Paradise

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Paradise by Jan Bruegel.

Paradise is an idealized place in which existence is positive, harmonious and timeless. It is conceptually a counter-image of the miseries of human civilization, and in paradise there is only peace, prosperity, and happiness. Paradise is a place of contentment, but it is not necessarily a land of luxury and idleness. It is often used in the same context as that of utopia.

Paradisaical notions are cross-cultural, often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both. In eschatological contexts, paradise is imagined as an abode of the virtuous dead. In Christian and Islamic understanding heaven is a paradisaical relief, evident for example in the Gospel of Luke when Jesus tells a penitent criminal crucified alongside him that they will be together in paradise that day. In Native American beliefs, the other-world ia an eternal hunting ground. In old Egyptian beliefs, the other-world is Aaru, the reed-fields of ideal hunting and fishing grounds where the dead lived after judgment. For the Celts, it was the Fortunate Isle of Mag Mell. For the classical Greeks, the Elysian fields was a paradisaical land of plenty where the heroic and righteous dead hoped to spend eternity. The Vedic Indians held that the physical body was destroyed by fire but recreated and reunited in the Third Heaven in a state of bliss. In the Zoroastrian Avesta, the "Best Existence" and the "House of Song" are places of the righteous dead. On the other hand, in cosmological contexts 'paradise' describes the world before it was tainted by evil. So for example, the Abrahamic faiths associate paradise with the Garden of Eden, that is, the perfect state of the world prior to the fall from grace.

The concept is a topos' in art and literature, particularly of the pre-Enlightenment era, a well-known representative of which is John Milton's Paradise Lost. A paradise should not be confused with a utopia, which is an alternate society.

Semasiology

"A Glimpse of Paradise", Ceramic art work by Armenian artist Marie Balian, Jerusalem

The word 'paradise' entered English from the French paradis, inherited from the Latin paradisus, from Greek parádeisos (παράδεισος), and ultimately from Avestan pairi.daêza-.^[1] The literal meaning of this Eastern Old Iranian language word is "walled (enclosure)",^[1] from pairi- "around" + -diz "to create, make". The word is not attested in other Old Iranian languages (these may however be hypothetically reconstructed, for example as Old Persian *paridayda-)...

The Old Iranian word eventually came to indicate walled estates, especially the carefully tended royal parks and menageries. The term eventually appeared in Greek as ho parádeisos "park for animals" in the Anabasis of the early 4th century BCE Athenian gentleman-scholar Xenophon. Aramaic pardaysa similarly reflects "royal park".

Older than these are the 6th/5th century BCE Akkadian pardesu and Elamite partetas "domain". And by the 3rd-1st century BCE Septuagint, Greek parádeisos was used to translate Hebrew gan, "garden", from which the use of "paradise" to refer to the Garden of Eden derives. This usage also appears in Arabic firdaws.

The idea of a walled enclosure was not preserved in most Iranian usage, and generally came to refer to a plantation or other cultivated area, and not necessarily walled. For example, the Old Iranian word survives in New Persian pālīz, which denotes a vegetable patch. Similarly Hebrew pardes, which means "orchard", but which probably derives from Akkadian.

The word "paradise" is cognate with the Hebrew Pardes system and mystically linked to the word pardes (Hebrew פָּרְדֵּס), meaning orchard. It occurs only three times in the Tanakh, namely, in Song of Solomon 4:13, Eccl. 2:5, and Neh. 2:8. In the first of these passages it means "garden"; in the second and third, "park."

The Zohar assumes four kinds of Biblical exegesis: "Peshat" (literal meaning), "Remez" (allusion), "Derash" (anagogical), and "Sod" (mystic). The initial letters of the words "Peshat", "Remez", "Derash", and "Sod" form together the word "PaRDeS" (Paradise), which became the designation for the fourfold meaning of which the mystical sense is the highest part.

Modern secular use

Sociology

From a sociological perspective the term paradise, as social theorist Kyle Vialli explains, is "often used to reference a society (whether it be hypothetical or otherwise) whose organizational features serve to render, and are fully calibrated towards, the harmonious luxuriating development of the psychological, physiological and creative natures of mankind. As such, a society, continent or planet so constructed, naturally provides a suitably nourishing and convivial social and educational formulae apt to bring about unconditional joy and happiness within that populace".

Implicit in this definition is a socio-political milieu characterised by a social libertarian standard; set within an appropriately pure and abundant environmental habitat from which to dwell and prosper.

Religious use

Christianity

In the New Testament, paradise refers to a paradise restored on Earth (Matthew chapter 5, verse 5 - the meek shall inherit the earth), similar to what the Garden of Eden was meant to be. However, certain sects actually attempted to recreate the garden of Eden, e.g. the nudist Adamites. On the cross, Jesus told Dismas that he would be with him in paradeisos (Luke 23:43). There are two other references to Paradise in NT: 2 Cor. 12:4 (there are things beyond human expression), and Rev. 2:7 (there is a tree of life).

In the 2nd century AD, Irenaeus distinguished paradise from heaven. In Against Heresies, he wrote that only those deemed worthy would inherit a home in heaven, while others would enjoy paradise, and the rest live in the restored Jerusalem. Origen likewise distinguished paradise from heaven, describing paradise as the earthly "school" for souls of the righteous dead, preparing them for their ascent through the celestial spheres to heaven.^[2]

Fra Angelico's Last Judgement painting shows Paradise on its left side. There is a tree of life (and another tree) and a circle dance of liberated souls. In the middle is a hole. In Muslim art it similarly indicates the presence of the Prophet or divine beings. It visually says, 'Those here cannot be depicted.'

Islam

Main article: Jannah

In the Qur'an, Paradise is denoted as "Firdous", the etymologically equivalent word derived from the original Avestan counterpart, and used instead of Heaven to describe the ultimate pleasurable place after death, accessible by those who pray, donate to charity and read the Qur’an. Heaven in Islam is used to describe the Universe. It is also used in the Qur'an to describe skies in the literal sense, i.e., above earth.

Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that God's purpose from the start, was and is, to have the earth filled with the offspring of Adam and Eve as caretakers of a global paradise. After God had magnificently designed this earth for human habitation. Also that the wicked people will be destroyed at Armageddon and that many of the righteous (those faithful and obedient to Jehovah) will live eternally in an earthly Paradise. (Psalms 37:9, 10, 29; Prov. 2:21, 22). Joining the survivors will be resurrected righteous and unrighteous people who died prior to Armageddon (John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15). The latter are brought back because they paid for their sins by their death, and/or also because they lacked opportunity to learn of Jehovah's requirements prior to dying (Rom. 6:23). These will be judged on the basis of their post-resurrection obedience to instructions revealed in new "scrolls" (Rev. 20:12). This provision does not apply to those that Jehovah deems to have sinned against his holy spirit (Matt. 12:31, Luke 12:5). ^[3][4] One of his last recorded statements before he died were the words to an evildoer hanging alongside him on a torture stake: “Truly I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise.”—Luke 23:43. But this man died that day and was buried. (John 3:13) said:"Moreover, no man has ascended into heaven but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone believing in him may have everlasting life." So he was waiting for the final ressurection of the "(Acts 24:15-16) . . .and I have hope toward God, which hope these [men] themselves also entertain, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. 16 . . .This will be during the Rule of Jesus Christ over the Earth.

Mormonism

In Latter Day Saint theology, paradise usually refers to the spirit world. That is, the place where spirits dwell following death and awaiting the resurrection. In that context, "paradise" is the state of the righteous after death. In contrast, the wicked and those who have not yet learned the gospel of Jesus Christ await the resurrection in spirit prison. After the universal resurrection, all persons will be assigned to a particular kingdom or degree of glory. This may also be termed "paradise".

References

1. ^ ^{a b} New Oxford American dictionary
2. ^ Church fathers: De Principiis (Book II) Origen
3. ^ What Does the Bible Really Teach? (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, 2005), Chapter 7
4. ^ Insight on the Scriptures (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, 1988), 783-92

source from: www.wikipedia.org

13 SECRETS OF NAPOLEON HILL

1. DESIRE
It is not accidenttal that Hill begins with desire. Success always begins
with desire.
Most people want to be successful. Wanting success is a waste of time.
Worse, it just produces frustration. Only a burning, all-consuming, fervent
and passionate desire will produce the exceptional results that make up
true success.
Wanting is best understood by its second meaning in the dictionary: lack.
To want for something is to lack something and so long as you merely
want success, you will lack success. Wanting is mere wishful thinking.
Desire, on the other hand, is an extremely potent force. It is a supreme
motivator. It is a metaphysical principle of creation.
Desire is an energetic emanation of the human spirit that enacts the law
of attraction. Desire is the metaphysical equivalent of gravity. Desire
draws to you the thing desired, or the elements that will constitute the
thing desired. Desire is the fuel that ignites the fire that transmutes
thoughts into things.
The sad truth about most people who claim to want success is that they
actually do not desire success. What they desire is comfort and security.
The path to real success often demands that you give up comfort and
security in order to gain rewards greater than mere creature comforts
and minor financial security.
For years, I wanted to be a millionaire. I wanted and wanted to no avail.
It was not until, one day, in my frustration and anger, I graduated from
wanting to truly desiring success, and, as a result, I was almost magically
catapulted into millionaire status.
It was the burning passion of fervent desire that pushed me out of my
comfort zone of mediocrity and security and empowered me to achieve
real success. It was my desire that enabled me to get past the fear of
failure and get past the frustrations of obstacles to achieve the success I
had wanted for so many years.
You must have or develop a burning passion for success. Without it, you
are highly unlikely to achieve it. Get passionate or stay home.
This is critical…your desire must be specific. It must be attached to a
clear and specific ideal, a clear and consistent thought picture of what
success means to you.
Desire is one of the ten "Ds" of super-success that I define, explain and
elaborate on in the seLFTech Success Library eBooks.
2. FAITH
Hill says, "all thoughts that have been emotionalized (given feeling
through desire) and mixed with faith, begin immediately to translate
themselves into their physical equivalent or counterpart."
What he alludes to, but does not fully explain, is that it is our beliefs
themselves that either empower us to soar to previously unimaginable
heights or chain us to the lower echelons of achievement.
Not only must you have a burning desire for a specific thought of success,
but you must also have the faith or belief that success is not only
available to you as an abstract, but it is your birthright and all you need
to do is claim it as your own and it shall be yours.
Your faith in your ideal and your faith in your right to the havingness of
this ideal is crucial to your being able to end up having it.
Most people have their faith or belief formed by the evidence of what has
already happened or been made manifest. As a result, they find it difficult
to believe in things that are not historically proven. If what has been
historically proven for the masses and for you personally (thus far) is
mediocrity, then without the belief in the potentiality of success as being
'as real as' the actuality of mediocrity, you will not be able to achieve the
imagined ideal of success.
Hill also goes on to say that autosuggestion or repeated affirmations can
enable faith and belief. He does not address the issue of core beliefs that
can, despite all affirmations to the contrary, imprison a person in lack and
limitation.
Hill, himself, was fortunate that his association with Carnegie, and the
other self-made successful people that Carnegie introduced him to,
enabled him, over time, to discard any core beliefs he may have had
about wealth or poverty and success or failure and to take on new core
beliefs. He was, in effect, brainwashed by his own research into the
principles of success so that his core beliefs became those he wrote
about.
You may have to do the same…brainwash yourself…cleanse your mind of
any limiting core beliefs you may hold so that new empowering beliefs
can be installed. How to do that is addressed in the seLFTech Success
Library. All the tools you need are there waiting for you to discover and
apply so that you may achieve the success you desire.
"Faith is," indeed, to quote Christianity's greatest salesman, Paul, "the
evidence of things not (yet) seen." Doubt can turn a molehill into a
mountain. Faith can move mountains.
Know this…there are two separate energetic vibrational outputs of human
consciousness that lead to creation, or conscious manifestation, when
they are braided together. The first is concrete, specific, repetitive,
idealized thought combined with desire (the emotionalized thought that
Hill refers to). The second is firm, profound belief in the actuality of an
ideal combined with intentionality of behavior. Have faith. It shall come to
pass.
You must have both electromagnetic braids of consciousness happening
at the same time:
Thought plus desire. Faith plus intent. This whole process of
manifestation is explained in the eBook, Creating and Living a Super
Successful Life.
3. AUTO-SUGGESTION
Hill emphasizes in this chapter, for the second time in the book, the
crucial importance of having clearly defined written goals that are
repeated, preferably out -loud to oneself throughout the day. Now he goes
further and states that it is very important to affirm one's goals and
ideals at some quiet time, such as just before falling asleep.
He may have been unfamiliar with meditation techniques or may have
been reluctant to encourage their use in a time when such things were
seen as a part of eastern mysticism and as being out-of-sync with his
obvious Christian beliefs.
Here is why the quiet time is ideal for auto-suggestion or affirmation.
When you intentionally think about, repeat and affirm your ideals, you
are planting the seeds that will grow to bear fruit. When your mind is
busy with all kinds of distracting thoughts, or worse, non-contributory or
negative thoughts, you are planting your seeds amongst an abundance of
weeds. When your mind is still and focused, you are, in effect, preparing
fresh and fertile, weed-free, ground in which to plant your thought seeds.
In addition to preparing the ideal mental ground to plant your thought
seeds, meditation also stills your mind so that intuition can be accessed,
insight can be attained and your connectivity to the absolute can be
ascertained. Since all creativity springs from the potentiality of the infinite
and absolute, it only makes practical sense to become as intimate with
the infinite as you can manage. Meditation is the well-worn and proven
method of achieving this intimacy.
Repeated affirmation of ideals and goals is highly effective. It is even
more effective when done in a meditative state. It is even more effective
when you use insight, obtained through meditation and contemplation of
self, to come to know and consciously choose which core beliefs you will
hold, discard or take on.
You are fortunate beyond measure in comparison to those who lived
when Hill originally wrote Think and Grow Rich. Not only is the ignorance
of and prejudice against meditation almost gone from the educated
people of today, there are now several advanced techniques enabled by
scientific understanding and application of brainwave states and their
relationship to mental activity.
We have all been, in a sense, brainwashed by our parents, our teachers
and our societal groupthink to hold certain expectations and certain
beliefs. Choosing to enact what Hill calls autosuggestion and affirmation is
choosing to do your own intentional brainwashing (or what Leary,
Bateson, Lilly and others have called 'meta-programming your own bio-
computer') in order to program yourself for success.
Hill proposed writing down your ideals and goals on 3x5 cards and
carrying them with you. I support this. There is something magical in
writing (not typing). Today, however, you can also record your goals,
ideals and affirmations into MP3 files and listen to them while driving,
walking or standing in line at the bank to deposit your developing wealth.
Your own voice, repeating, over and over again, your affirmations of your
ideals and goals will implant these into your subconscious tape loop that
runs in the background 24/7.
4. SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE
In this chapter of Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill goes to great
lengths to make the distinction between generalized knowledge and
specialized knowledge; and between formal education and practical
information. By citing examples of the lives of certain individuals in an
offhand manner, Hill alludes to the most important thing about
knowledge.
Here it is plainly spoken: Knowledge, by and of itself, has little, if any,
value.
You may find that shocking or, at least contrary to everything you've
been taught, but it is true. Knowledge only becomes valuable in its
application. You may have heard that knowledge is power. Wrong. It is
applied knowledge that begets power, wealth and the advancement of
humanity. The secret is in the application, not in the knowledge itself.
For years, I considered myself to be highly educated about success. I
willfully ignored the evidence of my own lack of success, considering it a
temporary aberration. Once, I really got that it is the application, not the
possession, of knowledge that produces results, I went from average to
highly successful in a matter of months.
To quote one of the wisest of teachers, Confucius:
"The essence of knowledge is, having it, to apply it;
not having it, to confess your ignorance."
Hill does point out, in the first paragraph of this chapter, that although
universities possess perhaps all of the aggregate knowledge of
humankind, professors, for the most part, although surrounded by all this
knowledge and though very knowledgeable, have themselves little or no
money; while many people of little formal education go on to produce
great wealth and great material advancements for all humanity.
He also alludes to, but does not spell out plainly, that the very best form
of specialized knowledge, that a person who desires success and wealth
can obtain, is the knowledge of how to become successful. How sad it is
to teach our children to aspire to success but not teach them how to get
it. We teach them that an education will bring them success and
happiness, but neglect to tell them what specific education that is and
further neglect to say that it is the application of the specific education
that will bring success and happiness.
Hill makes great use of the story of Henry Ford proving, in the courtroom,
that although he was uneducated, he was not ignorant, because, as he
said it, "any time I should wish to know something specific, I can simply
push a button on my desk and some person who knows the answer will
come to provide it to me."
These days, with the accumulation of information and training being as
easy as the 'click of a mouse', there is no excuse for not being successful
in any field, except that you are ignorant of the principles of success, or
for some personal perversity, refuse to apply them to your life.
5. IMAGINATION
In this chapter, Hill not only points out the role of imagination in human
development, but also makes the clear distinction between the two main
types of imagination, which he calls 'synthetic imagination' and 'creative
imagination'.
This distinction is a critical understanding. I, or others, may haven chosen
to label and explain, in our own writings, these distinctions in different
ways, but the labels do not matter. Most people, who claim to use their
imagination, are using the type Hill called 'synthetic imagination'. It is of
little use, save for personal entertainment.
The great humanistic psychologist, William James, had this to say about
the same subject:
"Many people think they are thinking when they are merely
rearranging their prejudices."
Synthetic imagination is the manipulation of effects. Creative imagination
is causal that creates effects.
All things, from the invention of writing to the invention of the Internet
came about because of the use of creative imagination. Synthetic
imagination merely, at best, can improve upon what already exists. The
bringing of new things into existence requires the use of creative
imagination.
The creation of wealth can be obtained, with diligence, through the
informed and practical use of synthetic imagination (e.g. creating a better
mouse trap), but most wealth and most advancement in human
technology comes about through the use of creative imagination.
Succinctly put, your imagination is the workshop in which you, mostly
without conscious recognition, create the results that show up in your life.
What you hold as an image in your mind is what shows up in your life.
If what you are imagining is simply a rehash of what has already occurred
or been created by others, then your results shall be limited to what has
been, not what can be. The sad, sad, sad thing that we inflict upon our
children and ourselves is the dampening of imagination. 'It is only in your
imagination,' is the common refrain. We neglect tell them or reinforce
that all great and wonderful things that exist in our world had their
genesis 'only in imagination'.
What is not recognized, honored and amplified is that it is the dreamers,
the imaginers, who go on to produce the new, the wonderful, the unique
advancements that end up creating, not only personal wealth, but greater
wealth and well-being for all humankind.
Know this: that which you imagine, expect and visualize in your internal
world is that which gets produced in your external world.
This is now been proven by the science of quantum mechanics. As has
been so expertly described by the scientific genius, David Bohm, the
explicate (or external physical reality) is, not only best understood by,
but is brought into being by, the implicate (or internal reality) of pure
consciousness and its imaginings of what is and what can be.
6. ORGANIZED PLANNING
This, in my opinion, is the weakest chapter of Hill's book. He speaks of the
need for organized planning, but skirts around the issue; instead offering
suggestions about how to get a job and writes some useless paragraphs
extolling the American way, which, in any case, no longer exists as he
describes it.
Every noteworthy or great accomplishment came about because there
was a plan.
What Hill should have done (and does do in other chapters) is point out
the need to have concrete written goals that are in harmony with one's
chosen purpose and/or ideals.
Goals are not vague aspirations like, 'I want to be rich.' They are
concrete, defined steps in the fulfillment of your personal vision or
purpose. They are a specific plan.
I am always amazed by how many people continue to refuse (through
laziness or a lack of belief in the necessity) to have clear, concise, written
goals, despite being presented again and again with the evidence that
those who do have written goals succeed and those who do not…do not.
There have been many studies about the effectiveness of having written
goals. They invariably show the same results.
95% of people who have (and daily refer to) written goals end up
accomplishing them.
95% of people who do not have written goals, do not accomplish
much of anything.
If you can read this paragraph and not have begun the process of having
written goals by the time you go to bed tonight, you should know that you
are choosing failure.
Businesses that succeed have a business plan. The business of life also
requires a plan.
When you have a plan, you know what you are about; you know when
you are on (or off) track; you can measure your progress; you can tell
others who might enroll in your vision what it is that needs doing; you can
provide leadership to all those who enroll in your plan; and most
7. DECISION
Decision is another one of the ten 'Ds' of super-success that I describe in
the Library.
Napoleon Hill says this, "Analysis of several hundred people who had
accumulated fortunes well beyond the million dollar mark, disclosed the
fact that every one of them had the habit of reaching decisions promptly,
and changing these decisions slowly, if and when they were changed at
all. People who fail to accumulate money, without exception, have the
habit of reaching decisions, if at all, very slowly, and of changing these
decisions quickly and often."
Another Napoleon, Bonaparte, says this:
"Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than
to be able to decide."
The ability to make clear, firm resolute decisions is as precious a gift as
life itself. It is what enables human beings to take control of their lives, to
rise above chance and circumstance and to chart a destiny. Those who
fail to make conscious choices may as well not have any free will, for they
squander the gift of decisiveness.
The successful and happy human being is the one in whom choice is
intentional and purposeful. Decision produces results. It can, also be said
that the failure to decide is, in itself, a decision, a decision to let your life
be governed by event and circumstance.
Decision can be called choice by design. Lack of decisiveness is choice by
default. It is also a choice. It is the decision to choose unhappiness,
mediocrity and commonality.
"There is no more miserable human being than one in whom
nothing is habitual but indecision."
— William James
Those who make decisions are the masters of their fate. Those who don't
are the servants of fate. Those who decide to become, to enact and to
have, according to their own design, are assisted by the laws of creation.
There is enormous power unleashed by a simple decision.
"Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it
happen."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
Unfortunately, many people miss the importance of the last phrase in
Napoleon Hill's first sentence in the second paragraph above, and they
treat their decisions like men treat a TV remote control, constantly
changing from one expectation to another.
Decisions should be firm; as in the following example:
"I resolve this date of (day, month, year) ________________
to do such and such and to stay the course until it is done."
Which brings us to Hill's eighth secret of success… persistence.
8. PERSISTENCE
On almost every page of my Prosperity Paradigm eZine, you will find a
very succinct formula that I like to shorten to p3=P. It is this: purpose +
passion + persistence = Prosperity.
Hill says this, "Persistence is an essential factor in transmuting desire into
its monetary equivalent." He goes on to explain that desire (passion) plus
the power of will (persistence) make an irresistible pair and almost
always end up producing wealth.
A long attention span, combined with determination, is an attribute
shared by all successful people. These days most people don't have the
attention span of a gnat. They channel surf. Their opinions change from
day to day. They cannot read anything longer than a USA Today article.
They move from fad to fad. They change from one business opportunity
to the next without ever waiting for their work to bear fruit.
Thomas Edison commented that 90% of people quit 90% of the way to
accomplishing their goals. These days it is 99% who quit a mere 20% of
the way. Those who persist, win. Those who do not, lose. That is as true
today as it was 60 years ago when Hill wrote Think and Grow Rich.
It seems that the only thing that most people have the capacity to persist
with is their bad habits of thinking and believing. Despite the
overwhelming evidence that the way they think and what they believe is
not producing the results they desire, they persist in hanging on to what
does not work.
Define your ideals, plan their enactment and persist in your plan and you
will produce results. Desire and faith (belief) are the fuel that produces
persistence. Persistence turns stumbling blocks into stepping-stones on
your pathway to success. The many perceive a molehill as an
insurmountable mountain blocking their path; the few choose to see a
mountain in their path as an opportunity to gain a vaster perspective of
their pathway forward. It is simply a matter of attitude.
Purpose plus passion plus persistence equals prosperity.
Calvin Coolidge said it clearly:
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent
will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with
talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a
proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated
derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are
omnipotent."
This is as succinct as I can say it… If you fail to persist, you will persist in
failing.
9. POWER OF THE MASTER MIND
This is my favorite chapter of the entire Think and Grow Rich book. Not
just because Hill stresses the importance of having a mastermind group
of like-minded people, but also because he clearly explains the value of
specific knowledge and that power is derived only from the direct and
purposeful application of knowledge.
The importance of brainstorming with like-minded individuals cannot be
overstated. Work groups, executive teams, board members are all the
direct recognition that the collective power of several minds working and
planning together can accomplish much more than one mind alone.
Two or more minds, working in harmony, produce a synergistic energy
that weaves a concrete reality out of purpose, vision and determination.
Harmony is not just some nicey-nice, feel-good environment. All creation
is comprised of vibration. Harmonious vibrations are creative. Discordant
vibrations are destructive. When you intentionally place yourself into a
harmonious position, you are acting in concert with the natural laws of
universal creation.
The people you hang around with are a part of your mastermind team.
Play close attention to the quality of thinking that your associates have.
Most people prefer to hang out with those who do NOT challenge them. It
is more comfortable. What do you, your friends and associates talk
about?
Below average people talk about other people, read People magazine
and, in so doing, affirm that the activities and successes of other people
are more real and more valuable than their own.
Average people talk about things, events and circumstances, watch the
nightly, network, nightmare news and, in so doing, affirm that the
conditions of the world control their success.
Above average people talk about ideas and concepts, read good books
and, in so doing, affirm that their own success is dependent upon learning
and applying the right ideas.
Super successful people talk about their own ideals and visions,
communicate about them with other super successful people, and in so
doing, affirm that their success derives from their personal power to
think, desire, believe and act with intent/purpose.
If you had the opportunity to have a group of super successful people as
your personal advisors, coaching you to become all that you were capable
of becoming, and mentoring you to achieve the fulfillment of your
potential, would you take it?
Would you follow the advice of the people who have achieved huge levels
of success, personal fulfillment and happiness in place of those who are
mired in mediocrity?
Would you like to have self-made millionaires on your mastermind team?
If the answer is yes, then obtain the seLFTech Success Library AND
information from other proven success coaches like Napoleon Hill,
Randy Gage and Harv Eker .
Study the specific knowledge of success and apply it to your life and you
will succeed.
10. TRANSMUTATION
Boy, I had a tough time with this chapter when I first read the book in my
youth. I honestly thought that, although I recognized there to be a link
between creativity and sexuality, it was mostly some old man's
rationalization for waning sexual vitality.
It was not until I studied Kundalini, the Chakras and began to understand
the true vibratory nature of creation that it became clear that what Hill
was talking about was a prime metaphysical understanding about creative
energy and how to utilize it. It was also, as he predicted, not until I had
passed my fortieth birthday that I actually began to clue into what he was
talking about.
We have, culturally, so many moralistic assumptions and beliefs about
sexual energy that we prevent ourselves from fully understanding what it
is and what it is capable of. The whole subject is so complex that several
books could be (and have been) written about the subject without fully
explaining it.
Many women today may understandably be put off by Hill's seemingly
sexist attitude. However, it is a huge mistake to miss the vital importance
of Hill's message in this chapter by dismissing his supposed prejudice
through some prejudice of one's own.
First, it should be understood that he was immersed in the culture of his
times. Second, it should not be missed that women have a greater innate
capacity to consciously use sexual energy and attractiveness to get what
they want in life and that many men need to be educated about their own
power.
Sexual energy is also closely related to charisma and charisma attracts
not only people, but wealth and power.
The drive for success is 'coincidently' often also strongest in those who
also have a high sexual drive. The truly empowered person is one who
has learned, as Hill says, to transmute much of that sexual energy into
creative energy and not squander it in vain physical pursuits.
11. THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND
It is quite clear to any reader of this chapter, who has also read Haanel's
The Master Key, that Hill draws heavily on that earlier work to formulate
his thoughts for this chapter. It was Haanel, not Hill, who gave me my
personal "ah-ha moment" about the real nature of success and its source
as being within the mind rather than in the external world. It was Haanel
that helped me become an 'overnight success' and self-made millionaire.
My modernized version of The Master Key is one of the seventeen eBooks
that make up the seLFTech Success Library. It is essential reading for
anyone who truly desires to become a successful conscious creator.
Most people have little understanding of the workings of their conscious
mind and even less understanding of the workings of their subconscious
mind. Here are the essential understandings you need to acquire:
It is the subconscious mind, NOT the conscious mind that exerts
the most control over your beliefs, thoughts and actions and thus,
your results.
The subconscious can, however, be consciously programmed and
controlled by the conscious mind.
The subconscious mind is the source of insight, intuition,
imagination and creativity.
The subconscious mind is also your direct link to the collective
subconsciousness of humanity, which also has a greater influence
on your beliefs, thoughts and actions than does your conscious
mind.
The subconscious mind is also your direct link to universal
consciousness, which is the source of all power and creativity.
Your subconscious mind is accessible only when you learn how to
still the hyper activity of the conscious mind. Meditation
techniques are the best way to accomplish this control.
To learn precisely, as I did, the make-up and use of the sub-conscious
mind, and, a step-by-step cumulative program on how to put it to its
maximum benefit, order your copy of Volume 2 of the seLFTech Success
Library which contains The Master Key and more material that will awaken
you to your power and potential, AND, allow you to finally have the
results you've been striving to attain.
12. THE BRAIN
Hill can be forgiven, I think, for mixing brain and mind together as if they
were one and the same thing. Most people still do the same thing.
However, simply because mind is evident in brain does not mean that one
is the other anymore than a glass should be confused with the water it
contains.
The attributes of the brain are quite simple. It is a mass of biological
material that permits electrochemical activity. The attributes of the mind
are quite a bit more complex.
Hill also shows, once again, his limited knowledge of brain/mind activities
and meditation techniques here. He refers again the increased frequency
of the mind/brain when creativity is engaged. Although there is some
truth to the idea that brainwave activity spikes momentarily during
periods of intense creativity, it is now pretty well understood that
creativity, insight, intuition and the so-called super-learning state come
about when brainwave activity is reduced (not increased) from the
normal Beta frequencies of 15 to 75 cycles per second (cps) to the Alpha
state frequencies of between 7 to 14 cps.
It is through the deliberate slowing down of the activities of the conscious
mind that the subconscious attributes of mind can be accessed. Deeper
meditative states like Theta, which exhibits brainwave activity of between
4 to 6 cps provide access to even deeper subconscious attributes of mind
and to the collective subconsciousness of humanity. Deeper still is the
Delta state of ½ to 4 cps, wherein the infinite universal intelligence can
be both perceived and accessed.
So, contrary to popular misconception, it is not increased brain activity
that produces great ideas or the resulting wealth; it is in reducing and
consciously controlling the specific activities of mind i.e. thought, that
produces inspiration, insight and wealth.
It is now understood that the average human has about 60,000 thoughts
per day; 99% of these are non-productive, non-contributory random
subconscious noise. The few who learn how to examine and exert control
over the thoughts that they allow to pass through mind are the ones who
attain, achieve and accomplish so much more than their fellows.
It is not the general increased vibration of mental activity as described by
Hill, but the increased frequency of specific, consciously chosen thoughts
13. THE SIXTH SENSE
This chapter is so profound that I hesitate to even comment on it. Long
before people began 'channeling' discarnate entities for their wisdom,
Napoleon Hill was having full cabinet meetings in his imagination with
men, many long dead, that he considered to be the 'wise ones'.
At one point he stopped, fearful that his imaginary meetings were
becoming more real than everyday reality. His imaginary MasterMind
mentors came to him to demand he continue his work or perish for
refusing to fulfill his destiny. And so he did. And what a great work it has
proven to be. Much of the wealth of the last half of the twentieth century
came about because of the actions taken by men and women who were
directly inspired by Napoleon Hill and Think and Grow Rich to create, not
only their own great personal wealth, but an increase in wealth and well
being for all humanity.
What Hill calls the sixth sense is your direct and intimate connection to
the infinite, ineffable universal mind, source of all that is and all that can
be. You are the channel whereby the infinite makes manifest the finite.
You are wealthy beyond measure. All you need to do is to claim your
birthright.
Think clearly, purposefully, creatively. Attach to those idealized thoughts
a passionate desire to have them made manifest. Have faith that it shall
be so. Attach to your belief the firm intent that your beingness and
actions will cause the ideals to be made real. And so it shall be.
Think and Grow Rich is a gem; it should be required reading in all
schools. Even its few errors are themselves apparent to us now these 60
years later due mostly to the advances that have come about, in great
part, to the knowledge and inspiration provided by Hill himself.
If you have not yet read Think and Grow Rich, read it now.
If you have read Think and Grow Rich, read it again NOW.
If you have read it again, memorize it.
If you have memorized it, put it into practice.
You will indeed be able to think, and grow rich…in so many ways.

CLOSING THOUGHTS
What exactly are you thinking? Why? To what purpose? What are you
desiring? What do you have faith in? Yourself and your right to wealth? To
what intent do you think what you think, say what you say, do what you
do
Here is Napoleon Hill's secret of success explained…
Clear consistent THOUGHT entwined with fervent desire,
combined with profound belief entwined with purposeful intent,
creates the results you consciously choose to have in your life.
Create an ideal, form a plan, affirm its reality and persist until it is
made manifest. Know that you are given the power to create what
you desire. Then, just do it.
"What you think about, you bring about."
— Anonymous
"The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human
being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind."
— William James
"The world we have created is a product of our thinking. It
cannot be changed without changing our thinking."
— Albert Einstein
"We are what we think. With our thoughts, we make our
world."
— The Buddha
SUMMARY
"Do you want wealth? Get the wealth consciousness."
— Charles Haanel
"Successful men and women become successful because they
acquire the habit of thinking in terms of success."
— Napoleon Hill
"Anything the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can
achieve."
— Napoleon Hill
"Think and Grow Rich."
— Napoleon Hill
Hill's closing warning (and I shall make it mine, as well)… fear is the great
destroyer. Banish fear from your life. It does not serve you in any way.
Go forward in faith; faith that you have destiny to fulfill. Fear not. There
is, after all, nothing to fear except fear itself. And it is a mere phantom, a
ghost that disappears in the light of awareness.
Please feel free to pass this eBook (or the link to it) on to your
loved ones and any who you feel might be ready for Napoleon
Hill's timeless, inspirational and motivational message.
This eBook was brought to you compliments of Leslie Fieger and
Ed Zivkovic at ezau.com.
If you want more in depth information about the true science of success,
please visit the seLFTech Success Library.
Apply The Secrets

Affirmations

Money and Finances:
I am receiving money in wonderful ways, every day.
I am a magnet for money.
Abundance flows toward me at all times, in all ways.
I connect with a constant flow of abundance.
I am so happy that I have received financial abundance.
I am so happy that I have a wonderful financial flow. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Relationships and Romance:
My conversations with others are playful, passionate, and fun.
Wonderful people are drawn to me in wonderful ways.
I am a magnet for positive people.
Positive people are bringing me positive things.
I am so happy to be in a fulfilling romantic relationship.
My romantic relationship is playful, passionate, and fun.
I constantly attract soulmates who have positive energy.
I am a magnet for loving people.
Health and well-being:
I am filled with energy and zest for life.
I am brimming over with energy.
I am full of enthusiasm and creativity.
I am so happy to have perfect health and perfect wealth.
My body overflows with vitality and health.
General:
From the father of autosuggestion Emile Coue: Every day in every way I am getting better and better!
I am receiving God’s love at all times, in all ways.
Variations: I am receiving divine love at all times, in all ways.
I am receiving positive energy at all times, in all ways.
Every moment is a miracle, every breath is love.
I give thanks for today’s miracles. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Tweaks to add to the beginning or end of your affirmation:
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
(Gratitude helps you to receive more abundance.)
“……quickly, easily, effortlessly.”
(Example: “I am drawing money to me quickly, easily, effortlessly.” Adding these words helps lighten the emotional tone of your affirmation and pulls you out of feelings of struggle.)
Thanks for reading my Affirmations Cheat Sheet! Feel free to adapt these affirmations and add to them. I’ve had excellent results with all of these affirmations over the years. They are now yours to play with!

How to gift the perfect gold earrings this season

Here's a secret that most men don't know: women love gold earrings! This is one piece of jewelry that can enhance her good looks dramatically and instantaneously. You see, sparkling gems, precious metal and lovely pearls in earrings brighten the face and work wonders for the neck and cheekbones. Which woman can resist that? The bad news is that the wrong pair could land you in deep trouble. Goes without saying, doesn't it?

Selecting the right pair of gold earrings The right pair of gold earrings is a woman's favorite fashion accessory because it lends itself to all occasions. For example, even the tried, tested and reinvented gold hoops look wonderful regardless of what is worn with them. But some women just don't like hoops. In that case, there are literally thousands of styles out there that can flatter their particular jaw line, neck and face.

If it hasn't dawned on you yet, then here it is in black and white: the gold earrings you select for your sweetheart has to suit her face, her skin tone and her hair. Here's a clue: If she has an angular face, go for round hoops. If she has sharp features, angular gold earrings will emphasize her features. An oval face can pull off anything. Hoops are a great choice. For a round face, select something longish and dangling, like long chains embellished with tiny gems. A square face and chunky earrings do not gel well. A longish face needs something round and small, or else the earrings will add to the length of the face.

Size and color matter a lot when you are buying gold earrings for a woman. A small woman cannot carry off an overly large earring. Similarly, a woman of generous proportions would dwarf dainty earrings. Women with warm skin tones look good in yellow gold while cool skin tones can carry off white gold very well. White gold is recommended if the design has gems embedded in it.

Now that you know how to select the right shape and size for your sweetheart, let us take a look at some of the most popular styles in gold earrings. Some of these styles are evergreen and need to be a part of every woman's jewelry chest.

Hoops: These are an all-time favorite. They are also making a huge comeback. So, if your girlfriend does not have a pair, this pair will make the ideal gift this Valentine's. Pure gold hoops are sophisticated and they look rich without becoming overpowering, in any way.

If you want to get her something spectacular, you can choose one of the tiered gold earrings. These dangle delicately and their precious little gems catch the light and reflect it lovingly on the face. These are great for casual wear. Luminous pearls in an elegant gold setting are another classic buy for any girl.

Gold earrings are a great investment in your love life. They stand for timeless beauty and unbeatable quality. With the right pair, you can fill your love with delight and she'll remember you every time the earrings rest on her delicate lobes!

Love Quotes Scarves in New Spring Colors

Love Quotes scarves have only been on the market for a little over a year and have already hit the high end scarf market. They have conquered the celeb market with almost every celeb having one. Names such as Sienna Miller, Fergie, Jessica Alba and Lindsay Lohan to name a few are sporting these scarves and they are a hit among real women as well. The Spring 2009 line of scarves from Love Quotes has several new hot shades and colors. Keep reading to find out all the best colors and where you can purchase them.

Some of the colors in the spring 09 line of Love Quotes scarves are designed to be transitional pieces which can be used for spring and winter as well. Colors such as Marina and Cocoshell in particular can be worn in both spring and winter. The Marina shade is a toned shade of blue and a great purchase as multiple uses can be got from this item. The Hills star, Lauren Conrad has this particular color in her wardrobe. Cocoshell was chosen by other celebs such as Cameron Diaz. This is a great neutral shade of dusty brown which can compliment many outfits.

The dusty pastels are some of the best spring colors. There are several of those shades available in the Love Quotes line. Some of these are Lagoon and Solar. Lagoon is a dusky light blue shade which compliments black, white and shades of gray perfectly. Solar is a light yellow and is a shade that can carry to the summer months. It is ideal for casual getups like jeans and t-shirts/tank tops. Hilary Duff famously wears her Solar scarf this way and even has a Love Quotes Jeep, a dusty green shade, which is fabulous. This is paired with black, beige, camel and khaki outfits perfectly.

Spring cannot be spring without some of the brighter colors and Love Quotes caters to these perfectly. There is Love which is a bright red worn by Shanae Grimes from the CW's 90210. She paired the Love scarf with a black and white tee and gray leggings for a smashing look. Lime Ice is another color seen on actress Rachel Bilson and this has been a big color for 2009. Bright shades of lime green will get attention and add pizzaz to any outfit. With a little daring Valencia can be the perfect color for you in a bright but beautiful orange.

If neutrals are more your style do not be discouraged. Love Quotes has catered to this as well There are Love Quotes scarves in Yoga and Beach. Yoga has been worn by Lauren Conrad and Rachel Bilson and Beach the color of sand is great for casual looks paired with off whites for a unique look.

Internet Network Marketing Secret Tool To Stay In Touch With Your Leads

So you have generated leads online or possibly purchased network marketing leads. The next step is to create a marketing funnel that keeps in contact with these prospects. You can achieve this by using the secret tool most network marketers do not use: an auto-responder.

An auto-responder gives the opportunity to setup a group of automated e-mails that go out to your prospects over a period of time. At the same time you can create some broadcast e-mails whenever you come across something that you feel would provide value for your followers.

In your messages you can share tips, book reviews about network marketing and other information that would be of use to them. I know one network marketer that creates many videos on network marketing topics and then sends an e-mail to his list with the title and link to the video. Another network marketer sends e-mails with the topic of their new blog post where he provides useful tips.

The auto-responder gives you the opportunity to build rapport with your followers while at the same time marketing valuable tools to them that would benefit them. In this way you can also generate compensation for your work. Just don't send an e-mail with sales pitches because people will unsubscribe from your list.

As you are building a relationship with them you want to engage the prospect so that they contact you.

An auto-responder is a very powerful tool when you learn how to follow-up with your prospects by providing them valuable information and building a relationship with them.

How To Make Easy Money Online For FREE

Learn How You Can Start Making Easy Cash Online For Free Instantly

If you are looking for a reliable way to make some easy cash or even a nice side income online for FREE then you have come to the right place. How can you be sure of this? Because I am about to reveal to you two of the best methods for making a ton of cash online without having to spend a dime. I'll even reveal to you how you can start earning a 6 figure income using an incredibly simple technique. Are you read to make some money? Ok then, let's get down to business...

Earn Money By Filling Out Simple Offers

The best way to start making a ton of cash without having to spend any money is by using CashCrate. This website is entirely FREE to join and allows you to earn hundreds of dollars every single month just by filling out simple offers.

CashCrate is number 1 when it comes to "get paid to" money making opportunities because it offers an unbeatable service. There are over 20k members already raking in easy cash as we speak and hundreds more are joining each and every day.

Don't believe me? Click here to visit the official website and then head on over to the forums to see people posting pictures of their big fat checks!

It's ok if you don't want to take advantage of this opportunity because you don't want to earn easy money online. But if you like the idea of making a ton of cash without really having to do anything then you should definitely check CashCrate out.

What do you have to lose? Click the link below to get started right this instant.

Earn Easy Cash Now!

Earn Quick Cash By Uploading Files

The second method for making easy money online for free is by uploading files. All you need to do in order to make money using this method is to upload whatever files you want which are under 100 mb at Uploading.com.

After doing this you will receive $10 for every 1000 unique downloads that you receive. This may seem like a lot but those 1000 downloads will go by in no time if you post on forums, create YouTube videos, or even write free articles which link back to your enticing free download.

Click Here to visit the official Uploading.com website and learn more about this effortless method of earning money online.

The Easiest Way To Earn A 6 Figure Income Online

What kind of lifestyle would you lead if you were able to make a 6 figure income online? It would be pretty nice, right?

It is a lot more realistic than you think. How? By using a method of affiliate marketing called "The Conduit Method", it is possible to easily achieve a 6 figure income online by taking advantage of the hard work done by others.

Instead of slaving away and working for the publishers, the publishers will essentially be working for you once you begin using this method. This truly is the simplest way of making a ton of cash on the internet.

However, this product isn't free. Guess what though? It is only $15! For only $15 you get a product that offers a no-nonsense take on making money online. There are products in the make money online market that are 10x the amount of The Conduit Report which offer less than half the value this one.

Seriously, how could you choose a few fast food meals over a life changing opportunity? Click the link below if you would like to learn how to make a 6 figure income online the easiest way possible.

Buy New Found Financial Freedom, Not A Cheeseburger

(You do want to make money online, right?)

Does the Truth Help or Hurt Relationships?

Remember how your relationship was in the very beginning?

You stayed up all night talking about everything - your dreams and desires and even the things that scare or embarrass you. But then, as the relationship went a long, you stopped talking about so much. Everything became so heavy and meaningful.

In the beginning, things were great. There was a level of trust and open communication that created intimacy and understanding. So, what happened to that? Where did it go and how can you get it back?

I used to try to protect my partner from those heavy, bad moods and ugly thoughts. I went to my room and hung out until I felt like socializing again.

I thought I was noble in my ability to control what came out of my mouth.

I thought I was kind because I never let on what I was thinking.

But what I was doing was ruining my relationships. There was no relationship. I was cutting myself off from others and never allowing them to know me. They never knew what I was thinking or feeling or needing.

I was an island. A very lonely island.

I really thought that if I let people know the ugly thoughts, not only would they be hurt - but they would probably become angry and disown me - betray me, talk shit behind my back. I would be the outcast.

So I beat them to the punch! Hah! I'd banish myself to my own room (or apartment, as I got older). I'd banish myself to silence.

You can either have a N.I.C.E. (Not Interested in Connecting Emotionally) relationship... where you hide what is true out of fear. Or you can have an alive, real relationship with intimacy, compassion and understanding.

Some people withhold from their partner and add an extra zinger -- they put on a show of pain and discomfort in order to punish them. It's an effort to communicate just how much pain they're in. But none of it's verbalized. It's a show of the pain.

When you start keeping secrets and withholding,.. when you cut off the sharing of life force between you,... you're cutting off the intimacy in your relationship. Even if you think you're protecting your partner from painful or embarrassing thoughts - it's still destroying your relationship.

Relationships require sharing... both our dreams and desires along with our doubts and fears.

What are you feeling and what needs of yours are being met or not? ...

I'm happy because my need for support in keeping our home is being met.

I'm disappointed because my need for partnership isn't being met in the way we're handling our finances.

I'm sad because my need for connection isn't being met when you're out with your friends every evening.

You can find out more about this style of intimate communication, along with other advice on building healthy, intimate relationships, at our website: www MagicRelationship dot com.

Another tip: when you offer your feelings and needs, it's best to follow them with a request. If you offer them without a request, your partner won't know why you're giving them the information.

Do you want to be just heard?

Do you want advice?

Do you want to come up with a strategy for meeting your needs? Why the heck are you telling me this?

Often, a comment without a request will be taken as blame... which will lead to fixing, fighting or fleeing. Don't leave your poor partner hanging.

Paul and I recommend asking, "Would you tell me what you heard me say?" (Avoid saying 'could'- it implies they aren't intelligent enough to repeat you. And avoid saying "What did I say?" because what you said and what they heard are two different things.)

And one more tip: don't think that little behaviors are enough to be warranted as 'sharing feelings and needs.' Fixing your honey a cup of coffee in the morning is very sweet, but it may not communicate your feelings of love and contentment like actually verbalizing the information. "I love you so much", PLUS the cup of coffee goes much further.

Frowning and throwing around the bed covers while you make the bed may not adequately communicate your feelings and needs, either.

Instead, say: "I'm feeling disappointed because my need for support around the house isn't being met. Would you be willing to discuss a way to help that would also meet your needs?"

There's no room for misinterpretation there.

Try it out this holiday season: make a pact with your beloved to share absolutely ALL your feelings and needs for one day - the good, the bad and the ugly. Then follow the information with a request.

Be prepared to spend some time processing and discussing those feelings and needs as they come up.

However, try to avoid getting into BLAMING and 'FAULT' behind the feelings and needs. That tends to end up in a free-for-all about evaluations and judgments - who's right and who's wrong. Try to stick with feelings, needs and requests.

Try to do this on a day when you'll have the time.

You won't want to get cut off because you have to run to pick up the kids right when you're getting to the heart of an issue that's snuck up silently between you.

You're going to want to stay and hold each other and talk it through... and feel the intimacy of clearing out all of those old, crusty feelings and unmet needs that have been clogging the flow of love.

And, again, you can find out more about this style of intimate communication for relationships, at our website - www MagicRelationship dot com - a along with advice on building healthy relationships.

The Power Of Action Learning

I learned recently about The Freedom Class, a laptop seminar with Tim Brocklehurst.

He claims that with just 2 days, he can set you up with your own Internet Business set to earn over $66,000 in eight months - and over $100,000 in a year.

The theory is based around the phenomenon of exponential growth, and there are numerous examples of people who have experienced it using effective viral marketing on The Internet.

Viral marketing, it seems, is key to the success of any Internet business. None of the big names online currently would be nearly as successful if not for viral marketing.

So now, it seems, the whole world is trying to create viral effects to grow their businesses with. Some are succeeding, but many more fail.

So what is it about The Freedom Class, and Tim Brocklehurst, that makes me think there could be something in learning about it this way?

Well, for one thing, the method of learning is intriguing. Tim is using something called "Action Learning" to conduct these classes. Action Learning is a way of learning something by 'doing' it.

On these classes, the participants will bring their own laptops and go through the process of uploading products for sale and giving them an affiliate back-end so that others can sell them too.

Then, they will be giving them a viral boost on the front-end using Tim's own tried and tested viral software, MVS.

His users have had spectacular results with this membership site software. It brings together a wide array of tried and tested viral seeds, triggers and motivators to reach further and get more sign-ups than a normal site could on its own.

Another factor which is sure to help the success of participants, is the mastermind group formation.

Tim is issuing questionnaires to all participants from which a chart of their natural strengths and weaknesses can be drawn. He has identified 5 key skills which everyone possesses with varying degrees, but which are important for Internet Marketing success.

By partnering up with others on the course who have complementary skills, it seems reasonable to expect that useful teams will be made, which can work effectively and achieve more individually than they could on their own.

Overall, I like this course. For one thing, its good to see a recognized marketer getting out and showing us, rather than hiding behind the Internet.

For Further Details: The Action Freedom Secret

Animal doc in demand for serious, weird surgeries

Michael Pavletic has removed a butcher knife from a dog's stomach and tumors from tiny mice. He's performed plastic surgery on injured hawks.

But he draws the line at giving canines body piercings or fat cats liposuction. "That's just not what I do," said the longtime head of surgery at Boston's Angell Animal Medical Center.

The 58-year-old surgeon is known as a pioneer in reconstructive animal surgery and is so skilled at saving severely sick and injured animals he is sought out by worried pet owners from around the world. Pavletic has cared for thousands of animals, including a dog that swallowed an engagement ring right before the wedding, a cat needing a face reattached and a gorilla that required reconstructive surgery on a finger.

He's removed bullets from puppies, performed dental work on wolves, and even tended to snakes with throat problems.

"I've been doing surgery for 30 years and there are very few things I haven't seen," Pavletic said just before going into surgery to remove stones from a cat's bladder.

In the past, animals with very serious injuries may have simply been euthanized to avoid life long pain and because surgical techniques on some injuries had yetto be developed. But advancements in medicine coupled with pets becoming more a part of families have increased the demand for serious animal surgeries.

"If it wasn't for him, my cat wouldn't be alive," said Kristin Gagnon, of Hanson.

Four years ago, Gagnon's Siamese kitten, Max, burned his palate to the bone after chewing an electrical cord. Pavletic reconstructed Max's palate by taking a graft from inside the cat's lip. "What a fantastic job he did," Gagnon said. "He's the only surgeon who could have done this."

For Pavletic, his love for animals started with sick birds and a terrier mutt nam Tiger.

As a 6-year-old in Illinois, Pavletic tried to save injured wild birds by giving them water, food and a little attention. It rarely worked. And he was inseparable from his grandparents' terrier until the dog was killed by a neighbor's car.

But he began his journey into animal surgery after finshing veterinary school at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana in 1974.

As an intern at Angell, Pavletic came across a cat named John Glenn that had a tumor on his face. At the time, veterinarians couldn't remove such tumors from animals while also closing the wound using conventional methods. avletic turned to an older human reconstructive surgery textbook that suggested a simple skin flap might do the trick. He took what was a routine technique in human surgery and tailored the procedure for a cat. It worked.

"My interest in surgery grew from there," he said.

Pavletic held teaching positons at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Tufts University in North Grafton, Massachusetts, and over the years developed more than 40 surgical techniques. He also authored a textbook, "Atlas of Small Animal Reconstructive Surgery," that is about to go into its third
edition.

He returned to Angell in 1988 as head of surgery. That's when the fun started and his reputation grew as a healer of the strangest afflictions. The hospital began seeing oddball cases.

Once there was a dog with severe stomach pains. Pavletic's team found that the dog had swallowed a pair of red panties. They didn't belong to the dog's female owner.

"I don't know what happened to that marriage," said Pavletic.

Another time a family brought in their recently deceased goldfish and asked the team to perform an MRI to determine why it died. The cause: old age.

There was the case of the Labrador retriever who suddenly stopped\ urinating midway. After various tests, Pavletic discovered that the dog had a pellet stuck in its penis. The bullet had somehow moved down from its bladder after the dog was shot by an unknown assailant. Pavletic surgically removed it - delicately.

And while the injuries Pavletic sees may seem a bit weird, so are requests by some pet owners who confuse animal reconstructive surgery with superficial cosmetic plastic surgery. Over the years, Pavletic has fielded inquiries about dogs getting diamond studs in ears and cats getting liposuction.

"I tell them no," he said.

Nick Trout, an Angell surgeon and author of "Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing and Hope in My Life as an Animal Surgeon," said Pavletic has been a "great mentor" to many aspiring animal surgeons, Trout included, and has always been accessible to veterinary students.

"We see a lot of people who come here specifically to hang out with him and learn from him," Trout said.

Pavletic said laughter is key to any animal surgeon's health, especially when you come across cases of animals that have been purposely injured by humans.

"You have to keep a sense of humor in this business," he said.

"If you don't, you'll either leave it or go insane."

Don't underestimate the global crisis: Sultan

fSri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, a candidate in the upcoming presidential elections, reminded the government on Thursday not to underestimate the current global economic crisis.

His rationale was based on the fact that, as in the Asian economic crisis of the late 1990s, the hardest hit countries will be those with lax regulations.

"Instead of disregarding it, we should have become paranoid because of that," Sri Sultan said at a seminar titled the "National Way Out from the Crisis" in Cirebon on Thursday.

Noted businessman Ciputra, marketing expert Hermawan Kartajaya and politician Enggartiasto Lukito also spoke at the seminar.

Ciputra disclosed that, in order to prevent being seriously affected, there must be an entrepreneurial spirit among the nation's working class community.

"It will be the entrepreneurial spirit which will free Indonesia from the crisis. Such a spirit will be able to help Indonesia settle problems of poverty and joblessness," he said.

Sri Sultan said that the current crisis must be used as an opportunity for Indonesia to review its national economic and political strategy by prioritizing a working agenda and putting an emphasis on self-reliance and the nation's dignity.

"The 2009 election can be used to gain momentum to get out of the crisis," he said.

According to him there are many reasons why Indonesia should be optimistic about its position in the crisis, including its abundant natural resources.

"Indonesia has over 17,000 islands which are rich in mineral resources. It has incredible marine resources and also vast forested lands. All of them should have enabled the country to stand side by side with other nations," he said.

Sri Sultan also underlined the need for the government to make tough policies, free from foreign intervention, to prevent the country from sinking in the crisis.

The government, he said, has also made a drastic reorientation of its development on domestic strength. "The government should be willing to protect its domestic products, reduce dependence on imports, especially agricultural, plantation and marine products," he said.

"Instead, we should be self-reliant and be able to become a major exporter of such products," he added.

Meanwhile, Ciputra said that, in order to create creative entrepreneurs, the Indonesian education model should be renewed.

He criticized the national education model, which emphases memorization of facts. "Education should teach creativity. From there entrepreneurship spirit will arise...entrepreneurs who are ready to compete and create job opportunities to get rid of poverty and improve welfare," he said.

Ciputra said that a country is wealthy when it has entrepreneurs amounting up to 2 percent of its total population. Compared to Singapore, Indonesian entrepreneurialism has been left far behind.

"In 2007 alone, Indonesia had only 400,000 entrepreneurs, while ideally it should have reached 4.4 million," he said.

Students make dreams happen

Education

(Cortesy of BIS)

What happens when a small group of International Baccalaureate students get together to talk about how they can respond to some of the needs in their community?

A school for children in need – that’s what happens.

The British International School’s IB CAS team, which first proposed the idea of building the school, won top honors in the UNESCO-DaimlerChrysler Mondialogo School Contest in Rome in November 2006, for coming up with the best initiative in social activism.

The idea has also attracted some very important partners: 15 like-minded students at a partner school in Trento, Italy, who helped raise funds for school supplies, and enthusiastic activists here in Indonesian who belong to mAAN, the Modern Asian Architecture Network.

David Sagita and Felicia Djajadi, young architects with a strong social mission, assisted students in the design stages. They came to BIS every Friday week after week to oversee the students as they drew sketches, added details to their plans and constructed cardboard models of what they hoped might pass for a school!

Then Mr. Ahmed Djuhara, internationally renowned architect and mAAN member, joined the students, giving generously of his time and expertise to ensure the rough sketches and models could become a reality.

Djuhara helped transform the students' models into a computer-aided design of the school. At that moment the students knew, their ideas could work!
The project received financial support from Daimler-Chrysler of Indonesia. Mr Wim Ekel, Senior Officer, Corporate Communications and Mr. Yuniadi Hartono, Deputy Director Marketing and Communication, encouraged the students when they visited to see how their ideas were progressing.

The easy-to-assemble structure was erected first at BIS before it was taken on a flatbed truck to the intended site where the real work would begin: supporting basic education for some of Jakarta’s children in need.

But even at this stage of the school building project, every BIS high schooler on the team could place their hand on the school and say, “I had a part in this. I can help make things better.”

(Ankush Sharda wrote this piece while he was in year 12 at British International School. He is currently reading accounting and finance in Berkeley Universities US)

Making a choice for a school

What is the right school for my child? A lot of parents are struggling with this question and as educator and parent I have experienced that parents tend to keep on assessing schools and bringing up this issue. Thus, an interesting topic to discuss!

We all agree that the choice of a school is important. Everyone is looking for good quality schools for the best price. Harder is it to answer the question: "What is good quality?" If we examine this question, everyone will come up with a different answer.

For some, quality is found in the academic achievement of a school, for others it is the school's facilities and then there are parents who say that a school is a good school when the communication between school and parents is effective and responsive. I think it is safe to conclude that all of these aspects (and more) are important indicators for good quality. Nevertheless, agreeing on what is quality is tough.

Consequently, when defining quality is hard, how do parents choose a school? Research on school choice is extensive and shows that most parents choose a school because it is located near to home.

Other aspects that are mentioned are, for example: the curriculum of the school and factors as "Is the curriculum self built by the school or is it part of a bigger network?", "Is the curriculum/school accredited by an independent organization?", etcetera. Especially, this last question gives important information on the results of the school in relation to other schools. This is a more or less independent and abstract quality measurement.

Strangely overseen is the fact that a school is a learning institute. In other words, the "product" of a school is the learning that is taking place within the classroom and the school.

Most researchers agree that learning in schools should get a holistic approach. Which means that learning is not only about knowledge, but also about applying that knowledge and combining knowledge and skills to understand processes and developments in the world outside school. Only focusing on knowledge (academics) is selling your child short. Especially in the hi-tech world we are living in today, where the amount of knowledge is extensive and a lot of it is fluid. Accordingly, combining knowledge and skills to gain understanding are all three equally important elements of the learning triangle.

Subsequently, research demonstrates that, as the result of upbringing, heredity and environmental differences, people preferentially take in and process information in different ways.

There is also the idea that people use different intelligences to learn new and consolidate old information (refer to Howard Garner and others). Thus, we can conclude that every person learns and develops her or his talents and skills differently. It is evident that a school, being a learning institute, should accommodate these differences to their school population.

Having a complex process as learning as the core business results in lots of different schools and learning-cultures. Parents having to choose a school are therefore facing a challenge. Recommended is to look for the best match between the child and the school's learning culture.

Some questions that might help to find out if the school is the best match are: "Can I see evidence of learning taking place in the school?", "What is the learning approach of the school?" and "How does the school find out the specific learning needs and learning styles of my child?"

Children are resilient and most will adapt to their school environment cheerfully, and being happy is an important ground for learning! Nevertheless, as a parent it is also important to look beyond that joy and choose a school that understands the holistic concept of learning in relation to your child's specific learning.

-The writer has a PhD in Educational Sciences and works at Partners in Educational Development, Jakarta. She can be reached at: educational.development@hotmail.com.