Limited Good and Personal Success

by

Dr. Lamar Ross

There is a concept or philosophy of "limited good" that basically tells us that in the universe there is a limited amount of everything and that every time someone gets something, it limits the possibility of anyone else getting the same. It is like saying that if I get a piece of the pie it limits the possibility of anyone else getting a piece. It is assumed that there is a limited supply of pies. Up to a point this is true! However, this belief does not take into consideration that in reality there can be an unlimited number of pies, and when those are gone, more can be made.

If we accept the premise of this limited good concept, we immediately limit ourselves to an existence which contradicts the basic facts of nature. There is an abundance of everything in nature and multiplication is the rule and not the exception. One fruit can contain anywhere from a few to hundreds of seeds. From these seeds another plant and a multitude of fruits can grow. This multiplication factor is basically endless. Any gardener who has ever started off in the spring with a mere handful of seeds and ended up with an abundance in the fall is well aware of this law of nature. I have seen this every year in my own limited gardening activities.

Businessmen are less prone to take this position than politicians. Entrepreneurs are aware that there are endless possibilities for starting new businesses and fine-tuning the ones already operating. As long as there is a perceived need that is unfilled, there will be someone who recognizes the opportunity and fills that need. If Henry Ford and the Wright brothers had not seen a need for faster means of transportation, we would still be looking for faster horses to pull our buggies. These entrepreneurs saw the need and filled the need. The transportation industry as a result has expanded peripheral economic opportunities by creating support areas that were never imagined before its development.

Unfortunately, politicians seem to lack the ability to see beyond the "limited good" concept. The philosophy of wealth redistribution assumes that there is a limited supply of goods and services, and that as long as there are a few who have more than others, it must be taken from those who have and a portion given to those who have not. If, contrary to the "limited good" concept, we accept the fact that new wealth and goods can be created without limit, more time would be spent by governments encouraging people to create and less time teaching them to expect handouts.

Now to you as an individual! You cannot control the decisions of the politicians and businessmen, but you can control your attitude and your own belief system.

We must insist in our own lives that we will not accept less than what we are capable of. We must realize that the universe is full of possibilities and adhering to a philosophy that insists on limited possibilities can do nothing but have a negative effect on our personal success.

Dr. Lamar Ross, a cultural anthropologist by training, has a special interest in training individuals for expatriate living and providing information on unique travel destinations. He is an author, educator, photographer, internet entrepreneur, and international traveler. He has lived in the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and India and has traveled extensively in 29 different countries.

He presently splits his time between the U.S. and the Republic of Panama. He speaks both English and Spanish fluently and has a basic ability in several other languages. Check out his "Everything Travel" blog.

Living Frugal

Looking for a New Austerity and Frugality in Life

by

David L. Walker

Whenever you are trying to modify something in your lifestyle, you are going to find it very, very difficult to maintain if you dislike what it requires to create that modification in life.  Sometimes it takes a little more effort then we expect.

If you dislike training or dislike the belief of even trying better meals, it's going to be amazingly difficult to shed weight.  If you dislike the act of studying, it's going to be amazingly difficult to study the excellent guides of literary works.  Similarly, if you dislike making economical options, it's going to be nearly impossible to figure out methods to reduce costs continually, add value back to your life and have the feeling of satisfaction from it.

Here's the thing: austerity, like all of these other factors, is made up of simple factors and difficult factors, but the simple factors and difficult factors differ from individual to individual and from scenario to scenario.  The factors you like doing are different from that of your buddies.  After all, living a life of frugality and austerity can sometimes make you seem like a scrooge to your friends.  That will pass.

The best way to create austerity as a big part of your lifestyle is to adhere to the areas of it that are fun to you.  Dig into food preparation or economical journey preparing or more sensible purchasing.  View austerity as a task and look for methods to enhance your ranking (the money you are saving).  Contest with yourself, but contend against your buddies too.  Hold out for the things in need in life.

When you look at how much you have stored, you feel much better about completing this task.  Know that you have selected to not spend that money on foolish things.  Convert it all into money, walk into your financial institution, punch it down on the desk, and say "I want my car now, please."

Frugality is not about struggling and doing without.  It's about sensation, excellence and having fun because you are following in the places of your lifestyle that you really want to be successful at, while reducing in the places that you do not really care about.  For me, every phase in that direction is fun.  It's all about discovering new items in my lifestyle that do not take away from the other factors I value.  It's about concentrating on family and new success.  It's about studying how to do new factors of life better so I can be excellent in the expertise skill set that I'm developing.

Pay Yourself First

by

Brian Tracy

Resolve today that you are going to save and invest at least 10 percent of your income throughout your working life. Take 10 percent of your income off the top of your paycheck each time you receive one and put it into a special account for financial accumulation.

Save Throughout Your Career

The fact is that if you save just $100 per month throughout your working lifetime and you invest money in an average mutual fund that grows at 10 percent per annum, you will be worth more than one million dollars by the time you retire. This means that anyone (even a person earning minimum wage) who starts early enough and saves long enough, can become a millionaire over the course of his or her working lifetime.

Lifelong Habits

Developing the lifelong habit of saving and investing your money is not easy. It requires tremendous determination and willpower. You have to set it as a goal, write it down, make a plan, and work on it all the time. But once this practice locks in and becomes automatic, your financial success is virtually assured.

Practice Frugality

Practice frugality, frugality, frugality in all things. Be very careful with every penny. Question every expenditure. Delay or defer important buying decisions for at least a week, if not a month. The longer you put off making a buying decision, the better your decision will be and the better price you will get at that time.

Parkinson’s Law

A major reason that people retire poor is because of impulsive buying. They see something they like and they buy it with very little thought. They become victims of what is called “Parkinson’s Law,” which says that “expenses rise to meet income.” This means that no matter how much you earn, you tend to spend that much and a little bit more besides. You never get ahead and you never get out of debt.

Don’t be a Victim

You don’t have to be a victim of Parkinson’s Law. If you cannot save 10 percent of your income, start today by saving 1 percent of your income in a special savings and investment account. Put it away at the beginning of each month, even before you begin paying down your debts. Live on the other 99 percent of your income. As you become comfortable living on 99 percent, raise your savings level to 2 percent of your income, then 3 percent and 4 percent, and so on.

Grow Your Savings and Investments

Within one year, you will be saving 10 percent and maybe even 15 or 20 percent of your income and living comfortably off the balance. At the same time, your savings and investment account will start to grow. You will become more careful about your expenditures, and your debts will begin to be paid off.

Change Your Financial Outlook in a Year

Within a year or two, your entire financial life will be under your control and you will be on your way to becoming a self-made millionaire. This process has worked for everyone who has ever tried it. Try and see for yourself.

Action Exercise

Open a special account for financial accumulation today. Make a deposit in this account, no matter how small. Then, look for every opportunity to add to this account. Begin to study money so that you understand how to make it grow. Read books and magazines by experts on the subject. Never stop saving, learning, and growing until you become financially independent.

If you like what you learned here, and you want to take these lessons to the next level, you may be interested in Brian's program, "Wealth Building Made Simple", which he designed to give you his proven, step-by-step process for achieving financial independence and building wealth. Brian went from being a homeless man without a high school diploma to a multi-millionaire and THE expert on success – so he has a lot to share.

You learn:

• The ONE thing you can think about to kick-start your getting-rich process – and make yourself a better and more serious person
• The one thing 74% of wealthy Americans have in common
• The 4 Ds to financial success
• The 5 main ways fortunes are made in America (you may be using one right now and not even know it – but without applying this new knowledge you'll just keep treading water)

And so much more.

Go here to learn more about this program, now:

"Wealth Building Made Simple"

3 Manifesting Abundance Affirmations

by

Martin Woodchild

Manifesting abundance is something that most of us would like to do in our lives - there's always room for more "stuff" in our lives and sometimes it's even "stuff" that we want. Abundance often falls into this category and a lot of the time, we equate abundance with more money in our lives.

Affirmations are a good way to help our minds focus on what we want. Here are some affirmations you can use on a regular basis to help you with manifesting more abundance into your life.

The Universe provides me with all that I will ever need

This is a good one to start with. Most people's minds are perfectly happy to accept this assertion because, at its deepest level, it is simply true. Everything we have is ultimately provided by the Universe. Whether you believe in a creation force or ultimate being or not.

We can't magic up things out of thin air (apart from maybe our thoughts, but we're not going to go there in this article). So they have to be provided by the things around us, which ultimately means the Universe.

I celebrate life

This affirmation is simple to remember, which is always a bonus.

And if you even only begin to follow this celebration of life, you'll find that your whole body vibration begins to change. In turn, this will attract good things into your life including more abundance.

Smiling and happiness, which are both parts of the idea of celebration, are infectious. OK, you'll get the odd grumpy person who growls at you and asks why you're being so happy. And quite a lot of people who'll wonder how you're managing to be so cheerful.

But they'll gradually either get won over to your celebration or they'll seek other people to drain the energy from. If it's the former, the celebration will grow ever bigger. And if it's the latter then you're almost certainly better off without their influence.

I am abundant

This abundance affirmation is actually more of a mind-leap for a lot of people.

The trouble is, we look around and quite likely see evidence where other people have more abundance in their life than we have. Which we then translate to the negative idea that we're not as abundant as we'd like to be.

Unless you're living on a street corner in a cardboard box, chances are that your life is actually full of abundance. You're just not recognizing it.

Maybe you're seeing the proverbial glass as being half empty rather than half full.

Whatever the reason, adding this short and memorable affirmation to your list can help to create small, subtle, shifts in the way your mind works.

Maybe not today or tomorrow but almost certainly in a week or two's time, there will be some changes for the better in the way your mind deals with the concept of abundance.

And that's probably the most important thing to remember when you are moving towards a more abundant lifestyle. The Japanese method of lots of small, continuing, improvements works just as well in our lives as it does on a production line. Maybe even better when it comes to manifesting abundance.

How to Build a Successful Online Business

by

Steve Pavlina

I love the lifestyle that comes from running an online business. I get to work from home each day, set my own hours, choose my own projects, and enjoy abundant income. It’s hard for me to imagine how I’d feed myself without the Internet. When I think about income generation, I immediately think of the web.

I was talking to a successful entrepreneur recently who pointed out that building an online business is an exercise in personal development. He’s absolutely right. I’ve probably learned more valuable life lessons from my entrepreneurial pursuits than from any other areas of my life. Running a business tests you in so many ways — your self-discipline, your intelligence, your communication skills, your focus, etc. If you’re lacking in any of these areas, your business results will reflect it.

The real world of business can be unforgiving. Success is rewarded. Mistakes are punished. The benefit is that it keeps you honest. You can’t settle for weakness, laziness, and bad ideas, or your business will fail. There’s a huge chasm between an idea that sounds good and an idea that actually gets implemented and succeeds under real-world conditions. Anyone can come up with good ideas, but most people can’t successfully implement them.

Some people can’t handle the pressure of running their own business. They worry about the risk of failure. They’re looking at it from the wrong angle though. That risk is precisely the point. Risk is what helps you grow. It makes you stronger. An entrepreneur who fears risk is like a bodybuilder who’s afraid of barbells.

There have been times when I had to deal with tough problems, like having bills due but no money to pay them. These problems made me dig deep inside myself. My business compelled me to grow into the kind of person who could handle these sorts of things. I learned to trust myself to work hard, to stay focused under pressure, and to even enjoy the process.

We all have different levels of risk tolerance. You don’t need to stress yourself out to grow. You just need to challenge yourself in a way that stimulates you. Lift weights that are heavy and which tax your muscles… but which you can still successfully lift. Afterwards you may feel spent, but you’ll also grow from the experience. If you only do what comes easy for you, you’ll suffer from atrophy, and life will become rather boring and pointless.

Why an online business?

In the age of the Internet, I think almost everyone should have an online business… if only for the growth experience. It doesn’t cost much to start one, but it will teach you so much. Perhaps the greatest benefit is that you’ll learn you do have something of value to share with the world, something that can generate income for you for the rest of your life.

In a way I’m jealous of the teenagers and 20-somethings who are growing up so Internet savvy. Any of them could start their own online businesses and get ahead financially at a young age. I would have loved to have been doing this in high school or college. It’s terrific that some people are becoming millionaires at such a young age, but I think the real success stories come from those who find a way to generate just a few thousand dollars per month, enough to cover their expenses.

My kids are only 4 and 7 years old, but I’m already thinking about how I might help them start their own websites soon. My daughter is very artistic, so who knows? Imagine if by the time she becomes an adult, she already has a steady stream of cashflow from websites she created during her teen years.

Building traffic

Running an online business is deceptively simple. Look at my web site, for example. The structure isn’t very complicated. It’s mostly just a lot of content and a lot of ads. But it consistently generates a nice five-figure monthly income. Anyone can do it, right?

Unfortunately, not everyone can do this. People try and fail all the time. The success stories get a lot of attention, but there are orders of magnitude more failures.

The key factor in building a successful online business is traffic. If you can’t build sufficient traffic, you won’t be able to generate much, if any, income. And unfortunately most people are really bad at building traffic. They apply completely inept strategies that don’t work, and they usually give up within a few months after starting.

Building traffic is not remotely easy for most people. This problem isn’t unique to the web though. You see it in every field. Some authors sell millions of books, while the average book doesn’t even sell 5,000 copies. Lots of people can write a book, but relatively few know how to sell a book. Lots of people can create a web site or blog these days, but few know how to attract large amounts of traffic.

If you can successfully build lots of traffic, it’s fairly easy to generate income from it. You also have time to figure it out. If you can grow your traffic, you can maintain your traffic, and that gives you time to figure out how to monetize the traffic.

In the past I’ve written articles trying to teach people how to build successful online businesses, including How to Make Money From Your Blog and How to Build a High-Traffic Website. Those were long, detailed articles, and both have become extremely popular in the blogosphere. I didn’t charge any money for this content — it’s all free. Those articles inspired a lot of people (hundreds that I know of) to enthusiastically start their own websites. Some of those people are doing quite well now, but most that I’ve been aware of have failed miserably.

Why most people fail

Why did most people fail? I think the reason was that the whole process of running an online business is just too complicated for most people. There are lots of ways to screw it up. It pained me to visit some of those sites and notice a dozen glaring mistakes within the first few seconds — blogs that didn’t enable permalinks, cutesy headlines with no keywords in them, bad choice of topics, page titles that still used the WordPress default format, hideously suboptimal ad layouts, hidden or missing contact info, etc. Any one of those mistakes could cripple a site’s results. More than one is a practically a death sentence. Such mistakes cause problems both for human visitors and search engines.

But at the same time, there were teenagers humming along just fine, generating four figures in monthly income after working on their sites for 6-12 months. They didn’t necessarily get everything right, but they were Internet savvy enough to fix the big problems early.

What bothered me most about this was that people were too often failing because of the technology. Many of them had great ideas and very good content. It was a shame to read some of their articles and think to myself, This is great stuff… too bad no one will ever see it.

The cruel and unfair part of online business is that if you aren’t very Internet savvy, you’ll make mistakes on the technical side that you’re totally oblivious to. You may get the content side right, but the technology will bite you and cripple your results.

In my “How to Make Money From Your Blog” Article, I did correctly identify this problem and suggested that 99 out of 100 people would fail because of it. But it’s still a pretty unfair situation. There are people who can write great content who really deserve to be getting a lot of readers, but because they don’t understand permalinks, RSS feeds, pinging, or other technologies, they’re doomed before they start.

Once I saw this happening, I basically decided I’d better shut up about encouraging people to run an online business. People kept asking me for new articles on the subject, but I didn’t think it was a good idea. I was concerned I’d be doing more harm than good.

A new solution

Recently I came across a vastly superior solution to this problem — a way for people to build a successful online business that doesn’t require them to become technology gurus.

What I recommend is a service called Site Build It! – it’s an all-in-one solution for creating and building an online business. You pay an annual fee for the service, and they provide you with all the tools you need to build an income-generating web site. They host the site for you, they help you register your domain name, and they provide integrated tools like point-and-click page generators, built-in blogging, form builders, RSS feeds, and lots more. Many of these details will be handled for you, so you don’t have to worry about them.

You still create your own content, and you use their tools (or your own familiar tools) to create a site based on your unique ideas. You focus on the content side. They help you with the technical implementation side.

I don’t recommend this solution for everyone. If you’ve already built a successful website that generates thousands of dollars a month for you, you won’t need this. I don’t need it myself. But if you’re one of those people that have been held back by the technical complexity, then this is definitely something you should look at. This is the kind of solution I’d recommend in a heartbeat for my non-programmer friends who want to get something going online but quickly become lost in a sea of jargon.

If you’re interested, just be aware that it will take some time for you to look into this service and decide if it’s right for you. The Site Build It! site has a lot of detailed information on it. If you really like to do your homework before making a decision like this, you’ll find no shortage of detail.

Running an online business can be a wonderful growth experience, and the income and freedom it can provide is certainly nice too. People really shouldn’t be deprived of this opportunity for technical reasons. The self-publishing power of blogging technology has gotten us partway there, but it’s only one piece to the puzzle. I encourage you to take a good look at Site Build It!, since I think you’ll find that their system fills in the remaining gaps, putting online business success within reach of most people.

This is by no means a get-rich-quick program. You’ll still need to put in the time and energy to create quality content for your web site, but at least you won’t have to worry as much about the technical side.

And if you already have the technical know-how and are confident about setting up your own site, great!  But don't just sit here reading about it - get out there now and start creating the business that can change your life!

Always Make the Right Choices

Last month I introduced my blog readers to the remarkable and gifted personal development coach and entrepreneur, Katie Freiling.

I have found she has some wonderful and powerful insights, which is why I make no apology for showing you another of her videos, and will no doubt show you some more in the future too.  In this one, Katie will show you in a very clear way how you can ALWAYS make the right choices in life:

Detoxify Your Body Today

by

Michelle Schoffro Cook

Every now and then I read or hear someone say that the body doesn’t need to detoxify.  This is an appalling statement since the body cannot live without effective and efficient detoxification, which needs to occur in the lungs, liver, skin, intestines, kidneys, lymphatic system, and other areas of the body every minute of every day.

Our bodies are surprisingly good at detoxification but these processes can easily become overwhelmed due to the volume of toxins to which we’re exposed from our air, water, food, pharmaceutical and over-the-counter drugs, and many other sources.

These detoxification processes also rely on many critical nutrients (you’ll discover which ones below) to function properly.  Fortunately, there are many easy things you can do to help your body eliminate harmful toxins.  Here are 15 easy ways to detoxify today based on my book, The 4-Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan:

1. Eat pectin-rich organic apples.  Pectin binds to toxins in the intestines to escort them out of the body.

2. Drink a freshly-made veggie juice daily.  This can be as easy as throwing a couple of handfuls of leafy greens into a blender with some frozen berries and water.

3. Drink a large glass of purified water with the juice of one fresh lemon in the morning.  Lemons have over 20 proven anti-cancer compounds.

4. Eat blueberries daily.  They are rich in anthocyanins that reduce inflammation in the body and brain, as well as help reduce allergies and excess weight.

5. Remember to breathe properly.  Oxygen kills bacteria, viruses, and helps us to feel more energized.  Breathe deeply as much as possible.

6. Eat at least a half cup of legumes daily.  If they cause you gas, build up slowly and add a digestive enzyme with cellulase (breaks down the fiber in beans).  Fiber in beans helps keep the bowels eliminating properly.

7. Find the positive in every day.  Smile and laugh.  A positive attitude reduces the number of stress chemicals in the body.  And, as the adage says, “laughter is the best medicine.”

8. Take turmeric daily (a teaspoon in a small glass of water), added to soups or stews, or in capsule form.  It contains the phytonutrient curcumin that is one of the most powerful liver protectors and healers.  The liver is largely respositponsible for detoxification.

9. Eat more raw fruits and vegetables.  They contain enzymes that aid digestion and improve nutrient absorption.  Many nutrients are needed for efficient detoxification, including:  beta carotene, folic acid, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin B12, pyridoxine, vitamin C, vitamin E, calcium, copper, germanium, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, sulphur, and zinc, among others.

10. Switch from chemical cleaning products to natural ones.  Chemical cleaning products contain toxins like formaldehyde, chlorine, petroleum products, ammonia, perchloroethylene (“perc”), and many other harmful chemicals that research links to cancer, skin conditions, asthma, and other serious health conditions.  Baking soda, vinegar, or orange oil work well.  No chemical cleaner removes stains as well as orange oil.

11. Eat at least three of the best detoxifying foods daily: broccoli, garlic, spinach, cabbage, sprouts, blueberries, and ginger.

12. Drink plenty of pure water to help flush toxins from your body.  Almost every process in your body depends on proper hydration to function smoothly.

13. Help remove toxins in your intestines by using aloe vera juice (about a quarter cup) or drinking a few cups of slippery elm bark, marshmallow root, or rhubarb root tea (about one teaspoon of the dried herb per cup of  water).

14. Take a probiotic supplement with live cultures on an empty stomach daily (morning or evening works well).  The beneficial bacteria kill harmful bacteria and yeasts and help to heal the lining of the intestines.

15. Get at least 30 minutes of vigorous physical activity daily.  Sweating is one of the best ways of removing harmful toxins, including heavy metals, from the body.


Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/15-easy-ways-to-detoxify-your-body-today.html#ixzz2M6sj1ReJ

Be Happy!

How To Make Your Life Happy Fast

by

Simona Rich

There is a reason why in most religions there is some sort of a set of rules telling how to live life. It’s not so that all people would be the same, but to make their lives easier. For example, in Buddhism there are the Four Noble truths:

(There are many translations of these truths in English, here’s my best bet…)

1. Many things in life bring suffering.

2. The origin of suffering is craving which leads to more attachments.

3. It’s possible to end suffering by ending cravings.

4. You can end cravings by following this eight-fold way: right view, right intention, right action, right speech, right effort, right livelihood, right concentration and right mindfulness.

And in Christianity, there are seven virtues:

1. Prudence (the ability to discipline yourself by the use of reason — thank you Wikipedia)

2. Justice

3. Temperance (not drinking alcohol)

4. Courage

5. Faith

6. Hope

7. Love

If you don’t follow such rules, your life will be ruled by fear, guilt and regret. If you follow these rules, your life will be much happier.

Now together with these religious laws or virtues, take note of the guidelines below. Try living according to such guidelines for one or two days. When you notice an immediate difference in how you feel and a better quality of your life, you may decide to continue living this way.

Here are the guidelines:

If you are always tuned in to your common sense and refuse to do what feels bad to your inner self, your life will become happy.

If you are good to everyone no matter how they behave towards you, your life will become even happier.

If you infuse all the actions you take with love and attention, and take time to accomplish them in a perfect way, you will experience an unbelievable quality of life.

If you let the money easily flow in and out your life without congesting the flow with fear of not having enough or regretting over “lost” money, even more abundance will flow to you.

If every day you remember to thank God that you are alive and for all the good things that come into your life, God will also not forget to reward you with more goodness.

And instead of complaining if you try to understand the lessons behind every misfortune, your mood will get uplifted instead of depressed.

If you stay present more than lost in your mind, you will start being happy about even the smallest positive things in your life.

If, instead of getting angry at someone, you try to understand where they are coming from, your life will become much easier.

And if instead of letting the fear cage you in, you would allow your heart to lead you, it will show you the life full of love and adventure.

If you are an observer of life rather than an unaware participator, your life will be filled with spiritual awakenings and depth.

And even if you are an active participator of life, don’t forget to be always the observer of yourself also, and thus you will still not lose the depth of life.

If you make the most of the situations that life gives you, God will reward you with a better life after some time.

If you conserve your energy by not talking for the sake of talking, or doing something for the sake of doing it, your life will be filled with youth and beauty.

If you don’t try to gain anything at the expense of another, you will never see lack of any sort.

You can start living like that for a few days – that will be enough for you to see some results which will encourage you to continue living according to these principles. These guidelines will surely make your life easier and happier.

Ways to Power Up Love

8 potions to power up love and reduce stress!

by

Vanda North

It is the month of Love, so Mind Chi has researched 8 useful and practical love potions.

Love does wonderful things for your state of mind and it also offers natural stress relief. In healthy relationships, the power of love is strong enough to keep your heart happy and your mind and body healthy.

 

Loving potion 1: How Love Helps

Sharing in life’s joys and challenges is one of the great benefits of being in a relationship.  ”When you are in a loving marriage or a good relationship, you have somebody there to share your worries, to talk through problems and to enjoy free time with,” says Sally R. Connolly, a social worker and therapist with the Couples Clinic of Louisville in Louisville, Ky. Relationships can provide stress relief by simply not leaving you to shoulder every burden completely on your own, Connelly explains.  You also have someone “to visualize the future with. Somebody who is there for you and witnesses your life,” adds Connolly. A number of studies have found that people in healthy marriages live longer and have fewer health problems than people who are unhappily married or not in a relationship, according to Connolly. Such is the power of love. What’s more, people who are happily married not only benefit from stress relief, they suffer less often from depression, too. A loving partner can share the responsibility of stressful situations, offer support, a listening ear and advice when you need it. And when you need to remember happier, easier times, a loving partner can help with that as well.

 

Love potion 2: Remember the power of play

Any relationship is enhanced by some ‘play-time’. When did you last play? Look at how much fun children have when they play and how boundless their energy! How can you make aspects of your work into ‘play’? You can still be as careful and precise, but you will have enjoyed yourself (and the others as well) and the day will fly by – go on, give it a go!

 

Love potion 3: Little things mean a lot

Love and friendship do require an input of effort and energy, however, that is rewarded 100 time over. Send a text, give an unsolicited hug, give a flower – just that you have thought and shared will be so appreciated by the other and make your relationship stronger.

 

Love  potion 4: Mending Relationships

If you have a relationship with a spouse, partner, or loved one that is a little rocky, focus on fixing it. An unhealthy relationship is just one more stressor that you don’t need and repairing it can provide stress relief and improve your health — and you’ll just feel better about it. Getting started can be tough, but Connolly suggests just reaching out to your loved one. Was there was a problem or issue that divided the relationship that needs to be addressed before you can move on? Or, if you just grew apart, consider rebuilding that relationship.

 

Love  potion 5: Learning to Show Affection

Not everyone is comfortable with affection — perhaps it’s just your personality or the influence of family when you were growing up. If being affectionate is difficult for you, consider trying to start expressing your feelings to those in your life who you love, to strengthen these relationships. Start with small steps, reaching out physically (hugging or a gentle touch) or with affectionate words or actions. From there, you can slowly build on your relationship and your physical affection. “Congratulate yourself each time that you stretch out of your comfort zone and notice the effect that it has on your partner,” says Connolly.

 

Love medicine 6: Laugh together!

Share a funny film or TV show, recall funny incidences, look for moments when you can laugh. Laughter and love are two very powerful healing agents and your life feels so much richer as well. Vanda adds, ‘Look for opportunities to laugh at yourself as well, I often cause myself to chuckle and then I share it with my husband and friends and we all have a laugh.

 

Love potion 7: ‘Get over it!’ GOI

Many of the issues that can easily derail a relationship are REALLY not that big of a deal. You can choose to make it so, or equally, if you value the person and the relationship, you can just ‘Get over it!’ and get on with the pleasurable parts!
 

Steps 3 and 4 of the Mind Chi Basic 8 minute routine, help you to look at the past 24 hours. What might you want to do differently, should the issue happen again? Learn the lessons and then wrap it up and let it go. You also look for all the little successes you had in building your relationships and hold on to those.
 

The full Mind Chi 8 steps may be seen here.

 

Love  potion 8: Give it some time

Keeping a loving relationship alive and thriving, does require an infusion of time. When you think ‘Oh, I must call so-and-so!’ DO it! You don’t need to make it a marathon (unless you want) but just to say, ‘I had a moment while the kettle was boiling and wanted to say Hi!’ Putting aside an evening or some of the week end to enjoy each other, or having a ‘date’ or as Vanda’s American friends say ‘Let’s visit’! Talking, sharing, listening, laughing, being there for each other is the greatest gift you both can receive.

Life presents many challenges and stressors and you need someone there to support you through the difficult times — whether it’s a good friend, family member, spouse, or partner. And it’s equally important to have someone to share in happy times and celebrations. Take time to focus on the relationships in your life and reap the benefits. Just knowing that you have love, support, and help from a loved one can give you positive stress relief.

The ONLY Resilient Woman Warrior, Vanda North conducts ‘How to be a MORE Resilient Woman’ sessions, why not enjoy one for your Valentine gift?

Points 1, 4 & 5 were adapted from the original article by: Diana Rodriguez  and medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MP    http://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living/love-reduces-stress.aspx

How to Get Anything You Want in Life

Would you like the secret of how to get anything you want in life?

Watch this short video by the amazing personal development coach, Katie Freiling, and that secret will be yours!

Including, appropriately enough for Valentine's Day, how to get more love in your life!

Change Your Mind About Your Body

by

Tahlee Rouillon

“Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own..” – Baz Luhrmann

For many years I believed the only way to get my ideal body was to whip it into shape with lashings of shame and hate. For some bizarre reason that I couldn’t fathom at the time, this strategy was unsuccessful.

It resulted in fluctuating weight loss / gain, injury, pain, and a whole lotta misery.

If I lost weight, I always needed to lose more. If I felt overwhelmed, I ate my emotions and put the weight back on. No matter what I did, I never felt good enough.

Fortunately, I was blessed to receive the assistance of a gifted therapist to overcome my disordered relationship to food, exercise and my body. And whilst I still sometimes struggle, I have found when I consistently practice these 5 tips, my body and life are so much happier!

1. Acceptance

“Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.” – Albert Einstein

Acceptance does not mean that you never want to change. It doesn’t mean that you’ll give up all desire to be fit and healthy and turn into a gluttonous slob.

It means that you wholeheartedly recognise where you are in your health journey with kindness and compassion, rather than piling on guilt and shame about where you “should be”.

Acceptance gives you permission to acknowledge where you are and also where you’d like to go. It’s far more motivating and sustainable than the self loathing that accompanies the “shoulds”.

Thinking about how much you should weigh, how faster you should be able to run, how stronger / fit / toned you should be is dejecting and usually leads to resentment.

Whenever I resented or felt ashamed about the way I looked, I was more likely to skip workouts or conversely, workout too much and end up injuring myself. Accepting where I was at on my health and fitness journey allowed me to approach workouts with much more kindness and joy.

2. Stop Comparing!

Stop comparing yourself to others, yourself to how you were yesterday or even how you were 5 years ago. Comparison truly is the thief of joy as it either leads to smug superiority or feelings of shameful inferiority. And as you already know, shame is not a sustainable motivator.

Recognise that you have unique abilities in this present moment. Honour the journey that has brought you to this place and renew your commitment to living your life of awesomeness.

A great first step is to go on a media diet.

Get rid of the magazines that uphold such ludicrous ideals of beauty. Even though you’re an intelligent person and you KNOW those models are digitally altered (making their beauty even more unrealistic) your primal brain doesn’t.

Your primitive brain, deep below your neocortex, is hardwired to accept reality as, well, real. It has no way of knowing that the images it sees in magazines are illogical and deceptive. It’s why movies and books are so powerfully entertaining and immersive.

The less material you have to fuel self-comparison, the better off your mental health will be.

I’ve even given up reading health and fitness magazines because I find that I end up focusing too much on the women’s bodies and how I stack up, instead of focusing on the fitness information.

3. Turn Down the Inner Bully

We all have a harsh inner monologue that criticises and blames us for when things go wrong, or that arcs up when things are about to get risky.

You know – the voice that is overly concerned with things being perfect, safe and secure. The voice that says things about you that you would NEVER say to anyone else.

Mine is particularly nasty if I’ve put on weight, if I’m trying something new, or if I’ve stuffed something up.

But just because you have one, doesn’t mean you have to listen to the horrible things they say.

Recognise the harsh, repetitive, adrenaline fuelled messages for what they are. Anxiety. They are not true statements about you, your personality or your potential.

4. Turn Up Your Inner Bestie

Transforming your critical monologue is as simple as treating yourself as you would your best friend.

Not always easy if your Inner Bully has been running rampant for a while – but simple.

The next time you begin to feel the dead-weight dread of your Inner Bully – imagine the situation that is causing the anxiety is happening to your Best Friend. What do you say to them when they are sick, scared or suffering? What do you do for them to soothe them? How do you treat your loved ones when they need your compassion?

Whenever I imagine how I would treat my bestie, there is often a large gap between how I would treat them and how I treat myself. Giving myself permission to be kind to myself has been a big step towards loving myself and my body more.

5. Mindfulness

Staying aware and focused in the present moment is at once grounding and liberating.

In an age of hyperconnected 24-7 lifestyles, the ancient wisdom of mindfulness is more vital than ever. Slowing down and appreciating the present moment gives you the opportunity to be grateful for all you have.

I’ve found mindfulness to be excellent at reducing my anxiety, which helps prevent emotional eating. It helps my pay more attention to hunger and satiety clues, helping to prevent overeating. And it gives me focus, which vastly improves the quality of my workout.

Practicing mindfulness can be as simple as taking 10 minutes per day just to sit quietly and breathe. The intention is not to stop thinking, or to avoid thinking negative thoughts. The goal is to quietly witness the thoughts without attaching judgment or criticism. Whenever you get distracted, just gently guide your attention back to the physical sensation of breathing.

Mindfulness is definitely a practice. The more I do it, the more familiar it becomes and the benefits flow into all areas of my life.

Do you struggle with body image? How do you motivate yourself to stay fit and healthy? What other tips would you suggest for positive body love?

About Tahlee Rouillon

Tahlee Rouillon is the Major Instigator of The Attitude Revolution (http://attituderevolution.net/about/). She helps body haters + binge eaters (herself included) do a 180 degree turn toward loving who they are and the bodies they’re in. She has a degree in music, is a certified Personal Trainer, and has a really loud laugh.

How To Find Romance

by

Gregg Hall

Are you searching for that special someone but still coming up empty? Are you tired of spending your nights alone, watching that same old movie with only a Coke and a bowl of popcorn to keep you company? Experience tells me that when you move from one end of the pendulum to the other, you will eventually swing back to the center and find your match there. Let me explain.

Two options stare you in the face: you can start looking in a new place for romance, or you can quit looking altogether.

Choose the first option. Start looking somewhere new if romance continues to run from you. Consider alternative forms of dating, like online dating if you've not already gone there. If you've exhausted your online options, then take off those slippers and put on your dress shoes, because you need to get out in the real world more. Involve yourself in the world around you by taking more classes, going to more parties, and involving yourself in something community oriented that piques your interest. Engage accomplices by asking your friends to keep their eyes open for good matches.

Consider changing your approach to relating and finding romance. If you've hogged the conversation in the past, try opening your ears to listen more. If you avoid eye contact, focus on keeping those peepers up during the date. If your wardrobe looks like a spinster's, then consult a good fashion magazine and update your closet.

Someone wise once said that if you keep doing what you're doing, you're going to keep getting what you're getting. So test the boundaries! Move from one end of the edge to the other and you might just find new and fun experiences as well as dates in your path.

You say you've tried all that? You've tried online dating and community classes and you've spiced up your wardrobe and sought out extremes, but still you find yourself alone with that ever staling popcorn. You're tired of looking, and you're tired of waiting.

Then take a break. Don't just quit, but take a break. The best things happen when you're not trying to find them, right? Isn't that what people say? It's true, you know.

"That's too easy," you say. "You say it, but can you do it? How can I stop looking for something that I want so badly."

Trust me. You can do it. Give yourself time. Do it by jumping into activities that you feel passionate about. Basically, do what you love. Focus on having fun.

And as you do this, you will find yourself finding meaning in life. While you're not trying to forget about the possibility of romance, you're making the best of the life you've got. Pour yourself into doing the things you enjoy. Just because you do this doesn't mean you've given up on romance. But instead, you've given up on the powerful need for a relationship. Do what you love, and what you want will follow.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as romantic gifts at http://www.romanceandlovegifts.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gregg_Hall

Intuitions about Romance

by Judith Orloff M.D.

When we're looking for love (or under its intoxicating influence), we often miss seeing extraordinary signs and messages that pop up in our daily life to give us clues as to whether we're on the right track. However, if you can slow down enough to recognize and listen to your intuitive intelligence, it can reveal truth, warn you of danger, or help you understand people and relationship situations in new ways.

From Second Sight, here are five types of intuitive experiences you may encounter, and what they can teach you about your love relationships.

Body signals.

Your body has many ways of getting your attention. It could be goosebumps when a date feels just right or says something about you that rings "true." Or it might be your hair standing up on the back of your neck when a creep replies to your online dating profile.

How to use it in romantic relationships.

Most commonly referred to as a "gut reaction," your body's response to the world around you is often instant--quicker, in fact, than your conscious thought. Next time you sense your body is trying to alert you to something, check in with it. Are your shoulders tense? Is there a knot in your stomach? Or do you feel energized and excited? When you learn to read your body signals, a whole new type of information will be available to you. What's more, you may be able to avoid getting involved with destructive, unhealthy lovers, or be curious to pursue a really good guy who, at first blush, doesn't seem to be your "type."

Déjà vu.

This is when you feel as though you've had this exact conversation before with someone--even if it's someone you've just met--or you've been to this place before and know what's around the corner and up ahead, even though that's impossible.

How to use it in romantic relationships:

Instead of thinking it's strange and then moving on, don't let the experience go unremarked. Discuss it with a trusted friend, or write it down. Bringing a déjà vu experience that happens in the context of a relationship into the open energizes it, acknowledges its significance, and enables you to find out what it's trying to tell you or where it's trying to lead you. When it comes to romance, déjà vu can be a powerful affirmation that you're doing just what you're supposed to be doing in the moment. Or conversely, it may be a way of telling you to pause, think, and reflect on where you are right now, before proceeding ahead willy-nilly into a relationship you'll regret.

Synchronicity.

This is the experience of perfect timing, such as when you're thinking about a song right when you hear it on the radio, or the computer guy you found in the yellow pages turns out to be someone you had a mad crush on in college.

How to use it in romantic relationships:

Stay aware and look for synchronicity everywhere. Such moments let you know that you're in the flow--in the right place, at the right time. See if you can uncover its hidden significance. Were you meant to bump into this old love? Is the song "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" trying to tell you something about that "bad boy" you're crazy in lust with at the moment?

Seeing beyond.

This is when you're tuned in to an event that's happening right now, but in a different place. For example, you think of a long-lost boyfriend, and then he sends you an email in that instant. Or, you call your guy at work and ask him to pick up a pizza. Turns out there was a deadly accident on his regular route home.

How to use it in romantic relationships:

Your entire body--not just your brain--acts as an intuitive receiver, so the more conscious you become of your whole body, perhaps through a discipline like yoga, the more likely you are to tap into realities outside of your immediate setting. They will come to you in snapshot-life flashes--a taste, smell, sound, or a feeling in your body. Jot down your impressions. The better you get at tuning in, the clearer the messages will become. When two people are really "clicking," such experiences become even more commonplace, such as having intuitive flashes about your lover's health, or about where you two might be living in five years.

Intuitive empathy.

This is when you "pick up a vibe" from another person. For no apparent reason, you suddenly sense a person's deep loneliness, or you feel hostility coming from a person who is smiling at you.

How to use it in romantic relationships:

Being sensitive to other people's nature is a valuable skill--but it comes with perils. If you feel drained after meeting someone at a party, for example, pay attention so you can avoid giving him your phone number. Learning to "read" other people's feelings will improve your romantic relationships, as long as you don't "take on" others' moods and emotions. For example, when you can sense your boyfriend had a bad day, or is tense after talking on the phone to his mom, you can ask him questions to get him emoting. Such empathetic communication deepens and enhances love partnerships.

The Power from Within

According to the "Dean of Personal Development", Earl Nightingale, only 5% of the people who want to be successful in life actually achieve it.  In this talk, Earl tells us exactly how we can be one of those 5% rather than the 95% who never make it.

Explaining the Unexplainable

Belinda Farrell is a Huna practitioner.

When Belinda was forty eight she collapsed with herniated discs and spinal nerve damage.  Threatened with paralysis by her medical doctors if she didn’t have surgery, Belinda instead chose to apply the ancient Hawaiian healing practices she had been learning for the past three years which are covered in this book.  Her back completely healed including childhood scoliosis.

Belinda retired from stunt car driving and, for fifteen years has been sharing these healing practices with others. She offers Reconnective Healing and Huna in Santa Cruz, Ca. and takes clients to Hawaii to teach Huna and swim with wild spinner dolphins.  The dolphins help us to dissolve fear with an open heart expanding our reality through their vibrational tones so that we experience our deepest joy.

In March she will be publishing a book called “Find Your Friggin’ Joy”.  In this book she will show her readers how to clean the “plaque” from their souls and reach the Higher Self.

Belinda has kindly allowed me to print an excerpt here from her book – Explaining the Unexplainable:

As a civilization we’re moving forward faster than ever before. If you don’t prepare yourself on the inside, you will likely be caught up in a whirlpool of fear and unresolved emotion. The news is filled with disasters in our outer world: earthquakes, floods, military uprisings, government breakdowns, corporations crumbling, real estate devaluation, oil spills, gas prices, water shortages and on and on. We are tenants living on Mother Earth temporarily. She will right the wrongs done to Her over time. How you handle what is happening in the world will reveal how SECURE you feel inside yourself. It is said that we are living in the DREAM we have made by our COLLECTIVE THOUGHTS. When we stop believing in the dream it will change its structure. When people stopped believing in Communism in East Berlin, the Berlin Wall fell. The majority of people now seem to be freeing themselves from conventional ideas that don’t work any longer. If it doesn’t feel good at the truth level, you need not participate. No one wants to be ruled by a dictator, and now the people are standing up and saying “no more.” As things change in our outside world, we begin to see how it is possible to change our inner world, especially if our ideas are somewhat outdated.

For example, take the way we’ve been conditioned to think about healing. The general consensus tells us to go to a doctor when we have an illness. But I’ll bet when we were young, the majority of you had your “boo-boo’s” kissed away by a well-meaning adult. We knew the boo-boo would heal by itself in just a few days. How many of us will know with conviction that we will be fine again when illness strikes.

As we grow older and develop more conscious skepticism, we lose touch with our connection to our UNCONSCIOUS MIND ... the part of us that RUNS OUR BODY. We already talked about how our unconscious mind serves as the computer to our conscious mind’s commands. So if you really want to communicate with the unconscious and change the negative patterns you’ve been accumulating, then begin to listen to what you’re saying to yourself. Are these things you would want anyone to hear? What’s your inner script? When you are aware enough to be able to write those phrases down, you’ll see what direction your unconscious mind is taking and why your body has been doing what it’s been doing.

Eric, 58, in a wheelchair, came to me for a healing session. At 19 he broke his neck in a car accident. He told me he knew he had set up this accident long before it happened. Unconsciously, he wanted to know what it felt like to be paralyzed. Whatever the unconscious believes to be true becomes your reality. Now Eric was ready to heal himself from feeling like a victim. He has been able to unplug from the burden of “victim thinking” thus freeing himself to be lighter. Now, he invited his Higher Self to begin the healing.

Martha had cancer when she came to see me years ago. At the time I was doing only hypnosis and past-life regression. At five years of age, Martha’s mother died suddenly. As a child unable to understand death, Martha decided that she was to blame for her mother’s death. Developing cancer was her way of punishing herself and ultimately joining her mother. In the regression, Martha’s mother revealed herself and the reason for her death, which had nothing to do with Martha. Finally getting the closure she needed, Martha’s body began to respond to the medication given to her to stop the cancer. Martha recovered from the cancer. Our unconscious desires are running our body. Getting in touch with the way they have been programmed will open our eyes to how we want to proceed. The unconscious also holds the key to reach the Higher Self, which ultimately knows how to heal our illness.

As a Huna Practitioner of ancient Hawaiian healing, I learned about the three Selves of Man and the role that the Higher Self (which is in all of us) plays to change our DNA and heal the physical body. Forthe ancient Hawaiians, the ultimate goal was to reach the Higher Self. Clearing the unconscious mind of the negative thought-forms from the past, you can then send your “desires” up the pipeline to the Higher Self for activation.

I experienced this myself 16 years ago, when my spine collapsed with nerve damage. My son Brian was living with me in Tiburon and carried me to bed when I could no longer walk. I was told by medical doctors that I wouldn’t walk again without surgery. Brian and another well-meaning friend urged me to go the “safer surgical route.” Not wanting to be cut, I decided to put the Huna recipe into action. Within four days of actively doing these processes, my back recovered completely ... even healing my scoliosis I had since birth. Shocked that I could walk again and feel normal, Brian was more fearful of his own “inner cleansing process” which he was not ready to comprehend. Personally, it felt like I had won the lottery, only better. I could heal myself together with my Higher Self. These Huna practices really worked! That brought me lots of friggin’ joy! I decided to devote my life to teaching others how they could do the same.

So how do you explain the unexplainable? How do you explain calculus to a 3-year-old? Reaching our Higher Self is what some of us aspire to in hopes of receiving Divine Truth, yet it can belong to the realm of the unfathomable, to our limited conscious mind. Healing my back was nothing short of a miracle to me. Yet, the recipe was available and I followed it, as I clearly believed in it.

And now, if you are ready, if you make the choice to believe, we have for you the cleansing and the ancient cleaning practices and techniques that can bring back to you – if you are willing – your friggin’ joy.

You can find out more about Belinda Farrell and her books and courses at her website:  www.HunaHealing.com