The Secret-Unknown

A woman named Vicki once knew a young person at church named Susan.
Susan always seemed effervescent and happy, although Vicki knew she
had faced struggles in her life. Her long-awaited marriage had quickly
ended in divorce. She had struggled to get a grip on her single life.
She hadn't chosen it, but she decided she would live it with utmost
enjoyment and satisfaction. Susan was active in Sunday school, in the
choir, as a leader of the junior high girls' group, and in the church
renewal movement. Vicki enjoyed knowing Susan. Susan's whole face
seemed to smile.

One day Vicki asked Susan, "How is it that you are always so happy,
you have so much energy, and you never seem to get down?" With her
eyes smiling, Susan said, "I know the Secret!"

"What secret is that, what are you talking about?" Vicki asked. Susan
replied, "I'll tell you all about it, but you have to promise to share
the Secret with others."

Vicki agreed, "Okay, now what is it?"

The Secret is this:

"I have learned there is little I can do in my life that will make me
truly happy. I must depend on God to make me happy and meet my needs.
When a need arises in my life, I have to trust God to supply according
to HIS riches. I have learned most of the time I don't need half of
what I think I do. HE has never let me down."

Since I learned that Secret I am happy.

Vicki's first thought was, that's too simple! But upon reflecting over
her own life she recalled how she thought a bigger house would make
her happy -but it didn't! She thought a better-paying job would make
her happy -but it hadn't. When did she realize her greatest happiness?
Sitting on the floor with her grandchildren, playing games, eating
pizza or reading a story, a simple gift from God. Susan knew the
secret, Vicki learned the secret, and now you know it too!

We can't depend on people to make us happy. Only GOD in His wisdom can
do that. Trust HIM! And now I pass the Secret on to you!

7 Ways to Deal with the Negative People in your Life - By Lori Radun

Have you ever been faced with trying to stay positive when others
around you are negative? Negative people can be a challenge to be
around. They will bring you down and drain your energy. A negative
person can throw your best laid plans to be positive right out the
window. Whether your child or spouse has an occasional negative day or
you deal with a family member, friend or co-worker that is chronically
negative, there are things you can do to remain positive in the face
of negativity.

1. Let the Negativity Pass
Whatever you do, do not argue with a negative person. Arguing only
adds fuel to the fire. A negative person will feed off any negativity
that will strengthen his mood or attitude. I have noticed when my
children are in a crabby mood, it is best to avoid trying to convince
them to analyze and adjust their attitude. As soon as I take the
approach of being in opposition with them, they seize the opportunity
to prove to me that life stinks. Their negativity intensifies and the
situation gets worse before it gets better. Sometimes the best thing
to do is remain silent and let the negativity pass.

2. Negative People Need Love
You know how difficult it can be to give love and positive attention
to negative people. Unfortunately, that is often exactly what they
need. Deep inside that mean and critical person is a person that is
usually afraid he or she is unlovable. It is our challenge to rise
above the negative attitude and love the injured person inside. How do
you show love when someone is negative? You must listen to what she is
trying to tell you. Acknowledge the feelings she has by saying
something like, "You sound very angry right now". Even if you don't
quite understand the person's feelings, know that your reality is
different than someone else's. Ask how you might help the negative
person. This shows legitimate interest in her happiness. Offer a hug
even if you get rejected. Remember not to take a rejection of your
love personally. A negative person often has difficulty receiving love
from others.

3. Focus on the Positive
If you try really hard, there is always something positive to be found
in any situation. Pretend you are on a treasure hunt and search for
any gold or jewels you can emphasize. Even a negative person has
positive qualities. When a person is drowning in negativity, it can be
difficult for them to see the positive. So often my clients focus on
the negative aspects of themselves. They forget about all the great
things they are doing. I admit that sometimes a negative person
doesn't want to see the positive. This might require her to shift her
outlook. Negativity can become a habit and habits are hard to break.
Be patient and gently remind your grumpy friend or family member to
look for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Hopefully, in her
down time, she will begin to reflect on what you have said.

4. Ask Negative People to Elaborate
You may hear a negative person say things like: "Women are fickle."
"You can't trust doctors." "My husband makes me miserable." These
kinds of statements are a type of cognitive distortion referred to as
generalizations. To help a person sort through her distorted thinking,
ask for more specifics. Questions like "Which women are fickle?" or
"What specifically about your husband is making you miserable?" force
a person to evaluate what he or she is really trying to say. A
negative person will either give up because it takes too much effort
to explain himself, or he or she will get to the bottom of the issue.

5. Detach and Avoid Trying to Change the Negative Person
Learning to detach emotionally from a negative person can greatly
benefit you and the other person. A negative person will fight you if
you try to change them. If you want, you can try a little reverse
psychology and agree with everything she says. I once read a great
article about a mother who was exasperated with her son's negative
mood. Everything she tried to soothe him and make him feel better
backfired. She finally gave up and started agreeing with everything he
said. When her son told her his friends were mean, she agreed with
him. When he complained that his teacher didn't know anything, she
couldn't agree more. After several minutes of this kind of dialogue
with her son, his mood suddenly shifted. He declared that he was tired
and he went to bed with a smile on his face.

6. Stay Away from Negative People
If you have negative people in your life that are critically affecting
your mental and physical health, you need to evaluate whether or not
you want these people in your life. Some people are so chronically
negative that you have no other choice but to remove them from your
life. It's possible to do that with friends. You can find another job
if your boss or other co-workers are bringing you down. Other people,
such as children and spouses, are difficult to remove from your life.
In this instance, professional counseling may be the answer. To
protect your well being, you need to enforce very strong boundaries
with negative people.

7. Keep Your Own Negative Thoughts and Behaviors in Check
If you do nothing else but focus on managing your own negative
thoughts and behavior, you will come a long way towards remaining
positive. A negative attitude is contagious, but a positive attitude
is infectious as well. Hang out with positive people that encourage
you to be your best self. Use positive affirmations to overcome
negative self-talk. Express your gratitude for all the positive things
in your life. Take the time everyday to watch all the beautiful things
going on around you. Read inspirational material and listen to joyful
music. Take care of yourself spiritually. Do whatever you have to do
to remain positive and happy despite the negativity you face.
The world will be a better place because of you and your attitude. And
you never know, you just might help a negative person make a change to
a better way of living.

The Dollar Bill-— Author Unknown

A story tells of a merchant in a small town who had identical twin
sons. The boys worked for their father in the department store he
owned and, when he died, they took over the store.

Everything went well until the day a dollar bill disappeared. One of
the brothers had left the bill on the cash register and walked outside
with a customer. When he returned, the money was gone.

He asked his brother, "Did you see that dollar bill on the cash
register?" His brother replied that he had not.

But the young man kept probing and questioning. He would not let it
alone. "Dollar bills just don't get up and walk away! Surely you must
have seen it!"
There was subtle accusation in his voice. Tempers began to rise.
Resentment set in. Before long, a deep and bitter chasm divided the
young men. They refused to speak. They finally decided they could no
longer work together and a dividing wall was built down the center of
the store. For twenty years hostility and bitterness grew, spreading
to their families and to the community.

Then one day a man in an automobile licensed in another state stopped
in front of the store. He walked in and asked the clerk, "How long
have you been here?"

The clerk replied that he'd been there all his life. The customer
said, "I must share something with you. Twenty years ago I was "riding
the rails" and came into this town in a boxcar. I hadn't eaten for
three days. I came into this store from the back door and saw a dollar
bill on the cash register. I put it in my pocket and walked out. All
these years I haven't been able to forget that. I know it wasn't much
money, but I had to come back and ask your forgiveness."

The stranger was amazed to see tears well up in the eyes of this
middle-aged man. "Would you please go next door and tell that same
story to the man in the store?" he said. Then the man was even more
amazed to see two middle-aged men, who looked very much alike,
embracing each other and weeping together in the front of the store.

After twenty years, the brokenness was mended. The wall of resentment
that divided them came down.

It is so often the little things that finally divide people- words
spoken in haste; criticisms; accusations; resentments. And once
divided, they may never come together again.

The solution, of course, is to let it go. There is really nothing
particularly profound about learning to let go of little resentments.
But for fulfilling and lasting relationships, letting them go is a
must. Refuse to carry around bitterness and you may be surprised at
how much energy you have left for building bonds with those you love.

A Story To Ponder: Author Unknown

Your Biggest Weakness Can Become Your Biggest Strength.

This is a story of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo
despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car
accident.

The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was
doing well so he couldn't understand why, after three months of
training, the master had taught him only one move.

"Sensei," the boy finally said, "Shouldn't I be learning more moves?"

"This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever
need to know," the Sensei replied.

Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.

Several months later, the Sensei took the boy to his first tournament.
Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The
third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his
opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one
move to win the match.

Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.

This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced.
For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the
boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to
stop the match when the Sensei intervened.

"No," the Sensei insisted, "Let him continue."

Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: He
dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The
boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.

On the way home, the boy and Sensei reviewed every move in each and
every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really
on his mind.

"Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?"

"You won for two reasons," the Sensei answered. "First, you've almost
mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second,
the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your
left arm."

The boy's biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.

Moral of the story: We sometimes allow our weaknesses to be our
downfall rather than using them to our advantage. We tell ourselves we
cannot do something because we do not feel it is our strength. But, if
we didn't dwell on our weaknesses, we may find that we could succeed.

The Home Run

At a fund raising dinner for a school that serves children with
learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a
speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After
extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:

'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature
does, is done with perfection.

Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot
understand things as other children do.

Where is the natural order of things in my son?'

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was
mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity
to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way
other people treat that child.'

Then he told the following story:

Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were
playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I
knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their
team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to
play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some
confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting
much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said,
'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I
guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the
ninth inning.'

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put
on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in
my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but
was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the
right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously
ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to
ear as I waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again..

Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was
on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to
win the game?

Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all
but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat
properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the

plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting
winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to
lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.

The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.

As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground
ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over.

The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown
the ball to the first baseman.

Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's
head, out of reach of all team mates.

Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first!

Run to first!'

Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base.

He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!'

Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and
struggling to make it to the base.

B y the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had
the ball . the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance
to be the hero for his team.

He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but
he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw
the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.

Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him
by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to
third!

Shay, run to third!'

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators,
were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!'

Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero
who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team

'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his
face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and
humanity into this world'.

Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having
never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home
and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

Cultivate Your Inner Oasis - By Janet Nesto

20 Thoughts That Create Personal Power

1. I am responsible for myself and all that I experience.

2. My thoughts determine who I am, therefore my positive thoughts
create a positive life.

3. My thoughts create my relationship with my past, my present and
future, my self-worth, my choice of employment, my successes, my
failures, and the quality of my relationships.

4. Everyone has problems. Therefore, I am never alone in my experiences.

5. All negative thoughts can be changed, and all positive thoughts can
be maintained.

6. My negative thoughts and feelings have no power other than the
power I assign them. They are simply thoughts and feelings that are
flexible and flowing if I allow them to be.

7. I love and nurture my body, my mind and spirit.

8. I welcome love and affection into my life.

9. I give myself permission to enjoy and experience intimacy without
guilt, shame, or fear.

10. When I forgive myself or others, I am healing me and breaking the
chain of negativity.

11. All positive change begins with my acceptance of my current reality.

12. I create and increase my personal power when I live a now focused life.

13. Regular laughter increases the quality of my life and strengthens
my immune system.

14. I am powerless over all of YOUR actions.

15. I invite people into my life who have time for me and who are free
to love and care for me.

16. I am worthy of the support and the love that I am given.

17. I am responsible for my own emotional and physical safety, and I
am willing to set healthy and loving boundaries that provide the
safety I need.

18. Loving me allows me the freedom to love you.

19. Miracles are the norm and not the exception, and at least one
miracle occurs in my life every day.

20. I choose to view this day as the most wonderful day of my life.
"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can
start from now and make a brand new ending" Carl Bard

What you sow, you shall reap.

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness

* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment

* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective

* If you plant hard work, you will reap success

* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.

"Whatever You Give To Life, Life Gives You Back"

Life Advice---- By Unknown

An Angel says, 'Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what
may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain.
Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.'

Here are a few things you can do to have a happier life:

1. Pray.

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or
that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and un clutter your life.

7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects
over time; don't lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns . If a situation is a concern,
find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety . If you
can't do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house
key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can
prevent an enormous amount of trouble.

15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.

16. Carry a holy book with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19. Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small
problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try
and pray...

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is
often a good 'Thank you God'.

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

32. Sit on your ego.

33. Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for
that you've never been grateful for before.

Remember: God has a way of turning things around for you.
'If God is for us, who can be against us?'

This is Life

When there is no friend,
When life is on the dead end,
When world is not a paradise,
When your confidence dies,
Tell yourself - Go on, THIS IS LIFE!

When things don't go right,
When there is no ray of light,
And its too hard to survive,
Tell yourself - Go on, THIS IS LIFE!

When there is competition to face,
When you are lagging behind in the race,
When you've lost faith in God,
When you're betrayed by a fraud,
Tell yourself - Go on, THIS IS LIFE!

When others don't respect you,
When you're not amongst the admirable few,
When for a question, you can't find a solution,
When all you're sure about, is confusion,
Tell yourself - Go on, THIS IS LIFE!

When your destination is miles apart,
When you don't know where to start,
When all you see around is pain,
When your hardwork is in vain,
Tell yourself - Go on, THIS IS LIFE!

Even though all this happens
just have faith in self & face the life with smile,
Things will surely change one day
Because as said "THIS IS LIFE ...

Fear Be Gone - By Wambui Bahati

I recently received an email that prompted me to answer a poll about
what I feared most. I didn't reply to the email because my biggest
fear at that moment was the fear of receiving more unsolicited email.
However, I did start thinking about the subject of fear. What are we
afraid of? What is fear? What can we do about it?

A Powerful Emotion
Fear is an emotion and the symptoms of this emotion manifest in each
of us in various ways. Some of the symptoms of fear are shallow
breathing, sweaty palms, upset stomach, nervousness, headache,
inability to speak, inability to think clearly, depression,
uncontrollable shaking, inability to moved, and anger. People
literally lose their lives and have been known to take someone else's
life out of fear. All of the "isms" are the children of fear --
racism, chauvinism, classism, sexism. Wars and crime thrive on fear.

Fear takes away our creativity, imagination, freedom and peace. Fear
stops us from pursuing our dreams. Fear destroys relationships and can
make us physically ill.

These four letters, F E A R, represent the most powerful negative
emotion that exists.

And just think, we have all this unhappiness and suffering over
something that does not even exist except for the meaning or
perception that we give to a person, place, thing or event. Our fears
only live because each of us gives our own fears life. The fears we
have exist because we nurture them, feed them, and acknowledge them.

Our Past Stories and Imaginations
In other words, our fears are based on our individual perceptions, and
our perceptions are based on our individual stories or histories and
our imaginations.

How else can we explain the fact that each of us has different fears
and fears to different degrees? For instance, there are many people
who love dogs. However, there are also people who fear dogs. Some love
snakes and have them as pets. Yet, many others are extremely afraid of
snakes and become traumatized at the mere sight of them.

Most of the time, we are not even aware of the stories that our fears
are based on. Some of us have anxiety attacks and are fearful over a
comment that another child made to us when we were small. In other
words, we let a child from our past control our life and health today.

Release the Fear
In order to release the fear, we must change our perceptions about a
person, event or object. Choose to see it for what it is -- a person,
an event or an object. Many of us fear things that have not happened
and may never happen. We cannot enjoy our lives today because we are
fearful of what the future may hold. We can choose to release
ourselves from the hold that our past stories and our imaginations
have on us.

If you are totally immobilized by fear of something, you can always
seek assistance from techniques such as Emotional Freedom Techniques
(EFT), Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), or hypnotherapy. I
encourage you to explore the options each of these techniques provide.
Each of them, using their own methods, de-traumatizes past traumas and
identify and integrate conflicting belief systems that keep us from
doing things we want to do.

In my experience, these types of procedures can bring about relief
from fears quickly. Instead of treating the symptoms, as medications
do, these techniques and other similar procedures address the cause of
the fear.

A Signal for Change
The positive aspect of fear is that it is a signal for change. If
someone were to point a gun at us, in the midst of fear, we would hope
that something would change for the better. Hopefully, we would think
of some way to change the situation without being harmed. When faced
with the fear of the possibility of a child being harmed, parents have
found physical strength and mental courage that they did not know was
possible.

And so it is with our everyday fears. Let fear be a signal to change
or move in a new direction. Move beyond your comfort zone. Perhaps we
need more knowledge about the person, place, or thing that is causing
us to feel fearful. Most importantly, move toward love. Love yourself.
Love everyone and everything. Love is the most powerful emotion. Where
there is real love, fear will perish.

We Are More Powerful than Fear
In my opinion, failure to remember who we are in relation to God and
this great Universe is the number one cause of fear. Where there is no
faith, there is fear. The absence of belief in ourselves and what we
are capable of creates doubt and fear.

Yes, there will be tragedies. No, things will not always go as you
planned. Yes, there will be people who want to say negative things
about you. These people would rather comment on what appear to be your
flaws rather than deal with their own. Do not give them your power.
None of us are ordinary human beings. All of us are extraordinary
divine beings. Everyone has the power that will not fail, should it be
acknowledged and embraced. Sometimes, I have to remind myself of this.
I say, "Fear, be gone. You have no power here." Just by saying these
words, it is as if I turn on a light and I see fear for what it really
is -- nothing.

Read this Post on "Think Simple".

Editor's Note: I recently read a gem of a book called "The Millionaire
Fastlane". Despite feeling skeptical by its title, its phenomenal
content surprised and delighted me. I'll say more about the book at
the end of this article. Until then, enjoy this article from the
book's author, sharing an important message for us all.
By: MJ DeMarco
"Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying.
Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day.
Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now.
There are only so many tomorrows."
~Michael Landon
Today I am confessing something big.
Not many men would disclose this information, but I will.
My two favorite movies are Titanic and The Notebook — yes, two
perennial favorites among the ladies and unmentionable by my male
counterparts.
How does a guy like me (who like any typical man, likes fast cars,
horsepower, beer, sports, and pretty women) come to a conclusion that
these movies deserve a spot in the DVD cabinet next to the usual
suspects like The Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather?
While the love story in both is tearful, these movies highlight
something that we tend to neglect in our lives … and, I believe, is
the greatest tragedy of all humanity.
That tragedy?
The illusion that our time is richly abundant when in fact, it is
deathly scarce.
In both plots, our protagonists come to this reality as life's death
clock ticks away. In The Notebook, our lovers would do anything for 5
sentient minutes together. Just 5 minutes and when they get it, they
beg for time to stop.
In The Titanic, as the ship sinks and few lifeboats remain, Caledon
Hockley, a wealthy steel industrialist bargains for his life with a
ship's officer and offers cash for a lifeboat seat only to be rebuked
with a stiff certainty: "Your money can't save you anymore that it can
save me."
Think about that statement for a moment. Your money can't save you.
Think about how we tend to treat MONEY as more scare than our TIME.
Trust me, it isn't and I don't care how rich or poor you are.
On any given day, over $300 trillion dollars are exchanged in the
world currency markets — that is $300,000,000,000,000. To give that
perspective, you'd have to spend $1 million a day for 8,000 years to
spend ONE DAY'S worth of trading value. Nearly 900 life spans!
And yet, the great theft of all humanity remains: People blissfully
trade away their time (and their life) for money.
People camp-out on sidewalks for days at Wal-Mart hoping to get a $199 HDTV.
People stand in line for hours hoping to get a free bucket of chicken.
People drive hours to save pennies.
And of course, the worst soul-sucking exchange of them all … your job.
Yes, the good old selling of Monday through Friday for the paycheck of
Saturday and Sunday. If you are working a job just to pay the bills
(and NOT investing in a business system capable of spawning both free
time and money) your return on investment (ROI) is a negative 60%.
That's right.
A big minus 60%!
In other words, you give 5 days of bondage (doing things you wouldn't
normally do) in exchange for 2 days of freedom (however you spend your
weekend.)
Give this exchange some perspective.
Suppose a friend approached you with this great new investment. You
give your friend $5 on Monday and on Friday evening, he will give you
$2 back. Again, that's a negative 60% return on investment. Great
deal? Of course not!
Then why-o-why in the world do people have no problem trading their
time at the same exact dismal rate of return when in fact, it's our
time that is the scarce resource and not money? Time is like a
primordial fuel — when it runs dry, no amount of cash can save you
from the end. And sorry, there are no fill-up stations.
One of the many facts I drive home in my book, The Millionaire
Fastlane is that you can always make more money and yet, you can't
really create more time beyond the confines of your own healthy
mortality.
However the good news is this: You can manipulate your TIME ratio
because your lifespan consists of two types of time: Indentured time
(time earning money) and free time (time spend doing whatever your
please). Since your mortality makes your total time finite, the only
option to defy time is to transfer indentured time to free time.
In other words, wouldn't it be great to have MORE FREE TIME and less
INDENTURED TIME? So when it comes to our careers, our life, and our
time, wouldn't it be wise to invest in something that had the ability
to create both MONEY and FREE TIME?
Such things exist in what I call "The Fastlane", but it doesn't come
from 40 years of mindless frugality, jobs, 401(k)s, and other
traditional guru-speak dictum. If you want to be wealthy in both free
time and money, stop being indoctrinated by the mainstream financial
gurus who treat time abundantly — a foolish lifetime trade that will
more likely make you bankrupt in time, rather than rich in money.
Because in the end when your deathbed arrives, your dying wish won't
be for more money, it will be for more time…
If you enjoyed this article, please pass it on to others.

Is Life Complicated-By William Constantine

Many people come to me and complain that life is too complicated. That
they never feel like anything is going right. That as hard as they try
to fix a situation it remains unresolved. Blah, Blah, Blah ... you
get the picture as we all have felt this way a time or two -- some
more frequent than others.

I can understand, appreciate, and even empathize where their
frustration and disappointment is coming from; yet, my answer, no
matter the excuse, seems to be -- "Get out of your own way."

Our human conditioning tells us that we need to do this, this, and
this in order to get a particular result. It also tells us that we
need this, this, and this in order to sustain a job, a house, a car,
support a family, etc.

You've probably never really noticed the dictatorship of the democracy
that we live in because it's so ingrained into our society. For
example, as a child, many of us were told you need to go to school,
get good grades, go to college, get better grades, get a degree, get a
high paying job, buy nice things, etc. Yet, I can tell you many
success stories where people went against this dictatorship mentality
and have become some of the wealthiest people in the world.

So what's the truth?

Well, honestly, the truth varies from person to person, experience to
experience; however, there are a few core factors that remain the
same.

The Universe is an ever flowing constantly expanding energy stream --
the river of creation (or as I call it the Lifestream of Consciousness
the Bloodforce of God).

Within this lifestream is never ending possibilities and constant
creation opportunities. It's like the chocolate river in Wonka's
factory -- a constant source for inspiration, intention, and creation.

Sounds good doesn't it?

What happens as physical beings is that we have become wrapped up in
our own side quests -- so to speak. You know the things society tells
us we need to live a successful, happy, healthy life. It creates the
Go, Go, Go mentality and there is never time to stop and enjoy the
beauty that surrounds you or more importantly the beauty that IS YOU.

As we strive to create the perfect life we often feel as though we are
missing something of value. Here is why ... Societies idealistic image
of a perfect life isn't necessarily a life worth living but a life
trying to make a living. So, this leaves us with the sense of feeling
incomplete because to our spirit our life hasn't taken on any real
value because we haven't seen our worth yet.

It is through our deepest and "darkest" moments of life that the
greatest blessings and treasures emerge -- if we choose to be aware of
them. We also when looking back at the scenario or experience need to
remember the blessing that happened because of the experience --
everything happens for a reason.

It is not for a rational mind to question the vastness and depths of
the Universe because in the third dimension of reality we simply
cannot fathom the reasoning but they do eventually unfold to our AH-HA
MOMENT.

Far to many people, choose to see complication rather than
opportunity. For example, in your car ride on the way to work you hit
traffic -- use this time to relax, unwind, enjoy your cup of coffee,
and be at peace with the Universe. After all, it was the universe the
created the traffic jam -- yes? So, while it may be easier to get
frustrated, angry, and downright miserable it is also easy to shift
your perception of the reality which will ultimately shift the course
of the day.

Within parenting it is easier just to do it for your child; many
parents do this instead of allowing your child to find their own
answer. In a lot of ways, this is blocking them from their divine
connection to Universal Source ... it's what blocked you.

We are far too busy being in a rush to nowhere -- we plan out the day
like a mission.

Wake up
Brew Coffee or Tea
Set out clothes
Shower
Get Dressed
Drink Coffee or Tea
Eat Breakfast
Brush Teeth, Comb Hair
Go to work
Run Errands
Come Home
Make dinner
Eat Dinner
Do Dishes
Help Children with Homework
Tuck kids in bed
Watch TV

Of course, there are things that get added into this mixture of chaos
that cause even more stress and anxiety. Then we start saying things
like "There is only one of me." Or "There are only so many hours in a
day."

This becomes the robotic nature of our human experience because we
allow it to be this way. We have been conditioned to be, think, and
act this way.

If something gets thrown in the mix -- What happens?

Anxiety, pressure, stress -- you begin to feel that lack of control --
when in truth you didn't have control in the first place.

We have a difficult time surrendering to the UNKNOWN -- it's a
variable that many choose not to take a gamble on. However, if I were
to tell you that if you were to embrace that which is UNKNOWN you
would reap high paying rewards (not necessarily monetary in nature) --
would you take the gamble? Probably not, right because you don't have
that guarantee; however, there are no guarantee's in life you hear
that over and over again.

I disagree ... I guarantee that if you do not participate and put
yourself out there you will never experience that which you want to
create. Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey -- do
you not think they stepped into the UNKNOWN ... took a chance at life?
OF COURSE THEY DID ... AND WHERE ARE THEY NOW??

Can you imagine if J.K Rowling didn't take a chance at authoring a
book -- the world would be without Harry Potter which has become
ingrained into our history as it affected men, women, and children
alike -- it is a phenomenon! It also allowed up and coming actors and
actresses to star in a leading role in a blockbuster movie.

How many of you don't do the things you enjoy because you don't think
you can afford it?

Have you ever spent money that you felt you didn't have and more money
came in? What we give to another we give to our self -- so why not be
generous??!!

If we do not participate in the exchange of energy (money, emotions,
etc.) we cannot receive them back.

Life becomes complicated when we go against the flow -- the grain of creation.