There is an art and a science to prosperity. The art is playing with the magic of prosperity. The science is aligning with the physics of prosperity.

Play at Life!

Why does the money run out? Why doesn’t passion stay around? Why doesn?t health last?

Perhaps because we?re not playing. Instead, we?re analyzing and strategizing. By not being innocent, open, willing, spontaneous and flexible, we kill the magic of natural prosperity.

Results are important in life. And life works out best when played like a kid?s game?in the spirit of a fun adventure between two best friends. When approached lightly?not as a deadly serious contest?life actually responds more readily to our wishes.

In fact, the happiest outcomes occur when we play along with the fluctuations of life instead of fighting them. Humor and laughter activate energy flow, which, in turn, generates abundance.

Ride the Pulse of Prosperity

Just like the body?s circulatory system, prosperity has a pulse, a rhythm. When we?re willing to go along with the pace and pattern of life?s changes, we prosper. When we tighten up, hold back, or try to control or micro-manage life?s vacillations, we cut ourselves off from life?s natural bounty. The magic dies.

Align with Attraction

Do you feel stuck? Are you struggling to make life work? Tired of your own soap opera reruns?

Get your life aligned with the Law of Attraction!

Scientists agree with spiritual teachers. Prosperity is simply the natural physics of the universe. Science calls it the Law of Quantum Physics. Metaphysics calls it the Law of Spiritual Attraction. Like energy attracts like energy. Like vibration attracts like vibration. Like qualities attract like qualities. This is Instant Karma in all its beauty and fierce justice.

Scientifically speaking, all physical matter in life is pulsating electromagnetic energy that undulates in a wave motion?and thus, naturally connects with those aspects of life that are on that same wavelength.

An Inside Job

So how do you put cash in your pocket, romance in your bedroom, and vitality in your body?

The Latin root of ?prosperity? means ?to make happy, favorable, successful, fortunate, thriving. Prosperity is not an outer circumstance or state. Prosperity is an inner feeling or space?an experience of oneself as joyful and flourishing. Outer events are the reflections of how you have been flowing from your Source Energy. This is what a good creator does?flow energy.

You can attract prosperity with your personal magnetism. As you focus your attention on your dream, the Law of Attraction brings your desires to you automatically.

True prosperity is having what you choose to have as you choose to have it.

Here are a few effective, pragmatic ways to tap into the River of Plenty.

Master the Law of Giving and Receiving

When you give freely of your gifts and talents, you receive back in kind. The key to success here is how you give, not what you give. When you come from a place of bountiful giving, you receive plentifulness in return. When you give from a place of lack or limitation (for example, expecting something in return as a pay-off), you receive back the same vibration or quality?a reflection of lack and limitation. When you give from a space or energy of fear (scarcity consciousness), the universe mirrors that poverty back to you.

Align Your Personality with Your Soul

Align your personality?s actions and attitudes with your soul purpose and passion?and your life will unfold in a profoundly easy, delightful and bountiful way.

Walk with an Appreciative Heart

What you appreciate in life appreciates?increases, grows. The more aspects of life you appreciate, the richer you become inwardly?and, in turn, outwardly, according to the Law of Attraction.

Prosperity Begets Prosperity

Prosperity is a living, organic state of being. Prosperity defies the laws of economics in that it?s not a commodity that we have less of when we give some away. Prosperity grows greater for the giver as it?s given. The more you share, the more you end up receiving. Give and you shall attract. Nature does abhor a vacuum!

Draw from Your Prosperity Consciousness Bank Account

Vibrations of good times can be stored up for retrieval during challenging times. Prosperous times can remind you emotionally and physically of how the vibration of happiness feels?and shift you palpably into those good vibes in the present.

Experientially re-living peak moments from the past is more transforming than mentally remembering an event. ?Positive experiencing? is even more powerful than ?positive thinking.?

Make Room for Miracles

Create the attitude and conditions that make miracles more likely to occur. Fear less and dare more. Invite surprise. Welcome serendipity. Be open to unexpected sources of income, resources and support?especially those that don?t ?make sense? to the intellect with its limited range of possibilities.

And stay open to invisible assistance from your spirit friends?be they angels, Ascended Masters or spirit guides.

Ask “Why not?”

Take the road less traveled. Be different, creative, fluid, experimental. See fresh possibilities, better combinations, and new opportunities and challenges where others see problems or limitations. Exude excitement and enthusiasm about daily life. The electromagnetic energy of this exuberant, open attitude will attract magic, meaning and money into your world.

Quit Energizing the Past

The past only exists to the degree we unconsciously drag it into the present. Take charge of how yesterday affects your today. Regard the past as an eternal stream of “practice takes” that allow you to “get it right” in this moment! And energize only the elements of the past that feed the plentiful reality you are creating now.

Forgive ? then Forgive Some More!

By learning to forgive ourselves and others, we give ourselves the gift of freedom from the past. Forgiveness loosens the debilitating constraints of anger, resentment, cynicism, regret and despair?and releases our hearts to swell with aliveness and compassion. Give yourself and others Blanket Forgiveness?now!

Take Charge of the Present Moment

“Now” is the only time you can control. All success and bounty flows from the power of the vibration you are in each moment. By learning to be present in the current moment?in the ?current? of the moment?you naturally receive the treasures that it carries.

Feng-shui Your Life!

Give yourself a “Spacelift.? By intuitively re-arranging the elements of your daily life, you can create the quality of time and space that will increase your ability to receive abundance. Clear your path of illusions and lies so that your creating attention flows solely to your dreams, not to the distractions and myths of life.

Tap the Power of Surrender

Worry serves as a signal that we must tend to some aspect of life. But when we have done all that we do for the moment, it’s time to let go of anxiety and surrender to Universal Support. When intense emotions arise?whether delight or grief, excitement or fear?abandon yourself to them. Don’t hold on! Relax that death grip on your feelings?and, in doing so, on the inflow of life?s aliveness and bounty!

Feel Extravagantly

Feel the pain as well as the joy. Shake with fear. Let the anger rise up and roar! If you’re not truly feeling, you’re not truly alive?you’re just going through the paces. You?re only having a NLE?Near-Life Experience.

You can?t have money, love and health without feeling your emotions. Primal Life Force is the energy that animates all of life?s rewards. That same exact energy comprises the essence of all emotion. The core natures of prosperity and emotion are one and the same: Source Energy. Make friends with your feelings and you open the floodgate to easy, natural abundance in your life!

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Keith Varnum has 30 years of practical success as an author,accupuncturist, personal coach, filmmaker, vision quest guide and international seminar leader, and is the owner of http://www.TheDream.com and http://TheCareerDoctor.net.

Keith@thedream.com

Randall sought my help because he was stuck being miserable and had no idea how to get out of his misery. In his life he had experienced moments of great joy and sense of oneness with all of life, but those moments were infrequent.

He wanted more of those moments but had no idea how to bring them about.

Randall is an extremely intelligent man, but in some ways he was using his own intelligence against himself. The problem was that when Randall did have those brief moments of true connection, he immediately went into his mind to try to figure out how it happened. The moment he went into his mind, he lost the connection that he so desperately desired.

The reason Randall went into his mind was that, as much as he wanted the joy of deep spiritual connection, he wanted something even more than that - control over that connection. Randall?s ego wounded self believed that he could control the connection with Spirit with his intellect - if only he could figure it out then he could control it. The last thing Randall wanted to do, which is what is necessary to connect with Spirit, is to surrender his thinking. Randall was deeply addicted to thinking as a way to not feel his inner experience. Thinking was his way of controlling his painful feelings, such as his aloneness, loneliness, and helplessness over others and over his spiritual connection.

Many us of are addicted to thinking. We believe if we can just figure things out we can control others and the outcome of things. We want to control how people feel about us and treat us by saying just the right thing - so we have to think about it over and over to discover the right thing to say. This is called ?ruminating.? Ruminating is obsessively thinking about something over and over in the hopes of finally coming up with the ?right? answer, the right thing to say, the right way to be to have control over others and the outcome of things. Ruminating is also a way to have control over our own painful feelings, which is what addictions are all about.

In my work with Randall, he would immediately go into his head and analyze what was happening in the session the minute feelings came up. Over and over I would bring him out of his head and into his body, into his feelings. His feelings were so terrifying to him that he could only stay with his feelings for a few moments before he was back into his head - explaining, figuring out, intellectualizing. He was so terrified of the soul loneliness and aloneness he felt that he had learned to avoid these feelings with his mind. Yet until Randall was willing to feel his painful feelings, which had been there since childhood, he couldn?t stay out of his head. As long as his intent was to control his pain rather than learn from it, he would not be able to move into the spiritual connection he so desired.

The purpose of all of our addictions are to avoid pain, especially the deep soul loneliness that we all feel in this society. The problem is that our disconnection from our feelings - which is our Inner Child - creates aloneness as well. Our feeling self, our Inner Child, is left alone inside with no one to attend to the painful feelings. It is only when our desire is to learn about how we may be causing our own painful feelings that we open to our inner experience. Our desire to learn also opens the door to our spiritual connection, which we cannot feel when our intent is to avoid pain with our various addictions.

It took Randall many months to be willing to feel his painful feelings, but he discovered that when he finally had the courage to feel them, it was not as bad as he thought. In fact, when he was no longer abandoning his Inner Child by going into his addictive thinking, he no longer felt alone within. Connecting with himself allowed him to connect with Spirit more and more of the time. Rather than getting there through thinking and trying to control it, he was getting there by being present in the moment with his inner experience - surrendering to the moment. Randall found that while he could not control others and the outcome of things, he actually did have control over his misery - by choosing the intent to learn rather than protecting against pain. While he couldn?t control Spirit, he did have control his own intent, which eventually led to his being able to connect with Spirit.

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Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including “Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?” She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone sessions available.

margaret@innerbonding.com

“Consuming pineapple and/or parsley helps sweeten the taste of the male ejaculate. Can there be any truth to this and what other foods affect the taste, for better or for worse?”

Yes, what you eat can influence the taste and smell of your ejaculate.

This is something like the smell of your sweat on the next day of a heavily spicy and garlic full dinner.

Because the average ejaculate consists mostly of protein, citric acid, fructose, sodium, chloride and smaller amounts of ammonia, ascorbic acid, acid phosphates, calcium, carbon dioxide, cholesterol, prostaglandins, creatine, and other minerals and chemicals which are produced by the prostate gland, cowpers gland, testicles and many other parts of your body, but shortly by “your body”, and your body can only use its stocks and what you eat as its raw material.

Of course, every body has its own formula to create the semen, but eating less meat (and proteins) and more carbo hydrates, vegetables and fresh fruits may improve the taste and smell. For example parsley is a healthy plant and may also help to make your body juices more sweeter.

In general, dairy products create the foulest tasting fluids, alkaline based foods as meat and fish produce a butter, fish taste. Fruits and quality alcohol are good for a pleasant, sugary flavor. Chemically processed liquors may cause an acidic taste.

As said previously, ejaculate containing sperm has a unique individual taste for each male. Some males have bitter tasting ejaculate, tastes burnt, sour and strong. Other males, primarily vegetarians have ejaculate that generally tastes sweet, nut like. But to produce healthy semen your body will need some protein rich in zinc anyways.

A strong smell may also indicate an infection in genitals and you should urgently visit a gynecologist without losing time in the search of the magic formula!

Of course your body’s duty is not to produce tasty semen, but healthy and productive sperms. Everything healthy and good for your body is healthy and good for your semen. Drink mild water on the morning and keep drinking more water than usual in the day, this will also help your bowels and your body to detoxinate. Eat less meat, more vegetables, drink less alcohol and stop smoking.

Finally, if your partner really loves you she/he must love everything about you. Don’t spend your time to change small details, instead, learn how to be a great lover that nobody is interested with your semen taste/smell.

The same is valid for vaginal secretions, and women have to be careful to improve the taste which is salty and acidic. But women’s problem, mostly, is related to cleanliness, usually they don’t know how to, truly, in and out cleaning process.

We believe that if you really love your partner you won’t be too disturbed even the semen taste is unsupportable, you will find a way to cover this default with condom, flavored lubricant, mouthwash… The question must be how to produce healthy and good quality sperms, and avoid the transmission of many diseases and addictions to future generations!

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Amy Guven is partner of Vitalinfocenter.com since 2000 and the author of famous eBook “Amy’s Tutorial - Reshape your Womanhood” about better sex tips and techniques to improve sexual talents and maximize happiness in relationships. Being highly successful in its goal of making people sexually confident and happy, Amy’s Tutorial has been sold thousands of copies till today.

Have you given up on yourself? Have you decided to take the easy road and coast for the rest of your life? Have you come to the decision that you have done all you could possibly be expected to do in your life now it is someone else?s turn? As you get older you may not be able to run as fast, swim as far, hit the ball as hard or even concentrate as long as you used to but is that the reason to give up? Surely your aim should be to be the best you can at whatever age you are.

?Navratilova wants to be as good a player as she can possibly be at the age of 47, just as she wanted to be the best she could possibly be at 19, at 25, at 35?. (Nick Pitt).

Whether you are like Navratilova and still working or retired and hitting a golf ball around or focussed on the garden or the grand children, nothing is stopping you from being the best you can.

Dennis has been retired for about eighteen years and still hankers back to the old days when he was?.. and capable of doing??. Although he is an avid gardener he continually gripes about the length of time things take and ?when I was younger?. The result has been a gradual, deterioration of his health over the recent past and since his wife died, about five years ago, the world has owed him a living and he appears to have got angrier and angrier with the world and people around him.

Michael, on the other hand, also retired about eighteen years ago and took the opportunity to improve his golf. When his wife died about seven years ago, after a period of mourning and self reflection, he made the conscious decision that he had to get on with his life and decided to do two things. Firstly, he decided to continue with his golf and make an effort to play at least twice a week and be the best he could. This, in his terms, means not to let anyone down and do his best in every competition.

Secondly, Michael decided that there were a lot of places in the world that he would like to visit before he died and he set about visiting Jordan, Egypt, Israel, Canada, and many other countries with the result that he is totally unaware of and unrestricted by, his age. He is good company and always willing to enter into a conversation about the present and what is going on in his life.

Last year he severely damaged his knee playing golf and had to undergo emergency surgery which resulted in many hours of physiotherapy and six months plus in the lounge chair. ?Confined to barracks?s? is how Michael described it. But he took it all in his stride putting the same endeavour into getting well as he put into the other areas of his life.

As both these men are members of our family it never ceases to amaze us how different these two characters are. They both had similar life experiences but when you compare and reflect on their current situation there is one thing that stands out. Michael is determined to be the best he can be at 83, just as he wanted to be the best he could be at 40, 50 and 60. He rarely, if ever, talks about the past. He always focuses on what?s happening now. He has not given up on himself.

Just to show you how amazing the human mind is:

The following text gives a good insight into the way your mind works. It may appear a bit difficult at first but please stick with it. Don?t give up on yourself.

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was raednig!

THE PAOMNNEHAL PWEOR OF THE HMUAN MNID Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Amzanig huh? (Unfortunately we do not have the originating site.)

Your mind does have phenomenal power. If you start with the thought; to be the best you can possibly be and continually follow it with sincere action you may get a bit jumbled up from time to time but it will always see you through. There may be some unintended consequences but to have an enjoyable and rewarding life the aim must always be; to get the best out of yourself.

The point is don?t give up on yourself. Be the best you can now, at whatever age you are.

Good Luck

Graham and Julie
www.desktop-meditation.com

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To see more of our work please go to:

www.desktop-meditation.com

graham@desktop-meditation.com

Direct Answers - Column for the week of October 11, 2004

My sister is 45 and having an affair with an old boyfriend from her youth. She says she loves him, he loves her, and they wish to pursue a life together.

They are both married, though he is separated. My sister has a wonderful husband who is devoted to her even after discovering the affair.

Our families are close, and we are in shock at this heartbreaking news. I believe my sister is going through a midlife crisis. Her husband is still willing to save the marriage, but he is tired of her obsession with this other man.

My sister has three children, the youngest in his late teens. She quit college when she discovered she was pregnant and got married at age 20. Her husband finished his education, while my sister worked to support them. They were on the verge of financial security when she met up with her old boyfriend.

One thing led to another. Now she and her husband will probably divorce. When all this started, she saw a counselor. She said the counselor commented her affair sounded like “a love story.” I’m sure my sister told this professional only what she wanted and left out how she and her husband raised three wonderful children.

Our whole family is distraught. We cannot figure out what went wrong. I am angry. We love our brother-in-law so much and are concerned about him and the children. She says they are doing fine and will get over it in a few years.

My sister mentioned recently she “had to get married.” I believe she is using that as a tool to rationalize what she has done. I feel I am standing back and watching her make the worst mistake of her life. How do I persuade my sister to seek professional help to guide her through this life-changing decision?

Jocelyn

Jocelyn, why can’t you accept that your sister got married because she was pregnant? Why is that not the truth of how she ended up married? How many women have slept with a man they didn’t love and wound up pregnant?

Your sister is finally owning up to the truth. She got married because of a child. Now that the children are grown, she feels free to leave the marriage. In her mind, having a child trapped her, and the age of the children is now setting her free.

You love your brother-in-law. But the reality in your mind is not the reality in your sister’s mind. And counseling? Bah! Your sister went to a counselor to get the answer she wanted to hear, and now you want her to go to a counselor to get the answer you want to hear.

People make up their mind to divorce or not to divorce from within their own breast. Perhaps it was your parents’ choice that she married. You wish it to be your choice she doesn’t divorce. Perhaps she is finally making her own choice.

Will you still love your sister even though she makes decisions you don’t approve of? At what point in life do we get to make our own decisions?

Wayne & Tamara

Personal Finance

I’m usually good at deciding things, but this one’s got me. I recently landed a good job that pays even more than my mother makes. My mom advised that I open a bank account jointly with her. Is this necessary? I mean, I’m 24. I live at home, but I contribute substantially.

Sophia

Sophia, in some circumstances it might be advantageous to share an account with your mother. For example, if she was elderly or infirm, adding your name to her account would allow you to bank for her. But there is no such reason here.

Whoever controls your purse controls your life. You are an adult woman fully capable of managing your own affairs. That is what you should do.

Wayne

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Authors and columnists Wayne and Tamara Mitchell can be reached at www.WayneAndTamara.com.

Send letters to: Direct Answers, PO Box 964, Springfield, MO 65801 or email: DirectAnswers@WayneAndTamara.com.

Do you know anyone who always wins? Sure you know that person, everything just works out for them. They go into business and they are an instant success.

They enter the dating scene and their phone rings off the hook. If they were in the Olympics, you just know they wouldn’t settle for anything less than the gold. It seems as though they always win.

Why is it that some people just have IT and others seem not to? Want to learn the secret to their success? Ready? Here it comes….the secret to unstoppable success…drumroll please….Winners EXPECT to win!

That’s the big secret. Simple, huh?

But, think about it for a moment…Winners actually SEE their success BEFORE it happens! Do YOU expect to win BEFORE you have even entered a situation…or do you assess your chances AFTER you are already in the situation? Or, even worse, do you imagine failure?

BEFORE selling a piece of real estate, winners EXPECT to get their asking price. BEFORE buying a car, winners EXPECT to get a discount.

Before running an Olympic race, winners EXPECT TO WIN the gold, so they do win! This one small thing gives winners a tremendous advantage over others.

Want to be a winner?

Try this exercise…

Close your eyes for a full minute and THINK about achieving a goal in your life…go ahead, close your eyes for one minute and really THINK about achieving it.

OK, now close your eyes again for one full minute and EXPECT to get it. Did you notice a difference? When we simply THINK about getting something, our thoughts tend to be vague.

There are also two options…getting it or not getting it (winning or losing). But, when we EXPECT to get it, there is only one possibility…getting it (winning).

So now that you know the secret, the next step is applying your powerful knowledge and getting yourself to that point where YOU ALWAYS EXPECT TO WIN. I suggest that you take a full minute pause right before entering any challenging situation. During that minute, close your eyes, and imagine winning. See it, feel it, hear it, imagine yourself already having won. Guess what…you will have programmed your mind to pull you powerfully in the winning direction.

When you do enter that situation, your words and actions will be generated from a winning mindset. Your path will be straight to victory…you will already know the way and EXPECT to get there…so you WILL get there. Want a little more help with this?

http://www.betterlivingwithhypnosis.com

Using the power of hypnosis, you can easily program yourself for a constant winning mindset. This is why I have created over 70 powerful hypnosis products to help you achieve all of your desires. I invite you to visit my vast library of tools you can use in your life right now to make a postiive change. They are now avaliable in downloadable form…this means you can use them right NOW. Learn more…

http://www.betterlivingwithhypnosis.com

Until next time,

Live in abundant possibility!

Steve G. Jones
Clinical Hypnotherapist
http://www.betterlivingwithhypnosis.com

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Steve G. Jones is a board certified Clinical Hypnotherapist. He is a member of the National Guild of Hypnotists, American Board of Hypnotherapy, president of the American Alliance of Hypnotists, on the board of directors of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Lung Association, and director of the California state registered Steve G. Jones School of Hypnotherapy.

http://www.betterlivingwithhypnosis.com

support@betterlivingwithhypnosis.com

Canada?s military has been a long-standing joke for decades. On October 5th, that joke turned deadly serious when a crew member of the HMCS Chicoutimi died from injuries sustained onboard from smoke inhalation.

Lieut. Chris Saunders, who leaves behind a wife and two children, will become known as the 1st Canadian to die aboard a submarine will on duty in approx. 50 years. The HMCS Chicoutimi was on its maiden voyage to Canada when the fire broke out. It was the last one of 4 vessels purchased second hand from the UK, to be brought to Canada for use in its Navy. The total price tag for the 4 submarines was 750 million dollars. All four submarines reported problems of varying degrees, with this latest incident being the most serious. They were actually purchased in 1998, and that was considered a bargain at the time. 2 more crewmembers remain hospitalized as a result of injuries sustained during the incident.

All three crewmembers were transported to a hospital in Ireland, close to where the submarine was when the fire broke out. In doing so, the Canadian government was sparred further embarrassment from the incident by not having the injured personnel not wait for medical attention in a Canadian hospital with depleted resources due to cuts over the last decade. The Liberals are already trying to deflect blame thrown at them from the opposition, claiming that the problems reported on the purchased subs where all normal, and that the inspection teams did all they could prior to allowing the subs to leave dock. Meanwhile, the Navy insists that these submarines were needed in their plans for defence.

We now have to ask ourselves what exactly that plan could be. Canadians have to be realistic. There is absolutely no point in trying to develop a strategic plan against any nation. There is no way the most powerful nation in history will allow Canada to be invaded, and there is no way Canada would be able to defend its self if ever the American lose their minds and attack Canada.

The submarines would also present a target for terrorists. They attack with vans, plans and cargo containers (okay, this last one I got only from movies, but you never know?). There is little a diesel-fuelled submarine will be defend against known terrorist capabilities, so that?s rules them out.

That leaves foreign fishing boats, Green Peace and Whales as they only potential targets left for the Canadian Navy. Do we have a Captain Ahab leading the Canadian Navy? Doubtful, since there are some Canadian boat tours that add Whale sightseeing as an incentive to pay good money for a three-hour tour.

That leaves the Spanish fishing boats. They have continuously ignored warning by the Canadian government about fishing in their waters. The fishing industry is in decline, with the Maritime Provinces being the most affected, as they have become Canada?s own 3rd world nation. Could Canadians have paid 750 million dollars to deter the Spanish? There own version of a new cold war? There is no other explanation for it. No other reason for it, other than to scare away the Spanish boats, or the fish from under the Spanish boats and drive them to Canadian nets. Either way, after a quarter of a billion dollars in initial cost, with hundreds of millions more in maintenance and repair costs, and now 1 human life, Canadians are paying dearly. To be insulted for your national defense is one thing, but to have a government force Canadians pay for the upkeep of those insults is more than just a slap in the face, it is a reason to fight back.

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Gary is editor of T.E.N Magazine. Check out more social commentary on various issues at http://www.tenwebzine.com.

editor@tenwebzine.com

The president of a large North Eastern company, doing business internationally, was visiting his California division. While he was there, he saw a very large photograph of, of all people, himself, hanging on the wall.

He was in the office of his Vice President’s private secretary. He said to her, Linda, that’s a very large picture you have of my mug for this size room isn’t it?

Linda said you know what I do when I have a problem? He said yea, you throw darts at it. Don’t you? She smiled and said no, here’s what I do. Then she demonstrated by propping her elbows on her desk, placing her chin in her cupped hands, and looking up at that picture said, Boss, what the heck would you do to solve this?

What Kinds of Images do you visualize?

Linda used a very powerful motivator to help solve her problems. She identified with a successful image. This sort of visualization can break the cycle of self-defeat and bad habits those years of struggles have set up with-in a personality.

Linda went on to testify, I find it extremely helpful to identify with a successful and positive image that inspires me to make the right decisions. She said, sometimes it’s a slogan, a picture, or any symbol that has deep meaning to me.

What do your images say to you?

Some people may find what Linda does humorous. But, the results of her actions are startling. Do you have a picture or symbol in your home or office that could give you the right answer for an important decision?

It might be a picture of a father, mother, husband, wife, Benjamin Franklin, maybe Benedict Arnold, nah?.I’m kidding about that. I sure hope you don’t visualize Benedict Arnold. :>) Why it could be a picture of a long deceased grand parent. Just anything that has deep meaning to you.

Caveat!!!

Make sure it conjures up deep POSITIVE emotions on the inside of you. This is nothing to play around with. If the image gives you that warm fuzzy feeling inside then you’re on the right track. If it makes you start looking for places to hide more bodies, then all bets is off.

When it’s Time to Speak??.Shut Up!!

What will your image say to you? Will you Listen? There is only one way to find out. The next time you are faced with a serious problem or have to make a major decision, ask your image a question. Then LISTEN?duh?ding-a-ling.

What you hear could be the most important advice you could get. When that deep stirring in your gut says, this is the way, do this, do that, then you have found the breakthrough you’re looking for. Be patient, get quiet and listen. If you’re not hearing anything, I can almost guarantee you you’re not quiet. There is still too much turmoil on the inside of you.

Another point you need to recognize is your situation is going to change whether you take the initiative to change it positively or not. But, using the concept of talking to your motivational images and listening, you have the power to determine its direction. Ah?.. I like that. You bet.

I can hear someone saying now, poo poo I’m not going to talk to some silly picture. I’m not a nut. Ah??.you talk to things all the time. Sure you do. Don’t believe it? Stop yourself next time you find yourself saying to your computer, why aren’t you working right you sorry piece of junk?

Talking to a computer, how crazy can you get? But, yeah, we talk to things all the time, but mostly in the negative vein. So, let’s start talking to things that will help to shape our future in the direction we want and not pay any attention to the nay-sayers that would make you feel silly.

So, What do you really want?

Do you want to go around the world in 80 days? You want to play in a James Bond movie? No, well how about lassie? Nah I’m kidding. No matter what your dream is, you will find that it will materialize through visualization and imagery much easier.

Rolling Snowballs uphill?

Yep, that is what it is like to try and materialize your goals and ambitions through happenstance or some kind of hokey-pokey. You have heard the slogan, “whatever the mind can conceive and believe the mind can achieve.” Well, it’s really not your mind; it’s your body that does the work. But, your mind can make your body’s work much easier.

In fact, if you don’t learn to use your mind and emotions you will put excessive and undue stress on every muscle in your body. Stress will cause all kinds of illness. Like ulcers and tape worms. :>)

This is a strong statement, but, I have found out from many years of business, that things just go much easier when my mind and emotions are congruent with my activities. When your mind and emotions get out of sync with the forces of the Universe that bring health, prosperity, and success, your life will be miserable.

Ok, here is your homework. I’m going to tell you a technique that is very powerful and effective. Find your image that you feel deeply about and creates powerful emotions inside you.

Then, find a quiet place sit down get comfortable, close your eyes and see that image floating inside of your mind. If you don’t have an image, use powerful words like; success, prosperity, health, healing, so-on, and see those words floating into your mind and let them surge all the way through your body. Feel it going through your body. Keep doing it till you feel electricity like sensations surging through you. You will. Guaranteed.

Don’t underestimate this. Some of the simplest things in life are the most effective.

Richard Vegas © 2002

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Richard Vegas is a popular recording artist and internet marketing professional. He invites you to subscribe to his FREE weekly ezine “Wing-Tips” Teaching The Success System That Never Fails, at: http://www.1-work-at-home-based-business-opportunities.com. You may also hear and follow Richard’s music career at: http://www.richardvegas.com

webmaster@1-work-at-home-based-business-opportunities.com

In individualistic success models, success is not due to the individual?s relationship with his external environment or place in society, but, rather, a matter of individual accomplishment or, in some cases, a measure of his relationship with God.

These models had their roots originally in Protestant Calvinism and are the typical ones you will see in ?Success? books.

Examples discussed include

The Protestant work ethic model

The American success model

New Age Model

Protestant Work Ethic

According to Max Weber (1904, 1905), it was John Calvin who introduced the theological doctrines which combined with those of Martin Luther to form a significant new attitude toward work. Calvin was a French theologian whose concept of predestination was revolutionary. Central to Calvinist belief was the Elect, those persons chosen by God to inherit eternal life. All other people were damned and nothing could change that since God was unchanging. While it was impossible to know whether a person was one of the Elect, one could have a sense of it based on his own personal encounters with God. Outwardly, the only evidence was in the person’s daily life and deeds, and success in one’s worldly endeavors was a sign of possible inclusion as one of the Elect. A person who was indifferent and displayed idleness was most certainly one of the damned, but a person who was active, austere, and hard working gave evidence to himself and to others that he was one of God’s chosen ones.

Calvin taught that all men must work, even the rich, because to work was the will of God. It was the duty of men to serve as God’s instruments here on earth, to reshape the world in the fashion of the Kingdom of God, and to become a part of the continuing process of His creation. Men were not to lust after wealth, possessions, or easy living, but were to reinvest the profits of their labor into financing further ventures. Earnings were thus to be reinvested repeatedly, ad infinitum, or to the end of time. Using profits to help others rise from a lesser level of subsistence violated God’s will since persons could only demonstrate that they were among the Elect through their own labor.

Selection of an occupation and pursuing it to achieve the greatest profit possible was considered by Calvinists to be a religious duty. Not only condoning, but encouraging the pursuit of unlimited profit was a radical departure from the Christian beliefs of the Middle ages. In addition, unlike Luther, Calvin considered it appropriate to seek an occupation that would provide the greatest earnings possible. If that meant abandoning the family trade or profession, the change was not only allowed, but it was considered one?s religious duty.

The norms regarding work which developed out of the Protestant Reformation, based on the combined theological teachings of Luther and Calvin, encouraged work in a chosen occupation with an attitude of service to God, viewed work as a calling and avoided placing greater spiritual dignity on one job than another, approved of working diligently to achieve maximum profits, required reinvestment of profits back into one’s business, allowed a person to change from the craft or profession of his father, and associated success in one’s work with the likelihood of being one of God’s Elect.

?American Dream? Success Model

The present model of business and career motivation, the one most closely associated with the ?American Dream? which emphases individual achievement, competition, and domination has been around for at least the last 50 years.

Unlike the Calvinist work ethic that is based, the motivation for moneymaking is no longer saving for the future, but, what Thornstein Veblen, the famous 19th century economist characterized as ?conspicuous consumption.? Luxury homes, luxury cars, fancy electronic gadgets, and exotic vacations create the illusion of wealth. The philosophy of the Amway Corporation, now known as Quixtel in the U. S. is a good illustration of the concepts involved.Amway Corporation is a direct selling organization that produces and markets products using a Multilevel Marketing system (or MLM for short). Multilevel marketing is a form of direct selling in which manufacturers authorize independent contractors to sell their products directly to consumers, bypassing intermediaries and retail stores. Using the garage or a spare bedroom as a warehouse and a home office as a business hub, a distributor makes a profit by buying wholesale from his or her company and selling to customers at retail prices. MLM is also a recruiting business. A distributor is permitted to sign up other individuals to become part of his company?s distribution force–and is paid a commission on the wholesale product purchases made by recruits. Both methods then furnish consumers with new options in acquiring consumer items they desire.

The motivator for work and sole measure of success measured is money and the goods that money can buy:

This is a business, and a main reason people work at any business is to earn money that not only will help them pay their bills, but also meet other goals. Those may be short- or long-term goals, and they could be large (like buying a new house) or small (like saving for a vacation).

A better standard of living is a common motivation and reward for people starting any kind of business. Money - and what it can buy - is the universally recognizable indicator of success that distributors use to motivate and establish credibility for their business.

(http://www.amway.com/InfoCenter/questions/question20.asp)

Another important aspect of this success model is that one has only one self?s to blame for one?s own success for failure. And yet given the low success rate in Amway, “…the data from one investigative report reveal that only 1,000 of over 200,000 distributors ever achieved the rank of Direct Distributor or higher,” it is also quite clear that the company does not offer success to anyone who enters the business [Bromley, 1995:151]. How can all these well-meaning people not succeed?

The only ideologically accepted explanation is that these well-meaning people had no commitment to “the dream.?

Amway is a performance-based business that rewards people in direct proportion to their effort. The bigger the financial goal, the more time and effort a distributor will need to put into his or her business. With an Amway business, a distributor can work as much or little as he or she likes. The rewards are based directly on the distributor’s accomplishments. (from Amway

The product is irrelevant. It is keeping the dream alive and resisting everything that could possibly rob one of The American Dream that counts. For “the dream” is God?s blessing, the divine will, the American Way, family, morality, and the free-enterprise system. .

Recently, the American success model has been taken a battering. The competition for business markets and jobs is stiff. The faith in business has been eroded by corporate fraud scandals, massive layoffs, and outsourcing. However, at least for now, it remains the predominant success model in today?s America.

New Age Views on Success

New Age philosophy got its name from the belief that we are at the threshold of a New Age. New Agers contend that the world is going through a paradigm shift, a time when accepted ways of thinking and acting change drastically, because of new discoveries.

For example, the invention of writing and of agriculture triggered paradigm shifts that led to a completely new way of living. According to New Agers, we are going through a paradigm shift through new discoveries in physics and psychology.

The judgmental (left)) side of our brain limits our possibilities for creativity. In contrast, the right side of our brain tells us that reality is what we make it. We need to be more creative in order to live up to our possibilities. In fact, some New Agers believe that we are actually gods, possessing mysterious powers that we do not know that have, including the ability to transform reality to conform to our desires.

We have these abilities because there is already an underlying oneness between our beings and the universe. Nuclear physics discovery that matter and energy is the same suggests that everything is made up of the same energy. Hence, we, as energetic beings, interact with the energy of our environment to create our own destinies.

The link between spirituality and money is evident in many New Age ?self-help? books that combine techniques for psychological and spiritual well-being with techniques for financial success.8 According to New Age thinking, your spiritual health and financial health are closely related. As a result, the idea that ?reality is what you make it? often translates into ?your economic reality is what you make it? Being open to new experiences and goes along with taking new risks and investments.

The New Age movement has adapted many of the same tools used by the Eastern and Wicca tradition that we have discussed: crystals, Tarot cards, meditation techniques, astrology, etc. However, they have developed two powerful motivational tools of their own: affirmations and visualizations.

Affirmations are positive statements Simply repeat them to yourself as you go about your daily routine. You don’t even have to consciously “listen,? just play it in the background. Your subconscious mind hears and retains the spoken affirmations and thus begins creating a more prosperous mindset. Your mind will especially pick out the personal issues and focus on them. Examples are:

• There is limitless supply and it is mine
• I release my need for financial insecurity
• I am financially secure
• I am surrounded by loving, giving people
• I release my need to feel needy
• I have everything I want or need
• I release my fear of wealth and wellness
• I am healthy and wealthy
• I allow myself to prosper
• I trust that I will create abundance
• I have more than I need in every area of my life
• I open myself to receive the abundance of The Universe
• I release my need for debt
• I am solvent
• I am safe and secure
• I enjoy a steady flow of positive energy
• I am loved, accepted, acknowledged and appreciated

Active, creative visualization is focused daydreaming. You create in your mind’s eye a vision, a thought, and that thought has energy. As with dreams, your mind seems to work best with pictures. As such, visualizations, coupled with affirmations, are powerful tools of creation. Below is sample visualization (http://www.catanna.com/moneyspl.htm)

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Janet K. Ilacqua is a freelance writer based in Tracy, California. She specializes in academic writing and ghostwriting of books and manuals for individuals and small businesses. For more information about her services, check her website at http://www.writeupondemand.com.

jilacqua@aol.com

Direct Answers - Column for the week of December 9, 2002

I was involved with a man separated from his wife. We connected on an extremely emotional level and were in the process of building a future.

His wife left him and their two children to accept a job in another state and to experience a more unencumbered life. Prior to leaving she cheated on him three times and was emotionally and physically unavailable to her children.

Unfortunately I let myself get drawn into his life and his children’s lives. I not only fell in love with him but also with the children. I was devastated when he accepted her back with no questions asked, but I accept responsibility for getting involved and for the consequences of my actions.

At the death of a loved one, when her family needed her most, she again abandoned her husband and children. As I predicted. He contacted me to let me know I was right. As much as I hoped that would bring satisfaction, it didn’t. It brought only deep sadness.

There is nothing I can do to make him see her for who she is. How do I find peace knowing this cycle of coming and going will continue in his life? I want what is best for all of them. I know walking away is best for me, and I guess I am looking for confirmation from an objective outside source.

Tia

Tia, in “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, three ghosts come to Ebenezer Scrooge and alter the course of his life. For you, the ghost was your companion’s wife.

There is a line Scrooge says which we have never forgotten. “Men’s courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead. But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change.’ That is what the story is about. It is also the story of our lives.

With the holidays approaching, it will be hard for you not to think about what might have been. But with the holidays approaching, his wife may well reappear. Even if she doesn’t, her specter will never be far off, and he will be open to her return.

Hard as it is to walk away, it shows you understand the lesson from Dickens’ tale. Walking away opens the door to possibilities. It opens the door to your fulfillment and to the promise of the new year.

Wayne & Tamara

A Love Story

My name is Winnie. I am 15 years old. I am in love. I know it has to be love! I spent the whole day yesterday with this guy I have liked for about a month. He is 16.

I know he likes me, too. Well, at least I hope so. He flirts with me all the time. I want to call and talk to him about my feelings, but I am not sure how to word it. Every time I see him I get butterflies in my stomach, and every other problem in the world seems to go away. Can you please tell me what to do, or at least, what to say?

Winnie

Winnie, every story has a beginning, a middle and an end. You’re at the beginning of the story now, and it’s such a good beginning you want to rush to the end, read the last chapter, and see how it turns out. At least you want to tell this boy how it should end.

But by skipping to the end and telling him your feelings, you will miss the middle part where things develop and the plot gets interesting. Let the story unfold in its own way.

If you’ve already spent a whole day with him, you don’t have problems talking to each other. We’re pretty sure he knows you like him a lot. That’s enough for now. By letting things unfold in their own time, you won’t spoil the ending.

Wayne & Tamara

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Authors and columnists Wayne and Tamara Mitchell can be reached at www.WayneAndTamara.com.

Send letters to: Direct Answers, PO Box 964, Springfield, MO 65801 or email: DirectAnswers@WayneAndTamara.com.