THINGS TO CONSIDER TODAY    - A column by Leland Pulley that looks at issues and concerns in the lives of people and provides insights to help address them.

Avoiding Regrets Through Wise Decisions

Over the years there have been many changes in the lives of my wife and I. We have lived in eight cities located in six states. We’ve owned many homes, raised several children, held different jobs, and participated in a variety of activities. Each year there were opportunities presented to us, challenges to meet, and problems to solve. We had many choices and at the time we did the best we could to make the wisest decision or select the best choice for ourselves and our children. Each decision represented another chance to stay the same or change something in our lives. Sometimes it was best to keep things as they were and usually we did this. Other times the best choice was to change something and often we did this. For any change we then had to decide the best way to do this. Every decision was affected not only on what happened in the past, but what was available at the time, and how we perceived the future. Ultimately it did affect our future. Each decision affected the overall path that we were following in life. It could lead us down a little or up a little. It could set us back some, or move us straight ahead. Over the years the accumulative effects of our decisions began to establish a track record for us. In simple terms this record can be visualized as an arrow moving from the left or past to the right or future, with some small ups and downs in the arrow’s general shape. Overall, our track record produced some success and some failure, some contentment and some regrets.

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Fitting The Right Excercise Into Your Life

I belong to a fitness club that offers a variety of exercise machines, a swimming pool, racquetball courts, a yoga room, and basketball gym. There is even day care provided during certain hours for members with young children.

When you walk in the door, you can decide what type of exercise and the amount of it you would like to get that day. You can follow a program worked out by yourself, or receive help from a trainer at the club to plan out a fitness program for you. The program can be gradually made more difficult with time in order to challenge you. The big benefit is that you get to decide the variety of exercises to follow and how fast you build up your strength and endurance.

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LIFE IN THE MIDDLE TODAY  - A column by Colleen Pulley that illustrates how to face the challenges of life, make choices, and move onward; and in the process experience more joys along the way.

Help Your Children Develop Their Imagination And Creativity

Life is pretty simple to a kid. They really don’t need any more than a couple of cardboard boxes to create a train, hiding place, house, or a race car. Another kid can take a red blanket and presto! He’s Superman. When I was about six, a pile of colorful smooth river rocks became a circus, spread out over the back patio. That cheap entertainment kept me busy for weeks!

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Overcoming The Insurmountable With The Words "I Can"

Have you ever thought about how limiting it is when a person says “ I’d love to do that, but I can’t do it? “I can’t” is probably one of the greatest weapons available to ensuring failure in life. You never have to face rejection if “I can’t” has protected you from attempting something new and challenging. You’ll never take a class. You’ll never forgive a friend. You’ll never start a healthier lifestyle. You’ll never see someone else’s viewpoint. You’ll never see the person standing next to you, who could really use some help in life. By failing to act, you do not achieve.

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GUEST ARTICLE

A Night Out With The Family

Every year our city has a week long Italian festival where people can come and listen to free music while enjoying some of the best Italian food around. It's a fun, relaxed event that usually ends with the crowd joining the fun and dancing to traditional Italian music in the makeshift piazza . Every year since my husband and I started dating, we have attended this event and had a blast.

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