How to Write Your Op-Ed Piece

Op-ed articles, also known as opinion/editorial articles, are a great way for aspiring writers to publicize their work and, in exchange, receive an amazing amount of publicity for free. You can write an op-ed piece and get it publicized provided you follow these simple rules.

Before you begin to write, you need to target which newspaper you would like your article to appear in. You stand a greater chance of getting into your local paper than in a national publication like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, or USA Today. Still, if one of the national publications appeals to you, then give it a try.

1. Follow the rules. Every newspaper has guidelines on what their specific requirements are. Familiarize yourself with these guidelines and stringently hold yourself to their requirements. Failure to do so will mean you will be rejected.

2. Write with precision. Newspapers do not like verbose writers, unless it is for a feature piece and it is for a high end publication, such as The Washington Post. Short, crisp, and to-the-point sentences are the order of the day.

3. Write with persuasion. Whatever your point of view, write persuasively. Do not muddy the waters by giving vague answers. If you are discussing a problem, count on offering the solution. Expect that your article may occupy one half of the op-ed page; the other half may feature a rebuttal or an opposite point of view.

4. Double space. As with any submitted writing, you must double space your text. Expect the editors to work their magic on your piece, including removing entire paragraphs to make everything fit.

5. Submit a cover letter. Yes, you more than likely will have to snail mail your letter, so send it off with a cover letter to the appropriate contact person.

6. Your contact information. Your name, address, city, state, country, zip, contact numbers, and email address are all needed. More than likely none of this will be included in the piece, but they do need a way to get back to you.

7. Resource box. Unlike ezine sites where you can write a lengthy discourse on who you are and have links to your site, it is likely that only a one or two word sentence about "who you are" will be included. So, consider writing your own resource box and hope that they like it. [You can count on it being changed if they do not.] It could be written something like this:John Doe is a Detroit based freelance writer affiliated with Writer's Write.Yes, that may be about all the information they want to share about you with their readers.

More than likely you will know within two weeks time if your piece will get published. Some papers will contact you to let you know if you have been approved/rejected, while others will simply publish your article. Do not hound them as you may want to become a regular contributor.

What is the next step?

1. If you are approved, you can expect letters to the editor -- from readers -- in response to your piece to begin appearing in subsequent editions of the newspaper. Do not be surprised if letters begin arriving in your home or place of business too. Expect phone calls from people who may want to discuss your point of view further, or invite you to speak in front of their group, etc.

2. If you are rejected, consider modifying and resubmitting your piece or forwarding it to another publication. Accept criticism about your writing style, if offered.

3. Op ed pieces are sometimes picked up by syndicators such as Reuters or Google News; your piece can have a life well beyond the local newspaper. If you hit the national press, you can count on your article having widespread coverage. Do a search on Google a few days after publication and you may discover how wide a net your piece has cast. If that is the case, good for you!

Above all, op-ed article can help shape local or national opinion, so think of the greater good you can do as well as the publicity you just may receive when crafting your article. Although newspaper circulation continues to drop, online versions of these same newspapers continue to grow, thereby giving you exposure far beyond the intended market.

Matt runs his own article business at http://www.thearticlewriter.com ; visit The Article Writer for all of your writing needs.

An Island A Day

Stand by the shores of Casco Bay on the coast of Maine and you may expect to find ocean as far as the eye can see. Instead seemingly endless islands dot the seascape. Sometimes called the calendar islands, there is rumored to be an island in the bay for every day of the year.

Stretching from Cape Elizabeth to Cape Small these islands with their rocky shores and rustic way of life define the stereotypical New England coastline. Mostly uninhabited, they provide a serene escape from everyday life. Their natural beauty and their sheer numbers create a place one could visit every day and still never have completely explored. With an island for every day of the year there is more than enough shelter from the wind to allow everything from large fishing vessels to solo kayaks to roam the bay. While sandy beaches are few and far between here, the rock strewn shores and miles of nature trails can supply a continual source of enjoyment.

If you know where to look the Casco Bay islands will also provide a glimpse of Maine maritime history. Being located on the eastern most part of the country, these islands served their time during World War II as bases and look outs for German U-Boats. Great towers and forts still remain on Jewel Island, and while mostly converted to homes now, the military buildings on Great Diamond Island are hard to miss. During the war anti-submarine nets and mines were deployed at many harbor entrances and the islands took on a front line role. Even before WWII Casco Bay held military purposes. In 1858 Fort Georges was constructed and armed for the Civil War, Spanish American War, and was used to store submarine mines during WWI.

Many opportunities await those looking to enjoy the islands for their less historical characteristics. Chebeague is the largest of the Casco Bay islands, and one of the few with a year round population. Ferry service takes visitors from Portland or nearby Cousin's Island to the perfect setting for an adventuresome hike or leisurely bike ride. You can finish the day off with a delicious dinner or nights rest at the breath taking Chebeague Inn. Great Diamond Island also offers an exceptional dining experience at the Diamond's Edge restaurant in Diamond's Cove. Peaks and Long islands both present dining opportunities to their guests and their proximity to Portland makes them popular tourist attractions.

If you are looking for a little less populated destination then you have literally hundreds of choices. You can relax on the beaches of Sand Island, watch the seals bask on the rocks of French Island, or setup a picturesque camping site on one of the Gosling islands. Many of these smaller islands will require you to provide your own transportation, but kayak, canoe, sail, and motor boat rentals all provide easy access.

Whether you are looking for fine dining, a historical stroll, or a relaxing day on the beach Casco Bay offers something for every visitor and an island for every day of the year.

About the author:

Nate Soule is a travel enthusiast and helps maintain the travel website AcrossDistance.com

Spiritual Awakening

As we proceed further into the 21st century there is even more of a feeling that humanity as a whole is hearing "a calling". Most of the clients in the realm that talk about this describe it as an "awakening" or experiencing an "enlightenment" or a "need for transformation."

For some this process, a spiritual awakening is a gentle process develops as a consequence of many years of seeking, and researching practices having to do with self-development. This is the type of seeker who wants the spiritual awakening and seeks out the guidance of a teacher or to help them prepare themselves emotionally and physically for their spiritual awakening.

However, I have noticed that no matter how trained an individual nobody is ever ready for what Eastern religions call the awakening of the Kundalini energy. The sad truth is most spiritual awakenings are quite rude: what some of us call a "wake up call." True enlightenment is usually preceded by some kind of life loss or tragedy that kick starts the awakening of consciousness. A common catalyst is intense physical or emotional distress. As people confront the limits of their endurance and come face to face with death or loss, they will often move into altered or transcendental states of consciousness as they ask God or a higher power for help. Natural disasters, near-death experiences or life transitions such as midlife crisis, addiction or separation can be blessings in disguise that lead to a blossoming of spiritual awareness.

It is thought that practices such as yoga, bioenergetics, polarity work or breathwork can cause a natural awakening of Kundalini energy. Kundalini is the Hindu word for the sacred, transformative energy that awakens consciousness. According to Eastern esoteric literature, this energy is coiled, like a snake at the base of the spine and when stimulated it streams or coils up through the body's energy centers (chakras).

The awakening of the kundalini is almost always associated with a spiritual crisis. Typically the person may feel overwhelmed, bewildered, disassociated, frightened vulnerable, fragmented, fearful, confused, disoriented and overcome by too much information. This can be the first sign that you are about to be blessed with a spiritual awakening, although many may feel it more like a "curse'.

Some of the symptoms you might experience during a spiritual awakening are:

Involuntary jerking movements of the body including vibrations, spasm, shaking and contractions:

As the Kundalini energy moves from the base of the spine and up through the body, it clears deeply held blockages and while this is happening the person may experience emotions and memories from injuries and traumas suffered in the past. The Hindus call this "pranic" movement.

Unusual Breathing or Physical Movements:

Some people find themselves performing hand gestures and body postures that are unusual but can later be identified as mudras or yoga related postures. They may also develop an unusual relationship to sound and tones and want to vocalize these sounds with their breath. These are called Yogic symptoms.

As the Kundalini moves up through the body, some experience a form of "spring" cleansing as the strong spiritual energy moves through the body releases toxins. Headaches, heart pain, stomachaches and nervous disorders can be part of the kundalini moving up your spine. A very common symptom is oversensitivity to any kind of sensory input and the desire to be alone to heal.

Confusion and Emotional Imbalance:

As the Kundalini energy moves up from the spine, people find themselves possessed by inexplicable mood swings, anxiety, grief, guilt and depression. On the flip side, they may sometimes experience moments of sexual promiscuity, unexplained orgasms, lack of sexual desire and states of disassociation or bliss. Most spiritual awakening challenge the ego to let go of primal drives and subconscious blocks so that you are more aware and living in the moment

An Increase in ESP and Intuition:

Dreams of past lives or strange symbols are common during a spiritual awakening as are unusual visual and auditory sensations include hearing voices, seeing auras or strange lights. Some may smell scents. Smelling sandalwood or roses for no apparent reason is common. An out of body experience or two may also occur where you appear to see yourself from the ceiling, or feel bigger or smaller than your physical body.

Mystical and Psychic States of Consciousness:

During a spiritual awakening, the psychic abilities are often accelerated and the person may suddenly develop such talents as precognition, telepathy, and the ability to see auras or healing abilities.

The awakening of the Kundalini is not a goal but heralds the beginning of the process called transformation of consciousness. Spiritual emergence often includes expanded perceptual abilities, increased energy, creative expression and a devotion to being of service for the greater good of all. Although a spiritual awakening may be uncomfortable and typically last from several months to several years, at the end there is a promised land where the individual develops a serenity and sense of deep peace that they have never known before.

Samantha Steven's articles have been published in many high-standing newspapers and she has published several books. If you wish to buy Samantha's books about metaphysics click here http://www.insomniacpress.com/author.php?id=110 You can meet Samantha Stevens at http://www.psychicrealm.com where she works as a professional psychic. You can also read more of her articles at http://www.newagenotebook.com

Selling the Dr. Seuss Way

"I am Sam. Sam I am. Do you like green eggs and ham? Would you like them here or there? Would you like them in a box, would you like them with a fox?"

I think most people have read this Dr. Seuss tale either as kids or to their children. What is interesting is the relevance this story has to selling. First of all, Sam is selling a product and although his prospect is not initially interested, Sam doesn't let that deter him from asking. Secondly, Sam consistently offers the prospect a choice when trying to close the sale. Thirdly, he refuses to give up. No matter how many times his prospect says 'no' Sam keeps offering alternatives. In fact, he offers fourteen options before he finally closes the sale.

Now, I am not suggesting that you pester your customers or prospects but I do believe most people give up too early in the sales process. We hear a few "no's" and decide to turn our attention elsewhere. It is your responsibility as a sales professional to ask the customer to make a decision - you cannot expect a customer to do the work for you. If you have been effective in learning about their specific needs and current situation and presented the appropriate solution to your prospect then you have earned the right to ask them for their money. Here are a few ideas that will help you reach this point:

Avoid launching into a lengthy discussion of what you can do for your client until you thoroughly understand what business challenges they face and the problems, concerns or issues they need resolved. Use open questioning to gather this information and avoid making assumptions or jumping to conclusions too quickly. Instead, listen carefully to what they say and clarify anything that is not clear. Ask them to elaborate by using prompters such as "uh-huh," "tell me more," and "what else?"

When it comes time to present your product or service, try not to limit the prospect to one option. Provide a choice of solutions that meet their specific concerns. Explain the benefits of each option, and when necessary, also discuss the drawbacks of each alternative. However, do not present so many options that the decision becomes overwhelming or difficult. Be prepared to tell your prospect which option best suits their needs if they ask.

Speak in terms they can understand, avoiding the use of terminology they may not recognize. A case in point; as I developed my web site, I found myself talking to people who were extremely knowledgeable but they used terminology that sounded like a foreign language to me. I found myself getting frustrated, and in some cases feeling a bit dumb, because I had to keep asking them what they meant. Be very cautious how much jargon you use in your presentations and make sure your customer understands what you are saying.

Recognize that objections are a natural component of the sales process. It's common for a customer express several objections before she makes the decision to commit to the purchase. Don't take these objections personally and do not assume that it means the other person is not interested. Understand that your prospect will likely have specific concerns about making a decision particularly if they have never done business with you. Clarify their objections to uncover the true hesitation ? do not hesitate to probe deeper to explore the real issues preventing them from making a decision. In most cases, your prospect will give you the information you need providing you keep your approach non-confrontational and neutral. Learn to handle objections in a non-argumentative manner. When you uncover their true objection keep your response brief and to the point. Talking too much will seem that you are trying to justify your product or price. Plus, you can sometimes talk yourself out a sale if you aren't careful.

Ask for the sale. In many cases, your prospect expects you to ask for the sale. And as long as you do not pressure or try to coerce them into making a decision, they won't be offended by your request. Develop the confidence to ask for the sale in a variety of ways and begin asking every qualified person for their commitment. Recognize that many people want to be given permission to make a decision and look to the salesperson for that permission.

Lastly, take a lesson from Sam and learn the importance of polite persistence. The most successful sales people ask for the sale seven or eight times and don't give up at the first sign of resistance. Research has shown that these individuals consistently earn more than their coworkers and peers.

Copyright 2004, Kelley Robertson

Kelley Robertson, President of the Robertson Training Group, works with businesses to help them increase their sales and motivate their employees. He is also the author of "Stop, Ask & Listen ? Proven sales techniques to turn browsers into buyers." Visit his website at www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.com and receive a FREE copy of "100 Ways to Increase Your Sales" by subscribing to his 59-Second Tip, a free weekly e-zine.

Write Press Releases That Dazzle

When a reporter is wowed, intrigued, surprised or captivated by your press release, you can be pretty sure you'll get some media coverage. And for most businesses, positive media coverage is worth its weight in gold. The bad news: Although truckloads of news releases fill reporters' inboxes every day, few of them are dazzling, or even interesting.

As a former editor, I speak from experience when I say that most press releases end up in the garbage can. But don't let that stop you from sending them - a well-written news release can generate more publicity and goodwill than you could ever accomplish with a paid advertisement. To help keep your release out of the garbage and get it in print, start by following these five guidelines.

1. Make it newsworthy. Releases should be used to announce news, and they should only be sent when something truly newsworthy is happening at your company. Don't send releases that sound more like advertisements than news; they'll get tossed immediately. (However, newsworthy events may happen more often than you realize - see the Resource Box below for ideas.)

In keeping with the news format, eliminate any superfluous language or outrageous claims (don't describe yourself or your products as "wonderful," "amazing" or "unbelievable"). Is your release written in language that would appear in a story in the newspaper or magazine you're pitching? If not, it might sound like fluff rather than news. Make it clear from the beginning what your news is and why it should matter to the reporter and his or her readers.

2. Tell a good story. Although you're sharing hard news (I hope), your press release should still be interesting to read. Even though your readers are media-types who do this for a living, they still like to hear a good story. Draw in your readers with a creative introduction and interesting language. Find new ways to say ordinary things. Read magazines, newspapers and books and pay attention to the stories that interest you and keep your attention. Then try to mimic those techniques and styles when writing your own releases.

3. Target your audience. As with any writing project, keep your audience in mind when you're writing. The editor of a small-town newspaper has different interests than the editor of a trade journal for CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. Choose the media outlets that would be most interested in your release and send it to them. For best results, you might even send each person a unique version tailored to their interests. And always send your release to an actual person - rather than sending a release to a general news desk, find out which reporter covers your industry or the type of news you're sending and send it directly to him or her.

4. Develop a relationship. Once you've located the reporters who cover your industry, start developing relationships with them. Call or e-mail to introduce yourself and find out if they prefer releases to be faxed, e-mailed or mailed. Be respectful of their time and the harried pace of their work, but don't be afraid to check in occasionally to follow up on a press release or let them know how much you enjoyed a recent article. Don't just rely on them for fr*e publicity; find out what you can do for them and do it - one-sided relationships never last. Be easy to work with and willing to accommodate their needs, and they'll be much more interested in covering your news.

5. Be consistent. Your communication with the media must be ongoing in order to get their attention. One release sent in a vacuum will probably not yield a lot of results. If reporters are unfamiliar with you or your business, it won't be a top priority for them to cover your release. However, if they're accustomed to receiving (actual) news from you and you've made an effort to forge a positive relationship with them (see #4), they're more likely to a) actually read your releases, and b) publish them, or at least keep you in mind as a resource for future stories. If you really want to take advantage of the possibilities press releases can offer, keep hanging in there.

Nancy Jackson, owner of The WriteShop, helps companies better market their products and services with powerful written communications including Web content, newsletters, brochures and publications. Subscribe to her free monthly newsletter at www.writeshoponline.com.

Raising a Tobacco-Free Kid

We begin forming healthy habits at a young age. With all that we know about smoking, it is astounding that young people will still take that first puff of a cigarette just to see what it is like. Many will not stop at that first experimental puff. Here are three things you can do to ensure that your child will not be tempted to smoke cigarettes:

1) If you happen to be a smoker, you need to quit. This is first and foremost. Do it for yourself as well as your children. Children are so quick to model the behavior of their parents. If they see parents using good manners, children will use good manners. If they see parents consistently eating healthy foods, they will be more likely to choose healthy foods. If they see their parents smoking cigarettes?well, you get the idea. If you are a smoker and you tell your children that they should not smoke then you are sending mixed messages. You need to show them as well as tell them.

2) Start talking to your kids early. You can start warning them about the dangers of smoking as soon as they are able to comprehend. You can tell a four year old that their heart and lungs are nice and healthy and pink, and that smoking will cause them to rot and turn black. Get graphic ? instill a mental picture of the consequences. If you are watching a show together and see someone smoking on television, use that as an opportunity to talk about the harmful effects of tobacco.

3) Help your child to develop a positive self image. Get your youngster involved in activities in which he or she is interested. This will help her to make friends and to feel good about accomplishments. It is not a surefire way to keep kids from smoking, but it will certainly help to develop higher self esteem ? which will help them to say "no" when the time comes.

Even though at times our children seem mature and knowledgeable, it is always best to take the time out of our busy day to let them know that we care about the choices they are making. Talk to them early and often about the dangers of tobacco, and you will both have an easier time when they reach those critical teen and pre-teen years.

Stacy Tabb is an author and publisher of many successful informational websites, including an antiaging website aimed at the prevention of age-related conditions.

Marketing Authorisation - Medicinal Products

Marketing Authorisation: Medicinal Products The case of R (on the application of Merck Sharp and Dohme Ltd) v Licensing Authority [2005], concerned the application for marketing authorisation for a generic product which was based on Product C (see below).

The claimant had marketing authorisations for three medicinal products used in the treatment of osteoporosis and three generic companies sought marketing authorisation for Product C.

Product A - was authorised by the European Community in 1993;

Product B - was authorised in 2000

Product C - was a generic product based on Product B (a copy of Product B).

When a company applies for marketing authorisation for a product, it is a requirement under the European Parliament and Council Directive (EC) 2001/83 (the "Directive"), to supply a full set of data in order to show the safety and efficacy of the product.

There are instances under the Directive when an applicant can simply rely on data submitted in respect of a previously authorised product. For instance, the applicant could refer to data already submitted in respect of a product with marketing authorisation, where the applicant is seeking authorisation for a product 'essentially similar' to a product holding a marketing authorisation for ten years (as per the United Kingdom and pursuant to art 10(i)(a)(iii) of the Directive).

In seeking marketing authorisation for Product C, the generic companies relied on data submitted in relation to Product A and Product B. However, although Product A and Product B contained the same active ingredient, they were not 'essentially similar' within the meaning of the Directive. This meant that they differed in respect of their posology (the schedule of dosage). The defendant accepted that the generic companies did not have to provide any further data but the claimant argued that such an approach was unlawful and in breach of the Directive. The claimant made a reference to the European Court of Justice ("Court of Justice").

The claimant contended that the issue was as yet unresolved by the rules laid down in previous decisions of the ECJ. In particular, it was argued, that there had been no cases where a difference in posology had been the subject of a decision.

The application was dismissed. The ECJ held that:

The principles laid down by the ECJ in earlier decisions were clearly applicable in this case and there was no uncertainty;

Although it was true that a change in posology had not previously been the subject of a decision, it was for the ECJ to interpret the EC Treaty and the relevant principles by which it was to be interpreted, and for the domestic court to apply those principles to the particular case. No new principles arose in the instant case.

If you require further information contact us.

Email: enquiries@rtcoopers.com

? RT COOPERS, 2005. This Briefing Note does not provide a comprehensive or complete statement of the law relating to the issues discussed nor does it constitute legal advice. It is intended only to highlight general issues. Specialist legal advice should always be sought in relation to particular circumstances.

Rosanna Cooper is a partner in RT Coopers Solicitors a full service law firm in London. The firm specialises in patents, trade marks, copyright, designs, technology transfer, biotechnology and pharmaceutical law. The firm has a flexible approach to fees and provides the highest quality legal advice.

Contact us at enquiries@rtcoopers.com. visit our website at http://www.rtcoopers.com

So Many Loans, So Little Time

If you find yourself in need of poor credit loans, there are many online companies just dying to help you out. But is it really help they're offering, or just a bigger hole to dig out of?

Poor credit loans come in all shapes and sizes. Some places claim to give you poor credit loans of five hundred dollars or more, with the poor credit loans arriving overnight to your house or apartment. Who can resist? Sometimes you should try to resist, if you can. Consider what events led up to your need poor credit loans. Was poor credit a result of overspending? If so, poor credit loans might do little change the situation.

Still, poor credit loans can come in handy in emergencies and it's comforting to know that poor credit loans will be available via the internet if nowhere else. Strange as this seems, there are poor credit businesses that claim to be Christian Banks or claim to do a background check on you in less than thirty minutes. According to these websites, they can approve poor credit loans so fast that you may not even have to wait overnight to get your money. Poor credit loans can be extremely tempting when times are tight. It's easy to see why people are attracted to the illusion of disappearing debt. But poor credit loans rarely solve the problem of debt.

Before signing up for poor credit loans, do a little bit of homework on the company that is offering to help you out. Are they ranked decently in the Better Business Bureau? Has anyone you know received poor credit loans from them before? Also, it's a good idea to ask yourself some questions, such as, "Will I be able to pay back poor credit loans in a reasonable amount of time?" If poor credit loans become too much trouble, you may find yourself in even greater debt than when you started.

Tim Gorman is a successful webmaster and publisher of Military-Loans-Online.com an online website that offers money saving rates on auto, home, bad credit, pay day loans and other free loan information that you can view in the privacy of your own home.

Anam Chara - Healing the Heart Matters

Are you prepared to make your heart matter? Are you prepared to feel whole, happy and healed of any heartache?

It does not surprise me our hearts are not whole (the root meaning of the word "heal"). We are taught throughout our unbalanced educational system to avoid our feeling centre. We avoid our true "knowing" in favour of the development of the rational mind.

We make the rational mind the font of all knowledge and we bury any real emotional understanding of our true selves. We prize what is partial over what is holistic. We accept the "ratio" as being more than the whole. Then we wonder why our life`s number doesn`t add up.

Healing your heart is to become whole.

It is to become a balanced human being. It is to leave the world of "forever doing and never enough" to return to simpler ways. This does not mean you have to change your material circumstances. It will mean in all likelihood a change of attitude. It will mean in all likelihood "a change of heart."

We forget we are "feeling beings."

We have become "doers with emotions." Many of our emotions are blocked or out of control. Our feelings are no longer "free flowing." They have become judgements frozen in our bodies. We are like icebergs with enough "bad feelings" lying below the surface of consciousness to sink the greatest relationship.

One great sorrow is we lose the best relationship available.

This is the feeling acceptance of ourselves as we are "warts and all." Healing your heart does not mean you become a "good person." Healing your heart does not mean you become a "nice person." It more likely means you become "an allowing person." You start by giving up judgement. You start to feel your feelings as they are without labels attached.

You allow yourself to "be more" and "do less."

Much of our working, in my opinion, is a rational for avoiding "who we are." Many of us are working extremely hard at "self-improvement" and "self development." Much of us work as a way of avoiding the need "to go home." This is the avoidance of the return to our "home place." Our true home is where our hearts lie.

Your heart is your emotional centre.

Most of us are blocked at this feeling centre to some degree. Many of us are blocked to a major degree. We would prefer to feel diseased rather than at ease with allowing our hearts full expression. Rather than feel our heartache and our heartbreak we avoid it. Rather than allow it flow we block it and in doing so we repeat the pain.

Healing your heart is painful.

It is like the thawing of a frost bitten finger. You want to avoid the pain at any cost. However, avoiding your hearts pain also blocks the finer feelings of love and compassion. These are the feelings that will heal you and give your heart peace.

Journeying deeply into your heart is the story of the hero/ine. This is the story of "becoming whole." It is a journey of the holy.

It is facing the dragons of doubt, despair, anger, hatred and guilt to name only a few. We all have them. They are roaming our emotional terrain. We have them caged. We defend ourselves against these "bad feelings."

We do not like ourselves for having them.

We convince ourselves we can never be lovable for having such a Pandora's box full of dross. We hope never to allow these secrets the light of day. We never get to realise the deeper understanding that "the gold is in the darkness."

Healing your heart begins now.

Healing begins in every new moment. Healing begins by being aware of your mind and how you think. It begins with a commitment to "knowing" what you think. It works toward cessation of this so-called "thinking" so cherished as being rational. Healing works to giving you a sense of "peace of mind." It works toward knowing the voice of the "trickster." This is the voice that says you are not good enough. This is the inner voice most of us listen to each and every day

Your heart needs to be heard.

It is your real teacher. It is to be trusted and known. Its voice is more refined than the voice of the "trickster." Our hearts voice knows our purpose. We have to be willing to go beyond all those gates of locked and loaded emotion. We are the prisoners of our own unprocessed feeling energy.

We can medicate against it and we do. This is the real "growth industry." This way we can avoid feeling our pain but the cost will be heart damage. Eros will not be able to enter your heart. Arrows of passion will not pierce you. You will be alive but you will avoid living your life. As advised by a great Chinese Proverb, "the singing bird will not come." There will be no song heard in your heart.

Healing your heart is the ultimate act of courage.

It is to live in this world with a heart open and free. It is to allow love and compassion to flow through you as an expression of your life force. This is who you really are. Your heart knows this when it is allowed to be whole. Your intellect cannot know this, as it cannot be more than a part. It cannot know the feeling of the "holy."

In healing your heart you are not alone.

There is much healing energy in this world of apparent chaos. We have to be humble enough to ask to be given it. This is a first step alone the road of the heroic. Remember you are always enough. This is an experience you can know as a feeling moment to moment. Make a fullness of heart your focus. You "are worth it."

Blessings upon you now and forever. Remember that the Blessing is already here and you are it.

Tony Cuckson is an Anam Cara. This Celtic term means "Soul Friend." He specializes in providing insight for the spiritual journey, Blessings for YOU, words of wisdom and finding inner peace. Visitors to Irish Blessings Matter website and Tony's Blog get the opportunity to develop a purpose driven life through articles, newsletters and other programs.

Get your free report called "7 ways to it's a wonderful life" at http://www.irishblessingsmatter.com/, or go to Tony`s Blog at http://www.irishblessingsmatter.info/ where you will find links to information related to spiritual parenting, spiritual coaching and spirit in business.

My Shopping List: Shoes, Dress, and a Hairdresser

Change is a funny thing. When seasons change, so do people and their way of thinking. For some of us it can be scary and for others a welcomed challenge. A few of us will throw out clothes we have not worn in years. Others will throw away old shoes, handbags, jewelry, hats and belts only to refill their closets with a shopping trip. Shopping is the ultimate change for a shopaholic. However, there are some of us who will shop for the ultimate change? a haircut. Whether it is a two-inch cut or a 10-inch cut, you better be sure to shop for a person who knows exactly what he/she is doing. I never thought that one must also shop for a hairstylist in the same way that we shop for the perfect dress or pair of shoes. After I saw my neighbor's hair, I have changed my thought process.

My neighbor went to her hairdresser to get all of her hair cut off.. Onlookers gasped at the thought of cutting it all off. You could hear sighs of pain from other clients as the clipped hair fell to the floor. The hairstylist cut, snipped and dismissed her from the chair. AAHHHH! I thought to myself. Is she going to shape it up or comb it or something? Immediately I started to think of the scene from the movie, Waiting to Exhale when Angela Bassetts' character was depressed and upset about the breakup of her marriage. She sat in front of the mirror and just started cutting away at her hair. The way she cut it, you would not believe she had a mirror. I saw my neighbor walking towards me and I could not believe she did it. She looked like a depressed, tired old maid. (Translation? Someone who does not have anyone to love and/or is not happy with her life.) Her earrings were small, simple and plain. The dark circles under her eyes complimented by her uneven skin tone made her look like she never owned a mirror. A hairstylist is supposed to make you feel like a new woman. The same way a new dress or pair of shoes makes you feel. She looked horrible. Something in my mind kept saying, "Don't you say anything to hurt her feelings; be quiet." Now you know I could not be quiet, however, I did choose my words wisely. I began, "Wow, you cut off all your hair! You have a good shaped head for such a style. Now you need to go to the barber and let him give your style some shape. I know a place where you can get some fabulous earrings to accent your style too." She said, "I have earrings, but the people on my job don't get all dressed up." I said, "Forget the people on your job, what about going to and coming back from work. You never know who you will meet with your new look." Then I said, "It was meant for you to see me today so that I can give you a complimentary makeover consultation." She laughed and we said goodbye.

As she walked away, I had to laugh to myself because I had also experienced a bad hairstylist. I was an unsuspecting consumer who drifted into the Bunches of Hair beauty salon in midtown. (I changed the salon name to protect the innocent.) This place will definitely have you drifting in by the fabulous hair photos covering the wide framed window. The stylists are dressed to impress in pink and purple. Everyone's hair was whipped to perfection. "Come on in, sit in the chair and would you like a cup of tea?" said the stylist in the pink and purple smock. "Oooh girl, I am impressed." I thought to myself as I told the stylist that I would like finger waves. She said, "Yes ma'am." I walked over to the sink where not only did I get my hair washed, but my blouse and legs got a soaking too. Water was everywhere. She scrubbed my scalp so hard that I got a headache. I guess she thought she was giving me a good head massage. She almost broke my neck. Back in the chair, she proceeded to dump almost an entire jar of gel on my head that resembled orange bees wax. Carefully, she sculptured each row to resemble a sea of beautiful water waves. As she finished, I glanced in the mirror only to spot clumps of orange goop. Three hours later? (That's another story) my masterpiece was finished. She slowly unwrapped the net from my head. The moment of truth has arrived. Ahahhh. Ahahhhhh Ahhhahh. I couldn't stop screaming. I spent all day at the salon and all I have to show for it is a matted mess. Now the orange goop had got deep in color and hardened into a wax sculpture around my hair. "I am not going outside like this!" I said. LOOK AT MY HAIR! LOOK AT IT! By the way, I do not like unisex salons. There were some nice looking men getting a haircut and they witnessed the entire episode. How embarrassing. The stylist apologized a thousand times and marched me back over to the sink where she used a hammer to chisel the orange sculpture from my hair. Well, it was not a hammer but that's how I felt. I ended walking out of there with a pigtail. You heard me, a pigtail. It is a style here you get just enough hair for the rubber band to catch hold. I will never go in any salon without getting at least two referrals and a hair police report.

The next time you are shopping in the mall and pass the local hair salon, just take a peak inside to see what is going on. Ask the clients for a referral and keep it in your shopping file just in case you should ever need it.

Belinda Trotter-James is a talented creator of beauty magazines. Ms. James developed several major national teenage magazines for Word Up! Publications. Hype Hair, 2 Hype and Try It Yourself Hair boosted circulation and opened doors for other magazine spin-offs and new advertisers for the company. In addition to writing and editing, Ms. James also combined her knowledge of marketing and the entertainment industry to promote the magazines. She cross-promoted celebrities with products and asked celebrities such as Queen Latifah to demonstrate correct hair care.

Credit Card Companies Are Out for Your Money

You're probably thinking "Tell me something I don't know" but in this time of low interest rates you might be thinking that you've got a great deal since credit card interest rates are low. Wrong. Credit card companies have a cutoff as to how low their interest rates will go.

So when interest rates are low for lending, that doesn't mean your credit card rate will be low as well. If you don't know, or aren't sure, if your credit card company has a minimum interest rate just look at the fine print on your next credit card bill. If you can't read that small of print, and most of us can't, give the customer service a call. If your credit card company does have a minimum interest rate then I'd plan to look around and go with the credit card companies that don't. Because when the interst rates drop, you should get a break on your credit card rate.

The fixed rate on credit cards actually rose in the last twelve months. Why? Because the credit card companies have been actually losing money due to record numbers of delinquencies and bankruptcies. Those who can't pay now for their purchases in the past are sticking their bill to the rest of the credit card holders.

So you may think that you want to get that credit card insurance being pushed by credit card companies that will pay your bill if you become disabled or unemployed. Not so fast. The average payout on a credit insurance policy is 30-50%. The National Association of Insurance Commissions actually recommends a payout of at least 60%. Payouts for debt cancellation and debt suspension is in the 1-3% range. That's definitely not worth the premiums. Get enough regular life insurance and disability insurance to cover your debt as their premiums are much cheaper and have greater payouts.

Beware of a credit card company trick that I recently ran into. I mailed a payment a week early but yet was still charged a late fee. Impossible I say. I found out the payment had to be in the credit card company's processing center by a certain time on the due date.

Think of my credit card payment making it's way through the mail, to a P.O. box, then getting picked up, sorted, sent to the processing center, opened and recorded. And this has to be done by a certain date on the due date. Ouch. I suggest mailing in your payment at least two weeks early.

About The Author

Christine Breen is the owner of the website www.1stop-creditcards.com which helps consumers learn about credit cards and find a card to work for them.

Why Malta? A Mystery-Thriller Author Tells Why

"Why Malta?" my new Maltese friends kept asking me when they find out that my mystery-thriller The Cellini Masterpiece is set on Malta. Mind you, only the Maltese ask that question. (Some kind of national inferiority complex?) Americans ask "Malta Who?" or "Where the heck is Malta?" or "Is it about the Maltese Falcon?" (They must always think that they're the first ones to think that up.)

The difference in questions is obvious. The Maltese are puzzled. Americans are plain ignorant. Someone once wrote that the way Americans learn geography is by war.

Why Malta is the question that is harder to answer. My usual comeback is why not? That usually brings a laugh, but it's difficult to explain how a tiny bit of limestone southwest of Sicily should hold such an interest for an American for so many years. I will be 65 by the time this article is in print, but I fell in love with Malta sight unseen as a 10-year-old in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I was a stamp collector and bought one of those cheap worldwide stamp packets, with one stamp showing Verdala Palace in Malta. Somehow it grabbed my interest, and a few years later I started reading about Malta until I had exhausted the local library collection. The chance discovery of a stamp led me to one of the most geographically and historically significant places in the world. Literally the crossroads of the Mediterranean, it has Neolithic temples pre-dating the pyramids and has been occupied by every world power since the ancient Greeks. I'm a historian, for heaven's sake. Who wouldn't be interested?

I was hooked. My stamp collection turned into a business, which I named Maltalately (for Malta philately). Even so, all my life I wanted to write a novel set in Malta.

At age 14 I read Cellini's Autobiography. The rogue artist absolutely intrigued me. I also know he lived in the mid-16th Century and that the Knights of St. John defeated Suleiman the Magnificent's Turks in the so-called Great Siege. It was the greatest holy war of all time and may have saved Europe from occupation by the Turks. Voila. Somehow my novel would involve Cellini and the Great Siege. I even had a punch-line. Now all I had to do was write it.

It took more than twenty years but I finally had a finished draft in 1985. The Jonathan Lazear Agency decided to represent it. Unfortunately, they weren't able to find a publisher and the manuscript went back on the shelf to languish for nearly ten years before I finally went to Malta for the first time at age 54. I stayed at a bargain accommodation, the Soleado Guest House in Sliema. What a great location to set the novel! I dusted off the manuscript and started again. My first change was to give Rick, my hero's, sidekick a sex change. My male cab driver was now a sexy young woman. The manager of the Soleado, Joey Bugeja, got a gender change, too. He was now Josefina. How could I miss?

The events of September 11, 2001, although tragic, provided another powerful plotline, since Malta is near North Africa and has close economic ties with Libya. I should be able to polish the book off in a couple of months, I thought.

Not. Things still didn't fit together quite right. In September of 2003 I enlisted the help of a musician I had met while I was selling postcards. He liked thrillers and had a keen ear for the music of language and a discerning eye for the continuity of my story. Taking him on board was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and by the beginning of 2004 I could envision the final draft. Then I heard about the North African boat people who were landing in Malta. Wow. Now all I had to do was tie Benvenuto Cellini to Suleiman the Magnificent and add in a plot from World War II with another involving modern-day terrorists and refugees. What could be simpler? Even Snoopy could do it.

Somehow I did do it. And according to my readers, successfully. Why Malta? Because there is no other place in this whole wide world where the story would make sense.

The other answer to "Why Malta" is found, for me, in a quote from Somerset Maugham's The Moon and Sixpence. It could have been written for me. "I have an idea that some men are born out of their due place. Accident has cast them among certain surroundings, but they have always nostalgia for a home they know not?. Sometimes a man hits upon a place to which he mysteriously feels that he belongs. Here is the home he sought, and he will settle amid scenes that he has never seen before, among men he has never known, as though they were familiar to him from his birth. At last he finds rest."

SAHHA u hbibierija.

To read a chapter of The Cellini Masterpiece, or to ask John a question or comment, log on to http://www.cmasterpiece.com

Moving message Sign

Moving Message Signs are a unique, attention-grabbing way to communicate and motivate. They are used for eye-catching shop-front or under awning advertising, promotions of products or services, directing and/or welcoming customers, displaying safety and emergency information, directing customers to specific service areas or entrances etc.

Moving message signs need the most sophisticated software and hardware to enable them to make them active and run quickly. They are user friendly and easy to program a wide variety of text and graphics.

Programming important messages and changing them whenever you like using the handy wireless remote control is the most feasible feature with which custom requirements are satisfied. Special features include user programmable logos and graphics as well as variance in flashing effects and speed.

Jayex Technology provides standard range of moving message signs build to meet customer's requirements. Easy installation, wall mounting or any other options with handy accessories are the unique features of this company. Simple programming techniques via portable keyboard, or remotely by personal computer or modem are the added advantage.

The moving message signs comes in variety of range, that differ in size, height of character and color of the text or graphic to be displayed. Also multi color option can be chosen to make the screen more effective and eye-catching.

About The Author

Paula Jones

Jayex Technology Limited, based in London specialise in advanced information display systems. Established in 1978 we have pioneered the development of the LED display market and now have over 18,000 customers worldwide. We offer, probably the largest range of models from small single line signs to big screen Megavision screens that can display live video and action replay in stadia.

jayex.co.uk