Self confidence is not something that holds me back, in fact I really appreciate the level of confidence I enjoy and feel that I can make the choices and decisions I want without a feeling of concern or over riding fear. That is not to say that I am always successful, but I realize that even by trying I am moving closer to a higher level of confidence.I did not always have a high level of self confidence. When I was younger, I had a lot of self confidence in my ability to do well in football and track, but my confidence in my ability to deal with life’s challenges was quite low. This was probably caused by a fear of not measuring up to my parent’s expectations and a little bit of social shyness. However, as I got older, I realized that my parents only wanted me to be healthy and to try my best at everything I did. As a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, I had a lot of social interaction with people from all walks of life and I lost most of my shyness. My job also required that I respond to all different kinds of situations. The more success I had, the more my self confidence rose.
Self confidence or confidence in yourself means that you know that you can do whatever task you are faced with. This does not mean that you have to do every task by yourself. It means that the ones you know you can do by yourself you do and the ones where you need help you know how to find it. Confidence is a learned trait, not something you are born with. It is the force which pushes you forward and allows you to find the right path amidst the confusion and chaos of life. Confidence is the necessity you must have to assist you in realizing your dreams and goals.
We all have the power of self confidence within us. Sadly many leave it unused for long periods of time while others use it sparingly like a miser. Forget about past worries and build the power of self confidence within you. Since you can’t change the mistakes of the past, don’t let them spoil the present or dim the future.
The first thing that you must practice is “don't hate yourself†before deciding to practice self confidence. It is very difficult to become self confident if you do not like yourself. Remember, just like everyone else, you were born into this world for a specific reason. Think about the things that you are good at doing. Work at becoming better at them. Don’t worry about the things that you are not very good at. As a very successful person I was talking to recently said, “Why spend your limited time here on earth working on things you are not good at. Instead perfect the things you are good at and hire someone to do the things you are not good at.â€
Mediocrity and poor performance are often due to low self confidence but it is not something you have to live with. You can build your self confidence by challenging yourself to take action and do something. Even though you feel as if you lack confidence, it doesn't mean other people can tell. Building good self confidence is a wonderful thing, and it's much easier than you'd imagine. One of the easiest ways of building self confidence is to “take baby steps.†What I mean by this is to set small goals or projects that you have to complete. Each time you do one in the time you have set for yourself, you will build your self confidence. The accumulation of small “victories†will convince your subconscious mind that you can do what you set out to do. It will then convince your conscious mind that you have a lot of capabilities and your self confidence will grow. If you continue to do this over a period of months, you will find that your self confidence becomes greatly improved. With improved self confidence you can take on bigger projects and goals and as these are completed your self confidence will grow by leaps and bounds.
So what other techniques are available to anyone wishing to develop more self confidence? It should be no surprise to you when I tell you that the single most influential person on your self confidence is you, or more specifically, your mind. This probably sounds very basic but are you using your own thoughts to reenforce your self confidence and self esteem? Talk positively to yourself all the time. Become your own best friend and supporter. Encourage yourself to do more. Congratulate yourself on every small or large victory. Remember that very few people are successful the first time they try to do something. You didn’t ride a bike the first time you tried. Thomas Edison didn’t invent the light bulb on his first attempt either. It took him more than 10,000 attempts before he made the first successful light bulb and it only lasted a few minutes. The biggest thing to remember is that you are never defeated in doing anything you want to do until you quit. Donald Trump, during a recent interview, stated that he was richer than most people because he failed more times than most. However, in his case, he learned from his mistakes and tried again. Why? Because he was confident that he could do what he wanted to do if he just continued trying. You are no different from Donald Trump. Do what he did. Just keep trying until you succeed. When you do, your self confidence will soar and you will realize that you can do anything you want to as long as you continue trying.
Another technique is to watch other people. When you see someone that stands upright and moves with a sense of purpose watch to see if they give you the impression that they have a lot of confidence. If they do, duplicate the physical characteristics of these confident people and you will start to gain the confidence they display.
One thing that you must ensure that you do not do is listen to people who talk down to you or try to tell you that you cannot do something. Usually these people can’t do these things themselves, so they try to convince others that they can’t do them either. If something like this keeps happening to you, tune these people out and stop associating with them. Your inner confidence needs to be liberated from this constant barrage of negative thoughts and statements from the dream stealers around you. Your limitations are in your mind, not in your reality.
Here are some tips for everyday practice. If you want to develop and build confidence, associate with positive uplifting people. Good people around you will help you build self confidence. If you want to build up your confidence, do something new every day. Each of these small acts will add to your confidence and also make your life more enjoyable. The most sacred thing in life is self confidence because it is the secret of all miracles. When you have confidence in yourself, you arouse everything that is stronger, greater and superior in you. In consequence, the more confidence you have in yourself, the more you will attain and accomplish. A person who knows the power of self confidence walks a path of inner growth and achievement. With self confidence a person of mediocre ability can achieve more in life than those with exceptional talents and little self confidence.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Organic- Is It A Lifestyle Or Health Choice?
On the news this morning there was a debate about whether organic produce is any safer than the modern technology used on today's inorganic farms.
It was claimed if you buy local, fresh produce from the farmers markets it would have the same taste and flavour as the mostly imported organic produce found in our supermarkets.
It was agreed organic produce is more expensive than inorganic and farmers require much more land to produce their crops, so the question was
Is organic a lifestyle or a health choice?
Well let's see -
The organic movement really began in the 1960's with the publication of a report by Rachel Carson called the Silent Spring. Before I go into that I'll back track a bit to the 1940's.
It was the end of the Second World War which saw the beginning of the chemical revolution. Weapons grade chemicals and nitrates suddenly found themselves part of strong fertilizers and nerve gas became pesticide. Bugs disappeared, crops flourished.
Since then, however the Environment Protection Agency has gone on to approve over 100,000 synthetic chemicals.
WHY?
Most of these man made toxins have never been tested for long term health effects either individually or in combination. However they seep into our soil, pollute our rivers and waterways and irrevocably change the ecosystems.
You'll find them in your food, drink, household products, furniture, clothing, toiletries, cosmetics, your water and especially in the air you breathe.
Apparently food is the greatest source of toxic chemicals and recently the independent Environment Working Group compiled a list of the most contaminated fruit and vegetables. They suggested by eliminating the top twelve, pesticide exposure could be reduced by 90%. The culprits were
peaches
apples
nectarines
strawberries
cherries
pears
imported grapes
sweetball peppers
celery
spinach
lettuce
potatoes.
Seemingly washing them doesn't help much either. The average apple apparently has 110 chemicals on it by the time you want to take a bite and even if you were to wash it carefully there would still be between 20 and 30 chemicals on the skin.
Of course, you could always discard the skins but I was always taught that part contained the most vitamins and besides how do you skin a lettuce?
The really scary thing which Rachel Carson highlighted was the way the toxins used in fertilisers and pesticides increase as they pass through the food chain. It's a process called bio-magnification and means that whatever is at the top of the food chain comes off worst.
Who is at the top of most food chains - YOU!
Everyday we breathe in toxic chemicals especially when using household and personal care products. Spray cans are very handy but not very accurate. As they are usually used around the head area the very tiny particles easily access the body through the mouth and nose. It's hardly surprising there has been such a marked increase in asthma.
Your skin is another route for toxic chemicals and will absorb 60% of whatever you put on it. It's not very selective either.
You need to bear that in mind when you put on your creams, lotions and potions especially as only 11% of the 10,500 synthetic chemicals used in the personal care and toiletries industry have ever been assessed for safety.
Your carpets and furniture contain toxic chemicals and your electric appliances emit electro magnetic fields. The clothes you wear, unless organic contain a cocktail of chemicals by way of fertilisers, pesticides, bleaches and dyes.
I've read that to make one cotton tee-shirt about 160 grams of toxic chemicals must be used and the Environment Protection Agency have said at least half of them are possible or known carcinogens.
Over time more and more people are suffering from the build up of synthetic chemicals.
Apparently each of us will be exposed to 50,000 chemical agents in our lifetime and will accumulate at least 500 toxic compounds inside us. Obviously lifestyle and occupation will play a role but for many toxin avoidance is impossible. Just consider the farmers on the cotton plantations.
There are now 200 different types of cancer and most scientists agree 80% of them are caused by toxic synthetic chemicals.
Clearly we are now fighting another war - a health war.
The only way to avoid as many chemicals as possible is to buy organic, specifically "certified organic". That way you have an independent third party guarantee of purity.
Admittedly they are more expensive but the saving on health is immense, not to mention the benefit to the planet. Poisoning is seriously affecting our soil, and wildlife. So what do you think?
Is organic a lifestyle or health choice?
I'll leave YOU to decide but just remember who is at the top of the food chain.
It was claimed if you buy local, fresh produce from the farmers markets it would have the same taste and flavour as the mostly imported organic produce found in our supermarkets.
It was agreed organic produce is more expensive than inorganic and farmers require much more land to produce their crops, so the question was
Is organic a lifestyle or a health choice?
Well let's see -
The organic movement really began in the 1960's with the publication of a report by Rachel Carson called the Silent Spring. Before I go into that I'll back track a bit to the 1940's.
It was the end of the Second World War which saw the beginning of the chemical revolution. Weapons grade chemicals and nitrates suddenly found themselves part of strong fertilizers and nerve gas became pesticide. Bugs disappeared, crops flourished.
Since then, however the Environment Protection Agency has gone on to approve over 100,000 synthetic chemicals.
WHY?
Most of these man made toxins have never been tested for long term health effects either individually or in combination. However they seep into our soil, pollute our rivers and waterways and irrevocably change the ecosystems.
You'll find them in your food, drink, household products, furniture, clothing, toiletries, cosmetics, your water and especially in the air you breathe.
Apparently food is the greatest source of toxic chemicals and recently the independent Environment Working Group compiled a list of the most contaminated fruit and vegetables. They suggested by eliminating the top twelve, pesticide exposure could be reduced by 90%. The culprits were
peaches
apples
nectarines
strawberries
cherries
pears
imported grapes
sweetball peppers
celery
spinach
lettuce
potatoes.
Seemingly washing them doesn't help much either. The average apple apparently has 110 chemicals on it by the time you want to take a bite and even if you were to wash it carefully there would still be between 20 and 30 chemicals on the skin.
Of course, you could always discard the skins but I was always taught that part contained the most vitamins and besides how do you skin a lettuce?
The really scary thing which Rachel Carson highlighted was the way the toxins used in fertilisers and pesticides increase as they pass through the food chain. It's a process called bio-magnification and means that whatever is at the top of the food chain comes off worst.
Who is at the top of most food chains - YOU!
Everyday we breathe in toxic chemicals especially when using household and personal care products. Spray cans are very handy but not very accurate. As they are usually used around the head area the very tiny particles easily access the body through the mouth and nose. It's hardly surprising there has been such a marked increase in asthma.
Your skin is another route for toxic chemicals and will absorb 60% of whatever you put on it. It's not very selective either.
You need to bear that in mind when you put on your creams, lotions and potions especially as only 11% of the 10,500 synthetic chemicals used in the personal care and toiletries industry have ever been assessed for safety.
Your carpets and furniture contain toxic chemicals and your electric appliances emit electro magnetic fields. The clothes you wear, unless organic contain a cocktail of chemicals by way of fertilisers, pesticides, bleaches and dyes.
I've read that to make one cotton tee-shirt about 160 grams of toxic chemicals must be used and the Environment Protection Agency have said at least half of them are possible or known carcinogens.
Over time more and more people are suffering from the build up of synthetic chemicals.
Apparently each of us will be exposed to 50,000 chemical agents in our lifetime and will accumulate at least 500 toxic compounds inside us. Obviously lifestyle and occupation will play a role but for many toxin avoidance is impossible. Just consider the farmers on the cotton plantations.
There are now 200 different types of cancer and most scientists agree 80% of them are caused by toxic synthetic chemicals.
Clearly we are now fighting another war - a health war.
The only way to avoid as many chemicals as possible is to buy organic, specifically "certified organic". That way you have an independent third party guarantee of purity.
Admittedly they are more expensive but the saving on health is immense, not to mention the benefit to the planet. Poisoning is seriously affecting our soil, and wildlife. So what do you think?
Is organic a lifestyle or health choice?
I'll leave YOU to decide but just remember who is at the top of the food chain.
Target Women by Lifestyle, Not Gender
Women are the influencers for many purchasing decisions for products and services, so it makes sense that many companies direct their marketing dollars largely on the women's market. But that's where the simplicity ends. The women's marketplace is quite broad, made up of various sub-segments, each with different attitudes and behaviors.
The LOHAS market is one example. LOHAS is the acronym for consumers who "live a life of health and sustainability." Sixty-percent of people within the LOHAS marketplace are women, according to an in-depth study, The Ohio Health and Wellness Report, conducted by The Marketing Insider, my company. According to the study, women make up slightly less - 54 percent - of the LOHAS market in Ohio. The August 2005 study surveyed 1100 participants in the Ohio market. In all, LOHAS consumers are estimated to account for one-third of the U.S. population.
LOHAS consumers are highly educated and driven by balancing their needs to better the environment, society and personal health. The Ohio Health and Wellness Report also indicated LOHAS consumers are challenged to eat right because they have very high dietary standards, yet health is a very high priority to them.
Indeed, eighty-five percent surveyed indicated they care strongly about protecting the environment and will support companies who have similar values and beliefs. To this consumer, the company and the brand are inseparable.
Though consumers within the general population may support some of these beliefs, targeting LOHAS consumers is quite different from targeting the general population. Although LOHAS consumers, especially Ohioans, distrusted television, they are influenced by what they see on TV when it comes to purchasing.
Perhaps, it is a better indication of an under-developed marketplace with under-developed attitudes. According to our research, Ohio's LOHAS consumers total twenty-eight percent of the population, versus twenty-three percent on a national scale (according to the 2005 national survey), yet LOHAS consumers within the Ohio marketplace have attitudes that are less developed than the rest of the nation. Often this is a result of lack of information and education. With Ohio's introduction to companies such as Whole Foods, this should improve. It's no surprise that Whole Foods built one of their largest stores in the Ohio market. This merchant did its research and has been quite successful in a new market, in a short time.
I often wonder, why aren't other consumer-based companies that target consumers jumping on the bandwagon? I've often found it's because companies didn't realize that this consumer segment, predominantly women, exist and that women in this group should be targeted differently from those in the mass market.
Now that we know targeting women as one consumer group can be challenging, what should we do about it? If you're targeting LOHAS consumers or are interested in targeting them, it's important to realize that the Nomadics(tm) group is actually predicted to transition into the LOHAS category. Nomadics are people who may dip into LOHAS-oriented behavior, yet not lead a fully integrated lifestyle. So, if you have a product that is natural and better for the environment, then you must consider the attitudes and purchasing behaviors of both the LOHAS and the Nomadic markets-a combined 65% of the overall population. Even if you are a printer, it behooves you to mention if you're using recycled paper or soy-based inks. Why? Because people in general are getting more concerned about the environment and wanting to do what they can to help protect it. By doing your part and promoting it, you'll have the opportunity to further tap into a growing, predominently female marketplace that is made up of business people too.
So remember, the next time you decide to market to women that not all women are the same and that they must be targeted differently. Understand their lifestyle and you'll have a better opportunity to capture their dollars.
The LOHAS market is one example. LOHAS is the acronym for consumers who "live a life of health and sustainability." Sixty-percent of people within the LOHAS marketplace are women, according to an in-depth study, The Ohio Health and Wellness Report, conducted by The Marketing Insider, my company. According to the study, women make up slightly less - 54 percent - of the LOHAS market in Ohio. The August 2005 study surveyed 1100 participants in the Ohio market. In all, LOHAS consumers are estimated to account for one-third of the U.S. population.
LOHAS consumers are highly educated and driven by balancing their needs to better the environment, society and personal health. The Ohio Health and Wellness Report also indicated LOHAS consumers are challenged to eat right because they have very high dietary standards, yet health is a very high priority to them.
Indeed, eighty-five percent surveyed indicated they care strongly about protecting the environment and will support companies who have similar values and beliefs. To this consumer, the company and the brand are inseparable.
Though consumers within the general population may support some of these beliefs, targeting LOHAS consumers is quite different from targeting the general population. Although LOHAS consumers, especially Ohioans, distrusted television, they are influenced by what they see on TV when it comes to purchasing.
Perhaps, it is a better indication of an under-developed marketplace with under-developed attitudes. According to our research, Ohio's LOHAS consumers total twenty-eight percent of the population, versus twenty-three percent on a national scale (according to the 2005 national survey), yet LOHAS consumers within the Ohio marketplace have attitudes that are less developed than the rest of the nation. Often this is a result of lack of information and education. With Ohio's introduction to companies such as Whole Foods, this should improve. It's no surprise that Whole Foods built one of their largest stores in the Ohio market. This merchant did its research and has been quite successful in a new market, in a short time.
I often wonder, why aren't other consumer-based companies that target consumers jumping on the bandwagon? I've often found it's because companies didn't realize that this consumer segment, predominantly women, exist and that women in this group should be targeted differently from those in the mass market.
Now that we know targeting women as one consumer group can be challenging, what should we do about it? If you're targeting LOHAS consumers or are interested in targeting them, it's important to realize that the Nomadics(tm) group is actually predicted to transition into the LOHAS category. Nomadics are people who may dip into LOHAS-oriented behavior, yet not lead a fully integrated lifestyle. So, if you have a product that is natural and better for the environment, then you must consider the attitudes and purchasing behaviors of both the LOHAS and the Nomadic markets-a combined 65% of the overall population. Even if you are a printer, it behooves you to mention if you're using recycled paper or soy-based inks. Why? Because people in general are getting more concerned about the environment and wanting to do what they can to help protect it. By doing your part and promoting it, you'll have the opportunity to further tap into a growing, predominently female marketplace that is made up of business people too.
So remember, the next time you decide to market to women that not all women are the same and that they must be targeted differently. Understand their lifestyle and you'll have a better opportunity to capture their dollars.
7 Tips For Living A Healthy Lifestyle
f you are interested in living a truly healthy lifestyle, then you may need to make some drastic changes. The foods you eat are very important when it comes to your health. You want to eat a balanced diet that covers all of the food groups. This will help you look and feel your very best. Make sure you limit your consumption of sugary foods and that you pay attention to the size of your portions.
Most people don't realize the amount of damage that what they drink can do to their health as well. All of that soda you drink each day can be difficult for your body to digest. Reducing the amount of sugar and caffeine that you consume will help you to feel good all day long. You won't have to worry about periods of the day when you are sluggish.
Getting enough sleep is vital to your overall health. Those individuals that don't get enough have slower reaction times and they tend to be irritable. It can make it harder to complete daily tasks and to stay focused on what you are doing. Try to go to bed at the same time each night and get up each morning at the same time.
You need to engage in at least 30 minutes of exercise each day regardless of how old you are. This can be walking, running, playing a sport, or a combination of things. The key to staying motivated to exercise is to choose activities that you enjoy. This way you will look forward to them instead of feeling forced to take part in them.
Even if you don't feel bad, you need to see your doctor at least once a year for a full check up. This way you will be able to rule out any various types of illnesses that may be affecting your body. Pay close attention to any symptoms you have in between check ups. Early intervention is one of the best ways you can find various types of illnesses.
Make sure you carefully monitor your level of stress. While some stress is normal, too much of it can definitely take a toll on you. It can affect your appetite, your attention span, and your sleep patterns. If you are having trouble dealing with stress in your life, you may want to seek professional assistance.
Take some time for yourself too and you will be healthier. We often take on too many responsibilities and that doesn't leave time left for relaxing activities. Try to spend a few hours each week doing something for yourself. It can be taking a bubble bath, reading, or visiting with a friend. This will help rejuvenate your mental health without too much effort.
Most people don't realize the amount of damage that what they drink can do to their health as well. All of that soda you drink each day can be difficult for your body to digest. Reducing the amount of sugar and caffeine that you consume will help you to feel good all day long. You won't have to worry about periods of the day when you are sluggish.
Getting enough sleep is vital to your overall health. Those individuals that don't get enough have slower reaction times and they tend to be irritable. It can make it harder to complete daily tasks and to stay focused on what you are doing. Try to go to bed at the same time each night and get up each morning at the same time.
You need to engage in at least 30 minutes of exercise each day regardless of how old you are. This can be walking, running, playing a sport, or a combination of things. The key to staying motivated to exercise is to choose activities that you enjoy. This way you will look forward to them instead of feeling forced to take part in them.
Even if you don't feel bad, you need to see your doctor at least once a year for a full check up. This way you will be able to rule out any various types of illnesses that may be affecting your body. Pay close attention to any symptoms you have in between check ups. Early intervention is one of the best ways you can find various types of illnesses.
Make sure you carefully monitor your level of stress. While some stress is normal, too much of it can definitely take a toll on you. It can affect your appetite, your attention span, and your sleep patterns. If you are having trouble dealing with stress in your life, you may want to seek professional assistance.
Take some time for yourself too and you will be healthier. We often take on too many responsibilities and that doesn't leave time left for relaxing activities. Try to spend a few hours each week doing something for yourself. It can be taking a bubble bath, reading, or visiting with a friend. This will help rejuvenate your mental health without too much effort.
An Ultimate Lifestyle Secret - The Power Of Integrity
Integrity is the basing of one's actions on an internally consistent framework of principles. Depth of principles and adherence of each level to the next are key determining factors. One is said to have integrity to the extent that everything he does and believes is based on the same core set of values. Behaviors within the concept of integrity include: honesty, sincerity, truthfulness, keeping one's word and agreements, punctuality, ethics, fairness and justice.”
The power of integrity is realized when you discover that everything you do and say is guided by the above behaviors. When they become the yardstick by which your life is guided, you have the power, the will and the moral right to do and be anything that you want.
Unfortunately many of our business leaders, sports stars, entertainment icons and politicians have not displayed integrity in their comments and actions. As a result, many of them have lost their jobs and quite a few have lost their freedom because they have been sentenced to jail for their indiscretions.
It used to be that you could point to a successful businessman or sports star and tell your child to emulate them because they were special and admired by all. Today that is not the case as the morals and actions of many show no sign of integrity and instead loudly bugle, “I’ll get mine and to heck with everyone else. As long as I get what I want, how I do it is immaterial.”
Fortunately, the average person is now recognizing these charlatans for what they are and no longer want to have anything to do with them. It is very heartening to see that the average citizen has more integrity than many of the so called “high and mighty.”
As the result of court actions placing numerous business moguls in jail, many companies are now creating business conduct guides which all of their employees from the newest recruit to the CEO have to follow. It is nice to know that integrity is making a come back, because its power ensures that employees, customers and suppliers will all get honest and considerate treatment from the companies who follow the behaviors listed above.
You too can discover the power of integrity when you commit to personal accountability and making great choices. Did you know that the power of integrity lies within each and every one of us? Well, it does and it is very easy to release this power. All you have to do is follow the above behaviors in everything you do and say and you will discover that the power of integrity opens a whole new lifestyle for you. The power of integrity, a power that no one can take away from you, but which you can squander by not following the above behaviors, is the power of your soul, the power that will ignite the passion of your conscience. With this as your guide, you will never again have to settle for less because your actions and words will mark you as an exceptional individual, someone to be followed and to be listened to. When you are locked into a life of integrity, you will feel powerful and self confident and you will exhibit a magnetic presence and an aura of leadership. With the power you gain from your life of integrity, you will become successful in all areas of your life.
In conclusion, living a life of integrity gives you more power than any other lifestyle. Your success will be immeasurable, your popularity unmatched and your joy will be boundless. A life devoted to integrity will be an ultimate lifestyle, and what could be better than that?
The power of integrity is realized when you discover that everything you do and say is guided by the above behaviors. When they become the yardstick by which your life is guided, you have the power, the will and the moral right to do and be anything that you want.
Unfortunately many of our business leaders, sports stars, entertainment icons and politicians have not displayed integrity in their comments and actions. As a result, many of them have lost their jobs and quite a few have lost their freedom because they have been sentenced to jail for their indiscretions.
It used to be that you could point to a successful businessman or sports star and tell your child to emulate them because they were special and admired by all. Today that is not the case as the morals and actions of many show no sign of integrity and instead loudly bugle, “I’ll get mine and to heck with everyone else. As long as I get what I want, how I do it is immaterial.”
Fortunately, the average person is now recognizing these charlatans for what they are and no longer want to have anything to do with them. It is very heartening to see that the average citizen has more integrity than many of the so called “high and mighty.”
As the result of court actions placing numerous business moguls in jail, many companies are now creating business conduct guides which all of their employees from the newest recruit to the CEO have to follow. It is nice to know that integrity is making a come back, because its power ensures that employees, customers and suppliers will all get honest and considerate treatment from the companies who follow the behaviors listed above.
You too can discover the power of integrity when you commit to personal accountability and making great choices. Did you know that the power of integrity lies within each and every one of us? Well, it does and it is very easy to release this power. All you have to do is follow the above behaviors in everything you do and say and you will discover that the power of integrity opens a whole new lifestyle for you. The power of integrity, a power that no one can take away from you, but which you can squander by not following the above behaviors, is the power of your soul, the power that will ignite the passion of your conscience. With this as your guide, you will never again have to settle for less because your actions and words will mark you as an exceptional individual, someone to be followed and to be listened to. When you are locked into a life of integrity, you will feel powerful and self confident and you will exhibit a magnetic presence and an aura of leadership. With the power you gain from your life of integrity, you will become successful in all areas of your life.
In conclusion, living a life of integrity gives you more power than any other lifestyle. Your success will be immeasurable, your popularity unmatched and your joy will be boundless. A life devoted to integrity will be an ultimate lifestyle, and what could be better than that?
Good and Healthy?
Last night I was out for dinner at a restaurant with the reputation of great and amazing food. It was packed with people and they all looked quite happy and satisfied to be there.
As I always do in a new restaurant, I scan the menu to see if the chef knows how to create a menu that gives him the reputation of great and still be healthy. Most chefs get carried away with the creation of an array of tastes, which then also means more ingredients. That in itself is not unhealthy. What this however also often seems to mean is adding bulk. And bulk tends to come in the form of a starchy carbohydrate such as pasta, potato, or rice. I believe this is a very important point to health that we have not yet grasped in America. Food combining.
As busy as the restaurant was, I was still able to alter my dish, as I wanted it. Granted it often means spending a little more money on a side dish, if the restaurant is not willing to substitute. What was most amusing to me was that everyone around me asked which dish I was having. It looked so good to them they wanted it too. They either wanted to order the same or were confused they had not seen it on the menu when making their selection. I pointed out I had chosen the local fresh fish, omitting the gnocchi and added cooked leafy collard greens instead, which I had seen was in another dish. The response was that was why they had not chosen that dish, the gnocchi.
To me, a menu is a list of available ingredients with the chef suggesting how to put them together in tasty dishes.
This is then where the issue of health comes in. The desire to woe the eater often ends up in excess on the plate. The land of plenty is living up to its name. Simplicity seems to be considered either foreign and gourmet, or just plain and too little food. Presentation does have something to do with this of course, which is probably why most people find the small arrangement of food on a plate to be extreme for the prices.
When I choose to dine this way I look beyond the presentation and look for the love of the food that goes into it. Knowing that what is on my plate is enough and the ingredients have been selected, cooked, and placed on my plate with a sense of thought, care, and yes love. Then that is what my meal consists of beyond the physical content, ingredients, and its flavors. To me is all adds up to nourishment.
This may also be one of the secrets why the French do not seem to get as fat as the Americans. The nourishment of the food goes beyond a big plate of it. Simplicity is really ok. It can still give us food of great taste and health.
As I always do in a new restaurant, I scan the menu to see if the chef knows how to create a menu that gives him the reputation of great and still be healthy. Most chefs get carried away with the creation of an array of tastes, which then also means more ingredients. That in itself is not unhealthy. What this however also often seems to mean is adding bulk. And bulk tends to come in the form of a starchy carbohydrate such as pasta, potato, or rice. I believe this is a very important point to health that we have not yet grasped in America. Food combining.
As busy as the restaurant was, I was still able to alter my dish, as I wanted it. Granted it often means spending a little more money on a side dish, if the restaurant is not willing to substitute. What was most amusing to me was that everyone around me asked which dish I was having. It looked so good to them they wanted it too. They either wanted to order the same or were confused they had not seen it on the menu when making their selection. I pointed out I had chosen the local fresh fish, omitting the gnocchi and added cooked leafy collard greens instead, which I had seen was in another dish. The response was that was why they had not chosen that dish, the gnocchi.
To me, a menu is a list of available ingredients with the chef suggesting how to put them together in tasty dishes.
This is then where the issue of health comes in. The desire to woe the eater often ends up in excess on the plate. The land of plenty is living up to its name. Simplicity seems to be considered either foreign and gourmet, or just plain and too little food. Presentation does have something to do with this of course, which is probably why most people find the small arrangement of food on a plate to be extreme for the prices.
When I choose to dine this way I look beyond the presentation and look for the love of the food that goes into it. Knowing that what is on my plate is enough and the ingredients have been selected, cooked, and placed on my plate with a sense of thought, care, and yes love. Then that is what my meal consists of beyond the physical content, ingredients, and its flavors. To me is all adds up to nourishment.
This may also be one of the secrets why the French do not seem to get as fat as the Americans. The nourishment of the food goes beyond a big plate of it. Simplicity is really ok. It can still give us food of great taste and health.
Some Lifestyle Changes May Help You Cure Diabetes
You have to lift yourself up. You are the cause of your downfall. You are your best friend. You are your worst enemy...Thus goes the great saying.
The top is always vacant! The wise counsel is in demand everywhere. The best is yet to happen in your life! Life is nothing but a series of endless changes. The moment to moment changes.
You need to apply the very same rules in the treatment and control of diabetes. Some lifestyle changes help you cure the diabetes. There is no doubt about it. The reasoning is simple. Your wrong life styles took you to the portals of diabetes. Now about turn, and walk back. And reach to the place from where you started. This time, your start can not be wrong. Because you have adopted some lifestyle changes. This re-start will take you to the mansion of perfect health!
Have you read the novel, “The Sun Also Rises� Doesn't matter, if you have not!
When did you see the sunrise last? Now, you the confirmed diabetes patient, getup from the bed before the sunrise and take a brisk morning walk (not too brisk). That will assist the task of metabolism in the body and help you to maintain the blood sugar level.
On to the breakfast table! Demand your plateful of sprouted moong. Gone are the days of fried potato chips doused in red tomato sauce, full of preservatives! Instead, take the tomato salad, flavored with mint and lime juice!
After the breakfast, take rest for five minutes. It is time for you to check your blood pressure. If you don't wish to do it daily, do it twice a week. During those good old days you used to take three heavy meals. Vegetables full of spice! Now you have taken a wise decision to take food five to six times, but in small quantities.
Your food consists of seasonal vegetables, fruits, preference for items that have lots of fiber content! You are strictly avoiding polished rice, and instead go for hand-pounded rice, that will get you lots of vitamin B.
Never think of junk food, cream biscuits, and chocolates. Tea and coffee are also not good for the cause of controlling diabetes. Instead go for butter milk.
Why do you worry over the matters over which you should not worry at all? If you say that worry can solve any problem including diabetes, I am prepared to even forgo my sleep and keep on worrying for 24 hours in a day. You know, stress is one of the reasons for diabetes.
So stop worrying and start living! Life is to be lived in its trials, in its tribulations, in its duty and in its beauty.
From the practical point of view, never forget to have periodical checkups at the doctor's chamber and keep the record of your blood sugar levels!
The top is always vacant! The wise counsel is in demand everywhere. The best is yet to happen in your life! Life is nothing but a series of endless changes. The moment to moment changes.
You need to apply the very same rules in the treatment and control of diabetes. Some lifestyle changes help you cure the diabetes. There is no doubt about it. The reasoning is simple. Your wrong life styles took you to the portals of diabetes. Now about turn, and walk back. And reach to the place from where you started. This time, your start can not be wrong. Because you have adopted some lifestyle changes. This re-start will take you to the mansion of perfect health!
Have you read the novel, “The Sun Also Rises� Doesn't matter, if you have not!
When did you see the sunrise last? Now, you the confirmed diabetes patient, getup from the bed before the sunrise and take a brisk morning walk (not too brisk). That will assist the task of metabolism in the body and help you to maintain the blood sugar level.
On to the breakfast table! Demand your plateful of sprouted moong. Gone are the days of fried potato chips doused in red tomato sauce, full of preservatives! Instead, take the tomato salad, flavored with mint and lime juice!
After the breakfast, take rest for five minutes. It is time for you to check your blood pressure. If you don't wish to do it daily, do it twice a week. During those good old days you used to take three heavy meals. Vegetables full of spice! Now you have taken a wise decision to take food five to six times, but in small quantities.
Your food consists of seasonal vegetables, fruits, preference for items that have lots of fiber content! You are strictly avoiding polished rice, and instead go for hand-pounded rice, that will get you lots of vitamin B.
Never think of junk food, cream biscuits, and chocolates. Tea and coffee are also not good for the cause of controlling diabetes. Instead go for butter milk.
Why do you worry over the matters over which you should not worry at all? If you say that worry can solve any problem including diabetes, I am prepared to even forgo my sleep and keep on worrying for 24 hours in a day. You know, stress is one of the reasons for diabetes.
So stop worrying and start living! Life is to be lived in its trials, in its tribulations, in its duty and in its beauty.
From the practical point of view, never forget to have periodical checkups at the doctor's chamber and keep the record of your blood sugar levels!
Guidelines For A Healthy Lifestyle
For years medical professionals have been claiming that what a person eats directly affects how long they will live. Those who incorporate natural foods that are low in fat into their diet are leading a much healthier lifestyle than someone who frequents a fast food restaurant.
People who live a healthy lifestyle sometimes need to give up convenience for the sake of eating healthier. This seems to be changing in recent years. Many fast food restaurants are recognizing this trend towards a healthy lifestyle and are now adding alternative food choices to their menus.
One of the drawbacks of many of the fast food chains is that the items are very high in fat. For a person struggling with their weight or watching their heart health it can be a challenge to find menu items that they can eat.
In recognition of the healthier lifestyle their customers want companies are now offering items like salads, yogurt and low fat muffins. For a parent taking their child to a burger and fries joint this now means that they won’t have to forego their healthy lifestyle while they eat there. They can enjoy a salad with low calorie dressing while their youngsters enjoy what they like.
Diet is only one ingredient in living a healthy lifestyle. Another important component is exercise. Exercise plays an integral part in reaching and maintaining a healthy body weight.
Adding an exercise regime to your life is a great step towards a healthier lifestyle. Using this time to burn calories and build your muscles will ensure that your body is getting the movement it needs.
In today’s busy world many people don’t feel that they can live a healthy lifestyle. They complain that it takes too much time and energy. Another common complaint is that pursuing a healthy lifestyle is expensive. Adding fresh fruits, vegetables and fish to their lifestyle diet plan adds a cost that many people don’t see the value in.
You don’t have to join a gym to get exercise. If you tend to drive to the store and it’s close enough to walk to, than choose the walk. This is an example of changing your lifestyle in a small way that actually will lead to big results.
Everyone can make some change in their lifestyle that will lead to healthier choices. Instead of picking up a bag of potato chips, eat an apple. When you are craving a candy bar, put on your walking shoes and take a stroll.
Perhaps the biggest benefit of living a healthy lifestyle is that you are teaching your children how to do the same. Children who are raised in an environment that encourages a healthy lifestyle will carry that through their adult lives.
People who live a healthy lifestyle sometimes need to give up convenience for the sake of eating healthier. This seems to be changing in recent years. Many fast food restaurants are recognizing this trend towards a healthy lifestyle and are now adding alternative food choices to their menus.
One of the drawbacks of many of the fast food chains is that the items are very high in fat. For a person struggling with their weight or watching their heart health it can be a challenge to find menu items that they can eat.
In recognition of the healthier lifestyle their customers want companies are now offering items like salads, yogurt and low fat muffins. For a parent taking their child to a burger and fries joint this now means that they won’t have to forego their healthy lifestyle while they eat there. They can enjoy a salad with low calorie dressing while their youngsters enjoy what they like.
Diet is only one ingredient in living a healthy lifestyle. Another important component is exercise. Exercise plays an integral part in reaching and maintaining a healthy body weight.
Adding an exercise regime to your life is a great step towards a healthier lifestyle. Using this time to burn calories and build your muscles will ensure that your body is getting the movement it needs.
In today’s busy world many people don’t feel that they can live a healthy lifestyle. They complain that it takes too much time and energy. Another common complaint is that pursuing a healthy lifestyle is expensive. Adding fresh fruits, vegetables and fish to their lifestyle diet plan adds a cost that many people don’t see the value in.
You don’t have to join a gym to get exercise. If you tend to drive to the store and it’s close enough to walk to, than choose the walk. This is an example of changing your lifestyle in a small way that actually will lead to big results.
Everyone can make some change in their lifestyle that will lead to healthier choices. Instead of picking up a bag of potato chips, eat an apple. When you are craving a candy bar, put on your walking shoes and take a stroll.
Perhaps the biggest benefit of living a healthy lifestyle is that you are teaching your children how to do the same. Children who are raised in an environment that encourages a healthy lifestyle will carry that through their adult lives.
Adult Alternative Lifestyle: Dating and Relationships with a Twist
Alternative lifestyle can be defined as a mode of living or doing something in a way that is not within the accepted norms or values. Adult alternative lifestyle is simply an unusual sexual lifestyle.
Some activities considered adult alternative lifestyles include:
1. BDSM: This stands for Bondage and Discipline (B&D), Domination and Submission (D&S), and Sado-Masochism (S&M). As the definition suggests, BDSM involves bondage, that is restraining or being restrained, domination as well as submission, Sadism (taking pleasure in inflicting pain on another person) and masochism (taking pleasure in being subjected to a certain degree of pain).
2. Swinging: This can be defined as a form of recreational social and sexual activity between consenting adults whereby partner swapping is acceptable. Swinging is also referred to as "wife swapping", but this definition is inaccurate as it narrows down the activity and makes it look like a male domain. "Partner swapping" may be a simpler but more accurate description.
3. Sexual Fetishism: The arousal and/or gratification through some object, or non-genital part of the body. Such object or body part is referred to as the fetish. Fetishes include but are not limited to shoes (boots or high-hills), feet or digits of the foot, hair, underclothes or lingerie, body piercing, clothing (size, garment-type or size), stockings, etc.
4. Polyamory: This is the practice of having more than one intimate relationship at a time, with the full knowledge and consent of everyone involved. In polyamory there is no partner swapping, as opposed to swinging where swapping is the norm. Polyamorous relationships are usually serious and long term.
Why do people pursue adult alternative lifestyles and relationships? The answers are as many as the individuals. But one that tends to go across the board is- you guessed it- fun. Another reason is fulfillment of sexual fantasies.
There are many more forms and variations of sexual alternative lifestyles than can fit in this article, as well as sub-groupings of the same. For example, Bondage as in the B in BDSM can be considered as a lifestyle on its own.
It is not uncommon for alternative lifestyles to overlap. For example, at a swinger's party (an alternative lifestyle), one person may be getting a body part pierced (a fetish), a man may be receiving a spanking while restrained in chains (BDSM) from a woman in leather garments and boots (dress or shoe fetish), while a polyamorous trio (an alternative lifestyle) may be joined by another couple for a sexual activity.
Thinking of exploring your alternative, fantasy or fetish? There are dating sites specifically dedicated to adult alternative lifestyle, where people of like interests get to meet.
Some activities considered adult alternative lifestyles include:
1. BDSM: This stands for Bondage and Discipline (B&D), Domination and Submission (D&S), and Sado-Masochism (S&M). As the definition suggests, BDSM involves bondage, that is restraining or being restrained, domination as well as submission, Sadism (taking pleasure in inflicting pain on another person) and masochism (taking pleasure in being subjected to a certain degree of pain).
2. Swinging: This can be defined as a form of recreational social and sexual activity between consenting adults whereby partner swapping is acceptable. Swinging is also referred to as "wife swapping", but this definition is inaccurate as it narrows down the activity and makes it look like a male domain. "Partner swapping" may be a simpler but more accurate description.
3. Sexual Fetishism: The arousal and/or gratification through some object, or non-genital part of the body. Such object or body part is referred to as the fetish. Fetishes include but are not limited to shoes (boots or high-hills), feet or digits of the foot, hair, underclothes or lingerie, body piercing, clothing (size, garment-type or size), stockings, etc.
4. Polyamory: This is the practice of having more than one intimate relationship at a time, with the full knowledge and consent of everyone involved. In polyamory there is no partner swapping, as opposed to swinging where swapping is the norm. Polyamorous relationships are usually serious and long term.
Why do people pursue adult alternative lifestyles and relationships? The answers are as many as the individuals. But one that tends to go across the board is- you guessed it- fun. Another reason is fulfillment of sexual fantasies.
There are many more forms and variations of sexual alternative lifestyles than can fit in this article, as well as sub-groupings of the same. For example, Bondage as in the B in BDSM can be considered as a lifestyle on its own.
It is not uncommon for alternative lifestyles to overlap. For example, at a swinger's party (an alternative lifestyle), one person may be getting a body part pierced (a fetish), a man may be receiving a spanking while restrained in chains (BDSM) from a woman in leather garments and boots (dress or shoe fetish), while a polyamorous trio (an alternative lifestyle) may be joined by another couple for a sexual activity.
Thinking of exploring your alternative, fantasy or fetish? There are dating sites specifically dedicated to adult alternative lifestyle, where people of like interests get to meet.
Work At Home Businesses And Lifestyle Changes
There are many businesses that can be developed from home and operated out of your home. The trick is to select one that will be compatible with your home situation, your skill set and a home business that will generate sufficient income to support the lifestyle that you are looking for. We will examine a few of the lifestyle changes that you may want to consider for work at home businesses in this article.
The vast majority of people leave their homes every day to go to an office or some other location to work for the day. They fall into the routine of facing traffic, going to their place of work, chatting with colleagues, lunch with co-workers, coffee breaks and then heading home after work at the same time every day. Their pay check arrives every two weeks and their benefits are included as part of their salary. After 10 years, 15 years even 30 years, this routine has become pretty comfortable and the thought of not going to work is abhorrent.
Unfortunately many companies have laid off thousands of people in the past few years, downsizing, right sizing, mergers, bankruptcies, etc. Whatever the reason more and more people are having their lives disrupted, the comfort zone disappears and they are faced with a significant lifestyle change. This also presents an opportunity as well for these same people to work at home and start their own home business.
There will be adjustments and you may have to work harder than you have ever worked before, as you launch your home based business and build it up to something that not only you can be proud of, but it also generates the income you require for the lifestyle that you want to lead.
The trip to your office may be down the stairs to your home office, coffee breaks are gone and relaxed casual one hour lunches are replaced by fifteen minutes of snatched time, however you do not need to face the traffic every morning and your costs for work are reduced. If you are the type that needs the interaction with colleagues, you may want to set up regular coffee breaks or meetings every week, however your main focus and challenge is now to operate and build your own business.
Over the years of working for an employer you have acquired many skills that you may have taken for granted. Use these skills now to build your own home business. These skills may include a wide scope, everything from how to build or repair something to organization, presentation, selling, writing, computer related skills and on and on. Evaluate these skill sets and put them to excellent use as you develop and build your home business, while managing the lifestyle changes that you are going through!
The vast majority of people leave their homes every day to go to an office or some other location to work for the day. They fall into the routine of facing traffic, going to their place of work, chatting with colleagues, lunch with co-workers, coffee breaks and then heading home after work at the same time every day. Their pay check arrives every two weeks and their benefits are included as part of their salary. After 10 years, 15 years even 30 years, this routine has become pretty comfortable and the thought of not going to work is abhorrent.
Unfortunately many companies have laid off thousands of people in the past few years, downsizing, right sizing, mergers, bankruptcies, etc. Whatever the reason more and more people are having their lives disrupted, the comfort zone disappears and they are faced with a significant lifestyle change. This also presents an opportunity as well for these same people to work at home and start their own home business.
There will be adjustments and you may have to work harder than you have ever worked before, as you launch your home based business and build it up to something that not only you can be proud of, but it also generates the income you require for the lifestyle that you want to lead.
The trip to your office may be down the stairs to your home office, coffee breaks are gone and relaxed casual one hour lunches are replaced by fifteen minutes of snatched time, however you do not need to face the traffic every morning and your costs for work are reduced. If you are the type that needs the interaction with colleagues, you may want to set up regular coffee breaks or meetings every week, however your main focus and challenge is now to operate and build your own business.
Over the years of working for an employer you have acquired many skills that you may have taken for granted. Use these skills now to build your own home business. These skills may include a wide scope, everything from how to build or repair something to organization, presentation, selling, writing, computer related skills and on and on. Evaluate these skill sets and put them to excellent use as you develop and build your home business, while managing the lifestyle changes that you are going through!
The Lifestyle and Anti-Aging.
Do you sweat the small stuff? Do you find stress has increased in your life due to depressive episodes? Are you searching for a new lifestyle, yet find it difficult to relax and find answers? We have many options in the world, which gives us the convenience of having fun while selecting a better lifestyle. When changing your life style you'll probably have to make decisions that will be hard, yet you can do it if you think about yourself and not others.
Aging for most of us is not something we are looking forward to. Life can go on for many years. In view of the fact, we all need to learn how to relax and take care of ourselves so we can see a brighter future.
We all need to make our life simple. the simple the better for your stress deduction. Sometimes we have to give up our long-year running homes where our children were raised. As one ages the stress of preserving, our home increases. Money usually becomes a big issue, which causes stress. The maintenance and taxes alone are very stressful for someone that is living on social security these days.
How to decide: Do you plan to stay in the same area you live now? Do you prefer to live in a better climate? The questions demand an answer before mortgaging your home. Climate is one of the most important component for your health. Many of us suffer from allergies, hay fever, or other ailments due to climate changes. If you plan to live healthier and reduce, your risks of upper respiratory conditions then consider your options before making a decision to move. You want to consider your budget as well. If you are living a fixed-income, consider the low-cost housing projects.
In your community, you may find housing projects for seniors. If you want to cut back your expenses without moving to another climate, consider these options. You will find housing for seniors however in other areas in the event you choose to move. Many housing projects for the seniors will provide you with links. The links are for your convenience, which includes free meals, cheap transportation and so on. Friends are the cure for isolation and being alone. Once you've decide where you are going to relocate it takes burden off your mind.
Don't get me wrong there will always be some stress in your life that you will not have control of. Once you have make an decision for you life, you are about to enjoying your better lifestyle. Join an exercise group or get some neighbors to join you for a walk. Walk on sunny days so your body gets natural vitamin D from the sunrays. The vitamins consisted of calcium will make your bones stronger. Exercising is important for your health.
please be careful to your health, ensure that you are getting enough vitamins to maintain the nutritions in your body. If not sure what vitamins you need and how much consult you physician he can help you make a plan or send you to a dietician to help you with it. Sometimes as we grow older, we don't eat as much, so supplement vitamins are needed. Get some valuable advise from your family health care consultant as well. The world is filled with various lifestyles, so make your life your own by staying healthy and avoid sweating the small stuff. Making sound decisions is a great start to living free, which promotes healthy aging.
Aging for most of us is not something we are looking forward to. Life can go on for many years. In view of the fact, we all need to learn how to relax and take care of ourselves so we can see a brighter future.
We all need to make our life simple. the simple the better for your stress deduction. Sometimes we have to give up our long-year running homes where our children were raised. As one ages the stress of preserving, our home increases. Money usually becomes a big issue, which causes stress. The maintenance and taxes alone are very stressful for someone that is living on social security these days.
How to decide: Do you plan to stay in the same area you live now? Do you prefer to live in a better climate? The questions demand an answer before mortgaging your home. Climate is one of the most important component for your health. Many of us suffer from allergies, hay fever, or other ailments due to climate changes. If you plan to live healthier and reduce, your risks of upper respiratory conditions then consider your options before making a decision to move. You want to consider your budget as well. If you are living a fixed-income, consider the low-cost housing projects.
In your community, you may find housing projects for seniors. If you want to cut back your expenses without moving to another climate, consider these options. You will find housing for seniors however in other areas in the event you choose to move. Many housing projects for the seniors will provide you with links. The links are for your convenience, which includes free meals, cheap transportation and so on. Friends are the cure for isolation and being alone. Once you've decide where you are going to relocate it takes burden off your mind.
Don't get me wrong there will always be some stress in your life that you will not have control of. Once you have make an decision for you life, you are about to enjoying your better lifestyle. Join an exercise group or get some neighbors to join you for a walk. Walk on sunny days so your body gets natural vitamin D from the sunrays. The vitamins consisted of calcium will make your bones stronger. Exercising is important for your health.
please be careful to your health, ensure that you are getting enough vitamins to maintain the nutritions in your body. If not sure what vitamins you need and how much consult you physician he can help you make a plan or send you to a dietician to help you with it. Sometimes as we grow older, we don't eat as much, so supplement vitamins are needed. Get some valuable advise from your family health care consultant as well. The world is filled with various lifestyles, so make your life your own by staying healthy and avoid sweating the small stuff. Making sound decisions is a great start to living free, which promotes healthy aging.
Creating An Abundant Lifestyle
Many people believe that an abundant lifestyle is about having money and everything material. Well if this is what you think, you may be in for a let down.
Of course we would all rather be rich and miserable than poor and miserable, but to have wealth and happiness is achievable.
When your partner comes home after a day at work, greet him/her at the door and say hello. Ask how his/her day went; keep asking it will become a good habit after 21 days.
When your partner leaves for work in the morning, say Goodbye and I love you or Have a good day, and make sure you do it with an abundant heart, remembering you want an abundant lifestyle in the future. When you ask your partner a question, make eye contact and listen to the answer.
When your partner faces a challenge at work during the day, ask how it went when you get home. Remember though that because of our natures, it is likely the male will want to shrink into his cave for an hour or so, before discussing such issues.
During your evening meal together, avoid the temptation to watch television or read the paper or mail. Look at your partner and have a conversation.
If you want to make plans that affect how your partner will be spending time, check with him/her first and make sure it is convenient.
When you disagree with something your partner says, pay attention to your response. Do you express your opinion without putting him/her down? You can express your opinion assertively rather than aggressively.
For example, you can say, "I have another opinion. I think we should wait until spring to have the walls painted," rather than, "That's silly! We should wait until spring."
Pay attention to how much of your side of the conversation is asking questions versus making statements. If you tend to be the dominant one, ask more questions. When you ask your partner a question, make eye contact and listen to the answer.
Ask open-ended questions to encourage your partner to open up and talk. Open-ended questions begin like this: What was it like when. Tell me about. What do you think of.
Have you become passive with your partner because that is the easiest way to avoid conflict? Over time, this is not a good idea. You will inevitably begin to build up feelings of resentment because you are stifling your feelings, thoughts, and opinions.
If you think you are choosing passive behaviour too often, think about discussing it with your partner and asking him/her to help you be more assertive.
Researchers have found that people whose marriages last the longest have learned to separate from their families of origin (their own parents and siblings) and have appropriate, healthy boundaries.
They value and honor their own privacy and separateness as a couple. This means they have regular, appropriate contact with their extended family, but that it is not excessive or stifling. How do you compare?
Check your communication with your partner and beware of using you messages. These are statements that begin with the word you. For example: "You should call me from the office and tell me when you will be home".
You messages are damaging because they make the other person feel bad or disrespected.
If you want to demonstrate to your partner that you respect him or her, try speaking with I messages instead. When you start your statement with I, you are taking responsibility for the statement.
It is less blameful and less negative than the you message. You can use this formula: a. Your feelings b. Describe the behaviour c. Effect on you.
This is how an I message sounds: "When I heard that you had planned a weekend away, I was confused about why you had not asked me first, so I could be sure to get the time off."
It takes some practice and you have to stop and think about what you are going to say, but your relationship deserves to be handled with care.
Make a list of your partner's positive qualities. Share them and tell him/her why you think each is true. Ask your partner to do the same for you. Respect each other's private space. Over time, many couples let this slide.
As the years pass, many couples begin to feel like they are living in the same house, but have parallel lives. Their paths cross in fewer places.
What is the trend in your relationship and what do you want to do about it today? We hope this articles helps you with your quest for an abundant lifestyle
Of course we would all rather be rich and miserable than poor and miserable, but to have wealth and happiness is achievable.
When your partner comes home after a day at work, greet him/her at the door and say hello. Ask how his/her day went; keep asking it will become a good habit after 21 days.
When your partner leaves for work in the morning, say Goodbye and I love you or Have a good day, and make sure you do it with an abundant heart, remembering you want an abundant lifestyle in the future. When you ask your partner a question, make eye contact and listen to the answer.
When your partner faces a challenge at work during the day, ask how it went when you get home. Remember though that because of our natures, it is likely the male will want to shrink into his cave for an hour or so, before discussing such issues.
During your evening meal together, avoid the temptation to watch television or read the paper or mail. Look at your partner and have a conversation.
If you want to make plans that affect how your partner will be spending time, check with him/her first and make sure it is convenient.
When you disagree with something your partner says, pay attention to your response. Do you express your opinion without putting him/her down? You can express your opinion assertively rather than aggressively.
For example, you can say, "I have another opinion. I think we should wait until spring to have the walls painted," rather than, "That's silly! We should wait until spring."
Pay attention to how much of your side of the conversation is asking questions versus making statements. If you tend to be the dominant one, ask more questions. When you ask your partner a question, make eye contact and listen to the answer.
Ask open-ended questions to encourage your partner to open up and talk. Open-ended questions begin like this: What was it like when. Tell me about. What do you think of.
Have you become passive with your partner because that is the easiest way to avoid conflict? Over time, this is not a good idea. You will inevitably begin to build up feelings of resentment because you are stifling your feelings, thoughts, and opinions.
If you think you are choosing passive behaviour too often, think about discussing it with your partner and asking him/her to help you be more assertive.
Researchers have found that people whose marriages last the longest have learned to separate from their families of origin (their own parents and siblings) and have appropriate, healthy boundaries.
They value and honor their own privacy and separateness as a couple. This means they have regular, appropriate contact with their extended family, but that it is not excessive or stifling. How do you compare?
Check your communication with your partner and beware of using you messages. These are statements that begin with the word you. For example: "You should call me from the office and tell me when you will be home".
You messages are damaging because they make the other person feel bad or disrespected.
If you want to demonstrate to your partner that you respect him or her, try speaking with I messages instead. When you start your statement with I, you are taking responsibility for the statement.
It is less blameful and less negative than the you message. You can use this formula: a. Your feelings b. Describe the behaviour c. Effect on you.
This is how an I message sounds: "When I heard that you had planned a weekend away, I was confused about why you had not asked me first, so I could be sure to get the time off."
It takes some practice and you have to stop and think about what you are going to say, but your relationship deserves to be handled with care.
Make a list of your partner's positive qualities. Share them and tell him/her why you think each is true. Ask your partner to do the same for you. Respect each other's private space. Over time, many couples let this slide.
As the years pass, many couples begin to feel like they are living in the same house, but have parallel lives. Their paths cross in fewer places.
What is the trend in your relationship and what do you want to do about it today? We hope this articles helps you with your quest for an abundant lifestyle
Getting to Grips with a Healthy Lifestyle
In a perfect world we would all be eating the right food, exercising, sleeping well and just generally enjoying life.
In the real world most of us manage a percentage of the healthy lifestyle and muddle through as best we can with the rest of it. Part of the problem is we are encouraged to think, mostly by the media, that we should be doing everything possible towards a healthy lifestyle, all of the time. For most of us this is just not possible.
Constant concern about what we should or shouldn't be doing causes our stress levels to go up and that negates any good work that we've done. Yes, we should certainly try for a healthy lifestyle, but the two key words are "moderation" and "balance" By applying these criteria to achieving a healthy lifestyle we won't be beating ourselves up for failing another diet or dropping out of the latest exercise regime.
A common mistake that many people make when they decide to adopt a healthy lifestyle is to try to do too much too soon. They then give themselves a guilt complex when it all falls apart. It is also easy to be influenced by others, when we should only be adopting a healthy lifestyle plan to suit ourselves.
Ah! Did I say lifestyle plan? Do you have one, or do you just try the next thing that is in your magazine or Sunday supplement? By all means read these articles and take them into account as you plan how you want your healthy lifestyle to take shape.
Leading a healthy lifestyle doesn't mean you have got to run a mile before breakfast, eat seeds and think pure thoughts. Great if that's what you want, but for most of us "healthy" means being in reasonable shape, eating our fruit and vegetables and generally having a feeling of vitality.
Decide on your definition of a healthy lifestyle, and then plan a strategy that works for you.
As part of my health plan I decided I wanted to walk in the mornings before breakfast, but there was no way I wanted to get up at the crack of dawn to do it. So I planned a ten minute circuit that includes a short flight of steps and a not too steep incline. I power walked that route every day and felt really good. Sure l wouldn't make the City to Surf marathon, but I compromised and made it work for me.
Today, much is made of organic foods, but the reality is that organic food is generally more expensive and well out of the range for most budgets. Yes organic is probably the best option, but it doesn't mean that if you're not eating all organic you are not eating right. If you're concerned about general produce, be a bit discerning when you shop. Look for fruit and vegetables that are fresh and unblemished. You should also buy product brands that you can trust. If you shop wisely, you can have a well-balanced healthy diet that won't break the bank.
Basically living a healthy life means looking at your lifestyle as a whole, it is not just about diet and exercise. It is not always necessary to make major changes. Most people know their weak spots, and are happy if they can make a few changes that show results.
A friend of mine was drinking several cans of soft drink a day. She was feeling tired and generally under the weather. When I read an article about the health risk of soft drink I copied it and gave it to her, whereupon she decided to give up the soft drink there and then. A week later she got back to me and said she couldn't believe the difference, her energy levels were up and she was feeling great. Just that one change was able to make a difference and she feels good about the healthy choice.
Sleep and leisure time play a big part in a healthy lifestyle, and for the most part people underestimate the value of good sleep. Our bodies aren't designed to operate at peak performance twenty four hours a day. Anyone in industry knows that machines that have to work continuously need a lot of maintenance. When we are sleeping our body is healing and regenerating itself and we should wake up feeling refreshed and revitalized.
We can go without sleep for extended periods, but we can't do it indefinitely. The amount of sleep an individual needs varies a great deal, and there is no such thing as the right time to sleep. Obviously most people sleep at night, but if you are one of those folk that comes alive in the small hours, you might need to catch up with your sleep during the day.
A big part of healthy living is being comfortable with yourself. Don't be pressured into trying to attain a certain look, or push yourself down a career path you are not suited to. Constant worry about what you are doing will only have the opposite effect on your health. Don't get paranoid about your diet, about what toothpaste you should use or about expensive exercise equipment you need to buy.
Allow a common sense approach to dictate when you are making lifestyle choices, and remember, there is nothing wrong with compromise if it means your healthy lifestyle plan will work for you.
In the real world most of us manage a percentage of the healthy lifestyle and muddle through as best we can with the rest of it. Part of the problem is we are encouraged to think, mostly by the media, that we should be doing everything possible towards a healthy lifestyle, all of the time. For most of us this is just not possible.
Constant concern about what we should or shouldn't be doing causes our stress levels to go up and that negates any good work that we've done. Yes, we should certainly try for a healthy lifestyle, but the two key words are "moderation" and "balance" By applying these criteria to achieving a healthy lifestyle we won't be beating ourselves up for failing another diet or dropping out of the latest exercise regime.
A common mistake that many people make when they decide to adopt a healthy lifestyle is to try to do too much too soon. They then give themselves a guilt complex when it all falls apart. It is also easy to be influenced by others, when we should only be adopting a healthy lifestyle plan to suit ourselves.
Ah! Did I say lifestyle plan? Do you have one, or do you just try the next thing that is in your magazine or Sunday supplement? By all means read these articles and take them into account as you plan how you want your healthy lifestyle to take shape.
Leading a healthy lifestyle doesn't mean you have got to run a mile before breakfast, eat seeds and think pure thoughts. Great if that's what you want, but for most of us "healthy" means being in reasonable shape, eating our fruit and vegetables and generally having a feeling of vitality.
Decide on your definition of a healthy lifestyle, and then plan a strategy that works for you.
As part of my health plan I decided I wanted to walk in the mornings before breakfast, but there was no way I wanted to get up at the crack of dawn to do it. So I planned a ten minute circuit that includes a short flight of steps and a not too steep incline. I power walked that route every day and felt really good. Sure l wouldn't make the City to Surf marathon, but I compromised and made it work for me.
Today, much is made of organic foods, but the reality is that organic food is generally more expensive and well out of the range for most budgets. Yes organic is probably the best option, but it doesn't mean that if you're not eating all organic you are not eating right. If you're concerned about general produce, be a bit discerning when you shop. Look for fruit and vegetables that are fresh and unblemished. You should also buy product brands that you can trust. If you shop wisely, you can have a well-balanced healthy diet that won't break the bank.
Basically living a healthy life means looking at your lifestyle as a whole, it is not just about diet and exercise. It is not always necessary to make major changes. Most people know their weak spots, and are happy if they can make a few changes that show results.
A friend of mine was drinking several cans of soft drink a day. She was feeling tired and generally under the weather. When I read an article about the health risk of soft drink I copied it and gave it to her, whereupon she decided to give up the soft drink there and then. A week later she got back to me and said she couldn't believe the difference, her energy levels were up and she was feeling great. Just that one change was able to make a difference and she feels good about the healthy choice.
Sleep and leisure time play a big part in a healthy lifestyle, and for the most part people underestimate the value of good sleep. Our bodies aren't designed to operate at peak performance twenty four hours a day. Anyone in industry knows that machines that have to work continuously need a lot of maintenance. When we are sleeping our body is healing and regenerating itself and we should wake up feeling refreshed and revitalized.
We can go without sleep for extended periods, but we can't do it indefinitely. The amount of sleep an individual needs varies a great deal, and there is no such thing as the right time to sleep. Obviously most people sleep at night, but if you are one of those folk that comes alive in the small hours, you might need to catch up with your sleep during the day.
A big part of healthy living is being comfortable with yourself. Don't be pressured into trying to attain a certain look, or push yourself down a career path you are not suited to. Constant worry about what you are doing will only have the opposite effect on your health. Don't get paranoid about your diet, about what toothpaste you should use or about expensive exercise equipment you need to buy.
Allow a common sense approach to dictate when you are making lifestyle choices, and remember, there is nothing wrong with compromise if it means your healthy lifestyle plan will work for you.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
The Allure of Whole Foods
Warren Buffett loves buying great businesses at fair prices -- something I strive for, as well, to improve my portfolio returns. With the recent fall in the stock price of Whole Foods (Nasdaq: WFMI), I've been wondering if the organic grocer has become one of those situations, or if I am falling for a "song of the sirens."
The beginning, a very good place to start
A simple way to think about Whole Foods is that it's a fancy grocery store. I don't think that's quite accurate, though. Despite my dislike of the term, it's a lifestyle store, and that lifestyle is about natural and organic foods.
In my house, we've been slowly moving away from processed foods and toward organic. We've found that selection is one way Whole Foods differentiates itself from the likes of Kroger (NYSE: KR), Safeway (NYSE: SWY), SuperValu (NYSE: SVU), and Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) on the traditional grocery-store side and Wild Oats (Nasdaq: OATS) on the natural and organic side. Not only does it carry natural and organic foods, but it has an excellent selection of them. And if you're looking to pinch a few pennies in the process, it has private-label goods, too.
A big differentiator is its prepared foods. There's plenty of selection for lunch, dinner, and dessert. You can eat there or take your choices home. It's an important way Whole Foods helps its customers maintain the lifestyle. The store is designed to be an experience, not just a place to buy food.
Movin' on up
Being a lifestyle brand allows Whole Foods to charge higher prices. Trust me -- my wife tells me its prices are high, and as a good penny-pincher, she would know. I think these high prices tend to reinforce the nature of and commitment to the lifestyle, which can create an advantage not unlike the one Starbucks (Nasdaq: SBUX) enjoys with its model.
New stores open with considerable fanfare. People are looking to be a part of the lifestyle and have pent-up demand that is released when a store is opened in a new area. In Greenville, S.C., the Whole Foods is relatively new, huge, clean, well-stocked, and packed with customers (and the smoked salmon dip is to die for). And by the looks of the performance metrics below, I think that's common wherever a new store is opened.
The numbers
Whole Foods has averaged 20% sales growth over the last five years, a combination of 8.1% in new-store growth and a very healthy 11.5% increase in same-store sales. From the margins in the table below, we see that the stores are gradually improving their productivity as well.
| FY2002 | FY2003 | FY2004 | FY2005 | FY2006 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross | 34.7% | 34.3% | 34.7% | 35.1% | 35.0% |
| Operating | 5.4% | 5.3% | 5.6% | 5.3% | 5.9% |
| Net | 3.0% | 3.1% | 3.4% | 2.9% | 3.6% |
Those are some impressive numbers.
What's not to like?
The answer is simple: return on invested capital (ROIC). Growth alone is not enough. Growth has to come from the most efficient use of capital possible, and that's why we always have to understand how much capital is used to generate that growth, as well as the returns that capital generates.
I'll give Whole Foods praise for using Economic Value Added (EVA) to evaluate its business decisions. However, I will criticize its neglect of operating leases in the calculations found in the investor-relations sections of its website. Operating leases, while not carried on the balance sheet, are still a form of financing, and a big one for Whole Foods. My estimate of the net present value of its 2006 lease obligations is about $2.9 billion, compared to $1.2 billion in plant, property, and equipment. As such, that capital has to be accounted for in the return calculations and the imputed interest added back to returns.
Here's what I found when I compared my ROIC calculation, which includes adjustments for operating leases, with what I found on the company's website.
| | FY2002 | FY2003 | FY2004 | FY2005 | FY2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROIC from website | -- | -- | -- | 10.7% | 12.8% |
| Calculated ROIC | 10.0% | 10.1% | 10.6% | 9.9% | 10.1% |
Returns are flat and, while above the cost of capital, smaller than I expected. I like to invest in companies that have a competitive advantage and are able to turn that advantage into increasing ROIC over time. Whole Foods, I am sorry to say, does not appear to fit that mold. As the leader in its space, I am surprised it doesn't generate higher returns. Perhaps I am demanding too much, but I was expecting more.
Given the nature of economic returns over time (competition tends to force returns to decline toward the cost of capital), I am concerned as to how Whole Foods' will rise higher. Is sales growth going to increase faster? Are margins going to expand further? The future is going to be difficult, despite the incredible selection of products and the lifestyle Whole Foods helps its customers support. Supermarkets require lots of capital to operate, and I don't see why Whole Foods would be any different.
Foolish bottom line
We all want to pay a fair price for a great business. But that business has to generate high returns on invested capital, because those returns are what will drive the stock up in the future.
Whole Foods is a great business that looks like it is getting better on many operating fronts. But it requires lots of capital and, quite frankly, that capital is not earning enough to warrant my investment dollars. To me, this is just like the song of the sirens: The appeal of the song is very hard to resist (great story, great growth, great performance) but I fear that if I am drawn to the sound, my portfolio is likely to see poor results.
I am probably not making any friends by saying that. (1,474 of 1,614 investors rate Whole Foods an "outperform" in Motley Fool CAPS.) But like Odysseus' men, I am filling my ears with beeswax, because I am scared of smashing my boat into the rocks.
CAREERIST: The Lifestyle You Choose
I tell people all the time to change their job if they don’t like it, and people tell me this is totally impractical advice. A lot of people write to me to say that my advice only applies to rich people. Or they tell me that single parents, families living paycheck to paycheck, people in debt, cannot use my advice.
I think these people are in denial. Of course, there are exceptions, but usually these people are really saying that the things they have in their current standard of living are more important than being happy in their job. That’s fine. But don’t complain that the advice doesn’t apply to you. It does. You choose to have an expensive lifestyle instead.
My Money’s Worth
I want to tell you a short history of my financial life. It is so unstable that when I told my brothers that I was writing for Yahoo Finance, they thought it was a joke. And then they got concerned for me that Yahoo would find out the real me, and I’d lose my job.
My bank account looked very good when I was running my own companies. They were well funded, and I extracted a large salary from investors – on top of equity – because it used to be okay to do that. The year my husband and I moved to New York City, I earned more than $200,000.
I had never lived in New York City before. But I had seen photos of John and Caroline Kennedy coming out of their Tribeca loft, and I figured that’s where I would live with my husband. It was a harsh reality when I discovered that our combined income would need to be in the millions in order to have a loft in Tribeca. So we moved into a one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn that was so small that I had to buy storage for all my books. And just about everything else, too.
Reality Redefined
Then the World Trade Center fell. I was there, and my being there changed me and my husband. We both realized we wanted kids right away, and we wanted to change careers – Bye-bye big paychecks.
My husband started volunteering at human rights organizations. I become a freelance writer and had a poverty-level income for New York City. Then we had a baby. I want to tell you that we lived off our savings for awhile, but we didn’t. It lasted about nine months in New York City.
That’s when we realized we had to totally shift our lifestyle to accommodate our work choices. We made big decisions. We stopped being friends with people who couldn’t stop ordering $70 bottles of wine at dinner. We didn’t go to the beach because we didn’t have a car to get there, and besides, beach passes were too expensive.
Soon, we found ourselves making almost every decision based on money, and we didn’t want to live that way. So after a lot of research, we moved out of New York City. We moved to Madison, WI. I write a lot about how we chose Madison, but the bottom line is that we looked for the city with the lowest cost of living that we could be happy in. (Other runners-up, in case you’re interested: Minneapolis, Portland and Austin.)
Newfound Freedom
Once we got to Madison, things changed. Money was not nearly such a big issue. We became more flexible, we have more freedom in our decision making. I’m not going to tell you that Madison is a bastion of culture and innovation. It’s not. But if you want to live in a bastion of culture and innovation, it’ll cost you. In personal flexibility.
If you want personal stability, flexibility to find fulfilling work, and meaningful personal relationships, that’s about as much as you can ask for in life. That’s a lot. All the other stuff is secondary. Great if you can get it, but not as important as this stuff. I am not positive, but I have a feeling that I do not need to live in a major city in order to get these three things.
If you want to have the ability to change careers and quit jobs you don’t like and try out new things, then you might need to make huge life decisions to accommodate that. I have friends in San Francisco who had only one kid so they could afford to keep their low-paying jobs. This is a big decision. I have friends who are moving from the center of Portland to the boondocks of Portland so they can afford for one of them to be a stay-at-home parent.
I’m not saying you have to live in rural Alabama or forgo having kids. I’m saying you need to be an adult, and admit that adults make big decisions. Things don’t just happen to you. You have power to decide what your life will be like.
And if you set your life up so you can’t change jobs, take personal responsibility for that. It didn’t just happen to you. You are making decisions you have to live with.
Hold On to Great Cars
I love the 2001 Honda Accord I bought used a few years ago. I especially love having it paid for.
So when a friend recently asked me whether she should buy a new car, now that her current one is paid off, you can guess what I wanted to immediately recommend.
One advice doesn't fit all
But I realize that holding on to a great car doesn't always work for everyone, so I made sure to ask my friend the following questions:
- Has your lifestyle changed, with the addition of kids or a pet?
- Do you want to buy a more fuel-efficient car?
- Are the repairs and upkeep costs burdensome?
- Do you feel unsafe driving a Lilliputian car among all the giant SUVs out there?
Answering "yes" to any of these questions could be a good reason for buying a new car. But if you're simply being tempted by the enticing new-car ads from the likes of Ford (NYSE: F) and Toyota (NYSE: TM), with their flashy promises of built-in features like satellite radio and navigation systems, you may want to think twice before trading in your paid-off gem.
What to do with your savings
The best part of fully owning a car is that you get to pocket the cash that previously went to the bank each month. Now, instead of paying your lender, you can pay yourself.
Even if you hang on to your paid-off car for only six extra months, you could save anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 during that period, depending on your monthly payments. That sum could put a big dent in any existing credit card debt, start a college savings fund for Junior, or even pay for a much-deserved vacation.
In this Fool's opinion, after you pay down your high-interest credit card debt, the best thing to do with the extra monthly cash flow is to fund an IRA for your retirement. After all, the last thing you want is to have a gruesome retirement and not be able to maintain your current lifestyle in your golden years.
If you have more than seven years until retirement, consider sticking that IRA money into a low-cost, diversified stock mutual fund, like the Vanguard Total Stock Market Index, which seeks to track the performance of the overall U.S. market and holds stocks such as Chevron (NYSE: CVX), General Electric (NYSE: GE), and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ).
Consider the alternative
Before trading in your paid-off car for a new one, be sure to honestly ask yourself why you want a new car, and how it might affect your finances. Remember that a new car also means a new loan and probably higher monthly payments to boot.
If you have a great car that still runs well and fits your lifestyle, hang on to it! Not only can it be financially smart, but the satisfaction of driving and maintaining a car for more than 100,000 miles can also be rewarding.
Fashionable Fixtures
It's no secret that the lifestyle trend in retail has been successful.
The Lifestyle Center as a retail format has transformed the American shopping experience. It was only a matter of time until the larger supermarket, drugstore and super center retailers followed suit — bringing the experience in-store as a strategy to snare selective shoppers in a highly competitive marketplace.
Changes have been fast and dramatic. Stores are expanding grocery selections to include premium items in wine, dry grocery, meat and gourmet cheese. Ethnic, organic and natural product offerings are abundant. Made-to-order and prepared food sections are given larger footprints. Sushi bars, Wi-Fi enabled cafes and banks are on premises to promote the store and lifestyle experience.
Spirits marketers have perhaps seen the most dramatic changes to the retail landscape as both retailers and bars are using upscaling as a marketing strategy.
Supermarket and super center retailers will typically have more than 1,000 different selections of wine and beer at all price levels — including organic, specialty import and super premium. Luxury spirit brands are well represented, as are the most current trends related to serving and mixing.
And just as produce and meat departments have altered operations and fixtures to create a more upscale experience, liquor departments in major chains are being built and refitted with a chic look. Bare metal shelves are replaced with wood displays modeled after fine Sonoma vineyards. Fluorescent overhead lighting is softened, incorporating halogen spots and natural light. Tasteful, consistent, un-branded signage and displays are now the norm.
As stores move to leverage the shopping environment as part of the overall experience, they are also retaining control on even the most minor aspects of the store design. As a result, many of the traditional tried-and-true P-O-P strategies and executions no longer apply. In fact, there are more restrictions than ever on what spirits marketers can do to market their brands in store.
Here's a list of things spirits marketers should consider to help their marketing dollars work harder at point of sale.
Extend the brand experience. Securing product placement beyond the typical shelf set may be challenging, but it is a sure bet to better performance. Spirits in particular have great extension as recipe ingredients in things like baking, sauces and specialty drinks. Leveraging these lifestyle and serving suggestions is often the ticket out of the liquor aisle for many spirits brands.
A successful tie-in for Bailey's in grocery coffee aisles during the winter months drove Bailey's and coffee awareness. A special merchandiser was created that held both high-margin coffee and Baileys. In premier accounts, displays also housed a coffee maker offering coffee samples.
Make the most of your upscale surroundings. Whether a premium brand or not, the goal is to be seen as a centerpiece within the on-premise or off-premise environment. Take a look at your current packaging. Does it fit with the upscale environment?
Great, sleek packaging is king here. Leading brands use unusual, elegant bottle shape, size of bottle, color or texture of the glass or other unexpected bottle material, like stone. Merchandising is the crown. Back- or under-lit displays show off packaging. P-O-P that features the brand in lifestyle settings makes the connection for the consumer. Brands like Tangueray No. 10 and Grey Goose are best in class here.
Fulfill the need-state. Understanding which key consumer need state(s) are related to brand usage will lead to more relevant P-O-P communications.
Consumers need — and want — to feel cool and confident about their decisions. When the retro-cocktail popularity hit, consumers wanted to participate and be knowledgeable. It was important for spirits brands to create drink recipes that were easy for bartenders to make and easy for consumers to love at home. They also needed to have cool and memorable names — another key to consumers feeling good about their choices and creating demand for the drink.
Treat your brand as a person and the retail environment as a neighborhood. How do you meet newcomers (consumers) to the neighborhood? How will you ensure that your house (shelf set) becomes the center of activity in the neighborhood? This analogy provides a different perspective on the retail environment that can lead to interesting marketing ideas.
The key to success here is demonstrating that you understand your neighbor and want to make them feel “at home”.
Bose DVD-Based Lifestyle 28 And 35 Entertainment Systems Give You Serious Sound
;)
Click to enlarge
The new Bose Lifestyle 28 and 35 systems will make your home theater sould like the movie theater.
Home theater setups have come a long way, and with DVD, bigger TV screens and digital audio technology, it pays to make sure your speaker system is always working its best. Bose Electronics, known for its tiny--yet powerful--Lifestyle home theater speakers and other high-end audio equipment, understands this and has flicked its sound quality up a notch.
The company's new DVD-based Lifestyle 28 and 35 entertainment systems were created to make sure you get the home theater sound you want--without having to call in the professionals for help.
Using a solution called ADAPTiQ audio calibration, these speaker systems, Bose claims, analyze and adjust to any room, speaker location or listener location. So get ready for some serious sound, no matter what kind of room you're listening in.
On Your Own
Here's the gist: Not everyone's home theater space is the same, and this inevitably makes a difference in how an entertainment system sounds. Does your room have an alcove? Window treatments? A drop ceiling? All these things affect sound. And to top it all off, most surround sound systems have a "sweet spot." This is simply the place in the room where you get the best sound. So if you're sitting in this spot, you'll get superior sound. Kinda stinks for the rest of your family or guests, though.
"The ADAPTiQ system changes the whole notion of how you experience sound," says Mitch Nollman, director of marketing for Bose Home Audio Products. "It lets every room get the absolute best sound it can, no matter what."
Of course, Bose is not the first to think of calibrating home theater audio. If you've got the time and the cash, you can call a home theater professional to come over and set up a system for you. Right.
For the rest of us, there are software programs--Ovation's Avia and Video Essentials are among the better known--that use test signals to help you calibrate your speakers. There are also DVDs that feature these test tones. Basically, what these programs do is make sure the sound coming from each channel of a multichannel home theater movie soundtrack is set to the ideal volume for your setup, which will then create an audio effect personalized to suit you. All this is about speaker placement, and the fact that many speakers can play at different volumes--even when the same amount of power is applied to all of them. So why even bother with the new Bose systems if you can do it yourself? Because, as you may have surmised, using these test-tone discs is a pain. In order to get the job done correctly, you really have to know what you're doing. You would also need to buy a sound-pressure meter--these start at $35 and can run anywhere up to $1000.
Lifestyle Centers Capitalize on Shoppers' Need for Speed
Despite the economy negatively affecting retailers' sales, the retail real estate market's overall tone is positive. While activity varies by location, investors demonstrate continued interest in retail properties nationwide. As always, tenant mix is critically important: Owners of centers with credit tenants are asking for, and frequently getting, premium prices for their properties. And a number of these tenants currently are chasing the hottest retail trend — lifestyle centers — and questioning their commitment to enclosed malls because of consumers' desire for convenience.
Lifestyle Centers Take Off Lifestyle centers target upscale demographic clusters and attempt to bring the shopping experience as close to consumers as possible. Early lifestyle centers usually were unanchored, open-air properties of less than 200,000 square feet that featured upscale specialty stores, restaurants, and entertainment, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. In this phase of their development, lifestyle centers did not include department stores.
Developers stretch this definition, building properties as small as 88,000 sf and as large as 800,000 sf, and some are planning even larger centers. Some of these new developments incorporate department store anchors, usually in the most upscale category, such as Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue.
For example, an 88,500-sf lifestyle center recently opened in New Jersey's richest county, between two enclosed malls on a highway carrying more than 40,000 cars per day. Tenants include Pier 1 Imports, Bombay Co., Gap and Gap Body, Talbots, and Jos. A. Bank Clothiers, as well as Starbucks and Panera Bread. The center's store managers report customers commenting that they are glad to have an alternative to the malls for their shopping.
Many developers are interested in the lifestyle center phenomenon's appeal and are actively seeking sites that offer similar demographics and proximity to established shopping venues.
But signs already point to a glut of lifestyle centers in desirable locations, which almost certainly is to become a national pattern. As owners of properties suitable for lifestyle centers experience increased interest in their holdings, land prices rise, driving operating costs higher — closer to the levels found in malls — and negating a key advantage that alternative locations now offer retailers.
In their efforts to bring lifestyle aspects to their properties, open-air center landlords also pressure lifestyle centers. As existing tenant leases expire, they seek new, upscale tenants such as jewelry stores and fast-casual restaurants to increase their centers' ability to attract a larger and wealthier customer base, subsequently creating a new development barrier for competing lifestyle centers by decreasing the universe of prospective tenants in a market.
But they don't have to look far. Many mall tenants are anxious to reduce their operating costs and seek higher visibility than malls typically provide. For instance, Somerset Shopping Center in Bridgewater, N.J., the state's first strip center, recently added Eastern Mountain Sports as a tenant. Formerly located in a successful mall nearby, EMS has reported significant sales increases since its move.
Malls and Power Centers Lose Momentum
Unlike lifestyle centers, few enclosed malls currently are being built in the United States. The principal reason behind this loss of momentum is the department store chains' lack of demand for new venues; it is department store anchors that drive the development and success of enclosed malls. Additionally, municipalities are reluctant to approve the sea of parking that malls require.
New reports also reveal consumer dissatisfaction with enclosed mall shopping experiences. Shoppers pressed for time generally must park far away from the stores they wish to visit and walk past many stores they aren't interested in to reach their ultimate destination. The average mall trip takes more than 75 minutes, while shopping trips to open-air centers average about 57 minutes, according to ICSC. Also, although they spend less time, lifestyle center shoppers visit more stores and spend more money than those who frequent malls. In a report comparing five lifestyle centers to five malls, the ICSC found that shoppers entered an average of 2.9 stores and spent $75.70 in the lifestyle centers versus 2.3 stores and $73.30 in the malls.
For similar reasons, few power centers are being built. Power center developers and tenants already have cherry-picked suitable sites in most markets, and the same regulatory difficulties await new development.
Acquisition Activity
Investor appetite for retail properties is hearty. For instance, Kimco Realty Corp. — with GE Real Estate, the New York State Common Retirement Fund, and RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust — has embarked on a $1 billion acquisition program. This year Pennsylvania REIT has purchased six shopping malls totaling approximately 5.5 million sf from the Rouse Co. for about $549 million; the REIT also recently merged with Crown American Realty Trust, which added 26 regional malls to its portfolio.
Although institutional buyers such as REITs and pension funds target class A malls and shopping centers, the market also is strong for class B and C centers in fundamentally sound locations with upside potential through rehabilitation or retenanting. Municipalities generally support efforts to intensify existing sites' retail use, which better serve the marketplace without development disruptions and the loss of open space.
In many cases, funding for these acquisitions comes from capital withdrawn from the stock and bond markets, where returns have been weak. A shopping center that offers an 8 percent or higher return to its investors and, in all likelihood, appreciates in value over time is seen as a more stable investment.
Another factor driving the retail acquisition market is the difficulty of developing new retail properties, particularly in mature markets such as the New York City metropolitan area, where parcels large enough to handle significant new developments are nearly impossible to find. Generally, more rural areas are experiencing the bulk of new retail development. These burgeoning regions offer sufficient land, existing highway infrastructure, and residential growth requiring a strong retail presence to support it.
However, some strong resistance to selling exists, especially by owners unsure of the reinvestment opportunities available in the current marketplace. The overall lack of product also is slowing Internal Revenue Code Section 1031 exchanges. In these cases, single-tenant properties such as drugstores that are long-term credit tenants typically offering 8 percent returns are more available than multitenant properties.
From the Editor: Incurable
I don't see the FDA ever approving a drug for a lifestyle improvement," says Cephalon CEO Frank Baldino in this month's cover profile. "And I don't know if I want to sell [one]. We entered this business to develop drugs for sick people—that's our purpose." Of course, we all like to hear that a pharma CEO wants to cure diseases. But on the subject of lifestyle drugs, I think Baldino—like many folks in the industry—may be kidding himself.
Let's be realistic. There are plenty of lifestyle drugs on the market already. Some of them, like Botox and birth-control pills, are approved for lifestyle indications (whether anyone wants to call them that or not). Others, including Baldino's own wakefulness drug,
Provigil, plus drugs like Viagra and human growth hormone, have off-label uses that are pretty clearly not about curing disease.
Will FDA eventually start routinely approving drugs meant primarily for lifestyle improvement—drugs that make us taller, slimmer, prettier, smarter, more muscular, less forgetful, and, yes, even younger? I imagine that there will be some kicking and screaming, but it's hard to see how the agency can ultimately resist. FDA's job is to ensure that drugs are safe and effective, not to limit them to the curing of diseases.And why shouldn't lifestyle drugs be on the market? I can think of four more or less reasonable arguments:
Safety Drugs are intrinsically dangerous, this argument runs, and lifestyle improvements aren't sufficient justification to take substantial risks. That's plausible, but let's not forget that roughly 20 percent of American adults smoke. It's hard to justify letting them get away with that and depriving them of useful lifestyle improvements with far better safety profiles.
The Darwinian appeal We shouldn't improve ourselves with drugs and devices, which interferes with evolution's gradual honing of our genome. I, for instance, shouldn't wear glasses. By using them, I prevent myself from getting run over by a bus. That means I'll pass my nearsighted genes to my children, dooming them if civilization collapses, eyeglasses vanish from the earth, and saber-tooth tigers roam the ruined, smoldering streets of our cities. On the other hand, would it really hamper myself and my offspring to benefit some (no doubt) bozo with great eyesight?
Human nature We were born with certain defects, this case goes. They're part of who and what we are, and it's important for us to live with them, and experience pain and confront our limitations. A life of chemically-induced perfection is no life at all. I mostly believe this argument, but in a society devoted to plastic surgery, steroid-pumped athletes, and the delusional mind-set displayed each week on American Idol, I doubt that it can be the basis of public policy.
Fairness When we have drugs that enhance lifestyle, the rich will have them, and the poor, by and large, won't. The gaps that divide our society will grow larger, more visible, and more painful. Of course, they're already large, visible, and painful. A nation that can't bring itself to create equal access to healthcare is unlikely to worry about a few extra perks for the rich.
Eventually we're going to have lifestyle drugs, powerful ones that will make amazing differences in how we live. To judge by the way we cope with the drugs we already have today, we're nowhere near ready for them. We're not ready to assess their risks and benefits, to make them part of richly lived lives, or to keep them from tearing communities apart. We'd better learn soon. Like it or not, they're on the way.
Patrick Clinton
Editor-in-chief
A Golden Age for Lifestyle Centers
The race is on to cover the land with lifestyle centers in a build-out reminiscent of the mall expansion that took place between the 1970s and 1990s. But lifestyle developers are wagering that secondary markets will be as fertile as large metropolitan areas — and even more so.
Why? Smaller communities typically lack upscale stores and restaurants in open-air settings, and lifestyle centers don't require the dense population that malls need to succeed. Additionally, the properties generate average returns of 10% to 12%, which is comparable to malls, but the projects generally are smaller and less costly to build. Lifestyle center tenants also save about 15% in common area maintenance (CAM) charges compared with mall retailers.
The bottom line: Experts predict that as many as 30 new lifestyle centers could open annually for the next five years before saturation. In fact, some 140 lifestyle centers are now open, and experts predict that the existing aggregate square footage will double to some 70 million sq. ft. over the next couple of years.
“Lifestyle centers have been validated; they're no longer small projects developed by small regional players,” says Michael Ebert, a partner with retail developer RED Development in Scottsdale, Ariz. “In five years, lifestyle centers will be where the mall business is today, and opportunities will be harder to find.”
But it's unlikely that lifestyle centers will achieve the same critical mass as malls, which already dominate the retail landscape. So, lifestyle center developers typically pursue infill locations, which are fewer in number — particularly in secondary markets, says Ebert, whose company frequently targets towns with universities, state capitals or both. In May, RED Development and Omaha, Neb.-based Quantum Quality Real Estate completed the 600,000 sq. ft. Village Pointe lifestyle center in Omaha.
Gold Rush
To this point, locations have been plentiful enough to support fervent development. Developers have built nearly 100 lifestyle centers since 1997, or about six times the number developed between 1987 and 1996, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).
Unable to ignore consumer preference for shopping at lifestyle centers, large mall developers, too, are pursuing the properties in smaller markets — or at least adding lifestyle-type adjuncts onto new or existing properties.
Competition already is making opportunities tougher to exploit. Case in point: Developers have targeted Allentown, Pa., a metropolitan area with a population of some 750,000, with three lifestyle center projects. Memphis, Tenn.-based Poag & McEwen and Stanbery Development have teamed up to create the 700,000 sq. ft. Shops at Saucon Valley. (Columbus, Ohio-based Stanbery, in fact, abandoned its own lifestyle center proposal on another site, in part, because of competition.)
About 12 miles to the southwest, Birmingham, Ala.-based Bayer Properties and Forest City Enterprises of Cleveland, Ohio, are planning to build the 800,000 sq. ft. Summit at Lehigh Valley. Meanwhile, the nation's largest mall owner, Simon Property Group of Indianapolis, is considering expanding its enclosed Lehigh Valley Mall by adding up to 80,000 sq. ft. of outdoor, upscale shops.
“The concept is becoming more and more popular, so inevitably projects that shouldn't be built are going to get built anyway,” says Michael Baker, principal of Independent Retail Research in Syracuse, N.Y., a retail consulting firm. “Hopefully, that will end after a few failures.”
Development Criteria
Typically, lifestyle center developers build in affluent neighborhoods where at least 40,000 households have more than $75,000 in annual income, says Baker. That's more than $30,000 above median household income in 2003, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Assuming that developers meet the location criteria, other crucial keys to success turn on creating the right tenant mix and providing consumers with a “main street” shopping experience, says Baker, a former research director at ICSC, who also serves as national retail advisor for UrbisJHD, a retail consulting firm in Melbourne, Australia.
As a result, thriving lifestyle centers have incorporated architectural embellishments, ranging from courtyards and fountains to distinct exterior finishes for each retailer to create the illusion of separate buildings.
That kind of detail can cost $200 per sq. ft. or more, double the expense to build a typical neighborhood or power center. But so far, neither the specter of overbuilding, nor the cost, has dissuaded lenders from financing the projects.
“Every major real estate construction and permanent lender is going after lifestyle assets,” says Robert Zelina, senior vice president and Columbus, Ohio, district manager for KeyBank Real Estate Capital. That's a 180-degree reversal from seven years ago, he adds, when few lenders understood lifestyle centers.
David Durning, managing director of originations for Prudential Capital Co.'s Chicago office, agrees. Prudential's interest in financing lifestyle centers has grown over the last three years as the company has become more familiar with the retail concept.
“But you want to be in business with somebody who's experienced in that product and who has relationships with retailers,” Durning says. “Just as important is making sure the developments are in the right location.”
Opportunities and Challenges
Certainly developers are having a hard time ignoring the potential rewards of lifestyle centers. The centers generate sales per sq. ft. that are 22% higher than malls, according to ICSC research. The retailers are a driving force in lifestyle center development. In addition to the lower occupancy costs, lifestyle centers give national stores a route for expansion, says James Rosenfield, senior manager director of Cushman & Wakefield's national retail practice.
The conventional wisdom is that if Wal-Mart can profit in communities with a population of 50,000, lifestyle centers can also thrive in small markets, Rosenfield adds.
“Because of its focused attention to retailing and its size, a lifestyle center should be able to survive in a smaller town better than a mall, which needs a bigger population base to support its 1 million sq. ft. But Rosenfield offers this word of caution: “Developers better not delude themselves about who the customers are and their buying ability.”
Of course, with some lifestyle centers approaching 1 million sq. ft., they could face the same challenges as malls — and more. For example, lifestyle centers generally sign tenants for five years, while malls lock in leases for 10 years or longer. The shorter leases expose lifestyle centers to competitors entering the market and stealing tenants.
But by adding big-box components to lifestyle centers — or even building power centers or neighborhood centers, or both, nearby — developers can limit potential competition. Thus, hybrid lifestyle centers are emerging. RED Development's SummitWoods Crossing in Lee's Summit, Mo., for example, features a cluster of upscale tenants within a larger development ringed by a Lowe's, Target, Kohl's and other power center retailers.
“Adding those types of tenants opens you up to a larger trade area and generates more traffic,” says RED Development's Ebert. “The goal for every shopping center is to be busy seven days a week — morning, noon and night.”
Retailers Play Hard Ball
In communities where lifestyle centers are competing, the battle for tenants may ultimately take its toll on rents, even if only one project ultimately gets built. “Retailers are only going to one project in a marketplace,” says Terry McEwen, principal of Poag & McEwen, which built its first lifestyle center in the late 1980s and is considered a pioneer of the retail product. “So, they'll take advantage of the competition and just beat up the developers.”
Poag & McEwen is facing off against Bayer Properties in the Fort Collins and Loveland, Colo., area, a fast-growing region with about 252,000 people. Retailers in that market have signed onto both projects.
In August, Poag & McEwen and Loveland-based McWhinney Enterprises broke ground on the 688,000 sq. ft. Shops at Centerra in Loveland, and tenants such as Dick's Sporting Goods, Barnes & Noble and Foley's Department Store have leased about 61% of the center. The project is part of a 3,000-acre development that will include an additional 1.3 million sq. ft. of retail, as many as six hotels, 10,000 homes and offices.
Meanwhile, Bayer has yet to break ground on its 450,000 sq. ft. Summit at Front Range in Fort Collins, but it has pre-leased 50% of the project, and tenants include Dillard's, Borders Books & Music, Cost Plus World Market and Wild Oats Markets.
“The enclosed mall industry was very competitive 20 or 30 years ago, and I'm not sure anything has really changed except that we're talking about lifestyle centers today,” says Jeffrey Bayer, a principal of Bayer Properties.
Retailers will decide between the two Colorado projects, in part, by determining which development strategy they like best, Bayer adds. Bayer Properties has selected an infill site near affluent neighborhoods, for example, while developers of Centerra hope to draw regional shoppers to its site at the intersection of Interstate 25 and U.S. 34.
But there's a wildcard. Mall developer General Growth Properties, which acquired the 600,000 sq. ft. Foothills Mall in the market, is considering redeveloping the mall site as an open-air entertainment village.
New Entrants to the Game
The lifestyle concept is even attracting developers who possess no lifestyle center experience. Houston-based Creekstone Cos., for example, is developing the 440,000 sq. ft. Towne Center at Cedar Lodge, its first lifestyle center, in a mixed-used development covering 90 acres in the heart of Baton Rouge, La.
Creekstone already has opened a 300-unit apartment complex in Towne Center and has rezoned 28 acres for office development. The lifestyle center, which will feature a Whole Foods, will open next spring. But PF Chang's China Bistro, Carraba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill and Fleming's Steak House will open in December on pad sites.
Creekstone Cos. began developing commercial projects, primarily apartments, in the mid-1990s. A few years later, lifestyle centers piqued the curiosity of Creekstone President Stephen Keller, who traveled around the country visiting and researching lifestyle projects.
In Baton Rouge, Keller eventually targeted 440 acres that had been owned by the same family since the 1800s. The city grew up around the land; for years the owner had no interest in selling and would-be buyers faced the arduous task of rezoning the plot. Creekstone worked slowly with the owner and surrounding neighborhoods when planning the development, Keller says, and eventually bought 90 acres.
“To my surprise, the first tenants we went to were very familiar with the site and had looked at it for many years,” says Keller, who grew up in Baton Rouge. “We think our customers will come to Towne Center for a shopping experience that they haven't had in Baton Rouge until now.”
Joe Gose is a Kansas City-based writer.
LIFESTYLE CENTERS: A MOVING TARGET
Lifestyle centers are generally defined as open-air shopping centers that mix national retailers with local boutiques that aim to provide upscale shoppers with convenience, but the concept is evolving.
In the last couple of years, the average size has grown from 330,000 sq. ft. to 400,000 sq. ft., and many lifestyle center projects now under development exceed 500,000 sq. ft.
Big-box retailers traditionally found in power centers are beginning to show up in lifestyle centers. In addition, lifestyle centers are becoming integral parts of planned mixed-use communities.
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