The Child Beneath the Shields

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

I see people, but more than the people, I see the heavy shields they keep on carrying. The shields are of ideas, beliefs, notions, concepts and identities. The person sitting behind those heavy shields, I have observed, is always an innocent little child. Atrophied, a little scared, caged inside the shields like an animal.

It wants to come out. It wants to enjoy life but shields pose as if there is some danger outside. They give a different picture of the world. The child wants to touch the flowers, it wants to slide on the rainbows, it wants to walk on the clouds. But all that the child beneath the shield is made to see is competition - cut throat competition, enemies, ready to stab you. Its all a rat race towards nothing where one does not even bother to stop and look around at the whole absurdity; where one is caught in the "supposed to's" and imitation.

All that the child wants is food and love. When I get to walk by Rose garden or by Sukhna Lake or any other park at that, I see some real children. They have enough trust to keep their defenses down. They sit embracing each other, some of them even kissing. Neither future nor past exists for them. They are in the moment.

But when they separate, truth surfaces. Their shields are up again. All that had been happening was a trade - "You keep your shield down and I mine; I give you love and you me." It's not that shields get down on their own, its all a means to an end. To seek a gratification. To seek gratification and then to revert back to the cut throat competition with enemies who are ready to stab you. Even that love becomes like sex - a momentary escape from the monotonous struggle of life.

This 'competition' and 'enemies', all seems like an over exaggeration. It does because we are living blindly. We our-self are not aware where our actions spring from. To see how the mind works - as a means to an end- makes us see the whole trade that is going in around us in the names of Love, in the name of religion, in the name of spirituality, in the name of humanity and what not; to see that it leads to misery no matter how noble it may seem on the surface.

We tend to get caught in the word and all the junk that has been conditioned into us with that word. To see the reality as it is often painful but it is also liberating in the long run. But our shells of beliefs and concepts are so precious to us that we would rather spend our whole life in them, defending them. To look beyond the shell is to embrace the open sky that is there for you. To have the courage to look beneath at the hollowness is to take the path to true freedom.

But we just want to build a bigger and stronger shell. No matter how big your shell is, its not match for the sky. NO matter how strong it is, it will still keep you busy all your life. When you are busy with trivialities, you miss life. You sacrifice life at the altar of your notions. You end up spending your life maintaining your shell. To have the courage to go through the PAIN of understanding your misery is to end the game. End the game and start living.

What Rocks Your World?

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

What rocks your world and how do you handle the jolt of newness? What I mean is, if you get some new information that has the potential to radically change your outlook on life and about the world or even just change your perception of one small thing, do you embrace it or constrict? A little of both? None of the above and you just keep on keeping on? Do you ignore it and tell it has nothing to do with you?

This interests me in light of the constantly streaming information we have access to in the world, as well as new insights that are being shared with us constantly. So when someone comes up with a radical new concept, how do you handle it? How do you react? What do you do with the information?

Now there's a good word: in-form-ation. Material that creates form. I like that. It's kind of like the saying "you are what you eat". Well, yeah, you are what you are in-form-ed with. Concepts and thoughts, emotions and sensations that somehow make up what you are in this existence. Not on the essential level, but on the day to day functional level. How I take what people have said to me, how I react and from what conditioning.

What I do is to connect to how the information or new concept actually feels in my body, on the sensory level. You know, if it makes me feel excited, a bit bubbly inside, if I feel my inner smile coming on...

On the other hand, if it makes my body's energy rev down, makes me feel constricted, well then I don't necessarily nix it right off, but I know that I may have some examination to do around this subject. And this can be tricky, because it may be hitting one or another of my conditionings that no longer serve me! At least I know I have the choice to either reject or contemplate it.

So I guess that that is what it is all about: CHOICE, which is something we always have. Even deciding not to choose is a choice in itself.

So for me, I actually like my world to be rocked on occasion. I have asked the Universe now and then to slow these events down now and again, just to give me a chance to enjoy and process the changes.

Here's to accurate choices!

Love and Blessings,
Rhonda Joy
Copyright Rhonda Joy Eagle, 2011

I invite you to a 30 minute complementary session to begin to learn how to really go inside to discern and discover what choices are best for you, by learning how to use your own sensations and inner material unique to you. In this way you can choose what you are informed with!

Contact me at http://rhondaeagle.com/contact-us/ and we'll set it up.

Why You SHOULD Take a Vacation

Are you taking a vacation this summer? No, I just have too much going on at work; I can't afford it right now: I wish I was, but I just can't swing it. Those are comments that I hear a lot from my clients. The perils of NOT taking a vacation have been well documented. Dealing with stress and burnout top the list.
If I told you that I had a way for you to jumpstart your business, that you would discover ways to break the grind that you are in, and that you will come up with new creative business solutions, would you be interested? If you are like my clients, you would be willing to listen at least. And you probably have already figured out that taking a vacation is the secret.
Still not convinced? This is the icing on the cake: You will improve your health and longevity. I am pretty sure everyone wants to live longer! A State University of New York survey found that men who took annual vacations reduced their risk of death by 20 percent. And a study by Wisconsin Medical Journal found that women who took frequent vacations were less likely to become depressed, tense, or tired.
Hopefully by now, you are rethinking your resistance to taking a vacation. It doesn't have to be to an exotic place or expensive-it can even be a staycation. My coaching client, Damon, from Maverick Window and Doors, turned a command performance at a family reunion into a vacation that did everything I promised and more.
Damon's family reunion in Canada was an opportunity to not only rekindle some long-distance family relationships, but also some cherished childhood friends. An extra bonus was the car trip with his college-bound son from Southern California to Canada- a unique opportunity for some quiet reflection road time and also time to just be with his son.
We talked about how having this reflection time was a great opportunity to visualize how he wanted his life to be when he got back. We also talked about him purposefully making some "gratitude gifts" with his family and friends at the reunion.
I was anxious to talk to Damon when he returned. He shared with me how valuable his reflection time was: "I looked ahead-at my life as I see it, including my daily routine, myself, my health, my business and I just pictured a joyous, happy me." He realized as a result that there was a lot that he wanted to let go of. "I can't carry all this around all the time." He has wanted to do this for a long time, but now he has a compelling reason to really do it-he realizes that it will get him to the vision that he wants to achieve. When he was in the middle of the grind, it was impossible to see that.
But the best part of Damon's vacation was making the gratitude gifts. When he openly shared with one of his childhood friends about how he felt, his friend looked at him with tears in his eyes and said, "That's so cool that you would say that." Damon said, "I just had such a good, warm feeling."
The summer is half over. How about squeaking out some time to take a vacation if you haven't already? And while you are scheduling a vacation, schedule in some gratitude gifts to go along.
I'd love to hear your experiences of taking or not taking a vacation. What do you think about making a gratitude gift on your next vacation?
Dr. Lynn K. Jones--Certified Personal and Executive Coach
http://www.lynnkjones.com/

We Need to Look to God for Revival

Revival is a time to refocus, to get re-energized, reinvigorated, shaken up so we can go out and live in the way that God desires for us.
We have so many things that are really testing us!!!
- Economy is in shambles - Recession seems like it will never end - Debt ceiling crisis is frustrating - So many businesses are failing and laying people off - Jobs are hard to come by - Marriages are under attack
There is so much uncertainty in our lives!
Because of all of this if we are not careful we can easily buy in to all news of doom and gloom. If we are not careful we can allow our spirits to marinate in pool of negativity and pessimism. If we are not careful we will start walking around defeated....
In the book of Acts chapter 3 there was a lame man, a beggar who was laid at the gate of the temple called Beautiful. If you have ever seen a beggar begging, one of the first things they do is make eye contact with you. Instead of the beggar looking at Peter and John, Peter had to tell him to "Look at us".
It would seem that the beggar had in a sense given up. He was not on the prowl. He was a professional beggar that had been disarmed of his greatest weapon. His spirit was broken, he had settled into a spirit of complacency and was resigned to get whatever came to him rather than to make something happen. I wonder if that is how many of us have become like this beggar man.
We have been going to the same gate and doing the same thing over and over again with the mindset that thinks, "If I get something out of it fine.... But I'm not expecting much."
But rejection started beating down upon us, complacency has set in and we feel like we are going in circles and not accomplishing anything. So we put our heads down and say why bother... giving more, doing more, sacrificing, more, risking more? Why Bother??!!!!
And so you put your hand out and say half-heartedly... Lord Please Bless Me... But you don't expect it.. You don't really seek it..
You ask cause you know you should..But friends God wants us to LOOK UP!!!
Look Up for help, Look up for hope, Look up for guidance.
The Psalmist says:
Psa 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
Psa 121:2 My help [cometh] from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
Psa 121:3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
God is not asleep.. He is not overlooking you...
1Pe 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
1Pe 3:13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
God Knows, He See's, He Watches, He Cares and He Wants us his children to know where and who to go to!!
Look Up To God Who Cares and desires to Revive Us!

The 10,000 Hour Rule by Malcolm Gladwell

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

'Outliers,' by Malcolm Gladwell is one of the classics and contains an extremely important message for budding experts.

I absolutely love this book! Have you read it yet? I recently read Tipping Point by the same author, and enjoyed that but this one is even better. It is completely fascinating.

Although it makes perfect sense to me that to be an expert you need to practice your chosen craft A LOT I had never really thought about it in statistical or scientific terms. (Being more of a creative type, science and stats usually send me cross-eyed)

There is a difference with this book though. It's a social study of the secret of success and is like a modern twist on Think and Grow Rich. It is as you might imagine full of amazing true stories but rather than just relating inspirational 'rags to riches' stories it actually investigates the nitty gritty of where people have come from and how their upbringing affects their success.

One of the fascinating case studies in the book is, 'What does Bill Gates have in common with the Beatles?' Shall I tell you or let you read it and discover for yourself? It is an incredible case study so go on treat yourself to the book - it is one for your success library.

If money is tight or you read as many as me why not join the library? It was just sitting waiting for me on the shelf at the little Stowmarket Library so I guess it was destined for me.

This book has really created a serious shift in my thinking. One of the main concepts in the book is that all experts have practiced for approximately 10,000 hours before reaching the level of being world class. (The 10,000 Hour Rule)

This is something we can apply right now. If you're struggling to achieve success and wondering why others have made it 'quicker' than you, take a look at how long they have been energetically practicing your type of business.

If you're a writer - have you actually written or done the things that writers need to do for 10,000 hours?

For Network Marketers this is particularly useful I feel, because people often come in thinking they will get rich in a couple of years. (or less!)

Some do but let's be honest - they are freaks of nature! But take a look at how many hours they 'practiced,' before those 2 years. Perhaps they are new to Network Marketing but what did they do before?

Maybe they were coaches, teachers or marketers. That means they clocked up A LOT of hours doing some of the activities that you need to do to be successful in Network Marketing.

Are you getting the picture? I find this strangely comforting because it means that although your background and upbringing does have a major impact on your success; you can make up for this by putting in your 10,000 hours.

The other thing to bear in mind is that this emphasises the need to specialise in something. If you're trying to be brilliant at too many things you may not be able to get your 10,000 hours in to achieve real success in any particular field.

I did a quick calculation as follows:

If you do 10 hours per week for 10 years you still only reach 5,200 hours and that's with NO weeks off!

So if you do 20 hours per week for 10 years or 10 hours per week x 20 years you hit the target. Wow. That is a lot of time and practice right?

Don't panic though. Apparently it takes about 10 years for your mind to absorb all that you need to become world class anyway.

So based on these figures you can see why it takes many people years and years to be truly successful and why people like Randy Gage who are now world class talk about the 5 years or more that they 'failed.'

Was Randy world class after 5 years then? No I don't think so. He started to reach the first levels of success, so you don't need the full 10,000 hours to earn a great income but you do need to be clocking up those hours of practice if you want to shoot for being one of the best.

This is why he has been the top earner in the company I work with for 5 consecutive years. He was out of the business for many years but had already clocked up his 10k hours and was staying sharp as a business consultant, prosperity guru and author.

A word of caution though! The book also talks about the importance of being in the right place at the right time so be sure to evaluate if your chosen profession is in growth mode right now in this rapidly changing economy.

In terms of partnering with a company; the same applies. Timing is as important as your 10,000 hours because if you've missed the growth curve or the company specialises in something that was breakthrough technology 30 years ago this probably isn't the best place to invest your hours now.

I hope you find this rule as inspiring as I do. If you want to be a world class copywriter... start writing every day. If you want to be no.1 in your MLM company you need to practice meeting and connecting with people (on and/or offline) inviting, following up and the other professional skills.

If information marketing is your big ambition start creating your own products and building your list; not next year but right now because you need the 10,000 hours under your belt if you want to be one of the best. You can still make money in the meantime but you know where you're headed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rachel Henke shares the secrets of becoming an expert in your niche to attract perfect clients, publicity & opportunities. For more expert secrets visit: Insider Secrets Report

Write, Play, Love, Show Up

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Last weekend I finally saw the movie Eat, Pray, Love based on the book by Elizabeth Gilbert, and illuminated on screen by a glowing Julia Roberts.

There's been huge buzz around the book, and the movie, billed as one woman's (Elizabeth Gilbert) spiritual journey as she travels to Rome, India and Bali, in a year of self-discovery (and recovery) after her divorce.

The critics, and many of my women friends, have given both the book and the film mixed reviews - the majority deeming it more of a travelogue than a deep spiritual awakening.

Reading the book and seeing the movie with open curiosity and without any expectations for either, I enjoyed them both. And here's why.

Whatever one's opinion of the depth of Gilbert's writing and spirituality, she took some chances, showed up (admittedly in some well-chosen stunning locations), did the work, and then put her soul into print.

To each her own 'spiritual journey' and Gilbert simply shares hers, with humor and heart.

As a writer, and relentless world traveler, Gilbert's story also made me reflect on my own time in Rome, a city that wears its passions (not only for food) on its sleeve and can teach all of us a thing or two about living with 'gusto'; and lush, calm Bali, where 25 years ago I experienced what it is to live daily with true grace and ease.

And while many think taking a year out of your life to "find yourself" is self-indulgent or time well wasted, I believe these sabbaticals are powerful ways to renew and recharge our selves and our souls. In the last few decades, I have taken three year-long "detours" in my usual work life to live in Australia, Los Angeles and the South of France. And I plan to take more.

Years later, I'm still gleaning meaning and insight from my peripatetic lifestyle, and what this desire to keep moving (and exploring) is feeding. However, to date, most of my year-long journeys have only been documented in personal journals and postcards. Hmmm. Perhaps I have the material for my own version of Write, Play, Love.

Which leads me to the most important lesson I've learned from Gilbert and her self-described "freakish success" with Eat, Pray, Love. Our creative spirit - our genius - is there for all of us but we have to show up to work with it, that unidentifiable source where great creativity resides. And even if we can't always tap into that source, we still have to have the stubbornness to show up, step up and keep doing our part in the creative dance.

Life, love and writing are not just about taking chances but about showing up - consistently.

What helps you continue to show up?

My philosophy of writing, and all art, echoes Gaboury's belief about architecture: "The essence of architecture is space structured for human beings, but the ultimate goal is symbolic, metaphoric or spiritual, like any other art form. The difference with architecture is that it links art with the practical."

I believe that powerful writing, too, can link the artistic with the practical.

You can hire me to write feature length stories, or to produce short, snappy creative content for print, broadcast or online.

http://barbaraedie.com/

When A Crisis Strikes - People Helping People

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Many times we tend to focus on the differences between us and that causes all sorts of problems. If we focused on how much we have in common, it would be easier to understand each other and have compassion.

The Dalai Lama said it so well when he stated we are humans sharing an experience on this planet. We all have problems in our lives. We all have 24 hours in a day. We all can smile, laugh, cry, and get hurt. It's all a part of this experience and that's what makes us human.

Help Others

When you are going through a tough time, it can be easy to feel sorry for yourself. Feeling like a victim is one of the worst ways to react because it will keep you feeling powerless. The best way out of that sand trap is to help others. When you can do something nice for someone else, you are creating good energy and will bring good things into your life.

EVERYONE goes through difficult times and if you can help someone else, it will make you feel good about yourself. When you help others, you will often realize that someone else has it harder than you. Realizing this helps you reach a place of gratitude and that will raise your energy vibration.

The Law of Giving is one of the foundational Universal laws that states what you give you will receive. My husband Sergio often says "sharing is having more." The best way to improve your life, to grow your business, to find the love of your life, to feel good about yourself... is to give. There is a part of giving that a lot of people overlook though. And that is receiving.

Allow People to Help You

Just as important helping others is, allowing others to help you is equally as important.

In any crisis, it is essential to have a support network of people who love you and can be there for you as you need them. Whether friends, family, counselors, spiritual advisors, mentors, support groups or anyone new the Universe may bring into your life to help you through a tough time, learn to rely on others and accept their help.

We are not meant to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders by ourselves. Just having someone you can talk to, someone who will listen to YOU, will give you a feeling of not being alone and give you someone to lean on. We are social beings and need people to love and care for each other.

It can be hard to accept help at times but I believe it is essential for our own well being to get the support and help we need. The Law of Giving is cyclical and the other half of that cycle is receiving. So be open to receiving the help, the support, the friendship, and the gifts that are waiting for you when you allow them to come into your life and accept them gracefully.

It is our nature to want to love and be loved-not just romantically, but as a species. The more we accept this and embrace it, the easier it will be for us to get through those difficult times. We are stronger when we support each other. And when we are helping others, or allowing others to help us, it cushions those rough bumps in the road.

Karin Volo is known as your Dream Job Mentor. She has worked in executive search for over 15 years on two continents and has placed hundreds of people in their dream jobs. She has worked internationally and has a good understanding of cultural differences and understands how important the right job or career is for a person's well being.

Get Karin's "5 Secrets to Standing Out Above the Rest and Find Your Dream Job" report now at http://inspiringyourverybest.com/