How Do Clothes Reveal the Secrets of the Mind of a Person?

Feb 9, 2012 Author admin

Scriptures say that the body is the mirror of the soul. Body and Soul represent the same reality. The physical body represents this reality in the material world while the soul represents this reality in the spiritual world. They are the two sides of the same coin.

Scientists also say that matter and energy are different manifestation of the same reality. They say that the mass of a matter is nothing but the energy trapped in the time and space and energy is nothing but the mass that is liberated beyond the time and space.

When a child is born, he has the pure soul and the naked body. However, as he grows, he is forced to wear cloths on his body to cover part of the body. In the same way the soul of the person also gets covered by the reason and beliefs of the society which gradually fills his mind. In the civilized world, it is as difficult to see the bodies without cloths in public places as it is to find a soul without reason and belief. A person would be called insane, if he fails to bear the appropriate cloths for the occasion. Every civilized person knows very well how he must be dressed in private and in public and every civilized person knows what to reveal to the public.

The cloths are, therefore, closely related to the mind of the man. We can know the mind of the person from the cloths as cloths covers the body in the same way as the mind covers the soul.

Uniforms for Uniformity

Most people in a civilized society wear uniforms at some stage of their lives. Most of us have attended our schools in uniforms. The practice of asking the young people to wear uniform is due to the desire of the society to inculcate uniform values and develop uniform thoughts in the mind in all children. Most children in school have, therefore, quite similar thoughts.

In colleges, the uniform is discarded in favor of the fashionable cloths as the society wants the grown-up people to fill their mind with diverse thoughts. Thus most people develop their independent thoughts and personalities only after entering their colleges where they get freedom to wear cloths.

Most jobs do not require any uniform as the jobs need people to think independently and not uniformly. It is based on the belief that “if two people think identically, then one of them is redundant”. No company would like to pay for a redundant employee. Yet some jobs like army and police needs uniform as they require just obeying the orders and no independent application of mind. Yet these uniformed people wear the dresses of their choices at their home where each person has separate thoughts while dealing with their family.

Some societies prescribe a uniform cloth for the men and women. For example, all Muslim women are required to wear black in public veil covering their full body. The result is that such women fail to develop independent thoughts. The males are also often forced to grow beard or wear headgear and a uniform dress in some religion which automatically curb their independent thinking.

The people wearing traditional cloth of their society have traditional thoughts while te people wearing western cloths have western thoughts. There are certain dresses like pant, shirt, ties etc for men that are almost common all over the world. All such people who wear common cloths also share common thoughts and views.

To Cover or To Expose

There are innumerable verities in cloths today. Yet every society seems to approve only particular types of cloths for its people. The cloths are designed in a way to cover part of the human body. These cloths tell a lot about the mind of the person based on what is covered.

If one coves very little of his body, his or her intention is to cover very little of the mind. For example as the spouses do not cover their body before each other in private, they also share their deepest thoughts in private. People wears most comfortable cloths in the house which reveals more body than that in public as people are more openly express their mind more freely before their family members than to the common public.

People cover most part of their body when they go to office or place of work as in the office they are expected to cover their thoughts and reveal only little to their colleagues and clients on need to know basis.

It requires considerable courage to reveal one’s mind in public as it requires courage to reveal one’s body in public.

The Colour of Cloths

The colour and design of cloths are extremely important to understand the mind of the person. A spiritual person is least concerned about his cloths. He never identifies himself with the cloth as his focus is soul of the person which can never be concealed in the clothing. The real spiritual people, therefore, wears no cloth in the tradition of religions like Jainism. Many Hindu Sadhus (Saints) do not wear cloths even in public as it can be seen during the festival of “Kumbh Mela” in India when hordes of Nude Saints take bath in the Holy Rivers.

However, all worldly people pay tremendous importance to their cloths as they mind is lot to conceal. Yet people with a calm mind would prefer the cloths that have sober colors while the person with restless mind would prefer bright colored cloths.

The dark colors signify the quest of wisdom as a dark color absorbs most of the light and reflects only little. A wise man also absorbs the wisdom that is revealed through the experiences of the life of self and others.

The light colours often reflect the people whose mind does not care for most of the things that happens in the world. They reflect everything thrown on them like a mirror..

The mindset of people who prefers some particular colors are as following.

Red: The red colour symbolizes happiness and joy. It is difficult to wear red colour when your mood is down. The mind of the person wearing colour red is filled with joy.

Blue: The colour of blue signifies the sky and ocean which is infinite and eternal. So the people who love blue colors have deep convictions and beliefs. Their mind remains in peace like sky.

Black: Black is the colour of wisdom as black colour absorbs all colours. Yet such wise people are often termed as Evil as nothing is prohibited for them. While the world treats half the things as good and remaining half as evil, the person with black colour consider every one as equal. Such a person is often considered as evil or rebel by society as he breaks the taboo of the society.

Green: Green is the colour of the nature which through its green colored plants and trees mysteriously and silently converts the harmful carbon-dioxide to oxygen. Thus green is the colour of mystery and secrets. The mind of the people wearing green cloths is quite difficult to know due to their mysterious way of thinking.

Yellow: Yellow is the colour of sun and energy. Yellow is also the colour of the fruits when they ripen and become ready to eat. Yellow is thus the colour of energy, love and maturity. The mind of such a the person is ripe and matured. His love is as unconditional as sun who only gives without expecting anything in return.

White: The white color is the most acceptable color for all occasion. It is rarely out of place. The person preferring white cloths have the mind that is acceptable to all. He believes in unanimity and acceptance. White colour thus signifies spirituality and God.

Know the Mind by Cloths

While man does his best to conceal his mind, he still reveal lot of his mind by the cloths he wears. It is by paying close attention to the cloths that a man can learn the secrets of the mind of not only the individuals but also the collective mind of the society. Therefore, pay attention to the cloths of the people who matters to you as they reveal a secret that can change your life.

A Brief Profile of Dr Awdhesh K Singh

I am an Engineer by education , a public officer by profession and a spiritual person by intuition.

I hold my PhD degree in the field of E-Governance.

I am a founding member of The Aatmic Science Foundation (The Science of Soul Foundation) that is working for the synthesis between all religions, spirituality and sciences.

The website of the foundation is http://www.scienceofsoul.com

My main area of study and research is to use religions, spirituality and scientific methods of investigations to understand and solve the real life problems of human beings.

I have published hundreds of articles and research papers on this topic on various websites and journals.

Please contact me on my email aksinghirs [a] yahoo.com for any help, suggestions or feedback.

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Awdhesh_K_Singh

Commercial Auto Repair

Feb 7, 2012 Author admin

When a car breaks down or does not perform up to par, if it makes strange sounds while running or comes away from the scene of an accident with dents and scratches, a responsible owner will perform a thorough check of its parts and systems. If the vehicle is beyond the simplest troubleshooting techniques, it is best that you seek advice from the experts. Visit an auto shop that you trust so professionals can examine your car, identify the problem and fix it.

Commercial auto repairs can be defined as the kind of auto repair services that an auto shop offers. This kind of auto repair helps keep your vehicle in tiptop shape. Experts who provide auto repair services commercially have mastered the automotive sciences’ they know what is best for your car.

When you bring in your vehicle to the auto shop or when you use the services of a mechanic, the first thing that your car will receive is a look-over. Much like a consultation at the doctor’s, a look-over allows the mechanic to examine your vehicle extensively. A good mechanic will ask you some questions regarding your experiences with the car. He will most likely get your opinion on what you think is wrong with it. He will then conduct a series of tests to identify the damaged or malfunctioning parts. When he has completed his evaluation of your car, he will explain what exactly needs to be done. After he gets your approval, he will undertake the necessary repairs.

Of course, there is always a price to pay when you bring your vehicle in for commercial auto repairs. You have to pay a premium to get all the necessary work done, along with the additional charges for the auto parts or auto body parts that need to be replaced. For most owners, it can be well worth their money if their vehicles look and perform better in the end.

Auto Repair provides detailed information on Auto Repair, Auto Glass Repair, Online Auto Repair, Auto Body Repair and more. Auto Repair is affiliated with Discount Auto Parts.

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Marlborough

Blogging Advice – Be Among the Leaders

Feb 5, 2012 Author admin

There is actually plenty of blogging advice offered on the internet regarding what we will need to do in order to operate our blog successfully. If you’ve been thinking about assembling a blog with regard to your business, this blogging advice detailed below is designed specifically for you.

Listed below are the very best strategies an online business blogger is able to use to seek out visitors. These tips tend to be especially for new bloggers, those individuals who have next-to-no market right now and would like to get the process started however if you have been blogging for a while you still might find some useful information in the list below.

It will help if you focus on this particular checklist from top to bottom since each and every strategy builds upon the prior strategy that will help you produce momentum. At some point when you create plenty of momentum you will get what is known as “traction”, which usually is a big enough market base (around 500 visitors per day is great) which you will no longer need to work so hard in acquiring new visitors. Rather your current faithful visitors perform the actual work for you by word of mouth marketing.

Be Efficient With These Top Blogging Tips

Create A Minimum Of 5 Main “Pillar” Posts

  • A pillar post is actually a mini seminar style write-up geared to educate your target audience on a specific subject. Normally they’re longer than 500 words with plenty of really useful ideas or advice. This informative article you’re presently reading through might be regarded a pillar post as it is really helpful plus an excellent “how-to” training. This brand of writing offers lasting appeal, remains current (it is not information or time centered) while offering actual worth and knowledge. The more pillars you’ve gotten onto your blog the more effective.

Create One New Blog Post Each Day

  • Not each post needs to be a pillar; however, you need to focus on having the five pillars finished all at once while you keep the blog refreshing with new information as well as short brief blog posts. The biggest thing at this point will be to show your new site visitors that your particular blog will be current on a regular basis so that they feel that if he or she returns down the road they are going to most likely discover something totally new. This will cause them to bookmark your blog as well as subscribe to your blog feed.

It’s not necessary to create one post each day at all times however it is crucial one does whenever your blog is completely new. When you receive traction you will still have to keep your new content coming however your faithful viewers may well be more flexible in the event you lessen the pace to a couple each week instead. The initial few months tend to be crucial therefore the more written content you are able to generate at the moment the more beneficial.

Have An Appropriate Domain Name.

  • If you’re seriously interested in blogging for money get really enthusiastic about whatever you name your blog. As a way for people to help quickly spread your message regarding your blog you will need a simple domain name to remember. People today frequently discuss blogs that they like when they’re talking with friends that are within their business circle of friends, therefore, you’ll want to make this simple for these friends to spread the word and also give your Web address. Make an effort to purchase a.com if you’re able to and concentrate on small, simple, not difficult to memorize domains instead of worrying about getting the right keywords (keep in mind if you’re able to find excellent keywords as well as easy to remember keywords then you must have done a great job in researching!).

Here is a great tool to help you find that perfect domain name: Domain Samurai

Leave Comments

  • Begin leaving comments on some other blogs. After you have your own pillar articles or blog posts as well as your every day new short article posts your blog is able to be presented around the world. One of the greatest techniques to discover the ideal kind of reader with regard to your blog would be to comment on other people’s blogs. It is best to make an effort to comment on blogs aimed at the same niche subject as your own because the readers there might be much more likely to be interested with the articles on your blog.

Many blogs that you leave your comments with will let you include your name/title related to your blog whenever you give a comment. This is one way people discover your blog. If you are someone who comments all the time and who usually has something important to say, other bloggers notice your comments and if this peaks their interest they will want to learn more about your business and therefore simply click your link to see your blog.

Trackbacks and Backlinks

  • Trackback and link to other blogs and forums within your blog posts. A trackback is kind of just like a blog discussion. Whenever you publish a brand new article to your blog and it links or recommends another blogger’s article you’re able to do a trackback therefore to their entry. Exactly what this really does is actually give a short overview of your blog post in their blog entry: it is kind of similar to your blog informing somebody else’s blog that you had written a post talking about them. Trackbacks usually look like comments.

This is an excellent strategy because just like placing comments a trackback leaves a link from another blog back again to yours for readers to follow, which will do something extremely important: this gets the interest of some other blogger. Another blogger will more than likely come and browse your post excited to view what you wrote concerning them. They will often later become a faithful reader of yours or at best keep track of you so if you’re blessed some time in the future they might create an article linking to your own blog attracting additional visitors.

Promote Comments On Your Own Blog.

  • You’ll find the most successful strategies to encourage someone being a faithful reader is undoubtedly showing there are more faithful readers currently following your blog. When they notice several people leaving comments on your blog chances are they’ll think that the articles must be very good because you currently have readers so they really ought to stay on your site to see precisely what all of the fuss is about. To be able to really promote comments you may in simple terms present a question inside your blog post. Make sure to always answer comments to help you keep your discussion going.

Submit To A Blog Carnival

  • Post your most recent pillar article to a blog carnival. A blog carnival is actually a posting inside a blog which summarizes an accumulation of articles or blog posts from a number of blogs with a particular subject. The objective would be to gather a few of the greatest content on a subject in a given week. Quite often a number of other blogs link back to a carnival host and therefore the actual people who have articles or blog posts showcased within the carnival often like an increase in new readers.

To determine the perfect blog carnival for your blog, perform a search at blog carnival.

Post Your Blog To Blog topsites

  • To tell the truth this particular word of advice won’t generate a ton of new visitors nevertheless it really is simple to complete and just requires five minutes therefore it is really worth your time and effort. Visit Blog Top Sites, look for the suitable category for your blog and publish it. You need to copy and paste a few lines of code to your blog to help you rank then relax and see the traffic come in. In all probability you’ll basically acquire 1-10 incoming visitors each day using this strategy however with time it could increase while you climb the rankings. Everything will help!

Submit Your Main Posts To EzineArticles.

  • This is certainly an additional suggestion that does not generate an abundance of new readers right away (even though it could in the event you continue to keep doing the work) on the other hand it really is beneficial since you only leverage whatever you currently have – your pillar articles or blog posts. Each week take one of the pillar posts and submit it to Ezine Articles. Your post now becomes accessible to several other people who can easily republish your article on their blog or inside their newsletter.

The way you profit will be by using what is known as your “Resource Box”. You will design your own private authors resource box that is similar to a signature file in which you have one to two sentences that link back again to your blog. Anybody who publishes your article is required to include your author’s resource box which means you get incoming links. When someone who has a significant newsletter posts your article you can receive plenty of brand new visitors at the same time.

EzineArticles has a WordPress plugin that is just excellent. I use it all the time. Experienced WordPress users will be able to submit their WordPress posts and blog entries right to EzineArticles.

Another great place to post your articles will be at Goarticles, Articlesbase and Worldvillage..

Create A Lot More Pillar Posts.

  • Anything you choose to do that was previously mentioned will help you get blog visitors. Then again all of the strategies I have listed primarily work when you’ve got powerful pillars ready. Without having you choose everything previously mentioned you might attract visitors however they will not likely remain or even take the time to return? Strive for one strong pillar post each week and in the end of this year you’ll have a customer base well over 50 outstanding feature posts designed to work tirelessly so that you can attract increasingly more visitors.

I really hope you enjoyed my collection of blogging tips. Pretty much everything previously mentioned here are strategies I have put in place personally with regard to my blogs and has proved helpful for me personally; nevertheless it is most certainly not an extensive list. There are lots of additional steps you can take. Acquiring visitors is about testing to determine exactly what performs better for you as well as your market and I currently have little doubt when you decide to put some effort into this you’ll discover some sort of system which works for you.

Monique is an entrepreneur whose only goal is to help people succeed in business. If you would like information on attraction marketing, home business, internet marketing, leadership, personal development, or need inspiration? Then visit my blog at: Helping People Succeed In Business

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Monique_Hrebeniuk

Online Degrees in Education

Feb 4, 2012 Author admin

Education is very extensive field and provides you several diverse opportunities. Degree holders or teachers can concentrate on early, middle or secondary students. They can also work in administrative positions. Professionals can also specialize in designing teaching material, adult education or they can also get training as an administrative specialist such as principal or vice principal.

Goals of Earning Online Degrees in Education

Teaching is considered as very easy going profession. But if you really want to become a good teacher you must have multiple skill and expertise like ability of handling students, strong communication skills and talent to convince, motivate and train. After earning any online degree in education from top accredited online university or college you will be able to train students to resolve the problems. If you start your career as elementary teacher you will teach all subjects of basic level. But on secondary level you will teach subjects of your area of specialization. Higher level online degrees in education enable you for higher education positions such as community colleges, vocational schools and universities.

Online Degrees in Education

Several online degrees from associates to doctorate levels are available. Many top accredited online universities and top accredited online colleges offer online degrees in education. Following are the online degrees available.

o Associates Degree in Education

o Bachelors Degree in Education

o Masters Degree in Education

o Ph.D. Education Degree

o Degree in Early Childhood Education

o Master Degree in Education Administration

Online Associates in Education

Online Associates Degree in Education is ideal for working individual to make a career move. It is very beneficial because it is very focused and practical without vast time obligation of bachelor’s degree. You will focus on a general education courses that include sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities. After earning associates level degree your potential career paths incorporate teaching in a Head Start program, Elementary school Para professional and teacher assistant. Associates degree is considered as initial level online degree in education.

Online Bachelors Degree in Education

Online Bachelors Degree in Education provides you option to become certified K-6 Teacher. You will get thorough knowledge of K-6 elementary teacher certification, advanced educational studies, human recourse development, corporate training and higher education. You can select any specific subject of your interest. You will be able to help young students to develop skills and acquiring knowledge. After earning online bachelors you can work as elementary/high school teacher, counselor, course developer, researcher and college professor.

Online Masters Degree in Education

Online Masters in education enables you to join better paying administrative jobs. Masters degree gives you the chance to become certified professional after bachelor. MAT or MIT and M.Ed. are the common master degrees available in education. You can continue to work as teacher or choose to work as principal or assistant principal. This degree provides opportunity to professionals to earn degree with job. You can earn this online degree in education to advance your career. Following are some master’s concentrations available

o Administration and supervision

o Adult education

o Distance learning

o Special education

o Curriculum and technology

Online Ph.D. Education Degree

Online Ph.D. degree is the highest level online degree in education. It is suitable for passionate professional wishes to gain higher grade job. It is basically for individuals already had teaching experience. After earning online masters degree you can teach as professor at university. You will also able to conduct research and apply what you learnt. You can specialize in elementary and secondary education, special education, adult education and higher education.

Online Degree in Early Childhood Education

Online degree in early childhood education is also an important online degree in education. After earning this degree you will be able to work with children below the typical school age between 3 and 5. Course work includes child psychology, parenting and early learning strategies.

Professional finds job in elementary or pre-schools. Early Childhood Education professionals effectively train young children during critical time in which formative learning, skill building and social growth takes place. Children who gain proper training at this stage of life can effectively find their way through the academic and social rigors that every student will have to face later in life. That’s why schools, families and government spend considerable money on early childhood education.

Online Master in Education Administration

Online Master in Education Administration is a unique online degree in education. It is designed for education professionals who have keen interest in administration issues. Course work includes education finance, school law, duties of principal, community relation and supervision of personnel. Degree needs internship experiences in school administration at administrative and principal level. Plenty of jobs are available in educational administration. Educational administrators can work on variety of jobs ranging from day care administrator to college president or school principal. Administrators have good communication skills and able to prepare budgets, supervise student’s progress, manage everyday operations, fund raise, designing policies and standards and command institute to maintain the state and national standards.

If you need further information about online degrees in education and top accredited online universities offer these degrees you can visit this web site it will provide authentic information about online degrees available.

http://onlineeducationdegree.ws/index.html

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eva_Adam

How to Profit Handsomely From a Secret Business Model Virtually No Small Business is Using!

Feb 2, 2012 Author admin

Have you been searching for the perfect home-based business? I have spent nearly twenty-five years searching for the holy-grail of home-based businesses. Now this article is not about a business, but rather a system that Fortune 500 companies always use but it’s rarely used by home-based businesses, affiliate or network marketing companies. And based on my experience, you should not even attempt a home-based affiliate or network marketing opportunity unless you use a system that almost guarantees you’ll be successful.

But before we get into the specifics of the secret business model, let’s first talk about what most people do wrong and why 95% of home-based business operators fail within the first few years in business.

Here’s a Few Reasons Why People Fail

* Lack of sufficient capital for promotions and marketing. It takes lots of money and time for your message to capture the attention of your prospective customers. It is a proven fact that most people must see or hear about your product or service at least five to seven times before they’ll inquire or purchase.

* Not enough time spent on their business. Most people start their home-based business in their spare time and hope it becomes successful so they can do it full-time. The problem with most home-based business operators is two-fold. They don’t give their business enough attention on a daily basis and lose potential customers or distributors because they are not responsive enough. And more importantly, they don’t give their opportunity enough time for success. It is sad when someone puts hundreds and/or thousands of dollars into a home-based business but they give up when the first their marketing campaign doesn’t produce results.

* Lack of sales and marketing expertise. Many people start a business from their desire to sell something the love to make. But this fact remains true for home-based business to Fortune 500 companies – You can’t sell anything unless you get your marketing message out to enough people. When you put your marketing message out in front of thousands of potential customers then you only need a small percentage to become your customers.

* And lastly, most people don’t realize the secrets to creating a successful business. It’s not how unique your product is or how low your price is compared to your competition. The real secret to making boatloads of money is having REPEAT customers. Unless you have a product or service that people will buy multiple times per year, you probably won’t have what it takes to build a successful small business.

So if ninety-five percent of home-based business fail, then why do people even start a business if the odds are stacked against them.

Well here’s why some people have decided to start a home-based business:

* To make money from their hobby.

* To earn extra money to pay for a vacation.

* To explore the option of working on their own.

* For the potential to go full-time and have more free time.

* Lastly, many want their business to help them become financially free.

Now as I mentioned above, you don’t have to have highly unique products or even low-priced products to capture your share of the market. What’s more important is how you market to generate sales of your products or services. And if you don’t have products that are consumable, then you should only treat your business as a hobby, because it most likely won’t create the income you need to be considered a success.

Here’s the Secret Business Model

So what is the model almost all Fortune 500 companies use to build their businesses. It’s MASS MEDIA MARKETING. This includes television and radio advertising combined with direct mail and follow-up telemarketing campaigns.

Now as simple as this may sound, most small businesses can’t afford to use a system that combines TV and radio commercials with direct mail and telemarketing. That’s why this secret business model is almost exclusively used by Fortune 500 companies.

But I am here to tell you that you too can be a savvy business entrepreneur and use mass marketing to your benefit. If you would like to grow your business using parts and pieces of the secret business model, then you could implement one or more of the following:

* Purchase leads for your product or service that are generated from radio or television ads. There are many companies that can supply you with potential customers generated from their radio and television ads.

* Contract with a telemarketing firm to handle all your incoming and follow-up calls. They have trained experts who can turn inquiries into sales.

* You can use a web-site to sell your products but use a direct mail campaign sent to thousands of prospects by directing them to your web site for more information and/or to make a purchase.

* Use a direct mail or telemarketing follow-up campaign to generate repeat orders and to sell other products to your buying customers.

Now it could cost a small business what seems like a fortune to implement all of the methods mentioned above. But if you really want your small business to become successful, then you can begin to use just some of the techniques that Fortune 500 companies are using. And later you can parlay some of your profits into using the more sophisticated items like follow-up telemarketing or hosting your own radio talk show.

So before you spend another dime on doing what everyone else is doing, then ask yourself what you could do differently to make your product stand out from your competitors. You will find that operating a home-based business can certainly be very profitable, but you must use the same business building principles used by Fortune 500 companies.

Mark Oestreich is a veteran business analyst. His web site [http://www.bizopwiz.com] provides more information to help you in your search for the perfect home-based business.

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Oestreich

Enjoy the Challenge of Gourmet Cooking

Jan 31, 2012 Author admin

Gourmet Cooking

Gourmet cooking presents a challenge basic cooking does not. Food preparation may require use of various cooking implements foreign to basic cooking. All though this may be the case in retrospect it’s just a different approach and this ought not intimidate you in the least.

The types of foods used in gourmet dishes are not native to basic cooking. Truffles, imported cheeses and spices like lemon grass or saffron and flavorings like rosewater may be a key ingredient.

Gourmet Entree Challenges

Meats, fish and poultry in gourmet recipes, for example, crown roast, partridge baked in rock salt shells, a Beef Wellington baked with a light flaky crust or duck prepared with plum wine sauce are unforgettable gourmet repasts. Gourmet recipes are always made from freshest ingredients and always from “scratch”.

There may be several phases to cooking specific gourmet recipes. They may begin with paring and chopping in one phase, graduate to light braising next and finish with a final baking phase.

The Gourmet Cook

A gourmet cook never lacks innovation when designing a new dish. This is a critical aspect of the character of a gourmet chef. They are both innovative and creative and this in fact is where you can really shine and have some fun.

Each new gourmet recipe is a study in the art of fine cooking. Artful presentation of the meal is important. Gourmet preparation results in extraordinary tastes and colorful design.

All of the above combined makes for an enjoyable cooking experience.

Gourmet Cooking DVDs? focusing on the subject of Gourmet Cooking.

2,154 Free Video Previews.
Free Shipping on Orders Over $100.

Learn about Gourmet Cooking.
http://www.learningfromdvds.com

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Hegarty

Where to Learn Tennis in Singapore

Jan 30, 2012 Author admin

Singapore has excellent tennis centres and coaching facilities. Learning tennis in Singapore is easy. I found that tennis lessons or tennis coaching can be arranged from the following entities:

1.Private Tennis Lessons

There are various levels of tennis qualifications offered by the Singapore Tennis Association (STA). Go for someone with at least a Level 1 qualification. Most would charge a basic fee of $50 per hour, excluding court booking fees, if needed. There are group classes as well, usually, not more than 3 persons. Try looking for at least 3 of your fellow friends who wish to learn to play tennis and get an individual tennis coach. It will save you some money while still being properly trained.

2.Group Tennis Lessons

Group tennis classes are found at the various public tennis centres. These classes are for both children and adults. The benefits of such group classes are that they tend to be cheaper. However, the class size tends to be larger and therefore, you may not pick up the skill as fast as you would have wished. It would be better to have a combination of group and private individual lessons. You will get the best of both worlds, playing with others and also being coached more effectively.

3.School Tennis CCA

Tennis is a CCA for some primary and secondary schools. Again, the class size tends to be quite big but it is a good and fun way to learn your tennis amongst your peers. It is also subsidized and is therefore, cheaper. Some schools make CCA compulsory and therefore, if tennis is something you child likes, make tennis his or her CCA then.

4.Tennis Sections and Clubs

Unfortunately, there are not many purely tennis clubs in Singapore. However, there are many country clubs with tennis sections. Tennis sections are a good way to start improving your tennis once you are able to play fairly well. Nothing beats playing more and more against someone of your level or higher.

5.Tennis Academies

Unlike the more established tennis playing nations, we do not really have a successful and quality tennis academy. Tennis is not even featured in the South East Asian games for Singapore. Hence, tennis is not one of those preferred sport which is earmarked for further development unlike its sister sport of table tennis. However, one can always head north to Malaysia or Thailand where they have various tennis camps which cater to all levels of play. It is an intensive and highly effective way of improving your tennis as you do nothing but eat, sleep and breathe tennis for a few days!

As an avid tennis player, I had my fair share of experiences in trying to find out which are the best ways to learn tennis in Singapore. I hope this article will provide some guidance for all would-be tennis players! If you find this article useful and would really wish to learn tennis, please check this out http://www.1sports.asia/

Happy Learning & Playing!

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J._Cain

Sports Car History

Jan 24, 2012 Author admin

What does a sports car say about you? The cars are fast performance cars that are sleek, fun to drive and give the impression of wealth and freedom. They are expensive and with that in mind it is imperative that they are kept sparkling clean and are protected with a custom car cover when not in use. It is not very often that you see someone driving a dirty sports car.

Cars initially got off to a sluggish start but as time progressed it became clear that the market would grow and as we know today they have become a necessity.

During WWII American soldiers got their first taste of the vehicles that Europe had to offer. These cars had been developed because of the type of roads and scarcity of gasoline overseas and therefore were entirely different from what they had left at home. They were much smaller rough riding and could negotiate the many winding roads more easily. That made them fun to drive. Many soldiers learned to love them and when they returned to America after the war, they yearned to continue the excitement that they had found with many of Europe’s fun to drive open sport automobiles. It was quickly discovered that they were still being offered the status quo from Detroit.

This new found demand for these more sporty type cars spurred a drastic increase in imports of foreign cars to meet the needs of these young veterans. The little MG became the hit of the early post war period. Still conservative Detroit didn’t get the message. It wasn’t until a lot of small specialist companies sprang up in the fifties that Detroit was finally prodded into making an attempt at building a sporty type car. General Motors was the first of the big three to bring out a sports car in 1953 made of the new material fiberglass. By 1955, Ford finally made the big push with an Americanized version of the sports car. That same year, General Motors almost scrapped their entire sports car project, after a bleak production of 590 Corvettes. They made last ditch effort in 1956 by adding a few creature comforts such as roll up windows and a removable hardtop to keep up with the more popular Thunderbird. Just the right amount of creature comforts added to the basic European sports car concept and GM. had a huge success on their hands. So was born the sports car as defined by American standards.

They started to become affordable, had additional comforts and functionality added for the everyday drivers. Today the modern sports car is made with beauty, performance and safety in mind

Technology has advanced at a pace, assisted by a growing obsession in fast sports cars. People have been attracted to and fascinated with sports cars since they were first designed. They are liked and admired for different reasons, the sleek sexy design, the powerful engines under the hood, perhaps the sound of the high powered engines and the distinctive noises they have. Even people who say they would never own one will often stop and turn to look as one of these sporty powerful machines pass by. Vehicles are now designed with aerodynamics at the forefront.

As with all items of joy protection is the key. Always protect your vehicle from the elements and prying eyes with a car cover to protect it when not in use. This will keep your pride and joy looking sharp for years to come.

Jack Labens works for Empire Covers, a leading provider of car covers such as Ford car covers and BMW car covers. Empire Covers can be found online at: EmpireCovers.com or at their blog EmpireCovers-Blog.com.

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_Labens

Sports Cars for Sale

Jan 21, 2012 Author admin

Sports cars are available for sale through dealers and auctions, and on the Internet. Auctions often advertise bargain prices, which they call wholesale rates. Many such prices are bait to attract unsuspecting customers, who end up paying extras like taxes, money for the fuel already in the car, valet charges and more. Therefore, it is better to exercise a little caution before going in for such ‘deals.’ You can help yourself by checking out the auction company’s credibility, making inquiries about the car’s price at other places, examining the car for defects, finalizing a budget for yourself, and familiarizing yourself with the auction procedure by attending other auctions.

If you choose to buy from a dealer you must conduct some research prior to visiting the showroom. Find out about the car, other dealers who may be offering a better price, and other factors. Test-drive the car before you decide to buy it. Do not discuss your finances with the dealer; it would suffice to inform him how much you are willing to pay. Take advantage of finance schemes and make sure to get details of extras that come with the car, such as free gifts or warranties. Once you reach the price that you are comfortable with, don’t bargain further in the hope of a better offer.

Many sports cars are bought and sold on the Internet these days. Websites feature attractive specs, pictures and reviews of sports cars to attract customers. Shortlist advertisements give complete details about the car, mode of payment, conditions of sale and other information. Avoid advertisements that are vague on details. Examine the seller’s record on the site; if possible, speak to one of his previous customers. Try to arrange for a test drive and a viewing of the car before you pay for it.

These are just a few important pointers that will help you make a good purchase, so that you can really enjoy your newly purchased sports car.

Sports Cars provides detailed information on Sports Cars, Exotic Sports Cars, Classic Sports Cars, Sports Cars for Sale and more. Sports Cars is affiliated with SUV Vans.

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_Morgan

Baby Car Seats Safety – Frequently Asked Questions

Jan 21, 2012 Author admin

In this article you will be provided with information about baby car seats and keeping your baby safe while in the car. There are tips for buying new and used baby car seats. Answers to some of the most asked questions about car seats are provided as well.

Q. What is the best baby car seat?

The best car seat is the one that matches your baby’s size and weight. It also fits properly in your car and is easily installed.

Q. What types of baby car seats are available?

There are several types of baby car seats such as infant seats, front facing car seats, and convertible seats. There are also combination seats (can face front or rear), booster seats and integrated car seats. With each type of seat there are variations.

Q. Is a five-point harness or a shield safest for my baby?

A five point harness gives your child the greatest protection because it holds your baby tighter in the seat in the event of a crash. A T-Shield or over-the-head restraint allows too much room or can get in the way of chubby tummies and legs. The stalk of the T-Shield can cause serious injury to your baby.

Q. How can I find out how to safely install my baby’s car seat?

All car seats (except most second hand seats) come with printed directions. If after reading the directions you still are not sure how to properly install it. You can call or email the manufacturer. Some police stations and hospitals have assistance programsas well.

Q. Is there a correct way to secure my child in the baby car seat?

Yes, there is a correct way in which to secure your child in his car seat. How you secure your baby in the car seat will likely depend on the age and size of your baby.

For children under a year of age they should be placed in rear-facing seats in the centerof the rear seat. Older children can sit facing front and their seat are generally placed behind the driver or passenger in order to utilize the shoulder/lap belts.

Q. What is LATCH?

LATCH refers to Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. It is a baby car seat installation system. The lower hooks are attached between the bottom of the back of the seat and seat itself. The tether piece is a strap made of seat belt material with a clip that secures forward facing baby car seats and prevents excessive movement of the baby’s head in crashes.

Q. What is a Tether?

The tether is a strap made of seat belt material with a clip. It attaches to the clips on the seat and secures front facing baby car seats. In a crash it prevents excessive movement of the seat and the baby’s head, reducing the severity of injuries.

Q. How can I tell when my child is ready to use car seat belts without a booster seat?

Your child will be ready for using the car safety restraint system when s/he can sitall the way back in the seat and the knees can bend comfortably over the edge of the seat. The belt crosses the shoulder between the neck and the arm and the lap belt is low and touches the thighs. Your child must be able to remain seated the whole trip.

Q. Can a baby car seat be used safely in an airplane?

Yes it can. Airlines require children age 2 and under, to be in approved car seats. The seats must be 16 inches or less to fit in the airplane seats. Call ahead and find out ifyour seat is an approved seat. Once on the plane, the hostess/es, will be able to assistyou.

Q. Is it safe for me to use second-hand baby car seats?

Yes it is safe to use second-hand baby car seats provided you do a safety check. Belts and harnesses should not be frayed or cracked. There should be no cracks or tears in the seat cover and the seat should recline easily and stay upright when the baby is seated. Look into the history of the seat, if it has been in a car crash do not buy it, its ability to safely restrain your child has been compromised. If the seat doesn’t come with a manual contact the manufacturer to ensure the seat will be properly installed.If the seat is more than 5 years old do not use it, it may have been in a crash and older baby car seats may not fit in new model cars.

Q. What should I do if my baby car seat is recalled?

In most cases, the manufacturer will provide you with instructions of what to do if baby car seat is recalled. In some cases they will replace it for free they will have you bring it somewhere to get replacement parts also at no cost to you.

Q. Are there baby car seats available for children with special needs?

Children with special needs may require different restraint systems. Discuss your options with your pediatrician. Agencies such as Easter Seals have programs and information on baby car seats for special needs children.

Q. What is the best type of harness for my baby car seat?

There are four types of harnesses in baby car seats. The six-point harness has two straps at the shoulders, two at the hips and two at the crotch. The five-point harness has two straps at the shoulders, two at the hips and one at the crotch. The t-shield is a padded triangle that latches at the crotch while the overhead shield comes down from over the head and latches at the crotch also. The safest harnesses are the five or six-point harnesses. These prevent excessive movement of the baby in crash situations. The t shield and the over-head shield allow for too much room and could cause your baby to be ejected from the car in a crash.

In Conclusion

You can never go wrong if you err on the side of caution when it comes to your baby. The size and weight of your baby as well as your budget will decide what type of seat you will purchase. This article has provided you with a number of tips to keep your baby safe while riding with you in the car.

(c) http://www.1st-babies.com

Reprint Rights feel free to publish this article on your website but you must agree to leave all active links contained within ‘About The Author’ intact and “as is” and NOT hidden behind a java or redirect script.

About the Author
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of Nursery Bedding which includes Baby strollers, Baby car seats, and more! His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information.

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martin_Smith

Bowling Tips That Everyone Can Benefit From

Jan 20, 2012 Author admin

Of all bowling tips I can share with you, the most important bowling tip of all is: practice! No matter how well you understand the game, no matter how excellent your bowling equipment is, you just are not going to get any better if you do not practice, practice, practice.

Another great bowling tip is to get a coach. It is best to get a trained coach, somebody who has helped others on their road to bowling greatness. Unfortunately, getting such a coach can cost a pretty penny… if you can find one in the first place.

So, if you cannot find somebody trained as a coach, find the next best thing – your mom, dad, friend, or neighbor, etc. Of course, you do, indeed, want someone who is a great bowler. At the very least, you want someone who is very interested in bowling – think of it this way, not all basketball referees are excellent basketball players, but they know what is going on the game.

In other words, even if friend cannot roll a strike every time, he or she can still help dissect your movements. Your friend may still be able to tell you what is wrong. Also, perhaps you know what you are doing wrong, and you end up overcorrecting yourself – your coach (even if it is just a friend) is going to be able to tell you that you have overcorrected or to tell you other information that you just cannot see or feel for yourself.

Besides these two major bowling tips – practice and don’t go at it alone – there are tons of bowling tips to adhere to. Very few bowling tips apply to all bowlers like these first two do. Someone who always gets a gutter balls is going to need different bowling tips that someone who cannot time his or her approach. Similarly, an amateur bowler is going to be helped by completely different bowling tips than a professional.

Nonetheless, here are a few more bowling tips:

· Stop using the house balls at the bowling alley – get yourself a custom bowling ball, or at least a bowling ball that fits your hand well. You are going to be able to use a different weight ball than you normally would, simply because it fits your hand better. Why not go heavier?

· Get your own bowling shoes – while this bowling tip is not quite as important as the abovementioned one, it can still help. Most certainly, you are going to feel better when you are wearing your own bowling shoes.

· When you have a question, ask it – never assume that you have learned all there is to know. Even the best bowlers, the professionals, can stand to take some advice. Never stop learning.

· Stretch – no, bowling is not a contact sport, but that most certainly does not mean that bowlers do not get injured. Stretching can help you prevent injuries. Also, making sure that you have a ball that properly fits will keep you safer, too. You may also decide to wear a wrist support.

· Keep that throwing are nice and loose.

· Think – bowling is not all in the wrist, it is in the head. Really think about your movements and y our delivery. Concentrate on which movements create which spins on the ball, etc.

· Finish close to the foul line – being with six inches of the foul line will help insure that you get the best release possible (of course, you never want to cross it!)

· Watch the professionals – watch them on TV, or watch some great bowlers at your local alley.

· Always keep your eye on the target – this does not necessarily mean you need to keep your eyes on the pins! Rather, look at the markers in the lane.

· Follow through!

I hope that these bowling tips have helped you. And I want to remind you of one of the absolute most important bowling tips of all – have fun! It is not worth bowling if you are no longer having fun. Do not let the pressure to win get in the way of your overall aim to have fun!

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and sports. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on bowling, please visit Best Bowling.

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anne_Clarke

How to Keep Off Belly Fat If You Have to Dine Out Often

Jan 15, 2012 Author admin

Ok, so you made the commitment to lose weight and keep off belly fat. You’ve calculated your Body Mass Indicator and made the decision to become more physically active. You’ve set some realistic goals for yourself. So what’s the problem? Your busy schedule and hectic social life forces you to dine out often and this makes it more difficult to keep off belly fat.

Let’s face it, anyone can lose weight. That’s not the biggest challenge. Keeping the weight off is a bigger challenge. I can tell you that you can still dine out and keep off the belly fat.

Here are some tips to help you when you dine out:

Order a la carte. That way you can order just what you feel like eating. You can also request an appetizer as your entree. Some entrees are enough for the main course.

Ask for a half serving. If they can’t prepare half a serving ask them to doggy-bag the other half. It will remove the temptation to eat it all at once. You can save the rest for later or split your meal with someone else if you are dining with others.

Be careful eating from the salad-bar. It looks healthy and makes you feel good eating salad. However, depending on the dressings you select you could end up with a salad drowning in unhealthy oil. Look for diet dressing or bring your own. This alone will go a long way in helping to keep off the belly fat.

Be cautious of the great smelling hot buttered bread. It smells delicious and is hard to resist. If you must, ask for plain and not buttered. If you can, ask for breadsticks instead of rolls. Definitely, refuse the offers to bring more bread if you want to keep off the belly fat while dining out often.

Ask for dressings and sauces to be served on the side. This way you have control over how much you consume. Remember the goal is to keep off belly fat.

Remember that drinks can also add on the calories. Alcohol packs on the calories. Try a little mineral water.

Watch out for the hidden calories in chicken and veal which are not as healthy when coated with breading and fried in oil.

You can enjoy a little dessert but try to split it with someone else if you can. If you are alone consider giving half away. You might make a new friend and at the same time keep off the belly fat.

It’s great that you get a chance to eat out often and try different foods. It’s not so great that you have to worry about keeping your belly fat in check. You don’t have to worry as much if you control what and how much you eat when you dine out. Don’t think of this as a diet but more so as management of a healthy eating life style.

Making a few minor adjustments when you are dining out, will go a long way, to helping you keep off the belly fat.

For more helpful information regarding losing belly fat, burning calories and starting on the road to a healthier and happier life take a look at http://www.Good-Bye-Belly-Fat.info where you will find some excellent resources and information.

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Derek_P_Haynes

Your Guide to Choosing Summer Camps for Kids and Teens

Jan 14, 2012 Author admin

All long for spending their leisure time in more positive and fun way and summer camps is a fine option. The camp industry is growing as most people have learn the evident advantages of camps. When you search for camps, you may come to witness so many options, but youth summer program can be the better option.

Camps Based On Age Groups

Most camps are based on particular age groups and the learning programs are designed keeping in mind those particular groups. For instance, you belong to the child group, there are children’s summer camps that are best suited for children. Similarly, you are a grown kid, a youth camp can be the best alternative for you. So. all learning programs as well as activities are planned out keeping in mind this teen aged group. This is the phase when you are entering a maturity phase and this is the time when you need to have the training of your body and your intellect. You need to choose the alternative which offers learning programs catering the needs of teenagers.

Varieties of Summer Camps

There is a huge variety in summer camps the way they comprise of learning programs and other outdoor activities. Every camp has its own specialty and therefore, preferring a best suited one is quite important. When you surf the internet, you may confront with a number of alternatives. For instance, you are interested in science and technology, computer camps or an engineering camp would be the right alternative to go with. Suppose, you love outdoor activities and sports, sports camps can really be the best option for your interests. So, the options are just endless these days which call for your well-informed choice.

Youth Camp for Grown Up Kids

When you’re just going from innocence to maturity phase, you will need more attention regarding how to can increase your abilities of perception and can adopt to better learning. Well designed learning programs at a youth camp can add to your emotional, intellectual and physical potential to a greater extent. Youth or teenage is the period when you have increased abilities of learning more things. This is the period when you realize how to socialize and how to develop relationships. At the camp, you have learning programs which help you develop team spirit in you. You would be capable of learning more by way of interacting with other students. And therefore, you can estimate how it is of immense help to get enrolled in a youth camp.

Summer Camp Jobs for Youth

These days, the youth has become more independent than ever. You can choose summer camp jobs if you are responsible enough and love dealing with kids. Jobs as a camp trainer would be a fun and full of enthusiasm. Suppose, you are interested in outdoor activities, you would have great time with children. And, by joining a camp as a trainer, you would be able to develop yourself and at the end, you would earn your reward!

Summer Camp Locations

Whether you are preferring a camp to get enrolled in or you are willing to work with as a trainer, you may have to decide the location. Suppose you give your preference to iD Tech Camps, which is America’s number one camp option, there are camp locations such as Columbus Summer Camps or Midwest Summer Camps to choose from.

Would you like to spend this summer at iD Tech Camps which organizes summer learning activities and summer camp jobs for teens? You can visit InternalDrive.com to learn more about youth camp, engineering camp and best camp locations such as Columbus Summer Camps and Midwest Summer Camps.

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jimmy_Sorensen

Breckenridge Snow – Top 3 Breckenridge Snow & Ski Events!

Jan 12, 2012 Author admin

Aside from having powdery snow, majestic scenery, and the charming ambiance, this perfect mountain town also plays host to a number of unique festivals and events that serve as added attraction to the hordes of tourists that gather in the area especially during the ski season.

Winter Dew Tour:

One of the resort hosts for the hugely successful Winter Dew Tour’s debut season (2008-2009) which was held last December 2008 was Breckenridge. A counterpart of the summer tour which started in 2005, the Winter Dew Tour is an action winter sports tour which includes events like the slope style and super pipe snowboarding, and slope style and superpipe skiing, for both men and women’s categories.

The resort was only the first of the three-stop event wherein the top athletes in the world of snowboard and free ski accumulate points during each stop to vie for the coveted Dew Cup and the $1.5 million that comes with the title at the end of the tour.

The Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships:

Every year, four-person teams from different parts of the world come to Breckenridge to churn out distinctive works of art from 12-foot tall, 20-ton blocks of man-made ice with only the use of chisels, saws, the occasional chicken wire, and lots of imagination and creativity.

Working for around 65 hours spread out in five days, the team braves the cold to come up with the some of the most sensational ice pieces, which are then judged by a panel of renowned artists who give out awards for the first, second, and third prizes. Now on its 19th year, the Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships is one of Breckenridge’s certified attractions drawing crowds of more than 30,000 every year.

Breckenridge Festival of Film:

Breckenridge may be known as a premier year-round resort but what many people may not be aware of is that the town is also a huge patron of the art and craft of film making. Established in 1981, the BFF is actually one of the oldest film festivals in the country and each year features an interesting lineup of independent films, premiers, and educational programs.

Breckenridge Oktoberfest:

Fill your steins to the brim with German beer, dance to Oompah music, take a bite of the bratwurst – find yourself transported to Germany for a weekend when you join the Oktoberfest merriment in Breckenridge. In reliving this age-old German tradition now for 15 years, the town is known to have one of the most colorful Oktoberfest celebrations in this part of the world.

Breckenridge always offers great atmosphere that instantly puts you in a good mood. If you’re not into good climate, summer in Breckenridge Ski Resort offers more activities than any tropical resort you find. The weather is warm enough but not hot, so you can easily stay at Breckenridge Ski Resort for the whole day outside in just sandals and shorts. Don’t forget to put on sunscreen.

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ronald_Rougeaux

10 Career Change Myths

Jan 5, 2012 Author admin

If you dream about having a different career, but don’t act on that dream, you may be operating under the assumption of a career myth. In this article, I expose 10 myths, sayings you’ve heard before that simply are not true. Let’s explore them.

Career Myth #1: You can’t make a living doing something you really, truly love

This is the grand-daddy of career myths, the belief that you can’t have a “practical” career doing something that you were passionate about. It has to be one or the other.

This myth is rooted in fear. Fear that we have to sacrifice our happiness to make a living. Don’t buy the myth that you can’t earn a living by doing what you love.

When I first started coaching, I heard from plenty of people that it would be very difficult to make a living doing this work. I just decided to find coaches who were successful, and to learn from them (simple, eh?).

If you find yourself buying into this myth, consider this question – As you look back on your life, what will you regret more? Following your passion or following your fears?

Career Myth #2: It’s a tough job market/economy

Even when the newspapers and other news sources say that unemployment numbers remain steady, that job growth is at a standstill, or that we’re experiencing slow economic recovery, not to mention downsizing and outsourcing, don’t believe it.

It’s a myth because it doesn’t reflect the whole story, the fact that that it’s a different job market today. It’s a changing economy. How we transition from job-to-job is different. Hiring practices have shifted. So the job market has changed, but that doesn’t necessarily make it tougher. What makes it tougher is that we’ve been slower to change. We’ve held on to old practices and old behaviors. That’s not to say that old ways still don’t work, but they’re just not as effective.

So I challenge you to just believe that it’s a perfect job market for you to find work. I’ve had my college students try this, just for a week, and, more times than not, several of them find job leads or make important connections during the week.

Career Myth #3: Changing careers is risky

What’s riskier than leaving what you know to pursue the unknown? Changing careers means leaving behind a piece of your identity – your “I’m a lawyer” response to the “what-do-you-do?” question. It might mean admitting to yourself that you made a mistake with an initial career choice. Or it might mean acknowledging that you’re unsure of what’s next. And smart people always know what’s next, right?

Nope. Successful career changers often don’t have a plan. In Working Identity: How Successful Career Changers Turn Fantasy into Reality by Herminia Ibarra, she provided evidence that waiting until you have a plan is actually riskier than just doing and experimenting.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, is riskier than not changing careers if you’re longing to do so. Here’s why: The longing won’t go away. It will always be there, under the surface, waiting for you to do something about it.

Career Myth #4: Always have a back-up plan

Sometimes having a back-up plan is the smart and prudent course of action. Back-up plans are so grown-up and responsible. But what happens when you’re standing with one foot in and one foot out? In my experience, we usually close the door and retreat. We are reluctant to commit to ourselves, and we end up denying ourselves the satisfaction of playing full-out, getting dirty and sweaty. We end up with feelings of regret and the nagging “What if?” question.

Back-up plans diffuse our energy. Diffused energy equals diffused results. Give all that you’ve got to your dream/passion/risk and you’ve got a better chance of being successful.

Career Myth #5: There’s a perfect job out there for everyone

How long have you been searching for yours? You just know, deep inside, that there’s an ideal job that’s perfect for you out there. It matches your personality, skills, and interests to a tee. And it pays well. If only you could figure it out. If only you knew what it was.

Is there a perfect job out there for you? No. And here’s the good news – there are more jobs than you can imagine that would be “perfect” for you. Chances are you’ve even come very, very close to a few of those perfect jobs already. So what happened? And how do you recognize one of these so-called “perfect jobs”?

Ever see the perfect gift for someone, but it was months till his or her birthday? Then when you go to find the item later, you can’t. Another lost opportunity and you, once again, berate yourself for not buying it when you first saw it.

So maybe you’ve run into a perfect job in the past, but because of the timing, you passed by the opportunity. Or maybe you were so focused on something else, that you missed an obvious clue. Instead of dwelling on the past, which you can’t change, vow to keep your eyes open and to look beyond the obvious.

Career Myth #6: Asking “What’s the best thing for me to do?” is the right question

This is one of the most common questions asked when considering a career change or a career move. It seems like a logical analysis – weigh the pros and cons and evaluate the balance.

Do not ask yourself this question!! It rarely leads you to the answers you’re seeking. It will lead you to feeling overwhelmed with options (sound familiar?), or feeling like you have to choose what’s practical over what seems to be impractical.

The question that will lead you to answers is simple (but not easy!!) It is “What do I really want to do?” This is a very different question than “what’s best?”

Career Myth #7: If you don’t like your job, you’re probably in the wrong career

Cause and effect, right? One way to tell if you’re in the right career is whether or not you like your job. If you’re dissatisfied with your job, it’s probably a sign that you need to re-examine your whole career choice. This is frequently what I hear from new clients who have decided to work with a career coach. They know something isn’t right because they don’t like their jobs. Their natural assumption is that their dissatisfaction is a symptom of a larger underlying issue – their career choice.

This is an example of false logic. Not liking your job might be telling you you’re in the wrong job. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in the wrong career. It doesn’t even mean you’re in the wrong job. You could just be working for the wrong person or the wrong company. It takes a skillful approach to discern the source of discontent, and I think it’s very hard to do it on your own (shameless plug for career coaches here!)

Career Myth #8: Everyone needs a mission statement

Do you know what your mission is? Mission statements are supposed to guide us, keep us on track, and help us move forward. But what if you don’t have one? Does that mean you’re destined to never fulfill your potential career-wise?

A client who was a successful professional contacted me because she was at a career crossroads. She felt that if only she could find her mission in life, she would know which career path to take.

She had a clear goal for coaching – find her mission! Instead, the most amazing thing happened. She decided that she didn’t need a mission. She chose to trust that she was already fulfilling her mission statement, even though she didn’t know what it was. After the client shifted her focus from finding her mission to living her life, an amazing opportunity came her way and she pursued it.

Here’s a little tip: If your mission statement is elusive, stop chasing it. Be still and let it find you. And in the meantime, keep living your life and see what happens.

Career Myth #9: Expect a career epiphany

When you see a link to “Find Your Dream Job,” do you immediately click on it to see what’s there? Do you look at every “Top Ten Career” list out there to see if anything catches your interest? Do you know your MBTI type? If you do, you might be falling prey to the career epiphany myth.

I’d love, love, love it if most of my clients had a career epiphany that indicated to them, in crystal-clear terms, their next step. Instead, I see career “unfoldings” or a journey of discovery much more regularly. That is, being willing to not ignore the obvious, the pokes, the prods, and listen carefully to the whisper within. Yep, forget harp music and angels, for most of us, the career epiphany is a quiet whisper.

Career Myth #10: Ignoring your career dissatisfaction will make it go away

Oh, if only this worked in the long run!! Granted, it does work at first. When you find yourself beginning to question your career, you’ll find it’s rather easy to push the thoughts aside and pretend they aren’t there. You know what I’m talking about: the “what ifs” and the list of regrets.

Over time, the random thoughts become nagging thoughts. You spend more and more time daydreaming about options. You build your list of reasons to ignore your growing career dissatisfaction:

  • You’re too old.
  • You don’t want to take a pay cut.
  • You don’t want to go back to school.
  • You missed your opportunity 5, 10, 15 years ago.

With clients in this situation, we work on identifying and challenging these fears. Sometimes the fear of change remains, but there becomes a greater commitment to living than to feeling the fear.

Challenge

So now that you know that one or all of these myths have been holding you back, what are you waiting for?

Stacey Lane, MS, CPCC, loves the challenges of working with bright and talented professionals who are struggling with their career direction and reaching their potential. Using an innovative four step process, Stacey specializes in helping clients develop smart career strategies. For more information, check out: http://www.staceylane.net

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stacey_Lane

How Do Clothes Reveal the Secrets of the Mind of a Person?

Jan 1, 2012 Author admin

Scriptures say that the body is the mirror of the soul. Body and Soul represent the same reality. The physical body represents this reality in the material world while the soul represents this reality in the spiritual world. They are the two sides of the same coin.

Scientists also say that matter and energy are different manifestation of the same reality. They say that the mass of a matter is nothing but the energy trapped in the time and space and energy is nothing but the mass that is liberated beyond the time and space.

When a child is born, he has the pure soul and the naked body. However, as he grows, he is forced to wear cloths on his body to cover part of the body. In the same way the soul of the person also gets covered by the reason and beliefs of the society which gradually fills his mind. In the civilized world, it is as difficult to see the bodies without cloths in public places as it is to find a soul without reason and belief. A person would be called insane, if he fails to bear the appropriate cloths for the occasion. Every civilized person knows very well how he must be dressed in private and in public and every civilized person knows what to reveal to the public.

The cloths are, therefore, closely related to the mind of the man. We can know the mind of the person from the cloths as cloths covers the body in the same way as the mind covers the soul.

Uniforms for Uniformity

Most people in a civilized society wear uniforms at some stage of their lives. Most of us have attended our schools in uniforms. The practice of asking the young people to wear uniform is due to the desire of the society to inculcate uniform values and develop uniform thoughts in the mind in all children. Most children in school have, therefore, quite similar thoughts.

In colleges, the uniform is discarded in favor of the fashionable cloths as the society wants the grown-up people to fill their mind with diverse thoughts. Thus most people develop their independent thoughts and personalities only after entering their colleges where they get freedom to wear cloths.

Most jobs do not require any uniform as the jobs need people to think independently and not uniformly. It is based on the belief that “if two people think identically, then one of them is redundant”. No company would like to pay for a redundant employee. Yet some jobs like army and police needs uniform as they require just obeying the orders and no independent application of mind. Yet these uniformed people wear the dresses of their choices at their home where each person has separate thoughts while dealing with their family.

Some societies prescribe a uniform cloth for the men and women. For example, all Muslim women are required to wear black in public veil covering their full body. The result is that such women fail to develop independent thoughts. The males are also often forced to grow beard or wear headgear and a uniform dress in some religion which automatically curb their independent thinking.

The people wearing traditional cloth of their society have traditional thoughts while te people wearing western cloths have western thoughts. There are certain dresses like pant, shirt, ties etc for men that are almost common all over the world. All such people who wear common cloths also share common thoughts and views.

To Cover or To Expose

There are innumerable verities in cloths today. Yet every society seems to approve only particular types of cloths for its people. The cloths are designed in a way to cover part of the human body. These cloths tell a lot about the mind of the person based on what is covered.

If one coves very little of his body, his or her intention is to cover very little of the mind. For example as the spouses do not cover their body before each other in private, they also share their deepest thoughts in private. People wears most comfortable cloths in the house which reveals more body than that in public as people are more openly express their mind more freely before their family members than to the common public.

People cover most part of their body when they go to office or place of work as in the office they are expected to cover their thoughts and reveal only little to their colleagues and clients on need to know basis.

It requires considerable courage to reveal one’s mind in public as it requires courage to reveal one’s body in public.

The Colour of Cloths

The colour and design of cloths are extremely important to understand the mind of the person. A spiritual person is least concerned about his cloths. He never identifies himself with the cloth as his focus is soul of the person which can never be concealed in the clothing. The real spiritual people, therefore, wears no cloth in the tradition of religions like Jainism. Many Hindu Sadhus (Saints) do not wear cloths even in public as it can be seen during the festival of “Kumbh Mela” in India when hordes of Nude Saints take bath in the Holy Rivers.

However, all worldly people pay tremendous importance to their cloths as they mind is lot to conceal. Yet people with a calm mind would prefer the cloths that have sober colors while the person with restless mind would prefer bright colored cloths.

The dark colors signify the quest of wisdom as a dark color absorbs most of the light and reflects only little. A wise man also absorbs the wisdom that is revealed through the experiences of the life of self and others.

The light colours often reflect the people whose mind does not care for most of the things that happens in the world. They reflect everything thrown on them like a mirror..

The mindset of people who prefers some particular colors are as following.

Red: The red colour symbolizes happiness and joy. It is difficult to wear red colour when your mood is down. The mind of the person wearing colour red is filled with joy.

Blue: The colour of blue signifies the sky and ocean which is infinite and eternal. So the people who love blue colors have deep convictions and beliefs. Their mind remains in peace like sky.

Black: Black is the colour of wisdom as black colour absorbs all colours. Yet such wise people are often termed as Evil as nothing is prohibited for them. While the world treats half the things as good and remaining half as evil, the person with black colour consider every one as equal. Such a person is often considered as evil or rebel by society as he breaks the taboo of the society.

Green: Green is the colour of the nature which through its green colored plants and trees mysteriously and silently converts the harmful carbon-dioxide to oxygen. Thus green is the colour of mystery and secrets. The mind of the people wearing green cloths is quite difficult to know due to their mysterious way of thinking.

Yellow: Yellow is the colour of sun and energy. Yellow is also the colour of the fruits when they ripen and become ready to eat. Yellow is thus the colour of energy, love and maturity. The mind of such a the person is ripe and matured. His love is as unconditional as sun who only gives without expecting anything in return.

White: The white color is the most acceptable color for all occasion. It is rarely out of place. The person preferring white cloths have the mind that is acceptable to all. He believes in unanimity and acceptance. White colour thus signifies spirituality and God.

Know the Mind by Cloths

While man does his best to conceal his mind, he still reveal lot of his mind by the cloths he wears. It is by paying close attention to the cloths that a man can learn the secrets of the mind of not only the individuals but also the collective mind of the society. Therefore, pay attention to the cloths of the people who matters to you as they reveal a secret that can change your life.

A Brief Profile of Dr Awdhesh K Singh

I am an Engineer by education , a public officer by profession and a spiritual person by intuition.

I hold my PhD degree in the field of E-Governance.

I am a founding member of The Aatmic Science Foundation (The Science of Soul Foundation) that is working for the synthesis between all religions, spirituality and sciences.

The website of the foundation is http://www.scienceofsoul.com

My main area of study and research is to use religions, spirituality and scientific methods of investigations to understand and solve the real life problems of human beings.

I have published hundreds of articles and research papers on this topic on various websites and journals.

Please contact me on my email aksinghirs [a] yahoo.com for any help, suggestions or feedback.

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Awdhesh_K_Singh

Top Career Web Sites for Children and Teens

Dec 24, 2011 Author admin

Career assessments and tests help you explore who you. Career books and web sites give you a glimpse of the world of work. Free career information is available on web sites. Some writers have written facts for children and teens. We would like to share some information with you. These web sites use graphics, multimedia presentation, activities, and other techniques to expand our knowledge of careers. We have written information on seventeen (17) web sites. Here are the four different types of exploring careers web sites:

Curriculum

General Career Information

Science Career Clusters

Specific Science Careers

Curriculum Web Sites

Curriculum web sites provide activities, tests, guidelines, as well as career information.

Resource One: Career Cruiser

Source: Florida Department of Education

The Career Cruiser is a career exploration guidebook for middle school students. The Career Cruiser has self assessment activities to match personal interests to careers. The Career Cruiser has information on Holland Codes. Careers are grouped into 16 career clusters. The Career Cruiser has information on occupational descriptions, average earnings, and minimum educational level required for the job.

Teacher’s Guide is also available.

Resource Two: Elementary Core Career Connection

Source: Utah State Office of Education

The Core Career Connections is a collection of instructional activities, K to 6, and 7 to 8, designed by teachers, counselors, and parents. Each grade level has instructional activities that align directly with the Utah State Core. This instructional resource provides a framework for teachers, counselors, and parents to integrate career awareness with the elementary and middle level grade students.

Career Information Web Sites

Some web sites provide excellent career information. Some web sites list facts about job tasks, wages, career outlook, interests, education, and more.

Resource Three: Career Voyages

Source: U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Education

The Career Voyages web site is a Career Exploration web site for Elementary School students. The Career Voyages web site has information about the following industries:

Advanced Manufacturing

Automotive

Construction

Energy

Financial Services

Health Care

Hospitality

Information Technology

Retail

Transportation

Aerospace and the “BioGeoNano” Technologies

Resource Four: Career Ship

Source: New York State Department of Labor

Career Ship is a free online career exploration tool for middle and high school students.

Career Ship uses Holland Codes and the O*NET Career Exploration Tools. For each career, Career Ship provides the following information:

Tasks

Wages

Career outlook

Interests

Education

Knowledge

Skills

Similar careers

Career Ship is a product of Mapping Your Future, a public service web site providing career, college, financial aid, and financial literacy information and services.

RESOURCE FIVE: Career Zone

Source: New York State Department of Labor

Career Zone is a career exploration and planning system. Career Zone has an assessment activity that identifies Holland Codes. Career Zone provides information on 900 careers from the new O*NET Database, the latest labor market information from the NYS Department of Labor and interactive career portfolios for middle and high school students that connect to the NYS Education Department Career Plan initiative. Career Zone has links to college exploration and planning resources, 300 career videos, resume builder, reference list maker, and cover letter application.

Resource Six: Destination 2020

Source: Canada Career Consortium

Destination 2020 helps youth discover how everyday tasks can help them build skills they will need to face the many challenges of the workforce.

Skills are linked to:

School Subjects

Other School Activities

Play Activities At Home

Work at Home

Through quizzes, activities and articles, they might actually find some answers or, at least, a direction about their future. There are more than 200 profiles of real people who are describing what a day at work is like for them.

Resource Seven: What Do You Like

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

What Do You Like is the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Career web site for kids. The web site provides career information for students in Grades 4 to 8. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most of the material on the site has been adapted from the Bureau’s Occupational Outlook Handbook,a career guidance publication for adults and upper level high school students that describes the job duties, working conditions, training requirements, earnings levels, and employment prospects of hundreds of occupations. Careers are matched to interests and hobbies. In the Teacher’s Guide, there are twelve categories and their corresponding occupations.

Science Career Clusters

Some organizations have created web sites that feature science careers.

Resource Eight: EEK! Get a Job Environmental Education for Kids

Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Eek! Get a Job Environmental Education for Kids is an electronic magazine for kids in grades 4 to 8. Eek! Get a Job provides information about:

Forestry

Hydrogeologist

Engineering

Herpetologist

Park Ranger

Wildlife Biologist

Park Naturalist

There is a job description for each career, a list of job activities, suggested activities to begin exploring careers, and needed job skills.

Resource Nine: GetTech

Source: National Association of Manufacturers, Center for Workforce Success, U.S. Department of Commerce, and U.S Department of Labor

Get Tech is a educational web site that provides CAREER EXPLORATION information.
Get Tech has information about the following industries:

New Manufacturing

Information Technology

Engineering and Industrial Technology

Biotechnology and Chemistry

Health and Medicine

Arts & Design

Within each area, there are examples of careers.

Each career profile gives:

General description

Salary

Number of people employed to job

Number of jobs available in the future

Place of work

Level of education required

Location of training programs: University Pharmacy Programs.

Courses needed

There is a Get Tech Teacher’s Guide.

Resource Ten: LifeWorks

Source: National Institutes of Health, Office of Science Education

LifeWorks is a career exploration web site for middle and high school students. LifeWorks has information on more than 100 medical science and health careers. For each career, LifeWorks has the following information:

Title

Education required

Interest area

Median salary

True stories of people who do the different jobs

LifeWorks has a Career Finder that allows you to search by Name of Job, Interest Area, Education Required, or Salary.

Resource Eleven: San Diego Zoo Job Profiles for Kids

Source: San Diego Zoo

San Diego Zoo Job Profiles discussed jobs for people who:

Work with animals

Work with plants

Work with science and conservation

Work with people

Work that helps run the Zoo and Park

There are activities listed under each area, for example:

What we do

What is cool about this job

Job challenges

How this job helps animals

How to get a job like this

Practice Being a …

How to Become a …

Resource Twelve: Scientists in Action!

Source: U.S. Department of the Interior

Scientists in Action features summaries of the lives of people involved in careers in the natural sciences:

Mapping the planets

Sampling the ocean floor

Protecting wildlife

Forecasting volcanic eruptions

Resource Twelve: Want To Be a Scientist?

Source: Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of the Agriculture

Want To Be a Scientist is a career exploration web site for kids about 8 to 13 years old. Want To Be a Scientist has a series of job descriptions, stories, and other resources about what scientists do here at the ARS.

These stories include information about:

Plant Pathologist

Chemist

Soil Scientist

Entomologist

Animal Scientist

Microscopist

Plant Physiologist

Specific Science Careers

The last group of web sites is dedicated to providing information on specific science careers, for example veterinarians,

Resource Thirteen: About Veterinarians

Source: American Veterinary Medical Association

About Veterinarians has facts about:

What is a Veterinarian?

Becoming a Veterinarian

Making a Career Decision

What Personal Abilities Does a Veterinarian Need?

What Are the Pluses and Minuses of a Veterinary Career?

Veterinary Education

General Information

After Graduation From Veterinary School

General Information

School Statistics

Preparation Advice

Preveterinary Coursework

Where Most Schools Are Located

About School Accreditation

The Phases of Professional Study

The Clinical Curriculum

The Academic Experience

Roles of Veterinarians

Private Practice

Teaching and Research

Regulatory Medicine

Public Health

Uniformed Services

Private Industry

Employment Outlook

Employment Forecast

The Advantage of Specializing

Statistics

Greatest Potential Growth Areas

Other Professional Directions

AVMA Veterinary Career Center

Becoming a Veterinary Technician

Your Career in Veterinary Technology

Duties and Responsibilities

Career Opportunities

Education Required

Distance Learning

Salary

Professional Regulations

Organizations

Further Information

Resource Fourteen: Aquarium Careers

Source: Monterey Bay Aquarium

Aquarium Careers features careers information. For each Staff Profiles, there is Educational Background and Skills Needed. The Staff Profiles include:

Aquarist

Education Specialist

Exhibits Coordinator

Exhibit Designer

Research Biologist

Science Writer

The Aquarium Careers web site answers the following questions:

What should I do now to prepare for a career in marine biology?

Where can I find a good college for marine biology?

What should be my college major?

How do I pick a graduate school?

I’m not sure of my area of interest. What should I do?

Marine Science Career Resources include information on:

Marine Advanced Technology Education

Marine Mammal Center, California

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, California

Scripps Library

Sea Grant

Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station

State University of New York at Stony Brook

Resource Fifteen: Engineering The Stealth Profession

Source: Discover Engineering

Engineering The Stealth Profession has a lot of information about engineers:

Types of Engineers

Aerospace Engineering

Ceramic/Materials Engineering

Chemical Engineering

Civil Engineering

Electrical/Computer Engineering

Environmental Engineering

Industrial Engineering

Manufacturing Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Other Engineers

True Stories

Salaries

Education Required

Work Schedules

Equipment Used

Resource Sixteen: Sea Grant Marine Careers

Source: Marine Careers

Sea Grant Marine Careers gives you facts about marine career fields and to people working in those fields. Sea Grant Marine Careers outlines information on:

Marine Biology

Oceanography

Ocean Engineering

Related Fields

In each area, there is a detailed description of the type of the work that the scientists do. There are feature stories for different scientists in the career field.

The career profiles include information on:

What is your current job and what does it entail?

What was the key factor in your career decision?

What do you like most about your career?

What do you like least about your career?

What do you do to relax?

Who are your heroes/heroines?

What advice would you give a high school student who expressed an interest in pursuing a career in your field?

Are career opportunities in your field increasing or decreasing and why?

What will you be doing 10 years from today?

What is the salary range?

Resource Seventeen: Do You Want to Become a Volcanologist?

Source: Volcano World

Do You Want to Become a Volcanologist? provides the following descriptions:

The Word Volcanologist

Daily work

Traits for success

Education

Salaries

Career web sites help you build awareness of the different aspects of careers: the tasks, wages, career outlook, interests, education, knowledge, and skills. We know that you will be fun exploring careers.

Dr Mary Askew specializes in career tests, websites, and books for students. Students need eye appealing, easy to use, yet comprehensive career resources. Find out how students can reach their career potentials at http://www.hollandcodes.com Contact Dr. Askew at learning4life@qwest.net

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Askew

Auto Insurance Principles Should Apply to Health Insurance

Dec 9, 2011 Author admin

Many Americans rely on their automobiles to get to work. No automobile means no job, no rent or mortgage money, no food. A single parent, struggling to make ends meet in the suburbs with 100,000 miles on the odometer, would presumably welcome the guaranteed opportunity for low-priced insurance that would take care of every possible repair on her auto until the day that it reaches 200,000 miles or falls apart, whichever comes first. Especially if the insurance is valid regardless of whether she even changes the oil in the interim.

So why aren’t the auto insurance companies writing such coverage, either directly or through used auto dealers? And given the importance of reliable transportation, why isn’t the public demanding such coverage? The answer is that both auto insurers and the public know that such insurance can’t be written for a premium the insured can afford, while still allowing the insurers to stay solvent and make a profit. As a society, we intuitively understand that the costs associated with taking care of every mechanical need of an old automobile, particularly in the absence of regular maintenance, aren’t insurable. Yet we don’t seem to have these same intuitions with respect to health insurance.

If we pull the emotions out of health insurance, which is admittedly hard to do even for this author, and look at health insurance from the economic perspective, there are several insights from auto insurance that can illuminate the design, risk selection, and rating of health insurance.

Auto insurance comes in two forms: the traditional insurance you buy from your agent or direct from an insurance company, and warranties that are purchased from auto manufacturers and dealers. Both are risk transfer and sharing devices and I’ll generically refer to both as insurance. Because auto third-party liability insurance has no equivalent in health insurance, for traditional auto insurance, I’ll examine only collision and comprehensive insurance — insurance covering the vehicle — and not third-party liability insurance.

Bumper to Bumper

The following are some commonly accepted principles from auto insurance:

* Bad maintenance voids certain insurance. If an automobile owner never changes the oil, the auto’s power train warranty is void. In fact, not only does the oil need to be changed, the change needs to be performed by a certified mechanic and documented. Collision insurance doesn’t cover cars purposefully driven over a cliff.

* The best insurance is offered for new models. Bumper-to-bumper warranties are offered only on new cars. As they roll off the assembly line, automobiles have a low and relatively consistent risk profile, satisfying the actuarial test for insurance pricing. Furthermore, auto manufacturers usually wrap at least some coverage into the price of the new auto in order to encourage an ongoing relationship with the owner.

* Limited insurance is offered for old model autos. Increasingly limited insurance is offered for old model autos. The bumper-to-bumper warranty expires, the power train warranty eventually expires, and the amount of collision and comprehensive insurance steadily decreases based on the market value of the auto.

* Certain older autos qualify for additional insurance. Certain older autos can qualify for additional coverage, either in terms of warranties for used autos or increased collision and comprehensive insurance for vintage autos. But such insurance is offered only after a careful inspection of the automobile itself.

* No insurance is offered for normal wear and tear. Wiper blades need replacement, brake pads wear out, and bumpers get dings. These aren’t insurable events. To the extent that a new car dealer will sometimes cover some of these costs, we intuitively understand that we’re “paying for it” in the cost of the automobile and that it’s “not really” insurance.

* Accidents are the only insurable event for the oldest automobiles. Accidents are generally insurable events even for the oldest autos; with few exceptions service work isn’t.

* Insurance doesn’t restore all vehicles to pre-accident condition. Auto insurance is limited. If the damage to the auto at any age exceeds the value of the auto, the insurer then pays only the value of the auto. With the exception of vintage autos, the value assigned to the auto goes down over time. So whereas accidents are insurable at any vehicle age, the amount of the accident insurance is increasingly limited.

* Insurance is priced to the risk. Insurance is priced based on the risk profile of both the automobile and the driver. The auto insurer carefully examines both when setting rates.

* We pay for our own insurance. And with few exceptions, automobile insurance isn’t tax deductible. As a result, the fear of increasing insurance rates due to traffic violations and/or accidents changes our driving behavior and we sometimes select our automobiles based on their insurability.

Each of the above principles is supported by solid actuarial theory. Although most Americans can’t describe the underlying actuarial theories, most everyone understands the above principles of auto insurance at the intuitive level. For sure, as indispensable automobiles are to our lifestyles, there is no loud national movement, accompanied by moral outrage, to change these principles.

Unsustainable Market

In contrast, similar principles are routinely violated in health insurance. To demonstrate this, let’s return to the same suburban mother from the opening paragraph. She’s busy working, driving to and from work, and driving her kids to school and activities. She ends each day exhausted, sitting on the couch with fast food. She’s obese, has a sedentary life, a bad diet, and hasn’t taken the time to go to the doctor in years. After a simple injury doesn’t heal for weeks, she turns up at the emergency room and learns she has type II diabetes. Although type II diabetes is controllable, changing diet and exercise habits and properly tracking her condition takes time and effort and she’s never quite successful in implementing the necessary lifestyle changes.

So the initial emergency room visit is only the first of a long list of health care related to non-controlled diabetes and other problems associated with obesity. Whether she has individual or group insurance, her insurance pays for each episode of care, without singling her out for a premium increase, and without charging her any more cost sharing than is charged to the healthiest and most medically diligent insureds. Her coverage continues until she voluntarily changes insurance companies and/or employers or becomes eligible for Medicare. If she’s covered under group insurance she may not even pay any premium. Her insurance continues unabated, even though the disease was caused by neglecting her body and she maintains her poor lifestyle even after the disease becomes known.

This just wouldn’t happen in auto insurance. This scenario is the auto insurance equivalent of guaranteed access to low-priced auto insurance that takes care of every possible repair, including damage already done, until the day the car falls apart so completely it’s unsalvageable (death) or reaches 200,000 miles (Medicare), regardless of whether she even changes the oil (takes care of herself) in the interim.

As a society, we don’t expect this in private-market auto insurance, but we expect it in private-market health insurance. Furthermore, there’s a chorus of national and state interests, which continuously pushes us further away from the auto insurance principles.

The current private health insurance market isn’t sustainable. Prices have been consistently increasing faster than inflation for decades. Each year, insureds use more health care than ever before and more people have no insurance at all. Most actuaries and other people in the private health insurance market don’t want national health insurance with its bureaucracy and one-size-fits-all benefits. Yet, we’re trying to sustain a private insurance system, which violates the very principles we know are necessary for private insurance markets.

Yes, health insurance involves the sacredness of human life and is therefore different from auto insurance. But if we’re to sustain a private-market solution to health insurance, actuaries need to explain to the larger society, in terms that society understands, the rationale for the following principles:

* As sacred as health care is, it’s still an economic transaction that has to be balanced by individuals and societies, against other economic choices. It can’t be unlimited. Sometimes it will be secondary to other choices. On a given day, for example, the mother in our scenario may value her car more than her health.

* Insurance premiums should be paid by the individual and tied to controllable risk factors. This will provide the best incentive for the control of risk factors.

* Although it’s hard to draw the line between abuse, neglect and ignorance, self-abuse shouldn’t be insured and we need to draw that line somewhere.

* The private market can’t provide unlimited, self-directed health insurance.

* Routine care and ongoing treatments of chronic conditions can be pre-funded, can even be subsidized, but they don’t constitute “insurable events.”

* Insurance can’t be expected to keep every human body in pristine condition. No amount of health care will prevent everyone’s ultimate death.

* Comprehensive, unlimited, non-subsidized private-market coverage isn’t possible for people with severely impaired health.

* The private health market can provide limited non-subsidized health insurance, such as protection from accidents, to even health-impaired individuals.

* Individuals who can afford to do so and who take good care of themselves should be able to “buy up” to better coverage. People have the option of buying up for everything else in life.

Discussion of these principles is lacking from most of the current health insurance debate. If society can intuitively understand how similar principles apply to health insurance, then they should be able understand the principles in the health insurance context. We need to initiate the debate.

This commentary is solely the opinion of its author. It does not express the official policy of the American Academy of Actuaries; nor does it necessarily reflect the opinions of the Academy’s individual officers, members, or staff

Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at http://www.precedent.com. [http://www.precedent.com]

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patt_Carpenter