Infotips » Awards

Your Child’s Self-Esteem is in The Cards

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:09:01 +0000

Research has shown that the present generation of children worldwide is demonstrating more social-emotional challenges (from low self-esteem to depression) than ever before. Families, schools, recreation programs etc. are recognizing that it is critical our children be taught positive values like caring about others and oneself, behaving responsibly, recognizing and managing emotions and developing positive relationships.

Parents can use a variety of tools, such as affirmation cards, to encourage their children to believe in themselves, in their dreams and in their own personal power while also promoting positive values such as honesty, responsibility, compassion and respect. This results in the children, as well as parents, connecting to their true being – their Magnificence within, and the feeling of empowerment to bring about positive changes in themselves, the community and the world.

Research indicates that children who have more positive values, self-esteem, do better in the classroom and are more successful academically. That is why affirmation cards are being used more and more in classrooms around the world. Teachers are using the cards to teach positive values and virtues throughout the curriculum. When children feel good and secure in themselves, they are more willing to work towards reaching their fullest potential. Teachers are also finding that using these in their classrooms has made a positive difference in the relationships amongst peers.

Children who use positive self-talk messages develop respect and confidence for themselves. These positive values help the child faced with a Bully situation. Armed with a positive sense of self, the child is more likely to see the reason for the bullying as outside themselves rather than their fault. The child realizes that the problem is with the bully and so is able to maintain their self worth. They are also more likely to support others that are bullied and not just stand by and watch it happen.

Manifest your Magnificence, a set of 64 affirmation cards, was specifically designed to teach positive values and nurture a child’s self-esteem. The cards are focused on bringing together the child’s mind and heart for in doing so we arm children with the values and virtues that will guide them to becoming more productive, fulfilled and successful adults.

Manifest Your Magnificence cards can be used in many ways to motivate and remind children that they are Magnificent Creations. A card can be pulled in the morning to set an intention for the day and also facilitate discussion at dinner or before bed. Parents and children can also go through the deck and pick out those they know they are, one’s they think they are and one’s they aren’t quite sure they are. This provides great insight into how a child/parent feels about themselves as well as how they feel about their parent/child.

Teachers can use the cards to teach a particular value, e.g. I AM Conscientious; I always do what I know is right. For instance, one class, after discussing how children could be more

conscientious during environmental week, decided to go around the school periodically and clean the playground. There are many ideas and examples of how you can use the “Manifest Your Magnificence” cards in schools, recreation programs etc. to explore, unfold, teach and reinforce positive values. For example:

I SET MY INTENTION

Have students pick a card

Have student read what is on card loud and clearly to class

Have student state one way they will demonstrate what is on card today

Give student applause (we all like to be acknowledged)

Before students leave, have them share an example of how they demonstrated value on card.

Give student applause

DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?

Have students pick 5 values (can be any number of values)

Have students write, draw about what they do to show that value. Make sure no one else sees their sheet and that they put their names on the sheet.

Teacher collects the sheets

Teacher picks a sheet and reads what is on it

Students guess who wrote, drew what was on the page

I AM VALUE CHART

Pick a value you want the class to work on for the day/week

Make a chart that graphs the number of times each student demonstrates the value.

Encourage students to be “Value Beacons”, identifying other students who ARE demonstrating the value

I AM THE WORLD!

Pick a value card

Take a walk with students

Explore environment of class, school, home, community, and world

Discuss what students see, experience in the class, their environment, world that demonstrates or doesn’t demonstrate the value chosen

Discuss what values, other than the one chosen, do they see or not see

Have students write a positive I AM statement for themselves, the class, their environment, the world

Post values around room.

Opening words of the United Nations’ Declaration of the Rights of the Child:

“Mankind owes to the Child the Best that it has to give.”

So take a positive step forward to helping children connect with their true being and Manifest their Magnificence in the world!

Susan Howson is the creator of Manifest Your MagnificenceTM, a unique gift set of 64 affirmation cards designed specifically to nurture a child’s self-esteem at home or in the classroom. Beautifully illustrated and written, each affirmation card carries a powerful message that when read repeatedly, connects each child to their true being. An early childhood expert, university professor and certified co-active life coach, she received in 2000 the “Award of Excellence for Humanitarian Effort” for her work in Bosnia. Her website is www.magnificentcreations.com.

susan@magnificentcreations.com

Xbox Catching Up in 2006

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:08:04 +0000

Although there was a delay in delivering the number of Xbox 360sthat consumers demanded for the 2005 holiday season, Microsoftis expected to manufacture over 2 million of the gaming consolesin the first quarter of 2006. Its estimated that about 1million Xbox 360s made it to stores in time for the holidays, sotheres a pent-up demand for the console. In addition, reportedbugs and cooling problems will likely be worked out in the nearfuture.

The Xbox isnt the only consumer electronic hitting the newsthese days. At the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show, a number ofmanufacturers of cell phones will be honored with innovationawards. For example, Firefly Mobile will be honored for their”Mobile Phone for Mobile Kids,” which is specifically designedfor tweens. In addition, Auvi Technologies will be presented anaward for their innovative PHIP100 VoIP-enabled cordlessspeakerphone with a built-in webcam.

CES will also honor a number of innovative computermanufacturers, including Hewlett Packard. HP has two products,the Media Center Photosmart PC and the Pavillion desktop PC,which combine computing with cutting edge digital entertainmentfeatures. Logitech will be accorded the 2006 Best of Innovationsaward for its customizable computer mouse, which allows the userto change the mouses weight and balance.

Consumer electronics continue to be integrated into car designand sold as after market features.

Audivox, for example, offersdual DVD players that offer backseat passengers a choice inwhich DVD they each watch, while Panasonic has an in-dash DVDmonitor and receiver. Manufacturers are also producing aftermarket products to integrate MP3 players and iPods into avehicles sound system. As a result, drivers and passengers nolonger have to rely on a CD to bring their favorite tunes on theroad.

Although many developers of video games seem to be waiting untilthe next generation of gaming consoles saturate the market, afew recent titles are noteworthy. Psychonauts is a hit, and forthe role-playing crowd, Jade Empire is the video game du jourfor the Xbox. In portable gaming, the Sony PSP comes out on topwith Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, while the NintendoDS offers Mario Kart.

On the whole, consumer electronics continue to improve inreliability and performance, while becoming increasinglyaffordable. In all respects, 2006 looks like it will be astellar year for everything from video gaming systems to cellphones.

About the author:

Chris Robertson is an author of MajonInternational, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies onthe web. Visit this Electronics Website andMajons Electronicsdirectory.

Writing College Admissions Essays that Take First Place–A Personal Statement Checklist

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:06:06 +0000

Congratulations on your move toward a college degree. And congratulations on seeking support for writing your admissions essay/personal statement. The squeaky motor gets the oil, so you will be slick and running sleekly in a just a few days.in plenty of time to submit and relax before transferring from a community college or crossing over from high school to higher learning.

While the application and entry process is exciting, it is also rigorously demanding. when it comes to writing the prompted essays. But instead of getting intimidated, remember, it is a process with a series of many laps around the track. Do the steps one at a time, on time, and even ahead of time; be just as rigorous as the entry requirements are; and use the following as a checklist throughout the entire personal statement writing process, and you will create a worthy piece of writing that will smoothly slide you right into the institution of your choice.

1. Use that fine machine (your head): get ahead, start ahead.

___Start early. If they application and essay are due in three months, start working on it in two.

2. Start small.

___If the task seems overwhelming, choose an easy, quick, or interesting part of the task. Then you will have a momentum that will push you forward into the larger, more time consuming tasks. For example, you know your name, address, and (maybe) what you want to major in. Fill out the application.

3. Read X3 before you start to build.

___The first time, read the directions and the prompt choices for the personal statement(s) you have to write as if you are reading a magazine for fun.

___The second time, read the prompt choices as if you are reading a catalog and shopping for the one (best) item (prompt).. Choose the one topic that you feel you have the most to write on, the one you like, the one you are drawn to.

___The third time, read with a highlighter or pen: highlight or underline the key words in the prompt’s introductory sentences and the key action words (those words that tell you to do something). For example, if the prompt reads as follows, you would mark it like this [I use brackets here for highlighting]:

.Is there [anything] you would like us to know [about you or your academic record] that you have not had the opportunity to [describe] elsewhere in this application? What is [your intended major]? [Discuss] [how your interest in the field developed] and [describe] any [experience you have had in the field] – such as volunteer work, internships and employment – and what you have gained from your involvement..

4. Make notes.and make them visible.

___You now have the (five, here) parts to list on a big piece of paper or cardboard that you then prop up or tape up on your wall or pc. (I always do this-tape the required points on my computer; then I can constantly refer to it as I am writing. It keeps me on track-on topic.)

5. Consider your audience.

___As with any writing, you decide your tone based on who will be reading the work. In this case, you are submitting to a committee of readers who read stacks and stacks of these things. So.

6. Be real. Be honest. Be engaging. Be positive. Be fresh.

I know, I know. I hate it too when someone tells me to be myself. (Who else would I be?) The point is to avoid pretense, avoid b.s. (lies), and avoid whining, begging, and angry, bitter, resentful tirades.

The readers want to know who you are, how you would fit, and what you would bring to the university.

___Brainstorm a list of true details, writing them on the left side of a piece of paper. On the right side, note next to each item how that makes you a perfect candidate for the place. (The left side is negative, too. The right side is the balance, turning the negatives into positives.)

7. Engage.

Granted, when we writers begin drafting, we may not necessarily begin with the opening paragraph. We scribble the lines we remember, the body, the conclusion, topic sentences, important buzz words, or anything else that comes to mind. But when you do get to the opener, it must be as outstanding, alluring, inviting, and original as possible.

I promise I know what I’m talking about here. As a/an (former) Associate Professor of college English, I assisted hundreds of students with both graduate and undergraduate application packets and processes–teaching workshops on the entrance essays, tutoring students in the complete process in the colleges’ learning centers, even receiving students in my home (where they still continue to approach me for consultation and support).

So I have seen/see many students get accepted to Berkeley, Cornell, Stanford, State, and other private and public institutions-based on their essays, which I helped them to write and (ugh) rewrite using the standards and guidelines of the major institutions of higher learning (and this handy manual of caveats I have compiled over the years). And those essays start with unique, engaging intros-that follow these tricks:

___Get rid of all abstractions (now also considered clich

Women Get Ready, Get Set and Go Global

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:05:07 +0000

Today, women are starting businesses at twice the rate of men and becoming a major force both in the traditional and the new global e-business marketplace.

In November, The National Womens Councils Interagency Committee on Womens Business Enterprise prepared and presented to the 2000 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Conference a case study (http://www.nwbc.gov/oecd.pdf) on successful public and private initiatives for fostering entrepreneurship among women. It notes the significant role women have played in the recent economic prosperity and affirms the fact that "countries with high levels of economic activity and with the highest start-up business rates are the ones where women are well-engaged in entrepreneurial activity." More intriguing still, small businesses owned by women and minorities are focusing more intense efforts on exporting than those owned by non-minority men. The U.S. Small Business Administrations (SBA) Office of International Trade, in a statistical report released last year, indicated that "America’s small businesses are big players in international trade – and their role is growing rapidly." Export data analysis (http://www.sba.gov/library/oitreport/oitnov99report.html) shows that 97 percent of U.S. companies that export are small businesses and women own 40 percent of all small businesses (http://www.sba.gov/news/speeches/alvarez112900.html).

Wanna Grow? Go Global!

Women account for 30 percent of the businesses that export more than half of their products. "Women-owned firms participating in the global marketplace grow more rapidly than women-owned businesses that are primarily domestic," SBA Administrator, Aida Alvarez said. "They are more apt to develop a new product or service and expand domestically. At the SBA (http://www.onlinewbc.org/), we have several programs in place to help women-owned businesses take advantage of the outstanding opportunities available through international trade."

Achieving Success a Woman’s Way

Could it be that businesswomen go globetrotting with their products or services more readily than men do because they adapt more easily to foreign countries and cultures? “I think women [have a] natural ability to embrace their work and their businesses as a natural extension of their own family,” says Cherie Piebes, IBM’s Global Small Business Program Director for the Alliance Marketing and Women Entrepreneurs market (http://www.ibm.com/smallbusiness/women). “Research has indicated that women tend to manage from a centralized focal point, while men manage from a hierarchical stance.” A more personalized style of business interaction makes women uniquely equipped to succeed on the international front, where quality personal relationships are key to success. Even though we realize that the ability to stick to a complex business agenda will win our colleagues confidence and respect, the emotional sensitivity and the capacity for relationship building that is largely attributed to women can be useful in any business negotiation. National Foundation for Women Business Owners (http://www.nfwbo.org) researchers put it more succinctly: “The fact that we are women, with different challenges and perceptions in the workplace . . . can finally be turned to our advantage, judo style.”

Listen and You’ll Understand

What really enables a woman entrepreneur to go global? Here’s what two dynamic global businesswomen have to say. “It has been my experience that doing business in any part of the globe is all about listening,” says Deb Armstrong, President of majority woman-owned Kendallville, Indiana-based, A-1 Production, Inc. (http://www.a1production.com), a producer of bushings, hydraulic fittings and machined parts. “Maybe this is why women are the ones working more diligently to increase business overseas. While we listen and observe, we also see that we must be flexible to do business in other parts of the globe, be patient with others and most of all accept and embrace

the differences in people,” Deb notes. “Producing a product or service at a good price also helps!”

Relationships Seal Deals

What else brings success to women conducting business overseas? I asked Ms. World Trader of The Year (awarded by the state of Minnesota in 1985) to see if her opinion differed. “Building trusting, quality relationships–something especially women excel–in has been the key to international success for me,” says Yvonne Halpaus, Director of Sales and Marketing for QNET LLC (http://www.ce-mark.com), a quality assurance and international trade consulting firm specializing in CE Marking and ISO 9000/EN 46000/QS 9000 with affiliated offices in California, Wisconsin and Tokyo. She elaborates further: “In the past, when I traveled throughout the world to sell machinery, I prepared in detail to understand the market I was visiting–including the Arab world. I read about the culture, their way of conducting business, visited with our international bankers to obtain economic reports and forecasts. While conducting business, I always made sure to ask questions and not jump to conclusions based on Western viewpoints. I tried to study situations through local viewpoints. Combined, this gave me an edge in negotiations. I seemed to understand or at least be willing to try.” Deb Armstrong jumps in to add: “I would have to say that to me, another reason why we succeed more so than men in the global marketplace is because we are open to differences in methods, practices and meeting people’s diverse needs. Because of my success with global trade (from 1997 grew exports to 10 percent of company’s total sales) and the changes made in the company, I was promoted from Senior Vice President to President in 1999.”

Who Says Women Aren’t Allowed?

This is all great and fine, but what about certain parts of the world where the perception is that women aren’t allowed to participate in business dealings–then what? “When my top sale in the Middle East was valued at $2 million, management stopped asking if they were doing the right thing sending a woman to the Middle East,” says Yvonne. “It became a mute point.”

Whatever Your Business, The World Is Yours

It’s clear that whether you run a service or manufacturing enterprise, the wide-open world of global marketing is the businesswomans natural habitat. If you haven’t already gone global, you can start by visiting a few of these one-stop-global-shops that cover everything from how to start your business to how to operate in the global marketplace. Although most of the Web sites are designed for businesswomen, much of the featured content will be of interest to all entrepreneurs.

AT&T Women in Business (http://www.att.com/wib/index.html)
Advancing Women (http://www.advancingwomen.com/index.html)
Businesswomen in Trade (http://www.infoexport.gc.ca/businesswomen/menu-e.asp)
Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (http://www.fwe.org/)
Global Funding Community (http://www.seekingcapital.com)
Online Women’s Business Center (http://www.onlinewbc.org/docs/market/index.html)
Organization of Women in International Trade (http://www.owit.org/)
The Enterprise Development Website Women and Enterprise Development (http://www.enterweb.org/women.htm)

About The Author

Laurel Delaney runs a Chicago-based global marketing, consulting and web content providing company aimed toward entrepreneurs and small businesses. She is the author of “Start & Run a Profitable Exporting Business” and teaches an MBA Export Entrepreneurship course at Loyola University Chicago. In addition, she serves as Director of International Development for SeekingCapital.com, a global funding community that facilitates education and interaction between entrepreneurs and investors. Ms. Delaney can be reached at laurel@seekingcapital.com.

WIND WIRELESS TO SPONSOR AT THE BROADBAND WIRELESS SHOW

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:04:06 +0000

From: Wind Wireless, Inc.

Contact: Bob Kirkpatrick, Chief Technology Officer
bobk@windwireless.net
(509) 462-4734
715 East Sprague Avenue
Spokane, WA 99202
www.windwireless.net

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

WIND WIRELESS TO SPONSOR AT THE BROADBAND WIRELESS SHOW

SPOKANE, WA December 27, 2004 – Wind Wireless, Inc. of Spokane, Washington is a participating sponsor for the annual Broadband Wireless Show occurring April 21-22. This is their first outing as a sponsor and exhibitor at a major industry convention. The event, produced by Shorecliff Communications, is being held in Las Vegas.

Wind Wireless (www.windwireless.net) is a pioneer in the world of wireless networking. The company has received awards for their successes in bringing high-speed Internet services to rural areas where little or no Internet access is available. Wind Wireless has also worked with a collection of mainstream wireless

equipment manufacturers helping to define products or product improvements in wide use.

Attendance for the Broadband Wireless Show is projected to be in excess of 60,000 people. “We’re looking forward to this,” says Bob Kirkpatrick, Wind’s Chief of Technology. “But we want to get the word out both for ourselves and for the line of equipment we use and sell. The advances by companies like Mikrotik and Tranzeo are amazing and permit us to build some incredible solutions.”

Wind Wireless has been designing and building wireless networks for business, government, and education since 1989. For more information, visit their website at www.windwireless.net.

###

About the Author

Bob Kirkpatrick is the Chief of Technology at Wind Wireless, Inc. networking pioneers since 1989, Wind Wireless, Inc. provides consulting and web design, wired and wireless equipment, and turnkey systems to individuals, businesses and government.

Why would you want to be enlightened?

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:03:02 +0000

Yesterday, a marketing guru asked me a question that left me speechless.

I had retained Bob to review the copy on my Mystic Warrior website from a sales perspective. He asked about reader reactions. As we talked, I told him how some readers felt compelled, while in the midst of my book, to put it down and meditate. In several cases, they described tingling sensations on the crown of their head and of receiving “downloads of energy and information.” I told Bob they were “attuning with God” and how this is a step towards enlightenment.

Thats when he asked me the question that left me speechless.

He asked, “Why would you want to be enlightened?”

Bob wasnt trying to be funny and he wasnt questioning whether this would benefit people. He asked me this to force me to think about the question in a more fundamental way. (You might say he was acting as a “devils advocate.”)

When I first heard his question, I couldnt respond. Going through my mind were the thoughts, “Isnt this what everybody wants?” and “Isnt this the reason for living?” But before I could even speak, I realized this wasnt true.

A belief as an idea that you accept as true-regardless of whether or not it really is. Many times a belief operates subconsciously and is never examined. This is what happened to me. My belief seemed self-evident and yet, it wasnt true for most people. Not everyone wants to become enlightened-at least not consciously.

So I pondered, “Why would you want to be enlightened?”

This is not a simple question to answer. “Why would you want to be rich?” is easy to answer.

“So I can buy a new BMW M5.”"So I can travel throughout Europe staying at the finest hotels.”"So I can help others less fortunate than me.”

The reason its easy to answer is that being rich only satisfies a physical, emotional or intellectual desire.

Striving for enlightenment is not a

physical, emotional or intellectual quest. It arises out of a yearning from deep within the soul. Its beyond emotion or intellect. Its a craving to return to God, a desire to be completely and totally one with God.

Throughout the ages mystics have described this experience. Regardless of what formal religion the individual might practice, the experience almost always includes: a sense of being beyond time or space and connected to everything, joy, knowingness, paradoxicality, ineffability, and transiency with permanent changes.

Anyone who has ever approached such an experience never forgets it. Thereafter, nothing else compares. Consequently, you are no longer content merely with great food, awesome sex, mind-blowing entertainment, or extravagant material goods. You want enlightenment.

But the fact is, not everyone has this craving or is even aware it exists. So short of sitting in the presence of an enlightened master, how do you awaken it in people? Does it trivialize it to say it will improve your life, that youll lead a happier, less stressful life? Does it cheapen it to point out that as you move towards enlightenment and eliminate the veils (beliefs) that hide the true nature of God, that youll begin to develop your inner senses, often referred to as psychic abilities?

Do you mention all these benefits when someone asks, “Why would you want to be enlightened?”

Or do you simply say, “Because nothing else matters.”
About the Author

Edwin Harkness Spina is the author of the award-winning spiritual thriller Mystic Warrior. Receive a free copy of Mystic Secrets Revealed when you sign up for the Mystic Warrior Newsletter with mystical techniques to improve your life and expand your mind.

Why Allowances for Back to School?

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:02:04 +0000

What do good schools and well thought out allowances have in common? Both teach your child a vitally important life skill: reflective thinking. Kids are naturally impulsive. Learning how to reflect before making a decision – learning to think in terms of choices, alternatives and consequences — is a great life skill for kids to learn. Stanley Greenspan, M.D., one of the country’s leading child psychiatrists, says that children who develop the ability to think in terms of choices and consequences are likely to grow into teenagers and adults who “can solve problems and assess and evaluate their own impulses and desires.” Teens and adults who never develop this skill are “limited to their immediate and often impulsive reactions to events.”

What do we mean by a “well thought out allowance?” It’s been our experience that many parents simply haven’t a clue when it comes to their kid’s allowance. They don’t know when to start, how much to give or what the purpose of the allowance is in the first place.

Since back to school time is rapidly approaching, here are answers to the four most common questions we get from parents about allowances.

Q:When do you start giving your kids an allowance?

A:There’s no magic age. Start an allowance when your child becomes interested in money and using it to buy things. This is usually about age six. But if there are older children in the house already getting an allowance, don’t be surprised if your five year old asks for an allowance. For your child’s first allowance, look at the piggy bank recognized as a Parent’s Choice Award Winner that has four transparent chambers and four slots, labeled Save, Spend, Invest and Donate.

Q:How much should the allowance be?

A:While there is no magic age, there is a magic amount! The allowance should be enough to shift to your child the ability – and the responsibility — to pay for some of the things you’ve been buying in the past. Keep track of what you’re spending on your child. Then figure out which items you will continue to be responsible for and which expenses you want the allowance to cover. Here’s a simple example. Your six year old is really into Yu-Gi-Oh and the allowance tracker shows that you’re laying out $4 a week on average for Dark Beginning Super Cards. We suggest you start him off with a $5 a week allowance. Fifty cents is for saving and another fifty cents is for charity. The remaining $4 can be spent any way he wants during the week but explain that you won’t be buying him Yu-Gi-Oh cards anymore. You’ve created a situation in which he is learning to think reflectively: “Should I spend the $4 on a toy at the drug store or on a Yu-Gi-Oh card or should I save for a few weeks so I can buy a more powerful Yu-Gi-Oh card?”

Q:How long a time period should the allowance cover?

A:When you first

start, give the allowance weekly. As your child gets older, increase both the amount of the allowance so that it shifts more responsibility to your child, and the time period that the allowance covers. If your child is handling a weekly allowance responsibly, try extending it to two weeks, and then to a month at a time when your child is in his or her mid teens. And be consistent. A recent survey of school children in Chicago found that their biggest complaint about allowances wasn’t the amount or the frequency; it was their parents’ failure to provide the allowance consistently.

Q:Any special suggestions for teenagers?

A:Sure. As your kids get older, try a clothing allowance. At the start of each semester, work out a reasonable clothing budget and allow your child to select his or her own clothes. Clothes have tremendous symbolic importance for teenagers, and while they may be fiscally responsible in other areas of their lives, they can easily blow their entire month’s allowance on clothing. A separate clothing allowance prevents this from happening, and it also gives them control of something that has great meaning in their lives. Provide your kids with a clothing allowance that covers the clothes they need for one semester at school. Specify which types of clothing are covered by the allowance: school clothes, after school clothes, party clothes, etc. Try to let your child have as much autonomy in buying clothes as possible. If her school requires uniforms, we suggest that you buy school clothes for her and provide a clothing allowance for after-school clothes. Boys in particular usually aren’t interested in formal clothes. If you want your fourteen-year-old son to have a nice suit to wear on formal family occasions, pay for it yourself and let him use the clothing allowance to buy what he is interested in wearing.

Back to school is a time for new ideas. Using an allowance to help your kids learn to think reflectively can be a constructive new idea for your family.

Visit the Financially Intelligent Parent community at www.FIParent.com – where you can download the FIP Allowance Tracker that allows you to chart what you are spending on your child for two weeks. If you become an on-line member, you’ll also have access to an interactive FIP Allowance Advisor that helps you figure out which items you want your child to be responsible for.

About The Author

Eileen Gallo, Ph.D., and Jon Gallo, J.D.
Authors of “The Financially Intelligent Parent”
Creating positive money and life values for your children
www.FIParent.com (877) FIParent

Newsletter@FIParent.com

Who is Directing You?

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:01:03 +0000

Recently I had the opportunity to meet a long term mystic. During a lecture he was presenting on a mystics role in society, he uttered the words “inner warrior,” while looking directly at me. I had never met him and wondered if he knew I was the author of Mystic Warrior. His lecture was fascinating and I couldnt wait for a chance to speak to him without distraction.

In accord with the universal law of attraction, my intense desire precipitated our meeting quickly. Less than an hour later, at the hotel lunch buffet, he was walking towards my table carrying a plate of food. I jumped up and invited him to join us, which he accepted.

I asked him whether he knew I had written Mystic Warrior. Calmly, he smiled and answered that he didnt. He explained that when he lectures, “its not me thats speaking, but rather, the Master Within.” He was referring to the divine aspect at the heart of every soul – the divine aspect that all mystics strive to tap into.

Then I asked him the question that his lecture had triggered. “Is it permissible, from a mystic perspective, to use your spiritual power to intervene and thwart the evil intentions of someone that is abusing an innocent?”

Now you must understand the significance of this question from a mystic perspective. In the mystics view of the world all is one. There is no good vs. evil. The cause of “evil” is ignorance.

What I was asking is, what is worse, using your power to control someone or allowing that someone to control another? This is the mystic equivalent of a Hollywood blockbuster plot crisis. In the movie, Superman, for example, its when Superman has to decide between saving the world or Lois Lane. Either way, someone is going to lose. Philosophers describe it as “the lesser of two evils.”

First, he explained that I was assuming the act to be “evil,” and that was only my perception. Next, he explained that my perception of the “abuse” could also be mistaken. He went on to state that there could be a number of reasons why inaction might be better than action for all parties involved. Karma may be involved. The dispute may go back lifetimes. There was no possible way I could take into consideration all the factors that were governing the parties

behavior. The best course of action would be for me to send unconditional love to both parties.

I held my tongue and told him I understood all that. Then I added, “What if you knew the persons motivation was pure self interest?”

“How would you know?” he countered.

“What if the first party communicated that to you?”

He nodded, but repeated his assertion that the safest course of action was to send unconditional love.

Then I asked, “What if the abuse affected a large number of people?”

He paused and looked at me. He recognized that this was a topic I had pondered at great length. Every answer he had offered, I had already considered and came back with another question. Thats when he asked, “Who is directing you?”

He wasnt referring to some external source. He was referring to one of the most fundamental teachings of mysticism, teachings that have been conveyed by numerous, great religions.

I smiled and he recognized that I understood him. I started to laugh.

I sat back in my chair, awed by the elegance of such a simple question and the thoughts it had spawned. The kingdom of God lies within. The goal of the evolving soul is to align his will with the will of God. If you want to know how to handle any situation, consult the Master Within.

Now its true that there are plenty of psychopaths that claim God told them to do some despicable act, and we can be confident theyre mistaken. And its also true that a persons understanding of the Master Within will change over time, as the persons wisdom increases and his or her ability to attune with the one source of all creation improves.

But as a fundamental guide to how you should act in every situation, there is no simpler and more elegant advice than to ask for direction from The Master Within.
About the Author

Edwin Harkness Spina is the author of the award-winning spiritual novel Mystic Warrior. Receive a free copy of Mystic Secrets Revealed when you sign up for the Mystic Warrior Newsletter with mystical techniques to improve your life and expand your mind.

Where do you go when the thrill has gone?

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:00:05 +0000

The gleam has gone out of the Axis on his desk. Even his pridein the Cannes Lion has waned. Jeffs agency is on the shortlistfor a blue-chip client theyve been courting for years. Yet ashe gazes out of his elevated office, across the silver harbour,his head throbs. His mouth feels dry. The thrill has gone.

Thousands of creatives, suits, planners, managers and directorslive their lives focused on the next award, the newest client,the best campaign. Were groomed and conditioned that way. Butwhat happens when it stops being all there is? What happens whenaward winning ideas are replaced with questions? Life-altering,soul-splintering questions.

“We are trained in our society to live into, strive for, afuture,” says Legacy Coach Sally Anderson. “People seekvalidation in their self-worth through external goals. But whatfrequently happens is the goal never quite matches ourexpectations. Our barometer on our level of happiness is alwaysreliant on external circumstances shifting.

“What,” she asks, “would life look like if how you feel aboutlife was not reliant on something external?” Anderson encouragespeople to get present to three key areas of life: integrity,responsibility, and commitment. These, she says, are the key tofreedom and they form the framework for people to live life inthe present.

“I am not discounting the importance of achieving goals but I amcontesting living in a world which looks like there is alwayssomewhere else to get. Like someday is the 8th day of theweek. To sustain any level of happiness or satisfaction in thislife does not, contrary to popular opinion, lie in theachievement of goals.”

Anderson proposes that its important to charter your boat(you and your goals) in the direction you wish to head, but notbe attached to the outcome. This is where most people experiencedissatisfaction, for it did not meet their expectations.Anderson notes that most peoples thoughts on a day-to-day basisare either past-based or future-based. In other words, we arehardly ever present. This is a human phenomenon.

Daily, Anderson listens to people saying they are “not thereyet”, or theyre “getting there”. But she questions where arethey trying to get to? The fact is, there is nowhere to get to.That “one day” in the future doesnt

exist. This is “it” hereand now. The past is but a thought, and the future an illusion,a projection from the moment that is now. But by focusingwholeheartedly on the present, arent you running the risk ofremoving the essential drive – the thrill of the chase, thedelayed gratification – that this industry thrives on?

“I work with executives in the creative industries and a commontheme is that there is lots to do, in order to achieve X, Y,Z. Their experiences range from overwhelm, struggle, no freedom,pressure, anxiety. They operate from a state of doing, or tryingto make it happen.

“When they look outside of themselves for gratification, theywill always be left disappointed. But a life where theindividual learns to take responsibility for their state ofbeing regardless of the circumstances, is a different life.

“Imagine living a life where you are operating at peakperformance, high energy levels. You are able to de-trigger fromany situation within a millisecond, silence the internaldestructive voice (I call the inner critic), the one thingthat destroys human potential. Youve transformed yourrelationship to fear, and are living in the zone, being theconduit for attracting synchronistic opportunities to come toyou.”

All this is possible, says Anderson, when you start living inthe present. What role, then do drive, passion, enthusiasm takein this new life? “These are functions of choice. Most people donot know what motivates them to do what they do, nor do theyknow what they are committed to. In three years of developing mycoaching practice I have met few clients who could articulatethe core motivators that drive them in their lives,” she says.

“Passion doesnt lie in something external, nor does happiness.It lies in you choosing it as a way of being, regardless of thecircumstances in your life. If you are not clear on whatmotivates you to do what you do, or to breathe for that matter,how can you live a life of passion?”

About the author:

Sally Anderson is New Zealands first Legacy Coach for LegacyLeadership. As an Executive Coach, Sally facilitates sustainabletransformation in individuals, which is frequently lacking inthe corporate world. To find out more about Sallys coaching anddevelopment work, visit www.sallyanderson.co.nz

What You Should Know About Scholarships

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:57:04 +0000

When its time to go to college, the word “scholarship” is confusing for both students and parents. We automatically think about student loans, FAFSA, tuition and fees, EFC, grants, and work study. But what we dont realize is that knowing more about the scholarship process could save us thousands of dollars when trying to cover the cost of our kids education.

Scholarships are “free money” given away by the government, private institutions and organizations, charitable foundations, schools, universities, clubs, etc. Unlike loans, scholarships are not repaid to the scholarship provider.

Some of the scholarships available are:

Athletic Scholarships
National Merit Scholarships
Academic Merit Scholarships
Professional, Career, and Trade Association-Sponsored Scholarships
FAFSA
Work Study
Ethnic and Religious Scholarships
Community Organization Sponsored Scholarships
Special Scholarships
Alumni Legacy Scholarships
Transfer Student Scholarships

With so many scholarships, how do you know which one to apply to or where can you go for an application?

Some scholarships are based on your kids grades or financial needs, while others are awarded based on ethnic groups, athletic or artistic abilities, or given to students interested in a particular field.

In some instances, your kids dont have to have perfect grades to apply for a scholarship, and some dont even ask for any proof of income.

For example, the Work-Study Scholarship will require your kid to work part-time for the money given and most jobs are on campus.

Finding information on scholarships on the Internet can be difficult because you wont find everything you need to know to finance your childs education.

A year ago, when my daughter was going to college, I searched the Internet and the only thing I

found simple enough to do was fill out a FAFSA application. Since I didnt have time to search the Internet at the moment, and because other information I found was so confusing, I decided just to fill out the application and did nothing else.

I promised myself that for the next year, I would search in advance because even though my daughter got some financial aid, I was convinced that there had to be other resources out there for her education.

Thats when I came accross a guide written by a father that went through the process of getting a scholarship for his child, who spent time talking to financial aid officers at many universities and discovered that just filling out the CSS Profile and FAFSA financial aid forms and meeting some deadlines is only half the battle in acquiring Federal Pell grants, college need-based grants, and Federal Stafford and Perkins loans.

I learned how college financial aid offices actually determine what federal aid and state grants will be given out to potential students and if you know in advance how to prepare yourself to receive the maximum amount for your childs college education, you will obtain better results.

Once you know where to find the information and when and how to apply for a scholarship, it will be easy to obtain financial aid for your kids.

For more information, visit http://www.1mykids.com/scholarships.html

Maria Estarellas

Maria Estarellas is the webmaster for

http://www.1mykids.com

“The Complete Website For The Whole Family”.

Information on How to Apply for Scholarships, Parenting Tips, Crafts, Games, School Projects and Essays, Music Downloads, Clothing, Candles, Hobbies for Mom and Dad, Information on How to Start Your Own Online Business, Mortgage Tips, Beauty Tips and More.

meg2@aweber.com