An Alternative to Unemployment

May 23, 2010

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Have you been laid off from your job, knowing your employer will not bring you back? If this has happened to you, take heart. There is an alternative to working for an employer.

The alternative to working for someone else  is working for yourself. That’s right! Start your own business.

In our precarious economic times, with unemployment rates in double digits, and companies having no intentions of hiring back the employees they laid off, the thing to do is to start your own business. This idea probably brings to mind a plethora of questions as well as a modicum of doubt. You might want to know:

  • What kind of business should I start?
  • Where do I begin?
  • How much money will I need?
  • Where will I get the money to start a business?
  • Who will help me if I need it?
  • What if…..

Let’s start at the beginning. Starting a business is not easy, but if you have an idea for a product or service and are passionate about it, you can bring your product or service to the marketplace and make money doing so even in this recession. Help is available to you in the form of education through the Small Business Administration, local Universities and Community Colleges, business coaches, local Chambers of Commerce, etc. However, if you are looking for personal assistance that will take you from starting your business through creation of a will to leave your successful business to your children,  then join the community of businesses being created by Triune Training Systems.

What is Triune Training Systems?

I’m sure you are curious about Triune Training Systems and what this business can do for your new business, correct? Let me provide a description to familiarize you on how Triune Training Systems can help you.

A novice entrepreneur will definitely benefit by becoming a member of the Triune Training Systems community of businesses. As a member, the novice will be educated and coached through the process of creating a business plan, putting the Marketing Pro system in place, and learning a superior referral based system that will keep customers consistently coming into the business, creating a constant flow of income. If necessary, the novice entrepreneur may institute the Accounting Pro system as well as the Business Pro system that will create an excellent foundation for a successful business.

As the entrepreneur initiates these tried and true systems into his or her business, a coach is always available to provide assistance and reassurance. The entrepreneur is also a part of a Mastermind Group. The Group meets as often as the members need it. Many ideas can be generated by a group of people working together to help one another. You’ve heard the old saying, “Two heads are better than one?” The Mastermind Group allows members to identify a concern or a problem while ideas for resolution are presented by the rest of the members.

Lunch and learn meetings will take place monthly. As membership in the Triune Training Systems community increases, these meetings will take place more often. As the terms Lunch and Learn suggest, the meetings incorporate networking among members, lunch, and an educational speaker who will teach attendees about topics of importance that directly impact members and their businesses. Lunch and Learns are open to prospective members of Triune Training Systems as well as entrepreneurs that are already members.

Triune Training Systems also consists of a back office encompassing secretarial support, copy machines, bookkeepers, accountants, computer and information technology (IT) support, web designers, marketing professionals, business forms, etc. Virtual assistance is also available for members with home based businesses requiring this type of support.

As you can see, Triune Training Systems is an all-encompassing community that provides training and coaching to new entrepreneurs who wish to bring their product or service into the marketplace. Triune Training Systems is a membership community that can also assist existing entrepreneurs to revitalize their business with the referral based business that has helped business owners make millions of dollars. Even though entrepreneurs may purchase the systems in an a la carte fashion, membership is recommended because of the long-term benefits associated with it. The long-term benefits of coaching, the Mastermind, Lunch and Learns, the back office services, and a link on the Triune Training Systems’ website to their business are services specific to members only, not necessarily to individuals purchasing a la carte services.

For prospective and existing entrepreneurs interested in this unique service that is necessary in today’s uncertain economy, go to www.TriuneTrainingSystems.com. You can also leave a comment on this blog article with your contact information. You will be contacted within 24 hours. If you are reading this article and have questions about this terrific service, also leave a comment.

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By Diane | Posted in Building a Successful Business, Business, The Power of Education | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Is The Recession Behind Us?

February 26, 2010

If we are reading the newspapers and listening to some of the analysts on TV, we are reading and hearing people telling us that the economy is doing better. Just who do they think they are kidding? Certainly not the American people! The politicians in Washington think if we are told the economy is turning around, we will believe it. Well, all I can say is…

Get real! I don’t know about you, but I certainly am NOT fooled into believing that the economy is recovering, because it isn’t, yet. Unemployment is in double digits in the states, even if nationally it is 9.7%. The unemployment rate here in Wisconsin is 11%. People are very cautious, and they should be. President Obama tried to stimulate the economy by spending $787 Million we didn’t have to stimulate spending, bail out the auto industry, banks, and last but definitely not least, Mr. Bernanke and the Federal Reserve printed money to put a false bottom in the stock market last quarter.  Well, guess what? Stock prices are finally catching up with the padded market. People are finally realizing the impact that printed money had on the market.  Have we learned our lesson?

We (the American People) know exactly what has happened here and we have tightened our belts for the long haul. The fact of the matter is our legislators haven’t learned a thing. Our incumbents have turned a deaf ear and a blind eye to what has been going on. Our illustrious legislators told citizens of the Concorde Coalition that as long as we can keep printing money to keep our economy going, we will. Can you believe an answer like this? Our legislators don’t care that our country is going down the tubes here and they are the reason. Have any one of them had the “guts” to say “STOP IT?”  Do you think they would do it? Heavens no! They can’t agree, so they stopped talking!

We have to get off our complacent “butts” (please excuse the expression) and do something to stop the government from printing more money to solve our problems. The national debt is in the “Trillions.” Do you know what a “Trillion” is? I just know that a trillion dollars is 3 more zeros than a billion dollars. I’ve never seen that much money, have you? Our national debt has gone from billions to trillions with no end in sight unless we, the voters, stop the horrible spending. We also need to start creating jobs so people can go back to work.

I don’t think President Obama realized what he was getting into when he took office two years ago. He had the American people’s best interests at heart when he signed the Stimulus Bill. I’m sure he had no idea what was going to happen next. He probably thought he was going to have more say in how the country was run. Sorry Mr. President!  You are a figure head. Unfortunately, there is a House of Representatives and a Senate that have the real power over the country. Then, we have the Federal Reserve Board. What are they thinking, printing all this money? How are we going to fix this situation?

Let me recommend a few things and see what you think? Mr. Bernanke, we need to stop printing all this money. STOP PRINTING ALL THE MONEY! Let the economy and the market do what it can to correct itself. We need to pay off our debt. The American People are expected to pay off their debt, why shouldn’t the country take responsibility for its debt and stop expecting China to buy our debt. They have already quit!

Another recommendation is to get rid of the incumbents in Congress. Let’s vote all new Representatives and Senators into Congress and start fresh with legislators that have integrity and care about what happens to America. We need representatives that care about their constituents and want what’s best for the country as a whole. That is an excellent place to start, don’t you think?

Let’s see if we can get our country out of debt! Senators Gramm and Rudman tried it quite a few years ago. Somehow, their bill fell by the wayside. Our new battle cry should be, “Let’s Get Our Country Out of Debt!” The ball is in our court, so to speak. What I mean by that is, we need to let our legislators know that we are not going to tolerate all this spending. The bills need to be paid!

We need to get people back to work so families can get out of debt and we need to get our country to stop printing so much money and start living within our means. This all sounds so simple!

Did you know that most of the people getting new jobs in this difficult economy are being hired by small businesses? Absolutely! Did you also know that the IRS is taxing small businesses until it hurts? The IRS has hired a bunch of new agents to investigate small businesses to make sure the country is getting all the taxes that are due. Did you also know that 50% of the American people making less than $50,000 are not being taxed at all? The rest of the people are making up for it, small businesses included. How are we ever going to experience a recovery if the businesses that are providing new jobs are being audited and taxed even more. We are shooting ourselves in the foot, here.

We have the best country in the world no matter how many problems we are experiencing now. Let’s utilize our right to vote and get rid of all the representatives and senators that cannot stand up for what’s right. Let’s also put our support behind small businesses to decrease the unemployment rate. If our politicians can’t do what is right, let’s get them out of office. Let’s also make our government tighten its proverbial belt and stop spending. If we have to have a spending plan in our homes, so should our government.

Let me know if you agree or disagree. Comment. Don’t be afraid to tell me what you think.

By Diane | Posted in Business, Financial Independence, Get the Economy Back on Track, The Power of Education | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Even People With Bad Credit Can Get This Credit Card–But Will They Want It

February 13, 2010

After reading my email this morning, I signed out and found myself on “Yahoo’s” home page. As I perused the page, an article about a credit card with a “79.9%” interest rate caught my eye. Have you ever heard of a credit card with interest rates that high? Neither had I. Needless to say, I had to click on the article to find out what was going on, and who would be crazy enough to want this “awful” card.

Apparently, First Premier Bank is offering a credit card with the unbelievably outrageous interest rate of 79.9% APR with a credit limit of $300. Can you believe this? According to the article from Creditcards.com, this is legal as long as full disclosure is made in the Truth in Lending material provided to the customer.

Premier Bankcard of South Dakota is marketing this credit card to people with bad credit. Apparently, there are “…70 million people out there with bad credit, those with a FICO score of 640 or lower.” People with FICO scores of 640 or lower need a way to rebuild their credit, but is applying for a credit card with an interest rate this high the way to repair it?

Credit counselors are urging people to read the fine print on the information they receive from credit card offers. There are upfront fees, account setup fees, annual fees, one time program fees, and monthly service fees that are almost equal to the credit limit on some of these cards. If you add up all of these fees, chances are they could be equivalent to more than the interest rate and the credit limit.

In other words, be very careful with credit card offers. Even though the offer might look good on the surface, you might be signing for a card that will hurt your credit rating, rather than help it. The only way to deal with a bad credit score is to stop using your credit cards.

The only way to repair your credit is to gather your credit card statements together, write down each credit card balance and minimum payment. Get the credit cards out of your wallet and cut them up. Then, set up a payment plan for each credit card with minimum payments for each. Identify the credit card with the highest interest rate and increase the payment by $200, less if you can’t afford it, more if you are able. When that card is paid off, apply what you were paying on that card to a card with the next highest interest rate, and so on.

Another approach is to identify the credit card with the least balance. When you pay this credit card bill, increase the payment by $200, less if $200 is too much, or more if you are able. When this card is paid off, identify the next card with the lowest balance and apply the payment from the last card ($200 plus the minimum balance from that card) to the minimum balance of the next card.

Paying off the credit card with the least balance may be more gratifying than paying off the card with the highest interest rate. You may be able to celebrate faster if you choose to pay off the card with the lowest balance. Which ever way you choose, you should pat yourself on the back.

I, too, have credit card debt. My choice is to pay off the credit card with the highest interest rate first. Even though this card will take me longer to pay off, I will feel liberated when the credit card statement shows a zero balance. Then, I can pay off the next highest interest rate card and add a payment of close to $500 to the next card. That will be a wonderfully sweet moment to see that much money going toward paying off the next card. Then I can take the $500 plus the payment of $485 of that card ($985) and apply it toward the next card. I get excited just thinking about paying off my cards. You just need the patience to put either one of these approaches into practice and paying off your cards.

Chances are, the rest of your credit cards will get paid off a lot faster as you apply the payments from already paid off credit cards to your remaining debt. When you get the last of your credit card debt paid off, you will feel as if a thousand pound weight has been lifted from your shoulders. You Can Do It! Don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t! You just have to get started.

In order to accomplish this task, you have to discipline yourself. You have to realize that until you have the cash to pay for whatever you want, frivolous purchases will have to wait. This will be difficult to maintain (believe me I know exactly what you are thinking). In order to achieve the discipline you need to pay off all of your credit cards, you will have to “take one day at a time.” Don’t think too far ahead or you will decide that the task is too daunting and quit before you start.

Identify one approach to paying off your credit cards or the other and stick to it. Limit your expenditures to just the necessities, but treat yourself periodically to something that doesn’t cost too much money, i.e., renting a movie and making it a family night; getting a frozen pizza instead of cooking dinner; watching a high definition movie on your DVD player instead of going to the movies; etc. Be creative! Pretty soon you will change your spending habits for good.

You have the power within yourself to change bad spending habits into good ones. Don’t be afraid to tap into them with a little help from a friend, me. I can help anyone create a budget and a spending plan to decrease their bad debt. Why? Because I’ve had the help to do the same thing with my own credit card debt.

To make a long article short, don’t take advantage of crazy credit card deals with astronomical interest rates. This is not the way to change your bad credit score to a good one. You will be paying your hard earned money to a company and increasing its profits.

Have faith in your own ability to change a not so good habit into a good one. You can do what wealthy people do, and that is use your credit card instead of cash at the point of service, but pay the off the card in full every time you use it. Now that is how you effectively utilize a credit card. Don’t give your hard earned money to a company that only wants to make a profit. You make a profit! Let your money work for you, not the bank. That is how you become wealthy.

By Diane | Posted in Credit Cards, Educational Opportunity, Financial Independence, Self Help Information | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

What is My Purpose in Life?

January 19, 2010

Have you ever wondered what you were supposed to do in life? Some people knew exactly what they wanted to do ever since childhood. A dear friend of mine knew what he wanted to be ever since he was twelve years old. I have always known that I wanted to take care of people. For 40+ years, I took care of people as a registered nurse; however, my body and soul took a beating at least four times and I had to take a rest from it. At the tender age of 61, I still want to care for people providing whatever they need to feel better, but I cannot do it as a nurse. My body isn’t strong enough. I need a new career.

Although I’ve worked pretty much all of my life, I do not have enough money to retire. As I was looking for a new career, I found this article written by Marcus Buckingham for Oprah’s magazine online, that provided excellent insight into discovering my purpose and balancing my work and my life.

How do I discover my purpose?

That word “discover” is a sneaky one, isn’t it? It implies that your purpose is there, intact, just waiting to be found like Fleming discovered penicillin. But your purpose or destiny is not something that is going to dawn on you one day in a Eureka-type moment. Let that go. Goals, dreams and vision are important, but they do not provide the answer to living a fulfilled life. The answer lies in your strengthening moments. You have to pay attention to the activities, instances and events in your life that fill you up. They teach you, guide you and sustain you. Like small flames, they can be fanned into bigger fires with a little attention. Your strongest life is built through a continuous practice of designing moment by moment.

Everyone has heard the old adage: Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. Are you actually registering your experience as you live your life, or are you always looking into the rearview mirror pining over what happened or staring off into the distance imagining what will happen—all the while missing out on what is actually happening?

Moments matter most. Build off of a few strong moments, follow the path they lay out for you, and trust your direction. They will not let you down.

How do I know if I’m on the right path?

The best way to find out whether you’re on the right path? Stop looking at the path. André Gide wrote, “A straight path never leads anywhere except to the objective.” To know whether you should be turning from the path you’re on, you have to be alert to the signs you see along the way. The practice of looking for the strong moments in your everyday experience and tipping your life toward them will serve you immeasurably. Here are some indications that you’re moving in a strengthening direction:

  • You are engaging your strengths most of the time.
  • You think about your work outside of work hours, solving problems, considering new approaches.
  • You feel a sense of contributing to something greater than yourself.
  • You share your work experiences with the people you care about—speaking about them, writing about them. The stories you tell are filled with positive feelings.
  • You hunger to learn more about your chosen career and seek out ways to grow—you don’t need to be given incentives to learn.
  • You seek new and creative ways of tackling routine tasks. You have lots of ideas on how to approach your work.
  • You have the energy and creativity to tackle any setbacks that you’re faced with.
  • No one needs to dangle a carrot in front of your nose to motivate you or inspire you to contribute extra effort.
  • When you wake in the morning, though you may be tired, you positively anticipate what the day holds for you.

It’s a continuous practice finding your strongest life. It takes attention, care, curiosity and fluidity. You will be surprised at times at what you find. You may find moments that lead you in a direction that doesn’t fit with the vision that you initially set for yourself. Trust your moments. Stay open to their messages. They are incredible guiding gifts.

Everyone has heard the old adage: Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. Are you actually registering your experience as you live your life, or are you always looking into the rearview mirror pining over what happened or staring off into the distance imagining what will happen—all the while missing out on what is actually happening?

Moments matter most. Build off of a few strong moments, follow the path they lay out for you, and trust your direction. They will not let you down.

How do other women seem to have it all together? Am I missing something?

Yes. You are missing something. But at the same time, you already have everything those enviable women have. However it may seem, they didn’t receive an engraved invitation to a secret club. They don’t have a special recipe. There is no special tool, specific process or computer program that has vaulted them to the next level. No, in fact, it’s nothing external that’s promoting their happiness at all. It’s their trust in themselves.

Women who are making it work are ascribing their success to intrinsic causes rather than extrinsic. They’ve discovered their strengths, they seek their strong moments, and they apply them with courage and diligence. They trust themselves beyond anyone else and they take themselves very seriously. They take a stand for their strengths.

A note of caution: We can never achieve goals that envy sets for us. Looking at your friends and wishing you had what they had is a waste of precious energy. Because we are all unique, what makes another happy may do the opposite for you. That’s why advice is nice but often disappointing when heeded. What works for your friend may not work for you. Focus on yourself and the small wins that you’re achieving daily. Pay attention to your feelings and hunt for moments that engage you. Hang on to them and know that they will start to build on each other, that momentum will kick in and before you know it you’ll be building your best life. Believe it.

How do I balance it all?

Try typing the word “balancing” into your word processor. Nothing unusual there. Now try typing the word “imbalancing.” Your computer doesn’t like that word, does it? You get those squiggly red lines underneath telling you that it’s not really a word. You won’t find it in the dictionary. Although we all know what it means to balance things intentionally, we don’t really understand the idea of intentionally imbalancing anything. We all need to start working on our imbalancing acts.

First, stop chasing that elusive balance. It doesn’t exist. Chasing it does not serve you. If anything, the pursuit of it is likely draining you. Think about the last time that you actually tried to physically balance on something. Didn’t it take massive amounts of effort, focus and skill to achieve a moment of balance before you lost it again? Women who are leading happier more fulfilling lives actually focus on intentionally imbalancing their lives toward the activities that make them feel stronger, more engaged, fulfilled and alive. They seek the moments that they know fill them up and they engineer their lives to experience more of those moments. They do not kowtow to anyone else’s vision for their lives. They choose confidently those experiences that will make them feel happier. They trust themselves.

Many of us feel stress and get overwhelmed not because we’re taking on too much, but because we’re taking on too little of what really strengthens us. The more weakening activities you pile onto your plate, no matter how simple they may seem to tackle, the more you will find your energy and focus being flushed away. The best way to cure stress is to become more conscious of the moment-to-moment experiences of your daily life and begin to make different strengthening choices.

Search your moments. Whenever you consider taking on a new responsibility or commitment, investigate and be certain that there are opportunities for strengthening moments within it. If the commitment doesn’t offer you the chance for such moments, DO NOT TAKE IT ON. Do not take it because you are worried about letting someone else down or concerned about not doing enough. You do enough. You ARE enough. Accept yourself. You are at your best when you’re committed to activities that strengthen you. As you take more of these on, you’ll find yourself more energetic, focused, clear and happy. Stop prioritizing your goals and start prioritizing your MOMENTS.

Will my kids be better off if I stay home to raise them?

That depends. What situation will enable you to be the best version of you? That’s what your kids are really looking for. In fact, when 1,000 school-age (third through 12th grades) children were asked what they wanted from their moms, only 10 percent said “more time.” The most common request? “I want my mom to be less tired and stressed.” They want to experience the best of you.

Now, for many women, the option of not working is not even a choice. They must work to support their families. In this case, having a career that is energizing, challenging and fulfilling will help ensure that you have vitality and enthusiasm to share with your kids. Believe this: When it comes to your children, they do not want more of your time; they want more of your happiness.
Is there a trick to multitasking effectively?

Yes, and here’s the trick: Stop doing it. Multitasking makes us dumb. Even though you likely have a friend who claims to be a master at it, casually discussing her ability to take care of her toddler while she repaints the guest room, cooks a salmon quiche and responds to e-mail. (She’s probably nodded a vacant yes to her 8-year-old’s request to make his own dinner of mini doughnuts. And then 12 minutes later, realizing what she’s agreed to, screams “NO!” just as he licks the last bit of powdered sugar off his chin.) What’s actually happening is that her brain is using all of its resources to figure out how to switch from task to task efficiently rather than on accomplishing any one of those tasks effectively. Things are getting done, but nothing is actually being done well. And she’s compromising her ability to be sharp, creative, insightful and present as she’s doing it.

Research has shown that multitasking has the equivalent brain-drain of missing a whole night’s sleep. The best way to accomplish the most, if you care about quality, is to connect deeply to one task at a time and devote your attention to it. You’re much more likely to experience a flow state in this manner than continuous partial attention to myriad tasks.

This article is a reprint of Mr. Buckingham’s October 7, 2009 article on Oprah.com. If you agree or disagree with this information, please comment. I would appreciate your input.

By Diane | Posted in A Job or a Career!, The Power of Education | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Cutting Medical Costs in These Economic Times

January 17, 2010

Rising medical costs is one of the reasons that there are so many people without health insurance. New technologies, medications, antibiotics, robotics, etc., are the reasons we pay so much for our medical care here in the United States. As we want more sophisticated treatments and higher tech tests to pinpoint diseases, our medical costs are going higher and higher instead of becoming more affordable.

I went to my favorite medical website, the Mayo Clinic, and found a great article on cutting medical costs. Due to the fact that the Mayo Clinic’s charges are not the most economical, I wondered what kind of information I would find on their site for this topic. For the most part, the information was pretty much common sense. The article, written by Mayo Clinic Staff, follows in its entirety.

How to cut your medical costs: Do’s and don’ts

How you can stretch your health care dollar during tough economic times — without jeopardizing your health.

By Mayo Clinic staff

“The wind began to switch, the house to pitch, and suddenly the hinges started to unhitch.”

This line from the “Wizard of Oz” could easily describe many people’s experience with spiraling medical costs. About 1.5 million families lose their homes to foreclosure every year because of unaffordable medical costs. Out-of-pocket medical costs, including health insurance premiums and copays, have increased by 45 percent in the past five years — and that’s for people lucky enough to have health insurance through their employers.

Given the double-digit increase in medical costs, you may be tempted to stop going to your doctor or to let your prescriptions run out. But before you go to that extreme — and potentially jeopardize your health — consider the following do’s and don’ts for trimming your medical costs.

Do know the rules

Each health insurance plan has its rules and requirements. Make sure you know and follow them. Failing to do so can cost you. For example, your doctor gives you a prescription before you leave the hospital after having surgery. After you fill the prescription, you discover that your plan won’t cover it because it was written in the hospital — but would have covered it if it had been written in your doctor’s office.

Do have a medical home

Research has shown that receiving care from your primary care physician — as opposed to hopping from specialist to specialist — is associated with lower total medical costs. In addition, many minor health problems, such as stitching up smaller cuts, getting a tetanus shot or dealing with a lower urinary tract infection, can be handled in your doctor’s office, saving you a trip to the emergency room.

Do use the emergency room but only for emergencies

Emergency room care is among the most expensive options for medical care. Of course, don’t hesitate to go if you have symptoms such as significant severe shortness of breath or chest pain, uncontrolled bleeding or sudden weakness anywhere in your body. For less severe symptoms, these tips may help you avoid the cost — and inconvenience — of an emergency room visit:

  • Have a plan. If you have a condition that can suddenly worsen — such as heart disease, migraines, diabetes, back pain or asthma — work with your doctor to develop a plan for dealing with any new complications. Ask about having mediations on hand for common complications.
  • Ask a nurse. Find out if your insurer or employer offers access to a 24-hour nurse line, where you can talk to a nurse trained in directing people to appropriate medical care. If you don’t have access to a nurse line, try calling your doctor or even the emergency room for advice.
  • Consider urgent care clinics. Located in drugstores, supermarkets and malls, these clinics are open evenings and weekends when your doctor’s office may be closed. They can handle many minor but urgent issues, such as a strep throat or a bladder infection.

Do shop around

If you need a test or an operation, ask your doctor to recommend more than one facility. Your insurer may be able to tell you which provider will charge less. Some insurers have Web sites to help you compare costs on common procedures, such as CT scans.

Of course, your best bet is to avoid unnecessary tests and procedures. If a test or procedure is suggested for you, ask your doctor why the test is necessary. And make sure you understand the answer. Get a second opinion if you aren’t convinced. Excessive use of medical services is a major contributor to rising health care costs.

Don’t skimp on prevention

Some of the most common reasons adults end up in the emergency room include falls, car accidents, fever, and chest and abdominal pain. Taking steps to reduce the risk of falls around the house, driving sensibly, getting your annual flu shot, and properly cooking and storing food are just a few of many ways that you can avoid getting hurt or ill.

Get on the healthy-living bandwagon: eat healthy foods, get exercise and stop smoking. Regular exercise and a high-fiber diet that includes fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains and vegetables can reduce your risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions. And stopping smoking not only cuts your risk of illness, but also saves you money. For example, a pack-a-day smoker could save $5 a day, or almost $2,000 a year.

Don’t drop the ball on refills

Instead of throwing away your prescriptions, take another look at how much you’re paying. Generic drugs are equivalent in safety and effectiveness to their brand-name counterparts, but cost 30 to 80 percent less. Talk with your doctor about whether you can switch to a generic. If a generic isn’t available, ask your doctor about less expensive medication options.

You may also be able to save money just by switching where you buy your medications. Many prescription plans offer a big discount if you use their mail-order pharmacy. And some retail chains offer popular generics for just $4 for a 30-day supply. If prescriptions are still too expensive for you, a patient assistance program might be able to help. These programs, sponsored by drug companies, give free or low-cost medicines to people in need. Some also offer discount cards you can use at pharmacies. To find out if you’re eligible for an assistance program, ask your doctor or check online.

Don’t pay the bill before you check it

Review your medical bills carefully and question anything that doesn’t look right. Read your policy, explanation of benefits statements (also called EOBs) and any paperwork you receive from your insurance company. Make sure you actually received the treatments for which you’re being charged, and check that you aren’t being charged twice for the same thing. Finally, watch for typos or errors in the numbers.

I think the Mayo Clinic Staff did a great job, don’ t you? If we follow the advice provided I know we can save money. Also, if we focus on wellness, we can keep from getting sick and/or needing surgery. Let’s stay healthy and give doctors, hospitals, and nurses an extended vacation. What do you think about that?

By Diane | Posted in Economic Trends, Educational Opportunity, Keeping Healthy, The Power of Education | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Have The Best Year Ever

January 16, 2010

If you have been reading my articles for the last few weeks, I’m sure you have decided to crawl into your bed and pull the covers up and over for the rest of the year. The economic forecast is dismal. States’ unemployment figures are high. Many jobs are going by the wayside due to technology. There is so much bad news, people are beginning to wonder if there are any more reasons to be happy. Some people are going so far as to call our economic status “The New Depression.”

I don’t know about you, but I refuse to throw in the towel and let the economy get the best of me. At the beginning of this New Year, we all made our resolutions to lose weight, exercise more, eat less junk food, walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator, etc. Is everyone working on your resolutions or have you forgotten all about them? That’s what usually happens to New Year’s resolutions. You make them on New Year’s Eve, and three weeks later they are forgotten.

Dr. Joe Vitale tells us to forget about resolutions. He says that our resolutions are based on magical thinking, wishful thinking, and they lack any real commitment or plan. If you think about this, we usually write down the same resolutions every year hoping that one of these times, we’ll succeed. For the most part, resolutions are for wimps. We need to change the term to “Positive Predictions!” I really like the term Positive Predictions better, don’t you?

The difference between New Year’s Resolutions and Positive Predictions is with the resolutions, you write them down on paper at the beginning of the year and by February 1st, they’re forgotten. With Positive Predictions, you decide what you want, write them down as if they have already happened, and then attract them. If you do this correctly, you will attract your positive prediction, and the operative word here is “positive.” Let me show you how this works.

As Dr. Joe Vitale says, it’s a fun and creative exercise that allows you to visualize the future, contemplate unlimited possibilities, and actually begin to attract the new reality to you.

Of course, all too often individuals fixate on negative future predictions. 1984, Y2K and 2012, are just a few of the dates that come to mind. It seems there’s always an apocalyptic event looming on the horizon. Unfortunately, when these dates come and go without incident, they are quickly replaced by new, even more menacing predictions. Ho hum.

There’s a better way. Instead of imagining a doom and gloom scenario, let’s imagine a happy and prosperous one. Let’s make 2010 the year of Positive Predictions. For example, here’s a sampling of the Positive Predictions Dr. Vitale  added to his list for 2010:

Buoyed largely by the creative ideas of marketers, inventors and entrepreneurs, the United States explodes out of the current recession by harnessing several new technologies. People experience prosperity again! (Keep these positive thoughts going!)

Alternative sources of energy and innovative automobile technologies begins to reach a level of critical mass, resulting in dramatically lower demand for fossil fuels. We exit 2010 at an average price of $1.90 per gallon of gas — and falling. (Hoo Rah, Hoo Rah, Hoo Rah)

I climbed to the top of my 15 foot climbing rope with my arms only and it becomes an inspiring YouTube video. (I would have to work on this one really hard, wouldn’t you?)

Dr. Joe’s free book Attract Money Now is translated into every major language, is downloaded by tens of millions of people worldwide, and becomes a New York Times bestseller after a publisher pays me a huge seven-figure advance for the rights to it.

Operation Yes makes a major impact in ending homelessness in America.

Dr. Vitale launched the first ever Billionaire Bugatti Mastermind.

The Attract Miracles Community reaches critical mass and transforms the planet with a single thought projected around the world – by thought alone.

Dr. Vitale went on David Letterman, Jay Leno and Jon Stewart’s TV shows, showing his incredible Alien Guitar.

Dr. Vitale’s hydrogen-gas super car, The Scorpion was delivered mid-year and got front page news across the world as the first truly sexy environmentally friendly muscle car. He loves that car!

joe_scorpion smaller

As you can see, this exercise is exciting. You might also note the “predictions” are written as if they are after-the-fact reports. It’s based on a process Dr. Vitale calls “Nevillizing,” named after famed mystic Neville Goddard. Dr. Vitale discusses the practice of “Nevillizing” your goals in both The Attractor Factor and more recently in Attract Money Now.

“Nevillizing your goal” is imagining or visualizing what life would be like if your goal were already achieved today. The objective is to make an emotional connection to your future. You pretend it has already happened. This allows your subconscious mind to believe it’s possible, as well as to program the Universe to bring that vision into your reality.

Neville himself said –

“There is only one cause, and that is consciousness. Your consciousness is the center from which your world mirrors and echoes the state you presently occupy.”

Consider the act of making a prediction. Generally, meaningful predictions require that you step out of your comfort zone and take a risk. Dr. Vitale is not talking about unimportant predictions that anyone can make. He is talking about “worthy” predictions that make your subconscious mind take notice and say “Wow, this guy/gal isn’t fooling around!”

Contrast this to the standard practice of creating New Year’s resolutions. If you are like many individuals, you may write down a list of resolutions for the year. This ritual has become so routine that very little emotion if any permeates to the subconscious. Not to mention there’s virtually no personal accountability tied to the resolution.

Need proof?

You need look no further than your local health-club or gym. As of today, January 16, 2010, most are bursting at the seams with new members. Check back with these same clubs in July and you’ll notice that their attendance has dropped back to late 2009 levels.

Generally, resolutions are easy to forget or dismiss. However, Nevillized Positive Predictions have much stronger emotional ties and longevity. They will begin the process of attracting a new reality based on the Law of Attraction and the power of intention.

So here’s my personal challenge to you: Create a list of Positive Predictions. Do it today. Right now.

Have fun with it. Like Dr. Vitale’s, some can focus on world events. Others can be personal challenges that really stretch your boundaries. If you have already created a list of resolutions, you can easily convert them into predictions. Just remember to make them worthy. And be sure to write them as if they already happened. And record your excitement.

A great way to ensure that your Positive Predictions become a reality is through Mastermind Groups and Personal Coaching. Both can provide the necessary accountability, access to creative ideas, and insights to make your wildest predictions come true.

Here’s something most people don’t know:

Years ago Dr. Vitale walked into his Mastermind Group at the time and stated that he wanted to be in a movie. Not just any movie, and not as some fly on the wall. He wanted a noteworthy part.

At the time he had no movie experience or connections. But he stated his goal and let his Mastermind Group support his intention with their good thoughts.

That’s it.

He didn’t try to get an acting job.

He didn’t send out resumes or sexy photos of himself.

He just waited, expecting his miracle, and ready to take action when inspiration or opportunity appeared.

Three months later a woman named Rhonda Byrne read Dr. Vitale’s book, The Attractor Factor, and called him, asking if he would like to be in her movie, called The Secret.

The rest, as they say, is history.

This is the power of Positive Predictions, Mastermind Groups, and Personal Coaching.

There are many excellent coaching programs available. Take for example, Triune Training Systems – a program designed to help individuals and business owners become successful entrepreneurs in the Milwaukee area.

The Mastermind Center - a mastermind group open to members of Triune Training Systems. For more information about the coaching program and the mastermind group, please leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you.

Go out and make 2010 the best year ever!


By Diane | Posted in An Attitude of Gratitude, Breaking Bad Habits, Positive Attitude & Thoughts, The Power of Education, The Power of Positive Thinking | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Are You Ready to Fly This New Year?

January 9, 2010

Well, here we are in a brand new year. Everyone has decided on new goals: new diets, exercise plans, new business plans, a new job, new clothes we got for Christmas, and perhaps a new lease on life. 2010 is a new year and the beginning of a new decade. We are ready for whatever life brings even if we are in a recession. We are not “…out of the woods” by any means yet, but if we put our nose to the grindstone, or some such thing, we can make the new year better than the previous year.

I’m sure you are looking at the paragraph above and saying, “Oh brother! Another person with a positive attitude! The fact is, the economy sucks no matter how you look at it. From what the experts say, nothing is going to get better for at least two years, not until 2012.”

We can look at these words and agree with them or we can look deep within ourselves and realize that the means for making things better for ourselves has been within us all along. You are probably thinking, “Oh sure! Tell me more fairy tales!”

Many families are having a hard time right now because they have lost faith in themselves. Many of us have put our faith in our employers to provide our livelihood. We work hard because that is what our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents told us to do to get ahead. All right, I’ve worked hard all my life and two years before retirement my company is broke. No job! No pension! No security! Now what should I do? Is it too late for me to retire? I’m 62 or even 65 years old! The only thing I know how to do is what I did for my company for the 40 years I worked for them. I don’t have any other marketable skills. Do I go back to work because I can’t afford to retire?

There are more than 75 million baby boomers asking themselves the same question as I write this article. Hopefully, many of these people invested wisely even though the stock market has been all over the graph in 2000-2003 and in 2008 through the present. How can people benefit when unemployment is at an all-time high and baby boomers are looking for jobs instead of looking forward to the fruits of their labor, a relaxed retirement?

EDUCATION! Everyone, the young as well as those of us that have worked hard all of our lives, need financial education and a deep sense of Spirit. Financial education needs to start when our children are in Kindergarten and should continue through high school, college, and adult life. We shouldn’t be relying on advice from our plumber, mechanic, or a family member who has no idea what he or she is talking about. Will we listen to someone who has no training in finance rather than a professional whose life’s work is helping people to make wise financial decisions?

Many people would rather act on free advice from a total stranger rather than do what their financial planner or investment adviser representative tells them. The fact is, most people are afraid of change. They are afraid because they don’t understand what the adviser or representative is telling them and would rather not change their investment strategies right now even though their investments have lost money in the past. Is that logical? Why would an intelligent human being decide to leave their investments in a mutual fund that has lost thousands of their dollars?

People think they know about their investments because a sales person told them that if they leave their money in for the long term, sooner or later the market will go up and they will profit in the long run. Buy and Hold! I lost thousands of dollars in the last five years in Buy and Hold investments until I found out that I no longer need to do this. There is another alternative out there. I invested my money with a money manager that will watch my investments very closely. If the market makes a downward fall, like it did in 2001-2002 and again in the last two years, my money manager will take my money out of the falling investments and put it into money market funds, cash, or inverse funds that make money other funds are losing money.

Please don’t get me wrong. Having my money in actively managed investments doesn’t mean I won’t lose money. What it does mean is that I won’t lose as much because my money manager will take my money out before the market goes down any further. Wouldn’t you like your money in an actively managed strategy where the money manager is watching your investment to make sure you are making as much money as the market will allow? That’s the strategy I want and have for my investments. My investment adviser representative has watched my strategy and the investment  and has shown me how to watch it on the website.

Right now everyone needs financial education in these uncertain times. Saving money is difficult when everything you have goes to pay bills and buy food. For those who have a few extra dollars, save it don’t spend it. Put it away in a jar. When you get $100.00, put it in the bank. Save a dollar or whatever you can. If you have the intention to save a dollar or two a day, the money will make itself available to you. Write down on a piece of paper what you want to save every single day and read it every day. Before you know it, you will have it. The money will be there for you to put in your jar every day. That is how the Law of Attraction works. If you believe that the money will come, it will. If you have any blockages or you don’t believe, the money will not come to you.

Financial education is necessary for people of all ages and it needs to begin now. We all need to believe that if we write down our intentions for money, abundance, prosperity, or whatever, read it every day and know we will receive it, the Law of Attraction will bring it to us. Think about it, practice it, and prosper!

By Diane | Posted in Breaking Bad Habits, Educational Opportunity, Financial Independence, Self Help Information, The Power of Education | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Quit Smoking Article Continues

January 7, 2010

If you have decided to quit smoking for your health as one of your goals for 2010, I applaud you. I know how difficult it is because I used to smoke. Periodically throughout my life I smoked for a few months and then quit. Towards the end of 1993, I broke my neck. In order to keep from gaining too much weight in the halo jacket, I started smoking again. That time, I didn’t quit until January 2006. I had a difficult time quitting that time without the assistance of the nicotine patch, but I quit. There are times when I feel like having a cigarette, especially now that I have gained a few pounds during the holidays; however, this is the time that I need to be strong, so I don’t start smoking again.

Now it’s time to go back to Mayo Clinic and let the staff provide us with the tests and diagnosis, treatment and drugs, lifestyle and home remedies, coping and support, and last but not least prevention of nicotine dependence.

Tests and diagnosis

By Mayo Clinic staff

There are no physical tests to determine the exact degree to which you’re dependent on nicotine. Your doctor may assess the degree of your nicotine dependence by asking you questions or having you complete a questionnaire. The more cigarettes you smoke each day and the sooner you smoke after awakening, the more dependent you are. Knowing your degree of dependence can also help determine the correct dose of a nicotine replacement medication.

Treatments and drugs

If you’ve tried and failed to stop smoking on your own, you’re not alone. You’re more likely to succeed if you follow treatment that’s been shown to be successful in scientific studies. Medications and counseling both work. Combining these approaches is even more effective.

Although it may be tough to break your tobacco dependence, the benefits are well worth the effort. If you stop smoking before you’re 50, you can cut in half your risk of dying in the next 15 years, compared with those who continue smoking.

No matter what your age, your health will benefit if you stop smoking. Just 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your heart rate goes down. Twelve hours later, levels of carbon monoxide, a toxic gas, in your blood return to normal. Your lung function improves and your circulation starts to get better within three months. After a year, your risk of having a heart attack drops by half. And after five to 15 years, your stroke risk will be the same as that of a nonsmoker.

Medications
Several medications, including nicotine replacement therapy and non-nicotine medications, are effective in treating nicotine dependence. Any of these medications, combined with behavioral changes, can double your chances of quitting.

Using more than one medication — such as a nicotine patch along with a nicotine gum, lozenge, nasal spray or inhaler — may help you achieve better results than if you use a single medication.

If you’ve tried a medication on your own but haven’t been successful in quitting, talk to your health care provider. He or she can help you move in the right direction by adjusting the dose of your medication, recommending a different medication or using a combination of medications.

Most people who want to stop smoking can benefit from a medication. But if you’re pregnant or breast-feeding, you smoke fewer than 10 cigarettes a day or you’re under age 18, talk to your doctor before taking any over-the-counter nicotine replacement products.

Nicotine replacement therapy
Nicotine replacement therapy gives you nicotine without the other harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke. Many people mistakenly believe that nicotine causes cancer, but that’s not the case. Nicotine replacement medications, including patches, gums, lozenges, nasal sprays and inhalers, can help relieve difficult withdrawal symptoms and cravings. The best time to start using nicotine replacement is on the day you set to stop smoking.

Most nicotine replacement products are available over-the-counter:

  • Nicotine patch (NicoDerm CQ, Habitrol, others). The patch delivers nicotine through your skin and into your bloodstream. You wear a new patch each day. The treatment period usually lasts for eight weeks or longer. Don’t be in a hurry to stop using the patch, especially if you’ve stopped smoking or dramatically reduced your smoking. If you haven’t been able to stop smoking completely after the two weeks or so of treatment, ask your doctor for help in adjusting the dose of the patch or adding another medication.
  • Nicotine gum (Nicorette, Rite Aid). This is a gum-like resin that delivers nicotine to your blood through the lining of your mouth. It’s available in a 2-milligram (mg) dose for regular smokers and a 4-mg dose for heavy smokers. You can use up to 20 pieces a day as needed.  Nicotine gum is often recommended to curb cravings. To use the gum correctly, chew it a few times until you feel a mild tingling or peppery taste, then park the gum between your cheek and gumline for several minutes. This “chewing and parking” allows nicotine to be gradually absorbed in your bloodstream. Avoid drinking carbonated or acidic drinks, such as coffee or juice, before or while using nicotine gums or lozenges.
  • Nicotine lozenge (Commit). This is a tablet that dissolves in your mouth and, like nicotine gum, delivers nicotine through the lining of your mouth. The lozenges are available in 2- and 4-mg doses, for regular or heavier smokers. To use the lozenge, place it in your mouth between your gumline and cheek or under your tongue and allow it to dissolve. You’ll start with one lozenge every one to two hours and gradually increase the time between treatments. The most common side effects are headache, diarrhea, hiccups, heartburn and nausea.

These nicotine replacement products are available by prescription:

  • Nicotine nasal spray (Nicotrol NS). The nicotine in this product, sprayed directly into each nostril, is absorbed through your nasal membranes into your blood vessels. The nasal spray delivers nicotine a bit quicker than gum, lozenges or the patch but not as rapidly as smoking a cigarette. It’s usually prescribed for three-month periods for up to six months. Side effects may include nasal irritation.
  • Nicotine inhaler (Nicotrol Inhaler). This device is shaped something like a cigarette holder. You puff on it, and it delivers nicotine vapor in your mouth. You absorb the nicotine through the lining in your mouth, where it then enters your bloodstream. Common side effects are mouth or throat irritation and occasional coughing.

Non-nicotine medications
Medications that don’t contain nicotine include:

  • Antidepressants. The antidepressant drug bupropion (Zyban, Wellbutrin) increases levels of dopamine and norepinephrine, brain chemicals that are also boosted by nicotine. Bupropion may be prescribed along with a nicotine patch. Bupropion has the advantage of helping to minimize weight gain after you quit smoking. Side effects may include sleep disturbance and dry mouth. If you have a history of seizures or serious head trauma, such as a skull fracture, you shouldn’t take this drug. Another antidepressant that has been shown to help people stop smoking is nortriptyline (Pamelor).
  • Varenicline (Chantix). This medication acts on the brain’s nicotine receptors, decreasing withdrawal symptoms and reducing the feelings of pleasure you get from smoking. Potential side effects include nausea, headache, insomnia and strange dreams. Rarely, varenicline can cause serious psychiatric symptoms, such as depressed mood, agitation and suicidal thoughts.
  • Clonidine (Catapres). This drug is approved for use in treating high blood pressure, but may be used as a second line medication for tobacco dependence if other medications haven’t helped. Its usefulness is limited because of side effects such as drowsiness and sedation.
  • Medications in development. Several nicotine vaccines are under investigation in clinical trials.  The vaccines cause the immune system to develop antibodies to nicotine. These antibodies then bind to nicotine as it enters the bloodstream and prevent the nicotine from reaching the brain, effectively blocking the effects of nicotine. The nicotine vaccine holds promise for preventing relapse among smokers who quit.

Counseling, support groups and smoking cessation programs
Research shows that combining medications with behavioral counseling provides the best chance for long-term success in abstaining from tobacco. Medications help you cope with withdrawal symptoms, while behavioral treatments help you develop the skills you need to stay away from tobacco over the long run. The more time you spend with a counselor, the better your treatment results will be.

Several types of counseling and support can help with stopping smoking:

  • Telephone counseling. No matter where you live, you can take advantage of telephone counseling to help you give up tobacco. Two national help lines are the National Cancer Institute’s 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669) and the American Cancer Society’s Quitline at 800-ACS-2345 (800-227-2345).
  • Individual or group counseling program. Your doctor may recommend local support groups or a treatment program where counseling is provided by a tobacco treatment specialist. Counseling helps you learn techniques for quitting and provides support for the process. Many hospitals, health care plans, health care providers and employers offer treatment programs or have tobacco treatment specialists who are certified to provide treatment for tobacco dependence. Nicotine Anonymous groups provide support for people trying to quit.
  • Internet-based programs. Several Web sites offer support and strategies for people who are trying to stop smoking. Text messaging services, including personalized reminders about a quit smoking plan, also may prove helpful.

Remember, it’s common to “relapse.” But your goal is no smoking at all — even light or occasional smoking is dangerous. You can learn from past quitting experiences, and you’ll be stronger during your next attempt.

Lifestyle and home remedies

By Mayo Clinic staff

When you stop smoking, you’ll likely experience some unpleasant or stressful symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Medications will markedly reduce the difficulty of withdrawal. Even so, it’s important to have a plan for managing withdrawal symptoms.

Withdrawal symptoms are usually the most intense during the first week after you stop smoking. They may continue for several weeks, with declining intensity. Although most nicotine withdrawal symptoms pass within a month, you may occasionally experience a strong urge to smoke months after stopping. Triggers or cues that were associated with your smoking can provoke these urges or cravings.

Here are some things you can do to manage withdrawal symptoms:

  • Exercise regularly. Regular physical activity has been found to help people stop smoking.  Exercise also helps offset potential weight gain following smoking cessation.
  • Wait out cravings. Cravings or urges usually last less than five minutes. Wash the dishes, go for a walk or have a healthy snack, such as carrots, an apple or sunflower seeds. Pursue a hobby that keeps your hands busy.
  • Identify rationalizations. If you find yourself thinking, “I’ll just smoke one to get through this tough time” or “Just one won’t hurt,” recognize it as a message that can derail your plan. Review your reasons for quitting, and replace that thought with something positive to support your stopping.
  • Talk to a support person if you’re feeling anxious or depressed or need encouragement to get through a difficult craving.
  • Avoid high-risk situations. Know your triggers, and stay away from people, places and situations that tempt you to smoke.
  • Be realistic about the energy and time it takes to stop smoking. Adjust your schedule to a lighter workload. Take time to do something fun or simply relax.
  • Eat regular meals, including plenty of fruits and vegetables, and drink more water.

Coping and support

How can you stay motivated to maintain abstinence from smoking? Start by thinking about the mixed feelings you may have about smoking. Then make a list of your reasons for quitting.

Stopping smoking is a positive change for many reasons. Think of short-term benefits, such as breathing easier, saving money and having better smelling clothes. Long-term benefits include a lower risk of disease, increased chances for a longer life and a healthier environment for your family. Use these reasons to build your motivation. Look at your list often, especially when you feel your motivation is lagging.

To stay smoke-free over the long haul, consider these tips:

  • Identify your major smoking triggers and challenges. This will help you solve problems and have a plan to deal with high-risk situations.
  • Seek support. Seek the social support you need to stay quit. Ask your family, friends and co-workers for support and encouragement. Let them know what you find most helpful.
  • Practice positive self-talk. Think of one or two phrases to use repeatedly for encouragement, such as “I am grateful to be smoke-free.”
  • Set smoke-free boundaries. If there’s another smoker in your household, set boundaries by making your home and car smoke-free.
  • Regularly review the benefits you’re getting from quitting. Look at your list again. Add up how much money you’ve saved. Ask your family members for their observations.
  • Avoid alcohol. Drinking is a high-risk situation. Avoid drinking situations until you are confident you can remain smoke-free.
  • Reward yourself. Buy a magazine, go to a park, meet a friend for lunch, take a class.

Prevention

By Mayo Clinic staff

The best way to prevent tobacco dependence is to not smoke in the first place. The best way to prevent your children from smoking is to not smoke yourself. If you’re a parent who smokes, the younger your children are when you quit, the less likely they are to become smokers themselves. Even if you don’t smoke, here are some things you might try as a parent:

  • Promote smoke-free environments. Support legislation to make all workplaces smoke-free. Encourage smoke-free public places, including restaurants or other places where your teen may work.
  • Support legislation to increase taxes on tobacco products. Higher prices discourage teens from starting to smoke. Higher prices on tobacco products, coupled with smoke-free workplace laws, are the most effective public health policies to reduce smoking in adults and prevent young people from ever starting.
  • Talk with your teenagers. Ask whether their friends smoke. Most teenagers smoke their first cigarette with a friend who already smokes.
  • Learn what your children think about smoking. Ask them to read this article so that you can discuss it together.
  • Help your children explore personal feelings. Use nonjudgmental questions and rehearse with them how they could handle tough situations regarding peer pressure and smoking.
  • Note the social repercussions. Remind your teenager that smoking gives you bad breath and makes your hair and clothes smell.
  • Work with your schools. Become active in community stop-smoking pro

The SurWay method stimulates a series of acupuncture points located primarily on the ear.  These points communicate the desired changes to the energy pathways in the body.  After these points are stimulated, you will see a reduced or completely eliminated physical connection to the addictive substances — as well as helping to bring the behavioral patterns or habits under your control.  SurWay uses low-level light technology, which is completely painless and non toxic!

Since 1986 this methodology has proven successful for over tens of thousands of people worldwide.
If you have tried to quit smoking, you know how hard it can be. Nicotine is one of the most addictive drugs out there, and usually people make many attempts before successfully quitting. Each time you try to quit smoking, you can learn what works for you and what situations are problematic.

Make this the time that you, or someone close to you, QUITS SMOKING
In 2004, 44.5 million adults (20.9 percent) in the United States were current smokers—23.4 percent of men and 18.5 percent of women. An estimated 70 percent of these smokers said they wanted to QUIT SMOKING!
An estimated 14.6 million (40.5 percent) adult everyday smokers in 2004 had stopped smoking for at least 1 day during the preceding 12 months because they were trying to quit.
Contact SurWay Today, To Make Every Day Smoke Free!

Using SurWay’s Auricular Therapy Will Help Make Your Dreams Of Quitting Smoking A Reality!

  • Non-Invasive
  • No Drugs
  • No Patches
  • No Gum
  • No Agonizing Cravings Minimizes or Eliminates Withdrawal Symptoms COMPLETELY
  • Results for the low cost of $299!  This includes 2 booster sessions*
    *can be extended at the discretion of the acupuncturist) within the first 60 days, as well as the  90 day and the 6 month follow up sessions!

Smoking 1 Pack Of Cigarettes A Day At The Price Of $4.00 A Pack Will Cost You $1456.00 A Year!

If you are interested in finding out more about this method, please call Doug at 414-281-7873.

  • grams.

I’m sure everyone has heard of patches and medications to stop smoking, but what about the side effects? If you are interested in a non-invasive method of laser acupuncture at SurWay of Milwaukee. You can find out more about this unique stop smoking method by going to www.surway1.com.

By Diane | Posted in Educational Opportunity, Quit Smoking For Your Life, Self Help Information, Setting and Attaining Goals, The Power of Education | Tagged , | Comment (1)

An Important Goal for 2010, Quit Smoking

January 6, 2010

I’m sure many of you who are reading my blog have created goals that you would like to accomplish for this new year. Everyone does it. Most goals identified by people as a result of a new year are generally forgotten by February 1st. One of the goals that I hope you have made for this year is to quit smoking. Many people out there have already quit for health reasons. I say to you, “I’m very proud of you!” If you would like to quit smoking, but need a nudge, let me give you some information about nicotine dependence. The first part of this series will come from my favorite Mayo Clinic website to educate you about the topic of nicotine and how easy it is to become dependent on this substance. The second part of the article will provide information about a unique way to quit smoking using laser acupuncture, which is available right here in the Milwaukee area at Surway – Laser Acupuncture, in Greenfield. Let’s start out with the definition of nicotine dependence, provided by the Mayo Clinic Staff.

Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

Nicotine dependence is an addiction to tobacco products caused by the drug nicotine. Smoke from cigarettes, cigars and pipes contains thousands of chemicals, including nicotine. Smokeless tobacco also contains nicotine. Nicotine dependence means you can’t stop using the substance, even though it’s causing you harm.

Nicotine produces physical and mood-altering effects in your brain that are temporarily pleasing. These effects spur your continued use of tobacco and lead to dependence. At the same time, quitting tobacco use causes withdrawal symptoms, including irritability and anxiety.

Nicotine dependence brings a host of health problems. While it’s the nicotine in tobacco that keeps you hooked, the toxic effects come mainly from other substances in tobacco. Smokers have significantly higher rates of heart disease, stroke and cancer. This is what nicotine dependence is. Let’s go on to the symptoms.

Symptoms

In some people, using any amount of tobacco can quickly lead to nicotine dependence. Symptoms that you may be addicted include:

  • You can’t stop smoking. You’ve made one or more serious, but unsuccessful, attempts to stop.
  • You experience withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop. Your attempts at stopping have caused physical and mood-related symptoms, such as strong cravings, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, depressed mood, frustration or anger, increased hunger, insomnia, and constipation or diarrhea.
  • You keep smoking despite health problems. Even though you’ve developed problems with your lungs or your heart, you haven’t stopped or can’t stop.
  • You give up social or recreational activities in order to smoke. You may stop going to smoke-free restaurants or stop socializing with certain family members or friends because you can’t smoke in these situations.

When to see a doctor
If you’ve tried to stop smoking but haven’t succeeded, talk to your health care provider about medications to help you quit. Look for a stop-smoking counselor, who can help you create a treatment plan that works for you. Most people who try to stop on their own don’t succeed. You’re more likely to stop for good if you follow a treatment plan that addresses both the physical and the psychological aspects of tobacco dependence.

Causes

Nicotine is the chemical in tobacco that keeps you smoking. It can be as addictive as cocaine. It increases the release of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, which help regulate mood and behavior. One of these neurotransmitters is dopamine, which makes you feel good. Getting that dopamine boost is part of the addiction process.

Tobacco dependence involves psychological as well as physical factors. Behaviors and cues that you may associate with smoking include:

  • Certain times of the day, such as with morning coffee or during breaks at work
  • After a meal
  • Drinking alcohol
  • Certain places or friends
  • Talking on the phone
  • Stressful situations or when you’re feeling down
  • The smell of a cigarette
  • Driving your car

To overcome your dependence on tobacco, you need to deal with the behaviors and routines that you associate with smoking.

Risk factors

Anyone who smokes is at risk of becoming dependent on tobacco and nicotine. Most people begin smoking during childhood or adolescence.

The younger you begin smoking, the greater the chance that you’ll become a heavy smoker as an adult. Children with two parents who smoke are twice as likely to become smokers. Children with friends who smoke also are more likely to try cigarettes.

Other factors that influence nicotine dependence include:

  • Genetics. The genes you inherit play a role in some aspects of nicotine dependence. For example, the likelihood that you will start smoking and keep smoking may be partly inherited. Some people experiment with smoking and don’t experience pleasure, so they never become smokers. Other people develop dependence very quickly. Some “social smokers” can smoke just once in a while, and yet another group of smokers can stop smoking with no withdrawal symptoms. These differences can be explained by genetic factors that influence how receptors on the surface of your brain’s nerve cells respond to nicotine.
  • Depression, other mental illness and substance abuse. People who have depression, schizophrenia and other forms of mental illness are more likely to be smokers. Smoking may be a form of self-medication for these disorders. People who abuse alcohol and illicit drugs also are more likely to be smokers.

Complications

When you inhale tobacco smoke, you ingest numerous chemicals that reach most of your body’s vital organs. Tobacco smoke contains more than 60 known cancer-causing chemicals and more than 4,800 other harmful substances.

Smoking harms almost every organ of your body. More than half the people who keep smoking will die because of it. The negative health effects include:

  • Lung cancer and other lung diseases. Smoking causes nearly nine out 10 of lung cancer cases, as well as other lung diseases, such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking also makes asthma worse.
  • Heart and circulatory system problems. Smoking increases your risk of dying of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke. Smoking 15 cigarettes a day doubles your heart attack risk. Even smoking just one to four cigarettes daily increases your risk of heart disease. If you have cardiovascular illness or heart failure, smoking worsens your condition. However, stopping smoking reduces your risk of having a heart attack by 50 percent in the first year.
  • Other cancers. Smoking is a major cause of cancers of the esophagus, larynx, throat (pharynx) and mouth and also is related to cancer of the bladder, pancreas, kidney, cervix, stomach, and some leukemias.
  • Physical appearance. The chemicals in tobacco smoke can change the structure of your skin, causing premature aging and wrinkles. Smoking also yellows your teeth, fingers and fingernails.
  • Infertility and impotence. Smoking increases the risk of infertility in women and the chance of impotence in men.
  • Pregnancy and newborn complications. Mothers who smoke while pregnant face a higher risk of miscarriage, preterm delivery, decreased birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in their newborn. Low birth weight babies are more likely to die or have learning and physical problems.
  • Cold, flu and other illnesses. Smokers are more prone to respiratory infections, such as colds, flu and bronchitis, than are nonsmokers.
  • Diabetes. Smoking increases insulin resistance, which can set the stage for the development of type 2 diabetes. If you have diabetes, smoking can speed the progress of complications such as kidney disease.
  • Impaired senses. Smoking deadens your senses of taste and smell, so food isn’t as appetizing as it once was.
  • Risks to your family. Spouses and partners of smokers have a higher risk of lung cancer and heart disease, compared with people who don’t live with a smoker. If you smoke, your children will be more prone to sudden infant death syndrome, asthma, ear infections and colds.

This is tremendous information provided by the Mayo Clinic staff. Tomorrow’s article will encompass tests and diagnosis, treatment and drugs, lifestyle and home remedies, coping and support, and prevention as well as information about laser acupuncture to quit smoking. I hope you will come back tomorrow and read the rest of this important information. In the meantime, please comment on this article if the spirit moves you.

By Diane | Posted in Educational Opportunity, Quit Smoking For Your Life, Self Help Information, Setting and Attaining Goals, The Power of Education | Tagged , , , , | Comment (1)

More About Migraines

January 4, 2010

As identified in yesterday’s article titled, What Do You Know About Migraines?, the Mayo Clinic Staff provided a great definition of Migraines as painful headaches of unknown origin. Now you know that no one really knows where these headaches come from. The staff also went through symptoms, causes, risk factors, and complications. Today’s article begins with preparing for the appointment with your provider.

Preparing for your appointment

By Mayo Clinic staff

You’re likely to start by seeing your primary care provider first. If appropriate you may be referred to a neurologist or other physician who specializes in headache medicine.

Because appointments can be brief, and because there’s often a lot of ground to cover, it’s a good idea to be well-prepared for your appointment. Here’s some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.

What you can do

  • Write down symptoms you’re experiencing, even if they seem unrelated to your migraines.
  • Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes.
  • Make a list of all medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements, that you’re taking. It is particularly important to list all medications that you have used to treat your headaches. Include the doses of the medications.
  • Take a family member or friend along, if possible. Sometimes it can be difficult to soak up all the information provided to you during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
  • Write down questions to ask your doctor.

Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For migraines, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:

  • What is likely triggering my migraines?
  • Are there other possible causes for my symptoms?
  • What kinds of tests do I need?
  • Is my condition likely temporary or chronic?
  • What is the best course of action?
  • What are the alternatives to the primary approach that you’re suggesting?
  • What changes to my lifestyle or diet do you suggest I make?
  • I have these other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
  • Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you’re prescribing me?
  • Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What Web sites do you recommend?

In addition to the questions that you’ve prepared to ask your doctor, don’t hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don’t understand something.

What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:

  • When did you first begin experiencing symptoms?
  • Have your symptoms been continuous or occasional?
  • How severe are your symptoms?
  • What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
  • What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?

What you can do in the meantime

  • Keep a headache diary. A diary can help you and your doctor determine what triggers your migraines. Note when your headaches start, how long they last and what, if anything, provides relief. Be sure to record your response to any headache medications you take. Also note the foods you ate in the 24 hours preceding attacks, any unusual stress, and how you feel and what you’re doing when headaches strike.
  • Reduce stress. Because stress triggers migraines for many people, try to avoid overly stressful situations, or use stress-reduction techniques like meditation.
  • Get enough sleep but don’t oversleep. Aim for six to eight hours of sleep a night.

Tests and diagnosis

If you have typical migraines or a family history of migraines, your doctor will likely diagnose the condition on the basis of your medical history and a physical exam. But if your headaches are unusual, severe or sudden, your doctor may recommend a variety of tests to rule out other possible causes for your pain.

  • Computerized tomography (CT). This imaging procedure uses a series of computer-directed X-rays that provides a cross-sectional view of your brain. This helps doctors diagnose tumors, infections and other possible medical problems that may be causing your headaches.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRIs use radio waves and a powerful magnet to produce very detailed cross-sectional views of your brain. MRI scans help doctors diagnose tumors, strokes, aneurysms, neurological diseases and other brain abnormalities. An MRI can also be used to examine the blood vessels that supply the brain.
  • Spinal tap (lumbar puncture). If your doctor suspects an underlying condition, such as meningitis — an inflammation of the membranes (meninges) and cerebrospinal fluid surrounding your brain and spinal cord — he or she may recommend a spinal tap (lumbar puncture). In this procedure, a thin needle is inserted between two vertebrae in your lower back to extract a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for laboratory analysis.

Treatments and drugs

A variety of drugs have been specifically designed to treat migraines. In addition, some drugs commonly used to treat other conditions also may help relieve or prevent migraines. Medications used to combat migraines fall into two broad categories:

  • Pain-relieving medications. Also known as acute or abortive treatment, these types of drugs are taken during migraine attacks and are designed to stop symptoms that have already begun.
  • Preventive medications. These types of drugs are taken regularly, often on a daily basis, to reduce the severity or frequency of migraines.

Choosing a strategy to manage your migraines depends on the frequency and severity of your headaches, the degree of disability your headaches cause, and your other medical conditions.

Some medications aren’t recommended if you’re pregnant or breast-feeding. Some aren’t used for children. Your doctor can help find the right medication for you.

Pain-relieving medications
For best results, take pain-relieving drugs as soon as you experience signs or symptoms of a migraine. It may help if you rest or sleep in a dark room after taking them:

  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These medications, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or aspirin, may help relieve mild migraines. Drugs marketed specifically for migraine, such as the combination of acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine (Excedrin Migraine), also may ease moderate migraines but aren’t effective alone for severe migraines. If taken too often or for long periods of time, NSAIDs can lead to ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding and rebound headaches.
  • Triptans. For many people with severe migraine attacks, triptans are the drug of choice. They are effective in relieving the pain, nausea and sensitivity to light and sound that are associated with migraines. Medications include sumatriptan (Imitrex), rizatriptan (Maxalt), naratriptan (Amerge), zolmitriptan (Zomig), almotriptan (Axert), frovatriptan (Frova) and eletriptan (Relpax). Side effects of triptans include nausea, dizziness and muscle weakness. They aren’t recommended for people at risk for strokes and heart attacks. A new, single-tablet combination of sumatriptan and naproxen sodium (Treximet) became available in 2008. It’s more effective in relieving migraine symptoms than either medication on its own.
  • Ergot. Ergotamine (Migergot, Cafergot) is much less expensive, but also less effective, than triptans. It seems most effective in those whose pain lasts for more than 48 hours. Dihydroergotamine (Migranal) is an ergot derivative that is more effective and has fewer side effects than ergotamine.
  • Anti-nausea medications. Because migraine attacks are often accompanied by nausea with or without vomiting, medication for nausea is appropriate and is usually combined with other medications. Frequently prescribed medications are metoclopramide (oral) or prochlorperazine (oral or suppository).
  • Butalbital combinations. Medications that combine the sedative butalbital with aspirin or acetaminophen (Butapap, Phrenlin Forte) are sometimes used to treat migraine attacks. Some combinations also include caffeine or codeine (Esgic-Plus, Fioricet). These medications, however, have a high risk of rebound headaches and withdrawal symptoms so should be used infrequently.
  • Opiates. Medications containing narcotics, particularly codeine, are sometimes used to treat migraine pain when people can’t take triptans or ergot. Narcotics are habit-forming and are usually used only as a last resort.

Preventive medications
Nearly half of those who get migraines could benefit from preventative medication, yet only about 1 in 10 people take it. You may be a candidate for preventive therapy if you have two or more debilitating attacks a month, if pain-relieving medications aren’t helping, or if your migraine signs and symptoms include a prolonged aura or numbness and weakness.

Preventive medications can reduce the frequency, severity and length of migraines and may increase the effectiveness of symptom-relieving medicines used during migraine attacks. Your doctor may recommend that you take preventive medications daily, or only when a predictable trigger, such as menstruation, is approaching.

In most cases, preventive medications don’t eliminate headaches completely, and some cause serious side effects. If you have had good results from preventative medicine and have been migraine-free for six months to a year, your doctor may recommend tapering off the medication to see if your migraines return without it.

For best results, take these medications as your doctor recommends:

  • Cardiovascular drugs. Beta blockers — commonly used to treat high blood pressure and coronary artery disease — can reduce the frequency and severity of migraines. These drugs are considered among first-line treatment agents. Calcium channel blockers, another class of cardiovascular drugs, especially verapamil (Calan, Isoptin), also may be helpful in preventing migraines and relieving symptoms from aura. In addition, the antihypertensive medications lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril) and candesartan (Atacand) are useful in reducing the length and severity of migraines. Researchers don’t understand exactly why all of these cardiovascular drugs prevent migraines. Side effects can include dizziness, drowsiness or lightheadedness.
  • Antidepressants. Certain antidepressants are good at helping to prevent some types of headaches, including migraines. Most effective are tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, nortriptyline (Pamelor) and protriptyline (Vivactil). These medications are considered among first-line treatment agents and may reduce migraines by affecting the level of serotonin and other brain chemicals. You don’t have to have depression to benefit from these drugs. Other classes of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), haven’t been proven as effective for migraine prevention. However, preliminary research suggests that one SNRI, venlafaxine (Effexor), may be helpful in preventing migraines.
  • Anti-seizure drugs. Some anti-seizure drugs, such as divalproex (Depakote) and topiramate (Topamax), and gabapentin (Neurontin), seem to reduce the frequency of migraines. In high doses, however, these anti-seizure drugs may cause side effects, such as nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, hair loss, and dizziness.
  • Cyproheptadine. This antihistamine specifically affects serotonin activity. Doctors sometimes give it to children as a preventive measure.
  • Botulinum toxin type A (Botox). Botulinum toxin type A is sometimes used for treatment of chronic migraines. Studies have had mixed results with respect to effectiveness. However, some headache specialists believe that it can be helpful for some people. Injections are made in muscles of the forehead and neck. When this is effective, the treatment typically needs to be repeated every three months.

Lifestyle and home remedies

Self-care measures can help ease the pain of a migraine.

  • Try muscle relaxation exercises. Progressive muscle relaxation, meditation and yoga don’t require any equipment. You can learn them in classes or at home using books or tapes. Or spend at least a half-hour each day doing something you find relaxing — listening to music, gardening, taking a hot bath or reading.
  • Get enough sleep but don’t oversleep. The average adult needs six to eight hours of sleep a night. It’s best to go to bed and wake up at regular times, as well.
  • Rest and relax. If possible, rest in a dark, quiet room when you feel a headache coming on. Place an ice pack wrapped in a cloth on the back of your neck and apply gentle pressure to painful areas on your scalp.
  • Keep a headache diary. Continue keeping your headache diary even after you see your doctor. It will help you learn more about what triggers your migraines and what treatment is most effective.

Alternative medicine

Nontraditional therapies may be helpful if you have chronic headache pain:

  • Acupuncture. In this treatment, a practitioner inserts many thin, disposable needles into several areas of your skin at defined points. A number of clinical trials have found that acupuncture may be helpful for headache pain.
  • Biofeedback. Biofeedback appears to be especially effective in relieving migraine pain. This relaxation technique uses special equipment to teach you how to monitor and control certain physical responses related to stress, such as muscle tension.
  • Massage. Massage may help reduce the frequency of migraines. And it can improve the quality of your sleep, which can, in turn, help prevent migraines.
  • Herbs, vitamins and minerals. There is some evidence that the herbs feverfew and butterbur may prevent migraines or reduce their severity. A high dose of riboflavin (vitamin B-2) also may prevent migraines by correcting tiny deficiencies in the brain cells. Coenzyme Q10 supplements may be helpful in some individuals. Oral magnesium sulfate supplements may reduce the frequency of headaches in some people, although studies don’t all agree on this issue. Magnesium taken intravenously seems to help some people during an acute headache, particularly people with magnesium deficiencies. Ask your doctor if these treatments are right for you. Don’t use feverfew or butterbur if you’re pregnant.

Prevention

By Mayo Clinic staff

Whether or not you take preventive medications, you may benefit from lifestyle changes that can help reduce the number and severity of migraines. One or more of these suggestions may be helpful for you:

  • Avoid triggers. If certain foods seem to have triggered your headaches in the past, avoid those foods. If certain scents are a problem, try to avoid them. In general, establish a daily routine with regular sleep patterns and regular meals. In addition, try to control stress.
  • Exercise regularly. Regular aerobic exercise reduces tension and can help prevent migraines. If your doctor agrees, choose any aerobic exercise you enjoy, including walking, swimming and cycling. Warm up slowly, however, because sudden, intense exercise can cause headaches. Obesity is also thought to be a factor in migraines, and regular exercise can help you keep your weight down.
  • Reduce the effects of estrogen. If you’re a woman with migraines and estrogen seems to trigger or make your headaches worse, you may want to avoid or reduce the amount of medications you take that contain estrogen. These medications include birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy. Talk with your doctor about the best alternatives or dosages for you.

I hope that some or all of this information will be helpful to you. If you have any questions or would like to look up other symptoms or problems, just go to The Mayo Clinic website. You can find out about any problem you may have in addition to a treatment, possibly an alternative treatment, what you can do at home for your problem, and how to prevent it. Please comment on the article if the information was useful to you.

By Diane | Posted in Chronic Pain, Chronic Pain Support, Educational Opportunity, Medication Information, Self Help Information, The Power of Education | Tagged , | Comments (2)