Motivation Defined
Motivation is a call to action. Motivation inspires change, movement, and focus; it is what makes the world turn. The Art of Motivation is a must for Master Persuaders. How do you motivate in such a way that prompts people to take the actions you want them to take? How can you plant the seeds to encourage motivation? As a persuader, one of the keys to success is to motivate yourself and others. We have all had days when we did not feel like doing the things we knew we needed to do. It is useless to persuade and have others agree with your point of view if you can’t get them to take action.
Martin Luther King said, “If a man hasn’t discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.” In order to successfully motivate someone - or, to get him or her to internalize the motivation - you have to create a deep hunger or thirst. It has been said you can bring a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. That’s true. But let it be known that you can give that horse salt and create such a thirst that the horse must have water. As a master motivator, you are giving salt to your prospects. You are striving to create such a thirst in other people that they can’t wait to act.
You will find people tend to get motivated for the short term, lose steam, and then fall back into the rut they were trying to pull themselves out of in the first place. As a persuader and motivator, you have to understand what pulls people from action to inaction. What causes us to lose excitement, vision, and energy? When you notice your prospects are losing their motivation, these are the reasons why:
- The desire to gain
- The desire to avoid loss
- To make money
- To avoid criticism
- To save time
- To avoid loss of possessions
- To avoid effort
- To avoid physical pain
- To achieve comfort
- To avoid loss of reputation
- To have health
- To avoid loss of money
- To be popular
- To avoid trouble
- The desire to gain (cont,)
- To experience pleasure
- To be clean
- To be praised
- To be in style
- To gratify curiosity
- To satisfy an appetite
- To have beautiful possessions
- To be an individual
- To emulate others
- To take advantage of opportunities
You can’t change a habit unless you replace it with another one. The same is true for motivation. You can’t change how someone is motivated unless you replace the undesirable motivation with a desirable one. You have to understand whether your prospect’s motivation is a positive motivation or a destructive motivation.
Once inspiration is identified, build on that inspiration until you create an intense hunger. This means that you get your prospects to take responsibility for their own lives. Get them to set new goals or review their existing goals and their reasons for setting them. Another way to stoke the fires is to find somebody who shares that same passion.
Since Maslow introduced the concept of needs, countless motivational theories have been brought to light. Avid McClelland proposed that we learn three things that motivate us as we go through life: achievement, affiliation, and power. John C. Mowen used the three “R’s” of motivation: reward, recognition, and reinforcement. Bob Stone suggested that people respond either to “gain something they do not have or to avoid losing something they now possess.” He created this list of basic human wants to explain his theory. In his book The Hidden Persuaders, Vance Packard identifies eight hidden needs that motivate people into action:
1. Need for emotional security: We live in uncertain times. Terrorism lurks, the happenings on Wall Street are shaky, we are surrounded by illness and disease, etc. We need safety, comfort, and stability in our lives.
2. Need to feel self-worth: Much of today’s society is cold, competitive, and uncaring. We want to experience a place in the world where we know we’ve made a difference.
3. Need for ego-gratification: We want recognition and praise. We all want to feel important.
4. Need for creativity: We feel more satisfaction and fulfillment when we can work creatively through hobbies, sports, and other forms of recreation.
5. Need for love foci: Life is richer when we have someone to share our love with, for example friends, children, grandchildren, a spouse, or pets.
6. Need for control: We need to feel a sense that we have some control or power over our environment, our surroundings, or our conditions.
7. Need to belong: We want to feel that we are an integral part of the world and that we are important to people whom we love, respect, or admire.
8. Need for immortality: We fear dying or being forgotten. We buy life insurance because we want to leave something behind.
Motivation starts with vision. People need to believe they will succeed in what you are motivating them to do. No one likes to lose. No one wants to lose. No one wants to be associated with losers. So, instill in your listener or audience a vision of winning. Thinking we can win and seeing the win in our mind’s eye stirs our internal motivation. When we help others think of past victories or instill the vision of victory in them, we can motivate them to take action. Olympic coach Charles Garfield states that the highest performers are driven by a sense of mission.
Learning how to persuade and influence will make the difference between hoping for a better income and having a better income. Beware of the common mistakes presenters and persuaders commit that cause them to lose the deal.
Master Persuaders present a winning package. When people sense victory or accomplishment, they will make sacrifices and become energized. They will find a way to succeed and win. If they sense defeat, they’ll exert little personal effort, come up with lots of excuses, and exhibit lack of energy for the cause.
Motivation is true art. When you understand the Laws of Persuasion not only will you be able to motivate, but you will also have earned the right to motivate.
Conclusion
Persuasion is the missing puzzle piece that will crack the code to dramatically increase your income, improve your relationships, and help you get what you want, when you want, and win friends for life. Ask yourself how much money and income you have lost because of your inability to persuade and influence. Think about it. Sure you’ve seen some success, but think of the times you couldn’t get it done. Has there ever been a time when you did not get your point across? Were you unable to convince someone to do something? Have you reached your full potential? Are you able to motivate yourself and others to achieve more and accomplish their goals? What about your relationships? Imagine being able to overcome objections before they happen, know what your prospect is thinking and feeling, feel more confident in your ability to persuade. Professional success, personal happiness, leadership potential, and income depend on the ability to persuade, influence, and motivate others.
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Kurt Mortensen’s trademark is Magnetic Persuasion; rather than convincing others, he teaches that you should attract them, just like a magnet attracts metal filings. He teaches that sales have changed and the consumer has become exponentially more skeptical and cynical within the last five years. Most persuaders are using only 2 or 3 persuasion techniques when there are actually 120 available! If you are ready to claim your success and learn what only the ultra-prosperous know, begin by going to http://www.PreWealth.com and getting my free report “10 Mistakes That Continue Costing You Thousands.” After reading my free report, go to http://www.PreWealth.com/IQ and take the free Persuasion IQ analysis to determine where you rank and what area of the sales cycle you need to improve in order to close every sale! |
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Cruise Vacation - the best way to go!
If you haven’t been on a cruise vacation yet, then you’re
missing out on one of life’s greatest adventures. Have you spent
years envying those who take cruises to Alaska or the Bahamas
while you’re stuck at home or driving to Florida? Well, now is
the time to take action. Cruises aren’t just for the rich
anymore; they’re for everyone! The great thing about a cruise is
that one price pays for everything. More and more people are
discovering the fun and value of cruising, but many more still
have not heard the good news. Now more than ever, a luxury
cruise is easily affordable and accessible to everyone.
Regardless of which cruise you choose, all cruise lines pamper
their guests with first-class service around the clock. The
Staff are there to make sure you needs are met. From chocolates
on your pillow to your favourite drink waiting for you at your
dinner table, you will feel like you are being spoiled day and
night.
The hassles of an ordinary vacation are completely eliminated
because a cruise vacation is one convenient package. You don’t
have to worry about making dinner or nightclub reservations,
running to make flight connections as you travel from one
destination to another, or packing and unpacking. Once you’re on
board, nearly all expenses are pre-paid… it just does not get
more carefree than that. Regardless of the size or cost of your
stateroom, you have full access to the ship’s facilities and
amenities, and the ship’s crew will do everything in their power
to make your experience exceptional.
The price of your vacation includes all of your meals and
in-between snacks on-board; your accommodation, activities,
children programs and entertainment. Throw in the exciting
journey to some of the most fascinating and charming places in
the world and you have yourself a deal! You will also know what
your vacation will end up costing you before you go. Most cruise
packages do not include the cost of soft drinks, alcoholic
drinks, guided shore excursions, or optional shipboard services
like a massage, spa treatment, photographs, access to the
internet, etc. Many cruise lines also add an automatic 15%
gratuity to the cost of drinks, and you will also need to tip
your steward and waiter at the end of the cruise. Check with
your cruise line in advance for a complete list of what is
included in your ticket price and what will cost extra.
If you think you might be bored while on a cruise, think again.
There are so many options and activities that you will never be
able to participate in them all. And don’t worry about being in
the close quarters of a ship; there really is plenty of space to
move about so you’re not likely to feel confined or
claustrophobic. Nearly every cruise line offers special programs
and accommodations to families, and some even specialize in
entire cruises designed completely around the needs and wants of
a family. On these family-focused cruise lines, you will find
special supervised areas of the ship where your children can go
to do age-appropriate activities while you enjoy adult time.
When it comes to nightlife, a cruise ship offers many options.
Common choices include Broadway-style entertainment, dance bars,
quiet piano lounges, casinos, movie theaters and arcade game
rooms. There truly is something on board to suit every
entertainment taste. For a whole seven days, I didn’t have to
cook or clean or even make up the beds. There were maids and
professional chefs there to do it for me. There is no need to
buy fancy clothing or a tuxedo to go on a cruise, although some
cruises do require formal dress in specific on board
restaurants. Your general packing list does not need to be much
different from any other vacation; simply include clothing that
is appropriate for the climate and expected weather conditions.
And don’t worry about items like hair dryers, shavers, and other
personal appliances - they all work just fine on board a luxury
cruise ship!
Every port you visit is different, and each one will have
excursions, activities and places to discover. Just as on board
the ship, you will not be able to do everything there is to do
at each port. You can choose a paid tour excursion or you can
explore on your own. Many cruise lines have cooperative
arrangements with hotels and resorts in the ports they visit so
that cruise passengers can use hotel facilities like swimming
pools, fitness rooms, spas and other amenities.
More and more people are finding out about the pleasures of
cruise vacations including singles, families, couples,
honeymooners, second honeymooners and groups of friends or
families. Cruises have a higher percentage of satisfied
customers than any other vacation experience, once people try
it, they come back again and again. You can see the world on a
cruise. Feel free to completely unwind or take a walk on the
wild side. If you want you can dance the night away or go up on
deck and steal a kiss from your love. Make new friends, feast on
sumptuous cuisine, learn something new, or just hang out and
bond with your family.
Cruising is the fastest growing leisure vacation choice today,
and it also enjoys the highest rate of repeat satisfied
customers of any type of vacation. The choices of destination,
experience, accommodations, and cuisine are nearly limitless.
There is a cruise for everyone — especially - you!
Booking a cruise online is both easy, fast, and the most
economical method to purchase a cruise. There are no commissions
to pay online, so the prices are the best you can find, and with
most sites, your can browse the ship, see your room, check out
the dining room, and more, right online.
Whatever your heart desires, it can be done on a cruise so be
sure to “choose to cruise” for your next vacation.
About the Author Hugh Goble has spent the last 25 years
working in IT but his real passion is travelling. He now spends
most of his free (Web) time ferreting out travel bargains. Visit
his website at www.kwik-info.com or Cruise
Vacations Blog
Analog vs. digital cellular phones
Cellular phones are an amazing modern convenience, but it can be confusing for consumers to distinguish between the various options available. There are two main types of cellular phones: analog and digital. Each type operates slightly differently and has its own unique advantages and disadvantages.
The first cellular phones were analog phones. Analog phones are basically an extremely sophisticated radio and telephone combination. The main advantage of analog cellular phones is that they cost less than the newer digital phones. Analog phones are also a better choice for travelers, since 95 percent of the county is equipped for their use. The drawbacks of choosing an analog phone are the reduced sound quality and the slightly higher per minute rate.
Digital cellular phones use the same basic technology as an analog phone. The difference is that digital phones use binary code and compression to fit more calls into a given bandwidth. Digital cellular phones offer longer battery life, better signals, and cheaper calling rates. The main disadvantage of digital cellular phones is that many parts of the country aren’t equipped with the proper antennae to receive digital signals. This makes digital cellular phones inappropriate for frequent travelers or individuals who live in rural areas.
Sprint often uses the term PCS in their promotional materials. PCS stands for Personal Communications Service and is a wireless communications service very similar to cellular phone services. Many people use the term PCS as a synonym for a digital cellular phone, but a true PCS phone offers additional services such as caller ID, paging, and e-mail as part of its regular phone service.
Newer cellular phone models may offer a dual mode feature. This option allows you to automatically switch between analog and digital modes depending upon what antennae are in your range. Dual mode phones combine the advantages of both analog and digital cellular phones.
About the Author
Timothy Gorman is a successful webmaster and publisher of Cellular-Phone-Solutions.com. He provides cellular phone plans, service and free cellular phones on his website that you can research in your pajamas.
Sleep Strategies: How To Get A Good Nights Sleep And Be More Productive
Have you ever woken from a long sleep and thought you have only been asleep a few minutes? Have you ever been asleep for a ‘power nap’ and felt you’ve been asleep for hours? Can you sleep anywhere? Do you need your own pillow for a good nights sleep? We all have different relationships with sleep. Some of us can sleep no problem - others struggle each night. This is such an essential element of our health and affects our productivity greatly so we want to ensure we do whatever is required to get effective sleep. Some of these tips might help you.
Create an environment conducive to sleep. Creating a comfortable bed is key to a good night’s sleep; invest in the best quality bed, pillow and linen that you can afford and ensure that your blankets or doonas are of an appropriate weight for your body temperature. If you sleep with someone else, you might need to consider each having your own special blankets or doonas especially if you experience different (and incompatible) nighttime body temperatures.
Get ready for bed. Develop a pre-sleep routine which you follow each night. Having nighttime ritual signals to your mind that it is time to quieten down, which in turn prompts your brain to send the appropriate sleep-signals to your body. Remember, it takes 21 days to form a habit so stick with it until your pre-sleep ritual becomes routine.
Have a bath. Relaxing in a warm, scented bath is a wonderful way to unwind and help your body and mind prepare for sleep. Try a few drops of pure lavender or chamomile essential oil, or experiment with other relaxing oils and blends, in your bathwater.
Take a deep breath. Take three deep breaths; deep breathing can help you to relax and prepare your mind for sleep. Try also taking a very deep breath, holding it for a couple of seconds and then blowing it out hard - this is like getting rid of the rubbish from the day - three of these will ensure that you get rid of any negative thoughts or feelings left over from the day.
Take a note. If you are someone who lies awake thinking over problems, the next day’s tasks or making plans, place a notepad and pen beside your bed. When you find yourself lying awake troubling over an issue or with your mind racing, write down some notes or reminders to yourself and put it out of your mind until the morning.
Read a little. Reading can be another wonderful way to quieten body and mind and prepare for sleep. Shut yourself away from any background noise, dim the lights and read a few pages. Try not to read anything too riveting or anything work-related…this is time to relax. As soon as you feel your eyelids dropping, put down the book and drift off to sleep - don’t fight the urge to sleep just so you can finish the page - you might miss the ’sleep wave’ and end up awake for hours!
Arrange your room. If you can, allow fresh air to circulate through the room while you sleep. Block out the light with blinds or heavy curtains and remove televisions, computers, telephones, mobile phones and other electronic equipment from the room - or at least move them away from the head of your bed. Not only may these prove distracting, but there have been studies which have shown that the various waves and frequencies emitted by electronics can interfere with a sound night’s sleep.
Go natural. Try sleeping in the nude - it’s liberating and with no clothing to get bunched up, wrapped around you or to overheat you - you may find that you sleep better.
Snuggle up. Either before you go to bed, or if you’re lucky - all night long. Having someone to cuddle is one of life’s great gifts.
Consider Valerian not Valium. If you are having trouble sleeping there are some very effective herbal remedies which can give you assistance. Valerian is one natural supplement that helps reduce tension, making sleep easier. There are no side effects and you should wake up feeling refreshed. Visit your doctor or healthcare practitioner if you are having ongoing trouble getting a good night’s sleep.
Sleep in. Turn off the alarm clock and allow your body to tell you how much sleep it requires on the weekends. You’ll enjoy waking up naturally, rather than to a blaring alarm!
Neen is a Global Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy - and where they focus their attention - Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice, sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more at http://neenjames.com/.
How to Succeed in Business Without Compromising Your Integrity
I spent some twenty years in the corporate world, for much of it I was not particularly interested in spirituality. It was a world where profits reigned supreme, often with little respect for the rest of society.
It took a while for change to happen in Australia, but led by Ralph Nader in the USA, consumers have become more aware of their rights with respect to corporations. New government bodies looking at pollution, corporate fraud and other matters have appeared and some of our leading businessmen are spending time behind bars. Greater education of the general population is leading to more informed choices by consumers.
There have been many cases of businesses ignoring those who have an interest in what they do at their own peril. At university my business degree has placed much emphasis on stakeholder theory and issues management.
These concepts refer to understanding the needs of the wider community including governments and pressure groups and the likely effect on business operations under differing conditions. Even the big Australian, BHP, has set up an issues management department after it was caught polluting the Fly river in Papua New Guinea.
Values which show a genuine concern for society as a whole, rather than individual gain tend to be spiritual in nature. When we understand that we are all part of the same spirit, including the earth and the air we breathe we start to take on a different attitude to life.
There is a universal law of cause and effect in operation which means that whatever we put out we get back. It is wise for us to be considerate in our business dealings or sooner or later we will suffer the consequences.
Take the case of a murderer. The consequences of murdering someone is that one spends the rest of their life in gaol. If I murder another and end up in prison I shouldn’t really be surprised and say, “It’s not my fault.” Clearly I created the situation by my actions.f you really wish to progress in the corporate world while feeling happy and good about yourself, then work in a corporation which is ethical. Join an organisation which looks at the good of the whole of society as well as its corporate profits. By working in an organisation which has similar values to those you hold personally, you will certainly rest easier at night.
With the current changes in awareness as more people read books such as this one and open up to their spiritual connection, those corporations which practise unethical behaviour will falter. In the next millennium you will increasingly see a more aware public change from unethical companies to those who align with their own values.
I have always operated with the philosophy that your staff are your greatest asset in business. I have worked with my staff to assist them in carrying out their activities.
Customer Service is another much talked about aspect of modern business. Basically your customers pay your wages, so being nice to them ensures that you are paid. Maybe it is all right to be genuinely nice to the boss. Perhaps you should try another job if you cannot see the benefits of your customers to yours and your family’s lifestyles.
If you wish to move up the corporate ladder with a clear conscience the simple way is to start being the person you wish to be. Get educated and knowledgeable about the position you desire and then when the opportunity comes you are ready to take it. Dress the way you would if working in the new position and ask to fill in when that person is on leave.
In 1977 I returned from a three year overseas trip and was told that jobs were hard to get. This was the time of the famous statement by our then Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, “Life wasn’t meant to be easy.” I didn’t listen to any of this and obtained a job within two weeks.
For nearly a year I worked hard and attended any training courses available to me. Then I noticed that I was performing double the workload of my associates with no extra reward. I moved to another organisation within the same industry with another range of machinery to learn.
This firm was far more forward thinking, however there were some personality clashes. I got down to work to build my career while the others played politics. One by one those above me clashed with their superiors. As they left I put myself forward as a possible replacement. Because I had learnt every aspect of my own area I was able to fill these positions and use my creative mind to make useful changes.
Within two years I had risen to National Service Manager, set up a printed circuit board repair operation, and built a service contract business which earned several hundred thousand dollars per year. I had a highly motivated work force who were performing well.
My big break was when the company was taken over by the giant in the printing industry, Seligson & Clare. Because of my innovative track record I was offered a position of Operations Manager with 140 staff. This involved a move to Melbourne where I stayed for four years.
All of this would not have happened if I had not used my creative abilities and also learnt what was necessary to advance to higher levels of management. I don’t believe I was lucky, I made my own luck and so can you.
Oprah Winfrey, the famous American talk show host commented that she would never have been given the role in The Color Purple if she hadn’t spent years training to be an actor. Opportunity knocks for those who are ready to take it.
John Gaydon quickly rose to the top of his profession. After a successful corporate career, at the age of 36, he quit his job and started teaching others how to be happy. You can red his philosophy and many of his ideas in his book, “Life Mastery - how to achieve it” available at http://www.pems.com.au/lifemastery.html
Weight Loss with Dietrine
How does Dietrine
work?
During the digestive process, your body converts carbohydrates,
found in starchy foods such as potatoes and pasta, into sugar.
Your body does this by breaking-down the carbohydrate molecule
with alpha amylase, an enzyme that is produced in the pancreas.
These sugar calories are either burned off, through exercise, or
stored as fat cells for future use. Unfortunately, inactivity
means that these stored fat cells accumulate. The result is
weight gain.
Dietrine Carb Blocker with Phase 2®, an exclusive, all-natural
nutritional ingredient extracted from white kidney beans,
“neutralizes” the digestive enzyme alpha amylase before it can
convert starch into glucose and then fat. Essentially, it allows
the carbohydrates to pass through the system with less caloric
intake.* The Phase 2® starch blocker has been clinically proven
to reduce the absorption of starch by 66%-75% resulting in
significantly less net caloric intake.
Learn more about Dietrine.
Blame Culture Blues - How the Language of Blame Manifests Organisational Underperformance
If you have ever worked within a large organisation then you are sure to have heard the term ‘we will not have a blame culture’ at some point. However the sheer fact that this statement can be made is an indication that a blame culture already exists.
Where the statement ‘don’t think of the colour blue’, immediately makes one think of blue, the ‘no blame culture’ statement is more likely to raise within the organisation the possibility of blame than remove it. In fact an organisation must know what blame is to be able to think about removing it from the culture.
Just as a desert nomad would have little concept of (or for that matter use of) snow, an organisation that has no concept of blame will have no use for it - it just doesn’t enter into the minds of management or employees. Any business that is talking of ‘letting go of the blame culture’ must already have one, they are just avoiding facing up to the reality of the situation.
In business, as with any endeavour, it is vitally important to focus on what you do want rather than what you don’t and a statement of ‘no blame’ is likely to introduce it into an organisation where it didn’t exist before.
Just like the Inuit who have more than 50 words for snow organisations try to rename blame into something else to avoid the issue, however this is often sloppy thinking and leads to more rather than less problems.
So what should companies do to eradicate blame from their culture. The answer appears simple but can be difficult to implement. The real solution is eradicate it from the language, not just blame but all of the polite euphemisms used also need to be removed from the organisation.
No big campaign. No coasters or stress balls. No cultural change programme. To remove blame, remove any reference to it from the culture.
Now, this doesn’t mean avoiding the issue, often that just makes the whole thing worse, but embracing and accepting that it exists and deciding that (like the snow) it is of no value and as such there is no need to talk about it will make an amazing difference to the way the business operates.
Instead introduce a culture of partnership, of respect and of co-operation, make real acceptance the goal of your coporate culture. Accepting that people make mistakes and that this is doubly true when under pressure will immediately change the corporate psyche.
This is no quick fix and requires real resolve from all areas of the business but once the concept takes hold it spreads like fire through every part of the organisation. Oh, and what of accountability and resposibility? People become more responsible and are willing to be held accountable as they know that they will be respected for who they are and what they can achieve rather than for any mistake they make along the way.
To really eradicate blame from your organisation stop trying so hard and introduce an acceptance culture. It will do wonders for morale and you’ll never have to mention the B-word ever again.
More information regarding staff performance, the PRISM© Goal Setting System and additional tools for improving organisational management can be found at http://www.achievinggreatness.co.uk
L Stuart Avery 2005 © Achieving Greatness Ltd. All rights reserved.
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PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link.
L Stuart Avery is the Managing Director of Achieving Greatness Ltd, an organisation dedicated to raising awareness around personal and management behaviours. Achieving Greatness specialises in offering advice and support to organisations going through change intitiatives and looking to enhance the performance of their staff. It provides training courses, facilitiation services and coaching to business leaders on Leadership, Management and Strategy.
Stuart has over 20 years of experience across a wide range of industries including Government, Charities, Retail, Travel, Insurance, IT Services and Logistics.
For more information visit http://www.achievinggreatness.co.uk
Ear Tubes - Are They Good?
Try an uncomplicated thought, youngsters who are young as well as babies periodically have a surgery for ventilation tubes slipped in into their ears. This operation is usually for chronic ear infections. As the children get older, their hearing appears to be at a normal stage.
Experienced doctors agree, toddlers who have a more serious ear disease could require multiple procedures. Others may need different kinds of ear surgical process.
More kids travel to the doctor for ear infection than any other childhood diseases. Both types of ear infections, those containing fluid and those that do not, are very ordinary for the insertion of ventilation tubes. This is one of the most regular types of minor surgery, draining the ear and sticking in the ventilation tube.
One of the best benefits from this surgical operation id the instant improvement of hearing. Professional counselors say, this in turn can help to cease educational and developmental outcomes.
After extensive research on over 200 toddlers, it was regulated that the bulk of the tikes with ear troubles had the hearing cured. A small percentage of abnormal outcomes were accounted when the infant with an ear infection has fluids or more than three tube insertions were involved.
The research revealed that if the tube insertions were performed at an early stage in the child’s life, it is a safe and useful treatment. Long-term follow-ups are expected to make sure the ear has properly mended. Parents need to keep this in mind when there are ear infection subjects.
For more information about family health, visit www.family-health-info.biz.
James Hendrix has been putting people in business on the Internet since 1996. He has experience with web hosting, development, marketing and search engine optimization.
Decorating Your Older Home for Comfortable Living
Decorating an older home can be a real challenge. Most of us don’t really want to live the way our ancestors did. The aim is to get the flavor of the era you wish to project without the discomfort and aggravation. Antique upholstery is not noted for its comfort. Antique beds tend to be too short for modern bodies and most of us prefer an inner spring or foam mattress to one stuffed with straw or horsehair. Although I have cooked on an iron wood stove and thoroughly enjoyed it in the depth of winter, there is nothing to recommend it in July. So where do you draw the line between authenticity and modern life?
Fortunately you can get modern upholstery, with modern foam, coil decks and cushions, in older styles and fabrics. Unless you are trying to get a museum room, it isn’t necessary to copy the original styles exactly. Be careful of proportions, but any upholstery piece which is a classic style will blend with antiques, or reproductions. Fabric choices can give an antique look and are available in reproduced patterns made from modern, low maintenance fabrics. If you have antiques, avoid the need to put matched pairs of everything. Our ancestors loved that balanced look and many of us still find that a comfortable look to live with, but if only your upholstered pieces match, they will draw attention away from your show pieces.
The exception, as always, is in a formal room. If you are living in a home from the 1700’s and want to get the flavor of the era, you will want more formalized seating patterns. However, the newer trend in historic houses is to have furniture from several eras from the original built date to represent. Our ancestors were thrifty. Furniture was hand produced and costly, so people didn’t tend to pitch pieces which were out of style. It wasn’t until mass produced, inexpensive furniture became widely available that people started dumping Grandma’s pine table in the chicken house, or slapped a coat of green paint on the solid cherry drop leaf and put it on the front porch.
Generally, keep your upholstered pieces subdued but try for the correct style (or a modified version) of the window treatments and case pieces. Wing chairs have been popular for 300 years, but make sure yours are comfortable to sit on before you decide you have to have them. Our ancestors had much better posture and liked sitting very straight. Classic styles of modern furniture keep the lines of the old, but have a better slant to the backs. The real effect of the room can be created by how you decorate your walls, floors and windows, and by using accessories creatively.
Decorators are divided about such modern adjuncts as kitchen appliances, TV’s and sound systems. My feeling is, good design blends with good design. Some of the newer appliances are beautifully designed and our ancestors would have made that stainless steel, side by side refrigerator with ice and water on the door, the showpiece of the house so I am not a big fan of attempting to hide large modern appliances behind wooden doors and cupboards. I do think they tend to look better in stainless or black but that’s a personal opinion. The exception to the kitchen appliance rule is for houses built in the last century when kitchen appliances were becoming common. Reproductions are available in the styles of the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s and can make a really clever kitchen which is fully functional.
My feeling about TV’s and sound systems is similar. If you don’t have a media room, there are hundreds of styles of armoires which will hide the TV and look like a piece of antique furniture. Choose carefully. They can be overwhelming. However, if you want the TV to sit out or hang on the wall, go for it. You can soften its stark modernity by the things you sit around it.
So when you decide to redecorate and give your home a more period feel, keep these things in mind.
- Lighting is available in any style imaginable and will give an effect of authenticity.
- Conversion rails are available to enlarge antique beds and to maximize comfort.
- Reproduction wallpapers are easy to find and are divided into the eras in which they were popular.
- Classes on painting techniques and stenciling can be taken at your local home store.
- The library is a great source for popular styles of all eras.
Once you have done a little research into the look you are trying to create, adapt it to your own needs and decorate in the spirit of that era instead of trying to create a room which hasn’t changed in 150 years.
Contributions for this article from ON THE GO 4 U design consultant, Suzanne Copenhaver who has years of experience decorating less than perfect spaces.
Indra A Books, author of this and many other lifestyle articles, is the owner and founder of ON THE GO 4 U, LLC, Personal Shoppers & Concierge Service in the Washington DC metropolitan area, providing life management services. In addition to its shopping and concierge services, ON THE GO 4 U also publishes a monthly e-zine and conducts workshops. Ms. Books is the Vice President for the International Concierge & Errand Association. For more information about the author and ON THE GO 4 U, please visit http://www.onthego4u.net
© 2006 Indra A Books for ON THE GO 4 U
Play Roulette Like a Pro
It is commonly believed that a game like Roulette is one of complete chance and luck. How can there be any strategy for playing this kind of a game?
While it is undeniable that chance and luck are an inherent feature of roulette the fact that a strategy for the game can be followed, should not totally be overruled. Roulette is a game of statistical probability and hence the strategy becomes quite simple. Here are a few simple tips that you should keep in mind while betting:
Since Roulette is a game based on straight statistics, generally you get fair odds. For example you will get even money odds when you bet red and the actual statistical odds that red will come up is approximately even. The exception is the one green square in European Roulette. Therefore your odds are slightly lower than 50/50. It is important to note, however, that the house edge can vary, as it does most notably in the US. In American roulette the house edge is 5.26% for every bet except the five number bet which gives a house edge of 7.29%.
Roulette is a pretty rigid, non-interactive game and players can do very little to lower the house edge. But what they can do is to be on a careful lookout for places that offer special rules. In Atlantic City there is a beneficial rule called “surrender”. Enquire about this rule, at the table before playing. But to summarize briefly, the rule is applicable only to outside bets that pay even money. These are red/ black, even/odd and high/low. If the ball lands on a double zero (00), the better loses half the bet instead of the whole amount.
Though even money bets are doubly nice as compared to their inner counterparts, the player has to give up on payoffs significantly in order to benefit from the lower house advantage. Even though this cannot be considered a perfect situation, the strategy works.
Be on the look out for wheels that do not have a double zero. In European roulette wheels this is standard but it is rarely the case with American tables, where the house advantage is significantly higher. American casinos do away with the odds of European Roulette and add an extra Green space - the double “00″. With this move the house advantage goes up by a factor of 2. Hence European Roulette gives the house an advantage of 2.7% as against American Roulette that gives an advantage of 5.5%.
One other rule that must be kept in mind is called ‘En Prison’, which can only be found in Europe. Suppose you are placing an even-money outside bet, and the ball lands at ‘0′, if En Prison is applicable, the bet will not be swept off after all the other bets. It will not be returned either. The bet becomes ‘in prison’ and stays on the board and gets another chance on the next spin. In the next ’spin’ if your bet wins, you get the money back, though with no extra winnings. If the next spin is a ‘loss’ your bet gets swept away. In case it lands on a zero, it remains ‘En Prison’ once more. This rule decreases the house advantage on even-money bets to 1.35%.
After all these strategic tips you will begin to think that playing at European tables is probably the best strategy. The real issue here, however, is not location, but that you must visit ‘Single zero roulette wheel’ locations. One such location, rather surprisingly, is some online casinos.
Rich McHagans is a roulette expert. Visit www.geniusroulette.com/ to learn more