Great Things

"Great things are done more through courage than through
wisdom."

*-- German proverb


"Every human being is intended to have a character of his
own; to be what no others are, and to do what no other can
do."

*-- William Ellery Channing


"The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their
power to harm us."

*-- Voltaire

Keep An Open Mind To Learn And Improve Yourself - By Arun Pal Singh

I read an old Zen story which I wanted to share with you.It is apparently very small and simple story but carries quite powerful message.

A young man wanted to learn the practice of Zen. He had read all the books he could find about Zen. Then he heard about a great Zen master who was considered very knowledged and wise. The young man requested and appointment with him to ask for teachings.

When they were seated, the young man proceeded to tell the master everything he had understood from his reading, saying that Zen is about this and Zen is about that, on and on...
The master listened paiently to every thing the young man talked about.After some time, when the young man had finished his part of telling, the master suggested that they have tea.

The Zen master performed the traditional tea ceremony while the student sat at attention, bowing when served, saying nothing. The master began to pour tea into the student's cup. He poured until it was full, and kept pouring. The young man was watching with intent.

The tea ran over the edge of the cup and onto the table. The master kept pouring.

The young became restless.

The tea ran over the edge of the cup, on to the table and onto the floor. But the master kept pouring.

It was too much for the young man.Finally, the student could not contain himself any longer. He shouted, "Stop! Stop pouring!"

The master stopped pouring and looked at young man but said nothing.

"The cup is full- no more will go in!" The young man said bowing.

"What shall be do to let more tea in?" the master asked.

"we need to empty the cup." The young man answered quickly.

The master kept the vessel aside. He motioned the young man to be seated and offered him the tea.

As they drank tea the master said, "Just like this cup, your mind is full of your own opinions and preconceptions. How can you learn anything unless you first empty your cup?"

We all would like to improve our lives. We all look for opprtunities to perform better. To look for the keys that carry the answers for our queries.

But like the young man we are all full of our own beliefs and insecurities. We are so sure of them that we do not want them to go. This makes us uncomfortable.

We all reject many chances that are presented in front of us just because we are stubborn and close to something that is worth a trial. We are not open to new idea or discovery that infact might have been the greatest luck thrown upon us.

It has been happening since ages. We are guilty of rejecting the discovery that earth revolves around the sun and not otherwise as we believed at that time.

We had made mockery of the idea that assisted flying is possible for the humans.

Still the generous nature keeps presenting the chances. those who learn from the past mistakes grab the chance. Others walk with closed eyes.

Recently I got an email saying that He knew everything about charisma, attraction and interaction. And he does not think that "Power of Charisma" ebook cannot be of much help.

Well! It might be true for that individual. I also have plenty of emails which have a thank you note.

But that is besides the point.

It is important to have an open mind and analyze the thing before shutting the door. Yes! people do get duped by worthless things. But a cautious appproach would solve that problem.

Remember! The life is a series of lesssons. If you do not learn a lesson well you will need to learn that again.

ArunPal Singh is a doctor, writer and internet marketer. He runs the website
http://www.improveyourcharisma.com where he offers "Free Charisma Course" that has already helped many to become attractive, successful and influential. You also can buy the famous Ebook "Power Of Charisma" by going to http://www.improveyourcharisma.com/charisma.html

True Friends

"In poverty and other misfortunes of life,
true friends are a sure refuge."

*-- Aristotle


"All animals except man know that the principal
business of life is to enjoy it."

*-- Samuel Butler


"Happiness is like a cat. If you try to coax it
or call it, it will avoid you. It will never come.
But if you pay no attention to it and go
about your business, you'll find it rubbing up
against your legs and jumping into your lap."

*-- William Bennett

The Game of Life - By Pat Morgan

The Olympic Games always remind us of the incredible ability we possess to set a goal and pursue it. As much as I enjoy watching the games, I especially enjoy the segments featuring personal stories about the athletes. Listening to their amazing stories of dedication, focus, passion, investment and commitment to their dream of participating in the Olympics is truly an inspiration.

Most of them were not born super athletes, but have developed themselves to play their best game. Most are ordinary people with extraordinary dreams. They have the courage to risk the unknown, even the agony of defeat, in pursuit of their dream of victory. They were willing to develop and improve in order to play their best game.

No matter how good your game, there is always room for improvement. Olympic records continue to be shattered and new levels of achievement are reached. What is your dream? What do want to accomplish in your lifetime? What is the first step you will take toward playing your best game ever?

Three Key Strategies for Playing to Win…

1. IDENTIFY YOUR STRENGTHS. Knowing your strengths and how to capitalize on them can make the difference between success and failure. We often focus on our weaknesses, working hard to make improvements. Try focusing more attention on your strengths instead and look for ways to employ your strong suit to move you forward. Ask yourself: What are my strengths?

2. CLARIFY YOUR GOALS. Get clear on what game you are playing and what you want to accomplish. Understand why the goal is important to you and which of your personal values it is aligned with. Know what is required to reach your goal. The more clarity you can get around the goal, the easier it will be to get started moving toward it. Ask yourself: What do I most want to achieve? Why is it important to me?

3. WORK WITH A COACH. Give yourself the benefit of having a success partner to help you achieve your goal. Free yourself up to play your best game by enlisting the help of a coach who can guide, support and challenge you to give your best performance everyday. Ask yourself: Who will I ask to coach me?

“To play is in the mind. To win is in the heart." ~ Jennifer McCombs

"Winning isn't always finishing first. Sometimes winning is just finishing." ~ Manuel Diotte

Pat Morgan, MBA and Executive Coach, helps clients maximize their potential in today’s fast-paced environment. Her unique coaching programs inspire clients to achieve goals they may never have thought possible. Her focus draws from the inside out – helping clients become the best version of themselves they can be.

Not Enough To Have Great Qualities

"It is not enough to have great qualities, we should also have the
management of them."

*-- Francois de La Rochefoucald


"One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all
of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical
rose garden over the horizon-instead of enjoying the roses blooming
outside our windows today."

*-- Dale Carnegie (1888-1955)


"End your day by privately looking directly into your eyes in the
mirror and saying, 'I love you!' Do this for thirty days and watch
how you transform."

*-- Mark Victor Hansen

Birthdays - Time for a New Challenge? - By Pam Stokes

A friend of mine had her birthday the other day and was very reticent about broadcasting it. In fact, I didn’t even know it was her birthday until we were drinking tea three hours after meeting up!

Isn’t it funny how in your twenties and even thirties you relish your birthday, making sure everyone knows it’s coming up so they don’t forget, and you don’t mind telling people how old you are? You’re also fond of saying that when YOU get over forty you’ll still be very upfront about your age. Hmm!

I’m probably what’s known as “middle-aged” although of course I will deny it hotly as I don’t feel THAT old, and will side step any question about my age unless cornered. However, one thing we are sure of, birthdays come round with alarming regularity and love them or hate them they are going to happen.

I’ve always made a point of celebrating my birthday and looking upon it as a time for improvement. It used to be a good time to give up smoking (managed that about 16 years ago) or improve my appearance in some way. Since becoming a Coach, I use my “wheel of life” to see what can be improved in each area of my life, and have done things like decluttering my wardrobe and visiting a colour and style consultant, to giving more time and attention to my relationships.

At the moment, my focus is on redeveloping my Coaching business and working smarter, but with my birthday coming up in another couple of months I’ll be looking forward to forming a new plan of action to keep me enthusiastic and motivated.

What does getting older mean to you? Is it a time of regret for youth gone by, or are you still brimming with energy, looking forward to the new challenges that another year will bring?

Regret is such an energy drain so why not try setting yourself a new challenge instead?

Pam Stokes is a Business & Personal Development Coach. Besides coaching, she provides interactive online programmes for busy people, supervises newly qualified and trainee coaches, runs workshops in stress management and a Diploma Course in NLP. Free downloads are available at http://www.pamstokesassociates.co.uk.

Difficulty In Every Opportunity

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist
sees the opportunity in every difficulty. "

*-- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)


"Think you can’t change the world? Too late, you already have. It was
changed for the better the minute you were born. There are more
people than you can imagine who will never be the same because they came in
contact with you, if only for a fleeting moment."

*-- Gail Pursell Elliott, "The Dignity and Respect Lady"


"Did is a word of achievement,
Won't is a word of retreat,
Might is a word of bereavement,
Can't is a word of defeat,
Ought is a word of duty,
Try is a word of each hour,
Will is a word of beauty,
Can is a word of power."

*-- Unknown Author

What Are We Afraid Of? - By Lois Galloway

The Webster Dictionary definition of fear is: To be afraid, avoid, falter, lose courage, be frightened, be scared, live in terror, break out in a sweat.

The question is “What are we afraid of?”

We can all put a name to many situations that allow us to be in a state of fear. Some examples might be the fear of rejection, of abandonment, fear of ending a relationship, losing someone you love, getting older, becoming ill, of being let go from a job or not having enough money.

Think about some of the fears you have in all areas of your life and write them down. Really take some time to consider this.

I believe that all of the fears that you wrote down are what is referred to as ‘surface fears’. They apply to situations that are related to relationships, health, loss, career/job, acceptance and of course money. In essence, these surface fears only scratch the surface.

If you were able to take a deeper look, you would discover the REAL fear that is at the root of all your other fears. And what is that REAL fear?

It’s the fear that you won’t be able to handle the things that life brings to you.

As Susan Jeffers (Feel The Fear and Beyond) wrote:

“If you knew that you could handle anything that comes your way, what would you possibly have to fear? Nothing!”

Susan also talks about the Lower Self and the Higher Self. When we access our lower self, we are in a place that is filled with negative qualities such as judgment, anger, a sense of scarcity and of course – fear.

So why would any of us want to hang out in this place called the Lower Self? Quite simply put – it’s a habit we have developed over the years. It has become involuntary as a result of constant repetition.

Our job then is to move to the Higher Self where we hold fear in a position of power, taking action and love.

So, how do we do this? How do we break this old habit of hanging out in the Lower Self?

We do it through constant repetition of the ‘new’ desired behavior. That’s right, we will have to continually move ourselves away from the Lower Self thinking and into the Highest part of who we are.

As you process this information, you will find that fear itself is NOT the problem. If it were, not one of us would be moving forward in their lives.

No, fear is definitely not the problem. It’s how we hold that fear.

If you are filled with messages of scarcity, jealousy, anger, fear or any other form of negative thought, you can be assured that you are residing in the land of the Lower Self.

If however you are experiencing creativity, courage, abundance, joy and any other form of power and love, you are now in the land of the Higher Self.

How important it is to transport ourselves to the realm of the Higher Self. It’s very satisfying and powerful to take some positive action instead of feeling like we have no choices. We are always at choice, in every moment of our lives. And by doing everything we can to move from the Lower Self where we are feeling afraid and missing out on so much of the beauty and excitement that life has to offer, we start taking steps that will bring us to a wonderful place of trust, fulfillment and love.

Remind yourself that awareness itself will greatly reduce the impact of fear. That constant repetition of new desirable thoughts and behaviors is the key to changing your undesirable thoughts and behaviors.

Lois Galloway is a Personal Development Coach and Relationship Coach for Singles. She works with people who fear change in their lives, those who are stranded in their personal comfort zone and unable to move forward. If you would like to learn more about Discover Yourself Coaching please visit Lois at her web site. While you are visiting the web site, don't forget to sign up for her monthly newsletter, Dare To Care.

Techniques Don't Produce Quality

"Techniques don't produce quality products or pick up
the garbage on time; people do, people who care, people
who are treated as creatively contributing adults."

*-- Tom Peters


"We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does
not liberate, it oppresses."

*-- Carl Jung


"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole
staircase, just take the first step."

*-- Martin Luther King Jr.

Time to Wake Up, Notice the Awakening - By Jeanie Marshall

Every morning you wake up. Unless, of course, you have not slept all night or have a non-ordinary schedule.

Some days you may wake up grumpy. You may even stay grumpy all day. Sometimes, perhaps, you even enjoy your grumpiness or find familiarity in it. It is much better to be grumpy with intention and style than to be grumpy unconsciously. Notice, just notice. If you notice your grumpiness now, you will notice the awakening more easily when it comes.

Some days you may wake up and want to get back under the covers. On those days, even if you choose to leave the bed, you may act all day as if you are still under the covers. Everything is muted or distant. As you try to notice inside and outside yourself, you may find that you are not sure what you are unsure about. Just notice what you can.

Some days you may wake up and want to roll over and return to sleep or touch the snooze alarm until noon. If you do get up on days like this, you may feel that you are rubbing sleep from your eyes until it is again bed time. Everything is foggy. It is hard to notice anything clearly. Notice the noticing.

And then there are those days you wake up as if you are as powerful as the sun, bright and shiny. You feel a bounce in your walk, a laugh in the ready-to-go state, and a kind word for everyone. It is easy to notice that the world is filled with magnificence. On these days, when you find your attention lands momentarily on something you do not want, you find it easy to shift your attention to something you appreciate. Notice the magnificence.

This is an age of awakening. It is a time of steady and strong expansion of consciousness. It is a time to wake up to who you truly are, and to awaken with vibrant energy to aliveness. This is not the best time to roll over and go back to sleep, although you have the freedom to do just that.

As you awaken to the power within yourself, you lift in consciousness. Each day that you touch the inner parts of your self, you can view and embody a greater level of consciousness. You are empowered when you embody greater consciousness. You are empowered when you wake up consciously, with intention, with appreciation for life. You are empowered when you recognize your magnificence.

How did you wake up today? How will you wake up tomorrow? How do you want to wake up each day? What do you want to notice as you move through your life more awakened?

Copyright © 2006 Marshall House Jeanie Marshall, Empowerment Consultant and Coach with Marshall House, produces Guided Meditations on CD albums and MP3 downloads and writes extensively on subjects related to personal development and empowerment.
Voice of Jeanie Marshall, http://www.jmvoice.com