Everyone has to start somewhere, even rich and famous. So if you can approach politely, preferably through some other means than front office, your efforts will probably not be seen as pushy but as what one does to get a break.

Part of reason this works is honesty involved. You are telling them what you need up front. So this is very different than talking up a potential contact at a cocktail party with sole agenda of having them look at your work, or hanging out a health club frequented by a certain star so you can add them to your list of influential friends. Those would be considered inappropriate ‘covert agenda’ moves that are really looked down upon by rich and powerful.

Too often we assume that way to approach an industry or a leader is from bottom, worming your way up through ranks. A much more effective approach is just to go straight to top, where you very well may connect with person who can make everything happen for you. This is why letters are such a good tool for approaching these people. They can read it in their own time, they're not too obtrusive, and if well-written and delivered in a subtle but attention-getting way, they can work wonders.

Important people, just like rest of us, do not like to be used. On other hand, most people do like to be helpful, and a direct request can be amazingly effective.

©2004 Suzanne Falter-Barns. Reprint permission available. Apply to support@selfhelpsalon.com

As you serve food and place it on your plate, be mindful of fact that this will be nourishing your body. Whatever you choose to place on your plate will ultimately serve as fuel for your activities and contribute to your energy and wellness.

Now, take a bite of food you have served yourself. Chew slowly, and pay attention to flavor and texture of this bite. Feel food sliding down your throat, and consider how it will be digested by your system to create energy for your body. With each bite, notice sensation of chewing and swallowing. Savor taste. Swallow completely before taking another bite. As you take last bite, pay attention to fullness in your belly, and note satisfaction of completing a mindful meal.

Try eating mindfully during one meal a day for a week. For your regular, faster meals, notice when you find yourself eating without paying attention. Intentionally slow down so that you can enjoy that one bite before speeding up again. Doing this regularly will give you a much better understanding of what you are feeding your body—and how.

By becoming more mindful of our eating, we learn to pay attention to what feeds us, both literally and figuratively. Our food choices affect our wellness, and our approach to eating spills over into way we handle our work, our relationships, and our lives in general. We must learn to recognize patterns in our behavior in order to create more awareness and harmony.

Mindlessly chewing whatever we fork into our mouths is akin to ignoring our actions in general. With a few moments of daily mindful eating, you will develop a much greater awareness of your choices and their power over all aspects of your life.