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Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on twitter.

Colin, a talented friend of mine recently was inspired by the BP Oil incident and made the gut wrenching video below from all of the photos released about the spill. The visuals really hit home for me, choked me up, and inspired me to write some feelings I have had for a long time…

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The BP Oil Spill in the Gulf has really started to highlight a point I think the world has been missing for a long, long time. The truth is, WE are all connected. Yes, we meaning the Earth, all of its inhabitants, and humanity itself. Every creature plays a part in making this world what it is: but a small part of an expanding universe.

Yet for some reason, some time ago, the idea that animals, the Earth itself, or any other living organisms have the equal right to life as humans was discarded as hogwash. Humans are much more important, with a greater right to life, because we have a brain. That incredible brain that separates us as the cream of the animal crop is what allows us, and gives us the right, to F up the world when we want to. Right?

So what if we slaughter species after species of animals or no reason, or we ruin the one planet we have ever found that supports life. As long as someone somewhere is able to make large sums of money, who really cares about the ecosystem and the environment? I mean, if we screw up the earth, we can just move to…um….we can go live on….um…, yeah, exactly.

This is why, I just don’t get it anymore. I am fed up with humanity. On a smaller level, I simply drive down the road (an environmental issue onto itself), and I see animal after animal dead in the street. People don’t care. It’s cool, as long as they get where they are going. Then, on a major disaster level, we see something like the BP oil spill. Everyone is up in arms like this is first time, or unfortunately the last, an oil company has F’ed up an ecosystem. People will hoot and holler, but at the end of the day, it will just continue on, as long as we are able to live comfortably. Some politician(s) will use this to try and drum up votes at the next election. Some entrepreneur will find a way to profit, and the rest of us will simply move on to the next catastrophe.

However, this perspective needs to change, or it will be humanity’s downfall. A friend of mine recently mentioned something he heard and it completely blew my mind. Basically, he put it like this…

When the human body gets a virus, it lives and grows until it becomes a threat. Then the body naturally fights it with everything it has until the virus is dead, or the human is. Right now, we (humanity) are the virus. The Earth is the body, and it is fighting back against us. Volcano after volcano, earthquake after earthquake, tsunamis, etc. The Earth is tired of humanity and is doing its best to save itself and rid its body of the threat that humanity has become. And even if humanity survives, will the Earth?

I just don’t understand the universal logic that humans have a greater right to life than anything else on this planet. I mean we all live here, we all contribute, and we are all part of this once beautiful, sacred planet we call the Earth.

The government will do what they can to help, as long as it helps their supporter’s pocketbooks, or contributes to more votes for them. The majority of humans, probably including myself, will get over this at some point, and move on. This circle of life will continue until at some point, it will come to a crashing halt that will make this nightmare of a recession we are in look like heaven on Earth.

All I can say to everyone is please wake up.

The only way to change our perspective is through one person at a time. So the next time you pass a dead animal in the road, and swerve your car annoyed that it might get some blood on your tires, think of the animal itself. Think of that on a mass level happening everyday. Humanity is slowly biting the hand that feeds it. What started as a few nibbles, has snowballed into a voracious appetite for total destruction of the beautiful planet we live on, and everything that gets in our way.

Unfortunately for us, there is no check anyone can write to buy another Earth. So once again, please remind me, who are the animals with the advanced brains?

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Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on Twitter.

Every Wednesday is Personal Development in Business…

Unless you are living under a rock, I’m sure you are aware of the historic day that took place yesterday. Barack Obama was sworn in as our 44th president of the U.S.A. Stepping aside from our own political views, you can not help but like this man. It is undeniable that he is a natural born leader, regardless of what you think he will do as our President.

This country has been desperate for a leader to guide it into the information age, and to connect with the exploding youth of today. It appears for now that we have found what we have been looking for.

As a business owner, there are many things to learn from Barack Obama. Being a business owner is like leading a very small country in your own right. You do not have all the answers. You are not always going to be right. There are many different opinions on what is right and wrong, and there is also a balance of keeping everyone involved relatively happy.

However, watching President Obama make it look easy yesterday, I thought long and hard about his approach. I believe that is why he is such a magnetic individual. His personality resonates with everyone because he speaks from the heart. We believe, whether wrong or right, he has our best interest in mind.

Inspired by watching this natural born leader during the inauguration, here are…

7 tips to make you a better business owner.

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1) Being right is less important than doing what’s right.

Work with your team. Sure, you can have an opinion or a firm belief, but being a leader is about listening to those around you, not just pretending to.

2) Know your limits

President Obama made it clear that he can only do so much. It is up to each one of us to help guide this country to a better place. He put the challenge on us to be accountable for our actions.

3) Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow.

Being a great leader means knowing when it’s your turn to follow. Sometimes, a person beneath you may have a better plan. A good leader recognizes this, and understands that sometimes you lead by following others.

4) You catch more bees with honey.

As a business owner, just like a President, you can have many enemies. Some are even in your own camp. However, it is how you handle these disputes that conveys your leadership ability to others. Do not overreact and try to make each issue a case of right and wrong. Listen to your enemies, and challenge them not with words or power, but with your example. You may find an enemy becomes a great ally.

5) Take it one challenge at a time

Imagine being President Obama right now. He faces some of the toughest challenges any president has ever had to. The same can be true for a new business owner. Try not to get caught up in the pressure. Simply handle each challenge one at a time, and take it from there. You can not fix everything in one day, so no need to try.

6) It is okay to be Human.

President Obama did not come out and claim to know everything, have all the answers, or prove he is smarter than everyone else. Instead, he let his humanity show and that is what drew us all to him. We are all human, no matter how hard we try to be perfect robots. It’s okay to show our humanity. We all make mistakes, and a business owner, or the President of the U.S.A. is no exception. Admit it when you make a mistake, and take the pressure off of everyone else afraid to do so.

7) Don’t worry about the haters.

Haters to me are people who have not been able to get things in their own life to go right. Therefore, they hate on everyone else trying to accomplish the things they could not. It is most important to believe in yourself, no matter what those around you say. If you believe you can change the world, than you sure as hell have a chance of doing so. Look no further than a man named Barack Hussein Obama for your inspiration.

Now it’s your turn. In the comments section, add some other ways President Obama may have inspired you….

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Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on Twitter.

Every Wednesday is Personal Development in Business…

The other night, I was lucky to catch the Ridley Scott classic, Gladiator, starring Russell Crowe, on TV. I have the DVD, but it is one of those films I have a hard time turning off whenever I see it. For those that have not seen it (rent it now!), the movie is about a man who has everything taken from him and is forced to fight as a gladiator. It is there that he attains his revenge.

As I was watching the movie for the umpteenth time, it got me thinking about my business. In the movie, the one thing that Russell Crowe does best is fight. He starts out as one of Rome’s most celebrated generals, and ends as its most renowned Gladiator.  No matter what happened in his life, when it came down to a fight, he was right at home. However, after his son and wife were murdered, he is ready to give up fighting for anything anymore. He finds it pointless until he realizes the best way to achieve his revenge is by doing what he does best.

The Business Arena

In the business world, especially in today’s tough times, it can be hard to reach our necessary goals. I know that I have been building a company with my partner for a year, and we learn new things every day. There are numerous opportunities out there for us to make money with our talents. My partner is an incredible web designer, and I have been writing & producing videos for over 10 years.  Between the two of us, there are numerous ways for us to earn a living. Because of this, it can get confusing some times. We have created commercials, websites, and print media for all types of businesses. When someone wants to pay you for your services, it can be hard to say no.

However, that is not a gladiator. A gladiator is born and bred to do one thing, and that is fight. His life, though full of danger, is very simple. He has to be the best fighter he can be. He does not need to know anything else except how to handle his weapon of choice in the arena. That is all he needs to concentrate on.

The same goes for business. My partner and I have always had a niche for the martial arts, entertainment & music industries. It is what we enjoy doing because we enjoy mixing edgy graphics with great functionality. We love music, entertainment, and martial arts. So when a project comes along that fits that bill, are true talents naturally surface. It is as if we are in the arena slaying all of the client’s competition. We are at home.

When we get other projects that we are capable of doing, but does not fit our forte, we have not been as successful. Sure, the clients have been happy, and they got what they desired, but it is us that never feels satisfied. In other industries, our work is less enjoyable. Being that it is creative work, the enjoyment factor plays a major role in the project’s outcome.

Do What You Do Best

Just like Russell Crowe’s character, no matter what our goal is, there is only one way we are going to get there. That is by focusing on our strengths and doing what we do best. A Gladiator does not worry about the Senate, or try to figure out how to build a better arena. He does not worry about the crowd’s looking on, or the politics of the land he is in. All he worries about is the opponent(s), and doing his best to beat them.

The same exact thing needs to be applied to your business. For my partner and I, it took us a little while to realize this. All of the projects we could make money on, but did not fit our forte, wound up becoming headaches. They lacked the enjoyment necessary to put our passion into the work. We were more than capable of doing them, but that does not mean we needed to. Even though money can be tight in the first year of any business, it is not the profit that makes you money in the years to come. It is the work and service that you provide.

Just like a gladiator, it is the reputation you build that brings on real success.

Slaying the Competition

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For those of you with your own business, think of it as being in the arena. There are many weapons you can use. Which one fits you best? Take that weapon and master it. Don’t worry about learning to use every weapon out there. Become a master of one, and build from there. Over the course of your career, the opponents will change all the time. Some will be big and strong, others small and fast, but you must be ready for all. You must know that whatever opponent comes out of the gate does not matter. This is what you do. This is what makes you who you are.

Unlike a gladiator, money plays a big role in any business. Paying the bills is the top priority, so sometimes it can feel as if you need to take those jobs out of your realm. You may have to. I am not going to tell you to just forget about your bills. However, those jobs will only accomplish a single objective: making money. They will not help build your reputation, they will not be easy, and they will take more time because your passion will be lacking. At the beginning, it can seem making that money is a good thing, but once you dive into the project, you will likely find a different story. You may even be wasting time instead of finding the work that will help build your reputation.

When to Walk Away

When I used to do mortgages, it was the same story. There are many different mortgages out there (at least there used to be). There were refinances, FHA, VA, purchases, FHA streamlines, option ARMS, ARMS, and reverse mortgages. As long as I had the proper license, I could easily do anyone of those. Throw in the 50 states, and now there were so many options, your head could spin. When I first started I was so happy to get a lead, I did not care what kind of mortgage it was. However, my first boss gave me a classic piece of advice good for any business…

“In this business, it is not the deals you get, but the ones you walk away from that make you successful.”

What he meant was that each loan that I had no experience in was going to take twice as long. Sure I would make money, but if you coupled that with the time it took to figure out the process, and the fact that my customer service would be worse because of my lack of experience, you soon understood what he meant. The key to making money in mortgages was concentrating on whatever loans you did best. If you were a pro at refinances in NJ, then do not worry about a purchase in Pennsylvania, or an FHA streamline in Florida. The ratio of time to profit would not be worth your while.

So the next time the opportunity comes for you to make money in something that is not your forte, think of the Gladiator. Think of that Gladiator trying to make money by leading the Senate, or becoming a salesman. Think of how silly a Senator would look in Gladiator garb, walking around the Senate. Think of the time they would be wasting while they could simply be at home in the arena, slaying the competition they are so familiar with.

Remember, just like a gladiator, it is not the money, but rather the reputation you are building that will ultimately take you anywhere you want to go.

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Pi Yao Shirt

This Holiday season, give the gift of Health, Wealth and Prosperity.

My mom loves to shop. I mean she LOVES to shop. A year ago she brought over a black Chinese Feng Shui statue named Pi Yao or Pi Xiu. The Pi Xiu symbolizes success, wealth and prosperity. It is protection over your finances and your life.

In Chinese Feng Shui, a Pi Xiu is a mythical animal with the head of a dragon, a dog or lion’s body, & often with hoofs, little wings and a tail. The Pi Xiu is a loyal guardian that is frequently seen guarding the tombs of emperors & on the roofs of important buildings. It is believed a Pi Xiu absorbs evil and, as it has no anus, the evil cannot escape and infect the place it protects. It also absorbs wealth from all directions and signifies money coming in without going out ,which is why they are often depicted with a full belly standing on a bed of Chinese coins.

A Pi Xiu is also believed to attract short-term wealth, as in a lottery win or a cash bonus so it is very auspicious in Feng Shui terms.

You may see Pi Xiu referred to as Pi Yao (its heavenly form), Pi Kan (its sea form ), or Pi Xiu (its earth form). All forms are believed to be fiercely loyal to their master and will protect your home, generate luck and wealth while driving away evil spirits from your house.

Inspired by this, one night I started drawing (I doodle a lot) and came up with this….

Pi Yao Shirt

Peter loved it and the rest is history. In these times, I can’t think of a better gift to give this holiday season than the gift of good fortune. In fact, here are two reasons this is such a great gift….

1) Save Money

We are able to offer these t-shirts for only $13 (plus shipping). Our company Reimagine, through our web & video work, has made some great connections with Bands on a Budget to make this possible. Due to the current economic times, and because 13 is my lucky number (I know, but I was born on April 13th wore 13 as my baseball number too), we figured this was a great deal.

2) Inspire People

If you are looking for an original, meaningful gift, without having to break the bank, here’s a great idea with its own story behind it…

…the symbol on this t-shirt has an ancient tradition of attracting luck, good fortune, and short term wealth.

Give the gift of feeling lucky. Tell them to wear the t-shirt & find out if the ancient tradition is true. We at Yin vs Yang think the mind is a powerful tool. If someone believes they will have good fortune, than chances are, they will.

Whether you give the gift of luck, or grab one to get lucky yourself, all of us at Yin vs Yang want to wish everyone a great holiday season and good fortune in the new year.

To purchase one, simply click on the button below.

The 1st orders will be shipped out by next Tuesday (12/16/2008). After that, they will be shipped out as ordered.

Size

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I look forward to the holidays. Maybe it’s the time well spent with my family, watching my crazy uncle’s antics, or maybe its the food and drink that’s so readily available. I couldn’t tell you which one trumps the other but I can definitely say I truly love them both.

I can tell you that it usually has a direct effect on my weight and can have an effect on my waistline. Over many years of being an athlete I have created a blue print for myself and I would like to share it with you….

10 easy things you can do that will get you on track and do a great deal of damage control during the holiday season.

Holiday eating…ohhh yes. It’s a wonder why gyms are packed come January 2nd. It is why many people put on close to 10 pounds of gluttonous weight. But fret not. I have a recipe that if you follow you are sure to stay lean through the holidays and throughout most of your life for that matter. So lets get right to it:

1. Eat to Lose Fat

The word “Diet” brings up images of no calorie sodas bland food and pea sized portions. The very word makes most people feel hungry. Worry no more. A diet is merely a eating regime. You can have a clean diet of whole grains, lean proteins, and mono unsaturated fats, or you can have a not so clean (pretty dirty actually) diet of McDonald’s super meals and soft drinks. Many people think dieting is about restricting or starving yourself. That is the worst thing possible. Our bodies are programmed from thousand of years to horde fat the moment the consistent eating stops. We were once gatherer hunters a few million years ago. Not much has changed from a physical stand point. The only difference is now we buy our meats at the meat market.

Ponder this- when we were hunters our meals would come scarcely. For survival, when we did eat, which was on rare occasions and short bursts, the body adapted to store body fat for later usage when food wasn’t abundant. We now live in civilized society, food is readily available. You have to trick your body into thinking it’s not starving by eating more often. 5-6 times a day spaced out every 2.5 to 3 hours. This will ramp up your metabolism. It sends a signal to your body that you aren’t going hungry anytime soon and it will start to shed body fat. The worst thing one can do is starve themselves. This slows down the metabolism and the moment you put food in your mouth there is a good chance that it will wind up becoming body fat. So rule of thumb, eat to loose weight, eat every 3 hours.

2. Work Out Rocky Style

One of the most fundamental things about body fat is that the more muscle you have on your body the less body fat you will have. Period. Muscles are ovens, just to sustain muscle mass on ones body you have to burn calories. Muscle burns calories all day long even at rest. They are your body fat incinerators. Working out with some form of weights be it barbells, dumbbells or kettle bells are great for you.

This type of exercise does a few things.

• Builds muscle
• Releases endorphins
• Keeps your hormones elevated
• Increases strength and stamina
  
• Enhances mood
• Strengthen bones (only load bearing workouts can strengthen bones)

Try doing some sort of workout at least 3 times a week with some form of weighted resistance training mixed in.

3. Protein. How sweet it is.

Protein is the key building block of muscle. The average diet doesn’t include enough of it. Elite athletes take in a 1.5 grams of protein per body weight a day for men and 1 gram per body pound for women. If you weigh 200 pounds you should take in 250 grams of protein a day for a man, and if your a 120 pound woman, you should take in 120 grams of protein a day for optimal results. Chicken, turkey, eggs, lean meats, fish, nuts, milk, and dairy are all good sources of quality protein and should be your first choice. But we all know how it is to be on the run. So how do you get this protein without eating all day long? Whey protein supplementation. Whey is low in calories and high in proteins that get into your system fast. They come in powder form and mix easily. Some taste really great as well. Here are some of my personal favorites:

http://www.cheapvitamins.com/Product/Complete-Whey-2-2-lb.aspx
http://www.cheapvitamins.com/Product/Natures-Best-Perfect-Whey-Protein.aspx

The times to take Whey protein:

• first thing in the AM
• after a workout (within 20 minutes of that workout)
• right before bed

Keeping your body filled with high quality protein will put it into a positive nitrogen balance. This keeps your body from looking for protein in itself. The downside to having muscles is that to sustain muscle you need to feed it protein constantly, if you don’t it will find protein in your body and the first source it goes for is your own muscles. Your body will begin to eat itself if you starve it of protein.

4. Breakfast Is THE Most Important Meal of the Day

Breakfast is literally the break in your overnight fast while you slept. For this reason it is so crucial. It’s also why its called Breakfast. Remember how in the first tip I said eating constantly will ramp up your metabolism?

Well missing breakfast is sure to plummet it by 10% for the entire day. As I pointed out, when you go long periods of time without food, your body thinks it starving and hordes fat. There’s nothing you can really do about sleeping. If you don’t sleep won’t live too long. During sleep you have a long period of no food. It’s the first time in the whole day you go (if you eat 5-6 times a day) without food for over 3 hours. For that reason its crucial to eat the moment you awake. No later than an hour after wards. Breakfast also ramps up your metabolism for the entire day, especially when you give it good proteins some fats, and low glycemic carbs (sweet potatoes, oatmeal, Whole Wheat toast etc).

Rule of thumb: eat breakfast it as soon as you wake up. Don’t wait, and definitely don’t skip it as its detrimental in trying to keep body fat off if you do.

5. All Carbohydrates are not created equal

If protein is the building block of muscle, carbohydrates are fuel that runs the engines. You need carbohydrates as a part of your diet they give your body calories to burn while it does whatever activity you have chosen. However you should not be over eating on carbohydrates. When you do eat carbohydrates you want to stay away from simple refined ones, and pick complex carbohydrates. Just to keep things moving we will abbreviate carbohydrates for carbs going forward.

Simple sugars (soda, candy, processed foods, white rice, white bread) burn fast spiking your insulin. Complex carbs like sweet potatoes, oats, whole grains , fruits and vegetables are the way you should get your carbs. Please don’t drink soft drinks. Soft drinks are the worst thing on this planet for you, completely ridding them of your diet can easily make you drop up to pounds in a few weeks. Complex carbs are crucial when you are working out or active, they take a long time for your body to burn them up, so they produce a slow and steady stream of energy as opposed to eating something sugary which gives you a short burst of energy but then crashes your blood levels after wards. Fruits although they are a high glycemic index they are a low glycemic load, Which means they take longer to burn off, but they don’t spike your insulin like pure sugar does.

6. Sleep zzzzzzzzz

Sleep is a necessity in staying lean and staying alive. You need all the muscle you can get to keep fat from piling up. Getting ample sleep not only boosts your hormone levels, it raises growth hormone in deep R.E.M. sleep. (Dreamy sleep). Growth hormone is what keeps you feeling and looking young. As you age your body secretes less and less. Fighting back with ample sleep can work wonders. You do a serious injustice to your body and mind when you do not get the proper amount of sleep. Everyone differs, some days you may need 8 hours, some days 6. For an average adult a good rule of thumb is 6-8 hours. Studies have shown you can not make up sleep. So sleeping 15 hours after being up for 2 days doesn’t do any better than 8 hours of sleep. You lost it, it’s gone. Keep it moving.

7. Water and Vitamins

You should keep yourself hydrated. If your mouth at any point in the day is dry you are already close to 10% dehydration. I bought a stainless steel water bottle. (good for the environment, stays cold, and no nasty after taste if you leave it in the car by accident. No plastiques going down my throat…) Invest in a good multi-vitamin. Some people don’t realize how much vitamins help your bodies natural functions. Vitamins are crucial to optimal digestion and body maintenance. One a day, Solgar, and many others are a good start.

8. Sports or Activities

I love MMA, and Crossfit workouts. (http://www.crossfit.com) Doing any sort of sport, or activity is good for you. Running, biking, rollerblading, ping pong, baseball, basket ball, foot ball, hiking, swimming or any sport that will get you up get you out in the real world. You get to interact with others, with nature or your own zone, its important to break the monotony of regimen workouts in a gym per say.

9. Portion Control

This one is a big one, America is sadly uneducated when it comes to portion control. Sorry people, a plate of food should not be 2 times the size of your skull as they would have you think when you eat out at some restaurants. Correct portions should be a lot smaller than you may think. The reason we have such a weight problem in this country is directly related the the size of portions we eat. Super size is super death in a bucket. lets be honest no one has the time to measure portions, and you’d be kinda weird to walk around with measuring cups at work. A good rule of thumb is using your clenched fist as a guide. A meal of 3 major groups is important. Proteins, fats, carbs, vegetables and fruits. A rule of thumb is you should have a clenched fist full of protein, of carbs, and a fist and a half of Vegetables. Add in a few servings of fruit a day and some good fats and your doing great. Using the fist method works because on average a persons hand is proportion to the size of their body (for the most part).

10. Getting Back on the Wagon After a Hard Fall.

We are all human, to say we are going to go through the holidays without indulging would probably not be realistic. Don’t beat yourself up over it. Staying fit and lean, actually includes a day of cheating. If you stick to a strict regimen all week, and take 1 day to to eat everything in your kitchen, from pizza to Baskin & Robbins, it’s OK. Blasphemy you say? Not even a bit. Eating whatever you want for a day will actually tell your body it’s not starving and help the following weeks fat burning session. If you do slip up don’t get crazy over it. Most people use this slip up to rationalize why they should quit the rest of the day and just pig out. “Oh well I messed up already may as well go for the whole day…” Wrong. Don’t go there. Just jump right back where you fell off and grab the next proper meal. That’s it. Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor was it toppled in one either. Just don’t beat yourself up over it. See it for what it is: mistake in judgment, and put yourself right back on schedule.

Holiday season is a lovely time. use these tips now and all year long and your sure to stay the same waist size. I don’t like to gloat but I have been doing this now for a decade and being 33, I am the same waist size as 23.

Wishing you and yours happy holidays from yinvsyang.com

This is a guest post written by Nathalie Lussier from Billionaire Woman.

I am currently traveling throughout China, and I decided that I would take a closer look at Chinese medicine. While in Beijing, I had my pulse checked by a traditional Chinese doctor.

What the doctor told me after 30 seconds of feeling my pulse was a revelation!

She could tell from the beating of my heart, whether I was healthy or not. However, she never told me that I needed to undergo more tests, because all she needed to know was whether my body was in balance or out of balance.

Balance

In traditional Chinese medicine, balance is the key to perfect health. Rather than a cold being caused by a virus, as in western thinking, a cold is caused by an imbalance in your body. For instance, you may have slept too little, or eaten too much unhealthy food. All of these things can be solved through the application of different herbs, and every plant has either a yin quality or a yang quality.

Hot and Cold

In traditional Chinese medicine, every food has a temperature: hot or cold. When I first went to visit a Chinese doctor, I was told that my body was too cold and that I should eat only hot things.

Food that is hot includes: meet, nuts, seeds, durian, bananas, garlic, ginger, onions, and other spices.

Cold foods include cucumbers, oranges, watermelon, lettuce, and other fruits and vegetables that are high in water content.

What you eat impacts your balance, such that medicine and food are one and the same. Different people need different amounts of each type of food group in order to keep their own balance in check.

Men and Women

Using the Yin and Yang concept, men are hot and women are cold. This may or may not stem from the fact that men tend to eat more hot things such as meat, and women historically eat more fruits and vegetables. Whatever the case may be, the way that women act and then act also reflects this hot and cold reality. Men tend to be fiery, aggressive, and on the ball. Whereas women tend to be like the waves of the ocean, cold, cyclic, and more emotional.

Neither of these is wrong, or better than the other, we just happen to need a bit of each to make the world work. It’s another piece of the balance puzzle.

Yin and Yang Working Together

Although we have yet to achieve balance on a world scale, I believe that true balance begins within. Once you start eating a more balanced diet in terms of hot and cold foods, your body will return to its optimum state. Once you are a healthy individual, you will begin to look towards the outside and try to balance this reality. Once we have more balanced individuals vying for global balance between men and women, humans and animals, nature and humanity, we will make great strides.

I challenge you to learn more about traditional Chinese medicine, or at least try to balance your intake of cold vegetables with hot foods.

This is a guest post written by Nathalie Lussier from Billionaire Woman.

Yesterday, I wrote about how the mind, body & spirit interact inside each one of us.  Continuing on for those of you with excellent discipline , I wanted to talk about something very dear to me:  wild dreams.

Wild dreams are a great part of our humanity.  To me, they make everything feel a little better about daily life.  We can always sit back and picture our wildest dreams to feel a little better about ourselves.  We always have our hopes and dreams which no one can ever take away from us.

It is these hopes and dreams that guide our young lives.

For example, when I was younger, I used to dream of being a baseball player.  It was something my Dad held dear, and it was the first sport I really learned to play.  I used to dream of what it would be like to be a big league ball player.  I remember as a little kid in Brooklyn, I got a chance to meet some of the World Champion 1986 New York Mets.  Mookie Wilson, Bud Harrelson, and Lee Mazzilli were invited to hand out trophies in my little league.

My Dad walked up with me to meet Lee Mazzilli.  Lee turned to hand me my trophy and stopped suddenly.  His face signaled recognition.  He said “Hey Pete, how are you?”  I was stunned.  My name was not on the trophy.  How did he know a little 8 year old from Brooklyn?  All of a sudden my Dad (also named Pete) sticks out his hand and says “Hey Lee, long time.”  In my amazement, my Dad and Lee began talking like old buddies.  I found out later that they played baseball together in Brooklyn most of their lives before my Dad got hurt in college.  He had never said a word about it to me before.

This was the first ‘starstruck’ moment I can remember.  For awhile after that I wanted to be a ball player.  I talked about being a ball player.  I watched the games.  I played against my little sisters.  I even joined little leagues.  However, when it came time to practice, I usually made an excuse.  When I did not do so good, I figured maybe I was not meant to be a ball player.  No matter how many times I was told I needed to practice if I wanted to get better, I never seemed to listen.  I just figured if I was any good, it would come naturally.

This is where the Mind vs. Body comes in. As a kid, I was unaware of how the world operated.  My mind was telling me I wanted to be a ball player.  However, my body was telling me it was too tired to practice, or that practicing was boring.  My mind was also telling me whenever I would strike out or make an error that I was not to blame. I just was not born good enough.  I just did not have the same talent my Dad or other kids had.  This is what I perceived to be true.

The real truth is, it was all my fault.

Now, being that I was a kid, I am not trying to be hard on myself.  I am just using this as an example of my mindset.  It sounds rather simple.  Obviously, we all know we have to work at anything we want to achieve.  But what is important about this story is the way my mind tricked me.  It made me perceive that everything happening around me was out of my control.  All the things I wanted in life were like a lottery ticket.  If they happened, great.  If they did not, then it was not meant to be.  That is a scary way to think.  It’s like your whole life is one big crap shoot.

I think for me, it was tough to realize that if I did not achieve these goals, I would be a failure.  It was less pressure to not try too hard and take whatever success came to me.  That was the safe route.  What I have learned more than anything else in life, is that the safe route is usually the wrong one to take.  The tough path is always harder at first, but once you make it down the road, the rewards are priceless.  Instead of wondering if you should take the tough path, try wondering what happens if you do not.  What if you don’t take any chances to live the life you want to?  Is that how you want to spend the only guaranteed life you have?

The gift of life is your wildest dream!

It’s up to you to fill in the details.  You live only one life we are sure of, and therefore we only have one chance to do what we want.  There is a deep self-satisfaction at going after your wildest dreams.  Achieving them is the icing on the cake, but I bet many successful people will tell you, the time they treasured most is not after they achieved their goal, but rather while they were deep in the midst of attempting to.  It is the struggle we all look back on fondly, because that it was really makes you feel proud of yourself.  Just knowing that most other people would have quit when you kept going is enough fuel to help you achieve many more goals.  It is that pride that we hold dear, not the actual success.

Achieving Your Wildest Dreams

Below is a list of steps to start toward achieving your wildest dreams.  Please be warned:  these are not life changing tips.  You will not read the words below and be so mesmerized that you will suddenly achieve all of your dreams in the next 10 minutes.  Rather, the point of these steps is two fold.  First, I want you to try and identify exactly what these dreams are.  Second, I want you to understand just how possible they are to reach….

1. Identify Your Dream – Simply put, pick your wildest dream or desire, no matter what anyone else thinks of it, and run with it.  It is very important to know just what you want.  Being rich is not a realistic goal.  It is more of a desire.  To get rich, you create a realistic goal to make money.  You don’t just really want to be rich bad and go around chasing every potential money maker you can find.  Make sure you identify exactly what you want to do.  Pick something you love to do, not something you like.  Something you truly enjoy whether the pay check is good or not.
2. Believe – A crucial step is to leave all doubts behind.  Don’t worry about if you can succeed.  Just worry about if you want to.  If it is something you truly dream of doing, the success will come to you.  Worrying about whether or not you can be successful is a waste of time in the beginning.  No one is ever able to identify success for sure before they try something.  Instead, worry about succeeding.  Worry about your desires.  Worry about yourself.  Don’t let your mind tell you any different: If you love to do something, success will find you.
3. Plan – This is the part most people skip.  You need to identify a realistic strategy for achieving your goal.  The way I do this is I pretend I am doing it for someone else.  I make a plan of how I would want a perfect employee to do the tasks I need to accomplish the goal.  By making believe it is someone else, I am able to ignore my personal feelings (& laziness).  This prevents me from making internal excuses for not doing what I really think needs to be done.
4. Implement – Now, we all know, even with a full-fledged plan we probably won’t follow it everyday.  That is okay.  We just want you to have one as a guide.  Start out trying your plan for 1 whole week without judging any part of it.  Even if it feels terribly wrong, just give it a shot for 1 week.  This is the most critical step.  If you do not try out your plan, then why even bother creating one?
5. Fail – Yep, you read it right.  Life is a constant learning experience, so don’t expect your plan to go smoothly.  An important step toward any goal is failing. You must fail in certain aspects. I would like to say it is impossible, even though I have no proof, that you can create a perfect plan and not fail right from the start.  Chances are, you will fail at some part or another of the initial planning process.  Failing is an important step, because fixing these weak links is the best way to strengthen the whole chain for the long journey.
6. Adjust – After you have given it a serious try, and failed in some regard, now is the time to adjust your plan.  Maybe you overcompensated for this aspect, or maybe you underestimated the effectiveness of that strategy.  Either way, plans should always be adjusted.  I like to make 3 month plans, this way you give yourself some time to achieve small goals, and mix in any changes along the way you did not see coming.
7. Persist – Keep going and repeat steps 3-7 as necessary.  The most important part of achieving any dream is the refusal to give up.  Remember it is this easy: If you don’t give up, there is no way you can possibly have failed.  Be persistent and don’t accept permanent failure.  Just understand that you will probably fail in some major battles on the way to winning the big war.  Just check any history book on war for real life examples of that.

Remember, that’s what the battle for success is: A war of attrition.

No matter what your mind tells you.  No matter what your body warns you of.  Achieving your dreams, whatever they may be, is definitely a realistic possibility.  It is up to you to make it a reality, no one else.  Not destiny, not fate, nor divine intervention.  It is all up to you. Just don’t expect it to be easy.  Instead, expect it to be gratifying.

I have never heard anyone say they were sorry for going after their dream.  I also have never heard anyone tell me they succeeded at their wildest dreams without ever trying.  Keep that in mind when those little inner whispers of doubt start to get louder in your head, or when other people don’t believe in it like you do.  Those negative thoughts are your mind challenging your body.  That is your mind warning you that maybe ‘no way we can do that.’  It is up to you to make it believe it can.

The final part of this short series will be about how to better balance your mind and body.  It will discuss some different ways for how to get your body to better listen to your mind by revealing the power of thoughts.

Until then, try to think objectively….

Does the fear of failing play a big role in your decision making?

Are you really going after the life you want?

YinVsYang was created to help shed light on the internal battles we all have on a daily basis, but usually fail to vocalize with others. We wanted to open up our souls, and tell all of the things we silently tell ourselves to the rest of the world. We figured if we think like this, than it must be that other people do as well.

By understanding the way we all function inside, it will help us to better understand other people’s reactions as well.  This helps us immeasurably in our daily lives.  Each time you interact with people, your emotion subsides, and your understanding takes over.  It leaves you calmer, with a clearer mind, and able to think from different perspectives.  Instead of being mad at someone for how they are acting, you turn it around, by understanding their motives.  This gives you the edge.  The person who gets the most emotional is the person who is the most out of control.

So what is the Mind Vs. Body?

With this in mind, I have decided I am going to do a three part series on the Mind Vs. the Body.  I hope that others will join in the discussion in hopes we may all learn from one another’s experiences.  I have found that controlling this internal battle is the key to winning the external war we know as ‘life‘.

I always write about the story of the 4-minute mile.  This short video explains a little more about the story and why it is an example of the MInd vs. Body.

The Mind

The mind is one of the most powerful muscles in the entire universe.  It represents the cerebral part of life, where all of your thought processes take place, such as….

• Dreams
• Goals
• Desires
• Beliefs
• Mood
• Fears
• The Conscience
• Interpreting Emotions & Feelings
• Judgement
• Memory
• Visualization
• Willpower

The Body

The body, is the other part of the equation.  It represents the physical world.  Your body provides all of the communication about the outside world to the mind, such as…

• Temperature
• Perception (sight)
• Taste
• Smell
• Sound
• Touch
• Pain
• Breathing
• Energy Levels
• Health

Spirit

The balance & connection between these two entities make up your spirit.  It is your spirit that drives your daily life.  For example, the mind has dreams and desires which effect which sights, sounds, and any other stimulus you pay attention to.  If you are interested in Jiu Jitsu, and you hear someone speak about it, then you are more likely to stop and listen.

What happens sometimes in all our lives is that one part of this equation takes control and messes up the balance inside us.  You may have a person who is lost in their beliefs, dreams, fears, or past memories, and is unable to function in the physical world.  This can be the story of their entire life, or it can be a small phase.

Or, on the other side of the coin, you have a person that is completely sensual, paying only attention to the physical aspects of life.  They ignore all of their rational thoughts in order to pursue a life of the flesh.  They have decided that feeling good physically is much more important than feeling good inside.

I’m sure, at one time or another, we have all experienced highs and lows like these in each of our lives.  Maybe we let the physical feelings control our mind and our actions, or instead, had our fears override any normal logic. It is in this regard that life is a constant challenge that never ends.  Each of us struggle to balance our mind & body on a daily basis, whether we are aware of it or not.  It is the people who learn enough discipline on both sides of the battle that go on to achieve their wildest dreams.

How Can This Help Me Achieve My Wildest Dreams?

Well, you’ll have to be patient and tune in for part 2.  I guess, this in itself, is your very first lesson in discipline .  But first, I would like to hear any thoughts or stories where you have found (or at least just realized) that your body & mind may have been a bit unbalanced.  The first step is always awareness.

Before we continue, I want you to think about this idea of balance.  See what takes precedence in your life: body or mind?.  Are you a person who follows your emotions &/or fears, wearing them on your sleeve?  Or are you a person who leads a life of the flesh, learns from experience only, and listens to no one but themselves?  Or maybe, you are somewhere in between, like the majority of us?  Either way, it is important to understand how you work before we go any further.

For me, I like to think I do a pretty good job of balancing the two.  When I was younger, I was completely a Mind person.  I was overridden by emotion, fear, and life like most of us are.  As I grew older, I began to understand more about the body.  I began to understand how my body communicates with my mind, and how to interpret what it is ‘really’ saying.  I began to understand that there is a lot more to this balance than I thought.

I also began to understand the dual Power of the Mind and the importance of the spirit.  See you here for part two, if you have the discipline…

We all like to eat healthy, but it can be expensive to do so. Below is an incredible list of 10 Tips that will not only keep you healthy, they will save you some money as well.

1. Buy Whole Foods. Unprocessed foods are cheaper and more nutritious than processed foods. They also give you total control over the ingredients. Avoid anything that comes from a box 90% of the time.

• Proteins. Ground beef, frozen chicken breast, tuna cans, calves’ liver, cottage cheese, plain yogurt, eggs, milk, whey, …
• Carbs. Pasta, rice, oats, potatoes, beans, apples, bananas, raisins, broccoli, spinach, cabbage, …
• Fats. Olive oil, fish oil, flax seeds, real butter, mixed nuts, …

2. Buy Cheap Proteins. You need 1g protein per pound of body-weight per day to build and maintain muscle. Eating whole protein with each meal also helps fat loss as protein has a higher thermic effect than other foods.

Keep the steaks & salmon for special occasions. Buy eggs, milk, whey, mackerel, tuna, calves liver, frozen chicken breast, cottage cheese, …

3. Buy Frozen Fruits & Veggies. Unfreeze berries in microwave and eat warm with cottage cheese. Put frozen spinach in a colander the night before and try one of these recipes the next day. Try also frozen beans & broccoli. Benefits:

• Save Money. Often half the price of fresh. Almost infinite shelf life when kept in freezer. And you can buy in bulk to get more discount.
• Save Time. Frozen fruits & veggies are pre-washed and pre-cut, which saves preparation time. Time is money.
• Nutrient Dense. If frozen right when picked, frozen fruits & veggies can contain more nutrients than fresh ones.

4. Buy Generic Food. And store brands. Raw foods like rice, pasta, eggs, milk, cottage cheese, frozen fruits/veggies, … taste like brand name foods once you get used to them. But they’ll save you money on packaging & advertising.

5. Buy Supplements. They’re cheap and make your life easier, however whole food is better. You can use supplements, but make sure the bulk of your diet consists of whole, unprocessed foods.

• Whey. Cheapest protein you’ll find. 1 scoop ON whey is 24g protein/30g serving. At 2 scoops/day, a 10lbs bag will last 10 weeks for $84.99.
• Fish Oil. Cheaper than fish. 1tsp Carlson Fish Oil is 1600mg omega-3. At 1tsp/day, 1 bottle will last 40 days for $23.04.
• Multi-vitamins. Vitamin deficiency is common. 1 bottle AST Multi Pro 32x contains 100 servings and will last 6 weeks for $17.03.

6. Buy in Bulk. Especially when you have promos running. Foods like pasta, rice and oats are easy to stockpile. If they’re on sale, buy as much as you can afford & store to last you until the next sale. More ideas.

• Side of Beef. Not necessarily cheaper, but you have better quality meat. Buying a side of beef gets you 100lbs meat at $3.60/lbs.
• Supplements. You often get free shipping and discounts when buying in bulk. Make a 4 month order for you, friends & family and split the costs.
• Frozen Fruits & Veggies. Check tip #1. Saves money, saves times and nutrient dense. Buy mixed berries, spinach, broccoli, beans, etc.

7. Buy In Season Fruits & Veggies. Food grown in season tastes better and is cheaper. Root vegetables in the Winter. Apples & squash in the Fall. Broccoli & berries in the Summer.

8. Buy Calorie Dense Foods. Whole milk, potatoes, rice, pasta & oats are filling, healthy and easy to stockpile. They’ll help you get your daily caloric needs fast & cheap.

9. Buy Discounted Meat. Grocery stores often discount meats by up to 70% as they approach expiration date. Buy several pounds and store in your freezer.

10. Buy From Local Farmers. Or farmer’s markets. They aren’t always cheaper, but you get tastier & better quality food and they often give you free stuff when you buy a lot.

Working out is something I believe everyone should do.  What type of workout, or level of workout makes no difference.  Everyone has their own starting points.  The key is just to make sure you progress forward at your own pace.

However, the common myth most people have is that working out is only good for your body.  It is actually very satisfying for your mind as well.  Many people discount the mental effect working out has on your daily mood, and this is a mistake.  The mental edge you get from pushing yourself daily is highly worth it.

When you work out, the idea is to push your own body past its normal limits, making it work hard for its own good.  Picture it like an old car in the garage.  You don’t just let the car sit there looking pretty forever.  You have to run the engine and take it out once in awhile so it is less likely to break down.  Well, the same goes for your body.  You need to keep it active or it is more likely to deteriorate.

Not only that, but the same goes for your mind as well.  The more you keep it active, the sharper it will be.  The more you try to use it, the better you will be at doing so.  Such is the nature of life.  This is why working out is just as important.  It is a goal you set each and every week.  When you accomplish that goal, it provides an inner satisfaction just like accomplishing any goal.

Of course, it feels more like a routine the longer you get into it.  That is why, you need to consistently push your mind and body during your workouts.  Your mind plays games with you when you work out.  It can trick you into believing you have nothing left when you do.  On the opposite tip, it can also push your body further than it believes it can go.

The mind is a very powerful tool when working out.  In my opinon, the results may show up in your body, but you are really just working out your mind.  Each day you work out you are seeing how mentally strong you are, pushing yourself slightly past your limits, so that as time progresses, you get stronger and more confident.

In turn, this permeates your everyday life.  Reaching other small goals becomes routine.  Reaching larger goals becomes more realistic. Pushing yourself further than your normal limits also becomes routine.  Remember, the brain is a muscle in itself.  It needs to be worked out as well.

Don’t discount the power a healthy workout routine has on the mind.  It may be just the mental push you need in life.