Do you have days go by where you lament, “Oh, I never get X done.” Or “I never get enough of X done.” Or perhaps “I never have time to get X done!”

Maybe weeks go by and you’re still saying this. Maybe – gasp – years.

Time does go by fast so it’s important that we prioritize what we want in life and take the needed actions to realize those dreams. Assuming that X is important to you, here’s how to make sure that you “have the time” or that you “get X done.” You CAN do it. I promise.

What is Your X?

What is that thing that itches at the back of your mind, at the end of every day? Is it:

• exercising?
• making time for a good relationship?
• dream project you want to do?
• losing weight?
• making more sales calls?
• fill in the blank _________________

What ever your X is, if it is important, then you must make it a priority in your life to get it done.

What if I told you, “This thing you’ve been wanting to get done, YOU CAN DEFINITELY DO IT.” Well, you can!  Here’s how.

How to Finally Achieve Your Goal

1. Determine what are your top priorities in life. It might look like this:
1. Be a good parent
2. Become healthier
3. Spend quality time with my partner
4. Perform better at work
5. Plan, Begin, Work on & Finish Project X
2. Create a plan for doing each of these.  Often we have a dream, for example “Write a novel,” but we don’t get it done because we haven’t thought out the action steps and planned when we’ll do them! You need to know what action steps to take in order to make the dream happen. The dream is ambiguous when it comes to this moment in front of me. If I need groceries or an email comes in or the kids ask to go somewhere, then it is easier to do that than “write a novel” because the action step is clear (go to grocery store, answer email, drive the kids to the park). But “write a novel?” What do I do with that? You need to “chunk” it out into smaller actionable pieces. So “write a novel” plan might look like this:
1. Brainstorm outline.
2. Brainstorm characters.
3. Write first chapter.
4. Join writing group for getting feedback.
3. Schedule the Plan into your calendar! If you have an appointment with the doctor, you write it in your calendar and you decline other requests of your time during that scheduled time. You must do the same with your most important goals. So go ahead and determine when you’ll implement these actions. Write it down! Schedule it in, IN INK!
4. The More Important it is to You the Earlier in the Day You Should Schedule it! Some things must wait for after work, such as spending time with your partner. If you want to write that novel or start exercising or have enough time to prepare a healthy breakfast to start the day out right, then you need to do these things as early in the day as possible. You might say, “I’m not a morning person.” I was one of those. You can become an early riser. It’s not that hard if you do it right. What’s more important to you watching TV from 10-11pm or exercising first thing to jump start your day? (Just imagine how you will feel if you walked, jogged, lifted weights by 8am? What kind of enthusiasm would you have for the rest of your day?)

Lightbulb!

I hope a lightbulb is turning on for you right now. It did for me a few years ago when I decided to get healthier, become a runner, and start my own business. I took an honest look at my life. My actions were saying that TV and magazines were a priority in my life. Whoa! Those were not my real priorities!

So I stopped staying up so late watching TV. I started running in the morning before anything else. And I became a planner. Planning, process, these were not things I was naturally good at – probably due in equal parts to impatience and laziness. But I learned that they are very powerful tools for getting what I want. (Bing! Now I’m listening!) Not only that, but I found that I enjoyed planning because it dramatically reduced my stress levels!

All the Other Stuff

For those of you who are saying, well what about my email, doing the laundry, errands I have to run, etc etc?

It will all get done. If it’s important it will get done, and probably more efficiently. You’ll spend less time on less important tasks when you have less time to do them in. Maybe there’s stuff you can delegate to others. How about your kids? Do they help pull their weight in the household? Mother is the necessity of invention. Maybe having less time for less important things will get your creative juices flowing to find more efficient ways to get things done!

If it’s not important it won’t get done, and that’s more than just ok. That’s fantastic! Why? Because you’ll be spending that time instead on YOUR PRIORITIES and Making Your Dreams Come True!

Road Blocks

Oh gosh! One last thing, but it’s important!

If there are things that are blocking you on your goal, find a way to get rid of them. Eliminate them. Go around them. Whatever you need to do. Just do it!

Example: let’s say you don’t have time in your schedule to drive to the gym, but you want to build muscle to increase your metabolism and lose weight. Then go out an buy some weights for your basement!  If you don’t have a basement, store them under your bed. Whatever you need to do, do it.

Don’t get discouraged because it’s not the perfect setup. Find a way and then use that way to realize your goal.

There is always a way. It may be messy. You may have to split up the time on action steps. You may have to spend some money. Remember these are your Top Priorities. Don’t ever give up until you find a way!

Take Action!

Take some time right now to jot down some ideas about

• your priorities in life
• action steps that you can take
• when you can schedule them in
• what you can eliminate from your life that doesn’t add the most value to your life

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Post from: Life Learning Today

Do the Most Important Thing First

Ansuya

As I mentioned in my recent Bellydance Resource Guide, I was fortunate to take a few classes with world-renown  bellydance superstar, Ansuya while I was in Florida last month. I was also fortunate to see her perform several times – Wow! And to top it all off, you and I are now fortunate to gain some wonderful insights from Ansuya in this in-depth interview. Thank you Ansuya!

When you’re done reading this be sure to check out her online bellydance classes. They really increase your skills while you have fun! At the end of this interview are links to some of her performance videos and a link to my review of Ansuya’s online classes.

Ansuya Interview

1. As an outside observer it seems as though you have achieved great success in your career as a dancer and teacher. From superlative performances, to dancing with the Belly Dance Super Stars, to establishing an international audience of students for your online classes, you have achieved and are achieving the kind of success many only dream of. To what do you attribute your success? People, beliefs, practices that you consistently stick to, etc…

Thank you for your observation! I think I may read it to myself as my daily affirmation! Lol! As a matter of fact, I believe in the Law of Attraction and it suggests that what we attract into our lives directly corresponds to the story we are telling about it. So, within my mind and heart I tell the story of my life almost as you have stated it here, in order to generate the actual experience of it. I have been doing this since I was a child as my mother encouraged it. It started as a dream, as a mental vision board, and then a mantra and then the truth. Admittedly, my mental habits are not purely positive. That may account for some of my “behind the scenes experiences” where I feel I have fought tooth and nail, through blood, sweat, and tears to achieve what is still becoming a 100% experience of the dream. But, 90% of my life is a magical fairy tale that I attribute to a moment to moment focus on directing my mental picture of my life to match my dream.

2. When did you first start dancing? Can you recall an experience from childhood? When did you first know that you wanted to have a career in dance?

My mother Bellydanced while she was pregnant with me, so I believe it was one of the first ways I sensed the Earth.  My earliest memory of Bellydancing was my very first performance at the age of four. I felt the flood of love coming from the audience, the bright lights of the stage, and the magical energy of backstage and I knew I wanted more.

3. What experiences shaped your work ethic and drive to succeed?

I do have an insane work ethic. It comes from a long line of hard working pioneers and trail blazing feminists. I call my work ethic insane because I’ve actually had to learn to balance it in order to not become, well, insane. Thank the Goddess for the holistic industry and for the alternative spiritual growth industry. It’s from that influence that I have learned to listen to my body, mind, and soul so that I don’t work myself into the ground. Balance is key for me because when I am not accessing my mother’s heritage (“no pain no gain”), I am accessing my father’s heritage and he was part of a royal family (“no way I’m working”). So, my personality started out flip flopping from working too hard to “I can’t work at all!” and now I am learning to pace myself in good rhythm with source energy.

4. Which people in your life have been most influential and in what way?

My mother has taught me how to access a magical life through Bellydance, my grandmother taught our whole family how to think for ourselves by living outside the lines of society, and my brother has taught me how to access my funny bone by daring to be different. I think all this plus a dash of my father’s family lore, and a drizzle of life experience has been the recipe that’s made me.

5. Who have you studied with?

I learned to Bellydance from my mother, Jenaeni Rathor. Her protegés Alexandra King and Aleili also became my teachers. The other dancers in her company called “Yaleil” also each had an influence on my dance and on my life.

6. Are there certain things, music, or people who inspire you to dance? Do you have dance idols?

I draw inspiration from everywhere. I can see a painting that transports my imagination to another time and as I ponder myself there I sense a demeanor, a style, a perspective that informs my dance. I can hear music from any genre and feel myself dancing to it and the movements will come out in my performance. I can see people whose personalities strike me in a way that influences how I express myself as I dance. I still idolize my mother because, though retired, she still coaches me and when she speaks about life or dance I am enthralled, when she shows me a move, I am mesmerized.

7. What does belly dancing mean to you? What does it do for you? What do you think it’s purpose is?

I feel so lucky to be able to be on a journey that accesses my personal power through Bellydance. Like yoga, it has the ability to awaken one’s chakras which helps us to access our inner intuition which lines us up with source energy which I believe is who we are in our broadest form. For me, Bellydance does all of this by integrating sensuality with spirituality and it is my honor to make a study of this and to share what I learn with others.

8. How much dancing do you do each week? How do you balance that with the technology and business tasks of your career?

I have to say I am surprised to have been converted to a tech fiend. I really felt that cyber space was cramping my vibrational style. Lol! Until I realized the level of information exchange, subsequent education, endless creativity and ultimate freedom of the Internet and all it has to offer. Now cyber space is sexy to me! As far as my schedule goes, I do a whole lot of everything everyday. As a female entrepreneur pioneering a cutting edge business inside an artistic industry, I have to stay on my toes. I do bounce from right brain to left-brain frequently throughout my week. But, as I get savvy at it I find it to be exhilarating rather than taxing. At this point I feel I have designed myself an epic schedule that feeds the soul, nourishes the body, and stimulates the mind. I still feel like I have too much to do inside every category of my life but this improves everyday. My challenge now is to tell this story: “I have enough time and enough prosperity to relax and enjoy what I have created.” And, if that affirmation isn’t working, I try this one: “Duh, how do you think you got this far? Of course you can bring this vision all the way into perfection. Come on!”

9. What helps you to stay grounded?

In terms of ego, that’s easy because if I ever showed any signs of behaving as though I did not represent “every woman” and was committed to protecting and serving the well being of the universe my mother and grandmother would attack me…verbally. However in terms of keeping my center in the swirl of life and the unpredictable behavior of others, I relish the idea that I give a grounded impression. I think I arrived at that by allowing life and people to catapult me way out into the stratosphere to the point of almost losing it and then learning how to navigate my way back down to the ground and firmly rooting myself within the center of my being. I don’t know if this is true for everyone, but in my personal and professional life I have encountered an enormous amount of manipulation and betrayal. I chuckle about it now even when a glimmer comes up or even when it temporarily surrounds me. But, I didn’t think it was funny at all when it first started happening. At first I buried it inside me and that gave me severe anxiety. Then, I outwardly defended myself and that gave me insanity as a reputation. Now, I can direct my vibration through a pretty high level of negative energy without losing focus. I can’t even begin to express how freeing that is. The most pivotal experience that led me to strengthening this ability was when I had a tragedy in my love life that I thought my psyche would not survive. My mother saw the look on my face when I came into the full realization of what was happening and she took the immediate action of requiring me to live my life in 10 minute increments. She said only ten minutes on any given task. This was smart because I could only focus for about this long before going into extreme emotional pain. She also forbid me to think about the betrayal I was experiencing. It was like a forced denial until I could process the information (at a much, much later date) without it destroying my system. I think this saved my life as well as taught me how to live it. I am no longer in an acute stage so I am really enjoying my ability now to choose what I focus on and how I react to life. These are wonderful skills to get to play with when attempting to create your reality using the principals of the Law of Attraction.

10. What keeps the dance fresh, new, and exciting for you? What feeds your creativity?

A new costume! A new song! Seeing a hot man! Having a great day! Getting lots of rest! Eating well! Stretching! Taking walks! Swimming in the ocean! Talking to amazing people! Seeing a great film or TV show! Taking a bath with my jewelry on! Lol!

11. What do you do to get mentally ready for a performance? And how do you unwind afterwards?

I love to be very still and quiet before a show. I like to build and conserve my energy for the stage. After a show I like to be wild and loud and have fun with friends and then have a great conversation pondering how the universe works with my mom.

12. How do you define success in your career and in your life?

I define everything by money. Just kidding. Actually, I do think prosperity is a sign of health that means you are connecting to your full potential. So, now that I feel I have a good bead on how to access my creativity, I would like to access my full prosperity potential to provide myself with a deeper sense of inner peace so I can feel freer to have more fun. I just realized how I should do this. I should have more fun, which will provide me with a deeper sense of inner peace, which will increase my connection to prosperity. I’m going to get right on that!

13. What are your non-belly dance outlets and interests in life?

I am also an actress. I adore the sensation of acting and am looking forward to doing it more. I would also like to pursue Yoga further to access more physical well being. I have finally succeeded in becoming Vegan so I am in love with and very fulfilled by my ever-evolving diet. I need a man. Oh! Did I type that out loud? Jeez. Nobody try to set me up, though. I’m too unusual to match! I’ll have to work that out on my own through visualization and magic! Lol!

14. You’ve established yourself as a belly dance pioneer offering online classes! What have been your challenges, pleasant surprises, and what are your future goals in this area?

I am so excited to be able to create an empowering community where beginning through advanced level students can learn all about Bellydance including the physical, spiritual, and social rewards it provides. I provide classes, performances, behind the scenes talk, costuming advice, make up advice, tips on sacred space creation, diet tips, and more. I knew I wanted to do this project, but I had no idea how much I would love it! After I get all done creating a month’s worth of material for the site, shooting it, editing it, and creating the marketing for it, I totally become an Ansuya.com member myself, because I can’t wait to chat with members on my Facebook, my Youtube channel, my Twitter, through email, and live on Bellyskypes. We talk about all the things we share as we are on our Bellydance journey’s together! My goal now is just to make sure that the thousands of students I have taught around the globe are aware that they can experience this connection at Ansuya.com and then to get the word out to mainstream women who have yet to be exposed to the wonders of Bellydance!

15. Tell us about your future plans. What is coming up next for you professionally? Do you have anything new planned?

I am very lucky to own a colorful Bellydance studio with exotic decor in the tropical location of Naples, Florida. I am looking forward to creating Bellydance Vacations for visiting students who want to access their inner goddess with Bellydance and rejuvenate their mind, body, and soul by taking in the glorious sunshine, the beautiful beach, and the Mediterranean architecture of Naples, FL – a lovely city will small town charm!

16. What advice do you have for aspiring dancers who want to improve?

I love to advise aspiring dancers! There is a lot of raw talent out there right now and I enjoy coaching dancers to reach their full potential. Along with the pre-recorded online classes at Ansuya.com and live online classes through Bellyskypes, I offer YouTube Critiques where dancers can upload a video of themselves dancing to YouTube, provide me with a link, and then I provide a full written critique that I email to them. Yet another way I can connect with women who want to experience the fun of Bellydance no matter where they are in the world!

17. Anything else you want the world to know?

The first time I heard “never give up” I felt inspired and thought I could do that. I had no idea it meant “NEVER GIVE UP!” When I realized to what level I needed to commit to this in order to actually never give up and succeed I put my nose to the grindstone and almost burnt out because I was fighting rather than flowing. Next I realized what “NEVER GIVE UP” actually means for me. Never give up means: never give up on the truest sense of yourself that you can find within you. It means never give up on your purest dreams even if they seem beyond impossible. It means never give up on feeling ecstasy on all levels of your life. It means never give up on refining your intuition. It means never give up on your vision for the world. And, beyond all else it means, never give up on love!

Thank you so much Ansuya!

Thank you so much, Kristin, for helping me to share my vision of teaching women how to create magical lives for themselves through Bellydance at Ansuya.com!

Ansuya Videos

Ansuya on Social Media

Ansuya on YouTube

Ansuya on Facebook

Ansuya on Twitter

Other Bellydance Resources

Ultimate Belly Dance Resource Guide: Videos, Music, Costumes, Props and More!

Review of Ansuya’s Online Classes (scroll down to “Online Classes”)

Please Share

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Post from: Life Learning Today

Interview with Bellydance Superstar Ansuya!

Belly dancing is is a wonderful form of self-expresson and a fun way to stay fit.  There are many benefits that you receive from “the dance”- better posture, feelings of joy, physical strength, and a sense of internal strength, just to name a few.

This belly dance resource guide will give you my highest recommendations in the realm of belly dance. Included are the best in videos, online belly dance classes, music, costumes, props, instruments, tips, performance checklist, and helpful websites. You’ll want to bookmark and share this webpage with your friends who belly dance or who are interested in getting started!

Belly dancing originated in ancient cultures thousands of years ago. It was originally done by women, for women. It was woven into the fabric of their lives. Over time it evolved into an art form where the emotions of life are portrayed through “the dance.” Since the body is the medium through which the art is rendered, it is a sensual art form, but to simply label it a dance of seduction misses the real purpose of the “The Dance.” It’s intention is to tell a story, to foster a sense of play, to inspire, and to help others feel empowered about their life.

Belly Dance Instructional Videos – Highly Recommended

Belly dance instructional videos are a great way to get started if you are shy at first or if you simply want to supplement your local classes. Belly dance instructional videos allow you to learn moves and styles in a new way from different teachers,  and to get inspired. Here are my top favorites, along with my current wish list!

Foundational Videos for Learning the Basics

Sadie’s Complete Bellydance Guide – a great introduction to the basic movements of bellydance by one of the best dancers around today. You’ll learn all the basic moves and importantly how to bring them together into a dance.

Drills! Drills! Drills! – Professional dancer Michelle explains the basic moves of belly dance along including some traveling footwork, shimmies, and zills. Excellent, easy to follow instruction.

Intermediate to Advanced Techniques

Thrillin’ Drillin’ – also taught by Sadie, this instructional video teaches basic moves as well as more advanced combining of different moves. This video can challenge both beginners and advanced students.

Belly Dance Egyptian Style: Modern Oriental with Ranya Renee – this DVD teaches Egyptian style moves and combinations through instructing on two different choreographies, beginner and advanced. There is a lot of practicing in this video which will help you improve. And Ranya is very good at explaining moves.

Bellydance Egyptian Style – The Baladi – this 2 DVD set is also taught by Ranya Renee. I learned so much from this one. You really learn what the Baladi – or “country style” – is all about from the different nuances of the music to the best ways to express that music through your body. Ranya is a master as explaining technique, but has plenty of time allotted for you to improvise and discover your own personal style within the Baladi style.

Sultry Slow Moves with Sadie  – learn more sensual moves and combinations of moves focusing on a chiftitelli rhythm. This will challenge and inspire you to keep practicing so you can hone your skills.

Drum Solos and Fast Bellydance Moves

Pops, Locks & Shimmies with Sadie and Kaya – two great teachers for the price of one! These two pros very clearly and slowly explain difficult pop, lock and shimmy moves including some footwork. Great practice if you want to improve your fast moves.

Pop, Lock and Shimmy: Drum Solo Technique and Choreography – this is for intermediate and advanced dancers. This is taught by Michelle Joyce. She takes you through 95 minutes and 11 drills. You practice them at medium tempo first then the drill is done at a fast tempo. There is not a lot of spoken instruction. A lot is similar to an advanced class where you just follow along. This can be good for advanced students as it moves as a faster pace. But don’t be afraid to get this if you are intermediate. It may be just the challenge you need to get to the next level. You will get a lock of practice time out of this! There’s no way you won’t improve your skilss. A choreography is taught at the end.

Drum Solo Technique and Choreography with Sadie – This video introduces the basics of a drum solo to combinations that will be sure to have you stretching your skill level up! You’ll learn how to do a proper flutter, shimmy kick-back, and body waves. A drum solo choreography is taught at the end bringing together all the combination moves taught in the video. There are also two amazing performances by Sadie at the end.

Dynamic Drum Solo – This is also by Sadie, similar to the one above, but with different combinations, choreography and performance. This one may be slightly more challenging. (I’d like to know your opinion on this!) If you’d like to know how to dance like Sadie, in this video you get the inside skinny on how she choreographs and after learning that you can do it too!

Specialized Skills Belly Dance Videos

Killer Ziller: Belly Dance Finger Cymbals – Playing zills while dancing is so exciting. This dvd by Michelle Joyce focuses on teaching 14 different zill patterns, but she also integrates footwork, arms, and body moves. You will be quite challenged, and you will learn a lot!

Flawless Floorwork: The Lost Art of Belly Dance Floorwork – This is a big WOW DVD! Floorwork can be difficult, but if you are up for the challenge, there are so many beautiful moves that you can learn from this video. The instructor, Ruby, has such a calm energy that I find helps me to quiet my judging mind and just enjoy the movements. There’s a lot a great stuff in this even if you only use some of it. Includes Pilates strengthening exercises as well as dance instruction.

The Bellydance Shimmy Workout – Everyone wants to be good at shimmying, and the only way to get there is to practice, practice, practice! This DVD will guide you through many different shimmies and layers, drilling them for long time periods. Your quads will be burning. It’s a little bit on the intermediate level since the slow drill and instructions are brief and the fast pace drilling is where most of the emphasis is. There is a balanced amount of stretching too to give you a rest between drills and to keep you from tightening up.

Serpentine – Belly Dance with Rachel Brice :: Bellydance Technique & Yoga for Strong, Relaxed & Sinuous Movement – I got this video because I wanted to work on my back bends. Rachel Brice get you ready for this and all her lessons with strengthening and flexibility drills first. Following those she teaches her signature serpentine style through two choreographies. The music is not middle eastern, but I find that opens up the ability to see the dance in a different way. This is a 2 dvd set. The first dvd focuses on flexibility through yoga to be able to achieve the sinuous movements and the second dvd focuses on the dance moves.

Bellydance Arms & Posture – A Practice for Carriage, Coiling, and Serpentine Stylization with Rachel Brice.  Arms are forgotten often, but the best dancers really make arm movements look easy. Rachel Brice is not only an excellent dancer, but a very good teacher as well, breaking down the movements well and also encouraging a strong foundation in flexibility – which is clearly one of her strengths. You’ll want to practice this one a lot.

Tribal Fusion – Yoga Isolations & Drills for Bellydance – This is another DVD by Rachel Brice. Again she incorporates yoga for increased flexibility and the best look for your moves. You can choose either 15, 30 or 45 minute total workout which includes yoga at the start and finish. There are very precise drills which are basic, but Rachel inspires you to get them to be very sharp and focused. There is a performance at the end which is where the “tribal” style comes in. You can learn from her style.

My Wish List Belly Dance Videos

I don’t own any of these yet, but I will get them eventually!

Bellydance Taqasim – Improvisation Skills & Drills – this is Ranya Renee’s latest belly dance video. From the description: “This DVD will help you build your knowledge of the melodic side of Arabic music, focusing on the art of taqasim sometimes spelled taqsim, taksim, taxim, takseem, etc. which is improvisation on a solo instrument, a style of playing found throughout Middle Eastern music. Taqasim are played as introductions to songs or instrumental pieces, interludes between songs or dance pieces, or presented on their own. Understanding how they work can enhance your dancing experience and deepen your expression of the music.”

Hot Combinations with Ansuya – I recently took a live class with Ansuya from the Bellydance Superstars. She is a remarkable teacher and performer. She has an outstanding ability to break down moves into their component parts and explain how to perform them. She drills the parts and then the complete choreography very thoroughly. This video is highly rated on Amazon so I’m guessing that what I experienced in class will also be in this video. I hope to get this one of any of Ansuya’s many belly dance videos.

Online Belly Dance Classes

Online subscription classes are quite new and I highly recommend them if you want to keep honing your skills as well as add new ideas and moves to your repertoire. These are paid full length classes that go far beyond the free lessons you can find on YouTube. You can add these online classes to your schedule in addition to your local classes. The bonus is that you can choose when, where, and how often you practice without adding expense. And different from videos, you will get a steady stream of new lessons all the time.

The online classes that I have subscribed to are with Ansuya.com. Ansuya is a Belly Dance Super Star and she has incredible dance skills. I took a couple local classes with her while traveling, and since she is such a good teacher I was thrilled to learn that she has the online class offering. This is a perfect compliment to my wonderful local belly dance teacher.

What should be important to YOU, as a paying subscriber, is that Ansuya is a remarkably skilled dance teacher. She has an incredible knack for breaking down moves and dance combinations in a way that is easy to understand even for the newest beginners. On top of that Ansuya has a very fun and positive energy that she brings to her lessons.

In addition to having fun you will also enjoy the challenge because her teaching style makes it possible for anyone to learn even the most difficult moves.  I have found her to be more thorough than any video I’ve used in both explanation of new moves and the drilling of those moves. She has different levels of classes from workouts to choreographies. She also has entertainment, focus, and warm-up classes. If you need more one-on-one training she also teaches private and group belly dance lessons via skype, which she calls BellySkypes.

You owe it to yourself to try Ansuya’s classes. She has a free lesson which you can check out. At $30/month these classes are a real bargain. That’s only $1/day for the ability to incorporate belly dance classes into your schedule when it’s convenient for you. Does it sound like I’m really excited about her classes? Well, that’s because I am! I know you’ll love her classes too!

Belly Dance Music – Highly Recommended

Check out some of my favorite belly dance music. I have music you can listen to on both iTunes and Amazon. At the end of this section you can type in a search for “belly dance music” or any other music search term you want. (Egyptian music, Indian belly dance music, Turkish dance music, etc.)

My Favorite Belly Dance Songs

Belly Dance Music Mix

Popular Middle Eastern Songs

Drum Solo Music

Indian Arab Fusion Mix

Belly Dance Bar Grooves Music

Popular Bellydance Music

Belly Dance Super Stars Music

Other popular belly dance music:

Music by Hossam Ramsy

Music by Amr Diab

Music by Hakim

Search for Belly Dance Music

Type in any music search term you like in the box below.

Belly Dance Costume, Clothing, and Props

Click on the links or on the images. The links will bring you to the multiple listing page of each item. The images will bring you to the specific item.

Hip Scarves and Coin Belts (each word brings you to a different link!)

Full Belly Dance Costumes

Skirts

Pants

Tops and Bra Tops

Veils

Jewelry & Headpieces

Bindis and Body Art

Belly Dance Props

Zills

Costuming Stores for Bellydance

Isis Exchange – Wide assortment of beautiful Costumes, Tops, Skirts & Veils, Isis Wings, Accessories and Sale Items!

More costuming websites coming soon! Check back this week for more listings!

Belly Dance Performance Checklist

Here is a free download of a Belly Dance Performance Checklist. It is in Excel so you can add and customize it to your needs. Please share it with your fellow dancer friends. Please read my post on how to be fully prepared before a performance, if you would like to learn more about this. And please let me know if you have personal tips for performance preparedness in the comments!

Belly Dance Websites

Beginners Guide to Costuming

http://www.arabicmusictranslation.com/

http://joyofbellydancing.com/

Bellydance Styles

Costume Goddess – DIY costuming

Bellydance Super Stars

BellyDance.com

BellyDance on Wikipedia – history, international information

More BellyDance Music Collections

BHUZ.com – online bellydance community

The Gilded Serpent – bellydance articles

Shira.net – A web site to educate, entertain, and inspire people who love belly dancing!

MiddleEasternDance.net

Belly Dance Tips

Here are some tips that I have and if you share your tips in the comments below, I will add them to this section along with your website link if you have one.

My Belly Dance Tips for Beginners

1. Take it Slow. Don’t be in a hurry to learn everything fast. There is no rush. This is a dance that you can keep improving on all your life.
2. Shimmying. Don’t get discouraged if your shimmy isn’t what you want it to be at first. Trust me when I say you will get better! All you have to do is practice. Shimmy whenever you can and build up the amount of time. Pretty soon it will be easy.
3. Don’t Judge Yourself. “The Dance” is about sharing your joy, your story through movement. Feel the music. Enjoy the music. The goal should be to have fun.
4. Learn from Others but Dance Your Own Style. It’s great to learn from others, but know that each person brings their own beauty and magic to “the dance.” Don’t compare yourself to others. Appreciate your special style and others will as well.
5. Have Fun! That’s what it’s all about in the end!

Other Belly Dance Tips

Belly Dance Performance Checklist – this is a guide with a free downloadable sheet, to help you ensure that you remember everything and are fully prepared for a performance.

Belly Dance Tips & Tricks from Shira.net – a lot of good advice for all different aspects of belly dance including sword dancing, performing tips and more.

10 Tips for Belly Dance Students - advice that is very helpful, but you might not have thought of such as “relax your lips” and “dance without ambition.”

Belly Dance Tips  – costuming, stage presence, and makeup advice along with other tips.

Belly Dance Tips on Facebook – a collection of belly dance tips on Facebook.

Hip Tips – a great candid collection of useful tips from numerous dancers.

Tips from Ananke:

• Learn from different sources. Don’t just stick to one video, one teacher, one style. Your technique will be better if you are more well-rounded.

• Listen to the music even when you aren’t dancing. Music from different cultures can be an acquired taste. To appreciate the subtle nuances, you’ll have to put in the time.

Tips from Kashmir -

• Make sure you do a cardiovascular warmup before practice. This should involve teh big muscles of teh body such as the legs for the first few minutes.
• Never stretch on a cold body – nor bounce – nor try and stretch a working muscle (such as the leg that is holding you up!)
• Do not “touch your toes” or flop over.
• Do not do neck/head circles until after you have warmup up your neck and then only if you will need them in your practice.
• Drill individual isolations until they are automatic and are correct before layering.
• Start drilling a shimmy by slowly, and correctly, doing the underlying movement before making it smaller and faster.
• A shimmy should be in time to the music and relaxed.

Belly Dance Blogs!

If you have a belly dance blog and you leave a tip in the comments below, I will link to your blog. Here’s one I just discovered:

Love Your Belly – love this post!

Ananke - “Let’s Talk About Bellydance!”

Anthea-Videos on Zilling instruction.

My Bio

Some readers have suggested that I add some information about myself with regards to my dancing background. I started bellydancing in January of 2007. I have been dancing with a wonderful local teacher, Khadija, all this time, whose main focus is on Egyptian style dance. I have also taken classes with other teachers including Ansuya. I have a preference for Egyptian style dance, however I am currently enjoying incorporating other styles into my own personal style. My mother tells me that I was born dancing, literally moving to music even as a 1 day old infant. My approach to dance is this: it is an expression of joy. It is not a competition. If you are enjoying yourself, then you are succeeding.  You can find more information about me on my About page.

Please Share!

Do you know someone who would benefit from this resource guide? Please use the Share button below to share via email or social media. Thank you!

Do you have suggestions for additions to this resource guide? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!

Be sure to bookmark this for yourself as we will be adding to this guide as we find great new bellydance resources for you!

Thank you for reading and happy shimmying to you!

Post from: Life Learning Today

Ultimate Belly Dance Resource Guide: Videos, Music, Costumes, Props and More!

photo credit: Melody Campbell

Whether you realize it or not you probably engage in negative self-talk frequently.  We steal our own power with limiting questions and statements, such as:

• Why does this always happen to me?
• I’m always late!
• Why do I always fail?
• I work so hard and have nothing to show for it.
• Why can’t I lose weight.
• He/she always has to push my buttons and make me mad!

These are just a few. If you spend a day observing your thoughts you’ll likely find others. But fear not! You are not alone. You are not a loser. You’ve just had a lot of practice at it. And you can change the way you think. If you practice new empowering questions, you will be able to change your life for the better! You’re going to be amazed at how powerful this is!

Why Do We Engage in Negative Self Talk?

If we know why we do things, then we have the power to change them. So why do we have such a negative bias in our thinking? One reason is that we learn from others to talk like this both out loud and inside our head. It’s also part of our nature to be judging. We constantly judge our environment, others, and ourselves. And as I mentioned before, the more we do it, the “better” we get at it.

You Can’t Hurt Me If I Hurt Myself First

Another reason is to protect ourselves. If I put myself down, I beat everyone else to the punch. If I put myself down first then you can’t hurt me because I already did it first. So there is a defensive element to it as well.

Being Negative Seems Easier

Lastly, let’s face it, we all lead busy, exhausting lives. In addition our normal cycles of low energy days, skipped meals, and not enough sleep all set us up for plenty of tired moments when we are sapped of energy. When we feel tired it may seem easier to throw in the towel with our thinking. The problem there is that it actually drags you down further, using up more energy. If you’re tired, better to acknowledge the lack of energy and postpone any challenging work that you can until you’ve rested.

Let’s Power Up!

How do you stop the negative chatter in your head? How do you establish a new habit?

The Old Formula

• Ask questions, make statements that assume continued unending failure.
• Negate or ignore all past successes or progress towards success.

The New Power Formula:

• Ask questions that require solutions as an answer.
• All statements/questions will have an underlying assumption that success is possible and will happen if you take the right steps.
• Avoid statements that use “I always….” or “I never….” in a negative way.
• Ask questions that require an honest assessment.

Let’s use an example to illustrate this.

Example 1: You’re running late to work, again!

Old Formula: “I’m always late. I can never get anywhere on time!”

New Formula: “I can’t change what is in the past, but I can change my future. What do I need to do to be on time?”

Then take the steps you come up with such as:

• Prepare ahead of time.
• Keep all my items I need to bring with my by a table by the front door.
• Allow for transitions time (getting into the car, parking, buffer time for traffic)
• Plan to arrive 15-20 minutes early and bring a book if I have to wait.

Example 2: Someone you spend a lot of time with really bothers you and you frequently get very upset/angry/emotional etc.

Old Formula: “Ooo! Suzy just drives me crazy. She pushes my buttons and makes me so angry!”

New Formula: “I don’t like how Suzy acts, but I can’t control her. I can only control myself. What can I do to not get upset by her?”

Then take the steps you come up with such as:

• Accept that you can’t change another person.
• Understand that you have control over your emotions. You have the CHOICE to not get angry.
• Set up non-confrontational things you can say to Suzy in the future such as “Ill be happy to work with you on this, but if you are going to yell or call me names I won’t be able to help you.”
• Prepare mentally, visualize how you will remain calm when Suzy does the things that normally get you upset. (I once had a person in my life that was so toxic and I couldn’t avoid this person. I imagined a force-field that protected me from her barbs and insults. I cultivated compassion for her instead of hatred. Over time, it really worked!)
• Perhaps, if the situation is bad enough, work towards taking steps to not have Suzy in your life anymore or perhaps at more of a distance.
• Assume you will succeed and keep asking yourself how to get there. Write down the steps and do it. Not for Suzy, but for you! Choose happiness. Over time that will become your new habit. Not always easy but definitely doable.

Lastly, give yourself credit for doing a better job with your Power Thinking! Write it down in a a journal or treat yourself to something special when you start making a new habit.

Power Thinking needs to be worked on all our lives, but the more we do it, the more natural and easy it is!

Please Share!

Where can you use this technique in your life? We’d love to hear from you!

If you found this helpful, please share with others via the “Share” button below. Thank you!

Post from: Life Learning Today

Power Up! Power Thinking to Improve Your Life

photo credit: quinn.anya

You don’t need more information. What you need is acceptance of the truth.

If you find yourself constantly searching for answers to the same questions, you probably already have the information that you need to know the answer.  For example, a common quest many people are on is “how can I lose weight?” There are a million books, articles, websites, programs, etc that will give you some version of the answer. What you need now is not more information, but acceptance of the truth about how to do it. Once you have that acceptance, then you can commit to doing it and finally follow through with action.

So let’s break this down further.

Why We Keep Searching For Answers

Think about it. How often do you run from the answer to your problem by continuing to search for a different answer? What is your biggest question you want an answer to right now?

If we already have enough information, why do we keep searching for the answer on and on? In many cases, it is because we don’t like the answer we have found so far. It seems like it is too much work and we want to find an easy way to solve our challenge.

I’m all for finding the most efficient way to get results. So by all means find that most efficient way to get your desired result, but anything worth having is going to take some amount of work.

The Answer

Do you really want the result you are seeking? Do you really want to lose weight? Do you want to increase your income? Do you want a better relationship? Do you want to be healthier? Do you want to be happy?

If so, ask yourself “What is it that I must do to make this happen?” Be honest with yourself. You know the answer.

Acceptance: The Magic Key

Now for the toughest part, acceptance. Acceptance means letting go of searching for a goose that lays golden eggs. Acceptance is saying “I realize there is work involved in reaching my goal. I really want to reach my goal. I am ready to do the work. I am ready to make a plan and stick to it consistently.”

An Example: Losing Weight

So if we take our original example of losing weight. You’ve searched and searched. Some say eat protein, some say don’t eat fats, some say combine this with that. Some say just do X everyday and you will lose weight. (walk 1 hour per day, eat slowly, cut out carbs, don’t eat dairy, eat only vegan) But it doesn’t work.

Why? Because the simple answer for losing weight is incontrovertible: you must eat less calories each day than your body burns. It’s simple, but it does takes work: counting calories, making smarter food choices, exercising, and sticking with it daily.

From Knowledge to Acceptance to Results

So what is your current quest? What is your goal? What do you want? You already have the information. You already have the answer! Put down the books, stop asking the gurus. Just be honest and ask yourself “What is the answer? What do I need to do to achieve my goal?”

Once you accept the work that needs to be done, make a plan and start it today. Keep it simple so you can take action ASAP!

Ask: “What do I need to do today to start?” Then Take Action!  Just Do It!

It’s Up to You

The biggest accomplishments were all started unceremoniously with a thought, a commitment (however tentative), and a first action step (followed by one small step after another). Accept what you know is the answer to reaching your goal and get busy doing instead of endlessly searching (otherwise known as procrastination!). You can do it!!!

Please Share!

What’s the question you’ve been asking? What’s the answer? Please share your story in the comments below! Thank you!

Post from: Life Learning Today

What You Really Need to Get What You Want

Is there something from your past, that you did or didn’t do, that really bugs you?

Do you find yourself beating yourself up over it?

Even if you say no, think about this: Is there something that you have wanted to accomplish for a while now, but you just haven’t done it? Why haven’t you done it? Could it be that you are so angry with yourself for letting so much time pass? Could that anger be blocking you from moving forward?

Whether you realize it or not, if you are hating yourself for something in your past, that is going to block your ability to be happy today and to realize the future you want.

Here’s the Good News: You can change your future starting TODAY!

The Regret Problem

In order to solve the problem we need to understand the problem. When there is something that we regret from our past what we really want is to change the past. But we CAN NOT change the past. This is the crux of the dilemma. We can’t change the past and we need to accept this. But we continue to hold onto the hope that we can change the past every time we beat ourselves up over it.

The time that you spend hating yourself and calling yourself names in your head is time that could be spent on building a better future. The next time you think about your regret, listen to your internal voice.

The Regret Solution

1. Name the regret. (example: I wish I did _______. or I wish I didn’t do __________. I wish ________ didn’t happen.)

2. Accept that you can’t change the past. Write down this statement. “I can not change the past. I can not change [my regret]. But I can change my future one day at time starting today.”

3. Decide what you want to happen in the future. Choose the one really important thing you want to change. Write it down in simple terms. (examples: I want to be happy. I want to accomplish ____________. I want to have a positive relationship. I want a career doing _______.  I want to become __________.  I want to feel healthy. I want to become a great salesperson.)

4. Ask the Power Question each day. “What can I do today that moves me towards the future I want?”

5. Take action early in the day. If your goal is important then give it priority by working on it the first chance you are able each day. Do a little bit first thing in the day and over time it will get done. Your chores can wait! Remember this example: If you wanted to write a book, and you wrote just one page each day, by the end of the year you would have a 365 page book! A little bit each day really adds up if you consistently work on it.

6. Change your self talk. Write down your new empowering mantra for yourself. Practice saying it out loud and in your head often! (example: I am a life-long runner. I make the best choice I can in any given moment. I choose actions that foster a good relationship. My little steps will get me to my desired career. Each day I am becoming a little healthier.)

Remember This

Slow and steady does win the race. And it’s actually a long race. And that’s how we should look at life. We shouldn’t try to rush the good things we want. The attaining of those good things should be woven joyously into our good life each day. We need to enjoy the journey to stay on track for our goals. Most of our days are spent on the journey, not at the destination, so you should chose to enjoy the “travels.”

If you miss a day working towards your goal, remember: This Day, This Moment is Where You Have the Power to Change and Create Your Future. So just start there and leave the past where is belongs, in the past.

Here’s to your bright future! What will you choose today?

Please Share!

Please share your journey with us in the comments!

Post from: Life Learning Today

Stop Hating Your Past and Your Future Will Blossom

photo credit: Elliot Stokes

When I have the common cold, I want it gone immediately.  Although I haven’t come up with an “immediate” solution, I do have a regimen that works really well for shortening the duration of a cold. If you start this regimin at the very first sign of a cold you could keep the cold down to just a day or two. If you have something worse than the common cold, this will likely help, but you should also see your doctor. Diseases worse than the common cold should be evaluated by your doctor.

Common Cold Cure

The common cold brings us several annoying symptoms: headache, stuffy nose, sneezing, fatigue, and maybe a mild cough.  If you’d like to reduce these symptoms and also shorten the duration of your cold, here’s what to do at the very first signs of trouble:

1. Eat 2-3 oranges per day. I blend them up with my Vitamix and drink them with each meal. This makes it easy to  eat a whole one in one sitting.
2. Take Zinc. I use Cold-Eeze Lozenges. They taste good and they really help. They also come in a sugar-free version.
3. Take extra Vitamin C. I usually take 1000-2000 mg at each meal.
4. Take Vitamin D if you live in a northern climate. Vitamin D supports your immune system helping you to get rid of diseases.
5. Hydrate and Drink Echinacea Tea. I drink 3-6 cups per day. It’s important to only drink this tea when you need it so it doesn’t lose it’s effectiveness. (NOTE: Certain people shouldn’t drink echinacea tea: people who are taking medications used to suppress overactive immune systems (people who have  autoimmune disorders) or people who are allergic to plants in the daisy family.)
6. Increase your exposure to moist air. Use a humidifier to counteract dry winter air or take nice warm bath or hot showers. Or what I do is I dry my laundry in front of the wood stove. This makes my winter house into a cozy sauna. I love it! (This is the drying rack I use: Moerman. It’s like having a 79 foot long drying line in a compact space! You can use them even without the wood stove.)
7. Get extra rest. How much? Listen to your body. If you are tired, take a nap or go to bed early.  When you feel sleepy, that’s your body saying “Yo, dude, I need to do some difficult work here and I don’t need you being all awake and using up the energy that I need to make you better!” Listen to your body or suffer the consequences!
8. Use a Neti Pot. I like the NasaFlo one because it is dummy proof. It comes with pre-measured salt packets. The neti pot will help clear out your nasal passages. This is especially helpful if you are having sinus headache pain. They are quick, easy, and painless to use. I highly recommend it! They are also good for allergies. (Usage Note: If you are very stuffed up and the water doesn’t come out at first, just let it run. You will eventually get some drips out. This will help loosen up your congestion.)

So it’s up to you. If you want to cure your common cold as quickly as possible then get on this regimen right away and stick to it as strictly as you can. The longer you wait or the less strictly you follow this, the longer the duration of your cold.

CAVEAT: Of course sometimes we just get a doozy of a cold bug that wants to stick around. If you do this regimen, it’s very likely that your time will be shorter than if you don’t do it. How do I know this? I used to get colds that would last for a couple weeks. Now when I do this they last for far less – anywhere from 2-5 days. It is slightly lacking in scientific testing, but it’s good enough for me!

IMPORTANT: If you think you have somethings worse than the common cold (high fever, persistent/worsening cough, sore throat, or other concerning symptoms) you should see your doctor.  I am not a doctor. This remedy works for me. It’s possible that you will have different results.

Please Share!

Do you have any common cold cures or remedies? Please share yours in the comments!

Post from: Life Learning Today

No Fail, Quick Cure, Cold Remedy

photo credit: Sam Howzit

I saw an awesome segment on ABC news the other night. It was called “Made in America.” This gist is this:

If each of us spent just $64 on American made goods during our holiday shopping, the result would be 200,000 new jobs.

The rallying call is: “ARE YOU IN?” Would you try to buy American-Made products this year at Christmas (and I say beyond) in order to help create jobs for America? I’m in! With so many products made overseas it’s not easy to find American- Made products. So for those of you that “are in,” here is a list of nice products that are Made in the United States.

Great Products Made in America

I’ve done some research for you. I’ve tried to pick out the items that either I have used myself that I really like or ones that look really cool and/or useful. Hope you find the list helpful for your gift shopping. Don’t forget to get something for yourself too!

Clothing Made in America

American Apparel

very nicely made clothing. So much to choose from. This picture shows the yoga pants they have that I love. They come in a ton of colors. I also like their t-shirts too. The owner of this company, Dov Charney, is a very interesting person. My husband used to work for him so I know first hand how much he really cares about his employees.

Leather Work Gloves

Cotton Socks – Ankle No-Show Cut

Dance Arm Warmers with Thumb Hole

Convertible Dress – 8 Different Looks, 2 Different Color Choices – looks so cool!

Stretch Knit Dress – many colors and blends to choose from.

L.L. Bean – boots, bags, coats, gear, and more.

Household Goods Made in America

American Kitchen -10 piece stainless steel kitchen set.

Rada Cutlery Set

Nested Plastic Mixing Bowls

Non-Stick Skillet

Cherry Red set of 3 Spatulas and Basting Brush

Munchie Mug – Spill-proof Snack Cup for Toddlers

100-Percent Organic Cotton Oversized Towel Set

Luna Premium Hypoallergenic Waterproof Mattress Protector 

Toys Made in America

Green and Tan Army Men – need I say more. Ultimate boy toy.

Wooden Alphabet Blocks – they say this is truly the ultimate toy for a child. They can learn so many things from blocks.

Arrow Copter Rubberband Slingshot Launcher – this looks like a fun toy!

45-ft. Mylar Fire Dragon Kite – who wouldn’t want to fly this kite!!?

Monster Blocks Interlocking Plastic Building Blocks – move over legos!

Green Toys Cookware & Dining Set – we’ve had this set and it is very sturdy and nice. Hours of great play time.

Tangram Puzzle – Mental Aerobics – great for Grownups too! – We have a set like this. It’s a fun game for grownups to play with their kids.

Womens Products Made in USA

Comfort Bra by Momjamas – great for nursing moms or any woman looking for a comfortable bra.

Classic Promenade Eco-friendly Recycled Tote Bag – many colors and patterns.

Small Leather Sling Hobo Bag

100% Cotton Extra Large Canvas Yoga Mat Bag

Men’s Products Made in USA

Tough Traveler Passport Wallet – comes in many 9 colors. Great for women too.

Scout Pack Backpack – comes in 11 colors. Great for women too.

JJ Weston gold plated double ended knot cufflinks – click through to see many other styles.

Tough Traveler Prestige Duffel

Portable Basketball Hoop – 50 Inch Backboard

Hope you found something you liked here. Let us know if you find other great “Made in USA” products!

Please Share! -

See the Share button below to share via social media, email or printing.

Post from: Life Learning Today

Gift Guide: Buy American Made, Create Jobs!

photo source:thetruthsoflife.com

This is a quote from Mahatma Gandhi. It sounds good, but what does it mean? How do I “do this?” I’ll give you my take on what this means, how to implement it, and how it will benefit your life and the whole world.  The Whole World? Really? Sounds dramatic doesn’t it. Well it is true! I’ve experienced it helping me and the people in my life.  The key is to stay focused on it, and it will help you too!

 How to “Be the Change You Want to See”

To explain this, let’s take an example. Let’s say you are married and you wish that your spouse would be more __________(fill in the blank). (Loving, patient, affectionate, non-judging, tidy, etc) Whatever that quality is that you wish for, that is what you should now focus on being more of yourself.

Sometimes we don’t realize that we are just as “guilty” of the grievance we have as are the people we have the grievance against. Let’s take another example, and after that we will address any skepticism you may have about this being an effective strategy.

Catching or Dissolving Anger?

For our next example, let’s say that you get upset by angry drivers. When other drivers beep their horns, swear, and gesture angrily at you, how does that make you feel? Perhaps angry, frustrated, and upset? How do we usually react? Most of us respond in kind with cursing the other driver and/or letting loose with our own choice hand gestures. Why? We are reacting to the hurt by trying to hurt back. It’s a knee-jerk reaction.

But does it make you feel better? It may help you release your frustration, but you create more anger when you engage in it. You may throw some back at your “attacker,” but now you have created more anger! In addition you are carrying the original anger inside of you as you remember the transgression and your anger about it. They threw the “ball” and you “caught” it. And then you added to the ball. It’s bigger now.

Now that you have the anger ball, there is a good chance that you will soon throw it to someone else, continuing the pattern.  (Watch out to the next person who aggravates you even slightly.) Notice that I say throw it “to” someone not “at” someone. This implies that the recipient has the choice of whether to catch it or not. When we catch the ball of anger, it keeps getting passed around. So what’s the alternative?

Be the change you want to see.

Be the patience, the kindness, the compassion you want to see. How? When anger is sent your way, meet it with compassion and understanding that the person throwing the anger is struggling and doesn’t yet know how to do so in a constructive way. Their struggle probably has nothing to do with your driving and more to do with some other frustration. So meet their anger with kindness and compassion. This melts the anger which can then no longer be thrown. This takes lots of practice and preparedness for when it does happen.

How “Being the Change” Helps the Whole World

Compassion is understanding, relating to the other person’s struggle. We’ve been there too. If we want it we must give it. And as the law of attraction states, you will receive more of what you give. When you give compassion, others will be more likely to do the same. Why? When you give kindness it melts people’s hearts, opening them up to give kindness back out to someone. That’s a ball you want to catch and throw over and over again!

Now the other driver may or may not receive your kindness, but don’t count it out. As you choose compassion towards the driver, in that instant you become ready to share it more easily with the next person you meet. And like ripples in a pond, your kindness will travel from person to person rippling through the world, making the world a kinder place – the change you want to see! Chances are that in some way it will reach that driver eventually!

Still Skeptical?

It’s understandable to feel skeptical.  What if you feel like you are already being kind to your spouse, you already smile at drivers who curse you, and you still encounter mean grumpy people? Yes, you will continue to meet those people. Your spouse may continue to be less kind than you would like. But YOU will have changed! You will no longer be reacting to life, but rather living on purpose in the way that you hope to see in others. You will be happier on the inside despite grumpy people around you. Your happiness is your choice.

The other thing to remember, also, is to give without expectation of receiving. You must be kind and compassionate without judging others’ level of kindness and compassion. You can only control you. If you are “being kind with your spouse” but at the same time harboring judgement against them, they will pick that up – even if your judging is only in your head! You can’t hide it. Really!

So you must release expectation and release judgement of others, otherwise people will feel your judgement. Judgement makes people close up. This will defeat all your good work of being more affectionate or kind. Be the change you want to see in the world in the purest sense you can.  Challenge yourself to be honest about your “work” on this, but at the same time be compassionate towards yourself too. Recognize your good work and let that be a joy to you.

How to Establish a Habit of “Being the Change”

1. Write down the things that have been bothering you in general – with co-workers, friends, your spouse, or strangers.
2. Write down what change you would like to see.
3. Think of ways that you can be that change. Gently meditate on this.
4. Mentally rehearse it so you can be ready for it in real life. Take a small amount of quiet time for this.
5. Be the change you want to see.
6. Repeat daily.

As I said before it takes practice to establish this as a habit, but YOU CAN DO IT! Practice it in real life and in your mind each morning and night. You will be amazed at the results!

Please Share!

Have you ever experienced the benefits of this? I’d love to hear from YOU!

Post from: Life Learning Today

Be the Change You Want to See in the World

photo credit: Biys || .S.Y.I.B.L.I.

I used to be the person least likely to become an early riser. I liked to stay up late.  I loved that cozy morning sleep.  And boy did I love extra snoozing.  Does that sound familiar to you? Well if you are reading this you may have had a change in your life (like I did – having a child) that has prompted you to become more of a morning person.

Being a morning person is not necessary for everyone, but if it’s right for your life now, there are many benefits to being an early riser. The transition doesn’t have to be painful either, believe it or not. And let me tell you, if I could do it then YOU CAN TOO! Here’s how:

Benefits of Being an Early Riser

Having a clear vision of the benefits you will experience is always the best way to embark on any change. If there weren’t benefits why would you make the change? Even if you are being forced to become an early riser, the benefit of not being tired is likely a powerful one. So in light of that let’s start with the benefits of becoming an early riser.

Imagine how your life would be improved with these benefits from early rising:

• be able to get up without feeling tired.
• be awake, alert and happy for your small children who wake early and need you to
• start an exercising routine that you didn’t have time for before.
• have a schedule that allows for more quality time with your spouse who also rises early.
• enjoy the peaceful feeling of early morning quiet when the world is just coming alive.
• get more done during the day, particularly in the morning.
• be the early bird for events so you can avoid crowds and long lines.
• feel more in control of how you are living your life.
• increased productivity: start work earlier when there are less distractions and be able to leave work earlier for quality leisure time.
• enjoy less stress because of all these benefits.

How to Become an Early Riser

Listen to Your Body

Post from: Life Learning Today

How to Become an Early Riser

photo credit: tiffa130

A popular article here on my blog is “Relationship Gold” where I talk about the power and importance of kindness in a healthy and happy relationship.  Equally important is the relationship gem of Being Present. This has the power to revive a weak relationship and keep a good one healthy. If any of your relationships are in need of some help, then please read on.

How Does It Feel For You?

In your relationships, how often do you really pay attention to the other person? How often is your attention only half there or, worse, not there at all? How often are you distracted by an electronic device or caught up in your own thoughts? How does it feel for you when you are on the receiving end of, well, not receiving?

In a lot of ways this is very normal, so don’t beat yourself up. But, now that you are aware of it, it’s time to do something about it.

Being Present: What Does That Mean?

Being present means giving all your attention to the other person. We can’t be present all the time, but it is important to make time to do this on a regular basis.  Think about how you feel when someone is actively listening to you and is interested in what you have to say? Feels pretty darn good, right? What does their actions say to you when someone really listens? You probably feel respected and liked in a big way.

Now imagine if you gave that feeling to your partner, your child, your parent, your sibling, or your friend? Imagine if you gave them that little gem on a regular basis? What do you think would happen?  I’ll tell you what I’ve experienced.  It will strengthen your relationship. It will repair broken walls and cracked foundations.

Not only will the other person feel respected and liked, but you will receive something too, that also reinforces the relationship. You will gain compassion for the other person. By truly listening and becoming interested in the other person you start to develop a deeper understanding of that person. Judgement falls away and in it’s place arises a warmer heart in you.

Being Present: How to Do It

There’s not much to it, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. This is especially true if you have a strong habit of checking email, answering the phone, watching TV, surfing the web, etc. while someone is talking to you. But any habit can be broken and a new one started at any time. The saying about old dogs couldn’t be less true! It’s all about wanting to change and then taking action.

Being Present

1. GIVE ATTENTION: When you are with your friend, partner, lover for some relaxation time put all your attention into listening and being interested in them.
2. MAKE THE TIME: Be conscious of making this time happen as often as will fit into your relationship schedule. So maybe that means first thing in the morning for couples. Or maybe it means at lunchtime with a friend.  Or it might mean an evening phone call with a parent or sibling.
3. TURN OFF DISTRACTIONS: Turn off electronic devices. You can watch TV together later, but keep in mind that that does not count as Being Present time. Even if you are on the phone with the other person, do not be looking at a computer, TV or cell phone while having a conversation. That is not Being Present.
4. IGNORE PHONES: Don’t answer the phone unless you know it’s urgent. And what is urgent? It should mean that answering it will help avoid a problem. If it’s just “interesting” urgent then it’s not urgent.
5. COMMUNICATE: Listen actively by asking questions. Cultivate interest in what the other person is saying. Being interested is a choice.
6. RELEASE JUDGEMENT: We humans love to judge. This happens especially in close relationships. We want the other person to do things differently or to think differently. During your time of Being Present, release judgement. Approach with the kindness and openness that we give to a new acquaintance. The opposite of judgement is kindness or compassion. Cultivate this by trying to understand the other person’s struggles, recognizing that their struggles are no less challenging than our own.
7. CLOSING WHILE GROWING THE CHAIN: Wrap up your time together with a bow. Say thank you for the time. Express your feelings. Plan for the next quality time together. This might be most difficult for people who live together, but I think it is important because we can’t be present all the time. We have chores to do, we do need to take phone calls, we need to plan for tomorrow. But we make our time together quality by putting brackets around it, by not allowing interruptions during that quality time. And we build our relationship when we explicityly plan for the next time at the end of each quality time together. It gives each person something to look forward to and helps us to be patient with each other when we have work to do and can’t be present.

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A Relationship Gem: How to Revive a Relationship

Think you can’t grill in the winter? Think again. And I’m not talking about the George Foreman Grill. I’m talking about indoor grilling on your stove top using a cast iron grill. There are many to choose from.  They are easy to use and easy to clean. Here is a quick marinade recipe that you can whip up quickly in your Vitamix blender. (the perfect gift for yourself!) Here is this simple and yummy recipe.

Sweet Grilled Winter Chicken

Marinade Ingredients

• 1 Orange – peeled
• 2 T Mango Chutney or any type fruit preserves (jelly)
• 5 cloves garlic – yes!
• 1 t Salt  (more or less to your taste is fine)
• 1/2 t Pepper
• 1/2 t Curry powder
• 1 t Garlic powder
• 2 T Olive Oil

Marinading Instructions

Put all ingredients into your blender (Vitamix blenders whip this up in about 15 seconds). Blend on high until smooth. Pour into glass or plastic container. Add chicken.  I used Thin sliced chicken breasts. You could also use tenderloins. Stab chicken with fork to let marinade soak in. Marinade in fridge for 1 hour or over night is fine too.

Grilling Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Set aside a lightly oiled sheet pan which can hold all your chicken.  On your indoor grill, (this is the one I use) turn the heat up to med high/high. Once the grill is hot, place the marinaded chicken onto the grill and cook on each side until nicely browned. Each side will take around 3-4 minutes depending on how how the grill is. You may need to use your stove vent, but you might not. It shouldn’t be very smoky, mostly steamy.

Once browned, remove chicken from the grill and place on the sheet pan you prepared. If you’re doing a lot of chicken you can start to grill your next batch. Once all your chicken is on the oiled pan, place this in your preheated oven for 15 minutes. (By finishing the cooking in the oven you will ensure that the chicken both cooks all the way through and stays moist. I learned this from Chef T who really knows his stuff!) Remove chicken from oven. Let sit for 5 minutes and then you can serve.

You can also freeze some of this chicken in single serving sizes. You’ll have a healthy go-to food that you can heat up anytime. Having lean protein handy is very helpful for dieting and losing belly fat.

Clean Up Instructions

Cleaning your cast iron grill is super easy. Place it in the sink and spray it with very hot water. Do not use soap. Use a stiff brush to clean off any food. If you have any burnt on food, let it soak for a bit then use your metal spatula and/or the stiff brush to remove food debris. Once cleaned, immediately towel dry the grill. And then lightly oil the grill. I use my hands to spread the oil and then dab up any excess with a paper towel.

Please Share!

If you try this recipe, please let me know how it goes!  I love to hear from you!

Post from: Life Learning Today

Sweet Grilled Winter Chicken

Here is a tasty and nutricious dressing you can make quickly using a food processor or a blender or even by hand if you need to. The recipe is “adjustable” to your taste. Read on for the recipe!

Lemon Garlic Dressing Recipe

Ingredients

• Fresh Lemon Juice
• Garlic cloves
• Almonds
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Optional : Garlic Powder, Hot Pepper Flakes, Basil, or your favorite spices!

Directions

1. In food processor or blender (my favorite blender) or bowl*, mix equal amounts of lemon juice and olive oil
2. Add few cloves of garlic and a couple pinches of almonds.
3. Salt and Pepper to taste.
4. Additional seasonings to taste.
5. Blend until fine to medium granularity – or even smooth if you prefer.
6. Add additional seasoning if necessary.

*If preparing by hand, chop the garlic and almonds by hand first and then whisk everything together until emulsified.

2 Tablespoons = 80 calories.

YUM!

Enjoy!

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Please Comment! We’d love to hear from you!

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Lemon Garlic Dressing Recipe

photo credit: Andre Santos.foto

If you are a dance performer, this post is for you. It will help you arrive ready at your performance with very little stress because you will have remembered everything! At the end of this post is a free Excel version of this checklist which you can modify according to your needs.

Checklist for Belly Dance Performance

1-2 Weeks Before Performance

• Choose Music
• Mix Music (if needed)
• Create and Learn Choreography
• Practice with friend for editing ideas
• Video Your Performance to Edit and Improve Your Choreography
• Purchase or Make costume, props, and jewelry.

1 Week Before Performance

• Full Costume Rehearsal including jewelry and props
• Create 2 Music CD’s
• Test both Music CD’s – preferably at the location/on actual equipment
• Assemble Your Costume Bag
• Create Your Personal Checklist of Items to bring.

1 Day Before

• Remove nail polish
• Shave legs, etc
• Plan your performance day with Timeframes for each activity.
• Plan when to start getting ready
• Plan when you will leave your house
• Allow for an extra 30 minutes in case of traffic.
• Be realistic about transition times between activities

Day of Performance

• Place your Costume Bag in the car or by the door
• Tape your Checklist on your front door
• Paint nails
• Style Hair
• Plan to arrive at least 1 hour before showtime to warm up, etc.

Costume Bag Checklist

• Jewelry (think arms, neck, ears, ankles, hands, head)
• Safety Pins
• Make-Up
• Deodorant
• Nail Polish & Remover
• Hair Brush
• Hair Spray
• Hair clips
• Hair curler or iron
• Footwear
• Pants, stockings, leggings
• Skirts
• Tops
• Underwear and Bra
• Inserts
• Coverup for before performance
• Props:
• Cane
• Zills
• Veil
• Sword
• Isis Wings
• Clothes to wear after performance
• Full length mirror if needed
• Music player
• Music CDs
• Healthy snacks

Belly Dance Performance Checklist is a FREE excel spreadsheet which you can download and customize.

Costumes, Canes, Jewelry, Veils, Coin Belts, Zills and More!

Please Share!

Please share with your dance friends and if you have suggestions that I’ve missed, let me know in the comments so I can add them here and to the free spreadsheet bellydance performance checklist.

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Belly Dance Performance Checklist

photo credit: Charlotte Astrid

Have you “tried everything” to lose weight and not really had the success you’d like? Would you like to finally get the job done and feel good about yourself? What if I told you It Can Be Done, it’s (relatively) easy, and it won’t cost you anything for the advice? Would you listen? Would you do it? Ok here’s how.

How to Really Lose Weight

To really lose weight you must eat less calories than your body burns each day. It’s simple math.

You’ve heard it before right? As you know, there are a million weight loss strategies out there. But none of them will work if they don’t create a calorie deficit each day. Some of them may create that deficit, but if you’re not monitoring the numbers in a disciplined way then you are setting yourself up for failure.

You may have tried calorie counting. If it failed it was because you either stopped counting calories to take up an “easier method” -(No Carbs, Food Combining, Going Vegan, Exercise Dieting) or you simply stopped counting calories period.

So if you want to get it done this time and keep it off, here is my free and 100% money back guarantee of how to do it:

Steps to Losing Weight

Online
1. Use the free website: www.LoseIt.com. This will allow you to do all the manual steps below right online. This is very easy to use and again it is FREE! You can enter recipes and food labels for foods it doesn’t have in its database. It also has an app for iphone, ipad, android and probably others. (I get no monetary compensation for this! It just works!)

2. Log your calories, exercise, and weight. The website will take care of the calculations.

Manual (If you want to keep a written log instead)

1. Find out your basal metabolic rate. This is how many calories your body burns just living. Here are some calculators:
BMI Calculator
Discovery Health BMR Calculator
Calories Per Hour Calculator
WEBmd Calculator

2. Each day count all your calories you take in. Subtract from your BMR.

3. Count all your exercise calories and add it to your BMR. This allows you to eat more calories.

4. Keep a daily log of calories in and out. If you want to lose 1 pound per week, you should aim to have a 500 calorie deficit each day. (7×500=3500. 3500 calories= 1 pound) If you want to lose 1/2 pound each week then shoot for 250 calorie deficit each day. And so on.  (Want even simpler way to track  calories? Try the “High Five” Diet!)

How to Keep Off the Weight

Once you have reached your goal weight, you simply stick with the program but eat calories that roughly match your BMR, keeping a weekly check on your weight. If you find that it fluctuates up, then just adjust your eating down a bit.

So, yes, this is a lifelong habit. No big deal. Just do it and you will reap the benefits of keeping your weight right where you want it.

Don’t think of it as a chore. Think of the benefits you get from doing it. Health, mobility, clothes that fit, and sense of well-being. And so much more.

Tips for Weight Loss Success

Creating a calorie deficit each day shouldn’t be too difficult. You shouldn’t feel really hungry if you spread out your calories and eat mostly non-processed healthy foods. These tips will make doing this a little easier.

1. Be patient at first. You may be a little hungrier the first few days. This will pass.

2. Avoid activities that spur mindless eating, like watching TV. Have healthy snacks for such times or do something else with your hands such as needle work, crosswords, etc.

3. Exercise each day for at least 30 minutes. This will allow you to eat more calories which always makes life feel better!

4. If you can’t exercise, don’t sweat it. Just stick to your calorie deficit plans.

5. Find healthy foods that you like and then mix and match them. A somewhat boring diet that is nonetheless satisfying will make you less likely to overeat. (Examples: always have grilled chicken in the fridge, make your own low calorie dressing from 1t olive oil, 1t balsamic vinegar, and 1t lemon juice plus salt and pepper. Very good, easy, and only 33 calories. Will coat 4 cups of salad!)

6. Don’t worry if you have a calorie surplus on any given day. Pay attention to your weekly total as the main focus.

7. Eat lots of fiber foods (25-30 grams per day) and enough protein (roughly 30% of your total calories) to feel full longer. Learn to love your veggies! Use a little olive oil and spices to enhance the flavor.

8. Have “go-to” treats for when you want a “dessert,” one that don’t take up too many calories, but that will allow you to feel like you’re not giving up goodies. Examples: low calorie cookies, plain greek yogurt with Truvia, air-popped popcorn with garlic powder, salt and 1t olive oil.

9. Avoid low-fiber sugar foods as much as possible. Why? High sugar, low fiber food get stored almost immediately as fat. So minimize sugar! Try to use Truvia (stevia product that tastes best) wherever possible instead. Try making your own ice cream. (Milk, cream, vanilla, & Truvia) So easy and lower calorie. Check out these ice cream makers. Here’s the ice cream maker I use: Donvier Ice Cream Maker.

10. Low Calorie Foods to mix and match.

11. Eat slower. Avoid stress at meal time. This might mean eating before your kids.

12. Watch the calories in alcohol! They add up fast!

13. Watch out for very salty high sodium foods. They will leave you feeling like eating more when you are actually thirsty. They will also bloat you.

14. WOMEN: BIG IMPORTANT TIP: Don’t weigh yourself in the last 2 weeks of your cycle, or if you do, realize that there will be water weight there. Your most accurate weight will be 5-7 days after your first day of menstruation.

15. Have a “go-to” low calorie healthy snacks ready ahead of time. Examples: cut up fruit, nuts, air popcorn, low-fat cheese or plain greek yogurt.

16. Eliminate from your pantry and desk drawers high calorie foods you can’t resist.

Summary for Losing Weight

Count your calories in and out each day in relation to your BMR. Seek a calorie deficit each day. Focus on the week total most. Exercise will make it easier, but you don’t have to as long as you have that calorie deficit. Make it a lifelong habit!

Good luck!

Please Share

Please Share your thoughts and success tips in the comments below. Please share this post with others on Facebook, Twitter and via email.
Thank you!

Post from: Life Learning Today

How to Lose Weight – For Real, For Good, No Gimmicks, No Cost

photo credit: Steve-h
Do you have some tasks that you’ve been putting off? Do they weigh on your mind?  It could be a project, individual tasks, a phone call, or even a conversation you need to have with someone. Do you feel bad about not getting those tasks done? Do you feel a little hopeless about ever getting them done because you’ve procrastinated for so long now? How would you like to shed your bad feelings and finally get some of those tasks done? If so, then please join me on my Productivity Journey. Here’s what it’s all about:

What Is the Productivity Journey?

Over the next month you are invited on a journey to complete some of those nagging tasks you’ve been putting off for so long. In the process you will gain a lightness in your life, no longer carrying them around in your mind! Can you imagine how good that will feel? Seriously, the weight of those unfinished tasks places a heavy burden on your mind whether you realize it or not. In taking this journey, step by step each day for the next 30 days, you will be establishing a new and powerful lifelong habit that will set you up for success! Wow!

Are you excited yet?! Because I am! I want that feeling of accomplishment. How about you? We Can Do It!!

How It Works

In order to have success we are going to keep things simple! There’s just 3 steps and you really only need to do the third step.

1.  Mentally Commit

Today is a new day. Believe that. Let go of self criticism. Decide to go on the Productivity Journey and stick with it.

2. Success Totem

Create a physical item that you can add to each day that shows your cumulative success on your Productivity Journey. This will serve as a reminder to you that you are accomplishing things. Often we are getting things done, but once they are done there is no physical reminder that we completed the task and so we don’t give ourselves credit and savor the feeling of accomplishment. That feeling of accomplishment is a natural driver for continuing our journey tomorrow. So we want to make sure that you get that juice each day!

Your Success Totem could be a necklace or bracelet to which you add a bead each day. It could be a tower of blocks, one for each day that you complete a task. Or it could be a simple written calendar or log of your accomplishments that you post somewhere in your office or home.  Click here for some other Success Totem ideas.

3. Take Action!

Duh! Of course, right? Taking action is both simple and complex. Simple in that all you have to do is DO IT! And complex in that we may have a hard time choosing which task to to and also complex in that our brain is always being tempted to do the “little tasks” that we think need to be done. They are tempting because they are simple to do. But they often don’t have to be done NOW. We just want to get them out of the way before we do our important stuff. That’s no good though. We must do the difficult important stuff first! So – let’s Take Action!

Simply: choose one task. If you have trouble choosing, always choose the toughest one because it will give you the most satisfaction juice when done!

Do the Task!

• Project Type Tasks: set aside a certain amount of time to work on it each day until it is done. Always work on it as early in the day as possible.
• Short Term Tasks. Just do it. First thing.

Success Factors:

Turn off your cell phone. Don’t answer the land-line phone. Don’t look at email. Ignore all distractions including all the things you “have to do.” They can wait until later. (Write them down to get them off your mind.)

Take one step. Then take another step. Then another. Finally, you will have climbed a mountain! You can only do it one step at a time. Accept that. Do what you can today. Do more tomorrow. Be patient. Build your Success Totem to see your cumulative success. Keep moving forward and you will get there!

JOIN THE JOURNEY!

Please share your successes, plans, and ideas in the comments below. Subscribe to get updates on more success tips during the Productivity Journey!

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Productivity Journey: 30 Days of Getting Things Done!

photo credit: Steve.M~

How often have you wondered “Why am I not getting the thing I want?” Perhaps it is a promotion at work, or maybe you want to find a fulfilling life partner. Or it could be you simply would like to encounter more friendly people in your day. Whatever it is that you are searching for, this little tip may help you. You need to be receptive and open to actually receive it. Think about it. You can’t catch a ball if your glove is closed, right? If that makes you think “Aha! I never thought of that,” then read on for tips on how to open up so you can “catch” that “ball” you are seeking.

What Does It Mean to Be Open?

Simply put, being open means that you expect to get what you want. This is your mindset. In terms of getting what you want, it is just as important to believe you will get what you want as it is to take the actions to get it. If your mind and heart are closed to receiving then you will not get what you want even when it is within reach.

Let’s take the example of wanting good customer service. If you expect good service, how will you approach those situations? You may smile. You’ll speak politely. You’ll show patience. You will take the social risk of doing these things because you believe that you will receive good service. The person serving you will pick up on this and will be likely to give you better service than if your belief was a negative one. If you believed you would get bad service, you would probably show signs of anger, impatience, and frustration. The person serving you will likely respond with poor service.

No matter how subtle, what we believe affects how we approach challenges, it affects how people treat us, and ultimately it affects what we receive. Believing that good things are coming our way gives us the energy to keep trying. Being truly open to receive can facilitate wonderful changes in your life.

Of course you also need to take actions to facilitate getting what you want. These are the things that will get the ball to be thrown your way.

What Can I Do to Be More Open?

1. Know what you truly WANT. I have known many people who were really upset because they didn’t have what they wanted. When I asked them what they wanted, their answer was vague. So their results were vague. Be precise and focused in your mind so the results will be the same. For example:

VAGUE DESIRE: I want to get ahead at work.

PRECISE DESIRE: I want to be promoted to (specific job title.)

2. Know what YOU truly want. Simply put, make sure what you seek is what YOU really want and not what you think you should be going after. Really think about this one. Are you chasing what will make your parents happy, friends happy, society happy, or what will make YOU happy?

3. Believe you deserve it. Meditate on this. Is there something that is keeping you from believing this? Explore that so you can address those undercurrents of doubt that you may not even be aware of. Finally build up the strength of your belief by listing out the reasons why you do deserve it.

4. Believe you will get it. Take a few minutes 3 times a day to open your mind. Remove doubt. Remove fear of failing. You won’t lose anything if you believe. Fill your mind with visions of getting what you want. Feel it. Expect it. Don’t be in a rush for it. Know that it will come when the time is right. And smile. Smiling is your body’s way of telling your mind, “Yes, I do believe.”

5. Work to get it. Establish the steps you must take to achieve your goal. Ask yourself the right questions. Ask yourself questions like “What do I need to do to get X?” instead of asking yourself limiting questions like “Why do I never get X?” Write down the steps and take action on them. You can do it!

6. Be happy where you are today. Look for the good in your life. I know it is cliche, but how often do you stop to do it? So do it now. Count your blessings. Especially all the little small things in your life that are so often taken for granted.

Wishing that your most important dreams come true!

Please Share!

What dream do you wish for? We’d love to hear from YOU!

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To Receive You Must Be Open

photo credit: DesheBoard

Do you have a mountain of things you need to get done? Does the sight or thought of it paralyze you into inaction or procrastination disguised as busywork? Well I hope to show you light at the end of that tunnel and a technique to get out the other end and into the light!

Over the last couple months I have been working on several home renovations. I was blessed to have my father as my partner in the project. Actually, he was the leader of the project. Why? Because he is the original king of “Getting Things Done!” He could have written the book, but he was too busy getting things done all his life! So I learned some great things from him that I will share with you now.

When faced with a mountain of tasks where do you start? And how do you get it all done? The answer: “Quick Daily Lists” and lots of “Doing.” Here’s how.

Quick Daily Lists and Doing

The thing with lists that has always tripped me up in the past is spending too much time on them and putting too much on any given daily list. Here’s how to make lists work for you.

1. Have one “Master List.” All your foreseeable tasks will be on this list. Add tasks to as you think of them or as they are presented to you. This will allow you to prioritize and get your most important tasks done first. You will be in proactive not reactive mode making you more effective. You can pick and choose from this master list for your daily list each day. Update your master list at least weekly or as needed.

2. Write out your Quick Daily List. Each day sit in a place without distraction or computer and write out all the things you should do that day. Set a reasonable, yet short, time limit such as 15 minutes. If you have room in the day you can add other less priority items. This is your Quick Daily List. Leave room to write numbers next to each so you know exactly what to do after each task. Don’t forget to write in mealtimes, breaks, and time for driving or transition time. If you want more detailed help on using daily lists check out this post.

3. Prioritize the list. Often, but not always, an easy way to know what your priorities are to ask yourself “what is the toughest thing I need to do?” Usually that is what you should do first. Next hardest is second, and so on.

4. Start doing! In no time you will be warmed up. Check off items as you complete them. Change your list as needed throughout the day. Some things will have to be moved to tomorrow or maybe to your Master List if you need to wait for something in order to complete that task.

5. Stop for meals and breaks. Don’t skip eating. If you do this, you will be low on energy. Energy is what you need to get things done. You don’t need coffee. You need good healthy food (and enough sleep too!) My dad has eaten lunch at 12 and dinner at 6pm every day of his life. He doesn’t need coffee. He is able to be so productive because he lives a very balanced life. This may seem very unexciting. There’s no adrenaline rush that we modern people love so much. Ah, but when you are able to look back at your steady and continual accomplishments, that is a rich reward that will more than make up for the addictive frenzied lifestyle in which most of us currently live.

6. Mentally: keep a calm steady mind. Don’t allow yourself to think anxious thoughts. Don’t contemplate the large mountain. Simply work on the immediate task at hand. Have faith that by simply plugging away you will complete it all. (Or at least the most important things – as long as you are prioritizing!) This is an important step. Keep coming back to this all day.

7. Stop work for the day. You could create tomorrow’s list or do it first thing in the morning. Have dinner and enjoy some evening activities. Review your accomplishments and be proud of yourself. Then let the day go.

I’ve seen my Dad live this way all his life, but during this gigantic project I truly tried to model his strategies and, wow, do they work! As I look back I can see that I accomplished so much. Before this experience I don’t think I could have done something like this by myself. Now I know I could.

This is not to say that I haven’t accomplished large amounts of tasks before in my life. I have. I guess the difference is that now I have the tools to do it much more effectively and also with a sense of calm and confidence that I will get it all done. This is contrasted with how I used to feel inside which was overwhelmed, impatient, and frustrated.

Quick Summary

• Keep Quick Daily Lists.
• Get busy Doing your highest priority tasks, one after the other.
• Keep Balance with breaks, rest, and eating.
• Cultivate a Calm Mindset of confidence and serenity.

Life is Good! Enjoy it, and please share this article and share your thoughts below in the comments! Thanks!

Please Share!

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Post from: Life Learning Today

Seriously, Just Do It

“Ultrametabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss“ by Dr. Mark Hyman

If you are looking for the complete package on losing weight in a healthy manner, this is a book you should definitely check out. It is much more complete than the average diet book. In fact it’s more of a healthy living book. I like books that explain the science behind why things work. This book does just that. The writing is flows very fast probably because he makes the subject so interesting.

“Ultrametabolism” is written by Dr. Mark Hyman, who was featured recently on 60 minutes for his volunteer medical work he is doing in Haiti since the earthquake. He has many other books and audiobooks on health, stress, and the mind.

Ultrametabolism is divided into three sections:

Part 1: The 7 Myths That Make You Gain Weight

Here Dr. Hyman reveals all the false beliefs we have about weight loss with solid scientific evidence. It will have you saying “Aha, well that makes sense now.” Things such as “The Starvation Myth,” “All Calories are Equal Myth,” “The (Eating)Fat makes you Fat Myth,” and more are brought into the light for examination.

Part 2: The 7 Keys to the New Science of Weight Loss: The Owner’s Manual for Your Body

In this section Dr. Hyman describes how to increase your metabolism, control your appetite, subdue stress, reduce inflammation, use exercise for boosting metabolic power, and how to detoxify your body.  Again this section is extremely interesting, highly readable, and way more valuable than the price of the book. He teaches you how to live your life to have the healthiest body possible. A healthy weight is a natural by-product of this.

Part 3: The Ultrametabolism Prescription

This is where the instructions of how to implement this information are detailed out for you. Many topics are covered: whole-foods recipes, setting up your kitchen for success, how to avoid common pitfalls along the way, which supplements are good and why, details on detoxification, and more.

There are several appendices, resource lists, and conclusions at the end. And if you are looking for more there is also a corresponding cookbook: “The UltraMetabolism Cookbook: 200 Delicious Recipes that Will Turn on Your Fat-Burning DNA.”

The Bottom Line

These days I read so many books that I always check them out from the library first. The ones that I love and that are truly valuable I buy them. “Ultrametabolism“is one I am buying. I think reading it once a year is probably a good review.

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Review: Ultrametabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss

photo credit: dan taylor

What is a Favicon and Why Should Your Blog Have One?

A favicon is short for “favorite icon.” It is the little image you see in your browser tab next to the name of the website you are viewing. All favicons are the same size: 16×16 pixels. The one for Life Learning Today blog is:

The reason why you want to have one is for branding purposes. People will get to know your favicon and can quickly switch to your site on one of their browser tabs simply by recognizing your favicon. They will also be able to quickly spot it in their list of bookmarks. So now that you see the value in doing this the next step is how to get a favicon image. It’s really easy and free. Here’s how:

How to Create Your own Favicon for Your WordPress Blog

The easiest way is to go to Favicon.cc. Here you can create your favicon in one of 4 ways:

1. Create one from scratch using their design tool. You fill in each pixel separately with the colors you want. Very easy to use.
2. Search for one that is already created by typing in search words for the types of images you want.
3. Customize a favicon that you find through searching. Once you find one you can adjust the colors very easily.
4. Upload an image and they will convert it to favicon size for you. You can customize that image too.

How to Install a Favicon for Your WordPress Blog

1. Once you have your favicon image at Favicon.cc then click on “Download Favicon.”
2. Upload the favicon image via FTP to your webhost. Use the “html” or “public_html” folder.
3. In your WordPress dashboard click on “Editor” under “Appearance.”
4. Locate the “header.php” file and edit by adding this code: (make sure your image is named “favicon.ico”)

<linkrel="shortcut icon" href="favicon.ico" >

5. Save your changes to “header.php.”
6. Go to your site and do a hard refresh (Ctrl+F5 keys) to see your favicon in your browser tab.

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How to Add a Favicon to Your WordPress Blog

photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography

The other day, I took a wrong turn while driving in a parking lot. I immediately realized my mistake, but before I could wave “sorry” to the driver next to me, she was beeping and cursing me out furiously. If this had happened in the grocery store with a shopping cart instead of a car, I hardly think most people would unload that kind of anger. It would be quite shocking and scary if they did.

When I saw the look of rage on this woman’s face as she drove by me, it was still shocking even though I couldn’t hear her. I just wanted to say sorry, but she didn’t give me the chance. Then I felt angry at her impatience. And then I thought about it. I’m sure I’ve done the same thing to other people myself. *shame* In fact, I was doing it immediately to her. Maybe she was having a bad day.

The bottom line is this. Anger helps no one. For yourself, when you are angry it is the equivalent to drinking poison. For the person receiving your anger, it only creates either anger or sadness in the other person, and probably doesn’t get you the result you really want, which is what? What are we looking for when we are angry?

The Goal of Anger

When we are angry our first reaction is we want to strike back and deliver equal “hurt” to the person who hurt us. The problem is this doesn’t bring us peace. Even if you could squish the person who “hurt” you like a bug, it still would leave you with anger in your heart. If we look deeper, what we really want, what our heart wants is acknowledgment of our pain, an apology, and a promise of the hurt not happening again in the future.

Sometimes it is possible to get one or all three of those things. We must do something first in order to get it. We must soften our hearts and show that to the person who hurt us. That means letting down our guard to expose our pain instead of covering it up with anger. “I feel hurt by X. I wish for Y instead.”

Sometimes we can’t get any of those things from the person or thing or group that hurt us. Sometimes we have to do the healing work ourselves. In that case, we must find compassion and some level of understanding for the other person. Try these questions.

• Why did they do that?
• How can I avoid this in the future?
• How can I can I avoid feeling this way when this happens again (if this is inevitable)?

Freeing Yourself from Anger

Obviously, there are all kinds of “hurts”: big “hurts” (betrayal of a friend or partner), little “hurts” (being cut off in a parking lot), and other “hurts” (your sports team or political candidate lost). It might not be possible to always curb your anger, but it is possible to minimize the amount of time you engage in it. Here are some tips on how to do that.

1. Give the benefit of the doubt to others.
2. Before you react to small slights, ask yourself “Was this really a big hurt and worth getting upset over?”
3. Seek to understand why something happened.
4. Ask yourself “How can this be turned into a positive experience? What have I learned?”
5. Take a walk to cool down before discussing.
6. Get perspective. On chronic anger-triggers, ask “Is this something I can live with if I change my view of it?” – If not, take action to move away from anger-triggers that are unacceptable to you.
7. Ask yourself “What is my role in this? What can I do to make things better?”
8. Have a general attitude of patience and generosity towards others, so that if, for example, someone steals your place in line, you have already given it to them.
9. Plan to arrive early always. When you are not in a rush, you can be more patient with how other people drive.
10. Choose to be amused at annoyances, rather than angry. Smile more. Fake it til it becomes a habit. (It works!)
11. Be kind to others.
12. Be kinder to yourself.
13. Meditate daily. (It’s easier than you think)
14. Take breaks to give you the energy to be patient.
15. Be aware of your reactions. Awareness is the key to unlocking the door of change!

If you work on these daily, you will find yourself more often reacting with compassion instead of anger. This will vastly improve your life. You’ll probably live longer and happier. And you will be elevating the overall level of peace and happiness in the world! Your actions are that powerful!

I’d love to hear what you have to say about this!

Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Just Say No to Anger

photo credit: Selma90

Certainty = Security = Good

Certainty = Same-Old-Thing = Boring = Bad

Little Surprises = Something New = Exciting = Good

We want to feel safe in our relationships. We want safety on all levels: emotional, physical, spiritual, etc.  We also crave things that are new.  Over time, in our relationships we start to take for granted all the good things about the other person.

We get caught up in life and don’t take the time to do special things for each other. Sometimes this is because we think that it will take too much time, energy, or even resources (like money).

Here is a very simple way to add newness to your relationship. It takes little time, energy, and it’s free.

The little surprise that will keep your relationship like new is

(drumroll please……)

Kindness.

Kindness is always refreshing. It can be extraordinarily surprising as well, especially when it is unexpected. And kindness is heartwarming.

When we first meet a friend, neighbor, colleague, or new lover, we are exceptionally kind. Kindness where we start new relationships. We give the benefit of the doubt. We forgive easily. We have low expectations. We reserve harsh judgments.

We are kind.

And relationships bloom from that starting point.

But then we get complacent. We become impatient. We judge harshly. We see only the annoying things. We dig in our heels into arguments. And so on.

So. Where can you insert a little kindness today to add surprise and renew a relationship?

Ways to Be Kind

Here are a few ways you can be kind.

1. Pay a compliment. Simple. Genuine.
2. Be the first to say sorry.
3. Show understanding and compassion, especially where you have shown resentment and judgment in the past.
4. Hugs and kisses.
5. Give a massage with no request for reciprocation.
6. Show patience where you usually are impatient.
7. Tell the person what you admire or respect or love about them.

Kindness is relationship gold.

I’d love to hear your ideas on this as well!

Please share your ideas in the comments below!

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Relationship Gold: How to Keep a Relationship Like New

The way to stop being frustrated by politics? Get involved! (And before you stop reading because you have no spare time, please know that there are small ways to get involved that don’t take a lot of time!)

Think about a sports game. It can be frustrating watching a game when your team is losing. But when you are in the game, you can be affecting the outcome and at least know you did your best even if you don’t win. It is the same with politics! So, get on the field of play and use your energy, resources, and your right to contribute to our government. It won’t just make you feel better, it will make your community and country a better place!

Whether you are on the right, the left, in the center, or out in left field, you CAN make a difference in the world. “Somebody” is already making a difference. Why not join in?

If you don’t like the way things are going, stop shouting at the TV and do something! Here’s how:

How to Get Involved with Politics and Make a Difference

Small Time Commitment

• Put up a lawn sign for the candidate or issue you support.
• Contribute funds to a campaign.
• Send a letter to your congressman, senator, governor, president that states how you feel. Find your representatives at Project Vote.
• Spread the word to your network of friends and family and encourage them to do something even if it is small. (You could pass along the link to this article along with ideas of how to make a difference.)
• Hold up signs on voting day.
• Vote!

Medium Time Commitment

• Spend a couple hours working at a phone bank in support of your candidate.
• Collect signatures on a letter for your elected officials on a subject you care about.
• Call or schedule a meeting with your representative.
• Volunteer in your community doing things to help others or help with issues that matter to you.
• Distribute flyers that educate others citizens on the facts of your issue or candidate or even opposing candidate (such as voting records).
• Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper stating your position on the issues and candidates. Be solution focused.
• Start a blog and write about your thoughts and opinions. Build an audience slowly over time and then use your influence to encourage others to take action.

Larger Time Commitment

• Create a TV show for free using local access TV resources.
• Organize a group of voters around a particular issue or candidate. Invite your representative or candidate to a meeting.
• Attend a legislative hearing.
• Organize or contribute your time to a political campaign.
• Organize or contribute your time to a volunteer group that helps your community in some way.
• Organize a demonstration, march, or rally.

Democracy is Only as Strong as its Participants

My personal feeling is that we citizens need to do a whole lot more participating and volunteering, and do a whole lot less complaining. Complaining has its place. When we are dissatisfied, we need to talk about it. But then we need to make some plans, and then take some action on getting things done, just like we do in our own personal life.

How will all this help YOUR life? At the very least, hopefully it will help you be less frustrated with government. When you get involved you will understand that change takes time, patience, and perseverance. At its best hopefully you will be improving your community and nation which will benefit you in the long run. And lastly, hopefully your actions will inspire others to do the same, creating a snowball effect of improvements for our world!

Helpful Resources

How To’s

Being a Successful Citizen Lobbyist.

Tips for citizen lobbying.

Do’s and Don’ts of Citizen Lobbying.

Holding Elected Officials Accountable to Our Issues.

Building a Volunteer Program.

Citizen Lobbying Kit. This is a very complete list of things you can do and how to do them well. This is from a conservative group, but the ideas here can be used by anyone with any political affiliation.

Lobbying 101. From the Humane Society, but again the ideas here can be used by anyone advocating for any issue.

Articles

Citizens Impact as Grassroots Lobbyists. Interesting article on how important ordinary citizen lobbying is!

Volunteering

Organizing for America. Find ways you can voluteer in your community to make it better.

Communicating Your Opinions

Tell President Obama what you want to see in 2010!

Find all your government representatives. Just type in your zip code.

Organizations that help citizens organize to make their voices heard:

• Public Citizen
• MoveOn.org
• Organizing for America

Take Action Today!

Will all your frustrations go away by participating? No, but some of them will when you see your efforts making a difference.

Do it with your kids. It will teach them many great lessons about service, perseverance, and about how our government works.

Do it with your friends and family. Make it a social activity. It’s better than shopping!

Be a part of the solution!

“Be the change you want to see in the world!”- Gandhi

Please Share!

Please share what you have done or plan to do and how it made you feel!

All comments big and small are very welcomed!

Post from: Life Learning Today

How to Stop Being Frustrated by Politics

photo credit: ShedBOy^

This time of year can be very stressful. Heck, any time of year can be stressful! Am I right, or am I right? Meditation is one of the best stress busters out there. But sometimes even those of us who meditate can use a fresh approach. Here is a simple and effective meditation to use to achieve the perfect chill-out.

Meditation without a Goal: Just Be

Sit in a quiet place in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and countdown from 10 to 1 while taking very slow deep breathes in and out, holding on both the inhale and exhale as is comfortable.

Once you are “there” then loosely focus on the following contemplation points, along with any others that open your mind beyond your daily struggles, goals, habits, and patterns. If you forget one or even all of the contemplation points, that’s ok. Just keep to the general spirit of the meditation.

Helpful tip: Very…..slooow….contemplation………..is…………….best.  Meditation can be done for 15 minutes or as long as feels right.

Contemplation Points:

Be. (just be. no intentional thoughts.  breathing. just be. “i am.”)

Be Slow. (slow heartbeat. slow breathing.  slow expectations. slow thoughts. slowwww.)

Be Open. (to yourself.  to messages from all around you and from inside you.  to new ideas.  to love.  to self-acceptance)

Be Enough. (for the moment.  in who you are.  in what you have.)

Just Be.

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Just Be

Bottom line: yes, I do recommend buying a VitaMix 5200 blender. I bought mine 2 years ago. and I use it almost everyday! Why? Because:

• it saves me money on food that I can prepare cheaper than store-bought
• it makes me healthier – because it makes eating healthy food so easy and delicious
• it saves me time – most recipes take only seconds to process and clean-up takes only seconds also
• it’s so easy to use!

If you buy one, I’m sure you’ll fall in love with this extremely valuable and easy to use tool. I love it so much, I bring it with me when I travel to visit family. They all love the yummy, healthy treats I make with it, and I can’t stand to not use it while I’m away from home.  Let me share with you some of the details of this amazing blender.

How a VitaMix Blender Saves You Money

Have you ever thought about buying a high quality product and made the decision to buy a cheaper product instead? And then in the end the cheaper product didn’t perform they way you wanted so you ended up buying the better product later? I know, me too.

Let me tell you, if you’re thinking about buying the VitaMix, don’t spend more money in the long run by going with the cheap option first. The cheaper models out there simply can not do what a VitaMix is capable of. This is exactly the reason why top chefs use and recommend Vitamix. It’s also the reason why any smoothie shop you go into most likely has a Vitamix blender.

I can’t tell you how many processors and blenders I bought and used before buying the Vitamix. If I had just bought it first, I would have saved a ton on products that didn’t work well and that I never used because they were so complicated and difficult to clean.

The Vitamix 5200 is an amazingly well constructed appliance. It is made is the USA. You’ll notice this in its sturdy construction. It comes with a 7 year guarantee. That’s the best guarantee out there on a blender. (In fact how many products come with a guarantee that is longer than 1 year these days? Not many!) No other company stands by it’s blender like VitaMix does. And if you take a peek on the web in cooking forums you will see people raving about their VitaMix that they’ve had for years and years!

How a VitaMix Blender Saves You Money on Food

I used to buy a lot of prepared foods at the grocery store and I never really paid too much attention to price. I figured that these were food that were too complicated or time consuming to make myself. Now that I’ve become more health conscious, I have really learned how to eat healthy. And now my grocery bills are so much less. That really helps in this economy!

On top of everything I found that cooking all these things is really not that difficult. Especially if you have a great tool like the Vitamix blender.

Here are some things I love to make that are so yummy and also healthy. They cost pennies to make versus the dollars they cost to buy prepared:

• Hummus – it’s fun to make different variations.
• Creamy Vegetable Soup (it’s vegan and creamier than the richest soups made with cream, without the saturated fats!)
• Pesto (again, I make a vegan version (no cheese) that actually tastes better than non-vegan, and so much better than store-bought) – I make a large batch and freeze into small containers. ($6.99+ and more for store bought. Try $1.00 for about 4 times the amount when making it from scratch!)
• Smoothies - I have so many variations of smoothies it’s amazing. I save $5+ everytime I make my own!
• Roasted Garlic Bean Dip – this is out of this world delicious, but without any of the guilt of most dips!
• Nut Milks – don’t knock til you’ve tried it. So easy, so cheap compared to store bought.
• Vegetable juices – your own homemade V-8. Control the taste, nutrients and the sodium level.
• Peanut Butter – easy? check! healthy? check! no poisons or germs or recalls? check! cheaper? check!
• Tahini – great for middle eastern recipes!
• Pâtés- if you like meat pâté, but would like a cheaper healthier yummier version, it’s a snap!
• Frozen drinks! – pina colada anyone? strawberry daiquiris?
• Fancy Coffees - saving $3-5 with every yummy drink I make!
• Alfredo sauce
• Marinades
• Salsa – so fun to experiment with different kinds.
• Tomato Sauce
• Salad Dressings – I never buy salad dressing anymore. The ones I can make are so much yummier, healthier, and cheaper.
• Ice Cream – Move over Ben & Jerry! Design your own flavors!
• Italian Ice treats – again make your own flavors. My favorite is coconut ice made with real coconut! MMMMmmmmm!
• Cheese Fondue – make it and cook it all right in the blender!
• Spinach & Artichoke Fondue- mmmm!
• Pancake, crepes, and waffle batter - no lumps!
• Bread and cookie mixes
• Low-fat whipped topping
• Baby food – please, don’t buy the little jars anymore! Save yourself so much money and grow your baby so healthy! You can make a batch and freeze them. Each night take a few out of the freezer to defrost for the next day.
• Grind your own grains – talk about making food cheap! This is done with the dry blade container.

All these recipes (over 300) are in the free recipe book you get when you buy the Vita-Mix 5200 blender. You’ll also find many recipes right here on my blog. As they become available, I will add links above. The more you use your VitaMix, the better you become at coming up with your own recipes!

How a VitaMix 5200 Blender Makes You Healthier

Do you want to be healthier? Do you feel overwhelmed at the thought of changing how you eat? Has this been keeping you from making any changes at all? Let me comfort you by saying there is a way to make a change and have it be easy. In my book on healthy living I recommend taking one small step each day to become healthier, such as learning one new recipe. The Vitamix 5200 makes it so easy to do this.

• Vegetable Juices – better than juicing. Get all the nutrients plus keep the fiber too. Fiber keeps you healthy and trim.
• When fruits and veggies are blended into very small pieces, your body is able to derive 3 times as many nutrients than if you chewed it yourself.
• Don’t like eating green veggies? Drink ‘em! Delicious and fast! Mix them into both veggie drinks (homemade V-8) and fruit smoothies.
• Get more nutrients from fresh produce than from processed foods that have stripped all the goodness out of the veggies.
• It’s so easy to use, you’ll want to keep trying more recipes each day.
• No more trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, and chemical preservatives in your family’s food!

How a VitaMix 5200 Saves You Time

• Spend less time checking labels for bad ingredients now that you’ll be preparing your own food.
• The VitaMix’s 2 Horse Power (1380 watts) motor is so powerful that processing your food literally takes seconds.
• No chopping before adding them to the VitaMix. This blender can pulverize anything even large frozen chunks of fruit and ice in seconds.
• Clean up takes 20 seconds, literally. Fill with water soapy water. Blend for 10 seconds and rinse out. That’s it! Really! There’s no disassembling the machine into multiple dangerous parts.
• Actually cooks foods like vegetable soup in minutes, due to the amazing power of the motor!

Other VitaMix 5200 Blender Features

• New Eastman Tritan™ copolyester 64 oz. container is as durable as polycarbonate -now with improved sound damping and is chemical resistant (when cleaning your Vitamix). Comes with ergonomic soft-grip handle. And No BPA’s!
• New Swedish-built 2 peak HP motor, custom designed for this machine, runs substantially cooler with energy savings and improved performance.
• No attachments make this blender super easy to use!
• Feedback-type variable speed control provides consistent power regardless of load. Speed ranges from 11 m.p.h. to 240 m.p.h., wider than any standard blender.
• Unique stainless steel hammermill and cutting “wet” blades process whole foods like no other appliance to deliver up to 3 times the nutrition.
• Patented, spill-proof vented lid with removable lid plug lets you measure and add ingredients safely while machine is running.
• Patented tamper for extreme processing power helps when preparing foods such as nut butters and frozen treats.

VitaMix Blender vs. Other Blenders

What about other blenders? Like I said above, don’t even bother with cheaper, noisy, powerless models. You will just be wasting your time and money. If you are considering another high-end blender such as Blendtec, here’s why my final decision was to buy a Vitamix. The warranty on the Vitamix was much better which tells me the quality is better because who knows a product better than the company selling it?

Also, I did a lot of research online, and although there are positive reviews of Blendtec blenders out there, on the whole I found an overwhelming amount of positive reviews of Vitamix and more reviews of Blendtec that expressed disappointment in its performance. To give you an idea of how happy I am with my decision, I have never had a single regret, as can sometimes be the case when I make large purchases. I receive excellent value from my Vitamix blender everyday. I love it!

How to Buy a VitaMix 5200 and get Free Shipping

The VitaMix 5200 is definitely an investment, yes. But, as mentioned above, it is an investment that will save you money in the long run and help make you healthier with ease! How much is that worth to you? For me, being healthier and having it be easy to do is worth the price alone. Isn’t it time you bought something for yourself that will give you back true value?

To order a VitaMix online click here or on any of the links above. If you prefer to order it over the phone, please mention this  article and mention this code: 06-003178 and that you would like free shipping. Using this code will make you eligible for the free shipping . The phone number is 1-800-848-2649. You’ll find the sales professionals at Vitamix to be so helpful both when you purchase your blender and after if you want any guidance.

Hopefully my article has been valuable in helping you to take another step towards a healthier life! I wish you happy healthy eating! Please share your VitaMix experience with us here! And be sure to subscribe to get updates on new healthy Vitamix recipes in the future for free!!

Please Share!

Do you have a great recipe or Vitamix testimonial?All comments big and small are very welcomed!

Please note: This is not a paid review.  I am sharing it because I know how much my Vitamix has helped me become healthier and hope that it can do the same for others.  If you do use the free shipping code(06-003178), I do receive a small commission from vita mix. Thank you for your support!

Post from: Life Learning Today

VitaMix 5200 Review: Should You Buy One?