Real estate leads are as good as gold to a real estate professional - literally. The real estate leads you follow up with today are your clients tomorrow and your paycheck a month from now. Much of your time as a real estate professional is spent generating real estate leads and converting those leads to clients. The advent of the Internet and its emergence into main stream culture brought a new tool to real estate agents in the late 90s: online lead generation services.

Nowadays, the majority of people looking to buy or sell a home or do anything real estate wise are going to the internet first. Years ago, people would get ready to buy or sell, and then walk into a local Realty office and get themselves a real estate agents. Now, they can start researching real estate anywhere from 3 months to 5 years before they actually make a move! That means real estate professionals need to come up with new ways to catch these real estate leads early, so they have time to work them and turn them into clients. There are two major ways to do that now: purchasing a lead generation service and paying for real estate leads and creating your own website with contact pages to generate your own real estate leads.

Which way is better? Truthfully, if you’re not doing both, you’re not being as successful as you could be. Any real estate professional who wants to be a top producer NEEDS their own personal website with homeowner information, contact forms, a blog, etc. That way real estate leads can FIND you on the web.

On the other end, the majority of top producers out there not only have their own website, but they also subscribe to one or more lead generation service, such as HouseValues or GetMyHomesValue. Companies such as these sell real estate leads to agents either at a monthly subscription price, or having the agent pay per lead. These services set up websites offering homeowners free home value information in exchange for their contact information. Basically, a homeowner goes and fills out a simple form about themselves, their contact information and their home and submits it to the company’s website. The company in turn, gives this “lead” to whatever real estate professional they have subscribed in that lead’s area and it is up to the real estate agent themselves to work up the value and follow-up with these real estate leads.

Each lead generation company does things a bit differently: for instance, GetMyHomesValue offers exclusive leads - where the lead is given to one and only one agent in the area, whereas other companies out there will sell the same real estate leads to several different agents. HouseValues has extensive e-mail drip campaigns and scripts to make follow-up a bit easier for agents, while GetMyHomesValue has their staff attempt to contact the leads several times for the agent and then leaves the rest of the follow-up to the individual agent.

The criticism most of these lead generation companies receive has to do with what actually constitutes real estate leads. Because these “leads” are filling out information online, they can often give fake information to avoid being contacted. This then makes it harder for the agents to follow up with the leads.

The successful agent, however, does not give up with confronted with real estate leads that give a property address and e-mail address, but a bad name and number. A great agent will exhaust all options of follow up before scrapping ANY lead, such as using public directories like the White Pages online, tax records of the property, reverse look-ups, etc. They will e-mail the lead on a weekly basis and even stop by the property listed in order to determine who actually submitted the lead.

What happens when the owners of the property claim they did not request their home value information, nor are they looking to sell? The no-so-hot agent will be angry at the waste of their time and blame the lead generation company for selling bogus real estate leads. The HOT agent will introduce themselves anyway, offer their services in any way they can and hand out a business card, then lead the home content in the knowledge that although they may not have gotten to the bottom of the lead, they did just add another prospect to their pipeline of real estate leads.

Online lead generation tools are a HUGE asset to real estate professionals - when used correctly. To be successful with real estate leads gathered online, you’ve got to be ready to work hard and long. You may not convert the lead for 6 months, a year, even two years, but as long as you’re working your real estate leads and keeping your name in their head, you’ve got a leg up on the competition.

Get more information on real estate leads by visiting GetMyHomesValue.com.

Ashley Lichty is a webmaster and the resident SEO of Web Xtreme, Inc. She has a background in real estate and marketing with emphasis in writing.

The fact that babies are the cutest and most precious things in the universe can generally be agreed to by everyone on the planet. I have yet to meet a new parent or grandparent who does not want to immediately begin taking pictures of their bundle of joy. Why then, is there usually such a HUGE discrepancy between a really cute baby and a truly mediocre picture of the really cute baby?

Some parents go their entire life without ever capturing stunning baby pictures. And by “stunning,” I don’t mean one taken at a professional photography studio. A stunning baby picture is one that captures the true essence of the baby. For a parent or grandparent to never capture that Over the Mantel photograph, is truly a shame because it really IS NOT that difficult, once you know how!

Like everything else in life, knowing a few key ideas and seeing some examples, makes a world of difference. Let’s begin with some tips for taking stunning pictures of a newborn infant - through 3 months of age.

Baby Poses: 0 - 3 Months

Think of this period in your baby’s photographic life as the molding stage. Like Gumby, you can pretty much place the baby in any position you want. No guarantees how long they will stay there, but if you have all the camera details worked out beforehand, you can position & shoot pretty quickly. (If someone else is posing the baby while you are already in the perfect camera position, so much the better.)

This is the time to capture those adorable little Baby Bits. They will never look cuter than at this age! To view the images described in this article, click here. These images demonstrate some key points:

• At this age especially, baby feet (or hands, eyes, noses, etc.) alone can make a wonderful photograph. Use your camera’s macro setting and/or crop carefully.

• Just because you start with a color image, does not mean you have to end up with one. Black & White images can create quite an impact. Check your camera and photo-imaging software for ways to make the transition from color to black & white fairly easy.

• When you add a parent’s hand(s) or face to the picture, an entirely different effect is created.

Play with Perspective

As far as infants, forget what you’ve always done and try something different. For example, get at eye-level with a sleeping baby, but position yourself at their feet. Then focus on the feet while the head is still in the frame, but looking small and further away. As stated above, the images will make this clearer.

Believe it or not, you could easily take 100 photographs of a sleeping baby, and never take 2 that are identical. An outstanding photographic exercise would be to snap off 50 images, each one from a different angle and perspective; using different focus points and aperture settings. Don’t worry; you won’t run out of ideas! The huge advantage of digital photography is the ability to take tons of photos and delete the ones you don’t like. This allows great creative liberties.

Once you begin to think about photographing babies in a unique way, all sorts of new posing ideas will emerge. I’ll guess that most people never use the macro setting on their camera. And, if they do, it’s only for small objects, insects, or flowers. However, for something different, use the macro setting and focus on a small distinctive area of your baby, such as the face.

With the use of a tripod, focus solely on the eye, thus pushing the nose and everything else out of focus. Experiment with how tight a crop is necessary to produce the desired effect. This can produce an almost mesmerizing effect. Although more challenging with babies, it is possible (and very dramatic) to catch the reflection of an object in the baby’s eye. For that type of image, an extreme crop would be optimal.

This article is a partial excerpt from Oh Baby! Turning Memories into Masterpieces.”

Robert Bezman is a professional photographer whose website http://www.best-family-photography-tips.com contains thousands of tips, photographic freebies, and all sorts of practical advice for the beginning and intermediate photographer. Keep in the loop with the latest tips by signing up for our free newsletter Get the Picture? Copyright 2005 Robert Bezman. All rights reserved.

E-mail conversations are a pervasive part of our culture. Most people, even in a professional setting, will click the “send” button without even bothering to run a spell check. We probably all have been guilty of treating e-mail like normal, everyday conversation, despite the fact that it can leave a permanent record of our words.

E-mail conversations between board members of a Massachusetts charter school hold a hidden danger as their interchange could unknowingly constitute a violation of the Open Meeting Law.

The Open Meeting Law, M.G.L. Ch. 39, §§ 23A and 23B, applies to meetings of all governmental entities on the state and municipal levels, including the board of trustees of a charter school. The laws ensure that almost all meetings of state and municipal governmental bodies are noticed to the public and open to any citizen who wishes to attend. In other words, any official deliberation of governmental action must take place in a public meeting and must include a public record of any action taken.

The Attorney General’s Office has offered guidelines that any electronic communications between a quorum of board members engaged in deliberation of substantive issues may violate the Open Meeting Law, “as the public is deprived of the opportunity to attend and monitor the e-mail ‘meeting.’” This would include e-mails, chat rooms or board-only bulletin boards.

In the Massachusetts charter school context, any e-mail interchange between the board of trustees could violate the Open Meeting Law if: 1) the number of members included on the interchange constitute a quorum as defined by the board’s by-laws; and 2) the discussion is a deliberation about action to be taken by the board.

Can board members discuss anything over e-mail with each other? Yes, the Attorney General’s Office does recognize the efficiency of electronic e-mail in connecting board members together for topics like scheduling (assuming in the end that notice of the meeting is given per usual). Also, e-mail can be useful in distributing literature and advance copies of agendas, so that the board members can be prepared on the issues to be discussed.

The board must be careful, however, that no arguments are made for any course of action and certainly no decisions are made in advance of a noticed public meeting during the course of serial e-mails between the members. The board should also print and save a hard copy of any e-mails between board members to be made available as a public record upon request. To fail to do either, may invite a costly investigation by the Attorney General’s Office.

So the next time you reply on an e-mail to the whole board, you may want to think twice before you hit “send!”

This commentary is not intended as legal advice. For advice on a specific case, you should contact the attorney directly. Pursuant to Rule 3:07 of the Supreme Judicial Court Rules of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, this communication may be considered advertising.

If you would like to send comments to the author, please visit our home page on the World Wide Web: http://www.bloombuell.com

Chad Brouillard is an associate at the firm of Bloom & Buell in Boston, Massachusetts. He practices in the areas of charter school law, medical malpractice defense and business law.

Antidepressant - alleviates or prevents depression, lifts mood, counters melancholia

Anti-inflammatory - controls, alleviates inflammation resulting from injury or infection

Antifungal - destroys or inhibits growth of fungus

Antimicrobial - an agent that resists or destroys pathogenic microbes (virus and bacteria).

Antiseptic - prevents, halts infection.

Antispasmodic - calms nervous and muscular spasms, for colic, pain and indigestion

Astringent - causes contraction of organic tissues

Disinfectant - prevents and combats spread of germs

Expectorant - helps promote the removal of mucus from respiratory system.

Halitosis - offensive breath

Regulator - an agent that helps balance and regulate the functions of the body.

Relaxant - soothing, causing relaxation, relieving strain or tension.

Stimulant - an agent that quickens the physiological functions of the body, temporarily increases body or organ function, good for convalescence, poor circulation, listlessness, physical fatigue

A lightly sweet and refreshing aroma Bergamot’s fruity and warm scent uplifts and balances the mind and emotions.

Bergamot is highly valued in the perfume industry. Often used in perfume blends like Eau de Cologne Bergamot has an inviting and supportive quality.

It is good for promoting a cheerful and friendly attitude.

A very versatile oil Bergamat shares the antiseptic properties of other citrus oils without the sharp note.

It is quite often used in skin formulas and may be effective for treating acne, cold sores, skin rash, eczema, herpes and shingles.

A regulating oil Bergamot is reported to relieve many digestive system complaints.

Bergamot’s refreshing aroma relieves fatigue.

Paoli Rovesti, a professor at the University of Milan, Italy conducted research at several psychiatric clinics with essential oils showing their benefits for depression, anxiety and hysteria. He described the most important psychological benefits of Bergamot oil for relieving fear and calming anxiety.

In practice Aromatherapists have found Bergamot to be useful for overcoming anxiety, depression, despair and worry.

Promotes balance to unstable emotions.

Studies have also shown Bergamot oil to effectively balance the activity hypothalamus gland, seat of our more intense emotions such as terror and rage.

Bergamot’s regulating influence enables it to act as a relaxant or stimulant and tonic, depending on the needs of the user. This makes Bergamot a very versatile oil.

Helps to rebuild strength and regain self confidence.

Bergamot cleanses and freshens. Often used as a breath freshener. Try it to brighten a stale or smoky filled room.

ROOM DEODORIZER: Add 30 drops of Bergamot and 30 drops of Lemon or Lemongrass Essential oil to a 2 ounce (colored glass) misting bottle of pure water. Shake and mist.

Bergamot has been recommended for quitting smoking.

Bergamot boosts the immune function and is good for morale and self esteem issues.

Bergamot is traditionally used as a flavoring in Earl Grey tea!

CAUTION: Though Bergamot is helpful for treating a variety of skin conditions care should be taken when using it in skin applications. Please avoid exposure to direct sunlight or sunlamps for up to 3 hours after use as pigmentation of the skin may result.

PLEASE NOTE: There are many cheap, synthetic copies of aromatic oils, but these are not recommended for therapeutic use. For best results purchase the highest quality oils you can possibly find. Use certified organic essential oils, or oils that have been tested and are pesticide free.

Holistic MindBody Therapy, including pure essential oils, are gentle, noninvasive complementary forms of health care for balancing and synchronizing your body, mind and spirit and a natural, safe and effective way to enhance your health and well-being. Holistic health care may produce satisfying results where other methods have failed. Please consult with your physician regarding serious health concerns and do not attempt to self diagnose.

KG has developed massage training and holistic health programs for the spa industry, health clubs and clinics, schools, resorts, as well as for individual clients. She is a MindBody Therapist and Health Educator with advanced certification and training in Bowen Therapy, BodyTalk and Aromatherapy. She is the owner of Springhill Wellness Center and the founder & director of PurePlant Essentials aromatherapy products.

Click to order http://www.kgstiles.com/moreinfo/bergamot.htm BERGAMOT PURE ESSENTIAL OIL

Click to find out about KG’s other fine aromatherapy products http://www.kgstiles.com/pureplantessentials.html PUREPLANT ESSENTIALS

Click to learn about http://www.kgstiles.com/presentations.htm KG’s Presentations and Workshops

More Info? Contact: KG Stiles at Springhill Wellness Center, 2520 Springhill Drive Ashland, OR USA (541) 941-7315 Mahalo!

Things come into our lives for reasons which we cannot understand. My husband and I have been working on our new business for months now. We have been having reasonable success but we definitely wish for its continued and more rapid improvement. Since I am able to work from home while all of the children are at school, the house can be extremely quiet. Sometimes I will put music on or sometimes television. One day recently, I chose television. That was the day that changed everything.

Years ago I used to watch Oprah but haven’t for quite some time. I’m not usually home at that time as I’m running kids from sports program to sports program. This one day recently I happened to be home. Oprah was on in the background but since I hadn’t seen the show in so long, I wasn’t really paying much attention.

For some reason, something caused me to turn around, stop paying attention to my work and actually watch the show. It was the show on which she featured “The Secret”. I was completely drawn to it and couldn’t avert my attention. Everything that was being said made perfect sense to me and the feeling of excitement I got was overwhelming. I truly believe that I was guided in some way to put Oprah on the television on that very day. I ordered “The Secret” immediately after watching the show. Incidentally, I also Tivo’d the show right away so my husband and family could watch as well. I just had to share the information! The timing was incredible. I’m still stunned.

My copy of The Secret arrived about a week later (yes it was grueling to have to wait!). As soon as I watched it, my life began to change. I mean, immediately change! I decided that I could use this very simple theory to attract everything I wanted.

In The Secret, it is mentioned that one should carry a gratitude rock. I have heard this idea before but didn’t follow the advice. If you are grateful for all of the things you currently have in your life, you will attract even more. By keeping the rock in your pocket and touching it throughout the day, you can quickly ground yourself and be reminded of all of the things you have already received.

I used to spend much of my day while working getting very frustrated that things weren’t moving along as fast as I wanted them to. I was running out of money and getting stressed out. I was focusing on the negative aspects of everything. As a result, I was getting little to no positive results. I felt that I was just spinning my wheels. The Secret philosophies changed this for me forever. Once I learned the power of positive thinking, everything changed. I cannot believe it! How could something that has been available all along have been so carelessly overlooked?

I’m thrilled beyond description with the results I have gotten from simply changing my way of thinking. I strongly urge everyone to get a copy of the book or movie and start attracting money, love or whatever else it is that you desire in life!

Christine Abbott
Owner/Writer
http://www.gratitudeblessings.com

Everyone has to start somewhere. Meditation is no different.

Beginners in meditation often worry about whether they are “doing it right”. And this worry causes them to have a less effective meditation session than if they had cast aside their doubts and worries.

One of the problems we experience in modern day life is that we expect to get instant results from everything. We’re trained to expect to get everything now, this instant. So if it takes more than a few minutes to learn how to do something as seemingly simple as meditation, we are inclined to either give up or think we’re doing something wrong.

Choosing the best meditation method to start with is worth taking some time over. There are so many different meditative techniques available that it can be hard to choose where to start.

I suggest that you start by picking a simple meditation method to begin with. You probably haven’t got the time that a Zen monk has decided to devote to meditation.

Qigong meditation is a good place to start. It’s easy to pick up, so your conscious mind is less likely to question whether or not the meditation technique you’re chosen is working for you.

We’re all after fast results, so why not start with a method that produces good results quickly?

Why Qigong meditation? Well, “Qi” means life-energy and “Gong” means exercise. Combined, these two forces will take your meditation to a good, beneficial level quickly and easily. Getting good, fast results will encourage you to continue with meditation, creating a virtuous circle. Which has got to be good!

Practicing Qi Gong Meditation for just 20 minutes a day is an easy way for beginner or experienced meditators alike to benefit from regular meditation.

One of my dearest friends found her way to Reiki and trained to become a Reiki Master Teacher. I am fascinated, as she has shared much of her learning with me. In fact, I am fascinated by all forms of Holistic Healing. I am so fascinated I took on the project of creating a website for my friends who are very involved in all types of Reiki, Children’s Reiki, Shamanism, Archetypes, Healing Soul Work and Spiritual Therapy.

As with my other three websites, I have vowed to try my products. I am constantly trying out new sheets and duvet covers on my bed for one of my sites and carrying the classiest green laptop bag in town for another. Talk about a sparkly purse-yes, it is mine. It’s also from my second site. So now to truly be able to give a testimonial to Reiki, I had to really understand it and try it.

Actually, I never really experienced a true Reiki treatment until last Wednesday. Yes, I have had a mini treatment and wrote down all the information my clients handed me about Reiki, but I needed that full “I’m the client treatment.”

I had to renew in my mind what Reiki is, and do some reading to feel even more comfortable with the idea of it. No-it’s not a massage. No-it’s not a religion. No-it doesn’t take the place of medical treatment for disease and ailments and no-it is not a belief system. It is pronounced Ray-Key. It comes from the Japanese words: Rei meaning “God’s Wisdom” or the Highest Guiding spiritual consciousness and Ki (”Chi” in Chinese) meaning “life force energy.” So it is actually “Spiritually guided life force energy.”

It is a noninvasive gentle type of energy work. It has been known to treat all illnesses from a simple headache to cancer. It works beautifully with all medical and therapeutic techniques for promoting recovery. Reiki is done by a gentle placement of the practitioner’s hands on the client who is fully clothed and lying down in a comforting environment. The hand positions are held for several minutes from the crown of the head to the feet, focusing on areas to get energy flowing evenly that may have become restricted by negative thoughts or habits which may be subconsciously causing stress, illness or weakness. Reiki relaxes, rejuvenates and calms the emotions by strengthening and re-balancing the body’s energy centers (chakras) promoting healing on the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual levels. It leaves one feeling calm and well-balanced. I studied, I understood and I was ready.

Here is what I experienced. First, I entered a lovely office setting with several individual rooms housing Reiki, massage, reflexology and more. The office was professional and soothing with soft colors, a comfortable sitting area, and quiet restful music. As I entered my friend’s office, it was also peaceful and calm with lovely pictures, more calming music, and a small bubbling fountain. It was inviting, and I felt warm and at peace and ready to begin.

Margret’s table looked like a massage table covered with sheets and a pillow. Unlike a massage, I did not undress before lying down: I just removed shoes and jewelry and lay on my back to begin. I felt a little apprehensive. What if I felt nothing?

Since I am very open to holistic healing, I asked Margret to be open with me. She gets visual messages as she works on a body, and I wanted to know what she saw or felt as she worked on me. She said that not everyone wants feedback, and many just want the room to be totally quiet. From my reading and Margret’s sharing, I know that Margret is like a channeling system, and that her energy has nothing to do with mine. Reiki is guided by a Higher Intelligence and this works through Margret. She “picks up” messages, images and thoughts, and I find this interesting while others may find this frightening or too extremes. I wanted to know everything, so she began my treatment.

Margret held on to the crown of my head as she sat behind me. I closed my eyes and relaxed as she held the position for several minutes. She told me my energy was “scattered” as I knew it was. I felt scattered that day. She said she could visualize me at my desk and that I had papers scattered and I needed organization. Amen to that one! She has never seen this mess, and I don’t want her too! She went on to say in a very quiet voice that I have a novel waiting to be written, and my calling is to write it. This has been on my mind so much recently, and I have been writing but have not been persistent about it. In fact I began this novel seven years ago and have been waiting for retirement to finish it. Now I am retired and it is time. She said fear was holding me back.

Soon I felt myself capturing deep breaths and sinking into more heavy relaxation. Margret would take in my energy and cough and yawn to eliminate my negative energy and disperse my good energy.. She moved to my face, neck and arm, holding my hand for a small period of time. She told me what she saw and felt and about the conflict and sadness I have with my sister. I found myself feeling some emotion and continuing to have to breathe deeply and evenly. I felt extremely relaxed as I sunk into the massage table. As Margret moved to my energy centers, (chakras) she gave me excellent examples of what each chakra is for and how it must be moving in a clockwise manner. I was surprised when she questioned my digestive system and asked if I ache in my stomach. She said I had old memories and worries and she would help release those. Seriously, I felt nothing, but then there was a pop of pressure released from my stomach. I felt like the baby had suddenly burped, and the feeling was relief.

I continued to breathe hard, and suddenly, I started to cough. She said I was releasing negative energy and thoughts that were harbored in my second chakra.

I loved this: the music, the quiet information, the whole calming effect.

As I turned onto my stomach, I suddenly felt some new lower back pain. Where was that coming from? As Margret pressed on my back, she felt heat rising depicting tension and pain and questioned it. Yes, it hurt, but just starting a few minutes back. Margret left her hands positioned on my back, stating that lower back pain comes from financial concerns and worries, either past or present. She released the tension there.

The only thing that did not ring true to me was as Margret placed her hands on my feet and saw me spinning on my toes as a ballerina. Ballet has certainly not been in my cards although I do love to dance. (maybe not as gracefully as a ballerina!)

The beautiful spiritual side of this was Margret seeing several angels protecting me with my dearest grandmother at the forefront saying things to me she always said as I grew up in her presence. (She read tea leaves and attended a Spiritualist Church sometimes) I felt a glow and a warm inexplicable connection to light, warmth, energy and God. Margret said my energy was in tune at this point as she finished where she began: at the crown of my head.

As we finished, Margret asked me to remain lying down and to get up slowly as I was ready. I felt as though I had just had a massage. I was rejuvenated yet a little worn out and very quiet. As I got up, I was given water to revitalize me and wash out released toxins. As with a massage, I was told to drink lots of water that day.

I was left feeling whole and refreshed the whole day, and of course, I have an appointment for next week.

I am pleased to have experienced one on “my products,” and I would recommend it to everyone with an open mind and heart. If you doubt, leave this alone or read more about it. I found the experience amazing and very spiritual, but doubt would cloud the experience.

I truly feel that maintenance is so necessary to our lives, and Reiki is great for that. With routine care, we can eliminate the negative flow of energy and create a positive flow throughout our bodies. We can rid our bodies and minds of the negative impact of stress even though sometimes we do not feel the tensions. Reiki is a positive experience to fight illness and depression. There is definitely a strong place for Reiki in dealing with pain, injuries and illness combined with modern medicine and many other alternative therapies.

Diane Willbrandt encourages you to find out more about Reiki and other forms of holistic healing on her site:http://www.spiritenergyhealers.com Diane is a retired teacher enjoying writing and website marketing now that she has the time. She also enjoys reading, skiing, traveling, golfing, scuba diving and tennis. Her love of travel gave her reason to create the site:http://www.equippedtogo.com featuring travel and business products such as luggage, laptop carriers, tote bags and more. Her third site is http://www.sheetsandsets.com featuring sheet sets, duvet cover sets and fine bed linens. Diane is in the process of writing her first novel regarding the high points of being a single person.

You’ve heard it a million times, eat right and exercise and you will be healthy, happy, fit and energetic! We always hear about the benefits of exercise but today I’d like to look at the flip side of that coin, what about the cost of not making healthy lifestyle choices? What happens to our bodies in the long run if we continually make unhealthy choices?

I’d like to tell you about a client of mine, I’ll call her Sue. Sue apprehensively started developing healthy eating and exercise habits several months ago and is overjoyed to see her body changing and her energy levels and confidence increasing. Her motivation for lifestyle change didn’t come from a desire to fit into a size six or even to improve her health. What triggered her into action was evaluating the cost of not exercising, she began to realize that her body wasn’t functioning the way it once could, she wasn’t sure of her steps any longer, she was beginning to feel uncomfortable in her own skin. The longer she continued with her current lifestyle the worse these problems were becoming. Despite the fact that she was carrying a lot of extra weight, she was still considered healthy, but she realized that in the long run without making some changes, she would lose this status as well.

For Sue, understanding the cost of not exercising was more powerful than hearing all the benefits. Realizing that within a few years she may not be able to walk up the stairs on her own, or walk down the hall without running out of breath, understanding the likelihood of walking into the doctor’s office and discovering she no longer had a clean bill of health sparked her into action.

We all have a body, we only get one and it is our “home”. The title of one of my favorite books by Dr. Jane Pentz, sums up my next point very nicely “If You Don’t Take Care of Your Body, Where Are You Going to Live?” So simple, but so true! The cost of not making healthier eating and exercise choices is that you won’t have a safe, healthy and reliable “home” to live in. What happens to homes that aren’t maintained? After time they become worn out, they crumble and eventually they can come crashing down.

The choice to not make healthy lifestyle changes can be very costly. We know about the risk of developing debilitating diseases, but how about the little things, the everyday things that you may take for granted now. Costs of not taking care of your body can include not being able to walk up stairs, not being able to walk down a hallway, not being able to keep up with your children or grandchildren, not having the energy to function efficiently at your job, not having as healthy of a relationship with your spouse, not feeling comfortable in your clothing, not feeling comfortable in your own skin.

There are millions of Americans who are still very resistant to make healthy lifestyle choices, perhaps you are one of them. If so, here are a couple of questions to ask. How will my life change if I stay the same? How will my health change if I continue with my current habits? What are my reasons for not making changes? How will my body feel if I stay the same?

We all know what the benefits of healthy living are, but if that’s not enough consider the great cost of not making healthier choices, can you afford it?

If these questions have you contemplating making changes, I encourage you to start small, make small changes to your eating habits and start adding small bits of physical activity into your day. Every little bit makes a difference, every healthy choice counts.

Diana Chaloux is the co-founder and owner of Destined 2 Be Fit (http://www.destined2befit.com). Diana is also a certified personal trainer through ACE, AFAA and FPI, a certified Fitness Coach through Wellcoaches, Lifestyle Management Nutrition Specialist, NPC National Level Figure Competitor (http://www.dianachaloux.com) and Fitness Model. Diana also has her own personal training studio located in San Antonio, Texas allowing her to work with clients and members both online and in person! For more information on how you can work with Diana visit http://www.destined2befit.com or write to her at contact@d2bfit.com

Using a clicker to train your dog is relatively new in the dog obedience world. The clicker itself is a simple piece of equipment, nothing more than a small rectangular box with a metal button that clicks when pressed. Many trainers that integrate this training method in with more conventional obedience training have found that it can cut training time in half for some dogs.

The idea behind clicker training is that it is a type of enforced training without the punishment aspect. Dogs learn through repetition and when they do the right thing and are rewarded for it they will continue with that behavior. Dogs also like to please their humans and if they do something that earns praise and a treat they will learn this behavior because it makes us happy. The converse is also true. If they do not behave or do as commanded they then get ignored or told no in a strict voice. A dog soon comes to realize that when this occurs no praise or treat will be given and they do not like that.

Clicker dog training works on the principle that good behavior will be rewarded. For instance if you are training your dog to sit you give the command. When he sits you click your clicker and give him a treat. You repeat this process with each behavior you are teaching him to do. He will soon connect the clicking sound with a reward, whether it’s a treat or praise. The clicking sound acts as an event marker that instantly communicates approval of what he is doing. During the first sessions of clicker training it is best to stay close to the dog so that the click and reward or treat can be given almost simultaneously. This allows your dog to associate the two happenings quickly.

As your dog becomes more used to this type of training you can begin to delay the reward portion of the training. This will allow you to start training your dog at a distance, giving you the ability to control your dog when he is off the leash. Again, you will still click at the moment a command is successfully done, but the click is now a signal that there will be a reward in the near future.

The clicker should never be used as a punishment or with punishment as it will send the wrong message to your dog. While punishing your dog for bad behavior may work sometimes it can create other unwanted behaviors. Because dogs have little or no sense of time and they are usually punished after they have done something wrong they seldom understand why they are being punished. If you use the clicker at this time they will associate its use with being punished.

The interesting thing about clicker dog training is that the use of a clicker to train is used on other animals such as horses, birds, and dolphins. If you want to speed up the process of training your dog consider the use of a clicker. It is becoming more popular and it does produce great training results.

To learn more about clicker dog training and other training tips and tricks please visit the website Worfdog.com.

“How do I get rid of THIS?” That is one of my favorite questions. As a personal trainer, I hear this on a regular basis. The person asking is usually patting or poking at their protruding belly as they look to me for the miracle answer to melting away the fat and turning their tummy into a lean mean six pack.

So what is the answer to this question? Which exercise is the best for transforming the flab into fabulous abs. Every time you visit the grocery store you see magazines claiming to have found the ultimate ab machine or exercise, is there any truth to it? Maybe it is the “crunch”, or perhaps “the plank”. Could it be the “bicycle” that will give you a rippling six pack? The answer is, none of the above.

Here’s the deal, we all have six pack abs. That’s right, even you! Just because you can’t see the muscles doesn’t mean that they aren’t there. The problem isn’t that these muscles don’t exist, it’s that the majority of people can’t see them because they are covered by a layer (or several layers!) of fat. When you perform your preferred abdominal exercises, whether it be crunches, planks, bicycles etc. you are strengthening the muscles underneath the fat, you aren’t burning the fat that is covering the muscles. You can perform these crunches till you are blue in the face but you will never see your six pack unless you burn off the fat that is hiding them in the first place!

So what is the BEST ab exercise? When someone asks me this question in the gym, I love to give them a big grin and point to the treadmill. Truth be told, the keys to uncovering your hidden six pack are plenty of cardiovascular exercise and a consistent healthy and clean nutrition plan.

Your cardiovascular exercise can come in many shapes and forms including walking, jogging, biking, swimming, stair climbing, etc. The best cardio exercise for you is the one that you enjoy. It is important to find an activity that you like to do so that you will stick to it! A clean nutrition plan will include lots of fruits and veggies, lean meats such as chicken turkey or fish, healthy carbohydrates from whole grain sources and good for you fats.

Keep in mind as you begin your journey to a trim waist line that there is no such thing as spot reduction. As you start eating healthier and exercising more your body fat will start to decrease, but there is no way to tell your body, “take the fat from my belly!”. Every body is different, perhaps your thighs or arms will trim down before you see results in your abdominal area. Just remember to stick with it! Consistency is the key to ultimately achieving your fitness goals.

There is no miracle exercise for revealing your fab abs…. Sorry. Crunches, planks and all the other exercises are fantastic for keeping your abdominals strong, but if you ever want to see those muscles you’ve got to eat right and get in plenty of cardio! Developing healthy eating and exercise habits which you can maintain for the long term is the only way to reveal your six pack, and keep it uncovered for life!

Diana Chaloux is the co-founder and owner of Destined 2 Be Fit (http://www.destined2befit.com). Diana is also a certified personal trainer through ACE, AFAA and FPI, a certified Fitness Coach through Wellcoaches, Lifestyle Management Nutrition Specialist, NPC National Level Figure Competitor (http://www.dianachaloux.com) and Fitness Model. Diana also has her own personal training studio located in San Antonio, Texas allowing her to work with clients and members both online and in person! For more information on how you can work with Diana visit http://www.destined2befit.com or write to her at contact@d2bfit.com