Go ahead indulge yourself, it's now officially good for you!

"God invented this incredible fun loving machine, then some spoil sports got a hold of the controls and reprogrammed it, now the damn thing hardly has any fun left in it....it's called a human"

My buddy Doug and I have been discussing all the things that were once thought to be bad for us, and that have now been proven to be actually good for us. Off the top of my head, here are a few of them.

* eggs Then, bad cholestrol they said. Now they say a couple of eggs per day is good for us.

* chocolate Then, more bad cholestrol and make you fat with zits to boot. Now, good for you in moderate amounts (dark chocolate only).

* wine Then, nothing good, probably turn you into an alcoholic. Now good for your heart, 2 glasses a day for men and one for women (we deserve more)

* beer and other alcoholic beverages ditto above

* germs Then, gonna kill us, spread diseases...really bad. Now, if your home is too antiseptic and clean your kids won't develop immunities to fight off the diseases.

* sex Then, only for procreation and heaven knows that sex without a partner would grow hair on your palms (who wants to shake hands with a person with hairy palms?) Now, it's good for your mental health, it's great exercise (20-30 minutes of sex can be equal to burning 300 calories or running 3 miles, insert joke here), for us men, it's good for your prostrate and get this.....no damn hair on the palms!

* coffee Then, bad for your ticker and what else I don't remember. Now, good for you up to 2 cups per day.

* fat Then, consuming fat was a big time no, no. Now, it turns out their is good fat and bad fat. Bad fat is animal fat, good fat is fish fat. Good fat has Omega 3 and Omega 6 in it. This good fat is good for your heart, hair, skin and your sex life...wow.

Makes me think what else they lied or misled us about. Of course the spoil sports always have a caveat about these past sins;

"We must be moderate in our consumption"

So I can enjoy all my little bad habits, it's just that I have to be moderate. But then I'm thinking to myself....well, they lied to me before...hmmmm. One last thought amigos, this is a Truthtellerism;

"be moderate in your moderation"

I'm thinking that if we were always moderate we might end up being bland. How can that be a good thing? A world of bland people would be like a world made up of nothing but politicians and preachers. Uuck, think about that. So I say dear readers, be moderate, but every once in awhile....go hog wild with your pleasures! Do something crazy, take some chances and savour life to it's fullest (just be moderate about it, damn it)

Eduardo

The Dali Lama is a loveable, wild and crazy guy!

"accepting any kind of limitations in our minds,
causes us to miss out on the wonders and possibilities
of the universe"

While enjoying my morning coffee and paper I came across a story about His Holiness, the Dali Lama. I'm no Buddist but I really like this guy. Everytime I see him on TV he is sending out his message of peace and love. But what I really like about him is that he is so quick to to see the humor in a situation. A great spiritual leader who just loves to laugh.

In the story he was talking about how the Chinese government feels it is entitled to appoint his successor, the next Dali Lama. This job has always fallen to the senior monks after the reigning Dali Lama dies. It is believed by Buddists that each Dali Lama is the reincarnation of the last one. And here is where it gets really interesting!

The Dali Lama certainly doesn't feel the Chinese government has a right to appoint his successor. He therefore proposes to hold a referendum amongst the world's Buddist's to offer them two choices. Either there will not be a successor chosen or they can vote for him to appoint his reincarnation....while he is still alive!

Now I'm a student of metaphysics and I love playing around with sometimes weird and wonderful thoughts in my head, but this one is a real mind-bender. Imagine being reincarnated before you die? Call me weird but I love the thought and I could stretch my few brain cells to imagine it. The whole concept of what is possible is wide open for me right now.

So I'm imagining, what it would be like if I could reincarnate myself right now. So there would be the big Eduardo, you know and love and then little baby Eduardo (cute little sucker) both at the same time. How cool would that be? (insert your joke here)

And just to shake up your thinking a little I ask you to check the story of Ben Underwood. He is a blind kid who does things you would never believe possible if you didn't see it yourself. You'll be inspired and glad you saw this, so check it out here.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpBm4KoWsrY

I used to think that my made up belief 'Everything is possible if you can have fun doing it' was stretching my mind, but now I think I may have been too timid in my thinking.

"Genius may have it's limitations,
but I'm not encumbered with that problem"

Eduardo

P.S. If it doesn't work to click on the link about, just highlight it, copy and paste in your search bar. Watch that video, it's great!

I have a hunch, you're going to like this...

We've all experienced sudden moments of knowingness. We know them as hunches, intuitions and flashes of insight. Here is what Dr. Joyce Brothers has to say about this...

'hunches are usually based on facts that are hidden just below the concious level'

So you could say that hunches are a form of inner wisdom. This wisdom can be experienced by a gut feeling, a flash of insight, a dream or an unexpected rush of energy.

Generally speaking our culture preaches logic and scoffs at intuition. So we were mostly trained to not trust these hunches. However, many of the worlds greatest inventions and visions were born in moments of doing nothing when the recipient was moved by an intuition.

Benjamin Franklin flew a kite and Sir Isaac Newton loved to mediatate under an apple tree. They did quite well by their sudden insights. And I'm betting your mother had pretty good intuitions when you did something wrong!

So how do you encourage your own intuitions? First you need to find all available knowledge on the subject (remember that hunches are usually based on facts). Find your own special quiet spot that is free from distraction. Next you need to totally trust in yourself to find the answers. And finally when you get the hunch, write it down immediately. Hunches can be very fleeting insights that can be easily lost or forgotten. They are best captured when the mind has quiet moments and sometimes during mundane chores such as driving or showering.

One thing is certain, you aren't likely to capture a great insight if the radio or Ipod is blaring your favorite tunes. My final comment is that if you don't use your insights when you do get them the mind automatically quits retrieving insights for you. So expect intuition to show up and it will!

And amigos think on this..."you lose 100% of the opportunities that you never go for"

I have a real strong hunch that I am going to enjoy a glass of my favourite red wine!

Eduardo

Is it time to re-write your life story

"the fun and easy way to change your future is to change your past"

Ask any police officer and he will tell you that if two or more people witness a crime, they will probably all see something different. Why is that? It's because of how we interpret what we see. We interpet with our emotions and feelings. We are not cold calculating computers, we are living organisms (ok I first typed orgasims, Freudian slip me thinks). Unless, we are highly trained in observing, our brain seems to always want to fill in the blanks for us. Many times the thoughts we fill in are inaccurate.

Our lives stories are made up of our past experiences and how we interpret them. For instance, let's suppose your life story tells you that you were abused by a parent as a child. Different people could take away a different interpretation. One might say to himself, the old man beat me up for no reason at all, he never loved me. Another might remember it as, I was a difficult child and probably deserved it, it didn't harm me and it probably did me some good. Still another might tell herself the story, I think Mom was suffering from mental illness, she probably did her best but her best wasn't very good.

Another thing to consider is that the story you remember may be inaccurate to start with. Particularily if your story happened when you were a young child. Young children frequently get the story wrong, they remember vividly the hurt but interpret the source or reason for the hurt through the eyes of a child. Certain images or words may be clear as a bell in their brains, but detail is missing. Something else may have happened that they were unaware of at that young age. Then again, maybe the incident they recalled was accurate but that doesn't mean you can't change the intrepretation now that you are an adult.

My point is that you decided on the interpretation of that bad happening. What most don't seem to grasp is that you can at any time change your interpretation to one that doesn't control or contain you, from growing into something greater. We are all creative beings and if we choose we can quickly change our life story to one that allows us, to be all that we are capable of.

We simply must let go of any part of our past that we previously allowed to become an anchor on our lives. It is a sin to let our past dictate our future unless our past serves to enable us.

So the logical thing to do when you find yourself looking back and feeling that anchor on your life is to say to yourself....that's my old story, I'm changing that!

It's sad that we let some past hurt, bury our future and yet it happens all the time. Also, pay keen attention to the payoffs you get from hanging onto to past hurts and heartaches. Do you feel sorry for yourself? Do others feel sorry for you? Has it become a convenient excuse to not try? Does it serve you in any way?

The most important question to ask yourself is, am I ready to let it go? And am I ready to let it go now? If the answer is yes, lucky you, take a deep breath and imagine letting it go. You'll feel lighter for doing it.

The final step is to construct a new life story, maybe you'll end up with something like this.....I know Mom was a lousy parent, maybe she was abused as a child, I don't know but I'm grown up now and I've moved on. Can you even imagine how much better that would make you feel?

Treat yourself with respect and appreciation for all you've been through, it's time to claim the future that you deserve. The courage you need is within you, write yourself a new story.

Smile, you are much stronger and more resilient than you think!

Eduardo

God was just showing off, when he created you!

"spread a little sunshine today, be generous with your compliments"

I was going to write an article on compliments today, when I discovered this little story. After a read it, I threw out my clever writings because this said it better, enjoy...(and anyway I'm always happy to let someone else do the work)

The Power of Compliments
Submitted by: Gayle Shemezis miracleacres@maqs.net

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.

Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.

It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.

That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" she heard whispered. "I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and, "I didn't know others liked me so much." were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the students was killed in Viet Nam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.

The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.

As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. "Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. She nodded: "yes." Then he said: "Mark talked about you a lot."

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.

"We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.

"Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."

All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home."

Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album."

"I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary."

Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: "I think we all saved our lists."

That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.

"Marge, you're as pretty as Princess Leia, and as smart as Yoda" Homer Simpson

Eduardo

The $14 invention, that will make you happier, richer and improve your health!

This little gizmo is called a tally counter

"When you find out what this little baby will do, I guarantee you will want one for yourself and one for your grumpy relative"

First, let me explain how I got to this discovery. I was reading an article in the paper that reported a study by Stanford University, in it they found that those who wear a pedometer (measures number of steps) got these benefits;

* lose more weight
* exercise more often
* and have lower blood pressure

What's important here, is the reason why the pedometer works? Lucky for us, I figured this out, all by my little self. This was really an 'aha moment' for me (I know you'll probably be thinking it was a 'well duh' moment). Anyway amigos, here is another

TRUTHTELLER INSIGHT

"any change that we can accurately measure has a built in motivation"

In case you missed the significance of my brillance, let me explain. Suppose you set a goal of doing 100 push-ups. I am assuming that you some desire to actually want to accomplish the task. Each day you do all that you are capable of doing and record that number of push-ups. By the end of the week you will see that the number you can do has increased. Now you have found the motivation, because you can monitor and be witness to your progress.

"This is important to you if you want to be happier, healthier, and richer"

Here's how I got there! You read the previous article on the benefits of smiling, right? If not, get your lazy butt back to the article (3 posts down) and then re-join us for this scintillating discussion.

Ok, we have already established the abundance of benefits if we just smile more. However, if I said .....you go and smile more and you get all those wonderful benefits, would you do it. Maybe, for one or two days you might, but more likely our little experiment might last an hour or two and would be quickly forgotten. Why? It's because we don't monitor the results and get the feedback we need. So just as the pedometer works by showing our progress, that little tally counter works to give us visual feedback of our efforts.

So I went to the office supply store and bought myself a tally counter like you see above

It's strangely motivating to see that you have smiled 54 times in just one morning. I smile when I think about...ooops make that 55. Playing with this thing, made me laugh to myself, a number of times. I smiled when I saw people, I smiled at a beautiful sky and I smiled a big ugly dude with tatoo's covering every inch of his body that visable (interesting he smiled back using the few teeth he possessed...scary).

I got so darn excited about my find that I had rush back and share it with you. I got happy for no good reason. One driver who was waiting at the red light beside my car, happened to see me laughing at my little experiment, probably thought I was loose a screw (he may be right) but who cares, this is better than drugs and cheaper too.

So get yourself down to the stationary store and ask for a tally counter and get in on the fun. Try your own experiment, you will be amazed that something so simple could be so much fun. Come on, admit it, you like simple things and we simple things appreciate it!

"smile, it makes us more attractive, and we need all the help we can get"

Eduardo

FREE Exercise Equipment

"it is human nature, to know what is good for us and then to forget about it"

British researchers completed a study that demonstrated, putting a sign next to the stairs, that simplyl said...take the stairs in a mall,usage of the stairs went from 4% up to 10%. Imagine the health benefits of taking the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator? Here are a few for you to ponder...

*just 2 flights of stairs per day, will result in 6lbs of weight loss per year
*7 minutes of stair climbing per day can reduce your risk of heart disease by 60%
*improves levels of good cholestrol
*burns 36% more calories then a brisk walk
*help maintain and build healthy muscles, joints and bones

This sounds incredibly simple, but if one simple little sign can more than double the usage of stairs, this could have huge implications on the public health. But I'm thinking there is so much more to be learned from this little story....

I'm thinking about all the things in our lives that we know we should do but don't. Things like staying positive, smiling more or eating healthy and exercising. Maybe we just need little written reminders to keep us on track. Research has proven beyond a doubt that it works. There we go again...the answers are simplier than we think. Now you parents just need to put a sign on the dining table for the kids that says....EAT YOUR VEGETABLES, IT'S GOOD FOR YOU!

When I think about this it of course makes me think about my little magic cards that I use. They are really nothing more than colourful reminders to keep us on track for some change we want to make. The point here is that they work and shouldn't be dismissed as simplistic.

Another point to consider is the often quoted line... it takes 28 days to form a habit. Maybe we all have some form of, attention deficit disorder, because most of us start out trying to change for the better but never maintain the change long enough to make it a habit. This again, is why we need the constant reminders.

One more thing about the study I quoted, over-weight people responded better to the signs than normal weight people. Isn't that astounding? The people who needed the exercise the most, actually benefited from the reminder the most. This gives me great hope that anyone can make changes for the better with just a happy little reminder. Maybe it's true...life was meant to be fun and easy!

I'm so excited about this news that I'm making up a new sign for myself...

TAKE MORE HOLIDAYS, IT MAKES ME RICHER!

Eduardo

This or something better...

"maybe the reason we don't always achieve our intentions and goals is because they just aren't worthy of us"

I can't recall where I first heard the phrase, this or something better, but it has always stuck in my head. I love the idea that there might be something even better in store for me then what I originally desired.

So now whenever I decide to manifest something I think worthy into my life, I always add the thought....this or something better. I figure if the universe is limitless, then why should little Eduardo put limits on the big guy. I may not be willling to settle for less but I'm sure as heck willing to settle for more!

In the past year I've been witness to many good people manifesting incredible things in their lives, including myself. Frequently, we got more than what we intended. So the proof is out there,it works.

I can visualize it now, readers writing down....I intend to win the lottery...this or something more! And, who knows, maybe it will be something more. If so, remember your amigo Eduardo, who put you onto this.

Smile, it will make you richer!

Eduardo

P.S. See the picture of the car in the card above? Two years ago, my son informed me, that it was the car he wanted. He couldn't see how that would be possible, until he graduated from University and got a job. I made up the card for him and told him to visualize owning it. He got that car awhile back but now has one....even better!

The more I smile, the richer I become!

"this thought will just blow you away"

I'm always professing that life was meant to be fun, easy and over-flowing with abundance. Ever since I adopted that mantra, I have been discovering the truth and wisdom within my declaration. Now, it seems that success and happiness might be easier than even I thought.

Laughing all the way to the bank

Research has been proving that the more you smile and laugh, the more successful we tend to become. I imagine that there are many logical explanations for this. First, a smiling person is more approachable and deemed to be more self confident. Also, we naturally just want to do business with people we like and we like to be around happy people. Smiling has proven to makes us more attractive and whether we like or not, attractive people get more breaks in life. And that's just a small part of the benefits of smiling and laughing.

"smile and you will have better relationships"

In research done by studying the smiles of 20 year old women, it was found that 30 years later, those that had the biggest smiles (measured by crinkles around the mouth and the eyes) had the most satisfying and long lasting relationships. Again, this makes sense, since a warm smily person would just have to be easier to live with, right?

"a smile is an visual expression of gratitude"

This may sound trite and even trivial to say that if you smile more you will get more of what you want out of life, but research says this is TRUE! If I were teaching a course on how to become more successful and happy, the first thing I would teach would be to dramatically increase your number of smiles and laughs per day. Hard work, inspiration, goal setting etc. will only get you so far. To become successful and happy we need others to help us short cut the process. And the first step to getting people on our side is to smile. Simple, huh?

This is the most exciting thought I've come across, since I started blogging. We can have more abundance and happinesss, and it all starts with smiling more. And, yes...you can fake it, until you make it. Smiling when you don't particularily feel like it, can change your mood and your bank account.

"this is so profoundly simple, it just makes me want to laugh"

Here are some benefits, I've found (based on research) when you increase you smiles per day

*makes you look younger
*improves brain functions
*relieves stress
*lowers blood pressure
*changes your mood (quicker than drugs)
*builds self confidence
*leads to more friendships
*makes you more attractive and approachable
*strengthens the immune system
*live longer (and happier)

"could this be the path to enlightenment"

No research to demonstrate this, but my thought is...why not? Maybe, that's why they sell those smiling Budda's. Smiling and laughing makes you more receptive to creative thoughts. I've read several articles where the writers recommend that when you are looking for an idea, you should start by smiling as it puts you in a proper mood to receive ideas.

Smile with your eyes

For a more beautiful and genuine learn to smile with your eyes. First, imagine and try to feel a twinkle in your eyes. Let your eyes beam and then let it spread to your mouth. The smile you will generate from this will convey warmth, sincerity and love. (maybe I should start a smiling dating site, see I'm getting more creative by just smiling about it) Try this, you'll see, it really works.

The more intense the smile the greater the benefit. But wait, here's the problem; after reading this article you might be convinced to smile more....but will you keep it up? Some will and some will quickly fall back into old patterns, and not give this a proper chance to work. And that amigos is why you need the magic card I printed at the start of the article. We need reminders to keep us on track, so print off mine or make up your own. Put it where you will see it often, and when you do see it SMILE. You can also change it up if you like. For instance if you are looking for love, you might have yours say...The more I smile, the more attractive I become (you get the idea) so personalize it if you wish.

"The universal beauty secret that transcends all cultures and time is a smile"

I'm developing the habit of smiling whenever I come face to face with people. I smile when I want to love the moment. I smile when I appreciate nature. Heck, I'm smiling right now, writing this article for you. I even tried keeping track of smiles per day but gave up because, I was doing it all the time and how do you measure a 5 minute smile versus a 5 second smile. Yesterday, I measured my laughs per day....58! I thought that was pretty darn good until I found that young children laugh up to 112 times per day. Then I felt better when I found out that adults aged 42 years only laugh on average 6 times per day. Laughing increases after retirement, but I don't want to wait that long.

I've got a ton more to say on this topic, a books worth I'm thinking. However, I'll leave you with this thought one more time....

"the more you smile, the richer you become"

And that could be richer in; money in the bank, happiness, relationships, spiritual growth, health, and love. Could you imagine how much money we could make if there was a product or drug with these benefits? We would be trillionaires!

"smile, it looks really good on you"

Eduardo

P.S. Please don't assume that I am implying that all you have to do in life is sit around and smile. Of course, there will be inspiration and perspiration involved in the attainment of anything worthwhile. However, don't also diminish the significance of the value of your big googy grin!

It's all good

Tomorrow I return home and thinking about that, I'm reminded of a phrase I heard a few years ago from one of my Mexican amigos;

"don't be sad that that your visit with us over, be happy that it happened"

As always, I find my Mexican hosts to be warm, inviting and playful. They love to sing, laugh and tease. Every little joke is to be enjoyed and shared a hundred times over. There is much we can learn from them.

Yesterday, one of the beach vendors stopped my stroll down the beach. He said, "Eduardo, it breaks my heart that you are leaving so soon". "Really", I said. "Se Eduardo, you still haven't bought anything from me" The two of us, laughed until he had seperated me from my pesos.

"everything is possible, if you can have fun doing it, including making the sale"

I'm thinking that even if I got nothing more that a grain of sand from that exchange, I got more than my moneys worth, just for the lesson in salesmanship. Its far easier to persude people, if they like you and we are both having fun.

That line was even better than the standard one, I've heard for years...."hey senor, today everthing is two for one....you pay for two, you get one" I've heard that one a thousand times and it still cracks me up (and there goes my pesos again)

"todas esta bien" (its all good)

Eduardo

Notes from paradise

I like being alone, here by the ocean. I find it so incredibly peaceful and even healing. I think of moments like this as cleansing the soul. I don{t require any reminder to love the moment, I just can{t not love the moment. Surrounded by such an inspiring view and the sounds of a tropical nature, this is paradise.

Listening to the waves crashing into the beach and the chirpiing of birds....this is just like one of those meditation type CDs you can buy, only this is real.

I wonder what it would be like to live here year round. Would the samenesss of daily life, diminish the experience. That{s a strange thing about us humans, we just naturally move towards taking everything for granted, until it is taken away from us. We can{t sustain never ending joy, happiness or awe. But, I suppose we need the contrast in our lives, in order to find appreciation for the wonders that surround us.

Anyway, I don{t want to strain my brain thinking about this incredible experience. I just want to soak it up and cherish my good fortune. The best way to give thanks for times like this is to love the moment. I{m good at that!

Now back to the beach....its good to be Eduardo

P.S. If you see typos, blame it on the spanish computer!

If we were only so lucky

Buenas Dias Sir Eddie, those are the happy words of my amigo Jorge. I love to hear this greeting every morning on the beach. Im not sure why it amuses both of us so much, but it makes us both smile every time.

Jorge is the happiest person I have ever met. He is always smiling, whistling or singing. His warmth and positive energy is like morning sunshine to everyone who has the pleasure to meet him. Jorge is a beach cleaner.

Jorge speaks very little English and yet he is a master communicator. His love of life is infectious. I assume he is one of the poorest paid employees at this resort.
However, if our wealth is determined by how happy we are with what you have, then my amigo Jorge must be a tycoon.

I love to watch Jorge's interactions with the guests. I watch people go out of their way, so they can have a brief cheerful greeting from him. They give him tips, bring him presents and even fetch him coffee. The beach cleaner is being waited on by the wealthy touristas.

Jorge is a humble, hard working man. He takes great pride and loves his job. He does it extremely well and he does it with a gusto. The beach is perfecto when he is done and that's the way he likes it for his guests.

I imagine I make more in an hour then Jorge does in a month and yet who is really the richer person. Now if you will excuse me, I just noticed that no one has brought Jorge his morning coffee. If I hurry it can be my great pleasure to serve him.

Now, lets see, he likes his coffee black with one sugar...must hurry...

Sir Eddie

Be happy for me!

I'm only here in Mexico...for my health! That's right amigos, you think I'm here goofing off and enjoying the sun, sand, surf and senioritas...but actually I'm here to extend my life. Don't believe me? Read this article from the London Times!

Sunbathing can slow the ageing process by up to five years, according to new research.

Scientists have found that people who avoid the sun, or have inadequate vitamin D in their diet, are subject to genetic damage associated with ageing and age-related illnesses.


90 per cent of the body's intake of vitamin D is created by exposure to the sun


The effect of the damage is so great that those who lack vitamin D - often called the "sunshine vitamin" because 90 per cent of the body's intake is created by exposure to the sun - were biologically five years older than those with the highest levels.

Lead researcher Dr Brent Richards, from King's College, London said: "These results are exciting because they demonstrate for the first time that people with high levels of vitamin D may age more slowly than people with lower levels.

"This helps to explain how vitamin D has a protective effect on age-related illnesses such as heart disease."

Co-author Prof Tim Spector, also of King's College, said the study showed people should spend more time in the sun and eat more foods rich in vitamin D such as fish, eggs, fortified milk and breakfast cereals, or take supplements.

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About one-third of the population is thought to be vitamin D deficient. Prof Spector said: "There are scares about melanomas, which do affect several thousand people per year.

"But vitamin D deficiency is making hundreds of thousands of people ill with potentially fatal diseases."

Cancer campaigners pointed out that too much exposure to the sun can cause skin cancer, which kills about 1,800 people in the UK each year.

Henry Scowcroft, of Cancer Research UK, said: "It doesn't take much time in the sun to make vitamin D, and always less time than it takes to redden or burn."

So there you have it amigos, I figure with this new research, I should be able to deduct my holiday as a medical expense?

Eduardo

Love the moment

I've been thinking about my magic cards like the one you see above. I asked myself, which is the one that has had the biggest effect on me? I came to the conclusion that this is the one.

There are many reasons why this one has worked so well for me. The first is that it shifts my mood so quickly making me appreciate what I have and just how lucky I am. Almost as soon as I look at the card, I start to realize that my life is more colorful and vibrant as soon as I start loving the moment.

That thought (love the moment) immediately gives me positive energy and makes me more optimistic the longer I dwell on the thought. And when you have enough beautiful moments you have a beautiful life. Life is really simple, but it's also so easy to get off track, and that's why I need the reminder on the card.

Tomorrow I leave for a one week holiday by the ocean in Mexico. It's pretty easy to love the moment on a tropical holiday. However, I'll take the card with me anyway. While I'm working to perfect the art of doing nothing, I'll be sure to love every single moment.

I hope you take a moment to print off the card and carry it with you. You, like me, will discover your sky to be a little deeper blue, the clouds more interesting and thoughts more clear and creative.

Now you can tell your friends....Eduardo went on a tropical holiday, and all I got was this lousy card!

Adios amigos,

Eduardo

A decent boldness

"years from now, it won't be the things that you did, that you will regret the most,
it will be the things you didn't do"

If you are anything like me, I'll bet there are many instances when you look back on your life and say to yourself....dang, I wish I'd done that!

So what keeps us from doing the things we know we should or we know we would like to do? Mostly fear, sometimes procrastination and many times we are just a little too timid. The cure.....a decent boldness!

I say decent boldness as opposed cockiness or arrogance. A decent boldness is a reasoned decision with a slight risk taking element to it. And I say boldness as opposed to using a word like courage. Courage is a difficult word. It brings back associations for a lot of people of things like when you were bullied as a child. Sometimes you can be a little lacking in courage and still find some boldness.

The good news is that boldness kicks the crap out of fear and procrastination.

Here are just a few examples of ways you can use boldness to your benefit;

*speak out when you feel an injustice
*take the first step to start a friendship
*share a thought or idea
*ask for help
*flirt
*take a chance
*try something new
*ask for a raise
*ask for forgiveness
*start something new
*make a suggestion
*write a comment on a blog
*start a business

The list could on forever, a decent boldness is all we need to change our lives for the better. And as Virgil said...fortune belongs to the bold! We can find great fortune, if we have the courage and character to make bold decisions.

"It's an exciting time for those with a decent boldness"

I think this is one of my most important articles and I urge you to print off the card at the top of the page and carry it around with you for a week. I'm more than certain that you will start the habit of making bold decisions and your life will improve in little and large ways.

Over a hundred years ago Goether wrote: "whatever you can do, or dream, you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it" Smart guy.

"Now, if I might be so bold as to ask a favour of you...please pass this article on to someone else who might benefit from it"

Eduardo

Clutter can make you fat!

This sounds absurd, but it is true. Studies have proven that those with a lot of clutter tend to be fatter than the general population.

"In the same way that you can't let go of feelings ans so you hoard memorabilia, your body can hold back the metabolic processes and switch over to store mode" Tiki Kustenmacher

Great now we have to put our homes on a diet! And this clutter brings more bad stuff;

-disorder brings about procrastination
-ties up your energy
-inhibits concentration

They say your desk is a reflection of your mind....not good for me. My desk was one big mess, with papers everywhere. I got the message!

Now my desk is pristine, and my office is ....well, reasonable clean and free of clutter. And I have a confession to make. I feel really good about it. I seem to have more energy and feel lighter. Also, I am experiencing more creativity. Who knew a clean desk could do all that?

One more benefit, I've made a really good start in slaying the procrastination dragon in my life. Now, that feels really good!

I feel like I deserve a reward...see you later!

Eduardo

Eat your way to happiness

"you are what you eat"

There are new studies coming out every day that tell us what foods are good and bad for us. According to the authors of 'Simplify your life' eat these foods and just look at the benefits you will derive:

Improves concentration: avocados, asparagus, carrots, grapefruit
Strenthens muscles and brain: herring and ocean perch
Enhances memory: milk, nuts and rice
Improves mood: orange juice, paprika, soybeans, bananas
Reduce stress: cottage cheese, almonds, brewer's yeast (I hope this means drink beer)
Enhance well being: beans, peas, tofu
Helps sleep: bread, noodles
Social skills: lobster, wheat germ
Stengthens the immune system: garlic
Increase sexual desire: oysters, morels, pulse (peas, beans lentils)
Protects agains heart disease, cancer: Red Wine (one glass for women, two for men)

There you go, you are all fixed and healthy now!

Dr. Eduardo

God saved my life!

This is an excerpt from a letter to the editor, in my local paper today. It was written by an 80 year old lady, who also noted in her letter that the driver was doing something distracting, while she was driving, (she didn't say what)

"I was crossing the street, on the 'Walk' sign, when suddenly I looked up and saw a car--which had turned off the Avenue. It was coming straight at me.

For the most part of my 80 plus years I have depended on God and Christian Science for my protection.

Well, that still, small voice told me to jump and I gave a flying leap ahead. The car just skimmed me. The lady driver stopped the car, put down the window and several times said how sorry she was.

I was somewhat shaken and had no reply, but went on my way rejoicing.

I hope that lady learned a lesson about her driving from this experience. After all, she received great protection also."

Bonnie Jacobs

What an incredible attitude! Can you imagine how you might have felt if a driver was talking on the phone, smoking or putting on make up and nearly ran you over? Would you be mad and thanking God that he protected you from injury and the driver from committing an offence.

I had to think about this one. I think I might have been thanking God for protecting me, but I confess, I probably would not have thought, to thank God, for protecting the careless driver. Now that amigos, is an inspiring attiude!

Here is another inspiring story that was also in a letter to the editor, right next to the previous letter...

"our 11 year old daughter was unable to join in the trick or treating (Halloween) because of an injury to her ankle, which left her on crutches. Given the circumstances, she chose to hand out candy at our door.

During the evening two young girls came to our door. They had already been to our house. One girl handed our daughter a whole bag of candy. This is for you, because you couldn't go out on your crutches, one girl said.

The candy was given from dividing their own treats, not from the collection of another bag.

We want to thank those girls for their selflessness and generosity provided to our daughter, who they did not know at all."

Kevin Beattie

Amazing where we can find inspiration, if we look!

Eduardo

More of my favorite quotes

"99% of the world's population are convinced they are incapable of any kind of greatness, so they settle for mediocrity"

This means to me that there is less competition when we strive for the really good stuff in life.

"goals must be unrealistic to have any motivational magic"

This explains why people give up on goals. They pick small easily achieveable goals that just don't motivate them.

"The opposite of happiness is boredom"

Perhaps a better word for happiness is excitement.

"it is far more lucrative and fun to leverage your strengths, instead of trying to fix your weaknesses"

Whenever I can, I outsource what I'm not good at (my weaknesses). And if I work on my strengths I get a lot more motivation to move forward.

"It's better to be productive then to be busy"

Think of the 80/20 rule, with 20% of what you do being most productive and 80% of your time spent on unproductive chores. I'd sooner concentrate on the productive 20%.

and here is my favourite personally made up quote! This is what makes me laugh and keeps me sane when I have to do deal with boneheads...

I'm willing to let you, be wrong"

Ok, I made up my own quotes, but admit it...you thought they were pretty good until you knew who wrote them, didn't you?

Eduardo

Do yourself a favor!

My buddy Eric, sent this to me and I just have to share it with you. Please, take a minute and watch this video. I guarantee you will be glad you did!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0aO64aKqek

(if it doesn't work to click on it, then, highlight it, right clik and copy it to your search bar and hit go)

Eduardo

THOUGHT OF THE DAY; Light travels faster than sound. We know that because, some people appear bright until they speak!