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.

Tony Robbins
W K C Guthrie

Meditation Within All The World's Religions

Many people associate meditation with Far Eastern religions like Buddhism and Hinduism, and don't realize that there are also many forms of Judeo-Christian meditation, as well as meditations from other faiths. Below is an overview of meditation as it is generally viewed within each major religion, along with book suggestions and links to resources with more information.

In Buddhism, observing and stilling the mind are the key to recognizing the transience of all thoughts and emotions, in order to connect with eternal, non-personal awareness. Awakening the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World by Surya Das is a great book for learning the basics of Buddhism and meditation.

In Hinduism, meditating is the core practice for merging the mind with the energies operating beneath the physical world, through which the mind can ultimately merge with the source of these energies itself. Meditation is considered part of yoga practice - yoga means 'union' and meditation is considered the primary method for merging our awareness with the divine. Yoga periodicals such as Yoga Journal often feature beginning yoga meditation techniques.

In Kabbalah, often called Jewish mysticism, a form of meditation called 'hitbonenut', which involves contemplating a concept or light itself, is used to attain true, meta-intellectual knowledge. A good book for learning about incorporating meditation into mainstream Jewish traditions is Jewish Meditation: A Practical Guide by Aryeh Kaplan.

Eastern Orthodox Christianity incorporates the 'hesychasm', or Jesus prayer, performed in a meditative, chanting fashion, in order to connect with the heart of faith. For some more info, go to Hesychasm.

Roman Catholicism includes contemplative practices such as the rosary for lay people, and many silent contemplative practices for monastic initiates. St. Theresa of Avila was one of several Catholic mystics who wrote on the benefits of mental prayer. Check out her writings or the writings of Jesuit Ignatius Loyola for traditional Catholic meditations.

In Quaker meetings participants sit in silence, waiting for the 'inner light' to inspire someone to speak. Check out the writings of Mary Coelho, a modern Quaker and writer, for her insights on the role of quiet contemplation in modern Quakerism.

The Sufis within Islam incorporate both energy center and devotional meditation to merge with the 'beloved divine' responsible for life itself. Sufism has many branches and corresponding meditation techniques, but most are centered on love meditations. Check out How to do Sufi Meditation by Kuriakos for more information.

Taoism is the ancient Chinese mystic tradition and philosophy focused on balance and the interacting forces of yin/yang, passive/aggressive, masculine/feminine, and creating/receiving. Tai Chi is often considered a form of moving Taoist meditation. Sitting Taoist meditation focuses on similar themes of balance and flow.

The Bahai faith, a relatively new religious tradition, founded in 19-century Persia, emphasizes the spiritual unity of all humankind and the common themes of all world religions. Check out this information on Bahai meditation.

Lisa Erickson is a mom, meditation teacher, and writer. Visit her blog http://www.MommyMystic.wordpress.com for spiritual book reviews and information on meditation and spirituality.

Being Flexible

In each of our lives, there will be times of joy and times of sorrow. In trauma, we are born. In trauma, we leave the world. Somewhere in the midst of living, growing, and understanding life in our maturity, we find ourselves seeking to find what we were born with. Innocence is precious. We really never lose it. We might for a time lose innocence, but life is too large for one perceptual being to embrace fully with the mind and the heart.

Innocence comes alive the moment we realize life is beyond our control, our ability to perceive, and our emotional capacity to feel. It is here we realize that life is beyond our control and we open our hearts and mind to something greater than ourselves. Our ego finds its proper place in our lives and we shift from being the central core of life's existence and attention to something much greater. At this point, we begin to place our life, our heart, our mind, and our soul into the very wisdom that has created us.

This movement from self-centered awareness to life-centered awareness allows us to perceive and have revealed to us information greater than what we know life to be to what can be known through us. Here, we become flexible with life, instead of, life having to go our way. This level of knowing creates a 6th sense, a super sense of awareness, an awareness in higher consciousness. We become more soul than body at this point. We become the awareness that brought us into this world. We become spiritual beings having a human experience. We become sons and daughters of the Universe.

When we remember who we are. We re - member ourselves back into the awareness at birth and at death. This awareness is with us always. We sometimes forget who we are. But, when we re - member who we are. We reconnect ourselves into the sense of knowing we grow through life and we also go through life. Through it all, our soul is in process of maturing and in process of remembering. With this in mind, our ups and our downs find consolation in our essence - in our spirit.

Samuel Oliver, author of, "What the Dying Teach Us: Lessons on Living" For more on this author; http://www.soulandspirit.org

Reading Feng Shui Books

Quite simply, a different style of living. If you're the kind of person who eats the same food week after week, shops and the same stores and only socializes with a few people, feng shui is probably not something you're going to be interested in. However, if you're someone, who wants to try something different, the Chinese philosophy of feng shui could be something that you, just might be interested in.

Where can you find feng shui books? Of course we all know you can find them at your local bookstores like Barnes & Noble, Amazon and other online sources. Here's something that might be a little new age or something that most people often forget about, how about going down to your local public library. Public libraries are a great source for books and if you don't like them, you never had to pay for them.

Feng shui books have become popular in the last 20 to 40 years and seems to create an environment out of your home. The Chinese have been practicing this for over a thousand years and it almost has a mystical power to it. If you're tired of the same old house and would like a little change in your life, I would suggest using some of the simple methods, suggested in these books.

One $20 book on home building or feng shui, can save you lots of money, if you're willing to do a little research and the labor to complete almost any home building project.

By the way, if you're interested in learning how to repair a roof, build your own house, interior decorating, structural engineering, building a deck, gathering some more information about home painting or even remodeling your bathroom. Our online home building bookstore can save you money if you're willing to do the work.

You can learn a lot by reading feng shui books and I would suggest, that if you're interested in interior design or even spirituality, these books will provide you with the information, you need to create a little change in your life

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more building stairs books and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry

Karen Armstrong

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

Joshua R Jacobson

How Do We Interpret Things?

With lot of things or events happening around us on a daily basis, we start believing that events control our lives and our environment has shaped who we are today. Right? No. . . wrong! It is not the events that shape up our lives, but our beliefs as to what those events mean to us. Take for example, two children born of the same father. where father is an alcoholic, drug addict, bitter and cruel who killed a liquor store cashier. One of his son turned out exactly like him. Where as his brother has a totally different story. . . a man raising three kids, happily married, working as a general manager for a blue chip company, finds work both challenging and rewarding. How these two people turned out to be totally different from each other, in spite of having grown up in the same environment?

When both were asked privately about this. . . they had the same answer. . . "What else could I have become with a father like that?"

Similarly, two women turning 70, each take a different meaning from the same event. One knows. . . that her life is coming to end. To her living seven decades means that her body must be breaking down and she did better be ready to exit from this game of life. The other woman decides that what a person is capable of doing at any age depends upon their beliefs and she sets a higher standard for herself. She decides that mountain climbing might be a good sport to begin at the age of 70!For the next 25 years, she devotes herself to this new adventure thus scaling some of the highest peaks of the world. Thus in her nineties, Hulda Crooks became the oldest woman to ascend Mount Fuji.

What I am trying to make a point here is. . . it is never the environment, it is never the events of our lives, but the meaning we derive from these events. . . how we interpret them, that shapes who we are today and who we will become tomorrow. So start giving the right meaning to the events of your life and make them memorable ones!

Get all motivational tips at Deepak.M's Self Development Zone Get all articles related to self improvement or self development at Self Development Zone.

Ask Yourself Some Simple Questions About Religion

Most of us are raised from children into adulthood, to believe in someone else's religion. Most of us never even got the chance to choose a religion or spiritual beliefs to follow on our own. I came up with a simple list of five things that you should know about your religion, or you shouldn't be allowed to practice it.

1. Where did your religion or spiritual beliefs originate from? You should find out who started your religion and why they started it. Some of the worlds major religions were started by intelligent people. Do you think it's possible that your religion was created by an intelligent person, instead of a supreme being or multiple gods. Someone's just trying to trick you into believing.

2. How did you get involved in your religion or spiritual beliefs? Was it part of your upbringing, did your parents suggest this religion to you, how long has your family been involved in your current religious beliefs. Was your great, great, great, great, great grandfather or grandmother part of this religion or spiritual belief. How far back does it go in your family?

3. Do you believe in your religious doctrine or scripture? Is there any parts of your religious scriptures, writings or communication from other fellow believers that doesn't sit right with you? Does every part of your religion makes sense and can it be explained sensibly to someone outside of your religion?

4. Do you practice what you believe on a daily basis? If you're supposed to read your scriptures or pray daily, do you? If your religion teaches love and compassion, how do you treat people less fortunate than yourselves? Are you one of those people who can justify your wrong doings, to yourself and others, to give them the illusion, that you are a religious or spiritual person.

5. Do you know where you are going after you die? Are you going to someplace wonderful and extraordinary, like heaven? If you had to earn enough credits or points, do you think you have acquired enough, to enter the next level of existence? If you're bad, are you going to a bad place, with all the other bad people?

Try to always keep one thing in mind do you use, religion and responsibly.

These are just some of the answers, that I sincerely believe most people should know about their religion or beliefs. You should be able to answer at least one of these questions if asked by a nonbeliever.

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 religious articles 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

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

Daniel Quinn

Find Out Why You Believe in Your Religion

Whenever I ask someone involved in a religious organization, the question, do you really believe in your religion? Most of these people will often answer would be yes and start their religious conversion. Some of these people can become very intrusive if I don't stop them soon, very few of these people listen with an open mind.

I have talked to quite a few men and women about their beliefs over the years and still find it hard to believe that most of them live a life of faith with very little understanding or education about their religion. Now some strong believers might take offense to that statement, while others will listen to what I said and start doing a little more research on their religion.

Most of these religions throughout the world make perfectly good sense to their followers and I understand the reasoning behind some of them, it's all they know, everyone around them believes in the same religion and they get some sort of happiness and joy from it.

It's not hard to imagine a young child, walking around with strong religious beliefs if their parents are strong believers in it also. These children grow up and eventually train their children to follow the same path of their parents. Our children should be able to choose, what they will believe in, by the time they are adults.

This is a natural process of life, your parents learned from their parents and whenever someone asked them a question that they really couldn't answer or were uncomfortable answering, they can always reply with, I'm living a life based on faith or you just have to believe. You have to believe that someone is looking out for you and taking care of you. Most of these people think that something else is responsible for the events that take place in their life.

Is it possible for people that live a life of faith to educate themselves about their religion, to find the origin and maybe the destination of their religions. Could these people actually assume responsibility for their choices, whether they're good or bad. It's often hard to listen to somebody tell me that some evil entity made them do something bad. These people are easily convinced by others who agree with them and support them with their statements and beliefs. This seems to be where the biggest problem lies.

Once the people around us support our beliefs, they soon become realities in our lives. These realities will be transferred to others around us and give them support eventually about their beliefs. It's like a vicious circle that never ends. One believe supports another belief, until it's a fact.

Education is the path to freedom and will soon deliver the students from religious bondage. Someone a long time ago said," Seek and You Shall Find, Knock on My Door and I Will Open 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, Science Getting Rich

Greg is currently working on a religious education also visit our article 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

Eye Contact - Non-verbal Communication, A Tool In Stopping Bullies

This past week I was presenting my Core Democratic Values program at a school in Detroit, MI. There is a part in the program where I pick twelve students to help me to demonstrate the first three articles of the Constitution. The last young lady I asked up was sitting in the middle of the second row. She was so excited that I picked her she jumped up from her seat. As she was trying to walk over to the center aisle three boys grabbed her pantleg and tried to trip her. She caught her balance and gave all
three of those boys a stare that would scare a bear. The boys giggling faces quickly turned to fear. They bowed their headsdown as if they were being scold by the principal.

The best thing we can teach our students and children is that
we don't have to say anything to get the point across. In a great book entitled Bully-Proofing Your School the authors talk about "getting the meaning without words" (P.67) It's all about body language.
If we are giving the bully firm eye contact we can effectively send out a non-verbal message that clearly means "KNOCK IT OFF!".

"Most powerful is he who has himself in his own power" Seneca

I am sure you have held a conversation with another person who
is unable to look you in the eyes when talking or listening to you. My wife and I were discussing this article and she mentioned how some people even close their eyes when they talk. Eye contact
demonstrates self-confidence and self-esteem. Dan Olweus author of Bullying at School and one of the Godfathers of anti-bullying issues writes," the typical victims are more anxious and insecure
than students in general." Eye contact in my opinion is one of the best ways to demonstrate security and self-control. It an easy non-violent assertive tools available to the victims of a
bully. As a professional speaker, I have been taught to give eye contact to my audience but not to exceed more than three to five seconds so they don't feel intimidated. Think about when you were
caught doing something you weren't supposed to be doing. Remember how your teacher or parent looked you directly in the eyes and how scary it was not knowing what she was going to do next.

"What lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do." Aristotle

How can you teach your child or students to use eye contact to
peacefully combat a bully problem or conflict situation? By giving them eye contact when talking or listening. By explaining and practicing with them till they feel comfortable implementing it and understand
how and when is the best time to use it.

Activities

1) Have two students sit face-to-face staring at one another. Make it a game by telling them that first person to move their eyes away or laughs at the other person looses the game.

2) Have a student face the class and you face them holding a pencil.
Move the pencil up and down, left and right and then to your nose so they are looking you in the eyes. When they look you in the eyes ask them some simple questions like: What is your name? What
do you like to do? Who is your hero?

If anyone has any other techniques they have used that have been successful please email it to me richard@richardpaul.com and I will share the information on our Blog: http://nobullyclub.blogspot.com.

Also we are thinking about putting together a classroom No Bully Club Membership. There would be one membership fee and cool educational items that can be distributed to the classroom. Let us know what you think.

For more information and strategies on how to reduce bullying and violence at schools and in the workplace visit our blog at:http://nobullyclub.blogspot.com or our web site at http://www.richardpaul.com.

Michigan educational/motivational speaker and author Richard Paul and his Duck Sense programs mission is to present creative, entertaining and fun school shows and youth conference keynote speeches/teen workshops that promote self-esteem, acceptance, reduce conflict and help put an end to school violence.

His school assemblies, youth workshops, motivational educational books and CDs have one common thread which is to build character, stop the bullying, understand and respect diversity and offer up success skills to help end teasing and promote anti-violence in schools.

From his many articles, to his sought after fun, character advancement, motivational audio CD "Duck Sense" and his straightforward "Tackling Conflict Head On", chapter in a new nationally recognized book entitled "The Better Bottom Line", Richard shares the success tools and techniques to help promote a safer, friendlier, happier, productive environment.

Find out more about Richard Paul at http://www.richardpaul.com

Truth in Ancient Teachings

Eckhart Tolle is a gifted spiritual teacher. In the opening chapter of his book, A New World, he identifies two common themes shared by mankind's greatest religions and spiritual teachings. The first is the idea than our normal awareness is flawed. In our normal state we are missing the mark, or missing the point of reality. Given our history of war and violence, it is hard to argue with this first theme. We seem to be always on our way somewhere, often unhappy with someone or something over perceived wrongs. So much of our lives are spent looking for the next person or event to make us happy. Seldom do we find what we are looking for and when we do it seldom lasts.

The flaws in our normal awareness are not hard to see. It is not to say we do not have our moments of great joy. It is the point that joy seldom lasts. I love Tolle's example of the unhappy guy who wins the lottery and lives the same unhappy life in more luxurious surroundings. Spiritual wisdom teaches that true joy comes from within.

Eckhart Tolle says that the world's great religions share two common themes. What then is the second? The second is the possibility of transformation. Redemption, salvation, awakening, or enlightenment - all refer to one core idea. The idea that man has the capacity to change his normal state of awareness and to wake up. Waking up is the clear goal of most spiritual seekers and the hidden goal of most of us who just want to be happy.

Paths to truth are varied, but there is likely only one absolute truth about our reality. Tolle believes he found it through unbearable pain. Others have found it though near-death experiences. My humble suggestion is not to wait for intense pain or a brush with death. If you agree our normal state leaves something to be desired, look for a way to wake up.

In the end we are together. If a path teaches you to blame or find causes of suffering outside yourself, avoid it. Change the world by changing your own mind.

Spiritual awakening is within anyone's grasp. Visit my website http://www.beapasserby.com where we uncover the insights of the world's greatest spiritual teachers and healers.

The Cultural Significance of Symbolic Art

Symbolic art is a universal cultural phenomenon. The symbolic significance that man assigns to external objects may reflect more about him than about objective reality. Ultimately all visual objects can have symbolic significance. Symbolic art can remind the viewer of resolutions or goals, inspire particular feelings and emotions, and harmonize attitudes and relationships. Carl Jung writes in Man and His Symbols, "The history of symbolism shows that everything can assume symbolic significance.... In fact, the whole cosmos is a potential symbol."

The meaning of symbolic imagery may depend on the age and gender of the viewer as well as the cultural context. Art can be chosen based on its symbolic significance with the intention of invoking particular feelings or emotions in the viewer. Art can also be chosen to remind the viewer of resolutions or goals.

Landscape symbolism is probably the most universal visual language in art. The sun or circle is the most basic symbol in existence. The sun is the source of warmth and life. Plato viewed the sun as symbolic of the psyche. Many religions have used the image of the sun as a symbol of spiritual illumination and wholeness. Other cultures view the sun as a symbol of the masculine principle or God Himself.

The moon is usually representative of the hidden aspects of life such as the unconscious or the dream world. The earth is often considered to be symbolic of matter and the feminine. Like the sun, water is often representative of the source of life or highest good. Similarly, mountains, rocks, trees and flowers all have symbolic meaning.

Other images replete with symbolic meaning include geometric forms and colors. More sophisticated levels of symbology are inherent in most traditional religious works and icons. Understanding artistic symbolism can deepen your experience of the visual world and greatly enhance your enjoyment of art.

Kathleen Karlsen is a professional artist, writer and design consultant residing in Bozeman, Montana. Kathleen is best known for her contemporary impressionism style and her colorful forest, landscape and flower paintings. Kathleen's original art and fine art gifts can be seen at http://www.livingartsoriginals.com

For an extensive article about flower symbolism see http://www.livingartsoriginals.com/infoflowersymbolism.htm - To see a selection of Kathleen's flower paintings, please visit http://www.livingartsoriginals.com/originalfloralart.htm

5 Secrets For Breaking Your Bad Habits

By nature, we are all creatures of habit. We instinctively adopt familiar routines for most activities. We eat about the same number of meals each day - at more or less the same times. We have a regular pattern of sleeping - unless it is perturbed by illness or shift work. Most everything we do is habitual.

You probably eat three meals each day, but why? Why not two or five? There is nothing particularly "natural" about our pattern of eating three meals each day - it is just a habit that we share with most of those around us. Actually, a number of studies indicate that eating five smaller meals is more satisfying and healthier than eating three large ones.

You will always have habits - things you do regularly and without conscious thought - but you do have the ability to CHOOSE your habits. Here's how...

1. Begin to pay attention to WHAT you do, WHEN you do it, and WHY you do it. One of the bad habits I fell into was eating a large dish of ice cream in the late evening. Obviously, "ice cream" was the "what," but the "when" was more than just "in the evening." "When" was times I felt stressed, hadn't had a satisfying dinner, or was bored. "Why" was mouth sensation, having something to do with my hands, and sometimes hunger.

2. Keep a journal of the "what", "when," and "why." Make an entry whenever you find yourself doing something that isn't really your choice. You will find that you gain better insight into the "when's" and "why's" as you get more entries in your journal. Soon a pattern will emerge that can enable you to find healthy habits to replace the harmful ones.

3. Look for other activities that would satisfy the "when" and "why." A hot bath for stress, hard candy for mouth sensation, a good book for activity, a warm bowl of soup for real hunger.

4. Make the undesirable activity difficult. Don't keep the cigarettes or ice cream in the house. When ice cream was in my own freezer, it was hard to resist, but when eating a dish of super chocolate chunk required a trip to the convenience store, it was much easier to turn my attention to other activities and a low calorie snack - if any snack at all.

5. Begin new habits not only because you need them to replace unhealthy ones, but also because they are the things you always wanted to do, but couldn't find the time or money. That book club or yoga class makes a great substitute for the eating or smoking, and you can more than pay for your health club membership with what you save on cigarettes.

Sign-Up for Jonathan's Daily Inspiration - Daily Quote email, and read his article: 7 Secrets for a Happy Life.

Jonathan Lockwood Huie is an author of self-awareness books. He has been dubbed "The Philosopher of Happiness" by those closest to him, in recognition of his on-going commitment to seeing Joy in all of life.

** Today is your day to dance lightly with life. It really is. - jonathan lockwood huie

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.

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

If You Behave Your Children Will

Rethinking Christianity

The old testament mentions King Solomon as the wealthiest person that ever lived on the earth at that time and there would be no one wealthier than him in the future. Does this qualify him as a rich person?

There is also the story of the talons. This story mentions a master who rewards one of his servants for using the money his master left him to make more money, by investing it. The slave that chose to bury his talons in the ground, to hide and protect them was considered to be slothful and wicked.

Does this mean that all men and women that invest their money and seek profits are good people? Why would these people be considered good and a rich man will have a hard time entering the kingdom of heaven?

Is there a difference between King Solomon's wealth and the rich person in the Bible verse, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Now maybe these are just stories created by man and has nothing to do with what the Jewish and Christian God really thinks. But if there is a difference between King Solomon and the rich person, what's the difference? Does King Solomon really get to enter the kingdom of heaven?, or as Jesus mentioned, will it simply be harder for him to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Didn't King Solomon build God's temple and create a beautiful world for most Jewish people to live in? If you're not confused yet, you will be if you continue to read more of my biblical verses that just don't make sense.

If you're what I would consider one of God's ultimate believers in your religion but have no proof that it's true, but choose to answer with the simple statement," You'd Need to Believe or Have Faith." I would suggest you read other books about other religions or spiritual living .

This is just one example of what I would consider a story in the Bible. If you truly view the Bible as the ultimate guide for good living, do you get confused with certain statements or Bible verses. This really doesn't answer the question, whether or not someone like King Solomon actually gets to enter the kingdom of heaven. I used him as an example but there are many others that could have a life of riches on earth, but difficulties going to heaven if the statement Jesus made was correct about the rich man in the eye of the needle.

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his latest articles, How Did You Choose Your Religion

Dreaming And Outer Body Experien

Possibilities - Are You Open?

The majority of people believe they are open-minded and open to learning more, until a suggestion is made to do something different. Without asking a question, the rationalizations pour forth at rapid speed.

"I don't have time...," "That wouldn't work for me." "I don't know how." "That would take too much time." "I have too much to do, I couldn't add another thing." And the list goes on.

The dilemma is how does one acquire a truly open-mind? One can learn to have an open-mind by allowing ones imagination to roam and consider paths that you previously turned away from. If you want to broaden your goals or push out of your comfort zone, today is the perfect day to do such a thing. Why today? You might ask. The answer is there is no perfect time to begin something. Simply pick a moment and do it. Just do it. When you just do it, your spontaneous and free spirit will kick into high gear, without your being able to squelch it. By jumping into every situation with a strong sense of optimism and confidence in yourself, you will be creating limitless opportunities to create positive experiences in your life.

Being open-minded and having an optimistic outlook, you will believe in the possibilities for creating a more meaningful and enriched life. An open-mind is beneficial in every situation, whether you are interacting with others or working to create your dreams. When you consider what is possible, you stretch your limits and strive to create more meaningful experiences. Simultaneously, you learn to let go of your preconceived ideas and adopt a mind-set of optimism in all circumstances, which helps you attract more opportunities for growth and create a deeper level of meaning in your life and those closest to you.

By opening your mind to consider the new and unusual at each moment, you can welcome in new realms of possibilities for growth and everlasting fulfillment.

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, Life Coach, Hypnotherapist, Author, "101 Great Ways To Improve Your Life." Dr. Dorothy has the unique gift of connecting people with a broad range of profound principles that resonate in the deepest part of their being. She brings awareness to concepts not typically obvious to one's daily thoughts and feelings. http://www.drdorothy.net

Richard Carlson

Structuring Your Time

We only have 24 hours in each day, if we're working 12 hours each day, six days a week, planning the time required to create a habit will be a little more difficult, than someone who works four hours a day three days each week.

If you're one of those overachievers and can't seem to rest or sit down for even five minutes a day. This tells me, we need to change this habit first. Most people that tell you, they just don't have any time during the day, for anything. These people usually have a lot more time than others.

Their time is normally unstructured and they often find themselves running around like a chicken with its head cut off. They are not organized or very efficient at most things that they do. Keep in mind that there are some extremely successful people that only work four hours each day and some of these people take vacations every other month.

Structuring your time will allow you the extra time you need during the day.

If you have a daytime organizer, use this to figure out, if there is any wasted time during the day. Pay strict attention to any wasted time and make a list you can evaluate at the end of the day. Do this for one week and at the end of the week evaluate your weekly activities.

If you don't have a daytime organizer, carrying around a scrap piece of paper to keep track of your daily activities. If you don't have a daytime organizer or if this is too much work for you, simply pay attention to any time you might feel, has been wasted during the day.

If we can create better time management habits, it won't be long before we have more time than we ever imagined.

Have you ever thought about Getting up Earlier.

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.

Prosperity Thinking Like The Rich

Watch How You Stack Your Stories

We love a good story, told well, that entertains us. But there are some who use stories for a different purpose: Justification for why they aren't in control of themselves and, therefore, their lives.

I have a call scheduled with someone who wants to tell me her story. Basically, she hopes I'll "get" why her life is the way it is and will never be any better. I know for a fact that she plays this story over and over in her mind and I understand why she believes her history impacts her present and future; but the question I intend to pose after I've listened a bit is, "How will you use your story to move forward in your life?"

Buildings have stories. One level is stacked upon another. Every time we repeat our stories to ourselves and others, we stack another level (more often than not, extra, unnecessary weight) on top of what's already there. The fact is every story is based mostly on perception and, usually, not enough information even if we were the ones who lived it.

What I mean by this is often, what first appears as a negative results in a positive, even if it takes years to realize it. The adage that advises us to look for the silver lining exists for a reason: It's based on the wisdom of experience. We get locked into our stories because sometimes we just can't believe they happened. But they did. And they are now over, in the past, history. What we do with what we're "given" in life is more important than the fact it was "delivered" to us.

When we look for examples of courage, do we look to those who give up in the face of their challenges or those who keep moving forward despite challenges many of us hope we never have to face? Do we seek the company of those who bemoan their lot in life or those who find their inner power and create more of what they want?

It's too easy to become attached to our stories, too attached to the momentary (negative) attention we receive when we tell them. And, when we use our time and energy telling them over and over, whether to ourselves or another, we aren't applying energy to make our lives better and more meaningful.

Why repeat stories? Do we hope someone will give us permission to give up? If that's a desired outcome, we can grant that permission to ourselves just as we can grant ourselves permission to leave our stories behind and create the ones we truly wish to live and share. Carolyn Myss once said when we lead with our wounds we let people know how we intend to manipulate them.

The building we structure from our lives can be one where creativity and beauty are the products, where energy and enthusiasm fuel all of our activities. Or, we can create drab structures where nothing more than widgets get produced and administrative repetition fills the hours.

What story or stories do you repeat to yourself or to others? Are your stories entertaining and empowering or do they make listeners look for the least offensive escape? Certainly, we don't want to live in denial of what we feel or experience, and there are times we need to vent so we heal; but more often than not, we could choose to make a more "joyful noise" in the world.

Joyce Shafer is a published author; freelance rewriter, editor, proofreader; and United Press International weekly columnist, also published at various online venues. See the exceptional reviews of her books, "I Don't Want to be Your Guru, but I Have Something to Say," at http://www.lulu.com/content/773467, and "How to Have What You REALLY Want," at http://www.lulu.com/content/796351 - Visit her new website at http://www.freewebs.com/joyceshafer

William Young

Can a Change in Mindset Really Create Abundance?

You've probably seen more than a handful of people making some pretty amazing claims connecting the power of one's outlook with their ability to experience abundance. There's an entire industry built on books, tapes, seminars and groups that claim certain visualization powers and adjustments in perspective can create wealth and happiness.

Is it for real? Can a change in your perspective really stuff your pockets? Can positive thinking take you from barely getting by to flying high?

The skeptics out there will tell you in absolute terms that there is no evidence to suggest that a change in thinking will somehow bend the world to your favor. They'll chuckle at the idea of visualization and positive thinking producing anything physical or real.

If you quiz the true believers, you'll get a different story. They'll swear that merely expecting success has turned them into successes. They'll tell you stories about how they have "manifested" everything from business success to health improvements.

Who's telling the truth? Is either side right in this debate?

My guess is that the truth of the matter, as it so often does, lies between the extremes. Both sides of the argument seem to be a little exaggerated and unyielding to me.

There are many good reasons to believe that a change in your outlook will change your life. If you're thinking differently, you're behaving differently. When you're behaving differently you're producing different results. Thus, any change in perspective can encourage abundance because it can shift the way you interact with the world.

The skeptics fail to recognize just how powerful the human mind is and they don't seem to want to admit that there's a connection between beliefs and actions. The true believers prefer to cast a fairly logical case in favor of positive thought as something more like a magic spell than self-improvement.

This is what I know. I know that when I'm positive, dedicated, motivated and expecting the very best out of life, I tend to get just that. When I believe it, I eventually receive it.

I don't think it's because of the hoping and expecting as much as it is the fact that all of those awesome and powerful feelings help to mold my behavior and decision making in a positive way.

So, can an adjustment in thinking result in abundance? I can certainly encourage the kind of action that will. There's no doubt about that!

We provide mentoring and guidance to help entrepreneurs improve their business results by learning advanced online marketing strategies and success mindsets.

William Young

A Positive Attitude - It's Not the Only Answer

There are many people who would lead you to believe that just having a positive attitude is the answer to all of life's problems. There is one huge problem with that line of thinking. We do not live in a world that is only filled with thoughts. We live in a physical world where action is a necessary ingredient.

Think about it like this. How many times have you had a good attitude and all of a sudden money just comes flying at you? Probably never.

The real juice comes from your actions and your thoughts. Thought alone is not a means of creating what you want in your life. Instead, you have to be able to couple your thoughts with actions as well. That is the only way you will materialize what you want in your life. People who believe in just using their thoughts are not going to see what they want happen to them. How many fortune 500 companies were built solely on thought? NONE!

DO NOT BE AFRAID TO TAKE ACTION...

Believing that thought alone will create the life that you want exposes a truth about yourself. The fear of taking real and concrete action. And this fear will reinforce a limiting belief that you do not have the power to create the life you want. Don't fall for the hype. There is no one on this earth who can manifest material things simply through thought. But, there are numerous examples of people changing their lives when they couple positive thought with positive action.

Do not use just half of the equation. Think and act positively. Create a real and tangible life that you desire!

Learn how to attract love, money, or happiness or all three in YOUR LIFE NOW! Go to http://www.successfulfather.com and SIGN up for the FREE newsletter and BOOKMARK the site and return as often as you can!

You can attract the life that you truly desire! All you have to do is learn HOW!

Law of Attraction Secrets

Bryan Appleton is an investor/entrepreneuer who has dedicated himself to teaching others how to achieve their dream life. He is also a proud single father with one son.

You can publish this article as long as you leave it intact and in full as well as keeping the url link clickable.

Index

A Positive Attitude - It's Not the Only Answer

There are many people who would lead you to believe that just having a positive attitude is the answer to all of life's problems. There is one huge problem with that line of thinking. We do not live in a world that is only filled with thoughts. We live in a physical world where action is a necessary ingredient.

Think about it like this. How many times have you had a good attitude and all of a sudden money just comes flying at you? Probably never.

The real juice comes from your actions and your thoughts. Thought alone is not a means of creating what you want in your life. Instead, you have to be able to couple your thoughts with actions as well. That is the only way you will materialize what you want in your life. People who believe in just using their thoughts are not going to see what they want happen to them. How many fortune 500 companies were built solely on thought? NONE!

DO NOT BE AFRAID TO TAKE ACTION...

Believing that thought alone will create the life that you want exposes a truth about yourself. The fear of taking real and concrete action. And this fear will reinforce a limiting belief that you do not have the power to create the life you want. Don't fall for the hype. There is no one on this earth who can manifest material things simply through thought. But, there are numerous examples of people changing their lives when they couple positive thought with positive action.

Do not use just half of the equation. Think and act positively. Create a real and tangible life that you desire!

Learn how to attract love, money, or happiness or all three in YOUR LIFE NOW! Go to http://www.successfulfather.com and SIGN up for the FREE newsletter and BOOKMARK the site and return as often as you can!

You can attract the life that you truly desire! All you have to do is learn HOW!

Law of Attraction Secrets

Bryan Appleton is an investor/entrepreneuer who has dedicated himself to teaching others how to achieve their dream life. He is also a proud single father with one son.

You can publish this article as long as you leave it intact and in full as well as keeping the url link clickable.

Hoping To Enter Heaven

Our Beliefs and How They Stop Us From Success

Beliefs are constructs of our internal world and how we view them. They are based on what we have experienced and what we perceive to be true. We all behave as if our beliefs were true and that is what gives us direction. If you 100% believe that you will create a successful business or wealth, without any doubt in yourself, your ability or any other factors, then you will behave as if it were true. When you behave as if it were true, then every decision you make, path you take and conversation you have is all geared around that one thing. You in fact MAKE it happen. You will also see things and interpret events, people and actions based on your beliefs. For instance, if you believe your neighbor is a thief based on what Mrs Smith told you at number 23 down the street, you will behave with that person in a way based on that belief. So, your interaction with that person is likely to be guarded and therefore precipitate a response which is guarded from that neighbor based on your behavior towards them. So, due to the fact you now have confirmed they are "shifty" you in fact are creating your own reality. However, Mrs Smith got her facts wrong and the neighbor is really a Nobel Peace Prize winner for charitable acts but you have just confirmed to yourself that they are a thief.

Think about it - if you believe you are not capable - then you will behave and make decisions based on that fact. So, if you deal with those negative beliefs about yourself, think what a difference that will make to your capabilities and results? AND what are those beliefs that you are capable based on? A one time event which started a repeated behavior? A repeated belief? So, if your reality is subjective, then if you think you are not capable is that in fact reliable, or would you like to change it to something else? With our beliefs and our reality we view the world as if everything we are seeing is the truth is real and that anything outside of that must either no be real or we disbelieve it. Everyone lives within boundaries of some description - whether they are enforced by society, our environment, what we have experienced or the influence of others. We also make judgments about others based on those boundaries and make judgments which ultimately revolve around our own experience so if we come across something we are not familiar with, we can automatically disbelieve it or possibly treat it as a threat until we understand it or in fact dismiss it completely without consideration. The problem with this is that we limit ourselves to the possibilities of growth and the ability to develop and progress and learn. Can you change your beliefs today and allow yourself to achieve everything you know you can? Make your reality today.

The director of Emma James Training Ltd is Emma James (amazingly!) who is a trainer of NLP, Hypnosis and Master TLT but also a Master Practitioner in all three therapies. Originally from Northern Ireland she has the drive and passion to constantly prove that NLP works, not only in her sport and coaching of others, but in therapy at her clinic and also in business application, taking people to levels they didn't think were possible.

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

11 Things You Can Do Today to Begin Creating Your Dream Life

Many times people are drawn to the negative, so the pursuit of creating your dream life can be hard work. You need to train your brain to think positive again, like when you were a kid. You have to learn how to rid your mind of all the negative thoughts and emotions learned over the years and just remember the lessons learned.

It may seem simple enough to think positive, but when you are used to thinking negatively, it can be very hard. You will subconsciously be inclined to go to the negative if it connects you and another person. You have to make a conscious effort to fight off the negative thoughts and only focus on the positive ones. Sometimes it can feel and be like a battle, but you can do it if you embrace the idea and thoughts that can come with it. On the flip side, by being a positive thinker, your issues with fighting off negative thoughts will become easier since they eventually cease to exist or become a very small part of your thoughts. That's because your positive thoughts are going to be overriding any negative ones. Just like fears, they are created in our mind - most of the time never coming true. You will have the necessary will power to stop negative thoughts in their tracks. You just have to learn to focus your energy on the right things in your life.

Look at the most successful people around you, who are they friends with, what do they do in their free time? (How do you personally define success? Hmmm...) Do they take time out of their day to spend with their friends and family or do they sit in front of the TV or computer like a programmed robot by themselves? You have to fully immerse yourself into positive thinking and creating your dream life for anything to happen. You have to surround yourself with positive influences. You have to be very focused on the positive and be committed to pushing away the negative thoughts and beliefs. There are always things beyond your control, however it is how you react to these things that create your future.

Here are some things you can do right now to start creating your dream life and make positive thinking easier:

1. Focus on positive thinking and positive things. This includes reading books that are upbeat like "21 Days To Creating Your Dream Life", "The Power of Positive Thinking", "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living" or "Awaken the Giant Within". The list goes on and on. Sometimes you just need to learn a new way to look at things.

2. Visualize. You have to imagine yourself being positive, acting positive and thinking positive, doing positive things for others. You should picture positive things in your mind and allow yourself to think and feel these positive situations. Catch yourself when you focus on the negatives and stop yourself. Start thinking and focusing on the good versus the bad. Not everything is in our control, but how you approach everyday situations can determine how you perceive them.

3. Use positive words in your everyday conversations. Avoid negative ones as much as possible. Watch how your friends and coworkers interactions with you change. Try and make your conversations and thoughts positive. When you are thinking to yourself, use positive words - get rid of the negative self-talk. Most people like to be around other positive people.

4. Stop making excuses. What holds many people back from being a success? Excuses. Hold yourself accountable for accomplishments, learn from past failures - but don't dwell on them or make excuses for them. Live in the moment, not in the past.

5. Give time, money, or knowledge to help others. When you give in any form, you will feel better about yourself. If helping at a shelter, a retirement home, a hospital, you may learn how lucky or wealthy you already are, be it in the form of friends or financially. Surprisingly, you will likely learn new things with everything you do.

6. Be aware of negative thoughts. When you have a negative thought, you have to recognize it and replace right away with a positive thought. Think about where the negative thought came from, why you had it and how to deal with it. Being a positive thinker does not mean you can avoid all negative things. It means you learn how to constructively deal with negativity and how not to allow negativity to influence you.

7. Be persistent with positive thinking. Positive thinking should become second nature to you. You want to train your subconscious to be positive. Don't let a day go by without making sure you are thinking positive. Put your energy into focusing on what's right, not what's wrong. Stop yourself when thinking negatively. Be thankful for what you have today. Health, love, shelter, family, friends...

8. Identify the fears that cause you to think negatively. Most of the time, when a fear is confronted, it ends up not being as intimidating as it first seemed. Fear is simply your minds lack of being able to see that bad things will not always happen. When you learn to let go of fear and trust in yourself you will see it is much easier to stay positive.

9. Watch your emotions. Try to stick to feelings of happiness, so that success and strength dominates you internally. Try to avoid feelings of weakness, fear and self-doubt.

10. Do things that make you happy. Watch happy movies, read happy books and listen to happy upbeat music. Surround yourself with happiness and you will begin to react to that.

11. Smile. Use your smile to project your positive attitude. Let your smile speak for you. If you do nothing else, then put a smile on your face. It will do a world of wonder.

Make positive thinking part of your lifestyle. It is just like changing anything else in your life. Let's say you're giving up smoking. You're not going to tempt yourself with carrying around a pack of cigars or cigarettes or really want to be around people who smoke. Will you? The same can be said for positive people.

Make sure you're ready for such a big change in your life. Ask yourself some important questions such as: Are you ready to be a positive thinker? Are you ready to let go of the negative thoughts and patterns? Are you ready to become and think more optimistically? Can you let go of the things that don't really matter and look on the bright side of things? Are you willing to work towards becoming a positive thinker? Being true to yourself, you have to answer yes to these questions to be able to become a positive thinker enabling you to create your dream life.

Stephen Mark is a serial entrepreneur, a motivator, a visionary, a philanthropist, and a facilitator.

Author of 21 Days To Creating Your Dream Life. For more details, you can visit http://www.StephenMark.com

Brian Tracy

5 Books to Read on the Quest For a Better Life

When I was thinking about writing on this subject, I thought about how subjective this actually is. Anyone who is on the quest for a better life most likely has their bookshelves overflowing with "self-help" or "personal growth" books. And if you're just beginning the journey on your quest for a better life, then you may be looking for someone to help you find the best books out of the thousands that shout down at you from the bookshelves in the personal growth section of your local bookstore.

You may also have gotten recommendations from friends and associates claiming, "You've got to read this book. It's changed my life!"So either you said, "I'm so happy for you," and ignored their request, or you ran to the bookstore or Amazon.com, bought the book, only to leave it languishing on your already full bookshelf. Or you read it and said, "What's the big deal? I don't get it."

Therefore, choosing a reading list for you is a difficult task. The books we read are a very personal choice. We listen to recommendations, yet, what affects others may not affect us in the same way. Additionally, your quest might be to improve your physical well-being, your wealth, your relationships, your business, or your mental or emotional health. Whatever your focus is on, will ultimately determine the books that will have the greatest impact on you.

That said, the ones I have chosen are classics, so millions of people have endorsed them. Still that doesn't mean they will change your life, but they may have some impact on you, at least to get you thinking and reading, and maybe lead you to other books that will support your quest for a better life.

So here is my list. With these 5 books, you can't go wrong. They may become some of your top favorites as well.

You Can Heal Your Life, Louise Hay
Written in 1984, this book on using your thoughts and feelings to affect your health not only is a classic in its genre, but launched the powerful Hay House empire that's published millions of life-changing books. Originally printed as a small booklet, Hay created a list of physical maladies, their probable psychological cause, and a new thought pattern to shift it. For example, most pain in the feet has to do with obstacles in mobility and direction. The new thought is "I move forward easily in life." These thoughts also launched the explosion of the use of affirmations to shift thoughts. The expanded version goes deeper into why we think what we do and how we can heal all areas of our life by changing our thoughts.

Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill
Few people in the personal growth movement, or even in business for that matter, have not read Hill's 1937 classic on the use of the mind to improve our financial state. Just the term "think and grow rich" has spawned numerous clones like write and grow rich, speak and grow rich, and meet and grow rich. Hill spent a lifetime researching millionaires and distilled his findings into philosophies and formulas that led the great men he studied to success. He encourages readers that they too can reach the same levels of achievement through the power of thought.

The Power of Intention, Dr. Wayne Dyer
This book may not be on everyone's list of classics in the personal growth field, but Dyer is one of the most prolific authors in this field. His PBS appearances have vaulted him into an almost cult status. His authenticity captures his audiences wherever he appears and jumps off the pages of his many books. I like this book because it takes goal setting to another level. Dyer's definition of intention is: "intention is a force in the universe and everything and everyone is connected to this invisible force." From that place he guides people to allow their dreams to come to them rather that go after them with drive and hard work.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey
Another classic, published in 1989, this book put Covey on the map as a powerful leader in personal change and effectiveness. His groundbreaking book launched memorable buzz words and phrases like "begin with the end in mind," "think win/win," and "seek first to understand, then to be understood." You can't be anything but more effective if you follow the sound, practical guidelines Covey presents.

The Aladdin Factor, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
Six years before their Chicken Soup fame, Canfield and Hansen collaborated on this brilliant, yet simple book on how to ask for anything. They teach the reader how to ask, who to ask, and what to ask for. They show you how to ask at home, ask at school, ask at work, ask at the world, ask yourself, and ask a higher power. That about covers it. If you know how to ask, who to ask, and what to ask for in your life, there's virtually nothing you can't have or do. It's a very powerful book you must add to your collection.

All of these books are available at your local library or at www.Amazon.com.

Lifestyle Mentor, Personal Coach, Author, Educator, and Entrepreneur, David B. Bohl is the creator of Slow Down FAST. To learn more about this step-by-step strategy for Living YOUR Life YOUR way, and to sign up for his 9 FREE Tips for Finding Happiness in a Fast-Paced World, free teleseminars, free Special Report, free bi-monthly ezine and more, go to: http://www.SlowDownFAST.com

Martin%20kohe

You Are a Beautiful and Important Person!

I am a mother of 5 children and we all known how difficult it is sometimes to raise them when they are teenager. They have to fight against the entire beautiful girl in their class that are looking like model, or even dress like if they were rich. Believe me, there is one thing we should always remember is to make sure that everyone knows they are worthy. I woke up in the morning and see myself in the mirror and tell: Hey good morning gorgeous, you look beautiful this morning'' yes and I believe it! Why?

So many reasons, we are looking at our exterior, what is inside is much more important than the other. Your soul, heart, thoughts, qualities, talent and much more are important. In a minute looking at myself in the mirror I can see all that different things. Of course some of us will see the hair not fix; the face not make up, the mark of the pillow... never mind that is not what is important. I saw in my life someone handicap, she was not able to use her arms or even talk she was paralyzed, but this person was so worthy to know she was so brilliant, she was beautiful inside and outside of course cause her happiness were reflected to the outside.

Today I challenge every one, look at yourself on the mirror and find at least 5 great things about yourself, you are a beautiful person, you are worth to be known those are the first part of a self esteem. Being able to love our self!

Suzanne Carpentier, mother of 5 children and grand-mother of one precious little girl. Have dedicated myself after my big depression to change my attitude and to help others find the beauty in this life. May my article could give you some piece of comfort. We are the only one who could change this world by changing and improving yourself.

Find Your Phoenix

Our lives are full of experiences that contribute to the way we feel about ourselves, and the quality of that self-esteem can have a great effect on the way we live. Accidents, illness, bereavements, relationship break-ups, etc. can all take their toll, leaving us drained of energy, out of balance, and even feeling like a part of us is missing somewhere. All these things can impact on us in various ways, as we all have different strengths and weaknesses. As an emotional excess, such as anger or fear; a mental condition such as stress, anxiety or panic attacks, or as a physical illness.

Unfortunately, we are not all taught as children how to cope with life when it becomes difficult. Learning how to pass exams so we can get on doesnt cut it when someone close to us dies, or our marriage ends, and if we fail those exams in the first place, we are made to feel a failure by the educational system even before weve left school.

Religions would have us believe that we can find The Way, but only if we follow their own particular set of rules. Then we have to tell everybody else that hell is stoking its fires up for them because theyre not in our club. Its hardly surprising they upset a few people along the way, a recipe for uniting people it isnt.

We can always turn to consumerism for our wellbeing, buying a bigger house, a faster car, and lots of designer wear to make us feel good about ourselves, buy now and pay for the rest of your life. We are encouraged to be in debt, whether it be to a university, someone who died for us, or a multi-national company, and our personal freedom is being eroded away right across the board ( or across the boardroom ) where our self-esteem is continuously being linked to something or someone outside ourselves. It seems that the only thing we are being sold is down the river.

We are living in a left-brained logical society which is saturating us with images of a three dimensional world that is accessed only by the five senses, and we have become so busy looking for fulfilment from this outerworld that we have been turned into Human Doings, not Human Beings, and our ability to access anything other than what we register with our five senses has been greatly diminished.

A great deal has been written about the secrets that are said to be held by certain societies, whether it be the blood-line of Jesus or the treasure of the Templars, with the implication that we are all being kept in the dark whilst only the chosen few know the truth. These things may be true, but the real truth, which has been and still is being kept from us is that we are six-sensory, multi-dimensional spiritual beings who have unlimited potential once we discover and awaken our true spiritual essence, that innermost part of ourselves which allows us to take full responsibility for our own lives and be what we were meant to be.

This essence isnt found outside ourselves, amongst the things mentioned above. It is found by looking deep within and shows itself through our intuitive nature, that sixth-sense we pass off as non-sense. Awakening our spiritual selves isnt about going to church, following rules and regulations and dogmas, or even just by being good, its about choosing to use and integrate our intuition ( that gut feeling we so often ignore and wish we hadnt ) into every part of our daily existence using discrimination, judgement, integrity and perseverance.

Looking within will also lead us to see those aspects of our self that we try to hide away, even from ourselves. These are our dark shadow which likes to rise up occasional to bite us. We need to face up to them as they arise and fear them no longer, for our weaknesses can be transformed into strengths. The alchemists of old were reputed to be able to turn base metals into gold, but this was just symbolism used by the secrecy brigade, a truth being hidden within an untruth. The base metals signify our dark natures, whilst the gold is our true spiritual selves that can rise like a phoenix from the ashes of our transmuted shadow.

We cannot cut corners when living a spiritual life, neither guru or priest or workshop will transform us, the work is ours alone each and every day we are alive. Take up the challenge and live your destiny.

David Taylor has been using shamanic and wiccan practices for a number of years, and has integrated both into his life to create his own unique brand of spirituality. David is qualified in hypnotherapy, Stress Counselling and Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), all of which have added to his spiritual development, both through practice and personal use.

For more information visit: http://www.david-taylor.biz

Foundation For Inner Peace

Self Help Technique to Developing a Stronger Vocabulary

We all know that people who have a stronger command of the English Language are considered smart and intelligent. This means more people are willing to listen to them and hear their words, even confide in them with problems and ask for solutions. If you can increase your vocabulary, you will find yourself and your career moving up in the world.

But how can one go about increasing their vocabulary, isn't that an awful lot of work and rote memorization you ask? Well, yes it is some work and yes, you will have to memorize many new words to insure that your new vocabulary is proficient and yet if you will apply a tactical program to combat this problem and a long-term approach, you will find yourself well on your way.

The best way I have found to increase my vocabulary is to take one page in the dictionary each day and read those words 10 times throughout the day, and make sure you use each word twice in a sentence or an email throughout the day. You will have to get rather creative to do this, but that makes it fun. I recommend you get a small dictionary with no more than 365 pages.

Believe me there will be plenty of new words you can add even in a small dictionary. The words that are hardest to use in a sentence are the words that are least likely used and thus, you will actually remember them much easier. Please think on this self-help technique and strategy to assist you in developing a stronger vocabulary and please start today!

Oh and if someone asks you why you are carrying around a dictionary all the time, tell them, they may also need to increase their vocabulary and will surely thank you later, they always do.

Lance Winslow - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

Horatio Alger

Coaching for Self Esteem - Seeing Perfection vs Fixing People

The whole class was astonished.

We were all coaches and healers. We'd spent most of our lives in improving ourselves and others. Yet what we saw shook the very foundations of everything we believed.

Our teacher asked for a volunteer to come up front for yet another demonstration. We were about to see something that would make our heads spin.

You might have heard of muscle testing. It's a technique to find out if something is good for us or bad for us. Chiropractors and other health practitioners use it all the time.

She tested the volunteer for a baseline. In other words, you have to start by making sure the testing works correctly.

Then came the earthquake. Our teacher asked everyone to send healing energy to the volunteer. Then she muscle tested again.

You're not going to believe this. The person tested weak!

The volunteer weakened when we sent healing energy to her!

We were about to get the next earthquake to complete the collapse of what we thought we knew.

The seminar leader asked everyone to see the person as already perfect in that moment. Guess what.

The volunteer tested strong!

She became weaker when we saw her as needing healing energy. She became stronger when we saw her as already perfect!

Whoa. What have I been doing all my life? What have we been taught?

Our intentions were good, but ...

Perfection happens where someone sees themselves or someone else as perfect and does something, or nothing, for the benefit of the other person. The word intention may not even apply. We see the person as already perfect. There is no intention to change anything.

Black magic is where someone has an intention to damage another.

Misguided Intention

What the heck is misguided intention?

Misguided intention is where we see a person or situation as screwed up and we try to fix them. This is gray magic.

Does that shake things up for you? It sure shook me up.

What have I been doing all my life? What have I been taught?

Sure, you can see things as messed up and fix them. For example, you can see a house as dirty. You can then clean it up. And yes, then it's clean.

Does it stay clean? There is a never-ending activity of cleaning the house as it keeps getting dirty. Does that mean that, if you always see the house as clean, it will always be clean? You still go through the motions of cleaning.

But we want to raise self esteem. And I can tell you that if we always see ourselves in our perfection, that we'll dissolve anything that limits our self esteem.

This is good stuff!

Humility is fine. But that doesn't mean that we tear ourselves down.

True humility is seeing perfection in others.

Smiles

Have you seen the Jack Nicholson smile? That smile tells me that Jack is really cool.

How about the Tom Cruise smile? It tells me that we're both really cool. Does that smile help others to be really cool?

What does all this mean?

We had our foundations shaken. Are we going to go around with the belief that we're screwed up? Are we going to keep fixing ourselves?

Is there a better way?

Glad you asked! We can practice seeing ourselves and others as already perfect.

This approach goes way beyond fixing your self esteem. There is nothing to fix. All you have to do is see your own perfection.

Would you like to help other people? See them as already perfect.

Copyright 2006 by Jim Kitzmiller

Jim Kitzmiller is the author of Rocket Fuel for the Soul -- Blissercise Self-Help Manual. The book's bliss exercises (blissercises) surpass usual positive thinking approaches by bypassing the logical mind. The blissercises cover 46 different areas of life.

Jim leads self-help workshops and does spiritual coaching.