Ways to earn a living online part one

How to start online business

Starting an online has been a major challenge for internet newbies. First of all, some people really think that earning money is such a scam and it unreal. but before anyone can come to that conclusion, you can take a look at people like Mark zukerberg, Marissa Mayer, Josh Berman myspace, Billionaire Jeff Bezos, founder and owner of Amazon.com, Shai Wininger, Micha Kaufman owner of Fiverr, and other prominent young people. you too can be like these people if only you take the right step.

The following are just a few of the benefits of owning your own Internet enterprise to help encourage you to make the leap:
Reason #1 – Find the ultimate job security
Reason #2 – Work on projects you’re passionate about
Reason #3 – Access a wider network of clients and buyers
Reason #4 – Cut your child care expenses
Reason #5 – Explore your interests
Reason #6 – Enjoy low startup costs
Reason #7 – Increase your earning potential

If you’re employed in a full-time day job, your earning power is limited by your field and your experience. If you work as a teacher, for instance, you can accrue all the experience and certifications you want – you’re still never going to hit the same million dollar salaries that investment bankers or lawyers will. But with online business, the sky’s the limit.

If you sell one product online, you can train yourself to sell fifty. If you decide to expand your service offerings significantly, you can always take on additional employees to help manage the workload. Instead of negotiating a pithy 3% raise with your boss, you’re essentially creating this increase (and much, much more) for yourself – a truly empowering experience that makes all the risk and uncertainty of Internet business worth it.

Here are some online businesses you can put your investment into and have your initial initial investment by 200% profit. with the right marketing strategy put in place, you will be close reaching your dream
1. Online Community website
you can Start your own online community or agency website right now.

this is an online community website where users can signup and connect with other via your website.

As the website admin you can setup free and paid membership packages, customize registration and profile files and develop your very own niche market online community website.

2. Product Comparison site
you Create your own price comparison website.
this is a product comparison website that displays affiliate products and allows you to setup price comparisons.

This site is ideal for creating SEO-friendly affiliate websites for displaying products and earning affiliate commission. Products can be manually added or automatically imported from Amazon, Ebay, Datafeedr, CSV/XML feed.

3. E-commerce Shopping Cart
you can Sell products, services, digital downloads or affiliate items online here.

this is a fully functional shopping cart website allowing you to create beautiful, SEO-friendly online stores in minutes.

This site is ideal for anyone starting an online store selling their own products and services, affiliate products, digital downloads such as ebooks and music or even catalog and product showcase websites.

4. A Directory website

this is an online directory website with lots of built-in tools and features to build great looking directories in minutes.
This website is ideal for creating local or online directories, holiday, property and affiliate directories or free and paid listing directory websites.


5. Deal Auction site Like dealdey.com

This can be easily customized and allows visitors to add/edit and manage their auctions.

This site is ideal for creating niche market auction websites, website and business auctions such as Flippa or even as an additional service bolted onto to your existing website and integrated into your website Network.

6. Coupon website.

This is an online coupon website allowing you to add/import coupons, offers and earn advertising and affiliate commission.

This site is ideal for affiliate marketers to earn commission from product and service sales, local businesses to advertise their coupons or even as an additional service for your existing online website.


7. Real Estate website

this is a beautiful, easy to customize real estate and property showcase websites with lots of great realtor features.

This website is ideal for creating online property directories similar to right move, holiday rental and advertisement website or as a showcase and property portfolio websites.


8. start your Video sharing website.

you can Import or upload videos and create public or private video websites.

This is a video website that allows you to add your own videos and/or import videos from youtube and metacafe.

This website is ideal for anyone starting a video sharing website, tutorial or training website allowing you to create video teasers, public/private video access and membership packages for limiting who can watch each video.


9. Classifieds Theme

This is a feature-rich Classifieds website optimized for search engines (SEO-friendly) and capable of handling thousands of classified listings without a sweat!

This website is ideal for starting your own niche market classifieds website, allowing you to create membership packages with different features, prices and display options so visitors to submit their classifieds to your website.


10. A Job Board website like jobberman.com

Start your own jobs board for members to post and bid on new job listings.

This will be similar to Elance, PoplePerHour, guru or Freelancer. It allows members to add their job listing and members to login and bid on the work.

This is a great theme for creating niche market job board websites or adding it as an additional extra to your existing website.


11. Resume/CV Publishing website.

this is a website that lets visitors build online resumes to share with clients, employers, friends and family.


Each resume has its own unique website link so users can share their resume links online and bring traffic to your website which could then convert into new members. The admin can setup free/paid account and listing options.

Austin Ezeodum

austinezeodum@gmail.com

http://www.massiveutubeviews.com

A huge diamond planet is discovered in space

A rocky planet twice Earth's size, called 55 Cancri e, that orbits a nearby star is likely a diamond planet, according to new research.

55 Cancri e has a radius twice Earth's and a mass eight times greater, making it a "super-Earth." It is one of five planets orbiting the sun-like star, 55 Cancri, that is located 40 light years from Earth yet visible to the naked eye in the constellation of Cancer. The planet orbits at hyper speed; its year lasts just 18 hours, in contrast to Earth's 365 days. It is also blazing hot, with a temperature of about 3,900 degrees Fahrenheit, researchers said, a far cry from a habitable world. 

The planet was first observed transiting its star last year, allowing astronomers to measure its radius for the first time. 


Location of 55 Cancri in the constellation Cancer. You can see it with the naked eye and even better with binoculars. Credit: Nikku Madhusudhan; created using Sky Map Online

"This is our first glimpse of a rocky world with a fundamentally different chemistry from Earth," said lead researcher Nikku Madhusudhan, a Yale postdoctoral researcher in physics and astronomy. "The surface of this planet is likely covered in graphite and diamond rather than water and granite."

This new information, combined with the most recent estimate of its mass, allowed Madhusudhan and colleagues to infer its chemical composition using models of its interior and computing all possible combinations of elements and compounds that would yield those specific characteristics.

Astronomers had previously reported that the host star has more carbon than oxygen, and Madhusudhan and colleagues confirmed that substantial amounts of carbon and silicon carbide, and a negligible amount of water ice, were available during the planet's formation.

Astronomers also thought 55 Cancri e contained a substantial amount of super-heated water, based on the assumption that its chemical makeup was similar to Earth's, Madhusudhan said. But the new research suggests the planet has no water at all, and appears to be composed primarily of carbon (as graphite and diamond), iron, silicon carbide, and, possibly, some silicates. The study estimates that at least a third of the planet's mass — the equivalent of about three Earth masses — could be diamond.


Artist's conception of the interior of 55 Cancri e — an extremely hot planet with a surface of mostly graphite surrounding a thick layer of diamond, below which is a layer of silicon-based minerals and a molten iron core at the center. Image by Haven Giguere

"By contrast, Earth's interior is rich in oxygen, but extremely poor in carbon — less than a part in thousand by mass," says co-author and Yale geophysicist Kanani Lee. 

The identification of a carbon-rich super-Earth means that distant rocky planets can no longer be assumed to have chemical constituents, interiors, atmospheres, or biologies similar to those of Earth, Madhusudhan said. The discovery also opens new avenues for the study of geochemistry and geophysical processes in Earth-sized alien planets. A carbon-rich composition could influence the planet's thermal evolution and plate tectonics, for example, with implications for volcanism, seismic activity, and mountain formation. 

"Stars are simple — given a star's mass and age, you know its basic structure and history," said David Spergel, professor of astronomy and chair of astrophysical sciences at Princeton University, who is not a co-author of the study. "Planets are much more complex. This 'diamond-rich super-Earth' is likely just one example of the rich sets of discoveries that await us as we begin to explore planets around nearby stars." 

In 2011, Madhusudhan led the first discovery of a carbon-rich atmosphere in a distant gas giant planet, opening the possibility of long-theorized carbon-rich rocky planets (or "diamond planets"). The new research represents the first time that astronomers have identified a likely diamond planet around a sun-like star and specified its chemical make-up. Follow-up observations of the planet's atmosphere and additional estimates of the stellar composition would strengthen the findings about the planet's chemical composition.

Article upcoming in the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters. Preprint: Nikku Madhusudhan, Kanani K. M. Lee, Olivier Mousis, 'A Possible Carbon-rich Interior in Super-Earth 55 Cancri e'

How to keep your man begging for more!

So, you met your Mr. Right and your marriage/relationship is as strong, exciting, and hot as ever. My advice is, never go slow in your show of affection for him.

How to keep your man interested and the fire of love burning should be your utmost priority. Make him feel that he is the luckiest guy for having chosen you. Here as some tips to keep your man’s interest:

1. Be confident about yourself. Seeing you looking good and feeling good about yourself will certainly make your man happy. He will also be confident about his feelings for you and his take on your relationship.

Wear dresses that will make you look perfect on a date with him. Don’t overdo your make-up. Just make it light and simple. Natural beauty is still a guy’s preference. Maintain your youthfulness and femininity.

When around him, don’t pretend to be somebody else. Just be your natural self. A man would love seeing you do things for him even if you would look awkward. Singing his favorite song to him even if you’re out of tune will endear you to him more.

2. Make him feel important. Nothing will make a man more interested than knowing that he is important in your life, just as you are to him. Simple gestures like buying him things without him asking for it, preparing him dinner after a hard and tiring day at work, preparing his clothes for work in the morning, listening to him share his achievements of the day, laughing at his jokes, or surprising him on his birthday will surely make him want to be with you more.

3. Make him feel like a man. Boosting your man’s ego is definitely not wrong. Telling him that he looks awesome in his suit or that he stands out in a crowd will make him feel good about himself. It will also boost his ego knowing that you feel protected or secure when he’s around.

4. Keep him intrigued. Keep him interested in you by letting him realize that you are getting more fascinating every single day. Showing him what you are capable of, surprising him of your cooking abilities, dressing up for him, showing your love and care for him in different ways will definitely let him stay. Keeping him intrigued will want him to see you often to know more about you.

5. Know his likes. Your man will appreciate it if you spend time with him and do the things that he likes even if you may not like it at all or may be a bit clumsy with it. It also helps if you do a little research on what he likes and surprising him with them. Seeing you take an effort in wearing his favorite color, cooking his favorite food, playing his favorite sports, or singing his favorite tune will definitely keep his interest in you.

6. Love him but don’t be clingy. Your man is not a robot. He needs space and time for himself and for his guy friends. Allow him to go out once in a while with his friends and also enjoy some time with your own set of friends as well. Men love independent women, so have your sense of independence even if you’re in a relationship with him. But make sure that he still feels the need to protect and care for you. Assure him that nothing beats the feeling of security when you’re beside him. That way, he’ll keep his interest in you.

7. Be well-mannered. A man will surely love you more if he sees that you value people around you and if you show your kindness and grace. Your man will feel luckier knowing that he has beside him a well-mannered woman like you.

8. Give him a massage. Men love to be pampered too. Surprise him with a body or back massage after a long and hard day at work. It simply shows that you care for him a lot.

9. Stay fresh (hygiene, no grandma panties lol, get your eyebrows done, no do-rags)

10. Don’t listen to rumors.

11. Don’t give him a hard time, be supportive

12. Don’t talk him to death.

13. Don’t listen to your single girl-friends

14. Add this yourself using the comment box below

There are many ways on how to keep your man interested. As long as you truly love and care for him, you will do things for him that will make him stay with you forever.

Watch video. Nun shoplifts beer from convenience store

This ‘nun‘ appears to have picked up a bad habit after she was caught on surveillance camera stealing beer from a convenience store.

The footage offers little detail as to where and when the petty criminal was filmed, suggesting it could be a prankster trying out their Halloween costume a few weeks early.

In the clip, a person in a habit and long, dark dress walks up to the row of refrigerators and takes a can from the shelf, before dropping it into a pocket.

The ‘nun‘ then shoplifts a bottle of water before grabbing another beer and taking off.

The video clip was posted to YouTube, It also featured on various news outlets, including News Channel 3 in Oklahoma.

Real or not, this sister is going to have some serious confessing to do.

U.S. VP debate...On Biden and Ryan.

The Biden-Ryan debate was much livelier than the Obama-Romney debate, everyone says. First of all, I'd like to say VP. Biden is one jolly, good fellow. I like his guts and he's a spirited, old guy. Secondly someone should tell Congressman Ryan you can't experiment with the economy. He was all about normative statements, but Ryan, you can't be hypothetical when you are talking about the economy. It can't work. I was a little disappointed. Maybe Romney has something but Ryan is completely out of the question. He relies on studies/researches to tell how their policies would work? Like seriously!! Arguably, Romney/Ryan think the economy of the U.S.A or any other country in the world is like a game where you just have to follow some certain rules to get it fixed. Heck no! You don't come with hypothesis and start saying we're going to do this and that without backing it up with solid policies and not researches and studies. Researchers can be wrong, Ryan, they can be. These Romney/Ryan guys are just programmed by fox news and what the media says. It's obvious these guys have ideas but a large chunk of it won't work and sadly they won't know that until they get elected which of course will be too late. 

The U.S economy will be much much safer under Obama/Biden. Congressman Paul Ryan made us know that in the debate. It's much easier to blabber when you read economics textbooks and talk high school economics, but Romney/Ryan will smell the coffee when or if they get elected. Romney and Ryan are coming in to try out their experiments and by the time they know how tough it is, the U.S. economy would be much worse off. You don't experiment with an economy! And yeah, that Congressman Ryan, is a bunch of malarkey!

Another thing was about the war. Biden reiterated that America will be pulling out of Afghanistan in 2014, Ryan said he supports but has reservations as the time-line might not be very accurate. What the freaking heck! The U.S. can't definitely afford another war now. It's time to spend all that dough on the American people and it's about time America takes her snout out of other countries' businesses. Do we all remember Napoleon? Do we remember his guns vs butter policy? If America continues to spend more on war then the welfare of her people will meet with jeopardy soon enough as the two can't be balanced. You gotta choose one, Paul Ryan. The deficits accrued already are as a result of trying to spend so much money on war at the expense of welfare and the economy, taking into consideration the 47% who will never pay taxes. The middle class makes up the American economy. Restore the middle class and it's uhuru. How long will America continue to borrow? It just doesn't make sense.

The U.S.A.will be better under Obama/Romney but that is my personal opinion. If on the other hand Romney and Ryan get elected, then America should prepare to keep financing wars with tax payers money and expect mere experiments from these two guys. It just doesn't add up to me! Paul Ryan said 'we can't keep spending money we don't have', yet he wants American troops to stay in Afghanistan. He wants more war and war. Maybe I just don't like this guy because he strikes me as ignorant, uptight, arrogant and hypothetical but if I'm to choose between Obama/Biden being the devil, and Romney/Ryan being the deep, blue sea, then the devil will be my exclusive choice. 

Marriage rules you should break

The two of you should do everything together; work out every disagreement (without actually fighting); spend every night in the same bed; and never, ever be bored. Say what?! These and other so-called “rules” for marriage need some serious debunking. And it’s not just because rules your mother may have passed on are outdated; some may be downright damaging. In fact, “breaking some marriage ‘rules’ may be the best thing you can do for your relationship,” says Barbara Bartlein, RN, MSW, psychotherapist and author of Why Did I Marry You Anyway? Here are 10 rules you can break with confidence.

1. Never go to bed angry. 
Where did this one come from? Turns out, it may go as far back as the Bible, which advises not letting the sun go down on your anger. But trying to work through a problem when you’re tired and stressed won’t get you anywhere, says Elizabeth Lombardo, PhD, psychologist and author of A Happy You: Your Ultimate Prescription for Happiness. “Agree to disagree for now, and to revisit the issue when you’re rested.”



2. Always be 100% honest. 
In marriage, no-holds-barred honesty is not always the best policy. For example, “you don’t need to share details of past relationships,” says Bartlein. “That invites comparisons, and when you compare, someone comes up short.” The bottom line: You need to be polite and caring when it comes to your partner’s feelings.

3. Never vacation without each other. 
The received wisdom here is that if you have time off from your jobs and lives, you should naturally prefer to spend it together. One problem with this rule is that you and your spouse may not have the same definition of a great getaway (you like to ski, he’s a beach bum). The other danger, says Dr. Lombardo, is the belief “that you have to be each other’s everything, and that’s just not realistic.” Sometimes, you need a spa weekend, and he may want to go camping (or vice versa). Just be sure that you don’t always take off without each other.




4. If you fight, you’re headed for divorce. 
Actually, says Bartlein, research shows that couples who never fight—assuming that means they’re holding back to avoid conflict—are more likely to split. You need to find ways to fight healthily and productively (without blaming, name-calling and the like), but that said, being committed to respectfully airing out conflicts is a far better rule than “keep your mouth shut.”

5. Once you have children, they come first. 
“So often, I see couples who have put their relationship on hold in order to be good parents,” says Dr. Lombardo. But those couples, she says, have it exactly backward. Making your relationship top priority is better not just for you, but for your children, who need to see you in charge and who feel safer and more secure with parents who have a loving relationship. “Create couple-only time during which you do not discuss bills or children, where you do fun activities and enjoy each other's company.” The kids’ll be all right.



6. You should never sleep in separate beds. 
Um, snore much? It’s a myth that couples always sleep better and more cozily together than apart. One partner may be a toss-and-turner, or one may hit the hay early while the other keeps a reading light burning till the wee hours. So if one of you occasionally decamps to the guest room, don’t sweat it. “Getting a good night’s sleep is crucial to the health of your mind, body andmarriage,” says Dr. Lombardo. Just be sure a separate-bed habit isn’t about avoiding sex or physical intimacy.

7. Partners should sync up their hobbies. 
Though spending every free moment you have training for a marathon while your spouse works on his classic car isn’t good for your marriage, neither is subscribing to the notion you should quit doing what you love just because your husband doesn’t love the same things. Giving up your passions is akin to forgoing your independence, and “without independence in a marriage people feel trapped,” says Bartlein. Pursue your separate interests and find activities you both enjoy.



8. If there’s no spark, you’re doomed. 
Many married couples understand intellectually that they won’t always experience that I’ve-been-drugged-by-love feeling in a long-term relationship. “But many still believe that when the spark dies out, it means they’re in the wrong relationship, and seek something new,” says Bartlein. Long-term relationships survive on commitment and trust, out of which grows love. The mistake here is to believe that you can live forever on fireworks, or even just love, alone.



9. Boring is bad. 
The problem with this so-called rule, says Bartlein, is when couples confuse a calm, predictable union with a bad one. A drama-filled relationship may feel exciting, but in the long run it’s not likely to be healthy. Isn’t it better, she says, to “boringly” know where your spouse is every night than to be “excited” by constant ups and downs? “Better to have a safe, relaxed, ‘boring’ life together in the everyday. You can always inject excitement with vacations and activities.”

10. You should have sex with your partner to make him/her happy. 
This may be a particular problem for women, especially new mothers. “Sex becomes yet another item on your to-do list, and you think you have to do it for the sake of your marriage, and the happiness of your spouse,” says Dr. Lombardo. While neither of those reasons is wrong, they shouldn’t be the only reasons. “Sex is for both of you.”




Source:  http://www.womansday.com/sex-relationships/dating-marriage/10-marriage-rules-you-should-break-106237

10 Ways to make your relationship happy!

What does it take to be happy in a relationship? If you're working to improve your relationship/marriage, here are the 10 habits of happy couples.

1. Go to bed at the same time
Remember the beginning of your relationship, when you couldn't wait to go to bed with each other to make love? Happy couples resist the temptation to go to bed at different times. They go to bed at the same time, even if one partner wakes up later to do things while their partner sleeps.

2. Cultivate common interests
After the passion settles down, it's common to realize that you have few interests in common. But don't minimize the importance of activities you can do together that you both enjoy. If common interests are not present, happy couples develop them. At the same time, be sure to cultivate interests of your own; this will make you more interesting to your mate and prevent you from appearing too dependent.

3. Walk hand in hand or side by side
Rather than one partner lagging or dragging behind the other, happy couples walk comfortably hand in hand or side by side. They know it's more important to be with their partner than to see the sights along the way.

4. Make trust and forgiveness your default mode
If and when they have a disagreement or argument, and if they can't resolve it, happy couples default to trusting and forgiving rather than distrusting and begrudging.

5. Focus more on what your partner does right than what he or she does wrong
If you look for things your partner does wrong, you can always find something. If you look for what he or she does right, you can always find something, too. It all depends on what you want to look for. Happy couples accentuate the positive.

6. Hug each other as soon as you see each other after work
Our skin has a memory of "good touch" (loved), "bad touch" (abused) and "no touch" (neglected). Couples who say hello with a hug keep their skin bathed in the "good touch," which can inoculate your spirit against anonymity in the world.

7. Say "I love you" and "Have a good day" every morning
This is a great way to buy some patience and tolerance as each partner sets out each day to battle traffic jams, long lines and other annoyances.

8. Say "Good night" every night, regardless of how you feel
This tells your partner that, regardless of how upset you are with him or her, you still want to be in the relationship. It says that what you and your partner have is bigger than any single upsetting incident.

9. Do a "weather" check during the day
Call your partner at home or at work to see how his or her day is going. This is a great way to adjust expectations so that you're more in sync when you connect after work. For instance, if your partner is having an awful day, it might be unreasonable to expect him or her to be enthusiastic about something good that happened to you.

10. Be proud to be seen with your partner
Happy couples are pleased to be seen together and are often in some kind of affectionate contact -- hand on hand or hand on shoulder or knee or back of neck. They are not showing off but rather just saying that they belong with each other.

Happy couples have different habits than unhappy couples. A habit is a discrete behavior that you do automatically and that takes little effort to maintain. It takes 21 days of daily repetition of a new a behavior to become a habit. So select one of the behaviors in the list above to do for 21 days and voila, it will become a habit...and make you happier as a couple. And if you fall off the wagon, don't despair, just apologize to your partner, ask their forgiveness and recommit yourself to getting back in the habit.

Billionaire CEO Threatens To Fire Employees If Obama Wins

The CEO of a massive timeshare company sent an email about the upcoming election to his employees yesterday, threatening to fire some of them if President Obama wins re-election.

David Siegel, who owns Florida-based Westgate Resorts, sent an email to all his employees yesterday to discuss the upcoming election. “The economy doesn’t currently pose a threat to your job,” Siegel wrote, noting that the company is “the most profitable [it's] ever been.” “What does threaten your job however, is another 4 years of the same Presidential administration.” He went on to say that although he “can’t tell you whom to vote for,” if Obama is re-elected, it would mean “fewer jobs, less benefits and certainly less opportunity for everyone.”

Here are a few select paragraphs from the email:

Subject: Message from David Siegel
Date:Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:58:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: [David Siegel]
To: [All employees]

To All My Valued Employees,

As most of you know our company, Westgate Resorts, has continued to succeed in spite of a very dismal economy. There is no question that the economy has changed for the worse and we have not seen any improvement over the past four years. In spite of all of the challenges we have faced, the good news is this: The economy doesn’t currently pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is another 4 years of the same Presidential administration. Of course, as your employer, I can’t tell you whom to vote for, and I certainly wouldn’t interfere with your right to vote for whomever you choose. In fact, I encourage you to vote for whomever you think will serve your interests the best.

However, let me share a few facts that might help you decide what is in your best interest.

[...]

So where am I going with all this? It’s quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, as our current President plans, I will have no choice but to reduce the size of this company. Rather than grow this company I will be forced to cut back. This means fewer jobs, less benefits and certainly less opportunity for everyone.

So, when you make your decision to vote, ask yourself, which candidate understands the economics of business ownership and who doesn’t? Whose policies will endanger your job? Answer those questions and you should know who might be the one capable of protecting and saving your job. While the media wants to tell you to believe the “1 percenters” are bad, I’m telling you they are not. They create most of the jobs. If you lose your job, it won’t be at the hands of the “1%”; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country.

You can view the email in full here.

Siegel earned national notoriety this year for his quest to build the biggest house in America, “a sprawling, 90,000-square-foot mansion inspired by Versailles.”

In a bizarre twist, Siegel’s email was modeled after a fake letter that made the rounds on the internet during the last presidential election. He confirmed his own email’s authenticity in a phone call to Gawker, saying that “it speaks the truth” and gives employees “something to think about when they go to the polls.”

ThinkProgress reached out to Siegel for comment, but no response was given.

Like seriously!!!

10 Signs of a Serious Relationship

When you are with someone you really care about, how can you tell if that person is the one for you? How can you find out where your relationship stands? Are there any clues that could tell you if the relationship will lead into marriage?

Perhaps you are at the stage where you feel that you are ready to settle down and would like to know if the relationship is going anywhere. How do you find out if the person you are with is as committed to you as you are to him/her?

Below are some signs that could help you tell how serious and dedicated you and your partner are getting and how close you are into taking that next step:

1. You drop the “I” or “you” and start referring to each other as “we”.

2. There is no one else that you can imagine being with than him or her. They are starting to become the most important person in your life.

3. You catch yourself thinking about ways to please your partner rather than yourself.

4. You see yourselves growing old together, walking hand in hand along the shore, and taking care of each other.

5. You have fun imagining what your children and grandchildren will be like.

6. You start looking at money in a different way, like thinking about buying a house together, saving for a trip together, spending it on anything that you both can share.

7. You cancel dates with your friends and other people because you would rather spend time with him or her.

8. You start feeling tired of the single life and start thinking about getting married.

9. You feel strongly that it is very important for your family and your ‘special someone’s’ parents to get along.

10. You start thinking and talking more about the future and your goals together.

Diet for your brain (recipes included!)

If you are preparing for the bar exam your diet is probably the last thing on your mind. Does it really matter that you had that pastry for breakfast? What if I told you that adding these 12 foods to your diet would improve your memory, increase your concentration, raise your mental energy level, and make you sleep better at night?

Just like a race car running on high, during times of stress your mind and body need good quality fuel to run well. But it’s during high times of stress that we tend to eat the worst. We don’t think we have time to eat healthy. We desperately need that soda to stay awake and definitely deserve that breakfast muffin. I remember being addicted to the Pete’s carrot ginger muffins when I was studying for the bar.

I’m not saying you can’t treat yourself or that you need to drastically change your eating habits. This is not the time to go on a diet, quit smoking or try to get off coffee. But if you simply add these 12 foods to your diet, you will be giving your brain real fuel, which can be a game changer in times of stress. I have also included a few of my favorite easy recipes below.

Top 12 Brain Foods

1. Water

Drink more water. 85% of your brain tissue is water. When you are dehydrated your brain shrinks and doesn’t function as well. You should be drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. If you get headaches, it’s probably because you are not drinking enough water.

2. Green Tea

You may like coffee in the morning or diet coke in the afternoon, but if you’re willing to change it up occasionally, try green tea. It improves your focus and fights mental fatigue. It also includes antioxidants that enhance your memory.

3. Green Leafy Vegetables

Green vegetables are also Study Super Foods. The vitamins in broccoli help convert tryptophan into serotonin, your good mood brain chemical, and the large amounts of vitamin K in broccoli enhance cognitive function and improve brainpower. Try adding green veggies like spinach, broccoli and brussels sprouts to your diet. The easiest way to add green veggies is simply to add a salad to your lunch and dinner.

4. Avocados

Avocados are a “Super Study Food.” They contain good fats, which contribute to healthy blood flow to your brain and support proper brain function. I recommend adding 1/4 to 1/2 of an avocado to one meal daily as a side dish. Adding avocados to your eggs creates the perfect pre-study breakfast.

5. Fruits

Instead of grabbing those potato chips, grab an apple, banana or orange. It will give you antioxidants that boost your brain and body function. A great mid-day snack is bananas or apples with almond butter. You can get almond butter from most grocery stores or health food stores.

6. Oatmeal Topped with Yogurt and Blueberries

This is a great brain breakfast combo. Blueberries are possibly the best brain food on earth because they strengthen your neuron signals, which improves your brain function. They are also high in fiber and low on the glycemic index, so they won’t spike your blood sugar like that muffin or scone. Oatmeal and other whole grains boost blood flow to the brain and stick with you, keeping you full until lunch. And an amino acid in yogurt helps improve your mental alertness and memory.

7. Nuts and Seeds

Both nuts and seeds boost your brain power and improve your mood. Nuts like almonds, cashews or walnuts contain protein, fiber, and beneficial fats. Snack on nuts to clear up that mid-morning brain fog. Sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds are particularly good because they contain tryptophan, the amino acid the brain converts to serotonin. So these little seeds can also improve your mood and help you sleep. I love sunflower seeds in the shells because I have to work at them. It gives me something to do when I study to keep me awake. And ladies, because pumpkin seeds also contain lots of zinc, they have been shown to increase your libido – just something to keep in mind.

8. Eggs

Eggs contain high-quality proteins, vitamins and nutrients. One nutrient in eggs even boosts the memory center of your brain.

9. Fish

Fish is a good mood food. Salmon and tuna contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which can improve memory, and reduce anxiety and hyperactivity.

10. Brown Rice and Beans or Lentils

Beans and lentils are rich in quality protein, so they will fill you up, while also help stabilizing your blood sugar levels and energizing your brain. Brown rice contains the perfect mix of carbohydrates and fiber to fuel your brain while keeping you full.

11. Popcorn

Fat free popcorn is a whole grain. So snacking on popcorn (not the buttery or sugary kind) can help boost blood flow to the brain.

12. Chocolate

Yes, chocolate does actually make you happier. Dark chocolate, in moderation, enhances your focus and concentration. Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants and contains several natural stimulants, which increase the production of endorphins.

Balancing Meals

For best brain results balance good carbohydrates with proteins. Your brain actually needs carbohydrates for fuel. But try to avoid any meals that are purely carbohydrates. A high carbohydrate meal will make you feel sleepy and sluggish later. And remember that carbs like candy, chips, white bread, pastries and pasta give quick energy, but don’t go the long haul. Healthy carbs like whole grains, fruits, veggies, and lentils provide longer lasting fuel for the brain.

I have included a few easy recipes below. If you have foods that you like to eat when you study, share them here.

Want more tips to improve your brain function? Lauren Firestein is the founder of the Mind Over Bar Course, an innovative course that focuses only on the mental challenges of the bar exam. The course teaches in-the-moment practices you can use study faster and easier and rock the bar exam.

Scrambled Eggs with Avocado
2-3 Eggs
½ Avocado, chopped into small cubes
Cheddar cheese
Canned Mexican flavored tomatoes (Rotel is my favorite brand.)
Chili powder
Cumin
Cilantro

As you scramble the eggs in a pan, add the chili powder and cumin. Once the eggs are almost done, add the canned tomatoes and cheddar cheese. At the end, fold in the fresh avocado and cilantro. Top with your favorite salsa.

For another variation: Replace cheddar with goat cheese, Mexican flavored canned tomatoes with fresh tomatoes, and chili powder, cumin and cilantro with fresh basil.

Tasty Brown Rice and Beans
Cooked brown rice
Your favorite type of canned beans – garbanzo, white cannelli, soy, lentils, black, etc.
Canned tomatoes of any flavor (Mexican flavored, Italian flavored, etc.)
Juice of one lemon

Combine all ingredients, microwave and enjoy.

Easy Lunch Tostada
2 corn tortillas
1 Zucchini, cut into small cubes
1 Squash, cut into small cubes
5-6 fresh cherry tomatoes, chopped (or canned tomatoes)
Olive oil
Mexi corn (canned or frozen)
1 can black beans
Salsa
Chili powder
Cumin

Preheat your oven to 400°. Put foil on a cookie sheet, drizzle a little olive oil on the foil and very lightly coat the tortillas with the oil. Bake them for 7-10 minutes, checking often as the burn quickly.

In a large pan, cook the zucchini and squash in a little olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Season with chili powder and cumin to taste. Once they are almost done, add the cherry tomatoes, mexi-corn, black beans, and 2 tablespoons salsa. Cook until everything is warm. Spoon mixture on cooked crisp tortillas.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons good olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Cut them in half. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a cookie sheet and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt ( I like these salty like French fries), and serve immediately.

Yummy Green Salad
Baby spinach leaves
¼ cup Broccoli, chopped
¼ Cucumber, sliced
1 carrot, sliced (or use shredded carrots)
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
¼ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
Balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing to taste