With just a sprinkle here, and a dash there, you can awaken your inner confidence in no time. The best part: there is already a treasure of confidence within you. It’s in there, waiting. This is just an invitation to wake up and feel it. Confidence is a state of mind. Sexiness is simply how you feel as your glowing, confident self. Use these tips to bring out your most confident self.

Here they are: 5 sure-fire ways to help you REALIZE your beautiful glow.

1. Embrace you body.

Everyone has a favorite body part. Maybe it’s your eyes, or your thighs, or your hands or your breasts. Maybe it’s your rump, or your lips, or your…whatever. Embrace your favorite part by accentuating this part with how you dress and care for yourself. Serenade yourself with confidence once you learn your favorite part. This is a magical attribute, which deserves some light to be shone on it. Focus on the good, and the rest will soon fall in place.

2. Dance.

Use music to unleash your confidence beast. She’s in there. She’s waiting to get out. Dance her out. You can dance like no one’s watching or dance like everyone’s watching. It’s up to you. You can follow your inner diva to create a unique dance made solely by you, or utilize the many sources the web has to offer by self-teaching yourself new moves of belly dancing, hip-hop or interpretive dance. Embrace your body as you move. Treat your body as an art as you swerve your way to your newfound confidence.

3. Give Compliments Freely.

Other women you meet may have confidence issues, too. Infact, it is likely. And the strangest thing is that even the most beautiful, skinny, likeable women have self-esteem issues. Confidence is an attribute, which must come from within. Without it, you will never feel pretty enough, thin enough, or good enough. If you start giving compliments to other women, you are leading by example. We are in this together. We can learn to be beautiful together. Say goodbye to the days where other women are competition. The most confident women know it is sexy to give compliments and embrace the beauty in everyone.

4. Love your body now.

Don’t wait until it’s 15 (or 5 or 50) pounds lighter; don’t wait until you get your new haircut or give yourself a manicure. Although it is important to take care of our selves, so many women see it as a precursor to loving our selves. Nothing could be farther from the truth. If you love your body now, you will intuitively know what else needs to be done to remain healthy and vibrant. Yes, perhaps you do need that massage after a killer week at work. No, most likely you don’t need that nose job if you can fully embrace your unique God-given look as an original woman in her own sexy skin.

5. Don’t point out your flaws.

If I constantly said: “I have such a flabby gut. Ughh, I hate my stomach. Look at these rolls…” Well, guess where you will soon be looking? Yep, you guessed it: my flabby rolls. Stop bringing attention to these “not-so-favorite” areas. Go back to rule #1. Embrace your body. If you have trouble with this rule, please continue to check back with rule #1. Embrace, embrace, embrace.

As you can see these five ideas are fairly simple. But how often do we forget to embrace our bodies and shine from within? Use these ideas to stay on top of your confidence game. In no time, you’ll get be confident and radiant and you’ll be soaring to new heights of beauty from your treasure of inner confidence.

Sylvia C. Hall is a freelance writer and children’s writer. Sylvia loves the creative process and enjoys living life as a confident, radiant woman. In May, Sylvia will receive a BA degree, with an Emphasis in English and double minors in Education and Psychology. Visit her Etsy store to see her photo shop: http://www.sylviac.etsy.com

And visit her two blogs to learn more about Sylvia C. the writer:

http://www.sylvias-journal.blogspot.com &

http://www.dream-imagine-soar.blogspot.com

Mental activity can keep your mind sharp. Continue to learn and challenge yourself and your brain continues to grow.

Review the following tips to help challenge your brain to continual growth:

• Learn to play a musical instrument
• Play scrabble or do crossword puzzles
• Interact with others
• Switch careers or start a new one
• Start a new hobby with crafts, painting, wood-working
• Learn a foreign language
• Volunteer
• Travel
• Stay informed about world news
• Read

Taking classes that interest you or just reading more can help you maintain memory longer as you age.

Staying physically active increases blood flow to all parts of the body, including the brain; exercise may even promote cell growth in the brain. Exercise makes you feel more energetic and alert. Just recently I started a membership at a local fitness center. I am amazed at how much better I feel after over one month of daily activity in the fitness center. I walk at a moderate speed on the treadmill for 60 minutes everyday. I started out just five minutes per day, then added one minute each day thereafter.

Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables protect and nourish brain cells. Antioxidants may also help prevent cholesterol from damaging the lining of your arteries and slowing blood flow to your brain. Foods high in antioxidants include:

• Oranges
• Berries
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Carrot
• Sweet potatoes
• Tomatoes

You are more likely to gain the health benefits of antioxidants from eating whole foods than by taking supplements.

Heavy drinkers for many years can experience permanent brain damage. Heavy drinkers are also at a higher risk of developing memory problems and dementia. If you drink alcohol, do so moderately. If you do not drink alcohol, do not start. Moderate drinking means for women anyone 65 or older, one drink daily. For men under 65, no more than two drinks daily.

Some evidence shows that “moderate” alcohol consumption may prevent memory loss; this is not clear how. If you already do not drink, don’t start just for this reason.

Try to keep stress to a minimum. Chronic stress may cause your brain to release hormones that can damage the brain. Chronic stress can also make you feel depressed or anxious. These are feelings that can interfere with your memory.

Protect your head when doing exercise such as riding a bike. Head injury can increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Smokers may have twice the risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease as people who never smoked. It is never too late to stop smoking. You can still reduce risk of memory loss later in life.

If you have a family history of Alzheimer’s disease, talk to your doctor, he or she may be able to suggest ways of preventing the disease that would prove helpful to you.

Keeping regular doctor appointments is a good way to monitor blood pressure, cholesterol level and blood sugar level as well as to be sure your thyroid gland is functioning normally. These are easy ways to know what is going on inside your body.

Source: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Disclaimer: *This article is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any kind of a health problem. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Always consult with your health care provider about any kind of a health problem and especially before beginning any kind of an exercise routine.

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box. Article written 4-2007.

Author: Connie Limon, Trilogy Field Representative. Visit http://nutritionandhealthhub.com and sign up for a weekly nutrition and health tip. The article collection is available as FREE reprints for your newsletters, websites or blog. Visit http://www.healthylife27.com to purchase an array of superior quality, safe and effective products inspired by nature, informed by science and created to improve the health of people, pets and the planet.

For along time before the Internet came along you could have lost you software drivers disk and you were lost with an unusable computer peripheral or if you were really unlucky, more than one.

These day’s your computer don’t have to be a computer that starts up, runs, edits video’s or whatever you wish to do with it and all the help of the internet or as some people call it, the World Wide Web.

1st Option

If you don’t have the Internet, then get a family member or a friend to go online and do a search on Google, for example, I have a printer “Epson Stylus c86″ that my Father give to me but he never gave me the software driver disk, now I can go along to Google and type in “Epson Stylus c86 Printer drivers” and I’ll be taken to the search page where near the top of the listings, if not at the top, will be the Epson website, http://www.epson.co.uk, I would then look at their support pages for the relevant driver for my particular printer.

2nd Option

I really like this option, as it houses a lot of software drivers in the one place.

I became a member of this particular website because I was looking for a driver for something like my Father’s scanner, I had done the 1st Option as mentioned above for the this specific driver, but it turned out to be a very hard one to track down, so I went to Google and typed in “drivers” and I think the first link it give me was to a website call “Drivers Guide” at http://www.driverguide.com, that website has been the best website I’ve ever used and I still use it quiet a lot today.

Hugh Fraser
http://www.millcomputing.ukpc.net

There are several strains of bacteria that can cause bacterial meningitis. Several routine childhood immunizations like Haemophilus influenzae type B and pneumococcal protect against many types of bacteria that can cause meningitis. If your infant is exposed to bacterial meningitis and is current on all of his immunizations which includes the flu shots the infant may not need an additional meningitis vaccine. To be certain, check with your doctor.

Bacterial meningitis is an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It can be very serious and sometimes even deadly. By keeping your infant up-to-date on immunizations, you are protecting him or her against bacterial meningitis.

For children ages 11 or 12 a vaccine against bacterinum Neisseria meningitides, which is a common cause of bacterial meningitis is routinely recommended. The vaccine can also be given to younger children at high risk of bacterial meningitis or who have been exposed to the disease.

Antibiotics are helpful in reducing, but do not eliminate, the risk of developing bacterial meningitis if you know or suspect your child has been exposed. You can talk to your doctor about preventative antibiotics.

Seek urgent medical care if your child becomes ill after exposure to bacterial meningitis even if the child has taken antibiotics.
Symptoms of meningitis in infants include:

• Excessive irritability or sleepiness
• Constant crying and poor eating

It is crucial to receive a prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment of bacterial meningitis to prevent serious complications from the disease.

Many people often also wonder if children really need a flu shot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does recommend the flu vaccine for children who are at increased risk of complications from influenza. A child at risk includes:

• Children between the ages of 6 months and 59 months
• Children who have a chronic medical condition like asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, sickle cell anemia, HIV/AIDS or kidney disease

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends the flu vaccine for all caregivers, household contacts, and siblings of children in the high-risk groups to reduce a child’s potential exposure to the influenza virus.

If your child is younger than 9 years of age he or she will require two doses of the flu vaccine one month apart. Only one dose does not provide adequate protection. Before flu season is best time to receive a flu shot.

Source: Mayo Clinic

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. You should not use the information in this article to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your pediatrician or family doctor. Please consult a doctor with any questions or concerns you might have regarding your or your child’s condition.

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.

Written by: Connie Limon. Visit us at http://www.babiesandtoddlers1.com About Babies and Toddlers is a collection of articles all about babies and toddlers available for information, education and FREE reprints to your newsletters, websites or blogs.

Hay fever or allergic rhinitis is a common allergic response to specific substances in your environment. Hay fever is one of the most common allergic conditions in the United States.

Seasonal hay fever is triggered by tree pollen, grasses or weeds and other plants. Year-round symptoms can occur if you have indoor allergy to dust mites, cockroaches, mold or pet dander.

Mild hay fever symptoms can be managed effectively with over-the-counter medications. Year-round symptoms or severe seasonal hay fever symptoms may require an allergy specialist for appropriate evaluation and treatment. My year-round allergy symptoms are managed effectively by an internist. An internist is a physician who specializes in adult diseases.

Without proper treatment of hay fever symptoms there can be an increase of more allergic conditions such as asthma or eczema. Uncontrolled hay fever symptoms will impair the quality of your everyday life.

Hay fever symptoms include:

• Runny nose
• Watery nose
• Congestion
• Frequent sneezing
• Itchy eyes, nose, roof of mouth or throat
• Swollen, blue-colored skin under eyes
• Postnasal drip
• Cough
• Sleeplessness
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Facial pressure and pain

Hay fever symptoms are similar to the symptoms of a common cold, however, there are differences. Hay fever does not mean you are allergic to hay and is not triggered by hay. It does not cause a fever. The probable cause is an allergic reaction to pollen or mold. Heredity plays a role in determining who becomes allergic including hay fever. If allergies or asthma runs in your family, you may be more likely to develop hay fever.

You are most likely to develop hay fever during childhood or early adulthood, but it can begin at any age. As you get older, symptoms may worsen or improve. I have noticed my hay fever seems to be diminishing; however, this could also be due to better allergy medication.

Treatment for hay fever symptoms:

Your doctor will identify what allergy triggers your symptoms and then develop a plan to avoid and/or cope with those substances. Review the following treatment options:

• Nasal corticosteroids sprays
• Antihistamines relieve itching, sneezing and runny nose. Common antihistamines include Benadryl, Chlor-Trimeton, Tavist, Claritin
• Decongestants are often used in combination with antihistamines and include Sudafed, Actifed
• Cromolyn sodium helps relieve hay fever symptoms by preventing the release of histamine.
• Leukotriene modifier: A prescription tablet taken to block the action of leukotrienes
• Nasal atropine helps relieve a severe runny nose

It is important to talk to your doctor before taking any over-the-counter medications for hay fever especially if you have a chronic health condition that requires you to take other prescription drugs. You will need to know whether or not there could be a drug interaction or other adverse effect.

I will never forget the time I was seeing an internist for an upper respiratory problem, who prescribed a medication that if taken with other medications I was on could have caused an instant fatal heart attack. The pharmacist is the one who warned me of this. It is important to stay alert when taking several different kinds of medications. It is not always the doctor who can give or who gives you all the medicine’s side effects. A good pharmacist has a wealth of knowledge about drugs and their interactions with each other. Make it a practice to always ask your pharmacist about side effects and interactions as well as your doctor. I did change internist after that incident and was then diagnosed correctly and given the appropriate medications for my hay fever symptoms.

If medications do not relieve your hay fever symptoms, your doctor may recommend allergy shot therapy. The goal of immunotherapy or desensitization therapy is to desensitize you to specific allergens, reduce your signs and symptoms, and decrease your need for medications. Allergy shots are usually given over a period of three to five years to reach this goal.

Source: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Disclaimer: *This article is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any kind of a health problem. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Always consult with your health care provider about any kind of a health problem and especially before beginning any kind of an exercise routine.

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box. Article written 4-2007.

Author: Connie Limon, Trilogy Field Representative. Visit http://nutritionandhealthhub.com and sign up for a weekly nutrition and health tip. The article collection is available as FREE reprints for your newsletters, websites or blog. Visit http://www.healthylife27.com to purchase an array of superior quality, safe and effective products inspired by nature, informed by science and created to improve the health of people, pets and the planet.

Browsing in a consignment store, a picture on the wall caught my attention. As I walked closer, the scene looked familiar. I took a few more steps. William Mangum had signed the print. I realized it was a limited edition print. How could it be? A limited edition print by artist William Mangum was for sale in a consignment store? I could hardly believe my eyes or my thoughts.

Standing in the country store, I remember asking myself, “How did this print travel here? And, why would someone want to sell it?” My thoughts paused momentarily. I asked, “Is that really a Mangum print?” The sales associate responded, “Yes. You can buy it for $300.” Although still in shock, the cost was more than I had with me.

I went back to the store two weeks later. The print was still there. I spoke with the store owner once again about the limited edition print. She said, “If you’re still interested in the print, I can give you a better price.” I asked, “How much better?” Her response was, “$225, plus tax.”

I began asking more questions about “The Spirit of Greensboro” print. I was curious. It had left an unforgettable picture in my mind. I finally went to the Mangum Fine Art Gallery. That’s where I asked the question.

“Do you carry The Spirit of Greensboro print?” The sales associate referred to a catalog and said, “Today, the print alone sells for $500.” Originally released in 1989, the print sold for $85.

I spilled the beans, “I found the print in a consignment store.” The associate’s response was, “Where? We’ll buy it from the store or we’ll buy it from you.” My thoughts returned to the print in the consignment store. The sales associate asked, “What’s the name of the store with the print?” I paused and said, “That won’t be necessary. I’ll take care of it myself.”

I contacted the owner of the store and asked if the Mangum print was still available? “Yes, are you still interested?” Faced with a challenging decision, I said yes.

My mom and I went to the consignment store and purchased the print. You could see the color draining from the man’s face as my mom told him the entire story. He asked, “The print is worth five hundred dollars?” They chatted while I secured the print in the trunk of my car. He said, “Your daughter was wise to ask questions.”

He was right. It pays to ask questions. I’m the happy owner of a William Mangum limited edition, “Spirit of Greensboro” print. Who would think you could find fine art in a consignment store?

Angela Scott
© April 17, 2007

Angela Scott, http://www.thatstorylady.com
Angela encourages, inspires and motivates non-readers and those who live and work with them to discover hope. Visit my website to read more about ways you can discover hope and change your life.

Are you at a job where you are paid by the hour? If you are trading your precious hours for dollars you are probably not making the best use of your time or your knowledge.

I started working during the summer that I turned twelve. My family wouldn’t let me work alone so I had partners. I had two part-time jobs. The first job was babysitting. My partner was my best fried, a girl named Debbie. Debbie and I hand printed cards and flyers advertising our service. We would baby-sit for up to three children for $2 per hour. We had many people in the neighborhood that used our services and we prided ourselves in doing a good job. We changed diapers, prepared food, played with the children, took them to the park, and made sure they took a nap. We followed any direction that the parents left for us and followed their rules to the letter. The parents loved us and used our services any time they had to be away for a few hours and needed to leave their children. At the end of the summer we had each made about $100.

My other job was mowing lawns. My partner for this endeavor was Tim, the boy next door. His father let us use his older lawn mower and we promised to take care of it and always keep it filled with gasoline. Again, many neighbors wanted our service. Boys don’t like fancy cards or flyers so Tim and I just told people what we were doing and they told the others in the neighborhood. We charged anywhere between $10 and $20 to mow a lawn front and back, depending on how big the yard was. We also picked up any dead leaves or branches and put everything into their trash can. Sometimes the people would buy some flowers and we offered to plant them for an additional $2 to $5, depending on how many they had bought. We only had one lawn mower, so we took turns. When one of us was mowing the other would fill up the trash can, plant flowers, or hose down the cut grass to make it look better. Unlike baby-sitting, we could mow the grass whenever we had the time and desire. As long as we did it by the end of the week the customers were happy. It took varying amounts of time to complete a yard but usually we could finish an average sized one in about two hours. At the end of the summer Tim and I had each made about $220.

There is a huge difference between $100 and $220. But the real difference was that with baby-sitting Debbie and I were trading our hours for the parents’ dollars. We each made $1 an hour at the rate we were charging. There were many other girls who could have done the job in the same way that we were doing it so we couldn’t charge more than we were getting paid.

With the lawn mowing business Tim and I were being paid to complete a specific task. Our rate was only slightly less than what professional gardeners were charging. We were also able to add additional services like planting flowers and receive more money. During the summer grass has to be cut more frequently so we knew that certain people would want us to come even more often than once a week.

Also, my family went on vacation for a week and Tim’s older brother helped him during that time. The customers were still happy because the job was completed whether I was doing it or someone else was working. With the baby-sitting job the parents were not happy when I was gone because the children had become used to Debbie and I and how we did things.

The point is this. If you can find a way to make money where you are paid to complete a specific task rather than to work for a specific number of hours you will make more money and have a more flexible schedule. Maybe you have never thought of your job in this way. Think about it for awhile and watch how your thinking changes.

Connie Ragen Green will show you how to reinvent your life and live with the passion you’ve always wanted at http://www.ReinventYourLifeWithPassion.com

Developing an Investment Plan:

In order to invest wisely, you need to have a suitable investment plan that will ensure the appropriate amount of growth for you. Your investments will also need to be safe and easy to manage.
The first step in developing an investment plan is to identify what type of an investor you are. Investor types are often determined by their stages in life. Here is a guide:

- Single person under 40 years old. Focus: Long-term investments, medium to high risk. Emphasis: capital gain, compound growth.

- Two-income married couple, no children, aged 20 to 40 years. Focus: Long-term investments, medium to high risk. Emphasis: capital gain, compound growth.

- One-income family, young children, aged 20 to 40 years. Focus: Long-term investments, low to medium risk. Emphasis: compound growth.

- Single person, aged 40 to 60 years. Focus: Medium-term investments, medium risk. Emphasis: capital gain, compound growth.

- Married couple with adolescent or independent children, aged 40 to 60 years. Focus: Medium-term investments, medium risk. Emphasis: capital gain, compound growth.

- All investors, aged 60 and over. Focus: Short to medium-term investments, low risk. Emphasis: Income.
The following are examples of investment portfolio mixes for the various types of investors.

Low Risk Investments:

Low risk investments are predominately cash, fixed interest and superannuation. This has the lowest risk of all investments but has also the lowest return - in today’s market, approximately 3% to 6% per annum. Fixed interest includes cash, cash management trusts and bonds. They return approximately 5% to 10% per annum, sometimes as high as 15% if you invest in global bonds in good markets.
Superannuation returns and risk profiles vary from institution to institution, however the best and safest usually return on average 10% per annum.

Medium Risk Investments:

Medium risk investments include property and non-speculative shares. Diversified funds, which invest in a range of asset groups, are also considered to have medium risk profiles. Average returns from these types of investments will range from 8% to 15% per annum.
I also like to include the broad spectrum of mutual funds, to be discussed later, in the range of medium risk investments. Some can return up to 25% and more depending on the fund type and managers.

High Risk Investments:

High risk investments include all speculative shares, futures and any other type of investment that is purely speculative by nature. Because with these types of investments we are betting on whether the price will go up, or sometimes down, I often classify this as a form of gambling. Accordingly, the returns are unlimited but so is the ability to lose the total money invested.
The basic rule for investing in highly speculative stock is to build in “sell-out” thresholds, three up and three down. For example, if you buy a stock at $20.00 per share, your sell-out thresholds might be:

Sell out threshold 3 $30.00

Sell out threshold 2 $25.00

Sell out threshold 1 $22.50

Buy $20.00

Sell out threshold –1 $17.50

Sell-out threshold –2 $15.00

Sell-out threshold –3 $10.00

Each time your stock reaches one of the threshold levels, you sell a third of your stock.
If the stock starts to rise, you sell a third at $22.50 and then another third at $25.00 and so forth. If the stock starts to fall, you also sell a third at $17.50, then another third at $15.00 and the final third at $10.00. In this way, you will never lose all your money, however you have also put a cap on the total profit you will make on the investment. This I have found to be the best and safest method for investing in speculative shares. In 1987, my husband and I were saved from the severe losses of the Wall Street crash because we were well and truly out of the market by taking our profits beforehand. Like all systems, this strategy will only work as long as you obey the rules and do not get too greedy.

Mutual Funds:

Mutual Funds are a selection of investments that are professionally managed by a financial institution or organization. These institutions have a wide range of specialists, researchers and advisor’s who devote their time to ensuring that the fund invests in the best companies and assets.

As well as the advantage of having experts manage your investments, managed funds also give you the ability to invest in a wide range of shares, property or fixed interest markets, either locally or internationally, for as small an outlay as $1,000. In the latter case, they also require a ‘savings plan’ where you agree to deposit additional capital of a minimum $100.00 per month.
Because managed funds cover the whole spectrum of investment risk profiles, you can easily cover your preferred investment portfolio, as described above, by investing in several different funds.

Putting Together Your Investment Program:

After you have identified your investment type, you need to either seek a good financial advisor or devote your own time in researching investment options.

Shares have traditionally outperformed other asset groups over time. However, share markets can widely fluctuate in the short term, so any entry into the market should always be done with a long-term view of up to 10 years. Even the best managed share funds can fall if the stock market crashes or enters a severe downward cycle. As long as you ensure that you are with a reputable fund with good managers and are willing to ride the ‘waves’, your investment will do well in the long-term. If you are in the short-term, low risk category then your investments should be in the safer, more stable areas with lower returns.

Rules for Investing:

Investing may seem daunting for a lot of people. Maybe you have tried it once and failed, or maybe you are simply frightened of losing your money.

To avoid losing any capital, you simply need to be aware of the main pitfalls and always avoid them. The simple, reliable rules for investing are:

1. Have a plan. Always ensure that you or your financial advisor draws up an appropriate investment strategy for you that incorporates your risk profile, timeframes and financial goals. As foolish as it seems, many people plunge headfirst into investing without thoroughly working through these fundamental issues.

2. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Obvious advice, but many people fail to follow it. Many people think that they are on the right financial track by paying off the mortgage on their family home and then buying another property for investment purposes. Think about it! You have put all of your financial eggs in one asset basket – property. What happens if the property market collapses? Despite common thinking that this is a safe way to invest, the outcome is very risky. You have invested all of your well-earned money into only one area.

3. Build in appropriate timeframes. There is an old saying, “When the tea lady starts to invest in the stock market, it’s time to get out.” What this means is, when the share market is so high that everyone starts to clamber on board, it has probably reached its peak. There are two ways of successful investment timing. The first is to always pick the low-end of the market to buy and the high-end of the market to sell. This is extremely hard to do. Even the best-informed experts have trouble. The second way is to choose good investments and stay with them over the long-term (say 10 years or more) and ride the waves of the market. For safe, easy investing, choose the second method. Do not buy into the top-end of the market and sell once it starts to fall. You will definitely lose money this way.

4. Avoid high-risk investments. These include risky business ventures, highly speculative stock, tax avoidance schemes or too-good-to-be-true propositions that promise unusually high returns.

5. Avoid borrowing for your investments. Although some financial advisors advocate “gearing your investments”, this can be fraught with danger. Gearing means to borrow. If borrowing for investments takes you over your 40% fixed costs margin, you will be cutting it too fine, particularly if you lose your current income level.

6. Stay with the traditional and known. As described in this chapter, the best and surest investments are fixed interest, property and shares. Work out the optimum mix for your investment profile, have a safe plan to work with and you can’t go wrong.

Ann Marosy is an accountant, consultant, and motivational speaker. She was formally the Financial Controller of an Aust subsidiary of the Fortune 500 Company, Jardine Matheson; Finalist of SA Executive Woman of the Year and is the author of ‘The Money Program: How to Manage the 6 Stages of Wealth’ and ‘Money Rules: The 7 Simple Rules of Money Management’.

Visit her website at http://www.moneta.com.au

Are you intrigued by the possibility of being your own boss and starting a business but not sure you have the right qualifications to be an entrepreneur? What are the characteristics of an entrepreneur? Although there is no single perfect entrepreneurial profile, there are many characteristics that show up repeatedly in successful business owners.

Following are the top 10 essential entrepreneurial traits that anyone who is interested in starting a business must possess:

(1) Independence – This is the most common denominator of all entrepreneurs. They want to seize control of their future; thus they decide to become their own boss instead of laboring under the gaze of a master.

(2) Persistence and Determination – The world of entrepreneurship is fraught with both success and failure. An important quality of a successful entrepreneur is the doggedness to continue pursuing a goal despite some setbacks and obstacles they may encounter on the road. This persistence and determination is fueled by a burning desire to achieve the goal of succeeding in the chosen field of business.

(3) Self-Confidence – Along with independence, an entrepreneur possesses self-confidence. They believe in their capabilities and makes sure that they will put in their best effort into their particular endeavors and likewise expect the best results from it. Belief in one’s capabilities is very important in achieving any goal – especially in the world of entrepreneurship.

(4) Creativity – In the business world, you can not afford to be complacent and uncreative unless you want the competition to move up on ahead of you. Creative people are naturally curious, inquisitive, bright and highly flexible when thinking. They keenly observe their environment and have an eye for spotting new trends that could spark a business opportunity.

(5) Organized and goal-oriented – An entrepreneur knows the value of organization in a business endeavor. A good entrepreneur has the ability to consolidate resources.

(6) Visionary – An entrepreneur has a vision for his/her future.

(7) Risk-taking and Tolerance for Failure – A good entrepreneur realizes that loss and failure are inherent in any business endeavor. Thus, an entrepreneur must always be ready to make calculated risks and face whatever consequences accompany those risks. As in all fields of endeavor, the characteristic of a successful entrepreneur is in never giving up and in picking up the pieces and continuing the journey even if failure momentarily obstructs the way.

(8) Perseverance and Hard Work – These are perhaps two of the most important entrepreneurial traits.

(9) Commitment – An entrepreneur will not achieve success if he/she gives up at the first sign of trouble.

(10) Honesty and Honor – Another very important mark of a good entrepreneur is being honest and honorable in all business dealings and interpersonal relationships – whether it is between business partners, employees, peers or investors.

If you possess these traits, you may have the necessary skill set to become a successful entrepreneur.

Hilary Basile is a writer for MyGuidesUSA.com. At MyGuidesUSA.com (http://www.myguidesusa.com), you will find valuable tips and resources for handling life’s major events. Whether you’re planning a wedding, buying your first home, anxiously awaiting the birth of a child, contending with a divorce, searching for a new job, or planning for your retirement, you’ll find answers to your questions at MyGuidesUSA.com. Find employment tips and resources, such as resume and cover letter development, interviewing skills, and information for those considering a career change at http://www.myguidesusa.com/jobs

Catching Lightning Bugs in a jar on a late summer evening at dusk! The earthy smell of the country during a late evening drive! The first kiss with that special someone you just knew was THE one! The first time you held that new-born baby! Memories…they can make us sigh. They can make us laugh. They can make us cry. We cherish those memories and we hold them dear.

BUT, what about those memories that aren’t so happy? Far too many people have memories they would like to forget. Let me tell you a story to illustrate my point…

Once there were two brothers and they grew up together in a family that was very harsh and critical. They were physically abused and slaps in the face were a common occurrence. Their father was an adulterer and an alcoholic. Their mother was an emotional wreck and she was a very angry person. She would, sometimes, pull a large knife out of a drawer and she would threaten to kill one of them if they didn’t stop acting up.

These boys grew up being told how sorry they were and how they would never amount to anything. If they cried for any reason, they would get backhanded across the face and told they were sissies. Any sign of a tear was ridiculed and made-fun-of! They were not allowed to cry.

When they were punished, it would be with a belt, or razor strap, and they would be beaten until they had bloody stripes across their backs and legs. When they went to school, their parents wrote them excuses to get them out of P.E. so no one would see the evidence of their abuse.

The fights between their mother and father were quite terrible. They would hide in the hall closet and listen to the raging and cursing coming from the violent fights. Both parents had violent tempers and they would explode without any reason.You see, we can’t choose the kind of environment in which we are raised. We can’t choose the kind of parents we have. We can’t avoid a lot of the things which happen to us in life. BUT, we CAN choose how we react to those things!

You DO NOT have to be an angry person! You DO NOT have to be so critical of everything! You DO NOT have to hold a grudge against anyone! You DO NOT have to be a bad parent! You DO NOT have to be a bad spouse! If you are any of those things, YOU have chosen to do that! But, you can choose not to do those things any longer! Let me give you five things to help you overcome stumbling blocks that have crippled you emotionally in your life…

1. Learn Forgiveness! You are not responsible for the things that have been done to you but you ARE responsible for how you choose to react to those things. Learn to forgive those who have wronged you. An unforgiving heart only hurts you, not the one who wronged you. Most of the time, they don’t even KNOW you are mad and angry. You will, truly, be surprised how good life can be after you set that grudge down and never pick it up again!

2. Learn to Like Yourself! People who experience unwholesome things in their life always suffer from low self-esteem. Somehow, it is THEIR fault. Somehow, THEY were the cause of it! They believe all the cruel things that were said about them. Learning to overcome low self-esteem is a whole book in itself and we will get to writing more about it some time, but for now, just remember, you ARE NOT who other people say you are. You are who YOU choose to be and you should choose to be the person who always takes the higher road. You ARE a good person!

3. Learn to Speak Only the Truth! “Man, am I stupid!” “I’ll never be a success!” “I’ll never be as pretty as her!” Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! That is low self-esteem talking and you need to stop that right now! We bring into action those things which we speak out loud so you should only say positive things. Did you know your mind believes what it is told over and over again? That is where your low self-esteem comes from. You were told things over and over until you started believing them. Well, you can make HUGE changes in your life by what you tell yourself now! Pay attention to what you say and make changes where necessary. This will make a huge difference in your life.

4. Learn to Stop Being Critical! YOU don’t like having low self-esteem so why are you giving it to your kids, spouse or anyone else? Think of the impact you are having on other people’s lives. Words are a VERY powerful thing so you should use them wisely. Just like everything else, what you say to people is a choice YOU make. Choose to be uplifting. Choose to be complimentary. Choose to speak words of caring and love. Remember what I said about bringing into action those things which we speak out loud? It is VERY important that you choose your words carefully. Get into the habit of thinking about what you are going to say instead of just blurting out something reactively.

5. Learn to Walk a Mile in Someone Else’s Shoes! Now stop that! You know it’s just an expression! Seriously, try to see things from the other person’s perspective. You will be well on your way to enjoying life when you can look at things from another person’s point-of-view. You will find yourself becoming less angry. You will find yourself becoming less judgmental. You will find yourself viewing life with a freshness you have never known before. Actually, you will find yourself!

You see, it’s not the environment we are raised in that determines who we are. It’s not what our parents are like that determines who we are. It’s certainly not what people say about us that determines who we are! We are who we CHOOSE to be. Some people live their whole lives blaming their present on their past. What a sad and wasted life that must be! Instead of blaming your parents, forgive them! Instead of blaming your poverty, learn from it! Instead of blaming your physical disabilities, overcome them!Oh, I almost forgot about those two boys in the story. Whatever happened to them you ask? One of them went to college, got his doctorate degree and he is now a Chaplain at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. The other one just wrote this article!

Life is meant to be good and you get one chance at doing it right! This is not a play where you get to replay a part in a movie. When the Director yells CUT, it’s all over. There are no retakes or reshoots! Do you want to learn to live life like it was meant to be lived? If so, you can subscribe to our free newsletter called Front Porch Attitude Newsletter at http://www.front-porch-attitude.com