It turns out your mother was right after all -- Happiness really does begin at home, with the things and the people you are surrounded by. Your vision is one of the first messengers to send signals to your brain as to how it feels. Therefore, it follows that keeping your home happier will have a direct impact on how you feel.What do you see in your home --Clutter? Chaos? Angry faces? What do you hear -- Loud voices; bad music?What do you feel when you look around your home? Stress? Unhappiness? Frustration? UGGGGG!What if instead you could feel and "see" opportunity and optimism? Energy and enthusiasm? Ok, maybe that's going a little too far, after all it IS just the living room.Try these ways to let your environment help make you happier.1. Subtract the Ugg factorChances are if you're like most people these days, you are fighting tooth and nail just trying to keep up with your life. Getting organized will help you win the fight. Look for the ugg factors in each of your spaces (desk, office, living room, bedroom, garage). Start with the White Elephant, the first thing that makes you go UGG when you walk into the space. Fix it, clean it, organize it, get rid of it. Whatever.2. Up the color factorColor is the accessory to our lives. Without it, while functional, it can be pretty plain. And scientists have long knows the effects that color can have on moods. Red and Yellows and Oranges inspire and stimulate. Blues and Greens are calming and restorative. Colors can also elicit memories, like "hospital green", or "college purple". In my family, we had a color called "Dad's blue shirt". Look at the colors around you. If paint is not an option check your accessories. Glue some inexpensive colorful beads or buttons to terra cotta pots to use as bright catch-alls for the bathroom, the desk, the kitchen table. Buy colorful frames for pictures. Wear a colorful top. When I wear red, I smile all day.3. Don't forget the smile factorThe smile factor is truly personal. I have a screensaver of my 2 puppies in a funny position. I grin every time I see it, no matter how stressed, no matter how irritated I am at my internet cable provider. Take inventory of your space, one piece at a time. Ask yourself, is it useful? Is it beautiful to me? Does it make me smile? Or does it make me remember how much my mother-in-law criticizes me?4. Function is always a factor!Check the function of your space. Take a look around -- is your home functioning in a way that supports what you want and how you want to feel? If the room is for working and reading, low lights will make you uncomfortable and unhappy. Functionality is increased when a multi-purpose -- or multi person -- room is divided into zones so that more than one purpose or person can use it effectively. Use your creativity. Even the ubiquitous storage must-haves can be more than merely functional. With a little planning and thought, they can add visual interest and style to a room.The steps to happiness begin with what you are surrounded by most of the time. Use positive psychology, positive messages, and positive images to feed your brain positive feelings. If you put these ideas to work, your home really can help keep you happy.About The AuthorKathy Gates is a Professional Life Coach in Scottsdale AZ. If you liked this article, you'll love her "7 SECRETS To A Great Life" program. Get more information at her website Real Life Coach, http://www.reallifecoach.com/success.htm and sign up for the newsletter.kathy@reallifecoach.com

Most people have at least one favorite quotation from a famous or not-so-famous person. Some people collect them like baseball cards, figurines or classic cars. You can find hundreds of websites featuring quotations, thousands of sites with a favorite quotes page, and many collections in any bookstore you walk into. All of this proves that quotations are popular. What may be less evident to you is exactly how you can use them to improve you life and your results.Below is a list of eleven ways you can do just that!Use when journaling. My Grandmother kept a diary, and so does my mother. Fewer people call them diaries now, and more call them journals. It really doesn't matter what you call them. If you spend time writing each day, you can use a quotation to relate to your activities for the day, record what you have been thinking about, or to help you with your writing in general.Share at work. You can use quotations whether you are the boss or anyone on the team. Post a new quote on your door, on the bulletin board in the coffee room, or send out in an email. If you pick quotes that are relevant to the work of the group and are positive in nature, you won't believe what an impact they can have ? and how much people will miss them if you don't keep posting new ones!Share with clients. Use quotations as a way of keeping in touch with clients. When you read a great quotation that you think a client would enjoy, send it off to them with a quick note. This is both thoughtful and thought provoking (and keeps you in the mind of the client too).Share with yourself. When you find a particularly powerful quotation with specific meaning to you, put it where you can see it! Put a copy on your mirror, on the side of your computer monitor, on your refrigerator or anywhere else you will see it and read it often. Instead of turning on the radio, think about a quotation you've recently read and how it applies to you.Use in your email. I know I mentioned email in the last tip, but here I am talking about putting a quotation in your signature line. Most all email programs allow you to create a standard message at the bottom of every email that includes your name, contact information and anything else you would like to include. Consider using a quotation that is thought provoking, funny, or that expresses a personal belief or value. This way without any extra effort you can be giving others the opportunity to think about your quotation, and differentiating yourself from the crowd at the same time.Use in speeches and presentations. Many people give speeches, talks, training, or presentations of some kind. Using a wise quotation from someone else can add credibility to your message, help you persuade others (after all that is what Ben Franklin or Winston Churchill or Gandhi said, not you!), and show that you are well prepared. Beyond these benefits, the right quotation can help you build your talk more effectively, by giving you a focus to build from.Use in writing. We've talked about journals, which are for ourselves. But many people write for others to read. Whether an article in the church newsletter, a letter to the editor, or your Great American novel, quotations can help you get your point across more clearly and beautifully. Quotations can also be helpful with "writers block," giving you great spurs to help you get your ideas flowing.Use when you meditate. Perhaps you meditate, pray or spend quiet time reflecting on your day. If you do, you may read something as a part of that activity. Quotations can be used as a seed for your thoughts or "mental conversation" during this time. Other people would like to be more proactive in building this habit. Quotations can be even more valuable to the "newcomer" as it helps give them mental food for their reflection.Commit them to memory. You can use quotations as a way to exercise your brain! Pick a quotation you love and commit it to memory. Then, you will be able to use it whenever you want ? for yourself or while in conversation with others.Use as an attitude adjustment. Having powerful, positive, proactive thoughts around can be a great way to adjust your attitude at anytime!So, the next time you read a great quotation, do more than just think it is it very good -- decide to use one of the ten ideas above to help the wisdom of the quotation benefit you and those around you.Kevin is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. Kevin publishes Powerquotes Plus (http://PowerquotesPlus.net), a daily ezine which includes inspiring quotations, questions to ponder and actions to consider designed to help you start your day in a more positive and proactive way.

Pets are family members and should be treated as such. The design of your home has a dramatic affect on their health and well-being. When your environment is in harmony with nature, it will have a positive influence. If not, behavior al and health problems will show up in your animals in subtle and not so subtle ways. By applying the environmental science of Vastu Shastra, you can create harmony and balance in your home that will support your pets. Vastu Shastra was written some 7,000-10,000 years ago in India by rishis, or men of great wisdom. Over a period of thousands of years, these wise scholars studied and chronicled the strong influence that the physical environment has on all living things. Through these observations, an exact science was formulated, which established the principles behind some of the world's most enduring structures.My wife and I have experienced firsthand the benefits that some simple corrections using Vastu can have on pets. Our dog had a variety of skin and bladder control problems. Our cat was aggressive and territorial, fighting with the dog and bringing into the house anything she could carry. It always surprised us how she could get adult rabbits and baby crows through the cat door, but she managed! Small but effective changes using Vastu, reduced these problems significantly.According to the science of Vastu Shastra, all five elements (earth, water, fire, air and space) have an impact on your pets. Vastu balances the five elements and promotes harmony within the environment. When there is harmony, stress is reduced and animals can find their equilibrium. Due to their size, pets are far more susceptible to the consequences of poor air quality and indoor pollutants than their caretakers. Flooring, decorating materials, mattresses, molds, toxic gases, pesticides and electronic equipment can all degrade the air you and your pet breath, even if you are seemingly unaffected.These are examples of the dangers lurking in your home, unbeknownst to you. In this situation, what you can't see can harm both you and your pets. Knowledge is power. Becoming aware of what you can do to protect your pets is the best preventative measure there is. We can't emphasize enough the importance of reading all labels carefully to determine the safety of any materials that you use in your home.Another factor that we've seen affect pets as well as humans is Geopathic Stress. This occurs when radiation follows lines of underground utilities and streams. Electrical wiring in the home can also disrupt the balance of the five elements if improperly placed. Such conditions have been scientifically proven to influence the health and disposition of your pets. Indoor environmental testing for geopathic stress can build your peace of mind and protect you and your pets.There are several things you can do yourself to make changes in your environment for positive results. Here are some actions you can take today that will make a world of difference:Fresh air is extremely important for pets. Many houses are so tightly built that household pollutants build up in the interior air if windows are not open. Having a window open, even a quarter of an inch, will help eliminate toxins that can accumulate and circulate in the air. Also, be aware that pets like the room temperature a little cooler than we do. Too much heat (fire) can make them lethargic and shorten their life span. Changing their water twice a day is also essential since water absorbs many of the air born toxins. Make sure to give them purified water rather than tap water. Tap water can contain bacteria and chemicals that aggravate a variety of sensitivities.These are just a few steps that you can take to create proactive support for your pets. According to Vastu Shastra, all five elements need to be considered and balanced properly to experience the full advantages of Vastu. We suggest having your home analyzed by a qualified Vastu professional. Because they are sensitive by nature, you will be delighted by how quickly pets respond to an environment that has been balanced in harmony with Nature using the science of Vastu Shastra.About The AuthorMichael and Robin Mastro's synergistic approach successfully assists people in living in peace and harmony with themselves and others, and in creating balanced lives filled with unlimited possibilities. Visit us at www.VastuCreations.com

Imagine that you are scolding your cat for scratching at your new furniture, and Kitty is sitting staring at you. Suddenly you realize how silly you look and how futile your scolding is. So how do you train your cat to respect your home?All cats can be trained and should have some training from their owners. You will need to train your cat to use her litter box, sharpen her claws on the scratching post instead of your couch, and to stop negative behavior when you say "no." Cats can also learn to do "tricks," and the mental stimulation of learning is good for them.Cats learn the same way dogs and people learn; they repeat behaviors that have a pleasurable result. The best way to train your cat is to reward her when she does something right. The reward might be a small piece of a special food, or lots of praise from you in a happy, high-pitched voice.Training to change negative behaviors requires you to catch your cat "in the act." For example, if your cat uses your stereo speakers as a scratching post, wait until she is about to put claw to fabric, then firmly say "NO." The moment she freezes and turns towards you, switch to the happy voice and praise her. Move towards her to distract her away from the inappropriate object. If she makes any movement towards you praise her even more. Timing and repetition are the keys to success here. You must catch her as she moves to act inappropriately, and praise her the exact moment she stops.Things to remember if your cat scratches your furniture* Understand your cat's need to scratch.* Forget punishment - it doesn't work.* Provide a suitable place for your cat to scratch such as a scratching post* Make the scratching post attractive to Kitty* Make the place she's been scratching unattractive - physical or scent related deterrents will work* Whenever possible, start cats young.* You may want to trim your cat's claws.Training simple tricks can be incorporated into daily playtime. Always keep some cat treats in a pocket during training time. To teach your cat to "shake hands," begin by saying "shake," then touching your hand to the underside of one of her front paws. Praise her for letting you touch there, and give her a treat. Repeat this over and over again. Eventually, you can lay your hand flat on the floor just in front of her paw. Say "shake" and wait. If she even moves her paw towards you praise her and give her a treat. Little by little, she'll catch on that every time she touches your hand with her paw she can get you to give her a treat. Once she willingly touches your hand, you can start to raise your hand off of the floor a little bit at a time. Keep training fun. Stop the session before she loses interest, and always end on a positive note with a reward.You can use the same one-small-step-at-a-time technique to teach your cat to walk on a leash. This allows you to take your cat outside for fresh air and sensory stimulation without having to worry about her running off. Purchase a cat harness from a pet supply store. Before you even try putting it on your cat, simply leave it lying by her bed for a day or two. When she is used to seeing and smelling it, loosely put it on her just before her normal mealtime. Hand-feed her food to distract her from the harness and to make wearing it a pleasurable experience. Remove it when the food is gone. After a few days, you can let her wear the harness around the house. Let the leash drag behind, but watch to make sure it doesn't become tangled around furniture. When she seems comfortable with the harness and leash, pick up your end and walk with her, letting her lead the way. Eventually she will walk willingly beside you, and you can both venture outdoors.Pet Medication Supplies [http://www.pet-medication-supplies.net] can help you get the best possible supplies for your pet. Advantix, Arthramine, Cosequin, Frontline, Heartgard - find the best deals in pet medication for flea and tick control, arthritis and lyme disease. Upto 50% discount everyday on brand names.