WELCOME TO MY HEALTHY LIVING BLOG

Welcome to my ever-expanding blog site. I trust you are enjoying your day. I invite you to browse the site, read the articles and enjoy my photography. Your opinion counts, so please leave a comment at the end of the posts. If you enjoy reading these blogs, feel free to pass the link on to any friends you think would also enjoy it.

The purpose of this blog site is 3-fold: a place for sharing general information, a place to share about spiritual matters that will help move us toward a healthier inner life and a place where I can talk about my business and the products that can help us experience better health. Note: This section, though still on the blog for you to read, is no longer relevant to me as I am no longer in business since I retired in 2010

Thank you for dropping by. I trust you will consider your visit worthwhile. This site is a 'work in progress', sometimes changing by the minute, so come back soon to see what's new on MY HEALTHY LIVING BLOG.

God bless you today and every day. Remember, "A joyful heart is good medicine" (Proverbs 17:22-NASB). Blessings and health to you and yours.

Diane

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all photos on this blog taken by Diane Stephenson

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

MAGNETIC ATTRACTION


You would think, by the ads on the internet and the titles of so many e-books that Attraction Marketing is a discovery of this age. There is no end to the training on how to get customers to come to you, how to get more leads for your network marketing business, etc. A decade or two back these terms had not yet come into play. But when I was doing my devotional reading the other day I realized that this principle isn't new, it's an ancient one. Even Jesus practiced it!

Mark tells us (Mark 1:40-45) about a leper who came to Jesus asking to be made clean. Jesus was moved with compassion, touched this unclean man, this untouchable, this outcast from society, and he was immediately healed. No one else could have done this for him. Jesus was in the right place at the right time to give the right thing to the right man. Then Jesus instructed him to go to the priest and offer the proper sacrifice for his cleansing as prescribed in the Mosaic laws and not to tell anyone else about what had happened.

But this man was so deliriously happy about his healing (and who wouldn't be?) that he went around telling everybody he saw what Jesus had done. And the result of this? "...they were coming to [Jesus] from everywhere." (verse 45). Can you find a more apt description of how Attraction Marketing, also known as Magnetic marketing or the Law of Attraction, works? Give something of value to someone, something no one else has offered them, and others will be attracted to you without you having to do anything else. Once they came to Jesus he ministered to them body, soul and spirit. He gave them what they needed, not merely what they wanted.

If we could but learn to put this principle into practice we could have the same results. Business would increase, customers would come out of the woodwork, if we would freely offer to help others achieve their goals, we would find our own dreams coming to fruition. (See quote for the day.) What we sow we shall also reap. If we sow kindness, we will receive kindness in return. When we sow love, we experience love in our lives. Sow valuable information into the lives of those who need help building a business, and new business will come in return. But we must make sure what we offer is of value and the Law of Attraction will work every time.

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY


Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.  
Luke 6:38

QUOTE FOR THE DAY



If you can dream it, then you can achieve it. You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.  
---Zig Ziglar---

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY




...behold, now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.  
2 Corinthians 6:2

QUOTE FOR THE DAY




Go for it now. The future is promised to no one. ---Wayne Dyer---

Monday, September 28, 2009

CASE CLOSED!


More and more I'm either reading or hearing an expression that causes me to tremble for those who believe it to be true. It's New Age, it's deception, it's a denial of the God who loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us. And these people are so blinded they cannot see the forest for the trees (no disrespect intended to the Lord). In other words, they cannot see the Creator for the creation.

What is this expression? "Give out to the Universe and the Universe will give back to you whatever you desire", or some similar phrase. What, exactly, do they believe this so-called Universe is, I wonder? How do they expect something inanimate to have the ability to help them even in the smallest way? To even recognize that they exist, that they have needs, that they are reaching out to it for help and support?

In Bleak House, Charles Dickens has one of his characters, Harold Skimpole, comment that Ada, a young ward of the courts, is a "child of the Universe". Mr. Jarndyce, with whom she lives, responds to his friend that he believes the Universe makes a rather indifferent parent. I agree. Not much love displayed there. At least none that I have ever discovered. No messages have ever arrived from it, no books to guide, no relationships developed, no intelligent communication whatsoever. What kind of parent is that? What kind of benefactor can the Universe ever prove to be?

I'm so glad that "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son" (John 3:16). Thank the Lord that He has provided us with a Book of instructions on how to become part of His family, how to grow in Him, how to receive all His benefits and blessings, how to prepare for eternity before it's too late. Praise God that He is a true Father to His children, that He loves us dearly, that He has planned our future with our good in mind, that He continues to communicate with His people and build relationships with us.

The Universe? I think not. As Joshua said, "Choose you this day whom ye will serve...As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15). And I say, "AMEN!"

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY



Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. 
Colossians 4:5

QUOTE FOR THE DAY




Here is a day ow before me; a day is a fortune and an estate; who loses a day loses life. 
---Ralph Waldo Emerson---

Sunday, September 27, 2009

HONOR


The presence of the LORD has scattered them, He will not continue to regard them; they did not honor the priests, they did not favor the elders. Lamentations 4:16

How many times have you heard the expression, "They went home after church and had roast preacher for dinner"? Solomon recorded, in the above verse, that the reason the Lord had abandoned the people was partly because they did not honor the priests, the leaders of the congregation. This verse is pretty clear as to how the Lord feels about "roast preacher". 


Honor: accept, celebrate, exalt, reverence, appreciate, value, give kudos to. 

The Bible tells us to:
           honor our father and mother (Exodus 20:12),  honor the Lord (Proverbs 3:0), 
           honor all men (1 Peter 2:17), 
           honor widows (1 Timothy 5:3), 
           to give more honor to those who seem to be less honorable (1 Corinthians 12:23), 
           give honor to whom honor is due (Romans 13:7),
           husbands to honor wives (1 Peter 3:7),
           double honor to elders who rule well, i. e. pastors (1 Timothy 5:17), 
           honor masters i.e. employers (1 Timothy 6:1),
           honor the king i.e. government officials (1 Peter 2:17).

It doesn't look as if anyone is overlooked in this list, does it? When we dishonor others, we are dishonoring the Lord because we are disobeying to His commandments. As the above verse says, the Lord would no longer regard those who refused to honor the leaders. That's a dire consequence, one I wouldn't want to experience.


"(Honor) is the essential key to receiving from God, and for this very reason the enemy of our souls has all but eliminated the true power of honor. Honor carries with it great rewards...has the power to greatly enhance your life." Quote from Honor's Reward by John Bevere published by Faith Words. I highly recommend this book for anyone who desires to show honor to others.

When we honor another, it lifts that person to a higher level and gives them a sense of worth. In doing so we also lift ourselves up. Let's pray for the day to come when "roast preacher" won't be on the menu any more. Let's pray that all Christians will choose to honor everyone. Let honor be our motto. Let's bring honor back into the church. 

MOANING AND MOURNING


You know the type. Woe is me! They moan and groan that nothing works for them, no one ever does anything for them, they're so ill-used and nobody understands how they feel. I'm sure you've met them. Nothing is ever right. The world, in their opinion, owes them something and is not handing over what it owes. Complaints are the main course, and for dessert there's criticism sometimes topped with a few expletives. These people do little and expect much in return.

After "dinner" comes the mourning. They mourn lost opportunities, past failures, unfulfilled dreams. These folk specialize in negative words, probably know more of them than the average person.  Death spews out of their mouths like water out of a fountain. Selfishness and self-seeking are at the root of it. And often laziness.

The wisest man that ever lived said, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (King Solomon - Proverbs 18:21). If only they knew it, these 'downtrodden' souls are killing themselves. Their words bring death every time they open their mouths. If only they could see things as they really are! From God's viewpoint. Then they would say with David, "Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; to the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent."

We need to be constantly on our guard where our mouths are concerned. If we recorded our conversations, I wonder how often we would catch a negative statement or even just a word. How many times would a negative attitude be evident? I cry with David, "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips" (Psalm 141:3).

Instead of mourning what can never be or what has been done in the past that can't be undone, let's make a decision to live this moment with a positive attitude, think positive thoughts, speak positive words. Let's mourn for our past negative attitudes, put them behind us and then get to work making a permanent change. Let's determine to bring life, not death, wherever we go--to ourselves and to others.

It's never easy to overcome negativity. I know--I've had to do it myself in some areas of my life. For years I lived with an inferiority complex. I thought I would never feel any other way, but with the Lord in my life, it has been conquered. I think less and less in the negative, more and more in the positive. It's freedom! It's believing God who will never fail rather than myself with all my failures. 

Now I don't look at those failures. They're in the past. Gone. Done deals. Can't be changed, so I'll leave them there. Not to say I'll never fail again, but I don't focus on even the possibility of failure. I have this new, fresh moment to live and I will live it for the Lord. My health and happiness depend on my positive attitude. I desire to live unselfishly, giving to others, giving to God without looking for anything in return. In this is blessing. And in this, in the long run, there will be great return. The ROI (return on investment) is out of this world. I'm looking forward to claiming it, but in the meantime I'm looking forward to each new moment the Lord gives to me. My mourning has been turned into dancing. No more moaning; no more mourning. Just dancing, singing and praise. Now that's what I call healthy!

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY


And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord and offering in righteousness. 
Malachi 3:3

QUOTE FOR THE DAY



A clay pot sitting in the sun will always be a clay pot. It has to go through the white heat of the furnace to become porcelain. 
---Mildred Wite Stouven---

Saturday, September 26, 2009

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY


For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.
Hebrews 3:14

QUOTE FOR THE DAY


In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently. 
---Tony Robbins---

Friday, September 25, 2009

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY




For we walk by faith, not by sight.  
2 Corinthians 5:7

QUOTE FOR THE DAY



Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. 
---Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.---

Thursday, September 24, 2009

STEM CELL AWARENESS DAY


Did you know that today, September 24, 2009, is Stem Cell Awareness Day? I only discovered the fact a few minutes ago. Evidently it was declared by Governors Arnold Scwartzenegger of California and Jim Doyle of Wisconsin.

Every family knows they are one phone call or one diagnosis away from needing what stem cell research can yield for us.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi U.S. House of Representatives

I had intended to follow up my post about stem cells ( August 23.09 What's All This Fuss About Stem Cells?) long before now, but this seems to be a good time today.  If you re-read that post, it will bring you to where I want to start today.


As I pointed out in that previous post, stem cell transplant, or stem cell therapy as it is also called, is a medical/surgical procedure which can take a lot of time. Whenever there is an invasive technique used on our bodies, there is the accompanying potential for infection to enter. Also, for those being treated in this manner for cancer, chemotherapy must be done to destroy all bone marrow stem cells before transfusing the treated cells back into the blood stream. We all know the possible consequences of that. As Dr. Lorraine Day states on her video, all doctors know that chemo and radiation cause cancer. So, if we want to get rid of cancer, why treat it with a cancer-causing agent? Dr. Day says it's because doctors just plain don't know what to do, so they opt for doing anything rather than nothing. Or learning about natural, alternative options.

Enter StemEnhance from StemTech Health Sciences Inc.

Aphanazomenon Flos Aquae (I know, another of those unpronounceable words) is a type of blue/green algae that grows profusely in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon. It has been discovered that this algae, also known as AFAs (much easier to say!), have the capability of supporting the human body so that it releases 25-30% more stem cells into the blood stream 1/2 hour after taking two capsules. Only 1 gram of StemEnhance supports the mobilization and migration of bone marrow stem cells, and consequent renewal.


The New England Journal of Medicine, September 3, 2005, stated: Bone marrow stem cells constitute the natural 'renewal' system of the body. Simply supporting the release of stem cells from the bone marrow allows the body to combat entropy, promoting greater health.

Entrophy, or aging, can be overcome to a certain degree by rebuilding the body by counteracting the breakdown processes. Whether you take StemEnhance™ or not, the bone marrow daily replaces stem cells in the circulatory system. But with StemEnhance™ added to your daily regime of nutrition, the rebuilding process will be enhanced so you begin to experience wellness. StemEnhance™ does not heal anything. It merely supports the body to be more efficient in healing itself.


StemEnhance is a blend of two AFA fractions that concentrate the components found in AFA. It is a patented formula. No other company has this revolutionary product.


StemFlo, another product from StemTech, "supports the optimum blood circulation by digesting fibrin, reducing oxidative stress in the blood, detoxifying the blood and improving overall blood flow. It is especially designed to support the delivery of stem cells to all parts of the body and when used in conjunction with StemEnhance™, it optimizes the body's ability to deliver and circulate adult stem cells to the tissues and organs where they are needed. It also supports the delivery of nutrients and oxygen, as well as immune cells, throughout the whole body." ---Dr. Donna Antar---


So, I'm sure you can see the real benefit of using StemEnhance™ and StemFlo™ together to help your body heal naturally. A much safer, quicker, more efficient method to increase stem cells in the blood, don't you agree? Not sick? Then use them as a preventative. It's a lot easier to prevent disease than to find a remedy to remove it.


If you're interested in further information, go to my web site and fill out the survey. A free e-book will be made available to you for download that will give you much more information than I have given here. After you fill out the survey, you will receive a series of automated e-mails giving more info about the company and product. There will be no pressure on my part to "sign you up" or to "push my product" on you. I merely want you to be informed. I hope you will download the book and read it.


So, happy Stem Cell Awareness Day to all of you!

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY


For verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 
Matthew 17:20

QUOTE FOR THE DAY



It's kind of fun to do the impossible
---Walt Disney---

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY


That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.  
1 Peter 1:7

QUOTE FOR THE DAY



Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.  
---Helen Keller---

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY


Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.  
James 2:17

QUOTE FOR THE DAY


It is good to dream, but it is better to dream and work. Faith is mighty, but action with faith is mightier. Desiring is helpful, but work and desire are invincible.  
---Thomas Robert Gaines---

Monday, September 21, 2009

HEALTHY BREAKFAST, HEALTHY DAY


As a child, I never liked breakfast. My mother would mix up a package of Carnation Instant Breakfast and I had to quickly drink it before leaving for school. As I grew older I still did not enjoy breakfast. My stomach rebelled at the thought of food. I would gladly have eaten a full-course breakfast at 10:00, but by then I was in school, and later at work. Not an option, obviously. The earlier I have to eat, the less I want to eat it.

I know. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Studies show that children concentrate much better in school after a good meal. Adults think and work better. We should all eat well before we leave home in the morning.

But early mornings are a challenge to me in more ways than breakfast. I simply do not like to get up early. Now, ask me to stay up late and I have no problem. 5:00 a.m. feels like the middle of the night, especially in winter. At midnight I'm often still wide awake. So to rise early enough to make breakfast is, well...

Something you can prepare the night before would be a mix of fruit cut up ready to eat. You can make enough for a couple of days if you like. Add a muffin and juice in the morning and you're ready to go.

Easy, nutritious and delicious breakfasts that can be eaten quickly are the best choice. One option I like in the winter months is oatmeal. And no, I don't have to get up half an hour early to cook it. I simply put it in my small slow cooker overnight and voila! It's ready to eat when I get up. And I don't make plain old porridge. I add cranberries, raisins, blueberries, sunflower seeds, other grains. I sprinkle generous amounts of cinnamon into the pot. When I dish it out I add raw buckwheat honey to taste. (Always add the honey after cooking. Otherwise you destroy some of the goodness.) If you like, you can add milk or soy beverage. I prefer it without.


(Probably most of you drink coffee, but even though it might wake you up and keep you going, it is not the best choice of beverage. Coffee if very acidic, and your body's pH needs to be slightly alkaline to be healthy.)

But my favorite breakfast is one that can be prepared in a couple of minutes in the morning. A banana, some cantaloupe, peaches, strawberries, blueberries - whatever you like best - added to plain yogurt, soy beverage and a scoop of meal replacement powder and mixed in the blender makes a drink chock full of nutrition and energy. To make it more filling, add a raw egg. If necessary, use a little raw honey as a sweetener. Vary the fruit from day to day, and you have a menu for the week.You can also use fruit juice instead of milk. Delicious!

Another quick but nourishing meal is a slice of whole-grain toast, peanut butter and banana with a glass of soy beverage.

Mmm... I'm getting hungry! Too bad it's bedtime instead of breakfast time.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A WORD MAKES!


What a difference a word makes! In 1882, George Matheson penned the words to what later became a well-loved hymn: O Love That Will Not Let Me Go. One line, "I climb the rainbow through the rain" did not pass the judgment of the hymnal committee of the Church of Scotland and so they voted to change it, saying it just wouldn't do. But by doing this, they changed Mr. Matheson's message. To those who know the hymn, they will know the line as: "I trace the rainbow through the rain".

Climb: scale, rise, ascend, increase, soar.

Trace:determine, follow, discover.

Do you see the difference? As you pursue your dream, be it a successful business, a home, a family, which would you say you are doing? Climbing? Or tracing?

I would much rather climb the rainbow than follow it. Rainbows are elusive. We all know about that pot of gold at the rainbow's end. We also know it cannot be found.

Rainbows quickly fade. Have you ever watched when a rainbow appears, how it brightens, then gradually fades into nothingness? If you are following it, where do you go when it disappears? But if you are climbing it, that means you have actually reached it, touched it, and are using it to reach the heights.

I would recommend the book Climbing the Rainbow by Lloyd J. Ogilvie © 1993 by Word Publishing. The book's subtitle is Claiming God's Promises In The Storms Of Life. A small book, it is an easy read, and well worth the time it takes to read it.

Will you climb the rainbow with me?

WHATEVER IT TAKES?


As a Networker have you ever said "I'll do whatever it takes"? You've certainly heard it. This was a recent post on BetterNetworker, with this question following: Do you think this willingness to do 'whatever' it takes to make it is part of what turns people off to us networkers?

First, I want to say that no matter how badly I need something, I am not willing to "do anything" to get it. "Anything" is a pretty big category. "Anything" could mean...anything!

What I am not willing to do:

I am not willing to compromise my principles or my faith.

I am not willing to do anything illegal.

I am not willing to sacrifice what is most precious in my life.

I am not willing to ride over others, to knock them down, to use them simply for my own benefit.

I am not willing to look at others merely as instruments to be discarded after I have what I want from them.

I do not want to succeed if I can't take others with me and show them how to succeed. No, I am not willing to "do whatever it takes".

What I am willing to do:

I am willing to work.

I am willing to ask for help.

I am willing to teach others what I have learned.

I am willing to live out my dream, to keep seeking it if I haven't found it yet.

I am willing to ask for guidance and direction when I am unsure of myself.

I am willing to learn new things.

I am willing to make changes where change is necessary to my success.

Remember, success cannot be measured merely on a financial basis. Zig Ziglar once said, "I believe that being successful means having a balance of success stories across the many areas of your life. You can't truly be considerd successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles."

Integrity is a must. If we do not operate on ethical principles and methods, eventually we will find others treating us in the same manner we treat them - unethically and without integrity. We may just find ourselves alone out there with no friends, no support. But when we reach out a hand to someone in need, there will be someone there to reach out a hand when we are in need. We will have lasting friendships and wonderful, caring business associates.

That is the true measure of success.

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY


Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man tuth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.  
Ephesians 4:25

A BIT OF HUMOR FOR MONDAY


Don't tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don't tell them where they know the fish.  
---Mark Twain---

QUOTE FOR THE DAY



If it is not right, do not do it; if it is not true, do not say it.  
---Marcus Aurelius---

THANK YOU


Lord, thank You for the serenity I find in Your creation. In the midst of the turmoil and strife in this world, You have created a haven of peace that reassures and revives the weary soul. As I gaze at the stars, at mountains of white clouds in a blue sky on a sunny summer's day or listen to waves rippling on the shore, I find rest for my spirit. I breathe in and feast on the silent beauty of a flourishing garden and I am aware of the vibrant life of my Creator, Jesus, permeating my very being. I am one with my Saviour. I am at peace with my God.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

WRITE!LONDON

Before you read this blog, please click here. Once you have the page loaded, begin to click on the highlighted words to see how "I made tea" is transformed, one click at a time, to an entire paragraph. Fascinating. But please don't forget to come back here!


There is actually a reason for asking you to do this. Yesterday I attended the Write!London annual writers' workshop. It was a day of learning, of fun, of fellowship and good food. Four presenters, local published authors, brought new insights into writing fiction and non-fiction during the morning sessions. After a wonderful lunch of home-made soups, a pasta casserole and ginger marmalade cake topped with whipped cream, we changed the order of things. Time was given to meet with the presenter of choice to ask questions, have them read some new writing excerpt, etc.

Next on the agenda was a word game. You've guessed it. Attendees at one table were given a piece of paper with the words "I made tea" at the top. We were challenged to expand it into a paragraph. Those at the other table were given the expanded version and asked to condense it to 'bare bones' length. When we were finished, we were told about the web site, though the web address was not given out. I Googled it before I began writing this to see for myself exactly what it was all about and so I could share it with you.

Very interesting exercise, don't you think? So what's the moral of the story? What one person can say in three words, another will take many more to say the same basic thing. Which did you enjoy reading most? Were you happy with three words, with knowing that basic fact that he made tea? Or would you choose rather the lengthened version with description and detail as to how the tea was made? The moral is that when we write, we need to be conscious of the words we use--the number and suitability as well as the order. Yes, it must be succinct. And it must be clear. "I made tea" is certainly that. But is it interesting? After all, who cares if he made tea unless you are there to share it with him? An author who has the ability to paint a word picture will get my vote every time. Perhaps you prefer the closed telescope version. Personally, I like the full telescopic view. 

(PS. If you didn't do it at the beginning, go back to the "I made tea" web site and click on the author's name, again one click at a time and you'll find a treasure trove of other sites and an interesting game called Bookchase.)


The photos were taken at the workshop.


IMAGINATION


Your imagination can focus on ugliness, distress and failure, or it can picture beauty, success, desired results. You decide how you want your imagination to serve you. ---Philip Conley---

Have you checked your imagination temperature lately? How does it measure up? Is it high from all that negative thinking you have been doing, bringing disease, or should I say dis-ease? Or is it healthy, productive, positive?

Imagination is a strange thing. We tend to have more of it as a child, but I don't believe that needs to be the case. What you use, you don't lose. Exercise your imagination and it will continue to work for you all your life.

But you must be careful how you use it. As Philip Conley says, you have a choice, a decision to make. How often do you picture disaster, failure, bad luck, trouble? If it is most of the time, it's time you made some changes in your life, because what people imagine they often speak, and what you say is often what you get. Speak enough negative words into your circumstances and there is little chance that good will come to you. Think and speak positive words and great things will begin to happen in your life.

Imagination: conception, creativity, inventiveness, vision, idea, image, ingenuity. According to this list of synonyms, imagination involves creativity. Operating in a negativity mode is tantamount to choosing poor quality tools and materials to build with. What can you hope to construct with rotting wood, tools that are falling apart, rusty nails? But a positive attitude can lead to great inventiveness and wonderful inventions. Think of Edison's light bulb, Stephenson's steam engine, the unknown pre-historic man who created the wheel. They never said, "I can't." They never declared that nothing good would ever happen to them. Their imagination was channeled in the right direction--beauty, success and desired results.

Where is your imagination focused? How does it serve you? You decide.

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY




My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed. 
Psalm 57:7

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular. ---Tony Robbins---

Saturday, September 19, 2009

SEE IT THROUGH


See It Through by Edgar A. Guest

When you're up against a trouble,
Meet it squarely, face to face;
Lift your chin and set your shoulders,
Plant your feet and take a brace.
When it's vain to try to dodge it,
Do the best that you can do;
You may fail, but you may conquer,
See it through!

Black may be the clouds about you
And your future may seem grim,
But don't let your nerve desert you;
Keep yourself in fighting trim.
If the worst is bound to happen,
Spite of all that you can do,
Running from it will not save you,
See it through!

Even hope may seem but futile,
When with troubles you're beset,
But remember you ar facing
Just what other men have met.
You may fail, but fall still fighting;
Don't give up, whate're you do;
Eyes front, head hight to the finish.
See it through.

There is an obvious truth in this poem that we would do well to heed. When things are at their blackest, when life is hardest it's so easy to give up. No one likes to struggle day after day without an end in view. Though we fear failure, sometimes it's easiest to give in to it.

Nowhere is this so evident as in networking marketers. Companies promise the moon. Distributors, in their drive to recruit, often give false impressions in order to capture a lead and pull him in. Advertising hype declares that no other product on the market is as good, does as much as well. With great enthusiasm we jump in and hitch our wagon to the stars and expect to earn big money quickly. After all, haven't we been told that others are doing it?

Then comes the moment of truth. It's not working the way it was supposed to. What should you do? Quit? Or just keep plodding along in a hopeless string of attempts to 'make' it work?

There may come a time when it is wise to quit that particular business. But should you give up on MLM? No! MLM is a viable way to make a living if you work it right. But it takes patience, effort, time, good strategies, wise advice and sometimes a financial investment of some kind for promotion. You need a plan.

But what happens when that plan fails? Like Mr. Guest says in this poem, see it through! Nothing half done will succeed. Lift your head, face your problems head on. Do the best you can, and when you have done that and failure still seems imminent, get help. And if you do ultimately fail, get right back up and try again. But don't do the same things that you did that caused the failure. Analyze what has happened. Apply that knowledge to improve your manner of conducting business.

Remember, you're not the only one this has happened to. Many others have faced similar circumstances, have failed once, twice, three times yet have gone on to succeed in the end to a far greater degree than anyone would have dreamed. Edison tried 10,000 experiments before he came up with the incandescent light bulb. 10,000! What if he had quit at 9,999? Would we still be using candles?

You may give up certain methods, attitudes, actions, thought patterns, but don't turn your back or run away from your dilemmas. Make the most of them. Use the failures as springboards to success. Fail or conquer. Which one will it be?

See it through!

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY


Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.  
2 Corinthians 10:5

QUOTE FOR THE DAY




I cannot always control what goes on outside. But I can always control what goes on inside.  
---Wayne Dyer---

Friday, September 18, 2009

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY



Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.  
Matthew 7:12

QUOTE FOR THE DAY


Keep in mind that the true measure of an individual is how he treats a person who can do him absolutely no good.  
---Ann Landers---

Thursday, September 17, 2009

DREAM OR NIGHTMARE?

What picture breaks into your mind at the mention of the word dream? Does it bring dread at the thought of nightmares you remember as clearly as if they had really happened? Or perhaps you recall a dream that ended all too soon it was so beautiful. Do you think of your greatest wish in life, your dream home, dream car, etc.? You might also think of daydreams, fairy tales you have woven in your imagination that you know will never come true.

People need dreams to survive in the often harsh circumstances they live in. If there is nothing to hope for, there is nothing to live for. If you're as old as me, you might remember the line in the song Happy Talk from South Pacific: You've gotta have a dream, if you don't have a dream, then how ya gonna have a dream come true? Good advice! Do you have a dream?

Gage Canadian Thesaurus defines 'dream' as a verb: build castles in the air, conjure, daydream, fantasize. It can also mean think, visualize, imagine. 'Dream' as a noun has a number of interesting synonyms: ambition, aspiration, beauty, heart's desire, goal, hope, vision. This is the dream to which I allude.

What is your heart's desire? To what do you aspire? Are you working toward a worthy goal? More money, perhaps? A better job? Fame? Power? Happiness? Throughout the ages people have followed their dreams, some to a disastrous end, others to marvelous fulfillment. What makes the difference?

Often a person dreams of things far too lofty to be attainable in comparison to his willingness and ability to work towards it. Want to be a famous singer, but not willing to practise for hours every day? The result is predictable. No fame. Is your desire for wealth proportionate to your  consistency in putting a plan into action? If not, poverty or mediocrity may continue for the rest of your life.

The difference between winners and losers, those who realize their dreams and those who don't, usually has nothing to do with ability or circumstances. Losers say, "If only I had...", or "If only that hadn't happened", "If only my parents had...", "If everything wasn't always against me." On the other hand, winners say, "I can and I will", "No matter if this or that happened in my past. I will overcome those obstacles." Winners will use those roadblocks as stepping stones to the next level of achievement.

It's a matter of mind.

It's a matter of discipline.

It's a matter of persistence.

It's a matter of passion.

It's your choice. Will you live your dream?

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY


A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.  

Proverbs 17:22

QUOTE FOR THE DAY




One should take good care not to grow too wise for so great a pleasure of life as laughter. 
---Joseph Addison---