The Keys to the Freedom of Life - By Sjef Van De Laak

A lot of people believe that real happiness is an utopia, or something that happens only for a short period of time.

Many people still believe that life is a battle.

However if we investigate our inner beings, we will be able to get more out of life.

We have now come to a very important moment in our lifes where we will start to put a change to our way of thinking and living.

The more we will be learning about our inner self, the more beautiful life is going to be.
The more we will love our self, the more we will love our life.
Life will more and more become a gift instead of a battle or struggle.

Why has it taken so long before this liberating message has come to us, why hasn’t it been taught to us ages ago??
I think it took so long, because we were not ready for this message.

Now we are ready for it, so let us get started.

It is not a coincidence that you are reading these pages, it is because you are ready to put them into practise and use them in your further life.
So continue reading and let the information settle into your brain, do not judge or reject, but continue till you have finished, and you will see what a joy and change it will bring to your life.

This message will draw our attention to our inner voice, which is always talking to us from our inner soul.
It will make us aware of the Law of Attraction, which is the guideline for our life and we can always appeal to.

This voice is not just a couple of useful rules for a more positive life, however if you really go for it you will find the keys to the plenitude of life.

You will be surprised how simple it all is and how it is possible that we have not been able to find this road by ourselves.

It is all related to the two basic needs of every human being.

- On the one hand we always hope that people like or love us,

that we are accepted, that people hear us, that we are united

with each other.

This is our need for being loved, a deep longing to experience

the oneness with everything and everybody.

It is also our need to be allowed to be ourselves, to be able to

accept and embrace all of our feelings, our character and our

qualities. It is the female strength from which arise all our

creative movements.

- On the other hand do we also have the need to do what we

like to do, to develop our-selves, unfolding ourselves.

This is the deep inner need to act spontaneous and creative,

to take initiative to change and to evaluate.

It is the male strength of manifestation that likes to show

itself in a friendly healthy way.

Once there is balance between the female strength (Yin) and the male strength (Yang) between “to be” and “to do” one can be happy.

The first key will show us to experience Love, Peace and Oneness.

It will show us insights and inner guidelines to accept ourselves and our lives, to love and respect ourselves.

The second key will come to meet our unfolding strength.

We will be inspired to find our own space, to be assertive and learn how to use our creating energy to the fulfilment of our heart’s desires.

How is the balance between our Yin and Yang??

Maybe we do what we like to do however often we feel ourselves outsiders from the rest with a different lifestyle.
Or maybe we don’t dare to live the life we would like to live or maybe we don’t do the things we like to do and follow our creative urge, because of the fear not to be accepted in society or family.

The sense of our life and the intention of this message is to find this balance again and become intensely living, loving and happy people as we were when we were born, but due to conditioning during our education we have forgotten.
Our live is like a learning curve to trust our intuition or so-called inner navigation system.
Our intuition shows us exactly when it is time to release (Yin) or when it is time to start moving (Yang) depending on the situation.
Our whole life we are practising how to find the perfect balance between the Yin and the Yang concepts.

The Yin and Yang concept describes two primal opposing but complementary principles said to be found in all objects and processes in the universe.

Sjef van de Laak
http://www.enrich-life.net

How To Achieve Success Through Accountability - By Lisa Van Allen

Run a Google search on “accountability” and you get nearly 50 million hits. Glancing at the sites you find references to government accountability, corporate accountability, and accountability for those struggling with various types of addictions. You have to dig pretty deep to find a link to the kind of accountability that I believe is essential to success – personal accountability to action.

Success is rarely accidental. Most individuals who succeed have created specific goals and worked hard to achieve them. They have also done one more thing – they have established meaningful relationships that will hold them accountable for the steps necessary to achieve those goals.

In his book entitled Goals!, Brian Tracy emphasizes the importance of associating with the kind of people who inspire and encourage you to achieve your goals. I would take this one step further. In addition to being surrounded by supportive people, we need one or two who hold us accountable on a regular basis.

Accountability partners are not the smiling friend who pats your hand and tells you everything is going to work out. As nice as that friend might be, what you really need to be successful is someone who will require transparency and honesty, someone who will challenge you to keep moving and striving, someone who will accept nothing less than your best.

Here are a few suggestions for finding and maintaining a relationship with an accountability partner or group:

1. Get clear on who you are and where you are going.
Accountability partners can help you determine your purpose and direction, but your time together will be most effective when you have identified specific goals.


2. Look for people with similar drive and passion.
Your accountability partners do not need to be working on the same goals but should have the same sense of purpose and determination to be successful.


3. Meet regularly to develop rapport and trust.
It takes time to develop trust but selecting individuals you respect and admire will help facilitate this important step.


4. Require honesty and transparency.
Committing to confidentiality is essential so that each member can share their experience. You are wasting your time if you are not completely transparent with your accountability partner(s).


5. Be able and willing to give and receive constructive criticism.
Accountability partners will challenge you to meet your goals but they can serve another purpose. Accountability partners can be a sounding board and give you honest feedback on the steps you take to achieve those goals.


6. Celebrate successes.
It is tempting to achieve a goal and then sit back and rest. Your accountability partner will help you celebrate your success and then go on to achieve even bigger and better goals.

Personal accountability to action works. You can and will achieve your goals!

Lisa Van Allen, MS, PhD is a personal and executive coach with twenty years experience in clinical psychology and healthcare administration. In her forthcoming book, "POWER-Filled Living", Lisa provides a process for finding and fulfilling life's purpose. Excerpts of her book and additional articles on life and leadership can be found at http://www.vanallencoaching.com

Facing Fear - By Nancy Nylen

Facing Fear

If you can’t…you must. If you fear it…face it. The only way to overcome a weakness, is by beating it into submission with your own ability to act.

I remember standing at the top of a double black diamond ski run with several companions. This would be the “expert only need apply” run. I was fearless, at nineteen, I thought. But as I looked down, unable to see the bottom of the run, the slope dropped sharply from my position, and so did my courage. I felt the fear.

Fear paralyzes. The knees grow wobbly. Doubt started to overtake me. Fresh snow had piled into deep powder, the type of snow that skiers dream of: conditions superb. And yet I stood there. I had been a skier for over ten years by then, pretty good by any standards.

My fellow ski buddies urged me on then shot off over the precipice, howling in delight and leaving me in their dust. Not to be left behind, I followed. Rocking back, sitting low, keeping the tips above the snow, pointed straight-line downhill, bouncing side to side in an easy flowing rhythm. My knees absorbed the bumps like running through cotton candy.

It was awesome, unbelievable. I floated, I flew, I kicked up powder in my wake, making fresh tracks. Soundless except the feeling of exhilaration in my lungs, ecstasy in my body. Complete submission to the experience. I caught up with my pals who were waiting for me at the bottom of the run, equally flush. I did it.

Nodding appreciatively, they gave me the thumbs ups as I pulled to a quick side stop alongside of them. I looked back up the run, saw my clean tracks, perfect little “s” curves all the way down.

No fear. Just exhilaration, relief, accomplishment. I did it! I conquered…not the mountain, but the mountain of fear that had momentarily held me in check. The run lasted a brief couple of minutes, but the power of conquering that fear lasted a lifetime.

To this day, if something stops me dead in my tracks in fear, I take a deep breath and Know: this is exactly what I MUST do. Go ahead, take a shot. The weak knees give way to boldness; the shallow nervous breaths becomes a deep sigh of relief; the “I can’ts” become the “I did its”.

There is no better or more empowering memory than the ones you create in your own being, of knowing that fear did not hold you back, nor keep you from living a life more fully.

Nancy Nylen is a mom and writer, dealing with the challenges of daily life and facing each fear with more courage than the day before...sometimes, just getting out of bed and facing the challenges of life are all that is required! Visit me at : causeoflife.com and feel free to write me. I'd love to hear from you!

How to Overcome the Dirty Little Habit of Procrastination - By Keith Crovatt

We are all procrastinators. Either consciously or subconsciously we delay, stall and put off various tasks that will make a positive difference in our lives. Procrastinating is actually a habit developed over a long period of time. Habits are very hard to change without a conscious, deliberate action taken on our part.

Traditionally, procrastination has been associated with perfectionism, a tendency to negatively evaluate outcomes and one's own performance. It is an intense fear and avoidance of judgment of your abilities by others. Heightened social self-consciousness, anxiety, recurrent low moods, and workaholism are the results of compulsory procrastination.

So how did we get into this mess? Procrastination is like any other habit. Our daily routine tends to be the same if we are not aware of the habits that this can create. We all seek pleasure in our lives. Most every action we take on a daily basis is done to avoid pain, save time, save money and increase pleasures.

We create a false sense of pleasure by delaying projects, weight loss goals, job searches and relationship issues with procrastination. It feels good to tell ourselves, "I will start this in the morning so I can go to the park this afternoon with my kids." Unfortunately, this is temporary. It is also fatal. This procrastination leads to more stress. More stress leads to more procrastination to stop the pain. The cycle feeds on itself.

I read a quote that in summary says, "Yesterday is a canceled check with tomorrow an IOU but today is tasks at hand." Read that line again! The most precious asset we all have is time. No one has more than you. We only have today as a promise on this earth. Stop putting off your dreams and desires by procrastinating. So how do I do that you ask?

First, dig deep into your soul. No one else has to know what you are feeling inside. Why are you putting this goal off? Are you a perfectionist? Do you think if it is not absolutely perfect it does not count? That is farthest from the truth.

Break down the goal or task into many small manageable actions. Do not try to lose 50 pounds, go to the gym every day, eat 50% less food all in one month. This is not reasonable. Start by only having 1 soda a day instead of 3. Switch from 2% milk to 1% milk for a month. After a month switch to skim milk. You will get use to it and the habit of drinking high fat content milk is over.

You must create new habits. New habits take 21 days on average to form. If you take on too drastic a change at first, the 21 days will become your nightmare in life.

Get mad! Emotions are the most powerful driving force in our lives. Admit to yourself that we all buy products, eat foods and relate to others by emotions. We will justify the actions in some logical way but the emotions drive our actions. "I am fed up with dieting and weight loss products" is a great emotional statement that will create action.

Tell other people what you are going through. Tell them your plans to stop the habit. Do not be embarrassed. They too have their own demons and secrets. Many times they will ask you to help them or join them to conquer procrastination together. Holding each other accountable for stopping procrastination is another powerful habit changing action.

Finally, momentum is the key. Momentum is an action moving fast that will not stop easily once the driving forces (you) starts the pushing. It is much easier to keep the procrastination demon at bay when the daily habits of actions and thoughts take hold. This is where other people are important to your success with procrastination. They will push you and coach you because they want you to do the same for them.

Procrastination, like many other habits, is easily broken when it is replaced by a new habit. New habits take time, effort and energy. You did not learn procrastination overnight and it does take 21 days to break that habit. Make today the defining point in your life to stop procrastination.

============================================================= Keith Crovatt has spent years observing and altering behaviors in the fitness world. For less than the cost of one counseling session, procrastination is cured by using habit breaking techniques. View a free video Click =>http://www.breakbadhabit.com =============================================================

© All rights reserved http://www.BreakBadHabit.com

Awareness And Personal Power - By T.D. McKenzie

I once knew a man, who had big dreams and always took great
pleasure in talking about what he was going to achieve with his
life, however despite his ability to convince almost everyone
around him he failed to make any of his dreams a reality.

It was only years later that I realised that for all his talk,
his life was totally out of balance, he was always having
problems with his partner, his rent was always overdue and he was
constantly borrowing money from friends and family and forgetting
to pay them back.

I knew many people like him, but he stood out the time because he
seemed on the surface to want so much more from his life.

The key phrase in the above sentence is "on the surface" as this
was the vital clue that led me to truly understand his
predicament.

This person's life for want of a better word was out of balance
he was not paying enough attention to his finances, relationships
and even his health and eventually all of these areas came
crashing down on him.

When I began writing this article my intention was to focus on
the importance of having your life structured and balanced in
away so that your ultimate purpose can materialise, however as I
began looking at the word balance a deeper more significant theme
began to take shape.

The other aspect of balance that came to mind was how it related
to our beliefs.

When our beliefs are out balance we struggle, even the simplest
of tasks seem to test us to our limits. Everything that can go
wrong eventually does and we often become frustrated, bitter and
resentful of others who seem to have superior skills and
abilities.

This all comes down to the balance between our inner and outer
selves, the struggle between the conscious and unconscious and
usually the latter wins.

This is caused by the limiting beliefs many of us have
accumulated throughout our lives.

It is a battle that we must all fight in some form, yet it is one
that we can all win, once we recognise that we are always in
control, that the two aspects of ourselves are in fact one being
that is simply out of alignment.

The key to winning is simply being aware of what you consciously
desire and then witnessing what you unconsciously do! Coming to
terms with an aspect of yourself that conflicts with what you
truly desire may sometimes be uncomfortable, yet it's essential
to understanding what's not working in your life.

Once you become aware of an unconscious desire that conflicts
with what you truly want simply acknowledge it and make a new
choice that is more in line with your purpose.

This simple awareness will bring about a new sense of power as
you begin to undo the conditioning of your past and align all
parts of your being to focus on the success you so rightly
deserve.

T.D.McKenzie is the creator of The Mckenzie Mastery Process.
Discover The Secret Word That Allows You To Erase Any Limiting
Belief Permanently From Your Mind Within 90 Seconds...Even
If It's Been A Part of Your Life Since You Were 5 Years Old!
http://www.mckenziemasteryprocess.com

What Is Freedom? - By Matthias Schmelz

Freedom is when you are able to choose how to live, where to live, with whom to live and whether to live at all.

You choose to live. You might as well decide how to live, where to live and with whom. You can choose because you are nobody’s slave; nobody owns you and nobody can tell you how to live your life but yourself. You should choose, because if you don’t, somebody else will, and if you let somebody else opt for you, it will never be exactly the way you wanted it. You must choose, and you must choose now, because you only pass this way but once.

Robert F. Bennett said that your life is the sum total of all the choices you make, both consciously and unconsciously. If you can control the process of choosing, you can take control of all aspects of your life. You can find the freedom that comes from being in charge of yourself.

Are you stuck in the same routine, the same job, the same home, with the same friends, watching the same TV shows? Or are you in a job that pays you well, and you know you’re supposed to feel successful, but all you feel is miserable and stressed and aching for something meaningful? You know that you need a change. You want to change your life for the better. You want a richer, more fulfilling and, above all, more passionate life. You still have dreams. You are young at heart and can hear a voice speaking to you from within. Sometimes it seems to whisper and sometimes it seems to cry out things like “Stop it! Get up! Move out! Start something new! Travel the world! Meet new people! Make love! Grow rich!”

You have certainly heard this voice before. It’s not dead. It’s just been buried beneath obligations and commitments and fears saying “I’m not good enough.” Perhaps you’re frustrated or frightened. But do you really want to spend your entire life that way? A wise man once said, “Time is more important than money, because you can always get more money, but you can never get more time.” One day, hard as it is to believe, your time will run out. Your life will be over. Life is the gift of time to do great things and impact other lives. So why waste time? Why not listen to the voice inside you, which has been telling you to get up, to reach out, to aim higher and to finally go and get what you deserve? You do deserve love, you do deserve money, you do deserve recognition and success, and you have got all it takes to achieve everything you want.

There is more money than you can ever spend. There are more attractive people than you can ever love. There are more beautiful beaches than you can ever touch. All you need lies inside you and all you have to do is believe.

To your health and wealth,

Matthias Schmelz
Author of the most expensive business book in the world

P.S Next week we will embark on a marvelous and adventurous journey.

How To Be A Magnet For Prosperity - By Kaya Singer

It is a beautiful day and wonderful
to be alive! Maybe you are thinking, "well, I
don't feel that way. It's ok for you, but my
life is a mess."

I have discovered that if I focus
on my problems then I tend to have more
problems to focus on. If you are like most
people you tend do things the same way
day after day without thinking about it.
We all have many, many habits that we have
developed over time. It is part of the
way we all live.

Some of these habits are positive and others
keep you stuck and are unsupportive.
Habits are called "good" when they support you
in your health, success, and prosperity.
A bad habit reinforces negative
beliefs, poor health, lack and limitation.

Think about something that makes you feel really
good. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it
generates good feelings. For a few moments just
soak up those good feelings and notice what
happens. It is not possible to feel good and be
negative at the same time. Prosperity is attached
to positive thoughts.

Decide to feel good all day regardless of the
situation. If someone says, "how are you?"
answer, "I feel wonderful." When you say that,
things shift and your energy changes. Positive
energy attracts positive things to you whereas
negative energy repels and also attracts negative
situations. You are a magnet. It is
time to be a magnet for prosperity.

Whether you are talking to customers,
tele-marketers, salespeople, or the garbage
collector, be positive and up-beat. What a
difference it will make for your business. Today be
positive all day regardless of the situation.
At the end of the day write a few words in your
journal. Writing helps to ground the energy into
your being at another level.

Rather than focusing on the bad habits focus
on creating good prosperity habits. To change your
habits it is important to do the same thing over
and over until a new habit is formed.

Begin to fill up your mind with new mind-chatter
about prosperity and success. The more you do
this the more it becomes a new habit as well.

But what do you do when you fall backwards into
feelings of fear or limitation? Old patterns can be
very tenacious and they want to hook on to your
old triggers, and before you know it you are
worrying or being anxious. Not fun.

The important thing is to know what to do when
this happens. Here are some concrete ideas. These are
also things you can do even when you are feeling
good. They will reinforce your good feelings.

1. Be kind to yourself and give yourself heaps of
appreciation for all of you have accomplished.
Make a list of your accomplishments.

2, Make a list of everything you have done
recently to change your limiting habits and
develop prosperity. You will be amazed at what
you have done.

3. Choose to see only prosperity. It isn't about
how much money you have in your bank account it
is all about your attitude. One of my mentors
would say, "I am a millionaire now and the money
is on the way to my bank account."

4. Call a positive thinking friend to talk to.
Someone who won't commiserate with you;
someone who is upbeat and happy.

These are very powerful ways to get
yourself re-aligned.

Starting today:

• Have a positive attitude

• Say positive self-talk

• Be positive when you talk to people

Blessings on your prosperity
and your new prosperity habits.

Kaya Singer, MS owns Awakening Business
Solutions. She helps small business owners and
solo-entrepreneurs create successful business
ventures and attract right clients. She teaches
that it is possible to have purpose and
prosperity. She can be reached at 503-493-1199
http://www.awakeningbusiness.com

Rise Above Mediocrity: Refuse To Be A One-Eyed "King" In The Country Of The Blind! - By Tayo Solagbade

Mediocrity Is Your Enemy - It Damages!

There is one mind set I dislike because of the damage it does to people who allow it to "possess" them. It’s called mediocrity. Many people in life are so prone to it - and it ends up depriving them of the opportunity to BE and ACHIEVE so much more than they settle for in life.

It is important for every adult who aspires to have a worthwhile existence to realise that every time s/he voluntarily settles for less than the acceptable standard in any area of life, s/he is invariably being mediocre and that will only lead him/her to failure eventually! Note that failure here means "accomplishment of LESS than you have potential for".

To be successful, a person must choose to rise and stay above mediocrity in every area of endeavour. Keep this in mind when next you have to take a decision about whether you should strive to meet set standards to gain entrance to a degree program, or to decide which of the candidates interviewed for a job should move to the next stage etc.

Don't Be A One-Eyed Champion Amongst The Blind

Then on a more personal note, NEVER allow people to praise you so much for one achievement that you lose sight of the fact that a lot still remains that you do not know and have not done! Some people think that "the world" ends in their workplace or neighbourhood where everyone says they are the "best".

What they frequently forget is that outside their workplaces(and in other people’s workplaces) exists a "bigger world", where someone else could have already recorded even greater achievements! A local saying in my language (Yoruba) aptly illustrates the foregoing point thus: "It is the person who has not travelled away from home that always thinks his father's farm is the biggest there is". The point being made is clear enough.

If you allow people to praise you so much that you begin to "think" you are the best, instead of striving perpetually to "be the best", you will be like the proverbial one-eyed person in the country of the blind. Keep being that way, and one day, a "total idiot" - with two eyes - from the country where everyone can see, will voyage to your "country", and suddenly assume a superstar status that you never enjoyed. This would happen ONLY because she would know, and be able to do, many things you never did - and probably cannot!

Summary

In effect, I am saying that no matter your achievements in any area of endeavour, ALWAYS continue to strive to do something new and better. Don't be contented to sit back and relax for too long. Yes, it's okay to celebrate your successes, but don't overdo it. Quickly review and re-focus on bigger goals to aim for. Remind yourself that out there, in the bigger world, someone will have already done something you have not, in that same area. Even though you would have no desire to compete with him/her, that knowledge should challenge you that you can go even further to achieve new, higher levels of performance in your personal or work life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Even if you’re on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there” – Anon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let me end by imploring you to be unafraid of the unfamiliar. Even if you are the "undisputed champion", you can still actively seek opportunities to learn something new and different TODAY! Go out of your way to participate in activities that will expose you to things you do not know or have not done before, but which you need to learn. It is difficult only in the initial stages. Once you start, you'll find it’s much easier than you thought. When you do it well and for long enough, you will find that people around you - in and out of work - will openly accord you even greater recognition and respect, PLUS express interest in learning from you and getting to know you better.

Self-Development/Performance Enhancement Specialist – Tayo Solagbade - devotes his time to exploring new frontiers of Self-Development Education, especially as it relates to showing people what they can do by themselves, for themselves to achieve their set goals - DESPITE the limitations of their circumstances or environment.

To get more useful Tips, Information And News that can help you do what you do more successfully, visit http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/news/sdacn_current.htm to subscribe - within seconds - to Tayo's "Performance Enhancement Newsletter".

Seeing the Miracle of Life - By Nina Amir

During a telephone conversation a few years ago, friend of mine asked me, "Are you enjoying your new house?" She knew we had purchased a 25-year-old home in the Santa Cruz Mountains in Northern California and our back yard consisted of a fabulous Redwood grove. The house had a two-story western-facing wall consisting of floor to ceiling windows, and the front of the house primarily was windows as well. Thus, we enjoyed the affect of living outside even when we were inside, and we had a spectacular view of the mountains to the west. However, the house needed a lot of interior and exterior work, and the property, although once someone's pride and joy, could not claim to be in better shape.

"Well, we've been working outside, but we still have so much to do. And while we've been doing that, nothing has been accomplished inside the house," I remember replying. "It's a lot of work."

"I lived on an old estate," she replied, "and I know how you can get caught up in the upkeep. It can be overwhelming, but don't forget to stop and enjoy your home and the beautiful setting in which you live."

I heard what she was saying. "I do stop…sometimes," I thought defensively, "to admire the sunset or to watch the hummingbirds…but not very often, not often enough."

I kept thinking about her words long after I had hung up the phone. Today, I am once again remembering them – and the revelation I had afterwards. I realized that it wasn't just the house and the beautiful surroundings I didn't – and still don't – stop to appreciate – and I now live in a newer and nicer home with a beautiful view through the Redwood's to the ocean – often enough. It was – and still is – everything about my life that I didn't stop to appreciate. In fact, I have many miracles in my life that I don't stop to acknoweldge acknowledge.

Life progresses forward at what feels like an every increasing pace and out of necessity our focus is on that forward motion. Just as when I drive on the narrow and curvy mountain roads that lead to my home my eyes never stray from what lies ahead of me – for if they do I might end up in a deep ravine or wrapped around a tree, I must keep my eyes on where I think I am going. Just as when I drive down the steep roads, I must be ever wary that I do not let the car pick up too much speed and lose control, thus careening out of control at the next turn, I must be ever cautious of the same fate befalling me in general.

It is easy to be caught in our headlong rush toward our goals and desires – or simply towards getting everything done before the day ends. Yet, in the process, we forget the pleasure found in slowing down, opening the windows, smelling the sweet almost-spring air and appreciating all we pass along the way.

My home is a special place. I didn't always see that as I rushed to strip wallpaper or clear away overgrown brush at my old home. I don't always see it now as I stare at my computer screen all day rarely even glancing out the window to feel blessed by the view of sun glimmering on water in the distance or the swaying of the huge trees in my yard. My children are special beings. I don't always see that as I rush them off to school in the morning, to their activities in the afternoon and to bed at night all the while correcting their behavior or nagging them to do something. My husband is a special mate. I don't always see that as we rush to clean up after dinner, pay bills, fold laundry, watch the news, and fall exhausted into bed never having even bothered to say, "I love you" or "Thank you."

If I do slow down enough to notice these things, however, I don't always notice the uniqueness of what I have in my life – or of my life in general. It is easy to say my life is just a life. My kids are just kids. My husband is just a mate. My house is just a house. In fact, all these things represent miracles. I need to really slow down and look and say instead, "Wow, this really is a life, she really is a child, he really is a mate, that really is a house."

When we use the word just, we take significance away from the words that follow. For example, if we say, "That is just a tree," it is indeed just a tree and nothing more. If we learn a little Yiddish, we can change that sentence dramatically by saying, "That is, ta-keh, a tree." The word ta-keh has no meaning in and of itself, but it dramatically puts attention on the words that follow, which are always a miracle.

So, if I look at my house and say, "That is a house," or "That is just a house," nothing more exists but a house. If instead I say, "That, ta-keh, is a house," I begin to see the miracle of the home in which I live. If I say, "That, ta-key, is my daughter," I see the miracle that is my child. My perception is changed from seeing the ordinary to seeing instead the extraordinary.

All too often I find myself caught up in work-related and family-related and life-related things that seemed too pressing to put aside. I drive much too quickly down the road of my life. My friend's phone call that day showed me that I needed to slow down, and it reminds me again to put my foot on the brake. That, ta-keh, was a phone call! It miraculously caused me to reduce my speed and smell the proverbial roses…to look at the view of the ocean, to watch the band-tailed pigeons trying to land on my feeder, to appreciate the goodness in my daughter and son, to feel the love I have for my husband, to re-evaluate what it is I want to be doing with my life and my work, to appreciate the achievement of even a small goal or an e-mail from a friend.

Every moment of every day represents a miracle. If we can realize that, we gain a whole new insight into our lives. We can begin to live our lives in the moment and truly experience the miracle of life. And that is, in and of itself, a miracle.

Nina Amir, an acclaimed journalist, motivational speaker and Kabbalistic conscious creation coach, currently is writing Setting a Place for God, A Woman’s Guide to Creating Sacred Space and Inviting the Divine to Dwell Within It. For information on Amir’s books, teleseminars and classes, or to book a speaking engagement, E-mail her at namir@purespiritcreations.com, visit her website at http://www.purespiritcreations.com or call 408-353-1943.

Tapping into Your Inner Power - By Laura Grassi

We’ve all heard of Aladdin and the Genie, well, I am here to tell you that
you have a Genie too. The only difference is that your Genie is all around
you, it’s the universe. You have the power to summon your Genie at will
and ask it for what you want. All your dreams, hopes, desires, and
longings could all be manifested if you’d only put your Genie to work.
You may be asking, “how do I tap into this Genie?” Well, before you start
summoning the giant, you will find your “how” by understanding the
power of the Law of Attraction.

The Law of Attraction – in it’s simplest form – states that “like attracts
like”. Whatever you focus on will be manifested in your life. Because the
Law of Vibration states that everything in the Universe moves, vibrates, and
travels in circular patterns. The same principles of vibration in the physical
world apply to our thoughts, feelings, desires, and wills in the Etheric
world. Each sound, thing, and even thought has its own vibrational
frequency, unique unto itself. With this said, you can start to understand
that you can begin to change the conditions of your life by understanding
the Law of Attraction and applying the principles in such a way as to effect
change.

At fist glance, you would say, that if you simply think about being
Healthy, rich, and having a fulfilling life, that would lead you to a fairy tale
ending, right?

I hate to bust your bobble, but that’s not the case. Due to our
programming, we tend to think in terms of “cannot” for example, When we
think about having wealth, we say things like “I don’t want to be poor; I
don’t want to work hard for money; I don’t save enough; investing is risky;
I want to get out of debt; I don’t want to have debt”. On top of verbalizing
it, we say it with passion and we focus on the negative self talk! Then, we
turn around and wonder why we are getting deeper into debt and staying
stuck in a rut!

Like I said before, “Like attracts like” - when you focus your thoughts on
something you want, and you hold that focus, you are in that moment
summoning what you want with the mightiest power in the Universe. The
Law of Attraction doesn't compute "don't, not, or no, or any other words of
negation.

As you speak words of negation, this is what the Law of Attraction is receiving:

“I don’t want to be poor”

I want to be poor and I want to stay poor

“I don’t want to work hard for money”

I want to work hard for money and I want to have a difficult time doing it.

“I don’t save enough”

I want to deplete my savings account

“I want to get out of Debt”

I want to continue being in debt and doing things that will keep me there.

“I don’t want to have debt”

I want to have debt and I want to do things to attract it to me.

Think about that for a moment.

The same goes for wishing you had Health, love, youth, wealth; you name
it – if all you ever do is think about how much you wish you had those
things, do you know what the Universal Law of Attraction will bring you?

You got it! – a life full of wishing you had those things.

Make no mistake, the Universe responds every time! Just like Genie with
Aladdin, the Universe will tell you “Your wish is my command.” The only
difference here is that you aren’t wishing, you’re demanding!

“So what now?” you say, well, now I’ll let you in on a little secret... It’s
simple it’s short and it’s to the point, but keep in mind, this is a way of life,
not a “I’ll play it by ear” deal.

The only way to attract what you desire in life is to allow yourself to
understand what it would feel like to have what you want, to allow yourself
to believe that you already have it, that you deserve it, and by focusing on
those positive feelings and beliefs on a consistent basis.

In order to invoke the Law of Attraction for positive gain, you must
visualize the things that you want, feel in your heart what it will be like to
have them, and believe that you will get them. It really is just that simple!.
Albert Einstein said it best, “Everything should be made as simple as
possible but not one bit simpler".

The Secret of Success – Desire, Duty, or Dereliction? - By Aaron Potts

People go through this thing that we call life and while some are incredibly successful, there are others who just “get by” until the final curtain is drawn.

Determining your level of actual involvement in your life – and thus, your level of success – can be broken down into 3 categories: Desire, Duty, or Dereliction.

Desire

Following the path of desire is simply doing what you choose to do with your life. From a standpoint of health, wealth, and happiness, the person who follows their desires is fueled by one thing, and one thing only – their own desires.

Duty

A life filled with a dedication to duty is one where even though you keep your own desires in mind, your primary focus always seems to be on the welfare of others. Whether you are talking about a dedication to your children or your family, or if you have a very high work ethic, the person motivated by duty always has plenty of things to focus on.

Dereliction

Dereliction is a pretty strong term, but it needs to be because this type of person doesn’t care about much of anything. They aren’t necessarily “evil” as most people would consider the meaning of that term, but this person isn’t concerned about very much. Whether considering what happens with their own life, or considering the needs of others or the world at large, this person is pretty much just floating through life without any real sense of duty or desire.

So now the question becomes which one of those personality types is most likely to succeed? Each of those people will achieve massive success on their chosen path because they are doing exactly what they feel they are supposed to be doing, and so they will continue to attract that type of lifestyle.

The person who is completely driven by their own desires and refuses to do anything that doesn’t match that direction will rarely be found engaging in any activity that is not centered around whatever it is that they want to be doing at that moment.

The duty-bound individual will continually find new ways to be duty-bound. When one commitment is handled, they will attract or create a new commitment for themselves, often without even realizing that they are doing it.

For the person who is practicing the opposite of duty – dereliction – their entire focus is on not focusing on much of anything. By not having any real direction for their life, and by not really caring one way or the other about what happens with other people, this person will continue to manifest that lifestyle. Their circumstances will require them to have as little input or responsibility as possible. For a more clear definition of this individual, think one word: Teenagers.

So who is right? Which one of these people is going to have the most happiness in their life?

If you define happiness as being “successful,” then each of them will be just as happy. They will each attract into their lives the people and the circumstances that will allow them to continue to successfully be exactly the type of person that they are choosing to be.

The key to determining which one of them will be the most successful does not rely on “standard” markers such as financial success, career satisfaction, personal life, etc., because those methods of measuring success only matter to the person who cares about those types of measurements.

The “starving artist” doesn’t care about financial success, at least not initially. Your average painter, illustrator, sculptor, or musician would probably do what they do for free, as long as they still had a roof over their head and enough resources to survive.

A family-focused mother or father will gladly give of their time and their financial resources, usually to the point of putting their own health, retirement, and even their sanity on the line. Yet they continue to honor what they believe to be their commitment to their children, regardless of the consequences.

The person who doesn’t much care one way or the other will happily float through life without a real financial plan, without any solid family or friendship commitments, and without even knowing what their own life is going to hold in store for them. However, they are choosing that life for themselves, so does that make them wrong?

The answer to all of these questions is that none of these people are “right” and none of them are “wrong”. They are only seen in a positive or a negative light by the person who is observing them, and they are being judged by the observing person’s belief system.

The fact of the matter is that the concepts of “right” or “wrong” don’t really exist. All that exist are the belief systems of individuals, and it is neither appropriate nor even in our power to judge others based on what we believe to be true.

The “secret of success” is that each of these individuals is 100% successful because they are doing exactly what they choose to be doing with their lives. In fact, failure itself does not even exist, as it is just another example of one person’s beliefs about what is good or what is bad.

Desire, duty, and dereliction will all bring success to the individuals who live their lives from that point of view. Not because that point of view is right or wrong, but simply because that is what that person wants to do. What greater success is there than that?

Aaron Potts is the founder of the Today is that Day Success Community, and the author of Energy Harmonics, which teaches about self improvement, vibratory alignment, and the Law of Attraction. Visit his site to learn about Energy Harmonics and to get his free newsletter, or visit his blog at http://www.todayisthatday.com/blog/

The Fine Art Of Mental Pictures - By Gary Zalben

There is a force that can discover treasures and uncover hidden riches of which we never envisioned. There is a power that we can call upon to give us all we ever need. You will uncover the value of truthful principles that will work for you if, you too, give them a fair trial. Success does not only depend upon your attitude and capability; it is also dependent on your willpower. The use of mental pictures is a basic tool used by thousands of successful people.

Here is a simple way to make this use of mental pictures effective with a minimal investment of time. I consider this to be the most important use of mental energy there is for a business person. I learned early on the path the importance to incorporate a few minutes of visualization twice daily. Before you drop-off to sleep at night, and when you awake in the morning, are the two most important times of your twenty-four hour time period. Lift your closed eyes upward without straining them and lock them at the point between the eyebrows. You are going to use your subconscious mind as a tool to make you more money. As you lift your gaze upward you are now entering a new realm where thoughts can become tangible in form. With concentration you can guide the limitless strength of your mind to achieve what you need and to protect every doorway of your mind against failing. The average person can only concentrate on an image for a few seconds before other thoughts pop in, it matters not. Visualization is imprinting an image on the screen of your subconscious mind and that is all we are doing here. Paint your mental desire on the screen of your subconscious mind at the point between the eyebrows, with closed eyes, and see it taking place. What is constantly suggested to your subconscious mind will become real. What we focus our thoughts on we will attract. Learn how to remove your concentration from all matter or things of interference, and to direct it on one object of attention.

Now, if your mind is in a negative state it becomes more difficult. Start off with small easy mental pictures repeating them mentally thirty times. Do not doubt if negative thoughts enter your mind during this exercise. It just proves you are normal. Gently push them away and refocus your thoughts with added strength. Then you will know how to attract at all times what ever you daily need. Planting the seed of success will require the watering of your thought process to nurture the new crop of your desires. The more urgent the desire is the quicker it can transpire. That is what makes the difference between a common laborer and the executive handing down the orders that laborers do. So let's be reminded that the powerful force of your desires are what motivate you. When planting money seeds you must see yourself with the final outcome of your desire, to succeed. For example, huge commission checks in your hand, the house you have always wanted or seeing yourself promoted. Imagine small you will attract small. Imagine large and you will attract large.

Do not worry or concern yourself with how the results will come. The inexplicable power of the subconscious mind will make things happen the way you want. All of a sudden you will get help almost like from an invisible friend, from the most surprising and unforeseen sources. However, it is not five minutes or your money back. After planting the money seed, do not unearth it to inspect it, or it will not take root and grow. Do not become disappointed if results are not approaching instantly. When you plant a seed in your garden, you do not go there every hour to see if it is growing. Daily practices of mental watering will make it grow. Think of your mind as a garden and keep it lovely with sweet-smelling heavenly thoughts. This is as simple as that. This thought process will, if so desired, help change you into a better person or the person you want to become.

Once you have a clear picture of a fixed goal, you must drive the mental suggestion or picture deeper into your subconscious mind to quicken the process like hammering a nail into a piece of wood. The first stroke sets the nail in place, but only by repeating the strokes with a mighty force will the nail go into place. This is the same as giving an order to your subconscious mind as you would a soldier who will do what is instructed. Now your subconscious mind will operate on auto-pilot. Continue to hold onto that thought and the day will arrive with the new you. The more you faithfully sow visually, with intensity, the more reward you will reap. You should tell no man of what you are doing if you do not want to scatter your mental energy. If you do, you will weaken the forces and you will have to start over from the beginning. You can schedule endless activities for yourself throughout the day, and you can take just a few minutes at night to practice these techniques. Unless, and until you do, you will never know success.

Prosperous men and women put forth a good deal of time to deep meditation, visualization and concentration. They go deeply inside themselves to find the riches of true answers for their difficulties to meet them head-on with the right solutions. Never leave to what we call chance or luck anything that it is worthwhile to accomplish, and never go mumbling around how unlucky you are. You are where you are now because you put yourself exactly where you are now. If you practice these techniques faithfully you will get definite results.

Copyright 2005 Gary Zalben
You may reprint this article as long as the source is kept intact. For more information about the author and self-improvement writings see http://www.howtoselladeadhorse.com

About the Author

Gary Zalben - Original Author, Article titled: How to Sell a Dead Horse