Maeve Crawford

Emotional choices

2010-06-06T17:58:00.000+01:00

Hello lovely people, I hope you're enjoying whatever you're up to and that whatever the weather the sun is shining on the inside!

What do I mean by that?

Well, I have noticed that the weather has such a huge impact on our moods. I notice that people seem much happier when the sun shines, even if they think it's a bit hotter than they would like. The sunny, blue skies and less clothing all help people's moods.

Now, I wonder what would happen if the sun only shone once a month.

Would we only be able to be happy when the sun shines?

I have been considering this over the last few weeks and also thinking about how other people's moods effect how we feel. Well, if everyone around us is feeling miserable, it kind of makes us either want to leave or we become similar to those we are around. OR we can do something else altogether...

We can choose our mood regardless of the weather or what others are saying and doing, whilst remaining respectful to how others feel of course.

So. What am I saying?

How I choose to feel is my responsibility. I can choose to remain feeling happy whether the sun is shining...or not.

Something I'd like to share with you...

2010-06-02T23:45:00.001+01:00

A very wise man once said to me:

"When you want something and you rush around in search

of it, you become desperate and push away the very

thing that you wish for.

Instead, relax.

Be still.

Be quiet.

Be patient.

Eventually, what you are looking for

will come

looking for you!"

This incredibly simple yet very powerful tip has helped me through many challenging situations.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We live in very exciting times.

We have a great deal of information at our finger tips.

We can find solutions to most if not all of our problems at the click of a mouse...

We want things instantly, fast food, instant coffee, remote control television...

Speed dating!

Many experts are available at the click of a mouse to provide

us with the answers to our most challenging questions.

So much information and most of it conflicting!

So what can we do and who can we trust?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's a short exercise to do while you are here.

You might want to take the phone off the hook and close the curtains for added privacy.

Read through the whole exercise before starting...

Make yourself comfortable, either lie down or sit in a relaxed position.

Close your eyes and take a deep breath in.

Relax.

Release your breath.

Keeping your eyes closed and with slow regular breathing remain relaxed

Picture yourself experiencing your perfect day.

Paint your day with everything you would like to enjoy.

Don't leave anything out!

When you have completed this short visualisation, you may want to write down a few things that came up for you.

Where did you go?

What did you experience?

How did it feel?

The aim of this exercise is to help you to practise visualising and become comfortable

with being still, confident within and enjoy the moment you create.

This is one step in the process of becoming a deliberate creator.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We seek answers from outside ourselves

When we develop self trust and self confidence

We learn that the answers lie within ourselves

So how do we find the great love of our life?

And do we have the patience to wait so we make the

perfect choice?

Love 2 Learn 2 Love 2010 ©

the countdown has started…

2010-05-31T09:52:00.000+01:00

Hello my lovelies, a few days ago I posted about an amazing programme designed for women online entrepreneurs to be mentored by 23 women entrepreneurs.

(In a hurry? Learn about the program at: Pink Candy 2010

Since then, I’ve been thinking… and something is really bugging me.

It really upsets me to see so many women entrepreneurs who are not making the money they deserve due to some simple steps they are missing in their business. I see too many women who are stuck, confused, or overwhelmed by how to get more clients and really get their business to grow.

And I don’t want this to be you.

I believe in helping entrepreneurs to succeed and you know I don't participate in any projects unless I believe in the value.

This is the case with the Pink Candy project.

23 other female power entrepreneurs in this scrumptious collaboration with one single-minded goal: To help
thousands of women entrepreneurs speed up their business growth FAST!

And you can get started right now at absolutely no cost to you. Register for FR*EE by going to:

Pink Candy 2010

If you aren’t getting exactly what you want from your business, then Pink Candy is your answer – it really is… you’ll be shocked to see what 23 Top Women Entrepreneurs share in this FR*EE interview
series.

I KNOW you're more than capable and ready to make your business soar today!

So here’s what is included in Pink Candy. Secrets on how to:

improve your conversion rates and selling effortlessly
create an incredible brand
master your time
develop your legal agreements
build a great team
communicate more effectively
attract way more clients and close way more sales
write and publish your book
generate more traffic to your website
motivate yourself to accomplishing anything

Cool?

Join the ladies at: Pink Candy 2010

I URGE you to stop waiting and take action now. Waiting won't bring in more clients and what you want to happen in your business, but Pink Candy will.

To Your Success,

Maeve

P.S. I honestly believe every woman entrepreneur
who isn’t getting what she wants from her business
NEEDS this information... including you.
This opportunity won't last long, go to:

Pink Candy 2010

CLICK AND REGISTER FOR SINGLE IN THE CITY TOO!

2010-05-30T09:14:00.001+01:00

BUTTON

Single in the City Too! ~ 2

2010-05-29T21:08:00.032+01:00

True Love Manifesting: Single in the City Too!

Maeve Crawford

Empowering you to find the love you truly deserve

Hello again, thanks for visiting my blog. Following on from my post earlier this week, I have now created the event which will take place in July. There are limited places available so if you would like to attend, I highly recommend purchasing a ticket as soon as possible. For more details of the event, please visit:

http://singleinthecitytoo.eventbrite.com/

During the workshop I will share with you some invaluable information that I learned during a period of four years that helped me to release old patterns of behaviour, limiting beliefs about relationships and guided me to find the loving partner I am with now.

I have committed my life to sharing with as many people as possible what I have learned about love and this workshop is the beginning of a new journey on this path that I have chosen.

I can't wait to meet you and have some fun during this workshop! http://singleinthecitytoo.eventbrite.com/

If you have any questions that haven't been answered here, or anwhere, please drop me a line and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Your sister in Love
Maeve

ps...there's an Early Bird discount and if you book using this link, you also qualify for a special discount...just enter the code love2010!

Online event registration for Single in the City Too! powered by Eventbrite

Single in the City Too!

2010-05-29T21:06:00.000+01:00

Maeve Crawford

Your sister in love

Empowering you to attract the love you truly deserve!

Yesterday saw the release of Sex and the City 2 in London cinemas. I have made plans to go out with a group of friends to watch it next weekend.

I know that many people will have already seen it by then and I sincerely hope that it is as good as the first film!

I began watching SATC on television when it first piloted several years ago and am amazed at the phenomenal success it became. I experienced a roller coaster of emotion during the series as I'm sure many others did too.

When it first arrived on our screens, I hadn't completed my training as a relationship coach, I had been on the receiving end of relationship coaching which helped me tremendously during a turbulent break up. I would highly recommend reading the book called Love Is Not a Game: (But You Should Know the Odds) written by the relatinship coach who helped me understand so many things about love and relationships and was the catalyst for the extensive research and training I embarked on over the following years.

I am passionate about helping raise awareness about relationships and love and committed to delivering events across London to reach as many women as possible so you don't have to spend any more time being subjected to feelings of doubt and wondering how to meet potential partners.

During the workshops you will learn:

Dating strategies that will raise your game
How to create a relationship plan
The various things that singles typically do that prevent them from meeting great dates!

You will leave knowing:

What types of questions to ask
Where to go to meet eligible men who are right for you
How to be more successful during your dating experience

I strongly believe everyone has the right to be in loving healthy and happy relationships, I also know that this information will truly help you in your search for the love of your life.

Clear the doubt
Date with confidence
Know that you are becoming the chooser!

Your sister in love
Maeve

You don’t want to miss this!

2010-05-18T11:56:00.000+01:00

A few days ago… I posted a message about an amazing program designed for female online entrepreneurs to be mentored by 21 women entrepreneurs.

(In a hurry? Learn about the program at: http://www.pinkcandy2010.com)

Since then, I’ve been thinking… and something is really bugging me.

It really upsets me to see so many women entrepreneurs who are not making the money they deserve due to some simple steps they are missing in their business. I see too many women who are stuck, confused, or overwhelmed by how to get more clients and really get their business to grow.

And I don’t want this to be you.

My absolute passion is helping entrepreneurs to succeed and you know I don't participate in any projects unless I believe in the value.

This is the case with the Pink Candy project.

Like I said, I’ve teamed up with 20 other female power entrepreneurs in this scrumptious collaboration with one single-minded goal: To help thousands of women entrepreneurs speed up their business growth FAST!

And you can get started right now at absolutely no cost to you. To get all the details, go to: http://www.pinkcandy2010.com

If you aren’t getting exactly what you want from your business, then Pink Candy is your answer – It really is… you’ll be shocked to see what 21 Top Women Entrepreneurs share.

I KNOW you're more than capable and ready to make your business soar today!

So here’s what is included in Pink Candy. Secrets on how to:
- improve your conversion rates and selling effortlessly
- create an incredible brand
- master your time
- develop your legal agreements
- build a great team
- communicate more effectively
- attract way more clients and close way more sales
- write and publish your book
- generate more traffic to your website
- motivate yourself to accomplishing anything

Cool?

Check it out at:
http://www.pinkcandy2010.com

I URGE you to stop waiting and take action now. Waiting won't bring in more clients and what you want to happen in your business, but Pink Candy will.

To Your Success,

Maeve

P.S. I honestly believe every woman entrepreneur who isn’t getting what she wants from her business NEEDS this information... including you.

The content in Pink Candy is that critical to your success.

Take action now: http://www.pinkcandy2010.com

Wow. 21 business experts

2010-05-16T20:36:00.000+01:00

I’m so excited to share this with you. You know when you get this little tickle inside
and think, “S-W-E-E-T.”

Well, it’s happening again.

So let me ask you. If you could learn the rope of how to run an online business from
21 of today’s most successful female entrepreneurs for FR*EE, would you
be interested?

Yes? Did you get that tickle?

I am incredibly excited to tell you about an incredible project.

I have joined 20 other businesswomen in an amazing collaboration called Pink Candy. We’ve come together on a mission. Our goal is to help speed up your business growth for female entrepreneurs around the globe.

You see, each one of us has made mistakes and spent lots of money and time to learn the ropes. Many of us initially thought we had to learn everything on our own (sound familiar?). So, today, we have decided to join forces as part of Pink Candy to spare you our struggles.

Your jaw will drop when you see this line-up…

21 business experts covering the 7 pillars of Internet entrepreneurship share their tips. The experts include Lisa Sasevich, Alexis Martin Neely, Stephanie Frank, Baeth Davis, Christine Kloser, Melanie Benson Strick, Suzanne Falter-Barns and many more.

And get this… completely for FR*EE you’ll also receive …

Pink Candy's 5 Advanced Sales Strategies for Female Power-preneurs with Lisa Sasevich & Jeneth Blackert. Lisa and Jeneth are both sales conversion geniuses and in this training they teach you how to structure and present irresistible offers that inspire people to want to bu.
The Success IQ Formula: This fast-paced, groundbreaking program will help you see where your greatest opportunity for change is right now. It’s designed to give you immediate results in minimum time so that you don’t have to put success on hold for one more second.
7 Leverage & Conversion Secrets by Jeneth Blackert: Jeneth is a master at product and program launches. She has built a multi-six-figure business through her own programs and as an affiliate by being a master at growing a massive following. She also works behind the scenes with some of the big names you know to launch their programs.

Because this is such a super-sugary deal, it’s only available to a selected group of subscribers and only for just a few days.

It will shock you, check it out at:
http://www.pinkcandy2010.com

You absolutely deserve to treat yourself.

That’s why we’ve joined hands to offer you this incredible program. Step up and take a bite right now before it’s too late!

http://www.pinkcandy2010.com

I can’t wait to hear how your business has taken off as a result of this project – please share.

To Your Success,

Maeve

8 Keys to creating a profitable business in the next 90 days!

2010-05-09T10:36:00.000+01:00

"Professional and personal development coaching is THE fastest growing industry in the world, outstripping IT and finance."

And training in coaching methodologies and selling coaching franchises is a billion dollar industry.

But the research tells us there is a staggering 300% drop out rate per annum.

This means a massive number of the people who invested time, money and resources into becoming coaches and entering this industry and starting coaching businesses ... FAIL. And buying a franchise is no guarantee of success either.

Only a miniscule number of coaches are able to create and sustain a profitable coaching business.

Understand ALL of these people could coach IF THEY COULD GET A CLIENT. They had the skills, exeprtise and experience to deliver extraordinary value to any client. Coaching wasn’t their problem.

Why most coaches FAIL...

If you are a coach or you’re thinking about becoming a coach your key problems are SELLING coaching and running a profitable coaching business.

MOST coaches undercharge for their services, are wishy-washy on their value proposition have no idea how to productise their service offering and fail dismally at acquiring clients let alone repeat business.

And the research tells us the average UK coach earns LESS than USD$27000 pa (that's about £15000 pa).

In too many cases the average coach left stable and PAID employment to start a coaching BUSINESS where they end up getting paid less than an office junior. This is what we call a Level 0 Coaching Business! You are not even off the starting blocks!

But it is possible to build a profitable coaching business.

A snapshot of Andrew Priestley ...

* Andrew Priestley has run a successful coaching business since 1998 and is typically in the top 2% of fee earners for coaching worldwide.
* Andrew not only replicated his salary but exceeded it IN the first year of trading. Andrew calls this a Level 1 Coaching Business.
* The Coaching Experience is now a growing global business available in the UK, Australia, Mexico, Spain and France.

This meaty 2 hour presentation is a MUST SEE for ...
a) anyone considering becoming a coach and starting a coaching business; and
b) anyone currently running a coaching business
c) anyone involved in selling who recognises that ‘coaching’ is a powerful example of client acquisition strategies for high end value goods or services
d) this will be of interest to anyone running any business where you sell time for money … but the focus is coaching businesses (high end consulting services i.e., accounting, law, finance, engineering etc)

Seats are limited and bookings are essential

What this event is NOT ...
PLEASE NOTE: The purpose of this evening is NOT about coaching tips or an attempt to sell you another ‘way’ of coaching. We are NOT AIMING to replace your current coaching methodology with something else. The goal is to get you thinking about running a profitable and efficient business no matter what modality you are using.

Tickets to this information packed event are just £249 or you can buy 2 tickets for just £399. Just click on the link below:

Get your tickets here

More about the Presenter | Andrew Priestley ...
Award winning business coach, Andrew Priestley is an expert in improving bottom line results. He's been consulting for over 23 years, business coaching for 9 and works with large corporates and SMEs across all industries from retail, manufacturing, legal, accounting to dental, hospitality and government ... world wide.

Andrew's company The Coaching Experience has coaches in the UK, France, Canada, Spain, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. His Business Leadership Profile is available in 5 languages.

Andrew is incredibly down-to-earth, practical, logical and his presentations are highly interactive and hands-on. He has worked with businesses worldwide to bring about meaningful change and tangible bottomline improvement.

He now delivers high performance business coaching in the UK.

It's a great event and I hope to see you there.

Maeve

How to do some Mad Manifesting

2010-04-24T21:16:00.000+01:00

My colleagues, Master Law of Attraction coaches, Jeanna Gabellini and Eva Gregory say:

There’s a mad manifestor in us all.
Manifest in abundance and breathe in excitement.
This is what you came to this planet for.

Breakthroughs abound.

Are you looking for one when it comes to manifesting easier?

More consistently?

Getting the things that have eluded you up until now?

You are on the cusp of manifesting your big fat desires.

In fact, most of the details are already falling into place even if you’ve seen no evidence of them!

If you want to create a whole new setpoint with prosperity then join them for a NO COST Prosperity Challenge Teleclass on Wednesday, May 5th and get fired up about making your desired manifestations real!

In prosperity and fun,

With love
Maeve

Relationship Workshop for Young Adults

2010-04-04T22:42:00.000+01:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am presenting a workshop to young adults this coming Saturday 10th April in High Wycombe. There are more details on the website if you are interested or know anyone whois a parent of teenagers and would like them to learn some essential relationship skills.

The workshop is part of a family conference that also offers workshops on parenting and increasing wealth.

An interactive, fun and educational workshop to teach young adults some essential information about love and relationships.

For more information please visit my website:

http://love2learn2love.co.uk/YoungAdults.html

If you know any parents of teenagers, please pass this on to them.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Maeve

A Rare Visit to London From Dr John Gray!!!

2010-04-03T16:15:00.000+01:00

So many wonderful things have been happening lately which may help explain my long absence from the blogging world! I recently attended a training workshop with Kerwin Rae who helps people get out of the rat race and live the life they've always dreamed of. I will be sharing some of the things I learned in future posts so keep your eyes peeled!

I have also been preparing a workshop for young people to teach essential relationship skills. As we know the UK has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in Europe and I have felt it part of my mission to help reduce this by teaching young people some important information that is missing from the school element of PHSE.

Some one else who teaches us all about the way to develop greater relationships and have the marriage of our dreams is Dr John Gray. He is coming to London and will be sharing his views about love and relationships.

Speaking with both humour and empathy, Dr John Gray looks at how the pressures of our modern work-oriented lifestyles are putting added stress on our relationships and making it harder and harder for them to work out long term.

Men and women deal with stress in different ways and their different needs often lead to…

Misunderstandings

Miscommunication

Resentment

Broken relationships

Bringing Mars and Venus into the 21st Century, Dr John Gray explores the different ways men and women approach their problems and offers a clear, easy-to-understand programme to bridge the gap and build greater intimacy and trust.

 On a rare trip to London, see Dr John Gray speak live on 13th April. 
You’ll learn…

The keys to having a lasting successful relationship

How to deal with daily stress and problems easily and effectively

How to communicate to build greater intimacy and trust

How to create a strong relationship where you can get the love you want …and so much more!

I sincerely hope you are all enjoying this lovely long weekend Easter break and I leave you with some words from one of my favourite authors:

"I am in love - and, my God, it is the greatest thing that can happen to a man. I tell you, find a woman you can fall in love with. Do it. Let yourself fall in love. If you have not done so already, you are wasting your life." - D. H. Lawrence

With Love
Maeve

Free Manifesting Webinar

2010-03-04T21:05:00.000Z

I haven't written on here for a while, I have been quitening my mind and focusing on the unfolding that is happening on a daily basis in my life. This week there have been some incredible occurences that have brought me to realise how much I am able to manifest and how important it is that I share this with you.

I just came across some information I felt you would really like to have because I feel I am meant to share it with you. When I feel this strongly about something, Ipay close attention to this feeling. I have signed up for a webinar from The Chopra Centre for Well Being that takes place next week 10th March 2010. The webinar is totally free and there is no obligation to purchase anything. All you will need is a willingness to be open and experience whatever happens.

I hope you will be able to attend and I look forward to listening and connecting with you on your journey.

Much love
Maeve

Free Call on Valentine's Day - Learn How To Be Loved Exquisitely!

2010-02-12T20:49:00.000Z

My Facebook friend Nina Ferrell is providing a great call on Sunday 14th February that I felt was worth sharing. I will be listening in. Although I am in a loving relationship, I am always open to learning how to love more "exquisitely". I love 2 learn 2 love! I'm looking forward to the call and hope you will be able to make it too!
Love Maeve.

“How To Be Loved Exquisitely: 5 Simple Secrets To Help You Stop Waking Up Alone, Have the Relationship of Your Dreams and Bring You All the Love and Intimacy You Want.” Sunday February 14 11 am Pacific, 1 pm Central, 2 pm Eastern Listen live by phone or online or download the recording to listen at your convenience. In this 60 minute teleclass you’ll learn: . The reason you are still single . How your intentions are actually working against you . How to USE a rebound relationship to prepare for The One . How to activate your LOVE MAGNET like never before . How to identify and release the one core belief that is controlling your love life . Why affirmations don’t work and what you can do that is even better . How to use your secret manifestation weapon….your intuition, to know which step to take next . How to change the patterns of the past to ensure your single days are on their way out for good! Here’s your chance to find the love you’ve been waiting for. Don’t miss this! Join Catherine Behan and her teaching partner, Nina Ferrell, LIVE this Sunday, February 14th for their FREE teleclass – where they will share their powerful, love-life-changing approach with you so you can LOVE AGAIN IN 2010. Be sure and register even if you can’t attend live. They’ll send you the recording, so you can listen at your convenience. With love Catherine and Nina http://www.attractyoursoulmatenow.com/five-secrets-to-exquisite-love-preview-call/

2010 Goals...some encouragement and an update

2010-02-10T22:45:00.000Z

Maeve Crawford
9th February 2010

At the beginning of 2010 I set myself some goals to accomplish this year. I have written them down and spoken to a few close friends and family about what they are. There are 9 altogether and I aim to have achieved them all by the end of this year. Since I wrote them down I have noticed some incredible things happen. Information, signs, music, programmes and opportunities have begun to show up to help me to get to the next place I need to be that will then help me to get to the next step. More about this to follow in future posts...

Several years ago I watched The Secret at a time when I had been asking for information. I wanted some real answers and solutions to the questions I was asking and the problems I'd been experiencing. I first of all watched it online, then I realised I wanted to watch it over and over again because I enjoyed the content so much and couldn't get enough of it, so I bought a copy. I went round talking to friends about this film and encouraged everyone I knew to watch it. I bought copies for friends and family and those who didn't want to watch it I encouraged to read the book. I signed up for a course that would help me to put the teachings into action. I went to the cinema to watch it...twice! I read about it. I followed the presenters on it. Mike Dooley, John Demartini, Joe Vitale, Bob Procter, Lisa Nichols. I met John Demartini at one of the Breakthrough Experience weekends a couple of years ago and am so grateful that I made the decision to take part in that incredible weekend. I made a great friend that week and my life changed.

I know and understand the power of writing down your goals. Many teachers encourage us to write down our goals in the present tense. Write them as though they have happened. This is something that many people struggle with. I did at first because I felt it wasn't real. But now that I have learned so much about the subconscious mind, I understand how this is important. I have also learned that writing your goals down as though you have already accomplished them, and then feeling how it would feel sets the wheels in motion and gets the creative juices flowing. I really enjoy this part of the process and often find myself giggling for apparently no reason because I feel released from the burden of trying to figure out how this is going to happen.

Write down your goals if you haven't already. Write them in the present tense. Feel the joy of having accomplished them. Do this every day, as often as you can. Feel that feeling of joy. Allow yourself. Give yourself permission to feel happy. Now. Enjoy.

New meetup group for single parents in London!

2010-02-04T20:40:00.000Z

Click here to check out
The London Single Parents Dating Meetup Group!

Hello faithful readers. I have been away for a little while because I have been learning a few things. One of the many things I have learned over the last few days is how to set up a meetup group.

I decided to organise a group for single parents in London who are looking for love because I have experienced this first hand and felt this would be a great way to meet other people to share stories and give each other much needed support.

Our first meetup is FREE and will take place on 13th February just in time for Valentine's Day!

If you know of anyone who would be interested, please let them know about it and send them to the London Single Parents Dating Meetup Group to join and RSVP!

I am so excited!

I look forward to letting you know how it goes, or seeing you there!

Much love
Maeve

How To Successfully Manifest!

2010-01-20T19:33:00.000Z

As I believe in sharing great information from various sources when I received this article I knew immediately that it was meant to be shared. I contacted Mr Wright to ask for his permission to share his article with you, which he has very kindly agreed to.

It is here in its entirety as it explains the manifesting process so eloquently and is worth reading every word. Please leave a comment when you have finished reading as I am interested to know how it resonates with you.

Enjoy...Maeve Crawford

*** Article: Successful Manifesting: How To Do It! - By TB Wright ***
------------------------------------------------------------

There is in popular writing, and so in people's minds, some confusion over the distinction between creating and manifesting. These words point to two separate and important processes, and so, do not point to the same thing at all. Some of this confusion comes over the fact that the things that we desire to either create or manifest, are the same! But the processes we are using these words to describe most certainly are not. Using them interchangeably would be like using "baking" and "buying" as if they were one and the same action. If we try to bake when we're actually buying a cake, instead of getting the ingredients ready and turning on the oven, then what happens? I don't know, but for certain, no cake shows up! So in every case, if we mistake one simple word for another, clarity suffers, and in turn, so does our access to the incredible ability we have for manifestation! Since we customarily desire to manifest what we want, in real time and space, it would behoove us to clear up our use of this distinction so that we can most effectively manifest our desires.

We often hear that if we desire to have something, "then all we have to do is just create it." But think about that. Can you create a dollar? Do you even know how? Or a relationship, a car, or a cherished avocation? How is it possible to even create these things? For most of us, it is not even possible to create them. Yet all of us have it within our power to manifest them. How come we can't usually create them? For two reasons. Let's take the example of the dollar first.

Okay, in order to create a dollar, we would have to go out and purchase some special cloth impregnated paper, some ink, a few very expensive printing plates, a press, not to mention all of which is highly illegal, and also not simply just available at the local pick-quick shop. Sure, there are people out there with access to these things, but most of us don't have a clue as to where to attain them, and that's a good thing. It would cost a few hundred thousand dollars just to print one single dollar bill, and that's not what we want for our lives. We would like our dollars to come to us as profit, not loss. So creating even a single dollar in this physical way is out of the question. And then you might say "Well, that wasn't what I meant, when I said create. What I really meant was I wanted to manifest my dollars." So if it wasn't what you wanted to say, why would we be trained to waste our energy saying what we don't want to do? Or even what we can't do? Point is, it is important to say exactly what we are intending to do, because this is the most efficient use of our energy, and efficiency supports us in producing results. The results we want!

And the second thing that is also usually out of the question, is the creation of most any other detail of our lives. Think about it, if we want to create our true soul mate, and we're over twelve, can we do this? No, we cannot. We cannot, because if we desire to be with someone, it would usually be with someone close to our age, and if they're close to our age, they're already here on Planet Earth! So there's no way to "create them" since they have already been created. And most likely, it wasn't us who created them! Same for that 1968 SS396 Chevelle you have been wanting. You don't need to create that either. It was done and painted back in '68. Same with that avocation, or that suit you desire. All done, all already here, and all just waiting for you. Waiting for you, to manifest them!

And that's the point. Your manifestations are waiting for you! Therein lay your power to have something show up in real time and real space in your direct experience. You always have perfect access to your ability to manifest something, because what we desire to manifest is already here, on Earth, in real time and in real space. Given that this is so, then if we take whatever energy we are devoting to this process of actually getting what we want, and give that energy entirely over to manifesting, or having something show up, rather than trying to create it, then it would stand to reason that our manifestation process will be much more successful. We get what we want!

If you think that this distinction is too small to bother with, think again. Think again, because doesn't even the thinking process take energy? And if you are devoting energy over to creating, or thinking that it is you who are going to create what you want, instead of you who with your energy are going to pull into your experience what you want, and is something that already exists, then you are wasting energy trying to do something that cannot be done. Wasted energy is misaligned energy, and misaligned energy goes off to be used for purposes other than the direct manifestation of what we desire to manifest. Think about it, it's just two words, right? But so are "good" and "bad" just two words, and yet if you interchange them in a mantra, what happens? One makes you feel good, and one makes you feel bad. And it's in our feelings that we have the maximum effect on just what we do manifest in our lives, because we are literal "feeling magnets" who draw in what we want the more we resonate with how good we feel about that manifestation. And what is resonation? It's something that comes from how we feel.

Take success, for instance. If you interview a thousand successful people, and I have, you will find that each one of them not only believed in the outcome of their success, no matter what field it was in, but they also felt and felt deeply, the good feelings associated with being successful with their particular endeavors. They just knew it would work out to their favor, and it was in this knowing which was generated by how they felt about themselves, that both acted as magnets for their continuing success! They didn't create anything, they manifested it! Only Source creates. But it is us, who ask, and so draw into our experience, or . . .manifest what we desire! And if we take every single bit of our energy and devote it to what we are able to do, then what happens? Our skill at manifesting becomes what others will tell us is "miraculous" and a sheer mystery to them as to how someone can do what we do. They marvel at how much of what we want is showing up in our lives. And they would be right, life is an incredible and miraculous mystery, with so many details of our lives unknown to us, but there is one very important detail that does not need to be unknown anymore, and that is the process we need to get into, in order to actually manifest in real time and real space, all that we desire. So let's get going and start manifesting, and how about right now!

Some simple steps for getting into a feeling place regarding manifesting what you desire:

1) Instead of thinking, which is the use of our energy for one purpose, try feeling. Ask yourself, "What does someone who is successful in manifesting what I would like to manifest, feel like?

2) Give up trying to create, and make the commitment to manifest. In this way, you can relax, because 99.999% of the work has already been done. And what happens when we relax about things? That's when what we want most easily shows up!

3) Give up trying to "figure things out" and instead, "feel things out." When we give up trying to do what only Source does, to know everything, and instead, do what we can do, appreciate everything, then that is a clear signal to Source that we are ready to manifest what we desire, and right now.

4) And finally, give up working so hard to try and create the form that what we desire comes in. I know, you may want the gorgeous, tall, whatever, but what if your true love is short and happy? And by the way, makes you happy being around them as well? Now that's a manifestation worth having! So form isn't important, feel is! Even with money feel is more important than form. What if you want to make enough money to buy a house, and instead, someone offered to give you one. Would you refuse the manifestation just because the form it was coming in wasn't what you expected? So the invitation is to begin to practice the giving up of your demands for what forms your manifestations come in, and instead, accept with joy what does come! In this way, what you are saying to the Greatest Creator Of All, Source, is that yes, I would like more of what I desire to manifest! And that's how your great internal permission slip for "having it all" really gets written. You go!

** To comment on this article or to read comments about this article, go here.

About the Author:

TB Wright is the coursework creator for The One Penny Millionaire!™ a thirty week online seminar series designed to have you manifest all that you desire.

Finding the Strength Within

2010-01-20T11:48:00.000Z

Labi Siffre ~ Something Inside So Strong

I find inspiration in many things, as I am sure you do too. I am often inspired by songs that encourage individuals to look deep within themselves to find the courage they need to face and overcome the many obstacles that life provides. This beautiful expression of inner strength from Mr Siffre is among the many inspirational and motivational songs that really strike a chord and remind me to never give up when I think I can't do something.

To maintain the momentum to keep going, I read Buddhist daily wisdom from Daisaku Ikeda.

Today's very inspirational message follows:

A complete lack of exertion or stress may seem desirable, but infact it results in boredom and stagnation. It is essential that we keep making continuous afforts amid challenging circumstances, pushing forward with dynamic creativity and breaking through all obstacles. That is the way to develop new strength and achieve fresh growth, whether it be in the case of an individual or an organisation.

Doreen Virtue's Angel Reading for 19th January 2010

2010-01-19T08:02:00.000Z

Greetings!

I came across this video this morning and while I watched it realised I am meant to share it with you.

You will realise why I have included it here once you begin to watch. It is about 3 minutes long and worth every second.

I hope you enjoyed the reading as much as I did. I will be paying close attention to what shows up for me today and am keen to hear from you about what shows up for you after watching this.

Have a great day filled with love and happiness.

Personal Development

2010-01-18T08:53:00.000Z

Many people say to me that they have read lots of self help books and nothing has changed in their lives. There are such a vast amount of books and programmes available to us that we are spoilt for choice and have the opportunity to select a book, seminar or workshop to suit our own personal needs that we may often be unable to make the selection that is right for us.

I have spent many years listening to various recordings, reading books and watching films and documentaries that inspire me and provide the information I need to move forward in my life. The majority of these books, films etc. have come to me in an unexpected way and at just the right time. What has preceded the arrival of this information has usually been a question that I've asked requiring an answer that is connected to my life purpose.

I encourage you to dedicate some regular time to the "inner work". This may involve walking in nature, listening to calm peaceful music, meditating (which doesn't necessarily have to take place indoors or halfway up a mountain!) observing beautiful works of art, anything that inspires and brings a sense of awe. Whilst enjoying any of these activities, always remember to breathe...

To your continued love and happiness...

Recovery Efforts in Haiti, a Message from President Obama

2010-01-14T20:26:00.000Z

Documents & Texts from the White House

14 January 2010
Remarks by the President on the Recovery Efforts in Haiti

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody. I've directed my administration to launch a swift, coordinated and aggressive effort to save lives and support the recovery in Haiti.

The losses that have been suffered in Haiti are nothing less than devastating, and responding to a disaster of this magnitude will require every element of our national capacity -- our diplomacy and development assistance; the power of our military; and, most importantly, the compassion of our country. And this morning, I'm joined by several members of my national security team who are leading this coordinated response.

I've made it clear to each of these leaders that Haiti must be a top priority for their departments and agencies right now. This is one of those moments that calls out for American leadership. For the sake of our citizens who are in Haiti, for the sake of the Haitian people who have suffered so much, and for the sake of our common humanity, we stand in solidarity with our neighbors to the south, knowing that but for the grace of God, there we go.

This morning, I can report that the first waves of our rescue and relief workers are on the ground and at work. A survey team worked overnight to identify priority areas for assistance, and shared the results of that review throughout the United States government, and with international partners who are also sending support. Search and rescue teams are actively working to save lives. Our military has secured the airport and prepared it to receive the heavy equipment and resources that are on the way, and to receive them around the clock, 24 hours a day. An airlift has been set up to deliver high-priority items like water and medicine. And we're coordinating closely with the Haitian government, the United Nations, and other countries who are also on the ground.

We have no higher priority than the safety of American citizens, and we've airlifted injured Americans out of Haiti. We're running additional evacuations, and will continue to do so in the days ahead. I know that many Americans, especially Haitian Americans, are desperate for information about their family and friends. And the State Department has set up a phone number and e-mail address that you can find at www.state.gov -- www.state.gov -- to inquire about your loved ones. And you should know that we will not rest until we account for our fellow Americans in harm's way.

Even as we move as quickly as possible, it will take hours -- and in many cases days -- to get all of our people and resources on the ground. Right now in Haiti roads are impassable, the main port is badly damaged, communications are just beginning to come online, and aftershocks continue.

None of this will seem quick enough if you have a loved one who's trapped, if you're sleeping on the streets, if you can't feed your children. But it's important that everybody in Haiti understand, at this very moment one of the largest relief efforts in our recent history is moving towards Haiti. More American search and rescue teams are coming. More food. More water. Doctors, nurses, paramedics. More of the people, equipment and capabilities that can make the difference between life and death.

The United States armed forces are also on their way to support this effort. Several Coast Guard cutters are already there providing everything from basic services like water, to vital technical support for this massive logistical operation. Elements of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division will arrive today. We're also deploying a Marine Expeditionary Unit, the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, and the Navy's hospital ship, the Comfort.

And today, I'm also announcing an immediate investment of $100 million to support our relief efforts. This will mean more of the life-saving equipment, food, water and medicine that will be needed. This investment will grow over the coming year as we embark on the long-term recovery from this unimaginable tragedy.

The United States of America will also forge the partnerships that this undertaking demands. We will partner with the Haitian people. And that includes the government of Haiti, which needs our support as they recover from the devastation of this earthquake. It also includes the many Haitian Americans who are determined to help their friends and family. And I've asked Vice President Biden to meet in South Florida this weekend with members of the Haitian American community, and with responders who are mobilizing to help the Haitian people.

We will partner with the United Nations and its dedicated personnel and peacekeepers, especially those from Brazil, who are already on the ground due to their outstanding peacekeeping efforts there. And I want to say that our hearts go out to the United Nations, which has experienced one of the greatest losses in its history. We have no doubt that we can carry on the work that was done by so many of the U.N. effort that have been lost, and we see that their legacy is Haiti's hope for the future.

We will partner with other nations and organizations. And that's why I've been reaching out to leaders from across the Americas and beyond who are sending resources to support this effort. And we will join with the strong network of non-governmental organizations across the country who understand the daily struggles of the Haitian people.

Yet even as we bring our resources to bear on this emergency, we need to summon the tremendous generosity and compassion of the American people. I want to thank the many Americans who have already contributed to this effort. I want to encourage all Americans who want to help to go to whitehouse.gov to learn more. And in the days ahead, we will continue to work with those individuals and organizations who want to assist this effort so that you can do so.

Finally, I want to speak directly to the people of Haiti. Few in the world have endured the hardships that you have known. Long before this tragedy, daily life itself was often a bitter struggle. And after suffering so much for so long, to face this new horror must cause some to look up and ask, have we somehow been forsaken?

To the people of Haiti, we say clearly, and with conviction, you will not be forsaken; you will not be forgotten. In this, your hour of greatest need, America stands with you. The world stands with you. We know that you are a strong and resilient people. You have endured a history of slavery and struggle, of natural disaster and recovery. And through it all, your spirit has been unbroken and your faith has been unwavering. So today, you must know that help is arriving -- much, much more help is on the way.

Thank you very much, everybody.

END 10:16 A.M. EST

Last post for 30 day powerblog!

2010-01-14T15:24:00.000Z

I know it's really late in the day, but a little perseverance and I eventually got there. There's a great message for life really isn't there? Do a little bit each day and eventually you will get there. It's the same with any mammoth task if you think about how big it is and allow it to put you off, then it will hold you back from getting to where you want to be. The same can be said for the elusive relationship that many people seek.

Perhaps you have just broken up with someone and are experiencing a tremendous amount of doubt and sadness about your current situation. The idea that you can create the relationship of your dreams couldn't be further from the truth, or so you think.

I was in the exact same place a few years ago and thinking and feeling like I would always feel the immense sadness and despair that I was experiencing at the time. I came across a book that helped me to turn all of this around. This book is called "Ask and It Is Given" by Jerry and Esther Hicks.

At the time I was reading a lot of information about how important it is to "feel good" when all I wanted to do was crawl into a corner and hide away from the rest of the world. To feel good was so out of my vocabulary and experience and I couldn't imagine how things were ever going to change.

I read "Ask and It Is Given" and slowly but surely I began to realise how to move from how I was feeling to a better feeling, albeit a little bit. Moment by moment, day by day I focused my attention on feeling better. Until eventually I began to feel hopeful. One day I turned on the radio and heard "I Can See Clearly Now" by Jimmy Cliff. On hearing this, I knew that I was going to be okay.

I have learned a great deal over the last 30 days about how I procrastinate or avoid doing things to the point where I'd rather be doing something else. I have also made great connections with some very interesting people during the last 30 days and feel a sense of accomplishment that I have finished something I started, even though at times the task seemed unreachable!

Thanks again Connie for setting the 30 day powerblog challenge! I am curious to know what will happen next...watch this space!

29th post ~ And They Called It Puppy Love!

2010-01-13T09:12:00.000Z

During the 1970s I was among the many young girls who would sit mesmerised watching Donny Osmond on television singing "Puppy Love." I spent my teen years unable to speak about the crushes I had and the intense emotions I felt at the time caused me a great deal of confusion and frustration. The period of adolescence signifies a time of transition and development and is well known for bringing with it a variety of challenges.

One of the stages of development that Erik Erikson said demands resolution before the following stages can be successfully negotiated regards learning about intimacy. This stage is essential to resolve if the individual is to experience a good marriage or genuine and enduring friendships

Today's parents are concerned about the numbers of young people becoming parents and are unsure if and how they should talk to their sons and daughters about "affairs of the heart" which is clearly something that needs discussion.

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal discusses the importance of parents having open and frank conversations with their children to support them during their dating experience:

...while parents' dating advice may seem about as welcomed by teens as the swine flu, the research suggests the opposite—that young people not only value parental input, but tend to have healthier relationships when they receive parental advice.

Stephanie Madsen, an associate professor of psychology at McDaniel College, Westminster, Md.

Young people whose parents make themselves available to talk with them or give advice about dating tend to have warmer, closer, more positive romantic relationships, with less fighting and tension, reveals a study by Dr. Madsen and others of 225 young adults ages 22 to 29. If parents don't offer help, however, and keep out of offsprings' love lives altogether, that is linked in their offspring to poorer-quality relationships, including less affection and support and more conflict.

Young people like it best when parents take a consulting or coaching role, listening—and offering advice only when asked, Dr. Madsen says.

Sue Shellenbarger ~ Wall Street Journal Nov 11th 2009

As adults who have experienced being teenagers and learned about love, often the hard way, surely we owe it to our young people to share with them our knowledge and support to ensure they are able to learn some essential skills to give them a better opportunity to develop healthy loving and committed relatinships.

I welcome your opinions and look forward to hearing from you.

Day 28 ~ The Single Most Important Relationship Skill

2010-01-12T14:12:00.001Z

Today I would like to share with you an insightful article from David Steele, CEO of Relationship Coaching Institute and author of Conscious Dating.

The Single Most Important Relationship Skill

By David Steele

The single most important relationship skill is not communication, it's taking ownership.

Successful relationships require taking ownership of your "experience."

What is Your "Experience?"

Your "experience" is what happens inside your body and your mind in response to events. It is composed of your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations.

Your experience is involuntary, it just "happens." It's neither good or bad or right or wrong. Your experience is always OK and valid.

Your Thoughts

We spend a lot of time in our head listening to our thoughts. Sometimes thoughts just pop into our consciousness automatically, and sometimes we direct our thoughts with intentionality to solve a problem, express ourselves, make a decision, etc.

And some of our thoughts are judgments. A "judgment" is making a meaning or interpretation in response to an event (right, wrong, good, bad, theory, explanation, reasoning, logic, etc).

Facts vs. Judgments

You and a friend go for a walk. You say "It's a beautiful day."

Your friend responds "No, it sucks."

Your reaction is to be surprised. You can't imagine how anyone could experience such a warm, sunny day to "suck." Your impulse might be to argue with them- "Are you kidding? Look at that clear blue sky. It's a gorgeous day!"

This is a very small example of a huge dynamic that creates more relationship conflict than anything else you can imagine.

So let's take a look at this. You observe the following facts:

The sky is blue
The temperature is 76 degrees
You are walking in a park

Facts are typically measureable events and can be observed through a video camera. If you poll 100 people about a fact, such as "Is the sky blue?" you will typically get almost unanimous agreement that it is blue (except from the color blind!). If you poll 100 people and ask "Is the sky pretty?", you are asking for an opinion or judgment and will typically get less than 100% agreement.

Your experience of the day is positive. You interpret the blue sky as "beautiful," the temperature as "perfect" and "comfortable," and your body "feels good" to get exercise by walking. These are meanings you've created from your experience of the facts or events.

Your friend's experience is negative. We don't know why yet, but there are many reasons why they might judge the day to "suck."

You Have a Choice

In the above example, you have a critically important choice to make in your response to your difference of opinion about the day-

Option 1: Focus on the difference (e.g. "Are you crazy? Look at that blue sky and tell me it's not a beautiful day!"

Option 2: Focus on curiousity, compassion (e.g. "What's going on for you?"

The unconscious knee-jerk response is often to focus on the difference in our experiences and judgments. This choice discounts and argues with any point of view that doesn't mirror ours and leads to conflict.

It requires a conscious choice to accept differences and not impose our own experience and judgments on others. To come from a place of curiosity about and compassion for a human being who we care about who thinks and feels differently from ourselves.

The Importance of Ownership

It is not someone else's fault that you are thinking or feeling something good, bad, or indifferent. It is coming completely from inside you.

The principle of ownership can be hard to grasp when our partner provides the trigger for how we feel and react, but the fact is that while our experience is involuntary, we do have complete choice over the meanings we create and the actions we take.

Behavior follows patterns. Nothing ever happens just once. If you don't strive to take complete ownership of your thoughts, feelings, and judgments, you will follow a pattern of blaming others, playing victim, and your life and relationships will suffer.

How to Take Ownership- A Four Step Paradigm

I have found that the easiest way to take ownership of your experience in a relationship is to keep in mind the triad of Facts, Judgments, and Feelings-

Facts- usually a measureable event ("the sky is blue")

Judgments- the meaning we make of the event ("the blue sky is pretty")

Feelings- our emotions and sensations (warm, cold, happy, sad, etc)

Oftentimes, what we human beings do, especially when we're upset or excited, is we make judgments about something and try to make that be the fact.

"You make me so angry."

"You're a jerk."

"I love you."

"War is hell."

"Ice cream is good."

These are all judgments you might feel so strongly about you believe them to be true. While they might be your personal truth at the time, they are not facts, no matter how strongly you believe them to be true.

It all starts with an event or stimulus. Something happens that gives us a certain experience.

Then, we react to our experience by making meaning of it and forming judgments.

Then, our judgments stimulate our emotions- mad, sad, glad, fear, shame.

And this all happens in the blink of an eye.

We can then react consciously or unconsciously. If we react unconsciously we will act out our feelings and judgments, whatever they are.

If we react consciously we will separate the facts from our feelings and judgments and then decide what meanings to make and actions to take. This begins by reviewing the facts in your head and making sure you're not mixing in judgments.

Step One: Review the facts

"OK, the sky is blue, we're walking in the park together, the temperature is about 76 degrees, I just said "It's a beautiful day" and my friend said "No, it sucks."

Step Two: Review your judgments

"Hmm, I believe it's a gorgeous day, walking here is wonderful, and I judge that my friend isn't getting it at all."

Step Three: Identify your feelings

"I'm glad it's such a beautiful day, sad that my friend is troubled and not enjoying it, frustrated and angry at their negativity."

Step Four: Make a conscious choice

Once you've separated the facts from your judgments and feelings you are in a much better position to decide what to think, feel, and how to react. Notice in the above example that the judgments and feelings are mixed, which is common. If you are conscious you can choose amongst the mix of judgments and feelings that you will embrace and act upon, and which you will discard or leave alone.

In the above example you might decide to focus upon your sadness that your friend is having a bad day and choose a compassionate response, and to discard your judgment that they aren't "getting it."

The Power of Taking Ownership

It is our nature to have lots of thoughts, judgments, and feelings; some that we want to identify with, and some that we don't. It is common to confuse judgments with facts because we believe them so strongly. It is common to confuse feelings with judgments as well (e.g. "I feel like you're so wrong about that!"). It is common to have conflicting reactions, such as "You're a jerk" and "I love you" at the same time. While our experience is involuntary and overwhelmingly strong and real for us at times, as conscious beings we can pick and choose our truth and what we say and do about it.

Therefore, we are responsible for what we feel, think, say, and do. There are no victims in the conscious adult world. Taking ownership gives us power over our choices and destiny, and thus is the key to a successful and happy life and relationship.

For more information on this subject I recommend listening to-

Conscious Mating: Finding Lasting Love by Experiencing Your Experience here

Day 27 and my birthday too!

2010-01-11T22:31:00.000Z

I woke up this morning feeling incredibly grateful as I have been blessed with having yet another birthday to celebrate. What a great day it has been, spent with loving family and friends. I am so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life and really can't imagine life without them!

In addition to the magnificent time I had today I received a Happy Birthday email from Mike Dooley's "The Universe", which I include here because it is so uplifting:

Happy Birrrrthday to Youuuu,
Happy Birrrrthday to Youuuu,
Happy Birrrrthday Dear Maeve,
Happy Birrrrthday to Youuuu!

A few years back, not so long ago, heaven and earth erupted into a major celebration with the news of your impending adventure into this very time and space. You see, someone like Maeve Crawford doesn't come along all that often. In fact, there's never been a single one like you, nor is there ever ANY possibility that another will come again. You're an Angel among us. Someone, whose eyes see what no others will EVER see, whose ears hear what no others will EVER hear, and whose perspective and feelings will NEVER, ever be duplicated. Without YOU, the Universe, and ALL THAT IS, would be sadly less than it is.

Quite simply:

You're the kind of person, Maeve,
Who's hard to forget,
A one-in-a-million
To the people you've met.
Your friends are as varied
As the places you go,
And they all want to tell you
In case you don't know:
That you make a big difference
In the lives that you touch,
By taking so little
And giving so much!

Maeve, you are so AWESOME! For your birthday, friends and angels from every corner of the Universe, including buddies you didn't know you had, will be with you to wish you the HAPPIEST of days and an exciting new year in time and space. You won't be alone!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Maeve!

Mike Dooley
Orlando, Florida, USA

PS - Maeve, this is going to be YOUR year!!

© TUT ®

If you would like to receive uplifting emails from Mike to your inbox, you can subscribe by going to The Universe website.

I'm off to finish enjoying the remainder of my birthday!

Lots of love, Maeve x

day 26 ~ goals for 2010 written!

2010-01-10T12:54:00.000Z

I woke up this morning and after I completed my morning Gongyo, prayers based on the Lotus Sutra that form part of my daily spiritual practice, felt that it was about time I put pencil to paper and commit myself to writing down my goals for 2010. As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I often avoid writing things down, even though I fully appreciate the power of doing this.

One tip to help achieve goals that I read recently is to write everything down that you want and then write it all down in the past tense as though it is next year! So for example write it down as though it has already happened and you are reflecting on all of the amazing things you achieved during the previous year. This is how I wrote my goals this morning and I have to say, the exercise brought a rush of excitement that I hadn't expected. Give it a try and see how you get on.

One very powerful method for manifesting is meditation. You are reading this blog because you are interested in manifesting your true love. I have included a link to a guided meditation that will help you with the manifestation process.

I have spent so many years attending workshops and seminars, training and learning various techniques and decided that this year I am going to put all of this incredible experience to good use and incorporate it into everything I do towards fulfilling my life's purpose.

25th day of blogging for Connie Green's 30 day power blog!

2010-01-09T16:50:00.000Z

I am 5 days away from completing the power blog challenge!

Everyone has their own writing style and have lots of incredible information to share. I have learned a great deal during this process and understand the many ways in which I avoid writing, even though it is something I thoroughly enjoy when I get down to it.

One of my favourite books about writing is the incredibly fabulous "Writing Down the Bones" by Natalie Naimark-Goldberg. Her style is very personal and I have read this book so many times finding a new discovery with each read.

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer within

Each time I read this book, I decide that I am going to spend time actually doing some of the exercises that are recommended, however, I enjoy reading it so much that I get carried away with the fantasy of writing and never actually do any!

When I came across Connie Green's 30 day blog challenge, I thought this would be a great opportunity to get writing daily and see what I come up with. Since beginning I have noticed the various amount of distractions that crop up from time to time and the umpteen excuses that I give myself to avoid committing myself to publishing what I have written. A huge unexpected learning curve, thanks Connie!

I have enjoyed this challenge and have learned so much thanks to Connie Green for suggesting this challenge and for providing such incredible support during the process.

24th post ~ Learning to Love

2010-01-08T18:05:00.000Z

Yesterday I wrote a post about people who were afraid to commit to marriage. The divorce statistics are so high that people are afraid to stand in front of their friends and family and declare their life long commitment to each other.

So what can be done to increase the chances of finding the ideal partner, developing a loving and healthy relationship and maintain a healthy and happy marriage? Dr Robert Epstein, Professor at the University of California in San Diego, has published a book called Making Love following several years of personal research and information based on scientific studies as well as interviews with happily married couples.

Making Love blows the lid off the romantic myths that are perpetuated in films and romantic novels. The book provides useful and scientific information to confirm that people can learn to love each other. Dr Epstein discusses "Four Pillars" that are essential in the development of long term loving committed relationships. Namely :

Commitment
Realistic Expectations
Intimate Knowledge
Essential Relationship Skills

As well as writing about the subject, Dr Epstein is in the process of producing a new reality television show for American TV. This programme "Making Love" will be based on the arranged marriage process provides viewers with a chance to observe 10 couples who are strangers learning how to love.

During the programme the participants will learn things like patience and caring from various counsellors, they will have to sign a "no cheating" contract for the duration of the 10 week programme. Dr Epstein anticipates that there is potential for the growth of new relationships within this series. It may also offer viewers the chance to learn about how love grows. To read a recent interview with Dr Epstein go to the Psychologies magazine website.

There is a great deal of mystery and confusion regarding relationships and so much research has been carried out to help people learn successful strategies that they can implement to improve their chances of attracting and keeping loving, long term healthy relationships.

I suppose many people still feel that it's romantic to leave things to chance, perhaps it is. It takes time to really get to know someone! Why leave it to chance? How much more empowering would it be if we could learn the skills to make it happen?

23rd post ~ only 7 days behind!

2010-01-07T21:34:00.000Z

I watched Dr Phil earlier today, a programme I often enjoy. Today's programme was about commitment phobia. One of the couples, Todd and Denise were discussing their relationship and the lack of committment felt by Denise who wanted to get married and live together for the rest of their lives, while Todd felt their relationship didn't require the "paperwork".

Dr Phil encouraged the participants to take a "relationship autopsy" to figure out what went wrong in their previous relationships and what part they played in them. It is essential to heal the past and learn from the lessons that our relationships provide us with if we are to ensure we make better choices in future relationships.

Dr Phil mentioned a couple of startling comments made my men and women with regard to their views on committment. Men say "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free!" and women say "What do we need a man for when we can do pretty much everything ourselves!" Do men and women really think and feel like this? I wonder how many people were asked their views and how many actually agreed with these comments.

About 50% of marriages in America end in divorce while the rate of divorce in the United Kingdom is not too far behind! There are various tools that provide helpful relationship strategies and one of them, which is really simple and highly effective is "The Communication Map."

Simple and easy to understand
Learn and implement in less than an hour
Universal- works for all relationships and settings- work, home, business, family, parenting, couples, etc
Tested and proven by hundreds of graduates of Relationship Coaching Institute

Designed to quickly and effectively address interpersonal issues and problems to prevent and resolve conflict, The Communication Map can be learned by anyone in less than an hour (44-minute "Quick-Start Tutorial" included).

The Communication Map emphasizes "functioning first" and unapologetically does not address feelings or the past. After all, we must survive before we can thrive.

Assuming that "issues are unmet needs" and that "all needs are valid," The Communication Map teaches how to avoid "The Wall" and effectively resolve the problem to restore positive connection and communication in any relationship.

The Communication Map was developed by David Steele after he fruitlessly searched for a conflict resolution strategy that met the following criterion:

Easily and intuitively understood
Jargon-free
Immediate results
Learn in one hour or less
Implement without professional help

No known communication model could meet these standards so David experimented and tested until The Communication Map came together as it is today.
David Steele

6th Jan...2 days missed so this ought to be good! Power blog...

2010-01-06T14:37:00.000Z

Snow has once again decided to appear across London sending all the transport systems into chaos. Schools are closed and services are disrupted. Why does snow cause such chaos? It's falling slowly, it fell last week giving everyone a clue that it perhaps might happen again! Did the gritters come out and grit the roads? Who knows. The light fluffy snowflakes as much as they dance elegantly and lightly to the ground and cover everything with a lovely cleansing white seems to lose its beauty with the interruption to lives it causes.
The same could be said for a new relationship...(how? I hear you ask) well, in the beginning of a relationship there is such a rush of chemicals that cause us to think differently to the way we normally think. We might not see things so clearly and often change the way we behave because we are in such a tizzy. Help is at hand though, this period is not forever, thankfully neither is the snow.

21st day power blog ~ 3rd Jan 2010

2010-01-03T15:16:00.000Z

Happy 3rd January. The first Sunday of the new year!
I just finished reading Paulo Coelho's blog for today. He encourages us to remember our dreams and not go give up on them.

Many of us forget our childhood dreams as we become adults and focus our attentions on other things that we think we're meant to see as more important. The blog is worth reading as it beautifully illustrates how easy it can be to forget the wonderful things we used to dream about during our childhoods and the effect it has on our emotional, physical, spiritual and mental well being.

While I read this blog, it reminded me of the brilliant quote from Marianne Williamson, which I have included here incase you don't know it, or if you need a reminder of what she said:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Marianne Williamson

I leave you today to contemplate the content of Paulo Coelho's blog as well as the importance of Ms Williamson's eloquent call.

1st day of 2010 ~ 19th day of power blog!

2010-01-01T20:54:00.000Z

Happy New Year. I suppose you're already tired of saying this even though it's only 1st January. Can you imagine if every day people greeted each other with the same enthusiasm as they do on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day?

Ok perhaps fireworks every day would be a little excessive, but to say "hello" with a happiness and positivity that is usually saved for Christmas, New Year, and Birthdays to be incorporated in each and every day so that all our greetings leave each person with a feeling that their life has been positively touched by the interaction.

I wonder what that would look like?

...perhaps...but would that be such a bad thing?

Happy New Year everyone!

last blog of 2009

2010-01-01T01:54:00.000Z

Looking out of the window and gazing up at the sky is something I have always done since I was a child. I remember gazing up at the sky looking out over the roof tops and wondering what went on way above in the distance.

This evening I looked out of the window and witnessed fireworks going off all over the place. There was a great deal of noise and smoke. There was laughter coming from one of my neighbour's and somewhere in the distance I heard the sound of a baby crying.
Michael Jackson Michael Jackson - History Vols. 1 And 2 [DVD]
played earlier and I felt glad to have been able to see him dance with humour with Usher. I then saw Boy George Culture Club - Live At The Royal Albert Hall - The 20th Anniversary Concert [2002] [DVD]
on Jools Holland's NYE special, a new British TV tradition. Later the inredible Madonna Confessions Tour [DVD] [2007] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC] (I know this link is for Confessions not Sticky and Sweet)shone over Buenos Aires singing and dancing alone, with guitar and with many dancers and singers. The backgrounds often displaying profound messages to add to her already powerful lyrics. Stand up and speak about things you feel are important, now is the time. Time goes by so slowly...

Here's to a magnificent 2010 and making sure all our dreams come true!

Learning ~ 17th Day of 30 day blog challenge

2009-12-30T15:02:00.000Z

Once upon a time there was a single mum who lived with her 7 year old son. Many days were spent working as a volunteer at her son's school so she could help children learn to read. After many weeks of supporting these children, the teacher decided that there were other children who could use some help with their maths work. The teacher approached the mum and asked if she would be happy to help out. The mum said she would be delighted and began to work with a small group of children during their maths lesson. The mum realised that the regular methods that were being used in the class were not helping these children so she asked if she could introduce some games to see if this would help. The teacher was happy to try anything and gave the mum permission to play some games.

The mum took out several board games and asked the children to choose which game they wanted to play. The children chose snakes and ladders. A very popular game with children because there are elements of competition and various challenges. Each time someone slid down a snake, they were asked to answer a question.

During the game, the mum realised that the children were not particularly good at taking turns and needed to learn that each person had a go while everyone else waited. She decided that not only did the children need to learn their maths, but also needed to learn some social skills. After they finished playing the game, she approached their teacher to discuss this with her. The teacher agreed and expressed her gratitude for the mum's input.

Over the next few weeks, the children began to understand that the game playing was much more enjoyable when everyone got a fair share and started to make the effort to wait patiently and take turns. The added bonus to playing the games was that their maths also improved over time.

Sometimes we need to take the time to give others a chance to do the things they find difficult and be patient enough to wait for them to discover something we have known for a while.

Some tips for using Hub Pages ~ Day 15 blogging challenge!

2009-12-28T14:49:00.000Z

Here is an article about using Hub Pages from Magical Marketing expert Julia Stege. Julia is known for providing quality information and support to help conscious entrepreneurs develop their marketing. Well worth reading!

by Julia D. Stege, MFA

I learned about Hub Pages about 2 years ago in a free class on how to dominate page one rankings on Google. Since then I have gotten to page one of google for a number of keyword phrases with the help of Hub Pages. When I am hired by solopreneurs, companies and websites to improve their Google page ranking, Hub Pages is often the tool that gets the fastest results. In this review I'll lay out the simple "Do's" and "Don'ts" for Hub Pages and help you get started.

The Pro's: A Great Authority Site

Hub Pages is a free web service that hosts informational web pages for its users. It is considered an Authority Site because it gets high ranking on Google and has lots of visitors; great for getting to page one of Google.

You can create as many "Hubs" as you like, and add text, pictures, videos, and links in your Hub. Hub Pages rewards pages with lots of great content by giving them great ranking both within HubPages (where dedicated Hubbers can find your stuff) and in Google.

The Hub Pages interface is very basic and easy to follow. You start by selecting your title, URL, and tags (make sure to include your keyword phrase in all three areas.) Then select a basic template and Hub Pages will quickly set up a starter page for you.

You can customize your pages with a simple stylesheet as well as bold, italic, underline, sub and super-script, bullets and numbered lists.

Include photos and videos whenever possible. HubPages loves media and will reward your page with better ranking. Other features are available in the Capsules options area, including news, links, text, photos, comments, ebay, html code, quiz, rss, polls, amazon.com search and tables. Using several of these features in your Hub will enhance your site ranking.

Hub Pages: Some Challenges to Overcome

HubPages insists on original, unique content on its pages and punishes you if your Hub is "Over Promotional." That means you have to use unique content and link sparingly. This is a huge drawback to Hub Pages in comparison to blog sites like Blogger and Wordpress, or even Squidoo, all of which allow you to post duplicate content and multiple links.

You can program in links but again, be careful with links on HubPages. I cannot say that loudly enough because if you link to one website more than 2ce in your Hub, HubPages will flag your page and deny your publishing request.

When you have finished your Hub, make sure to promote it. Hub Pages provides forums where you can pal around with other Hubbers and include links to your new hubs. Also invite friend from your social networks using the share button.

Hub Pages continues to be a great tool for Search Engine Optimization. It gets me to page one of Google almost every time. Just be cognizant of the rules and offer real, consumable content.

Join and start Hubbing now. It's easy, it's free, and you'll love the results.

Magical Marketer Julia D. Stege, MFA helps people attract their perfect customers with a unique combination of Law of Attraction, wildly attractive logos and websites, and smart Internet marketing techniques. If you're ready to start attracting your perfect customers now, get Julia's free Magical Marketing Toolkit at http://www.magicalmarketingtoolkit.com

Boxing Day Proper ~ day 14 of blogging challenge

2009-12-26T15:21:00.000Z

Good afternoon, morning, evening or maybe even night time, depending on what time of day it is where you are while you read this.
I woke up this morning to send my son off on his first "Sales" adventure. He is such a lovely young man and I am so proud of who he is. He has overcome many obstacles in his young life and he totally inspires me to keep going when I often feel like giving up.
When I returned from sending him on his way, I decided to see what gifts were going to be provided vie the medium of television. I am so grateful because my favourite programme is on all day! Extreme Makeover - Home Edition. All Day!
I shall be writing a few more things on the other blog which I set up for Fans of Extreme Makeover because it is more appropriate. All I can say at this point, is there has been a great deal of crying tears of joy, as well as discussing with my partner the potential of replicating something like this across the globe. Ty Pennington and the design team really lead the way.
I'll let you know how my son gets on with his bargain hunting, in the meantime, I'm hooked on TV! Stay tuned :-)

13th Day of blogging challenge ~ nearly Boxing Day

2009-12-26T01:37:00.000Z

Well, Christmas Day is over once again...the food and drink, the loving hugs and tears of joy expressed over the receiving of an unexpected and well thought gift. The love I am surrounded with has enabled me to feel strong enough to face the challenges and obstacles that will come along over the next few months as I strive to go forward and make a difference in the world.

Boxing Day (Saturday) will provide many people with the opportunity to make purchases for next Christmas and birthdays in 2010 as the sales begin in the morning. My son has made the decision to be one of those people. I remember when I was his age travelling up to Oxford Street to search for an incredible bargain. I didn't really know what I was looking for, just knew I wanted to find something that had lots of money off. I went to HMV with a friend and her father, who was providing us each with some money to buy something. I had never experienced the "Sales" before, so I really didn't know what to expect or what to do. I saw a couple of albums that were reduced so I said I wanted them. I can't even remember who the artists were.

The memory is over thirty years old, yet while I think about it now it seems not that long ago. Time has gone by so quickly. Today is already a memory, spent enjoying the humourous programmes, Morecombe and Wise, Lee Evans and a beautiful film that was one of the lovely gifts I received this morning The Darjeeling Limited. Definitely recommended.

My thoughts go out to those who have been unable to spend their day with loved ones.

Xmas eve missed day 12 of blogging challenge!

2009-12-25T15:23:00.000Z

Merry Christmas everyone!

Yesterday I missed writing a post as I was so caught up in the moment of preparation. I think perhaps I need to make this post extra special not only because it's Christmas Day, but because I missed yesterday. Well, I shall do my very best.

This morning I awoke with an expectation of peace, calm and happiness. Why would this be different from any other day? And could we please have more of this each and every day of the year? Let's hold on to this feeling and generate it wherever we go and whatever is happening in our lives.

I am so happy to be spending today with people I love and who love me. The dinner is slowly roasting itself away in the oven and I have alraedy enjoyed two large glasses of a special concoction which I believe should become the new Christmas breakfast beverage. Half a bag of frozen raspberries, half a bag of frozen tropical fruit, half a carton of tropical juice (of your choice) and several large dashes of Havana Club. Blended to a smoothie consistency and poured into tall glasses...Yum!

After all the wintry weather we have had lately, today we have been blessed with golden sunshine and blue skies. The birds flew around this morning like they had been reborn. I am reminded of the hope that lives within all of us at this time and it makes me wonder what we can do to make this feeling last. I wonder if we could help this feeling to go on endlessly, oh why can't every day be like Christmas. Everyone greets each other with such love and welcome. People from all around the world shake hands online, on the phone and with cards. There is such a feeling of unity and the spirit of giving surrounds us. So let's keep this party going and do it all over again tomorrow and the next day.

I sincerely hope that wherever you are and whatever you are doing, that your life is filled with love and laughter and each experience brings golden lessons.

Merry Christmas...

Day 11 of 30 day blogging challenge

2009-12-23T16:05:00.000Z

Greetings!
I have just viewed one of Louis Theroux "Wierd Weekends". In this particular programme he visits a marriage agency in Thailand that connects Western men with Thai women. The men he meets are genuinely searching for love and have experienced heartbreak and are somewhat disillusioned with women, in particular "Western" women.

Louis' natural interest brings him to a meeting with one of the clients while he meets a Thai woman for the first time. She speaks no English so has the support of an English speaking chaparone. The English man has decided that this woman has potential and gives her his phone number and other contact details, although he has had his heart broken and informs her that every woman he has ever been with has left him for another man. He feels they have connected and invites her and her son to come and visit him. The very next day, he has met and married a completey different woman! Louis is disappointed that he didn't get an invitation! One of the men Louis met at the beginning of the programme had within 3 hours of meeting his Thai bride proposed and married 6 days later. Within 8 days they had separated. I would like to have been able to investigate further what is behind this incredible desire and rush to marry a complete stranger.

I viewed this programme on the same day that I came across this article in The Guardian which is a very strong response to a previous article which discusses the Conservative views on marriage and the family. Both articles make for interesting bedtime reading and highlight the growing political interest in marriage and family life. It is interesting to know that marriage and family life is causing such political debate in Britain. It makes sense to invest time, money and resources to develop strategies to improve family life as this will have long term implications for the economy as well as for families in general.

A great amount of information and research comes from America, I made a journey to San Francisco in 2008 to attend The Smart Marriages conference because I wanted to connect with experts who work in the field of family therapy and relationship / marriage education. I came away feeling incredibly inspired and motivated to bring back something of tremendous value to England because I could see that the vision was to improve the quality of family life by teaching people the skills to have healthy, loving, committed relationships.

Just some of my thoughts for the day.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Day 10 of 30 day blogging challenge

2009-12-22T13:31:00.000Z

Not long to go now til people in millions of homes across the world will once again be wondering what it's really all about. There are times when I ask myself this exact same question. I believe that the feeling of giving and receiving could be expressed all through the year, as the greetings that people offer each other at this particular time are of love and togetherness, why not spread that all year round?

I feel very fortunate because I have great people in my life and I have been given many opportunities to live a great life. I have experienced travel to other countries, worked with incredible people who are prepared to dedicate their lives in service to others, met inspirational people from all walks of life, lived in a city which has offered a place for people from all over the world to live, work and be free.

I look out of my living room window today and see a sky so blue that I could be sitting in a Caribbean village. A far cry from the snow, wind and freezing temperatures of late. The atmosphere in my house is electric, my son is getting ready to go and meet friends in the West End and I have already enjoyed a lovely conversation with my wonderful father. I feel so incredibly happy.

Our cat Phoebe (who went missing recently) is talkative and asking for more food. She's recently been diagnosed with overactive thyroid, which makes her far more hungry, thirsty and badly behaved than ever before. I learned that there is a high risk of kidney failure and heart failure with this condition. She is over 17 years old so she has had a good life with us. She was a rescued cat from a cat shelter when my son was 8 years old 9 years ago. They were drawn to each other and inseparable (until the missing incident a few weeks ago) so it will be tough on him in particular when it is time to say goodbye.

Today has already been a day of blessings and I am choosing to focus on all the wonderful blessings I have in my life. This is something that many people who are in the personal development arena encourage you to do if you wish to turn around the negatives into positives. This is also something that great spiritual teachers have spoken of for many thousands of years.

My recommendation for you today and every day is that you find the blessing within each situation, which may often be a challenge. However, doing this simple thing alone will bring surprising results and is well worth it.

Sending you positive vibes and loving energy.

Thank you for reading

Day 8 of 30 day blogging challenge

2009-12-21T17:47:00.000Z

The snow is repeating its original visit over London. The sky has once again turned to a dark blue and the street lights have already flickered on, stars hidden by the reflection of the orange glow from too many. Houses decorated with Christmas lights create a joyous impression to those who walk past. A silence ensues. A peaceful hum befalls the internal environment as the inquisitive mind studies the days gone by. This life has brought mystery and humour, chaos and calm, anger and love.
Questions race against each other to find the solution or answer.

Day 7 of 30 day blogging challenge

2009-12-21T01:15:00.000Z

The evening spent in glorious film mode. First to be enjoyed "Dirty Dancing" Dirty Dancing: The Ultimate Girls' Night In Collector's Edition [1987] [DVD] with the late Mr Swayze and Ms Grey. Enjoyed all the more as it was spent cuddled up and loved up.

Second film viewed "The Wedding Singer"The Wedding Singer: Special Edition [1998] [DVD] with Mr Sandler and the very watchable Ms Barrymore. Unexpected viewing, and ultimately entertaining. I am feeling more in the festive spirit and even more grateful for the people in my life.

The 1963 story of "Dirty Dancing", filmed in 1987 with original artistes and music provides great dancing scenes as well as a strong storyline and enchanting background setting in North Carolina. Although I have watched "Dirty Dancing" many times, each time I watch it I realise something different about the film as well as life itself.

There are many injustices and one of them is the misconceptions and judgements people place on others without even knowing them. Even though the film is set in the 1960s and was made in the 1980s, it is valid today and has managed to stand the test of time. It is also a great reminder of the magic that Patrick Swayze brought to the screen.

"The Wedding Singer" is a film I have begun to watch on a few occasions without being able to complete it. This evening was different. I not only enjoyed the humour and romantic confusion, I could also enjoy the 80s soundtrack for what it was and happily sang along with some of the tunes. Adam Sandler brings comedic genius to the character he portrays and with Drew Barrymore creates something that many screen couples are not able to convey to the viewer.

I have again been reminded of the simple things in life that make it worth living as well as the joy that can be brought from appreciating what is.

As D. H Lawrence said...
The dawn was apple-green,
The sky was green wine held up in the sun,
The moon was a golden petal between.

She opened her eyes, and green
They shone, like flowers undone
For the first time now, for the first time seen.

See everything as though seeing it for the first time.

Day 6 of 30 day blogging challenge

2009-12-19T22:26:00.000Z

I understand something about the process of writing every day even if I have nothing to say at the beginning. During the coaching process, I encourage my clients to replace negative limiting beliefs with positive affirmations each time they catch themselves thinking the negative thought. The process of doing this every time over a minimum of thirty days can help eliminate the limiting belief.

One of my limiting beliefs is that I won't be able to write for 30 consecutive days. I am now beginning to alter this thought to replace it with one that is more conducive to a positive writing experience.

Today has been calm and peaceful and I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my loved ones and experiencing the pleasure of being in a loving and committed relationship with someone who values and respects me. I am also grateful for the wonderful parenting experience I have been blessed with. I realise more and more how much I have to be grateful for.

I watched the Strictly Come Dancing final this evening and was disappointed about the result, to say the least. I rang my mum immediately upon hearing the result as I knew she had been watching from the beginning. "Robbed!" was her verdict and first comment when she answered the phone. We had a lovely conversation about the injustice of the competition as Chris Hollins had the advantage of being on television every day and was able to promote himself on morning television to an adoring public. The decision was not based on his dancing ability, albeit he had shown significant improvements.

The popularity contest that this dancing competition became, provided Mr Hollins with an opportunity to win over the British public (who were at home this evening and able to make a phone call!). Perhaps if Ricky Whittle had been able to promote himself daily, his chances could have improved. It doesn't matter too much that he didn't win, everyone knows who was the best dancer on the night, and it wasn't necessarily the person who won.

If Chris Hollins had not believed in himself, and listened to the judges right at the beginning of the competition, he may have given up a long time ago. Ricky Whittle had been told by the judges that he was the winner right from the start.

It has been an interesting competition with many disappointments as well as exciting moments. Much like life. What you learn from the experience is what enriches the lesson.

Day 4 & 5 of 30 day bloggin challenge

2009-12-18T21:05:00.000Z

Well, yes I didn't post yesterday and I don't suppose it counts adding two days into one. Ah well... The snow yesterday totally threw me off course and I got a bit distracted. I also found so many things to read that I lost track of time so I didn't get around to writing anything.

So those are my excuses and I thought today I would make sure I say something at least because otherwise I will have given up on only the 4th day and I believe that if you give up that early then you really have no intention of making it to the finish line so why begin in the first place?

If it takes 12 days to get somewhere and the journey is arduous so you give up on the 10th day, you will not reach your destination (obviously). So if you continue for another couple of days, you will make it. A little bit each day eventually gets you there.

So I thought I would at least make an effort to catch up and post something today and carry on for the rest of the days otherwise I will feel like I failed right at the beginning.

I am currently reading a book called The Buddha, Geoff and Me: A Modern Story It is written by Edward Canfor Dumas and is a great novel which explains some complex Buddhist theories and teachings in a humourous and intelligent manner. I am really enjoying the story and it helps the reader to learn what Buddhism is about without it being too academic.

I have been practising Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism for several years and as the teachings are from 13th Century Japan, I often struggle with some of the concepts.The Buddha in Daily Life: Introduction to the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin is a book I have been meaning to read for some time, I think now is the time for me to get hold of a copy and get down to some studying!
The Buddha, Geoff and Me: A Modern Story is helping me to grasp things in a way I hadn't anticipated. I would recommend reading this book if you are interested in learning more about Buddhism, or even if you just want to read a story that is written brilliantly with likeable characters and an intelligent take on the way people are with each other. I was given the book from a fellow Buddhist and friend, Michele, who has just returned from a week's retreat in France with other members. She read the book on her journey to France and realised it was something that I would really benefit from and enjoy. She was absolutely right.

Every now and then the Universe provides you with something that helps you along the way to learning more and supporting you to developing into the person you were always meant to be. This book is one of those offerings and I realise more and more that opportunities come along all the time and it is entirely up to me whether or not I notice them, make use of them and appreciate them. Each time I make the most of something like this, I increasingly realise that more opportunities are then offered. It becomes an upward spiral of infinitessimal proportions. The message I believe that is being conveyed is to make the most of all the opportunities that are offered and to embrace the teaching that is being shown.

So although I didn't manage to write anything yesterday, I had it in my mind that I wanted to and as soon as the opportunity arose, I sat down and got on with the task in hand. I didn't know that this was what I was going to write about when I started a few minutes ago, so I am really glad I took the time to say something. I don't know who is reading this, but if you do, please leave a comment to let me know your reaction to this post. I look forward to hearing form you and will be back again tomorrow.

Enjoy your evening / night / afternoon wherever you are and whatever you're doing.

Day 3 of 30 day power blogging challenge

2009-12-16T21:24:00.000Z

Every year on about 23rd of December I resign myself to the fact that I can no longer escape the lights, the trees, the colourful decorations and the films and music that jump out from every corner to remind me that the big day is nearly here. On 23rd December I venture out of my house and face the madness of the jam packed shops, the hussle and bussle of the busy high streets, the jossling on public transport and rushing round at the last minute to make sure that I am not the only person in town who is sitting down to a ready cooked meal from the freezer!
I decided to embark on a visit to a local superstore and purchase some fine foods and a couple of bottles of cheer to ensure that I am able to share when visitors arrive and so that I can provide a meal for the family that will have them losening their trousers afterwards because they are filled to the brim.
After having made this decision to go shopping, I made another decision which I felt would inspire me to make good choices for the remainder of the day. I tuned into youtube and viewed an interview with Lisa Nichols . She was one of the guest speakers on The Secret and I enjoy listening to her as she has a great deal to say and is a true inspiration. She mentioned in the interview that she remembers eating beans and sausages with her son on a regular basis when they were struggling and lived in poverty. Today he tells her that his favourite meal is lamb chops. The interview is emotional and it showed Lisa for who she is, a woman who is determined to overcome obstacles to reach her goals "No Matter What" which is the title of her book and a principle she lives by. As the interview came to a close, I looked out of the window and realised that it had begun to snow. I knew that it was time to get going and make my trip to carry out my mission of obtaining supplies for the Christmas period, as well as general groceries.
My partner and I decided to take a cab there and back and we wanted to have a light lunch before walking around the store, which is rather large, to ensure we both had sufficient energy to complete our mission. The cafe that used to be there that provided reasonably priced hot meals and drinks is no longer there and has been replaced by a Costa coffee shop, which charges £3.50 for a small sandwich and another £3 for the coffee. Lunch would cost a minimum of £12! We decided to buy a sandwich from the supermarket and sit on a bench outside as we were sufficiently dressed for the snow!
After we finished our lovely lunch we re-entered the store. We took our time and enjoyed the slow pace with which we carried out our mission. Bit by bit, the trolly became full and it was time to reach the checkout. We had crossed off everything from our list and added a couple of luxury items, which would go nicely with ice! Our cab journey home and the lights that lit our way as we approached the house made me feel more festive than I have in a long time. The incredible thing for me was that the store wasn't full, it wasn't hussle and bussle and there was a great sense of calm among the shoppers.
I am so glad I didn't wait until 2 days before Christmas Day to complete my shopping. I would have remained in the belief that Christmas shopping is crazy and hectic.

Day 2 of 30 day blogging challenge!

2009-12-15T17:52:00.000Z

I receive questions from clients regarding how to find the perfect man or woman and what they need to do to improve their chances of attracting someone into their life. Often, people are so keen to get together with someone that they rush into a relationship only to find out that a few weeks. months or even years down the road, they discover they no longer wish to be with the same person and don't even know why they got together in the first place. They then have to go through a process of either ending this relationship, spending time being unfaithful and feeling guilty about this, or remaining in the relationship and putting up with less than what they want and truly deserve.

It is so important to first understand who you are and what you want from life. As large a challenge as this may seem, it is not too difficult to realise that whilst it can be a lengthy process it is so worth doing because unless you know yourself and truly love yourself, this will always interefere with your ability to attract the perfect person for you into your life. Ask yourself a few questions and see what insights you gain from doing this:

Where do I want to go in life?
What do I want to be?
What do I want to do?
What do I want to have?
What do I really want my life to look like?

Begin to visualise what you want in your life using all of your senses: taste, hearing, sight, etc. (including the senses that many don't talk about i.e intuition and "gut feeling")
(for more tips like this and incredibly rich information for singles, check out the Conscious Dating website where you can download free audios and articles that will really help you in your quest for the love of your life.)

Be as specific as you can possibly be and write down what comes up. Doing this exercies will allow you to begin the process of re-training your subconscious mind into understanding what it is you truly want in your life, and you will start to attract various things that are in alignment with this.

I'd love to hear from you when you have completed this to see what insights you have. I will then send you some more tips on how to attract the love of your life!

I look forward to hearing from you!

ps. Join me over at http://www.truelovemanifesting.ning.com where there are more tips like this available and a chance to meet other single like minded people.

30 day blogging challenge

2009-12-14T21:18:00.000Z

I've signed up to the 30 day blogging challenge that has been set by Connie Green. I love writing, yet so many times am stumped for what to say. When I am away from my pc I can think of a million and one witty things to mention and have opinions and views that I would like to share with you, yet when it comes to sitting in front of the pc, I often find I have nothing to say. So, I thought, what a great opportunity to just write every day and not think too much about what I'm saying and see what happens during the next 30 days.

As the run up to Christmas approaches I am noticing more and more the amount of lights cropping up in my street. usually the neighbours across the road from me are the first to have their house decorated and they often have the most lights compared to anyone else. This year was the first year I have had my decorations up before them! An absolute first. I never get decorated until about three days before Christmas and get really excited once the lights are lit (after hours of searching for them and untangling the wires!) I watched "Elf" last night with my son because I enjoy the humour and inevitable positive ending of this happy film. Will Farrell is his usual jolly self and his belief in Santa is almost contageous!

How can I help you find the love of your life!

2009-12-10T17:52:00.000Z

Click here to take survey
I would like to get to know you some more and find out how I can be of service to you with regard to your relationship and dating needs. I have created a short survey that should only take a few minutes to complete so that I can learn some more about who you are and what you need to help you find the love of your life. I am offering you a free 45 minute relationship coaching session to see how relationship coaching can help you to learn to become a more successful dater, learn some essential relationship skills, uncover your limiting beliefs that could be holding you back from meeting the love of your life and create a vision for your life.
I spent many years experiencing the confusion of relationships and wondering why things didn't work out when it always started out so great. Over the years and with training from The Relationship Coaching Institute, I have learned how to scout, screen sort and test potential dates. I would really like to share with you this incredible information because I want you to discover how to make good choices in your love life so you improve your chances of finding the perfect partner. I do this because I know first hand how painful it can be when your relationships fail you, when you spend time and energy investing in a relationship that is going nowhere, the confusion and sadness that ensues when you spend so much time, money and energy dating and turning over rocks and finding only frogs.
There is nothing for you to lose, complete the survey and receive your free 45 minute relationship coaching session.

Deepak Chopra: What I've Learned About Love

2009-11-12T14:51:00.000Z

I promised to share interesting articles with you when I first started this blog and I have to say I came across this one just now and was instantly drawn to it. The article is on Eharmony and is by Deepak Chopra. He shares his views about love and I believe it is one of the most beautiful articles about love that I have read in a while which is why I felt compelled to add it here for your enjoyment and education. Please follow this link which will take you to the article. I would love to hear your comments and views about what he says.

Deepak Chopra: What I've Learned About Love

2009-11-12T10:36:00.000Z

2009-09-15T18:03:00.000+01:00

I just came across this video of Earl Nightingale and believe it to be the most honest account of what the personal development movement is about. Have a look and let me know what you think, it is a real eye opener because it was filmed way back in the 1950s.

The ABC of Successful Relationships

2009-08-30T17:21:00.000+01:00

Delighted to provide you with up to date information and great articles from around the world with regard to helping you enhance your relationships. This month I share with you a wonderful article from Conscious Dating. Michelle E Vasquez discusses the "A-Z of relationships" Please feel free to leave a comment to share your thoughts on some of the issues raised in the article. Please also feel free to contact me to let me know if this is the type of article you enjoy reading so I can make sure to find more stimulating topics. Enjoy the read!
In this month's article, RCI coach Michelle Vasquez takes us through the "relationship alphabet," sharing thoughtful tips and suggestions for enriching all the relationships of our lives. These wonderful reminders are helpful to those who are just entering a new relationship, those in a relationship, as well as for those who are still searching for the love of their life.

Tara Kachaturoff
Editor

Appreciation and acceptance. Many people need appreciation more than they need love. Accepting your partner and letting go of the need to fix him/her is a sign of maturity and will help you live a more peaceful life.

Benevolence. See your partner with loving eyes. Remember, daily, why you chose to be together.

Commitment. Without commitment, you don't have a relationship. Commitment is the glue that holds the relationship together. When you're committed, you're saying, "I'll do whatever it takes to make my relationship work."

Drop defenses. When you defend yourself, you are looking at your partner as if he or she were your enemy. Seek first to understand instead of raising your shields.

Encouragement. Invest in your relationship by being generous with your words of encouragement.

Forgiveness. We all make mistakes. Choose to be the first to forgive and you'll find that you're forgiven quickly when you mess up.

Gratitude. Choose to find reasons to be grateful for your relationship. Start a gratitude journal and list three things you're grateful for every day. You'll be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Honesty. Brutal honesty and "constructive criticism" have no place in a successful
relationship. Tactfully expressing your thoughts and feelings creates a safe place for your relationship to grow. This is the kind of honesty that nourishes relationships.

Interdependence. This is a balance between the extremes of codependency and extreme independence. People in successful relationships know they can depend on each other while still having the freedom to learn and grow in their own interests. They are secure with themselves and in their relationship.

Joy. Express your excitement to each other when you have successes. Find reasons to be joyful. Watch silly comedies if you can't find a reason to laugh. Laughter is a crucial element in successful relationships.

Kindness. Practice random acts of kindness in your relationship. Think "simple and small." It will be noticed and appreciated.

Loyalty. Be respectful of your partner's privacy. If you speak about your partner to others, make sure you say kind things about her or him. Remember that if you gain sympathy from friends and family by telling them how bad your partner is, they may also resent your partner (and you) when you resolve the conflict. Talk to a professional instead – whether it be a relationship coach, a marriage counselor, a pastor or a priest.

Maturity. Maturity means you can choose whether to engage in an argument. You can
step back and assess a situation without jumping to conclusions. You're ready to listen to your partner. You avoid mind-reading, and instead, you seek to understand.

Negotiate differences. When you have the inevitable conflicts, you look for solutions and stay away from blame. Blame makes you the victim and keeps you from taking responsibility. It stunts your personal growth.

Open to new ideas. You choose to live an aware life on a path of growth. You realize that your relationship needs nurturing to grow.

Pay attention. You'll know your partner's likes and dislikes if you simply pay attention. Be aware of your partner's successes and failures. Share in the joy and be attentive to their pain.

Quiet time together. Quality time together doesn't always mean "talk time." Watch a movie, read a book, or simply be in the same room together. These are simple ways to spend quiet time together.

Respect. The old adage "give respect to get respect" is really important in your relationship. If you belittle and criticize your partner, and then complain that she or he doesn't respect you, you're expecting your partner to change first. That rarely works. What else can you do?

Strong support system. You need support to keep your relationship viable. If it takes a whole village to raise a child, it takes a whole village to help a relationship thrive. Surround yourself with people who want your relationship to succeed.

Trust. Decide to give your partner your trust. In return, be trustworthy.

Unselfish attitude. When relationships go sour, somebody got selfish. Examine your behavior. Do you always want things your way? Do you think of yourself first?

Volunteer. Unless your relationship began with a shotgun (shotgun wedding), you volunteered to be here. Nobody forced you to be in this relationship. When you volunteer to do something, you commit to being there and doing what it takes to get the job done.

Warmth. Too many times when people argue, they punish each other with cold, silent withdrawal. Keep in mind that you can take time apart to think over your differences without resorting to a week of silent treatment. Create a new strategy for conflict. Agree to take a break to cool off and work on finding a solution.

Xenial attitude. The word "xenial" relates to being kind to strangers. If you treat your partner the way you would treat a stranger, with politeness and courtesy, you will avoid the trap of that old Mills Brothers' song, "You always hurt the one you love, the one you shouldn't hurt at all."

Yield. This doesn't mean you just have to "just take it" when you're in a conflict. The ability to yield demands a high level of maturity and self-confidence. You can stop a fight by simply yielding. It doesn't mean you think you're wrong; it can mean you would rather "win" the relationship than win the argument.

Zeal and zest. Be passionate about your relationship. Celebrate your successes together. Take time to remember why you fell in love with each other.

Copyright © 2009 by Michelle Vasquez. All rights reserved in all media.

Michelle Vasquez
Michelle E. Vásquez, MS, LPC, is an RCI Relationship Coach who helps singles and couples attract the life they want and create the relationships that bring them joy. She specializes in working with couples who are experiencing relationship difficulties as well as with singles who want to find the love of their life. www.MichelleVasquez.com. 714.717.5744

50 Ways To Meet Your Lover

2009-07-23T16:06:00.000+01:00

There's an old Paul Simon song "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover." It tells the listener the amount of ways to sneak away from a lover, "slip out the back Jack...make a new plan Stan...you don't need to be coy Roy...you just listen to me...you just hope on the bus Guss...you don't need to discuss much...you just drop off the key Lee...and get yourself FREE!!!"

Well, how about if there was a guide that told you the 50 ways to MEET your lover? How would that sound? I have searched the Internet, book and film world. I have looked high and low...I've been here there and everywhere (there's another song there too) and spent many days, nights and sleepless weekends racking my brain to find a way to communicate it to you my dear readers, how to find and keep your lover.

Firstly, you have to really truly believe that you deserve to have the perfect partner. Now when I say "perfect" I don't mean that they are flawless...No! What I mean is that they are perfect for you!

Secondly, once you have really truly deep down honest to God felt that deserving feeling, well you then go right on to the next step, which is to answer a few questions about your past. I don't mean your past with previous relationships, heck no. I mean the past from childhood to the present day, maybe even right up until this morning!

This stage will take some time and it is so worth it because until you have dusted those past cobwebs away and cleared the space for this lovely person to come into your life, guess what friend? The only thing you are going to attract is bugs, well this after all is what cobwebs attract isn't it? Have a think about the films you see with cobwebs in houses and squeaky creaky doors...what image does it conjure up? What feeling does it convey...happiness? Bliss? Tranquility? Absolutely not. So have a picture in your mind of something more peaceful and see what you come up with.

The remaining questions you need to ask are in my Build Your Dream Relationship Course, so if you want to find out exactly what they are, then please leave your email address in the sign up box and I will email them to you absolutely FREE!!! I'll tell you right now, there is something you can buy later on if you want to, but this is not part of that. I am offering you to receive some great information that will spiral you forward with regard to your love life.

There are so many people around waiting to meet you but you may not even be looking at them or considering them because they don't fit into your projected image of the "perfect partner". Well, once you realise the kind of person that truly could be the best match for you, you may be surprised to find out that all these years they've been living next door! Or working with you! Or just up the road! Or maybe you have to make a trip abroad and you meet that person in the new town you've moved to! Or you know that course you signed up for? Well that Miss, Mrs, Mr or Ms Match made in the real world dot com is there and you connect in a way you never connected with anyone before, you know it is right and you will never look back. So how do you get to that point?...

Send me an email and I will tell you!
Lots of love

How I manifested the love of my life

2009-07-05T16:50:00.000+01:00

I would like to share a story with you, if I may, that reinforces the belief that gratitude and appreciation are what is required to manifest what you truly want and need. I experienced a heartbreaking end to a relationship with someone I thought was the love of my life several years ago. My initial response was filled with anger and resentment. Everything at the time became a problem, my finances were a mess, my house was a mess, my emotions were all over the place. I spent every day crying and hardly slept. All I wanted at the time was to be back with this person as I truly believed this would make me happy. I began to read books and articles about winning back a lost love and getting back to gether with an ex.

I discovered during my search that the anger I felt had actually been holding me back, not only from getting back together with this person, but from experiencing any kind of happiness in other areas of my life. I started to focus my thoughts on things that I appreciated and spent more time feeling grateful for all the wonderful people and experiences I have in my life. I noticed how things were beginning to change and I slowly began to change my outlook which then increased the improvements I was starting to see. I steadily began to feel happier inside and this became clear to those around me.

Without working too hard, my career prospects improved, I spent more time enjoying activities with my son and friends, I developed a gratitude that surpassed the feelings of anger and solitude I had been previously feeling and began to realise that I already had what I wanted...Love.

What I learned throughout this experience was that I had limiting beliefs regarding the kind of relationship I could have in my life. Once I uncovered what those limiting beliefs were, I was able to become clear about the kind of man I wanted in my life and what my ideal relationship would look like.

The Universe connected me with a man who is loving, kind, respectful and has a compassion for others. We are now developing our relationship and planning our future. I am now applying this knowledge to other areas in my life and am very excited about the way things are panning out.

Loving Parenting

2009-06-16T17:38:00.000+01:00

I have spent some time thinking today about what it's all about. As a parent it has always been important to me to make sure I bring my son up to become a peaceful person and to have respect for himself and others. It hasn't always been easy. It has been incredibly rewarding though. I've just finished reading The Buddha in Daily Life, a book by Richard Causton which is an introduction to Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism. While I was reading the book, I experienced some illuminating realisations. I wished I had made some notes. However, what was most important for me was to read the book and absorb the material.
During the time I spent reading, I realised more and more that I have a really great relationship with my teenage son. I notice each day how parents interact with their children and I believe that one of the ways to lasting peace is for parents to develop a greater understanding of who their child is, to encourage them to be who they are and to support them to be true to themselves.
Like I mentioend earlier, it hasn't always been easy bringing up a young man in today's anti young people society. I have often gone against the grain because I have given him the opportunity to find his own way and to make decisions and choices based on the information he has available to him. I see today a young adult who has a strong sense of who he is and what he wants from life. We have our moments of conflict, however, we resolve things in a way that shows respect and one that mostly nurtures a self who is valued and loved. This, I wholeheartedly believe, is a way towards lasting global peace.
Please feel free to leave a comment:

Finding your soul mate

2009-06-14T20:26:00.000+01:00

If you have been in and out of relationships and are wondering how on Earth you are ever going to find the love of your life here's something that may help:

There is so much information online these days telling you how to do things and then you have to sign up and pay for something to receive the full story. I trawled the internet, bookshops, signed up for courses, coaching, workshops, seminars, you name it I signed up for it. I eventually realised that all the information I was being given I already knew.

To be able to attract the right person for your life, you first need to become the person you need to be to attract the right person. You also need to know what you're ordering from the Universe. If this doesn't make much sense, try this:

Picture yourself going out for dinner. You go to your favourite restaurant, order your favourite meal and ask the waiter/waitress to bring you a large glass of your favourite red wine. You are able to picture this quite easily I would imagine, this is because you know what you want. You have deliberately gone out to your favourite restaurant to experience a night of what you want, fine food, good wine, served by people you recognise and trust to serve you well. When your wine and food are brought to your table however, you realise that the wine is Chardonnay and the food you ordered is steak and you're a vegetarian!

How is this possible?

What would you do?

Would you return the food?

Would you ask for the correct wine?

Would you get up and leave?

You are unlikely to accept the meat dish, and you will most likely request that the wine is taken back and you are brought the one that you originally requested. You may even change your mind about the whole thing and walk out to go somewhere else!

Now...

When you are thinking about your soul mate, what do you do?

Do you have a list of the qualities you are looking for?

Would you recognise your soul mate if you were introduced?

This is something you may wish to consider when you are dating or thinking about the kind of person you would like to spend your life with. Before you get to this point, however, it is seriously worth considering the qualities you yourself are bringing to the relationship.

Developments

2009-06-12T20:03:00.000+01:00

It's coming up to the weekend and I have been on a great journey of discovery this week. I am really enjoying delivering my love classes and those who are taking part in them are learning valuable lessons in love. I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to share this information with others. I've learnt and shared so much over the last few years and feel such a buzz when I see the light bulbs going off on the faces of those who are working with me. It's so great to know that the many realisations people experience during the lessons are bringing them closer to attracting and building the perfect relationship for their life. Several years ago when I first began this journey, I couldn't have anticipated a greater outcome. I wish you all a very happy fun and loving weekend. Smile from the inside, and it shows on the outside. Love to all

Self Growth

2009-06-09T21:52:00.000+01:00

In the search to find ways to communicate and help as many people as possible, I have joined Self Growth, a community of experts who provide regular articles, newsletters and discussions to help others. The site address is www.selfgrowth.com, take a look, there is a wealth of information for a variety of areas including, spirituality, relationships, family, business and more.

Slumdog Millionaire

2009-06-06T20:56:00.000+01:00

I went to watch this film at the cinema and can't wait to get hold of a copy of the DVD as it is such a feel good film, I want to be able to watch it over and over again. The visuals, music and story line make for totally compelling viewing. If you haven't seen the film already, I recommend you get a copy of the DVD as you will definitely not be disappointed, well actually you might feel disappointed that you didn't go to see it at the cinema, but you won't be disappointed with the film. It keeps you gripped from beginning to end.
I look forward to hearing from you with your comments about this post, and if you buy a copy of the film I'd love to hear what you thought of it! Peace and love to all

Great Twitter Money Making Tool

2009-06-04T16:39:00.000+01:00

You may think that this is an odd thing to see in a blog that is all about love. Well, during the time I have spent searching and researching, attending seminars and workshops, buying and reading books, blogging and developing a company, it has been important to have the money to pay for all of these things! So I thought it would be helpful if you could find out about how to make some money while you use the internet to do all your searching. So, if you want to make a bit of money while you look for the help you need to find yout true love then click on this link if you would like to find out more about how to make money whilst tweeting!

Huffington Post - mistakes women make

2009-05-28T20:10:00.000+01:00

I was flicking through the web, as you do, and I came across this gem of a blog all about the mistakes women make It's a great article and offers some reminders about the things women can do from time to time. I've added it here because I thought it was worth sharing. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Buddhism and Sex

2009-05-25T02:19:00.000+01:00

I went to a family day out at the SGI Buddhist centre in Taplow today, the sun shone brilliantly and I sat among good friends and fellow Buddhists having our picnics and discussed all manner of things. We have regular meetings to plan, review progress and provide others with updates and inspiration. One of our monthly gatherings is in the form of a discussion meeting. A topic is suggested at a prior planning meeting and as long as everyone is in agreement, the following meeting will be about that topic. Today I was told that the next topic will be "Sex". I have spent a great many years researching and experiencing this topic in various ways and am curious to understand what the Buddhist perspective is. I will keep you posted on this! If anyone has any thoughts or views, I'd be glad to receive them as this is one that I think many people will want to talk about.

If you would like to find out more about Buddhism in Britain then take a look at this website http://www.sgi-uk.org/

I look forward to hearing from you, with love and best wishes for you as you travel on your journey.

What is Love?

2009-05-18T22:28:00.001+01:00

I have just visited a blog and the question asked was "What is Love?" I answered the question, which I will summarise here: Love is an emotion as well as an action and we have the choice whether or not to be open to give and receive love. How much we are able to do this will impact on how much we enjoy our life. It made me wonder if anyone else gives this question much thought, so I rushed over to jot down some thoughts.

I have spent many years experiencing and researching love in all its many guises, and now have set up a company that delivers workshops to help people to learn about love and relationship skills. I believe that love is something that can't be measured and many don't understand.

The evolution of the human being has gone from being incredibly inhumane to a society that is incredibly outraged when hearing injustices against children, and rightly so. This transformation is succinctly documented in Robin Grille's book "Parenting for a Peaceful World" The beginning chapters I found rather gruesome, however, I felt compelled to continue reading and glad that I did. Grille uncovers a world that has been changing over time towards an increasingly conscientious approach to child rearing which is becoming more nurturing. There are more "positive parenting" programmes available now than there have ever been, more and more parents are signing up to these programmes and I am glad to be involved in this development.

As a parent myself, I have spent a great deal of time trawling book shops and having conversations with friends to find out the best parenting practices, I felt I wanted to be the best parent I could and yet I felt I didn't have a clue as to how to go about it. The information wasn't readily available as the magazines I could purchase were mostly focused on the early years, and once your child had reached a certain age, the information was no longer forthcoming.

I decided I would throw myself into studying about child development and child psycholgy so I decided to become a nursery nurse. The two year training gave me various insights into the brain, physical, emotional and mental development of young children. This whetted my appetite to learn more. I spent the next few years volunteering in my son's primary school to experience working with young children who needed social skills support and to be given the opportunity to learn how to share and communicate, skills which are still unfortunately lacking in many, although I have great faith in humankind and am sure this is on the upturn!

I spent several years working with children with additional needs and learnt a great deal about children whilst also learning a great deal about myself. Those young people provided me with many opportunities to reflect and grow. I then decided to study Education at university as I really wanted to develop my knowledge and understanding of how the education system had developed since its introduction.

I have been involved in Education for many years now and am beginning to hear and see patterns emergin. There is a great deal of discussion about how schools impact on young people and I wonder often are they the best environments for the nurturing of young peoples' emotional development?

So getting back to my original question, which was taken from the blog I visited at www.partnersinloveandcrime.com/blog What is Love? If this was a subject that was taken seriously enough, valued and honoured enough to be given space at school to discuss and reflect, perhaps I wouldn't need to be asking this question now! I would dearly love to hear your comments about this particular blog.

My journey to creating Love 2 Learn 2 Love

2009-05-16T22:45:00.000+01:00

...I had previously spent a great deal of time mulling over where I was going wrong each time I thought about my relationships that had come to a crashing end. The emotional toil and uncertainty caused by not knowing where I was going wrong, nor how I could resolve the issues that were brought up each time a relationship ended propelled me into the biggest emotional and physical slump I've ever experienced in my life. I considered that I was being sent situations that had some deep and meaningful lesson within them. I couldn't make it out though, how come this kept happening? I decided to concentrate on learning the necessary skills for developing a healthy, happy, loving, committed and long term relationship.

I went online and started to look for relationship education, coaching, mentoring courses and workshops and realised each time that everything I found came from America. There was nothing available in England that I felt resonated with me on a deep enough level to warrant me handing over my hard earned money. I found and read many books that spoke of a greater level of intimacy and love and the authors all heralded from the U.S. I began to realise that if I was going to find the level of support that I required, I would need to head off to America and as I hadn't ever been there before, I felt a little anxious.

During one of my online searches I came across the title of a book "Love is Not a Game but You Should Know the Odds", the title grabbed me and I read some of it on Amazon. The author's name is Randy Hurlburt, I decided to search further and discovered that he is a relationship coach and he offered a free initial consultation via either email or telephone. I signed up immediately because the content of his book had touched me significantly enough for me to want to find out more. I contacted Randy and also ordered the book, I felt it was important to really understand his message if I was going to be on the receiving end of his help.

Over the next couple of years, I spoke to Randy on and off via email and phone, I began to develop a trust in what he was saying and how he supported me in my efforts to recover from a painful break up. During one of the conversations, he told me that he was going to be delivering a series of teleseminars that I could sign up for and that would help me connect with others who were also searching for answers regarding love and relationships. I agreed and even though the seminars took place during the middle of the night due to the time difference between here and America, I made every effort to attend each one over the period of weeks to follow.

I learned a great deal from the workshops and commented one night that this information really needed to be shared in schools. Randy agreed and said he had a friend who was developing her own relationship education programme in Florida www.driversedforlove.com He put us both in touch with each other and we hit it off straight away. Isabell and I emailed each other a few times and in one of her emails she mentioned that there was a conference taking place in San Francisco that she thought I might be interested in. The 12th Smart Marriages Conference www.smartmarriages.com became my focus over the next few months and I scrambled together the air fare, conference fee and spending money to be able to attend.

While I was there, I met many people involved in marriage and relationship therapy in many forms. I met husbands and wives who had set up their own consultancies to share with others the skills they had learnt that helped them to develop their healthy and successful marriages. I took part in several training programmes that I could deliver when I returned to England, as I had decided that what I was really passionate about is what I should be doing as a living.

Sincre my return to England I have set up the company and taken part in further training to ensure I have the necessary skills to deliver to groups. I have recently become a Family Links Parenting Programme facilitator. www.familylinks.org This training has been invaluable and I now feel confident that with my skills, passion and committment, Love 2 Learn 2 Love will continue to grow and increase the chances of those who take part in the workshops to have a profoundly positive impact on their lives.

I strongly believe that everyone deserves to love and be loved. My mission in this lifetime is to learn about love and to share the wisdom I have gained with the world. I look forward to sharing my workshops with you and wish you every success in your life in particular your love life.

manifesting true love

2009-05-15T19:58:00.000+01:00

I once thought it would be impossible to manifest the love of my life. Guess what? I found myself in relationships that weren't ideal.

I took a long hard look at myself and focused on what I really felt about Me. This was painful, yet it was the beginning of a relationship I least expected. I spent my time going out on my own to the cinema, to festivals, walks in the park. I basically spent time with myself doing the things I thought I would want to do with a loving partner.

Once I started this, I realised more and more that I began to like my own company. I grew on Me! It became clear to Me! A lightbulb went off in my head! Before I could even begin to have a quality relationship with anyone else, I first had to enjoy my own company and not only that, to feel love for myself. Now this may not be news to you, dear reader, for Me at the time, it was like someone had finally turned on the light. I had been sitting in a darkened room and there wasn't even a switch!

I took some time out from the idea that I wanted to be with someone and became dedicated to learning how to really love Me. I focused all my attention on having happy experiences and encounters with Me. I spent time doing things with Me and generally having a good time. Incredible the events that I started to notice. I had a blast. The Universe started to talk to Me, well actually it had always been talking, I hadn't been listening! I started to notice the colour of the sky, the sound of the birds singing and the changing of the seasons.

I'll save the next chapter for another blog, as I have decided I want to go and spend some more time with Me. I'll speak again soon, with love and a deep respect to all who are seeking love, let that begin with loving yourself. Love You first!

I would dearly love to hear from you so if you would like to share your experiences of finding true love, or would like to comment on any other aspect of the search for true love, then please feel free to post your comments here. I welcome all comments, however, if there are comments posted that are unsuitable I reserve the right to edit or remove them. I trust that you will value this and will want to post a quality comment. Thank you in advance, I look forward to hearing from you.

Maeve Crawford

Emotional choices

Something I'd like to share with you...

the countdown has started…

CLICK AND REGISTER FOR SINGLE IN THE CITY TOO!

Single in the City Too! ~ 2

Single in the City Too!

You don’t want to miss this!

Wow. 21 business experts

8 Keys to creating a profitable business in the next 90 days!

How to do some Mad Manifesting

Relationship Workshop for Young Adults

A Rare Visit to London From Dr John Gray!!!

Free Manifesting Webinar

Free Call on Valentine's Day - Learn How To Be Loved Exquisitely!

2010 Goals...some encouragement and an update

New meetup group for single parents in London!

How To Successfully Manifest!

Finding the Strength Within

Doreen Virtue's Angel Reading for 19th January 2010

Personal Development

Recovery Efforts in Haiti, a Message from President Obama

Documents & Texts from the White House

14 January 2010Remarks by the President on the Recovery Efforts in Haiti

Last post for 30 day powerblog!

29th post ~ And They Called It Puppy Love!

Day 28 ~ The Single Most Important Relationship Skill

Today I would like to share with you an insightful article from David Steele, CEO of Relationship Coaching Institute and author of Conscious Dating.

The Single Most Important Relationship Skill

Day 27 and my birthday too!

day 26 ~ goals for 2010 written!

25th day of blogging for Connie Green's 30 day power blog!

24th post ~ Learning to Love

23rd post ~ only 7 days behind!

6th Jan...2 days missed so this ought to be good! Power blog...

21st day power blog ~ 3rd Jan 2010

1st day of 2010 ~ 19th day of power blog!

last blog of 2009

Learning ~ 17th Day of 30 day blog challenge

Some tips for using Hub Pages ~ Day 15 blogging challenge!

Boxing Day Proper ~ day 14 of blogging challenge

13th Day of blogging challenge ~ nearly Boxing Day

Xmas eve missed day 12 of blogging challenge!

Day 11 of 30 day blogging challenge

Day 10 of 30 day blogging challenge

Day 8 of 30 day blogging challenge

Day 7 of 30 day blogging challenge

Day 6 of 30 day blogging challenge

Day 4 & 5 of 30 day bloggin challenge

Day 3 of 30 day power blogging challenge

Day 2 of 30 day blogging challenge!

30 day blogging challenge

How can I help you find the love of your life!

Deepak Chopra: What I've Learned About Love

The ABC of Successful Relationships

50 Ways To Meet Your Lover

How I manifested the love of my life

Loving Parenting

Finding your soul mate

Developments

Self Growth

Slumdog Millionaire

Great Twitter Money Making Tool

Huffington Post - mistakes women make

Buddhism and Sex

What is Love?

My journey to creating Love 2 Learn 2 Love

manifesting true love

14 January 2010
Remarks by the President on the Recovery Efforts in Haiti