Quotes of the Week

"In the new enlightenment, the reason we are driven to become one with the life-process is not merely to experience some form of mystical oneness with everything. We strive to become one with it for the biggest reason there could be - so we can ultimately take responsibility for where it's going." --Andrew Cohen

"We don't see things as they are. We see things as we are." --Anais Nin

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it." --Upton Sinclair

Goodbye to Guilt

Problems are created by the sense of separation which pervades the material stages of consciousness. These problems can be healed by the sense of integration experienced in the spiritual stages of consciousness.

A sense of guilt is very common in the material stages of consciousness. In these, guilt can run rampant, causing severe limitation in a person's path of spiritual development. A sense of guilt can spring from a real cause, such as a failure to live up to an obligation to help another person, or it can have its roots in imaginary fears. After all, guilt is one of the many manifestations of fear.

For example, a person can worry that they may be spiritually inadequate, even a sinner, perhaps. This creates the fear that God will not love them.

Such thoughts are created within the material range of consciousness. However, upon moving into the spiritual stages of consciousness, the reality changes radically. It's as if, in the spiritual world, the opposite is true. Instead of worrying about a lack of God's love, your main challenge is to channel the unlimited love which fills the universe without being too distracted from your daily life by all of this wonderful energy.

One of the main sources of guilt in modern society is the idea that humankind once fell from grace, and therefore it is fundamentally flawed. The question is, are we descended from sinners or are we simply part of an adventure where we explore life in a particularly realistic way thanks to our spiritual disconnection? I think that the answer lies, oddly enough, with the Ford Motor Company!

The Ford Motor Company has built millions of cars over the decades. Some of them have later been found to have defects. Invariably, serious defects have led to complete recalls of the affected cars so that the faults can be promptly corrected.

Now, if a manufacturer of cars can be so efficient in fixing any defects in the cars they make, why would God be any less efficient in fixing an alleged fault in the creation called humanity? Unless, of course, it's not a fault but actually a design feature.

God, the Creator of humanity, did not recall humanity to correct the alleged fault of spiritual disconnection. Therefore, it must be a design feature and not a fault. Life as a human is about finding out how to reconnect spiritually under the most realistic and challenging circumstances. And we continually rise to this challenge.

The higher stages of human consciousness are all about the development of spirituality. We are entering those stages of spiritual consciousness today, so wave good-bye to imaginary guilt and move ahead with confidence into the realms of spiritual expansion which lie before you.

This article was an excerpt from Owen Waters' new book, Love, Light, Laughter: The New Spirituality, available in paperback and as an ebook.

The title of this book focuses on today's emerging stages of consciousness. These stages encompass unconditional love, the light of knowledge obtained through inspiration, and the joy of contact with the powerful creativity of your soul. Once people begin to recognize and flow the unconditional love that naturally fills their hearts, they go on to find the light that streams continually outwards from their very souls - filling their beings with inspiration. Within the light, they discover the laughter - the joy of spiritual contact, which offers happiness regardless of any external circumstances.

The hallmarks of the New Spirituality, therefore, are love, light, and laughter. They are the experience and the consciousness upon which we can build a New Reality. They are the seeds of a greater awareness, a greater love, and a greater understanding for all of the people upon the Earth. The world is changing. Discover exactly where this Shift will lead by reading this vital and timely book.

"Heart-centered awareness is what this beautifully written book is all about. Blessedly lacking in dogma, it illustrates on every page that each of us already is loving, wise and joyful if we only open to our inner being. This isn't an esoteric process for initiates; it's for everyone. The many real-life examples Owen offers demonstrate how we can start to follow a path illuminated by our own loving nature, and the great benefits that result." --Peter Shepherd

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Time to wake up, and act... 

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• Religion as Mass Torture
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Should Personal Development Exclude Politics?

I'd like to make a public reply to three subscribers who kindly sent me their feedback about the inclusion in the last issue of Frank Schaeffer's article, Obama Critics, Admit You Were Wrong (originally written for Huffington Post). Schaeffer defended the effectiveness of Obama's presidency to date and was scathing about the President's detractors.

Michael R., Newport Beach, California writes:

I just want to let you know that I absolutely love your newsletter. The quotes and content have helped me greatly since I started subscribing.

That said, this is the first time that I've noticed a political article. "Obama critics, admit you were wrong" is an interesting article, but I completely disagree with what it says. I'm curious why you found it necessary to put that article into your newsletter. Politics has a way of dividing us, and since I disagree with the article, I found myself suddenly at a loss. I was thinking to myself, "Should I unsubcribe from this newsletter?"

I agree with the spiritual teachings and I have used the practical psychological tools that are delivered in a easy-to-read digested format through your newsletter. I don't want to stop reading it, but I avoid reading most political writing because it is OPINION, not fact. In general I don't enjoy discussing politics and I don't care to read it, if possible.

I understand that I don't pay for your newsletter, so I'm not expecting anything as a response to this message. I just wanted you to know that at least one of your readers didn't appreciate the injection of political opinions into your wonderful newsletter. In my OPINION, that article doesn't fit the normal theme of your newsletter and should be presented separately, if at all.

Perri Boggs writes:

Please nothing political ...I am NOT an Obama supporter. I liked this weekly e magazine because it was a place that had no political views until now :( I strongly disagree ~Obama does not have the Country's best interest at heart... I just hope we recognize OUR country when he is out of here.

Gene Cramer writes:

I look forward to receiving your publication and the positive approach the writings take toward living an advancing life.

Today's copy was particularly disturbing however because of the political pontificating 'ADMIT YOU'RE WRONG?' by Frank Schaefer. Politics is such a filthy area regardless who is president and mudslinging your opponent does not make your mudslinging better or justified than theirs.

What a hate filled article in a publication like your's, which is always so loving. I never read the Huffington Post and now I know why. I choose to read trans4mind instead and keep the pollution of politics out of my mind by transforming my mind.

There will always be differing opinions and politics aside... I am very disappointed Peter, on the entry of this type of writing being introduced into this forum.

So why did I include this article?
Actually I predicted this criticism and thought I had answered it in advance by also including Robert Rabbin's article We Can't Separate the Inseparable in the same issue. Perhaps I should have placed it immediately before Schaeffer's. Rabbin points out that since politics is the totality of relationships between people living in society, especially involving power, authority and influence, to say that one should refrain from politics is like saying that one should refrain from breathing. "From cradle to grave, we exist in relationship. Our very life comes from others. Our food comes from others. Our clothes come from others. We are affected by others, as they are by us. Think of your life: it is nothing but relationship, and each relationship includes negotiations and transactions of power, authority and influence."

Of course, the big difficulty in discussing politics is that it is such a partisan ball game. Please one person and you offend another. I apologize if I offended readers who have differing views from Schaeffer; I'm particularly sorry to have upset the above subscribers who clearly value the magazine highly. My own views on American politics are inevitably naive, observed from 5,000 miles across the Atlantic; people who live in America will know far more of the ins and outs of the political scene. Nevertheless, my intention was to support Obama and also to provide an example to accompany the Rabbin article.

Let me give you a little background... A couple of years ago there was the collapse in the Wall Street banking system; the effects resonated world wide, with recessions all over the place. The income of Trans4mind nose-dived to a quarter of what it had consistently been for several years, even though as many visited the site; people clearly didn't have the money available to spend on their personal development. It was hard for my wife and myself to pay our bills and continue to run the site. And then Obama was elected, the stimulus package was begun and within a year our income has turned around and is half back to where it was. I'm impressed and grateful and pray the recovery will continue. Without Obama's actions there would be no Trans4mind website, nor the Cultivate Life magazine.

Obama is widely viewed in Europe as a voice of sanity in a crazy world, and yes, even of loving embrace. Maybe we're deluded, but I feel it is true to say that Obama has rescued and transformed the image of America.

Nevertheless, it seems that there are tremendous pressures on Obama to conform to the military-industrial establishment agenda, pre-existing when he took office. So he's compromised too much for many Democrats, and Republicans can't bear the idea of a liberal-minded person in power. Somehow "liberal" has become a swear word. In Europe free-thinking liberalism is considered a virtue. Blinkered vision, fixed ideas, these are the barriers to personal development as well.

There is a relevance here. We each need to wake up from the conditioning of all the influences we've absorbed since birth and to observe afresh, to make judgments based on our inner knowing, a knowing governed above all by the principle of unconditional love, that is indeed our standard and truth, our inner nature, just as Jesus taught. It is our connection and oneness with God. There, now I've brought religion into it... Oh dear, but again, these things are not separable. Personal growth has to be holistic or the blind areas will act as ball and chain on our progress.

Compassionate, loving relationship includes giving people their say, whether or not you agree. It means giving people a chance, having some respect. It doesn't mean being run all over by someone, agreeing and complying with every authority. Integrity always comes first and to maintain our integrity means taking responsibility, not depending solely on others for justice and reform. These are judgments we all have to make - we are social beings and inevitably have to allow elements of politics into our lives and to participate in the governing of our communities. Let us enlighten such relationships by communicating our own special qualities of compassion, empathy and tolerance.

Another point... we boast about living in democracy. The idea is that the person or party elected by the majority vote is respected as the leader in government. Not to support such a leader - or at least to give him or her a chance to succeed - is disrespectful to one's fellow citizens and the principle of democracy.

In any case, all my intuition (which is usually pretty dependable) tells me Obama is a special guy, destined for an important role, helping the planetary consciousness break the bounds of its past. I'd look very carefully at information sources that contradict this.

You know, it's easy to be inspired by articles about love and gratitude raising one's vibration and attracting abundance, and so on. And these ideas are great, but do we act on this information? If not, it's empty and transient. We need to apply what we learn to contribute to society, to serve its needs, to make a difference in the real world.

Sometimes this causes disruption. Again, Jesus is the obvious example; he didn't hesitate to turn over the stalls of the rip-off merchants who disgraced the sanctity of the temple in Jerusalem. Integrity demands action to back up words; in particular, communication that bridges differences by increasing empathy and understanding. That's politics. It isn't just people spouting hateful opinions, let's not be too cynical. It's also sincere individuals observing real situations, solving problems with innovative ideas, and making justice and reform move from hope to reality.

I try to include content in this ezine that stretches our boundaries and sometimes credibility. It's good to understand very different views from our own - sometimes one then realizes that one had been wearing blinkers, or that there are indeed two or more sides to an issue, all of which make some sense, depending on where one is coming from and where one is going. It's not as simple as right and wrong; truth is often multi-level or multi-dimensional.

All of that said, don't worry, there's unlikely to be another directly political article in Cultivate Life for many years. And please, don't unsubscribe if you find an article objectionable, even though you normally find the mag helpful. That's cutting off your nose to spite your face. Ask yourself why I might have included it... perhaps to stimulate your thinking?

Michael R., Newport Beach, California further writes:

Your response is awesome! I liked the fact that you anticipated the response! I apologize that I didn't read the rest of the articles... I guess I just "shut down" after reading the Obama article! I definitely understand that the spiritual part of life does not exist in a bubble separate from everything else. Being able to function in the world around us is the ultimate goal of all the soul searching and internal work that we do, and politics is definitely part of that world!

I can relate to the hope you feel when looking at the promise that Obama brought, and I suppose still brings to the world. It was that hope that made me vote for him. I don't feel the same way now, but that's just me.

The true hope that I have is that we can all become more personally responsible for ourselves (by using Trans4mind, for example!!) to improve the world around us. I would like to think that the change can come from the top down, but I know that in my case the change had to come from within me.

Thanks again for your consideration of my thoughts. I appreciate all of the work you do. Thanks especially to introducing me to authors like Alan Cohen and yourself!!

Gene Cramer further writes:

Your reply, as your manner, comes from a loving place. Schaeffer's article on the other hand and in my opinion, would have been more affective if he was not so much on the attack and demanding, and simply celebrated Obama's achievements in our complex world. I am a longtime advocate and student of the Arbinger Institute and advance for Peace in all hearts, regardless of political or any other affiliation.

How do you help someone see what they don't want to see? That's the central challenge that The Arbinger Institute's work is designed to overcome. Our materials introduce people to a little-known, but pervasive, problem: self-deception. Our methodologies help people overcome it.

We define self-deception as not knowing - and resisting the possibility - that one has a problem. Most conflicts are perpetuated by self-deception. So are most failures in communication. And most breakdowns in trust and accountability. Clearly, as long as the problem of not knowing one has a problem remains ... so will all other problems.

Come in and learn how we help individuals and organizations see radically new ways to understand and to solve problems. To find solutions that help them live more happily and work more productively.

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Principles of Growth for a Life of Passion

Even Buddhists want to live passionate lives, in spite of their equanimity. Passion is life force itself, the very energy whose intensity, love, and enthusiasm for beauty and creativity produced this infinitely exquisite universe, whose mystery is beyond measure.

If we are to honor the ancient stardust within our DNA, we must become passionate, we must allow the pulse and power of universal forces free reign in our lives. For each, this will look different, and yet something in our eyes, something that is friends with wildness and sudden shifting plates of earth and collisions in deep space, will look similar and always familiar, as if when we meet each other, we meet ourselves.

We tend to grow into passion little by little, though we may sometimes take big leaps, because we are not able to take it in all at once. One day at a time, we grow into our truly passionate, authentic self and life. One day at a time, we shed old and useless selves, skins, patterns, fears, and ideas.

Growing into full possession of our passion and authenticity can be supported by certain principles. Here are some I've found to be useful:

1. Growth is an archeological dig into the deepest layers of self. We must develop patience and persistence. We need to fall in love with the process, because we may need to dig and dig, haul tons of dirt, sleep in dusty tents for a long time. We should not be put off from deeper digging just because we find a shard of valuable pottery.
2. Growth toward passion is a law unto itself. We cannot apply conventional standards of measurement. Neither success nor failure; neither good nor bad; neither right nor wrong exist in the context of growth. If we are on a journey without end, how can we know of our success, of our achievement, of our attainment? We can notice our escalating freedom and joy, and how much happiness we inspire in others. But this is not a goal; we just notice this happening as a consequence of the process of continuous growth. When we apply rigid achievement criteria, we immediately condition the process--we create tension and fear from the beginning. Our path is one of learning, applying, practicing. The more we grow, the more we are able to grow.
3. You are responsible for your own life. We often develop the habit of blaming someone for our unhappiness or frustrations; likewise, we hold the hope that someone will come along and rescue us from what doesn't work in our life. Both attitudes are false: they do not correspond to reality. The simple fact is: each one of us has to do our own work. We must create our happiness, our fulfillment, our joy, our passion.
4. The point of power is now. The past lives within you as the present. Yes, we are conditioned by the innumerable experiences and decisions that have occurred in the "past." But where is the past now? It is within us as the present. Even if we know why everything happened, we would still have to change what does not work for us in the present. We still have to see clearly into our life as it is now. We must become conscious of those factors within our psyche that drive and motivate us. We must become aware of our fears, insecurities, hopes, and wishes. We must become very conscious and aware of all that happens now, both within us and around us.
5. No one is to blame. As we liberate ourselves from past conditioning and patterns of self-suppression, as we discover new reserves of strength and courage, we might be tempted to blame someone for having obstructed our freedom in the past. We might want to confront someone for a past hurt and speak a truth that we had been unwilling to speak. We ought to be careful as we do this. It is not appropriate to blame someone for our lack of freedom in the past. No one deserves to be abused just because, from our new vantage point of clarity and power, we want a different kind of interaction.
6. As we change, our understanding of the past will change. We often feel the need to come to terms with the past in a definitive way. This is difficult, and perhaps not necessary. It is important to learn from the past, and sometimes we will need to resolve or heal something that occurred in the past so we are not carrying heavy ghosts. Still, how we see and understand what happened, and who did what to whom, is a function of how we see ourselves now. As we continue to grow and evolve, our interpretation and understanding of the past will always reflect new growth and the perspective of higher altitude.
7. We are always free to change our experience of what happens. No one is in the way. We do not need anyone's permission, nor do we need a certain configuration of conditions in order to experience life in a free and joyful way. This may seem untrue, because we associate experience with external conditions, even with our internal states of mind and emotions. Through meditation and growth, we discover a place of equanimity, of clarity, and of happiness that is not a function of external conditions or internal states of mind and emotions. It is like climbing to the highest point on the highest mountain, still on the planet but high above everything. We would be wise to learn how to create the experience of freedom and joy, regardless of external conditions or internal states.
8. What we discover, we must express, or it is not real. It is not only good, but necessary, to fully and honestly express one's passion and truth. Expressing the truth helps us stay free from self-deceit and hypocrisy. Expressing our truth implies that our deep flows and swirls of motivation, the creative urges of our soul, penetrate the vital essence of each thought, word, and action. We are like artists, or dancers, who give themselves to powers of magic and mystery, and who bring into the world what no one has seen, but when they do, they recognize what no one has ever seen as being eternal and mundane, personal and impersonal, real and unreal, stunning and glorious, and on and on and on.
9. We should try to be fluid and flexible, because nothing stays the same. It is okay to change our beliefs, attitudes, values, priorities, commitments, and patterns of reaction and behavior. Life is growth: growth implies learning, learning implies change. This does not mean we are without a center or core, or that we are irresponsible and superficial. We can have a solid set of values and commitments from which we act. We can have goals and intentions. It is just that we will need to regularly visit these to see if they are accurate and if they reflect who we are becoming as we grow toward passion and truth. In a sense, our life is a series of transitions, with each moment being both a self-contained lifetime and a bridge to new life. We will need to learn how to live gracefully with change, how to negotiate transitions, how to incorporate our new discoveries into the arch of our life, spanning unknowable distances.
10. It is important to respect your limits; however, most limits are self-imposed. It is important that we proceed at our own pace. Since personal growth is continuous, we need not be in a crushing hurry. We may need to rest, to take a break, to allow time for the integration of what has been recently discovered. We might not be ready to see something or deal with something. This is fine. There are no requirements, no final tests, no punishments. Life is growth; it is continuous. We need to respect how we need to proceed: the manner, the pace, the intensity. We should respect our limits. At the same time, let us not forget that limits are self-imposed. In terms of consciousness and awareness, we are essentially without limit. But we cannot drink the whole ocean all at once. The limitations that we encounter and go beyond in the process of self-discovery are self-created and maintained within us. Still, let's be kind and gentle with ourselves, and with each other, even as we know the most important thing in life is to grow towards passion and truth, towards life, towards full freedom.

When passion, pulse, and power breach the sea-walls of our language-based seeming reality and our petty patterns of self-imaging and all our concessions and self-betrayals and excuses, we hear within us the roar of the cosmos, the cosmic roar. That's when life begins.

As a pioneer in the field of executive coaching, Robert Rabbin founded The Hamsa Institute for Enlightened Leadership in 1990, and as a skilled and inspirational keynote speaker, leadership adviser, and self-awareness teacher. For more information, please visit the website: Robert Rabbin.com.

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Review of "Phrases to Freedom" by Willem Lammers

After many years of research and practice, Swiss/Dutch psychologist Dr. Willem Lammers managed to transform ancient knowledge and modern theory into an elegant model for guided change: Logosynthesis. "Phrases to Freedom" teaches you step-by-step how to use this model in finding and applying the phrases for your own healing and growth.

Learn how to retrieve your energy locked up in limiting fears, negative beliefs and traumatic memories and to clear your personal space from the energy of others. The simple procedure enables you to find your innermost life path.

Logosynthesis™ is embedded in a holistic view of human nature and has been proven effective in coaching and psychotherapy. This highly readable book presents the use of the power of words as a self-help tool...

Phrases to Freedom: Self-Coaching with Logosynthesis

Willem writes about Logosynthesis:
I have developed a method to ease human suffering and to promote personal growth. It consists of a model, principles for change, and actual interventions embedded in a integral view of human nature. I call the method Logosynthesis. The name combines two words from ancient Greek familiar to our culture: logos is Greek for "meaning," "mind," "word" or "teaching." The Greek word synthesis means "putting together" or "combining" and refers to the integration of fragmented parts of a person in the Self. The "putting together" can also be understood as "making whole" or "healing."

Therefore you can literally translate Logosynthesis as "healing with words." It's no coincidence that the term recalls some of the concepts from Victor Frankl's Logotherapy (1987) and Roberto Assagioli's Psychosynthesis (1993). Frankl's concept evolved from three basic philosophical and psychological tenets:

• Life has meaning under all circumstances.
• Our main motivation to live is the will to find meaning.
• We are free to find meaning in our experiences and in what we do.

As an introduction to this revolutionary system for guided change, you can download Introduction to Logosynthesis, a 13-page illustrated PDF.

Willem Lammers, MSc, TSTA, is the founding director of ias, a leading training institute for coaches and counselors, in Switzerland. As a licensed psychologist and a consultant to people and organizations, he has been working on the boundaries of body, mind and spirit for more than 30 years. Willem also runs a private practice for psychotherapy, supervision and coaching. He is the author of numerous articles and several books on these subjects. Willem likes to travel and offers regular lectures and workshops in many different countries.

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The Law of Attraction and Common Sense

The Law of Attraction has two different aspects, or "harmonics." The first aspect lies within the obvious, observable activities in the physical universe. The second aspect is invisible, involving a subtle, non-local phenomenon that occurs invisibly within the field of consciousness that composes and surrounds all things. It is this second aspect that is often considered "magical."

Both aspects of the LOA, however, are united in that they operate under the rule of "like attracts like." Not only people, but the atomic structure of matter itself reflects this principle. From this we can understand that both aspects of the Law of Attraction are necessary for manifestation.

Matter and energy, and thought itself, can be considered vibrational in nature (see the book The Vibrational Universe for details). The rule of "like attracts like" simply matches vibrations. Both aspects of the LOA work together, but it is important to understand that even on the level of matter, vibrational matching is the key.

For example, two companies might have an identical advertising budget, be involved in the same market, and advertise over the same media. Yet company A's sales program generate terrific sales, while company B's sales are flat. The difference, of course, is in the message. But what is the message? It is, essentially, a template of thought communicated through a physical medium. Thought and intention create the blueprint that determines how others respond to your message. They are characteristics of consciousness; immeasurable qualities, but the most essential ingredients for manifestation.

In other words, a series of actions is utterly dependent upon a blueprint of thought. The magic of LOA occurs when one understands the operation of the universe's vibrational matching property on both harmonics.

"Common sense" is just the codification into language of universal principles. Common sense describes the innate understanding all of us have about the way the universe works. Each and every one of us has this understanding. Why?

Because human beings are, first and foremost, non-physical, Native State personalities associated with physical bodies. All of us are intimately connected with the universal medium and higher consciousness. When we become passionate, inspired, and creative, we allow that connection to become stronger and stronger.

It is impossible to prove the second aspect of the Law of Attraction, because it defines something that is (at least at present) immeasurable by the instruments of science. Some people have to die to discover their higher spiritual nature, but that is their problem, not yours! Skeptics and nay-sayers live under the same universal principles as do we all. Every human being is subject to these laws. When you begin to awaken spiritually, these things become more and more obvious. So don't let anyone tell you that what you believe is invalid. Successful people have a vision and follow it, regardless of the opinions of others.

The Law of Attraction is both esoteric and practical, uniting spirit and matter. Both aspects work together to create a universe that is utterly fair, and empowering to all who experience in it.

If you pay too much attention to either aspect and neglect the other, things will go slower for you. Some believe that merely by thought alone, a person should be able to procure a new job, or more money, or a better relationship. Even though the second aspect is the most important, here there is too much reliance upon it. Thought and intent will create the blueprint and begin to open windows of opportunity all by itself, but you must step through them. You must act! And of course, those poor souls who rely only on the first aspect will work very hard indeed, but often have little to show for it. Our planet is filled with struggling, hard working people.

Common sense tells us that you have to know what you want, and have a strong intent to get it. Common sense also tells us that you have get into action as well. The great thing about the Law of Attraction is that the universe is set up to give you what you want. When you know clearly what you want, your desire is strong, and your focus is aligned with your desire, you get fired up and the actions you perform are effortless and exciting. The second aspect of the LOA automatically connects you with the creative energy of the universe and puts you in vibrational communication with the people and the resources you need! And when that happens, your success is assured, as long as you don't give up along the way.

In our modern societies, the importance of the two aspects of the Law of Attraction have just been reversed. But both are necessary for manifestation.

One of the most cherished myths in our society is that change, and power, rests with the authorities.

It is demonstrable, however, that governments and authority figures spend most of their time resisting change. Look around at our planet. Do you see prosperous, happy societies or struggling ones? Action follows thought, therefore, there is something wrong with humanity's belief systems! If nothing changes, we will continue to experience scarcity and conflict in the new millennium, just as we have for the past 5,000 years.

Look at your own life. How many of the goals you have set for yourself have you actually accomplished? If you're not seeing progress, then you have beliefs that are holding you back!

The universe has been designed to support your choices and empower you. The universe is not cold and uncaring, it is logical. If you want to change your life, you have to understand how it works!

A New Paradigm of Thought is an 8 eBook package by Kenneth James Michael MacLean that explains universal principles that have been known for thousands of years in clear, common sense language. It describes a new set of beliefs that, if acted upon, can change your life, and will change the world.

See the following related pages at Trans4mind:
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Flashback Waters

I finally took a trip to Lava Hot Springs, Idaho after many years thinking about it. It was about time to take a winter retreat and the chance to take advantage of pre-season discounts had presented itself. Plus, what better way to shake off the winter doldrums than to soak the bones in a deep, hot, mineral bath?

My girlfriend and I booked a "February is for Lovers" package and wound up in a decent hotel complete with massage specialists, hot mineral baths and a vegetarian friendly restaurant. Actually, it was her idea to take off for a "romantic" weekend. Little did we know our "romantic" weekend would profoundly shift our realities. What was planned as a weekend "get-away" turned out to be a deeply spiritual moment in both of our lives.

I can't speak for my girlfriend but I can speak on my behalf. When I soaked in the natural hot springs, I began to feel a deep connection to Mother Earth. It was if she was speaking to me through these waters. The language wasn't the kind I could audibly decipher; it was a different language that I could feel, then see in my minds eye as metaphor. At the time I didn't know what exactly I was experiencing until other phenomena began to happen.

My girlfriend comes from a long line of pioneers who settled the west during the great migration. She often epitomizes the tough, rugged westerner with the softness of a desert rose. In other words, she has a big heart but rarely wears it on her sleeve, as I do. I love her strength and her softness but I often wonder what she is holding onto. When I look into her I see the mirror of my hidden pain in her eyes from time to time but I never ask her about what I think I'm seeing. I trust and believe that I must take care of my own backyard before I "intuit" others around me. Besides, it is not my place to analyze my lover; however it is my desire to love her and as I do, I pay attention to her and notice subtle changes, as curious lovers often do. This is the "other phenomena" I'm referring to. Watching her closely, I witnessed something out of the "norm."

After soaking in the mineral baths, my girlfriend began to share very intimate details about her past and seemed to be struggling with her feelings. She became saddened rather quickly and this overwhelmed her to the point of placing her head in her lap while practicing some breathing exercises. Like the bubbles rising from the mineral bath, her emotions continued to swell. I had never seen her so vulnerable and witnessing her going through the thralls of whatever she was feeling had me needing to breath deeply, as well. She began to talk about a very traumatic event in her life that ended in her older brother's suicide. She wept as she described how helpless she felt because she knew and felt something bad was going to happen to her brother. She told me she wanted to say something to her family about her brother but was scared of being judged.

Tears rolled down her face as she rocked her body in a self-nurturing fashion. I motioned for her to come to my arms and I held her gently as she felt the rawness of her past in the present moment. She was having a vivid flashback depicting a painful moment in her life and I believe she was also releasing an old way of being while feeling her way through her emotions. I thought about what I was witnessing and then it hit me!

I recall a teaching offered by a Guatemalan day keeper, shaman I had attended back in 1999. The first half of the morning, the shaman directed most of his speech towards the women attending the gathering. I listened deeply as he talked about the "in-between time" which he explained, marked the falling away of an old age and the gestation period towards the birth of a new one. "Many women will feel what Mother Earth feels during this time," the shaman said. "You men who are attuned to your feminine side will also feel what the earth is feeling," he explained. You could hear a pin drop when the shaman was explaining this relationship. Many women spoke up and said they were already feeling more emotional than usual. "Cry with the Earth," said the shaman. "We all must release the density we are carrying and it is through our hearts this will occur."

I wouldn't have connected the shaman's teaching with last weekend's trip to lava had it not been for my own experience coupled by profound realizations. My girlfriend's release reminded me of the teaching of Mother Earth as a connected being to all that inhabits her. The language of Mother Earth that spoke through me translated into something very sacred to me.

The mineral water holds past memories of Gaia and as these memories percolate to the surface; those who soak in her memories are healed and in turn are healing the planet. We are all one in the same, and consciousnesses in the form of mineral-trace-memories are being replayed through the experience of now. This realization can be likened to the drowning victim who survives her ordeal and explains how her life "flashed before her eyes." As we and the Earth die to an old way of being, we relive past traumas together, for the very last moment in this age. We flash the movie of our entire lives in order to come to terms with its completion and lessons. Earth flashes back to her traumas in the form of billions of years of radical geological changes. Earth reels in the form of earth quakes and hot flashes. She may even flip her lid upside down in the form of a polar change. In comparison, we humans seem to be experiencing more frequent sickness, radical shifts in life events, powerful emotional episodes and sometimes, sudden unexpected death. Even old rashes surface to the skin, flashing back the childhood chicken pox that occurred; all of it a lesson in completion!

It's as if, one last time, the 3rd dimensional reality and all its density are flashing before us. All we can do is release and complete with it and step into what is next. Mother Earth is and so are all her inhabitants!

Glenn is a burgeoning personal growth writer who currently resides in the Denver, Colorado area. Glenn's writing serves as a voice that echoes what humanity already knows: we are all co-creators of the emerging age of enlightenment. As foretold by Mayan elder, Eric Gonzalez, and the voices of Glenn's spirit-guides, Glenn's life purpose is to be one of the many voices of the emerging paradigm. Join Glenn in the great mystery as it unfolds for all of humanity.

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The Life You Planned Before You Were Born

May 7, 2003. I remember that day well, because it was the day on which my life changed. I was 40 at the time, working as a self-employed marketing and communications consultant and feeling profoundly unfulfilled with my life. I often had the feeling that if I were to fall off the face of the Earth, none of my clients would notice. They would simply plug someone else into my role and continue along.

Yet, at the same time I had a feeling that there was a higher purpose to my life. I just didn't t know what it was. And so, in my search for that higher calling, I did something on that fateful day in 2003 that I had never done before: I had a session with a psychic medium.

The medium introduced me to the concept of spirit guides highly evolved, nonphysical beings with whom we plan our lives before birth and who then guide us through our lives after we incarnate. Through the medium, I was able to speak with my guides. They told me that I myself had planned many of my greatest challenges in life - and that I had done so before I was born.

I might have dismissed this as some sort of elaborate fantasy, except that my guides knew literally everything about me. They knew not only what I had done in life, but also what I had thought and felt. Private thoughts and feelings that I had never shared with anyone.

For example, five years earlier I had been going through a very difficult time in my personal life. One day, alone in the privacy of my home, and silently in my mind, I said a prayer to God. I said, "God, I can't get through this alone. Please send help." I had completely forgotten about this prayer, but my guides knew about it, and they reminded me of it. They added, "Your prayer was answered," by which they meant that additional nonphysical guidance had been sent. I was astounded.

As you can imagine, when certain beings know literally everything about you, they have a great deal of credibility. So I was listening in rapt attention when they went on to tell me why I had planned some of my greatest challenges. In the days and weeks after the session with the medium, this information was constantly on my mind. It allowed me to review the course of my life and, for the first time in many instances, see a deeper purpose to the seemingly bad things that had happened. For me, this was deeply healing.

I realized I was on to a concept that could bring similar healing to other people. I resolved to write a book about it. Three years later, I completed the book Your Soul's Plan: Discovering the Real Meaning of the Life You Planned Before You Were Born.

In order to research people's pre-birth plans, I collaborated with four very gifted mediums and channels, including one who is able to hear the conversations people had before they were born with their future parents, children, spouses, friends, and other loved ones. I put these conversations verbatim into the book. The people I interviewed had planned such challenges as physical illness, having handicapped children, deafness, blindness, drug addiction, alcoholism, losing a loved one, and severe accidents.

Why do we plan before birth to experience challenges? I found four primary reasons. First, challenges allow us to balance karma from past lives. Karma is sometimes conceptualized as cosmic debt, but I think of it more as unbalanced energy. Let's say, for example, that in a past life one person was physically ill and another person was the caretaker. When these two people transition back into spirit and have their life review, they will have a sense of unbalanced energy. One way to create balance would be to switch roles. The one who was ill now plans to be the caretaker, while the one who was the caretaker now plans to experience illness. What makes these life blueprints so challenging is that once in body, neither soul will remember the pre-birth plan.

Second, we plan challenges in order to heal. For example, Penelope, the deaf woman in my book s chapter on deafness and blindness, planned to be born completely deaf because in a past life she had heard the gunshots that killed her mother. She was a small child when the murder occurred. She was traumatized by her mother's death and went on to commit suicide later in that incarnation. In this lifetime, she sought to focus on self-healing and wanted to make sure that her healing would not be hindered by a similar trauma. In her pre-birth planning session, her spirit guide asks, "My dear... would you prefer to be born deaf so that no sound will ever remind you of those sounds again?" Penelope replies, "Yes, that is what I want and what I wish to do."

Third, we plan challenges to be of service to others. In the chapter on physical illness, I write about Jon, a homosexual man who planned to have AIDS so that he could teach tolerance to humanity. In his pre-birth planning session, we heard Jon conferring with the soul of the future loves who would at his request transmit the virus to him. The future lover says, "There is an issue larger than all of the personal benefit of contracting this illness. We can teach our elders, honor them, and provide them with a valuable opportunity to experience, learn, and grow." Jon, therefore, is not someone to be judged or scorned, but rather someone we may thank for having the raw courage to plan such a bold mission in service to others.

Lastly, life challenges allow us to know ourselves as love. By this I mean not simply that we are loving, although certainly that is true, but that we are quite literally made of the energy of love. In our nonphysical Home, we experience no contrast to ourselves and therefore cannot fully understand our nature as love. On Earth, in a realm of duality and stark contrast, we often encounter a lack of love. As we choose in the face of such experiences to give and receive love freely and unconditionally, we remember who we really are.

Robert Schwartz is the author of Your Soul's Plan: Discovering the Real Meaning of the Life You Planned Before You Were Born. A free PDF with a large sample of the book is available on Mr. Schwartz's web site at www.YourSoulsPlan.com. The book may be ordered on that web site and on Amazon. It is also available through your local bookstores and libraries.

Author Bio
In a personal session with a medium in 2003, author Robert Schwartz was astonished to speak with nonphysical beings who knew everything about him - not just what he had done in life, but also what he had thought and felt. They told him that he had planned many of his most difficult experiences before he was born. Realizing that a knowledge of pre-birth planning would bring great healing to people and allow them to understand the deeper purpose of their life challenges, he devoted the next three years to studying the pre-birth plans of dozens of individuals. The extraordinary insights that emerged speak to our heartfelt, universal yearning to know ... why.

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A Healthy Team and a Healthy Relationship

"The natural course, if untended, is to drift apart and become the proverbial two ships passing in the night." --Patrick Morely

Over the last three decades, marriage specialists have researched the ingredients of a happy marriage. As a result, we know more about building a successful marriage today than ever before.

The cool thing is ... team building experts have researched the ingredients of an effective team for about the same amount of time. And their findings are quite similar. What makes a happy marriage tends to make an effective team and vice versa.

When I worked in sales, occasionally I'd hear a fellow salesperson say, "Selling wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the customers." And when I taught at the university, occasionally I'd hear another professor say, "I really enjoy teaching. It's the students I can't stand."

What they didn't understand was RELATIONSHIP ... the importance of relationship and the process of relationship. And the same thing could be said about a marriage relationship or a team relationship. There are 10 things you've got to know and got to do if you're going to make it all work...

1. Get a realistic understanding of what a relationship can and cannot do.
   As marriage therapists Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott say, "Marriage is, in actual fact, just a way of living. Before marriage, we don't expect life to be all sunshine and roses, but we seem to expect marriage to be that way." And, "Debunking the myth of eternal romance will do more than just about anything to help you build a lifelong, happy marriage."

   I agree. I'm reminded of an attorney who handles many divorce cases who told me that the number one reason two people split up is that they "refuse to accept the fact that they are married to a human being." The belief in a "happily-ever-after marriage" is one of the most widely held and destructive marriage myths today.

   Likewise, corporate teams would be well off to get a realistic understanding of a team relationship. Teams are just another way of working. And there WILL be problems ... that WILL require some patience and skill to get to the outcomes you want.

2. Get a realistic perception of the other person.
   The most dramatic loss experienced in a new marriage is the idealized image the two partners have of one another. Sooner or later, reality will hit the two people squarely in the face: that they did not marry the person they thought they did.

   That's why author John Fisher advises, "The success of a marriage comes not in finding the 'right' person, but in the ability of both partners to adjust to the real person they inevitably realize they married." Similarly, if you're on a team at work, take some time to get to know each other. The more you understand each other's strengths, use those strengths, and work around their weaknesses, the stronger your team will be.

3. Engage in meaningful communication.
   According to Gary Smalley, the author of several books on marital communication, "Many couples, thinking they know each other intimately, have actually lived on a superficial level for years. Unfortunately, marriages of this type are the norm rather than the exception." In essence, they have failed to communicate. Oh, they may talk, but that's quite different than real communication. Talking is sharing facts, such as "I'll be home at five ... and ... Let's have spaghetti for dinner." Communication is spending quality time together ... sharing who you really are, what you think, and how you feel.

   But many adults are afraid of sharing their feelings ... or are "too busy" for any in-depth communication with their spouse. As a result, these people find themselves ten years into a marriage and still very lonely. They discover that their loneliness has nothing to do with their proximity to the other person. It comes from a lack of deeper, ongoing communication.

   As Patrick Morely points out, "The natural course, if untended, is to drift apart and become the proverbial two ships passing in the night." That's why I wrote my book on "Brave Questions: Building Stronger Relationships By Asking All The Right Questions." It's a powerful tool for any relationship on and off the job. As certified personal trainer Jimi Varner writes: "Dr. Zimmerman, around 4 months ago, I purchased your incredible, thought-provoking book on 'Brave Questions,' and have seen the miraculous effects it's had my relationship with my soon-to-be fiancé. Although practical and simple, we have found it extremely beneficial to all of our relationships and highly recommend it to anybody in need of urgent or not-yet-so urgent relationship repair!"

   Just so you're clear. All of this talk about "meaningful communication" applies to work teams as well. The team that takes time to ask questions, to listen, to build the relationships amongst the team members, does better than the team that always keeps its nose to the grindstone, focusing on the "business" every waking moment.

4. Stay focused on your goal.
   It's what distinguishes two people who are "merely" living together and two people who are "truly" married. Truly married people have a common goal they are pursuing. It's what distinguishes a group of people from a team as well. The group may work near each other or around each other, but a team has a common goal they all are trying to accomplish. And when you can't see your goal, you're going to have problems.

   That became clear to me through the presentation of another speaker at a Low Alpine sales meeting, an outdoor equipment manufacturer. The speaker talked about climbing Mt. Everest ... the skills it took, the dangers that had to be handled, the people who made it to the top, and those who didn't.

   But just before he finished his presentation, he asked the audience a question. He remarked, "There's a time when you're climbing when you almost feel depressed. You feel so low and down you're not sure you can continue. Do you know when that is?"

   The audience shouted out their answers ... such things as ... when you first begin the climb, when you only have 100 yards left, when you reach the top, and when you begin your descent. No one was even close. He said, "Climbers get down when bad weather sets in." He went on to explain that when bad weather sets in you can't see the peak. You lose sight of your GOAL and become easily distracted and sometimes even depressed.

   Of course, you might be wondering what this has to do with marriage or teamwork. There's a very clear correlation. Like a mountain climber who can't see the peak, marriages and teams who can't see their clearly defined goals are more susceptible to distractions and more likely to waste their time on the less important things in life. So ask yourself if your marriage has a clearly defined goal. If not, get one. And the same goes for your team. Get a goal and keep your eye on the goal.

5. Respect differences.
   In the initial stages of a relationship, differences tend to attract. We find them fascinating. But often times, those same differences can become a source of irritation later on in the relationship.

   That's too bad, because differences are the source of power ... when they're acknowledged, respected, and utilized. Dr. Ernest Bormann, one of the world's leading researchers on team effectiveness and my Ph.D. advisor, found indisputable evidence that the best teams were always composed of a variety of people with a variety of skills. The variety of talent allowed these team mates to find the best solutions that combined the best of everyone's input.

   So when it comes to your team ... or your relationship ... learn to celebrate the differences and learn to use each other's strengths. Don't waste your time trying to pound the differences out of the other person or make the other person just like you. It's self-defeating, and it won't work anyway.

   For starters, Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott say, "You'll always find exceptions to the rule, but research and experience consistently point to a fundamental and powerful distinction between the sexes: Men focus on achievement; women focus on relationships. It sounds overly simplistic, and it probably is. But remembering this general rule can save every couple wear and tear on their marriage and strengthen their bond."

6. Maintain a positive attitude.
   Few things are more contagious and powerful than attitudes. And the attitude you bring to your marriage or your team will have a HUGE impact on the results you get.

   As the world's leading authority on attitudes, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale declared, "There is a basic law that like attracts like. Negative thinking definitely attracts negative results. Conversely, if a person habitually thinks optimistically and hopefully, his positive thinking sets in motion creative forces, and success ...instead of eluding him ... flows toward him."

   I couldn't agree with him more. I've seldom if ever seen a happy marriage or an effective team staffed with negative people. As author Tom Blandi puts it, "Our attitudes control our lives. Attitudes are a secret power working 24 hours a day for good or bad. It is of paramount importance that we know how to harness and control this great force."

   Notice Blandi says you have to "harness and control this great force." In other words, your attitudes are changeable and controllable.

   So don't cop out like so many negative people do ... saying they could be positive if they had a different job, lived in a better place, married a different person, or were teamed up with brighter colleagues. The truth is attitudes and happiness are not hinged upon better circumstances. A person with bad attitudes will still be a person with bad attitudes ... wherever and with whomever he or she lives and works ... unless he/she learns how to get and keep a better attitude.

   And if you're in need of a better attitude, or if you know someone who needs an attitude adjustment, get a copy of my 7-pack audio CD album called "PIVOT: How One Turn In Attitude Can Lead To Success."

7. Spend some significant time together.
   The philosopher Paul Tournier got right to the point. He wrote, "To love is to give one's time. We never give the impression that we care when we are in a hurry."

   In today's crazy busy world, there are few resources more precious than time. It's so much easier to give our partners things than time. And it's easier to give our team mates quick advice and walk off than spend time on discussion and decision making.

   By contrast, one of my clients, AstraZeneca, the pharmaceutical company, knows about the importance of spending time with others and on others. After Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans in August of 2005, most of the conventions pulled out of the city ... which only lead to further financial devastation. But not AstraZeneca. They came in a few months later with the biggest convention the city had seen since Katrina.

   As Rick Reid told me, "After noticing some neighborhoods and buildings in disarray, I noticed the eyes of the local people. Many looked tired, and some seemed almost without hope. As I and my fellow coworkers began to work in their neighborhoods and struck up conversations with the locals, their faces changed from despair to glimmers of brightness."

   Rick continued, "Attendees at the AstraZeneca meeting were given the chance to volunteer in community activities for a day in the middle of the week. Hundreds helped the local 'Katrina Krewe' to clear debris from city streets. A couple hundred worked with the local 'REX' organization to landscape a school's grounds, and plant trees. A couple dozen worked on the Dr. Seuss exhibit at the local children's museum in preparation for its reopening. Forty went and helped to prepare the University's Women's and Children's Clinic to reopen. I worked with 50 others to repaint a wing of exam rooms in the University's 100-year old building that housed its primary care clinic. If you want to know what color, I'll show you my shirt."

   The key point Rick made was all about time. He finished his letter to me by saying, "Prior to arriving in New Orleans, I was thinking that the main solution to getting things back to normal there would be more money. And indeed, my company has donated over $5 million in cash and medicines. Then I realized all this money helps, but so very much more is needed. Many workers, waiters, housekeepers, and even musicians came up to individuals in our group and thanked us for coming. It was our presence there ... it was our time spent with them ... that seemed to signal the beginning of a return to normal."

   Rick has a lesson for all of us. If you want your relationship to work, if you want your team to succeed, then there's no substitute for time. You've got to spend time with each other and on each other.

8. Build your friendship.
   I saw a sign a while ago that read, "Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me alone." Of course I chuckled, but I also thought how tragic if someone actually believed the sign.

   The research says that happily married people seem to know that it takes more than roses and romance to make a relationship work. It takes friendship, even being best friends to one another.

   After all, best friends don't leave when the going gets tough. They stick by you, giving you the kind of encouragement that comes from not only knowing you well, but loving you anyway. They don't give up when things look impossible. They hold you accountable without shaming you. They don't even mind if you tell the same story you've told them before, because they like to see you laugh.

   And like any other quality relationship, a friendship is built. It doesn't just happen. That's what I talk about in my program on "The Relationship Recipe: Rapport, Respect, and Recognition." I show you the exact steps and skills that go into making work relationships work. The same is true of healthy, productive teams. The team members tend to be friends or at least friendly with one another. That's why meetings, conferences, and conventions are so critically important. In addition to learning new information and picking up some new strategies, team members get to know each other. And all things being equal, people tend to buy from and cooperate with people they know, like, and trust.

9. Have some fun together.
   As Bill and Lynne Hybels, long-time marriage counselors, say, "Even the best marriages take a tremendous amount of work. If there is no fun to balance out the work, even the most earnest spouses begin to lose motivation and energy. And the more challenging a marriage is, the more important fun is. We have learned that mutually enjoyable, fun experiences can help heal tender wounds and become a bridge across frustrating differences."

   Absolutely! Have some fun together. And the less time you have for fun, the more you need it. As author William Feather (1889-1981) wrote, "Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn't stop to enjoy it."

   The same thing goes for teams on the job. They obviously get a lot of work done, but they tend to accomplish more if they make time to have some fun once in a while. As the saying goes, the team that plays together stays together.

10. Forgive each other.
    You see ... it doesn't take a very big person to carry a grudge. It takes a big person to say, "I'm sorry ... I was wrong ... Please forgive me" or "Of course, I forgive you."

    In any relationship or in any team, there will be anger, conflict, disagreements, and disappointments. The secret is to forgive the people involved, learn from the mistakes, and do better next time. And if you can't do that, you're doomed.

    As author Ed Wheat sees it, "Marriage becomes a series of surprises for most of us, and one of them is how frequently we need to forgive and be forgiven ... Even the best relationship cannot remain intact for long without forgiveness."

    Of course, many of you will say, "I can't forgive him for how he hurt my feelings ... I'll never forgive her for how she sabotaged me at work ... and .. I can't let that person off the hook after all he did."

    If that sounds like you, you've got it all backwards. Forgiveness is not about letting the other person off the hook. It's about setting yourself free. As clergyman 'Tope Popoola says, "Bitterness and an unforgiving spirit can be likened to you taking poison and expecting that someone else would die from the effect. Forgiveness is about setting the prisoner in your heart free only to discover that all along, you had been the real prisoner."

    Others of you may say you can't forgive yourself. You screwed up at home or at work and you know it. But as my good friend Dr. Bev Smallwood says in her book, "This Wasn't Supposed To Happen To Me," it won't help a bit to keep on berating yourself, punishing yourself, or hating yourself. She says, "In the goal of going forward more skillfully, ongoing self-condemnation makes it LESS likely that you will now live more productively and joyfully. Yes, you need to pause and consider what happened in order to learn from it. But that pause should not become a stalled lifestyle. Look at your past mistakes, but don't stare at them."

    It's kind of like the rear-view mirror in your car. It's much smaller than the windshield for a good reason. Their size is in proportion to the amount of time you should spend looking at them. Yes, you need to glance at the rear view mirror to see what's coming up behind you or what you might hit when backing up. However, the majority of your driving time must be spent looking ahead, keeping your eyes on where you're headed - not where you've been. In a similar sense, learn to forgive yourself and others, learn from the setbacks, and then look forward.

Actions:
Take some time to show respect to your fellow team mates in 3 different ways on 3 different occasions this week.

Which of the relationship and/or team skills listed above would bring the biggest payoff to your life or your career? Then focus on what you can do to get better in that area.

As a best-selling author and Hall of Fame professional speaker, Dr. Alan Zimmerman has taught more than one million people in 48 states and 22 countries how to keep a positive attitude on and off the job. In his book, PIVOT: How One Turn In Attitude Can Lead To Success, Dr. Zimmerman outlines the exact steps you must take to get the results you want in any situation. Go to Alan's site for a Free Sneak Preview.

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Using Setbacks to Propel Your Business Forward

If you stood in a room with 500 business owners and asked that anyone who has had setbacks to raise their hands, you would likely see 500 hands raised. Everyone has experienced and can relate to a plan gone wrong, a dream unrealized, a vision that met a roadblock. Yet if you went back and asked those same people how they handled those setbacks, you would get a multitude of answers.

A setback is not a cue to stop moving forward. Setbacks allow you to review your plan, make the necessary revisions and continue moving forward. Some setbacks are minor: a seminar that did not draw the anticipated attendees, or a glitch in a marketing plan. Other setbacks may require a shift in a completely new direction, such as the loss of a job, or the loss of your company. Here are his tips for turning setbacks into a setup for a comeback:

• If you're willing, new opportunities await. Handling setbacks in a positive manner requires a positive mindset. You must have flexibility and a willingness to change and move quickly. Look past the setback for the new opportunity. You may find that tremendous success lies ahead because you were willing to adapt.
• Plan to be successful. The most successful organizations did not just happen, they planned it. Plan to be the best, see the possibilities and then consistently do the things that it will take to realize your plan. Make the necessary investments in your organization and your people and foster a can do culture. Everyone must not only work toward the plan, but believe in the plan. Belief will drive action and action will lead to success.
• Eighty percent of success is just showing up. Before you can be successful you have to show up. Perhaps you have not perfected your technique, or achieved your plan of being the best in your field, but if you don't show up you will not win. There are countless examples of people who were bold enough to show up where they did not belong and as a result of showing up they were successful. Do not hinder your success by being afraid to take a risk and show up.
• After you show up, stand up! You must continue working on yourself and your business. Do not become complacent in your success but determine each day that tomorrow you will be better than today. The secret to success is never ending self development.
• Step up and take your swing. As children we are taught that success is rewarded and failure is punished. This mindset has caused many people to be afraid to take a shot if they were not assured of succeeding. Yet in life, we fail much more often than we succeed. The failures are lessons which help us to learn how to succeed. If you fail to hit the ball the first time or even the 100th time, you learn to adjust your stance, your grip on the bat, even your coordination. The next time the ball comes you are better prepared because of your failure.

Rachel Clarkson helps small business owners to grow their companies, increase revenues and become great leaders. Rachel's articles can be found at the OneCoach Blog.

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Hau kola na tiyospaye (Hello friends & extended family),

Welcome to all new Circle members!  Each section of the Circle of Nations newsletter is written 'facing' one of the four sacred winds, beginning with the east, then the south, west and finally the north.  This is to honor the old ways.  It is to teach and to help us to focus and find the center.  I have designed the Native Circle website in the same spirit.  I welcome you all to the Circle....

EAST - Wiyohinyanpata - Yellow (Four Winds)
Time with Elders....
Today was a day for me to sit with my family Elders and listen.  We rose early this morning and hit the road for a two hour trek to the home of my 78 year old Sioux Grandfather, Bob.  Grandpa Bob is a fascinating man, and I consider myself lucky to sit and listen to the words of a man who has spent nearly 8 decades gathering knowledge and wisdom.  Now, just for the sake of clarity, let me make it clear that Bob would never claim to be a ‘wise man’.  Maybe a ‘wise guy’, but never a wise man!  He is unassuming, humble and soft spoken.  He is not the Indian man you remember seeing at the powwow.  In fact, the camera people at the powwows usually pass on by Grandpa Bob so they can photograph the Fancy Dancers.  Never mind that Bob’s regalia consists of authentic articles, some over 100 years old!  Nah, the camera folks don’t care about that, they just want the colorful feathers.  Looks better in the paper.  After all, a 100 year old breastplate made from hair-pipe created by rolling up the brown commodity food wax paper used on the reservation in the 1890s isn’t flashy enough for a photo op.  Wow, I am starting to sound like Grandpa Bob!  Bob does a lot of complaining and lamenting about what was.  He wonders out loud if Indian “kids” today are losing the wisdom of our old ways.  Perhaps I am lamenting as well.  Bob is an Elder with a tremendous amount of wisdom.  We left him today with an awful lot of food for thought.  And he concluded by apologizing for talking too much!  Ah well, such is the humility of real Indian Elders....
Two hours drive back home, and we find ourselves in the presence of yet another family Elder, Mama Carley.  I have spent over 15 years learning from this incredible Matriarch.  She is strong, gentle, kind and gracious.  She is also highly intelligent, with wisdom I doubt she even realizes she possesses.  I would be remiss if I did not also mention that she can be feisty and even a bit stubborn!  And yet this is all part of the multi-colored character of a woman who has lived long enough to know what she wants, what she loves, what she feels and what she cares passionately about.  She is having to accept more help these days from others.  Not easy for a woman who has such an independent nature.  I admire her resolve as much as I admire her surrender.  She is an incredible woman, and Elder.  I have gained profound wisdom from just being around her, and even more from listening....
Reach out to the Elders in your life.  Seek them out.  Spend time with them.  Listen to them.  Their wisdom will give you perspective, and draw you closer to the simple truths that matter most in this life.
I realize this section hasn’t been ‘lofty’ or ‘poetic’, but I hope it has meant something to you.  The truth is, the wisdom that Grandpa Bob and Carley impart is pretty straight forward stuff.  But hey, words don’t need to be fancy to carry a powerful message of truth and wisdom.  They just need to be spoken - and heard....


SOUTH - Itokagata - Red (Red Earth)
A word from Peggy....

I decided to take up the South Section today to talk about our Retreats.  The south is the place of passion and the retreats have for many of us in the Circle of Nations been our passion.  People ask me all the time to explain the retreats and I do my best, but each retreat has a life of it’s own so it is like putting spirituality in a religion box.  Our retreats refuse to be boxed in.  The only constant is that they are changing and evolving.  I can, however, give you more of the concepts and the skeleton of each retreat.

In April we hold the Creative Expressions Retreat.  We used to call it the Artists Retreat.  The name was changed because each one of us is a creative force and some people don’t feel they are an “artist”.  We all have plans and dreams for our life.  Your plan may be to meet the love of your life, a soul mate.  Your plan may be to be a professional athlete, a teacher, a chef, a writer, a mom, an accountant.  Each quest is a creative expression.  Your relationships are creative expressions.  The way you dress, write, believe.  We spend the weekend creating beauty.  In the past we have painted a tipi, designed a medicine garden, created prayer flags, written poetry.As a whole we create, but also as individuals.  I have seen people embrace their creative selves and go on to run successful businesses or to just find balance and pleasure in the creative process of their daily lives.  We discover the deep beauty and profound meaning of our inner selves, the child who wants to paint outside the lines is welcome as well as the child who loves to paint within the lines.  The creative expressions retreat is the third weekend in April in Eureka Springs Arkansas.  It is a small retreat with 12 to 14 in attendance.

The Women of Wisdom Retreat is held in late June in Eureka Springs, however this year we have opened up 3 new retreats in Dayton Ohio  The men’s retreat, the women’s retreat, and the flute discovery retreat.As women we share a sacred bond, a sisterhood.  The women’s retreat is about healing and discovery.  It is about laughter and connecting.  We play, we cry, we write, we create, we sing, we grow and we do what women do best, we communicate.
The Men of Honor Retreat is held on the same weekend and I wish I could tell you more about that, but you will have to refer to John for his explanation of that weekend… but I know it is awesome.  The Women and Men’s retreat in Ohio will be held the middle of May

The Flute Discovery Retreat is a weekend led by John Two-Hawks.  He helps those who love the flute and those who are barely acquainted with  Native flute, to learn the deep ways of this healing instrument.  There are many hidden truths in the music of the flute and in the wonderful cultures that the flute has come to us from.  The weekend is full of music and stories.  A time to experience a richness in the gifts of the American Indian Cedar flute, its wisdom and mystery.  This retreat will be held outside Dayton Ohio in May and in Eureka Springs Arkansas in mid September.

The Mending Medicine Retreat...  We hold 2 of these retreats a year.  One in Dayton Ohio at the end of July beginning of August and one in Eureka Springs Arkansas the third weekend in October.  This is our main retreat.  We hold it as a three day retreat in Ohio and as a four day retreat in Arkansas.  The Circle of Nations Global Community has been born of this retreat.  All who attend become members of this group, if they so choose and are added to our membership to receive our e-mails and other considerations.  This retreat is based on the ancient teachings of the Medicine Wheel and the wisdom and mystery that this symbol teaches us.  We explore Lakota spirituality as well as many other indigenous cultures from around the world.  We experience the profound simplicity of these teachings and the healing nature of the wisdom therein.  It is a time of healing, laughter, connection and life enhancing change.  We enjoy music, laughter, good fun and make some life long friendships.  This is a larger retreat, we can take up to 30 people at each location.
The cost of most of our retreats includes lodging and meals.  You will find that we are the lowest priced retreats out there, because we have always made a commitment to leave the door open to all who would want to attend.  We charge a little over the cost of lodging, food and supplies.
For more information or if you have questions or want to register call 888-790-9091

We have the incredible 'Earth ~ Fire ~ Water ~ Wind' T-shirts
available in larger sizes for 2x and 3x sizes. Call 888-790-9091


John will be performing with the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra on April 10th
and he is doing a FREE Earth ~ Fire ~ Water ~ Wind concert on April 11th at the First-Centenary United Methodist Church!
Don’t miss the Earth ~ Fire ~ Water ~ Wind concert in Rogers AR on April 24th
Mothers Day Earth ~ Fire ~ Water ~ Wind concert FREE for moms on Mothers Day May 9th
We will be in Hannibal Missouri on May 1st for a CD and Book signing, In-store Meet & Greet event

Check our Schedule for all our new concerts and events!
Hope to see many of you at concerts and retreats… come and say hi!


WEST - Wiyohpeyata - Black or Blue (We are STILL Here!)
“Answers”
The way of the western world is to explain everything.  All questions must be answered.  If there is no answer, then something must be wrong, or there needs to be more research to find it.  Often, if a suitable answer is not found, one will be fabricated.  This is how fixated western society is on having answers.  For Indigenous cultures, the focus has never been on answers, but rather on questions.  For Native people it has always been perfectly acceptable to not always have an answer.  In fact, ‘not knowing’ is part of the fabric of Indigenous spiritual culture and tradition.  It is understood by Native society that there has always been - and will always be - mystery in this world.  No matter how high tech western science gets, and regardless of how smart western society’s great thinkers become, there will always be questions that cannot be answered.  There will always be mystery.  Mystery keeps us humble.  Humility leads to wisdom.  Wisdom leads to healing.  And healing leads to peace.  On the other hand, knowledge makes us proud.  Pride can lead to arrogance.  Arrogance leads to conflict.  And conflict leads to destruction.  So....  Allow me to assert that ‘answers’ are far overrated.  Not having all of them is okay, because it causes us to lean on the Spirit, and each other.  Accept mystery in this life, and wisdom will offer herself to you in the humble spaces.  For when high technology and lofty intelligence find that they have failed to come up with the ‘answers’ to the world’s problems, old grandmother wisdom will be there waiting to soothe them, and show them the way....


NORTH - Waziyata - White  (Words of Wisdom)
Some thoughts from my contemplations....

The spiritual power of a tipi is greater than any castle....

Silence and Listening are both requirements of wisdom....

Authenticity is only experienced up close....

Truth and Knowledge are not always the same thing....


May Wakantanka encircle you and yours with faith to believe, hope for the future, and love for all....     

As always, in the spirit of mending the sacred hoop of the nations of the world
Your Oglala Lakota friend and brother,
John Two-Hawks
http://www.nativecircle.com
http://www.johntwohawks.com
Reprinting of this Circle of Nations newsletter is encouraged!  All I ask is that it be printed in its entirety, with no changes, and that I be given proper credit, unless I have otherwise okayed it.  Wopila (great thanks)!

 

 Thunder Nation At 2009 Eel River Pow wow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wedzQBh3AW4