Notes from Dr. Lee

Dear Colleagues,

Tradeshows play a very important role in the growth and development of Biologix into the domestic and international markets. Among the obvious reasons for exhibiting at these shows around the world, we are also able to use them as a form of market research.

Over the past tradeshows this year and last year, Biologix has experienced a significant increase in brand recognition. Those who had never heard of our brand years ago now are familiar with the Biologix brand and the quality products it stands for.

This is a wonderful achievement for us, as well as our customers. For those customers who offer the Biologix branded products, your marketing is supplemented by the marketing Biologix carries out. We have, in a sense, a collaborative effort in achieving the same goal.

I want to take this opportunity to thank each our customers who are carrying the Biologix Branded products for their individual efforts in promoting the Biologix name so effectively. The results of these efforts are recognized at the tradeshows, as well as by customer interest in general. I hope that these types of efforts will continue to grow over this year, and Biologix will continue to support your marketing efforts any way we can. Thank you all and we hope for continued success through the rest of 2008!

Sincerely,

Winston Lee M.D., Ph.D.

Why Practice?

A class of high school basketball players with similar skills was divided into three groups to conduct an experiment.

Group one was told not to practice shooting free throws for one month. Group two was told to practice shooting free throws an hour a day for a month. Group three was told to practice shooting free throws an hour a day for a month – but only in their imaginations.

At the end of the month, all three groups were tested. The group that didn't practice slipped slightly in its percentage of free throw successes. The group that practiced an hour a day also slipped slightly. But the third group, which practiced only in their minds, increased its success rate by two percentage points.

How could actual practice, such as that done by the second group, fail to improve performances as much as practicing in the mind?

The explanation is that in your mind, you never miss a shot.

What are you practicing in your mind?

Give That Customer What He Wants!

A store manager accidentally overheard one of his salesmen talking to a customer. “No, sir,” the salesman said. “We haven't had any for a long time and it doesn't look like we'll be getting any very soon, either.”

The manager, appalled at the discouraging news his salesman had delivered, called after the departing customer, “You come back in a week or so, and we'll have whatever you want!” Then the manager turned to the salesman and yelled, “Never, ever tell a customer we're out of something and can't get it for him! Tell them we'll have it for them as soon as possible! What in the world did that customer want anyway?”

“Rain,” answered the salesman.

How To Grow A Great Garden

The trees are budding, the grass is growing, and you're thinking of all those wonderful garden plans you never got around to last year. This year, get a head start on the season with some tips to help save time and avoid disappointment. And don't forget to involve the kids – this is one of the few times you can give them permission to play in the dirt!

• If your only winter crop was couch potatoes, be careful. Don't strain those underworked winter muscles. Bend at the knees and lift with your legs, not your back.
• Check your garden chemicals and dispose of last season's leftovers appropriately. Don't buy more chemicals than you can use in a season – the smaller the bottle, the better.
• Avoid using insecticides by planting marigolds, basil, mint, chives, onions, and chrysanthemums near or in your garden. Secretions from these and many other plants act as a natural insect repellent.
• If cleaning out the fireplace is on your schedule, great! Save the ashes – your flower beds love them.
• Starting seedlings in vermiculite to get a jump on the season? Be sure to transplant them as soon as the second pair of true leaves form, or they'll starve.
• Your soil is ready for planting when you grab a handful and it crumbles. If it forms a ball, it's still too wet to start gardening.
• Mulches can keep the soil from warming up, so wait to apply mulches until plants are three to four inches tall and the soil is warm.
• Use leaves, grass clippings, coffee grounds, and tea bags to form a compost pile, and use it to enrich your soil. For best results, chop elements into small pieces before adding them to the pile.
• Many of last year's plants will multiply. If you're going to thin them out, pack up a few as gifts for your neighbors (this is a great job for kids).

And don't forget to sit back and enjoy your handiwork!

- Adapted from homemadesimple.com

Saying “I'm Sorry” – The Right Way

Apologies are an important and necessary way for humans to maintain long-term relationships. If you've received an apology that wasn't done well, then you know how much it matters to apologize the right way. Here are three recommendations on how to deliver a winning apology:

• Take responsibility. Tell the person you're apologizing to exactly what you're sorry for: “I'm sorry I lost control of my temper the other night.” Stay away from excuses such as, “I've been fighting with my husband a lot and I just lost it.” Stick with what happened and don't blame your shortcoming on anything or anyone else.
• Acknowledge that you've hurt the other person. Say, “I know I hurt you.” Avoid saying, “You seemed offended from what I said.”
• Let the other person know that you have good intentions for the future. Be specific. Say, “I will remember how much I've hurt you. I will also remember that you don't like to be criticized publicly.” This is better than just saying you'll try not to do it in the future.

Marriage has no guarantees. If that's what you're looking for, go live with a car battery.

– Erma Bombeck

Help Your Child Get A Good Night's Sleep

Does your child suffer from sleep problems? If so, he or she is more likely to have trouble falling asleep than staying asleep. Here are some tips to help your children sleep better from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine:

Follow a consistent bedtime routine. Set aside 10 to 30 minutes to get your child ready to go to sleep.
Establish a relaxing setting at bedtime.
Interact with your child at bedtime. Don't let the television, computer or video games take your place.
Keep your children from TV programs, movies and video games that are not appropriate for their age.
Don't let your child fall asleep while being held, rocked, nursed, or fed a bottle.
At bedtime, don't allow your child to have foods or drinks that contain caffeine, and try not to give him or her any medicine that has a stimulant.

Are You Waiting For Inspiration?

Deciding you're going to sit down to do some kind of task is often the hardest part of getting it accomplished, says Steven Pressfield in The War of Art. But once you do sit down and begin, often something remarkable takes place: A whole sequence of events is set into motion by that one act.

Pressfield says author Somerset Maugham was once asked whether he wrote on a schedule or only when struck by inspiration. “I write only when inspiration strikes,” he replied. “Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine o'clock sharp.”

Administrative Professionals Week

Once upon a time we called it “National Secretaries Week,” but the name has gone through several changes from it's beginning as National Secretaries Week in 1952, to Professional Secretaries Week in 1981, to Administrative Professionals Week in 2000.

But through all the name changes, the goal remains the same: To recognize and celebrate the work of the millions of secretaries, administrative assistants, and other people in various support roles.

Here are some suggestions from the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) Web site for observing the last full week of April, Administrative Professionals Week:

• Hold a company-wide observance or special event for administrative staff, such as a presentation by a professional development speaker, or a group recognition of administrative professionals by the chief executive.

• Provide registration for a professional development seminar to build the individual's technical, interpersonal or business skills.

• Support membership in appropriate networking and professional associations.

• Encourage study for and attainment of professional certification.

Additional gift suggestions include appropriate business-related items such as personalized business cards or a desktop nameplate, or a monetary bonus for exemplary performance.

Keeping Your Car Can Save A Bundle

You can save $30,000 or more if you hold on to a car once you get it paid off, say the folks at Consumer Reports (www. consumerreports.org), so maybe it's not such a great idea to trade in your car every three to five years as some people believe.

Here's how you can reap savings by keeping your car around for a long time:

Take proper care of your car including regular maintenance and replacement of parts. Just about any vehicle can reach 200,000 miles these days, Consumer Reports says.

When you buy a car that you're planning to keep for a long time, go for one that has a good track record.

Choose a car that's done well in government and insurance industry safety tests.

Make sure the car you choose is equipped with the latest safety equipment.

Quotes

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.

– Thomas Edison

Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.

– African Proverb

If criticism had any power to harm, the skunk would be extinct by now.

– Fred Allen

What Can We Change?

We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have. And that is our attitude.

– Charles R. Swindoll