Welcome

A couple of months ago, my mother spent some time in the hospital - she thought she was having a heart attack. As it turned out, she was not. But, in fact, it was a serious warning. Though she is doing better, her life has been turned upside down.

My sister and I have taken this turn of events very seriously - especially since this heart issue is hereditary. So, the three of us now have matching pedometers to monitor how many steps we take each day (the goal is 10,000 steps a day). I have created a blog called 10,0000 Steps a Day about my progress if you are interested (I could sure use the encouragement of some comments )

Other than that, life has been the usual hectic schedule of finishing up the school year (5th and 8th grade completed - Yay!), spending time rafting, putting in the garden, celebrating my daughter's 11th birthday, and enjoying another visit from my in-laws.

Hope all is well with you!

Diana Hooper
(Mark, Adora and Arianna do too! )

Quote-of-the-Month

"You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result."

– Mahatma Gandhi

Earning Extra Income Online is Not All That Easy

By Ryan Best

I'm sure you're use to seeing that you can earn extra income online in as soon as a day or that you can get rich very quick. Well hate to break it to you, but you're not going to get rich over night. You can get rich off the internet, but it's not going to be overnight. A lot of the things promised to you are blown out of proportion. There is no way that you will be able to earn thousands of dollars on your first day.

People that have persuaded you that this is possible have steered you wrong. Some have made people actually believe that they can earn extra income online by the click of a button. Because of those people, there are people out there that are tricked into thinking that they can get rich online without investing barley any time or effort at all. Once again, hate to break it to you, but a lot of time and effort are required to have success on the internet.

In fact, it can be a little difficult to get rich online if you don't have the proper training to get you ahead of the competition. There is a lot of work needed from you to start making the massive amounts of income that so many others tell you about online. Marketing your business takes a lot of your time in the beginning stages. The competition is ridiculous because the internet business is growing rapidly every day. So it's up to you to capture people's attention and make your offer more amusing to others.

Your ultimate goal is to make a lot of money, obviously. The best way to do that is to start your own online business. One way to go is to start from scratch and not bother with systems that have already been made for you by other people. The thing about other people's systems is that they may be saturated, so you might want to look closely into that. Now, if you do decide to create your own business, just know that it can take years to build because it takes time to create quality websites. Not only that, but websites take a lot of money to be built...unless you know how to build them yourself.

You can also do affiliate marketing. There are a lot of different programs you can join. Affiliate marketing is when you sell other's people's products for commissions. Most likely you really won't get rich off of doing that though. You can still bring in decent extra income, but probably not the kind you are really looking for. Another way to make money online is by filling out surveys. Once again, you're not going to make a life changing salary doing that either. In fact, most surveys have you spend money to test products to get money in return. Not much of a money maker there. The good thing about both is that they are easy to do. They still take a little work, but not as much as running your own business.

So, I just wanted to let you know that becoming a millionaire or six figure income earner overnight is unrealistic. In order to be successful you have to go in to this business knowing that you are jumping into an arena that has thousands of competitors that are trying to do exactly what you are doing. Don't let that scare you off, there are better opportunities than others that will give you bump over much of the completion, but you have to do research and find out which one's they are. There are huge opportunities waiting with great outcomes, just know it's not an easy road. But to be honest with you, nothing really is.

Ryan Best is a college graduate from the University of Virginia. He is currently a Internet Network Marketer. Currently resides in Waldorf, MD. Some people may know his as he was a former safety for the University of Virginia Cavaliers. Although he is big into the internet marketing, he is still pursuing his career in the NFL.

If interested in what he has written visit: millionairesby2012.com

Or visit Ryan at his blog: Ryan's Blog

Article Source

 

Stress + Those Crazy Days of Summer

Summertime is not all mint juleps and carefree hours in the hammock. There are soccer games and T-ball, vacations to plan, lawns and gardens to care for, the house vibrating with the noise of kids and their friends, not to mention the usual work pressures!

Just when you want most to relax and enjoy time outdoors with family and friends, you can feel stress creeping up on you. How can you de-stress and get back to enjoying your summer?

Turn to the source of a hundred emotional adjectives-essential oils! Is there another remedy available that calms, soothes, uplifts, refreshes, rejuvenates, relaxes, strengthens, composes, sedates, pacifies, relieves, consoles, comforts, and revives both mind and body?

If you think these adjectives are a bit over the top, you should know that modern science has confirmed the emotional power of essential oils.

Researchers are constantly exploring the mystery of essential oils. How is it, for instance, that lavender has been shown to increase the percentage of deep sleep in young men and women (1), yet it also relieves fatigue (2) in terminally ill cancer patients? Is there an ancient wisdom found in essential oils that works synergistically with the body to orchestrate the right emotional response? While scientists may not completely understand how essential oils work, they have shown consistently that they do work.

So if you feel your stress levels rising, take a moment to let the fragrant scents of essential oils lift your spirit, imbue you with calmness, and subtly release feelings of stress.

LAVENDER, ROSE, and ORANGE oils have been shown to alleviate serious stress. Not just the kind that comes when your third grader lets the bathtub overflow but the stress found in an intensive care unit (3), among agitated dementia patients (4), and from laboratory-induced anxiety and conflict.(5,6) The crisp, fresh aroma of lavender has impressed scientists and inspired over fifteen studies on its emotional benefits.

Knowing how we all carefully use our rose oil, you can simply take off the cap and inhale a deep, calming breath. Lavender and orange essential oils can be inhaled, applied topically (remember, citrus oils create sensitivity to sunlight), and diffused to minimize stress.

Orange oil in a dental office (needles and drills and root canals, oh my!) allowed women to have a lower level of "anxiety, a more positive mood, and a higher level of calmness.” (7) Animal studies determined that orange oil calmed anxiety and increased sleep time, without dampening general activity or motor coordination. (8)

VALERIAN essential oil has a long history of calming use. Two studies report that valerian root oil has sedative and sleep-enhancing properties after inhalation. (9, 10) And further research on a very stressful subject has determined that inhalation of BLACK PEPPER essential oil reduced smoking withdrawal symptoms. (11) LEMON, ROMAN CHAMOMILE, and ROSEMARY essential oils have been shown to have anti-anxiety and mood-enhancing action as well. (12, 13, 14)

So when life starts getting you down and taking you out of summer fun, break out these wonderful essential oils and get your groove back!

1. N. Goel, et al, “An olfactory stimulus modifies nighttime sleep in young men and women,” Chronobiol Int. 2005;22(5):889-904.

2. H. Kohara, et al, “Combined modality treatment of aromatherapy, footsoak, and reflexology relieves fatigue in patients with cancer,” J Palliat Med. 2004 Dec;7(6):791-6

3. C. Dunn, et al, “Sensing an improvement: an experimental study to evaluate the use of aromatherapy, massage, and periods of rest in an intensive care unit,” J Adv Nurs. 1995 Jan;21(1):34-40.

4. C. Holmes, et al, “Lavender oil as a treatment for agitated behavior in severe dementia: a placebo controlled study,” Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2002 Apr;17(4):305-8.

5. T. Umezu, “Behavioral effects of plant-derived essential oils in the geller type conflict test in mice,” Jpn J Pharmacol. 2000 Jun;83(2):150-3.

6. T. Umezu, “Anticonflict effects of plant-derived essential oils,” Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1999 Sep;64(1):35-40.

7. J. Lehrner, et al, “Ambient odor of orange in a dental office reduces anxiety and improves mood in female patients,” Physiol Behav. 2000 Oct 1-15;71(1-2):83-6.

8. M. I. carvalho-Freitas, M. Costa, “Anxiolytic and sedative effects of extracts and essential oil from Citrus aurantium L.,” Biol Pharm Bull. 2002 Dec;25(12):1629-33.

9. G. Buchbauer, et al, “Effects of valerian root oil, borneol, isoborneal, bornyl acetate, and isobornyl acetate on the motility of laboratory animals (mice) after inhalation,” Pharmazie. 1992 Aug;47(8):620-2.

10. M. Marder, et al, “6-methylapigeninand hesperidin: new valariana flavoniods with activity on the CNS,” Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2003 Jun;75(3):537-45.

11. J. E. Rose, F. M. Behm, “Inhalation of vapor from black pepper extract reduces smoking withdrawal symptoms,” Drug Alcohol Depend. 1994 Feb;34(3):225-9.

12.I. Ceccarelli, et al, “Effects of long-tem exposure of lemon essential oil odor on behavioral, hormonal, and neuronal parameters in male and female rats,” Brain Res. 2004 Mar 19;1001(1-2):78-86.

13. S. Wilkonson, et al, “An evaluation of aromatherapy massage in palliative care,” Palliat Med. 1999 Sep;13(5):409-17.

14. M. Moss, et al, “Aromas of rosemary and lavender essential oils differentially affect cognition and mood in healthy adults,” Int J Neurosci. 2003 Jan;113(1):15-38.

Reprinted with permission of Young Living, Lehi, UT 84043
Essential Lifestyle magazine

Click here for more information on essential oils

Old is just old, it's not Dumb

A strong young man at a construction site was bragging that he could out do anyone in a feat of strength. He made a special case of making fun of one of the older workmen.

After several minutes, the older worker had enough. 'Why don't you put your money where your mouth is,' he said. 'I will bet a week's wages that I can haul something in a wheelbarrow over to that building that you won't be able to wheel back.'

'You're on, old man,' the braggart replied. 'Let's see you do it.'

The old man reached out and grabbed the wheelbarrow by the handles. Then, nodding to the young man, he said, 'All right, Dummy, get in.'