Sunday, November 18, 2012

Stop Youth From Dying In Sports

Recently the news media seems to be filled with one tragic story after another of youngsters dying from sports and/or other physically demanding activities. What in the world is going on with our youths' health?
Let me make this perfectly clear before continuing, I am not pointing fingers, assigning blame or declaring it's the work of the Lord for the rash of tragedies befallen our young athletes. I am simply sickened by the mishaps and want to call attention to them so perhaps someone smarter than I can arrive at an answer which will stop this appalling trend.
Although all of these deaths are awful, some can be contributed to being the result of a purely weird accident. A baseball player warming up before a game is struck by a thrown pitch and dies, I see no reason to go into the details of the event as the family has suffered enough, but it was a rare quirk of events resulting in the tragic accident.
This type of accident can not be avoided. I read a sudden gush of advice from self-appointed sports gurus about how and where to warm up, preventing players from being struck by bats and etc. The type of advice every baseball coach I've ever known automatically implements, because a whole lot of it is common sense.
Other events were of natural causes, heart failures, which were caused by unknown birth defects, which manifested when physically challenged with awful results. Again, there was no indication of a health issue, some medical professionals have declared it was inevitable and there was no way to alter the ending.
These passing's, although gut wrenching, are a fact of life where the "Good Die Young," and we are left to question the reasoning. I guess you could say if all the tragedies fell into these two categories, we could sadly go on our way and attempt to shrug off the depression with the knowledge there was nothing we could had done to prevent it.
However, the question I am wrestling with is "Is This Actually True?"
I originated long before the generation X, Y or Z, when a transistor radio was the newest of technological advance and it wouldn't be replaced by a newer version the following week. I suppose you could say we lived in a primitive time, but it was a time when full physical exertion of kids, from after school till nightfall, was the norm, not the rarity.
The only way you stayed inside on a sunny day was if you were sick, or as often was the case in my particular situation, grounded for being mischievous. The idea of playing games inside, toy soldiers or Barbie dolls, never crossed our minds when the sun shown.
Today too many of our kids shield themselves inside their rooms, behind closed curtains which shut out the sunlight, in order to play video games. I'm not smashing video games, well maybe, but I've never known of a pair of strong thumbs doing pushups or running the 100 yard dash. We have raised a generation of the most coordinated and quickly reflexed thumbs and fingers known to mankind, but the rest of the body is jell-o.
I'm sure it happened when I was a kid, but I don't ever remember a sports player dying at such a young age. Did the fact that we played baseball, football, soccer or basketball continuously from the age of 5 or 6 until our teens immune our bodies to a "Sudden Exertion Syndrome" which led to severe consequences. It only makes sense if your body is accustomed to being pushed from an early age, it would react better to stress at an older age.
Again, I'm not near educated enough to propose solutions to today's sports health issues, but as a former player and coach I will claim the right of experience, and my experience tells me we need to seriously look at the way our youngsters are physically developing, or not developing.
I read articles the U.S is behind All other nations in science and mathematics, yet we are also falling behind the world in physical fitness, which means we don't study or exercise. What the hell are we doing with our time?
I tend to ramble when I'm passionate about something and our Kids seemingly senselessly dying on the sports field is one such issue. I beg authority figures from parents, teachers, coaches and politicians to take a close look into the mirror and ask yourself if you're doing all you can to insure our kids live a long and healthy life.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Best Online Stock Trading Platforms

Best Online Stock Trading Platforms Reviewed
When it comes to choosing the best online stock trading platforms that are available to investors today, it is best to research the trading platforms that are well-known and reputable. An investor should never take a chance with some stock trading platform that nobody has ever heard of. There are enough risks in trading stocks and there is no need to make things any more difficult than need be. When comparing stock trading platforms it is often helpful for a stock investor to make a list of things that are important to them as a stock market trader. (i.e. cost of trades, stock research tools, ability to mobile trade, initial deposit required, etc...)
Popular Stock Trading Platforms & Services
Benefits offered by best online stock brokers:
  • Scottrade - Scottrade has been one of the top investing platforms online for years now and is a good option for most stock market investors. $500 minimum deposit to fund your investing account. No opening or maintenance fees are involved with your Scottrade account. Easy to open an account or transfer a brokerage account from another broker. Online trades are just $7 for stocks that are priced $1 and above regardless of frequency or your account balance. Trade options for just $7 plus $1.25 per contract for market and limit orders. Trade as often as you like without worrying about hidden fees. Easily monitor your investment account, research and trade from any Internet-enabled mobile devices. Research the stock market and get quick stock quotes. Stay up-to-the-minute with complimentary Dow Jones News.

  • E-Trade - E-Trade is another big player in the online stock market trading area and has been for over 20 years. Setting up an account on E-Trade takes about 10 minutes and you can trade free for 60 days. Easy, intuitive online investing and 24/7 customer service. $9.99 and less for stock and options trades. Over 8,000 mutual funds and 30,000 bonds available for trading. Innovative investing & trading tools to help investors make better trades. You get free independent research and a huge resource of investing information educational resources. Stocks, options, futures and Forex. Whatever you desire to trade, ETrade has you covered.

  • TD Ameritrade - Low, flat-rate $9.99 commissions for every online equity trade, regardless of account balance or how many shares you buy and zero maintenance fees. Trade free up to 60 days and get up to $600 in your account. Independent, objective investing research from S&P Capital IQ, Morningstar Associates, and ResearchTeam. Easy to use online trading tools. In business over 35 years, TD Ameritrade is a favorite among online investors.
The above online stock brokers are all reputable online businesses and have excellent reviews for thousands of stock traders. It is hard to go wrong by choosing one of best online stock trading platforms available and will make your future investments easier, more profitable, and more manageable than ever before.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Infinite Power of the Subconscious Mind

This week's article is about the infinite power of the subconscious mind to manifest your desires. Creating more what you want is challenging, as you've no doubt witnessed in your own life. Why? Well, you see at a deeper level we've all been conditioned to think and respond in a certain way as early as childhood. From the moment you were an infant, your parents or guardians instructed you how to behave - albeit in a loving a nurturing way for your greater good.
You were taught how to think and what to believe. Many of your beliefs were formed during an impressionable period of your life; which you possibly still hold true. Whilst I don't mean to portray a unpromising setting; my aim is to illustrate the context in which we create our lives.
The school you attended had an influence on your life. I still recall my high school teachers who formed many of my current beliefs. I attended a Catholic boy's school run by Christian Brothers. Our education had a strong foundation in religion, sport and academia. I enjoyed my time there, yet recall the disciplinary teachings imposed upon us.
I had very little say at such a young age as to which school I would attend. I recall my mother using her influence with the local church priest in my area to help get me admitted into that school - it paid off and the rest is history.
As an adult I have a different view of the world compared to my twenties. I've come to realise that most of what I was taught was not of my choosing. I have challenged many of these beliefs over the years as they no longer served ME. They were scripts passed down from my parents who inherited the same scripts from their parents - thus creating a generational hierarchy of recycled information.
The process of self awareness relies on the realisation that no one is at fault. Your parents, guardians or loved ones acted from their current level of awareness. The more we know, the greater the choices we have to live in accordance with a greater image of ourselves.
Accepting that many of our habitual daily actions are subconscious poses a challenge in some ways. If you desire one million dollars by the end of the year, is it possible that you're well equipped to manifest it? Unless you're Donald Trump or Warren Buffet, the chances of creating with certainty that level of wealth in a short period of time is highly unlikely, for a number of reasons.
Belief is one of them. You must, without doubt have an undeniable belief you can manifest one million dollars with every living cell in your body. By the way I'm using money as an example, since most people can identify with it as a source of financial stability.
Your belief fuels your mind. It is the ignition switch to manifesting with power and intent. It communicates with the subconscious mind by reprogramming and adjusting your thought landscape toward your desires. Adding emotion to it is akin to lighting the belief with a match - BAM!
If you've read stories about cancer survivors or anyone having endured a rescue ordeal, you'll note an undeniable BELIEF in the power of their healing or rescue. There was an inner knowing, despite physical evidence to prove otherwise.
The second reason is subconscious programmes. These may also be called subconscious beliefs (SB). A SB is a reaffirming thought system which your mind accepts as factual. An example might be: money doesn't grow on trees, hard work is required to achieve success or romantic relationships are hard work.
The belief is shaped first and then we look for evidence in our lives to substantiate it - not the other way around. Why would anyone want to believe that money is hard to come by, yet consciously wish to attract a million dollars? That would be self defeating. You're subconscious beliefs must match your conscious desires in order to create with certainty, more of what you desire.
Sounds easy? The challenge with aligning the subconscious mind (SM) with your desires is that many of your SB are deeply embedded within the recesses of your mind. Your beliefs have been archived for storage long ago and are rarely called upon for examination.
It would be akin to filing a book in a library's dungeon for storage and forgetting about it for years. Only when the library undergoes renovation it is accidentally stumbled upon accumulating dust; since it was never called upon for use.
But here's the kicker. When we're ready to examine the SB, it locks onto other similar beliefs by growing a network of similar thought patterns. Over time, when you have a belief that money doesn't grow on trees, the accompanying beliefs are given life and subsequently drawn into the storyline.
To break the cycle, it is vital to examine all the beliefs connected to the storyline. The good news is when examining the outdated belief; they fall away like trees in forest. Once you target the main tree, the other trees feeding off it consequently fall away. You're now ready to plant new, empowering beliefs which are aligned with your authentic self.
Tony Fahkry is an expert in integrating the mind-body connection with health & healing and personal growth to achieve greater human potential.