Golfer' Back Exercise Can Eliminate Back Pain

Golfer' back exercise is a key part of any golf-specific exercise routine.

A closer look at the golf swing will show clearly that it heavily depends on and indeed leans on the back. Actually a perfect golf swing is really all about using the spine as an axis to allow the correct swing plane. The spine is at the very center and core of the golf swing.

The facts of the matter are that a golfer with a back problem will always face an uphill and maybe impossible task when it comes to improving on their game. The back will always come in the way of any efforts at improvement.

This is where golfer' back exercise come in. They can be extremely useful in helping solve this nagging problem amongst the many golfers who suffer from this problem which can be both very painful and frustrating.

There are cases where the back problem started even before the golfer started playing golf and there are other cases where it starts shortly after they start frequenting a golf course. There are even cases where the problem is greatly aggravated by golf. Chances of getting an improvement on your game from all three different scenarios with the help of golfer back exercises are very high.

Many golfer' back exercise involve stretching exercises some of which I have covered in previous articles. Interestingly enough, I have witnessed some of these stretch exercises helping some golfers with chronic back pain problems.

There are some who have been fortunate enough to have the problem completely disappear while others have gotten a great deal of relief as a result of the golfer' back exercise.

golfer' back exercise can also help golfers who have never experienced any back problems to avoid them altogether. As we have already seen, the golf swing involves so much use of the back that injury to it is quite easy. Especially where the golfer is not involved in any golf exercise program let alone golfer' back exercise.
About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at http://www.performbettergolf.com

Copyright Mike Pedersen - http://www.performbettergolf.com

"Christmas For One: Mental Health Over the Holidays"Kristin Johnson My dear friend, poet Dessa Byrd Reed, often spends holidays alone as a widow. However, she doesn't see this, as many people often do, as a depressing circumstance. In a November 2000 POETIC VOICES interview, she said, "Because I am single and live alone, I eat out a lot. I love to talk to strangers. That's one of my favorite things. I go out for breakfast and talk to people."

Another talented writer, Leslie Lafayette, dealt with being a childless woman by choice in WHY DON'T YOU HAVE KIDS?: Living a Full Life Without Parenthood. You can bet that because of her choice many people would pity her. She writes the "Alone Again, Naturally" column for the outstanding magazine THE DESERT WOMAN. Observers might conclude she's miserable on the holidays.

Both Leslie and Dessa have full lives and radiate Christmas cheer, not just in December but all year round. While we all need human contact, it's a mistake to conclude that people without the traditional family dinner are all on suicide watch. Anyone who has negotiated where to have Christmas and which family members can come when, not to mention refereed in-law and spouse disputes, knows that the allure of having a table for one at Christmas is powerful.

However, when people aren't alone by choice, Christmas can be lonely. In Michigan, I interviewed a woman, the founder of a divorced and widowed support group, who chose to have Christmas dinner every year for lonely widows, widowers and divorced people, usually from her support group. Her children understood that she needed to start this new tradition in her new life.

Similarly, having children around, even with the relentless gimmes and commercialism, lends a special magic to Christmas, which is why playing Santa appeals to so many.

The holidays can be joyous if you're alone, or they can be difficult. As with so much, your feelings depend on your personality, your circumstances, your childhood, and in many cases on medical or psychological conditions.

Some tips to remember if you're alone or without your support system:

• Take advantage of counseling services in your community, including from your local church, synagogue, temple or other place of worship.

• Take time out for spirituality. You might attend services just to experience human contact and community. People are generally nicer at Christmas.

• Do all the things you wanted to do but couldn't in your former life. Travel. Even in this post-9/11 world, you can visit faraway places. There are many tour groups for singles.

• Attend art walks, holiday concerts, lectures, and movie screenings alone. Or invite a friend you haven't talked to in a while.

• Volunteerit's a wonderful way to make friends, stay active, and feel fulfilled.

• Go out to dinner alone! While women in particular feel uncomfortable, project an air of confidence. You are a strong, vital woman. This doesn't mean that you should go bar-hopping or take risks alone at night. But you have the right to ask for a table for one without feeling as though people are judging you. (Most people are too preoccupied with their own lives to notice.)

• Gather a circle of friends or people in the same situationjust make sure the evening doesn't turn into a pity party.

• Don't overdrink, overeat or do drugs. It's just not a good tradition.

• Bake cookies if you're so inclined. Cookies make wonderful Christmas presents and ways to reconnect with your friends.

You may be tempted to think of yourself as Ebenezer Scrooge. Don't, and boil anyone in his own pudding who calls you "Scrooge." You are honoring Christmas in your own heart and keeping it always. Christmas for one, anyone?

"Did Your Personality Choose Your Career?Angela Butera Dickson We almost all think we are masters of our own fate. While it is true that we all make our own choices there are many things that influence what we choose. Ask yourself: Why do some people choose professions that help only themselves while others of us choose professions that help those in need?

Health and wellness professionals all share the desire to help others. Our work is commendable and very important, but why do we choose the profession we're in?

Professionals in the "caring jobs" share some unique qualities. We're almost always creative, sensitive and nurturing. We also almost all share a willingness help others in every way possible and suffer pangs of guilt if we say "no." Our willingness to help sometimes comes with a price. It leaves us vulnerable to burn out.

"some clients can be draining to even the most enthusiastic wellness professional"

Burnout is often the result of a professional feeling overwhelmed with his or her job responsibilities. Let's face it caring for others can be a burden. Even if you love your job facing unmotivated, clients can be draining to even the most enthusiastic wellness professional. Add to this any inside pressure from trying to make a decent living, dealing with negative attitudes of coworkers or pressure with sales commissions and you're on the road to feeling more negative yourself.

Caregivers tend to burn out more quickly than others because we typically put the needs of those around us first. By the time we are through dealing with the issues of our clients, families and friends we have little left for ourselves.

So how do you deal effectively with those clients who seem to have a "seek out and destroy" personality? Simple, you learn to develop your own "repair and replenish" skills now and make them an important part of your everyday routine.

Make it a point to be more aware of your surroundings. Try to notice the little things that bring joy to your life and take a moment to reflect on them.

Learn to say "no" - not all the time but some time. When someone asks for another piece of your time, a little more of your energy, or is looking for you to commit to their newest project, take the time to know if it's the right choice for you. Make it your personal policy to never give an answer that you haven't had at least 24 hours to think about there's much to be said for the adage of let me sleep on it.

Nurture yourself with a trip to the gym, a visit to a day SPA, tickets to your favorite play or concert. Even a leisurely walk can be a rejuvenating gift.

Talk, talk and then talk some more. Find peer professionals that share similar values and goals and talk about work. Some think it's taboo to talk about work on your days off but in reality it is important to be able to share your feelings and frustration with someone who understands how you feel and their feedback can be very helpful.

Vacations aren't just what other people do. You earn the time too. Take your vacation time all together or in shorter bursts. What ever works for you is fine just take those days and forget about work for awhile.

Sometimes a nurturing personality can open the door for our own wellness to suffer and it is up to each person to find the tools that help to keep them on track and healthy. By learning to say no, nurturing yourself, becoming more aware of your surroundings, talking to a trusted peer and taking a break when you can, you'll be able to find a healthy balance in your professional and personal life leading to greater business success and satisfaction.

* Registered US Copyright, Angela Butera Dickson, 2004

"Eight Steps to Taking Control of Every Situation in Your Life!"Terry Rich Hartley, Ph.D. Like it or not, we are all gladiators. We go to sleep and wake up in a social arena from which there is no escape. Challenge upon challenge confronts us, walls restrain us, and a mob of spectators mocks, sneers, or cheers us. Each and every day brings new battles whether we want them or not and whether we're up to them or not. Life forces us to face one skirmish after another - no choice in the matter.

What we can choose, though, is which kind of gladiator to be, victor or victim.

Being a victim in this social arena translates into having bad relationships.

Most people are victims - victims of their own perceptions.

That's because people don't develop and listen to their own unique, authentic self. Rather they allow their mental spectators - those little tyrants rattling around in their heads - to tell them second by second how to fight their battles, what they can and cannot do. These tyrants applaud and they hiss, they encourage and they discourage.

These mental spectators are the memories of the judgments of real-life people. For example, it's the memory of your aunt saying, "I hope you marry someone rich, because you're not going far on brains." It's the echo of your father growling, "You've got a back problem - no spine."

And their influence over your relationships can't be overestimated.

Millions of people accept the judgments of their mental spectators as the truth and, therefore, the mediocre results that come from believing those judgments.

With so many people living this way, the question becomes, is this the way I have to live? Fortunately, the answer is not unless you want to.

Once you identify your mental spectators - and your interactions with them - you can move beyond victim and assume the role of victor.

What it takes are eight steps for getting command, eight steps you can apply to most any situation you want altered. You can positively influence your relationships, your employment options, any aspect of your life.

Let's look at the steps.

1. Define What Ails You.

Ask, what's my problem? Am I a jealous weasel, troubled that others have what I want? Am I ticked off most of the time? Am I sad and whiney? Anxiety ridden? Moody? All of the above? Without this step, you're doomed. It will take personal courage, but you won't get results without identifying what ails you.

2. Discover the Effects.

Ask, how are my problems affecting my life? Am I a lousy parent, a friendless dork, a backstabber, a slut, a drunk, a junkie? Am I none of the above, but someone who is less than I could be? This step requires absolute self-honesty, but the truth will help set you free.

3. Seek the Source.

Ask, from where are my problems coming? Who are my real and my mental spectators? What do my mental spectators look like, say, and do? Exactly who or what is keeping me from taking command of my life? This could be one of the most incredible experiences of your life. You will look into the abyss and see who is looking back.

4. Identify Your Role.

Ask, how am I contributing to my problems? What is my responsibility in all this? Did I decide to be a garbage disposal? Do I beat myself to death trying to please others? Do I expect things of myself that are unfair? Do I treat myself as a friend or an enemy? Do I allow my mental spectators to drive me to distraction, depression, anger, anxiety? Recognizing your role in your own problems is a positive - but scary - step toward knowing yourself and gaining personal command.

5. State Your Desires.

Ask, what do I specifically want to do about my problems? Do I want to be a doormat, a slut, a drunk, a friendless geek? Or do I want to rule my mental spectators? Do I want to stand up to a spectator, real or imagined, who puts me down? Do I want to take command of my education, my bank account, my relationships? Until you can actually list your desires in the order of their importance, you will be a victim. However, once you do this, you are on your way to being a victor.

6. Seek Options.

Ask, what are my options, and in what order should I place them? What is the first option I should concentrate on? The second one? The third? If you have a soul-sucking hangover most mornings, you might opt to give up your booze buddies for some real friends. Secondly, take the money you normally spend at bars and deposit it in a college fund for yourself or your kids. If, instead, you're a workaholic and you want to spend more time with your kids, then DO IT. Very few people on their deathbed have said, "If I could live life all over again, I'd spend more of it at work and less with people I love." Choices are involved here, but by weighing options and alternatives, and then making personal choices, you are taking command. Do this and you'll begin to gain real power.

7. Learn Winning Techniques.

Ask, how do I rule my real and my mental spectators? Must I collapse in a heap when they point thumbs down? How can I learn to take charge on every level and get a grip on my life? There is no "magic" involved, but you might feel as if there is. Unlike a vanquished gladiator falling at the whim of spectators, you decide your own course.

8. Master Your Relationships.

Ask, what more can I do to master my relationships by strengthening myself and my perceptions? How do I take command right now in developing my own identification and self-worth? Congratulations! You're working on the one person in the entire world you can work on - YOU! And any improvements in yourself can't help but enrich your relationships with other people and the world around you.

Although this is only a brief overview of each of the eight steps for jump-starting your relationships and taking control of your life, you'd be amazed at how significant the effects of a few minor adjustments in perception can be.

"How do I date beautiful women, even celebrities?" my idiot client askedJohn Alanis Are you a guy who's interested not only in dating beautiful women, even celebrities, but would like to get beautiful women to approach YOU first? Can it really be done? The answer is an unqualified "yes" IF you know what to say and do, and what to avoid saying and doing.

Most guys have no clue about the day to day life of stunningly beautiful women. They have no idea how many times a DAY these beautiful women are approached by guys whose obvious interest is to "sex them up." And for celebrities, it's even worse. Day in, and day out they hear the same thing: "oh you're such beautiful women do you have boyfriends can I take you out" and on and on and on. Beautiful women simply become numb to guys asking them these questions, and tune them out.

Now, that's not to say these beautiful women don't want to meet men because they do. Many of them desperately. But beautiful women like a guy who'll say something different to them, something unusual, something that will create attraction in them. And most of all beautiful women crave a man who "defines authority" for them, one who is not intimidated by their looks (or fame). Let me give you an example.

I'm in the business of teaching other guys how to get desirable, beautiful women to approach them first for a date, no matter their looks, age or income (see www.womenapproachyou.com). And while I rarely take clients, occasionally I'll make a mistake and let someone talk me into helping them.

A few weeks ago I was working with a guy who was desperately in need of help. Like I always do, I asked him, "What specifically do you want in beautiful women? What don't you want? And most importantly, what's your ideal experience with a woman?" Most of guys, of course, have no specific answers to these questionsand if you don't know what you're looking for, it's extremely difficult to achieve any measure of successwhether with beautiful women or in any area of your life.

This guy, amazingly enough, didn't pause with his answer: "I'd like to sex Paris Hiltonand other beautiful women" he leered. I was a bit taken abackapparently I don't speak the "new lingo." "Sex Paris Hilton," I said. "What the heck does that mean, sex Paris Hilton?"

"It means I'd like to get with her you know, sex her up, sex Paris Hiltonor a woman like her." Ah-ha. "So your goal is to share a few adventures with celebrities, or beautiful women who look like celebrities?" He nodded eagerly"I'll settle for a look-alike," he said, "but what do I say, what do I do to get beautiful women to even speak to me?"

Here's what I told him in regards to beautiful women: first off, get all thoughts of lust out of your head. If you want to spend time with beautiful women, you need to get to know them as people first.

Here's what to do: when you see a beautiful woman (or beautiful women) you want to approach, look her in the eye, and smile slightly, using your "naughty little boy smile." Your intent is to make her smile back at you, while you continue to hold her gaze, and smile wider and "naughtier." Look for something unusual about her that few other guys would notice, and bring it to her attention. For example:

"You look like a well-conditioned athlete what are you training for?"

"Hmmm, that's a most unusual tattoo what made you decide to get that particular one?"

"That's a very professional looking business suit what's the occasion for dressing so professionally?"

"You have a great energy, much like my friends in the martial arts what kind of physical training do you do to have such a great energy or is it just natural?"

Or if all else fails, "What are smiling about remembering something that makes you grin?"

The key is to notice something about her environment, and ask her an open ended question letting her know you're sincerely curious about her. Don't tell her, "you're a beautiful woman and I like beautiful women." She's heard that. You want to give her an opportunity to talk about herself, something few guys ever do. They're trying to impress her, instead of shutting up, listening and letting her impress herself about you.

By doing this, you let her know you're interested in her as a person (as opposed to a sweaty piece of meat), that you appreciate her beauty (and beautiful women) but you're not intimidated or especially impressed by it, and that you need to hear more before you let her into your life. When you do this, you will stand out from the crowd that asks her the same questions over and over and overand she'll be more than happy to pick YOU up! (for more great tips, see www.womenapproachyou.com)

"Is Your Career Your Calling or Just a 9 to 5?"Yasmeen Abdur-Rahman Do you remember your parents asking you what you want to be when you grow up? By the time I was in the 9th grade, my mother started asking me that same question until I graduated from high school. At that time I wasn't 100% sure what career path I would take, but I had several ideas.

Your calling is that passion that you have deep inside the career that defines your purpose in life. Someone once told me if you find a job that you love you'll never have to work a day in your life. Some of us work in careers for so long that we are numb on the inside and outside. We go from appointment to appointment and our days are so mundane. We hardly get any enjoyment out of what we do because it is just another 9 to 5. Have you recently said, I could do this job with my eyes closed?'

People who choose a career, instead of their calling, wake up disappointed that they have to go to work. They hate facing another day. If you find your calling and pursue it, life will become an adventure and not just another 9 to 5.

Ponder over these statements:

• Your passion directs you to your calling.

• A calling is who you are.

• A career is what you do.

• A calling is 24-7-365.

• A career is a 9 to 5.

• A calling is what you would do for free.

• A career is what they have to pay you to do.

• A calling cannot be measured with money or fame.

In conclusion, take a few moments to ponder over what is going on in your life today and figure out if it compensates towards your calling. Listen to your mind, body and soul. Don't worry about what others will think or even if they will agree to whatever calling you move towards. Live your life as if tomorrow is your last day on Earth. Enjoy today because tomorrow isn't definite.

"Pretend Interest" and Apathy... What To Do About Them!Sue and Chuck DeFiore According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary "apathy is defined as the following: lack of emotion; lack of interest; indifference".

Wow, that's pretty depressing. However, look around you. Don't many of you work with people with this attitude. I don't, because I run my own business. However, I can remember when I worked for others and how many of the people I worked with fit this description. At that time, I couldn't understand how they could be that way. While I left corporate America, for my own separate set of reasons, apathy was certainly not one of them.

Unfortunately in the business that Chuck and I run we also see too much apathy. Of course, we get people who show what I like to call "pretend interest". They figure if they pretend an interest in something else, maybe no one will notice their apathetic behavior.

The individuals who pretend an interest in creative real estate will call us, and want us to guarantee that they will succeed (without any effort I might add). NOTE: NO ONE CAN GUARANTEE YOUR SUCCESS BUT YOU. Or they will want to know how quick they can make a million dollars (again, without doing any work). Or, how do I know it will work for me, in my area. As far as their area, creative real estate works in most areas. However, will it work for them, that I can't answer. They have to decide if they are going to work at it or not, they have to put the effort out. I put effort out every day and get rewarded for it. I realize, however, "if there is no effort, there is no reward". For these individuals, because they are so apathetic about everything, of course it won't work. They don't want to work. They are too indifferent.

If you find yourself with the above characteristics, and want to make a change do the following. Find something you have an interest in, that you are not indifferent to, and watch your emotions soar. I am not telling you to quit your job, unless you really want to or need to. Look at your job in a different light or look for something you would like to do, and research it. Find out how you can start it in your spare time, or part time, and build it up so you can get out of where you are. Once you do that you'll have a new purpose for yourself. Put all of yourself into it, heart and soul.

Don't let apathy make you say, "I'm not good at anything", "I don't know what I want to do", etc. These kind of statements are just perpetuating your apathetic behavior.

If it is not your job that is making you apathetic, take a good hard look at yourself, and be honest so you can find out what it is and do something about it. Sometimes it is as easy as finding a new hobby, or doing something special for yourself - dinner, a movie, walking, whatever, will make an enormous difference. If that doesn't help, go talk to someone on a professional level, but do something to remove the apathetic behavior, and I don't mean by using "pretend interest".

As Nike is so fond of saying, "Just Do It!"

Copyright 2003 DeFiore Enterprises

"Ready, Fire, Aim"Jeff Earlywine Does the sub-title to this edition of Footprints and Monuments sound familiar? It does to me in a very real way. When I was a teenager my dad and I loved to go hunting. We would hunt whatever animal happened to be in season at the time, and anything else that moved. Especially snakes, but that is another story.

On one hunting trip my dad and I were about thirty yards from each other waiting for a particular kind of bird to fly over. I was ready. My gun was loaded. My mind was focused. I was going to "out shoot" my dad on this trip. Well, as I was sitting in my "ready" position I accidentally pulled the gun's trigger. Boom! As my shotgun let off a great blast I realized that my gun was pointing just a few feet from where my dad was sitting. Obviously, I fired before I aimed and almost killed my father in the process.

I see something similar in people's personal and professional lives all the time. Many get themselves ready with advanced education, power thoughts, and influential friends, but they fire before they aim. Aiming is a planning process that takes time and must be done before you can fire your way into a successful life, organization, or relationship.

You may ask, "I know how to get ready, and how to fire, but how do I take aim and then fire?" Or, "Is this just another goal setting exercise?" No, this is actually an exercise in life planning. In order to take aim your must know where you want to go, and what your passion is.

I have listed several questions below that will spark the creative part of your mind and help you establish your aim so that you will be able to achieve the kind of life, organization, and relationships you want.

Life Planning with accurate AIM:

• Where do you want your life, organization, and relationships to be in five, ten, or twenty years? One way to answer this is to draw a picture. This picture will give you purpose, passion, and energy. It will also keep a visual in your mind as to what you are aiming at.

• What standards of excellence, consistent growth, and specific review of progress do you need to set?

• Do you have someone in your life to hold you accountable so you don't fire before you are ready or before you have taken aim?

• A good system is better than a good friend when comes to life planning, therefore, what is on your to-do list today that will help you become more like your picture tomorrow?

"Success In An Ever Changing World"Jeff Earlywine February 2003

Footprints and Monuments

"Success In An Ever Changing World"

By Jeff Earlywine

Well, it's that time of the year again. No, I don't mean the time of the year when the flowers bloom and the days get longer. What I am referring to is the sound of roaring engines and the waving of green and checkered flags. That's right, it's racing season!

Which brings me to my point; success in racing is always found in the ability to make the right changes at the right time. In racing, the person responsible for calling the right changes at the right time is [interesting enough] the crew chief. This crew chief position is much like an organization's CEO, president, team leader, manager, boss, you. All these people strive for success, and the smart ones know when to make the right changes.

ENSURING IT'S A TEAM EFFORT

The best crew chiefs have as their top attribute the ability to get every member of their team pulling in the same direction. If a team has even one guy steadily complaining that the driver can't get the job done, or the rear tire changer is performing poorly, or the jack man is just too slow, it's trouble for the team and any crew chief who expects to succeed must put a quick end to this sort of thing.

ONE LEADER MULTIPLE WAYS

A good crew chief also has to have a very good working knowledge of the racecar. He has to be a little bit innovative as well. He must have the mentality that allows him to feel that even though something has been done one way for years, it might be worth trying a different approach if the old one no longer produces results. The best crew chiefs are those that are open and receptive to change.

A racing team is going to assume the personality of its crew chief. People on a racing team must want to work for a crew chief because they not only like him as a person, they like the way he handles things. A crew chief must inspire confidence. He can do that through hard work and dedication two things that will certainly rub off on those other members of the team.

TALKING THE SAME LANGUAGE

Communication between crew chief and a driver is vital. Being a crew chief not only means setting up the race cars but it also means being able to talk a driver through a race. Crew chiefs have to really understand the inflection in the comments made over the radio by their drivers during a race to really understand how the racecar is running. For instance, when a driver answers "pretty good" to the question of how a car is running, it's the way in which he inflects those words that gives a good crew chief the understanding of whether the adjustments needed on the car are a half round or maybe two rounds. It's only over time that this communication between driver and crew chief gets refined to where there's no doubt over what's being said.

Are you a "crew chief" in your organization? Has success been determined by the changes you have made? The following is something that you may have heard, but it is something basic that we need to keep in mind when making changes.

• If you make the wrong change at the wrong time you have failure

• If you make the right change at the wrong time you have resistance

• If you make the wrong change at the right time you have low performance

• If you make the right change at the right time you have success

"What Can I Do To Improve My Job-Interviewing Skills?"Paul Shearstone Whether you're a student job seeker or a polished and proven executive, the first thing you must come to terms with is, "Regardless of the position you seek, you are now in sales!" The product you are selling is YOU! The interview is your opportunity to differentiate yourself in the eyes of your customer [the interviewer] when compared to your competitors [other job applicants].

Successful companies today are focused on building what's known as, corporate "Unique Value-Add Propositions." Simply put, a unique value proposition is designed to differentiate companies / products and services, by making a decision to do business with you, an easy one. This is accomplished by means of removing the risk in customer's minds through obvious value-add.

So before you go into an interview, ask yourself, "What is my unique Value-add for this company? What can I say, do, or show, that will separate me from all other candidates?" And, "How convincing am I?"

There is no secret that in many cases today, the most qualified, are not always the ones hired. Sadly, many qualified individuals lose out on opportunities expressly due to their inability to distinguish themselves [in the interview] by showing unique value-add. You may then ask, "How does one construct a value-add interview?" The process is surprisingly simple.

#1: As quickly as you can, write down all the words that describe your unique strengths that relate to the position to which you're applying. [Note: Five words are not enough. Try for at least fifteen / you may also ask others for their input].

#2: As quickly as you can, write down all the words that describe your potential weaknesses as they relate to the position to which you're applying.

#3: Turn each word into a sentence or statement. It does not have to be complicated. For example, if one of your strength-words was, "experience" you could simply say, "I am experienced." [Note: Do the same for your weaknesses list as well].

#4: Take each sentence / statement, and turn them into a question. "I am experienced" becomes, "Why am I experienced?"

To answer the question, "Why am I experienced?" automatically brings to light your real Value-Add. From a selling point of view, being experienced' may be true, but it is only, however, a fact. "How specifically, am I experienced, and, How it will therefore benefit the new company," is the real Risk-Removing, Unique-Value-Add-Information needed to showcase your talents.

Knowing the answers, ahead of time, to questions like, "Why is [this] a potential weakness for me - for this position?" is equally integral to the success of any interview.

Remember that in business, The degree to which you cannot provide a unique Value-Add Proposition is in direct proportion to the degree you hurt yourself, your company and your industry. In any job interview, You are the company. The product you're selling is YOU!

For more detailed information on Interviewing Skills, visit [www.success150.com]. On the Speaker Profile' page, there is a hot-link to "The Art of the Interview" There you can order [$5 Admin-Fee] an E-Book that guarantees better interviewing results. It details the specific types of questions trained interviewers will ask and the reasons why they ask them. The do's and don'ts of a good rsum's as well as ways to better prepare mentally for an interview. All in a comprehensive easy to read format.

*Just Released: The Art of the Interview on CD ROM [Narrated by Paul Shearstone] Please send $19.95 usd + $5 S&H to:

Paul Shearstone

c/o Success 150 Group Inc

7305 Woodbine Ave, Suite 458

Markham Ontario Canada

L3R 3V7

(P)Refer to Grow Your BusinessMiami Phillips (Although this article is geared towards small business owners, the information is just as applicable to a similar personal situation, only the action is slightly different.)

Here is the scenario. You have begun your day at work. Your day is planned ahead, with the big challenges first. You want to finish these up, get them out of the way and take a little time off this afternoon for yourself. You deserve and need it to stay your best for your family, yourself and your customers.

Just as you get into your first task of the morning, the phone rings. "I need help right now!" It's Joe Blow, your most troublesome customer (friend).

For the last six months, Joe has been coming to you with his problems (never challenges or opportunities) expecting you to drop everything and help him. From the very beginning you realized it was probably a mistake to have taken Joe on as a customer. No matter how much you charge Joe for your services, Joe will never be satisfied, and you will never make a profit.

Joe, and customers like him, seem to have an innate ability to attract problems as honey does bees. Of course he blames everyone else, waits until the last minute, and calls you to bail him out.

What do you do?

Don't. By fulfilling Joe's needs for instant gratification, and allowing him to create a habit of calling you instead of installing disciplines of his own you are hurting not only him, but you as well.

Don't bail him out. Be honest with him, and yourself. Refer him to someone who can help him if necessary. Try this: "Joe, although I appreciate your business, in my opinion my company is not serving you in the manner you require, and this is not a good fit for both of us. With your permission, I am going to refer you to a company that I believe will be a much better match for your needs."

You should have a list of at least 100 people of every profession to whom you refer business and expect them to return the favor. You haven't done that? Refer Joe to an organizational, or business coach. Refer him to a competitor. Let them have him. You get rid of him and saddle them at the same time! Seriously though, you need to keep your priorities in line and in focus. Customers like Joe, no matter how well they pay, are seldom profitable when you factor in time, actual costs and energy consumed.

Focus on the customers or clients you want to attract, and make sure you have room in your business when they do show up. They always do.

Your Coach and online friend,

Miami

Miami Phillips

Helping others find their path - and stay on it.
www.creativemasterminds.com

Quotation of the Week

Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them.

W. Clement Stone

Golfer' Back Exercise Can Eliminate Back Pain

Golfer' back exercise is a key part of any golf-specific exercise routine.

A closer look at the golf swing will show clearly that it heavily depends on and indeed leans on the back. Actually a perfect golf swing is really all about using the spine as an axis to allow the correct swing plane. The spine is at the very center and core of the golf swing.

The facts of the matter are that a golfer with a back problem will always face an uphill and maybe impossible task when it comes to improving on their game. The back will always come in the way of any efforts at improvement.

This is where golfer' back exercise come in. They can be extremely useful in helping solve this nagging problem amongst the many golfers who suffer from this problem which can be both very painful and frustrating.

There are cases where the back problem started even before the golfer started playing golf and there are other cases where it starts shortly after they start frequenting a golf course. There are even cases where the problem is greatly aggravated by golf. Chances of getting an improvement on your game from all three different scenarios with the help of golfer back exercises are very high.

Many golfer' back exercise involve stretching exercises some of which I have covered in previous articles. Interestingly enough, I have witnessed some of these stretch exercises helping some golfers with chronic back pain problems.

There are some who have been fortunate enough to have the problem completely disappear while others have gotten a great deal of relief as a result of the golfer' back exercise.

golfer' back exercise can also help golfers who have never experienced any back problems to avoid them altogether. As we have already seen, the golf swing involves so much use of the back that injury to it is quite easy. Especially where the golfer is not involved in any golf exercise program let alone golfer' back exercise.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds at http://www.performbettergolf.com

Copyright Mike Pedersen - http://www.performbettergolf.com

"Christmas For One: Mental Health Over the Holidays"Kristin Johnson My dear friend, poet Dessa Byrd Reed, often spends holidays alone as a widow. However, she doesn't see this, as many people often do, as a depressing circumstance. In a November 2000 POETIC VOICES interview, she said, "Because I am single and live alone, I eat out a lot. I love to talk to strangers. That's one of my favorite things. I go out for breakfast and talk to people."

Another talented writer, Leslie Lafayette, dealt with being a childless woman by choice in WHY DON'T YOU HAVE KIDS?: Living a Full Life Without Parenthood. You can bet that because of her choice many people would pity her. She writes the "Alone Again, Naturally" column for the outstanding magazine THE DESERT WOMAN. Observers might conclude she's miserable on the holidays.

Both Leslie and Dessa have full lives and radiate Christmas cheer, not just in December but all year round. While we all need human contact, it's a mistake to conclude that people without the traditional family dinner are all on suicide watch. Anyone who has negotiated where to have Christmas and which family members can come when, not to mention refereed in-law and spouse disputes, knows that the allure of having a table for one at Christmas is powerful.

However, when people aren't alone by choice, Christmas can be lonely. In Michigan, I interviewed a woman, the founder of a divorced and widowed support group, who chose to have Christmas dinner every year for lonely widows, widowers and divorced people, usually from her support group. Her children understood that she needed to start this new tradition in her new life.

Similarly, having children around, even with the relentless gimmes and commercialism, lends a special magic to Christmas, which is why playing Santa appeals to so many.

The holidays can be joyous if you're alone, or they can be difficult. As with so much, your feelings depend on your personality, your circumstances, your childhood, and in many cases on medical or psychological conditions.

Some tips to remember if you're alone or without your support system:

• Take advantage of counseling services in your community, including from your local church, synagogue, temple or other place of worship.

• Take time out for spirituality. You might attend services just to experience human contact and community. People are generally nicer at Christmas.

• Do all the things you wanted to do but couldn't in your former life. Travel. Even in this post-9/11 world, you can visit faraway places. There are many tour groups for singles.

• Attend art walks, holiday concerts, lectures, and movie screenings alone. Or invite a friend you haven't talked to in a while.

• Volunteerit's a wonderful way to make friends, stay active, and feel fulfilled.

• Go out to dinner alone! While women in particular feel uncomfortable, project an air of confidence. You are a strong, vital woman. This doesn't mean that you should go bar-hopping or take risks alone at night. But you have the right to ask for a table for one without feeling as though people are judging you. (Most people are too preoccupied with their own lives to notice.)

• Gather a circle of friends or people in the same situationjust make sure the evening doesn't turn into a pity party.

• Don't overdrink, overeat or do drugs. It's just not a good tradition.

• Bake cookies if you're so inclined. Cookies make wonderful Christmas presents and ways to reconnect with your friends.

You may be tempted to think of yourself as Ebenezer Scrooge. Don't, and boil anyone in his own pudding who calls you "Scrooge." You are honoring Christmas in your own heart and keeping it always. Christmas for one, anyone?

"Did Your Personality Choose Your Career?Angela Butera Dickson We almost all think we are masters of our own fate. While it is true that we all make our own choices there are many things that influence what we choose. Ask yourself: Why do some people choose professions that help only themselves while others of us choose professions that help those in need?

Health and wellness professionals all share the desire to help others. Our work is commendable and very important, but why do we choose the profession we're in?

Professionals in the "caring jobs" share some unique qualities. We're almost always creative, sensitive and nurturing. We also almost all share a willingness help others in every way possible and suffer pangs of guilt if we say "no." Our willingness to help sometimes comes with a price. It leaves us vulnerable to burn out.

"some clients can be draining to even the most enthusiastic wellness professional"

Burnout is often the result of a professional feeling overwhelmed with his or her job responsibilities. Let's face it caring for others can be a burden. Even if you love your job facing unmotivated, clients can be draining to even the most enthusiastic wellness professional. Add to this any inside pressure from trying to make a decent living, dealing with negative attitudes of coworkers or pressure with sales commissions and you're on the road to feeling more negative yourself.

Caregivers tend to burn out more quickly than others because we typically put the needs of those around us first. By the time we are through dealing with the issues of our clients, families and friends we have little left for ourselves.

So how do you deal effectively with those clients who seem to have a "seek out and destroy" personality? Simple, you learn to develop your own "repair and replenish" skills now and make them an important part of your everyday routine.

Make it a point to be more aware of your surroundings. Try to notice the little things that bring joy to your life and take a moment to reflect on them.

Learn to say "no" - not all the time but some time. When someone asks for another piece of your time, a little more of your energy, or is looking for you to commit to their newest project, take the time to know if it's the right choice for you. Make it your personal policy to never give an answer that you haven't had at least 24 hours to think about there's much to be said for the adage of let me sleep on it.

Nurture yourself with a trip to the gym, a visit to a day SPA, tickets to your favorite play or concert. Even a leisurely walk can be a rejuvenating gift.

Talk, talk and then talk some more. Find peer professionals that share similar values and goals and talk about work. Some think it's taboo to talk about work on your days off but in reality it is important to be able to share your feelings and frustration with someone who understands how you feel and their feedback can be very helpful.

Vacations aren't just what other people do. You earn the time too. Take your vacation time all together or in shorter bursts. What ever works for you is fine just take those days and forget about work for awhile.

Sometimes a nurturing personality can open the door for our own wellness to suffer and it is up to each person to find the tools that help to keep them on track and healthy. By learning to say no, nurturing yourself, becoming more aware of your surroundings, talking to a trusted peer and taking a break when you can, you'll be able to find a healthy balance in your professional and personal life leading to greater business success and satisfaction.

* Registered US Copyright, Angela Butera Dickson, 2004

"Eight Steps to Taking Control of Every Situation in Your Life!"Terry Rich Hartley, Ph.D. Like it or not, we are all gladiators. We go to sleep and wake up in a social arena from which there is no escape. Challenge upon challenge confronts us, walls restrain us, and a mob of spectators mocks, sneers, or cheers us. Each and every day brings new battles whether we want them or not and whether we're up to them or not. Life forces us to face one skirmish after another - no choice in the matter.

What we can choose, though, is which kind of gladiator to be, victor or victim.

Being a victim in this social arena translates into having bad relationships.

Most people are victims - victims of their own perceptions.

That's because people don't develop and listen to their own unique, authentic self. Rather they allow their mental spectators - those little tyrants rattling around in their heads - to tell them second by second how to fight their battles, what they can and cannot do. These tyrants applaud and they hiss, they encourage and they discourage.

These mental spectators are the memories of the judgments of real-life people. For example, it's the memory of your aunt saying, "I hope you marry someone rich, because you're not going far on brains." It's the echo of your father growling, "You've got a back problem - no spine."

And their influence over your relationships can't be overestimated.

Millions of people accept the judgments of their mental spectators as the truth and, therefore, the mediocre results that come from believing those judgments.

With so many people living this way, the question becomes, is this the way I have to live? Fortunately, the answer is not unless you want to.

Once you identify your mental spectators - and your interactions with them - you can move beyond victim and assume the role of victor.

What it takes are eight steps for getting command, eight steps you can apply to most any situation you want altered. You can positively influence your relationships, your employment options, any aspect of your life.

Let's look at the steps.

1. Define What Ails You.

Ask, what's my problem? Am I a jealous weasel, troubled that others have what I want? Am I ticked off most of the time? Am I sad and whiney? Anxiety ridden? Moody? All of the above? Without this step, you're doomed. It will take personal courage, but you won't get results without identifying what ails you.

2. Discover the Effects.

Ask, how are my problems affecting my life? Am I a lousy parent, a friendless dork, a backstabber, a slut, a drunk, a junkie? Am I none of the above, but someone who is less than I could be? This step requires absolute self-honesty, but the truth will help set you free.

3. Seek the Source.

Ask, from where are my problems coming? Who are my real and my mental spectators? What do my mental spectators look like, say, and do? Exactly who or what is keeping me from taking command of my life? This could be one of the most incredible experiences of your life. You will look into the abyss and see who is looking back.

4. Identify Your Role.

Ask, how am I contributing to my problems? What is my responsibility in all this? Did I decide to be a garbage disposal? Do I beat myself to death trying to please others? Do I expect things of myself that are unfair? Do I treat myself as a friend or an enemy? Do I allow my mental spectators to drive me to distraction, depression, anger, anxiety? Recognizing your role in your own problems is a positive - but scary - step toward knowing yourself and gaining personal command.

5. State Your Desires.

Ask, what do I specifically want to do about my problems? Do I want to be a doormat, a slut, a drunk, a friendless geek? Or do I want to rule my mental spectators? Do I want to stand up to a spectator, real or imagined, who puts me down? Do I want to take command of my education, my bank account, my relationships? Until you can actually list your desires in the order of their importance, you will be a victim. However, once you do this, you are on your way to being a victor.

6. Seek Options.

Ask, what are my options, and in what order should I place them? What is the first option I should concentrate on? The second one? The third? If you have a soul-sucking hangover most mornings, you might opt to give up your booze buddies for some real friends. Secondly, take the money you normally spend at bars and deposit it in a college fund for yourself or your kids. If, instead, you're a workaholic and you want to spend more time with your kids, then DO IT. Very few people on their deathbed have said, "If I could live life all over again, I'd spend more of it at work and less with people I love." Choices are involved here, but by weighing options and alternatives, and then making personal choices, you are taking command. Do this and you'll begin to gain real power.

7. Learn Winning Techniques.

Ask, how do I rule my real and my mental spectators? Must I collapse in a heap when they point thumbs down? How can I learn to take charge on every level and get a grip on my life? There is no "magic" involved, but you might feel as if there is. Unlike a vanquished gladiator falling at the whim of spectators, you decide your own course.

8. Master Your Relationships.

Ask, what more can I do to master my relationships by strengthening myself and my perceptions? How do I take command right now in developing my own identification and self-worth? Congratulations! You're working on the one person in the entire world you can work on - YOU! And any improvements in yourself can't help but enrich your relationships with other people and the world around you.

Although this is only a brief overview of each of the eight steps for jump-starting your relationships and taking control of your life, you'd be amazed at how significant the effects of a few minor adjustments in perception can be.

"How do I date beautiful women, even celebrities?" my idiot client askedJohn Alanis Are you a guy who's interested not only in dating beautiful women, even celebrities, but would like to get beautiful women to approach YOU first? Can it really be done? The answer is an unqualified "yes" IF you know what to say and do, and what to avoid saying and doing.

Most guys have no clue about the day to day life of stunningly beautiful women. They have no idea how many times a DAY these beautiful women are approached by guys whose obvious interest is to "sex them up." And for celebrities, it's even worse. Day in, and day out they hear the same thing: "oh you're such beautiful women do you have boyfriends can I take you out" and on and on and on. Beautiful women simply become numb to guys asking them these questions, and tune them out.

Now, that's not to say these beautiful women don't want to meet men because they do. Many of them desperately. But beautiful women like a guy who'll say something different to them, something unusual, something that will create attraction in them. And most of all beautiful women crave a man who "defines authority" for them, one who is not intimidated by their looks (or fame). Let me give you an example.

I'm in the business of teaching other guys how to get desirable, beautiful women to approach them first for a date, no matter their looks, age or income (see www.womenapproachyou.com). And while I rarely take clients, occasionally I'll make a mistake and let someone talk me into helping them.

A few weeks ago I was working with a guy who was desperately in need of help. Like I always do, I asked him, "What specifically do you want in beautiful women? What don't you want? And most importantly, what's your ideal experience with a woman?" Most of guys, of course, have no specific answers to these questionsand if you don't know what you're looking for, it's extremely difficult to achieve any measure of successwhether with beautiful women or in any area of your life.

This guy, amazingly enough, didn't pause with his answer: "I'd like to sex Paris Hiltonand other beautiful women" he leered. I was a bit taken abackapparently I don't speak the "new lingo." "Sex Paris Hilton," I said. "What the heck does that mean, sex Paris Hilton?"

"It means I'd like to get with her you know, sex her up, sex Paris Hiltonor a woman like her." Ah-ha. "So your goal is to share a few adventures with celebrities, or beautiful women who look like celebrities?" He nodded eagerly"I'll settle for a look-alike," he said, "but what do I say, what do I do to get beautiful women to even speak to me?"

Here's what I told him in regards to beautiful women: first off, get all thoughts of lust out of your head. If you want to spend time with beautiful women, you need to get to know them as people first.

Here's what to do: when you see a beautiful woman (or beautiful women) you want to approach, look her in the eye, and smile slightly, using your "naughty little boy smile." Your intent is to make her smile back at you, while you continue to hold her gaze, and smile wider and "naughtier." Look for something unusual about her that few other guys would notice, and bring it to her attention. For example:

"You look like a well-conditioned athlete what are you training for?"

"Hmmm, that's a most unusual tattoo what made you decide to get that particular one?"

"That's a very professional looking business suit what's the occasion for dressing so professionally?"

"You have a great energy, much like my friends in the martial arts what kind of physical training do you do to have such a great energy or is it just natural?"

Or if all else fails, "What are smiling about remembering something that makes you grin?"

The key is to notice something about her environment, and ask her an open ended question letting her know you're sincerely curious about her. Don't tell her, "you're a beautiful woman and I like beautiful women." She's heard that. You want to give her an opportunity to talk about herself, something few guys ever do. They're trying to impress her, instead of shutting up, listening and letting her impress herself about you.

By doing this, you let her know you're interested in her as a person (as opposed to a sweaty piece of meat), that you appreciate her beauty (and beautiful women) but you're not intimidated or especially impressed by it, and that you need to hear more before you let her into your life. When you do this, you will stand out from the crowd that asks her the same questions over and over and overand she'll be more than happy to pick YOU up! (for more great tips, see www.womenapproachyou.com)

"Is Your Career Your Calling or Just a 9 to 5?"Yasmeen Abdur-Rahman Do you remember your parents asking you what you want to be when you grow up? By the time I was in the 9th grade, my mother started asking me that same question until I graduated from high school. At that time I wasn't 100% sure what career path I would take, but I had several ideas.

Your calling is that passion that you have deep inside the career that defines your purpose in life. Someone once told me if you find a job that you love you'll never have to work a day in your life. Some of us work in careers for so long that we are numb on the inside and outside. We go from appointment to appointment and our days are so mundane. We hardly get any enjoyment out of what we do because it is just another 9 to 5. Have you recently said, I could do this job with my eyes closed?'

People who choose a career, instead of their calling, wake up disappointed that they have to go to work. They hate facing another day. If you find your calling and pursue it, life will become an adventure and not just another 9 to 5.

Ponder over these statements:

• Your passion directs you to your calling.

• A calling is who you are.

• A career is what you do.

• A calling is 24-7-365.

• A career is a 9 to 5.

• A calling is what you would do for free.

• A career is what they have to pay you to do.

• A calling cannot be measured with money or fame.

In conclusion, take a few moments to ponder over what is going on in your life today and figure out if it compensates towards your calling. Listen to your mind, body and soul. Don't worry about what others will think or even if they will agree to whatever calling you move towards. Live your life as if tomorrow is your last day on Earth. Enjoy today because tomorrow isn't definite.

"Pretend Interest" and Apathy... What To Do About Them!Sue and Chuck DeFiore According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary "apathy is defined as the following: lack of emotion; lack of interest; indifference".

Wow, that's pretty depressing. However, look around you. Don't many of you work with people with this attitude. I don't, because I run my own business. However, I can remember when I worked for others and how many of the people I worked with fit this description. At that time, I couldn't understand how they could be that way. While I left corporate America, for my own separate set of reasons, apathy was certainly not one of them.

Unfortunately in the business that Chuck and I run we also see too much apathy. Of course, we get people who show what I like to call "pretend interest". They figure if they pretend an interest in something else, maybe no one will notice their apathetic behavior.

The individuals who pretend an interest in creative real estate will call us, and want us to guarantee that they will succeed (without any effort I might add). NOTE: NO ONE CAN GUARANTEE YOUR SUCCESS BUT YOU. Or they will want to know how quick they can make a million dollars (again, without doing any work). Or, how do I know it will work for me, in my area. As far as their area, creative real estate works in most areas. However, will it work for them, that I can't answer. They have to decide if they are going to work at it or not, they have to put the effort out. I put effort out every day and get rewarded for it. I realize, however, "if there is no effort, there is no reward". For these individuals, because they are so apathetic about everything, of course it won't work. They don't want to work. They are too indifferent.

If you find yourself with the above characteristics, and want to make a change do the following. Find something you have an interest in, that you are not indifferent to, and watch your emotions soar. I am not telling you to quit your job, unless you really want to or need to. Look at your job in a different light or look for something you would like to do, and research it. Find out how you can start it in your spare time, or part time, and build it up so you can get out of where you are. Once you do that you'll have a new purpose for yourself. Put all of yourself into it, heart and soul.

Don't let apathy make you say, "I'm not good at anything", "I don't know what I want to do", etc. These kind of statements are just perpetuating your apathetic behavior.

If it is not your job that is making you apathetic, take a good hard look at yourself, and be honest so you can find out what it is and do something about it. Sometimes it is as easy as finding a new hobby, or doing something special for yourself - dinner, a movie, walking, whatever, will make an enormous difference. If that doesn't help, go talk to someone on a professional level, but do something to remove the apathetic behavior, and I don't mean by using "pretend interest".

As Nike is so fond of saying, "Just Do It!"

Copyright 2003 DeFiore Enterprises

"Ready, Fire, Aim"Jeff Earlywine Does the sub-title to this edition of Footprints and Monuments sound familiar? It does to me in a very real way. When I was a teenager my dad and I loved to go hunting. We would hunt whatever animal happened to be in season at the time, and anything else that moved. Especially snakes, but that is another story.

On one hunting trip my dad and I were about thirty yards from each other waiting for a particular kind of bird to fly over. I was ready. My gun was loaded. My mind was focused. I was going to "out shoot" my dad on this trip. Well, as I was sitting in my "ready" position I accidentally pulled the gun's trigger. Boom! As my shotgun let off a great blast I realized that my gun was pointing just a few feet from where my dad was sitting. Obviously, I fired before I aimed and almost killed my father in the process.

I see something similar in people's personal and professional lives all the time. Many get themselves ready with advanced education, power thoughts, and influential friends, but they fire before they aim. Aiming is a planning process that takes time and must be done before you can fire your way into a successful life, organization, or relationship.

You may ask, "I know how to get ready, and how to fire, but how do I take aim and then fire?" Or, "Is this just another goal setting exercise?" No, this is actually an exercise in life planning. In order to take aim your must know where you want to go, and what your passion is.

I have listed several questions below that will spark the creative part of your mind and help you establish your aim so that you will be able to achieve the kind of life, organization, and relationships you want.

Life Planning with accurate AIM:

• Where do you want your life, organization, and relationships to be in five, ten, or twenty years? One way to answer this is to draw a picture. This picture will give you purpose, passion, and energy. It will also keep a visual in your mind as to what you are aiming at.

• What standards of excellence, consistent growth, and specific review of progress do you need to set?

• Do you have someone in your life to hold you accountable so you don't fire before you are ready or before you have taken aim?

• A good system is better than a good friend when comes to life planning, therefore, what is on your to-do list today that will help you become more like your picture tomorrow?

"Success In An Ever Changing World"Jeff Earlywine February 2003

Footprints and Monuments

"Success In An Ever Changing World"

By Jeff Earlywine

Well, it's that time of the year again. No, I don't mean the time of the year when the flowers bloom and the days get longer. What I am referring to is the sound of roaring engines and the waving of green and checkered flags. That's right, it's racing season!

Which brings me to my point; success in racing is always found in the ability to make the right changes at the right time. In racing, the person responsible for calling the right changes at the right time is [interesting enough] the crew chief. This crew chief position is much like an organization's CEO, president, team leader, manager, boss, you. All these people strive for success, and the smart ones know when to make the right changes.

ENSURING IT'S A TEAM EFFORT

The best crew chiefs have as their top attribute the ability to get every member of their team pulling in the same direction. If a team has even one guy steadily complaining that the driver can't get the job done, or the rear tire changer is performing poorly, or the jack man is just too slow, it's trouble for the team and any crew chief who expects to succeed must put a quick end to this sort of thing.

ONE LEADER MULTIPLE WAYS

A good crew chief also has to have a very good working knowledge of the racecar. He has to be a little bit innovative as well. He must have the mentality that allows him to feel that even though something has been done one way for years, it might be worth trying a different approach if the old one no longer produces results. The best crew chiefs are those that are open and receptive to change.

A racing team is going to assume the personality of its crew chief. People on a racing team must want to work for a crew chief because they not only like him as a person, they like the way he handles things. A crew chief must inspire confidence. He can do that through hard work and dedication two things that will certainly rub off on those other members of the team.

TALKING THE SAME LANGUAGE

Communication between crew chief and a driver is vital. Being a crew chief not only means setting up the race cars but it also means being able to talk a driver through a race. Crew chiefs have to really understand the inflection in the comments made over the radio by their drivers during a race to really understand how the racecar is running. For instance, when a driver answers "pretty good" to the question of how a car is running, it's the way in which he inflects those words that gives a good crew chief the understanding of whether the adjustments needed on the car are a half round or maybe two rounds. It's only over time that this communication between driver and crew chief gets refined to where there's no doubt over what's being said.

Are you a "crew chief" in your organization? Has success been determined by the changes you have made? The following is something that you may have heard, but it is something basic that we need to keep in mind when making changes.

• If you make the wrong change at the wrong time you have failure

• If you make the right change at the wrong time you have resistance

• If you make the wrong change at the right time you have low performance

• If you make the right change at the right time you have success

"What Can I Do To Improve My Job-Interviewing Skills?"Paul Shearstone Whether you're a student job seeker or a polished and proven executive, the first thing you must come to terms with is, "Regardless of the position you seek, you are now in sales!" The product you are selling is YOU! The interview is your opportunity to differentiate yourself in the eyes of your customer [the interviewer] when compared to your competitors [other job applicants].

Successful companies today are focused on building what's known as, corporate "Unique Value-Add Propositions." Simply put, a unique value proposition is designed to differentiate companies / products and services, by making a decision to do business with you, an easy one. This is accomplished by means of removing the risk in customer's minds through obvious value-add.

So before you go into an interview, ask yourself, "What is my unique Value-add for this company? What can I say, do, or show, that will separate me from all other candidates?" And, "How convincing am I?"

There is no secret that in many cases today, the most qualified, are not always the ones hired. Sadly, many qualified individuals lose out on opportunities expressly due to their inability to distinguish themselves [in the interview] by showing unique value-add. You may then ask, "How does one construct a value-add interview?" The process is surprisingly simple.

#1: As quickly as you can, write down all the words that describe your unique strengths that relate to the position to which you're applying. [Note: Five words are not enough. Try for at least fifteen / you may also ask others for their input].

#2: As quickly as you can, write down all the words that describe your potential weaknesses as they relate to the position to which you're applying.

#3: Turn each word into a sentence or statement. It does not have to be complicated. For example, if one of your strength-words was, "experience" you could simply say, "I am experienced." [Note: Do the same for your weaknesses list as well].

#4: Take each sentence / statement, and turn them into a question. "I am experienced" becomes, "Why am I experienced?"

To answer the question, "Why am I experienced?" automatically brings to light your real Value-Add. From a selling point of view, being experienced' may be true, but it is only, however, a fact. "How specifically, am I experienced, and, How it will therefore benefit the new company," is the real Risk-Removing, Unique-Value-Add-Information needed to showcase your talents.

Knowing the answers, ahead of time, to questions like, "Why is [this] a potential weakness for me - for this position?" is equally integral to the success of any interview.

Remember that in business, The degree to which you cannot provide a unique Value-Add Proposition is in direct proportion to the degree you hurt yourself, your company and your industry. In any job interview, You are the company. The product you're selling is YOU!

For more detailed information on Interviewing Skills, visit [www.success150.com]. On the Speaker Profile' page, there is a hot-link to "The Art of the Interview" There you can order [$5 Admin-Fee] an E-Book that guarantees better interviewing results. It details the specific types of questions trained interviewers will ask and the reasons why they ask them. The do's and don'ts of a good rsum's as well as ways to better prepare mentally for an interview. All in a comprehensive easy to read format.

*Just Released: The Art of the Interview on CD ROM [Narrated by Paul Shearstone] Please send $19.95 usd + $5 S&H to:

Paul Shearstone

c/o Success 150 Group Inc

7305 Woodbine Ave, Suite 458

Markham Ontario Canada

L3R 3V7

(P)Refer to Grow Your BusinessMiami Phillips (Although this article is geared towards small business owners, the information is just as applicable to a similar personal situation, only the action is slightly different.)

Here is the scenario. You have begun your day at work. Your day is planned ahead, with the big challenges first. You want to finish these up, get them out of the way and take a little time off this afternoon for yourself. You deserve and need it to stay your best for your family, yourself and your customers.

Just as you get into your first task of the morning, the phone rings. "I need help right now!" It's Joe Blow, your most troublesome customer (friend).

For the last six months, Joe has been coming to you with his problems (never challenges or opportunities) expecting you to drop everything and help him. From the very beginning you realized it was probably a mistake to have taken Joe on as a customer. No matter how much you charge Joe for your services, Joe will never be satisfied, and you will never make a profit.

Joe, and customers like him, seem to have an innate ability to attract problems as honey does bees. Of course he blames everyone else, waits until the last minute, and calls you to bail him out.

What do you do?

Don't. By fulfilling Joe's needs for instant gratification, and allowing him to create a habit of calling you instead of installing disciplines of his own you are hurting not only him, but you as well.

Don't bail him out. Be honest with him, and yourself. Refer him to someone who can help him if necessary. Try this: "Joe, although I appreciate your business, in my opinion my company is not serving you in the manner you require, and this is not a good fit for both of us. With your permission, I am going to refer you to a company that I believe will be a much better match for your needs."

You should have a list of at least 100 people of every profession to whom you refer business and expect them to return the favor. You haven't done that? Refer Joe to an organizational, or business coach. Refer him to a competitor. Let them have him. You get rid of him and saddle them at the same time! Seriously though, you need to keep your priorities in line and in focus. Customers like Joe, no matter how well they pay, are seldom profitable when you factor in time, actual costs and energy consumed.

Focus on the customers or clients you want to attract, and make sure you have room in your business when they do show up. They always do.

Your Coach and online friend,

Miami

Miami Phillips

Helping others find their path - and stay on it.

www.creativemasterminds.com

Quotation of the Week

Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them.

W. Clement Stone

Traditional Treatments for Back Pain... Which Ones Work and Which Ones Don't?

When Dorothy followed the yellow brick road, she was told to do so by those who wanted her to get where she wanted go. Well as humans when we blindly follow recommendations even by individuals who have good intentions, it may not always be your best option. So I'm preparing this article to compare and contrast what are known as traditional treatments vs. complementary or alternative treatments for back pain. Remember there is rarely only one reason for your back pain and almost never one silver bullet fix you may need to try several approaches till you find what works for you.

So when reading this article and thinking back on your visits to medical professionals, did you have the big picture or were you just following that yellow brick road? If you have been down that road, or if you are just starting to suffer from back pain it's never too late to seek out new and more encompassing information about your condition when trying to find a solution that works for you. Don't say you've tried everything because you haven't... your solution is out there and you just have to find it!

Orthopedic Care

One of the first places many people go when they experience back pain is the orthopedic specialist (surgeon) and a visit usually last 5-10 minutes. They will typically look at the problem/symptomatic area and often fail to look at the body as a whole. If you've been to an orthopedic specialist for your back pain, did they do a full body physical evaluation (takes 30 mins. or more)??? Not likely.

Here are some of the common treatments used / prescribed by orthopedic specialists:

Cortisone Shots

Cortisone is a catabolic steroid which is intended to reduce inflammation by killing off the tissue in the inflamed area now let me ask you, does that make any sense to you at all?

Not only are these injections quite painful, but they rarely result in any pain relief and if they do it is short lived, usually 1-2 weeks if at all. Plus, it does NOTHING to identify or address the cause of the pain it is only intended to treat the symptom. It's for those reasons that we do not recommend them.

Anti-inflammatory Drugs

Just the name should scare you away just like cortisone shots, anti-inflammatory medications do not identify or address the cause of your pain and for many people, they deliver little pain relief. These medications also deliver serious side effects! The main reason they are prescribed is money and if you don't believe me, do the research and you'll see for yourself. The drug industry is huge and unfortunately, they have a huge influence on the whole medical community, including the doctors.

I challenge you to find a drug that will fix your back problem you'll be looking forever because there is no way a medication can fix a physical problem so avoid medications at all costs!

Back Surgery

Surgery for back pain is very common and more often than not, the individual still has pain afterwards (or it returns within weeks) and sometimes even new problems! Very rarely is a surgery the answer...

for example, many people have surgery for herniated discs. The logic behind the surgery is if you remove the piece/portion of the disc that is putting pressure on the nerve the problem is solved. Unfortunately, the same forces that forced that disc to protrude or bulge will likely force more of the disc out, or another disc out.

Surgery should always be the last resort... and even then I'd question it!

Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy is traditionally the next step after seeing an Orthopedic Doctor. That is if surgery is not recommended. So what should you expect? The process will start with an evaluation and here may be the start of the problem here is why. the doctor has to write a prescription with a diagnosis on it. You give the prescription to the PT and he or she will perform an evaluation... chances are the PT will simply confirm the diagnosis from the doctor, however the hope should be that they take the extra step to look for the root cause of your pain. They may but chances are they have several other clients in the office at the same time and simply do not have the time.

So without a comprehensive evaluation to identify the root cause of you pain they will simply treat your symptoms. We have just identified the second problem. The health care industry is required to show improvement with each and every session so the push is to reduce your symptoms to show progress in order for them to get paid. The long and short of it is that yes your pain can be reduced but the root cause rarely gets addressed, meaning that the pain and your suffering will return again and again.

So what should you do? When selecting a Physical Therapy office you may want to ask how many patients the office sees in a day and how many PTs they have on staff... then ask how many patients can a PT work with in an hour. Do not be surprised to hear that a PT can see up to three patients in an hour. That's you and two others at the same time. Do you think you will get the attention and proper treatments you need? I doubt it.

There is a little joke in Physical Therapy when treating patients and it has to do with what course of modalities you will get. The joke is called Shake and Bake and it refers to everyone gets the same treatment protocol that way it can be timed so that your PT can see other people simultaneously. What goes into a shake and bake treatment? It may start with a spin on a stationary bike or a trot a treadmill than you will get a 3 to 5 minute Ultrasound over the effected area followed by Electrical Stimulation to the area with a little Ice strapped to your body and to finish off your session you will get a hand out with exercises you should do at home. Certainly not a recipe for success!

Chiropractic Care

One of the most common treatments for back pain is Chiropractic Care. The approach consists of physical manipulations of bones and joints in an attempt to line things back up and it's recommended typically 2-3 times per week.

The problem with this approach is that the same forces (muscles, tendons, and ligaments) will likely pull the bones and joints right back out of place again. Also, most (not all) chiropractors will spend 15 minutes with you if your lucky.

Ask people who see a chiropractor how long they've been going I hear of people who have been going for 10-15 years and still don't have a healthy back. Look, the fact is chiropractic care is lacking

Unless the chiropractor combines the two approaches, it doesn't make sense

The ONLY way chiropractic care makes sense is if you are addressing the muscle imbalances that are pulling the bones and joints out of place to begin with and that requires strengthening and stretching exercises that are chosen specifically to correct your muscle imbalances.

Alternative Treatments for Treating and Eliminating Back Pain

Massage Therapy

Massage therapy, if done correctly can work wonders for people with back pain. This is not to say that it is the best choice and that it will work for everyone however, most people will get great results from it if the massage therapist has a good understanding of muscle imbalances and how to work on them.

NOTE: Not all massage therapists are the same! Just like any profession, there are varying degrees of training and qualifications. When selecting a massage therapist please check to see if they are licensed and insured in the state where you will be seeing them. You should also ask the massage therapist if they have training in one of the following areas: Orthopedic massage, Medical massage, St. Johns technique and/or has a comprehensive knowledge of muscle imbalances relating to back pain. With that said the benefits are as follows. The root cause will be identified, your discomfort will be addressed and you root cause will be corrected all in an attempt to make you pain free and give you the tools you need to keep you that way. What to expect when you see a massage therapist.

All massage sessions are one on one allowing you the opportunity to converse with the therapist as well as get the attention you need to get results. You can ask questions about how you compare to other people. Feel free to ask the therapist what approach they will be taking so that you know what to expect. The massage therapist has many different techniques they can use when to dealing with you back pain and some are better than others. On the down side sometimes a therapist can get distracted with other problem areas, it is in your best interest to keep them focused on you back and associated problem areas. Like anything else you may need to try several different therapists before finding the one that works best for you and with you.

Post-rehabilitation Fitness Training

Another overlooked form of treatment that is very effective is post-rehabilitation fitness training. This includes targeted strength and flexibility work to correct / improve the individuals muscle imbalances. This service can only be performed by certified post-rehab fitness trainers and there are limitations to what they can do for you. For example, they can not diagnose a condition, prescribe any medications take x-rays, etc however, if they are well trained they can pinpoint your muscle imbalances quickly and get you started on a fitness program that will restore balance to your body and likely eliminate your back pain.

Often times this can be combined with massage therapy and/or manual physical therapy for a total solution. If you decide to go this route, which I recommend you do, be sure to thoroughly check out the fitness trainer and ask to see their certification, insurance, references, etc.

Manual Physical (muscle) Therapy

Manual Physical Therapy is NOT the same as regular physical therapy there are some major differences and here are just a few:

1. Manual therapy consists of hands on muscle work primarily whereas traditional physical therapy consists of heat, ice, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, etc

2. Manual therapist will typically perform a much more thorough physical evaluation

3. Manual therapists will usually be able to spend more time with each patient

4. Manual therapy is more holistic in it's approach and focuses the body as a whole unit something lacking from nearly all traditional treatments for back pain.

So before you say, "I've already tried physical therapy" did you try manual physical therapy? They are two very different treatment approaches and I highly recommend you consider manual physical therapy.

Conclusion

As you can see traditional treatments are the main stay of modern medicine not necessarily for the patients benefit, but it's just how the system works best for itself. The system will not change until the system is confronted with a very powerful competitive force. That force may well be complementary or alternative care from the likes of Personal Trainers, Acupuncturists, Massage Therapists, Manual Physical Therapists, and the like.

So that's what we've tried to do force change. The traditional treatments that people have been receiving for decades just doesn't work, and we have found a combination approach that not only works the best, but it's safe, natural, and inexpensive. Check out our "Lose the Back Pain" video now it will show you how to identify the cause of your back pain and the show you the exact combination of steps to take to eliminate it.

If you have tried other treatments with little or no relief/improvement, you owe it to yourself to try this approach so take charge of your health and get started now working towards not only a pain free back, but a healthy and balanced body! Only you can fix your back all you need is the right approach!

Warning: This article is not intended to be medical advice however its intent is to make you a better, smatter and more informed client. The more you know and understand about your medical condition the better off you will be when it comes time to make the hard choices. As well as communicating with medical professionals.... believe me it will make a world of difference.

Treating Chronic Mutational Hepatitis B with Chinese Medicine Vitalliver (Vigconic Suppositories)ZHANG GUAN HUA, LIANG CHAO, ZHENG WAN PIN Treating chronic mutational hepatitis B with Chinese medicine Vitalliver (Vigconic suppositories)

ZHANG GUAN HUA, LIANG CHAO, ZHENG WAN PIN

Chengdu University of TCM, Hepatitis Laboratory in the attached hospital of Chengdu University of TCM, Sichuan, China

Research Method:

Quantitative determination by contrasting HBV-DNA of cases before and after the treatment.

Number of cases: 25 (n)

Case Selection: Between the age of 16 and 65, in accordance with the diagnosis standards pf chronic Hepatitis B, with negative e antigen and positive e antibody, HBV-DNA > 1104 cp/mL.

Detection Method: All the blood samples are detected by Sichuan Clinical Detection Center; PCR-ELISA quantitative determination is used within detection range of 1104 - 1107-8, HBV-DNA, unit of measurement is cp/mL.

Direction Plan: one suppository provided by Vigconic (International) Ltd. Bid. The course of treatment is six months, the tracing observation after withdrawal lasts six months.

Observation index:

1. HBV-DNA response after the treatment.

2. Lasting HBV-DNA response (six months after withdrawal).

Criterion of Therapeutic Effect:

1. If HBV-DNA volume 1104 cp/mL: 4/25 (16%)

2. Lasting response:

HBV-DNA volume 1104 cp/mL: 2/25 (8%)

Among the results of lasting response, 16 blood serum samples are detected through fluorimetric quantitative determination PCR by the instruments of PE.USD, H-7700 in the second attached hospital of Guangzhou Medical College. The result is in accordance with that in Sichuan Clinical Testing Center. (8 cases among it < 1102 cp/mL). The testing range of this testing method is 1102 - 1107-8 cp/mL.

Conclusion

The reason for the repeatedly abnormal liver function of Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) patients lies in the repeatedly duplication of HBV after infection, which leads to fibrosis of liver, then cirrhosis and liver cancer. It is commonly accepted that if CHB shows the transformation of HBeAg/Anti-HBe, HBV-DNA becoming negative, liver function returning to normal state, the disease is relieved. However, parts of patients with the transformation of HBeAg/Anti-HBe still remain positive in HBV-DNA and the pathological change in the liver continues. Because HBV-DNA occurs promoter mutation in the anterior C section (1896 necleoside G-A variation) or in the C section (1762 nucleoside T variation, 1764 G-A variation), HBeAg cannot come into being. Therefore, the HBeAg in the patient's blood cannot be detected, while the virus can keep on duplicating and fixing itself. Through sequential assay of nucleic acid, it proves that promoter mutation appears in 30%-60% of HBeAg negative Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) in the anterior C section or in the C section. In some provinces and cities of the People of China, the percentage of promoter mutation appears in HBeAg negative Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) in the anterior C section or in the C section is from 17.6% to 78.9%. Eight out of the 25 cases of our observation go through the sequential assay of nucleic acid carried out by the Department of Microbiology of the University of Hong Kong. It all proves to have HBV-DNA mutation. The chronic mutational Hepatitis B is infectious and apt to cause cirrhosis and liver cancer since the present medicines of antivirus and immuno-modulator do not produce the expected therapeutic effects.

Vitalliver suppository is made up from a formula of Chinese herbs, including Ginseng, Deer Horn, Cordyceps, Radix Astragali, Frudctus Cnidii, Semen Cuscutae, etc. The formula is mainly for strengthening the body resistant and primarily for reinforcing Kidney Qi, which produces good therapeutic effects in treating chronic mutational Hepatitis B. The mechanism is probably that through the regulating of immune system, the duplication of virus is inhibited and meanwhile the liver is protected, so it can produce a lasting therapeutic effect. No adverse reaction and severe accident happens during clinical observation, so it is safe for using. Vitalliver is bringing hopes to the treatment of chronic mutational Hepatitis B.

* The second stage of clinical trial would be carrying out by the Microbiology Department of the University of Hong Kong and Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

For more information, please visit: http://www.vigconic.com

Or, contact:

William Yip cs@vigconic.com

5/F, Cheung Wah Building, Sheung Heung Rd,

Kowloon, Hong Kong

Tel: 852-27656200

Fax: 852-27645314