If You Can Help Yourself, You Can't Help Others

Make Sure You're in the Right State of Mind before You Start to Help Other People, maybe you should watch this video, it could change your life by changing your thinking.

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing and personal development.

Would you still be reading this article, if you had no desire, for better life. Find out more by visiting a place to develop some life changing skills .

Ignorant Excuses Who Needs Them

About That Dream...

About that Dream...

Remember your very first job? That all-grown-up feeling! Your own money to buy things... That feeling of independence!

Do you still have that excitement today? Do you jump out of bed, eager to start a new day? Or are you tired, even slightly depressed?

Perhaps you've lost touch with your own special *dream* over the years. What was your dream? Have you thought about it lately? Acknowledging your dream can free you up to remove the obstacles...

Those Nasty Obstacles

What's keeping you from your dream? Start a small list of things you consider obstacles in your way. Are they *Time,* *Energy,* *Money?* Is your life just too stressful? Brainstorm some solutions and write them in the column next to the obstacles.

Each of the above were obstacles for me. We were about $14,000 in debt (credit cards and school loans). I was working 40-60 hours a week -- just to pay the bills. I was using my energy to work for *things, * leaving none for pursuing my dream.

The Negotiation

If you could trade something for your dream, what would it be? If you wanted it so badly you could taste it -- how could you make it happen?

I wanted to work part time and pursue my writing. I negotiated with myself. If I could learn to live on 20 hours pay per week, I could go part time. Two and a half years later, we were debt free with a small nest egg. Our spending was minimal. I had finished the first draft of my book a year earlier. I moved to part time, evening hours, and my new job was now 3 miles from home. My immediate goal of part time had spurred me on.

What could you negotiate with yourself today - to pull your dream a little bit closer? How about making a small deal with yourself? If I (fill in the blank), then I could (fill in the blank). Who better to negotiate with?

Which Way to Easy Street?

There is no Easy Street (at least not on my road map). But there is that road less traveled... with a few obstacles along the way. My husband lost two jobs soon after I made major changes in my life, the first just months later. It wasn't easy, but I had Plan B ready to go.

What's the worst thing that could happen if you take a different path? Beneath your obstacle list from above, jot down the worst things that might happen. In the column next to them, jot down some ideas for a Plan B of your own.

What's Keeping You?

***Time*** Instead of working more hours away from home for 'extra money', could you invest your time in planning and saving for your dream? Do your current activities move you closer to doing what you'd love to do?

***Energy*** Short on energy? Try blowing the dust off your dream. You'll be amazed at the renewed energy you'll have! Eliminate energy wasters -- things that don't move you forward.

***Money*** What spending can you 'exchange' if it means finally living your dream? Money I spent weekly buying books is now funneled back into my dream. Trade your current spending for your dream. You'll be wonderfully surprised at how much money you'll *find* for your dream!

(c) 2003 Darlene Arechederra

About The Author

Darlene Arechederra is author of Rat Race Blues-How to Break the Stranglehold. Do what you *love* to do for a living -- not what you *have* to do! Darlene offers hope and help in *finding* money, time and energy to support your dreams. Fr*ee weekly newsletter with mini-assignments and rewards to get you back on track with your money and dreams. http://www.RatRaceRemedies.com.

darlene@ratraceremedies.com

Prayer Beads

Finding the Perfect Mentor with Jack Canfield

Creating super habits are easier than you could ever imagine. Most people have something they would like to change in their lives. If you ask anyone, they are usually able to answer this question, "If you could change anything about yourself, what would you change." All the self help and personal development programs and Books available today are full of useful information that nobody seems to take advantage of. You've seen the TV commercials and listen to other people tell their stories, about how they lost weight.

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a self help video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Missing Years Of Jesus

Learn to Astral Travel

Astral travel or astral projection is a natural process. It is the separation of the real you (your spirit body) from your actual physical body, which is what you use whilst on this earth. Astral travel is as natural as breathing. It is part of who you are, it is your birthright; every living creature astral travels. How quickly can you do it consciously depends on you; and you alone. The majority of untrained people fall asleep during the process; which is very annoying indeed, as you must leave the body before it goes to sleep to remember your travels!

Usually because of our religious teachings or upbringing we learn very little about astral travel. Therefore many people go through life not knowing anything about it. Many think their actual physical body is the one and only real you; It is not! It's just a shell to enable your spiritual body to be on this planet.

Every night we nearly all unconsciously astral travel but there are those who cannot; and by their own fault. To understand why these certain people cannot Astral Project we must discuss a few things in more detail. People who are badly constipated, or obese will find it extremely hard to Astral Travel but those obsessed with carnal desires will find it totally impossible. They cannot because of two reasons; firstly being badly constipated or obese causes the spiritual body to be locked within the physical body, which means it cannot get released at night whilst the physical is sleeping; With this I do not joke - it is very true. Those obsessed with carnal desires will also not achieve anything as the spiritual path is not carnal. Because these people who are infatuated with carnal desires have only one thought on their minds and that make it near on impossible to focus on anything else.

So getting back on track; being able to astral travel is one thing, being able to consciously astral travel is another; which is what you want to achieve and as I have previous said ` The majority of untrained people fall asleep during the process; which is very annoying indeed, as you must leave the physical body before it goes to sleep to remember your travels.' Conscious astral travel is our goal and it can be achieved, but you need to learn to visualise the process. Again we must digress here as many confuse visualisation with imagination. You have to go in for visualization, and visualization is not imagination. Imagination is something which can be indulged in on the imaginary basis only. No amount of imagination, for instance, would enable you to jump over a thirty-story building. You might be able to do it in your imagination and then you would be something like Superman; wouldn't you? But such a jump over a thirty-story building is beyond the laws of physical nature, so it is imagination only, and many people waste time imagining that which is completely impossible. Visualization, on the contrary, is something which is entirely possible because it is completely in keeping with normal physical laws.

So the secret - for want of a word - is to visualise the whole process, that is, you're lying in or on your bed at night and visualise, before you fall off to sleep, that your spiritual body is looking down from above. Many at this point will not see their actual physical because they are not expecting to see it and the first time you do, you may jump right back into your physical which means you will have to try again another night. Seeing our own body can be a shock for many as it's not like looking into a mirror. Recall when your voice was recorded and played back to you? You would have bet vast amounts of money that it wasn't you, and so it is with the physical when you get to see it.

Another obstacle is being able to visualise. In today's world many find visualisation very hard as much of your lives are filled with visual images, either TV, films and such like where they provide all the visual and therefore the requirement or ability to visualise anything is completely removed. So what can we do to assist this?

A simple process is to get your partner or friend to take a photo of you when you are in or on your bed. They must take the photo from above so it simulates what you would be seeing from near the ceiling as that's where your spiritual body will be when it leaves the physical. It's no good you taking the picture as you have to be in it. Once you can consciously astral travel you can bypass this process of floating above the physical near to the ceiling, but for now let's assume you are starting out and therefore you WILL float above the physical and the height varies from person to person, but nevertheless it's above the physical.

Now you don't want to use a flash or take the photo in full daylight. Draw the curtains so that the room is slightly dimmed to a form of neutral lighting because this is how you will see everything whilst astral travelling. Digressing here again, in the astral you can see clearly even in the darkest of rooms as you are not seeing with physical eyes, but spiritual eyes. Getting back, you must be dressed or naked as you normally go to bed because everything must be as exact to aid visualisation. Now before you tuck yourself in, get the picture and focus on this image, then tuck yourself in and visualise that photo image before falling off to sleep, actually form strong thoughts that you are doing it and sooner or later you will do it. One night you will actually be above the physical looking down. It's not going to happen over night, it can take days, weeks or even years to achieve as it's all down to you; and you alone because we create our own stumbling blocks with doubt and fear.

When starting out you may experience a sensation of falling or swaying; that is perfectly normal. That is your true self trying to leave the physical. Sometimes when going to sleep you feel a jerk which awakens you, well that was your two bodies parting company too quickly. Again this jerk may cause you to try again on another night until you have mastered the process. Recall then you had you first bike, you probably fell off it with fright the very first time and it was many months until you could ride it without stabilising wheels and in full confidence, such is learning to astral travel, you will make small mistakes at first.

Let us assume that you have achieved this and are now looking down upon the sleeping physical. When you have finally got out of the physical, rest awhile, just keep still, you don't need to feel panic nor triumph, just rest peaceably for a few moments. Then - if you think you can stand the shock - and depending on what sort of a body you've got; gaze down on the thing you've just left. It looks all lopsided, it looks lumpy and heavy, and it looks a real untidy mess. Well, aren't you glad to get away from it for the time being? You will see the silver cord which connects both the spiritual and physical bodies. Once you are out of the physical it doesn't matter that it's gone to sleep. Slowly you will realise that your spiritual body is descending feet first so that you are now at the end of the bed; this is normal for beginners, advanced people only need think of where they wish to be and will project their spiritual body to that location without this process, but you are just starting out and therefore will go through all this.

If you get over excited or try and rush things at this point you can force the spiritual back into the physical, which if it does happen you won't achieve much again that night and will have to try again another night. Again let's assume you haven't got over excited, or panicked having seeing your actually physical body lying prone in or upon the bed, and you are now standing at the end of the bed. So what do you do now? For the very first time it's advisable to just browse your bedroom to get used to moving about. You are lighted than anything and move by though alone, all you need to is to think or visualise yourself moving and you will move. Speed varies to your thoughts and you can move much faster than the speed of light. Slowly move around the room looking at the places you don't normally see, like above the wardrobe and such like places, see all the dust that has settled and try and touch it. You will discover that your hand or finger will just pass thought much like a ghost and once you are comfortable with that you can try other rooms about the house. Get used to moving about and through walls and doors, you may feel a slight tingle sensation - a bit like a very mild pins and needles sensation - when going through some solid objects as that's normal and will soon pass once you are more adept at travelling this way. There is not need to rush it as there is no fast-track process to this.

I must point out at this point that NOTHING can harm you but fear alone. Fear is the mind killer because it stalls our advancement; and what is fear? Fear is just the unknown, something which we don't understand yet as you don't fear that which you understand; or do you? So remember that NOTHING can actually hurt you. Now we must assume again that you have accomplished all this and feel secure about moving about and through objects and that your fear is well under control. Now it's time to venture outside and visit local places before setting out to far off places. The scope of possible travel is vast as you can go and see anywhere on this planet and throughout the universe because during Astral Travel, distance is no object.

A word of warning: if you think it would be great to see others in their birthday suit; think again! Only those with pure intentions can see everything, but those with idle curiosity or alternative motives cannot, it's a universal law. You may be able to break physical laws whilst on this little planet, but you cannot break universal laws regardless of who you are!

So how do you know if you are astral travelling or just dreaming? As many people do dream that they are astral travelling and don't know it. Simple; remember that the silver cord is ALWAYS visible, colours are more VIBRANT and you can see clearly even in the very DARKEST of rooms; as if there was indirect sunlight entering that room and in fact, when you are in the REAL astral world you WILL see more colours that you can perceive within the physical.

Remember there is NOTHING that can harm you whilst within the astral plane; the silver cord CANNOT be broken - only death itself can do that - and you CANNOT be possessed whilst astral travelling. Your only worry is fear itself. Remember never to panic even if you do get a few swaying sensations trying because you CANNOT BE HURT and you can ALWAYS get back into the physical once out.

Some people have mentioned that when astral travelling; or having an out of body experience they find themselves moving though a tunnel with a bright light at the far end. This is most excellent news as that is the way home; back to the real astral world. If you ever get the chance to do this it's strongly advisable to spend some time in the astral home - remember everything you see and do - then when your time on Earth is done, you will know the way home without any delays. Within the astral plane you move by thought alone, which is much, much faster than the speed of light; and all communications are by telepathy. Don't worry about not being able to know telepathy, when in the astral plane you can automatically do it. You WILL be greeted upon arriving in the real world and you WILL see loved ones only. Try it and you will see I am right.

In the astral there are many planes of existence; some you may visit and others you cannot because you are not spiritually evolved enough, these higher planes of existence are just bright lights and if you venture towards one you will discover you are automatically blocked. On the lower planes of existence you will see strange beings, perhaps some that may look demonic like; not that they actually are, your false teaching have cause that belief. Once in the astral plane you can perceive and understand many things which are not possible whilst stuck in the physical.

There is no secret mystery in astral travelling; it just needs confidence. It just needs the firm knowledge that you are going to do astral travel while you are fully awake. And the best way to start about it is not to imagine that you are out of the body, but to visualise that you are out of your body, visualise yourself leaving your physical body, visualise yourself gradually inching out and floating inches above the recumbent physical body. Actually visualise yourself doing it, actually form the strong thoughts that you are doing it, and sooner or later you will do it. You will find, with the greatest amazement that you are floating there looking down upon a padded, whitish-green or what ever coloured fleshy body you have. Probably it will have its mouth open; probably it will be snoring away because when you are out of the physical it doesn't matter at all if your body goes to sleep, because if you get out while the body is awake, you will remember the whole experience.

So finally, how to get back into the physical? This is achieved by either visualising yourself going back or it will happen naturally when morning comes. During astral travelling you may feel a constant tug along the silver cord, this is the physical body warning the spiritual body that something is about to happen where the physical resides, and either its morning or someone is trying to awake you.

If you get a headache when you get back into the physical that is due to a misalignment between the two bodies because you got back in too quickly, and can be easily resolved by going back to sleep for a few minutes, so that the two bodies can part and synchronise correctly. Your spiritual body oscillates at much a higher frequency than the physical does and to get back in they must be in sync; most of the time this process is automatic.

Now the bit which is going to cause much fuss and many will disagree but is very true, some people have dreams. Now frequently the dreams are rationalizations of what actually happened. The person is a doubter to start with and just would not believe the possibility of astral travel, and so as a solution to what would be a difficult problem the subconscious of the doubter cooks up a fantastic image or dream which truly is stranger than anything that could happen in real life.

Dreams, then, are either the rationalization of an astral experience or - and this is the most popular - the mindless wandering thoughts of a physical body of which the soul or astral form is far, far away - so far that no check is being kept on the mental processes of the sleeping form. I hope this helps and you enjoy the many delights of astral travelling.

I have been interested in all things related to spiritualism, meditation, self development for as long as I can remember. The fascination never fades but the information keeps coming. Visit my site for more articles of interest, free isotones, free binaural beats, free ebooks and much more.

Astral Travel

Discussing spirituality, spiritual development, self development, meditation and much more.

Hypnotic Writing

Are You Smarter Than a Buddha?

I am waiting for a new show to appear titled 'Are you smarter than a Buddha?' Or 'Are you smarter than an enlightened Master?'

There seems to be an enormous amount of debate going on at the moment in regards to what makes someone 'Spiritual' or 'Enlightened'. I can imagine turning the page of a glossy magazine and finding a quiz one day.

How to tell if you are Enlightened
1. You are faced with a body of water such as an ocean do you
a) Jump in and drown
b) Hire a boat or
c) Walk on water

2. The postal service delivers your Christmas present from Grandma and it has been damaged beyond repair do you
a) Proceed to strangle the postal worker
b) Apologize profusely for Grandmas inability to wrap a present properly or
c) Forgive the postal worker for his sins

If you answered C to both questions go to the sliding scale of spiritualism on your left and move the arrow to 10. Congratulations you are an enlightened being.

I am afraid I cannot be very spiritual because I would probably answer A to both questions.

This goes to show just how ridiculous it is to try and pin the tail on the enlightened beings.

Knowledge seems to be a criteria for being spiritual the more books you read the more courses you participate in the more you fill your ego mind up with concepts laws secrets the more you will be held in an enlightened light.

I wonder though who is on this exclusive selection committee....whose measuring stick are we using? Is the Christian more spiritual than the Zen Master is the Catholic more privy to secrets of the universe than the Pagan?

Who gets to decide the criteria for being Spiritual or having reached enlightenment? I want to be on that committee!!!! I am sorry your application for enlightened being has been rejected on the grounds your humanity is always showing. I am sorry we are full up with enlightened beings at the moment please come back later someone is bound to slip up and have their membership terminated.

I like to think I am living my life to the best of my ability that I am walking my talk speaking my truth and honoring the right of others to do the same. Am I enlightened? Probably not.

Am I spiritual well that would depend on whose ruler you were using to measure me. Sometimes I wonder if there was a contest on the back of the Cereal Box I didn't see.... Win an eternity of heavenly joy simply fill out the forms stating in 200 words or less why you are a Spiritual or Enlightened being.

I suppose I shall muddle along the best I can a mere mortal full of human imperfections and contradictions walking the pathway of life, trying not to bump into the pedestals of those enlightened beings I meet along the way.

Okay I confess I am being cynical and sarcastic probably not traits one would find in a Spiritual person you would think. However I get tired of a Spiritual movement that gets more exclusive by the minute instead of widening its doors its saying you have to be.....

Well "I am" and so is everyone else on the planet and having knowledge or doing something a certain way others don't doesn't make me anything but a person doing something different. Two roads diverged in the forest and someone stuck a sign on one saying this way to enlightenment.

Robin Newman Psychic/Medium
Creating futures changing lives
http://www.robinjpsychic.com

Enjoy Your Life Its The Only One

Video Book Review - The Magic of Beleiving, by Claude Bristol

I don't need to write anything, watch the video

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended books, More on Claude Bristol

Greg is currently working on a personal development library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Jesus Wasnt A Christian

Cancer Does Not Prevent Productivity - You Can Heal And Be Productive

In April of 2007, productivity stopped. I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the U.S with an average survival rate of 3-6 months after diagnosis. That was not the diagnosis the doctors or I expected. I also did not expect the recovery to be as challenging as it was or the adjustment to becoming an insulin dependent diabetic quite so challenging. I help people learn how to manage stress. I am a trainer/educator who professes the benefits of having a strong, positive, can-do attitude, faith, and that a good sense of humor and laughter are the supreme coping skills when life throws you a bunch of lemons.

I needed to watch comedies, tell funny stories, and focus on preparing for my training engagement in Las Vegas. After two chemo infusions and a major allergic reaction, I created a new definition for "gentle chemo" and told my oncologist "no more." With the aid of other treatment modalities, I went to Las Vegas. I instructed middle school health teachers how to teach health subjects using evidenced-based humor and improvisational exercises. They laughed and learned and then...

Productivity Stopped:

I was living at the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy of needs (biological and physiological needs). I was hospitalized; there were many complications and surgeries in the ensuing months. I was not about to let cancer take control of my life! Humor to the rescue! I distributed "The Joy of Living...The Journal that Inspires YOU to Live Life Laughing" (Trieber, 2007) to every nurse who took care of me. I walked the halls wearing "Minnie Mouse Ears," and my fellow patients' frowns turned into smiles (even staff moods changed as they laughed off stress).

Regrouped and Redefined My Mission:

In August I was beginning to climb up Maslow's ladder. I'd survived abdominal abscesses and
several surgeries. I was energized enough to think about how I was going to achieve my mission
to help people live life with joy and enthusiasm, be productive, and stop giving cancer more power than it deserves.

Along the way, I discovered how to Heal with wit and wisdom. My new focus became Healing with Wit and Wisdom. I learned the difference between healing and curing in a broad sense. I learned that I had to attend to my mind, body, and spirit in order to feel whole and harness positive energy. Positive energy increased when I learned how to center myself by concentrating on my breath and let outside thoughts float from one end of my brain and outside the other end. Eating more whole foods and minimizing refined sugar became the standard operating eating procedure.

I learned that thoughts matter and what we think colors our experiences. I learned to live in the present moment without judgment and respond with kindness to all situations. It was amazing how Less Stressed I felt and how productive I could be.

I am alive; my positive attitude is intact, I practice mindfulness mediation, and I am productive.

Open your heart, let go of your fears, accept your unique gifts, and love yourself. Adversity is a great teacher if we give ourselves permission to learn, grow, and accept what life gives us. Situations do not change, only our relationships with them.

What one lesson learned from this article can you use right away?"

"When will you take action on this lesson?"

And now I would like to invite you to subscribe to my free monthly Healing With Wit and Wisdom electronic newsletter by going directly to http://www.cancerrocks.com

From Roz Trieber - A certified health education specialist and cancer survivor who helps people heal with Wit and Wisdom. Roz works with organizations to reduce stress and increase productivity.

Health Benefits of Yoga - Reducing Stress and More With Laughter Yoga

There are different kinds of health benefits of yoga. Usually, the benefits received from a type of yoga depend on the kind of yoga a person is practicing. One of the kinds of yoga that is gaining in popularity thanks to its health benefits is laughter yoga.

It is said that children laugh around 400 times each day. Anybody who has been around children know they are typically carefree and full of energy. On the other hand, studies have shown that adults laugh only about 15 times a day on average.

Because adults must deal with more stress, it is understandable that they laugh less. However, one of the key points of laughter yoga is that the more a person laughs, the better they will be able to reduce the stress they feel.

In addition to reducing stress, laughter yoga is also said to be able to boost a person's immune system, strengthen his or her heart and improve overall circulation. A person who wants to try out this kind of yoga to improve his or her health can try the following:

• Find a class - Laughter yoga is usually most effective when it is done as part of a group, rather than a person doing it on her own. Because laughter yoga includes more than just laughing, an experienced yogi can help a person get the most health benefits.
• Get ready - Just like any other form of yoga, a person who hopes to truly be able to receive some health benefits of yoga that focuses on laughing must be able to take the time to warm up. When warming up, a person should clap twice, saying "Ho, Ho." Then, he or she should clap three times while saying, "Ha, Ha, Ha."
• Breathing is important - Breathing is important in any kind of yoga. In laugh yoga, a person can breathe deeply by drawing in a large breath through his or her nose that immerses his or her lungs. Hold the breath for about 10 seconds, and then slowly exhale. Pay attention to the way the air leaves the lungs. This process should be repeated three times.
• Laugh - This is easier said than done. The fact is that a person who is not comfortable acting "silly" in a group may need some time to get used to this kind of yoga. The best way to get used to doing this yoga is to realize that everybody else looks just as silly. A person should start the laughing by raising his or her arms in the air and laughing heartily as he or she throws his or head back. Use the other people in the group. People can shake hands, nod, wave and laugh at each other.
• Learn to laugh silently - Laugh yoga does not simply focus on the noises a person makes. Rather, it focuses on the way a body functions as it laughs. Laughing silently can allow a person to get a good abdominal workout, It can also allow a person to work out his or her facial muscles.

If a person has participated in yoga for years, he or she must remember that laughing yoga does not replace all of the health benefits of yoga that has been previously been practiced. A person who is looking to stay flexible will likely want to continue to do other types of yoga.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for Web sites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background also includes teaching, gardening, and fashion. For more of her useful articles on yoga and Pilates, please visit Yoga Supplies, home to many useful articles about health and fitness.

How Do You Find the Time to Write?

Here's another question I get a lot. Usually from other writers.

"How do you find the time to write?"

Well, there's a fundamental flaw in that sentence.

It contains the word "find."

Which comes from the Old English term findan.
Which means, "To come upon, alight on."
Which implies a search.
Which means it's possible that you might NOT find the time to write.

Which increases the possibility of your saying, "Damn it - it's already 9 PM? Oh well. Guess I won't write today. I wonder if Law & Order is on..."

See, if you're serious about writing - and, if you're serious about being a writer - then you don't FIND time to write...

You MAKE time to write.

Major difference.

See, the word "make" comes from the Frisian term makia, which means, "To build."

As in "BUILD into your schedule."
As in "BUILD your entire day around it."

Which implies a commitment.
Which means it's NOT possible that you WON'T write.

Which guarantees you'll say, "Well, it's 6 AM. Time to get up and go to work. I'm due at the page."

Problem solved.

Of course, that's a lot easier said than done. The challenge is getting into a routine and (actually) sticking with that routine.

Here's a list of six daily practices for making (not finding) time to write:

1.Find a writing partner. Someone who writes. Someone who's trustworthy and dependable. Someone who will keep you accountable. So, at the beginning of each day, at an agreed time (say, 8:30 AM), you call each other. For the sole purpose of saying, "Morning Mike. I'm about to start writing, just wanted to make sure you were doing the same. Good luck!" Then, at the end of each day, you call each other again. This time with a question: "So, Mike, what did you write today?" (You can also do this via email, although it's not as committal and a lot easier to skip.)

2.Officialize your practice. Once you've decided on your ideal writing time, make it official. Write it down. Put it on your calendar. Think of it as a real appointment. Somewhere you HAVE to be. Due at the page. Same time every day. And, be sure to inform your colleagues, coworkers (or family members, if you're like me and you work out of your living room) about your new schedule. Alert them that interruptions are for emergencies ONLY. Setting this kind boundary not only protects your writing schedule, but also builds a sense of predictability and consistency into your creative routine.

3.Ritualize your routine. Customize your own ritual that eases you into the process of writing. You could say a prayer. Or recite an incantation to invoke your Muse. Maybe listen to your favorite song. Or ring a Tibetan Bell of Awareness. Engage in a few breathing exercises. Look into the mirror and say an affirmation. Whatever works for you. Whatever gets you in the mood to create. The secret is, when you ritualize your practice, it becomes more sacred to you, which makes you less apt to skip it.

4.Eliminate distractions. As you sit down to write, turn off the phone. Close your email account. Remove any other physical distractions that might tempt you to procrastinate further. Do what you have to do to maintain focus, even if that means locking yourself in a hotel room all day. (Hey, that's what Maya Angelou did!)

5.Set a writing quota. Five pages. Five hours. Five chapters. Five lines. Five new ideas. Whatever form of creative currency will motivate you to write. The secret is, make sure it's achievable, yet demanding. So, you can start small, i.e., 15 minutes a day, and build from there. And the good news is, when you begin hitting your quota every single day, it starts to expand on its own. And before you know it, you'll be CRUSHING your original number by a factor of ten. Look how far you've come!

6.Do a Victory Dance. At the end of each day's writing session, you MUST reward yourself for sticking to your commitment. Once again, this ritual should be customized to your style, taking as little as two seconds or as much as twenty minutes. Me, I ring a Victory Bell on my desk. You, on the other hand could take a walk around the block. Or head over to Starbucks for a cup of Tazo. Or do a little celebration dance around your office. Some people even keep a calendar on the wall on which they put a little red star once their daily writing is complete! Anything to recognize and reward your writing efforts. Make it fun, make it playful and make it YOU.

- - -

Now, I know what you're thinking:

"Scott, these suggestions are a bit corny. Do I REALY have to do all this stuff?"

Well, that all depends: What did you write today?

If you can't answer that question, then, YES. You DO have to do all this stuff.

Just because it's corny doesn't mean it's ineffective.

Look. When I started my career as a writer in 2002, I couldn't "find" the time to write either.

So, I made time.

And I actually DID every single one of those six practices on the list I just gave you.

FOR EXAMPLE: I started with 15 minutes a day. That's it. And if you do the math, 15 out of 1,440 possible minutes is just over 1% of your entire day.

ONE PERCENT!!!! (Don't tell me you can't make time for THAT!)

But of course, that was a long time ago.

Now, I write between four and eight HOURS a day.

Oh, don't act so surprised. I'm a writer. That's my occupation. That's what I DO.

(Why? What do YOU do all day?)

Anyway, here I stand: 6 years, 8 books, 300 articles and 1000 posts later.

So, obviously, this stuff works:

1.Find a Writing Partner
2.Officialize your practice.
3.Ritualize your routine.
4.Eliminate distractions.
5.Set a writing quota.
6.Do Victory Dance.

Even if there IS a Law & Order marathon on USA Network.

And remember:

If you're not writing, you're not a writer.
If you're too busy to write, you're not a writer.
If you're unable to MAKE time to write, you're not a writer.
If you're not making writing your #1 priority, you're not a writer.

LET ME ASK YA THIS...
What did YOU write today?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS...
For the list called, "9 Things Every Writer Needs to Do Every Day," send an email to me, and I'll send you the list for free!

2007 All Rights Reserved.
Scott Ginsberg, aka "The Nametag Guy," is an author, speaker, award-winning blogger and entrepreneur. As the creator of NametagTV.com, he teaches people how to GET noticed, GET remembered and GET business. To rent Scott's brain, call 314/256-1800 or email scott@hellomynameisscott.com.

Recommended Teen Reading List

The Essentials of a Good Life

The ONE Self

The sum total of your life lived will not be what you have done nor gained but in who you have been while journeying on this little blue planet called Earth. The courage and risk needed for meaningful success on this journey and adventure can only be enhanced once you acknowledge and recognize the only change you ever needed was not outside yourself, but within.

In the finding, cultivation and practice of innocence, in the subjective experience of freedom that occurs as a result of finding out Who You Are, you rediscover a divinity and peace that lies within: and the emergence of a new life and humanity dawns. The unfolding experience of awareness and inner wisdom is the only true doorway to the freedom and peace you seek in your own life and the world you live in.

The most important relationship you will have is the relationship you have with the Self. It is through the relationship you have to the Self that will create a relationship with life. The level of intimacy that you achieve with that Self will draw you into an intimate relationship with life, and through the internal growth and cultivation of that inner relationship you will be inspired and strengthened to cultivate and express within all external relationships.

The dialogue of this inner conversation and transformation will be less about doing and more about being. The bond of this relationship and the opportunity within the experience called life, is rare, precious and delicate; its consummation, profound. To know the Self is the greatest gift you could bring to all your relations; your life is the story of this adventure...

The Practices:

In the legacy of my life I will have received two gifts:
what I gave to myself and what I brought to this world.
I will remind myself daily how I intend to live my life.
Boredom and fear, struggle and suffering, are prompts from my Soul to move beyond my present life experience and perception to the next step and adventure in my evolution.
I will stop living my life vicariously;
I will abandon who I was and surrender to who I can be.

I will practice taking care of my Self first and in this knowingness find the energy, vitality, inspiration and integrity to be of help to others when needed.
I will take care to not distract or lose my Self in the noise and nonsense of life.
I will not be discouraged.
I will not allow my Self to be overshadowed; to become a slave of circumstance or situations that may be present as part of my daily life experience.

I will be clear.
I will be consistent.
I will be constant in the discovery and expression of my authentic Self.
I will listen to the validity of my own inner voice; to guide and support, to serve my Self and others.
I will live within the guidelines of my own inner integrity; living life with a passionate commitment to what feels important, right and true for me.
I will become what I practice.

While life may sometimes feel like a struggle, I will remind myself of its promise and potential.
In Spirit I believe without a doubt all things are possible.
My current life experience mirrors my present set of beliefs about myself and the world I live in.
I choose to believe in a future unshaped by external circumstance.
I choose to see it shaped instead by the creative capacity of my own inner wisdom and ONE Self.
What I choose to believe I will subjectively become.
Sooner or later, I will learn to question all beliefs I have about myself and the world I live in.
While my thoughts may appear to have the power, and my actions may suggest I have impact, it is the relationship I have to my inner being that will gently foster the greatest potential and possibility.
Fully awakened and in awareness, the Self will effortlessly be.

Self ~ intimacy demands that I live my truth regardless of the consequences.

I was born to cultivate a dream and to share it with humanity.
To know is not enough; I will take mindful action towards my intentions, desires and dreams.
The quality of my journey proceeds from the quality of the choices I make for this adventure and dream.
Every choice I make is an action; every step I take, perfect.
I will pursue choices in life that cultivate my dreams;
I will live those aspirations like no other.
I will elevate the gifts and talents that I have been given to create the dream I envision.

Desire:

What dream and vision do I have for my life now?

Desire is the language of my Soul; I will listen.
What I desire I become.
Where I find inspiration I will also find joy.
Where I find joy I will find the life throb of the ages.
When I know where I'm going, I'll find a way to get there.
I will weave a dream of greatness, by living a life of fulfilled desire.
I will work with vision, I will live with passion.
I will play BIG with all my visions.

Spirit dwells within the innocence of my every desire.

I will surrender myself to the seeds of my most innocent desires.
I will surrender each moment to the past while experiencing something incredibly new in the present.
I will commit my Self to those desires and dreams; they will become my destiny.
When I believe in my Self and the visions I have for my life, I have the power to transform not only my own life but the world I live in; ONE vision, ONE energy, ONE life, ONE dream.

Authenticity:

There is no escape from my small self except through practice.
I will practice being my Self all the time.
I will accept who I am at every moment and practice compassion if I fail.
I will be a witness to not only my own thoughts but also my actions.
When I practice an attitude of acceptance, thought and action become sacred.
With practice comes mastery.
I will define my Self by Who I am being, not by what I am doing.
I will spend time with my Self and in silence, remember.
In silence I will remember the Universe dwells within me, as me.
I will come to know this ONE Self through the wisdom of experience and the ever present silence behind the mind.
I will realize this single, ONE Self and its existence in the present moment, now.

Where will I place my attention?

My authentic ONE Self is intuitive, creative, nourishing and wise.
I will meditate on this Self.
I will center myself.
I will quiet myself.
I will become that ONE Self.
I will practice connecting with my own inner energy and wisdom.
Daily, I will rediscover the life expression of this ONE Spirit.
I will find solace in the silence of my mind; while listening to the wind in the trees or the sound of innocent children playing.
I will see my Self reflected in the branches of a majestic cedar tree;
on the top of one hundred glacial mountain peaks;
and on the shores of a thousand ocean beaches.
I will rejoice in the blessings of my senses.
I will see, hear, touch, feel, and smell this great Earth and experience it as an extension of my own body.
I will honor my body as I also honor this Earth.
I will protect this body, as I also protect this Earth.
I will remember this Earth and all Universes are the playground of ONE primordial being.

Realization:

The path to this realization is through stillness.
The purpose of my meditation is not to acquire, gain, or attain, but to reveal.
My mind is still, my breath is deep, my body is quiet.
In silence my mind remembers; my body knows.
Self knowledge produces the wisdom of wholeness and the experience of perfection.
When my mind is quiet and still, there can only be joy.
In silence I find bliss; in solitude, my Soul awakens.
A single moment of pure, Self awareness is worth a lifetime of good deeds.
I will be a silent witness to all that happens.

Mastery of the mind awakens the magic of the ONE great Soul.

I express gratitude and reverence for my Self!
Innocence, joy and freedom dwell within that Self.
I was never what I took myself to be.
What I seek lies within me, waiting.
I will find out Who I AM.
In solitude I belong to the Self.
At the "Source" there is absolute perfection, and a simplicity and contentment in Being.

What brings meaning and purpose also brings joy.
In awareness I find infinite, unbounded freedom.
All life flows from me, not to me.
I Am the source of all subjective joy and pain in my life.
As I cultivate an inner awareness of Spirit as joy, I will need no outside stimulus.
Awareness within becomes the source and substance of all my good.

Life becomes effortless when I am aware of my own inner perfection.

My Inner peace exists in this present moment: now.
I surrender to the nobility that I AM, and abandon all that I'm not.
I will awaken to the now, to my own inner divinity and holiness.
I will change the world ONE perception at a time;
I will begin with my own.
I will be the change I want to see in this world.

The power of my inner divinity has the power to transform.
It is inner relationship that opens the door to fulfillment of all my dreams
where all thoughts and actions become sacred.
The gift of my life is a bridge between Spirit and form.

More is always built on the foundation of less.

I embrace the perception of creation.
I will receive in life what I believe myself to be worthy of.
I am worthy.
I receive now.

Questions:

During the course of my life I will ask myself many questions. To know where I am heading I just need to listen to the questions I ask myself at every moment. Sometimes when I ask those questions I will receive a response to every situation as it occurs and at other times I might need to sit with those questions, to accept those unresolved questions unconditionally as part of the mystery of my life experience.

Most will search outside themselves for answers; they will seek a personal happiness and will never really be satisfied. Many will ask questions that dwell only on the practical necessities of life and as a result, live lives of mediocrity. As I practice asking myself my most meaningful questions, I will learn to navigate not only the journey of my life but also, the mystery of my Soul. Some of the most important questions I can ask are:

Who Am I?

What do I want?

Why am I here?

And,

What will I build?

Where will I go?

Who will I be?

These questions will eventually merge to become one:

What am I doing for others and how can I contribute more to the planet I live on?

I will ask questions only my Soul can answer; questions that bring clarity, purpose and meaning to my life.
I will traverse my life experience with questions based on concern, inquiry, need and affirmation.
I will ask my self Ten Questions to provide a foundation for the emerging new me and life.
I will be attentive to the Spirit of the ONE who is asking, the ONE who listens, the ONE who sees, the ONE who smells, the ONE who feels, the ONE who tastes.

I will be attentive to the ONE source of all humanity.

10 Questions for a New Humanity:

1) What aspirations do I have that, if pursued, could provide the preamble for more peace, passion, inspiration and transformation in my life and the world I live in?

2) Do the dreams, desires, gifts and talents I pursue, enhance and elevate the resilience I have to my own life experience, to my own inner wisdom and the service I could provide to the ONE greater Earth community?

3) How can I elevate the visions and aspirations I have for my life so they are synchronized in solidarity and kinship with all others?

4) What changes do I need to make in the way I live my life that, if made, could improve the quality of my own well being and the well being of the greater world?

5) How can I live my life with greater admiration and reverence towards my Self and others?

6) What unspoken words and conversations do I need to have or hear to foster a culture of peace and affirmation?

7) What values do I need to enhance or adopt to form a solid foundation for a personal, sacred trust towards sustaining a new life and world?

8) How can I live my life with a greater reverence and humility for the mystery of Being; with enhanced gratitude for the gift of life, and with greater humility regarding my place in nature?

9) What can I do to elevate the shared responsibility I have in the stewardship of this ONE Earth and ONE humanity towards the intention and goal of creating ONE global, just, sustainable and peaceful society?

10) Recognizing that my life is both interdependent and interconnected with all people and things, what three principles am I willing to commit to, affirm and cultivate to elevate a sustainable, ethical way of being for my Self and the planet I live on?

The Doctrine of ONE:

I AM the world I live in.

There is but ONE creation and Self.
All things appear in me and yet I AM beyond all things.
All existence is my existence.
All happiness is my happiness.
All suffering is my suffering.

I will relinquish my obsession with the past while waiving speculation of an imagined future.
I will be present with what is.

With concern and attention focused on the present, I will find response to every situation as it occurs.
The greatest gift I have is Self and life.
The perfect moment is now.
Now is a good time for joy.
Now is a good time for purpose, meaning and quiet attention.
Now is a moment of opportunity to rediscover my innocence, to express my excellence, and to serve humanity.
Now I become a knower of reality.
I set right all ideas of the ONE Self.
I realize the ONE-ness, timeless, dimensionless perfection of my own inner being where nothing can be gained and nothing can be lost.

Living The Doctrine of ONE, I will be attentive to the present moment now:

* The purpose of life is the expansion of happiness on all levels.

* The wisdom of happiness, while subjective can be enhanced; harmony occurs when my happiness and the happiness of another meet.

By recognizing the essence of all happiness is never found in things; things that are grasped or feared, things that we identify ourselves with.
Genuine happiness is realized by abandoning who we were; to find out Who We Are.

* We find out Who We Are through investigation, enquiry and detachment, by stepping onto the path of unlearning and by cultivating an attentive, quiet mind.

In awareness we find freedom from the known.
By stepping into the unknown we lose ourselves to the potential of Who We Are:
a field of infinite possibilities, unbounded by space and time.

* Finding out Who We Are is not about having more, doing more, or being more.

It's not finding our success or preventing failure
it's not about fixing, changing, getting or losing
it's not about being saved or purifying the ONE self
it has nothing to do with what you eat, what you wear, or what you believe
it depends not on whether you are man or woman, black or white, gay or straight or whether see and think of yourself as a Christian, a Hindu, a Muslim or Jew.

Finding out Who You Are has nothing to do with what you know or don't know.
It's not about discovering past lives, the burning of the seeds of Karma or the gaming of reincarnation.
Finding out Who You Are has nothing to do with priests or profits, gurus or God (s), dogmas or traditions.
It's not about mastering a particular asana or the use of a specific mudra.
It matters not whether you have meditated for one year or twenty.

* First, you imagined this:

I am separate, I am a sinner, I am a Saint. I am blocked, I am gay or straight. I am black or white; I am a Christian, a Muslim, a Hindu or Jew. Once imagined, you entertained and filled your mind with self engendered thoughts and beliefs. You identified with all that you imagined the self to be.

As you endorsed the illusion of an imaginary self, you temporarily distracted yourself from Who You Are. You created a story and then you lost yourself in the nonsense of that story. You imagined a momentary loss of freedom; a connection you always had to your ONE true Self.

First you imagined; then, lost in your story you began to imagine there was a path. You created a path and a process, a story of how you would return to some garden of perfection; a perfection that was in fact, never lost.

* To find out Who You Are you need not go somewhere or do anything; just be.

In the doctrine of ONE you become aware of the fact you are aware.
Be watchful, be attentive, be quiet.
Be.
To know the Self, you need to be the Self.
You cannot become what you already are.

* There is no other:

You are not a person. Reality is impersonal. You are reality. You are a timeless, dimensionless being, a centre of perception that momentarily gets caught up in imagining you are a person, a thing, a body, an emotion, a thought, a memory, an association, a perception, a feared future, or a perturbed past.

You cannot move away from perfection; the real you is perfect, whole and complete now. You are Universal now. There is no up, there is no down; there is no in or out; there is no here, there is no there; there is no above or below; there is no high or low; there is no "other".

* There is no path:

No doctrine, dogma or law, however holy, ancient, wise or sacred, can ever describe in words the truth of Who You Are, who you were and who you will always be...

I am not here to live an ordinary life.

I am here to discover the ONE Self;
to realize the ONE Spirit that dwells within me.
Then I will live an extraordinary life.
I am here to realize the ONE spirit of human solidarity and interdependence;
to cultivate ONE kinship with all life.
What I've read is not as important as what I've done.
What I've done is not as important as who I've been.
The ONE seed of divinity that lies within me contains the whole truth.

Am I ready to remember?

Am I willing to surrender and allow?

Am I willing to unlearn?

Am I willing to be?

About The Author:

michael sean symonds is a certified instructor of Primordial Sound Meditation with Deepak Chopra/Chopra Center for Wellbeing. He is an author and facilitator in the area of personal growth and Spirituality.

For more information or to view more of michaels work please visit:

http://www.soulananda.com
http://www.zenshredding.com

Smiles Are Free So Give Them Awa

Fence Building Bible - Great Construction Advice

What if I told you where to get the ultimate fence building Encyclopedia? Better yet, what if I told you, you could get it for under $20? If you're building a standard 1 x 6 dogeared fence, that's 6 foot tall and made from wood, with 4x4 post cemented into the ground, this book might not interest you, but if you're thinking about building a fence, that will make all your neighbors jealous, you might be interested in the "Fence Building Bible."

If you're interested in using your imagination, along with some of the information in this fence building Encyclopedia, if you're interested in creating a masterpiece, instead of just another barrier that divides the property, you had better think seriously about, either running down to your local library and checking the book out, or purchasing the book, so that you have it on hand when needed.

Here's a quote from the product description that could be helpful, "Beneke suggests the appropriate types of fence to keep the swimming pool secure, con fine the livestock, keep deer away from the garden, or create outdoor living spaces. He then discusses the essentials of proper fence design and provides step-by-step illustrated instructions for planning, building, maintaining, and repairing any style of fence."

If you're planning on building a fence to keep livestock, it would be extremely helpful to know what kind of fence will be necessary to keep pigs or cows separated from the other animals, including you. There's nothing worse than building a new fence, putting some large cattle inside of it and having them tear it apart and escape.

The fence building Bible as simple instructions, with lots of illustrations, to give you plenty of ideas. There's a good chance that you will see a fence in this book that you have never seen before. If you're thinking about building something out of the ordinary, I would suggest strongly, that find this book.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors.

If you're really interested in learning more about remodeling, new home construction, home maintenance, home repairs and really want to get the nuts and bolts of home improvement. Visit our web site and select from the best-selling home building books on the Internet.

Believing In Yourself

Mid Income Crisis

Are you feeling sad lately? Unfulfilled and dissatisfied with life?

What is it that is causing this epidemic of discontent among middle age, medium income women? In a fast paced society of today along with a boat load of choices come more stresses. It seems that while the generations before us spent their lives trying to attain their dreams we have attained our dreams at a much earlier stage in the game. The problem is we have skipped the step of living the dream and jumped to expanding upon it.

How many of us have purchased and lived in not 1 home but 2 or more? And cars - How many new cars have you purchased in your lifetime. We are more fortunate and more overwhelmed than our parents ever where. Unlike previous generations that took a lifetime to attain their dreams we are attaining our dreams by leaps and bounds. The thing is no one ever told us what to do next. Being the greedy, fast paced society that we are - we forgot to stop at living the dream and enjoying our fortunate lives and went straight into expanding our dreams. We have the house. What about getting a bigger house or a summer house? Now that we have a car what about a second or third? We have turned into a generation of spoiled adults with way too many choices.

How can we fix this? Well, we simply have to stop. Stop expanding upon things that may not even satisfy us to begin with. We are at a new frontier. Before running in and developing it lets take a look around and set some rules for our new frontier. Take time to determine what makes us happy in our new place and accomplish it!

For most of us we are running at such a fast pace that we may not even notice how out of balance we really are. For those of us that for one reason or another (Divorce, Death of close family member, Health Issues) have had to slow down and get off the roller coaster called life - We discovered that this just cannot be it! We want more out of life. This realization or need to experience life comes in all forms. It can be as easy as planning a getaway with the girls. For others this realization comes in the form of a new career, move across country or spiritual awakening. Whatever the change it will take some stillness to realize it. So be still and let your inner voice guide you to your life of purpose and passion.

The Author, Erica Shrader, is the Editor-in-Chief of Tribe Diva, an online magazine geared towards inspiring women to simply enjoy life

Create Your Day

What Are You Willing to Believe In?

What mailing list am I on? Recently I was entertained with a peculiar catalog that offered dress up clothes for pixies, fairies, goblins and witches. There were lace up corsets, full-length velvet hooded capes, and wispy gossamer mini dresses. The items were extravagant and unique and I had to wonder who wore these clothes and where?

Besides being curious about the customers I couldn't understand what I had in common with them. I tend to dress more in a uniform, turtleneck sweaters and jeans for colder weather and tank tops and shorts in the summer. Very boring.

The catalog started me thinking what would happened if I broke out of this formula and appeared somewhere in black lace stockings with an emerald green renaissance style dress. Would I be different simply by dressing this way? Is it possible that my life experiences are limited by my clothes choices?

Eric Weiner in his book "The Geography of Bliss" traveled to Iceland in search of the world's happiest people. Besides happy people Iceland has a tradition rich in mythology. The ancient Vikings practiced heathenism a peaceful religion based upon the love of the earth and its spirit. In the heathen religion there are many fantastic stories about one eyed giants and ogres. Icelanders don't necessarily believe in the stories but they occupy the space that exists between not believing and not not believing. A place Weiner calls very valuable real estate. They leave the door slightly open just in case.

The very idea that perhaps some woman reading the same catalog might be the descendant of a fairy and still possess some fairy mischief is an intriguing notion and it's really too silly to consider seriously. But it makes life interesting just wondering about the possibility.

Maybe that's the attraction of the catalog - the possibility. A chance for grown ups to play make believe to pretend that there really is magic. As a child I wanted to believe so badly that fairies existed that I convinced my younger sister that I had captured one and hid it in a shoebox. I pretended to feed this captive fairy everyday and continued this charade so much so that I even believed in the existence of the fairy myself. The arrival of the catalog reminded me of my childhood imagination.

Martin Seligman founder of he positive psychology movement found that happy people remembered more good events in their lives than actually occurred. Knowing thyself might not be the best advice, Eric Weiner says, a pinch of self-delusion is an important ingredient in the happiness recipe.

Perhaps that's what the catalog is really selling a pinch of happiness. A chance to recapture that naive childhood belief in the impossible. I've decided to give it a try, I'm ordering a cute little fairy costume in an airy lime green and I'm also accessoring with a lacy stardust necklace as well as glitter stockings. What the heck it's almost Halloween and just to add a bit more spice to the mix I'm getting together some stories about the elves, dwarves and the hidden people who haunt the remote wilderness of southern Iceland. Care to join me?

Karen Pesta writes success tips for students K-12 promoting social and academic achievement http://www.creativeworldconnection.com

Make Someone's Day and Yours Too

Isn't it interesting that even people who don't like to send letters, admit that they love receiving them? Handwritten personal letters build relationships in a way no other communication can.

When my children were young they grumbled as I insisted that they send handwritten thank you notes for every Christmas and birthday gift they received. From the way they moaned and whined, you'd think they'd grow up hating to send thank you notes. On the contrary, they even send thank you's to each member of the interview committee following job interviews.

In addition to handwritten letters, I also like to send "real" greeting cards for holidays when people least expect them. Last year, one friend commented that she didn't even know they made Happy Thanksgiving cards.

You can buy a set of 6 or 8 of these holiday cards for almost every holiday for less than $5. It only takes a few minutes to address them and most mailmen will pick up outgoing mail when they deliver your incoming mail.

Every Christmas I tell the highlights of our family's year in poetic form, print it on holiday paper and include it along with a picture in my Christmas greetings. Not only does this delight my friends and family, but it has given me quite a collection of memory details over the years that I would have forgotten otherwise.

I also enjoy sending postcards when I travel. To make this task easy I print off address labels of friends and relatives before I leave town. On the first day of my trip I look for affordable sets of postcards. Then when I have a long ride or down time, I can jot a brief greeting on each card. If I don't find a post office handy I ask the hotel guest services associate to get the stamps and mail them for me.

Showing gratitude is one of the habits happy people share. The great thing about sending personal handwritten letters is not only do you make someone's day, but you also make your own.

Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. is an author, coach, speaker, consultant and entrepreneur. She has impacted the lives of students, educators, business owners, leaders and many audiences during her career. Her passion for encouraging people to make choices that lead to their happiness began when she was a junior high inner city English teacher and continued to grow deeper as she worked with university students, her own private tutoring program, and with retailers and business owners.
She has written language arts texts, academic articles, curriculum, grant proposals, and motivational guides. Her passion for writing and inspiring others has lead her to create and maintain twelve websites, three blogs and two newsletters.
Her book, Coloring Your Life Happy, scheduled for Spring 2009 release, promotes making choices that give you the life you want.
The philosophy she lives by is "Nobody becomes somebody without the help of somebody else."
From her blog, http://www.ColorYourLifeHappy.com, she encourages uncovering your inner joy and making choices that lead to the life you want.

Self Improvement: 4 Basic Ideas for Self Improvement

Self improvement will not come if you just sit back and wait for it. You must set yourself into motion. To improve yourself, you have to act on the things you want improvedB66.

Women are often among the majority of those who long for positive changes in themselves. Yet, as women, we often neglect ourselves most. If you are among those numbers, here are four basic self improvement ideas you can use:

=> Be kind to yourself. We take care of our families and work hard to provide their needs. At the end of the day, were all given out. When was the last time you were kind to yourself? Do you attend to your own needs as well? Take some time each day to give back to yourself. If youre having a bad day, dont berate yourself for being in a bad mood. Practice positive self-talk and be kind to yourself.

=> Change one thing. Youve heard it said, Im sure, that you have to start with baby steps. This is so true. To reach greater change, you have to start changing one thing at a time. I was unhappy for several years because I had started college classes a few times, but never followed through and completed college. I finally got tired of that hanging over my head. While my husband was deployed in Iraq, I took advantage of that time alone. I completed classes, that I started years earlier, at my local technology center. If you desire self improvement, change one thing at a time.

=> Be proud of who you are. This is one thing women are horrible at. For some reason, we always feel like were not good enough. Change that today! Be proud of who you are. Acknowledge your accomplishments and stop focusing on your failures.

=> No more negative self talk. This is key to self improvement. You have to stop the negative self talk. Stop telling yourself how incapable or incompetent you are. You have everything you need to start your self improvement journey today. You will learn as you start this journey. Cancel out the negative self talk with positive affirmations every day.

Would you like more help to improve your self-esteem? Click here: http://www.nurturedsoul.com/self-esteem.html

Hope Wilbanks is an inspirational author who writes to motivate and encourage others. Read more inspirational articles at Nurtured Soul: http://www.nurturedsoul.com

Crisis in Christianity - Spiritual Books - Movie Video

Are you one of those who believed in your religion wholeheartedly and never has doubted it. Watch this video to gather some more information about questioning your religion.

Personal Developement and Create a Wonderful Life For Yourself And Your Family. Greg Vanden Berge is one of the best inspirations on the planet. You will be hearing a lot about this guy in the future. You can count on it.

Believe And Achieve
Missing Years Of Jesus

The Power of Acceleration For Affirmations and Goal Setting (Part 1)

We have all heard how affirmations can be a powerful medium for getting what we want. I was recently reading a 3-part checklist explaining what an affirmation must have to be effective:

1. An affirmation must be personal (no surprise there)

2. An affirmation must be positive (this should come as no shock either)

3. An affirmation must be in the present tense (this is something to think about)

If you are setting goals for accomplishments that you want to see occur in 15 years you will only see them in 15 years. But what is the point of having goals set so far out? How about having an online business? Suppose your goal (which is an affirmation) is "I will make $2000/month when I graduate from college," This is a great thing...but you are no eliciting any reaction from your subconscious because there is no tension in this statement. In other words, this is a comfortable goal.

A comfortable goal does not require any action now. You don't have to get up from your chair nor do you need to take any action concerning it today. While these goals feel great (because setting goals is always fun), the don't make things happen.

On the other hand if you set a goal to be making money now (this month of November), and your affirmations reflect this as you remind yourself every morning and evening that "I am making $2000/month" you are creating a much bigger impact on your subconscious. Why is this?

If I were to tell you right now that I am making (let's continue with this example) $2000/month, you would say "how is that?" Then I would tell you how that is happening, or what actions I am currently taking to make it happen. This puts me in a state of mind that focuses on the now instead of the future time when I will begin to take action.

Tension

So your goal is financial. Hopefully you have enough reasons to make this a true desire. Regardless, every morning you are reminding yourself "I am making $2000 every month." You do the same thing every night as you fall asleep. If you aren't action doing anything about this you will quickly grow tired of these pointless affirmations and stop saying them. Hopefully you are doing something about them.

Let's call these affirmations/goals "active goals." They create tension which in turn imprints on your subconscious mind exactly what you want. What does it mean to have your subconscious mind realize this?

Let's take breathing for example. As you read this, make yourself aware of your breathing. You weren't thinking about it earlier today, but now you are. Do you breath deep? Shallow? Long short-winded breaths of air? Stop for a minute and really focus on the details concerning your breathing.

What you just did is you took something that your subconscious mind usually regulates and you just brought it into the conscious.

Dan Massicotte is perhaps the most positive oriented individual you will ever meet. You can learn more about him on his website: http://danmassicottespositiveliving.com/ Join his newsletter to be informed of new articles and website developments.

What Will I Be

Think back to your younger years, what was your response to the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Now, look at what you are doing today. Are you doing what you once hoped to do? Are you following your passion?

If you are following your passion, congratulations! You are one of the few. Unfortunately many people get stuck in a comfort zone and don't want to take any risks. So they end up working just for money rather than working because they love what they are doing.

There is a big difference in the quality of your life when you work at something you love to do, compared to when you just work for money. Success doesn't come from making the most money. Success comes from being fulfilled and satisfied with what you are contributing. I am sure you have heard the saying, "If you do what you love you'll never work a day in your life". That is so true. How can I be sure of that you may ask? Well, for many years I worked at climbing the corporate ladder. And, yes, I made lots of money, but there was always something missing. While I enjoyed what I was doing, and the money was great, there was that part of me that was not satisfied. So, I took a big risk. I left my comfort zone, and the security of that weekly paycheck. And, it was a bit scary, I must admit. But, I had a passion, a dream, and, most importantly a goal.

That goal was to be self-employed. I remember thinking, if I put in as much energy and time in my own business as I did my corporate job surely my business would be a success. Now five years later, I am living what was once only a goal. The goal now a reality; I am self-employed, running my own business.

To be perfectly honest, over the course of the five years there were days when I wondered if I would make it. And, there were a few occasions where I missed having the weekly paycheck. But, I persevered and never lost my belief. And, today I do feel like I know what success is. I love what I do. I share my passion with others. And, now that something that was previously missing is now fulfilled.

It is never to late too live your dreams. Set your goals, work towards doing what you love to do. Believe me, it is worth it!

Visit Unique Handcrafted Jewelry to see what was once a dream now a reality. Purchase a one of a kind fused glass pendant for yourself or for a gift! http://www.uniquehandcraftedjewelry4u.com

Goal Achievement 101 - Let Go of the Outcome

One of the Knowareness Principles I like is that achieving our personal and professional goals happens way more quickly when we surrender to the outcome and let go of our need for the end result.

Several questions arise when it comes to achieving goals and taking action; the most prominent one deals with surrendering to the outcome. "Action taking" and "surrendering" seem to be contradicting one another; so how can they coexist?

Well, in my philosophy, letting go IS an action step; it is part of the goal achievement process. As much as "doing nothing" is an action step, surrendering is. It requires effort on our behalf to let go of the outcome of our goal, and to watch it unfold.

Too often, we try to force things into existence. We hammer, drill, screw, dig, and work ourselves to the bone to force future potential in the direction we want to have it head in. We take all sorts of action steps to make sure we get what we want, and to prevent us from NOT getting it. In that scenario we forget that our actions are just a minor part of the whole manifestation process; our INTENT is way more powerful!

Moreover, limited as we are in our ability to oversee ALL the possibilities (remember: Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) states that reality is our PERCEPTION of it, which is limited!), we usually THINK we know the way to what it is we want, but really, we don't!

Surrendering, letting go, allowing (all mean the same) encompasses setting our intent, taking whatever action we can to make sure we are on track, and THEN letting the process of manifestation doing its work. That doesn't mean we sit still and wait; on the contrary. We can still set action steps, but only when they are based on our enthusiasm and desire for the end result. As soon as we feel doubtful or fearful and use THAT as the reason for doing something, we are thwarting our own intention. Also, sometimes the result will come from a totally different direction than we thought it would. If we then try to redirect the course, because we think things are going "wrong", we shooting ourselves in the foot!

I'll use an example from a person I know very well. He always wanted to work with international clientele in his practice, but really didn't have a clue how to manifest that, other than setting up a website, writing articles, positioning his business, and getting as much exposure as possible. There was some international success and a handful of international clients, but that was it. The intention was still to do way more than that, and this person surrendered to any option out there to give him that extra.

To cut a very long story short, this man had been working with an internet marketer for a while already, but more on the back end. He did not have much client exposure for some time. Recently one of the business coaches on the team he was working with decided to pursue her own career, and suddenly he had about 15-20 new INTERNATIONAL clients, from all over the world.......

Now did he see this as the "logical" next step to achieve his initial goal of building his practice? Of course not. It "just happened". Why? Well, my firm contention is because he let go of the HOW-question. He didn't know HOW it was going to happen, he just trusted it would, because he had done what he thought he could to MAKE it happen.

I bet you have experienced something similar before yourself: you try to achieve something, and whatever you do, it doesn't work. Ultimately, you throw your hands up in desperation and shout "ah, forget it!". Not long after, the exact desired result shows up. That's the power of letting go!

This is the Knowareness nugget I want you to take away from this example: you do not need to know the HOW's of your manifestation process, as long as you know your WHAT's and WHY's. Action is a great step, but only after you got clear about what you want and why you want it, and can then trust the manifestation process to do its work for you.

Set a Landmark:

Firstly, when setting a goal, be very clear about what it is you want. Get clarity by first finding out what you do NOT want anymore! Thats a great step towards finding out what it is you DO want.

Secondly, always stay true to your intention, even when things seems to go "wrong" (whatever that is anyway....); the universe works in mysterious ways! Stay focused, and let go of the time frame in which you think "things should've happened".

Thirdly, stay away from taking action when you don't have a good feeling about that action. If you feel like doing something because you're fearful, doubtful or impatient, it may not be the right motivator. Challenge your reasons for taking this action step. Can it wait? Have you got all the facts? Are you in "reaction-mode" rather than in "action-mode"? Is there an immediate risk that needs attending to, or is it all "in your mind"?

Lastly, be open to alternative ways that lead you to the same result. We just do not know all the roads to Rome, although all the roads do lead to Rome! Having the flexibility to change direction may lead to the same or and even better result!

Admittedly, not ALWAYS do we achieve our professional and personal goals. Sometimes there are other plans in place for us. The same Knowareness Principle applies: can you let go of your initial outcome, and redirect your course? The more flexible you are, the easier life will be perceived, which is a blessing once you start to experience it.

Marc is a certified life/business coach, master NLP Practitioner and Body Stress Release Practitioner on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia.

He is among Australia's Law of Attraction (LOA) experts, and coaches/mentors internationally with the LOA principles. Marc inspires his clients to find out what has been hindering them all along in achieving what they want, and to then make the conscious choice to take their lives and/or careers to the next level.

Having been a lawyer for nearly 6 years in his "previous life", before immigrating to Australia from The Netherlands, Marc knows exactly how daunting taking the first step in a new direction can be. On the other hand, he also knows how fulfilling taking that step is, and has the knack of imparting his knowledge and wisdom in a stunningly simple and highly effective way.

Visit http://www.landmarc.info or email him at marc@landmarc.info to arrange a complimentary face-to-face or phone mentoring session!

Great Video For Believing In Religion

I was reading a book on advertising when the author mentioned, "All Advertising Is about Hope."

Check out one of his recommended books, Read This Book

Greg is currently creating articles on religion filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Can One Book Change Your Life
Committed People To Success

Is the Bible Accurate

I'm going to start with the first book of the holy Bible, Genesis chapter 1 verse one through five. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

And God said," let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

If the Bible is historically accurate, did God actually create earth. I have been battling over this, my whole life. It's very easy for someone to accept and believe in any religion, government, other people or whatever they truly desire to make real. I see it every day of my life, open your eyes and you will see it to.

It's hard to imagine that a superior entity like God created everything that we touch and see. The moon itself is pretty big and the creation of the sun would prove to be a little more difficult, but if you're God and your all knowing and all powerful, he or she or it, must be one incredible being.

This is only the first couple of paragraphs in the Bible and there is no, I repeat no, historical accuracy to this event. It seems like God or man, whoever wrote the Bible, should have started the Bible with something a little more believable for people that live in the 21st century. It's not hard to imagine someone 2000 years ago, believing in something like this.

2000 years ago the Romans were worshiping their own gods, we might find this ridiculous today but back then the Romans would punish you if you didn't worship their gods. We are not too far from that today. If we don't stop organized religion and their influence on humanity, we're going to have serious problems in the future.

The biggest problem I foresee is common sense. If the Bible has 500 historical accurate facts that can be proven without a doubt by historians, scholars and other intelligent people, but has one thing that can't be explained, how do we handle this. How do we handle the fact that the Bible states God created light? If this is false, what else is false in the Bible.

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Have you ever really ask yourself Who is, Jesus of Nazareth?

Greg is currently working on a Personal Power Ideas. If you're ever wondering why some people can achieve success, while others seem to struggle aimlessly, what would it hurt, to take a couple of minutes of your time, if you could actually find the truth.

Power Of Intension

Whose God is The Best

If you're part of a religious organization, and were asked this question, "Whose God Is Better" meaning of course, is your God better and stronger or smarter and better looking than the religious competition. Is this something that you believe or were taught while you were young? Obviously you wouldn't think that the Hindu god Brahma is better than Yahweh or Jesus, if you're a Christian. It just wouldn't make any sense to belong to a religion that was weaker than the competition.

It seems like most religions around the world have gods or even one almighty God that is the biggest and baddest god in the neighborhood, maybe even the entire universe.

If we look at the numbers, the Christian God Jesus of Nazareth is the strongest by far. A survey that was done in 2005, showed Christians 2.1 billion strong and growing. With numbers like this, their God must be doing something right. Do you think these numbers are large because of their financial influences in poor countries? Something to think about, how did Christianity become such a large religious institution. They've got plenty of money and pay relatively little taxes. Remember the golden rule, the person with the most gold makes all the rules.

Second on our religious scale are the Muslims, the Islamic religion has over 1.1 billion followers and that puts it at almost half the size of Christianity, but more than doubled the size of the third largest religion by the numbers.

The third largest religion in the world is Hinduism and most of India which is second only to China as the most populated countries in the world are Hindus. Hinduism ranks around 800 million followers.

I'll stop right there. I wanted to give you an idea of religion by the numbers, realistically the Christians and the Muslims believe in the same God but the Muslims recognize Jesus as a prophet and the Christians don't recognize Mohammad at all and Mohammad is the number one prophet for the Islamic religion. But if we put the two of them together, it would be the largest religion by far with almost no competition economically or with military strength.

So to answer our question," Whose God Is Actually Better", I would have to say the Christian God is the most popular and powerful God and the universe. The only problem is, there's no actual proof that Jesus, Mohammed, Yahweh, Krishna or any other supreme being is real. People follow these religions and base almost everything on faith with very little facts that can actually be proven.

I'm not talking about small facts, I'm talking about big ones like, how the world was created, you can choose to believe, anything that you want but until we have some facts or at least something that sounds pretty good, you should probably stop thinking, that your religion is the only way and your God the best. Show some compassion for other religions around the world, their beliefs are no better or weaker than yours.

Hope in Religion

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended books, religious books

Christian Thinking

There is a popular saying from Mark Twain about Christianity. Mark Twain - "If Christ Were Here Now, There Is One Thing He Would Not Be, a Christian."

Giving this some thought and looking around at the people that view themselves as Christians got me to thinking. Do you think, if Mark Twain were alive today, he would have the same view towards Christians and Christianity as a whole? I wonder if Christ's vision of a better world or society is what's going on today. I read somewhere, where this over 33,000 different types of Christian religions, is this what Jesus had in mind over 2000 years ago.

I don't think Mark Twain was referring to Jesus as being a bad person and Christians not wanting to associate with him. I believe it's the other way around, Jesus was an exceptional person and believed in living a life as an example towards others with kindness, forgiveness and love.

Sometimes Christians get a little carried away when they start talking about loving their neighbors like they would themselves or asking for forgiveness while choosing not to forgive others. It's hard to imagine what Jesus would actually think of modern day Christians or even what he would think about Christianity over a hundred years ago.

I wonder what Jesus would have thought a thousand years ago about Christians. Mark Twain brings up a very good point, if Christ was here today, would he be happy. If you're living a life as a Christian and following in the footsteps of Jesus, you should be proud of yourself. If not, maybe you should start thinking about changing your ways.

If you are following the path of Christ, are you following a path that has been changed and manipulated to benefit organized religion and the advancement of Christianity, or are you following the true path of Jesus. Something to think about if you're planning on spending the rest of your life in the Christian religion.

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing, marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his latest articles, What Is The Secret Of Life

Greg is currently working on a self help video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Designing Inspiring Environments

The influence of your personal environments on your health, creativity, and well-being is often subtle, yet profound. You can use the environments you live in to support you in feeling good about yourself, to experience less stress, and to be more productive.

Personal environments can include your relationships with family, friends, and colleagues, your work environment, networks, ideas, learning environments - and your physical environment - such as your home, the community you live in, nature, your garden, the technology you use, the information you absorb everything that you surround yourself with. It can also be the foods you keep in our house, the beautiful objects and colors around you, the books, magazines and newspapers you read, the movies you watch, and the thoughts you think.

Personal environments can also include your internal surroundings your belief systems and thought patterns. As you work on raising your awareness of your inner thoughts and eliminating negative or unproductive thoughts, you might notice increased levels of energy and focus.

Its possible to revitalize your surroundings or environments and design them so they bring out the very best in you, so that they evolve you toward a successful, inspiring, struggle-free life. As you develop your personal environments, you develop yourself and your capacity to be creative and to receive ongoing inspiration and support.

The goal is to design supportive environments that will inspire you to be your best and do great things. Success and personal development are more sustainable when there are environments and failsafe structures which support it.

ASSESS YOUR PERSONAL ENVIRONMENTS
Being fully alive calls you to play a much bigger game in life...evolving to your optimal potential or greatness. Do the environments around you bring out your best? Do you receive enough creative inspiration? Do you know what sparks your muse? Is there enough intellectual and spiritual stimulation in your life?

1. When you are feeling fully alive, what is going on for you?

2. How do you feel as you walk into your workspace? Into your home?

3. On a scale from 1-5, with 5 being the most desirable, how much would you say your environments are supporting you in living the life you most desire?

4. What is something in your environment that you are tolerating that could be removed?

5. What is something that is missing from your personal environments that, if added, would inspire you to do and be your best?

6. What methods do you use on a daily basis to raise your energy level?

7. What beliefs most profoundly affect your way of thinking?

TRY THIS
If inspiration is an energy that flows through the spaces we inhabit, it is wise for us to remove any items that might block its path, and add items that would increase its presence.

Choose one physical environment in your workspace or home to concentrate on. If you could change one thing in your surroundings starting today, what would you change? Each day, do one task in that environment to establish order, create space, remove items that block your creativity, add items that you love, perhaps add color - and design surroundings that will inspire you to be and do your best.

Creating an environment that truly supports you in being your best can be a very worthwhile long-term project. Envision what an inspiring, stimulating environment would be for you, and have the patience to build that vision a step at a time. It's worth the work!

FINAL THOUGHT
"If you have not used something in the past year, regardless of how attached to it you are, pass it along. You have used up its usefulness to you... letting go of attachments is a rewarding way to feel positive about yourself, and to keep things flowing back into your own life as well." ~ Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

Copyright 2005 Jan Marie Dore. All Rights Reserved. Newsletter publishers are most welcome to reprint this article provided it is published in its entirety, without change, including contact and copyright information. Please send an email to admin@janmariedore.com advising the ezines name & URL, and the date the article appeared.

Jan Marie Dore, Professional Certified Coach, Speaker, and Writer, publishes articles like this one in her free ezine 'Living From Intention', designed to inspire, challenge, and support you in creating a life that is meaningful, authentic, and a joy to wake up to every day. You can sign up for your own subscription by sending a blank email to subscribe@janmariedore.com . For free resources and programs on living a purposeful life, visit Jan Marie's website: http://www.janmariedore.com.