Warm Temps And Thoughts Of Spring Won’t Keep Old Man Winter From Having The Last Laugh

Posted on January 10, 2014 by savi0043

How about that false taste of spring this week, wasn’t it great? It was also about five weeks too early in much of the country because given the varying climates that spread out across the contiguous states, it’s more likely there will be a lot more snow and ice left up Old Man Winter’s sleeve.

Warm Temps And Thoughts Of Spring Won’t Keep Old Man Winter From Having The Last Laugh
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Marc_J_Stern]Marc J Stern

How about that false taste of spring this week, wasn’t it great? It was also about five weeks too early in much of the country because given the varying climates that spread out across the contiguous states, it’s more likely there will be a lot more snow and ice left up Old Man Winter’s sleeve.

Why Is It Old Man Winter, Anyway?

Have you ever given any thought about why this season has been personified by a guy named “Old Man Winter?” Well, it just occurs that at one time or another in everyone’s personal history – we all have our own personal stories to tell – we usually run across a curmudgeon that we just can’t reach. For some of us, it’s a relative (a great grandfather or a brother) while for others it may be the old guy at the end of the block. Whoever it is, this old man is the guy who hates to see kids having fun on sleds and who loves it when he kids can’t play outside because the weather is horrible. He’s also the guy – in the springtime – who hates it when the weather’s nice and kids are outside tossing around a baseball in a pickup game at a vacant lot.

Let’s face it, he’ll never change and you’ll never reach him. He’s “Old Man Winter’s” dead-ringer.

What’s Left This Year?

So, what is likely to be left this year that you’ll have to face on the roadway? If you live north of say I-70, then it’s likely there’s at least one or maybe two blizzards left in the old guy’s bag of nasty tricks. Yes, they will be just as bad as he blizzards of a month ago and, as they are happening, you will still face the same driving issues:

Whiteouts
High-winds
Blowing and drifting snow

When conditions are like this on the road, there’s only on thing that you can do, duck for cover. In other words, either stay home and work from the house, if the roads are really bad or find a site with WiFi and ride out the storm there with your laptop and cellphone.

(Here’s a major safety tip: never leave home without a mobile cellphone charger either plugged into one of the 13.8-volt sockets that are scattered around the passenger compartment or at least stuffed into your car’s glovebox. The reason is simple: cellphone batteries – never leave home without one – have a finite life. It’s usually about an-hour-and-a-half of continuous talk time or up to 8 hours of listening time or maybe a bit more. The point being that each battery has a finite usage life before you have to recharge again and in a blizzard, where you may be making many calls, you will quickly wear down the battery, you have to have a charger to keep the charge up. That’s why a mobile charger is an important addition to your equipment.)

Yes, it is true that blizzards from now until the middle of April (yes, they do occur in northern states as late as the middle of April) will still be as nasty as any of the December or January blasts, the only difference is that with the weather starting to turn warmer as the angle of the sun shifts, the snow doesn’t hang around as long, but while it’s coming down, it’s still as nasty as early season storms.

Practice Safety

So, what can you do when the later and late-season blizzards hit your area. The best bet is to get off the road for the duration. If you can safely get home, plan to work from your house for the duration, if your company policy allows it, using your Internet hookup and cellphone.

If you cannot get home, try to find a hotel or motel room that has Internet facilities so you can use your laptop or iPad to stay in touch with your family or you can use your cellphone and text capability to let folks know you are okay (believe or not you can fit more text messages into the same amount of space on your cellphone service because they take up less space – yes, this is a very simple explanation, but it essentially covers what happens).

If you are caught on the road, then, you have to practice safe snow driving techniques that include:

Pulling off the roadway and into a rest area that may have office facilities
Pulling off to the right-hand (or left-hand) breakdown lane so you are out of the traffic flow, if everything bogs down
Driving very slowly and carefully (remember the egg under the pedals) and making all of your movements very deliberate; there should be no quick spins of the steering wheel; so that you retain traction
Remember that, while you do have to drive slowly, do not stop unless you absolutely have to as you will lose what little traction you still have with the roadway. If you lose this traction, then you are riding on the snow and there’s absolutely no traction there so your wheels spin
Chaining up; although this may seem very retro and old-fashioned, keeping a set of snow chains for your driving wheels will give your wheels the bit they need. If your car is equipped with front-drive, then, back off on the chains, but purchase four studded snow tires. In effect, you will have built in “chains” that work with front-drive or rear-drive
If you are forced to stop on the road, remember to crack at least two of the windows so that you can have cross-ventilation and remember to run your car as sparingly as possible. This will not only conserve the gas in your tank, but it will also lessen the chance your car could become filled with carbon monoxide, a condition that can result when your tailpipe becomes blocked with snow
Keep a box of “trunk treasures” with you that includes heavy winter coat or blanket (the blanket can also be used to help establish traction); trail mix so you can keep going; a set of flares; spare tools; spare change; a set of traction mats; a small shovel; a bag of kitty box sand (perhaps the best traction aid there is that’s also environmentally safe); an emergency radio (one of the Eton’s with the hand-crank is a good idea so you can keep it charged), and, in a bow to the past a technology that still works today, a portable CB handheld radio

By taking these actions you will not only assure your safety, but also the safety of any passengers who may be with you and ultimately you will arrive home safely.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Warm-Temps-And-Thoughts-Of-Spring-Wont-Keep-Old-Man-Winter-From-Having-The-Last-Laugh&id=5952492] Warm Temps And Thoughts Of Spring Won’t Keep Old Man Winter From Having The Last Laugh

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Are They Snoring In the Back Row?

Posted on January 10, 2014 by savi0043

Top 5 tips for an engaging and dynamic presentation that gets and keeps your audiences� attention.

Learn simple methods to turn your presentation into an attention grabber.

Are They Snoring In the Back Row?
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Laurie_Brown]Laurie Brown

Imagine that you have spent the better part of two weeks working on an important speech you plan to give to your company. You think you have done everything right. You have created a PowerPoint presentation with tons of information and flash animation. You have created handouts of the slides for your audience, so they can follow along. Although you haven’t had time to rehearse the presentation you are not worried, because you have the entire speech typed out. You plan to read it while you blow their socks off with the dynamic PowerPoint slides. Everything should be perfect, right? WRONG!!!

If you were to look at your audience (which you cannot, because you are reading your script) you would see them either riveted to the screen or to the handout in front of them, but not at you. The audience members who are eye weary from all the information you have packed into the slides are closing their eyes just to rest them. What went wrong?

Experienced speakers know that to engage their audience, they must build rapport. Reading from a script makes this difficult, if not impossible, because connecting with an audience requires direct eye contact. No matter how well written your speech, if you read your presentation to an audience, you will lose them.

Reading to your audience can also make you seem less authoritative. The audience wonders, “If you know so much about the topic, why can’t you just talk about it? Why are you reading?”

Here are 5 tips for getting and keeping your audience’s attention:

Make Eye Contact
Free yourself from the written page and demonstrate your expertise by using one of these ideas:

1. Memorization

If you want to memorize your speech, it is helpful to rehearse it out loud just before you go to sleep and right when you get up.

2. Outline

If you use the outline method to create your script, you can simply go back and clean it up and use that for the presentation. If you don’t have an outline prepared you can create one using the major points of your presentation.

3. Key word method

This technique calls for you to select key words from your script that represent a paragraph or two of information. These key words should jog your memory so that you can speak extemporaneously. You can use a single page of key words, or place them on 3×5 cards (always number the cards). If you are a visually oriented person you can find an image that represents the key word and create a pictogram.

4. Teleprompter

Nothing helps you maintain good eye contact without memorization like the teleprompter

When speaking to an audience, you want to make everyone in the audience feel that the message is being directed to them personally. If you find that actually looking into the eyes of your audience is difficult and distracting, look at the tops of their heads which will create the illusion that you are speaking directly to them.

In order to include the whole audience, use a “Z” pattern. Start by looking at the front left section of the audience. After finishing your thought, turn your gaze to the front right section. Again, finish your thought and direct your gaze to the center section. Then look at the rear left section and after completing your thought look to the rear right section.

Know your audience

The more you know about your audience’s wants, needs and level of understanding, the better able you are to craft a speech they will feel compelled to listen to. Too often speakers give the same presentation to different groups. “Generic” speeches tend to lose most of the audience. A speech needs to be relevant and specific.

You need to make sure that you are using words and ideas that are easily grasped by your audience. This doesn’t mean you have to “dumb down” your speech, but it does mean checking to make sure that you are not using jargon or acronyms that are only known by a few.

Your audience is always thinking, “What’s in this for me?” Keep this question in mind when you craft your speech.

Throw away your PowerPoint
I think that there is no other element of a presentation that can bore an audience more quickly than PowerPoint slides. Okay, I know you are starting to curse at me now. Get rid of PowerPoint? Well, maybe I need to restate that. You can keep PowerPoint, if you use it properly and effectively and not as an eye sight test. Follow these simple rules:

1. Choose an easy font to read, such as Arial or Times Roman.

2. Font size should be at least 28 pt (bulleted items should be at least 22 pt).

3. Use colors carefully (reds and oranges are hard to focus on).

4. Don’t crowd too many words on the screen (3 lines of type is more than enough).

5. Keep the slides simple, clean and easy to read.

6. View the PowerPoint presentation on the screen after you have created the slides and prior to your presentation. Check for ease of readability. The slides really do look different on the screen.

7. Don’t read the slides verbatim. Quite frankly, most of your audience will be able to read the slide, so why repeat it?

I think the most powerful PowerPoints are those that use only pictures, a key word or phrase or graphics. There is no reason to simply use a slide to repeat what you have said. Instead, use a visual aid to reinforce your point. It is true that a picture is worth a thousand words.

You should direct your audiences attention to the screen and back to you. Simply turn your gaze to the screen for a moment or two and then look back to your audience. These subtle cues allow your audiences attention to move from the screen then back to you.

Give hand-outs after your presentation.

If you are making a presentation that has a lot of important and/or technical information, you can provide a hand-out, but only AFTER the presentation. If people have your slides while you are speaking they tend to read ahead or stay glued to the hand-out and not to you. If you give them the hand out after your presentation, it will reinforce all of your material without stealing attention from you.

Rehearse

I know people hate to rehearse. It is hard not to feel silly when practicing your speech. However, there is nothing that helps a speaker more than the familiarity and ease you get from saying the words out loud. (Yes, it does make a difference to say the words out loud.) I practice when I am in my car driving alone or while on the treadmill at home. The shower can also be a great place to practice.

Try these ideas with your next presentation. Even if you only use one or two of these tips, you will have taken a huge step toward being the speaker that your audience will be compelled to stay awake and listen to. No one will be snoring in the back row.

Laurie Brown is an international speaker, trainer and consultant who works to help people improve their sales, service and presentation skills. She is the author of The Teleprompter Manual, for Executives, Politicians, Broadcasters and Speakers. Laurie can be contacted through [http://www.thedifference.net]http://www.thedifference.net, or 1-877.999.3433, or at [mailto:lauriebrown@thedifference.net]lauriebrown@thedifference.net

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Are-They-Snoring-In-the-Back-Row?&id=153957] Are They Snoring In the Back Row?

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Getting Clear On Your Fitness Goals

Posted on January 10, 2014 by savi0043

Everyone has fitness goals that are important to them. Sometimes, if we aren’t clear on exactly what those goals are, we won’t see the results. I’m an extremely goal oriented person, and these are some quick simple tips on getting focused and clear on your goals.

Getting Clear On Your Fitness Goals
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Amy_Havelock]Amy Havelock

Everyone has fitness goals that are important to them. Sometimes, if we aren’t clear on exactly what those goals are, we won’t see the results. I’m an extremely goal oriented person, and these are some quick simple tips on getting focused and clear on your goals.

First off, it’s important to know exactly what we want and whether it’s realistic. Having an unrealistic goal in fitness can be extremely disappointing when we don’t get any results, or the results we are wanting. I see people all the time jump from one fad to the next, and never really achieving what they set out to achieve. Trying out the newest and the latest may not help you with your goals, and it may even set you backwards.

If your goal is weight loss, exactly how much weight do you want to lose? Also realize that it is important to gain muscle. Muscle weighs more than body fat does, so, you may want to find out from your local certified personal trainer what is realistic and what is the healthiest goal for you. Muscle burns more body fat even at rest. Don’t worry ladies, you won’t get bulky!!

So, if your goal is weight loss, or even weight gain, it is important to set little goals. For instance, let’s say you wanted to lose 50 pounds, and it’s a realistic goal. Realistic meaning that you don’t want to lose 50 pounds in 30 days. They say healthy weight loss is 2 pounds a week. So, a healthy goal would be 50 pounds in 25 weeks. Start setting monthly goals. So your goal for the first month would be 8 pounds of weight loss.

Other goals may be, “I want to do a full push up.” Or, “I want to be able to jog an entire mile in 15 minutes.” These goals can really help your weight loss, because you are focused on achieving other things. It can make your time in the gym a lot more fun, because you are constantly working towards another goal.

Also, make sure to celebrate each and every goal. Even the super little ones! Every win counts! (I don’t mean celebrate with bad food and drinks.) I mean dance, jump up and down, call a friend and let them know what you achieved! Celebrate! This also helps you by having your friends and family hold you accountable for your fitness goals!

For free video examples of the latest [http://www.coreworkoutroutines.com]core workouts and core exercises, go to [http://www.coreworkoutroutines.com]Core Workout Routines

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Getting-Clear-On-Your-Fitness-Goals&id=6195483] Getting Clear On Your Fitness Goals

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5 Key New Years Success Tips

Posted on January 4, 2014 by savi0043

Wow! So here we are again, in the infancy of a brand New Year. Is it just me or does the sand in the hour glass fall faster each year? The funny thing about January is that we almost undeniably catch ourselves asking, “What was I doing this time last year? Where was I? Heck, what were my last new years resolutions?” There is something peculiar about this time of year that causes us to reflect on our lives and review our priorities–at least that’s the intention.

5 Key New Years Success Tips
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kent_Healy]Kent Healy

Wow! So here we are again, in the infancy of a brand New Year. Is it just me or does the sand in the hour glass fall faster each year?

The funny thing about January is that we almost undeniably catch ourselves asking, “What was I doing this time last year? Where was I? Heck, what were my last new years resolutions?” There is something peculiar about this time of year that causes us to reflect on our lives and review our priorities–at least that’s the intention.

But why is January the primary time for reflection? Maybe it’s because the hectic holiday season has come to an end and we finally have some time to think about life: what we want to do, be, and have. Or maybe it’s because we’re just plain shocked that we made it through the last year in one piece! The reasons may be different for each person, but there is one thing that remains common among all of us: the fact that a new calendar year has begun.

The New Year appears to be a time when we can finally wipe our slate clean and set some new ground rules for ourselves. The challenge we all face, however, is the question of, “How am I going to see these resolutions through? How can I stick with them and be sure I will accomplish them?” Very good question.

As I’m sure you’ve discovered, even having the right intentions isn’t enough to bring us success. I remember someone once saying, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” And we definitely don’t want to end up there! So if setting positive New Year resolutions is not enough, what matters is how we get ourselves to take action and follow through with our new goals.

Over the past few years, I thought I had come up with some really good methods to help me stay on track, but I’ve also learned never to underestimate the significance of interviewing other people. I came back with some very good points that might help you make 2009 a year to be really proud of. . .

#1 – Use the power of emotion: Have you ever noticed how those people who consistently follow through with their goals also get really excited about them? The excitement comes from focusing on how achieving a specific resolution will make their lives better. The goal itself is seldom enough to motivate us to get started and follow through when times get tough. However, if we’re crystal clear on WHY we must accomplish this goal, we will find out HOW to do it. If we get excited enough about the result, we will persevere, try hard, and find a way to make it work.

Here are some helpful questions to ask that will help create some extra motivation:

* What will I miss out on if I don’t follow through?
* How will my life be better if I take action and follow through with my New Year resolution?

#2 – Make it a must: Many of us make the mistake of doing things because we think we “should” do them. The problem with saying we “should” do something is that we will only get to it if it’s convenient. This year, make you New Year resolutions as “must” so they become a priority.

#3 – Schedule tune-up sessions: Life moves fast-and it won’t wait for us to stay on top of our goals. Try scheduling some appointments with yourself during the year to review your resolutions at least once a month. It may be helpful to do this with a partner so youcan keep each other accountable.

#4 – Create consequences: Who enjoys facing “the consequences?” I sure don’t know anyone who does. For that reason, creating some unique consequences can become a powerful source of motivation. One way to commit to yourself is to create some consequences for not following through.

Here’s how it works: If the consequence you have created is more painful than the perceived discomfort of your goal, then naturally you’ll want to avoid the pain (the consequence in this instance) and as a result you will take action.

For example, if you don’t complete your goal by “X” then you have to roll a pea down the sidewalk with your nose. Or if you don’t follow through, you have to eat a spider. Whatever it is just be creative and make the consequences worse than simply following through with your goal.

#5 – Reward yourself: Allow yourself to experience the sweet taste of victory. If you’ve made a substantial amount of progress or you have completed your goal, treat yourself to something you enjoy doing. This will help reinforce your behavior so accomplishing other tasks or goals in your life will become easier and more enjoyable.

Happy New Year!

Much success to you,

– Kent Healy

At a young age reality gave Kent D. Healy a wake up call. He realized that he was not getting taught the important life-skills in school that he needed to become successful in the real world. Kent then partnered with his brother at age 17 to write his first book, “Cool Stuff” They Should Teach In School.

Since the book has been released, the overwhelming positive feedback has driven him to start his own publishing company called “Cool Stuff” Media, Inc. The success of this company and the personal development material created by Kent has made him one of the most popular and sought-after young experts on the topic of success.

Kent is a columnist, personal life coach, entrepreneur, and speaker. He has teamed up with some of the world’s most respected leaders in the field of psychology and personal transformation-including the recent release of his book, The Success Principles for Teens which he co-authored with Jack Canfield.

Whether you’re looking for motivation, self-improvement information, parenting tips & resources, class educational materials, or more FREE stuff, be sure to visit http://www.coolstuffmedia.com to see the many different ways we can help you. Hope to hear from you soon.

Follow Kent on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Kent_Healy

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?5-Key-New-Years-Success-Tips&id=2070226] 5 Key New Years Success Tips

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The Chinese New Year! 10 VERY Simple Tips to bring the MOST into Your New Year

Posted on December 31, 2013 by savi0043

What can you do to ensure your best year EVER? 10 VERY simple, easy and inexpensive things.

The Chinese New Year! 10 VERY Simple Tips to bring the MOST into Your New Year
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Carole_Provenzale]Carole Provenzale

On February 18th, we will be ringing in another New Year. Wait a minute, didn’t we just do that? I am speaking of the Chinese New Year and the energy and life that surrounds that special day. Do you have to be Chinese to ensure a wonderful New Year with wonderful New Beginnings? Absolutely not! Try these simple, inexpensive things to welcome in the terrific new start you have been looking for.

* Here I go again, the CLUTTER word. Unused clothing, old food, anything no longer needed or used should be discarded. The is not a whole Spring Cleaning, rather your intent (and some room) to allow the new Energy into your space. Give Goodwill a call, you’ll both be grateful.

* Clean up, dust the cobwebs away, energize your surroundings. Many Consultants use sage or you can simply use Sound as a method of Space Clearing. Set your intentions to rid the home of anything negative that has occurred and simply tap on something that reverberates. A good cut crystal glass and a spoon work well. Make sure to get the corners where the energy lingers.

* If you can, pay down some bills. The ones you have been putting off that are lying around, the overdue ones. Start the New Year off with as clean a slate as possible and as little debt owed as you can. Remember, even if you can’t afford to pay much, it’s your Intention to allow the debt out of your life this year to attract all the wealth you will need or want.

* Do something special for yourself. Treat yourself at this special time to a massage, that dress you have been wanting, a nice dinner or just a long bubble bath with no distractions. Something just for YOU so that other good things follow the new energy you are putting into yourself.

* Make a change. It could be significant or something small but do something different. New Years and new beginnings mean a new way of doing things, changing the old that doesn’t work for us anymore or things in our life that are stagnant. You might get a new hairstyle, a new look, take a different route to work, meditate, anything you feel comfortable with that signifies that you are willing to “go with the flow” and allow the new Energy and the new changes in.

*Sweep the kitchen floor anytime prior to midnight on The Chinese New Year’s Eve. It symbolizes letting go of the old and putting it right outside.

* Put a bowl of fruit out for Abundance in all areas. I love the excuse of filling a large bowl with wonderful colors of fresh fruit and I love what it symbolizes. We are not just speaking wealth, although that is part of it, we are speaking of the Intention of allowing the Abundance in ALL areas of our lives. You can eat them after New Years day as an added bonus.

* Get fresh flowers–with some red flowers in there for FIRE. I’m used to dropping by the florist or even a grocery store to pick up a little bunch of pretty flowers but I have noticed oftentimes I have to ask for a few red carnations or roses. I’m not sure why those bunches often don’t have the color red but we’re looking to kick start this year and fire elements are needed.

* Burn a Candle if you’re home on the Eve. Blow it out as close to midnight as possible with your wishes and intentions for the New Year in place. Celebrate this day as you would a birthday.

* Finally, open the front door at midnight or just before you go to bed. I know it’s cold but you’re allowing the new energy to flow in at the most auspicious time. It sweeps through the house and intensifies every else that you’ve done.

There you have it. Not much money spent but plenty of Intention put out there. It’s a wonderful way to star any New Year and let go of last year, particularly if you’ve had struggles or difficulty. Now that you’ve cleaned out your home for the new year, clean out your thoughts. Allow the positive to flow in and be sure that you will attract wonderful things in this New Year of adventures you are about to embark on.

Feng Shui Expert Certified Feng Shui Consultant Carole Provenzale is the Founder of Feng Shui Long Island established in 1997 for homes, businesses, offices, large projects and realtors for home staging with Feng Shui. She is also a published author and guest speaker for large and small Corporations such as Fox 5, Nordstrom’s, New York Dept. of Parks and Recreation and The Long Island Board of Realtors. Carole is available for workshops, classes and lectures.
Please visit her website at http://www.FengShuiLI.com or email her directly at [mailto:FengShuiLI@aol.com]FengShuiLI@aol.com

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Chinese-New-Year!-10-VERY-Simple-Tips-to-bring-the-MOST-into-Your-New-Year&id=425543] The Chinese New Year! 10 VERY Simple Tips to bring the MOST into Your New Year

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