Disappointments happen to all of us. No matter where we are, who we are or what vocation we are involved in, disappointments are bound to happen sooner or later.
Even in the closest of relationships, including family, friends or associates, disappointments do happen.

For many people, when they face disappointments from people, their common reaction is to withdraw from other people around them. They take the issue or event very hard, and avoid other people. They seem to want to take out the anger of their negative experiences on other people.

For a long time, such people remain out of touch, withdraw into their shell, throw pity parties and just remain incommunicado.
Others keep the memories of the hurts for so long that it keeps on hurting them again and again.

The best way to handle disappointments, when they come is to first of all avoid the source. Don’t hang around in the same place where the event or person that caused the hurt in the first case has a large presence.

Staying on there will keep on reminding you of the event, and cause you much pain and grief.
The best way to be detached in such a case is to remove yourself far from the source of the disappointment. You might need to relocate to another place, avoid contact with the person or place or you might have to change a few things around you so that you don’t have to focus on the negative development.

You might need to change your circle of friends. The point is that certain things have to change in your life in the immediate, after you have experienced a case of disappointment.

Secondly, you need to get some one you can trust to talk to about your experience. This could be a trusted friend, a counselor, a minister or mentor. You need someone on whose shoulders you can cry. You need someone whom you can bare out your mind to, without any fear or shame.
You don’t need a critical person, who is going to criticize you at that moment when you are low. You need someone who will allow you to cry, express your frustrations and emotions without condemning you either in words or actions.

Don’t be ashamed to pour out your mind to this person. It helps to really talk when you are faced with an experience like this.
Talking it out is part of your healing process and will help you to get over the disappointing experience faster.

Femi Gbadamosi is a columnist with three of the top daily newspapers in his native country of Nigeria (population-140million). Every week, large numbers of people read his write-ups on various issues and topics of interest to the society. Visit his sites at http://www.femigbadamosi.wordpress.com or http://www.opportunitiesglobal.com for more exciting articles other resources.

In his book “Straight from the Gut,” former CEO of General Electric, Jack Welch, says that when interviewing candidates the most important question you should ask is: “Why did you leave (or why are you considering leaving) your last/most recent position?” He states that the answer to this question is not only a precursor of future behavior, but also gives you, the hiring manager, valuable insight as to candidate’s thought process when making important decisions. So if money is the only factor luring them away from their current position, chances are they’ll leave their new position when a better offer comes along. I don’t disagree with this line of reasoning; I’m fortunate to have experienced firsthand the inter-workings of a Welch-run organization (he was my boss for four years, having cut my teeth with the appliance division right out of college). I think GE does a terrific job identifying and developing management talent. An important part of their corporate culture is to promote from within, made easier by the fact that they have a massive workforce of people to choose from. However, with job-hopping becoming more and more prevalent (and professionally acceptable), I don’t feel the answer to that question gives you enough information about the candidate and his or her career expectations. When your work for an organization the size of GE and switch jobs every eighteen months you’re considered ambitious, but when you switch companies with a high degree of regularity in order to improve your situation you’re viewed as being flaky and indecisive.

Having been part of numerous interviewing teams at GE, one of the questions we often asked (straight out of the Interviewing 101 Handbook) was “What do you see yourself doing five years from now?” At the time I didn’t place much weight on the candidate’s response (unless it was totally something out of left field) because this question typically elicited a generic, corporate answer that rarely influenced me one way or another. I’ve always believed that if you have the ability to bring significant value to an organization then people are going to recognize it and new opportunities will present themselves all the time. So how could you know what you’re going to be doing five years from now any more than you know who’s going to be calling you on the phone in the next five minutes? This is not an invalid question; however, I don’t think the average candidate knows how to appropriately answer it nor do I think the average interviewer knows what they should be looking for in the candidate’s response. This is an essay/take-home question; one that requires an honest and thorough self-analysis and the off-the-cuff answer generally does not provide any insight worth considering during the evaluation process.

So the one question I always ask when interviewing candidates is essentially a hybrid of those two. It does a great job of opening up a targeted dialogue, one that gives me a broad perspective of the candidate’s accomplishments and expectations and helps me draw conclusions about their career path and overall potential. I ask, “Can you walk me through the last 5 years of your career?” This gives you a range of information as opposed to just focusing on their last position. For example, it doesn’t necessarily raise a red flag for me when I hear someone say they didn’t get along with their immediate supervisor or that they disagreed with the overall direction of the company. However, if they didn’t get along with the last three supervisors they worked for then we’re establishing an alarming pattern. Jobs are not forever and for most of us the days of going to work for one company and staying there rest of our career are over with. That being said, I like to establish a realistic timeframe for employment longevity in a particular role when conducting a search, both with my client and the candidates. Typically, it’s in the three to five year range. So the follow-up question that I ask all viable candidates is, “Were you to accept this position, is this a role you feel you would enjoy doing every day for the next five years?” If you have done your job as a recruiter (or hiring manager) and provided the candidate with a thorough overview of the position and its expectations, then the timeliness of their response will tell you everything you need to know about how they view the position’s long-term potential. It is particularly insightful when you ask this question in a face-to-face setting, because it’s typically not one that candidates are used to hearing. An immediate “Absolutely!” is a good sign. Raised eyebrows and a pensive look are not. Keep in mind that this is not a qualifying question: it’s a dis-qualifying question. An affirmative response does not carry anywhere near as much weight as a negative one does. Remember, most people are not fired or displaced from their jobs; they leave on their own free will. Odds are your employees are going to leave you before you decide it’s time for them to leave. So when you have a candidate that visibly shows hesitation at this question, or gives some indication that restlessness is likely set in after a period of time, then it’s time to wrap up the interview and move on to the next person.

Thad Greer is an Executive Sales Recruiter and the Managing Partner with Priority Recruiting Solutions, Inc. http://www.priorityrecruiting.com, a nationwide retained, executive search firm headquartered in South Florida. He can be reached at 888-EZ2-SEARCH or thad@priorityrecruiting.com. His blog, “Confessions from a Serial Recruiter”, http://serialrecruiter.blogspot.com serves as a resource for employers and job seekers alike.

Free radicals are bad cells that cause permanent damage to cardiovascular system. In an effort to protect and improve cell growth, antioxidants play a significant role. You may have heard of some of the well-known antioxidants such as: acai and lycopene. These are just two of the antioxidants which are found in the supplement resveracine, formulated by Dr. Chappell.

While your body has built natural methods of antioxidants in order to neutralize the free radicals, today’s environment and other lifestyle factors have increased free radicals in our body. Vegetables and fruits play a central role in improving one’s health. Some of these nutrients which are now components in the supplement resveracine include: curcumin; quercitin; lycopene and the acai berry.

In addition, research has determined that high blood levels of selenium decrease the risk of advanced prostate cancer. In fact, selenium is another ingredient in resveracine. Some of the phytochemicals, such as those mentioned above include: lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin (also ingredients in resveracine), and are derived from tomatoes; carrots; watermelon; kale and spinach. Phenonols, polyphenols, and phenolic compounds, which are acids, can be found in grapes; blueberries; strawberries; cherries; grapefruit; cranberries; raspberries; blackberries; and tea.

The connection between these antixodants is that they are all contributing to the promotion of cell growth, and can be obtained by taking a supplement such as resveracine. While having a glass of red win may blur the mind; this supplement contains all of the necessary components without the fuzzy after-effects.

Check online and read all about resveracine and how it can promote cardiovascular fitness and control cholesterol, as well as other benefits to your health.

You can learn more at http://www.1thinkhealthy.com/Resveracine.html

Let’s face it, we’re a society on the go. We have cell phones clipped around our ears, email in our pockets, and our schedule at our fingertips at all times. So it stands to reason that more and more pieces of equipment that were traditionally relegated to the office are now being designed to come along with us. One such piece of equipment is the portable printer.

Streamlined for efficiency and designed to be as compact as possible, the portable printer goes where you go, giving you the immediate ability to print important documents that just can’t wait - no matter where you are at the time. Of course, the largest benefit of the portable printer is to the business traveler who can print documents via their laptop anywhere from the airplane to a hotel room; the convenience is priceless for the traveler who must maximize the use of their time.

And, while it packs a punch when it comes to efficiency and functionality, the portable printer, on average, is less than five pounds, making it easy and comfortable to transport in a briefcase or pocketbook. A large percentage does not even require an electric power source and, instead, operate on batteries.

When looking for a portable printer you can shop brand, size, capabilities, and price. Most of the large computer manufacturers make a portable printer design so you can rest assured that you’ll be getting a reliable, quality product. The functions that the portable printer performs vary by model and are largely confined to printing volume and speed. Of course, in general, the printing volume capability of the portable printer will directly impact its weight and size; so choose accordingly. These may also be the more expensive of the models, but if you are relying on your portable printer to produce multiple copies with a professional look, then it’s certainly worth paying the price.

The portable printer - like many items hitting the market today - is simply indicative of the ever-growing trend of convenience products that promise to revolutionize the traditional work environment.

For easy to understand, in depth information about portable printer visit our ezGuide 2 Printer.

Why is it that men want to find out about how to look their best, but unlike women, they don’t talk to their friends about it? Is it that men are so afraid to admit they want to do what it takes to look their personal best? Is it that they learned from childhood and the media that men aren’t supposed to be “into” such things? Is it that they have a fear they will seem feminine if they want to take better care of their skin or hair? Observing men at the skin care counter at various department stores one gets the feeling that before they approach the counter, they look both ways to make sure no one is watching them! God forbid anyone they know may be there and what could be worse then if they walk over to say hello and they’re holding a tube of skin cleanser - what will they think? For whatever the reason is, it’s time men let go of the stereotypical thoughts that prevent them from achieving looking they way the want to. It’s okay to tell your best friend that you found a skin cleanser that you really like. It’s okay to tell your significant other that you found a face scrub that is great. It’s okay to bring up to your guy friends that they must try a moisturizer, shaving cream, razor, etc. that you really like. It’s okay to tell one of your guy friends that they could have better skin if they started taking better care of it.

Men’s grooming products, including skin care, shaving products, hair products, etc. are a booming business. Millions of dollars are made by companies who realize that men want in on looking great. It’s wonderful that we have so many choices these days, but it’s time to start talking about it! Thanks to the internet men can buy products on line without anyone knowing. This is great because we have so many options and you don’t have to leave your home, or risk being seen purchasing such things at the stores. But I ask the men of the world, please consider being more open about your grooming with your friends. Let’s make it easier for the coming generations. If we start now, the labels in the minds of people who judge will change over time.

On another note, there are men who want to look their personal best but don’t have a clue about what to do. In the book “Grooming Secrets For Men” men can finally find out exactly what to do! Everything from how to have perfect skin to how to trim unwanted body hair, to getting the closest shave without irritating your skin, and other great tips are covered. The best part is you can do it all from the comfort of your own home. Be proud of wanting to look your personal best! Remember, the goal is to look your personal best. Be real with yourself and remember the goal is not to look like the guy on the cover of some magazine, but to look the best YOU can look. Another benefit of doing what you can to look your best is that you will feel better about yourself. This of course leads to higher self-esteem and more confidence - what a winning combination to experience!

In conclusion, do your best to look great, be brave and proud to go to the skin care counter to try or buy products, start telling others about what you’re doing to look so good, and always remember that when you do what you can to look your best, you feel your best, and nothing is better than looking and feeling your best.

Author David Scott Bartky helps men all over the world look their best with the techniques and advice offered in his book “Grooming Secrets For Men” which can be found at http://www.thestylishman.com

Have you developed bad daytime habits that are detracting from your ability to get a good night’s sleep?

Take a look at the following to see which daytime habits you’re violating that could very well be impacting the quality of your sleep. Consider your own personal habit and sleeping success and then take to heart that you can sleep better simply by making a few changes in your routine.

Exercise

In a word… exercise is beneficial… even as it pertains to you getting a better night’s sleep. However, having said this… strenuous exercise done in the early evening or later can adversely affect your ability to fall asleep. Why? Because exercising raises your body temperature and it won’t begin to fall for several hours; and it is much easier to fall asleep when body temperature is lower.

If you exercise late in the day, consider altering your workout time. Getting your exercise out of the way 5 or 6 hours before you plan to go to bed is ideal. This allows your body ample time to re-regulate its temperature and to cool off to a level that’s much more conducive to sleep.

Now this is not to even remotely suggest that you stop exercising. You reap an abundance of benefits - including better sleep - by getting daily moderate exercise.

Caffeine

Most people are very aware of the affect of caffeine and won’t drink caffeinated coffee at night because they do realize that caffeine is the antithesis of sleep. But be mindful that coffee is not the only beverage containing caffeine. Soda, tea and some energy drinks (remember your workout) also contain this stimulant; therefore, you should avoid any of these types of drinks in the afternoon and evening hours. And if you’re prone to wanting just a bit of a pre-bedtime snack, keep in mind that chocolate also has caffeine. So eating that little sliver of chocolate cake, ice cream or pie just to take the edge off before you turn in can have an undesirable effect on your sleep for the night.

Caffeine affects individuals at various levels of intensity so there is no hard and fast rule about its consumption that applies to everyone across the board. However, if you are trying to evaluate all things that might be adding to your inability to sleep well, think about how caffeine might be impacting your sleep. Try eliminating your caffeine consumption in the afternoon and evening for a few days and note any differences in your sleep.

Alcohol / Nicotine

A big misnomer surrounding alcohol and sleep is that it helps you sleep better. Alcohol can certainly bring about sleep faster, but it may cause you to wake more often during your sleep period. Nicotine withdrawals occur while you sleep so the perceived need to light up may cause you to wake more frequently.

Just as we discussed with caffeine, stop consuming alcoholic beverages at night for a few days and see if you feel more refreshed in the morning. And kick the nicotine habit once and for all… you’ll sleep better and be healthier!

Food and drink

By now you probably know those foods that get your stomach on the wrong side of the street; especially those that can cause heartburn. Without a doubt, any type of food that you eat that is going to cause some form of physical discomfort - even though only temporarily - is going to adversely affect your night’s sleep.

Tomato-based (acidic) foods/beverages and spicy foods are the biggest perpetrators of heartburn. Even a little heartburn is only going to intensify when you lay down. This is going to cause even more discomfort during sleep and cause you to wake often during sleep. Drinking a lot of liquids in general isn’t a good practice as you approach your sleeping time as you run the risk that you will have to wake frequently because you’ll have to urinate more.

Napping

Everyone loves a good nap… and many times a good nap is just what your body and your mental psyche may need… but be careful about developing napping habits. Napping might cause later sleep disruptions by disrupting the workings of your inner clock or by causing you to need fewer hours of sleep during the night.

If you must nap… then nap only briefly, say no longer than 30 minutes or eliminate napping entirely and see if doing so enhances your sleep time.

For more important information on getting a good night’s sleep be sure to visit http://www.sleep-good.com where you will find advice and tips on sleep habits insomnia, sleep apnea, snoring, and more.

Acne affects about 80% of all teenagers and adolescents. This skin condition is so common among young people that it is considered a normal part of growing up. Acne skin care is something that everyone should be familiar with. In the majority of cases you don’t need to resort to professional skin care to help your child with acne and to help prevent outbreaks as much as possible.

Many people wonder about the cause of acne and how they can prevent it and have healthy skin for the rest of their lives. If your teenager is suffering from acne, he may be experiencing a tough time emotionally and as a parent you want to be able to help him with this. You need some knowledge about acne skin care if you hope to help your child cope with this condition.

Most adolescents get the skin condition around the time of puberty. Girls get it at about 11 years old and boys at 13. It may last through the teen years and even into the twenties. Most professionals agree that there is no prevention for acne. If you are going to get it, you will get it regardless. However, there are things you can do to affect the severity of it.

Types of Acne

To understand acne and how to help your teen with it, you need to know what acne really is. There are two basic types of acne that exist:

1.-Non-inflammatory– has a few whiteheads and blackheads on the face, may appear sporadically.
2.-Inflammatory– has whiteheads that become inflamed and pimples or cysts develop.

Acne causes inflammation and blemishes to appear on the skin usually on the face but also on other parts of the body such as the neck, back, shoulders and even the buttocks. Samples of blemishes you could have include:

–Whiteheads
–Blackheads
–Papules
–Pustules
–Nodules (severe acne)
–Cysts (severe acne)

Acne Myths

With something that has been around as long as acne and that affects so many people, it is no surprise that there are a lot of myths floating around regarding it. Everyone claims to have some home remedy or quick fix to help with the problem of acne but you must be careful with what advice you take and make sure you learn to recognize the myths from the facts. If you want to help your teenager get through this skin condition, you need to weed through the myths and discover the truth.

–There’s no scientific evidence that junk foods or chocolate cause acne or make it worse.
–Still, some people notice certain foods seem to trigger acne.
–Poor hygiene, oily skin and hair do not cause acne, but can impede treatment.
–The idea that the sun improves acne by drying out greasy skin is not correct.
–Washing your face multiple times throughout the day will improve your acne. (once or twice normally is enough, over washing can cause more trauma to the skin of the face)
–Exercise will not make acne worse. Clogged pores due to sweat from exercise can irritate the condition.

The exact cause of acne is not known but studies have shown many contributing factors that can make your acne worse. Whether your child has oily skin, dry skin, combination skin, pimples, a rash or painful cysts and ulcers, it’s important to know what skin care will work for acne. There are also basic hygiene tips that will help your teenager improve their acne skin.

Treating Acne

Here are some things you should make sure your teenager is doing to help clear the skin from acne.

1.-Wash your face once or twice a day with usual soap and cleaner.
2.-Avoid food or drinks you believe to be a trigger.
3.-Avoid sleeping with makeup on.

4.-Avoid heavy makeup or makeup altogether if it seems to make it worse. (makeup clogs the pores)

Medications

You may choose to try over the counter medications to help improve the acne skin. If home remedies for your acne skin care don’t work, see a dermatologist. Drugs can be prescribed for more severe cases, including gels, creams and oral antibiotics. Doctors may surgically drain large abscesses. There are also medications and treatments available to help with acne scarring.

Don’t assume that your teen will just naturally outgrow acne and tell him to ‘get over it’ or ‘wait it out’. Lack of treatment will cause the acne to get worse and can even lead to permanent problems and scarring later. This is not even considering the emotional trauma that goes along with a teen that has acne. The face is the first thing people notice about you and the teenage years is a time when looks matter quite a bit.

Acne Scarring

Unfortunately, scarring is a common problem associated with teenager acne. The acne will eventually clear up as your child grows older but scars can remain for a lifetime. The more severe the acne, the more severe the scarring that results will be.

There are different methods of removing or lessening the affects of acne scarring but be warned that most are very expensive. They include:

–Laser treatment
–Filler substances
–Dermabrasion and microdermabrasion
–Chemical peels
–Topical treatment
–Keloid scar therapy

The best method is always prevention as much as possible. What are some ways your teen can prevent acne scarring?

1.-Never pop, pick or scratch at your acne blemishes.

2.-Always wash your hands thoroughly before touching the face or applying treatment.

3.-Always apply treatment exactly as described.

4.-Don’t over-wash the acne skin and cause more irritation.

5.-Keep your acne as controlled as possible (with your doctor’s help).

Remember: the more you mess with it, the worse you can make it.

Proper skin care is very important to the treatment of acne. These tips will help you get the most of your results and help your teen cope with this common skin condition.

Simon Petch is a successful writer and Internet Publisher providing valuable tips, advice and product reviews on all aspects of beauty care including skin care products and perfume.

In a world where we all live enormously stressful, jam-packed lives, any relief from the chaos can be most welcome at any turn. As participants in our own balancing acts, we strive to find those respites that give us shelter in the storm of our daily lives; exercise, reading, dancing - the choices are endless and very personal. Massage therapy, used in this capacity, can be a wonderful way to relieve tension and stress; it’s no wonder that more and more people are turning to massage to enjoy its vast physical and emotional benefits.

Massage therapy can be traced back to ancient Chinese medicine - the first writings of which can be seen as far back as 2,700 B.C. in Chinese medical reference books. But massage was used throughout ancient cultures for medicinal purposes as it increased circulation, boosted immunity, and promoted speedier healing.

Today, massage therapy continues to be used for healing purposes; its practice can be seen in hospitals and medical offices around the country that use it in tandem with more traditional practices. Intensive care units and infant nurseries use it as part of their daily practice and you will often see massage therapy used in labor and delivery rooms to ease the pain of childbirth.

But today, massage therapy is used more often in spas across the world catering to the relaxation-deprived masses. There are many different varieties of massage therapy - all tailored to meet specific needs and tastes. Swedish massage, the most popular type of massage therapy, utilizes long, slow stroking to reduce tension and sooth muscles; deep tissue massage therapy uses stronger, more focused kneading to work deeper muscles; hot stone massage therapy provides therapeutic heat via smooth, warm river stones; pregnancy massage works to relax and sooth the tired joints of a mom-to-be; the list of massage is endless.

Deciphering between the different types of massage therapy includes the determination of personal tastes and goals. Work with a licensed massage therapist to help you decide what works best for you.

For easy to understand, in depth information about massage therapy visit our ezGuide 2 Massage.

No single source of food gives you all the vitamins you need except for breastmilk. Because a breastfeed baby gets all the nutrients it requires from its mother breastmilk it’s vital that a nursing mother is getting all the vitamins she needs.

Breastfeeding is the best way to give your baby all the nutrients it needs to grow and thrive. And, as a breastfed baby gets all its vitamins for her mother’s milk, it’s important that a breastfeeding mother is getting her daily quota of vitamins; you get out what you put in.

Amongst other nutrients, such as minerals and protein, vitamins play an important role in your baby’s development. A nursing mother should be aware of what vitamins are important and what part of her diet provides these vitamins.

Vitamin A and C, and the B group

Vitamin C is needed every day for a baby to develop well. Vitamin C helps our bodies to fight off infection and disease as well as helping to heal wounds. Vitamin C also plays a role in preventing anaemia (lack of iron in the blood). Vitamin C can’t be stored in the body, so we must eat food that gives us the vitamin C we require. Eating fruit and vegetables is the best way to get vitamin C. Citrus fruits especially are a great source as is papaya, broccoli, strawberries, cauliflower and kale. Some breastfeeding mothers may need more vitamin C than others, especially when overcoming a cold, surgery or some form of injury. In these circumstances, it is a good idea to increase your intake of foods rich in vitamin C.

Vitamin A (also known as retinol) helps in the formation and maintenance of healthy skin, hair, and mucous membranes. It is also necessary for proper bone growth and tooth development. Unlike vitamin C, which is water-soluble, vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. Good sources of vitamin A include cheese, eggs, oily fish (such as mackerel), milk, fortified margarine and yogurt. Liver is also a rich source of vitamin A but is to be avoided during pregnancy. However, after birth a breastfeeding mother can eat liver but, because it’s such a rich source, if you already eat it every week, you might want to choose not to have it more often.

There are many B group vitamins. Vitamin B12 (also known as cobalamin) is needed for the production of new cells. It also contributes to a healthy nervous system and is involved in the making of fatty acids. Vitamin B12 is only naturally found in foods that come from animals such as meat, fish, eggs and milk. It is very rare for a woman who eats animal foods to be deficient in B12. If you are a vegan breastfeeding mother then you may need to eat foods that have been fortified with vitamin B12. You might also consider a B12 supplement.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is important as it helps our bodies to absorb calcium, which is important for bone development and strong teeth. Babies who don’t get enough vitamin D are at risk of developing rickets - a softening of the bone that causes curvature. Vitamin D can be manufactured by the body when our skin is exposed to natural sunlight. However, many mothers - especially during winter - don’t get enough sunlight for their bodies to make enough vitamin D. Foods like salmon, tuna, liver and kidney are good sources of vitamin D. Also, many foods are now fortified with vitamin D such as breakfast cereals and margarine.

If in doubt about your recommended daily amount of vitamins needed while breastfeeding, you should first consult your doctor. But, if you have a well-balanced diet, and eating the 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day as recommended, the chances are that your baby is getting all the vitamins it needs.

Visit breast-feeding-information.com to find out more about a healthy breastfeeding diet. You can also learn more about the benefits of breastfeeding as well as getting advice on what is the best nursing bra for you.

If you’re like many who enjoy the piano, you’ve probably been mystified as to how someone can just sit down and play without sheet music.

It seems like an impossible feat. But there’s a method to the mystery. Pianists who can improvise know what they’re doing and understand the fundamentals of improvisation.

Now, if you’re a newbie at this, It can be confusing to say the least! So many keys and so many choices! But you won’t have this problem if you start out using a few chords and a way to play them.

For example take a look at the lesson Reflections in Water. Here we have a lesson that shows you how to create your own unique music using just 4 chords. The chords are from the Key of C Major and have a very “modern” feel to them.

To play this improvisation is quite easy. The first thing you need to do is familiarize yourself with these chords. Once you get them in your fingers and have committed them to memory - the rest is easy!

We now take these 4 chords and create our improvisation. We use chords, the scale of C Major and the element of time to create with. These are our materials. Much like visual artists who use color and canvas, we musicians use rhythm, harmony, and melody to create with.

We start out with the C Major 7 chord and notice that with this chord structure we get a modern sound right away! No need to start with triads. You can begin your study of piano improvisation with something called the open position chord and get creative quickly.

When you listen to the lesson “Reflections in Water,” notice that the music is quite slow. This is done on purpose. My goal was not to rush and come up with something sophisticated. On the contrary, my goal was to show you how easy it can be to simply finger a chord and create music. Something you can achieve if you put your mind to it!

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Visit www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html now and get a FREE piano lesson!