Eating right, visiting the gym religiously, triumphing over the mid-afternoon sugar (or Venti fat+sugar+caffeine) attack, quitting smoking, saving money...wouldn't it be nice to make 2010 the year when your resolutions actually stick? "The fact that people make New Year's Resolutions in the first place—whether they're about fitness or kicking addictions or getting out of debt—shows that many, many of us are dissatisfied with our lives," notes Patt Lind-Kyle, author of Heal Your Mind, Rewire Your Brain: Applying the Exciting New Science of Brain Synchrony for Creativity, Peace and Presence (Energy Psychology Press, 2009) and whose voice appears on the book's companion CDs.

But before you sign up for a new gym membership, buy any new gadgets, or join a support group, you need to put the odds of success in your favor by focusing on the right problem. "The key to changing your life is to consciously rewire your brain." In other words, to achieve physical (or financial) fitness, you first need to develop mental fitness. "That applies to getting fit or quitting smoking or strengthening your marriage, or whatever," continues Lind-Kyle. "You can change your life in any way you want to change it. But first you have to understand what's at the root of your problems: your mind and the way it directs your brain to function—basically, where you place your attention."

According to Lind-Kyle, the main reason why resolutions so often fail is that the lifestyle habits that brought you to your current level of pudginess have carved neural pathways in your brain that can't be changed by sheer willpower; as they pointed out in "What the Bleep Do We Know": what fires together wires together. Instead of looking at your body's behavior as something bad that needs banishing, realize that it might actually be telling you something: that you're depressed, bored with your job or relationship, or perhaps trapped in the past. It could be your fitness failings are actually symptoms, and you've made your poor squishy thighs the undeserving scapegoat for your general unhappiness.

Fortunately, new breakthroughs in science have shown the brain to be a highly flexible organ, and constantly in flux, responding to the events in our lives by continuously rewiring itself. You can actually change the brain's size, how it functions, and how the neurons in the different parts of the brain connect - dubbed "neuroplasticity" - by consciously training your mind. "Over the years I have come to realize what immense power mind training has. Our minds can essentially be trapped by the ways in which they function, which can put us into frantic and depressed conditions. Mind training helps us focus our attention, quiets a scattered mind, and brings flexibility and clarity that enable us to see other options."

Why Mind Training Works The words "brain" and "mind" are often used interchangeably, but in reality, the mind is the CEO of the brain, telling it what to do; the brain simply acts on orders. For example, if you're reading a book, the mind tells the brain to turn the page, and the brain responds by sending messages through the nervous system to your arm and hand, enabling you to complete the action. While the mind has no specific location, the brain itself is a physical organ, akin to "a three-pound tofu-like" mass atop the spinal cord. Each part of the brain is characterized by a specific brainwave, which, for many of us, is where the root of the problem lies: one wave dominates the others, causing dysfunctional attitudes and behaviors. By learning to focus on each type of brainwave separately, you can eventually retrain them to work in harmony, integrating the brain-mind and producing a feeling of peace and awareness. Opening the brain to synchrony is when the "magic" happens because you can consciously begin to change the way you do things. "Of course, the mind can (and does!) lead us astray," Lind-Kyle acknowledges, "but it also has the ability to reform itself when it achieves synchrony."

A key part of mind training is meditation, which activates the brain's circuitry and actually helps the brain to grow. (Studies back this up, showing that the more someone meditates, the thicker their brain matter becomes.) Meditating also makes it easier to control emotions and respond to stress and crises with greater ease - poise, even. "Meditation is a scientifically proven method of training the mind, and thereby of changing aspects of your life," asserts Lind-Kyle. "Meditation can train the mind to reduce health problems and stress, and it can also increase your potential and success in life by enabling you to attain synchrony. Essentially, it will allow you to reprogram and evolve your brain to a higher state of consciousness and function. Quite simply, meditation is one of the most valuable tools available to people—if only they would use it."

2. ATTENTION This is where you are focusing. When teamed with intention, it enables you to establish a field of awareness and sustain your mind in a single-focused manner. Since concentration can bring balance and stability, attention is essential to reducing stress. Attention is about "where."

3. RECEPTIVITY The mind is adept at blocking out what it does not wish to acknowledge...which is what got you in this mess. Learning instead to embrace what is on your mind will sensitize you to what is happening in each moment; instead of reacting automatically, your responses will become more flexible. Receptivity is about "when."

4. AWARENESS Distinguishing between what you think is happening vs. what is actually happening is easier said than done. True awareness comes from being attentive and not getting lost in the randomness of your thoughts. Being truly aware means you are open to meaning, purpose, hope, and better able to penetrate that "me-me-me" veil that can fog your mind. Awareness is about "how."

"The mind-brain is facile, flexible, and plastic," says Lind-Kyle. "With training, it is possible to reprogram what blocks the mind's Flow and move quite rapidly from a less evolved state of mind to a higher state of synchrony, one that better serves us and the life around us." When you achieve your New Year's Resolutions through rewiring your brain, you are also doing a good deed for your fellow man by contributing to the collective evolution of the human species. "You're helping manifest in our behavior a state of kindness, love and caring for our planet. Not a bad return for a small investment of your time and energy!"

And to think, you just wanted to look better in your favorite jeans!

Heal Your Mind, Rewire Your Brain: Applying the Exciting New Science of Brain Synchrony for Creativity, Peace and Presence gets the best results when used with the companion CDs. Check out a free mp3 of one exercise at HealRewireYourBrain.com/CDs.

http://fashiontribes.typepad.com/fashion/2009/12/according-to-new-brain-science-the-key-to-smaller-thighs-is-all-in-your-head.html

Just look at how we've spent the last week remembering their legacies.

Seconds after we learned of the Charlie's Angel's demise, Twitter and Facebook came alive with remembrances of the perfectly feathered hair and wonderfully white teeth of the 1970s beauty.

Jackson and Fawcett were hallmarks of my carefree childhood. For the last week, their images have been fixed in my mind's eye.

Back then, it was much harder to get our hands on celebrity pictures - and even more difficult to get pics of black stars - so the posters of Michael Jackson dressed in all white with a yellow button-up vest were cherished almost to the point of worship.

I noticed that there was a lot of searches for Demi Moore Bush picture this morning and of course had to find out what this was all about. Apparently Daniel Tosh of Comedy Central posted a video on a popular video sharing site asking people to search for “Demi Moore Bush”, actually “Demi Moore George Bush picture”, but leave out the George.

Then he said look for “Demi Moore Mr Bush” leaving out the Mr, then he said “Demi Moore look at that bush” but you don’t need to include the look at that part.

I had finally found out why there was so many searches for Demi Moore Bush picture, so I then googled Demi Moore bush and Aghhhhhhhhhhh! Look it up for yourself.

via http://gabbybabble.celebuzz.com/2009/06/demi-moore-bush-picture.html

Give your jewelry some delicious delight with these dried fruit rings. Using a dehydrator, Cathy at La Prochaine Fois was able to turn a variety of fruits in floral patterns which fit perfectly atop these metal rings.

And the greatest part about these dried fruit rings? They’re edible! Using everything from plums to Granny Smith apples and even beets, the artist covered an array of produce to create these unique and funky finger foods.

From oversized statement jewels to sunny yellow gold, the sizzling jewelry trends of the season are nothing if not dramatic. But the latest must-have look is all in the wrist.

Bangles:

Marc Jacobs put them elbow-deep on Madonna for those amazing Louis Vuitton ads, and the fashion world followed suit. There's no better way to add a little 'clink' to your closet than with layered bangles in every color of the rainbow. Or go for a classic yellow gold set like Kate Hudson to make that swimwear sizzle or the board room shine.

Cuffs:

Getting cuffed never looked this good. From Halle Berry to First Lady, Michelle Obama, the easy-to-wear jewelry style is making a big splash this season. While most wrist wear jewels are a slim single strand, cuffs cover more square footage, giving women that highly coveted 'big look for the buck'. And they go with just about any outfit - from girls night out garb to jeans and a tank.

Charms:

Charm bracelets have been in demand since 500 BC, when the ancients carved gems and rocks into animal symbols and wore them to woo the gods. Thank heavens they've come a long way since then, with celebs like Gwen Stefani and Nicole Richie adding them to their accessory lines and fashionistas collecting them like Manolos and Birkin bags. Create a charm bracelet to remind you of family, to reflect your personality, or to show off your world travels. And Jewelry.com has a treasure chest full of them to help you get the look that's right for you or your loved one.

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