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The Vegetarian Diet: The Ultimate Weight Loss Solution or Not?

If you’ve been to any large banquets recently, you may have noticed people passing up the prime rib and baked chicken in order to feast on a vegetarian meal. Vegetarianism seems to be gaining in popularity each year, spurred on by health concerns, weight difficulties, and celebrity endorsements. You may find that a vegetarian diet is the key to weight loss in your particular case.

First of all, it is important to define the vegetarian diet. You may be surprised to learn that there are actually a variety of vegetarian diets in use today. In some cases, vegetarians eat only fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts. In other cases, they may also eat cheese and drink milk, while in still other cases, they may eat eggs.

One of the advantages to the vegetarian diet is that it tends to be low in fat and cholesterol. As a result, a vegetarian diet can help you avoid heart problems and even cancer. However, you may also find that you are missing some important vitamins and minerals on a strictly vegetarian diet.

It has been said that the key to a successful vegetarian diet is planning. You must decide what you will be eating for every meal in order to ensure that you receive the proper nutrients. Otherwise, you may end up starving your body of the nutrients you need in order to be healthy.

A major benefit of the vegetarian diet is that it tends to involve a healthy serving of fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains. However, getting enough protein can be a challenge. Therefore, you might consider adding soy to your diet, which is high in protein content. Another important consideration is iron. You’ll need to make sure that you eat spinach and beans in order to guarantee that you receive enough iron, since you will not be consuming customary sources of iron such as liver and roast beef.

You may need to supplement your diet with vitamins in order to ensure that you receive the appropriate amount of B-12, Vitamin D, calcium, and zinc. Otherwise, you’ll have to load up on cereals, soy milk, spinach, and broccoli. Also, eating a vegetarian diet does not mean you have a license to eat as many sugary foods as you want. You’ll still have to restrict high-calorie foods.

Variety has been called the spice of life and it is also the key to an effective vegetarian diet. You’ll need to eat an array of fruits and vegetables. Also, if you do use dairy, be sure that you choose non-fat or low-fat milk and cheese. Since eggs are rich in cholesterol, you should eat them only in moderation.

Studies have shown that vegetarians tend to consume fewer calories each day than meat-eaters. Also, the body mass index–a tool used to measure obesity–is generally lower for vegetarians than for the population at large. However, as a vegetarian, you will still need to pay attention to portion control and calorie counts. Therefore, while vegetarianism may not be a panacea for weight loss, it can certainly help in the battle against the bulge.

However, it should be noted here that some people mistakenly look upon vegetarianism as a quick fix. They figure that if they give up meat for a couple of weeks, they’ll lose weight. Then, after their trial period is over, they go back to their old eating habits. This is a bad pattern because it encourages yo-yo dieting. If you decide to go on a vegetarian diet, it is very important that you stick with it. Otherwise, you may be greatly disappointed in your weight loss progress.

Vegetarianism is not for everyone. However, if you enjoy fruits and vegetables, are non-committal about meat, and are good at planning meals, you may want to go vegan. But if you do not fall into that category, another diet plan may be preferable. Which diet program you ultimately choose may depend greatly upon your personal preferences and what kind of diet regimen you are prepared to follow over the long run. The key to any successful diet is commitment; you must be determined to succeed.

The uniform response when quizzing people on what exactly it is that givers Peter Sutherland the winning edge is that his unique mix of charisma and robustness has served him well over the years. Peter Sutherland was a key figure in negotiating the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and it has been well documented that in order to get the accord passed, he sometimes kept negotiators at the table into the small hours of the night. The deal came together after many years of negotiations, and the very gavel he used throughout now sits on his desk at his office in London where he serves as chairman of the arm of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. that oversees Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

In 1995 he rejoined Goldman Sachs, where he had previously worked as an adviser. Eugene Fife then head of the firm’s London office recruited him after they met on a London-to-New York flight. Not only current but also former Goldman Sachs employees say Mr. Sutherland gave the bank a boost when it was trying to position itself in Europe.

It’s uniformly accepted that Peter was ideal for winning business away from London’s big merchant banks as well as European financial firms. He brought with him a stable of high-level contacts. Not only that but he is also known to be close to Italian Prime Minister Prodi. More recently he has been known to accompany former Goldman CEO Henry Paulson on trips to Russia and China before Paulson became treasury secretary last year. Not only this, he also helped forge a relationship between Goldman and Mittal Steel Co. That paid dividends when Mittal hired Goldman as lead banker in its $39 billion takeover of Arcelor SA last year. By all accounts Peter Sutherland has been instrumental in some keys bits of business which have had a massive impact on the development of Goldman.

Humankind is struggling to attain one’s aspiration whether that aspiration is abstract or concrete. Education, amongst other initiatives, is probably the most effective path toward attaining one’s aspiration. Due to its indispensability, everyday we see different approaches, methodologies, techniques, experience and opinions have been syndicated to facilitate those education-starving persons or those thinking the steps toward it;

This subject is really hard! The book written by this author is too complicated! This history text is too difficult to understand and to remember! Are the jargons that we have heard during the socialization of the students; of course, it is good because at least they do care about their education: “a constitution toward achievement.” Learning techniques discovered by psychologist and other like academic professionals, followed by publication of the university, to me, is sometimes too modern for the freshmen;

James Stephens states:
I would think until I found
Something I can never find;
Something lying on the ground;
In the bottom of my mind.

Applying simplistic approaches thought out from James Stephens’ philosophy, by the author of this article would be put into consideration;

I. Humankind is the Base for Everything

Always bear in mind that everything is initiated by humankind. The complication that we have found on the readerships as well as the real-life circumstances is just evolved from always-on-the-mover process of humankind. Using our innate capacity: thinking power, and as we use this power deeper and deeper, we will definitely get to the point of where today’s world has reached. Is it really hard to accomplish this drudgery?

Philosophy, the one that we recognize as have the very thorough and always-evolving knowledge, uses the power of learning from everything encountered everyday and to even the deeper point; take everything philosophically, are the step to make everything not really hard for them. Please retain this wisdom of Aristotle “philosopher starts with wonder(s).” The more wonders you have the easiness you will hold, but first solve the wonder by your self;

II. Who Made and Are Making and Will Make Those Difficulties?

No one and nothing that the humankind who makes those difficulties. The ones who produced, are and will be producing difficulties are just tabulated in the human species like us: they can produce those difficulties; we must be able to learn and to solve those difficulties.

We are all equally capable to learn and to produce new thing (innovativeness and creativity.) Different reasons may be applied to why they produce those difficulties; such as the matters of times and situation, the family background, sex, culture and other humanitarian factors. Yes, I believe that they produce us difficulties from tireless endeavor, but on the same track, we can learn and solve those difficulties by our tireless endeavor.

LAY VICHEKA, final year student of law, translator for Pyramid Translation Co., Ltd., freelance writer for Search Newspaper, expert author and author for different websites around the world, is tirelessly contributing to the field of humanity. With extensive experience in law and politics, he is now categorized as “approaching the spiritual tuition in the very young age.” He has pledged to help Cambodia and Cambodians. He is now thinking about the plan to offer free service: “Editing CV and cover letters” for the Cambodian people who are urging for jobs and not really know the effective methods. LAY VICHEKA can be contacted: 855 11 268 445 or email: vichekalay@yahoo.com. His photo can be downloaded from http://www.talesofasia.com/cambodia.htm

Typically when falling asleep in bed at night great thoughts enter the mind, long stringed and meaningful sentences trip over each other to receive attention at the front of the brain alongside all the brilliant findings, results, meanings that speak volumes and hard hitting phrases that are just the ticket to open the door to success. The last thought in the brain before sleep overrides this brilliant future work is, “must use that tomorrow”.

The next day as you stumble out of bed to clean the teeth with little enthusiasm and to sit staring inanely at a pot of hot water (the coffee machine that you had forgotten to put the coffee in yet again) these thoughts are still asleep. They are heaped and well obscured in other jumbled and nonsensical reasoning’s and justifications -Double Dutch without subtitles or translation.

In fact, as you opt for a cup-of tea (seeing as how the coffee machine makes the water) and you stub you toe on the stool that was in the way, absolutely no prose, ideas or means to move forward spring into the mind. It can even be said that after switching on the computer and after having shot down twenty spacecraft and been eaten up by a green alien sort of thingy, that not even a title or starting sentence seems worthy of being tapped into the keyboard.

It can justifiably be said that the whole day has been spent in totally useless fashion. Staring out of the window at the idyllic setting only makes lying on the bed seem very attractive: the walk to the corner shop to clear the head only brings anger over the prices these shops charge and the afternoon nap has now obliterated or obscured all that might have been dreamt up that morning – in short the head remains an empty void and a bottomless pit with no foundation..

There are two major periods of fantastic prose assembly and justifiable award-winning script construction. Had the results or product of these two periods of mind-boggling activity simply been recorded for posterity things would be very different. Even if they had been written on the back of a cereal box, on toilet paper or even dictated into a tape recorder (right over your friend’s favorite tape) these reams of cohesive cognitive and collective convictions would have been the beginning, the middle and the end of many an article, essay, poem, writing or story. They would have been the justification, the vindication and the rationalization; the crux, the core, and the essence; the plot, the storyline and the scenario; the speech to end all speeches, the thesis to bring in the top marks and the book that would sell more than any Harry Potter novel ever has.

Strangely enough the mind-boggling prose that springs out during these two periods in most writers’ lives is not often etched or embedded onto some scrap of paper or recorded for eternity on a Dictaphone – results that have been used the next day that is. In the first situation the thinker and brilliant script writer has unfortunately fallen asleep before the thoughts of the night could be transferred from brain to paper. And in the second case the new author and Nobel Lauriat is blind drunk, so blind drunk and out of his tree that writing or talking is not really a feasible possibility – even though it seems like a good idea at the time.

Many forward thinking and desperate strugglers go to extremes to capture and to retain these mind-boggling and superb strings. Some fall asleep with Dictaphones switched on next to them so that they may talk out their thoughts before drifting off – sadly they typically replay to sounds of excessive grunts and snores that shock to the core. Other more desperate souls actually manage to struggle out of bed to write on the back of a cereal box, over their mum’s favorite recipe for peanut cookies or on some other scrap of paper.

The next morning, the ones that managed to write their thoughts down do have some success in thinking up new ideas, but only due to having had a good night’s sleep. Safe and sound in the knowledge that their wonderful thoughts had been recorded they fall asleep like babies, knowing that the morning will bring brilliance to light. Sadly, when waking up it is either found that ‘little brother’ has used that little scrap of toilet paper for what it was meant for or more commonly that the words that have been written make absolutely no sense what-so-ever. All of these pre-sleep thoughts that had been recorded look like the ramblings of an Egyptian Monk overdosed on Battery Acid.

The drunkard who manages to write something down is not a common occurrence. Usually at the point of aiming the pencil towards the paper at the start of what will be a lengthy diction and thus the subsequent lowering of the accumulated build-up in the brain, the pencil snaps. But drunkards certainly prefer to hear their own voices. One of their favorite methods of attempting to record such galvanic thoughts and ideas is to lean over to the next drunk and to recite in a loud voice all that they have amassed inside their heads. Having sprouted all out and after having warned the fellow drunk not to forget what he has been told they usually fall asleep, safe and sound in the knowledge that in the morning their friend will give back what they had received.

It never works! The average drunkard never can remember with whom he entrusted his precious thoughts. Over a beer the next evening it may come to light that one man remembers being entrusted with some important information, but for the life of him he cannot remember what the actual information is These two persons may even get together that evening but – it never comes back again.

There it is. Two occasions of superb idea formation and collation yet never do they seem to bear fruit when it matters most! In fact whilst sitting at the computer, keen and willing to progress further than the blank page, the brain fails miserably.

Welcome to the club!

With the legal civilisation growing all throughout the planet, having public liability insurance is developing into being more & more needed. If you don’t currently have liability insurance built-in into your building cover, then now is perhaps the instance to look into acquiring enhanced cover. Here is some information about why you require cover, & what to look out for. Buy professional indemnity today.

What is public liability insurance: Professional Indemnity cover is an insurance policy that shelters you from claims that other people might make against you in the occurrence of an accident. If somebody damages their possessions or hurts themselves in or around your property or company then the public liability insurance will shelter you for any charges that may possibly happen. Cover usually ranges from ?250,000 up to ?1 million.

What are you insured for: Insurance will insure protect against accidents or loss that other individuals could suffer in or around your house or company site. You are protected from claims from criminals and damages that might perhaps arise to a person from falling objects or individuals carrying out repairs. If a disaster takes place on your premises and someone claims against you, your insurance policy will assist you to pay any compensation.

What’s included A few contents or property insurance covers enclose in-built liability insurance. You should check with your insurer whether this is the case, and what amount of protection you have. Even if the insurance is built-in, you need to make sure that you are suitably protected for any accidents that may possibly arise.

Premiums: The payments that you are expected to have to pay depend on the specific level of cover you want. If you just protect your house, then the premiums are extremely likely to be not as much as than if you are covering a business. On the other hand, premiums are somewhat cheap inexpensive the amount of cover that you get, and it is therefore important for any individual running a business.

A relatively new concept in the online world is “Virtual Real Estate Investing“. What is meant by “Virtual Real Estate Investing” ranges from online games like SecondLife (where real profit can be made) to the use of internet technologies to make normal real estate investors more profitable.

To find out the real story, I had a conversation with Bryan Ellis, widely considered to be one of the originators of the concept of Virtual Real Estate Investing.

When I began using the term virtual real estate investing in the late 1990s, I did so because I saw clear parallels between the strategies used for profiting from physical real estate and those that would create income in the online world, said Ellis.

Bryan Ellis cites the similar strategies one can employe to make money from “virtual property” and “physical property” as a primary parallel of the two markets. “There’s a huge difference between a website and a piece of real estate, but the ways you can profit from them are similar: ‘flipping’, rental/leasing, advertising sales, etc…all of these apply to both markets” he states.

The similarities really are obvious. For example, if you’re the owner of a desirable property, its desirability is (in a business context) largely due to its being in a location that is of interest to others. Similarly, ownership of a desirable domain name is valuable for the same reasons. In either case, you could sell or lease the asset and turn it into cash.

In our next installment of this series on virtual real estate investing, Bryan Ellis will share the internet analogies to the physical concept of real estate development.

A lot of websites floating around today have missed their chances of success at on-line business. When we take a look at the search results for any topic we need, many of the results that crop up do not even remotely seem to be professional. All of these are aimed to catch your eye with graphics, animations and the works. Organization, Navigation and aesthetics have gone for a toss.

How in the world do these websites intend to make or expect a sale? If a company does not take care and pride in its website, it would be wrong to assume that they take care and pride in providing products or services. Graphics do not make sales, far from it they minimize the chances of a sale and drive the visitors away due to the confusion and slow loading times.

The website that you conduct your business on is a direct reflection of your personality and your business. The appearance counts on all fronts – professionalism, content, organization and value of products and services. Aesthetics have a value, never bypass them.

Content is the most important consideration. Content should have value and links should be relevant. When a visitor visits to your site, the objective of his visit should be fulfilled. If not, the visitor moves on to the next and may never come back. If you want that the visitors stay at your site and come back to it always provide quality content and keep changing it every now and then. Give the visitor a reason.

Do what you may to succeed but never commit the following sins if you want to succeed in your online endeavors. You website should not have:

* Vague and irrelevant content * Slow loading times * Errors in Spelling and Grammar * Unprofessional appearance * Missing contact information * Confusing navigation * Too many animated graphics * Long pages to scroll * Distracting and bright backgrounds * Too many banners and frames * Extra large fonts * Unevenly balanced pages * Psychedelic and multi-colored text * Missing Meta tags * Too many fonts * Signs showing “Under construction” * Too many “mouse over effects”

Designing a professional website is a time consuming process – take your time but do it right.

While routers accept and generate broadcasts, they do not forward them. This can be quite a problem when a broadcast needs to get to a device such as a DHCP or TFTP server that’s on one side of a router with other subnets on the other side.

If a PC attempts to locate a DNS server with a broadcast, the broadcast will be stopped by the router and will never get to the DNS server. By configuring the ip helper-address command on the router, UDP broadcasts such as this will be translated into a unicast by the router, making the communication possible. The command should be configured on the interface that will be receiving the broadcasts.

R1(config)#int e0

R1(config-if)#ip helper-address ?

A.B.C.D IP destination address

R1(config-if)#ip helper-address 100.1.1.2

Now, you may be wondering if this command covers all UDP services. Sorry, you’re not getting off that easy! The command does forward eight common UDP service broadcasts, though.

TIME, port 37

TACACS, port 49

DNS, port 53

BOOTP/DHCP Server, port 67

BOOTP/DHCP Client, port 68

TFTP, port 69

NetBIOS name service, port 137

NetBIOS datagram service, port 138

That’s going to cover most scenarios where the ip helper-address command will be useful, but what about those situations where the broadcast you need forwarded is not on this list? You can use the ip forward-protocol command to add any UDP port number to the list.

Additionally, to remove protocols from the default list, use the no ip forward-protocol command. In the following example, we’ll add the Network Time Protocol port to the forwarding list while removing the NetBIOS ports. Remember, you can use IOS Help to get a list of commonly filtered ports!

R1(config)#ip forward-protocol udp ?

<0-65535> Port number

biff Biff (mail notification, comsat, 512)

bootpc Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP) client (68)

bootps Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP) server (67)

discard Discard (9)

dnsix DNSIX security protocol auditing (195)

domain Domain Name Service (DNS, 53)

echo Echo (7)

isakmp Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol (500)

mobile-ip Mobile IP registration (434)

nameserver IEN116 name service (obsolete, 42)

netbios-dgm NetBios datagram service (138)

netbios-ns NetBios name service (137)

netbios-ss NetBios session service (139)

ntp Network Time Protocol (123)

pim-auto-rp PIM Auto-RP (496)

rip Routing Information Protocol (router, in.routed, 520)

snmp Simple Network Management Protocol (161)

snmptrap SNMP Traps (162)

sunrpc Sun Remote Procedure Call (111)

syslog System Logger (514)

tacacs TAC Access Control System (49)

talk Talk (517)

tftp Trivial File Transfer Protocol (69)

time Time (37)

who Who service (rwho, 513)

xdmcp X Display Manager Control Protocol (177)

R1(config)#ip forward-protocol udp 123

R1(config)#no ip forward-protocol udp 137

R1(config)#no ip forward-protocol udp 138
As you can see, the ip helper-address command helps work around the fact that broadcasts aren’t forwarded by routers by default, and if you just need to send one or two broadcast types, the other types can be turned off easily.

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNP and CCNA tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.

For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, “How To Pass The CCNA” and “How To Pass The CCNP”, just visit the website! You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! Pass the CCNP exam with The Bryant Advantage!

Truthfully, there are no reasons why any of us cannot be, or do, what we want, as long as you are not hurting anyone. You should always strive to be the best you can be. However, you may find that many people create obstacles, in front of themselves, to avoid success.

This is truly ironic that we hold ourselves back from making achievements, and teaching Yoga is just one of many goals that are not fully realized. Below is a list of common reasons why many good Yoga practitioners do not pursue their goal of becoming a Yoga instructor.

“I am too old to teach Yoga.”

Actually, age is not a factor. There are many styles of Yoga; and the most common, outside of India, is Hatha Yoga and its many sub-styles. Although Hatha Yoga is the Union of physical mastery, it has many gentle and vigorous styles.

There is a need for mature, passionate, safety conscious, and gentle Yoga teachers. The world’s population is aging and Yoga students are living longer. Who would have thought that hospitals and religious centers would seek out Yoga teachers ten or twenty years ago?

Therefore, Yoga is becoming readily accepted by mainstream society and does not have to apply to any one particular religious group. Some of the old barriers that prevented the masses from being exposed to Yoga are gone.

“Dancers, Martial Artists, and Gymnasts perform better Yoga asanas than I can.”

Yoga is not dance, martial arts, or gymnastics. This is not to take away the importance of any of the above-mentioned arts. After all, I am a martial artist, and I was originally introduced to Yoga in a martial arts setting.

Being a little more flexible than the average person is a gift. However, it doesn’t serve as a top priority for teaching Yoga. The best Yoga teachers are those who can communicate, and those teachers usually have to struggle to excel at Yoga.

Yoga teachers who are naturally flexible think that everyone else should be, as well. This is not always the case, as there are skeletal limitations within some Yoga students. This is not to say that they cannot increase, or improve, their flexibility, but each person’s body is unique.

“Teaching Yoga costs too much money.”

This is true in some cases; however, you can shop around for the best course at the most affordable price. Some onsite Yoga training facilities have Seva Programs, where you can work for partial tuition. This is much like a college, where there are scholarships for students who perform tasks around the campus. There are also a variety of Yoga correspondence courses, which allow flexible study hours, little or no travel, and no extra expenses. My wellness center offers such a Yoga course, and we have interns and graduates worldwide.

“I only want to teach Yoga to a few students and I don’t want to go into the Yoga business.”

Many Yoga practitioners feel this way and that’s fine. This is not a problem because if you are teaching a few friends, as a hobby, it is not necessary to go through the certification process.

If your circle of friends starts to expand, it would be wise to get some type of liability coverage. There are a number of liability insurance programs to choose. You could purchase a sports, Yoga, or home liability policy to cover your specific needs.

You should also learn as much as you can about safety, anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology. The reason I mention this is so that you do not hurt your Yoga students. The compassion and knowledge to become a safe Yoga instructor is very important.

“I have a good paying job and teaching Yoga may not support my family.”

Like all start up small businesses Yoga cannot offer “instant bundles of cash.” You would want to build your business as an independent contractor first. In our Yoga teacher course, you will find 16 ways to grow your business, with little or no overhead. When you build up enough accounts, the decision, as to whether or not to open your own independent Yoga studio, will be clear.

This has been a radical job change for all of us, who go into teaching Yoga full time, but you do not have to take any sudden or financial risks. Growing your own Yoga business can start on a part time basis and later develop into full time, if you get the right guidance and take the proper steps.

Bear in mind that the business and marketing information in our Yoga course is current and “field tested.” This information is specific to Yoga instructors and contains successful methods used, with regard to return on investment.

Right now, there are a lot of Yoga studios that “flounder” economically, because the owners have insufficient business or marketing skills. Within this kind of climate, it is not hard to get your market share of Yoga students within your geographic area.

Lastly, there are so many reasons to avoid progress, you could create a book of excuses, but the reason to succeed at anything is your passion. If you are passionate, safe, and knowledgeable about Yoga, this is an excellent starting point for anyone who wants to become a Yoga teacher.

© Copyright 2005 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Does the thought of writing a love letter or poem automatically reduce your vocabulary to a 5-year-old’s level? Well, believe it or not, that’s a great place to begin!

Kids speak straight from the heart. They don’t worry about tripping over the right words, they only know how to say what they want using the most simple language. As adults, we let our thinking get in the way of our emotions and worry about the details before we have the big picture.

Dream up a love letter

You don’t need a sample love letter or a free printable love letter. You’re going to dream up your own romantic love letters.

An indispensible tool for writing is a thesaurus. You’ll find many free ones online; they’re a wonderful aid to finding exactly the right word. Have paper and pen ready to jot notes, but forget about words and writing for now.

Sit in a comfortable chair or lie down, let your shoulders drop and take a few deep breaths, at least 5 or 6. Inhale deeply, feel the air going to the bottom of your belly, then slowly exhale as you pull in your abdomen.

Close your eyes and begin visualizing the one you love and create a movie of you slowly running your eyes over every inch of their body. What do you especially appreciate? View their eyes looking back at you, run your fingers through their hair, caress their cheek and softly brush your lips against theirs. See the smile of joy, the tilt of their head towards you, their arms around you. Feel their heart beat against yours and take in the warmth of their skin. Watch as they run towards you, eager to rush into your arms. How do you feel?

Let your movie continue running. Pull out the memories of when you had a lot of fun and laughter, your most passionate times together or when you were sad and your love silently held you close. Which of them brings up the most emotion in you? What do you see, hear, taste, touch and feel? What are they wearing . . . or not wearing?

Linger a bit longer; let the feelings run throughout your entire body. Are you feeling those tingles running up and down your spine?

First love letter steps

The most emotional memories are the ones that will fuel your love letter or poem. You should be in a better mood for writing, relaxed and smiling. Take a few more deep breaths before you begin to write.

You don’t have to get up; this might put you into “thinking” mode. Begin jotting notes down. Slowly replay each movie and describe the scenes with short, simple phrases, as a child would. Later on, you can link these shorter phrases into longer ones, but for now, you want to capture all the sensations, physically and emotionally, that being with the one you love means to you.

Love and emotions are abstract concepts so you need “furniture” to make it real. Your movie gives you this material. Relate the juicy details of the surrounding scenery, your love, what all your senses experience and add them to your love letter.

Now put it all together.

Instead of “When you walk into a room and smile at me, I forget what I’m thinking,” add the furniture. “You quietly glide into the sunlight streaming through the window, your silky hair falls over your shoulder. And then you gently tilt your head towards me and flash me that quirky little half smile of yours that gets my heart beating faster, my lips tingling . . . and I forget everything I ever knew as our eyes meet and lock into an embrace.”

No fancy words, there’s only two words that have three syllables!

The “Laundry List” technique

If you find this difficult to do, using the “laundry list” technique to write a love letter may be easier. Simply list all the qualities you appreciate about your love: physical, emotional, gestures, favorite sayings, funny habits. For physical, start at the top of their head and work down to their toes. For emotional, list different situations and how their response makes you feel.

Or you could make a list of all the dreams you both have and how you want to be together to share them.

Find a clip art heart (usually available in a word processing program) and use it as a bullet before each item in your list. Or give it a number, “101 Ways I Love You.” Then print out your list on fancy paper. Add a photo of you both, either digitally or glue it on afterwards. Spray on a little cologne (at a distance) and, voila, you have a romantic love letter.

Love Poems

A love poem can be the most daunting to attempt and many won’t even try. If you really want to make up a poem, but feel you have no talent, cheat a little! Look up a favorite poem and see if you can change a few lines to personalize it. Or do the same with a favorite song lyric, then perform it karaoke style. Go all out and dress up for the occasion.

If you have a special occasion you’re celebrating, you may want to have a poet put your feelings into a formal poem for you. Reciting the poem will make a bigger impact than just handing it over and as it may be gift wrapped, make sure you have a copy to read aloud.

Once you get the hang of it, romantic love letters will flow from your heart and fingers. Remember the little kid in you and keep it simple.