USEFULL TIPS

Learn Peace - Teach Peace!
There are many ways to promote peace in the world but perhaps the best way is to promote it within ourselves. Peace is a gradual and wonderful event that occurs because compassionate people are inspired to help others discover the joy of peace! Helping others also has the direct effect of increasing our personal peace and well-being, but this is merely one of the many bonuses that come from sharing our kindness with our fellow human beings. We all know that it is better to give than to receive. (:
Peace, like reading, writing, mathematics, drawing, emotional intelligence and enlightenment ("understanding/comprehension/compassion/meditation/intuition"), are learned skills that improve our knowledge, maturity, health, happiness and longevity. Peace is probably the most important lesson we should learn during our lives and the sooner the better. The advent of the world wide web may just provide the boost in knowledge humankind has been waiting for. Through knowledge, Peace will evolve. Knowledge is power. Knowledge combined with enlightenment leads to wisdom. Wisdom is Peace!
Be the change you wish to see in the world.
Peace starts from within!
Life's what you make it.
This newsletter exists for one purpose - To promote Peace!
There are many ways to accomplish peace but the best way is to find it within yourself. Peace is not some grand event that occurs because some great leader appears and proclaims peace. No, peace is something that must grow within each of us until one day it just simply becomes our nature. For this to happen, our knowledge of ourselves and our world must improve. Peace, like reading, writing, mathematics and drawing, is a learned skill that increases our awareness. Peace is perhaps the most important lesson we should learn during our lives and the sooner the better. The advent of the internet may just be the boost in knowledge we have been waiting for. Through knowledge, Peace will evolve.
Dealing with Anger, Hatred and Grudges:
The way we deal with the negative emotions in our lives has a lot to do with the way we see ourselves and those around us. We all experience anger and hatred at times but how we handle these emotions differs greatly. We must learn to harness this energy instead of letting it slowly eat away at our inner peace. View anger as an opportunity for improvement not as a reason for aggression. Turn hours or days of negativity into minutes of revelation by learning from upsetting situations.
Anger, hatred and grudges are necessary signals that tell us we need to grow in certain areas. Without these emotions we would stagnate and die prematurely. These emotions motivate us to take action. If these feelings are not addressed and learned from, they tend to linger and cause negative thinking throughout the day. You've heard the saying "To forgive is divine", well the divine part is for the forgiver because they are freed from the negativity they were suffering from! By doing this you will also grow from the experience because to truly forgive you must have tried to understand what caused the anger in the first place. Was it something in yourself, a mis-understanding, an accident, or maybe there is no apparent reason. Even if your reasons are real and valid (although biased), you are the one stuck with the daily negativity. What kind of reward is that for being right?! Write down your feelings and release them on paper. Write down the facts and compare them to your feelings. Determine several solutions to the problem. Choose the best after waiting an hour or more to cool down. Learn from the tension and move closer to inner peace. Positive karma is more powerful than violence. Those who treat others badly suffer far worse then those who treat others with kindness.
Criticism can be healthy but it can also turn one into a judge and jury. Be careful not to raise yourself above others because of your beliefs.
Anger indicates internal problems regardless of who is at fault. Here's a tip to find out what "your" problem really is. Write down who or what you are angry with (your "external" problem). Now write down short-comings within yourself that relate to this "external" problem. These are the real problems you must solve if you want to be free of future anger. If we were perfect then we would not feel anger for others - we would have empathy and try to help others "see the light". The fact that we are angry proves we still have some growing up to do ourselves. Come to think of it, if it wasn't for anger, half the items in this newsletter would not have gotten written.
In summary, reduce your anger, stop your wrath. Don't fret and don't worry - It only leads to harm.
Dealing with Regrets, Failures, and Setbacks:
We all have our regrets, failures, and traumas in life to deal with. How we handle them shapes who and what we become. Our initial reaction may be anger, denial, fear, repression, indifference, depression, or acceptance. The key is to address the issues and grow from them, not simply repress them. We can learn more from failure and injustice than from success. Write on a piece of paper, the setback, your reaction and feelings, the possible causes of the setback and things that you could have done differently. Lastly, write down all you've learned from the experience. Learn to view difficulties as opportunities to grow stronger and smarter. If you look hard enough you will find the answers to your problems.
Dealing with Moments when you get very Upset:
What should you do? You may want to scream and yell and shout but you know that this is a reaction (and a bad one at that), not a response. You must find a way to calm down and sort things out before doing something you may regret later. The fastest and easiest way to "get a grip" on the situation is to write down what the left brain and right brain are thinking. The leftbrain has the "facts" and the right brain has the emotions and insight to the solution. Make sure you write down what you have to lose by making rash decisions. Let some time pass after writing down your thoughts and ideas for the subconscious to "review" them and suggest appropriate solutions or alternatives.
HEALTH TIPS: . Table of Contents
We know we are supposed to eat a balanced daily diet, drink eight 8 ounce glasses of water, and get at least 20 minutes of exercise, but how many of us realize the importance of proper REST? Go, Go, Go, that's our motto! No time to rest - I've got kids you know! Sound familiar?
The stress of fast paced living can take it's toll on our appearance, health, and happiness. Oddly enough, the positive stress from success can be almost as destructive as the negative stress from failure. This is a case of the left side of our brains (logical / time-oriented) being overtaxed and the right side (creative / emotional / intuitive) under-used. The body runs in high gear until it finally breaks down.
Tips for Losing Weight:
There are several things we can do to lose weight and keep it off.
The key ingredients to weight lose are: Less fatty foods, red meat & sweets; Less alcohol; Regular meals; Regular exercise to reduce stress; Stop eating before feeling full; 8 glasses of water daily; Family support.
Losing weight is not a short term solution. The goal is to lose 2 pounds a week until our optimum weight is achieved. By then, we become conditioned to eat properly and maintain our new weight. We all have good days and bad days, the goal is long-term conditioning.
Start becoming more active. Walk during lunch and whenever possible, take the stairs instead of the elevator, stretch in the morning and during breaks, do push-ups, sit-ups or squats, stretch while watching TV or surfing, play golf, tennis, swim, bike, hike or dance. Figeters burn up to 100 - 500 more calories daily than non-figeters, so start bouncing your knee and tapping your toes. Muscles take up less space than fat, giving the appearance of being thinner, besides being healthier for the body. For those with back problems, we suggest you learn more about Lordosis (the correct curvature of the back).
Eat vegetables, fruits, breads, cereals, pasta and nuts as snacks. Eat smaller portions of high fat foods and eat slower. Stop eating before you are full because it takes 15 - 30 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain to stop. Serve a light appetizer 15 minutes before dinner to start the stomach's "clock". Don't let yourself get too hungry between meals. Ask yourself, am I really hungry and if so, is this what my body needs?
Many people eat in response to stress or simply out of habit. Chart your eating habits for several days and see if this applies to you. When do you eat and why? Deal with the stress or learned habits and break the connection to over-eating.
Tips for Reducing Eye & Wrist Strain (computeritis):
Look away from the moniter as often as possible. Focus occasionally on objects far away. Remember to blink regularly, avoid staring. Sit up straight. Change your distance to the moniter on occasion to change your focal point. Watch out for "sty in the eye syndrome" from staring at your moniter too long (and numerous other factors). A sty is essentially a pimple on the underside of the eyelid that irritates the eye. Eye drops or flushing the eye gently with water will usually eliminate the problem within a day or so. Until we develop better technology moniters, this may be part of the price we pay for knowledge and digital entertainment.
Adjust: The height of the keyboard or moniter, The angle of the moniter to reduce glare, The height of your chair, The distance to your moniter, The brightness and contrast of the moniter, The internal speed of the moniter.
Purchase a glare shield, wrist pad or "thermal" wrist wrap.
Tips for a Healthy Back: . Table of Contents
Most people believe that when they have back pain they have "slipped a disk", but usually its a strained muscle or ligament, or wear and tear on the joints themselves. The spine is really a bunch of disks that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Our stomach and back muscles keep them in line. The stomach muscles need to be strong while the back muscles need to be stretched. "Curls" with barbells and partial sit-ups are good for the stomach muscles and toe (knee)-touches can gradually stretch out the back muscles, but don't over do it. Let strained or torn muscles heal before exercising again. Emotional stress can cause back pain because it generates muscle tension and cramps. Stretching, sitz bathes or massage can reduce muscle tension. Excess body weight pulls the spine out of alignment because the body's center of gravity is shifted away from the spine. Too much exercise can strain muscles and cause cramping.
Maintain strong stomach muscles .... Sit upright and avoid slouching .... Avoid sitting for more than an hour at a time, take quick breaks .... Keep one or both legs elevated using a foot stool or box .... Support your lower back with a cushion or lumbar support .... Avoid sliding forward in your seat .... Slide forward in chair before standing to keep your spine straight.
Lift heavy loads close to your body .... Bend your knees, keeping your spine straight and let your strong leg muscles do the lifting .... Avoid bending and twisting simultaneously .... Push and pull with your leg muscles, reaching forward with the arms, not the back.
Avoid driving for more than 1 hour at a time by taking quick stretch breaks .... Keep your legs bent so that your knees are above your hips .... Adjust the seatback to avoid slouching.
Sleep on your side with knees bent .... If sleeping on your back, put a pillow under your knees .... Avoid sleeping on your stomach.
Reasons to Exercise:
1) The effects from exercise last long after exercising has finished. One pound of fat has over 3000 calories. Walking or jogging one mile uses only about 100 calories. Fortunately, the body continues to burn off calories at a higher rate than if you had not exercised.
2) Without exercise it is nearly impossible (and un-healthy) to lose weight or avoid weight gain. The body needs the process of consuming calories and burning them off, but if too many are consumed, or not enough burned off, weight gain and cardiovascular problems are just some of the ill effects.
3) Strong stomach muscles play a large role in a healthy back!
4) A healthy body usually means a healthy heart and a longer, healthier life.
Stroke Early Warning Signs: . Table of Contents
The chances of surviving a stroke are greatly improved if the warning signs of a stroke are noticed and acted upon within 6 hours.
The key signs are: Sudden weakness / numbness on one side of the body; Sudden dizziness or loss of vision in one eye; Loss of speech, difficulty understanding speech; Sudden severe headaches; Unsteadiness or falls.
If any of these conditions are noticed contact your doctor or local emergency clinic immediately.
MENTAL TIPS: . Table of Contents
The brain is the most powerful tool we possess but yet we still don't understand it, let alone know how to harness its power. Fortunately through medical research we are beginning to unlock some of the mysteries. There is proof that the brain can be strengthened with proper "exercise" and stimulation.
We know that the brain is divided into two halves, the left and the right. The left brain controls the right side of the body and is mainly responsible for speech, logic, time and rationality. The right brain controls the left side of the body and is responsible for our emotions, creativity, intuition, spatial awareness and analogical perceptions (metaphors). The halves communicate via a large bundle of nerve fibers called the corpus callosum.
For graphic purposes we compare the left brain to our consciousness, and the right brain to our subconscious or sleeping state. When we sleep we have no concept of time or logic. Our dreams can be very emotional, insightful and quite revealing (through metaphors). When we awaken, most of us go back to our left "responsible" brain, but we can choose to use both sides of our brain on command, if we learn how! Some do it naturally, artists can go too far right brained, and engineers have a tendancy to depend too much on the left brain.
There is evidence that by constantly stimulating the brain, that is, creating new neural pathways, the risk of Alzheimers disease can be reduced. As we age, brains cells die every day. By creating new neural pathways we can stay sharp and productive. There are many ways to exercise the brain, the goal is to balance the exercise so that both sides benefit, creating a power stronger than either side could generate alone. Perhaps we are a bit nervous about this power and how it will change us. On the other hand, without change there can be no growth, without growth there is only death.
Right side exercises: Drawing, painting, ceramics, meditating, creating, loving, hobbies, coloring, problem solving by intuition, playing, etc. Methods to shift quickly to the right, intuitive hemisphere:
Visualizing, daydreaming, responding to body language, rejoicing, doodling, sketching, humming, singing, laughing, crying, awareness of smells, sounds, colors and emotions around you, using the phone with your left "sympathetic" ear, finding possible solutions via wild, spontaneous brain-storming.
Left brain exercises: Learning, planning, setting goals, problem solving by deduction, studying, reading, exercising, browsing, etc. Methods to shift quickly to the left, logical hemisphere:
Taking notes, organizing, planning, prioritizing, looking at the clock,awareness of time, analyzing body language, comparing, judging, deciding, writing, using the phone with your right "analytical" ear, finding possible solutions by relating all the facts.
If we utilize both halves of our brain to help us solve problems it is similar to a debate. We get insight from our artistic side, which the engineer in us can compare and contrast to the list of "known" facts. Just remember that we seldom have all the facts and some of the ones we have may be wrong. It seems obvious that a strong right brain is very important to success in life.
Do not underestimate the power of the mind. Knowledge is power.
OUR THREE POUND UNIVERSE, OUR REALITY - THE BRAIN:
Our brain began development about 500 million years ago in a small animal in the sea that barely had enough neurons to orient themselves to light. Eventually fish evolved showing further growth in the brain stem. The brain stem is responsible for our bodies involuntary functions such as breathing, sleeping, heart-rate, eating, re-production, etc. It is also responsible for much of our behavior when we are young.
Sea-creatures evolved to land animals and the brain grew further. The dinosaurs had what we call the reptilian brain which is quite similar to the human brain stem of today. When mammals showed up, the cerebrum showed up and with it emotions and the capacity to learn. This mammilian brain, also known as the limbic system, from limbus or cap (around the brainstem) evolved until it too was covered by the "thinking cap", the cerebral cortex.
With the evolution of the cerebral cortex about 5 million years ago, humans were born and learning rapidly. Our first brain weighed only about 1 pound. As we evolved ourcerebral cortex folded in on itself in order to maximize the surface area, thus enabling greater blood supply. Since its humble beginning over 500 million years ago the human brain now weighs in at 3 pounds and consumes 40% of the oxygen in our blood. The brain has grown approximately 3-1/2% in the last 100 years which may indicate that the brain is growing at a faster rate than we have previously experienced due possibly to the increase in availability of printed and digital information (knowledge). Knowledge causes the brain to grow.
If we are to harness the power within ourselves and continue to evolve we must first realize that we posses three separate brain regions (the reptilian brain, the mammalian brain and the cerebral cortex) each of which is somewhat independent and has its own subjectivity and memory.
HOW THE BRAIN THINKS:
The thinking brain can be viewed as an electro-chemical organ that runs on stimulus (external and internal) and processes the input in a systematic and reverberating manner. The cycle goes something like this:
Input through Senses > Emotions > Muscle Control > Memory > Learning
Under a MRI scan, the cycle can be seen flowing through the different areas of the brain responsible for emotions, muscles, learning, etc. The thinking process combines several distinct brain areas and if one or more of these areas is out of whack, our entire thought process and safety could be in jeopardy. To improve our thinking (learning process) we can work on things like improving our perception skills, learning to deal with our natural emotions and improving our memory skills.
UNIVERSAL CONSCIOUSNESS - The 100th Monkey Effect?
The Hundredth Monkey Effect is based upon the principle that after one monkey on an island discovers how to wash a coconut in the water to remove sand and dirt, the rest follow suit until the last, or hundredth monkey, finally learns this improved method. At that point, monkeys on other islands become aware of this knowledge without "direct" communication. This same effect has happened repeatedly in human history, where inventors have simultaneously discovered inventions that others around the world were contemplating at the same time, or where mothers somehow know when one of their children is in pain hundreds of miles away. The thoughts become energy that is available to others that tune into this energy field, or universal consciousness. It may occur more often when we are sleeping or in "hypnotic" or meditative states than during our normal waking state. If we already tap into this energy field without being consciously aware think what we will be able to do if we exercise our minds and use this incredible resource to our best advantage! When you stop and think about it, you are adding to the energy field right now by merely reading this information on peace. Thank you, this is how it will spread. Who will be the 100th Monkey for Peace?
"If 5% of the population work for peace, there will be peace."
Quote from Peace Center, Theosophical Society in the Philippines
DESTINY TIPS: . Table of Contents
Do we control our Destiny? Only if we choose to.
Destiny is a word that seems to be tied closely to our concept of time. Whether we have a destiny or not depends in part on whether past, present and future co-exist simultaneously. The other part depends on whether or not we can change a "pre-determined" future with individual or group actions. It probably comes down to what you believe in. If reality is dependent upon our individual perceptions then the answer to this puzzle lies deep within each of us. What do you want to believe? The implications of this puzzle are somewhat hard for us to understand but the most obvious to us is that in order to change reality all you really have to do is change your perceptions. Can it really be that simple?! We are counting on it. This newsletter was developed to tip the scales in favor of world peace. The internet just happened to show up at the right time to enable us to make this information available for free to millions. Was it destiny? Is it destiny that you are pondering these questions?
MEMORY IMPROVEMENT TIPS: . Table of Contents
The brain processes information in a cyclical fashion that relies heavily on memory for storing and retrieving data so that we may analyze it. If we fail to store information properly it creates problems for us when we try to remember and apply the information. Most of us have heard the phrase "garbage in - garbage out" applied to computers, well it also applies to us in more ways than we realize.
Much of the data we want to store comes through our senses. We hear something, see something, feel something and maybe we remember it later. To improve our memory we need to absorb as much from our senses as possible and store these sensations along with the information we want to remember.
Example: To remember a phone number easier, write it down (muscular), say it out loud (auditory), look at it (visual), relate it to numbers you know (learning), smell and feel it (just kidding). By doing this we create more links to help us remember. Maybe we can't remember an event at first but then we remember a smell or a feeling we had and the whole experience comes back to us.
Quick tips: Repeat a persons name within 30 seconds of learning it. Repeat things out loud several times that you must remember. Write down notes. Associate names to faces by picking out key feature and linking it to the name, ie. Bob is 6'4" > Big Bob. The more time you spend thinking about what you want to remember, the better the chance you will remember it. It takes anywhere from 5 seconds to 30 seconds to shift information from short term memory to the long term memory section of the brain.
DRAWING TIPS: - Release the Artist Within & Increase Intuition Simultaneously
The action meaning of the word "drawing" should really be defined as the combined actions of "sensing" and "expressing", or simplified further, seeing and muscle control. Without seeing, really seeing, it is almost impossible to draw well. But as soon as we learn to SEE, the light goes on and drawing can become amazingly simple. A flag is no longer a rectangle, but rather a diamond shaped series of curvy lines. The upper corners of a room are not ninety degree angles but rather much wider, depending on your "perspective"! Drawing your thumb and forefinger takes five minutes instead of ten seconds if you see and draw all the wrinkles and creases that you miss in a ten second sketch. In fact the more straight lines you draw, the less you are actually "drawing". Do you see that drawing is related to sensing and seeing, which is in turn related to perception and intuition. Sherlock Holmes was a genius because he was an artist in perception. Maybe it's time to see what you've been missing.
Drawing is also one of the best ways to shift to the right "intuitive" brain and shut the left "logical" brain out for a while. You can feel the shift when the right brain takes over and you lose track of time and forget responsibilities temporarily. You can feel the shift back to the left when you finally look at the clock and come out of your "trance". You'll alsosee the shifts in your drawings, where some areas are better than others. Drawing is a great problem solving technique too. Forget the problem while drawing and often the solution appears before the drawing is finished.
By looking at this "vase-face" picture, you can experience the shift from left (vase) to right (faces), and back again. By learning to control this shift we will take another step in our evolution. In a way it's a bit like searching for the holy grail.

Use a pencil and be prepared to do a lot of erasing (at first). The goal is to end up with accurate drawings when we are done, not on the first sketch.
Perception of edges and contours: Start by drawing your bent thumb and forefinger. See and draw all the cracks and crevises. Do not draw any long straight lines. Do not think of it as your hand but as a series of short lines. Draw very slowly. The idea is to see with your right brain for perhaps the first time. You can even try not looking at the paper while you are drawing, just to get the feel of it. Notice how much detail there is on your hand - freckles, hair, patterns in the skin, rough spots, etc.
Perception of angles, parallel lines and proportions: Now we are ready to draw an upper corner of the room. Choose a corner that has a door near it. Notice how the corner does not appear to be 90 degrees because you are looking at it from an angle. That is how you must draw it, draw what you see - not what you know. The vertical line in the corner should be vertical on the paper and the door's edges will be parallel to both the ceiling line and the wall line. To understand proportions, look outside at two trees, one close and the other farther away. Hold your thumb up at arm's length and measure the height of both trees. One may be one thumbs length and the other may be two thumbs length tall. When you draw the trees, one must be half as tall as the other.
Perception of negative / empty space: One of the keys to good drawing is the perception of empty space. Find a standard four leg chair and draw the empty space (square) between the seat and the back. Now add the seat and legs, noticing the empty spaces between the legs. Try to find other examples of empty space near you. It is sometimes easier to draw what is not there than what is.
Perception of light and shadows. If you put a red rose in a dark room, what color is the rose really? Once again we know it's red but it appears black in a dimly light room so that is how it should be drawn. To learn shawdows, find something to draw and place it near a lamp. Notice how the shadows connect to the object and the pattern they create.
Perception of composition. The final step in a drawing and a chance to add any finishing touches. The goal is to make sure everything is in proportion and that the drawing creates the mood you want. Is it complete? Do the key features grab your attention as intended?
ART TIPS: . Table of Contents
What does art tell us about the culture that created it? How is a true work of art defined?
A work of art is often defined by its four main components - the Style, the Historical Significance, the Purpose and the Iconography. A true work of art ties all these components together so that the the end "product" has a greater impact than the sum of the parts have individually.
The purpose of the artform can be as important as the style, just as the historical significance and the iconography (or likeness to events/objects) can reveal hidden stories embedded in the work of art.
To discover what art tells us about the culture that created it we merely have to dissect the four components of any artform and do a little reverse engineering. Was the purpose of the artform religious in nature or purely a creative endeavor? Do the images in the artform resemble normal individuals, god-like individuals or objects familiar to the time period? Is there an unusual or new style being presented that has not appeared prior to this artform? Is there any historical significance about this artform, be it the message, the medium, the style, etc, that relates closely to current events, knowledge and technology of the time period?
A true work of art is a treasure waiting to be discovered. Creating a work of art can lead to even greater discoveries within yourself.
DREAMS -- A LINK TO OUR SUBCONSCIOUS: . Table of Contents
Dreams are a graphic example of what is going on deep inside our minds. The sleeping brain has no logical language so it shows us "videos" which mimic events going on in our lives or thoughts. The dreams do not make sense unless broken down into their metaphoric components. For instance, a dream where you can not move or escape might indicate you are feeling helpless in your day to day life. Find a way to gain control. Dreams where you are carrying heavy loads may indicate you are overwhelmed and need help. The key is to view the dream in broad terms and not get stuck on details. Conduct dream interviews with yourself or others and try to remember important feelings, events, settings, phrases, objects, people, colors and ideas. What you remember most can give you clues to resolve problems you may be consciously unaware of. Ask yourself questions about the important items remembered and see if they somehow relate to past, present or future events in your life. It may take hours to days to be "sure" of what insight has just become available to your conscious mind but if you want to improve your intuition and happiness, this is one of the best and easiest ways to do it.
THE SUBCONSCIOUS AND THE CONSCIOUS - WHICH IS DOMINANT?
For many people this question may seem a little absurd. Most people have been raised to believe that our consciousness controls most of our decisions and actions. The subconscious was thought to be something that only comes into play when we are sleeping or in a meditative state.
It may be time to change our thinking. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, our basic needs are physiological - food, water, warmth, sleep and sex. These needs must be met for growth to occur. Notice how these needs are biological and not conscious needs. Yes they can become learned "wants" but initially they are subconscious needs. Thus from the very beginning we are ruled by our subconscious, just as animals are. As we grow older and smarter we learn ways to control these basic needs but still these needs persist. Another item to ponder - we spend about 1/3 of our lives sleeping. The subconcious is in command and shows us whatever it wants to unless we learn how to control it. During this time period our brain waves fluctuate between alpha and beta waves that we have barely begun to understand. We may think that our conscious half makes most of our decisions but where does the insight behind the decisions come from? Perhaps something inside us tells us, after considering all the facts and emotions involved, what the "right" decision is. Perhaps our emotions play a bigger role in our decisions than we thought. Maybe they should. The point is to realize the importance our subconscious plays in our lives and not neglect it.
INTUITION TIPS:
Intuition - A Key to Finding Happiness and you Already Have It. Use It! Unlock the Door.
Our definition of Intuition is best explained as the sum of observation, emotional perception, re-collection and contemplation. Intuition provides solutions to problems that would be out of our grasp using logic alone. This implies that we must be willing to take a leap of faith in order to step beyond the ordinary. It is exactly this leap of faith that releases us from the past and propels us into the future. Facts and logic are essential to finding the truth but without using intuition to sort out the "facts" from the fiction we might as well have machines making our decisions for us.
In order to become proficient at using intuition all we really have to do is start following it. First try using intuition on small, non-important issues and as you begin to realize how accurate intuition is, move up to more beneficial issues. Learn to perceive using all your senses. Spend some time just listening, watching, smelling and "feeling" your surroundings. Try to find the metaphors in your dreams and find out what they are telling you. Try guessing someone's thoughts by looking at their expressions. Try to imagine a planet or solar system where people use mental "intuition" to communicate.
The only caution about intuition is to be careful not to confuse strong emotions for intuition. Emotions are a big part of intuition but they can also lead to biased conclusions. Make sure your emotions are under control before making rash decisions based on "intuition".
As we learn to follow our intuition our happiness and peace of mind will increase accordingly. There will no longer be the need to get angry with ourselves for not doing what we knew we should have done because we actually "do" what we should have done. This reduces both our internal and external wars. Used regularly, intuition really can double our happiness.
REALITY TIPS:
Perception and Reality. Is there a difference?
Most of us have heard the phrase - What you perceive is what you believe. Well, isn't what you believe - your reality? If it isn't, then what is? What you don't believe?
More on the brain regularly. The human mind is the last great frontier on earth!

GOAL SETTING TIPS: . Table of Contents
Goal setting is an important part of life. Without goals we tend to wander aimlessly and without purpose. Our goals will change constantly but by setting new ones and revising obsolete ones, we stay focused on what is important to us. Goals can be divided into separate classifications and split into short and long term.
Personal Goals: Health, fitness, social life, personal improvement, ...
Family Goals: Relations with spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, ....
Financial Goals: Work goals, investments, purchases, savings, ....
Mental / Spiritual Goals: Spiritual activities, church, meditation, mental exercises, expanded consciousness, memory improvement, ...
Recreation Goals: vacations, friends, toys, evenings-out, sports, hobbies, ...
Life-time Goals: Self-actualization goals, Inner Peace goals, Accomplishment goals, ....
After writing down your goals, go through them and rank them in order of importance. Make sure your goals are measurable and realistic. Focus on the most important ones and write a 3-8 step plan to achieve each goal. Now that you have a plan of action, let's start reaching those goals! One note of caution - Achieving your goals can leave you hollow and empty if you haven't already set new, higher ones, so keep reviewing and setting new goals. It's the journey that matters, not the destination.
BUILDING A PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT LIST:
After building an achievement list we can help ourselves through tough times by reviewing our "success journal" and reminding ourselves of the positive things in life we have accomplished. This list will help us stay on track and make sure we are accomplishing things associated with our highest goals. It is also a great resource for resumes and job reviews.
Start from your earliest childhood remembrances and list any achievements that come to mind. You can always delete some later, but chances are, if you remember them, they are significant. Another way to list them is by order of importance. You can also graph them out with peaks and valleys (like a stock chart), or in the shape of a mountain that continues to rise year after year.
Along with your achievement list, you can start a success journal to record your daily accomplishments, no matter how small. You can add them to your master achievement list later if desired.
There is a bit of Hero in each of us. What heroic deed have you done lately? Have you helped someone? Have you realized a major goal? Have you improved your "life" situation recently? It's little steps that will eventually get us to the promised land. It's kind of a "trek to the stars". Keep reaching!
WEALTH - YOU MAY HAVE MORE THAN YOU REALIZE . Table of Contents
Many people believe wealth is measured by material possessions; cars, houses, money and toys, believing that these things bring happiness. But what happens if to get all these things you have to work all the time, neglect family, friends, and health. What if you had happened to be born with everything you could ever want, what would be left to wish for? Remember from the goal setting tips, some of the most hollow periods of our lives can happen right after we reach important goals if we haven't already established higher ones. Success, like material possessions, only makes one happy for a while. We need to have continuous successes and set-backs for life to stay stimulating. There is a law of diminishing returns that states that the more you attain of something, the less you enjoy the excessive amounts. Once again the term balance comes to mind. Yes we have needs and wants but let's not get carried away. If you have too much, be it time, money or love, start sharing it with others that can benefit. If you think that seeing a smile or a tear on a thankful face isn't one of the best rewards in life, then you haven't truly experienced this feeling recently.
The true measures of wealth that allow us to enjoy our family, friends, toys and "ourselves" are our 6 Senses, our Health, our Fitness, and our Values (6SHFV). Notice that all these measures are related to you and you specifically. Values are an important measure because without positive moralvalues, others may resent your actions and may not radiate positive energy in your direction. Remember that when you try to point to something that makes you happy, there are three or more fingers pointing back at you. We all need a minimum level of material possessions but without the personal wealth that comes from within, external wealth is nearly meaningless.
We all may dream of being ultra-wealthy but most rich people are bombarded with problems because of their excessive accumulation of money (the love of money is the root of all evil?). The abnormally high suicide rate among lottery winners offers some proof of the problems money can create. Low to middle class families that put emphasis on family over money are more likely to have happy, healthy lives than those that are always striving to obtain more money.
Ted Turner's $1 billion dollar pledge to the United Nations sets a very positive example that suggests Peace may not be as far away as previously thought. Ted's gift is significant for two reasons. One, because it is ear-marked for humanitarian efforts in poverty and disaster stricken locations. Two, because his business investments will not benefit from his donation. Who will follow his lead? Way to Go Ted !!
"There are two things to aim at in life - to get what you want and after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest achieve the second." - Logan Pearsall Smith
THE 3 E's OF SUCCESS - EASY, EFFORTLESS & ENJOYABLE
When you are in balance and things are rolling smoothly then success seems easy, effortless and enjoyable. That is not to say that everything comes easily and effortlessly but rather because of the enjoyment in accomplishing challenging goals, things seem exciting and fun. Thinking back, you can often relate current successes to past goals set and long-term values established. The key is to keep setting new goals so that life stays challenging and interesting. All to often we can get caught in a rut while relishing on past successes, no matter how fantastic they were.
* Use To-Do Lists to help you Schedule and Remember Daily Events and Make Life Easier.
Be careful while striving for success so that it does not cause you to damage other aspects of your life. Spend quality time with family, friends and yourself so that you do not become completely self-absorbed in your work. Do not let your work become your identity. Let your identity be established by what you give, not how you earn it.
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VALUES - WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IN? . Table of Contents
When someone asks you to describe yourself, how do you reply? Most likely, you describe your physical self such as your age, height, hair color and birthplace. Is this who we are? Aren't we really defined by what's inside us, what we believe in, and not what we look like? The problem is that most of us have not been taught to think this way. Just try describing yourself withoutphysical descriptions. Suddenly we may be at a loss for words. How do you describe your beliefs, values, virtues and emotions? If we don't know what we stand for, we probably don't have a clear definition of who we really are.
Have you ever thought about what your values and beliefs are? Have you ever written them down? How did you develop them? Do others share the same values as you? Values are an internal set of guidelines that we live by yet few of us ever stop and give them serious consideration. Values help define who we are so we need positive values in order to develop healthy, vibrant identities. If you establish a positive set of values, then it is likely your actions will reflect this positivity. Values can be the "constant" in an ever-changing world that guides us from wrong to right.
To create a "Who Am I" list, start by writing down your current values and beliefs. After listing them, review them and see how many of them you actually follow through with. You only cheat yourself by not being honest on this part. Next, use the goal setting categories above to create a more complete list of values. Now that you have your current values listed, it's time to add some new ones and perhaps modify old ones. Are your values positive and constructive? Do they fit well with the goals and values of your significant other? Are there any major values missing like the golden rule, the ten commandments, or all people created equal? Now that you have a better idea who you are and where you are going, it's time to help your friends, children and loved ones discover more about who they are. Ask them to describe themselves and see what they say.
INTEGRITY - DO YOU FOLLOW THROUGH ON YOUR PROMISES? . Table of Contents
A key value to have is integrity. One of the first thing successful salespeople learn is that you must follow through on your promises or your best customers will find someone else who will follow through. Price is a secondary concern for these customers. People with integrity prefer not to deal with people without it. We may not always be able to meet all our promises but onthe rare occasions when things don't go well we must accept responsibility and find ways to correct the situation instead of assigning blame. People with integrity truly care about the problems they create by not keeping their promises.
How can we improve our integrity? First, do what you say you will do. Don't make promises you can't keep. The problem may be that your intentions are good but your scheduling is not. Second, don't make excuses for your mistakes. Accept responsibility no matter who or what is to blame because ultimately it comes down to you anyway. Lastly, put yourself in the shoes of the other person and think how you would feel if you were them. Would you be upset?
People with integrity tend to be highly successful and happy individuals that form networks that seldom associate with people that regularly violate one of the key values, integrity.
REINCARNATION - WHAT IF? . Table of Contents
The question of whether or not reincarnation occurs after we die is not as important as the question of whether or not you would want to be reincarnated, given the lack of choice you will have in the matter. What if in your next life you came back as a child in a third world, poverty stricken nation? What if you had to suffer prejudice in your next life because of your skin color, sex or religion? If you really stop and think about, there are some pretty bad living conditions in this world and most people would prefer not to be reincarnated into those conditions.
If we work now to improve inadequate conditions on earth, we may be able to sleep easier knowing that whatever or whoever we may come back as in future "existences", we will not have to suffer injustice and persecution. And if there is no such thing as reincarnation, we will just be left with a better planet for our kids to enjoy. One last thought, if the law of conservation of energy is true, where does our energy go when we die?
LOVE AND MARRIAGE TIPS:
The concept of love is something we endeavor to determine all our lives. Is it the feeling we have when we fall in love (or lust), or is it the feeling we have when our passions subside slightly and our feelings of friendship and faithfulness take over? We now know that the initial feelings of "love" occur in the limbic system of the brain (the middle brain) and the reasoning brain (the cerebral cortex) is usually left out of the decision until the love chemicals created by the limbic system stop flowing. These are the chemicals that cause us to have sweaty palms and nervousness around someone we find attractive. After the flame dies down, the cortex regains control and we find out if we've chosen wisely.
If we can control our sexual instincts long enough to find a person that can be a life-long friend, our chances are greatly improved that we will find love and happiness. But just because we find someone who shares our values and goals, it doesn't guarantee success. A healthy marriage, just like a healthy body, must be nurtured and cared for or it will wither away and die.
Tips for a healthy marriage: Do you both communicate well, have similar values, enjoy similar recreational activities, have complementary goals in life, get along with the in-laws, have similar family planning views, share in the chores, etc. Don't get married if you can't honestly promise yourself you will never be unfaithful to your spouse.
PARENTING TIPS: . Table of Contents
Try to determine whether your child is right-brain (creative) or left-brain (logical) dominant. Read the mental tips above to determine both their bias and your own. In kindergarten through 2nd grade, right brain kids do fine because non-verbal things are stressed. Left brain kids may appear slow. By third grade, reading, writing and mathematics are stressed and the "visually creative" right brain child may now begin to appear slow or apathetic. Help your kids learn how to use both sides of their brain by practicing the mental tips above. Through long-term conditioning they can become whole-brain thinkers and improve their chances of achieving internal peace.
When you tell children "No", tell them why. This helps them to understand your reasoning and helps them to learn. It also changes your position from a dictator to one closer to their level. With older children, make sure they also understand why, and what they can do to avoid a repeat punishment. A heart-felt explanation of disappointment can often make a bigger impression than a spanking. Find out what they treasure and threaten to take their "fun" away for a while. Stick to your threats or don't make them at all. Be consistent and they will learn to respect you for it. You may want to be your childs friend but they also need a loving and guiding parent. Don't treat them the way your parents treated you, treat them better. Learn from their mistakes.
Teach your children about the stages of life and the ways you dealt with those same stages as a kid. Teach them that peace is achievable and that they must find it in themselves first. This will only happen if you take the time to teach them.
Cellulits - The Fever Infection that Kills:
What is Cellulitis? An infection of the tissue beneath the skin usually caused by a cut, animal bite, tear, puncture, burn or lesion on the surface of the skin. Especially vulnerable on the face, legs and hands. Symptoms include sudden redness and tenderness sometimes associated with fever, chills and nausea. Swelling and numbness can also occur as the infection spreads. If thepoison reaches the blood stream you may go to sleep and never wake up. If cellulitis occurs in the face it can infect the brain. Cellulitis can also cause paralysis of the infected area before it reaches the bloodstream if not addressed promptly.
Treatment of wounds so that cellulitis doesn't set in include cleaning the wounded area and applying bacterial ointment (if available) and then bandaging or wrapping the wound to prevent further infection. Prevention includes taking care of your health, wearing protective clothing and paying close attention to bites, scratches and infections, especially in the young, the elderly, diabetics and cortizone users. Avoid swimming if you have open cuts. Even without pain, which is often nonexistent, if these conditions appear contact your doctor or local emergency clinic immediately. A life may count on it.
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TECHNOLOGY TIPS: . Table of Contents
Soon to be EVERYWHERE - NC's (Network Computers or Information Appliances)), DVD's (Digital VideoDisks), Internet Cell Phones (hand-held NC's), Smart Pagers, Interactive TV / Appliances (NC's connected to electronics, sensors), Video, VCR and Digital Camera options for NC's (Two way conferencing / security surveillance), Smart cards (credit card sized NC's), Smart homes (NC controlled houses). Why all these NC's? Partly because they cost only $300 - $1000, and partly because PC's become obsolete every 1-1/2 years (Moore's Law) and cost thousands in upgrades, programming, and repairs. If only 50% of U.S. homes have PC's (even fewer in other countries) how are the masses going to connect to this new mode of communication? The NC of course. What is a NC? Essentially a chip! Some NC's may have several high power chips, others like a cell phone or video game may have a tiny chip powered by a watch battery.
What makes this possible? The Internet! The Network becomes the Computer and stores the most current software until we call up a file that needs that software. This will free up our hard drive, (if we don't store everything on our server or DVD's (future CD's but 20 X's capacity)) while lowering costs and maintenence dramatically. NC's will be everywhere, connected to almost everything! The Internet will become a utility and the "Web Tone" will be a less expensive equivalent to the "Dial Tone" we use on our phones today. This technology will be managed by the experts (as with phone systems) and we will simply turn on our NC's and use this new technology and entertainment as we do a television or computer. The internet is expected to grow from 50 million to 150 million users by the year 2000. The Internet is also responsible for our most recent step in evolution, which some are calling the Information Age, or the Age of Knowledge. Where were you when you first got on the World Wide Web?
The Internet is not likely to replace other mediums but rather help improve communication/education (life) within society. Society has, and continues to use many different mediums, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Examples - Cave Drawings, Smoke Signals, Printing Press, Telegraph, Radio, Telephone, Television, Internet, etc. - What's next? Telepathy?
WEB PAGE DESIGN TIPS: . Table of Contents
If you have wanted to create your own web site but thought it might be too difficult, these tips might help ease some of the fear of this relatively simple task. If you can operate a word processor, you can build a web site.
1st - Get web page software. We got ours off the web by using Altavista's search engine and typing in the word "shareware".
2nd - Build a first draft web page using the software. It will probably not be perfect the first time but as you learn more functions and tricks, the page will improve.
3rd - Find an Independant Service Provider (ISP) to host your web site. It should cost around $20-$30 per month to have a web site hosted. It can cost $300 per month if the provider builds and maintains your site. You won't need internet access or e-mail through this ISP, just someone to host your site. Use a search engine to find a list of ISP's in your area.
4th - Using FTP software (File Transfer Protocol), obtained from the internet again, transfer your web page file from your PC to the server (the ISP's computer) and rename the file from index.htm to index.html (changing it from DOS to UNIX). We transfer files using Ipswitch's WS_FTP. The file name index.html is what all computers search for when trying to locate a web file at a particular directory.
5th - Spice up your web site with digital photos. Purchase a $300 digital camera and use the graphics software provided to edit your pictures into JPEG files (the fastest loading image files). Transfer your .jpg files to the server also.
6th - Add your site to the search engines (ADD URL) so that others can find your web page. You may want to learn more about using keywords and meta-tags in the comments section of your web page before proceeding with this step. Without proper keywords, your site could be listed on page 20 as opposed to page 1 or page 5, etc.
6th - Jump onto the web and view your web site. If you are like most first time web authors, it's a feeling comparable to the one you probably had when you created your first work of art as a child.
BOOK TIPS: . Table of Contents
Emotional Intelligence - Daniel Goleman. This book discusses EQ as opposed to IQ. It ties what we know about the brain to our emotional state of well-being. Reviews, Hindu E.I. , Schooling your Emotions, E.I. in Schools , E.I. Test, More E.I.
Extraordinary Minds - Howard Gardner. The many types of genius are explored in this book.
Jung To Live By - Eugene Pascal, Ph.L. This book provides a guide to practical application of Jungian principles for everyday life.
The Brain and Longevity - Dr. Richard Restak.
Understanding Media : The Extensions of Man - Marshall McLuhan. This book, written in 1964, offers excellent insights into man's extensions of himself, especially as it is related to technology.
OUR UNIVERSE: . Table of Contents
The following photos from the Hubble Space Telescope remind us that our universe is in a constant state of evolution. If we fail to evolve fast enough there is a good chance we may suffer the same fate as the dinosaurs. Einstein suggested that if there were a World War 4, it would be fought with slingshots, due to the devastation from WWIII (or a comet?). Let's hope it doesn't come to that.
The first photo is the Eskimo Nebula. This is an exploding sun-sized star. The nebula's glowing gases produce the colors in this image: nitrogen (red), hydrogen (green), oxygen (blue), and helium (violet).
The second photo was released on 2/6/2000 - The Keyhole Nebula.
The next photo is a picture of our universe showing thousands of galaxies, many about the same size as our own. Black holes (artist's rendering shown) may be at the center of most galaxies, with recent evidence suggesting that we have our own . In April 1997, the orbiting Compton Gamma Ray Observatory discovered an "Annihilation Fountain" spurting up from the center of the Milky Way some 3500 light years high and 4000 light years wide. This center is about 25,000 light years from earth. The fountain may be the winds of boiling hot gas from a black hole, much like that of a hurricane. Gamma rays are produced when matter and anti-matter collide creating energy at least 250,000 times that of normal light. Quasars may sometimes develop when galaxies collide, providing fuel for massive black holes. The photo of the "Hubcap" black hole was released by NASA the week of June 15th, 1998.
The next photos shows interstellar dust and hot hydrogen gas from the Eagle Nebula, which may someday form into stars if the dust and gas collapse on itself and a nuclear reaction begins in the core. The Catseye Nebula, below, shows concentric swirls of hot gas around a dying star, or possibly two very close stars. Such explosions could cause nearby hydrogen gases and dust from other explosions to "whirl-pool", creating new stars and planets. Another exploding star shows the hour-glass shape typical of such explosions.
Next, a series of photos of comet Shoemaker-Levy as it was breaking apart before it smashed into Jupiter causing tremendous impact craters. Jupiter's impact craters can be seen as the black marks along the bottom of the giant gas planet (The Red Spot is a storm twice as wide as the earth). Jupiter's brown layers are a dusty "smog" while the white layers are mostly ammonia gas and ice. Impact A (far lower left) hit on 7/16/94, E-F (SW of the Red Spot) hit on 7/17/94, H (SE of Red Spot) hit on 7/18/94, and Q (far lower right) hit on the 20th. We may owe our lives to Jupiter being in our solar system. Without the gravity due to Jupiter's gigantic size we may have been blasted by comets or meteors like Shoemaker-Levy years ago (long before we are ready to defend ourselves).
A photo of an active volcano on Io is available by clicking on the link below Jupiter (lower-middle of moon). Io is roughly the size of our moon (1/4 the size of earth) but has nine or more "periodic" volcanos due to the tremendous pull of Jupiter's gravity.
Next, a giant storm on Saturn. The white arrowhead shaped cloud is formed from hot ammonia gas condensing as it rises and meets the cold upper atmosphere (perhaps to condense into ice chunks and become part of the rings). Approximately every 55 years (2 Saturn years) a major storm develops similar to this one, but larger. Next is a photo of two galaxies after colliding. Stars are forming along the outer ring of the blue galaxy, while thousands more are exploding like firecrackers. The reddish core is made of dust and star formation. It is unsure which of the galaxies on the right passed through theblue Cartwheel galaxy but speculation suggests that the reddish galaxy may be the culprit because of the lack of blue light (star formation outside the core) surrounding the dusty, star-filled center. Lastly is another spectacular photo of two colliding galaxies just released by NASA on October 24, 1997.