Who does not want the best futures for his/her children? So what is the most important age for the development of a child? The first six years -- we learned most of our thinking and our behaviors, including how to succeed, how to deal with stress, and how to stay healthy, from the people close to us. Your children may have passed their critical ages, however your influence is still very powerful, for you are the parents -- the Authority Figures in their lives.



Who was close to you in your first six years? Have you run into any limits with "others' ways?" Do you want to pass the same things you learned down to your children? Do you want to know more about how to eat healthy and stay fit, how to prevent your children from becoming overweight or acquiring sexually transmitted diseases, how to help them deal with various criticisms, school, job finding and other stress and achieve more and fster? Our mind, body and inter-relations with our internal and external worlds are one integrated system.

Our thinking system is like the software running inside us, profoundly affecting our health, our emotions, our ability to handle stress in a crisis, and our ability to succeed. We could learn; we can relearn. Why some people are able to live up to their potential and have their dreams come true? Are they smarter, stronger and more courageous? No. Most of the time is because of the different thinking, which can be vision, ideas, ways of approach and internal power.

As most of our thinking was formulated at immature ages, we need to identify and replace the insufficient thinking that limits our potential. Sometimes, one improper software can turn a person's entire life upside down. Isn't it right to have high standards on your children? However, it could be troublesome if your child uses the "shoulds" standards on EVERYONE else. It could become dangerous if the trouble happens in a bad area. As these internal limits have become part of us, we may not be aware of their existence without sharp insights of self and others.

Not knowing enough is another internal limitation. I did not know what was internet, computer or Forbes in high school. What I want today is different from what I wanted then. How much we know and see can determine what we can achieve. To sharpen our insights of self and others, and upgrade our software" will enable us focus precisely, utilize resources fully and achieve more.

However, to free our potential within is only the beginning. Life is full of unexpected stress and health related risks, which can disable our minds, slow our progress or even take away our success.

Who could expect that the school shootings could happen? In these days, we can get stress almost anywhere, internally and externally. Stress can be a good motivator; it can also destroy our problem solving, bring down our emotions and cause health issues. A MTV's survey found that young people (age 13-24) are experiencing rising stress, 45% of girls/young women compared to 32 % of boys/young men, mainly due to school (13-17) and Job (18-24). The stress level is 80% among workers. As the American Institute of Stress estimated, stress costs U.S. corporations $300 billion a year in health costs, absenteeism and turnover.

With more and more stress facing us every day, we need to learn how to recognize negative symptoms of stress, how to relax from stress, how to utilize, eliminate and transform stress, and more importantly how to prevent stress from coming, including from our own mind or health. We don't have to be consumed by stress or crises. For live samples, you may read the article "Utilize, Eliminate & Transform Your Stress" at our web site. Human beings age not only by years, but also by life events and our reactions to them. We can certainly intervene in latter to look and feel young.

Good health enables our human mind and the ability to handle stress or crisis function at their fullest efficiency. How we deal with illnesses or injuries before and after seeing doctors can mean life or death, recovery or disability. If you have not had much experiences of taking care yourself or loved one in hospital, you may read the article "Don't Just Count On Your Doctors!" It has many life samples, too.

Without entering a profession in health, we can learn how to eat healthy and stay fit; how to sleep well; how to recognize and prevent common illnesses; how to avoid costly mistakes when you are well, ill, injured or in an emergency; how to select health specialties, including Acupuncture and Herbs, shorten hospital stays and get well faster.

The less you and children get sick, the less money, time, effort or even lives you would lose; the faster you can recover, the less stress you have to face. There is NO health insurance that pays them altogether. We need to stay healthy with full energy to enjoy life and face challenges. In addition, The U.S. health care costs has increased from 7.2% of the gross domestic product in 1970 to 16% in 2005, and it is expected to be 20% of GDP by 2015, per the National Coalition on Health care.

Our mind, body and inter-relations with our internal and external worlds are one integrated system. We can achieve more and achieve our goal more smoothly with our best "hardware and software" while enjoying better work/life balance and helping children grow more and faster. To improve three parts altogether systematically, instead of piece by piece, will allow us to see the big picture and build a solid foundation. Let's update ourselves while educating our children better!