Attitude Fitness Test by Leon Shepherd

Your attitude like your body has a fitness level. It can be strong or weak. It can support you or run out of steam. And like an athlete knowing where you are strong or weak is the only way to create an effective workout that will give you peak performance. For the exercise below, you will need a pen and some paper. After each question, rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the highest, 1 being the lowest), in terms of the fitness of your attitude. Be honest, it will give you a head start on where you need to strengthen your attitude. So How Positive Are You?... About 1. Believing in you? 2. Your ability to bounce back from failure? 3. Your life's dreams or goals? 4. Your job/career? 5. Handling change and challenge? 6. Handling peer pressure? 7. How would your family rate your attitude? 8. How would your friends rate your attitude? 9. How would your supervisor/manager rate your attitude? 10. How would I rate my sense of humor? After completing the exercise, total your score. Attitude Fitness Score 90 and over means: You"re ready for the Olympics of Life! This means you have a good idea of where you're going, believe it is possible and don't give up when faced with challenge and change. And you probably have a good sense of humor! 80 through 90 means: You need to increase your training schedule a little. You've got a good basic level of positive fitness but occasionally have a tough time staying "up." 70 through 80 means: You need a better diet and supplements. This means you're spending too much time eating the mental junk food of negativity and need more fresh positive ideas and people around you. 60 through 70 means: You need a trainer and some rehab. This means you'd benefit from some personal one on one coaching. Choose a positive friend or person you know and ask them to be your mentor. Watch and listen to how they handle things. Practice. 60 and below means: Call 911 this is an emergency! This means you're starting fresh! But, when we can admit we have a problem it is the first step in overcoming it. Being negative most of the time doesn't have to be terminal. Now, the good news! Whether your score was high, low, or average: In the next newsletter, I will provide you with some tips and ideas on how to develop and maintain a positive attitude.

The Secret To A Healthy Diet? Snacks by Dr. Tony Russell

Yes, you read correctly. Those tasty tidbits that you tide over until mealtime can be key ingredients for a healthy diet and weight control. The secret is smart snacking, and the following tips will help quiet those between-meals cravings without compromising your waistline: Snack to curb your appetite. If you starve yourself until mealtime, you'll probably overeat when you finally sit down to dinner, especially since it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to get the message that your stomach is full. Snacking a few hours before a meal can keep you from gorging yourself later. Snack light. A snack is just that, not a full-course meal. Snack in moderation; enough to satisfy a craving or take the edge off your hunger, not until you're stuffed. Snacking works best when you're not overly hungry, so don't skip meals like breakfast or else you'll fill up on snack foods, which can be unhealthy if they're full of calories, fat and sugar. Choose the knockoff. Find low-fat, lower calorie versions of your favorite snacks. Instead of fried potato and corn chips or extra-buttery popcorn, opt for baked chips, rice cakes, low-salt pretzels, air-popped or crunchy, fresh vegetables like carrots, cucumbers and celery. Go for frozen yogurt and sherbet instead of ice cream. Satisfy your sweet tooth with fruit. When you need a sugar fix, fill up on fruits. Fresh fruit is best, but canned fruit (in water) or dried fruits like apricots, dates, prunes, banana and apple chips are good for you, too. Just go easy on portions with dried fruits. Snack only when you are hungry. Do you snack when you're bored, angry, stressed or depressed? If you're eating for reasons other than hunger, you're on a sure path to obesity or eating disorders. Food keeps us alive and well; it is not the answer for hurts in our lives. Find non-caloric ways to cope with challenges. Indulge - a little. Let's be real. Sometimes carrots and celery just won't cut it, and completely depriving yourself of your favorite junk foods only sets you up for a bad binge when you finally give in. And you will. When high-calorie cravings can't be denied, go ahead and treat yourself to an occasional indulgence. You deserve it

ASAP

In the midst of family chaos,
"Quality time" is rare.
Do your best; let God do the rest-
ASAP - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER.

It may seem like your worries
Are more than you can bear.
Slow down and take a breather-
ASAP - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER

God knows how stressful life is;
He wants to ease our cares,
And He'll respond to all your needs
A.S.A.P. - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER.

Success Secrets
by Hal Urban, PhD

Maintain A Positive Attitude

While having a positive attitude won't guarantee the results you want, it is more effective than thinking negatively.

Exercise 1: Start every meeting - or every conversation with a loved one - with the "Daily Four." Share a piece of good news...describe something for which you are thankful...give a compliment...and say something funny.

Exercise 2: Keep a journal, and write about the people and things for which you are grateful every day. You'll soon find that you're focusing on what's right with your life instead of getting bogged down in what's wrong.

Bring Out The Best In Others
No one becomes successful in isolation. Successful people actively build strong relationships. They do it by bringing out the best in others.

Don't just look for the good in people - tell them about it. Make a point of affirming at least two people every day.

Set Goals
Goals help us take charge of our lives. They give us a sense of what is possible. Each step taken toward achieving a goal builds confidence.

Don't confuse goals with wishes. Wishes are vague thoughts that we hope will happen - such as the desire to be happy, rich, famous, etc. Goals are dreams with deadlines.

Write down your goals. Also write down the steps needed to accomplish them..obstacles to overcome...people who can help...what the rewards will be.

Review your goals. Look at your list every week. This keeps you motivated and alert to opportunities.

Work Hard
Successful people don't just sit around waiting for someone to give them a break. They work for what they want.

Successful people are self-disciplined and have a willingness to work long hours. Instead of trying to avoid hard work, they welcome it.

Bounce Back From Failure
The difference between people who succeed and people who don't isn't in the number of times they fail. It lies in what they do after they fail.

The right way to handle failure...

Don't suffer alone. Talk about what happened with someone whose insight and judgment you respect. Get reassurance and encouragement - and lessons from that person's experiences with failure.

Write it out. Write down what you did, how you feel and what you're going to do next. Writing yields powerful insights.

Read about history's successful failures. Gain inspiration from the stories of people like Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Mahatma Gandhi and other greats who persevered in the face of failure.

Be Honest.
Humans have a need to be moral. Living by time-honored values - honesty, generosity, kindness, respect - is good for our emotional and physical health.

Dishonesty - even the "everyone's doing it" kind - sucks up energy. It can damage our relationships...and research suggests that dishonesty places stress on the body's nervous system.

Integrity, on the other hand, brings us peace of mind...increases our self-respect...and cements important relationships.

Dating Success Secrets by Anita Lawson

Sounds great, if you happen to be a Rockefeller. But you don't need to be a millionaire to create a truly memorable date. You just need to combine these ingredients:

1. Undivided attention
Forget work, bills and anything else that conspires to distract you. Leave your cell phone at home and resist the urge to check your answering machine. Make sure your date knows you have only one priority tonight.

2. An extra dash of style
No need to rent a tux or buy a ball gown, unless that's your thing. No need to wear crippling high heels or other uncomfortable clothes. But show up in something special, in whatever style suits you best. You'll get a reaction that's sure to be memorable.

3. An escape from the crowd.
Find a place - a table at a quiet restaurant, a secluded corner of the park or beach, the privacy of your own car on a drive through spectacular scenery - where everyone else in the world can fade into the background. There will be other dates you can share with friends, family and thousands of strangers at the sports arena, but make this one all about the two of you.

4. An uninhibited moment.
Dance together, even, if you're not on a dance floor. Do something naughty when you're sure (or pretty sure, anyway) no one is looking. Or engage in a tamer public display of affection. It's a measure of your trust in each other and in your relationship: What a wonderful thing to be with someone with whom you can let your guard down completely.

5. An expression of how you feel.
Don't save it for an anniversary, birthday or proposal. Express yourself because just being together makes this a special occasion. Tell your sweetheart how much your relationship means to you. Think of a toast, recite a romantic poem - if you're really brave, make it an original - or hum a few bars of "your song."

Remember: The most memorable thing about this date should be that you enjoyed it with each other. With the right combination of these elements, you can have an unforgettable time together at an elegant restaurant or a hot dog stand, at the opera or in a bowling alley.

Keep your relationship alive by becoming a romantic at heart. Some people are romantic, and it comes as easy and natural to them as breathing. Some people are not romantic and would like to be, but don't know if they can be. Anyone can become a romantic at heart, and all it takes is learning how to be romantic in actions and in thinking.

Humor

One day, a recently married man goes to the attic of his new home to put a few things in storage. While he is there, he notices a large steamer trunk sitting in the corner. When he tries to open it, he finds it is locked. Puzzled and curious, he calls his new bride up to the attic and asks her about the trunk.

She tells him that it is hers and that it only contains some personal things. He accepts her answer and eventually forgets all about the matter.

Three years later when he is cleaning out the attic, he runs across the trunk and again asks his wife what's in it. She again tells him that it contains only personal things, but this time he is more persistent. So she sits him down and reminds him that she makes him happy when he's feeling down, that she keeps the house meticulously clean, that she cooks him fantastic meals 7 days a week, and that she gives him all the sex he wants, anytime he wants it. Then she tells him if he is happy with all of those things, that he should forget about the trunk because she will not talk about it. "Fair enough," says the husband, and he finishes
cleaning out the attic.

On their 25th wedding anniversary, he pulls the trunk down the stairs, into the middle of the living room floor, and calls to his wife. "Honey," he says, "we've been married for 25 years and I think it's time we had a heart-to-heart talk. What the hell is in that trunk?" The wife immediately protests, reminding him once again about the clean house, the good food and the great sex. "I don't care," he tells her. "After 25 years we ought to be able to talk about anything. Now open this trunk!"

So, she takes a key from a chain hanging around her neck and opens the trunk. Inside is three ears of corn and 25 thousand dollars in cash.

"Jesus Christ!" shouts the surprised husband. "What's going on here? Where did all of this come from?"

"Well, sweetie," replies the wife, "you said we could talk, so I'll tell you what you want to know. Over the years, I tried to stay faithful to you, but I wasn't always successful. Every time that I cheated on you, I put an ear of corn into the trunk."
The husband cannot believe the shocking confession that he has just heard, but after mulling it over in his mind for a few moments he says to his wife, "All right, I admit I'm not too thrilled about this, but I did say we should be honest with each other, and I guess I can live with three incidents of infidelity in 25 years. But where did all the money come from?"
"Well," she replies, "whenever the trunk got full, I sold the corn.

A romantic-reminder list will help you do exciting things for your loved one regularly. Put romantic activities high on your priority list. Then schedule some of what you will do - buy flowers, send love notes, plan a night out...whatever the two of you enjoy.
Paula Coxe

You can think your way out of boredom and sleepiness. Hyperventilate by breathing deeply and rapidly for a few moments. Think about something exciting and stimulating while keeping your eyes open. As soon as you feel the state of consciousness shift, refocus on where you are and what you should be paying attention to. To avoid becoming bored again, listen with close attention and alertness to detail.
Ann Wise

Honey cannot be substituted for sugar in baking on a one-to-one basis. Honey is sweeter than sugar and contains water. Replace one-and-a quarter cups of sugar with one cup of honey. Reduce the liquid in the recipe - you may need to experiment to get it right.
Health and Nutrition Letter

Hooked on caffeine? To keep properly hydrated, drink one cup of water for every cup caffeinated beverages you consume.
Susan Kliener

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