Sunday, October 5, 2008

Maria Duval - What Attracts You

What Attracts You
Every now and then some new concept or high tech tool comes along and tantalizes the minds of the multitudes. Depending on the magnitude of impact, often what effectively results vary from great strides and changes on personal levels to global scales. When it comes to the movie The Secret and its teachings about the law of attraction , there have been many people jumping on board as if it were a new and unheard of concept.

Positive affirmations and positive thinking and even the law of attraction, is not new to us. So why have so many people jumped on the ban wagon of manifestation this time around? One key factor might be the new way of explaining the scientific aspect behind the old idea.

Relating the power of though energy to the energy vibrations of everything around us is the skeptics smelling salts for many eye opening modes of thinking. Scientific discoveries, much like law, are fixed factors that stabilize and ground possibilities into sound beliefs. Thus getting the skeptic to understand the concept becomes the only challenge. Although we are continuously learning more, science has its undeniable concrete grounding effect.

Aside from the original movies teachings, another popular scientific discovery on this subject matter comes from a Quantum Physics discovery of how electrons change their behavior in reaction to being observed. Again, the science is proven and what remains is the understanding of it in relationships to manifesting.

In addition to the science of it all, titling the movie The Secret provoked curiosity as to when, what and where was the hidden concept in the first place. In response this may have been why it turned the heads of many Holy Doctrine devotees. Many found themselves seeking truth and proof of the science in scriptures in order that they might compare the potency of The Secrets message with Bible teachings. Some spiritual leaders sought to warn people to beware of false teachings and disprove it while others looked to enhance awareness for better understanding it.

Once knowing what the law of attraction is on the level of science, relating it to Biblical doctrine is easy. It is undeniable that thought effectualness is what Jesus was teaching when he said, when praying for something behave as if you have already received it. This was also what Jesus was trying to convey when he spoke to those he healed in saying, it was because of their belief that He was able to heal them. Another interesting interlocking of the law of attraction in relation to belief and biblical teaching is when Jesus told His disciples that if only they believed, they could tell a mountain to move itself into the ocean and it would. The amazing man Jesus who walked on water spoke of how our thinking was able to do much more than we imagined. This is confirmed again in His teaching that sinning in our thoughts is the same as sinning in the flesh. As a Master of masters, many religious scholars would not deny that Jesuss words are significant evidence that Bible teachings support the law of attraction concepts.

Another interesting perspective as to The Secrets depth of success should in deed be attributed to the makers of the film themselves. Surely they believed what they wanted to teach and utilized energies of visualizations, feelings, and thoughts for the movies success to reach the multitudes in understanding, applying, and changing the world for the better. Once the idea was conceived and great thinkers put into action, manifestation of a film that illuminated harmony and clear understanding was thus inevitability born.

In order to understand why The Secret has had such a powerful impact on the minds of so many who already knew the secret, one could say it is due to powerful impacts of new science, old religion and present day applications. Apparently this combination has shaken awake the giants of incredulity and shed the blankets of the dormant believers. We have only to wait and see what dreams may come of it all.

Traveling life's journey one step at a time as I practice Law Of Attraction techniques to cause unfolding effects for self improvement. http://takingcare.ws What The Bleep'a Quantum Physics http://www.worldwidenlightenment.com/52.html

Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?
What do YOU really want in life? Or, what do YOU want out of life? The one's that don't understand the difference are what some would refer to as losers in the 'game of life'. Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

Most people don’t discover what they truly want in and out of life until it’s time to for them to die! Most would agree and say; that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

Most people spend the very best years of their lives watching television or doing things they dislike all together. An author described humanity by saying, “Most people die at twenty and are buried at eighty.” If you are one of these living zombies, most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

What do YOU really want in life? What is it that YOU will look back over and have pride in? The one's that don't understand the difference are what some would refer to as losers in the 'game of life'. Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

Some people struggle in answering such a question. When asked what they want or what their goals in life are, many are unsure and confused. They dillydally in their indecision, hardly giving any thought about what they want in life. People without definite goals are letting time pass them by and are letting their true happiness be put on hold! Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

If you are undecided about what you want out of life, do not worry; do not lose your composure. There are many ways of discovering your true purpose in life.

To discover what YOU want in life, try looking deep into your heart. Oftentimes, people are ruled by logic. People live by what they think they SHOULD be or by what OTHERS would like for them to be. This discovery process is the perfect time to listen to your own heart. What your heart desires comes from the whispers of your 'authentic' or 'Real self'. Your authentic self is the ‘real you’. The you, you may not be yet, but do not despair, you will get there if you listen to your heart and do not lose hope. If you would only understand, that God has a purpose for you to fulfill. Only YOU can do the job, are you then ready or do you need more time for indecision? The thing you enjoy the most is probably 'IT'. When time stands still and nothing else even matters, that’s how it will feel once you have found 'IT'. The one's that never experience that feeling of accomplishment are what some refer to as losers in the 'game of life'. Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

Listen to your heart to be able to hear your authentic self. What your heart says usually feels right. What your heart desires is what you usually love to do and this represents your passion. Anything done with passion is like child's play, where the task is accomplished without hesitation or effort. You pour out your very best and feel no pressure or resistance. No dead-lines or time tables! There are those who would remind you that only loser's in the game of life are rushed and running out of time! Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

You will totally enjoy doing things that are your passion. Setbacks, difficulties, and obstacles will make it more challenging for you, but should not deter you from pursuing your goals. God only allows these things to entertain you and to re-enforce what is true. Naturally, there may be barriers that may prevent you from reaching your goal, but your heart’s desire will find ways to overcome these barriers so that you may ultimately get everything you want in life and be able to laugh at the dopey obstacles you overcame.

Remember this: God supports people who are pursuing their passion and those who are pursuing their destiny. He is patient and ever watchful. He believes you will get there when the time is right. If only you had as much faith in yourself, the time would go by more quickly until the real passion in your life would boil up and introduce itself! However, if you never meet, some would say it's the way things go for losers in the 'game of life'. Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

However, this does not mean that you don’t use your head. People are born with both the mind and heart. Your duty is to live your best life and be in harmony with your mind and heart. The poet Rumi wisely said, “Live completely in the head and you cannot feel the breath and rhythm of life. Live completely in the heart and you may find yourself acting like a love-struck fool with poor judgment and discipline. It’s all a matter of fine balance - the head and heart must forge a lifetime partnership if one wants to live a beautiful life”. A life full of passion and joy is what God wants you to have! To not obtain it would be the fate of the ones who lost at the 'game of life'. Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

Listen to your instinct-It was God who put it into you for a reason. Part of human nature is the mysterious and spontaneous reaction to and about things. Often times, these are called instincts. Your ‘real self’ drives your self communication and guides you via your instincts. Instincts are those gentle nudges that urge you to act and follow a certain path. Your role then, is to listen attentively. God, and all he wants for you, is waiting just around the corner-you may be able to reach it now, if only you would try again! It is liken to the childhood game of hide-and-go-seek! If only you weren't so frazzled you would see the humor in this all! God does and he is smiling, just around the corner. There is a reason 'they' refer to all this as the 'game of life'! The one's that give up are what some would call losers in the 'game of life'! Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

Often times, we listen to what others say and allow them to run our lives. Parents often do this to their children. “We come from a family of doctors, so my son must also be a doctor.” How often do we hear this from parents who have good intentions for their children? Parents unconsciously block the true expression of their child’s real self and calling. Friends and critics will discourage you and point out the multitude of impossibilities of your dream ever coming true. Before heeding their advice, evaluate the accomplishments of the critics. Did they achieve their dreams? Do they dream big at all? When the prize is within reach, the cost becomes much less important. This will then be my mantra! God has a plan and I’m in it! Everything I do with ease, everything I enjoy, and what is at the very depths of me, is what I am to do and what God is waiting for me to understand. The one's who say 'the cost is still too high’, haven't been close enough to the prize and are destined to end up losers in the 'game of life'. Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

Remember, it is your destiny that is in line, not your friends. It doesn’t mean, though, that you will not listen to what other people say. Hear them out just the same. Why? Because it is all part of the game silly! But the final decision should be and will be, yours. Those that allow others to permanently side track them are what some would call the loser's in the game of life. Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

There is only one thing to remember: Every person, to live truly and greatly, must define how he wants to live and what his brightest aspects of life will look like. Listen to your instincts and follow your heart’s desire. You will never go wrong. God is waiting for you just around the next corner. Don’t despair while you are this close to the prize! The cost is never ‘too much’ when you are trying to attain ALL that God has waiting for you! You are a part of ‘the’ big picture and therefore you are valuable not only to you and your loved ones, but also to God and His big picture! Reach just a bit further and it is there waiting for you to grasp and control it, it is the real you, standing there just around the corner with God, and grinning ear to ear! The one's that don't put in the extra effort are the ones that lose out of all God's grace and rewards and end up as loser's in the 'game of life'. Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

Theresa Twogood is Executive Director of OLIN e-Publishing Company- http://olin.tk -Denver Colorado-USA.

Dawning of a New World
Whenever I speak with people, I find the greater majority are concerned about the state of the world today. There does seem to be a great deal of crime and confusion. What do you think? I contend that in spite of all the badness that the word is getting better. First of all, we hear about the evil goings on because the world is so much smaller. Bad things have always happened. It is that now technology brings this news to our ears. There isn’t a small town or large city, which doesn’t have its gruesome tale of some atrocity. In former times they did not necessarily reach the ears of the entire world, in fact, sometimes never reaching past the invisible walls of its own inhabitants. This article is not to elaborate on the evils in this universe. Instead, I contend that in spite of the wickedness, which has existed since the beginning of man, the world is improving. We are in the dawning of a new world, one where truth is sought like never before. It is true that men have always sought after truth. In part they have found truth. Once having found truths man wrapped it up in neat little packages with elaborates labels. We are no longer satisfied with bits and pieces of Truth. Time has come when we want real Truth, not pretty wrappings. We today want the essential reality our human soul craves. We want a truth we can use in the building of our lives. Today the world is moving forward towards an accurate adjustment of the human soul to truth. We are seeking the supreme truth that the body demands for health, the mind for development, and the inner self for peace and power. It is this drive for Purity of Truth that is bringing a new dawning. A new enlightened condition is developing as we seek and find the reality of Truth. A new day of splendid, happy and growing spiritual life is bursting over the earth. Souls are coming free. Hearts are growing in courage. We are learning to think in purer form. We see this new Dawn evidenced in the hunger for spiritual enlightenment. Self-help, motivational and inspirational information is sought after like never before. We are seeking Truth with mightiness, and producing courage and power in our lives as a result. As man continues to seek the essence of Truth it will serve to produce higher thoughts. These loftier thoughts will then contribute to greater worldwide happiness as we consciously harmonize with the true and good and beautiful. As we become more solidly founded in Truth I would look forward to evil being eradicated from our lives. Evil is a derangement in an individual’s life induced by his wrong thinking. As Truth grows more in each of us evil will in time be banished forever, along with the other fruits of erroneous thinking, such as physical diseases. May we all practice higher thoughts in our pursuit of Truth and make application of it in our lives. In this way we can make our contribution to the happy, peaceful, enlightened New World in which there will be, “…no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the old order has passed away”. Revelation 20:4

Doran Roggio, writer and entrepreneur provides resources for success in life and business at http://personalsuccess.healing-truths.com and http://self-improvement.healing-truths.com

Mirror and Matching; The Basis of Rapport and Communication Skills!
Can you remember a time when you met someone for the first time and it just seems to click? An instant bond between the two of you, an instant ‘like-ability’ or trust. You can literally FEEL, that connection! That connection is called Rapport! It is the basis and foundation for every meaningful interaction between two or more people. Rapport is about establishing an environment of trust and understanding, to respect and honor the other person’s world. This allows the person the freedom to fully express their ideas and feelings and know they’ll be respected and appreciated by you. Rapport creates the space for the person to feel listened and responded to, even when you dis-agree with what the other person says or does. Each person appreciates the other’s viewpoint and respects their model of the world. When you are in rapport with another person, you have the opportunity to enter their world and see things from their perspective, feel the way they do, get a better understanding of where they are coming from; and as a result, enhance the whole relationship. A 1970 study conducted by Dr. Ray Birdwhistle at the University of Pennsylvania concluded that 93% of our communication transpires non-verbally and unconscious. 55% of our communication is our physiology or body language, 38% is tonality or HOW we say our words, and only 7% is the content or words we choose to speak. Researchers at the Boston University Medical School studied films of people having conversations. The researchers noticed that the people talking began (unconsciously) to co-ordinate their movements (including finger movements, eye blinks and head nods.) When they were being monitored using electroencephalographs, they found some of their brain waves were spiking at the same moment also. As the conversations progressed, these people were getting into a deeper level rapport with each other, and didn’t even have a clue to what was going on, this is because we communicate our ideas and concepts at this 93% UN-conscious level, but believe the words we speak actually hold the meaning to our communication. NLP rapport skills teach us how to communicate at that unconscious level. Mirroring, matching, pacing and leading skills will enable you to become "like" the other person. Anthony Robbins stated: “People like each other when they tend to be like each other.” NLP teaches how to mirror and match that 55% physiology, 38% tonality and 7% predicates or process words. The key to establishing rapport is an ability to enter another person’s world by assuming a similar state of mind. The first thing to do is to become more like the other person by matching and mirroring the person’s behaviors -- body language, voice, words etc. Matching and mirroring is a powerful way of getting an appreciation of how the other person is seeing/experiencing the world. Some people find the idea of matching another person uncomfortable and they feel that they are trying to fool or take advantage of the other person. To overcome this uneasiness, realize that matching is a natural part of the rapport building process and that you are doing it unconsciously every day with your close family and friends. Each day gradually increase your conscious use of matching at a pace that is comfortable and ethical for you. Matching done with integrity and respect creates positive feelings and responses in you and others. Rapport is the ability to enter someone else’s world, to make him feel you understand him, and that there is a strong connection between the two of you. The purpose of the following exercises is to provide some experience with the basic processes and procedures of modeling. They primarily focus on the information gathering phase of the modeling process, and cover a range of modeling skills, including "implicit" and "explicit" modeling formats, and the use of multiple perceptual positions to gather different types and levels of information about a particular performance. Mirroring Exercise Mirroring is a method of building a strong "second position" with someone else. It is a fundamental skill for modeling another person and for developing intuitions about the person's internal experience. To get a sense of the influence and effects of mirroring, try out the following exercise. 1. Choose a partner, or person to converse with. Do not tell the person initially that you will be mirroring him or her during the conversation. 2. Enter into a conversation with the person, asking for his or her opinions about various subjects. 3. As you are conversing, begin to subtly mirror the other person's physiology (including voice tone and tempo). [Hint: This can be most easily done in the context of 'active listening'; that is, reflecting back statements the person has made, by commenting, "So what you are saying is....", and then stating your understanding of the person's opinion.] 4. When you are fully mirroring, you will be sitting in the same posture, using the same types of gestures, speaking at a similar speed and volume, and in a similar voice tone range, as the other person. If you are completely mirroring the other person, you may even be breathing at the same rate and pattern as the other. Notice how it feels when you have reached this level of deep rapport. 5. One way to test your degree of rapport is by "second guessing" the other person's opinion on a couple of subjects that you have not yet discussed. Often mirroring will give you access to information that is being unconsciously communicated and received, and you will "pick up" information about the other person without being consciously aware of how you got it. This is why mirroring is such a powerful tool for modeling. 6. To get another sense of the influence mirroring and matching has on your interaction; try out abruptly mismatching the other person, in posture, gestures, voice tone and breathing. Both you and your partner should experience quite a jolt if you do this, and feel as if your quality of rapport has changed dramatically. 7. Before concluding your conversation and letting your partner in on what you were doing, make sure you have reestablished rapport by once again physically mirroring your partner. One way to help rapport to develop is to mirror the micro-behaviors of those we wish to influence. Any observable behavior can be mirrored, for example: Body posture Spinal alignment Hand gestures Head tilt Blink rate Facial expression Energy level Breathing rate Vocal qualities (volume, tonality, rhythm) Key word phrases or predicates Anything else that you can observe… To mirror another person, merely select the behavior or quality you wish to mirror, and then do that behavior. If you choose to mirror head tilt, when the person moves their head, wait a few moments, then move yours to the same angle. The effect should be as though the other person is looking in a mirror. To mirror a person who has raised his right hand, you would raise your left hand (i.e. mirror image). To match this same person, you would raise your right-hand (doing exactly the same as the other person). Some practitioners see a time difference between mirroring and matching. For example, if someone makes hand gestures while they are speaking, you would wait until it was your turn to speak before making similar (matching) hand gestures. The fact that you've read this far means that you can see the benefits of increasing your rapport skills. Reading is sadly not enough - practice is the key to building skill, so do the exercises. When you first start the practice of mirroring, you may have to pay some conscious attention to what you're doing. After a while, however, you will start to catch yourself doing it unconsciously. This is where you really begin to build rapport elegantly! And at times when a gesture is idiosyncratic to that person or otherwise to obvious, you can do crossover matching. Meaning, if they adjust their glasses, and you don't wear any, then just move your foot. When you crossover match/mirror, you match/mirror a portion of the other person's body, with a different portion of your own body. This is best to do when you are matching someone's rate of breathing. You can use your finger to pace the rhythm of their breath. When matching or mirroring someone's voice, do that with their tonality, volume, and the rate at which they speak. And remember you don't have to do all of these things, just one or two will be enough to create rapport in most cases. Skilled communicators have a wide range of behaviors they can mirror to build rapport. You can find a way to mirror virtually anything you can observe. When this is done elegantly, it is out of consciousness for the other person. • However, a few notes of caution are appropriate: • Mirroring is not the same as mimicry. • It should be subtle and respectful. • Mirroring can lead to you sharing the other person's experience. • Avoid mirroring people who are in distress or who have severe mental issues. • Mirroring builds a deep sense of trust quickly, so use it with responsibility. Practice with friends and family members to start and begin to match different aspects of their posture, gestures, voice and words. Have fun with it and notice if they begin to respond to your matching. At work or social events, start by matching one specific behavior, and once they and you feel comfortable, begin to add on another. With people whom you already have a sense of rapport, notice how often you naturally match their posture, gestures, tone of voice or words, This is because matching and mirroring comes naturally. Your outcome then should be to create rapport with anyone at any given moment, having it become automatic whenever you wish to deepen that sense of rapport. Exercise 1 Practice mirroring the micro-behaviors of people on television (chat shows & interviews are ideal.) You may be surprised at how quickly you can become comfortable as you subtly mirror the behaviors of others. Exercise 2 Choose a safe situation to practice mirroring an element of someone else's behavior. When you have mirrored them for a while, and think you are in rapport with the person, scratch your nose. If they lift their hand to their face within the next minute or so, congratulate yourself - you have led their behavior! Exercise 3 Increase the range of behaviors that you can mirror, and introduce deliberate rapport-building into situations where it will benefit you and others. Use your common sense and choose low-risk situations to practice in.) Exercise 4 During a conversation with another person; choose one of their behaviors (e.g. breathing rate) to cross-over match with one of your behaviors (e.g. speaking rate.) Notice how quickly the sense of connection develops! Backtracking is another excellent skill to learn in order to maintain and deepen rapport. When you are in conversation with another person, whether it be business or personal, take the opportunity to recite back to the person the information you’re receiving. This lets the person know that you were listening and you understand without judgment. It also allows you a chance to ensure your understanding and/or ask for clarification. Backtracking is the thread that tightens and deepens rapport. Backtracking is repeating back the essence, not verbatim, of what the person is attempting to communicate. There will be times when you’re backtracking, and the other person will add on or correct you. Being corrected will only strengthen rapport because you’ll then backtrack again and have the person really feel you understand. There is also the possibility being corrected will cause you to lose rapport. However, losing rapport is just like losing your balance. You falter, recover, and get back into it again. When you do lose rapport you’ll find a way to regain it. There may also be times you want to be "out" of rapport with someone. For example if it isn't healthy for you to be around certain people, you are held hostage at a cocktail party or you are doing it for effect. Typically people think the way to break rapport is to be demeaning or disagree. Although that may work I recommend mismatching. This means intentionally mismatch posture, breathing, key words/gestures, and voice quality. Rely on mismatching the nonverbal communication and you will be out of rapport. For those of you who like experiments try this: Disagree strongly and maintain rapport. Or agree completely while breaking rapport. And all experimenting should be done in a non-critical environment without judgment. The key element in establishing, building, deepening and maintaining rapport is your ability to pay attention to the responses you receive. One presupposition of NLP, or assumed rules is; “Communication is the response we receive back, NOT our intention given.”

John James Santangelo C.Ht. nationally acclaimed speaker, seminar leader, and success coach has been a guiding force in empowering individuals, businesses, and corporations to excel at peak performance. Working with companies such as Learning Annex, CSUN-Northridge University, Mary Kay Inc, Well Point, Xerox, RE/MAX Realtors, the Teamsters Union, and the US Army counter-intelligence team. Whether you’re looking to fulfill short-term goals, meeting planner events, or corporate sales/communication trainings, John can help you achieve a new level of success! He is the author of Asking The Right Questions…” For more information on Successful Communication Skills, email Info@JohnSantangelo.com or www.JohnSantangelo.com

Setting Goals �" Things to Think About
We hear a lot about the steps we should take to achieve our goals, however unless we take the first steps to realistically consider who and what we are right now �" our capabilities and interests �" and think logically about what we’d like to accomplish, our chances of achieving our “goal” are slim to none. Here are a few things to think about when you’re trying to decide what you’d like to do. 1. Your goals need to be your goals Not your spouse’s or significant other’s, not your friends’, parents’, children’s, etc. - YOURS! 2. Your goals must be achievable It’s great to stretch for them, in fact it’s desirable, but you must be able to honestly picture yourself achieving them. 3. You must be willing to put forth some extra effort It’s not possible to achieve more by vegging out in front of the TV. It will take extra effort and sometimes extra money. “You can’t take a trip unless you’re willing to pay the price of the ticket.” 4. You gotta really want to do it How can you achieve something you really don’t want? If you can honestly picture yourself doing this “thing” you want to do and can approach the task of getting it done with a positive attitude, your chances for success are very good. *Success - taking the steps to do those things you want to do! 5. Be picky about who you tell We need positives and support to accomplish our goals. Share your thoughts and plans only with those who will back your efforts. 6. Achieving your goal must benefit everyone concerned Think about the end result of achieving your goal. How will others be affected? Will the overall result be positive and in everyone’s best interests? (Note: Not everyone has to like the result!) 7. Will accomplishing your goal be fun/enjoyable? There can be some hard work between “here” and “there”. If we get satisfaction from our progress and we know we’ll feel good when we reach our goal, we’ll have a much better chance of getting it done. (Why would we ever do anything to intentionally make our lives miserable?) One last thing. OK, maybe a couple of last things. The two references to imaging �" as in being able to “picture” yourself achieving your goal �" are extremely important. The picture you create is far more powerful than any words you could ever use to describe a goal. It should be an integral part of the initial thinking and planning process. Also �" spend a little time thinking about the PEMS sisters. You know what I’m talking about, right? The Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual components of our life that are a part of everything we do? Include them as partners in the planning of your new life video. You may just find that one of them will turn out to be the deciding factor in whether or not you should move into the full production process. To succeed �" just do what you love to do.

Gene Simmons, through NuPathz.com, provides an easy reading self-help blog, articles, quotations, thoughts and links along with affordable personal growth and self improvement books & materials - all designed to help folks find the road to a more enjoyable lifestyle, to pass on some of life’s “secrets for survival” in a chaotic world & offer a few smiles along the way. It's a down-to-earth, simple approach to discovering a better life. You can visit Gene at http://www.nupathz.com/

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