Joy, Dr Charmaine Saunders

Well, we may not all have awful childhoods but unfortunately, most of us do tend to only `survive' those early years and what we lose is incalculable. Young parents today know a lot more about the importance of using the tools of praise, time and attention in nurturing their offspring but what about the rest of us who are already adults? How do we regain joy?

If you practise these techniques, you will not only feel joy, you will truly have it all. I laughingly call myself a `joy merchant.' I hope you're buying.
Continue reading at Joy

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New! Business Resources

Although we do not accept any forms of advertisement from businesses marketing their services to seniors (we only recommend Certified Senior Approved Services - see Service Providers) we are now open to accepting advertisement from businesses that want to reach other professionals.

See Resources for your health care and elder care business.
Marketing tools, both online and offline
Great resources for start-ups

Our featured advertisers this month are
How to start a home Care Business
Second 50 Years helping your business get its share of the mature market.
Med Staff Post and find health care jobs, FREE!
Jigsaw is an online business contact marketplace where people can buy, sell and trade business contact information

If you offer a product, resource or service for the health or elder care professional and want to reach the decision makers of these businesses, then you too may submit your offer for consideration. See Advertising

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Senior Approved Services

Park Creek is a very nice facility with studio and one bedroom apartments, complete with stove and refrigerator. Of course, you don't have to cook and you probably won't want to when you can enjoy a home-cooked meal in the beautiful dining room.

Oreck, Home of the Total Cleaning System was our first cleaning equipment and supply service surveyed. Oreck is famous for its American-Made lightweight vacuum cleaner. We found out that's just part of their full line of floor and carpet cleaning equipment available. They also have green safe cleaning products as well. See Oreck

My Home Care, Inc and Attorney Mary Ann Thomas are in the process of the certification now. We're still receiving surveys from their clients.

If you want to learn how you may qualify for Certification as a Senior Approved Service, see Service Providers

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Thirty Days Later and 36% Have Abandoned Their New Years Resolution

40 to 45% of American adults make one or more resolutions each year. Among the top new years resolutions are weight loss, exercise, and stopping to smoke.

The following shows how many of these resolutions are maintained as time goes on:

• Maintained past the first week -75%
• Past 2 weeks -71%
• After one month -64%
• After 6 months - 46%

While a lot of people who make new years resolutions do break them, research shows that making resolutions is useful. People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don't explicitly make resolutions.

For smokers, one slip and the old internal negative language starts up again. Don't think about that one slip, think about how many times you chose not to smoke!
Continue reading at New Years Resolutions

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2005 White House Conference on Aging

The purpose of the conference is to make policy recommendations to the President and Congress, and to assist the public and private sectors in promoting dignity, health, independence and economic security of current and future generations of older persons.

Visit White House Conference to learn more about this important event. We have links to additional information and a poll for you to participate in.

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Calendar of Events

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All About Love by Barbara Mascio

February the 14th is a day dedicated to love. We asked our ezine readers to submit their thoughts and favorite quotes about love and we received so many replies, we're still trying to read them all. Thank you for your submissions!

Love comes in many shapes and flavors and is expressed differently by folks. Some expressions are so 'different' that we couldn't add them to our ezine! Such creativity, my goodness.

Love is a very strong emotion and it is a very real spiritual attribute. It requires time and care and will ask you to put another person's needs first but true love will never ask you to sacrifice your own soul's integrity in the process. Love is a challenge. Love is a mystery. Love can make you crazy and Love can keep you sane.

One of our love submissions came in the form of a new senior, Ms. Lydia, creating a focus page within our Seniors Approve Free Web Community. It brought tears to my eyes. See Lydia We will hold a special place in our hearts for you and Stan this year Lydia.

The recipe for a perfect marriage was also a testament to love. See Mark

Jean Wales of Wales Consulting and author of 'Do it Now' sends her thoughts -

In real life, as opposed to the movies and TV, love is day-to day. Love is helping my husband pack his lunch for the next day, while he helps me by doing a "carpentry" or "electrical" fix-it job; or listening to your teenager at 11:00 pm when he or she is "active" and you are "drop-dead tired" after a full day of career, housework and trying to squeeze in a little "me" time; or going to the nursing home at 9 pm to help settle down your 91 year old dad when he is thoroughly disgruntled about his care.

LeeAnn, another ezine subscriber sent -

Entering the back door of your best friend,
Holding a hand just because you care,
Seeing the wonders of nature, like it's the 1st time,
Giving a smile to watch it continue to spread,
Listening to the tales of the good old days,
Knowing in my heart that I showed someone I cared,
Thinking before saying angry words & then remain quiet,
Leaving the judging to God,
To live life and not sit and let it pass,
To know love will never die,
The best memories are made from love.
Hugs to all

Georgeann sent her quote about love -
If you love someone, put their name in a circle instead of a heart, because hearts can break, but circles go on forever.

A reader from California, Judy M sent this, a quote from Kahil Gibran.

"They say if one understands himself, he understands all people. But I say to you, when one loves people, he learns something about himself."

And Pastor Sandy L. from Illinois sent a quote that she has on her office wall by Mother Theresa

"Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired."

Love can be the teacher of tolerance, acceptance and forgiveness. Life will present opportunities to learn these qualities, however, love enlightens your awareness and can be the ultimate impetus towards forgiving, towards tolerance and acceptance beyond a human level.

I myself have learned to forgive others when it seemed humanly impossible, while keeping my heart open to the spiritual love I have for my Creator.

You can love a thing, love a person, love yourself, love your country, love your job. Learning how to feel this love without becoming possessed by the object of your love, takes a bit of wisdom. I remember back in my hippie days the sentiment was, 'If you love a thing, let it go.' Of course, life back then also included 'Love the one you're with' which on the surface sounds harmless enough but the rest of the message was one of reckless abandonment.

When one spirit connects with another, smitten by a love not equated with physical attraction, it is in my opinion, a love meant to be. You become soul mates and are forever connected. Even if, on this planet, you never meet again.

I love. I love Richard, my husband, my best friend and my soul mate, a man with an enormous capacity to love me without possessing me. I love my son, Ross, born with an old soul full of wisdom beyond his years who continues to blow me away with his gift of discernment. I love Denise; my son's soul mate whose calm laid back approach to life balances my son's intensity and creates a loving environment for her children. I love my grandson Zachary who, at the age of four has the ability to inspire me to be a better person. I love my granddaughter Isabella whose smile and giggles have the power to lift the heaviest of moods.

I love my pets. I love good chocolate. I love the Blues. I love to color, write, to read and I love to learn. I love to laugh. I love being alone. I love my family who has learned that although I don't fit the mold of what's expected and considered 'norm', they've learned to love me anyways. I love checking off things on my to-do-list. I love a challenge. I love my job working with seniors and with those in the elder care business.

Love is the creator of inspiration. As you plan to celebrate the 14th, use a little imagination to find the perfect expression of love that you hold for your children, spouse, other family members, and your friends. And if you feel up to a challenge, share some of that love with a person who may be hard to love. Make it a day of giving of yourself as you celebrate the one day on our calendar dedicated to love. Because Love is a feeling in motion that once shared remain precious for all of eternity.

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Jokes

Her husband has been slipping in and out of a coma for several months yet she stayed by his bedside every single day. When he came to, he motioned for her to come nearer. As she sat by him, he said, "You know what?

You have been with me all through the bad times. When I got fired, you were there to support me. When my business fell, you were there. When I got shot, you were by my side. When we lost the house, you gave me support. When my health started failing, you were still by my side. When I think about it now, I think you bring me bad luck!"

A man is sitting on his front stoop staring morosely at the ground when his neighbor strolls over. The neighbor tries to start a conversation several times, but the older man barely responds. Finally, the neighbor asks what the problem is. "Well," the man says, "I ran afoul of one of those questions women ask. Now I'm in the doghouse."

"What kind of question?" the neighbor asks.
"My wife asked me if I would still love her when she was old, fat and ugly."
"That's easy," says the neighbor. "You just say, 'Of course I will'".

"Yeah," says the other man, "that's what I meant to say. But what came out was, 'Of course I do'.

Submit your jokes for everyone to enjoy on our forum at Seniors Forum

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Recipe Contest!

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