Wishing For Riches - Self Help Tips

Anybody can wish for riches, and most people do, but only a few know that a definite plan, plus a burning desire for wealth, are the only dependable means of accumulating wealth.

This statement is at the beginning of Chapter 13 from the book "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill.

There are so many different methods, from so many different people, but most people don't know where to start, or plan their way to success.

I have heard some people mention the hardest part is actually starting, while others say you have to start somewhere, anywhere but start. Starting is usually the hardest part for most people, they get defeated by their own beliefs and of course never even start.

Fear of failure and fear of success, seem to be at the top of the list when thinking about starting a business. It's always been hard to imagine people being afraid to succeed, when this is what they seem to desire the most.

Wishing for riches can motivate you to start, thinking about the many different ways to succeed can motivate you to plan. A burning dire to succeed well often motivate you to start and create a plan eventually.

The key to creating wealth is developing habits and good daily habits performed over a lifetime, most of the time, will lead you to wealth beyond your wildest dream's. Sometimes this wealth is going to have nothing to do with money.

Get some books, talk to some people, watch some biographies about successful people throughout history, find out what they did and start paving your own trail. But you're going to have to start somewhere.

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 video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world.

Miracle Story With Michael
Spending 15 Minutes Each Day

Developing Real Psychic Power

In this article I'm going to cover a great tip for developing psychic powers and the magical and mysterious skill of practical clairvoyance. Many of us LONG to tap into the same stream of sensational skills that so many famous psychics, mediums and clairvoyants REGULARLY seem to access, and in my PERSONAL experience, ANYONE can learn how to cultivate these very same skills. So continue reading as I share my top tip for developing psychic powers of your own. Read on..:-)

Timeline Intuition

This is a great tool for learning to "map" your future by simply intuiting the past. It's a bit complex to describe in one short paragraph, but the essential theory is this: Our lives are, for the most part, pre-determined along a series or sequence of possible choices, and their consequential outcomes. Much of this is laid out as part and parcel of your "karma" so to speak, and the choices you make a long the path are fundamentally yours, and yours alone. (which lead to either soul development or regression) By looking back at your past choices, the IMPORTANT ones...you can map out a series of 7-10 important crossroads that you met, and you can track your current state of awareness (or life situation) DIRECTLY from which choice you made at each of those seemingly odd forks.

Future Extrapolation

You then take the very same thought process and apply it to the mapping of FUTURE forks that are upcoming (some schools teach that there are 21 major decisions we will each make in this lifetime) and by doing so, you are able to effectively intuit, or "see" (and feel) a very predictable future. It sounds harder than it is...trust me, it's not only a BLAST to do, it's very accurate, incredibly entertaining, and truly ILLUMINATING as a lens by which to look at your own higher purpose, and how to get there in a hurry! (even if it means BACKTRACKING a bit to get there..:-)

And of course there is SO much more....More that lies possible in YOUR life if you only open yourself up to the possibilities. Simply START by opening your mind, spirit & enhanced AWARENESS and ride the supernatural surfboard into the wild, wacky and wonderful world of the unknown..:-) It WILL rock Your WORLD...I promise..;-)

Who Else Wants to Experience Radical Inner Peace & Magnificent Well Being?

Read on...to discover how to experience almost MAGICAL psychic POWERS blissful meditation and SO much more.......quickly, easily and magically even if you are a complete novice and have no idea what you are doing!

Many Benefits of Meditation

Meditation is a way of life. It leads one to the path of health and peace.

Meditation is not easy. One needs a mental discipline and dedication. It requires perseverance just like those who are dedicated to their sports, art or other field of endeavour. Over time, their performance is enhanced through their dedication and discipline. There is much to gain from learning to embrace the practice of meditation. It is not as awkward and uncomfortable as some may think.

Meditation works through the brain circuitry. Meditative practice helps people achieve different levels of awareness. Through meditation. the brain waves get organized and mental activities like focus, memory, learning and awareness are sharpened. Benefits of meditation touches on the physical, psychological and spiritual level. Many medical practitioners believe in the benefits of meditation.

PHYSICAL HEALING

Stress reduction

Today's world is stressful. Negative emotions invade our everyday life. These manifest as disappointments, regrets, overwhelming responsibilities, relationship issues, failure, feelings of rejection and a lot of other issues. There are many physical conditions triggered by stress such as hypertension, cardio-vascular disorders, ulcers, skin rash and insomnia, just to name a few.

Calm down, relax. These are words we hear when stress starts to take over. Meditation offers the promise of a tranquil and calm mind. Meditation is not a review of what could have been and other thoughts of uncertainty. It is not a rehash of unpleasant events. Meditation is a way to relax the mind and focus on the present moment. A calmer mind is empowering. Issues are not threatening.

Levels of cortisol and lactate are lowered through meditation. These chemicals are linked with stress. During deep meditation, the metabolic rate and heart rate are reduced. It is a process of slowing down. This state will not be achieved quickly.With patience and dedication, a meditator will get to this state.

PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALING

Meditation quietens the mind. This brings about coherence in the brain waves. When the brain wave activities are in harmony, this is associated with improved reasoning and greater creativity. The clutter in the mind is minimized.

Other psychological benefits are decreased anxiety, decreased depression and irritability. With a quieter mind, the power of concentration is improved, memory is enhanced, vigor and vitality is renewed, better emotional stability and self-awareness. A calmer person finds inner peace and happiness and projects this on the outside. Meditation makes one realize that problems people worry about are trivial.

SPIRITUAL

Meditation is a way to connect with inner feelings. It guides one to feel calm, love and peace. Acknowledge negative feelings and let these go.The goals of meditation is to replace these with positive feelings. Meditation helps one to go deeper into one's being and appreciate what a relief it is to be able to surrender negative thoughts, let go all negative feelings that cloud judgment and reason.

Meditation ushers one into a different world. There is an experience of feeling peaceful and general well-being. Intuitive capabilities are enhanced with a feeling of assurance and "knowingness." One embraces unconditional love and psychic abilities are sharpened.

MINDFULNESS MEDITATION

Breathing is very important in meditation. It is a way to calm down and quieten the clutter in the mind. Thoughts will come and go as one meditates, especially at the start. Don't let this discourage you. Even expert meditators experience fleeting thoughts that intrude into their meditation. Just let it go and continue meditating.

The proper way to breathe is to extend the stomach on inhale, and contract on exhale. The shoulders should not move. Focus on counting as you breathe in and out.

Sit in an upright position, on the floor, lotus or semi- lotus position or sit on a chair. It is important to be comfortable.

Focus on breathing and nothing else.

Start with count of four or five as you breathe in. Hold your breath

Count the same as you breathe out.

Thoughts will come and go, don't let this stop you, just keep counting and breathing.

As you practice, increase the count. Savor the calmness and relax. Slowly, you can adopt a mantra, this helps you to keep your focus. As you practise, you will be able to clear your mind of intrusive thoughts. As time moves on, so will you. Discover the surreal world of meditation. There is a lot of doors to open.

Bonnie Moss writes to inspire and to motivate her readers to explore the depths of their heart and soul and make a difference in this world. She draws from personal experience and her interest in spirituality.

Visit her website :

http://goldencupcafe.tripod.com

Do You Believe in the Bible - Religion

Do you really believe in the Bible? The other day I was listening to an audio book on the Dead Sea Scrolls. The author had a Ph.D. and of course I have no idea what the Ph.D. was in, it didn't say on the audio book cover. He made the statement below and it got me thinking about our beliefs and what we believe in.

"For those who want proof positive that the Bible is true, there's really only one thing to say for those who disbelieve no proof is possible for those who believe no proof is necessary."

The statement is coming from an educated person and it kind of sounds like an oxymoron. For those who want proof positive that the Bible is true, there is really only one thing to say, for those who disbelieve no proof is possible. What does that mean to a Christian and this same statement applies to most religions throughout the world. If you want proof positive, there really isn't any is there.

Researchers can prove certain parts of the Bible like, people's names and that some of these people were actually alive and have some history to them, geographical locations like cities, rivers and oceans, and some beneficial facts to religious believers. I don't want to single just the Bible out here, other religious text can't be proven, proof positive.

There are a lot of sections in the Bible that quite possibly could never be proven. Unless of course God or some sort of superior being with superior knowledge could give us positive proof that the Bible was true. This of course would eliminate the need for faith and faith is pretty much the most important part of believing in most religions.

Let's take the last part of the statement, "for those who believe no proof is necessary". Where do we draw the line between belief and facts, where do we draw a line between faith and truth. What is it going to take to get religious believers to start doing some research on their religious beliefs, instead of following with only faith. You should question your religion.

If you're going to believe in something like the Bible, you have no right to question someone else's beliefs and their religion. The next time a Christian judges a Muslim or Hindu about their beliefs, start thinking about yours a little more clearly, before you pass judgment on someone else who is living their life based on faith.

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

Greg is currently working on a video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world

Jon Carlson

Learn Something About Time Management From the American Indians

I don't consider myself an expert on the American Indians but I would like to share a thought about their lifestyle. I was listening to an audio book on the American Indians eating habits, when it got me thinking about something the author said. This might not be a topic of interest for most people but I found it fascinating.

While listening to the audio book, the author made a statement about the American Indians I will never forget. He said "American Indians spend about four hours each day working, gathering and preparing food." If you think about it, that's not too bad of a lifestyle.

I would imagine that we have a better selection and larger variety of food to choose from than they had. This of course would be a benefit to living in our society instead of theirs.

American Indians often spent a lot of time outdoors and for some reason, spending time in nature seems to be a good thing. I know a lot of people that would rather be outdoors than indoors, walking, jogging, hiking, camping and even gardening. It almost seems more natural for us to be outdoors than indoors.

Now with the Indians working about four hours each day, this is a little bit different then our standard workday. Most people spend at least 9 to 12 hours each day driving to and from work and actually working. I would imagine our standard workday would actually be easier than that of the American Indian. I can't imagine some of my friends or family members chasing after a Buffalo with a spear.

Does this mean the American Indians had it right, just because they worked four hours each day and spent more time in nature were doing what they truly wanted to. Know I can't truly say that they had it right, but I can say that they seem to do just fine living with nature.

Some of these civilizations lasted for centuries.

Something to think about, on your daily travels to and from work as you desire to be at the beach or hiking in the mountains. The philosophies we often associate with a good life, could actually be better instead of progressively adding unneeded stress and frustration to it.

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, You Can Have It All

Babe Ruth

Law of Attraction - How to Activate

What is it?

The Law of Attraction Simply states that whatever we Focus on will be drawn to us.

But how does this Work?

Its best explained by briefly taking a look at Quantum Physics. Quantum Physics is the study of the building blocks of the universe. Quantum Physics has proven that everything in this universe is made up of atoms, and atoms are made up of sub-atomic particles sometimes called quanta. These sub-atomic particles are nothing but concentration of energy.

It has become clear that everything in this universe is made of energy. The only difference between an atom of Iron and an atom of gold is that the atom of iron has energy that is vibrating at a different frequency to the energy of gold. It is clear that the reason why the same particles grow together is because they are vibrating at the same frequency

Law of Attraction and Thoughts

In order to explain how the law of attraction works we need to understand what thought are. Thoughts are Vibrational Energy and a very potent form of energy. That means that it will be attracted to other forms of energy with the same frequency. when we hold a thought in our mind or a picture of an item we would like to attract then the picture in our mind (thought) is at the same frequency as the item we are attempting to attract.

How to implement the law of attraction

Step 1. Determine what it is that you would like to Attract

Step 2. Hold a picture in your mind. Hold the picture in your mind for as long and as often as possible

Step 3 See yourself enjoying the thing you would like to attract, e.g. If its a new car see yourself driving in the car waving to your friend.See yourself driving the car to a favorite place.

How to "activate" the law of attraction?

The simplest way to activate it is to hold a mental picture of what you desire as long as possible and as often as possible. Feel that you already have what you want with certainty; you will see it quickly in your real life. There are Self help books or motivation books which will explore this topic in greater details.

Discover How to Naturally Attract Abundance

http://www.bestselfhelpbooks.net

http://www.adrianasalmon.blogspot.com

Change Your Life Forever

Finding something you don't like about yourself is usually very easy for most people. Most of the time you don't even have to ask your family or friends because you have heard them complain about the same thing for years. How many times have you heard someone mention, I need to lose weight?

Here's a list of things people don't like about themselves. If you're one of those people that has a hard time finding something wrong with yourself, you could always ask one of your friends for some suggestions. I'm sure they would like that.

1. The need to lose weight. This of course is one of the worst problems with Americans. Most people need to lose weight and let's not forget there are some people that need to gain weight.

2. The need to stop gambling. As more Indian reservations are allowed to build gambling casinos and of course as the Internet gambling gets larger, I've noticed some people with gambling problems.

3. The need to stop drinking alcohol. The abuse of alcohol has been going on for many years. These people have an excuse for why they drink and most of the time it doesn't make sense.

4. The need to stop smoking. This could be one of the most difficult things I've ever seen my friends and family deal with.

5. The need to stop excessive behaviors. For example, gossiping, cruelty, bullying, lying, cheating, stealing, partying etc. You get the idea.

6. Don't forget the dreaded shopaholic. Most shopaholic's seem to have large credit card debt and can't seem to stop this vicious circle of buying and owing money to their creditors.

7. Working long hours or the workaholic. Sometimes this is a necessity but I would suggest that you change your lifestyle if possible. Reevaluate your reasons for working so hard.

8. Religious fundamentalists. People that spend too much time at their place of worship and soon find themselves feeling guilty if they're not doing something spiritual.

9. The need to be on time. This would include people that have problems giving themselves enough time to get ready for work or school.

10. The need to stop doing drugs. I thought by now, approaching my 50s, that drugs would no longer be a problem in the United States, but it is. It's one of the most damaging things people can do to their lives.

There are plenty of things that people would like to stop doing or start doing. If you're a smoker and you seem to shop excessively near the casinos, I would advise you to start with something small and work your way up to the big stuff.

What are you going to change today about your life? Make a list of things that you're not happy with about your life and start making the changes today that you need to create the life you deserve and desire.

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 personal development 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

Understanding Faithful Religious Followers

How can you honestly understand someone else's opinion if they sincerely differ from yours? For years I have been trying to understand the beliefs portrayed by organized religions around the world. Whenever someone is explaining part of their religion to me and I bring something to their attention, about their religion, and they don't know the answer, their replies always seem to be based around faith. You just need to believe.

I've been asking people for years, why do you believe? The answers vary from time to time but the essence of the answers are similar. Our conversations seem to start out with a few facts, which leads us into a friendly discussion about their religious beliefs and how they were formed. Whenever I start to dig a little too deep or ask some of these people questions that they don't have the answers to, the conversation always ends abruptly and the word faith always seems to appear.

I feel like this is the easy way out for religious believers.

I'm sure that they get frustrated with me, asking them questions about their religions, that they can't answer. Most of these people won't even bother to find the answers for themselves either, this has often irritated me, but at the same time I think I understand. Most people want to be a part of something but won't take the time to be involved in it. Living a life based on a little information, a lot of hope and the rest completely immersed in faith, seems like a life that is lived without questioning the most important thing in your life.

If I went to a place of worship and asked this question "What's the Most Important Thing in Your Life?" I would imagine most of these people would tell me it was their God or gods. God seems to be the main focus on their lives but they don't seek to understand how he came to be, why he doesn't help the poor, why won't God communicate with us, or even something as simple as understanding some, at the least 10% of your religion.

I don't believe there's anything wrong with living a faithful life. I have faith in things that are out of my control and am still seeking answers to their origins and existence. The sun, Earth, air, water and even God. I suggest to religious, nonbelievers and spiritual people all over the world, to gather a little more information about your beliefs, if they are indeed important to you.

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, You Can Heal Your Life

If you want to read something funny and get your daily laugh in, you need to read this, it's funny Using Religion Responsibility . It's based on overindulgence

The Bible's Power - Christian Beliefs

I mentioned Sean in another one of my articles, the story of a young foster boy that we were taking care of. Sean's father was my ex-wife's uncle, and they were going through some tough times for a while and their three children ended up as wards of the state. We eventually ended up taking the oldest child because he was the hardest one to place and another home. His brother and sister ended up with a family that wanted to adopt them and eventually Sean went to live with them and I believe all three of them were adopted by this family. I don't know this for a fact though.

Sean was a emotionally damaged child. His parents would punish him with some strange and bizarre punishments. They weren't really physical punishments but seemed to leave the emotional scars on him and I often think about where he is and what he is doing.

We watched him for about a year and I learned quite a bit from this young man. He was in the third grade but was still at the first grade level for reading and math. I would spend a couple of hours each night during the week helping him with his schoolwork, I seem to have created some sort of allusion that I would be able to bring him up to the third grade level within a short period of time. Wrong. He must've had learning disabilities and of course I don't think I was that good teacher.

Sean was easy going, polite and extremely obedient. He would do anything to avoid getting in trouble and often blamed others for his mistakes. His punishments must have been more than he could bear before he arrived at our home. I think you're getting the picture about what kind of a child Sean was.

One day I found myself in a dilemma with Sean, I couldn't get him to tell me the truth, even though I knew he was lying. I forget what the problem was but I remember a hollow look in his face. It was almost like he wasn't really there. It was almost like he was just doing time, sitting on the bed, listening to me asking the same question over and over again, "Sean are you lying", but he wasn't even paying attention.

I normally would not punish my children for accidents, and never tolerated lying. I was trying to explain to him that he wasn't going to get in trouble, I just wanted to know the truth. He wasn't budging at all and stuck to his story. I remembered that his mother and father were Catholics and feared the church, almost as much as they loved it.

That's what I came up with my evil plan. I don't know where I come up with these ideas, but every once in a while one pops up in my head and I run with it.

I told Sean that I was going to bring the Holy Bible in, and if he could swear on the Bible that he was telling the truth, I would accept that and this would be the end of our conversation. I couldn't believe my eyes, as he started crying and screaming, frantically and excitedly as a yelled out, I did it, I did it, don't bring the Bible in, I won't do it again.

I couldn't believe that was all it took to get information from him. I have always been a pretty good interrogator and found myself gathering information from those people easily, but this was amazing. His fear of the Holy Bible got me thinking about how powerful this book actually is to some people. I remember when I looked upon this book, pretty much the same as Sean did.

It's just a book, like any other book. It's not made at a holy factory or a secret monastery in the Swiss Alps somewhere, it's made from paper and ink and can be damaged and destroyed like other books. I would be surprised if I threw the Bible into the fire, that it wouldn't burn. I would be even more surprised, if I seen three men standing in the fire, wait a minute that's another story in the Bible.

Is it possible for this book to actually control the lives of people. It seemed to control Sean, I wonder if I, could have actually been driving a nail home that his parents started. Could I have added to his belief, that the Bible is a book from God the creator of everything.

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 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. Simple Words Create Powerful Beliefs

Religions

Hard on Religious Faith

It's probably hard to find facts if your mind is already made up. If you're trying to find information on anything, more than likely you will find exactly what you're looking for, if you look hard enough. With all the information out there, available in books, media, and of course the Internet, would we really know the honest to God truth if we ran into one.

Not something that man made up and forced our ancestors to believe in.

If you're studying on faith alone and trying to prove or disprove something, you will succeed. If you're reading the Bible and looking for answers to problems in your life, eventually you will find the answers. All you need is to believe in your God and he will show you the way. Has he truly shown you the way or are you basing your religious beliefs on faith alone.

I have studied the Bible for many years and came to the conclusion that, I was often blinded by the way I view the information and couldn't get the facts most of the time. I always enjoyed reading Proverbs and the story of Job, both of these books in the Bible inspired me to become a better person.

By studying the Bible without faith and looking for information based on facts, it wasn't long before I realized this book could be and I say could be a group of stories that man over the centuries combined into one book during the Council of Nicaea in 325A.D and became religious doctrine for Christians.

In order to study anything effectively, you need to keep an open mind, this might require you to reprogram your thinking. You have been taught for years that only your religion is correct and all other religions are wrong. You can't think like this and gather information effectively.

Studying on faith alone could close your mind and keep you on the path of spiritual resistance. You know you're on this path if only the things you believe in make sense. Nothing nobody else says can make much sense if you're studying on faith alone.

What would it hurt to read a life changing spiritual book on another religion or form of spirituality? If you can't read another religious book, because you're religious organization tells you to only read their spiritual books to gather information, you're following a path of spiritual resistance.

If you're really going to study on faith alone then I suggest studying with intention to learn instead of follow.

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 reading, Stories from the Old Testament

Greg is currently working on a religious and spiritual answers 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

Turning Passions Into Profits - Author Christopher Howard

Albert Einstein is quoted as saying "People love chopping wood. In this activity one immediately sees results" and whilst I am not sure that today people love chopping wood, they certainly love seeing immediate results. Think for a moment about the lives of people around you maybe even yourself and see how the need for instantaneous results dominates our cultural psyche. It is all NOW! NOW! NOW! - We have become like a petulant 2 year old, screaming to whomever will listen - "I WANT IT NOW!" (please feel free to insert whatever IT is for you)

That is exactly how I was three years ago when I picked up the book "Turning Passions into Profits" by Christopher Howard. I was excited and motivated reading and re-reading the book, soaking up every word. I decided that I did not want to be a Billionaire and as Chris says 'you can always scale it back'. So I set my sights on achieving the long-term results I wanted and used the tools and strategies as written.

Turning Passions into Profits provides specific techniques for closing the gap between where you are today and where you would like to be. In this book, Christopher Howard teaches powerful, innovative tools for modelling and replicating the ultimate success of some of the World's greatest leaders and billionaires.

Not instantaneous results but instantaneous change cemented in place for MASSIVE results.

With the ability to select and incorporate some of the traits, strategies, thought patterns, and behaviours of those already achieving results, individuals can plot a course and arrive at a chosen destination greater than they ever thought possible.

When I look around at my life right now, it is miraculous! Sure there are still things I am working on but the long-term results I have achieved in nearly every aspect of my life far out shine any IMMEDIATE result I could have wanted for myself. I also have the confidence and assuredness that I created it all and will continue to creating even bigger results in the near future.

"The more you chase the Holy Grail of short term performance, the less you get in long-term results". Walter Calbot.

If you want to create change that will create results you only dreamed possible then Christopher Howard's "Turning Passions Into Profits" must be your next book to read and implement. And you too will have it take prime position on your Book Shelf.

Don Bemrose is Australia's foremost Male Aboriginal Opera Singer. Don realised his childhood dream this year with an inspirational and joyous rendition of the Australian National Anthem at the second 2008 National Rugby League State of Origin match. Don will play a lead role in the World's first Aboriginal Opera Pecan Summer specifically written for him and his lyric baritone voice. http://www.donbemrose.com

Don is General Manager of Performance Results Pty Limited - a national Coaching, Training and Consulting Company utilising his qualifications as an internationally certified Performance Consultant and fully qualified Master Practitioner and Trainer of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), Hypnosis & Neurological Repatterning. http://www.performanceresults.com.au

The Power of Leadership

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King had it, Sen. Barack Obama has it, and in fact, all great leaders have it according to Rev. Tim Costello; it's the ability to tell a good story. The is a quote from Costello from his book, Tips from a Travelling Soul-Searcher:

"The distinguishing mark of a great leader... is his or her ability to tell a good story--one which encompasses enough of human experience. It must acknowledge pain, anxiety and crisis, but then it must transcend the self-pitying aspects of this so that it lifts a person to new ground with hope and a fresh map for the way forward."[1]

In a slightly different way Stew Friedman from Harvard Business Press says the same thing:

"Effective leaders use their imaginations to connect the actual stories of their pasts with the hoped-for stories of their futures."[2]

This quality of story-telling is not simply the art of oratory or skill in engaging the heart. It is however, ostensibly about demonstrating a compassion and empathy of people and struggle through an actual happening as a way of projecting hope out of a despairing situation.

President-elect Obama has his work cut out for him with the Global situation as it is; yet it is his job, as much as anything else, to remain the eternal optimist, embracing the unknown with power and resolve during each day of his Presidency.

He will have to use all of his stories, and many others he learns about and can connect to, to inspire a generation of people who are flailing with a sense of despair for what is in front of them. He will need a team of leaders behind him who know too, how to tell a good story to inspire hope and positive change.

The refrain from Obama's acceptance speech seemed to be "Yes we can," employing much the same technique as Rev. Dr. King's "I have a dream" speech in connecting people to a simple meaning. Refrains connect people listening to the story to a simple truth. For Obama, and the picture he's presenting to the American people, anything is possible. His election is proof of that.

Story-telling in leadership is way of engaging people through the use of imagination. It's about engaging the heart as well as the mind. Inspiring leaders all around the world and in all different spheres learn of the implicit need to connect with people, their people, in ways that inspire hope, courage and faith--the broader good.

ENDNOTES:

[1] Tim Costello, Tips from a Travelling Soul-Searcher (St. Leonards, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 1999), p. 167. The chapter this quote is taken from is called, "the public and private anatomy of leaders." Costello offers a fresh and a not-necessarily-secular take on leadership.

[2] Stew Friedman "Obama's Authentic Leadership -- And Yours" in Better Leader, Richer Life (posted November 6, 2008 2:38 PM) available at: http://discussionleader.hbsp.com/friedman/2008/11/obamas-authentic-leadership-an.html?cm_mmc=npv-_-LISTSERV-_-NOV_2008-_-LEADERSHIP.

Steve Wickham is a safety and health professional (BSc) and a qualified lay Christian minister (GradDipDiv). His key passion is work / life balance and re-creating value for living, and an exploration of the person within us.

Three Simple Steps to Beginning Inner Calm

As one of todays professional women, you face ever-increasing demands on your time. This demand creates stress and fatigue. It not only wears you out and makes you feel badly, but also ages you faster than you might like. Fortunately there are some strategies you can employ to regain the balance that you desperately need to support your complete well-being.

So what can you do? All three of the following strategies have been proven successful and, in combination, are incredibly powerful catalysts towards finding a perfect balance between work, home, and other demands.

One: Create Silence Set aside small windows of time in your day to meditate or enjoy complete silence.

Two: Release Worry Find strategies and tools to release those things that are creating stress.

Three: Build Support Create a support network of people who understand, who you support and who can be depended on when times get tough. Begin by supporting others and you will find that it comes back to you if you allow it.

Beginning your journey towards balance

The strategies listed above are best tackled in the order listed but are beneficial regardless of how many you accomplish or the order in which you try them.

The simple enjoyment of silence, or meditation, is a wonderful first step toward healing your mind. This practice will allow your mind to begin to build new networks of thought and new, stronger, more supportive perspectives. Just as its been proven that an athletes muscles need periods of rest to allow peak performance, our minds also need periods of complete silence (or rest), in order to allow optimal functioning.

Quieting the mind can be quite challenging for anyone who spends the vast majority of her time strategizing, thinking, planning and contemplating. Sometimes complete silence is overwhelming and the mind begins to race, so if you find that this happens, try a 5-minute guided meditation or listening to the sounds of nature (water is always good) as a first step in learning to rest your mind. Choose what feels best, and if you dont know where to begin, then guided meditation, which can be found on tape, CD or even downloaded on the web, can be the perfect solution.

The second phase of beginning a life of balance can be accomplished with a mind that is open to trying out new perspectives. There are lots of ways to make new choices about those things that create stress in our lives. Simple shifts in perspective can be accomplished by simply asking, Am I creating the stress? Might I be adding to the stress? Or can I choose to let this go and release the stress? If the answer to even one of these questions is maybe or yes, then the next step is to dig a bit deeper.

Knowledge is a powerful thing and when you realize that its not you, but rather your repeating patterns of thinking that are causing you additional stress, you are well on your way to finding new perspectives and solutions. I recommend reading books like Wayne Dyers, Theres a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem, while you work with a coach who specializes in empowering and forward movement. Or simply read and do some introspection to begin. Just knowing that you are larger than your worries and separate from them is a giant step towards knowing that you can overcome them.

The third phase has to do with building a network of supportive friends and colleagues. This isnt work or magic or even a chore, this is about giving and receiving. As people, we dont realize how much impact we have on the world around us. You may be a giver and yet argue that you never receive. Or you may be someone who receives but rarely gives. The universal force behind those times when giving and receiving dont match up is our resistance to one or the other. If you feel as though you always give, but never receive, I challenge you to look at all the times you turned down help that was offered. Begin accepting the helping hand and life will balance itself out.

I am a firm believer that we were placed here to help each other and I have found over the years, that when I need a special support person to show up in my life, that person always shows up. Begin to notice who shows up for you, and I bet you will find that a network is ready to form right before your very eyes. You simply need to be watching so that you dont miss it. We all need a little support sometime, and on a day that youve tried everything else and life still feels too demanding, a supportive friend will hold you up while you regain the strength to tackle it.

To immediately lessen the stress in your life:

meditate or enjoy silence just quiet your mind

release those things that are creating stress

build a support network (be a support partner for others and accept their help in return)

Youll find yourself in a better place almost immediately and you will soon start noticing the balance returning. Expect that life will show up perfectly balanced in the not too distant future, but dont forget to follow this plan for more than a few days. You may even want to keep it as a permanent part of your newly balanced life. It works!

Julie Fisher, complete well-being coach and owner of Sol Journe, LLC, as well as President of Advertising by Design, Inc. provides coaching and mentoring for professional women all over the world. Register for her free e-course and e-coaching at http://womenbalanceworkandhome.abundanceforwomen.com or visit http://www.abundanceforwomen.com for more information.

Secrets of Qigong Meditation

Qi ("chee": life energy) circulates through a network of meridians or channels in the human body. Qigong means "working with life energy." Through qigong training we can facilitate the movement of qi through the body. The movement of qi leads the circulation of the blood and other bodily fluids. The effects of qigong practice include: stress reduction, improved health and energy, emotional balance, mental calmness and clarity, and an awareness of the wholeness of life.

Qigong is a truly holistic philosophy and system of health care and self development. The primary principle of qigong practice is this: Where qi flows smoothly there is health, happiness, and well-being. Where qi flow is impeded, there is disease, distress, and conflict.

Smooth qi flow is regarded as a natural state of being. This natural state is affected by our responses to the demands of life. When we become sick or have dis-ease on any level of our being the questions in this system are: 1) Where is qi flow impeded? 2) What is impeding smooth qi flow? and 3) How do we facilitate smooth qi flow?

Qi flow is interrupted by the way that we handle internal and external stressors. Qi can be impeded by physical tension, emotional holding patterns, rigid thought patterns, and patterns of spiritual resignation. The more general pattern of impeded qi flow is experiencing yourself as a passive victim of circumstances that cause the conditions of your life. By contrast, in qigong we learn to experience ourselves as empowered participants in our health and self development.

This leads us to a second qigong principle: The mind leads the qi and the qi follows the mind. The term mind here means mental powers and spiritual intent. In qigong meditation, we learn to use powers of mind and spirit to feel, gather, store, cultivate, refine, and circulate universal qi. The circulation of qi leads the circulation of blood, lymphatic fluid, and nerve impulses along their respective pathways.

We lead qi in qigong meditation by following these cues: 1) Relaxing and aligning posture, 2) Smiling and breathing consciously, 3)Visualizing qi pathways, and 4) Imagining and feeling universal qi flowing smoothly along these pathways.

One further note on this principle: It may be more accurate to say we "allow" qi to flow smoothly rather than we "lead" it, because smooth qi flow is natural. We allow this natural process to occur when we stop restricting it. When we live in stress mode we restrict qi flow. When we center our awareness in universal qi, we allow a greater wisdom to work through us. We let go of ego control and allow higher powers of mind and spirit to come forth. Letting go leads us to the next qigong principle.

The third basic principle of qigong is active relaxation. The ability to actively relax is the first step toward a Core Energy State. When practicing, Qigong Master Tianyou Hao says "Don't forget, don't pursue." In qigong one is present and aware while being relaxed and calm. We learn to detach from our patterns of stress so we can recover the original joy and vitality which resides steadfastly ever-available at the core of our being.

What does smooth qi flow feel like? The classic signs of qi activity in the body are called the eight sensations. These are: heat, cold, pain, numbness, soreness, swelling, itching, and twitching. The less pleasant qi sensations occur when qi is blocked or when it is beginning to move in an area that has been stagnant. Most commonly the positive feelings of smooth qi flow are warmth, fullness, tingling, and a sense of overall happiness and well-being.

Now that you know some qigong basics, it's time to get to the most important part--practicing. Daily practice is the key to realizing the amazing positive effects of qigong meditation.

If you are interested in more articles in this series or my Learn Qigong Meditation Program visit: http://www.learnqigongmeditation.com

Copyright 2006 by Kevin Schoeninger

Kevin Schoeninger: M.A. in Philosophy, Certified Qigong Instructor, Personal Trainer, and Reiki Master. http://www.learnqigongmeditation.com

Do You Ever Loose Your Keys - Planning Advice

You obviously don't need to read this article if you rarely lose your car keys. However if you misplace your car keys often and have a pretty good relationship with your locksmith, it's time to change these bad habits into good ones.

One of my friends, recently lost their car keys. I would like you to listen to what I'm about to say and see if it makes sense to you. Most people get two keys when they buy a car. This means, if they lose one key, they now have a spare key. When they lose their first key, this should give them a pretty good clue that the second key is now the only key, if they wish to drive their car.

Does that make sense? If you lose your first key, you don't have a second or spare key anymore. Now is a good time to purchase a spare key or have one made. Don't wait until you lose the second one, unless you are planning to change your bad habit into a good one.

Now let me get back to my friends who recently lost their car's key. The car they were driving was a new Honda and you can't go to the locksmith to get another key made. You have to order one from the Honda dealer and this key cost them over $200. That's a lot of money for one key.

Now my friends lost both of their original keys and now have one key to operate the vehicle and this key cost them over $200. Now if I had to pay this amount of money, I would make sure that I never lost this key ever again. I would do whatever it to to change my old habits and create some new ones.

How hard is it to get in the habit of placing your keys inside of your purse. Placing your keys in your pockets and then only removing them when you are going to place them inside of a drawer, container, cup, bowl or on a shelf in your bedroom. If you place your keys in a drawer, this will keep them out of other people's temptation.

If you choose to lay your keys in a bowl, in the kitchen, there's a good chance someone will take them or another member of your family could lose them. Place your keys in a protected area, do not leave them out in the open ever.

If you want some tips to prevent you from losing your keys, simply talk to someone who rarely if ever loses their keys. Most of these people have simple and easy to follow tips. You can consciously create a habit that can save you money and frustration in the future.

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 spiritual video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world.

Why Smart Goals Don't Work - And What to Do About It

Each year, I receive at least half a dozen identical articles touting the benefits of SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound. SMART goals are increasingly seen as the secret to personal and business success. Unfortunately, it's a pretty safe bet that most of these goals will go the way of the proverbial New Year's resolution. Why? Because none of these articles actually tell you how to make SMART goals work. In fact, most people who try the SMART approach for any but small and relatively easy goals frequently find themselves frustrated and disillusioned.

Well-constructed goals are extremely powerful tools for getting things done, increasing concentration and motivation. Successfully completing a well-constructed goal builds self-confidence. Unfortunately, creating a well-constructed SMART goal is not quite so simple as the average article makes it out to be.

To begin with, a specific goal is only useful if it's something you can control. Although this may seem obvious, the fact is that far too many people set goals that appear to be under their control, but really are not. For example, consider the athlete who sets the goal of winning an upcoming tournament: it's specific, it's measurable, it has a time of completion associated with it. Is it achievable and realistic? Depending on the athlete's level of skill, very possibly. However, the athlete has no control over the difficulty of the competition. He may simply be outplayed by a more skilled opponent.

Furthermore, although the goal is measurable, in that the athlete will know whether or not he accomplishes it, the measurement is not particularly useful. At no time will he know how close he is to accomplishing the goal, where he needs to focus his energies, or what else needs to be accomplished. The athlete is far better served by setting the goal of exercising certain key skills in the competition, skills that have a high probability of leading to a victory. Not only will he gain the self-confidence boost of accomplishing his goal, he may just win the tournament.

Another problem is that a goal is simply too big. If a goal takes years to accomplish, it can be extremely difficult to maintain motivation. Big, ambitious goals are wonderful, but they need to be carefully structured. It is vital to break them down into subgoals that can be accomplished in a much shorter period of time. The perception of progress is critical to maintaining motivation, whether for an individual or a team.

Having too many goals is another common problem. Well constructed goals are great, but if you have too many of them at once, they become a distraction. Many people can focus on three to five unrelated goals without a problem, but not ten or twenty. Keeping in mind that each goal might generate numerous subgoals along the way, it's easy to see how having more than a few key goals can easily balloon out of control.

Is the goal something you really care about? Many people have goals that they don't really care about. Perhaps they've been told it's something they ought to do or they believe they should do, but they don't really care about the outcome. If you don't care whether or not you accomplish a goal, it's hard to find the motivation to do it.

Used properly, SMART goals can be a very powerful and effective tool. Well-constructed goals can increase motivation, improve focus, and build self-confidence. Used improperly, they can decrease motivation, and destroy self-confidence. If you're using SMART goals, here are some questions to ask yourself:

Do I control the outcome?

Can I measure progress in a meaningful way?

Is my goal too big? Can I break it up?

Do I have too many goals? Is there enough time in the day/week/month to work on each one?

Do I really care about my goal? Is this something I genuinely want to accomplish?

Good luck!

Stephen Balzac is the president of 7 Steps Ahead (http://www.7stepsahead.com), a consulting firm based in Stow, MA. He can be contacted at 978-298-5189 or steve@7stepsahead.com

Change Your Thinking About Your Life

What do I do when I get down and out. Well that use to happen to me often and I seemed to suffer with some minor depression. It would seem like time would stand still. I would look at the clock and notice the time. Let's say 2:23 in the afternoon. I would look back to see what time it was about fifteen minutes latter and it would be 2:26. Wow what in the heck is going on with this clock.

I just couldn't believe it seemed like the day would never end. I would just sit there and think about all the stuff going on in my life, good and bad of course. This seemed to last until I was in my early twenties. I just didn't want to feel like this any more. I made a Conscious design not to get depressed period. I never wanted to feel like that again.

I read a book on ESP and in the book it described visualizing a rose as you went to sleep. I started doing this every night and while I was doing the exercise it seemed to make me feel relaxed in a way I never had felt before. The reason for the exercise was to teach you to visualize something peaceful. This in turn would put you in a peaceful state of mind.

Then a thought came into my noggin. What if when ever I start to feel bad or seem to be going into a sort of depressive state of mind I change my thoughts. It worked... I would start to visualize something else that made me feel comfortable and give me a peaceful feeling. Man was I surprised with my results.

Keep in mind I didn't think of this all on my own but I did put the pieces of the puzzle I needed to together that I needed to change my life. It seemed like I could use this form of self control in different parts of my life. If I was at work and someone made me mad.... Well this didn't work all the time... I still got mad. Let's pick something else OK.

I would worry about something on the job that wasn't going right. Then I would get irritated over something else that wasn't even related to what I was worrying about. Why did I take it out on the other person when what I was really mad about was something else. We do this all the time in our lives. We seem to get mad, get even or give up. Why do we do this and what can we do to stop it.

My main point to all of this is we can change our thinking and change our lives. We can learn new things to change our thinking. We don't need to give up hope that we will always be like this. Change the things you don't like about yourself. Do it today. If you need some help there is a great book that will help you change your life for the better.

You can find it at http://www.live.spiritualideas.com This book has a lot of tools to create the change in your life you want to have a more full filling life.

Most people give up just when they're about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game one foot from a winning touchdown. Ross Perot.

Start Living Your Dreams Today 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.

Think About Your Life

Is the Bible Historically Accurate and True

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

Goal Planning For Success

Multicultural Connections - 3 Tips To Connect People To People With Any Cultural Group

As a personal brand strategy coach, I work with clients helping them unearth their authentic strengths, their unique promise of value and help them connect the dots for their prospects and clients of "the why" in "why do business with me." That authenticity is key to any relationship they are forming, business included. In fact, if you believe that all business is based on relationships. Then understand that the key to all relationships is the relationship you have with yourself.

"Know thyself" stated Shakespeare. And, he is so correct, because it is yourself you bring into every connection. This becomes even more evident in making connections with minority based businesses where even our communication is scrutinized for inclusion, awareness and biases.

"Creating community, awareness and inclusion is our focus" shared Odel Crawford, president of the Texas Association of African American Chambers of Commerce. "Our theme for this month's conference is GROWING BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES IN TEXAS. We realize that there are many issues associated with the development, enhancement and sustainability of minority owned businesses. Of course our focus is on African-American entrepreneurs, however we realize the importance of supporting all minority owned businesses as they are important part of a community's economy."

Mr. Crawford brings out three important points to connecting to any minority business or community and that is to "create community, awareness and inclusion". As a coach, I'm driven to make this into useful, do-able, action oriented activities, so let's go:

• First is AWARENESS. Are you aware of the many communities within your community? Sometimes, diversity trainers will say that we focus too much on the differences. While that might be true, I believe that the differences are their already and to ignore them is not authentic. And don't we know that in connecting with people, that insincerity can be "read" quite quickly? How many cultures are in your community? Make a list and next to each culture identify if there is a group, organization, or association that represents that culture.
• Second is INCLUSION. Time for some self discovery. Do you do anything that "excludes" or "includes" everyone in your connections? Self discovery can be challenging however, we are that common denominator in every business relationship we have so we're a critical factor. Diverse connections come in many packages and sometimes it is easy for us to assume that the outside or external differences are the only ones we should concern ourselves with. Remove questions like "what are you?" or "what's your nationality?" and rather use all the great networking questions that the many fine experts of this publication will teach you. Asking great questions, or yourself and others and then listening will provide all the "skills" you need to make great connections.

Spending time in self discovery will also help reveal any assumptions that you might have or make. Assumptions, as we all know, can be quite damaging to reputations and relationships. Rachel Stone, president, of the Midland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and active member of the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce, shares the surprised reaction she gets and comments made when she meets them such as "Your last name is Stone? Are you married to an Anglo man? Or, wow, how did you get a last name like that?"

Abraham Maslow, the creator of Maslow's Hierarchy of needs, found that in addition to the basics of food, water, shelter, air, people have a need to "belong and to be valued." Do you fulfill that need for people when you converse with them? Do you do and say things that make them feel that they "belong" or that they are "valued"?

Here's a quick revealing test to see if you do. Have you ever had someone who has to tell you the story in order to relay the facts to you? Have you ever tried to "cut them off" and give you "just the answer" or "the bottom line information"? If you have, you are guilty of making the person who values "detail and information" feel not valued. Truthfully, have you ever done that to anyone?

As in any networking situation, the goal is to learn more about the other person. The more you know the better the connection you can make. The deeper connection you make the more memorable and visible you become (for all the right reasons). The better the connection the more chance they have to sample your character and competence. The more chance they have to sample your character and competence then the faster trust is developed. Trust is foundational to all great relationships - including business relationships.

Dale Carnegie in his book "How To Win Friends and Influence People" speaks of the rules of engagement. One of the rules is, take a genuine interest in what they're interested in. One, cannot take a genuine interest in someone if they do not know what they're true interest is. It's amazing how often I hear people say, "I think this is what he wants. Or, I know that she wants this." Yet, they've 'not asked the person. They are speaking for this person. How do you feel when someone speaks "for you" and does not check in to see if that's really how you feel? Often the feeling is that of assumptions, being judgmental and even to the point of stereotyping.

So, let's get better at asking some good questions. When you ask great questions you get great answers! When do you ask these questions? When you're at a networking event or when you are meeting someone. Steer clear of asking these in "rapid fire" style or like a 20 point oil check. Do weave them into your coffee conversations. They will put more "meat" into your grip, grin and graze. Here are some to put in your connection bag:

1. What organizations do you belong to? Or, enjoy spending time with?
2. What drew you to those organizations? What drew you to this organization?
3. What have you found to be your most successful times with this organization?
4. What are some of the barriers that you've encountered as an organization?
5. What do you enjoy about what you do?
6. What are some of your favorite activities or events with the organizations you're involved in?
7. How do you keep yourself connected with others between networking or social events?

The key to great questions is to be silent and listen to the answers.

Lastly:

• Create COMMUNITY. Bring people together and give them opportunity to feel valued. One of the keys to creating community is to value the people that you are bringing together and that they value you. It is in this "valuing" that you create trust. Trust is a key component to any community and to any team.

Have you ever heard the comment opposites attract? We hear that often especially in the context of couples. And, while in personality style they may be opposites, a closer study reveals that they do share something in common - the same values. Look closely at people in long term relationships and you'll see that they share the same values.

Now, while that is true for marriages and long term relationships there are also some relationships where people do not share the same values but they do share something else in common. They have a shared activity that they enjoy or do together.

As you create community, it can be by discovering and sharing the same VALUES or by having a SHARED ACTIVITY (such as the African American Chambers of Commerce, or the Hispanic Chambers of Commerce) that brings you together.

As this great melting pot world becomes more like the great salad bowl world, you'll see that connecting with minority based networks is more about people relationships that in is about cultural relationships. And, whether their connection is values, generations, experiences or interests, the deepest connections are made people to people.

The true spirit of relationship performance management is to take high performing entrepreneurs and executives from frantic networking to profitable engagement that comes from shedding the limitations of old sales pitches and creating compelling connections. I invite you to discover your personal brand strengths and connect-ability readiness by taking this on-line quiz found at http://www.buzz2bucks.com

If you'd like to learn more about succeeding at your personal brand, visit http://www.buzz2bucks.com You'll learn everything you need to know from what is your personal brand, how to use what makes you best, and engage others in a way that compels others to speak positively on your behalf and influence their contact sphere to your benefit.

Maria Elena Duron, C.P.B.S., C.N.P. PCC, is Chief Buzz Agent, speaker and coach specializing in connecting high performing entrepreneurs and executives and using what makes them best so they can move from their frantic pursuit to success and balance now.

Carol Adrienne

Bible's Power Over Our Child

I mentioned Sean in another one of my articles, the story of a young foster boy that we were taking care of. Sean's father was my ex-wife's uncle, and they were going through some tough times for a while and their three children ended up as wards of the state. We eventually ended up taking the oldest child because he was the hardest one to place and another home. His brother and sister ended up with a family that wanted to adopt them and eventually Sean went to live with them and I believe all three of them were adopted by this family. I don't know this for a fact though.

Sean was a emotionally damaged child. His parents would punish him with some strange and bizarre punishments. They weren't really physical punishments but seemed to leave the emotional scars on him and I often think about where he is and what he is doing.

We watched him for about a year and I learned quite a bit from this young man. He was in the third grade but was still at the first grade level for reading and math. I would spend a couple of hours each night during the week helping him with his schoolwork, I seem to have created some sort of allusion that I would be able to bring him up to the third grade level within a short period of time. Wrong. He must've had learning disabilities and of course I don't think I was that good teacher.

Sean was easy going, polite and extremely obedient. He would do anything to avoid getting in trouble and often blamed others for his mistakes. His punishments must have been more than he could bear before he arrived at our home. I think you're getting the picture about what kind of a child Sean was.

One day I found myself in a dilemma with Sean, I couldn't get him to tell me the truth, even though I knew he was lying. I forget what the problem was but I remember a hollow look in his face. It was almost like he wasn't really there. It was almost like he was just doing time, sitting on the bed, listening to me asking the same question over and over again, "Sean are you lying", but he wasn't even paying attention.

I normally would not punish my children for accidents, and never tolerated lying. I was trying to explain to him that he wasn't going to get in trouble, I just wanted to know the truth. He wasn't budging at all and stuck to his story. I remembered that his mother and father were Catholics and feared the church, almost as much as they loved it.

That's what I came up with my evil plan. I don't know where I come up with these ideas, but every once in a while one pops up in my head and I run with it.

I told Sean that I was going to bring the Holy Bible in, and if he could swear on the Bible that he was telling the truth, I would accept that and this would be the end of our conversation. I couldn't believe my eyes, as he started crying and screaming, frantically and excitedly as a yelled out, I did it, I did it, don't bring the Bible in, I won't do it again.

I couldn't believe that was all it took to get information from him. I have always been a pretty good interrogator and found myself gathering information from those people easily, but this was amazing. His fear of the Holy Bible got me thinking about how powerful this book actually is to some people. I remember when I looked upon this book, pretty much the same as Sean did.

It's just a book, like any other book. It's not made at a holy factory or a secret monastery in the Swiss Alps somewhere, it's made from paper and ink and can be damaged and destroyed like other books. I would be surprised if I threw the Bible into the fire, that it wouldn't burn. I would be even more surprised, if I seen three men standing in the fire, wait a minute that's another story in the Bible.

Is it possible for this book to actually control the lives of people. It seemed to control Sean, I wonder if I, could have actually been driving a nail home that his parents started. Could I have added to his belief, that the Bible is a book from God the creator of everything.

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 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. Simple Words Create Powerful Beliefs.

Power Of Faith

What is Releasing?

A lot of people are getting into the concept of releasing negative emotions and thoughts. Various techniques and concepts have been created to explain better ways of releasing.

More and more modern ideas are pointing to the need to heal from within, and that we need to learn how to look deeper inside of ourselves and let the answers generate from within.

But how? Many ask.

Here is what I strongly believe is the best way.

The most important piece is to have a belief that you have the ability within you to heal yourself, and this belief need not be a complete belief or knowing. If you have even a little belief or even a desire to believe then you will be able to heal yourself faster and with more permanent results than anything else you have tried in the past. An important question to ask yourself is have the things you have tried in the past truly healed you the way you want. If so, you probably don't need to continue with this stuff, and please give me your ideas to try for myself.

Any way, start where you are and begin practicing being present. I won't go into too many specific aspects of presence or acceptance in this article, and if you want more info try reading The Power of Now by Eckart Tolle or Your Sacred Self by Dr. Wayne Dyer. And if you do not agree with everything you read, try gleaning what does make sense to you.

There are three basic parts of living that we all experience throughout our lives, and they are being in Present Moment Awareness, Acceptance and Releasing or Letting Go.
The problem with us now and throughout out history is that we have developed too many negative conditioned responses due to the controlling nature of the mind or ego.

We have learned to trust and rely on the mind or ego more than the intuitive knowing that is already within all of us.

So we automatically set up our lives to being Aware of what has been taught to us or what our mind has told us is best for us. We Accept what makes us fit in, or feel a part of, and we Release many of the things that we need to learn to accept before letting them go. We do this constantly and automatically throughout our lives. Don't get me wrong, there are many things our minds tell us that do align with our Truer Selves. The problem with this is that by relying on the ego to lead, we only heal in part, and when disturbed the ego will retaliate. The ego will at times do this through excessive questioning or out and out sabotage.

As we learn how to recondition ourselves to learn how to let our truer selves lead, then we will heal quicker and with more permanent results. Not that we should focus on the results, but instead learn to stand in the process. Also the process for true change will be less painful, and you will see material things in your world change for the better. The process of Present Moment Awareness, Acceptance and Letting Go may seem a bit uncomfortable in the beginning, but if we follow the simple process, it gets easier over a very short period of time. Please don't believe the lie from yours or anyone's ego. Healing does not have to take a long time. You have the opportunity to make dramatic and lasting change in your life in a very short period of time. As we live the simple process of Present Moment Awareness Acceptance and Releasing/Letting Go, we heal with less on going pain, there is more peace and happiness in our lives, and more importantly we begin more and more helping others.

This next part will focus more on the specifics of releasing.

By practicing being aware of or looking at the dominant emotions sensations and thoughts, we begin to get clearer pictures of what is truly going on inside. While practicing looking or being the observer, you become more comfortable with accepting whatever you are thinking or feeling, and it becomes easier to let those feelings or thoughts go.

An example might go like this:

As much as you can in this moment let yourself relax. You might want to close your eyes to not have too many outside distractions, but that's not necessary. Now in this moment what is the dominant feeling, perception or thought? It's better to focus on the emotion instead of the thought because emotions are more specific. Now allow whatever emotion or dominant thought to arise. Try not to judge it or yourself or anyone and just let yourself dwell in the emotion. This alone may be helping you to feel a sense of peace. If so, you have just Released. What can often happen here is that the questioning mind will say things like this is not working, or I need to understand what is happening. Just come back to this moment and be as aware of the emotion or dominant thought as you possible can.

Accept/Embrace the emotion behind the thought in this moment as much as you can. A good sign you are releasing may be a deeper sense of peace, a deep breath, or even bigger
questioning by the mind. Try as best as you can in this moment to be aware or observe the questioning without judging it or yourself. As you become more in touch with these negative emotions and thoughts you will feel more of a knowing when you need to release or accept or to just stand in the awareness.

The more you live the process, the easier it becomes and the more natural you are able to be at any part of your process. You will find at times the process is happening automatically in a good way. Try not to let the ego tell you that you are not doing it right, or you must understand what is happening. You will be learning more and more to trust in yourself and as you see the continued growth and healing and acts of synchronicity, you will have more knowing, confidence and motivation to stay in this place where your life is.

And remember this. The most important aspect of living is to practice being in Present Moment Awareness/In the Presence of God/Being in the Now. And what all of these terms express is your connection to your Source. And when you are here you have a knowing that you are going in a right direction. Sometimes you may not feel you are with your source. Try to stay in this spaciousness and not let the selfish ego tell you that you are not here. A good way of knowing that you are here is by having your attention focused within and without at the same time. You can practice this as an intention, and over a period of time this beingness will become a more natural reality. Try not to question whether it is coming from your ego or Spirit, instead you may want to if questioning occurs, go through the releasing process to find the answers from within. If you feel you are getting close, try not to force yourself to go deeper, instead stay in acceptance until you answers come more peacefully and naturally. There will be evidence over a short period of time. Give yourself as least three months or so, and you will see dramatic results. Learn to let your Truer Self guide you toward when you need to Release, Accept or stand in Present Moment Awareness.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, don't let the selfish ego fool you into going back on the merry-go-round of the conditioning of the world or cause you to excessively analyze and intellectualize from the outside in. You can get answers this way, but it will take you a very long time, and most likely you will either stop using mind based helps, or go to another technique or method that the latest guru is saying is the way to go.

Other techniques that can give you an idea of releasing are The Sedona Method and The Releasing Technique or Lester Levinson's ideas.

I do not agree in full with others' processes, methods or techniques. I have been able to glean for myself what works best. Try not too judge them negatively, and instead be open to the solutions they have for you, and let go of the rest.

Peace and Love,

Ron Figueroa has a masters degree in community and counseling psychology, and is a self employed businessman.

Ron has helped many individuals over the years overcome the effects of stress due to emotional as well as financial problems. Look at the recommendations Ron presents in order to see if his ideas are right for you.

Mind And Body

Walk With Norse God Odin - Become a Rune Wizard

Rune - Wizard - Odin

As an aspiring Rune Wizard, it is important that you connect with the energies of Odin, the All-Father. He is the master Norse Sorcerer, Wizard, Shaman, and Magician.

When I say connect, I mean you must build resonant frequencies within your own Aura to Odin. What energies we carry in our Aura attracts people, places and events into our lives.

We don't want to use out dated Asatru and Viking Rituals that bring us back into the time of Odin and the Vikings. We want to bring Odin into the 21st Century so he can walk with us and guide us into the NOW.

Speaking of the 21st Century, we are now in the galactic space called the Age of Aquarius. Our whole Solar System has rotated around the Galactic Sun. We need a new paradigm for contacting and attracting the wisdom and energies of the Runes and Norse Gods/Goddesses.

The Age of Aquarius has given us the Laws of Quantum Physics. The Laws of Quantum Physics have given us the language we can use to build our new paradigm.

Simply stated: the Laws of Quantum Physics tell us that there exists an infinite ocean of thinking, intelligent energy called the Quantum Ocean. It is for all intents and purposes the Mind of God.

Everything that ever was, is or will be exists in the Quantum Ocean. There is no time, no past, present nor future. There is only the NOW. There is no space only the HERE. That is a good definition for the Creator God, an infinite point called the HERE-NOW.

The runes and Gods/Goddesses of the North all exist in the Quantum Ocean in the Here-Now. As a Rune Wizard, you will want to contact and connect with the energies of the Runes and Odin in the HERE-NOW OF TODAY. You don't want to go backwards. You want to bring the energies of Odin and the Runes to you, in the now.

How do you get the energies within your Aura so that you can use and communicate with Odin and the Runes?

The Laws of Quantum Physics tell us that what you think upon you will attract. Thoughts and symbols are all tools that you can use to connect with Odin and the Runes.

Therefore, on a daily basis, have thoughts of Odin, meditate on his image, inhale his Runes into your Aura.

You can simply start by holding the print of Odin in your hands and looking at it. Do this in your favorite chair every morning, before leaving the house to go to work.

Now, mentally inhale and intone, "I am now making contact with Odin and I am bringing him and his wisdom out of the Quantum Ocean and into my Aura where I can talk with him and use his energies.

Do this three times. Talk to Odin in your mind. Visualize him sitting in the room with you. When you leave your home bring him with you in your car and take him to work with you.

Befriend him. Talk to him. Feel him. Soon you will know him and you will feel him in your every day life. Ask him Rune Wizard questions. Keep a notebook with you at all times and record your impressions, thoughts and intuitions.

You want Odin and his wisdom in your life? Build resonant linkages. I did and I met him on a snowy evening in the mountains of Pennsylvania. I wrote about it in my book "Conversations with Odin."

Ellis Peterson AKA Ragnar Storyteller is a retired math professor and electronics engineer. He has been studying astrology, runes, radionics, metaphysics and alternate healing treatments for over 30 years. He is 70+, in very good health and lives in the boonies of the Pocono mountains with his wife Lory. His writings are unique and refreshing. To see more of his writings visit his websites.

http://www.olevikingshop.com/

and

http://www.runes-for-health-wealth-love-now.com/

Or go to goggle and type in his pen name RAGNAR STORYTELLER for his listings. He is also a ghost writer and will write and article for you. Email Ragnar for his FREE 10 PART MINI-COURSE, "How-To use Quantum Physics in Your Every Day Life to Attract More Wealth, Health and Love, Now." You can contact him by email.

epete@ptd.net

Mind And Body

The Law of Attraction - Let it Give You the Good Life!

The Universe is nothing but energy, the only differences are in the vibrations. The Law works on the principle of vibration and these vibrations create energy, then the generation of energy attracts energy that is in turn generated by an equal amount of vibration. The Law Of Attraction requires that we remain concentrated in whatever we want. So for example, if you want a brand new car, then concentrate your feelings, thoughts, emotions, vibrations and energy on a brand new car. If you concentrate on the same car you have now, then that's what you will get, more of your old run down car! You can ultimately create your world and the world around you.

Every person, every object and everything generates some kind of energy. The entire idea about being focused on positive things is to concentrate the energy so that it stays in your mind so to speak. The less power in your mind, the less energy, the less strength you have over things. When you bother to appreciate things in your life, even the small things, it appreciates and grows in value. When you are unappreciative, things start to lose their value. The point is, is to try to concentrate on the positive things in life. Even if things aren't positive, make them seem positive, turn them, twist them, tie them, it doesn't matter, just make it so your life is positive. Positive thinking, feeling, vibes, energy, etc. This will bring good things to you!

The Law Of Attraction is based upon creativity. The Law teaches you how to create the power of thought. The intellect possesses your constructive imaginations and attributes. It establishes your identity as a being. You are always in a state of vibration when the law of attraction works. This manifests your creative desires as if they are already present. This vibrational resonance is your mentality, which has all the constructive attributes.

Your emotions, play a huge role in creating what you want in life. As the law states; the energy present in your emotions will always pull you towards things that you always wanted. Both your thoughts and feelings are so incredibly powerful that they can actually make things fall apart despite all the effort of the other forces trying to keep them together. If you feel hatred toward someone, or if you feel sadness because you don't have this or you don't have that, all those negative feelings are going to result in is a lot of turmoil. You have got to change the way your thinking and feeling, it's the first giant step!

This author is a HUGE fan of http://www.envisionfreedom.net

You become what you think about most. Change your intention, change your results. I recommend http://www.envisionfreedom.net

Don Miguel Ruiz

The Law of Attraction - Let it Give You the Good Life!

The Universe is nothing but energy, the only differences are in the vibrations. The Law works on the principle of vibration and these vibrations create energy, then the generation of energy attracts energy that is in turn generated by an equal amount of vibration. The Law Of Attraction requires that we remain concentrated in whatever we want. So for example, if you want a brand new car, then concentrate your feelings, thoughts, emotions, vibrations and energy on a brand new car. If you concentrate on the same car you have now, then that's what you will get, more of your old run down car! You can ultimately create your world and the world around you.

Every person, every object and everything generates some kind of energy. The entire idea about being focused on positive things is to concentrate the energy so that it stays in your mind so to speak. The less power in your mind, the less energy, the less strength you have over things. When you bother to appreciate things in your life, even the small things, it appreciates and grows in value. When you are unappreciative, things start to lose their value. The point is, is to try to concentrate on the positive things in life. Even if things aren't positive, make them seem positive, turn them, twist them, tie them, it doesn't matter, just make it so your life is positive. Positive thinking, feeling, vibes, energy, etc. This will bring good things to you!

The Law Of Attraction is based upon creativity. The Law teaches you how to create the power of thought. The intellect possesses your constructive imaginations and attributes. It establishes your identity as a being. You are always in a state of vibration when the law of attraction works. This manifests your creative desires as if they are already present. This vibrational resonance is your mentality, which has all the constructive attributes.

Your emotions, play a huge role in creating what you want in life. As the law states; the energy present in your emotions will always pull you towards things that you always wanted. Both your thoughts and feelings are so incredibly powerful that they can actually make things fall apart despite all the effort of the other forces trying to keep them together. If you feel hatred toward someone, or if you feel sadness because you don't have this or you don't have that, all those negative feelings are going to result in is a lot of turmoil. You have got to change the way your thinking and feeling, it's the first giant step!

This author is a HUGE fan of http://www.envisionfreedom.net

You become what you think about most. Change your intention, change your results. I recommend http://www.envisionfreedom.net

Developing Wealth Building Habit

Book Notes - A Book Overview on Twelve Pillars

Twelve Pillars, by Jim Rohn and Chris Widener, is a short, easy to read story about a man named Michael Jones, who feels that his life is at a dead end.He meets an older gentleman, named Charlie, who shares with Michael twelve "pillars" that have helped the owner of the house Charlie maintains, Mr. Davis, achieve great success.The story is somewhat predictable (I'm not going to tell you how though, you have to read the book), but effectively conveys each of the pillars. I presented these pillars to a group of college students a few months ago, and thought they would be good to share with you too.

Pillar 1 is "Personal Development."This pillar highlights that you can achieve only to the level where you are.Key points on this pillar are success comes when you develop yourself beyond where you currently are; read books, attend seminars/speaker engagements, study the best people; and implement and integrate what you've learned.These points remind me of the definition of insanity, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. To get different results, you've got to change what you're doing. "The only way things are going to change for you is when you change."

Pillar 2 is "Total Well-Being," which is "three dimensional health." The three dimensions are the body (physical), soul (our intellect, emotions, and will), and spirit (part of us that transcends this world).The Spirit is your core, the soul is the next layer, and the body is the outside layer.You need to work on all three, don't just work on one to the detriment of the others.The relationship between the three dimensions highlights the need to be transparent, sincere, and genuine.Let people see you as you really are. "You should make sure the outside of you is a good reflection of the inside of you."

The third Pillar is "The Gift of Relationships."Relationships represent the "most beautiful highs" and the "most tormented lows" of life. Relationships are the backbone of our existence.Twelve Pillars explains that relationships are like a garden, you have to cultivate them.Once you get them up and running, the maintenance to keep them growing is much easier."Time, effort, and imagination must be summoned constantly to keep any relationship flourishing and growing." People say that money that makes the world go around, but I believe relationships are what make the world go around because things get done through people.

Pillar 4 is "Achieve Your Goals."I've heard and read many times that you should write your goals down.Writing them bring them into reality.A side benefit of achieving your goals is that you become a better person."The major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it."Something I learned from someone elsewhere is that plans will change, but your goals will stay the same.A good approach for checking your progress is "Plan, Do, Check, Adjust."

"The Proper Use of Time" is the fifth Pillar.There are two types of pain, the pain of discipline, which weighs only ounces, and the pain of regret, which weighs tons.Don't procrastinate, the end of your life will come sooner than you expect; don't wait until it's too late.Remember that when you spend a day, you have one less day to spend, so spend each day wisely."Every day has many opportunities, but only one best opportunity."The best opportunities are those that align with your overall goals.Know the difference between the urgent and the important.

"Surround Yourself With the Best People" is Pillar 6."Don't join an easy crowd; you won't grow.Go where the expectations and the demands to perform are high."People have an amazing power to influence your destiny.Every relationship you have is an association, be it positive, neutral, or negative.Ask yourself the following questions about your relationships.Who am I around? What effect are they having on me? What have they got me reading? What have they got me saying? Where do they have me going? What do they have me thinking? What do they have me becoming?Then ask yourself if you're good with the answers.Categorize every person you meet.Is he or she someone you should disassociate with, have limited association with, or should you expand your association? Surround yourself with winners, successful people who exhibit and live consistent to values and skills you want to acquire and develop. You become like those you hang out with, so be picky.

Pillar 7 is "Be a Life-Long Learner."Most of your life is lived after formal education."Formal education will make you a living. Self education will make you a fortune."Self education is about what you teach yourself and what you learn along the way so you are constantly improving and growing. Learning is the beginning of wealth, health, and spirituality. Read books, observe successful people, reflect on your own experiences; learn what went right and what went wrong.Help others by sharing what you've learned. "All of

Life is Sales" is the eighth Pillar. Sales means influence and influence is the key to a successful life; learn the art and skill of influence."One key to having influence with others is to have others perceive you as a person of talent and virtues."Your talent and virtues represent your character and skill.Be a person of strong character and increasing skill and you will always be growing your influence.

Pillar 9 is "Income Seldom Exceeds Personal Development." Money doesn't solve the problems of life; you can lose it, be sued for it, or it can be stolen. What's important is what you become because, "What you become directly influences what you get." Become a million dollar person.Remember, even if you lose money, you have the skills to earn it again.

"All Communication Brings the Common Ground of Understanding" is Pillar 10."Communication is two or more people working together to find the common ground understanding.And when they find that common ground, they are positioned to have tremendous power together."Communication is hard, yet important in all relationships.It's about what you say, how you say it, when you say it, and the receptiveness of who you say it to. Make sure you really listen. The character behind listening is caring enough and valuing the other person enough to want to listen.People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Pillar 11 is "The World Can Always Use One More Great Leader."Anyone can be a great leader, all is takes is mastering the art of influence. Leaders make a difference through servant hood."To lead others is to help them change their thoughts, beliefs and actions for the better."Be interested in people, not just in what you can get from them.Help people with more than just their jobs, help them with their lives. A critical component is the leader-follower relationship, which must be built on trust and integrity.Great leaders are real, they know where they are.Great leaders have an optimistic vision, they know how to get to a better destination and work towards that vision.Another quote I like that captures the essence of leadership is, "The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly."

Finally, Pillar 12 is "Leave a Legacy." Life is short. You can't choose how long you will live, but you can choose how well you will live. "Live a life that will help others spiritually, intellectually, physically, financially and relationally.Live a life that serves as an example of what an exceptional life can look like." The path we walk has been prepared for us by others who have gone before us. So live your life in such a way that it will serve those who come after you. Blaze a trail that will allow others to move forward in their lives faster than if they had to blaze the trail themselves.

As you can see, the twelve pillars are interdependent; you can't just focus on one and neglect the others.The bottom line is that you have a choice about your life,"Make a Living or Design a Life." I hope you find value in these pillars and will be inspired to pick up Twelve Pillars and apply the pillars to your life and business.

Happy Business Building,

Yoli

Yolanda Allen is a program manager working for the US government. She owns a home based business specializing in financial education and uses the internet to market her business. Yolanda and her business partners teach other business owners online marketing and have set a goal to create 100 millionaires by 2012. To learn more about Yolanda's business, marketing system, and business partners, visit http://www.YBAMarketing.com