Modify your Spending The economy is bad and you still want to spend. It seems too difficult to control, but if you do not stop you will face grave financial consequences. Does this sound like you? Do you want to know why you are spending despite your budget crunch? Do you want to know how to stop this reckless spending? You will learn an easy technique by reading this information. The following paragraphs highlight the unhealthy motivations for spending and offer suggestions for how to successfully modify this impulse. Why we spend There are two main reasons we spend money: 1) we need to purchase necessities and 2) we are inherently impulsive with behaviors that alter our mood. This article will focus on the latter because it is purely unhealthy. Impulsive... (more...)

When it comes to your health, there are things you can do to influence your luck in the healing process.  I have composed my top three methods for getting better faster and sometimes even changing a terminal situation. 1)    First, keep a good positive outlook.  I am sure you all have those friends who always seem to be sick.  If someone around them catches a cold, they catch a cold.  If someone around them has a sore back, they have a sore back.  They are constantly complaining about what ails them.  Much of this, I believe, exists because that is what they are attracting to themselves. Seriously, if you keep on telling yourself that your back hurts, eventually your back will start to hurt.  It really is mind over matter. It always... (more...)

Make and Accept your own Luck We often thank luck for good things that happen to us and blame luck for our misfortunes. Have you ever thought that luck might be the product of our own minds or the effects of predetermined events dictated by energetic, spiritual, or theistic forces? These are questions I have contemplated since I began to realize that what I have considered luck (good or bad) in my experiences might really be the result of my own unconscious beliefs, what I attract to myself through my thoughts, and (my) God blessing me with good graces or pointedly challenging me for reasons that make sense only after considerable introspection into how I am living when these challenges are bestowed upon me. In the following paragraphs I will... (more...)

Are you communicating with your spouse? Communication is given much lip service, no pun intended, by relationship experts. While most couples understand that communication is important for a long lasting and healthy relationship, its definition eludes them. Conceptually, the need for effective communication in healthy relationships is clear. However, applying good communication skills is far more challenging. Why is this? For starters, in order to use effective communication, we have to know what it means. Is talking good communication? Is listening good communication? While these are important elements of effective communication, they are not solely effective. There are several levels of communication that need to be understood before success... (more...)

Have you ever wondered or asked yourself: Why don’t I start exercising even though I want to? Why don’t I maintain my exercise program when I start it or resume when I get off track? Why don’t I eat right when I know what is and isn’t good for me? Here are some effective ways to conquer the thought processes and feelings that interfere with diet and exercise maintenance. How much do our thoughts and feelings affect our ability to begin and maintain an exercise program? In my experience as a bodybuilder, trainer, and psychotherapist, I have found that about 90% of one’s ability to maintain a healthy diet and begin and engage in a regular exercise routine is directly influenced by his or her thoughts and feelings. Most people start... (more...)

Too often life is shaped and influenced by the opinions, judgments, and direction of others. We live in a society that encourages and reinforces approval from external sources. We are evaluated at work, by our families and friends, and by our neighbors and passing acquaintances. Our families want us to succeed, we compete with our friends and neighbors for wealth and status, and we pay close attention to how our acquaintances perceive us. Essentially, we have extreme pressure to gain approval from those involved in our lives, from our closest family members to our most distant acquaintances. Why do we seek approval? It is human nature to seek approval because it is at the foundation of our early experiences in life. We all work as children to... (more...)

Divorce affects nearly 60% of our nation’s population. It does not discriminate among race, age, occupation, social status, socioeconomic status, or religion. Nearly everybody knows someone who has been divorced. It has become such a common social phenomenon that it is almost expected of marriages in our time. It has become the focus of jokes, television programs, movies, and marketing campaigns. What is lost in all of the sensationalizing and legitimizing of divorce is the devastating impact it has on children. When children experience divorce, they feel at fault or believe that they should have been able to keep their parents together. They experience guilt and depression, and they often assume parental roles in the family to replace the... (more...)

With today’s changing economic times it is always nice to know that you can still impress your sweetheart without going broke in the process. I have put together twenty-five of my favorite dates which cost less than $25.00. 1) Movie night: Get a movie free from the library or from your local video store, pop up some buttery popcorn, and get some special movie sized boxes of candy. Now all you have to do is put the movie in, turn the lights down, and enjoy the quiet and comfort of being in your own home. 2) Putt Putt: It is always fun to act like a child again and a good way to do it is with a game of putt-putt. Up the odds by wagering a back rub for the winner. 3) Art Exhibit: Most local galleries will have monthly art exhibits. Sometimes... (more...)