Wow, what a winter, the worst in Europe in years. I sure am glad to be back in the sunshine and not shoveling snow anymore! However, celebrating a white Christmas with your children is something I strongly recommend for those of you who have never done it before. It is truly magical.

2010 is in full swing and I have clearly seen an upturn in business attitude. Yes the FIFA world cup spirit in South Africa definitely has started to rub off on the world. I launched a new inspirational talk, called "Become a World Player' and it is becoming a winner. (Excuse the pun!) I am also launching a new book, together with 3 fellow speakers, called "You Can!". That will be launched towards the middle of the February.

Education has become a problem world wide, and towards the end of last year we shot a DVD, called 'Study Methods' aimed at school children up to Grade 4, teaching fun, basic study skills ... and of course there's some magic too. The Department of Education has given it 'thumbs up',

So, if you want to give your children that extra start in school - click here.

It's been a bit of a hectic time for me during the last few weeks, but still managed to get in one free Quick Tips video this month on finding your passion again. If you want to view it, click here for English, German & Afrikaans. Don't forget that you can view lots of Quick tips on my free You Tube Channel, 'inspiringtheworld.'

Welcome to the month of Love, February. It's not only a time to celebrate love, but to reflect on how we practice love in our loves. Not only towards our partners, but our family and humanity in general. Thus my stories this month are for you to reflect your inner feelings and find that true unconditional love again, so that you can make a difference in the world.

The Young Man and the Starfish
Once upon a time there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his journal writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day. So he began to walk faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn't dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean. As he got closer he called out, "Good morning! What are you doing?"

The young man paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing starfish in the ocean."
"I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?"
"The sun is up, and the tide is going out. And if I don't throw them in they'll die."
"But, young man, don't you realize that there are miles and miles of beach, and starfish all along it. You can't possibly make a difference!"

The young man listened politely. Then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves and said, "It made a difference for that one."

There is something very special in each and every one of us. We have all been gifted with the ability to make a difference. And if we can become aware of that gift, we gain through the strength of our visions the power to shape the future. We must each find our starfish. And if we throw our stars wisely and well, the world will be blessed.

As we get into the year, many people are re-assessing their lives and searching for inner happiness. Thus I feel that the following philosophical quotes may help you to find the answers you seek.

20 Thought-provoking Quotations
1. The meaning of life is to give life meaning. You can do this by sharing love with all those around you.

2. Find something you love to do and you'll never have to work a day in your life. I am living proof of this. People always ask me how do you do it? The busy schedule, the global travelling? Easy, I love what I do, hence to me it isn't work, but play/ Follow your heart and life looks after you.

3. If someone seeks advice, give them direction, not correction. Stop forcing your opinions on others, rather steer them in the right direction where they might find the answers they are looking for.

4. Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. Focus on the things you are good at and love doing, in that way you will reach your goals faster.

5. To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. The most succesful people in the world have made many more mistakes and experienced far more failure than the rest. Yet they have never seen this as negative. Instead they have seen these setbacks as learned experiences to make them grow. To quote my favorite saying from Thomas Eddison, "I have not failed, I just found 10000 way that don't work!"

6. Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will. Duh! How long is it going to take for everyone to understand this? Stop reading the first 3 pages in the newspaper and watching negative news reports on TV - this all affects your thoughts. Pro-actively follow and seek the positive in your life. It DOES make a difference!

7. You can't make someone else's choices. You shouldn't let someone else make yours. Follow your heart and look within yourself when making a decision. Decide what's best for you, not what others tell you. And again, don't force your views onto others. Let them search their own heart, and if needs be - steer them in the right direction without forcing your views.

8. Even a fool knows you can't reach the stars, but that doesn't stop a wise man from trying. No matter how many set backs you have in life, NEVER stop trying. The difference between success and failure, is that people who failed, stopped dreaming and trying.

9. When an affliction happens to you, you either let it defeat you, or you defeat it. There is a saying, "If you think you can - you will. If you think you can't - don't bother!" Believe in yourself and you will defeat all obstacles.

10. You can do what you want to do. You can be what you want to be. It's all about attitude and belief in yourself. And by following what's in your heart and doing what you love - it becomes so much easier.

11. A man with one watch knows what time it is; A man with two watches is never quite sure. Don't over complicate your life. Keep it simple!

12. Don't look where you fall , but where you slipped. Be honest with yoru self if things don't go as planned. In such an sinatnce, don't blame others, but take responsibilty for your own actions, and go back and identify the mistakes you made ... and correct them.

13. Look at life through the wind-shield, not through the rear view mirror. What is it with the world living in the past? You will NEVER get ahead in life if you always look behind you. You cannot change the past. What's so difficult to understand here? What happened yesterday is history. Nothing can change that. The ONLY thing you can do is learn from it and make sure it never happens again. To find happiness and success you must live in the NOW!

14. People may doubt what you say , but they never doubt what you do. Fact! Your inner thoughts and feelings will always be manifested in your body language, posture and expressions. No matter what 'front' you want to show the outer world, there are always those who can see what you are really feeling, by looking at your behaviour and body language. Therefore it is imperative in life to follow your inner heart and do what you love. Only then will it show on the outside. And then this positive radiation can rub off on everyone around you.

15. Be nice to people on the way up , because you may need them on the way down. Everything is about that 'Circle of Life'. Look at the recession, every few years there is one, but afterwards there is always an upturn. Somewhere in your life you may well lose direction and fall. Will the people there help pick you up again? If you treated them well during your first trip, odds are they will help you back onto the road to recovery. If you didn't treat them well ...

16. While seeking revenge , dig two graves ......... one for yourself. What comes around, goes around! I have seen this over and over in my life. Let it go, revenge only breeds hatred and contempt. Love conquors all, don't stoop to the level of those that did you in. Remember, it is them you gave out the negative energy. The universe wills end it back to them in tenfold. Surely you don't want any negativity coming back to you too?

17. Time you enjoyed wasting ......... was not wasted. What happened to keeping a balance in life. You cannot constantly be on the run. You need to be selfish and take time for YOURSELF occasionaly as well. It does you the world of good.

18. Courage is not lack of fear , but the ability to act while facing fear. You can only face fear if you are confident and happy within yourself. Because, when you follow your heart, your fear nothing, but see it all as an adventure to attaining your dreams.

19. You've got to do your own growing , no matter how tall your father is. Stop reading the tabloids and gossip magazines! You complain that your life isn't panning out the way you want it to be, yet you set your goals and dreams by trying to be like drugged out celebrities with no brains! If you are going to follow a role model in life, I doubt very much they will appear in gossip magazines! Read the biographies of decent people, people who changed the world for the better. Then take their philosophies and the applicable lessons to your life and grow inyour own direction.

20. The best way to predict your future , is to create it. By living every day in the moment, and to the fullest, you are creating great memories of yesterday and therefore look forward to tomorrow. You can only do this if you do what you love, practice love and be content with who you are. Only then can you find meaning for yourself. Only then do you discover who you really are. Only then can you plan a life of true meaning and contentment.

Finally I would like to finish off this month's 'Useletter' with a poem on love by an unkown author.

I Believe
I believe in miracles and dreams that will come true.
I believe in tender moments and friendship, through and through.
I believe in stardust and moonbeams all aglow.
I believe there's magic and more there than we know.

I believe in reaching out and touching from the heart.
I believe that if we touch a gift we can impart.

I believe that if you cry, your tears are not in vain.
And when you're sad and lonely, others know your pain.

I believe that when we laugh a sparkle starts to shine.
And I just know that spark will spread from more hearts than just mine.

I believe that hidden in the quiet of the night, there's magic moths and gypsies a fairy and a sprite.
I believe that if you dance the dances of your heart, that greater happiness will find a brand new way to start.

I believe the gifts you have are there for you to share.
And when you give them from the heart, the whole world knows you care.

I believe that if you give, even just to one,
that gift will grow in magnitude before the day is done.

I believe that comfort comes from giving part of me.
And if I share with others, there's more for all to see.

I believe that love is still the greatest gift of all,
and when it's given from the heart then not one of us will fall.

ONIONS

In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people, there was a Doctor who visited many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu. Many of the farmers and their family had contracted it, and many died.
The doctor came upon one farmer, and to his surprise, everyone in the household was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different, the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She gave him one, and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy.
Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser in AZ. She said that several years ago many of her employees were coming down with the flu and so were many of her customers. The next year she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop. To her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It must work... (And no, she is not in the onion business.)

The moral of the story is, buy some onions and place them in bowls around your home. If you work at a desk, place one or two in your office or under your desk or even on top somewhere. Try it and see what happens. We did it last year, and we never got the flu. If this helps you and your loved ones from getting sick, all the better. If you do get the flu, it just might be a mild case...Whatever, what have you to lose? Just a few bucks on onions!

Now there is a P.S. to this, for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to me on health issues. She replied with this most interesting experience about onions:

Thanks for the reminder. I don't know about the farmer's story...but I do know that I contracted pneumonia, and needless to say I was very ill...I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion. Put one end on a fork, and then place the forked end into an empty jar...placing the jar next to the sick patient at night. It said the onion would be black in the morning from the germs. Sure enough, it happened just like that...the onion was a mess, and I began to feel better. Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around the room saved many from the black plague years ago. They have powerful antibacterial, antiseptic properties.
This is the other note: LEFTOVER ONIONS ARE POISONOUS!

I have used an onion which has been left in the fridge. Sometimes I don't use a whole one at one time, so I save the other half for later. Now with this info, I have changed my mind. I will buy smaller onions in the future. I had the wonderful privilege of touring Mullins Food Products, makers of mayonnaise. Mullins is huge, and is owned by 11 brothers and sisters in the Mullins family. My friend, Jeanne, is the CEO.
Questions about food poisoning came up, and I wanted to share what I learned from a chemist.

The guy who gave us our tour is named Ed. He's one of the brothers. Ed is a chemistry expert and is involved in developing most of the sauce formula. He's even developed sauce formula for McDonald's.
Keep in mind that Ed is a food chemistry whiz. During the tour, someone asked if we really needed to worry about mayonnaise. People are always worried that mayonnaise will spoil. Ed's answer will surprise you. Ed said that all commercially-made mayo is completely safe.
"It doesn't even have to be refrigerated. No harm in refrigerating it, but it's not really necessary." He explained that the pH in mayonnaise is set at a point that bacteria could not survive in that environment. He then talked about the quintessential picnic, with the bowl of potato salad sitting on the table and how everyone blames the mayonnaise when someone gets sick. Ed says that when food poisoning is reported, the first thing the officials look for is when the 'victim' last ate ONIONS and where those onions came from (in the potato salad?). Ed says it's not the mayonnaise (as long as it's not homemade mayo) that spoils in the outdoors. It's probably the onions, and if not the onions, it's the POTATOES.
He explained, onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked onions. You should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced onion. He says it's not even safe if you put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your refrigerator. It's already contaminated enough just by being cut open and out for a bit, that it can be a danger to you (and doubly watch out for those onions you put in your hotdogs at the baseball park!)

Ed says if you take the leftover onion and cook it like crazy you'll probably be okay, but if you slice that leftover onion and put it on your sandwich, you're asking for trouble. Both the onions and the moist potato in a potato salad will attract and grow bacteria faster than any commercial mayonnaise will even begin to break down.
So, how's that for news? Take it for what you will. I (the author) am going to be very careful about my onions from now on. For some reason, I see a lot of credibility coming from a chemist and a company that produces millions of pounds of mayonnaise every year. Also, dogs should never eat onions. Their stomachs cannot metabolize onions.

Please remember it is dangerous to cut onions and try to use it to cook the next day. I t becomes highly poisonous for even a single night and creates toxic bacteria which may cause adverse stomach infections because of excess bile secretions and even food poisoning.

Tags: Free Motivation, Wolfgang Riebe, Free 'Useletter', February 2010 'Useletter'