Astounding Language

In today’s hectic world, learning to meditate can bring a sense of calm and inner satisfaction. The practice of meditation is a gateway into your inner consciousness, resulting in an enhanced awareness of your own existence and your overall relationship to the cosmos.

Whether you are looking to answer the age-old question, “Who am I and why am I here?” or simply to implement simple relaxation techniques meditation may just be the answer for you.

Although there are hundreds of established techniques how to meditate is really up to the individual. You can pick and choose amongst different schools of thought and find a technique that best suits your personality. However, although meditation has many different cultural contexts, there are certain general facets which transcend the bounds of any one specific culture.

According to Eastern philosophy, to meditate means to think on the eternal, or rather to expand your consciousness until you are at one with the cosmos as a whole. Transcendental emotions like grief, euphoria or even love can fade away, but the universe is forever. Eventually, with practice, learning to meditate can bring you in closer attunement with the very root and purpose of existence itself.

Even if you are not interested in the metaphysical implications of meditation, meditating has undeniable health benefits. Learning to meditate can have positive effects on stress induced illness such as heart disease and high blood pressure. In conjunction with traditional Western approaches to medicine, meditation can target the root causes behind stress-based conditions by calming and clearing the mind.

Jamie Lynn has dedicated herself to teaching others the Power of Meditation and how a simple 10 minutes a day can radically alter your life for the better. Imagine finally feeling an utter sense of serenity that washes your problems away. Start each day rejuvenated and ready to tackle anything!
http://www.meditation-techniques-and-alternative-healing.com

Hush silence filled the vehicle as each of us was buried in their thoughts. But it did not last long, as passengers started to acquaint with each other.

We had breezed past Kaduna Refinery by say half a mile when a woman sitting on the second row led us in worship songs and prayer. I enjoyed it while it lasted as we all united like one family with one goal - getting to our various destinations in one piece.

I was sitting on the third row crushed between a voluptuous looking lady and a man who sat by my right hand clutching a polythene bag as if his life depended on it. At my far left sat the lady who had had a quarrel with the guy who had usurped her seat but the guy had settled for a seat in the second row.

My brother and the voluptuous lady sitting at my left had had a squabble before we left the motor park. I had rested my luggage on my laps, which vexed her and she had told me not to discomfort her. My brother who had been standing by the door told her the bus was not her mother’s bedroom and I had to beg the lady as she got annoyed.

She had told me shortly after the bus had left the motor park to put the bag under my seat so as not to discomfort myself and in a polite manner too. As the vehicle raced through the potholed thoroughfare, we hit off on the right note discussing politics and then sports.

The lady with the tantalizing fanny who had stood in front of me when we queued to get in the bus was sitting on the back row, just behind me. Earlier on I had crawled into the back seat hoping to seat next to her. She seemed delighted to have me there as she shifted to create more room for me, but a guy sitting at the far corner told me someone had taken the seat.

So I had settled for the makeshift seat just beside the chubby looking lady with a gorgeous hairstyle. She was pretty but had mixed countenance. She could get rude one minute and the next minute she would be friendly and caring.

She collected the “Sun Newspaper” the man on my right had bought that morning and began flipping through the pages. I could not help but read the paper with her. The paper rustled against the breeze that came gushing into the bus through half opened windows. We fought with the breeze and had to forcefully but carefully tear open each page. Soon we read through the important news and handed the paper over to the owner. She told me that she liked sports but there were just a couple of columns that talked about sports. She had expected more sports columns.

The journey was long and agonizing. The sun was hot and rays filtered through the windows. Most of the passengers began to snore as sleep overtook them. I looked around; even the cute lady with the great fanny had her eyes closed and he head resting on the back of her seat.

I tried to keep my eyes on the road, shoving off the sleep that was threatening to engulf me. I did not succeed in my resolution. Before long my head began to drop lazily, it rested on the fleshy arm of the chubby lady. She had also fallen asleep beside me, with her head on her folded hand which was placed on the back of the seat in front.

I could not get a good sleep; as with every bump and sway my eyes would flicker open.

The remainder of the journey was uneventful until at about 2:30pm when we reached Keffi town. Our bus took a bend and entered a filling station. With legs as heavy as rods after sitting for almost 7 hours, we jumped down to stretch them and also take some air.

I bought myself a can of coke after a moment hesitation. I have not eaten anything since morning and I was not planning to for fear that I might be pressed by nature. The last thing I wanted to do was to ask the bus to stop because I wanted to pee or excrete waste product.

I popped the can open and took a long drag. It was soothing, as it trickled down my dry throat. I strolled around, within the premises of the filling station. I had a yell coming from the bus and turning around I saw the chubby lady beckoning.

We jumped back into the bus, resuming our original sitting position. The driver announced that a few miles from where we were we will eat lunch. He engaged gear and drove off.

The bus grinded to a halt some minutes later; on both sides of the road were eateries.

“Jump down everyone and go get a bite.” The bus conductor announced.

I picked a spot in front of a chemist shop and sat on the bench. With the can of coke still in hand I made myself as comfortable as can be. I did not dear to eat any food but I did justice to the content in the can and tossed the empty can into a gutter.

Twenty or so minutes later we all got back into the bus and a second phase of the journey began. The road stretched in front of us as the bus gathered speed. We were flagged to a stop every now and the by the police on check points only to be flagged through when they found out it was a state vehicle.

I am a Nigerian and an avid reader who also take great pleasure in putting pen to paper. I believe that with the right expression of words written with my pen people could change for the better and correct or curb some ills eating deep into our system of government or life in general. Poverty and corruption have always being Africa’s most dreaded diseases and Nigeria is no exception. I write fiction and non-fiction and also write articles on any subject, especially that concerning the well-being of the poor masses. I wish to be an acclaimed writer and author and a motivational speaker

In Corrogue I count my Blessings.

These are numerous. There is every breath in. There is every breath out. There is every heartbeat that reminds me of the joy of compassion and the blessing of this experience called life.

Each day I count my breath for ten minutes. In this way it becomes refined. I am refined and in truth I feel fine. I do not subscribe to our socially sanctioned emotional education. This is when we are asked, “How are you?” you reply, “Fine.” This is whether you are fine or not. Most of the time you are not allowed to be “not fine.”
Sometimes I do not feel fine. I feel angry, frustrated, self-pitying, hurt, denying and any number of other emotional reactions that “little me” has in the moment.

When I come to my senses and enter my body, leave “thinking about,” leave “my future plans,” leave “my past regrets,” then I am here. I am present. I am alive breathing in and breathing out. I am not “wanting” and I am “going nowhere.” Just sitting authorising this life moment. Simply sitting being authentic. Just being my own authority.

When you count your blessings it begins as something “you do.” You have to, in the beginning, make it a habit. You learn just to wake up for a moment. You learn that you are alive. Most of us breathe without ever being aware of this wondrous connection to all that is. Becoming aware of the breath is a gateway to feeling fine. When you feel fine you feel blessed. In this way you set up a circle. You set up a technique of completeness.

Continue with this practice and you become the Blessing. Rather than be focused on the social consciousness of “never enough” you get to celebrate. You get to drop your constant focus on “earning a living” to becoming the “living of love.” For some moments you begin to recognise that you are “life” living “life.” You are the flow of the eternal moment.

From this sense of blessing you start to give. You start to give yourself away. As Kahlil Gibran tells us, “You give much when you give of yourself.” When you start to feel blessed rather than “think about” giving thanks for blessings you get balanced. Giving happens. Giving is natural. Giving is the energy of love. You pour yourself away and as you pour you paradoxically get filled up with the love of the Divine. You become one who is fulfilled.

Every one of us can find a blessing everyday if we wish. We only have to learn to look. We have to learn to look not only with the eyes but also with the heart. We are taught to look with eyes that grasp. Our eyes become seekers, not of soul, but of things to fill up the emptiness of our souls. Relax the eyes of wanting. We have more than enough. We only need to see this. You see when you drop judging, comparing and focusing on what you do not have.

Relax and allow this blessing of life to flow. Let it flow through a body that is fine and refined. Stop judging this body. Learn to love it as it is. It is not who you are. It is a wondrous gift given from the Beloved. It is intelligent and always working to bring you back to your senses. You cannot love it too much. It will bring you into the blessing of harmony.

So start counting. Make up your own blessing. Share them with me if you wish. I make one up each day and write about what it means. Thus I get to see through the heart. I never tire of Blessings. “Blessings” as a word is related to the word “blood.” Have the sense of blessing flow through a body and mind at peace.

Blessings upon you and all those you love and do not love.

Tony Cuckson is an Anam Cara. This Celtic term means “Soul Friend.” He specializes in providing insight for the spiritual journey, Irish Blessings, words of wisdom and finding inner peace. Visitors to Irish Blessings Matter website and Tony’s Blog get the opportunity to develop a purpose driven life through articles, newsletters and other programs. Get your free report called “7 ways to it’s a wonderful life” at http://www.irishblessingsmatter.com or visit Tony’s Blog at http://www.irishblessingsmatter.info for the best resources on spiritual growth, spiritual cinema, spiritual parenting, spiritual coaching and spirit in business.

It is the true nature of man to strive for success. More precisely, to strive to succeed, for it is not the accomplishment that is fulfilling it is the process. It’s the journey not the destination! And no matter what we do, the process (to be satisfying) must be for ourselves. Even the most unselfish act is done not because it helps the other person but because of how it makes us feel to help the other person.

We are success driven creatures, why do you think so many people hate their jobs? There is nothing to accomplish no sense of reaching a new goal. However, I must say I believe this is often our own faults. We get lazy, we’d rather just have someone tell us what to do and get paid than to have to really try to accomplish anything. But then we slowly begin to hate our boss, our lives, and ourselves. And all along, the one getting rich and accomplishing all their goals is the guy who owns the company we work for. And he got us to help him do it. Because of our laziness we’ve allowed ourselves to be used, our resources tapped for someone else’s gain!

Now you are probably asking yourself “what does all this rambling have to do with making money?” EVERYTHING!!! You must understand this one key before you will ever get anywhere, OZ NEVER DID GIVE NOTHING TO THE TIN MAN, THAT HE DIDN’T ALREADY HAVE!!! Confused? It’s simple, you have everything you need to have the life you want inside you right now, you must only believe it and begin your journey.

Most of us live our lives in a daze, wandering from place to place too consumed by our day to day rituals to notice our lives are passing us by. John Lennon wrote “LIFE IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU’RE BUSY MAKING OTHER PLANS.”

I don’t believe any truer words have ever been spoken.

My point to all this is that you must take responsibility for your own life, your journey to success and your journey to financial gain. Use the “model” of other successful people and build your plan for success. Ask, “what can I give?” “What need can I fulfill for others that they don’t like to do themselves?” “How can I help others?” Give with no expectations of return. Contribute to the “cycle of life”, the give and take and give back again motion of our lives.

Take a few minutes each day for quiet time, be still and look inside, to find your place outside. Don’t just exist, live a life! Your life!

Wake each day and decide consciously to give more today than you expect to receive. There is so much more than many of us ever see.

Lance Murkin has made over $5 million to date through direct mail and internet marketing. To receive a FREE COPY of his book THE TRUTH ABOUT MAKING MONEY AT HOME simply go to http://www.RealWealthQuick.com and download it for FREE or got to http://www.RealCashSources.com

In the sad but wonderful motion picture, “Pay It Forward” (Warner Bros., 2000), 10-year-old Trevor McKinney suggests to his class the means by which he proposes to change the world. You do a good deed for three people, and when they offer to pay you or just say thanks, you ask them to “pay it forward.” The idea catches on, and though the boy himself tragically dies trying to intervene in a knife fight, chains of people paying it forward move outward from him in all directions.

On Thursday, November 3, 2005, Palestinian 12-year-old Ahmed al-Khatib was shot twice by Israeli soldiers who mistook his toy gun for a real one. Ahmed was rushed to the hospital in Jenin and then transferred to Rambam Hospital. After three days, however, doctors informed his father that Ahmed had no chance of surviving.

That’s when his father gave permission for his sons organs to be donated to whoever needed them, including Israelis. He recalled that a member of his own family had died for lack of a kidney transplant.

Six Israelis received Ahmed’s organs, including Samah Gadban, a 12-year-old girl who had been waiting for five years for a heart transplant. Other recipients included a six-month-old baby, a 56-year-old woman, two five-year-old boys, and a four-year-old girl.

Ahmed’s father said he hoped that the gesture would speak to the conscience of all Israeli fathers and mothers so that they might work to end the cycle of violence in Israel and the occupied territories.

Mr. Khatib could have been embittered by his son’s tragic death. (More than 700 Palestinian children and about 100 Israeli children have been killed in the fighting of the past five years.) He could have allowed the poison of hatred to calcify his heart to the point that he might agree to become a killing machine for some group of radical militants. He could have withdrawn, no longer wanting to take part in a world so cruel and unjust. Instead, he decided to “pay it forward.”

Likely Mr. Khatib is unacquainted with the epistles of Paul, yet he is living out the Apostle’s principle, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

One boy’s tragic death and one father’s gracious gesture may not bring the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to an end. But heart-felt thanksgiving must be going up to the Father of All Living from six families who had all but lost hope.

Bitterness accomplishes nothing except the spread of more bitterness. Graciousness can heal your own heart and then make others, first grateful, then gracious themselves. When you are tempted to be bitter, when you want to strike back, look for a way to “Pay it forward.” Who knows? By God’s providence and with His blessing, you could change the world!

Copyright © 2005 Steve Singleton, All rights reserved.

Steve Singleton has written and edited several books and numerous articles on subjects of interest to Bible students. He has taught Greek, Bible, and religious studies courses Bible college, university, and adult education programs. He has taught seminars and workshops in 11 states and the Caribbean.

Go to his DeeperStudy.com for Bible study resources, no matter what your level of expertise. Explore “The Shallows,” plumb “The Depths,” or use the well-organized “Study Links” for original sources in English translation. Sign up for Steve’s free “DeeperStudy Newsletter.” Visit DeeperStudy Bookstore for great discounts, used books, even free books!

You have permission to reprint this article, but only in its entirety and with this rejoinder.

Each day brings a new beginning.
It’s a new leaf in the story of your life. It can be
bright, cheerful and positive, with the courage to
face another day, whatever it may bring with enthusiasm.

Or, let the dark clouds hover and you shiver in the cold.
Let yourself be overcome with the jitters. Wallow in all
the negative issues in your life, past and present. You are
a victim, helpless and forgotten. You are ready to go back
to bed and hide from the world under the comfort and security
of your blanket. Where does this get you?

You don’t want your day to be filled with these
powerful negative vibrations. NO. Remember, negative
thoughts develop energy of their own, take a life of their
own and if you let it, this energy can overwhelm you.

If you’d only stop and be thankful for another day, another
page in your life. Enjoy your first cup of coffee, juice or
whatever nourishment you take to start your day. Energize
yourself, bless today with a prayer and a smile, a big
dose of faith and optimism. Feel the fresh air, savor the peace
around you, your freedom from aggression, from natural
causes or that caused by man.

What are you afraid of? Fear tends to be bigger than you,
and clouds your thinking. Fear is a powerful emotion.
Take control, shower yourself with a refreshing outlook as
you start your day. Empower yourself. A problem is
only as unmanageable as you allow it to be.

Take another sip of coffee and some deep breathes.
This is your world, let it be a world of your design.

Welcome today with feelings of faith and courage.
It’s not about waking up each day with the thoughts of
the burdens of yesterday. It’s not about feeling down
because yesterday did not open doors, answer your dilemma,
get you out of your crisis. Dark nights instill fear, anger
and covers you with a blanket of insecurity if not despair.
It’s another day of burden, worry, stress, and depression
and frustration. There is no miracle happening in your life.

Do not immerse in negative thoughts. It will get you
nowhere. It does not mean you trivialize your problems.

Life should not be on a crisis management mode nor should
it be about apprehensions, fear, anger or disappointments.

What’s really dragging you down? A stale/fearful relationship? Bills? Dysfunctional household? Work ,career-related problems? Getting old? Health issues? Lack of gumption? So much to do and not enough hours
in the day to get them all done?

What do you have?

You kept warm in the night.
You did not go to bed hungry.
You enjoyed the movie
on tv, you read a good book,
listened to your favorite
music.
You have a roof over your head.
You don’t have
to fear bombs blasting you away at a moment’s notice.

You can dream.

Think of these as you start your day:

- Times are uncertain, but you will walk with confidence
that you will ride out the storms this life brings.

- You have the freedom to make choices and decisions

- You are not afraid of making mistakes, but instead learn
precious lessons.

- You can speak your mind freely.

- You are free to pursue
your dreams or just day-dream, and not feel guilty.

- You are free, you know how to keep your mind, body and spirit
healthy.

- You have loved ones.

- You have friends.

- You have a lot to contribute to society.

Perhaps, you an take time to reflect on these:

- pray for this world, and for all mankind,

- for the innocent victims of man’s inhumanity to man,

- pray for the hungry, the frightened, the sick , the weak,

- pray for the young , the old and the able alike

- for the neglected,innocent children who suffer in the hands
of those who are supposed to take care of them.

- for the victims of war and for those who sacrifice
their lives to keep this world a better place for all of mankind;

- may those who lead others be guided by the power higher than
themselves

- pray for these, if one soul should be delivered from suffering,
you’ll be very grateful.

- there is only so much a human body, mind and spirit can endure.

You can make a difference, one soul, one person at a time
because YOU are blessed!

This article is free for electronic reprint- newsletter, e-zine,
website or e-mail,The only condition is you please let me know and supply the link or furnish a copy of the media used. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.

(c)2005 Bonnie Moss

About the writer: Bonnie Moss writes about spirituality, tools available to all to walk the path. She is the Executive Secretary of Tarot Canada International, as well as a regular contributor of articles to the newletter,
Future Endeavours. She is a tarot consultant and also does dream interpretations.

Visit her website: http://goldencupcafe.tripod.com; a metaphysical site that
offers information on tarot, crystals, aura, angels, journalling
and other topics.

Have you ever paid for services rendered with a strong sense of appreciation, yet you weren’t aware of the impact you had on the person who received the payment? Let me assure you it does make a difference. In fact, how you pay for any type of service sends an important message yet is often overlooked. I say that with certainty because recently I had the good fortune of working with a client who demonstrated the most impressive attitude and professionalism in regard to payment. I was so struck by his approach and attitude that I decided to share what transpired, hoping that others might take something of value away from my experience.

Potential Client Reads Article!

It started one morning when a potential client read an article written by me in an online publication. He liked what I had to say, checked out my web site and testimonials and then wrote requesting help with a bio for his web site. As always, I responded promptly, providing the details of the writing procedure along with what I would need and what it would cost. What happened next surprised me. I no sooner sent him my quote for the initial project, (the e-mail was barely out of my send box), when only a few seconds later, payment was already submitted to my account.

New Project Requested Again!

Thinking that he was just eager to get things started, I began the process of writing for him and had the first project ready within two days. He was very pleased with the end result and immediately requested my expertise on another project. I again sent him my quote and told him I would begin working on the new project that afternoon. Once more, as soon as I sent him my quote, and I mean within seconds of my submitting it, he sent me payment.

Surprised at Prompt Response!

This time I had to comment, so I wrote him to thank him kindly for his quick response in regard to his compensation turnaround. I told him that I really appreciated his attitude about payment and was quite impressed although surprised at his prompt response. What he wrote back will stay with me forever. He wrote and I quote: “It is my philosophy not to put anyone under any undo stress about money so that their attention will be only on the project at hand.” He further stated, “I want you to be free to express your creativity without having any worry about when you would be receiving payment.”

Giving the Best of Oneself!

Now while I believe in always giving the best of myself for every project I work on, when someone appreciates the time and effort put forth, it does something to one’s attitude and increases the desire to give more than one’s best. I was truly inspired by his attitude and I thank Paul Gjenvick for teaching me an important lesson. I am forever in his debt for opening my eyes to the magnitude of paying from appreciation rather then obligation. In fact I will never pay for anything again without thinking about this experience.

Copyright 2005

Charlene Rashkow brings 15 years of experience as a Writing Stylist and Author to her creative efforts as a freelance writer/consultant. She has successfully helped companies and individuals reach their objectives by writing outstanding web site content, press releases, bios, articles of interest, proposals,, resumes, and all other forms of professional, personal and marketing material.

Read what clients have to say at http://www.allyourwritingneeds.com/clients.html

You may contact Charlene at http://www.allyourwritingneeds.com

I really like Jack Dempsey’s great one liner: “A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.”

It summarises, as powerfully and as swiftly as one of his explosive left hooks, the spirit of anyone who refuses to accept limitations and defeat whether they are a boxer or not.

I just quoted the line on the phone to my brother who is temporarily floored by the problem of switching off his new scanner! Dempsey might well have ’solved’ the problem by smashing the scanner with a powerful punch.

At times, Dempsey fought from ‘pure rage’ although he also had great skill. He did not waste time in a fight but just attacked with intent.

Dempsey was born in Manassa, Colorado in 1895, the 9th of 11 children. The small hut in which his family lived is preserved there to this day. A guide book describes the extensive inspiration people gain from his life: “The people in Manassa still celebrate his greatness, which stimulates them to succeed on their own in many professions, especially the medical.”

He left home at the age of 16 and learned to survive in the mining towns of the West. He had many successful fights and started boxing professionally in 1914. He knocked out the giant Jess Willard in 1919 to win the Heavyweight boxing title. Dempsey was a skilled but ferocious fighter. He didn’t believe in sounding out his opponent. Willard was knocked down 7 times in the first round.

Dempsey also had a great champion’s one liner for dealing with big men: “Tall men come down to my height when I hit ‘em in the body.” Dempsey was five inches shorter and 58 pounds lighter than the 6-foot-6, 245-pound champion, Jess Willard. But on July 4, 1919, under the scorching sun in Toledo, Ohio, Dempsey broke Willard’s jaw with one of his first punches, an explosive left hook.

He knocked Willard down seven times in the first round and walloped him for two more rounds. When Willard didn’t come out for the fourth round, he had four teeth missing, his eyes were closed, his nose was smashed and two ribs were cracked.For good measure,he still had the broken jaw from round one.

Dempsey did not believe in half measures. Pulitzer Prize winner Red Smith described Dempsey in the ring vividly: “In the ring, he was a tiger without mercy who shuffled forward in a bobbing crouch, humming a barely audible tune and punching to the rhythm of the song. He was 187 pounds of unbridled violence. This isn’t big by heavyweight standards, yet in the judgment of some, this black-browed product of Western mining camps and hobo jungles was the best of all pugilists.”

Dempsey defended his title twice in 1920 and then, in 1921, knocked out Georges Carpentier, the French light-heavyweight champion, in the fourth round. In 1923 he had a mighty brawl with challenger, Luis Firpo, a 216-pounder from Argentina who was called “the Wild Bull of the Pampas.”

Firpo’s first punch was a powerful right to the jaw that put the champ down. Dempsey jumped off the canvas before a count could be started and went on to knock down Firpo seven times.

Before the first round ended, an angry Firpo threw a right that sent Dempsey through the ropes and onto a sportswriter’s typewriter. The writer and another man helped the champ return to the ring before the count of 10. I’m not sure what happened to the typewriter. This is the stuff that films like ‘Rocky’ are made of!

Perhaps Dempsey was thinking of this incident when he wrote: “A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.” In Round 2, Dempsey scored two more knockdowns The second knockdown ended the bout after 3 minutes and 57 seconds of non-stop action. No wonder his fights were popular!

Dempsey took the next three years off and fought only a few exhibitions. When he returned on Sept. 23, 1926, the quicker Tunney, the marine, carved up the champ’s face. Dempsey kept his sense of humour. Returning home to his wife Estelle after the defeat, he confessed: “Honey, I forgot to duck!”

Before the Tunney rematch, Dempsey fought Jack Sharkey. When Sharkey complained to the referee in the seventh round that Dempsey was hitting low, Dempsey unloaded a left hook on Sharkey’s exposed chin. The fight was over. When asked why he threw the punch when Sharkey wasn’t looking, Dempsey said, “What was I supposed to do — write him a letter?”

Dempsey’s return match with Tunney drew a gate of $2,658,660 (about $22 million in today’s dollars) at Chicago’s Soldier Field on Sept. 22, 1927 Tunney controlled the first six rounds, but in the seventh a typical blitz from Dempsey floored Tunney.

The timekeeper began his count. The referee, Dave Barry, pointed Dempsey to a neutral corner but Dempsey ignored him and went to his own corner, a few feet behind Tunney. Barry pointed again to the neutral corner and at the count of three, Dempsey started there, arriving about two seconds later. The timekeeper was at five when Barry turned to Tunney. But instead of picking up that count in unison with the timekeeper, Barry called out, “One.”

So began the Long Count. At Barry’s count of four, Tunney looked up at the referee. When the count reached nine, Tunney, pulled himself to his feet. He had been down about 14 seconds. Perhaps Dempsey was thinking of this incident more than the one when he was knocked out of the ring when he wrote: “A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.”

Tunney ran from Dempsey for the rest of the round. In the eighth, he floored Dempsey, and then went on to dominate the last two rounds to win easily. After the fight, Dempsey lifted Tunney’s arm in salute and said, “You were best. You fought a smart fight, kid.” That was Dempsey’s last bout. He retired with a 64-6-9 record, according to The Ring magazine.

Later, he was knocked down with another kind of blow. He lost about $3 million in the stock market crash. But like a true champion he got off the floor again to become one of the most popular restaurant owners in New York. On May 31, 1983, he died of natural causes at the age of 87.

Dempsey was a great champion. He would bounce back after knock out blows both in boxing and in life. He kept his sense of humour and was gracious in defeat. He is an inspiration not only to the people of Manassa and the USA but to the people of the world.

About the author

John Watson is an award winning teacher and martial arts instructor. He has recently written two books about achieving your goals and dreams. They can both be found on his website http://www.motivationtoday.com along with a daily motivational message.

The title of the first book is “36 Laws To Ignite Your Inner Power And Realize Your Dreams Now! - Acronyms, Stories, And Pictures…Easy To Remember And Use Everyday To Grab Your Life And Soar With The Eagles”

The book can be found at this URL http://www.motivationtoday.com/36_laws.php

The book uses acronyms, stories and pictures to help readers remember 36 laws that can gradually transform your life if you apply them.

You are welcome to publish the article above in your ezine or on your website so long as you do not alter it and keep in the words about the author and the 36 Laws.

Direct Answers - Column for the week of March 24, 2003

My final divorce papers sit in front of me waiting for my signature. In fact, they’ve been sitting on my desk for five days now. It took me two days to even open the envelope and another full day to look at the actual documents. I still haven’t entirely read through them. I cannot bring myself to sign.

Eight months ago, after months of emotional turmoil, we both agreed a divorce would be in our best interest. I was relieved at the time. I was tired of him drinking every night until he passed out on the sofa. I was tired of feeling belittled. I never quite healed from the affair I found out about, and I know there were others.

We were married eight years. I never felt I was his partner in life. I felt I was just another piece of furniture. We have two beautiful little boys who adore their daddy. They were a big reason for wanting this divorce. I didn’t want them growing up thinking drinking on a daily basis is normal.

For years I wanted counseling. I would plead, “Let’s go before our problems get out of control!” He insisted we didn’t have anything we couldn’t handle. By the time we made it to counseling it was too late. Besides, he refused to say he had an addiction.

I tell myself if he truly reaches out for help and remains changed for a year after our divorce, maybe we could try with a fresh start.

I heard a preacher say, “Fidelity is more than sexual fidelity. It is when every decision you make during the day is the best one for yourself, your spouse, and your children.” Wayne and Tamara, that’s the only relationship I want.

The papers still sit in front of me. How do I know I’m doing the right thing?

Felicity

Felicity, what you are facing is the death of a dream, the dream of what your marriage was supposed to be like.

Faced with the choice of drinking or losing his family, your husband continues to drink. You may have every reason to hope he will change, but you have absolutely no reason to believe he will change.

Boys look to their father to show them how to be a man, and a drunk is someone who has clearly lost the way. Courts and the law have a simple view of the matter. They don’t knowingly allow a child to be adopted in a family where one parent is an alcoholic. There are laws against drinking and driving. Perhaps there should be laws against drinking and parenting.

You cannot focus on your husband sobering up. That has always been only under his power, and never under yours. He may be 20 years from admitting his problem. He may never admit it. You can’t put your life on hold waiting for someone to do what they may never do.

Tamara says she cannot even shop without having me in her mind. “Everything I lay my eyes upon,” she says, “I lay my heart upon where lives my husband.” Your mate has to be an enhancement to your life. It cannot be any other way.

Wayne

Geronimo!

I’m a 19-year-old male from Liverpool, England. I’m a decent looking lad, but since I broke up from my first serious relationship, I haven’t met anyone else. Can you give me advice on meeting girls and actually asking them out?

Gunther

Gunther, are you putting out vibes you are pining for your ex? Out with the old and in with the new.

Look around and start asking…to movies, to lunch, to a bookstore, to whatever you fancy. Follow your own interests and what you have a passion for, and remember this is not like school, where one grade follows another. Love doesn’t follow anyone’s schedule, and that is why it is so wonderful.

Tamara

About The Author

Authors and columnists Wayne and Tamara Mitchell can be reached at www.WayneAndTamara.com.

Send letters to: Direct Answers, PO Box 964, Springfield, MO 65801 or email: DirectAnswers@WayneAndTamara.com.

In today’s fast-paced life, the wins usually go to those with exceptional skills and abilities. The old quote is true, “The race is not always won by the swift and the strong, but that is the way to bet.”

With this in mind, and with your desire to become increasingly successful, here are some ways to accelerate your abilities, thus enabling you to achieve greater and greater things.

Become dissatisfied with your current state. Growth for growth’s sake is good. Those who will achieve much are those who say to themselves, “I want to grow. I want to be better. And I am willing to do what it takes to get there. This current state is not enough!” This dissatisfaction will create for you an insatiable drive to do what it takes to get your abilities to the next level.

Visualize the benefits of increased abilities. Put them at the forefront of your mind. This will saturate your mind with the motivation that it will take for you to do what it takes to increase your abilities. What good will come out of my increased ability? How will I be better off as well as the others around me? The answers to these questions act as the carrot before the horse, moving you forward.

Understand your weaknesses. If you want to improve, one of the best ways is to start with some area that you aren’t particularly good at. This is the “shoring up method.” Sometimes it is easier to improve something you aren’t good at that something you are. And the gains will still look great for your overall situation! Take some time to consider what areas you are weakest in and focus in on them for a while. The results will obviously be much more pronounced than getting better at something you have already somewhat mastered.

Attempt greater levels of what you are already good at. Another tact to take would be to stretch yourself in an area that you already have some skill and ability in. What areas do you excel in? Now understand that when you leave the weaker areas weak and make extraordinary gains in one area, then you will be moving more toward “specialist” rather than “generalist.” That is okay, but needs to fit in with your overall goals.

Commit time each day to improvement. Steady improvement is the way to go. In fact, you may not see improvement for days or weeks. You may feel like you are failing each time. But alas, eventually you will get it and your skill will increase to the next level. The key is day in, day out, spending time working on improving. Even five minutes a day equals a half hour a week, 2 hours a month. That adds up! Remember, Practice, practice, practice.

Seek out and spend time with someone who has greater ability than you. One of the best things to do to increase your ability is hang out with people who are already more skilled than you. Watching, them, studying them, interacting with them, even competing with them will make you better. As in sports, to improve, you play with people better than you, not worse. They will raise you to a new level. Who around you can you get involved with who will help you with your ability?

Take a class or hire a coach. Go to school my friend. Take a course at a local college or vocational institute. Take a class online. Hire one of the many coaches available today. Pick a specific skill you would like to improve upon and find someone who is a specialist in that area. At the very least, pick up some audio or videotapes to help you grow.

Be the tortoise, not the hare. Slow but sure. Take your time, do it right. Keep going in the right direction. Learn your craft correctly. Don’t give up quality for speed. The whole idea of acceleration is this way: Slow start, work up to high speeds, go the distance. Luckily life isn’t a sprint but a marathon!

Hope these ideas help you as you commit to accelerating your abilities!

About The Author:

Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of
Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn
their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and
achieve their dreams.

To see Chris “live” at the upcoming Jim Rohn Weekend Event as he speaks on
the subject of Secrets of Influence go to
http://Chris-Widener.InspiresYOU.com/ or call 800-929-0434.