Michell: Robert, please introduce yourself to our readers.

RDB: My name is Robert D Boyd Jr., CEO, and my wife’s name is Lucinda Boyd, President, and we are both 50 years old. I am African American and my wife is Caucasian.

Michell: Please tell us a bit about your book and why it was written.

RDB: The Streets Don’t Love You Back started in 2009 and it is a story of strength, prayer, and perseverance – the autobiography of a man who grew up in the eastside ghetto of Detroit, Michigan. His father a prominent Reverend and well-known author chose not to be a part of his life. His stepfather was a good man and treated him and his siblings as his own until one day when Rob was nine years old, he watched his grandfather stab his stepfather to death. That event changed his life and by age 10, he was involved in the gang, drug, violent, street life. Rob eventually became so immersed in the lifestyle that he became a Boss and Drug Kingpin; he spent time in and out of jail and watched many friends get killed or go to prison. This manuscript is definitely a story of hope, change, healing and forgiveness. After reading this book, you will see that crime doesn’t pay and that “the streets don’t love you back.”

Michell: Outside of the book, what other things are you doing?

RDB: We helped the homeless, autistic kids, domestic violence shelters and golden glove boxers too. My wife’s family has been teaching golden glove boxing since 1965, called the Phoenix Boys Center. Our outreach never stops and we are constantly working to help people of all ages.   Our movement is striving to educate the youth about the dangers of gangs, drugs, violence, and abuse and that there are many alternatives to the gangbanging, thug, drug, and hustling, street life. Our focus is educating through true stories of people who used to be involved in the gang, thug, drug, violent, abusive street life and how living/surviving the street life has affected their lives, the lives of others, how they have changed their life and what they are doing now.

Michell: When did you decide to start your own business?

RDB: This movement got started in 2009, when we realized that we needed to do more and more was needed.  Please keep in mind that you can book me for an event or conference, I would love to walk alongside you and create change for a better tomorrow.

Michell: What is the name of your other book? And please share a bit about it. What moved you to write the second book?

RDB: Never Hit a Woman is about “Domestic Violence and Abuse… NO EXCUSES!!!” This book discusses the different types of abuse and how to recognize the warning signs. There are amazing stories of women in various abusive situations and how they survived them. The book has many suggestions on what to do when you need to leave an abusive relationship and how to do it safely. No one deserves to be abused! This book is meant to help women and men live safer and healthier lives and respect each other without killing each other or having bad blood with each other. It is my hope is that through this book, those in a violent relationship and those seeking help for others will learn how to move away from a bad relationship, gain strength, and to move on with their life.

Michell: What is the best advice you could give to those who are hurting themselves or others and know they are going down the wrong path?

RDB: Reach out to someone for help if you don’t reach out anyone knows you need help.

Michell: Do you work with young adults only? If so what ways do you try to help them?

RDB: We work with adults, teens, females, and males. We are just here to inspire change that is healthy and for the better of mankind.

Michell: Have you ever helped people in other countries or from other countries?

RDB: No, I have not; however, I am open to helping them and my advice would be, don’t be afraid to reach out to us, even though we do not live in the same place psychically, we are all human .

Michell: What is your motto in life and why?

RDB: My motto is the streets don’t love you back and death is forever; change your ways before this be you death or life in prison

Michell: Robert, please tell our viewers about any of your other long-term goals.

RDB: Our goal is that the “The Streets Don’t Love You Back” Radio Show, the “Change Reality Show”, the “Keep It Real Show” and our Speaking Engagements be a vehicle to continually educate by sharing true stories of those who lived that life. We hope to change the lives of others. My wife and I believe that through our vision and The Streets Don’t Love You Back Movement we can and will create change and healing for many people around the world.  In addition we are now selling products for our movement to help raise awareness and raise funds; there is also a scholarship fund you can donate to as well.  We sell such things as tee shirts, sweat suits, hats and actual space for advertising.

Michell: Also, you reach out to inmates to inspire them for a positive transformation, right?

RDB: Yes, the Streets Don’t Love You Back newsletter goes out to 150 prisons around the country every month, fed/state, for our inmate members who support and spread the message to help others and save lives.

Michell: Robert, you are doing a great work and there certainly is much need for this sort of outreach.  As a humanitarian and a person of faith, I would like to personally thank you for all that you are doing to make the world a better place. We wish you all the very best now and always.

RDB: Thank you for the interview, god blesses you, and keeps up the great work!

Note from Interviewer: Robert D. Boyd Jr’s books are currently for sale at Barnes & Nobles, Amazon, Camino and Google Books. Also please do not forget to sign up for our newsletter that goes out every month. Visit http://thestreetsdontloveyouback.ning.com/ to learn more about Robert D Boyd Jr’s work.

About the Interviewer

Michell Spoden is the author of Stricken Yet Crowned and is also pursuing a transitional housing project for woman with an agricultural aspect. She has a degree in Business Science Administration and is finishing her bachelor’s in Project Management.

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Karen Alton — If you’ve been watching the news lately, you might have heard cautionary tales about how antibiotic resistance is rising, and that seemingly, no one is safe. Also, the risk isn’t isolated to the United States. Sally Davies, England’s chief medical officer, published a report that drew international attention, particularly after it was picked up by the Reuters news service.

The Need to Take Action

In her report, Davies mentioned that there have only been a handful of new antibiotics developed in recent years, and that further action is needed to combat the rise of so-called “superbugs.” She even went on to warn that routine medical procedures could become increasingly dangerous because a person may be at risk for going under the knife for something common, only to contract a fatal strain of antibiotic resistant virus.

MRSA Not the Only Problematic Virus

MRSA is one of the most widespread types of antibiotic resistant viruses, Both in Europe and the United States. Stateside, it’s said to be responsible for about 19,000 deaths per year, with similar numbers in Europe. MRSA is common in hospital environments, but recent developments have highlighted a strain of gonorrhea that also resistant to antibiotics. Although gonorrhea is a bacteria and not a virus, some health professionals say this new version of the sexually transmitted disease could quickly put a damper on bedroom activities unless an effective treatment is found.

Treatments Are Already Less Effective

It was once easy to manage gonorrhea cases with a shot of penicillin. However, MSNBC reported that scientists have noted how previously effective treatments don’t seem to have the same power as before. Now, gonorrhea responds best to a class of antibiotics called cephalosporins, and other types don’t work as well as in times past.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States reports that most recent data indicates over 336,000 gonorrhea cases per year. Although this may seem like a large number, some health professionals say that it still falls far short. Regardless of precise numbers, gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported infectious disease in the United States.

Fighting Back Against Antibiotic Resistance: A Team Effort

Healthcare workers say that managing the problem of antibiotic resistance is something that both patients and providers can do together. From a patient perspective, it’s important to be proactive and ask healthcare professionals whether there are other methods of treatment besides antibiotics. Also, when antibiotics are prescribed, patients should only take them for the recommended duration, and not share the medication with others. On the other hand, healthcare workers can help prevent the spread by being careful not to over prescribe antibiotics, and also taking the proper measures to control identified instances of antibiotic resistance problems in healthcare settings.

Staying Safe, Every Time

If you’re worried about the risk of contracting this new type of gonorrhea, fortunately it’s no harder to prevent it now that it has been in previous years The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mention that condoms reduce the occurrence of STDs like gonorrhea, as long as the products are used properly and consistently. Also, it’s very simple to gain peace of mind by visiting a testing center in your area. All strains of gonorrhea are problematic because they often don’t show symptoms right away. Rather than waiting for symptoms to show up, think about getting into the practice of regular sexual testing.

Whether you’re thinking uneasily about if you might be inviting a superbug into the bedroom, or just went to keep you and your partner as safe as possible during intercourse, simple measures are still worthwhile.

About the Author

Writer Karen Alton is a blogger for health testing centers that perform confidential testing. Centers in Colorado Springs are just one of a nationwide chain of labs available.

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Starting a cardio workout

Exercise is one of the most fundamental tools for weight loss. Cardio will get your heart rate up and help you burn calories quickly. To maximize your efforts, you will likely want to get moving every day. Running, swimming, and biking are all great ways to amp up your exercise routine and start burning away the weight left behind from your pregnancy.

Making smart dietary decisions

Weight loss may start in the gym, but the battle is won in your kitchen. In order to keep those pesky pounds away, you will want to cut out refined sugars and minimize your fat intake. Processed foods in general are best avoided, while healthy fruits and vegetables should make up a large portion of your daily intake.

If you are having trouble making the right decisions in your kitchen, you may wish to consider meeting with a nutritionist or personal trainer. These experts are trained to provide you with the knowledge you need to lose weight. Professionals may also provide you with extra tools you can use to lose weight, such as kinesio tape and free weights.

Establishing a healthy routine

Beyond the foods you eat and the exercise you put in each day, you need to ensure you are following a healthy routine. For many women, this means increasing water intake and avoiding mindless snacking throughout the day. You will also want to eat smaller meals more frequently, which can help keep your metabolism in top shape. Finally, do not eat heavy meals late at night, as this can weigh you down and cause your body to store excess calories.

Beating the bulge and gaining a beach-ready body demands both hard work and determination. Further complicating matters, you have a young child to supervise. Although it can be challenging to carve out time to exercise, do not neglect your needs simply because you have a young baby. Instead, you may want to consider taking up exercise routines that you can follow with your child. This can help keep you motivated and will allow you to multitask efficiently. This article shows what other recent mothers did to fit exercise into their daily lives.

About the Author

Brionna Kennedy is native to the Pacific Northwest, growing up in Washington, then moving down to Oregon for college. She enjoys writing on fashion and business, but any subject will do, as she loves to learn about new topics. When she isn’t writing, she lives for the outdoors. Oregon has been the perfect setting to indulge her love of kayaking, rock climbing, and hiking.

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Eliminate Your Excuses

If you are like most people, you probably started out with a lot of motivation that somehow began to slack off once the going got rough. Working late, muscle soreness, and just plain being tired are a few of the most common excuses people have for skipping the gym. Therefore, you will want to eliminate each of your excuses so that you can enjoy the benefits of a strong workout. If muscle soreness is a problem, then pack some kinesiology tape in your workout bag. Additionally, having your bag ready to go can keep put you in the right mindset for visiting the gym after work.

Create Accountability

It can be easy to skip going to the gym when you think that the only person working out affects is yourself. However, you probably already keep lots of obligations to others even on the days that you feel off. Most people will think nothing of going to a birthday celebration after working late because they do not want to let their friends down. Use this same strategy to get yourself into the gym by recruiting a few of your friends and forming an exercise group. With your friends counting on you, you will be motivated to workout no matter how you may feel.

Set Your Sights on a Goal

Athletes often reveal that their greatest secret to success is setting their sights on a goal. Whether your goal is as simple as running an extra mile on the treadmill, or it is as challenging as running a marathon, having something to work toward will help you to stay on top of your progress. To keep your goal in mind, write it down and place it in a spot that you will see regularly. This way, you will be reminded of what you need to do to accomplish your dreams. Livestrong website offers a lot of great information on setting goals for the gym and how to stay motivated.

Although forming a gym habit might be challenging at first, you will begin to look forward to your workouts as you develop better physical health. By eliminating your excuses and recruiting your friends for a fun workout, you will be able to hit your goals and continue to increase your physical fitness level.

About the Author

Brionna Kennedy is native to the Pacific Northwest, growing up in Washington, then moving down to Oregon for college. She enjoys writing on fashion and business, but any subject will do, as she loves to learn about new topics. When she isn’t writing, she lives for the outdoors. Oregon has been the perfect setting to indulge her love of kayaking, rock climbing, and hiking.

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Today the former Mrs. India 2008 Adrita Khanna helps run the pageant and is hosting the up and coming event “Mrs. India and Mrs. Pakistan International”, which will be taking place in Roswell, Georgia on May 18^th, 2013 at The Double Tree by Hilton Hotel. Adrita has been taking care of the pageant since 2010. Outside of this competition, she is working very hard to make a difference to gain attention to pageant involvement. She has mentored her daughter, Adya, who has competed in a Miss Teen Ohio pageant and won the title this year. Adya will now compete in the Miss Teen International 2013.  Adya will also be aiding her mom as a host for the event.

The humanitarian effort that this event will be helping benefits the under-privileged children. Adrita has been helping the less fortunate children throughout – be it sponsoring their education, providing for food, or donating toys and clothing.

Michell: Adrita how did the pageants start?

Adrita: It all started when Mrs. Mary Richardson offered me the role of the Director for Mrs. India International in 2009. I have directed the pageant since 2010. My purpose of organizing the pageant is two-fold: to showcase the accomplishments of today’s married international women, and to help charities which work for the betterment of the less fortunate children around the world.

Michell: Can you please share something special about each culture that is represented in the pageant?

Adrita: Each culture has its own specialties. The Indian and Pakistani cultures are especially known for respect for elders and special appreciation for guests, or hospitality.

Michell: Do you think that pageants for married woman help strengthen a social bond to a community?

Adrita: Yes, very much so. The pageants for married women being the whole community together – the families and friends. It is the time to celebrate the achievements of the wife, the mother – the pivot of the family.

Michell: What is the greatest thing you have learned from mentoring in the pageants?

Adrita: I have been blessed to have the opportunity to mentor so many married women over the years. It is always amazing how different and unique each one is.

However, under the differences they are all the same, driven by family values and the desire to give their best to their family, profession and to the society.

Michell: Is it true that some of the competitors may at times donate their dresses to those who may be less fortunate?

Adrita: Yes, most of the contestants donate their dresses.

Michell: What are the names of the children foundations that will be at the event?

Adrita: This year we are supporting Vibha and Edhi.

Michell: How much are the tickets and for how many days will the event take place?

Adrita: 13-18yrs  $15, $35 Adults, $50 VIP , $100 VVIP ( Including dinner). The event will take place on May17th and 18th.

Michell: Will you be videotaping the event?  And if so can those who will not be able to attend purchase a DVD of it?

Adrita: Yes we will be videotaping the event and sell the DVD’S. Edhi Foundation of Pakistan & Vibha Foundation of India are the beneficiaries. Part of the profit will go to these foundations as charity for the less fortunate children.

Michell: Thank you Adrita!

Visit http://mrsindiainternational.com/ and http://mrspakistaninternational.com/ to learn more about these pageants. To keep up with Adrita Khanna, visit her facebook page.

About the Interviewer

Michell Spoden is the author of Stricken Yet Crowned and is also pursuing a transitional housing project for woman with an agricultural aspect. She has a degree in Business Science Administration and is finishing her bachelor’s in Project Management.

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The “better safe than sorry” category

Brakes: The brakes are an obvious maintenance point. You shouldn’t push the brakes too far because it’s easier, safer, and cheaper to fix brakes before they get too worn. Avoiding brake repair is very dangerous, and the more the brakes get ignored, the more you have the chance of damaging your rotors, which are much more expensive to fix than simple break pad repairs. If you hear a grinding metal sound, you’ve let the brakes go too far. Change them ASAP.

Tires: Check you tire pressure. It’s fast, free, and could save your life. When tire pressure is too high, less of the tire touches the ground. Your traction suffers and your stopping distance is increased. When tire pressure is too low, too much of the tire hits the ground and good lead to the tread separating which would cause a bad accident.

Continue with ongoing maintenance

Oil filter change: The oil in your truck is like water in your body. If you don’t keep clean oil going through your truck’s engine, the engine will deteriorate faster and clog more readily. Eventually, dirty oil will cause your truck to completely break down.

Fluid levels: It goes without saying that a lack of windshield fluid can negatively affect your safety on the road. If you can’t see the road, you won’t be very safe. Bu there are other fluids that pose a very dangerous threat to your safety if unmaintained. Driving with low or leaking antifreeze could lead you to trouble with the engine block causing your truck to stop moving and posing a very expensive fix.

Keep your eyes and ears peeled

Shocks and struts: Many drivers forget that they even have shocks and ignore the bouncy lose feeling that comes with worn-out shocks. Motor Trend magazine recommends taking your truck to a secluded area where you can accelerate and hit the brakes. If the front of the car bounces after you hit the brakes, your shocks are probably shot. Worn shocks are not just uncomfortable; they also affect suspension and brake efficiency

Head gaskets: You’ll learn the hard way or take it from, if your head gasket has blown, you need to pull over. You’ll know that a head gasket has gone if you hear a knocking and cracking sound from under the hood. If the temperature on your gauge is going with it, pull over. Do not delay pulling over or you could have even more damage on your hands.

Driving with faulty truck issues is not a good idea for you or your truck or your pocket book. By keeping ahead of the game you could avoid dangerous situations on the road and pricey upkeep down the road.

About the Author

Dan Nielson travels the nation writing articles of interest and living in his motorhome. He recommends installing Bilstein motorhome shocks to help with stability and now has a much smoother ride.

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1. Budget and Get Creative: Before you launch into the process of actually planning your party, consider how much money you can spend on it. Families can host a simple open house at home for well under $100, but a catered event at a rented facility is going to cost a lot more. Once you know how much you can spend, you can begin making the rest of the decisions.

2. Create Your Guest List: Close family members and your student’s friends definitely need to be invited, but beyond that, it’s up to you. Other categories to invite include family friends, neighbors, church members, parents’ co-workers, and the student’s teachers. Avoid hurt feelings by inviting either everybody or nobody in each category, trimming categories of guests to keep your costs down.

3. Choose a Location: Many families like the idea of having the party at home or in the backyard to save money, but if you have a large guest list, this may not be practical. If you live in an apartment or condo, there may be a community room available to rent. Otherwise, a banquet hall or church multipurpose room may be available, although these often get booked well in advance.

4. Pick a Theme: As you plan the rest of the details, it helps to have a unified theme to hold everything together. Perhaps you want to use the school colors, or for a high school grad headed off to college, the colors of the college. School mascots also make fun themes. If the student was heavily involved in a particular sport or activity, this can make an ideal theme, too.

5. Send Invitations: Invitations should go out about a month in advance because people’s schedules fill up quickly during this time of year. If you want to save some money, make your own invitations so you only have to pay postage. Save even more by sending online invitations, which are often completely free and don’t even require postage.

6. Design a Menu: Finger foods are ideal for parties with an open house format because not all of the guests show up at the same time. Get a wide selection of fruits, vegetables, cheese and crackers, and warm appetizers. A catered party will make your life much less hectic, so especially if you have a large guest list, consider ordering out for the food.

7. Plan Decorations: A few decorations can go a long way in creating a festive atmosphere. Welcome guests to the party with a balloon arch and hang streamers inside for easy and inexpensive decorations. Put a more personal touch on the decorations with photos and memorabilia looking back on the student’s time in school.

In each stage of the party planning, consider how you can best celebrate the student’s accomplishments. Your goal is to create an environment in which the graduate can feel supported by all of the most important people in his or her life. As long as you’ve done this, you’ll have a party that will be meaningful and fun!

About the Author

Lindsey Harper Mac is a writer and editor living in Indianapolis. She specializes in writing about education, social media, and technology.

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Question – why do we need dogs and cats in our lives? What is the reason to that?

I must say the answer is very interesting.

The first card refers to greed and materialism.

The second one is about material possession and emotional burden due to that.

The third one is death (spiritual meaning, not necessarily physical, although it may be…) to save the situation.

The last card shows material temptation and giving in to sin (of any kind).

OK! how do we clarify this? Let’s see…

Animals (dogs and cats) help us humans overcome the desire for material greed, they keep us grounded.

They are the source of unconditional love that many great leaders (Jesus, Buddha, Dalai Lama and many others) were teaching about.

They help us stay away from temptation of any kind; they teach us how to love.

Yet, they sacrifice themselves for us (remind you of anyone?) whether if it is emotional or physical sacrifice, in order to keep our hearts working for the sake of love.

If someone is overwhelmed with emotional burden, they release it from us.

The 3^rd card also shows that they take our emotional hurt upon themselves; their heart may “bleed” to help recover ours.

I do believe that animals are given to us for such great reasons. I believe they are the source of unconditional love we seek and will find one day. Then, there would be no more pain or struggle, for people and for the animals. The planet now evolves on a very low vibration, especially in crowded urban places. The ones who abuse their animals give in to temptation and are unable to connect with the Source (very bad consequence for it). The ones who save them are Angels, for they know and feel that Love is the only way for salvation.

I do believe that animals in general, whether domestic or not, make a daily sacrifice for the human beings. The third card indicates that they are the ones who see a bigger picture of things of existence and prefer to live the life of suffering and disgrace in order to relieve our pain and emotional desperation. They are the ones who are suffering in their small dirty cells, most of the time without food or water, shivering in fear because they know what is about to happen to them.

One of my lady friends, a highly spiritual individual and a kind soul, told me that dogs are capable of seeing future circumstances, ours as well as their own. Considering the fact, that so many of them feel and perhaps see the sad and sometimes brutal situations they end up in, animals still remain faithful to us, and give us all the unconditional love we most likely don’t deserve. For many centuries, the human race experienced sadness, fear, brutality, and other misfortunes, and most likely had adapted to them. However, that doesn’t justify that we have to take it out on our animals; but maybe in some ways we do. An Indian spiritual leader Ghandi said that a civilization’s progress is measured in how they treat their animals. Well, perhaps we are quite primitive then.

If we have no compassion or love for the ones who are giving up their innocent lives for us every day by thousands, why should the Universe be compassionate and loveable to us? People do not realize that everything in this universe is connected.

We share 99% of our DNA with every living creature on this planet.. Humans, animals, insects, plants… all is ONE. If one tortures an animal, he is torturing himself, inviting a row of destructive circumstances happening in his life. Every single action has its own reaction – remember Newton (if you are into hard science)?

With that said, if one is unkind to an animal, human, a tree and etc, it all is coming back to that individual with the set of bad and unfortunate events. The moment we understand the system and how it works, the happier and better off everyone would be. An eye for an eye- meaning if you hurt someone, a human or an animal, you will be hurt too, in different ways; but it’s inevitable.

As a human race, having endured so much pain, struggle, wars and more, we should be connecting with our planet and making it a better place for future generations to come, instead of separating one from the other, making innocent souls suffer with no rhyme or reason. Be kind to the world around you, and the kindness will come back to you over and over again. Do not underestimate the generosity of our Universe and the Great Spirit that is all around us. Save an animal today, feed a homeless dog or a cat, stop the abuse if you are aware of it happening, and you will see how much gratitude and appreciation the Universe and its infinite divine power can provide for you.

About the Author

Ghenrietta B. Gordon has previously had a few publishing credits such as documentaries on travelling, short stories, and articles for newspapers and magazines. She is a University of Foreign Languages graduate with a Bachelor’s degree. She also has completed four scripts for film production in various genres, such as historical drama, romance, and comedy. In her free time, she enjoys life coaching and writing her new nonfiction projects.

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I have been treating addictions, parallel to my family practice, for the past seven years, and experienced these figures directly. While generally more fear and public dismay are centered around heroin use, the prescription opioids have been mostly hidden from the public eye till the past several years.

While the use of heroin has been increasing, both rate of increase and the absolute number of people affected, are much higher for prescription opioids. Between 1999 and 2002, the number of opioid analgesic poisonings on death certificates increased 91.2%, while heroin and cocaine poisonings increased 12.4% and 22.8%, respectively.

The same Health Policy Review has even more striking figures: the US, which constitutes about 5% of the world population, consumes 80% of world’s supply of pharmaceutical opioids.

Under the guise of “chronic pain management”, we in effect have legalized opioid distribution and consumption to unprecedented levels. There has been a 542% increase of New Abuse of Prescription Opioids Among Teenagers from 1992 to 2003. Here methadone, oxycodone, fentanyl, hydromorphone, hydrocodone, and morphine top the list.

A 2010 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report indicates that in 2008, drug overdoses in the United States caused 36,450 deaths. Opioid pain relievers were involved in 14,800 deaths (73.8%) of the 20,044 prescription drug overdose deaths. Death rates varied fivefold by state and were related to the rates of prescribing of these medications. In 2009, 1.2 million emergency department (ED) visits (an increase of 98.4% since 2004) were related to misuse or abuse of pharmaceuticals, compared with 1.0 million ED visits related to use of illicit drugs such as heroin and cocaine. In 2007, nearly 100 persons per day died of drug overdoses in the United States. The death rate of 11.8 per 100,000 population in 2007 was roughly three times the rate in 1991. Prescription drugs have accounted for most of the increase in those death rates since 1999.

The problem of prescription opioid use is multifaceted. First, there is a false perception of safety, as it is a pharmaceutically manufactured medication subject to various regulations and oversight. Second, there is also a lack of social stigma attributed to the street “hard drugs.” Third, there is a general acceptance among professionals and general public of the philosophy of drug dependence. Drugs that were originally meant for the management of acute traumatic pain, surgical pain, or terminal pain, have earned a place for the various daily aches and pains for which only half a century ago (and today in most developing countries) they would never be considered.

The view of health has changed from the one that places value on autonomous function on multiple levels accessible to a human being, to the one in which comfort takes number one place. Physical comfort took precedence over the capacity to participate in emotional, mental, social, family and spiritual life. Physical longevity took precedence over living a full life, since fullness of life cannot be quantitatively measured, or broken down into categories that can easily be compared to others.

The view of health-as-taking-drugs (non-habit forming drugs included), and disease as a random affliction, unrelated to the everyday life, contributes to this problem.

Other forms of addictions, including addictions to food, sexually related addictions, legal drugs, gambling, have existed for millennia and their magnitude is difficult to evaluate. I do not believe there has ever been a historical precedent to a regulated and systematically implemented addiction (daily use for many years) of the present day prescription opioid pain relievers.

Help is available, but the most common problem with treading addictions is an underestimation of their power. Relapses and switching to different forms of addictions are much more common than true recoveries. Accepting help from others is important, as self-deception is the very nature of addiction. True healing takes nothing less than a profound self-transformative process, and entails addressing issues with family, friends, and social network.

About the Author

Oleg Reznik, MD is a board certified family physician and book author, practicing in Oregon for ten years. He is the author of the book The Secrets of Medical Decision Making. Dr Reznik has a holistic approach to health, using conventional as well as alternative healing modalities, and treating addictions. Visit him online at www.olegreznikmd.com. 

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Build a Reputation

If you manage to build a reputation as a good business, then this can help you to gain more support and more followers. Some people may feel more comfortable if they deal with a “green” business. You can promote this in numerous ways as well. You can go on the Internet or place guarantees on all of your products stating where they came from.

Alternative Energy

If at all possible, you can use various forms of alternative energy to power your actual business. Solar energy is particularly popular. A solar panel may cost you now, but the savings that you make in the future are going to be worth it. Solar energy will provide energy from the sun when it is available, meaning that you are going to be less reliant on the electrical grid and will therefore be using an alternative source of renewable power.

Energy-Efficient Appliances

Make sure that all of your appliances are energy-efficient. Older machines are going to end up causing you to have to switch, especially if you do not want to waste power. If you run a laundromat, for example, it is now possible to get sets of energy-efficient machines that can help to get things done quickly.

A Proper Recycling Strategy

This is absolutely essential. You need to make sure that you have a proper way of recycling. You need to make sure that you have the right dustbins where the right waste goes. Recycling will help the environment and will allow you to be more careful about the trash that you throw away. You will also need to see if there is anything that can be reused.

Use Green Suppliers

If at all possible, try to use suppliers who are also green. Paper for the office, for example, could be from suppliers that use recycled paper. This may just be a small change, but this is one that can end up making all the difference. All you need to do is make sure that everyone in your business follows these guidelines that you have set down. This way, you can help to improve the world as well as improve your business.

About the Author

Tess Young is an environmental activist and professional ‘green’ advisor for small businesses. She spends most of her time advising local businesses on how they can go green and help their customers help the environment. If you are interested to know how your eco-friendly Retail Packaging can help going green here is 27 Ways to Prevent Climate Change: a Guide for Independent Retailers.

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