Journals for latest posts

Growing Older Gracefully & Improving As I Age.

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:05:50 GMT

Having been a holistic therapist for over 17 years I have observed a good deal of human life and the human condition. I have also been lucky enough to be working with some of the most inspirational people you could ever wish to meet. As I have had more and more experience and involvement with holistic therapies I have come to realise that the world we live in is not always as it might seem and that what is given to be a 'truth' might not be quite as it might seem - particularly when it comes to modern day medicine. My story starts with me myself as from being a teenager I suffered with acne - it never got better despite my spending a kings ransome on every medication the pharmacy ever stocked. My Doctors tried everything at their disposal and still I had lots of spots. It never really went at all and as I got older it turned into Rosacea (most attractive I can tell you). It was not until my 40's that a client who had Acne no more who showed me the work of Dr Walden. This was such a revelation because now for the first time this offered me a real chance to be rid of my acne for good. So, what was so special about this program? Well instead of the usual medical approach of treating the symptoms this looked at the skin condition as a whole body condition and treated it as such. I had read of holistic acne treatments before but never read good reports of them and this one looked different so I gave it a try. Within 6 weeks my skin was a million times better than it had been over the previous 20 years. This approach which looks at diet, natural skin care, exercise, stress levels and puts it all together in an easy to follow program that even I could cope with. So, as I got older my skin got better. Also since being a teenager I had to wear glasses - the acne was obviously not enough! As I got older and older the worse my eye sight became because as those of you who wear glasses will understand your eye sight does not get 'better' with the correct lenses it actually just gets worse and worse. So, again by the time I hit my 40's my vision without glasses was pretty poor. Strange really that over time with the correct glasses that your vision does not get better just worse and worse isn't it? Yet again one of my fantastic clients came to my rescue. This particular lady had been told about New York eye surgeon Dr Bates and his pioneering work. Dr Bates spent many years researching why the eye got worse rather than better and he developed a system to retrain the eye and it's muscles to do what it should be doing not what the glasses were making it do. Yet again another 'alternative' cure that not too many people get to hear about. I followed Dr Bates program and within 3 months my eyesight was pretty much back to how it had been in my early 20's and for the most part I have now got almost 20/20 vision without glasses . I never imagined that as I got older I would improve and that in my late 40's I am looking and 'working' better than i did in my twenties. It just goes to show that you are never too old to learn new tricks.

Blotting Brushes: Weapons of Plaque Destruction

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:02:38 GMT

Blotting Brushes: Weapons of Plaque Destruction By Dr Elmar Jung and Graeme Dinnen We've done it. We finally got our act together and finished the book we started way back when lizards were fish. Someone called us downright lazy; we called it selective creativity! Pats on the back all round to those who helped us get our act together. That was Phylipa. We would of course like to thank everyone who contributed, telling us how boring the first draft was (hey! - it was only the first draft), proofreading the pages over and over, cooking superb meals (while we opened the wine), finding wonderful images to keep readers stimulated as they read, and making cups of tea & flapjacks. Not to forget of course our parents for having us, the producer, the director and cast. If I left anyone out I’m sorry as the Academy Awards only allows me ten seconds and I’ve already overrun that. When we figured out what an ebook was, things REALLY took off. Actually it was a Boeing 747 that took off carrying us to Sri Lanka. With all the pre-launch activity, we needed a holiday. At first we wrote a big book with lots of great tips and pictures. “Two hundred and how manypages?” said Phylipa (proof-reader, cook, image finder, tea and flapjack maker). So we got some scissors and cut the book in half. Still too big, so we cut it in half again. It’s now 67 pages full of those wonderful images, some amazing YouTube clips and some really good stuff about teeth and gums that you n-e-e-d to know about. Amazing things will happen to you if you buy this book (you have to read it as well): ● you’ll get to become a tooth fairy and give money to kids ● you’ll probably join a revolution….the one we started ● you’ll discover that there are some really enlightened dentists out there ● you’ll learn stuff about teeth & gums you didn’t learn in school biology ● you won’t go to the dentist so often. This is a GREAT one! We did a websitety thing too that was developed by Fred. We called it: www.toothwizards.com We love Fred’s design because it doesn’t look anything like those corporate sites with colour-coded rectangular boxes and everything in the correct place. www.toothwizards.com is what we call a ‘work in progress’. We’re even going to write something called ‘Tooth Fairy Whispers’. If you enter your name and email address on the website, we’ll send it to you when the Tooth Fairy has something valuable to tell you. So until we go on holiday again (hopefully soon), Love and chocolate! Graeme Dinnen P.S. I almost forgot to tell you about the money thing. We were told by some marketing guy in a suit and tie to charge hundreds of pounds for this (really!). But we’re not because that’s what dentists charge and we want to help you avoid all that, now and forever. Amen. So the cost is $24.97 until the US Dollar becomes toast. Then we’ll probably have to swap it for something. (Whoa there! Note from Ed: there’s a launch discount price of $19.97 until 31 January 2012) To buy the ebook click here To find out a little more about it first click here If you like the book, you are legally obliged to tell everyone you know about it. If on the other hand you don’t learn lots of things from the book or it doesn’t help you in some beneficial way, we’ll give you back whatever we swapped with you for it. But you have to put your hand on your heart and say the following words three times in English or Latin or whatever you speak. “This book was amazing but I really need the cash” or, “Iste liber est prodigiosus tamen ego vere postulo viaticus” This is important because complete honesty always neutralises any curse the tooth fairy (not us!) might put on you. P.P.S. We’ll eventually print a paperback version if only for the ego trip of telling people we’re published authors. That is until we see the books discounted in the ‘End Bin’ at W.H Smith. Then we’ll have to write another book!

A New Approach to Understanding Food: Nutrigenomics

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 09:24:06 GMT

Food is vital for our sustenance and health. However, the significance of food goes beyond its role of regulating metabolism and providing energy. Food contains information through which it interacts with our genes thereby affecting their function. It is a study about how our genetic code influences our nutrition and vice-versa. This discovery is called “nutrigenomics”. Earlier, nutritional science was limited to identifying essential vitamins and nutrients and their insufficiency. Diagnosis was based on lack of such nutrients and treatments were universal. However, over the years nutritional science has undergone a paradigm shift in focussing its attention towards molecular biology and genetics. The completion of many genome projects has heralded a keen interest in researching the significance of genes in diet and nutrition. Such genome projects have also created a pool of genetic information for researchers to further delve upon. Nutrition researchers have now begun to recognise the significance of genetic predispositions in diet linked ailments such as cardiovascular diseases, some types of cancers and type II diabetes. Thus, the science of nutrigenomics enables us to customise medicine. Research on the molecular and genetic level has negated ‘the one size fits all’ theory. We have about thirty thousand genes. However, there are numerous small variations in those genes called as SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms).These little variations make our individual needs different from the other person. Our individual genetic makeup determines our requirements for optimal health. Nutrigenomics and Personalised Diets: Genetic variations are important factors in determining individual nutrient requirements. For instance, individuals react differently to the same diet by showing different levels of serum cholesterol and blood pressure due to genetic variation. On the other hand, many research studies show that diet has a significant role to play in the risk of developing certain ailments where genes have a role to play. Nutrigenomics has a significant role in this complex interplay between genes, diet and disease. Diet is a major factor in either developing or alleviating a chronic disease. In this regard, nutrigenomics can play a major role in prevention and management of chronic diseases. Thus a diet can be tailor made according to the specific demands of genotype and having the right amounts of micro and macro nutrients for optimal health. Research in customised diets is still in its early stages. However, many biotechnology firms have begun manufacturing genotype based personalised diets on a commercial basis. For example, the Nutrilite Company has started ‘The Nutralite Health Institute’ dedicated to developing personalised nutrition and has also created a novel nutrigenomic supplement category for the Nutrilite brand. Another company ‘Pharmica’ has also started commercial production of healthy food and supplements. Future Of Nutrigenomics: Nutrigenomics is an emerging area of research. However there are many factors which will influence its success in the long run. Technology in terms of advanced diagnostic infrastructure to accurately identify specific nutritional deficiencies will be needed. Also, a strong science and bioinformatics structure will influence personalised diets. Commercial success in this field will depend on coordination and communication among various industry segments such as food producers, food manufacturers, biotechnology firms, diagnostic services firms etc. At the moment, nutrigenomics is targeted more towards health ailments such as cancer, diabetes and other chronic diseases. Further work is required so as to employ nutrigenomics in other diseases as well. Healthcare practitioners such as functional medicine professionals, pharmacists, dieticians will be needed to offer personalised dietary advice. Hence, though in its infancy, nutrigenomics is a pioneering field in the area of personal health that aspires to optimise an individual’s health through nutritional intervention.

Functional Medicine : A Quest For Health

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:19:42 GMT

Understanding Functional Medicine: Today people are seeking alternative methods of medical care. Functional medicine is a holistic approach to treatment and aspires to treat a patient not only physically but also on an emotional and spiritual level. Functional medicine is based on the assumption that every individual is unique and has a distinct biochemistry. Functional medicine, often referred to as the medicine of the future is a holistic treatment which takes into account the well being and lifestyle of an individual. The treatments are usually personalised where the patient also plays an active role in the treatment as often radical changes in diet and lifestyle are required. Functional medicine is anchored on the philosophy that dynamic balance exists between an individual’s internal and external factors. Disease or illness occurs when this balance is disturbed. Functional medicine is rooted in two simple scientific principles which advocate adding what is deficient to help the body achieve an optimal state of functioning and removing anything which hampers its journey towards achieving an optimal physiology. Unlike conventional medicine which only masks or manages the symptoms, functional medicine uses innovative research methods to get to the root of the ailment and treat it accordingly. According to Dr Mark Hyman, a well renowned physician and a functional medicine advocate, ninety percent of all illnesses arise due to imbalances in the seven fundamental core systems namely nutrition, hormones, immune function, digestion, detoxification, energy metabolism and mind-body. In his book, ‘The Ultramind Solution’,Dr Hyman presents a simple plan based on the functional medicine principles to reinstate health and vitality. Functional Medicine versus Conventional Treatments: Conventional medicine is disease centred and is divided into different specialties like cardiology, neurology, endocrinology, haematology, psychiatry etc. It provides independent treatments for each of the body’s organisation. However an individual is made of intricate web like networks involving the mind and the body which are in constant communication with each other. The name of the disease does not matter more than the cause. Hence a psychiatrist may not be able to effectively treat a depressed patient by antidepressants as the underlying cause maybe a hormonal imbalance like a low functioning thyroid. Functional medicine unlike conventional medicine is not compartmentalised and tries to delve into underlying causes where treatments are customised to the cause rather than the disease. Healing Chronic Diseases Many people suffer from chronic ailments. Conventional treatments are usually not effective in treating such ailments. As a result such people have to limit their lives accordingly and this in turn puts a huge socioeconomic burden on the society. In such cases, functional medicine becomes significant since it undertakes a holistic approach to treatments which especially becomes necessary in case of chronic health conditions. For example a chronic ailment like depression might not be corrected by prescribing antidepressants as the underlying cause might be a vitamin D deficiency. Functional medicine effectively corrects such underlying imbalances and nudges the patient slowly towards the path of wellness. Functional medicine can be considered as the future of medicine as it holds the keys to several health challenges where conventional treatments fail miserably. The present healthcare system needs a paradigm shift in its thinking and functional medicine should be complimented with conventional treatments for achieving optimal health.

How to Live Well With Autoimmune Diseases

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:04:48 GMT

Autoimmune disease is a condition where the body’s immune system considers its own body tissues and organs as foreign and attacks them. Autoimmune conditions are usually chronic in nature and are more common in women. There are nearly hundred autoimmune diseases such as thyroid disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease etc that have been identified by the medical fraternity. Exact cause of such diseases is still unknown. However, factors such as heredity, stress and environmental toxins have been linked to such diseases. Autoimmune conditions cannot be prevented or cured as the cause of such conditions is still unknown. Symptoms such as low grade fever, feelings of malaise, joint pain and fatigue have been associated with most of the autoimmune conditions. Since the cause of such diseases is unknown and the disease being chronic in nature, management of such ailments becomes a challenge for the sufferer. Such diseases considerably hamper a person’s ability to lead a normal life. However, there are many effective coping strategies that can be employed to ease the symptoms and help the sufferers to live well. Let’s take a look at some suggestions which can help in better management of the illness. Partner with the doctor: Proper treatment of autoimmune conditions requires an active participation on part of the patient. Partnering with the doctor by asking questions, prompt reporting of changes in symptoms and strictly abiding with the treatment plan chalked by the doctor should be followed. Nutrition: Nutrition is an essential aspect in the treatment of autoimmune conditions. Balanced and healthy diet can go a long way in strengthening the immune function. A healthy balanced diet comprising of vegetables, fruits, lean meats such as fish and low fat dairy products should be consumed to support the immune function. Foods rich in antioxidants and having anti-inflammatory properties like omega – 3 fatty acids also help. Autoimmune diseases can also be worsened due to certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Hence treating such deficiencies through supplementation can be followed under proper supervision of the doctor. Exercise: Exercise can help in improving immunity as well as weight management in certain conditions such as hypothyroidism. However, fatigue is associated with almost all autoimmune conditions. In such scenario, it becomes important to carefully chalk out an exercise regime under the guidance of the doctor. Light exercises like Pilates, yoga and walking can be included in daily routine. Relaxation Techniques: The daily challenge of managing autoimmune conditions often is quite stressful. It can lead to irritability, frustration, anger and depression. To overcome such feelings and other day to day challenges, relaxation techniques such as meditation, pranayam and yoga can be practised. Such spiritual practices are known to calm the mind and also overcome feelings of worthlessness and self pity. Social Support: It is important to have a good support of family, friends and co-workers in order to overcome the stress and psychological aspects of autoimmune conditions. It is essential that the family understands and adjusts to the health and everyday life needs of the patient. One can also join social support groups like online forums to discuss issues regarding their disease with fellow patients. This helps in alleviating feelings of isolation and loneliness in the patient. Once afflicted, an autoimmune condition can become a lifelong challenge. Besides following the above tips, one should have a positive approach towards life since the way one thinks can go a long way in managing an autoimmune disease.

Mothers have so much to do with our world

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:47:07 GMT

What do moms do best? The answer to that is easy, "just about everything". Mom is the hub that the family revolves around; she is the driving force behind the moral, ethical and spiritual direction of the family. When I look back on my own life, I see a strong grandmother, mother and three daughters who were without a doubt, the power point in the lives of the family. I dedicated one of my books, (In Search Of Paradise) to my own mom who shaped just about everything I am today. My father gave me the particulars, but my mom gave me the world. We look to our mother for advice, counseling, support, acceptance, recognition and that all important factor, love. She is always ready to fill in were we have a need and puts us back on track when we fall off. A mother holds the life of her children in her very hand in so many ways that we can't begin to count them. She is not only the inspiration behind the success of a student, she is often the tutor, teacher, and coach as we go from K to K (Kollege=college) Every push, shove, pat and word put appropriately tends to mold a youngster each and every day of his or her life until the child leaves home. The motherly influence doesn't stop there, but being thrust out into the space of life on your own always has the power of mom behind you. You might take the time to tell your own mom how much you appreciate all that she has done for you. If you stop to count the meals, washing, cleaning, and driving she did or still does in your behalf, you won't have time enough to count them all. Dr Robert E McGinnis author for over thirty years

How Long to Live Once Kidney Failure Sets in

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 01:30:56 GMT

It is life span that everybody cares about. Who knows? However, why are so many patients wondering how long to live once Kidney Failure sets in? Actually, we can understand them. It is their desire for effective treatment that drives them to concern about this question. Patients understand that though there is no exact life span once Kidney Failure occurs, their life span is closely related to various controllable factors, such as a healthy diet, daily care, effective medical treatment and confidence in conquering the disease. If they succeed in doing these, it is probable for them to live as long as healthy people. Healthy Diet: For patients experiencing Kidney Failure, they should have paid attention to their diet. Some patients who present protein in the urine should not have taken food with excess vegetable protein in case of kidney burden. However, some of them (especially vegetarian) are eating food like that unconsciously. Some patients (especially male patients)with Polycstic Kidney Disease cannot help themselves drinking. After drinking, the size of the cysts will be bigger than before and the kidney impairment will be severer. Daily Care: Patients with Kidney Failure should get rid of infection or cold since infection or cold may cause the relapse of the disease and then make the condition worsen. Besides, patients with Lupus Nephritis should get rid of intense light. Various conditions have different nursing cares. Patients are recommended to ask their doctor for specific advice. Effective Medical Treatment: Receiving effective medical treatment can help patients recover. Patients who are in the early stage of the disease are more likely to get well and then live a better life. Herbal medicines and Stem Cell Transplant can help patients improve their kidney function......

Can Patients with Kidney Failure Eat Curry Rice

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 03:21:19 GMT

Curry rice is one kind of popular food in India and becomes more and more popular in the whole world. Well then, can patients with Kidney Failure eat curry rice in India? Let's discuss it detailedly. Have a Better Understanding of Curry Rice There are mainly two types of curry rice: spicy curry rice and light curry rice. Whether curry rice is spicy or not mainly depends on whether the flavouring of curry powder is spicy or not. What Should Patients with Kidney Failure Eat? No matter what patients with Kidney Failure eat, one principle that food they eat should not burden patients' kidneys or even damage the kidneys is recommended to follow by patients. Whether Patients with Kidney Failure can Eat Curry Rice or not If patients with Kidney Failure eat spicy curry rice, the kidneys will be stimulated by irritating ingredients in it. This will burden kidneys and may make the disease worsen. In this condition, patients with Kidney Failure had better not take spicy curry rice......

How is Renal Failure Diagnosed?

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 03:19:40 GMT

Diagnosis of Renal Failure is confirmed by blood tests measuring the buildup of waste products in the blood. BUN, creatinine, and GFR are routine blood tests used to measure the buildup of waste products in the blood. BUN and creatinine become elevated, and the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decreases. This is the rate with which blood is filtered through the kidneys and can be calculated based upon the creatinine level, age, race, and gender. Urine tests may be done to measure the amount of protein, detect the presence of abnormal cells, or measure the concentration of electrolytes. Protein in the urine is not normal and can be a clue that damage to the kidneys has occurred. Abnormal aggregations of red and white blood cells called casts can be seen in the urine with kidney disease. Comparing the concentrations of electrolytes in the blood and urine can help decide whether the kidneys are able to appropriately monitor and filter blood...... Diagnosis of Renal Failure is confirmed by blood tests measuring the buildup of waste products in the blood. BUN, creatinine, and GFR are routine blood tests used to measure the buildup of waste products in the blood. BUN and creatinine become elevated, and the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decreases. This is the rate with which blood is filtered through the kidneys and can be calculated based upon the creatinine level, age, race, and gender. Urine tests may be done to measure the amount of protein, detect the presence of abnormal cells, or measure the concentration of electrolytes. Protein in the urine is not normal and can be a clue that damage to the kidneys has occurred. Abnormal aggregations of red and white blood cells called casts can be seen in the urine with kidney disease. Comparing the concentrations of electrolytes in the blood and urine can help decide whether the kidneys are able to appropriately monitor and filter blood. Diagnosis of Renal Failure is confirmed by blood tests measuring the buildup of waste products in the blood. BUN, creatinine, and GFR are routine blood tests used to measure the buildup of waste products in the blood. BUN and creatinine become elevated, and the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decreases. This is the rate with which blood is filtered through the kidneys and can be calculated based upon the creatinine level, age, race, and gender. Urine tests may be done to measure the amount of protein, detect the presence of abnormal cells, or measure the concentration of electrolytes. Protein in the urine is not normal and can be a clue that damage to the kidneys has occurred. Abnormal aggregations of red and white blood cells called casts can be seen in the urine with kidney disease. Comparing the concentrations of electrolytes in the blood and urine can help decide whether the kidneys are able to appropriately monitor and filter blood. Diagnosis of Renal Failure is confirmed by blood tests measuring the buildup of waste products in the blood. BUN, creatinine, and GFR are routine blood tests used to measure the buildup of waste products in the blood. BUN and creatinine become elevated, and the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decreases. This is the rate with which blood is filtered through the kidneys and can be calculated based upon the creatinine level, age, race, and gender. Urine tests may be done to measure the amount of protein, detect the presence of abnormal cells, or measure the concentration of electrolytes. Protein in the urine is not normal and can be a clue that damage to the kidneys has occurred. Abnormal aggregations of red and white blood cells called casts can be seen in the urine with kidney disease. Comparing the concentrations of electrolytes in the blood and urine can help decide whether the kidneys are able to appropriately monitor and filter blood. Diagnosis of Renal Failure is confirmed by blood tests measuring the buildup of waste products in the blood. BUN, creatinine, and GFR are routine blood tests used to measure the buildup of waste products in the blood. BUN and creatinine become elevated, and the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decreases. This is the rate with which blood is filtered through the kidneys and can be calculated based upon the creatinine level, age, race, and gender. Urine tests may be done to measure the amount of protein, detect the presence of abnormal cells, or measure the concentration of electrolytes. Protein in the urine is not normal and can be a clue that damage to the kidneys has occurred. Abnormal aggregations of red and white blood cells called casts can be seen in the urine with kidney disease. Comparing the concentrations of electrolytes in the blood and urine can help decide whether the kidneys are able to appropriately monitor and filter blood.

Can Patients with Renal Failure Eat Tomato

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 03:11:24 GMT

Tomatos are thought to be one kind of natural, healthy beauty vegetable due to its multivitamin and variety of nutrients. Hence, tomatos are popular with people, especially vegetarians and women. Well then, whether patients with Renal Failure are allowed to eat tomatos or not? Actually, it depends on patients' own condition. The Major Principle in Diet for Renal Failure Patients: There is one major principle in diet for patients with Renal Failure: low-protein food , low-potassium food, low-fat food, low-salt food and more food with vitamin. Can Patients with Renal Failure Eat Tomatos? As we all know, tomatos are rich in multivitamin and nutrients. If so, patients with Renal Failure are allowed to eat tomatos according to the mentioned principle. Meanwhile, tomatos are rich in potassium. In this condition, patients are not recommended to take tomatos. Well then, whether patients with Renal Failure can eat tomatos? Actually, it depends. For example, some patients will lack potassium, and then they are recommended to take some food with potassium while others experiencing hyperkalemia will be recommended to take food without potassium.....

Sexual Life and Dialysis

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 03:08:27 GMT

Can Patients who undergo dialysis have sexual life? This is a common question we often meet. Generally, patients with stage 4 Renal Failure will have hyposexuality, because the pituitary gland can not receive the signals from testes and ovaries to produce sex hormones. And patients with end stage Renal Failure often have impotence and infertility in men, premature menopause in women, and low or totally absent sex drive in both genders. In addition, most patients with end stage Renal Failure have anemia, which is another negative influence on libido. Large amount of toxins and excessive water can be discharged when patients just begin to take dialysis, so that physical function may return to normal level, which will be accompanied with normal physiological requirement. However, this condition will change during long term dialysis. In general, 35% male patients who are taking dialysis will have further decline of sexual function, the proportion of female patients is 25%. Only 9% male patients and 6% female patients will improve their sexual function. I should say that patients with dialysis can ask physicians or nurses whether they can have sexual life, which is depended on the medical condition. But, if they do not want to talk with their physicians or nurses, they must remember that patients with end stage Renal Failure may have less energy and toxins and waste can accumulate in body on non-dialysis days. They must control it in moderation. If they feel tired, it is better to stop it......

Renal Failure may caused by Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 03:39:09 GMT

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic incurable disease. Rheumatoid Arthritis may course Renal Failure in some cases. Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Renal Failure lead a painful and inconvenient life. So patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis should pay attention to some points. 1. Inflammation and infection It is important to prevent inflammation and infection, which are the basic courses of Renal Failure. The immunity of patients who suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis is too weak to withstand virus or bacteria invading which results in immune injury to their tissues or cells. The inflammation and infection not only worsen Rheumatoid Arthritis but also its complications including Renal Failure which can develop slowly and covertly. On being realizing, it has become severe and hard to cure. If the kidneys have functional failure, other organs will subsequently suffer toxication and lesion. 2. Early urinary exam As RA can open the pathogenesis of Renal Failure, we must control Rheumatoid Arthritis and watch other renal clinical symptoms carefully in order to cure them earlier in time. In the stage of active Rheumatoid Arthritis, the patients must stay in bed for a good rest and take proper exercise like slow running, taiji sword and the mild sports in remission, because more waste from metabolism will be produced when the body is tired and exercise can strengthen resistance guarding virulence factors invading kidneys, especially the influenza which makes inflammation and infection. 3. Tabu food and medicines Diseases enter by the mouth, so Rheumatoid Arthritis patients should eat less sweet food, milk, fish and shrimp but can

Life Span for Patients with End-stage Kidney Failure

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 03:37:07 GMT

People with end-stage Kidney Failure are tortured by various symptoms such as headache, hypertension, edema, nausea, diarrhea, serious anemia, muscle twitching as well as bone pain, etc. End-stage Kidney Failure stands for serious damage for whole body systems. People with end-stage Kidney Failure have to take various western medicines and take dialysis three times a week. All of these factors make them feel pressed. They will have psychological burden that what is their life span? As for the life span of patients with end-stage Kidney Failure, we can not give you an exact number because it is depend on people’s real condition. There are several factors that affect the life span for people with Kidney Failure. The first factor is about illness condition. Different people have different illness condition. Although they are all at the end-stage Kidney Failure, they have different symptoms. Some people with end-stage Kidney Failure have nearly all symptoms in each body system. For example, if people with end-stage Kidney Failure have congestive heart failure, it will lead to serious hard breath. Breath is an important way to supply oxygen for people. Lack of oxygen can deteriorate the damage of kidneys. Some people with end-stage Kidney Failure have no heart failure as well as nausea, vomit as well as diarrhea, which means people can have smooth breathing and eat food so as to provide necessary nutrition. This can help people to live longer. The second factor is healthy living habit. Some people with end-stage Kidney Failure don’t pay much attention to their diet. Usually people with end-stage Kidney Failure have high Serum Creatinine, high potassium as well as high Sodium. They need to avoid many foods that are very common to eat; however, they eat and drink at will. According to the research, 80% people with Kidney Failure are caused by poor living habit. Especially for people who are addicted to drinking and smoking. These people can’t stop the temptation of wine and smoking. People with Kidney Failure should restrict drink and cigarette strictly. Therefore, good living habit is very important for maintaining life span of people with end-stage Kidney Failure. The third one is proper treatment. Previously, people with end-stage Kidney Failure should do kidney transplant, which is the ultimate method to treat .....

Life Span for Patients with Kidney Failure after Kidney Transplantation

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 03:29:01 GMT

Kidney Transplantation is method which can transplant a proper kidney into people’s body to replace the damaged kidney to play function. Successful kidney transplantation can help people with Kidney Failure get rid of the torture of dialysis. However, kidney transplantation has disadvantages such as the kidney source is the most difficult problem to solve, everyday, there will have thousands of people dies of no proper kidneys. In addition, kidney transplantation will cost people a lot of money. They have to take immunomodulator for a whole life, which is also a big cost. Some rich people will care about the life span after doing kidney transplantation. Actually, the life span after doing kidney transplantation is various among people. The general livability for people who have done kidney transplantation is: one year life accounts for 90%, five years life accounts for 5%, ten years life accounts for 1%. As for the question that how long to live for people with kidney transplantation is difficult to give people an exact answer. There is someone who can live more twenty years after doing kidney transplantation. There also have a lot of people who only can live for one month after doing kidney transplantation. Therefore, the life span after doing kidney transplantation depends on the further treatment and daily health care as well as the psychological condition for each patient. Patient with Kidney Failure after doing kidney transplantation should cooperate with the doctors with patience, don’t slacken off the disease when the feel a little good. At present, the main problems which will influence the life span are toxity of medicines, angiocardiopathy and virus infection as well as rejection responses. Another important reason is whether patients can abbey the instruction of doctors. In clinical research, infection after doing kidney transplantation is the main problem for doctors and patients, especially for the infection of cytomegalovirus. According to the global statistics, 50% patients with Kidney Failure after doing kidney transplantation will have cytomegalovirus infection......

Two Chinese Interesting Stories

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 03:50:05 GMT

There are many interesting stories in China, which usually tell some truth to people. Two stories will be introduced here. 　　We have introduce Chinese jadeware before ( http://www.renalfailuresite.com/Culture/176.html). In fact, there are lots of story related to jade and Return the Jade Intact to the State of Zhao is a famous one. 　　Derived from Biographies of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru in Historical Records, this phrase means to return something intact to its owner. 　　The jade disc, unfortunately, was stolen from Chu and eventually sold to Zhao; in 283 BC, King Zhaoxiang of Qin offered 15 cities to the State of Zhao in exchange for the jade. Zhao Minister Lin Xiangru was dispatched to send the jade to Qin. When it became clear that Qin would not uphold its side of the bargain, he tricked the king of Qin, claiming that the jade had a scar on it. The marquess of Qin said he could not find it, and handed it toLin Xiangru and asked him where the scar was. The moment Lin Xiangrutook the jade, he threatened to smash the jade unless the king of Qinpromised to delay the swap 3 days. Secretly he told his servants to take the jade back to the king of the Zhao . Thus giving birth to another Chinese idiom, 完璧归赵（Wan Bi Gui Zhao), literally meaning 'Returning the Jade Intact to Zhao', but extended to mean 'returning something to its rightful owner'. 　　The second story is about the power of skirt. 　　In a field in the Liangshan Mountain, two groups of young men from the Chinese Yizu nationality armed with spears, sticks and bows are on the verge of a violent fight. Suddenly, a middle-aged woman dressed in a skirt edged with lace comes between them. The sharp spears almost touches her body, but she remains calm and shakes her skirt as if she is signaling the men. The fighters are all astonished by the sudden scene. They stop forwarding and slowly lower their arms, watching the waving of the skirt. After a moment's silence, the heads of both sides order to withdraw. 　　The fact is that one group of the young men are from her......

The Early Symptoms of Kidney Failure in Women

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 01:52:16 GMT

With society developing, more and more women tend to work outside. Those women are respectable because they not only strive for benefits during working but also are occupied in housework. For most women, looking after children and parents, cooking, doing house work are their responsibilities as mothers and daughters. However, they usually ignore their own health. According to the reports of outpatient service in our hospital, many women are diagnosed as the late stages of Kidney Failure on their first checkup. The reason for this problem is that they have no ideal about the early stages of kidney Failure. Fatigue and sleepiness They are earliest symptoms of Kidney Failure, but they are also ignored easily, for many reasons have responsibility for them, such as the busy work and the physical tiredness. At most time, fatigue and sleepy will be eased after a good rest. However, they may indicate Kidney Failure. Sallow face it is aroused by anemia. Due to the slow development, the body will not show obvious dysfunction in a short time. Sallow face is usually considered as the manifestation of irregular lifestyle by women and is not paid enough attention. Swelling As kidneys are being damaged, they can not remove the extra water and metabolic waste, leaving fluid depositing in interstitial. At first, swelling just can be seen in foot or eyelid. If it is found in whole body, Kidney Failure may have been severe. Urine decreasing Kidney Failure will reduce glomeruli filtration rate (GFR). Extra water and waste can not be filtrated to form urine and drain out. With Kidney Failure deteriorating, urine tends to decrease in total volume. High blood pressure and bleeding Patients with Kidney Failure commonly have depositions of sodium and water. At the same time, the body will secrete some substances rise blood pressure like angiotensin. Those patients usually show high blood pressure in different severities. High blood pressure increases the possibility of breaking blood vessels. Weak coagulation will make bleeding in nose and gingiva......

Herbal Medicines for Kidney Failure

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 01:38:50 GMT

Herbal Medicines has been widely used in treating various diseases. As for treating Kidney Failure and herbal medicines show its advantages such as mild effect, slight side-effect. Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Not all herbal medicines can treat Kidney Failure for different herbal medicines show different functions. The introduction of Chinese Traditional Drugs Chinese Traditional Drugs are herbal medicines including botanical drugs and animal medicine. Micro-Chinese Medicine Osmotherapy is adopted in our hospital to treat Kidney Failure. The prescriptions of Micro-Chinese Medicines are handed down from Li Shizhen, who is one of the four famous herbalists in ancient China. Through micro technology we shatter Traditional Chinese Medicine into powder and with the help of osmosis machine we sent effective medicines to kidney lesions by external application. On the one hand, people need not drink bitter decoction, on the other hand, the shattered powder can be more effectively permeated into kidney lesions. If we drink the decoction, it should flow through other organs so that many active constituent will be wasted. What is the cause of Kidney Failure? Micro-Chinese Medicine Osmotherapy treats Kidney Failure beginning with blocking kidney fibrosis because it is the cause of kidney damage. Kidney fibrosis means some parts of kidneys have formed scar tissues which are irreversible. The first task of Micro-Chinese Medicine Osmotherapy is to block kidney fibrosis so as to prevent the further damage of kidneys. The second task is to repair those damaged kidney tissues which are still alive. How does Micro-Chinese Medicine Osmotherapy finish the two tasks? First, dilating blood vessels and improve the blood circulation so as to guarantee blood supplying of each intrinsic cell and then improve the situation of ischemia and anoxia. Second, anti-inflammation can prevent the forming of inflammatory factor so as to prevent those inflammatory substances to damage intrinsic cells. Third, anticoagulation is to relieve the press of forming thrombus which can accumulate inflammatory factors and then affect blood circulation. Fourth, to degrade immune complex and extracellular matrix which are formed by the deposition of inflammatory factors and thrombus. Fifth, provide nutritious substances to kidneys so as to finish repairing damaged kidney tissues, and then improving the kidney function.......

How to Prevent Kidney Failure from Diabetes

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 03:01:28 GMT

Early prevention of Diabetes Nephritis is very important for Diabetic Nephropathy is a main reason to cause death for people with Diabetes. On the one hand, people should take relative examinations so as to monitor the pathological change of Diabetes. One the other hand, people should eat proper diet foods so as to control Hypertension and Hyperglycemia. People can take the three tests as follows: 1. Diabetic patients who suffer from the disease for more than five years should check their renal functions, Urine Protein within 24 hours regularly. They also need to pay attention to monitoring their blood pressure and do the Eyeground Check. 2., In order to find the Diabetes Nephropathy early, patients should do Trace Albumin assay and β2-Trace protein assay if the condition is permitted. 3. If people are diagnosed with increased trace albumin and then you should pay attention if you can eliminate other factors such as urinary tract Inflammation, exercise, essential hypertension which can cause it increased. Patients also should pay much effort to control blood sugar and make it approach to be normal as soon as possible. At the same time, we should emphasize low salt, low protein diet and high quality protein is preferred. 1. Low sugar. People should limit the foods containing sugar. In summer, there are all kinds of fruits but patients with Diabetes can’t eat for they contain fructose, cane sugar, glucose. These substances can quickly increase the blood sugar. You can eat cucumber and tomato to replace fruits......

Daily Care in Winter

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 02:54:36 GMT

Chronic Kidney Failure is one of the most common diseases in clinic, which will progress to End-Stage Kidney Failure without timely control. Due to the fact that the morbidity of Chronic Kidney Failure is higher in winter, patients with Chronic Kidney Failure had better pay attention to daily care in winter in case of the onset of it. 1. Why is the Morbidity of Chronic Kidney Failure Higher in Winter? 1) In winter, the whether is turning cold, which results in the inability of the skin to perspire and remove toxin. In this condition, the kidney burden will increase. 2) At low temperatures, the blood pressure will elevate due to the shrink of blood vessels. If so, the kidney damage will be aggravated. 2. How to Take a Daily Care in Winter? 1) Patients are recommended to bask or do proper exercise indoor (Chi Gong or Tai Chi) so as to strengthen their body condition and avoid catching a cold. Once patients' immunity is poorer, they are more likely to catch a cold. Once patients catch a cold, their kidneys may be further damaged. 2) Patients are recommended to go to bed early and get up late so that they can store energy to fight against the stubborn disease. 3) Patients should keep a good mood, which can help the absorption of medicines by the body. To the contrary, negative emotions will influence the effect of medicines.

Ten Hot Foods Nourish Your Kidney

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 02:52:55 GMT

Food therapy is popular in China, which seems to be engraved on everyone’s mind. What diet food comes to your mind when you think of this topic? Do you know what diet foods can nourish your kidney? In traditional Chinese medicine, eating some foods can help regulate and strengthen the corresponding organ—kidney. Ⅰ Rhizoma Dioscoreae The food is regarded as ‘top grade medicine’ in traditional Chinese medicine. Besides the efficiency of tonifying lung and spleen, the food can benefit kidney, and the people who are weak in kidney can eat it usually. Ⅱ Dried Scallop The food can nourish your kidney especially towards the person who is weak in Yin of kidney. Ⅲ Weever The food can nourish not only your spleen and stomach, but also your liver and kidney. Ⅳ Chestnut The food is good for your spleen and stomach as well as your kidney, which has special benefiting to your waist. Ⅴ Chinese Wolfberry......

Treatments of Acquired Cystic Kidney Disease

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 02:49:17 GMT

Cysts in Acquired Cystic Kidney Disease are not genetic and usually benign. Because those cysts are secondary disease of Chronic Kidney Disease or Kidney Failure, doctors and patients usually pay less attention to them than Chronic Kidney Disease or Kidney Failure. The conventional treatments aim at their symptoms and the primary diseases. Medicines in easing symptoms If Acquired Cystic Kidney Disease is not causing pain or discomfort, no treatment is required. Infections are treated with a course of antibiotics. If large cysts are causing pain, hematuria, the cysts are treated asPolycystic Kidney Disease. Surgeries Unlike Polycystic Kidney Disease, cysts may cause severe bleeding and Wunderlich Syndrome which is fatal. With the possibility of cancer, surgeries will be applied to ease the bleeding. In those cases, surgery is used to stop cysts from bleeding and to remove tumors or suspected tumors. Surgeries are necessary for patients with Polycystic Kidney Disease who are infected persistently by the secondary diseases such as kidney stone and abscess. Kidney transplantation After a person receives a transplanted kidney, the cysts usually shrink and even disappear in the diseased kidneys. Without infection or high blood pressure, the diseased kidneys are always left in place in transplantation. However, after transplantation, antiallergic drugs like immunosuppressive agents probably make those cysts become malignant cells. The cancerous cells......

Does Simple Kidney Cysts Need No Treatment?

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 02:46:20 GMT

Different from Polycystic Kidney Disease, Simple Kidney Cyst is not involved in genetic disorder but possibly attributed to silting-up in kidney tubules. As it does not damage kidney function, Simple Kidney Cyst is usually necessary to be treated. With the discomforts, patients with Simple Kidney Cyst can not help wondering whether it needs treatments or not and if necessary, when and which treatment they should adopt. The reasons for treatments of Simple Kidney Cyst It is seldom found in daily life apart from in regular checkups. If you have had discomforts like flank pain or back pain, the cysts probably have been about 5cm and have stressed other renal tissues. At this moment, it needs to be treated. The large kidney cysts will arouse high blood pressure for the growth of cyst have stressed the blood vessels nearby, caused anoxia in kidney and increased rennin. At times, Simple Kidney Cyst will have its complication such as obstruction in kidney calices and abdominal infection if they are broken. It is important for patients with Simple Kidney Cyst to take regular checkups, because the cysts have the tendency of canceration. B ultrasound can not distinguish benign cysts from the cancerous cysts. In CT, cysts in Simple Kidney Cyst normally have one cavity with smooth wall, but the wall of cancerous cysts has thorns and various thickness. Treatments in treating Simple Kidney Cyst As some cysts in Simple Kidney Cysts might not grow, the small cysts without symptoms need not treatments or some or some oral medicines if necessary. Without complications, the cysts can be shrunk by absorbing its fluid insides and injected absolute alcohol. To ease the severe blood pressure, operation can be adopted to removed their top cells, releasing the pressure and fluids. As for the infected kidneys or possible cancerous cysts, kidney removal will be taken into consideration......

Emotional Factor on Polycystic Kidney Disease

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 03:56:20 GMT

Medical experts maintain that the emotional factor plays an important role in the treatment process of every disease, especially in Polycystic Kidney Disease which is easily affected by immune system. Emotional factors can obviously affect the growth of the renal cyst. Modern medical research proves that bad mood can leads to nervous maladjustment and dyssecretosis, which can cause the fluid of nerve to change the internal environment of the body and affect the renal cyst. On the other hand, bad mood can cause immunity to decline, which may contribute to the invasion of germ and virus and enlarge renal cyst eventually. There are four aspects possessed by the patients with Polycystic Kidney Disease. Ⅰ Mental tension The occurrence of mental tension may be usually seen at the beginning of onset of Polycystic Kidney Disease. When they know they have Polycystic Kidney Disease. Ⅱ Apprehension This situation may usually occur on the old patients with Polycystic Kidney Disease, when they understand what Polycystic Kidney Disease is and what the regulations of its occurrence and development are. Ⅲ Emotional impatience This situation may usually occur when the patients feel bad and have no obvious curative effect. Ⅳ Pessimism and disappointment This situation may usually occur on the patients who have renal insufficiency and even Uremia. They believe that they are on the way to death, and the condition is incurable. Losing the confidence on treatment, no encouragement on life and extremely low mood are the emotional characteristics of them. The prognosis of the patient with Polycystic Kidney Disease may be difficult, and we can understand the state of their mood, however, we should pay attention to that long-term sentiment stimulation, and bad mood will not only influence the treatment but also aggravate the disease. So the patients with Polycystic Kidney Disease should have confidence in our advanced treatment and yourself! And keep good mood!

Several methods of treatment of kidney disease. Do you know?

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 03:52:16 GMT

Though kidney disease is not easy to be cured around the world, it can be treated well with the timely and effective treatment. Here some treatment methods are introduced to those patients who are suffering from kidney diseases. Traditional Treatment Methods: 1. Herbal Medicine Treatment 1) Chinese Herbal Medicines With a long history of treating stubborn diseases, Chinese herbal medicines benefit many patients with kidney disease. With the unique function to repair kidney lesion, Chinese herbal medicines are thought to be good effects and no side effects . What really counts is that this kind of medicines can help patients improve systemic immunity, lessen kidney burden and improve kidney function. 2) Ayuvedic Herbs Some patients adopt Ayuvedic herbs to prevent their illness condition from progressing. However, whether the kidney function can be improved is unknown. 2. Western Medicine Treatment 1) Hormone Treatment As one of the most commonly used method, hormone treatment can help eliminate the symptoms (edema, hematuria or protenuria). However, taking hormone in the long term will aggravate edema and even lower their immunity. In this condition, the disease will be more likely to relapse after catching a cold or experiencing infection. Especially, hormone treatment will influence the growth of children with kidney disease. Children are not recommended to receive hormone treatment. 2) Dialysis Treatment Dialysis is the other commonly adopted method to treat kidney disease. With the help of dialysis, the waste and toxin in blood or excess fluid in tissues can be removed from body. It is worth noting that this method can not treat the kidney disease fundamentally. In the early stage of kidney disease, patients had better seek for alternatives to make their damaged kidneys repaired instead of undergoing dialysis. 3) Kidney Transplant Some patients whose illness condition progresses to End-Stage Kidney Failure have to receive kidney transplant to survive. Some of them can survive for days, months or years; meanwhile, some of them have to receive one more kidney transplant or even death due to the immune reaction. The Latest Treatment Technique: Stem Cell Transplant Stem Cell Transplant is the latest medical technique worldwide with the ability to regenerate mass of offsprings and differentiate any part of body cells, such as kidney cells and islet cells. With enough normal and new kidney cells created, patients' kidney function will be improved gradually. It is not an operation, so patients don't worry about the pain. As long as patients with kidney disease receive reasonable treatment actively, they are more likely to live a normal life. Patients with Kidney Failure should never give up due to the rapid development of medical techniques.

The cause of kidney damage

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 03:49:12 GMT

Protein Urine should arouse great attention of people especially for those who are suffering from Chronic Kidney Disease. After people find the abnormal index of Urine Test, some of them feel Protein Urine is nothing serious for they have no uncomfortable feelings. Actually the occurrence of Protein urine means the renal function has been damaged in most cases, In order to take effective measures to deal with Protein Urine, I will provide you some beneficial points. The cause of Protein Urine and its damage to kidneys The origin of Protein Urine lies in ischemia and anoxia of kidneys. Immune complex which is formed by inflammation and infection can lead to blood flow obstruction. Kidneys work constantly under the situation of ischemia and anoxia will damage the capillary endothelial cell of Glomerulus and then cause inflammatory responses of the inner part of kidney. Furthermore, it leads to the damage of kidney intrinsic cells, thus the permeability of kidneys is increased. If the permeability of kidney has increased, which means the barrier function of Glomerulus has decreased, some moderate molecular protein and macro-molecular protein are exposed. These exposed proteins are excreted out of human body through urine and are called Protein Urine. How to treat Protein Urine According to the pathogenesis change of Protein Urine we know that these exposed Proteins are caused by the damage of Golomerular Filtration Membrane and the increase of its permeability. In the past we treated Protein Urine aiming at the protopathy, but the repairing of Glomerular Filtration Membrane was ignored. The disappearance of Protein Urine is temporary for the traditional method can not find the origin of the disease. Micro-Chinese Medicine Osmotherapy is a unique method created by experts in our hospital. Traditional Chinese Medical prescriptions get micro dispose and then equipping with stronger active medicines which has the function of treating disease fundamentally. This method is aimed at the damaged Glomerular basilar membrane and then eliminating immune complex and diseased tissues on basilar membrane, thus repairing the damaged basilar membrane, restraining the ivasion of inflammatory cells, dilating renal arteries and relieving the condition of ischemia and anoxia, at the same time, providing various nutrient substances, accelerating the repairing of pathological damage. Micro-Chinese Medicine Osmotherapy can make the index turn to normal and the disease is hardly to relapse. Suggestions about diet The proper diet for patients with Protein Urine depends on respective disease. Let’s take Chronic Renal Insufficiency and Nephrotic Syndrome as the example. 1. Patients with Chronic Renal Insufficiency should supply protein with normal requirement for about 0.8-1.0g/kg every day, while patients should take food with high protein such as eggs, fish and lean meat. Patients should not take vegetable protein and diary products because they contain large amount of purine base which can aggravate the burden of kidneys. 2. As for patients with Nephrotic Syndrome, they should also take food with high quality protein such as fish, milk, eggs and lean meat for 1.5-2.0g/kg every day. Patients with Nephrotic Syndrome will also lose calcium, magnesium and zinc through urine which combine with protein. They should eat vegetables and fruits like dried small shrimps, sesame paste and sea-kelp and green vegetables which contain abundant calcium. Take millet, wheat, barley and pluck of animals to supply magnesium. Take corn flour, Chinese cabbage, carrot, eggplant and pumpkin to supply enough zinc. I have introduced you some information about Protein Urine and I hope these information can help you. According to the information I think you have already had a general understanding of Protein Urine. Protein Urine does need your attention and don't delay the treatment of disease. If you still have problems you can send email to my mailbox or leave a message at our website. Best wishes for you.

Itchy skin causes. How to treat?

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 03:43:06 GMT

Skin Itching is a common complaint of patients with Kidney Failure. Most of patients don't know why they will feel itching. The itching may be localized to one area of the body or generalized. Skin itching may be constant or intermittent. There are several reasons that can cause skin itching: 1. Kidneys have the function of discharging wastes out of human body. When the kidneys fail, the buildup of wastes and toxins in your blood can cause severe itching. 2. People with allergic body are easy to occur itching. They may be allergic to certain medicines, diet/' target='_blank'>foods, fruits or other substances. 3. Patients with Kidney Failure should take dialysis as a kind of substitution therapy. Among those requiring dialysis, 40-90 percent experience the symptom of skin itching. The cause is unknown, but it is likely due to a combination of factors such as various symptoms as well as a response to therapy. 4. Patients with Kidney Failure are strictly restrained water intake because kidneys have lost the normal function of discharging wastes and producing urine. Extra water can not be discharged out of body and lead to edema. The restrain of water will lead to dry skin. Dry skin can also lead to skin itching. 5. High blood levels of vitamin A, calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, beta2-microglobin and increased histamine levels in the skin. Additionally, other disorders such as the underlying cause of the patient's Kidney Failure, allergies, gallbladder disease and cancers may be the source of itching in persons with Kidney Failure. During the treatment process, people can have different responses. While a majority of patients first experience the symptom of skin itching after the initiation of dialysis, some patients may begin to itch before reaching end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Skin Itching occurs equally often among patients dialyzing by hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis (PD). There are several suggestions: 1. Cool the skin with wet dressings or a tepid shower 2. Take bath one or two time every week; don’t use soap to wash your body, which can cause dry body. 3. The moisture in the room and the temperature should not be too low so that it can avoid losing body moisture. 4. Use skin cream and avoid using something containing Isulin. Some patients with serious skin itching make them very uncomfortable. If we want to relieve the symptom, the basic method is to treat Kidney Failure as soon as possible. If patients let the disease go for a long time, it will have low possibility to recover.

How to Treat Flank Pain in Polycystic Kidney Disease

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 03:17:55 GMT

The following is a message from a patient’s husband, which makes me very worried. Hi doctor, my wife has the Polycystic Kidney problem. we have got no medication or treatment yet. She is suffering from Flank pain almost every day. We have no idea about what to do and how to act at this stage. We put her on salt free diet to minimize blood pressure from increasing. However, no medication is given beyond pain killers. Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) here belongs to Autosomal adominant Inherit Diseases. It seems that there is no chioce but to endure the pain and wait for kidney transpantation when PKD becomes into Kidney Failure. Since western medicines and surgeries have poor effect, why not take traditional Chinese medicines in to account? The pain mainly results from the cysts stressing the surrounding tissues and fluid secreting into the cystes, enlargeing their sizes. This kind of pain is dull pain. If the patients feel sharpe pain, the cysts may break and they should be brought to hospital as quickly as possible. The treatments should emphorsize on the dull pain. Due to the pain rooting in cysts enlargeing, the treatment must include three courses: restrain fluid secreting, promote internal fluid draining out and repair the admaged renal tieeuses. Micro-Chinese Medicines Osmotherapy boasts those functions. By external application, the effective medicines will arrive at the lesion and inactivate the cells of cysts, achieving the goal of restraining fluid secreting. Though promoting blood circulation and increasing the permeability of capillaries on the surface of cysts, internal fluid will drain out along with urine. The balance of those two courses keep the cysts in a benign situation that they never get bigger and the stressed renal tissues are released. The pain will be greatly eased......

The Reason for High Creatinine Level、treatment

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 04:31:18 GMT

Many patients with Polycystic Kidney Disease will experience high creatinine level with the progress of the disease. To reduce the creatinine level, we should find out the reason for high creatinine level. 1. The Reason for High Creatinine Level The occurrence of high creatinine level mainly results from the kidney impairment. Without effective treatment, the kidney impairment will result in the inability of kidneys to remove creatinine produced by muscle and food they take. In this condition, the creatinine that should have been discharged along with the urine will build up in blood. And then the high creatinine level occurs. 2. What Causes Kidney Impairment? As above mentioned, it is kidney impairment that causes the elevated creatinine level. Well then, what causes kidney impairment? There are mainly two factors that cause it: the cyst enlargement and the rupture of the cysts. 3. Methods to Reduce Creatinine Level we can see that patients should control the size of the cysts and prevent the rupture of the cysts, so that the kidney impairment will not occur. To control the size of the cysts, patients are recommended to receive Chinese herbal medicines treatment. If necessary, patients have to take dialysis to survive. Apart from medical treatment, patients had better keep away from peppery food and alcohol in case of the rapid growth of the cysts. To prevent the rupture of the cysts, patients should avoid doing strenuous exercise. It is worth noting that Chinese herbal medicines can also help repair kidney impairment. In conclusion, patients with Polycystic Kidney Disease had better take relevant tests (B Ultrasound or CT) to examine the size of the cysts. Once they present some discomfort, they should go to see a doctor as soon as possible. If you have any question, you are welcome to consult us on our website for free. Or email kidneyalyssa@hotmail.com We will make every effort to help you. five famous kidney disease hospitals abroad 1.China shijiazhuang kidney disease hospital http://www.renalfailuresite.com (http://www.pkdcn.com) 2.Hospitals in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia http://dc.about.com/ 3.U.S. News Best Children's Hospitals: Nephrology http://health.usnews.com 4.Nephrology (Kidney Disease) - New York Presbyterian Hospital http://nyp.org/ 5.Narayana Hospitals http://narayanahospitals.com/

The suitable time for dialysis depends on the general medical condition

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 04:28:30 GMT

Besides those reference values, doctors will take the general medical condition into account and then determine the suitable time for dialysis. For instance, as Diabetic Kidney Failure often deteriorate quickly at its late stages and the patients tend to be accompanied by many complications, doctors will suggest those patients take dialysis much earlier to effectively slow down the deterioration and prevent the severe complications. At that time, Ccr is still at the level of 15 ml/min. As for old people or people of malnutrition, with less amount of muscle, they normally have less creatinine in their blood, so the common values are not enough to determine the time for dialysis. Apart from those clinical values, doctors will take their symptoms into consideration, such as swellings, electrolyte disturbance, high blood pressure and heart failure. The general standard to determine dialysis In general, it is suitable time to receive dialysis, when patients’ hemoglobin is over or close to 8.0g/dl and have no symptoms of uremia like malnutrition, bleeding and anuria. The following is the general standard for determining dialysis: 1. Occurrence of severe symptoms: skin itching, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, poor appetite. 2. Severe electrolyte disturbance: edema, high blood pressure, heart failure, acidosis (PH < 7.1) and high blood potassium (> 6.5mmol/L). 3. Anemia, bleeding, malnutrition, stroke, somnolence and other peripheral neuropathy. five famous kidney disease hospitals abroad 1.China shijiazhuang kidney disease hospital http://www.renalfailuresite.com (http://www.pkdcn.com) 2.Hospitals in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia http://dc.about.com/ 3.U.S. News Best Children's Hospitals: Nephrology http://health.usnews.com 4.Nephrology (Kidney Disease) - New York Presbyterian Hospital http://nyp.org/ 5.Narayana Hospitals http://narayanahospitals.com/

Renal patients fatigue reason? And solution.

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 04:24:40 GMT

Patients with Kidney Failure always feel fatigue. Even they have a good rest, they will still feel very tired. Why? How to help patients improve this condition? 1. Reasons for Patients' Fatigue: 1) Anemia Patients always experience anemia due to the decrease of red blood cells, the decreased life span of red blood cells and malnutrition. Too much toxin will deposite in blood because of the inability of kidneys to expel toxin, which will damage the life span of red blood cells and stimulate the stomach and then cause malnutrition. The shortage of blood supply and malnutrition will cause fatigue. 2) Malnutrition Malnutrition resulted from inappetence will cause energy deficiency, which will make patients feel fatigue. 3) Loss of Protein Body cells are composed of protein. If the protein leaks into the urine, the body will lack protein for energy. And then patients will present fatigue. 2. Methods to Improve Fatigue The key to improve fatigue is to improve anemia caused by kidney damage. And the key to improve anemia is to repair the damaged kidneys. Once the kidneys are repaired, anemia, inappetence and urine protein will be improved accordingly. 3. Methods to Repair the Damaged Kidneys To repair the damaged kidney, Micro-Chinese Medicine Osmotherapy can help. As one kind of externally applied herbal medicine method, it has no side effects on body. Once the effective medicines take effect, the damaged kidneys will be treated. If so, the fatigue will be improved. five famous kidney disease hospitals abroad 1.China shijiazhuang kidney disease hospital http://www.renalfailuresite.com (http://www.pkdcn.com) 2.Hospitals in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia http://dc.about.com/ 3.U.S. News Best Children's Hospitals: Nephrology http://health.usnews.com 4.Nephrology (Kidney Disease) - New York Presbyterian Hospital http://nyp.org/ 5.Narayana Hospitals http://narayanahospitals.com/

Why does Nephritis Relapse,How to prevent?

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 04:11:22 GMT

All kinds of kidney disease may develop into Renal Failure, if patients do not have effective treatments. Nephritis is one common kidney disease and easily relapses. Why is Nephritis difficult to be cured? And why does it relapse easily? 1. Not to be cured completely Many patients with Acute or Chronic Nephritis do not have proper treatment, since many western medications have renal toxicity, which can not treat Nephritis, but can aggravate Nephritis to some degree. Some patients with Nephritis say that they take treatment every year and pay lots of money on it, but the Nephritis will relapse every year and even evolve into Uremia. Some patients have proper treatment, but they will stop the treatment as soon as they have no symptom, which is the primary cause of the relapse of Nephritis. Many people learn little kidney disease, and they believe that there is no obvious symptom, which indicates their Nephritis is cured. Absolutely not, and no matter what kind of disease need further treatment when symptoms disappear. 2. Not to do good prevention Diet: Some patients can not always carry on the diet which is made by dietitian. Radically, many people have not realized the importance of diet on kidney disease. Overwork: Hard physical labor, strenuous exercise and much sexual behavior can give negative influence on Nephritis. 3. Infection from other disease Bacteria or virus infection: this is a common cause of the relapse of Nephritis, particularly infection of the upper respiratory tract (cold), flu, Pharyngitis and Tracheobronchitis, etc. Stress situation: it refers to diversified causes which come from overloaded body, such as sudden gastrointestinal bleeding, severe Gastroenteritis, vomiting, diarrhea, low blood pressure and anaphylactic shock. These situations can cause adrenal cortex to secrete more adrenocortical hormone, which may lead to aggravation of Nephritis. five famous kidney disease hospitals abroad 1.China shijiazhuang kidney disease hospital http://www.renalfailuresite.com (http://www.pkdcn.com) 2.Hospitals in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia http://dc.about.com/ 3.U.S. News Best Children's Hospitals: Nephrology http://health.usnews.com 4.Nephrology (Kidney Disease) - New York Presbyterian Hospital http://nyp.org/ 5.Narayana Hospitals http://narayanahospitals.com/

Healing After Betrayal - Is it Possible?

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 23:42:48 GMT

Bottom of Form Healing after Betrayal – Is it Possible? Betrayal is a breaking of trust and goodwill in a relationship that can take a long time to heal from and can leave us changed forever. It has broken marriages, ended long term friendships and created rifts in families that can span generations. It can happen suddenly and leave us feeling shocked, as in the case of an exposed affair. Or it can happen over time, involving a series of lies or indiscretions that deteriorate trust and respect. Whether it’s our good friend, partner, work colleague, sibling or parent, many of us have experienced the specific wounding that is felt from betrayal. How do we get betrayed? Our betrayal could be caused through a broken promise, a breaking of confidentiality, not feeling loved or supported when we really needed family or friends, or someone else getting the long awaited pay-rise we felt we deserved. These experiences can leave us feeling a mixture of emotions –hurt, bruised, angry, resentful, depressed and anxious. Some of the effects of a betrayal are: losing a partner or close friend, lowering self confidence or self esteem, questioning your ability to trust and feel close to others, fear around opening your heart to others affecting intimacy and closeness to others. It is a common experience for people who’ve been betrayed to say that they saw some of the signs beforehand. It may have been a felt sense that something was wrong, a gut feeling. We can often diminish these because part of us wants to believe they’re not true. We want to give our trust to the other person. Knowing this doesn’t necessarily stop the shock and hurt that happens when we are betrayed, but it may be a wake up call to listen to our inner guidance. Why does betrayal happen? Given that we are all dealing with our own motivations, blindspots, woundedness, ego needs, reactions and impulses it shouldn’t really come as a surprise that people will fail us. Or, that we may also have failed others in our lives. No matter how sensitive we might want to be it is part of our humanness, our growth and maturation into whole adults. Taking ownership of hurt we’ve caused is an opportunity for us to know ourselves better and create healing from our own pasts. Most of us don’t consciously set out to hurt someone when they feel betrayed by us. It is often something we’ve done out of our unconsciousness. The betrayal or ‘let down’ can be a wake up call around consciously looking at and taking responsibility around our behaviour and changing it. Being betrayed by someone close - Steps towards Healing I had been working with a client around her feeling of betrayal by her mother. It deeply affected her ability to trust or be close to her mother and her relationships with her women friends. Growing up, she never felt acknowledged or protected by her mother around her father’s explosive, abusive behaviour. Her mother always seemed to dismiss or diminish her hurt and take her father’s side, no matter how poorly she was treated. This, in some ways, was more painful for her than her father’s abuse towards her. Despite repeatedly feeling betrayed by her mother my client still longed for a close relationship with her and felt very sad that this wasn’t so. Step 1 – Healing the Hurt The first step for healing to occur was for my client to stop expecting her mother to behave differently - given that this was consistently her mother’s behaviour. Every time she attempted to have a conversation with her mother about past hurts she would become defencive, dismiss her experience and my client would feel betrayed all over again. When we really looked at this together, it wasn’t surprising to see that her mother had deep, unresolved issues around intimacy. She had lost her own mother as a young girl and grew up with a violent father. Much of what my client was taking on board as being unlovable was not about her personally but her mother’s own woundedness. In starting to really see the mother she had, rather than the mother she kept longing for she could start to make changes for herself. Step 2 – Grieving, Feeling the Disappointment To stop expecting her mother to change also helped her get in touch with the deep disappointment and grief she held around her longing. A longing for the closeness and understanding that women share with their mothers. Allowing herself to feel her grief and acknowledging its presence took the focus off her mother and back to herself. As she did this, she started listening to and giving loving attention to her hurts. Rather than waiting for her mother to change, she started to give herself the tender, loving, self-mothering that she needed and deserved. Step 3 – Validating and Loving Your Authentic Experience Getting better at listening to and validating her own needs helped my client take care of them better. She also started to catch the times when she would diminish or dismiss her experiences or internally criticise herself. Through visualisation, she imagined herself listening closely to the needs of her inner child. She connected to her inner child by going deeply into her heart, where she felt her hurt. Her inner child would speak to her from her heart. She showed her how to keep her heart soft and open to love even though she’d been so hurt. She regularly journalled conversations with her inner child and would do things that were fun, pleasurable and playful with her. Over time, she started to acknowledge her needs with greater empathy and kindness, greater generosity and ease. She started to give to herself the mothering she had longed for. As she became more practiced at this, her need for validation from her own mother diminished. Step 4 Forgiving and Letting Go In the process of letting go of the type of mothering she was wanting from her mother, my client started to see much more clearly the mother she had. This allowed her to appreciate some of her mother’s specific strengths and positive qualities. She also started to practice stronger boundaries around their relationship that made life easier for her. Knowing there were limitations in where she could go around their intimacy and this took time and patience. She practiced listening to her feelings, trusting them and responding to them. Is there recovery after betrayal? Getting over hurt requires recovery time. It is unrealistic to expect yourself to get over feeling your grief and hurt quickly. Recovery time means listening to your heart and allowing it to stay soft despite having been hurt. Listening to your heart and allowing it to guide you helps us recover our trust in our inner knowing. When we are hurt we can’t make the pain go away or change what happened. We can, however, reach out and get support and comfort from people we love – friends or family members. It can also be a good time to reach out for help from an experienced counsellor. What do you do when you’ve been betrayed? Here are some key questions to help assess things for yourself: Has the betrayal you’ve experienced been a shock, something out of the blue, or has there been an ongoing deterioration of goodwill, disrespect of boundaries, conflict, small lies. What, if anything, do you feel you need from the other person in order to gain some peace and closure. If they are unable or unwilling to do this how can you seek this for yourself elsewhere? What support and guidance do you need for this to occur. Where might you be dismissing or diminishing your own feelings of hurt, anger, fear or caution? In order to keep a balance between an open heart and a clear head. – Are you paying more attention to your feelings, thoughts and intuition? Who is around you that you can trust and speak to? Friends, family members or professional help through counselling, social work, naturopath or GP. If you’ve recently felt betrayed by someone and want some help and support around your healing, it might be time to speak to someone professionally. Write to me at counselling@shushann.com.au for counselling support. I hope this has been helpful. Wishing you peace and happiness Shushann xx www.shushann.com About Shushann... Shushann Movsessian: MappSc (Soc Ecol), Dip.Teach,Dip.Process Oriented Psychology Psychotherapist, educator, soul coach and author of best-selling book, "Puberty Girl" (Allen and Unwin 2004). www.shushann.com.au Shushann is a highly experienced counsellor, coaches, and facilitator with over 20 years experience. Shushann is also a writer, and an adventurer who brings a wealth of knowledge, wisdom and experience to her work, along with good humour, heart and soul. Her vision is to support her clients to believe in the power of their dreams and visions and their sense of purpose in the world.

To Which Degree can Kidney Disease be Cured?

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 03:53:36 GMT

Chronic Kidney diseases usually can not be cured completely, and the treatment goal is to minimize the disease impact to renal tissues and maximally protect these remaining functional nephrones as well as restoring renal functions. First, we need to minimize the influence of disease. Chronic Kidney disease is a progressive loss of renal function, and damages to renal tissues are the main causation of renal function decline. Take polycystic kidney for example, the gradual growing up of cysts gives more and more pressure to neighboring renal tissues and as a result cause damages to functional renal cells. Traditionally, when cyst diameter is less than 1.5cm and not concentrating in the renal cortex part where functional renal tissues exist, serious impact to healthy renal tissue will not be caused. Frankly, we can not make these cysts diaper, but as long we can get them under control and make them in a state that will not obstacle renal function, we can also provide patients with a high-standard living. Second, we need to protect these remaining nephrones from further attack and damages. For patients of Chronic Kidney diseases, remaining functional nephrones are the most cherished source of normal renal function. So, protecting them from further damages is something of necessity. And this purpose is based on two curative effects, namely, minimizing disease impact and promoting the whole body immunity. And the latter curative effect can be achieved by sufficient blood inflow to renal cells. as long as the renal cells can receive enough blood, nutrition and oxygen the healthy growth of functional nephrones will be guaranteed. Third, we also need to restore renal functions. The improvement of renal function is difficult but very necessary. The restoration of renal function is the guarantee of long-term eliminating of symptoms and a relatively high-standard living. In the perspective of western doctors, the restoration of renal function is almost impossible. However, as long as we can gradually degrade these deposited extracellular matrixes and provide necessary materials for the restoration of these reversible damaged cells, we can surely restore and improve renal functions in some degree.

Filling Hole or Feeling Whole?

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 23:34:22 GMT

I was lying in bed last nigh thinking about the words "hole" and "whole" and how interesting it is that they sound the same but are so different in meaning. Being "whole" represents a feeling or state of contentment and completeness...a perfection of sorts. It needs no thing. It lacks only craving. It is peace. However, feeling like there is a "hole" in our lives, suggests that something is missing, that we are incomplete or imperfect. It needs some thing. It is overrun with craving. It is unrest. We vacillate between these two states in life. Feeling as though there is a "hole" in our lives or within our selves, we search for something to fill it up. We search for something to fill the "hole" to make us feel "whole." We find a temporary filling which results in a temporary feeling. It never lasts long. "Whole" always returns to "hole." This may seem pithy or trite, or perhaps even a bit cryptic, but maybe the secret to feeling "whole" is found in the English language. Maybe it is about "FEELING whole." Not "FILLING hole." Where do you find yourself more often? Filling hole or feeling whole? Perhaps there is nothing missing after all. Much Love to all, Linda

Stem Cell to Treat Chronic Kidney Disease

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 03:18:41 GMT

Is there any hope for them? Can they do something help? Yes, they can do something to change the situation if they want, and they can live a happy life without worrying about the disease. How? As a new therapy, Stem Cell Transplant has written a new paper in treating CKD, especially with the assist of Micro-Chinese Medicine Osmotherapy. More information of Micro-Chinese Medicine Osmotherapy can be found in other articles in our website, and this is mainly for stem cell introduction. Stem cells have a function of self-renewal and differentiation by which they can give rise to various kinds of daughter cells for different organs and tissues in the body. Their function in the body is mainly reflected in the following five aspects. 1. Stem cells target to the lesions of the kidneys and repair the damaged intrinsic cells by producing the requisite cells. 2. Stem cells improve the focal micro-circulation with its function of producing blood capillary. 3. Stem cells have the ability to secrete nutrition stimulating factors to reactivate the changed intrinsic cells and repair them gradually. 4. Rebuild the broken immune system of the body. 5. The damaged intrinsic cells tend to be repaired with the infusion of new strength, and little by little, the renal function can be recovered. If you have any questions ,you can see our website chronic kidney disease or stem cells transplant.

Stem Cells Transplantation Treat Polycystic Kidney Disease

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 03:09:50 GMT

There is no such a therapy which can curethe disease totally at present,all the therapies are trying to control the disease and help the patients to live a longer life with a higher quality. In western country, two kinds of operations called laparoscopic renal cyst decortieation (LRCD) and paracentesisare widely used for the PKD sufferers. By this way, the pain in the body can be released temporarily, but the cysts will recur after several months. Many people think this is a way to help them stop suffering the disease. However, the things can not beas easy as people think. This is just like we throw out a bag of rubbish in the room, but we have to change another bag few days later as long as we are living there and producing rubbish. A new kidney certainly can help the patients’ live a longer life, but it is not always the best way. The patients will have to go and check the body in a regular time; meanwhile, they have to take some medicines to avoid the rejection. Chinese Medicine can have effective effects on this disease by herbs. The medicine can play a role in the kidney just by external treatment, such as a medical bath without pain. However, the treatment may be a little bit longer and the patients have to be patient enough during the process. This is an advanced technology in the medical field. The scientists have proved that stem cells have a function in treating human diseases. The clinical practices in Shijiazhuang Kidney Disease Hospital also show us a good example. Even so, there are many people do not believe this method and are afraid of the side effects. However, the scientists have proved that stem cells are the primary cells of the body. They can act as many kinds of specific functions in every organ and tissue without any side effects.

£300 million pounds and counting!

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 17:52:09 GMT

Next time you fill up at your petrol station think about the price (£1.40 per litre at present) Ever wondered how much it would cost to involve your country in another countries business? Of course the country is Britain; I failed to add the prefix of Great as we all seem to have lost this feeling recently. The other country is oil rich Libya which was certainly in need of a new leadership. It seems sickening that the UK was at the fore-front of using military action using our expertise and military hardware including human resources to infiltrate the Libyan dictatorship’s downfall. Britain was not the only country with a keen interest in the vast oil fields or replacing a leadership that would be under the control or influenced by these capitalists. France, Italy and the USA were also involved, as mentioned in my previous journals vast amounts of tax-payers money (which we cannot spare) was poured into this conflict. The task of removing Gaddafi’s regime was almost completed with the death of Gaddafi, a spokes-person quoted that he was pleased it only lasted 8 months but failed to mention the total cost and what intentions were surrounding the oil fields and refineries or at least that of the people of Libya. Here’s a quote from international journalist Eric Margolis. “Nobody cares in Libya about democracy. What they care about is oil, business contacts and arms contacts from the new Libyan government,” For him it is obvious that “the West has great interest in Libya.” Margolis says that it all reminds him of “the old pirate thing from the Caribbean: “dead men tell no tales.” “And Gaddafi and his family had a lot of tales to tell about foreign involvement,” Margolis said. Lift off your blind-fold for a glimpse at this and share your thoughts because we have and are still paying for these conflicts that involve countries that have oil and minerals. If Libya did not have oil or any natural resources then they would have there own civil war like many African nations locked in power struggles. Britain has supplied aircraft, ammunition, secret missions, weapons and military might to gain control over oil and this has reflected on the high prices at the petrol pump. We are all paying for this; we seem to forget the blood-shed and the cost of human lives. The same story goes on in Afghanistan still costing lives and money for natural resources that are untapped such as OIL…

Brief Introduction of Nephritic Syndrome

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 07:13:24 GMT

Nephritic Syndrome which takes increased permeability of glomerular basilemma accompanied by decrease of glomerular infiltration rate as the major pathological change means a group of symptoms. Nephritic Syndrome can result from many diseases and it has various manifestations. Manifestations: Proteinuria: large amount of proteinuria is one of the standards of diagnosis and it is caused by abnormal glomerular filtration membrane. For normal people, the urine protein is not more than 3.5 gram within twenty four hours. If the urine protein quantity is more than this number, then this person may have renal damage. Hypoalbuminemia: Hypoalbuminemia means plasma albumine is less than 25g per litre. Endema: The emergence and severity of edema is related with Hypoalbuminemia. The less the plasma albumine is, the more serious the edema is. Edema usually appears in patient’s face, low limbs and feet. Hyperlipidemia: Recently, the effect of hyperlipidemia on kidney has attracted many medical scholars’ attention. Prevention: Prevention of Nephrotic Syndrome is very important. People can take the following several measures to prevent its happening or aggravation. Proper exercise: Appropriate physical exercise such as walking and swimming is helpful for improving our immunity. However, for patients with Nephrotic Syndrome, swimming is not suitable, because it requires large amount of physical energy. Moreover, patients with Nephrotic Syndrome should do exercises in the morning or in the early evening. Keep good mood: A good mood is also helpful for people to keep healthy. For patients with Nephrotic Syndrome, fluctuating emotion usually is the key problem of fluctuation of blood pressure and illness relapse. They should be confident in overcoming disease and try to keep in good mood by regulating their emotion. Reasonable diet: Reasonable is not only important for us healthy people, but also essential for patients with Nephrotic Syndrome. For patients with Nephrotic Syndrome, they should not eat cool dishes and try to ingest adequate vitamin and high quality protein. Moreover, they should avoid ingest too much calories, because patients with Nephrotic Syndrome usually have hyperlipemia.

Treat chronic kidney disease

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 07:01:14 GMT

People who have Chronic Kidney Disease actually have undergone a long time renal damage. Progress of Chronic Kidney Disease is a long course and this course is separated into five stages which are based on the glomerular filtration rate. Then when Chronic Kidney Disease develops into stage 4, how can we do to treat our disease radically? The symbol of Chronic Kidney Disease in stage 4 is glomerular filtration rate decreases to the range from 15 ml/min/1.73 m2 to 29ml/min/1.73m2. With the decreasing of glomerular filtration rate in this stage, some symptoms begin to appear and some symptoms which have existed before become more severe. For instance, due to damaged renal structure, kidneys of patients with Chronic Kidney Disease can not excrete potassium smoothly, as a result, potassium pile up in their body. With more and more potassium accumulate, hyperkalemia appears. Moreover, symptoms such as swelling, fatigue, and high blood pressure are more severe. All the symptoms in stage 4 of Chronic Kidney Disease are caused by great damage of renal feature. Our kidneys are composed of several millions renal unit which contain masses of renal intrinsic cells. These cells have different function and when these renal intrinsic cells are damaged, meanwhile, our kidneys will lose their function. For example, glomeruli have filtration function and when glomeruli are damaged, glomerular filtration rate will decrease correspondingly. As more and more renal intrinsic cells are damaged, our kidneys will lose almost all their function, causing dysbolism of our body. Consequently, a series of symptoms appear. Damaged renal intrinsic cells are the root cause of symptoms in stage four, so if we want to relieve these symptoms, we should on one hand stop healthy renal intrinsic cells from being damaged unceasingly and on the other hand repair impaired cells. Only this, can we treat our Chronic Kidney Disease fundamentally.

How Can It Be Fall Already?

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 20:26:43 GMT

You know, it really is true that time seems to pass much more quickly as we age. Perhaps the hours drag sometimes on individual days, but seasons have a way of slipping away at an amazing speed. One of my life goals has been to stay in the present moment, but doing so is very hard and takes almost constant vigilance. My tendency is to forget to be vigilant. It seems to me that it was only yesterday that spring came and, where I live in Illinois in the US, buds began appearing on trees and grass began to grow. I had the whole summer to look forward to, and I was completely involved in the things that would go into my garden this year. I suppose that I like spring and fall best of all the seasons. However, in spring, I have summer and fall to look forward to. Now that it is fall, there is only winter ahead. I know there are enjoyable aspects to winter, but I rather dread it overall. Do you think it is part of the human condition to want perfection? I want San Diego's climate without the crowds and earthquakes. Oddly enough, as my husband and I approached retirement, we looked around for a place to which we might wish to retire. We considered Portland, Oregon and parts of the Carolinas, but we found something wrong with every place we looked at and wound up deciding to stay put. After all, when it snows and turns very cold, we can just stay indoors. Our roots are here; yanking them up would be painful. So here I sit, vowing to enjoy the fall while I have it, but knowing I will fail to fully do so and that winter will soon be upon us. I tell myself that I can only do the best I can. But as soon as my clothes are finished drying, I swear I will go and sit outside and appreciate the look of the leaves on the trees before they, too, are gone.

Talks With Our Creator, Sept. 23rd

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:26:11 GMT

September 23 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him, speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you— who are you to judge your neighbor? (James 4:11-12) How different would your life be if you were able to suspend judgments? If you find yourself anxious, angry, discontented, fearful, or upset, it’s usually because you’ve begun to think about and judge the experiences you’ve been having, which means you have stopped simply experiencing them. I tend to either like or dislike whatever is happening to me, and it’s those judgments that get me into trouble. If I am feeling pleased because someone offered me approval, for example, I tend to want to hang onto and have more of those feelings. When my car breaks down and causes me inconvenience, I might think life is treating me unfairly. In those instances, it’s hard to simply accept what is happening and allow ourselves to feel the distress. Because we don’t like feeling distressed, we begin to wonder why they don’t make cars that work properly, and we then start to feel victimized. Our expectations are what can cause us difficulty—particularly when we expect that life will go smoothly at all times. Life simply does not operate that way; it gives us whatever it gives us. It’s our thinking about and judging what we’re given that sidetracks us. When we simply “go with the flow” and allow the experiences, we are always OK. Be aware today of how often you run away from an experience into your thinking process. When we analyze, judge, and lose ourselves in seeking solutions, we can deny the experience itself. The life God grants us is too special for us to deny any part of it. Going off into our heads may prevent us from really seeing and being aware of all the treasures (both good and bad) that are presented to us daily.

Talks With Our Creator, Sept. 22nd

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:21:49 GMT

September 22 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. (2 Tim. 3:16) Sit quietly and allow your thoughts to grow quiet. As you breathe in, consider the fact that the word inspiration has several meanings, among them meaning to breathe in. In this time spent with God, keep an image of breathing in the out breath of our Creator. All of us have sources of inspiration—places or things or sounds or words that inspire us. It may well be that our greatest accomplishments come when we feel inspired. We need to make certain that we seek out those sources of inspiration on a regular basis. When we meditate with some regularity, we usually come to be more aware of our breathing. If I spend time simply breathing in and out, I often like to think that I may be inspiring air that was expelled by someone from a distant place. Nothing is lost in our universe, so it is entirely possible that microscopic particles may travel long distances. Somewhere I read a comment related to our interconnectedness that spoke of our being able to feel the breeze from a butterfly’s wing across continents. On some level that seems a bit far-fetched, but I rather like the thought. We are all in this life together; perhaps it is time we acted like it. Today, be alert to evidences of being connected to others.

Passage from Talks With Our Creator (my new book)

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 16:17:52 GMT

September 21 Even inanimate things—flutes or harps, for instance—when yielding a sound, if they make no distinction in the notes, how shall the tune which is played on the flute or the harp be known? (1 Cor. 14:7) Ask yourself as you reflect today if you feel you are in harmony with your fellow man. Are there tensions in any of your relationships? Are the notes you give off in tune with the notes of others in your life? We are all involved in making music every day. We do not have to be musicians in order to do this; we simply need to add our voices to those around us. Most of the time, we will blend in fairly well. From time to time, however, some discordance will occur. Some of us may like the dissonance we hear, but for the most part, we will wish to return to a harmonious state. . When a choir is singing, it only takes one person to be slightly sharp or flat and the music will not be fully in tune. When that happens, some adjustment needs to be made so that the tune we sing will be in harmony once again. The change may not be a large one, but it is crucial to the way our music sounds. For our music to be heard and appreciated, we must get our voices to blend. We must all be “in tune.” When we are able to tune in to others, to truly hear their voices and want to harmonize with them, we can make beautiful music together.

New U$5 Dollar Bank Note: Careful where you point that thing!

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 12:32:58 GMT

New U$5 Bank Note: Careful where you point that thing! A trusted County Notary in the USA sent me this advice in a recent email: “Thomas McFadden says that the new FIVE DOLLAR BILL is printed using HIGHLY Magnetic Ink and circulated to Reduce Your Physical Strength. Take an older FIVE DOLLAR BILL and hold it your stronger arm/hand and hold it straight-out in front of you and have someone push down on your hand - and see how much effort is required to push your hand down,,, then do the same thing with a NEW FIVE DOLLAR BILL and you will see that your strength is being drained from you,,, and it will be easier for you to lower your hand yourself.... Do not carry them around - in your front pocket. Seriously, do NOT carry the new FIVE DOLLAR BILL around and do the same exercise with ALL NEW ISSUES of any other denominations.....US, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, Europe, UK and all other countries.” Sounds a little alarmist so some further investigation is necessary first…… Banknotes: How they’re made Most banknotes are made of heavy paper, sometimes with cotton fibres for strength and durability. In some cases linen or forensic fibres are added to give the paper added individuality and protect against counterfeiting. Some countries including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Israel produce polymer banknotes in order to improve wear and tear and permit the inclusion of a small transparent window a few millimetres in size as a security feature that makes it extremely difficult for common counterfeiting techniques to reproduce. Magnetic Ink Most banknotes nowadays feature magnetic ink. Take the new Euro €20 note: The church window furthest right is magnetic, as well as the large zero above it. The Technical Bit After magnetic field treatment has been carried out, the banknote has the ability to retain magnetism. The main component of magnetic ink is magnetic paint: ● iron oxide black pigment (Fe3O4) ● brown iron oxide (Fe2O3) Paint pigments are tiny needle-shaped crystals; the particle size and shape makes them easy to arrange in an even magnetic field that has relatively high residual magnetism. Poor Plants and Fish! Magnetic fields can bring about altered states to an organized structure causing such conditions as cell dysfunction and (at high magnitudes) spontaneous mutation to water-borne bacilli. Magnetic fields can and will alter the molecular structures of chemicals, Dr. Wolfgang Pose of Hamburg tested a random magnetic field strength of 2,000 Gauss on hundreds of plants and several tanks of fish. The plants and the fish exposed to the magnetic field all died. Understanding ‘Gauss readings’: ● the earth’s magnetic field is 0.5 Gauss ● Small NIB magnet (pictured) is 2,000 Gauss ● Strong lab magnet is 100,000 Gauss If this is correct, I would spend all my $5 notes (and possibly other denominations) before they expend me! Whilst this is by no means ‘proper’ scientific research, it opens us up to possibilities! The scientifically minded amongst us will want this claim tested objectively using EMF monitoring equipment, yet kinesiology has often given me the real answers I need. The US Government seems hell-bent on destroying the economy, the environment and the livelihood of its populations. If the bank notes don’t get you the economy will! On another subject…..a Cheque Book Exercise Get your cheque book out and look very CLOSELY at the straight black line under where you sign. You’ll need a strong magnifying glass or even a microscope. If not there look elsewhere on the cheque book for this as it could be on another line. They HAVE been found on several cheque books. What are you looking for? What you believe to be a straight line is in fact tiny writing that legally binds you into a hidden contract. We’ve found the microscopic writing on a few UK bank cheques but not all of them. Just check your own out and ask your ‘lovely’ bank manager about it. I’ll bet he hasn’t been told. Putting it in Perspective: Old Banker Joke: A man is stuck in traffic. He asks a police officer about the hold-up and he replies: "The head of the Bank of England is so depressed about the economy he's stopped his car and is threatening to douse himself with petrol and set himself on fire. So we're taking up a collection for him." The man asks: "How much have you got so far?" The policeman replies: "About 40 gallons, but a lot of people are still siphoning." Graeme Dinnen www.resourcesforlife.net

I have returned

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:46:26 GMT

I have been absent from Copperstrings for over a year. I feel badly that people have sent me messages and friend requests that I did not see so did not respond to. I apologize to all of you. I have had a difficult year. I am a caregiver to a disabled woman Veteran here in the US. Her health has been poor and my time has been divided between her medical needs and the care for my 30+ cats and my disabled puppies. I have also been dealing with inner turmoil related to my childhood, whihc has taken a great deal of my emotional energy. I hope to be a more consistent participant in the future, and I wish everyone well.

my first time...putting myself out "there"

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 22:26:03 GMT

OK, deep breath! just listened to the ethereal music of the meditation, am tired of ignoring my Self, my Spirit and getting lost in the to-do's of home ownership, career, a wild, overgrown garden and love...oh love...sweet as it is. Parenting half-time allows me much freedom, yet, the constant nag of worry is still there, even when my beautiful, talented and amazing daughters are with their dad. Being in relationship, as delight-filled and intimate and challenging as it is, will be on-hold while John leaves town for 2 weeks. Work is so crazy busy and deadline driven currently, I'm dropping balls...then to go to the mall and spend so much money! On myself! Guilt ridden and wondering where my discipline and resolve was ...I sit at the computer, playing mindless games, respond on FB and plan my weekly calendar. Not even the lovely ritual of coffee feels right today...possibly due to the heaviness of energy around the memories of 9.11? Or, that my solitude will be broken with two high-energy, emotional teens moving into the space of my home? Or, that my floor is filthy, the weather is calling me outside, yet the weeds and overgrowth need my attention too? I want to go to the Beach, whines my inner child. I want to play with my paints, demands my creative self, I want to feel comfort in my surroundings and they are messy! says my inner critic/perfectionist. What to do? How to Be? Where's the LOVE? Feeling out-of-body energy vibes since before dawn...then overly weightiness of my physical body struggling with the environs...Time and Space? What's up today? The cicadas/crickets/grasshoppers are all doing their thing. But that's it. No breeze, No other sounds, not even neighbor's lawn equipment...guess they are done, (finally!) So uncertain as to where to place my intention for the day. Want to make the most of this time of quiet, before the week starts it's wheel-turning, mind-frenzy of activities and routines. So blessed am I! To have this time of stillness and solitude. How do I enjoy it? Absorb it into my Being? Make the most of it...stretch it to the limits of the time and space of Today? I know one thing, I need to get away from the computer. Be mindful, still and heal. This week of discovery and discussion about our love not being enough, not being perfect, as well as the world's constant talk about war, hatred, 9.11, economic downfall, racism, ugliness and pain... I just want to tap into the Joy, the Love, the FLOW of divine here on Earth, So, here goes~ will report back later...

Let's make 9/11 a day of fresh hope

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 20:32:14 GMT

On 9/11/01, I was working in a TV newsroom and, when the first plane hit, we all assumed that it was just a horrible plane wreck. But when we watched the second plane hit the other tower—on the network's raw news feed, as it was actually happening—I realized that this was deliberate. Some fresh hell was unfolding, and life would never be the same. I was afraid that day, afraid that "Oh no, it's really happening, the Doomsday that we've all been warned about that I didn't take very seriously, it's beginning." Fearful thoughts tumbled through my mind, like dominoes falling on a path lined up toward devastation and destruction. I wondered how long it would take to reach the Midwest, where I was, and when the food rationing would begin. I worried about my kids and the world I had borne them into. That day carried a very weird vibe. I went outside to have a cigarette, and noticed there were no cars, no birds, no squirrels—no life. It felt as though all of the energy, both positive and negative, had been sucked from the Isness and we were flat-lined: there was nothing ... a void ... not good or bad, just ... a void. But as I sat and smoked, I felt a small glimmer of hope. I hoped that this would finally be the last straw. I hoped that we, as a race, would finally see the futility of hate. I felt like Betsy Lou Who, from How the Grinch Stole Christmas, not allowing someone else's nastiness to drain my heart of joy. I felt a swell of gratitude for those generous souls who gave up their physical forms in this horrific event to illustrate where the path of hatred takes us. I hoped that this would be the straw that finally taught humanity that we can’t ever win a war against ourselves. Unfortunately, that is not the path we took. We ended up in a war that included torture and videotaped decapitations. Man’s inhumanity to man was everywhere we looked, for years and years, goaded on by a fearful global population and government leaders who insisted that fighting hatred with hatred was the way to go. It feels to me like the sacrifice made by thousands of souls was in vain. You know that song we sing in church, “Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me …”? Can we do that yet? Can we honor that sacrifice by knocking this craziness off and trying to get along? That’s what I intend to do. On this day of remembrance, I thank and bless all of those who died in the attacks, the military troops and civilians who have died since then in battle and, yes, even the hijackers, for the most powerful message any soul can deliver—Do unto others, damn it, because you ARE doing unto yourself. While so many mourn this day, others celebrate new life. My nephew and his wife just welcomed a new addition to the family this weekend. The cycle of life goes on. Welcome to the world, Liam. We hope to make it a better place for your generation.

A year has zoomed by

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 23:54:21 GMT

Was shocked to see my last activity was nearly a year ago. I've had a very difficult time since early 2011 following the death of my father who was a primary abuser in my life. Had to deal with issues that had never surfaced previously. I've just completed working through a second wave of internal backlash. It is settling down now and the end of the month I am looking forward to having my final medical issue repaired. Since Friday I've been watching the specials on 9/11, especially the information that was hidden in 2001 but now public. I also think I dissociated the event after living it along with the rest of the world that day live on television. Was glad to see the invitation to the 9/11 Intention Experiment and have signed up. Am still awaiting the day when I can choose the day's agenda instead of it carrying me into a subconscious plan of processing some memory or lingering/surfacing emotions. My intention is to join all of you tomorrow and for the next week at 1 pm (my time). Am setting my phone alarm now. Hello to my friends here.

Yoga

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 10:59:08 GMT

Yoga Journal day 1 "Most people think that aging is irreversible and we know that there are mechanisms in the human machinery that allow for reversal of aging, through correction of diet, through anti-oxidants, through removal of toxins in the body by purifying, through exercise, through yoga and breathing techniques, and through meditation." ~ Deepak Chopra Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/TheLightForum

Fitting into the Right Pair of Jeans

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:43:48 GMT

It is truly a wonderful thing when you find a perfect pair of jeans. You know what I mean? The ones that fit you so perfectly, that hug your body in the right areas, but not too tightly. They feel like you are truly in your own element when you wear them. It is almost as if they are part of your body. With these jeans adorning your lower half, you look and feel great. Only such a wonderful experience can make us search so hard. Jeans such as these are not usually an easy find. Entering a dressing room with an armful of jeans, you spend the next half hour trying on pair after pair. These don't quite fit right. These are obviously not the right size. Yikes! These feel okay, but the color of them is somehow strange. You think this pair will definitely be it! The right size, the right color, the right fit...no. The zipper is broken! Are you kidding me? The search goes on.... This search for the perfect pair of jeans popped into my head today when I was meditating on what I want in life. No, my life's dream is not the perfect pair of jeans. Well, not exactly. I realized the close relation to it today though. What I really want (a want that I suspect is shared by many others) is to fit in. Not fitting in by way of changing or molding myself to meet the expectations of others. So, not like squeezing yourself into a pair of jeans that are too small simply so that you can wear that size 4 that every truly beautiful and fit woman ought to wear (not my personal opinion on the matter). But fitting in by way of discovering and being my true self. The authentic self that has certain talents and strengths that will serve those around him/her in the best way. Becoming that being that is necessary for the peace of the being itself as well as the peace of the whole. The more I explore what this really means, I find things in my mind such as: Automatic recognition from myself and others that I am in the right place, doing the right thing, and being the right person. The word "right" may not be the "right" choice, but hopefully you can sense what I am getting at. Sometimes words just don't cut it. They can only point toward it. The jeans popped into my head because it is kind of a similar feeling. It 'feels' right when you find the perfect pair of jeans for you. So much so that you reach a point where you forget about the jeans all together. There is no difference between them and you. They don't feel foreign or "not me." There is a connection or a becoming one with them. I think the same thing happens when we find ourselves and our purpose in life. There is a connection made not only between ourselves and what we do best, but there is a connection or a oneness formed with all of humanity and even all of the universe. There is no longer a foreign or alien feeling of separation between who we are and what we do or between who we are and those we serve. Psychology and Philosophy, as well as most religions, can agree that there is a quest within the human mind/heart to return to the oneness of all or to become whole. According to psychology, we 'separate' ourselves mentally from the 'other' at young age, and then we spend the rest of our lives trying to reconnect. So what are those things that stand in our way of doing so? The stories we tell ourselves, the pressures we put on ourselves, our biology, our own primitive senses, etc. The list is long, but the source of them all is only ourselves. What is to be done then? Do we keep on searching for the perfect pair of jeans? Trying on every pair that catches our interest? Disgustingly discarding them into a pile for the poor overworked sales people to take away back to their respective racks? Trying to find the ones that are the real deal? Is it really a quest for the perfect jeans or is it quest for fitting ourselves comfortably back into our human family? Interesting to consider.

Swing High, Swing Low

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:24:09 GMT

Are you one of those people who reads the labels on any ready-made foods that you buy? Have you noticed that sugar is in almost every one - not perhaps in Marmite but definitely in peanut butter! There is a mass production of sweet and sugar laden foods which is fuelled by our addictions. The addictive personality is something that is so prevalent that we don't even notice or worry about it anymore. In fact, we even love our addictions and addictive behaviour patterns because they are familiar and make us feel safe. Society even supports these patterns by providing the perfect environment for us to live. Apart from the sugar laden processed foods, we have a compulsion to make more than enough money to cover our continually increasing costs of living because we believe that it is money that keeps us safe. When we are addicted to something we only feel safe when we have enough of it. But then we realise that we are not safe. The double bind here is that we can never feel safe when our body is on "active alert" and it is likely to remain like that until we feel safe! It's become a disease known as OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and is treated as if it is something that is more to do with the psyche than the body. What we have forgotten in our obsession with the mind is that when the body is unhealthy then the mind cannot function properly. While we live on active alert pumping adrenaline into the body on a daily basis we can never hope to have a healthy body. We are living in the sympathetic mode of the autonomic nervous system which means that the normal functions of the body do not operate as they should. ● We do not breathe properly ● We do not digest our food properly ● We do not eliminate toxins ● We clench our body; it can remain clenched for our entire life ● We become ill and take medicines that cannot be properly utilised or eliminated. Looking at trauma from as far back as our birth can help us understand some of these early digestive disorders. What happens to the toxic ingredients in our food? In a healthy body that is not overloaded with toxicity through excess alcohol, drugs or artificial food additives, the liver and spleen are able to cope with a few toxic ingredients. We have an incredible body which is designed to stay healthy but not when it is continually bombarded with substances that do more harm than good. Modern lifestyles put a tremendous toxic strain on our vital organs and glands. The stomach is perpetually stuffed with de-natured foods consumed in incompatible combinations while the liver is swollen and strained with the effort of breaking down massive intakes of animal protein and fat as well as drugs and toxins. The kidneys go into overload, and the spleen gives up because it can’t maintain the quality of the red blood cells any more. The pancreas balloons to an abnormal size due to the constant demand for digestive enzymes to process enzyme-less foods; the villi break off and clog up and the colon becomes lined with layer upon layer of glue-like substance that poisons the blood. Unfortunately, when the symptoms of toxic overload appear on the outside of the body, internal deterioration is so far advanced that drastic measures are required. Healing and rebuilding the gut can be a long-term project, taking between 12-18 months. The nutritional content of most food has been compromised over the years, not only by deficient soils and modern production, transportation, freeze-storage and processing methods, but also by the enormous amounts of chemical and artificial substances that are added to promote growth, storage, life, taste and appearance. If we eat enzyme rich food, we flourish. If we eat enzyme-less food we compromise our health. The question is not whether particular food types are good for us, but rather how effective our spleen is in extracting vital nourishment from them. Healthy Spleen Clean blood is needed throughout our body to enable it to function properly. Clean blood comes from a healthy spleen. Few of us today have truly healthy spleens. The reason for this is probably because the medical profession believes that the spleen does not have a vitally important role. “A redundant organ” I was once told. One of the key functions of the spleen is that it is the master controller of our digestive system. But we take very little notice of our digestive system assuming that we can eat what we like whether it is chemicals or real food. Chemicals do not fuel our body with energy that is needed to survive; they make food more palatable especially if it is made from cheap manufactured ingredients and at the same time taking energy from the body to make some attempt to digest or eliminate them. Sugar is another substance that takes more energy from the body than it gives, although it can be useful for healing external wounds on the body. The body is an incredibly well designed mechanism. It will make an attempt to digest what it can and eliminate what is not "usable" but only if it is functioning correctly in the parasympathetic mode. Our lifestyles do not support us to have a calmer body environment. Most people are in survival mode, trying to earn a living to support a growing family. What if you took a step back and really examined your lifestyle? Do you love your life? Are you happy and fulfilled? Or are you living on an edge trying to make sure you can survive? Are you who you want to be? Do you live a life that you feel is "socially correct" but does not make you happy? Until we can love who we are we will always be at some level on "active alert" depleting those adrenals. We are not here to be liked or accepted by everyone or even care what other people think of us. Most of us only get this realisation after the age of 50 and then we start living our real lives if we haven't already made ourselves ill. If any of what I have written describes you then you will benefit from taking the Ancient Herbal Remedies ‘Inner Calm’ and ‘Maestro’. These remedies will address so many issues at a very deep level, working on settling the adrenals and cleaning the blood. Most of us work on a superficial level with healing what we can see or feel at surface level, but if you are willing to work at a deeper level, on the real root causes then your whole body will benefit, not just the symptoms. You may bring up old conditions that you thought had disappeared only to find that the remedy you took in the past just pushed those symptoms deeper into the body. They are still having the same negative affect in your body but without those external symptoms. We feel deeply grateful for discovering these remedies and the wisdom of the Aboukhazaal family who have been using these ancient recipes for generations. Deep levels of healing are available to all of us if you allow the possibilities into your life, but remember nothing will work unless the body is in a calm and receptive state. Look at your lifestyle and ask yourself if it really honours your body. Inner Calm andMaestro together will put an end to those addictive patterns. Phylipa Dinnen www.resourcesforlife.net

Navigating Your Way Through a Motivation Crisis.

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 14:25:24 GMT

Motivation Crisis; Can You Even Be Bothered to Solve It? It is often difficult to see a motivation crisis coming, as most people become experts at ignoring the symptoms. Suddenly, one day the alarm clock goes off, or you wake up naturally, feeling no desire to get out of bed. The thought of facing the day appears as appealing as jumping in a pool full of piranhas. How is it possible that you suddenly feel this way? There are many possible symptoms that can lead to this increasingly common phenomenon. Maybe your job or relationship have lost their passion, possibly you have compromised yourself, in the belief that you are keeping others happy, to a point of apathy or even given up on any hope or dreams that you had. All of these factors compromise motivation. The true cause of a lack of motivation is not following your heart. Your heart is not only the muscle and pump that keeps your body alive; it is the centre of your emotional intelligence. In order to access it you must first know what makes you feel truly alive. Ask yourself; if everything that I didn’t love was removed from my life right now and I could have anything I wanted, what would it be? Most people do not even know what they REALLY want; they just repeat stories of what they don’t. If having more money, love or purpose are your goals then ask yourself what you would do differently if you had more? What would you like people to remember you for – if you had the power to change anything? When you know what you want you can focus on it. One chance meeting can change a life. One possibility can cause a shift. One inspired action can transform everything, but you have to be ready for that action. This takes focus, preparation and belief. Most people are not focused, do not prepare and will not believe in the possibility and don’t even see it when it comes. Whatever your goal is, take one small step towards it. Maybe you are being asked to do something you don’t love – then feel empowered by saying “NO!” Maybe you would love a new job – start looking. Possibly you even want to change the world – then find someone who already is – and contact them. You never know – they may even get back to you and change your life. The longest journey starts with a single step. If you have reached a point where you have no energy and motivation then you have two choices. The first is to continue until your health declines, your friends and family despair and you are suddenly facing a major health crisis. The second is to take just one small step in a better direction. This starts with giving yourself permission to deserve a better life. A stronger, fitter healthier you will inspire more people. Before this happens you can help yourself by making the simple decision that you are worth it.

Parents & Time

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 12:34:32 GMT

Me – ‘Hi Mom, how are you?’ Mom – ‘Hi, I was waiting for you call yesterday’ Me – ‘Ah… why?’ Mom- - ‘Well, yesterday was your weekly holiday and you usually call on that day’ She had been waiting for my call. Suddenly, realization hit me. Parents look forward and wait for their children to call or visit them. Their lives, even after children grow up, revolve around them but in a different way. But how much time and thought do WE give our parents other than what is duty bound? Do our lives revolve around theirs? I am not insinuating that we do not appreciate them or love them. It is the time factor. How much TIME do we give our parents? The sentence - ‘Well, yesterday was your weekly holiday and you usually call on that day’ changed me. Thereafter, I made it a point to call every weekly holiday and once or twice during the week too. As I live far away, I made sure that I visited them every long holiday to spend some quality time with them as it is no point rushing to them when it is too late. My father had been ill for a few years and the last quality time I spent with him was 25 days in hospital. He passed away four days after I arrived home. I thank God that I was able to spend that time with him or else I would have regretted it for the rest of my life. I am weeping every time I see his picture. Everyone has to go one day and that’s inevitable BUT it is difficult to come to terms that they are really no more. As the saying goes, it will be your time one day and I am already there. I am a mother of grown up kids. I find myself constantly thinking of them & waiting to hear from them. I go into frenzy if I have not for more than three days. They can’t fathom my panic and ask me how many times I call my mom and now I firmly say ‘every week and sometimes several times a week. Can we ever re-pay our parents for what they have given, done & sacrificed for us? NO. The least we can do is give them TIME, a patient hearing and let them know that we care and are there for them at all times. I am glad that I realized before it was too late and I hope those who have not will realize it sooner than later as parents and kids are precious.

Life Entrepreneurs Show Up

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 22:56:08 GMT

Last week I stood next to a very dear friend whose brother had died suddenly, and unexpectedly, at the young age of 64. In a few weeks I'll be 64. Really made me think about a lot of things.... First, how important it is to simply be there when our friends need us. There is nothing for us to particularly do, just showing up is what really matters. Second, how important it is to keep living fully, here and now, and make sure that the people we care about know that we love them, and that they matter to us. She told me they had spent time with him in the hospital when they thought he was simply under observation and would be going home soon. Their whole family had gathered and sat around his bed talking and laughing with him. The next day, for some reason, his heart stopped and he couldn't be revived. She felt so grateful that she and her family had been with him, enjoyed him for what became the last time. At this moment, our world is racked with fear. The stock market is spiking and falling every other day. People are uncertain about their futures. We don't know whom to rely on, whom to trust. My only recourse is to trust myself, how I feel when I am with people. How I feel when I have something to choose or decide on. It seems that is my best gauge for continuing to move forward in the midst of such turmoil. I watch Charlie Rose to see what the "experts" say about our economy, and they don't seem any more certain than I do. None of us knows where this will all lead. So I'm going to just keep loving--my life, my friends, my challenges and opportunities. I'm going to be there for the people that need me. I'm going to make sure I let people know how important they are to me. I am going to keep trusting that there is an order hidden within all this seeming chaos, because, thank goodness, I've seen many ups and downs in my 60-odd years of living, and we all seem to keep muddling through it somehow. It just seems more doable when we all hold hands and keep going together.

Time speeds on

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:38:55 GMT

Talking today to a number of people met along the walk to the allotment there is a common theme running through people's minds. They talk not of recession, of lower income and loss of employment – no…they talk of time. Time, they all believe, is moving too quickly - so much so that some feel they have been in a state of sleep as they suddenly realise that we are into August, yet it feels as if it should be April or May. So what is happening? Are the Mayan calendar predictions of the end of the material world coming true with predictions of time speeding up, commercial institutes collapsing, and dictators toppled from power and the down trodden getting a voice. Yes the Mayans could not see that some of this has happened due to modern technology such as mobile 'phones and the internet yet they saw a shift of time, power and influence. Or could it be that we live at such a busy non-stop forward thrust towards death that we have forgotten the gift of life we have been given to try and enjoy, be at peace and content with our lot. Consumerism has its part in the rush to spend, spend, spend, waste, waste, waste. Just a thought - what do you readers out there think - is time rushing by faster and faster or are we just creating our own super speed towards the end of time?

Kiva: Empowering people around the world

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 17:11:07 GMT

We have started a lending team with the purpose of lending money to enterprising people in their countries: Footprints in the Sand Here’s the background: It’s Saturday morning, you’ve parked your car and you’re walking to the shops. You notice an elderly person rattling a tin for a well-known charity and you feel you should give them something. A pound, a couple of pounds, maybe even more because you know someone who died from that particular disease, or just in case you catch it yourself. Whatever you give it makes you feel better that you helped…..somehow. Have you ever thought where that money really goes? Would it surprise you to know that much of it goes in administration expenses, even 5-star hotels and first class airfares…..oh and let’s not forget that it also gets gobbled up by mega-wealthy pharmaceutical companies trying to find a profitable new drug they can market to help manage a particular disease. Note that I wrote a ‘drug…to help manage’ and not a ‘drug…to cure’. There is a world of difference. The kind nature of most humans is to give in order to help others. What if instead of giving money to those charities that ‘help’ tsunami victims, the starving in Africa or a country’s orphans (who probably only receive a tiny percentage of your donation anyway), you could lend money directly to deserving and enterprising people in other countries, and even have your funds returned to you? Think of it as a charitable investment. In June’s newsletter I mentioned that I was looking into starting up a group operating under a more hands-on scheme of helping people out that would not necessarily cost us much. That vehicle has now been established. Microfinance Microfinance or microloans is a method where small loans can be provided to enterprising people in the world’s poorest communities. Instead of relying on hand-outs from established charities, microfinance helps farmers and small business men and women borrow money to: ● raise their family income ● build up their assets ● cushion themselves against external shocks This group of low-income borrowers has traditionally been neglected by the banks although some found a way to source finance through co-operatives. Although the concept of microfinance is not new, it was given a new lease of life in 2006 when economist and founder of the Grameem Bank Mohammad Yunus, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for providing microfinance to poor people as well as helping them establish creditworthiness and financial self-sufficiency. His initiative showed how encouraging and facilitating enterprise with the support of microfinance could significantly raise the living standards of entire communities. Under this new spotlight many banks and financial institutions decided that it was a great bandwagon to jump on and set up their own microfinance divisions to ‘green’ their image. They weren’t properly managed and microfinance became tarnished with a bad name when several of the loans defaulted. It turned out that because of negligible administration and on-site field support, some borrowers used the money to buy TV’s instead of the equipment they’d borrowed for! Microfinance briefly explained Click here and scroll down to see the 2:08 minute video Kiva: the collective power of individuals Independent non-banking groups have established themselves and are achieving impressive results. The group I have watched and followed is www.kiva.org based in San Francisco. Kiva was established in 2005 and remains a non-profit organisation. The procedure is simple: Choose a borrower – make a $25 loan – get repaid – repeat the process In a nutshell, lenders like you and me send $25 (£15.50) or multiples thereof to Kiva. Kiva offers a list of approved borrowers from around the world who you can choose to lend your $25 to. You don’t have to choose the same borrowers as I do but you’re always welcome to contact me for advice or recommendations until you become more familiar with the system. When the loan needed receives the required amount, the borrower is funded. The current average loan is just under US$384. When the loan is repaid, the investors get their $25 back. There’s no interest involved, just the amount you loaned. You can either keep your $25 or lend it out again. The current repayment rate is 98.78%, far higher than in any bank I worked in! This is because Kiva has unpaid volunteer field partners that help the borrower for the duration of the loan. For every $1 loaned, 100% goes to the borrower. Kiva offset their costs by relying on small optional donations from you and others to keep our site running. For example on the $25 loans I have given, an optional donation of $3.25 is added. I pay that gladly. Here’s a short video explaining how your $25 is applied: click to see video (1:35) Footprints In The Sand If you’d like to just do something to contribute to this cause you can register with the Footprints In The Sand group to contribute or even set up your own lending group. My reasons for investing: I have worked in and visited many countries around the world – especially in Asia. The farmers, the taxi drivers, the fishermen, the street sellers - men and women of every age have to work long hours every day of the week just to survive; just to feed their families. And with the global economy teetering, survival for these people is becoming harder and harder. We are all on this planet together. To put aside the cost of a small round of drinks to give people in genuinely distressed conditions a chance and know that they will receive it, is far more effective than giving someone with a tin outside a shopping centre on a Saturday morning a few pounds. Click below to see what Kiva are offering: Footprints in the Sand - Click on the link - Click on Join Team’ - Click on New to Kiva? Register - Fill in the blanks - Choose a borrower Just to give you an idea, today (16th July 2011) I have contributed to loans for those below: - $25 to Rahmattilo Muratov in Tajikistan to help with his agricultural - $25 to Julius M'irura in Kenya to help cultivate his banana farm - $25 to Anonymous in Sierra Leone to help her fund provisions for her store “Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin!" ANONYMOUS Graeme Dinnen

Family Relationships and How they Affect Your Heart.

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:39:44 GMT

Do you have harmonious relationships with all of your close family members and are you aware how this can affect your heart and energy on a daily basis? People who I looked after that had close family relationships, laughing and joking with their loved ones in hospital would often be full of life and vitality just minutes before they went to bed for the last time, smiling and passing away in their sleep. This was incredible to witness and always gave me hope that death could be a potentially pleasant experience. After all, we all get to die one day - it is only a question of how. One of the biggest issues that came up repeatedly during my time as a nurse that affected heart health and energy was unresolved family relationships. I found that much suffering occurred, especially with patients with cancer and heart disease. It is not that issues with family relationships were exclusive to these two areas, just that these are the two illnesses that I had the most experience in dealing with. I would ask those who suffered the most at the end of their life what their family relationships were like. Without exception, there was always at least one unresolved connection. Conversely, those who experienced virtually no suffering at the end of their lives reported harmonious relationships with all of their family. Is this a coincidence? I think not. If you know anyone who is holding a grudge towards a close family member then you can be certain that it is taking a toll on their heart, health, energy and wellbeing. Whilst they may feel that there is nothing that can be done and just soldier on with life, brushing it under the carpet, just one day on an acute medical ward speaking to those who suffer the most about their family relationships would give you conclusive evidence that this was not a good idea. For anyone holding a grudge towards a family member I would suggest getting professional help to get through it. Otherwise, if you live long enough to die naturally, there will almost certainly be a price to pay. But you don't understand Adam....... I realise that this is no light issue. For those who have suffered violence and/or abuse during their upbringing it is less than easy to let go and forgive family who seemingly position themselves as impossible to love. Reaching resolution in such cases almost always requires professional help. It is not my aim to underplay what has happened in the past. The purpose of this post is to highlight what may well await those in the future who are currently feeling anger, resentment and/or stuck in the past. What is often hard to accept, until you have seen it for yourself hundreds of times, is that all such feelings affect you more than anyone else and act as poison to your heart, unless resolved. In the exercise in this video I will take you through a process that can help. Depending on the depth of the issue this may or may not help. I have found that resolving testing family relationships is not always a quick and easy process. Sometimes it takes time. In this instance it is my aim to plant a seed that will allow you to open yourself to the possibility that one day you may reach a more harmonious resolution that increases the wellness of your heart, your energy and every other relationship in your life. If you are not ready to resolve your family relationship challenges right now, then I cannot recommend enough the importance of getting professional help for this, or it is likely to slowly drain your life-force away, taking a huge toll on your heart and massively increasing your risk of a heart attack. The exercise in the following video may not instantly resolve all of your family relationship issues but it will lay a foundation for the path that could lead you to a healthier heart and a more harmonious future in relating to your family. This is part 6 of The Healthy Heart Academy free e-course. For the other parts please visit The Healthy Heart Academy website. Wishing you well with your family relationships, Adam

Self-Worth: Who loves ya?

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:22:32 GMT

One of the biggest fears of many humans on this planet is their own self-worth. Most people who really want to know themselves want to hear that they are better than others, that they are needed; that they have value. They want to leave a legacy and be remembered. The idea of living for our three score years and ten, or more it seems these days, is that we can look back on a life that has been well lived with a story that is worthy of a book. And it is my belief that most of us do have a story that has value and is fascinating to others. So how do we find that story? Only by being true to ourselves; only by finding out and living who we really are; only by letting go of that huge expectation on us to be someone, to be something, instead of to be an essential part of the whole. Each one of us is born with a purpose. None of us are able to find our purpose when we are all educated within the confined structure of our present system. Instead we are put into a “mixer” and blended so that we become integrated into the current social structure. Unless a certain proportion of the population are deliberately “dumbed down” there would be no one who could dream of a job in a hypermarket or massive superstore that allows no possibility of self growth or self-worth. We have no idea of what we are capable of if we buy into the “homogenisation” process that has been created for us over the last hundred years or so. Inside us there is another being longing to be free, but we have been mentally conditioned to be a part of the machine that makes the world work. Is that idea of freedom possible? Until 1781 it suited humans to be strategic, to be mental in their process, in their lives. Up until then it was necessary for us to learn how to live, survive, build houses and fend for ourselves. All of these skills, and most of the skills we use today came from knowledge and awareness gained before the discovery of Uranus in 1781. But the children born since that discovery, the Uranian beings which includes all of us on this planet alive today, have a different way of functioning. We mutated, we evolved at the moment of discovery, from seven-centred beings to nine-centred beings. Those who speak of the chakras speak of the seven chakras. In order to differentiate ourselves from those pre-Uranian beings we call them nine centres. We mutated to become more body oriented and less mind oriented. This means that we should no longer be controlled by our mind; in fact it is really something that can only measure – “what happens if we do this…..” etc. The mind was what the explorers and scientists needed to discover the world. But we’ve found it all. So we have what we need. We have the education and the knowledge which can set us free. It is now time to let go of the mind ruling us and listen to the body instead. Freedom means following the body, surrendering to the body and using the response mechanisms within the body. It means allowing the mind to take a back seat, to be a passenger within the vehicle that is our body. What we are now finding is that our body holds an incredible wisdom that will guide us far better than our mind can ever do. The mind will rebel; it loves to be the leader. But the mind can only measure, it can only be logical and strategic or abstract in its process. It can never really know the truth. But the body can and does know what is best for you. Our job now is to use our body signals to respond to the choices that are available in our society and our surroundings. And the choices are huge. There is always something to respond to. If we respond correctly then our body will guide us to find our true purpose; when we find it we realise it is exactly what we were born to do because it is easy, it is what we love to do. It comes so naturally to us and we have nothing to prove. We just are involved with our purpose, because we want to be involved - loving our role, loving our life. We all have a specific purpose here; we all have our own story. Living it gives us a huge level of satisfaction. We are all good at what we are meant to do. It is in our genes. It’s what we are already doing. When we live correctly we find that we love ourselves, and until we can love ourselves no-one else can possibly love us. Something in our aura shifts; it becomes authentic and an authentic aura feels good to others. We become seductive! If you want to know more about what yours is so that you can start living your truth straight away then it is time to book a chart analysis. It takes 7 years to decondition to become your true self so don’t wait too long. Children especially should be brought up to know who they are and treated appropriately. It is their birth right to have an authentic life and not become a part of the struggle that people live through today. Phylipa Dinnen

River lover

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:47:35 GMT

I came to see you today. Walking in the winter bleakness foot crushing dead leaf and sparrow's wing frozen earth unrelenting; I made my way among the naked hazel to where you ran, crashing. I didn't expect to meet you there among the limestone rocks, where the ice made patterns of intricate filligree like lace or leaf vein but not of human fashion. I thought I was alone accompanied only by memories and regrets, that this winter the hearts too are frozen, stand separate and insensible - like the trees that grace your flanks. And, looking up, there you were. I heard you first; your song a passionate torrent that nothing could stop, each syllable as transient as each droplet of your being, as momentary as the eternity within which you flow. The roar of your song deafened unhearing ears, (those insensitive to the melodies of love), yet awakened a mantra of oneness and union in I who heard the silence within your word. I looked at you now and noticed that you were smiling and holding me, that I could not drown; neither in sorrow nor regretfulness would I be found; rather, swimming in bliss among the rocks I had become your river lover. I swam to your heart.

Utterly Mine

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:36:50 GMT

Only yesterday I was at the centre of your world, holding the frame through which you saw and through which you became; I was part of the meaning and the weft of life. Now I am relegated to visitor status, like an uncle you can hardly bear to see, and your meanings - each heart moment of joy or sorrow or each musing on life and love pass through you without the need for paternal reference except a nod to the cells we share. Your disappointment is utterly mine. I, it seems, have given up the right to give you away: you prefer maternal arms to hold and release. Your womanhood you claim as a defense now against the failure of this man who so wounds and so disappoints.

Indium: reversing your biological clock

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 16:46:09 GMT

Indium: turn back your biological clock Indium is an exciting discovery that was somehow minimised. In his book "Indium" Dr. Robert Lyons wrote, "Let Indium turn back your biological clock. Researchers believe that Indium may help you look and feel years - even decades - younger." I’ll list the health benefits of taking Indium later on, but that’s not the point of this article. The real key is that Indium helps us improve the way in which we absorb the VIP minerals such as magnesium, copper, manganese, chromium, potassium, iodine, selenium. zinc and others. In that sense Indium is like the doorman at a hotel, opening the door to allow important guests to enter! How Indium really works is by managing the vital functions performed by the adrenals, pituitary gland and hypothalamus. These regulate so many complex functions of the body, including: ● breathing ● body temperature ● growth hormone release ● the sex glands ● adrenalin release ● mental alertness ● food/water intake ● perception of pain and fatigue ● inflammations ● mental alertness When the adrenals, pituitary gland and hypothalamus function together, the synchronicity creates a sense of wellbeing at the same time contributing to the defence of the immune system against some pretty powerful incoming enemies! Reversing the biological clock When we were young and invincible we could do pretty much anything to our bodies and get away with it. As we age, (usually starting in our thirties) the production of certain hormones decreases. These are the very hormones that have been circulating throughout the body that have so far helped prevent the aging process. The ingestion of Indium extends this ‘youthful’ period of our lives. Many users have reported a surge of youthful benefits from increased energy to improved senses of taste and smell, weight loss, better sleep, improvements in skin tone and colour, increased libido in men and women and better moods. Dr. Henry Schroeder, author of "The Trace Elements and Man", found in his early studies that Indium supplementation increased the utilisation of trace elements by whopping 142%. The Health Benefits of Indium (here’s that list I promised!): ● better immunity against colds ● faster recovery rates after bruising ● relief from arthritis ● improved memory ● healthier blood sugar levels (with some diabetic patients reducing their insulin by 80 %) ● help with migraines and headaches ● supports the thyroid function ● normalisation of blood pressure ● memory improvements in older adults ● reduced build-up of tartar on teeth ● increased endurance ● reduced symptoms of menopause ● improved hair growth ● keeping weight stable ● up to 75% drop in prostate PSA levels Where do I get Indium? We have always preferred to take minerals and trace elements in their natural state and conjunction with other minerals and trace elements. For us the best way is by using the Celtic Sea Salt: Fleur de Sel (exquisite table salt) Gros Sel Guerande (rich cooking salt) Below is a chart of the minerals and trace elements in Celtic Sea Salt as compared with macrobiotic and refined salts. Indium is present only in the Celtic Sea Salt. With the contents of the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat being so compromised these days, we need to embrace any genuine nutritional support that comes our way. Graeme Dinnen From Jacques de Langre’s book “SeaSalt’s Hidden Powers”. Indium can be found in Group 4.

When will they realize that the habit of being nosy is irritating to the victim?

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 06:09:20 GMT

Ever since I’ve been living in New Delhi all by myself, this feeling of people’s interference has intrigued me more often than not. Sometimes it’s made me wonder if living single brings along a baggage. But over the years I noticed interestingly, that Indians in general are curiously inquisitive about anything which is not their business. Initially the neighbours/semi-strangers/ office colleagues enquire about your age and then your marital status and the reason for being single. Not satisfied, they want to know the reason for your living single and why parents do not stay together. The amount of rent and if there’s some partner staying together is also enquired about. Bucketful of advise such as it’s risky for a single female living alone in the city, and that one must stay with some friend/family, and that one must buy a flat etc. is given for free. This achieved, the questions sometimes turn to the place of work and the amount of salary. Further, people will want to know how is spare time utilized (as if singletons have a separate definition for spare time), marriage plans, modes of fighting loneliness (it’s a given that living single brings loneliness). People are also inquisitive about mode of transport everyday and what is the make of car, in case you own one (it’s quite a hot topic of discussion in case you happen to own a sedan). Almost everyone would express a desire to take a look at your house and it seems like a crime in case it is tastefully (read expensively) done. Dropping tongues and popping eyeballs are the widely evident expressions. Having said that, the inquisitiveness does not end there. In case one is married and has not had a baby in one year, questions about such plans float all over the place. Whether you’re married or not, females traveling alone are always subject to very personal and irrelevant questions by co-passengers who are complete strangers. Sometimes, the looks are worse than the questions. In a totally different scenario, if a new outfit, footwear or mobile phone is noticed, one is bound to get raised eyebrows and asked the price and the requirement of such a purchase. If you’re planning a holiday, the neighbours show greater interest. It’s important for everyone to know what food you eat/cook and whether you have a maid or not. Even when you stand in a queue and hurriedly fill a form, people either stare at the form or at you. It’s most irritating when people randomly stare at you as if you belong to Mars. Believe me, the list is endless! My question is why? What makes Indians this inquisitive? Why cannot everyone mind their own business? I mean it’s nice to be concerned about your neighbour/ colleague, but most people seem to cross all boundaries of being civil. When will they learn the importance of personal space? When will they realize that this habit of being nosy is irritating to the sufferer? God only knows… or does anyone want to take a wild guess???

Waste not

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:29:36 GMT

Waste away On our travels around the back streets of many a city, town and village haunting in the small hours we have been appalled by the amount of waste food being dumped into bins ready to be transported off to landfill sites. And why? It is all because here in the UK in particular we are obsessed with sell by and use by dates on food packages. The fact that this food is edible days, some times weeks, after the sell by date. We at Green Ghost Towers (by the sea) have been buying up food on the sell by date and leaving it for a day, then two days, then a week to see if it is something we would like to eat. We took no risks as to cause unfortunate ghostly instant follow through of the unpleasant kind yet found the food to be as tasty as in date food stuffs. Having the benefit of a freezer helps when it comes to bread, sandwiches for our haunting shifts and even pastries that are suitable to freeze for up to six months. With so many people going hungry all over the world, and the UK is no different, is there no way that the food can be turned into a nutritional soup, paste or mash that can then be frozen and shipped to areas of the world in need. Perhaps this is being done over the world yet we have been researching and found little or no attempt to reuse sell by date food – just a ‘oh well not my problem’ attitude from so many people. Our mission at GGT is to see if we can work with small businesses to begin with and see if there is a way of saving food, the planet and a few more people to boot. Do get in touch if you know of a reuse programme to make use of sell by/use by date food that is being diverted from landfill. We do know that in London there is an incinerator that uses food stuffs to produce electricity so perhaps that is a start for the food that really is ‘off’and yet so much can be put back into the food chain. Visit the web site of the month www.lovefoodnotwaste.com for more ideas on thrifty food. On the allotment we have a glut of mini marrows so have been making some great vegetarian dishes and chutneys that we will be reporting on soon. Thank you for reading and we have heard the fashion ghost is back from her recycling clothing tour with even more lively ways of brightening up your wardrobe.

Life Entrepreneurs Manage Stress by Looking Forward

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 17:49:10 GMT

My friend Maddie might be the youngest Life Entrepreneur I have written about. She's 3 1/2 years old, and quite busily carving out the life she wants to live. Almost every Sunday she goes swimming with my friend Lida, her grandmother, who is very committed to making sure she swims well enough to stay safe in the pool. After they swim each week, Grandma gives Maddie a quarter to buy a Popsicle treat, but a couple of weeks ago, Grandma looked in her bag and realized she had no money, no quarter, nothing. She explained to Maddie that this week, there would be no Popsicle. Maddie looked at the concession stand, and fervently exclaimed that THEY had quarters, and THEY had Popsicles over THERE! And they just needed to go over there and get them! Grandma explained that it didn't work that way, and when they had no money, they couldn't get a treat. Now, I very much remember how it feels to be 3 1/2 years old and want something SO BAD, because to tell the truth, when I want something badly today, I feel myself reverting to that same emotion. When I found out I lost a large sum of money, my first reaction was NO! It can't be true!!!! And I cried. How different is that from what Maddie did? Not much. Maddie cried, and pleaded with her grandma to find a way to get her a Popsicle. Lida, who has the same gift that many of us grandmothers have, a sense of unconditional love and inner peace when we are around our grandchildren [unlike when we were primary parents and had emotional attachments to their behavior] calmly explained, over and over, that wasn't going to happen this week. When Maddie got quiet, Lida reminded her that they had raspberries at home, waiting for them to eat. She told her she could wash them and eat as many as she wanted when they got back to the house. Maddie, looked up and exclaimed, "we get to eat raspberries!" and proceeded to inform each person they passed on the way to the car of that wonderful fact. And she was fine. And she carefully stood on her stool in Grandma's kitchen, washed all the berries and put them in a bowl, sat at the counter and enjoyed them, smiling. I love this story because it reminds me how it turns on a dime. One moment we can be in the depths of despair and the next, when we find something to look forward to, our life seems to change and we feel hopeful. I've been writing this blog in my mind for a few weeks, and finally got the first bit down then left it in draft form for a few days. This morning I got a Skype call from one of my dearest friends in France who said he wanted to come visit next month. Before that call, I was wallowing around in a sort of malaise of feeling lonely--not in despair, just realizing that's how I feel at this moment in my life. And now I have something really wonderful to look forward to--a visit! Some fun adventures! A dear friend to spend time with! My heart feels lighter, I have more energy, and I'm more inspired to go do my Pilates and get on with my day. What a difference it makes to have something to look forward to!! Love that!

being human

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 14:41:39 GMT

http://www.mainstreetantiquescollectibles.com/ I just published a story about the service we should and can do for others as humans.. being a humanitarian has somehow lost a little in the translation of what it really means to do something for those humans around us. in SOUL and SOIL I published a short story and there is a great deal more behind it... about my step mother and her facing death last year ... and another family who owns a small antique store that has also overcome so many things. THE human spirit is amazing. keith

The Loss of Self Empathy and The Urge to Power

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:23:12 GMT

Those with natural empathy intact, who are fully responsive, whose ability to respond is intact, need no rules, nor do they require any regulation. Empathy is the ability to discern the CONTENT of the other. It is built on self empathy. Self empathy is to a large degree developed through the child-mother bonding process, in that it is the environment that the new born grows in that is most crucial to her or his development. Environment means the psychological, emotional, material realities into which the child is born. In utero, the child is in a fully empathic reality, connected to her or his mother in profound ways. They are as one. The child in utero is sensing not only her own world, but that of the mother as well. The evidence is clear : the child is learning all the time, and that learning corresponds to how their physiology and neurology developes. Thus the child, after birth has to learn and experience empathy as a separate being, and there are key experiences that are biologically mandated to help the new born to develope self empathy, and empathy for others. Prescott's 1975 Paper Body Pleasure and the Origins of Violence set out some of the parameters for this development, and his work has been corroborated by researchers ever since. http://www.violence.de/prescott/bulletin/article.html What science is now finally 'proving' has been a working knowledge for the human species for 6 million years, and is a working biological reality for many mammals. Our bodies know this. Mothers bodies sense this. http://birthpsychology.com/free-article/introduction-life-birth If a child is not given those key experiences, if the relationship between mother and child is in any way disrupted at these crucial stages of early life, then the fundamentals of self empathy, and with that empathy for others are missed out on, and what flows from that loss is what we see all around us, on our daily news : the urge to Power, to control others to meet one's perceived needs. Empathy is a multi-sensory ability. Thus the mind, the intellect, the 12 senses, insight, intuition, mirror neurons, the heart field and direct experience all work together in the empathic natural human being. Being responsive means that one observes, takes in the information, absorbs that field of information, processes that information and generates action to deal with the situation. The natural inclination of all living organisms is to act in ways that nurture the habitat so as to maintain the optimum conditions for life to flourish, for ALL life to flourish. Thus the action taken is taken within that ‘ethic’. Ethic here is used as an analogy, for it is deeper than ethics, which are a human concept. It’s important to comprehend that there exists Societal Institutionally induced conditions that create that lack of empathy, repeatedly. It’s also important to note that trauma that is unresolved can also lead to a loss of self empathy on the personal level, and on the societal level. Lack of empathy leads to a sense of disconnection, which leads to fear (that one's natural needs will not be met) which leads to a desire to control others (to meet one's perceived needs) and it is the imposition of control that leads to violence...... because self organising nature rejects control in favour of co-operation, and this natural 'resistance' is met with violence to maintain control. An example is the labelling of certain children as 'disruptive', the creation of spurious diagnoses and the utility of drugging those children to maintain control of the classroom. The system undermines the parents/teachers sense of empathy by enforcing certain requirements upon them, which in order to be met, require that they control the children because of fear of the repercussions. It is the fear that drives the controlling behaviour, not love. Even if it is rationalised as love, it is not love. It is not trust. It is fear. Hunting is not the same dynamic, so don't go there.... as an attempt to suggest that adverse control is all over nature.... natural hunting exists in the context of the metabolising of materials in ways that improve the habitat for ALL Life..... everything eats. Those who seek to make change in our Society such that we build in or reclaim a nurturant underlying ethic must have an accurate understanding of HOW SOCIETY CREATES THAT LACK OF EMPATHY, THAT FEAR, THAT DESIRE FOR CONTROL in both the person and the structure of Society. Metabolising one's own trauma patterns will release one from the trauma cycles. However action is required to extend that further such that the Societal and Institutional trauma patterns are brought to an end. Without that understanding, those who are engaged in activism, in protest, or in any other activity to bring change WILL be manipulated, their work will be co-opted and neutralised, and the adverse control will persist... We see the evidence for this in Institutional 'care' systems all over the world. We see this in the 'greenwashing' PR campaigns of various polluting Corporations. The co-opting and neutralising of good ideas, of the urge to co-operate, to devolve power, is ubiquitous in any Hierarchical system of Power, and it's obvious too that being conditioned into such a system internalises that process, and it is addressing the loss of self empathy that is key to undoing those internalisations.

MY FATHER WAS

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 17:37:17 GMT

MY FATHER MY FATHER WAS A GENTLE MAN. HE WAS BORN ON MARCH 19, 1895. HE WAS A MAN OF LITTLE FORMAL EDUCATION. WHEN HE COMPLETED THE SIXTH GRADE HE WALKED AWAY FROM SCHOOL AND NEVER WENT BACK, HE WAS A MAN OF IDEAS AND DREAMS. HE COULD ADD THREE COLUMNS OF NUMBERS IN HIS HEAD WITH SIMPLE EASE. WHEN HE WAS TWELVE YEARS OLD, HE FOUND OUT HE WAS ADOPTED. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT HE LEARNED THAT HIS MOTHER WAS A FULL BLOOD INDIAN. HIS ADOPTED MOTHER WAS ACTUALLY HIS AUNT. HE WAS ADOPTED TO REPLACE A CHILD THAT SHE HAD, WHO HAD DIED EARLY IN LIFE. HE WAS APPROXIMATLY THE SAME AGE AS THIS DEAD CHILD, SO WHEN HIS FATHER BROUGHT HIM TO CINCINNATI AND ASKED ONE OF HIS SISTER'S TO RAISE THE BOY, THE ONE, WHO HAD LOST HER CHILD, AGREED TO ADOPT HIM.. HOWEVER, HER HUSBAND LAID DOWN CERTAIN RULES. THE BOY WOULD BE NAMED AFTER THE DEAD CHILD AND WOULD NEVER BE TOLD OF HIS INDIAN MOTHER OR OF HIS HERITAGE. AT THE TURN OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY BEING INDIAN WAS A TERRIBLE THING, AND BEING A HALF BREED WAS EVEN WORSE. BEING A CHILD OF COLOR WAS THE ONLY THING MORE UNACCEPTABLE. HIS ADOPTIVE FATHER WAS NOT A CRUEL MAN, BUT BEING A LOGICAL MAN, HE COULD SEE NO FUTURE FOR THE BOY, UNLESS HE KNEW NOTHING OF HIS HERITAGE, HIS ADOPTIVE MOTHER'S SISTERS WERE THE ONLY ONES WHO KNEW THE BOY'S TRUE HISTORY AND THEY WERE SWORN TO SECRECY ON THE BIBLE. THEY WERE AFRAID THEIR FATHER WOULD ALIENATE HIMSELF FROM THEIR SISTER, IF HE LEARNED ABOUT THE LITTLE INDIAN BOY. HIS WIFE, HOWEVER, FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS LITTLE BOY WITH THE BIG EARS AND WAS, ALONG WITH HIS ADOPTED MOTHER, THE CHILD'S MOST LOVING RELATIVE. MY FATHER'S BLOOD FATHER CAME TWICE TO CINCINNATI AFTER HE BROUGHT THE BOY. ONCE WHEN MY FATHER WAS SEVEN AND AGAIN WHEN HE WAS THIRTEEN. MY GRANDMOTHER, AS I ALWAYS KNEW HER, HAD VIOLATED HER HUSBAND'S WISH AND TOLD MY FATHER OF HIS TRUE HERITAGE. HOWEVER, HIS NATURAL FATHER WAS GLAD ENOUGH TO BE RID OF HIM, AND RETURNED TO HIS HOME IN ARIZONA. HE NEVER RETURNED. HE DIED A YEAR OR TWO LATER IN A FIRE. MY FATHER TOOK TO HIS HERITAGE LIKE A DUCK TAKES TO WATER. WITHOUT PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGEING IT, HE STUDIED ALL HE COULD ABOUT INDIANS. HE BECAME QUITE ADEPT AT BEADWORK BOTH LOOM AND HAND SEWN. IN HIS LATE TEENS HE MADE HIS GIRL FRIEND AN INDIAN GOWN AND DECORATED IT WITH FLOWERED BEADED PATTERNS, WHEN AMERICA BECAME INVOLVED IN THE GREAT WAR. MY FATHER AND HIS FRIENDS HURRIED TO ENLIST. MUCH TO HIS CHAGRIN, HE WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT DIDN'T PASS THE PHYSICAL, THE DOCTOR SAID HE HAD A BAD HEART. HE IMMEDIATELY APPLIED FOR A JOB WITH THE GOVERNMENT HUNTING DOWN DRAFT DODGERS, WHO HE CONSIDERED COWARDS AND TRAITORS. WHEN THE WAR WAS OVER HE TOOK A JOB AS AN UNDERCOVER MAN LOOKING FOR ILLEGAL WHISKEY STILLS IN THE MOUNTAINS. HE BECAME A 'HILL BILLY.' HE THEN REPORTED ON THE LOCTION OF THE STILLS TO THE REVENUE AGENTS, WHO RAIDED THEM.. HE WAS ARRESTED WITH THE REST OF THE MEN, BUT WAS ALWAYS RELEASED. THE MOUNTAIN MEN FINALLY CAUGHT ON TO WHAT HE WAS DOING AND HE WAS WOUNDED IN A RAID, MY GRANDMOTHER MADE HIM QUIT. I ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT HE STILL DID WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT, EVEN WHEN MY SISTER AND I WERE IN OUR TEENS. HE THEN WENT TO WORK FOR THE ACE DETECTIVE AGENCY. HE ALWAYS TALKED HIGHLY OF THE GYPSEYS, WHO CAME TO TOWN ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR. HE SAID THEY COULD READ THE FUTURE AND HELPED HIM SOLVE MANY OF HIS CASES. IT WAS FROM THEM THAT HE BECAME INTERESTED IN THE SUPERNATURAL, IN 1920, HE WAS DOUBLE DATING WITH HIS BEST FRIEND AND FELL IN LOVE WITH HIS FRIEND'S DATE. THE FEELING WAS MUTUAL, SO THEY MARRIED IN JUNE OF 1921. IT SNOWED ON THEIR WEDDING DAY. AS FAR AS I KNOW NO FAMILY MEMBERS ATTENDED THE WEDDING. THEY SPENT THEIR HONYMOON AT A HOTEL IN KENTUCKY OWNED BY ONE OF DAD'S FRIENDS, WHO HAD SERVED IN THE WAR. THE HOTEL WAS A TOURIST ATTRACTION WITH COTTAGES ALONG THE RIVER, AT NIGHT THEY GATHERED ON THE BANK, BUILT A GREAT BON FIRE AND ROASTED WEINERS AND MARSHMELLOWS. THEY SANG ALL THE POPULAR TUNES OF THE DAY. MY MOTHER HAD A BEAUTIFUL CONTRALTO VOICE. MY MOTHER'S MOTHER HAD GREAT PLANS FOR HER TWO DAUGHTERS TO MARRY WELL. SHE SENT THEM TO A CATHOLIC GIRL'S SCHOOL WHERE THEY LEARNED TO PLAY A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT, PAINT, AND DO FANCY NEEDLE WORK. IF MY FATHER HADN'T LOVED TO COOK WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE STARVED. ONE OF THE GIRLS DIED YOUNG, THE OTHER MARRIED MY FATHER, MUCH TO MY GRANDMOTHER'S CHAGRIN. ON THE OTHER HAND MY MATERNAL GRANDFATHER, A TAILOR BY TRADE, TOOK AN INSTANT LIKING TO MY FATHER.PERHAPS HE DID SO BECAUSE MY FATHER STOOD UP TO “QUEEN VICTORY” AS HE CALLED HIS WIFE, BEHIND HER BACK. HE AND MY MOTHER BOTH SANG IN THE MAY FESTIVAL EACH YEAR. HE INTRODUCED ME TO MUSIC, PARTICULARLY GILBERT AND SULIVAN AND READING THE CLASSICS, MY FATHER, HIS BROTHER AND SISTER HIRED OUT PLAYING BACKGROUND MUSIC FOR SILENT FILMS. EMMA PLAYED PIANO, WILL TRUMPET, AND DAD DRUMS. HE ALSO PROVIDED ALL THE SOUND EFFECTS. GRANDPA USED TO HOLD FAMILY REUNIONS. HE WOULD CLEAR OUT THE STORE AND WE WOULD EAT, DRINK AND MAKE MERRY. THE SECOND FLOOR OF THEIR HOUSE WAS ONE BIG ROOM, THEIR LIBRARY. HERE THE FOOD, PREPARED BY THE LADIES, WAS PUT OUT ON A LONG TABLE, AND SERVED. SKITS AND OTHER ENTERTAINMENT WAS PROVIDED DOWNSTAIRS IN THE STORE. UNCLE WILL WROTE THE SKITS, DAD BUILT THE SCENERY, AND AUNT EMMA PROVIDED THE MUSIC, ALL THE KIDS WERE RECRUITED TO PERFORM, WHICH IS WHERE I GOT MY FIRST TASTE OF ACTING. I SANG, DANCED, AND GENERALLY GOT INVOLVED IN THESE AMATEUR PRODUCTIONS. AFTER HE MARRIED, MY FATHER STARTED HIS OWN BUSINESS PAINTING AND PAPERHANGING. HE WAS QUITE GOOD AT IT AND THE LADIES, WHO HIRED HIM WERE VERY IMPRESSED WITH HIS KNOWLEDGE OF COLORS AND DESIGNS. hE THIS DESPITE THE FACT THAT HE WAS COLORED B LIND. HE TOLD ME ONCE THAT HE DELIBERATELY MADE ONE MISTAKE WHEN DOING A PIECE OF BEAD WORK. IT BECAME HIS SIGNATURE. I WAS BORN IN MARCH OF 1926. MY SISTER CAME ALONG NINETEEN MONTHS LATER. WE LIVED IN A HOUSE OWNED BY MY FATHER'S FATHER, IN THE WESTEND OF CINCINNATI. MY GRANDFATHER HAD A VERY POOR BUSINESS SENSE. HE WAS TREASURER OF THE SHOEMEN'S ASSOCIATION AND THEY SAID HE KEPT THE ASSOCIATIONS MONEY IN ONE POCKET AND HIS OWN IN THE OTHER. HE RARELY BOTHERED TO KEEP TRACK. HOWEVER, BEING A METICULOSLY HONEST MAN, WHEN IT CAME TIME FOR AN ACCOUNTING HE ALWAYS MADE SURE THAT ASSOCIATION HAD MONEY IN THE BANK. IF IT WASN'T FOR MY AUNT EMMA , GRANDPA WOULD HAVE ENDED UP BROKE. SHE KEPT HIS BOOKS. MY UNCLE WILL INHERITED AN INTEREST IN THE SHOE BUSINESS. IF GRANDFATHER HAD LET HIM OPEN A SECOND STORE, I'M SURE HE WOULD HAVE MADE A SUCCESS OF IT. BUT GRANDPA WOULDN'T HEAR OF IT. AS A RESULT ALL HIS COMPETITORS ENDED UP WITH CHAINS OF STORES, WHILE GRANDFATHER HAD THE ONE HE STARTED WITH. HE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HIS INVESTMENTS. HE BOUGHT HOUSES IN THE DOWNTOWN, RATHER THAN THE SUBURBS. HE COULDN'T BELIEVE PEOPLE WOULD EVENTUALLY ALL MOVE OUT TO THE “COUNTRY.” WHEN THE CRASH CAME IN '29, HE LOST EVERYTHING. BEING THE PROUD, STUBBORN MAN HE WAS, HE WOULD NOT GO BANKRUPT BUT WAS DETERMINED TO PAY ALL HIS DEBTS. BECAUSE I HAD HIS NAME, THE PHONE COMPANY TRIED TO GET ME TO PAY OFF HIS PHONE BILL WHEN I APPLIED FOR MY FIRST PHONE IN 1949. THE HOUSE, STORE AND ALL THAT WAS IN IT WAS SOLD AT A SHERRIFF'S AUCTION. UNCLE WILL'S WIFE BOUGHT UP ALL THE MERCHANDISE AND SHELVING AT ROCK BOTTOM PRICES, THEN SHE AND WILL OPENED A STORE IN PRICE HILL. ONE OF CINCINNATI'S SEVEN HILLS. MY FATHER SWORE THAT SHE HAD CONNIVED TO CHEAT MY GRANDFATHER AND HE HATED HER UNTIL THE DAY THEY DIED. AS A RESULT MY SISTER AND I MISSED OUT ON GETTING TO KNOW OUR ONLY CLOSE RELATIVES, WILL'S TWO SONS. IN THE 1930'S WE WERE CAUGHT UP IN THE GREAT DEPRESSION. I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL AFTERWARDS THAT MY PARENTS MADE ARTIFICIAL ROSES AND SOLD THEM TO STORES. DAD WAS POSSESSED WITH MAKING THEM AS REAL AS POSSIBLE. HE DIPPED THEM IN PERFUME AND BOUGHT GREEN TUBEING WITH RUBBER THORNS TO COVER THE WIRE STEMS. WHEN ROOSEVELT WAS ELECTED AND INTRODUCED THE WPA, NRA, AND CCC TO PUT PEOPLE TO WORK, MOM JOINED THE WPA CHORUS THAT TOURED THE CITY GIVING CONCERTS WITH THE WPA ORCHESTRA. SHE ALSO PLAYED VIOLIN IN THE ORCHESTRA. DAD GOT A JOB AS A CREW FORMAN. HE WAS GLAD TO BE WORKING AGAIN BUT HATED BEING PAID IN RELIEF VOUCHERS. HE SAID THE PEOPLE IN THE STORE DIDN'T KNOW THAT HE HAD EARNED HIS PAY. THE 1937 FLOOD RAN US OUT OF OUR HOME. MY FATHER WAS HIRED AS THE JANITOR AT ST. JOSEPH'S CHURCH AND SCHOOL ON LINCOLN PARK DRIVE IN THE WEST END. WE LIVED ON THE THIRD FLOOR OF THE PRIEST HOUSE. UNTIL 1940. MY FATHER STEPPED BACK INTO THE COAL HOLE AND FELL ABOUT TEN FEET. HE GOT A DOUBLE RUPTURE AND BROKE BOTH ANKLES. THE PRIEST FIRED HIM WITHOUT COMPENSATION AND WE MOVED TO A HOUSE OWNED BY A FRIEND IN OVER-THE-RHINE. MY FATHER WENT THROUGH A PERIOD OF HATING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. HOWEVER ONE DAY HE ASKED MY MOTHER TO REHANG THE HOLY PICTURES AND THE CRUCIFIX. WHEN I ASKED HIM WHAT MADE HIM CHANGE, HE SAID THE BLESSED MOTHER TALKED TO HIM. IN THE SUMMER OF 1941 MY FATHER AND I WENT TO WORK FOR THE CINCINNATI RECREATION COMMISSION, AT CALIFORNIA WOODS NEAR CONEY ISLAND. WE WERE HIRED TO PUT ON INDIAN SHOWS FOR THE PLAYGROUND CHILDREN BUSSED TO CALIFORNIA WOODS. CHARLES WILLIAMS, THE PRESIDENT OF WESTERN SOUTHERN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, PAID EXPENSES FOR THE TRIP. HE HAD A BIG GRILL BUILT AT THE WOODS AND HIRED A COOK TO PREPARE LUNCH.FOR THE KIDS. THIS GAVE BERT LAWSON, A SELF TAUGHT NATURALIST, WHO WORKED AS THE CARETAKER AT THE WOODS, THE IDEA TO TALK SCHOOL TEACHERS INTO BRINGING THEIR CLASSES ON FIELD TRIPS DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR. DESPITE DOCTOR'S PREDICTIONS THAT HE WOULD NEVER WALK AGAIN MY FATHER DID WALK. HE SAID WALKING ON THE SIDE OF THE WOODED HILLS AT CALIFORNIA WOODS HELPED TO STRENGTHEN HIS LEGS. SINCE HE STILL COULDN'T WORK AT HIS OLD JOB, THE RECREATION COMMISSION HIRED HIM TO LIVE IN A LITTLE CABIN IN THE WOODS AND GUARD AGAINST POACHERS AND KEEP OUT THE NECKERS. I USED TO STAY WITH HIM ON WEEK-ENDS. I LOVED HIS BAKED BEANS AND PANCAKES.WE HEARD THE NEWS ABOUT PEARL HARBOR OVER A CRYSTAL RADIO SET MY FATHER BUILT. THE GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO SEAL OFF THE WOODS SO SABATEURS COULDN'T FOLLOW THE CREEK TO THE MAIN WATER WORKS AND POISON THE CITY'S WATER SUPPLY. THE RECREATION COMMISSION MOVED MY FATHER TO WESTERN HILLS PLAYFIELD IN PRICE HILL. I STILL VISITED HIM ON WEEKENDS AND STARTED A MILITARY GROUP OF LOCAL BOYS, WE CALLED 'BLACKY'S RANGERS' . WE DRILLED AND WORKED OUT ON THE OBSTACLE COURSE THAY HAD BUILT AT THE PLAYFIELD. IN THE FIRST YEARS OF THE WAR I PERFORMED AT RALLYS SELLING WAR BONDS. MY FATHER MADE ALL MY DANCE CLOTHES. IN THE SUMMER OF 1942, MY WHOLE FAMILY AND I TOURED THE CHATAUQUA CIRCUIT IN A SHOW CALLED “SPIRIT OF THE HETUCK.” I PLAYED TECUMSEH'S BROTHER, MY SISTER PLAYED AN INDIAN GIRL IN LOVE WITH A WHITE MAN, MY FATHER DRUMMED FOR THE DANCERS, AND MY MOTHER WAS THE WARDROBE MISTRESS. I WENT INTO THE ARMY ON JUNE 6 (D-DAY) 1944. WHEN I CAME HOME AFTER THE WAR I USED MY STATE BONUS MONEY TO HELP MY FOLKS BUY THE HOUSE WHERE THEY LIVED IN OVER-THE-RHINE. THEY GAVE ME TWO ROOMS ON THE SECOND FLOOR AS A WORK PLACE AND BEDROOM. I HAD STARTED TO SCHOOL AT THE CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC STUDYING STAGE PRODUCTION AND VOICE. I ALSO DID SOME WRITING. THE PLACE WHERE MY MOTHER WORKED GOT GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS, SO THEY HIRED ADDITIONAL PEOPLE. MY FATHER WENT TO WORK FOR THEM IN 1943 MAKING BLUE PRINTS. THEY WORKED THERE UNTIL THEY RETIRED IN 1954. THEY BOUGHT A PIECE OF LAND IN MASON OHIO. IT WAS MY MOTHER'S DREAM THAT MY SISTER AND I WOULD MOVE TO MASON AND BUILD HOMES ON THE LAND. AFTER AWHILE. MY SISTER AND HER HUSBAND DID MOVE TO MASON BUT BUILT THEIR HOME DOWN THE ROAD I MET MY FIRST WIFE WHILE WORKING AT A SCOUT CAMP IN ILLINOIS. AFTER WE MARRIED, WE MOVED INTO MY PARENT'S HOME IN CINCINNATI. MY FATHER AND I HAD REDECORATED MY TWO ROOMS, INTO AN APARTMENT FOR MY WIFE AND I. THE PROBLEM WAS MY MOTHER KEPT WALKING IN ON US UNINVITED. I TRIED PUTTING A LOCK ON THE DOOR BUT SHE GOT SO UPSET, MY FATHER DEMANDED THAT I GIVE THEM. A KEY. THE ONLY TWO TIMES I HAD A FALLING OUT WITH MY FATHER WAS OVER MY MOTHER. MY WIFE AND I MOVED OUT. IN 1952, I BECAME THE SCOUTMASTER AT SANTA MARIA INSTITUTE IN CINCINNATI. MY FATHER BECAME THE INSTITUTIONAL REPRESENTATIVE. HE HAD AN ANNUAL POT-LUCK AT THEIR HOME IN MASON AND MADE HIS BAKED BEANS FOR IT. ALL THE SCOUTS, CUBS, AND THEIR PARENTS WERE INVITED. AFTER I LEFT TO TAKE THE JOB WITH THE BOYS SCOUTS, DAD CONTINUED WITH THE TROOP AND CONTINUED HAVING THE ANNUAL POT-LUCK. WHILE MY WIFE AND I WERE LIVING IN ILLINOIS, WE GOT A CALL THAT MY FOLKS HAD BEEN HIT BY A TRUCK. THEY WEREN'T TOO BADLY HURT BUT RETIRED. THEY LIVED ON A SETTLEMENT THEY GOT FROM THE ACCIDENT AND THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY. MY DAD HAD AN INDIAN MUSEUM IN HIS BASEMENT USING PICTURES HE HAD COPIED AT WORK AND THE DANCE CLOTHES HE HAD MADE FOR ME. I HIRED HIM ONE SUMMER TO COME TO ILLINOIS AND BE THE CRAFT LEADER AT THE SCOUT CAMP. IT WAS WONDERFUL HAVING HIM WITH ME AGAIN. AFTER THAT HE GOT A JOB AS THE TRAFFIC GUARD AT A NEW SCHOOL THEY HAD BUILT NEAR THEIR HOME. THEY SOLD OFF ALL THE LAND, EXCEPT FOR AN ACRE ON WHICH THEIR HOUSE WAS BUILT. EVENTUALLY EVEN THAT GOT TO BE TOO MUCH FOR DAD TO TAKE CARE OF. IN 1970 MY SISTER BUILT AN ADDITION ON THEIR HOME DOWN THE ROAD. MY FOLKS SOLD THEIR HOME AND MOVED THERE. IN 1971 MY PARENTS CELEBRATED THEIR 50TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. MY WIFE AND I GOT INTO THE PLANNING AND CARRYING OUT OF THE EVENT WITH MY SISTER. IT WAS HELD AT ST.SUSANNA'S CHURCH IN MASON. WE HAD A MASS IN THE MORNING AND A RECEPTION IN THE CHURCH HALL THAT EVENING. IN 1973 A TORNADO HIT MASON. IT TOOK THE ADDITION OFF MY SISTER'S HOUSE AND DUMPED MY PARENTS ANNIVERSARY SOUVENIRS AS MUCH AS THREE MILES AWAY. WE INVITED THEM TO STAY WITH US UNTIL THE ADDITION COULD BE REBUILT. ALTHOUGH THIS WAS MY SECOND WIFE, MY MOTHER COULD NOT GET ALONG WITH HER. SHE TOLD MY SISTER WE WERE CHARGING THEM FOR LIVING WITH US. ONCE AGAIN MY FATHER AND I TANGLED. THEY MOVED BACK TO MASON AND WE NEVER DID QUITE GET ALONG AFTER THAT. I TRIED TO MAKE EXCUSES FOR MY MOTHER'S BEHAVIOR. SHE NEVER FULLY RECOVERED FROM THE AFTER EFFECTS OF HER BREAST CANCER. HER RELIGIOUS FANATICISM WAS SO BAD, AT ONE POINT, THAT WE HAD TO HAVE HER COMMITTED TO A SANITARIUM WHERE THEY GAVE HER WITH SHOCK TREATMENTS. NOW THAT I'M OLDER, I ASK GOD REGULARLY TO FORGIVE THE WAY I TREATED MY MOTHER. SHE WAS A CLINGING VINE. SHE LEANED HEAVILY ON MY FATHER. WHEN HE DIED, SHE COULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT HIM. SHE DIED A YEAR AFTER HE DID. I ASKED MY FATHER ONCE WHAT I COULD DO TO REPAY HIM FOR EVERYTHING HE DID FOR ME. HE THOUGHT FOR A MINUTE AND THEN SAID: “DO THE SAME FOR YOUR CHILDREN”. I HOPE I FULFILLED THAT CHALLENGE. NOW IT'S UP TO MY CHILDREN TO CARRY THAT CONCEPT ON TO KEEP THEIR GRANDFATHER'S SPIRIT ALIVE. MY FATHER DIED ON MARCH 15,1977. FOUR DAYS BEFORE HIS 82ND BIRTHDAY. I CAN STILL FEEL HIS PRESENCE WHEN I SIT OUT ON MY PORCH ON A WARM SUMMER'S DAY. MY SON MICHAEL ONCE SAID TO ME THAT HE EXPECTED TO SEE HIS GRANDFATHER ON THE OTHER SIDE. I'M SURE WE BOTH WILL ONE DAY.

Kick your own butt! - part 2

Fri, 27 May 2011 08:58:24 GMT

Muster the nerve! - How to live with a passion for excellence! It has been said that a passion for excellence carries a price. Simply put, that means: The adventure of excellence is not for the faint of heart. Excellence is a personal commitment. (for more on commitment, click here.) Whether you're looking at a billion-dollar corporation or a three-person accounting department, you see that excellence is achieved by people who muster up the nerve (and the passion) to step out in spite of doubt or fear or job limitations. They don't hide behind office doors, committees, memos, or layers of staff; they understand that stepping out and stepping forward is the fair bargain they make for extraordinary results. How can you achieve excellence? 1) Above all you need an invigorating purpose you can call your own, one you care enough about to justify investing your steadfast interest in—one that, we hope, makes you happy, because you will live with it day in and day out. (For more on the power of a clear goal, click here.) Whatever your purpose, it has to be worth your full attention. It has to be worth the time and effort it will cost you to master it. Doing better than average not only takes nerve, passion, and purpose, but it also takes tenacious preparation. The good news? You can start [on the road to excellence] now. The bad news? You'll never finish. 2) This is when you must take courage. Courage and self-respect are the lion's share of passion. It's hanging in long after others have gotten bored or given up; it's refusing to leave "well enough" alone. It means that anything less than the best really bothers you, maybe even keeps you awake at night. It usually means sticking your neck out. Daring to give your best shot to something you care about and asking others to do the same is self-exposing. It asks you to choose sides, to wear your passion on your sleeve. Passion opens you to criticism, disappointment, disillusionment, and failure, any one of which is enough to scare off all but the bravest souls. But the passionate, courageous, self-respecting people we know, when challenges or risks loom before them, regard them as something to be faced. 3) Persist in your purpose. Passion doesn't have to be flashy. Garden-variety, everyday passion is the stuff of excellence. Being visible takes guts. There you are, a regular person, stepping out from behind your desk [or out of your comfort zone] where it's safe. All the same, sticking with it day in and day out is plain difficult, and not only because of the waves a passionate endeavor can make. Even a pocket of excellence can fill your life like a wall-to-wall revolution. We have found that the majority of passionate activists who hammer away at the old boundaries have sacrificed vacations, evenings, weekends and lunch hours, gardening, reading, movies and most other pastimes. 4) Excellence is optimistic. It's believing that something can be done, that it's worth fighting for, worth trusting others to play a part. And there is a benefit.—Optimism is good for your overall physical, emotional and physiological wellbeing. You have to believe that the stepping out is worth the trouble. It does take courage—the ability to face up to difficulty in spite of doubt, the ability to say good isn't good enough, the ability to learn from the losses, to celebrate the successful tries, to realize that even if you fail the first time, there's reason to try again, that the sting is brief. When you have a true passion for excellence, and when you act on it, you will stand straighter. You will look people in the eye. You will see things happen. You will see heroes created, watch ideas unfold and take shape. You'll walk with more spring in your step. You'll have something to fight for, to care about, to share with other people. It's not easy. It takes real courage to step out and stake your claim. But the renewed sense of purpose, of knowing you are making a difference, of self-respect, of experiencing positive change, growth, innovation and progress, is well worth the price. This is the price and reward of excellence. (Resources: A Passion for Excellence, by Nancy Austin and Thomas J. Peters)

Bio-bottles: Will it stop the habit of wastage?

Wed, 25 May 2011 12:26:23 GMT

Across the globe there are found large wastelands of plastic bottles. This is mostly evident at what used to be scenic locations once upon a time, and have been converted into popular picnic spots. People do not pay heed to the environmental damage and have a tendency to dump plastic plates and bottles among other refuse in these places, thereby further converting them into wastelands. Moreover, we also see empty plastic bottles being strewn across the city roads. All this shows mankind’s negligence towards protecting our planet. Firstly, it is important to understand the need for recycling plastic bottles at homes. One can regularly wash the empty water/ soft drink bottles and reuse to carry water/ juice etc., if needed. This will create a sense of saving instead of wasting amongst all. Then again, it is common knowledge that tap water is drinkable in most parts of the world. Hence, is it necessary to buy expensive water bottles whenever one travels? The tap water can be filled in recycled plastic bottles. This will reduce the wastage and help in bringing ecological balance. However, the soft drink and water giants continue to produce bio-bottles in their attempt to cut carbon emissions and be environment friendly. They cannot comprehend that this would lead to unnecessarily expensive purchases and thereby insurmountable amounts of wastage, because human beings are habitually wasteful. Does this mean that since the bottles are 100% recyclable, we are allowed to continue this practice? Or should we rectify our old habits before it’s too late?

Survival

Mon, 16 May 2011 20:39:49 GMT

Survival In response to a reader’s request that I address the subject of survival and what to do in the event of a societal collapse, I am offering you my thoughts. No doubt I was expected to write about what dehydrated foods to stock up on and what to do when the going gets tough. If that’s the case I didn’t do a very good job. To my way of thinking survival is a state of mind. The reason we are persistently challenged is so that we can finally learn that NONE of life’s challenges are bigger than us. Survival is a state of mind A few years ago I woke from an intense dream. In the dream I was at a zoo with my daughter who was only a few years old. We were by a tiger pit and my daughter fell over the wall onto the floor of the pit. The tigers moved towards her right away. My spontaneous choice was to plunge in and save her, risking my death as well, or wait for a zookeeper to intervene, which would have been too late. I jumped over the wall and saved her. Then the dream rewound to the beginning and started all over again. In each sequence I jumped into the pit and saved her, although the endings were different. Once I grabbed her and was pulled to safety up a rope. Another time, the zookeepers fired tranquilizers at the tigers just as they were about to pounce on us. I woke in a sweat and wondered what had triggered this, but as I fell asleep again, my dream continued just as powerfully. It kept rewinding to the point where my daughter fell into the pit, forcing me to make that choice whether or not to jump in. Each time a new sequence began I was gripped with fear. Then the story varied – the next time it was my granddaughter that fell in. Would I jump in and protect someone else? I did, and we were both rescued. Then it was a stranger’s child. I was the only male at the tiger pit so everyone looked to me to do something. Once again I jumped in and somehow got her out. In the penultimate sequence the ending changed and I was pounced on by the tigers, but my daughter was saved and as I was being eaten I remember thinking it was worth the sacrifice. In the final sequence I didn’t jump in to the tiger pit. This time I was too afraid to make that leap and the tigers killed my daughter. I was horrified because I’d done nothing to save her. I just wanted to wind back time and make a different choice. Although a dream, it taught me that by not meeting the single important challenge head on, I suffered appalling loss and became internally ‘dead’ for the rest of my life. What would be the point of living with that memory replaying in my mind every day? The one opportunity I had to make a difference and I did nothing because of fear. The phrase ‘boldness having genius, power and magic’ came to mind. Shortly after that I went cycling around the Malvern Hills. As I cycled past a farm house I distinctly sensed that I was being watched by a ‘big’ cat. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise and a physical apprehension grew within me. I picked up the pace, looking behind me almost expecting to catch a glimpse of something large and feline coming my way. You can imagine how I felt when on the evening news that night was a local story of an escaped black panther killing a farm dog on the very lane I’d been cycling. So, back to survival. The way our society is configured, we appear to be in a race to the bottom. From a young age we are subtly taught that the way to ‘win’ at this game of life is to trample on whoever competes with us and win at all costs. Newspapers and magazines offer us daily competitions. People part with money every week in the desperate hope of winning the lottery. Companies set sales quotas and monthly targets; sports have league tables to measure performance. All these have their formative origins in regular school tests and exam results, winning the individual sports events and the team games. Even the million dollar performance bonuses paid to brokers and fund managers cause discord when one broker doesn’t receive as much as another. Beneath this apparent exterior the Human Spirit is so different. Take the aftermath of the tsunami in Japan. Thousands of people lost family members, spouses, friends and pets. Their homes and possessions were swept away, their businesses wrecked in an instant and their life hopes disappeared. These people, already in desperate straits were sharing blankets, food, water and medicines with those who needed them more. During World War Two prisoner-of-war camps, starving prisoners would offer their last piece of bread to another prisoner. My advice on survival? Don’t postpone anything, just do what your instincts tell you and don’t back down in the face of adversity. It may be frightening but the alternative will be intolerable. If you avoid being wrong you’re acting defensively. Being wrong isn’t fatal; being willing to be wrong is truly empowering. Albert Einstein said:”Imagination is more important than knowledge”. We don’t need to know everything before we move forward, but we do need to use our imagination when the going gets tough. There’s an old saying that you’ll never get out of a problem if you’re using the same thinking that got you there in the first place. Graeme Dinnen www.resourcesforlife.net PS For those of you who’d like a little advice on what to do to resist the harmful effects of radiation we’ve put a list of items on our website that we use ourselves and would strongly recommend. It also makes sense to stock up on basic foods such as rice, dried noodles, oats, wheat, salt and canned goods such as soups, tuna, sardines, beans and other canned foods (vegetarians adjust accordingly) as rising oil prices have pushed up food production costs.

Life Entrepreneurs Live the Legend They Will Leave Behind [they show up as they truly are]

Mon, 16 May 2011 16:20:31 GMT

My son Noah calls me every day as he leaves work to sort of download the day, get things off his chest, tell me about work problems, talk things over. The salient part of that experience for me is to see how important it is to him that he does a good job. He really cares about that. To him, his job is more than just work, it is a vital part of his very existence and to not do it well is anathema to him! Where did that come from? He has often been asked why he understands so much about management, since he is a chef--and some of them are much more cooking oriented than management oriented. He tells them that he grew up watching his mom run a business, watching his dad work really hard as a salesman, watching his grandparents work really hard running a highly respected medical practice. Noah grew up around people who loved to work! And he does too. When he was growing up, he didn't like it so much that we were "always working" because often he wanted attention that he didn't get. I can remember so many times I had to tell him to wait until I got off the phone to talk to me. I wasn't a completely horrible mother--I went to every baseball, soccer and basketball game that I possibly could attend. I carried a folding chair in my trunk so I could go to a game at the drop of a hat. But there were many things I didn't do because I was working, and I know he didn't like it. But he learned to live with it and became a very independent guy. One of the reasons he became a chef is because he figured out there were some things (like sauteed chicken) that he could prepare much better than I could! He started cooking with me when he was 2 and by the time he was 8 or 9 he was really good in the kitchen. Now he is proud of his background--with perspective, he sees the value of all that work and how it influenced him. And I have a feeling that his son Ethan will have a similar experience. As long as Noah is the Executive Chef of a very busy, popular restaurant, he will work most Saturdays and Sundays--Ethan won't have his dad at every sporting event. Ethan will probably resent that for a period of time, until it comes time to go to work himself, then I can imagine that Ethan will have a similar work ethic as his father. So the Legend will live on, and be passed on from generation to generation. My dad's father came to America from Russia around 1907 and first drove a wagon peddling clothes around the countryside. Then he ran clothing stores with his brothers. My dad worked in the stores, and learned how important it was to write up a proper sales slip. Later, he was one of the few doctors whose instructions could be easily read on a chart or a prescription. Work ethic. Is it dying out? Or is it alive and well? I believe both. Those who didn't have Living Legends to learn from, model themselves after, will either have to learn it on the job or miss out on the fun of a job well done. As for my little family tree, I bet it will remain alive and well for many generations to come. Hooray!

Life Entrepreneurs Let Themselves BE

Mon, 09 May 2011 16:42:35 GMT

Deciding moments come along many times in our lives, and each one gives us an opportunity to turn one way or another--which then informs and shapes our lives from that moment on. It fascinates me to see people on TV in what are called Reality Shows. I think part of the public's addiction to those is it gives us a window to observe how people deal with those moments--and the consequences they bring. Last night I watched a woman who had come across as a fighter, a resilient contender just give up and walk away when she could have turned around and shown us another part of herself. Maybe she had more going on in her life than we could see--and maybe she really is a "Quitter" as she was called on the show. I know there have been times in my life when I did turn around and go home, and I actually haven't regretted those decisions. Being a Life Entrepreneur means we are committed to being AWARE of those moments--not reacting but instead approaching them strategically. That requires a strong sense of self, a deep sense of our own purpose, a willingness to keep moving forward, mindful of what can be termed "the greater good." In light of that, I've recognized that one of my challenges is to be proactive, aware and ready for whatever comes up while not striving so hard to make things happen. A friend described me as a "human doing" -- sort of the opposite of a "human being." Those of us who are Doers have a difficult time just being here. We get antsy, we look for things that need to be taken care of. I realize I'm a "recovering Doer" which is not unlike other addictive behaviors that require effort to overcome. I'm not saying I only want to BE--because doing and being are actually part of that famous trinity: BE, DO and HAVE. The point is to not let the doing part be the most important--instead let them all three work together in harmony. So, what does that look like? For me, it means listening more, commenting less. Observing more, making sure I take in as much information as possible before I make up a story about what is going on. Watching squirrels run around. Waiting. Being okay with not knowing things. Asking more questions. Feeling grateful--finding more and more things, people, situations to be grateful for. Appreciating the fact that I'm alive. Appreciating what it means to be alive. Loving trees, flowers, grass, weeds, rolling hills, mesas, mountains, rivers, oceans, lakes, clouds, sunshine, moonlight, dark moments, uncertainty, challenges, opportunities. I know, those are combinations of being, doing and having--and if I let myself be comfortable about just being here and noticing all this, then I have a greater chance of living from within-out, strategic in my daily life, living purposefully, while being adaptable and flexible. Two really important people in my life are showing me the way, the path of this: My darling grandson who is 2 and my beautiful mother who is 86. They both seem to wake up each day just glad to be here. My grandson doesn't have enough history to compare his life with anything else, so he just lives it. My mother has seen so much of life that she has whittled it down to what is really important to her and she lets the rest go. So they show up as delightful, engaged people who have very little to worry about, more interested in the right now of life--not what was or could be. Thank goodness I have them to learn from. And truly, they are the MOST fun people to be around! Love that.

Life Entrepreneurs Know It Is Never Too Late to Change [How We Think!]

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 18:30:08 GMT

As I am in my early 60s, it makes sense that I would see clients at least up to my age and sometimes a little older. I am very inspired when someone who is well-seasoned in life comes to see me to make a major shift in how he/she sees things and manages his/her life. I watch my mother at 86 change sometimes daily. She has one of those indomitable spirits--I'm sure this is where I got, if not the phrase, at least the meaning of something I say quite often, "I will not be daunted!" My mom is so willing to look at things in new ways, take in new ideas, be flexible. And she is also really good at knowing what does and doesn't work for her--and once she sees that, she sticks to it! An admirable quality. One of the great things about working with a range of ages of clients is that I can share knowledge with a woman in her 30s to help her see what may lie ahead if she doesn't change how she is seeing herself today. This particular period is giving me many opportunities to look at authenticity--how we see ourselves, how closely we are willing or not to listen to our inner voices and act from there. How much we all can fall into patterns of pleasing others, protecting others, trying to stay safe by altering our own words and behavior to gain that safety. I'm here to tell you: It just doesn't work. It is a false sense of safety to accommodate others in order to protect ourselves. That doesn't mean walking around with entitlement and arrogance and a "me-first, me-only" attitude. It means suppressing that inner voice, spirit, that is telling us what works and what doesn't work. It means feeling warning signals in our bodies and ignoring them. It means holding back and committing the "sin" of omission--not saying what we really think or feel so we don't "lose" business, or "lose" favor, or "lose" a loved one. Studying with John Demartini for the last 12 years has given me a great deal of awareness, and one of the most important understandings that I know is now unshakable is: there is NEVER a loss without a gain. Not possible. Can't happen. So when I hold back and don't speak my truth to avoid a "loss" then I am simply ignoring the truth that the sense of loss would simultaneously have its corresponding gain. When John says "Love is the synthesis and synchronicity of complementary opposites," that is what he means. If by speaking my truth in a meeting, I lose the support of a person in the room--I absolutely know that I immediately gain the support of someone else (whether they are actually in the room, or somewhere in my energy field). I am also convinced of something else: right decisions bring abundance. The more I live from the inside out, from my own authenticity, I see the expression of that in an awareness and experience of greater abundance in my life. Not just financial, but also in the abundance of shared love, warmth, opportunities, ideas, ways to engage in life fully that might have been there all along, but I couldn't see them. This is because acting from a place of protection--trying to act in a way that keeps me safe--puts others and their ideas ahead of me and what I truly would love in my life. I am acting from what I want from others, not from what I recognize and love within myself. Here is another truth I convinced of: when I want something from someone, I can't see who they really are! I can only see whether they do or don't give me what I want. (I may have to write another whole piece on that one.) So--what is it never too late to change? Our ability to go inside and really listen, really pay attention to our inner voice, our truth, that inspired place that know what to do. It doesn't matter if you are 8 or 80,going there brings its just reward.

Green ghost gets an allotment

Sat, 16 Apr 2011 20:49:22 GMT

Green Ghost Towers is enjoying the sea views – not caused by a fateful giant wave but rather a move to the coast. This has meant a smaller garden for both flowers and vegetables. So we all hatched a cunning plan whilst in the lookout tower we spied allotments. So that was the plan – we would apply for an allotment. Some 14 months later we have half an allotment of five rods. So as ghosts and spooks we like to visit at night and would you believe it? We have the cemetery next door so we can talk gardening over with fellow ghosts before they leave for the light – not sure if the lamp post is the light but if it fits! Back to the allotment. We asked for a quick plough and wow – great machines move in and we have what looked like a great space for planting. That was until we started planting the first row of potatoes and then the couch grass flew to the surface like a devil possessed – fighting it off with spade and fork we went on to win round one…so we thought. And yet having an allotment is a great place to meet people with gardening in their veins, escaping the wife and family, even husband and family – or partner – or just life. Whatever they were escaping we all had a common bond – that of growing food to take to the table and some to show. We even have a fellow allotmenteer who has grown a pumpkin over 15 stones in weight! Over the summer we will keep you posted about our venture into allotmenteering © to green ghost so ask to use please as we want to start a wicked trend! Have a great summer and growing season.

Kick your own butt!

Sat, 16 Apr 2011 05:58:12 GMT

What a concept! If you’re looking for success, fulfillment, happiness, that’s a good starting place: Kick your own butt! What does this mean? It means that if you want to achieve success in life, in any endeavor, it’s going to require self discipline. Success is not synonymous with free time and taking life as it comes. If you want success, if you want to reach your goals—to mature, to grow, to pursue professional mastery, to ultimately carry the torch; to make a difference—then it’s up to you, and ONLY you! If you never seem to be reaching your goals, or worse, if you don’t have any clear goals and are tired of your boss, spouse or friend nagging you to do more with your time—your life; if it’s driving you crazy, then you can do something about it. You can kick your own butt. (And that way someone else doesn’t have to kick it for you!) Ultimately, this means self discipline. Bad word? No. It might be a painful or uncomfortable word, but it’s actually a beautiful word when you consider that discipline is key to greatness and achieving success. I won’t lie to you and say self discipline is easy. It’s not. It’s hard, it’s even grueling. But if you want to be all you can be, that’s the price, and you can do it! Discipline derives from disciple—disciple to a philosophy, disciple to a set of principles, disciple to a set of values, disciple to an overriding purpose, to a goal or a person who represents that goal. In other words, if you are an effective manager of your self, your discipline comes from within; it is a function of your independent will. You are a follower, of your own deep values and their source. And you have the will, the integrity, to subordinate your feelings, your impulses, your moods to those values. (Stephen Covey) One of my favorite essays is “The Common Denominator of Success,” written by E. M. Gray. He spent his life searching for the one denominator that all successful people share. He found it wasn’t hard work, good luck, or astute human relations, though those were all important. The one factor that seemed to transcend all the rest was putting first things first. “The successful person has the habit of doing the things failures don’t like to do,” he observed. “[Successful people] don’t like doing them either necessarily. But their disliking is subordinated to the strength of their purpose.” The good news is that the better you get at self discipline, the easier it becomes. No one who achieves greatness does so without discipline. [But] … when you discipline yourself to do the things you need to do, when you need to do them, the day’s going to come when you can do the things you want to do, when you want to do them! It’s also true that life is tough, but when you are tough on yourself, life will be infinitely easier on you.

Anti-Radiation Trail Mix

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:25:07 GMT

Here’s a perfect protein to have available to keep your brain functioning at any time. With the radiation from Japan’s Fukushima catastrophe dispersing in the atmosphere, we have added the seaweeds Nori, Wakame and Kombu as they are iodine-rich and able to support the thyroid. When there is an excess of radiation in the air, the first organ we need to support is our thyroid….and the functioning of our thyroid is controlled by a healthy spleen. Another highly-promoted health food is soya. But beware of the labels as the soya bean has to be fermented before the human body can digest it. All that soya milk and those soya substitutes for vegetarian meat type products are really not healthy. I’ve always wondered why people want soya burgers or soya sausages when vegetables can make tasty dishes in their own way without having to be a “meat” substitute. There are amino acids in most fruits, vegetables and grains; it’s simply the way that you combine them that will ensure a good quality protein. So the soya sauce you use in this recipe is the fermented product and how it has always been used in China. Anti-radiation trail mix The quantities don’t matter – I tend to do equal measures although the sesame seeds are so light you may want to put less in to get a more even mix! Organic ingredients are always the best. Ingredients: Olive oil Pumpkin seeds Sunflower seeds Sesame seeds Nori, Wakame or Kombu crushed into small pieces Desiccated Coconut Soya sauce 1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan 2. Add the pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds 3. Cook for about five minutes on medium heat 4. Just as they start to turn brown, add the sesame seeds and continue cooking until the pumpkin and sunflower seeds are slightly browned 5. Turn off the heat and as it is cooling add a small amount of soya sauce and mix it well into the seeds. Taste and add more if necessary. 6. Add crushed Nori, Wakame or Kombu and dessicated coconut when the mix has cooled down This is a highly nourishing protein mix which supports the thyroid and helps you maintain energy. Often when people are exhausted they simply lack protein. Sesame seeds are high in calcium - vitally important for strong bones and healthy teeth. Your body also needs magnesium to help you maintain calcium levels, another reason for fatigue and menstrual or menopausal disorders. You cannot absorb calcium without magnesium. These two minerals are the ‘dynamic duo’ and help support your muscles, including the heart muscle as well as protecting against colon cancer. Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc and are known to help with prostate disorders and bladder dysfunction. They are anti-inflammatory and a great source of magnesium. Sunflower seeds are rich in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats as well as contain selenium, copper, zinc, iron, E and B vitamins and high in proteins. They also contain tryptophan (high in chocolate!) which supports the levels of serotonin (feel good factor) in the body. I’ve added coconut to the mix because it is also high in iodine and helps to prevent intestinal parasites. Coconut is a great source of Vitamin A, B and C and calcium - a good body builder and useful if you suffer from constipation. Once you’ve made a quantity of this mix, keep it handy on your desk, in the kitchen or wherever is easy for you to take a handful whenever you are passing the bowl! It’s tasty and crunchy and good for boosting the energy instead of that sugary snack. Phylipa Dinnen www.resourcesforlife.net PS For other anti-radiation nutrition advice, click here.

Can you see my wife standing on the other side holding the camera?

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:23:26 GMT

http://youtu.be/e-ivZxGsPes This is a link on precision tree cutting which had to be placed between two newly planted trees, miss a wife and a barn. Perfect shot.

Life Entrepreneus Ask for and Get Help (how coaching benefits)

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 18:20:41 GMT

I have determined that any woman in the business world would benefit from some form of coaching. In over twenty-six years of working with mostly women, I have found there are key reasons why seeking outside help is so beneficial. Here are the main ones: 10. Many businesswomen are addicted to being right. What this really means is that they are afraid they will be “wrong”--and someone will find out about it. They second guess themselves, worry over decisions, hesitate to make decisions and rely on too much feedback from others. How does coaching help? It allows you to get an objective view of situations, and have a sounding board that is totally removed from your daily routine. By broadening your perspective, you begin to see that there are many “rights” and no one way is foolproof—there are pluses and minuses for every situation. A coach helps you learn how to trust your intuition and experience--work from the inside out instead of the outside in. When you operate from there, you can be decisive and even feel comfortable changing your mind! 9. Women tend to over rely on their feelings and underutilize their knowledge. Although being able to get in touch with their feelings is a great asset that women bring to the workplace, too much emotion can get in the way of seeing situations clearly. A conscious balance between knowledge/experience and feelings works best. A coach asks provocative questions and challenges you to look at your feelings unemotionally--sort out what matters and what doesn’t. You learn what the feelings mean, why you are having them, and when it is appropriate to express them. This kind of clarity is priceless--and allows you to be in control of your emotions instead of letting them run your life. 8. Many women are afraid to be seen as too hard or tough. This is really an internal battle between the soft feminine and the driven, high achieving business approach. The truth is they are not mutually exclusive--and can work together very well. Coaching helps you recognize the feminine values you bring to the table as well as encourage you to use your ambition and energy wisely, to achieve the best ends. By recognizing how you manifest these traits you can condition yourself to be conscious of your behavior, and make choices about what works and what doesn’t work in particular situations. 7. Women place a high value on security. This makes it very difficult to be a risk taker--which is a requirement for success in business. Being coached gives you the opportunity to look objectively at all sides of issues, being more thorough in seeing the pros and cons of decisions. The risks you take are less “risky” because you are making educated choices. Successful risk taking is a skill, which can be learned --- and the more clarity you have, the better you are able to assess the situation and be prepared to weather the outcome. 6. Women tend to be reactive rather than create from a visionary perspective. Women are acculturated to put out fires and respond to myriad demands. How else could they raise children? Coaching helps you create visions of exactly what you want to be, do and have in your life so that you can look at situations and decide if they fit your purpose, your vision. If they do, you work with them. If not, you can either delegate or eliminate them. When you are working from inner purpose and visions, you become more proactive than reactive. 5. Most women have difficulty setting priorities. They have so much to do, so many responsibilities both at work and home that it is very hard to decide where to start! So many women feel overwhelmed and frustrated--as if they will never catch up. Coaching helps you organize your thinking, look at your life in a more total way and get comfortable shifting priorities when necessary, setting priorities according to the ones that are most important--that fit your purpose and visions, on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis. If you are concentrating on building a business, for example, you might let your social life slide for a few months and come back to it later. But you are choosing what you are doing, not blindly falling into patterns that seem irreversible. 4. Women feel trapped and are unaware of how they are sabotaging themselves. They repeat similar behavior expecting to get a different result (the definition of insanity). An objective coach helps you recognize the habits of thinking, acting and speaking that keep you caught in untenable situations. By changing the words you use, you change your experience. Habits don’t just disappear. It takes a great deal of self-discipline to stop thinking of your self as a victim, or someone who never quite reaches her potential. Coaching over a period of time gives you an opportunity to gradually shift the way you see yourself, get comfortable with new patterns of thinking and doing--learning to celebrate incremental successes instead of only giving yourself credit for the big ones. This step-by-step approach is highly effective in helping you reframe your self-image into one that more closely resembles the woman you would love to be. 3. Women don’t tend to think strategically. Because women are so intuitive, they tend to just know things, and operate from instinct. That doesn’t guarantee success. A qualified coach can help you look at where you are, where you want to go, and work with you to create a plan of action with measurable goals. If you are clear on your purpose, your vision of what you want and approach situations strategically, you are much more likely to either succeed or figure out something even more effective as you go along. This entails reassessing your priorities on a daily basis to make sure you are on focus. Can you imagine a better way to approach a business situation? 2. Women have trouble delegating. This is the “need to be needed” syndrome. Men have it too, but for them it is more about control than being needed. When one sees her value mainly in what she does for others, she is more concerned about her performance than manifesting her vision and purpose. That is “outside-in” thinking. The more dispensable she is, the more value she brings to an organization--because she is mentoring, challenging, supporting and inspiring people. Coaching can help you look at what you actually do every day and figure out whether you are really the best person for those tasks. The more you delegate, the more you free yourself up to be a leader and role model. The more task work you hold onto, the less freedom and choices you have in your business life. And the number one reason women benefit from coaching is: 1. They are unaware of their power. In many ways, women are still the great-untapped resource in business. They are just beginning to take their position as leaders and catalysts in the development of the new paradigms of business that are forming. The amazing value that women bring is starting to be recognized. While many men are struggling to learn how to build relationships--which is the way of the future--women are already comfortable with that softer side of themselves. Coaching is a wonderful way to learn how to integrate all the parts of your self. It enables you to take all you have learned and experienced, put it into perspective in line with your true purpose and visions of what you want, and create your unique way of winning at your life. The best coaching experience is one that helps you transform out of old patterns and design your own life. When you are living your life from the inside out, you utilize and express your power in a way that makes you approachable, attractive and an obvious asset to any venture.

Life Entrepreneurs REALLY Do What they Love

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 20:15:05 GMT

I ironed my pillowcases today. They were probably fine not ironed, I just wanted to do it. I bought new sheets and a new spread for my bed recently and now the pillows show more, and I wanted them to be smooth and lovely. Seems sort of inconsequential to write about this, but it is a bigger subject than pillowcases. I am living the life of a homemaker, and the person I am lovingly, contentedly making a home for is....MYSELF! When I had the "big crisis" a couple of years ago and changed my life drastically, I changed how I live on a daily basis. I've written before about re-learning to do my own laundry, having my housekeeper only come on half day every other week, taking care of the things I used to delegate to others. I raised the question then, would I keep doing all these things if I didn't feel it financially necessary? And I absolutely know the answer fo me today: YES! I LOVE doing my laundry. I LOVE changing the sheets and making sure I like how my bed looks. I LOVE feeling grounded and rooted and home. I love taking time to read a book in one day. I love being available when a friend calls--whether for a serious talk, dinner, a movie, or a short visit. I love being available when a client wants an appointment. I love being the "person" for my mom, making sure she has whatever she wants or needs from the store, gets to her doctor appointments, feels loved and cared for. I love doing volunteer work and using my energy locally--contributing to my community and participating in all sorts of ventures that encourage education and cultural awareness. I love hanging out with really smart people who are also looking for ways to use the skills they've developed over the years to help grow and shape the future of our city. I love having a panel of experts around me that I can call on for whatever issue I need help with: doctors, lawyers, other business people who know all sorts of things that I have yet to learn about. This is the best of life so far--and what I'm mostly grateful for is that I know it. I'm consciously living it. I appreciate my life and the people around me more than my words could ever convey. As my dear Granny who grew up in Russia used to say, "Tanks goodness."

Power of Words: I Choose versus I Want

Sun, 03 Apr 2011 17:40:18 GMT

I don't know about you, but I am a devout lover of words, and it has always been important to me to find and use the perfect word when I am trying to define and/or express a particular idea or concept. Many times I find that there is no 'perfect' word or even combination of words, simply because the concept or idea is so much more than words can express. Still, since words are the most acceptable way of communication, I must try. I woke up today thinking about the word "want" and how lately when I use it, it just doesn't seem like the right word to use. My consciousness seems to resist using that word. This is a recent development for me. As I thought more about it, what came to me is that a better word is "choose" whenever I am inclined to use the word "want." I realized that whenever I say I "want" something, I am immediately plunged into a state of longing, lack or feeling unfulfilled. Its like falling into a hole. Immediately following is a sense of frustration at not having whatever it is I am wanting. And then closely tailing frustration is fear that I will never have whatever it is I want. By this time, I have attached my future happiness to whatever it is I don't have, and now it feels as though I will in fact never be happy. Suddenly within moments I am a victim, powerless to get what it is I want. What? How did I get here? Is my happiness really dependent on this thing that I want? Am I really powerless? No, but by the time I have gone through this cycle of thought, it sure feels that way. Sometimes the cycle happens in moments, sometimes the stages of it are drawn out longer. Nevertheless, it is an ugly cycle that produces only negative feelings and can't possibly be constructive in fulfilling whatever I wanted in the first place. All started by the little word "want." Pretty powerful word, and in this case, quite dangerous. I have been studying a bit of quantum physics lately and I'm sure this is what has allowed me to see the need to change the word 'want' into a different word (thus changing my perspective). Words are indeed very powerful in terms of guiding and influencing our perspective. The word that makes more sense to me to use when thinking about things I want, is "choose". In quantum physics there is an idea introduced that ALL possibilities exist simultaneously. Simply put, ALL things are possible. I realize that this is not a new idea and is a widely shared principle, though I don't think it is often really considered and put into practice, at least it certainly wasn't by me. What I realized is that, if all things are possible, then I could simply choose the experience I 'want'. Instead of saying "I want...", I can say "I choose..." This very small change in my selection of words really changes everything! By using the word "choose," I automatically assume that what I want is possible, and furthermore, I open myself up to all possibilities. I see the thing that I want as a realistic option. Also, I am empowered by saying "choose." Choosing something versus wanting it puts me in the driver’s seat. It makes me responsible and empowered to obtain that thing or experience. I don't just have to sit back and hope that it drops into my lap. I may instead choose it and act accordingly. Lastly, using the word "choose" seems to keep my happiness intact irrespective of the thing that I am wanting. That is, there is no attachment created between what I want and my happiness. Skeptical? What difference can a simple change in vernacular really make? The key is not the change in words but the change in perspective or beliefs that the change in words causes. Changing my word changes the way I think and feel, which leads to the way I behave or act, which leads to my results or proof, which leads me back to my beliefs and the way I think and feel...... It looks like this: Thoughts/beliefs ----> Feelings/emotions -----> Behavior/actions ------> Results/proof -------> Thoughts... This is a cycle that we all go through psychologically and physiologically as human beings. According to this cycle, in order to change our results, we must change other parts of the cycle. The most powerful part of this cycle is the beginning...our thoughts/beliefs. If changing the words we use has the power to change our thoughts/beliefs (perspective), then it has the power to ultimately change our results. Give it a try. Experiment with this and other words that you might be using that cause you to think and feel in certain ways. Let me know how it works for you! Much love, Linda

Life Entrepreneurs Live their Dreams

Sat, 02 Apr 2011 17:55:47 GMT

I had drinks with Charlie Rose last night. I didn't even remember it until I was on the floor doing my Pilates while last night's taping of his nightly interview show was playing and I looked up and saw his face and it was exactly the same expression I saw in my dream. I don't know exactly what my attraction to him is, but I tape his shows every week night and many times go to sleep watching them. And when I wake up at 5:30 am and don't want to stay awake, I find one of his shows with men talking and it lulls me back to sleep. Charlie is a comfort to me. He is also inspiring to me. He does such extensive research, is so apparently knowledgeable about the topics his guests talk about, that I am in awe of the time and energy it takes for him and his producers to gather all that information and be that prepared. It makes the experience of watching him work as entertaining as any celebrity, politician, author, business mogul--whatever--he could be interviewing. I just love this guy! And one of my dreams has been to someday, somehow write something, be someone or do something that would mean he would want to interview me on his show. I've often wondered if it is about ego--getting to be on his show. But then I realize I don't actually care much if anyone else were to want to interview me. Well, it might be nice, but it doesn't have a big meaning to me one way or another. But Charlie Rose! Him, I want to sit and talk with. For the hour, as he says when he has a guest take up two to three segments of interview time. So it really is about him, who he is, how he got the way he is--in fact I think the real deal is that I would love to interview him! So this morning, when I saw him talking with two writing professors who had written books about how to write well, I saw his face listening and responding so intently--I realized I had dreamed that about him and me! We were in some sort of cafe or bistro. We had drunk something, coffee, something. And we talked. We had a very interesting conversation, and the other two people who were with us left and we kept talking. In the dream I reminded him of how energetic and intresting he had been when I first saw him on TV back in the 70s when he did a people oriented interview show in the Dallas area. I have thought many times that I would love to tell him how much I've enjoyed seeing him evolve and listen more and talk less, his openness with his guests is energetic more than with words now. Maybe having major heart surgery a few years back affected him. We didn't get that far in our conversation in my dream, so maybe next time. Maybe I'll dream about him again. Delicious!

NATIVE AMERICAN FOODS

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 03:21:13 GMT

One of my granddaughters gave me the idea for this article. She asked for some suggestions for a dessert she was making for a Pot-luck dinner with an Indian Theme. When I used to visit schools, one of the first questions I was asked was...What did Indians eat? The Three Sisters (Maize (Corn). Squash, and Beans, were the most commonly grown vegetables for many of the native people. They complimented each other as the bean vines climbed the corn stalks and the squash grew in between the stalks to keep out the weeds. According to many origin stories, they, along with tobacco, were the gift of First Woman (Mother Earth), to her children. They first grew from her body after she was buried. Before the people had to depend on wild plants to supplement their meat diet. In bad years of drought or other natural disasters, the people would starve, With the Three Sisters they were guaranteed food from their gardens. Another favorite food of the people living around the lakes was wild rice gathered in ca noes. Rice could be used with fish to make a delicious stew. Rice pudding made an excellent dessert after they had goats ad cows for milk, Corn of course was a staple. Ground it was used for cereal, corn bread, and corn pudding. Not to mention 'popcorn'. We invented it. It was an accident of course but we still invented it. Even today Corn Soup is popular at gatherings. Then there is the ever popular corn on the cob. The Hopi grow four colors of corn which are used in ceremonies. Ground it was used to make “piki.” A paper thin bread baked in an open oven. Natural food, plants and berries were prepared in different ways, primarily cooked. Sassafras and dandelion were used to make tea, still popular today. I have never heard of native women baking pies, but a wild berry pie or a pumpkin pie would serve as a dessert for a meal with an Indian Theme. Although deer, in the east, and buffalo in the west, were the principle meat, all sorts of small game was shoot or trapped and eaten. Usually rabbit, squirrel, birds were shot by young hunters honing their skill. Wild turkey was also very popular among n native people around here. The next question I usually was asked was.....What did they eat with? Some boy would always yell out. “With their fingers and the girls would make a funny face ad go,,,”Ugh!” In the long ago times the women cooked in the belly of a large animal, hung on a wooden tripod. They would fill it with water and put hot rocks into it until the water was boiling and then take out the rocks and put in meat and vegetables. Sometimes they didn't take out the rocks. Haven't you ever heard of “stone” soup? When the soup or stew was done they would cut up “the pot” and eat it, Later they cooked in pottery pots as well as tightly woven baskets sealed with pitch. Why didn't they burn? Here's a little trick in Boy Scout Survival camp. Take a wax paper cup (not Styrofoam), fill it with water and set it on hot coals. As long as there is liquid in the cup it will not burn. Good for making coffee or hot chocolate if you don't have a pot. Metal tools including pots were very popular trade items when the white men came.

Breaking news on PLASTIC EGG BOXES

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 20:47:28 GMT

Things have been a little fraught at GG Towers so it was a great delight to find ghost egg boxes in local shops. By ghost egg boxes we mean the plastic ones that are slowly replacing the pulp packaging ones we have grown up with. The reason for the change, well the powers that be have wanted to get rid of pulp boxes for some time now as they were seen to be host to bugs that cause sickness when an egg breaks and the contents seep into the pulp box. The new plastic boxes are lighter, tougher and have a low carbon foot print. One of the users is Oaklands of Shropshire who have a delightful lady of words Becca, who told me that the company are pleased with the cartons and other plastic pots they use for yoghurt and other grocery items are assured by plastics Europe and British Plastics Federation. All items are able to be recycled and have health benefits that out weight the pulp boxes. So after all plastic may not be as bad as once thought – it even has a predator in the form of an enzyme that, for now, lives at the bottom of the sea chomping plastic as it falls to the floor of the sea. However, some doom and gloomers fear that the enzyme would destroy our world should it ever make land. Have a look at the next piece on grow yourself healthy... All the best from the Green Ghost Towers

Life Entrepreneurs Ask Questions About Life and Death Part I

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:24:26 GMT

Note: I originally wrote this in May, 2010, and hadn't posted it on Copperstrings. Since I wrote another post on a similar subject, I went back and decided to add this one to my Journals. Today I learned that Hollis Burns, a guy I knew in high school who was sixty-three years old died yesterday. He had apparently played golf Sunday afternoon and gone home, and was found sitting in a chair holding a newspaper. This guy looked healthy the last time I saw him. He was only a year older than I. It made me think about how little control we actually have over our lives. We think we control things, we think we make things happen. But do we really? How much of what we experience is beyond our influence? Did Hollis have a fear of death? Was he secretly worried about things? Did he take care of his health? I don't know, because I hadn't spoken with him in a few years. I saw him at the funeral of another high school friend a couple of months ago, but we didn't speak. I didn't actually know him well. He was a year ahead of me in school, a big football player type, and I was in one of my shy periods, so only noticed him from afar. I spend a lot of energy caring about exercise and eating things that are really good for me. I do my morning meditations, I pay attention to my thoughts, I monitor and attempt to live my life strategically. But does that give me an edge? Could I be found in a chair holding a newspaper one day--sooner than later? I have no idea, but it is possible. I've written a lot about the financial crisis I experienced last year, and I still wonder at myself that I didn't see it coming. But could I have? Would I be happier with myself if I had figured it all out and prevented it from happening? Can we forestall our death? Or a financial crisis? Can we cover enough bases to keep life from teaching us hard lessons? I don't think so. I think these lessons, these crises serve us, make us stronger, exercise our "life muscles" so that we can keep going. But even when we do keep going, can that prevent what would seem, as in this case, a premature death? This takes me back to an overused but still valuable adage: Live life each day to the fullest because we have no control over what will happen tomorrow. I've been practicing that consciously for many years--especially since I was asked the question, What would you do if you only had twenty-four hours left to live? What would you do? Would you try to make sure others did what you wanted? Would you do some fun thing you had always wanted to do? Would you gather the people you love around you and make sure they knew they were loved and appreciated? Would you be angry? Would you be grateful for the life you've had? Would you try to patch up conflicts? Would you make sure your estate went to the people you wanted to benefit from it? Would you be able to find a way to say things you hadn't been able to say before? Would the veil of defensiveness drop away and would you be able to speak the complete truth as you knew it? Even then knowing that it would still only be your version of the truth? Is it possible to live our lives like that before we reach the last twenty-four hours? Could we find a way to be that true to ourselves in the here and now? Is that what being a Life Entrepreneur leads us to? Living authentically? Living from the best version of the truth as we know it? Perhaps writing this is a way to honor the life of Hollis Burns. To take his untimely passing as an impetus to ask ourselves more questions, seek some way to understand how and why life works the way it does. I am feeling a bit sad that I didn't have another conversation with him. I don't know that it would have meant anything to him, but at least I would have felt I knew something more about him. How many people do we cross paths with and not really know? And then they are gone.

Life Entrepreneurs Ask Questions About Life and Death - Part 2

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:23:56 GMT

I've been thinking about dying lately. People in Japan are facing death as I write this. One woman talked about her father being employed at a nuclear power plant, and he was staying to try to minimize the damage because he already knew he wasn't going to get out of there alive. Ten years ago, people in the towers in New York faced death with no recourse, and from all accounts, they bravely did everything they could. And I have clients come to me so depressed, so distraught with how things are going in their lives that they wish they could just die. I've felt that way myself. A couple of years ago, facing my worst financial disaster, part of me just wanted to die so I wouldn't have to feel so much shame and pain. And we watch TV shows, movies, read books about death and never seem to tire of the subject. So I asked myself this morning, am I afraid to die? How would I feel if I knew that the power plant near my home was exploding and saturating the air with radioactive particles. Would I panic? What would I do? I have no way of actually knowing the answer to that, so I can only make up a story based on what I believe to be true. One of the things that kept me from choosing death as an option during times of great duress in the past was a little voice inside me, reminding me that even if I did die, I would wake up to another state of awareness. I can't know what that state is--we've all seen or heard about people with near death experiences seeing the light, the white light, or seeing a tunnel, or seeing some sort of vision that calms them, gives them a new sense of meaning to their current lives when they wake up. And even though I haven't had one of those, from everything I've read, studied, been taught and experienced, I saw so clearly this morning that the reason I don't choose death, and the reason I think I would remain calm in the face of impending doom, is that I need not be afraid of something that isn't possible. Yes, I could die from this body, and this life that I love so much. But I wouldn't die from myself. I absolutely know that. Many years ago I heard one of my metaphysical teachers say it this way, "if life could actually die, then it would cease to be life, and that is impossible." I didn't quite believe her at the time, because I was in my twenties, I had a lot to learn and experience to be able to even comprehend a statement like that. And now I'm 63 and I feel like it is true. I feel it--in my body, in my heart and it remains an underlying conviction that seems, at least right now, unshakable. So what is all this pain, death and dying really about? Why do we experience it? Read about it? Flock to movies about it? Another thing I learned from a teacher is this: "any individuals, organisms or organizations not working toward a higher purpose will cease to exist." If that is true, then this organization we call the human experience--with all its joy and sorrow, pain and pleasure, and life and "death" experiences must have a higher purpose, else why would it exist? And the only purpose I can really come to, and reach over and over, is Love. These experiences are all teaching us how to love ourselves, each other and our lives, master the business of life and turn our lead into gold. Our burdens, our fears, our difficulties, our challenges all hold within them the seeds of opportunity, to paraphrase Napoleon Hill. We can let them drain us and bog us down or we can face them and find the gold in them. And so it is crystal clear to me that is why I say that to myself each morning when I wake up, reminding myself of my own life purpose. I can't imagine any other true reason for us to be here.

The Quickest & Easiest Way to Switch Off – and It’s Fr*ee!

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:57:39 GMT

I am lucky enough to be in The States at the moment and spent the week-end with some dear friends in New Jersey. On Saturday, we visited the New Jersey Shore at Cape May, a beautiful Victorian seaside resort not far from Philadelphia. After a great, out of season walk on the beach in the sunshine, we were standing by the Ocean and spotted a flock of what must have been several hundred small birds flying in formation on the edge of the water. It was phenomenal to watch as the birds moved in perfect unison, twisting and turning this way and that and catching the light as they turned in a joyous ‘dance’. We must have watched them for 20 minutes or so and were captivated by them. It was as if they were putting on a display especially for us. Watching this flock of birds was a true delight and something really quite special and extraordinary. One couldn’t help being uplifted by it and we gasped and laughed as we watched them. The point of sharing the story is to remind you that one of the easiest, cheapest and most effective forms of relaxation is to be with nature and just observe. When was the last time you just stood for a few minutes and enjoyed nature? When did you last take a walk in the park, on a beach, by a river or over the moors and just really notice what is there and how beautiful it is? One of the disadvantages for we city dwellers these days is that we are detached from nature somewhat and yet there’s no better calmer of nerves and no better way to appreciate what we have. As soon and as often as you can, get to the nearest green or natural space and just observe for 10 minutes or so. Look at what you see as if you were doing so for the first time. Notice the sounds, the colours, the movement and see what effect it has on you. It’s the best and quickest stress relief ever – and it’s free and right under our noses! Have a lovely week. With love Annie x www.breathingspacetherapies.com annie@breathingspacetherapies.com 0772 581 8884

STORM SHADOW

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 23:32:54 GMT

Storm shadow It may seem like a glamorous name for the latest sports car on show at the Paris motor show but don’t be fooled by the sleek name. This little contraption really does kick up a storm and does 0-60 in record time; in fact this is the name of one of the missiles dropped on Libya by British military war planes to destroy key military installations. It was even shown on TV how these missiles did there job of destroying what we were to believe was Libyan military bases. Shown from the RAF Tornados pictures during pre-dawn raids last night it seems easy to accept that the glow over the target was a missile costing hundreds of thousands of pounds going off within feet of its target. It all seems terrifying to know what just one of these missiles is capable of doing and what destruction it has caused. I seem to be brain-washed into thinking that dropping 50 or more of these deadly missiles is all in a days work in the life of an RAF bomber. Well just have a think into what is really going on and what it is costing? No expense spared here! It was also reported that 112 tomahawk missiles were dropped on key targets over Libya. I’m supposed to accept and believe that these bombing raids are for a good reason. Do you know how much each of these tomahawk missiles cost? Well they don’t come cheap, they are not readily available off the shelf or you certainly cannot get a buy 2 get the 3rd free deal to encourage you to use more! I understand that they are in the region of over $600,000 each and you have to deliver them yourself. Preferably in a stealth bomber costing millions of dollars flown all the way from mainland USA. How ironic to think that the fuel to power any of these aircraft could have come from Libyan oil fields? My point is these military raids by French, US and British aircraft are at a very high cost to the tax-payer and the main interest for all concerned is OIL. I cannot imagine the complexity of the plight of the Libyan people nor do I understand the recent struggle in neighbouring countries but a solution could be found without the enormous cost or the loss of human lives. Go do your home-work before you are led to believe all that is reported about what is going on in the Mediterranean areas of Libya. Human life is cheap compared to the vast amount of oil that surrounds this power-struggle. God bless you all.

WWF EARTH-HOUR 26th MARCH 2011

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 21:39:02 GMT

The World Wildlife Fund has again asked us to join millions across the globe for EARTH-HOUR 2011. On Saturday 26th March at 8.30 pm (UK time) they want the global skyline to be plunged into darkness for the world’s biggest call for action on the threats facing our planet. Less than 10 Days to go! Show you care about tackling the climate change and protecting our natural world. It’s a message to world leaders that they need to take urgent action and a reminder to us all that we only have one planet earth! Why don’t you register to take part at wwf.org.uk/earthhour One Hour-One World-Our Future.

Life Entrepreneurs Look Back at Past Adventures

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 00:00:19 GMT

Late last night I was winding down about to go to bed when I got a call from a friend who was channel surfing and had run across the Tucson Festival of Books on CSPAN and discovered a panel of three people from the 1960s era talking about their experiences. The man on the panel was Mark Rudd, there to talk about My Life with SDS and the Weathermen. SDS stands for Students for a Democratic Society and Mark was famous for having led the sit-ins at Columbia University in 1968, fanning the fire of the growing student movement (which we all called The Movement). It is so interesting to see someone you haven't see in 40 years and both recognize him and remember so much about him. I was a member of SDS back in the late 60s. For those of us who were against the war in Viet Nam, wanted to open admissions up and break the power of racism on our college campuses, it was really the only place to be! We were bright, we were energetic, and we were influential in society. There was an upheaval of protest that swept our country. Yes, especially in the southern part of the US, in states like Texas, there weren't that many of us, but we fed on the actions of those in the north--we watched with envy the sit-ins and the demonstrations where there were actually enough people to look like a crowd. In my little part of the world, we were controversial to say the least. During the summer of 1968 a group of 6 of us got arrested on the campus of North Texas State University (now University of North Texas) for distributing "indecent and obscene literature." We were passing out leaflets that said "the elections don't mean shit--there is very little difference between Hubert Humphrey and Richard Nixon." Oddly enough, the jury couldn't agree on convicting us, so when one person went to trial and it resulted in a hung jury, they dropped the charges and we went on our merry way. I was what was then referred to as an itinerant agitator--which meant I traveled around to campuses in Texas and Oklahoma trying to get SDS chapters going. I have to admit, we weren't enormously successful, as the political climate around here just wasn't that conducive to uprisings of students. Most were paying little attention to Viet Nam, unless they lost their deferments were subject to the draft; and racism was such a way of life here, that it didn't rattle many cages for us to talk about it. Our biggest success was at the University of Houston, which at that time had a very low enrollment of black students even though it sat in the middle of a mainly black section of southeast Houston. Most of the local kids were shuffled off to Texas Southern University, which at that time was much smaller, less well endowed, and considered second rate. We staged marches around the campus to wake up action to open up admissions to black people. We moved from building to building, and Mark Rudd flew into Houston for a day and helped me make speeches about changing the school. A LOT of people turned out--which was amazing--but it actually seemed to be a cause that mattered to even the white local students that made up the enrollment. amid lots of cheering and chanting, we had a heady feeling that we were making a difference! Mark went back to New York and our group continued protesting the next day, culminating in a short take-over of the Safety and Security office, where I jumped up on a desk and made a rousing speech which ended with, "now let's march to the Student Center!" Those were my "fatal words" it turned out because some wild kids ran ahead of us and decided to make a point by tearing up things and generally making a mess. Unbeknownst to me, this would later be considered a riot, and I would be accused of inciting it. Being someone very much against any form of destruction of property, I followed these kids shouting, "stop!" but by then it had gotten out of hand, so we quickly dispersed and hoped that the activity would just die down. The next day, thinking it was all over, I decided to leave Texas and move up to New York and hang out with Mark and some other friends and see what fun I could have being involved in The Movement for real, up where the Real SDS people were. It was so exciting to be in New York City and ride the subway--learn how to eat pizza by the slice--get temp jobs in off the wall offices to make money. I loved it! I lasted there about 3 months, but soon ended up paying the price for my speech by actually being arrested for incitement to riot. I'll have to write about that adventure another time. Seeing Mark brought all that flooding back to me--and I had a chance to look at how much being a part of that Movement had affected my life. And I also realized how deeply grateful I am that I moved on from it--that I found a deeper meaning, a higher sense of purpose than I could have developed if I had stayed in the purely political mode of thinking. I love that I got involved, that I fought for things that mattered to me. And I love that I keep doing that in ways that work, that involve really smart people doing really meaningful things to change how we live together. That involvement got me aware of the huge responsibility we have--to be sure that we do all we can with all that we are given. What a blessing! What a trip to be reminded of it!

Tsunami in Japan -- what should my prayers for them be?

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:17:50 GMT

I am stunned wordless by the disaster in Japan. The images, their pain and loss is beyond comprehension. I want to pray for them but words fail me. What do I ask? Lord give them strength and courage. As I see images of the disaster, words seem inadequate. A ship tossed about like a toy, cars thrown about with people within, all science technological progress helpless in the face of nature's fury. People who a moment before would have been happy, sad, angry, hurt, working towards their next prized possession; some irritated at things not going their way; let down at people not understanding them -- either not their the next moment or comprehending the horror of what they had lost in a few moments. What do I learn from this moment? All the spiritual tinkering I have been doing, thinking, reading, figuring out, all at a loss in the face of this. What do I pray for them? Why did this happen? Is the person who took this video I am seeing on Youtube alive? If he managed to be high up, how was he rescued; what is he doing/thinking right now. Even as I grappled by this, I slowly learnt about the nuclear leak. Horrified, I think of the survivors, the people who have gone to save; the unborn children. What is the sense in this – Tsunami followed by nuclear disaster! The horror is beyond my comprehension. Safe in my home, I wonder, how can our lives at this moment be so different form theirs. Why can’t we share/ reduce their pain? What do I do to be able to look myself in the eye? What do I ask God?

Goodluck/ Sambo support by Hon. Dr. Gracie Gboliwe Chukwu: Nigerians in Houston, Texas, USA

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:29:47 GMT

NIGERIANS IN DIASPORA RALLY FOR GOODLUCK -SAMBO SUPPORT BY HON. DR. GRACIE GBOLIWE CHUKWU NATIONAL PRESIDENT GOODLUCK-SAMBO 2011 CAMPAIGN TEAM HOUSTON, TEXAS, USA. One can easily wonder why is that the up coming election is so different from the other elections. The truth of the matter is the person running for the presidential position. All over the North America, especially Canada, it is like madness every where you go, Nigerians in Diaspora, both adults, youth born in Diaspora are also interested in this Nigerian election, due to the fact that they all admire Mr. president,Goodluck Jonathan. This we can not explain but the craziness continues, look around the world today, there is a global transformations going on, look at the United States of America they had a big change after the last election. The Nigerian election campaign is different from any other. At our former rally, I have said to the campaign supporters that ‘’Goodluck is the Nigerian Obama’’ he raises his hand for justice, peace and a brighter future of Nigeria. For Mr. President, extending his desires to all the Nigerians living abroad was the main reason the responses had been overwhelming indeed. Reaching out to Nigerians in Diaspora it is important to target those in Nigeria that can vote in this election, but it is equally important to target influential family members in Diaspora. `The reason being that during the campaign rallies, they kept asking me on how those in Diaspora can contribute their supports for Mr. President. Dr Goodluck Jonathan and my answer to them was that they need to contact their family members, friends in Nigeria and let them know who you are supporting so that when they go to the voting booths, they had already an influence to vote for the president Goodluck Jonathan /Sambo ticket. Nothing beats that. The campaign workers of Diaspora Goodluck-Sambo 2011-team are working vigorously to make sure that this message reaches all the Nigerian citizens abroad. This Diaspora Goodluck-Sambo 2011 campaign team had put forward the 2011 initiative and proposals which will be presented to Mr. President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which will benefit his success and that of our country in general and beyond. Over the years, several Administrations have occupied the presidency with no discernable economic development plan put forward and implemented. There has been no plan intended for sustainable economic growth to go beyond each administration, as a result, Nigeria cannot be precise or even ascertain what its GDP is on a yearly basis which can be clearly measured. Every nation must know if its economy has a sustainable growth or its economy is in a serious decline. Nigeria must have a plan that goes beyond the exploitation of it natural resources i.e. crude oil, and the distribution of same as the only national preoccupation, Nigeria must invest in its human resources first and foremost, Nigeria must ensure that its best minds are harnessed and put to good uses as this will unleash numerous talents that are currently being wasted abroad. A recent study carried out in the United States in the year 2008 and 2009 revealed that Nigerians in the United States have the highest ratio of Doctorate degree holders. This is a part of what Nigerians has to offer the world community as the political conditions if the country stabilizes, now is time for Nigeria to occupy its proper seat in the international arena. Nigeria has the best minds like any other country in the world and if put to good use will produce equally good result as in other countries around the world. Nigerians in Diaspora are all excited about this election, since its all about changes that Goodluck Jonathan is bringing to the Nation. Our goals are to come home and assist him in achieving those changes. Nigerians in the Diaspora have also setup a home office in Abuja, Nigeria, to coordinate activities at home to reach out to various part of the country. The Country Representative Mr. Barthy Okhipo, who is also Director- General Home Affairs, also reiterated the latest sharing of campaign materials i.e. T-Shirt, Face Caps and various souvenirs distributed to stake holder across the country. Hon. Binayah Yitzqaq, who is the Personal Assistant to the National President, also unveiled the strategy and programs geared toward reaching-out to different groups and organizations in the country; i.e. Churches, Mosque, Family and Town unions across the Nation.. Raymond Onwualo, Capital Sunset news; FCT Abuja, Nigeria

Head vs Heart. Knowing the rules can save your life....

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 14:56:24 GMT

Heart Dis-ease – Are You At Risk? Having spent so many years working on Cardiac Care Units and lost close family members to sudden heart attacks, I know the devastating effects that a heart disease can lead to. So many lives are ripped apart each year through the failure to understand and diagnose the early warning signs. A heart attack is the result of your head not understanding the everyday messages of your heart. Your heart is not just the muscle that pumps blood around your body, keeping you alive, it is also the centre of your emotional intelligence. The energy of the heart manifests through your emotions (energy in motion). Allowing this energy to run and taking the time to feel what is going on in your body, without judgment, is the way that your heart likes to interact with your head. However, because emotional intelligence is not taught at school and so much emphasis is placed on intellectual intelligence, millions of people die prematurely every year from heart attacks. The facts speak for themselves. According to cardiacmatters.co.uk facts and figures someone dies from a heart attack in the UK every 6 minutes. In the US this figure is nearer 1 person every minute. Of the 146,000 people who have a heart attack in the UK every year, 94,000 of them die. On top of this, 179 people in the UK lose a parent every day because of a fatal heart attack. The symptoms usually start many years before a heart attack. I have spent many years speaking to people who had just had a heart attack and there are many common themes. Although there are some people who do not experience some of the following symptoms, everyone who has a heart attack experience over half of the following…. - Feeling stuck in a job or relationship for an extended period of time - At least one, sometimes more, very poor family relationship(s) - Low motivation for an extended period - Not wanting to get out of bed - High stress for a sustained duration - A need to please others before themselves - Feeling misunderstood or unappreciated - Always compromising – and feeling resentful about it - Increasing aches and pains in their body - Short, stabbing pains in their chest, sometimes only lasting a fraction of a second - An emptiness or feeling that something is missing – and no idea what it is These are just some of the warning signs. Knowing that all of these things happen when the IQ of your brain overrules the IQ of your heart on a consistent basis. Consequently, your emotions get repressed and your heart cannot function properly. This is the foundation of heart dis-ease. The good news is that heart dis-ease can be reversed if it is caught early enough. In order to reverse the symptoms you must first become proficient at identifying them. Do you trust your feelings? Start by becoming aware of the early warning signs and asking yourself one simple question: “Would I or the people I love benefit from me learning to identify and reverse the early warning signs of heart disease?” When the answer is yes then there are resources available to help at www.wellbeinginnovation.com

Life Entrepreneurs Are in Constant Renewal

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:14:13 GMT

I'm in heaven at the moment, watching all the wonderful plants and flowers start to pop up in my garden. Five years ago, my niece wanted to have her wedding pictures taken in my back yard so I set out to re-landscape and have watched it develop and fill out until now I am simply in awe of the amazing things that happen when you plant and tend to a garden. I must admit, I'm not the garden tender, except indirectly. I pay a wonderful woman named Marie-Theres to do that part, as I learned many years ago that I didn't have a green thumb for plants. I can help people grow into the lives they would love to live, but when it comes to plants, encouragement is about all I can offer! Watching the plants bud first then sort of explode into something has sent me into noticing how similar our experiences are to what happens with plants--especially in the way we work and work on something, allow the cycle of nature to complete itself, then we get the big reward of new growth. When I am impatient, try to hurry things along, I find that all I get is stress. The process takes as long as it takes. So, if I step back and really observe myself, I can see that my frustrating moments in life are a little like a plant trying to push itself up out of the soil--takes a lot of effort, and how do we know whether the plant feels that or not? And once it has pushed through, the roots continue to deepen, the greenery unfolds itself, and the buds don't show up until the weather conditions warrant a safe environment. Sometimes we get a false signal, just like plants when an early warm spell brings out blooms before the weather has truly settled into spring, and many times those blooms don't last because of frost. In the same way I have seen myself project my imagination forward and thought I saw what I wanted and made up a story about it, only to realize I had jumped the gun and not been aware of the whole picture. Which led to disappointment, killing off the bloom of possibility for that moment. We can do all the right things, plant our seeds at the right time of the year, water and fertilize them, be patient and let them grow, clean out the weeds that pop up around them, stay with our process and very likely we will get what we desire. However, sometimes, no matter how hard we try, the plant just doesn't grow right and we have to let it die off. Isn't that true of ideas, projects and relationships? If we could be detached enough, could we see that we are in a process of constant renewal? That sometimes our blossoms don't come to fruition, but we still have the possibility of more in the future? Would we be more likely to take set-backs in stride and just see ourselves continually moving forward?

The Truth Revealed: Women ARE Different Than Men!

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 16:00:44 GMT

March 8, 2011, is International Women’s Day. For the last 100 years, this has been a day for celebrating women around the world and the progress that women have made socially and economically. Having grown up in the United States, I can look back and see the progress that women have made in terms of reaching higher levels of equality and being more empowered, but still it seems as though women are not yet considered equals with men. This is even more evident in other countries around the world. So I wonder, with all of our industrial and technological advances, education and conscious growth, why can’t we overcome this issue? I think the most important point that we keep on missing both with women’s rights and equality issues in general is that differences in people do not qualify them as more or less important than each other. Women keep asking the world to see them as equally important, and the world keeps answering with “but you are different.” It is as if there are two different conversations going on. Women are not asking the world to ignore that they are different than men, just as a person of color is not asking other people to see them as white. The problem does not lie in noticing differences. In fact, as human beings we are great at noticing the differences between other people and ourselves. We are programmed that way. Psychologically speaking, it is this ability to notice differences in others and compare others with ourselves that helps us to build a concept in our minds of who we are. The problem with this is when we put things on a “better/worse” scale or a ladder of hierarchy. Instead of just noting differences, we want to judge them as better or worse, stronger or weaker, etc. than ourselves. Unfortunately this distorts the reality of the situation. The reality is that humankind exists not on a ladder of importance but in a shared plane of existence where although we are nearly identical in our genetic makeup, each is unique as well, and can thus make a unique contribution to the whole. Take a look at the human body for example and decide which organ is most important. Some will argue the brain, some will say heart, and others still will give another answer. The realistic answer to this question is…the most important part becomes any missing part because without all parts, the whole is diminished or dead. The same is true with humanity. Each member plays a significant part in the completion of the whole through their unique contribution that is their life. This includes men and women of all origins alike. Everybody is somebody. Every one is interdependent with the other with the actions or inactions of one always affecting those around them. We are one race…the human race. It is not now, nor has it ever been a question of who is more important. So, how do we really get there? How do we get to a place where we no longer have to concern ourselves with who is more important? The good news is that we don’t have to shut our eyes and stop noticing differences between ourselves and others. In fact, that is counterintuitive and counterproductive. Noticing the differences in others allows you to see their strengths and how they contribute. It helps us to deeply love, respect and appreciate one another. It also helps us to see our own uniqueness. It might even help you see where you can help someone else. Using words such as “same” and “different” are not dangerous when we compare ourselves with others. They are words of observation. In fact if we remember that we as human beings are both “same and different” and this in no way affects our equality with one another, it helps us to avoid the dangerous words such as “better” or “worse”. Gender differences teach us this lesson better than any other example in the universe. When comparing men and women, any remotely observant person can recognize that there are not only differences in appearance but fundamental differences between men and women. Thankfully so. For it is these differences that literally make it possible to continue on with the human race.

The Secret to Empowering Relationships

Sat, 05 Mar 2011 15:55:39 GMT

Human Design looks at our genetic potential. It doesn’t take into account social conventions and mental concepts that we have been brought up to believe are the truth. Each person’s perspective, each person’s idea of the truth, is very different according to their own design. For some people relationships last for a lifetime, and for others it is for an appropriate length of time and then it is time to move on. It is the mental and social concepts that have given us a need to conform to what is outwardly acceptable. However this can create chaos within families that should not stay together, and lost opportunities for those who need to bring change in their lives. Your relationship reading is an in-depth look at your joint charts. As newcomers to Human Design it will highlight a number of “not-self” issues which can be resolved simply through knowing and understanding certain dynamics between your two very different designs. As we know, we are naturally attracted to the differences in each other! Genes have an imperative to mutate and they do this by choosing two very different people to bring in a mutative being. These readings are designed to explore and honour those differences by allowing each other just to be who they are without any expectation of how we would like that person to be. Then it becomes very easy to not take anything that is said on a personal level, and to not judge the other for something that you might respond to differently. When you read this it may seem to bring up all sorts of potential difficulties. It’s deliberately designed that way because we are all “not-self” until we have been through the deconditioning process. We judge, we blame and we have expectations of each other. These are generalities, and many people will choose to have readings because they know they have a deep connection with each other and wish to explore the difficult surface issues and misunderstandings. When we are able to acknowledge the individuality of each one of us, then we recognise the gifts we have instead of looking at the faults. We understand why we are in relationship with this person, whether it is for “a reason, a season or a lifetime”. It doesn’t matter; it is all meant to be. Back to that genetic potential..... Children particularly are able to sense inwardly when the parents’ relationship is no longer functional. We can make a great effort to “pretend” but children are finely tuned to the aura of their parents and instinctively know when there is a breakdown in the relationship. Any “trained” therapist can only use out-dated mental concepts because this is the way our society is structured. In Human Design we understand that the social convention of marriage is just that - an expectation of society. It divides people into small controllable units instead of communities where we are one big family. The pressure to maintain what is perceived as normal may be too difficult for many of us. We need to look back and feel that we are fulfilled and satisfied in our later years. Within our current social conventions we often feel restricted and stifled. Having our own reading shows us how to break out of the social expectation and just be ourselves. When we are truly behaving naturally then people feel that authentic aura and love us for our quirkiness and individuality. When we try to live according to social expectation something doesn’t feel quite right. We are living a clichéd life and this doesn’t serve us or those who love us. The real truth of whether or not two people are suited to each other can only be seen when they are both authentic. Human Design will help you find this authenticity and can bring relationships to a level beyond our dreams. When we are not authentic we can only be superficial; sometimes we only have the courage to remain on that level in case we touch that raw nerve in the other. Often one partner becomes the caretaker of the other so that the relationship “works” but this is not without a cost. When there is too much work for one partner to make the relationship work it will inevitably suffer. Usually in these relationships the caretaking partner dies sooner in order to escape the enormous amount of effort involved. True partnerships are mutual. Neither one needs to draw energy from the other. When each is authentic and can completely understand the other then it flows easily. When issues come up to be dealt with it is not a problem; instead of being intense, there is always a funny side and something to gain from the experience. All this is possible from an understanding of each other’s chart! Phylipa Dinnen For more information: http://www.resourcesforlife.net/category.asp?cat=25:

The Three Biggest Mistakes People in Business Make That Keep Them Overwhelmed and Out of Control

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:16:04 GMT

Thanks to one of my friends in New York who asked me how he could deal with the overwhelming demands of his workplace. This is a great topic and absolutely vital to understand for anyone in business right now. Let’s call my friend Pete (to protect privacy) and his colleagues were recently accused of being sloppy in their work at a management meeting. But are they sloppy or just trying to do too much in too short a space of time and without the necessary resources? As more companies make cutbacks, those who are in work are constantly battling to keep up with the demands made of them. You know the scenario. Just as you think you’ve planned your day, in comes the demand to update your blog, attend a meeting, deal with a crisis and on and on it goes...till someone makes an almighty blunder or gets sick. Pete’s director’s response to this kind of scenario was to instruct him to “tell everyone to **** off” and whilst we can all understand the urge to do so, this approach is hardly constructive and could land you in a lot of deep water. So how do you deal with these demands on your time and the distractions caused by them? It’s time to take charge and get back in control. First of all, if you understand what mistakes you’re making, you can understand your options more clearly and do something to rectify the situation. A lot of the problem is that many of us who are still in work just now have either experienced redundancy, seen others in their teams being made redundant or feel under threat of redundancy. So we’re operating from a position of fear, which means we tend to handle and accept things in ways we would never normally consider reasonable, simply to stay in a job. So let’s clear one thing up straight away. No matter how hard you work or how many hours you put in, if push comes to shove and savings need to be made, cuts will take place and you could lose your job. The best way of protecting yourself is to be willing and enthusiastic and to work as efficiently as possible, given the time and resources you have. There is no point in driving yourself to the point of illness, which would mean you can’t work any way! So let’s have a look at the three biggest mistakes business people are making right now which keep them feeling overwhelmed, stressed and out of control. Lack of thinking time Because of the pressure on us to perform, we tend to work for long hours without breaks, thinking we will get through more work this way. However this is a false ‘economy’. Working without breaks has been proven to reduce our accuracy and efficiency and this is exactly when we make silly mistakes and may appear to be ‘sloppy’ in our work. So, start taking a 5-minute break every hour and take at least half an hour’s break every 4 hours or so. I can almost hear the gasps and protests from here! “I can’t do that!” “Everyone will think I’m not pulling my weight” and “I don’t have time to take breaks”. All I can say is try it for a week and notice how much more efficient you are when you take breaks. You’ll come back to work clearer in your thinking, making better decisions and feeling more relaxed, which is proven to result in greater accuracy and efficiency. You’ll soon be wondering how you managed to get through so much in so little time. 2. Accepting Responsibility for Other People's Problems As Pete said, people come in and ask for things “as soon as possible” and you can suggest a time frame which leaves them agreeing to your schedule “but their stress is palpable”. Before you cave in and agree to timings that put you under impossible pressure, think about this. It’s a wonderful attribute to empathise with others and can help teamwork enormously, but do you need to respond by taking another ‘monkey on your shoulder’? Is this your problem or is someone foisting their own issue on to you? Might you need to seek a compromise? By all means, show willingness to help and seek solutions, but not at your own expense. Before agreeing to deadlines, consider whether the urgency is genuine or is there another reason that it suddenly requires your attention? Once you’ve fulfilled your side of the job, will it be treated with the same urgency or will you rush to do something that sits on someone else’s job for the next three weeks?! Rather than jumping to an immediate response, ask for half an hour to consider what else you have on your plate so that you can decide whether you have time to do the job well, whether you may need to move other projects around, whether you may need help in another part of your job as a result and so on. In considering this first, you give yourself a chance to plan, to negotiate deadlines and to enlist additional help if needed. Consider the whole situation before accepting responsibility and be prepared to ‘bat the ball back’ or suggest alternatives if necessary. 3. Failure to Manage Other People's Expectations This is the number one mistake that Business People make when they try to avoid overwhelm and stress. Because you want to preserve your job and you don’t want to appear to be difficult, you may be tempted to accept jobs and think about it later. But once you’ve accepted a project, it’s usually too late to back down. So it pays, one you’ve considered your options, to set realistic expectations, so that other people know what they can expect from you and when. The temptation, in our willingness to please and impress, is to accept deadlines and then run out of time at the last minute, putting you and your team members under excessive and unnecessary pressure. So, it’s better to set realistic expectations and perhaps agree stages for delivery of a job well done, rather than trying to meet deadlines you have no chance of meeting or which put you under undue stress. It’s a times like this that you can make those mistakes which make you look ‘sloppy’, so far better to set realistic deadlines in the first place. If at any stage during the process you think you may need extra time, don’t wait. Negotiate additional time immediately you think there may be a problem or negotiate what you are going to deliver, e.g. deliver an outline rather than a complete document. As a general rule. It’s far better to underpromise and over deliver than the other way round. Save £90 Annie Lawler offers superb and proven ways to reduce stress and avoid overwhelm so that you can achieve your dreams without busting a gut! Book a series of three 1-2-1 telephone or live sessions with Annie before March 15th 2011 and receive 3 sessions for the price of 2, saving you ££! Contact Annie on 0772 581 8884 or annie@breathingspacetherapies.com I hope this article is helpful and thanks to ‘Pete’ for sharing his story. If you have a topic you would like me to cover or ideas you would like to share, please contact me on 0772 581 8884 or annie@breathingspacetherapies.com.

Geopathic Stress from the Greek 'Geo' earth; 'Pathos' stress

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:26:28 GMT

Geopathic Stress Geopathic Stress is a naturally-occurring form of radiation. It allows unstable electromagnetic energies to rise up through the earth’s surface, houses and buildings affecting the occupants in different ways. Geopathic stress is known to weaken the body’s immune system making us more prone to illnesses or degenerative diseases. Also called sick building syndrome, black lines, radon gas and lung mai (earth meridian), geopathic stress has been found to be a common factor in most serious and long-term illnesses, psychological conditions as well as emotional disturbances. It is caused principally by an interaction of other electromagnetic fields, underground running water, concentrations of minerals, natural fault lines, underground cavities and cosmic radiation. Dr. Rolf Gordon writes: “In the case of underground water, normally 200-300 feet (60 to 90 meters) underground, an electromagnetic field is created in the opposite direction to its flow by the friction which then creates strong unhealthy vibrations. Surface water does not normally create stress.” The ‘ancients’ knew about geopathic stress: - Over 4,000 years ago Chinese shepherds watched where their sheep rested and knew they could safely build their homes there. In fact their awareness of Geopathic Stress was such that if anyone built their home over a ‘Dragon Line’ they would be punished. - Whether in the Orkneys, the Andes or any other part of the world, dowsers have found no trace of geopathic stress in the inhabited sites of tribal cultures working with earth energies. - The Vikings neutralised geopathic stress by placing Dolmens (burying mounds) in exact triangle patterns. These Dolmens attracted geopathic stress thereby neutralising the areas within the triangle. Take a close look at Dr Joseph Kopp’s illustration: See the line on which the dowser (left) is standing. Observe where the lines have impacted the land as they pass – damage to the hedge growth; tree cancer, potential road accident areas and a magnet for lightning strikes. If geopathic stress is capable of this, what might it be doing to you while you lie in bed, work in an office or cook in a stressed kitchen? You’ve probably seen tree cancer without realising what it was. Equally cracks across a road may be caused by that part of the road being over a ‘line’. Road rage, the last item in the list below is caused when drivers enter high density areas of geopathic stress and s become disturbed in some way by it. In Lithuania there are road signs warning drivers of geopathic stress areas ahead. Below is a list if the known conditions brought about by Geopathic Stress: Cancer, Chronic Fatigue, Asthma, PMS, Cot Death & Heart problems. Long-term physical & mental illnesses where present treatment does not have a beneficial impact Hyperactive children with learning difficulties Children born with defects Long-term stress in relationship/at work Miscarriage, premature birth, not able to conceive & difficult pregnancies Allergy to food & drinks Child Abuse Road Rage The images that follow serve to illustrate just how a bed in the wrong part of the bedroom can contribute to a poor health condition. The more shaded lines denote more intense geopathic stress readings. Equally accident black spots are caused exactly the same way: The driver in this case had a blackout in her car having crossed four lines of geopathic stress. The stress in these lines used up all her adrenaline causing the blackout. Thankfully the driver was ok but she was told afterwards that she’d had an epileptic fit and would have to take drugs for the rest of her life! Equally had the car not crashed, the result may have manifested as road rage. What to do next I’d estimate that about 30% of people are suffering in some way from the effects of geopathic stress, although this figure can vary regionally depending on factors such as the prevalence of underground streams. Three ways to reduce or eliminate geopathic stress: 1. Move out of the geopathically stressed area. I don’t mean sell your home and relocate in another part of the country. ‘Moving out of’ could simply mean moving your bed or desk to an unaffected part of the room. You can ask a local dowser in to show you where these lines affect your home. Moving your bed by as little as two or three feet may be all that’s needed take you out of the stressed area. 2. Screen, or neutralise the area using a wide range of crystal cones, copper instruments, towers, conical & cylindrical units. I don’t have personal experience of these and thus cannot recommend any specific product. You can go to websites such as Dulwich Health for more professional equipment such as the RadiTech. 3. A local dowser will visit your house and clear the stress either by driving metal stakes into the ground to divert the energy lines or by placing crystals at key locations to absorb it. It may take several weeks for the effects of geopathic stress to clear. Clearing geopathic stress on its own may not bring about a complete improvement in your health as you might need to take healing remedies as wellto be free of geopathic stress. These same remedies may not have been allowed to work when the geopathic stress was present. Graeme Dinnen www.resourcesforlife.net Article available at: http://resourcesforlife.outeredge-uk.com/estress.htm Recommended Reading Are You Sleeping in a Safe Place?: A great starter’s workbook to explain geopathic stress and how it can damage your health. You’ll also learn how to locate it in your own home or office and then help your friends and family do the same. With thanks to Roy Riggs, Geo-Biologist and Dr Rolf Gordon, Dulwich Health

International Women's Day - What are we celebrating?

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:55:18 GMT

We humans love a celebration, a cause we can get behind and rally for, an excuse to get together in a meaningful way. It's been going on for thousands of years. The calendar is peppered with "Days" - Valentines, Christmas, Mother's, Father's. Do we know what we're celebrating? Does it matter? March 8th 2011 is the centenary of International Women's Day (IWD). It began in 1911after a Copenhagen conference of working women from over 100 countries, decided unanimously to support a motion to establish an international day for women. This day would celebrate the achievements of women and press for their demands - equality of rights, pay and freedom. It's a national holiday in China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria. Interestingly, there is also an International Men's Day, which began in 1999. We have equality in 'days'! Nice. What is equality? IWD has made it to 100, but what's it all about now? What are we focused on? Equality in pay and civil rights is laudable and there are still many parts of the world where women live without them. We have a unanimous belief that all humans must be treated equally under the law. But what if our system of measuring equality is fundamentally flawed? The feminists (including my mother) fought for equal pay and equal rights when I was a child. I distinctly remember my mother's passionate speeches at the dinner table regarding a woman's right to education and the political arena, our right to have children and a career. It sounded great to me - have everything! Patriarchal Equality The equality that we have actually acquired (in Western democracies at least), is equality with the masculine - a right to be treated the same way as men in a masculine, action-oriented, rational-thought dominated world, where the attributes of the feminine are dismissed and suppressed. Economics, capitalism, politics, a globally competitive marketplace - there's no place for intuition, receiving and nurturing there! Make no mistake, I am very appreciative of the sterling efforts of women the world over to create and promote equality for women, but somewhere along the way we have lost something precious. The major structures of our society reject core values of the feminine as wishy-washy, unrealistic and irrational. Treatises could be written (and probably have been) on why this is so, but you'd be reading this for days if I included them, and in the long run, WHY isn't important. True Celebration of Women Imagine if we used IWD, not to push for what we see as deficient in the world, not to measure women with what men do/have/are, but to celebrate what we LOVE about the feminine: softness, nurturing, great strength and tenacity of spirit, beauty, multi-functional awareness, compassion, life-giving, mothering, intuition, receptivity, gentleness, passion and love. If everyone connected with what they love about the feminine on IWD, imagine the respect that would be afforded to women the world over, the admiration and the celebration of the feminine in our lives. In honouring the feminine, we all (male and female) honour those qualities in ourselves. Respect and true equality (where the qualities of both masculine and feminine are afforded equal importance) naturally follow. So on March 8th, luxuriate in what you love about women, celebrate it, honour the women in your life and the feminine in yourself. © 2011 Pollyanna Darling

Never Give up on Your Vision or Dream

Sat, 26 Feb 2011 15:47:56 GMT

Never give up on your Vision or Dream Health and Wellbeing has been a passion of mine from a very early age and I have always had my head stuck in a book and learning what I can about the body and mind. Listening to other people’s feedback, studying and networking really do help you to develop in the business world. You cannot become successful by yourself and it takes a lot of time, determination and team work. It also requires putting in the hours, switching off the TV and taking your time to do your research. It helps if you love what you do and want to share your passion and enthusiasm with others. After over twenty years in social care I have been teaching exercise to the elderly and then went on to teach people with physical disabilities. I have learned so much over the years about how people become disabled and also about people’s determination to stay well. Thomas Power (Ecademy) stated that it takes over ten thousand hours to become an expert in your trade and I feel this is very true. Even with doing well over ten thousand hours to learn my trade, I still feel like a beginner as there is always so much more to learn. This is my experience in a nutshell of why people can become sick and what people can do to help themselves to become fitter without too much time and money. Many of the people who have become disabled were just like you or I in their younger years and thought that they would be invisible. Lots of partying, drink, fags, drugs, bad food, lack of sleep and loads of fun. Then in their thirties and forties the health niggles start. A bit of weight starts to creep on, you start getting the odd ache and pain. You get busy with family life, studying and maybe looking after elderly relatives. Life can get very stressful and you often start to neglect your own health and wellbeing. This can contribute to heart disease, strokes, Diabetes, high blood pressure and joint problems. All of these diseases ate often preventable with small life style changes and it is important to get into good habit early on. This is why I have been working very hard over the past few years to condense my knowledge and experience to help you to achieve good health by devising a DVD that can help you to maintain those early aches and pains and help to keep you well. We may be living longer, but we are living in more pain with more disability than ever. You can live much longer, with less pain and disability if you take small steps to looking after yourself. The older generation are much fitter that the younger generation, through my own experience and most of the elderly people who I looked after years ago are still going strong. People getting a disability are now getting disabled a lot earlier. Some are as young as late thirties and early forties. The older generation where much more active, many did not have a car and had to cook from scratch. We now have everything at our fingertips and can do everything from our living room by the touch of a button. My DVD can be ordered from the touch of a button from your sofa and then you can have it delivered in a couple of days and then you can do the exercises sat on your sofa in the comfort of your own home. No gym fees, no fancy equipment and the money you save on gym fees can go onto small treats when you see result. What started off as exercises for disabled people then got tried and tested on a few of my friends and they really liked it and said it helped them to feel better. We all think it is never going to happen to us, so take some action and take the steps to keep yourself fit and active whilst you are still able to. It is too late for a lot of my disabled clients as many of them cannot walk now and rely on a wheel chair or mobility aid to get them about. This has not stopped them exercising though and they many of my clients have been coming to me for the past fifteen years and the exercises have kept them going. They have had less aches and pains and have fun in the process. Without the support of great friends and a fantastic network, my first product would never have been created. I had this vision for such a long time and after lots of hard work and lots of fun, I am now ready to market my first product. My advice is to keep going, if you fail then pick yourself up and start again. I am dyslexic and it took me several attempts on each exam before I passed and never let it stop me reaching my goal. If I can do it then you can also do it. I am now on Maternity leave and will let you know when baby arrives, so goodbye for now and stay well.

Conscious Education Project

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 04:07:49 GMT

Dear Friends, As you might know after finishing my Cancer treatments I received a wonderful new opportunity working as the Manager at Daly Creek Equestrian Center. The facility is nothing less than spectacular. Set on 40 acres, 20 minutes from lake Tahoe, the facility boasts an indoor barn, three riding arenas (indoor, dressage and jumping), as well as many turnouts and pastures. It also includes a 4,500 square foot main residence and a caretaker’s residence. I have been working here for 4 months now and I believe I have a grasp on what the future of this place should look like. When I was hired the owner asked me to try to save the place from the past seven years of poor management, deferred maintenance, and lack of programming. I have since been working to catch up with this reality, and I have to say the place has improved substantially – so much so that some of the old boarders who left years ago have returned. That said, the facility still bears the scars of seven years of abandonment and needs a concerted, committed effort to bring it to its full potential. An equestrian center like Daly Creek is a rare commodity in Nevada. During the past several months, however, it has become obvious that it is not a profitable business based on boarding alone. It will take new ideas, an excellent staff, consistent programming and other sources, for Daly Creek to become a self-sustained facility. The vision for Daly Creek Equestrian Center is to create an equestrian training facility offering: High Quality Boarding Facilities: Including a variety of price points and boarding options to meet the different needs of horse owners. Hunter Jumper Training: Whether just starting out or an advance rider, children and adults interested in the hunter jumper disciplines can study under Madchen Giesler, of Rock a Bye Ranch, in a safe and positive environment. Dressage Training: With Jocelyn Hamann of JH Dressage Training the goal is to always encourage an inviting atmosphere for both horse and rider. Riders interested in dressage can study with Jocelyn at Daly Creek. Cross Country Training Trail System: The only cross country trail system in the greater Reno/Tahoe area. This is a trail system with natural jumps (logs). Riding School: The Daly Creek Riding School offers lessons for beginners, providing an environment to develop basic horsemanship and riding skills. Summer Camps: Offers schooling for young kids (8 years old and up) with riding lessons (hunter-jumper, dressage and Polo), and educational experiences around the ranch. Organic Farming: The greenhouse and organic garden provide an educational outlet and food for the ranch and its guests. Alternative Energy Resources: Utilize solar and wind power to support ranch operations and provide an educational component for camps and clinics. Recycling of By-product: Horse manure and worm castings will be composted and used within the ranch and sold as compost. Workshops and clinics: Educational clinics with veterinarians, farriers, horse trainers, and alternative healers and equine assisted therapy with particular emphasis on cancer survivors. Our first workshop is cheduled for March 26th (geared specifically for women who want to gain more leadership and confidence). Trail Riding: A trail system will provide members the opportunity to trail ride without having to trailer their horses outside the facility, and young riders don’t have to leave the premises. I will create a non-profit organization that will focus on securing the financial support to develop and implement the programs for Daly Creek Equestrian Center, creating a facility that promotes equestrian education and therapies for the community by sharing a healing wisdom and leave a legacy that will continue to help out our friends, families and neighbors. A business plan is being drafted, and we have projected financials for consideration. If you have any interest please call oe email me, I would love to tell you more about Daly Creek and this new vision. Yours truly, Pam Warman Manager Daly Creek Equestrian Center www.DalyCreekEquestrian.com Daly Creek Equestrian Center office phone (775)-783-1188 and fax