Feng Shui and Symbols - What You Have in Your House Says a Lot About You

What does a broken statue of a rooster have to do with Feng Shui? Feng Shui teaches us that everything in our house is a reflection of what is in our mind. Symbolically speaking, your house and the things in it reflects your thoughts, feelings, and spirit.

So let's get back to that rooster. One of my clients had recently separated from her husband. I noticed that a statue of a large bird was directly facing her bed, so it was probably the first thing she saw when getting up in the morning. Upon closer examination, I noticed two things; first, one of the legs had previously been broken and was wrapped in what appeared to be a cast. Second, I realized that it was not a chicken; it was a rooster. Unfortunately, the coxcomb on the top of the head had broken off, probably in the same fall that broke the leg of the statue.

I examined this unfortunate art piece for a moment and then said to my client, "Do you realize that the first thing you see in the morning is a broken cock?"

After I picked her up from the floor (she was laughing so much she just collapsed), she gasped out, "You have no idea of how perfect that observation is." Not wanting to really know much more, I suggested we send out the broken rooster for repair. We then talked about what she really wanted to see first thing in the morning; it was her flute and music and a picture of her daughter.

Another client was having a hard time keeping relationships with men going. Visiting her apartment was like seeing a shrine to her daughter. Everywhere was a mother/daughter photograph. It felt like she was already in a relationship and there was no room for any other one to grow.

Everything that you choose to surround yourself with has symbolic meaning and reflects something about your life. Whether intentional or not, all those objects, pictures, photographs, and pieces of furniture resonate with information about you. Take a look around at your house. What is the first thing you see when you enter your home? When you get up in the morning? When you sit down to eat? Do those objects support you in living your best life? Observe what you have around you and then experiment. See how you feel swapping out the images that surround you for other ones that are a better reflection of who you are and where you want to go. I've seen this simple action do amazing things to improve people's lives.

Interested in learning more about Feng Shui and ways to improve the energy in your home or office? Get great tips and motivating messages by subscribing to the Empty Your Nest newsletter at http://www.emptyyournest.com

Life Balance - Take Time to List

One of the most important things that you can commit to memory is the value of your time. Your time is the most important asset you have, and it is the only asset you can not get back. If you are self-employed you have more of a sense for the value of your time but if you are a paid employee you may not value your time as much. Either way you need to know what the true value of your time is so when trivial items arise you can manage them more effectively thereby not spending your important time on them.

First, you must make a commitment today to know the value of your time. You can write it out to help remember it or just commit it to memory but commit today to to know its value so you can take control of your time usage.

Now that you are committed, make a list. Make a list of everything you need to do. I use a flip notebook but any notebook will do, just do it. This list will include household items, business items, family items, social items, and any other items that I do not have here. This process may take several hours, which is o.k.

Once you have the list finished, for now, you can see what you need to accomplish. If your list is like my first list it looks enormous, but don't worry about that, it has taken you years to procrastinate all of this onto the list so it may take two to three months to get rid of the majority. I guarantee you; now that you have your master list, items will get done faster than you think because with a list you can prioritize. For example, you are reading this article because me writing it is the most important thing on my list to do right now.

Go through and determine what is important and you can use an; a, b, c, or 1, 2, 3 it does not matter just get them in some order. If you use a day-planner great if you are like me and do not great, this method is useful to either type. If you use a day-planner then you can put your most important item at the top of the planner to start first thing in the morning. If you do not use a planner then you will make a list of things to do tomorrow and list them in the order they are to be done. Your first project is the most important so work on it and only it until it is completed or to a point where you can go no further with it. Then you will move on to item number 2 and so forth. What is not done today gets moved to tomorrow and so on.

Two things you need to realize are; first, the list does not stop growing. As new items come up they go on the list. Second, don't stop. If you just keep going in a positive direction you will make progress. I know everyone gets off track but get back on when you do get off and keep moving forward.

Steve Crenshaw is a Christian teacher, speaker, and author who is helping individual believers "Deepen their Walk" with Christ and find their true calling. Steve Blogs at Spiritual Teamwork

Look Out For Gossip Time Thieves!

If every workplace in North America (and my guess would be the other continents, as well) became gossip-free zones, I am positive that productivity would go up by at least 25% overall. In some environments, it might go up by 50% or even more. And, the theft of time caused by this lack of productivity would be essentially eliminated. So, how can you avoid gossip and help your organization be a gossip-free zone? Here are some ideas to consider:

1. Know what gossip is. A few definitions include: "Rumor or talk of a personal, sensational, or intimate nature" (American Heritage Dictionary); "Idle, often sensational and groundless talk about others" (Houghton Mifflin Thesaurus). Hmmmm. Neither one of those sound like this is something you want to be engaged in. And it certainly doesn't make anyone more productive.
2. Keep a count for 2 days of the number of times you engage in gossip, either because you instigated it or because someone else did and you listened. Then ask yourself if you are increasing your productivity (or anyone else's) through this behavior.
3. Once you have a number of times that you engage in gossip, then work to shave that number down for each two-day period in the future, until you are down to 0 times.
4. Make a pact with yourself to stop gossiping. When I was a teenager, one of my best friend's parents would say, "ZONK!" anytime either one of us would say anything that wasn't nice about someone else. As teenagers, this was just mortifying, because Mr. and Mrs. Riley felt free to do this when we were out in public, not just at my friend Donna's house! However, I can still hear her parents' voices whenever I say something negative about another person. (And let's just say it's been a few years since I was a teenager and leave it at that!)
5. Keep a count for 2 days of the number of times you overhear others gossiping. Ask yourself whether they are increasing their productivity by doing so.
6. Come up with a way to gracefully and respectfully tell others that regardless of your behavior in the past, you are making a new choice about gossiping. That is, you are choosing not to be part of it. This is a tough step, but is necessary to change the behaviors and culture within an organization. Be bold and assertive--and professional. It is the professional (and productive) thing to do.
7. Remember that gossip can ruin business relationships, whether you're the one gossiping or if you're the one being gossiped about. It's just nasty business.
8. Ask yourself if the people you know who are gossipers are well respected. Does gossiping add to or detract from your self respect and others' respect? You know the answer.
9. Remind yourself that gossip hurts (and never helps). Anytime anyone (including you) starts to pass along a salacious tidbit (or something more minor), ask who is helped or who is hurt by this talk. Adjust the conversation accordingly.
10. Calculate how much time you spend in gossiping behavior. If you are like other professionals in today's world, you're always looking for a few extra minutes in the day - and here they are! Just by getting rid of the gossip time thief, you can regain 5, 10, 30 or more minutes EVERY day. Multiply this by the number of people in your organization who are spending time gossiping. Think of the increase in overall productivity if you eliminated this time thief.

"There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it ill behooves any of us to find fault with the rest of us." - James Truslow Adams.

Time thieves are part of modern life (sad by true). You have the power to prevent this pilfering of your productivity. Join others around the world who increase their peaceful, predictable productivity by receiving Meggin's weekly emails as well as her teleseminars on topics such as "Antioxidants for Toxic Work Environments" (and toxic work environments certainly include gossip).

**Top Ten Productivity Tips - http://www.TopTenProductivityTips.com

**Keys to Keeping Chaos at Bay - http://www.KeepingChaosatBay.com

(c) 2008 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., "The Ph.D. of Productivity"(tm)

Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh changes what people know, feel, dream, and do via seminars, workshops, writing, coaching, and consulting.

Divine Power/Jesus is over "Everything"

Divine power is so great, Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus says in 2Corinthians 10:3, For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. Now in many chapters of the Bible it says that Jesus is over everything, in Psalm 24:1 says, The earth is the Lords and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the sea and established it upon the waters.

I recommend reading Philippians 2:5, it says Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to deatheven death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Enjoy more reading at:

http://www.hostinghelps.com/allaboutjesus

Being A Light in A Dark World.

Ever time I set down to write I always ask God what He wants me to say, for in me is nothing important. My Sermons come from the Inspiration of God. I hear on a daily basis, of many Christians in need, from the poor to the rich. People seeking aid, answers and reasons for their dilemma. I am writing a young lady with an extreme problem, I write Churches that sometimes, but most often, need revival within itself. As for the poor, Jesus said that we would always have the poor with us. There is nothing that we can do, to really help them. The shear magnitude of the problem prevents us from making a difference.

Most times there are government officials that steal the aid before it arrives to those in need. When it does arrive, Warring factions most often steal it away from those that need it and say that, "We are going to Liberate you, so we need the food more than you." Buying food for a day or two doesn't help them, even for a year is little to alleviate the persistent problem. We still must continue to aid where and when we can, but we must not feed them only, but address the problems.

Most of the problems around the world are controlled by one factor, mans refusal to accept Jesus as Lord and Christ. God stated that famine will encompass this world and it is coming to pass. There are so many that have been deceived and diluted into believing that there are gods many and lords many, afraid to ask questions for fear of their life, they go as a sheep to the slaughter, their head down and their throat exposed. This darkness grows by the minute and the Spirit of Anti-Christ also grows. If we cant see that the end is growing closer, then we, as the "Light of the World", are also in darkness. Have you ever tried to look into a mirror, then close your eyes for a minute, and try to remember what you looked like? Its the same way it is with being a light, sometimes we forget what we are all about, our light gets a little softer, not as bright.

We cannot fear the darkness but we must illuminate it. When light and dark comes together, it turns gray, a little less notable, a little less recognizable and a little less helpful. Every country around the world is in the same condition and it gets worse by the minuet. When we go to bed at night some one in their daytime is being killed, starving to death, raped, murdered, sacrificed and recruited into the depth of utter darkness as a suicide bomber. The Apostle Paul stated that, Within Himself there was no good thing. Understanding our relationship with God is of the utmost importance along with the wisdom, knowledge and understanding of His word. I have made mistakes in my Ministry, and I am the first to admit it.

We are not perfect and neither can we be, until the time of Rejoicing with Jesus takes place. Even the Apostle Paul stated that He had not attained perfection but was still striving for it. But even with our faults, we must still be a light. A light in a dark world that is traveling down the road to death and destruction. In Matthew 4:16, we see the effects of being a light in a dark world; "

The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up." many are on the streets seeking after a good feeling and answers as to their purpose in life. Many have given up on trying to be a citizen of any country and only live for the day, hoping to get a bit of food from somewhere. Multitudes are blinded to the light by problems and situations that they have found themselves in. Others have been taught as a Child to not expect any thing good in this life. In Luke 1:79, we see a reason to give light in a dark world. " To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

" To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, the darkness of sin and the shadow of eternal death without hope nor escape. A Darkness without the Father. We have read before;" Ye, thou I walk thru the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;"

The valley spoken of here is the outside world that we step into each and every day. We must be a light, if not, we may have the blood of those that we could have shown the way, on our hands. There is no super Christian, at least I haven't seen one. We are all the light, shining together as one to open up the darkness and show the way of peace, peace not in this life but rather into the next. Matthew 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. If therefore thine eye be single, meaning that ones purpose in life must be to please the Father in Spirit, without any other agenda. We are sent into the world to fulfill the will of our Father.

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men (Your Testimony of Jesus.), that they may see your good works (These are the works and actions of not only of the Spirit but also of the flesh.), and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Seeking only to Glorify God and not of ourselves.)

Luke 11:35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. ( Let not your light be one of self glorification. Keeping your mission always to gain souls for Gods kingdom and not trying to set up your own.) John 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. The darkness in this world is choking multitudes, killing them from within. The light that we shine is not accepted to many that prefer the darkness and many do not understand the willingness of a Loving God to Save them. Jesus warned us that there will come a time when the darkness of this world will be so great, that no man will be able to work.

Is that time now, or is it near. Let us always be a light, because our work shall soon be over and the night will fall. Is it so hard Being A Light in a Dark World. ars

Temple of Spirit & Truth Ministries A.R.Smith Ministries http://www.ourchurch.com/member/a/arsmithsermons/

Are You Caught Up In A Life Of Guilt

Guilt is one of the largest causes of stress in your life. Stop reading this article for a second and think about the people in your lives that often make you feel guilty.

Now did you really stop reading the article and think about the people in your life who make you feel guilty? Okay well if you did this get back to the guilty feelings so many of us have. Guilt goes all the way back to your childhood, your parents, teachers, friends and relatives have gotten to be pretty good at it over the years, often learning from the same group of people when they were children.

Guilt is definitely a big part of our society and can be found almost everywhere you turn. Have you ever turned the television on to notice a commercial about weight loss. A large majority of Americans are overweight and are targets for a guilt creating society.

I was reading a book on writing magazine articles, when they mentioned a fact that I never thought of, most women's magazines run articles on dieting in every issue. Guilt sells magazines.

Do you think weight loss, dieting or nutritional eating habits, sell magazines? If your answer is no, you should check the financial statements of these companies. They know what sells magazines and guilt or fear is one of their best friends. If you answered yes to the question, you won't have to suffer from the guilt of not knowing the answer.

Guilt seems to work on our subconscious mind in negative ways, often producing harmful thoughts that create stressful feelings in our lives. The longer these negative thoughts are held as truths, the harder it's going to be on our self esteem.

If you find yourself around people that make you feel guilty for something you do or don't do on a regular basis, I would suggest finding new people to hang around with. Gathering negative information from people you consider your friends can only create more damage to your conscience.

If you truly and sincerely do not like something about yourself, tell your friends in a nice way, that you would rather talk about your problems in a negative way. If they have constructive and helpful comments, you would love to hear them. Guilt causes stress and stress can lead to death. If you don't believe that, do some research on stress related illnesses.

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended books, The Intuitive Way

Greg is currently working on a personal development library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

How Would Your Life Change If You Truly Believed in Your Dreams?

You can be the architect of your destiny and design a dream life when you change your limiting beliefs and stop dealing with unhappiness, stress, grief, anger, my corporate job, my boss, my coworkers, negative friends, a broken heart, all of the ailments that you let hold you back from living your dreams.

The truth is when you plug into the glowing, powerful internal source that is already inside, you can masterfully design and live the life of your dreams. There is magic inside you, and when you tap into it, it tells you who you are and tells you about the enormous potential you have to give and to live a dream come true life. All you need is the key to unleash it.

But instead, you may cross your fingers and wish upon a star hoping and praying for a miracle that will improve your life. You do not realize the miracle is inside right now. Once you get clear on what it is you really want, all you have to do is latch onto the life altering power of focused intention, faith, belief and take action to see your dreams flourish.

Acting on your dreams can be simple when you connect to your hopes and aspirations. You may feel it with a fire in your belly kind of zeal or something warm and tender in your heart, but it continuously moves you forward to your dream.

Your purpose is not a big, looming goal you have to accomplish in your life. It is what makes you anxious to get out of bed. If you believe your purpose is to help people but you are unable to make enough money doing this, restructure your purpose. Do not keep waiting and hoping for the money to come. Your real purpose is hidden inside you right now. And, once you uncover it, you will create dreams that are a self portrait of the real you.

When you look at the possibilities in your life, feel the incredible level of power and energy. Feel the passion. Once you discover, or maybe rediscover, your passion you will be unstoppable! Because your passion is the driving force that propels your body, mind and heart toward your dreams.

The truth is, without a dream, all you have is reality. When you are steeped in reality, you slam the door on a wellspring of possibilities beyond your wildest dreams. The result is an empty feeling, like there is a hole in your heart as big as the missing dream you need to complete.

So if you find yourself staring at the ceiling at night, wondering is this all there is? longing for MORE in your life, then you should know right now that you were meant to have an abundant life. Everything is possible when you sincerely believe in your dreams, and have a heartfelt commitment to see them come true.

Imagine for a moment being able to live your best life right now and every day that follows, watching your deepest desires and fondest hopes flourish in front of you. When you change your thoughts, you change your reality.

By now, it should be crystal clear dreams really can come true. Now is the moment for your first step.

My mother was an accomplished pianist. My aunt was an international artist. I became a workaholic. I believed that the the creative gene passed me by. That's what I told my friends because that is what I believed.

I interned at an advertising agency where I could choose to be mentored by the creative team or the executive team. I chose the executive team because I believed I was not creative. I believed I would have to find my financial success in the executive world. 20 years later, I had become a frustrated, stressed out, corporate workaholic. Then I hired a Miracles Life Coach.

Long story short - I now make my living by being creative. I am an award winning photographer and a published author. I create my own products. I help others, YOU, create YOUR perfect life.

You can have this, too. Your success is about what goes on in your head! Learn how to get rid of limiting beliefs and stop self sabotage. Unleash the power within with daily affirmations for inner wisdom, inner balance and a course in miracles. Watch a miracle move at http://www.MiraclesLifeCoaching.com