Is it luck? But no one gets lucky all the time the way they do. Is it connection? Maybe. But how do I get myself to increase my own network too? There must be something behind it. And so the question pops out in your mind. “How do these people continue to make six or seven figures and here I am struggling month by month just to reach my quota and make ends meet?”

I have been in the human potential development for so long I see things in common among all successful performers whether they be people in sales or in any field of business.

First of all, successful professionals see themselves as who and what they really are. They are professionals and they hold their craft. They have confidence and they know they can achieve greater things.

Secondly, these giants of the industry continue to learn and stretch themselves. They network with people. They serve in their community. They join service clubs, they serve in church and the more they are in touch with people the more they build their network of friends who may just become their clients one day.

I have handled sales people, I have a network of people who are in sales. And it’s extremely rare for me to find person in this chosen field to actually read a lot of books. Rarer still do I find sales people who would invest in attending non-company sponsored seminars. And in many occasion, the same people who do not perform well are the same people who complain that their companies are not providing them support. Amateurs carry this kind of mindset. They have mastered the art of blamestorming.

Not so the giants because they are professionals. Professionals are of a different breed. They’ve got classy upbringing because they bring themselves up. (pun intended) Sales professionals invest in knowledge, they read magazines, they can’t get enough of web portals dedicated to sales and they do invest in attending seminars and conferences. They buy books and they actually read them. And then a wonderful thing happens. They sell more, they earn more and they are more fulfilled. Here’s the common thread woven in the fabric of the professional’s success journey. They work harder on themselves than they do on their jobs. The hungrier you are for knowledge, the wiser you become. Your self-respect increases, your confidence built and opportunities come by your door waiting for you to open.

Your desire to be successful has to be bigger than a 9-5 job. Giants begin with baby steps and you should begin right now. Invest in knowledge; put the seeds in the small steps and continue to water your skills with actual experiences and information you seek. And when the time of harvesting comes, you will have the fruits of your efforts in front of you. Do not waste time. Always find something to do that would add value to what you want to achieve in life. Whatsoever you sow, you shall reap. This is Scripture Truth that continues to operate everyday of our lives.

Never forget. The road to success is marked with many tempting parking places. Say this to yourself all the time: “NO PARKING!”

Related posts:

1. Developing a Millionaire’s Mindset

Are you stressed? Do you know how to deal with stress? Is there someone in the work place you hate so much that person the very source of your stress? So how do you deal with the situation. Someone came up with this idea. Now do not take this seriously. Picture yourself near a stream. Birds are chirping in the crisp, cool mountain air. Nothing can bother you here. No one knows this secret place. You are in total seclusion from that place called the "world." The soothing sound of a gentle waterfall fills the air with a cascade of serenity. The water is so clear that you can easily make out the face of the person whose head you are holding under the water. There now... feeling better?

Stress is caused by two opposing forces, which pull against each other. We usually think of this as something negative but actually some stress is essential for living. For instance, gravity is a stress to your body - but you couldn't live without it.  You'll never be able to eliminate all stress from your life. You wouldn't want to. But you can reduce the intensity of stress and you can learn to manage it. When a violinist tightens the strings on a violin, she puts stress on them. The strings are pulled in two directions. The capacity of a string to be stretched is called "tensile strength." If the strings are weak they break when stretched. But if the strings are strong, the violinist is able to produce beautiful music because of the stress. People are like that. When pulled in two different directions some people snap from the stress. Others, however, are able to handle the stress and use it to produce something beautiful. The difference is the spiritual strength of the individual.

How do you get recharged spiritually when you're feeling stressed?

1. PAUSE! Step back from your work for a moment. But instead of taking a coffee break, take a spiritual break! Take a deep breath, quiet yourself and focus on the fact that God is with you right now. You're not alone. God is ready to help you.

"God says, "Be quiet and still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10 (NCV)

2. PRAY! Prayer is a powerful stress-reliever that you can use any time of the day. It works best when you pray aloud - but when your situation doesn't allow that you can talk to God with your thoughts. Tell him exactly how you feel. Of course, he already knows. The relief comes from getting it off your chest. God won't be shocked. He made you and he loves you.

"I pour out my problems to him; I tell him my troubles. When I am afraid, you, LORD, know the way out." Psalm 142:2-3 (NCV)

3. PRIORITIZE! Pinpoint what's really most important to do and what isn't. You can't do everything, so clarifying your priorities is essential to reducing stress. Your work will be determined by pressures or by priorities. It's your choice. If you don't determine what's important - others will decide it for you.

"There is a right time and a right way for everything." Ecclesiastes 8:6 (NCV)

Some things will serve and some things will master it depends on what you allow. And then in all things give Thanks. Fight fear with faith knowing that God would not allow you to go through anything you cannot bear. You will know that you are stressed because you begin to look like your picture in your driver’s license. Pray and put that smile back on your face.

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1. How to be Stressed in 2010

Culture of Personal Excellence, The Repeat 2

SMX Convention Center
March 3, 2010, 1 pm - 5 pm

Hurry! Book your seat now! Call INSPIRE at 6872614 for tickets & reservations.

With special guests:

• TJ Manotoc - Anchor, reporter, sportscaster for ABS-CBN
• Dr. Josette Biyo - the first Filipino & Asian to have a planet named after her
• Emman Bagual - Nobel Piece Prize Awards for Children's Rights, Finalist

Call INSPIRE at 6872614 for information & inquiries.

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“Maybe you don’t know who I am,” said the waiter. “I’m the guy who’s on charge of the butter.”

What after that isn’t known but occasionally we all need to have someone burst our balloon of self-importance and bring us back to reality. The waiter in the story is arrogant and lousy as far as service and work performance is concerned I can assure you that but the lesson learned here is that pride sometimes maybe the very thing that brings us embarrassment; as did the senator from new jersey.

I had my own bubble burst a couple of times before. And surely these experiences are painful and embarrassing but truth to tell, such experiences are healthy because they help us maintain a proper perspective about our accomplishments. Pride is an attitude that causes us to credit ourselves for our accomplishments and to blame others for our failures. On the other hand, humility is an attitude that views both our accomplishments and our seemingly failures from God’s perspectives.Life is simply a product of the choices we make and in this part of our continuing study entitled, “the life choices series,” we will look into the better alternative of choosing humility over pride.

According to life magazine, Muhammad Ali spoke of himself before his fight with Joe Frazier. These are the words he said: “There seems to be some confusion. We’re going to clear this confusion up on March 8. We’re going to decide once and for all who is king! There’s not a man alive who can beat me. (At this point, he jabs the air half a dozen blinding left). I’m too smart (then he taps his head.) I’m too pretty, (he lifts his head high in profile, running as a bust on a pedestal) I am the greatest. I am the king! I should be a postage stamp because that’s the only way I could get licked.” And oh yes, by the way, Ali lost to Frazier! Fact of the matter is that Muhammad Ali is probably one of the greatest boxers the sport has ever produced but he serves as a good lesson for all of us to remember. At the peak of his career, kids copied his antics, adults admired him and Ali adorned all the covers of the world’s most prestigious magazines. The media loved him. Many adored him and there was an air of invincibility about him especially after his successive victories in the ring. But a few years later, the once invincible Ali became saddled with mounting financial difficulties and had Parkinson’s disease. To me he will still remain as the greatest heavy weight champion boxer of the world but to me he also reminds me that no man is immortal, not even Ali.

Time is on God’s side. We need to learn how to number our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom. You and I cannot live beyond the appointed number of heartbeats and this is why choosing to live with humility under the healthy fear of God would be wise.

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Flying to Geneva with the Ilocana and joining the father and son team of Ivan and Vohne Yao the four of us plus a few Singaporean watch dealer friends shared the dinner table with Thierry Stern and his commercial director Jerome Pernici. Charming to the core the president played host and kept us totally entertained. He talked about the brand, he talked about the company and the responsibility of running it but the one thing that he impressed upon me is his insistence to visit every major client of his all over the world not only to find out what their needs are but to enhance his relationship with them. This is why it came as no surprise when both Stern and Pernici visited the Philippines some time ago in an event hosted by Lucerne Jewellers. Pernuci who was sitting next to me whispered, “Mr. Sterns takes his private jet and flies all over the world visiting his clients because he knows that relationships are important in this business.”

Now isn’t that a lesson we all can learn? And as I think about this I am reminded of Alfred P. Sloan, when he built General Motors in the 1930’s defied the typical notion of a chairman because he liked to actually work with customers. Sloan would do a disappearing act from his Detroit headquarters and show up at a dealer’s lot in another city, introduced himself and ask the dealer’s permission to work as an assistant service manager, or as a salesman for a few days. The dealers would always said yes for how could they refuse a great man anyway. The next week, Sloan would be back in his office firing off memos on customer behavior and customer preferences on everything from dealers to auto styling. And this is possible because Sloan spotted more important trends than traditional customer research did and he spotted them earlier and would not be vulnerable to the sanitized and sterilized versions his underlings would bring him.

All successful leaders stay close to their customers. All strategic leaders spend more time away from their fancy offices and visit their branches or their stores.

Sam Walton was known to have traveled to the front lines of everyone of his Wal-Mart stores throughout his life. He even spent time on the lading docks in the middle of the night talking with the crews.

Ivan Yao makes random store visits every day to find out what’s happening and his brother Emmerson stays close to his clients sharing the latest information on watch trends and development. An executive from a leading bank visits even the most remotely located branch just to find out what’s happening and build up the morale of the people working there.

In other words great leaders do not lose touch with the front lines. And this could very well turn out to be the single most important factor in a company’s ability to deal with trends, change, competition and crisis.

And let me not forget one crucial thing. Patek Philippe president Thierry Stern exhibited humility and was so warm and easy to talk to. Maybe because he has nothing else to prove. Maybe because he is secure as a leader and maybe this is the reason why his watches and his company will remain strong for the future because he is merely looking after it for the next generation.

Their ads have remained the same all these years. And this is why the brand intrigues me no end. The slogan “You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation” is placed on all of their ads. Just like their timepieces, which are considered the most admired and respected in the world of luxury watches; the idea transmitted through the ad is genius and perfectly translates the timeless character of the brand. The idea works this way. Since you are not going to buy a good watch every week, so if you want something for life (and longer), then Patek Philippe is the way to go. We can definitely agree with that! This is why I was thrilled no end upon knowing that I will get to have a private dinner with Thierry Stern, the young president of the company.

Flying to Geneva with the Ilocana and joining the father and son team of Ivan and Vohne Yao the four of us plus a few Singaporean watch dealer friends shared the dinner table with Thierry Stern and his commercial director Jerome Pernici. Charming to the core the president played host and kept us totally entertained. He talked about the brand, he talked about the company and the responsibility of running it but the one thing that he impressed upon me is his insistence to visit every major client of his all over the world not only to find out what their needs are but to enhance his relationship with them. This is why it came as no surprise when both Stern and Pernici visited the Philippines some time ago in an event hosted by Lucerne Jewellers. Pernuci who was sitting next to me whispered, “Mr. Sterns takes his private jet and flies all over the world visiting his clients because he knows that relationships are important in this business.”

Now isn’t that a lesson we all can learn? And as I think about this I am reminded of Alfred P. Sloan, when he built General Motors in the 1930’s defied the typical notion of a chairman because he liked to actually work with customers. Sloan would do a disappearing act from his Detroit headquarters and show up at a dealer’s lot in another city, introduced himself and ask the dealer’s permission to work as an assistant service manager, or as a salesman for a few days. The dealers would always said yes for how could they refuse a great man anyway. The next week, Sloan would be back in his office firing off memos on customer behavior and customer preferences on everything from dealers to auto styling. And this is possible because Sloan spotted more important trends than traditional customer research did and he spotted them earlier and would not be vulnerable to the sanitized and sterilized versions his underlings would bring him.

All successful leaders stay close to their customers. All strategic leaders spend more time away from their fancy offices and visit their branches or their stores.

Sam Walton was known to have traveled to the front lines of everyone of his Wal-Mart stores throughout his life. He even spent time on the lading docks in the middle of the night talking with the crews.

Ivan Yao makes random store visits every day to find out what’s happening and his brother Emmerson stays close to his clients sharing the latest information on watch trends and development. An executive from a leading bank visits even the most remotely located branch just to find out what’s happening and build up the morale of the people working there.

In other words great leaders do not lose touch with the front lines. And this could very well turn out to be the single most important factor in a company’s ability to deal with trends, change, competition and crisis.

And let me not forget one crucial thing. Patek Philippe president Thierry Stern exhibited humility and was so warm and easy to talk to. Maybe because he has nothing else to prove. Maybe because he is secure as a leader and maybe this is the reason why his watches and his company will remain strong for the future because he is merely looking after it for the next generation.

No related posts.

I can still remember the newspaper accounts the next day that many of the kids in the orphanage were trapped in that charity institution that was located not too far away from where I lived.

I heard the unceasing screams and sirens of fire trucks coming from all over the Metropolis and since I live on top of a building, it was easy for me to view the entire scene happening. I guess I’ll never get over the awesome destructive power of fires and the effect upon me was very jolting.

I can’t help but imagine. Suppose I was one of those little kids trapped inside that building? And if that wasn’t bad enough; suppose I still have a couple of kids with me, perhaps my younger brothers or sisters? And if that thing were to happen to me, being a parent trapped inside a building house, what would I have done?

The closest call I had to a burning scene happened when a house some 4 doors away burst into flames. Heavy smokes were blowing towards our direction and people from the entire block began running along the streets with their prize possessions. Carrying TV sets, stereo sets and some were dragging their children away from the scene. It was really a horrible sight.

My kid was in school then. My two other daughters were not even born yet. It happened a long time ago yet the scene has not failed to leave my memory. How often have I told Lilia that I could probably build up the courage, take control and face any kind of tragedy that would happen but honestly, I don’t even know how I would react in case a fire breaks out!

Have you ever entertained this thought? Have you ever tried to answer this question? Suppose a fire breaks out and you find yourself with your kids inside a burning place. What would you do?

I’ve asked myself this question time and time again but then one article I came across gave me the answer. Let me share it with you.

After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno’s damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree.

Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick. When he struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother’s wings. The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise. She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her babies. When the blaze had arrived and the heat had singed her small body, the mother had remained steadfast. Because she had been willing to die, those under the cover of her wings would live.

It’s amazing isn’t it? That we get answers and we learn lessons from God’s creations. Some how we need to think. Man, with all his intellect, education and will fails to do deeds of nobility we find animals do.

Animals don’t rape their young. I guess they don’t lie and cheat each other. They don’t send their offspring abroad to work as prostitutes so that the dollars can come...

This mother bird stood gallantly and protected her young with her wings. She died so that her offspring may live. If God be merciful then He will never allow me to experience a grave tragedy where my love and duty to my kids will be severely tested. But meanwhile, I can show my love and be gallant with my intentions by spending time with them and doing the most important task of them all. Loving their mother and being faithful as the head of the family.

There’s another angle we can see from this article taken from the National Geographic. When all things fail, God remains steadfast. For His word in

Psalm 91:4 says:

“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

What a great assurance.

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1. The Poison Plot

To the skeptical I would like to reassure you that there are mysteries in life that cannot be explained through science or logic. Just consider the following:

• How a two-pound box of candy can make a person gain five pounds.
• Why is it that brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live forever.
• This really defies scientific explanation. You just hang something in your closet for a while, and it shrinks two sizes.
• When you suppress laughter, it goes down and spreads to your hips.
• Inside some of us is a thin person struggling to get out, but she can usually be sedated with a few pieces of chocolate cake.

On the serious side however, life is made up of moments. If you think hard about this you would realize that those moments of success or failure have changed your life forever. If you recall the classic animated film “The Lion King,” Simba’s defining moment came when his father Mufasa the Lion Kong himself said, “You are more than you have become.” This was one of his defining moments that convinced Simba to start acting like the king he was. Whether fantasy or reality these defining moments works the same. So let’s look at reality. Let’s go to the work place. A word of encouragement from the boss we admire propelled you to the next level of performance. Perhaps a disparaging word from a lousy leader puts a lid to your potential as the scar from the verbal insult or abuse cuts deeply into your soul. Perhaps a moment of quietness, a book, a passage from The Bible in moments of honest self-reflection that triggers us to change. These are defining moments.

Nobel Prize winning scientist Daniel Kahneman asserts that we experience thousands of individual moments every waking day. These "moments" last only a few seconds. If you consider your strongest memories, positive or negative, you'll notice the imagery in your mind is actually defined by your recollection of a precise point in time. In some cases, a single encounter can change your life forever. Think of your own defining moments. Are they literally moments? We might be defined by a moment of glorious victory or one of horrendous failure.

We could also be defined by the moment when we decide to make our family’s experience different than the one we grew up with, or the moment we experience a positive example and decide to model it. Defining moments, indirectly or directly, create a new direction or perspective for us. We each experience our own defining moments on the road to excellence. These moments make us who we are.

Some people are overly ambitious obsessed with where they want to go in the corporate world such that they fail to focus on their current roles excellently. Thus they worry about their next move and mess up the opportunities they have today. They step on toes, they get into people’s nerves, the end justifies the mean-ness what they are doing is they are setting themselves up to fail tomorrow by messing up on creating good defining moments today. And this is why you and I need to seize the opportunity to create defining moments for those around us every day. The pathway to excellence is paved with these moments.

And how do we do these? May I offer some practical suggestions:

1. Focus on being excellent in whatever it is you are doing today.
2. Give the credit to others especially if they deserve it.
3. Help make others successful because these are the same people who would return the favor one day. And even if they do not this puts you in a different class compared to others.
4. Forgive those who have hurt you and those who are still trying to. Understand that you don’t have to go down just because others are and would want you to.
5. Say the following things to your loved ones: “I love you.” “I appreciate you.”
6. Help others even if they do not deserve it. Thank God for the opportunity to do so. Perhaps as read this, a defining moment is being created? You will never know.

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Listen to this:

1. No one expects you to take a bath every day.
2. If it itches, you can scratch it.
3. There's no such thing as bad food.
4. A rawhide bone can entertain you for hours.
5. If you grow hair in weird places, no one notices.
6. You can lie around all day without worrying about being fired.
7. You don't get in trouble for putting your head in a stranger's lap.
8. You're always excited to see the same people.
9. Having big feet is considered an asset.
10. Puppy love can last.

And may I possible add a few more?

1. You don’t have to worry about corporate downsizing.
2. You’re not very concerned with Gas prices and rice shortage.

Now here is what some other people have had to say on the subject:

"The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue."

I love dogs. Never did before until my 3 children influenced me and overnight I became a dog lover.

I have 3 Chowchows in different colors. Cinnamon, Black and White. And now I have a 7 month German Shepherd. Every person in the house loves them. Maybe this is the reason why this story appeals to me and I want to share this with you:

From an anonymous writer comes this story entitled: “A Dog's Life.”

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for awhile after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life, like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

Sadly, it sounds so true doesn’t it?

You will never find dogs fighting each other in congress.

You will never find dogs chew up each other in dog church.

You will never find dogs plot, deceive, scam, cheat and lie their way to success.

I guess God gives us dogs so we can learn from them.

What do you think?

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And here are the reasons why staying stressed is so important:

• STRESS HELPS YOU SEEM IMPORTANT: Anyone as stressed as you must be working very hard and, therefore, is probably doing something very crucial.
• IT HELPS YOU TO MAINTAIN PERSONAL DISTANCE AND AVOID INTIMACY: Anyone as busy as you are certainly can't be expected to form emotional attachments to anyone. And let's face it, you're not much fun to be around anyway.
• IT HELPS YOU AVOID RESPONSIBILITIES: Obviously, you are too stressed to be given any more work. This gets you off the hook for all the mundane chores; let someone else take care of them.
• IT HELPS YOU AVOID SUCCESS: Why risk being successful when by simply being stressed you can avoid all of that? Stress can keep your performance level low enough that success won't ever be a threat.
• IT GIVES YOU A CHEMICAL RUSH: Stress might be considered a cheap thrill, and you can give yourself a 'hit' any time you choose. But, be careful. You might get addicted to your own adrenaline.
• STRESS ALSO HELPS YOU KEEP YOUR AUTHORITARIAN MANAGEMENT STYLE: The authoritarian style of 'just do what I say!' is generally permissible under crisis conditions. If you maintain a permanently stressed crisis atmosphere, you can justify an authoritarian style all of the time.

And now that the New Year is here. Be sure you do the following in order to stay stressed:

• NEVER EXERCISE: Exercise wastes a lot of the time that could be spent worrying.
• EAT ANYTHING YOU WANT: Hey, if cigarette smoke can't cleanse your system, a balanced diet isn't likely to either.
• GAIN WEIGHT: Work hard at staying at least 25 pounds over your recommended weight.
• TAKE PLENTY OF STIMULANTS: The old standards of caffeine, nicotine, sugar, and cola will continue to do the job just fine.
• GET RID OF YOUR SOCIAL SUPPORT SYSTEM: Let the few friends who are willing to tolerate you know that you concern yourself with friendships only if you have time, and you never have time. If a few people persist in trying to be your friend, avoid them.
• PERSONALIZE ALL CRITICISM: Anyone who criticizes any aspect of your work, family, dog, house, or car is mounting a personal attack. Don't take the time to listen, be offended, then return the attack!
• THROW OUT YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR: Staying stressed is no laughing matter, and it shouldn't be treated as one.
• MALES AND FEMALES ALIKE BE MACHO: Never ask for any help, and if you want it done right, do it yourself!
• BECOME A WORKAHOLIC: Put work before everything else, and be sure to take work home evenings and weekends. Keep reminding yourself that vacations are for sissies.
• PROCRASTINATE: Putting things off to the last second always produces a marvelous amount of stress.
• WORRY ABOUT THINGS YOU CAN'T CONTROL: Worry about the stock market, earthquakes, the approaching Ice Age. The credit crunch. Water deprivation. You know, all the big issues.
• BECOME NOT ONLY A PERFECTIONIST BUT SET IMPOSSIBLY HIGH STANDARDS: and either beat yourself up, or feel guilty, depressed, discouraged, and or inadequate when you don't meet them.

When you do all these I promise you life will become unbearable, you will become unbearable and you will lie down on your bed and wonder why some people just have the good fortune of being successful and happy and you don’t…. duh?!!

There will be challenges awaiting us but learn to live one day at a time. Never for a moment forget that God is still in control and that you are not God.

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1. Dealing With Stress
2. A Blessed New Year to One and All

Stop being concerned with the weight we gain between Christmas and the New Year and start being conscious of the weight we need to maintain between the New Year till the coming Christmas.
A Blessed New Year to you and your family!

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