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"Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goal."- Joseph Cossman

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Photo taken by "StarMama" posted on Flickr.com (CC). Click on the photo for a full size image. Enjoy!

" As I reflected on this past year, I realized that 2007 has been perhaps my best year ever. It’s funny, because that’s what I thought about 2006, but my years seem to be getting better and better.

And so I reflected on what made these past two years so great, and how I could leverage these successes for even further improvement. I’d like to share some things I’ve learned about the past two (very great) years, and how you might be able to use them to make this next year your greatest year yet.

1. One goal. This will sound crazy to many of you who have so many goals you’d like to accomplish. And trust me, I know how that feels. I started out 2007 with a whole bunch of goals, but I only accomplished about half of them. I didn’t realize how things would change for me during the year, and anyway, 9 goals is too many. "

.... Read the rest of this article from "zenhabits.net" at: http://zenhabits.net/2008/01/7-essential-tips-to-make-2008-your-best-year-ever/

"Jack Canfield is an internationally known expert in the areas of self-esteem, peak performance and the psychology of achievement. His insights in The Secret have helped millions discover the awesome power of the Law of Attraction. Now, in Maximum Confidence, Jack Canfield will help you to develop winning habits that will pay off everyday. Empowering you to celebrate and capitalize on your strengths and accept your weaknesses without guilt or remorse.

In this program, he'll show you:

* Why you should associate with nourishing, rather than toxic, people.
* How, by using your mind, imagination, emotions, body and intuition, you can create a positive focus.
* How to rid yourself of anger, guilt, or sadness.
* How to use the Total Truth Process to boost your confidence and personal power.
* How to eliminate the drain of incomplete tasks.
* The importance of celebrating your strengths and affirming your success.
* How to adopt the "so what, do it anyway" philosophy.

And much more!"
Read the rest of this review and others at Amazon.com: Maximum Confidence: Ten Secrets of Extreme Self-Esteem

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"The most important thing about having goals is having one."- Geoffrey F. Abert

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Photo taken by "multi_everything" posted on Flickr.com (CC). Click on the photo for a full size image. Enjoy!

" IT’S a pickle of a paradox: As our knowledge and expertise increase, our creativity and ability to innovate tend to taper off. Why? Because the walls of the proverbial box in which we think are thickening along with our experience.

Andrew S. Grove, the co-founder of Intel, put it well in 2005 when he told an interviewer from Fortune, “When everybody knows that something is so, it means that nobody knows nothin’.” In other words, it becomes nearly impossible to look beyond what you know and think outside the box you’ve built around yourself."

.... Read the rest of this article from "nytimes.com" at: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/30...

"Finally, a weight-training book that doesn’t treat women like weaklings!

If you believe what most women’s magazines tell you, muscles can be “shaped,” “toned,” and “sculpted” with nothing more than a little dumbbell that weighs less than a can of peas. But muscles aren’t modeling clay, and the only way to transform them is to strengthen them. The New Rules of Lifting for Women is for the woman who’s ready to throw down the “Barbie” weights and start a strength and conditioning program that will give her the body of her dreams. The book puts to rest the shop-worn notion that women who train with heavy weights will bulk up. Nonsense! Women simply don’t have enough testosterone to pack on muscle like a bodybuilder. Here’s the truth: lifting weights not only makes you stronger, it also makes you leaner. In fact, most women would have to run twice as long to receive the same fat-burning benefits as weight lifters. A better workout in less time may sound too good to be true, but champion trainer Alwyn Cosgrove creates six months’ worth of workouts that will build strength, burn fat, and rev up the metabolism. His total body workouts target all the major muscle groups, and each exercise is accompanied by clear black and- white photographs that illustrate proper technique and form.

A nutrition plan is another key feature of the book. To gain strength you have to feed muscle, and nutritionist Cassandra Forsythe has designed a regimen to achieve this goal. She strongly recommends small, frequent meals and offers meal plans, along with fifty recipes, to satisfy women’s special needs through breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. The New Rules of Lifting for Women will become the standard for smart women who take their fitness goals seriously."
Read the rest of this review and others at Amazon.com: The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess

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"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."- Saint Francis

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Photo taken by "Sam Meztli" posted on Flickr.com (CC). Click on the photo for a full size image. Enjoy!

" Courtesy of Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging

It is becoming increasingly clear that a host of illnesses - including heart disease, many cancers and Alzheimer's disease - are influenced in large part by chronic inflammation. This is a process in which the immune system becomes off balance, and persists unnecessarily in its efforts to repair the body and repel pathogens. The prolonged process results in damage to healthy tissue as well. Stress, lack of exercise, genetic predisposition and other lifestyle factors can all promote inflammation, but poor diet is perhaps the main contributor, and the ideal place to begin addressing inflammation. "

.... Read the rest of this article from "DrWeil.com" at: http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART0201...

" Learn to make the right decisions to achieve greater success

Each of us has a different idea of success. Whether you strive for money, power, happiness, or love, your personal choices, the actions you take, and the relationships you choose to invest time and energy in, will determine whether you reach your goals. Internationally recognized leadership coach David Cottrell will show you how to make the right choices, even when they’re hard.

There are character choices that define the person you will be on the road to success. Cottrell shows you how to make The No-Victim Choice to overcome roadblocks, and The Integrity Choice, to listen to your gut and do the right thing, even when it’s not the easiest thing to do.

There are action choices you make to continue on your path to success. The Persistence Choice encourages you to bounce back from failure and learn lessons that will lead to your future success. The Do-Something Choice lets you to stop dreaming and start doing the things that will make you happy and successful. "
Read the rest of this review and others at Amazon.com: Monday Morning Choices: 12 Powerful Ways to Go from Everyday to Extraordinary

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"Be not afraid of life. Believe that life IS worth living and your belief will help create the fact."- James Truslow Adams

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Photo taken by "tillwe" posted on Flickr.com (CC). Click on the photo for a full size image. Enjoy!

" New Year's Eve has always been a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, forward to the coming year. It's a time to reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make and resolve to follow through on those changes. Did your New Year resolutions make our top ten list?

1. Spend More Time with Family & Friends Recent polls conducted by General Nutrition Centers, Quicken, and others shows that more than 50% of Americans vow to appreciate loved ones and spend more time with family and friends this year. "

.... Read the rest of this article from "about.com" at: http://pittsburgh.about.com/od/holidays/tp/resolutions.htm

" A bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide is a great thing to have around the house. It's an inexpensive, earth friendly alternative to a great number of toxic substances you might use daily. Patricia already covered hydrogen peroxide's disinfectant qualities but let's see what else the stuff can do:

1. Rinse your veggies. 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide in a sink full of cold water is said to rinse away pesticides and prolong freshness. "

.... Read the rest of this article from "greendaily.com" at: http://www.greendaily.com/2007/12/29/5...