Fourth of July Driving Advisory
by Susan Dunn

Folks, the evidence is pouring in and piling up, like cars approaching a cloverleaf intersection in a metropolitan area. The latest research shows that driving while using your cell phone is more dangerous than drunk driving.

I’ve written about this before, and reported some of the research that the insurance companies are actuaries are started to compile. In fact the evidence is so incontrovertible, your cell phone records may be the first thing subpoened if you are involved in a driving accident. They can be subpoened and they can be retrieved, just like other forms of electronic evidence.

Using the cell phone messes up your brain, whether you’re talking, listening, dialing, or taking a call. It interferes with thinking, with motor reflexes, with the use of your hands, your reaction time, and the things you need to be doing while you’re driving.

If the misuse of the privilege continues, there will surely be legislation, so it may become a mute point.

There are many reasons to put the thing down this holiday weekend. It is unlikely you will be traveling alone, and time your spend on the cell phone is time away from the loved ones with you you are attempting to have a vacation with, to spend time with.

If you’re taking calls from work, where’s the vacation? It’s poor time and priority management to chase rabbits. Batch your calls yourself; take and return them on road breaks when you stop. If you must take a phone call, pull off to the side of the road until you have completed the call.

Think of the example you are setting for your children. I watched a mother and son the other day at McDonalds. From what I overheard, it was the boy’s “treat” and his mother had picked him up from school; however, instead of spending time with him and talking with him, she spent at least half her time on the cell phone arguing with a repairman, making weekend plans with her mother, and discussing her sister’s divorce with her sister. It wouldn’t be my idea of quality time spend with Mom. Would it be yours?

You could listen to learning tapes instead, or music and feel better when you arrive.

Cell phones are great for business during normal business hours on land, and great for emergencies, but it appears in that respect they are the sword and the shield. Their possible use in emergencies may be overshadowed by their proven ability to cause emergencies.

Give us all a break this holiday weekend, and disable your cell phone while you’re driving. It’s the right thing to do.

Susan Dunn, MA, The EQ Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc , mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc. Coaching, Internet courses and ebooks around emotional intelligence for your personal and professional success. Coach Certification Program - fast, affordable, no-residency, training coaches worldwide. Email for free ezine.

Susan Dunn may be contacted at http://www.susandunn.cc or sdunn@susandunn.cc

 

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25 Things That Matter When Matter When Relating To Our Children
by Lee Wise

In my opinion, these things matter...

1. Enjoying childlike delights before the child no longer delights in being one.
2. Paying attention long enough to understand yet caring enough to make a necessary correction once it's all understood.
3. Responding to immaturity in a mature way.
4. Being silly when I can,
5. And fun when it's not cool to be silly.
6. Making time to listen when it's their time -- not just "my time."
7. Being big enough to say "I was wrong,"
8. Sensitive enough to ask, "Will you forgive me?"
9. And courageous enough to correct my ways in the process.
10. Teaching by my actions that additional freedom is earned by being responsible and not an automatic right acquired on the date of the next birthday.
11. Sharing laughter for no other reason than laughter is being shared with me.
12. Complimenting like crazy,
13. Avoiding foolish demands like the plague,
14. And hugging whether they are huggable or not.
15. Remembering that little people are no more -- but no less than -- just that: little people.
16. Looking in the mirror and realizing "I'm one of the little people who got older."
17. Making sure that "You've done well" doesn't always carryith it "But you *should have* done better."
18. Knowing when to truthfully say "For this I am not responsible: you are." (And living with myself once I've
said it.)
19. Knowing the importance of releasing without disconnecting,
20. Being a friend while being a parent,
21. Listening to learn instead of waiting to tell,
22. And giving space without giving up.
23. Knowing the immense value of being able to say in the end "I have done all I could reasonably do -- and them some."
|24. Taking time to show up when I can as opposed to wishing I could when showing up is not possible (or even worse: not wanted).
25. Loving with all my heart because in the end it's worth it all.

© Lee Wise All rights reserved. You may freely distribute this article. The copyright and this resource box must be included. mailto:Lee@motivation-for-daily-living.net

No Cost Ezine! "A Beautiful Moment In Time" is an ezine designed to bring moments of encouragement and inspiration into your everyday world. For your fr^ee subscription go here --> http://www.motivation-for-daily-living.net

Lee's primary ministry is a seminary administrator where has served as the Director of Internships since 1987. He is also the author and publisher of two family friendly ezines which revolve around the topic of personal inspiration and development (A Beautiful Moment In Time and Hope For Daily Living). He enjoys creating articles and quotes for these ezines. He is a solid family man who deeply cares for his family and the preservation of the family unit. Lee also enjoys internet marketing and the whole subject how to run a quality home business.

Lee Wise may be contacted at http://www.motivation-for-daily-living.net or Lee@seariches.net

 

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10 Steps to Making Money on eBay
by Joyce Moseley Pierce

Now that you've recognized the benefits to selling your stuff on eBay versus tying up your time in a garage sale, it's time to get started.

Here are some things you will need or want to do. You don't necessarily have to do them all in this order, but this is one way to do it.

1. Set up a PayPal account so you can receive money from your eBay sales. It'll take a few days to verify your account, so do this right away.

2. Set up an eBay account if you don't already have one. www.ebay.com

3. Go through your house and gather things that you either don't use.

4. Look at some of the items you've gathered to sell. Go to eBay and do a search for that item. See how much it's listed for and if anyone is bidding on it.

5. Decide the lowest price you can or will accept for this item. Even if other people are paying $50 for others just like it, don't list your item for $50. People may be willing to pay that much, but they don't want to start bidding at that price.

6. You will pay a listing fee, a final value fee, and if you accept PayPal you will pay a fee there, too. Know what those fees are before you list your item unless you want to just give it away.

7. Read the eBay Terms of Agreement and abide by them. Certain items are illegal to sell.

8. Be sure you have an accurate weight when you list your product. You don't want to get stuck paying your own money for shipping.

9. List your item(s), taking all of these things into consideration.

10. List your auction for 1, 3, 5 or 7 days. I like to start my auctions in the evening so people are typically home and can be in front of their computers to bid. Take time zones into consideration. Auctions will end at the same time of day you list them unless you want to pay more!

eBay is a great way to make money at home. In fact, it is rapidly growing as one of the biggest home-based businesses in the world. With a bit of preparation and reviewing the eBay website so you'll know what you're doing, you'll become an expert on it in no time.

Copyright 2005 Copyright 2005 by Joyce Moseley Pierce. Visit www.emersonpublications.com to read more of Joyce's stories, to subscribe to the Family First newsletter, or to request information about working at home. This site is dedicated to helping others create family unity.

Joyce Moseley Pierce may be contacted at http://www.emersonpublications.com or joyce@emersonpublications.com

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The Must-Have Factor for Successful Weight Loss
by:  Bev Gray

Regardless of the type of weight loss plan you use, the one factor you MUST have is the desire to do whatever it takes to reach your goal.

Many times our attempts to lose weight fail, because we are doing it for the wrong reasons. We may be trying to lose weight because our mate has complained about the extra pounds we have gained. We may be trying to lose because the doctor has warned us of drastic health problems if we remain overweight, even though appearance is the real motivator in our particular case. However, the real success in losing weight and keeping it off will only come when we are committed to making whatever lifestyle changes are necessary to reach our goal.

For twenty-two years, I worked for a large corporation where most of my time was spent behind a desk. Employees were always bringing in food or celebrating special occasions with food, so I gained a couple of pounds a year. My husband has always hated to be around overweight women, so he was constantly making wisecracks about my weight gain. I made a few feeble attempts at quick weight loss to satisfy him, but I was never successful at keeping the weight from coming back.

A few years after I retired, I was invited to attend my granddaughter’s wedding in Las Vegas. I started shopping for a dress to wear to the wedding, and the 3-way mirrors in the dressing rooms gave me a shock of reality. I really was disgusted with my appearance, and I decided at that moment that I would do whatever it took to lose weight safely with a healthy diet and regular exercise routine.

I put myself on a strict but very nutritious food plan of 1200-1400 calories a day. Each day I planned my meals and snacks for the next day, using a book of calorie counts and keeping a record of everything I ate or drank. I also started walking for 30 minutes 3-4 times a week. My goal was to lose 1-2 pounds a week until I reached my goal weight of 125 pounds.

As I started fitting into smaller and smaller sizes, I got rid of my larger size clothing, either at garage sales or by giving it away. This is a very powerful tool in weight management, because if your clothes start getting a little tight, you are more likely to cut back on high calorie foods rather than buy a whole new wardrobe in a larger size.

If you are considering losing your extra weight once and for all, ask yourself a few simple questions. Am I worth it? The answer is yes! Can I do it this time? The answer is yes; of course you can if you are really dedicated to that goal! Am I ready to give up my sedentary lifestyle and junk foods and beverages? Only you can answer that question, but when you are really ready, you WILL succeed!

info@grandmashealthykidsclub.com
Author's URL: http://www.grandmashealthykidsclub.com
Bev Grey is founder of Grandma's Healthy Kids Club, a program to help children and adults improve their eating and exercise habits through age-appropriate membership packages based on the USDA Food Pyramids. She is also author of "The Project", a fictional story for children and educators or medical professionals who work with children.

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