Her are some photos taken at 24 Fitness gym the day before I competed in the national championships in Athletic Fitness. The photos were taken by my fiance Basia.

You can click on each pic to see a larger version of it.

I’ve had my fair share of job hunting escapades and know the frustration that goes along with the search. You know what your skills are, but if you are not effectively communicating those skills through a resume, you could find yourself out of luck and out of a potentially good job.

For a brief period in my life, I worked as a headhunter. Not in the aboriginal sense  — mostly I found jobs for professional people. I specialized in placing candidates in manufacturing jobs and surprisingly, I was quite good at it, having made three placements in an unusually short period of time. I learned a lot during the little time I worked at this profession on an all-commission basis. One thing this experience taught me was that it could actually be quite useful and worthwhile to work with a professional to locate that right job for you.

If you’re a professional or if you’ve got management experience and find a need to change your job, it may be in your best interest to contact a professional placement agency to send them your past job information. Most agencies charge the clients (i.e. the hiring company) any fees that are associated in the placement. You, as a candidate, have the opportunity to discuss your qualifications and experience with an actual person, who can then assist you in creating a resume that is up to par with your actual abilities.
In the past, people would typically find jobs through classified ads, through word-of-mouth or via referrals. However, with time, we now find ourselves using the internet for our job searches. For certain industries, it’s pretty much inevitable that resumes are fielded by recruiters and headhunters. Nevertheless, we can still take a look at how headhunters may add value to our job hunt, thereby making us more keenly aware of ways to leverage their expertise to our benefit.

5 Tips on Using a Job Placement Agent (or Headhunter)

#1 Check if a headhunter can actually help you.

Headhunters generally work to place professional, managerial and skilled positions. Find out if your job search will benefit from the help of a placement agent working on your behalf.

#2 Leverage the job recruiter’s experience and network to get yourself the best placement.

In general, these recruiters (as they are quite commonly called) will help you communicate more effectively with your potential employers in areas such as salary, benefits, and relocation assistance. Because professional placement agents have dealt with many companies and candidates, they often know how to barter a better deal than you could on your own.They can be your mouthpiece who speaks on your behalf, and advisor who can also coach you on how to deal with employees and interviewers from hiring companies.

#3 Save time with your job search.

Another convenience is that you no longer have to hit the pavement looking for a prime opportunity. The headhunter will present it to you. If you’re interested, they will submit your information to their client companies and if any company finds you a good match, the process will move forward.

#4 Make yourself stand out: get yourself past first base with your job search.

Many companies don’t even hire directly anymore but rather rely on the expertise of a good headhunter. They may have a good working relationship with an agency and the only way you’ll get through the door of the company is through the placement agency. While you may not have to do as much legwork looking for a job as you would on your own, you’ll still need to impress the placement agent — not just through a well put together resume, but also through a favorable screening interview. Consider headhunters as a “dry run” for getting yourself noticed for certain job placements. Headhunters receive a ton of resumes every day so it’s important that you stand out in some way. After all, they’ll need to notice you first before they can decide if they’d like to work with you going forward. Ah, the competition!

#5 Consider the quality of the placement agency you’re working with and keep in touch!

If you’re starting to get the itch for a new job, consider researching good placement agencies. Not all of them are highly reputable so make sure you check them out carefully. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and stay on top of things as much as possible. Make sure you always keep your contact information updated because you never know when opportunity will come knocking!
Guest Posted By Tisha Kulak for THE DIGERATI LIFE
Image Credit: College Recruiter

Intra in lumea profesionistilor de top Un articol scris în exclusivitate pentru eJobs de Eduard Ezeanu din partea Career Experts
www.careerexperts.ro
www.eduardezeanu.ro

Vorbesc destul de des despre diverse strategii pentru avansarea în carieră: asumarea de noi responsabilităţi, comunicarea onestă sau obţinerea de vizibilitatea în companie. Din start, unele persoane îmi ridică obiecţii, spunându-mi ca au un manager comunist, colegi ipocriţi, sau că lucrează într-o companie de doi bani, unde aceste strategii nu funcţionează.

Nu o să-i contrazic. Pentru că deşi deseori aceste obiecţii sunt exagerate, există o parte de adevăr în ele, care face necesară o altă abordare. Care? Dacă eşti mai mult sau mai puţin în această situaţie, ai un pas foarte clar de făcut: schimb-ţi jobul!

Când vine vorba de companii, manageri şi oameni pe care îi găseşti în acestea, eu văd existenţa mai multor lumi. De pildă:
• Există o lume a patronilor pe care tot ce-i interesează este să scoată un profit cât mai mare, prin orice mijloc posibil.
• Există o lume a companiilor care încearcă să fie profesioniste şi au anumite element de profesionalism, dar au şi hibe evidente.
• Există lumea companiilor de top, care sunt bine organizate, valorizează competenţa, investesc în oamenii lor şi în general, fac lucrurile „ca la carte”.

Un lucru pe care nu prea l-am menţionat până acum este că noi în calitate de consultanţi în carieră, ne-am dezvoltat o mare parte din ideile despre dezvoltarea carierei urmărind ceea ce funcţionează în lumea companiilor de top. Pentru că ne-am imaginat că acolo vrei să faci carieră şi pentru că acolo se poate face cel mai uşor.

Aşa că dacă lucrezi într-o companie total neprofesionistă, nu te aştepta ca aceste strategii să funcţioneze la fel de bine. Pe de altă parte, dacă acesta e cazul, nu pot să nu mă întreb: ce cauţi acolo şi de ce nu te ocupi cât se poate de serios de căutarea unui alt job?

Una din sarcinile tale pentru dezvoltarea unei carierei de top este să intri în lumea companiilor şi profesioniştilor de top. Dacă eşti la începutul carierei, preferabil este să îţi faci intrarea de aici. Dacă lucrezi deja şi angajatorul tău nu este în această categorie, atunci este important să faci această tranziţie către un angajator de top.

În acest sens, am o recomandare cheie pentru tine: fă networking. Mergi la evenimente, conferinţe, cunoaşte oameni din companii de top, ţine legătura cu ei. Dacă le creezi o impresie bună ca persoană şi ca profesionist, te pot ajuta prin informaţii şi prin recomandări să accesezi un job în compania unde lucrează şi nu numai.

Prin networking eficient, poţi faci chiar trecerea directă de la un job într-o companie absolut neprofesionistă la una foarte profesionistă. Ceea ce altfel se întâmplă mult mai greu şi necesită deseori un pas intermediar, printr-o companie semi-profesionistă.

Vestea bună este că această lumea a companiilor de top există şi în România. Mai mult, ea devine din ce în ce mai mare, pe măsură ce diverse companii lucrează la a se profesionaliza. Nu te aştepta să găseşti compania perfectă. Nu există. Cunosc personal însă numeroase persoane, în România, care consideră angajatorul lor unul foarte bun şi se bucură să fie alături de compania respectivă. Este responsabilitatea ta să te asiguri că şi tu ajungi într-o astfel de companie. Succes!

Eduard Ezeanu
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Eduard Ezeanu este Career Coach pentru Career Experts, primul centru privat de consultanţă în carieră din România.

Eduard organizează pe 30 ianuarie 2010 Şcoala de Networking, seminarul la care vei face şi vei învăţa să faci eficient business networking, pentru a-ţi îmbunătăţi cariera, afacerea şi viaţa. Află mai multe informaţii pe www.eduardezeanu.ro/scoala-de-networking.

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VINO LA NETCAMP 2009! Nu rata in perioada 7 -9 decembrie, cea mai importanta intalnire a comunitatii web din Romania!

Conecteaza-te timp de 3 zile, la realitatile Internetului local si descopera in cadrul unui eveniment interactiv solutii concrete, strategii eficiente si noi abordari in dezvoltarea si promovarea afacerilor in mediul online.

4 MOTIVE SA NU RATEZI NETCAMP 2009

LAUNCH 48
Accepta provocarea, implica-te in lansarea unui proiect online in doar 48 de ore.

WORKSHOP START UP SCHOOL BCR
Invata cum sa transformi o idee intr-un proiect online fezabil.

WORKSHOP BETTER E-COMMERCE
Obtine solutii concrete pentru optimizarea afacerii tale online.

FUTURE WEB
Afla cum arata viitorul in web design & development, securitate, hosting si mobile web

Pentru mai multe detalii, viziteaza www.netcamp.ro

***

Cum sa obtii surse de candidati si relatii – internetul. Dupa cum mentionam in ultimul articol, acesta este al doilea dintr-un set de trei articole referitoare la cautarea creativa de surse de candidati si relatii. In acest articol, intentionam sa prezentam o modalitate eficienta de utilizare a internetului pe langa alte modalitati creative.

Internetul este o resursa uriasa si putin folosita de recruterii profesionisti, in special pentru cautarea atat a candidatilor pasivi cat si a celor activi. Utilizarea eficienta a internetului necesita multa disciplina pentru a acoperi toate resursele pe care le implica; in schimb, multi recruteri considera, din nefericire, ca dureaza prea mult sa utilizezi internetul ca pe un instrument eficient de cautare a candidatilor. In prima parte a acestui articol speram sa-ti aratam cum poti profita de internet timp de o ora pe zi! (Nota: inainte de a trece la “rutina de o ora pe zi” va trebui sa investesti timp in cercetare, compilare si analiza.)

Pe parcursul seminariilor noastre pe internet, in momentul in care mentionam “sub-utilizarea internetului”, multi recruiteri protesteaza spunand ca folosesc internetul de ani de zile. Experientele noastre au aratat ca desi protestele pot fi considerate valide, majoritatea autorilor lor de abia au zgariat suprafata informatiilor care le stau la dispozitie. Pentru a folosi cat mai mult informatiile disponibile pe internet, trebuie luam in considerare cele trei nivele importante pe internet.

• Nivelul intai. Acest nivel cuprinde principalele site-uri de recrutare cu “trafic intens” cum ar fi Monster.com care atrag audiente foarte mari. Majoritatea acestor site-uri sunt platite si necesita o forma de aderare. Nu sunt importante numai ca surse de aplicanti; iti ofera expunerea importanta de care compania si organizatia ta au nevoie pentru recrutare. La acest nivel intra si motoarele de cautare si grupurile de stiri. Acestea din urma sunt o sursa gratuita de a face reclama posturilor si de a cauta CV-uri, reprezentand un instrument excelent pentru cautarea candidatilor pasivi. Exista 2.500 de motoare de cautare cu o multime de CV-uri care probabil ca nu apar pe site-urile cu joburi disponibile.

• Nivelul al doilea. Acesta cuprinde celelalte site-uri nationale importante de recrutare care nu au un trafic la fel de ridicat ca cele din primul nivel. Acest nivel cuprinde si o “nisa” de site-uri de recrutare pentru cautarea abilitatilor si disciplinelor pe care le urmaresti. Acestea pot sa fie gratuite sau contra cost in functie de site.

• Nivelul al treilea cuprinde site-urile locale de recrutare care sunt in cea mai mare parte gratuite.

Intrebarea evidenta care se pune aici este “Cum poate un recruiter sa parcurga toate cele trei nivele intr-o zi in decursul unei ore?” Recrutarea de succes pe internet necesita un program planificat, disciplinat care sa fie respectat zilnic. Doar respectandu-ti mereu programul stabilit vei incepe sa culegi beneficiile recrutarii pe internet. In continuare apare exemplul unui program care-ti va permite sa petreci acea ora pe zi pe internet si sa intretii o rata inalta de succes. Acest program trebuie sa fie adaptat la nevoile tale individuale si organizationale.

• Primul pas in stabilirea programului cautarii pe internet nu se incadreaza cu siguranta in schema de o ora pe zi, dar acest efort este facut o singura data. Presupunand ca firma ta nu este inca membra a nici unuia dintre nivelele unu si doi, si presupunand ca dispui de bugetul pentru a te inscrie intr-unul dintre aceste nivele, cerceteaza si identifica unul sau mai multe site-uri cu plata care iti pot satisface cel mai bine nevoile de recrutare. Apoi realizeaza o lista de motoare de cautare, grupuri de stiri, site-uri de recrutare gratuite, site-uri “nisa” si site-uri locale de recrutare. O data ce ai realizat aceste liste, analizeaza-le aplicabilitatea si utilitatea, eliminandu-le pe cele care nu raspund nevoilor tale si alege cateva pentru a le include in programul tau zilnic. Acum iti poti organiza programul!

• In fiecare zi – cauta pe site-urile principale din nivelul unu si doi. (Nota: majoritatea acestora au agenti care vor face toata munca pentru tine.) De asemenea cauta pe grupurile de stiri pe care le-ai selectat. Acestea pot fi cercetate prin motoare de cautare cum ar fi NineMsn.

• In fiecare alta zi (ex. luni sau miercuri) – cerceteaza cateva motoare de cautare si site-uri de recrutare (generale, locale si “nisa”) pentru abilitatile de care ai nevoie.

• In fiecare alta zi (ex. marti si joi) – cauta pe alte motoare de cautare si site-uri de recrutare.

• Vineri – petrece-ti ora ramasa cautand creativ ceva nou care sa te ajute sa-ti realizezi nevoile de recrutare. Aici intra cautarea pe site-urile ISP, informatii asupra participantilor la conventii, site-uri studentesti, site-uri cu informatii despre recrutare, etc.

Cu riscul de a spune lucruri evidente, atunci cand un motor de cautare sau un site nu reuseste sa raspunda asteptarilor tale dupa mai multe cautari, renunta la el si inlocuieste-l cu un altul din lista ta. Desi metoda incercare si eroare poate fi enervanta, ramane principala metoda de identificare a site-urilor de pe internet care iti vor fi cel mai de folos.

In ultimul nostru articol am discutat despre branding-ul angajarii si importanta de a avea o pagina web puternica si creativa. Din nou, presupunand ca firma ta este membra a unuia sau mai multor site-uri importante de nivelul unu sau doi, ai grija ca anunturile tale sa fie legate prin hyperlink de pagina ta web. Astfel vei invita partile interesate sa afle mai multe despre organizatia ta si despre cum cum poate organizatia ta sa-i ajute in atingerea scopurilor lor in cariera.

Grupurile de stiri pe internet sunt pline de informatii utile in cautarea aplicantilor pasivi. Cauta pe grupurile de stiri rapoarte guvernamentale care-ti pot oferi informatii referitoare la abilitatile pe care le urmaresti. Cauta numele individului care a scris raportul si adresa sa de e-mail. Cauta in istoricul CV-urilor sau articolelor pentru a vedea unde a mai depus individul un CV sau un articol. Astfel vei putea descoperi indivizi cu interese asemanatoare, prin urmare cu abilitati asemanatoare.

Lucreaza cu angajatii tai actuali de succes care poseda abilitatile pe care le urmaresti. Utilizeaza sondajele sau conversatiile fata in fata pentru a afla care sunt preferintele lor de cautare pe internet. Apoi contacteaza aceste site-uri, grupuri de stiri, etc. si intereseaza-te cu privire la posibilitatea postarii unui hyperlink sau anunt. Astfel poti incerca sa-i indrepti pe aplicantii pasivi si activi spre pagina ta web.

Internetul ofera o bogatie de informatii si surse de recrutare. Foloseste-ti creativitatea pentru a descoperi sursele potentiale care vor aduce trafic pe pagina ta web si asigura-te ca aceasta dispune de informatiile de care au nevoie indivizii pentru a intelege cum ii poate ajuta compania ta sa-si dezvolte cariera. Succes la vanatoare!

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Convingeri false despre tine şi colegii tăi de servici de Catalin Viorel VACON
Sales Manager RRVBIUM hr

Romania se află la o răscruce. O provocare. Managerii au mai nou la indemană servicii de consultanţă in domeniul Managementului Resurselor Umane. Asta inseamnă că un manager trebuie să facă investiţii in capitalul uman. Aceasta pare a fi cea mai bună metodă de a te remarca pe piaţa concurenţială. Să ai cei mai buni oameni e cel mai de preţ avantaj. Această schimbare trebuie să aducă şi o schimbare in atitudinea angajatului faţă de colegi. De la prieteni adunate am să vă prezint cele mai auzite convingeri false despre munca in echipă şi relaţionarea dintre angajaţi.

* Colegii au datoria de a mă ajuta. Cand lucrezi intr-o echipă cauţi inţelegere. Echipa se consolidează prin incredere reciprocă. Nu-i aşa? Foarte frumos sună aceste propoziţii. Dar este oare un departament o echipă? Cate ştii despre colegii tăi: nume, stare civilă, varstă, culoare preferată, pasiunile lor? Se spune că o relaţie de prietenie se naşte cand doi oameni işi impărtăşesc o experienţă comună. Şi tu ai făcut liceul la …? Sunt informaţiile pe care le avem despre ceilalţi cele care ne unesc. Dacă intr-adevăr cauţi o inţelegere şi ajutor din partea colegilor trebuie să le oferi acelaşi lucru in schimb.

* Omul potrivit la locul potrivit. Mai nou peste tot se spune că omul alege postul nu invers. In multe organizaţii se crede despre oameni că sunt ca ingredientele unui ospăţ bogat. Ai reţeta, le alegi de la piaţă şi obţii cel mai delicios fel de mancare. După selecţia “candidatului ideal” munca de management a personalului se termină. De fapt de abia a inceput. Nu poţi să ceri unui om să obţină performanţă decat dacă i-ai asigurat un mediu sigur. Efortul de adaptare a noului angajat la organizaţie trebuie facilitat de angajaţi şi firmă.

* Responsabilitatea vine odată cu angajatul. Am intalnit oameni care priveau colegii ca pe nişte roboţi, programaţi să indeplinească o anumită sarcină la o anumită oră. Vorbind despre responsabilitate, cand un coleg nu-şi face treaba bine este vizibil, dacă o face bine atunci e normal. Responsabilitatea se invaţă. Nici un studiu nu a arătat că dacă aplici sancţiuni atunci or să dispară comportamentele neplăcute. Dar sunt studii care au arătat că in acest fel vei provoca frică şi demotivare. Cand cuiva ii este frică să nu facă greşeli e mult prea precaut. Efortul şi timpul investit intr-o sarcină creşte. Asta vrei de la colegii tăi?

* Ce cred eu cred şi alţii. In percepţia personală e cea mai intalnită eroare de atribuire. Propoziţiile simple de genul “In grădină e un caine.” integrate in imaginaţia şi experienţa personală vor da reprezentări care diferă de la persoană la persoană. Culoare cainelui, ceea ce face, dimensiunile grădinii, aspectul casei, toate diferă de la om la om. Incă mai crezi că e uşor să transmiţi un mesaj sau să-ţi delegi un coleg pentru a indeplini o sarcină? Incearcă exerciţiul acesta cu prietenii tăi. Fiecare işi face o idee despre ceea ce crezi tu. Acea idee diferă.

* A doua şansă. Asta e partea care-mi place cel mai mult? Fiecare merită a doua şansă. Nu există aşa ceva. După angajare fiecare coleg nou merită o şansă. Şansa este aceea de a-şi demonstra capacităţile, de a invăţa, a creşte. Cand cineva greşeşte şi deja lumea se uită la el ca la un intrus, inseamnă că nimeni nu i-a dat acea şansă de la bun inceput. Am citit un studiu de caz interesant intr-o carte despre un jurist care fiindcă nu a pus o virgulă intr-un contract a adus firmei pierderi in valoare de 1.000.000 de dolari. Se aştepta să fie dat afară. Şeful său l-a chemat şi inainte de a apuca să-i spună ceva, “inculpatul” i-a impărtăşit că ştie ce va urma. Va fi dat afară. Directorul ii spune că greşeala lui i-a adus o pagubă uriaşă. După ce a investit aceşti bani in formarea lui nu l-ar da pentru nimic in lume afară. Şi-a invăţat lecţia. Asta inseamnă să-i dai o şansă.

Acesta este primul articol pe această temă. El va fi revizuit in fiecare lună. Poţi contribui şi tu la conţinutul său. Cum? E simplu. Dacă te-ai intalnit cu astfel de situaţii şi/sau ai altele şi mai interesante te rog să-mi scrii un mail prin care să impărtăşeşti cu mine aceste experienţe oricand la adresa de catalin@rrvbium.ro. Experienţa ta e confidenţială. Numele tău nu o să apară nicăieri in acest articol.
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Catalin Viorel VACON este director vanzari la RRVBIUM hr, Orator si Trainer pe teme de Marketing, Mangement de Proiect si Cercetare Stintifica. Mai multe despre proiectele si serviciile RRVBIUM hr la www.rrvbium.ro.

One of my favorite aspects of traveling is the new perspectives I always fly away with.  If I’m fortunate enough to have all my lucky stars line up just right, and I get to stay for several weeks or several months at a time, hallelujah, the more I get to know the culture and all the rich gems of variation they offer.  For most of my trips, I’ve had the privilege of staying with the locals, and that has given me the chance to get a true feel of the people, environment, food, beer, surf, way of life.  It’s a much different experience from staying in hotels, which I find feel the same around the world.

Party at the fabrica with my new friends and family. Eu amo voces, estou com saudade! Italia Sorvetes, best ice cream in Brazil!

I recently returned from the longest trip of my life.. so far.  A nine week stay in a country where I was exposed to pure love, strong family, great food, ice cold beer, piranha, crocodiles, rain for days, raging rivers, lightening storms, happy tears of hello, sad tears of farewell, and let me not forget all the phenomenal surf I scored the last six of those weeks.  Ever since I was twelve years old, I can remember wanting to go to this country, something was telling me that I needed to go there some day, and last December it finally happened.  Brazil is paradise! Since that first trip I’ve been back two times with the last trip lasting nine weeks.  Those are entire blog entries on their own.  Right now I would like to share a lesson I learned after coming home.

The descent from heaven back to earth is always a tough adjustment for me, obviously, but this trip was particularly brutal, on all levels.  The lifestyle I created for myself was just magical, and the people I had the privilege of staying with were unforgettable.

The first time down to Brazil I met and fell totally in love with a beautiful soul, Mayana, which is another blog entry of it’s own, but she has a lot to do with this entry as well.  The beginning of the last trip I stayed with Mayana’s family in a city called Campo Grande, which is near the center of Brazil in Mato Grosso do Sul, for a total of 24 nights.  24 nights!!  That’s unheard of where I’m from.  I grew up hearing the phrase “company is like fish, it goes bad after 3 days”.  The Brazilians don’t think this way at all.  In her parents house lives her parents, grand parents on her mothers side, her brother and 5 year old cousin.  Now that’s what I call a family unit.  Being an only child raised by a single mother, this way of living was completely foreign to me, however, it was a life changing experience.  Not only did they live in peace, they each did their part to ensure the family’s happiness and survival.

Not once did I feel like a burden to them, in fact, they made me feel right at home.  I had my own room, plenty of space, freedom to do my own thing, great meals, and ice cold beer!  They opened their home to me, their family, their lives, their hearts.  And for this, I am truly grateful for the experience that they shared with me.  Te amo, minha nova familia!  They introduced me to many things, making sure that I got to see as much as I could while I was there.  I met the entire family and I mean the entire family, from all the grand parents, great grand parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, everybody.  And I adored each one of them.  Mayana’s parents, Regina and Rogilson, also took me to Bolivia for a weekend trip, and what a trip it was, literally and figuratively.  But again, that’s a whole other blog entry, let me get back to this one.

Rogilson & Regina- Meu sogro, minha sogra. On a dock in Bolivia.

After my time with the family was up, I said my farewells and hit the road to meet Mayana.  She lives on an island in Santa Catarina, Isla da Magia, Island of Magic.  It was my time with her that changed my life drastically.  The life we shared was so beautiful, so loving, giving, honest, open, enchanting.  It’s so breathtaking, expressing love.  It had been so long that I wasn’t aware that I was capable of it.  Not only was I capable, but this expression was at a new level, far beyond anything I had ever experienced before.  It was inspiring, thrilling, and scary all at the same time.

The last 6 weeks I was in Brazil I got to spend it in total bliss.  The lifestyle I created for myself was magnificent.  I’ll give you a run down:

• Wake up and meditate for 30-45 minutes
• Wake Mayana up so she could get ready for work
• Cook breakfast while she showered
• Have breakfast and coffee together
• Walk her down the hill, then go surf
• Surf for 2-3 hours
• Shower and make some more food
• Check emails, connect with friends and family
• Straighten the house, do the dishes
• Do some writing, create this blog
• Go to town and see some friends there, favorite spot- Cafe Cultura, great place Josh!
• Read my book while I rode the bus to the city center
• Meet Mayana when she got off work
• Go to the market and buy the food we needed for dinner and the following days lunch
• After getting back home:
• Put groceries away
• Help Mayana with her English lessons
• Practice yoga with Mayana
• Cook and eat dinner
• Watch a movie while eating the best popcorn.. EVER!
• Go to bed, looking forward to doing it all over again the next day

That was my day.  I’m sure you can understand why it was so difficult for me to leave.  So now I’m trying to integrate my life there with my life here.  To bring what I loved with me so my happiness isn’t isolated to Brazil.  It took me a month to start to feel at home again.  I haven’t been writing my blog, hanging out with friends, surfing.. nothing.

I tried to go to sleep the other night but I just lied there.. thinking.  Thinking about all the things that I didn’t have, spinning myself into a panic state.  Then, right in the center of the storm, my body jolted like I had been struck by lightening and I opened my eyes.  What was I doing?  My heart was pounding hard and fast, I was sweating, I was breathing heavy.  I have to stop this.  I have to turn things around or I could end up in that dark valley of fear without any way out.   So I woke up.  I woke up from my nightmare of self doubt and loneliness.  I stopped the tornado of thoughts and started breathing, focusing on the inhale, then the exhale, inhale, exhale.. until I felt my heart slow down.  I decided to stop focusing on what I don’t have and focus on what I do have, and figure out how to get the things that I want.  I was going to pick myself up, brush myself off, and get back to the source of my happiness.

I felt my guardian angels with me that night, and I started listening to what they were telling me.. everything will be okay, everything will be okay…  I thought about all the things that I have in my life that I’m grateful for, allowing the way they make me feel to radiate through my body.  After about 15 minutes of that I was ready to get some sleep.  If I plan on manifesting all the lovely things in my life that I’m determined to, then I need to have a shift in my energy field.  What do I think will come into my life if my field is occupied with thoughts of longing and despair?  More longing and despair.  I don’t want that.  So I will change my energy, my vibe, not my life circumstance.  I’ve realized over the years that I don’t need to change my life situation in order to be happy, just my perspective.  Happiness comes from within me, not from an outer source.

I woke up the next morning and went surfing with my cousin, Daimon, at the jetty right in front of my place.  The waves weren’t very good, but it was still one of the best session of my life.  It was a new beginning for me, and what a better way to start it off than in the womb of Mother Earth.  I had just endured an extended lull.  Experiencing loneliness, frustration, confusion, and I was ready to ride the next wave of my existence.

And here it comes…

My idea of Heaven.

“I thank God for my handicaps, for, through them, I have found myself, my work, and my God”
~Helen Keller

Helen Keller was a brilliant woman who happened to be deaf and blind. But that wasn’t always the case. She was born a beautiful, healthy baby, but later she suffered from a disease that left her without sight and without hearing. Her parents were distraught because there seemed to be no way to communicate with Helen, and as we know, if we don’t communicate with out children, they don’t learn how to live in civilization. Uncivilized was how Helen’s parents thought of her, and when they hired Annie Sullivan to come and be her “teacher,” the most they hoped for was somehow to mold her into a child who could be seen in public without embarrassment. They never hoped that she would learn to communicate and learn and thrive. But she did.

I can’t even imagine how frustrating it must have been for Helen not being able to see anything or hear anything, yet having such a marvelous mind starving for knowledge. Annie Sullivan helped Helen to communicate at first through sign language, signed into her hand, and then later through Braille. A whole universe opened up for her as she learned and grew and understood. She went on to become one of the most brilliant, inspirational women in our history.  Helen herself said that it was through her blindness and deafness that she found herself, her work, and her God. And isn’t that everything?

I grew up with parents, one an optimist and one a pessimist, so I guess that’s a fair balance, but I’m glad I’ve learned to be an optimist. I’m so thankful that I learned to be thankful in everything, in every situation. But, let’s face it: it’s easy to be thankful when things are clicking along well for us, when the living is easy, and life is full of love; however, it’s tough to be thankful when things aren’t going so well or even when things seem at their absolute darkest. I’ve been in both situations. I’ve been on the mountaintop when I just wanted to shout every minute, and I’ve been in a deep, dark place in which I wouldn’t have minded if a bus just ran over me and put me out of my misery. I was thankful for the glorious times immediately. It took some willpower and determination and some grace to be able to be thankful for the dark time, though. I had to learn to be thankful in those times.

A therapist I went to see once suggested that I do prayer walks to help overcome my depression.  On the prayer walk, I was to state all the things I was thankful for.  I didn’t have to say it out loud (for fear someone would think me loony walking along talking steadily to myself) but I had to preface every thing I was thankful for with these words:  “I am thankful for. . .”  I couldn’t stop, no matter what.  It was difficult to begin with because my whole being was focused on all the bad things, all the wrong things, all the things I was not thankful for, which is a pretty good definition of depression.  But once I got started, it got easier for a while until I thought I had run out of things to be grateful for, and then I started to notice the beautiful fall leaves, and the way a dog was sniffing delightedly at all the delicious (gross to humans) smells, and the way the wind moved the fallen leaves, and the beautiful pictures the clouds made in the sky.  I started being thankful for every single thing I saw and could think of, such as “I am thankful that my feet work, so I can take this walk.  I am thankful that I have good walking shoes.  I am thankful for the workers who made these shoes.  I am thankful for the water I have to drink when I get back home.  I am thankful for the plumber who installed the pipes in my house.  I am thankful for the builder who built my house.  I am thankful for the people who lived in my house before me and moved to another state and sold me their house.”  By the time I got home, I felt so good, better than I had felt in months.  I had gotten outside myself and had seen myself as part of a whole, wonderful world, and I was grateful for every bit of it.  To this day, every time I feel down or disappointed, I start being thankful, and it’s like taking a powerful drug that changes everything.

It takes a lot of practice to become an accomplished pianist.  It takes a lot of work to paint a beautiful painting.  Everything worth having is worth the time it takes to complete it.  Being thankful is easy when life is good and everything feels like a blessing.  But being thankful even in the hard times gets easier the more we practice it.  Being thankful always is an art.  And good art takes practice.  And it’s so worth it.

Image by Pat McDonald (off and on)

“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

A while ago I had an experience where I spoke with another person about social media, just pondering out loud what exciting things it could bring us. This actually wasn’t our topic of discussion at all, but I remember the deep synergy that build during the conversation. You know, a genuine two-way communication where you finish the other person’s sentences and she does the same with yours.

The conversation of course eventually ended, we both went our own ways and I didn’t think of the situation that much after that – mostly in a way like “Gosh, I really had a good talk with that person”.

Then afterward someone close to this person came to me and said what the other person had said about me after the conversation, how I seemed like a fella who was really into the subject I was talking about and really passionate about it. Our actual topic, why we originally began to talk, never came up.

So where am I getting with this? I’m saying: people tend to forget that showing the passion for the things they love to do is also their best self-marketing tool.

I’m not talking about something fake and acted, I’m talking something that comes from within; about a humble but crisp attitude where you talk boldly about your field of interest. This also means recognizing other people to be in the same line with you, not always with the same opinion as yours, even if they happen to be your competitors.

If you have really found your field, your main passion in life, you know it. This type of talk filled with blaze and energy comes naturally after that.

Try to remember the last time you were in a situation where someone told you something in an enthusiastic manner, what an effect did it have in you? Most likely it made you feel great and interested in the subject, even wanting to hear more, right?

Compare that great experience to a situation where you had to listen to your chemistry or history teacher [bald middle aged chap dressed in tweed or other things whose color is derived from sand] who was standing there like an amoeba and talking with monotonic voice, without any passion at all. I guess you felt like never wanting to hear more about these things in the future, right?

Which of these effects would you like to give to other people?

I remember last summer when I visited Catalonia, I happened to have the privilege of visiting a small chapel in the country side. The guide of the place came to talk about it even on a Sunday and boy, he was something else! It seemed he couldn’t hold his pants on when talking about the amazing history of the church – it was like this small chapel was something really unique in the whole wide world! He really transferred his excitement of the subject into us too.

Of course there are different types of people, some don’t show their feelings in the same magnitude, but then again we humans tend do learn, right? And would you leave something like this unused if you knew it was getting you some place else?

Leverage The Internet To Get A Job

We’ve heard about how great social networking can be to our job or career. For instance, by connecting with past colleagues and friends over the Internet, I’ve increased my chances for getting job leads which eventually led to actual job offers. I’ve been using LinkedIn as one great resource for connecting with others professionally. Facebook can potentially do the same job if you take a professional stance with your profile. Then there are many others who have immersed themselves in a creative job hunt by setting up web sites that reflect and market their accomplishments.

So yes, the Internet is a fabulous resource that you can leverage to land a new job. But there’s a flip side to this — especially when you end up sharing too much of yourself online. Here’s aninteresting article about how the online world can be hazardous to your career, plus more thoughts on this below (courtesy of our guest poster, Jacques Sprenger):

Can Online Social Networking Break Your Career?

It used to be, before the birth of the Internet, that applying for a good job only required a good, short, crisp, resume and a terse, professional, cover letter. In the past, your resume writing andjob interviewing skills plus a quick background check would be enough to get you hired. Well things have changed for the job seekers of today.

Nowadays, it’s a whole different ball game because of Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other such wonderful social networks. If you don’t believe this assertion, try to Google yourself. That’s what employers do, according to a CareerBuilder.com survey: “Employers are checking job applicants’ profiles on sites like Facebook, Brightfuse and LinkedIn.”

What are employers looking for? Incriminating information and material that job candidates probably shouldn’t be posting in his/her profile — stuff that betrays the image of the professional who fits the mold of the ideal employee. Such as Marilyn (not her real name, of course) who was filmed by a “friend” when she was lying on the sidewalk, completely drunk and minus her clothes. The “kind friend” promptly posted her visage on Facebook, complete with first and last name of the victim.

Or how about this survey that claims that “35 percent of job recruiters have dropped a job candidate because of information uncovered online”? These days, it’s not that hard to make someone look bad: if you ever become the target of someone who is tech savvy, say because of envy or rage, then watch out! It wouldn’t be too hard for the conniving perpetrator to post numerous profiles of you as someone with a past (criminal), a boozer, or any other filth they may think of. Guess what the prospective employer will think after Googling you?

Stuff To Watch Out For Online

Here’s a list of things you may want to beware of, when you set out to cultivate your online presence:

1. Watch what you say in a social network.
The troublemakers of this world have found a new way to reduce everybody else to their own mediocre level. You can sink yourself, however, by not being careful. As qouted from Regulargeek.com: “for some reason, many people have the idea that if they use a social network or other popular website they can say whatever they want.” Even a silly statement uttered as a joke can backfire on you if a potential boss fails to see the humor. Extreme case in point: a couple of miscreants thought it was funny to post their malicious antics on the web. Nothing funny about landing in jail!

2. Avoid writing about your company.

You may want to steer away from discussing your work or job on the Internet (except, maybe, if you do it anonymously in a forum like Glassdoor.com, where you can rate your job, company and salary). Complaining about your company (past or current) may have ill consequences. From Buzzle.com, here are top reasons given by employers for not hiring someone based on an Internet search:

• Lying about job qualifications (31%)
• Poor communication skills (25%)
• Links to criminal behavior (24%)
• Trash-talking previous employers (19%)
• Posting inappropriate photographs online (11%)
• Using unprofessional screen names (8%)

3. Avoid questionable associations.
In these trying times, when finding a job is so difficult, a small mistake in your past may make all the difference. Imagine using a screen name like nakedmonkey, or partygirl, or killingmachine. Speaking as someone who worked in Human Resources in the past, I would strongly hesitate hiring someone with questionable associations, especially during an employer’s market.

How To Defend Your Reputation

Okay, so you have some blots on the web that may affect your chances; so what is one to do? I heard of at least one innovative company that vows to “defend your good name on the Internet”. Companies like ReputationDefender will, for a fee of course, take care of the problem and keep monitoring your unwanted presence on the Internet until you cancel the membership. But you don’t have to go this far when you can simply take reasonable steps to keep your name clean online. It would be so much cheaper not to be caught in your underwear with a bottle of beer in each hand when a “friend” is taking pictures.

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by SILICON VALLEY BLOGGER

I read this book just couple or days ago, and still feel thrilled due to the information that I got from this book.
I can’t wait to share with you all what I got from the book.

The book called “The Three Laws Of Performance” The authors are Steve Zaffron who is CEO of Vanto Group, an organizational performance consultancy, and a board member of Landmark Education. Dave Logan, Ph.D., co-founder of the CultureSync consultancy.

The chapter that I wanna share is about How A Situation Occurs Arises in Language.
This law focuses on the importance of understanding how people communicate beyond the spoken word. Body language, facial expressions and voice inflections mean as much as words. Individuals can say one thing but transmit an entirely different message through what they leave unsaid. Dysfunction is guaranteed when groups of co-workers refuse to speak or deal honestly with each other – or management – and swallow their feelings.

Opening the lines of communication doesn’t mean spouting off and expressing every thought in your head. It means speaking frankly about your concerns and discussing issues that affect performance. Bottling up your thoughts creates disorder and leaves no space for new ways of thinking. “Clearing out the clutter” is one way to open the door to better performance. Learning to identify “rackets” is another gateway to interpreting language and improving communication. Rackets are negative behavioral patterns that typically have four components:

1. A persistent complaint – “Bob never gets his assignments completed on time.”

2. A reaction – The complainer gets exasperated at the grievance or withdraws.

3. A continual “payoff” – The complainer benefits from feeling superior.

4. An emotional cost of racket behavior – Everyone is unhappy and relationships erode in the face of criticism and contention.

People engaged in rackets pretend that everything is fine when actually they lack closeness and amaraderie. Usually, people cannot identify the payoff and cost of a racket. They sense a threat, so they try to protect their territory and maintain control.

They feel they must always be right and they avoid any steps that could shift power to others. To eliminate rackets, voice the unsaid. People must examine the past and reframe the “game” to move ahead.

Read More About The Three Laws of Performance: Rewriting the Future of Your Organization and Your Life (J-B Warren Bennis Series)

A few years ago, I had an experience that made my life flash in front of my eyes, and it changed my future forever.  Except it was no flash, it was in slow motion, a very detailed movie of my life.  It was exhilarating as well as heart breaking all at the same time.  I went from laughing to crying back to laughing and then right back to bawling, it was quite the emotional roller coaster.  I saw all my loved ones and re-experienced many great moments, saw the people that I had hurt and wished I could go back and give them a hug and apologize for how I had made them feel.

No matter how big the vessel or how difficult it may be to operate, grab it with both hands and take control. It’s bound to be a bumpy road, but one thing I’ve learned is this, I usually get car sick less if I’m driving.

I realized, that night, the only thing we take with us when we pass on is our memories.  Not our family, our wardrobe, cars, house, dog, cat, back accounts, none of it.  Just the memory of them.  I had been given a gift, the opportunity to look back on my life before it was ending.  Which gave me the chance to decide what I wanted to cultivate and what I wanted to let go of, what was helping me and what was harming me, see my good qualities and flinch at my not so good habits.

A huge chunk of that lengthy flashback was encompassed by one word.  One little word that had such a monstrous effect on everything, my health, my happiness, my life.  One miniscule word that has been the cause of countless fights, wars, it’s broken up families, has been the source of deep depressions.. Money.  I saw all the years I spent working my ass off trying to make as much money as possible, none of which I was taking with me, all the stress I put myself through over it.  That was a tough blow, the power that it had over me for so many years.  I could’ve spent that time in ways that would make me smile when I look back on them.  I had a choice to make.  How was I going to use this gift of serious epiphanic reflection?

I opted for transformation.  To take the helm and adjust my course, re-calibrate my guidance system to steer me towards more tranquil waters.  I was no longer going allow money to weigh down on my shoulders as I marched through life.  I was no longer going to allow it to stop me from doing the things that I wanted to do, no longer say “I would love to do that, if only I had the money”.  Sure, money is a part of doing almost anything in this world, but it’s not the most important part.  If I were to continue giving power to something that was so unstable, my life would always be rocky, never secure enough to flourish. I was going to use it for what it is intended, to improve my life and the lives around me.

This life reflection also gave me the chance to decide what type of movie I wanted my life story to be the next time I watched it.  I chose a movie filled with adventure and romance, family and connection, creativity and growth, travel and excitement, love and expression, friends and surf.  Yeah, that sounds good to me, that’s my style of movie.  I know it’s a lot to ask for, in one movie, but why not ask for a lot, I may just get it.

What type of movie would yours be if you were to watch it right now?

What type of movie do you want it to be?

Create your own love story.

In my “How To Quit Your Job” post I linked to an article where the author refers to some important steps on  “How to quit your job and still pay the bills.”  One of the steps is “Control And Reduce Your Expenses” and another one is “Money In The Bank”. These steps remind me of a situation I was in about 5 years ago:

About 5 years ago I started realizing that my finances were getting out of control. I was making a good living in the IT industry but I had no control over my expenses. I had only one bank account where my entire paycheck went. I never saved any money and I didn’t have a budget. Basically it was a mess. I had no control. I still did okay but for years I had a bad feeling about my situation.

Even though I spent a lot of money I always felt like I didn’t have much. Usually when my partner would ask me for money I would get angry because I really had no control.

After years of this bad feeling I finally realized I had to do something about it. For some reason i stumbled across a book called
“The Financial Peace Planner” by Dave Ramsey:

This turned out to be exactly what I needed. The book was very inspiring and the basic principles were very easy to follow. I did several things including:
- I made a budget (and followed it) and found several fixed expenses that I could cut
- I wrote down every cent I spent
- I paid off my credit card debt
- Every month I made a transfer to another account for fixed expenses
- Every month I put some money into an emergency fund

This took some effort to do but I was inspired so it was actually very easy to follow. Even though I was spending less money I felt like I had more, I was saving money and I felt great! I was in control. After some time I didn’t have to be that strict anymore but I was still in control.
I have been doing well now for the last 5 years and just for fun I will read the book again and other books on the same subject and see if I can improve.

If you feel that you have lost control of or that you need more control over your finances then I highly recommend Dave’s books. You can also get valuable information free on Dave’s web site.

Sometime back I wrote a post about BITSA and how we do ICT Literacy Drives in high schools around our university.

At Kapsabet Girls, I asked a young lady what she wanted to be wqhen she grows up. She replied:

“A pilot! Its always been my dream to walk the skies…”

She went on and on about how she’s admired the protocols and gadgets and the endless skies…all of which she had only seen on television and magazines.

I recently visited Moi International Airport in Mombasa. I was privileged to visit the control tower and the approach.  The activities at each of these departments reminded me of the little girl from Kapsabet Girls and it got me wondering: does she know how to be a pilot?

This question has bothered me for a couple of weeks now. I perceived it as a question the girl would ask:

“Excuse me, do you know how I can become a pilot?”

Each one of  us has a responsibility to ensure that the people around us have access to information and knowledge. Each one of our parents struggled to get us through school so that with the little we picked up we would make something sensible out of our lives. Our education, our access to knowledge has enabled most of us to get to where we are now…if not, we are able to plan for the future of our lives.

Give someone the same chance. Give someone access to information and knowledge. My dad always says:

“People will steal your phone, your blankets and your money…but they will never ever separate you and the knowledge you have gained”.

…I’m off to find that girl. Her future as a pilot depends on it…

“The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.” ~H.H. Dalai Lama

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.  ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.  ~Thornton Wilder

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.  ~Cicero

Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.  ~Seneca

Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.  ~Aesop

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.  ~W.T. Purkiser

“Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you’ll find that you have more of it.” ~Ralph Marston

It doesn’t really matter what method you use to access the Subconscious mind, whether you use ThetaHealing™, NLP etc, the most important thing to know is how it works. Vianna Stibal teaches that the Subconscious mind believes that every belief within it is there to serve, protect or enhance your life  in a positive way. By its way of thinking there is nothing negative in it at all. It is not until the belief is communicated at the Conscious level that we realise how negative some of our beliefs really are.

Many people will ask why can’t we just remove and resolve all negative beliefs within our Subconscious mind with one command. Well, if you believe that you can then go for it. The thing to remember is that the Subconscious mind thinks that it is helping you and has no real judgement of positive or negative. So maybe if you were to make that command then there would be no result. The negative beliefs will not be apparent until they are filtered by your Conscious mind.

People will use affirmations at the conscious level to try to initiate change in their life. Affirmations target the Conscious mind in order to ultimately access the Subconscious mind. Repetition is the key to the affirmation being successful, with the affirmation needing to be repeated up to thousands of times to get into the Subconscious mind. Below is a diagram that represents the mind (courtesy of Paul Blackburn), that shows how much of our thinking is influenced by each part of our mind. The Conscious mind is approximately 10% and the Subconscious mind is a whopping 50- 60%. That explains that despite all the positive thinking, we still do behaviours and have beliefs that are not in our higest and best. E.g. Consciously we say ” I will not eat chocolate, I will not eat chocolate…”, Subconsciously we are saying “Chocolate makes me feel better, I want some now”, and before we can catch up with what is going on, we have a piece of Chocolate in our mouth. What the…Why?? Well it is obvious, 50 -60% will beat 10% any day of the week.

But what if there was a way to get any affirmation into the Subconscious mind the first time it is said, thus giving the 10% more leverage. Well there is a way and what we are talking about is ThetaHealing™. We can download beliefs and feelings into the Subconscious mind as well as remove limiting or negative beliefs in an instant. ThetaHealing™ is such a versatile technique that can make real and lasting change in a person’s life.

In ThetaHealing™ we use a basic Kinesiology Technique called “Muscle Testing” to check whether a person has a belief within their Subconscious mind. There was a ThetaHealing™ teacher that would muscle test whether a certain belief was in fact the “bottom” belief. Unfortunately there is a real flaw in this model, and that is if you give the Subconscious mind any opportunity to escape … it will! So the answer would always be “Yes, this is the bottom belief”. They would then change the “bottom” belief but the true bottom belief would be left in place, so realistically the person did not receive a full healing.

Our mind is more powerful than most people give it credit for. How many times have you become sick just before an appointment or course that was going to change your life? That was your Subconscious mind keeping you “safe”. What about people who get laryngitis just before a big presentation. Again, the person is being kept “safe”.

Whatever we say we are, we are! Have you noticed that people who say they can’t remember people’s names, can’t. People who say that they are bad with money, are. What are you feeding your Subconscious mind? Isn’t  it time that we changed our mental nutrition.

Thanks for reading,

Love, Light, Laughter and Learning,

Pauline

ThetaHealing™ Master and ThetaHealing™ Certificate of Science

Creating this blog has confirmed many things that I believe were essential in obtaining the life I love, and this entry is yet another example.  Independence has definitely been the captain on my voyages through the rough waters of early adulthood.  I’ve come to realize that if I want to do something, no matter what it is, it’s best if I just do it, and not wait for anybody else to either help me or do it with me.

Here I stand, on my own, naked and vulnerable to the elements, with strong roots of self-reliance, limbs spread to welcome the changing seasons, ready to face the next step of my evolution.

Over the years I’ve spent way too much time waiting for others to join me in doing the things that I’ve wanted to do.  Looking back, it sounds ridiculous to say what I just said, but it was true.  It was like I needed them in order for me to get off my ass and do what I knew needed to be done in order for me to get what I wanted.  Again, sounds dumb, I know, but that’s the way it was for me, for many years.  I remember getting so enraged at a friend of mine one day, for not doing what I wanted to do and I had been waiting for him, that I actually yelled at him, calling him all sorts of names.  Then I realized that it was my dream, not his, and I went out and did it.

In hindsight, I now know that I was projecting on my poor friend, sorry homeboy, you know I love you, and I was actually yelling at myself for not doing what I had told myself I would do.  Such a peculiar thing we do, projection.  It has caused much grief in my life, breaking up relationships, putting space in between me and my loved ones, and countless numbers of feelings that I’ve hurt over the years, all because I saw in others what I didn’t like about and what I couldn’t see in myself.  But that’s a whole other blog entry on my list, let’s get back to independence.

Of course, I have needed lots of assistance on many of my journeys, coming from a very modest background and having grand aspirations.  I’ve had a tremendous amount of help along the way from some truly amazing people.  But I think it’s extremely important that I no longer rely on others in order to achieve my goals.  Not only important, but self gratifying and self empowering, setting me up for success in this life.  What a feeling, to start a project from scratch and seeing it through to the end, knowing that you did it all on your own.  We’re all very blessed for living in the time that we live in.  Everything we could ever need or want is only a click of the mouse away.

I especially like it when I need to do something I’ve never done before in order to accomplish the next step, it gives me the opportunity to learn something new.  Take this blog for example.  I’ve never done anything like it before.  That’s not entirely true, I did help out with the text on ROAD TO RED’s blog during our last stay in Portugal, which gave me at least an idea of what a blog is about, but I had never created one, from thought to concept to pictures to layout to publish, I had to learn all that.  My friend helped me, a bit, with a few of the techie things, thanks Jason Honey at Side Dish Studios, your the man!  It was still a lot of try and retry, add and delete, save and DAMN IT, I forgot to save!  Yet, tons of fun.

Now I find myself wanting to do everything I can do on my own.  If there’s a tear in my pants, I’ll stitch it, instead of taking them to the cleaners.  If my bike gets a flat tire, I’ll change it, instead of taking it to the bike shop.  If my surfboard gets a ding, I’ll patch it, instead of taking it to the surf shop.  The list goes on and on but the point is- Independence.

A seemingly endless lesson is that of practicing non-attachment.  I’ve been practicing for several years now and I still catch myself desperately holding onto “stuff” all the time.  It’s a wonderful feeling when you can let go of something and not suffer any pain over it.

I got off the plane, all hyped up to start my 3 week long surf trip, to see an odd shape in my board bag. When I opened it up this is what I saw.. sweet! The board on top was brand new, that I had made, and the board on bottom was shaped by the best, Filipe Ferreira of Ipsylon.

A lil story I’d like to share with you to convey the importance of non-attachment:

A mentor/friend of mine, Corey Allen, has been living in a retirement home for several months now after losing his house to a fire.  He’s up there in age, and suffers from a mild case of dimensia, so he has to stay in a special area of the center that has locks on the doors for fear of the occupants deciding to walk out of the front door.

First, a lil bit about Corey, he has had an amazing life and career.  Starting off as an actor in the 50’s, he worked for several years in theater, film and television with his debut film role in REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE.  Switching to the directors chair in the 60’s, he worked as creator, director and producer in MANY different TV shows and films up till the 90’s, winning EMMYS, Directors Guild awards, instructing acting classes and workshops,  as well as being presented with an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Columbia College-Hollywood for his help in shaping the minds and careers of the future directors and producers of the industry.  Including my good friend, Shaun Greenspan, who is a definite up and coming director/producer, and a fellow surfer, who I’ve had the pleasure of working with on numerous occasions, keep the dream alive brother!  Look Corey up on IMDB, his credits go for miles.

When I went to visit Corey for the first time I had come to a very humbling understanding of non-attachment.  The area of the center he was now living, was filled with people that were, for the lack of a better to say this, souls that could not let go of their bodies.  The body was no longer functioning properly, including the brain, and it was shutting down, creating many discomforts for the traveler as well as those around them.  The soul, being so attached to the form, was unable to leave this plane and move on to the next, afraid of what it is becoming, it holds on tight to what it once was.  I encountered a lady there who was living in a constant state of believing she’s in her youth and on her way to a dance, not a bad place to live but that life was long gone, and she now lived in a room that she would be locked into for the night and every night that followed until she decides to allow that dance to take place in the stars instead of in her past.  I also felt this with the formless souls that were so deeply attached, that even after the body had finally  retired, they still lingered.

One thing I know for sure, when my soul can no longer travel within this body, I would like it to continue on without this body, on a new path, experiencing new adventures.

Things come, and things go.  Everything changes.  There’s a million phrases that we’ve all heard a thousand times, but to consciously practice non-attachment involves daily dedication and a lifelong commitment.  However, the payoff is immeasurable.  And the continued practice of non-attachment has several bonus advantages, like appreciating that in which you do have, at the moment you have it, instead of after it has left your presence.  The irony is, that it’s a gift that keeps on giving as it takes things away from you.  And the larger value, the harder the lesson, the greater the reward.

After, died a virgin.

Before, freshly finished, modeled by the Caveman.

“Jauhi Orang Yang Mencoba Mengecilkan Ambisimu. Orang Kerdil Selalu Melakukannya, Tapi Orang Yang Benar-Benar Hebat Membuatmu Merasa Bahwa Kau Juga Bisa Jadi Hebat.” – Mark Twain

“Ketika Gairah Hidup Mengalir Bebas Di Dalam Diri Anda, Energi Motivasi Akan Menguat Dalam Sugesti Sukses Anda.” – Djajendra

“Tak Ada Yang Nyata, Kecuali Pikiran Kita Membuatnya Nyata.” – William Shakespeare

Kemampuan diri menyalakan api motivasi dengan kekuatan sugesti sukses akan berfungsi untuk menggerakan semangat pantang menyerah dalam diri di sepanjang masa. Setiap orang memiliki energi motivasi dan tingkat sugesti sukses dalam level yang berbeda, ada orang-orang yang sangat mudah termotivasi kepada sebuah inspirasi atau pun pada sebuah kata-kata, tapi ada juga orang-orang yang sangat sulit menerima arti motivasi, termasuk tidak mudah membangun sugesti sukses di dalam dirinya. Di sinilah peran seorang motivator sangat diperlukan, yaitu kemampuan motivator untuk melakukan pencerahan agar mampu menaikkan sugestivitas seseorang terhadap sukses. Ketika seseorang memiliki sugesti terhadap sukses, maka secara otomatis energi motivasi di dalam dirinya akan bergerak dan mendorong dirinya untuk meraih sukses tersebut. Oleh karena itu, tugas utama seorang motivator haruslah memberi pencerahan dan membangun sugesti sukses ke dalam diri audiencenya. Ingat! Kekuatan motivator ada pada kesediaan batin dan pikiran audience untuk menerima kata-kata dari si motivator. Jika para audience menganggap ucapan dan kata-kata si motivator itu sebatas teori, maka si motivator akan gagal memberi motivasi kepada audience, sebab audience tidak membuka batin dan pikiran terdalam mereka untuk mau menerima kata-kata dan ucapan motivator.

Seluruh proses memberi motivasi adalah kejadian “Self Motivation”, artinya seseorang yang diberi motivasi itu sesungguhnya adalah pribadi yang sangat berperan dalam membangun sugesti sukses di dalam dirinya.

Jika Anda pernah melihat seorang motivator melakukan motivasi dengan begitu hebatnya, sadarilah bahwa kemampuan yang luar biasa itu justru datangnya dari para audience yang bersedia dirinya dimotivasi oleh si motivator. Bila para audience sejak awal sudah menolak dan tidak suka kepada si motivator, maka si motivator akan mengalami kesulitan dalam mengembangkan teknik dan cara memotivasi yang luar biasa itu. Motivasi adalah masalah hati! Saat hati para audience tertutup oleh keyakinan lama dirinya, maka setiap kata dan ucapan si motivator akan terdengar seperti tanpa nilai dan makna.

Setiap orang dapat dimotivasi selama yang bersangkutan mau atau tidak menolak untuk dimotivasi; mau berkomunikasi dan berinteraksi dengan motivator bersama sikap baik; memiliki kemampuan untuk fokus pada setiap proses motivasi; memiliki kemampuan untuk menyimak secara mendalam setiap ucapan dan kata-kata motivator; memiliki antusiasme untuk terlibat dalam pembahasan tentang besarnya potensi diri yang harus diaktifkan melalui energi motivasi.

Para audience harus memiliki respek yang tinggi terhadap motivator, respek yang tinggi ini akan mengembangkan kemampuan audience untuk fokus kepada semua hal yang dibicarakan oleh motivator.

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“Having a strong desire with strong doubt means your desire will not be manifested.”

“Having a strong desire with just a little bit of doubt means your desire will come, though slowly.”

“Having a strong desire with no doubt means your desire will be manifested quickly.”

~ Michael Losier, Author of Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of  what you Don’t.

Who is Michael Losier?

• Originally grew up in New Brunswick, Canada
• Currently resides in Victoria, BC, Canada
• Has a background in business administration, eight years of information technology experience with the B.C. government
• Became Certified NLP (nuero-linguistic Programming) Psychological and behavioral modification technique early 90’s
• participated in “empowerment coach” training in mid-90’s
• In 1995 he was introduced to the Law of Attraction which changed his life
• In 1996 he started meeting weekly with one other LOA enthusiast, which grew into a group of 45 members
• Has seven years of experience as a trade show producer
• Sought out user-friendly ways to learn alternative subjects like Huna (Hawaiian Metaphysical System) and Feng Shui
• Has private practice as a business success coach
• Currently faculty member of Law of Attraction Training Center which trains members to become Certified Law of Attraction practitioners
• Author, lecturer and radio talk show guest

Here is a video show that includes  Michael Losier. He has some interesting ideas. I think the main point is that he is able to say things simply enough for anyone to understand.

Here it is…

Here is a video with DattatreyaSiva Baba…he has more an interesting take on attracting what you want vs. creating what you want.

Here it is…

 Books by Michael Losier:

• Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don’t
• The Law of Connection: The Science of Using NLP to Create Ideal Personal and Professional Relationships

What does this mean?

After reading Michael Losiers Book on how to Apply the law of attraction in your life, the quotes I chose to use make more sense.

In his book he very simply explains the process of utitilizing the law of attraction in your favor by following very simple steps…

1. Identify you desire

• Make lists of what you don’t want and rephrase it to what you do want. ( for example – I don’t want get hurt vs. I am safe)
• He describes the list as contrasts (don’ts) and Clarity (do’s)
• Use lists to limit contrast from your thinking
• By changing language and thinking from Don’t and Can’t to Do and Can you can reprogram your thinking and attract abundance in all areas

2. Give your desire attention

• Give your desire more attention, energy and focus by writing, thinking and talking about what you desire
• Use affirmations that include I am in the process of …(a specific desire)
• Write down and create a desire statement

3. Allow it

• Allowing is the absence of Negative vibration or doubt
• Create allowing statements to change limiting beliefs- Something like- reminding yourself you know of someone else who has achieved what you hope to achieve – who was in the same boat as you
• Celebrate when you see success, give thanks for that success
• Ask for help or information to support your desires
• Surround yourself with positive thinkers

“Having a strong desire with strong doubt means your desire will not be manifested.”

Negative thinking keeps us from making any kind of positive step toward any goal. The people who succeed at getting what they want most certainly believed it was possible and never gave up on the belief entirely. Some people would say that they had passing doubts about whether or not they would achieve their desired goal, but it usually didn’t last that long to take hold.

It is the negative thinking that gets in the way of taking the steps toward achieving goals.

“Having a strong desire with just a little bit of doubt means your desire will come, though slowly.”

I have had my share of being this kind of thinker. Since I believe anything is possible with effort I am usually falling on the side of positive thinking around achieving my desires, but there is still a part of me who doubts because of my own experience with having my enthusiastic ideas or desires get challenged with roadblocks.

The part of me that is still working through using the roadblocks as stepping sstones is still developing.

“Having a strong desire with no doubt means your desire will be manifested quickly.”

  This seems obvious for some and ludicrous for others. I think it means that no matter what happens, if you believe it is possible to achieve you will continue to take all of the steps toward that goal regardless of the obstacles which inevitably will lead to results.

 I would love to hear your input…

What Do You think it takes to manifest your desires?

Resources:

Law of Attraction by Michael Losier

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Law-of-Connection/Michael-J-Losier/e/9781600246067

http://www.lawofattractiontrainingcenter.com/bio-michael.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuro-linguistic_programming

For my first time being wasted in my whole my life was well experiencing.

To be continued.