Browse Happiness

One of the most singificant problems human beings face as a general population is how to handle stress. As a life & career expert, and an acclaimed advice columnist, I have compiled eleven of the most significant ways that you can reduce stress in your life. You may not always be able to make stress dissappear, but you can manage it with some very simple techniques.

Have you ever wondered if venting was a useful way to release your emotions? Simply put, is venting good for you? I guess that depends on what you mean by venting. If by venting you mean screaming, yelling, ranting or raving about your problems, feelings and emotions with anger, then no, venting is not good. Maybe you’re saying to yourself, “yea, but releasing my emotions that way is necessary, if I keep them bottled up inside, I’ll explode one day.” That would be an understandable way to think, but not a wise one.

Are you happy? Have you actually made the decision to be happy in your life? Do you have fun living your life each day? Are you having fun living your life today, right now? If not, why not? Wouldn’t it be terrific to wake up in the morning full of gratitude for the opportunity to live a great life today, and then to go out and live it? How would that make you feel? What would that look like for you? What would it sound like? You can have all of that, and you can experience all of that; and you can begin to have this right now, starting today. Do you believe me?

Rahu : According to Hindu Mythology Rahu swallows the Sun or the Moon causing eclipses. The story of Rahu is quite interesting. According to the Puranas, Swarbhanu, the son born to the Asura King Viprasithi and a Queen Sinhika, consumed amrut by disguising himself as a God and sitting in between Sun and Moon. Once Mohini (a Lord Vishnu avatar as female) who was distributing the holy nectar of immortality noticed the mistake Sharbhanu was assaulted with the ladle resulting whi

If you’ve been around the self-help material for any length of time, you’ve no doubt heard this at least once… The unconscious mind doesn’t hear negatives. Or any of the variables, such as it doesn’t recognize negatives, doesn’t understand negatives, etc. – but you get the point. And, admittedly, I have made this assertion on many occasions in the past as well. The unconscious mind doesn’t hear negatives. But as I have thought about it, I have to ask… Really…?

What is Deep Listening? From "Slowing Down to the Speed of Love" Deep listening occurs when your mind is quiet. Your thoughts are flowing rather than crowding your mind with distractions, interpretations, judgments, conclusions, or assumptions. Your mind is open, curious, interested -- as ...

Does your inner critic ever plummet your self-esteem with negative self-talk about your appearance, your abilities or your life? Take advantage of proven tools guaranteed to help you turn your inner critic into an empowering inner coach more valuable than all the gold in Fort Knox. The tips in this article will help you revise your inner critic's job description. You'll retrain your critical inner voice to encourage you to an even higher level of self-respect and self-love.

Every day, in so very many ways, people from all walks of life avoid taking responsibility for their actions, using denial and obstructive tactics. Even something as simple as accepting responsibility for parking their car outside the designated zone is unacceptable to them. While there are ...

Is there a jerk where you work? Have you ever worked with an honors graduate from Bully Bootcamp who intimidated, threatened, humiliated, or dominated other people? SHOULD YOU BEWARE OF THE BIG BAD BULLY? Yes . . . and no. Although it's true you need to protect yourself from potential negative actions of a bully, a key to your freedom from bullies is to understand who they are unde eath the frightening mask that can trigger terror in your heart. The first step is to debunk

When someone is mildly depressed, the first remedy that comes to mind: Exercise. In just a few minutes exercise burns off stress hormones and raises endorphin levels (the happiness hormone); now that’s a quick fix. This makes the depressed person feel better, more uplifted ...

Feeling good about your life involves just 2 parts. Really! One is to learn to think about yourself in healthy ways. This is a learned skill, ladies and gentlemen, not something that a lucky few were born with. nnSome of us were taught as children how to create self esteem and self confidence. If you weren’t, then it’s up to you to learn it as an adult. This is a skill that can be developed by anyone (yes, you too!). nnThe second part of feeling good about your life invol

How we think about life determines how we feel about life. If you want to spend more time happy, peaceful, and content and less time angry, resentful, and stressed-out you have learn to be aware of your thoughts and deal with the negative ones when they creep into life. Negative thoughts themselves are not bad. They are only bad when you let them prevent you from pursuing your dreams. I~~ Recognizing automatic negative thoughts is the first step. There are many kinds of negative thoughts: 1. Worry & Guilt 2. Overgeneralizing (always, never, forever, everything, nothing etc...) 3.

Anger provoking events are all around us; like stress it is in the perception of each individual as to how one responds. When you get angry, it is beacause an event has provoked your anger. Everyday events such as these are anger provoking in the moment or because it has reminded you of a similar situation in the past that was anger provoking: Being cut off on the roadr Traffic congestionr Long waiting in a doctor’s officer Long lines in the store, post office, bank to wait on Crowded buses and trainsr Being wrongly accusedr A friend joking about a sensitive topicr

Okay, you’ve probably heard the statement many times before… ‘Tis better to give than to receive. Or more blessed, or whatever. Because of my experience working with so many people, I have a problem with this aphorism. Now, don’t get me wrong… I have no problem with the idea that giving is good or blessed – I certainly agree with that, and encourage folks to be of service. Giving is great, no questions about it. But saying that it is better than receiving slams the act of receiving. And that has caused no end of needless suffering.

In Part Two of this series, "Elevate Your Self-love, Confidence and Personal Empowerment," you gained tips for ending negative comparisons to other people that zap your self-esteem and confidence. You've begun to surround yourself with excellent role models who will inspire you to be Your Authentic Self so you can more easily live the joyful, successful life you deserve. You're now consistently using your innate curious witness to elevate your confidence and delete the harsh

All of us have a powerful inner critic that sometimes holds us back with critical comments and beliefs. When we don't understand how to work with our negative internal voice and we don't understand that it has our best interests in mind, our misguided inner gremlin blasts us with unpleasant chatter like, "You're not good enough" and warns, "Don't take a risk. You might fail!" When we're entertaining procrastination and perfectionism, we're traveling The Road of Illusions. Ou

Easy ways to transform painful relationships into powerful partnerships IN THE BEGINNING Remember the day you gazed into the eyes of your prospective partner and truly grasped that their excitement about you matched your fascination with them? You saw your idealized self reflected back to you in their soft smiling eyes. You were hooked like a fish attracted to a shiny new lure that caters to its most vulnerable characteristics. Like the fish traveling nonstop to a baited h

HOW YOUR INNER CRITIC SABOTAGES WEIGHT LOSS Have you ever worked hard to lose extra pounds, and celebrated, "Woohoo! I'll never again be overweight!", then regained the weight you'd wanted to ditch? Most clients who come to me about weight loss issues are surprised at how easily they lose weight because we DON'T focus on losing weight during their coaching sessions. For years, these people have been trying to lose weight using all kinds of diets and exercise routines. They

Several years ago while meeting with a woman who was interested in my Zen Gardens, she said something that struck me like the ol' proverbial frying pan to the head. She said: "Money is nothing more than love in an alte ate form. It's ENERGY. If you're struggling with it, you're looking at it from a very skewed perspective. Just think about it." Now, all these years later, her voice comes back to me. I hear it as clearly as if she were sitting right beside me. And yes, it makes me smile.

Thoughts, for the most part, are conditioned and can be changed. Although blaming the way we think on our parents and how we were raised may in fact be accurate, as adults, it is our responsibility to change the way we think. Our thought processes can be changed through awareness and effort, which is a typical combination for any change. From my personal experience, this is a gradual process, so don’t get discouraged if the change comes slowly. It took years to develop our present thought processes and it will probably take years to change them.

Intellectually, we know that everyday is a good day. We are well acquainted with the proverbs: the glass is half full instead of half empty and it could always be worse. However, emotionally many of us just don’t feel that way. According to the gardening calendar June is the ...

We all enjoy the camaraderie of like-minded people who share similar characteristics and interests. We understand that in every life situation cliques form based on race, religion, economic class, work and children. In every imaginable situation likes and dislikes, alliances and exclusions form. ...

I used to think that if I read one more magazine piece telling me to take a candlelight bubble bath, I’d perish from terminal cliché. That was before I understood that a bath, when you see it right, isn’t just a bath. It is rather a metaphor for renewal. Every time you bathe (or shower, for that ...

We all want to be the kind of people who are happy for others when they experience success or a cause for celebration in their lives, but it isn’t always easy. Sometimes powerful, dark feelings come up at times when decorum dictates that we should be feeling the opposite. Instead of reaching out and celebrating for our loved one, we may feel the rising up of our own pain. This pain may arise because we feel jealous of our friend for having something we don’t have. It may

Most of us spend our lives searching for that one spark that will ignite and motivate, then propel us to succeed. We buy any number of books, inspirational “self help” tapes, and attend seminars and workshops believing that somewhere in the mist of all these activities will evolve that magical motivation tool we can use to reach higher heights. Little did we know that what we search for was within us all the time.nnThere is no greater weapon that can be used against defea

Your happiness and emotional wellness mainly depend on the fact that you know, understand, and accept the true cause of your emotions -- whether positive or negative, good or bad. As a matter of fact, I insist heavily on this point because it is the cornerstone of the entire system by which you can learn to modify your own emotions and thus raise your level of happiness and improve the quality of your life.

What are you? Ask that question of a thousand people and the vast majority will likely respond with their occupation or job. I am a parent, teacher, lawyer or a whatever-I-do-to-ea -money-and-fill-my-day. Yet this is not who we are. We are not what we do. Think about that for a moment; while it sounds simple, do you really know who you are when extricated from the identity a profession, role or achievement provides? Can you tell me what you are without naming what it is that you do? The most accurate answer to that question is actually the same for each of us.

My daughters bought me a rock that says “Today’s crisis is tomorrow’s joke” engraved on it. I absolutely love it, and it’s displayed prominently in my home office. I look at it several times a day to remind me that while it’s certainly true that life is chock-full of dramas, it’s also true that dramas come and go, and come and go. They always have, and they always will.

From CEO’s to entrepreneurs and entertainers to parents all over the globe, we are constantly in search of ways to boost productivity. To put it simply, we want to get more done each day. For some this goal is rooted in the desire for greater abundance while for others productivity is the gate-keeper to recreation. It is a means to an end and we are hungry for both the freedom and prosperity that productivity provides. The problem with the “work harder and longer” approach is that it often yields the unattractive side-effects of exhaustion, stress and a lop-sided life.

Just the word, mother-in-law, fills the heart with trepidation and self-doubt. This woman has assumed mythic proportions wielding criticism, guilt and coldness. When she visits, you feel like the inspector general has marched into your home. When she interacts with the children, she is ...

I am a fan of happiness. I like to read about it, write about it, teach it and live it! Happiness comes easily to me but I understand that that isn't the case for everyone. I've come up with what I think is the exact formula needed. Excitement + Freedom + Joy + Inspiration + Love = Happiness It might look a little complicated, but it really isn't. You can start small and look for small ways to incorporate more of those states into your life. Excitement By excitement, I don't necessarily mean jumping up and down, or heart-pounding situations.

Why I Like Kids Better Than Grown-Ups I have a confession to make. For years, I really had little use for kids. I used to have a near magical ability to entertain kids and engage them in a way that other adults just didn’t get. I didn’t enjoy doing it. It was like an elaborate act and it was hard to keep up. I was fascinated by my ability to do this and I really didn’t want to disappoint the kids so I kept up the charade. Otherwise, I would avoid events where there would be kids who had no other kids to play with because I knew that I would be on “entertainment duty.”r

We possess an ability to observe what is happening in our own body and mind. Whether this observer is in our minds or somehow separate, it can observe the mind itself. There are our thoughts and that which is aware of our thoughts. There are our feelings and that which is aware of our feelings. There are our mental, emotional and physical reactions and that which is aware of these reactions. It is in this awareness that we can find peace. So then, the observer or knower is aware or depending on how you look at it, the awareness observes or knows.

It may be just me but I find women much more defensive than men. To be honest it can be hard work sometimes dealing with some insecurities but more often than not if it comes from a man we get defensive but if it comes from another woman then oh my god it can get a totally over the top reaction and will haunt us for days.

Yesterday was my mom’s birthday. She would have turned 86 if lung cancer hadn’t ended her life 14 year ago. There are days when I’d give anything to spend a few more hours with her. It’s funny how I remember every little detail about her last three weeks of life: How I packed up my kids and told my husband I’d be home after she died – the doctor said she had anywhere from two weeks to three months. How I told my daughter’s second grade teacher we’d do school by mail since there was no Internet. How I knew I had to be there for her no matter how long or how short she lived.r

“Only when you've been to the deepest valley, can you know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain” The title of this book is “livethislife” - Metal Mindset. Before we create a Metal Mindset, we need to first understand and define what negativity is and how it impacts us. Isn't it strange when a person complains about not having enough time to be happy, yet, they have ample time to be sad?.

On March 14th Daylight Savings Time begins. Shortly thereafter, in many parts of the country, Spring will begin to show its warm face. The daffodils will start popping up and the birds will get busy building nests for their next round of babies. Spring. That beautiful time of year when hope, like new growth, flowers anew. As a 'clutter expert', I've spent many a Spring day helping folks clear their clutter. That clutter is typically more than just 'stuff'.

Fear scares people. That’s what it’s supposed to do; it’s just a matter of how much and how often do we really need to be scared? Basically, there are two kinds of fear. Real fear allows you to save your butt in challenging situations (like being chased by a predator or facing imminent danger). ...

Remember when you were a kid and you played Make-Believe? Remember how easy it was to Make Believe you were a famous singer or an astronaut or a brilliant painter? You could sit in any room or under a tree or in your sandbox and actually BE that person. You'd see it all as clearly as if you were there...all the smells and sights and noises crystal clear in your pretty little head. Easy as making mud pies. Remember? I'm wondering why we stop doing it. I'm wondering why we think that just because we're 'grown-ups' we can't still sit under a tree and Make Believe. Just look at those words!

Wouldn’t you like to know how to meet and marry the right woman? As a relationship expert and author, I find there are distinct qualities that attract women who possess inner beauty that radiates externally. nnWith the materialistic bombardment from the media and society, it is easy to loose sight of what qualities are really important to women. A man of character and honor will attract the most amazing woman over the man of material wealth and questionable character. nnTo

As many of you know by now, I am a strong believe in the power of words. “Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” – Frank Outlaw

No doubt you've heard the phrase "your life is a journey" before. If you're like most people, you are quite easily willing to accept the statement as true. However, if you're like most people, you also haven't really considered the degree to which it's not only true, but to which it means you really need to actively start navigating your life to get the most out of it. And for that, you require a compass. Steve Donahue is a best selling author and speaker who teaches life success principles using the metaphor of crossing the Sahara Desert.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE - June 2003 Could 2003 be your lucky year - the one in which you fulfill a dream, improve your health, increase prosperity and feel happier? Absolutely, says bestselling author Wayne Dyer, whose latest book is 10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace (Hay House). Dyer believes that positive thinking and a spiritual connection can lead to dramatic improvements in anyone's life. He also insists that changing your thoughts and attitudes really

I facilitated a workshop last week and I can conclude that this was the theme of the day – being financially and emotionally stuck, as an entrepreneur!” It never fails that when you get a group of solopreneurs into one room, everyone has the same thing on their mind – how do I find new clients and make more money? I have the simple answer to that – get out of your own way! Whether it is because of your poor work habits, your conditioning and beliefs about what is possible or the fact that you are hanging around the wrong people – nothing changes until something changes.

Happiness isn't something that suddenly appears in our lives when we have everything we want; happiness is a choice we make in every moment. Sometimes it's just not possible to feel on top of the world; for example if we've just lost someone we love, nothing is going to make us feel happy right now. In those circumstances, probably all we can manage to do is accept how we feel and maybe find a little relief. These tips are for the times when we wish we felt better and need a

We spend our waking hours focused on things we have to do, have, buy and think. It’s the thinking part that leads us towards or away from living a happy life. My goal is to help you become keenly aware of what you’re thinking for just 10 minutes a day. These thoughts that you begin to “hearing” will help you understand where your thinking is causing you pain and suffering. These captured thoughts will then be questioned and it's doing this that sets you free to begin thinking truer thoughts that begin moving your life in a more positive direction.

It’s time for a pep talk, you and me. Ready? You’re not going to want to hear this, but I’m going to tell you anyway. Here we go. You can do it. Yes, you can. Do yourself a favor. Remove the “can’t” from your vocabulary, right now, because if you don’t, you’re going to have an awful time finding success in your life and in business, and especially on the Web. Period. End of story. So unless you’re telling me you want to be un-successful, then you must listen to my advice and digest it and then live it. Really live it. It can’t be faked.

Some of us treat each moment as if it's a scarce commodity, trying to get as much crammed in as we can. Others among us casually toss away the moment, like so much excess fluff. As a former Type Adriven corporate executive, I began to search for meaning in my life ten years ago, when I was thirty-four. Five years ago, I gave up my full-time business career in order to devote myself to living and teaching how to be present when it matters. Does the moment define the life? What is the difference between a great life and a mediocre life?

There are a million reasons to put off sitting down with your journal. For that matter, any regular exercise for self improvement can easily start to seem like an imposition, an inconvenience, and worse, a promise that doesn't really have to be kept. That's why resolutions so quickly get broken. And it may be the major reason why many people don't keep up with their jou als, much as they would like to. Doing good for yourself is something that's easy to put off until anothe

“Fashionably late” is no longer in fashion. In today’s heavily scheduled world, it is the punctual who are respected and admired. Even though most of us know this, some people are always late, no matter how much time they have to get ready. You may be one of them. Do any of the following sound familiar?nn** You're always rushing at the last minute, even though you've promised yourself countless times that you wouldn't let this happen again.nn** You've tried setting your

You dread dealing with the staff. No one gets along, everyone feels overwhelmed and the negativity is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Even if you increase sales, your money leaks out in turnover and absenteeism. This is going to shock you, but you could easily solve this problem if you would learn how to facilitate an effective staff meeting. The problem is most managers don’t know how to hold an effective meeting, much less bring up sensitive issues in a way that fosters team building and open communication.

Having discovered EFT* (Emotional Freedom Techniques) in 1999 and used it consistently since, EFT has now become part of my daily practice and is now an integral part of my profession. Some days I have a quick tap during my morning walk or in front of the bathroom mirror, and some days (every couple of months) I spend a couple of hours tapping on myself using m y inner spiritual guide to help me navigate through the emotional quagmire of the mind. I also make an appointment with an EFT Practitioner every 6 months or so for what I now call my EFT Service (Energetic MOT session) and Tune-up.

I visit my mother in a nursing home several days a week. Each time I leave I am grateful for being able to walk into the bright sunshine on my own two legs. There are so many things to be thankful for in my life – among them good health, my skills and abilities and caring relationships. I find that stopping to appreciate what I have helps me to stay positive and has a direct impact on how happy I feel. nnA recent global survey published in USA Today indicates that the bigge

So many people think that they have priorities. They know that their jobs and families are priorities. They know that eating well and exercising are priorities. So why are so many people over weight, stressed out, out of shape and divorced? There is a difference between knowing what should be a priority and actually setting and sticking to them. So if you think you know your priorities, but have a chaotic, unsatisfying life, it's time to think again and then reassess! First thing you need to do is to create a life vision.

"Yossi Ghinsberg was lost in the Amazon for 20 days and learned many lessons about our inherent ability to survive and tap into our true instinctual selves." While in Puerto Rico, my wife Michelle and I had the privilege of seeing Yossi Ghinsberg. We'd never heard of Yossi before, but we became instant fans. Yossi shared his story about being lost in the depths of the uncharted Amazon for 20 days -- without food, equipment, or companionship and in the midst of the rainy season.

Articler Renee L Richardson, M.Ed. The Feminine Transformation: Rearing the Little Girl in You All too many times, I have heard family members, lovers and colleagues say to me that: “You are acting immature, childish, rotten, spoiled” to name a few phrases. Well, when you are angry, hurting and in need of getting your point across, you can and will resort to any and every measure. Psychology has referred to under developed behavior as being “Id” oriented and such has it re

Do you remember a time when life included elements of play? For many of us, that is a very faint memory – you’re going to have to travel back to a time when you were younger to look for clues about how to resume this life-saving past-time. My brother often asks his little 4-year old, at the end of the day, “so, what did you do today?” And her charming reply is always the same – ‘PLAY ALL DAY!” While her answer is certainly charming, there is also some meat to that statement. Sometimes, grown-ups need to be reminded not only how to play, but also of the sacredness of play.

There are many people we trust in life but once that trust is broken how can we trust again? To be honest I am not sure we can but in different types of relationships there are different levels of trust. If a partner lies to you and you find out how do we deal with that? If adultery is the trust breaker how do we get beyond that? If a close friend betrays a confidence can we overlook it? If one of your children deceives you that is one we can get over but if they steal from you then that is completely different yet again.

Positive affirmations -- do positive affirmations really work or not? You may have heard that "affirmations do not work" or perhaps you find yourself wondering whether affirmations really work or how do affirmations work. The answer of course is "it depends". It depends on the affirmation and it depends the person's level of belief ... or more accurately your level of disbelief. If the affirmation you say or write doesn't feel true or believable to you, more likely than not it will not manifest for you. You have to "feel" good about your affirmations.

If you ever had a doctor to tell you, “your sickness is all in your head,” most likely you thought he/she was kidding. Patients might have thought the reason the doctor said this is because they couldn’t figure out the source of their symptoms. But it has been proven many times positive thought can cure illness. Science is making strides in brain studies, which are providing proof that positive thought really does affect our brain chemistry and thus our physical and mental health. So thinking positively is not only good for the body but also good for the mind as well

There is a somewhat widespread notion that this statement is valid: FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real As it turns out, upon examination, this concept is not always, and not even often, valid. The key to understanding why this concept is not valid is the way our brains actually work. Human brains are wired to protect us and have sensory circuits which bypass all cognitive functions. If you hear a lion's growl 10 steps away, your body reacts instantly, BEFORE you can think about it.

In the Northeast we have had some significant snow storms in early December forcing us to shovel and stay home. Our initial reaction was, “How beautiful and pure.” Then the next day when driving and walking became difficult, we began complaining, “Who needs snow!” By ...

Whether you’re self-employed or you work for someone else, your inner critic can deflate your business confidence and success like a sharp tack destroys a balloon. It can be very difficult to focus on your strategic plan when you’re bombarded by mental chatter like, “You don’t know what you’re doing” or “You’ll never succeed.” One of the most common stumbling blocks to achievement in any field is resisting your inner critic instead of discovering its innate value. You’ll gai

Do you sometimes experience one of those terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days like the hero of the Judith Viorst book? The kind of day when it feels impossible to break out of a rotten mood, and everything seems to go wrong? The next time you are feeling out of sorts, take out your journal and write a "10 Things I Love" list. This simple and satisfying personal jou aling prompt can be used over and over again to chase away the bad day blues. Here's how. 1. Use a jou

If you're not living each day in a way that brings you happiness, then take a look at this 8 joyful tips below and brighten up your daily routine! 1. Play Dead

Yahoo, it’s spring! It’s a great time to focus on the garden – and relationships. They are the same, aren’t they? Imagine this… As the grass began to grow, I knew it was time to connect with nature and get our garden ready for another productive year. It was fun to work in the garden that sunny day. There was that distinctive rich, sweet smell.

The Orders of Love describe a natural hierarchy that has been observed through the practice of Family Constellations. What we have observed, is that there is a distinct order that states who belongs, and who doesn’t belong not only to a family system, but also to groups and nations.

- Hey, see there, isn’t that Emily over there? - Yes, wow, she lost a lot of weight! And how her skin is shining! Don’t you think she looks great?rn- I heard she was out of town for four weeks, I bet she had a liposuction and some cosmetic surgery done!

It is intense out there. This health care bill has caused quite a stir. There are important energies at play that need to be recognized. There won’t be any discussion about politics here, no taking sides, no support or opposition for the new bill or for either political party. This isn’t about the health care bill… it is solely about the energy of what is taking place and the mirror in front of us. We are stuck in polarity and it is destroying us. As you know, there was

If that title causes some resistance, start tapping now. Sadly, the word “work” is going to scare away a lot of folks who could really benefit from this article. Ah well… Thomas Edison once famously offered this observation: “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Somehow or another, we’ve been programmed to see work as a “four letter word.” Some of us might even squeak like Maynard G. Krebs: “Work?!?!?” This is why so many of us are so quick to hear the message of the Law of Attraction as,

Have you ever said to yourself, "Someday, I'm going to..."? Three years ago, I moved to London, Ontario from Edmonton, Alberta. If you check the map, you will see that I am now living in the southern part of the country, compared to Edmonton. It is so gorgeous here, that it feels a bit like Paradise to me. There are so many fabulous lakes and beaches, compelling fruit/vegetable markets, incredible bike trails, etc. etc.

As you likely know if you’ve heard me work, I love to use metaphors to make a point while tapping. I generally don’t plan on them – they just sort of occur to me mid-round. Sometimes they involve some sort of humorous pop-culture reference – which is sometimes lost on folks who are either not from the U.S. or are younger tha I am.

Life is sometimes like a roller coaster. Ups and downs, with a few hairy bends thrown in for good measure. Not all days are nirvana and life can drag us down from time-to-time. It’s OK to have down days, we all have them and always will. Experiencing the whole array of emotions we’re born with is just part of being human. But, the key is in recognising when we’re slipping and learning to pick ourselves up quickly. Here are ten tried and tested ‘pick-me-ups’ for you to use next time your feeling a little below par.

Valentine's Day has been, gone and the shops are getting rid of all the hearts and special love offers. It is just one day for everyone in love to proclaim their love. To be fair this can and should be done every day of the year. Is it vital you get flowers, chocolates or anything else that says "I Love You" on it just on that one day a year.

I have decided to never rush again.

Do You Care or Curse? Ultimately, that is the choice we make with our feelings hundreds of times a day-care or curse? The difference between the two often means happiness inside or despotic misery. The choice is real, most of the time automatic and situational, but once you begin to pay attention to your feelings and thoughts you will begin to realize that yes you do make one of the choices.

It's Time to Fall In Love ~ With YOU! I’ve saved the best for last. It doesn’t matter how hard you work or how much natural talent ekes out of your every crevice – you will not achieve satisfaction in life if you do not love yourself. Instead, you will sabotage your own success, knowingly or not. You will believe others’ doubts about your abilities. You will internalize criticism. You will judge yourself through the eyes of others instead of your own.r

There is no passion to be found... in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living. ~ Nelson Mandela I was just on a phone call with a very close friend and we were discussing the content of my articles over the past few months. The title of this article is actually one of the statements she made in the course of our conversation.

Our ego loves stuff. On the contrary, our spiritual-self has no attachment to anything because our divine-self knows it is not ours. Someday it will belong to another. Sure we use it while we are here, take care of it and perhaps admire it, but it will someday be another person's stuff, it is not really ours. Material possessions make us feel many things at different times in our lives. Some may stir sentimentality, a sense of accomplishment, safety and even power.

Throughout our lives, we are going to be thrown unexpected curve balls from time to time. Whether you allow them to hit you square in the face or step out of the way is what is most important. Do not allow it to be anything more than what it is. It is a curve ball, plain and simple. Too often, we allow “things” to take us down. We allow other people to make us feel small and insignificant. We allow life to walk all over us. Trust me, I know how hard it is not to crumble a

"Writing can be a cathartic process. Writing one’s autobiography is a deeply personal process. When I wrote A Can of Madness I poured my heart out on the page. It was extremely intense but, overall, an extremely rewarding experience. Writing saved my life and enabled me to put my manic depression behind me once and for all. I urge you to trust the writing process and just let the things in your head just pour out onto the page like I did. You may already harbor dreams of be

There are some things in our lives that we just need to stop doing. They aren’t good for us and they mess with our mindset. I don’t know about you, but I have found that some things I have done for so long that I just do them without thinking. Yet, some of those same things are just ruts that we get in and can’t get out of. A lot of them are about how we think about things. Here is a list of 7 things that we could SO do without! 1. Over thinking things. How many times d

We live in a world that believes in postponing happiness exemplified by the the following statements: I'll be happy when I make $ 100,000 a year I'll be happy when I get my dream house I'll be happy when I have enough money to quit my job Happiness isn't associated with wealth and riches. In ...

In every party, you should not forget about the food, drinks and most importantly, music. Good songs can become one of the many reason people will enjoy the event you set up. As the organizer, you need to make sure that you hire the best DJ you can find to guarantee your guest of a splendid night they can remember. But how can you know that the person you are hiring? Fortunately, Steven Sluyter has a few things you need to consider before hiring a DJ for your party. Here are

Are You Determined To Be Happy? You already have everything that you need to live your dream life except perhaps a solid understanding of who you are and a bit of courage. And a desire to be happy; no; a determination to be happy. In fact, I think that it is determination that sets satisfied people apart from the rest. It is determination that overcomes old habits. And it is determination that stands up to the constant resistance we all face from the world – resistance to the change that we bring, simply by daring to be us.r

“Wow! I didn't know it was possible to feel this good!,” said a client the other day after a Vivation session. This article briefly explains what Vivation is. Originated by Jim Leonard, Vivation is the skill of experiencing the core feeling process within your body that is the true source of human happiness. Vivation is something you learn to do for yourself to produce the physiological changes necessary for expanding joy, peace and well being in your life. Based on the a

Effective Teachingr Vinod Anand A few days back I read a news report on the orientation programme organized by the UGC- Academic Staff College, University of Allahabad, where the valedictory address was delivered by Prof. Mishra, former Vice Chancellor of the University. Addressing the participants, Prof. Mishra gave four tips for effective teaching. According to him a teacher must have four characteristics based on the principle of 4H. He said that the first H stands for “Head”, the second H stands for Heart, the third for Hands, and the fourth H stands for Health.r

In this day and age it is reported that more people are obsessed about eating fast food. At least one quarter of Americans eat fast food every day. Why do you think fast food is so popular? Here’s some of the reasons why this is so true: It’s filling: it’s convenient and it’s inexpensive. You can eat fast food by going through a drive thru, picking it up, eat it in your car, take it home or take it back to work.r

I’ve written about how we can get stressed over what might happen, when we jump to conclusions. Here I’d like to focus on one variant of this situation, the one in which we can almost forecast what is going to happen when someone reacts to what we say or do and, as a result, we stop ourselves from acting. Restricting ourselves from doing something (which includes saying something) in order to avoid the reaction we anticipate getting from someone is quite a common occurrence.

One of the mottoes that I like to live by goes something like this: “Leave the world a better place than you found it; your community a better home than when you arrived and others happier than when you met them.”r

Are you taking life too seriously? Did you know as we age we are less inclined to see the funny side of life? New research shows that children laugh on average 400 times a day, compared to 28% of UK adults, who don’t laugh for up to a week at a time! Why have we all stopped laughing? We all live such hectic lives nowadays and as technology advances we find ourselves cramming even more into our already demanding day, if it’s not our job, it’s housework, the demands of parenthood, our self-imposed financial burdens, socialising with friends we don’t even like, the list is endless.

Most every electronic gadget today has a reset button. New homes have them on every electrical outlet, so instead of blowing a circuit, the outlet cuts off. You push the little red button, and PRESTO...it works anew. Blow dryers have them. Cars have them. Computers, cameras, phones, DVRs, you name it, they've got one. All 'for your convenience'. And then there's us. We have all these circuits we run on that, for the most part, we don't pay particular attention to. Especially the thoughts we think.

Learning how to manifest your desires with segment intending is one of the most powerful manifestation tools available to you in your mastery of law of attraction. Perhaps you already know about and you already practice segment intending, but if you don't this is such a powerful technique that will benefit you ... starting right now. From each moment to moment throughout your day, you are living in segments. For example, whenever you enter a room or have a new conversation with someone you are in a new segment. Are you in control of each segment throughout your day?

Dazzling fireworks color the night skies. People are dancing, laughing and having barbeques with friends. The 4th of July is one of those holidays that we seem to always remember: It was the 4th of July many years ago when Ed flew from NYC to Rome on his long journey by air, land and sea to India. There he would train to become a Yoga Master. More recently he skied high up in the Rockies on the 4th wearing shorts and no shirt. What memorable 4th of July moments to you have?rn

My friend Kate and I were discussing milestones in life and, in particular, some of the questions we ask ourselves when we hit a certain age. Do you remember the movie, "The Wizard of Oz"? Remember the tin man, the lion and the scarecrow and their journey down the yellow brick road, with Dorothy?

The problem with big families is that they don’t fit anywhere. I never thought about this problem until I experienced it, but everything in our society is designed for the family with 2.4 kids and a dog. If you happen to have four kids, a cat, a few kid friends, and a spouse, a lot of things get complicated. For example, when my first child was born, my wife and I sold our six-month-old BMW Z3 convertible and bought a Toyota Sienna minivan. My driving experience has gone downhill ever since.r

This is an interesting time of year – a time of Thanksgiving and celebration and early preparations for Christmas, too. For many entrepreneurs, this can be a time of frustration and panic if, in fact, you have not reached your goals for the year. What to do? In my conversations with many solopreneurs, in particular, I have learned that time management skills are an area for improvement. Time management and self-discipline are essential when growing and developing your business. Lack of focus can be the culprit too if/when you have not reached your goals.

“The times they are a changing..” , again. I recently attended a networking breakfast with Steve Levy, New York Suffolk County Executive, headlining and Jean Kelly, Executive Director of the Interfaith Nutrition Network, receiving honors. Mr. Levy spoke of the necessity of “non-partisan ...

Shamanic Ritual and Family Constellations: The Ancestors Speak Shamanism is the oldest spiritual tradition known to humanity and for thousands of years Shamans on each and every inhabited continent have developed an effective and profound system of healing through jou eying, soul retrieval, and communication with the Ancestors and others in the spirit world.

I spent yesterday and this AM with a friend who was given medical results 2 days ago that her (cervical) cancer is terminal. She laughingly refers to herself as “the bag lady”, as she’s had kidney problems on this journey and also has a wrapped leg due to lyphodema. She’s in so much better ...

Do you ever feel like you are stuck? Like you are walking in mud? You take ten steps forward and yet you are standing in the same place. Well the good news is, you are not stuck. When you feel this way it can only mean one thing. You know what you want but you are NOT allowing the natural flow of it to come into your life experience. You hold your own resistance to it for whatever reason. This is what I refer to as the Rocking Horse Syndrome. Your desire moves you forward ~ y

So, are you too miserable to be happy? This may sound funny to some but I’m guessing that there are people out there who understand this all too well. There are times that you may be in a state of such tremendous negativity that it’s almost impossible for anyone or anything to positively influence you. Can anyone relate to this? So, what can we do to help ourselves during times of such misery and negativity? The first thing we can do is to realize that “this too shall pass”.

Meetings can be a big waste of time or the biggest time saver. It all depends on your skills of keeping the meeting on track and engaging your staff. The challenges that keep your meetings from being productive include going on way past the allotted time, getting off track, and meetings that turn into gripe sessions. Here are four basics to running an effective meeting that keeps you completely in charge and engages your employees. 1. Set the expectations 2. Acknowledge the elephant 3. Beat the dead horse 4.

There is great adventure in the unknown that propels us to discover powerful parts of ourselves that we didn't know were there. As I write this article, my eyes focus on the cover of our leading news magazines. They tell us that ANXIETY is the number one issue at the moment. ...

© 2003 Seamus HayesnnCould you believe it if I told you that you can tap yourself out of an anxiety? Yes, actually tap away your anxiety.nnAnxiety about your golf stroke, anxiety about your performance at work, anxiety about achieving your personal goals, anxiety about your family, anxiety about being bullied, anxiety about how you appear to other people, anxiety about coping, in fact anxiety in whatever shape or form it raises its head may be eliminated through focused tapp

I'll never forget what my mom said to me the day my son was born: "Honey, your heart is now open in a new way and everything can — and will — fly in." My son was only a few hours old, but I already knew what she meant. I really understood at that moment how much heart, work, worry, fear, delight, and love are involved in being a mom.

I’m often asked about how to deliberately create the things we want, in my own words. So, here it is - the four-step process for manifesting what you really want (and yes, it works for money - I have successfully used it for that. To be honest, it kind of freaked me out when I did so. I mean, I intellectually knew it would work, but.) 1. Create It 2. Clear It 3. Live It 4. Let Go There you have it. Enjoy! Happy manifesting! Oh, all right - I'll go into a little more detail. Step One: Create It First, decide what you really want. Is it a new house, car or job?

Learning to say NO! Being Authentic to Yourself

This article is aimed at my masculine readers. If you are of the feminine race, please read this as well, and set me straight if you disagree. You certainly know this subject better tha I! Let me start out by stating that this post is a hopeless generalization. When I refer to relationships it must be also understood that there are as many unique relationship dynamics as there are relationships. That’s a lot of variety!r

Can we Create and Meet Change with an Open Heart, a Supportive Mind, Peace, and Clarity? Yes! Yes, especially with our understanding and use of Energy Psychology (for eg. EFT), Energy Medicine and other Practical Stress Management Techniques like the Endorphin Effect Strategies.

Have you ever gone outside at night and looked up at the moon and stars and realized just how small you really are? It’s almost a feeling of insignificance but it’s not related to low self-esteem. This realization, this feeling of being small, immediately diminishes our self-importance leaving us with a feeling of peace.

When buying anything, the first thing you ask is how you can find the best one. The same thought process applies to acoustic guitars. The answer is that there is not a "best" acoustic guitar to buy. Choosing the best acoustic guitar depends on the individual player and their needs. Of course, when you think about best Acoustic guitar brands , some common names come to mind immediately. Gibson, Fender, and Ibanez are but a few of the ones that spring up. All have a quality ins

What are the lies we believe?nnThey are usually hidden and because they are hidden, they are unseen enemies that flourish unchecked.nnThey come from early experiences we have had and have been formed as a way to protect us from hurt. And they lie just under the radar of our awareness. So they kind of operate on autopilot, and we experience their results in our lives, but we do not usually detect them.nnLet me give an example of how a limiting belief can form…nnSuppose that

“At the moment you consciously make a choice, pay attention to how you feel.” From The Law of Karma We all find ourselves at times walking the edge between this and that, yes and no. . When you make a decision and you have a sense of “relief” you know it’s a right choice. Intuitive “hits” come ...

Who are you? What do you do? These are common questions as we go about our daily lives. These are very difficult questions for many people who are currently unemployed, newly retired, 'stay at home' Moms, and so on. In today's society, we place so much value on what we do - our label, if you will. As women, we typically grow up as 'people pleasers'. We lose sight of who we are, really; if, in fact, we ever figured it out! As women, also, we tend to compare the inside of us to the outside of everyone else. That needs to stop.

Watching television’s “sitcom’s”, I can’t help but notice that most of the plots revolve around the same theme – someone being afraid to tell someone else the truth. We saw it in the years that Ross loved Rachel, that Niles loved Daphne, or that George hated Susan. We saw it in virtually every episode of Three’s Company. nnWhy do we keep the truth from people? Usually it’s for one of the following reasons (or a combination): we don’t want to hurt someone’s

Regardless of our chosen field, or the manner in which we use your gifts, most of us have come across people in our lives who absolutely refuse to take responsibility for their actions, their situations, their own lives. It could be a family member, a dear friend, a co-worker, even a spouse. These are the people we may care most about, yet, even if we're the very best at what we do, there's no amount of “try” that will change a thing. You know it. I know it.

Negativity is the number one productivity problem in the workplace. Signs of negativity include backstabbing, gossiping, power struggles and lack of teamwork. The end result is absenteeism, low morale and turnover. Here are seven tips for improving workplace relationships and reducing negativity. 1. Facilitate Regular Staff Meetingsr When done properly, regular meetings provide a forum for listening, problem-solving and honoring peak performance. Meeting mistakes include lecturing instead of engaging the team, inconsistent meeting times, no agenda, and no fun. 2.

"DO you want to live an authentic life?" What would it take? What changes do you need to make? It all begins with the way we think. "If you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you're getting." You've got to change something for something to change. If you sincerely feel that it's time to remove the mask(s), then you must ask yourself some serious questions: 1. What mask have I been wearing when at work? 2. What mask have I been wearing when with different family members? 3. What mask have I been wearing when with friends? 4.

There is a prevalent theory making the rounds, time and again, that your thoughts are what create your emotions and therefore your stress. One of the expressions of these is what is called “Appraisal Theory”, which has been summed up as follows: Event ==> thinking ==> Simultaneous arousal and emotio Back in the day when I believed that the mind was supreme, this made perfect sense to me. After all, we humans are the thinkers, which is supposed to distinguish us from all other beasts.

You Wanna Do What?!? Are You Nuts? Because I blog about changing your lifestyle I have asked readers to comment about what they think are the personal barriers to chucking it all right now and living the ultimate family lifestyle. I want to thank all who responded. The honesty and palpable emotions touched me. Today I am posting one of those responses, and my reply to it. Ben is a reader who is struggling with the challenges of approaching his partner with his creative lifestyle design dreams. Let’s listen in … Hugh -r

On the one hand, understanding law of attraction and how it works seems simple enough, but on the other hand figuring out the secret to how to make law of attraction work for you can often feel incredibly complex. I don't know how many times I've thought I was on the right track, became very focused and specific in my requests to the Universe, and followed the manifestation process explicitly as it's described by so many of the law of attraction and self help gurus. Yet still, nothing. Nada.

The Power was released on August 17, 2010. Not only have I jumped on the first occasion to grab my very own copy of the book, but it really didn't take long before I finished reading it -- less than 3 workdays! Needless to say I was very excited about Rhonda Byrne's major new book being released to the world!

Seems to me that folks don't pay much mind to their words. You hear things every day that are proof of this. Stuff like: “My back is killing me.” “I hate my life.” “I wish somebody would kill that jerk.” “I'm dying to meet him.” “I'm sick and tired of....” Very common little phrases that most folks use with nary a thought of what they're actually saying. If you read those statements, and really pay mind to the words...it's pretty obvious how detrimental they can be to one's over-all well being. Some would argue, 'well, I didn't really mean it that way...'.

Where do our thoughts come from—particularly the ones that poison our minds and can sometimes cause us so much trouble? First and foremost, we make them. It seems that we are born without any preconceived idea in mind. We are supplied with five senses with which we perceive the outside world and, possibly, ourselves included in this world. We are also equipped with a brain with which we make interpretations about what we perceive.

rn“Making a difference” is not just a scheduled event or activity, but a moment anytime when a person finds it in his/her heart to do something good, to care or to share, or to make a voluntary contribution to another individual, a community or our society.rn When we consciously give or do whatever we can to help maintain the wellness of individuals and families in our communities, these acts also contribute to the best quality of life of everyone in our society. Let us c

It is common to hear professionals in the therapy realm talk about the need to manage one's emotions. Other terms for this include "emotional mastery", "emotional control", and "emotional freedom".

It’s disturbing to me that most people believe prescription drugs are the best healing cure. They will spend years subscribing to this method and still won’t resolve their ailments. The reason they won’t solve their illness or disease is because prescription drugs are not the right answer. In fact, in most cases, you can create additional problems by using prescription drugs. Don’t believe it? Then why is it, many times, that when you return to your doctor for another visit, you may get an additional prescription drug to resolve an additional problem?

There are few things more satisfying to this writer than getting comments from readers who express gratitude for my offerings. I'm NOT kidding. It's such a joy to hear from people who have been inspired by my meanderings, and to know that in some small way I'm actually helping. It's SUCH a thrill. Just this morning, as I was making my morning brew, I got to thinking about this new day and what I could to do to insure that I leave a mark. In other words, what can I do TODAY that will enhance someone's life, even if it's merely to bring a smile or nudge them over a hump.

I was paying for the massage I had just received when my eyes fell upon a small sign. I read it. It said: "Don't Believe Everything You Think." I broke out laughing. I flashed on all the times I had marched righteously into my life having believed some thought that I had been done an ...

Every time someone said something nice to me or did something nice for me, my Mother would pose the question, "what do you say?" She made it easy for me to remember to say thank you, and created the habit I still have today. I chuckle when I hear other parents prompt their children, remembering my Mother's kindness and her intention to teach me good manners. It wasn't until many years later that I realized I had learned to say thank you at a very young age but I didn't know a

Embracing My Inner Warrior They say that you can do anything in Vegas. Well, apparently, you can. My older kids noticed a brochure on the tourist racks for a place called “The Gun Store.” Yeah, I know a gun store? “But dad, they have all of these uber old guns from World War II and stuff and they even let grownups fire some of them.”r

You are the perfect instrument for Spirit to express itself through. See yourself as a perfectly endowed spiritual instrument without limitations. When you do, you will find it easy, in fact natural, to expect the good that you desire and you will also understand that doubt simply obstructs the enfoldment of healing and abundance in your life. Doubt does not shut down the workings of this power. The power is always working perfectly. The doubt you hold becomes the picture that will turn into your physical results.

Live and Let Live “There will always be war, famine & poverty as long as anyone believes that he has the right to impose his will on another.” I wrote that on Twitter a few weeks back and it seemed to resonate with some people. That sentence is my conclusion of what people like you and I must commit to if we want there to be a future for our children and grandchildren. I believe that only when we understand that we must persuade others to our point of view, rather than impose our “wisdom” on the world through law or otherwise people will not truly respect one another.r

I had a meeting with a client last week and the discussion centered around how busy we all are. We had a lengthy chat about some strategies for taking control of each day. Here's a note I got from her over the weekend: "Just thinking of you! Detoxing my office!!!! Big Time. Amazing how in front of my desk (where you access the closet & filing cabinet) was completely blocked with STUFF for over 6 months now. Almost like my road ahead was blocked! Now all my filing is done and I will start to implement my work week.

Family Leadership 101 Leading Your Broodr Are you your family’s leader? Whether your answer is yes or no, this post is focused on you. Why does leadership matter? Well, first let’s consider the following questions. Is your home just a collection of people going separately about their own lives? Is this what you had always dreamed that it would be like? Are you and your loved ones bonded together in a way that brings each of you positive energy, strength, and a sense of true belonging?r

Tapping into opportunity is about working creatively with potential, not being limited by challenges. The key to realizing your own potential is tuning in to how you interpret the events playing out in your own life. It’s about acknowledging fear and anxiety and releasing it. It’s about ...

As I was 'out and about' these past few weeks, visiting different networking groups in the local area, the first question that is typically asked is "Who are you and what do you do?" Now, that question can evoke a ton of emotion within us.

rnI am a self-confessed opera-addict. Although I know my attitude is totally wrong, in my secret heart of hearts I would probably consign all other art forms to hell. My addiction began when I was six years old. My father always tuned into the Saturday afternoon Metropolitan Opera broadcasts. I could barely understand what was going on, but even then the music, voices, and drama made a visceral impact on me. Even the primal screaming seemed so melodious! As I matured, I figur

Another source of difficulty lies in the way we often go about changing our thoughts and ideas. Indeed, many of us try to accomplish this with mere sporadic and scattered efforts. What really happens here is that even if we repeat to ourselves a few times a day new healthy thoughts and ideas, we still continue—at least, much of the time—to speak the original "language of rubbish" that we have already learned so well.

In the first part of this article, we have seen that not only many of our thoughts are from our own making, but that we have also learned a panoply of them through the contact of our parents and/or immediate environment. Let's continue our exploration of the origin of our thoughts and ideas. For most of us, we started out school around the age of five. And if school often teaches children knowledge that is useful, it often conveys unhealthy prejudices as well -- alas, it does! After all, teachers are also human beings reared in the same way as their students.

This happened far, far away on another planet millions of years ago... It was an incredible world of blinding beauty. Enchanting music filled the air. Everything of that world was made so knowingly that you would stare and marvel. Everything was extraordinarily technologically advanced. This was the world of humans. There they led long and tranquil lives. They travelled on space ships far into the cosmos. Everything was still, quiet and calm. The humans knew not of war or conflict.

Hi there! I know you are a happiness activist because I assume you want to help to create Peace on Earth. If we had peace on Earth, then we would have people who were smiling and laughing. Happy people smile and laugh and now we can teach happiness like we can teach math with the new Happiness Science! Join the AMERICAN HAPPINESS ASSOCIATION and happiness activists all over the world taking a stand for world peace, love and happiness on JULY 10th, 2009 for INTERNATIONAL HAPPINESS DAY! WHO: A day where everyone around the world participate in making the world a happier place!

Just when you think it will never happen, your miracle comes! What a liberating thought-to love and live with expectancy. Have hope, expect a miracle. Something good is going to happen to you, especially for you, TODAY! Keep this declaration in your subconscious mind throughout the day each and every day. This attitude of gracious acceptance with genuine gratitude for your miracle, whether large or small, elevates your consciousness and messages to the universe that you are ready. Ready to receive, ready to reciprocate, ready to live your purpose.

I am so very proud to call myself a Canadian this week as we host the Olympic Games in Vancouver. I was spell-bound as I watched the Opening Ceremonies and jumped out of my chair with great joy when Alexandre Bilodeau won the first Gold medal for Canada! "If you only care enough for a result, you will almost certainly attain it." – William James We know that the Canadian athletes are feeling tremendous pressure to perform. They have already put in the time and effort, and have goal-set to 'get to' the Olympics – now it's all about the mindset to 'win at' the Olympic games.

As a coach, I come across numerous clients with different areas of life needing clarification or improvement. No client is exactly alike yet everyone has similar issues or thoughts to work on or work through. They all have a common thread. The number one reason a client comes to me is Fear. Whether they are at the top and want to go higher or need to work through a problem, the common thread is False Evidence Appearing Real.

It is normally to hear people talk about the things they wish to start going. We hear it so much it becomes dull to our ears. We learn to ignore those statements. It makes no logical sense for us to encourage a person speaking of the things they ought to be doing. We already know by the selection of words, they are not ready to make a change. We know because we are guilty of the same types of statements.r

Through my many years of life, experience and learning I have found there are different types and levels of friendships and relationships. I want to discuss this in my article and see if anyone agrees.

Nothing is stronger than intuition. Intuition is what I call "inner trust." Most people, including me, do not trust their intuition even though this inner trust guide is almost always in all ways right. But, you should tune in to your intuition. Author Laura Day in How to Rule the World From Your Couch, explains how your intuition will help you become more powerfully connected to your life. She says that intuition, which women have a stronger sense of, is the staff of success. Bob Scheinfeld in The Eleventh Element, calls intuition the X-factor for success.

Sadness is the body’s way of telling you how much it misses being happy. Relationships end, jobs are lost, people die, welcome to the game of life. Sadness is a natural reaction to a loss of some kind. Every person on the planet has situations that can bring on sadness. It can be loneliness, ...

Complaining and negativity is difficult enough in the workplace, but what do you do when a relative or friend, (Sally, Sam, or Sue) occupies your time with venting, complaining and negativity? It’s difficult to see someone you care about go through hard times but it seems that this is more of a pattern than a particular situation. Negativity breeds negativity and research shows that venting only makes things worse. Here are four choices to stop your drama with your family and friends! Unplug I have a saying: it takes two to play games unless you are playing solitaire.

When it comes to changing our unhealthy thoughts and ideas, there are several factors that—most often than not—stand in our way. And the first one is undoubtly the tenacity of the habits we have acquired in our youth. For example, we all know how difficult it is to learn to speak a new language. The habit of speaking our native language—which we have learned without too much effort given that no previous linguistic habit really interfered with our learning process—makes the learning of a new language more difficult.

That's Got to Hurt! I recently had a Twitter friend ask me to post some uplifting quotes related to “taking kindness as weakness” and “being pushed too far.” Of course I did my best to find a few that might assuage her pain. At least I hope they helped a little. This reminded me of a common bumper sticker I see around my home. It is published by the local women’s shelter. “Love is not abuse,” it says. Abuse comes in many forms and generally it does not involve obvious physical battering. Verbal and psychological abuse, even when subtle, can hurt. These do not communicate love.r

The Dalai Lama says that we all share one common aspiration: we all want to be happy; no one wants to suffer. This universal desire binds us together. At some point the realization dawns that no matter how big the paycheck is, no matter how many degrees we get, no matter how nice the house and the white picket fence is, none of it can assure happiness. nnWhat is it that does bring lasting happiness, no matter what the circumstance? The ancient poet and mystic Rumi gives us a

Batik today, is located not only in the form of paintings however patterns may also be used on shirts as well. Through the walls with the living room, typical Batik has gotten to the citified markets as supermodels everywhere sashay in sarongs or possibly caftans made from the unique Batik technique. Sad to say, a lot of fabrics have clipped up which in turn only resemble Batik but are not in reality made employing the traditional strategies. Batik and Tie and Absorb dyes can

In my previous article titled, "Happiness - Love and Affection: Replaceable or Irreplaceable Need?," we have seen that we do not have the irreplaceable need for the uninterrupted, permanent, and exclusive love, approval, and acceptance of anyone-and not even some degree of these elements-to live happily on this earth. However, that doesn't mean that we do not attach a more or less considerable importance to this very same love, approval, and acceptance.

Those who do not have the power over the story that dominates their lives, power to retell it, rethink it, deconstruct it, joke about it, and change it as times change, truly are powerless, because they cannot think new thoughts. Salman Rushdie Everyone has multiple talents and everyone can sing. If you don’t acknowledge your ability to sing because you think you can’t, it will not diminish the singer within you. One of the common issues that comes up with clients and in workshops is the statement: I CANNOT...r

Ancestral Cords You may be tempted to believe that there is very little connection betwee Family Constellation work and energy healing work -after all, they don't look the same, feel the same, or behave the same. Family Constellations, through engaging in the 'field', is as much energy healing work as any other modality. It is my belief that no single modality is in total isolation, and no single modality provides all of the answers. So, what are Ancestral cords?

Remember this, omega-3 fats are very essential to your health and your children’s health. So it’s important to add it to your daily health regimen. The best source of Omega-3 is fish oil and cod liver oil. I don’t remember ever hearing of fish oil when I was growing up but I sure do remember cod liver oil. I got many doses of that. My mother probably guessed it was the all time healer of whatever we were sick with.

Life is Our Classroomr

Are you shocked? Are you a disbeliever? Do you believe Big Pharma and the medical community that says there is no known cure for cancer now? Do you believe the “pink campaign” for supporting research is legitimate? Come on folks. Don’t be stupid. Don’t let all those organizations brainwashing into thinking there is no cure for cancer. First of all, there is a cure for cancer and before I finish this article I’ll prove it with documented proof.

Who Am I? Know Thyself. This advice was reportedly engraved on the famed Oracle at Delphi the seat of all wisdom in the ancient world. It was the guiding rule of the ancient Greek philosopher, Socrates. Even the mysterious “Oracle” in Hollywood’s Matrix movie trilogy had this phrase posted above the entrance to her kitchen. What does it mean? Before you can go anywhere with your life; before you can do anything meaningful; you must understand yourself. Who are you? What matters to you? What are your passions? Why are you on this Earth? Most people never ask these questions.r

Key #5 to Happiness – Living in the present “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present.” ~Babatunde Olatunji At first glance, you might ask – what does living in the present have to do with happiness? What’s so great about the present? What does it even mean to live in the present? It means that we are focused on what we are experiencing, thinking and/or feeling right now…and not caught up in the fantasies abo

Peace Amid the Chaos I am going to tell you something strange; perhaps even unbelievable. I understand exactly what is going on in today’s world. I seem to have a gift. I can see the big picture where many others cannot. I understand what is causing so much of this chaos that surrounds us. I know why the stock market is so weird and why there is a financial crisis. I called it all ten years ago and my call has been right on.r

Last year on Earth Day I walked into a store and was given a wooden clothes pin. On one side was writte "Save Energy." Turn it over and it said, "Hang Your Clothes Out to Dry." Strange, I thought. Here they are giving out pieces of trees as a way to honor the planet. I wanted to tell you about it but couldn't figure out where the story went as far as an article. When I was out taking a walk I got it. I get to tell you about THE FINGER REVOLUTION. What, you may ask, is a finger revolution? Great question.

Ensuring Happinessrn(Vinod Anand)

My Life IS My Message My Life IS My Message. Sometimes new acquaintances ask me, “So Hugh, what is it you do?” It seems like a straight-forward question but for me answering never is. Consider the following possible answers: • “I help awaken people to the life they should be living.” • “I show people how to transform their lives and live their dreams.” • “I help people to re-order their priorities.” • “I talk about my unusual lifestyle so that others might be inspired to follow.”r

While on vacation I finished an autobiographical accounting of Amelia's historical flight in the Friendship called, 20 hrs., 40 min. I took note of many parts of the book-- and many of her funny remarks and down to earth humble stories. One story that amused me was when she gave an accounting of the time she experienced real fog for the first time.

While I know this is somewhat painful, I invite you anyway to take a few moments to look at the world and the unhappiness and misery that overwhelm it, that overwhelm us all. What do you know notice? Where do all this unhappiness and misery come from? Do you know the number one cause?

This winter has seen a tremendous amount of snow fall in our area. I, personally, love it. That is why I choose to live in this part of Canada. I am in the snow belt. The interesting piece in this ‘equation’ is that I have my ‘outside/winter friends’ and my ‘outside/summer friends’ – the same holds true in business – I spend time with different people for different reasons. In business, when you examine your marketing pie, you are probably spending time with different people for different reasons. (You do have a marketing pie, don’t you?)

As human beings, we are often pushed by what we perceive as our issues. Equally important, we are also pulled forward by our dreams, visions and inspirations. Often, we tend to focus on our issues due to their pressure, and don't invest in the process of creation. Without asking the question: “What do I really want?” and, without taking the time to reflect and discover what is true for us, we are likely to repeat childhood patterns of living someone else’s plan for us.

Are You A Family Leader? The purpose of The Way of the Passionate Warrior is to create inspired and passionate family leaders. Yes, this site is about families but truly it is about family leadership. Are you a family leader? Not much happens in life without some sort of initiative and initiative is leadership even if you are the only one being led.r

What an apt saying by John Wooden , Hall of Fame Coach of UCLA .nnIt is always said that a leader is as good as his or her team .The qualities of a leader determine who is inside the circle. Sometimes while determining our inner circle we often focus only on productivity and results. However focusing on a person's inner qualities is more important.nnSome of the key attributes that you could remember as a LICENCE to your inner circle is as follows: nnLoyalty - This in itself d

Most of the vehicles move on wheels. Even aero planes use wheels during take off and landing. Modern wheel is an excellent piece of engineering efforts but for the driver of the vehicle the major concern about the wheel is its tire- pressure. Whether you are driving a bike, car or truck, you have to maintain certain amount of tire pressure . This amount is a prescribed value recommended by the manufacturer of vehicle for common road conditions . If you violate the prescribed

Yesterday, I made a big mess. I was trying to be Superwoman and get everything done. Instead, I slowed myself down and am still cleaning up today. What does multitasking cost us?

DEPRESSION AND FRUSTRATIONrn(Vinod Anand) Depression and frustration come in many forms, sometimes couched in philosophical conundrums that confuse young minds, leading to serious issue. We will have a brief look at these problems. At a point in time in one’s life when one feels all doors are closed and all you can see is darkness, one feels that by not existing physically, we can end the mental anguish. For example, Princess Diana used to inflict cuts on her body to deal with the unbearable pain inside

I watch so many women entrepreneurs pinching pennies, day in and day out – month in and month out – as they struggle to grow their business. I also see them spending money on things and events that do not contribute to the growth of their business. Typically, it is because they don’t have a strategy (let alone a real business plan).

Today there isn’t much that leaves us in awe. We are educated in general scientific principles. Through modern media we are exposed to the wonders of space; of quantum physics and other incredible discoveries. As a species we no longer ascribe great geological events to the anger of the gods. It is easy therefore to think that physical travel for the purpose of discovery and learning is a quaint but expensive relic that is best left to the rich and the retired.

Uncertainty is the key to adventure. One of the first steps to starting down the road to a creative family lifestyle is to prepare yourself for uncertainty. If you are the kind of person who needs a lot of predictability in your life in order to sleep well then this path may not be for you.r

Teach 'Um! Today my wife and I took a little detour and met with some potential new business associates for a business that she runs. This was not my idea of a fun afte oon’s activity but sometimes you gotta do stuff; so I went along. It could be a big deal if it goes through. I hope she gets it. We are in the upper Midwest these days and the weather has been fantastic. Weather people forecast violent storms for tonight but all I see is a big ole moon in a cloudless sky – how’d they screw that one up?r

One day, while driving home from work I thought to myself "I really love going to work now. Why?" And the conclusion I reached was that one of my coworker's persistent smiles were making my entire office an enjoyable place to be. In fact, this smiling coworker's supervisor even commented on his "contagious smile" when she first mentioned hiring him. Also, as I recalled my favorite group of students I ever taught (I teach at a community college), this group had one particular

Happiness in Actionrn(Vinod Anand) Stress is a disease of the 21st Century. It axes years from your life. Stress affects work output, causing failure and unhappiness. We need to develop internal protection from the challenges of life. You attribute your stress to an exte al agency. You believe your mother-in-law, boss or the weather causes your stress. Vedanta says that nothing in the world has the power to disturb you except yourself.

Many people are suffering right now due to the market volatility, unemployment and apparent lack of stability. This suffering manifests in mind patters of worry and anxiety that builds deep grooves in the brain until a new pathway is built into the brain that has you repeating thoughts of doom and gloom. The more you focus on the problems the more real you make them and the more you trigger toxic chemicals that flow into your blood stream harming your physical health some three months or three years later. If you want to stop the DRAMA here are three steps. 1. Get control of your bodyr

Where you focus that is where your attention will go. Because of this human phenomena when you hold an image, and visualize an outcome, you empower yourself to move in that direction. I cannot overemphasize the importance of holding a clear picture in your imagination of what you want as part of the process of manifestation. Years and years ago I participated in a workshop whose topic was strategies for success. To emphasize the power of holding an image in mind, they had us do an experiment. They divided the room into three groups, A, B, and C.

New FREE Guide to Persuading Your Partner Published! You have made up your mind. You are going to take the plunge. Start your new life. Live it your way. Then reality socks you in the face. What about your partner? What will he or she think? What if they nix the idea right off? Or maybe they’ll just laugh – call it another of your hair-brained ideas – and refuse to take you seriously? What do you do now?r

STEP ONE: EXPLORE A HIDDEN SOURCE OF PERSONAL POWER Are the words you use more like a tire pump or a nail? When we tell ourselves, "I'm not good enough" or "I won't succeed," we puncture our confidence, success and happiness like a nail flattens a tire. Positive self-talk like, "I'll do my best and see what happens" works like a tire pump. We expand our confidence, self-esteem and our enthusiasm about achieving our goals. Our confidence and our ability to succeed automatica

HOW IMPORTANT IS COVERSATION? (Vinod Anand) Is conversation a dying art? Texting is communication. The impersonal virtual space is best to argue and engage. If we don’t like someone’s views, we tune off But talking — orr Listening — is simply not an option anymore. Let us look at it briefly The daily commute from home to work in Metropolitan cities in local trains or buses is a fascinating experience. People say the railway is the biggest leveler in this city.

We have known for a long time now that by reducing free radicals, antioxidants can help prevent cancer, but a recent study at John Hopkins published recently in “Science” shows how antioxidants may be doing even more. What’s been found is antioxidants are interfering with the growth of cancers that are already established. Potentially they are even reversing them once established, by knocking out communication signals between cancer cells that encourage cells to grow and divide.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner now. Friends and families are planning and gathering for the day. Is it going to be turkey, or goose, or maybe we'll even try turducky! How many side dishes this year? Remember last year we forgot the broccoli! Do we really have to have candied yams and mashed potatoes and stuffing? Who's going to make the pumpkin pie?

Gotta Let You Go… Now What? Those words (or just the fear of hearing them) haunt just about every job holder in today’s “deadsville” economy. Losing a job is a real possibility these days even for long-time loyal employees. I cannot begin to alleviate your pain if this has happened to you recently. However I want to point out the silver lining in the otherwise dark clouds that are hanging over you right now. Answer this question for me: did you get up every morning for this job excited to go to work and dive right in? If not then why are you looking for another one of these dead ends?

Now many people would refuse to believe that there are any advantages to mind control power. But I can tell you for a fact that using it properly can get you some awesome results for whatever you want to accomplish in life. Of course you must also understand that it's important that you are the only one to direct mind control power. Do not let anyone else control your mind without your permission.

7 Secrets to Living the Good Life Know the 7 Secrets. There really are 7 “Secrets” that you need to know and understand before you can successfully transform your life from where it is now to where it needs to be. These 7 Secrets require that you change your long-held attitudes, your approach to living and your priorities. They also require you to discover a degree of emotional maturity within that few today know they can possess. Comprehend and implement these 7 Secrets and you will dramatically transform the quality of your life. The 7 Secrets to Living the Good Life are as follows:r

The world of volunteerism changes as the world changes, and new needs appear. Food Relief has become even more of an urgent frontier for volunteers than it was in the past. We have also seen a rise in the need for disaster relief volunteers. Here are 6 volunteer opportunities matched to today’s needs. Food Relief: 3 Volunteer Opportunities Volunteering time at a food bank, food pantry, or soup kitchen is a beautiful way to help others get a decent healthy meal. Since the 20

A reader writes, “I read your article, The Benefits of Laughter, and while finding it most informative I also felt as though it were rubbing salt in a wound. You see, unfortunately I cannot laugh, and have been looking for all sorts of medical help with this problem. Of course you didn’t know that I am going through a particularly difficult time learning to laugh. However, perhaps you could make things easier for me by sharing knowledge of anyone who shares my condition or perhaps what you think might help. I have tried comedies, jokes, funny stories, tickling.

I haven’t met anyone recently who hasn't come down with a case of the blue devils processing all the bad news we are bombarded with, in addition to those investment statements that don't seem to be headed in the intended direction. I don't know about you but I have found myself triggered by ...

Americans are currently drowning in a sea of debt--experts warn that increasing personal debt among U.S. consumers poses a severe threat to the nation's economy. Not only that, money troubles are the most common cause of divorce in America. American consumer debt is larger than the gross domestic product of some foreign countries. Money--too little of it, how to invest it, how to manage daily expenses for long-term goals like college education, retirement and critical health

Life on the Canals of France Cruising the Canals of France by Barge

In order to be successful in Living by Design you must let yourself know what you REALLY want. This is can be daunting for some folks. There are many reasons you might struggle with declaring goals and dreams. Perhaps you are afraid that once you get it, you will find you really don’t want it. Or perhaps your life will be so changed that you will lose touch with those you love. Or some other form of harm may come to you or to others.

Are you feeling lost these days? Were you ever a Brownie or Girl Guide? I recall that one of the badges I got was for camping – and learning your way around the woods. We learned to use a compass. Steven Covey often speaks about the difference between the clock and the compass. Have you identified the priorities in your life and do you have a life plan……….? Just as important is having a plan for your business – a strategy, if you will. Are you lost or do you have a plan?

Happiness is the direct result of a choice. An agreement, between you and you. If you aren’t happy now, it’s because you have not made this choice, this agreement with yourself. The question is, “Why not?” Many people simply do not understand this basic rule of life. Apparently, nobody told them about it. Their parents didn’t know it. Chances are their parents weren’t so happy themselves. And maybe those parents didn’t see themselves as success stories either? Friends were probably clueless too.r

Because emotionality and sensitivity are frequently looked down upon, while their opposing character traits are heavily romanticized in the Western world, people often have a disturbed image of their own emotional behavior. We are constantly under pressure to restrain our emotional selves. We have been taught to apologize for our feelings, so be ashamed about our tears, and to fear being called hysterical or dramatic. But if you immediately discard your feelings as a weakness

The following article is based on principles from the recent #1 best-selling book, Happiness Is Free and the Sedona Method Course. These principles will show you how to access your natural ability to let go of any unwanted thought or feeling on the spot, even when you are right in the middle ...

If you are like most people you get in your car, start it and either adjust it from the "park" position and put it in "reverse" or "drive", right? You are either moving forward or in reverse. In much the same way in life, we are either moving forward, towards our goals, or being distracted by things which are coming between us and our goals. And sometimes, just as in driving, you may have to go in reverse in order to move forward. It is worth noodling this through and holding ourselves accountable after all, we are in the driver's seat.

We humans love our spooky stories. Like moths to the flame, we can’t resist the spine-tingling scariness of a good legend, myth or bugaboo. When you were a child, were you afraid of creatures that might be hiding under your bed? Or in the closet? Did your parents always have to leave the night light on because you were afraid of the dark? What other bogeymen (and women) populated your life? Characters from scary movies? Slimy squirmy beings under the sea? Creepy, crawlies that might scoot up your pants or down your back in the woods?

The 5th Secret to Getting the Life You Wantr Know Your Priorities – Be present with who and what you love – otherwise, what’s the point? The greatest gift that you can give to another person is your full and undivided attention. It’s also the greatest gift that you can give to yourself. The reality is every living thing seems to thrive on attention. From people right down to your houseplants, your focused, sincere and caring attention is what life craves. What you pay attention to most defines your life.

Those who spend a great deal of time complaining do a lot of negative thinking. Both complaining and thinking negative thoughts feed off of each other. When you voice complaints, you’re validating negative thoughts. When you don’t believe in yourself you are effectively making your life more difficult. You’re putting obstacles in your path before you’ve even begun. It is time to put an end to complaining by squashing negative thoughts. It all begins with understanding that

Here in Canada, we just celebrated our Thanksgiving holiday. Thanksgiving is a special time for me, personally. It's a time of reflection and, often, for me, a time of change. I love the change of seasons, the magical colors of the trees, the crisp Mac apples (my favorite!), walking through the leaves - and just taking the time to think about my life. What about you? When did you last take any time to think about your life? Your work? Your business? Your family? Your dreams? I will tell you when this will actually happen, for most people.

Have you heard the expression that one doesn’t need much to be happy? It might just be true, since I am going to share with you some simple things that can put you in good and inspired mood. Here are things that can make you happy. 1. Artwork. New research into how the brain works carried by Azeke from the University College London revealed that when we look at things we consider beautiful the activity in the pleasure-reward centre of the brain goes up. There is a lot of do

Freedr As we live our lives, freedom is singing its sweet music in far off Iran. The younger generation there simply refuses to accept tyranny over their lives any longer. When I watch these brave souls fighting this tyranny in the streets of Tehran and elsewhere; I realize that freedom is really what I am all about. Without true freedom you would not be able to live your true natural lifestyle. You would be a prisoner of the common accepted manner of living. True freedom is the liberty to be you; without so much as a “by your leave” to anyone else. In order to be you, you must be free.r

How do I change my life? You start with yourself. You change from the inside. Ultimately, this will reflect outwardly and will serve to improve things in your life - such as your relationships with others. And other things will begin to change, as well. Such as an improvement in your financial situation - though do be forewarned, it won't be an instantaneous change. Book as Bible for Change: Finding Your Own North Star In the book, "Finding Your Own North Star", there are two

Many years ago when I was young I had no faith in anything or anyone because I felt that what life was throwing at me was not deserved. As I have become more understanding with age I understand that everything happens for a reason. My friends laugh at me because no matter what happens I throw out my platitudes. I am known as the "Everything happens for a reason" woman. I really believe that it is true and we are meant to learn from every situation that presents itself to us.

IS YOUR MIND ALWAYS IN CONFLICT? (Vinod Anand) Are YOU always ready to lash out at an opposing view or hold another person responsible for your problems? The solution to calming your mind lies in taking your enemies out to lunch, at least once in a lifetime

"If you cannot be a poet, be the poem."~ David CarradinennAutumn in New England is a sensual experience. Wood-smokenfires fill the night sky with ghostly images. The air is scented with ready-to-pick apples and burning oak from hearth fires. Maple trees don their cloaks of red, orange and yellow for one last brilliant display of color. The honking of geese overhead signals that another season has passed. And, in the midst of all this beauty and decay, lie the seeds for next S

Each of us has our own set of personal values; these are the things which we believe are important, which motivate us and to which we give priority. If I asked you what your personal values are, the chances are that you would struggle to find the answer. You would not be alone; in fact the majority of people would find it hard to answer this question satisfactorily.nnThe reality is that most of us are not fully aware of our own personal values. This is the same as saying that

How many times, lately, have you told yourself, "I’m just having TOO much fun!"??? I don’t hear this often enough from women – in fact, many of us don’t even make the time for fun in our lives. We are much too serious! Our schedules are full. Business has taken over our lives.

I recently realized what was missing in many emotional healing techniques - a systematic and comprehensive approach that would ensure that the three key aspects of the emotional healing process would be properly handled. Since early 2001, I have engaged in a dedicated and intense research ...

If you don’t know the true facts about factory farming then you should because it’s unbelievable and horrible to watch. If you really want to be totally informed about laws governing what you eat, have a strong stomach then I recommend you go to You Tube and look at a video on the subject. It’s unbelievable what meat producers can get by with.

Inner wisdom, truth, authentic self, intuition, life joy…all of these refer to the same thing: the voice inside your heart, mind and “gut” that guides you quietly, clearly and truly. Your authentic self is completely supportive of you, but you will surely notice when you’re not listening to it. When did you last listen to your authentic self? It is often drowned out by the ego-mind (aka the inner critic), but that inner critic cannot drown out the feelings you have that something isn’t quite right. Feelings of unhappiness, distress, fear.

People speculate a lot with the word trust and they do it on purpose. I would like to make a few clarifications about it... Many times trust is mixed with faith. But to have faith is one thing and to trust someone is something completely different. Faith is pointing outwards, it is created outside and is based on other people experiences and achievements. Trust is facing inwards, it is built within us and is based on the personal experience and achievements. Meaning of the words is irrelevant when we are not moving anywhere and we don’t want to know anything about ourselves.

Raising children isn’t easy. As parents, we are expected to do a lot of things for our children to insure their safety and wellness. Sometimes, it’s tough to know what is right for them, and what isn’t. After all, they have technology available to them that we never had. They also have a lot more distractions than we did. They are consumed with stuff! These things in life don’t always scream “hey, this is really going to hurt them later on down the road!” So what

One of the conce s that I had before I decided to take my life (and my family’s lives) in a completely new direction was what people around me might think. You know what I’m talking about. For some folks being different comes easy. For those of us who grew up among the cliques and jock/freak/nerd labels of public high school you can’t help but feel a bit of a cringe when you realize that what you are about to do is different.

The love of self is strong and powerful. It is the greatest gift you can give yourself. Everything starts with you. Every part of your life comes from you. The people in your life are from you. You are the one who chooses the experiences and events in your life. You are the one who allows certain people into your life. With this in mind, wouldn’t you want everything to start from a place of love? You are the creator of your own reality. When you create from love, what do yo

The ability to reach out and ask for help isn’t something that comes easily to some folks. Pride keeps them from showing their vulnerabilities. Fear keeps them stuck. But when they make that little shift and see that the asking is as much a gift as it is a favor, everything changes. Fast. Dropping the facade of bravado and opening up to the magic of friendship is a pretty remarkable feeling. Once the facade is gone, a whole new perspective rises up and shines like diamonds on a sun-lit morning. In the blink of an eye, the feelings of ineptitude vanish, replaced by feelings of empowerment.

If you are obsessing, worrying and feeling overworked, you may feel stuck on the hamster wheel and not know how to change. You long for fun and relaxation but you can’t see any change in sight. If you relate to the song, “I can’t get no satisfaction,” it’s time to make a couple of needed changes. 1. Stop working so much 2. Take a technology break 3. Block out time for fun Stop working so muchr We get addicted to adrenalin and being busy.

You have a Vision. You want to live your dream, to pursue it, but the possibility of ever achieving it looks so distant from where you stand. Big endeavors require big effort... are you ready to tackle this one? We often come up with a grand idea. We get excited about it and we start dreaming of the plans and achievements. We get excited about the whole concept. We talk to people about it. Thoughts rush in our head and we can’t stop them. Something else stops them for us... Fear.

Have you ever stood in complete faith and anticipation of what is to come? Holding yourself in anticipation of what is to come will release resistance to what is, allowing what you want to come in. There will always be a natural balance in your life. If it feels like your world is falling to pieces, it will eventually balance itself out. However, if you get ahead of it, it will balance out faster. To get ahead of it, sit in POSITIVE anticipation. When you go through tough tim

Rent’s due but the bank account is empty. Your boss just gave your third written warning for a job you can’t afford to lose. Your beloved sweetie eloped with your best friend. The doctor confirmed the diagnosis you feared most. Sooner or later it seems like life gets the best of us. What to ...

Let’s face it. The number one reason (or excuse) that most of us use to avoid even thinking about making a major change in our family’s lifestyle is fear about our financial situation. Especially in today’s unstable economic environment most folks are holding their breath and hoping that they can simply hold it all together. With that in mind this might seem like a bad time to be planning a major lifestyle change but the opposite is true. For one thing the process of reconsidering your lifestyle starts with taking inventory of the lifestyle that you are living now.r

The time has come when we cannot just rely on others to make the world a better place – each one of us has to do our bit. And let’s face it this world needs our help right now.

Do you suffer from emotional clutter? Is suffering even the right word? Maybe it is, maybe a better description is ‘living with’ emotional clutter. Emotional clutter is like an addiction. You carry your emotional baggage around thinking you can easily handle it, especially if you treat it like it doesn’t exist. Eventually it reaches a point when you feel its out of control, or even worse, you are out of control.nnLearning how to ‘let go’ is the cornerstone of cleani

You Are Wrong! I was distracted today by a vigorous “debate” that I stumbled upon on Amazon.com. I never realized just how active the discussion groups at Amazon are and regarding much more than books! One such subject was the health care battle that is currently raging in Washington. Now I am not about to chime in on that quagmire. It was clear from what I saw that plenty of what was often a rather nasty “discussion” was underway.r

Elton John sang his famous song, Island Girl, in the 1970s, idolizing the women of sun, sand and surf. But there is another kind of Island Girl. These are women (and men) who share a common and often unspoken challenge: fear of intimacy. People who are afraid to let other people get too close to them often have this deep-seated fear. They protect themselves from emotional hurts by creating an island of safety around themselves. Yet this same island leaves them feeling isolated and lonely.

As human beings, we are often pushed by what we perceive as our issues. Equally important, we are also pulled forward by our dreams, visions and inspirations. Often, we tend to focus on our issues due to their pressure, and don't invest in the process of creation. Without asking the question: "What do I really want?"; and, without taking the time to reflect and discover what is true for us, we are likely to repeat childhood patterns of living someone else's plan for us.

In today’s economic chaos how can any of us ever hope to earn enough to break out of our life rut and start living the good life? The good news is that you don’t need to. Instead, what you must do is refocus your life on living with meaning; rather than on making money while developing unique skills to generate all the buying power that you will need at those moments that you need it.r

Are you finding it difficult to attract the money and prosperity you want? It's a familiar refrain: you've been a diligent student of self improvement, you've been studying the law of attraction, you're putting the teachings into practice, but yet it still just isn't working. Why is it so ...

Buddha said that desire is the root of all suffering. He didn’t say most of the suffering or much of the suffering but all of it. Every single contraction of being is caused by desire. Because desire is such a powerful force, it is worth looking into. As powerful as desire is, every desire is a lie. Every desire is based on the idea that things can be different than they are, and that is just not true. Things have never been different than they are in any moment. Things are

It always cracks me up when I hear this phrase: "it's just another day". It epitomizes just how little some folks value the gift of another day. I'm guessing that were those same people to have some kind of terminal dis-ease, they'd change their attitude zippity-quick. I'm guessing that these very same people are the ones who rarely (if ever) take time to smell the roses or watch a sunrise or listen to children laughing in the park. The ones who dash around in a frenzy, and then wonder why they're so miserably exhausted.

LONELY LIFErn(Vinod Anand) India, along with China and Brazil, has recorded the fastest growth of single-person households. Purvaja Sawant asks Eric Klinenberg, the author of ‘Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone”, why urban dwellers the world over are choosing to live aloner

Every year about mid February I notice indicators of drama starting to emerge. The extra pounds from over indulging during the holidays have your pants fitting a bit too tight. You only worked out two days since your New Year’s resolution to get fit once and for all, but the big snow kept you trapped at home with kids who were out of school for snow days. Business slows to a snail’s pace. Budgets are tight, and everyone has something to sell, but no one wants to buy.

Do you want more abundance, success and joy in your life? You’ve been on this self-development jou ey for a while now and you’re feeling a little let down. How many books do you have to read? How many times do you need to watch ‘The Secret’ DVD? How much money do you have to spend to learn how to attract more money into your life? And happiness….oh happiness, what happened to the promise of more happiness and joy, not to mention freedom from struggle? It hasn’t really been working has it?

The school year presents an opportunity for a fresh start, getting together with old and new friends, new accomplishments and exciting activities - a measure of growth. A new vibration can be felt in the air. Instead, in many households anxiety, stress and even sadness reign. Parents need to ...

New Mind in the New Worldrn(Vinod Anand) The companions, the relationships, the work, the ideas and the beliefs and the dogmas that we hold have produced a monstrous world, a world of conflict, misery and perpetual sorrow. We accept it as normal condition, we put up with it day after day; we never inquire into the necessity, the urgency of a revolution that is neither economical nor political but much more fundamental.

I have found that there are two approaches to achieving a goal. • You can focus on the process – that is, focus on the things you need to do to be a success • You can focus on the goal, and sort of let the process happen. The first method sounds more responsible; certainly you have to master methods and techniques that will allow you to get what you want? Experience has taught me that too many folks become obsessed with the process or even fall in love with it and, as a result, stay perpetually involved in that process; never quite reaching their stated goals.r

My Gratitude journal, for the past week, is overflowing. I am so blessed, and grateful, to be doing the work that I truly love. As an entrepreneur, however, there are those moments and those times when I sit back and wonder......am I really making a difference?

There’s an expression that I’ve heard over and over again – “If you didn’t know how old you were, then how old do you think you’d be?” More and more baby boomers are leaving the corporate world and starting their own businesses – only to come up against the mindset that perhaps they are too old to start up a business. This mindset not only exists in the ‘outside world’ but is even stronger inside our own heads!

Is life too short was my original question and fifty years ago I would have said yes but not anymore. Over the years lots has changed like the environment we live in, food, quality of life, and all the new technology. Fifty years ago the average life span was probably sixty to seventy years old I would say and now we are all living so much longer often into our nineties or more in some cases.r

This week, we celebrated International Woman's Day – not something I take lightly. I honor, respect and celebrate the women who have 'walked before me' – without whom I would not be living this life of freedom and opportunity. This past weekend, I spoke at the Amazing Woman's Day event in Toronto – the Canadian launch of this international initiative. Wow! Words cannot describe the experience.

It's Time to Live the Good Lifer Now it’s time to go to school; Creative Family Lifestyle Design School, to be exact.r

How to Beat the Best at Their Own Game The Power of Focus on Demandr The following is a reprint of a guest post that I did last month at the Bold Life blog. Just in case you didn’t catch it there, I thought you might enjoy it. rn~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Everybody wants to win. Winning is fun. Achieving what you set out to do is part of what life is about. But when we start thinking about taking on a challenge, we can quickly become discouraged.r

Raise your hand if you think the holidays bring out the best and worst in us. It always seems that by the time Thanksgiving rolls around, the year seems to circle the drain at breakneck speed. So much to do — so little time. The lives of past holidays flash before our eyes as we try to focus on creating the best year yet. But who doesn't love the parties, the family get-togethers, the search for the perfect gift, getting the decorations up before Christmas Eve, the midnight cooking and cleaning, all to the soundtrack of endless holiday music?

Our true nature cannot be expressed in words. However, consciousness, awareness, beingness, and presence are some words that come closest to defining what we are, here, right now. We always start from this moment now, from the present. So, what can be said to be real right now is you are alive, present, and reading this book. What is real now is your existence. You are conscious of existing, of being alive. Your true nature is consciousness itself. It is the one thing always present, whether you are asleep or awake, and whether you are aware of it or not.r

When I started writing about the Families Without Limits phenomenon, I really didn’t think much about the worldwide appeal of the concept. Like most North Americans, I was so wrapped up in my own world that I failed to consider the rest of humanity. What I have discovered, however, is just how widespread the desire really is for escaping the boring life and bringing your family along for the ride. In a recent count, my blog had followers from the following nations (and growing):r

The search for perfection may very well be the largest obstacle to happiness. What is it that makes us want to be 'perfect'? Better asked, why do we think we aren't? Webster's dictionary defines the word 'perfect' as follows: - Lacking nothing essential to the whole: complete of its nature or kind. - Being in a state of undiminished or highest excellence: FLAWLESS. As a 'wordsmith', it often happens that I spend time with the dictionary on my desk, open and ready for my curiosity. I love words. I particularly love the art of eloquence.

The power of the mind is a truly remarkable thing.nnHow you feel in any given moment is linked to:nn- What you are focussing onn- The way that you are moving and using your bodyn- The language you are usingnnYour mind controls all three!nnIf you are feeling lethargic or need an instant confidence/energy boost just remember that you can change the way that you feel by changing the above 3 points.nn1. What you are focussing onnnBe aware of what you are focussing on in that very

When was the last time you gave a compliment to a total stranger? How did you feel? Did you feel uplifted, happy, full of abundance? Truth is, by giving a compliment, you are gifting away good energy while receiving a good feeling while doing it. Living in a city of 17 million people, we may rarely receive a compliment let alone a smile, why is that? Is it that hard to give a compliment? Are we more secluded in a big city than in a smaller one?rn rnNever the less, today’s j

Help Spread The Good News! I believe that people everywhere need to be woken up to the life that they could be living. Do you have friends and loved one’s who seem to be sleep-walking through life? Do the energy and the light seem to have faded from their eyes? Has their marriage lost its luster? Do these folks believe that the promise of their lives that was as clear to them as a child has turned out to be just another childhood fairy tale?r

Education – Is It Screwing Up Your Child? (Part One)r

Sometimes life seems so complex and chaotic that we really have no idea where to start to wrest back control over it. It may be necessary for you to take a personal time out. This time out may be with family and/or friends; like a vacation. However I believe that you really need to spend some time completely alone before you will be able to perceive your world with clarity. When’s the last time that you took time for yourself? When’s the last time you were all alone for an hour, a day, a weekend, or a month?r

5 Steps to Creating the Home of Your Dreams Whether your home consists of 2 rooms or 20, your home should make you smile, feel like a big warm hug and be the place for you that you’d rather be than anywhere else! As you go about the process of making your house your home don’t be as concerned with “decorating” in the traditional sense as you are with “creating” a home that reflects your sense of style and is pleasing to you. Above all, fill your home with love, jo

Most people would like to lead happier and healthier lives, but life itself can often get in the way. People are becoming increasingly busy, meaning they often have less time to think about how happy and healthy they are. The good news is that if you work on your happiness levels, you’re likely to start becoming healthier too. For example, if you take prescription medication for anxiety , you may find that working on your happiness level leaves you feeling more energetic, y

Spending an afte oon working on the car, gardening, or even cleaning the house can be fun when we have an interest in the project. Yet, we can also find joy in the chores and tasks we don't especially like. All we need is a change of attitude, a different approach, a little music, or some help from friends, and the tasks or responsibilities that we perceive as tedious can become a source of pleasure.

"Educating" Teensr My wife and I were talking today about our oldest child, who is almost eleven years old. He is a very bright, compassionate, and mature young man, and he has been a great help to us with chores and in dealing with the younger kids. But he is getting quite bored, maybe even burned out, at school. We’ve been wondering what to do about his education after the sixth grade. You see, his Montessori school only goes up to the sixth grade.r

It has been said, if you want a better result, ask a better question. What questions are you asking yourself in this New Year? If your questions are not getting you the results you desire, here are eleven questions you can ask yourself in 2011.

Have you ever felt there was something missing from your life? Like a key piece to your life’s puzzle was lost somewhere out in space and you are not even certain what is missing, much less, know how to find it. I know I have felt “incomplete and off course” many times and have finally found some wonderful techniques that I have incorporated into my daily and nightly routine to “get Clear” and fulfill my destiny.r

During my years of coaching, I find that most women are afraid to say NO! This stems from a deep belief of not “enoughness”. I’m not good enough, I’m not worthy enough, I don’t do enough, I’m not important enough, I’m not… you get the idea. All of this leads to increased stress, over commitment and a general lack of self care. Stop in the name of Love! You are important, you are good enough and you do deserve more happiness and joy. This sense of not enough contributes to a deeply held fear of others not liking who we really are, if they only knew the truth.

Dare to Dream - And to DO “Follow your dreams – this requires courage, drive, and bold action.” It is easy to ignore your dreams; to regret them; to label them as unrealistic, childish artifacts; to deny that they really matter to you anymore. Adult life is filled with reasons that dreams are for children only yet we all hear the admonishments to “follow your dreams.”r

Inspire Your Family; families don’t really exist until they “connect.” Personally, I don’t define a family by who its members are or even by how those members might be related to each. I define a family by how it behaves and by the degree of connectedness and cohesion between its members. Even more I define a family by the degree of personal respect and compassion that its members express toward each other. I have a feeling that my definition leaves out a lot of “families.”

Do you remember your mother telling you "birds of a feather, flock together!"? She was right! "Research confirms - and quantifies - it. Your chances of becoming happy increase by at least 15 percent if someone in your immediate social circle is happy." - Dr. Mehmet Oz You know that you are responsible for your own happiness. You also know that you must surround yourself with positive, up-lifting, happy people in order to reach your goals and/or to make a difference in life. Yet, the world is filled with people who are going around feeling mean, tired and ugly.

Have you ever been in a roomful of people who appear to be enjoying themselves and wondered why you aren’t. Everyone else seems relaxed and happy, but you feel uncomfortable and out of sorts. You can’t imagine connecting with anybody and you start to wonder what’s wrong with you. Maybe you tough it out for an hour or so, before you migrate to the door and go home to watch some television. Or, maybe you are able to strike up a conversation with someone and find out they feel the same way. Before you know it, you’re talking and sharing and forgetting that you ever felt uncomfortable.

IS YOUR MIND ALWAYS IN CONFLICT? (Vinod Anand) Are YOU always ready to lash out at an opposing view or hold another person responsible for your problems? The solution to calming your mind lies in taking your enemies out to lunch, at least once in a lifetime

Reflect on some of the big life changes you have transitioned during your life. Some may have been rights of passage such as moving up from elementary school to middle and then high school or your first sleep over. This could include leaving home for college or military service, getting married or becoming a parent yourself. Do you remember if you felt any anxiety about the change and more specifically what it was about the change that had you felling unsettled?

As we travel across a continent we inevitably make new friends. Some are just fleeting. Others last a lifetime. At our current campground in southern Califo ia we have met and made a new friend who has had quite an impact on both the kids and the adults. Our new friend’s name is Kindle. Actually it’s Morgan and his owner’s name is Kindle. But the kids decided that Kindle was a better name for him.

Family Travel Is Education. Today I watched as scientific data confirmed that the planet Earth had been split into pieces and vaporized. You see my family and I spent this afte oon at Meteor Crater in Arizona; the best preserved crater of its kind on Earth. The Apollo astronauts trained here for the lunar landings and studies continue here to understand what happens when objects from space impact the Earth and other heavenly bodies.r

The number one mistake most people have when discussing happiness is the belief exterior forces have more control over his/her experience than they do. More often than not, we give our power over the experience away in hopes of it being a better experience than the one we could have created if we were in control. The outcome typically is nothing like we expect. Because this occurred as it did, we allow ourselves to right it off as still better than the way it would have occurred had we of been in control of it. Thus, the vicious cycle of the negative experience begins.

Gratitude has the power to transform your life. It has the promise of bringing forth a bounty of joy and happiness from deep within you. It will connect you to a higher level of awareness and consciousness that in turn will create feelings that will transpire into powerful, positive joy-filled, radiant energy for you and all who come into contact with you.

No Happiness Without Patience Instant gratification is not the recipe for happiness By David Leonhardt I'm searching for modern happiness. The old-fashioned kind takes just too long. That happiness requires patience and I don't want to wait. I want upgraded happiness. I want release 4.02, the "new and improved" version. This is the 21st century and I demand instant gratification. Once upon a time, you had to wait to eat your meal. Even when the Mammoth Burger walk-through was

Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! Just hearing your sweetheart and girlfriend say that why not New Year or valentine day? Really, smiling can be seen on your face and you can say that this is most precious time of celebration of New Year with great joy, pleasure and fun. It is the most favorite time to go for on a trip where you can celebrate this festival in unique way. Really, you will be surprised, when you say how u darling on this wonderful and beautiful place, which has

There is a flip side to the much advertised holiday joy, optimism, hope, generosity, peace on earth and good will to all. For some there is a dark side present known as the holiday blues. It can be filled with self criticism, loneliness, self doubt, stress, anxiety and pessimism. The images of ...

Here we are, at the end of November 2009 already! Time flies! It seems like only yesterday that there was so much 'to do' about the new millennium and here we are, facing 2010 already! I used to set goals for the year but now, as I age (gracefully), I find that I am setting goals for the next decade. One year just isn't good enough for me anymore! I've had some interesting conversations with some of my coaching clients over the past month. In Canada, we celebrated Thanksgiving in October and, after the holiday, my clients were sharing their holiday experiences with me.

Who's The Driver? is an innovative communication method for solving power struggles for couples. Near and Far define two opposite styles of "driving" decisions in your marriage by using or NOT using your personal power and authority. Once understood, either person in the relationship can intentionally make power shifts that solve conflicts, often immediately. The long term effect is a transformation of your love relationship that is both emotional and spiritual in nature. Are you Near or are you Far?

The Cost of Adventure

My two oldest kids have been invited to take part in a Model United Nations program at the UN in New York. My wife and I are excited about this but our kids weren’t so sure. Specifically my oldest was (and usually is) suspicious of anything that adults organize on his behalf. In fact the mere fact that something is being presented to him as “educational” makes him highly suspicious of its content and ultimately; poorly motivated to pursue it.

The Dunes of Mars Today the Warrior left the Earth that I know and entered a strange world of towering sand dunes and brown-orange volcanic rocks. In the distance low brown hills rise above a rubble filled surface. The sky above us is cloudless. The sun is quite hot and glares so bright that we cannot keep our eyes open when looking in its general direction. There is little sign of life. There are no trees, animals or human development. As far as the eye can see there is only this scene of desolation.r

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright once told of a childhood incident thatnmay have seemed insignificant at the time, but had a profoundninfluence on the rest of his life. It happened when he was nine yearsnold. It was winter. Young Frank was walking across a snow-coverednfield with his uncle. As the two of them reached the far end of thenfield, his uncle stopped him. He pointed out his own tracks in thensnow, straight and true as an arrow's flight, and then young Frank'sntracks mea

Am I emotionally Intelligent? There are so many different definitions, descriptions and interpretations of what emotional intelligence is - it would be difficult for me to answer this question. Whose definition are we using? Is that a personal, or a corporate definition of EQ? Which school of ...Am I emotionally Intelligent? There are so many different definitions, descriptions and interpretations of what emotional intelligence is - it would be difficult for me to answer this

Each time we are faced with making a decision or choice about something, we may think that we have free will and are using our critical thought processes. That we do this is not surprising, as so much of our experience in the world contains choices. From lunch menus to driving routes to vacation ...

Cakes are symbols of happiness and celebration. People buy and share cakes to rejoice any special day or moment. These cakes are becoming inseparable parts of the human life with the passage of every day. The increasing operations of the online cake confectioners have helped people living in any part of the world to send cake to India where their loved ones live. These facilities are absolutely free from all risks and that is why sending cakes to India is growing with the tim

Did you ever notice the tension that arises in you when people are not seeing you for who you are, but are only noticing something about you? Even worse, they may be only paying attention to something over which you have little influence, like your eyes, your height, your employment history. They “see” you, but they don’t really see “you”. I witnessed a dramatic example of this a few years ago at a retreat workshop. Amongst the various people attending was a woman who would meet most western standards for being attractive. She was tall, shapely, pretty and blond.

How do you feel now that you have completed Emotional Exercise 1?

It's easy to get healthy and fit when you know what to do to make it happen. Just implementing six vital and simple steps in your daily health regimen every day could help you get healthy and fit in as little as 90 days time. Here are those six vital and simple steps to add to your daily health regimen 1) Diet Learn what foods are necessary for eating healthier. Fruits and vegetables are the prime foods that should be added to your diet every day. It's also important to purchase as much food as you can from organic supermarkets too.

The most miserable people live in their own little worlds ofnisolation. They do little for others and rarely have much fun.nnI heard of one older gentleman who was considered by the townspeoplento be both rich and thrifty. His austerity earned him the reputationnof a miser. When he died, everyone expected the authorities to findnmoney stashed everywhere in his home. All they found were a few gallonncans filled with coins.nnIt came out that he had used most of his money to hel

I have been on the 'speaking circuit' a fair bit over the past few weeks and have met hundreds of really special people. I am grateful for the invitations to share my information as I know that it really does make a difference in the lives of these people. However, sometimes I hear comments such as: 1. I know 'this stuff'. 2. This is all common sense. 3. That's nothing new. 4. So what? Who Cares? (Those comments, along with all the positive feedback that I get - of course!) Those are the statements that really speak to my heart.

Have you ever heard the phrases, "if you want love, give love" or "if you want joy, give joy?" Is it true? Does it work?nnIt's difficult to quantify love or joy. However, there are other things that we can measure. Here's an example that relates this concept to networking:nnOne of my good friends was going to a professional development seminar. He's also a person who's launching a new career and looking for networking opportunities. I told him that "networking events" are act

It is curious that when most people encounter challenging periods in life they ignore the very thing that will most increase energy, improve their mood and productivity, and give them the fuel to overcome the challenge. I have been prone to this myself, and have a good sense of where it stems from. For example, at various points in my life and just like you I have experienced financial challenges, health challenges, relationship challenges, legal challenges, career challenges