Sunday, August 16, 2009

Naptime Anyone

This bridge is on the Old Donner Pass Highway . It has a spectacular view of Donner Lake and Donner Pass on Route 80.

A bear was walking across Rainbow Bridge (Old Hwy 40 at Donner Summit,Truckee) on a Saturday in September 2007, when two cars, also crossing the bridge, scared the bear into jumping over the edge of the bridge. Somehow the bear caught the ledge and was able to pull itself to safety.











Authorities decided that nothing could be done to help Saturday night so they returned Sunday morning to find the bear sound asleep on the ledge.

After securing a net under the bridge the bear was tranquilized, fell into the net, lowered, then woke up and walked out of the net.





























Authorities then guided him back towards the wilderness and out of the present danger.











There is a moral to this story you know; this old bear made a wrong move and found he was hanging by his nails.

Somehow he was able to pull himself up onto the ledge where,Yep, he took a nap and sure enough Spirit took care of the situation while he was asleep.

The moral of the story is that when confronted with a bad situation, sometimes the best solution is to take a nap and let Spirit take care of the rest.


"When you come to the edge of all the light you know,
And are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown,
Faith is knowing one of two things will happen:
There will be something solid to stand on
or you will be given wings to fly."
~ Barbara J. Winter © Gibson Greetings

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Even Eagles Need a Push

Encouragement can come in the form of a kind word or written note that has the power to change a life forever.



Click the link below and enjoy watching the movie, Even Eagles Need A Push, for a message of encouragement that can push your life from ordinary to extraordinary.
Even Eagles Need a Push


Sunday, August 9, 2009

STRESS OUT



Are you STRESSED !?

Stress is a constant in our lives—

 such a constant that we actually don’t realize we are under stress, we think it’s “just part of life.”

It’s everywhere!

We experience traffic jams, deadlines, eating on the run, We stress when we have bills to pay, job changes, endless chores and too many errands. Our job has stress, not having a job has stress, it’s stressful maintaining your weight, having a relationship is stressful, not being in a relationship is stressful, family responsibilities are stress, and all those demands on you can be huge amounts of stress.  Not to mention those people who really get on your nerves.

Stress!! It’s there!  It’s everywhere!

Is there anything that can be done? There are so many recommendations for reducing stress, but what really works? Something you do everyday may be different that something you need to do when the stress gauge rises.

We wanted to find answers, tools and techniques which were actually being used and could be shared so more people would have choices on how to work with, manage and embrace the stress in their lives.

“If you want to lose weight, go to a skinny doctor.” Zig Ziglar

As we interpret from Zig’s quote, it’s more than just talking about it, it’s actually putting your words intro practice. And being able to explain well enough that someone else can benefit as well.

Barbara Kramer, a professional event planner is a co-author in the book STRESS OUT. She uses a visualization technique when someone adds stress to her day.

Visualization is a technique where you close your eyes and imagine yourself in another place.  A place where your stress leaves you. Barbara says that this is easy and offers a suggested visualization the next time someone really gets on your nerves and see if it helps you.

You take a minute and close your eyes, take a very deep, slow breath and imagine yourself sitting by the side of a beautiful flowing stream of cool water.  Then let your visualization continue as you see yourself walk into the stream and splash around in the water.  Your stress begins to leave you.  You look around at the beautiful scenery, the open sky. You look down at your hands in the water and see that your fingers are tightly around the neck of the person who has been aggravating you as you hold their head under water. Now doesn’t that make you feel better.  

Barbara quickly says that her intent is not to actually harm another person, but this visualization releases her from the stress hold she feels from the other person’s behavior. Then she can move on to more healthy and actual solutions.

For long term healthy results, Barbara gives two powerful examples of visualization techniques that can not only shift stress energy, but will also stimulate your creative thinking, which brings about solutions that you can put into action. Someone reading Barbara’s chapter might also be looking for a event planner than can function well under the pressure.

We all have stress. It’s is a really term that is commonly used to describe the symptoms your body has in response to increased tension.

The "stress" which people complain about, or that which makes them function less well, is a feeling of tension or pressure  that you experience when you feel that the demands placed on you appear to exceed the resources you have to deal with them.

Believe it or not, a certain level of stress is good and is normal to help you deal with the challenges of life. Too much stress, on the other hand, causes your body to react in unpleasant ways. It can even kill you.  It is more than being a simple medical condition.

Stress is your body's response.;  a combination of physical, mental, and emotional feelings resulting from pressure, worry, especially worry about those things that never finally happen, or worry over guilt from the past.

Stress is anxiety, guilt, the lack of taking responsibility for your own life and the results. It’s frustration, a feeling of loss of control, and (a big one) is our attempts to control others. If they would only change, then we wouldn’t have to, and since they won’t oblige, we’re stressed.

Relaxation techniques rather than fighting against stress can be another method to maintain balance in your life.

No matter how many times you’ve been promised la-la land by certain helath and energy workers or what you’ve heard from Zen Buddhists and transcendental meditators about “just say OM”; relaxation can be hard work under certain circumstances. A couple of those circumstances could be when your blind date comes to the door in a straightjacket or you show no reflection in the mirror. Other more real circumstances occur in your life everyday, so valid relaxation techniques are necessary and STRESS OUT book intends to offer as many choices as the pages will hold.

Surprising as it seems, some stress does have positive outcomes.  "Good stress" If you are an athlete, good stress can give you the energy you need to excel in a physical competition. If you are a computer programmers, good stress could stimulate your thinking.  If you are a music composer's , good stress could stimulate your creative energy.  

Good stress can give many people the energy to solve problems and to finish hard work. In basic terms, stress is an aspect of living that can be beneficial when it motivates you, encourages change for you or inspires you, but can be the opposite when it does not. Your body is actually designed to deal very well with pressure, excitement or stress while working towards a goal or working through a challenging event; and after the accomplishment of your goal, or the event passes, your body has the need to relax, slow down again and recharge itself.  

It is only when this pressure, or this stress, becomes so continuous and intense that you are unable to relax and you feel distressed." You feel out of control, you are no longer able to handle the demands made on you, and your body begins to feel unwell. Too many people go to their Doctors every year with unspecific symptoms of not feeling themselves.  

The key to managing stress is achieving the right balance of forces between tension and relaxation.  

Samuel Patricks, an Attorney, and another co-author in the book STRESS OUT, had a heart attack at a very young age. Too young. He now uses the stress of physical exercise to keep himself healthy physically and emotionally. Not just any exercise, he runs marathons; and not just any marathon – he runs in marathons where he can raise money for his favorite charities. So an additional positive stress motivator he places on himself is his financial fundraising goal. He sees it as a win-win. Plus after a marathon, his body has spent all of its stress. He is ready to relax and recharge.

Readers of his chapter may be motivated by his example to do something that helps their stress level while they are helping someone else.  Someone looking for an attorney will read something more personal about Mr. Patrick that they won’t find on his C.V, which will motivate them to consider him for their legal work.


So many times we treat our automobiles better than we treat our mental and physical bodies. That vehicle we travel in everywhere is out physical body and it needs great care to continue to function properly.

You probably wouldn’t think of jump starting your car in the morning, cold start without fuel and running it hard all day.  Never shutting off the engine leaving it running, even when not going anywhere. You probably wouldn’t think of running your car engine at its optimum, in high gear, constantly revving the engine for more power, driving it continually with no service break.  If you do, then you know, that if you did this to your car, it would start to break down. And  it would  become less reliable, and then it would rapidly begin to break down, usually at the most inconvenient times.

Yet, many people jump start their days; run themselves in high gear, overheated, under fed and poor fuel, over accelerated constant push and no breaks. Then we wonder, why we are feeling so poorly and less effective? !

Unrelieved stress can take an emotional as well as physical toll, in the form of anxiety or depression or high blood pressure and heart disease.  If unattended, stress can seriously your damage physical health; psychological well-being; and your relationships with your friends, family, and co-workers. It’s never too soon or too late to start decreasing the effects of stress in your life.

There are dozens of ways you can  work with and through stress and maintain a healthy life regardless of the external events. These can include acupuncture, biofeedback, EFT, energy work, exercise, humor, hypnosis, meditation, music, NLP, nutrition and so much more and new methods are being proven in people’s lives every day.

STRESS OUT book will be on the shelves in the all 2009, and it will be used as a fundraising tool through many companies. Our goal is for this book is to be detailed, duplicatable tips, tools and techniques that the readers can use to reduce, manage or use their stress to enhance their personal or professional lives. This book is a focus on how to create peace, harmony and healthy energy that can assist a person to not be a victim of stress.

We are still accepting so-authors who have a proven tool or technique that they use. We are looking for people who want to gain prestige as a published author*, extend their marketing reach and build their brand in a non-sales, no-hype niche marketing program.

Click here for more information about the STRESS OUT book and the BENEFITS of being a co-author in this proven marketing program.  

* Many companies will help you get published; no other company does what we do to market our authors.


Namaste'



Thursday, August 6, 2009

Congruence and Gratitude

“You can tell a person,
not by what they say they are gratitude for,
but how they respect
what they claim to be grateful for.”
~ Mrs. Donna Priscott~



My mother was of my greatest examples on how to live life with honesty and integrity. This quote was one of her favorite sayings. Long after her passing, I remember every time she said it to me. She wanted me to learn that people don’t just see what I say, they learn who I am by how my actions match my words.

If I expressed gratitude for something then I needed to show respect for it and protect it just as I would anything else that was important to me.

My parents were married for over 50 years. My Mom said a gratitude prayer every day for her marriage and relationship with my Dad. Every day she worked to make sure he knew how much she meant that. She never looked at another man and she always made sure our home was a happy place for Dad to come home to after a long day at work. She was grateful for her two kids, and she spent time teaching us how to be our best, learn our best and present our best.

When I gained over 60 pounds excess weight in college, and the doctors prescribed medicine for high blood pressure, she didn’t ask me why. She asked me if I was grateful for my healthy body and if I was then why was I carrying the extra weight that was having a negative effect on my health?
When my bother experimented with drugs in High School she asked him the same question.

She simply told us to make a choice and live by our words. My choice was to ether give up saying gratitude for a healthy body or give up the unnecessary weight. Her message was empowering and not judgmental, even though I knew she didn’t approve our behaviors. Mom taught me best by her example. I hope I can be as good a Mom as she was to me.

Are you congruent with your gratitude?

Are you showing respect to your gratitude by your actions?

If yes, what are you doing?

If no, what can you change?


***


Contributed by Veronica Davina, for inclusion in the book: The “G” Spot, the ecstasy of life through Gratitude, Author Sumner M. Davenport, Self Investment Publishing, #ISBN 9780981523859







Sunday, August 2, 2009

National Friendship Day

Human beings are social creatures who respond to the love and affection of others. Genuine friendship has been valued as one of the most important things in life. To celebrate friendship and the blessings it brings us, it was deemed fit to have a day dedicated to friends and friendship and the first Sunday of August was declared as a holiday in US in honor of friends by a Proclamation made by US Congress in 1935.

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy;
they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."
~ Marcel Proust ~

I offer you this gentle reminder of friendship. Part of this has circulated the internet for years. Many of the quotes you may have already seen or heard. When I found it in my files this morning, it was the timely reminder on a perfect day.

"I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving
for my friends, the old and the new."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

In kindergarten your idea of a good friend was the person who let you have the red crayon when all that was left was the ugly black one.

In 1st grade your idea of a good friend was the person who went to the bathroom with you and who held your hand as you walked through the scary halls.

In 2nd grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you stand up to the class bully.

In 3rd grade your idea of a good friend was the person who shared their lunch with you when you forgot yours.

In 4th grade your idea of a good friend was the person who was willing to switch square dancing partners in the gym so you wouldn't have to be stuck "do-si-do-ing " with Nasty Nick or Smelly Susan.

In 5th grade your idea of a good friend was the person who saved a seat on the back of the bus for you.

In 6th grade your idea of a good friend was the person who went up to Nick or Susan (your new crush) and asked them to dance with you, so that if they said no you wouldn't be embarrassed.

In 7th grade your idea of a good friend was the person who let you copy the Social Studies homework from the night before that you did.

In 8th grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you pack up your stuffed animals and old baseball but didn't laugh at you when you broke out into tears.

In 9th grade your idea of a good friend was the person who would go to a party thrown by a senior so you wouldn't wind up being the only freshman there.

In 10th grade your idea of a good friend was the person who changed their schedule so you would have someone to sit with during lunch.

In 11th grade your idea of a good friend was the person who gave you rides in their new car, convinced your parents that you shouldn't be grounded and helped you find a date to the prom.

In 12th grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you pick out a college or university and assured you that you would get into that college or university, or helped you deal with it when you didn't make it.

At graduation your idea of a good friend was the person who was crying on the inside but managed a big smile on the outside as they congratulated you.

The summer after graduation your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you clean up the bottles from that party, helped you sneak out of the house when you couldn't deal with your parents, assured you that now that you and Nick (or you and Susan) were back together, you could make it through anything, helped you pack up for university and silently hugged you as you looked through blurry eyes at 18 years of memories you were leaving behind. And most importantly sent you off to college knowing you were loved.

"In prosperity, our friends know us;
in adversity, we know our friends"
~ John Churton Collins ~

Now, your idea of a good friend is still the person who gives you the better of the two choices, holds your hand when you're scared, helps you fight off those who try to take advantage of you, thinks of you at times when you are not there, reminds you of what you have forgotten, helps you put the past behind you but understands when you need to hold on to it a little longer, stays with you so that you have confidence, makes time for you, overlooks your mistakes, helps you to deal with pressure from others, smiles for you even when they are sad, helps you understand how priceless you are, and most importantly loves you.

I am deeply grateful, today and everyday, for my genuine friends. With them I have discovered and enjoyed many of lifes blessings.

"A real friend is one who walks in
when the rest of the world walks out."
~Walter Winchell ~

No matter where we go or how our lives change, we never forget those who walked with us and supported us in getting there.

"Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me; I may not lead.
Just walk beside me and be my friend."
~ Albert Camus ~

There's never a wrong time to pick up a phone or send a message to show your friends you miss them or care about them.

"The most beautiful discovery true friends make
is that they can grow separately
without growing apart."
~ Elisabeth Foley~