Sir Franchise Bacon

Bacon, in the sense that his thirst for knowledge is unquestionable. He was interested in every branch of knowledge. He was not only a mere essayist but also a pioneer of science. He was a man of towering and powerful observation and he used this gift for the study of man. He is clearly seen in his essays, sometimes as a teacher, sometimes as a philosopher, and moralist. For all these reasons I like him a lot.

Brief Account of the Author

Sir Franchise Bacon is acclaimed as the father of English Essays and the greatest prose- Wright of the Jachobean period. His essays are treasure house of worldly wisdom. They cover a very wide range and variety and they certainly provide abundant proof of the vast experience and worldly wisdom of man who wrote them.

Describing Some Stories of Bacon in Short

OF MARRIAGE AND SINGLE LIFE

OF TRUTH

OF FRIENDSHIP

OF STUDIES

OF PARENTS AND CHILDREN

OF MARRIAGE AND SINGLE LIFE

This is a popular essay of Bacon. It deals with some of the most common experience of human life. Here Bacon takes a balanced view of the married and single life upon their merits and demerits of real life situation. Bacon says that unmarried man can sacrifice themselves for the cause of public affairs like equality and liberty of the country. Bacon expresses his wisdom with wit when he says that chaste women are often proud and forward as presuming upon in the merit of their chastity.

OF FRIENDSHIP

In this essay Bacon says that friendship is treasure. If a man has a friend, he can help him in weal and woe. According to him, a true friend may be a partner of joys, sorrows and happiness and he can get consolation from his friend.

OF TRUTH

It this essay we find that he has shown the readers a loves of truth. He says that a man's mind should turn upon the poles of truth. Bacon tells about the creation of light reason, which is scientifically based on truth. He says that the first creation of God, in the works of the days, was the light of the sense, the last was the light of the reason and his Sabbath work, ever since, is the illustration of his spirit with life because it can play havoc with his fortune.

OF STUDIES

He points out through generalization that we should study. If we spend much time for studies over theoretical aspects instead of applied aspects then we encouraged sloth. Over much study leads us to show our pedant city and boosting too much study make us or till badly upon us, he provides us with prescriptions as to how we should study. He says that some books are red in parts, some entirely, some curiously, some carefully and some summarily.

OF PARENTS AND CHILDREN

Bacon says that during childhood and youth one may get much liberty and he urges parents to chexpose the vacation and coarse while their children, will be made otherwise they will take the shelter of nakedness. According to him there are two types of learning, one is Pedagogy which is Children learning what is rendered by the parents and his surroundings and the other is Andragoggy which is adult learning what is rendered in the form of guidance and control where nobody can teach the adult.

I Like His Books

I like his essays not only because they are gripping plots, but also they bring the hidden truth of our practical life into the limelight.

Kh. Atiar Rahman is a distinguished author and a poet. He has many publication in national and international media.

What Are Affirmations

The Truth About Jealousy

This article will not take up too much of your time, but will be very helpful in your daily life. What you are going to read is important in regards to the very controlling and confusing issue that so many women are challenged with every day, for some every single minute of their day. In this particular part of the jealousy series, you will learn what jealousy feels like and just how serious and captivating an emotion it can be. The next article will talk more about dealing with jealousy and how one can actually get control of it.

In the next few minutes you will learn what and how a woman feels when she is stuck in this very real and controlling jealous emotion.

It has been proven that many women are not even able to identify this confusion of thoughts that they are suffering from. A very big part of healing and winning these battles of jealousy is in identifying your enemy. In this situation the enemy is the jealous emotion that results from a much deeper issue that may or may not be obvious to its victim. You will hear more about that in a bit.

Through research and in speaking with many women every day through the womensselfesteem.com, jealousy seems to be a very big issue that has them in such a downward spiral that they cannot find a way to get hold of it.

One of the main causes for this negative emotion, "jealousy" stems from a time in a persons life when an emotional wound is created, which severely attacks their safe world or in other words their feelings of inner securities. These insecurities will seriously affect a woman's self-esteem, which will in turn result in feelings of low self-worth, lack of a self-respect, and mistrust. These emotional wounds can be caused from several types of abuse or trauma such as, physical, psychological or an over-restrictive/dominated childhood. If a child is sexually abused, then that child's security is threatened through the fact that she trusted the abuser and almost always grows up feeling that they were at fault for the abuse. This also rings true in an adult life, especially if the victim truly trusts and sees her abuser as almost," God" like. When a child is psychologically abused, they usually live a life of demeaning name calling or belittling, again this does happen to adults in a trusting relationship. The over-restrictive or dominating upbringing begins at an early childhood and then follows through into adulthood. Each and every one of these abuses that you have just have just heard about are definite cuts that eventually turn into deep emotional wounds.

These wounds will send a person into a prison, a prison of fear and weakness that they will carry throughout their lives if they do not learn to identify them and deal with them and strengthen their inner self. So many women search for answers to solve this scrambled up problem that they can feel inside of themselves, always coming up with a 0. They tend to look outside of themselves and that is the mistake that they are making. So many jealousy issues come from within.

The human brain is set up of two minds, which allows two ways of thinking, one being positive and one being negative. Unfortunately if a person is somehow mistreated or loses a trust as you have heard about earlier through my thoughts, at any time in their lives, it tends to weaken their ability to maintain a balance between the two. This is when they will fall prey to certain triggers that will ignite the fuse that leads to jealousy. You may be wondering what triggers are, they can be anything from a memory of your past, a smell, a persons laughter, a picture, another women, a feeling of being left alone, or even a look from a partner. There are many different types of triggers that will set off negative emotions. In this series of articles you will learn about relationship triggers and how they set off your jealous emotions.

Negative relationship triggers are definite causes, which happen when a relationship fails due to mistrust issues caused by infidelities or pornography addictions by a present or past partner, and are left unresolved, which unfortunately will follow them into every relationship, if she does not stop and take hold of her issues.

Jealousy is not just a word that can be ignored or excused. It is a word to be feared because it is fear that creates this negative feeling. Have you ever noticed how jealousy changes your relationship from happy to devastate in just seconds? It will feel like something that you would not wish on your worst enemy.

The negative emotions that are hidden behind this word jealousy will tear your trust apart letter by letter, and rearrange it until it spells deception, betrayal, even hate. Theses words will turn you into a paranoid living creature, hiding from reality. Reality is truly jealousy's enemy. It avoids its enemy as quickly as it replaces the positive thoughts that you once had in its place. It is strong enough to take control of your mind and direct it into thinking that someone you dearly trust and love has turned into another being, a being that is cheating on you, lusting for another, watching pornography behind your back, lying to you when you ask a direct question, twisting everything you say so that you come out looking like you are delirious and they will laugh at you when you cry out for help. It will tear your guts apart until you feel like you are going to vomit and it will make your head swirl with uncertainty. Jealousy can speed up your breathing quicker than a exercise machine, which in turn will send your heart racing into turmoil. It is a total body trauma. It can make your body break out into a sweat so fast that it will make rain look slow. If you have ever had even one minute of these threatening feelings, you know exactly what I am trying to explain here.

This negative emotion will make your mind fear abandonment, ones biggest fear in a relationship are to be replaced or abandoned. This fear alone is a very strong trigger of jealousy. This fear will imprison you and force you to suffocate or guard what's yours, until that person can no longer be a victim to your jealousy. It will drive you to feel a deep need to control another's thoughts and actions. To allow jealousy in your mind to the point of this kind of control, is to fall victim to an," attachment prison" or an addiction. In this attachment prison you are the weaker element of the partnership or relationship, your need to feel attached will ruin your sense of security and your self-esteem. A very good example of an attachment prison is when you fear with all of your senses to let your partner out of your site, not even to go to the corner store or to work for fear he may see someone that you would deem as a total threat.

Jealousy is like a drug. Once it gets into your veins, you are no longer coherent or independent in your thinking. You have now just become a dependent thinker, dependent on jealousy and its power. To have such a need is also equivalent to an addict needing a drug. Your addiction is your jealousy, your high is the adrenalin that your body creates through its fears, only this is not positive adrenalin; it is a pure negative adrenalin rush. The only antidote to combat this addiction is through positive steps that will strengthen your ability to take back your control and find a freedom from that attachment prison.

Jealousy will not rest until through you, it has created a frustrating and unbearable environment that puts you in the position in your relationship as your own worst enemy. In effect you become the attacker that you have been trying to run from. You are now jealousy! You are the cause of this turmoil that is being thrown to your outside world; an outside world that cannot possibly feel your pain; nor can they help you escape it. But they will look down on you in their confusion. You are all alone in this prison. You are the only one that can feel this pain, the only one that feels this need to control and hide from the world. You will find yourself being driven by negative thoughts every turn you make.

Have you ever been on a negative thought rollercoaster? If you ever have, you will understand what I mean when I say negative thoughts; negative thoughts that will not let you think rationally. If anything, they will work very hard at confusing your positive thinking. You will spend countless hours talking to yourself trying to get out of insecure feelings and you will end up right back feeling the same negative control that jealousy has over you.

Jealousy will rob you of sleep hour after hour. When your mind cannot sleep, it becomes weak and that is exactly what strengthens the negative thoughts that will feed jealousy and keep it controlling you. These thoughts will turn over in your head until they are locked into a place of negative non realities. This is when you begin to believe in things which seem surreal. An example of this non reality is, let's say, you're walking past your partner as he is watching television. A commercial is on. There is a young scantily dressed woman on the commercial. Your immediate reaction is fear. You fear that at that very minute he is lusting her or worse, wishing you were her. As I said non- real negative thoughts = jealousy.

This negative emotion is extremely careful to not allow your self-esteem to strengthen. It will turn your thoughts into a comparison mode instantly when it feels threatened. When it can put your mind into doubt of it's worth, it has total control. It will continue to control and force thoughts of being undeserving, not worthy, unintelligent, boring, self-less, non-appealing, even just plain ugly. It is a true negative powerful and destructive emotion that will not only control your thoughts but will also alter your desire to love. It will make you hide in safe, loveless corners and never allow another person into your heart. To allow a person into your heart would mean that you would be putting yourself at risk of falling victim to jealousy and all the horror that it creates and feeds on. So, you at this stage begin to set up protective walls, separating you from ever being hurt, but also putting a wedge in between you and your partner. Your choice, if you choose to stay in negative thinking, is to live a life alone.

When you have allowed it to weaken your thoughts to the point of delusional thinking, your mind will only see what will feed this negative emotion. All of your rational characteristics will be taken over by irrational thoughts and reactions. Everything that you thought you could control is now uncontrollable. Nothing is what it seems, while this jealousy emotion has you imprisoned behind its bars of negative and low self-worth thoughts.

I truly believe that being controlled by jealousy is similar to being in captivity. Your mind will get so conformed to that space that you're allowing, that you will learn to depend on it. You will feel safe only in that space. All of your knowledge of what's outside of that captive space has been hidden away into a very dark deep place in your mind. It is all you feel that you can control, not even realizing how little control you do have; again equivalent to an addiction.

What captivity and jealousy have in common is that once you allow your mind to be controlled or captivated by the overpowering emotion: jealousy, your mind will react as it would in a captive situation. Both jealousy and captivity hold your mind and reshape it to conform to its negative demands. A person in captivity eventually starts to depend on the person that's holding them captive. You start to depend on the feelings that you're getting from being captive by your jealous emotion. Jealousy becomes you, and you become jealousy. Together the duo team that you have allowed to control your thoughts will now destroy anything that is real. You will now live together in an unreal negative world of deception.

You will live and breathe the feelings of fear, worry and deception. You will not rest one single minute. Your mind will constantly be filled with disorder and accusations and," what ifs". At this point your ability to trust and feel secure with your partner will no longer be available to your mind, to your negative mind that is; the negative mind that you have allowed to take place of your once positive mind. Your innate desire to protect you and your reason for being are now at risk in your mind. You need to control everything and everything about your partner, right down to his every move. You need to take ownership in order to feel safe. With this control, then and only then can you feel safe from jealousy? Again the," attachment prison" takes over. This prison created by jealousy to keep you in its power and control. You're first breathing thoughts are livelihood and your future are based on attachment and acceptance. To lose that would be like dying a very slow death. Under the control of jealousy and its attachment prison you will fight to survive at any cost. You will be on guard even in your sleep, to notice even the simplest sign of abandonment or loss. Hence, the sleepless nights, haunted by the enemy: jealousy, captivated by the attachment prison again.

This is what you already know of jealousy. It is not fun. It is not a happy place. It is however very destructive and it will destroy your life if you continue to allow it to control your thoughts. As I mentioned earlier in this article, your mind has two sides, one being negative and one being positive. You have the ability to choose.

I have brought this part of the jealousy series to you because of how important it is to identify with the truth of jealousy. It is as real as you are sitting there listening to this. There is a way out and a way to free your mind of this prison of negative thoughts. Through my next article on "The Truth of Jealousy", you will learn steps and strategies that will help to strengthen your mind so that you may win the battle of negative thinking.

dorothyl@womensselfesteem.com

Make A Live Out Of Your Life

A Gift of Hope - 52 Ways to Live a Better Life by Shadonna Richards - Book Review

Infinity Publishing (2009)

ISBN 9780741451675

Shadonna Richards, a Canadian registered nurse, freelance writer and former newspaper columnist, has put together a simple but concise book on how to live a better life. As a nurse working with terminally ill cancer patients, who are told they have only six months to live, she was inspired to write empowering words of wisdom. Richards also interviewed many individuals for her newspaper columns, thus compiling inspirational stories to encourage us to look at our own lives, makes changes as necessary, and to live a fulfilled life. Although her resources are Canadian, the concept of her book is global and I'm sure readers will find similar resources in their respective countries and areas.

"A Gift of Hope" is designed to be used as a workbook, with each week having an exercise to be done daily. For example, the first week starts with "Stay Mentally Fit." The text talks about the stresses in our lives and then gives exercises. The first exercise for the first week is to "Identify, then rectify." Richards says "A crucial part of any solution is locating the problem. Do worries keep you up at night? Go directly to the source of your tension." The second exercise for the first week is "Detox Your Mind." Richards says "We always have a choice. We can choose to dwell on being hopeless in situations or dwell on having hope."

The second week covers "Dare to Dream: Believe that Anything is Possible" and captures president-elect Barrack Obama's "Yes We Can" powerful slogan. Using his story and his dreams, Richards iterates that our dreams can become reality if we persist and believe.

Other weeks cover topics like: Understand That Money Isn't Everything, Reach out to those in Need, and Be the Friend You Desire to Have. For the purpose of this review I didn't have the opportunity to test the system for a full 52 weeks; however, being a student and teacher of transformation, I know it works. Shadonna Richards has provided a book, "A Gift of Hope," to take us to a higher level of consciousness, a place where we can manage our personal lives with ease and contentment.

http://www.readerviews.com/

Law of Attraction - A First Stage of Awakening

Using the Law of Attraction is a process of raising our consciousness. Most people tend to stay stuck at the victim stage--blaming others, parents, the government or something for the way their life sucks. Since we have been programmed since forever with this attitude, our beliefs are such that this is the way life is, and there's nothing to be done about it. Actually there is, but it takes work and many are not willing to do the work necessary to get out of the victim stage. They would rather stay with the misery that is familiar than to seek unknown success.

The work involved in raising our consciousness above the level of victim is all about accepting responsibility for our own thoughts. It takes great effort and determination to stand guard over our thoughts and change the negative ones or just decide to think only positive thoughts.

Now I know you think that positive thinking doesn't always work. You're right! Positive thinking alone does not make the law of attraction work properly, but it is the foundation upon which it is built.

We can choose to think any thought we want. When we realize that our thoughts are energy and have power to create more of what we're thinking about, we begin to see the value of eliminating the criticism of others, the complaining that life isn't the way we want, and the negative thoughts we have about what is going on in our lives. This only happens when we decide to accept responsibility for everything that happens to us.

It takes awhile to accept total responsibility, but as we remember that what we said or did or thought is what caused such and such to happen, we will begin to believe it. A victim will argue with this thought, that there is no way one could cause the experience taking place. THAT is the thought that must be transformed. Just realize that this is the way the Universe was set up, it's a universal law that our thoughts create our reality. The only way out, is to believe that and accept total responsibility for your thoughts.

Just open your mind to that possibility--that your thoughts create your reality. In the beginning you won't remember it very often, but determination and believing that it is true will bring it to your conscious mind more often and you will slowly begin raising your consciousness. Sure, you'll forget often, we all do, but when things aren't going well, and you aren't feeling great, realize that you've forgotten that your thoughts are creating what is going on in your life.

Raising the level of the energy of your thoughts takes forgiveness for having thought that way, and forgiving yourself for forgetting and loving yourself despite your mistake. Love, appreciation and gratitude have very high frequency energy levels, and science has proven that an energy of low frequency bombarded by one of higher frequency will raise the lower one.

If you are interested in the process of the Law of Attraction, then you are raising yourself out of this first stage of awakening. You no longer want to be a victim of circumstances. You don't want to be tossed by the winds of fate. You want to be more in control of your life, and that is very possible. This is knowing the principles of the Law of Attraction. To learn more, you can download a free ebook, 10 Critical Mistakes Using the Law of Attraction and How to Correct Them.

Mareen Robinson, published author, columnist and teacher of the Law of Attraction, offers tips, techniques on learning how to use the Law of Attraction. Visit Mareen at her website: http://yourmagicwanda.com

Four Reasons Why We Procrastinate

The biggest obstacle to success and fulfillment for most people seems to be procrastination. Likewise, a major component of effective time management is avoiding procrastination.

Avoiding procrastination is also crucial if we hope to realize our dreams. This must be a conscious effort, because procrastination is so easy to engage in, yet so difficult to overcome. We must keep our goals in mind and maintain our desire to reach those goals, so that the temptation to put off our responsibilities until later does not eclipse our desire to succeed.

There are many reasons why we procrastinate - and we all do it. Procrastination, though, means sure death to reaching your goals.

1. Fear of Failure.
Many people put off doing things because they are afraid of failing. If they only speak of their hopes and dreams, but make no firm effort towards achieving their goal, they cannot fail. If, however, people take action towards reaching their goals yet fail to realize them, they fear they will be seen by others as failures.

Even if a goal is not reached, the act of trying is reward in itself. Great learning is derived from experience, which can only be attained through action. Also, most people recognize a valiant effort and applaud it regardless of the outcome. The act of trying is an act of bravery. The act of avoidance is paramount to cowardice. Do not fall into the trap of using fear as a reason to procrastinate.

2. Feeling Overwhelmed.
Many times we look at a goal and feel that there is too much that needs to be done in order to accomplish it. The sense of being overwhelmed paralyzes us, preventing us from taking even the first step towards achieving our goal.

For every goal you have in life, break it down into individual parts. Determine what actions each individual part needs in order to be successful. If looking at the big picture makes you feel overwhelmed, look at the tiny steps along the way instead. Tackle them one by one, without worrying about the next one. Forge ahead with each individual victory, and before you know it you will have found success.

3. Human Nature.
We naturally tend to avoid that which causes us hardship or pain, and gravitate towards that which is easy or gives us pleasure. In order to avoid procrastination due to the unappealing or difficult nature of a task, commit to complete the most unpleasant jobs first. Dive in with a can-do attitude, and realize that the sooner you start and the harder you work, the sooner it will be over. Tackling the most difficult responsibilities first paves the way for smoother sailing down the road.

4. Perspective.
If we view a task as being difficult, then that is exactly what it will be for us. Rather than dreading a given assignment, view it as an opportunity to excel. If you are being asked to complete a research assignment, view it as the chance to gain new knowledge and expand your mental boundaries. By diving into a project with enthusiasm, deriving it wherever it can be found, you can turn a chore into pleasure. Try changing your perspective and see if it helps fan the flames of enthusiasm.

There has been much talk throughout history about the destructive nature of procrastination. One of the best ways to view it is that we do not know what fate tomorrow will bring us, so we are best off experiencing everything we can today.

Another irony of procrastination is that so many of us complain about not having enough time, yet spend so much time sitting idly, dreading the work that awaits us. If we just dug our hands in and got started, there likely would be more time found in the day, and we would accomplish a great deal more.

If you find you are having difficulty achieving your goals, take a look at the steps you must take to achieve success and ask yourself if you have fallen into the dark pit of procrastination. Examine what your own reasons for procrastinating are, then vow to yourself that you will not let it kill off your hopes and dreams.

Lifestyle Mentor, Personal Coach, Author, Educator, and Entrepreneur, David B. Bohl is the creator of Slow Down FAST. To learn more about this step-by-step strategy for Living YOUR Life YOUR way, and to sign up for his 9 FREE Tips for Finding Happiness in a Fast-Paced World, free teleseminars, free Special Report, free bi-monthly ezine and more, go to: http://www.SlowDownFAST.com

The Do's and Don'ts of Divorce For Parents

An important note:

Divorce is a very complex occurrence that takes place within the family. This article will not attempt to cover all of the many nuances and intricacies involved in dealing with children who are experiencing a divorce. There are therapists who deal specifically with divorces as well as many books written on the effects of divorce on children and on parents. Many towns have programs committed to working with children of divorced families, which can be very effective in helping kids come to terms with what's going on. All of these options should be considered.I hope this article will offer some useful ideas, but I want to stress the fact that it is not meant as a substitute for a broader understanding of divorce and its effect on parents and children.

There are as many types of divorces as there are types of families, and each family creates their own little theater in which the divorce is acted out. For some families, divorce emanates from the adults not being able to get along, solve problems or communicate effectively. In other families, the divorce is the recognition that things are not working for the good of everyone involved. In certain families, divorce isa way to get out of an abusive or destructive relationship, in which case those children ultimately benefit psychologically, even though they will still face fears and even feel loyalty toward the offending parents.

The reason whya divorce is very traumatic for the children involved is because things are changing for them completely and the future is unknown. The most powerful people in their lives have decided to go on a completely different course. Kids use their parents to manage their fears of the unknown. When kids get anxious about the future, they have an unconscious mechanism that tells them their parents will take care of whatever it is that's bothering them. They do this often and without thinking about it. Divorce can be considered traumatic because it overpowers the children involved. They don't have the tools or the experience to manage the overwhelming feelings andchanges that are happening in their lives. They tend to deal with them in different ways, depending upon what the personality and nature of the child is. "Fear" is often the core feeling they have: Fear that they're going to lose things they have, and fear that they're not going to have things they want. What you'll see in some cases is that one child will buckle down and do OK in school, and the other child will give up and stop working. These two very different reactions may even occur in the same family. What that means is that one child is dealing with his fear and insecurity through isolating, while the other child is focusing on external things like schoolwork and sports.Some children deal with their fear and anger by acting their emotions out and striking out at others. One withdraws into the fort; the other goes out to meet the enemy.

The major emotions involved with divorce are fear, anger, and grief. The general fear for children is that things are changing and they don't know what they're changing into. The anger is that they have no control or power over the situation. And grief emanates from the very real fact that the family they knew has perished. It's as if it died, and they must, over time, grieve that family. As a parent, you will see the behaviors that characterize anger, fearfulness and grief. The anger might be viewed through verbal or physical acting out, through increased oppositionality and defiance, behavioral acting out in school, or anger and frustration taken out on other siblings or the residing parent. The fearfulness manifests itself through a process of shutting down. Kids will isolate emotionally and physically, spending more time in their rooms or out of the house. They may appear more secretive. They are withdrawing into themselves because of some instinctual feeling they have that this is the best way to protect themselves. And you'll see kids act out the stages of grief. They may bargain with their parents and try to figure out how to keep them together, they'll be in denial about the significance of the divorce; they'll be angry about what it means to them and eventually, if it's a healthy grieving process, they'll come to accept it, but that takes time and work. No matter how the kids handle the divorce, they generally don't want to talk about it to either parent, which creates problems for parents who desperately want their children to understand what's going on from their perspective.

Kids draw their strength from a variety of sources, but most of all from their parents and their family system. When kids are younger, their parents and family are their sole source of strength. As they develop, school performance, friends and sports become sources of strength, depending upon the individual child. So the first thing parents have to understand is that when the divorce is announced, the kids are going to experience a lot of insecurity about what the future holds. Parents may also feel that insecurity themselves, but they feel empowered to manage it. Children are completely dependent. It's a sad fact that many children go into poverty after a divorce because the money that used to support one household is now going to support two. The biggest cause of poverty among single parent families in America is divorce. So it puts fear in children. They wonder "What's going to happen to my parents? Are we going to have enough food? Will I have clothes? Can I still go to the mall on Fridays? Will we be able to do the same things?" These questions all float around in the kids' heads. Some fears have to do with the well-being of the parents and of the family, and some are age appropriately self-centered. And parents will do well to focus on these things when they talk to the child about the divorce.

Develop a Culture of Accountability in Your Home

Single parents have to develop a culture of accountability in their home once the separation or divorce has taken place. A "culture of accountability" position is one that says, "You are still accountable for your behavior here at home." So no matter what else is going on outside the house or whatever feelings the child is having, including those that come from legitimate sources, the child is responsible for his or her behavior. I would say that being structured and clear after a divorce is much more helpful to kids than compromising your values because your children are going through a tough time. Remember, it's during tough times that we need reliable structure the most. Limits, accountability, parental support, outside support when necessary-these are all part of a culture of accountability in the family. Kids experience a whole range of emotions when a separation and divorce occur. Remember that "divorce" and "separation" are legalistic terms. Once one parent moves out, the kids' adverse emotional experience begins, no matter how it's labeled.

Have structure that clearly sets out the responsibilities of each child, outline the way they have to treat each other and the way they have to treat you as the parent. Make sure the limits are clear. Issues such as curfews, use of phone, computer and TV time, expectations around schoolwork and other commitments should all be kept very clear. Hold kids accountable for not meeting their responsibilities. And don't let things slide because of your divorce. You certainly don't have to be punitive, but you have to be consistent. Be available to your kids if they want to talk about the divorce or any other subject, and let them know you're available to talk about things without specifically citing the divorce. Seek outside support when necessary. Certain types of counseling can be very helpful to kids who are experiencing the feelings of grief after a divorce. Also, if children are older and they test the limits by being physical or threatening, do not hesitate to call the police. There are many situations where kids sense a vacuum of power, and they will try to fill it if the parent does not. This can be especially troublesome in families where there is an adolescent, or families where the children don't reside with the parent who was the primary limit-setter.

Do's and Don'ts of Parenting after a Divorce

There are many "do's" and "don'ts" for parents after a divorce, but here are a few that I think are crucial:

• Don't push kids to talk about the divorce if they don't want to. Be inviting, but not demanding. Let them know there are other resources available to them outside of the family.
• Do hold kids accountable for their behavior. If kids are acting out, be clear with them. Let them know that even if they're acting out because of the divorce, they'll still be held accountable for their behavior.
• Don't talk negatively about the other parent. It's never a good idea.
• Don't jump into another relationship and expect kids to be accepting of that person. That may soothe your sense of loss, but for kids, it's only confusing and frustrating
• Don't try to have deep, meaningful conversations with your kids about the divorce. They may act "adultified," but they are not little adults.
• Do acknowledge that things have changed.
• Don't share all your fear, anxiety, anger resentment or grief with your children. They're not at a level of development where they can handle that. Often, it makes them feel like they have to take care of you, and that's not a good position for them to be in.
• Do family organizational planning and structuring without emotions. Sit down and let kids know what roles are going to change. Don't do it democratically. Don't ask for opinions or votes. It's not helpful to kids to put that responsibility on them.

"Dad lets me do it at his house."

As I mentioned, a single parent has to develop the culture of accountability in their household. What happens at mom's house or dad's house is none of your business, except in cases of safety. Do not let it become part of your child's alibi system. When your son or daughter says, "Dad lets me do this at his house," tell them that they'll have to wait until they get back to Dad's house until they do it again, because in your home there are consequences for that behavior. You may feel frustrated with the way your ex parents your children, but don't try to control what goes on in the other parent's home. That's a dead end street. There are many situations where parents cooperate with each other after the separation or divorce, but let's face it, people divorce because they don't like each other any more, so cooperation can only go so far.

Another issue is that many ex-spouses tell their children details of the marriage that you would rather they didn't know. This is a common occurrence and parents have to work on not giving it power. First of all, if you show your child that this information has power over you, that child is going to use it in certain situations. So the idea is to say something like, "Whatever your mother says at her house, just discuss it with her. This is not a place to talk about it." I personally don't think you should discuss specifics about the divorce. I think you should say, "That's Mom's opinion. You'll have to talk to her about that. In my house, I don't blame your mother, and I don't let her blame me." Understand this: Separation and divorce usually don't occur or don't emanate from a peaceful, easygoing marital situation. There are often occurrences such as strong arguments and fights, blaming, cursing, and bad feelings which precede the actual separation or divorce. For better or worse, kids have witnessed what's occurred and they will know the truth. Parents who use the "Culture of Accountability" model teach kids that using excuses and blaming others does not justify their inappropriate or irresponsible behavior.

If you teach your children not to make excuses and not to justify inappropriate behavior, they will be better prepared to identify when the other parent is using excuses and justifications to explain their behavior.

When is family counseling in order?

Family counseling is a very tricky issue. Some therapists will say that it should not include both parents because it is artificial, and helps kids promote the normal fantasy that their parents will get back together. On the other hand, there are therapists who believe that even if there's a divorce, the family should address it as a whole system. There are a lot of variables that come into play when deciding which course to take with which therapist. One thing is clear-your child should have the option of seeing someone, but they should not be forced to if they're managing the divorce effectively. If your child is having behavior problems which either stem from or are intensified by the divorce, the help should be based on him or her learning to manage the problems and feelings underlying the behavior.

My opinion is that therapy should be flexible enough to involve everyone in various combinations, but still avoid involving sessions with both the parents and the children present unless absolutely necessary. Before those sessions, strict ground rules and agendas must be agreed upon by both parents. Remember, it is very likely the differences in perception, interpretation, and behaviors which led to the divorce in the first place could be acted out in the artificial situation. In some cases, kids will not want to participate in these types of therapeutic activities. In my experience, if kids are managing the divorce and the other areas of their life well, they should not be pushed to be involved. On the other hand, if they're having behavioral or academic performance problems, behavior management therapy should be on the menu.

Divorce carries an inherent risk of damage to the children involved. The more quickly the adults going through the divorce take responsibility for being parents instead of spouses, the better the chances the children will have of adjusting to the new reality of their lives.

For three decades, behavioral therapist James Lehman, MSW, has worked with troubled teens and children with behavior problems. He has developed a practical, real-life approach to managing children and adolescents that teaches them how to solve social problems without hiding behind a facade of defiant, disrespectful, or obnoxious behavior. He has taught his approach to parents, teachers, state agencies and treatment centers in private practice and now through The Total Transformation Program -- a comprehensive step-by-step, multi-media program that makes learning James' techniques remarkably easy and helps you change your child's behavior.

Feng Shui and Symbols - What You Have in Your House Says a Lot About You

What does a broken statue of a rooster have to do with Feng Shui? Feng Shui teaches us that everything in our house is a reflection of what is in our mind. Symbolically speaking, your house and the things in it reflects your thoughts, feelings, and spirit.

So let's get back to that rooster. One of my clients had recently separated from her husband. I noticed that a statue of a large bird was directly facing her bed, so it was probably the first thing she saw when getting up in the morning. Upon closer examination, I noticed two things; first, one of the legs had previously been broken and was wrapped in what appeared to be a cast. Second, I realized that it was not a chicken; it was a rooster. Unfortunately, the coxcomb on the top of the head had broken off, probably in the same fall that broke the leg of the statue.

I examined this unfortunate art piece for a moment and then said to my client, "Do you realize that the first thing you see in the morning is a broken cock?"

After I picked her up from the floor (she was laughing so much she just collapsed), she gasped out, "You have no idea of how perfect that observation is." Not wanting to really know much more, I suggested we send out the broken rooster for repair. We then talked about what she really wanted to see first thing in the morning; it was her flute and music and a picture of her daughter.

Another client was having a hard time keeping relationships with men going. Visiting her apartment was like seeing a shrine to her daughter. Everywhere was a mother/daughter photograph. It felt like she was already in a relationship and there was no room for any other one to grow.

Everything that you choose to surround yourself with has symbolic meaning and reflects something about your life. Whether intentional or not, all those objects, pictures, photographs, and pieces of furniture resonate with information about you. Take a look around at your house. What is the first thing you see when you enter your home? When you get up in the morning? When you sit down to eat? Do those objects support you in living your best life? Observe what you have around you and then experiment. See how you feel swapping out the images that surround you for other ones that are a better reflection of who you are and where you want to go. I've seen this simple action do amazing things to improve people's lives.

Interested in learning more about Feng Shui and ways to improve the energy in your home or office? Get great tips and motivating messages by subscribing to the Empty Your Nest newsletter at http://www.emptyyournest.com

Changing Habits Can Change Your Life - Goal Setting

Creating super habits are easier than you could ever imagine. Most people have something they would like to change in their lives. If you ask anyone, they are usually able to answer this question, "If you could change anything about yourself, what would you change." All the self help and personal development programs and books available today are full of useful information that nobody seems to take advantage of. You've seen the TV commercials and listen to other people tell their stories, about how they lost weight.

Are you one of those skeptics that find these stories hard to believe. Do you think it's possible to create a life changing habit within 30 days? If you don't think it's possible, have you ever tried to change something about yourself you don't like.

If you haven't tried, how do you know it's impossible. If you have tried to create change in your life, did you quit, did you quit shortly after you started. This is often what most people do. They either quit before they start and never even get started, or they quit within a short period of time after they started. Usually these people have an excuse, most of the time their excuse is quite simply, it was harder than I thought.

Creating super habits in 30 days is possible and you don't have to be an over achiever to accomplish this goal. Creating these habits will require some effort on your part but the rewards most of the time are worth the effort.

I challenge you to change something about yourself you don't like within the next 30 days.

Go to the next step for more information.

Finding Something You Don't like about Yourself

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a self help video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Will the World Ever Be As One

Imagine There's No Heaven, It's Easy If You Try, No Hell below Us, above Us Only Sky, Imagine All the People Living for Today. Imagine There's No Countries, It Isn't Hard to Do, Nothing to Kill or Die for, and No Religion Too. Imagine All the People Living Life in Peace. Think about It.

It's hard to imagine, with the information today and even 50 years ago that most people still believe in religions all over the world, just because they were raised to believe in them. Religions of the future will have to adapt to change, a little faster as more people read articles like mine to promote education within your religion.

Find out a little bit more about Your Religious Freedom

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a religous help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Marshall Mcluhan
Carl Jung

Email Etiquette

* Have you ever received an email message from someone you don't know?

* Have you ever received a message or chain letter that someone forwarded to you and deleted it without opening it?

* Have you ever received a message without a subject in the subject line?

* Have you ever received a message with LOTS of graphics that takes forever to download?

If you've ever been frustrated by any of all of the above situations, you know how challenging email can be. And you know what you don't want others to feel or think about you- based on the email messages you send. I have some helpful tips for you to use to ensure that others won't be frustrated by messages sent from you!

1. If you send a regular email based newsletter (like this ezine), offer it in both html and a regular text version. With so many people downloading their email on their PDA's and cell phones, a text only version allows them to download and read what you've sent. (It's also nice for those folks still on a dial-up Internet connection.)

2. Use one email address for work related messages and another for your personal messages. And keep them separate. When sending messages from work to clients, customers or any work-related message, only use your work email address. This way your address can be added to their "safe list" and you messages will get through. (this is a good time to make sure your work related email address is professional....so....if it's currently hotbabe@yahoo.com, consider making a change!) Your email address is a powerful marketing tool, if you have a website, use the URL of your website in your email address. For example, my email address is laurie@harmony-life.net, it has both my name and the name of my website in it. Having an email address like this encourages others to visit your website by letting them know you have one.

3. Keep the subject in your subject line short and sweet. Each email program shows different amounts of the subject. Try to keep your subject to no more than 6-8 words and you can be sure it will be seen in it's entirety.

4. Most people don't read long messages or blocks of text. Use headlines and bold lettering for the first sentence in each paragraph so folks that "skim" will get an overview. Keep your messages concise and to the point.

5. Users decide which messages to open based on who they're from and what they're about, based on the content of the subject line. The From and Subject lines are critical. The From and Subject line should include your company name, the name of the newsletter (if you're sending one), and a brief overview of the message contents.

6. Don't add people to your mailing list without their permission. Instead, send a message with an invitation to join your list. You can even include a live link in the invitation for to click on to be taken to the opt-in right away.

7. Once someone has joined your list, send them a thank you message letting them know what they signed up for, when they can expect it and how it will be delivered. This is also a good time to ask them to add your email address to their "white or safe list". (A white or safe list is located in their email program and it allows them to add email addresses that they want to receive. Email addresses that aren't added will often be sent directly to the Junk folder.)

8. Send messages regularly but don't bombard people daily or every few days, you'll become a nuisance and that is a way to ensure your messages stop being read.

9. Keep it friendly. Take a few moments before sending your messages to read them to yourself out loud. Why? Written language often comes across colder and shorter than it's intended. When you read it out loud you can hear how it sounds and make the necessary changes.

Making these changes or even just a few of them will ensure that your email messages are opened and read. After-all, that is why you wrote them- right?

Remember, like anything else, good ideas are only that- good ideas, if we don't take action and get proactive.

Just do it!

Copyright 2008 Harmony Life, LLC. All rights reserved.

Feng Shui Teacher and Entrepreneur Laurie Bornstein, "The Feng Shui Marketing Queen" is the author and creator of 'Simple Feng Shui Series', her FREE monthly ezine filled with articles and tips on how to live and work in balance, visit http://www.fengshuimarketingqueen.com to learn more.

Forgive Everyone in Every Way

Forgive everyone, everyday, and in every way. Each person is doing the best he or she can. No one, absolutely no one is perfect. Since no one is perfect, this means that we all need to share more patience and more understanding surrounding all aspects of our interactions with one another. Think of the last time you needed to forgive someone. And, think of the last time you needed to be forgiven. When we need to be forgiven, there is a feeling of lack or something as missing. When we need to forgive, we often feel anger. Anger is a secondary emotion for loss. When we lose something, the need to restore what was lost. This sends us on a search within ourselves for attention in a peace filled direction. If you noticed, to forgive or to be forgiven leads you to the same place. Both paths of awareness lead us on a search. What are you searching for? You are searching to find wholeness. What is wholeness? This is often one's perception of reality created by what one believes to be true. This creation of what one believes to be true is the path of one's soul seeking manifestation in the world of form from the formless.

There is no set way to wholeness. Simply being aware that you have a self-defined understanding of wholeness that is within you is what we simply need to give attention to within us. This continued attention on what we seek the most within us will grow in our awareness until the need to place our attention on forgiveness fades away.

If a person was to believe that forgiveness is something obtained through the human psyche alone, we all would find the journey into such a place within us as something to avoid. In the deepest parts of who we are, we want to connect to what is sacred within us. Therefore, to re-create a past interaction with someone who we feel we harmed or who we feel harmed us is a useless attempt to embrace what cannot be. This is not to say that certain relationships close to us do not need verbal efforts to make up for a past action leading to harm. In fact, a person can find this useful, and even, helpful. The point I want to make is the place one's attention may be at the time such a verbal interaction will become vital in the success of such expressions taking place.

Dying patients remind me that there are countless times in all our lives where the issue of forgiveness was perceived and we become aware of it. There is no way a dying person can retrieve all their past life experiences in physical form, but we can recall these moments in time and visualize how we would have handled them differently. This is our soul seeking to make right a wrong our personality may not allow us to do, or it may no longer be feasible to take place in our current circumstances. People are such a vast array of experiences. There are endless paths of attention within us calling for our attention. Perhaps, the instant we remember who we are and who others are in the deepest parts of our being, we begin to remember the love that brings all our lives together, and into, being. This remembrance of who we are as children of our Creator reminds us of the unconditional spirit reflected within our own selves. The transcendence of flesh and blood inspires us to give our Creator our lives, the lives of others, and our very reason for living into the hands that created us.

For More on this Author: http://www.soulandspirit.org

David Roochnik

Mind Reading Tricks - 3 Amazing Mind Reading Tricks You Can Easily Do to Impress People

Mind reading tricks are not solely for those gifted with ESP anymore. There are ways to get around that inborn gift clause thanks to the power of Science and observation!

But what purpose do mind reading tricks serve? Well, knowing what's on other people's mind can be pretty convenient when it comes to closing a deal or making a decision regarding a relationship. If you're interested to learn more, read on!

Mind Reading Tricks Number 1: Enlarged Pupils

Alright, so you don't have ESP. But you were born with eyes, remember? Use your powers of observation and focus on the pupils of the person you're talking to.

When their pupils enlarge, that means they are interested in what you have to say or in your personality. It's a positive thing so you can merrily continue doing what you were doing.

Mind Reading Tricks Number 2: How Close Can You Get

Mind reading tricks are most evident when two people know each other very well. It's like saying you're so close to that person you can even read their mind.

Well, the logic behind this concept is that you have been observing this person for a long time already. You know the mood swings, the attitude and the preferences of that person.

So when something is bothering your close friend or family member, you already have a pretty good idea of what's on their mind.

Mind Reading Tricks Number 3: Priming People

Another way to get around ESP and exercise mind reading tricks is through priming. When you prime people, you already have a basic idea of what they're going to do. You set them thinking of something related to the main question you want to pose to them later on.

For example, if you drill people on the importance of the environment and then ask them which candidate they're going to vote for, they would most likely go with the candidate who cares more about the environment. But you should already have predicted that.

Mind reading tricks can be very fun to apply. They can help you make all the right moves and even amaze the people around you.

Now you can easily amaze anyone with 11 secret mind reading tricks you can easily perform, and easily make people do anything you want using proven mind control techniques.

What Needs to Change to Become Your Authentic Self?

Becoming your Authentic Self is a process of deprogramming who you were trained to be and rebuilding your perceptions, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors to be in alignment with who you were born to be.

And this means change.

"Everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die!"

There is good reason why humans resist change. The inborn survival instinct does not want to risk losing what it has in exchange for the uncertainty of change.

The dilemma for the person on the spiritual path is that you must change in order to grow. My Awakening Your Light Body teacher, Duane Packer, often shared this quote: "If you want to have what you've never had, you will need to do what you've never done."

The good news is that the more spiritually evolved you become, the more tools and skills you have for consciously creating your reality.

Although it is quite tempting to believe that if only the other person (or situation) would change all would be well in our world, at some point in our spiritual growth we come to accept that our outside reality is a reflection of our inner reality. It is said that we don't see the world as it is; we see the world as we are. It is a big leap forward in spiritual awakening to understand that what we experience in our outer life is a reflection of our inner life.

The great thing is we can change our mind any time we want and start focusing on how we want our life to be (instead of focusing on what we don't want and creating more of that!)

As Nelson Mandela has said: "We must become the change we want to see in the world."

A good question to ask when you are not liking a life situation:

"What belief, attitude, behavior, or perspective do I need to change so I can be joyful in this situation?"

Once we get past wanting to blame someone else for our unhappiness, it is not too hard to take the next step and ask what we need to change about ourselves.

Is it possible that something as simple as asking what we need to change in ourselves can turn around a seemingly impossible situation? Yes!

How do I know? Because I have done it. The hardest part is acknowledging that the unpleasant outside circumstance is a result of something inside of me. But as the saying goes, "do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy?" At this point on my spiritual path I have found myself to be "wrong" so often that I am used to noticing my "faults" and owning what is true no matter how embarrassing, silly, stupid (all judgments, by the way) it is. I encourage you if you have a situation that is causing you unhappiness, use it as an opportunity to ask "What do I need to change in myself so this situation gets better?"

I know you will be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Jennifer T. Grainger, B.Msc.,Spiritual Growth Coach & Mentor, Founder of http://www.SpiritualGrowthCommunity.com, an online resource center for people exploring their spirituality. Sign up now for a fr^ee membership and receive Jennifer's guided meditation:"Sitting in the Stillness". In this meditation you will connect with your Divine Self for guidance, inspiration and expanded consciousness. Sign Up Now! http://www.SpiritualGrowthCommunity.com

Rights For Grandparents - Custody, Access and Your Rights As Grandparents

Obtaining the correct information about rights for grandparents is the first step in the sometimes murky waters of child custody when grandparents feel they do not have a voice concerning their grandchildren. Having the knowledge of the current situation in family and custody laws will reduce the amount of emotional stress so often associated with grandparents rights cases. In many cases of divorce or the fracture of relationships between a mothers and fathers, grandparents and their relationships with the grandchildren are the last to be considered and are very often ignored completely.

Fortunately, in all fifty states, grandparents are considered by the family courts to be an important part of a child's immediate family and current laws reflect that the courts have changed how they view the importance of grandparents and their relationships with grandchildren. In divorce as is often the case, one parent is awarded custody with the custodial parent very often removing all access for the parents of the non-custodial parent. Or in some cases, a child may be in a unsafe environment with grandparents greatly distressed about the safety of their grandchildren.

Although the courts are favorable toward grandparents seeking to maintain a relationship or gain custody of their grandchildren, it is very important that a history of involvement be established that can be documented. Divorce and the disintegration of the family is very difficult for all parties involved with grandparents usually receiving the least amount of consideration. Knowing your rights as grandparents and exercising these rights can have a positive impact and reduce the amount of emotional damage very often associated with children of divorce or the loss of one or more parents.

Because the courts now consider grandparents to be an important part of a child's family structure, grandparents now have more access and more importantly, a voice in the welfare of their grandchildren. There is no need to feel helpless or bullied when at no other time have grandparents had a stronger voice within the legal system.

Knowing and understanding how the current legal system works in child custody is very important, especially to grandparents who feel they are being denied access to their grandchildren. You can learn more by visiting http://www.grandparents-rights.info and find out what you need to know about rights for grandparents.

Rusted Cabinet Door Hinge

Imagine Living a Life in Peace

Imagine There's No Heaven, It's Easy If You Try, No Hell below Us, above Us Only Sky, Imagine All the People Living for Today. Imagine There's No Countries, It Isn't Hard to Do, Nothing to Kill or Die for, and No Religion Too. Imagine All the People Living Life in Peace. Think about It.

It's hard to imagine, with the information today and even 50 years ago that most people still believe in religions all over the world, just because they were raised to believe in them. Religions of the future will have to adapt to change, a little faster as more people read articles like mine to promote education within your religion.

Find out a little bit more about Your Religious Freedom

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a religous help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Starting With Simple Things

What Happened to the Wise Men's Gifts - Thought Provoking Religious Ideas on Christianity

Do you ever wonder what ever happened to the Wise men's gifts that were given to Jesus's parents? Nobody ever talks about it and it was never mentioned again in the Bible. If it was mentioned again I would love to have somebody e-mail me some more information on what Joseph and Mary did with the gifts, that were given to the newborn King or in other words Jesus.

I didn't come up with this idea on my own, I was reading a book by George Seaver called Albert Schweitzer "The Man and His Mind." I found the book in a thrift store near Seattle, Washington while on vacation visiting one of my relatives. I heard a lot about Albert Schweitzer from various personal development and spiritual books and thought this book would be give me some insight on the man.

I really had no clue, that I would find something like this within the first few pages.

Here's a quote from the book.

When I was eight my father, at my own request, gave me a New Testament, which I read eagerly. Among the stories which interested me most was that of the Wise Man from the East. What did the parents of Jesus due, I asked myself, with the gold and other valuables that they got from the Wise men? How could they have been poor after that? And that the Wise men should never have troubled themselves again about the child Jesus, was to me uncomprehensible.

Now this is coming from an eight year old child, not someone who has researched biblical scripture their whole lives. What else are we missing in the Bible that doesn't make sense but we were trained to believe in our religions without ever questioning your religion . It's definitely something to think about and the next time you're reading something or listening to the news on TV, try to figure out if it's fact or fiction.

You definitely cannot believe everything you read or hear from outside sources. I heard once that the only things that are truly real are the things that never change. If you think about it, most things change and therefore would not be considered real.

Ponder That for a While.

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Here's a good website if you're interested in, religious classics and looking for evidence.

Greg is currently working on a religious and motivational articles filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Finding Something You Don

Unlocking Your Spiritual Mind - Spiritual Video

Ahhhhh is the sound of God and can be used for meditation. Listen to this wonderful sound and try to find God in it.

Question Your Religion

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a religious help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Discovering Spirit And Sound

Aum Mantra Mediation - Spiritual Video

Ahhhhh is the sound of God and can be used for meditation. Listen to this wonderful sound and try to find God in it.

Question Your Religion

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a religious help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

David Mills
Thinking Like God

Positive Attitude Maintenance - Self Help Tips

The thing that people must realise is that you won't suddenly decide to feel good and that's it. It is a process of bit by bit feeling a bit happier and a bit more positive every day. There may be days when you go into a bit of a relapse for a few days but don't loose your resolve.

You can improve your attitude and become happier by many means:

Saying your Affirmations
Facing your fears
Thinking more positive thoughts
Helping others
Being kinder to yourself
Stop procrastinating
Whatever works for you

But you have to keep up this activity on a daily basis, just like a piece of machinery your happiness and positive attitude need regular maintenance.

You might ask yourself, why is it that my unhappy, depressive, negative attitudes come so easily, why don't I need to maintain them.

The truth is that you are maintaining them through negative habits that you have taught yourself over many years, you just might not realise it.

There will be a point where you cross a threshold, if you have not crossed it already. Where you will wake up and realize that feeling good and positive is the norm and feeling bad and stressed is unusual.

It will then be easier to maintain your positive attitude and happy state, but you will still have to continue your maintenance program. So design your positive attitude maintenance program now.

Design some Affirmations that work for you
Start identifying negative messages you tell yourself and replace them with positive ones
Build your own support group of friends to support you in your quest to become more positive
Make lists of your abilities and the things you are grateful for in life
Help others to be more positive

And put it into action, using it and updating it on a regular basis, and now is as good a time to start as ever.

I am a husband, and father of one son who works as an engineer. I became involved in writing articles about self improvement and positive attitude as part of a process of developing a more positive attitude to life myself.

I am committed to making my thoughts freely available to anybody who takes interest in reading my articles in the hope that they can similarly make their attitude more positive.

For anybody who is interested in improving their attitude to life and would like to see more of my articles or simply wants some advice on how they can feel better about themselves please visit my website http://www.positivity.9f.com - I am interested in any feedback about whether my articles are providing a positive benefit.

Warren Bennis

Qualities That You Need to Achieve Your Goals

We all have our own heroes; people that we admire, ones who achieved something significant despite all the odds stacked against them. For some reasons, we feel attracted to their lives, what they did exactly to achieve their goals, what kind of character they have, what is their driving force in life. We are attracted to all the articles about them, all the books written by them or about them in search of the answers.

If you are not a kind of person who reads everything about any celebrity you might be wondering why you are so attached to these people. People who are attracted to us or who we feel to be attracted to usually show us our own negative aspects that we need to get rid of or positive traits that we need to develop to realize our full potential.

You are attracted to particular people; you admire them because they possess the qualities you need to develop to be able to live the life of your dreams.

Write down the names of five to ten people you admire. What traits do they have that attract you?
Prepare a list of at least five traits for each of them. Do they have some traits in common? What are they? Write them down. These are the traits that you need to develop yourself.

Prepare a plan how you will show the new qualities in your daily life. What habits do you need to develop to support the new you? Reinforce these new habits daily. In about two months your new habits will become automatic and will steer your life into a new direction, direction of your dreams.

Do you need help to make your dreams come true? Visit http://www.pathstopower.net for a free book and more details

Are you interested in natural health, weight loss, energy secrets? Visit http://www.nutrifitpower.com/ezine.html for free reports and more details

Lynn Alex is a Life-Skills Coach, Yoga Teacher and an American Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner

Stopped Losing Your Car Keys

I Hope Someday You Will Join Us

Imagine There's No Heaven, It's Easy If You Try, No Hell below Us, above Us Only Sky, Imagine All the People Living for Today. Imagine There's No Countries, It Isn't Hard to Do, Nothing to Kill or Die for, and No Religion Too. Imagine All the People Living Life in Peace. Think about It.

It's hard to imagine, with the information today and even 50 years ago that most people still believe in religions all over the world, just because they were raised to believe in them. Religions of the future will have to adapt to change, a little faster as more people read articles like mine to promote education within your religion.

Find out a little bit more about Your Religious Freedom

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

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Ezekiel Prophecy - Bridge Uniting House of Judah and House of Joseph

The following is a bridge from the Native American spiritual path, the Red Road, as taught by Cherokee elder John Red Hat Duke, to Torah, the holy scriptures of our ancestors in Jerusalem, on which Judah (Jews) and Joseph (Hopi and those tribes associated with them) may unite with HaShem's blessing.

Note: The union of the House of Judah and the House of Joseph is the same event as the completion of the Hopi migration back to Jerusalem, as revealed to Dorothy by Creator. Ezekiel 37

Step 1: Observe nature with awe and gratitude. A sense of love and respect for all creation will begin to grow within me.

Creation. Our universe. The cycles of life and death. A vast composite of exquisite harmony; a truly beautiful harmonic symphony of melodious verse with each vibratory element sustaining one another, loving one another. This is truly a miracle of melodies played out in the grand scheme of creation.

HaShem's plan for humanity is wondrous and exciting! As the salmon swim upstream every year to spawn, they are led by HaShem's awesome spirit. In the wondrous scheme of HaShem's creation, all of creation follows an internal instinct, and so Jacob's children yearn to go home. HaShem has provided an inheritance for them in Judea-Samaria so His plan of creation may be fulfilled.

Step 2: Learn to trust Creator and accept my circumstances. Overcoming adversity will produce spiritual growth within me as I walk the Red Road.

Today we face great adversities, probably greater than any of us have ever seen in our lifetimes. It is also a wonderful time of great opportunity for spiritual growth. We have the potential of rising to great spiritual heights; even to the place of forgiveness, love and tolerance where we will be prepared for the coming of Messiah.

Moses' life was filled with circumstances that tested his faith in HaShem, G-d. He was instructed by Creator to go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses had to trust HaShem or he would have given up on his mission before he ever began it because in his mind the work was impossible. Yet, if he had given up and not trusted HaShem, the Israelites could still be living as slaves under the Egyptians, but HaShem's plan was fulfilled. The Israelites were protected and sustained. Creator led them through the wilderness to the land of milk and honey. Through all the adversity of wandering in the wilderness, Moses had to convince the people of Israel to accept their circumstances and trust HaShem and He would lead them home.

We have a tendency to quickly enter the land of 'fire and ice," where our emotions fluctuate to extreme anger (fire) and to coldness and judgment (ice.) Now we must learn to enter the land of 'milk and honey,' where we will nourish, i.e. provide milk for all the children of Jacob with an attitude of sweet forgiveness, i.e. with the sweetness of honey. May we move beyond the place of being extremely difficult to appease to a place where we will bring joy to Jacob and all of our ancestors who wait with hopeful hearts that we will enter the land of milk and honey.

Step 3: Seek for truth within myself, that I may remove hypocrisy and evil intent from within my heart.

Creator is the third partner in procreation. It is He who gives life. It is interesting to note that procreation is the first mitzvah mentioned in the Torah, which gives it primary importance.

Children are the greatest blessing we can have in this life, and Jacob's children were no exception. They were his greatest joy, and it is said that Joseph was his favorite.

This apparently caused jealousy in the hearts of his brothers, except for Benjamin. So they contrived evil action against Joseph to get rid of him. They contemplated killing him, but ended up throwing him down a well from which he was sold into slavery in Egypt.

Joseph's brothers, including Judah, then went home and practiced possibly the greatest hypocrisy and deception of their lives. They pretended to be grief stricken, and convinced their father, Jacob, that Joseph had been mauled to death by wild animals.

However, HaShem was with Joseph, and turned the evil action of his brothers into a positive guidance and blessing for Joseph and for all of Israel.

There is a way to remove jealousy and evil intent from our hearts and return to live in the abundant blessings and unconditional love of HaShem. HaShem commanded the Israelites that He is Yahweh their God who brought them out of Egypt where they lived as slaves. They shall have no other gods to rival Him.

As we serve others with loving-kindness, we serve HaShem. As we allow His Living Waters to flow through our hearts and bring joy to others, the flowing water also purifies our own hearts through love, and this prepares our hearts to be ready for the coming of Messiah. The reason the union has not occurred between Judah and Joseph prior to now is because the people have not been ready! There has been no water in the well!

Is there any other way for all the children of Israel to regain wonderful blessed companionship with Creator except to accept each other with unconditional love and return to being the unified family of Jacob? Let's bring Joseph back home to his father and receive HaShem's blessing.

Step 4: Repent and humbly surrender my will to Creator, that I may become one with Great Spirit.

The joy of walking in harmony with Creator cannot be surpassed by any worldly activity. It produces a profound sense of peace and completeness; it answers the question, "Who am I?"

The House of Israel sinned against HaShem. We chose to live wickedly and rebel against Him. Before we can walk in harmony with Him again, we must see our own wickedness as repulsive and turn away from it in humility and repentance. We must ask HaShem's forgiveness.

We must surrender our arrogant self-will to Creator's will. For instance, He told us to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy, and He declared the seventh day as the Sabbath.

Some of us feel it does not matter which day we choose to call the Sabbath, but that is not humble surrender to the will of HaShem; it is arrogant self-will! The Sabbath given to man was a blessing from HaShem, and a blessing once given cannot be changed! If we desire to walk in companionship with Him and receive of His blessing, we must repent and humbly surrender to His will.

When we have turned away from our wicked ways, and received Creator's forgiveness, then we will be ready to accept our inheritance in Judea-Samaria. Currently, Judah is in control of this area. Although HaShem has promised to join together Judah and Joseph as one stick, it will only be accomplished when the people are ready. Judah must be ready as well as the Ten Northern Tribes; the House of Joseph.

It is not enough to walk in the ways of the Noachide Laws, or to adhere to the 613 laws of the Torah. This is like singing in low bass; a very low vibration. We must sing in high tenor or soprano at a much higher vibration. We must walk the higher spiritual path of purity and unconditional love; the spiritual path of the Keetoowah, the Red Road, in the truth of the Torah. This can only be accomplished by learning to walk in the way Creator commanded when He told us to not bear any grudge against the children of His people, but to love our neighbor as ourselves. (Leviticus 19:18)

All children of Jacob, Israel, must accept one another in the way HaShem commanded before we will be ready to fulfill the prophecy in Ezekiel 37:19. May we be quick to forgive perceived wrongs, and not relish being cruel and difficult to appease. May Israel again see all his children united as one family.

Step 5: Communicate with Great Spirit from my heart; listen, and live the insight I receive.

Israel is to listen! Yahweh our G-d is one G-d, and we must love Him with all our heart, soul, and strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

Have we lost the unity between our body, mind and spirit? Is our worship of HaShem lip service only? We can try to convince others that we walk with HaShem by speaking about holy things. However, our actions speak much louder than our words, and our actions betray what is in our hearts, and what is in our hearts is who we really are.

Some Israelites were thorns in the side of Moses. They tried to convince the people that they should return to Egypt to the good life. These are the dark forces that are with us still.

Today, Joseph wants to return home and claim his inheritance, but there are those who would deny him that which HaShem has provided, saying Joseph's children are an abomination in the sight of Creator and would only destroy eretz Israel if they were allowed to return.

Judah is refusing to invite Joseph back home, and in some ways he has good reason. The Ten Northern Tribes of Israel have not been living as a light reflecting the wonderful love of HaShem. They have assimilated into the many Nations of the world and many of them are living in idolatry today.

But what has Judah done to draw them back into the love of HaShem? Where is the light that would light the pathway for the rest of Jacob's children to find their way back into the joyous place of living in harmony with Creator? Judah, herself, does not appear to carry this light!

We must rise above the material world of law, only, into the spiritual world of HaShem. It is here that love resides; that HaShem resides. It is here that Light exists. It is here that our thoughts exist and we make our choices.

Creator has given us instruction; we are to have a heart full of unconditional love. If we refuse to accept our brothers and sisters of the House of Israel with unconditional love and forgiveness, and with a helpful spirit to help each other prepare to stand before HaShem in purity and truth, then we are a hypocritical people; we worship HaShem with our lips only! We must live His commands if we are to truly be His people! We must love our people as ourselves; all the children of Jacob!

Step 6: Learn true abstinence. It is in serving others, with an attitude of loving-kindness that I create a flow of Living Waters which will purify my heart.

Joseph served his Egyptian master well. Even when he was falsely accused and imprisoned, he retained his attitude of servitude and loving-kindness by interpreting the dreams of the chief cup-bearer and the chief baker. When the pharaoh had two dreams and could find no one to interpret them, the chief cup-bearer remembered Joseph and told the Pharaoh how he had interpreted his and the chief baker's dreams accurately.

So the Pharaoh called Joseph to him and asked him to interpret his dreams. He did so, and then suggested how the Pharaoh should govern in the approaching times of plenty and famine.

Pharaoh approved of his suggestions and the interpretation of his dreams, and therefore promoted Joseph to chancellor. Only his own throne was above Joseph.

Joseph was blessed by HaShem, and because Pharaoh accepted Joseph into his household, he prospered.

Joseph knew and acknowledged that it was HaShem who interpreted the dreams. He also knew that when he served others, he served Creator.

When Joseph's brothers came to him during the famine and asked for food, Joseph lovingly fed them and provided additional food for them and their families. It was this service with loving-kindness that created tremendous joy in Joseph's heart; the joy of serving HaShem.

Jacob's family was reunited, and the flow of love, the flow of Living Waters, moved them all to tears. This is why water is used as the symbol for the cleansing of the soul. Flowing water purifies, and love flowing from HaShem through compassionate servants like Joseph purify their hearts with the flow of living waters.

This same joy will be experienced again when Joseph's brothers serve HaShem by welcoming Joseph's children and the other members of the House of Israel home. It is then that HaShem will establish a new covenant with the House of Judah and the House of Israel. It will be a covenant written in the heart, a covenant of unconditional love without judgment. It will be a time of great joy and abundant blessing as we experience the wonderful love and compassion of HaShem.

Step 7: Attain complete, joyous harmony with Great Spirit; walk the Red Road. This requires that I totally surrender my will to the will of Creator, and love others unconditionally without judgment because that is who I am.

IAM is calling. Have we forgotten how to listen to His voice? Have Judah and the House of Israel become deaf to the voice of HaShem and turned to self-worship in the ways of the world?

We must return to the ways of the traditional ancestors if we would be ready to welcome Messiah (Masaau). We must return to the ways of Abraham, and the ways HaShem taught Moses when he called His children out of Egypt; out of bondage into a land of milk and honey.

We are invited to enter the land of milk and honey and we can do this by inviting our children home with a sweet, forgiving spirit.

It is time to do more than talk about HaShem and about holy things. It is time to BE that which we were created to be. It is time to become one with the wonderful, awesome IAM; to walk in companionship with Him as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden.

Joseph was a wonderful example, and we can do this as he did. With a forgiving spirit, he fed his brothers when they came to ask for food from him in Egypt during the famine.

Joseph depicted a man totally surrendered to the will of HaShem, else he would have judged his brothers guilty and unconditional love and forgiveness would not have been possible.

Joseph walked the Red Road by fulfilling HaShem's Law of Love, and now Joseph's children are asking his brothers to complete HaShem's plan of Creation by walking in companionship with them along the Red Road and inviting them to come home. Will HaShem hold Judah guiltless if they do any less?

For more information about gaining eternal life in the presence of Creator, and about the return of the long awaited Hopi Pahana, read the books Red Hat Speaks, and Red Hat's Wisdom, by Dorothy K. Daigle. These books can be ordered from any bookstore or online from http://www.iuniverse.com or Amazon.com

Dorothy was taught by Cherokee elder and wisdom keeper, John Red Hat Duke, for over ten years in the Keetoowah Cherokee spiritual ways, in Eastern philosophy, and in Judaism. She was raised Christian so she has a good working knowledge of Christianity. She now follows no religion but strives to walk the Red Road spiritual path according to Jesus' teachings.

She received her call from Creator in the fall of '92, and was then taught by the great prophet Elijah for four years. She was given four assurances by Creator when He called her. She was told that she was anointed by the Holy One of Israel, that she would be protected until this work was done, that Creator would go before her whenever He sent her somewhere, and that she did not have to prove herself to anyone. She is one of Creator's prophesied Two Witnesses. She carries wisdom of many years of living under Creator's guidance and direction.

Creating A Habit