– Clearing Your Clutter With A Yard Sale By: Laurie J. Raphael As you may already know, the first step to obtaining a feng shui life is to rid your home and yourself of all the stale and dead energy around you by getting rid of all the clutter. One really good way to do that is by having a yard sale. There are many great reasons for having a yard sale. Some people have yard sales before they move so they don't have to pack and ship belongings they aren't using. Sometimes they are updating the look of their home and sell their old belongings to make money and room for the new ones.
Sometimes your children just grow like weeds and rapidly outgrow both their clothes and their toys. It could also simply be the desire to purge all those items you've held onto for so long, thinking you'd find a use for them but never did. No matter what your reason, having a yard sale is a relatively easy goal to achieve and requires just a few hours of preparation and a few more hours actually selling your wares. You'll reap both financial and emotional rewards from it. Getting rid of the clutter is your first step towards attaining a feng shui life. Decide on a date for your yard sale.
Visit your local liquor store for boxes or use heavy duty garbage bags to put the items for your sale into. Start by surveying the items you have. When you are going through your house, you will need to be brutally honest with yourself. If you haven't used it, don't like it, don't see yourself using it or don't know of anyone personally who could benefit from it, then it's a yard sale item. Sort through every dresser and kitchen drawer, every clothes and linen closet, every cupboard and toy box you have in your house. Don't forget your basement, attic, pantry, entertainment center, buffet and outdoor tool shed as well. Get your family involved so that if an item belongs to one of them you won’t be making the decision for them. Get their input before placing an item in your yard sale box. Regardless of the time it takes to sort through all your items, make the commitment to stick with it and remind yourself on a continual basis the monetary profit and emotional relief you'll feel once your clutter has been cleared from your home.
Once the sale is over, make another commitment to yourself not to bring the unsold items back into your home. Make arrangements with your local charity thrift store to donate the items. Most will be happy to make arrangements to pick up large donations. If you don’t have a local charity who will pick up the items just use my method and put a big “FREE” sign out at the end of the day. You will not believe how fast those items will disappear and it will save you a trip to the second hand store or from being tempted to bring the items back into the house. Once it's all said and done, you'll have a few extra dollars in your pocket, and can breathe an emotional sigh of relief that the clutter that's been weighing you down for so long has been purged from your home. Renew your commitment to remain organized and to combat the clutter on a continual basis.
About The Author Laurie J. Raphael Visit my Alternative Medicine website featuring Feng Shui life and Herbal Remedy Medicines, Chinese Herbal Medicine and much more: http://www.AlternativeMedicineBasics.com Sign up for my Newsletter at: altmedbasics@getresponse.com
Friday, March 21, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
5 Simple Ways to Get Instant Respect
By: Jesse Lear
Always be prepared
Always being prepared is one of the most powerful ways to look like you've got it all together. Be a few minutes early everywhere you go. If you're meeting with someone for the first time, find out everything you can about them beforehand. On your way to an event, decide what you want to get out of it. Are you looking to make a deal, or just have great conversation? Simply knowing what you want can make you look like you've got everything figured out, while everyone else is feeling awkward and wondering what to do next. Another tip: if you don't have a planner, go get one and do your best to keep it updated. It's an easy way to keep track of what's happening and be prepared for important events.
Get your appearance under control
Shallow? Maybe. But whether you like it or not, your appearance will always make a substantial difference in how much you respect you get. Pick up a copy of GQ (for guys) or InStyle (for girls) for some tips on how to dress stylishly. Get a modern, professional-looking haircut. Make sure you smell good and keep your breath fresh. Set a goal to eat healthier and exercise more regularly, then find a partner to keep you accountable. Take care of yourself as best as you can. People will assume you take care of everything else the same way.
Learn to Communicate Professionally
Pay attention to how respected successful people talk. Only talk about subjects your "audience" can relate to. Talk clearly and with a calm, powerful voice. Learn about topics and current events that are likely to be discussed in public. Read as much as you can from various genres to improve your vocabulary. Take every opportunity you can to talk in front of people, even if it terrifies you now. Trust me on this: with practice, the fear WILL go away, and you WILL get better. And the most important tip for communicating professionally: listen more and talk less.
Act like you own the place
No matter who you are, you can act in a way that makes people assume you're a powerful person. One of the best ways I've found to do this is to just slow down! When you walk, slow down, completely relax your shoulders, and let your arms sway slightly at your sides. When you enter a room, look around calmly. Don't be afraid to make eye contact with people (don't stare them down, either…just look confidently, and then calmly look away). Get comfortable. Focus on making all of your movements smooth and calculated. Be polite and friendly to everyone. Wherever you go, assume that everyone respects and cares about you. If you do, often times they will.
Tell it like it is
There's a difference between being afraid to say what you feel and choosing not to say it. Choosing not to say what you feel is OK. Being afraid to is not. If someone asks your opinion on something, be considerate, but give it to them straight. Don't sugar-coat or apologize for the truth, and never exaggerate it to make yourself sound better. I've found that honesty and being willing to admit you are human will earn you a whole lot more respect than any impressive story ever could.
So there you go! These 5 Simple Ways to Get Instant Respect have helped me immensely over the past few years. Let us know if they help you too!
About The Author
Jesse Lear is Co-Founder and Personal Development Expert for Young Wealth Weekly, a premium online magazine designed to help young entrepreneurs reach their dreams. You can subscribe FREE by visiting http://www.youngwealthweekly.com !
Always be prepared
Always being prepared is one of the most powerful ways to look like you've got it all together. Be a few minutes early everywhere you go. If you're meeting with someone for the first time, find out everything you can about them beforehand. On your way to an event, decide what you want to get out of it. Are you looking to make a deal, or just have great conversation? Simply knowing what you want can make you look like you've got everything figured out, while everyone else is feeling awkward and wondering what to do next. Another tip: if you don't have a planner, go get one and do your best to keep it updated. It's an easy way to keep track of what's happening and be prepared for important events.
Get your appearance under control
Shallow? Maybe. But whether you like it or not, your appearance will always make a substantial difference in how much you respect you get. Pick up a copy of GQ (for guys) or InStyle (for girls) for some tips on how to dress stylishly. Get a modern, professional-looking haircut. Make sure you smell good and keep your breath fresh. Set a goal to eat healthier and exercise more regularly, then find a partner to keep you accountable. Take care of yourself as best as you can. People will assume you take care of everything else the same way.
Learn to Communicate Professionally
Pay attention to how respected successful people talk. Only talk about subjects your "audience" can relate to. Talk clearly and with a calm, powerful voice. Learn about topics and current events that are likely to be discussed in public. Read as much as you can from various genres to improve your vocabulary. Take every opportunity you can to talk in front of people, even if it terrifies you now. Trust me on this: with practice, the fear WILL go away, and you WILL get better. And the most important tip for communicating professionally: listen more and talk less.
Act like you own the place
No matter who you are, you can act in a way that makes people assume you're a powerful person. One of the best ways I've found to do this is to just slow down! When you walk, slow down, completely relax your shoulders, and let your arms sway slightly at your sides. When you enter a room, look around calmly. Don't be afraid to make eye contact with people (don't stare them down, either…just look confidently, and then calmly look away). Get comfortable. Focus on making all of your movements smooth and calculated. Be polite and friendly to everyone. Wherever you go, assume that everyone respects and cares about you. If you do, often times they will.
Tell it like it is
There's a difference between being afraid to say what you feel and choosing not to say it. Choosing not to say what you feel is OK. Being afraid to is not. If someone asks your opinion on something, be considerate, but give it to them straight. Don't sugar-coat or apologize for the truth, and never exaggerate it to make yourself sound better. I've found that honesty and being willing to admit you are human will earn you a whole lot more respect than any impressive story ever could.
So there you go! These 5 Simple Ways to Get Instant Respect have helped me immensely over the past few years. Let us know if they help you too!
About The Author
Jesse Lear is Co-Founder and Personal Development Expert for Young Wealth Weekly, a premium online magazine designed to help young entrepreneurs reach their dreams. You can subscribe FREE by visiting http://www.youngwealthweekly.com !
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