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It’s like that old joke about how long did it take Bell to discover the light bulb. Then realizing it was Edison who did it. Though I like to think he developed it rather than discovered. He was much more methodical and had a set goal in mind.

To break a 4 minute mile, or develop a light bulb, or get all the kids off to school and still make it to work on time, all require some set goal, but also must have a certain amount of belief. There must be some belief it can be done, but also some belief that you yourself can accomplish it.

There was a famous story about a study of students from a well-known university who had been successful many years later. Apparently the common denominator was that they had all written down their goals.

It is very important to set a goal, and likely very helpful to write it down. But, how many times have you written down a goal, or thought of something that would be nice to accomplish but you never did?

Though there are many other factors involved one certainly must believe that one can achieve the goal set, and then strive diligently to do so.

There’s a great motivational poster called Believe - Marathon Runners with a quote “Believe in yourself. You must do that which you think you cannot”. -Eleanor Roosevelt

It’s a bit of an oxymoron; where you should believe you can do it, but do what you think you can’t, though I think she was trying to get across to all of us who don’t quite think big enough that you can actually do more than you might normally think possible.

So, set your sights high, keep your focus, and go for it. (Ok, lunches for the kids, keys to the car, 12 minutes to the school, 9 minutes to work. No problem)

Willie Jones

Willie is a freelance writer, researcher, floral designer, and artist. Thanks very much for reading this far. Please come and visit us at: http://www.artinspires.com

“Make sure you enroll in the free motivational poster drawing. All winners receive a free framed print.”

The purpose of life is to live a life of purpose. Those individuals who live their lives ‘on purpose’ are not prone to wondering what the meaning and purpose of their life is.

They have already decided or chosen what that is. Sometimes the choice is complex. Other times it is simple. Sometimes the choice is highly idealistic. Sometimes it is simply pragmatic. It does not matter what the choice is, except to the person who has made the choice.

By choosing a purpose to live life by, life takes on meaning and direction. That is important, critical even, to personal fulfillment and happiness.

The other matter of importance is that, in not deciding on one’s own purpose, a purpose often gets assigned to an individual by their culture, their family, their government or even, by any other individual who seeks to control others for their own purposes.

There is no one more handicapped in life than the fully functional human who lacks a purpose to live each moment. People who have a sense of purpose often seem obsessed, even fanatical, to those who do not. The reasons for their success are not understood by the purpose-less and their success is often subscribed to luck or accident. It is neither.

Living on purpose creates success.

The seven steps to successfully living a life of purpose and meaning:

1. Defining your purpose

2. Commitment to that purpose

3. Living intentionally on purpose

4. Harmonizing your thoughts, feelings, words and deeds with your purpose

5. Surrender to your purpose

6. Devotion to your purpose

7. Detachment from your purpose

Creating a life of abundant happiness and success is all about bringing congruity to your self. Form your ideals in your imagination. Visualize them in their completeness. Be passionate about them. Desire their materialization. Affirm their reality to build your belief. Be grateful for their existence. Then act as if they were already existent in the material as well as in the imaginal.

In other words, be, do and have in agreement, in accord, with your ideals and you will produce or create their manifestation. Be congruous. Act harmoniously. Have accordance with your ideals. You will be living your life ‘on purpose’. Success will naturally result.

© Leslie Fieger. All rights reserved worldwide.

Leslie is the author of The DELFIN Knowledge System Trilogy: The Initiation, The Journey and The Quest plus many more success publications. He also the co-author of The End of the World with Hugh Jeffries and Alexandra’s DragonFire with his daughter Ashley. Subscribe to his free and ad-free eZine at http://www.ProsperityParadigm.com or http://www.LeslieFieger.com.

Reprinting and republishing of this article is granted only with the above credit included. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright.

It’s a glorious October day and I am about to meet one of the best-known and highly regarded authors of today, Stephen R Covey. His huge best seller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has sold over 10 million copies in 28 languages and seventy countries making him the international authority on leadership. His other books including Principle-Centered Leadership and First Things First are two of the best-selling business books of the past decade. Among the many accolades he has received over the years, Times magazine recognized him as being one of the twenty-five most influential Americans.

Now his next literary offering is The 8th Habit released November 2004. The theme of the new habit is to find your voice and help other find theirs. I couldn’t agree more to such a powerful and happiness-educing practice!

Covey’s new book comes at a profoundly different time in history than when The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was originally published. The challenges and complexity we face in our personal lives and relationships, in our families, in our professions, and in our organizations are of a different order of magnitude. We are struggling to feel engaged, fulfilled, and passionate across all areas of our lives. Tapping into the higher reaches of human genius and motivation to find what Stephen calls our voice - requires a new mindset, a new skill-set, a new tool-set…a new habit. Covey’s The 8th Habit is the path to finding that voice and one’s passion.

“I’ve not felt such passion, such conviction or excitement since my work on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” says Stephen. “I believe the reason the response to the new ideas in The 8th Habit has been so strong is that people feel a void in their lives. This same emptiness is felt in organizations across the world, most of which struggle to achieve their top priorities. People don’t feel their unique talents are tapped or appreciated. Bottom line - there is a profound yearning in both people and organizations

to find their true “voice,” to matter, to make a difference, to find greatness.” What does Covey mean by “our voice”? Our voice is finding out who we are and what we are good at. If we know these two things we can excel in life and feel happy and fulfilled. Finding your voice is not just about your work life. It is as essential in your private life too. Imagine the difference to your relationships with your family and friends if you felt more at peace with yourself and your life. Again I agree with Stephen, and as a coach I too urge everyone to find out who they are and what they want to (not should) do with their lives and this is just as true at home as it is at work.

“People who have found their voice require no management,” says Covey. I agree. Think about a time when you were 100% engaged in something you were doing. You did not need watching over because you were thoroughly enjoying what you were doing. It felt natural, it felt right and it felt good. Covey explained that finding our voice is the key to the 21st century and I am inclined to believe him. This type of paradigm is just what we need to work from to create the fulfillment in each of the many roles we play in life as women. So how do you find your voice? Stephen advises; “Ask yourself what do I love doing, what do I do well? What needs do I serve, what does my conscience tell me? If you can answer those four, you can find your voice.” He then makes the following point; “Beware that you don’t confuse your conscience with your ego. Most of us are driven by our egos. If you use this voice, whatever you do will show no results.” His message is to ‘know thyself’. Know yourself enough to decipher between your conscience, or true inner voice, versus your ego.

Family is Stephen’s priority in life and so when you hear about his achievements and consider that he has nine children and forty-two grandchildren (with the 43rd on the way), you tend to wonder how on earth he manages. “It’s all about choice.” Stephen answers. “If you get up early and exercise and make a promise to yourself and fulfill it, then the next day you make a bigger promise and fulfill it and so on. Pretty soon you have achieved quite a bit!”

When asked how he balances such a full life Stephen quips; “Most people spend half their time doing things that are urgent but not important. The average father in the US spends no more than an hour a week with his kids who then spend on average four hours a day in front of the TV. I think this is one massive copout and one in which the fathers, and no doubt the children, will live to regret. No one on their deathbed ever wishes that they spent more time at office. I spend most of my time doing things that are important.”

Stephen ends by saying; “The habits I talk about are all principle based, I didn’t invent them and I can put them into any circumstance and situation. In a world with changes and unknowns we need these constants. Greatness comes from your moral authority and humility. Seek first to understand and then to be understood. Learn to listen more, be open and humble enough to learn what you know you need to and want to. Institutionalize these principles and take responsibility in your own circle of influence. Make a family mission statement and think through what makes life worth living for you. What is missing? Help others reach their potential greatness, not in secondary things like wealth, but with what they contribute in life. Life is short so live, love, learn and leave a legacy.”

Meeting him was an absolute pleasure and I shall remember and embrace his message in its entirety. Thank you Stephen for such a memorable experience!

Alexandra Watson has helped countless women create happy and fulfilling lives through her happiness system. She has developed a fool-proof, easy-to-follow seven step system to happiness that any woman can use and see results fast. John Gray, author of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus calls Alexandra’s book The Happiness System for Women ‘a vibrant and exciting journey to the center of your soul’. Alexandra has featured internationally on TV, radio and in many publications. She can be contacted by email on: HappinessAuthor@aol.com or visit her website at http://www.AlexandraWatson.com

Words seem inadequate to describe the beauty and abundance that
surrounds us during the month of October in New England. Its as
if Mother Nature has taken her paintbrush and with broad strokes
has set the landscape ablaze in color. There are only a few
weeks when the maple trees are at their peaks of color. We soak
this glorious time in, basking in the beauty around us. We stop
to lie down in piles of just raked leaves and breathe in the
musky smells of earth. Briefly we are absorbed into the
landscape. Our problems seem like small dramas in the grand
scheme of things.

Like the majestic maples ablaze with color, we all have the
innate ability to turn up the heat, live lives on fire and show
our true colors. Each of us carries the fire within us. Our
bodies create energy by burning the food we eat into calories
that fuel our cells which sustains our life. We must burn to
live.

Unfortunately, many of the messages we’ve been given about fire
are negative. Instead of living our lives on fire, our passion
for life gets doused with fear. We turn our backs to the fire.
We don’t tend our own fire or we are too busy tending the fires
of others. Our passion for life thenbecomes a pile of smoldering
embers that is eventually snuffed out.

To create a life on fire, you must kindle it with your focused
attention. Begin by noticing the experiences in your life that
fuel you and give you energy. Who in your life fills you with
Joy? What captures your attention? Remember, every fire needs
oxygen and energy.

Breathe deeply. Feed your life fire with the highest sources of
energy…love and compassion. Only when your life becomes a
torch can you light the way for others.

copyright, 2005 Nancy D. Bishop

Have you ever noticed as you walk along the street how grim every one looks.

Where ever you look every one is going about their business with a look of consternation on their face.

Have we forgotten that life is for living and we should make the most of every moment.

Smile and the world smiles with you is an almost forgotten sentiment in this day and age.

I have passed my sell by date and oh how fast this life has past me by, one minute you are young with all the time in the world and in a flash it is past and you wonder how it could have sped by so quickly.

Smiling won’t help you stay young but how much pleasanter life would be if people could remember how to smile.

I made the decision one day to smile at every one I passed to just to see their reaction and do you know that every ones face lit up as they smiled back and some even greeted me good morning.

All it takes is one smile and maybe others will take up this almost forgotten art.

Follow my lead and tomorrow when you go out make the decision to smile at every one you pass and see if you get the same reaction I did. before long we might all be smiling again.

In this age of high tech where we we have machines for almost every function in the home and cars to go every where we need to go there should be more time for smiling but it doesn’t seem to be the case.

All any one can think of is money, what every thing costs, how to make more money, save time to save money, not that I blame them every thing is geared towards money, everything costs money the clothes we wear the food we eat and the cost of running a car is astronomical.

Do we have anything to smile about?

Gone are the days when mom made the childrens clothes and dad worked in the garden growing vegetables, even the meals people consume are very often ready packaged from the supermarket to save time.

Are these times better than the days gone by ?

Not many people can answer that question as this is all they know but I can answer it and I say no.

I won’t call them the good old days as when we look back we always remember the good times, but the slower pace of life was definitely preferable, people had time to stop and chat and a smile was always forthcoming.

I have noticed that smilies are often in evidence on emails and when we chat on a messenger, it seems we are so attuned to the high tech world of computers that smilies are now our only real form of smiling.

Let us light up the world again with a smile, a real smile, it costs nothing, no money needed.

Sylvia White is a Home Business Mentor and webmaster of : http://www.sylviawh.co.uk http://www.woweeitsfree.com http://piggyinthemiddle.blogspot.com

“How are you Inventing Your Life Today?” - the lead story from my last issue of Power & Presence - drew comments from several readers. Most of the comments went something like: “I wish I could have the degree of control over my life that you apparently do.”

I want to say, I wish I had the degree of control over my life that it apparently looks like I have.

Earlier this summer, several of my 20-something neighbors who live in the apartments next door had a long and lively conversation in their back yard, which lies just beneath our bedroom window - wide open on this particular warmish night. The conversation included beverages of one type or another (I hazarded some guesses), the containers for which, when drained, got thrown (loudly) into a recycle container. These antics took place between 2:30 and 3:30 A.M.

I debated for a while whether I should get up, dress, go next door, and have a conversation of my own. After tossing and turning for about 15 minutes, I decided to communicate through my open window. I got up, and - I believe in a fairly centered way - called out: “Quiet, please.” They heard me, I think, since their voices quieted a bit. And while the cans continued to go into the recycles, they did so with perhaps a bit less energy.

But the damage was done, the horse out of the barn. What were my chances of getting back to sleep? I tossed and turned for another half-hour but couldn’t find my way back. I got up, walked the house, muttered oaths to myself, and finally began to notice light dawning and birds chirping around 4:45. I lay down again and dozed intermittently between 5 and 8, and eventually got out of bed to face the day, tired, depleted, and still angry.

I remembered my story about “Inventing Your Life,” and its theme about the meta-communicator being the padding between my feelings and me. There wasn’t much padding after a sleepless night. I talked to my husband. I honored my feelings. I even appreciated my neighbors’ cluelessness. I mean they’re young adults having a summer outdoor party. Okay, it IS the middle of the night, but I may have done similar stuff at that age. But in spite of my best efforts at reclaiming equanimity, I mostly gave myself a pretty hard time about the fact that I’d written that story. Here I was having FEELINGS. I can help others better manage their emotions, so why couldn’t I manage my own? Why couldn’t I make them go away?

I re-read my story. It helped. I didn’t say I wasn’t supposed to HAVE feelings, I said I was supposed to be able to be aware enough to notice them and ride their waves. I said I wanted to make behavior choices based on my better instincts instead of acting out the emotion in unconstructive ways. I guessed that I had done that with my partying neighbors. I hadn’t been mean-spirited or behaved reactively.

“Beyond That”
Then I understood that I wasn’t upset with my neighbors any more; I was mad at myself for having such strong feelings. Like somehow I was supposed to be “beyond that.” Because I teach and write about centering, I should be above these tiresome emotions.

In those moments of upset, I comprehended experientially that centering doesn’t take emotions away. On the mat of life, as in aikido, the attack will come. It may come from the outside (my noisy neighbors) or the inside (strong feelings). How will I manage the energy? Will I freeze, fight, fall over, or move in toward the energy and use it wisely? I can be centered and upset. I hope, in fact, I am centered when I’m upset. When I’m centered I will hold the emotional energy differently.

In time, as they always do, the feelings died down and transformed, much like the thunderstorm that also passed through that night. By afternoon I was on the actual aikido mat and back to feelings I enjoy having in my body. “Inventing Your Life” is pretty accurate. The option to have or not have feelings is not under my control (at least not yet). The ones I had that night and early morning were not pleasant or wanted, and I could not MAKE them go away. All I could do was sit with them, watch them move through body, mind, and spirit, talk about them to caring friends, and care for myself while I was having them.

Soon I will be laughing about that night. (I already am.)

And soon I will have a longer conversation with my neighbors - in the daylight, when we’re all centered, open to dialogue, and able to talk about how we want to live next door to one another.

Center does not equal an absence of emotion. Center equals presence with emotion. I am not a bad person because I have strong feelings. Feelings just are; they can in fact control us, or with some watching, waiting and positive intention, we can engage and direct their energy with awareness and purpose.

© 2005 Judy Ringer, Power & Presence Training

About the Author: Judy Ringer is Founder of Power & Presence Training, specializing in unique workshops on conflict, communication, and creating a more positive work environment. Judy is also a black belt in aikido, and is writing her first book on the connection between aikido, conflict, and living a more purposeful life. To sign up for more free tips and articles like these, visit http://www.JudyRinger.com

Note: You’re welcome to reprint this article as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the ‘about the author’ info at the end).

It’s four weeks away and you don’t have any plans. Many of your friends will be away or out with their significant others. You can’t believe it’s been a whole year and you are facing another dateless New Years Eve. What can you do?

If the above sounds familiar, it may be time for some quiet reflection that allows you to really think about what this holiday means to you and how you want to observe it. You may have more options available to you than you realize, especially if you feel stuck on that one idea of going out with a date and “celebrating”. If you tap into your creativity, you can design an evening that works for you and helps you to begin the New Year on the right note.

The following is a general list of possibilities that you can add to:

* Plan an evening out with friends. You can go to dinner, a movie, a club or theatre or a combination of these.

* Plan an evening in with friends. Have a pot luck meal, rent a few movies, splurge of some great desserts and just enjoy each other’s company.

* Plan an evening out alone. Go to a favorite restaurant for a quiet meal, catch a movie, go hear a band or visit your favorite pub where you may be able to connect with some people you know.

* Plan a nice evening home alone. You can either cook or order take out from your favorite restaurant, rent a favorite movie, splurge on a special dessert or all of the above. Perhaps you would rather have a light meal followed by a long soak in the tub or a few hours in your favorite cozy spot, reading a good book.

* Start a quiet celebration early on the 31st. Treat yourself to a massage, manicure, facial, work-out with a personal trainer, time in the steam room or sauna- to name a few possibilities. Then you can follow this up with one of the above for your evening. If you end up home alone, you will have had a day of pleasant self-indulgence that will leave you rested, relaxed and ready for a good night’s sleep.

If you choose a night alone on New Year’s Eve you may want to have a special plan for New Year’s Day. Some possibilities?

* Check with friends about parties that may be going on at the home of an acquaintance or hosted in a local restaurant or pub.

* If the weather is nice, consider doing something outdoors. Many areas of the country have ski areas within a two-hour drive that offer a whole range of outdoor activities. You can invite along a friend (s) or go solo, depending upon who is available. Hiking, biking, ice-skating or any snow related activities (depending upon the area you live in) are perfect at this time of year. It’s also a great way to begin the year’s resolution of getting (staying) in shape and leading a healthier lifestyle. After an outdoor workout, hot chocolate and a meal of comfort food by a warm fire really hits the spot.

* If you are not into planning/participating in something out, consider a project at home. Many of us have unfinished organizing, paperwork and decorating tasks that we would love to get handled and off our to-do lists. How great it would feel to tackle some of this and bask in that feeling of accomplishment afterwards. This does not have to be a day of drudgery. Have music or a movie playing in the background. Take time out for a nice brunch, lunch or dinner. An early dinner with a friend would be a nice way to wrap up it all up.

Whatever you decide to do with this holiday, keep in mind it’s significance of a new beginning. What a great time to start fresh and set those goals that will lead to the life changes you desire. Taking action will make a difference. The choice is up to you.
Have a restful, pleasant and productive New Year. Happy Holidays!

Toni Coleman, MSW is a licensed psychotherapist, relationship coach and founder of http://www.consum-mate.com. As a recognized expert, Toni has been quoted in many local and national publications including: The Chicago Tribune, The Orlando Sentinel, New York Daily News, Indianapolis Star and Newsweek newspapers and Family Circle, Woman’s Day, Cosmo Style, Tango, Men’s Health, Star (regularly quoted body language expert), and Nirvana magazines. She has been featured on abcnews.com; discovery.health.com; aolnews.com; MSN.com, Match.com and planetearthradio.com. Toni offers dating help and relationship advice as the weekly love and dating coach on the KTRS Radio Morning Show (St. Louis, MO) and through her syndicated column, “Dear Dating Coach.”
Her newsletter, The Art Of Intimacy, helps over fifty-five hundred subscribers with its dating and relationship advice. Toni is a member of The International Coach Federation, The International Association Of Coaches and The National Association of Social Workers.

A few years back, I had the great fortune to spend the day at the Vermont recording studio of a jazz musician named Chuck Eller. Chuck recorded my Discover Your Soul Purpose meditation CD, and offered to provide some background piano music as well.

From the beginning, I knew the meditations needed some kind of scoring, but exactly what and how eluded me. There are no entries in the phone book for “Composer - Mystical, Healing, Background Stuff”. Furthermore, I had no idea how I was going to ‘direct’ such a musician. (”More … creative. No! More … uh … uh … inspiring?”) The whole thing was loose enough to be almost frightening.

Meanwhile, the clock was ticking and the meter was running.
Enter Chuck. From the moment he sat down to play, things rolled magically. I’d say, “OK, Chuck, in this part they have to be in a wildflower field.” He’d think for a minute, and then just start playing the most quintessential wildflower music you’ve ever heard. Then I’d say, “Now this part is warmer — like The Waltons.” And suddenly we’d be rocking on the front porch with John-boy and Grandpa.

Chuck was able to play these musical inserts totally spontaneously (nothing was composed in advance.) And he ended at just the right spot almost every single time, without even knowing how long the music should be. He did this a remarkable 23 times!

The best part was listening to Chuck fool around on the piano between each recording we made, as he probed around for good musical ideas. We began to fade into the background as he went deeper and deeper into his creative trance. Almost sheepishly, he finally looked up and said, “You know, I could just do this all day.”

Working with Chuck got me thinking about how accessible his
‘creative channel’ was for him — and how many people we call geniuses share this trait, along with some other distinct qualities.
Just for fun, I thought I’d catalog some of those characteristics that belong to geniuses … qualities many of us share in varying degrees.
(By the way, these hallmarks can apply to geniuses across the board in business, science, etc.. I’m simply using artistic geniuses here to illustrate my points.)

1. The Creative Channel is on all the time. They simply have to tune in, and boom — they’re off in that wonderful, rich creative place where inspiration lives.

2. They feel things deeply … and need to express it. I notice this particularly around my friends who are actors … their emotions run so freely and powerfully, that they feel everything twice as intensely. Furthermore, they let you know it.

3. They have natural empathy. Geniuses tend to know how you’d feel at any given moment, so they have a need to give away their feelings. An interviewer once asked Broadway composer Steven Sondheim if he could write a song about anything, and he replied, no - but that he could write about anyone, as long as he knew who the character is.

4. They find beauty in unlikely places the rest of us miss. I’m thinking of the 19th century French artists Toulouse-Lautrec and Monet who found enduring beauty in common haystacks and down at the heels prostitutes. True geniuses love the bittersweet, the forgotten, the simple.

5. They’re not afraid to cry. The creative genius knows that tears are the juice of life, whether they are tears of happiness, despair or simply deep relating.

6. They’re different and often pay a price for it. Creative geniuses often have childhoods marked with ridicule or isolation. And those tough times can continue right on through adulthood, though modern times have made such non-conformity more acceptable. I’m thinking of people like Oscar Wilde, Frida Khalo, Orson Welles, Michael Jackson, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Andy Warhol.

7. They are brave. Many a genius is trained by social ostracism to be brave and strong in standing up for their work. They know their work is valid despite what the crowd says, and they stick by it steadfastly. And public opinions can sway, often long after the artist’s death. Think of Vincent Van Gogh, who only sold two paintings in his entire lifetime.

8. They are prolific. Typically, creative geniuses are always creating. It’s simply what they do. Cole Porter, for instance, wrote more than 800 songs. And he wrote them wherever he went: on luxury cruise decks, or weekend jaunts to the country. Porter, who was notoriously stoic, said he finished one of his songs while waiting for rescue, after his legs had been crushed by a horse.

9. They simply can’t do a half-baked job. Think about the artists you love … even a guy like Michelangelo. He was so committed to his work, he’d literally sleep with it. All to get to the edge of perfection.

10. They love their work deeply. Michelangelo, who never married, said: “I already have a wife who is to much for me; one who keeps me unceasingly struggling on. It is my art, and my works are my children.”

© 2006 Suzanne Falter-Barns LLC

For information on how to find the time, energy, money to live your purpose in life, check out Suzanne’s free ezine, The Joy Letter. Sign up at http://www.howmuchjoy.com/joyletter.html and receive our valuable report, 35 Guaranteed Time Savers. And get a daily blast of joyful tips from the Blast o’ Joy blog at http://selfhelpsalon.typepad.com/blast_o_joy/