Abandoned Again—How We Repeat Our Childhood in the Present

The woman on the couch looks up at me miserably, tears in her eyes, as she tells me about her most recent bad relationship. “I’m sick of choosing guys who aren’t there for me. They seem great, they want me, they tell me how terrific I am, then either they have an affair, or turn on me once we are involved, getting that cold look in their eyes. I can see they don’t care after all. I can’t stand this. Why do I do this over and over?”

In my work as a therapist, I help people discover repeated patterns. Despite our conscious desire and urgent efforts to make our lives better, we end up feeling the same as we did as children, but the feeling of despair and depression can deepen if we see that we are simply repeating our abusive or abandoned childhood.

This may seem confusing to understand, but this is how it works: Rooted deep in the unconscious is a desire to make the story turn out right—to find someone who will finally come through and love us the way we want. But the pattern of repetition, until it is resolved, will cause us to choose people who will do exactly what was done to us as children. If you were abandoned, they will abandon you. If you were hurt physically, this may be what you experience all over again.

For instance, most women involved in relationships where there is domestic violence either were beaten as children, or observed it for many years. If you were verbally abused, you will find yourself hearing the same phrases and feeling exactly the same as you did when you were a child. There you are, thinking you have just found the love of your life, when a terrible feeling comes over you—“I have been here before,” says the voice inside your head, a feeling of dread running through your body. It’s not déjà vu; it is an unconscious repetition of the past.

There is good news about all this: You can change these old patterns. It takes time, awareness, determination, and work on your part, but it can be done.

How to help stop repeating abandonment and abuse in your life now:

1. First, you have to recognize you are repeating your past patterns. Become aware of a familiar, sinking feeling, or the feeling that you are a bad person, or not good enough, or feel awful about yourself. Ask yourself: is there something going on now that reinforces that feeling?

2. Consider your past patterns with parents. It helps to write down these patterns, as you can be objective about them if you see them on the page.

3. Write about being a child of about five years old; nine years old; 12. What was life like in your household? Who was there connecting with you, and how?

4. After making that objective list of patterns in family and in the past, write down any parallels between then and now, paying particular attention to feelings. Sometimes the action is different but the feeling is the same.

5. When you are drawn to a new person, get to know him better before getting involved. Spend time to find out how he treats you when he is having a bad day, or how he acts when you say no. How you are treated at the beginning of a relationship when you are not being pleasing or saying yes, when you make boundaries for yourself, is only a hint of how it will be later on.

6. Keep your need to be loved and accepted in balance with who the other person is and his or her needs. Take your time to find out more before getting too involved.

7. Write in your journal to become more aware of patterns, concerns, and actual events. You can refer back to them later. This documentation may clear up any future confusion about reality.

A Startling Fact About The Dangers Of Labeling

Quite often, we use labels on ourselves and others without even realizing that we are doing it. And most often, they are negative.  What we don’t realize is how much theses labels can hurt us and others.

The challenge is, what ever you state to yourself repetitively, even if you know on a conscious level that it is not true,<b> your subconscious mind believes it.</b>

For example, after misplacing something, have you ever said to your self, "I am so stupid."  You know that you are just annoyed but your subconscious takes you seriously.

Once your subconscious mind believes something, <b>it sets out to confirm it's belief </b>and it can self sabotage your efforts to change and grow.

In fact, you may be holding several labels on yourself that you are not even aware of because you have been saying and believing them for so long.  They may be about how well you believe you can learn, cook, drive or even show up on time. 

These labels literately control your life and stop you from moving forward.

In addition, when we use labels on other people, just as in judging, we start to see only the label.  Labels are stagnating and do not allow the other person to grow.

People will look for information that confirms the label that has been placed on a person. They will speak to the person according to their label, and don’t hear anything beyond it.

People will literately ignore anything that isn't inline with their belief about the other person and the label they put on them.

For example, if you believed that a person was clumsy and always stated that they were clumsy, you would ignore all the times that they walked or did anything with grace and ease.

Then if anything happened that even remotely looked clumsy you then would say, "see, what did I tell you, you're always so
clumsy."

<b>This can make the person very nervous in front of you </b> and the more the person worries the more likely it is for something to happen. It then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I have seen some men do this to women, when they believe that all women are too emotional.  The woman could go for months and not be upset with anything then something happens, he will go,  "see, what did I tell you, women always get upset."  All along 'forgetting' when they, themselves were upset.

Sometimes these men will even provoke the other person, by saying to them repeatedly, now don’t get upset.  This is treating the other person is a way that you believe they will react which in turn creates the very behaviour that you were hoping to avoid in the first place.

People see and hear what they want to believe. And compounding that is, what you see and hear is filtered through your bias. So in the end you receive only a partial message that leaves out anything that contradicts your beliefs.

Sometimes people hold back information from the other person in the hopes confusing them to keep their belief alive about the other person's abilities.  This creates the behaviour that the other person wants to prove.

Labeling can also leads to criticism, bigotry and hatred. Especially when small children are listening to us. They are learning how to act in society and repeat what they hear, which in turn affects how their future will turn out.
<uL>
<b>Some labels are:</b>
        <li>  Black </li>
    <li> White</li>
    <li> Slow </li>
    <li> Stupid</li>
    <li> ADHD</li>
    <li> Trouble maker</li>
    <li> Bureaucrats</li>
    <li> Hothead</li>
    <li> Short</li>
    <li> Tall</li>
    <li> Smart</li>
    <li> Good / bad</li>
    <li> Right / wrong</li>

</ul>
Even positive labels can hurt and annoy. There are people who
and said that they are tired of always hearing that they are the cute, good, smart one etc.  It stifles who they are and their potential to grow if they believe they must stay with in the label.

Ask yourself, what labels you use on yourself and  others. Start noting how often you say them and ask yourself, do you believe they are true. Then start replacing them with sayings that are more productive in growing to your own potential.

While you are doing that, contemplate on this quote.
Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an
understanding of ourselves. <b>--Carl Jung</b>

A Rested Mind Can Improve Your Productivity

Imagine that you’re working late at night on a project due in the morning. Your body is tired and your mind is numb, but this project must get done, so you push on. You continue to work, despite the distinct feeling that the project would be much easier if you went to bed and approached it again in the morning. You feel obligated to do it now, so you stay up until the wee hours of the morning, producing less than desirable work in much more time than it would have taken with a rested mind. This was likely not the wisest move, since not only productivity was lost, but quality as well.

Having a rested mind really can make a difference in our daily productivity, whether it's work or housework we are trying to accomplish. Our minds were not meant to work for hours on end with no downtime. They need breaks and vacations. They need the ability to recharge from the daily overload of sensory and thought perceptions. Constantly running our minds on overtime without frequent periods of restoration can be detrimental to our work, our attitude, and even our physical health.

Luckily, there are a few simple steps you can take to prevent your mind from working on overload. Follow these helpful tips and ideas for increasing your daily productivity:

Get more sleep – Adequate sleep is crucial to allowing our subconscious minds to let go of all the stress of the day. During sleep our minds recharge themselves, generating the stamina and renewed perception needed for a fresh new day. If we fail to get adequate sleep, our minds will be sluggish and slow, essentially shutting down from the overload of stimuli. This creates conditions in which we cannot effectively think, speak, or act to our fullest potential.

Without the level of awareness and alertness that a rested mind provides, our pace slows down and productivity is lost. When our minds are overworked we often fall into "space cadet" mode, and we have trouble focusing on the tasks at hand. Thoughts frequently wander, and the ability to concentrate is lost. Most people know how much sleep they require to feel refreshed, but we rarely allow ourselves such a luxury. Try viewing adequate sleep as an investment into your overall well-being, and reap the rewards the next morning.

Reduce stress – Excessive stress can be very debilitating. It makes us feel overwhelmed and distracts us from getting our work done, and even worse - it promotes the formation of negative thoughts. Stress can hinder our productivity by making us more scattered and unfocused. We are unable to concentrate on one thing at a time because the cause of the stress is always in the back our minds, demanding attention.

Reducing the stressors in our lives will go a long way in allowing us to lead more productive and happy lives. Try to remember that some things are just not worth worrying about, and there is no sense in stressing over things we have no control over. Since much of our stress is the result of worrying about things beyond our control, allowing ourselves to let go of these thoughts can greatly reduce the stress in our lives.

Quiet the mind – Meditation is a great way to quiet our minds and develop clear thought processes. Try this exercise at least once a day: Find a quiet room with no interruptions, sit in a comfortable position, and close your eyes. Allow all thoughts to leave your mind, and try to focus on the silence within you. As thoughts begin to float through your mind, simply push them gently but firmly back out. This technique takes practice to perfect, but sticking with it will help you to develop intense focus that can be harnessed in other ways as well.

Meditating on a regular basis will ultimately improve our productivity because we will develop the ability to focus clearly on each task, and ultimately get more done in less time.

These are just a few of the easy ways we can contribute to a rested mind, which will help us to release stress, improve our focus, and increase our productivity.

A Place of Sanctuary - Creating Sacred Space

The World Health Organization (WHO) describes health as “the condition of perfect bodily, spiritual, and social well-being and not solely the absence of illness and injury.”   As described by the WHO, how many of us feel emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually healthy on a daily basis?  We work in structures called ‘sick-buildings;’ we go home to care for families so tired we are almost unable to function; and we increasingly lose our connection with any sense of our place in the universe.  How do we reclaim our life and start to think that our life matters and that we are important in the overall scheme of things? One way of doing this is to create our own sanctuary/sacred space. 

Creating our own sacred space restores our peace of mind and enables us to stand back from the turmoil in our lives in order to provide a place where we can reconnect with our sense of self and reclaim our power.  Exploration of sanctuary is to create a link to the Divine as our soul asks us to love, accept, and provide hospitality to ourselves when we are spiritually hungry.   Spirituality is more than a psychological and emotional need: it is an inherent biological need as our energy, our spirit, and our personal power is all one and the same force. We need daily sanctuary as our heart and soul depends on it.  When we give ourselves the gift of sacred time in a special place, we are feeding our spirit.  Theodore Roszak writes, “We can now recognise that the fate of the soul is the fate of the social order; that if the spirit within us withers, so too will all the world we build about us.” 

Creating Sacred Space in your Home, Workplace, and Garden

The first consideration in creating a sacred space in your home, workplace, or garden is defining the purpose in doing so.  Some of the questions for consideration include:

1.  What is it that you want your sacred space to provide for you? 

2.  Where will your sanctuary be located?

3.  What feelings do you want? 

4.  What attracts you to your sanctuary?

5.  What features do you want? 

6.  What colours do you want?

7.  What sounds do you want?

Ideas and Options for Creating Sacred Space in your Home, Workplace, and Garden

In your place of sanctuary, some of the items you could include are:

·  Candles – you can use candles to provide colour and when burning provide a point of focus for meditation.  Scented candles can add a touch of fragrance to your environment.

·  Plants – your plants will require care, and not only will make the air more healthy, but will encourage you to attend your place of sanctuary.  Plants can also be used to enhance particular colours and fragrances you wish to add to your well-being.

·  Water – adding desktop water fountains to your place of sacredness will not only provide the soothing sounds of water, but will also block out other noises in your environment.

·  Music – music as my Dad used to say, “feeds the soul.”  Use music you like, such as, sounds of nature or instrumental music, to provide a place of soothing for your soul.

·  Aquariums – live fish and the sounds of water provide healing energy for your sacred space.  In the Chinese culture, live fish are thought to be ‘good energy.’

·  Rocks and stones – are considered in many cultures to be sacred.  Use in your place of sanctuary and, when you are tired or stressed-out, re-arrange your ‘rock garden.’

·  Walls – walls can be used to act as, or hang notice boards on, where you can post favourite pictures, quotes, and ideas.

·  Spend at least 10 minutes a day (20 is better) in refreshing and renewing your spiritual self.

Finally, in creating your sacred space, remember you are unique.  There will never be anyone on the planet like you and you have a right to spend time caring for yourself.  As Richard Bolles in his book What Colour Is Your Parachute says, “You are God’s gift to the planet and your uniqueness is the gift to the rest of us.”

A Nice Mind Trick - To Release Your Resistance To Money

Copyright 2006 Olga Farber Becker

When you're thinking of money and it brings painful thoughts - what do you do? Trying to run from these thoughts or just switch from them to positive ones doesn't always work.

Then instead of running from the pain we can use it to our advantage.

Abraham-Hicks says, as our emotions are, so is what we get following our thoughts surrounded by these emotions. The stronger the emotions, the stronger you attract what you're thinking of, to you.

Which means, if you open your email and see no sales there and you feel strong pain "why doesn't the money come?" - it means, you attract to yourself the situations where you'll feel exactly this, that the money doesn't come.

Or if you're looking at a stack of bills you need to pay, or your credit card printouts bring you the feeling "why the money goes and goes, when will it start to come??"

But let's turn the pain to our best weapon! :)

They say you're having a strong emotion, strongly attract to you... something. And your feeling of pain is there because you resist what you want to come to you.

Then let's see it like this:

What we want, WANTS TO COME TO US. But we resist it, and by that we don't let it come to us. So when we see email without sales and feel pain, it's actually pain because MONEY WANTS TO COME TO US and we resist it! IT'S NOT THE PAIN THAT IT DOESN'T COME!

If you're a woman, you'll understand the analogy with giving birth: :) Grantly Dick-Read wrote about it - when in labor, normally the woman feels the pain only if she resists the baby going out. She heard from her childhood that labor is pain, and so she is afraid, so she contracts the muscles instead of relaxing and letting them stretch to release the baby. That's the basis of all modern and old techniques of giving birth naturally and painlessly.

SO try to realize it when you feel pain thinking about lacking what you want: the pain doesn't mean you hurt because of not having it, the pain means it WANTS TO COME TO YOU and your pain is from resistance only.

Imagine it: money wants to come to you so much, but you barricaded your doors and windows, holding the door as you only can, shouting NO!! :)

Please, please - release the hold, unbarricade even one window - you'll immediately feel better and you'll finally let what you want, come to you EASILY, QUICKLY and with FUN.

To beautiful life experience!

A New Years Resolution To Stop Smoking – How To Keep To It Beyond Jan 2nd?

So, here you are again. Seeing out the old year, along with its broken promises and failed, good intentions.

You arrive, fresh with newly found conviction, after the excesses of the Christmas period, at the New Year’s resolution, an annual triumph of hope over reality!

Hope, that this time you will have the single mindedness to succeed, where last time you failed. I’m not suggesting for a moment that you do not want to succeed, I’m sure that your desire to stop smoking is genuine, but here’s the reality, it’s a hope, a dream and what’s the point in having dreams if you’re not going to make them happen?

You may dream of winning the lottery and yes, you could win! But it’s down to chance and you have a better chance of flying to the moon, than of winning the lottery.

Making a real change to your life? Well that’s a dream you can, make happen! And you can start right here, right now.

The problem with New Year resolutions lies in the forward planning. Moving towards a significant target date in your life, to contemplate doing something that you know is going to be a struggle, makes it even harder to live up to your own expectations.

Of course you’re not looking forward to it! What do you expect? As you begin to experience a steady build-up of tension, leading up to the big day when you’re finally going to start putting right everything that’s wrong with your life!

No pressure there then! I’m sure you’ll feel ready to start on that day!

In the meantime of course, you now have the perfect excuse to behave badly, because it doesn’t really matter if you let yourself go over Christmas does it? You can do everything to excess. It won’t really matter! After all, you deserve to have one last binge before the deprivations of the coming year ahead!

If you believe that, then you’re delusionary. You’re just fooling yourself because it makes you feel better at the moment. It’s the high, before the deep low that will inevitably follow and damage your self-esteem, sabotaging your chance of success even before you start.

Wake up and smell the coffee!!

Do you really want to stop smoking? Then do something about it, NOW!
Clear the house of all the things that you know will prevent you, NOW!
Do not put aside an emergency packet “just in case”, that’s just planning for failure!
No “last one for old times sake”
Do it NOW – as you read this article.
Don’t put it off until tomorrow, because tomorrow never comes!

How we think and feel about ourselves is often the difference between happiness and success, or frustration and failure, therefore success and real lasting changes, only comes from changing the way we think. We are all products of our own thinking.

So, every thought we think has an impact on us. We respond to our negative thoughts and to our positive thoughts. If you have a history of failing to live up to your own expectations, your memories are loaded with negative programming.

No matter how much conscious effort you put into changing your habits, your subconscious mind is flooding your body with negative messages that have been ingrained for years.

You can however, change the way you think about stopping smoking using the help of hypnotherapy DVD’s.
Many people trying to give up smoking, struggle to maintain willpower. They feel that they need help and are often too embarrassed to admit to anyone that they have a problem. Now, many sufferers of low motivation and low confidence and self-esteem, are benefiting from hypnotherapy treatment, which can literally change peoples lives for the better.

Your life will improve if you begin to believe in yourself and your abilities, you will feel respected, giving you that extra boost to increase motivation, and your enthusiasm will increase noticeably. Some people say it feels like magic because it is so easy to make powerful changes. Hypnotherapy simply allows you to access the resources you already have in your subconscious mind.

Desire to make changes is good. Taking action to start something is even better. Let’s assume that you’ve decided right now, to start making the changes that you want. If you have tried before and failed, you need a support structure put into place as quickly as possible, to help you to maintain your resolve and to keep your thought processes focussed on your goals. A hypnotherapy DVD programme for home use can help. You certainly don’t want to be obsessing about smoking all the time.

You can succeed and you can quit smoking for good. You will have success this time if you make sure that you put an effective support system into place as soon as possible.
What’s stopping you from stopping?

So, don’t wait to make any New Year resolutions at midnight on the 31st of December, decide to start making the changes that you want to make in your life, RIGHT NOW!

Do something different this time.

A Modern Day Wisdom Seeker Interviews Walt Whitman

Copyright 2006 Tom Russell

Walt Whitman lived a life of wisdom and simplicity.   Here is how a modern day wisdom seeker might interview the great 19th century poet, and his inspiring replies.

Q: I have always had a timid and apologetic attitude towards other people, which I dislike. I am encouraged by everything you say, but I am still what I am.

Walt Whitman: I do not trouble my spirit to vindicate itself or be understood; I see that the elementary laws never apologize.

Q: What kind of truth will supply inner liberty?

You have not known what you are, you have slumbered upon yourself all your life . . .Whoever you are! Claim your own.

Q: I want to walk towards inner newness, but it all seems so mysterious and difficult!

It is not far, it is within reach. Perhaps you have been on it since you were born and did not know.

Q: I wonder whether other people have the same timidity that I have regarding independence? I mean that it sometimes seems frightening to break out of the social net to stand all alone.

I exist as I am -- that is enough; if no other in the world be aware, I sit content.

Q: Religions and philosophies teach that an enlightened man becomes his own law, which is truly right and moral, in contrast to man-made law. Is that what you mean by self-independence?

A heroic person walks at his ease through and out of that custom or precedent or authority that suits him not.

Q: The one word that characterizes me best of all is restlessness. I no sooner reach my desired destination than I want to roam to somewhere else. One minute I'm all excited over something and the next minute it bores me. What causes my dissatisfaction?

What do you suppose will satisfy the soul except to walk free and own no superior?

Q: I have suffered several severe losses lately, including that of someone very close to me. I know it does no good to feel sorry for myself, so I don't fall into that trap. However, I would like to have the mystical explanation regarding personal loss.

Nothing is ever really lost, or can be lost, no birth, identity, form -- no object in the world, nor life, nor any visible thing; appearance must not foil, nor shifted sphere confuse thy brain. Ample are time and space -- ample the fields of Nature.

Q: I have always felt inferior to other people. People who are famous or expert in even small ways make me feel worthless by comparison. This feeling now haunts me as I take up the task of self-discovery.

This is the meal equally set, this is the meat for natural hunger, it is for the wicked just the same as the righteous, I make appointment with all, I will not have a single person slighted or kept away.

Q: How might we more clearly see the necessity for following his new way?

Have the past struggles succeeded?

Q: If we uncover this spiritual gold, what changes will it make in the way we live?

Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road. Healthy, free, the world before me . . . leading wherever I choose.

Q: Would it be correct to compare esoteric schooling with the school of our childhood, for example, by learning to spell short words we are qualified to work on longer ones?

Now understand me well -- it is provided in the essence of things that from any fruition of success, no matter what, shall come forth something to make a greater struggle necessary . . the road is before us! It is safe . . . I have tried it.

Q: This changes our psychic weather from cloudy to clear?

There are divine things more beautiful than words can tell.

Q: That is the heroism we all need.

I know that they go towards the best -- towards something great.

Q: This calls for a personal declaration of independence.

It is time to explain myself -- let us stand up.

Q: So we need only to see what we already possess?

Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune.

Q: If diversion fails, what succeeds?

Gently, but with undeniable will, divesting myself of the holds that would hold me.

Q: I wonder whether I have drawn a correct conclusion from all this? Do we really owe nothing to a sick society except personal maturity and decency?

I do not give lectures or a little charity, when I give I give myself.

Conclusion

This article demonstrates how spiritual wisdom is forever new.  Its principles are timeless.  It is as appropriate today as it was then.  Growth blossoms as we increasingly connect with what already exists.

A Metaphor For Change - The Egg

There is nothing more certain in the world and in this life than CHANGE. No matter what people might think or what they might try to believe, everything is changing all the time, as we breathe in and out, as we eat and sleep and grow and go through our own spirals of unfoldment.

So here is a simple metaphor for change. It is called “The Egg” and I hope you enjoy it.

I often have this feeling of stress and desperation because I am quite convinced nothing has changed.

I look around myself and all I see is what I always see.

Same house, same furniture, same pile of bills, same everything.

I work so hard and NOTHING is changing.

I thought that again about something the other day, and this large, beautiful golden egg came to my mind.

There it is, and it just sits there in its nest of straw.

It doesn't DO anything.

It doesn't change shape, it doesn't change colour.

It doesn't pulsate. It doesn't roll around.

You could look at it for DAYS AND DAYS and you'd come away thinking that it was just that and there was NOTHING GOING ON.

And yet, and if one was to extend one's feelers in a different way, one might become aware of the RIOT OF CHANGE that is taking place INSIDE the egg, a storm of re-organisation, feeding and growth, of total unfoldment as a bunch of random cells become a fish thing, which in turn becomes ever more defined and more complex, more organised in every way, more mature, more fantastic with every heartbeat, every breath that passes.

One day, and we know not when, the egg that lay so motionless for so very long and seemed to be nothing but an inert shape will begin to rock, and then it will crack, and the newly born dragonet will emerge, spread its wings for the first time and take its first small steps.

Yes, there was change.

Even if we thought there wasn't.

A Glimpse Of Your True Nature...

I believe that every moment of existence holds within it, somewhere, a key to your true nature. So as you read this article, do so as if this could be your key, and let’s see which doors it opens within you.

There is a simple fact of nature that I would like you to consider – YOU ARE ALREADY PERFECT!

All of nature, or existence, or reality, or whatever you prefer to call it, is already perfect.

There is nothing outside of you that you need to find to complete you. You are already complete.

There is nothing you need to achieve. There is nothing you need to get, do or become. Everything you need to “be you” is already within you. You are perfect, as is all other creation.

A rock is a rock. It doesn’t try to be anything other than itself. It does not look elsewhere for its identity. It just is, and it’s perfect.

A tree does not try to be something it’s not. It’s a tree. And it spends its time just being. Without struggle, it is what it is- perfect.

I have a cat named Schrody. Now Schrody lives an incredibly free life, because he simply is who he is. He spends his time just being Schrody. And he does it perfectly.

There is not one example in nature, living or non-living, which is not already perfect. Including YOU! You are perfect right now- exactly how you are meant to be.

If you were meant to be something or someone else, then you would be.

If you were meant to have something else, then you would have it.

If you were meant to achieve something, then you would have achieved it.

You are already perfect, just as you are.

So why don’t you feel perfect? Why are you not happy? Why are you looking outside of yourself for that something else which will complete you?

Perhaps because you falsely believe you should be something else? Something other than what you truly are. You are refusing to accept reality. You fight what is, and that’s a fight you can never win. You believe you should be richer. Or have a better job. Or a different relationship.

These things are just your external environment. And if you wish to change them, you can certainly do it. The circumstances you live with now are a result of your choices so far, and you can create a new life for the future by choosing to make changes in your life, and taking appropriate action.

If that is your desire, you can change your finances. You can change your career. You can improve your relationships. And making these changes will certainly make your life different. However, they cannot make YOU better. It’s impossible to improve on perfection.

Personal development and growth does not improve you. It simply expands your awareness of the truth- that you are already perfect.

Until you recognize this fact, you will continue in your suffering. Happiness cannot be found outside you. Happiness comes from within, when you give up the illusion, and just love yourself unconditionally.

So! How about no more thinking, “I should be this…”, or “I should have that.” How about thinking, “I am exactly who I am, and no-one could do a more perfect job at it than me.”

Be happy being who you are.

Lance Beggs

A Little Testosterone Goes A Long Way

What can a Bodacious woman learn from a man and still stay Bodacious? In honor of Father's Day, we'll celebrate some of the men's Bodacious behaviors.

Copyright 2006 Mary Foley

In June we celebrate Father’s Day, a day when it’s ok for all men to be a guy.  Scratch, sniff, or click, it’s all acceptable.

When it comes to men, I’ve been around plenty.  Starting with being surrounded by guys in engineering school, then my 10 years at AOL and now as an entrepreneur, I've had lots of opportunity to interact with and observe men.  I’ve come to appreciate some of the ways men operate that serve them well in business and in life.

“What?!” I hear some of you saying.  That’s right, but read on.

I'm not about to adopt ALL of men’s behaviors.  No way!  I like my female attributes.  And, besides, I can't be a guy nearly well as men can; they have that born-with-it advantage.  Still, a little testosterone goes a long way.  So, in celebration of Father’s Day, here are some of men's "testy" behaviors that bodacious women could benefit from stealing:

1. LET NEGATIVE WORDS BOUNCE OFF:  Men have a wonderful ability to not allow negative sticky notes to well…stick to them.  "John, that report is missing a key conclusion."  "What do you mean you can't get it done by Friday, Frank?  Don't you know how important this account is?"  These kind of words seem to roll off their back.  I say “seem” because I'm sure they have some impact but men don't show it. They don’t absorb these words into their very being. Instead they decide if the words have merit.  If they do, it's a problem to solve, not a huge character flaw that requires counseling.

2. SAY NO WITHOUT GUILT:  Men don’t seem nearly as concerned about making others happy as they are about taking care of their needs.  Sound selfish?  It doesn't have to be.  Consider that if they were so concerned about everyone else's needs they couldn't provide — financially, emotionally or otherwise — to those they care most about.  They'd disperse their efforts to the point that they'd be ineffective.  The only way to keep focused is to freely say no to anyone or anything that's not enabling you to achieve what's most important.

3. ACT AS IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING, even if you're not quite sure:  I have to admit, I was alarmed and disturbed when I first noticed this behavior.  "They are lying through their teeth!" I thought.  Then I took a second look.  These men were delivering on what they said they would.  And they acted so confident that I assumed they knew this stuff like the back of their hand.  A male friend revealed to me that he didn't always know how he was going to accomplish a project; he just believed he'd figure it out.  I finally realized it was a matter of believing in yourself and being resourceful.  Lying had nothing to do with it.

4. FEEL FREE TO TALK ABOUT YOURSELF AND BELIEVE HOW WONDERFUL YOU ARE:  I immediately think of a couple on their first date.  He wants to impress so he tells her all the wonderful things about himself so she'll admire him.  Sometimes he's successful, sometimes not, but one thing I do admire is that he's willing to proudly show his colorful feathers.  That's risky; he might get rejected.  But he knows he'll never get recognized if he doesn't try.

5. DON’T READ MUCH PAST WHAT’S THERE:  Most women think men are a bit dull and simplistic not to notice all the hidden messages in Sue's tone or David's words.  And compared to the typical female radar, they are!  But, this also allows men to not get caught up in all the energy draining sludge of what-ifs and hurt feelings.  As women we can't completely go against our natural wiring but we can stop it from working against us.  Differentiate between the facts of a situation and what else you intuitively picked up on that may also be true.  Don't jump to conclusions about these ambiguous items; just keep them on the list of possibilities.  Above all else, mentally move on to the next thing.

A Guide To Self Improvement Techniques.

An ordered life is one of the most assured methods of self-improvement. The saying “tidy desk - tidy mind” is also certainly true but only a small part of it. It is important that you order your life in such a manner that allows you to do everything you need to, when you need to do it. You should also be able to effectively ensure that you become happier and more content as well as progress with your career, make new friends and anything else you want in life.

While work i...
An ordered life is one of the most assured methods of self-improvement. The saying “tidy desk - tidy mind” is also certainly true but only a small part of it. It is important that you order your life in such a manner that allows you to do everything you need to, when you need to do it. You should also be able to effectively ensure that you become happier and more content as well as progress with your career, make new friends and anything else you want in life.

While work is important, you should always make time to spend with your family and a little personal time. This personal time could be an excellent opportunity to take up a physical hobby. Exercising helps to clear the mind and produce chemicals in your body that are essential and often lacking. Modern living involves greater working hours and less personal time. Inevitably this has led to less interactivity.

Always set goals for yourself to aid in your progress. Increasing the amount of exercise you do will only usually be beneficial or successful if you have a reason to do it. If you simply want to get fitter and stay healthy then set yourself an achievement. If you currently walk 1 mile a day then aim to walk 5 miles a day. When you are walking 5 miles a day, consider if there is any way you can improve this further.

Time with your family and friends is also essential. We are social animals by nature and so human interaction is not only natural but it is healthy and pleasurable. Taking up a sport with a friend or group of friends would combine exercise with interaction and be perfect. Your friends may turn out to be the extra motivation you require in the event of difficult times.

A guide to dream interpretation

Only a very small percentage of us understands that dreams hold much importance and opportunity for our self growth, improvement and self discovery. This article is a guide to dream interpretation.

Most of us dream. But only a very small percentage of us understands that dreams hold much importance and opportunity for our self growth, improvement and self discovery. But many mystics of both Eastern and Western origins are aware of the fact that dreams hold a wealth of untapped knowledge. Because of its inherently vague nature, dreams and the art of interpreting them never entered mainstream sciences. Jungian psychology is the closest mainstream science that took dreams seriously.

This article is a concise description of the method of dream interpretation that I use. There are several points/guidelines to take note.

1. The dreams are often symbolic representations of what we are experiencing or are about to experience in the near future. I have found that my dreams often convey messages of occurrences that will most likely happen within a month or so.

2. Usually the people that we encounter in the dream symbolize the different aspects/characteristics of ourselves. For example: a woman may represent a feminine aspect of oneself even when one is male in the waking hours. Much of our repressed tendencies also tend to manifest themselves as characters in dreams as well.
Have you ever wondered why we sometimes appear and behave so differently in our dreams. Well, my take is that dreaming offers an outlet for us to be 'somebody else' that we never had the opportunity to be during our waking hours.

3. Often how we feel and the emotion we felt during the dream reveals and conveys much about the meaning of the symbols.
Intuition and the willingness to examine ourselves with brutal honesty are two very important factors for successful analysis.
Below is a list of commonly encountered symbols. In my opinion, we should always take into consideration the fact that symbols hold certain semantics and meanings that are specific to individuals. Thus the interpretations of symbols are not generic and therefore there can be no hard and fast rules with regards to dream analysis.

Common dream symbolism

Water- associated with emotion.
Ocean or any large body of water - often represents the subconscious mind. The state of the sea often is an indication of the emotional state as well
Eating/digesting- Trying to understand an issue/situation
Walking- associated with learning and assimilating.
Path, road or pavement- symbolizes life or spiritual Path/journey
House- symbolizes our self. Within the house, the various rooms could represent the various aspects of self.
Snake- symbolizes knowledge.
Tree and forest - subconscious feelings that governs our emotions
Bridge- a transitional phase or period of transformation / change

Below is an example of a dream and its interpretation. Like any other types of skills, dream interpretation is an art in which one's proficiency improves with experience.

Dream
Miss A was visiting a foreign country. She boarded a train that has a stop in a shopping complex that meanders through mountains and terrains. She remembered telling the train driver that she wanted to alight in the shopping centre so that she can find her way home.
Instead of alighting at the intended destination, she alighted at a strange place. She had difficulty getting to her destination. She contacted her partner (boyfriend). Though they communicated through the phone, she was still stuck and lost in that unfamiliar place. By this time, she was starting to get depressed. In the moment of depression, she woke up from the dream.

Symbolism involved
Foreign country- unknown knowledge, new experience Train- accelerated learning and understanding Through mountains and terrains- ups and downs Find the way home- spiritual path Train-in-charge – guiding aspect Her partner – male/ mental aspect Queen shopping center station – an intermediate stage that must be attained.

Interpretation
Miss A is currently experiencing and/or learning something that is still unknown to her. It is something that is rather difficult for her to grasp and apply. She is/will be experiencing some feelings of ups and downs. However, if understood, the newfound understanding and knowledge could significantly accelerate her self-growth and discovery. However, for the time being, it is something not within her experience yet (as symbolized by alighting at a strange place instead of the designated station). When she tried contacting her male partner (which symbolizes using her mental reasoning), she was still confused and thus became depressed.

Well, that's all for a quick lesson in dream interpretation. I hope it is informative and beneficial.

Happy Dreaming...

A Champion's Path to Achievement

Our greatest achievements reside in the art of possibility.  Possibilities, like people, require nurturing and a place to grow. Knowing how and when to call forth the possibilities of your day or your life is an art.

By Kathleen Gage and Lori Giovannoni

We design our life with specific goals, plans and actions for achievement. Yet, in a moment all can change. We are then left to ponder the question, “Have you chosen your life path, or has it chosen you?”

Even with the best laid plans there comes a time when our greatest achievement is to surrender to that which life has put in front of us. Surrender with a sense of acceptance not defeat.

Acceptance of the inevitable often leads us to our most profound achievements, left to discover a purpose that may have been buried deep within our spirit. Like the tides, achievement has an ebb and flow.

Our greatest achievements reside in the art of possibility. The possibility that regardless of what circumstances we find ourselves immersed in we maintain our beliefs, we continue to grow, learn and expand as a direct result of the situation.

Possibilities, like people, require nurturing and a place to grow. Our minds house all possibilities, but access to them calls for a particular kind of self-love and personal knowledge. Knowing how and when to call forth the possibilities of your day or your life is an art. There are no project plans, goal setting courses or prioritized lists that will teach us to reach into ourselves and elicit the possibilities of our being.

This is personal work; the personal work of self-care, both simultaneously powerful and fragile. Possibility must be cultivated until there is a strength that allows it to stand on its own.

No matter how much evidence we have that life is full of uncertainty there are those who do all they can to achieve constant certainty. It is the very uncertainty of life that has us love with intensity, live with passion and cherish the moments that may have passed unnoticed if each moment were guaranteed to be followed by the next. It is the uncertainty of life that pushes us to achieve.

Uncertainty may well be the catalyst to become our greatest self, achieving that which we otherwise would not have. It is that which allows the ordinary to become extraordinary, the average person a champion in their own right.

A champion is one who understands that time is fleeting and life is rich with possibility. A champion is a champion first in their mind and heart long before they are a champion in their sport. We are all champions in the making. All we have to do is believe.

A Brief History of Drug Testing

Drug testing is a big business. With at least fifteen large U.S. corporations supplying laboratory testing, employees and others are only a few minutes’ drive from a testing facility.  From employers who use drug testing as a pre-employment screening tool to parents who want to keep tabs on the well being of their teenagers, there are many groups that frequently use drug testing as a screening mechanism.

Drug testing is a big business. With at least fifteen large U.S. corporations supplying laboratory testing, employees and others are only a few minutes’ drive from a testing facility.  From employers who use drug testing as a pre-employment screening tool to parents who want to keep tabs on the well being of their teenagers, there are many groups that frequently use drug testing as a screening mechanism.  

Since the mid-1980’s, drug testing has become more and more common. Probably the group that is tested most often is prospective employees. With strict workplace safety legislation and the fact that employees can use dangerous equipment or have access to sensitive information, employers want to be certain that their employees are not drug abusers. With a sample of urine, hair, blood or swab from the mouth, drug-testing laboratories can often product positive or negative results within 24 to 48 hours.

Recently, drug abuse testing has become increasingly common in professional athletics. With the controversies surrounding the use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, athletes are under a great deal of scrutiny.  The government has also stepped in, and has begun to implement stricter controls and more frequent screening of athletes. A positive result on a drug test can result in penalties such as fines, loss of game time, or complete dismissal from the team. It is safe to say that drug-abusing athletes are taking huge risks with their careers by abusing performance or other illegal drugs.

Opponents of drug testing argue that it violates a person’s rights to privacy. They hold that even if an employee is a recreational drug user, it does not necessarily follow that his or her work will be affected.  With random drug testing gaining popularity in the workforce, one may literally be drawn out of a hat as the next one up for a drug screening. While states only loosely enforce drug-testing laws, opponents say that random drug testing can ruin a person’s life.  Even recreational weekend usage may result in the loss of employment if the drug usage is determined with a drug test. Random drug testing is often argued to be testing without any probable cause.

A Better You: Your 7 days program to self-improvement

"A Better You" Your 7 days program to self-improvement

I seem to lost count on how many times I've read and heard of celebrity marriages failing almost left and right. Not that I care (and personally I don't), it seems strange that we often see movie and TV stars as flawless people, living the fairytale life of riches and glamour. I suppose we all have to stop sticking our heads in the clouds and face reality.

There are many ways to lose your sense of self-esteem despite of how trivial it could get. But whatever happens, we should all try not to lose our own sense of self.

So what does it take to be a cut above the rest? Here are some of the things you can think and improve on that should be enough for a week.

1. Know your purpose
Are you wandering through life with little direction - hoping that you'll find happiness, health and prosperity? Identify your life purpose or mission statement and you will have your own unique compass that will lead you to your truth north every time.

This may seem tricky at first when you see yourself to be in a tight or even dead end. But there's always that little loophole to turn things around and you can make a big difference to yourself.

2. Know your values
What do you value most? Make a list of your top 5 values. Some examples are security, freedom, family, spiritual development, learning. As you set your goals for 2005 - check your goals against your values. If the goal doesn't align with any of your top five values - you may want to reconsider it or revise it.

The number shouldn't discourage you, instead it should motivate you to do more than you can ever dreamed of.

3. Know your needs
Unmet needs can keep you from living authentically. Take care of yourself. Do you have a need to be acknowledged, to be right, to be in control, to be loved? There are so many people who lived their lives without realizing their dreams and most of them end up being stressed or even depressed for that matter. List your top four needs and get them met before it's too late!

4. Know your passions
You know who you are and what you truly enjoy in life. Obstacles like doubt and lack of enthusiasm will only hinder you, but will not derail your chance to become the person you ought to be. Express yourself and honor the people who has inspired you to become the very person you wanted to be.

5. Live from the inside out
Increase your awareness of your inner wisdom by regularly reflecting in silence. Commune with nature. Breathe deeply to quiet your distracted mind. For most of us city slickers it's hard to even find the peace and quiet we want even in our own home. In my case I often just sit in a dimly lit room and play some classical music. There's sound, yes, but music does soothe the savage beast.

6. Honor your strengths
What are your positive traits? What special talents do you have? List three - if you get stuck, ask those closest to you to help identify these. Are you imaginative, witty, good with your hands? Find ways to express your authentic self through your strengths. You can increase your self-confidence when you can share what you know to others.

7. Serve others
When you live authentically, you may find that you develop an interconnected sense of being. When you are true to who you are, living your purpose and giving of your talents to the world around you, you give back in service what you came to share with others -your spirit - your essence. The rewards for sharing your gift with those close to you is indeed rewarding, much more if it were to be the eyes of a stranger who can appreciate what you have done to them.

Find more self-improvement related info and similar program at http://www.selfimprovement.thegreat.info

Self-improvement is indeed one type of work that is worth it. It shouldn't always be within the confines of an office building, or maybe in the four corners of your own room. The difference lies within ourselves and how much we want to change for the better.

2006 Is Already Setting Up To Fail

It’s only a couple of weeks into the New Year and all those goals and resolutions you wanted for yourself are already slipping away. One of two things is happening: Either you simply never got started, or you’re running out of steam.

Not getting started is common. Even with all the great enthusiasm and excitement we had about the year, the diversion of the holidays and then just trying to get back into our normal routines didn’t allow us to incorporate our new goals into our old schedules. The goals we initially set now seem too difficult to know where to start. Simply put, we are busy and distracted by the overall tasks of our lives. Don’t worry. There is always “tomorrow” or next year.

The other common element to resolution failure is burn out. It is comically predictable, but have you ever noticed the level of activity the first week of January? Go to any gym and you will see it packed. In fact, January 1st and 2nd are two of the busiest days in gym attendance. Weight loss groups, dating sites, financial planners, career advisors, and support groups all report high activity the first week of January.

Everyone wants to get in shape, lose weight, meet someone, get a better job, save money, quit smoking, quit drinking and more. So we start out the year no holds barred and go for it! Unfortunately the results we want don’t come as fast as our initial enthusiasm and when we don’t see quick changes we lose our motivation. As the weeks go by the crowds disappear and soon everything is back to normal activity levels as we all slip back into our routines. Then we stay there until another failed attempt next January. The result is that 2006 will be yet another year you failed to achieve the changes you wanted.

The New Year motivates us to start, but we need to develop a habit of successful behavior. As Jim Ryan put it, “Motivation is what gets us started. Habit is what keeps us going.”

You can develop success habits and remedy lack of or diminished motivation with a life coach technique called “ABC.”

A = Action. Start taking action today. We don’t achieve change through thinking about it, but by doing something.

B = Bite size. Reduce all your new activities to small daily actions. It truly is amazing how doing something small doesn’t overwhelm us and produces amazing results. When we take on too much we either don’t start or can’t keep it up. Work out 10 minutes a day; send out one resume a day, save a little money every day and the results will materialize over time.

C = Consistency. Through the accumulation of small actions, we get big results. Do your bite size action activities daily!

We all want big changes, but literally think about the change in your pocket. We have all taken our daily change and placed it in a container of some sort. Before long, that pile of nickels and dimes had grown to several dollars. If you want to produce real changes, concentrate on the ABC Success Habits. Get into action today with small bite size activities consistently and before you know it, you’ll be going to the bank at the end of 2006 with a sizable deposit of results.

100% Attitude

The effect your attitude has on everything – some steps to improve it.

Your attitude will determine a lot, we’ve all heard the glass half full or glass half empty way off looking at things, both are the same thing, but are vastly different as well.  You have the ability to transform your life and reach new heights of success and fulfilment. Whether at this moment in time your attitude is positive, negative or somewhere in the middle you can take control of your life and set yourself free!  Everyone has potential, the unfortunate thing is that most people go through life and never realise or take advantage of this!

Firstly you must visualize what you want - you the dreams everyone has – unfortunately most people leave them as just that, dreams.  The second thing that you must do is see yourself in your dream environment, and see yourself getting there.  I can, I will and when I are the things you must say rather than the negative version I can’t, I won’t and if I!  Don’t worry if you fall into a more negative category – the good thing about attitude is that you can learn and train yourself to have a positive one given a bit of time and practice.

You’ve told yourself that it is going to happen and now must talk about it by doing this you are making yourself accountable and putting yourself under a little pressure to make it happen!  If you dream is to be on Millionaire Street and you are currently in debt – you must realise that this dream is not going to happen overnight in may take a few years – you don’t go around saying you are going to be a millionaire by next Thursday afternoon in three weeks time!  Don’t set unrealistic targets otherwise you may put yourself under undue stress and pressure to achieve, which can be detrimental to your cause.

Attitude isn’t everything – it is simply the first thing!  Remember it’s going to be action that actually gets you there and the attitude will determine what pace that will be.  You are the architect, the builder and the benefactor of all your life’s endeavours.  So when something doesn’t go your way the first place to look is inwards.  You must ask yourself what you could have done differently to have gotten a more favourable result, after this inward analysis is done then you look at some of the external issues that may have been amiss too.

Everyone has their fears; I don’t mean things like scared of the dark or spiders etc.  I am talking about fears to do with success, for example, it might be something that you haven’t learnt to do yet, and you fear that you may fail.  Remember that if you don’t try you fail anyway, and if you do fail sometimes then success is that much sweeter because you actually had to get over obstacles to get to the end result.

In summary we’ll use something interesting to illustrate a point.  There are 26 letters in the alphabet, A = 1 and Z = 26 working on that basis we assign a number to each letter of the word attitude and add them up:
A(1) + T(20) + T(20) + I(9) + T(20) + U(21) + D(4) + E(5) = 100 - 100% Attitude!
Having a positive or optimistic attitude helps you to achieve more for yourself than a negative or pessimistic one.  Visualise what you want, take action to make it happen, overcome any fears and keep plugging away, remember that tree that you see in your local park didn’t get that big overnight.  You can learn to train your mind, and over time you will learn how to develop and maintain a positive attitude.

50 Questions To Help You Find Your Life’s Purpose

Let’s get straight into it!

If you want to live a happy life, then you MUST spend some time deciding what you want to do with your life, and then make the effort to live that life with passion.

It’s up to you!

No-one else is going to do it for you.

So, take some time out from your busy day-to-day routine, and consider the following questions.

1. What is my life’s purpose?

2. If I had to take a best guess at my life’s purpose, what would it be?

3. Who am I?

4. What is the most important thing in my life?

5. What do I love to do, more than anything else?

6. If I had only six months left to live, what would I like to achieve?

7. What would I like to leave the world, as my legacy?

8. What would I do with my life, if I knew I could not fail?

9. If money, or time, or current responsibilities were not an issue, what would I like to do with my life, more than anything else in the world?

10. What activities have I discovered that give me the most pleasure?

11. What do I still want to learn?

12. When I was a child, what did I dream of doing with my life?

13. What has been the greatest challenge that I have overcome so far in my life? Could I help other people to overcome that same challenge?

14. What challenge would I love to overcome, and then help others achieve the same?

15. Who are the people I most admire?

16. Why do I admire these people?

17. How would I define their life’s purpose?

18. What qualities do these people possess that I’d also like to be known for?

19. What is the biggest dream I have ever had for my life?

20. What subjects did I enjoy most in school?

21. What sport have I most enjoyed?

22. What art or craft have I most enjoyed?

23. What social activity have I most enjoyed?

24. What hobbies have I pursued?

25. What hobbies do I wish I had pursued?

26. What would I like to do, if only other people didn’t think it was silly?

27. Where in the world would I most like to live?

28. Who would I like to live there with?

29. Where in the world would I like to work?

30. Who would I most like to work with?

31. What would my perfect day be like?

32. Is there a spiritual side to me, waiting to be unleashed?

33. What would I like to do, RIGHT NOW, which would bring me the most happiness or pleasure?

34. What special gift do I have that I could give to the world?

35. What makes me cry with joy, or brings tears to my eyes?

36. What would I like to do this weekend, just for fun?

37. If I could be granted the power to change the world, what would I do?

38. If I were given three wishes, what would they be?

39. What is something that scares me a bit, but would be really exciting if I did it?

40. What does my heart say I am to do with my life?

41. What qualities do I possess that I am really proud of?

42. What have I done in my life that I am really proud of?

43. If I had time available to contribute to a charity, or some cause, what would it be?

44. What am I usually doing when I suddenly realise that time has flown by, and all my focus has been on that one task?

45. What do I want to do on my next vacation?

46. Who in history would I most love to be, and why?

47. What do I most regret not doing, so far in my life?

48. At the end of my life, what would I most regret not having done?

49. What is my life’s purpose?

50. If I had to take a best guess at my life’s purpose, and just get started with something that excites me, what would it be?

Ponder these questions for a while. Pick out one that you can really relate to, and ask yourself the question over and over and over, until you have an answer.

The answers are within. If you ask, you will receive your answer.

You can live a life of purpose. You can live a life of passion and success! Ask, until you get your answer. And then take massive action. It’s worth it, I promise.

Lance Beggs.

48 Things to Remember About Living Your Dream

You have one, don’t you? A dream? Of course you do. We all do. Whether your dream is big or small this article offers advice on Living Your Dream.


You have one, don’t you? A dream? Of course you do. We all do. Whether your dream is big or small here’s some advice on Living Your Dream.

1. You can be sure it’s a dream and not a fantasy if your dream involves serving others in some way.

2. You’re never too old to start living your dream.

3. Living your dream will allow you to be the best you can be and use your natural gifts, passions and talents to the fullest.

4. Living your dream will give you energy, even if your dream requires you to work harder than ever before.

5. Dreams are never too big, even if they start out feeling that way. You will grow into your dream!

6. Your dream is your dream for a reason. Therefore, if you don’t live your dream, you’re not living up to your purpose in life or your full potential.

7. Sometimes dreams have a way of bringing up the pain of our past. That’s because just on the flip side of your dream is all your “stuff”.

8. Living your dream will help you heal your “stuff”.

9. You already possess all the talents and passions needed to bring your dream to light.

10. Your dream expects only one thing from you – to give it away.

11. Living your dream requires courage. You won’t be able to live your dream if you can’t find your courage.

12. Living your dream will inspire many others to live their dream. Can you imagine a world of people living out their dreams?

13. Your Dream = Love

14. Dreams DO come true.

15. Dreams can and will change over time. Therefore, keep asking yourself, “What’s my dream today?”

16. If you have a dream, you’re lucky. All the more reason to start living yours!

17. Living your dream may require you to make changes in your life; some big, some small, but all worth it.

18. Living your dream may make others uneasy. That’s O.K. That just means they've been ignoring their dreams for far too long and by seeing you live yours they’re reminded they have something more to do in their life too.

19. People will try to discourage you from living your dream. Live your dream anyway.

20. Encourage every kid you meet to discover and live their dream.

21. Be a Dream Maker. Help other people make their dreams come true.

22. BELIEVE in your dream.

23. Some dreams don’t make sense at first. Stick with them, they will soon enough.

24. Fight for your dream.

25. Do whatever it takes to make your dream a reality.

26. Dreams come from many different places within you. You may feel your dream in your gut, your heart, your head, your soul. It doesn’t matter where it comes from along as it’s your dream and not someone else’s.

27. Some dreams come true over night and others take t-i-m-e. That’s O.K. The longer the wait, the more appreciative you’ll be when your dream comes true!

28. Dream BIG!!

29. Dream every day.

30. Dream the impossible.

31. Dream for others who can’t dream for themselves.

32. Dream of what it will be like when you’re living out your dream. Gives you goosebumps, doesn’t it?

33. Allow your dream to unfold in its own natural timing. Never push a dream. They don’t like to be pushed.

34. Do one thing today to make your dream come true.

35. Enjoy living your dream. Your dream really enjoys you!

36. Don’t be scared of your dream. Dreams aren’t scary, unless you make them so.

37. Forgive your dream. It may require a lot from you, more than you can give sometimes.

38. TRUST there’s a purpose to your dream. Keep trying to discover the purpose to yours.

39. Don’t hide your dream. Dreams like to romp around, play and be in the company of other dreams.

40. Your dream wants you to be a little bit crazy on occasion. In other words, dreams really don’t thrive from playing it safe. Get it?

41. Your dream wants you to know that it will come true if you do your part. Your dream promises it will do its part.

42. Never stop dreaming. If you’re a person who likes to dream and fulfill your dreams, more and more dreams will make their way to you. Dreams like people who listen to them.

43. The bigger you get, the bigger your dreams will get.

44. Living your dream may be the road to making more money than you ever have before.

45. But if you don’t (make more money), that’s O.K. because by living your dream you’ll finally understand that it’s not about the money anyway.

46. Your dream is perfect for you.

47. Dream now, dream later, dream all the time.

48. DREAM beautiful dreams.

20 Ways Of Training The Mind On Positive Thinking

1. Start the day with cheers and smiles.

Your whole day depends on how you greet the morning. Therefore, as long as you welcome it with energy and high spirits, everything will go okay. You don’t want the rest of the day to get ruined, do you? Come on, smile! It doesn’t cost anything but is worth everything.

2. Ask for guidance.

Only God knows what we will be having on the day ahead of us. He will surely appreciate a few minutes of praying and asking for guidance from Him. Also, have faith on Him that He is more than willing to grant our requests as long as it is for our own good. With God as our guide, we don’t have any reason not to say and believe in the thought that I can do this. I can make it through this day. Nothing is impossible. After all, God is with me.

3. Plan the day ahead.

To avoid mistakes that will cause negative output on your daily activities that will later on become negative thoughts, it is better to plan your work first; after which, work your plan. Make sure today's goals are clearly defined and absorbed by your mind. This can be done even before you get out of bed each day, just so immediate addressing issues as they arise can be avoided.

4. Keep your mind focused on important things.

Set goals and priorities for what you think and do. Visualize practicing your actions. Develop a strategy for dealing with problems. Concentrate on things that need to be taken seriously, but at the same time, take time to relax and enjoy. This way, favorable results may take place.

5. Be detached from the outcome.

They say that life is like a Ferris Wheel; sometimes, you’re on the top, and sometimes at the bottom. This means that there will be times in our lives where some things would not turn out according to what we want them to be. Don't be annoyed if you don't get what you desire. However, do your best in everything you do. Only, don’t get too attached on the probable results that may only cause disappointments and upsets.

6. Try new things and challenges.

See learning and changes as opportunities. There’s nothing wrong in changing attitudes and routines as long as they are for the good and improvement of who you are and what you do. Doing new things may include considering more options for a project, meeting new people from different places, asking lots of questions. Through this, the flow of thinking is directed to improvement and negative thoughts will be easily eradicated.

7. Balance your desires.

We live in a place of opposites and duality – gain and loss, pleasure and pain, light and dark, male and female, love and hate. This is how the cycle of life goes. We can never have all the good things in life at the same time. In love, there will always be someone who gets hurt. In wealth, there will always be people who will not be fortunate enough. Measure and moderation is the primary key.

8. Be realistic.

Make sure that what you want is something possible. Hoping for something to happen which would never really materialize in real life will only bring you disappointment. For instance, you wish to lose weight. Therefore, you have to set a goal and act on appropriate measures within a period of time to achieve what you wish. Hey, No one can get slimmer overnight.

9. Keep track of your mental and physical health.

This way, you will know how far you can keep believing.
Know yourself. There is no other person in the world who can tell who you really are. Know your passions, favorites, and principles. Spend some quality time by yourself – reading, listening to music, day dreaming, and the likes. If you know yourself completely, you will be aware of how far can you go physically, mentally, and emotionally.

10. Love yourself.

Before you expect for other people to love and adore you, it is always you who needs to love yourself first. Make a positive commitment to yourself, to learning, work, family, friends, nature, and other worthwhile causes. Praise yourself as much as you praise others once in a while. When you start feeling confident about yourself, positive thoughts will naturally flow to your mind.

11. Laugh.

Enjoy. Have fun. Looking at the brighter side of life starts with entertainment and pleasure. Laughter is the best medicine, so they say. Whether your illness is physical or emotional, a few laughs and giggles can help you throw away heavy baggage such as anxiety, disappointment, or nervousness.

12. Keep a list of your goals and actions.

Familiarize yourself with things you want to accomplish and with the ways you must undertake to complete them. By the time you are certain of what you want to do and carry out in your life, a stronger mind and will power will exist within you.

13. Associate with positive people.

In every classroom, work place, or simply anywhere you go where there are groups of people, look for optimistic ones. There are lots of them, I’m sure. Associate with them, hang-out, discuss matters. They can help you build self-confidence and self-esteem.

14. Make it a habit to ask questions.

This is not equal to dumbness and ignorance; rather, it is associated with seeking more information and understanding matters clearly. With more knowledge, there is also more power.

15. Be open.

We have to accept the fact that we don’t know everything. And that we are continuously learning in every place we go, with every people we meet as everyday passes. We should not close our minds to new ideas and information that comes our way. Our mind is so spacious that it is impossible to fill it up completely. Thus, we should accept worthy things that may help us become better and brighter persons.

16. Have trust in other people.

Although it may seem difficult and risky to give trust to just any people, when you believe in them or confident on what they are doing for you, doubts and negative judgments on them will be unnecessary. Also, it will bring harmonious relationships between you and your colleagues.

17. Forgive and forget.

Mistakes and failures are the root causes of negative thinking. If we somehow learn to let go of all the pain, agony, and fear we try to keep inside our hearts and minds, then there will be nothing more to block our clear thoughts from being expressed. Forgive yourself for committing mistakes and forget these mistakes.

18. Learn from experiences.

Learning inside the classroom is different from learning outside it. In school, one learns the lesson first before taking an exam; while in real life, one takes the test first before learning the lesson. This test in the real life is our experiences. If we failed in that test, i.e. the experience is not so good, we study the situation and learn the lesson. From here, we can avoid committing the same mistake twice.

19. Count your blessings.

Focus on what you have rather than what you don’t have. Absence of our desires will only bring discontentment and disappointment that will only waste our time. Instead, be thankful and appreciative with all the blessings we receive.

20. Kiss your worries goodbye.

At the end of everyday, before going to sleep, there is no need to keep bad experiences and unhappy moments that had happened in the day within you. Let them go, throw them out of the window and kiss them goodbye. Dream sweetly. As a new day unfolds, new hope arises. Keep believing. Always have faith.

20 Tips For A Great Night's Sleep

Getting a good night's sleep helps us to be happier, more productive people, so here's some tips to help you get a good night's sleep:

1. Avoid drinking tea or coffee late at night

2. Stop smoking – nicotine is a stimulant and so can make it difficult to get to sleep and stay asleep

3. Go to bed at the same time each night so that you set a routine

4. Only use the bed for sleeping and sex

5. Use dimmers on your light switches, and dim the lights in the hours before you go to bed to mimic the change from daylight to night time

6. Avoid taking exercise in the evening – exercise early in the day to promote restful sleep

7. Try using affirmations, such as: “I let go of the day, and enjoy restful, peaceful sleep” repeated several times while you prepare for sleep

8. If you can’t get to sleep after a while, get up keeping the lights low and do something boring until you feel sleepy

9. Alcohol may help you get to sleep, but you are more likely to wake during the night feeling thirsty and needing to go to the bathroom

10. Try relaxed breathing: breathe slowly and deeply concentrating on your abdomen rather than your chest

11. Get your allergies checked out, particularly if you wake craving particular food in the middle of the night

12. Avoid paying bills and similar jobs just before sleep

13. Try a herbal tea - chamomile, passion flower, lavender flowers or valerian are good, or take a herbal supplement such as scullcap or valerian

14. Put the essential oils lavender and clary sage on your pillow and inhale their soothing vapours as you sleep

15. Try some flower remedies - there are lots of different types. In the Bach flower remedies you might like to try ‘vervain’ if you find it difficult to switch off from the
day; ‘holly’ if anger and resentment keep you awake; ‘white chestnut’ for persistent unwanted thoughts; ‘aspen’ if you wake because of nightmares

16. Try holding your frontal eminences (the bumps on your forehead, about half way between your eyebrows and hairline) if you are awake because of stress

17. Try taking supplements – magnesium and calcium can work well

18. If you suffer with hot flushes/flashes, try some natural support for your endocrine system at this time. I personally recommend Neways wild yam and chaste berry cream

19. Many alternative and complementary therapists have success with people with sleep problems. Find a local therapist and ask them if they have experience in this field

20. Sleep problems can be a sign of an underlying medical condition (e.g. thyroid problems or depression), so get this checked out with a suitably qualified health professional

20 quick ways to greater confidence

Need a confidence boost? Here are 20 quick ways that you can increase your confidence today.


20 quick and practical methods to increase your confidence, here we go:

1. Think about someone who is confident and act, talk and walk like him or her. Model their mannerisms and behaviour. It works for them; it will work for you.

2. Smile a lot more. That doesn’t mean putting a silly grin on your face! But smile when you walk down the street, when you meet people and generally be happier even if you’re not feeling that way.

3. Learn from the past; don’t beat yourself up about it. It’s gone; it’s never coming back. Instead learn from it for next time.

4. Buy yourself some new clothes, get your hair done, treat yourself to something new. It will make you feel better and will give your ego a boost.

5. Are you prepared for situations? Are you prepared enough to meet any challenge that may come up? Are you prepared for that meeting, that presentation, that job interview, when you meet someone for the first time? If not, get to it.

6. Play to your strengths. Know what you are good at and expose yourself to these opportunities at every opportunity – because you’re good at it, you’ll enjoy it and have more confidence.

7. Improve your weaknesses. Know and appreciate what these are and put a plan in place to improve them over time.

8. Learn how to say no to people. Don’t be afraid, you’ve got nothing to be afraid of. Just watch the reaction on their face after you’ve said it the first time and there will be no going back.

9. Be positive. Look on the “can do” side of things rather than the “can’t do”. You’ve accomplished lots in your life and you will accomplish lots more in the future.

10. Be in charge of your thoughts at all times. What is a thought? It’s just a question that you’ve asked yourself and the thought is you’re answer. If you’re thinking negative thoughts, you’re probably asking a negative question. Change the questions to be more positive.

11. Whenever you feel a negative thought coming, STOP, THINK, and say is this really important in the grand scheme of things. A lot of the time it isn’t. Many people in life major in minor things!

12. Do you let the words of others affect you? Do you mind what they think of you? Remember that no one can make you feel inferior without your consent. It’s not what they say to you that’s the problem it’s what you say to yourself after they have stopped talking that’s the problem. Change the way you think.

13. List the words that you use on a consistent basis when you feel let down or annoyed. People use different words to mean the same thing and depending upon the intensity of the word – this will have an effect on your confidence. Instead of saying “I’m enraged about this” say, “I’m a little annoyed”. Make a substitute list for the words that you use. Make sure they are lower in intensity and then use them. You’ll be surprised with the results.

14. At the end of each day list your achievements and successes throughout that day.

15. Be appreciative of what you have to be thankful for in your life right now. Who do you love? Who loves you? Who do you help out?

16. Every morning when you’re in the shower, play over in your head the events in the day as though they have already happened and they were a success. Visualize all of the meetings that you had, the people you talked to, the outcomes you had. Visualize success and confidence and it will be so.

17. Improve your body language. The way that you move your body has a massive impact on your confidence levels. Move your body assertively and walk with your head up, shoulders back and as though you’ve got somewhere very important to go. Feeling low in confidence? Change you body language

18. Emotion is created by motion. As in 17, make sure you move around consistently. This creates energy and gets the blood pumping around you body – it makes you feel better and more confident.

19. Learn to brag about yourself. Yes, you heard me! Talk about your achievements and successes more than you currently are.

20. And finally – You only live once, so any time that you are down just ask yourself in 10 or 20 years time – will what I am worrying about really matter?

10 Ways To Kick The Procrastination Habit

A survey (by the University of Chicago) suggested that those who relish challenge are more likely to live up to 10 years longer than those who spend their lives inhibited by timidity.

Trying to realize our ambitions, even if we don't always meet them, is preferable to not having the courage or motivation to take the risk. So not making any resolutions because we fear that we'll break them is having a defeatist attitude, as we allow procrastination to become an insidious ha...

A survey (by the University of Chicago) suggested that those who relish challenge are more likely to live up to 10 years longer than those who spend their lives inhibited by timidity.

Trying to realize our ambitions, even if we don't always meet them, is preferable to not having the courage or motivation to take the risk. So not making any resolutions because we fear that we'll break them is having a defeatist attitude, as we allow procrastination to become an insidious habit which stops us from leading more fulfilling lives.

The following offers 10 ways to kick the procrastination habit!

1. Personal values development.

Take the time to find out what you really want in life, what your personal values are. Do you want more time, more money, better health, greater self esteem and confidence, more fulfilling relationships, a different career, set up a business? When we procrastinate it's often because what we are planning to do is not really aligned with what we truly want. We may be scared of our skills (or perceived lack of) or fear ridicule from others.

2. Make health and high energy levels a priority.

Without good health we are less likely to have the energy and dynamism needed to make positive changes in our lives and it's easier (and necessary if you're very ill) to procrastinate. So ensure that you have a nourishing diet, sleep well, exercise and meditate. Incidentally, it is thought that regular meditation helps delay the worst effects of the ageing process.

3. Visualize your life without procrastination.

See and feel the benefits in your life if you didn't procrastinate. What could you do and achieve? Begin to act as if you're not a procrastinator. Write down, draw, imagine your life as a film. Use affirmations to help you.

4. Banish the Gremlin.

That little voice which runs on auto in your head - that dismisses any idea that you might have. It says things like "I'm not in the mood" "I don't have time" "I can't do this". Stop running on auto, replace the "should's" "oughts" "have tos" with "want to" "desire". You have a choice. Acknowledge your choices and banish the Gremlin. Again, using affirmations can help you replace the Gremlin with more positive alternatives.

5. Over commitment.

Saying "yes" to everything - often leaves you feeling tired and without the energy to focus on what is most important to you. This leads to procrastination as projects and tasks are dropped. Identify what is most important to you and only focus on those areas which will make the biggest difference to your life. It will enhance your focus and motivation.

6. Set personal and professional goals.

It's hard to motivate yourself when you don't have a good idea of what you want to accomplish. So when setting goals think about what you want to achieve in the short term and long term. Techniques for doing so include the SMART strategy. S = specific M = measurable A= Action R = Realistic T = Time based. Use goal setting software to help you in goal planning and setting.

7. Prioritize Your Goals.

Develop a plan or schedule to help you reach your goals. In doing so you will begin to identify whether some elements need to be included or enhanced or dropped completely. Also remember to be flexible, revisit your goals regularly and modify or drop if appropriate. Just because a goal is written down doesn't mean that it is set in stone!

8. Divide and conquer.

Once you've prioritized your goals, divide them into smaller chunks. Sometimes we procrastinate because a project seems really large that the scale of it overwhelms us and puts us into a temporary form of paralysis - you don't know where to start, so you don't start at all! Approach each project - especially large ones - on a step by step basis.

9. Reward yourself.

Once you start to complete tasks, reward yourself by giving yourself something that you want. So instead of seeing a film before you complete a task, see it afterwards and make it a reward for you.

10. Just get started.

No excuses. Don't wait until you're "in the mood". The mood never comes! It is a clever camouflage and a delaying tactic. What you resist persists! Start with what is easiest, so that you experience immediate success, which will give you the fuel and motivation to upgrade and take on larger projects.

Do any of the above and you'll be well on your way to Kicking the Procrastination Habit. And if you're procrastinating over doing any of the above :.), then remember that life is the biggest deadline of all!

10 Tips For Conquering Your Fears

Have you ever had a fear that kept you from living life fully? Perhaps this fear has stopped you from having MORE fun or experiencing GREATER success. Yes? This article will help you learn to overcome your fear and increase your self confidence.


Have you ever had a fear that kept you from living life fully? Perhaps this fear has stopped you from having MORE fun or experiencing GREATER success. Yes? You're not alone. I have too.

The fear I conquered in the story below may not be my biggest fear but with a little reflection I saw how it really stopped me from enjoying my family and life to the fullest. It also taught me a valuable lesson of how taking steps to overcome my fear resulted in increased self confidence.

At the end of my story, I’ll give you tips for conquering your own fears.

A few weekends ago my husband and I took our daughter Kasie, and my nephew Zach, to a water park. We all love the water and were having a blast until my hubby and the kids took off for --- the water slides.

As they enthusiastically ran to the slides I slowed wayyyy down. In fact, I stopped, found a chair and proceeded to organize our belongings. As I settled into a lawn chair I saw Kasie and Zach whoosh down their side-by-side slides and plunge, feet first, into the cool water. They quickly resurfaced, sputtering and laughing and ready for more.

As Zach jumped out of the pool to run back up the stairs he looked at me laughing and said, “Cari’s being a wimp.” He was right. I was.

You see, even though I love the water I’ve always been afraid of --- water slides.

On this particular day however, the kid pressure was too great. I decided it was the time and place to conquer my old fear. As I hurried to the steps my chest tightened and my breathing became very shallow. Each step I took to reach the top of the slide made me feel anxious, awkward and scared to death.

I focused my attention on the cute and fearless little girl in front of me. I motivated myself by repeating the mantra, "if she can do it, I can do it". As we reached the top of the slide, I watched in amazement as she sprang from the last step to a lying down, torpedo style position in one fell swoop. As soon as the little girl shot out of sight it was my turn.

The time had come – it was now or never. Copying the little girl before me, I laid down on the slide feet first torpedo style and as I did I heard the words: Don’t fight it, just let yourself go.

As I whooshed down the slide I reminded myself I was OK, to keep breathing and to relax. As I let my body go it seemed to understand what was expected of it. It conformed to the twists and turns of the slide and only seemed to tighten in response to my fearful thoughts. Soon, I could see the end of the ride was near and as I flew off the end of the slide into the waiting water, I knew I conquered my fear!

WOW! I did it! I went down a water slide. It was a blast! My husband told me later, as I was coming down, he could hear me screaming and laughing. All I could remember was feeling gripped by fear, exhilaration and pure joy as my body whirled down the watery, slippery path.

Now, I felt ready for more. Once wasn’t enough. The second time up the stairs was much easier and I took my position at the top of the slide with much more confidence. The ride down the second time was even more fun because now I knew the curves and the bumps. I navigated the challenge with a bit more grace. I felt proud of myself for taking action and for doing something I thought I would never do.

What’s your "water slide"? I bet you have one, or many. We all do. What fear, if you conquered it, would allow you to have a bit more fun, experience greater success, or live life a bit more fully?

Some fears feel bigger to conquer than others. My water slide fear may not seem like the biggest fear one could have, but having it caused me to isolate myself from the rest of my family and kept me from having MORE fun, joy and exhilaration in my life.

Conquering your fears, one by one, builds confidence and increases your quality of life. Don't let your fears hold you back from living the life you wish you were living.

10 Tips For Conquering Your Fears:

1. Recognize a fear is present

2. Declare you are going to conquer the fear

3. Expect to feel anxious, awkward and scared

4. Consider copying a style you like until you find your own style

5. Focus your attention

6. Motivate yourself with affirmations

7. Step into the fear with abandon

8. Let go and have fun! Remind yourself to keep breathing.

9. Pat yourself on the back when it’s over

10. Notice how much easier it gets

When you have time, take a personal inventory of the fears keeping you from living the life you want. Then make a commitment and challenge yourself to face and conquer one them that's been holding you back. Use the tips above to guide your way. To get started, see if any common fears from the list below fit you:

Admitting mistakes or wrong-doings Adventure Being inadequate/not good enough Doing something you’ve never done before Expressing yourself Failure Healing emotional wounds Health concerns Money/finances Never having enough Public speaking Promoting yourself Saying “NO” Sharing your feelings Taking a risk, such as starting a business or changing careers Traveling

10 Things You Can Eat That Can Make You Clever

Certain Foods Can Help Keep The Brain Healthy and Active.

Copyright 2006 Eva Moffat

Solving crossword puzzles and sudokus may help to keep the brain alive, but they are not the whole answer. So, what will protect the brain from ageing?

You have to eat the right foods.  We’ve all been told by our parents to eat fish because that is brain food.  Our parents were not wrong, but eating certain fish is better for the brain than any old fish.

Another advantage to eating food that is good for the brain is that it is also good for the heart.

Besides fish, what else should be eaten that will protect the delicate nerve cells and blood-vessels from the damage that often goes hand in hand with ageing?

Why not include the foods listed below in your daily diet?

Fish – What Fish?

· Herring, Sardines and Salmon are all oily fishes.  The oil we get from these fishes is full of omega 3 fatty acids. Therefore, the more omega 3 there is in the blood the higher the level of serotonin. Serotonin is a mood enhancer. It can give you that feel-good feeling.

In a test run by the Rush Institute for healthy ageing in Chicago, USA it was found that people who had a fish meal even only once a week are less likely to suffer with Alzheimer’s Disease than those who don’t eat fish.

Eat Your Vegetables

· Homocysteines are chemicals that are a normal part of protein metabolism.  But too much homocysteine is not good for you. It brings on Dementia and also increases heart disease.

How can you keep homocysteines at a reasonable level?  By eating dark-green vegetables for example Broccoli and Curly Kale.

Fruit Can Also Be Good For You and Your Brain

· Sweet wild blueberries are full of anti-oxidants.  Anti-oxidants are the good guys that get rid of the free radicals in the body. How do these free radicals get into the body?  You don’t have to be a smoker to inhale passive nicotine. If you walk in the street, cars, buses and motorbikes are giving off petrol or diesel fumes. And as you breathe in, you are breathing in pollutants that are not good for your health.

There are some chemicals in blueberries that help keep the arteries in good condition; this in turn can prevent high blood pressure.

If blueberries are difficult to buy at your local greengrocers, most supermarkets stock tinned blueberries.

Popeye Sort of Had The Right Idea

· While Popeye took spinach to give him bulging muscles so he could get the better of his enemies, we should take spinach to improve the functioning of our brains.  It makes sense, as the brain is also a muscle.

A salad with spinach has more than three times the folate as a salad with lettuce.

Brown Rice Is Better Than White Rice

· Switch to brown rice instead of white.  This will improve your intake of nutrients. Brown rice is filled with vitamins and magnesium, which seem to play a large part in improving the brain’s function.

Whole grains contain Vitamin B6, which aids in reducing homocysteine levels. People often don’t have enough Vitamin B6, this is because they usually eat processed food.





Red Wine or Grape Juice Which Is Best?

· Drinking red wine in moderation is good for you, it increases longevity, yet what’s good about it, seeing as it slows down the functioning of the brain?

Grape Juice is the better choice than red wine.  It has an abundance of anti-oxidants. In fact, it has more anti-oxidants than any other fruit, vegetable or juice.

Now Popeye’s Girl Friend Olive Oil

· Olive Oil the main ingredient of the Mediterranean Diet is good for your heart.

So, go with Popeye and Olive Oil and enjoy a healthy heart.

Hot Cocoa Is More Than Just A Good Night Drink

· It has been found that two tablespoons of cocoa powder is almost twice as strong as red wine, two to three times stronger than green tea and four to five times stronger than black tea.

The anti-oxidants in hot cocoa protect the brain cells from oxidative stress that can lead to Alzheimer’s and other disorders.

Garlic Is Good For More Than Scaring Off Vampires

· Garlic also has Anti-Oxidant properties.  However, it also contains Anti-Bacterial and Anti-Viral compounds that help shake off stress induced colds and infections.

Raw crushed garlic is best, but although cooked garlic is less powerful, it still is good for the heart.



Nuts To You

· Almonds and Walnuts are full of Anti-Oxidants.   They have been found to lower blood cholesterol levels because of their monounsaturated fat content.  This means they don’t make you put on weight.  Walnuts are rich in omega 3’s.