Monday, August 31, 2009

You Can Be Famous by Danek S Kaus Book Review

Getting Free Publicity - Open Doors to Celebrity Status

Daniel S. Kaus has written a unique book on insider secrets to getting free publicity in his book "You can be famous!" This is a book for entrepreneurs, organizational leaders, sales representative and authors, to anyone wanting to provide goods or services, or for individuals wanting to get."

Each of the twelve chapters is packed with powerful with keys to gaining fame. Kaus shows the reader how to create your own media tool kit, how to talk like a journalist, and the satisfaction of seeing your name in print. He walks you through the steps to get on radio and TV talk shows. He has included a number of sample press releases, FAQ's, sample query letters, as well as sample headlines for proposed articles. Kaus gives practical pointers on the benefits of fame, a 10 second rule, how to attract media attention, and how to talk to journalists.

The format of the book is user friendly, easy to read, assimilate and to put into immediate use. The "Key Points to Remember," the suggested "Action Steps," and the "In the Next Chapter, You Will Learn" were particularly practical and personally challenging.

Kaus writes with enthusiasm. He is an innovator, a motivator, and a communicator. His writing is fresh. He has a tight writing style that is entertaining and informative. I plan to go back to reread, digest and put into action the suggested steps for getting free publicity as outlined in the book.

This book is a must for anyone with a media message begging to be heard.

9781934759110, Robert D. Reed Publishers

As reviewed for Midwest Book Review

Richard R. Blake, Christian Education Consultant, Book Store Owner

Super Christians and Conversion

Dealing With Invisible Gods
Saving Money As A Teenager
Do I Go To College
Experiment With Your Waitress

Character is Learned by "Imprinting"

Psychological theory espouses imprinting: the phenomenon of young birds and animals to copy the first moving object near them, which is normally the mother. It was Konrad Lorenz (1937, 1950) who pioneered the theory when he observed newly hatched goslings, having them imprint on him as the object. I posit that our characters are somehow quite intrinsically affected by something like imprinting.

A generation or two back certain Christian denominations would take their young people through a doctrine called the Catechism. Students would be drilled in it and would learn the gospels as well as the law almost by rote; they could quote it and would know all the biblical stories backwards. Unfortunately, however, the methods used were often devoid of love. The teachers and instructors of the Catechism would often use a method best described as tough love. Discipline was driven into these young people and enough of it to incite fear.

One should not wonder why these young people, who're now in their fifties and sixties, would begin to see Christianity as a con and ministers as hypocrites. They had inept models of Christ with which to imprint to. (To be fair to these ministers, they would've been trapped by the era and the mandate of the denomination.) We see here that the delivery of the Catechism without a comprehensive godly character to back it up is only half the message of God's love and truth. It's the words of God devoid of the power of God.

What a difference it would have made if these young people had have had caring, kind, patient, tough-at-times, tender-hearted, yet courageous ministers and lay persons with which to imprint from. We see here that modelling (so far I've used the word 'imprinting') the right behaviour inspires young people. Young people can only admire, and seek to emulate, the Christ-like youth leader; in fact, most people find leaders who are charismatic and winsome in the best possible humble Christian way quite irresistible.

So, character cannot simply be studied; it must be seen and observed in models who are respected and admired for it to be 'installed' as a personal quality. When we think of our positive models, those we imprinted certain characteristics from, we reminisce with a particular fondness, don't we? Good character is slowly but steadily 'transferred' from one generation to the next by a process of something like imprinting. If we lead people we're models for them who will soon lead others.

Copyright 2008, S. J. Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

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

Mental Fitness - Social Stress - Contributory Factors

In relation to mental health, it was estimated ten years ago in our country, that one in six people in the community suffered from anxiety, depression and other symptoms. Now in 2008 the proportion has risen to one in four.

Statistics also tell us that one in four will get cancer, one in four will suffer heart disease, and another one in four will suffer from kidney disease, leaving a small quarter of the population to contract and die from other complaints!

Faced with this, it is difficult for us to have an attitude other than that of real concern. We are all affected by a social climate where such information increases our disease awareness and strengthens the evidence that we are living in a very unhappy society under stress.

We would all like to avoid suffering. But it is the increase of mental diseases that causes us real pessimism about our own chances to avoid not only physical disease but the possibility that we may need psychotherapy and treatment for mental disorders.

We are wise to be cautious about this relatively uncharted field of healing. Although earlier, primitive methods have been replaced by chemical drugs, but this method that produces side effects, incurs the additional risk of addiction.

Through the press we hear of many serious health concerns in the community including the general lack of mental fitness. Our anxiety is intensified by hearing of all the disasters, violence and unnatural crimes committed in environments that are suffering mental pollution.

Our young people have an unfortunate example before them, of their potential future if they live expecting to suffer the same with a final loss of dignity should they lose their mental faculties or suffer mental disease in their last years.

There is a need to focus upon building health naturally. We need to eradicate the poisonous ingredients and pollutants in the environment. We need also to re-constitute our ideas and principles of our culture to exemplify a civilized way of life, else all of us are likely to be deprived of any joyful anticipation of a future as a happy, healthy and stress-free society where mental fitness is the norm.

Sally Janssen is an writer and educator who from an early age trained in Raja Yoga--that branch of the ancient science that deals with the mind and its complexities. She subsequently gained an international reputation for her skills and her wisdom in the training of the mind.

In her wonderfully readable book entitled Mental Fitness: The Complete Self-help Guide she presents simple, self-help practices that help to generate and maintain mental fitness just as the natural principles for physical fitness can be personally applied by us all.. The book may be found here: http://www.mentalhealthandfitness.com This is a must-read book for us all. You can also visit her blog at http://www.mentalhealthandfitness.com/blog

Individuals and of the Earth

Today, many people on the planet are in need of healing and are suffering through difficult times - some physically, some emotionally, some due to what appear to be external circumstances. In reality, the earth itself is undergoing a global purification which is causing many to experience an upsurge of both emotional and physical difficulties. We are not yet accustomed to thinking of everything that is physical as having a spiritual root, and yet this is what is taking place as purification advances upon the planet. Many nations, as well, are experiencing a similar kind of upheaval related to planetary purification. The purpose of this movement and, indeed, of this turbulence, is to free the self of formerly blocked negative energies and ultimately to create greater freedom for each self and for the planet as a whole.

The purification of the individual and of the planet operates according to similar principles and the healing that is made possible through both is the same. Light intensifies in its potency, creating a separation between energies of light and darkness. The darkness, once separated, moves from a dormant state into the light of awareness where it can be seen, and felt, and released into the infinite light of God. During this passage, things that were held in the body because they were too painful to feel things that may have manifested as longstanding physical or emotional symptoms may intensify in their level of activity while at the same time becoming available to our awareness again. On a planetary level also, things that were latent within human consciousness are now more readily acted out upon the world stage because what was hidden is now revealed, and what has become more conscious has a greater possibility for becoming active in its expression. The purification that is taking place in a general sense means that people will feel more that things will come up more frequently and with greater intensity on all levels in order to be healed. This is the result of the greater efficacy of light upon the earth, and though its immediate result may be disturbing in certain respects, it is simultaneously creating the possibility for greater freedom of people everywhere to live in love, in peace, and with a sense of unity with all of life.

The increased possibility for dealing with formerly concealed or dormant energies that are now making themselves known, creates entirely new possibilities for healing at this time. This can include physical, mental, and emotional difficulties that are acute, or those that may have troubled us for years. The power of light that is now more available on the planet is already infusing our physical, mental, and emotional bodies. Through understanding the process and through working with it in a conscious way in a way that focuses on the incorporation of greater light into the body and consciousness - greater healing of pain and suffering that relate to the time we are in can take place, and discomfort and distress can be alleviated.

There are many avenues of working with light for purposes of healing and purification, some more powerful than others. Some take place through meditation; some through participation in the synergy of light-filled groups; some through being in nature, and some through spiritual practices which focus more directly on alignment and on breathing in light for the purpose of healing painful areas of life, whether physical, emotional, or any other variety. Commitment to such a practice can go a long way toward concentrating light in the body for purposes of healing. It can also create a heightened awareness, simultaneously, of our deeper identity as spiritual beings.

For additional writings by Julie Redstone see Pathways of Light. For a deeper understanding of healing through light as it relates to pain and suffering, see the Calendar of Healing.

Success Starting in Your 40s

You're going to find it hard to believe, but very seldom does an individual peak with creativity until they reach the age of 40. The average individual usually makes the most money between the age of 40 and 60. This doesn't have anything to do with retirement. Most highly creative people keep producing until they die.

If you're 55 years old and looking for a new career or can't seem to find a job in the profession you have worked at your whole life, don't be alarmed or fearful. Do you think you could start your own business? Is there something, you have always wanted to do but have put it off until retirement, or until you had enough time to do it?

Why wait, if you can't find a job in a business you never truly enjoyed, maybe you can find a new job doing something you love.

I have worked in construction for 30 years and at 44 years old started to pursue a career in writing and plan to create award winning websites and best selling books, for the rest of my life. This doesn't mean, I won't work in construction ever again, but I will become a best selling author within the next 20 years.

Most people don't take the time required to learn a new profession. If you're sincerely interested in another career, and you're 50 years old, there is plenty of people out there to give you hope and inspiration.

If you would like some proof, here's a couple successful American businessman who succeeded after the age of 40. Henry Ford is probably one of the most popular and became extremely successful after the age of 40. Andrew Carnegie, an American industrialists who transformed the steel business and did not start reaping the rewards of his efforts until he was well past the age of 40.

I gathered this information from the book "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. There is a section in the book where he talks about people after the age of 40 with phenomenal success. Anyone who's interested in gaining wealth through spirituality or finances should read this book.

I've often heard the statement, "People Often Over Estimate What They Can Do in a Year and Often Underestimate What They Can Do in a Decade." If you want to accomplish something after the age of 40, I would advise you to start with a plan and then put that plan and the action. Your plan could take five to 15 years to achieve or longer but think about the rewards, whether spiritual or financial.

Gregory Vanden Berge is working to promote personal development ideas and spiritual reform. He has started a web site for videos and articles based on current information about subject he is very familiar with.

"Education has freed me, to pursue other ideas and release me from the bondage and fear of organized religion."

Gregory Vanden Berge

Problems with Fear at Work - Relationships

I have been watching one company , within nine months, let over 40% of their workforce go and this is creating fear, for some of the employees. This is pretty common as we start to head deeper into hard times, I don't really know what causes economic cycles but they never have made much sense to me.

Fear seems to feed off of more fear as it's creating even more fear in the workplace. Most people that work, and enjoy eating food and drinking water and probably enjoy the shelter of their home or apartment, do not want to see this life style end. Nobody does.

As a employee and employer I would like to give both the employer and the employee some valuable advice, I've learned working as a contractor.

Let's start with the employee, it's very easy to become complacent and expect your job to be there forever while contributing just enough to get by and keep your boss happy or content. This attitude is normally okay when the economy is going gangbusters, but now that we're in hard times and businesses seem to be suffering, you're going to have to put a little more effort into your job, if you want to keep it.

Is there a way, where you can help your company develop a new product, come up with a new innovative idea, figure out a more efficient way of doing something or can you at least focus your attention on your job while you're working. Don't think about this once and quit, make a little sign for your office and put it in the lunch room or by the water cooler, that says something like, "Helping Our Company Is Helping Ourselves, Let's Work Harder and Smarter." If your company needs inspiration this could be considered a new innovative idea and could help the company.

Most employees look at their employers as rich and undeserving of their services, yet stay in their employment for many years. Even in good times, you should change your thinking or change your job. No one should be miserable or unhappy in a place that requires 40 hours out of every week of their lives.

Now it's the employers turn. I can't stand an employer that fires someone on a day's notice, because they're worried about something the employee is going to do to their business. This doesn't seem fair to the employee or give them enough time to find another job.

Most employers don't even fire the people that work for them, over the years I've noticed more companies hiring someone for this unpleasant task and it seems to alienate them from the people who have contributed to their wealth or misfortune.

Creating fear in the workplace is no way for people to be treated or thriving companies to continue to operate. The company I mentioned above is a motivational and self help performance company. It's kind of an oxymoron if you think about it.

Employers should treat their employees with a little more compassion and employees should try to spend some time understanding what their employers are going through.

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.

The Origin of the Master Key System by Charles F Haanel

I received an email from a reader named Derek L. in which he wrote -

Thanks for your great posts/blog. It's refreshing to see someone telling the truth and not selling more snake oil.

I do have a question...

I'm intrigued by the lineage of thoughts relating to this subject. Since you have a lot of exposure to this material I'm wondering if you have any ideas about where Haanel got his original concepts?

I am often asked that question because there is a lot of mystery surrounding Haanel and his perennial work, The Master Key System. Was he a part of a Masonic conspiracy? Did he receive his knowledge through arcane means? Someone even theorized about some Russian wizard of sorts who shared his knowledge with Haanel.

The history is quite interesting, but more blase than some of the stories would lead you to believe. The Master Key System must be looked at within the context of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. The New Thought philosophy was in full swing with many books and magazines publishing the new beliefs for a seemingly ravenous audience. Based on Christian Science as espoused by Mary Baker Eddy, the Christian Scientists and many New Thought-ers held firmly to the belief about what Jesus Christ said about the powers available to each and every person.

Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. (John 14:11-13)

Thus, with enough faith and belief, one could perform miracles as Christ did. Even a cursory reading of The Master Key System would reveal to someone that this was something in which Haanel believed deeply. That being said, the monotheistic ideas that Haanel espouses is more than likely derived from his participation in Freemasonry - while the Masons do not define their God, their only prerequisite is a belief in one God. It is then through this God that miracles and extreme human potential can occur.

Before going further into this, it is worth pointing out that there were at least two other publications that emphasize the words "The Master Key" prior to the Twentieth Century. The actual phrase has been used since the 17th Century by the Freemasons and for a publication in the 18th century - Hiram, or the Master Key to the Door of Freemasonry, published in 1760. Another use of the phrase can be found in Madame Helena Blavatsky's famous (or should that be infamous) 600-page Isis Unveiled, with its sub-title A Master-Key to the Mysteries of Ancient and Modern Science and Theology, published in 1877. One shouldn't underestimate the popularity and influence of Blavatsky and those who followed her teachings - the Theosophists.

In the Twentieth Century, two authors released books with "Master Key" in the title. The first comes from L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wizard of Oz fame, and is an early science fiction novel. It was called The Master Key and subtitled An Electrical Fairy Tale. It told of the adventures Rob and the Demon of Electricity. This was published in 1901.

Another book came out at around the same time Haanel was working on his correspondence school. Its advertisement showed a book and a man reading a book inside an hour glass. The advertisement read:

The Master Key ~ Reveals Things You Never Thought Possible. The Hour Glass of Success. You Will Never get Another Book Like "The Master key".

It was written by L. W. de Laurence and published by The de Laurence Company of Chicago, Illinois, USA, in 1914. To quote a few lines from it will show obvious similarities with Haanel's The Master Key System.

"THE MASTER KEY is divided into Six parts: contains Thirty-seven full Chapters embracing Thirty-five Lessons of graduated difficulty covering Forty individual numbered Exercises in which the fundamental principles of Concentration and Mental Discipline are fully explained."

L. W. de Laurence, whose full name was Lauron William de Laurence, was an American author, publisher, and owner of a supply mail order house in Chicago. He has been accused of plagiarism and the illegal publication of various occult works. The number of publications by this man seems to be considerable.

De Laurence was active at the same time as Haanel and was in fact only two years younger than him. De Laurence, who was born in 1868 and died in 1936, had connections with AMORC. It is unclear whether there was any connection between the two authors.

This then brings us to the main influence of Charles F. Haanel's: the New Thought Movement.

When you read Haanel's The Master Key System, it isn't long before he starts to use terms that can be cross-referenced. To be fair to Haanel, many quotes he uses have nothing to do with the New Thought Movement. He was a man of his time and a well-read one. He used references from eminent people of the 19th Century and talks about the inventions of that time and the early years of the 20th Century. Other quotes come from the Bible but all are rather enigmatic and symbolic which could point to being influenced by New Thought writers, the Christian Scientists, the Freemasons, or the Rosicrucians. There are several hints of a possible knowledge of Hinduism, but it is unclear of Haanel's exact knowledge of that subject as references like Pranic Energy or Pranic Ether may be from the Rosicrucian teachings or possibly, and more likely, Theosophy.

There are several words and phrases that may be of interest:

  • "The Great Architect of the Universe"
  • "Secret Place of the Most High"
  • "Universal Mind"
  • the "I"
  • "The Law of Attraction"

The "Great Architect of the Universe" is a phrase often used to represent God or Supreme Being by Christians, Freemasons, and Rosicrucians. It may go back to the Middle Ages or beyond. Thomas Aquinas used a similar phrase but with "Grand" instead of "Great".

"Secret Place of the Most High" can be found in the Bible in Psalm 91:1 -

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

The "Universal Mind" would seem to come from Friedrich Von Schelling and was expanded on by Georg W. F. Hegel. Ralph Waldo Emerson also made use of this term.

The concept of the "I" also seems to have its origins in the works of early German philosophers. It would seem that "I" was the first principle of Johann Gottlieb Fichte's Wissenschaftslehre - "Doctrine of Science".

The phrase that is on the tip of the tongues of many today is "The Law of Attraction". Like the other terms used by Haanel, this was probably not of his own inventing. It seems to have come to light first in the works of William Walker Atkinson (1862 - 1932) and particularly in Thought Vibration or The Law of Attraction in the Thought World published by The New Thought Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, USA, 1906. Though the phrase itself is much older, its meaning became somewhat different with Atkinson and Haanel.

The Law of Attraction also appears in the syllabus of the S.R.I.A. - The Society of Rosicrucians. However, it is not known how old this syllabus is and it is likely that it is quite modern. The S.R.I.A. was formed in 1909 with the idea of teaching to the general public rather than Masons as with previous Rosicrucian groups. Some other aspects of the S.R.I.A. syllabus bears similarities to Haanel's works. However, it may be that both this syllabus and Haanel's ideas are from an older source - or a just coincidence. It is unknown which came first.

Ultimately it may be possible to trace the idea of the Law of Attraction back to certain phrases that were put into the mouth of Jesus Christ in the New Testament of the Bible.

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8, King James Version)

Another book that cannot be ignored was published in 1908 and was called The Kybalion: Hermetic Philosophy by Three Initiates and published by The Yogi Publication Society, Masonic Temple, Chicago, Illinois, USA. It cannot be ignored that this book may have played a part in the development of Haanel's The Master Key System. It certainly wasn't a collection of lessons and exercises, but the wording throughout this book is remarkably similar to Hannel's publications. At one point the phrase "Mental Chemistry" is used. And though there is nothing in the title remotely similar to Haanel's work, the phrase "Master Key" is used in the Introduction and several times in the body of the book. The Kybalion also delves into the power of thought.

...(T)he Hermetic Philosophy is the only Master-Key which will open all the doors of Occult teachings.... One of the old Hermetic Masters wrote, long ages ago: 'He who grasps the truth of the Mental Nature of the Universe is well advanced on the Path to mastery.' These words are as true today as at the time first written. Without this Master-Key, Mastery is impossible, and the student knocks in vain at the many doors of the Temple.... The Principles of Truth are Seven; he who knows these, understandingly, possesses the Magic Key before whose touch all the Doors of the Temple fly open.

It is believed that The Kybalion is not some ancient document but was written by William W. Atkinson and the other "Initiates" have been guessed at as Paul Foster Houses and Mabel Collins. Atkinson was certainly active in the years leading up to the publication of The Master Key System and it is hard to believe that Haanel would not have known of either the man or his works. Master Key Arcana includes short pieces from the writings of several members of the New Thought Movement, including William W. Atkinson, James Allen, Florence Scovel Shinn, Henry Drummond and Phineas P. Quimby.

Whether Haanel was influenced by Atkinson, or any other members of this Movement, though, is another thing all together and it is difficult to be sure what his sources were.

Much of Haanel's life is a mystery. Not many records were kept or preserved and the lack of many living descendants who knew him add to us not knowing much about him. C. W. Evans-Gunther researched and examined Haanel's life as much as possible. His thorough biography can be found at www.haanel.com.

Researching Haanel's influences and their play on his works is somewhat easier. As was noted at the beginning of this article, when the times in which Haanel lived are examined, you can see the influences and how Haanel used those influences to shape his thoughts and his works.

In the time period in which Haanel lived, the self-help/personal development movement (although not called by those terms) was quite large and actually very similar to today's scene. As the saying goes, the times may have changed but things remain the same. By some counts, Haanel was a somewhat important player, although he never had the infamy of Blavatsky or a few others of the time.

It was all of these elements (at least) that came together in Haanel's mind to form one of the greatest books about personal development.

[Please note: This article was researched by C.W. Evans-Gunther. He is also responsible for writing the majority of it. Additional information was added by me. I am also responsible for additional editing and any mistakes that one might find. More information can be found at www.haanel.com.]

Anthony R. Michalski/Master Key Coaching

http://www.masterkeycoaching.com

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Spirituality Information - Murder Your Motivation

For ten years i made the same mistake again and again.... I cannot recall a single morning when i got up full of energy and raring to go. There was nothing which motivated me. I used to work for the best companies across the world but they mattered very little deep down within me. I wanted to do something else, something so big and so unique that has never been done before. The biggest mistake i made was I thought that i can achieve all my dreams only if do it full time and quit my job.... I did not have the guts to quit my job and so i just thought and thought about my dream and did nothing else about it ... One fine day however ....

It was Jan 12th 2004. I was doing very well as an employee. Great salaries,top position and it was all looking very good for me from the outside. But my deepest intention of being a full time motivational writer remained only a thought and nothing more.... I can still recall that day . I was so frustrated that i locked myself in a room and screamed to my dreams within" Never again bother me . Get out of my life and let be be the ordinary man i always was.Get lost right now !" I stabbed my dreams a dozen times and murdered it so that it never troubled me again....

By evening of that day i was feeling very light as if a huge responsibility had been taken away from my shoulders. I killed my dreams and now i was free.. I had no pressure. It seemed to me that I was carrying a mountain of dreams for the last seven years without fulfilling any of them. I felt as if it was the best thing to happen to me.. Now watch what happened during the next two weeks...

Jan 13th 2004.... I get up at 4.30 am . I am so happy . I dont know why.... I listen to my favourite music and then I sit for meditation. I head to my workplace after having breakfast..

Jan 14th 2004.... I get up again at 5.00 am and am feeling very calm within. I dont know why....

This continued for two weeks and then on ....

Jan 28th 2004.... Something very strange happened in my morning meditation. It was as if someone entered into me from outside and was not willing to go out..... The experience was very strange....That someone i later realised was my Inspiration, my real goal, my dream, my life and my purpose in this world.That was my real intention and God was kind enough to reveal it to me. From that day on a voice within spoke continuously to me that my real purpose in life is to build centres where Life changing thoughts are preached and that help will come as i gain strength and momentum in my internal world... This experience did not leave from then on... It caught me by the neck and reminded me of my real intention every day.... Slowly but surely i made progress in my internal world. I did not experience any frustration.... Now i had a great dream, and the plans for achieving those dreams were revealed daily to me from a source far greater than me which was genuine. These plans did not come all at a stretch but they came in bits and pieces as was necessary . I was warned from that day on that i will listen to two voices and i should be capable of recognising the force of God...

Within one year i quit my job. I did not try hard to quit my job . My job disappeared all by itself.. I am still far of from reaching my goals but i have a dream and it just does go out not even if i scream or stab it a dozen times. This dream is genuine and rock solid .....

The two most important definitions you have to learn in life are Motivation and Inspiration. Motivation is when you go after a goal,or a dream and set plans to achieve it.... This could be many times frustrating and on most occassions even after you achieve your so called dreams you are not happy. But inspiration is something totally different... In the case of Inspiration the dream gets hold of you instead of you going after the dreams. It works its way inside of you and just does not leave you. You are forced to take action.... Inspiration is genuine and is the force of God ... Motivation is good but is man made...

Don't go after things in circle. Murder your motivation today to allow Inspiration to take over. It could be the best thing that could happen to you.... Motivation is cheap, inspiration is genuine. When you are motivated you have to run after things, when you are inspired things work in your favour. Both good and bad events take you to your dreams... It might take a while for you to experience all this but this knowledge should be nailed at the back of your mind....

There are three basic steps you could take starting today as you proceed to murder your motivation.

Lecturer, entrepreneur and Fortune 500 business consultant, Vish Writer is the author of the Amazon No 1 bestseller, "The Joy of Becoming God" For more information, visit: http://www.spiritual-simplicity.com http://www.vish-writer.com

How to Quickly Balance Your World

I remember a dark time when I tried to balance everything in my life and failed miserably. I was like a new circus ringmaster on opening day trying to shape and juggle my roles as a mother, wife and business owner. The stress and fears were lions eating me alive.

How could I balance everything? It seemed impossible. I resorted to researching how others did it by voraciously reading self-help books which screamed at me "my way is best." Instead of finding direction, I became even more frustrated because their advice was conflicting. My life suddenly seemed even more chaotic. I was now angry with myself for not being able to follow what these best-selling authors told me to do. I was also livid, because here I was trying to live "the balanced life" helping others through workshops I gave to companies on effective communication, and I was spiraling downhill. My body began reflecting back to me what I was going through. Gaining weight...dropping weight...then ballooning bigger than ever before.

One day during a meditation I remembered an anonymous quote I once read. "A balancing act is different from living in balance." This struck me. Living in balance is divine order, which is our natural state. In order to live a balanced life I needed to align myself with divine order which is always in balanced. Here is one thing I learned from my meditations on balance which worked for me and I know will help you too:

RECOGNIZE DIVINE ORDER

The way to live a balanced life is to start from the inside out. Recognize you are a spiritual being living in a perfectly balanced universe which is always under divine order. When I look at any chaos in the world, it can all be attributed to man. So with that in mind, I realized I only need to align myself with the divine order which is already operating in my world. The way I could do that was thinking not of chaos in my life, but of everything around me which was balanced.

I began contemplating the seasons, the stars, and the solar system, all operating in divine order and balance. I thought of flowers blooming in springtime. I thought of babies being born and how their tiny bodies would grow. Then my thoughts went deep inside of me. I marveled at the synchronicity of my own body functioning in perfect order. My blood circulates, the cells dividing and multiplying with precision. My organs, heart, liver, kidneys and lungs all synchronize in perfect harmony with one another. I thought of how my muscles contract and relax to help me rise out of the bed in the morning so that I could simply walk across the room. What a miracle. What perfect balance right inside of me. When I take a few moments to stop whatever I am doing to simply take deep breaths, I align myself quickly with the natural balance of life.

We spend too much time thinking of what is wrong with our lives, and what is not work. Is it any wonder we are attracting more of the same? Take a few minutes out of the day to time to think of harmony, beauty, peace and what is working in your life to find your perfect balance and inner peace.

For more information on how to effectively communicate for better relationships, visit http://www.sportingtherightattitude.com

Janet Alston Jackson is author of "A Cry for Light: A Journey into Love," named winner of Christian Inspiration Award by USA Book News Award. She is a personal and professional growth expert. Sign up for upcoming teleconferences for better relationships on her websites: http://www.JanetAJackson.com

Window Header Framing Problems

As a building contractor it is my job to assemble the house to meet the specifications from the architect and the structural engineer. I do this by looking at the building plans and installing the specified lumber sizes. I can take it upon myself to install a larger size wood beam or window header adding an additional cost to the job of course. I don't think so.

It's not uncommon for a framing contractor that has an additional 5 foot scrap piece of 4 x 8 left over that he now has no use for. He can then choose to use the 4 x 8 instead of a 4 x 6 for the window header. This type of building is common and acceptable.

If the structural engineer calls out for 4 x 6 window and door headers do not take it upon yourself to replace the 4 x 6 with a 4 x 4. I have seen too many framing contractors or carpenters make an on-the-job judgment like this.

A good example would be a single story house with 2 foot wide windows that require a 4 x 6 window header. As the carpenter builds homes over the years he can come to his own conclusion that a 4x4 will work fine for this application. Again keep this in mind as a framing contractor and a carpenter you are assembling the home not designing it.

Do not change the sizes of any headers or beams.

A long time ago carpenters used a standard rule of thumb, you could go up two sizes larger than the window opening for your header. Let me give you an example of what I'm trying to explain.

A 4 foot wide window opening would require a 4 x 6 window header. A 6 foot window opening would require a 4 x 8 window header. This should give you an idea of what I mean by going up two sizes larger than the window opening to figure out the lumber necessary to use for your window header.

This rule of thumb does not necessarily apply in today's building industry. The reason for this is structural changes from earthquake damage. The structural requirements that are required for building a home require a lot more metal bracing and strapping. Therefore some of the lumber requirements for beam sizes and window headers will be different.

This message is for general contractors, framing contractors and carpenters. When installing a window header and you take it upon yourself to change the size you also assume the responsibility if the building fails. This type of mistake is common and you guys know what I'm talking about.

It's not worth it. Keep in mind you are the assembler and not the designer of the building you are working on.

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 and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and House Framing Structural Repairs

Is Your God Better Than Mine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hope in Religion

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

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

What Does God Say? What Are Dreams?

Sleep accomplishes much more than resting the physical body. The spirit within us never sleeps - we are sparks off the Divine Flame, does God ever sleep? No, and neither do the Angels. Our spirit inhabits our bodies like electrical wiring in a house. And while we sleep, no lights may be turned on, but that does not mean the current isn't active. Dreams are often remembrances of the rich and wonderful spiritual life that we accomplish while our physical body sleeps. There are seven main categories that dreams fall into, and most of them achieve fantastic work.

(1). Night School: Called a school because there are many participants with you in a classroom setting, this is a time of being taught a lesson and then trying it out for yourself. These are often choices not between right and wrong, but about good and greater good. After the teacher shows the variables of the lesson, the student is then placed into a scenario in which they can apply what they have learned and see for themselves what works. Similar to a test pilot using new skills in a simulator. Although very few people remember the classroom part of their dreams, many people do remember the scenarios.

(2). Guidance for others: This is where we get to actively use what we have learned at night school in real life situations. This is where most of our remembered dreams come from. When our body sleeps, our spirit is not in it, but is tethered by what is often termed an umbilical or silver cord. It is there until we die, and is the same one seen by near-death experiencers. During this time, we get to act as guides for others who are awake. Not all guides are still attached to physical bodies, some have died and are assigned specific people to help, similar to a guardian Angel. Compassion is a very big incentive in bringing out our best effort; so often God will choose for us to see our loved ones in these situations instead of the people that are really there.

For example: I had a dream where my teenage daughter had become pregnant and had run away from home. She was seen living under a bridge with other homeless people, so I got in our station wagon with our family dog and her grandpa and a friend, and went to bring her home. When I opened the car door, the dog ran up and found my daughter. She was afraid, but I carefully pulled her hair out of her eyes and she looked up and smiled, and said yes to coming home. I then awoke with a start, not knowing if this was a prophetic dream of things to come or not, so I asked in prayer, and was given the answer. I was actually helping find a black girl who was a pregnant runaway, a family abuse situation. The station wagon was a police car; the dog was a police dog. Yes the girl was afraid, and I was helping a social worker to calm her down, wiping the hair from her eyes, saying comforting words, and giving the worker inside information as to what was going on in the girl's life and additional compassion to help her choose the best way to help. The girl gained confidence that she would not be sent back to her abusive family and went with the social worker. Often in these dreams we feel like we are really there because we are.

Remember that while in spirit you will experience everything as a spirit does. You can fly, go through things, objects and light looks different, you can't see distance the same, you can't stare at your feet, time is not important, you can see other spirits, ghosts, Angels, unHoly Angels, etc. These dreams may find us in different countries, or even in different times, as God decides where to utilize us and time does not move just in a linear fashion; by ripple effect this changes the future or present time. In these dreams we may also help with storms or wildfires, or any number of things with the planet or its animals. And even though we feel is it happening to us, we are there helping others. If you remember to look in a mirror while in these dreams, you will see it is not you. Also, not all outcomes will be good, people will still die, or end up in poor situations. This is because you are not there in place of the free will of the person you are helping, but only to assist them with a subconscious awareness of opportunities and choices.

The combined experiences of real life and night school qualify us to be there to help, and you were sent by Divine direction to do this. This also means that you have your guardian Angel with you, and are directly wired to greater help which will be there instantly if the thought crosses your mind that you need it. This means Holy Angels are called to help you and the situation.

(3). Items from the stream of consciousness: Living on earth encases us in a vibratory soup of subatomic particles - we are intrinsically linked together, every part of us resonating with everything else. But the connection goes even further than that; we emotionally feel subtle and tremendous inflections in our very soul. It is that same place that mystics have been saying throughout time, that "we are all One." It is that same connection that we have with one another at all times, it makes no difference whether we are asleep or awake. When we are just about to sleep, or just coming out of it, there are opportunities to be very conscious of this stream, and to literally see it in front of our eyes; sometimes like sheets of rain in a storm, or big and little dots layered together. It is like a newsreel that runs day and night, with all information from all over the world on thousands of TV sets. All with their volume up and playing out the most dramatic and emotional scenes - which means the biggest bad things, and the best good things.

Why do we have this in us? The same reason we are called to help in guiding dreams - to make a difference in the world. The stream of consciousness is a place of awareness for us, and connection to God and one another. It is not technically a dream, but we may think it is when we are half-way in between awake and asleep; we see many situations and very quickly move between them. Remember that when we see things that are not the way they should be our desire to make it better helps it to do just that. There are children born who work in this picture-within-a-picture all the time, and depending on how big the picture of the stream is, decides how much they can function in the "real" world versus the one they are actively participating each moment. What we consider day-dreams can come from here too

(4). Visits from the other side: You would probably feel scared if your dead great-great grandmother appeared in front of you right now; and because of the fear, the bigger picture for the visit may not get through. This is the reason why Angels and spirits (different than ghosts who have not yet gone to God) do not appear very often, since they do not want to make us afraid. When we are asleep is the best time to say "Hi!" and tell us what we need to know, or even to have full conversations. This is also why most visitations occur shortly after a loved one's death, because they want to let you know they are OK, so you can be comforted that they are not really gone. Visits can also occur from the other side in negative ways, with visits of beings that want to scare us, make us feel helpless or hopeless or make us think that if we don't do certain things that bad will befall us. These will sometimes even appear like a loved one or a Holy Angel or even God. But these are fallen Angels, also called unHoly Angels or demons. When God made Angels he made them with free will, and some unplugged from his Love. How can you tell the difference? There are things that you can do.

Before you go to sleep at night, include in your prayers that no unHoly Angels may come near you, talk to you or cause any harm. Also, if you forget, simply remind yourself in your dream to ask one question of them, and no matter what they appear to be, the truth will be known. No matter what religion you are, ask "Do you love Jesus Christ now?" It is important to add "now" because at one time they all did, as part of one big Angelic brotherhood. The one who came to be known on earth as Jesus Christ had a pre-human existence, and was the firstborn son of God. All the Angels know who he is, what responsibilities he was given, how they were fulfilled, and the expanded power and authority he has now. If they are truly who they appear to be, they will answer "yes," if not, they will give all kinds of excuses, or curse, or try to scare you, and all you have to do is call in the Holy Angels who will protect you.

(5). Prophetic Dreams or Messages from God: These can be prophetic dreams telling of something coming up that we need to be aware of or make certain choices in (there is no such thing as fate). Or they can be outright messages to us from an Angel, from Jesus or an appearance of God himself. These are usually very BIG feeling dreams, and are rarely seen as anything else than what they are by the dreamer. A person may have none or several in a lifetime, but they are always considered life-changing and very real. They are easy to remember even years after they occur. They also happen to people who may not consider themselves very spiritual or religious, or to people who think they never dream. But when they happen they know it, and recognize that it is different than anything else they have ever experienced.

(6). Memories from previous lives: These can happen in two different ways. We are born with a veil in place that does many different things; one thing is a cover over our previous lives so that we can concentrate on the one at hand and not fret about what we should have done in a past one. When God lifts the veil, it is to reveal times of encouragement for us of our successes even in the midst of great difficulty. But if we have gone to someone for "past life regression," we have opened a big can of worms and can have all sorts of things come up that are distressing and distracting. Openings in the veil are most clear during sleep, and the memories are seen as dreams. These can occur as day-dreams as well.

(7). Scattered downloads and sorting from the day and memories from this life: This category is where you will find written all the self-help books about deciphering dreams. And though this is where most of people's energies seem to go, it is actually the least important category of all. The purpose of these dreams is simply to help sort, shuffle and organize the mind's input and connection. It may be a mixture of all kinds of things - TV, worries, stories, etc. Although these dreams are a linking between mind and spirit, there is little here worth remembering or applying to our conscious lives, and are really just remnants we may or may not remember viewing; mostly jumbled scenes which make very little sense.

So there are basically seven kinds of dreams that we have, and most are remembrances of the rich and wonderful spiritual life that we accomplish while our physical body sleeps. And we can also experience whatever is Divinely in place for us for the night, or we may also ask for a specific kind of dream. For example, we may request to have a "fluffy" dream that is light, joyful to help us shift more easily from the often stressful "guidance" dreams, so that would be the last thing on our minds before awakening. Never feel that you are not doing enough in your life, the bigger plan is already in place; God can utilize us even while we rest. Dreaming is hard work but wonderful, so never feel guilty that you need your sleep!

About the Author: Tiffany Snow carries the 5 marks of the Holy stigmata, and is a documented miracle healer, award-winning author, NDEr and public speaker. Her latest book: "God's Workbook - Shifting into the Light" is available on Amazon.com. Distant healing, deliverances, classes, live teleconferences and more articles are offered through the websites. This article may be reprinted and shared in any form without permission: please list websites - http://www.TiffanySnow.com, 800-535-5474 God's L.A.W. Love Always Wins!

Don't Tithe If You Can't Afford to - Poor Christians Beware of Motivated Church Leaders

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Self Improvement and Overcoming Frustration

We all suffer from frustration, and being able to effectively deal with frustration is very important for self improvement. It can be a decisive factor between success and failure.

Frustration can have highly damaging impact on our frame of mind. It can turn a positive person into a negative person. It can inhibit our progress and, in the most extreme cases can completely immobilise us. We can become so wound up with our frustration that we cant think or act rationally, or we can even become aggressive. Our frustration can often exacerbate the situation and create a vicious circle. If we are convinced that our actions are not working, no matter how hard we try, we are much more likely to reduce, rather than increase, our chances of success.

There are countless causes of frustration, and what affects one person may have no impact on someone else

There are no simple answers or remedies. Some people simply give up on what they were trying to achieve. Some people walk away from the cause and go onto something else, and find they can then face the problem rationally when they come back to it. Stepping back from the cause of the frustration and making yourself calm down will help us to see things more clearly.

Persistence and determination can often see us through our frustration, particularly if we first make ourselves calm down. Movement can help - standing up and taking a few deep breathes, or going for a walk can help to clear our minds. Sometimes we may need to look for alternatives we hadnt considered before, or totally different approaches. There are times when we may be out of our depth, in which case we need to recognise this, and be prepared to ask for advice and support from specialists that can help us.

All successful people have to deal with plenty of frustration as they progress towards their goals, this may even be one of the biggest reasons for their success. Their frustration with their poor results or lack of success may have been so great they were driven to set goals and inspired to work hard at achieving them. They almost certainly learned strategies and techniques to deal with their frustrations, which allowed them to overcome their problems and be more productive, which definitely contributed to their success.

Self Improvement Quote of the Day:

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. - Helen Keller

About The Author Garry Zancanaro is the creator of http://www.SuperSuccessLibrary.com a collection of outstanding and life changing Success and Personal Development Resources, and the founder of http://www.SelfImprovementDirectory.com where you can claim a FREE copy of THINK AND GROW RICH.

Old Versus New Construction Adhesives

When I first started building in 1978 as a young carpenter and an apprentice to my father. I had the grand illusions of becoming what they call on the east coast a master carpenter and on the West Coast a journeyman carpenter.

Part of my training in construction was learning to use the proper adhesive and caulking for different parts of the building project. We used to use a standard solvent-based construction adhesive when we were building our stairs and they would also use this adhesive on the floors to eliminate squeaks.

This glue dried extremely hard and everyone thought the harder the better. This construction adhesive was great when I started using it in 1978. There wasn't the polyethylene super elastic expandable multi-use glue and caulking construction adhesives at that time.

We used this brittle glue and it always seemed like a waste of time. As the wood dried and started to shrink the brittle hard glue would crack and break away from the wood it was glued to. Normally the glue was breaking away from plywood floor sheeting. I have seen 2 x 12 shrink 3/8 of an inch before in as little as a few months during the summer.

Now as time went on the old construction adhesives were replaced with a new window sealant made by a company called TOPS. This stuff was the hottest and best product of the decade to me. I used this stuff for everything.

This new urethane glue was now being used for sub floors, stair treads, sealing the windows flashing and siding. This stuff is still in use today and is a great choice for all of the uses I mentioned above. The price for this sealant is about double that of most water-based or solvent-based glues. But it's worth it.

So there you have it I like the urethane glues because of their flexibility, elasticity, their ability to adhere to wood concrete or metal and their performance in the years ahead.

There is one thing to keep in mind when using construction adhesives. Most construction workers seem to ignore the fact that the wood needs to be dry and clean before applying the construction adhesive. There have been quite a few times I have witnessed carpenters working with me and ignoring my advice.

Don't put yourself into this category. Doing quality work and following the manufacturers recommended installation instructions for their product will decrease your liability if there is ever a problem. Read the instructions carefully on all of the building products you use.

The manufacturers of these construction adhesives have thoroughly tested them. So use them properly and follow all safety warnings.

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 and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Carlsbad Structural Repairs

Review of Energy Awareness Training

My name is Anita and I'm a therapy junkie - or, rather, I was. Like many people, I spent much of my time looking for something that would 'fix' me. In particular, I wanted something that would cure the Irritable Bowel Syndrome that had plagued my life for over a decade, leaving me exhausted and demotivated.

As luck would have it, prior to the birth of my son, I worked as a health journalist, which meant I was able to try out, and review, a diverse range of complementary and alternative therapies over the years. Some treatments I found helpful, others less so, but none was completely effective. Some - like yoga and reiki - I stuck with, others came and went.

And then, earlier this year, a friend told me about the Energy Awareness Training offered by Stephen and Lynda Kane. The theory behind the practice is that it's possible to develop your awareness so you become able to distinguish between energy-promoting and energy-depleting choices - whether about foods and supplements, people, places or activities. These choices, of course, having a knock-on effect on every area of your life, from work and relationships to finances, home, health and happiness.

Inspired by my friend's enthusiasm - not to mention her glowing skin and bright demeanour - I decided to give it a go. After all, what did I have to lose? I signed up for the very next training session, which happened to be taking place in my home town. It seemed like a good sign...

Despite the details I had downloaded from the website, I realised that I had little idea of what to expect. As a health journalist, yoga teacher and reiki healer, I consider myself to have at least some awareness of my body's energy, but I couldn't imagine how we could learn to work with something so intangible. Would it all be hopelessly theoretical and vague?

I needn't have worried. The course was decidedly practical in nature, and the techniques taught were straight-forward, accessible, and, above all, extraordinarily empowering.

Over the weekend, we practised a series of exercises designed to increase our awareness of the energies within and around us, working initially with external aids, before graduating to more subtle 'body awareness' techniques. We learnt how to accurately discover what foods and supplements were 'right' and 'wrong' for us. And how the environment and everything in it, from material objects to directions we face and colours, affects us. We even learnt how to check out our emotional responses, bypassing our surface knee-jerk reactions to people and situations, to access the body's innate wisdom.

In particular, I was fascinated by the results of the food testing. Items I had religiously avoided for years came out as okay for me, including wheat and red wine, while many I perceived as 'good', such as bananas, tomatoes, peppers and potatoes, turned out to be affecting me detrimentally, as my experience has subsequently shown.

We were also led through several unique energy-cultivating exercises, known as 'weaves'. Reminiscent of tai chi, these sequenced movements strengthen and clear the body's chakras (energy-centres) and energy-field, retrieving lost energy and generating new awareness.

Perhaps most eye-opening, though, was the work we did with a special energy protection device called an Energy Egg. I couldn't understand how this white egg-shaped aventurine crystal could possibly work, but Stephen convincingly demonstrated how it protected against energetic stresses in the room.

All in all, the course was both enlightening and comprehensive, and, by the end of the second day, we felt we had been equipped with a complete holistic toolbox of energy techniques.

Two months on, my toolbox is in daily use and I can't imagine being without it. Best of all, though, my IBS has totally disappeared - and, as an added bonus, after years of feeling blocked, I've finally written the novel I'd always been meaning to write.

When I first looked at the Energy Awareness website, I remember one of the testimonials catching my eye. It described the training as 'life-changing' - I assumed the person was exaggerating. I don't any more. The Energy Awareness Training can change your life. I know, because it's changed mine.

2008, Anita Hall. Reprints welcomed so long as the by-line below is included and all links made live.

Anita Hall is a health journalist, yoga teacher and energy awareness practitioner. She has taken and recommends the Energy Awareness Training and the Rainbow of Happiness with the School of Energy Awareness at http://www.eat.energyawareness.org

Four Sure-Fire Ways to NOT Achieve Your New Year's Resolutions

Most people tend to give up on making New Year's Resolution simply because they claim they do not work. Below are some sure ways to totally sink your New Year's Resolutions (if you have made any).

1. Create a Total Lack Of Clarity in What You Want

Just make statements such as "I want to be more successful", "I want more customers" or even "I want more money". Unsuccessful people tend to make generalized statements about what they want. One big problem is that they will never know whether they have reached it or not. Successful People tend to be very specific in what they want- "Success to me means that I want to get on track to exercising regularly 3 times a week on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday night at 9pm" or "I want to see my customer base increase 8% this year". They tend to print many copies of their resolutions and pint them up in areas most visible. This goes with the saying, "Out of sight, out of mind."

2. Create Unrealistic Expectations With No Milestone Planning

One typical example is a weight lost expectation: I want to lose 13.2 pounds (or 6 kg) this quarter. Or another: I want to increase my income by 5 times. They do so without doing anything different from last year. If you want to increase your income by 5-fold, what you are currently doing has to change and starting creating new strategies for it. Creating milestones are also important in helping you keep track where you are in your goal. Whole year goals should be mixed with quarterly goals so that you know where you are going and can celebrate when you achieve them along the way. Celebration is an important aspect of getting results.

3. Do Not Come Up With A Plan To Achieve It

Dreams are great, and most of the time the first thing to achieve your dreams is to wake up! Unsuccessful people tend to just WANT things or results. They may not want to put in a plan to specify how they intend to achieve results. As the saying goes, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Successful people usually have a plan (may not be the perfect plan) that will ensure that they will draw closer to the desired results. They know that plans can change according to the situations and remain flexible.

4. They Do Not Share Their Intentions With Other People

From my experience, most people believe that we should just keep our resolutions quiet and ensure that others do not know about it. This is so that when one fails, no one will know. However, if you intend to achieve it, shout it out and ensure that your best friends, colleagues or even (gasp!) family members know about it. When you put yourself on the line, you tend to achieve it. This is because there are people around you reminding you of what you have said!

So... what are you waiting for? Can you share with me your plans?

Kenneth is the Principle Trainer of Deep Impact and has spoken to thousands of clients on Mindset and Attitudes shift as well as Building Teams. You can get your free report of "7 Transformational Secrets to Creating a Dynamic and Cohesive Team in your workplace" from http://www.DeepImpactOnline.com/blog

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Prayer In My Earlier Life and Its Effects

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A College Party Changed My Life Forever

Excitement immediately exploded as one person after another was asked to the Toga party at the elite sorority house surrounding the pristine college campus. To be invited to this occasion was like finally arriving at the top! Now you would be forever associated with the 'in crowd' who set the highest bar to the most elaborate parties around.

I couldn't believe how lucky I felt! What was I going to wear to the Toga party? Quickly I text messaged my friend telling the news and together we planned my entrance. I wanted to be noticed and invited back again and again.

I arrived at the sorority house filled with anticipation. Entering the house, I walked through two Roman like columns with white cascading draperies across the top and long flowing white sheers on either side. My hostess handed me a beer. Looking around I saw a tent with more sheers and drapes and skimpily dressed girls standing by the entrance beckoning everyone to come in. There were pillows and mattresses spread all over the floor.

Music flooded my ears and the smell of tobacco and marijuana wafted through the air. There was a group of girls all wearing olive leaves in the shape of bikinis and they were dancing and enticing others to join them. One girl grabbed my hand and encouraged me to let go and have fun.

I was from a small town and I was raised by a very conservative family. This was the first time I had attended any kind of toga party with my friends. I had to admit I was a little shy about letting go and enjoying myself. I took a puff from a joint that a friend handed me and before long everything I was taught about faith and obedience to God was pushed aside.

I wanted to have fun. I didn't want to think about whether it was right or wrong. Before long the girls and guys began disrobing and it was no longer about drinking, but about hooking up with as many people as you desired. I was feeling so free and they were so enticing! Why shouldn't I join them?

Not many people understand that we live in a teaching world. It all began when Satan entered into the snake and tempted Adam and Eve to eating the apple from the tree of knowledge. In order to attain knowledge you must be presented with right and wrong choices. Now the once perfect world God created was instantly changed because Satan entered into the world bringing the full force of evil with him.

Satan became man's greatest adversary and he corrupted the souls of men by luring them away from the right teachings of God. Satan does this by attacking man's human desires. He uses sex and the feelings of desire that awaken within a man at the sight of a beautiful woman to lure him into giving into lust. He uses feelings of not being accepted to trap us into drinking until we are drunk and taking drugs so we can feel totally free. He knows just what to say even using our very friends to get us to think with our emotions and not with our heads.

This is the reason why there are orgies because young men and women become so filled with lust, they can't control there desires. This is the reason why there are rapes that lead men into taking sex by force. This is why, young people especially, fall prey to pornography that stimulates there desires to an explosive energy that makes them fall prey to giving into their desires without thinking about the consequences.

During the time of Moses, God separated the Israelites from evil by taking them into the Promised Land. But the people were so corrupted by the teachings of the Egyptians that they wandered in the desert for forty years until he could get them to understand the difference between following Him or Satan. He did this by teaching Laws that gave them the key to resisting evil.

The Ten Commandments taught them how important it was to believe in God. The Commandments taught them how to resist Satan by not committing adultery, murder, stealing, lying and many others that were meant to give them an upper hand against the very things that Satan would use to tempt them into doing evil.

Because Israel was the chosen people they also became the world's example of what happens when you give into sin. They wrote hundreds of stories of their experiences in the Bible so the entire world would understand the consequences for giving into sin and how it can ruin your life for an entire lifetime. One such story was when they were about to enter into the Promised land and they came into the country of Moab. Moab had an evil King named Balak. He found out through a corrupt evil soothsayer named Balaam how to defeat Israel and keep them from taking over their land.

Balaam had a donkey who spoke to him. The donkey saw an Angel of God standing in the road and he stopped Balaam from cursing Israel. As the story unfolds we find that Balaam blessed Israel instead and this made King Balak very mad. So Balaam manipulated the circumstance and encouraged the king to lure the men away and trap them by instructing beautiful Moab women to have sex with the Israelites. (Numbers 31: 16)

Once the Israelites gave into their lust then they would invite them to parties in order to get them to worship their god Baal. When they were no longer serving God then they would be under a curse and the Moabites would easily defeat Israel.

Numbers 25: 1-3a, "When the Israelites were camped at Acacia Valley, the men began to have sexual intercourse with the Moabite women who were there. These women invited them to sacrificial feasts, where the god of Moab was worshiped. The Israelites ate the food and worshiped the god Baal of Peor. So the Lord was angry with them."

In the Old Testament every sin had a sentence that had to be followed in order for God to bless them. This was a sin that could only be rectified with death. Immediately an epidemic spread through Israel killing 24,000 Israelites that committed a sexual sin and were led into worshiping Baal. Remember, this may have seemed like a very harsh punishment, but it had to be like this so we could see what happens when sin enters into a person's life.

The Old Testament clearly illustrates what happens when you give into sin. It tells stories of what happens when God isn't first in your life. It presents stories of real people who allowed Satan to come in and use the very weaknesses found in man to lead them away from God and trap them into living there lives for evil.

If you are not on God's side then you are on the side of Satan and evil. Satan uses lust to tempt the men into turning their backs on God. He uses parties as a means to corrupt your thinking through the use of alcohol and drugs. He uses the desire to fit in as a means to get us to let go of our moral values and give into sin.

2 Peter 2: 13-19, "Pleasure for them is to do anything in broad daylight that will satisfy their bodily appetites; they are a shame and a disgrace as they join you in your meals, all the while enjoying their deceitful ways? They want to look at nothing but immoral women; their appetite for sin is never satisfied. They lead weak people into a trap. Their hearts are trained to be greedy. They are under God's curse! They have left the straight path and have lost their way; they have followed the path taken by Balaam son of Beor, who loved the money he would get for doing wrong and was rebuked for his sin. His donkey spoke with a human voice and stopped the prophet's insane action.

These men are like dried-up springs, like clouds blown along by a storm; God has reserved a place for them in the deepest darkness. They make proud and stupid statements, and use immoral bodily lusts to trap those who are just beginning to escape from among people who live in error. They promise them freedom while they themselves are slaves of destructive habits-for a person is a slave of anything that has conquered him."

When you are in a huge multi-faceted world game of good versus evil you must understand the rules of engagement. Believing in God is the difference between winning and losing your game of life. Understanding sin and temptation is the difference between following God or giving into your desires.

The excitement of the toga party faded when the doctor told me that I had contracted Aids. I couldn't believe how stupid I was to have allowed the pressure of being accepted to lead me into having sex with someone I didn't even know. Now I was under a death sentence for the rest of my life. Who would want a person who could infect them and destroy their life too?

The Old Testament taught us about sin and the consequences. The New Testament tells us about the saving power of grace and how believing in Jesus Christ as your Savior can bring about forgiveness of sin. Jesus' can take a hopeless situation and turn it into good if you will give your life to Him!

Linda C Dipman author of THE GAME OF LIFE IT'S ALMOST OVER http://outskirtspress.com/gameoflife presents AND HIS LOVE SHONE DOWN my true life story! It describes all the persecutions I endured. It will put you on the edge of your seat as you read each vivid detail. You will feel terror and experience love like nothing you have ever read before. http://lovinghandsministry.com

Planning Your Bathroom Remodel Budget - Home Improvement Ideas

As a bathroom remodeling contractor, I get calls from people, that have no idea what they want or how much anything is going to cost. Here's some simple tips that can be very helpful when planning a bathroom remodel budget.

Bathroom Remodeling Investment

In 2008, the average mid-range bathroom cost around $16,000 and you could recoup around $12,000 of your original investment upon the sale of your home. According to a popular remodeling magazine, larger bathrooms using expensive fixtures, tile, bathtubs, woodworking, toilets and showers had an average of $52,000. Upon the sale of a home, you could recoup around $36,000 of your original investment.

Finding out How Much Things Cost

My first suggestion, would be to visit your local home improvement center, lumber yard or plumbing supply warehouse. Larger stores like Home Depot and Lowe's, seemed to provide you with value pricing but don't have a large selection. While doing some research on the Internet I noticed that some of their pricing is outrageously, outrageous. Some plumbing supply warehouses can provide value but beware others won't.

Create a List of Bathroom Remodeling Parts

You can get a good idea of your bathroom remodel costs for your budget by making a list of bathroom parts with pricing and then adding them up for a grand total. If you're a total bathroom remodel budget is $15,000 and you have a $6,000 bathtub with $4000 worth of tile, you could have a budget problem.

Figuring out the Labor

You will have to contact a contractor to get an actual cost for the labor. Sometimes you can double the cost of your bathroom remodeling parts to get a rough idea. If you have a list or a couple of lists and a few pictures of some sample bathrooms, this will make the contractor's job easier and often they can give you a labor price within a few days.

Give Yourself a Cushion

I would suggest leaving yourself a small financial cushion for any additional remodeling items. For example, you could see a different toilet, or instead of painting the walls, you now choose to wallpaper, you could incur additional expenses that you haven't planned for. If you know exactly what you want and stick to the original bathroom remodeling plan, you shouldn't need the cushion.

Financial problems often transfer into construction problems, so spend some time figuring out, how much money you want to spend on the bathroom remodel and try not to go overboard on the budget. I hate to see homeowners struggling with home improvement loan payments. Try to create a bathroom remodeling budget that is realistic and will not create a financial burden upon you or your family.

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 has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more bathroom remodeling or home building ideas.

Could We Be Wrong

Greek mythology is taught in most schools during some time of your education, if you grew up in the United States. I remember looking back at the Greeks and thinking, "I can't believe these people were that stupid, who believes that there is a God of the ocean or one for love." I couldn't believe as a young elementary school student, that these people got caught up in these beliefs.

I mean come on, I was a Christian at that time and there was only one God, how stupid can these people be or misinformed about the way things really and truly are. It's kind of sad, but all the people in the past that did not accept Jesus Christ as the one true God are all living in hell. Well, that's how I thought when I was a child.

Some of the mythological stories are about pain, love, happiness, plotting, scheming and power. Now we're talking about something that most people can understand. These gods were just like regular people, except some of them had extraordinary powers and if they used them poorly, they would have to answer to the gods god, Zeus.

At the time in history, that the Greeks believed and their gods, they were one of the most civilized groups of people on Earth. They had some of the best and brightest scholars around. The Roman Empire and some of the United States government was based on information provided by Greek scholars.

Have you ever thought about your religion as being wrong? If we now know that the Greek gods and goddesses do not exist, do you think our modern day beliefs can also be wrong. If we could go into the future 1000 years, could children be studying about Christianity, Islam or Buddhism, like modern day children study about Greek mythology and other beliefs that we view today as unbelievable or impossible.

The Greek gods and goddesses made sense to the citizens of Greece in the past. Do you think in the future that our modern day religions will be viewed in the same way as we now view Greek mythology.

Looking back at the past, often inspires me for a better 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. Check out one of his recommended books, You Can Have It All

Greg is currently working on a self help 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

Create Through the Imagination

I invite you to come on a journey into your imagination to create a positive dream for your life.

I would like to take you on a creative journey into the imagination. Let your awareness settle down and become quite. Think of your favourite place, where you feel safe and secure. I am going to use the example of a log cabin, which I have visited on many occasions.

In your minds eye start to create the image of this friendly place, which can be either real or imaginary, it does not matter for this exercise. Use all your senses to create the image; smell the damp woods that surround the log cabin, hear the lapping of the waves on the lake outside the front door. Feel the warmth from the wood burning stove and taste the saliva in your mouth in anticipation of the lovely meal, which is cooking on the stove. See the lovely scene in front of you: a log cabin full of your favourite things, the lake surrounded by forests with snow-capped mountains in the distance.

This is a very peaceful place, a place that you come to create and plan. Sit down in the rocking chair on the porch and take your awareness within.

Allow your awareness to dream of anything that feels it will bring great joy and happiness to you. This is a place where everything is possible, there is truly no restrictions, use your powers of visualisation to create a picture in your mind of you following your dream.

This may be a new dream or one you have had all your life. Give yourself the freedom to dream it now in this safe place; it will be different for each one of you. This is a very personal create experience.

Use all your senses and run the creative process like watching a movie, see yourself in the movie playing the lead role. If you like, close your eyes for a few minutes and watch your dream unfold enjoy the experience and bring in all the resources and friends you need to help you with this project. Experience it on all the levels of your feeling.

If at any time you feel a lack or a feeling of fear, allow your awareness to rest on your breathing and take a few seconds just being conscious of the breath as it enters and leaves your body.

Know that you can come to this place whenever you like. You can create in perfect freedom without restriction or limitation. Just give yourself the freedom to dream consciously using the imagination and visualisation.

Then when you are happy with your creation, allow it to melt into the silence of this place, release the dream completely and rest in the rocking chair. After a little while slowly open your eyes and become aware of the log cabin again and the beautiful seen in front of you. Slowly rise out of the rocking chair and start to walk back to the here and now.

Become aware of your normal surroundings and reconnect with your daily activity.

You can return to this place and dream whenever you want just by using your imagination. Have awareness in your daily activity of any opportunities that may come up to help you come nearer to realising your dream.

Thank you for coming on this journey with me into the realms of imagination and the creative process of visualisation.

Message channelled by George Lockett (C) Copyright 2006, All Rights Reserved.

* New book * "A Journey into the Self -- the multi-dimensional nature of being human": HealerGeorge Web Site and New Book

Description: What is this book going to do for YOU? For those who are seeking a complete energetic makeover, as you read it you will feel a stirring and awakening in the depths of your heart. For those who have questions about Shifts in Consciousness, Energy Balancing and Healing within the body, you will find clear answers.

Read HealerGeorges Blog: Curezone Blog or ask at question at: Ask HealerGeorge

When We Choose Misery Over Happiness

I am not one to feel sorry for most people. They seem to have a unique ability to cause themselves the most damage during certain parts of their lives. I have met some pretty self destructive people in my life. Being raised by a mother that lived in misery and love.

My mother had a difficult childhood. It seemed as if every corner she turned there was a obstacle either right in front of here or waiting just around the corner. Her father died when she was 12 year old. He was a farm laborer and didn't make much money. In other words they were poor...... She got sent to live with a few foster families and according to her she was molested by one of the fathers she lived with.

Soon her older sister invited her to live with her. My aunt was married to the owner of a pottery business and had 2 children about 10 years younger than my mother. My aunt soon realized she had a live in baby sitter that allowed her to stay out drinking most of the day.

My Uncle was what you would call a drunk back then, now we call these people alcoholics. Well any way I think you are starting to get a picture of my mothers life up to this point. It is probably safe to assume that this isn't the ideal life for a young woman.

The next event to happen in my moms life was for my uncle to fall in the shower one night after tying one on that night. He died soon after but my aunt seemed to make a another good choice and ended up marring the owner of the bar that they spent most of their time in.
The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. Allan K. Chalmers

By this time my mom was in High School and met my future father. It wasn't exactly a marriage made in heaven. My dad was always an easy going man. He seemed to let most stuff go in one ear and out the other.

As you guessed it they had a few children. Nice one Dad and Mom. According to the books I have read on Angelic beings. People that believe in the after life and angels. They tell me I had a choice and was able to choose my parents....... What was I thinking...... I should have choose someone with some money and a couple of parents that were deeply in love .

How did I end up here in this situation.

I ended up loving my parents like most of us. They seemed to be doing the best that they could possibly do raising me, my bother and my sister. My mom and dad ended up getting a divorce and I went to live with my father.

My Father is remarried to a wonderful woman that seems to bring him a lot of happiness.
I haven't seen my mother for a while now. She lives with a life of excuses and misery. Her childhood was not the greatest but that doesn't give her the right to bring misery into other peoples lives. She has made a conscious choice to live what seems to be a painful life. Maybe her choices in life have made me choose happiness over misery.

I have always wondered what it is that motivates someone to live a life of true unhappiness when it takes the same amount of energy to live a life of joy. Life is meant to be full of joy and happiness so start today by making the right choices to live a fulfilling life of happiness.

If you are reading this and can't make up your mind what kind of life you truly want to live visit me at http://live.spiritualideas.com/ . Change your thinking and change your life.

Greg Vanden Berge will help you create a new approach to life and discover talents you never knew you had. We can help you get the most out of yourself all the time. Start developing your innate strengths and abilities to start enriching your life TODAY !

Best Self Help Program - 11 Forgotten Laws Training

Are you looking for the best self help program? The best one I've found is The 11 Forgotten Laws audio law of attraction training with Bob Proctor, from The Secret. In just a few short weeks, it's made a profound difference in my life.

We all approach self help programs with different needs. Although I'm happy with my life, I felt that I wasn't living up to my potential. I sensed that I could achieve more. Your needs will be different; perhaps you want to manifest a new job, a better income, or happier relationships.

"The 11 Forgotten Laws" is a new law of attraction training program. It's perfect for self help, because it's a six hour MP3 audio program, which you download to your computer. You can listen on your computer, or you can take it with you on your iPod, so you can listen while you're traveling or exercising.

With so many self help programs around, why do I consider that The 11 Forgotten Laws is the best?

Firstly, because it's practical.

It provides information in every session which you can put to use in your life immediately. The essence of the law of attraction is that you draw to you what you think about. That makes sense. However, applying this knowledge was always hard for me, until I started listening to this program.

I discovered that much of what I thought of as "thinking" wasn't thinking at all, and I really began to think, in the right way, and former problems just faded away.

Secondly, because The 11 Forgotten Laws is a conversation, it's not just an audio book. Bob Proctor chats with Mary Morrissey, so you get two points of view, and two sets of experiences -- many of their experiences will resonate with you, because you'll have similar experiences.

Thirdly, I value this program because it's laid out so well. It takes you to a whole new way of thinking and understanding step by step, with exercises you complete along the way.

If you're looking for the best self help program, I recommend The 11 Forgotten Laws. This audio training is a great investment in your future, and will help everyone around you too, as you change and start living the life of your dreams.

Have you tried and failed with The Secret? Here's a breakthrough: the 11 Forgotten Laws. It's complete training, with new, easy ways to bring prosperity and abundance into your life. Julia Denham has been working with the law of attraction for years; it works for her, when you discover the missing laws, it will work for you too. Visit her blog, The Law of Attraction and Prosperity at http://loa-prosperity.com/