Hirst

As our lives progress, we all change in different ways. When we're young, slowing down is not a priority. After years of working hard and fast-tracking, it feels good to take a break from the madness of schedules and obligations to slow down a little. Whatever decade we're living in, it pays to be mindful of our bodies and what our personal choices are. The better we know ourselves, the more we can live our lives to the fullest and maintain good health for as long as possible.

Twenties

When young, many people are working to establish ourselves in the world. Getting out with friends is fun, and life is still in the planning stage. It's an exciting and social time, as they study, work, party, and enjoy themselves to the fullest. Many aren't married yet, and are actively dating. Some are starting families, and have infants or toddlers to care for. Any of these activities can be exhausting, even with the energy of youth. Still, young people push themselves hard, to make the most of it all. Doing all-night study sessions, getting no sleep due to a crying newborn baby, being out with friends most of the night, and playing extreme sports, limits are pushed as they burn the candle at both ends.

Thirties

In this decade, people marry and settle down, others become consumed with their careers, building on previously learned skills. It's the time to prove themselves and raise their growing kids. The thirties is an active time, where multi-tasking definately is the name of the game for many parents. Running kids to soccer practise, attending meetings, overworking and still trying to find time for a social life can be hard. As the kids get older, and jobs are more established, they have more financial stability. Still, it is easy to overwork and some get burned out from it. Bills must be paid, and life is expensive. Everyone does their best to juggle it all, and keep the energy going.

Forties

The kids are now grown up, so now, there's time to relax more. The pressure to be the breadwinner is less, but the bills still need to be paid, so fortysomethings work hard yet begin to look to the future. Energy isn't what it used to be, and it may be a little harder to keep weight off due to body changes. It may be a little easier to tire out, naturally. This is the time that many who have been unhappy in their careers choose to take a different path. The stressed out attorney quits and becomes a painter. Or, the overworked office worker decides to stop commuting to work and open his own business. This can still be a very stressful time, so finding outlets for stress such as sports and other hobbies is helpful. Many are more conscious of taking care of ourselves then previously. Seeing family members age makes those over forty more aware of our own mortalities so we begin to take life less for granted.

Fifties

Life is beginning to slow down now, in a welcome way. It is nice to have the grandkids around, but it's also great to have time alone. Some people retire and begin to enjoy their newfound freedom. This is a good time to travel, visit family, explore hobbies that before, there was no time to pursue. Having proved themselves to former bosses, built businesses and raised children, they are now free to re-visit their youth again, within limits. Bodies may be stiffer or less agile, but still, being active is the benefit of taking good care of the body in previous decades.

Sixties and beyond

This is the time to enjoy life, without many distractions of the younger years. Now, you can enjoy watching the family go through the stages you once went through, and be glad that you no longer have to prove yourself in the work world, find yourself or find a mate. Life is for the most part, kinder and gentler by choice. It's nice to stop and smell the roses, talk and visit with friends, and enjoy everyday things. If health issues crop up, they are dealt with. What matters most in life is more in focus now than it ever was before. Instead of being glued to work, you know that time with the family and friends is what matters most. Money may be tight, but still, life is good.

In general, getting older has benefits that often go overlooked. We know ourselves better, as we learn from life's experiences. Our priorities change as our situations evolve. What may have been very important once, like having a big house, doesn't matter later, when the kids are grown. All of a sudden, that big house is a lot of work to keep clean, so many sell and get something smaller. Life is all about change. To maximize our enjoyment, we need to go with the flow, and keep our priorities straight. Talking all day with customers on the phone, I hear a lot of people who are terminally ill, sick or know someone who is. This has put it in perspective for me, to be happy at whatever stage of life we are in, because there are many hurting people out there who cannot enjoy themelves. Every day I tell my parents that I love them. Nothing is taken for granted. Doctors tell cancer patients to maintain good spirits the best they can, because they know that a positive attitude is helpful to the body. Live life to the fullest and appreciate good health. They are a gift, and happiness helps to prolong life.

Carolyn McFann is a scientific and nature illustrator, who owns Two Purring Cats Design Studio, which can be seen at: http://www.cafepress.com/twopurringcats . Educated at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, Carolyn is a seasoned, well-traveled artist, writer and photographer. Besides handling numerous assignments in the US, she has lived and worked in Cancun, Mexico. Clients include nature parks, museums, scientists, corporations and private owners. She has been the subject of tv interviews, articles for newspapers and other popular media venues.

Do you remember a time when you were a kid and pretended to be invisible? Your imagination delighted your parents as you walked through the house inspiring them to play along with you, all could hear your innocent giggling.

Fast forward to today, entrepreneurs and professionals are still invisible. Only this time it's not pretend, it's real and you're wondering why potential clients can't see you. Are you confused why someone else is getting all of the referrals or how a big deal lands effortlessly in the lap of your competitor? You feel like jumping up and down, and screaming at the top of your lungs, "here I am!" You are trapped beneath the "ceiling of visibility" being pulled down by the same vacuum that pulls sailors to their death as their ship sinks.

Invisibility for professionals is becoming more of a realization today than ever before. The world is more complex, and more crowded. Competition is getting more rigorous; there are hundreds of suitors vying for the same opportunities today, whereby only a few a decades ago, the competition was more scarce and timid. The uprooting of technology with the fall of the Internet, and the manipulation of the stock markets by corporate America is driving confusion and noise in the marketplace at a level we've never seen before. Adding to the confusion is the new "law of the jungle." We no longer trust business to do the right thing; the burden has fallen back to the individual. We have renewed our trust in the people to do the right thing, adding a new dimension for gaining visibility an already bloodthirsty market.

With this in mind, let me dispel a common belief that many entrepreneurs and professionals have today is "build it and they will come". The fallacy in these words is it removes your effort to build a trusted relationship with your market. Today, the key to building a thriving business in the ever-evolving world is building a foundation on trust, one person at a time. I've noticed in my speaking travels that people have adopted a "so what" attitude. They are less concerned about the product/service advantages and more concerned with individuals living up to their promises. People are doing business with people again and they are saying, come and see me and please stop sending me those damn emails. I am not saying technology is bad, it does have its place. Staying competitive today means that you must break through the technology veil to focus on building strong personal relationships with your clients. Technology is now controlling society instead of society controlling technology. Let's stop hiding behind email and speak to our clients whenever possible.

How can you gain control and break through your "ceiling of invisibility"? The secret lies in branding; not corporate branding, but personal branding. A question, I was recently asked during an interview with The Brand Channel was "is it possible for a person to be a brand?" I answered no; not in the traditional sense of a brand. A personal brand is a metaphor for communicating your unique talents to your 'listening' market in such a way that they immediately understand the value you offer. A personal brand is about how to communicate the authenticity of your unique talents, your genius to the world. It's about earning the trust and respect of your market by establishing yourself as "the choice" and not "a choice" when someone has a need. Personal Branding is about the quality of the communication you have with your "listening" market.

Note: A "listening market' goes beyond a target market. It is a market that is specifically listening for your unique value message based on their experiences and historical references. In other words, it's why someone chooses Wheaties and another chooses Bran. Each cereal has very little nutritional difference; the real difference lies in minds of the buyers who are 'listening' for a specific benefit message. This is a subset of how branding works.

Don't sit and wait expecting the world to discover your unique talents. In order to communicate your distinctive value to your listening market, consider a "visibility campaign". It's a way to communicate certain things, to certain people in a certain way that positions you to capture the attention of your internal market (firm/company) and/or your external market (clients/customers). Finally, if you think you can be successful while staying invisible, you are misleading yourself into the depths of mediocrity.

Important questions to ask yourself:

1) Do you have a FEAR of being visible?

2) Do you have a "visibility plan" that will build trust and credibility?

3) What is the first step I can to today to begin my quest for more visibility?

Important points to consider to effectively carry out your "visibility campaign":

1) What's your message? Remember not use the same narrative that everyone else in your market does. Be distinct, focus on the problems you have solved for your clients and tie that into an emotional account from your client's perspective.

2) What media will be most effective? What are the experts in your field doing, where are they being published? Write an article on the focal issues your clients are facing and offer solutions.

3) What's your Brand Promise? Are you living up to the expectations the market has for you? And, remember to communicate with clarity to you market about your successes. You need to consistently educate and remind your market on how good you are.

4) Are you distinct? A catastrophic failing with many professionals is that they try to be all things to all people. When this happens their brand gets diluted. Successful people today are known for something, they've specialized.

5) Do you have a story that can be easily told? Story's are viral and create buzz, hoping from one person to the next. Craft a story that's full of emotion and get people excited about what you do. -- Hint: A speaker practices their story at least 50 times before going on stage. Make sure you 'own' your story before you tell it in public. And, remember you can't stay invisible and expect to be successful! I challenge you to rise from the "Sea of Sameness."

One final note; in order to rise from the sea of sameness you must become an avid student of lead generation and marketing strategy. I've developed a toolkit that gives you powerful 1-2-3 lead generation techniques that can skyrocket your success. You can find it on my site http://www.TrustCycleSelling.com. Click on Trust Cycle Selling program to learn more. It's a great resource from my personal library for yours.

Joe Heller, President of Trust Cycle Selling is a successful entrepreneur whos generated over $275,000,000 in revenues for business hes owned and served as Chief Sales Officer with countless millions more earned for his clients.

Today, Joe consults and speaks with business owners and professionals around the world on lead generation and marketing strategy.

Learn more about how Joe can help you build a Business Empire here --

* for a direct link to Joes powerful lead generation product, you can visit
http://www.TrustCycleSelling.com/marketing-trustcycletoolkit.html

* for a direct link to Joes Blog to see what hes been up too, you can visit -
http://www.BlogJoeHeller.com

(c) Joe Heller, All Rights Reserved Worldwide

I feel like my results are much harder to achieve now that menopause is here. And I feel if I just look at food Ill gain weight. Have you said that to yourself lately? Ive heard my clients say it. Menopause is a very challenging time for women and knowing what to do and how to accomplish your health and fitness goals through it can be hard.

As you age and enter menopause you will gain weight if youre not cutting calories or exercising. So if youre not now, start now. To make matters worse women find themselves accumulating fat in places that they havent before. After menopause women have a tendency to gain weight where men do, neck, chin, and the spare tire area, due to the fluctuation in hormone levels.

Genetics and activity level will also contribute to where you accumulate your fat. There is really nothing you can do regarding your genetics, but you can adjust your activity level. Increasing exercise, specifically weight training and cardiovascular training can have a tremendous impact on your body fat percentage. Consult with a certified personal trainer to establish a program that will aid this.

There are two sides to the menopause coin. Exercise being the first. And diet is the other side of the coin. Making sure youre controlling calorie intake with fresh, natural foods will also affect the amount of body fat accumulation. Stay with whole grain foods and lean meats. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and eat five to six smaller meals periodically throughout the day. This will help boost your metabolism and keep it burning at a higher rate.

One more word of caution for menopause and fat accumulation. Keeping your activity level up and your calories controlled will contribute to your fat stores. There are two types of fat; subcutaneous fat, the jelly belly, and fat around the hips and thighs. And the other is visceral fat. This is the fat around the vital organs. Studies have shown this to be more active and also have a higher association to disease. Not only will a healthy, controlled diet and plenty of exercise keep you looking good, but also keep you safer from developing diseases later in life.

Tim Chudy, St. Louis' Top Fitness Expert, speaks and writes on a variety of health and fitness topics. He is owner of Fitness Together, two private personal training studios in Ladue and Des Peres, MO. You can contact him by emailing him at timchudy@fitnesstogether.com