A Better Life: ItsYourFuture!

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A Better Life: ItsYourFuture!

Be Happy Be Healthy, Live Long and Prosper
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Vol.2, No.13, July 11th., 2000 ISSN 1442-5211

CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE
----------------------

1. Our Sponsor

2. Welcome From the Publisher

3. Our Motto

4. BE HAPPY: the MIND-ATTITUDE

Inspiration:
-The Power of Words, and Deeds
-Whose Life Have YOU Touched Today?
Humor:
-Baby Boomers Then and Now
Romance:
-Want Romance? Learn to Dance!

5. BE HEALTHY, LIVE LONG: the BODY-HEALTH/FITNESS/NUTRITION

-Soda Pops Bones
-Exercise More and Live Longer
-A Free Nutrition Asssessment
-A Fascinating Allergy Tip on Mustaches!

6. PROSPER: MONEY-CAREER/BUSINESS/INVESTING/HOME BUSINESS

7. Our Companion Ezines

8. Classified Ads.

9. Privacy Policy, Disclaimer and Copyright Notice

10. Contact Information

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1. Our Sponsor:
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===================== WEB MARKETING EZINE =====================
Let us help YOU succeed on the Web with Tips, Tools, News & Views
on Web Marketing and E-Commerce, from a street-smart Marketer.
Subscribe FREE at: http://www.itsyourfuture.net/ezines.shtml
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2. Welcome from the Publisher
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"That best portion of a good man's life: his little,
nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love."
- William Wordsworth

"All you have shall some day be given; Therefore
give now, that the season of giving may be yours
and not your inheritors."
- Kahlil Gibran

I have read these two quotes since the last Issue. In that last
Issue, I made a plea for our readers to make a small contribution
to the wonderful, empowering work of the Life in Africa
Foundation. Perhaps the best thing I can do, is to repeat those
words, with a few small timing changes in the item below called
"Whose Life Have YOU Touched Today?" Please read it. Please
support it.

John

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3. Our Motto
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Our Motto is- "Be Happy, Be Healthy, Live Long and Prosper."
>From this Motto, we can define the three areas in which we intend
to assist our readers.

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4. BE HAPPY: the MIND-ATTITUDE
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Quote:
"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue
over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small
hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone
else's hands, but not you." Jim Rohn

The Power of Words, and Deeds
-----------------------------

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from
my class walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked
like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, "Why
would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must
really be a nerd." I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a
football game with my friend the following afternoon), so I
shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They
ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping
him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw
them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and
I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.

My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him, and as he
crawled around looking for his glasses, I saw a tear in his eye.

I handed him his glasses and said, "Those guys are jerks. They
really should get lives."

He looked at me and said, "Hey, thanks!" There was a big smile
on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real
gratitude.

I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. It
turned out he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen
him before. He said he had gone to private school before coming
to this school.

I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We
talked all the way home, and I carried his books. He turned out
to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play
football on Saturday with me and my friends. He said yes. We
hung all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I
liked him. And my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of
books again. I stopped him and said, "Damn boy, you are gonna
really build some serious muscles with this pile of books
everyday!" He just laughed and handed me half the books. Over the
next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.

When we were seniors, we began to think about college. Kyle
decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke. I knew that we
would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem.
He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a
football scholarship. Kyle was valedictorian of our class.

I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare
a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get
up there and speak.

Graduation day arrived - I saw Kyle and he looked great. He was
one of those guys that really found himself during high school.

He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more
dates than me and all the girls loved him!

Boy, sometimes I was jealous. Today was one of those days. I
could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked
him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!"

He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one)
and smiled. "Thanks," he said. As he started his speech, he
cleared his throat, and began.

"Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it
through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your
siblings, maybe a coach... but mostly your friends. I am here
to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best
gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story."

I stared at my friend in disbelief as he told the story of the
first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the
weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his
Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.
He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile. "Thankfully, I
was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular
boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and Dad
looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until
that moment did I realize its depth.

Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small
gesture you can change a person's life. For better or for worse.
God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in
some way. Look for God in others.

"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have
trouble remembering how to fly."
-Unknown

What wonderful words!.....
"Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small
gesture, you can change a person's life."
"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have
trouble remembering how to fly."

I was touched when I read this story, and those words. All the
more so, because it says so well, what I expressed so arkwardly
last issue about the work of the Life In Africa Foundation.
If YOU would like to change a person's life; if YOU would like
to be the angel helping someone to their feet, please join us in
helping deserving people to get on their feet, by reading the
next item, and sending me an email with your pledge.

Whose Life Have YOU Touched Today?
----------------------------------

Last week, we had another heart-warming story in our Inspiration
section, entitled "Information Please". It harked back to an
earlier technological age that many of our readers will not have
experienced. That doesn't matter, because the human message was
timeless. The story ended with the question, "Whose life have
you touched today?"

In my own small way, I hope the words we print in these pages
reach out to help, reassure, support and inspire. But I know in
my heart, that producing this ezine not enough. I know that most
of our readers are from the First World, and that as a group we
enjoy one of the greatest standards of living in the history of
our species. For all our problems and shortcomings, we are
uniquely blessed. Many are not so lucky. They live with hunger,
disease and oppression daily.

The underlying motivation of A Better Life:ItsYourFuture!, is to
support and encourage those who want to take control of their own
future- in how happy they choose to be, in their health, and in
the realm of personal finance. For most of US, our problem lies
in not taking advantage of the wealth and opportunities that lie
all around us! For most in the world, and those we seek to help,
the opportunities are much smaller, and much further out of reach.

Over the last year, I've been drawn back a number of times to a
website that helps change the lives of many people. Its called
Life in Africa, and its purpose is to help individuals set up
small enterprises to support their families. The amounts of money
involved are a pittance to us, and beneath the normal banks'
dignity.

Very briefly, supporters of Life in Africa donate money.
The money is used to guarantee small loans to individuals who can
make a good case. Most of them are women, trying to help provide
for their families. As the loan is repaid, the money is recycled-
further loans are guaranteed, helping even more people. It's
called Microfinance.

By self-selection, readers of A Better Life:ItsYourFuture! are
a wonderful group of motivated, supportive, compassionate people.
I'd like to propose that, as a community, we work with the Life in
Africa Foundation to support the endeavors of those with the
initiative to develop ways of helping their families. I'd ask you
to have a look a few webpages....

http://www.lifeinafrica.com/give/borrowers/may00.htm
will show you the kind of people we can help.

http://www.lifeinafrica.com/microfinance/microfinance.htm
will tell you how microfinance works.

http://www.lifeinafrica.com/report.htm
will show you how some individual donations are working in
practice. Have a look at how $100 donated by a couple called
Bruns, has guaranteed 4 loans worth a total of $599 in just 6
months.

This issue, I invite all our readers to make a small donation by
credit card. Money that for us only means a couple of magazines
or a Big Mac Meal. I'm talking $5, $10 or $20. Nothing to us.

Please email me at [email protected] and let
me know how much you would like to donate. I'll get back to you
when the webpage is up to take your credit card payment. The total
amount will be forwarded to the Life in Africa Foundation as a
donation from the readers of this ezine. So that you know that
'the right thing has been done', I will publish a list of donors,
and the amounts they donated, in the first Issue after we have
processed the payments. (I will be using Clickbank to handle the
charges. They cost $1 per transaction, plus 7.5%. It will be at
least a month between the charges being made, and my getting the
Clickbank cheque. It will then take a few weeks to clear, as it
will be a US cheque in US dollars, and I have to deposit it in
Australia. Please be patient!)

>From then on, we'll keep you up-to-date on a monthly basis with
information on the people who are being helped, and their
projects that have been made possible by your generosity. I for
one, will feel a little prouder of my answer, when I see the
question, "Whose life have you touched today."

NEVER underestimate the power of your actions. With one small
gesture, you can change a person's life. Please join us in this.
I'll get the ball rolling by pledging $20. Over to you!

- John ( [email protected] )

Humor: Baby Boomers Then and Now
--------------------------------

Then: Long hair
Now : Longing for hair

Then: A keg
Now : An EKG

Then: Acid rock
Now : Acid reflux

Then: Moving to California because it's cool.
Now : Moving to California because it's hot.

Then: Watching John Glenn's historic flight with your parents
Now : Watching John Glenn's historic flight with your kids

Then: Trying to look like Marlon Brando or Elizabeth Taylor
Now : Trying not to look like Marlon Brando or Elizabeth Taylor

Then: Killer weed
Now : Weed killer

Then: The Grateful Dead
Now : Dr. Kevorkian

Then: Getting out to a new, hip joint
Now : Getting a new hip joint

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Romance: Want Romance? Learn to Dance!
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by Michael Webb

One of the biggest crazes of these past few years has been
Ballroom and Swing Dancing. Around the country classes are
filling up almost as soon as new ones are added. Young and old
alike are yearning for the simplistic romance of yesteryear:
dancing.

Many people are tiring of the loud modern dance clubs where they
come home with ringing in their ears and smelling like stale
cigarette smoke. They are looking for a place where you can
actually talk with your dance partner and even hold them close.

While the majority of women jump at the chance of doing some real
dancing, most men are a bit more reserved, if not fearful of the
idea. I would imagine this is because they are afraid of looking
foolish out there on the dance floor.

Dancing lessons are the ideal solution to anyone's ballroom
phobias.You will be just as awkward and out of step as the person
learning next to you. But in a few week's time as you learn to
gently hold your sweetheart and graciously dip her out of your
arms, you will make your her the envy of every woman.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Webb is author of The RoMANtic's Guide: Hundreds of
Creative Tips for a Lifetime of Love, available at a discount at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786884347/itsyourfuture
For more of Michael's FREE tips, visit http://www.TheRomantic.com
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5. BE HEALTHY, LIVE LONG: the BODY-HEALTH/FITNESS/NUTRITION
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Quote:
"How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were?"
- Satchel Paige

Soda Pops Bones
---------------

A new study, authored by Dr. Grace Wyshak of the Harvard Medical
School, provides new evidence linking increased consumption of
soft drinks with increased risk of bone fracture in young girls.
The study questioned 460 adolescent girls about their diet,
exercise habits and history of fractures. The study found that
those who consumed higher amounts of soft drinks had three times
the chance of suffering a fracture. Active girls who drank cola,
had a five-fold greater risk.

Researchers believe that these statistics are a result of
reduced calcium intake, as soda replaces the traditional milk
drinks in adolescents' diets. The effect of cola is even more
pronounced, because the high levels of phosphorus in cola has
been shown to interfere with the skeleton's ability to take up
calcium. The risk of these problems leading to osteoporosis
have led one Doctor to remark, "osteoporosis should no longer
be considered only a geriatric disease but rather a pediatric
disease with geriatric consequences."

Exercise More and Live Longer
-----------------------------

We humans exercise for many reasons. Some of us have to work
harder physically at our job. Some of us express our competitive
nature through sport. Some pursue the Body Beautiful. Distance
runners may seek a 'high' from endorphins, while others just
enjoy the pure natural pleasure of working up a sweat.

Whatever your motivation for exercise, there's one great payoff.
You're putting more years in your life. Researchers at the
University of Copenhagen, in Denmark, have released a study into
the effect of exercise on mortality rates. Reported in the
Archives of Internal Medicine, the study followed 30,000 people
over 14 years. Those who exercised moderately, were one-third
less likely to die from any cause. Those who were highly active
were only half as likely to die than those who were inactive.
Those who played sports had only a quarter the risk of dying.
So, not only can exercise put more life in your years, it can put
more years in your life.

A Free Nutrition Asssessment
----------------------------

If you'd like a free nutrition assessment, then hop over to
Discovery Health. There, you can check out how well your diet
measures up in 5 important areas- Calcium, Fiber, Folic Acid,
Saturated Fat and Sodium. Each section asks between 4 and 7
simple questions. It then gives you back a score out of 10 for
your intake of that nutrient, some nutritional background on it,
and some recommendations for you to follow. I was interested to
find that my dietry calcium intake was on the low side, but
pleasantly surprised that my sodium intake was not as high as I
thought. Perhaps they should have asked me how much I use the
salt-shaker! The Assessment webpage also carries a link to
Discovery Health's Nutrition Guide, a collection of articles,
features and news stories to keep you up-to-date with this
important field. The assessment may not be rocket science, but
it's a good place to start your quest for better health through
better dietary habits. Find it at;
http://www.discoveryhealth.com/DH/ihtIH/WSDSC000/325/22000.html

A Fascinating Allergy Tip on Mustaches!
---------------------------------------

Lose that stuff above your lip and you may eliminate the source
of your allergies. "Hair above your lip acts as a filter to trap
pollen, and it holds the particles under your nose until you
inhale them," says Patricia McNally, M.D., an allergist at the
Mid-Atlantic Kaiser Permanente Medical Group in Virginia. If you
insist on keeping it, lather up to remove the trapped dirt. In a
small study, Dr. McNally found that men who washed their
mustaches with shampoo every day for 2 weeks had fewer allergy
symptoms than those who didn't. Plus, their nose hair smelled
terrific!
-Thanks to the reader who sent in this item.

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6. PROSPER: MONEY-CAREER/BUSINESS/INVESTING/HOME BUSINESS
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Quote:
"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."
- Goethe

Due to the amount of space used for our plea on behalf of the
Life in Africa Foundation, PROSPER has not been printed this
week. Thanks for your understanding.-
John

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PRIVACY POLICY: Your privacy is important to us. We will not,
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without your approval.

DISCLAIMER: A Better Life:ItsYourFuture! Ezine is intended
to increase your knowledge of the opinions and options in the
fields that we cover. Its contents should not be used to replace
professional advice. If you use this information without the
approval of a qualified professional, no responsibility can be
taken. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of
A Better Life:ItsYourFuture!

A Better Life:ItsYourFuture! may only be redistributed in its
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ItsYourFuture is published By John Payne AAMI AIMM
At July 11th., 2000- 1255 subscribers, 45 countries
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