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INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

2010-01-10T06:33:00.000-08:00

Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.

William Shakespeare

HUMOR OF THE DAY

2010-01-07T01:14:00.000-08:00

"They're not happy. They just think they're happy."

AEROBIC EXERCISE LINKED TO HIGHER IQ!

2010-01-07T01:06:00.001-08:00

Benefit from Aerobic Exercise

by Kim Evans

(NaturalNews) A recent study just found that exercise, particularly aerobic exercise, is connected with having a higher IQ. For the participants that were eighteen, being physically fit was also connected with an increased chance of obtaining a University level education. It was a large study based on over 1.2 million people. Interestingly, over 3,000 of the participants were twins and from the twin data; it was concluded that environmental factors, like being physically fit, were a far greater determinant of intelligence than even genetics. In fact, environmental factors were determined to be more than 80 percent of the equation, while genetics was less than 15 percent.

Study after study confirms the benefits of aerobic exercise and a chief physician at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital attributed the intelligence benefit to having an increased flow of oxygen to the brain. Because aerobic exercise increases the amount of oxygen in the body, it also contributes to having an oxygen-rich internal environment, which is called an alkaline environment. The foods we eat play a large role in determining if we're acidic or alkaline, but so does the amount of oxygen we take in. And within reason, the more oxygen and oxygen-rich foods we take in regularly, the fewer problems we'll see.

There are a couple of other benefits of aerobic exercise that don't get the face time they deserve.

Exercise helps detoxify our bodies - and just as pollutants gather in stagnant water, stagnant blood and lymph also gather toxins. Exercise helps improve circulation which means that environmental and metabolic toxins are less likely to become concentrated in areas of the body. And when toxins flow, they're more apt to be eliminated via the liver and colon.

Exercise benefits our lymphatic system and one of that system's primary functions is to eliminate toxins, especially metabolic toxins, from the body. But, unlike the blood that has the heart as a subconscious pump, the primary way to stimulate the lymphatic system to do this job is through body movement. When the lymphatic system becomes impure with waste, toxicity throughout the body is the result. Bernard Jensen, Ph.D. tells us, "If the lymph is not kept moving, toxic-laden areas can become sources of infection and inflammation."

Aerobic exercise also increases the movement of the bowels which helps filth leave the body in a more timely manner. Of course, aerobic exercise encourages sweating and sweating is a primary way that toxins leave the body - through the skin. Bernard Jensen also tells us that our bodies should be releasing two pounds of toxins every day - just through the skin. And it generally takes aerobic exercise to make that happen.

There are quite a few benefits to aerobic exercise, but not many realize that helping the body remove stored toxins is one of them. It's well documented that environmental toxins have often extreme and adverse effects on the brain, body and intelligence. So perhaps helping to remove many of these poisons is another reason that people who exercise aerobically regularly are found to have higher IQ's.

from your friendly crazyshrink

WEIRD AND INTRIGUING FACTS ABOUT OUR HUMAN EXPERIENCE

2010-01-05T03:01:00.000-08:00

Beau Lotto: Optical Illusions show us how we see

Beau Lotto, a neuroscientist and artist, illuminates the mysteries of the brain's visual system

RAW FOOD DIETS: NUTRITION, HEALTH AND RADIANT BEAUTY

2010-01-05T02:29:00.000-08:00

Raw Food Diet: Enjoy Nutrition as Nature Designed

By Kim Evans

(Natural News) Raw food diets are becoming increasinglypopular, and with good reason. Foods in their raw state are truly as nature designed and they are the most biocompatible with our bodies. In fact, it's interesting to know that a boiled potato has 420 more molecular compounds than a raw potato. These new compounds are created in the cooking process, but part of the problem is that our bodies aren't always able to process new compounds - even if someone created them in a kitchen and they taste good.

Our bodies have specific enzymes for digestion, and they work like a lock and key. But when we keep changing the locks, the keys don't always fit. The result is that cooked foods aren't always digested well and particles of them end up stored in our bodies as toxic sludge, instead of used for fuel with the remainder eliminated.

Interestingly, studies have shown that cooked foods increase our white blood cell activity. This essentially means that our bodies see cooked foods as invaders, and work to defend against them. Raw foods don't have this effect.

Another reason raw food diets are becoming popular is that raw foods contain enzymes whereas cooked and processed foods are devoid of enzymes, as heating destroys them. Enzymes are critical factors in the health equation; they're often called our life force. Enzymes are the catalysts for every function of the body, including blinking and breathing. When we run out of enzymes, we die.

Digestion requires enzymes and by eating raw foods, we're doing little to deplete our enzyme reserves. In contrast, cooked foods demand that the body give up some of its enzymes for digestion. In this manner, cooked foods literally speed our death and hasten all of the processes along the way, including aging and disease.

Unfortunately, most cultures and social circles aren't geared towards raw foods. Many don't understand the benefits of raw food diets, or understand that a diet geared around cooked foods causes problems. Many people also think raw foods are boring or difficult to prepare. In truth, they don't have to be either.

Adding Raw Foods to Your Diet

An easy way to increase your raw food consumption is to drop the cereal or toast for breakfast and start eating fruit. People often say they'd be hungry doing that, but the solution is to eat more. A pineapple or half watermelon is a delicious breakfast. Your favorite fruit can also replace candied or processed snacks.

You can also boost your raw food intake by eating more salads, and making them more substantial in the process. A salad doesn't have to be all lettuce and half a tomato. Salads can skip the lettuce entirely and can bulk up with a quarter cabbage, two tomatoes, an avocado, and perhaps half a cucumber. With a great dressing, it'll be delicious, and most people will be quite satisfied afterward. So, forget conventional salad wisdom and bulk your salads up with lots of your favorite veggies.

Raw foods can also be added to cooked foods, when the cooking is complete. For example, shredded cabbage, fresh thyme, and a diced tomato can be added on top of a boiled potato to make a great half raw "potato salad." Just season with coconut oil and sea salt.

If you're not ready to go completely raw, you can benefit by simply adding more raw foods to your diet. Many health experts recommend a diet of about 70 percent raw foods, which would be two meals a day, plus snacks. However, in truth, the more you add, the better off you'll be.

Now that the holiday season is over, are you worried about those extra pounds you put on or that bloated feeling you have in your stomach? Too much to drink? Too many sweets? Feeling heavy and sluggish?

How about a complete detox for a few weeks, with a carefully designed raw food diet which will quickly help you shed that extra weight, boost your energy levels and radically improve your mood as well? Get high on life, with my friend's Christopher Westra's delightful raw food regime. He gives you 25 free raw food recipes along with many more goodies with his easy to follow and affordable program.

from your friendly crazyshrink

LEARN WHY SUCCESS LOVES SPEED

2010-01-04T00:25:00.000-08:00

Success Loves Speed

By Robert Ringer

I've written a lot about the importance of acting sooner rather than later, without waiting to figure out everything in advance. Human motivation certainly plays a role here. Nothing says this more succinctly than marketing guru Joe Vitale's aphorism: Money loves speed.
When I mentioned this in a recent teleseminar, one of the callers asked if I could be more specific. He wanted to know why money loves speed.
Before I answer that, let me say that this is not just true about money. It's true in all areas of life. I don't recall ever succeeding at something because I got there last.
If you want to buy tickets from a scalper for a big game that's sold out, get there first. Tickets love speed.
If you want a job that you just found out about, get there first. Jobs love speed.
If you want to win the guy or gal who has your heart pounding, get there first. Guys and gals love speed.
If you want to get the investment property that just came on the market, get there first. Investment properties love speed.
And so on. Because success, in general, loves speed.
So, why does success love speed? The answer is to be found in the dictionary. Action is defined as "the causation of change." Whatever result you want, it's a change from what you now have. By definition, then, a change has to take place for you to get from your present status to that result.
Following are some of the more important reasons why I believe action begets results.
1. When you do too much planning, there's a tendency to think of one reason after another why what you're contemplating won't work.
Many of the reasons you come up with may be correct. But the important thing is that it doesn't matter. Why? Because, as you move forward, circumstances continually change -- and those changes often render irrelevant many of the concerns you may have had before taking action. In other words, don't try to figure out steps two, three, and four before taking step one.
The legendary Joe Karbo once told me that he ran his first ad for The Lazy Man's Way to Riches (a million-copy seller) before he even began to write the book! In fact, he told me that the ad he wrote served as an outline for the book itself. Talk about going against conventional wisdom...
2. When you procrastinate, you tend to lose your enthusiasm.
Homeostasis -- the tendency to live with existing conditions and avoid change -- sets in. You get comfortable with the way things are and allow your great idea to fade into the comfort zone of oblivion. But when you take action, your creative juices flow faster, your resourcefulness kicks into high gear, and the things, people, and circumstances you need to accomplish your objectives are drawn to you almost like magic. As a result, your motivation to succeed becomes elevated.
This is not hocus-pocus. I've done it enough times to be able to assure you that it really works.
3. Even though changing circumstances often negate many initial concerns you may have had, they can also place new obstacles in your path.
If you wait too long before taking action, the opportunity may become less and less appealing to you as those obstacles start to make their appearance. I wrote about this danger in my book To Be or Not to Be Intimidated? under the auspices of the Fiddle Theory. The Fiddle Theory states: "The longer you fiddle around with a deal, the greater the odds that it will never close."
Time is your ally when you take action, but time is a two-sided coin. If you hesitate or procrastinate, time becomes your worst enemy. As a general rule, I assume that if I take action, perceived problems will tend to disappear and that the more I hesitate, the more time there is for new obstacles to make their appearance.
4. Perhaps the most important reason of all for taking action now is that time is finite.
No matter how proficient you are, you can only accomplish so much in a lifetime. Every second that's wasted reduces the totality of what you can accomplish by one second. Some people maintain that a constant feeling of urgency to accomplish more is stressful, but I find the opposite to be true. I feel more stress when I procrastinate -- when I'm not doing what I know I should be doing. There's not a worse feeling in the world than to be conscious of the fact that your finite supply of time is ticking away while you focus on straightening your desk drawer.
Of course, nothing in life is perfect. There will be times when moving too fast can end up hurting you. But, on balance, the empirical evidence derived from my own experience has convinced me that what I gain from moving fast far outweighs the losses I may incur as a result of too little planning.
That being the case, when you fall -- and you will fall -- simply pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and take more action. Success could care less about mistakes. Success loves action -- and human motivation leads to action.

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

2010-01-03T01:02:00.001-08:00

Every blade of grass has its Angel that bends over it and whispers, "Grow, grow."

The Talmud

THE NATURAL WAY TO CURE HEADACHES

2010-01-03T00:39:00.000-08:00

Use Herbal Remedies for Headaches

by David Victor

(NaturalNews) Headaches are one of the most common ailments people experience. It is estimated that 50 million people seek medical attention for headaches every year in the US alone and over $500,000,000 is spent annually on headache medicine. There are many herbal remedies for headaches that can help you without taking chemical based medicines.

The two most common types of headache are tension headaches which are caused by muscular tension and headaches caused by a constriction of blood vessels supplying blood to the brain. A few of the common causes are stress, poor posture, caffeine, eye strain, low blood sugar, allergies, sinusitis, and tiredness. There are also more severe problems that can cause headaches, but they are far less common. It is estimated that 90% of all headaches are tension headaches.

There are headache remedies from virtually every school of medicine including Chinese Herbalism, Ayurveda and Aromatherapy. Each remedy seeks to help you get rid of the pain using natural ingredients. Many of the remedies below have multiple uses and most are used in more than one school of alternative medicine.

Traditional Chinese Herbalism recommends using ginger for headaches. You can eat a small piece of fresh ginger or make a ginger tea. You can find ginger in most health food stores.

Ayurveda (the traditional system of medicine in India) offers a couple common remedies for headaches. The first is to soak a cloth in warm mustard oil and apply directly to your forehead to relieve the pain. The second remedy is to put coriander seeds in boiling water and inhale the steam created by this mixture. This is often used to relieve sinus related headaches.

If you want to try an aromatic remedy, there are several headache cures from the Aromatherapy school of medicine. For tension headaches, lavender is used to relax away your pain. You can message lavender oil directly into your temples or place a drop or two at the base of your nose. You may also want to try inhaling peppermint oil steam similar to the coriander seed remedy talked about above or take a bath with relaxing scents like chamomile. The idea is to soothe away your pain with pleasant smells.

There are many more herbal remedies for headaches. Herbal teas like peppermint, chamomile, rose hip, and more can soothe away a tension headache. Another common herbal remedy for tension headaches is valerian root. You can take capsule supplements or drink valerian root tea, but beware that it may make you drowsy.

These are just a few of the herbal remedies for headaches you can try. In general, these are so much better for you than popping pills and in most cases much more pleasant. Who wouldn`t want a soothing bath or warm cup of tea?

HOW TO BE EMOTIONALLY FIT IN TURBULENT TIMES

2010-01-02T23:36:00.001-08:00

Watch Tony Robbins talk about emotional fitness:

from your friendly crazyshrink

A FEW TIPS FROM MARCUS AURELIUS AND STOIC PHILOSOPHY

2010-01-02T06:41:00.000-08:00

Meditations of a Philosopher-King
By Alexander Green

At the Roman Forum a few weeks ago, economist Mark Skousen -- dressed in a toga -- was delivering his "Persuasion vs. Force" talk to our group, when a passerby stopped to heckle him loudly.

Skousen continued with his eloquent plea for freedom and tolerance unperturbed, asking only that the heckler hold his remarks until the end. Which was fitting...

The Forum was one of the first places in ancient times where ordinary citizens had the right to stand up and publicly voice their opinions, even unpopular ones.

Our group, which had been touring the Mediterranean as part of the "Cradle of Civilization" tour, endured the heckler because, as Freud noted, the first human to hurl an insult instead of a rock was the founder of civilization.

Visiting these ancient ruins gave us a chance to reacquaint ourselves with Rome's history and one of its great philosophers, Marcus Aurelius.

Marcus was Emperor of Rome for two decades before succumbing to the plague in 180 A.D.

He was the most powerful man of his day, ruling an empire that stretched from Western Europe to the Middle East and Africa. During his reign, he defended Rome against barbarians, invading tribes, pestilence, and plague at every border.

Yet, in those quiet moments of leisure when he was able to take off the mantle of Emperor, he also composed one of the world's great works of Stoic philosophy: his Meditations.

The book is essentially an inner dialogue. Marcus wrote solely for himself, not posterity. His goal was to face up to the world, define the good life, and develop a manual for daily living.

His words still resonate today. Here is just a sampling:

If you are pained by any external thing, it is not this that disturbs you, but your own judgment about it. And it is in your power to wipe out this judgment now.

Be like the jutting rock against which waves are constantly crashing, and all around it the frothing foam then settles back down. Say not "Oh, I am so unfortunate that this has happened to me." But rather "How fortunate I am that, even though this has happened to me, I continue uninjured, neither terrified by the present nor in fear of the future."

Never consider anything to be beneficial to you which could ever compel you to violate your faith in yourself, to abandon your modesty, to hate anybody, to be overly suspicious, cursing, disingenuous, or to lust after anything which must be hidden behind walls or veils.

Wisdom and right action are the same thing.

Whenever you notice someone else going astray, immediately turn and examine how you yourself have gone astray, for example, esteeming money, pleasure, reputation, or something else, as if it were the highest good. Examine yourself in this way and you will quickly forget your anger.

People seek retreats for themselves in the country, by the sea, and near the mountains, and you too are especially prone to desire such things. But this is a sign of ignorance, since you have the power to retire within yourself whenever you wish. For nowhere can a person retire more full of peace and free from care than into his own soul.

Kindness is unconquerable, so long as it is without flattery or hypocrisy. For what can the most insolent man do to you if you continue to be kind to him?

The noblest way of taking revenge on others is by refusing to become like them.

If someone is able to show me that what I think or do is wrong, I will happily change, for I seek the truth, by which no one ever was truly harmed.

Someone else may ask: "How may I possess that?" But you should ask: "How may I not covet that?" Someone else asks: "How can I be rid of him?" But you: "How can I not wish to be rid of him?" Another: "How may I not lose my little child?" But you: "How may I not dread the loss of my child?" Turn your prayers around entirely, and see what happens.

On every page, Marcus Aurelius shows extraordinary insight and humility, his words transcending the boundaries of time and place. No wonder his Meditations are among the best known and most widely read works of antiquity.

The message is simple and direct, but powerful. He values inner strength, dignity, and self-respect. He reminds us that life can end at any moment, that the past and the future are inaccessible, that we are made better by confronting difficult conditions with resolution and courage, and that our most important goal is our own private quest for perfection.

Over the past eighteen hundred years, his words have helped millions face up to the setbacks, cravings, triumphs, and disappointments that are the lot of every human life.

Marcus Aurelius wastes no time on airy theories or speculations. The measure of a philosopher, he believed, was not his discourses but his way of living.

As he writes in the Meditations, "Stop philosophizing about what a good man is and be one."

from your friendly crazyshrink

HUMOR OF THE DAY

2010-01-02T06:18:00.000-08:00

SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT BEFORE MAKING YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

2009-12-31T09:22:00.000-08:00

Not Entirely Happy with Life? Well, Who Is in Your Head?

by Brian Vaszily, founder of IntenseExperiences.com

Mom. Dad. Your spouse. Clergy. An ex. Your big brother.

Who is in your head?

And do you allow them there?

Carefully watch the choices you make. Carefully watch the actions that you take.

Are you certain you are living your own life?

If you feel anything less than very happy with what you do and achieve in all areas of your life, this is not necessarily an easy experience, but it is an infinitely important and freeing one: step outside of yourself and as objectively as possible take a close look at you.

How do you react to stress? To criticism? To challenges?

How do you react when angry, sad, nervous, excited?

What are your habits in relation to food, drink, sleep, leisure?

What are your beliefs about love? God? Money? Work? Sex? Family? Other races?

Answer these questions about yourself as honestly as possible. And then put the time and energy into discovering where these reactions, habits and beliefs really came from.

Most importantly, discover if they are truly yours.

When people take the necessary time to do this in solitude – at a park, in your garden, a favorite room, wherever they are calm and think most clearly – they are inevitably surprised at what they find.

We all have voices in our head and heart that are not our own. Some of these voices were implanted in previous relationships. Many more were implanted in our youth. Some are even thousands of years old and drummed into our heads through the world around us.

And often, where you feel frustration or worse at how you react in certain situations, and where you feel uneasy or unsteady in your beliefs, habits and perceptions, it is because there are these other voices doing the reacting and believing for you.

The voice and resulting choices and perceptions are not yet your own.

An Important Example & My Story

One of the most difficult but necessary areas to assess whether the thoughts, beliefs and habits inside you are really your own is in romantic love and marriage.

It can be so difficult because we spend our entire youths witnessing an ongoing lesson in love and marriage from our parents. Whether your parents were married for fifty years, whether you were the child of one or multiple divorces, or whether your primary parent or caretaker remained single, you absorb a powerful decades-long example of how to be (or not be) in relationships.

Further, your parents brought their own (and/or their parents’) philosophy to the relationship that you spent the most influential part of your lifetime witnessing: they may have been deeply passionate “two as one” mates, they may have been best friends, or business partners with the home as the business, or they may even have been akin to enemies living under the same roof.

It is so important to assess whether the thoughts, beliefs and habits inside you are really your own in this area because you can spend a lifetime frustrated in marriage, or in stumbling through various relationships, or not finding the ideal mate at all, because you haven’t yet discovered what YOU believe love is and what a romantic partnership should be.

Instead you may be unconsciously trying to repeat the lesson of your parents, or even if you are forty or fifty years old, still rebelling against it.

In my case, I grew up watching my Mother who was fiercely devoted to my Father, for better or worse, with a heavy dose of the better earlier in the marriage then a very heavy dose of the worse later on.

It wasn’t until relatively recently in my life that I realized that, like many men, I was unconsciously expecting the same in a woman … right off the bat once things got “serious.”

It took a difficult divorce and also the breakup of another serious relationship for this to come to light. And for me to delve deep into discovering my own beliefs about love and marriage.

In short, I realized that it takes time, patience and work amidst the joy and passion to get to the point of commitment, but that yes – once that commitment is honestly made between both – I do believe in the “old fashioned” notion of for better or worse, till death do us part.

In such a slippery world, it is a most beautiful thing for two people to have the rock that is each other to hold.

Own Your Thoughts

Voices from our past -- especially our parents’ but also those of the religion we grew up in, those handed to us repeatedly from the mass media, and even those developed in “serious” relationships we had in our youth – can have a mighty impact on how we approach love and relationships.

But it also extends to every area of our lives: how we perceive money, God, work, sex, death, politics, other races and nations, leisure, and our health. How we set goals for ourselves, how we pursue those goals. How we react to challenges, anger, stress, compliments, and affection.

The recipe for angst, frustration, anger, loneliness and other negative emotions is to passively accept what you were handed – to passively accept those other voices in your head – and let yourself act according to them.

Key to living a happy life – your own life – is to do the work of recognizing where and who your thoughts and beliefs came from.

And to ponder and decide what you accept as your own.

The unexamined life is not worth living, said Socrates.

Know thyself, said Plato.

Truly own your thoughts and beliefs, I suggest.

So who is in your head?

And do you allow them there?

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INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

2009-12-29T03:10:00.001-08:00

If you must, you can.

Yiddish proverb

BEWARE OF PRESCRIPTION NARCOTICS

2009-12-29T02:50:00.000-08:00

Prescription Narcotics cause more deaths than heroin and cocaine

by Mike Adams

(NaturalNews) On the heels of the sudden death of celebrity actress Brittany Murphy (http://www.naturalnews.com/027781_B...), people are once again raising the question of just how dangerous prescription drugs might really be.

Some are arguing, however, that street drugs are the real danger, not prescription drugs. But the following study demonstrates why prescription drugs are far more dangerous than illegal recreational drugs.

According to a new study conducted by physicians at St. Michael's Hospital and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) in Toronto, the number of deaths due to prescription opioid use has doubled between 1991 and 2004. Following the introduction of oxycodone into Toronto's drug formulary in 2000, there has been a 500% increase in deaths due to the drugs.

Researchers reviewed over 7,000 files from the Office of the Chief Coroner in Ontario and found that between the years of 1991 and 2004, oxycodone prescriptions increased by more than 850 percent, representing about one-third of the opioid prescriptions given in 2006. (This is the largest prescription increase among all opioid drugs.)

Following the addition of this drug into the provincial drug benefit plan in 2000, deaths from opioid usage rose by 41 percent. Shockingly, deaths from prescription opioids like oxycodone were far greater than deaths from heroin. The vast majority of people who died from opioids had visited their doctor and received a prescription for the drug within a month of their death.

The total number of opioid-related deaths in Toronto in 2004 is estimated to be 27.2 per million people. Study authors said they hope to shed light on the tremendous dangers associated with prescription opioid drugs.

Coked up on prescription smack
It's the dirty little secret of the pharmaceutical industry: More people are killed by prescription opioids than all those killed by heroin and cocaine combined. And that probably even includes all the shootings of gang bangers in northern Mexico.

Prescription drug abuse is now more common than street drug abuse -- by far! And yet Big Pharma rakes in huge profits from all the patient addictions to their opioids. And by "opioids", what I mean is narcotics. They are, in fact, one and the same.

So of all the drug addicts in America today, you can divide them into two camps:

1) People addicted to street drugs.
2) People addicted to prescription drugs.

The people in group #1 (street drugs) are taken to jail where they are given prison sentences. People in group #2 (prescription drugs) are taken to their doctor where they are given prescription refills. It's all really the same narcotics, it's just that one group is legal and the other is illegal.

And what really determines whether a particular narcotic is legal or illegal? Whether or not Big Pharma profits from it. If Big Pharma makes money off the narcotics, they're considered legal.

Big Pharma, you see, earns tens of billions of dollars each year from drug addicts. And just by coincidence, it turns out that their prescription narcotics are extremely addicting, guaranteeing repeat business. The business model is so dang lucrative, you might think they were drug dealers...

Why do you think the main sponsors for the Partnership For A Drug-Free America are the drug companies themselves? It's because Big Pharma is trying to eliminate the competition. By keeping up the so-called "War on Drugs" front, the pharmaceutical industry can make sure it dominates the market for narcotics. After all, if you're going to feed narcotics to a nation full of junkies, why not make a hefty profit on it? That's the thinking of drug companies, it seems, as they have done basically zilch to effectively stem the abuse of their own prescription narcotics.

Much like the tobacco companies, drug companies secretly want people to be addicted to their products.

THE ANT PHILOSOPHY: AN INSPIRATIONAL TALK BY JIM ROHN

2009-12-29T02:49:00.000-08:00

TEACHINGS OF THE GREAT MASTERS: ON ADAPTATION

2009-12-29T02:03:00.001-08:00

Adapt and prosper

When conditions change, some people become immobilized by worry. Other people complain. Still others make the changing conditions into an excuse for not taking action. What do successful people do when conditions change? Successful people adapt. That's what makes them consistently successful.

When conditions change, suddenly there can be plenty of reasons to give up. Suddenly there can be plenty of perfectly understandable justifications for not moving forward. Suddenly there can be an abundance of excuses for failure.

And yet, when conditions change there are also great opportunities. Some people will have the confidence to recognize these opportunities and act on them. Someday everyone will say those people were lucky, that they were in the right place at the right time.

The truth is, when you're willing and able to adapt, you're always in the right place and the right time. Those who recognize that fact and take advantage of it by adapting in a positive way to changing conditions will be very fortunate indeed.

Ralph Marston, Living the Wonder of It All

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GERMS ARE GOOD FOR KIDS!

2009-12-27T09:57:00.000-08:00

New research: natural exposure to everyday germs may protect kids from disease as adults

by S. L Baker

(NaturalNews) Gone are the days when play time for kids often meant getting dirty making mud "pies", splashing in mud puddles and creeks, and climbing trees -- and when children washed their hands, mostly just before a meal, it was with plain soap and water. Modern day parents often take pride in keeping their little ones squeaky clean and as germ-free as possible, dousing them with antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers. But new Northwestern University research suggests that normal exposure to everyday germs is a natural way to prevent diseases in adulthood.

The study, published in the December 9th edition of the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, is the first to investigate whether microbial exposures early in life affect inflammatory processes related to diseases in adulthood. Remarkably, the Northwestern study suggests exposure to infectious microbes in childhood may actually protect youngsters from developing serious illnesses, including cardiovascular diseases, when they grow into adults.

"Contrary to assumptions related to earlier studies, our research suggests that ultra-clean, ultra-hygienic environments early in life may contribute to higher levels of inflammation as an adult, which in turn increases risks for a wide range of diseases," Thomas McDade, lead author of the study, said in a statement to the media. McDade is associate professor of anthropology in Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and a faculty fellow at the Institute for Policy Research.

He added that humans have only recently lived in super clean environments and it could well be time to put down the antibacterial soap. That's because the new research suggests that inflammatory systems need a reasonably high level of exposure to common everyday germs and other microbes to develop and work properly in the body.

"In other words, inflammatory networks may need the same type of microbial exposures early in life that have been part of the human environment for all of our evolutionary history to function optimally in adulthood," stated McDade.

The Northwestern University researchers specifically studied how environments early in life might affect production of C-reactive protein (CRP), a protein that rises in the blood due to inflammation, in adulthood. Research concerning CRP, which is an important part of the immune system's fight against infection, has primarily focused on the protein as a possible predictor of heart disease. Scientists previously have mostly conducted CRP research in affluent settings, including the U.S., where there are relatively low levels of infectious diseases.

McDade and colleagues were interested in what CRP production looks like in the Philippines where residents have with a high level of infectious diseases in early childhood compared to Western countries. However, compared to Western countries, the people of the Philippines have relatively low rates of obesity (which is associated with CRP) and cardiovascular diseases.

How the research was conducted

The research team worked with data from a longitudinal study of Filipinos which began in the 1980s with 3,327 Filipino mothers in their third trimester of pregnancy. The mothers were interviewed about breast feeding and care giving and their households were assessed for socioeconomic levels, hygiene (including whether homes included domestic animals) and how many people lived in the home.

Researchers also visited with the mothers after their babies were born and then every two months for the first two years of the children's lives. From that point on, the researchers followed up with the children every four or five years until the research subjects were approximately 22 years of age. During this entire period, records were kept on the children documenting their height and weight and any infectious diseases they contracted.

Blood tests revealed Filipino participants in their early 20s had CRP concentrations on average of .2 milligrams per liter -- that's about five to seven times lower than the average CRP levels for Americans of the same age.

"In the U.S we have this idea that we need to protect infants and children from microbes and pathogens at all possible costs," McDade concluded. "But we may be depriving developing immune networks of important environmental input needed to guide their function throughout childhood and into adulthood. Without this input, our research suggests, inflammation may be more likely to be poorly regulated and result in inflammatory responses that are overblown or more difficult to turn off once things get started."

from your friendly crazyshrink

WHAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT FRANKINCENSE AND MYRRH

2009-12-23T03:03:00.000-08:00

Holiday Fun Fact: Frankincense and Myrrh

By Michael Masterson

When the Three Wise Men gave the Christ child frankincense and myrrh, they were doing much more than giving him something that smelled good. They were giving him a gift of good health. In those days, these two aromatics were widely used as medicine.

Frankincense, a natural antiseptic, sedative, and immune stimulant, was used as a treatment for respiratory problems, depression, infection, and tumors. Myrrh is a natural anti-inflammatory and astringent. It was used as a tonic and as a cure for cancer, leprosy, and syphilis. Mixed with coriander and honey, it was also used to treat herpes.

Both are still used by herbalists for many health problems.

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

2009-12-20T03:26:00.001-08:00

One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.

Andre Gide

BEGIN AGAIN IN 2010 BY STEPHEN PIERCE

2009-12-18T08:42:00.000-08:00

Watch Stephen Pierce talk about what it takes to succeed in your goals!

So Begin Again in 2010! If you are interested in starting your own Internet business, start by ordering Stephen Pierce's book Make Real Money on the Internet. It's a handy, practical manual and he sends it to you for free. Learn how Stephen Pierce went from rags to riches and follow his example. If he did it, you can do it too!

LAUGH OF THE DAY

2009-12-18T08:18:00.001-08:00

NEW INTERACTIVE WEBINAR ON CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION BY DR. EPSTEIN

2009-12-18T07:54:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends Interested in Creativity and Innovation,

I have some great news! In the next 2-3 weeks Dr. Robert Epstein is going to give a new free interactive webinar on Creativity and Innovation.

A Ph. D. of Harvard University and author of fourteen books, Dr. Epstein teaches Innovation and Leadership at the Rady School of Management at the University of California.

If you would like to participate in the webinar, please click here, and complete a brief survey Dr. Epstein has prepared and reserve your attendance spot. The survey is completely anonymous and aims at helping Dr Epstein address your most important questions and needs.

Are you trying to be more creative at home? Are you trying to cope with a bad economy by boosting innovation at work? Then don't miss this free advance-level seminar. You could get many helpful tips and ideas. Take the short survey now and reserve your spot today!

from your friendly crazyshrink

ESSENTIAL OILS CAN ENHANCE THE HOLIDAY AMBIANCE OF YOUR HOME

2009-12-18T01:47:00.000-08:00

Use Essential Oils to Add Natural Holiday Fragrance to Your Home

by Christie Bailey

(NaturalNews) This holiday season scent your home naturally with pure essential oils like cinnamon and pine. These highly aromatic plant extracts are a healthier, more beneficial alternative to commercial fragrances, and you may already have the tools you need to disperse them in your home. However, there are certain precautions you should take when choosing and handling your essential oils.

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are physically extracted and distilled from natural plant materials, such as the rind, leaves, and flowers. They are very concentrated and chemically complex, made up of dozens of known components -- and even more unknown components. Many of these have therapeutic, antiseptic, and fragrant properties.

They are very powerful, and nearly all must be diluted before being used internally or externally. According to "Aromatherapy: a Complete Guide to the Healing Art" by Kathi Keville and Mindy Green, a 2% dilution is typical and safe when using most essential oils. That translates into about 10 drops per ounce.

The Purity of Natural Essential Oils

It is impossible for the average consumer to determine if an essential oil is pure and unadulterated with synthetic fragrance oils, cheaper essential oils, or other chemicals. Tests do exist to analyze essential oils; however, according to the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA), even these may not be accurate. The NAHA recommends buying only from trusted suppliers.

How to Diffuse Essential Oils

One of the easiest ways to diffuse a holiday essential oil is to place several drops in a small saucepan of boiling water. If you live in the cold, this has the added benefit of warming and humidifying the air. You may want to use an old pot that you do not use for cooking in case any residual oil remains on the implement afterward.

Metal and clay lightbulb rings can be filled with a small amount of oil and fit on most incandescent bulbs. These release the oil`s scent as they are warmed by the bulb. They are a safe, energy-saving method of scenting a room because they harness wasted heat; however, they do not work with energy saving bulbs.

You may also mix several drops of essential oil into a clean spritzer bottle of fresh water. Buy an empty bottle from the supermarket or hardware store. (Because traces of chemicals may remain, never reuse a spritzer bottle from a commercial cleaner or other household product.) Shake this mixture and spray around your home.

Small diffusers that use a tealight to heat a dish of oil are sold in many metaphysical stores. However, smoke from candles may contribute to indoor pollution. If you prefer this method, use lead-free candles made of soy wax or other natural wax, not paraffin.

Warnings

Essential oils are highly concentrated and many are irritating to the skin and other tissues. Some are extremely toxic when taken internally, so do not ingest them. Keep out of reach of children.

TEACHINGS OF THE GREAT MASTERS: ON CONFIDENCE

2009-12-17T09:28:00.000-08:00

Expect Great Things Of Yourself

Faith is an optimist because it sees the way out. Doubt is a pessimist, can not see the way ahead and fears because not conscious of being able to cope with the uncertain.

Faith is the divine messenger sent to guide man, blinded by doubt and sin.

Your own estimate of yourself, of your ability, your standing, the weight you carry, and of the figure you cut in the world, will be out-pictured in your appearance, in your manner.

Confidence is the very basis of all achievement. There is a tremendous power in the conviction that we can do a thing. The man who has great faith in himself is relieved from a great many uncertainties as to whether he is in his right place, from doubts as to his ability, and from fears regarding his future.

Freedom is essential to achievement. No once can do his greatest work when his mind is cramped with worry, anxiety, fear, or uncertainty, any more than he can do his best physical work with his body in a cramped position. Absolute freedom is imperative for the best brain work. Uncertainty and doubt are great enemies of that concentration which is the secret of all effectiveness.

We are told that it is faith that doubles one's power and multiples one's ability, and that without it we can do nothing. How quickly a strong man is stripped of his power the moment he loses confidence in himself or his ability!

The habit of dwelling on difficulties and magnifying them weakens the character and paralyzes the initiative in such a way as to hinder one from ever daring to undertake great things. The man who does things is the man who sees the end and defies the obstacles.

Many people never seem to come to themselves until they have received a great humiliating defeat. This seems to touch a spring deep in their nature, setting free dynamic forces which enable them to do marvels. When a man who has got the right stuff in him has made a slip and feels that he is down and out, when he sees those that know him regarding him as a failure, calling him a "has been", he makes a resolve to redeem himself from the disgrace and every red blood corpuscle in him helps him to make good.

Orison Swett Marden, The Miracle of Right Thought

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

2009-12-16T02:17:00.001-08:00

Enthusiasm is contagious. Start an epidemic.

Don Ward

LEARN HOW TO BE YOUR OWN BEST COACH

2009-12-16T01:15:00.000-08:00

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR MOTIVATION: BE YOUR OWN BEST COACH

by Ismini Apostoli

Nothing happens without motivation. Motivation is the power we use to set things in motion, including ourselves. Without motivation nothing changes, in fact nothing moves. Motivation is the positive energy we use to spur us to action, and this positive energy consists of our positive feelings. Feelings like optimism, joy, enthusiasm, confidence, passion, hope, faith, belief. Without this constant flow of positive energy our action falters and stops, is inconsistent or weak and uninspired, repetitive and dull and consists only of our response to necessity, things that have to begrudgingly be done: go to work, pay the bills, meet obligations, etc. Without internal motivation the spark in us and in our lives dies, yet we all know how hard it gets sometimes to keep that spark alive.

Many times, we rely on external motivation to get going, especially when the going gets tough. We rely on surrogate coaches like family and friends to give us a boost, to support, encourage us and give us praise for our efforts. Many people lose their emotional, internal motivation for long periods of time, and often resort to taking motivational courses, or seminars, reading motivational books etc. They get enthusiastic for a while, and then fall back to their inertia, flat lifeless feeling, discouragement, reduced energy levels, etc. The reason for that is that the motivational messages received are not fully internalized, they remain an external stimulus which when removed simply stops to have an effect.

Lasting motivation can only come from within. Lasting motivation comes from our feelings, and a lot of our feelings are a result of our self-talk. When do we most need the help of a friend or a coach? When our self-talk is negative, when we feel powerless, helpless, hopeless or stuck. When we say no to ourselves, no to our dreams, no to life. But we cannot always rely on external motivators like friends or coaches to provide us with support, help and pep-talks. We need to learn to coax and coach and pep-talk ourselves; we need to learn to be our own best friends and coaches.

So what does a good coach do? First of all he listens with an open mind and tries to understand our current situation and feelings. A coach asks us clarifying questions about what it is that is bothering us, about where we are and where we want to go. A coach then quickly helps us focus on solutions, ideas, plans. A coach supports and provides us with the emotional fuel to implement our ideas. A coach applauds and congratulates us on the slightest sign of success and progress. A coach asks empowering questions to help us get around a challenging situation, obstacle,or quickly correct a mistake.

A coach has patience and composure and knows that all things take time to evolve. A coach maintains a positive attitude at all times and keeps us focused in a positive direction. He tells us things like "this is a brilliant idea", "you can do it", "you're making a lot of progress", "look at what you've already done", "keep working on it", "you're doing great", "well done". He tells us most importantly "make a start", "take the first step", "just do it"! He's there for us always with a positive attitude, always with the right words that will trigger our positive emotions once again. He knows how to turn around our negative feelings and negative self-talk by superseding them with his enthusiasm and constant pep-talk.

So let's emulate this ideal coach, take responsibility for our motivation and become our own best coach.Let's learn to give ourselves the necessary nudge to push us out of our place of discontent, boredom, fear, hesitation, inertia, avoidance, procrastination, self-doubt.

Let's say yes to our dreams and aspirations and then continue to be our own best coach by silencing our negative self-talk, and replacing it with positive encouraging pep-talks to ourselves.

Let's say yes to ourselves and yes to life. Let's just do it!

by your friendly crazyshrink

HUMOR OF THE DAY

2009-12-15T23:10:00.000-08:00

HOLIDAY STRESS? USE NLP TO GIVE YOUR FUN QUOTIENT A BOOST

2009-12-14T02:59:00.000-08:00

A Simple Way to Reduce Stress While Giving Your Fun Quotient (FQ) a Boost

(c)Colin G Smith - All Rights reserved
NLPToolbox
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Have you noticed all the different intelligences we have
these days?!

Cultural Quotient (CQ)
Curiosity Quotient (CQ)
Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ)
Empathizing Quotient (EQ)
Systemizing Quotient (SQ)
Sentience Quotient (SQ)
Social Intelligence Quotient (SQ)
Spiritual Intelligence Quotient (SQ)

So that's four of them named SQ! Does this enhance our
lives?

Surely only the FQ really matters!

You know, the simple fact is the more fun and humour we have
in our lives, the more we reduce the stress caused by the
modern dis-ease of seriousness.

Personally I think having fun and being playful is the
natural human condition, it's just that certain
systems/constraints in modern societies can have us acting
like numb automatons.

I'm inspired by an observation Anthropologist, Colin
Turnball made in his book, "The Forest People", with regards
to how adult Pygmies laugh:

"When Pygmies laugh it is hard not to be affected; they hold
on to each other as if for support, slap their sides, snap
their fingers and go through all manner of physical
contortions. If something strikes them as particularly funny
they will even roll on the ground..."

Imagine being able to do that...

Of course you probably wouldn't want to act like that at the
office, right?

But get this; Actually imagine falling down laughing like a
Pygmie in your office or place of work right now.

Simply doing this in your imagination, enables you to have
more access to the fun-zones of your mind in that situation
next time you're there.

Don't take my word for it though, test it out in your own
experience.

It's part of what I like to call, "The Ridiculous Behaviour
Generator" from page 60 of "The NLP ToolBox."

Because our minds go in directions, from time to time, it is
very useful to purposefully re-direct our thought patterns.
Sending our mind towards more fun and humour is an excellent
choice because it enables us to have more flexibility of
behaviour and increased resourcefulness, whereas over-
seriousness tends to be a narrow, rigid state.

So go ahead and pick 3 situations now that you want to
'funify.'

Starting with the one that will be the easiest to change, go
through the "Ridiculous Behaviour Generator" below:

Ridiculous Behaviour Generator

1. Think of a situation where you want to have more fun.

2. See yourself over there in the situation, like you are
watching a movie.

3. See yourself having more fun, maybe joking with the other
people in the movie.

4. Go back to the start of the movie and try out a different
way of having more fun. Perhaps notice something you haven't
seen/heard before that makes you chuckle.

5. Now, again from the start, see yourself in the movie and
do some behaviour(s) that you would never do in reality. Get
really silly with this one. Do something outrageous that
just makes you crack up laughing.

6. Break state. Think of the situation again and notice how
you feel better about it and look forward to having even
more fun in the situation in the future.

Great! In step 5 it's best to do something really outlandish
that you'd never do in reality. You know, like launching
into the room, naked, doing cartwheels or turning up to that
meeting in a Gimp suit, juggling fire sticks! The point is,
does it get you laughing because that's the direction you
want to be going in is it not?

Now run the other 2 situations through the Ridiculous
Behaviour Generator and begin to find yourself looking
forward to a more fun filled future.

When you've practised this technique a few times you will
be able to do it faster, which will allow you to inject more
fun quickly and easily into situations before they've
occurred and that's good planning right?

More fun! Less stress. Brighter futures. Better decisions.

O'yeah and a boosted FQ!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Author Bio:
Colin G Smith is a licensed Master Practitioner of Neuro-
Linguistic Programming (NLP) and author of 'The NLP
ToolBox', a personal development book that enables the
reader to master any area of their life with amazing speed.
Complete information on Colin G Smith's books are available
at his website, including a FREE personal development mini-
course. Check it out! NLPToolbox

from your friendly crazyshrink

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

2009-12-13T09:32:00.001-08:00

The harder you fall the higher you bounce.

Horace

FIND SOLUTIONS BY ASKING EMPOWERING QUESTIONS

2009-12-13T09:10:00.000-08:00

Ask Empowering Questions

by Barbara Rose

Questions. Our lives are filled with questions. Think about a typical day (for you) … it may start with "What shall I have for breakfast?" You get to work: How are you? (to a colleague) When do you need this? (to the boss) You go home: How was your day? (to family members) What shall I cook for dinner? The telephone rings: Who's that? What does s/he want? At the end of the day, you fall into bed and ….. the questions probably keep coming as you plan the next day or wonder, Will I ever get to sleep? Like I said, our lives are filled with questions.

Everyday questions like the ones above are neutral, that is to say theyare neither empowering or disempowering. And you'll probably realize as you check off your typical day's questions that most of them are automatic. You don't think about saying, how are you? to a friend or colleague, you just ask.

In our childhoods we asked really important questions like: Why is the sky blue? Can birds fly upside down? And as every mother knows, there comes a time when every conversation with her children is punctuated with Why? and Why not? Children are fascinated by the world around them, they use questions to explore their environments.

When we reach our teens, those years of finding out who we are become years of confusion and doubt. Our questions are no longer centred on our environments, they are centred on ourselves. We ask questions like: Why doesn't he like me? Why is she avoiding me? How am I supposed to …. They are questions which carry pain and angst – and the answers often become internal messages to describe ourselves: He doesn't like me because I'm not pretty enough, because I'm not tall enough, because I'm too tall, because I have blues eyes, brown hair and a zillion other similar notions.Those responses now trigger disempowering internally messages, the chief of which is: I'm not good enough for/because/to ….

As adults, our most disempowering questions invariably come through when our relationships are in some sort of trouble. That's when we start asking questions like: What have I done wrong? The problem with asking disempowering questions is that it evokes disempowering responses. Even "Nothing" is unsatisfactory. Our internal messaging systems kicks in to support those responses, especially if our partner or friend says something like: What's wrong with you? The thing is there's nothing wrong with you! It's just that the wrong question was asked.
Think about this concept for a few moments – Disempowering questions elicit disempowering responses. Disempowering responses can be avoided if THE RIGHT QUESTION IS ASKED.
So, what is the right question?

Let's assume you find yourself in a bit of a pickle in a relationship, be it at work, rest or play. Before you open your mouth to ask a disempowering question, ask yourself: What conditions allowed this situation? (instead of How did we get into this mess?) Don't be surprised if this is the start of a mental Q&A journey! Instead of asking the other person: Why did you …? You'll find an answer will present itself. The question you ultimately ask may be something like: We're in a bit of a mess, aren't we? What can we do about it? No blame is apportioned in this way.
If you're in a spot of bother, and it's not relationship-based, empowering questions you can ask of yourself are:

What conditions allowed this situation to happen?
What can I learn from this experience?
How have I benefited from this experience?

People who live empowered lives don't beat themselves up by asking unempowered questions. If things don't go as well as can be expected, or the outcome of any activity falls short of expectations, they ask questions like: What can I do differently next time? Empowered people recognize that not everything goes smoothly, 100% of the time, they accept the hiccups, explore what happened and resolve to do things differently in the future.
And that's another key concept …. being open to and wanting a change in the situation. Disempowering response: Why do things have to change?! My response to that is: Why not?

About the author: Barbara Rose is a mentor, coach, teacher and alternative therapist who specializes in helping people reach their potential at all levels (spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical). Please visit www.barbaras-library.com for a complete list of Barbara's articles and books. You can find out more about Barbara by going to www.barbara-rose.name.

from your friendly crazyshrink

HUMOR OF THE DAY

2009-12-13T08:58:00.000-08:00

TEACHINGS OF THE GREAT MASTERS: ON BEING AND DOING

2009-12-13T07:59:00.000-08:00

A good morning In Two Worlds

Good morning! Isn't it a glorious sunrise? Just see! - not alone one sun is showing its golden rim above the world's edge, but ten million suns are rising upon ten million waiting hearts, and shadows flee to find a place of rest. Truly, a good morning to you of the NEW THOUGHT, whose hearts have turned to smile straight at the sun of life.

I AM the sun of God. Just as this dear, old green earth is turning its face to the sun so you and I are turning our attention to the I AM sun.

"The worlds in which we live are two, the world I AM and the world I DO."

Too long have we faced the world I DO. Too long have we judged ourselves and others by the dim light of what has already appeared. We have been discouraged with comparing the already accomplished with itself. We said, "I can do no more than has been done; there can be nothing new under the sun." So we have journeyed, and gazed, and regretted that it was all done. Everywhere we looked it was all done. "Every art and science and business is overdone," we said, "there is no chance to do anything except what Tom, Dick and Harry have already done to death. There is no chance here for me."

I AM the ideal world. Ah, that is where the sun shines and youth plays eternal and almighty. In the world of ideals I AM omnipotent, omniscient, all-pervading. In the world of Doing I AM lost among the many and the already-accomplished....

... Do you know that your ideals and desires are really YOU - the I AM of you? Your body, your doings and even your education are but the white caps on the surface of YOU. They are but an infinitely small and evanescent portion of your resources. They are what you have already realized of your infinite resources.

The giraffe used to have a short neck. That was all he had expressed of himself. But his pasturage ran short and he began to reach up after the palm leaves. He reached and looked and reached again. This unwonted exercise stretched his neck until it is now long enough to easily reach the palm tops. So it has ceased to grow longer. As long as he kept reaching out his neck kept growing.

What are you reaching out after? Do you see in the world I AM something that is worthwhile? Do you reach it in the world I DO? Do you keep on reaching and looking and reaching again?

Between reachings do you retire into the world I AM for inspiration and power for further reaching?

This alteration from Being to Doing - from I AM to I DO - is the secret of power and progress and success. It is the soul's breathing. You inhale in the world I AM; you exhale in the world I DO. The more easily and regularly you vibrate between these two the more complete the realization of health and success.

When you have that tired and unsuccessful feeling due to too much exhaling in the world I DO, just rise into the realm I AM and by imagination and affirmation pump yourself full of - I AM power.

I AM wisdom. I AM love.

I AM what I desire to be. ALL things work together for the manifestation of what I AM.

Then rise again and express your regenerated self in Doing....

....When I say I AM power, I lean to God, the only power. When I say, I AM wisdom, I call God. When I say I AM love, I reckon myself nothing and God ALL, for God is love. When I say, I AM what I desire to be, I count myself as God's manifestation, with his desires written on my heart. The desires of my heart are God's desires. He works in me both to desire and to think, as well as to will and to his good pleasure.

When I tell you to rise into the ideal and pump yourself full of I AM consciousness I bid you identify yourself with God, the one soul of all people and things; I bid you realize your oneness with all power, wisdom, love; I bid you in ALL your ways and thoughts and desires and deeds acknowledge HIM, the One-Power, One-Wisdom, One-Love, as the director of your every way.

When you are disturbed, unhappy, unsuccessful, agitated, you are breaking the connection between God and yourself, by not taking him into your thoughts and desires. You are counting him OUT. So I say, stop and pump yourself full of I AM God. Power and Wisdom and Love are only names of God. When you say I am weak, or ignorant, or unloving and unloved you deny God and force him out of your thought. Or at least you try to. Then let him in. In all your ways acknowledge him. In all your desires acknowledge him.

And verily he shall direct your paths, and they shall be paths of peace and pleasantness and plenty.

Elizabeth Towne, Joy Philosophy

YOUR WORD IS YOUR WAND: HAPPINESS AFFIRMATIONS

2009-12-11T02:25:00.000-08:00

10 Powerful Happiness Affirmations by Florence Scovel Shinn

But first let's hear what words of wisdom and advice Florence Scovel Shinn ( a metaphysical teacher and healer) has written regarding happiness:

"Happiness is earned through the perfect control of the emotional nature. There can be no happiness where there is fear, apprehension, or dread. With perfect faith in God comes a feeling of security and happiness.

When man knows that there is an invincible power that protects him and all that he loves, and brings to him his righteous desire of the heart, he relaxes and is happy and satisfied.

He is undisturbed by adverse appearances, knowing that Infinite Intelligence is protecting his interests and utilizing every situation to bring his good to pass."

AFFIRMATIONS

Happy surprises come to me each day. I look with wonder to that which is before me.

As I am one with God, I am now one with my heart's desire.

My happiness is built upon a rock. It is mine now and for all eternity.

I am harmonious, happy, radiant; detached from the tyranny of fear.

My good now flows to me in a steady, unbroken ever-increasing stream of happiness.

My happiness is God's affair, therefore, no one can interfere.

I give thanks for my permanent happiness, my permanent health, my permanent wealth, my permanent love.

I am now on the royal road of Success, Happiness and Abundance, all the traffic goes my way.

My heart's desire is a perfect idea in Divine Mind, incorruptible, and indestructible and now comes to pass, under Grace in a magical way.

I am harmonious, happy and Divinely magnetic and now draw to me my ships over a calm sea.

If these vintage affirmations just don't do it for you, you can use your own inspiration and create your own. Need some ideas of how to create your own affirmations? Check out this free report with lots of affirmations about health, happiness, abundance, prosperity and lots more. You can start using them today!

from your friendly crazyshrink

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

2009-12-11T01:58:00.001-08:00

Only those who sleep make no mistakes.

Ingvar Kamprad

HEALTHY LOW-CALORY SNACKING WITH PISTACHIO NUTS

2009-12-11T01:42:00.000-08:00

Snack Your Way to Health with Pistachio Nuts

by David Victor

(NaturalNews) Whether you are trying to lose weight or just eat a healthier diet, snacking can be a huge problem. No matter how hard you try to plan your day out and have healthy meals on hand, there are always times where you just need a snack. Pistachio nuts are a snack that can provide great nutrition and get you through to your next meal without a lot of calories. They taste great too.

Pistachios have over 30 vitamins and nutrients including vitamin B6, copper, manganese, thiamin, dietary fiber and protein. They also have a high amount of antioxidants and are the only nut to have significant amounts of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin which may reduce the risk of macular degeneration.

Pistachio nuts have also been shown to improve cardiovascular health. According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, pistachios may lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels.

The pistachio nut is low in calories which makes it an ideal choice for a healthy snack. It is often called the "skinny nut" because it has fewer calories and less fat than many other nuts. It also has protein and dietary fiber which help you feel full which is exactly what you need when you are eating a snack. A handful of pistachio nuts can get you through to the next healthy meal with very few calories and a whole lot of taste.

Lastly, there is a psychological reason that pistachio nuts make a great snack. If you eat pistachios that are still in the shell, you will be forced to eat them slowly. This way you will only eat what you need to satisfy your hunger and not keep eating because you are bored or nervous. The shells also give a reminder of how many nuts you have eaten. Since snacking is often psychological as much as it is hunger, pistachio nuts are a great weapon against excessive snacking.

When you put everything together, it is easy to see why pistachio nuts can be a great snack. Put a handful in a bag and keep them handy for whenever you feel the urge to snack. They really can help you snack your way to health.

If you want to get the benefits of pistachios more frequently than snack time, you can add them to cereal, put them on yogurt, or use them in main dishes. You can find recipes for pistachio dishes at many sites on the Internet.

from your friendly crazyshrink

HUMOR OF THE DAY

2009-12-11T01:31:00.001-08:00

THE EMPOWERING ATTITUDE OF SELF-RESPECT

2009-12-11T01:18:00.000-08:00

Understanding Self-Respect

By Robert Ringer

I see a great deal of self-contempt in many people I encounter. It isn’t necessary for a person to tell me he lacks self-respect. You can see it in his facial expressions and body language. You can hear it in his words and in the tone of his voice.

People who lack self-respect leave clues. Territorial people, for example — who saturate the workplace — always lack self-respect. There are no exceptions. The same is true of people who defile their bodies (e.g., with facial tattoos, piercings adorning inappropriate body parts, and pink/purple hair) in order to attract attention. Bullies — a group I have studied in some detail — are also notorious for a lack of self-respect.

If a person dislikes himself and has a low regard for his own abilities, he is unlikely to respect others. In all too many cases, such a person harbors resentment — even hatred — for people in whom he identifies his own intolerable flaws.

This is why self-love (not narcissism) is the foundation of a peaceful society. If you don’t love yourself, how can you “love thy neighbor as thyself?” As Joshua Liebman phrased it, “We must have good domestic relations with ourselves before we can have good foreign relations with others.”

How do you overcome feelings of inadequacy and perhaps even a dislike for yourself? Philosophers and psychologists have been dealing with this question for centuries. In truth, there is no simple answer. But I do believe there are certain ingredients that are guaranteed to help:

Ingredient No. 1: Ridding yourself of the delusion that people of great wealth and/or fame are superior to you.

I’ve known my share of rich and famous people. And I have found them, as a group, to be more insecure than the average person. So never allow yourself to be overly impressed by the fame and fortune of others. And never sell yourself short because of someone else’s success.

You are a unique human being. Without even meeting you, I’m certain you have a number of unique talents. Why? Because the universe is not a cookie-cutter factory. No two stars are alike, no two snowflakes are alike, and no two human beings are alike.

Ingredient No. 2: Showing respect for others.

You don’t have to respect a person’s behavior, but you are morally obliged to respect his time. Which means, first and foremost, being on time when it comes to phone calls, meetings, and other commitments.

When I was just starting out in business, I was notoriously late for appointments. What I recall most about arriving late was that it made me feel inferior. I felt like I was on the defensive before I even entered the room.

On a couple of occasions, when the person with whom I was to meet refused to see me because of my tardiness, I felt like a bug. Thankfully, the pain ultimately became great enough to motivate me to become obsessed with being early instead.

These days, I show up for appointments 15-30 minutes early… sometimes an hour early if traffic turns out to be much lighter than I expected. I still miscalculate now and then, but it’s rare. And since I usually have a good book or other reading material with me, being early is never a waste of my time.

Ingredient No. 3: Dealing only with people who demonstrate — through their actions — that they are anxious to deal with you.

If someone doesn’t return your phone calls, it’s the height of rudeness. But the important thing to understand is that he is sending you a message that you are a low priority on his “to do” list.

Even worse is when you allow yourself to get maneuvered into a position of having to justify your existence. If you ever find yourself in such a situation, make it clear to the other party that you don’t have time to be interrogated. Then make your exit.

As an alternative, skip the explanation and just exit immediately. The most important self-respect builder you will ever find is the word “Next!” When you possess self-respect, you recognize that you don’t need any one person or any one deal. You know you’re independent when you deal with whom you want, when you want, and, to the extent possible, on your terms.

Ingredient No. 4: Striving to lead a concentric life.

By this I mean making certain that your actions align with what you know, in both your mind and heart, to be right. Pretension and hypocrisy are among the most vile human traits, so be vigilant about always displaying the real you.

This means renouncing childish behavior and accepting adult responsibilities (marriage, family, and a profession). It means understanding that your actions affect those around you in ways that are not always obvious. It’s much like throwing a pebble into a pond and watching increasingly large ripples form. Every action you take causes ripples that affect many other lives, including those of people you may never even meet.

Remember, self-respect comes from within. You do not have the right to demand respect from others, but you do possess the right to refuse to deal with people who do not show you respect. As a general rule, however, the more you demonstrate that you respect yourself, the more likely others are to respect you.

from your friendly crazyshrink

USE YOUR LOVING, CREATIVE TOUCH: HOMEMADE FRAGRANT AROMATHERAPY GIFTS FOR YOUR LOVED ONES

2009-12-08T02:55:00.000-08:00

Homemade Essential Oil and Aromatherapy Fragrances Make Great Gifts

by Fleur Hupston

(NaturalNews) Looking for an all-natural homemade gift idea for family members or friends? Making a personalized perfume made from base oils and essential oils is not difficult and will surely be appreciated as a wonderful gift. A scent can be made for that aunt who loves the fragrance of roses or the friend who loves lavender by matching the applicable essential oil to make a unique scent, and the fragrance will be a pleasure to make and give. By making fragrances yourself there is no need to worry about added chemicals and preservatives on the skin which can cause dryness or adverse reactions.

Examining Perfume Notes

Generally speaking, base notes tend to be woody, earthy scents that take the longest time to evaporate, while the herb and floral oils come between middle and top notes. Oils that evaporate quickly are top notes.

Base notes: sandalwood, vanilla, cedar, patchouli, vetiver, cinnamon, cederwood and pine
Middle notes: nutmeg, geranium, lemongrass, neroli, clove, ylang-ylang
Top notes: jasmine, lavender, bergamot, rose, lemon, lime, neroli, mandarin, orange and lemongrass
Bridge notes: lavender, vanilla, neroli

When selecting which essential oils to use, it is a good idea to stick to a `scent family`, that is, combining scents that are similar, such as having a citrus, floral or spicy theme. Aromas that have similar fragrance impressions usually blend well with each other and won`t clash. For example, rose, jasmine and lavender are all floral oils and blend well together to make a lovely scent.

Another way of choosing which oils to use is to make a decision based on aromatherapy such as deciding whether the fragrance should have a calming, restorative, meditative or focusing effect.

Basic Fragrance Recipe

Ingredients:

15 ml (1/2 ounce) jojoba oil
90 ml (3 ounce) alcohol - pure grain or vodka
10 drops top note essential oil of choice
12 drops middle note essential oil of choice
12 drops base note essential oil of choice
Dark glass bottle

Method:

Place the jojoba oil into the dark bottle,
Add the essential oils starting with the base notes, then middle, then top notes, smelling as you go,
Add an extra drop if desired,
Add the alcohol and shake well.
Allow the mixture to stand in a dark, cool spot for a minimum of 48 hours or up to 6 weeks. The longer the fragrance is left to stand, the stronger the smell will be.

Recipe for Splash on Eau de Cologne for Men

10 drops lavender oil
20 drops coriander
22 drops sandalwood
23 cedarwood
5 drops frankincense
90ml (3 ounce) alcohol - pure grain or vodka

Place the alcohol/vodka mixture into a mixing bowl, add the oils in the order given and mix well. Store in a dark or amber colored glass bottle, allow to stand for at least two weeks and then decant into a bottle of choice.

from your friendly crazyshrink

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

2009-12-08T02:38:00.001-08:00

Be helpful. When you see a man without a smile, give him yours.

Zig Ziglar

CORRECT THINKING CONTRIBUTES TO YOUR SUCCESS

2009-12-08T02:23:00.001-08:00

What to Think About If You Want to Succeed
By Michael Masterson

If you want to be truly successful, you can't spread your energy and intelligence too thin. You must devote your time and attention to a limited number of things. You must strive -- as best you can -- to live in the real world.

Studies show that happy people live in the here and now. They pay attention to the people around them rather than the people they read about or see on television. They deal with problems that confront them directly rather than those that exist -- if they exist at all -- somewhere else.

Successful people, as we've seen from countless examples, achieve the things they achieve by solving specific real problems and creating real products. When challenged by something highly unlikely or far in the future, they tend to reply, "Why don't we handle that if and when it happens?"

Take a survey of your thinking. How much of it is devoted to events and situations (1) of which you have no personal knowledge or (2) over which you have no control? Compare that to the time you spend solving real problems and dealing with real people. Make sure the balance is heavily on the side of reality.

from your friendly crazyshrink

TEACHINGS OF THE GREAT MASTERS: ON MASTERING FATE

2009-12-08T01:46:00.000-08:00

We can create any fate

To master fate it is necessary to approach all the elements of fate in the proper mental attitudes; because sine everything in the external world responds to active forces in one's mental world, these forces should so act as to call forth only the response desired.

The idea of mastery will arouse in the average mind a tendency to control objective things with the will; but we must remember that fate is not controlled; fate is created.

When we create any fate that we may desire, we have mastered fate; but not until then.

The mastery of fate does not call for the controlling actions of the will, but for the constructive actions of the creative energies; and since the domineering use of the will scatters creative energy, such an attitude of mind must never be permitted.

All desire to control or influence persons or things must be eliminated completely, because such a course will only defeat our purpose.

We do not master fate by controlling things to come our way; or by persuading persons to promote our objects in view. Things will come of themselves when we demonstrate our ability to use things; and persons will cooperate with us in every way possibly when we prove the superiority of both ourselves and our work.

The weakest mind of all is the domineering mind, and since such a mind has but little creative energy, the man who domineers cannot fulfill, legitimately, a single desire. And what he does control through force, will later on react to his own downfall.

It is the meek that inherit the earth, because such minds have the greatest creative power. What we create, we inherit; no more, no less. Therefore, when we gain the power to create much, we shall inherit much.

To meet everything in the attitude of harmony is of the highest importance, because whatever we enter into harmony with, while in a state of aspiration, that we meet on the superior side.

When we constantly aspire, and live in harmony with everything, we enter into true relationship with the better qualities that are latent in every person or condition with which we come in contact; and consequently permit the superior things in life to impress our minds at every turn. And the value of having only superior impressions in mind is so great that it cannot be calculated.

Superior impressions originate superior thoughts; and as man is as he thinks, superior thoughts will develop superiority in him. And the superior man creates a superior fate, a better future and a more wonderful destiny.

Christian D. Larson, Mastery of Fate

from your friendly crazyshrink

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

2009-12-06T03:44:00.000-08:00

Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.

Howard Thurman

A HUMBLE TRIBUTE TO JIM ROHN, A GREAT MOTIVATIONAL TEACHER OF OUR TIMES

2009-12-06T03:32:00.000-08:00

The Four Emotions That Can Lead to Life Change
by Jim Rohn

Emotions are the most powerful forces inside us. Under the power of emotions, human beings can perform the most heroic (as well as barbaric) acts. To a great degree, civilization itself can be defined as the intelligent channeling of human emotion. Emotions are fuel and the mind is the pilot, which together propel the ship of civilized progress.
Which emotions cause people to act? There are four basic ones; each, or a combination of several, can trigger the most incredible activity. The day that you allow these emotions to fuel your desire is the day you'll turn your life around.

1) DISGUST
One does not usually equate the word "disgust" with positive action. And yet properly channeled, disgust can change a person's life. The person who feels disgusted has reached a point of no return. He or she is ready to throw down the gauntlet at life and say, "I've had it!" That's what I said after many humiliating experiences at age 25, I said. "I don't want to live like this anymore. I've had it with being broke. I've had it with being embarrassed, and I've had it with lying."
Yes, productive feelings of disgust come when a person says, "Enough is enough."
The "guy" has finally had it with mediocrity. He's had it with those awful sick feelings of fear, pain and humiliation. He then decides he is not going to live like this anymore." Look out! This could be the day that turns a life around. Call it what you will, the "I've had it" day, the "never again" day, the "enough's enough" day. Whatever you call it, it's powerful! There is nothing so life-changing as gut-wrenching disgust!

2) DECISION
Most of us need to be pushed to the wall to make decisions. And once we reach this point, we have to deal with the conflicting emotions that come with making them. We have reached a fork in the road. Now this fork can be a two-prong, three-prong, or even a four-prong fork. No wonder that decision-making can create knots in stomachs, keep us awake in the middle of the night, or make us break out in a cold sweat.
Making life-changing decisions can be likened to internal civil war. Conflicting armies of emotions, each with its own arsenal of reasons, battle each other for supremacy of our minds. And our resulting decisions, whether bold or timid, well thought out or impulsive, can either set the course of action or blind it. I don't have much advice to give you about decision-making except this:
Whatever you do, don't camp at the fork in the road. Decide. It's far better to make a wrong decision than to not make one at all. Each of us must confront our emotional turmoil and sort out our feelings.

3) DESIRE
How does one gain desire? I don't think I can answer this directly because there are many ways. But I do know two things about desire:
a. It comes from the inside not the outside.
b. It can be triggered by outside forces.
Almost anything can trigger desire. It's a matter of timing as much as preparation. It might be a song that tugs at the heart. It might be a memorable sermon. It might be a movie, a conversation with a friend, a confrontation with the enemy, or a bitter experience. Even a book or an article such as this one can trigger the inner mechanism that will make some people say, "I want it now!"
Therefore, while searching for your "hot button" of pure, raw desire, welcome into your life each positive experience. Don't erect a wall to protect you from experiencing life. The same wall that keeps out your disappointment also keeps out the sunlight of enriching experiences. So let life touch you. The next touch could be the one that turns your life around.

4) RESOLVE
Resolve says, "I will." These two words are among the most potent in the English language. I WILL. Benjamin Disraeli, the great British statesman, once said, "Nothing can resist a human will that will stake even its existence on the extent of its purpose." In other words, when someone resolves to "do or die," nothing can stop him.
The mountain climber says, "I will climb the mountain. They've told me it's too high, it's too far, it's too steep, it's too rocky, it's too difficult. But it's my mountain. I will climb it. You'll soon see me waving from the top or you'll never see me, because unless I reach the peak, I'm not coming back." Who can argue with such resolve?
When confronted with such iron-will determination, I can see Time, Fate and Circumstance calling a hasty conference and deciding, "We might as well let him have his dream. He's said he's going to get there or die trying."
The best definition for "resolve" I've ever heard came from a schoolgirl in Foster City, California. As is my custom, I was lecturing about success to a group of bright kids at a junior high school. I asked, "Who can tell me what "resolve" means?" Several hands went up, and I did get some pretty good definitions. But the last was the best. A shy girl from the back of the room got up and said with quiet intensity, "I think resolve means promising yourself you will never give up." That's it! That's the best definition I've ever heard: PROMISE YOURSELF YOU'LL NEVER GIVE UP.
Think about it! How long should a baby try to learn how to walk? How long would you give the average baby before you say, "That's it, you've had your chance"? You say that's crazy? Of course it is. Any mother would say, "My baby is going to keep trying until he learns how to walk!" No wonder everyone walks.
There is a vital lesson in this. Ask yourself, "How long am I going to work to make my dreams come true?" I suggest you answer, "As long as it takes." That's what these four emotions are all about.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

This article was submitted by Jim Rohn, America's Foremost Business Philosopher. To subscribe to the Free Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine go to www.jimrohn.com
Copyright © Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved worldwide.

PAMPERED, BEAUTIFUL AND KISSABLE FEET: SOME HOME-MADE RUBS AND FOOT BATHS

2009-12-06T02:43:00.000-08:00

Use Home Spa Solutions for Aching, Tired and Smelly Feet

by Fleur Hupston

(Natural News) Women in particular tend to wear shoes that contribute to foot problems and back trouble, largely as a result of wearing high heels or badly fitting shoes. Many women walk an estimated 15 kilometers a day in the course of activities such as child-care, house-work and shopping without counting additional exercise such as walking, jogging or running on a treadmill. Even feet shod in the most comfortable of high tech runners or health shoes also get tired and need a little pampering - try these relaxing home made rubs and foot baths to control foot odor and help rejuvenate feet.

Rosemary Foot Rub for Aching Feet

3 tablespoons alcohol
1 1/2 cups dried rosemary leaves
1/2 cup massage oil

Pour the alcohol over the leaves and leave in a bowl to infuse for at least a day. Strain into a jar or other container, discard the leaves. Add the oil and mix well.

Rub into your feet yourself, or put your feet up and ask a friend to massage your feet with the solution. A good idea is to take the solution to a masseur and relax while the job gets professionally handled.

Minty Lemon Foot Bath

Pieces of lemon, chopped up (1 or 2 lemons)
A few drops of lemon essential oil
Half a cup of sea salt
1/4 cup roughly chopped mint leaves

Mix all ingredients into hot water. Wait till it cools to a bearable temperature and soak feet in the foot bath for 15 to 20 minutes. Pat feet dry.

Sandalwood Herbal Foot Bath

5 liters water
2 drops sandalwood essential oil
1/4 cup Epsom salt
Boil water and allow to cool. Add sandalwood oil and epsom salts. Soak feet in this wonderful foot bath for as long as desired.

Foot Bath for Smelly Feet

2 cups water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh or dried thyme
2 tablespoons fresh or dried mint

Allow ingredients to simmer in a pan - pour into a bowl and allow to cool until bearable. Soak feet in the bath and relax.

Frozen Water Bottle Cure for Feet Pain

Freeze a bottle of water, then wrap it in a towel. Take shoes off and roll the bottle with the foot. This is an excellent exercise for fallen arches and exhausted feet.

Foot pain can be a reminder that feet are being neglected. Corns, ingrown toenails, fallen arches, bunions, poor circulation and athlete's foot are a few of the more common reminders besides day-to-day problems such as foot odor. Before the time comes to keep a podiatrist in business, take the time to look after those hard working feet.

from your friendly crazyshrink

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

2009-12-05T10:56:00.001-08:00

Most of the shadows of life are caused by standing in our own sunshine.

Zig Ziglar

A SUPER EASY WAY TO SAVE MONEY

2009-12-05T10:06:00.001-08:00

A SUPER-EASY WAY TO SAVE MONEY FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL

By Barbara Rose

There are heaps of books in the world that tell you how to save money – and most of them require you to budget in some way. Well, I’m here to tell you that it is possible to save money – especially for something special - without building it into your budget!

Don’t believe me? Then read on!

This is what I do … and as it works really well for me, I’m sure it will work for you too.

At the end of every day, I -
• remove all the silver coins – 5c, 10c, 20c, and 50c - from my purse; and
• half the value of the gold coins - $1 and $2; then
• put all those coins in a money box.

Yes, there have been times when money has been tight, and during those times I have only relieved myself of the silver coins. If the value of the gold coins is an odd amount, I put the extra dollar into the money box. For example: if I have $5 in gold coins, $2 stays in my purse and $3 goes into the box. And if I only have one $1 coin, it goes into the tin. (As does one $2 coin because I can’t split it in half!)

I have been pleasantly surprised at how quickly the money is accumulated, especially if I am saving for Christmas. I remember how in one year I managed to completely fill one large money tin, and had to buy another.

It helps, of course, if the money box is one of those which has to be broken or destroyed in some way in order to extract the money. That’s because there is less temptation to dip into the saved amount. The emphasis here is on having a tin and not a jar (it’s way to easy to unscrew a jar and remove the contents!).

The beauty of this system is that you won’t miss a few cents every day.

I live in Australia where, as you can see, the coins are silver and gold. In your country, the colour of the coins may be different, ie you may have copper, silver and gold, or just copper and silver. So, what I suggest is this: every coin valued at less than a dollar goes into the tin, with half the value of coins over a dollar.

And if you live where dollars and cents are not the local currency, just modify the idea to suit.

Going through a rough financial patch? No problem, you can still save money. Just put the lowest valued coins into a tin, or the two lowest valued coins.

Think of this: if you put only 20c a day into your tin, that’s $1.40 a week or $72.80 at the end of a year; $8.40 a week will give you almost $437.

Not bad for loose change, eh?

About the author: Barbara Rose is a writer with a passion for everything! She is also a mentor, coach, teacher and alternative therapist who specializes in helping people reach their potential at all levels (spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical). Please visit www.barbaras-library.com for a complete list of Barbara’s articles and books. To find out more about Barbara please go to www.barbara-rose.name.

from your friendly crazyshrink

DO YOU ALLOW OTHERS TO HAVE POWER OVER YOU?

2009-12-05T09:40:00.000-08:00

The Plain Truth

By Robert Ringer

There are some people who aspire to have power over others. And there’s not a person on this earth who hasn’t found himself on the short end of that power stick at one time or another.

Have you ever asked yourself what it is that gives someone power over you? The truth be known, it’s a matter of perception – both the other person’s and yours. By this I mean that most power is abstract, and therefore impossible to quantify.

So the question becomes, “If the power someone holds over you is abstract, how can you overcome it?” Answer: You simply refuse to grant permission. You see, the only power another person can have over you is the power you give him.

Which means it’s really your power. And only you can grant another person permission to take your power. By the same token, you can refuse to grant that permission.

Of course, you do not verbally grant permission. It’s much more subtle than that. As I said, power is an abstraction. The way it normally happens is that you get yourself into a position where you need the other person. If, for example, you ask him for a favor, that immediately gives him power over you.

Thus, the surest way to prevent others from having power over you is to be independent. And the corollary to this is that independence gives you power. The plain truth is that even a master intimidator like Donald Trump would have no power over you if you were totally independent. He may be a powerful person in his own right, but his power would not affect you unless you allowed it to. And you certainly are under no obligation to do that.

The next time you feel as though you’re in a position of weakness when dealing with someone, remember that his power is really your power – power that you have given him. And anytime you wish to revoke that power, you need only withdraw your permission for him to use it.

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE

2009-12-05T08:30:00.000-08:00

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SELF-CLEANING WITH HO'OPONOPONO

2009-12-05T03:25:00.000-08:00

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from your friendly crazyshrink

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

2009-12-04T02:52:00.000-08:00

Love the true side of life; love the soul side of persons; and love the greater possibilities that are latent in circumstances, conditions and things.

Christian D. Larson

THE MANY FACES OF FEAR

2009-12-04T02:01:00.000-08:00

What’s Hiding in Your Mind?

Would you consider yourself to be a fearful person? Most people would probably answer no to that question, yet fear is one of the most common hindrances that people struggle with today. The reason for this discrepancy may surprise you: fear can easily disguise itself as seemingly logical beliefs, thoughts and feelings so you may not even realize it’s there.

Rather than using the word fear to describe their feelings, many people might choose words like doubt, concern, worry, anxiety, uncertainty, hesitation, apprehension, procrastination, distrust or unease.

Ultimately they mean the same thing as fear. There is a thought, feeling, belief, or possible outcome that makes you feel uncomfortable or threatened and you will instinctively avoid things that make you feel that way.

Here are some common fears that could be hiding in your mind:

Fear of Failure

If you have ever held back on a goal or avoided taking action that would lead to a positive outcome, you may have been fearful that you might fail. Fear of failure can be subtle because our minds can come up with endless excuses why it’s not a good time to take a risk right now, or how the odds don’t seem to be in our favor, and so on.

Fear of Success

It’s hard to believe that anyone could be afraid of success (isn’t success usually a good thing?) but it’s far more common than you might believe. Most often it’s not the success itself that people fear, but rather all of the responsibilities and uncertainties that come along with success. If you worry that you won’t be able to handle these things, you will resist putting yourself in a position where you would have to face them.

Fear of Rejection

Fear of rejection is usually related to low self-esteem, but may show up in subtle ways. You may lash out at others when a possible rejection is imminent; sabotage relationships so you can be the one who rejects the other person instead of them rejecting you; or you may simply withdraw from social interaction to avoid the possibility of being rejected at all.

Fear of Not Being Good Enough

This is another fear that is connected to self-esteem, and it often affects everything you do in life. You may avoid making changes to improve your life; settle for a dissatisfying job that pays less money than you are capable of earning; or continuously sabotage your goals. If you don’t believe you deserve to have better life circumstances you won’t allow yourself to create them.

Once you have identified one or more of these fears, you can begin diffusing them with mind and body techniques that will calm your emotions, relax your body and get your thoughts flowing in a positive direction again. For most people this will be an ongoing process because our minds become conditioned to respond to fear stimulus and it will seem to happen automatically for some time. However, getting into the habit of addressing the fear in new healthy ways should set a new pattern to minimize the conditioned responses and even eliminate them over time.

Take a few minutes to examine your fears.. What are you most afraid of? How about fear of betrayal? How about fear of abandonment? How about fear of illness? How about fear of spiders? How about fear of heights? How about fear of happiness? How about fear of standing out?

What is holding you back? What deprives you of leading a full and happy life? Do some stock-taking and then do something about your fears TODAY!

Check out the New Free e-book 22 Powerful Tools To Transform Your Fear Into Happiness, Peace and Inspiration. It's crammed full of valuable tips, exercises and ideas to help you eliminate fear from your life. It could be the most important e-book you read this year!

Recommended by your friendly crazyshrink

HUMOR OF THE DAY

2009-12-04T01:02:00.001-08:00

THE WONDERS OF REFLEXOLOGY: STRESS AMD BACK-PAIN RELIEF

2009-12-04T00:51:00.000-08:00

Foot Reflexology Massage Relieves Stress and Back Pain

by Fleur Hupston

(NaturalNews) Reflexology is the exerting of pressure on targeted areas of the feet (or hands) using the acupressure points found on a reflexology foot chart. The art is said to have originated in the lands of China, Egypt and India and has its basis in the belief that reflex points on the soles of the feet correspond to the various organs and parts of the body. For example, the inner edge of the foot has points relating to the spine and back, while the eyes, ears and sinuses are represented on the pads of the toes. Reflexologists believe that it is possible to restore health to the body by massaging these points.

Reflexology and Back Pain

Many people complain of back pain that ranges from niggling discomfort to chronic conditions. Mostly, this is not the result of injury or trauma. Less exercise, hard physical work and a generally sedentary lifestyle for many have contributed to the segments of the population who are virtually crippled with back problems. According to the World Health Organization, lower back pain is a leading cause of disability in the world.

The first step in addressing back problems through reflexology is to find a qualified reflexologist who will use specific techniques to exert deep pressure on the foot area corresponding with the specific back problem. This may be painful and several sessions may be required before the condition improves. Sore points are often the most important ones to work on, since they represent places where energy is blocked. A gentle spa type massage is probably not going to help much, pleasant as it may be.

Reflexology and Stress

Stress is sometimes referred to as a "silent killer". Stress is virtually considered as a normal condition in today's society. Road rage, family violence and outbursts can often be put down to stress at work or because of the fast pace of life these days. Reflexologists believe that a balance of mind-body-spirit is fundamental to well-being. Modern lifestyles tend to be more insular; the support once offered by a large, extended family is no longer available to many. The positive effect of therapeutic touch is recognized as being fundamental to a feeling of well-being.

A session with a reflexologist to alleviate stress is a drug-free, non-invasive way of reducing tension. To help the patient to relax, a practitioner may use some kind of aromatherapy massage oil or essential oil as part of the treatment. It is believed to encourage the release of endorphins, the body's natural feel-good hormones, well documented in their ability to relieve stress.

What to Expect from a Foot Reflexology Session

Reflexology is not a cure-all and may not help when there are serious underlying medical conditions. But it can reduce symptoms and aid in healing by improving lymphatic drainage and circulation, stimulation to the nerve pathways and muscle relaxation. Exercise, such as swimming or walking regularly, can aid in reducing back problems by strengthening back muscles and can also help to alleviate or reduce stress.

from your friendly crazyshrink

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

2009-12-03T09:45:00.001-08:00

It is man's capacity to think that makes him a creator instead of a creature.

Charles F. Haanel

TEACHINGS OF THE GREAT MASTERS: ON THE POWER OF DESIRE

2009-12-03T09:24:00.000-08:00

"Whatever the soul is taught to expect, that it will build."

Our heart longings, our soul aspirations, are something more than mere vaporings of the imagination or idle dreams. They are prophecies, predictions, couriers, forerunners of things which can become realities. They are indicators of our possibilities. They measure the height of our aim, the range of our efficiency.

What we yearn for, earnestly desire and strive to bring about, tends to become a reality. Our ideals are the foreshadowing outlines of realities behind them — the substance of the things hoped for.

The sculptor knows that his ideal is not a mere fantasy of his imagination, but that it is a prophecy, a foreshadowing of that which will carve itself in “marble real.”

When we begin to desire a thing, to yearn for it with all our hearts, we begin to establish relationship with it in proportion to the strength and persistency of our longing and intelligent effort to realize it.

The trouble with us is that we live too much in the material side of life, and not enough in the ideal. We should learn to live mentally in the ideal which, we wish to make real. if we want, for example, to keep young, we should live in the mental state of youth; to be beautiful, we should live more in the mental state of beauty.

The advantage of living in the ideal is that all imperfections, physical, mental, and moral, are eliminated. We can not see old age because old age is incompleteness, decrepitude, and these qualities can not exist in the ideal.

In the ideal, everything is youthful and beautiful; there is no suggestion of decay, of ugliness. The habit of living in the ideal, therefore, helps us wonderfully because it gives a perpetual pattern of the perfection for which we are striving. It increases hope and faith in our ultimate perfection and divinity, because in our vision we see glimpses of the reality which we instinctively feel must sometime, somewhere, be ours.

The habit of thinking and asserting things as we would like to have them, or as they ought to be, and of stoutly claiming our wholeness or completeness — believing that we can not lack any good thing because we are one with the All Good,—supplies the pattern which the life-processes within us will reproduce. Keep constantly in your mind the ideal of the man or woman you would like to become. Hold the ideal of your efficiency and wholeness, and instantly strangle every disease image or suggestion of inferiority. Never allow yourself to dwell upon your weaknesses, deficiencies, or failures. Holding firmly the ideal and struggling vigorously to attain it will help you to realize it.

There is a tremendous power in the habit of expectancy, of believing that we shall realize our ambition; that our dreams will come true.

There is no more uplifting habit than that of bearing a hopeful attitude, of believing that things are going to turn out well and not ill; that we are going to succeed and not fail; that no matter what may or may not happen, we are going to be happy.

There is nothing else so helpful as the carrying of this optimistic, expectant attitude — the attitude which always looks for and expects the best, the highest, the happiest — and never allowing oneself to get into a pessimistic - discouraged mood.

Believe with all your heart that you will do what you were made to do. Never for an instant harbor a doubt of it. Drive it out of your mind if it seeks entrance. Entertain only the friend thoughts or ideals of the thing you are determined to achieve. Reject all thought enemies, all discouraging moods — everything which would even suggest failure or unhappiness.

It does not matter what you are trying to do or to be, always assume an expectant, hopeful, optimistic attitude regarding it. You will be surprised to see how you will grow in all your faculties, and how you will improve generally.

When the mind has once formed the habit of holding cheerful, happy, prosperous pictures, it will not be easy to form the opposite habit. If our children could only acquire this one habit, it would revolutionize our civilization very quickly and advance our life standards immeasurably. A mind so trained would always be in a condition to exercise its maximum power and overcome inharmony, unkindness and the hundred and one enemies of our peace, comfort, efficiency, and success.

The very habit of expecting that the future is full of good things for you, that you are going to be prosperous and happy, that you are going to have a fine family, a beautiful home, and are going to stand for something, is the best kind of capital with which to start life.

What we try persistently to express we tend to achieve, even though it may not seem likely or even possible. If we always try to express the ideal, the thing we would like to come true in our lives, whether it be robust health, a noble character, or a superb career, if we visualize it as vividly as possible and try with all our might to realize it, it is much more likely to come to us than if we do not.

Many people allow their desires and longings to fade out. They do not realize that the very intensity and persistency of desire increases the power to realize their dreams. The constant effort to keep the desire alive increases the capacity to realize the vision.

It does not matter how improbable or how far away this realization may seem, or how dark the prospects may be, if we visualize them as best we can, as vividly as possible, hold tenaciously to them and vigorously struggle to attain them, they will gradually become actualized, realized in the life. But a desire, a longing without endeavor, a yearning abandoned or held indifferently will vanish without realization.

It is only when desire crystallizes into resolve, however, that it is effective. It is the desire coupled with the vigorous determination to realize it that produces the creative power. It is the yearning, the longing and striving together, that produce results.

We are constantly increasing or decreasing our efficiency by the quality and character of our thoughts, emotions, and ideals. If we could always hold the ideal of wholeness and think of ourselves as perfect beings, even as He is perfect, any tendency to disease anywhere would be neutralized by this restorative healing force.

Think and say only that which you wish to become true. People who are always excusing themselves; constantly saying that they are tired, used up, played out, “all in,” that they are all out of kilter somewhere; that they are always unfortunate, unlucky; that fate seems to be against them; that they are poor and always expect to be; that they have worked hard and tried to get ahead, but could not, little realize that they are etching these black pictures — enemies of their peace, happiness, and success, and the very things which they ought to wipe out of their minds forever — deeper and deeper into their consciousness, and are making it all the more certain that they will be realized in their lives. Never for an instant admit that you are sick, weak, or ill unless you wish to experience these conditions, for the very thinking of them helps them to get a stronger hold upon you. We are all the products of our own thoughts. Whatever we concentrate upon, that we are. The daily habit of picturing oneself as a superb man sent to earth with a divine mission, and with the ability and the opportunity to deliver it grandly, gives a marvelous confidence, uplifting power and perpetual encouragement.

If you wish to improve yourself in any particular, visualize the quality as vividly and as tenaciously as possible and hold a superior ideal along the line of your ambition. Keep this persistently in the mind until you feel its uplift and realization in your life. Gradually the weak, imperfect man, which mistakes, Sins and vicious living have made, will be replaced by the ideal man; your other, better God-self.

Every life follows its ideal; is colored by it; takes on its character; becomes like it. You can read a man’s character if you know his ideal, for this always dominates his life.

Our ideals are great character-molders, and have a tremendous 1ife-shaping influence. Our heart’s habitual desire soon shows itself in the face; out-pictures itself in the life. We can not long keep from the face that which habitually lives in our minds.

We develop the quality of the thought, emotion, ideal, or ambition which takes the strongest hold upon us. Therefore, you should let everything in you point toward superiority, nobility. Let there be an upward trend in your thinking. Resolve that you will never have anything to do with inferiority in your thoughts or your actions; that whatever you do shall bear the stamp of excellence.

This upreaching of the mind, this stretching of the mentality toward higher ideals and grander things, has an elevating, transforming influence which tends to lift the whole life to higher levels.

Human life is so constructed that we live largely upon hope; the faith that runs ahead and sees what the physical eye can not see.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the outline of the image itself; the real substance, not merely a mental image. There is something back of the faith, back of the hope, back of the heart yearnings; there is a reality to match our legitimate longing.

What we believe is coming to us is a tremendous creative motive. The dream of home, of prosperity, the expectancy of being a person of influence, of standing for something, of carrying weight in our community, — all these things are powerful creative motives.

Your whole thought current must be set in the direction of your life purpose. The great miracles of civilization are wrought by thought concentration. Live in the very soul of expectation of better things, in the conviction that something large, grand, and beautiful will await you if your efforts are intelligent, if your mind is kept in a creative condition and you struggle upward to your goal. Live in the conviction that you are eternally progressing, advancing toward something higher, better, in every atom of your being.

Many people have an idea that it is dangerous to indulge their dreaming faculties, their imagination, very much, for fear that in doing so they would become impracticable; but these faculties are just as sacred as any others we possess. They were given us for a divine purpose; so that we could get glimpses of intangible realities. They enable us to live in the ideal, even when we are compelled to work in the midst of a disagreeable or inhospitable environment.

Our dreaming capacity gives us a peep into the glorious realities that await us further on. It is the evidence of things possible to us.

Building air castles should no longer be looked upon as an idle, meaningless pastime. We first build our castles in our consciousness; picture them in detail in our ambition, before we put foundations under them and reality into them.

Dreaming is not always castle-building. Every real castle, every home, every building was an air castle first. Legitimate dreaming is creative; it is bringing into reality our desires; the things for which we long and hope. A building would be impossible without the plans of an architect; it must be created mentally. The architect sees behind the plans the building in all its perfection and beauty.

Whatever comes to us in life we create first in our mentality. As the building is a reality in all its details in the architect’s mind before a stone or brick is laid, so we create mentally everything which later becomes a reality in our achievement.

Our visions are the plans of the possible life structure; but they will end in plans if we do not follow them up with a vigorous effort to make them real; just as the architect’s plans will end in his drawings if they are not followed up and made real by the builder.

All men who have achieved great things have been dreamers, and what they have accomplished has been just in proportion to the vividness, the energy and persistency with which they visualized their ideals; held to their dreams and struggled to make them come true.

Do not give up your dream because it is apparently not being realized; because you can not see it coming true. Cling to your vision with all the tenacity you can muster. Keep it bright; do not let the bread-and-butter side of life cloud your ideal or dim it. Keep in an ambition-arousing atmosphere. Read the books which will stimulate your ambition. Get close to people who have done what you are trying to do, and try to absorb the secret of their success.

This mental visualizing of the ideal as vividly and as sharply as possible is the mental molding of the thing that will finally match your vision with its reality; that will make your dream come true.

Take a little time before retiring at night and get by yourself. Sit quietly and think and dream to your heart’s content. Do not be afraid of your vision, or of your power to dream, for “without a vision the people perish.” The faculty to dream was not given to mock you. There is a reality back of it. It is a divine gift intended to give you a glimpse of the grand things in store for you and to lift you out of the common into the uncommon; out of hampering, iron conditions into ideal ones, and to show you that these things can become realities in your life. These glimpses into paradise are intended to keep us from getting discouraged by our failures and disappointments.

I do not mean fanciful, ephemeral pipe dreaming, but real, legitimate desire and the sacred longings of the soul, which are given us as constant reminders that we can make our lives sublime; that no matter how disagreeable or unfriendly our surroundings may be, we can lift ourselves into the ideal conditions which we see in our vision.

There is a divinity behind our legitimate desires.

By the desires that have divinity in them, I do not refer to the things that we want but do not need; I do not refer to the desires that turn to dead-sea fruit on our lips or to ashes when eaten, but to the legitimate desires of the soul for the realization of those ideals, the longing for full, complete self-expression, for the time and opportunity for the weaving of the pattern shown us in the moment of our highest transfiguration.

“A man will remain a rag picker as long he has only a rag picker’s vision.”

Our mental attitude, our heart’s desire, is our perpetual prayer which Nature answers. She takes it for granted that we desire what our heart asks for — that what we want we are headed toward, and she helps us to it. People little realize that their desires are their perpetual prayers — not head prayers, but heart prayers — and that they are granted.

James Allen, The Miracle of Right Thought

from your friendly crazyshrink

YOUR WORD IS YOUR WAND: PROSPERITY AFFIRMATIONS

2009-12-03T08:53:00.000-08:00

10 Powerful Prosperity Affirmations by Florence Scovel Shinn

I now release the gold-mine within me. I am linked with an endless golden stream of prosperity which comes to me under Grace in a perfect way.

My God is a God of plenty and I now receive all that I desire or require, and more.

All that is mine by Divine Right is now released and reaches me in great avalanches of abundance, under Grace, in miraculous ways.

My ships come in over a calm sea under Grace in perfect ways.

My poise is built upon a rock. I see clearly and act quickly.

I give thanks that the millions which are mine by Divine Right now pour in and pile up under Grace, in perfect ways.

I spend money under direct inspiration wisely and fearlessly, knowing my supply is endless and immediate.

Unexpected doors fly open, unexpected channels are free and endless avalanches of abundance are poured out upon me, under Grace in perfect ways.

I am fearless in letting money go out, knowing God is my immediate and endless supply.

Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of abundance forever.

Stumped about creating your own affirmations? Check out the Affirmations Cheat Sheet - a free report containing affirmations for health, abundance, self-improvement and more. You can start using them today!

from your friendly crazyshrink

LAUGH OF THE DAY

2009-12-01T08:23:00.001-08:00

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

2009-12-01T08:20:00.001-08:00

Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.

William James

SELF-SABOTAGING LIMITING BELIEFS

2009-12-01T07:50:00.000-08:00

Your beliefs about self, others and the world can either be the gateways to all that you seek or the binding chains that keep you stuck in patterns of failure, struggle and heart-ache.

Your beliefs are the unconscious blueprints of your world and supersede the conscious workings of the mind.

Your beliefs can either imprison you or liberate you.

Your beliefs may be yesterday's mental garbage creating more of the same in your future.

You beliefs are the building blocks of your reality and the foundation of your world.

Your beliefs cannot change on their own; if you don't take control and change them, they are compounded by the experiences they themselves generate in a detrimental Catch-22.

Learn How to Break Free From your Limiting Beliefs! Order your BeliefBusterKit today!

from your friendly crazyshrink

TEACHINGS OF THE GREAT MASTERS: ON HURRY AND FEAR

2009-12-01T07:26:00.000-08:00

Do not get into a hurry and act from superficial impulses. You can trust God for the solution of all your personal riddles. There is no hurry. There is only God, and all is well with the world.

Hurry is a manifestation of fear: he who fears not has plenty of time. If you act with perfect faith in your own perceptions of truth, you will never be too late or too early; and nothing will go wrong. If things appear to be going wrong, do not get disturbed in mind; it is only an appearance. Nothing can go wrong in this world but yourself; and you can go wrong only by getting into the wrong mental attitude. Whenever you find yourself getting excited, worried, or into a mental attitude of hurry, sit down and think it over; play a game of some kind, or take a vacation. Go on a trip, and all will be right when you return. So surely as you find yourself in the attitude of haste, just so surely may you know that you are out of the attitude of greatness.

Hurry and fear will instantly cut your connection with the universal mind; you will get no power, no wisdom, and no information until you are calm. And to fall into the attitude of hurry will check the action of the Principle of Power within you. Fear turns strength into weakness.

So long as you hold your thought and your faith right all must go well. Nothing can go wrong but your own personal attitude, and that will not be wrong if you trust and are not afraid.

Remember that poise and power are inseparably associated. The calm and balanced mind is the strong and great mind; the hurried and agitated mind is the week one. Whenever you fall into the mental state of hurry you may know that you have lost the right viewpoint; you are beginning to look upon the world, or some part of it, as going wrong.

Nothing is going wrong; nothing can be wrong; be poised, be calm, be cheerful; have faith in God.

Wallace D. Wattles, The Science of Being Great

from your friendly crazyshrink

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

2009-12-01T02:41:00.001-08:00

Minds are like parachutes; they only function when they are open.

Thomas Dewar

FREE INTERACTIVE WEBINAR WITH DR. EPSTEIN

2009-12-01T01:47:00.000-08:00

Hi friends!

I'm happy to announce a free, informal webinar with Dr. Epstein today, Tuesday, December 1, 9 to 10 p.m. Eastern Time (6-7 p.m. Pacific Time).

Ask Dr. Epstein questions about any psychology-related matters: relationships, love, parenting, stress, depression, sexual orientation, creativity, you name it.

To log in just click here!

(http://www.ustream.tv/channel/dr-robert-epstein)

No sign-in required. You'll go directly to Dr. Epstein's webinar.

It's free and your anonymity is guaranteed. Don't miss this great opportunity!

your friendly crazyshrink

LAUGH OF THE DAY

2009-12-01T01:38:00.000-08:00

HOME-MADE SOOTHING RELAXING HERBAL TEAS

2009-12-01T01:15:00.000-08:00

How to Dry Herbs and Make Relaxing Herbal Tea

by Fleur Hupston

(Natural News) It is well documented that drinking herbal teas can benefit health as well as contribute to a feeling of relaxation. Herbs can be used fresh or dried. Drying them at home will generally mean cheaper and fresher herbal tea than teas that are shop bought. All herbal teas have health benefits - they may soothe stress, relieve indigestion and lower rate of cancers by serving as antioxidants, and most contain some vitamins or minerals. Caution does need to be exercised, however. Do not overdo quantities and consult a qualified homeopath if pregnant or trying to get pregnant.

Tips on How to Dry Herbs

All herbs, including barks, rinds and stalks must be dried properly or they will rot. Over-dried herbs, or herbs left out too long in relentless sunlight will lose their flavor and properties. The ideal spot to dry herbs is a dry, airy place out of the direct sunlight.

Binding a bunch of herbs and hanging them upside down to dry is a method that has been used successfully for centuries. Another method is to lay the herbs flat on a clean towel or absorbent paper, where the air can still circulate.

The herbs should be dry after a period of two to three weeks and should still retain some color although dried out. For a quick solution, herbs can also be oven-dried by arranging the herbs on absorbent paper, turning the oven on to the lowest setting and allowing to dry out. Keep the oven door open and check every ten minutes or so to ensure that the herbs are not cooking or burning.

All teas should be used within three months, discard after this time since they will become stale after long storage. When storing, use an airtight container.

The following recipes can be used with fresh or dried herbs:

Relaxing Bedtime Herbal Tea Recipe

4 cups water
3 tsp linden flowers
3 tsp chamomile
1 tsp orange zest (no white pith)
1/4 tsp stevia or 1/2 tsp honey

Brew, discard herbs and enjoy.

Cold and Flu Tea (serves one)

3 slices fresh ginger
5 - 10 leaves chopped fresh sage or 2 tsp dried sage
2 - 3 sprigs fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp raw honey
juice of half a lemon
dash of cayenne pepper

Brew, steep herbs for a few minutes, discard herbs and add the lemon, honey and pepper.

Soothing and Refreshing Teas

Experiment with a flavor that suits you for the following recipes:

English lavender flowers and lemon grass. Brew for a gentle, stress relieving tea

Lemon grass and peppermint with a little dried grated orange rind (avoid the pith). Brew for a drink after a hot and stressful day.

Parts Bergamot leaves and a few Bergamot flowers, 1 part lemon verbena leaves, a little dried grated orange rind. Brew for an enlivening start to the day.

from your friendly crazyshrink

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

2009-11-30T08:10:00.001-08:00

The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.

Plutarch

TEACHINGS OF THE GREAT MASTERS: ON FLEXIBILITY

2009-11-30T07:42:00.000-08:00

An exquisite contradiction

You are the same person you were yesterday, and yet you are also more than you have been before. You are changing on a moment by moment basis, and yet at some level you remain the same person you have always been.

Stop for a moment and consider what a beautiful paradox it is. You constantly move through life, learning, growing, experiencing, becoming, while all the time continuing to be you.

You can embrace change without abandoning the absolute, fundamental values which provide a solid foundation for your existence, your purpose, your fulfillment. You can stand firm while at the same time learning, adjusting, accepting and adapting.

Part of moving successfully forward is your ability to stay firmly anchored to who you are and to what you know is always true. And part of maintaining a strong sense of who you are is your willingness to change for the better.

You are fixed and you are flexible. It is an exquisite contradiction. Learn to see the value in those things which do not change, and also in those things which can be changed for the better. They both have their place, they both have their value, and they both are yours to use in living a life of meaning and fulfillment.

By Ralph Marston, from Living the Wonder of It All

from your friendly crazyshrink

LAUGH OF THE DAY

2009-11-29T10:48:00.000-08:00

BEAUTIFUL HAIR WITH AROMATHERAPY OILS AND HERBAL PACKS

2009-11-28T09:30:00.000-08:00

Use Natural and Safe Treatments for Dry, Damaged and Frizzy Hair

by Fleur Hupston

(NaturalNews) Aromatherapy oil combinations and simple homemade herbal hair packs can provide gentle, non-harmful ways of moisturizing and repairing damaged hair. Regular use of over-the-counter shampoos and conditioners laden with toxic chemicals can dry and strip hair. Instead, try these easy home-made treatments to help revive, shine and clean hair in the best way possible, the natural way.

Hair Products to Avoid

Hair will certainly be stripped and damaged with the continual use of detergent type shampoos. Look out for shampoos containing Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS). This chemical is a skin, lung, and eye irritant, is suspected to cause cancer and damages hair follicles, according to the Journal of the American College of Toxicology.

Aromatherapy treatment for dry hair is simply a matter of adding essential oils of choice to a base oil appropriate for dry hair, such as coconut oil, almond oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil or olive oil.

Some of the best essential oils to choose from for dry hair are Lavender, Rosemary, Rosewood, Geranium or Sandalwood.

Aromatherapy Recipe for Damaged Hair

1 teaspoon Sesame oil
1 tablespoon Sweet Almond oil
1 tablespoon Peach Kernel oil
Half teaspoon Avocado oil
Half teaspoon Evening Primrose or Borage oil
2 drops Carrot essential oil
3 drops Geranium essential oil

Apply to hair and allow to soak into the hair, for 20 minutes or so.

Home-Made Shampoo for Dry Hair with Chamomile

Place 5 tablespoons of chamomile flowers in a bowl and add 4 cups of boiling water. Allow to steep, covered, for half an hour. Strain the liquid and add 4 ounces of Castile soap flakes. Shake the bottle and use this as shampoo. Used continuously, hair should eventually lose its dryness.

Hot Oil Treatment Recipe for Frizzy, Dry Hair

Apply warm olive oil or coconut oil all over hair. Massage into the scalp. Cover the head with a warm towel and leave for 20 min. Then take a bath and wash hair with a gentle, natural shampoo.

Hair Pack for Damaged Hair

Mash a ripe banana with a few drops of almond oil and massage into hair. Leave it for about 15 minutes. Rinse with water and shampoo in the usual way.

Recipe for Soft, Silky Hair

Mix 3 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of honey, massage into hair. Wrap the hair with a towel or shower cap and let it rest for 15 minutes. Shampoo and rinse the hair.

Tips on Treatment for Damaged Hair

Even if a good, healthy diet is being followed, avoiding the following practices will result in hair that is less dry and damaged and easier to manage:

Avoid central heating, overly hot water in baths or showers, over-washing of hair, rough towel drying, hot rollers and the use of harsh dyes and shampoos.

Stay away from hair styling products like gels, hair sprays, colorants and so on which have a damaging effect on hair. Perming, blow drying, straightening or curling hair can cause dryness.

Radiant beauty from the inside out: rejuvenate your skin, bring out the shine on your hair and regain your high energy and mood levels with a raw fruit and vegetable regime before the holidays. Check out the Aloha Joy Raw Food Diet, created by my friend Christopher Westra, detox your body and boost your metabolism with natural vitamins! Get high on Life!

from your friendly crazyshrink

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

2009-11-28T09:13:00.001-08:00

If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it is enough.

Meister Eckhardt

CHARLES F. HAANEL, A GREAT METAPHYSICAL TEACHER

2009-11-28T08:55:00.000-08:00

In memory of Charles F. Haanel, who died 60 years ago today.

AN EXCERPT FROM MENTAL CHEMISTRY
By Charles F. Haanel

MENTAL CHEMISTRY

Chemistry is the science which treats of the intra-atomic or the intra-molecular changes which material things undergo under various influences.

Mental is defined as “of or appertaining to the mind, including intellect, feeling, and will, or the entire rational nature.”

Science is knowledge gained and verified by exact observation and correct thinking.

Mental chemistry is, therefore, the science which treats of the changes which material conditions undergo through the operations of the mind, verified by exact observation and correct thinking.

As the transformations which are brought about in applied chemistry are the result of the orderly combination of materials, it follows that mental chemistry brings about results in a like manner.

Any conceivable number may be formed with the Arabic numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0.

Any conceivable thought may be expressed with the 26 letters of the alphabet.

Any conceivable thing can be organized with the 14 elements and always and only by the proper grouping of electrons into molecules.

When two or more molecules are grouped a new individuality is created, and this individuality which has been called into being possesses characteristics which are not possessed by either of the elements which gave it being.

Thus one atom of sodium and one of chlorine give us salt, and this combination alone can give us salt, and no other combination of elements can give us salt, and salt is something very different from either of the elements of which it is composed.

What is true in the inorganic world is likewise true in the organic--certain conscious processes will produce certain effects, and the result will invariably be the same. The same thought will always be followed by the same consequence, and no other thought will serve the purpose.

This must necessarily be true because the principle must exist independently of the organs through which they function. Light must exist--otherwise there could be no eye. Sound must exist--otherwise there could be no ear.
Mind must exist--otherwise there could be no brain.

Mental action is therefore the interaction of the individual upon the Universal Mind, and as the Universal Mind is the intelligence which pervades all space and animates all living things, this mental action and reaction is the Law of causation.

It is the Universal Chemist, but the principle of causation does not obtain in the individual mind but in the Universal Mind. It is not an objective faculty but a subjective process.

The individual may, however, bring the power into manifestation and as the possible combinations of thought are infinite, the results are seen in an infinite variety of conditions and experiences.

Primordial man, naked and bestial, squatting in gloomy caverns, gnawing bones, was born, lived, and died in a hostile world. His hostility and his wretchedness arose from his ignorance. His handmaidens were Hate and Fear. His sole reliance was his club. He saw in the beasts, forests, torrents, seas, clouds, and even in his fellow man, only enemies. He recognized no ties binding them one to another or to himself.

Modern man is born to comparative luxury. Love rocks his cradle and shields his youth. When he goes forth to struggle he wields a pencil, not a club. He relies upon his brain, now his brawn. He knows the physical as neither master nor equal, but as a useful servant. His fellow men and the forces of Nature are his friends--not his enemies.

These tremendous changes, from hate to love, from fear to confidence, from material strife to mental control, have been wrought by the slow dawn of Understanding. In direct proportion as he understands Cosmic Law is man’s lot enviable or the reverse....

.........

...Through the conscious mind we know ourselves as individuals, and take cognizance of the world about us. The subconscious mind is the storehouse of past thoughts.

We can understand the action of the conscious and subconscious minds by observing the process by which the child learns to play the piano. He is taught how to hold his hands and strike the keys, but at first he finds it somewhat difficult to control the movement of his fingers. He must practice daily, must concentrate his thoughts upon his fingers, consciously making the right movements. These thoughts, in time, become subconscious, and the fingers are directed and controlled in the playing by the subconsciousness. In his first months, and possibly first years of practice, the pupil can perform only by keeping his conscious mind centered upon the work; but
later he can play with ease and at the same time carry on a conversation with those about him, because the subconscious has become so thoroughly imbued with the idea of right movements that it can direct them without demanding the attention of the conscious mind.

The subconscious cannot take the initiative. It carried out only what is suggested by the conscious mind. But these suggestions it carries out faithfully, and it is this close relation between the conscious and subconscious which makes the conscious thinking so important.

Man’s organism is controlled by the subconscious thought; circulation, breathing, digestion, and assimilation are all activities controlled by the subconscious. The subconscious is continually getting its impulses from the conscious, and we have only to change our conscious thought to get a corresponding change in the subconscious.

We live in a fathomless sea of plastic mind substance. This substance is ever alive and active. It is sensitive to the highest degree. It takes form according to the mental demand. Thought forms the mould or matrix from which the substance expresses. Our ideal is the mould from which our future will emerge.

The Universe is alive. In order to express life there must be mind; nothing can exist without mind. Everything which exists is some manifestation of this one basic substance from which and by which all things have been created and are continually being recreated. It is man’s capacity to think that makes him a creator instead of a creature.

All things are the result of the thought process. Man has accomplished the seemingly impossible because he has refused to consider it impossible. By concentration men have made the connection between the finite and the Infinite, the limited and the Unlimited, the visible and the Invisible, the personal and the Impersonal.

Great musicians have succeeded in thrilling the world by the creation of divine rhapsodies. Great inventors have made the connection and startled the world by their wonderful creations. Great authors, great philosophers, great scientists have secured this harmony to such an extent that though their writings were created hundreds of years ago, we are just beginning to realize their truth. Love of music, love of business, love of creation caused these people to concentrate, and the ways and means of materializing their ideals slowly but surely developed.

Throughout the entire Universe the law of cause and effect is ever at work. This law is supreme; here a cause, there an effect. They can never operate independently. One is supplementary to the other. Nature at all times is endeavoring to establish a perfect equilibrium. This is the law of the Universe and is ever active. Universal harmony is the goal for which all nature strives. The entire cosmos moves under this law. The sun, the moon, the stars are all held in their respective positions because of harmony. They travel their orbits, they appear at certain times in certain places, and because of the precision of this law, astronomers are able to tell us where various
stars will appear in a thousand years. The scientist bases his entire hypothesis on this law of cause and effect. nowhere is it held in dispute except in the domain of man. Here we find people speaking of luck, chance, accident, and mishap; but is any one of these possible? Is the Universe a unit? If so, and there is law and order in one part, it must extend throughout all parts. This is a scientific deduction.

Like begets like on every plane of existence, and while people believe this more or less vaguely, they refuse to give it any consideration where they are concerned. This is due to the fact that heretofore man could never realize how he set certain causes in motion which related him with his various experiences.

It is only in the past few years that a working hypothesis could be formulated to apply this law to man--the goal of the Universe is harmony. This means a perfect balance between all things.

from your friendly crazyshrink

HUMOR OF THE DAY

2009-11-27T03:12:00.000-08:00

JUICE FASTING: LOSING WEIGHT THE FUN AND EASY WAY

2009-11-27T02:55:00.000-08:00

Juice Fasting Leads to Easy Weight Loss

by Kim Evans

(NaturalNews) Juice fasting is a powerful detoxification method and an easy way to lose weight quickly. With juice fasting, you'll consume considerable nutrition through freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices, but forgo any solid foods. Juice fasting is a powerful detoxification method because when your body isn't digesting food, your body can divert its extra energy to cleansing itself and eliminating old, unneeded tissue.

Most people don't know it, but our bodies use considerable amounts of energy just to digest our daily meals. It's estimated that up to thirty percent of all of the energy a person produces each day is used to digest food. Common meat and carbohydrate heavy meals require considerably more energy to digest than meals consisting primarily of fruits and vegetables.

In addition to giving your body considerable stores of energy to cleanse and heal itself, juice fasting can be a very easy way to lose weight quickly. In fact, if you have weight to lose, you'll find pounds and inches melt off in just a few days. It's not uncommon to lose 10 pounds with a week of juice fasting, if you have weight to lose. However, if you're already lean you simply won't lose much weight. It's amazing how intelligent our bodies are when we return to natural methods.

Juice fasting is beneficial for weight loss because your liver, your prime detoxification organ, is also your prime fat burning organ. So when you detoxify your body, you are freeing up your liver's resources to burn fat. However, when your body is overwhelmed with the need to detoxify itself, which is common these days, your liver will have a difficult time getting around to burning fat.

Our bodies are designed to fast occasionally. Many studies have shown that reduced caloric intake leads to health and longer life. A 1930's study from the University of Chicago found that worms who fasted regularly lived 19 generations longer than their non-fasting and regularly fed relatives. In human terms that's equivalent to having a 600-700 year life expectancy. Interestingly, that's about the same life expectancy quoted in the Bible for humans when human life began on earth.

In fact, it's likely that when humans were first around fasting was a regular occurrence simply due to the lack of established food production and distribution systems. At that time the things we regularly poison ourselves with (pesticides, chemical drugs, hormones in foods, plastics, vaccines, and virtually all man-made chemicals) weren't in existence either. Today, many of these poisons are difficult to avoid and it's challenging to even understand what our potential could be since most of us consume poisons with each meal, glass of water and breath - and have been since day one.

Understanding Fasting and Detoxification

Especially if you're new to cleansing and detoxification, you may experience detoxification symptoms when juice fasting. This can mean you might have headaches, nausea, or feel a bit out of it. It's important to understand that this is part of the detoxification process, and simply how people feel when they have large amounts of toxins and poisons in their bloodstream. However, to remove those poisons from your body they'll need to temporarily be in your bloodstream before they can exit, which is the reason you might feel a bit badly. In any case, it's important to know what's going on.

To help ease detoxification symptoms and really detoxify your body, colon cleansing and liver cleansing (with coffee enemas) work wonders when combined with fasting. These methods will help you remove more gunk than you can imagine and they'll help you feel better while cleansing too.

Alternatively, you could choose to detox your body by going on a raw vegetable and fruit regime. My friend Christopher Westra has created a fun and easy to follow program complete with 25 delicious recipes he offers you for free. Check out the Aloha Joy Diet that not only guarantees a complete detox, but also many other health, stamina, and mood benefits as well. What a great way to get ready for the holidays!

from your friendly crazyshrink

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

2009-11-26T23:55:00.000-08:00

A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.

Hugh Downs

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BEING CREATIVE: FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR IDEA

2009-11-26T09:25:00.000-08:00

Falling in Love with Your Idea

by Susie Arnett

Have an idea? Not sure what to do next?

I’m sure it’s happened to you… you are in the shower and you’re struck as if by lightning with an amazing idea. You’re sure it’s the best idea you’ve ever had. You love it. You may even covet it, afraid to share it with others, like a jealous lover, so nobody will steal it… But now what?

Far too often, this is where things come to a grinding stop. Like an infatuation, it’s as if you’re always just staring at it across the room but never getting to touch it, taste it, feel it.

But what if this time it’s different and you really do want to create something? Then what do you do? As an Idea Coach, I assist people in developing their ideas. What I’ve learned is that you and your idea are in a relationship and evolving it requires connecting at the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels.

Let’s begin with the physical aspect, since so many relationships start there.

You love your idea, right? You’re passionate about it. First base in this case is to write it down. Some people never take this step, too afraid of making a mistake, doing it wrong. Performance anxiety crops up. But like a first kiss, there is no right or wrong. You have to just take the plunge. I prefer pencil and big paper instead of typing because computers tend to make things too mental and this is the time to feel into it.

Use your senses. Feel the pencil scratching across the paper. Get colored markers and draw a picture of your idea, even if it’s a book. Create an image of this thought that has taken hold in your mind. What would your idea smell like, what is it’s texture? Add all this to your image.

The emotional aspect is really the engine of this process. It’s the love and passion that gets you through the weeks when the publisher or venture capitalist turns you down. Remember how you felt when you first had the idea, close your eyes, and fill your body with that feeling for a minimum of 5 minutes.

Then, there’s the mental aspect. This is the stage of due diligence where you do your market research, analyze the competition to confirm that this idea really is worth your 100% commitment. Answer basic questions like how is my idea unique or who is my customer.

The spiritual aspect is my favorite. Think about this as tantric idea development where you connect, commune, become one with your idea, when you listen to your idea instead of spending the evening blathering on about your childhood.

Depending on your taste, there are many ways to do this. My goal is always to access the “field” of the idea, to see how it can inform me of what it wants and needs to move forward. Since we are simply the vehicles our ideas use to come into being, we need to listen. Write your idea on a piece of paper and sit on it. Then, wait patiently for its voice to speak to you. It may sound odd but I have been amazed at the insights that come through in this process.

Taking something from an electrical impulse in your brain to a product on a shelf requires action, clear thinking, courage, and connection. With these thoughts in mind, you will be able to move forward, one sense at a time, one level at a time, until you’ve moved in together, signed a legal contract, and begun spawning sequels, product extensions, and ancillary merchandising.

from your friendly crazyshrink

HUMOR OF THE DAY

2009-11-26T01:47:00.001-08:00

LET'S GIVE THANKS

2009-11-26T01:41:00.001-08:00

LET'S GIVE THANKS

For each new morning with its light
For rest and shelter of the night
For health and food and love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

2009-11-25T00:01:00.001-08:00

Go out on a limb; that's where the fruit is.

Mark Twain

AS THE DAY OF THANKGIVING IS APPROACHING...

2009-11-24T09:24:00.000-08:00

The law of gratitude is the natural principle that action and reaction are always equal, and in opposite directions. The grateful outreaching of your mind in thankful praise to the Supreme is a liberation or expenditure of force; it cannot fail to reach that to which it is addressed, and the reaction is an instantaneous movement towards you.

If your gratitude is strong and constant, the reaction in Formless Substance will be strong and continuous; the movement of the things you want will be always toward you.

The grateful mind is constantly fixed upon the best; therefore it tends to become the best; it takes the form and character of the best, and will receive the best.

Wallace D. Wattles, The Science of Success

TIME FOR OUR DAILY LAUGH!

2009-11-24T09:12:00.000-08:00

from your friendly crazyshrink

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

2009-11-23T01:19:00.000-08:00

The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor can man be perfected without trials.

Confucius

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YOUR WORD IS YOUR WAND: SOME MORE POWERFUL AFFIRMATIONS

2009-11-23T00:39:00.000-08:00

10 More Powerful Affirmations by Florence Scovel Shinn

There are no obstacles in Divine Mind, therefore, there is nothing to obstruct my good.

All obstacles now vanish from my pathway. Doors fly open, gates are lifted and I enter the kingdom of fulfillment under grace.

Rhythm, harmony and balance are now established in my mind, body and affairs.

New fields of Divine activity now open for me and these fields are white with harvest.

The Divine Plan of my life now takes shape in definite, concrete experiences leading to my heart's desire.

I now draw from the Universal Substance, with irresistible power and determination, that which is mine by Divine Right.

My good now flows to me in a steady, unbroken, ever-increasing stream of success, happiness, and abundance.

I am in perfect harmony with working of the Law. I stand aside and let Infinite Intelligence make easy and successful my way.

Every man is a golden link in the chain of my good.

I do not limit God by seeing limitation in myself. With God and myself all things are possible.

Stumped about creating you own affirmations? Check out the Affirmation Cheat Sheet - a free report containing affirmations for health, abundance self-improvement and more. You can start using them today!

from your friendly crazyshrink

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

2009-11-22T03:31:00.000-08:00

The time to be happy is now. The place to be happy is here. The way to be happy is to make others so.

Robert G. Ingersoll

SLEEPING IN A DARK ROOM MAY PREVENT DEPRESSION

2009-11-22T03:27:00.001-08:00

By S. L. Baker

(NaturalNews) Do you fall asleep while reading, with a lamp still turned on? Doze off with the glow of a television in your bedroom? Perhaps you turn off the lights when you go to bed. But think about it: is your room really totally dark? Maybe there's a light from a clock radio or night light or perhaps street lights peek through the bedroom blinds. This not-completely-dark room might not keep you awake but it could lead to symptoms of depression. That's the conclusion of a new study presented recently in Chicago at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and slated for publication in the December 28, 2009, issue of the journal Behavioural Brain Research.

The Ohio State University research involved 24 male laboratory mice. Half were housed in light for 16 hours a day and darkness for 8 hours, while the others lived in a lighted area 24 hours a day. Half of each group of lab animals had opaque tubes in their cages where they could escape the light at any time. The other half had tubes that were clear and did not offer any respite from the light.

After three weeks, the researchers used a series of tests to measure depression and anxiety in the rodents (including several tests used by drug companies to test anti-depressive and anti-anxiety drugs on animals before they are tried on people). For example, mice usually like to drink sugar-laced water. But if they have symptoms of depression, they don't drink as much. Researchers assume this is because they don't get the pleasure they would normally get from the sweet water due to depressive symptoms. In all the tests, the mice who had to live and sleep in constant light with no chance of spending time in darkness showed more depressive-like symptoms than the animals with normal light-dark cycles.

"The ability to escape light seemed to quell the depressive effects," Laura Fonken, lead author of the study and a graduate student in psychology at Ohio State University, said in a statement to the media. "But constant light with no chance of escape increased depressive symptoms."

The scientists concluded that the use of artificial light at night may have harmful effects on human health. "This is important for people who work night shifts, and for children and others who watch TV late into the night, disrupting their usual light-dark cycle," Fonken said.

The researchers also added that the implications could impact healthcare, too. Bright lights are kept on all night long in most intensive care units (ICUs) and that could increase health problems of these patients. NaturalNews previously reported on research showing that artificial light may disrupt premature infants' biological clocks and result in depression in later life(http://www.naturalnews.com/020070_h...).

from your friendly crazyshrink

INTIMACY

2009-11-22T02:04:00.000-08:00

Intimacy by Edwin H. Spina

Recently, a very attractive woman, Jennifer, told me that
one of her greatest fears was that she would have sexual
relations with a man and that he would then abandon her. She
wanted a life partner, but based on her fear and her
actions, I could see that she was inviting the very behavior
she feared most. In my experience, this is quite common.

Jennifer's behavior was similar to that of a Swedish woman I
met ten years ago and that of an actress I met this summer.
All three women had been conditioned to use their beauty to
get what they wanted - offering the promise of future sex in
return for things and experiences they wanted now. However,
this reliance upon the body - and ultimately, the ego's idea
of fulfillment - is a recipe for disappointment, if not
misery.

Men frequently sabotage themselves in a different way. They
have been conditioned to equate their "net worth" with their
"self worth," and will often use money to get what they
want. They will buy their date gifts or take them to fancy
restaurants in the hopes that their date will reciprocate
with sex. This approach may eventually result in temporarily
satisfaction; but, again, this reliance upon one's financial
wealth - and ultimately, the ego's idea of fulfillment -
will not get them what they truly want.

What both men and women really want is intimacy. It cannot
be purchased or bartered for sex. On the contrary, it can be
offered freely, without cost, and is a path to fulfillment.

The verb "intimate" means "to make known." When you are
physically intimate with your partner, you are obviously
"making known" the physicality of your body. But "intimacy"
is not limited merely to the physical dimension. Intimacy is
a "making known" of who you are on every level: physical,
emotional, mental and spiritual. It is a state of being
fully present with another. It is a willingness to be
completely honest; literally, to "bare your soul." Intimacy
means being yourself.

When a man or woman feels safe and secure, he or she can be
his or herself. Amma, the hugging saint from India, came to
Los Angeles this past summer. She embodies nurturing, loving
energies. Her event was an ideal setting to meet and see
people as they truly are.

The actress I met there seemed to be open, spontaneous and
fun. Early on, she revealed that she had never had a love
relationship last more than six months. One week later, she
was fearful and calculating, while dropping sexual hints of
"things to come." When I pointed out the mixed signals she
was sending, she exploded, completely unwilling to look at
her behavior with any degree of objectivity.

In her view, here was another man who did not meet her
expectations. In my view, here was a woman destined to
repeat her experience of dissatisfaction, since she refused
to take responsibility for the lack of intimacy in her life
and was attempting to use her physical attributes to attain
emotional and spiritual wholeness.

My Swedish friend would dress suggestively and use sexual
innuendoes (including physical touch) to hint at "things to
come." Energetically, she could withhold or unleash her
kundalini energy at will. Often she would do so when there
was little chance of physical intimacy, such as in a public
place or when I had to be somewhere else.

If the "on again, off again, maybe I will, maybe I won't"
behavior continues in an emerging relationship, even after
sexual relations, most men will disappear and the woman will
have "proven" once again that men are "only after one thing
and must guard it to avoid being abandoned." This is a type
of conditional love, which is a barrier to intimacy.

Men are equally guilty. Aside from not sharing their
feelings, they will often encourage this "barter economy" by
implying that they have invested sufficiently to get the
promised rewards. This makes a woman feel like a commodity
(or worse). Both of these behaviors act to block intimacy.

Intimacy does not mean sleeping with someone before you are
comfortable (if ever) or throwing money and gifts at them to
show you care. It is being open and giving of yourself.
There is nothing more charismatic than a person who radiates
his or her true essence.

Energetically, your openness with your partner can be felt
(and seen by those who are clairvoyant) by the opening of
the chakras, or energy centers. In general, the more that
are open, the greater the potential connection with your
partner.

When all your chakras are open, especially your heart and
crown chakra (pineal gland), you can more easily attune with
God/the Universe/the One. You are connected with who you
truly are and, consequently, you are "intimate with
yourself." Then, you are more fully "ready" to be intimate
with your partner. Even better, you have much more to share.

When this is the case, there is no overwhelming biological
imperative to seek out a partner. You are already feeling
complete. Your desire in finding a partner, then, arises
from the natural impulse to share your "completeness" and to
deepen it, by merging your energy with your partner's.

It is our spiritual destiny to be intimate with others and
with ourselves. So rather than trying to buy or trade for
what is your birthright, just be yourself.

Edwin Harkness Spina is the author of the award-winning spiritual thriller,Mystic Warrior. Receive a free copy of Mystic SecretsRevealed when you subscribe to the Mystic Warrior Newsletter http://www.MysticWarrior.us/newsletter.html

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

2009-11-21T03:16:00.001-08:00

Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think.

Horace

from your friendly crazyshrink

LAUGHTER IS INFECTUOUS

2009-11-20T07:46:00.000-08:00

Watch this video and see if you can keep yourself from laughing!

FEAR LIMITS YOUR LIFE POTENTIAL

2009-11-20T01:44:00.000-08:00

WHY FEAR LIMITS YOUR LIFE POTENTIAL

Have you ever felt like fear was preventing you from reaching your full potential in life? If so, you are certainly not alone because fear is one of the biggest obstacles that many people face when trying to create better life circumstances.

Below are some of the most common ways that fear can hold you back:

Fear can prevent you from making positive changes.

Sometimes fear can make even the smallest changes seem extremely uncomfortable. For example, you may be deeply dissatisfied with your job, but feel nervous or uncertain about finding and applying for a better one. Or you may have always dreamed of buying your own home but worry that the responsibility would be too much to handle.

Fear can prevent you from breaking destructive habits.

We all know that smoking, poor dietary choices, excessive alcohol and a sedentary lifestyle are a recipe for health problems, but we often gravitate toward these habits because they help numb our anxious or fearful feelings. If you have ever tried to break a bad habit like this, you know how stressful it can be because suddenly you are filled with anxiety and you don’t know how to handle it except to run back to your “pacifiers” – the very habits you are trying to break.

Fear can prevent you from taking risks.

Many of us shy away from risk because we fear negative consequences. For example, you may hesitate to invest your money because you fear losing it, or avoid starting a new relationship because you were so hurt by the last one. What most of us fail to realize is that risk can also bring great rewards. Avoiding risk may help us avoid negative possibilities but we also miss the excitement and joy that come from positive outcomes.

Fear can prevent you from pursuing your goals.

Have you ever dreamed of doing something great but were never able to push yourself to do it? Perhaps you dreamed of being a stand-up comedian but dreaded the thought of public speaking, or you desperately wanted to be a bestselling author but were too afraid to pen that novel lurking inside of you.

Fear can prevent you from expanding your life.

Social anxiety is another common way that fear can limit your potential. It may prevent you from attending networking functions so your career or business can’t grow properly, or you may avoid taking that much needed vacation to relax and explore other cultures because you fear flying or being on a cruise ship.

How to Stop Fear from Limiting Your Potential

It’s important to note that all of these fears are most often groundless. They are merely a perception that things “could” go wrong – but that doesn’t mean they will.

Rather than trying to force your way through the fear, you may find it easier to explore the many ways that fear can be effectively released from your mind, emotions, and body. When you know how to release the fear, you simply handle it as you would any minor obstacle and then continue on your way to creating the best life you possibly can.

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Alternatively download the new Free ebook – 22 Powerful Tools To Transform Your Fear Into Happiness, Peace and Inspiration.– Crammed full of valuable tips, exercises and ideas – it could be the most important ebook you read this year.

from your friendly crazyshrink

TIME FOR A GOOD LAUGH!

2009-11-20T01:13:00.000-08:00

The most wasted of all days is that which one has not laughed.

RATIONAL VERSUS IRRATIONAL FAITH

2009-11-18T02:55:00.001-08:00

Irrational and Rational Faith
By Robert Ringer

In Erich Fromm’s 1956 classic, The Art of Loving, he provides unique insights into the subject of faith.

Fromm did not believe faith is in opposition to reason or rational thinking. On the contrary, he simply made a distinction between rational faith and irrational faith. He believed that irrational faith is based on submission to irrational authority. But rational faith is based on one’s own convictions.

Rational faith, then, is an important component of rational thinking. In fact, Fromm believed that creative thinking begins with a “rational vision,” a vision that results from study, reflective thinking, and observation.

In other words, rational faith is rooted in one’s own experiences and judgments. Irrational faith, on the other hand, is the acceptance of something as true only because an authority or the majority say it is.

The rational believer must have faith in his core being. He must have trust in himself. He must know that the person he really is will not change with changing circumstances. If we lose faith in who we are, we become dependent on others and change in ways to gain their approval. Not a good thing.

There is no rational faith in domination — either for the dominator or the dominated. To be sure, power is a panoptic objective for politicians and many religious leaders. But, to their dismay, it is the most unstable of all achievements.

Fromm pointed out that because having faith and having power over others are mutually exclusive objectives, all religious and political systems originally built on rational faith become corrupt and lose their strength. It would be difficult to argue that history has not supported his viewpoint. And over the next several years, this will become clear to all but the most brainwashed American sheeple.

What Fromm did not address head on, however, is faith in a higher power. Is it rational or irrational faith to believe in God? The atheist would say it is irrational. The believer would come down on the side of rational.

But the believer could just as easily say that the atheist’s viewpoint is based on irrational faith — faith, perhaps, that the universe somehow created itself.

In truth, both an atheist and a believer in a higher power can have rational faith in their beliefs, so long as those beliefs are based on study, reflective thinking, and observation. As I’ve said so often, I agree with Viktor Frankl’s view that there is probably not much difference between a so-called atheist and an individual who believes in God. It’s more a matter of semantics than zealous people on both sides might believe.

So, whether it’s faith in yourself, faith in your spouse, faith in a friend, faith in your future, or faith in a higher power, don’t let anyone tell you that faith is not an integral part of the human experience. Make thatrational faith. And you will do your children a great service by making sure they understand and believe in rational faith from a very young age

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

from your friendly crazyshrink

TIME FOR LAUGHTER MEDICINE AGAIN!

2009-11-17T11:59:00.000-08:00

AVOCADO - MOTHER NATURE'S SKIN MOISTURIZER

2009-11-17T09:13:00.000-08:00

Avocados Offer Remarkable Benefits for Skin Health, by Mike Adams

(Natural News) Avocados are Mother Nature's skin moisturizer.With their healthy fats and phytonutrients, they offer remarkable benefits to human skin -- both when eaten and when used topically.

Here, we present a collection of supporting information about avocados from some of the top authors and personalities in the natural health industry, including David "Avocado" Wolfe himself.

Check out the quotes below, then pick up some avocados for yourself. They just help you save your own skin!

Avocados and healthy skin

For an excellent skin complexion, rub one or more of the following items against the skin two to four times a week: papaya pulp, avocado, cucumber, spirulina, fresh noni fruit and/or aloe vera. For dry skin, rub hempseed oil, jojoba oil and MSM lotion directly into the skin. This will alleviate dryness quickly. Or use avocado on the skin directly. Avocado oil is similar to our skin's oil.
- The Sunfood Diet Success System by David Wolfe

Treat yourself to an avocado facial. Beauty, they say, is only skin deep. Luckily, avocado has moisturizing power to help make your skin more beautiful. For years, people have used avocado as a natural facial treatment, especially for dry skin. It's easy to do in your own home. Just remove your makeup and wash your face with warm water and soap or your favorite cleanser. Mash some avocado and mix it with a little milk or oatmeal and apply it to your face. Leave it there for 10 minutes, then rinse it off with lots of water.
- Eat and Heal (Foods That Can Prevent or Cure Many Common Ailments) by the Editors of FC&A Medical Publishing

Eating half an avocado every other day would probably help your own cholesterol drop some. A rather remarkable twofold approach towards relieving the itchy misery of psoriasis is by eating half of an avocado daily and applying an extra-rich cream of chamomile flowers extract to the skin. The oils in the avocado will work internally towards the surface of the skin, soothing deep muscle inflammation. The oils in CamoCare Soothing Cream help the skin to literally repair itself from the damage done by psoriasis.
- Heinerman's Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs by John Heinerman

There's more to avocado than guacamole. Its oil is actually patented as a treatment for some forms of dermatitis and arthritis. According to Aubrey Hampton, author of Natural Organic Hair and Skin Care, long-term treatment with avocado oil helps relieve eczema. I'm not surprised, as avocado oil is rich in vitamins A, D and E, all of which help maintain healthy skin. I suggest applying it directly to any itchy, red or irritated areas.
- The Green Pharmacy: New Discoveries in Herbal Remedies for Common Diseases and Conditions from the World's Foremost Authority on Healing Herbs by James A. Duke, Ph.D.

Avocado oil has been used extensively for its ability to heal and soothe the skin. This use is based on the high hydrocarbon content of the pulp and oil, which may help dry skin. Avocados are frequently included in health diets, and recent evidence suggests they are effective in modifying lipid profiles. In a randomized study, women chose either a diet high in monounsaturated fatty acids enriched with avocado or a high complex-carbohydrate diet. After 3 weeks, the avocado diet resulted in a reduction in total cholesterol level from baseline (8.2%).
- Guide to Popular Natural Products by Ara Dermarderosian

Throughout Central and South America the avocado is not only consumed with great relish, but also highly regarded for its extremely nourishing properties. It is a favored saying among the Maya Indians inhabiting the Yucatan Peninsula and the highlands of Guatemala that where avocados grow, "hunger (or malnutrition) has no friends." Too many of us think only of avocados in the traditional Mexican sense of guacamole. But among the Mayan the avocado is considered to be a food which keeps the joints of the body moving freely and the skin young and supple.
- Heinerman's Encyclopedia of Healing Juices by John Heinerman

The expressed oil of the avocado seed nourishes and maintains skin tone. It softens rough, dry, or flaking skin and, massaged into the scalp, improves hair growth. Avocado is very nutritious and makes an excellent baby food. Indigenous to Central America, avocado is widely cultivated for its fruit in tropical and subtropical areas, including Israel, Spain, and South Africa. It is propagated from seed. The leaves are harvested as needed, and the unripe fruit is picked when fully grown.
- The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants by Andrew Chevallier

A naturally fatty fruit, avocado is also rich in vitamins, and the green pulp left attached to the peel has the highest concentration. Scrape off the pulp, and apply it directly to the skin. The abundant oils lubricate and soften the skin - the most basic step in preventing wrinkles.
- Uncommon Cures For Everyday Ailments by Bottom Line Books

Honey, avocado, eggs, fresh fruits, oats, cream of wheat and nutritional yeast are a few other possibilities for a facial mask. So are ginger, papaya, pineapple and cucumber, which have skin-softening enzymes. Yogurt, sour milk, vinegar, apples, citrus fruits and wine contain AHAs, which are particularly important for a mask because they loosen the tight bond that holds the old surface skin (they also restore the skin's natural acidity).
- Herbs for Health and Healing by Kathi Keville

Use any heavy oil for dry skin, such as avocado or wheat-germ, and a light oil such as almond or sunflower for oily skins. The essential oils of clary-sage, lemon, lime, sage, or thyme are cleansing and suitable for all skin types. Other good options would be rosemary, chamomile, lavender, or geranium.
- The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood

Mashing an avocado and rubbing it into your hair for five minutes after washing will add luster to your hair; rinse afterwards. In South Africa, an avocado mask made of mashed avocados, honey, and lime juice is applied to the face as a moisturizing treatment to counteract the drying effects of the hot sun.
- Timeless Secrets of Health & Rejuvenation: Unleash The Natural Healing Power That Lies Dormant Within You by Andreas Moritz

Every part of the avocado has been used at one time or another to tackle a few of life's inconveniences. Throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, and South America, the avocado has been put to use in unique ways. A powder made from avocado seeds has been used to control dandruff. Some people have chewed the seeds to reduce toothache pain, and even the skin has been used as an antibiotic for intestinal parasites and dysentery. The flesh has long been used to condition dry hair and as a soothing shaving cream.
- 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life! by David W. Grotto, RD, LDN

Use olive, avocado, or almond oil to cleanse the skin. Pat the oil on, then wash it off with warm water and a soft cloth. Use a facial loofah occasionally with the oil and warm water to remove dead skin. Use liquid creams and lotions (not solid creams) that contain nutrients and natural ingredients to keep your skin from becoming too dry. Do not use cold creams, cleansing creams, or solid moisturizing creams. These are hardened saturated fats that become rancid rapidly and then create free radicals, which can cause premature wrinkles.
- Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC

Olive, wheat germ, safflower, sesame, almond, apricot kernel, and avocado oils are closer in composition to the natural secretions of the skin. Most of them are also rich in linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that aids in skin-cell renewal. Some manufacturers have also replaced synthetic coloring and scents with herbal extracts and powdered flowers, such as rose, iris, orange blossom, lavender, and chamomile.
- Menopause Without Medicine: The Trusted Women's Resource with the Latest Information on HRT, Breast Cancer, Heart Disease and Natural Estrogens by Linda Ojeda

The avocado got its name from the ancient Aztec word for "testicle." Maybe that's why men once thought eating avocados would boost their virility. In earlier times, avocado pulp was used as a hair pomade to stimulate hair growth and to help heal wounds. Native Americans treated dysentery and diarrhea with its seeds. Even today, its oil can be found in many cosmetics.
- Eat and Heal (Foods That Can Prevent or Cure Many Common Ailments) by the Editors of FC&A Medical Publishing

The same vitamins make avocado good for the skin. To help reduce the itching, dryness, and inflammation, apply the mashed fruit directly to patches of eczema, or (if green's not your Avocado color) apply the oil.
- The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B. White, M.D.

Soap the entire body with a nonabrasive, emollient soap or avocado oil. Dip a large non-nylon brush, hemp washcloth, or loofah into hot water and scrub the skin for 2 to 5 minutes in circular motions until the skin is red and the body feels invigorated. End the bath with a warm shower, gradually reducing the water temperature until it becomes cool.
- The complete Book of Water Healing - Using the Earth's most essential resource to cure illness, promote health, and soothe and restore body, mind, and spirit by Dian Dincin Buchman, Ph.D.

The mild oil pressed from the luscious avocado is known to be soothing to the skin. Avocado oil is used for gourmet cooking, so look for it in well-stocked grocery stores as well as health food stores. To magnify the moisturizing effects of the oil, use it when your hands are still a bit damp from washing, Dr. Bihova says. The oil will form a protective seal that will retain the moisture that your dry digits are so thirsty for.
- The Doctors Book of Home Remedies II: Over 1,200 New Doctor-Tested Tips and Techniques Anyone Can Use to Heal Hundreds of Everyday Health Problems by the Editors of PREVENTION

To soften and nourish the skin, mash half of an avocado and apply it to your face. Leave it on until it dries, then rinse off with warm water. Avocado contains essential fatty acids and other nutrients that help prevent premature wrinkling. To tighten and refine pores, whip up the white of an egg with a pinch of alum and apply it to your face as a mask. After fifteen to twenty minutes, rinse it off with lukewarm water. Wrinkle lines from the lips toward the nose may be due to a deficiency of vitamin B2 (riboflavin).
- Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC

Paul Neinast, who runs a famous beauty salon in Dallas, Texas, combines peach with papaya, banana and avocado in a blender until well purged. This facial mask is then applied and left on 30 minutes, after which it is rinsed away with tepid water. Then he will saturate several cotton balls with any polyunsaturated oil (sunflower oil is good to use) and gently rub the skin in a circular motion. This keeps dryness out, moisture in and gives the skin more elasticity. The face may also be rubbed with a little juice from some freshly pressed green grapes before the oil is applied.
- Heinerman's Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs by John Heinerman

Through our interpreter, I learned that they were using avocado oil to keep their skin from getting burned by the hot, glaring sun and the rough elements of wind and rain. They even rubbed some on their lips to keep them nice and moist. Some of the Chorti women seemed to be in their late 20s or early 30s. Imagine my utter astonishment when my interpreter told me that most of them were in their mid-to-late fifties! Now I'm a pretty good judge of age because of my training in anthropology, but their constant use of avocado oil sure fooled me about how old I thought they were.
- Heinerman's Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs by John Heinerman

A recipe for curing dermatitis combines avocado, aloe, and vitamin E cream. The fruit is also valued for constipation because the skin and pulp are seen to be good as cathartics. The seed is always saved because boiled in a tea it may be used as a poultice for bruises or sores. The powdered seed of avocado may be purchased at certain supermarkets in Arizona.
- Healing with Plants in the American and Mexican West by Margarita Artschwager Kay

Mexican avocado leaves contain 3.1% of an essential oil that is 95% estragole and 5% anethole. The pulp oil is used as a massage oil, in creams, lotions, and hair products. The seed oil has been patented for use in treatment of sclerosis of the skin.
- Healing with Plants in the American and Mexican West by Margarita Artschwager Kay

Would you like to find out more secrets about raw foods - fruits and vegetables? How about a complete detox for radiant health and beauty? Check out this report, complete with 24 raw food recipes!

from your friendly crazyshrink

YOUR WORD IS YOUR WAND: THE POWER OF AFFIRMATIONS

2009-11-17T08:09:00.000-08:00

10 POWERFUL AFFIRMATIONS by Florence Scovel Shinn

I now let go of worn-out conditions and worn-out things. Divine order is established in my mind, body and affairs. Behold! I make all things new!

I give thanks for my whirlwind success. I sweep all before me for I work with the Spirit and follow the Divine Plan for my life.

I am awake to my good, and gather in the harvest of endless opportunities.

I am harmonious, poised and magnetic. I now draw to myself my own. My power is God's power and is irresistible.

Divine Order is now established in my mind, body and affairs. I see clearly and act quickly and my greatest expectations come to pass in a miraculous way.

I banish the past and now live in the wonderful now, where happy surprises come to me each day.

There are no lost opportunities is Divine Mind, as one door shuts another is opened.

The genius within me is now released. I now fulfill my destiny.

I make friends with hindrances and every obstacle becomes a stepping-stone. Everything in the Universe, visible and invisible is working to bring my own.

I will not weary of well-doing, for when I least expect it I shall reap.

Stumped about how to use affirmations? Download this free report now and start using them today!

from your friendly crazyshrink

LAUGH TIME!

2009-11-11T22:48:00.001-08:00

from your friendly crazyshrink

PAY ATTENTION TO THE WISDOM OF SYMPTOMS

2009-11-10T08:57:00.000-08:00

THE WISDOM OF SYMPTOMS: RESPECT THE INTELLIGENCE OF THE BODY TO HEAL

by Dana Ullman

(Natural News)

Have you ever wondered what is the stuff coming out of your nose when you have a common cold? Such nasal discharges are composed of dead viruses that were killed by the body`s defenses, dead white blood cells that were killed as a result of the infection, and of a liquid substance known as mucus which the body deploys as a vehicle to remove this dead matter.

If you take a conventional over-the-counter drug for the common cold, these drugs "work" by reducing the body`s ability to create mucus, which simply inhibits the body`s own efforts to eliminate the dead viruses from the body. Although these conventional drugs may stop the nasal discharge temporarily, the side effects of these drugs are that they lead to bronchial congestion, headache, and fatigue, which can be more problematic and discomforting symptoms than the original simple nasal discharge.

The lesson here is that just because a drug is effective in getting rid of a symptom does not necessarily mean that this treatment is truly curative (or even helpful).

WISDOM OF THE BODY

The basic assumption behind the broad field of natural medicine is that the human body has an inherent wisdom within it that strives to defend itself and to survive. Symptoms of illness are not simply something "wrong" with the person, but instead, symptoms are actually responses and efforts of the organism to defend and heal itself against infection and/or stress. Hans Selye, MD, PhD, the father of stress theory, once asserted, "Disease is not mere surrender to attack but also the fight for health; unless there is a fight, there is no disease."

Our human body has survived these thousands of years because of its incredible adaptive capabilities, and one of the ways that it adapts is through the creation of symptoms. Whether it be through fever and inflammation, cough and expectoration, nausea and vomiting, fainting and comatose states, and even the variety of emotional and mental states, each symptom represents the best efforts of the bodymind in its effort to fight infection and/or adapt to physical and psychological stresses.

Although symptoms may be the best effort of the organism to defend itself at that time, it is not usually effective to simply let the body try to heal itself. Most often, some treatment must be provided to help nurture, nourish, and augment the body`s own wisdom. The challenge to physicians, healers, and patients is to determine when to help aid this inner wisdom of the body and when to intervene to make certain that the body does not harm itself.

The word "symptom" comes from a Greek root and refers to "something that falls together with something else." Symptoms are a sign or signal of something else, and treating them doesn`t necessarily change that "something else." Ultimately, a symptom is a signal, a warning light that something is off-balance. It is akin to an oil warning light in your car. Although this light will go off if you unscrew the lamp, this simple action doesn`t solve the more complex problem that led to the light turning on in the first place.

In 1942 Walter B. Cannon, a medical doctor, wrote a seminal book entitled The Wisdom of the Body. This book, which is a classic in medicine, detailed the impressive and sophisticated efforts that the body deploys to defend and heal itself.

Many leading scientists, including the late Dr. Hans Selye, have taken Cannon`s work further, recognizing that symptoms are actually efforts of the organism to deal with stress or infection. And even more recently, Randolph Nesse, MD, and George Williams, PhD, authored Why We Get Sick: The New Science of Darwinian Medicine (New York: Times, 1995) in which they link the important role that symptoms and disease have to the evolution of the human body. Nesse and Williams show how our symptoms and seemingly normal body functions work as important defenses:

- Fever is an important, even vital, defense against infection.
- Tears help wash and cleanse the eyes.
- The respiratory system is bathed in antibody and enzyme-rich secretions that are propelled up and down the throat and bronchial tree so that invaders are killed.
- The ears secrete an antibacterial wax which helps to fight infection.
- The frequent washing of the mouth with saliva kills some pathogens and dislodges others so that the stomach`s acid and enzymes can destroy them.

Without having to tell the bodymind what to do, our innate survival instinct has developed sophisticated responses to both old and new infections and stresses.

Concepts in new physics offer further support for the notion that living and non-living systems have inherent self-regulating, self-organizing, and self-healing capacities. This ongoing effort to maintain homeostasis (balance) and to develop higher and higher levels of order and stability have been described in detail by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Ilya Prigogine in Order Out of Chaos, Fritjof Capra in The Turning Point, and Erich Jantsch in The Self-Organizing Universe. In systems thinking, "perturbations" are understood as efforts of a system to re-establish balance and to increase its complexity so that there is greater dynamic homeostasis.

WHY HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINES MAKE SENSE

The implications of recognizing that symptoms are efforts of the body to defend itself are significant. Because some conventional drugs work by suppressing symptoms, these drugs tend to provide helpful temporarily relief but tend to lead to other new and more serious problems by inhibiting the body`s defense and immune processes. Such drugs should be avoided except in dire situations or in extreme pain or discomfort when safer treatments are not working fast or adequately enough.

Because symptoms are adaptations of the body in its efforts to defend and heal itself, it makes sense to use treatments that mimic this wisdom of the body. Ultimately, homeopathic medicine is a well-known therapeutic modality that honors this wisdom of the body. Homeopathy is a type of "medical biomimicry" that uses various plant, mineral, and animal substances based upon their ability to cause in overdose the similar symptoms that the sick person is experiencing.

It may be no coincidence that two of the very few conventional medical treatments that augment the body`s own immune system are immunizations and allergy treatments, and these drug treatment modalities coincidentally derive from the homeopathic principle of similar (treating "like with like").

By using a medicine that causes similar symptoms as those of the sick person, the medicine is akin to being a "medical aikido" (the martial art that seeks to match and mimic the force of the attacker against the attacker).

It is not surprising that so many Eastern spiritual teachers have been trained in homeopathy or have simply become advocates for it. Swami Satchidananda and Swami Rama were formally trained in homeopathy, while Sri Aurobindo, Meher Baba, Jiddu Krishnamurti, Yogai Bhajan, Swami Muktananda, and Sri Chinmoy have been known to seek homeopathic care or advocate for it. The fact that many of these spiritual teachers also believe that life problems are not really "problems" but are opportunities for learning is part and parcel of the idea that symptoms are defenses in the body`s efforts to learn how to adapt to the world around us.

The Latin words, vis medicatrix naturae, make reference to "the healing power of nature," and these words and concepts form the basis for naturopathic medicine. Despite maintaining a healthy respect for the healing power of nature, neither naturopaths nor homeopaths think that it is effective to just let the body heal itself. Usually, it is necessary to give the body specific tools/treatments that help in this healing process. Homeopathy and other natural medicines that nourish and nurture the body`s own wisdom are good first steps to initiate a true healing beyond just symptomatic relief.

Consider that the most famous words from Hippocrates were "First, do no harm." It seems that Hippocrates was instructing us all to first try safer methods before resorting to the big guns of more dangerous conventional medical methodologies.

References:

Walter B. Cannon, MD. The Wisdom of the Body. New York: Norton, 1942.

Randolph Nesse, MD, and George Williams, PhD, Why We Get Sick: The New Science of Darwinian Medicine. New York: Times, 1995

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE

2009-10-31T03:43:00.001-07:00

THE POWER OF YOUR WORDS

2009-10-23T01:41:00.000-07:00

Choosing Your Words Carefully May Improve Your Health and Wellbeing
by Sheryl Walters

(NaturalNews) Your words create your reality. The kind of words we use to describe our situations and our lives are the way that we perceive our lives to be. Our perception then is the reality. When you say things like something is a disaster or you are suffering from a disease, you are painting a clear picture for yourself and anyone listening that this is just the way it is. Can we, then, change our situations, or at the very least change our perception of a situation, by changing the way we speak about it? That is what positive affirmations are for. Research has shown that a positive outlook and attitude can improve a patient/s chances at overcoming serious medical conditions like cancer and chronic pain. It follows then that a positive mindset can help you overcome your negative beliefs about yourself and your life as well.

Saying that someone is a "pain in the neck" is a good example of using somehow meaningful language. Could saying that mean that literal pain in your neck could manifest? Is someone a "cancer" in your organization or family? By firing them or cutting off communication you could improve the quality of your home or work life, correct?

Choosing your words carefully is something that our mothers taught us as we grew. When you consider the powers of words in terms of doing what you say and saying what you do, you manifest the reality you live by your words and actions. Remember this as you make your way through each day and try to practice positive affirmations that will enrich your life and your soul.

Stop and think about the types of negative words you use to describe yourself on a daily basis. Do you say you "doubt you can", "wish I could", "don't like that", or are you just afraid? These are the words you can consciously work to replace in your vocabulary to improve your overall state of wellbeing and success. Take the time to consciously reprogram your thoughts and words to eliminate the negative and replace it with the positive.

Positive words and affirmations are the types of thoughts you want to have floating through your mind and coming out of your mouth. In this way you reprogram your thought patterns and with it your whole life. We fill our lives with the images that we focus on. Focus on love and love will come to you; focus on the bad and you will feel bad, look bad, and your relationships will be bad. This is a simple fact of reality. To master it all you have to do is literally change your mind.

Start each day with positive affirmations such as "today I will be the best and most positive I can be". Then as you go about your day, you can actually do it. Go out of your way to find the positive in every thought and situation even if you have to say that it was an "opportunity to learn" or a "challenge to be accomplished". Live happily and speak about it in a positive way. What will at first seem like a tough prospect will soon be second nature to you. No more doom and gloom; only a positive outlook and a positive, happy, well balanced life will be ahead for you.

Stumped about creating your own affirmations? Check out the Affirmation Cheat Sheet - a free report containing affirmations for health, abundance, self-improvement and more. You can start using them today!

from your friendly crazyshrink

USE NLP TO CHANGE YOUR FEELINGS

2009-10-22T07:15:00.001-07:00

"Quick & effective steps to easily change your feelings
(part 2)"

(c)Colin G Smith - All Rights reserved
www.NLPToolBox.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

From time to time we experience certain feelings that limit
our ability to respond with choice. Quite often we try and
change our feelings by using reason. Relying on conscious
reasoning alone though is severely limited and often doesn't
get us the outcome we wanted.

So what can we do then to change our feelings more easily
and effectively?

Tap into our vast unconscious resources.

The unconscious parts of our mind are like a huge iceberg
and the part of our mind we refer to as conscious is not
even the tip of the iceberg, it is much, much smaller!

To dip into the 'other than conscious' ocean of resources is
really quite straight forward.

If I were to ask you what the surface of planet Neptolzen
looked like how would you imagine it?

I bet you got some kind of representation in your minds eye,
right, so where did that come from?

It bubbled up from your unconscious resources. This one
simple mechanism is very useful when utilised in a
beneficial way.

Now give the following method a run through to help you
understand how the process functions:

"The Picture re-Frame"

1. Think of a situation where you want to change your
feelings. You want to have more choice in how to respond.

2. Now picture that situation. What do you see?

3. If you haven't already, step outside of the picture and
push the picture off over there so that you can see yourself
in it.

4. Now look at that image and become aware of any new
insights and understandings from this new perspective.

5. What would happen if you were to imagine placing a wooden
frame around that picture?

6. Allow your unconscious or your imagination or your
creative part or your 'other than conscious resources' to
try out other frames.

What about a plastic frame. Try changing the colour of the
frames. Put the picture in an oval frame.

What would a comedic frame look like? A Sexy frame? A frame
of excellence? Or a learning frame?

And what would happen if you were to place a light on top of
the picture frame. Would it literally 'shed new light on
things'?

7. One more little experiment: Imagine, whilst looking at
the picture, feeling the texture of the frame. What does the
frame feel like? Now soften the frame. Try a Balsa wood
frame. Or how about a silly putty frame!

Finally, just out of curiosity, what would happen if you
made the picture translucent? You know, so you can see
through it.

The simple imagination experiment above can be done quite
quickly by keeping it simple and straight forward, so why not
play around with this little mind experiment because your
unconscious has already started giving you even more
compelling reasons to do so now has it not?

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Author Bio:
Colin G Smith is a licensed Master Practitioner of Neuro-
Linguistic Programming (NLP) and author of 'The NLP
ToolBox', a personal development book that enables the
reader to master any area of their life with amazing speed.
Complete information on Colin G Smith's books are available
at his website, including a FREE personal development mini-
course.
http://www.NLPToolBox.com

from your friendly crazyshrink

MENTAL CHATTER: YOUR CONSTANT COMPANION

2009-10-17T02:50:00.000-07:00

Your Constant Companion

By Dr. Srikumar Rao

You have a companion. One that never, ever leaves you. It sticks with you, staying even closer than your shadow. It is like a leech sucking your blood, and you cannot shake it loose.

This constant companion is your mental chatter.

Another name for it is your internal monologue. It begins the moment you open your eyes in the morning and carries on until you close your eyes at night. More often than you’d like, this chatter prevents you from drifting off to sleep. And when you finally do doze off, it may well make that rest fitful.

Some companion.

Think about what happens when you wake up. Does your mental chatter go something like this?…

“Drat! There’s that alarm again. I don’t want to get up. It’s going to be another horrible day.”

And does it continue throughout the day?…

“No toothpaste. I told him to get a new tube before he used this one up. If he cared for me, he would have done it.”…

“Now I have to go to the stupid meeting to interview the candidate for that new position in the department. Not that the boss will actually listen to me. He will listen to Todd. Todd’s so smooth — he’s going to be the next vice president for sure. Not me. I can’t do anything right around here.”…

“Lunchtime! Let’s get the hell out of here. Forget inviting Lorna, she’s been ignoring my e-mails all day. She probably doesn’t like me.”…

When you look at your mental chatter, you will notice that it is an unending stream of noise. But you will also discover that much of it is putting you down, either directly or, more subtly, by having you compare yourself unfavorably to others. And it is exhausting you by telling you all the things you have to do that you probably will not be able to.

Over time, those negative judgments start to accumulate. Eventually, they form a huge barrier squarely in front of you on the path to your ideal life.

It is like a coral reef, a strong structure capable of ripping the bottom off the stoutest ship ever made. Yet that structure is made up of the skeletons of tiny coral polyps. Each individual polyp is insignificant — and when it dies, its death is of little consequence. But when hundreds of thousands of them die, they bond into that awesome reef.

Your mental chatter works like that. Each individual negative thought is of no particular significance. But it leaves a tiny mark — and those tiny marks accumulate. You have been enduring a constant stream of mental chatter for decades. And you’ve been building a “reef.”

That reef has imprisoned you — and you never even realized you were building it. Even if, at times, you were dimly aware of your tendency toward negativity, you probably dismissed your thoughts as unimportant or as well-deserved criticism. And you were partially correct. Each individual coral polyp is unimportant. Each individual negative thought is inconsequential. But when taken together, they form a massive, nocuous structure.

That’s where you live now — in this “reality” you’ve created.

The good news is that once you become aware of what you have unconsciously allowed to happen, you can fix it!

In this case, you are both doctor and patient, so first you have to know how bad the “disease” is before you can treat it. Here’s how to do the diagnosis:

For the next two weeks, carry a journal or notebook with you. Record your mental chatter — positive and negative — throughout the day. Be as specific as possible. In particular, note the number of times you beat up on yourself and compare yourself unfavorably to others. You might find that those negative thoughts fall into categories, such as “Criticism of Others,” “Running Myself Down,” and “Feeling Inadequate.”

As you record your mental chatter, pay close attention to how your emotional state is tied to it. You might feel sad, overwhelmed, fearful, or dissatisfied. But you might also feel confident, peaceful, or grateful.

Do those feelings change often — or is one dominant? Are they generally positive… or negative? How does your emotional state affect your behavior?

Jot it down.

If you tend to criticize yourself or blame others for your mistakes or frustrations, jot that down too.

Don’t berate yourself when you notice negative thinking. You are just recording it. And remember, you are also recording positive chatter and the emotions connected to it.

Eventually, you will get to the point where you are constantly aware of your mental chatter. And you will find that this awareness changes it — making it less able to take your thinking down a destructive path.

This gives you much needed control. You get to decide for yourself whether you are going to build your reality on the foundation of a negative judgment… or not.

You cannot eliminate your mental chatter but you CAN shape it and channel it. You can make it your friend instead of your enemy. And when you do this, your life takes off in more ways than you can imagine.

P.S. Are you shocked to discover how mental chatter is affecting your life? Want to learn more about pushing negative thoughts and judgments from your mind? My Personal Mastery Success Program gives you all the tools you need, including exercises like the one you just did, to rejuvenate your mind and make you come alive.

from your friendly crazyshrink

WHAT IS THE DIVINE MATRIX ?

2009-10-16T21:13:00.000-07:00

THE DIVINE MATRIX, by Gregg Braden

A Book Review by Ismini Apostoli

Almost universally, we share a sense that there's more to us than meets the eye. Somewhere deep within the mists of our ancient history, we know we have magic and miraculous powers within us. From the time of childhood, we fantasize about our ability to do things that are beyond the realm of reason and logic. And why not? While we're children, we have yet to "learn" the rules that say miracles can't happen in our lives.

Gregg Braden has spent over 20 years studying spiritual and religious texts and is considered by many an inspired spiritual teacher. Most people interested in spirituality are already familiar with his previous works like "The Spontaneous Healing of Belief", "Awakening to Zero Point", "The Science of Compassion", "The Isaiah Effect", and "The God Code".

The special message contained in Braden's new book, The Divine Matrix, is that we are not observers but creators of our own personal worlds, and we have the power to transform our lives by gaining a better understanding of our relationship to all-that-is, learning how to listen to its messages, and learning to communicate with it in its own language.

The Divine Matrix is divided into three parts. Part I, "Discovering the Divine Matrix: The Mystery that Connects All Things" examines and combines ancient wisdom with recent breakthroughs in quantum physics to give us an understanding of this net of energy that contains all.

Part II, "The Bridge Between Imagination and Reality: How the Divine Matrix works", describes in great detail our ability to connect with and re-program the matrix to mirror more desirable effects on our lives.

Part III, "Messages from the Divine Matrix: Living, Loving, and Healing in Quantum Awareness" teaches us how to listen to the Matrix and how the Matrix reflects our emotions in the relationships we form with others and with our world.

WHAT IS THE DIVINE MATRIX?

Braden describes it as a field of energy, which provides the container as well as a bridge and a mirror for everything that happens between the world within and the world without. He also invites us to look at the Divine Matrix as a cosmic blanket, which is many layers deep and is everywhere and all the time. Braden tells us that from a quantum perspective, everything in existence from an atom to a whole planet can be thought of as a disturbance in the fabric of this space-time blanket. In the Vedas, this blanket is "the unified field of pure consciousness" that bathes and permeates all creation. According to Hsin-Hsin Ming (the Taoist Faith-mind Verses) it's described as the essence which is the container of all experience and the experience itself.

Combining the wisdom of our oldest traditions with some findings of quantum physics, Braden concludes that there are three principles that govern the Matrix:

1. Everything exists within the Divine Matrix and everything is inter-connected.

2. The Divine Matrix is holographic, which means that any portion of the field contains everything in the field.

3. The past, present and future are intimately joined. As a container of time, the Matrix provides continuity between the choices of our present and the experiences of our future.

OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE DIVINE MATRIX

We connect to the Matrix, not by thought, but through the language of emotion. Our feelings of love, hate, fear, forgiveness etc. are actually instructions that program the Divine Matrix. Within this emotional communication and connection to the Matrix lies our power to bring healing, more joy and peace to our lives. According to Braden, the Matrix can be thought of a huge computer into which, through our beliefs, feelings and emotions, we program commands that produce the results we see in our lives.

In Part III, Braden provides us with 20 keys to conscious creation which if studied, understood and applied can help us greatly in getting in touch with our miraculous potential to heal and create joy, love and peace in the world.

THE TWENTY KEYS OF CONSCIOUS CREATION

Key 1: The Divine Matrix is the container that holds the universe, the bridge between all things, and the mirror that shows us what we have created.

Key 2: Everything in our world is connected to everything else.

Key 3: To tap the force of the universe itself, we must see ourselves as part of the world rather as separate from it.

Key 4: Once something is joined, it is always connected, whether it remains physically linked or not.

Key 5: The act of focusing our consciousness is an act of creation. Consciousness creates!

Key 6: We have all the power we need to create all the changes we choose!

Key 7: The focus of our awareness becomes the reality of our world.

Key 8: To simply say that we choose a new reality in not enough!

Key 9: Feeling is the language that "speaks" to the Divine Matrix. Feel as though your goal is accomplished and your prayer is already answered.

Key 10: Not just any feeling will do. The ones that create must be without ego and judgment.

Key 11: We must become in our lives that we choose to experience as our world.

Key 12: We are not bound by the laws of physics as we know them today.

Key 13: In a holographic "something" every piece of the something mirrors the whole something.

Key 14: The universally connected hologram of consciousness promises that the instant we create our good wishes and prayers, they are already received at their destination.

Key 15: Through the hologram of consciousness, a little change in our lives is mirrored everywhere in our world.

Key 16: The minimum number of people required to "jump-start" a change in consciousness is the 1% of the population.

Key 17: The Divine Matrix serves as the mirror in our world of the relationships that we create in our beliefs.

Key 18: The root of our "negative" experiences may be reduced to one of the three universal fears (or a combination of them): abandonment, low self-worth, or lack of trust.

Key 19: Our true beliefs are mirrored in our most intimate relationships.

Key 20: We must become in our lives the very things we choose to experience in our world.

Undoubtedly, Gregg Braden is a great spiritual thinker and visionary of our times. Like many of his contemporaries he also tries to bridge science with spirituality. In part, this is in response to modern man's need not to take things on faith, but have his faith backed
up by scientific evidence. In The Divine Matrix, Braden attempts to link quantum physics to metaphysics and spirituality. Does really such a link exist? The average lay person, would still have to take Braden's scientific "evidence" on faith. The more scientifically oriented reader would tend to consider the link very tenuous and the evidence presented to prove it, arbitrary and sketchy.

Quantum physics is a highly complex science firmly rooted in reason and logic. Metaphysics, on the other hand, is deeply rooted in feeling, emotion, intuition and faith. Braden attempts to blend reason with intuition in his effort to broaden our understanding of our world. How successful and convincing his attempt is, is up to the discerning reader to decide.

10 RELATIONSHIP-SAVING TIPS

2009-10-14T09:05:00.000-07:00

By Ismini Apostoli

Arguments and disagreements are an unavoidable part of a couple's life together. Though parts of a unit, partners in a relationship are also two different, autonomous personalities. Differences of opinion, attitudes, communication patterns, behavioral reactions and even conflict of interests at times, are what creates trouble but also brings joy, authenticity and aliveness to your relationship. It wouldn't really be much fun or very stimulating if you were in a relationship with your mirror-image.

Here are some relationship life-saving tips to remember:

Celebrate both your differences and your similarities to your partner; accept and learn to love your partner as a whole.
Honor and respect your partner's views, opinions and feelings as if they were your own.
When in a discussion or argument with your partner, put aside your self-serving interests for the time being and listen with your heart before rushing to defend your position; automatic reactions can easily turn the love-nest into a battlefield.
Tell and show your partner that he or she matters and that their feelings and thoughts are important to you.
When your partner is upset or hurt ask if there is anything you can do or say that might help soothe the hurt or upset feelings; remember that oftentimes anger is a desperate plea for love. Be there for your partner, as you would like him or her to be there for you in times of weakness.
Refrain from belittling and dismissing your partner's thoughts and disparaging or demeaning their feelings. Remember that frequently, when you are in conflict with your partner over an issue, it may not be the real issue bugging them at all. The real issues reside within ourselves and desperately seek an outlet to come to the surface and be resolved. In relationships, instead of being dealt with as annoyances, they can be seen as sacred intimacy offerings if handled with compassion and care.
When you feel hurt or upset by your partner's behavior or words, consider the possibility that you are not really reacting to what was done or said but your interpretation of it. Your interpretations of other people's words and actions come from your past. Remember that you may not always have heard what they actually said; remember also that what you heard may not be what they meant.
Accept the possibility that relationships deepen as a result of resolving conflicts and can also serve as a vehicle for healing for both of you.
Be always willing to forgive and let go. Forgiveness is not a sign of weakness but the mark of a person who feels secure and confident enough about himself and herself so that no other person's behavior can really threaten him or her in any way.
In short, mellow out...

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