Posts Tagged ‘world’
Dancing On Your Brain: The Cha-Cha Effect
My grandmother used to say that the secret to living a good life is maintaining a flexible spine and a flexible mind. Whether we’re talking about joints or brains, there’s just no room for rigidity.
Mark Twain once made a comment that illustrates my grandmother’s idea perfectly. He said:
“It is discouraging to try to penetrate a mind like yours. You ought to get it out and dance on it. That would take some of the rigidity out of it.”
That’s exactly what we need to do in order to be open to new ideas. We’ve got to take our brains out and dance on them! Do the twist. Do a little clogging. Tap. Cha-Cha. Shake it like a Polaroid picture.
We all know people whose brains we’d like to flamenco. And if we’re honest, we’ll admit to needing to have our own brain danced upon from time to time.
It’s not that we set out to be rigid. We establish certain thinking patterns and we build whole belief systems that may or may not serve us well. At some point, we get complacent, lazy, or just plain clueless about the boxes we’ve built for ourselves.
We humans have an interesting way of hanging on to old thoughts and beliefs. We end up with a cupboard full of ideas past their shelf life-unexamined, unused, but still taking up space.
Our thoughts become incredibly repetitive as certain cues pop up in the course of the day.
Let’s say that every morning, you listen to the news, full of turmoil and despair, and it reminds you that you’re not sure if you want to have a child with so much uncertainty in the world. Then you get in the shower and get ready for work, and as you look in the mirror, you realize you aren’t getting any younger, and maybe you’d better make that decision to have kids now while you still can. And then, as you drive to work, you pass a school, and you calculate how old you’ll be when your child is the same age as the students you see. Then you get to the office and wonder how you’d be able to juggle work and a family at the same time.
Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Every single day.
That’s just one example. There are many. It could be about your job, your weight, your relationships-you know the top ten things on your own mental list. No matter what you’re facing in life, you have cues that bring it up for you again and again. You thought about it yesterday, you’re thinking about it today, and you’re going to think about it again tomorrow.
What if you did some applied thinking? Not just that casual sort of obsessing you do daily, but serious applied thought?
We need to learn how to think more efficiently and effectively. Dr. Edward de Bono is a former Rhodes scholar who was on the faculty at Cambridge, Oxford, and Harvard universities. He is considered the world’s foremost authority on creative thinking.
Okay, the guy’s brilliant. But the cool thing about de Bono is that he wasn’t interested in revealing his method only to those who breathed the rarified air of the world’s finest universities. He was passionate about developing a way to teach creative thinking that was so simple even a five-year-old could benefit from it.
He coined the term “lateral thinking” and set about developing clear, visual ways to enhance the way we think. He uses the image of a car. Just because you’re in a good, quality car does not mean you are a good driver. You must learn how to drive. Some people are better than others, but everyone can acquire a reasonable amount of skill. You must have the desire to learn and spend time practicing. Once you become good at it, it’s easy and enjoyable.
De Bono believes that good thinkers aren’t born-they’re made. He says there are two dangerous fallacies: that if you’re intelligent, you don’t need to do anything about your thinking, and that if you have a more humble intelligence level, there’s nothing you can do about your thinking.
De Bono inspires us to develop a broad view. The broader your knowledge base, the better your thinking. De Bono actually came up with the phrase, “think outside the box”–but don’t hold that against him! It remains a clear image and a permanent part of our language because it immediately conveys the concept of stepping out of our regular patterns.
Do your own lateral thinking to see where it leads. When you find yourself stuck in your thoughts-of-the-day cycle, go wide. Jump the track. Consciously take your thoughts in a new direction.
Decide on a certain cue-say, whenever you look in the mirror and notice wrinkles or gray hair-and instead of your usual “I’m-getting-so-old” lament, picture yourself with white hair and crinkly eyes. Imagine the things you’ll be doing when you’re old. Escape into a reverie of the dreams you see coming true and the loving friends and family surrounding you. Stop dreading the process and focus on that brilliant 85-year-old who will be amazing and amusing everyone.
Your bones need lateral motion, and so does your brain. You can walk for miles and miles, but unless you add some sideways action, you’re grinding your hipbones in their sockets. Linear thought will get you where you think you want to go, but you will have missed out on tremendous opportunities for gaining perspective.
You’re going to keep on thinking until the day you die. Why not be a bit intentional about it? Pick your cue, and engage in a full-on effort to replace a repetitive thought cycle with an interesting new twist.
Take your brain out to dance in this daring new direction. Flex and stretch it at every opportunity. Feel it becoming more limber, supple, and–why not?–sexy.
Cha-cha-cha, Grandma!
Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse in Portland, Oregon. Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she teaches fun and effective eyes-wide-open alternatives to meditation. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, please visit http://www.MassageYourMind.com
Applying The Daffodil Theory into Business Practice
At times all of us need a bit of inspiration to add to our day. When I first read this article, I had started my own home based business and was in a bit of a slump. This inspirational story was exactly what helped spring me into action and keep on going.
I loved it so much that I thought why not share with other people in hopes it would have the same type of effect it had on me.
THE DAFFODIL PRINCIPLE
Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, “Mother, you must come see the daffodils before they are over.” I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. “I will come next Tuesday,” I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call.
Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn’s house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said, “Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see bad enough to drive another inch!” My daughter smiled calmly and said, “We drive in this all the time, Mother.”
“Well, you won’t get me back on the road until it clears, and then I’m heading for home!”; I assured her. “I was hoping you’d take me over to the garage to pick up my car.” “How far will we have to drive?”
“Just a few blocks,” Carolyn said. “I’ll drive. I’m used to this.” After several minutes, I had to ask, “Where are we going? This isn’t the way to the garage!”
“We’re going to my garage the long way,” Carolyn smiled, “by way of the daffodils.” “Carolyn,” I said sternly, “please turn around.” “It’s all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience.” After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, there was a hand-lettered sign that read, “Daffodil Garden.” We got out of the car and each took a child’s hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path.
Then, we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped.
Before me lay the most glorious sight. It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down; over the mountain peak and slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns-great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river; with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.
“But who has done this?” I asked Carolyn. “It’s just one woman,” Carolyn answered. “She lives on the property. That’s her home.” Carolyn pointed to a well kept A frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.
On the patio, we saw a poster. “Answers to the questions I Know You Are Asking” was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. “50,000 bulbs,” it read. The second answer was, “One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and very little brain.” The third answer was, “Began in 1958.”
There it was, The Daffodil Principle. For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun-one bulb at a time-to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountain top.
Still, just planting one bulb at a time, year after year, had changed the world. This unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. She had created something of ineffable magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration. That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time, often just one baby-step at a time, and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We CAN change the world.
“It makes me sad in a way,” I admitted to Carolyn. “What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it ‘one bulb at a time’ through all those years. Just think what I might have been able to achieve!”
My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. “Start tomorrow,” she said. It’s so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. Just ask yourself, “How can I put this to use today?”
Author Unknown
SO STOP WAITING:..
There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. You can only plant the seed of the future, why not start now? Apply this theory and see where you get in 20 years time! I am ready to help you. For motivation and inspiration visit me at http://www.thinkingfaster.com
Best of luck,
Jennifer Schilling
Copyright © 2004 Jennifer Schilling
Jennifer Schilling is a home business mentor.
Come by and grab a F-R-E-E subscription today at:
http://www.internet- business-success.biz
Or visit her other web sites at
5 Tips to Step Boldly into the World & Set Yourself Apart from Others
“Real champions believe in themselves even when no one else will!” Author Unknown
To take your life and business to a level that makes you ecstatic there is a good chance you will need to step boldly into the world and stand distinctively apart from others. Here are 5 tips to support you to embrace the unknown in a big way and maximize your results.
Fully Express Your Self~ Concern for what others will think often results in presenting “a diluted version of ourselves to the world” says the leader of the Think Big Revolution, Michael Port (http://www.MichaelPort.com ). When you fully express your authentic self without fear of the result you take more risks and show up as confident, unique, and intriguing.
Fully Express Your Passion~ We tend to bury our passions under responsibilities with the underlying notion that our day will come. The clock is ticking! What are you willing to stand up for? What difference do you want to make thru the work you do on a daily basis? What gets you juiced? Fully express your passions and you will enthusiastically show up in a big way.
Boldly Take Action Daily on What Matters~ I wonder how much time is spent daily on stuff that doesn’t make a difference. What if you made a commitment to yourself right now to spend time daily taking action and becoming 100% absorbed in activities that make a positive impact on others, your business, and your life. How would that make your life different from today?
Leverage Your Connections~ No one has made it to the top alone. Your connections are unique to you. No one has the same network as you. We all learn and grow from these connections. When we create win/win relationships and connect by sharing information, resources, and connections we grow together. When you develop and leverage these assets within your network you create a tool to set yourself apart from others.
Step out in Faith~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” We restrain ourselves by not trusting in ourselves, our cause, or our capabilities. We want to be “right” so badly that we postpone action. We learn and get better by playing the game, and making errors. Have faith that you have all you need in this abundant world to make a big difference. The world is your playground?. explore? discover? have fun? and trust your intuition.
Take Action Challenge:
What change will you make in order to fully express your authentic self in a big way?
What passion are you burying that you will unleash daily?
What change will you make to your schedule so you become 100% absorbed in actions that make a positive difference every day?
What relationship will you develop into a winning partnership?
Where will you step out in faith trusting that you are equipped to handle whatever shows up?
What I want for you is to confidently stand in all that you are on a daily basis knowing you have treasures to share, and the world will not suffer for the lack of it. Step up to a higher level of integrity and bold, conscious living?. Starting Now!
Copyright 2005 © Beth A. Tabak, All rights reserved.
Beth Tabak is a Business & Life Coach, columnist, & owner of Starting Now. She is 100% committed to coaching small business owners and professionals to grow beyond limits, and create the business and life they keep thinking about. Set your goals, pick up a task list, take a class, discover a new resource all complimentary at http://www.startingnowcoaching.com .
Religion Conflict News
There are many kinds of conflict which are happen in this world. One of the hottest conflicts today is religion conflict between Arab and Israel. It is become the most important conflict that we should follow.
To get the right information about the conflict, it will be better for you to go to Biblevisions.net. In Bible Visions you will learn that this conflict is complicated. This religion conflict is happen because of the story from the Qur’an that told the Muslims to hate the Jews.
The history of this conflict is based on the religion. They can’t respect each other. Because of that, this conflict is never ends.
Promote Your Business and Get Paid for Doing It!
How can you gain credibility and exposure for you and your business, reach a motivated audience, develop a far-flung network, hone your presentation skills — and get paid to do it?
Many writers, artists, speakers and entrepreneurs have found an answer: they teach classes in adult education programs.
Adult education is big business. In the new century, “change” is a hot topic and learning is no longer confined to traditional degree programs. As people want to grow their careers and enrich their lives, specialized programs have evolved to reach this market.
Some teaching venues require at least a master’s degree. Others allow you to share your unique skills, from designing brochures to tarot reading. Temple University’s continuing education program has offered a half-day class taught by a cleaning lady. The subject? Speed cleaning. If a target market exists for your business or if you have knowledge that people can use on the job, chances are a target market exists for you in the world of adult education.
By entering this world, you can demonstrate your skills to a receptive audience, meet some terrific people, learn more than you expected and even have some fun. Teaching requires more than a good speaking voice and a knowledge-filled brain. Every minute you are in the classroom, you are marketing yourself to your students. You must keep students involved for up to eight hours. Since the average adult attention span is about fifteen minutes, you have to design exercises, activities and questions. You have to deal with the unexpected. Students will arrive late, ask off-the-wall questions and challenge your expertise. Occasionally, students will be rude, insulting or even abusive.
Most people who teach find themselves exhausted after even a short class, yet also exhilarated. Teaching can be a high when everything goes well. The secret of successful part-time teaching is to identify your purpose in teaching and fine-tune your skills to your target market.
You want to reach students who are also potential customers. If a school features astrology and visualization, your course on finding the lowest mortgage rate won’t fit, unless you suggest people consult the stars to meet their financial goals.
People who have added teaching to their promotional toolkit report finding success and fun along the way. One public relations consultant gets forty percent of her clients from adult education classes. A writer has developed a secondstream of income and a never-ending source of ideas. The opportunities are available to everyone, everywhere.
Want to learn more? Read Cathy Goodwin’s ebook, published by intellectua.com: How to get started teaching in adult ed programs. For more information, contact Cath.
About The Author
Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com.
“Ten secrets of mastering a major life change” mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com
Contact: cathy@cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294
Raising Entrepreneurs: What to Do When Your Kid is Born to Think Differently
Adolescence brings with it many challenges ? for both parents and kids. Young people, still new to the world, are embarking on a journey to discover their passions, joys, and authentic self-images. More often than not, however, their journey more closely resembles an elongated stampede of enraged elephants than it does an innocent soul-searching endeavor. But no one said growing up would be easy.
And there are young entrepreneurs out there who see the world in a truly positive light. Sure, they have their ups and downs like most teenagers, but they are motivated, focused, and want to make a difference.
Who are these kids? How were they raised? What do they have in common with one another? At the risk of making some sweeping generalizations, I will paint the picture of the young, confident entrepreneur ? with the knowledge that this over-idealized portrait often comes in many colors and hues.
While entrepreneurship was never common in my family, many young entrepreneurs had experiences early on in life that lead them towards an entrepreneurial path. In general, there are two possible ways young people feel compelled towards entrepreneurship: inspiration and avoidance. Both can act as powerful catalysts for taking action.
In the case of inspired action, the young entrepreneur most likely grew up in an environment where individuality, responsibility, and financial literacy were encouraged. Even if the parent made little money to support his or her child, the underlying message often centered around taking initiative and following one’s own path.
On the other hand, in the instances where avoidance is the primary motivator, the child usually wants to avoid becoming like their primary caregiver, who was most likely a negative influence. Friends of mind who have exhibited this type of motivation often have a very strong drive to succeed, yet, in part, base their motivation on what they don’t want to become ? and must overcome even greater adversity in life.
In order to facilitate the spirit of entrepreneurship in your family, there are many steps you can take. While these steps are particularly geared towards entrepreneurship, they apply toward creating any harmonious relationship between parent and child:
-Teach your child in creative, ‘outside-the-box’ ways. In a recent article with 19 year-old CEO Cameron Johnson, he told a story about how his parents gave him stocks ? literally, shares in a company ? in his stockings for Christmas. There are many ways you can teach your child about financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and individuality.
-Make self-awareness and wealth consciousness the highest priorities. This entails a significant amount of soul-searching. And while many adults are adverse to the concept of change, often letting go of fear and facing your demons can be the most inspirational model for your child. I have a friend who, after years of living in a fear-based reality, she learned to let go and allow herself to forgive and love others. She has never enjoyed better relationships with her children.
-If your kid acts up, stand in your truth. Don’t beat around the bush or overreact. Of course, you want to be sensitive to your child’s feelings and come from a place of authentic compassion. But when it comes down to it, tell it like it is ? they’ll appreciate it in the end.
-Give your child ample opportunity to discover independence for him or herself. It’s critically important that your child learns the process of creating one’s own experience of reality from a first-hand perspective. Sometimes this requires being more firm or lenient than one would like. Yet remember that you grew through making mistakes, and so will your child.
If you see your child exhibiting entrepreneurial behaviors, make sure you show your support throughout his or her growth process. And if your kid is struggling to find motivation, don’t worry ? as long as you follow the guidelines above, you will instill the characteristics of greatness and, in due time, inspire the leader within.
Sam Rosen is a full-time college student at the University of Pennsylvania, entrepreneur, and author of the Succeed Young Total Success System, available at sam@succeedyoung.com.
Avoiding Credit Card Debt
In this trendy time where the economic system has been such a problem for everyday people like you and me to keep up, it’s easy to get into credit hassle when your credit score bills begin to stack up. So in case you are in the position to only start studying the ropes of the world of bank cards, there are a variety of things you can do to avoid bank card debt before it sneaks up on you and preserve your nostril clean, as they say. That is an impressive goal for you if you’re simply getting your first credit cards.
See the article here: Avoiding Credit Card Debt
