The Empty Vessel

Spirituality Information – Journey In The Fields Of Forever ( Part 54 )

Wed, 05 May 2010 15:38:33 +0000

By: John Harricharan

The long, lazy days of summer rolled on ever so slowly into autumn. The short island vacation seemed far removed from today’s reality. I hadn’t seen Marla or Gideon in a while and was busy with a number of projects, working against looming deadlines. Also, there were distended piles of correspondence to deal with.

I missed Marla and Gideon and wished that there was some way to stay in touch more regularly. Even though they exhibited a degree of enlightenment beyond my comprehension and seemed to possess abilities and talents far surpassing my understanding, I had begun to think of them as just two wonderful, extraordinary friends who were totally ordinary to me. This is how it seems to work. We are a reflection of those we associate with. Run with jackals and you assume the lifestyle and thinking of jackals. Associate with lions and you will mirror their strength and grace.

Never did Marla and Gideon jump in to solve all my problems. Many times they didn’t even participate in the solution at all. But I knew that they were nearby cheering forme, encouraging my efforts, suggesting alternate actions and comforting me when it all seemed to fall apart, as it had done so many times in the past. They had become, perhaps, two of my closest friends.

I’d often wondered whether others were as fortunate as I to have a Gideon and Marla. Once, when I brought up the subject, Gideon assured me that each person has friends in other areas of the universe who were as close or closer than their earthly, human friends. We hadn’t discussed it at length, but I had made a mental note to ask him to tell me more about this type of communication.

I do not remember taking any definite steps to find Gideon and Marla. As I recall, it was Gideon who found me and then later I was introduced to Marla. But even so, I recalled the old saying, “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” I even went a step further, saying, “when the teacher is ready, the master will appear.”I imagine we should be ready to welcome our Gideons and Marlas whenever they arrive. However,the choice is ours. We don’t have to receive them into our lives. Some individuals are afraid of such experiences. Most people are scared of what they do not understand; and when they are scared, they become angry.

To read the rest of the story visit http://www.spiritual-simplicity.com

Lecturer, entrepreneur and MBA business consultant, John Harricharan is the author of the award-winning book, “When You Can Walk on Water, Take the Boat.” Spiritual Simplicity The Real Secret

Top Five Ways To Use Your Extra Kidney

Wed, 05 May 2010 15:38:10 +0000

By: Dr Andrew Impey

Like it or not, Reality TV Shows seem to be everywhere. Unless you are a TV pariah you will have no doubt experienced the joys of such shows as “Big Brother”, “There’s Something about Miriam”, “Lapdance Island” and “Space Cadets”.

The latest addition to this list of mind boggling reality shows is BNN’s “The Big Donor Show” to be aired on Friday the 1st of June for Dutch viewers. The 80 minute show invites viewers to send in their advice and opinions to help a critically ill woman choose the best possible recipient of her kidney from among 3 contenders.

Though the show’s concept has been ridiculed and declared unethical by many political parties, kidney specialists and donor authorities, BNN’s chairman is protecting the show and its concept, saying: “The chance for a kidney for the contestants is 33%. This is much higher than that for people on a waiting list”.

This is all in very poor taste, but this being the least of our concerns, we’ve come up with our top five things to do with your spare kidney. After all, everyone’s got one.

Top five ways to use your extra kidney

Sell it. The black market trade in organs, especially kidneys, is burgeoning. Dodgy backstreet doctors will relieve you of your spare organ for a tasty wad of cash, but be careful about where you go. It’s much better to use the organ pirates of Brazil, where you could earn up to $10,000, than the bandits of Baghdad who’ll only offer a meagre $1,400.

Eat it. You’re carrying around your very own main course and you won’t even put on any weight by eating it. We can only find one reported instance of a man eating a human kidney, although it’s bound to have happened before. A member of the British military was sent the smuggled kidney of an executed Chinese prisoner as a birthday prank. He did the only reasonable thing: marinated it in a cream bechamel sauce with a tomato paste. By all accounts it was delicious.

Use it as a dowry. If you simply can’t get rid of a troublesome daughter then your extra kidney could be your saviour. An increasingly common practice in south and west India is to sell off a kidney in order to pass on your daughter. According to medical anthropologist Lawrence Cohen, parents can no longer complain about being unable to raise a dowry. “Haven’t you got a spare kidney?”

Make kidney stones. A handy way to avoid months of agonising post-op pain and a lifetime of single kidney-dom is to keep your kidneys in their rightful place and turn your attentions to growing kidney stones. All you have to do is pee them out and sell them on. One of William Shatner’s stones recently sold for a mammoth $25,000. Nice work if you can get it.

Transplant it. Probably the only legal method to get rid of an unwanted kidney is simply, give it to someone else. Preferably someone who’s going to use it as a kidney and not as an ornamental paper weight.

Just to make it clear before any of you rush off to your local backstreet butcher to start making your organs pay please, please, please don’t. Having a kidney removed will really hurt. A lot. And you’ll spend the rest of your life in fear that your one remaining kidney will die of loneliness, leaving you right up the Loop of Henle.

Andy worked for four years studying ducks (no stop laughing, he really did). He went into his PhD thinking he was going to save the world (albeit from ducks) and now spends him time lovingly preening Null Hypothesis, the Journal of Unlikely Science!

All Eyes on Paathshala Movie

Wed, 05 May 2010 15:37:37 +0000

By: MovieJini

Big Pictures’ forthcoming release ‘Paathshala’ is evoking great response already! The trailer of the film which was showcased along with the recently released ‘Karzzzz’ is getting rave reviews from all the spheres. The latest figures also suggest that it is amongst the most popular promos and ranked among the top viewed and reviewed ones on all leading websites. Incidentally the trailer has also been viewed over 30000 times on one of the leading Bollywood news web portals.

An avid movie watcher and a music teacher with a leading school in the city, Shruti Agarwal is all gung ho about the movie promo, “’Paathshala’ seems like a promising movie and from the look of it I am sure it is going to be a wonderful film. I am looking forward to it as I am eager to watch all the brilliant child artists coming together in a film”.

A Trade Analyst, Taran Adarsh says, “The most interesting thing that caught my attention from the first look of ‘Paathshala’ is its uniqueness and of course the title itself. Looking at the trailer I can surely say that every kid will enjoy this film, I feel that the combination of Shahid and Nana will add their own charm. Ahmed & Shaira as producers will definitely come out with a film which will make a lot of impact; the year 2009 will start with a bang called ‘Paathshala’.”

The film stars Shahid Kapur and Nana Patekar in pivotal dynamic roles supported by Ayesha Takia, Sushant Singh, Swini Khare (of Cheeni Kum fame), Dwij Yadav (Nanhe Jaiselmer), Ali Haji (Fanaa) and Avika Gor (Balika Vadhu). The movie has been produced by Shaira Khan and directed by award winning director Milind Ukey. Milind has been an Associate Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali on two of his reputed projects ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ and ‘Khamoshi – The Musical’. His Marathi feature film ‘Devaki’ has won 27 awards including Best Director and Best Film.

‘Paathshala’ is slated for release in January 2009.

Big Pictures is a Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group company and are the leading distributors, watch out this space for the latest news, reviews, previews, music launch, photo galleries, movie trailers and more…..

Crop Circles – Natural Portals to Freedom

Wed, 05 May 2010 15:37:36 +0000

By: Keith Varnum

Release trauma, drama and karma

Crop circles are natural emotional and physical stargates—doorways to spiritual awakening, according to researchers from around the globe. In this country, experiments conducted by Keith Varnum of “The Dream Workshops” have shown these elegant markings in crops provoke deep emotional memories in people of who they really are. Mr. Varnum has discovered that these precise patterns trigger recognition of ancient, archetypal symbols that catalyze profound transformation in people.

These symbols can be used to free people’s minds from conditioning and limitation.

Dream Workshop participants create labyrinths patterned after crop circle formations. The vortex energy of upward movement generated in these labyrinths releases inner blocks that free the mind, body and soul. When crop circle shapes are walked as labyrinths, a powerful shift occurs in the walker’s DNA, cellular structure, body vitality and spiritual awareness. The dynamic flow of life force generated in crop circle patterns releases stuck energy, trauma, drama and karma. The electro-magnetic forces emanating from these circles can also be used as a gateway to parallel dimensions, revealing potent secrets about the Living Earth and the true consciousness of the physical universe.

Crop circles are geometric formations of great beauty and power that appear mainly in grain crops. Over 5,000 such agriglyphs (agri = agriculture, glyph = picture) have presented themselves in over 40 countries since the first sighting was recorded in a 17th century woodcut. These striking patterns also appear in snow, ice, sand, stone, grass, sunflowers, potatoes, sugar cane, rice paddies, fruit orchards and even tree tops. These Earth markings of mandalas, spirals, pentagrams, double helixes and fractals display a mathematical precision that seems to be beyond the realm of human capability. The most spectacular and frequently reported circles are in England along the St. Michael’s ley line, which encompasses Stonehenge, Avebury and Silbury Hill, the ancient environs of King Arthur and The Round Table.

People who have eaten the seeds from plants in crop circles report experiencing deep, total body vibrations, extreme heat in the solar plexus, energy pouring out of the hands and dramatic spiritual awakening.

Theories abound concerning who or what creates these mysterious formations, ranging from energy ley lines and plasma vortex atmospheric conditions to alien spacecraft. The attempt to “explain away” crop circles with a “natural” explanation of ley lines or atmospheric effect by plasma vortexex, begs the question since both ley lines and atmospheric vortexes are the natural expression of the consciousness of Mother Earth, Gaia. The Gaia approach is a holistic, all-encompassing way of looking at earth phenomena in terms of the Planet Earth being a vital, living being which is self-protective and self-adaptive to its own environmental stresses, much the same way an organism or an animal would respond to external and internal stimuli. To native, indigenous, tribal peoples—and ancient advanced civilizations, the Earth is a living, breathing, thinking, organism, interacting and inter-relating with all living matter and beings.

Many researchers have embraced Gaia awareness as a meaningful explanation of crop circles.

The Earth is now undergoing a realignment. It can no longer support the anti-life tendencies and continuous disregard the human populations have shown, and seeks to readjust all forms of consciousness to its new directive. From this point of view, crop circles are a “spiritual nudge” which is designed to awaken us to our larger context and milieu, which is none other than our collective Earth soul.

Transformative Effects of Crop Circles

For decades through out the world, ordinary people have reported remarkable, extra-normal experiences while standing in crop circles:

Spontaneous physical healings

Intense energy surges thru the body

Time slippage and mystical visions

Transcendent spiritual openings

Feeling of a supersensory Presence

Seeing moving balls of light

Altered states of awareness

Increased feeling of well-being

Malfunction of mechanical devices

Watches, phones, compass don’t work

The case for crop circles as intelligent, non-human creations

Crops grow faster, taller, healthier after formation

Land gives greater yield of crops after formation

The DNA molecular structure is changed in crop stems

Circles have been appearing for over 300 years

Luminous balls of light appear at time of formation

Stalks are bent but not broken or damaged as with all mechanical attempts by man

The case for crop circles as an Intelligent Force trying to communicate with us

Crop circles demonstrate considerable evidence that they are an expression of an aware and wise consciousness. Many agriglyph formations simultaneously represent perfect aspects of many disciplines, such as the “Julia Set” formation in a field opposite Stonehenge in England. To mathematicians, it is an exact reproduction of the computer-generated fractal “Julia Set” image. To a musician, it is a base clef. To a marine biologist, it’s an accurate cross-section of a nautillus. To the scientist, it constitutes a mammal with precisely the correct number of vertebrae. Other crop patterns reflect with equal precision the traditional, spiritual symbols of many Earth cultures:

Egyptian and Babylonian ceremonial tablets

Chinese language characters for “spirit”

The ancient Celtic cross

The African symbol for fertilization

Indian petroglyphs and sacred art

Navajo symbol for “Earth out-of-balance”

Hopi sign: “Joining of Mother Earth to Father Sky”

Anazasi Indian symbol for “Great change”

Sacred numbers of the Mayan calendar

Accurate maps of the stars in the sky

Six flower symbol of sacred geometry

Ratios, like “phi,” that govern growth of life

Calendars of ancient civilizations

Pictograms of pre-historic Britain

Snake patterns, like Indian serpent mounds,

representing transformation and alchemy

On the Dream Workshops, participants co-create with Earth Consciousness beautiful and elaborate labryths, which they then walk through with astounding and profound results in terms of shifts in awareness, power and health.

Drawing from the wisdom of native and ancient spiritual traditions, Keith Varnum shares his 30 years of practical success as an author, personal coach, acupuncturist, filmmaker, radio host, restaurateur, vision quest guide and international seminar leader with “The Dream Workshops”. Keith helps people get the love, money, and health they want with his F-r-e-e Prosperity Ezine, F-r-e-e Abundance Tape and F-r-e-e Coaching at http://www.TheDream.com

The History of Massage

Wed, 05 May 2010 15:37:16 +0000

By: Robert Oles

Historical Perspectives

Knowledge of history helps massage therapists develop a sense of professional identity and pride in their profession. Historical perspectives help members of a profession identify the profession’s strengths and weaknesses. As students of massage read historical books about massage, they discover that the fundamental body of knowledge has changed little over the centuries. The most prevalent concepts in massage today were in fact written about many years ago. Massage has stood the test of time, proving itself a vital, health-enhancing technique, as well as a rehabilitative discipline. Currently the profession is at a defining moment as it grows in acceptance and scientific rigor.

The History of Massage

Identified animal behavior, such as the application of pressure, rubbing, and licking, indicates that massage is used instinctively to relieve pain, to respond to injury, and for comfort. Massage has always been one of the most natural and instinctive means of relieving pain and discomfort. When a person has sore, aching muscles, abdominal pains, or a bruise or wound, the instinctive impulse is to touch and rub that part of the body to obtain relief. Touch as a method of healing appears to have numerous cultural origins.

A Form of Massage Emerges In India

Started practicing massage in approximately 3000 B.C.E., possibly earlier

Believed to be of divine origin and passed down orally through generations, Ayurveda is the traditional holistic medical system in India. Ancient seers and natural scientists developed this system based on centuries of studies, experiments and meditations.Texts detailing Ayurvedic principles and practices were written sometime between 1500 and 500 BCE. Based on these texts, Ayurveda was widely adopted throughout India and Southeast Asia. Ayurveda views that individuals incur illnesses and diseases when they live out of harmony with their environment.

To treat their conditions, individuals must restore their natural mental and physical balance by re-establishing harmony between themselves and the world around them. At that point, they can begin to heal naturally.

Based on the patient’s health imbalances, constitution and the time of year, Ayurveda recommends how to use the five senses to interact with the environment in order to create balance. Treatments in Ayurveda include diet and herbalism, aromatherapy, color therapy, sound therapy and touch therapy.

A Hint of the Massage Culture Appears In Egypt and China

Started practicing massage between 3,000 and 2,500 B.C.E.

The earliest written records of massage therapy were discovered in Egypt and China. Tomb paintings in Egypt depict individuals being kneaded by others. Furthermore, Egyptians are credited with creating reflexology in approximately 2500 B.C.E. In this system, the practitioner applies pressure to specific points or reflex zones on the feet and hands. In turn, the recipient experiences beneficial effects on the areas of the body that connect to those zones.

In China, texts documenting the medical benefits of massage therapy date back to approximately 2700 BCE. The Chinese tradition of massage therapy was developed from the combined expertise and methods of doctors in traditional Chinese medicine, practitioners of martial arts, Buddhists and Taoists who viewed touch as essential to their spiritual yoga, and laymen who offered massages for relaxation. Chinese massage methods originated from the principle that diseases and illnesses arise due to a deficiency or imbalance in the energy in specific pathways or meridians that represent physiological systems. Through massage and other specific bodywork techniques, energy will flow more harmoniously through these pathways, allowing the body to heal itself naturally.

Monks Bring Massage Therapy to Japan

Started practicing massage in approximately 1000 BCE

Starting around 1000 BCE, Japanese monks studying Buddhism in China observed the healing methods of traditional Chinese medicine, including massage therapy. Japan soon began to import and customize Chinese massage techniques, giving rise to traditional Japanese massage or anma, which grew into Shiatsu. The primary goal of Shiatsu is to raise the energy level in the patient. In turn, this increased energy level regulates and fortifies the functioning of the organs and stimulates natural resistance to illnesses. Massage practitioners stimulate pressure points in the body in an effort to rebalance the patient’s energy. They use their thumbs, fingers and palms, working without needles or other instruments. Through treatment, patients can achieve balance in both their physical body and emotional well-being.

Athletes and Philosophers Introduce Massage to Greece

Started practicing massage between 800 and 700 BCE

Derived from the Eastern philosophies and practices, massage progressed into Western civilization in approximately the eighth century B.C.E. Athletes in Ancient Greece employed massage to keep their bodies in peak condition prior to competitions. Physicians of the time used herbs and oils in combination with massage techniques to treat many medical conditions. Greek women recognized the benefits of these aromatic oils and used them as beauty treatments on their skin. In the fifth century B.C.E., Hippocrates prescribed “friction” to treat physical injuries and instructed his physician colleagues on the benefits of rubbing to help the body heal itself. Moreover, he promoted a combination of massage, proper diet, exercise, rest, fresh air and music to restore the body to a healthy state.

“Do As the Romans Do” – Massage Spreads To Rome

Started practicing massage between 200 and 100 B.C.E.

In Rome, during the first century B.C.E., Galen, a physician to many emperors, began using massage therapy to treat different types of physical injuries and diseases. Following Hippocrates’ principles, Galen believed in exercise, healthy diet, rest and massage as integral pieces in restoring and maintaining a healthy body. While the wealthy received massages in their homes by personal physicians, many Romans were treated in public baths where trainers and doctors delivered massages. The recipients would first bathe themselves and then receive a full body massage to stimulate circulation and loosen their joints. Massages typically included oils to benefit the skin.

Europe Recognizes Massage’s Healing Powers

The 17th through 19th centuries C.E.

Massage therapy declined in popularity and practice in the West until approximately 1600 C.E. Scientific breakthroughs in medical technology and pharmacology were changing the foundation of modern medicine. Manual methods of healing faded from view. Between 1600 and 1800, numerous physicians and scientists observed and documented the benefits of massage. However, Western techniques made few advances until the 19th century. In the early 1800s, the Swedish physician Per Henrik Ling developed the Swedish Gymnastic Movement System. This system incorporated massage with medical gymnastics and physiology. Techniques included stroking, pressing and squeezing, and striking to manually treat physical issues.

The United States, Massage and the Wellness Boom

The 20th century through today

Through the early part of the 20th century, an increasing number of new and rediscovered massage techniques were documented and practiced. In particular, massage was used to treat World War I patients who suffered from nerve injury or shell shock. However, massage remained out of the mainstream as a form of treatment for many years. It was perceived as a luxury reserved for the wealthy. Furthermore, its reputation endured another unsavory period with the advent of massage parlors where the practice became associated with the sex trade.

In the latter half of the 20th century, rising interest in natural healing methods revitalized massage. More and more states started to regulate the practice and industry standards in licensing and education emerged. As a result, massage earned a place as a legitimate and respectable form of alternative and complementary medicine and because recognized in society’s wellness boom—the focus on disease prevention through maintaining wellness.

Today’s massage therapists practice a multitude of techniques originating from ancient methods. From those roots, they remain inspired by a goal cultivated centuries ago – to help others heal their physical and emotional well-being and experience a higher quality of life.

Robert Oles is a certified Associated Bodywork and Massage Professional with three years of massage therapy experience. His belief is that the mind, body and spirit must be in perfect balance and harmony in order for the optimum healing experience to occur. He currently provides massage therapy at Elements Therapeutic Massage-North Novi.

Elements Therapeutic Massage-North Novi is a newly opened massage studio offering a wide range of affordable massage services as well as Reiki. For more information on their services, please visit their website at www.touchofelements.com/northnovi

Schofield Media Publishing UK

Wed, 05 May 2010 15:37:12 +0000

By: Maria Jack

Schofield Media Publishing UK Schofield Media is the internationally renowned publishers of print media, online or in-person events with business to business in UK and US, generating market related magazines. It founded in 1999, maintains offices in London, Norwich, Aberdeen and Essex. Schofield Media purely focuses on right advertising of business and its sales strategies. Schofield Media publishes 26 business-to-business magazines and operates conferences and events in the US and UK. Schofield Media company chairman Andrew Schofield Media explains; “We see media as a critical part of our future products offering” Schofield Media is one of the leading publishing media company associated with larger business to business trade companies. Schofield Media publishing significantly improves and developed its media offerings. Online publishing is the new beginning in publishing field in which websites are created, includes web site titles and web related products. It takes a long term view of the product and its contingency plans to take the business on a long run. The magazine portal is the biggest venture in publishing industry which not only has searchable archives but also have some valuable featured magazines and online advertising opportunity for clients. Publishing – Friendly Format: Schofield Media has a very friendly format beneficent for any ordinary visual and intellectual approach. It gives a fine idea of what is business and its products are all about and how it will operate. The titles of publishing item clearly give the idea to the reader the business is and its strategic plans. Covering events and individuals, creative design approach and diversifying and unique style of prints is making Schofeild publishing unique of its kind. Telesales: Schofeild opens many gates for the communicators to join and expand highly success full editorial sales team. The fast paced, varied and target proven individuals pearls in economic climate, are ideal for high earning and interesting g sales roles. Schofeild believes in hiring most talented staff; treat them at fair basis and being encouraged on completion of objectives, achievements and performance. Expansion: 19th July, 2004 — Norwich publisher Schofield Media Publishing, sister company to the Chicago-based Schofield Media, is adding to this year’s exceptional growth with the successful acquisition of Hartford Publications, and its two highly regarded business to business magazines Railway Strategies and Modern Utilities Management. This significant investment is the latest in a series of developments from Schofield Media Publishing, in a year where the company has seen rapid growth and expansion, both here at home and in the States. Achievement: One of the newest and valuable achievements is that to design a journal to help senior executives in railway industry. The published item focused on; Seeking practical approach for railways matters. Company’s highlights and achievements. Sharing of information through promotional articles and advertisements. Describes company profile, interviews with employees and frequently travelled customers and reviews of prominent figures. Conclusion: Schofield Media publication has its own division of publications that maintains creative control on content. From editing and proofreading to cover design and page layout, from royalties and distribution to marketing and return ability, the consumer is asked to choose what he wants. For more information about Schofield Media visit: http://www.schofieldmedia-group.org/

Schofield Media Publishing UK

Schofield Media is the internationally renowned publishers of print media, online or in-person events with business to business in UK and US, generating market related magazines. It founded in 1999, maintains offices in London, Norwich, Aberdeen and Essex. Schofield Media purely focuses on right advertising of business and its sales strategies. Schofield Media publishes 26 business-to-business magazines and operates conferences and events in the US and UK.

Schofield Media company chairman Andrew Schofield Media explains;

“We see media as a critical part of our future products offering”

Schofield Media is one of the leading publishing media company associated with larger business to business trade companies. Schofield Media publishing significantly improves and developed its media offerings. Online publishing is the new beginning in publishing field in which websites are created, includes web site titles and web related products. It takes a long term view of the product and its contingency plans to take the business on a long run. The magazine portal is the biggest venture in publishing industry which not only has searchable archives but also have some valuable featured magazines and online advertising opportunity for clients.

Publishing – Friendly Format: Schofield Media has a very friendly format beneficent for any ordinary visual and intellectual approach. It gives a fine idea of what is business and its products are all about and how it will operate. The titles of publishing item clearly give the idea to the reader the business is and its strategic plans. Covering events and individuals, creative design approach and diversifying and unique style of prints is making Schofeild publishing unique of its kind.

Telesales: Schofeild opens many gates for the communicators to join and expand highly success full editorial sales team. The fast paced, varied and target proven individuals pearls in economic climate, are ideal for high earning and interesting g sales roles. Schofeild believes in hiring most talented staff; treat them at fair basis and being encouraged on completion of objectives, achievements and performance.

Expansion: 19th July, 2004 — Norwich publisher Schofield Media Publishing, sister company to the Chicago-based Schofield Media, is adding to this year’s exceptional growth with the successful acquisition of Hartford Publications, and its two highly regarded business to business magazines Railway Strategies and Modern Utilities Management.

This significant investment is the latest in a series of developments from Schofield Media Publishing, in a year where the company has seen rapid growth and expansion, both here at home and in the States.

Achievement:

One of the newest and valuable achievements is that to design a journal to help senior executives in railway industry. The published item focused on;

Seeking practical approach for railways matters. Company’s highlights and achievements. Sharing of information through promotional articles and advertisements. Describes company profile, interviews with employees and frequently travelled customers and reviews of prominent figures.

Conclusion:

Schofield Media publication has its own division of publications that maintains creative control on content. From editing and proofreading to cover design and page layout, from royalties and distribution to marketing and return ability, the consumer is asked to choose what he wants.

For more information about Schofield Media visit: http://www.schofieldmedia-group.org/

Maria brought up in Las Vegas and love fun and Entertainment in his city. She is busy and enjoying to write the articles on business-to-business topics ( http://www.schofieldmedia-group.org ). She always likes to help the people.

What Do They Mean When They Say “Conscious Business”?

Wed, 05 May 2010 15:37:09 +0000

By: Steve Bernal

There is a growing trend among small businesses and corporations who are utilizing the conscious business model – and succeeding. These companies illustrate how incorporating conscious business principals can and does increase the bottom line.

S0 exactly what is meant by “conscious business”?

Here’s how the Conscious Business Institute (http://consciousbusinessinstitute.com)describes this model:

“Conscious Business is primarily about people who are aware of the impact each of their habits and actions has on their environment. It is about people who live their lives based on the knowingness that everything is interconnected. It is about people, who know who they are – who know about their strengths and weaknesses and who desire to live and work with joy, creativity, ease and love instead of fear, power and

domination.”

My perspective is that conscious business is a way of doing business where the creation of value is considered the foundation for creating wealth. Value is defined here as contribution to both the individual and the common good.

It is business infused with values that include integrity, generosity, honesty and service. These values are at the core of conscious business and are in essence the foundation upon which all business success is built.

Ultimately, conscious business is a way of doing business that recognizes and embraces the interconnectedness of Life. It is being socially and environmentally responsible. A conscious business operates with heart and soul and seeks to be aware of its impact on the lives of its employees, its customers, its community and the world.

The wonderful thing about this approach is that it operates in harmony with the life principle of giving and receiving. As you pour your time and energy into creating value for the benefit of the community and the environment, your business becomes more profitable than ever as the return current of sales and profits multiplies.

Conscious business practices and strategies are other-focused, which means you have happy customers and happy employees – the best recipe for business success. In essence, your business expands when you aren’t looking!

On the other hand, when your business focus is solely on creating profits, you can miss out on the beauty and unity of working with and for others. This kind of tunnel vision can create sleepless nights and stressful days and it can be a mental, emotional and spiritual drain on your psyche. More importantly, this behavior is often ineffective.

If you find yourself spinning your wheels and racking your brain, it might be time to start integrating conscious business practices into your company’s working philosophy.

Start placing your focus on making the world a better place and being the person you have been called to be. Look for ways to create amazing value for your customers as well as for your employees. The results will pleasantly surprise you!

By placing your focus onto others and your world, your business will naturally succeed. That’s the beauty of conscious business. Spend some time adopting conscious business methods and then sit back amazed as your business takes off!

Steve Bernal over his 25 year year career has been an entrepreneur, business owner and consultant to Fortune 500 companies. Steve is the founder of http://www.Bizlightenment.com , where you can find Conscious Companies across a wide spectrum of industries and professions.

Taking Short Hikes into Humboldt Redwoods State Park

Wed, 05 May 2010 15:37:04 +0000

By: Don Nadeau

This year, consider visiting the stunningly gorgeous Humboldt Redwoods State Park, which offers the largest remaining stand of old growth redwoods in the world–more than 17,000 acres. It is also the home of some of the oldest recorded coastal redwood trees, a few of which are more than 2,200 years old.

I bet you didn’t know that an acre in Humboldt Redwoods State Park was found to contain a greater density of organic material than found in the Amazon rain forest–according to The Humboldt Redwoods Interpretive Association and others–actually seven times greater.

The park is located 45 miles south of Eureka, California, 20 miles north Garberville, and accessed in either direction from the breathtaking Avenue of the Giants, a part of a California scenic drive stretching from San Francisco Bay to Redwood National Park.

For more than 30 miles, the Avenue of the Giants passes through 51,222 acres of the outstanding redwood groves in Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

Years of clear cutting redwoods

But note–from the Avenue of the Giants, you’ll see not only the beautifully protected tall and looming redwoods, but also a few privately held lands that were not saved from clear cutting. The contrast between these smaller second-growth trees and the park’s grand old redwoods is poignant.

Many of the old redwoods were cut down during the Gold Rush and after, as many Americans moved west. In fact, almost 95% of the virgin redwoods that once blanketed the west coast from southern Oregon almost to San Luis Obispo are now gone.

These days, there’s a robust movement to significantly limit redwood cutting and to completely ban the cutting of any of the few remaining old growth redwoods not in parks or preserves. As you read this, environmental activists are probably living atop trees in order to prevent the remaining unprotected virgin redwood groves from being cut down.

Yes, today, just 5% of the original redwood forests remain, which is one reason the redwoods you’ll see in Humboldt Redwoods State Park are so special.

Swimming, hiking, canoeing, camping and more

In addition to stunning groves of old growth coast redwoods, the park offers more than 100 miles of hiking trails, fishing, swimming, and canoeing in the Eel River, bicycling, horseback riding, seasonal interpretive programs, including nature walk-and-talks led by the park naturalist on a variety of topics, such as forest ecology and animal tracking.

Instead of booking a hotel near the Avenue of the Giants, consider camping, which is usually idyllic in this area from early May until early October. The park offers developed camps, environmental camps, horse camps, and trail camps. Temperatures are mild, heavy rains are unlikely, and you’ll encounter few insects. And, you’ll be among these wonderful trees.

Trails at the park can be long and challenging, or short and easy, as I prefer. Here are my favorite trails near the Avenue of the Giants, which each take an hour or less and offer gentle inclines:

* Drury-Chaney Trail

* Founders Grove Loop Trail

* Rockefeller Forest Loop Trail

* Big Trees Area, with its Tall Tree, Giant Tree, and Flatiron Tree trails

You can pick up maps at the Visitors Center, which is open daily, year-round. Also see the Humboldt Redwoods State Park website, for on-line trail maps and directions.

Drury-Chaney Trail — my favorite

If you have time for just one trail in any of the redwood parks, hike the Drury-Chaney Trail. This is one of the most beautiful trails in the park, and an easy walk of about an hour on an all-weather surface.

You can walk either the straight trail or the loop, and each route is clearly defined.

Don’t be misled by a sign adjacent to the parking area that discusses second-growth forests. With humongous trees like these, this isn’t a forest that was once logged. It is instead one of the most beautiful and majestic portions of virgin growth in Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

Unlike many redwood groves, where trees block the light that promotes lush ground cover, vigorous growth covers the floor of Drury, making the area especially beautiful.

Several years ago, park rangers finished making the entire Drury-Chaney Trail wheelchair-accessible. During the winter, heavy rains may create a few gullies and a branch or two may fall, but normally people with reasonably strong arms will be able to wheel themselves along this gentle trail without difficulty.

Founders Grove Loop Trail

This trail, named for the founders of the Save the Redwoods League, is sometimes crowded, but always enjoyable. Founders Grove is an area with particularly large trees, including Founders Tree, which is approximately 346 feet high and between 1300 and 1500 years old.

You’ll see that the coastal redwoods of Humboldt Redwoods State Park, such as those in Founder’s Grove, grow larger at lower elevations along rivers and creeks, in this case, the South Fork of the Eel River.

This loop trail, also called the Founders Grove nature trail, can easily be walked in less than 30 minutes.

Rockefeller Forest Loop Trail

The forest in the Rockefeller Loop Trail area, the largest grove in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, was named after John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who donated $1 million in 1927 to preserve 10,000 acres of redwood trees at this site.

The state was slow–and the federal government even slower–to protect these wonderful trees. For years the park system developed mostly through gifts from families, garden and other clubs, and small preservation groups, not through government acquisitions. So, we appreciate the Rockefellers and other great philanthropists, who have helped preserve our natural heritage.

The Rockefeller Loop Trail is not as well marked as the others, so stay on the heaviest traveled paths. But know you cannot venture too far off track, as the loop is bordered by the Eel River, Bull Creek, and Mattole Road.

Big Trees Area Trails

At the Big Trees area, you have three 10-minute hikes to three magnificent trees.

* Tall Tree of the Rockefeller Forest – circumference: 42 feet; height: 359 feet; measured in 1957.

* Giant Tree – circumference: 53 feet; height: 363 feet; designated “Champion Coast Redwood” in 1991.

* Fallen giant Flatiron Tree – diameter in one direction: 7.5 feet; diameter in the other direction: 17.5 feet; fell in January 1995.

But statistics can never capture what makes the redwoods at Humboldt Redwoods State Park so awe inspiring. The combination of their size and age conjure a feeling of grandeur and serenity–almost of wisdom–that I wonder if you can find anywhere else. (My mother called these groves her cathedrals.)

By sharing with you my favorite short hikes, I’d like to think I’VE offered you a lure you cannot refuse. Do I seem to gush? I can’t help it. I’ve traveled around the world, and like no spot more than this.

An extensive world traveler, Don Nadeau, president of BidOnTravel, loves helping people become experts at helping people become experts at Hotwire and Priceline bidding. Learn more about the Redwood Coast and Mendocino areas referred to in this article.

Hidden knowledge are found every where but only for the chossen few

Wed, 05 May 2010 15:36:46 +0000

By: stanley braine kings

As humans of advanced minds, we often strive to reach into the higher levels of the cosmic and draw down the light filled love and inspiration that is ever present, awaiting our recognition and use, it comes not merely by desiring it, but from an intense awareness of the spirit within, not by merely asking for it or by awaiting it in meditation but by lifting up your intelligent and emotions to a level of attunement,where the spiritual power and light of the cosmic can descend upon you through a process of attraction.

To this end, it should be kept in mind that sacred knowledge is but for the few chossen who have made themselves worthy of receiving the greater light and capable of preserving the symbolic meaning of esoteric knowledge.

This light and greater understanding comes in proportion to what we can use in the name of service and in helping others or in our working or private lives. Energy,light and love flows from the cosmic to us only when we consciously become a channel for these forces.

It then follows also that we draw from the cosmic only in relation to the strenght of our request or demands, as it has often been said that if we ask little of ourselves, little will be given.

We must cultivate an ever growing and persistent desire for greater light and for new opportunities to serve humanity.As true seekers,we must be ready to give off ourselves without thought of self but with caring overflowing love, the agape so sought after by the seers and spiritual teachers of old.

There is no light to compare with the beauty of the light within when it shines radiantly from one who reveals it.There is no mind so pure as one that is filled with an ever present living awareness of God within. No love can heal, care and bless like the love that comes to those who have dedicated themselves to the ideals of such a life as been a true seeker and student of mysticm.

The first stage of been a successful student of mysticm and adept seeker of esoteric knowledge is preparedness. It is an attribute that comes from within, a hunger and thirst for righousness as commonly refered to by religion.

No matter how great a library we have or how many are the books we have read, No matter what conventions we have attended, cosmic principles will not manifest or operate for us to the greatest extent if we fail to attune ourselves to the higher and better things of life.

We must begin the day by freeing our minds of all hatred, all anger,all jealousy all prety destructive thought and unkindness of attitude. We must start the day with an inner expression of thankfulness for life itself and for the days opportunities to render service to humanity and in obedience to cosmic laws.

To acquire rapid skills in mastering the cosmic laws, a seeker will need to get affiliated to some esoteric organisations, though there are several organisations in our days that claim to have access to some rare and sacred literature, only few of these organisations have the truth and light to offer.So a seeker will have to search for the light, only when a seeker is inwardly ready does the master appear to guide the seeker towards the true path of light.

Mysticm teaches people to always see in everything and everywhere the good that is in the world and the good that is in people.It teaches us to attune ourselves inwardly or in our emotions and general attitude with the constructive, magnificient things of life.

We must hold ourself receptive to all of the higher emotions not by sitting and concentrating for hours at a time upon the incoming vibrations of some specific nature,but by having an attitude of a fraternal love,of universal peace, of faith in the laws of life, confidence in the integrity of mankind, and a sureness of the opration of the higher or devine laws.

Dr Stanley Brain kings is an Authority in essoteric teachings, and in his travels and contact with several teachers on spiritual matters,he believes that salvation of the soul is free and every single person has the right to walk on the true path provided preparedness is kept in mind.To contact Dr stanley Brain Kings, send your questions to ocean7652002@yahoo.com To join thousands of seekers for light and to share knowledge on esoteric matters freely online, and to get copies of books that aids spiritual development of the mind as well as the physical beign, join the community at www.illuminatedminds.wetpaint.com
You can post thread, as questions and learn from opinions and experiences of other seekers plus you get access to lare collection of books that will change your life.

The Dna Selling Method: Winning Sales Presentations

Wed, 05 May 2010 15:36:20 +0000

By: Patrick Henry Hansen

Oratorical power does not arise from passionate dec¬lamation only. On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln demon¬strated the equal power of using simple, yet eloquent words, qui¬etly spoken, to convey a message. In the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in July of 1863, Union and Confederate forces clashed in a battle that brought enormous casualties. In three days of hard fighting, the Union army suffered over 23,000 casualties, the Confederate army 28,000. However, there was no question that the Confederate army had suffered the greater blow. Later that year, a Gettysburg attorney conceived the idea of ded¬icating a portion of the battlefield to become a National Soldiers’ Cemetery. Although President Lincoln was invited to speak, the main address was delivered by the former President of Harvard, and noted orator, Edward Everett. Everett spoke to a crowd of close to 20,000 people for over two hours. At the conclusion of Everett’s address, Abraham Lincoln rose to deliver a few remarks.

Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war test¬ing whether that nation, or any nation, so con¬ceived and dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final rest¬ing place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense we cannot dedicate—we can¬not consecrate—we can¬not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never for¬get what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remain¬ing before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of free¬dom—and that the gov¬ernment of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.

Apart from the Sermon on the Mount, no speech has been so heavily analyzed by scholars. Abraham Lincoln spoke only 272 words in his Gettysburg address. Yet in his ten sentences, he deliv¬ered one of history’s most memo¬rable orations. What is it about his address that is so fascinating to histori¬ans? Why are these ten sentences so mesmerizing to politicians, and why have students of ora¬tory been studying this address since its inception? The reason? Its message. It is the message of the speech that is captivating. Abraham Lincoln was able to couch in a three-minute address a message of timeless importance. In simple, yet penetrating lan¬guage, he articulated the struggle for human freedom, hope, and responsibility. Although Lincoln himself considered his speech to be a fail¬ure, it turned out to be one of his¬tory’s most eloquent moments.

Compelling Sales Messages: Logic and Content

The Gettysburg Address contains all of the elements of a successful presentation and is a blueprint for sales and non-sales presentations alike. Like all successful presentations, it contains a strong introduc¬tion, powerful content, and memorable conclusion. In his farewell address on January 11th, 1989, President Ronald Reagan said, “I won a nickname: ‘The Great Communicator.’ But I never thought it was my style or the words I used that made a differ¬ence. It was the content. I wasn’t a great communicator, but I did com¬municate great things.” Obviously, creating substantive content is an essential part of preparing and delivering a successful presentation. Consider the three characteristics of a successful presentation:

1. Ethos (Character and Credibility)

2. Pathos (Emotion and Delivery)

3. Logos (Logic and Content)

The body or message of a presentation deals with logos, the logic and content of a message. Logos has to do with the substance and rationale of a presentation. It is the overriding message and provides the details and reasons buyers should procure the presented product or service. The central message of a presentation provides supporting evidence and dem¬onstrates the qualities of the proposed good or service. Without pro¬viding clear and compelling reasons to acquire products or services, participants are left with little or no incentive to take action. Because most buyers make purchases based on emotions that are then justified with logic, providing logic is extremely important. Although the introduction and delivery of the presentation provide emotional validation, it is the body of the presentation that provides the rationale to support a buying decision. When people purchase a home, for example, they initially make a decision based on emotional attachment (pathos). “It looks beautiful.” “It feels like our home.” “I just love the Victorian look.” It’s only after buyers feel an emotional attachment that they begin to justify their decision with reason and logic (logos). “After all, this home will be an excellent investment.” “Property values are going up.” “Interest rates are at an all time low.” “The school district in this area is excellent.” By providing buyers with information to support the value of the product or service, presenters fulfill a buyer’s intellectual need to justify an emotional decision. Appeal to the reason of prospects with logical, content-rich messages.

Pain and Problem Resolution: Your Central Sales Message

The most intense emotion buyers experience is pain. Pain is such an intense feeling that people will do almost anything to eliminate it. People take action to avoid, prevent, or overcome pain faster than any¬thing else they do in their lives. The primary reason people buy is to reduce or eliminate pain—physical, mental, emotional, financial, social, even spiritual. Eliminating pain and resolving problems is the primary motivating factor in any sale. Think of anything you recently purchased. Was it not to eliminate some dissatisfaction, displeasure, or frustration?

In business-to-business presentations, different members of an organization attend presentations for various reasons—in other words, because they experience diverse pains. A CEO’s ultimate pain might be declining stock price. The VP of Finance might attend because profits are down. The VP of Marketing might attend because of customer ero¬sion. The VP of Sales might attend because his sales staff is not meeting revenue expectations. The VP of Manufacturing might attend because manufacturing costs are up. Each member of a business organization experiences pains and problems that they would like to eliminate.

In our corporate trainings, I am occasionally challenged by partici¬pants who ask, “Not all purchases are driven by pain, are they? What about luxury items? For example, what pains are resolved with the pur¬chase of a yacht? People don’t buy yachts because they have to. They buy them because they want to.” While the premise of this challenge is correct, the conclusion is not. I typically respond to this question by asking, “Do people ever want something so much that not having it causes pain?” The answer is, “Of course.” Sometimes the “desire to acquire,” the yearning to possess, or the craving to experience some¬thing becomes the pain, i.e., the motivating factor that drives the sale. Most major purchases can be traced to eliminating pain. In fact, without pain, there is probably no basis for a purchase in the first place. A customer who feels totally satisfied doesn’t need a presenter’s product or service. Pain leads to needs. Needs lead to action. Put another way, No pain = No change. Potential buyers will not change unless the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.

Ultimately, products and services are evaluated in terms of pain and problem resolution. This is why addressing buyer pains and prob¬lems should be the central message of the presentation. Without a comprehensive under¬standing of the buyer’s needs, pains, and problems, sales professionals are left to create presentation messages without accurate, substantive, or compelling data.

Training participants frequently ask what the difference is between problems and pains. There is a critical, fundamental difference. Problems are described in logical, cognitive terms such as, “My com¬puter is broken.” Pains, on the other hand, are described in fervent, emotional terms such as, “It is extremely frustrating having to work late because of computer failures.” When buyers use emotional words such as frustrated, upset, disappointed, irritated, concerned, worried, etc, you know you have hit the “pain vein.” Pain is the consequence or outcome of the problem. The point is to make pain and problem resolution the central theme of your sales presentation.

Conviction Requires Proof: The Power of Demonstrations, Testimonials, and Logic

A pharmaceutical salesperson who sells sleeping pills once related a humorous experience that illustrates the power of “proof.” Midway through a presentation to a group of physicians, one of the attendees fell asleep and began snoring. The pharmaceutical salesperson stopped the presentation and woke the sleeping physician. Without hesitation, the physician stood up and said, “This drug has some real promise!”

In order to persuade buyers to make a purchase, they must first be convinced of the value of the proposed product or service. Like a court of law, conviction requires proof. Buyers want hard evidence to con¬firm and substantiate claimed product or service benefits.

Highly successful presenters use live demonstra¬tions to illustrate the qualities and benefits of their product or service. They demonstrate rather than articulate their message and include con¬tent that validates the benefits of the proposed product or service. For example, skilled technical presenters visually demonstrate how the pro¬posed technology addresses identified needs and problems. Successful phone system salespeople conduct live demonstrations to validate prod¬uct claims and capabilities. Experienced medical device representatives demonstrate the utility of the proposed device.

I know a salesperson who sells high quality computer and network¬ing wires and cables. Because of the quality of his cables, his prices are higher than his competitors. Because of the extra expense involved, some of his clients periodically drop his product. When one of his larger clients discontinued using his product, he decided enough was enough and arranged a meeting to demonstrate the value of his wires and cables. After admitting that his product was more expensive, he stated to the audience that it was important to compare apples to apples. He then held up one of his competitor’s wires and put a lighter underneath it. The casing around the wire began to melt and in a few seconds was on fire. His audience was astounded. He then held the lighter under his wire and reminded them that his wiring was fireproof. He concluded his presentation by asking a simple question, “Ladies and gentlemen, which wire do you want in your walls and computers?” His client can¬celled the order from his competitor.

The point is to use live demonstrations and scenarios whenever possible to bring facts and information to life.

Testimonials

In our presentation trainings, I frequently ask participants, “How many of you provide buyers with testimonial letters to support the success of your products and services?” I am always amazed at how few hands go up. Yet, what better evidence can a presenter have than a statement by a satisfied customer? When we talk about providing proof to validate product or capability claims, what better proof can a presenter offer than a testimonial? A testimonial is nothing more than a type of evidence. Like a court of law, witnesses are called to testify to the truthfulness of certain facts or disputed claims. Client testimonials serve the same purpose. They illustrate how the proposed product or company has benefited other companies and organizations. Used appropriately, testimonials com¬municate similar benefits available to the targeted audience.

Because service oriented businesses cannot physically demonstrate the benefits they offer, it is especially important that service related presentations provide testimonials from existing clients to validate the claimed capabilities or benefits. Testimonials help substantiate benefits such as friendly customer service, excellent technical support, and on-time deliveries.

Logical Argument

All sales presentations should provide logic and rationale to support product or service capability claims. An R.O.I. (return on investment) sheet is a logical argument. I regularly use R.O.I. sheets to demon¬strate the value of sales training. By calculating an estimated percent of increase in sales, multiplying it by the company’s total sales, and subtracting the cost of the training, I provide buyers with an accurate forecast of the financial return they will receive on their investment. When I provide hard numbers that demonstrate the value of our train¬ing, buyers are logically convinced to make the investment. Other options include: examples, facts, exhibits, testimonials, and statistics. By providing buyers with proof of the value of the presented prod¬uct or service, they are more easily convinced of the need to make the purchase.

In Summary

Because people buy emotionally and justify decisions logically, it is important to supply rationale to justify purchasing decisions. The mes¬sage of the sales presentation provides just that—evidence. It demon¬strates how the proposed product or service eliminates pains and prob¬lems and establishes clear, competitive advantages. The body of the sales message provides buyers with compelling reasons to purchase the presented product or service and follows the pattern set by Aristotle over 2,000 years ago when he said, “A speech has two parts. You must state your case, and you must prove it.”

Patrick Henry Hansen is the author of the From Great Moments in History™ book series which includes: Power Prospecting™, The DNA Selling Method™, Winning Sales Presentations™, and Sales-Side Negotiation™. Mr. Hansen is the founder and CEO of Patrick Henry & Associates, a training company that provides sales, prospecting, presentation, and negotiation trainings for corporations involved in complex, committee-based sales. Mr. Hansen has trained, coached, and influenced thousands of professionals in forty-eight states and seven countries. To contact Mr. Hansen, or to learn more about his books and trainings, visit www.patrickhenryinc.com.