http://journals.copperstrings.com/RSSFeed.aspxJournals for latest postsAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/http://journals.copperstrings.com/Images/logo.gifhttp://journals.copperstrings.com/RSSFeed.aspxSoulSoilSocietyTue, 16 Mar 2010 20:59:54 GMTYou're invited to attend the NEW '14 Secrets of Stress-Free Living' Live Workshop If you experience periods of feeling overwhelmed and unhappy with life, find it difficult to switch off and let go and find yourself wondering at times what you have to do to get back in control, then you mustn't miss out on this enlightening and entertaining day packed with information and techniques which empower you to rewrite the script of your life ! In this life-changing Interactive Workshop, renowned Stress Management Specialist & Soul2Soul Coach, Annie Lawler shares with you proven techniques & strategies that really work and set you on the route to a much calmer, happier & fulfilled life.    I am really looking forward to sharing with you live, these top secrets of stress-free living because they've worked for me and for many of my clients in private practice.  They can work for you too!  For more detailed information or to register for the event, click on the link at the base of this page. If you have any queries about whether this event is right for you, if you have any questions about registering or you want more detailed information, please feel free to call Annie Lawler on 0772 581 8884 or email me on annie@breathingspacetherapies.com.  Thanks so much for your continued interest in Breathing Space and I look forward to seeing you on 12th April!   With love  Annie Lawler Breathing Space Therapiesannie@breathingspacetherapies.com  0772 581 8884 Register or get further info by using this link or copying and pasting it into your internet browser. http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e2sfqlfv2bcf22a1http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=14_Secrets_to_Stress-Free_Living&ArticleID=2921http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=14_Secrets_to_Stress-Free_Living&ArticleID=2921#commentsMon, 15 Mar 2010 18:07:28 GMTWhen I read Alma Devi's Journal this morning called One Day at a Time, I knew what I wanted to write about today. In her journal she talks about doubt and fear and gives such an excellent insight on what those culprits look like and how they seemingly keep us safe. This was so easy to relate to for me as I am certain it will be for all who read it. After all, we have all known these 'safety mechanisms' for a long time. They are part of the human existence. In fact doubt and fear are not only something we share with each other, but they are seemingly caused by each other. No, I am not blaming my doubts and fears on you. Would I do that? Please trust me for a moment and stay with me... What I am saying is that my doubts and fears are based on my want or need of approval from you. I am afraid to do something because I think you might not approve or you might not like me. I doubt myself because I think I may not be good enough for your approval. I also have fear and self-doubt because I think you might be better than  me. Sometimes I have them because I think I am better than you but I see you growing, and I think you might outgrow me, so I feel threatened. Can you relate? When I am motivated by my doubts and fears, I take action, but this action does not represent the real me. It is instead nothing more than a stage play. I act in whatever way I think is necessary to gain the approval that I need, and sadly after doing this for a long while, I become an impostor in my own life and I eventually forget who I really am. I stand by helplessly as my actions become completely ineffective because I am striving so hard to obtain this approval that I think will bring me happiness, but it never does. This scares me even more and makes me doubt myself even more than I did before. I feel confused and lost, and I am in fact a bit lost--at least the REAL me is. Have you ever been here? I definitely have and on more than one occasion. And sometimes when we get here, we decide to blame our fellow human beings for our situation. After all, they are the ones who make it so hard to gain approval or to fit in. It feels like they are against us, always judging us. We feel alone. However, this is not the truth. The truth is that we are all in this together! WE are all human beings of equal value and significance. Each one of us has a unique contribution to make that we all may benefit from each other. Our relationship with humanity is not a contest. We are all on the same team. The goal is not to find approval with each other. The goal is to show up, to be our best, and to contribute in our own significant way, so that ALL may benefit. So, how do we get rid of this doubt and fear that 'keep us safe' from our true selves and from finding happiness and fulfillment? Going back to Alma's journal, a wise man named Abhijit Banerjee answered this question with this comment: "...if our effort is not purely personal growth but growth of the entire humanity, it can be achieved by action alone. Doubt, fear and confusion can be minimized by action which is not self-motivated. As long as we place ourselves first, they will continue to trouble us." Taking ACTION for the growth of humanity instead of to gain approval is the answer! As I learn to stop acting the way I think I should be acting and instead just take action on serving humanity, I find freedom from doubt and fear! I find a new courage and inspiration that I never knew before as I measure my success by how much I help others. I find my REAL self as I discover what talents and gifts I have to contribute and share for the good of all. My confidence and happiness grow as I am able to live an authentic life AND help my fellow human beings simultaneously. I see now that acting in a way that does not represent me serves nobody (including me) and is not effective, but taking action on the desire to improve the lives of all is very powerful both for humanity and for me! The best part of all of this is that the approval I once sought after usually comes when I stop seeking it and instead seek to serve. Yet, it is now just icing on the cake and a way to motivate others to stop acting and take action as well! Love to you all, Linda www.powerinwe.orghttp://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=How_to_Stop_Acting_and_Take_Action!&ArticleID=2920http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=How_to_Stop_Acting_and_Take_Action!&ArticleID=2920#commentsMon, 15 Mar 2010 09:47:49 GMTHave you ever ended up in a situation that you could not explain? I once stayed in a village with a Thai hill-tribe. A random trip had led us to a most unfamiliar place. We had been given three letters by a waiter in Bangkok's Koh San Road and told to visit his family in the hills of Chiang Mai, in North Thailand. It was certainly a high-risk strategy. One letter was for the taxi driver, one for the first person that we met in the village and the third was for the man's brother. We had no idea what any of the letters said. Indeed, they could have said anything and we were none the wiser. The sensible thing would have been to get them translated but sensible was not on our agenda back then. On our trip to the tribe our taxi driver agreed a price and drove us into the middle of nowhere before pulling over and demanding more money. He wanted what was about £1 each extra from each of us. My friend Brian, who I was travelling with, refused to pay on principle. I watched him jump off the taxi with his backpack and insist that I did the same. Had the taxi driver called our bluff and driven off it is fair to say that our friendship would have been tested to the limit. After all, we had just driven for over an hour seeing nothing but empty fields. Fortunately, he did not! Upon dropping us off in this strange village he did not stay around long enough for us to find out if we were in the right place. He just drove off, leaving us to be inspected by about twenty curious hill-tribe children. I handed a letter to one of them and he ran off, leaving us to be looked at and talked about by the others. It was a strange and apprehensive few minutes as we wondered whether the boy would return. Meanwhile, we were being scrutinised by the remaining children. They stared, pointed and laughed as we stood nervously wondering what we had got ourselves into. Eventually, the child who took our letter returned with a man.  This man was the only local who spoke any English and it wasn't much. I spoke even less Thai. Our communications were ambiguous, yet friendly, and we were shown to our accommodation – the balcony of a hut. Fortunately, I had a sleeping bag and mosquito net with me. On my first evening I was treated with great respect by the locals and had a wonderful interaction with one individual. He kept saying "you stay me" as I smiled and nodded politely saying "maybe, not sure." He simultaneously offered me his flip-flops as we trudged through the mud as he showed me the way to the local lavatory – not the nicest place I've ever been to by a long shot. Such a kind gesture was most welcoming to me, who had dispensed with my own shoes to fit in with local etiquette. I could not have known that this intervention would lead to this seemingly hospitable chap pursuing his brother and my host with a machete just two hours later. I have been given advice all of my life by well-meaning individuals who all wanted the best for me. However, not all advice has been gratefully accepted and it was certainly never asked for. Such pearls of wisdom included the importance of getting a good job, a good pension, a good home and ample security for the future. Interestingly, I noticed one thing in common from those who were giving these insights – they were so busy planning for the future that they had failed to appreciate the present. A mundane life of accumulation for the future had, apparently, dulled the senses and zest for life. One gift that years of nursing gave me was the realisation that all life is impermanent and unpredictable. Death will come to all of us one day. To know it is one thing – to see and feel it is another. The amount of bad news that I have had to break to people over the years is one of the toughest tasks in the world, especially when I had to inform mothers that their children were dead. I decided many years ago that while my heart kept beating I would live life to the full. Accumulation of material wealth was my lowest priority as I strapped on my backpack and headed to the airport to visit a far-flung destination on my next adventure. The slow death of worrying about the future that ensnares some people is the worst way to go Occasionally life serves up some challenging situations that we don't always understand straight away. The difference between those who thrive and those who don't is down to the desire to be happy and the desire to take action towards it. Eighteen months ago I went through a test of congruence that was so great that it made me question the essence of who I am and what was truly important in my life.  After letting my pin number expire and leaving nursing for good, I dived head-first into my new role as a Walk Innovator. I organised walkshops and ploughed all of my money into getting them up and running. Three months later I found that an oversight in my marketing strategy and time management had left me with a five-figure debt and just one client.  Simultaneously, I experienced acute cardiac pain, a relationship split and a family crisis. It is fair to say that my model of reality was shaken to the core during this process.  I hit a low point that went beyond anything that had ever happened to me before. As far as low points go – this was a landmark for the usually laid-back, easy-going, passion-for-life chap that I have been for most of my life. Knowing that I needed to pay attention to the symptoms that I had manifested was a humbling place to be for someone who has made a career of identifying such symptoms in others and handing out advice. If ever I was going to listen to my own advice – it was after my episode of angina. The acute pain that this caused could only mean one thing – something was very wrong. I felt very low and questioned my entire existence during this period. I also found that I had become numb and emotionless to pain. In one sense this was quite liberating for me as it gave me the tools to listen, without judgement or the need to say anything. The usual triggers that would have sent me into an emotional frenzy had been collapsed. It was as though my ego had taken a few days off. I can also honestly say that if someone had pointed a loaded gun to my head at that point I may even have encouraged them to pull the trigger. In this place of emptiness and numbness I meditated to find the answer to my issues and came to some very interesting revelations. I had, inadvertently unlocked some family patterns and secrets that I may not have ever have found out about otherwise. This led to a sense of liberation. I also truly realised how I only saw in others how I felt about myself. The integration of this knowledge has been a wonderful thing. It is also an on-going learning. Consequently, I realised that forgiving others was the key to forgiving myself. By seeing the beauty in everyone else I could accept myself. This led to several profound chats with family and friends and a new appreciation of life. Life will always be challenging – it is your response to the challenges that dictate the quality of your life.  By looking for positive traits in others I will appreciate positive traits in myself. Moving along the path to owning this lesson has been one of the most challenging and rewarding tasks in my life. As one brother pursued the other with that machete they headed towards me. I sat, trusted and watched the armed assailant step within inches of my position. I had no idea what was going on, I was miles from the nearest phone and there was no taxi, bus or other way out of that place that didn't involve days of walking. Women were crying men were looking to calm the man down and madness unfolded around me. When faced with that situation I realised that unexpected things happen. Some cannot be explained. These are life's tests and how we react will teach us more about who we really are. I found out that day that I am calm in a crisis. I always had been in the wards of the NHS but this was something completely different. Knowing that there is much that I don't know is a wonderful fact to acknowledge. What I do know is that by stepping outside of my comfort zone I will continually grow and surprise myself.http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Chest_Pain%2c_Comfort_Zones_and_an_Angry_Man_Wielding_a_Machete&ArticleID=2919http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Chest_Pain%2c_Comfort_Zones_and_an_Angry_Man_Wielding_a_Machete&ArticleID=2919#commentsSun, 14 Mar 2010 04:48:06 GMTToday is Sunday, this I know only because the calendar in the kitchen says so.  This is my first journal and I am nervous and want to make sense of what I need to say.  So Alma, ask yourself again what do you do now?. What good is personal growth, when I forget what to do and when to do it? And as for going to sleep - what is that?  After 30 years of meditation and self development, I am as un sure again as when I began my journey, maybe moreso.  And seemingly without the benefits of living with calm, peace, happiness, direction, and purpose. Instead, I now have  extra baggage, I recognise it as doubt or rather self doubt, this is a very small, yet  powerful energy that has moved into my house, unpacked it's bags and has made itself at home, coming and going on it's own whim. A real take-over merchant. Doubt, is wire thin, with worried eyes, he never feels that he has been given all the facts or that he truly knows the depth of my ability to act. Or anyone else's for that. Unfortunately, I do not have dibs on doubt, he is multicultural and has seemingly impeccable access to all situations.  Doubt is merciless. Inciting no action to remain 'safe' and believes that his brother fear would approve of his constant guardedness. You might well ask just how did I, after so much application of my development over the years has allowed myself to be so consumed? Heart attacks.  Stents  put in place to keep veins open enough to allow blood flow, more tablets to take than I have ever had at any given time in my medicine cabinet. Yet the most insidious has been encouragement to fuel the  doubt and fear, for me 'to be careful at all times, to expect loss of memory and direction as the norm"  To join a Bigo club and accept transport to and from the club, seems to be the going price for avoidence of isolation. To sit in a room full of people smoking and be pleased that someone will take me home afterwards, sicker than I had arrived and bring me again to 'play' in a place that I would never have come before the heart attacks.  Not because I do not like to 'play' in life but I am a reformed smoker (12yrs to 29 yrs ) And I am not keen on having to shower and wash my hair and then my clothers because I cannot stand the reek of myself.  It is better to stay at home and walk the dogs, acknowlaging whoever crosses my path there or back. So much for community help via the local council. Worse is for me  to no longer aspire for something better - yes - I did  aspire for awhile and as I put forth my ideas to assist others  in situations like myself in setting up gardens in our own backyards that are safe to move around in, so we can grow organic veg and herbs for ourselves,was one idea.  And  once people came to assist you with your set up, you repayed the favor in going to others to  do  the same. Win win on all counts.  Yet, I was told again and again that it was an impossable situation, as there was no way that plan could be set up as 'insurace companies would have a field day' - something to do with walking on others people's property, and as for garden set ups, well there was no money to assist a minority group like myself... a minority group?? -  Clean food a minority idea? again,  yes I know that it is still up to me. Having looked to the local groups in the state, I have discovered they are willing their time to 'sitting meditations' and influencing government through 'intent'. Now that is all good and well, however  I believe that there needs to be physical actions to back the energy up.  So I am reduced at the moment to being what I term a one wheeled bike and meditating and intending, but in looking out my back door I see only weeds, watertanks and disrepair. I know that in the big sceme of things, I am not alone, I know that I am not in the minority in my beliefs and interests, yet for the moment I am alone, and do not like it, yes another challenge to be sure, and knowing myself, I will find a way.  Possibly it will come via these pages, so if there is anyone who has ideas that may assist me to 'make the changes' - people who have experienced similar,  please drop me a line and I will as much as I can take it on board. Especially for those who may have found a way of moving out those 'energetic tennents ' like doubt fear and confusion - your contact will be most welcom. For now, to have written this has to be enough, it is far more than I have attempted for the past year, so that is a good thing. I do believe in people being a community, I guess for the moment it is my challenge to experience seperation from the whole.  And so this too will pass.  Change is the  most constant  thing available free, so in saying that I too, look forward to the next lot of change on its way. I'd like to end today's journal with a quote that keeps me going, mind you I do not always succeed to carry it out, again human frailty I guess on my behalf? 'Nobody is defeated until they start blaming someone else.'http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=One_day_at_a_time&ArticleID=2918http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=One_day_at_a_time&ArticleID=2918#commentsMon, 08 Mar 2010 07:16:07 GMTMy new website : www.soalsource.com is now www.nuorganicsnow.com www.soalsource.org and .net... are working but org has to do with the organic brain issues and net deals with the organics of growing , using , recipes of all organically grown items. This talks about exactly what it states in the website name.. where as soalsource .. you had to read to see it was about organics.  My journal entry today is about communication.  Whether we are speaking to a group or our spouse ... our communication skills can be very beneficial.  There are several books but one I refer to in my groups is written by John Gottman along with other authors.  A past professor at U of Illinois Urbana.. this author shows and expresses along with activities the how to's so to speak about the best ways we can truly listen, truly be in a conversation where the person feels validated and that you show through you attention, eye contact, and by asking questions... that you are really communicating.  My website name now reflects my communication more clearly and the searches for my websites are getting a great deal of movement and talks. I recently have been able to use top of the line new technology to assist people with their brain and how it works.  How do athletes stay in the zone? It can actually taught through a series of biofeedback session where one learns how to auto control his Alpha brain waves.  On my site, www.soalsource.org, there are many uses for this new technology that is an EEG application and brain/computer link to your exact movements and use of all four stages of brain waves.  Use of PET scans etc. ... well the applications are endless. This can be used to assist you with relaxing and realizing when you need to calm down and go through the exercises of control to get your brain working in Alpha and not at the high anxiety we see when we are stressed.  The computer allows all sorts of ways depending on the biofeedback software used.. but when you can sink the basketball with your Alpha brain waves... and you actually train yourself to the point you can almost get into the zone/Alpha state to let you perform your best.http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=changing_website_name_and_doing_editing_can_be_very_illuminating..&ArticleID=2912http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=changing_website_name_and_doing_editing_can_be_very_illuminating..&ArticleID=2912#commentsMon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:02 GMTHaving a Sense of Mission With no bookings from clients I was determined to continue working on my new website. So I was sitting in my office, the windows and doors open, my loyal dog never too far away. She is a doberman (well, dober-woman, really) and well into her 11th year of age. Recently she had started to grow grey hair and I noticed that she started showing more and more grey hair in her face and she also sleeps more. Typical doberman though, she would still run for hours after a tennis ball or frisby ... or rather drop before giving up. The last few days had been quiet for her, because I didn't take her out for the usual long walks. So she had been snoozing and sleeping in her favourite spots around the house most of the time. The last few days I had noticed a little mouse coming to the door of my verandah; since I was sitting close to the door with my laptop it hadn't quite made it inside yet. This was to change this morning... all I heard was my dog leaping up, sniffing each corner, removing books from the bottom shelf, begging me to move the piano and for hours and hours standing with one paw 'pointing'. A sense of mission, just like it is for a doberman pinscher to be pinching mise/rats on farms (that's their original purpose) is what we humans also have. There is not one mission or purpose that serves all, of course. Instead we all have it and it is what gets us out of bed each morning, what makes us work longer hours, what we would literally pay for to be allowed to do it, what makes our heart beat faster and want us to reach out and embrace others. It is in all of us . . . sometimes we just need to leave the door open for a little mouse to appear to remind us of it. Love & light Barbara 12:57:28http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Your_Mission&ArticleID=2911http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Your_Mission&ArticleID=2911#commentsSun, 07 Mar 2010 23:12:30 GMTThe symptoms of pre-menstrual tension (PMT) are something that most men have to endure once and a while or maybe every month!    For some we think we understand the complexity behind this perfectly natural process of a woman’s menstrual cycle but if you are at the receiving end of the emotional upset or want to help relieve the tension then read on!   For most we take these monthly moments in our stride, the facts are that women who suffer from PMT have a whole host of symptoms ranging from hot flushes, tiredness, emotional upset, tearfulness and irregular behaviour to name a few.   As a man I can only guess what is going on inside a woman’s body but from my research there are many changes in the body that occur during this cycle. Medical terminology and diagnostics will tell you why, how, what and maybe when but not how you deal with being on the receiving end!   I have experienced extreme symptoms of PMT and made in-depth researches on easing the symptoms. I felt that after being made to feel I had done something wrong and was on the receiving end of highly emotional conflict for no apparent reason I decided to address these issues.   I had to make life easier for me and to ease the strain it placed upon the relationship as well as the stress my partner was experiencing. I simplified the solution that appeared to work and avoided all those expensive potions and trips to the Dr/clinic for HRT (hormone replacement therapy) etc. Hormone imbalance was the main cause as far as I was led to believe, after all who was I to argue, as it paid to keep quiet at certain times of the month!   So we (my now ex partner) purchased some evening primrose oil tablets, both hoping for results.  This may have had a placebo affect as the first few months were better, not perfect but better. It soon became apparent that this was not an easy task; PMT was not that simple to understand or relieve.  We had discussed this at great length and had come to an agreement to work together to ease the problem. After using my own knowledge of herbal supplements and having a previous relationship end with my lack of understanding as I was driven out by the stress it caused I decided to compile a program with my partner.  She was more than happy to receive any assistance to relieve the tension and was open minded on what was to develop.  I purchased good quality starflower tablets and these were taken 5 days before the menstrual cycle began (a chart was used).  I also suggested that more water/liquid was to be drunk during this time and to avoid excessive use of alcohol that could lead to enhance the situation or emotion etc. Multi-vitamins with iron were also purchase to provide a good supplement during the period. The use of St John’s Wort was a real boost for happier emotions and dealing with the stress, it was uplifting, it did make my partner have a cheerful disposition during the run-up to the period. Finally a little TLC from both of us was the icing on the cake as we both realised that self awareness was also able to ease the situation.   This worked and we were amazed at the relief of the issues that were causing unnecessary problems due to PMT.  The program was a success and additional remedies were used to enhance further, these included Bach flower remedies which are amazing in their own right (see my journal on Well-being top 10).   The moral of the story is HRT is great for PMT! Try natural remedies before you attend any clinics.http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=PMT%3a_A_man%e2%80%99s_point_of_view&ArticleID=2910http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=PMT%3a_A_man%e2%80%99s_point_of_view&ArticleID=2910#commentsSun, 07 Mar 2010 19:11:45 GMTAs written & featured on: http://www.sharnanigans.com The Generation of Fabulous Females by Alice Grist, author of The High Heeled Guide to Enlightenment I’m going to be a little bit controversial and claim here and now that feminism, in some respects, has thus far failed (a little bit). Yes women can wear trousers without issue, give or take problems with zips versus buttons and the ever changing and confusing fashion statements made by bootleg, straight cut and flared options. Yes us gals can vote and get jobs and generally walk the streets unharrassed… generally. But in a twisted deal with the devil, to attain this, and to add feminine gloriousness to the workforce, I believe that we have paid an unfortunate price. The cost of being a fabulous female in the 21st century is threefold and goes as follows: First, we have become super-equal. Meaning that to feel successful, not only must we equal men, but we must retain all our feminine aspects too. We desperately believe we deserve everything, and many of us suffer under the weight of trying to juggle children, partners, social lives, gym schedules, housework and careers. Second, women are sexualized to the hilt and I defy you not to open a magazine or pass a set of billboards without being visually assaulted by female flesh, legs, lips and hips. Leading to many young women haphazardly experimenting with anything from new lipstick to botox to anorexia in a bid to fit the convention. Thirdly, we have bought into the culture of buying. Handbag over fist we flaunt our newfound earning power to the extent that shopping has become key to our goals in life. We all want to have it bigger and better. Life has become one big exchange program and rather than work at our inner happiness we employ a swap shop technique. The car isn’t flash enough, get a new one, the boyfriend isn’t how the magazines say he should be, get a new one, nose is a bit crooked, get a new one, and so it goes on. Warning: being a fabulous female can be hazardous to the mental health. Something is clearly missing from our lives. Our souls are subject to a whopping great black hole that sucks up new shoes and handbags as though the plentitude of them will somehow make us complete. The consumer culture we live in has forced us to look outside ourselves for happiness. In doing so we have almost forgotten who we are on the inside. We no longer know ourselves as individuals, rather we are a compilation of fashions, occupation, marital status, dress size and confusion. We suffer badly under the belief that the, ‘grass is greener’, ‘life will be better when…’ and the misguided thought that it is everybody else who is the problem and never us. Our aspirations are prescribed by an overreaching perfection obsessed society, and our little sisters grow up wishing to be WAGS! We skulk in corners, pouting at waiters supping our cocktails, applying our lip-gloss and pretending that we aren’t as dark as we actually feel on the inside. I know because I have been there. At the age of 28, I was having a mini mid life crisis. From the outside I was well groomed and shiny, on the inside I was empty. My life was whirling around me, seemingly out of control, and yet I smiled and glowed and basked in the company of friends, all the while blaming everything and everyone else in my life for my misery. Full of desperation I had to do something to get myself out of this ever worsening rut. Luckily I had been brought up spiritually, and spiritual beliefs were familiar to me. However I had let them go to worship at the altar of weekend boozing and boob enhancing brassieres. It was fun for a few years, but living for the weekend had taken its toll, and I was a shell of my former self. It was in this fog that I found myself embracing reiki and reading about alternative faiths. I was soon hooked and alternative spirituality quickly became my self-help, my savior and my heaven sent liberator. Far more than spending power, or even my first car, alternative spirituality was empowering. It brought me back to life. My book The High Heeled Guide to Enlightenment (THHGTE) charts my journeys into alternative spirituality and shows how ancient wisdom, healing and divination techniques are relevant to the life of modern females. I believe that in women’s search for equality we have piled far too much on our plates in the belief that being equal means suffering anxiety related fatigue between trips to the spa! We are missing something of our essential higher self but THHGTE shows that this can be replaced. Women must realise that to be utterly fabulous we have to go beyond skin deep. Our intentions, thoughts, self-belief and actions towards others, are the true key to our fabulousness. But this isn’t just about brains versus beauty, it’s about soul and heart and depth and belief and love. Finding our lost spirit and soul is key to this transformation. I believe that us ladies feel spirituality in our bones, but until now our bones have been too busy down the gym to give it a second thought! THHGTE aims to capture the spiritual imagination and inclination of a new generation and help set them off on a journey of rediscovery. From my experience I would recommend a pick and mix approach to alternative spirituality. I don’t see the harm in picking elements of alternative spirituality that suit your soul and soothe your mind. If all you can manage is to stick a crystal in your handbag and mentally request the angels to protect you at an important meeting then so be it. If your spiritual inclination extends only to reading about reincarnation and chatting with girlfriends over cocktails about intriguing coincidences that have happened to you, and what they might mean in the bigger scheme of things, then go for it, it could be the small beginnings of a new way of life! The examples of benefits for the modern woman are endless, but some examples are as follows. Buddhism can help to show her how to quell her lusts and desires for bigger, better material objects such as cars, handbags or sofas. Buddha’s teachings teach her how to live happily in her own skin without the need to bitch and moan her way through the day. Wiccan practice can naturalize sexual relations, without her having to don fluffy ears, breathy voice and a bunny tail every time she enters the bedroom. Making sex sexy in a truly equal way. Shamanism helps her to see the bigger picture and to incorporate her innate love for nature and the environment. Whilst Kabbalah has some darned good advice on ways to behave that minimize the darker influences on her soul. Divination and healing techniques add intrigue and calm to an otherwise busy life, and help to show that there is life beyond the conventions of modern science and time, as we perceive it. Spirituality of all kinds can have a massive life enhancing effect. It comes packed with more lifestyle tips than Vogue and clears more mental clutter than a short course of counseling! Life takes on very different meanings when seen through spiritual eyes, and a level of happiness can be attained that you would struggle to achieve in any other way in western society. Alternative beliefs and practices introduced me to a whole new world that exists around us and deep inside of us all, it offers us wisdom, peace, serenity and self-knowledge. I know of nothing that the global market place can sell to me that is close to the bliss and peace I have felt though my own spiritual explorations. Spirituality for a fabulous modern female is a tool kit of wondrousness. It gives and it gives and it gives. I believe that spirituality can pick up the reigns and help push women’s equality through to the next level of social, spiritual and personal development, otherwise known as Enlightenment! Embracing our soul’s need for comfort and unconditional love is the best place to start, and something that I believe Women will be naturals at! So let us embrace our naturally spiritual tendencies, put out the recycling and explore our spiritual nature. My top tip for a better world - give the overdraft a break and make yourself fabulous from the inside - starting with your very soul! The High Heeled Guide to Enlightenment is available now published by O-Books. Alice’s website: www.alicegrist.co.uk & www.highheeledenlightenment.ning.comhttp://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=The_Generation_of_Fabulous_Females_-_Women_and_Spirituality&ArticleID=2908http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=The_Generation_of_Fabulous_Females_-_Women_and_Spirituality&ArticleID=2908#commentsWed, 03 Mar 2010 00:23:46 GMTA couple of weeks ago I was writing to a client to help her appreciate the struggle she was experiencing and to encourage her to keep going.  I was also urging her to keep feeling all the emotions she was having, to not suppress them.  I spent many years trying to "stay positive" and "keep going" which also meant stuffing my feelings.  I now realize that embracing my emotions was a very important thing for me, and when I learned to do it, I no longer felt like a steam kettle about to blow.  Instead, I felt more balanced, living with the emotions but not letting them run my life.  Here are some of the things I wrote to her: "Understanding another way to look at the situation doesn't preclude allowing yourself to feel all that you are feeling. I don't want to see you stuff those feelings, as I imagine that contributes as much to weight gain, headaches, pain and other forms of misery as any other thing we do as humans. So I encourage you to keep feeling everything--stay with this.  It looks to me as if you are inside a cocoon, trying to break through the chrysalis to emerge, and the only way to do it is to fully experience the pain of emerging. You're seeing things you don't want to see. You're feeling things you don't want to feel. And I encourage you to do it anyway, as hard as it is. It is leading you somewhere--unknown to you at this time, but into another realm, a level of awareness that you can't understand about until you move into it. You say you see more positive things about yourself than others do--but to truly see ourselves means to embrace all the parts, the stuff we don't want to see that is ugly especially.  If we have a charge on a trait expressed by someone else, rest assured we are expressing that trait, but we are blind to it and we just have to find it. How are these people your mirror? I'm not even saying owning their traits will make you immediately feel better--but it is a step in moving forward and embracing the pain you are in. By owning their traits, you see that you have them too, and it helps you stop having unrealistic expectations of others to somehow not be human also.  When we see others as human, we can start appreciating our own humanity. As you slowly start to get more 'in your own skin' with all these feelings--good and bad about yourself and others--you will start to feel your butterfly shape and find your way out of the cocoon. But even that has its inherent shock--the cold air hitting the still damp form, the wings still plastered against your sides. Figuring out how to move the new form is just as challenging as staying in the old one! I see you spreading those beautiful wings and flying, dear one! But here is the cosmic joke on all of us:  we keep repeating the larva, caterpillar, cocoon, emerging process over and over throughout our lives.  So to think we've ever 'done it' and reached a point of freedom from the process is an illusion.   The fun part is that we keep showing up again with new colors and variations of the butterfly experience.  So instead of dreading it, we can look forward to seeing what we develop into next!" Isn't that what being a Life Entrepreneur is really about?http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Life_Entrepreneurs_Are_Willing_to_Walk_into_the_Unknown&ArticleID=2904http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Life_Entrepreneurs_Are_Willing_to_Walk_into_the_Unknown&ArticleID=2904#commentsMon, 01 Mar 2010 18:04:12 GMTBelieve it or not parasites are the leading cause of death in the world.,   If for any reason you think that parasites don’t affect you, consider the following: ●     If you have a family pet, you have parasites. ●  Once you ingest an adult roundworm, it will reproduce at 200,000 eggs per day ●  One cubic inch of prime grade A beef may contain up to 1,000 parasite eggs. ●   Parasites are responsible for up to 50% of mankind’s deaths since the dawn of time.  ●  Parasites mimic the symptoms of IBS, ulcers, allergies, tumours, gluten intolerance, asthma, arthritis and many more conditions. ●   Men are twice as likely as women to die of parasite-induced causes. ●   Gum disease is a reflection of inflammatory parasitic activity in the gut.  ●   People whose teeth start dying at the roots accompanying bone decay and infection in the jaw have a worm infestation. ●  There isn’t a restaurant anywhere in this world today you can trust.  You are going to ingest a certain number of parasitic cysts every day.  Just hope that your stomach acids can break them down. If they don’t, you’ll have a little zoo inside you. Natural Balance and Natural Cleanse eliminate parasites and rebuild the body’s defences to expel the parasites naturally and prevent re-infection. Drugs do not do this; drugs do not stop parasites coming back. Parasites are unquestionably the most overlooked health issue in the world today.  They are Masters of Deception and one of the world’s most successful organisms. They cause physical trauma to the body by perforating major organs, blocking organ functions, stealing vital nutrients, dumping toxic wastes and destroying cells faster than they can be regenerated.  What most people don’t know is that they can also cause psychological symptoms such as nightmares, depression with suicidal tendencies, irritability and mood swings, spacey feelings, personality changes, insomnia, hyperactivity and short attention spans.  It’s not a question of “Do I have parasites?” It’s a question of how many! We are already well into a health crisis.  We cannot comprehend the size of the problem because we can’t see it.   Through lack of training it’s unlikely your GP will know anything about parasites.  It’s time to find out for yourself. To find about more about parasites and how they are affective your family click on the link below: Parasites Graeme Dinnen www.resourcesforlife.nethttp://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Parasites%3a_Masters_of_Deception&ArticleID=2901http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Parasites%3a_Masters_of_Deception&ArticleID=2901#commentsSun, 28 Feb 2010 00:39:32 GMTBeing one of the most common complaints in modern life, Stress has references in different cultural texts. In this talk we will look at tools to understanding stress, and its relationship with time, how it coexists with anxiety and the future, and mostly the best available techniques to handling it in a healthy way. Talk will cover different disciplines as Counselling, Coaching, Hands-on Techniques and Complementary Medicine. All welcomed. Omer Harpaz is a practitioner and tutor working from the central london Kingyo Therapy Suites. He is also a student supervisor at the Centre for Homeopathic Education in Regents College, specializing in HIT System - Homeopathy & Integrated Therapy. Omer is a member of the School of Economic Science (Philosophy) the ARH, the SFTR and the SOM.  The talk will take place at Violet Hill Studios, NW8 (St.Johns Wood) on Sat 27th of March, 10.00-13.00 Fee is £12. Pre-booking only as places are very limited - Please email/call to secure your participation. For more info check: www.omerharpaz.co.uk/stress-anxiety-and-the-physical-body-a-practical-talk-with-omer-harpaz/ www.omerharpaz.co.uk 07961 135776http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Stress%2c_Anxiety_and_the_Physical_Body_-_A_practical_talk_with_Omer_Harpaz&ArticleID=2900http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Stress%2c_Anxiety_and_the_Physical_Body_-_A_practical_talk_with_Omer_Harpaz&ArticleID=2900#commentsThu, 25 Feb 2010 02:07:37 GMTThoughts, memories, feelings... We-collective connections, sometimes yes, sometimes no Me, myself and I-perhaps this -is the mind and body of the physical The spirit is but of one of many, attached to the thread of who we are It is sometimes difficult to embrace that which seems so detached, YET Is that core of our existence? Many attribute a supreme being yet we are supreme when we accept our core being(s) So many paths; so many truths, so many lies Filters keep out the negative and the positive unless we bias them; but why would we do that if we Observe? Attitude is how we define, feel, see things AND most important is flexible and forgiving; when One Observes Not Judge... Is a mental construct, either accepting or argument or combination's An ideal, dream, illusion or a place that we go from and to most every day It is an understanding and awareness of who we are and are not A place to be or not That is now or was then or in the future yet is well within  It may be when we glance in the mirror or in another A smell or sound that stirs memories A reminder of a season, a warm summer morning or a cold snowy day or rain beating on the roof Can be so many things to so many or can mean little at all Enduring or forever or temporary and fleeting Words, thoughts and ideas reside solidly in the realm of time and space Do these cross and hold the same meaning?http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Home&ArticleID=2898http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Home&ArticleID=2898#commentsTue, 23 Feb 2010 18:12:20 GMTI read David Einert's journal this morning about how we put ourselves into a box and then we complain because others have or are trying to put us in a box, and I knew I had to share my most recent "duh" moment in my journal today. I'll explain... After attending a fun workshop on vision boards, I have been thinking for the last week or so about what it is I really want. In this workshop they suggested that you put pictures of things you want to attain on your wall and look at them each day. The result would be that you would focus on those things and be able to physically bring them into your life. I decided to make a list of the things that I wanted on my vision board. So, I started to ask myself the question..."what is it that you really want?" Interestingly enough, after listing many material things that I wanted, I began to see a theme emerging within them. The common thread found in each of the things I wanted was the feeling that I would derive from having them, and that feeling is freedom. Freedom from debt, freedom from worry, freedom from health problems, more free time, freedom from fears, etc. So I thought....I will put one word on my board..."freedom". I feel like this is a very common thread among us as humankind...this desire for freedom. If you look closely at almost anything you desire, there is an element of freedom from something else in it. After thinking more about it all, I had what I call a "duh" moment. This is like an "aha" moment, but you feel kind of silly when you get it along with feeling excited and happy of course. :-) This is what happens when you have been looking for your sunglasses for the past hour and then you realize that they have been on your head the whole time. In this particular "duh" moment, I realized that I have complete freedom already because I have a choice. I can choose what to think, what to believe, who to be, and even what to do. My freedom doesn't come from outside things. It comes from within. I don't achieve freedom by attaining material goods, more time, etc. It is something I already have and must only learn to exercise and use. Do I still want those things--more time, more money, more vacations, etc.? Sure, but now I know that I don't need them in order to have freedom, and furthermore, I can actually use the freedom that I already have to help me get them if I choose to.  What I am really learning from all of this is that the "duh" moment that comes from finally discovering something that was already there is perhaps the most common thread shared by humanity, and if we find ourselves looking for something intensely or desperately desiring something, chances are, we already have access to it. We just need to open our eyes (and minds) to it. Maybe this is the secret to vision boards. They show us that what we want is already in the room. :-)http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Vision_Boards%2c_a_%22Duh%22_Moment%2c_and_My_Quest_for_Freedom&ArticleID=2896http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Vision_Boards%2c_a_%22Duh%22_Moment%2c_and_My_Quest_for_Freedom&ArticleID=2896#commentsMon, 22 Feb 2010 18:23:23 GMTThe big house I built, was  for Jack Lukins The bungalow above it, Known as Aquema i built for my parents ,the two shops on the main wells ,Cheddar road, one for G Warren, and one for A Seage,..r..Draycott I built the nursing home in Westfield lane known as the laurels, it was built at the time for Mr and Mrs Fred Cook  Another big house two doors along I built for Mr Tony Sheldon ..So my mark I have left behind for x number of yearshttp://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=The_Land_Marks_Left_By_me_in_Rodney_Stoke_And_Draycott&ArticleID=2879http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=The_Land_Marks_Left_By_me_in_Rodney_Stoke_And_Draycott&ArticleID=2879#commentsSun, 21 Feb 2010 23:02:59 GMTThe World Wildlife Fund Earth-Hour is nigh, saving the planet from climate change and adjusting our carbon footprint is a serious concern for each and every one of us.  You can make a difference and it needs to be now!   This year WWF’s Earth Hour 2010 will take place on Saturday 27th March. The aim is for you to join the one billion people across the globe to switch off their lights for one hour to show political leaders and decision makers that you care about climate change. To switch off and support Earth Hour go to www.wwf.org.uk/earthhour or call 01483 426 333 for more information.http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=WWF's_EARTH_HOUR_27th_MARCH_2010&ArticleID=2891http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=WWF's_EARTH_HOUR_27th_MARCH_2010&ArticleID=2891#commentsSun, 21 Feb 2010 19:32:35 GMTThe picture is a McCaskey Cash Register.  This is a box that is somewhere around a hundred years old.  It does the same thing the new ones do; money goes in and comes out for change. Like this article  we have perhaps not observed this box or any like it because either we have not observed or looked for it. Just recently I have been thinking that many people are in figurative boxes that they have made and placed themselves in.  Sometimes people will say, quit trying to put me into a box, yet they put themselves in one.  Most who are in a box of their own design usually will protest the most about others trying to put them into a box.  We are in control of our thoughts, destiny and day-to-day workings yet often give little thought about or observe ourselves.  There is wiggle room for those to argue that external forces place us in boxes or at least give us choices of boxes to live in, but many of these same people are advocates of personal choice and being the captain of their ship. We live in; yes boxes of sorts, a living space that comes in all sizes and shapes yet is basically a box.  Boxes are sometimes safe, and warm even cozy and can be fun; take a look at a couple of five year olds playing fort or office in boxes and ask yourself how long has it been since you had fun like that.  Yes they are cardboard boxes and as adults we use them to ship things or move our possessions in or appliances arrive to our big boxes but most don’t play in them anymore because that is a childish thing to do and we are grown up adults being professional and all.   Here in the States we sleep on a mattress and box spring unless we have a European mattress and bed frame.  There are box cutter knives and box end wrenches, boxing gloves.     Yes they are part of our lives and are beneficial except when we don’t want to be boxed in.  Yes boxed in against our will Or are we?  You see box and blame both start with a b and we use it for a reason or excuse to stay the chosen course that We have chosen either consciously  or unconsciously   The interesting part is when we and others are in a box and don’t want to move or even recognize or accept it.  Often they say,  you’re not going to get us out of our box.  Spencer Johnson wrote a great book called Who Moved my Cheese.   A tale of mice and near men who lived on cheese and that was their life in a maze or another bigger box.  The book dealt with change yet it was all about if you have to go out of your box (change) you will find another box that will work perfectly well.  We are interesting beings in that we can have and use imagination to dream of that which is not and imagine those things that can be.  The youth have one thing over those who have long past forgotten how to play; they have the ability to dream what may become from a box and other things that have little use or structure in the so called adult world.  As adults sometimes we place limits, stress, restraints and drab walls on our boxes that we live in.  As some have got older, and it has nothing to do with chronological age; it is a state of mind that we have forgot to live and explore and imagine.  Kids look up at a night sky full of stars and wonder who is looking back asking the same questions. Am I in a box or sphere like the planet we inhabit?  A hint is that one must first understand who they are-to know where they are and what the relationship is. Davehttp://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=We_place_ourselves_in_boxes_but_many_protest!&ArticleID=2890http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=We_place_ourselves_in_boxes_but_many_protest!&ArticleID=2890#commentsSun, 21 Feb 2010 13:49:13 GMTLiving In the Maia Lately I have noticed that my view of life has become very different.  I have been involved with Human Design for nine years.  It is still considered an experiment; it has only been with us since January 1987, 23 years.  Each one of us, as we discover the mysteries of our own design is a part of our own experiment to see how much our life changes when we become who we really are.  Every day now I am grateful for this information, grateful that my children could be brought up correctly according to their own type and strategy.  It is the type and strategy that are the most important aspects of this information.  It allows the body to settle; it allows us to sit back and watch the movie that is our life.  It takes some longer than others to learn to respond as a Generator and let go of trying to initiate, to make things happen.  Only the 8% group known as Manifestors can do this, and they do it naturally.  Sit back and watch your own movie, but remember to wake up and notice so that you can respond to everything in that movie.  It will change your life. The Maia means “the illusion”.  We are all living in an illusion of our own making.  We are living with the illusion that to be successful means to have money; that we need to send our children to school in order to earn a reasonable living.  We fill our minds with what we are told and our whole lives are run by mental decisions.  Somewhere along the way, maybe when we are hungry, we notice that we have a body.  Probably we become more aware of it if we become sick or at puberty when it starts to get interesting.  But generally the mind controls us. When we believe that the mind controls us, then it is very easy for other people to feed the mind with propaganda.   Every day we deal with people who go about their ordinary lives, believing that they are good citizens.  Perhaps they are slaves.                                         The illusion is that we are free.  There is no longer a free press, freedom of speech nor are we free to live our lives in the way that we want to.  For the past 300 years we have been under an influence of “planning” where slowly the responsibility for our personal lives has passed from us to a group of people who consider themselves in authority.   We are born equal and free, but the moment we are registered at birth we belong to the state.  This is not something I am making up, nor am I suffering from a deluded state of mind.  By living our own experiment of the Human Design process, Graeme and I have come to see life in a different, more real way, instead of through the lens of illusion and propaganda.  We have learnt about our own personal genetic make-up and have found that each member of the human race is very different from each other.  Each one of us is unique.  Because of this we have learnt not to judge others and not to take anything personally, because we do not know that person.  Our set of rules, our indoctrination or dogma may be quite different from someone else’s.  In the “Maia” people love to blame or to misinterpret according to their own set of rules; rules that have been set by schools, religion or other false authorities.  There is only one true authority and that is our own body. Each of us has an inner authority that only we can connect with; it is never another person’s job to make decisions on our behalf. Human Design is not a belief system; nor is it astrology.  It uses the ancient Chinese system, the I’Ching (pronounced ‘Eee Jing’ and not ‘Eye Ching’). Within the hexagrams of the I’Ching and its connection to the planetary alignments is a map of our genes, something that the Chinese may have known for 8,000 years.  The I’Ching and astrology are already known to be connected, so it means that this discovery also substantiates astrology as a true science as well. We use the planets and the time of birth to create a chart, and with this information we find the aspects that influenced the genes 88 days before birth and at the time of birth.  We learn to see ourselves from our own, conscious perspective, and also learn to understand the unconscious perspective which is how others see us.  By merging these together we see who we really are. For those of us who listen to our inner authority we may have already become aware of the difference between what we are told and what our body tells us.   As a child I remember not believing the dogma I was taught at school, but because it was taught by adults I felt I had to tell myself it was true.  Deep down inside I had already convinced myself that teachers didn’t know it all.  Today children are learning government imposed propaganda which supports the consumerism culture and greed led by the influential multi-nationals and pharmaceutical companies. I wonder if these corporate entities feel that they are losing this “info-war”.  Recently there have been demonstrations outside “Boots”, the high street chemist in the UK, to protest about the inclusion of homeopathic remedies on the same shelves as the more scientifically ‘proven’ medicines. Many of my friends are homeopaths; it doesn’t take rocket science to know that it works.  I’ve used it frequently with incredible results, and homeopaths who buy our “ancient herbal remedies” have often told us how much better the remedies work on an internally clean body. Perhaps those “authorities” who haven’t seen the benefits are just too toxic.  If medical science, approximately 200 years old was compared with our herbal recipes, some of which date back 1,000 years, can’t somehow verify their source then it can’t be a real remedy.  This is what we are taught to believe; once again it shifts us away from trusting our own inner authority. My purpose in sharing Human Design is to start the process of freedom within each of us, so that we can use our own strategy to feel in the body what the truth is. Recently I have noticed that my antenna is more finely tuned so that even watching a movie I spot the deliberate subtle propaganda. Propaganda is in every advertisement and newspaper.  It is everywhere; the illusion, the lies and the distortions.  This is what happens when we wake up and see the truth.  There are many paths out of the illusion – Human Design can give the whole story which is why I like it.  It has answered those questions that we agonise about.  Why we make mistakes and feel like a failure; why we feel blamed; why we repeat the same patterns over and over again; why we feel the need to be a “people pleaser”, or why we are the opposite.  Why are we angry with the world, with our mother, with everyone?  Why do we feel bitter or frustrated when things don’t go our way?  And what is “our way?”  What is right for us?  How do we access our inner power so that we can alleviate the struggle or the boredom of our lives? Do you really love what you do?  Are you passionate about it?  Is your life ecstatic?  There is a piece in all of us, there is something in our lives that we yearn for, but we do not believe that we can ever have it so we do what someone else wants us to do.  We want to prove ourselves all the time, to our parents because of their expectations, to our partner, to our boss.  We want to be what someone else wants us to be, and we have been like that for so long we think it is what we want but is it?  And how can we change it? After last year’s Wimbledon tournament I wrote a piece about Roger Federer, Andy Roddick and Andy Murray in tennis tournaments.  I watched again last month wishing that Andy Murray could win, but knowing he wasn’t going to.  He just doesn’t have the genes for “staying power”, the energy genes. He does have incredible talent, determination and the desire to win – more, in fact, much more than Federer.  But Federer has one thing that Murray just does not have and that is the energy to keep the game going.  All Federer has to do is keep Andy Murray running until he tires in order to win the game.  I think he instinctively knows that.  I feel so discouraged with the lack of awareness in the world, the illusion, the Maia, that two people are competing who simply should not be competing with each other.  They are different.  There is no competition.  But Andy Murray wants to win and Federer is reflecting and amplifying that desire to win.  Andy Murray will feel that failure far more than Federer would if he lost.  There is a huge sense of sadness in me that these people do not know.  They are just puppets in a “not-self” world.  I see Andy Murray’s mother screaming for him; I wonder if it is for her that he tries so hard. What is it that you yearn for?  Are you really doing what you do now for yourself or have you lost track of why you are doing it?  Are you in touch with your real skills, your real talent?  Do you even know why you are here?  We all have key areas which suit us specifically and when we do what we are meant to our lives unfold naturally.  Some people who are already awake and aware have found their skills and their passion naturally, because they know how to follow their inner guidance.  Others are still seeking this place; perhaps they are bitter, frustrated or just plain disappointed.  These are the people caught up in the illusion and the struggle. I watch with awe as my life unfolds with synchronicity after synchronicity. I see the beauty in my life as I stand back and simply watch.  Being in the right place at the right time; making a mistake which took me to the correct path; again and again these synchronicities come into my life.  I am here to be in the moment, let each second unfold and be in it.  That is not everyone’s genetic blueprint.  Some need to look to the past to see what worked and what didn’t in order to heal; others look at the patterns of the past to plan the future.  All this can be seen from your design chart, as well as what it is that you personally yearn for, but can’t quite seem to reach. I listened to the forecast for 2010, from the founder of Human Design, Ra Uru Hu.  This year is set to be a year of dramatic personal and economic change.  He spoke of the changes as a “hammer” knocking the “not-self” world.   He described it as very difficult for those who want to life to stay the same, but for those of us who are already in the correct flow we will just watch what happens, just as we watch a movie.  It simply won’t affect us.  This is what I want to share about Human Design; there is no better gift in our lives or in our relationships than to know ourselves.  To be in the correct relationship is so important; we are here to be with others, to be in relationship, to work as a team.  It is simply not possible for one person to function alone.  When we can use the strategy according to our genetic type and our own “inner authority” we lessen the stress in our lives and we can navigate what is going on around us.  Without these tools we cannot possibly navigate the “not self” world. I thought I’d share this quote from Leela Swann-Herbert, a Human Design teacher:     “We meet great amounts of resistance in our lives when the mind is in charge.  As long as the mind is running the life, everything, and I do mean everything, is judged by the mind: either as a threat against survival, or for its capacity to maintain survival.  So many people in this world are caught in the survival game, and are mentally driven to claw their way through, no matter how much resistance they meet, no matter who they hurt in the process – including their own self.     “Strategy and authority set the foundation for transformation. When the body can live the life, when the life is aligned to its correct path – we are no longer lost in the survival game.  Once the strategy and authority of the form become the means of guiding the life, then resistance is greatly reduced.  When life begins to move smoothly, we step beyond the primary concerns of survival, and instead begin to look around – what is this life all about? What am I truly here for?” Human Design Spotlight:  John Terry I like to look at the Human Design charts of people in the media.  The propaganda machine has a collective term for anyone who is well-known for whatever reason; wealth, film, theatre or other minor stardom somehow brings people into this group glibly called “the great and the good”.  Actually we are all the same species with a unique genetic blueprint; we are all stars in our own personal environment. With my design, life tends to revolve a little around me, but Graeme is more tribal, so looks outward at “the people” to see what they are doing in the world.  He then gives me their charts to see why they are behaving the way they do.  My “type”, however, likes to work out other people and see how they function – we Projectors are the gossips of the universe but it is only to gain a better understanding of how people function.  We are here to guide and advise the rest of humanity, but don’t ask us to do too much – we just don’t have that kind of “doing” energy. Graeme handed me the Human Design chart of the footballer John Terry to see what is really going on with this well-known ex-captain of the England team.  Like many people who are high-profile he has a defined Ego centre which gives him the determination to get his message across, whether it is his own personal message or one for the greater good of humanity. I looked at John Terry’s chart with an overview of the current planetary influence.   He is just a victim of the programme as it unfolds in the not-self world, the Maia.  John Terry loves to have new adventures; he has a design of the adventurer.  He wants new ways of doing the same thing.  It can even play out in football – experimenting with new ways of approaching his game.  When it comes to sexual liaisons he will easily get bored with the same old sexual routine.  This aspect was heightened in his design over the last couple of years and it is still there, pushing him to follow through with the next adventurous exploit, and the next, sometimes ending in crisis!  The crisis is there as a learning.  He needs to ask himself “What have I learnt from this crisis and how can I avoid it next time?”  A crisis is always an opportunity for change; it is a part of our personal growth process. This is an over-riding theme for all of us as we observe the economic crisis. We can either let it affect us and deepen the struggle or we can stand back and watch it unfold as a theme.  It doesn’t need to affect us if we are not caught up with the mind games, if we notice what is going on around us and respond with our inner authority.  The body has a greater wisdom than the mind, but we continually forget, or simply don’t trust.  If you are someone who has hunches, then listen; those hunches will save you a lot of money and angst. John Terry is one of those who does need to listen to the hunches; he has an intuition that is incredibly powerful and it might be what made him such a accomplished footballer – anticipating and trusting those hunches in the moment.  He is the Generator type; 70% of the population are Generators.  It means they have definition in their sacral centre; the creative centre, the doing centre, the centre of sexuality and reproduction.  Generators are here to be workers but they can fritter their energy with irrelevant diversions just because they have energy to waste.  Put to something useful a Generator’s energy is one of the planet’s greatest resources.  It is wake-up time for everyone.  It is the Generators that need to wake up to see what is happening right now so that they can do what is needed to create the change we need.  “Awake” Projectors are the ones who are driven to push these Generators to wake up.  Because Projectors are not energy types you may just find those Projectors who have no idea of Human Design asleep on the sofa.  Their wake-up process can often be very difficult and they spend their lives waiting, and wondering why they are so tired.  Until Projectors have a group of awake Generators in their own lives, even an awake Projector cannot live correctly.  So there is a need for the Projectors to be awake.  As a Projector myself, I am driven to wake up the Generators around me, but our strategy is to do nothing until we are invited!  We can be very pushy but without that invitation we are simply wasting precious energy. If you'd like to know more about your own unique Human Design, details are on www.resourcesforlife.net  Phylipa Dinnenhttp://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Living_in_the_Maia....and_what's_all_this_fuss_about_John_Terry%3f&ArticleID=2888http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Living_in_the_Maia....and_what's_all_this_fuss_about_John_Terry%3f&ArticleID=2888#commentsSun, 21 Feb 2010 11:22:34 GMTDear All, below is an excerpt from my book The high Heeled Guide to Enlightenment. I have recently started an affiliated site, and would love for you to check it out and maybe join up with us! Maybe see you here and there! Alice x http://highheeledenlightenment.ning.com/ The High Heeled and Glamorous Guide to Enlightenment is a modern Woman’s introduction to a world of spirituality and alternative thought. This is no doubt a subject that calls to you, but between work, partners, kids and a hectic social calendar you rarely find the time to dig that little bit deeper. Unlike some of your contemporaries you know that Enlightenment is not the new blonde shade by L’Oreal. You would love to seek it out, but any attempt at meditation has ended in a mental mediation between plans for supper, sorting out the next crisis in your love life or fretting over the bills/promotion/boss (insert your own personal foible here). You may have toyed with, or even attended a spiritual evening held in the local wine bar, and you are more than likely to consult your horoscope on a daily basis (in several publications). Maybe you have ignored your gut instinct to your distinct disadvantage or had psychic experiences you cannot explain away. Perhaps you simply feel an overwhelming urge to connect with something other than your internet provider? As a modern, no doubt glamorous female, perhaps you feel like you spend all your time in a state of constant physical upkeep. Not necessarily by your own choice, but influenced and encouraged by the society around you, the magazines you read, the celebrities who just won’t go away and the friends who always want to be two pounds lighter? That, it seems to me is the modern woman’s burden, and no matter how you scrub up or how high flying, well educated, or career orientated you are, it is likely that these things impinge on you to the extent you have precious little time for the inner you. And I’m not talking about nutrition, stomach flora or the bones of you, I mean for your very inner soul my dear! You are starving, and it is not because of the newest fad diet, but because there is a massive neglect going on within yourself. You are not alone. Thousands of people are reaching out for some kind of spiritual cuisine to compliment or transform their lifestyle. At first you might reach out to externals to help launch this change - recycling, purchasing fair trade, becoming a conscious consumer and reading up on the goings on of planet earth. When the organic / free-range veggies no longer suffice it may be because your soul, so busy with the mundane day to day, is neglected, lonesome and stuffed full of empty calories! I have suffered this hunger myself. Everything in my life was generally pretty good and yet there was something missing, something that a bumper bar of chocolate and a night in front of the box could not touch. At first you may blame the people around you as a sense of general dissatisfaction begins to taint and impinge your daily routines. Your usual pick me ups, shopping, new shoes, fabulous new lipstick, great sex or girly chats are not hitting the spot. You wonder if you are depressed and a series of ‘what ifs?’ begin to form in your mind. My suspicion is that you have a case of the spiritual munchies. I strongly suspect that you are in need of some conviction and a search for your spirit that goes on beyond your favorite cocktail.http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Invitation_to_High_Heeled_Enlightenment!&ArticleID=2887http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Invitation_to_High_Heeled_Enlightenment!&ArticleID=2887#commentsSat, 20 Feb 2010 03:03:40 GMTA new insurance TV commercial I saw recently is basically about discovering the potential of your child and letting him realize it. It says: “whatever your all-rounder’s dreams, we make it possible”. The commercial shows a child excited about winning a competition in school announces it to his parents. The parents, instead of exhibiting joy and encouraging him, ask what he won the prize for, bicker about whose family’s smarter than the other and which spouse’s brain has the child inherited. This leaves the boy thoroughly confused and he meekly informs that he’s stood first in painting. The parents, quite shaken, applaud him, but continue to bicker and blame each other’s families for such artistic inheritance.        It’s strange and disheartening to note that normal human nature is such. First of all, they want their children to win every competition/ battle of life. Secondly, if it’s painting instead of academics, that’s almost shameful. Why can’t parents let their kids grow and bloom naturally, and encourage and support them whole-heartedly? This commercial appealed to me a great deal. The expression on the child’s face spoke volumes. Please dear parents, listen to the unspoken words, comprehend the latent talents and let your children blossom and become masters of their vocation.http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Let_your_child_blossom&ArticleID=2885http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Let_your_child_blossom&ArticleID=2885#commentsThu, 18 Feb 2010 05:37:00 GMTMy son has a birthday coming up and we have been making lists and talking about the food and generally doing everything that soon to be thirteen year olds do around their birthdays. Last night, back from a birthday party, he was full of ideas and I coaxed him to bed. Just as he was nodding off, he suddenly perked up and said "Amma, I am telling all my friends to leave their cell phones at home." Mildly curious at this strange and seemingly undue dislike for cell phones, I prompted him to explain. " You know Amma, today we did not have much fun. Most of the kids had cell phones with blue-tooth and they just sit exchanging games and stuff on the phone. The worst part is they do not even play those games. We can do such stuff anytime, but when so many of us meet at one place, it would be great to play outside. I want to play on my birthday. Not be stuck to some phone. So I am banning cell phones" he declared. Social scientists have been shouting themselves hoarse about how technology is making us progressively anti social, but here was the proof from the mouth of a young child. He might or might not get away with the ban because his friends are not old enough to take offense. Imagine though, what fun we could have if we did the same. I know of concerts, conversations and even funerals that are interrupted by the teeny cell phone. Dare we follow a young one's example the next time??http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Party_pooper&ArticleID=2884http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Party_pooper&ArticleID=2884#commentsWed, 17 Feb 2010 17:14:38 GMTA younger man fearlessly courting an older educated woman, a lecturer, no less, openly. A show that allegedly talks about the problems of child marriage (It even has a moral that appears at the end of each episode). A young woman crusading against female infanticide.. Just the images that warm the cockles of our progressive hearts. But cut to a few months later and the lecturer is waiting for the young man to masterfully fill her 'maang' (hair parting) with the sindoor in a temple ceremony before looking beatifically happy. So what happened to the image of the independent young woman? She got lost in the quest for the TRPs. The Child bride whose sister- in -law, a child bride too delivers a baby boy and everyone is happy that it is a boy! There is not even lip service to the dangers to becoming a mom so young. The young woman crusading against female infanticide falls hopelessly, irrevocably in love with the chief villain's son and forgets all about the poor infants, concentrating her energy on the hero who was stringing her along just for his mom's benefit. She turns into a house maid, forgetting all about her education and looks longingly at the very man who betrayed her. So much for liberation. All these shows claim to be on the side of the woman and are supposedly different from the regressive Saas- bahu shows. Really?? It is not just women alone who are the brunt of superstition, a recently started show has a the heroine appealing to a snake, 'Naag', to consume milk and leave them alone....and the wonder is that the snake goes against the laws of nature and does just that. You can expect a lot more snake charmers this 'Naag Panchmi' forcefully dipping poor snakes into milk, just to earn a quick buck. The least we can do is leave the poor animals to live with the laws of nature!! Looks like mankind is lost to the TV screen!http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Are_we_regressing%3f&ArticleID=2882http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Are_we_regressing%3f&ArticleID=2882#commentsTue, 16 Feb 2010 10:02:07 GMTAt  the start of 1900 India had more than a lakh in Tiger population. For all the Maharaja's & then for the British lords it was a status symbol to go into the forests, well protected by their own gaurds, then these Raja's & Lordships sitting safely atop the elephants will get their gaurds to hound out a tiger, corner it for the Highness, then the Highness would take aim & shoot, maim & kill the tiger. This was infact a favourite past time or time pass of the high & mighty. !! After doing the Jalianwala Bagh on the Indian tigers, now suddenly we are left with only 1411 tigers. How they came to this number 1411, one does not know. Project tiger had bitten its dust & now suddenly placards, advertisement hoardings at every traffic signal, ads on TV & newspapers....... Its basically a case of waking up too late, probably about 30 years too late. Nothing can be done now, absolutely nothing can be done & the damage is already irreversible & the tiger in the wild will just disappear in front of our eyes in a few years time. Well, one more species kicked off into extinction by the the greediest & destructive of all species on earth i.e the Homo Sapiens. Many times i have thought while walking through the wild; If a tiger or a leopard attacks me what will i do ?? I guess i will surrender completely to it & let him/her have me as a meal, i think thats fair justice. The Tiger needs the forests, the grasslands, the water sources, the deers & other prey but if the forests are disappearing then where can the tiger live ?? Infact by eating about 60 to 80 herbivores animals a year the tiger keeps a check on their population & maintaining that fine ecological balance. Add to it; the trading for tiger skins, then add on the price of claws, bones & teeth used in what we call as Chinese medicine. So one killed tiger is valued at around Rs 40 lakhs (Indian rupees) !! The mafia links are so well entrenched, but if the government wants to crack down on them, they can, but they won’t.  Its the same as how "protected" the famous Sandalwood smuggler Veerapan was, Veerapan was only a prop who cut down the Sandalwood trees & kept them at a pre-designated place, then the real mafia took over, which had  the high & mighty from AP, Karnataka & Tamil nadu states of India.  Trouble started only when Veerapan wanted to "retire" & come back to "normal life", that was when the problems started,  nobody  in the high & mighty wanted him, so they decided he had to be shot, before all the skeletons come rolling out of the closet. Its exactly the same with Tiger poachers. All arrests so far has only been of the small fries, the big guns are scot free !! There are people who have been responsible for wiping out the tigers in Sariska, but they are still free, Why ?? In the case of Veerapan, it was the Sandalwood trees which were 100 years old which were chopped down & here it is the tiger which is been killed, so one tiger killed means approximately 50 acres of forests are gone.  The poacher's targets the bones of the tiger and other parts to meet the demand for (pseudo)-medicinal use in eastern Asia, primarily China, Taiwan, and South Korea, but also in Indo-China. The extent of this demand has yet to be ascertained because very little data exists beyond the evidence of tiger products in pharmacies and markets throughout the region.  People living around the forests have cattle & their livelihood depends on the livestock, so if a tiger or a leopard kills a livestock, after  the initial feeding, when the animal  goes to rest, (usually somewhere in the where abouts), during that time the people tend  to poison the kill, so when the tiger/ leopard comes back for a second helping, it dies dues to the poison. But what is surprising is that carcasses are never recovered,  they also disappear, which actually shows how well entrenched the mafia which is after each & every single tiger body parts. Unlike carcasses of elephants and rhinos which is left to rot after the poachers have hacked off the Ivory, the remains of tigers quickly disappear, particularly when the skeleton has been taken. Skins are easily identified, but few people can distinguish tiger bones from those of domestic animals which are used for fertilizer and glue. Where forest guards regularly patrol, they may note that a familiar tiger is no longer to be seen, but it may be difficult to decide whether it was poached or died naturally.  Nor is the impact of poaching limited to the loss of the actual animal killed. If it is a female, she is likely to have cubs, who may be unable to fend for themselves, in which case the real loss may be three or four tigers, without counting the loss of the tigress's breeding potential. When a male is killed, the result may be an intensive struggle among other males to take over the territory during which cubs get killed and breeding is disrupted for a lengthy period, possibly for several years. But why highlight only the tiger, see what is happening to the Lions in the Gir forest. Guides or Touts whatever one to call them charge 2,500/- for assured viewing of the Lion. So they carry an old male buffalo or a non milking female buffalo into the forests & tie them at a particular place, so an hungry lion pack when it wants its meal has it all in front of them to devour, But little does the lions know that these livestock have been given such huge doses of antibiotics ( for eg Diclofenac), that even lions are falling dead after their meal which anyway was orchestrated for the insensitive tourists. This was exactly what happened with vultures, they all fall dead after a meal on the carcass, because of Diclofenac. We say the presence of elephants show the health of the forest, the same can be said about the presence of the tiger, or if one sees Dolphins frolicking along the Ganga & Yamuna, we can say these are actually rivers & not sewage. Take the case of the majestic Sarus cranes. They love to graze in rice & wheat fields, pecking into the insects on the field & they do not damage the crops, But these farmers are using such toxic fertilizers & pesticides (Aldrin, in the form of DDT) that Sarus cranes just fall dead. When it is said that there are only 1411 tigers left in this country, it means the state of the forests in this country is in pretty dismal state. Full stop. The tea & coffee industry has systematically cut down the forests & increased their plantations. This continuous rape of the forest is as gruesome as the photographs of how poachers kill the Rihinosorus & Elephants for the ivory in the horns. And then add to it the shrinking wetlands & grasslands. Why is the government starting an open cast Coal Mine in Tadoba Andhari, were tigers are thriving ? Why ? It’s a mistake to highlight just the plight of the tiger, there are so many species (flora & fauna) which are going to be extinct & the tiger is is only one of them. Only thing which this campaign serves is that people flock into Ranthambore, Sariska, Corbett, Bhandavgarh & Kanha, just to see the tiger. So there is a whole tiger lobby which has become like a parasite on the tiger. Their whole existence is on spotting the tiger, not on the well being of the tiger. I was once a sad witness to how tiger tourists behaves. A couple of years back we were in Corbett National Park, taking our ride on the Gypsy, after  a while our driver & the guide sensed something.  They did some quick observations & came to the conclusion that the tiger is coming along &they figured out which way it will come & also in how many minutes it will be near us. They figured out which is going to be the vantage point to see this magnificient animal & we parked ourselves quietly there. Bingo, the guide & driver were absolutely right, she was coming our way. Infact we could hear it, not the roar, but the other milder call. By then in a jiffy word went around that that the tiger was spotted, in a jiffy there were more than 50 gypsy’s josttling for space, then the people on the Elephant safari also reached the spot. We could see the tiger just 10ft away from us, but it was beautifully camouflaged with a bush, & we could only see its tail moving. it actually wanted to cross the pathway, due to the commotion created by the tiger tourists, the tiger was waiting. To see the tiger we only needed patience & quietness for just 15-20 mts. But thesetiger tourists would have none of it. They wanted to disturb the animal, just the way they are used to doing in the zoos. Even my young son was appalled at their behaviour. Then in front of our eyes the guys who were on the elephant safari convinced & coaxed the mahout to take them closer to the tiger. The tiger was disturbed & off it went deeper into the forests. For 20 seconds some people saw the tiger & took snaps & videos etc, but it left a sinking feeling in me. These tiger tourists are almost a mafia by itself, they simply have no respect for the animal,  they just want photographs & they do not respect the forests. Infact after all this hoo hah, there was a Changeable Hawk Eagle sitting in front of us, no one even wanted to have a look this magnificient bird with a lovely crest !! It’s a mistake to highlight just the tiger in this battle to prevent its extinction, infact it is more harmful for the tiger’s survival. What about the forests, what about so many other animals, reptiles, fauna & birds which are going to disappear forever in front of our own eyes ?? The key is forest protection, nothing else. I can't help pointing this out :  Some time back the Minister of Environment & Forests wanted to bring some Cheetah's from Africa & let them out in the in the Indian forests. Just see the level of abysmal thinking,  when we cannot even protect our species. Probably he may have learned a thing or two during the Bt Brinjal protests !! Inshallah !http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=After_doing_a_Jalianwala_Bagh_on_Indian_tigers%2c_Why_shed_crocodile_tears_now_%3f%3f&ArticleID=2881http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=After_doing_a_Jalianwala_Bagh_on_Indian_tigers%2c_Why_shed_crocodile_tears_now_%3f%3f&ArticleID=2881#commentsMon, 15 Feb 2010 20:18:45 GMT"Learn to drive,would ya?!"......"What the @#$@#@! are you thinking?!"......"Thanks a lot MORON!" ...an ode to the poetic utterings of a lone driver. These colorful phrases are often littered with strings of creative obsceneties and other harsh sounds and are sometimes accompanied by fervently communicative hand signals and strange 'waving' gestures which I can only assume are less than friendly in their meaning.  How strange, and yet, Alas! I am not exempt from this practice! I have participated in this inter-vehicular communication before. I have even caught myself believing that I must have been the only one who actually listened during drivers' education or thinking that maybe I am the sole respecter of the general 'rules' of the road. I've always considered myself to be an 'excellent driver'. It's not all true of course, and although it is a bit painful to admit, I have come to the disturbing conclusion that I myself have on more than one occasion been a 'discourteous' or let's just say a 'bad' driver! I suppose that we all make driving mistakes. We inadvertantly (or even sometimes on purpose) cut someone off. We drive slowly when someone behind us in a huge hurry or drive too close behind someone who is 'slowing us down'. There is a giant list of things we do that are for whatever reason--real or imagined--irritating to other drivers around us. We may even inadvertently (or again maybe on purpose--yikes) crash into one another. Whenever these things happen, always there is blame, and typically the blame goes to the OTHER guy! There are even stereotypes that we use against each other in driving. For example: Women are poor drivers. Men are aggressive drivers. Senior citizens can't be trusted behind the wheel, and neither can teenagers. People from different countries are scary drivers. Again, the list goes on. Perhaps you are familiar with the term "road rage"? Wikipedia says, "Road rage is aggressive or angry behavior by a driver of an automobile or other motor vehicle. Such behavior might include rude gestures, verbal insults, deliberately driving in an unsafe or threatening manner, or making threats. (That sounds familiar, but wait...there's more) Road rage can lead to altercations, assaults, and collisions which result in injuries and even deaths." Deaths? We are actually killing people because they cut us off or drove too slow in front of us? Frightening thought. It occurs to me that almost nowhere else in life are we as openly judgmental of our fellow human beings or as competitive and contemptuous with them as we are when we are behind the wheel of our cars, but the more I think about it, I think the key word here is "openly". We as a species can be incredibly competitive and contemptuous, not to mention judgmental, with one another. We just might not be quite as boisterous about it as we are when we are in our automobiles. Just as it is not good for us to be this way in our cars (eg. road rage, death, etc.), I think it is equally damaging for us to be this way in our day-to-day lives. After all, we are all living here at this time together on this same planet just as we all must drive on the roads together. Can we find a way to do it peacefully?  I would sure like to think so! We human beings are quite powerful when we want to be, and we are clearly capable of doing so much better when it comes to driving and living peacefully! I want to think that we are all capable of being excellent drivers, just as we are capable of being bad drivers. I want to remember that we all make mistakes, and those mistakes DO and WILL affect those around us. And maybe if I am not so busy picking out the mistakes of others, I will be less likely to make more of them myself. I also want to be motivated by knowing that we CAN affect people in good ways too through courteous driving or living, with a kind gesture rather than an ugly one, with a bit of understanding, humility, and forgiveness.  Is it possible that we could ALL be Excellent Drivers (not just in our minds, but in our actions too)?http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Can_We_All_Be_Excellent_Drivers%3f&ArticleID=2880http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Can_We_All_Be_Excellent_Drivers%3f&ArticleID=2880#commentsSun, 14 Feb 2010 22:31:42 GMTA couple of months ago I spent the morning working with my son on how to see his role at work differently.  We are very close, and I love the fact that we can communicate on such a deep, satisfying level.  We laughed over a few of the times we clashed in the past--remembering those moments makes the ones we share today even richer All the while we talked, we did little activities.  He had brought my precious 10 month old baby grandson with him, so I fed him, my son put a playpen together for him, we marveled at the sounds Ethan is making and all the ways he looks like Noah did when he was that age.  There is nothing quite like this experience, and though I had an image of what it would be like to be a grandmother, the actuality of it is more wonderful than I could have imagined. What is most powerful is the feeling of family continuity, the sharing of life experiences that will live on long after we aren't here, through our children and their children.  Ethan won't remember the day he spent with us because he is too little.  But it will be imprinted in him, and the experience of love, communication, sharing joy and challenge together--those will be indelible parts of his life. The level of gratitude that I feel for being able to just BE her, with them, available to spend this time with my son and his son--well, I can't even fully express what that is.  Suffice it to say, I'm completely addicted to it and will do whatever it takes to have more of it. I have often commented in this forum that I am so glad to NOT be on the road, working in NY or Paris or wherever my work used to take me--that I love being home, spending time with my mother, my son, my friends. Every once in a while I get into a funk and wonder if I am self-sabotaging by not trying to find another "job"--as if I'm not actually working fairly constantly with all the things I'm doing.  It is really about not having the identity of owning the sales company, or working a big contract as a consultant.  I'm still doing coaching and consulting, just in a different way--with lots more time for family and friends. Days like this remind me that I am in the right place, this is the right time, and I can keep on trusting the Divine Order that put me here--and that I will know what I need to know tomorrow, especially if I fully live today.Being a Life Entrepreneur gives me that option--and I'm choosing it!http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Life_Entrepreneurs_Live_in_the_Moment&ArticleID=2878http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Life_Entrepreneurs_Live_in_the_Moment&ArticleID=2878#commentsSun, 14 Feb 2010 17:04:37 GMTI love this part of the Thames where it used to be called Arcadia and the stunning mansions with gardens sweeping down to the river were a part of creating this place. Only a few miles from central London and its a sanctuary, a wondrous and magical place to visit and recharge your batteries while strolling along the river paths.http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Celebrating_Imbolc_and_my_first_attempt_at_creating_a_slide_show!&ArticleID=2877http://journals.copperstrings.com/UserConsole/ViewJournal.aspx?Title=Celebrating_Imbolc_and_my_first_attempt_at_creating_a_slide_show!&ArticleID=2877#comments