Archive for July, 2007

Ask the Angels - Get Specific !

Tuesday, July 31st, 2007

There are Angels for everything and they are just waiting for us to ask for their help. They can’t help if we don’t ask.

Our request doesn’t have to be long and lengthy. It can be quite short to be affective.

This is always a fun exercise until you are more comfortable with asking for what it is you need help with :

Next time you head out for the mall and while you are in route ask the parking Angels for help.” Parking Angels I need a parking place close to the door and with good lighting (if at night) and I would appreciate your help.” Be sure and say ” Thank you ” and let it go. When you get to your destination watch what happens ! This is always fun for kids to get involved with and gets them used to asking for an Angel’s help.

When you get comfortable with asking for the small stuff then start asking for more help in bigger situations in your life. You can ask an Angel’s help for anything. Finding the right job, the house at a price that you can afford, help in getting a new car, a relationship, the right doctor, computer. There is help just waiting. Be sure you get specific in the details in what you want or you can wind up getting a new home not close enough to work or the amount of bedrooms you really need. The help you ask for can be tangible and intangible things.

I am always asking for an Organization Angel to help me keep the clutter out of my life or an Angel to help me write an article like the one I am writing now. I have been doing this for so long it comes second nature for me to ask for help with everything.

My youngest daughter swears this is how she got through high school and college. She would call and say she was having problems with math or needed to write a paper and I would tell her to just ask for an Angel to help her with it. She asked so much she just knew they were going to get tired of her asking, but I assured her the Angels never get tired of our asking for their assistance. She graduated high school and then went on
to obtain her degree from college and to this day she knows she couldn’t have done it without the help of the Angels.

Remember to always thank the Angels for their assistance and they will never get tired of helping you.

Just ask. The Angels are waiting to assist you in all of life’s moments.

© 2005 Sharae Taylor

Sharae Taylor is a well known Intuitive Angel Artist whose paintings are in world wide collections and her works have been exhibited with other well known Angel Artists Andy Lakey ,Donna Terody Sheratan,Gary Markowitz, past art editor of “Angel Times” magazine and K. Martin Kuri, Angel Artist and Author. Sharae has also participated in many Angel Expos and Angel Conferences with other well known Angel Authors like Alma Daniels author of “Ask Your Angels”. Her Angel paintings are featured in the newly released “Angels” DVD by Llewellyn and New World Music and was featured in the February 2005 issue of http://Planetlightworker.com. Sharae is a published author in magazines and ezines. To view Sharae’s Angelic art and for further information visit her website at:http://www.angelsbysharae.com

Popularity: 13% [?]

Achieving Your Dreams

Tuesday, July 31st, 2007

While most people spend most of their lives struggling to earn a living, a much smaller number seem to have everything going their way. Instead of just earning a living, the smaller group is busily working at building and enjoying a fortune. Everything just seems to work out for them. And here sits the much larger group, wondering how life can be so unfair, so complicated and unjust. What’s the major difference between the little group with so much and the larger group with so little?

Despite all of the factors that affect our lives - like the kind of parents we have, the schools we attended, the part of the country we grew up in - none has as much potential power for affecting our futures as our ability to dream.

Dreams are a projection of the kind of life you want to lead. Dreams can drive you. Dreams can make you skip over obstacles. When you allow your dreams to pull you, they unleash a creative force that can overpower any obstacle in your path. To unleash this power, though, your dreams must be well defined. A fuzzy future has little pulling power. Well-defined dreams are not fuzzy. Wishes are fuzzy. To really achieve your dreams, to really have your future plans pull you forward, your dreams must be vivid.

If you’ve ever hiked a fourteen thousand-foot peak in the Rocky Mountains, one thought has surely come to mind “How did the settlers of this country do it?” How did they get from the East Coast to the West Coast? Carrying one day’s supply of food and water is hard enough. Can you imagine hauling all of your worldly goods with you… mile after mile, day after day, month after month? These people had big dreams. They had ambition. They didn’t focus on the hardship of getting up the mountain.

In their minds, they were already on the other side - their bodies just hadn’t gotten them there yet! Despite all of their pains and struggles, all of the births and deaths along the way, those who made it to the other side had a single vision: to reach the land of continuous sunshine and extraordinary wealth. To start over where anything and everything was possible. Their dreams were stronger than the obstacles in their way.

You’ve got to be a dreamer. You’ve got to envision the future. You’ve got to see California while you’re climbing fourteen thousand-foot peaks. You’ve got to see the finish line while you’re running the race. You’ve got to hear the cheers when you’re in the middle of a monster project. And you’ve got to be willing to put yourself through the paces of doing the uncomfortable until it becomes comfortable. Because that’s how you realize your dreams.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn


Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn’s Weekly E-zine.
Copyright 2005 Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved
worldwide. To subscribe to Jim Rohn’s Weekly E-zine, go to
http://Jim-Rohn.InspiresYOU.com

Popularity: 11% [?]

More Precious Than Gold

Tuesday, July 31st, 2007

In this world there is something more precious than gold. Diamonds? No. Platinum? No. Some other precious metal? No.

Of course, it would depend who you might ask. Many would mention the alternatives I’ve already given. If you asked a drowning man he would undoubtedly say a life-buoy. If you asked a thirsty person stranded in the desert they would say water. And if you asked a person grieving over a lost loved one they would answer in that manner. All would be correct according to their own particular circumstance.

The value of something is in its scarcity. It’s a matter of simple economics really. Things that exist in abundance are relatively cheap. Things that are rare are more expensive. Unique items are very valuable indeed. That is how value is measured.

However, going back to my opening statement, what would be more precious than any of the above? I would suggest something that, once spent, can never be regained. It’s something that we all have but it runs out second by second. Time.

Time is the most precious commodity we have. Like everything else, it is its scarcity that increases its value.

Think about a child who is five years old. That child has a very shallow concept of time. If we double the age to ten time is again relatively abundant. Doubling the age to twenty a person begins to understand its concept.

If we double that person’s age to forty time begins to become more and more valuable. At the age of eighty, if one lives that long, time is at a premium. It becomes very precious indeed.

If an eighty year old person had all the money they could ever spend what do you think they would buy, if they could? Time!

We only have one life. We cannot buy time. Shouldn’t time be the one thing that we value more than anything else? And yet, so many people elect to waste time.

Don’t let the wastage of time rob you of the things that you really want to do. The biggest robber of time are the words: “I’ll do it later” or I’ll get it done next week” or “there’s plenty of time.”

There is never a better time to do something than right now!

Procrastination and laziness will always ensure that you waste opportunities for achievement.

Use your time wisely. You will never get it back. There is no such thing as eternal youth. One day your time will run out. It would be such a pity for that to happen with a mind still full of wasted opportunity.

I heard somebody say once that “it is better to wear out than rust out.” Going to the grave with the “music still in you” would be such a tragedy.

Time will always be your enemy - unless you make it your friend. Keep learning, keep working and keep achieving. Do it now!

About the author: Gary Simpson is the author of eight books covering a diverse range of subjects such as self esteem, affirmations, self defense, finance and much more. His articles appear all over the web. Gary’s email address is budo@iinet.net.au. Click here to go to his Motivation & Self Esteem for Success website where you can receive his “Zenspirational Thoughts” plus an immediate FREE copy of his highly acclaimed, life-changing e-book “The Power of Choice.”

Popularity: 13% [?]

Mindfulness and Mystery - Sleuthing Toward Interpersonal Awareness

Monday, July 30th, 2007

We love mysteries.

We enjoy using our minds to gather clues and solve problems of all kinds. Whether it’s the latest crime show on television, a news story, your company’s top-secret product launch, or where you left your glasses, you are captivated by questions that have significance for you.

In fact, we can learn a great deal by becoming mindful of the types of mysteries that fire up our brains. By using multiple intelligences theory as a framework, we can create greater awareness of the areas that naturally appeal to us as playgrounds for mindfulness.

For example, if you find that you are frequently intrigued by dramas–gossip, soap operas, office politics, novels, or shows like “Survivor” or “The Bachelor”–pay attention to that. What it tells you is that you have a natural inclination to flex your interpersonal intelligence, or “people” smarts.

You seek clues to help you understand and anticipate the motives, reactions, and choices of others. You have an ability to see personality traits clearly and recognize behavior patterns, and you apply this knowledge to new situations and characters.

All the world is a stage to you, and you are fascinated by the players and plots.

If you enjoy observing dramas, you might as well use them as triggers for mindfulness, right? So, for example, you could select a particular cue to notice and heighten your awareness of when, how, and why it appears.

If you choose a gesture like someone putting their hand on their forehead, you could use this as your secret prompt to pay attention to what follows immediately AFTER that. An exclamation of exhaustion? A self-critical statement? A swear word?

You can do this during your conversations with others, but it’s also easy to do when you are watching people in any setting–at a party, in a movie, on television.

What can you learn about this person in particular and people in general by paying attention to this gesture? What are the subtle differences between people using this gesture, and between instances when the same person uses this gesture?

Remember, to develop mindfulness we need to notice new things, draw distinctions, shift our perspective, and stay focused on the moment.

• Watching for a gesture allows us to pop into mindfulness mode whenever we notice our selected trigger.

• Paying attention to the various emotions and words of the player helps us draw distinctions.

• Looking at how different people use this gesture depending on the circumstances teaches us to shift our perspective.

• Spending even a few seconds of mindful attention whenever we see that hand-to-forehead gesture gives us a simple, brief, appealing opportunity to be fully present in the moment.

Whether your interpersonal intelligence is highly developed or not, you can improve the way you pay attention to the world around you by engaging in this easy little game.
Just pick a gesture, and start noticing when it appears.

Nobody needs to know. It’s your secret mission. It will take only a few seconds here and there.

You will find that this is a remarkably powerful way to improve your ability to shift your focus instantly, heighten your awareness of visual cues, deepen your understanding of how emotions are expressed, and start seeing yourself as someone who PAYS ATTENTION.

Start sleuthing your way toward greater mindfulness by watching the dramas unfold all around you.

You’ll be maximizing the mysteries of life!

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse in Portland, Oregon. Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she teaches fun and powerful eyes-wide-open alternatives to meditation. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, please visit http://www.MassageYourMind.com

Popularity: 13% [?]

I Can Do All Things Through Christ Jesus Who Gives Me Strength

Monday, July 30th, 2007

“…I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4: 11b - 13, NIV.

From the time I can remember, I have loved and had an affiinty with critters. When asked as a young girl what I was going to be when I grew up, I would always say a veterinarian. However, that did not happen. My life took a downward spiral that led me away from God’s purpose for my life into a world of sin which greatly detracted from my goals. While my love for animals never abated nor changed, my direction did.

I truly misspent my time and yet I can look back now and see that everything I’ve done has still led to God’s purpose for my life in the manner He gifted me with. I maybe didn’t become a veterinarian, I did work with them for years. In fact, I learned a lot of different vocations in working with animals which has all led to me being in the holistic pet care industry.

Again, what has that to do with being able to do all things through Christ Jesus? Well, He gave me this passion. He gave me this desire. He gives us these goals and dreams to serve Him with. He also gives us the strength and endurance to fulfill those desires. Isn’t that amazing? We think it’s all on our own power at times and energy, when in reality it is all from Him for His glory!

This last week was very trying in many ways including the loss of Pope John Paul II. While I am not a Catholic (was when I was growing up), I feel the world has lost a true child of God while God has gained another son into His kingdom. I haven’t been sad for that very reason and in fact have been encouraged by the Pope’s life but it is the end of an era leaving a bit of uncertainty. Again though, God is in controll

The week was trying because while two partners and I pursue a new online venture in holistic pet care seminars, a veterinarian who was initially involved decided to bail out. He did so because partly he couldn’t figure out some of the technical stuff. I can totally understand that though. What I don’t understand, however, is the way he left -with a stabbing attack upon me, my partners, the internet community we are using as our platform, the support team, even the fact that I’m not as educated as he. In fact he even attacked our website and the fact that we didn’t glorify him as the week’s featured instructor. He went so far as to attack our dream and that he hopes I find a particular little venture I can actually do.

While I’ve tried various ventures to go forth with this particular veterinarian, nothing seemed to work out. It all felt forced. Rather than continue to stress out and wonder why no one was even signing up for his class, I prayed. That’s what I should’ve done in the first place. Why is it, it’s always our last resort instead of our first? Our strength and power come from God alone and yet we try to go upon our own strength so often.

It was amazing how much of the weight of this troubling situation lifted once I prayed and received clarity from God on this whole thing. While I didn’t yet know that this doctor would attack me (and when he did, it did hurt a lot), I did know instantly that it wasn’t going to work with him on our team.

Once I received the very hurtful and veiled ugliness of that particular email, and I did cry (a lot), I began to pray and ask God for His direction and strength. Funny thing is, an encouraging story I posted on the IVWCC RSS channel came to mind “Tiny Frogs”. I laughed out loud knowing God was telling me to go forth, and to grow some more character!

I’ll backtrack a bit here and say that in a nutshell the Tiny Frogs story is about a bunch of tiny little frogs who were going to have a race to the top of a big building. It was a daunting task for these little frogs but they all knew they could do it. There was a huge crowd at the bottom of the building initially cheering them on as they went forth to conquer this building. However, after a while many of the frogs got very tired, and then the crowd started to turn, telling them things like “You’ll never make it! Turn back! You’re gonna fall!” and on and on. Eventually one by one all the frogs dropped out except one little frog who never wavered but kept his eye on the goal and he made it all the way to the top. When he was later interviewed he was asked why he was able to make it but not the others. He went “what? can’t hear you”. He was deaf! He couldn’t hear the naysayers so he just kept on going!!

Moral of the story is, when it is God’s will for us to accomplish His purpose for our lives and His voice is the only one we listen to while on that purposeful mission, we’ll accomplish that goal upon the strength and power of our Savior Jesus! By serving others, we are serving our God.

Kim Bloomer is a holistic pet care consultant. Visit her RSS channel at Aspenbloom WellPet or her website Aspenbloom Pet Care

Popularity: 15% [?]

The Great Challenge of Life

Monday, July 30th, 2007

Here’s the great challenge of life - You can have more than you’ve got because you can become more than you are.

I have found that income seldom will exceed your own personal development. Once in a while income takes a lucky jump, but unless you grow out to where it is it will go back to where you are. Somebody once said if you took all the money in the world and divided it among everyone equally, it would soon be back in the same pockets.

However, you can have more because you can become more. You see, here is how the other side of the coin reads - unless you change how you are, you will always have what you’ve got. The marketing plan won’t do it. It’s a good plan but it won’t work without you. You’ve got to work it. It is the human effort that counts. If you could send a sales manual out to recruit - wouldn’t that be lovely?

The major thing that makes the difference is what YOU do.

In order to have more, you need to become more. The guy says “If I had a good job I would really pour it on, but I have this lousy job so I just goof off.” If that is your philosophy you are destined to stay there. Some people say if I had a lot of money I would be really generous, but I don’t have much so I’m not generous.

See, you’ve got to change that philosophy or you will never have “the lots of money”. Unless YOU change, IT won’t change. Amazingly, however, when we throw out our blame list and start becoming more ourselves - the difference is everything else will begin to change around us.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn


Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn’s Weekly E-zine.
Copyright 2005 Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved
worldwide. To subscribe to Jim Rohn’s Weekly E-zine, go to
http://Jim-Rohn.InspiresYOU.com

Popularity: 12% [?]

Sometimes, It Just Takes ONE Conversation to Change Your Life!

Sunday, July 29th, 2007

I was thinking this morning about the importance of the profession that I am in. Besides doing various trainings, workshops and consulting, I also coach people. Coaching is a profession that continues to develop but it originally came out of the self help industry. Many of the first coaches were publicists, consultants, sales professionals, and financial advisors. Much of what these people loved about what they did was helping people figure out how to achieve their best.

My own career was in full swing when I was a celebrity lecture agent. Without knowing it, and calling it mentoring, I was coaching college students all over the country in their future careers, their dating lives, or what to do for their summer break. I got really great at asking questions and giving accurate feedback about what I was hearing. I enjoyed pushing people to the next level and enjoyed helping them see that they already HAD the talent they needed to achieve their goals. Now, they just needed a plan.

Years later I see how it sometimes just takes ONE conversation to really turn a person’s life around. And I truly believe that everyone should take the time to find someone to engage with in this conversation.

This is a typical conversation that I have with a first time client. “I’m not satisfied with my job. There’s no creativity or I’m just not that into it. I want to try something new but I don’t know what.” Or, “there are so many things I like to do that I can’t just seem to focus on one”.

Here is how two of the conversations went recently:

I went to lunch with a young woman who has one child who is about to go to school. She had a successful corporate career but has no desire to go back to corporate America. She has so many things she enjoyed so I asked her to make a list of the things she really loved to do:

The list included:
Singing
Working with teenagers
Administrative work
Promotional work
Writing
Organizing

So, I went through the list and crossed off the ones that weren’t going to bring her the income she needed and that she can do for fun at church. (Singing and working with teens). Next, I combined the rest of them and asked if she had ever considered running a professional organizers business?

The look in her eyes was definitely worth gold! She lit up like a Christmas tree because she had never thought of that before. And all we did was combine her talents into one job title.

Now, a few weeks later, she’s busy reading everything she can get her hands on and starting to make plans to promote her business. She’s told me that she’ll be doing lots of free organizing jobs to get referrals in the beginning so she agreed to put me on that list! Its’ not going to happen overnight, but with baby steps every day, she’ll gain experience, confidence, and hopefully, clients!

Another conversation that took place recently was a life changing one for a guy who lived on my street. Steve has two kids and a wife who had been at home with their kids since they were born. His wife, Anne, was a nurse and he was a computer programer. Over time, the type of programming he did was phased out. Somehow, he didn’t see that coming and never got trained on anything else.

When I last saw him at the pool, I knew he had just lost his job. He was trying to decide what else to do. So, I asked him the all important question:

“If you could do anything else in the world, what would it be?”

Steve admitted that he would love to be creative on the computer by doing graphic art but he had no idea where to start and besides he felt it was too late to build a career on a dream. We brainstormed about how to get started from taking classes to doing some volunteer or freebie projects on the side to learn the basics.

I knew also that his wife had “Had it up to Here” with his lack of motivation and knew that she was facing going back to work full time as a nurse. As it turned out, that is exactly what she did, until Steve realized that he could in fact, plan for his dream.

Recently, a For Sale Sign went up and they moved to Florida. Steve is going back to school to learn Graphic Design, and Anne is going to work until he gets his degree.

I know of no better way to make someone’s day than to push them in the directions of their dreams. Even when someone’s dreams are out of the ordinary or so far fetched that you can’t imagine it yourself, it’s still a wonderful gift to help someone figure out HOW to do it, or at least encourage them to try.

Everyone has dreams. But not everyone is pursuing them. If you are one of the lucky ones who is, then what are you doing to help other people pursue their dreams? And if you AREN’T pursuing your dreams, then realize that you won’t be really content until you are moving in that direction.

I have a bracelet that has a wonderful quote on it. I wear it when I need some extra motivation. It says:
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.Thoreau, Henry David

Who knew that life could be made more simple, with only one conversation!

My advice? GET TALKING!

COMMENTS FROM FRIENDS:
Hi Mary——that was the best blog I have ever read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You do absolutely have a very unique gift-of helping people to find their gift and the how to,s of setting people on the path towards that goal. E. M, Florida

To learn more about Mary go to: http://www.marygardner.com/

Mary Gardner is an Executive Communications Consultant and Coach. She works with, coaches and trains individuals, sales teams, executives, and celebrities. She enjoys seeing the best come out in people and has fun in the process. Mary is married to Sway and is mommy to Jeremy 5 and lives in Orlando, FL.

Popularity: 12% [?]

The Interactive Holodeck is For Real

Sunday, July 29th, 2007

[Channelled]

‘Interact,’ is a common word that most of you are familiar with these days and most all of you understand its meaning. It is a term that has come to popular awareness during the computer age. Interactivity gives you an opportunity to play with your machines automatically.

Video games are interactive and modern theatre often gives you the opportunity to interact with the players. It is an interaction that brings a whole new dimension to what you are experiencing and it is exciting, rewarding and fun. Bank machines allow you to directly interact with your bank accounts and make deposits, transfers, pay bills and make withdrawals.

Machines are no longer a one function tool because you can now physically interact with them and determine their functions that will serve you best . For most of you, interact, interconnectiveness, and multitasking are terms you have become comfortable with, understand and accept as part of your industrialized culture.

A whole generation of you have grown up with the ‘Star Trek’ series and have been indoctrinated into the wonderful world of Gene Rodenberry. Captain Kirk, John Luc Picard, and Captain Janeway who have safely taken you where no one has gone before. Gene Rodenberry was a great visionary who created his series around his insights into the human condition and he attempted to show humanity how he may deal with them in the future in his series. Gene levelled the playing ground between genders and race and he brought the greatest of interactive machines into your lives, the ‘holodeck.’

The holodeck was a totally interactive computer that could be programmed to allow you to experience any kind of environment or circumstance that you chose in the complete safety of the holodeck room. Any being could blend his/her thoughts with that of the computer to come up with a totally realistic and interactive experience, from a tranquil beach in some exotic land to fighting with alien species on some distant planet. The experience was real and verified by all of your senses while within the walls of the holodeck.

All of you who watched the holodeck in action marvelled at its possibilities. The holodeck is not that much of a far fetched idea and technology will catch up with man’s imagination at some point and the holodeck is a very possible reality. “Wow!” can you imagine being able to experience anything that you desire just by turning on a machine and “saying computer activate program.”

Having said all of this, and hopefully you understand the principals of interactivity; let me point out to you the greatest holodeck of all times, now and in the future and it already exists. You are experiencing the greatest holodeck of them all. You are totally programming and interacting with my greatest invention. My friends you are in the grandest, most awesome creation that ever was or ever will be; it is the ‘universe.’ It is a totally interactive, integrated, bio-technical machine, and the one you are most familiar with is your own earth.

Because I do not exist except as the sum of my parts, I experience myself through you, you are me playing around in this global rotating vibrant, totally interactive holodeck. I am you in physical form and I created the earth so that I could experience myself in physical form. I created many of you so that I could experience every aspect of myself and you are all a part of me experiencing each other in you own unique individualized way, I am the sum of all of you.

The life that you believe is yours is actually mine and I am the only life that exists. Your personality is your unique part of me that gives you/me the impression that we are separated, but it is all me interacting with different parts of myself as your hands would interact with the itch on your foot. This idea or concept may be one of the easiest ways for you to understand who you are and why you are here. It will also give you assurance that you can never die or be spiritually harmed. Your body is not you, you are the keyboard and the mouse that directs the actions of the machine, you can program anything you desire by using my power to manifest anything that comes into your mind.

We are totally interconnected and interactive. I am the thought you are the word and the whole thing is one action. Know this, if you fully understand this concept then you will figure out that it is you that is creating your environment and the circumstances of your life. It is you that is in control—you are the programmer, the player and the circumstances because we are one and I am all that there is. Know this and assume the power of the creator. Know this and assume responsibility for your life and its circumstances. You will no longer see yourself as a victim but the creator of all that your experience.

The God that you know or do not know is the God that you are. The mystery has been revealed, God has been exposed, and do you understand the connection? Do you now understand how I interact with myself. When you accept this you will once again take back the power that is rightfully yours, which you long ago gave away to a God that does not exist.

To the degree that you accept this, is the degree of power that you will own and be able to manage. If you accept the idea fully and make it your truth you will become as me again, you will no longer live in the illusion of your holodeck. The illusion will vanish and you will sing out ‘computer, end program.’

Know me as all that is and you will know yourself as me, and you will begin to act as me and through me consciously.

Enjoy the holodeck; experience yourself in all your magnificence. Create all that you wish to be, do not limit me by limiting yourself, you have your finger on the greatest power in the universe.

Live well and prosper!

Roy E. Klienwachter is a resident of British Columbia, Canada. A student of NLP, ordained minister, New Age Light Worker and Teacher. Roy has written and published five books on New Age wisdom. Roy’s books are thought provoking and designed to empower you to take responsibility for your life and what you create. His books and articles are written in the simplicity and eloquence of Zen wisdom.

You may not always agree with what he has to say. You will always come away with a new perspective and your thinking will never be the same.

Roy’s style is honest and comes straight from the heart without all the metaphorical mumble jumble and BS.

Visit Roy at: http://www.klienwachter.com

Popularity: 14% [?]

Re-Energize Your Brain

Sunday, July 29th, 2007

We all use tools in our work, and all of these tools need to be re-energized in some way over time. They need to be polished, sharpened, refurbished. They need new spark plugs or a tune up. Some times they even need new batteries.

We take these maintenance tasks seriously because we know that when the batteries are fully charged we get the full potential out of electrical devices and when the machinery has been maintained it lasts longer and works more economically.

Doesn’t it make sense then to do some regularly scheduled maintenance on our brain - a tool far more valuable than the rest?

It happens to all of us. We get in ruts, we build routines and we develop habits, and in doing so we often don’t use our brain the way we could. It is one of our most valuable and precious resources and it is time to re-energize it.

Here then are eight ways you can re-energize, re-invigorate and do some ongoing maintenance for your brain.

1. Ask Why? Our brains are wired to be curious. As we grow up and “mature” many of us stifle or deny our natural curiosity. Let yourself be curious! Wonder to yourself about why things are happening. Ask someone in the know. The best way to exercise our curiosity is by asking “Why?” Make it a new habit to ask “why?” at least 10 times a day. Your brain will be happier and you will be amazed at how many opportunities and solutions will show up in your life and work.

2. Laugh. Scientists tell us that laughter is good for our health; that it releases endorphins and other positively powerful chemicals into our system. We don’t really need scientists to tell us that it feels good to laugh. Laughing helps us reduce stress and break old patterns too. So laughter can be like a “quick-charge” for our brain’s batteries. Laugh more, and laugh harder.

3. Remember. Get out an old photo album or high school yearbook. Your brain is a memory machine, so give it a chance to work! Spend time with your memories. Let your mind reflect on them and your mind will repay you in positive emotions and new connections from the memories to help you with your current tasks and challenges.

4. Do a puzzle. Some of us like jigsaw puzzles, some crossword puzzles, some logic puzzles - it really doesn’t matter kind you choose to do. Doing puzzles in your free time is a great way to activate your brain and keep it in good working condition. Do the puzzle for fun, but do it knowing you are exercising your brain.

5. Play. Take time to play. Make time to play. Play cards. Play video games. Play board games. Play Ring Around the Rosie. Play tug of war. It doesn’t matter what you play. Just play! It is good for your spirit and good for your brain. It gives your brain a chance to think strategically, and keeps it working.

6. Learn something new. This one might seem obvious. Yes, we capitalize on our brain’s great potential when we put it to work learning new things. You may have a specific topic for work or leisure that you want to learn more about. That’s great. Go learn it. If you don’t have a subject in mind right now, try learning a new word each day. There is a strong correlation between working vocabulary and intelligence. When we have new words in our vocabulary, our minds can think in new ways with greater nuances between ideas. Put your mind to work learning. It is one of the best ways to re-energize your brain.

7. Write to be read. I am a big proponent of writing in a journal to capture ideas and thoughts. There is certainly great value in writing for yourself. I continue to find that my brain is greatly stimulated by writing to be read. Writing this article (and at least one per week) is one example and writing in my blog is another example. There are several situations and audiences for which I write each week. There are many benefits to me in doing this. The greatest isn’t visibility or marketing; the greatest is what it does to expand my brain’s capacity. Find ways to write to be read – in your church newsletter, by writing things for your kids to read, by capturing the stories of your childhood (see number 3 above), starting your own blog or whatever – just write to be read.

8. Exercise. We all know that exercise is important for your physical health. Our brain is a part of that body, so increasing our blood flow brings more oxygen to the brain – oxygen that is the fuel for that beautiful brain. When I exercise I get fresh ideas. When I exercise I feel better physically and mentally. Just add “improving my brain” to the list of great reasons to exercise.

This is a short but powerful list. I encourage you to apply at least one of these approaches starting today. Look at your to do list and your calendar. Put it on your list in ink.

Your brain will thank you in the form of new ideas, greater stamina, more passion for your tasks and in so many more ways.

Kevin Eikenberry is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. To receive your free special report on “Unleashing Your Potential” go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.

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What’s Up With the ‘Bad’ Reading

Saturday, July 28th, 2007

A lot of times when I am reading people on the site I notice people talking about having a “bad reading.” By that they usually mean that the psychic pulled a so-called “bad” cards, such as the Devil, The Tower of the Ten of Swords, in answer to their question.

First of all, you need to realize that there is no such thing as a “bad” reading. Usually “bad” means that the reader pulled cards that don’t agree with your idea of what the desired answer to your question should be. Many of the “bad” cards are cards that indicate change. Most people fear or resist change as we all have a basic fear of the unknown.

There are a few cards in the Tarot that I know put the fear of God into trembling clients. These are the Tower, The Devil card, the Ace of Swords, the Ten of Swords and the Nine of Swords.

Of them all, possibly the worst one, in terms of sheer bad luck is the Ten of Swords, which can indicate cruelty from another person. The Ten of Swords usually indicates that a strange twist of fate as well as the wresting of control of your life into another’s hands.

The Nine of Swords, on the other hand, indicates an emotional anguish that may be perpetrated by the questioner. In other words you may be doing it to yourself by holding on to a drama or an emotional drama from the past. In some ways that card is actually lucky as it shows that you hold the key to your own psychological prison and have the power to let yourself out. When I see the Nine of Swords in a reading, I know there is still hope for the individual to regain control over his or her life. It usual indicates that the person is willingly relinquishing or giving control to someone else. This is much different than the Ten of Swords indicates that the questioner is truly more helpless, may be suffering a genuine loss or is the victim of genuine cruelty.

Saturn, the planet of discipline and limitations, rules the Ace of Swords. Although this card can represent a loss, it is also a card that bodes the swift, just and righteous conclusion of a matter. There is not usually great suffering along with the Ace of Swords although the changes it can bring can be a bit of a shock to the nervous system of the questioner. This card also has a positive twist to in the sense that it can mean that you have paid a huge debt to your Bank of Karma. Ultimately, the Ace of Swords represents a change. For better or worse, this change is usually the right one for you.

The Devil card does not always bode gloom and doom. Sometimes it means fun and games. It represents the most playful part of human nature. It represents all Seven of the Deadly Sins. If you don’t like food, sex and material things, then you might definitely see the devil card as being bad. In a love reading it can mean that a relationship will finally be consummated or the beginning of an affair. It can also be seen as a good card in a business reading as it can mean the signing of a contract. It can also represent a manipulative move that is about to be made that is actually to one’s advantage. As it is a card that represents civilization and man’s triumph over nature (often interpreted by many as God’s intentions), it bodes well for creativity, innovation and invention.

Also where the card is positioned in the spread can have a great impact on the severity of its meaning. For instance if you are asking about having an affair with a married man and you pull the Devil card in the immediate future, then that card would be good news for you. However, if you were the wife asking, “is my husband cheating on me” the answer would have more negative implications. If you pull the Tower card, but positive cards surround it, it can mean the collapse of a situation for the better. If the Tower card is in the position that describes, “How others see you” you might simply be a drama queen rather than facing any real trouble in your life.

This is why it is important not to jump conclusions or react immediately if the psychic seems to pull a card that has a reputation as a ‘bad card’. These cards are like clouds. Many of them boast silver linings.

Also, after getting a reading it is important to remember that what you are hearing is not necessarily “absolutely gospel.” The true purpose of Tarot is to allow you to conceptualize the situation, so even if you get “bad cards”, you have the opportunity to prepare for these changes or even in some cases, completely avoid them.

Ultimately there is no such thing as a “bad” reading and if you fear the outcome of a reading, there is really no point in torturing yourself. Many people so fear the so-called “bad” Tarot cards to the extent that they actually manifest them in the spread as the psychic can attach to their hopes and fears. The best thing to do is ask the question and then be prepared to be accountable for your own reactions to the cards as the psychic is not “liable” ethically or emotionally to suffer your displeasure or anxiety.

Asking a question of the Tarot, without fear, desire or anxiety attached to the matter, is the best way to receive the most accurate answer.

Samantha Steven’s articles have been published in many high-standing newspapers and she has published several books. If you wish to buy Samantha’s books about metaphysics click here
http://www.insomniacpress.com/author.php?id=110
You can meet Samantha Stevens at http://www.psychicrealm.com where she works as a professional psychic. You can also read more of her articles at http://www.newagenotebook.com

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