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A Better Life: ItsYourFuture!

Be Happy Be Healthy, Live Long and Prosper
=================================================================
Vol. 3, No. 6 May 1st., 2001 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: Are you interested in seeing, or being seen?
Inspiration: Perspective
Inspiration: Mother's Day
Humor: Be Careful What You Wish For
Romance: Got It? Flaunt It!
Another Life In Africa Loan Guaranteed by ABLIYF!
Readers

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

The Two-Armed Energy Bandit
What Age Will You Live To Be?

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

The 80:20 Rule- Your Formula For Success

7. Our Companion Ezine

8. Classified Ads.

9. Privacy Policy, Disclaimer and Copyright Notice

10. Contact Information

=================================================================
1. Our Sponsor:
=================================================================

Click here and send a blank e-mail to receive The Net Auction
Masters Course... It's an intensive 5-Day e-mail course that
shows you how to START YOUR OWN PROFITABLE AUCTION BUSINESS...
and how to grow it super-big AFTER you empty your attic and
basement. Send a blank e-mail to [email protected]
or visit http://mynas.sitesell.com/itsyourfuture.html

=================================================================
2. Welcome from the Publisher
=================================================================

Hi all!

I hope that you enjoy this month's bumper crop. There should be
something for everybody. Apart from the information we bring to
help you, I'm proud that through the Life In Africa Foundation,
we are helping others. I invite you to be part of this wonderful
enterprise. Please visit the LIA website to find out more about
the micro-loans we guarantee, and about the people we have
helped. Instructions on how YOU can help are included at the end
of our update below.

This month, I offer some advice that may help you not only in
business, but in many areas of your life. It's an idea that
breathes life into the concept of prioritization, and it's
called the 80:20 Rule, or Pareto's Law. I hope it helps YOU.

Until next month, have a good one!

John

=================================================================
3. Our Motto
=================================================================

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.

=================================================================
4. BE HAPPY: the MIND-ATTITUDE
=================================================================

Quote:
"The five senses are incomplete without the sixth, a sense of
HUMOR." -Unknown

Inspiration: Are You More Interested In Seeing, Or Being Seen?
--------------------------------------------------------------

While you're busy worrying about the way people think you 'look',
you're missing the opportunity to experience the world around
you. Those who judge you by the cut of your hair or the label of
your clothes, are not deep enough for your time or attention. On
a good day, they will judge you highly. On a bad one, very
poorly. What shallow perception. You are the same 'you', on all
of your days.

Allow yourself to be fascinated by sights, big and small - by
sounds, loud and low - by textures, rough and smooth - by smells,
harsh and delicate - by faces, young and old. Let yourself feel
the changing mood of the air around you, the crackle of
excitement, the folds of sadness, the ripples of anticipation or
the flatness of despair.

If your 'look' is more important than looking, you hold the world
at arm's length. Absorb your surroundings. Be part of everything
around you.

The world is full of small treasures and awesome wonders. Have you
seen any lately?

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Living in love and loving life, Terri McPherson WiseHearts...
Weaving Small Wisdoms Through The Fabric Of Life
[email protected] http://www.mnsi.net/~tmcphers/index.htm
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Inspiration: Perspective
------------------------

When one considers our world from such a compressed
perspective, the need for acceptance, understanding and
education becomes glaringly apparent.

The following is also something to ponder...

If you woke up this morning with more health than
illness...you are more blessed than the million who will not
survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle,the
loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs
of starvation ...you are ahead of 500 million people in the
world.

If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment,
arrest, torture, or death...you are more blessed than three
billion people in the world. If you have food in the
refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a
place to sleep...you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare
change in a dish someplace ... you are among the top 8% of the
world's wealthy. If your parents are still alive and still
married... you are very rare, even in the United States and
Canada.

If you can read this message, you just received a double
blessing in that someone was thinking of you, and furthermore,
you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world
that cannot read at all.

Inspiration: Mother's Day
-------------------------
by Jacqueline McLaughlin Hale

With Mother's Day just around the corner, I caught myself thinking
about and questioning what being a mother means to me. I found I
could not get it off my mind and so I spent many days and restless
nights thinking of nothing else. When all was said and done I was
left with many answers to questions I never even asked. What I
discovered was startling.

Motherhood, I concluded, is really all about me!

Surprising isn't it? It surprised me too. After all motherhood is
about putting aside your needs for the needs of others.
Motherhood is about nurturing others. Motherhood is about cooking
for others; it's about laundering for others and chauffeuring
others. Others, others, others! Where in all of this is ME, ME,
ME?

The "me" in motherhood began before my son was even born, when I
dreamed about the kind of person that I wanted to raise. I knew
I wanted to raise a "good boy" but what did a "good boy" mean to
me? Did it mean someone who would be considerate of others or did
it mean someone who would stay out of trouble? Did it mean
someone who would excel at academics or someone who would excel
at athletics? Did it mean someone who would be a leader or
someone who would march to his own drum? Did it mean someone who
would put the needs of others before his own or someone who would
honor his own needs as much as he would honor those of others?
Would he be raised in the religion in which I was brought up or
would he be raised without religion at all? Raising a "good boy"
isn't easy. Defining a "good boy" is even harder. But I knew I
couldn't "raise" until I had defined. So, I had to question my
own beliefs and values. I had to define them and become more
familiar with them than I ever had before. Me, me, me.

The "me" in motherhood continued as my son grew, when I
discovered that he would learn more by watching me than he would
by listening to what I said. I came to realize that I had to set
the example. As a result I began to analyze my own behavior
constantly. I made a habit of asking myself if what I did was
consistent with what I said were my beliefs and values. I
questioned if I would want my son doing whatever it was that I
was doing. I had to change my behavior to truly "walk my talk".

If I wanted my son to be caring, I had to be caring. If I wanted
him to be respectful of others, I had to be respectful of him. If
I wanted him to be compassionate, I had to show compassion. If I
wanted him to be open to others, I had to stop being judgmental.
If I wanted him to take risks, I had to take risks. If I wanted
him to be courageous, I had to show him courage. If I wanted him
to be loving, I had to be loving. Me, me, me.

The "me" in motherhood will continue as he grows and pursues his
independence. Once again, I'll have to take a look at my own past
experiences and the fears I acquired. He'll make sure I do this
every time he gets into trouble, every time he breaks the rules,
every time he makes choices that I would not make. Which broken
rules will upset me the most? Which choices will I have the most
trouble with? Which infractions will result in the greatest
punishment? Only my own insecurities, fears and experiences will
hold the answers.

Finally, the me in motherhood exists everyday in the whole buffet
of emotions that motherhood invokes. It has caused me to feel
great frustration, unbelievable fear, incredible anger,
indescribable joy, infinite happiness and pure, unconditional,
and amazing love. It has prompted me to know myself better and
more deeply than I ever have before. It has caused me to make
great changes. It has brought out both the best and the worst of
who I am.

Who I am is the child who was molded and shaped by my parents.
Who I am is the adult who determined who I would be. Who I am is
a mother who evaluated who I became.

So you see, Motherhood really is all about me. It's about
continuously improving myself to set the right example for my son.
If I do my job well, he'll be a better person than I could ever
hope to be. And someday, he will be part of this same process.
Darwin called it evolution. Some call it progress. Others call
it the circle of life. I call it love� Happy Mother's Day�

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Jacqueline McLaughlin Hale is a CPA and the editor of Between
Friends: Living Life Your Way (http://www.betweenfriends.org)
Between Friends is a website dedicated to helping you balance
your responsibilities so that you can make more time for yourself.
It does this by providing tips, tricks and tools for household
hints, parenting, budgeting, self-improvement and more! It also
offers a FREE monthly ezine: The Balanced Woman. Subscribe by
sending a blank email to [email protected] or
visit the website today!
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Humor: Be Careful What You Wish For
-----------------------------------

A man is sitting alone in front of his computer one night when a
genie pops out of his ashtray and says, "And what will your third
wish be?"

The man looks at the genie and says, "Huh? How can I be getting
a third wish when I haven't had a first or second wish yet?"

"You have had two wishes already," the genie says, "but your
second wish was for me to put everything back the way it was
before you made your first wish. Thus, you remember nothing,
because everything is the way it was before you made any wishes.
You now have one wish left."

"OK," says the man, "I don't believe this, but what the heck. I
wish I was rich and famous."

"Funny," says the genie as it grants his wish and disappears
forever.

Romance: Got It? Flaunt It!
---------------------------
by Michael Webb

My wife and I love to have friends and family come stay with us.
It is not unusual to have three different sets of visitors within
a months time. Do I hold back on the hugs and kisses when friends
are in the same room with us - hardly. Growing up I never saw any
tenderness or affection expressed between any husband and wife in
my family. I nearly fell into the same trap.

Years ago I would have severely limited my hugs and kisses in
front of our company. Now I realize we need more public examples
of romance, not less. I'm not talking about make-out sessions,
but the gentle things you do to express your affection. Children,
friends and neighbors need to see more couples holding hands,
exchanging butterfly kisses and gazing into each other's eyes.
It's how they are going to learn to be romantic themselves.

If you had a friend who needed some training in order to get a
better job would you show him a few tips? What if he needed to
improve his marriage, would you be too embarrassed to show him
how to be more loving?

It means a great deal to women to be publicly admired and
cherished.

Don't be ashamed of your love, flaunt it. It will spice up your
relationship and it will help more people than you can ever
imagine.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Webb is author of The RoMANtic's Guide: Hundreds of
Creative Tips for a Lifetime of Love, available from Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786884347/itsyourfuture
For more of Michael's FREE tips, visit http://www.TheRomantic.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Another Life In Africa Loan Guaranteed by ABLIYF! Readers
---------------------------------------------------------

Most of you will know of the appeal we made last year to help the
Life In Africa Foundation. ABLIYF! readers donated over $200,
which has now been used to guarantee loans of over $1000- the good
goes on. The latest loan is a second one to Stanley Serumaga.

Stanley is a 44 year old shoe maker who was the Life in Africa
Feature story in September 2000. He learned his craft working for
Bata Shoes in Kampala. He later went into business for himself,
first as a shoe repairman, and later manufacturing shoes of his
own design, made mostly from recycled materials. It's a difficult
business, due to stiff competition from the import of second hand
shoes from the West and a lack of availability of all the inputs
he needs, but Stanley's creative designs and skilled
craftsmanship have enabled him to make a reasonable living of
$220 per month.
Last year, Stanley's sewing machine broke down, which temporarily
slowed his production. With his loan of $184, Stanley purchased a
new industrial sewing machine which is specially made for leather
and plastics. The new machine enabled him to begin producing
shoes again, he saw his income increase by almost 25%.

For a long time it has been difficult to buy shoe lasts in
Uganda, however, recently, they have become available. Stanley
wants to take advantage of this opportunity and will use a second
loan guaranteed by ABLIYF! to purchase two sets of lasts. These
will enable him to produce different styles of shoes in a range
of sizes. He will sell the shoes in one of Kampala's markets or
make them to order for customers who come to his workshop.

You can keep up-to-date with the help we are providing, by
checking out the Report at http://LifeInAfrica.com/report.htm
at any time.

Readers who would like to contribute directly to LiA via credit
card (minimum $10), check, or international bank transfer, can
email Christina Jordan at [email protected] for special
ABL:IYF! instructions. Please send a copy of the email to me
(John)at [email protected] Please let me know if you
would like your generosity publicly acknowledged in the Ezine.

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

Quote:
"Friendship is great medicine for the patient"
- Hunter "Patch" Adams M.D.

The Two-Armed Energy Bandit
---------------------------

Mountain biking uses tons of energy and tons of muscles and takes
tons of, uh, fortitude, and you aren't even aware of what it's
doing for your body. A 180-pound guy mountain-biking for an hour
will burn almost 700 calories. Best of all, mountain biking has a
fitness payoff even when you have no mountain handy. Hit the flat
road. Riding a mountain bike takes about a third more effort than
riding a road bike, largely because of the increased rolling
resistance from the fatter tires and the increased weight of the
bike. So, if your time is limited and you have a choice of bikes,
it's always better to choose the mountain bike, even if you'll be
riding it on the road. Riding 12 miles on fat tires is the
equivalent of doing 15 on skinny.
-Source: Men's Health

What Age Will You Live To Be?
-----------------------------
by Marc Wiltse

What was the first number that came to mind? Why? Now that
we've got you thinking I'd like to tell you a story.

This past weekend I saw something very interesting...
something that flies in the face of typical thinking and says,
"Na, na, na, na, na, na, you can't catch me," and then proceeds
to stick out a tongue for good measure. :oP

Kalamazoo, Michigan had their annual "Do-dah" parade which is
basically a free-for-all parade anyone can participate in. It's
not held for any particular reason except to have fun...
which is reason enough in my book.

First came the standard banner carriers which announced the
beginning of the parade, and behind them Lester Weis, the
Grand Marshall. The big deal is, Lester is 100 years young
(he looks more like a healthy 75) and he's not sitting on top
of a float but riding a competition bicycle. He's wearing shorts
and his legs are in better shape than most 25 year olds. Even
more amazing is Lester's sense of balance, as he's crawling along
at snail-like parade speeds which would cause more than a few
people to fall over.

So how could a 100 year old man do this? The answer is right
in front of us. He does it, and he does it often. At least
from appearances it's obvious Lester takes his health seriously.

The first clue are his legs. No one, especially a 100 year
"old" man has strong legs like he does unless they're using
them...a lot (my legs didn't even look that muscular when I
was riding 70-100 miles per week with 5% body fat!).

The second clue is his balance. Riding a bicycle is a serious
test of one's balance. After working with and observing hundreds
and possibly thousands of elderly people, one of the things you
notice is that balance and especially falling can be a big concern.
Even young people in their 70's (after working with the elderly
for 12 years, my idea of "old" has changed ;o) ) can have difficulty
with their balance.

The third clue Lester takes his health seriously is the quality
of his equipment. Most people who aren't serious don't invest
in the quality of bike he had.

What can we learn from this? Living to 100 isn't a fluke, we
all make choices every day that determine our quality of life
and how long our life will be. Sure there are things like
genetics and our environment that come into play, but we have
far more control than most people would like to believe.

If we think others are "lucky" we're giving up the control we
have in our lives to do something about our health and happiness.
Each of us make our own "luck" as we go, there's no doubt about
it. The more we do something in-line with our goals of being
healthy, the "luckier" we'll get.

99% of people do what they want, not what they need to do.
People eat processed food because it's quick and easy. They
avoid exercise because "it's too much work" or because they
don't like to sweat. They eat junk food that's high in
calories but has little if any nutritional value.

Nobody's perfect, me included, I usually try to eat healthy
but once in a while I've got to have some chocolate or some
ice cream. The funny thing is I can tell right away when
I've had it, because I feel like I get tired more easily.

The total opposite happens when I eat plenty of fresh fruits,
vegetables, healthy food, and take *quality* supplements.
When I eat healthy like this I don't want junk food at all.
It doesn't even sound good.

We all have our weak moments now and then. The key is to
make sure those weak moments don't become life-long habits.
After all I'd like to see you riding your bike in a parade
when you're 100 too. :o)
- Copyright � 2000 All rights reserved.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Kathy Sly and Marc Wiltse write Awesome Health's Tutorial. In it
they'll teach you how to maximize your prosperity, spirituality,
relationships, mind/body, & career. Their refreshing holistic
approach to improving your quality of life is unique, clear,
and easy to follow. Click here for their website:
http://www.awesomehealth.com/tr/a.cgi?cf2
-----------------------------------------------------------------

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

Quote:
"A ship in a harbor is SAFE, but that is not what ships are made
for." -John A. Shedd

The 80:20 Rule- Your Formula For Success
----------------------------------------
by John Payne

The last 'dirt-world' retail business I managed had a large
turnover, a very high profit, and less than 100 lines. Earlier
this year, I was contracted to manage another business. This
one carries over 800 different lines, yet has a turnover of only
about a sixth of the other business, and a lower profit margin.
They both have a comparable amount of traffic and credibility in
the market, so how can it be that the results are so different?

The explanation starts with Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist
and political sociologist who lived from 1848 to 1923. He devised
the law of the 'trivial many and the critical few', better known
as Pareto's Law, or the 80:20 rule. This rule says that, in many
business activities, 80% of the potential value can be achieved
from just 20% of the effort, and that one can spend the remaining
80% of effort for relatively little return.

Old Vilfredo might have lived a century ago, but he was spot on.
I've been in business a long time, and I can confirm the almost
universal truth of the 80:20 rule, in many forms.

- When Sales Manager of a Realty office, I had 19 sales staff
working to me. About 85% of the business was written by the four
top staff.

- In a Consumer Electrical business I owned, around 75% of the
turnover came from the the best-selling 20% of the stock.

- In an eco-tourism business I now manage, there are almost 40
Departments of stock. One department alone produces over 25% of
the profit; the next five departments produce the next quarter of
profit; the next seven another quarter, and the next twenty-five
or so together only produce the last quarter of profit.

The 80:20 Rule applies in almost every sphere. It's uncanny. In
almost any field, 20% of the resources produce 80% of the result.
It's vital to understand that the reverse is also true- things
that take up 80% of your time and resources, will only produce
20% of your results.

Stocks, products, services, insurance, litigation, people- the
80:20 Rule keeps coming up! Look for it and you'll find it.

The universality of this principle should be a powerful guide for
you in business. Find out how it applies to your enterprise, and
you have the power to set the vital priorities which will mean
the difference between failure, survival, and success. Take the
time now to look at your business. Look at where the results are
coming from, and concentrate on those areas. Look at some of
these areas...

- Have a product range? Have a look at how much of your profit
comes from each item. Put your effort into the 20% that give you
80% of your sales- your winners.

- Selling products or services? Most likely, 80% of your sales
come from 20% of your customers- the ones who make the big
purchases and are repeat-buyers. Cherish that 20%.

- Have a sales force? Have a look at how much of your profit
comes from each person. Make sure you reward and retain the 20%
that are your winners.

- Have an affiliate program? Find the top 5-20% who give you 80%
of your income, and make sure you support, encourage and reward
your winners.

- Do advertising? Have a look at where the sales come from. Then
identify the few ads that really pull, and the few places where
you run them that really produce. Then refine your winning ads,
and run them in those few places that give you the best results.

Run the 80:20 Rule over YOUR business today. It will save you
time, effort, money and resources, and take you further down the
road to business success. Bon voyage!

=================================================================
7. Our Companion Ezine:
=================================================================

===================== 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.webmarketingezine.com
=============== THE HUMAN FACE OF WEB MARKETING ===============

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8. Classified Advertisements:
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=================================================================
9. Privacy Policy, Disclaimer and Copyright Notice
=================================================================

PRIVACY POLICY: Your privacy is important to us. We will not,
under any circumstances, divulge your details to a third party,
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!

Copyright: � Copyright 2000-2001 John Payne All rights reserved.
A Better Life:ItsYourFuture! may only be redistributed in its
unedited form. You are welcome to forward it to as many people as
you like, with our thanks. Written permission must be obtained to
reprint or quote original material published in Web Marketing
Ezine.

=================================================================
10. Subscription and Contact Information
=================================================================

TO SUBSCRIBE: mailto: [email protected]

TO UNSUBSCRIBE: mailto:[email protected]

SEND A MESSAGE: [email protected]

ARCHIVE: http://www.egroups.com/list/ItsYourFuture
=================================================================
This ezine is a member of Ezine PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION.
Join Free At: http://www.EzinePublisher.org
=================================================================

=================================================================
ItsYourFuture is published By John Payne AAMI AIMM
At May 1st., 2001- 1426 subscribers, 48 countries
=================================================================

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