Courage is often misunderstood. People think of courage only when someone has done something newsworthy-saving someone from a burning building, or snatching a child from an on-coming car. Courage is also the little things that one does in the course of reaching a goal or embarking on an adventure. It takes courage to step out of one’s comfort zone, because it is a challenge to do so.

Your courageousness helps you take risks that you might have otherwise avoided. The courageous act of taking a risk of stepping out of your comfort zone compels you to accept greater responsibility that propels you toward greater achievements. You can create a new adventure by taking on duties of significance in the workplace or taking a trip to another country. The people you meet and the circumstance you are compelled to encounter represents opportunity for new and exciting experiences. To take advantage of such experiences, you need to allow your courage to come forth.

Courageous thoughts have the power to motivate one to step out of one’s comfort zone and embrace the excitement of the unknown. More accurately, it is a fear of the unfamiliar that holds you back from your destinies. When you feel bold and daring, you will recognize opportunities you might otherwise have avoided. If you can see past the confines of your current circumstances and imagine a life that is more thrilling and stimulating you will step out of your comfort zone. When you step out of your comfort zone your new world opens itself to you, a world that has been there all along you just were not allowing yourself to partake in its splendor and enriching wonders.

Your world is the product of your courage, and using your bravery to step out of your comfort zone is the key to ensuring that the opportunities that the world holds become your oyster. When you let your courage spring forth, you will create a new world full of potential, it is waiting for you.

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, Life Coach, Hypnotherapist, Author, “101 Great Ways To Improve Your Life.” Dr. Dorothy has the unique gift of connecting people with a broad range of profound principles that resonate in the deepest part of their being. She brings awareness to concepts not typically obvious to one’s daily thoughts and feelings. http://www.drdorothy.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dorothy_M._Neddermeyer,_PhD http://EzineArticles.com/?Courage-Motivates&id=1781608

President-elect Barack Obama has made no bones about wanting to jump-start the renewable energy markets - pledging $150 billion for the development of biofuels, solar and wind power, other alternative energy sources during his first term.

But what might the new administration mean for more traditional - and more reliable -energy sources?

Oil is always the first energy source to spring to mind. But it’s hardly a solo act - coal and nuclear make up the other two-thirds of the top fuel trio. Coal delivers 50% of U.S. electricity needs, and nuclear power brings another 20% to the table.

The cold truth is that demand for energy of all types - and especially electricity - is going to keep advancing, domestically and worldwide. And developing alternatives to coal and nuclear will take time. For instance, tying wind and solar into the existing power grid will be enormously expensive and is likely to pose massive technical and engineering problems.

In fact, according to the International Energy Agency, renewable energy isn’t likely to make a meaningful dent in meeting the world’s energy needs before 2030, if then.

And regardless where the power comes from, our appetite for electricity will continue to skyrocket. Across the planet, overall electricity consumption is expected to double by 2030, increasing by 17 trillion kilowatt hours. While electricity demand will “only” increase by 50% in the U.S. market by 2030, demand will increase 400% in China and six-fold in India.

Our research indicates that President Obama will have very little flexibility in solving our short-term energy problems once he’s sworn into office next month. While he may prefer the environmentally friendly alternatives, most of those replacements are far from fully developed.

The bottom line: Obama’s apparent preference for renewable energy aside, coal and nuclear power are fully deployed, and in widespread use, meaning they’ll remain the backbone of our energy sector in the New Year - and for years to come.

Even so, it’s well worth factoring in all the possible players as we examine energy-sector outlook - and the accompanying potential profit plays - for the next 12 months.

King Coal Reigns Supreme

When it comes to future energy profits for investors, coal and nuclear will continue to be the “dream team” for years to come. Coal will provide the answer to our short-term and intermediate energy needs. It’s plentiful, it’s cheaper than other available alternatives, and a big percentage of the world’s power plants burn it.

Nuclear power offers a long-term solution to energy shortages and a clean solution to global warming, as well. Uranium-fueled nuclear plants are cheap to operate, can run for long periods without refueling, and cause little pollution.

While there is widespread distaste for coal-fired power plants that spew billions of tons of carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the air, there’s no doubt coal will continue to be the dominant player in the electricity game for some time to come.

A full 50% of the electricity U.S. consumers use is generated by coal, and coal is king in the rest of the world, as well. According to the IEA, coal accounted for 42% of all worldwide electricity consumption in 2005. But get this - the agency predicts coal use will explode by 73% over the next 20 years. That’s the largest projected percentage increase of all energy sources. As you might suspect, China and India use 45% of world’s coal and will be responsible for 80% of that increase. China, alone, uses more coal than the United States, Japan and Europe combined. China is utterly dependent on coal to run its factories and assembly plants, with coal supplying 80% of its electricity. The Red Dragon also is the world’s top producer of steel, a process that’s also a big burner of coal.

But while China is coal’s largest consumer and producer, the United States controls 27% of the world’s proven reserves, the biggest-single percentage on the planet. That puts this country front and center on the worldwide coal stage, and President-elect Obama’s energy policy in the spotlight.

The president plays a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s energy policy, naming top officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Obama has proposed an economy-wide cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. His system - which would set an overall emissions limit, then require polluters to buy allowances at public auction - would increase electricity rates and discourage coal consumption in the U.S. market. President-elect Obama even has stated that any utilities building coal-fired plants could go bankrupt buying pollution allowances.

And on Capitol Hill, newly emboldened Democrats recently tackled global warming and other environmental problems by choosing Sen. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., to head the House of Representative’s Energy and Commerce panel. Waxman has already signed onto legislation that would ban any new coal-fired power plants that aren’t built using new technologies that capture carbon dioxide and store it underground, a key part of the Obama energy plan.

Luke Popovich, a spokesman for the National Mining Association, said he believes Obama will be pragmatic about the need to keep coal in the nation’s energy mix.

“He presumably would be sensitive to the impacts of energy policies given the perilous state of the economy,” Popovich said.

But while U.S. utilities may eventually be forced to tighten emissions rules and increase rates, Obama’s renewable energy plans will have very little impact on U.S. coal producers in the near future.

The world needs coal. We have it. And we’re going to sell it.

In the first half of 2008, U.S. coal exports increased by 13 million short tons, or 50%, over first-half 2007 shipments, according to the IEA. Strong global demand for coal, combined with supply disruptions in several key coal exporting countries (Australia, South Africa and China), were the primary factors behind the increase.

But lately, coal prices, along with the prices of other fossil fuels, have suffered from the global economic crisis, and from a resurgent U.S. dollar. An 80% decline in global shipping rates has also fostered competition from other exporters, like Australia, which can now ship farther and compete with U.S. exporters.

As a result, the price of Appalachian Coal on the New York Mercantile Exchange (CME) has fallen to less than $80 a ton from $143 in July.

This will have a negative impact on coal producers until the world economy is able to gather itself back up and build up a new head of steam.

But don’t expect the slump to last long. China’s economy is getting a shot in the arm from a gigantic $586 billion stimulus package, cementing growth expectations for 2009. Expect U.S.exports to accelerate when that kicks in, probably in the second half of 2009.

Since the stock market usually leads economic indicators by six-to-nine months, right now is a good time to be looking at candidates for your investing dollar. But you should be cautious about pulling the trigger. Watch construction activity in China - especially steel demand in the late spring - for the first signs of a rebound in coal prices.

When you think things are ready to take off, Peabody Energy Corp. (BTU) and Arch Coal Inc. (ACI) - the largest U.S. producers - are worth a look. For those who like to play a basket of shares, the Market Vectors Coal exchange traded fund (KOL), or ETF, provides the desired diversification. All three securities are trading at discounts of at least 80% from their July highs, and currently trade at bargain basement multiples.

If you want a coal play that bets directly on China, Money Morning Investment Director Keith Fitz-Gerald likes Yanzhou Coal Mining Co. Ltd. (ADR: YZC), one of China’s biggest coal suppliers. It produces lots of high-grade, low-sulfur coal, which burns cleaner and therefore fetches a premium price. The company boasts profit margins of 22%, when the industry averages half that. The company profits are up a blistering 364% in the year’s first three quarters, compared with a year ago. The stock trades at only three times earnings and has a dividend yield of 4.3%.

Nuclear Power: It Struggles in the U.S., but Thrives Abroad

Nuclear power is attractive to the energy industry because it produces electricity on a predictable, 24-hour basis - earning it the industry sobriquet of “base load” power. Coal and hydroelectric plants are the only other power sources that also rate that label. Such alternatives as wind, solar or biofuels do not.

During its term, the Bush administration tried to spark a “renaissance” in the construction of nuclear power plants. And during his presidential campaign, Sen. John McCain stood firmly behind the industry’s hopes of building 45 new reactors by 2030.

Interest in new types of reactors seemed to hint at least at the beginnings of a new start. But President-elect Obama has been lukewarm on nuclear. He acknowledges that nuclear is one of several viable components of the nation’s energy portfolio - the current 104-plant fleet provides 20% of America’s electricity - but has questioned its safety while emphasizing a need to diversify the nation’s energy mix with more wind, solar and other renewable sources.

“That’s sort of like my wife saying she’d support divorce under certain situations,” says William Kovacs, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s vice president of environment, technology, and public affairs.

In fact, the Barack Obama/Joe Biden New Energy for America Plan, while recognizing that nukes provide 70% of our non-carbon-generated electricity, says that “before an expansion of nuclear power is considered, key issues must be addressed including: security of nuclear fuel and waste, waste storage and proliferation.” It goes on to say that the team of President-elect Obama and incoming Vice President Joe Biden “do not believe that Yucca Mountain is a suitable site as a long-term repository for spent nuclear designed for long-term storage. In any case, the earliest the storage site could open would be 2017, and that was before Republicans lost control of the Senate.

With Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., firmly opposed to nuclear waste storage in his home state - and with the Obama administration ready to hold the industry’s feet to the regulatory fire - any plans to expand the nuclear industry in the United States now face a high hurdle.

But nuclear proponents are hardly impotent. The Nuclear Energy Institute, the industry’s most powerful lobbying group, helped craft the Energy Policy Act of 2005 with more than $12 billion in subsidies for nukes.

Maintaining nuclear energy’s current 20% share of generation would require building three reactors every two years starting in 2016, based on U.S. Department of Energy forecasts. Right now, some 17 companies and consortia are pursuing licenses for more than 30 nuclear power plants with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

But the last operating license for a nuclear plant in the United States was issued in 1978, and the approval process takes a minimum of 24 months after site approval, which can take years. Expect lots of public comment and infighting in Washington, as applications wind their way through the approval process at the NRC.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world is racing ahead with plans to up the ante in the nuclear power game. There are currently 440 nuclear reactors in 31 countries that generate about 16% of the world’s electricity.

Uranium-fueled nuclear energy is rapidly gaining global acceptance as a clean, reliable alternative to such dirty-burning fossil fuels as coal and oil. In a twin bid to combat global warming and keep up with soaring demand for electricity, countries are rushing to build nuclear power plants. Under current projections, 630 reactors will be operating in 55 countries by 2030.

It’s the new technologies those reactors are designed around that are aimed at allaying the public’s perception about the safety of nuclear power. Toshiba Plant & System Services, which has built 112 plants in the past 12 years (more than any other company), is working on a “mininuke,” according to Forbes magazine. Called the “4S” (short for Super-Safe, Small and Simple), it uses a bath of molten sodium to produce steam twice as hot as steam from water-cooled reactors. The 4S can crank out as much as 50 megawatts of power, easily enough to fire up a small factory, or to service an entire town that’s located off the main power grid.

On top of that, the mininuke can go 30 years without refueling, as opposed to typical reactors, which must be fed every 18 months. And the 4S will be safer, because the reactor core is deep underground, well protected against a terrorist attack or earthquakes.

About the Author
Don Miller is a Contributing Writer at Money Morning

As energy prices skyrocket, so does inflation. Our personal budgets, as well as our national economy, are shriveling up. While all Americans feel the pain of higher fuel prices, and most understand the correlation between energy prices and the inflation that’s eroding their buying power and chipping away at their standard of living, not nearly as many recognize the potential impact of energy dependence on national security. Much of the world’s oil is controlled by forces that are hostile to us. Our precarious energy position makes us very vulnerable.

We need to produce more energy at home. There are two reasons we aren’t doing that today. The first reason is the cost of R&D. The U.S. has a lot of shale oil, but it’s expensive to extract. However, with the prices of oil on the global market today, it’s getting to the point where the return will justify the investment. The other reason we aren’t producing more energy is counterproductive regulations and endless litigation brought about by environmental groups.

There may be enormous reserves of oil in ANWR, but we need to do exploratory drilling to find out where they are and assess how much oil there is. Environmentalists have stymied any attempt to do that, because it might disturb the polar bears. Other countries are taking full advantage of off-shore drilling but our government won’t permit that, because it might disturb the rich and powerful environmental lobbies that help our legislators get reelected.

The environmentalists claim they oppose drilling for oil because they favor alternative energy sources that are cleaner and safer for the environment. But it turns out that the greatest opposition to alternative energy production comes from environmental groups!

Wind power is about as clean as you can get. Environmentalists used to promote it but, once massive wind farms became a reality, environmentalist groups all over the country sprang up with injunctions and litigation to shut them down because of their impact on birds, bats, and even ground squirrels.

Hydroelectric power is another source of clean energy that environmentalists used to tout. But now they want to blow up dams, and have successfully lobbied and litigated to have dams removed, at tremendous taxpayer expense, because of their impact on fish habitats.

Natural gas burns cleaner, with lower emissions than petroleum products, and even the Sierra Club initially came out in favor of it. Yet, all over the country, wherever drilling for natural gas is undertaken, or a natural gas pipeline is proposed to be built, environmentalists rear up in litigation because of speculation about the potential harmful consequences of potential leaks.

Geothermal power is an interesting concept, because it’s clean and safe and permanent. It doesn’t vary with the weather, and it can never be depleted. Yet, the Sierra Club’s Juniper Group is litigating to prevent an exploratory project for development of a geothermal plant on a 5-acre parcel outside Oregon’s Newberry Crater, which is one of the most promising geothermal resources in the world. There is no specific threat to the environment or habitat of any particular species. They’re just concerned that having the project so close to a national monument might have a potential impact on forests or wildlife.

There are many more examples of environmentalists opposing alternative energy. But what does it all mean? They tout alternative energy until it starts to become a reality, and then they start backpedaling and litigating to thwart it. Is it just because they can’t accept the idea that any kind of energy production will necessarily entail environmental tradeoffs? (See What Have Progressives Got Against Progress?) Or is there some other agenda that motivates them to try to block every avenue of energy independence? I believe many of them are simply naive, and haven’t thought it through. But the consequences of their good intentions affect us all.

About the Author

NotYourDaddy is a conservative libertarian who believes in free will and the free market. NYD thinks the role of the government is to protect the rights and liberties of its citizens. Stop there.

NYD’s attitude toward ever-expanding government can best be summed up by snarling “Get your hand out of my pocket and leave me alone!”

Visit NotYourDaddy’s blog at Government is Not Your Daddy.

In this presidential election year of 2008, the stakes regarding victory or defeat for each candidate are high; the competition for votes is fierce; and the strategies are abundant on both sides with which to win over the undecided. We, the public, see things happening as part of political life and of campaigning that we do not approve of, that we feel we can do without. But can we? Is negative campaigning something that is being foisted on an unwilling public, or does it correspond to the state of mind and consciousness that we are in?

Democracy is not simple. It is complex. And it is not easy. It is hard. It demands from us all that we have to give, and asks us, at the very least, to become responsible citizens who maintain an involvement with both the principles and policies that govern us.

Democracy asks us to not abandon our individual or collective awareness and voice - not for ourselves, and not on behalf of those whose voices have become diminished or who no longer feel they have a voice. It asks us to use this voice and this awareness not to shout, but to speak for the truth as we see it, to reflect upon this truth, and to offer it up as we speak, and vote, and as we take a stand for what we believe in. In this way, we create and ensure a government that represents the best interests of the governed.

All this is the ideal that democracy strives for. And yet it is not what we see in practice. Not by a long shot. Instead of widespread citizen involvement of a judicious and thoughtful kind, we often see anger, fear, projection, and sometimes fanaticism. Instead of voting with conscientiousness, employing our capacity to reflect, compare, and analyze, we often vote with our emotions or the emotions that are being activated within us in the course of a campaign.

We cannot be manipulated by emotions, whether presented by candidates, campaign ads, news media, or television personalities if we do not allow ourselves to be. We cannot be reduced to less than what we are capable of unless we allow ourselves to be. And yet, this is often what we do. We take the easier way rather than the harder. We let an external shaping of opinion such as that of negative campaigning define our emotions and create our state of feeling. We begin to identify with the innuendo, accusation, and fear-currents that surround us, so that we lose sight of what is true in favor of what sounds true while not begin so. We come to believe that the feelings that we have are natural and inevitable, even when they come from portrayals and strategies that mix half-truths with truth. In many cases, we have difficulty maintaining the ‘high ground’ of forming our own opinions, when the ‘low ground’ of negative campaigning, advertising, and criticism is so prevalent.

No, democracy is not easy. It is much easier to feel and to operate out of instinct and unconscious emotion, than to think and evaluate with a consciousness of choice.

We, as a national consciousness, are offered negative advertising and campaigning because it feeds the lowest common denominator among us that forms the basis of our perceptions - that of unconscious reflex which seeks to avoid fear and danger and to seek safety and security. Such campaigning paints the world in terms of fearful outcomes that have to do with the ‘other’, and encourages us to choose between fear and not-fear when we determine who to vote for. We are reduced to a very basic, even primitive level of feeling - that of the desire for survival both physically and economically - and this fundamental level, because of its importance to our overall sense of wellbeing, drowns out other considerations that may paint the world in softer shades of gray.

To remedy this situation, we must become responsible citizens - responsible for the content of our own consciousness. And we must learn how to recognize information and perspective that comes to us riding on currents of fear, and information that comes to us in more objective terms. Our voice and our awareness are precious gifts that we hold with which to construct a life that supports us. We cannot afford to sacrifice these to the methods and modes of the time we are in, not if we wish to create a new kind of government that is truly accountable to each and every citizen.

The world is capable of changing if we are ready for change, and campaigns are ready to become something different in tone if we are ready for that as well. To achieve this end, we must wake up and learn to listen, to reflect, to become more confident in our ability to see what we see, and to know what we know. When each of us is able to make the choice for consciousness, becoming firmer in our own center of truth and judgment, then we shall finally be ready for a democracy that truly represents what America is meant to be, and we shall be able to share this gift with the rest of the world as well.

About the Author

Julie Redstone is a teacher, writer, and founder of Light Omega, a center for spiritual teaching and healing whose purpose it is to create an understanding of the sacred transition into light that the Earth is presently going through. For more about the spiritual roots of democracy in America, see www.lightamericaspirit.org.

Why do we have all this hate in the World? Well, some say it’s a reflection and a mirror of who we are as a species. It has been created and caused by us, but before you condemn yourself or your fellow man remember that if it is our fault for all the hate, then it is also our good nature that provides all the love.

Unfortunately, we often see the hate and it gets reported in the mass media far more than all the good things and all the love. Have you ever considered all the different types of unnecessary hate in the world?

Have you ever wondered why people of one race hate another or what one culture or religion has hated another for 10 generations or more? Well, let us consider this for a moment.

First, we are all related to each other, that is to say we are all descendants of the same folks, we share genes. So, if you hate someone of another religion, political persuasion, culture or religion then in reality you actually hate a piece of yourself.

Indeed you can deny this all you want or give any rational you think relevant, but denial is just close mindedness as to the reality. You share genes, so if you hate another, you hate a part of yourself. So, I have this piece of advice for you today.

Look in your mirror and tell me what piece of yourself do you hate? Next, try to cut it out and tell me how that feels, it hurts doesn’t it. So, let me ask you something; why do you hate yourself so much? Make peace from within and all will be well again.

“Lance Winslow” - Online [http://www.bloggingcontent.net/]Blog Content Service. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; [http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/]www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow http://EzineArticles.com/?Cremate-Hate-in-2008—Burn-Those-Evil-Thoughts&id=1445595

Your credit report is your private financial information. This information is every bit as private as any private financial information you keep in a locked drawer in your home or office. You have an absolute right to keep it private.

Your credit reports are maintained by various credit bureaus. The three largest and most famous credit bureaus are Transunion, Equifax and Experian.

Unlike a locked drawer in your home or office, however, the only thing someone needs to obtain your credit report from a credit bureau is an account with that bureau. Thus, anyone with an account has access to your credit report, whether or not you have given them permission to access it.

Examples abound where businesses have accessed credit reports wrongfully, without permission and without a proper purpose. I have heard of insurance industry law firms and insurance companies pulling credit reports for personal injury plaintiffs to find out if they’re financially strapped, and thus more likely to accept an insufficient settlement offer. Some unscrupulous companies pull credit reports to find out if you qualify for a loan they are offering, before they have even contacted you about the loan. Some pull it for less savory purposes yet, such as to determine where you shop and spend your money. These are all improper purposes for accessing someone’s private credit report.

All of this information is private and legally is supposed to remain private unless one of two things happens:

1. You give someone permission to pull your credit report, or,

2. The person pulling your credit report has a permissible purpose for pulling it.

There are very few permissible purposes. The law is really your only safeguard against unscrupulous persons pulling your credit report for improper purposes.

Examples of Giving Someone Permission to Pull Your Credit Report

Whenever you apply for a loan or a credit card, you normally sign a form which gives the prospective creditor permission to pull your credit report. This is the usual manner in which credit card companies, car dealerships and lenders access your credit report.

Beware, however, that some companies forge consumer signatures on forms to gain permission when they don’t have the consumer’s legitimate permission to pull your credit report. Thus, telemarketers cannot pull your credit report without your permission even if they are trying to sell you a loan. Car dealerships do not have permission to pull your credit report simply because you walk onto their lot to look at a few cars. If you pull your credit report and you find instances where companies have pulled your credit report without your permission, suspect that they may have done so by forging your signature. This happens more often than most consumers realize.

Examples of Permissible Purposes for Pulling Your Credit Report

There are very few: in response to a court order, in connection with an employment application and when a consumer actually applies for credit or insurance.

If you do not initiate the transaction, then a credit card company may only pull your credit report if they are making you a “firm offer of credit,” which is definitely quite a bit more than those endless letters from credit card companies telling us that we’ve been “Pre-Approved”, but we have to fill out an application anyway.

Persons or companies who pull your credit report must certify that they are pulling it for a permissible purpose. If a company pulls your credit report for a permissible purpose and then uses it for an impermissible purpose, then that company has violated your rights and the law. Companies may only pull and use your report for a permissible purpose.

In general, you need to pull your credit report and inquire into any credit entry for a credit card company, a finance company or an insurance company you do not recognize. It may well turn out that some company has pulled your credit report without your permission and without a permissible purpose.

How Do I Find Out if Someone Has Pulled My Credit Report Without A Permissible Purpose?

Pull your credit report from the three major credit reporting bureaus. They often share information among themselves, so negative credit entries to one bureau frequently find their way onto your credit reports with the other two bureaus.

If you see entries on your credit report concerning companies pulling your report without your permission, or companies you do not recognize, then you should inquire further as to whether someone has improperly accessed your credit report.

The answer, unfortunately, may well be a yes.

Why is Impermissible Access to One’s Credit Report Harmful?

Apart from being an invasion of your privacy, credit “pulls” actually lower your credit score. Someone who pulls your credit report without permission and without a legitimate purpose directly harms you by affecting your credit score.

What are My Remedies If I Discover that Someone Has Wrongfully Pulled My Credit Report?

If you have any questions or doubts, first contact the company which pulled your credit report and ask them, in writing, why their company name appears on your credit report. Sometimes there is an innocent explanation, but don’t be surprised if you get the run-around or if it turns out that this company did not have any permissible purpose when they pulled your credit report.

If you do find out that there has been an impermissible pull of your report, or if you just cannot get good answers to your questions, then see a lawyer. You are entitled to a penalty per violation of your right to financial privacy, even if you do not directly suffer damage as a consequence of the improper pull. There is also the potential of punitive damages, as well as any out-of-pocket losses you have suffered. The statute also provides that the person who improperly pulled your credit report must pay for your attorney’s fees, so these cases are frequently affordable even to consumers who cannot otherwise afford an attorney.

About the Author

Robert F. Brennan, Esq. is a principal with Brennan, Wiener & Associates, an AV-rated law firm in La Crescenta, CA.  His firm specializes in consumer protection litigation, including wrongful credit damage and abusive debt collection.  He can be reached at: http://socalcreditdamage.com

Self-talk is what we all do in relating to ourselves. It is all the things we say to ourselves about ourselves, as well as all the things we talk ourselves into and talk ourselves out of. It convinces us we are right when wrong and wrong when right. Self-talk has tremendous power over our lives; it makes us what we are and who we are, making us failures or successors. Alone, it is singly the most powerful resource we have for creating what we want for our lives.

The reason self talk is so powerful is because it causes four potent and complimentary effects on us and because each serves to strengthen the others, their power in total is even stronger than their parts.

Firstly self-talk instructs our subconscious. Self-talk is habitual, and without determined effort, or a dramatic change in circumstances, the quality and content of our self-talk does not vary much. Over time this makes its effect on us especially strong because we are constantly reinforcing the same messages to our subconscious about ourselves whether they are credible or not. The subconscious is not discriminatory in its nature. It accepts what it is given as fact and drives us to act in ways that make what we have told it real. Mostly it does this in ways we can’t easily identify. This is why affirmations and creative visualisations can be such powerful aids in eliciting change, if they are used consistently overtime, because the subconscious mind cannot differentiate between reality and fantasy, it treats all information it receives as true.

The second cause is belief. The more we repeat something to ourselves, the more it gets anchored into our psyche and sooner or later we begin to believe it. It becomes a belief and belief is one of the most potent motivators known to man. Behind all great accomplishments lies belief. All great ‘magicians’ know that without belief, there is no magic. Belief is magic and appears to literally cause things into existence.

Thirdly, the nature of our self-talk produces distinct brainwave activity. Each thought we have can be correlated to a brainwave state that either works to our betterment or to our detriment. For example, happy, contented thoughts cause slower brainwaves than unhappy, stressed thoughts and the effects of this are twofold. All brainwaves cause different electrochemical reactions in the brain, which in turn affect the body and the mental state. In the instance of negative self talk where we are upset with ourselves the chemical response might be to release more cortisol into our blood stream, this is a degenerative, ageing hormone. Similarly, the electro, energetic vibration we would be emitting would be unsettling, disturbed.

Each and everyone of us have an energy field surrounding us and this field is directly affected by how we are feeling and thinking. In turn the quality of our energy field also has an effect on how the world responds to us. We have all had experiences where we have had a strong reaction to someone either positively or negatively but do not know why. The chances are high that it had something to do with their energy field. Another example of this is when we have been feeling so good ‘high’ within ourselves that it is as if people want to be around us like bees to their honey. They were responding to our energy field.

And fourthly self-talk is an incessant, albeit inadvertent, affirming of intention. In the ever-expanding field of consciousness, more and more is being understood about intention. Intention is simply a: goal, desire, prayer, request … something we want to have happen. But what is most important to understand is that intentions that are held consistently are most likely to be realised because they cause effect in the greater cosmic unconscious or consciousness, and what is also being realised is that like the subconscious mind the greater cosmic unconscious or consciousness is not biased towards only good intentions. It responds regardless.

In effect the world, the greater cosmos and ourselves is responding to our self-talk all the time, but it is only now, through science that are we waking up to the fact. And the fact is self-talk is the dictator of our lives; but the beauty is, the magic is: each and everyone of us has the ability to self-talk ourselves to a new life, to the life we want and deserve. All we need to do is write a new script for ourselves and stick to it.

For more information on this subject and how to change your self talk please visit: Thought Power

This article may be reprinted with the author’s name and website http://www.positivemindstates.com intact. Thank You.

About the Author

I have spent many years in the study of personal development. Diagnosed with leaukemia 11 years ago. I used the power of meditation, autosuggestion and visualization to heal myself. I knew I could do this because I realised it was the way I was using my mind in the first place that made me ill.

1. I don’t understand this stuff about non-verbal language. I say what I mean - how does the way I say it make a difference?

An article in Discover magazine on how we recognize faces said that we have such powerful brain “circuitry” for facial expressions that we insist on seeing faces where there are none - in clouds or in the wallpaper pattern. Non-verbal communication takes place whether you think it is important or not.

There are underlying, unconscious mechanisms in our brains that insist on evaluating everything about what the person is doing; not just what they are saying. And we judge the other whether they say anything or not. How often have you thought, “That person has a bad attitude,” or something similar just by observing them?

2. What constitutes non-verbal communication? Is it body language?

Non-verbal communication is everything except your words. It includes body language (which by itself includes facial expression and body attitude) but also includes many other factors such as object language (driving a BMW says something, wearing torn jeans and a dirty sweatshirt says something). All of us have looked at someone standing across the room and thought, “Man, what an attitude.” That constitutes non-verbal communication.

3. I think body language is overrated as a way of understanding someone. Why is it important?

Close your eyes and hold a conversation with someone. See if your level of understanding is hampered in any way. Remember phone conversations where you weren’t sure where the person was coming from. And remember, as well that body language is just one component of non-verbal communication. So while body language is not a complete method of understanding someone else, it is a key factor.

4. How can I use non-verbal communication to improve how others perceive and understand me?

Remember that our listeners process non-verbal cues automatically and almost unconsciously. Use gestures and facial expressions to reinforce what you’re saying. Be aware that you are sending out non-verbal messages all the time. Become more self-aware of how you speak and the impact of your mode of dress and even the way you stand or sit. Increased self-awareness (without becoming self-conscious) and using non-verbal cues on purpose are probably the best ways to improve your non-verbal impact on others.

Copyright 2008 Hal Warfield

About the Author

Hal Warfield is a speaker, teacher and coach. Write him at warfieldh@gmail.com. Or read additional self-development and business articles at http://www.introvert.cc and http://www.halwarfield.com. Hal is also VP of Business Development at Market Strategy where he specializes in business development strategies for small businesses.

There once was a sage holding council in a small village. He was taking questions from the discussion participants. A man by the name of As asked the first question. As wanted to know what to do with his life so his life would have meaning in the world.

Before the sage could respond, a second question was fired off by a lady named In. In wanted to discover how she could motivate others to do great things with their lives.

Once again, before the sage could answer, another question was asked by the oldest man in the village, whose name was Ex. “I can’t seem to stop thinking about death and dyeing; what advice do you have for me, Sir?” he asked.

The sage sat quietly, pondering the three questions put to him. Finally he spoke, “There is a connection between these three questions. The three of you are the answer to each other’s question. Mr. As, Lady In, and the oldest village member, Ex are the beginning of each person’s contribution.” As, In and Ex could only look at one another with a mixture of wonder and confusion. As spoke up and asked the sage for further clarification.

“It is quite simple, you see,” said the sage. “To answer your question Mr. As, ‘What to do with my life,’ I say you need to rephrase the question to say, ‘what do I want to as-pire to be? And Lady In, regarding your question about how to motivate others, I say rephrase your question to how can I in-spire others to greatness. And to Ex, I say rephrase the question to say; what do I need to do before I ex-pire.”

They all reflected upon what the sage had said and Lady In commented that his wisdom had been quite helpful and accurate, too, it seemed. “But, Sir, I don’t understand how we are the answer to each other’s questions, as you put it.”

The sage responded with a smile, “The secret answer to all three questions is this-Aspire to Inspire before you Expire.”

Successful entrepreneur, V.P. Mosser is the creator of the Learn the Lessons Series, the Life’s Journey publication and numerous thought provoking articles. To learn more and receive free chapters or issues, visit http://www.learnthelessons.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=V._P._Mosser http://EzineArticles.com/?As,-In-and-Ex&id=1429975

Spiritual Truth is not something that you have to meet some type of qualification or condition. One has to realize that truth is not for sale. Truth is in and of itself does not come to you for a cost. No one has exclusivity on the spiritual truth of life.

In our search to grow spiritually we encounter many fictionalized stories and beliefs that are being passed off as truth. Real spiritual teachers will move you to better understanding of spiritual principles that will free you not bind you.

If a prophet says to you, I have great news or I can help you find what you are searching for, but it will cost you so much money, run the other way. All spiritual secrets are never veiled. There is no need to prove or disprove a spiritual truth as it stand on its own, it is transparent.

Let us take an example of manifesting miracles. That which is miraculous is not bounded by some sort of mystical chanting or ritualistic acts. Miracles happen every day. When the universal conditions are in alignment, when an intention and devotion is strong enough, then it triggers the potential to bring about the actualization for that individual.

When people are healed it is only due to their faith and belief that the healing can occur. Those who dispense “healing” may in fact trigger a deeper devotion or belief in that person, but unless the spirit is moved no healing can occur. Most blessings, miracles or favor is based on faith and being in a receptive state for the blessing to occur. Notice I said you must be in a receptive state you can not purchase “favor” or “blessings” through artificial means.

There are many charlatans out there that would lead you to believe that they have some mystical power. Of course they have what I call programming abilities in that there is a recurring theme almost like a chant. They repeat these themes over and over again to indoctrinate or brainwash you into believing that they have some sort of power.

When Indoctrination and training comes into the picture one has to be aware of where it is taking you. Remember people one time believed that the earth was flat also that we were the center of the universe and everything revolved around us. People can be 100% wrong, that’s why awareness is a key to following any spiritual teacher or prophet.

Remember that catchy titles such as the secrets of the masters, secret chants of success, secrets to great wealth, are merely marketing ploys to separate you from your money. If these people knew that secret then why would they even be selling it? They should be giving it away. Of course the argument would be that how would they make a living? Spiritual Truth does not need to be sold or defended. It is given freely without any strings attached.

What seems to be really popular is sowing seeds. They have taken the biblical parable of The Sower and converted it to a financial transaction. Funny, that parable did not address money. Further on in the bible verses it is explained as receiving the Word and keeping it in your heart no matter what. By keeping in your heart that which is written, you will bear fruit.

You can not buy your way in, nor will a true spiritual prophet or spiritual teacher ever tell you to give large sums of money into their ministry so that you can be blessed. It is not that the ministry doesn’t have needs, they most likely do. Yet, sometimes I am troubled about the transparency of that ministry. What bothers me more is that this “truth” is being used as a “buy now” into favor and blessings.

I find that most people around the world are extremely generous by nature. Billions of dollars are sent to people that are suffering through the ministries every year.

The intention is to help others not as fortunate than you. If the intention is to get “something” back, that is not going to trigger anything, since faith and devotion may not be present. One then may be acting out of greed or some entitlement that is artificial and not really coming from the spirit of giving.

When the appeal comes to giving all you have to some ministry for the “benefit” that you will receive that is simply appealing to your faith or greed. That is the choice that is presented you. Again you have to watch the recurring themes.

If you have faith, you don’t have to defend it or persuade anyone that you have it. Right or wrong spiritual truth just is. It does not have to be purchased, it is given freely and it does not bind you to contractual agreements. Let others have there own opinions if your faith is strong it will hold.

Spiritual truth is found within, not outside of oneself. The ego is the only thing that seeks the truth from other forms or functions outside oneself. One has to find ways to discern the ego from their own spirit.

About the Author

John Tebar Certified Life Coach, Author and Entrepreneur sign up for weekly Ezine and future events at http://holisticlifeplanningandresearch.com