Recover From Stuttering - Positives and Negatives of Using Fluency Management

Most of you are going to feel great after you have completed a stuttering therapy course in Prolonged Speech, Smooth Speech or equivalent. The feeling of being in charge of your fluency is life-changing in many ways. The positive effects of maintaining fluency are many and varied, and of course, depend on the individual. Some of the positive thoughts and feelings that I had when I was able to maintain consistent fluency for the first time included:

I found release by being honest about my stutter and letting people know that I stuttered. Disclosure helped me use my wonderful technique. My first waking thought was no longer my stutter and who I had to talk to that day. I am able to have a relaxed discussion with people, both face-to-face and on the phone. I no longer put off conversations, phone calls and appointments. I no longer worry about what and how I am going to say things. I am a better listener during conversation. I think it's because I am no longer worrying about my stutter and am definitely less self-absorbed. I look people in the eye and use more gestures and voice inflection. I am having fun with my fluency and my technique. I now enjoy conversation and no longer use avoidance. I still get nervous about speaking in public, but it's a challenge and I don't shy away from speech challenges anymore. My self-confidence has soared. My whole life has been affected for the better, I am more positive in all aspects of my life. I realise now how much my stutter was holding me back. I wish I had have undertaken therapy much earlier in life. I no longer let my stutter and anxieties rule my life.

I thought about the negatives of maintaining fluency and controlling my stutter. The only thing I could think of was: Initially, when I began to use my wonderful new technique, I thought I sounded a little too different. I thought that my friends and family would think my technique was not 'me' and that it sounded strange.

These thoughts were short-lived. Once I decided that controlling the way I spoke was less painful than living with my stutter, and mastering a new fluency technique would give me all these positive life changes, then the answer was a no-brainer. I was going to do what I had to do to manage my fluency. There were never any negative reactions from anyone, only positive comments of encouragement.

For many stutterers, fluency is not the ultimate goal, but for me it is. I now manage my fluency to the point where I sometimes forget that I'm a stutterer. Many people now comment, "I would never pick the fact that you had a stutter." I still use disclosure from time to time, especially with other concerned stutterers. I can't help but let them know that there is bright light of relief out there, and to seek out a wonderful fluency program as soon as they can. I still have the odd dysfluency now and again, but those instances remind me that I will always be a stutterer, and to address my technique before I open my mouth to speak.

Trust me, the initial effort is worth it! The results are life-changing. If you are concerned about your stutter, do yourself a favour and do it for yourself.

Join me on that wonderful road to fluency.

Choosing The Perfect Pet Snake

Are you thinking about keeping a pet snake in your home? While pet snakes can be a great addition to your home, there are several things that you need to keep in mind in order to guarantee the best possible experience for both you and your slithery friend.

Think About Size

Before purchasing a pet snake, you need to consider the size of your reptilian friend. Don't be fooled by the size of the snake that you see at the pet store. Often, pet stores sell snakes that are not fully grown. So, while the snake may seem like a manageable five feet of slithering scales, it may grow to be much larger and much thicker than it currently is.

Before you purchase a pet snake, be sure to do your research about that particular breed. That way, you will know how large you can expect the snake to grow and you can choose one that will be manageable for years to come. Not only will this help you have a much more pleasant snake-raising experience, it will also ensure your snake's habitat is the proper size and that your snake remains happy and healthy.

Consider Breeding

Ideally, the pet snake that you bring home should have been captive bred. If you snag a snake from the wild, it has two distinct drawbacks. First, the snake will be decidedly unhappy because it is used to running free and wild. Second, the snake is more likely to be aggressive because it is not used to human handling. Obviously, this will result in a poor experience for both you and your snake.

In order to create the best possible solution for you and your snake, you should purchase one that was bred by a reputable breeder. This way, you can be certain the proper methods were used for the breeding process. You can also be more certain the snake will not be diseased or contain parasites.

Choose a Good "Starter" Snake

When purchasing your first pet snake, you should start out with one that is generally considered good for beginning snake owners. These include king snakes, corn snakes, and ball pythons. Each of these breeds tend to be gentle, which means you should have a good experience when handling them. These snakes are also relatively easy to care for when it comes to meeting habitat requirements and feeding.

Just as there are some snakes that are good for beginners, there are others that are decidedly bad for beginners. These include red-tailed boas, Burmese pythons, water snakes, tree boas or pythons, and any snake that has been caught in the wild.

Regardless of the breed of snake, it is best to avoid any snake that is overly large or that has a poor temperament. Be certain to handle the snake before making a purchase and observe how well the snake takes to being handled. If the snake makes a sudden movement at you or bites you, move on to another one that will be easier for you to handle

We function at our best when we are free from stress, relaxed, confident and focused. Feeling the adrenalin flow and achieving a deadline by the skin of our teeth may be exhilarating in the short term but as a way of life can be detrimental to both health and happiness. Stress has a habit of creeping up on us very slowly. At first it may just show itself in low-level irritation and then possibly some sleepless nights and eventually a feeling of being out of control, time off work and, if unchecked, some form of serious illness.

Working effectively involves -

· Staying focused, relaxed and confident.

· Knowing that we don't always have to be right and perfect.

· Accepting other people's ideas and contributions.

· Creating time for personal development and relaxation activities.

· Prioritising.

· Staying fit and healthy.

· Having fun!

Take the quick test below to assess your current stress levels:

How stressed are you?

Tick the questions you answer yes to.

Do you ......

- Lack concentration?

- Become easily distracted?

- Have frequent lapses of memory?

- Take longer to do things than you used to?

- Make more mistakes than you used to?

- Appear to lack the ability to plan?

- Frequently become confused?

- Succumb to frequent emotional outbursts?

- Fall ill more frequently than you used to?

- Feel depressed and helpless?

- Have low self-esteem?

- Have difficulty speaking?

- Lack enthusiasm?

- Have low energy levels?

- Have disrupted sleep patterns?

- Have bizarre behaviour patterns?

- Suffer from frequent headaches

- Spend time being busy but getting very little done

If you answered yes to more than 4 of the above, chances are you are suffering from some degree of stress, often the ignition point for more serious disorders.

Ongoing stress can lead to long term conditions such as cardiovascular disorders, kidney damage, hyperglycaemia, exhaustion, weight loss, physical collapse, raised blood cholesterol, hardening of the arteries, stomach trouble, loss of body heat, blackouts, upset heart rhythm, allergic reactions and strokes. It is therefore important that we take steps to alleviate stress before it takes a more serious hold.

Have you ever wondered where miracles come from? Let me put that another way - not so much where they come from (most people can figure that out by the sheer dynamics of the word itself), but how they come about. Well, here's a hint: God doesn't just get up some particular morning feeling feisty, and decide to "show 'em somethin' today that'll really mess with their heads." Although many, many people think that's the case (i.e., "Who knows what God's gonna do next?"), it's not even close to how He operates.

"Okay, then, Genius, how doesGod operate?" That one's too easy... He operates by faith! Always has, always will (Malachi 3:6). God moves when somebody's faith is used - and without faith, He don't move (Galatians 3:2,5). Take a few moments and scan some of the accounts of miraculous deliverance, healing or provision that occurred in the Old Testament. In each and every instance, you'll find that the recipient(s) had either specifically asked something of the LORD or obeyed a specific word of instruction from Him - or both. In other words, God worked miracles for those people because they believed Him more than they believed anyone or anything else (Galatians 3:5; Romans 4:18-20).

What's even more amazing (and comforting) is the fact that God has promised to continue to do the miraculous. Don't believe me? Listen, aside from the fact that He doesn't do one thing one day and something completely different the next (remember, He doesn't change), Jesus Himself said that the Father will show the Son (and we're the Son's body - His hands - here in the earth [Ephesians 1:22-23], so that means us) everything that He does, and those works would be even greater than the ones Jesus did, so that we would marvel (John 5:20). He also said, "He that believes in Me will do the same works that I do, and even greater ones... " (John 14:12).

So, if your situation is so jacked up that you'll never get out of it without some kind of divine intervention, then smile and be happy! If you're in Christ, you've already got it. His grace is more than sufficient to deliver you (2 Corinthians 12:9). God's in the miracle-working business - always has been, always will be - and He's not stingy about it. That's why He promised it in both covenants - Old and New (Exodus 34:10; Psalm 45:4, 65:5, 89:34; Micah 7:15; John 5:19-20, 14:12; Ephesians 3:20). Grab a heaping helping of that Word and stand on it - show Him where your faith is. He'll be more than happy to take it from there!

Oh, yeah... the key? Simple. Mary, Jesus' mother, explains it as plain as day: "Whatever He says to you, do it" (John 2:5).

Choosing The Best Makeup Remover That Removes More Than Makeup

Growing up without proper education about skin care I was used to soap and water. Getting wrinkles at 23 was not fun. This was not the age for aging; this was the age for flaunting youthfulness and healthy skin. I started doing my research about skin care, but not reading and learning, it was trying different things on my skin. After 5 years of that, I learned that it was the wrong approach.

The first thing anyone has to do is learn about their skin. Some of the simple questions I had to ask myself were...

• Was my skin dry, normal, combination or oily? • How did my skin feel towards mid day? Evening? • What concerns did I have about my skin (acne, dryness, too much oil, wrinkles)?

Once I had the answers to these questions, I had to find skin care products that worked for me. This is where I started learning about different products for my skin and the proper regimen, what these products claimed, and what they actually did for my skin.

A few things that I learned along the way were...

1. Investing in quality skin care 2. Getting a good eye makeup remover 3. Finding a great skin care program for my skin, my needs and budget 4. Being consistent in using the skin care

I learned that even if you don't wear makeup, you still need a good cleanser to remove all the dirt and pollution that falls on our skin during the day. I learned that it is as important for a man to take care of his skin as it is a woman. I learned that the earlier you learn how to properly take care of your skin, the healthier it will be.

There is a lot of information and education when it comes to skin care. Cleansing is just one of the first very important steps, but there is so much more...

I leaned that just because you have oily skin, doesn't mean you shouldn't use a good moisturizer. I learned that most people have eyelash mites, and if we don't properly wash our eyes from makeup and other stuff, they actually spread very fast. I learned how important it is to exfoliate our skin. Most importantly I learned how you can have quality product at a very reasonable cost.

I learned all of this from my Mary Kay beauty consultant. I learned everything I wanted to learn about my skin from her. I like the fact that if I have a question about my skin or products, I can get an answer from her instead of going to the store.

Using Deer Hunting Blinds

Traditionally, deer hunting blinds are used to spot and hunt deer in the wild, hidden among the trees of wooden areas where deer tend to feed and drink.

However, most of these have been commercial products erected in specific deer hunting grounds that are highly commercialized and often part of a deer farm or preserve, where hunters pay to use the land, stay in a cabin or lodge, and make use of blinds on the property.

Of course, some people have long found that they can catch deer practically in their own backyards, hunting in woods near their homes. The problem has arisen with the inability to hide adequately and keep from spooking the deer by making noise or leaving scents down on the ground. However, there are ways to avoid both situations with prefabricated deer hunting blinds. No longer do you have to struggle to build your own blind or pay to use one elsewhere. Instead, you can use a prefabricated construction set and build your own blind.

These units simplify the angles and tower construction so that you can build a rock solid blind on your own, and best of all, they are often easily disassembled and reassembled so that you can transport them to other exciting deer hunting locations for use. Look for steel brackets on your prefabricated deer hunting blinds to assure their sturdiness upon construction, and look for units that offer custom sleeves into which leg posts and framing can easily slide for safety, security, and ease of assembly.

Ultimately, you should be sure that whatever deer hunting blinds you are looking at come with detailed assembly and disassembly instructions so that there are no questions and the safety of the unit is not compromised by guesswork. Also, don't settle for an expensive setup when you can find something of the same quality for less money. There are plenty of inexpensive units available so that you don't have to waste time and money. Keep in mind also that deer hunting blinds should assess the basic needs of a hunter and do not need to be luxurious or any particular beautiful color. Green and brown blend in with the woods, camouflaging the unit for deer, and your interior comfort is of no concern to wild animals.

If you've ever been involved in hunting deer and sat in a blind for hours on end, you'll realize that the important elements are visibility and your ability to see the deer from all sides and their inability to see you. Since these elements can easily be accomplished with a small amount of money by opting for one of many prefabricated deer hunting blinds, there is no reason to spend a lot of extra time on building your own or extra money either renting one from someone else or buying one with a lot of "fluff".

Why Are Many Businesses and Individuals Turning to Internet Fax Services?

Internet fax services have been around for a while now, but now more people than ever are switching to these services instead of using a traditional fax machine. Has the fax machine become obsolete? Or are people using these services because they can save money with them? The answer is probably "yes" for both of these questions.

Fax machines are still used to send files and to share information in the world of business, but the technology is not perfect. Some people who send confidential information may be wary of allowing the information to sit in the tray of a shared, public fax machine. Anyone could see the documents. Online fax can help to make faxing more confidential by faxing to email or storing faxes on a secure website, rather than having hard copies sitting in public places. When a fax is received in your email, you are the only one who will see it. Faxes can also become lost more easily when you use traditional fax machines. If you lose a hard copy, or if the fax is unreadable or was never received in the first place, you will need to ask the other party to send it again. This could be a problem if you can't reach them, or if you don't know that they sent you a fax. Using the internet, a fax is converted directly to a digital format. This is sent to a fax number or to an email address. A major advantage of this is that reading the fax is not dependent upon having a working fax machine or printer nearby. You won' lose any faxes due to printer errors. If you want a hard copy of your fax, you can print one out whenever you like. If you ever lose your hard copy, you have a digital backup in your email account.

Because you don't need an extra phone line, you can also save money you would be giving to the phone company. If you wish to receive faxes online, you will probably need to sign up for a package that offers virtual fax numbers. Anything sent to these numbers is converted to a PDF or TIFF file and attached to an email before it is sent to you. These work just like regular fax numbers, so anyone can send you faxes, whether they are using a fax machine or using an online fax service also. The internet services also eliminate the need to pay long-distance fees. Online fax services also offer a lot more mobility. In the past, you sent and received faxes from the fax machine at the office. Now, you can send them from home, from a cafe with WiFi access, or nearly anywhere else you can take a laptop computer. This allows you to view and send faxes on the run, which can save time for businesspeople. These services usually charge flat rates for a month, but you can also find services that bill by the page.

Happiness - Is Prosperity the Key?

Is continual economic growth the key to well being? Does economic depression lead to misery? The Australian historian and former academic David Potts says No.

Potts researched the Great Depression and gathered 1200 interviews plus scores of autobiographies and presented his findings in a book, "The Myth of the Great Depression."

He discovered that many of those who experienced the 1930's depression spoke of the time with great affection, claiming that the struggle gave their life meaning. People bond with each other at times of threat. This bonding, he argues, is the stuff of happiness.

In other words, once basic needs are met, our working together for a sense of purpose greater than ourselves leads to more happiness and well being than money alone. It is not just money or social bonding that makes for greater happiness, it is both.

Indeed research has shown that families of wealth are more likely to maintain their wealth when they provide community service. My very favorite example of this kind of business is "Newman's Own," developed by the late Paul Newman. All profits go to charity. He has funded numerous camps for children suffering from terminal illness. As his business continues to expand, and his legacy continues to grow. We have a social conscious. Research shows that consumers are more likely to spend money on businesses that have a charitable outreach than a business that focuses on profit alone.

Negative events, such as the downturn in our economy, do not need to be a threat. Instead, it can be a stimulus for growth. We can empower ourselves and gather our resources to develop business structures that better meet the needs of all. Rather than one or the other, it can be both. Now, isn't this much more attractive?

Your New Year's Resolution: Take Internet and Smartphone Protection More Seriously

With a brand new year upon us, experts are concerned. Very concerned. It was reported last week that British law enforcement expects internet and cyber crime to surpass traditional crime rates for the first time in British history. Law enforcement officials lamented that while their jobs used to consist of apprehending thieves attempting to rob cars or vandalize homes, they are now faced with the seemingly inordinate task of detaining criminals from thousands of miles away. Criminals engaged in complex internet hacking and identity theft schemes.

Almost all U.K. precincts report an upsurge of internet and cyber-savvy crimes. Most consider spyware and "malware" to be the most significant types of attacks, and the most likely cause devastating identity theft on unsuspecting victims. Further, many of these victims do not have protection and anti-theft software in place to protect themselves from attack, further encouraging criminals and frustrating law enforcement. The increased use of smartphones and iPads has furthered the problem as well.

The smartphone craze has stimulated the hysteria over cyber crime and victimization. Law enforcement all over the world reports increased smartphone theft, much associated with violent robberies and assaults. In the U.K., a group has been set up to help combat the problem known as the Mobile Industry Crime Action Forum. The Forum urges smartphone users to stay aware when using mass public transit, the most common place for theft. The scariest aspect of smartphone crime is what can happen after the theft. Many times, thieves charge sellers in Eastern Europe, Algeria, Morocco or West Africa thousands of dollars for a smartphone filled with sensitive data. Thereafter, sellers can use the data to steal the identity of the victim and wreak havoc on his credit and identity.

With so much cyber and smartphone crime around us, 2011 must bring an increased awareness and fervor for security. London-based Snuko, P.L.C. has offered clients across the globe the opportunity to secure their phones and laptops. Snuko's smartphone products allow for remote location of a stolen item and total lock-out of unauthorized users. The inexpensive product can assure that victims of violent crime can mitigate their losses by recovering their stolen property before it is sent overseas and virtually lost forever.

Attention to protection constant awareness of threats could help lead to 2011 being the first year to see a decline in internet and cyber crime in recent memory. With just a little extra caution, internet and smartphone users can rest assured their identity will be safe in the new year and for many more to come.