My partner took me for a delicious dinner on Valentine’s Day and an odd thing happened at the restaurant. We were seated at the end of a row of 10 tables of 2 where the inside seats were booths and the outside, chairs. Each couple dining was comprised of a man and a woman.

About halfway through our meal we noticed that the arrangement of men and women was identical for all 10 tables: Men on the outside, women in the booths. Huh. That was funny, and we kept eating.

As we got up to leave, we noticed that there was an identical organization of tables on the other side of the booths. Again, 10 tables of 2, and the arrangement was the same: Men on the outside, women in the booths. What was going on?

Did we decide to see the pattern? Did each man make a chivalrous decision and let his lady enjoy the comfort of the booth? Did any of the men actively decide to sit on the outside? Which cues determined who sat where? The chairs were definitely closer to the activity of the restaurant, there was certainly the possibility for spilled drinks and meals, but why did each woman end up away from the action?

Brains are funny. We see patterns when we’re scared (check this out, it’s 60 seconds: http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=brain-seeks-patterns-where-none-exi-08-10-03) and Valentine’s Day can be an anxious day before a glass or two of Merlot. Though I wonder what would have happened if one couple had decided to mix it up. If some daring lady had opted for the seat instead of the booth, she would have stood out. She would have stood out in a really big way.

And this is my point: you can be comfortable and sit in the booth, or you can stand out. You can set yourself apart from every other realtor/broker/coach/consultant/distributor/decorator/event planner/writer/merchandiser or you can hang out in the welcoming softness of comfort doing what you know over and over again, away from the action.

Find what it is that sets you apart from your competition (maybe it’s a life experience, maybe it’s a skill set, maybe it’s longevity, maybe it’s a strong empathic quality) and tell people about it! I will never cease to be amazed by the amazing stories I learn from my clients long after we start working together. If I had known that you speak 4 languages, or about your ability to thrive through a divorce/illness/passing, don’t you think I would want to work with you sooner? You have an amazing story, and I can help you share it.

Stand out. Don’t sit in the booth. Be courageous.

Annelies

Let’s try a simple questionnaire: IF you answer NO to any of these four questions, you should consider a review of your current backup and disaster recovery plan, as soon as possible:

1. IF you delete an important file or email, can you get it back?
2. IF you change a document by mistake, can you recover a previous version?
3. IF your computer or laptop is lost or broken, can you restore all your data?
4. IF your office is in a disaster situation (thief, fire, flood), can you recover all your information?

We can help on the evaluation of your current plan, just Call for Free Consultation.

Remember, DATA is the lifeblood of your business.

The degrees and credentials people have earned in their lives are usually conveyed by the acronyms following their names. There’s MD for a doctor, LP for a legal practitioner or AMP for an accredited mortgage professional – the person probably best equipped to guide any consumer looking for the most sensible mortgage for them.

AMPs primarily focus on determining the best options available in the market after interviewing clients. They work closely in communicating and performing proper due diligence, particularly if clients aren’t educated on what the process entails. It’s a lot like how a family doctor would send a patient to a specialist for a more thorough examination.

A ‘good’ mortgage’ is far more than just the best interest rate, as we‘ve all realized with the launch of BMO’s 2.99% restrictive product. Our responsibility is to educate the borrower on the true effective interest they may pay to own their home. Currently, there are about 50 mortgage lenders (including Banks) in Canada and their terms, policies, options, and privileges are not the same. Mortgage contracts can vary significantly and it’s imperative the consumer understands what they’re committing to before executing any mortgage.

But what an AMP does isn’t limited to just finding the lowest interest rate, as a mortgage must ultimately fall within a plan that takes into account the client’s current and future budget, as well as how the life of the mortgage affects their future financial plans or ambitions. AMP’s keep clients up to date throughout the process prior to closing of their mortgage, and keep them informed after closing with value added information. AMP’s credentials are the only national proficiency standard for mortgage professionals in Canada.

Bottom-line: Instead of going to the banks, I recommend you contact an AMP who can offer you more than one product and several solutions, keeping in mind your long term goals. It can be a renovation loan, complete debt consolidation, transfer at renewal, a first-time homebuyer, an investment property or a commercial property.

Jason Hall
Dominion Lending Centres Forest City Funding
Office: 1-866-343-7846
Cell: 647-893-8305
Email: jhall@dominionlending.ca
www.mortgageswithjason.ca

 A Chance for the future

 A healthy diet does have the potential to gradually become part of a modern lifestyle, and it is indeed a trend.  As long as official nutritional recommendations favor carbohydrates in the form of grain products, as long as industrially processed food is designed along the lines of profit maximization, and as long as commercials keep pressing the right “shopping buttons” in our heads we will continue to search in vain for what is good for us.

 “Stick to such and such a food and you will be forever slim”… Atkins,SouthBeach, Five Element Diet, and others – all of their nutritional recommendations were standardized and narrowed down to one universal scale which triggered huge fads worldwide all with the same results. 

 Voluntary restraint of the appetite used to be a virtue.  Gluttony was viewed as a sin until the late 19^th century.

 Viewing Every Person as an individual

 All diets in the past 30 years have turned away from the moral of self control.  Reason versus greed doesn’t seem to be relevant nowadays. Criticism of anything that requires self-control seems to have made willpower and determination neither necessary nor desirable in the battle against the bulge.  Yet it is known that cravings and nutritional needs are strictly individual.

They are not uniform.  Because they are as personal as a fingerprint, they are part of a person’s constitution.  In order to reach and keep an appropriate weight, a program is necessary which connect the individuality of a person to the foods that fit the specific biochemical structure of his or her body.  The result is the personalized nutritional roadmap it defines your personal path to your target weight, which then remains stable.

 Taking Responsibility   

 You will neither have to starve, fast or chastise yourself, nor will you have to reward yourself.  It is our own personal vital statistics combined with the foods that agree with us, that grant us a healthy enjoyment of food, yet allow us to stay slim-just as our blue print intended. The (hormonal) equilibrium of these personalized dietetics (or Metabolic Balance) allows everybody who has been searching to take personal responsibility: while either selecting foods or following their nutritional plan.  This newly acquired self-determination is good for your health – and that without enslaving yourself to any trends or standards. 

 Metabolic Balance is the golden thread that will lead you.  When used as a compass, not only will your health and appearance improve, you will also regain your sense of orientation and new perspectives in life.

 Balanced Wellness

Experience the empowerment of optimized wellness and improved health. Feel energized and fantastic! We invite you to try this remarkable program yourself.

Join Me on January 25 @ 7:00 p.m. for a complimentary information session on the metabolic balance program.  At the Health First Group 49MississaugaRoad. 

Call 905-278-5896 to reserve your seat

Call today for more information or to book your consultation. 

Yours IN Health

 Charmain

Grey is back in full swing
Sound dull and dreary? It is the perfect backdrop to just about any color palette you chose to go with it. Don’t forget there are many shades and tints of grey.
• You see it everywhere: bedding upholstery, walls and of course fashion.
• Gray remains sophisticated, classy and rich feeling.
• Works well in masculine and feminine settings.
• Fits with traditional and contemporary genres.
• Conservative in uncertain times when you can’t afford to make a mistake.
• Takes on the look of surrounding hues.
• Perfect with vivid colors and pastels.
• Considered the new beige.
• Looks organic (think driftwood, sea shells, stones in a brook).
• Works well with stainless steel appliances.
• Looks great with brushed nickel.
• Considered now the “in” color for bridesmaids.
• Even goes with beige and looks fabulous with dark chocolate.
• Many shades available but know in advance whether your gray is warm or cool. If warm, mix with warm colors. If cool, mix with cool colors.
• As always, test before.
• And of course you can always call me for advice.
Colour consultation is one of the services that I offer.

Interior Decorator
T: 905.271.4224 F:905.919.0363
E: decorating@jackieconnolly.com
W: jackieconnolly.com

Kindness can come in all forms: holding a door, saying please and thank you, or a letter of thanks or recommendation. At Descriptor Communications, we believe that givers are winners.

By giving your time, energy or good thoughts to another person, you are passing on a kindness which can be hard to find after the over-dose of merriment the holidays can bring.

Imagine how you would feel if you sent a thank you note after a job interview, or if you received one from a client. That good feeling, that positive sharing can be the difference between a tragic headline and a celebratory one.

Wishing you all the most kind and courageous week,

Annelies

President, Descriptor Communications Inc.

Affiliate marketing is also about growing your own business: selling more real estate, or more life insurance, or getting more clients, etc.

As always, in 3 hours’ time I will spill the beans to you and give you all my secrets on how I make $1,000s every month with very little to no effort.

I know, you’ve heard these kinds of claims before, but I will show you real evidence, of how much money I make, and how you, too, can start making some serious “beach money,” too.

Have you heard of the guy who wrote the book called “The 4-hour Work Week”?

Well, I am on my way of achieving that goal, and I want to take you along for the ride.

Are you game?

Where and When?
January 19, 10am-1pm,
iBizAcademy Training Centre
1253 Silvan Forest Drive, Burlington, ON L7M 0B7
http://goo.gl/maps/4MYC

.

Boris Mahovac R.G.D.

iBizAcademy - Social Media & Online Marketing For Small Business

Sign up for one of my upcoming business workshops

- a billiard room, a library,outdoor pool,hobby rooms, a large party room, a separate building for events, great laundry facilities and so much more.  Check out www.tbaird.com and look at my dixie road listing.

Or call today to book a tour of the building.  Theresa Baird  647-298-0997

-

In 5 years Columbus opened up a whole new world by discovering the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola and North and South America.

In just under 5 years, Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel.

In less than 5 years Shakespeare wrote “Hamlet,” “Othello,” “King Lear,” “Macbeth,” and 5 other immortal plays.

In 1961, Julia Child graduated from cooking school with a quirky idea for a TV show. 4 years later she won an Emmy as America’s favourite TV chef.

Fired from their home improvement jobs, Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus created a business model called Home Depot and went public with their idea. Just three years after losing their jobs, their annual sales were $1 billion.

At age 30, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was living in a 500-square foot apartment. 5 years later his net worth was $10 billion.

Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Louis Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein.

So I ask you, what COULD you do with your next five years?

Now I ask, what WILL you do with your next five years?

The answer should be the same.

I’d love to say I wrote this but I didn’t. Dan Zadra beat me to it, “Where Will You Be Five Years From Today?”

1. Source material- is it a renewable material or a scarce resource?
2. How is the source material generated? How is it grown harvested or collected?
3. What amount of pesticide, water and energy is used in production or growth?
4. How much air, water and soil pollution is generated in the processing of the source material?
5. Will the finished goods off gas or otherwise pollute once within the home? How will they contribute to the interior air quality?
6. At the end of their lifespan how will the materials decompose in landfill?
7. Recycled content or recyclability-know the facts

The Realities of the Textile Industry Chemical

• In the last century the textile industry has become one of, if not the largest polluter in the world.
• While we are all making better choices for our families and our future when it comes to choosing organic foods, fuel efficient vehicles, using our heating and A/C more thoughtfully we continue to consume textiles that have a massive negative impact on the planet.

Water-Production of Textile

• The finite resource of clean drinking water is rapidly becoming scarce in many parts of the world
• Water is used at every stage in fabric manufacturing for example to dissolve chemicals and to wash and rinse out chemicals.
• The chemically infused wastewater is often released into local rivers where it enters the ground water, drinking water and habitat of plants, animals and of course human food.

Interior Air and Human Health

• Off gassing (or out gassing) of traditional textiles within a family home have been proven toxic. Humans cannot only breathe it in (think of that new car smell) but also it can be absorbed though your skin just in contact with the fabric itself. We even ingest microscope particles of these toxic chemicals through repeated exposure.

Renewable vs. non-renewable resources=Natural vs. Synthetic

• Synthetic fabrics (i.e. polyester) are part of the petro-chemical chain of products-it uses a limited resource as its base component.
• Natural fibers such as cotton, linen, silk and wool are renewable resources growing each season.
• Only polyester can be recycled currently, no other synthetics
• There are substantial environmental concerns with the recycling of polyester due to the chemical Antimony, which is not a benign chemical but likely a carcinogen.

Remains of the day-Post Consumer Life-Landfill

• Natural, untreated fabrics break down in the landfill where treated and synthetic fibers do not.
• There is no viable way to recycle polyester fabric at this time.
• Using PET bottles, which come with a heavy carbon footprint-the transportation of the bottles to China for production and the production itself, produces recycled polyester textiles.

Interior Decorator
T: 905.271.4224 F:905.919.0363
E: decorating@jackieconnolly.com
W: jackieconnolly.com