10.31.2010

Be Nice

If you have to start a conversation with, "No offense but..." you know darn well you are about to offend someone.  Might be a good time to ZIP IT.

10.26.2010

Million Year Old Health Secret

Question: What is the most important nutrient for the human body?
Answer: Water
 
The human body is 2/3 water. Your blood is 83% water. Your brain is 90% water. It’s a fact that you can’t function properly if you don’t drink enough water. Water is necessary for every bodily function and for alertness, concentration, and thinking. It helps carry essential nutrients to all our cells, aids in circulation, digestion, metabolism, and waste removal. Throughout the day, we are constantly losing water through sweating, urination, and evaporation. That water must be replaced.

Drinking water may seem boring at first, but look at these AMAZING BENEFITS of drinking water--

Makes your skin look and feel better
Increases energy and endurance

Helps your brain think more clearly
Keeps your muscles and joints lubricated for better mobility and efficiency
Can cure headaches, muscle aches, hunger, and fatigue
Flushes disease causing toxins from your body
Makes you feel healthier and improves your mood


How much do we need to drink? The average-sized person requires 2 to 3 quarts of water a day. You can get some of your water through the foods you eat. For example, if you are eating 5-8 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily, then you are getting about one quart of water through your food.

Unfortunately, caffeinated drinks don’t count. In fact, for every cup of coffee and for every soda you drink, you need to drink an equal amount of water, just to compensate for the water lost due to the effects of caffeine. The same goes for caffeinated tea and alcohol.

Soda Facts: The amount of sugar in soda definitely packs on the pounds. If you are a regular soda drinker, you can replace your soda with water, and in one year, you will lose approximately 40-50 pounds! Also, did you know that diet soda has been proven to actually increase your appetite? All soda depletes calcium from your bones. 


Here’s my formula--
I drink a 12-ounce glass of water first thing in the morning when I get out of bed.
Then I have a cup of coffee.
I sip water throughout the day.
I have another cup of coffee about 9:00 am.
I drink water with lunch.
I fill my 24-ounce water bottle before I leave work and I finish it on my drive home.
I drink water, milk, or 100% fruit juice with dinner.

I continue to sip water until I go to bed.

I rarely drink soda, but sometimes I want something sweet so I will have a soda instead of candy.

I don’t buy bottled water. I have a Britta filter water picture and a stainless steel water bottle that always goes with me. When I’m at home, I sip water from a glass.

If water is just too boring for you, try adding a slice of lemon, lime, or cucumber to your water. It’s good! There are also flavored drink mix packets that you can add to a glass or bottle of water. I don’t use them, but they are becoming very popular.

Bottom line: Be smart, be healthy, drink water!

Peace, out.

Check out Duane’s YouTube Channel

10.25.2010

Raise the Bar

I am an expert at goal setting and goal achievement. In 1992, I became a facilitator with an organization known as The Pacific Institute. It wasn’t a paid position, but what I learned has made me rich. I still use the same concepts today and that’s what I’m going to share with you.

What does the phrase, “Raise the bar“ mean? It was originally a sports term but it is used in many other areas now. When someone does a high jump, he or she jumps over a bar. Therefore, if you raise the bar, the jumper has to perform better to meet the new challenge. That’s what I want you to do.

If there is anything in your life that you want to improve, now is the time to raise the bar. How do you do that? Set some goals. If goal setting is new to you, here are some examples: A goal could be a bigger apartment or a nicer house, a newer car, a new set of matching dishes, or a new knife. Or it could be something big, something life changing: A new job, marriage, graduating high school or college, going back to school, or moving to Boston. It can be anything you want. You will have to work for it, but with what I‘m about to show you, it‘s much easier than you might think.


Step One: Write down your goals. Make a wish list. Write down everything you can think of. At this point, don’t worry about where it will come from or how you will get there. Just ask yourself, “What do I want?“ Have fun with this. Let your mind wander.

Step Two: Once you have your big want list, pick 3 things from your list that you really, really, REALLY want. These are your main goals. These are the things you will focus on and think about every day, several times a day. Keep the first list someplace safe. Once you see how easy this is, your confidence will grow and you will want to add more to both lists. That’s how it works. It’s an ongoing process.

Keep your list of 3 goals where you will see it every day. I keep my list on my computer where I see it several times a day. I like using Word documents because they are easy to edit. My list is constantly changing, but I keep my top 3 goals at the top.

Don’t worry about how long it will take to achieve a goal. It takes as long as it takes, but I guarantee you, this method speeds things up in your favor.

Note: My advice is don’t show your lists to anybody. People who don’t know about this method will try to bring you back down to Earth. Not in a mean way, but they might try to “save you from disappointment” and tell you things like, “your dreams are not realistic, that’s impossible, there is no way that will work…” You don’t need anybody’s approval. These are YOUR goals. Try this method and see for yourself. Once you become an expert at it, then you might want to share it with others. That’s fine. That’s what I did. :)

Step Three: We move toward and become what we think about. Visualize yourself achieving each goal. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and visualize what it will be like once you have each goal. What will it look like, smell like, taste like, sound like, and feel like? Imagine your life with the goal already achieved. How wonderful does it feel? How happy are you? Those are strong emotions and they are part of the process. Do this every day. Here’s why:

We are at our inventive and creative best when we have a problem. Our brain will work overtime to find a solution to the problem. That’s just the way the brain functions. How does this work? While we are reading and thinking about our goals every day, and visualizing achieving our goals, we are programming our brains to get used to something new. But when we look around in our current situation, we are still stuck in the old reality. We see a conflict, a problem. So our brain goes to work to resolve the problem. That’s why sometimes you go to bed thinking about a problem and you wake up with a solution. Pretty cool, eh?

Sometimes you will put something on your list of goals and after awhile, you will realize you really don’t want that any more. No problem. That happens to me, too. Just delete it.

This method works 95% of the time. There are times when you don’t get the goal. It’s rare, but it does happen. Hey, that’s life. There are some things you cannot control, and that’s OK. I believe everything works out the way it’s supposed to. When the 5% happens, look for the lesson, cry if you have to, then pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back to work: “My new goal is…”

This has been working for me for 18 years so I know it works. It will work for you too if you give it a chance.

Now go set some goals!
Peace, out.

Check out Duane’s YouTube Channel

10.23.2010

Budgeting 101--Pay Yourself First

You’ve probably heard the phrase “pay yourself first” before. Maybe you’ve heard it dozens of times. There is a reason for that-- It’s sound financial advice.

First, I will tell you why it’s one of the smartest money moves on Earth, then I will tell you how to do it and where to keep it.

Why pay yourself first?  Money is a means to an end. In other words, we use money to get what we really need and want. Things like, a place to live, food to eat, clothes to wear, electricity, transportation, entertainment, collectables, camping gear, LCD televisions, and on, and on the list goes. We will call these items “the bills”. 


We also need money for all sorts of emergencies. That’s why we need to put money aside for later use, when our checking accounts are running low but we still need money to handle an emergency.

How to pay yourself first? Unfortunately, most of us have to work for our money. Also, unfortunately, when we get our paycheck, a big chunk of it is already owed to somebody to pay for the wants and needs that we have already committed to (the bills). In some cases, all of our paycheck (and more) is already committed. That makes it impossible to pay yourself first, right?

Not necessarily. Not if you use a clever little tool called a “Budget”. A budget is basically a list you create that shows how you will spend your money. You can create it either on paper or on your computer and it should look something like this:


NOVEMBER BUDGET
500.00 Rent
200.00 Food
100.00 Savings
100.00 Electric
80.00 Fuel
50.00 Cable TV
30.00 Phone
-----------------------------
1060.00 Total


OK, that is just a very quick example of a budget. You can play around with this and put your own amounts into it. What I really wanted to show you with this example is the third line down, “100.00 Savings”. That is how your pay yourself first. You have put yourself into your budget. You have made YOU a “bill”. So when you pay your bills, you will also pay yourself. Clever, eh? ;-)

There are all sorts of tricks for saving money, but this is one of the best I know of. If you can’t pay yourself $100 every month, no problem. Make it $50 or $20 or $10. Just get started and keep adding to your savings. You will be amazed at how fast it grows, with no effort at all.


Where to keep your savings?  Well, that depends on many factors, including your own self-control. For instance, if you would be too tempted to spend $325 cash you have stashed in a fireproof box on the top shelf of your closet, then it should probably be in a savings account at a bank. I’m just saying.

However, if you believe that one day Obama will declare Martial Law and lock up everybody’s bank accounts for our own good, then maybe you should start shopping for a fireproof box or even a good fireproof safe. HINT: Gun safes have room inside for guns and money.

As I said, there are many factors involved in the decision of where to keep your savings, so take an honest look at yourself and your needs, then make the best decision for you.

Bottom line: Start paying yourself first, because it’s your money.

Peace out.
 
Check out 
Duane’s YouTube Channel

10.22.2010

The Perfect Job

I spent many years looking for the perfect job. I believed there was a job out there that was a perfect fit for my personality. I believed that eventually I would land a job that met all my requirements for the perfect job, making me happy and rich. My list of requirements went something like this:

>Pays at least $1000 per week
>40 hours per week MAXIMUM, usually less
>Never get dirty, never break a sweat
>Very low stress
>The work must be fun
>The co-workers must be fun
>I will enjoy going to work
>I will gladly do this job even if they didn’t pay me

Yeah, guess what? I never found that job. Every job I’ve had (28 so far) had some of these characteristics, but I never found a job that had all of them.

One day I was thinking about how much I didn’t like my job and I realized something profound. It hit me like a great awakening. I almost expected to see angels and God as the truth was delivered to me from above. I was smiling like an idiot as it became crystal clear. The answer was so simple, so obvious, and so liberating.

Here is the answer: ALL JOBS SUCK

Let me explain-- All jobs suck in some areas. That’s why they have to pay you to be there! Each job sucks in a different way, but they all suck. My estimate is that most jobs suck in the 80-90% range. If you have a job that fills you with joy 20% of the time, you are truly blessed! Keep that job!

On the other hand, if you hate your job more than 90% of the time, run! Get out before it kills your spirit. There are definitely better jobs out there. But remember, every job sucks to some degree. You just have to weigh the pros and cons and decide if there is enough GOOD about the job to put up with the BAD. Only you can answer that. Only you know what’s most important to you.

One final piece of advice: If you‘ve decided it‘s time to move on, begin your job search while you still have the sucky job. It’s just smart business to keep the loss of income to an absolute minimum.

Now go take on the day!
Peace out.

Check out
Duane’s YouTube Channel

10.21.2010

Don’t Drink & Drive

My friend asked me to share my thoughts on this topic.
Thanks for caring, Theresa. :)

I know some people won‘t like this post. Do you want to know how I know that? Are you ready for this? There are 1.4 million DUI arrests made every year in the United States! That’s 3835 DUI’s every day! That’s 159 DUI’s every hour! And those are just the ones who get caught! The real number of drunks on the road is actually much higher. Are you scared now? You should be!

That’s a lot of people who think they should be allowed to drink as much as they want and then drive around in a 3000 pound killing machine. Those people won’t like this post. I don’t care if they don‘t like it. This needs to be said, so I’m saying it!

The first DUI laws went into affect in 1910, that’s 100 years ago! Guess what? It’s still a problem! A HUGE PROBLEM! Do you want to know how many mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters are killed by drunk drivers every year? Well, thankfully it’s a lot less than the staggering number at the beginning of this post.

Each year in the United States, about 13,000 lives are snuffed out by ignorant drunk drivers. That’s a whole lot of people who never get to go home to their families and see the people they love, ever again.

Please think about that the next time you’ve “had a few” and you’re ready to go home. Please call a taxi. It’s much, much cheaper than the alternative.

Please be smart and be safe. Thank you.

10.20.2010

Teen Awareness—Safe Sex

My friend asked me to share my thoughts on this topic.
Thanks for caring, Theresa. :)

OK, I’m talking mostly to teens here but this really applies to all men and women. I could easily go into a rant here about being responsible, mature people, blah, blah, blah… But I don’t think that would have the desired effect---Or any effect at all. Instead, think of me as a big brother who is sharing some valuable information with you because I care about you. Safe sex is a decision you need to make EVERY TIME you are intimate with somebody, seriously!
I’m not going to bury you in statistics, but here are a couple that will put the importance of this message in perspective for you--

HALF of the 6 million pregnancies in the US every year are UNPLANNED!
Out of those 3 million UNPLANNED pregnancies, almost HALF of those (1.3 million) are ABORTED! If that doesn’t scare you, it should!

The FDA approved the marketing of Birth Control pills in 1960. They have been cheap and readily available for 50 years, and they are more than 99% effective if taken as prescribed.

What about the pregnancies that aren’t aborted? Let’s say you decide to have the baby, now what? Having a baby, whether you planned it or not will change your life FOREVER.

Consider this: There are approximately 13.7 million single parents right now in the US. About 40% of them live in poverty, even though most of them also work full time jobs. Think about that. Is that really the choice you want to make at this point in your life? IT IS A CHOICE!

OK, that’s just one side of the problem. Think about this: Have you even considered the diseases you can get from having casual, un-protected sex? Some of those diseases are curable, but some of them WILL KILL YOU! Is it worth it for one night of passion? Or one hour? Or 10 minutes? Seriously think about that, please!

MEN--Wear a condom EVERY TIME you have sex with somebody you are not married to. If you are married, make sure you are both ready to start a family.

WOMEN--Take birth control pills exactly as prescribed AND INSIST that your male partners wear a condom EVERY TIME you are intimate--Unless you are married to him and you are both ready to start a family.

It’s that easy, my friends. Please remember this chat. There is no reason to complicate your life with an UNPLANNED pregnancy when it’s so easy to prevent.

Please be smart and be safe, because I love you. :)

10.19.2010

WHAT DO I BELIEVE?

I believe naps are good for you.
I believe debt enslaves you; don’t fall for it.
I believe good deeds are always rewarded.
I believe it’s easy to find work if you WANT to work.
I believe most people are good and surprisingly similar to me.
I believe things always turn out the way they are supposed to.
I believe you can learn something from every person you meet.
I believe we should be kind to children, old people, and animals.
I believe the secret to happiness is to enjoy what you already have.
I believe we can choose to be healthy, but some people choose to be sick.
I believe we should always do the right thing, even when nobody is watching.
I believe that nobody on his or her deathbed ever said, “I wish I had spent more time at work.”

Now go take on the day!
Peace, out.

10.18.2010

MY FIRST POST--Summary of Qualifications

Hi, I’m Duane. You may be wondering, who is this guy and what are his qualifications for giving Life Lessons. Great question. Here we go: I am a happy, healthy, energetic, enthusiastic, motivating, fun-loving, creative, innovative, problem solver. I’m 49 years old. I was born and raised in Washington State. I’ve lived in several different states but I love my home in Washington most of all.

I’ve had 28 different jobs that I can remember. I’ve worked in food service, janitorial, construction, retail, auto maintenance, landscaping, US Marine Corps, accounting, science, and research. I’ve been self-employed and I’ve worked for others. I prefer working for somebody else; less risk and fewer headaches.

I believe I’m a good teacher because I find it easy to see things from another person’s perspective, therefore making it easy for me to teach based on what you know and what you want to learn, rather than pushing my point of view until you get it. I’ve also been told I’m a good motivator, and I have seen signs of that in the people around me.

Hmm, what should I do with these gifts God has given me? That’s why I started this blog. I had planned to write a book as a way of sharing my wisdom with the world. But I know me, I would spend months (years!?) on it, trying to get every word on every page just perfect. I would write, read, and re-read, edit, and re-edit till I went bonkers. Eventually, maybe, I would finish it and be able to share it with you (for a price!?) in 2015. I think everybody will agree, being able to read short blog posts on a regular basis (for free!) is the way to go! :)

So that’s me in about 350 words. Intrigued, aren’t you? LOL Stay tuned. My goal is to post AT LEAST once a week, but I really want to do 2-3 per week. Please share my posts with your friends (think: Facebook, Twitter) with the little widgets at the bottom of each post. Having millions of readers will motivate me like nobody’s business!

Now go take on the day!
Peace, out.

Check out Duane's YouTube Channel