In recent years, more than ever before, there seems to be a public disregard of God in our nation. Powerful entities ranging from entertainment to government are nonchalantly setting God to the side.

Take for instance, major movie studios passing on Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ film, which forced him to produce the film himself. Take for instance, the state of Alabama, forcibly removing the Ten Commandments from its courthouses. Take for instance, the recent debate over the Whitehouse Christmas card, which chose “Happy Holidays” over “Merry Christmas.” It would appear that even those who proclaim to be followers of Christ, are more concerned with the wrath of public opinion than the wrath of the all mighty God (Matthew 6:24, 7:21)

As a nation, we must not forget it is only because of God that we are brave and free (Proverbs 18:10, Galatians 5:1). We must not forget giving God free reign over our country has been what has made us so successful in such a short period of time. We must not forget it is our acknowledgement of God and the prayers of our ancestors which have kept us a powerful nation (Job 33:4).

If we begin as a nation to disregard God, we begin to disregard our protection. It is much like pulling the roof off of your home. It will only be a matter of time before the course of nature destroys it (Proverbs 4:7). So as a Christian, you must choose a position.

To Christ, or not to Christ? To the world this question may be two-sided, but to the children of God there is one answer. We Christ!! We Christ because Jesus is the only begotten son of the living God. We Christ because our lives are worthless without the hope and redemption which belief in Jesus brings (John 10:10). We Christ, because God will outlast any organization, affiliation, club, or association to which we may belong. We Christ because Jesus is the righteous choice and in essence the only choice (Ephesians 2:11).

Make a choice to be completely in the boat with God or into the water. Don’t dangle on the side of the boat. If you do, you may find yourself dead, maybe not physically dead but spiritually dead for sure (Proverbs 1:5).

Hold on dearly to your salvation, it is the only thing which will endure (Proverbs 11:4). Some people think to be Christian is to be meek and mild. This is why they shy away from it. To be Christian, is to be powerful, because God is almighty. Christianity is the world’s only true power because God must stand apart from unrighteousness
(Philippians 4:13). To believe what God has said to you, is to believe in the power, courage, and sound mind which he has given you. It is to rest in the fact that all things will workout for your good. Take rest in God and he will take rest in you to comfort your soul (Psalms 16:2).

If you are truly Christian, then you must practice “heaven.” Certain things are common practice in heaven and one of them is the acknowledgement and praise to God for all things. If you plan to participate in heaven, then we must prepare ourselves on earth. So while you are here, practice heaven, in all aspects (Isaiah 52:7).

Make a vow this year to truly seek after the will God has planned for your life. Make a vow to stand apart from those part time Christians who are hindering your closeness to God (Proverbs 13:20). Make a vow to remove those petty issues in your life which are making it difficult to humble yourself before the Father. Make a vow “to Christ!!” (Galatians 6:9)

Michael Bond is the author of “Christian to Christian Fellowship Handbook”. (http://www.xulonpress.com/bookstore/titles/1597816590.htm)
Or google search: Christian to Christian by Michael Bond.

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Our church has charged all parents of young children to read a Bible story each day to our children so reading from my son Noah’s children’s Bible has become a part of our regular bedtime routine. Sometimes I try to hit stories that relate to the current holiday in the Christian calendar and other times we simply pick stories that look interesting to him (there are pictures to help with the choice). There are also stories that he considers to be favorites–Noah and the Ark of course, Zacchaeus (because he loves the song), and Jonah.

I have been very happy with his eager responsiveness to the stories and to reading them. He will even pull out his children’s Bible to share the stories with his stuffed animals–or at least some version that he remembers or can guess from the pictures.

One day when he related the story of Jonah to Fred the green rabbit I was struck by how close to home the story strikes–for Noah, for me, for all of us.

Noah’s version of Jonah:

God told Jonah to go to a special place but Jonah didn’t listen. He went on a boat to another city instead. So God sent a storm and threw Jonah into the water and a giant fish swallowed him up. Jonah was in time out in the fish for three days before God told him he could get out of the fish. Then Jonah went where God told him to go. The End.

Noah to Fred: “You have to listen to God or you’ll get in time out too!”

Noah’s story is simplistic but then so is the essence of Jonah’s story. The moral of the story is simply that we must listen to God.

If only it was as simple as that!

Of course we know that. No matter what our religion or creed we know that we must listen to God. We know we must follow the rules and guidelines that God has set down for us.

Children, like Noah, know they must follow their parents’ rules and dictates or there will be consequences. Often those consequences involve a time-out for Noah so the story of Jonah strikes home with him.

Obviously as he grows older the rules that he must follow will come from many different sources and many will be unspoken. This is why his father and I now set down rules and boundaries for him. Obviously it makes our home life easier if he follows set rules and other rules are necessary for his protection, but even more important we are teaching him to follow the rules that God and society have set down for him.

We learned rules as children for the same reasons but as we grow up and learn to abide by the rules of God and society the punishments we receive change and become more subtle. We no longer are put in time out but instead encounter punishments that more often come in a social or monetary form.

For many of us it becomes increasingly easy to ignore these punishments without the threat of a big whale to swallow us up.

As a Christian, I think God’s message to us is simple. He wants us to love him and to show that love by loving and helping others. All of Jesus’ lessons and teachings can be tied to that simple theme.

It is simple and yet so very hard. What have you done this week to love and honor God? What have you done this week to love and help others?

What worries me is that some people get so wrapped up in following other messages they have gleaned from the Bible that they often overlook or directly contradict these essential truths. While the Bible and its teaching are incredibly complex, one can find the truth by simply studying Jesus’ teachings and actions. There is truth in the simple question–What Would Jesus’ Do?

It is simple and yet so very hard. What have you done this week to love and honor God? What have you done this week to love and help others?

Of course the difficult challenge is the fact that by not doing these things we are just as bad as Jonah. We are not doing what God has told us to do.

Don’t look now, but isn’t that a big whale coming up behind you?

Deanna Mascle is an inspirational freelance writer. You can find more inspiration at Inspiration by Dawggone and her inspirational ezines Words of Inspiration Online and Daily Quote Online.

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Dare to Follow Your Bliss

How often are you inspired with the simple awareness, “I love my life”? It feels good, doesn’t it? If this doesn’t happen frequently for you, something is amiss. If it does, you no doubt know about the particulars of your own unique version of it. From a broader perspective, if you do not love your life as a way of life, that in itself is what’s amiss. There is a simple way to initiate or expand your experience of loving your life. In the spirit of Joseph Campbell, this simple way is to develop the habit of following your bliss.

There are many ways to “Follow your bliss.” Some of the ways I use are, “Do what makes you come alive; what makes your heart sing; what lights you up or what you love to do.” As you read this, you might be saying something like, “But I can’t afford to take the time to do that. I’ve got bills to pay, a business to run, or I can’t keep up with the things on my ‘to do’ list as it is.” Or you may have questions like, “What the heck is bliss, anyway? How will I recognize it? How do I find the time to do that?”

Given that the nature of bliss is feeling expansive and really good, with a sense of inner freedom and joy; that it ignites creativity, refreshes intuition, and revitalizes you; that it connects you to your inner source of wisdom and power, and to the Great Creator, God, Higher Power, the Universe, or whatever you call it, the better question seems to be, “How can you afford not to do it?”

What is bliss? It’s a sense of inner joy, lightness, freedom and aliveness, officially defined as “ecstasy.” Following your bliss is listening to that still, small voice inside of you. When you touch on a thought or an idea that comes from this place, your heart will flutter, and if you listen, it will take wing.

Bliss comes in many forms: it can be as small as stopping to smell a flower, as big as your biggest dream, or as deep as your deepest desire. Joseph Campbell said, “When you follow your bliss, the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.” In other words, when you follow your bliss, or do what makes your heart sing, you get all the assistance you need from the Higher Powers that be. Doors will open for you. On the other hand, if you are working hard, struggling, doing what you think you should do, getting as much of your “to do” list done as you can, or trying to recover from living that way, you generally have plenty of experiences of running into walls. The question becomes, “Would you rather walk through doors or into walls?”

A leap of faith is required to follow your bliss. It’s not the way much of our culture lives, and it’s not the way we’ve been taught that life works. What very few of us learned on our paths into adulthood is that we are the creators of our own reality, that we are magnificent, and that if we follow our heart’s desire, our bliss, everything we need for the unfolding will be given us. You don’t need to know how, but you do need to say “yes,” and open your heart and mind to trust the process. You will be shown the way. And as you take each step that is presented, the next one will be given. As you walk through each door that opens, the next one will appear. It always does.

Here are three suggestions for developing the habit of following your bliss:

1. Make a decision to look for things every day that make you come alive, make your heart sing, or light up for you, and renew that decision each morning.

2. Each night before you go to bed, revisit all the things from the day that made you feel more alive, made your heart sing, or that lit up for you. Then smile and say “I love my life.”

3. Schedule a two-hour block of “Bliss Time” into your calendar each week. The only rule is that you do it alone. Do something you’ve secretly wanted to do or that you’re inspired to do when you get to your “Bliss Time.” Whatever it is, remember the part about the thought of it making your heart flutter.

If you follow these three suggestions for a month, you will notice that you have begun to experience a shift toward an increased sense of inner joy, lightness, freedom and aliveness. You will think more clearly and be more aware of the still, small voice inside of you. And you will be well on the road to following your bliss and loving your life as a way of life. Not to mention walking through open doors instead of into all those walls.

Remember, you are a natural! You are brilliant! You are magnificent! Simply by being you. Let your light shine!

Reggie Odom LICSW, CPCC, PCC founder of Inspired Works, is a life coach, speaker, and lecturer at the Simmons College School of Social Work. She is considered a master teacher and unforgettable speaker. Reggie ignites passion and confidence in individuals and small business entrepreneurs for creating a life or business that they love, naturally.She can be contacted at (617)524-6153, reggie@reggieodom.com or you can visit her website at http://www.reggieodom .com.

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Everyone, to some degree, procrastinates. We all put off things that we don’t want to do. That doesn’t mean we do nothing. Au contraire! Most procrastinators get plenty done; it just isn’t what is most important or urgent. Procrastination is the art of doing something else when there are more important things to do. There is a way to make procrastination work for you. Since all of us have this skill to varying degrees of proficiency we might as well put it to use.

The act of delaying is the true gift of procrastination. Until now you might not have thought of it as a gift, but it is. Many people get overbooked and overload their schedules with activities and commitments they don’t want to do because they said yes before they really thought about it. Delaying is a great way to prevent over- scheduling and saying yes to things you should decline. When someone asks you to do something, respond that you need to check your schedule. Ask for a day or two to think about it and tell them you will get back with your answer. Use procrastination as a tool to prevent yourself from getting overbooked.

Procrastination will also assist with getting a lot done. I know it sounds strange, but it works exceptionally well. The trick is to have a major project that needs completion, but that you don’t want to do it. My house was never cleaner than when I was working on my dissertation. My husband actually caught me outside cleaning the kitchen garbage can with a toothbrush. When he asked what I was doing I replied, “Avoiding working on my dissertation.” I knew exactly what I was doing and it worked. I got a lot accomplished including my dissertation. The key is to leverage the advantage of procrastination. Let it move you to complete all the jobs you want to get done. You will still have time to complete the big job you have been avoiding.

Procrastination has a bad reputation, but the truth is that it can help you accomplish a great deal. Use procrastination to your advantage. Use it to delay saying yes to everything. This way you will give yourself time to think, and you won’t get overbooked. It will also help you get things done because, when you are procrastinating, you aren’t just sitting around. You are doing any task to avoid doing what you need to be doing. That is fine, and actually you will get twice as much done. So stop beating yourself up and enjoy perfecting the art of procrastination.

Coach Rachelle Disbennett-Lee, PhD, is a Certified Master Coach specializing in working with business owners and professionals in being more profitable and productive while staying sane and balanced. Coach Lee is the publisher of the award winning e-zine, 365 Days of Coaching. Her first book, 365 Days of Coaching – Because Life Happens Every Day (Universal Publisher, 2004) was named a finalist for Best Book 2004 by www.Publish.com and has a five star rating on www.Amazon.com

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Stress is the way we respond to changes that occur during our normal balance of life. When we are experiencing stress our adrenal glands release adrenaline, a hormone that activates the defense mechanisms in our bodies. This can result in a pounding heart, a rise in blood pressure, and tense muscles.

Basically, anything that overwhelms us can cause us to experience stress. Common signs indicating you may be under stress are anxiety, chronic fatigue, crying, and a change in eating habits. The illness or death of a family member or the loss of a job are examples of situations that are stressful enough to cause physical or psychological symptoms.

Some people are more vulnerable to stress than others. For some, even ordinary daily decisions seem insurmountable. For these people, deciding what to have for dinner or what to buy at the store can be a seemingly monumental dilemma. At the other end of the spectrum are people who thrive under stress by becoming highly productive as they are being driven by pressure.

Research shows that women with children have higher levels of stress-related hormones in their blood than women without children. This means for women with children, it is very important to schedule time for yourself. You will be better able to help your children and meet the daily challenge of being a parent, if you can reduce your stress level.

Reducing stress also reduces your risk for heart disease, the number one killer of American women, and certain types of cancer. Many women who experience PMS and other menopausal symptoms reduce their symptoms dramatically once they decrease their stress level.

Untreated stress leads many people to depression, anxiety, headaches and a host of other complaints. This makes reduction of stress an important factor in improving your total health.

WAYS TO BEAT STRESS IN YOUR LIFE

*Eat a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as foods that are high in complex carbohydrates, moderate amounts of protein, and low in fat.

*Avoid excessive amounts of caffeine that can increase anxiety. Often we reach for a cup of coffee to calm our nerves. Next time, try tea made with chamomile, valerian, or ginseng and CUT DOWN on the coffee.

*Avoid alcohol, which can mask symptoms and often make symptoms worse.

*Aerobic activity such as vigorous walking is one of the best ways to reduce stress and improve overall quality of life. Walk or do whatever type of exercise you feel comfortable with.

*Join a health club. Go often and make it your special time. Do not concern yourself with your family while you are working out. This is your time.

*Go outdoors whenever possible. A little sunshine and activity can have an amazing effect on your entire outlook towards life. Your improved attitude will have a positive effect on everyone in your family.

*Aromatherapy can be a tremendous help for alleviating stress. Put five or six drops of lavender oil in a warm bath or put a few drops on a cloth and inhale from time to time during the day.

*Give yourself permission to be a kid again. What did you enjoy when you were a child? Draw, paint, dance, read, play music, whatever makes you feel better.

*Other ways to beat stress include deep breathing exercises, massage, guided imagery and a healthy sex life.

*Allow yourself the freedom to express yourself without worry that you are not keeping with the image of who you are ’supposed’ to be. As adults, we forget how to just relax and enjoy life.

*Do not set unrealistic for goals for yourself. Many of us set ourselves up for defeat simply by setting unrealistic goals. For example, if you are dieting, realize you cannot lose 40 pounds in one month.

*Whatever your goal is, allow sufficient time to reach your goals and realize occasional setbacks may occur. Do not expect anything. Expectations and reality are often two entirely different things.

*When you are facing an unpleasant circumstance, take a deep breath and count to ten before saying or doing anything. Taking a break produces a calming effect and allows you extra time to reassess the situation before acting on impulse.

*Learn it is okay to say ‘no’ occasionally. We often feel we have to say ‘yes’ to everyone. However, YOU CANNOT BE ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE. You must first meet your own needs before you can truly give others what they need. Make time for yourself, your number one priority.

Once your own needs are met, things that used to seem overwhelming will soon become trivial matters, causing you to wonder what the predicament was. Not only will you be less stressed, you will be healthier, happier, and more energetic, ready to face whatever obstacles come your way.

Chris Chenoweth, author of the DO-IT-YOURSELF MONEY, HOME, & HEALTH GUIDE, writes articles pertaining to diet, exercise, health, and business.

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I did a quick search on the Internet for pheromones.

Pheromones are chemicals released by an organism into its environment enabling it to communicate with other in its own species. There are many different types I soon learned.

Insect Pheromones

Alarm Pheromone.

When an ant is disturbed, it releases a pheromone that can be detected by other ants several inches away. They are attracted by low concentrations of the pheromone and begin to move toward the region of increasing concentration. As they get nearer to their disturbed ant releasing an alarm pheromone, their response changes to one of emergency and alarm. They run about to try to break up the disturbance that caused the alarm.
Unless additional amounts of the alarm pheromone are released, it soon wears off. This ensures that once the emergency is over, the ants return to going about their business.
Honey bees also have an alarm pheromone which is why if you get stung near a hive you can expect more bee stings really soon if you are not careful.

Leaving a Trail Pheromone

A trail pheromone is left by hands as they move about once they have found food. This trail attracts and tells other ants where to go to find the food. It is continually renewed as long as the food holds out. When the supply begins to dwindle, The trail Pheromone ceases to exist. The trail pheromone evaporates quickly so other ants stop coming to the site and are not confused by old trails when food is found elsewhere.

Sex Pheromones

Hundreds of pheromones are known with which one sex (usually the female) of an insect species attracts its mates. Many of these sex attractants - or their close chemical relatives - are available commercially. They have proved useful weapons against insect pests as they can be used to attract insects to a trap, and to confuse males so that they won’t reproduce. There are spiders that produce a moth sex pheromone to help catch their prey. A lot of animals such as dogs will mark their territory by peeing. It is said that the scent of pheromones is one of the territory markers.

Pheromones for humans.

There are Claims such as Gain MASSIVE Sexual Chemistry on Demand!

Instantly Arouse, Attract, Excite, Intrigue and Seduce Gorgeous Women Whenever You Want, Wherever You Want, As Often As You Want … Any Time YOU Are In the Mood.

If YOU would like to …

• Become a lot more sexually attractive.

• Meet more beautiful women, MUCH more easily.

• Grab the attention and get approached by women far more often.

• Make a fantastic, memorable, compelling impression , every time.

• Increase your self-confidence and masculinity BIG-time… then this may be the most important news you will read all year.

And other claims that are just as outrageous all over the internet. Human beings do not produce large quantities of natural pheromones. It has been noted that women who live together for awhile tend to sync their cycles. It has been written this is to a primer pheromone that women release.

If you’re looking for the man or woman of your dreams, unsuspecting pheromones in your body scent are most likely playing a large and very clever role in mate attraction. According to an article in “Psychology Today,” how our body odors are perceived as pleasant and sexy to another person is a highly selective process. We usually smell best to a person whose genetically based immunity to disease differs most from our own. This could benefit you in the long run, making for stronger, healthier children. I watched a show on The Discovery Channel once about sexuality. They did a contest with a male and 5 females who so had very different types of immune systems. The females with similar immune systems to the male were more offensive in odor than the females with very different immune systems. I would imagine this is due to the different in pheromones. The pheromones though are naturally produced by our human bodies. There has been no research to pheromones produced in a lab.

Dating and Pheromones

What if we were to pretend women were a little bit attracted to pheromones produced in a lab. If you go into a club after bathing in these pheromones how is a woman going to be attracted to you ? You are emitting a scent that (supposedly) is turning any girl who smells it on. Well, what about the couple that is dancing next to you? In theory, that girl is getting turned on but who’s to say she is getting turned on to you? She’s getting turned on to the loser she is dancing with (Which this loser didn’t pay anything for pheromones)

So, assuming that they do work they would only benefit you in one-on-one situations.

The fact is that no research mentions synthetic pheromones. The companies selling products are synthetic pheromones. Do these work? Who knows there are much more reliable ways to gain attraction that a scent. I want somebody to be attracted to me for me. Not some pheromone I’m wearing. How is she going to feel when I’m not wearing it. Also what is the effect of a women being exposed to the same pheromone all the time. Wouldn’t it trigger her to get used to that scent and therefore no longer react to it?.

My suggestion is to look for other ways to attract somebody that can produce consistent results without relying on some product.

Robert Torrey is one of the instructors for Attractanddate. Attractanddate teaches men to be confident with women. They do with different products and a few newsletter. Their best product is a live workshop conducted in various nightclubs teaching men to pick up women.

http://www.attractanddate.com

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Like enough of the noise awready! Geesh, people…

No, I’m not talking about the sometimes nearly overwhelming noise pollution that goes hand in hand with living in a big city. Traffic sounds, horns, sirens, airplanes, construction noises. I’m not even referring to the eardrum-shattering volume of the concert and bar bands – or the door-vibrating music coming from our kid’s rooms. Not even the irritating boom bass enlarging the size of the cracks on the car’s windshield next to us at the stoplight.

Yeah, the noise is bad and it seems like it’s getting worse. Sometimes I think about the warm, quite summer evenings from my younger days back on the farm when all there was to listen to was the crickets, a few frogs and maybe once in a while a coyote or two howling off in the distance. And I wonder, considering how the db level has skyrocketed over the past several years, why the heck I didn’t have the foresight to go into audiology instead of adult education. There are fortunes to be made in that career field. So who knew…?

But that’s not the kind of noise that concerns me most. The one that really bothers me – and makes me wonder just where the heck we humans are headed are the noises that are blasting out of our mouths.

YOU #@*&% IDIOT – WHERE’D YOU LEARN HOW TO DRIVE!!? I WANT TO SEE YOUR MANAGER – AND I MEAN NOW!!! WOULD YOU GET YOUR FAT REAR OUTTA THE WAY!!? IF YOU DON’T CLEAN UP ALL THE CRAP IN YOUR ROOM, YOUR BUTT’S GROUNDED!!! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!!? JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!!? DO I LOOK LIKE YOUR #&%@* SLAVE!!? WHERE’S MY #%&@* KEYS!!?

Whew!

We’ve all heard it. On the streets, in the stores, at the ball games, on the playground, next door. And let’s admit it. Almost every one of us at one time or another in our lives has “let it fly”. Unfortunately, for too many of us, this kind of communication – this personalized air pollution – has become a way of life. It’s what we do. It’s the way we are. I’ve even heard people describe high volume spousal relationships as “just their way of communicating and letting off steam”.

Houston, we have a problem!

One of the problems of course, is that as our volume increases the quality of our communications slides right into the crapper. Most folks normally react to shouting by implementing their most comfortable defensive action which is usually shouting right back. It becomes a “loud” contest. For sure, nobody’s listening.

And if that weren’t bad enough, it’s unfortunately fairly common for this type of confrontation to deteriorate even further into physical altercations with frequently disastrous results. First we say it, then we do it. Grabbing, slapping, punching, pushing… The self control has vaporized and we revert to our basic animal instincts.

Yeah, we could overcome some of these tendencies by applying one of the common anger management techniques. Back off, cool off and give ourselves some time to re-evaluate the situation and circumstances that led up to the shouting match. It can help. But it’s not the permanent solution.

And no, I realize that there’s not much we can do about “society”. There’s not much we can do about all the pressures we experience just by living in these times. The pressures that tend to fertilize our aggravations and worries – and our tendencies to relieve this stress by “spoutin’ off”. And we can’t change the fact that we perhaps grew up in a confrontational, loud household – and therefore have become programmed to act and react just like our parents did.

If we really want to though, we can change ourselves. If we’re tired of the shouting or at least not thoroughly convinced that this is the best way to go through life, we can do something about it. We can change our immediate environment – our personal world – into a place that’s a lot more comfortable to live in.

Just the realization that we don’t need to live this way any longer if we don’t want to is a major step in the right direction. But where do we go from there? If confrontational shouting is a life-limiting factor, the next step could be to seek professional help. A lifestyle filled with verbal, mental, emotional and physical abuse is not something we can move away from without assistance from trained helpers. There are plenty of people, organizations and support groups that are readily available to help us work our way out of our personal battlefield.

Beyond that, there are things we need to learn and experience. Part of it, I would suggest, is using the foundation concepts of personal development and self-help to gain a better understanding of our thought processes and learn the steps we can take to modify our mental/emotional programming so that we can move on to more peaceful (and productive) thinking techniques. Again, there is plenty of help and information immediately available to assist in this process – on the Web, in countless books and articles, tapes, CD’s and seminars – and in our local communities. All it takes is just a little bit of effort to identify these resources. Start with the information contained in this site and in our books if you wish, then take it from there to find your own personal best path to a quieter lifestyle.

I would suggest too, that to complement our attempts to upgrade our thought processes, that we seriously (or light-heartedly might even work better) consider looking into connecting with our spiritual selves and whatever/whoever we consider as our spiritual leader or master teacher. Finding our own personal spiritual path or belief system can help build a solid foundation for whatever we feel we want our life to become. It’s an important ingredient that is all too frequently overlooked in the developmental process. But believe me, it can make the journey one heck of a lot easier.

Where we go from here now is of course, up to each one of us individually. We can maintain and feed our chaotic, high volume lifestyle – or we can put forth just a little effort to start the transition to a more peaceful, productive, enjoyable environment. For sure, if you happen to be one of my acquaintances or next door neighbors, I’d really appreciate it if you’d at least try! Please…?

About The Author

Gene, through NuPathz.com, provides an easy reading self-help blog, articles and links along with affordable books and materials written to help folks find the road to a more enjoyable lifestyle, to pass on some of life’s “secrets for survival” in a chaotic world & offer a few smiles along the way. It’s a down-to-earth, simple approach to discovering a better life. You can visit Gene at http://www.nupathz.com/

gene@nupathz.com

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Have you ever thought about what makes a superstar? What attributes we admire in our heroes? Do you ever wonder were all the extra ordinary men have gone? Watch the movies that shaped our modern era, the ones which make you think about what it takes to win and what it means to be an American; what do you see? Some of the movies made heroes out of movie stars. First Blood, Rocky, Top Gun, Karate Kid, Vision Quest, Star Wars, etc. People need that, they want to emulate those traits and that success, but realize it does not happen without sacrifice. What happened to Americas driven attitude? We seem to see glimpses of it recently during tragedies; we see heroes, but why stop there?

We can form a sense of service, commitment and quality in every American and get back to what made us great in the first place; if we will commit our selves to go beyond and persevere. To do what ever it takes and never give up. We still have it in us as Americans, much is the strength and will in our genes passed down; yes we are great, and anyone who says we are not, is wrong, dead wrong. Why is it so un-politically correct to say it, after all it is the truth, we really are great. We are a great people and we live in a great nation.

Let us celebrate the noblest amongst us, that spirit that lives inside of each of us. That is what it is to be American. Let us give back the individualism that brought us here through individual accomplishments and hardships. Realize some gave the ultimate sacrifice. Surely we have not run out of heroes, they are everywhere. It seems lately any one who starts to stand out, is quickly labeled and cut down. Almost as if the media, builds them up, just so they can burn them down later in the future for a good piece on the nightly news. America use to love her winners, now we seem to in our laziness, over weight, Prozac lifestyles, enjoy more the tearing down of the weak in order to make ourselves feel better. Why do we do that? Be strong, go beyond, show your strength, refuse to give up, press on and never give up. Be a silent hero amongst the masses. Join us in strength, wake yourself up and be alive. Do you have the right stuff? Don’t tear down the strongest among us; join us. Be a winner. Anyway think on this.

Lance Winslow

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What do creativity managers do?

Replace the word management with the word optimisation.

That’s what creativity managers do: they optimise the quality of the idea pool (creativity) and the implementation process (innovation).

There are many methods of optimisation and the creativity leader must be aware of all of them, in other words, he or she must synthesise them for optimal effect.

Areas [within creativity] that need managing include motivation, organisational culture, organisational structure, incremental versus radical effects and processes, knowledge mix, group structures, goals, process and valuation.

Areas [within innovation] that need managing include idea selection, development / prototyping and the art of commercialisation.

It is worth noting that 4000 good ideas result in 4 development programs, which in turn results in 1 winner.

Radical and Incremental creativity

Radical leaps are very much glamorised in our society. We are always looking for the radical leap, the disruptive technology, the big bang.

But radical breakthroughs are most likely to be achieved by making incremental improvements.

Small incremental shifts increase the distance between the original and final state. Groups of incremental shifts result in small radical shifts, until finally, groups of small radical shifts result in large leaps.

It is the compound result of incremental movements that significantly increases the distance between the original and the final result.

The focus on a radical leap also impacts on the type of processes that a firm must put in place and the experience of them. For example, disruptive shifts require far more investment, longer timelines, longer gaps between positive progression, higher rates of failure, larger failure spikes, smaller success spikes and more.

Learn more…

Download the MBA research, learn about this topic at http://www.creativity-management.com/

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Kal Bishop, MBA

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You’re ready to move: start a new business, change jobs, change
locations.

You made the decision. But three months later, you’re wondering, “Did I make a big
mistake?” We tell ourselves not to expect a “happy ever after” ending…but let’s face
it: that’s what most of us want!

So here are five strategies to reconnect with your dream.

1. Review your reasons for moving, changing jobs and/or starting a business.

Are you moving for “a lower cost of living” or “to be closer to family?”

Clients who move for these reasons tend to call about a year after they make a
change. They’re not enjoying their new lives, they say. They spend hundreds (or
thousands) of dollars to escape on weekends and take long, long vacations.

And often (though not always) families find they get along better with more miles
between them.

Clients who realize they’re following someone else’s dream tend to be the most
frustrated. Maybe your mentor wanted you to follow her footsteps or your family
always saw you as a business success.

The happiest life-changers are guided by their own inner compass, even when the
wind changes.

2. Give yourself time.

Clients sometimes call to say, “I moved six months ago and I don’t know anybody!”
Or, “I started my new business and still choke on the words, ‘self-employed.’”

Researchers find most newcomers need at least two years to feel settled in a new
home. Getting used to the “self-employed” identity can take three to five years.

Before you move, and during the early stages, practice saying, “I am a…” Ideally,
wait to move until you feel comfortable and proud. If you continue to choke on the
words, maybe it’s time to reconsider your goal.

Some people never get comfortable saying, “I am a writer,” or, “I live in New York.”
Others just need more time.

3. Go slow when you’re new.

This recommendation is probably most important to your success.

You’ll be invited to join professional organizations, clubs and neighborhood groups.
Say no! Go to meetings as a guest – at least five or more times. See if you feel
comfortable after the first encounters.

People are almost always friendly with strangers. You’re a novelty! But after a few
meetings, you’ll be treated differently. You may find people warm up after awhile.
Or conversely they may reveal they have different values and approaches to
friendship.

Once, right after moving to a new city, I joined a group that seemed professionally
useful and also friendly. Later I learned that most meetings were held in a place
that’s very difficult for me to reach. Because I missed so many meetings, my
membership was a waste of time and money.

One client volunteered at her new Humane Society. She had loved her work for a
similar group in another city. To her dismay, the new group held very different
values about adoption and “who would make a great dog owner.” She resigned after
three months and felt awkward when she ran into members of the organization
around town.

4. Make time for something meaningful.

Go back to why you moved or changed careers. What were you hoping to achieve?
Are you following your own promises?

Let’s say you moved to a city because you wanted to be able to attend symphony
concerts or football games. Are you following through? Or are you too busy to enjoy
what brought you here in the first place?

Or you changed careers to have more time with family. Are you working through
dinner, although you no longer need to put in face time?

Why make a change if you end up where you started – overworked and frustrated?

5. Have a confidante on call.

Inevitably, you’ll have a Day of Frustration. Most likely you’ll find yourself in a place
where you absolutely, positively need to keep quiet. You probably didn’t get much
sleep the night before. You feel like sharing your feelings with whoever’s around.

Get out your phone and dial a number you chose ahead of time: a trusted friend, a
family member, even a consultant or coach. When you’re new, it’s important to
project an image of “Everything is wonderful,” no matter what. After a few months
(or years), you can begin to join the chorus of local feelings, like everybody else.

Article Based on Cathy Goodwin’s Relocation Guide 

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is a published author, speaker, and career/
business
consultant to midlife professionals who want to win the First Inning of their Second
Career. Download a Fr*e Report: Why most career change fails (and how you can
write your own success story).

http://www.cathygoodwin.com/subscribe.html

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