Maria Duval - Life as a Journey

Life as a Journey
Life is a journey, a journey filled with off road stumbles and on road bliss. This journey can feel like it is all uphill for those who are coping with a chronic illness, addictive disease or injury-related condition. But life is a journey. “He who chooses the beginning of a road, also chooses its destination.” -Anonymous For every journey, a roadmap is helpful in order to get to the destination timely and see all the sights and do all the activities along the way, which one has planned. Many of us travel or have traveled on our journey of life, without such a road map. We all need direction at some time, although many of us don’t typically ask for directions. But how will you know where you want to go if you do not have a goal or destination in mind? Or if one has a destination, but no road map, one may circle around endlessly, reaching the destination long overdue or even worse never at all. Everyone should have a road map for their journey of life. On this road map, it is important to establish what you really want, who you really want to be, your purpose and how you will travel. “A man without a plan for the day is lost before he starts.” -Lewis K. Bendele Learn and Seek Information Often times we need a teacher or mentor for some guidance. We all do. Those who are most successful at living the life of their dreams seek information and seek guidance. I recommend everyone do this, life is a marathon, and we are in the process of learning the entire way, we are always evolving. Please visit http://www.acquiredhope.com and http://www.inspirednhopeful.theSGRprogram.com for information, free resources and programs to help you live the life you dream. Goal Setting A journey requires goals. Think about it, what do you really want? If you do not know, how can you receive it? Once you identify what you really want, write it down and if you have it already; fantastic! If you do not have what you really want, then establish it as a goal. Choose what you really want to be your experience. Identity Statement It is really important that we establish who we really want to be. We have an opportunity to be who ever we want. We are the creators of our universe, we become what we think and focus about. So it is really important that you create and think about who you really want to be. Take a few minutes to reflect and think about whom you are today and who you want to be. If it is a match; fantastic! For many of it, it is not a match. It is important to establish objective, detailed and finite goals of what you really want. Ultimate Purpose Statement: During our journey, it is important to have an ultimate purpose. A journey is more gratifying and enjoyable, if and when there is an ultimate purpose and a direction or vision. Every business organization knows that when they establish their Mission Statement. If one wanders without direction, one can get distracted and easily led off track. Therefore, having an ultimate purpose statement to guide your journey will keep you on the safest and fastest road to your dreams. In our journey of life, we as humans have three general purposes: 1)To know true happiness and joy. This means our life’s mission is to live our lives to the fullest and to strive to reach our fullest potential. 2)To know that we are all connected, as one God force or energy source. To give back to mankind to advance life. 3)To learn how to co-create our reality with the help of the universe or Higher Power. To learn how to apply the power of positive thinking and guide our thoughts to manifest the experience that we desire. Rules of Conduct: With any journey or trip, one must have rules or conduct or laws to abide to determine how one will get there. When one is driving a car, one must follow rules of traffic in order to maintain organization, efficiency and not to do harm to others. When one is performing at the workplace, there are rules of order and discipline. The same rules apply in life. It is important to know what rules of conduct guide you and your direction. You should establish your rules of travel or your rules of conduct. When you are following your set rules, you will know you are living or being who you really are. Having Faith No one can tell you when or how or when your goals will be achieved or your journey will be complete; you must leave that up to God or the universe or Higher Power, most people believe in a Higher Power of some sort and by some name. But go into each day believing that you are on your journey of life, become who you want to be, adhere to the rules of conduct and following your road map to your destination. Live one day at a time and live each day to the absolute fullest. Be efficient and complete with your actions. Reward yourself for small accomplishments. That will not only make this process more fun, but will help to keep you positive, hopeful and continuing to practice the process that you are learning in this book. Acquiring hope and acquiring health is a process. Imagine that you are traveling from Florida to California in the darkness, you know that if you can see the 200 feet in front of your car in your headlights, you will reach your destination. Life is the same principle; it unfolds bit by bit in front of your eyes. Live each beautiful day, knowing that there are many other beautiful days coming your way. With each day unfolding step by step and mile by mile. Live in the moment, let go of the past, and don’t worry about the future. Define your destination and all the sights and experience that you wish to have along your journey and have the faith, everyday, that it will happen for you. Learn how to acquire it!

Nicole Matoushek, MPH, PT has 15 years of experience in clinical managed care and disability management. She is founder of ErgoRehabinc.com. She has authored two books "Acquired Hope: A Journey of Advanced Recovery and Empowerment" and "365 Days of Abundant Hope" both available on http://www.acquiredhope.com. She is inspired by the success and wealth creation program: http://www.inspirednhopeful.theSGRprogram.com. Nicole is passionately dedicated to helping others succeed in obtaining abundant health, wealth and a fuller life!

Break a Bad Habit and Make a New Friend: YOU
There comes a time in everyone’s life when they decide changes must be made. Usually it means breaking a bad habit built up over the years. No matter what the bad habit, the time for change has come and the need to make life changing corrections must be faced.

Making the decision to correct the bad habit is the first major step. In Alcoholics Anonymous the first step is admitting you have a problem. That step applies to everyone who has decided to make a change in their life by improving their lifestyle, self-image or health. Before one can start down the self-improvement road one must first admit what the problem is.

The next step is deciding how to make the necessary changes to break habits and improve their life. Breaking a bad habit is no easy task. Smokers are often told that being addicted to nicotine is as bad as heroin. Even knowing this, every year thousands take the steps needed to stop one of the worst habit-forming addictions our of day. They are ready to face the fact that their bad habit is hurting them and they know that their decision will lead them on a journey of self-improvement that will add years to their life.

People addicted to alcohol are another group who take the journey to self-improvement. Their journey is one that is very welcomed by friends, co-workers and family members who for years have had to endure the effects that this addiction has had on their lives. In many cases the alcoholic has the support of many to help them on their journey of self-improvement.

In recent years one of the most publicized self-improvement movements has been for weight loss. The airwaves are full of advertisements for products to help people lose weight. There are even reality TV shows portraying the struggles that overweight people go through and the self-confidence they gain as the weight drops off.

Although the challenges are great for some of these addictions, the benefits are life-changing for all. The smoker has lowered their risk of cancer; the alcoholic sees life as a sober person and regains the love and respect of family and friends. The life change that weight loss gives is by far the most dramatic. Not only do they feel better and look better; they receive constant feedback from people who can see the physical differences from their self-improvement program.

To start a self-improvement program is easy. Following through and sticking with it is the hard part. There will be times of setbacks, but it’s easy enough to pick yourself up and start again. For the smoker who lasts three months, then has a setback, knows what they did accomplish that and the next time may be able to go further. The dieter can also fall off the wagon without too much damage done before they start back on the road to break their eating habits.

It simply takes making a decision to start, making a plan to help break your bad habits and then following through. Breaking a bad habit often requires the help of a support network and many get much further when they have others to help them.

The end result is well worth the struggle. All who have habit-forming problems and who have decided to make changes in their lifestyle for the better will receive positive feedback The most important feedback they get, after their doctors, is the feedback they give themselves.

Kaled Asmri is giving away free memberships to his SHS Tips ‘private eZine’. To get your own membership, visit http://HabitMagic.com/free while free memberships last.

The Zohar
We have all heard of the term "God-Realization" and most would consider it an Eastern Concept, something sought after by Buddhists and Yogis alike, and it is, but few people realize that the Bible itself leads us to "God-Realization." To enter the Kingdom of Heaven is to realize, and have your awareness dwelling in, and with, the presence of God. Both Eastern and Western paths strive to feel the bliss of being in God's presence and envision a time where we will all live together in happiness and peace here on Earth. The Old Testament, the Torah, is written with metaphors and cryptic messages that have become clarified through the study of the Kabbalah; the primary text of which is called The Zohar, or Book of Splendor. The teachings of Kabbalah are said to trace back to Adam himself and carried on through the prophets to the present day. The first written texts, and a classic period of study of Kabbalah, began around the first century, with commentaries being added on through the ages. In this study of God and Man's nature and purpose, the Kabbalah clarifies that we are here to awaken our spiritual awareness and evolve our consciousness to full God-Realization and to bring this enlightened awareness into this world in order to invoke the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. It makes very clear that enlightenment is the very goal and purpose to our existence, and the stories in the bible contain the messages that will enlighten us as to how God thinks and what we are here to do. Even more interesting is that this information has been keep secret for thousands of years and it has only just recently been printed, unabridged, in English and made available to the public. The reason, we are told, is that we have entered the age of the Messiah and individuals are going to start enlightening in preparation for it. We have entered the age of Prophesy and unlike any other time in the history of civilization we are being given an opportunity to enlighten and, in fact, we are being called to. The first century Jewish sect called the Essenes were the only sect known to perform baptisms, as John the Baptist and Christ did, and this sect were known to have had practiced Kabbalah. Christ is inviting us to realize his Divine presence right here on Earth and we are being invited to realize that the spirit that lies within us, is us. Those who have eyes let them see. The Kingdom of Heaven lies within. Amen. PS: I have so much more I want to share, come join in during our Satsang and free guided meditations teleconferenced each month. From the heart, Steven S. Sadleir "The more open you are to receive, the more you will receive."

Steven S. Sadleir is the Director of the Self Awareness Institute and is recognized as a Shaktipat Master in two lineages. He has developed powerful distance learning programs for people of all cultures and faiths, trained thousands of people from all over the world, and welcomes all of you who are ready for full Self-Realization. Visit http://www.SelfAwareness.com for FREE guided meditation mp3s and ebook!

You Are Already Good Enough To Be Enlightened
Just as you are, right now, is good enough for you to be the enlightened one that you already are. Absolutely nothing more for you to do to get it "right." You are already "right." You are the living one itself, the beyondness itself in which all things are begotten from, sustained by, and die back into. It is the "motion of seeing" that is flowing through your very eyes right now. The moment that "you" are aligned as this "motion of aliveness" - that is you - you are no longer under the illusion that you are the person - the summation of the mind and the body that you drive around through day by day - that you think you are. You are freed immediately from being bound by an activity that was never ever true of you. You only get lost in "notyou" because you fail to realize just who you are. Once you realize just who you are is - energetically so, not as a "mantra," an ideal, a philosophy or a concept - you will never be fooled again in the same way. Many of today's teachers have come to this place where they have "experienced" a moment of who they are but they do not simply abide here. They do not lose who they think they are in the moment by moment beingness of their self, their heart. They talk all "about" what it is like to be the one that is true of everyone. They do not truly "know" who they are and they do not "draw" those who are suffering the illusion of their own creation and sustenance into the "well of being." This of course, suits their listeners as they do not want to be the big "nothing" that they are, either. "Talking school" is where they feel relatively comfortable, with the "hope" that someday they will "get there," meanwhile suffering the belief of who they think they are. The immediacy of the heart is ignored - and refused - by the very same one that thinks it is. Fascinating, this play of the world that is sustained in your own imagination, which is relinquished every night that you lay your head down on the pillow and close your eyes.

Elysha does not travel around giving talks or lectures. He has made Himself available to anyone who desires to come home to the heart, from 9:30am through to 6pm seven days a week in Patea New Zealand. http://www.elysha.org/real.html

Make use of GRATITUDE to attract what you want
For most of us, getting a full three meals a day is not a problem. Some of us can even afford to dine at expensive restaurants now and then! However, not everyone in this world can be just as lucky.

We should make gratitude our attitude in order to attract more positivity into our life. By giving thanks, we set ourselves in an upbeat mood and can therefore become more constructive in our thoughts and actions. This helps to draw our dreams, goals and success closer to us.

At the other extreme, if all we ever do is to grumble and complain, we slowly poison our own minds with negative thoughts and all we will get are more bad experiences coming our way. If we focus on the bad stuff, that becomes our perspective of life and only unpleasant things will happen to us. However, if we choose to focus only on the good, our outlook of life changes, and we will start to only see and attract the lovely side of life. Learning to show gratitude is one way to help us focus on the good.

So how do we start making gratitude part of our attitude? This is relatively easy as there are many opportunities abound. Every little thing that happens to us can be an occasion to give thanks to eg. waking up after a good night's sleep, having a sumptuous breakfast , getting a gift from a friend, a little help from a colleague etc. I'm sure a show of appreciation is always welcome and who knows these acts of kindness may be returned multiple folds in the future!

“To different minds, the same world is a hell, and a heaven.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Let's show gratitude to make this world a heaven for ourselves and others!

More tips on how you can Achieve the Breakthrough Success that you Need! My Personal Blog is at Prospecting LIFE.

Natural Ways To Keep Food Fresh Longer
If you are interested in health and diet, you have probably read all the research which points to the benefits of fresh, unprocessed foods. Eating healthier nearly always means opting for fresh fruits, whole grains and unprocessed meats and fish. Unfortunately, choosing foods without preservatives does have a down side - food spoils faster. That is no reason to go back to eating over-processed foods full of chemical preservatives, though. Long before our dependence on chemical preservatives, our mothers knew the secrets to keeping food fresh longer naturally. Here are some tips to help you keep fresh fruits, grains, vegetables, meat and fish fresh longer - the natural way.

General Tips

1. Keep your refrigerator at the right temperature. It should be kept between 38 and 40 F. to keep your foods as fresh as possible without freezing them.

2. Keep your eye on expiration dates when you shop.

3. Do not store highly perishable foods in the refrigerator or freezer door. They are more prone to temperature fluctuation.

4. Moisture promotes rotting and mold. Wipe vegetables and fruits dry before storing and avoid storing in plastic bags.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Vegetables and fruits give off a gas called ethylene as they ripen. The ethylene sets off a chain reaction that causes the release of more ethylene, causing the food to ripen further. When fruits and vegetables are exposed to ethylene, they ripen faster. Some fruits and vegetables give off more ethylene than others - and some of them are more sensitive to ethylene than others.

1. Ethylene producers include apricots, avocados, bananas, cantaloupes, honeydew melons, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, papayas, peaches, pears, plums, and tomatoes.

2. Fruits and vegetables that are sensitive to the effects of ethylene include: apples, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, eggplants, green beans, lettuces and other greens, potatoes, summer squash, and watermelons.

3. To keep fresh fruits and vegetables fresh longer, do not store any of the former group n the same drawers as those in the latter group.

4. Store fruits and vegetables in the warmest part of your fridge to preserve flavor.

5. Remove produce from plastic bags before storing. The bags trap the ethylene close to the fruit so that it ripens faster.

6.Wash produce and then dry well before storing. Moisture speeds rotting.

Meats and Eggs

1. Keep fresh meats refrigerated between 38-40 F.

2. Keep meat in original wrapping in refrigerator if you will be using it within two days.

3. Wrap meat in foil or freezer paper before freezing.

4. Make sure that there is plenty of air circulation around meat products in your refrigerator.

5. Store eggs pointed side down.

6. Wrap smoked meats like ham or bacon in a vinegar-soaked cloth.

7. Cool cooked meats quickly and completely before placing them in refrigerator.

Bread and Cereal Products

1. Store fresh bread in a cool, dark, dry place like a cupboard or breadbox.

2. Close the waxed paper inner bag of breakfast cereals tightly to preserve freshness. Better yet, transfer the cereal into a zipper lock plastic bag and put it back in the box.

3. Freeze bread that will not be used within a week. If you freeze artisan breads pre-sliced, you can just take a slice when you need it.

4. Keep soft cookies soft by storing them in a cookie jar or airtight container with a slice of bread.

5. Cut slices from loaf cakes like banana bread and pound cake from the middle instead of the end. After slicing, push the two ends together to reform the 'loaf'. You don't leave a cut end to get stale that way.

6. To keep cake moist, store it with half an apple in the container.


Dairy Products and Cheese

1. Store milk in its original container.

2. Do not store milk in the door where temperature is warmer.

3. Put milk back in refrigerator immediately after using.

4. Wrap cheese in waxed paper or plastic, then store in deli drawer.

5. Do not store ice cream in the freezer door. Keep it in the main part of the freezer.

6. Place a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper directly on the surface of the ice cream before storing. It will keep fresh longer.

Miscellaneous

1. Store coffee in an airtight, opaque container to preserver flavor and freshness.

2. Buy coffee in whole bean form and grind enough for one pot at a time.

3. If you buy more coffee than you can use in 3-4 days, store in an airtight container in the freezer/

4. Store avocadoes unbagged in the refrigerator.

5. Store bananas on the counter, unbagged.

6. Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries) should be stored in their plastic container or a resealable plastic bag in the back of the refrigerator.

7. Wrap lettuce in damp paper towels and store in a plastic bag.

Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about topics and products concerning food storage such as Green Bags.

Making It Meaningful
Do you feel a sense of absolute awe and wonder with your life? Does your life flow effortlessly with synchronicity and abundance? Do you feel you are aligned with your purpose and feel fulfilled, completely happy and at peace? If not, why not? You already know the answers lie within you. You have a sense of being guided to fulfill your life purpose don't you? Otherwise why would you be reading this? Your Spirit is guiding you to fully realize who you are and why you were born so that you can fulfill the purpose of your existence. Once you realize that there is something to be realized, your realization has begun. The fact that you are reading this indicates that you have already awakened your consciousness and are being guided. But being guided to what? Each of us is being given the opportunity to connect with the part of us that already knows why we were born by acknowledging the volition that compels you to read these words. The more you get in touch with that, the more connected your mind will be with your Self. To the degree we connect with this inner knowing, we live a life of prosperity, happiness and peace. I have observed this in literally thousands of cases over the past twenty years. Virtually everyone who learns the tools and practices them finds greater prosperity, happiness and peace. Everyone. You find meaning in life when you find your Self. Self-realization is the key. What keeps people from this enlightened state is what their mind does. The mind resists. This is the test. It resists making the commitment to the practice, it resists going beyond what is already known, it resists help, it becomes fearful, prideful, distracted. When you come to the point in the evolution of your consciousness that you make the commitment to full self-realization everything in your life shifts. The doors of opportunity open up for you. The universe supports you. The Divine enters into your life in ways that appear miraculous and your heart is filled with love, peace and joy. I see this every day, I am watching thousands of people enlighten. I am hoping that you will join us and enter into this Kingdom of Heaven that lies within. I welcome you into this present moment. Close your eyes and connect with what you are feeling. I will meet you there. From the heart, Steven

Steven S. Sadleir is the Director of the Self Awareness Institute and is recognized as a Shaktipat Master in two lineages. He has developed powerful distance learning programs for people of all cultures and faiths, trained thousands of people from all over the world, and welcomes all of you who are ready for full Self-Realization. Visit http://www.SelfAwareness.com for FREE guided meditation mp3s and ebook!

Improve Your Sales by Going outside Your Comfort Zone
Most people rather be dead than move out of their comfort zone. While there is nothing wrong with comfort zones in order to expand our cold calling skills and succeed in sales we sometimes have to move out of our comfort zone and into unfamiliar territory. The first step is to break away from old and rusty sales habits that we have build up over time Make a list of everything that you want to do or improve on in your sales career what you’d like to accomplish, the results you want to achieve and how you will go about accomplishing that. When you have determined your goals and objectives you can then take the next step in making them reality. "The reality is we need to understand that coming out of our comfort zone and feeling uncomfortable is part of the process of the first step to achieving sales success" says Claudine Waskowycz. Some sales people use the discomfort as a reason not break away from old habits. What this means is that they don’t achieve their true potential. We must learn to tolerate discomfort in order to grow in the sales industry. Don’t avoid success because you think the responsibility might be too much. She goes on to say, "change is always frightening when we first step out into the unknown, but we can only improve upon ourselves and our lives by meeting and greeting our fears head on and passing through the fear, once we have met it head on we find it isn’t so frightening after all. So do something that scares you every week." Overcoming obstacles and beating the odds. Here are some tips from Claudine in which you can step outside your comfort zone. •Don't let someone steal your dream. Dreaming about success is great, but there are millions of poor dreamers. Taking action on just one thought or dream can lead to an avalanche of sales. You MUST act on your actions. •Every sales champion has learned to not only operate out of their comfort zone, but to thrive on continually pushing their sales in directions that take them outside of their comfort zone. •Expecting no resistance. Many new sales people give up at the first sign of resistance. Sales champions expect resistance - even drive to create it. Success is achieved by breaking through pockets of resistance. •Create a mindset of a sales champion. Why? Because Ordinary wouldn’t be enough for someone who has the mindset of a champion. Champions think like champions. Champions think big. Champions work toward big goals. Champions are focused. Champions are disciplined and oozes great attitude. Think like true sales Champions and tell yourself day and night that you can and will reach your goals.

Claudine Waskowycz is a veteran telemarketing, telesales and cold calling expert, sales trainer, who worked with dozens of organisations to transform their business and sales. She is also the author of, The Cold Calling Game (soon to be released) … is Up and My Sales Conversation Guide. For more resources on improving your sales results visit http://www.cchighlights4u.com