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While the Indian Star System or Hindu Nakshatra system is a scientifically designed one, some doubt whether the 27 nakshatras physically exist in the sky. They do exist. For the benefit of the western readers, the 27 nakshatras and western equivalents is given below.
The twenty seven nakshatras and the respective western equivalent are given below:

1) Ashwini -Alpha, Beta -Aries
2) Bharani - No 28,29,41 Taurus
3) Krittika - Pleiades
4) Rohini - Aldebaran Hyades, Alpha, Theta, Gama, Delta and Epsilon Taurus
5) Mrigashirsha - Lambda, Phi 1, Phi 2, Orion
6) Aardraa -Betelgeaux - Alpha Orion
7) Punarvasu - Castor, Pollux with Procyon Alpha, Beta, Gemini-Alpha Canis Minor respectively

Pushya - Gama, Delta and Theta of Cancer
9) Ashlesha - Delta, Epsilon, Eta, Rho and Zeta Hydra
10) Maagha - Alpha, Ela, Gama, Zeta My and Epsilon Leonis
11) Poorva Phalkuni - Delta and Theta Leo
12) Utra Phalkuni - Beta and 93 Leo
13) Hasta - Delta, Gama, Eta, Virgo
14) Chitraa - Spica, Alpha Virgo
15) Swaati - Arcturus - Alpha Bootes
16) Vishaakha - Alpha, Beta etc Libra
17) Anuraadha - Beta, Delta, Pi -Scorpia
18) Jyestha - Antares Alpha, Sigma Tau Scorpio
19) Mula - Scorpio, tail stars
20) Poorvaashadaa - Delta and Epsilon Sagittarius
21) Uttaraashaada - Zeta and Omicron Sagittarius
22) Shraavanaa - Altair - Alpha Aquila
23) Dhanishtha - Delphinus
24) Shatabhisak - Lambda Aquarius
25) Poorva Bhaadrapada - Alpha and Beta Pegasus
26) Uttara Bhaadrapada - Gama Pagasus and Alpha Andromeda
27) Revathi - Zeta Piscum

The above stars can be seen with the help of the star maps. The Vedic Rishis (seers) have very clearly indicated the size and shape of the stars. There were a number of books available in the past. The Nakshatra vidya or the Science of the Stars or descriptive Astronomy is lost due to the continuous invasions on India. However Vedic Scholars are able to find out the real science now and we may hope the full benefit of this science will be passed on to the future generation. In our next article we will look into the wonders of the stars.

S. Nagarajan is a vehicle body engineer by profession. He has written more than 1300 articles in 16 magazines and published 18 books. He is revealing Eastern Secret Wisdom through T.V. Programmes, magazine articles, seminars, courses. His email address is: snagarajans@gmail.com. His articles on Yoga, laughter, efficacy of mantras and sound, Hypnotism, Tele Kinesis, Power of Prayer, Vastu and Feng Shui, Auto suggestion, Success Formula, Out of Body Experience etc are regularly appearing in ezinearticles.com. So farsixty four articles have been published in ezinearticles.com.

It is commonly believed that Rudraksha belong to the Rishis and Saints and is only of spiritual value. While I give due respect to this belief it is sad that few are aware of its abundant curative qualities both physical and mental.

Rudraksha the dried fruit of the Rudraksha tree grown in India, Indonesia and the Himalayan Kingdoms considered as a symbol of purity if used properly can remedy many a physical and mental deficiencies besides bestowing the wearer good health, fortune, peace and tranquility. It is however pertinent that the selection and use of Rudraksha bead calls for the help of an expert.

There is an interesting mythology behind the origin of this virtuous fruit. The story unfolds to us in the form of a conversation between lord Shiva and Lord Karthikeya. Tripura the ferocious demon who terrorised all the three worlds and the devas including Brahma and Vishnu was all prevailing to the despair of all . To end his evils Lord Shiva did meditate on the mighty Aghora ( The weapon of destruction.) for million of years, closing his eyes. Tears fell from his eyes and the the revered Rudraksha tree was born at his will and for the benefit of the human race.

Ancient and revered Indian texts such as Shiva Mahapurana , Shreemad Devi Bhagavatham and a few other religious scriptures give us a detailed account of the rituals and uses of Rudraksha. It would be difficult if not impossible to give a graphic account of the whole gamut of the uses and rituals of various types of Rudrakshas within my limited space allotted here . I however would like to share with you a few tips on the selection ,use and rituals of this sacred eye of Rudra the third among the omniscient trinities of Hinduisam. I give below the basic principles and rituals for wearing the Rudraksha as given in the scriptures with the help of the valuable advice received from my most revered and celestial Master Lord Nandikeshwara. I have also relied on my past 20 years of experience as a successful vedic astrologer.

Though most of the Rudrakshas look alike there is subtle difference among them. The identity and the uniqueness of the various types of Rudraksha are represented by their facets. Though it may be difficult for an ordinary person to identify the genuiness and the type of Rudraksha an expert can do this easily.

Fourteen types of Rudrakshas are commonly found in the market.They vary from one facet to fourteen facets. A few varieties of importances are discussed below.

Rudraksha with one facet:- (Yek Mukhi)

This is the rarest of the rare Rudrakshas and the most virtuous and powerful one. It is very costly and should be bought from genuine and authorised persons. It represents Lord Shiva and is used by people of high spiritual order, Rishis, sages and great devotees. It wards of all past sins and bestows the wearer with divine grace, enlightenment, virtuous mind peace and tranquility. It has limited use for mundane affairs. It helps cure the maladies related to an afflicted sun.

Rudraksha with two facets:- (dwi Mukhi)

Representing both Uma and Maheswara this is comparatively available cheap in the market. It is commonly suggested for conjugal bliss, mental disorders, bronchial problems and general prosperity.This do not call for any rigorous restrictions on the sadhaka.

Rudraksha with five facets:- (pancha Mukhi)

This is the cheapest of all varieties available in the market. It provides the wearer spiritual inclination, blessings of elders and the preceptors , financial success and release from all sins. This is normally worn as single or rosary of multiples of 27.

Rudraksha with six facets:- (shashta Mukhi)

This is represented by Lord Subramanya and the scriptures prescribe it to be worn on the right hand of a male and left for a female. It destroys the evil influences, oppositions, enemies, and diseases.

Rudraksha with eight facets:- (Ashta Mukhi)

Rudraksha with eight facets is normally prescribed for frequent ill health. Representing lord Ganesh the wearer is blessed with release of all sins related to immoral acts bestows virtuous character and leads to salvation.

Rudraksha with fourteen facets:- (Chathur dasa Mukhi)

Representing the universal Ardha Nareeswara concept this is the one that is popularly known as Gowri Shankara Rudraksha. Rare and costly among all types of Rudraksha it ensures the wearer all kinds of wealth , power and worldly comforts. People who aspire for mundane success ,money, fame and power may obtain this .

It may be clear for my readers from above that Rudrakshas are meant not only for the renounced or Mendicants (Sadhus) but also for people of all walks of life subject to the usual restrictions.

The wearer of all kinds of Rudrakshas is expected to be virtuous , calm and control his senses. He is advised to keep away from bad company , wine meat and cigars. Wearing the same on inauspicious occasions and with unclean body and surroundings may bring negative results.

Who can wear a Rudraksha ?

People of all walks of life can wear the Rudraksha subject to the general restrictions mentioned above. Contrary to the popular belief besides men and children women also can wear Rudraksha during the 10 reproductive days of their monthly cycle and women off the reproductive age throughout the month.

The selection and the identification of the Rudraksha should be made with the help of a an experienced person on the subject and Astrology. It is considered auspicious should the Rudraksha be received as a gift from the preceptor or person of high spiritual order along with proper Manthra(Divine Syllables) and rituals and the latter followed scrupulously to derive maximum benifits.

The author is a freelance Indian Vedic astrologer, gemmologist and consultant in various occult remedies. He answers direct queries in his following site at nominal cost.
http://www.menon.ammas.com

You have a choice right now. It’s about your perspective and your sense of empowerment.

You can perceive the title of this article as a shaming statement that says there is something really wrong with you, so, shame on you. Therefore, you must feel bad about yourself.

Or, you can feel empowered by this title because you know that the ability to make your life as you want it is in your hands. You are the source of all the choices that have put you in a place of discomfort, pain, or misery. You have also made the choices that brought to you joy, enlightenment, and serenity. You have the Choice to make things better for yourself by making better choices.

I received many questions this week from people who would truly like to improve their lives. One of the main themes was (my summary), “How can I change my partner, my friend, my parents, or my world so that they will love me appropriately, do what I want, or do what is good for them?”

The questions come out of pain and disastisfaction, and from situations that cry out for change. However, these questions all assume that the solution will be arrived at when other people change.

This is the same problem I face with couples doing marriage therapy. We almost always have to go through several sessions of the “Blame Game” before we can get down to business. It’s “he said” and “she said” ad nauseum. She says he should change, and he says she should change.

But finally, we start to break through to a key question, “If your partner doesn’t change, what will YOU do, how will YOU think, and how will YOU take charge of yourself from here on?”

“And, how will you do that with justice, fairness, respect, self containment, and belief in your inner sense of direction regardless of your partner’s attempts to change you back?”

A fear at this point is that if you take good care of yourself then your partner may leave you. This leaving could be through silence, hostility, finding someone else, or physically leaving entirely. The good news is that this rarely happens in a severe way. Usually, your partner will try ingenious ways to trick you back into the old behaviors. And, you will fall for it many times.

If the leave taking actually happens then we have a much more serious problem going on with your relationship and simple “self-help” is not going to fix the problem. Professional counseling is required.

Another fear is that you don’t know what good self-care is and that you will make a mistake, creating unnecessary problems and pain.

If this is true for you, then educate yourself about it. And then, trust your sense for what is respectful treatment of others and treat yourself the same way. It’s really not so complicated.

(And finally, feeling guilty about self-care sabotages this whole thing over and over. We think we are being “selfish” rather than practicing self-care. I’m not going to try to cover this one today. It will take another whole article to address. Let me just say that this argument against self-care doesn’t hold up too well.)

The further good news is if I can help one person in a couple start to choose this perspective of self choice and self empowerment, then the partner is usually effected in a positive light. We then move on to stage two of couples therapy where we can actually work on couple problems.

This can work for you, too. YOU are the problem. Not that other person. The sooner you accept your responsibility to treat yourself well regardless of what the other does the sooner you might have a chance of the other person actually changing.

You get to be responsible for you, not for your partner. You get to make the choices for how you will behave, not how the other behaves. You get to perceive this as a choice of empowerment… Or you can see it as just another sign of what you can’t do. The choice is up to you…

But I want you to know something. And that is that I believe in you.

After all my experiences of helping many, many other people grow in this way, I really do believe in your ability to change yourself for the better. I believe you have the strength, the courage, and the inner conviction to make it happen for you. Because, if you are the problem, you are also the solution.

Steve Roberts is an experienced Marriage and Family
Therapist who shares tips and real life relationship secrets
from over 20 years of practice. Married 27 years to Pam,
his partner in Life and profession, he has personally
known the peaks and valleys of the couple experience.
Get insight and wisdom for your relationships at
http://www.whatworksforcouples.com.

Have you had a good cry lately?

A “good” cry–the kind that can make you feel better–as opposed to the kind you have when peeling onions–is one of your body’s most important defense mechanism, it seems.

That’s because tears shed due to emotional upset or stress contain chemicals that your body builds up during nervous tension. According to Dr. William H. Frey II, a researcher at the St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Center in Minnesota, emotionally-induced tears contain protein-based hormones as well as leucine enkephalin, a natural painkiller.

Frey and his team concluded that when a person is under stress, his or her body needs to get rid of those chemicals through crying. In most cultures, women are readily forgiven for crying, but men are often expected be stoic and bottle up emotional outbursts. Some scientists think men have more stress-related illness because they resist crying.

Psychologists have long said that crying is a natural part of the grief process and can speed up a person’s recovery. Whether the cause of the upset is the death of a loved one, the breakup of a relationship, the loss of a job or some other traumatic event, a person often feels better after they cry and is more prone to move on with their life. In one of the most poignant scenes in the Bible, we’re told that even Jesus wept over the death of his friend Lazarus, whom he raised from the dead a few minutes later.

Except at funerals and in hospitals, crying often produces an awkward reaction in the other people present. Maybe if they knew the person crying is just getting rid of some harmful chemicals, they’d be more sympathetic.

Jack Zavada is the author of four novels and over 5,000 magazine and newspaper articles. His web site is http://www.inspiration-for-singles.com

Two-year-old Owen goes to speech therapy twice a week. The therapist’s office is small and gloomy. There is one large window, but the shade is always down and very little light comes through. Each time we go there, I can’t help but feel depressed by the atmosphere.

Last Tuesday the teacher wanted Owen to repeat words he knows for objects outside. They were sitting on the floor in the middle of the stagnant room. “Say tree,” she said to him, and Owen mumbled, “No.”

“Owen, say tree,” the therapist tried again. Owen just stared at her. I could tell the therapist was frustrated, but I could also see that Owen was far from being inspired. For a moment I wished I had stayed in the waiting room, where at least the florescent light keeps things bright and cheery.

The therapist tried a new approach: “Owen, can you say bird?”

Owen frowned.

This certainly isn’t going well, I thought. He talks more at home, for Heaven’s sake!

Then Owen got up from his spot on the floor. He toddled over to the closed window shade and pointed. “Open,” he said.

“Owen, I need you to pay attention,” the therapist said from her place on the floor.

“Open,” he said again.

Finally the therapist joined him at the window and reluctantly opened the shade. Sunlight spilled into the room, casting a new joy and energy throughout that almost seemed tangible. Owen’s face brightened.

“Bird! Car! Tree!” he yelled excitedly. “Grass! Road!”

Two days later, as we were driving into the parking lot for Owen’s session, he looked out the car window and pointed. “Open,” he said. He smiled triumphantly, looking at the outside of the therapist’s window, which now had the shade drawn permanently up.

“Well, look at that,” I said. “She’s kept the window open!”

And then suddenly it crossed my mind: With love and God’s help, it’s even possible for someone as young as two to plant a seed and watch it grow.

About The Author

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Sarah Smiley’s syndicated column Shore Duty appears weekly in newspapers across the country. Check out her website www.SarahSmiley.com for more information.

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Direct Answers - Column for the week of June 24, 2002

I suppose there are worse problems than having two men who want to share their life with me. However, it is a genuine problem. I do need advice on sorting this all out.

My former husband and I wanted a baby and soon had one. The problems in our marriage stemmed from two teenage daughters from his first marriage. Their mom jumped ship after 10 years to “find herself,” leaving him to raise the girls.

Suffice it to say the girls were extremely hard on me, and his family didn’t accept that three years after his divorce, he moved on. We sought counseling, but it didn’t resolve anything. I grew weary trying to raise two girls that hated me and dealing with his hostile family.

That was four years ago. For the next two years he was so bitter I left he wouldn’t speak to me, and all communication was through third parties. Life has been difficult for me raising a son on my own. I had to sell the home I bought for the two of us and am still struggling financially.

After two years, I met a man with a son the same age as mine, and the boys rapidly became like brothers. His father and I also developed a close, intimate relationship, and he is financially successful. We’ve been together nearly two years and bought a home with the intention of getting married soon.

My current relationship never had the spark of sexual and emotional intensity my former husband and I shared. Still, we were content until I talked to my former husband for the first time in almost two years.

Therein lies the catch. My former husband says now that his youngest daughter has moved out, he is free to live life as he wants. He gives me flowers, writes me love notes, and says he wants to devote the rest of his years to bringing up our son together.

I never fell out of love with him, I just left the marriage lonely and very hurt. He says he, too, spent a long time trying to heal and is now ready to try to put it together again. We are not having sex. I know better. But my former husband gives me the attention I crave in my current relationship and don’t get.

It seems odd to me that if a man really wanted to share his life with his son and his son’s mother, he could tolerate them living with another man. I also find it unusual that my boyfriend, as an adult man, is willing to tolerate the advances of any man toward the woman he hopes to marry.

My third option would be to tell each man, politely, that neither made a perfect mate for me. Unfortunately, I’m in no position to be without a helpmate. I’m not holding out for a perfect relationship anymore. I realize that just doesn’t exist, at least not in my world.

Jenna

Jenna, your dilemma is like the automobile comparisons in Consumer Reports. Each vehicle offers different features, and what matters most is personal preference. Do you most value safety, styling, or fuel economy?

Your ex-husband didn’t defend you against his family, and people who remarry usually rediscover the good reason they divorced in the first place. Your boyfriend is a good person with no passion, but there is companionship for your son.

In the old song “Torn Between Two Lovers,” a woman can’t decide between two men, which means neither feels right. There is another song from the Hebrides, which contains the line “Thou art the music of my heart.” That’s what it feels like when the connection is true.

What you decide will be largely driven by financial need, so the question you ask is not one we can answer. What do you most value–safety, styling, or fuel economy?

Wayne & Tamara

About The Author

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

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

Let me introduce you to Harry O’Brien - a human being extraordinaire…

It was a beautiful fall day in early October, October 3, 1983 to be exact. The sun was shining brilliantly and the crisp coolness of autumn filled the air. The day had presented only wonderful visions of fantastic possibilities.

Harry was quite content with his life. He and his wife were happy together and he was doing things that he loved to do - rebuilding older cars, playing bass guitar in a traveling band, and was a technical assistant in a recording company. He loved music and loved to dance. In fact, as Harry drove away from his morning meeting, he was smiling and singing along with the music that floated to his ears from his car radio. He was en route to see about purchasing another “over the hill” car so he could “fix her up.”

Happily cruising as he hummed the tunes, he noticed a car sitting by the roadside with a man looking under the hood. Harry signaled to pull off the road to see if he could help this man in distress, since fixing ailing cars was one of his specialties. The man was obviously quite pleased to see help arrive and asked Harry if he would jumpstart his car. Harry hooked up the cables between both cars then went to prime the man’s carburetor. He was standing in front of the man’s car, priming the carburetor, thinking he’d have this guy on his way in short order. But suddenly, in a split second, his life abruptly ended as it had been.

There was a loud explosion and flames engulfed Harry’s face, head and chest, for the stranded man had decided on his own volition to crank the engine. Remembering a creek he had seen over the embankment when he walked up to the disabled car, Harry turned and darted straight for that creek. Not being able to see anything as he felt his flesh burning, he literally dove into the creek head first, quickly extinguishing the flames that were searing his chest and face.

The man’s car at the top of the embankment was rapidly burning, flames skyrocketing out of control. Harry couldn’t move. As he came up to the surface of the water he noticed his legs, coming from behind, falling over his head. He felt nothing, absolutely nothing of his legs. He knew he wasn’t dead, at least not yet, but he wondered if he was in the process of leaving this earth. He had hit the top of his head on a rock that he couldn’t see, and his head hurt. He attempted to get up but nothing happened; he couldn’t move. He thought of his wife and his family and prayed they’d be okay. His diaphragm was tightening and his breathing was shallow. He felt he was floating away, far away somewhere. Then, a man appeared out of nowhere, talking to him, asking how he was. It wasn’t the man who Harry had helped that was by his side, it was a passerby who stopped at the sight of the burning automobile and noticed Harry in the creek. In fact, the man who Harry stopped to help never came to help him or ever got in touch with him at any time thereafter.

Harry invalidated the odds and lived, even though the doctors gave almost no hope he’d survive. He spent two weeks in intensive care and four months in two different hospitals recovering. Scars from the burns were almost non-existent; he had accomplished what he set out to do as he ran for the creek to extinguish the flames. But what he didn’t ever expect, couldn’t possibly have dreamed would occur, not in a million years, was that now he was paralyzed from his chest down. For Harry, just 28 years old, a wheelchair became his legs. His life began all over again.

Excruciating pain, grueling hours of physical therapy, learning to do simple, take-it-for-granted things like handle a fork and feed himself, became Harry’s way of life. Life was seen through different glasses now. But people saw no bitterness. How could this be? How could anyone survive something so devastating, altering ones present life experience so completely, and not be bitter?

During the few moments while Harry laid in the creek-bed, feeling nothing, waiting for someone to come to his aid, he had a spectacular spiritual experience. During our interview, Harry expressed it so beautifully as he said, “I felt pure peace envelop me, like someone was hugging me. I began noticing nature all around me and it felt like nothing mattered, nothing at all. At the same time I had a sense of tremendous excitement - like a kid getting a new toy - and I had this sense I was going to learn more about myself than I ever could have dreamed of before. I remember thinking this was nuts, but that’s what I was feeling.”

Harry ran the gambit of anger as anyone would, questioning “Why me?” But Harry was strong, and he had now gained an inner strength he didn’t know he had before. His story was carried in many cities across the country by a journalist named Lewis Guissard. Hundreds of letters poured in from well-wishers, and a letter came to him from the White House, written and signed by President Ronald Reagan, citing his remarkable humanitarianism and courage. The President and Nancy Reagan prayed for God’s blessings on him as he continued his journey of healing.

Harry’s life changed so dramatically in a way most of us will never have to face. He and his wife divorced after a while and Harry discovered he could no longer play his bass guitar in the band - his fingers just didn’t work the same. But he continued fixing those older cars and has a beautiful 1968 Impala Super Sport in burgundy and black sitting in his garage at this very moment. And he drives it as well! He continued at the recording studio, finding a place of fulfillment until one day, he decided it was time, time to move out on his own.

He bought his present home in Kennesaw, Georgia fifteen years ago and created his own recording studio within those walls. Adorning one wall are two impressive plaques signifying his recording of Tap Team’s “Whoomph, There It Is,” a recording that rocked the world as it hit triple platinum status. He’s recorded both not so known and known musicians, one being Travis Tritt. Even his garage displays recording equipment of all description where he has cleverly created a ramp that extends from his den doorway into the garage, making it wheel-chair accessible. He told me he has had entire bands in his garage recording many times.

Harry didn’t allow his catastrophic physical challenge to get in his way. He’s created his life that shows the world he’s not a quitter in any sense of the word. He lives alone and manages his life without inhibitions, knowing that everything is perfectly orchestrated, even if he doesn’t completely understand it. It was through my search of a recording engineer that I became acquainted with this extraordinary man, a man that shows the world how to live in spite of.

As an author and a publisher, I now have the privilege to assist Harry as he writes his story, a story of courage, determination, never giving up as he came out on top. I wonder if we could have done the same? He’s known for some time he was to write a book but didn’t know where to begin. Since neither of us believes in coincidences, we know our paths crossed so this necessary element of his life could come into reality.

Harry has many dreams. One is to move his recording studio outside his home which he is in the process of making that happen. This will put him out more with people, something he’s been fighting but knows now is important for his life.

Harry has many friends and is loved by many. He continually touches lives and hearts and he believes, as I do, that there are many more lives to touch in magnanimous ways. He wants to inspire others, particularly those with physical challenges, so they can plough through their challenge, all the fear and pain, and become stronger because of it. He wants these individuals to know that hope for the future is indeed bright if they can just see it, and he wants to help them see it.

Harry is a model of undaunting courage in overcoming what seemed to be insurmountable obstacles. We, as individuals, get so caught up in our own stories of misery, yet it’s doubtful your story comes close to the hurdles Harry has faced. We forget how richly blessed we already are because we focus on the problems and not the blessings. Harry could have focused on his challenges and experienced a life of victim. But he didn’t. As I am in his presence I become humbled, realizing my great blessing in simply being able to swing my legs over the side of my bed every morning and stand up.

So I ask you, “Is Harry a victim or a victor?” I believe you know the truth. Truth stands tall as the victor! Where is your life…focusing on the difficulties or your magnificent blessings? When things in your life seem difficult, I challenge you to remember your blessings and become the victor as is Harry. It’s always a choice!

Written by Carolyn Porter, D. Div.
Empower Productions, Inc.
www.drcarolynporter.com

Carolyn Porter, D. Div., is an Inspirational Speaker, Author of multiple books and audios, Trainer, Spirtaul Wholeness Coach and Energy Facilitator. Her passion is to help individuals move beyond their perceived limitations and do the possible! Visit Carolyn’s website for more about her and her work at: http://www.drcarolynporter.com.

What we believe plays a very big role in outcomes in our life. If you believe you cannot do something, then you will not even try. You will give up without lifting a finger. When you label something impossible, you brain simply shuts down. It does not bother processing the information at it’s disposal. It is not worth the effort.

If somehow, you start to believe that it is possible, then like a shut down plant, your brain will roar back into life. Adrenaline will start pumping, and you begin to think out options and scenarios on how to solve the problem. It all happens in the mind.

A lot of folks were brought up to believe that they couldn’t do so many things, or attain certain heights. Physical, emotional and verbal abuse during the growing up years breeds low self esteem. We limit ourselves and lower our expectations. We underestimate our capabilities and settle for less. When this happens, we fall short of exploiting our utmost potential, and end up being much less than the best that we can be.

A seemingly insignificant event in a new office taught me a lesson I will never forget.

I was seconded to client’s office for a period of one year. As a new kid in the block, I was issued a temporary pass pending the issuance of a regular ID. Electronic keys controlled the doors to the floors. Access was by swiping your ID across the sensor. Since my ID was not ready, I usually hovered around the doors, waiting for someone to come through, so that I can “sneak” in. Folks looked at me funny. This went on for some days. Then one fine afternoon, I hovered and hovered, no one came through. Time was going. No help was in sight. In exasperation, I used my mobile to call a colleague within to come bale me out.

“Where is your temporary pass” he asked as he opened the door. I flashed it. He laughed.

“That pass opens all the doors” he said. It was a sobering moment for me.

I felt sorry for myself, for all the embarrassing moments I hovered around the passage, waiting for someone to come through, while I had the key in my pocket.

I felt scared, and sad. I wondered how many times I’ve had the answer within, while I labored without, seeking…

It made me wonder what stuff I had within, that I had no clue about. I wondered how many times I’ve sold myself short because I knew not what stuff I was made of. I wondered if I could have gone much further in life, if only I knew…

It is not too late to believe in your self. If you have a God given dream, you have all it takes to execute it. Do not give up on yourself. Don’t allow the magnitude of the dream or the apparent obstacles to faze you. If you believe you can, chances are, you can. If you believe you can’t, then you can’t.

Do not allow negative things said about you by authority figures in your life box you into going for mediocrity. Their opinion does not matter if you believe you can.

Even if nobody else does, believe in you.

Usiere Uko is the webmaster of the Financial Freedom Inspiration website and editor of the monthly Financial Freedom Inspiration Newsletter, a free ezine to inspire you to exit the rat race and fulfill your God given dreams. To subscribe or visit the site, please visit http://www.financial-freedom-inspiration.com

The problem with this is that fantasies usually don’t come by chance. You have to plan them yourself. This seems to kill the very idea of a natural fantasy because you have to deal with the mundane realities of the arrangements.

Arrangements like the expenditure of ‘hard earned’ money and finding a willing Bond girl to go wading at the Dr. No waterfall with you. Much easier to pull out your ‘Dr. No’ video and let 007 have that fun AGAIN, instead of you.

However, if you’re a special kind of man who will ‘pick up the tab for that kind of living,’ you will turn off the video and hit the internet to find where that waterfall is. You’ll start making a budget. You’ll call up the appropriate girl, or set out to find one, and set a date.

‘Oh, this is so mundane,’ you might think, ‘I don’t want to manipulate this fantasy into being. I want it to happen naturally. Like I’m naturally there in Jamaica and I naturally meet a charming woman, and she naturally is free. But that’s a lot of ‘naturallys’ to hope for, isn’t it?

But, maybe you’re the type that might get excited about planning a Bond fantasy like this. Get excited about the challenge of it all. And once you get there, the fantasy will descend on you. You will look around with unbelievable fascination and think, ‘Wow, this is really happening. I’m in the middle of the ‘Dr. No’ movie.’

When you create a wonderful fantasy like that, you should just enjoy it without destructive thoughts of, ‘But does this woman really like me, or is she only here for the free trip? And hell, this will be over in a couple of days and I’ll be back at work with a big credit card debt. And my friends will laugh at me when they hear how much I paid to pull this off.’

Hey man, Mr. Field Agent man. I won’t laugh at you. And your friends that are following their dreams won’t laugh at you. And the ones that aren’t taking action? Well, don’t even bother to tell those guys, ’cause they wouldn’t understand anyway. Besides, you’ll be too busy planning your next fantasy.

About The Author

Paul Kyriazi, author of ‘The Complete James Bond Lifestyle Seminar.’ LIVE THE JAMES BOND LIFESTYLE http://www.BondLife.com.

Let us renew our hope in humanity. It’s so easy to lose faith when someone cuts us off on the highway, when a ‘friend’ blows us off (for the second time) and fails to show, when we get burned in a business deal, when a co-worker doesn’t do what they said they were going to do, or when a colleague fails to keep their promise, etc.

At the same time, we DO encounter people showing heroic acts of kindness in our day-to-day lives. I’m talking about the simple things. In my case, there have been many examples:

* When I was running in the pouring rain, without an umbrella, wearing a spiffy suit, on my way to a meeting, a kind lady (a stranger) offered me her umbrella, gave me her address, and trusted I would return it when the rain died down.

* One day I had left my clothes in the Laundromat’s drying machine. When I returned to get my clothes, I was expecting a big piled-up heap of clothes to be thrown on the table, as usual. But this one time, some stranger had neatly folded ALL of my clothes right down to the socks and put it in a neat little pile beside the drying machine.

* I had lost a very nice leather-bound binder that was as good as new and would have made a really nice accessory. A couple days later I got a kind note from a stranger saying they had found my binder and that they would keep it in a safe place until I picked it up.

These random acts of kindness prove that people have an enormous capacity for good. I’m sure we’ve all seen this in action during the wake of the Tsunami disaster where so many Tsunami Heroes rose to the occasion risking their own lives to help save the lives of others.

And yet, when people don’t meet our standards of proper conduct and common courtesy, it can sometimes be so easy to lose hope, become bitter, and develop a hardened heart. I myself had an unspoken rule that came down to: “three strikes and your out.” It was pretty ruthless when I think back. Although I didn’t follow that rule right down to the letter, it was pretty close. So if someone failed to come through for me three times in a row (didn’t show up for a meeting or came really late, failed to honor their word, or kept avoiding an important issue that needed to be addressed) they were basically ‘cut-off’ from my life. Needless to say, I lost a lot of friends (and business) that way.

Life is not a baseball game. Life is life. It’s an unsolved mystery. Shit happens…but if it didn’t we’d all be constipated. We need to renew our hope in humanity and embrace people with a wider-vision of who they are so they can eventually expand and grow to fill that space. If we don’t give people much space we will continually be disappointed as people keep coming short of our expectations.

It is far better to make the extra effort to look for the good, to look for the Buddha within, than to look for the bad. Nelson Mandela could have come out of jail a very bitter man. Yet he CHOSE to hope! Here is an excerpt from my book, Psychology of the Hero Soul, which illustrates the point:

“Nelson Mandela, a man who suffered years of cruelty and injustice in the hands of his enemies, was still able to see a ray of hope in humanity. In his autobiography, he wrote: ‘I always knew that deep down in every human heart, there is mercy and generosity. No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or is religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than it’s opposite. Even in the grimmest times in prison, when my comrades and I were pushed to the limits, I would see a glimmer of humanity in one of the guards, perhaps just for a second, but it was enough to reassure me and keep me going. Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.’”

Let us renew our hope in humanity. And if we are to err, let us err on the side of compassion, generosity, and tolerance.

Sharif Khan is a professional speaker and author of “Psychology of the Hero Soul,” an inspirational book on awakening the Hero within and developing people’s leadership potential. You can reach him at sharif@herosoul.com or by visiting http://www.herosoul.com

Sharif provides inspirational keynotes and leadership development workshops that entertain, educate, and empower. To book Sharif as a speaker for your next event call:
(416) 417-1259.