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Count them...

Creating The Life You Really Want

Discovering Your Life Purpose

Everyone has Something to Teach...

From Pain to Promise

Gratitude Journal

Increase Your Healing Ability

Just How Did You Get That Cold?

The Best Medicine

LETTING GO OF EMOTIONAL TURBULENCE

React or Respond? Which Do You Choose?

Seeing and Hearing Your Destiny

What to Do, What NOT to do During an Anxiety Attack

Will You Be YOUR Valentine? -- Practicing Self-Care

10 WAYS TO NURTURE YOUR CREATIVITY AND OPTIMIZE YOUR INTUITIVE POWER
by W. Bradford Swift

WHETHER you consider yourself a highly creative person or not, it is possible for all of us to be more creative if we'll take the time to nurture that part of ourselves. These simple steps will give you direction in how to bring more of your creativity to the surface and to optimize your intuitive powers at the same time. Pick the ones that seem to fit for you and give them a try.

1. Develop the habit of taking time for regular meditation and/or reflection. Meditation doesn't have to be hard or mystical. Start by simply setting aside 15-20 minutes once or twice a day to simply sit and be quiet. There are several techniques you can try such as concentrating on the flame of a candle, or saying a word (commonly referred to as a mantra) over and over to yourself. As far as I can tell the method you choose isn't nearly as important as simply choosing to sit and be with yourself on a regular basis.

2. Surround yourself as much as possible with an environment that supports and nurtures you. This can include setting aside a special place in your home where you can spend quality time with yourself, or finding what I call 'sweet spots,' places nearby that you enjoy spending time.

3. Try out different pastimes that energize you and help to get you in the creative mood. This will vary for different people, but here are some common examples: jogging or other forms of aerobic exercise can have a meditative aspect to them; bicycling or swimming are other possibilities; taking long walks especially in natural settings; taking long drives through the country side, try it with and without soothing or inspirational music; or taking a long, soothing bath by candle light.

4. Get plenty of sleep. For most people that's more than they may think. While you might be able to do okay on 5-6 hours a night, the creative juices will flow more readily with 7-8 hours. This may require taking certain actions to create a most restful environment. (See "Seven Steps to Turning Your Mind Off So You Can Get a Good Nights Sleep" by coach Michele Lisenbury. You can request a copy from Life On Purpose.)

5. Identify and eliminate any habits which tend to interfere with your creativity. Some of the common ones to consider would be drinking alcohol, doing drugs, watching too much television or consuming foods high in caffeine and/or sugar. While none of these are necessarily detrimental in small amounts, if it's habitual you're probably not partaking in moderation.

6. Treat yourself especially nice at least once a week. Creativity specialist Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way, encourages her students to take themselves out on an 'artist's date', as a way to nurture themselves. These dates don't have to be expensive or extravagant just as long as they are fun and energizing.

7. Exercise your creativity and imagination. Like so many other things if you don't use your creativity it tends to atrophy, it's the old 'use it or lose it' syndrome. Spontaneous brainstorming sessions are one effective way to stimulate your creative juices. If you have a problem, try writing out a list of ten or more different ways you could solve it. Or make a list of the ten most exotic trips you could take. Then take the best ones, at least in your mind just to exercise your creativity.

8. Make up life projects so large that they will require you to be creative in order to fulfill them. This is a catchy one because if you aren't careful it can backfire. The idea here isn't to necessarily fulfill on the projects as much as to have the projects energize you to tap more deeply into your creativity. As long as you remember that the purpose isn't whether or not the project is accomplished, you'll be fine.

9. Take up a hobby or sport just for the fun of it, and have it be something that you're not already good at. As we get older we often get 'set in our ways,' which can be a real killer to creativity. Taking up something that's fun but that you aren't already good at will stretch you to develop yourself in new ways. Become a student again at something whether it's ballroom dancing, yoga, a martial art, or underwater basket weaving. S-t-r-e-t-c-h your creativity muscles.

10. This one is for you to create on your own. Make up a tenth way to develop your creativity and intuitive powers. Then send it to me and I'll compile the best into a second list, TEN MORE WAYS TO NURTURE YOUR CREATIVITY AND OPTIMIZE YOUR INTUITIVE POWERS.

Thanks go to my client, Tammy Alexander for inspiring this article.

W. Bradford Swift is director of Life On Purpose Institute -- an organization dedicated to people clarifying their life purpose and living true to it -- where he is a coach, writer and trainer for other coaches (http://www.coachingonpurpose.com). Hundreds of his articles have appeared in such diverse publications as Modern Maturity, Hope, New Age Journal, Yoga Journal, and many others. He may be contacted by email: brad@lifeonpurpose.com; by phone: 1-800-668-0183; or visit the Life On Purpose Institute website: http://www.lifeonpurpose.com. For a FREE subscription to Purposeful Pondering Ezine, send an email to PurposefulPondering-subscribe@egroups.com.

THE END

Count them...

"When we stop taking life for granted, we begin to see life as a gift. All that we have, all that we are, the very fact that we’re alive is a blessing." -Peter McWilliams

Over the last few weeks you have gotten all sorts of advice - everyone seems to know what you should do in the new year (and they are happy to tell you too!) Set your resolutions. Do your yearly planning. Review your insurance coverage. Check the battery in your smoke alarm, etc., etc., etc. I’m going to risk adding to that clutter of commentary. All of those activities are important and early in the new year is a good time to do each of them. Perhaps more important than those, largely because you probably haven’t done it, is to count your blessings.

"Every misery I miss is a new blessing." - Izaak Walton

Izaak knew what he was talking about. He lived ninety years. This doesn’t seem too unusual, except that he lived from 1593-1683, when the average life span was about 45 years. You see, most of our blessings, we take for granted, because they seem so trivial or so omnipresent. Thorton Wilder said it well in his classic play, Our Town: "Oh, earth, you’re too wonderful for anybody to realize you!"

Again, my advice is to count your blessings (and write them down!) This advice will be well worth the investment that it requires. You will find that is provides you with a fresh perspective, lightens your step, widens your smile and improves your self image. Certainly these rewards are worth the small investment!

Here’s How

Start with a clean piece of paper - a big one. Pull out some markers (crayons work great for this job too!) and start brainstorming. Write down whatever flows into your mind. After you get down everything that comes to your mind now, put the paper away. Go back and add items to it a couple more times over the next day or two.

After you have completed the list, save it! If you use your computer a lot, you may want to type the list into a file. If you carry a daily planner, I suggest putting this list in it, so you can remind yourself of your many blessings.

A Start

As a way to get you started, I’ll share a few of the items from my list with you.

• Parker’s laugh
• Values learned from my parents
• Sight
• Hearing
• A snow shovel
• Good books to read
• Great customers
• A great education
• A loving wife
• Supportive friends
• My cellular phone
• The opportunity to use my God-given gifts
• Living in the greatest country in the world

I could go on, but it isn’t necessary. You can see that the list includes both the large and the small, the silly to the sublime. All of them are blessings. It is only a start.

As the New Year begins, take my advice, take the time to count your blessings. Take the time to write them down. You will be glad you did.

Yours in the New Year of Opportunity,

Kevin Eikenberry
the Discian Group
kevin@discian.com

Creating The Life You Really Want
Creating The Life You Really Want
by Coach Rachelle Disbennett-Lee, MS, PCC, CTC

We may not have control over what happens to us, but we do have control over what we do about it and our reactions to it. The response we have to any given situation is up to us, it is our choice, and every choice we make has led us to the place we our today. This is not a bad thing, if we could have done better we would have. The good news is since we have created our lives to be the way they are, we also have the power to create them to be exactly the way we want them to be. I believe that there are three basic things we can do right now to start changing and creating our life to be the way we want it to be.

Those three things are:

-Know that the present is perfect
-Get rid of all the tolerations in our lives and get complete with the past
-Practice extreme self care

The Present Is Perfect

Muffassa is my two year old Yorkshire Terrier. He has become one of the greatest teachers in my life. Muffassa is a great example of living in the present, and making the present perfect. Muffassa simply eats when he is hungry, drinks when he is thirsty and takes a nap in the afternoon, if that feels right. If he cannot get someone to play with him, he finds a favorite toy and entertains himself. For Muffassa the present is perfect. Many of us are driven by our need to resolve the past or to create a perfect future. There isn't anything wrong with either approach, but they do have one weakness. The weakness is that neither is about the present moment, both are about a different time than now. There are times when it is valuable to clear up the past, and there are times when it is valuable to visualize the future, but only if done with both feet firmly planted in the present.

What is the present?

The present is simply Today. What is happening this moment. It is what is now, not yesterday, or what could be tomorrow, but right this very moment. There is a richness in the present, and a power that enables us to create wonderful things. When we are able to stay present to the moment, to be with it and in it, magical things happen. By staying in the present we are able to put the past and the future into perspective.

Accepting that the present in perfect doesn't mean we have to be satisfied or happy with it. It just means that we accept that things are the way they are for a reason and that we have a choice in this very moment, we can either do nothing about it or change it. My best friend Nancy always tells me, "Either do something about it or quit complaining about it." Each moment is a new opportunity to begin creating our lives to be the way we want them to be.

I believe this concept especially applies to our weight and how we feel about ourselves. Once I asked my husband if I looked fat in something. His reply was "What are you going to do about, lose ten pounds in the next ten minutes." The fact is I could not do anything about it except be happy with the way I was and make a choice to make some changes if I want to lose the ten pounds. I think the key to successful weight loss and maintenance is to accept ourselves the way we are and love ourselves for who we are, not for our dress size.

The first step in living is the present is to take a look at your life and see how much time you are living in the present. If it is less than 90%, you are missing out on the richness of the moment. A very good friend of mine use to say, "Every day above ground is a good one." Each moment is a gift, a precious gift that we can give to ourselves. An affirmation that I say that keeps me grounded and centered and reminds me that the present is perfect is, "This is the best day of my life." It reminds me that this is the only day of my life, the past is gone and the future is not promised. Live every day as if it were your last, as if this moment were all that you had left. Make each moment count.

Tolerations

Tolerations are those little things in your life that suck your energy. They do not have to be major, in fact it is usually the little things in life that get to us. It can be a leaky faucet, a loose wheel, or those ten extra pounds.

Tolerations can also be major, like an abusive co-worker, a major car problem or over extended credit cards. Whatever the toleration, it takes our energy and does not allow us to be totally present in the moment. Most people think that they are not tolerating anything, or at least not very much. I was the same way when I first heard about the concept. It was all I could do to come up with five tolerations. Then I really started thinking about it and ended up with 146! One of my tolerations has always been my weight. Even when I weighed 128 pounds, at 5 feet 7 inches that is thin, it was not thin enough. I thought if I could only loose five more pounds I would be perfect. After taking a serious look at my weight I realized that what I was really tolerating was a low self-esteem and a socialitial message that thin equaled beauty and self worth. It was only after I accepted that I was never going to be model thin, I was not willing to work that hard, did I come to peace with myself and change my attitude from one of tolerating my weight to appreciating who I am. I changed my focus from my weight to establishing healthily habits, eating more fruits and vegetables, drinking water and exercising. I also no longer tolerate anyone saying anything about my weight, including myself.

The truth about tolerations is that they can:

-Hold us back
-Cause grief
-Waste time
-Take continuous energy
-Make us less conscious
-Take away from our integrity
-Take us off purpose
-Make us feel bad about ourselves
-Keep us from totally being present

Getting rid of tolerations frees us up to be more in the present with fewer distractions.

We cannot know what we do not know. Once we become aware of all the things we are tolerating, we can then do something about them. Make a list of 10 things you are tolerating in your life and commit to having those things cleaned up within one week. Once those are completed, list ten more, and continue to work on your tolerations until you no longer are tolerating anything. By doing this one thing, you will create more space and energy in your life, and be freer to create the life you really want.

Get Yourself Complete

Tolerations have a sister, they are called Completions. Tolerations deal more with things, completions deal with people or experiences. Tolerations usually are outside of us. Incompletions are more about what is going on inside of us. Incompletions are those things in our past that we have not let go of or have forgiven. Much like Tolerations, they nag at us and take our energy. They are like background noise, constantly humming away, distracting us from totally being in the present. In addition to the incompletion being on our mind, we might experience other emotions that remind of us the incompletion such as pangs of guilt, remorse, or regret. There may be shame related to the incompletion, or anger. Denial can accompany an incompletion, or sadness. Being incomplete means being unresolved, the experience or relationship might be over, but not yet complete.

How do we know if we need to get complete with someone or something in our lives? If there is anyone in our life that we would feel uneasy about bumping into or there is an experience that we just as soon avoid thinking or talking about, there is probably something we are not complete with in that relationship or situation. How do we get complete? Some suggestions I would make are: if you borrowed it return it, if you loaned it out and want it back ask for it or write it off if the item is never going to be returned. If you have hurt someone, apologize, even if it means calling someone you have not talked to in fifteen years. And if someone has hurt you, forgive them. This does not make them right, it simply frees you and allows you to move on with your life. This one might take awhile, but it will be well worth the effort.

Getting complete will create more opportunities for you by opening up space in your life. You will have more confidence because you will know that you have done the best possible job of cleaning up your past. You will have more time because you will be focused in the present and not drug down by the past and you will have fewer problems.

When going through this process, the first thing I had to do was return my over-due library books and pay the fine of $50.00. Not a fun thing to do but it got it off my mind, I had kept my commitment, since borrowing means just that, and I learned a valuable lesson, it is cheaper to keep agreements than to let them get over due. Get complete, you will feel better.

Extreme Self Care

The final part of this equation is extreme self care. One might think that Extreme Self Care sounds selfish, and besides who has time to take care of themselves. Most people are busy taking care of family, friends, the boss..... In reality, taking good care of yourself helps you take care of everyone else in your life, better. By making sure you are healthy, well rested and pampered, you are able to give more to the people in your life, you will have more energy and more zest for life.

When I think of taking care of myself first, I am reminded of traveling on an airplane. During the safety procedure, the flight attendant always instructs the passengers that in case of an emergency, the oxygen bag will drop down from the compartment above our heads. We are told to take the oxygen mask and put it over our mouth and nose, then any small children or others that need assistant. We are instructed to always put our own mask on first. Why do we do that? Because if we take care of everyone else first, we might not have the oxygen we need to take care of ourselves. If we do not take care of ourselves first, we might not be able to later. One of the best ways to start taking care of yourself is to create a list of ten daily habits. These do not have to be major things, but they are a list of things that will make your life better and support you in taking care of yourself. Doing ten daily habits will give you a routine that will keep you focused, clear, motivated and healthy. When choosing your ten daily habits, choose those things that you really want, not things you think you should do or have to do. Your daily habits should get you jazzed up, be something that you really enjoy and look forward to doing.

Some of the daily habits I have established in my life are taking Muffassa for a twenty minute walk everyday, playing with him for at least fifteen minutes twice a day, meditating for 20 minutes a day, keeping a daily journal, eating at least five fruits and veggies a day, taking a daily vitamin and laughing at least 10 times a day. These are things that I like to do and that make me feel great.

To start forming ten daily habits, start out slow. Choose only one or two to start with, do them for a month until they truly become habits and then add a couple more every month until you are up to ten, or whatever number feels good to you. And remember, these are not carved in stone, if you try out a habit that just does not work, dump it and find something you really like. This is about taking care of yourself and doing what you want to do for yourself. Remember these are your habits, not anyone else's. By establishing ten daily habits you are creating a healthy routine that will support you in staying focused, give you
more energy, and make you feel great.

Creating the life we really want is all about taking control. It is about deciding to make conscious choices in our lives, living each moment as if it were the most important. Eliminating tolerations and getting complete will free up energy in our lives. And taking extreme self care will keep us healthy and happy. Combining these principles can be the building blocks on which we create the life we truly want.

Acknowledgments go to Thomas Leonard, Founder of Coach University and Coach University for the development of the Personal Foundation Program. Coach University can be visited at http://www.coachu.com.
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Rachelle Disbennett-Lee is a professional business coach with and international practice. For five years Rachelle has been coaching entrepreneurs, business owners and corporate managers to achieve what they want in their lives and to create harmony and balance. She is a graduate of Coach University, has a Masters Degree in Management and is currently working on a Doctorate in Applied Management and Decision Sciences with a specialization in Business Coaching. Check out her web site at http://www.coachlee.com and subscribe to 365 Days of Coaching, her award winning daily ezine. emailto:rachelle@coachlee.com

Discovering Your Life Purpose
by Marcia Bench
More Details at: www.lead4success.com and www.careercoachinstitute.com

Are you clear about the purpose of your life? And are you fulfilling it? Or are you one of the many people who have spent your entire life (until now) feeling restless, confused, just going through a monotonous routine day after day – and never feeling certain about the purpose of your life? If the issue of life purpose has entered your life at this juncture, it is important to find a process to discover it. Why? Because without it, you will never feel the level of fulfillment that is possible in your work. In my 15 years in the career development field, guiding people through transitions of various types, nothing has been more transformational for my clients than discovering and fulfilling their life purpose.

What do I mean by life purpose? First, in a broad sense, we all have a shared overall purpose, in that we are here to discover as much of our true self as we can and to express our true self through our lives to the greatest possible extent. We do this through all of the experiences we have, the people we relate to, the jobs we choose, and the teachers whose message rings true with us.

Each of us also has a specific purpose. It is a calling, a mission, or an overall theme for your life which transcends your daily activities. It is the quality you have come to earth to develop, the type of service you are here to render, the segment of the planet you have come to enhance or improve. It is much broader than one job or career; it pervades your entire life.

In fact, most of us will have at least five different careers in our lives. Your purpose is not found in a career area or a job description. Rather, you use your career (as well as the other aspects of your life) to accomplish our broadly stated purpose. For example, one man’s life purpose was to promote peace. He did so by working as a mediator and by consciously pursuing peaceful relationships. Another woman discovered her life purpose was to nurture the earth. She learned all she could about conservation, worked for the park bureau, and soon was in demand as a teacher for other nature guides and conservationists.

Perhaps you have had a sense since you were a child that you had a ‘mission.’ Or you may have periodically asked yourself, ‘What is the meaning of my life?’ If neither of these questions has come to you consciously, you may notice that you life has consisted of much drifting from one job to the next, one relationship to another, with no sense of order or meaning – and a resulting feeling of emptiness.

If you have not experienced the level of success that you know you are capable of, or if you have felt as if something is ‘missing’ from your life, take note of this very important principle: You will experience success in your life to the extent that you are clear about your life purpose.

Qualities of Life Purpose

Life purpose is fun, joyful, and playful. When you are carrying out our life purpose, you will find that the time goes by unnoticed. Hours pass in pure bliss. Joseph Campbell and the eastern mystics use the phrase, ‘Follow your bliss.’ The dictionary defines bliss as ‘complete happiness.’ Thus Joseph Campbell is saying to pursue those things that cause you to experience complete happiness. Abraham Maslow called these experiences ‘peak experiences.’ Peak experiences are a regular occurrence when you are following your life purpose. Both of these concepts are closely aligned with discovering and following your life purpose.

Have you ever had the experience of reading a good book, working at a hobby you love, or listening to beautiful music when several hours later it seemed as if only minutes had passed? That is the feeling that is available to you when you have discovered your life purpose – and are living it.

Another characteristic of life purpose is that it is completely unique to you. No one else can fulfill your purpose. Whether it concerns an area that is being explored by many or by only a few, what matters is that no one can approach it as you can.

Clues to Your Life Purpose

Following are ten clues which will help you to discover your life purpose. Clue No. 1: What do you love to do? That is, when you have spare time, how do you like to spend it? Your spare time activities are important because they show what you enjoy doing when no one else is making demands on you. This is truly your time. What do you enjoy doing with it?

Even if these activities do not seem related to your career, they may be the seeds of an opportunity you have not yet recognized. Two ladies in a career counseling group a couple of years ago mentioned that what they liked to do in their spare time was watch soap operas. Once they acknowledged that as the thing they most loved to do, they converted that passion into a flourishing career writing syndicated summaries of all the daily soaps!

Another way to think about this clue is: what would you do even if you were not paid to do it?

Clue No. 2: What parts of your present job or life activities do you thoroughly enjoy? Even if you feel miserable in your current job or career field, think about this question. If you think back to why you took the job or chose the career area to begin with, there are likely some specific tasks or objectives that are (or were) enjoyable to you. It might be a small thing, as in the case of the receptionist who disliked dealing with all the people in her job but thoroughly enjoyed the few moments each day that she got to type letters and sort the mail. She later learned that she was not a ‘people’ person, but a data person who enjoyed organizing things. That clue led her into her new job as a word processor.

As you go through these clues, forget all about what others may think of your answers. This process is for you, and you need not share it with anyone else. Another pair of homemakers in a northwest state realized that, even though it sounded silly, they loved to clean house. They were perceptive enough to recognize that this was a clue to a business opportunity, and they are now famous as the Clutter Ladies and make their living helping people clean up their messes and stay organized.

Clue No. 3: What do you naturally do well? You have some natural abilities. These are the things you just naturally do well. They have always come easily to you. Perhaps you are naturally athletic or can learn foreign languages quickly with little effort. You may be a born organizer or have innate intuitive abilities. The areas in which you naturally excel are indicators of your life purpose – particularly if you also enjoy the things you do well. Your Enjoyment Quotient – the sum total of the things which give you the greatest joy – is the most important guide to your life purpose.

Clue No. 4: What are your ten greatest successes to date (in your eyes)? For this clue, put aside what others in your life may view as your successes. What things do you view as your greatest successes? It may be something as simple as a gesture that helped someone in need – or it may be a widely publicized improvement you made in your company’s efficiency. Whatever it is, list your successes, as well as – and this is important – what it was about the accomplishment or event that makes you label it a success. (For example, the person who many an improvement in her company’s efficiency may label it a success because of the benefit to the company, the way it make her feel, the money it saved, the recognition she got, or for other reasons.)

Clue No. 5: Is there a cause about which you feel passionate? Many times, the essence of our life purpose is revealed through a cause which attracts our commitment at a deep level. For example, if you feel strongly about world peace, or the save-the-whales movement because of a love for Mother Earth, or for the whales themselves, or a desire to preserve the animals for future generations? What is it about the cause that attracts you to it?

Clue No. 6: What are the ten most important lessons you have learned in your life? It is said that we teach that which we most need to learn. What do you feel are the most valuable or important things you have learned through your life experiences so far? (They need not be related to work.) One of these that was on my list included a simple realization in my days as a secretary of the important of approaching challenges at work, such as how to handle an issue for my boss, as though they were my own personal challenges. This gave me a sense of ownership and self-confidence in my own judgment which allowed me to experience increased peace of mind in my work. No doubt you have had experiences that you recall often which were life-changing or pivotal in your life.

Clue No. 7: Are there some issues or perceived problems that have occurred over and over again ? This clue is related to the previous one, in that out of one of these repeated issues may come your greatest lessons. But some of them are probably still occurring. That is, you have yet to learn how to break the pattern. Do you keep choosing mates that put you down? Or jobs that are beyond your skill level? If there were a theme for your life, how would you describe it?

I believe this lifetime is one of many we will experience in our ongoing process of spiritual growth. Whether or not you agree, these recurring issues or ‘problems,’ as we sometimes call them, often represent the key qualities you are here to develop. The Buddhists call them ‘uncooked seeds,’ or the qualities that aren’t yet fully matured in you.

Clue No. 8: What do you daydream about doing? This is important because your daydreams have their basis in your subconscious mind. This is the largest part of your mind, but not as easily accessed as your conscious mind. Our mind resembles an iceberg: the conscious mind is the ten percent of the iceberg above the water that we can easily see, but the subconscious is the ninety percent that lies submerged below the water.

It is in your subconscious mind that your beliefs reside, as well as your deepest desires for success and fulfillment. If there are images or issues about which you repeatedly daydream (or dream of at night), they may be aspects of your life purpose. Their importance cannot be overestimated.

Clue No. 9: Imagine you are writing your epitaph. What things do you want to be remembered for at the end of your life? What things will your life be incomplete without? This exercise is a good way quickly to access the essence of your life and goals. What are the first things that come to your mind – before your other chattering voices (sometimes referred to as the ‘committee’) override your initial impulse? Another way to approach this clue is to imagine you only had six months to live. What would you do differently than you are now? Once you realize what is most important for you, the next question is – what are you waiting for to make those things real for you?

Clue No. 10: What would you do if you knew you could not fail? Our final clue is a fun, and very effective, game you can play with yourself. If you have struggled to respond to the previous clues, this one encourages you to look beyond your perceived limitations. If you have been saying, ‘I’d really like to do it, but I know I could never succeed,’ I encourage you to forge the last part of that sentence for now, and think what you would do with your life if you knew you could not fail.

So now we know that life purpose is an overall theme or mission of our life that is unique to us. It is fun, joyful, absorbing, and fulfilling, and it meets a deep inner need within us.

Taking the answers to the 10 clues, the next step is to notice any themes in the answers, e.g., do many of them relate to being with people in a particular way, or to solving problems or working with your hands? Those themes can then be distilled down into an ‘essence,’ the core of your purpose that is relatively unchanging, and the ‘expression,’ or the ways in which that purpose is being expressed (or could be!) in your life now. Here’s an example: ‘My life purpose is to promote harmony and balance through working as a mediator, parenting my children to live nonviolently, and volunteering in my community association.’ What is your life purpose? Do you have a clearer idea now?

Implementing your Life Purpose

Now that you have begun to discover your life purpose, the next step is to implement it in your life on a daily basis. Here are several easy ways to do this.

1. Do the activities related to your life purpose first thing in the morning. This will allow you to do what is important to you before other distractions have a chance to tempt you off course.

2. Whenever you have a decision to make, ask which of your options will take you closer to your life purpose. Usually, one of your options will be more joyful than the other(s). This will be the one that leads to the fulfillment of your life purpose. Each small step builds on the last, and soon you are living the life of your dreams!

3. Be willing to change. To fulfill your life purpose, you must be willing to change anything which does not take you there. If you are harboring resistance, fear, or old programming, merely stating to the Universe a willingness to chance it will propel you in the direction you want to go. You may not know the precise steps to take, but your willingness will lead you to take the right action for you.

Keywords: life purpose, meaning, mission, purpose, job, work, transition, Marcia Bench, career satisfaction

Written by: Marcia Bench, San Diego, CA, USA
mbench@san.rr.com
http://www.careercoachinstitute.com
For more information on life purpose and how to apply it in your work, you may wish to read When 9 to 5 Isn't Enough: A Guide to Finding Fulfillment at Work or listen to the Hay House audiotape, "Discovering Your Life's  Purpose," both by Marcia Bench, aka Perkins-Reed.  They are available at www.careercoachinstitute.com/products.htm.
Marcia Bench is the Founder and Director of Career Coach Institute, which offers career coaching services and trains and certifies individuals who wish to be Certified Career CoachesT.  Enrollments now being taken for April classes.  For details, check here:  www.careercoachinstitute.com/ldg.htm.

Marcia Bench, CMP
Founder/Director
Career Coach Institute
"virtual career coach training and certification programs with a personal touch"
http://www.careercoachinstitute.com
1-866-CCOACH-4 858-578-5323

Everyone has Something to Teach...

"We can learn something from everyone, and I benefit in many ways when I act on that belief." - Kevin Eikenberry

When I was in college someone respected in our community told me that it was his philosophy that he could learn something from everyone. I thought a lot about that, and over time it has become a part of my life philosophy as well.

It is intuitively obvious that everyone has information and knowledge that I don’t have. And it is easy for me to list things that I have learned, or am learning, from those around me. Parker teaches me about whales, Kelsey teaches me about living in the moment, Brett teaches me to slow down, and Lori continually teaches me about customer service "in the real world." These are people I interact with everyday.

"Nobody is totally useless. At the very least, they can serve as a bad example!"
- Robert Sweet, Netizen

But this philosophy is harder to follow in many other cases. What about people I don’t like? Or don’t agree with? Or who look or act differently than me? How well does my philosophy hold up then? I’ve thought a lot about this, and I’ve determined that there is an ART to trying to learn from everyone I come into contact with. ART is an acronym… let me explain.

Asking

Reflecting

Thanking

Asking. The first step is to ask myself the pivotal question, "What can I learn from this person?", or "What does this person know that would be helpful for me to know?" In some cases this is just an introspective question for me to consider. In other cases, the person may literally have information that would help me reach my goals, and I need to ask them outright.

Reflecting. Next I need to reflect on the answer to the question I asked. When the person has given me information, this means deciding how I can use this new knowledge. In the more introspective cases, reflecting means thinking about what I’ve learned, and thinking about how to apply that new information or insight into my life.

Thanking. It is important to let people know that you are appreciative of their help. The piece of knowledge they shared may warrant a phone call, a nod, a smile or a thank you note (or more than one of the above). Sometimes the learning comes from someone you never

really knew, or have no way of actually thanking. In those cases, I believe that you can share your sense of gratitude by sharing the learning with someone else, doing a random act of kindness, or anything else that helps you show your gratitude by making your world (and those in it) a little better place to be.

I encourage you to think about my philosophy. Do you believe that you can learn something from everyone? If so, how can you make your learning more commonplace?

Consider making an ART of this philosophy. I guarantee that applying this ART, whether once an hour, once a day or once a month will make you happier, wiser and move you towards your goals.

So ask yourself, who have I learned from today?

Yours in learning,

Kevin Eikenberry
The Discian Group
http://www.discian.com
kevin@discian.com
1.317.387.1424
1.888.LEARNER (toll free in the U.S.)

From Pain to Promise
by Dean F. Mapa

Can life's pains be avoided? Or is that a rhetorical question, simply because there is a silently resounding "No!".

No matter how much we have or lack, how much we've lived or haven't, how many friends, families or foes -- pain comes; and quite often it comes when we least expect it. No, I'm not talking about physical pain that comes from scratches, slips and tumbles. But the pain that cuts deep to the core of our being; the hurt that keeps us dazed all day; the throbbing that moved the Psalmist to poignantly express, "My tears have been my pillow all night long!"

Yes, inner pain is inevitable, but we need not succumb to it and be overwhelmed by its debilitating effect on our souls. It can actually hold promise for renewed hope. Give thought to the following:

~Pain is a vital sign that we are humans. We feel, therefore we are. To deaden ourselves to inner pain is to desensitize us from the rest of humanity. This is how Hitlers and Idi Amins are born. I'm glad I'm just Dean, able to understand the human being across the room because she goes through pain just like me.

~Pain makes our heart fertile for compassion or hard as a rock to withstand intimacy. Your choice. We can be vulnerable yet real and sincere, or aloof and unreachable. The world becomes a better place because of the former, not the latter, believe it or not.

~Pain can be a bridge to the divine. It is a cause for self- reflection and to seek the strength we never knew exists within us. It is a motivation to seek a higher self, a more refined you, a dream you've put off for so long, the list is long and limitless. Pain should not be a reason to dive into the mud, but to reach for the stars!

When pained, by all means cry, bang the walls, pour your soul out. Feel the pain and ride it out. Then hold it up for you to see. Let it be a reflection of better things to come, not a shattered image of the past. Then and only then will we realize that pain, just like a thorn on a rose's stem, is merely a reminder of how beautiful life can really be.

---------------------
About the Author: Dean F. Mapa is a writer, motivational speaker and success coach. He manages, among other sites, Raven's Rendezvous, a meeting place for singles at beeznet.webjump.com
Subscribe to his free weekly inspiarational e-zine by sending a blank e-mail to subscribe@be-inspired.org

Gratitude Journal
by Bernadine Sevy

I have always easily seen, the "half empty glass" rather than the "half full one". And so a year ago I started my Gratitude journal. I turned to the middle of my regular journal and wrote Gratitude Journal at the top of the page and then each day, either before or after writing in my journal, I would make a list of things that I was grateful for, ending with the date. When I was morning sick one day I even listed that, because I had learned that morning sickness is a sign of a healthy pregnancy.

Sometimes, my entries are a little tongue in cheek, "sleep - since I am becoming an insomniac" and sometimes they are humorous, "goats in their pen" but most of the time they are filled with many little things to be grateful for. The little things that you think of, because you’d have nothing else to write if you didn’t, are the things that support my day. I have come to learn that those little things, the mundane things, are the ones I miss the most when they aren’t there like "children’s Advil", "libraries", "Jim mopping the floor when I got done canning" or "shoelaces".

One of the most rewarding things about my gratitude journal is rereading it on a bad day, doubt and fear seem to flee like mists before the suns rays and I am immediately filled with hope and a desire to try harder. There are repetitions in my Gratitude journal, not because I forgot I had already written it down, but because I truly am grateful for my "dryer", "children" or "Husband".

I believe that everyone should keep a Gratitude Journal, none of us a truly grateful enough, I think that we can all use an awakening to how much we really have.

Keywords: Gratitude Journaling

Written by: Bernadine Sevy, American Fork, UT, USA
bnsevy@loveathome.com
http://www.LoveAtHome.com

Bernadine Sevy is the mother of, soon to be, 9 children.  She lives on a little farm and raises children, Peruvian Paso horses and Nubian goats.  She and her husband produce a website for "above average families" at www.loveathome.com

Increase Your Healing Ability
by Marie T Russell

Everyone is a healer. Yes, you too! Just as everyone is alive and breathing, everyone has the power and the ability to connect with the life energy that brings in healing. You don't need training, though you can certainly learn techniques and earn confidence by taking classes; you don't need certification, though if you're going to become a "healer" officially and provide your services for hire, then certification is recommended. But, if you're wanting to increase your healing ability so that you can use it for your own healing, then it's right there waiting for you to tap into it.

Many of us go through life seeking healing from other people when really the only person who can heal us is ourselves. We run to doctors or healers to have them “heal” us. Yet, the body is the one which heals itself with the assistance of whatever remedies or assistance it receives. Whether one is taking pills, vitamins, or herbs, the body is the one that utilizes these as it sees fit. You could be eating the best foods, yet your body has to know and be capable of utilizing them in order for you to be “healed”. 

The body is the one which knows what to do with the calcium, the vitamins, the enzymes, the healing energy... If it didn't have it's own innate intelligence, it would not know how to utilize these healing substances that we ingest and accept into our being. The medicines or the medical staff are not the healers... the body itself is the healer.

Thus, the responsibility for healing oneself returns to its only true home, yourself. Possibly, you have felt helpless in healing yourself and you don’t feel like you know where to start. A good place to start is with convincing yourself that you indeed can heal yourself. This means reprogramming the thoughts you carry of lack... lack of self-esteem, self-worth, and self-confidence. You might begin the re-programming with statements such as these: 

·         My body is healing itself and the cells of my body are constantly “giving birth” to new healthy cells. 

·         Everyday, I get healthier and happier (and whatever other qualifications you want to increase in your life). 

·         My body is constantly healing itself every day and every moment. 

·         Every little cell in my body is happy; every little cell in my body is well.

·         I am connected with the life force and always have enough energy and vitality to be completely healthy and happy.

Practice talking to yourself. (No, they won’t lock you up.) If you are afraid of being thought weird, speak silently to yourself... Talk to the cells of your body. Tell them you love them. Tell them you now give them permission to be healthy. Visualize (a fancy word for imagine) them being healthy and vibrant with life force. See your body being filled with radiant healing energy. Feel it spreading from the top of your head down to the bottom of your feet. Tell yourself that you now give yourself complete permission to be 100% healthy and 100% happy.

How to do hands-on self-healing

You can do “hands-on” healing on yourself. All you need is the willingness to accept that this is indeed possible and to give permission to have Divine energy flow through you.

·         Start by asking for Divine protection and see yourself surrounded by white light. A good way to do this is to fill your heart with white light and then have the light keep expanding until you are filled with while light, and surrounded with light in a somewhat egg-shape.

·         Hold up your left hand, palm outward, and ask for healing energy to flow through you. Imagine the healing energy coming in to your body through the palm of your left hand. You can visualize it as white light, or green energy, or whatever seems appropriate to you at the moment. Trust your intuition or gut feeling on this one, as different healing situations will call for different energies, or colors of light, or warmth, etc.

·         As you keep holding up your left hand and allowing the Diving energy to enter, place your right hand, palm down, on the area of your body which needs healing. You may feel some warmth entering your left hand, and the palm of your right hand may get hot. You might also feel a tingling or vibrating effect. This is the energy of healing moving through you. (If you don't feel anything, don't worry. The energy is still there -- you simply are not sensitive to it yet.)

·         Relax and be grateful for the ability to be a channel for this energy. You may use this for digestion problems, muscle soreness, tense shoulders, headaches, stress, etc. etc. etc.

You may also use this God-given talent to share with friends. Teach them to connect with this force. Everyone is a healer. The body was built as a self-healing mechanism. When given the chance the body heals itself. Animals know this which is why they go off by themselves to rest when hurt or ill. The human animal (that's us) can also do the same. We can respect the needs of our body for quiet, rest, fasting, and healing energy. Listen to the quiet inner voice which guides you as to what you need to do. 

When feeling ill you may choose to take some time to be alone and quietly apply some healing energy to your body. After all, this body is the only one you got. When it is properly connected to life energy it can heal itself, so plug in to the source and heal thyself...

Just How Did You Get That Cold?
By Jacquie Hale

Summary: Do you take responsibility for your health? Have you explored your illnesses, whether a cold or arthritis, as a means to see what you are needing in your life? Check out this article for some insights to your health.

Do you give more thought to why the stock market shot up or what when wrong with last night's casserole than why you caught the latest cold? Did you just say, "I caught the latest cold because it was going around and everyone is catching it"? Aha, there's an unconscious idea-that you have no control over whether or not you get sick. Think back to the Valentine's Sweetheart's Ball when you were in high school. If you had a big date, did you come down with a cold? Maybe you did the following day, but it's quite likely you did not get sick the day of that event -- or most big events that you really want to attend.

What I've seen in my practice is people getting a cold or the flu every time they are about to give that big presentation or while preparing for or coming down from some important event. Yes, the reason you catch a cold or the latest version of the flu is because of a virus going around. There's no doubt about that. But when you catch it is a big clue to what you need at that particular time in your life. Think back to the last time you were laid low by some bug and answer these questions:

*What was going on in your life just before or planned for during or after?

*What did you do while recovering from the illness?

*What did you long for (maybe your mother's chicken soup or your father's reading your favorite story). Get honest here, what did you really want in your deepest heart?

*Why was it inevitable that you would get this illness at this exact time?

*What did you get for yourself from having this illness that you couldn't have gotten through your normal activities?

These are important questions to ask about any illness or diseases. We often get sick so that we will take care of ourselves (or someone else will take care of us) in a way we cannot accomplish in our normal everyday lives. Recently, I was about to lead a retreat and my husband came down with the flu. He described the symptoms to me as I was packing up the car. I took off for the retreat and had a vague thought that I didn't have time to have this right now. The retreat went well but had a surprise ending. As we were saying the last words of appreciation and goodbye, I felt the exact symptoms that Jim had described. I didn't catch this flu bugs at the same time he did (although we are pretty sure we were exposed at the same time) because I had something important to do. But here's an even more interesting question, why did I catch it at all?

In the past few years, I have not caught the latest strain of contagion. Why this one? What did I need that I wasn't giving myself? Well, a new creative idea had landed a few days before the retreat. If I had done my normal schedule, I would have come home and started doing things to move the creative idea along. What I identified as I laid low for a few days was that I could really flesh out the idea before I took and action. I needed the creative space to think about a project before I enacted it. This is often the pattern I have seen in myself. When I need space to think about something or need to stop before I take some action, I am likely to catch a cold that ensures that I do what I need. In the last few years, as I've said, I have caught few colds. It is not coincidence that I have been paying attention to when I need a few days to regroup or rest or just be still so an inspiration can bloom and set up my life so I have the time I need.

For other people, it might be that they get sick when their have too many things to do-there's no better way to get a mental health day that to need a sick day. Others get sick when they are performing some activity that is scary. If they are sick, they can beg off at the last minute if the anxiety level gets too high to tolerate. All of this does not mean that a good nutrition or a good immune system don't play a big part in the occurrence of illness, they do. But you can enhance even the healthiest life style with some conscious awareness of what you need and decrease the incidences of both acute illnesses and chronic diseases.

Conscious Health Habit #1

Be vigilant about the balance in your life. Notice when you need to take time for yourself or when you are pushing yourself to do things that aren't comfortable. Then do what you need to make your life balanced and fulfilled. Take a day or two off before you get sick to deal with what is up in your life. And don't forget, eat your broccoli!

© Jacqueline Hale, 2000
E-mail: jacquie@vibrancecoach.com
Author's URL: http://www.vibrancecoach.com

The Best Medicine
by David Granirer MA, North America's Psychotherapist/Stand-up Comic

We've all heard the saying "Laughter is the best medicine," but now it's scientifically proven! According to Dr. Lee Berk of the Loma Linda School of Public Health in California, laughter strengthens the immune system and lowers levels of stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine. After a bout of laughter, blood pressure drops to a lower, healthier level than when the laughter began. Dr. William Fry of Stanford University found that "twenty seconds of guffawing gives the heart the same workout as three minutes of hard rowing."

Another year-long study of heart attack victims done at the Oakhurst Health Research Institute in California found that of those who spent half an hour a day watching comedy videos, 10 percent had a second heart attack, whereas 30 percent of those who did not watch had a second attack.

Since laughing is something people can do sitting down, costs no money, and requires no special exercise equipment or skill, it's the perfect workout for anyone who doesn't have the time or desire to participate in a regular fitness program.

So here's a tip for the next time you feel stressed and need a wellness break. It's called the Smile Time-Out. Take a deep breath, smile, exhale, and say "Aaah" while visualising all your muscles and cells smiling. Then add to that a memory of a time you felt really good and laughed and laughed. Remember, even when you fake a smile or laugh, you get the same physiological benefits as when it's the real thing, because your mind is smart, but your body is stupid and can't tell the difference!

About the Author:

David Granirer gives laughter in the workplace presentations for hundreds of organizations throughout North America. For more information on his presentations, stand-up comedy, products, and articles call (604) 205-9242 or go to http://www.granirer.com/

LETTING GO OF EMOTIONAL TURBULENCE

Let me ask you, are you more or less effective when you are upset? Do you find yourself stuck at times in your life by anger, frustration, fear, guilt and similar emotions? If so, here is a step-by-step approach adapted in part from the book, "Do Less, Achieve More" by Chin-Ning Chu.

1. DON'T SUPPRESS. Letting go of your emotions doesn't mean to avoid feeling them or suppressing them. Suppressing your emotions can be harmful to your health, resulting in a myriad of physical ailments including heart disease, strokes and ulcers. Instead of suppressing your emotions, become unattached to them. How?

2. CAUSE YOUR UPSET. One of the most effective ways I've found to become unattached to an upset is to actually 'cause' it. Having something happen that results in your automatically being upset is different from recognizing the upset and causing it in a responsible manner. You may find it's actually quite difficult to stay upset when you're causing it rather than simply being at the effect of it, and it can help you move through it and reach detachment sooner.

3. WRITE IT OUT OF YOUR SYSTEM. For many people writing about their emotional upsets can be a great way to dissipate the energy. The best way to write about your emotions is to not think about writing but simply write. Pour it all out on the paper. Let the words flow directly from your heart to your fingers without detouring through your brain first.

4. WHAT REALLY HAPPENED? Once you've unattached yourself from the angst of your emotions, you are better able to deal with what really happened. As Detective Friday used to say in Dragnet, "Just the facts." What happened is almost always different from what you reacted to. What caused the reaction was what you made up about what happened. Someone saying, "We're cutting your bonus 50%," is different from "My jerk of a boss is stingy and uncaring and let me tell you what he did recently that proves it." Few people in life deal with what's really happening -- only the most effective ones.

5. GET THAT WE LIVE IN A 'NO ACCIDENT' UNIVERSE. Since we're designed to make meaning out of everything, why not make up some new meaning about what happened that will empower life? Notice I said empower life, not 'empower you.' Of course, you're part of life so you're included but look beyond yourself. What meaning could you attribute to the situation that will empower everyone involved? One great place to look is what's the hidden lesson the Universe is trying to teach you. If you've just gone through a huge upset, chances are that you've been offered the lesson many other times. Isn't it time to learn it so that you can move on?

6. CELEBRATE. That's right, whenever you move through an upset, no matter how large or small, celebrate the expansion and growth you've made. As Chinning Chu says, "Rejoice and celebrate each time your heart is broken. Only when your heart is broken can the light enter."

ACTION

This week, try out this simple and effective six-step approach on one of your upsets and see if you don't become much more effective at dealing with your life. The more you practice it, the faster you'll be able to authentically move through the emotional turbulence of life and stay on track to living purposefully.

Thanks to my friend and client, Eric Miller, for inspiring this Thought Provoker.

The End

React or Respond? Which Do You Choose?
by Brenda Maxfield

"Mom, I'm sorry, but I broke your favorite vase." "Your marketing report is not adequate. Re-do it and have it on my desk by this afternoon."

"You always forget my birthday. . ."

"Why can't you be reasonable like your brother?"

Do any of these statements ring a familiar bell? We've all heard things like these in our lives. And when we do, we have a choice. But sometimes we forget about that choice, and we immediately heat up and start in-----

"WHAT???? MY FAVORITE VASE????? HOW COULD YOU BE SO CLUMSY??"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I ALWAYS FORGET YOUR BIRTHDAY??"

"MY BROTHER? WHY ALWAYS BRING HIM INTO EVERYTHING?"

You get the idea. We switch immediately into the reactive mode and let her fly! Our judgment and decision-making capacity becomes crippled in the heat of the moment. All we can think about is how upset we are, how rotten the other person is, and how unjust life is!

When we're reacting, we make quick decisions that we often regret. We say things that are ugly and hurtful. We annoy other people and bring out the worst in them. We become critical and negative.

Not a very pretty picture, is it?

So what is our choice? Instead of reacting, we can respond.

In the responsive mode, we maintain our calm. We are relaxed. We keep our bearings. We are able to see the bigger picture and take things less personally. Instead of jumping right into the critical mode, we remain flexible, assessing the situation from a place where we can see solutions.

We could respond to the above situations like this:

We look at our trembling child and realize that he didn't break the vase on purpose. We're upset, after all it was a favorite vase, but we realize that screaming won't help. "Honey, what happened? Where is it? Can it be fixed?"

We look at our boss and think that maybe she's under tremendous pressure from her boss. We realize that she's not being rude, she's simply asking for a re-do. "I will get right on it. Would you please tell me where I need to beef it up?"

As we become aware of the two choices we always have: reacting or responding, we can begin to make conscious choices regarding which one we want in our lives. When we see ourselves reacting instead of responding, we can pause, and say to ourselves, "Uh oh, there I go again," and then whisper, "Cancel." And start over. Take a deep slow breath and begin again.

As you're working on this change, you'll begin to notice that your life is gentler, happier. Your relationships will improve. A responsive mind is fertile ground for success. Going through life relaxed and calmly, leaves your path open to abundance and joy.

So let's concentrate on honing our "responding" skills in the next few weeks. Our entire family will enjoy the benefits!

Blessings on you and yours. . . . ***********************************************
 © Brenda Maxfield (Inspiration is her Business!) lives in Costa Rica and loves it! Subscribe to her FREE ezine: mailto:HighClimbertoSuccess-subscribe@topica.com Retirement is Closer than You Think! Retire Early and in Style! http://wealthbuildingonline.com/blm

Keywords: personal development, self-improvement, family, motivation, inspiration, patience, anger

Written by: Brenda Maxfield, Miami, FL USA
PBMaxfield@email.com
http://www.highclimber.net/success

Seeing and Hearing Your Destiny
by Julie Jordan Scott

As a child, I read an autobiography of Annie Sullivan. She was the woman who brought Helen Keller out of her dark and silent world and into a place of understanding few of us in the hearing and seeing world fully grasp. I decided I wanted to become a teacher for people like Helen. I wanted to bring lightness and sound into people's lives.

What did you want to do as a child? Remember how it felt to fully believe that you could be an astronaut, the President or Prime Minister, an Academy Award winning Actress, an Olympian?

Helen Keller made this suggestion to people as they worked towards making their goals real, and I would like to add a variation to her theme. "It is for us to pray not for tasks equal to our powers, but for powers equal to our tasks, to go forward with a great desire forever beating at the door of our hearts as we travel toward our distant goal." I would assert one step further, that your goal not be in the distance, but rather be in each moment of each day. In choosing an overall life where your heart is in sync with your dreams and actions, the power and intention of each day creates an effect of natural movement towards the life of your dreams, a life of empowerment for you and those around you, a life mapped by your destiny.

Know that this is entirely possible for you, starting today. Instead of saying immediately, "Oh, I can't do that! No way!" ask yourself instead, "How can I live my destiny?" I challenge you to take the first few simple steps. Begin integrating these into your life today and watch what unfolds in the process.

What if you believed completely that no task was too big for you to complete? Accept this as truth. There is nothing that is too big. Perhaps you will have to tweak or modify the specifics of your dream, but no specific task is impossible.

What if you let go completely of the scarcity and lack? How much does fear block you from your greatness? How often does your mind race immediately to "I can't afford that" or "That price is more than I have" or "I will have to wait"? Relax in the knowledge and belief that you have everything that you need and more. Abundance is the truth. One step further, it is yours.

What if you embraced in your heart that each person you encounter is an equally magnificent creation? That means that you are as valuable as anyone else on the planet. You have a specific, unique purpose and destiny. From your core is a fountain or wellspring of possibilities. All you need to do is to stay grounded and focused on your daily goal or intention of a life in alignment with the callings of your life put into daily actions reflecting those callings.

You can do this. You are worth it. You are big enough, strong enough, sure enough, and have enough resources. Today! Here and Now!

In a world where she could neither see nor hear in conventional ways, Helen Keller opened a world of possibilities to the seeing world. Embrace her expansive vision, play a symphony to her ears. Go to your destiny.

Keywords: Life Purpose, Life Destiny, Vision, Personal Vision, Goals

Written by: Julie Jordan Scott, Bakersfield, CA USA
julie@5passions.com
http://www.5passions.com

What to Do, What NOT to do During
an Anxiety Attack
by Ellen DuBois

At the age of twenty, I suffered a very traumatic event in my life. I lost the sight in my left eye. I was fine, (or so I thought), throughout the ordeal. It wasn't until it was over that I had my first anxiety attack. It was one of the most frightening experiences of my life.

The symptoms most commonly suffered are: 1. Shortness of breath 2. Rapid heart beat/palpitations 3. Shaking 4. Cold sweat 5. Numbness/Tingling (I got it in my hands, upper lip and sometimes throughout my entire body). 6. Dizziness or feeling like you are going to fall over 7. Fear that you are going to die

First, let me make it clear that in no way am I a medical or psychological expert. I am simply sharing my knowledge of this condition through my own battle with it in the hopes of reaching others who have the same. There are many variations of Anxiety and Panic Disorders, and the best thing to do first is to go to the doctor and get a full check up. This will rule out any medical conditions that are duplicating the symptoms of anxiety attacks. Do not be afraid to go! When you most likely discover that the cause is not due to a serious medical condition, as I once thought, you will feel relieved.