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January, 2013
Today I am going to share "advice" I realized I had to give to myself.
I recently had minor knee surgery. Minor in and of itself, but the third time on this particular knee, and placing my sweet knee dangerously close to bone on bone. My doctor has cautioned that I must remember that my knee is no longer normal. My physical therapist also advised me to not always walk on the level ground of sidewalks, but to walk on the grass to strengthen the muscles all around the knee better.
So…yesterday I walked around the little lake in our neighborhood. On the area with the most dramatic slope. With the weak knee on the upside of the slope, making it do the power work. And today…I can barely walk! If I move, it feels better, but when I sit for awhile it gets weak again. Sheesh.
I was so proud of myself for how good I was at getting to the point where it didn't hurt so soon after surgery! But now I realize I was just doing enough…enough to get by, but not enough to challenge and really strengthen the knee.
Then, as I am wont to do, I began to ask myself some questions. Is my body, which is the connection between my soul and my mind, asking me to look at something? Way too quickly came my answer…of course, silly! Is it possible you've been taking the easy, level path spiritually? Ummm…I don't wish to answer that, thank you very much! Have you been letting your fears settle into your body again? Are you moving too fast, or too slow, or even both? OUCH! literally ouch! Could be! Is it time to take the uneven path, and change your mind about some things? Dang it! Stop asking me questions! And, just for the record, self, the answer is…yes!
Dearest Therese, yes, your body is speaking to you, especially if you think it is speaking to you. Be kind to yourself, don't judge and compare yourself…not even to yourself. Where you are, is where you must be to see where you are going. Give the understanding you give to others, to yourself…you will then be able to share that understanding more wonderfully.
Therese, walk the uneven ground, even though it be fearful and confusing, and brings things into your life you do not understand right now. The uneven ground will strengthen your body…and it will strengthen your spirit. CWG, in "The Only Thing That Matters" says that each time you think you are "there", you will be given the opportunity to move into an even higher expression of "there". Don't make the mistake of thinking this means you are moving backward. It just means, if you are lucky, if you are open and brave, you will always be new at something all of your life!
(Therese Wilson is a published poet, and is the administrator of the global website at www.ChangingChange.net, which offers spiritual assistance from a team of Spiritual Helpers responding to every post from readers within 24 hours or less, and offers insight, suggestions, and companionship during moments of unbidden, unexpected, unwelcome change on the journey of life. She may be contacted at email@example.com.)
(If you would like a question considered for publication, please submit your request to email@example.com, where our team is waiting to hear from you.)
This week my goal has been to write the next lesson for the School of the New Spirituality's website CwGforParents.com. The Conversations with God concept I've had in mind is "Every act is an act of self-definition." Little did I know that I would have the opportunity to experience this very concept in real time… well, I guess I should have expected the Universe (by the "Universe" I understand I am saying myself) to present me with an instance of that which I write, as often happens when I am writing about…well…anything! But seriously, Self, did it have to coincide with the U.S. gun debate? A matter which I had most definitely decided against writing about? Ah, therein lies the rub! I had avoided the topic, so I, and the Universe, made sure I had to confront my own fears and feelings about it to be sure I understood. Well played, my friend. Well played.
Please keep in mind as you proceed that while you are about to read my story, it could easily be anyone's story. And while how I handled myself, in this particular situation, may have worked for me in the moment, it may not work in every moment. So I invite you, as you read the story, to ask yourself: How would I wish to define myself, if I were ever to be in a similar situation, with my child?
I am always cautious and aware of my surroundings but try not to be overly concerned about safety as I am a pretty optimistic, love-seeing person. But my safety instincts are on higher alert when my daughter is along. She and I were walking to our car in a part of town which I would not classify as either overly dangerous or overly safe, when a young male began to stalk us like a lion would stalk its prey. I noticed his odd behavior immediately, but the fact that he didn't strike while we were out of our car indicated to me that he hadn't yet committed to his course of action. Still it was also obvious his intention wasn't to say an innocuous, "Hi! How're ya doing?" Of course, if he asked me for my purse and the keys to my car before we had gotten inside, he could have had them!
Anyway, once inside the car, I watched as he prowled and paced, casing the area checking out his chances with both, us and the surrounding parked cars – looking in windows and watching us; assessing, I guess for vulnerability, belongings, etc. Beyond my intuition of interpreting his movements, it is hard to describe what was happening other than that he was acting aggressively, making a clear show that he had control of the exit of the one-way street. He was erratically crossing back and forth in front of my car and using threatening body language. I sat calmly for a few moments, remembering that fear would only feed a potential power struggle and tried to keep my wits about me; calling upon my inner knowing for guidance. I couldn't really turn the car around because the street was too narrow. I also didn't feel I could reverse the car up to the previous block. I knew the best way out was to proceed forward, cautiously. I took a deep breath and made a call on my cell phone because I figured that would accomplish a couple of things: Making an obvious show of being on the phone would establish a "witness" of sorts and might make him think twice before acting; especially since he already seemed in conflict with himself. I also thought it would help me to convey confidence, without being overly confrontational, that I was getting myself and my daughter out of there safely. In retrospect, it might have been smarter to call the police, but I called my mom…sorry, Mom!
So, as I pulled slowly away from the curb, he made a show of jogging away, and as I suspected, was waiting for me as I turned the corner into the alley (the only exit from the street), blocking the way, with his hands on his hips. I looked at him – straight in the eyes – and slowly but confidently kept driving, talking animatedly on the phone, all the while repeating in my mind, "We are safe." He was, by this time between five and ten feet in front of me and I guess he felt it was time to make a decision. He nodded his head to me, stepped aside and let me pass, at which time I sped away! The whole incident probably lasted for only three minutes.
I cannot be sure what he intended. I cannot be sure if it was my confidence and love in the face of his indecisiveness that stopped him or if he was just playing a game and trying to scare me. Maybe my daughter's light surrounded us, an angel was in the front seat with me, a host of other possibilities, or all of the above could have affected the outcome. I just don't know. All I know is that we left safely. I didn't have to threaten violence. I didn't have to pull a gun. I did have the luxury of a car around me as a measure of protection and I could have driven fast if I had to. But even in that moment when I thought, "Oh, I understand what it means to be willing to do anything to protect your child, including driving my car over another human being," I still asked myself: "Who is to say our lives are more important than his?"
In the following days, a number of people who know my long-standing feelings about guns have said, "I bet you feel differently now! When are you going to go buy a gun?" My answer is the same as it has always been, but maybe even a little stronger. "No, I am not going to buy a gun."
In the short moments of the event, I saw two scenarios lay out before me. I saw one in which, if I had different beliefs about the world, I could have flashed a gun (one I didn't actually have, mind you) to show him who was the boss…in this imaginary scenario I could say I have the power and am not to be messed with! And then in that imaginary scenario, I saw it escalate faster than you can spell G-U-N. I saw him pull one faster than I could fire mine (or take mine from me) and I saw my daughter and me shot, bloodied, and dead. And I saw my husband flying home from his business trip to plan/attend our funerals because I stupidly flashed a gun I was not really prepared to use.
And then, in the other scenario, the one with the act I chose, and still choose, to define me, I chose love, compassion, and careful thought to understand that this was a conflicted kid who saw a possible opportunity and, maybe, needed a way out. I gave him that out by being confident, assertive, and non-threatening. I didn't challenge him to a duel, but looked him straight in the eye, and conveyed with strength and love (of life, my daughter, and yes, even of him), "You don't want to do this!"
I am so grateful for our safety. I am grateful that I, in some way, prevented him from that single act. And I pray that he thinks of that moment before he enters into the next act that defines him.
How will you choose to allow your next acts to define who you are? How will you illustrate how every act is an act of self-definition to your child?
(Emily A. Filmore is the Creative Co-Director of www.cwgforparents.com. She is also the author/illustrator of the "With My Child" Series of books about bonding with your child through everyday activities. Her books are available at www.withmychildseries.com. To contact Emily, please email her at firstname.lastname@example.com.)
It was recently brought to my attention that my driver's license had expired and that I had been driving around town "illegally" for over two weeks. This troubled me, of course, because I immediately thought for sure Murphy's Law would pay me a visit and I would, for the first time in years and years, now ironically get stopped by the police for a moving violation or a broken taillight or, worse yet, maybe find myself involved in an automobile accident, my expired license only adding to my misfortune. Yes, I was frantically writing my own best-selling "what if" story.
But my mind was also busy imagining a situation that perhaps, at least more immediately, was even worse than that — the dreaded thought of having to make an early Monday morning visit to the Department of Motor Vehicles to renew my lapsed license. Oh, just the thought of waiting in those long lines, only to be served by overly tired, underpaid, and under-appreciated government employees who spend long dreary days in a gray office with no windows, determined to suck all of us into their miserable lair. Thought by thought, I was erecting giant walls of resistance around me.
So I came up with a plan. I would be the very first one in line! That way I will avoid those long painful lines and maybe find myself fortunate enough to be served by someone at the DMV who hadn't yet been worn down and numbed by a full day of monotony. Yes! That is what decided to do. So I smugly arrived at the DMV at 7:45 a.m., knowing they opened at 8:30 a.m., and feeling confident that I would be the first to arrive.
Except I wasn't. I was not the first person in line. I was the second person in line.
And this is when I met Bob.
Bob is an 82-year-old gentleman who, like me, came to the DMV office to renew his driver's license. But it did not take long for me to experience the "real" reason Bob was there.
Bob was there for me.
This soft-spoken, kind man, with a smile that extended into his eyes, thought that the driver's license office opened at 8:00, only to discover that he now had 45 minutes to wait outside on the unforgiving hard sidewalk, with nowhere to sit, nowhere to rest his frail legs. But what he did have is someone to talk to, to share his life with, to laugh with, to be present with, someone who understood the much, much larger reason for his "mistake" in thinking the DMV opened at 8:00 and someone who also now understood the underlying purpose in my premeditated "plan" to beat the crowd.
I was there for Bob.
In those precious 45 minutes, I learned from Bob that he said goodbye to his life-long companion just six short months ago. And he misses her dearly. I could feel his sadness and deep love for her. I knew that Bob was experiencing her presence just by having someone to share her memory with, that her essence was alive and very real in our interaction with each other, and I was honored and profoundly touched to be chosen as a surrogate with whom Bob could once again experience her love and grace.
I learned from Bob that he wobbles when he walks sometimes. But he says he does not think of or label this as "stumbling" or "wobbling." Bob says he is dancing. And in our short time together, Bob danced a lot. I wonder if in some of these seemingly unsteady moments his soul is engaging in a breathtaking waltz with his beautiful wife?
I learned from Bob that even though he is no longer able to travel around the country in his motor home as he once did with his Beloved Other, there is a wonderful channel on his Dish network that shows beautiful scenery from around the world — majestic mountains, tranquil beaches, and colorful fields of flowers. And if you get up really early in the morning, at 4:00 a.m., as he does, you can watch that program and "feel like you are right there. " And "if you are a believer," as Bob offered to me, "they even scroll some scripture across the bottom," to which he gently and thoughtfully added, "if you want that."
I learned from Bob that even though his life partner has continued on in her soul's journey, he still greets each new dawn with purpose and appreciation. While he oftentimes yearns for the physical presence of his wife, he understands that he still has soul work to do and a life to live and experience – and he has decided to show up in his own life with humor, kindness, and intention.
There was a point in my life, not too very long ago, when I would have missed entirely the enormous gift being presented within this relationship and within this experience. There may have even been a time where I would have avoided this wonderful elderly gentleman altogether by inconspicuously burying my face in my phone or casually dismissing him with a polite smile. Boy, am I thankful I am not living in that space anymore.
My encounter with Bob is a reminder that what I think is going on isn't always what is going on. My well-laid plan to beat the crowd at the DMV and to make sure that I avoided an uncomfortable personal experience had nothing to do with what I originally imagined. Bob and I had a soul agreement long before our bodies arrived at that particular location at that particular time and in that particular way.
How would our lives change if we viewed every person with whom we interacted as an intentional and purposeful gift? Have our souls chosen the people who are in our lives and those that are held within our next choice? Or are we just randomly bumping into each other? It is easy to view our own biological families and chosen partners and our children and friends as gifts. But what about the passers-by? What about the person next to you in line at the grocery store? What about the "overly tired, underpaid, and under-appreciated government employees who spend long dreary days in a gray office with no windows"?
We sometimes realize after-the-fact that something big, something of importance, something Divine has just taken place. But when we come to this same realization "in the moment" we are actually experiencing it, we can see the opportunity we are being given to remember a little bit more about who we are and why we are here, and we become powerful creators and flow-throughs of God's love.
At 8:30 on the nose, the doors to the DMV opened and I followed Bob into the building. We parted ways to go to our respective service windows, immense feelings of gratitude welling up inside me. When I arrived to meet the person who would be assisting me that morning, the person to whom I had projected unfavorable predictions upon, the individual whose mere existence I was a short while ago resisting, I was warmly greeted with a radiant smile and a cheery, "Good morning! How may I help you today?" – and I immediately knew another opportunity was presenting itself to me.
(Lisa McCormack is the Managing Editor & Administrator of The Global Conversation. She is also a member of the Spiritual Helper team at www.ChangingChange.net, a website offering emotional and spiritual support. To connect with Lisa, please e-mail her at firstname.lastname@example.com)
I'd like some help clarifying a "revelation" that I recently experienced. Up until a few days ago I would have said I didn't have much of a possibility to repair ancient wounds in my life, or to repair a friendship that's dear to me. But something turned me around: the realization that the past cannot be changed and that by dwelling on it one way or the other I was cheating myself of the presents that lay the Here and Now. I also realized I could be patient in the long process of rekindling this friendship, all the while staying confident, peaceful. And this is new to me, because I had a tendency to let my emotions define me. What do you think about this? Thanks in advance for your insight. … Lisa
Dear Lisa… So what happened to turn you around was that you simply changed your thought processes about what had happened, right? Just goes to show that we create our reality at an inner level. To change our reality about anything, all we need to do is change our thinking about it—to look at what happened from a different perspective.
Have you read Neale's book, When Everything Changes, Change Everything? The Line of Causality/Mechanics of the Mind lays out the lightning-fast thought process we have in our Minds regarding any event, and shows how we move from the event itself to our reality about it. Each of these steps leads to the other:
Event – Data – Truth – Thought – Emotion – Experience – Reality
I'll try to explain briefly here:
1. An Event happens.
2. We immediately search our brains' Data for past experience of something similar to that Event, so that we may contextualize it somehow.
3. We have a prior Truth about that Data, which we often project onto the new Event (justifiably or not).
4. That Truth causes a Thought to arise about the Event. This may be a true Thought or not.
5. That Thought causes an Emotion inside us.
6. The Emotion, as you so aptly said, "defines" us and creates our Experience.
7. Our Experience becomes our Reality.
This happens so fast we don't even know it!
In your case, I think you realized a few days ago that your prior Thought that there wasn't much of a possibility to repair the wounds or friendship, isn't true. So now, your process beyond Step 4 is different. Your new Thought that there is a possibility for a happier ending brings forth a new, better-feeling Emotion, which leads to a new Experience of life for you, resulting in a new Reality. Woohoo! Good for you!
Does this make sense? It's, of course, explained in great detail and depth in Neale's book, including how we may incorporate the System of the Soul here, but the main point is this:
"Change our Thought, Change our Reality." Or as the common New Thought expression goes:
"Change your thinking, change your life!"
(Annie Sims is the Global Director of CWG Advanced Programs, is a Conversations With God Coach and author/instructor of the CWG Online School. To connect with Annie, please email her at email@example.com
(If you would like a question considered for publication, please submit your request to: firstname.lastname@example.com where our team is waiting to hear from you.)
Within the first few pages of this delightful book, I knew I was in for a real treat! "Dreams of the Mighty," by Kim Wood and Teri Roefs, is a colorful and magical journey of self-realization for Les, a man who plods through his day-to-day challenges, feeling discouraged with the way life is playing out for him, feeling as though something was missing, while at the same time sensing that something significant, something life-changing, was about to happen to him.
And, boy, was it!
In this wonderful celebration of life, an adventure of twists and turns, brimming with unexpected surprises and unlikely relationships, "Les finally knew beyond all doubt that he was truly free, always had been, forever would be. He rejoiced in the indescribably rich, purposeful engagement that his life had been; a hallowed script, a miraculous role, a blessed cast—every act flawless and complete within the divine plan."
Kim and Teri have injected a clever balance of humor and spirituality into this uplifting novel, an extraordinary and refreshing combination that is not commonly found in a lot of today's new-thought writings, a shining example that, yes, even a quest for one's true self can be lighthearted and fun. One of its underlying messages is that if we place ourselves in a space of openness and awareness to everything around us, we can't help but to feel our connection to all of it and experience the significance of our presence within it.
Treat yourself, as I did, to this engaging and thoughtful book written by two passionate and creative authors who have used their own inner personal spiritual journey to inspire and touch all those who share their path.
"Dreams of the Mighty" can be found and purchased online at www.chapters.indigo.ca, or, for substantially less, as an E-book
from www.smashwords.com.
(Kim Wood is an author whose creativity, lifelong passion for the written word, keen sense of humor and insatiable curiosity about the 'whys' of being have come together here in Dreams of the Mighty, his first novel. Kim can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. Teri Roefs is a psychotherapist practicing in and around Ottawa, Canada. She is a certified hypnotherapist, a clinical member of the Gestalt Psychotherapy Institute, an EMDR and Energy Psychology practitioner, and has completed training in a wide range of therapeutic procedures. Teri can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.)
(Lisa McCormack is the Managing Editor & Administrator of The Global Conversation. She is also a member of the Spiritual Helper team atwww.ChangingChange.net, a website offering emotional and spiritual support. To connect with Lisa, please e-mail her at email@example.com.)
(If there is a book, movie, music CD, etc. that you would like to recommend to our worldwide audience, please submit it to our Managing Editor, Lisa McCormack, for possible publication in this space. Not all submissions can be published, due to the number of submissions and sometimes because of other content considerations, but all are encouraged. Send submissions to firstname.lastname@example.com. Please label the topic: "Review")
That's right, I hear voices — four of them actually. And tonight I recognized them and saw very clearly what was happening, and it started with a prayer. I prayed while laying in savasana after an inspiring yoga class. My prayer was a simple one, a typical one even. I knew I had to get this blog up. And I am somewhat of an inspirational writer. What I mean by that is when something in my life inspires me, the thoughts come fast and furious. When this happens, I need to get to the computer quickly or at the very least a pad and pen.
This past week, I haven't had the opportunity to let those things that I felt inspired to write about get written down or entered into the computer. My busy life was stringing out my current blog past when it was time to change it and I needed some inspiration. So I prayed. I asked God in what I recognized was my voice, "God, please bring through me the words that those reading my blog this week are seeking to hear." I continued in my head with the invocation, although this one had a different voice, albeit it was still my voice. The inflection was not as strong and committed, and it stuttered a little.
The prayer continued in this shaky voice, "Please, God, let this blog be of great service."
This is where it became interesting. Another voice almost simultaneously, yet seemingly behind the shaky voice, a higher pitched, tense, and uneasy voice, was saying, "Let this be of great service to me as well."
Just as that voice started to say that, another voice came in and chimed, "You can't ask for this to serve you!" This voice was clearly different, as were all four of the voices, yet they were, strangely enough, all my voice. It was very clear to me while this was happening ,that these were all my thoughts with my different data attached to them surrounding what each statement was.
This noticing of my thoughts, and the voices attached to them, was fairly unique to me. I have listened to the voices in my head many times and always wondered what was going on there. I have been intrigued about how many different levels there are in my mind. And that kicked off another whole set of thoughts and voices.
The thought process fascinated me, especially with the level of clarity and awareness in which it occurred. I quickly had the thought, "This is the blog!" As soon as I made that decision, I had two simultaneous things going on in my head.
The first was, "Don't forget this!" I began to repeat the topic over and over in my head so I would remember: "I hear voices, I hear voices…" While repeating that mantra, my secondary thoughts were flying about, "How does this tie in to addiction?" One voice said, "You can't write about something like that. What if it harms someone?" While immediately another voice said, "Oh, my God, people who hear voices need to read this. They need to know that maybe those voices are there to bring awareness to our thoughts." This very same voice said, "You must write this article."
And so that conversation took place in my head in a two-minute span while laying on a floor in a 105 degree room, soaking wet after a ninety-minute yoga class where every aspect of my being was pushed to the limits. This incredible insight happened because I took time for myself. I made time for me and only me to honor what God has given me, a beautiful mind capable of multi-layered thought, an incredible body that is able to do more than I ever give it credit for, and a soul in which to rely upon and seek wisdom, compassion, discipline, and insight from.
You see, recovery is about always seeking greater insight into ourselves, the world around us, and to expand our consciousness of what we believe our Creator to be. If I seek to remain open, and never declare anything to be the ultimate truth, that leaves me with the power to recreate myself and my world at any moment. When you are in a state of mind that is seeking higher states of Divinity, there is no room for relapse.
I understand that for some hearing voices is a sign of mental illness, and that should not be taken lightly, nor should it be made fun of. What I am encouraging people to do here is take a concept and think deeply on it. What I did only took two minutes and the feeling and inspiration was phenomenal.
(Kevin McCormack is a Conversations with God Life Coach, a Spiritual helper on www.changingchange.net, and an Addictions recovery advisor. You can visit his website for more information at www.Kevin-Spiritualmentor.com To connect with Kevin, please email him at firstname.lastname@example.com)
I said goodbye to my dear friend and colleague Patty Hammett last week. She was the Administrator of the Conversations with God Foundation with whom I have had the pleasure of working with for over thirteen years. She and I shared our common passion and common mission with the CwG Foundation of giving people back to themselves, which in CwG terms means helping others to recreate themselves anew in their next grandest version of the greatest vision ever they held about who they are. Last week's column on being angry at disease was based in my grief around losing her, another dear friend gone to cancer, but it also inspired me to recommit to helping people find holistic solutions to everyday living problems.
Patty left her physical form, yet I feel as if she is here with me right now. In fact, I will tell you that I feel her inspiration and words flowing through me as we speak. I imagine it is a similar feeling that Neale Donald Walsch must get when he is having his conversations with God. I hear Patty's voice nudging me, inviting me, guiding me, and all I have to do is let it flow. This is a wonderful feeling and important for me since I have been asked to fill her shoes at the CwG Foundation as the new Administrator and Program Director. I loved working with Patty, and it seems our work will continue; I feel a profound sense of gratitude for this. My sense of sadness is coupled with this overwhelming feeling of her presence right here, right now, which causes me to feel something other than sad. I am not sure there is a word for it, but I am at peace. So this week's column is written by Patty Hammett, here to inspire JR and YOU to be the next grandest version of the greatest vision ever we held about who we are.
When I was asked by Neale Donald Walsch and Will Richardson, the CwG Foundation board President, to take over the leadership of the foundation, I will tell you that I felt it potentially to be too daunting a task for me. We talked for several hours about it, and still I wasn't sure if I could do the foundation justice. It is interesting how fear and doubt will show right up when we are offered opportunities that we know in the moment will change our life forever for the better, yet still they show up as if they are there to protect us from all that good about to be bestowed upon us…"can't have that" says fear! I left with my head swimming, wondering if I had made the right decision, second guessing my choice, feeling uncertain if I could pull it off. Would I make Patty proud? Oh, God, how am I going to fill those shoes? It seems my prayers were answered the very next morning when I awoke full of excitement and passion; the ideas began to flow out of me. They were pouring out of me faster than I could write them down or express them to others, and that is when I realized Patty's presence had replaced the fear. It was the moment I knew that she was still here, that I was not alone in this, and that I could do it. She was literally flowing through me. She was using my hands just as she is doing right now to express these very words to you. She was in spirit, that is, inspiring me. And then I had no doubt. I knew I was not alone and that we could do it. Call it what you will, but when you have this kind of an experience, being in spirit, something inside of you shifts. That is the God Experience.
And God knows I needed a shift. If you read my columns, you know that I have been moving through the loss of a marriage which ended in betrayal, the loss of someone I care for deeply, the loss of hopes, dreams and desires now never to be fulfilled, at least not with her. It is said that God never gives you more than you can handle. I wish God didn't have so much confidence in me sometimes! And yet as promised, the gifts of shift continue to reveal themselves as understanding replaces pain. The messages of Conversations with God, along with my training as a grief and recovery counselor, have helped me through the toughest of times for sure, but it has also set the stage for my personal transformation in a direction I would have never thought possible. Without the loss, this current version of me could not exist. Without the change, this current experience could not take shape or form. And as always, good comes out of bad to create great. And now Patty, unburdened by physical form, shows up to remind us all, through me in this moment, that life is always working in our favor. A message I will continue to speak as long as I have breath.
If you have been inspired by the messages of CwG or any spiritual writings, you know they are here to remind us to remember who we really are, especially during the times when it would be very easy to forget. That is also the job of angels, both here and there, to show up and help us to remember, to guide us through, to be the light unto the darkness. Patty was an angel in physical form who now has shown up for me as an angel to guide me through the next chapter of my life…and for this I am forever grateful.
As I write this, the sun has just peaked through my window, a new day is born, how appropriate as a rebirth takes place before my very eyes. Having and holding these kinds of experiences make the tough times worth the price of admission. Having people like Patty in your life makes life worth living.
So I begin again. I take the parts from the old version of me that work and I leave behind the parts of me that no longer work, knowing they served me well for they brought me here. With gratitude I say goodbye and begin again.
I am ready to take on this new opportunity to be a messenger and helper at the Conversations with God Foundation. One of my very first actions will be to create a partnership program, an opportunity where we can co-create together, the bringing forth the messages of CwG through the living of your purpose, passion, and your reason for being. If you have been touched by the messages of CwG and wish to become a grander version of yourself through the living of your life purpose and doing so in partnership with the CwG Foundation, if this sounds like something you would be interested in learning more about, then please reach out to me. I will be creating programs going forward to give opportunities for others to be of service, but I am also going to be looking for those in spirit, those inspired individuals that would like to create with us, to ensure that the legacy of the CwG messages continues long after we are gone. My realization once again through the loss of my dear friend Patty, and now through her inspiration to me, that the messages of Conversations with God changed my life forever, and it continues to do so. My gift to give back is to ensure that these messages continue to touch the lives of those who are reawakening to who they really are. This I know makes my dear angel friend Patty smile, for it was her passion…and still is.
If making a difference in the world while ensuring the legacy of CwG sound like something you want to explore with the CwG Foundation, reach out to me: firstname.lastname@example.com
Thank you, Dear Patty, for all that you have been, are now, and forever will be…an angel without end. May you guide my every action to benefit the world we serve, together forever, in love and in spirit. Your friend – JR
(J.R. Westen, D.D. is a Holistic Health & Spiritual Counselor who has worked and presented side-by-side with Neale Donald Walsch for over a decade. He is passionate about helping individuals move beyond their emotional and spiritual challenges, transforming breakdowns into breakthroughs. His coaching provides practical wisdom and guidance that can be immediately incorporated to shift one's experience of life. As is true for most impactful teachers, J.R.'s own struggles and triumphs inspired him to find powerful ways of helping others. Sober since June 1, 1986, J.R.'s passion for helping individuals move through intense life challenges drove him to also specialize in Addiction and Grief Recovery. J.R. currently shares his gift of counseling & coaching with individuals from around the world through the Wellness Center, Simply Vibrant, located on Long Island N.Y. In addition, he operates "Change House" a place where people come to transform, he also works with Escondido Sobering Services and now serves as the administrator and program director for the Conversations with God Foundation. He can be contacted at firstname.lastname@example.com, or to book an appointment, write email@example.com.)
What do you do with the stuff that easily triggers anger? I'm an easy going, peaceful and loving person, but I have my moments where I lose it, like when my kids throw tantrums or are exceptionally whiny, or someone treats me with disrespect. I get that we are all human and anger is a natural emotion, but in these situations it just feels awful and I always regret it. How do we show up as who we really are in those moments? I sometimes feel like a terrible person!
Martha, San Francisco
Hi Martha,
Great question, and I think we can all relate to it. I'm glad you used the example of "losing it" with your kids, because those blessed little creatures sure know how to push our buttons and make us feel the furthest thing from spiritually evolved (coming from a mother of a "lively" 3 year old). I'm going to use this example as I explain why we have some strong emotional responses that don't feel so great sometimes as well as how to shift them.
Conversations with God discusses the concept of "giving meaning to things", saying that nothing in this world has any meaning save the meaning we give it. So a thing is not "good" or "bad" by itself, it is simply a thing that is occurring and those who are observing this occurrence are the ones who assign the meaning of it being either a bad thing or a good thing. Now let's apply this concept to the thing we call "kids throwing tantrums", something I happen to be very familiar with, and I'll speak from my point of view since I can't reach into your mind to access yours.
The meaning I have assigned in the past to my child throwing a whopper of a tantrum (and total transparency here, please don't judge!), looks something like this, "She is being so irrational right now for no reason, she is not listening to me which is disrespectful and undermines my parenting. And this is awful to experience!" The meaning I assigned that occurrence was making me feel bad, and triggering an emotional response of anger and irritation, which used to cause me either to raise my voice, get frustrated, things that certainly didn't help the situation. Presently, I am happy to report that I've assigned this occurrence a new meaning, which looks something like this, "Wow, my little baby is having a difficult time right now, she's clearly overwhelmed by something and doesn't know how to manage her emotions yet. Poor thing!" This new meaning triggers my emotional response of compassion, which now causes me to practice patience, tolerance, and even scoop the little tyrant up and hug her until she calms down. Voila, my experience of this occurrence is now vastly different and much, much better for all involved, simply because I changed the way I was looking at it.
So I encourage you, Martha, to take a deep look at those common situations that occur in your life that trigger your anger. Ask yourself what meaning you are currently giving each of them, and then consciously assign them a new meaning that feels better to you. And then, of course, practice implementing them. You're not a terrible person, you're an amazing person for noticing something that you're not in alignment with and wanting to change it.
(Nova Wightman is a CWG Life Coach, as well as the owner and operator of Go Within Life Coaching, www.gowithincoaching.com, specializing in helping individuals blend their spirituality with their humanity in a way that makes life more enjoyable, easy, and fulfilling. She can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. )
(If you would like a question considered for publication, please submit your request to: email@example.com, where our team is waiting to hear from you.)
Anxiety. Stress. Fear. These are just a few of the many ways that I have heard my classmates describe their high school experience. Yet these seemed to be the most common descriptions I have heard about this period of life for people between the ages of 14 and 18. As I look at my own high school experience, I too recognize that it has been anything but a carefree journey. Through the combination of social interactions and academic expectations, teens are becoming overloaded. But by how much?
Apparently, it's enough to drive us crazy. In a 2000 publication, the American Psychological Association (APA) reported that the average teenager will experience the same level of anxiety as that of a 1950s psychiatric patient. And this was just for the average teenager before the time of Twitter and Facebook. What would this data look like now? And, more importantly, why hasn't anything been done about this teenage mental pandemic since?
Though the level of anxiety teenagers feel has skyrocketed, the psychological treatments for this problem has remained virtually the same. Across the board, stress therapy has focused on the concept of coping with our stressors. Even the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has highly recommended stress management techniques that act as distraction to our mind from our stressors. The activities outlined by the CDC include participating on a sport, taking up a hobby, becoming socially involved, and of course, looking for professional help. By attempting to change our behavior, therapy tries to change our thoughts, and is often unsuccessful. Though these activities do help alleviate stress, they are only temporary in their affect. After the activity has finished and the session is over, the fear, stress, and anxiety will still persist in our thoughts.
This still means that we are trapped in the same cycle. What if I want to do more than just "deal" with my stress? What if I actually want to change the way I feel?
By focusing purely on reaction, therapy has forgotten all about the creation side of the spectrum. We CAN choose whether we will simply react to the events of life or let our own decisions construct an entirely new concept on how to live life. By changing our thoughts, it changes our behavior.
In this mindset (or rather, open mindedness), we employ the Core Message of the Be-Do-Have Paradigm. With Have-Do-Be state, we rely on outside factors to shape our journey for us, while in the Be-Do-Have Paradigm, we are the source of our own change. Though our beliefs in our Old Cultural Story still think it is rational that we must have things to do stuff to be stress-free, we know that this simply is not the way. To change our thoughts, we must BE the creative cycle of Be-Do-Have, rather than the reactionary Have-Do-Be. By just being what you truly wish to be, you can do things that reinforce that state of being. And by doing these behaviors, you will have the lifestyle that you want to live.
If this sounds simple, it should. The entire concept of the Be-Do-Have Paradigm is that it is naturally applicable – it doesn't require toiling hours or rigorous schedules. By being calm, by being flexible, by being controlled, we can take a look at our stress inducing environments with entirely new eyes. Suddenly, when you are being composed instead of acting composed, life's unpredictability doesn't seem that stressful anymore. So go ahead and try the Be-Do-Have Paradigm, and be your own triumph. At the very least, I know you will BE happier!
(Lauren is a Feature Editor of The Global Conversation. She lives in Wood Dale, IL, and can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com)


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"Girl, I had to quit that job. I was bored to tears!"
In this month's series, Uncharted Territory, we're talking about getting a vision for your life. However, are you feeling like you have to make a long list of resolutions, upending everything from the past?
Here's a radical thought: Maybe it's ok to keep your old life. At least some parts.
Natalie had changed direction so many times that "upending" was putting it mildly. She laughed as she remembered getting her first job out of law school. "I. Was. Terrible! I didn't know how to draft, how to talk to clients, how to solve problems. But after spending thousands on law school tuition, I was determined to make it work."
"I landed a job on the East Coast doing corporate work for a big insurance company, but I knew it wasn't my dream job. So I started joining some professional organizations to see what else was out there. I liked intellectual property the best. It was a fast moving area, and the people working for online media companies seemed fun and really bright."
"Out of the blue, an IP friend called about a job opening at his company. I jumped at the chance. When I got the offer a month later, I couldn't move from Philadelphia to San Francisco fast enough. Ten years and three jobs later, here I am!"
When you listen to her story, what words jump out to you? Although Natalie changed a lot following graduation, she maintained some important qualities along the way.
- Determination. When she got out of law school, she was "determined to make it work." Honing a persistent ability to follow-through has been critical to her success.
- Fun, fast moving. Doing the same thing day after day was mind-numbing for Natalie. She discovered that she needed a job that matched her natural pace.
- Curiosity. Natalie knew she wasn't fully prepared for corporate law, but she tried it anyway. Then she began to experiment with different practice areas, finally landing on a completely different specialty, intellectual property. And she's still curious, with a devotion to being a lifelong learner.
Let's use Natalie's experience and make it personal. What do you want to hang onto, no matter where you are or what you're doing?
Do you know how to communicate well with others? Are you fantastic at bringing people together for a common goal? Are you skilled at resolving thorny problems, finding solutions that will benefit everyone?
Think about what makes your life rich and meaningful, and then reduce it to a couple of keywords, just like you'd type into a search engine. This year, you can come back to them over and over.
Here are a few prompts: Creative. Generous. Energetic. Authentic. Connected.
If you need a style icon, think of Queen Latifah. Her career has taken her from hip-hop to jazz standards to acting. But along the way, she has maintained a dynamic presence. When you see her, one of her earliest hits still comes to mind. "All hail the queen!"
Something is working for you. As you're re-ordering your life for 2017, don't cut too deep.
Published by Michelle Mains

subset: commoncrawl


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ICT Reconstruction Project
Following the Great East Japan Earthquake, the vulnerability of our information communication technology -ICT-, which could be seen in the disruption of communication lines, the failure of information gathering, and the insufficiency of information, was revealed, exposing issues that need to be addressed.
In response to these issues, Tohoku University established the Research Organization of Electrical Communication -ROEC-. It aims for development of disaster-resistant information communication network in the world.


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Problem Customers
Early on you'll start to encounter occasional problem customers. Your fair and courteous treatment of difficult situations will help establish your online reputation and could have a big impact on your job satisfaction and peace of mind.
Real 'Problem Customers' Are Rare
In nearly all cases, customers who seem combative, irrational, or even dishonest are really normal people who are under unusual pressure or are having a bad day. It's important to put yourself in the position of your customer, never assume that people are being dishonest until there's real proof, and ask yourself whether their communication could be justified under difficult circumstances.
In our business we've found only about one individual in 5,000 to be a real problem customer. However, this can definitely be influenced by the type of products you sell. For reasons described in my article about Good vs. Terrible Product Ideas, I encountered far more problem customers when I ran a different category of online business. Since dealing with problem customers can be a big source of frustration, you should consider this possibility as you choose your product idea.
Here are guidelines I've learned for different types of difficult customers.
- Good people who are having a bad day really aren't a problem at all, and will comprise nearly everyone who at first seems irrational or confrontational. These individuals might, for example, have an unusually urgent need for your product or be unsure about the safety of shopping online. It's important to respond to these individual quickly, with the utmost courtesy, in a way that assures them you're honest and fair.
- Truly abusive customers are rare, and will usually make themselves known early-on. An example of abusive behavior is to demand a big discount and to imply a threat or use profanity if you don't agree. Once an individual displays abusive behavior, your best option is to to communicate with courtesy and respect but to avoid making the sale. If the individual is already your customer you'll be tempted to refund the purchase in hope of ending the abuse. However we've found that combative customers can continue to cause problems even after you've refunded their money and let them keep the product for free.
- Self-destructive consumers are rare but can be a big concern. With improper use almost any product can cause injury or financial loss. If you receive a communication from anyone that suggests they might use your product in a harmful way, always explain the potential outcome in clear and explicit terms. If the individual seems determined to proceed, do everything possible to avoid making the sale.
- Customers who commit outright fraud are rare, but require you to always be meticulous in your record keeping. Fortunately a good payment processor can prevent your dealing with the vast majority of cases where, for example, someone claims that they've never bought your product. In cases where an individual says that your product was bought but never delivered, we've found that while UPS isn't perfect overall, they have been very reliable in either issuing an insurance payment or, after investigation, getting the customer to admit a mistake.
In every case, your best option is to communicate with respect and recognize that email can be dangerous if you're not careful with your communication.


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Minister of Finance Felix Mutati has urged the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) to work with government in order to ensure development in the country.
Hon. Mutati said this during the official opening of the LAZ annual general meeting held in Livingstone last Thursday.
He noted that government was aware of the disunity within the association and that government wanted to see a united LAZ and if not they cannot engage with a not united association.
The honorable Minister urged LAZ not to engage in politics and not to be bias so as to maintain the association's integrity as people see the association as an element of solution to the country's legal, social and political problems.
He said that it was not right for the government and President Edgar Lungu to be seen as the people that want the LAZ leadership changed. "Government is not involved in the problems or maneuvers to have the LAZ leadership changed," he said.
Mr Mutati further said that the country is facing a lot of difficulties and sought for the Association for solutions on national issues especially on the interpretation of the law.
And LAZ President Linda Kasonde praised the government for stabilizing the economy and taking steps to end poverty and promoting good governance especially through new economic reforms that the government had put in place.
Ms Kasonde said that there was need for the government to be reflective on the voice of the people to improved governance. She also called on lawyers to stand up against any abuse of the law by the legislature, the judiciary and the executive as there is a need to exercise separation of powers.
Members of the Law Association of Zambia assembled in Livingstone at the Avania Victoria Falls resorts for their annual general meeting under the theme "Towards a risen Zambia: The role of lawyers in promoting economic development and the rule of law" to chart a new chapter for their August organization.
In March protest had risen at the LAZ secretariat in Lusaka, calling for Kasonde's resignation for alleged partiality. It was believed that the executive was anti-government and some members said that the association should be non-partisan. They were a lot wrangles that arose in the Linda Kasonde led executive which also raised a lot of questions on the credibility and the confidence of the Law Association of Zambia leadership.
There were also incidences of some members of the association sponsoring a motion of no confidence which failed due to a number of reasons one of them being that LAZ rules state that the executive stays for two years and that they could only vacate office on prescribed grounds, including insanity and bankruptcy. One of its members also established that a vote of no confidence could not work because LAZ rules did not provide for the executive to leave office through a vote of no confidence.


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Spring is hopefully just around the corner. A time when dormant buds break, grass begins to grow, and seeds germinate. These seeds have been lying in the soil since last fall, waiting for an appropriate cue such as moisture and a warm soil temperature, to trigger germination. Isn't it amazing that a seed, which can be as large as a 20 pound coconut or as small as false pimpernel which requires 150 million seeds to weigh 1 pound, holds the key for whether or not the species survives the following year. Of course, not all plants rely totally on seed production in order to multiply. Perennials like ground ivy, quackgrass, and yellow nutsedge also vegetatively reproduce. Yet, all plants, including perennial weeds, persist because of seed production and reestablishment from seed which makes eradication nearly impossible.
Why does seed production make weed eradication nearly impossible? First of all, weeds have the ability in seed production to compensate greatly for loss in numbers, even though their potential seed production capacity varies greatly. Generally, a weed which relies entirely on seed production for survival (annuals and biennials), either produces a large number of small seeds or produces fewer large-sized seeds. For example, common mullein on average produces 220,000 small seeds per plant, while sandbur produces less of a much larger seed (1,100 seeds/plant). The advantages of a large seed versus a lot of seed is a subject ecologists have addressed in numerous textbooks. The take home message was that both seed production strategies have been successful in ensuring the persistence of these weeds.
Perennials do not need to rely entirely on seed production for survival; therefore, not as much energy is put into seed production. For example, two creeping perennials, Canada thistle and leafy spurge, produce only 680 and 140 seeds per plant. Yet, even with only 140 seeds/plant, there would be a potential of 20,000 plants by the end of the second year if all 140 seeds germinated the first year. Just imagine what number could be possible in ten years!
Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, not all seeds germinate the following year because of a condition termed seed dormancy. Seed dormancy is when a seed will not germinate even though adequate moisture, oxygen, and temperature conditions exist. This provides the seed a means by which germination is delayed until favorable conditions for growth and establishment in the field are met. The length of this delay depends on the type of seed and the environmental conditions. One report on seeds taken from an archeological excavation in Denmark showed that life spans beyond 1,700 years were possible. Another study found that seeds over 200 years old in adobe bricks could still germinate. However, most studies show that about 95% of the seeds germinate by the first year. In fact, many seeds do not get the chance to germinate because they become a meal for birds, mice, and other small animals.
This seed predation provides little comfort because there always seems to be plenty of weeds to keep us busy hoeing, pulling, and digging. However, one can take comfort in knowing that when you see those weeds it means winter is done and spring has come.
This article originally appeared in the March 24, 1993 issue, pp. , 1993 issue, pp. 29-30.
Links to this article are strongly encouraged, and this article may be republished without further permission if published as written and if credit is given to the author, Horticulture and Home Pest News, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. If this article is to be used in any other manner, permission from the author is required. This article was originally published on March 24, 1993. The information contained within may not be the most current and accurate depending on when it is accessed.


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Yeah the funny thing about writing an article about how awesome something is, is that you never expect that thing to lay a huge egg on the road in Athens. Maybe I should have. Optimism is much more fun than pessimism and better for my stomach and liver. This article series is also built to withstand some bumps. It's not just any person who gets to hold the College And Magnolia Boss Energy Leadership Trophy.
A reminder: the CAMBELT stays with the current holder of the CAMBELT until another member of the Auburn Tigers does something to take it.
Georgia Game:
Athens, Georgia, has produced better bands than it deserves. R.E.M. has some certified bangers and also is way more rad than 100% of the fans and students of the University of Georgia. Dawg fans will probably tell you how they saw R.E.M. play a house party before they were big or some nonsense but you wont be able to hear it over the sound of the Conservative talk radio blaring from the speakers of their leased Audi with the "I'd rather be driving a titleist" bumper sticker on the back. What a hip guy.
Anyway, this game was a drag from the jump. Anyone who sat through the whole thing really doesn't value their mental health or is just a better fan than I am. Not one Auburn player did anything to remotely come close to taking the CAMBELT from Seth Williams. Even Seth Williams only is able to keep the CAMBELT because one cannot lose it—it must be taken. Tank Bigsby seems like a real player, but being the bright spot in an otherwise dull game is not enough.
I will say this, if JJ Pegues scores a touchdown from the Wildcat, this contest is over. He will win the CAMBELT and I won't apologize for the ten thousand word column that will follow on this web page.
Anyway, here's to hoping someone does something great on Saturday.


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Entrepreneurial Learning/Motive
Politics[edit | edit source]
Economy[edit | edit source]
From a macro-economically perspective, four production factors can be distinguished: labor, nature, capital and entrepreneurship. These production factors are used to realize the production and with that production the income is earned. Entrepreneurship combines these production factors in new ways, thereby responding to opportunities in our society. All factors of production are subject to change: they develop. This applies to labor (training), capital (infrastructure in a broad sense), nature (raw materials, environment) and also for entrepreneurship.
ROI[edit | edit source]
The social value that entrepreneurial learning adds to the students can be converted into economic value with the help of stakeholders. For investors it offers a unique opportunity for a high ROI (return on investment). It is possible to enter into a commercial relationship with future topentrepreneurs at an early stage. The creation of these services will be done by start-ups that result in independently operating companies. For the necessary investments, the participating schools, the participating business community and subsidy providers are called upon. These investments will pay for themselves in the long term so that participants can regard their contribution as providing venture capital at a high return.
SROI[edit | edit source]
The value that entrepreneurial learning adds is more than higher grades. We express this value in Social Return On Investments (SROI) [1]. After all, entrepreneurial learning is a breeding ground for social initiatives and results. It is populated by socially engaged, enterprising and creative young people with a commercial spirit. These entrepreneurs create value through innovation and open new markets. Throughout their school careers, these social entrepreneurs are supported in innovations that increase the welfare of people and animals. Social entrepreneurship has the attention of the government when it comes to urgent social issues in the social domain.
You develop entrepreneurship by gaining experience. From learning by doing you create a mind-set that you see opportunities and can give meaning to them. By learning entrepreneurially, the approach is mainly creatively and socially focused on values such as win-win, happiness, freedom, sustainability and growth.
Education[edit | edit source]
"Cognitive learning is not free, but metacognitive is."
21st century[edit | edit source]
In the current time perspective, modern man is less and less someone who wants and can comply with a social regulation system. Nowadays, instead of doing things as they should and doing what they have to do, they want self-control over their own lives. Focus more on values instead of standards. Entrepreneurial learning translates this change into a modern vision of education and what it intends to do on that basis. In this vision, education sees the learner as someone who is enterprising, investigative, both critical and open in the world. Who regards his or her own life as a "company". Education there is faced with the task of doing justice to the student. To enable the student to make optimal use of his or her entrepreneurship. Seeing and using the value of others.
Environment[edit | edit source]
Entrepreneurial learning connects a school to its social environment. Expanding the network has great value for both the school and its environment. Entrepreneurs can be helpful for the school and its teachers and students to set steps to the external environment. Conversely, schools can also be this for young educational entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurial students are interesting for organizations (banks, investors) who like to enter into a relationship with young talented entrepreneurs early on. Charities can benefit from the efforts of the schools and participants. These charities can in turn share expertise, social involvement, sustainability and citizenship with the schools. Society as a whole benefits from entrepreneurial learning because of the stimulus it has in matters such as innovation, productivity and, for example, the use of talents.
Attitude[edit | edit source]
If it performs its task properly, a school will add considerable social value to its students. Most education programs on the subject of entrepreneurship are mainly focused on developing business skills. Research into the effects of this type of program shows that this has a negative effect on the affinity with entrepreneurial behavior and entrepreneurship [2]. For all programs developed so far, this appears to be a general trend [3].
Entrepreneurial learning can also focus on entrepreneurial attitude in addition to business behavior, by giving talented young entrepreneurs the helm, so that they can organize education according to their taste, in order to increase the motivation for and the development of an entrepreneurial attitude. This means that students largely determine what their learning process looks like. They decide for themselves which projects they want to do and which resources they need.
Parents[edit | edit source]
Motivation[edit | edit source]
It turns out that discovering the social relevance of courses is an essential condition for achieving intrinsically motivated learning [4]. Learning from your own motivation. Learning from your passion. Because you want to learn it yourself, contrary to what the teacher tells you to do. The value of "subjects" is often not seen by the students. Why do I have to learn that subject? What's in it for me later? With a little bit of luck, an adequate teacher can still make that future value plausible, but explaining what it means to you in the here and now is considerably more difficult for many teachers. When the students understand what a subject can do for them at the same time, they become the owner of the subject, which makes them intrinsically motivated. After all, intrinsic motivation is about pupils wanting to learn something from their own inner drive because they understand its value. Because in entrepreneurial learning the intrinsic motivation of the students is addressed directly and continuously - for each concept, for example, the context [5]} must be made explicit - they are provided with a solid foundation for want to learn.
Self-awareness[edit | edit source]
In entrepreneurial learning self-aware behavior leads to respect, trust and appreciation. Others therefore feel free to express themselves and are respected. Wanting to know instead of having to know, in order to add more value for yourself and for the other person. People trust enterprising people if they are consistent.In order to do that, the enterprising student must first know what he focuses on. It is best to focus on improving your own unique qualities. Consistent people have a clear vision and mission and continue to check whether everything is still correct. In this way they develop a recognizable identity.
Assertiveness[edit | edit source]
Entrepreneurial learning invites entrepreneurial students to be assertive. The advantage of assertive behavior is satisfaction with the result achieved and reachingthe goals more often. You experience win-win through honest negotiations and that gives self-respect. Having the guts to dare to be yourself, to stand up for yourself and your ideas and to pursue consistently what you want to achieve. In addition, it would be a shame that when you design your own learning route it is not carried out because you cannot stand up enough for your design.


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In September 2016, American Capital Agency Corp. changed its name to AGNC Investment Corp. (NASDAQ: AGNC) with little fanfare or formality. This was not a branding play for the mREIT, which invests in agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS). Rather, it reflected the company's internalization of its management structure, says Gary Kain, chief executive officer, president and chief investment officer of AGNC.
AGNC bought the company that had managed the mREIT, effectively becoming an internally managed REIT in the process.
The move had a number of implications for investors —most significantly a drop in its operating expenses, net of management fees income, to approximately 70 basis points, Kain says. In other words, AGNC's shareholders could invest in an actively managed REIT at fees typically seen in passively managed exchange-traded funds.
The company's low-cost structure is one of its advantages, according to analyst Bose George of Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. "It is an attractive way to invest in the agency market," he says.
But the fees are a sideshow —albeit an important one —for AGNC. The company offers investors a twofold value proposition: expertise in the agency mortgage market and strategies for risk management and hedging. Put together, they have helped deliver a total stock return that has averaged 18 percent per year since the REIT went public in 2008.
For the most part, AGNC is an agency REIT. Last year, it expanded into mortgage credit investments, but those comprise a small percentage of its portfolio. Even for investors who might fear interest rate risk, now might be a good time to invest in an agency REIT, according to George, who says it is doubtful there will be any meaningful increases in interest rates in the next few years. Like most other mREITs, AGNC hedges against changes in interest rates.
"One reason why we think being an agency REIT makes sense is that most investors have lots of credit risk and pro-cyclical investments tied to the economy in the rest of their portfolio, so an agency mREIT gives investors the benefit of being counter cyclical and the benefit of being one of the few investments that produces an equity-like return and that doesn't have a big credit component," Kain says.
Indeed, recent history indicates the Bethesda, Maryland-based REIT has proven adept in managing both low- and rising-rate environments. It outperformed its peers when rates were low from 2009 through 2013. When interest rates did rise in 2013 with the taper tantrum, AGNC still outperformed its peer group.
Now the company is getting set to navigate another challenge — or, perhaps, opportunity: the anticipated runoff in the MBS portfolio by the Federal Reserve.
For the last year, spreads on credit-centric fixed-income investments have tightened to multi-year lows. Meanwhile, the funding for agency MBS has remained attractive; spreads have actually widened. This environment positions levered investors such as AGNC for favorable returns, Kain says.
The Fed's unwinding of its mortgage portfolio also boosts the return profile of agency-focused REITs in the eyes of investors, Kain adds.
"Before, they looked at us as competing with the Fed; now, they are realizing that this large, non-economic competitor is already being priced out of the market. That has been a big tailwind for this space."


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Whether you're starting a new e-commerce site or just a redesign, Braineacts has the professional skills you need to make sure your site is search engine friendly, and has an integrated shopping cart and inventory solution that fits your specific needs. We will make sure your customers are secure when ordering from your web site, and deliver the tools to make sure that you can provide them with the customer service they deserve.
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We can help you increase your natural search ranking from restructuring your code to a more semantic SEO friendly style, to restructuring your navigation, or helping revise your copy.


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Trafford Council's Allocations Policy (link - http://www.trafford.gov.uk/about-your-council/strategies-plans-and-policies/housing-strategy/docs/Housing-Allocation-Policy.pdf)
Affordable Rents Explained
What is an affordable rented property?
Affordable Rent is intended to help those who would not otherwise have been able to afford housing in the private sector. It is designed to provide an alternative to traditional social rent and the additional rental charges help registered providers to build more homes to improve access to social housing.
The difference between Social Rent and Affordable Rent is that Affordable Rent will be slightly higher as it allows the landlord to charge up to 80% of market rent levels within the local area. But these rents will still be low and affordable. However, landlords may carry out a financial assessment as part of their short listing process to ensure it is affordable to each applicant, before they will proceed with an allocation.
In most cases, where applicants are eligible to receive housing benefit or the housing element of universal credit, the rent would be covered by this payment. For more information about the Local Housing Allowance rates in Trafford, please click here (https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/SearchResults.aspx?LocalAuthorityId=42&LHACategory=999&Month=6&Year=2018&SearchPageParameters=true)
Affordable Rented properties will be allocated in the same way that Social Rented properties are now through Trafford Home Choice and there will be no change to the services tenants will receive.
Affordable Rents will only apply to new development or converted void properties and will not apply to all social housing.
Because the partner landlords are only applying these rents to a percentage of properties, from time to time you may see two identical properties in the same street advertised at two different rents.
Fixed Term Tenancy Explained
What is a Fixed Term Tenancy?
In the past all the homes we have advertised under our social housing banner have been life time tenancies. Some properties are now advertised as fixed term tenancies so, rather than offering a tenancy that can be in place for life these tenancies will have a fixed term, some will be 5 years some might be 20 years.
Fixed term tenancies will mainly apply to family homes & general needs flats. Supported and over 55's flats & bungalows will continue to be offered as lifetime tenancies. Please read each advert carefully to ensure you understand what you are applying for as our different housing providers will be offering different terms and conditions with their fixed term tenancies.
In most cases, when the fixed term comes to an end, another fixed term tenancy will be issued. Only in exceptional cases would the registered provider not renew it. Exceptions could include:


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FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — State officials say the number of deaths caused by fire in Indiana declined in 2015.
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security says it recorded 73 fire deaths in 2015, down from 84 such deaths in 2014. State Fire Marshal Jim Greeson says officials are encouraged by the drop.
The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette reports advances in technology in the past 20 years are helping firefighters save more people. Their gear can withstand more heat and thermal imaging cameras allow them to search homes quickly and more thoroughly.
The state Department of Homeland Security says local fire departments have continued to make smoke detectors available to the public, including in Gary, Frankfort and Indianapolis.


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Meth addiction treatment can help you or your loved one recover from meth addiction. Please continue to read on to learn about what works well for those in recovery from meth addiction and the types of methods you should to look for in a successful meth addiction treatment program.
Recovering from any addiction can be difficult, but chronic meth use affects the brain in ways that make addiction recovery doubly challenging. Meth users face cognitive deficits and very low mood during the initial period of abstinence. Memory, concentration and decision making skills are all severely compromised, making it far more difficult for meth addicts in recovery to follow treatment directions and comply with treatment recommendations.
Meth addiction treatment and recovery takes a long time, and some of the damage done is irreversible. Some meth users will start to see significant improvements after a year or two, but waiting for a year or more to start feeling better can be very challenging when coupled with strong cravings to use the drug. At about 45 days of sobriety, many recovering meth addicts "run into a wall", experiencing a surge in depressive symptoms and finding it very difficult to experience any pleasure. Unless a person is prepared for this sudden intensification of symptoms, relapse is likely.
Meth addicts benefit most when engaged in meth addiction treatment programs designed to compensate for some of the cognitive and emotional deficits that occur during lengthy meth withdrawal. Some of the principals of effective meth addiction treatment include:
Today, there are some very effective meth addiction treatment methods. Here are the top addiction recovery methods that have been proven to help meth addicts recover:


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Many big questions still remain about coronavirus with many people concerned about a second wave of infections.
Is it possible to get infected by Covid-19 twice? Do antibodies give you immunity? If you get symptoms again what should you do?
These are just some of them but there will be many more.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged £300m to hospitals to upgrade facilities in preparation for a winter spike.
This comes as the number of confirmed cases across Lancashire rose to nearly 10,500 in the latest Public Health England figures.
Preston, Blackburn with Darwen, Pendle, Hyndburn, Burnley and Rossendale, are currently subject to stricter local lockdown measures.
Lancashire Resilience Forum has also warned that parts of the county are at risk of further local lockdown measures if "really high" coronavirus infection rate are not brought under control soon.
With the schools set to reopen next month and the economic effect of lockdown revealed by this week's news of a record recession, our sister title the M.E.N has looked at answering some of the big remaining questions.
Is it possible to get SARS-CoV-2 - the virus that causes Covid-19, twice?
The answer is - we don't know yet.
As the novel coronavirus is a relatively new infection, scientists are learning more about it on a daily basis.
Professor Jonathan Read, a senior lecturer in biostatistics, of Lancaster University Medical School, said: "We still don't know if it is possible to get SARS-CoV-2 twice.
"The anecdotes of people testing positive, then negative, then positive in a relatively short time are most likely down to inaccuracies in testing, rather than repeat infection.
"Scientists have raised concern about apparent declines in antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 when they've studied patients' blood, but it's normal for a whole range of infections for a person's antibodies to go up to a high level following infection, and for these to then decrease to a lower, stable level (which protects them against future infection).
"However, it's clear that reinfection of 'common cold' coronaviruses does occur, and occurs often.
"Immunity to these viruses seems to last somewhere between six months and three years.
"Some of the best evidence for that is that the coronaviruses that cause seasonal colds don't evolve much, whereas influenza constantly evolves (hence the need for vaccine updates each year) because immunity to each strain lasts a very long time, and the virus evolves to keep outrunning global immunity.
"It's still too early in this pandemic to say if immunity to SARS-CoV-2 will behave the same way as other coronaviruses."
Prof Read warns that the virus could rage around the world for years to come until an effective vaccine is found.
The process of finding a vaccine cannot be rushed - despite Russia's President Vladimir Putin claiming to have found one in less than two months. He's even inoculated one of his own daughters successfully, he told the world.
Nobody has been deliberately reinfected with the virus to test immunity, but a pair of rhesus macaque monkeys have.
They were infected twice, once to build up an immune response and then a second time three weeks later.
Those very limited experiments showed they didn't develop symptoms again after such a quick reinfection, the BBC reports.
What is known is the body's immune system memory is a bit like our own memory. It remembers some infections clearly, but can forget others.
The new coronavirus, Sars-CoV-2, has not been around long enough to know how long immunity lasts, but there are six other human coronaviruses that can give us a bit of a clue.
Four produce the symptoms of the common cold and immunity is short-lived. Studies showed some patients could be reinfected within a year.
Researchers at King's College London suggest levels of antibodies that kill coronavirus fell over a three-month study.
Prof Read is carrying out a new national study to better understand how often people are going out of their homes as a result of coronavirus.
The Lancaster University study aims to understand how social contact patterns are changing in the UK, and to improve future predictions of coronavirus transmission by creating highly accurate mathematical models based on data gathered.
Its findings can be used to improve modelling of the virus transmission and to help better predict where and when outbreaks might occur, and bring in measures to prevent them.
And it has the potential to provide evidence as to what restrictions could be relaxed further without risking an increase in transmission - vital work.
The leading epidemiologist working on the survey, Professor Jonathan Read, has said he doesn't expect normality to be restored by Christmas, which Boris Johnson said he hoped for last month.
And Prof Read also warns that it could be several years before we are 'safe from Covid'. To sign up to the study click here.
If I have antibodies will I be immune from coronavirus?
This cannot be guaranteed - yet - as it is still a relatively new coronavirus.
And this is why the World Health Organisation is not keen on countries using immunity passports as a method of exiting lockdown.
An immunity passport works by passing an antibody test which allows you back to work, apparently safely.
This is crucial for staff in care homes or frontline NHS hospitals where they come into contact with those most at risk of developing severe symptoms.
While antibodies are found in almost every patient, they are not all equal. A study of 175 recovered patients in China found almost a third (30 per cent) had very low levels of neutralising antibodies.
Another issue is that just because you might be protected by your antibodies, it doesn't mean you cannot still harbour the virus and pass it onto others.
What should you do if you get coronavirus symptoms again?
According to NHS Direct, you must stay at home (self-isolate) again and ask for a test if you get symptoms of coronavirus (Covid-19) more than once.
The symptoms are a high temperature, a new, continuous cough or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste. You must also self-isolate again if someone you live with (or someone in your support bubble) gets symptoms again.
You must self-isolate again even if you've had a positive test result for coronavirus before.
You probably have some immunity to coronavirus but it's not clear how long it will last.
You must not leave your home if you're self-isolating.
- Anyone with symptoms must self-isolate for at least 10 days from when their symptoms started.
- Anyone who does not have symptoms must self-isolate for 14 days from when the first person started having symptoms. This is because it can take up to 14 days for symptoms to appear.
Keep up to date with coronavirus cases in your area by using your postcode below
You can sign up for free daily updates with the LancsLive newsletter here.
For the latest news and breaking news visit the LancsLive website.
Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.
To keep updated, follow LancsLive on Facebook and @LiveLancs on Twitter.
Have you got news for us? Contact our newsdesk on email@example.com


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How does a company decide whether or not implementing an IVR payment solution is justifiable? One answer that can help be the deciding factor is customer loyalty. Being able to get new customers is good, but keeping them is much more valuable. Maintaining customer loyalty takes not only effort but investing in resources that can enhance the customer service. IVR Payment solutions do that and take it a step further by being a sound long-term investment.
The Value Of An IVR Payment Solution
An IVR Payment solution shows that it has a substantial ROI in multiple ways. First of all, it reduces the cost of processing payments and therefore increases efficiency as your staff can focus on other tasks. However, it also provides value in different ways.
Increase Customer Satisfaction:
- Customers can make payments without internet access
- Payments can be verified, processed, and confirmed within minutes
- Even if the business is closed, payments can be accepted.
Some may mention that millennials would be some sort of exception and that they would prefer to pay online rather than use a phone interface. Whether or not this is the case, why not offer a solution that would be most accommodating to a broader base of customers. According to a recent survey by Startek, 63% of customers believe that the highest level of customer service is provided via the phone. Thus, more people would be willing to make a payment that way more than any other.
However, something else needs to be taken into consideration. A recent Gallup Poll showed that texting is the most dominant method of communication for people under the age of 50. Therefore, a company can get even more customer payments if they accept them via text message as well.
Our solution, Compass Pay, allows for payments to be security accepted via both methods.
Reduce Late Payments
More customers would like to have text message reminders. In fact, such reminders were proven to be a useful tool by MIT. In their study, they proved that a group sent regular text message reminders paid a loan about as effectively as those promised a 25% rebate for maintaining regular payments. Furthermore, text messages reminders were most useful for younger customers.
The text messages were not only cheaper but just as effective as returning 25% of a customer's payment to them. Implementing payment reminders, as such, is part of what we do. Thus providing a substantial ROI for your business.
Ready To Gain Customer Loyalty?
An IVR Payment Solution that's secure, quick and easy for your customers is a no-brainer. Get in touch with us to see how you can get started.
Compass Payments Suite
Learn more about our Pay By Phone solution, the Compass Payments Suite.


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Funds to be used to augment Children's Library
PASO ROBLES, CA –7 October, 2022 The Paso Robles Library Foundation is pleased to accept a $5,000 donation from the Paso Robles Wine County Alliance Foundation.
The funds, generated by the organization's Virtual Wine Country Auction, will be used to help upgrade the Children's Library area. According to Youth Services Librarian Melissa Bailey, the donation will allow the Library to further enhance its Early Learning Space in the Children's Library. "As always, we are thinking about ways to inspire creativity and critical thinking through play, while encouraging the development of preliteracy skills that are so important to young children," Bailey states.
According to Joel Peterson, Executive Director of the Wine Country Alliance, a cooperative marketing alliance of local wineries, vineyards, and related businesses, "The PRWCA Board of Directors was happy to be able to support the Paso Robles community with dollars that were raised with the help of our local wine community."
The Paso Robles Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that serves to engage the community in supporting the Library through financial donations and volunteer service. Revenues generated through the Foundation go toward enhanced library programs and materials, technology, and special projects. For more information on the Library Foundation, visit PRLibraryFoundation.com.


text: Hi Edho, I know -X HEAD is a hack, but it seems that is the way CouchDB might operate (haven't got a reply back from them). Worked before using an Apache HTTP reverse-proxy, but I like nginx much better. So what options do I have to make nginx behave the same for -X HEAD as it does for --head? Posted at Nginx Forum: http://forum.nginx.org/read.php?2,255845,255852#msg-255852


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3 CEUs – Live In-Person Class – Limited Seats
All attendees will receive a Certificate of Completion from the school as well as a certificate from the Stop the Bleed organization.
Good for the Whole Dental Team!
Learn how to save someone's life by controlling bleeding after an injury. A Stop the Bleed class teaches you how to properly apply pressure with your hands, place dressings, pack a wound and apply a tourniquet to stop bleeding until the injured can be treated at a hospital. Minutes count. Is a trauma first aid kit available? Does it matter where the wound is on the injured's body?
The course also teaches you how to assess threats in your surroundings. This is key for accidents, major disasters, active shooter or intentional mass casualty events. Learn the steps to take to give someone the best chance of survival in a dangerous environment using the acronym THREAT.
Instructor: Martin Genser
Marty has been a firefighter since 1995 with multi-level state firefighting, safety officer and incident management certifications; he is trained in emergency operations including motor vehicle extrication, hazmat operations, fire ground survival and more. He is also a trained Stop the Bleed instructor as well as a Licensed HVAC Contractor and Certified Instructor for EPA 608, R-22, R-410-A.


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A History of Television by Mark Schubin
Story Highlights
Thomas Edison's earliest patent filing (a caveat) for motion pictures was in 1888, but 11 years earlier the first publication about television appeared, and there has not been a year since without television research. Yet there does not appear to have been any video research — not even speculation or fantasy — prior to 1877. Why? What role did the Washington area play in video development? Did people pay to watch remote baseball games live as early as 1884? Were the first patents for virtual video events like this one issued in 1895? Was there an actual live, watchable video image by 1879? Watch to find out.
Note: in the Q&A session, the High Definition Films, Ltd. camera was actually electronic.
Recorded from a remote presentation on July 30, 2020 to the Washington, DC chapter of SMPTE.


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Welcome Guest
Original Sterling Silver Designs Since 1983
Spread happiness and upbeat vibes when you offer these sterling silver rainbow bar post earrings. Nothing lifts our spirits like rainbow colors.
Your customers can wear these in the vertical or horizontal position. Find more post earrings to offer in your shop.
See our measurement guide.
This item is made from recycled silver.


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General Motors Earmarks $5.4 Billion For U.S. Plant Investments
1Sponsored Links
Yesterday, we received news of General Motors planning a major investment for the Lansing Delta facility, but it looks like GM's latest investment is betting big on U.S. manufacturing as a whole.
GM announced it will invest $5.4 billion for its U.S. plants. That's billion with a B. In other words, the investment comes down to $5 million a day, or $150 million every month for the next three years.
"These investments are evidence of a company on the move, strategically investing in the people, tools and equipment to produce cars, trucks and crossovers that are built to win in the marketplace, with stunning design, quality and breakthrough technologies," GM North America President Alan Batey said at the Pontiac Metal Center, where $124 million will be invested.
The investment will be divided up over the next three years, and $783.5 million of the investment will be sunk into three Michigan facilities: Pontiac, Lansing and Warren. Two other investments detailed today are $520 million for tooling and equipment for future new vehicle programs at the Lansing Grand River plant (2016 Camaro, cough, cough) which will retail 1,900 manufacturing jobs, and a new body shop and stamping facility upgrades at Pre-Production Operations in Warren.
"The common thread among our investments is the focus on product improvements that benefit customers," said Cathy Clegg, vice president of GM North America Manufacturing. "Together with our UAW partners, we're working hard to exceed consumers' ever-increasing quality expectations."
General Motors said it will detail which plants the remaining $4.6 billion will be allocated in the following months.
Since 2009, GM has announced U.S. facility investment sums totaling $16.8 billion with 3,650 new jobs created and 20,700 positions retained over turbulent economic times. Maybe General Motors won't be the biggest, but it's ready to build world-class product here in the US of A again.
- Sweepstakes Of The Month: Win a Corvette Z06 and 2024 Silverado. Details here.


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A superb luxury 3 bedroom split-level penthouse apartment (sleeps 6) with WIFI, 3 private terraces and lovely residents´ pool and gardens.
This stylishly furnished self-catering apartment has a superb covered terrace with outdoor table and 8 chairs, ideal for outdoor eating. In addition there are 2 private open roof terraces for private sunbathing.
The apartment has 3 bedrooms and a sofa-bed in the lounge to accommodate 2 further guests. Located on the second and third floors of a quiet complex, the main floor has a superb lounge-diner (with ceiling fan) with direct access to the lovely covered terrace, a 1 twin room (with ceiling fan), full bathroom, fully fitted kitchen and utility room. The upper floor bedrooms have air-conditioning and both lead out to a very private roof terrace and there is a further roof terrace accessed from the hallway. Both upper floor bedrooms have their own bathroom, one of which is ensuite.
Located in the heart of the Arenal sandy beach area, near the shops, restaurants and bars, shops and cafés, Golden Beach is ideal for those not wishing to use a car while on holiday. There is a good supermarket just around the corner and just a
5 minute stroll from the sandy beach.
• Quiet complex
• Superb gardens and pool area
• Children's pool
• 1 twin and 2 double bedrooms
• 3 bathrooms
• Air-conditioning in 2 of the bedrooms
• Wifi
• Secure underground parking with lift access
• 5 minutes walk to the beach
• Supermarket nearby
• 400m to the beach
• Car not needed
The local area:
The apartment complex is located ia short walk from the sandy beach area which is brimming with restaurants, bars and shops. You don´t need a car whilst you are there but you may find it handy for getting to and from the airport and if you do wish to explore further afield.
Javea is divided into 3 areas:
Arenal (sandy beach) - obviously popular in the warmer months, with plenty of shops, restaurants, cafés and bars. The beach is in a crescent shape and is very shallow so excellent for younger children. Beside the canal you can hire a speed boat to explore the Javea´s natural coves and bays, inaccessible on foot. Nearby on the rocky beach north of the Arenal are numerous beach bars and more sea-front restaurants as well as jet-ski and windsurf hire.
The Port - about 2km from the sandy beach you arrive at the port. Still a small picturesque working fishing village, the port has a wonderfully authentic atmosphere with many pedestrian areas where families spend warm summer evenings either at one of the many restaurants or cafés while they watch their children play.
The Old Town - steeped in tradition, Javea´s old town is one of the prettiest villages on the Costa Blanca. Located up a hill leaving the port, this is the original village of Javea and still inhabited by local families. The atmosphere here is "true Spanish" with no sign of souvenir shops and where the local people tend to live, shop and work. The daily fresh food market is in the historic almost pedestrian centre where you will also find restaurants and the real Spanish tapas bars.