency, flexibility and your beliefs.
How well do you handle the stress of life? Do you tend to take things personally? Do you cringe when someone says something negative about you?
Are you easily upset by minor conflicts? Are you afraid to assert yourself? Emotional strength is all about being tough and resilient in the face of adversity - being flexible enough to bend without breaking, in other words.
A good place to start is by making yourself feel loved and valued on a daily basis. A strong foundation of self-love and respect will help you to feel stronger, but it will also reduce your need to seek validation and acceptance from others.
Also important is gaining control over your emotional state by choosing not to allow external influences to upset you. Avoid taking things personally and learn to become more self-contained, impervious to situations that threaten to upset your emotional balance.
Finally, get into the habit of stepping back emotionally and challenging beliefs that don’t serve you.
Spiritual Strength.
Spiritual strength is all about feeling connected and balanced on a deeper level. Do you have a regular spiritual practice that you engage in daily or weekly? Do you feel connected and guided by a power greater than yourself?
Do you feel like your life has meaning and purpose? This has nothing to do with religion, but everything to do with your own perception that there is more to you than your physical body.
It doesn’t matter which religion you practice (or if you practice none at all) – it matters only that you choose to believe that there is a reason for your existence and you feel supported and loved by a power greater than yourself.
Spend time in daily meditation or visualization to help foster a deeper connection between yourself, the universe, and others.
Physical Strength.
Physical strength may seem to be the least important of these four cornerstones of empowerment, but it is actually one of the most crucial.
Have you ever noticed that people who are physically strong usually carry themselves with more confidence and feel better about themselves? When you feel strong physically, you tend to perceive the rest of you as being strong and capable too!
Are you in good physical shape? Do you eat well and exercise frequently? If not, you’ll want to take steps to get your body back into the best shape you can. Speak to your physician about starting a fitness regime, and begin treating your body like a cherished temple.
Give particular attention to nutrition, rest, and self-care. As your body becomes stronger you should notice positive changes elsewhere too.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
What causes good wine to go bad? Sniffing out problems that plague the industry and consumers
By Bill Daley
On the surface the wine tasting at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars was another of those informal yet luxe get-togethers the Napa Valley is famous for, but the intensity with which the winemaker studied my every move underscored the fact some very serious business was afoot.
Still, I was surprised at the winemaker's sharp reaction when I hesitated over a glass of the oldest, most expensive wine poured, the 2001 Cask 23 cabernet sauvignon priced at $150 a bottle."Bouchonne?!" she whispered forcefully, burying her nose into the glass.
My high school French totally failed me, so I didn't have a clue what she meant but I knew something had gone wrong.
Click Here to Continue Reading "What causes good wine to go bad?"
On the surface the wine tasting at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars was another of those informal yet luxe get-togethers the Napa Valley is famous for, but the intensity with which the winemaker studied my every move underscored the fact some very serious business was afoot.
Still, I was surprised at the winemaker's sharp reaction when I hesitated over a glass of the oldest, most expensive wine poured, the 2001 Cask 23 cabernet sauvignon priced at $150 a bottle."Bouchonne?!" she whispered forcefully, burying her nose into the glass.
My high school French totally failed me, so I didn't have a clue what she meant but I knew something had gone wrong.
Click Here to Continue Reading "What causes good wine to go bad?"
Sunday, March 23, 2008
How to Fail at Practically Anything
By Dr. Joseph Mercola
Most people try to avoid failure. But failure is one of life’s great forces; it’s driven far more innovation than talent, creativity, or necessity. The failures you face, large and small, make you who you are and give you the opportunity to make yourself better.
Part of being able to “fail well” may lie in your attitude. Are you a generally optimistic person, or do you dwell on the negative? According to an experimental study published in Nature magazine, students who had a pessimistic outlook, and expected to do poorly, felt far worse than those with a better attitude who thought they’d succeed but didn’t.
Click Here to Continue Reading "How to Fail at Practically Anything"
Most people try to avoid failure. But failure is one of life’s great forces; it’s driven far more innovation than talent, creativity, or necessity. The failures you face, large and small, make you who you are and give you the opportunity to make yourself better.
Part of being able to “fail well” may lie in your attitude. Are you a generally optimistic person, or do you dwell on the negative? According to an experimental study published in Nature magazine, students who had a pessimistic outlook, and expected to do poorly, felt far worse than those with a better attitude who thought they’d succeed but didn’t.
Click Here to Continue Reading "How to Fail at Practically Anything"
Friday, March 21, 2008
Gauging Value in Real Estate as Prices Slide
by Jeff D. Opdyke
In Many Markets, the Outlook Varies Widely by Community; Researching Foreclosure Rates
In this battered housing market, choosing the right neighborhood is more important than ever.
Some six million Americans are expected to buy a house this year.
Whether first-time home buyers scouting the Chicago suburbs or a midcareer worker relocating to Denver, they are all contemplating what may be the most significant purchase of their lives at a time when no one is certain how much lower prices might go.
But you can pick where you live within that region, and that could have a big effect on whether or not your home turns out to be a winning investment.
Click Here to Continue Reading "Gauging Value in Real Estate as Prices Slide"
In Many Markets, the Outlook Varies Widely by Community; Researching Foreclosure Rates
In this battered housing market, choosing the right neighborhood is more important than ever.
Some six million Americans are expected to buy a house this year.
Whether first-time home buyers scouting the Chicago suburbs or a midcareer worker relocating to Denver, they are all contemplating what may be the most significant purchase of their lives at a time when no one is certain how much lower prices might go.
But you can pick where you live within that region, and that could have a big effect on whether or not your home turns out to be a winning investment.
Click Here to Continue Reading "Gauging Value in Real Estate as Prices Slide"
New in the Market: The Skyy's the Limit: Goodbye Flavors, Hello Infusions
Skyy Vodka is set to launch an all-natural infusion lines of vodkas. The line will include five flavors including citrus, cherry, passion fruit, raspberry and grape. The new infusions will be available in April 2008 nationwide.
The company believes that it's taking a completely different direction with infusions from flavored vodka trend by capturing the 'true-to-fruit' taste while meeting a real consumer desire for all-natural products.
Infusion process starts with fresh, sun-ripened fruit, and harvests the natural juices and puree. These elements are soaked at a constant temperature for a calculated amount of time, allowing the release of the fruit's own flavor to infuse the vodka.
The new lines of Skyy Infusions will be available in 50ml, 750ml, 1L and 1.75L (Citrus only).
The company believes that it's taking a completely different direction with infusions from flavored vodka trend by capturing the 'true-to-fruit' taste while meeting a real consumer desire for all-natural products.
Infusion process starts with fresh, sun-ripened fruit, and harvests the natural juices and puree. These elements are soaked at a constant temperature for a calculated amount of time, allowing the release of the fruit's own flavor to infuse the vodka.
The new lines of Skyy Infusions will be available in 50ml, 750ml, 1L and 1.75L (Citrus only).
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Avoid Being Complacent About What You Can Do to Accomplish 20 Times as Much
By: Donald Mitchell
KEEP YOUR FEET TO THE FIRE … Even If You Have to Set the Fire Yourself
If you have read The 2,000 Percent Solution, The Portable 2,000 Percent Solution, or The 2,000 Percent Squared Solution (or articles drawn from them), you should now understand how to make rapid progress by overcoming stalls and developing new, more effective habits.
If you haven't yet read that material, I highly recommend you do. Let me describe some reasons why that reading will be beneficial.
You probably do not yet appreciate is how rapidly change can occur, and how large rapid change can be from pursuing 2,000 percent solutions (ways of accomplishing 20 times as much with the same time, effort, and resources or the same results with 1/20 the time, effort and resources).
After all, most people are thrilled to make a 10 percent improvement in productivity and will spend months working on such an incremental improvement.Let's look at two examples, one from nature and one from business, to improve your awareness.
Click Here to Continue Reading "Avoid Being Complacent About What You Can Do to Accomplish 20 Times as Much"
KEEP YOUR FEET TO THE FIRE … Even If You Have to Set the Fire Yourself
If you have read The 2,000 Percent Solution, The Portable 2,000 Percent Solution, or The 2,000 Percent Squared Solution (or articles drawn from them), you should now understand how to make rapid progress by overcoming stalls and developing new, more effective habits.
If you haven't yet read that material, I highly recommend you do. Let me describe some reasons why that reading will be beneficial.
You probably do not yet appreciate is how rapidly change can occur, and how large rapid change can be from pursuing 2,000 percent solutions (ways of accomplishing 20 times as much with the same time, effort, and resources or the same results with 1/20 the time, effort and resources).
After all, most people are thrilled to make a 10 percent improvement in productivity and will spend months working on such an incremental improvement.Let's look at two examples, one from nature and one from business, to improve your awareness.
Click Here to Continue Reading "Avoid Being Complacent About What You Can Do to Accomplish 20 Times as Much"
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Roundtable: What Bear Stearns' Fallout Means for Investors
By Brian Richards
JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) announced last night that it will acquire Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC) for $2 a share. That values the deal at about $236 million -- a staggering discount to the $3.5 billion market value Bear had as of Friday's close.
In the end, Wall Street's fifth-largest investment bank was brought down by the mortgage and credit crises. While stocks have been dragged down by those issues since late last year, Bear Stearns is its first big casualty.
Is this just the beginning, or is there more mess to sort through? What are the implications for individual investors? I put these questions to a panel of Fool analysts. Here's what they had to say.
Click Here to Continue Reading "Roundtable: What Bear Stearns' Fallout Means for Investors"
JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) announced last night that it will acquire Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC) for $2 a share. That values the deal at about $236 million -- a staggering discount to the $3.5 billion market value Bear had as of Friday's close.
In the end, Wall Street's fifth-largest investment bank was brought down by the mortgage and credit crises. While stocks have been dragged down by those issues since late last year, Bear Stearns is its first big casualty.
Is this just the beginning, or is there more mess to sort through? What are the implications for individual investors? I put these questions to a panel of Fool analysts. Here's what they had to say.
Click Here to Continue Reading "Roundtable: What Bear Stearns' Fallout Means for Investors"
Sunday, March 16, 2008
The real Singapore sling has a Danish accent
By Gary Regan
Having been reared in British pubs, I was pretty good at dealing with barroom customers when I came to this country in 1973, but cocktails were completely beyond me.
We didn't do cocktails in Lancashire. We did beer in Lancashire.
Because I wanted to tend bar in America, I had to learn how to sling slings, shake sours and muddle mojitos pretty quickly. On the advice of a friend, I stationed myself at the end of the bar at Drake's Drum, a Manhattan watering hole on the Upper East Side.
Click Here to Continue Reading "The real Singapore sling has a Danish accent"
Having been reared in British pubs, I was pretty good at dealing with barroom customers when I came to this country in 1973, but cocktails were completely beyond me.
We didn't do cocktails in Lancashire. We did beer in Lancashire.
Because I wanted to tend bar in America, I had to learn how to sling slings, shake sours and muddle mojitos pretty quickly. On the advice of a friend, I stationed myself at the end of the bar at Drake's Drum, a Manhattan watering hole on the Upper East Side.
Click Here to Continue Reading "The real Singapore sling has a Danish accent"
Friday, March 14, 2008
Using Visualization to Change Limiting Beliefs
From http://www.millionaireinside.com/
It’s easy to overlook the power of limiting beliefs and spend years wondering why you can’t seem to move forward and make lasting changes in your life.
Though you might have grand dreams of living a better life, limiting beliefs will keep prodding you to act in ways that are counterproductive to those dreams.
Everything you do (or don’t do) is based on an internal set of subconscious beliefs. In some situations these beliefs can be helpful, but they can also cause big problems by placing limitations where none really exist.
For example, if you hold a subconscious belief that you don’t have what it takes to create a successful career, you’ll find yourself taking jobs that offer little opportunity for promotion or advancement – or even satisfaction.
No matter how badly you want to experience more success in your career, you’ll continue to think and act in ways that make it impossible to do so.Limiting beliefs can be difficult to change because we often don’t realize they exist!
They reside in our subconscious minds and rarely make themselves known in obvious ways. Rather, we usually become aware of them when we decide to make changes in our lives and keep bumping up against invisible walls.
Visualization is one powerful tool that can be effective in changing limiting beliefs, because the process of visualization speaks directly to the subconscious mind and plants more empowering messages – which can override the limiting beliefs.
Before you enter into the visualization process, it’s a good idea to figure out what kind of limiting beliefs you suspect you may have. Asking yourself specific questions and writing down your answers can be an illuminating way to find out. Try questions like these for starters:
• Am I making as much money as I want? If not, why not?
• Do I love my career, or would I rather be doing something else?
• Am I happy with the size and state of my body? If not, why not?
• Am I happy with the things I’ve achieved in my life so far?
• What else would I like to achieve?
• Do I really believe I’m capable of doing these things?
• If not, why not?
As you write down your answers to these questions, you’ll likely notice some limiting beliefs popping up in response.
For example, when you ask why you’re not yet making the amount of money you desire, your answer might be, “I’m earning as much as I can at my current job, and there are no other prospects for me to get a better job right now.”
As much as that might appear to be true, it’s a limiting belief! In other words, you THINK it’s true, but it’s simply your perception. Once you’ve identified a limiting belief, write it down like these examples:
• I don’t believe I can make more money than I do now.
• I don’t believe I deserve a healthy, loving relationship.
• I don’t believe I can have a better career than I do now.
• I don’t believe I will ever be able to lose weight.
Once you’ve got a list of limiting beliefs, perform a visualization exercise daily and imagine that the opposite is true. For example, call up mental images of yourself receiving a great new job, or stumbling upon unexpected opportunities to boost your income in other ways.
Be sure to actually move yourself into the feelings of these visions as if you were really experiencing them rather than just “seeing” them in your mind.
It will take time and consistent effort to change your belief in what is possible, but the more you focus on consciously believing in the possibilities, the more you’ll begin to let go of your inner limitations and open to better circumstances.
Even better, the greatest part about this process is that you don’t need to know “how” something is possible – you just need to be willing to believe it is, and that is often enough to attract new opportunities that will change everything.
It’s easy to overlook the power of limiting beliefs and spend years wondering why you can’t seem to move forward and make lasting changes in your life.
Though you might have grand dreams of living a better life, limiting beliefs will keep prodding you to act in ways that are counterproductive to those dreams.
Everything you do (or don’t do) is based on an internal set of subconscious beliefs. In some situations these beliefs can be helpful, but they can also cause big problems by placing limitations where none really exist.
For example, if you hold a subconscious belief that you don’t have what it takes to create a successful career, you’ll find yourself taking jobs that offer little opportunity for promotion or advancement – or even satisfaction.
No matter how badly you want to experience more success in your career, you’ll continue to think and act in ways that make it impossible to do so.Limiting beliefs can be difficult to change because we often don’t realize they exist!
They reside in our subconscious minds and rarely make themselves known in obvious ways. Rather, we usually become aware of them when we decide to make changes in our lives and keep bumping up against invisible walls.
Visualization is one powerful tool that can be effective in changing limiting beliefs, because the process of visualization speaks directly to the subconscious mind and plants more empowering messages – which can override the limiting beliefs.
Before you enter into the visualization process, it’s a good idea to figure out what kind of limiting beliefs you suspect you may have. Asking yourself specific questions and writing down your answers can be an illuminating way to find out. Try questions like these for starters:
• Am I making as much money as I want? If not, why not?
• Do I love my career, or would I rather be doing something else?
• Am I happy with the size and state of my body? If not, why not?
• Am I happy with the things I’ve achieved in my life so far?
• What else would I like to achieve?
• Do I really believe I’m capable of doing these things?
• If not, why not?
As you write down your answers to these questions, you’ll likely notice some limiting beliefs popping up in response.
For example, when you ask why you’re not yet making the amount of money you desire, your answer might be, “I’m earning as much as I can at my current job, and there are no other prospects for me to get a better job right now.”
As much as that might appear to be true, it’s a limiting belief! In other words, you THINK it’s true, but it’s simply your perception. Once you’ve identified a limiting belief, write it down like these examples:
• I don’t believe I can make more money than I do now.
• I don’t believe I deserve a healthy, loving relationship.
• I don’t believe I can have a better career than I do now.
• I don’t believe I will ever be able to lose weight.
Once you’ve got a list of limiting beliefs, perform a visualization exercise daily and imagine that the opposite is true. For example, call up mental images of yourself receiving a great new job, or stumbling upon unexpected opportunities to boost your income in other ways.
Be sure to actually move yourself into the feelings of these visions as if you were really experiencing them rather than just “seeing” them in your mind.
It will take time and consistent effort to change your belief in what is possible, but the more you focus on consciously believing in the possibilities, the more you’ll begin to let go of your inner limitations and open to better circumstances.
Even better, the greatest part about this process is that you don’t need to know “how” something is possible – you just need to be willing to believe it is, and that is often enough to attract new opportunities that will change everything.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
How to Survive This Crazy Market
By Chuck Saletta
Volatility is back -- with a vengeance. Even scarier, fear of an economic slowdown has knocked the bottom out of the market. As a result, much of that volatility feels as if it's the result of stocks all moving in the same direction -- down.
That rapid, downward movement makes it difficult for investors to fulfill the second half of the old investing saw "buy low, sell high." If you're not selling high, you're not freeing up cash to invest in the bargains that are becoming available in this generally falling market.
Of course, if you happen to have piles of spare cash lying around, you could use that money to buy into this market -- but who has that kind of liquidity?
Click Here to Continue Reading " How to Survive This Crazy Market"
Volatility is back -- with a vengeance. Even scarier, fear of an economic slowdown has knocked the bottom out of the market. As a result, much of that volatility feels as if it's the result of stocks all moving in the same direction -- down.
That rapid, downward movement makes it difficult for investors to fulfill the second half of the old investing saw "buy low, sell high." If you're not selling high, you're not freeing up cash to invest in the bargains that are becoming available in this generally falling market.
Of course, if you happen to have piles of spare cash lying around, you could use that money to buy into this market -- but who has that kind of liquidity?
Click Here to Continue Reading " How to Survive This Crazy Market"
Sunday, March 09, 2008
A Country, a Beer, and an Equation Not Necessarily Sound
By Stephen Beaumont
A thorny point arose once again the other day while I was discussing beer and food pairings with a crowd. "Doesn't Indian food go with Indian beer?" someone asked, adding, "After all, the Indian restaurants I know all serve Kingfisher."
Ignoring for a moment the fact that most if not all the Kingfisher served in North America is brewed in the U.K., not India, I countered by asking my inquisitor whether he had ever enjoyed a cellar temperature Kingfisher with a spicy curry, or even one that was less than ice cold in temperature.
Naturally, the answer was no, to which I responded further by noting that had he ever experienced that particular flavour match, he would already know how poor a partner for fiery food is bland, uninspired lager.
Or in other words, it's not the taste that pairs mildly flavourful lagers with spicy food, it's the cold, cold temperature. Partnering national foods with national beers is a common and thoroughly understandable tendency among those who enjoy dining with beer.
Carbonade flamande with strong and malty Belgian ale; extra special bitter with the Sunday roast or pale ale with fish and chips; weissbier and weisswurst; burritos and cold Mexican lager; curry and Kingfisher: all apparently quite logical, but some sadly wrongheaded.
So what's the difference? Simply, pairing beer styles that have emerged and evolved alongside a national cuisine makes sense, while partnering the traditional foods of nations without strong brewing traditions with beers which have been brought to their shores by emigrant brewers is consummately illogical.
Take Mexico, for instance. Lager brewing was brought to that country by European brewers, much as occurred in the rest of North America.
The Mayans were likely brewing, true, but those ancient ales have little to do with what we now count as "Mexican beer," meaning light lagers served as cold as possible, sometimes with a wedge of lime stuck into the bottle for good measure.
So it makes sense that the latter beers would have little in common with foods that predate them by centuries, and in fact, that much is profoundly true. Ignoring for a moment the often underappreciated diversity of Mexican food, let's focus on one of its defining elements: the chili pepper.
Spicy foods, to my palate, pair best with hoppy beer, as the bitterness of the hops manages to moderate the heat of the peppers without killing their taste. Alcohol, too, operates to help strip the oils of the pepper from the tongue, thus lessening their bite, and so a nice IPA would seem a safe and sure bet for such fare.
Ice cold lager, on the other hand, works by freezing the mouth and anesthetizing the palate, thus rendering all flavours equally neutral. And bland, freezing beer creating bland taste sensations doesn't strike me as a particularly pleasurable dining experience.
On the flip side, cheddar cheese, which hails from England, pairs wonderfully with a variety of British beer styles, depending on the cheese's age and sharpness. Ditto many other English, Scottish and Welsh foods, from the aforementioned Sunday roast to a traditional Hogmanay black bun with a generous glass of malty Scotch ale.
Ditto again the national fare of places with longstanding brewing traditions, like Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic, with each country's respective beer styles. Makes me hungry just thinking about it all.
A thorny point arose once again the other day while I was discussing beer and food pairings with a crowd. "Doesn't Indian food go with Indian beer?" someone asked, adding, "After all, the Indian restaurants I know all serve Kingfisher."
Ignoring for a moment the fact that most if not all the Kingfisher served in North America is brewed in the U.K., not India, I countered by asking my inquisitor whether he had ever enjoyed a cellar temperature Kingfisher with a spicy curry, or even one that was less than ice cold in temperature.
Naturally, the answer was no, to which I responded further by noting that had he ever experienced that particular flavour match, he would already know how poor a partner for fiery food is bland, uninspired lager.
Or in other words, it's not the taste that pairs mildly flavourful lagers with spicy food, it's the cold, cold temperature. Partnering national foods with national beers is a common and thoroughly understandable tendency among those who enjoy dining with beer.
Carbonade flamande with strong and malty Belgian ale; extra special bitter with the Sunday roast or pale ale with fish and chips; weissbier and weisswurst; burritos and cold Mexican lager; curry and Kingfisher: all apparently quite logical, but some sadly wrongheaded.
So what's the difference? Simply, pairing beer styles that have emerged and evolved alongside a national cuisine makes sense, while partnering the traditional foods of nations without strong brewing traditions with beers which have been brought to their shores by emigrant brewers is consummately illogical.
Take Mexico, for instance. Lager brewing was brought to that country by European brewers, much as occurred in the rest of North America.
The Mayans were likely brewing, true, but those ancient ales have little to do with what we now count as "Mexican beer," meaning light lagers served as cold as possible, sometimes with a wedge of lime stuck into the bottle for good measure.
So it makes sense that the latter beers would have little in common with foods that predate them by centuries, and in fact, that much is profoundly true. Ignoring for a moment the often underappreciated diversity of Mexican food, let's focus on one of its defining elements: the chili pepper.
Spicy foods, to my palate, pair best with hoppy beer, as the bitterness of the hops manages to moderate the heat of the peppers without killing their taste. Alcohol, too, operates to help strip the oils of the pepper from the tongue, thus lessening their bite, and so a nice IPA would seem a safe and sure bet for such fare.
Ice cold lager, on the other hand, works by freezing the mouth and anesthetizing the palate, thus rendering all flavours equally neutral. And bland, freezing beer creating bland taste sensations doesn't strike me as a particularly pleasurable dining experience.
On the flip side, cheddar cheese, which hails from England, pairs wonderfully with a variety of British beer styles, depending on the cheese's age and sharpness. Ditto many other English, Scottish and Welsh foods, from the aforementioned Sunday roast to a traditional Hogmanay black bun with a generous glass of malty Scotch ale.
Ditto again the national fare of places with longstanding brewing traditions, like Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic, with each country's respective beer styles. Makes me hungry just thinking about it all.
Friday, March 07, 2008
How to Get a 100% Return
By Richard Gibbons
You can find stocks today that will double in the next three years. Yes, that's an aggressive prediction (particularly in this market), but recent volatility has made some outstanding stocks available for cheap. They're so cheap, in fact, that they will offer 26% annualized returns over the next few years.
How can you find them? By focusing on three key criteria.
1. ValueThere's no point in buying stocks if you aren't getting them at a bargain price. By definition, fairly priced stocks will have only average performance. And if you're just trying for average performance, you may as well just buy an index fund.
Click Here to Continue Reading "How to Get a 100% Return"
You can find stocks today that will double in the next three years. Yes, that's an aggressive prediction (particularly in this market), but recent volatility has made some outstanding stocks available for cheap. They're so cheap, in fact, that they will offer 26% annualized returns over the next few years.
How can you find them? By focusing on three key criteria.
1. ValueThere's no point in buying stocks if you aren't getting them at a bargain price. By definition, fairly priced stocks will have only average performance. And if you're just trying for average performance, you may as well just buy an index fund.
Click Here to Continue Reading "How to Get a 100% Return"
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
The Open Source Online Finance Guide: 50+ Freeware Online Tools to Manage Your Money
Despite what some software manufacturers might want you to believe, staying on top of your finances doesn’t have to cost a lot. In fact, it doesn’t have to cost you a dime. And with these free and easy tools, you can manage your finances right from the comfort of your Internet browser.
Finance Managers
These tools look at the big picture, offering you a way to take control of your entire financial picture.
Finance Managers
These tools look at the big picture, offering you a way to take control of your entire financial picture.
Mint: See where your money goes with this automated online money manager.
Wesabe: Join this social finance community to track your money and goals with a bit of help from your peers.
ClearCheckbook: Stay on top of your spending, bank account, and more with ClearCheckbook.
MoneyTrackin: With this accounting tool, you can track your money, get tips, and more.
NetWorthIQ: Find out how your financial status stacks up against your peers with this social finance manager.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Drams of Eire: The 12 Most Unforgettable Irish Whiskeys
By Robert Plotkin
Whiskey aficionados, like their wine and beer counterparts, thrive on discovery. Expanding their palates and experiencing new tastes quickly becomes a driving fascination.
In a marketplace where demand for super-premium spirits is soaring, satisfying the consumers’ burgeoning desire to expand their whiskey experience is providing operators with a marketing bonanza. The strategy is crystal clear—tempt the public with new whiskey sensations and order more bar stools.
Click Here to Continue Reading " DRAMS OF EIRE:THE 12 MOST UNFORGETTABLE IRISH WHISKEYS"
Whiskey aficionados, like their wine and beer counterparts, thrive on discovery. Expanding their palates and experiencing new tastes quickly becomes a driving fascination.
In a marketplace where demand for super-premium spirits is soaring, satisfying the consumers’ burgeoning desire to expand their whiskey experience is providing operators with a marketing bonanza. The strategy is crystal clear—tempt the public with new whiskey sensations and order more bar stools.
Click Here to Continue Reading " DRAMS OF EIRE:THE 12 MOST UNFORGETTABLE IRISH WHISKEYS"
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Build Your Strength
From http://www.millionaireinside.com/
When it comes to personal empowerment, feeling strong and grounded is crucial. Without a perception of yourself as strong and resilient, you’ll find yourself cowering in the face of challenges; feeling intimidated by other people, and weighed down by your own fears and insecurities.
A strong person, on the other hand, knows that he or she can handle life’s challenges and triumph over any adversity.
There are four key areas where strength needs to be built in order to fully empower yourself:
Mental Strength.
Mental strength includes qualities such as clarity, focus, determination and positive self-image.
Are you confident, self-assured and proud of who you are? Do you know exactly where you’re headed in life and exactly how to get there?
Do you feed your mind with positive fuel each day and push yourself to move beyond your comfort zones? If not, you’ll want to start building your mental strength by developing a stronger focus and transforming limiting or negative thoughts.
Your thoughts form the basis for your life and determine the way you see yourself in the grand scheme of things. Make it your mission to strengthen your mind, change unproductive habits and improve limiting perceptions.
Emotional Strength.
Emotional strength pertains to your level of resiliency, flexibility and your beliefs.
How well do you handle the stress of life? Do you tend to take things personally? Do you cringe when someone says something negative about you?
Are you easily upset by minor conflicts? Are you afraid to assert yourself? Emotional strength is all about being tough and resilient in the face of adversity - being flexible enough to bend without breaking, in other words.
A good place to start is by making yourself feel loved and valued on a daily basis. A strong foundation of self-love and respect will help you to feel stronger, but it will also reduce your need to seek validation and acceptance from others.
Also important is gaining control over your emotional state by choosing not to allow external influences to upset you. Avoid taking things personally and learn to become more self-contained, impervious to situations that threaten to upset your emotional balance.
Finally, get into the habit of stepping back emotionally and challenging beliefs that don’t serve you.
Spiritual Strength.
Spiritual strength is all about feeling connected and balanced on a deeper level. Do you have a regular spiritual practice that you engage in daily or weekly? Do you feel connected and guided by a power greater than yourself?
Do you feel like your life has meaning and purpose? This has nothing to do with religion, but everything to do with your own perception that there is more to you than your physical body.
It doesn’t matter which religion you practice (or if you practice none at all) – it matters only that you choose to believe that there is a reason for your existence and you feel supported and loved by a power greater than yourself.
Spend time in daily meditation or visualization to help foster a deeper connection between yourself, the universe, and others.
Physical Strength.
Physical strength may seem to be the least important of these four cornerstones of empowerment, but it is actually one of the most crucial. Have you ever noticed that people who are physically strong usually carry themselves with more confidence and feel better about themselves?
When you feel strong physically, you tend to perceive the rest of you as being strong and capable too! Are you in good physical shape? Do you eat well and exercise frequently? If not, you’ll want to take steps to get your body back into the best shape you can.
Speak to your physician about starting a fitness regime, and begin treating your body like a cherished temple. Give particular attention to nutrition, rest, and self-care. As your body becomes stronger you should notice positive changes elsewhere too.
When it comes to personal empowerment, feeling strong and grounded is crucial. Without a perception of yourself as strong and resilient, you’ll find yourself cowering in the face of challenges; feeling intimidated by other people, and weighed down by your own fears and insecurities.
A strong person, on the other hand, knows that he or she can handle life’s challenges and triumph over any adversity.
There are four key areas where strength needs to be built in order to fully empower yourself:
Mental Strength.
Mental strength includes qualities such as clarity, focus, determination and positive self-image.
Are you confident, self-assured and proud of who you are? Do you know exactly where you’re headed in life and exactly how to get there?
Do you feed your mind with positive fuel each day and push yourself to move beyond your comfort zones? If not, you’ll want to start building your mental strength by developing a stronger focus and transforming limiting or negative thoughts.
Your thoughts form the basis for your life and determine the way you see yourself in the grand scheme of things. Make it your mission to strengthen your mind, change unproductive habits and improve limiting perceptions.
Emotional Strength.
Emotional strength pertains to your level of resiliency, flexibility and your beliefs.
How well do you handle the stress of life? Do you tend to take things personally? Do you cringe when someone says something negative about you?
Are you easily upset by minor conflicts? Are you afraid to assert yourself? Emotional strength is all about being tough and resilient in the face of adversity - being flexible enough to bend without breaking, in other words.
A good place to start is by making yourself feel loved and valued on a daily basis. A strong foundation of self-love and respect will help you to feel stronger, but it will also reduce your need to seek validation and acceptance from others.
Also important is gaining control over your emotional state by choosing not to allow external influences to upset you. Avoid taking things personally and learn to become more self-contained, impervious to situations that threaten to upset your emotional balance.
Finally, get into the habit of stepping back emotionally and challenging beliefs that don’t serve you.
Spiritual Strength.
Spiritual strength is all about feeling connected and balanced on a deeper level. Do you have a regular spiritual practice that you engage in daily or weekly? Do you feel connected and guided by a power greater than yourself?
Do you feel like your life has meaning and purpose? This has nothing to do with religion, but everything to do with your own perception that there is more to you than your physical body.
It doesn’t matter which religion you practice (or if you practice none at all) – it matters only that you choose to believe that there is a reason for your existence and you feel supported and loved by a power greater than yourself.
Spend time in daily meditation or visualization to help foster a deeper connection between yourself, the universe, and others.
Physical Strength.
Physical strength may seem to be the least important of these four cornerstones of empowerment, but it is actually one of the most crucial. Have you ever noticed that people who are physically strong usually carry themselves with more confidence and feel better about themselves?
When you feel strong physically, you tend to perceive the rest of you as being strong and capable too! Are you in good physical shape? Do you eat well and exercise frequently? If not, you’ll want to take steps to get your body back into the best shape you can.
Speak to your physician about starting a fitness regime, and begin treating your body like a cherished temple. Give particular attention to nutrition, rest, and self-care. As your body becomes stronger you should notice positive changes elsewhere too.
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