A few years ago I learned a very helpful "trick" by accident. We don't have glass mirrors in here but they do sell 4"x6" plastic mirrors with a magnet on the back. I've yet to come across one that was perfectly flat and gave an accurate reflection. Some are more convex or concave than others but they're all basically just "Fun House" mirrors. Since I'm a bit taller than my cellmate (and he kept lowering the mirror we shared above the sink) I decided to tape an additional mirror to the wall. I placed the new mirror right next to the old one but a few inches higher. Inevitably I found myself bobbing my head back and forth from one to the other. The one on the left became my "skinny mirror" while the one on the right became my "husky mirror".

The "skinny mirror" gives my reflection a strong jaw line but an even larger forehead while the "husky mirror" flares my nose wide but brings my hairline down. I'm not sure which one is more accurate but I've learned not to care..."I" get to choose which image of myself I like best each day. And before I roll out of the cell to begin my day I make sure to give myself a big smile... knowing that I'm guaranteed to get one right back.

I hope that whenever YOU look in the mirror you can smile at yourself because you like what you see. Your true feelings about yourself will always be projected in your outward appearance regardless of, or even in spite of, your physical attributes. Remember that feeling good is looking good and looking good is feeling good...So the next time you pause to look at yourself in the mirror make sure that you show yourself a little love with a smile....Much Health, Love, & Happiness To All....ABC

Protect Your Back One of the worst possible things you could do to your body is to sit in one spot for an extended period of time. Unfortunately most people's job's require them to sit at either a desk or behind the wheel for multiple hours at a time. Humans were NOT meant to be stationary and our bodies will occasionally remind us of this fact. Most people cannot even sleep for long periods because their bodies begin to rebel by sending signals of pain and discomfort to the brain. So why do we continue to ignore our bodies and force them to endure unnatural positions? Chiropractor are making a fortune these days and doctors continue the over-prescription of pain medications but who's at fault here? The only answer to both of these questions involves looking inward...there can be no fingers pointed outward because the responsibility is our own. It is up to each of us to listen to our own bodies and to take better care of them. There are some very simple solutions for anyone suffering from most back and neck pain. First, if you must remain seated anywhere make sure that you get up and take a brisk walk AT LEAST once an hour. Better yet, talk to your boss or office manager about acquiring a height adjustable desk that allows you to stand while you're working. Spending most of your time on your feet is not only better for your spine and neck but you'll also burn more calories. Additionally, a Stability Ball is a rather inexpensive tool which serves as an excellent substitute to a conventional chair. Sitting on one of these large inflatable balls forces you to sit up straight and works all of the stabilizing muscles along the spinal column. Utilizing one or more of these suggestions should help to reduce some of the pain and discomfort you've been experiencing but if any pain persists you should seek further medical attention a.s.a.p.

Hope that this helps to put you back on the road to greater Health, Love, & Happiness.....A

Help Free Adam

It doesn't matter what you're trying to do in your life...No matter how big or small it's all about setting goals for yourself. It's great to have "ambitions" but without an accurate description of your "end game" it's difficult to stay on course. Be specific with the goals that you set and figure out precisely what you need to attain them. For example, if I say that I want to complete a marathon I need to know exactly how far I'll need to train my body to run. A complete marathon is 26.2 miles. In order to prepare for running such a great distance I need to first evaluate my present level of physical fitness. Can I run 5 miles without stopping? And if so, how long did it take me and how did I feel afterward? Now I have a "starting point" for myself AND a Big Goal. The next step is for me to begin setting smaller, short-term goals that allow me to steadily progress toward my Big Goal. In this case we'll say that I'm going to try adding 1 more mile each week to my "long run" for the week and gradually make my way up to around 20 miles. Once you've run 20 miles in a single session there's no doubt that you're "physically" able to complete a marathon. The only remaining question at that point is if you're "mentally" prepared because it is in fact grueling. By accomplishing all those smaller goals/shorter runs you should have built up the necessary confidence and faith in yourself to attain your BIG GOAL.NOTHING in this life is free and we must "earn" all the things we so desire. Whatever goals you set for yourself can and will be attained as long as you're dedicated. Whether you want to finish a marathon, land your dream job, or get in to a certain school/college it doesn't matter what the Big Goal is...only that you keep setting those smaller goals and working your way up the ladder. And once you've attained that Big Goal don't just stop setting goals but continue pushing yourself to dream bigger and work harder to achieve all the things you want from this life. We're here little more than the blink of an eye and you owe it to yourself to make the most of that time. Your life should be full of Health, Love, and Happiness...Always.....A (Help Free Adam)

Written on Memorial Day, 2010
The Memorial Day Weekends of my youth were bacchanalian events of little consequence. I spent most of those early days of summer at the Jersey Shore chasing girls and gave no consideration to the significance of the holiday. To be honest, it wasn't until 9/11 and our subsequent invasion of Iraq that I developed a genuine concern and consideration for our troops. Due to all that's transpired since that fateful day and the tremendous sacrifices that have been made to protect our way of life I feel a sacred duty to show my deepest respect and honor for all of our service people both past and present.It's a truly humbling experience to listen to the stories of our veterans and to see the physical price that so many have them have paid on our behalf.

Often I've wondered what I could do to show my appreciation or to contribute in some small but meaningful way. Then, just yesterday, I heard a 30 second spot on the radio talking about a website called Thankyouveterans.org where anyone is free to log on and leave a message to a veteran. I mean how simple is that- no cost, no hassel, no time, and simply not excuse not to log right now.

Unfortunately I can't log onto "Help Free Adam" myself but if you're reading this that obviously means that you can. By me telling you about this site I feel like (hopefully) I've been able to contribute in my own small way... but now it's upto you to follow through and do your part. Make sure you take just a moment to leave a message and then remember to have a very Happy, Safe, and Healthy Memorial Day Weekend...A

Kirk Fronze Szawronski and Isaac Tillman are two names you'll recognize if you're familiar with my Federal Criminal Case...the same one that netted me this ridiculous 213 year sentence. Once upon a time these two guys were friends of mine...or so I thought...until we got caught. We spent time with eachother's families and promised to always be there for one another...especially for the kids. They each had a little one at home and I occassionally had to remind them of their familial obligations when they'd been out running the streets for too long. I shouldn't have been as surprised as I was when I learned that they were both working with the Feds...the story was that they were simply doing it for their "kids sake" and never mind the "get out of jail free card" tucked into each of their back pockets.All these years later I'm neither mad nor bitter at either of those men...but I do think of them occassionally and wonder how thier kids turned out. They should both be at least 10 years old by now and I recall that being a very pivotal point in my life. I had just relocated from Racine, WI to Marlton, NJ with my Mom and the kids in my 4th grade class weren't exactly "welcoming" to the new kid with the funny accent. It was a tough year with my teachers since I was constantly being reprimanded for talking in class...and eventually I was kicked out of our 1 day a week art class with Mrs. Lieb who prophesied that I would end up in prison one day...What the hell could she have possibly seen in a 10 year old child who was struggling to fit in that would make her say such a thing? These are the things that come to mind when I remember my youth.

I sincerely hope that Szawronski and Tillman got their shit together and decided to become genuine "family men"...or what was it all for??? I can live the rest of my life in here in peace if I know that both of them at least tried to make a difference in their kids lives...2 for the price of one...I can live with that.

Every day I wake up and I'm thankful just to be alive. I know that this isn't "normal" for most people but I haven't exactly lived a "normal life" for a very long time. In fact I've always felt the need to press nearly everything in my life to the absolute limit...and this includes people. For so many years I took for granted all the love and support showered on me by my family and close friends. Only after many years in here with the time and opportunity to "honestly" reflect on the path I'd chosen did I come to the startling realization that I had it pretty damn good...in fact I always did. The only person responsible for my self-destruction was in fact ME. Accepting responsiblity for the events of my life leading upto this point brought about an epiphany...If I was responsible for my past then I was also obviously responsible for determining my future. I know that some people may disagree with me when I say this but I don't believe in "fate" or "divine influence/intervention"...I believe that we set our own "intentions" and then self-fullfill them. If we begin our day with positve intentions and decide that today is going to be a great day then that is the course we've set and chosen for ourselves... No one chooses these things for us and the circumstances that we encounter throughout are day can be dealt with in whatever manner we choose. Be the maker and decider of your own destiny...take the actions that are necessary to fullfill your dreams and attain happiness NOW.

This isn't just some watered-down, feel-good b.s. that I'm advocating half-heartedly. I live it because I believe it and I believe it because I've seen the results first hand. I was unhappy for most of my life only because "I" lacked faith in myself...Ironically, I'm much happier now here in prison than I think I ever was out there. My next step is simply finding a way to eventually make it back out there to be with all of you...and everyday I make sure I'm taking the necessary "action" to get me one step closer to attaining that goal.

Have a great day today and everyday! Much Health, Love, & Happiness To All Of You....A

My name is Adam Bentley Clausen and you should know that I've spent most of my adult life in prison.  I lived my life rather recklessly and blazed a trail of tears for the loved ones that I left behind.  I was constantly searching for ways to please myself and all too often it was at the expense of others.  Not until I landed (back) in prison was I forced to slow down and take a serious look at all the mistakes I'd made and the countless people I'd harmed.  I finally decided to make a conscious decision to turn things around and to try to make amends.  Now my life is devoted to helping make other people's lives better through health and fitness.  In this way I've sought to give something back for all I've taken from this world.  And to be perfectly honest... I feel better about myself today than I ever have before and that's something I'd like to share with everyone out there.

Most of us, myself included of course, have struggled with issues concerning our physical appearances at some point in our lives.  Inevitably these insecurities will lead to self-destructive behaviors that further erode our psyches.  In order to break this vicious cycle we need to set ourselves into a healthy routine consisting primarily of a balanced diet, daily exercise, at least 8 hours of sleep each night, and an abundance of "positive reinforcement"... And guess where that positive reinforcement is going to come from?.... YOURSELF!  That's right, if you think positive and talk positive (both to yourself and others) you'll learn how easy it is to unleash the happiness that lies within you.

The reality is that we over-complicate our lives and in turn ourselves.  This life is not nearly as difficult as we make it out to be. You already know that you're holding the key to your own happiness... so what are you waiting for???  Start taking better care of yourself today.  Smile More.  Laugh More.  Love More.  Do it Every single day.