JULY

In this issue...

Welcome
Power of Reading
Weight Loss
Humor
Did You Know?
Success Quotes
Road to Success

The Power of Reading by Leon Shepherd

The highest paid Americans read an average of 2 to 3 hours per day. The lowest paid Americans don't read at all. According to the American Booksellers association, 80% of American families did not buy or read a single book in the last year. Fifty-eight percent of adults never read another book after they leave high school, including 42% of university graduates. According to USA TODAY, 43.6% of American adults read below the seventh grade level. Fifty percent of high school graduates can neither read their high school diploma's nor fill out an application at McDonald's. To rise to the top in our fields, we must realize that our most valuable asset is between our ears; our minds. We must continue to use our minds by expanding our knowledge. And the key to expanding our knowledge begins with reading. When I was growing up, I was not an avid reader. The majority of my reading came from reading the sports section of the local gazette, skimming through a few magazines, and reading what I was required to read in school. I didn't realize the power of reading until years later when I became an Insurance agent. As an insurance agent, often times I would visit the homes of clients to complete policy transactions. One of the things that stood out when I visited the homes of the wealthy or well-to-do clients, was that they always had a library. A library of books that were instrumental in their accumulation of wealth, as well as books and magazines on how to increase their wealth. I often wondered, did they become wealthy and then buy the books, or did they buy the books and then become wealthy? The answer was obvious, the books came before the wealth. I realized that to earn more, I had to learn more. And to learn more, I had to read more. So I became obsessed with reading. I started reading the complete newspaper, instead of just reading the sports section. I started reading the magazines and books that the successful read. I started reading everything that I could get my hands on that I felt would expand my knowledge. Reading became an addiction. I found that the more I learned, the more I wanted to learn. And by reading and learning more, I began to earn more. The most significant difference of income in America, are between those who have continually increased their levels of knowledge and skill and those who have not. Have you ever marveled at how quickly many game show contestants come up with the right answers in a matter of seconds? These people are considered to be ''well read,'' a term used to describe those who have become knowledgeable by using the power of reading. Knowledge is the primary source of value. And the key to expanding your knowledge is reading. To get into the habit of reading, try to read at least 30 to 60 minutes a day. Make sure you read something motivational, inspirational, or educational. Highlight important sentences and phrases so that it's easy for you to go back and review. If possible plan your reading in the morning, so that it puts you in a positive frame of mind for the rest of the day. By reading one hour a day, you will eventually move to the top in your field. One hour of reading per day will translate to approximately 1 book per week. One book per week, will translate to 50 books per year. The same number of books that you will need to read to earn a Ph.D. from a leading university. Fifty books per year, will translate to about 500 books over the next ten years. You should also listen to books on tapes while you are driving or working out. The average car owner in America drives 12,000 to 15,000 miles each year. This is equivalent of 500 to 750 hours you spend in your car each year. By turning your car into a university on wheels, you can get the equivalent of 3 to 6 months of 40 hour weeks or 1 or 2 full time university semesters each year, just by listening to audio programs in your car as you drive from place to place. Their are no limits when it comes to learning. You must continue to expand your knowledge. The more you read what the successful read, the more you will know what the successful know. The more you soak your mind in new knowledge, new insight and new ideas and new information, the more your mind will be stimulated and magnetized into your life all kinds of opportunities and possibilities to help you achieve your goals.

1. Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
2. Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
3. There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
4. The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.
5. A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.
6. There are more chickens than people in the world.
7. No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.
8. ''Dreamt'' is the only English word that ends in the letters ''mt''.
9. All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.
10. Almonds are a member of the peach family.
11. Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.
12. There are only four words in the English language which end in '' dous'': tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.
13. Los Angeles' full name is '' El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula''
14. A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
15. An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
16. Tigers have stripped skin, not just stripped fur.
17. In most advertisements, the time displayed on a watch is 10:10.
18. Al Capone's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.
19. A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours.
20. A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.
21. A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
22. It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
23. The giant squid has the largest eyes in the world.
24. The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
25. The average person falls asleep in seven minutes.
26. There are 336 dimples on a regulation golf ball.
27. ''Stewardesses'' is the longest word that is typed with only the left hand.
    

by Daniel Kosich, Ph.D.

The Road to Success

How you can tell when it's going to be a rotten day (humor)

1. You call Suicide Prevention and they put you on hold.
2. You see a '' 60 minutes'' news team waiting in your office.
3. Your birthday cake collapses from the weight of the candles.
4. You turn on the news and they're showing emergency routes out of the city.
5. Your twin sister forgot your birthday.
6. You wake up and discover your waterbed broke and then realize that you don't have a waterbed.
7. Your boss tells you not to bother to take off your coat.
8. The bird singing outside your window is a buzzard.
9. You wake up and your braces are locked together.
10. You walk to work and find your dress is stuck in the back of your pantyhose.
11. Your wife says, ''Good morning, Bill'' and your name is George.
12. Your blind date turns out to be your ex.
13. Your income check bounces.
14. You put both contact lenses in the same eye.
15. Your pet rock snaps at you.
16. While watching the news, you spot your husband marching in a Gay Pride parade.

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