Death Poem

During the two years of my husband's terminal illness, death was never far from my mind. We had been told he was dying and even a time in which it was supposed to happen. We had no idea of how it would happen. I was loathe to let him out of my sight incase he should suddenly die and not return to me and woke each day fearing that he may have died during the night. Towards the end of his illness I sensed that death was near, waiting in the shadows to steal my love from me and wrote the following poem.

Death, it waits in the shadows

But it sneaks ever closer

I can sense it- almost smell it

Tangible- real- waiting

Death it waits like a vulture

Watching the once strong body falter

But it has no notion of will

The will to live which fights on

Refusing to see death even though

It stares him in the face

It does not honour courage

But I, witness to this brave struggle

Will forever hold my love in awe

His courage humbles me

His uncomplaining nature humbles me

His love un-changing and ever true

Holds me up

Despite his prognosis of three to nine months, Brian survived for two years. His courage never wavered and he fought a valiant battle to the end. Bed bound just three days prior to his death, he passed away at home surrounded by his loved ones. He was 54 years old.

Poem written by: Lorraine Kember Author of Lean on Me Cancer through a Carers Eyes. Lorraines book is written from her experience of caring for her dying husband in the hope of helping others. It includes insight and discussion on: Anticipatory Grief, Understanding and identifying pain, Pain Management and Symptom Control, Chemotherapy, Palliative Care, Quality of Life and Dying at home. It also features excerpts and poems from her personal diary. Highly recommended by the Cancer Council. Lean on Me is not available in bookstores - For detailed information, Doctors recommendations, Reviews, Book Excerpts and Ordering Facility - visit her website http://www.cancerthroughacarerseyes.jkwh.com

Jimmy Carter

Seven Steps to Prepare for Next World and Meet Messiah

Seven Steps of Walking the Red Road (Quote from book Red Hat Speaks)

Step 1: Observe nature with awe and gratitude. A sense of love and respect for all creation will begin to grow within me.

Creation. Our universe. The cycles of life and death. A vast composite of exquisite harmony--a truly beautiful harmonic symphony of melodious verse, with each vibratory element sustaining one another, loving one another. This is truly a miracle of melodies played out in the grand scheme of creation.

As we quietly observe a tiny red bird sitting on a branch serenading the early morning sun, we begin to understand the magnificent beauty of nature. The glorious sunflower that bows its head to the east, the little bear cub that goes into its first winter of hibernation, and the salmon that swim upstream every year to spawn, are all wondrous signs of the glorious harmony of nature. As we focus on Mother Earth, and the family of creation that she nourishes, we become filled with an exhilarating sense of awareness of the awesome blessing Great Spirit has bestowed on us. We are filled with a sense of love and respect, and with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. We begin to understand that we are all part of this miraculous environment.

Many yearn to return to an age of peace and harmony where we can all live in brotherhood, and in balance with creation. No one stands alone. We each need to understand that peace and harmony in the world begins with the love in our own hearts.

The ancestors watch with hopeful hearts that we will create a nurturing world for our children--that we will each contribute toward balance and respect for all creation.

Step 2: Learn to trust Creator, and accept my circumstances. Overcoming adversity will produce spiritual growth within me as I walk the Red Road.

A sweet, gentle melody drifts throughout the room, as mothers soft humming accompanies the delicious aroma of homemade bread. Warm contentment floods the soul. The ancestors smile.

The warmth of a mothers love is the foundation of the Cherokee way. Love is what it is all about. As we receive this love from mother, and other clan members, we learn to receive this same warm love from Creator. As this overwhelming love fills our heart, it overflows, and others around us receive of its blessing--the flow of Living Waters. We learn to give and receive unconditional love. It flows freely and abundantly between us, Great Spirit, and others.

Sweet, sweet contentment. Fragrance of sweet grass and sage smoke permeate the air. All is in harmony with Creator. Life is in balance.

Then one day we realize that there is something really wrong here--we are discontented with our circumstances. The warmth is gone, and a dark, foreboding coldness has set in--a coldness that chills the soul. We no longer experience love. We start to think, if we could only get more things, more power, more ego building, then surely we would be happy.

So we try to get, get, get, taking unfairly from others in the process. But happiness evades us. We become a sad, loathsome specimen of humanity. We no longer like whom we have become.

Where is the light that will lead us back to Creator, back to a joyful reunion with Him?

It is such a simple way back. It is in giving that we receive joy. It is in loving that we find love. It is in being a friend that we will have a friend. When we truly search for Creator with all our hearts, we will find Him. We will begin to understand the wisdom of the ancestors.

We choose whether we will walk in darkness or in the light. In the Dead Sea Scrolls, we are told how to distinguish between those who walk in darkness (sons of darkness) versus those who walk in light (sons of light.) We are told, if we will hurt a person to gain a thing, we are children of darkness, but if we will give up a thing for a person, then we are children of light.

When we look within ourselves, we know if we have chosen to walk in darkness or light. Also, by the fruit of our lives, so does everyone else. We hide nothing! We deceive only ourselves if we think others are unaware of our darkness!

If we want to return to our true Cherokee way, we must learn to walk in the light. We must learn to be content in the circumstances in which we find ourselves. We must learn to trust Creator, and live in harmony with all of Creation. Only then will we find true peace and joy, and learn to live in the wisdom of the ancestors.

Step 3: Seek for truth within myself, that I may remove hypocrisy and evil intent from within my heart.

In the very beginning, Creator gave us teachings to live by. These teachings lived in our hearts as spiritual truths that brought us abundant joy as we walked hand in hand with Him.

We knew how to love, honor, and respect our fellow brothers and sisters. In Native American culture, these teachings were passed on by stories and other word of mouth teachings during times of family and community bonding.

These were precious times, part of Cherokee culture. However, we taught our children most of all by the way we lived, especially how we treated others, how we treated all creation with respect, and how we lived in the will of Great Spirit. Many of us yearn to return to this mode of living and believe we can.

For most of us, the statement, Abstain from doing evil, is pretty clear. However, more understanding can be gained from the wisdom of ancient Hindu writings, and the teachings of ancient Jewish sages, that could help us learn to walk the Red Road in harmony with Creator, and thereby regain more of our Cherokee culture.

How we treat others is who we become. The more hurtful things we do to others, or say to others, or about others, the more tendencies (samskaras (Hindu)) we create within ourselves to do these things. We grow more and more into mean-spirited, hurtful people who turn their backs on Creator. We move into a darker, and darker state of being. Evil behavior is an addiction that feeds on itself.

However, there is a cure. The reverse is also true. The more we perform kind actions, with an attitude of unconditional love, and treat others with loving-kindness, tolerance, and respect, the more these tendencies will begin to grow within our own hearts. We will move closer, and closer to walking in harmony with Great Spirit. Our joy will grow in direct proportion to our attitudes of unconditional love, accompanied by actions performed with loving kindness and compassion.

We can regain true Cherokee culture as that practiced by our ancient ancestors. When we break old habits of evil tendencies, and develop new loving habits, we will become true Cherokee who walk harmoniously with Creator.

May Great Spirit guide our walk in the wisdom of the ancestors.

Step 4: Repent and humbly surrender my will to Creator, that I may become one with Great Spirit.

The joy of walking in harmony with Creator cannot be surpassed by any worldly activity. It produces a profound sense of peace ad completeness--it answers the question Who am I?

Then we might be led to ask ourselves, How can I find my way into this oneness with Creator?

First is the knowledge that when we search for Him with our whole hearts, we will find Him. However, to receive His blessing, we must be mentally and spiritually prepared. This is where repentance and humility come into the picture.

When our hearts are in a non-repentant state, we are rebelling against Creator with our entire being. In essence, we are shaking our fist at the universe. Likewise, arrogance, pride, and self-will close the doorway of communication with Him--we choose to lock Him out.

Repentance and humility are the open doorway to Creator. Through this doorway, we move into harmony with His loving spirit. This is the doorway through which we communicate with the ancestors--through which joyous blessings flow.

Total surrender of our will to Creator, in an attitude of repentance and humility, opens the doorway to Him, and we enter His spiritual realm. Our spirit merges with His, and an overwhelming gladness fills our being. We become complete in the fullness of His spirit, within the purpose for which we were created. In essence, we become one with Him.

Step 5: Communicate with Great Spirit from my heart--listen, and live the insight I receive.

As we live and breathe, we are one with Great Spirit. It is just as natural to be in Creator as it is to breathe. As the innocence of a newborn baby reflects Him, so must we return to this same state of innocence, in total trust of Him, if we are to return to the way of the ancestors.

The loss of unity of mind and heart is probably the greatest loss that keeps us from truly walking the Cherokee way. As an ancient sage tells us, Creator is on our lips, but far from our hearts. We can try to convince others that we walk with Great Spirit by speaking about holy things. However, our actions speak much louder than our words, and our actions betray what is in our hearts, and what is in our hearts is who we really are.

How long can we sit on the fence and pretend to be walking with Creator, while in truth we are merely vacillating between darkness and light. If we are trying to keep just a little evil in our lives, then we are like lukewarm water. Putrid! When will the specific moment in time be reached when we hear the words, So be it! You have chosen--you are what you have chosen to be!

There is a way back to unity in Creator. We need to start developing loving thoughts and loving habits. Our thoughts become actions, which in the end will determine our destiny.

May we walk in unity of body, mind, and spirit--in the wisdom of the ancestors.

Step 6: Learn true abstinence--it is in serving others, with an attitude of loving-kindness, that I create a flow of Living Waters which will purify my heart.

A hungry little girls face lights up with a smile, as we hand her a delicious hot meal--a plate filled with mashed potatoes and gravy, turkey, cornbread dressing, corn, squash, cranberries, and a hot roll. Our heart swells with joy. We gave up preparing a dinner at home so we could be here at the shelter to give a bit of happiness to someone else. This is true abstinence--to abstain from self-indulgence so we can lovingly share with someone else.

An act of kindness done for another, is the greatest gift we can give to ourselves. It unclogs our own heart, thereby allowing for the flow of Living Waters--and flowing water purifies. And, as the heart is purified, it fills with the comforting warmth of love and compassion. Oh, for the secure, comforting arms of mother, and the warmth of her love when we are feeling down or depressed. These comforting fruits of love and compassion are the fruits that bring joy to the ancestors.

It takes so little for us to share some good energy with another, and with our environment. May we each have the opportunity to lighten the burden of someone less fortunate than ourselves--may we share the gift of Living Waters.

May we face each new day praying that Creator will send someone our way--someone we may serve with humility and loving-kindness, that we may create a flow of Living Waters which will purify our hearts.

Step 7: Attain complete, joyous harmony with Great Spirit--walk the Red Road. This requires that I totally surrender my will to the will of Creator, and love others unconditionally without judgment because that is who I am.

The truth of the ancient Hebraic teaching, telling us to love Creator with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves, quickens our spirits. And again, the teaching to do this and life would be ours, assures us of His great love and promise.

This promise is not just for a future time, but life on this earth truly blossoms when we walk in harmony in the fullness of His spirit.

How did we Cherokee lose our culture? What is missing that we no longer walk the way of the ancient ancestors--the Cherokee way?

We need to understand the questions of, What must we do? and How do we do it? to redeem the way of the ancestors.

In the first command above, to love Creator with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves, we are told what to do. The ancestors have also revealed how we are to do it--total surrender to the will of Great Spirit, and unconditional love without judgment toward our fellow man. (Judgment stops the flow of love!)

There are at least two things missing from our lives today that prevent us from walking the Cherokee way. First, we need to learn ceremony and the traditional way of the ancestors. But is this enough? No, this will not return the ancestral way. We must have the spirit also.

Now, if we combine the traditional knowledge of the ancestors and elders with the spirit, then the Cherokee way will come alive!

Let us walk in the traditional, and spiritual ways of our ancestors. (Aho--so be it!)

Much love and warm thoughts, Dorothy K. Daigle, The Lady in White

Dorothy learned from Cherokee elder, John Red Hat Duke, of the Keetoowah spiritual ways. She cared for him the last years of his life, and had many deep, spiritual discussions with him. Her understanding of the Keetoowah spiritual ways are included in two books, Red Hat Speaks, and Red Hat's Wisdom. She now lives in the mountains of Colorado.

Ronald Reagan

My Grief Is Worse Than Your Grief

To some, grief is a feeling to run from, they pretend it is non-existent. To others, it is worn as a badge of honor, a way to garner attention. Others move through it as best they can. But, in the lonely sanctum of their homes, the real truth rears its ugly head. The pain comes full force.

Leading a Grief Support Group has been for me, an education in humanity. Even though I have also become a widow, my experience has been mellow compared to some others I encountered.

Jimmie and Bob were both widowers, Jimmy had lost his wife only 3 months ago, Bob, ten years.

Jimmy shared how his wife had died of the rampages of cancer.

LOVING WORDS THAT BACKFIRED

He stated her last words to him were, I dont want you to be alone. I want you to find someone to make you happy.

Little did she know that she was sentencing her husband to a much longer period of over coming his grief. As a result of her order, Jimmy had been actively pursuing any woman who seemed to show the slightest bit of interest in him, a #1 no, no for a newly grieving spouse. Our suggestions that that was not a good idea until he had worked through his grief had been ignored. He complained of continually being rebuffed by the women he had approached, but was determined to pursue the ladies.

IGNORING THE ELEPHANT IN THE LIVING ROOM Bobs wife was a cancer victim, also. From his description, they apparently had a very loving marriage, but Bobs grief was deep. He denied feelings of anger or resentment. His claim that he came to meetings because he was lonely and thought he could help other people in his situation, by offering understanding. He displayed little outside, emotional pain except the feeling of deep loss. He denied he and his wife had had any issues, that she was almost the perfect wife and oh, how he missed her.

THE BADGE OF HONOR During the time that these two gentlemen were in our Support Group, it appeared that they could consider each other as a compatible friend, with a common understanding of grief and loss. Yet, through weeks of attendance, there was an underlying current of antagonism in some of their comments towards each other.

As the Facilitator of the group, I could not understand that attitude. The evening that that emotional underground erupted, I thought Mike, my Co-Facilitator was going to have to physically separate the two men.

Unaware of the first comment that was spoken, my first awareness was of Jimmy jumping up from his chair and with an in your face attitude, stating, You dont know my pain! My pain is worse than yours. My wife just died 3 months ago! Yours died ten years ago!

Bob countered with It dont matter how long its been. I loved her and she loved me! Dont you tell me that your grief is worse than mine!

Mike and I were stunned at first. It was almost as if two little boys were arguing over which one had the most marbles.

TRYING TO DIFFUSE THE SITUATION We tried to joke them out of it. That did not work!

I realized that sounds as if I am minimizing the full density of the event, but it was a new experience to both of us. Mike stood up and came between the two and encouraged them to settle down and rethink the manner in which they were behaving. The other group members remained quiet, as if stunned, also.

Eventually the two men apologized to each other, but would not let go of the idea that their grief was more painful than the other.

That incident brought to light that both men did in deed need to seek professional counseling, to rid themselves of the deep-seated factors of denial and anger.

Once the situation calmed down, the impact of that experience taught us all that everyones grief is very personal, deep and on a level of the sacred. No one can judge the depth of grief that other people are experiencing and neither should they try!

For more tips and tools to on how to survive divorce and loss and make healthy relationship choices you are invited to visit http://www.butterflyintonewlife.com Patricia Hubbard has Facilitated a Support Group for Separated, Divorced and Widowed people for the past 11 years.

Jimmy Carter

Life Coaching Training

In this hectic paced, crazy world, it is sometimes difficult to find a balance, or a path, to get you through the day. Through life coaching training, you can help yourself get through the day with a peaceful mind, and feel accomplished at the end of the day.

Giving yourself more confidence in the things you do and the actions you take are a big part of self confidence and happiness. Here is a simple way of Life Coaching Training yourself. For starters, in the morning when you wake up, start a small list of things for yourself to accomplish during the month. Keep track of this list and continue writing on it. There are two key items that need to be written on this list daily. For one, write down every morning what you plan to accomplish for the day, be it grocery shopping, or watching your favourite television boardshow. The second thing, write down your thoughts. Write down how you feel, write down the events of the past night, write down what you dreamt! It does not matter; just get it out of you. This technique helps clear your mind at the start of the day so you can concentrate and put more energy into accomplishing your set goals.

The next step in Life Coaching Training is to follow through! Always remind yourself of your goals for the day, and strive to achieve them! If you feel for some reason that you cannot do it, push yourself, encourage yourself that you can and will do it! At the end of each night, look at your list and write down what you accomplished, if you accomplished everything you hoped to, and write down your feelings of the day. And always write down what you did not accomplish. This makes it easier to see your faults and what areas have room for improvement. If you keep up with your list, someday you will find that the list is growing bigger and bigger over time, yet you will have no trouble accomplishing anything on it. This is the goal of Life Coaching Training.

By working on this Life Coaching Training list every day, and making sure you accomplish everything possible to accomplish, you are opening new doors to new experiences, and you are also building self confidence. If you can accomplish this Life Coaching Training list daily, then you can tackle any obstacle!

For more information, refer to http://debt-management-solution.net/debt-financial-solution/financial-freedom/

My Name is Eldad Zakay and I am 35 years old. I work as a website promoter for few years. I am married with one kid. My wife Orit is also my business partner. Working from home is a great business, you are attached to your kids and your family. By promoting website, I bump into a lot of interesting information, that I would love to share with you.

Bill Gates

Father's Day

Once again its Fathers day
A day thats just for you
For me to show my gratitude
For everything that you do
You always have time for me
Even in your busy day
A friendly word, a joke or two
Your loving smile goes a long way
I hardly ever say, I love you
But I feel with all my heart
A love that will never end
Its been growing from the start
Youll always be my special friend
Yes Dad thats what you are
There could never be another Dad
Who compares to you, by far
Thank you for being wonderful
I love you, yes I do
You are the greatest ever Dad
Thank you for being you.

My name is Joanne Hale, known as Jo by friends and family (except for my Mum, who still calls me Joanne note the two syllables Jo and anne always got me two smacks whenever I was naughty as a child!). I was born in Bristol in May 1970 and have lived in and around there all my life. I married in 1999, which did not work out and ended in divorce less than a year later. I married for the second time in February 2001, to Peter, who I love with all my heart and soul we truly are soulmates. We currently have one cat. I have a really good imagination, which can sometimes be a hindrance, but it is what helps me with inspiration to write my poetry, which I do as a form of relaxation and to give pleasure to others that read it. I write about everyday occurrences and events that have either happened to me or to others. I had my first poem published in a magazine when I was 10 years old since then I have had poems published in a variety of things, and over the past few years, quite a few in anthologies with Forward Press and others.

I'm now putting my poetry online now. I have a web site at http://www.johalepoetry.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ I also have a blog at http://jo-hale-poetry.blogspot.com/

John F Kennedy

How to Deal with Heartbreak

Learning how to deal with heartbreak is not a skill we are born with. Getting the news that your ex broke up with you brings on intense feelings of confusion and sadness. But there are things you can do to triumph over heartbreak, it is just a matter of setting goals and redirecting your focus from the pain. Here are some quick tips to help you get started.

Get Out of the House
The worst thing you can do at this point is to stay inside and reminisce over your old relationship. You need to interact with your friends and family no matter how hard it might be to visualize talking with other people. Dont avoid situations because you think your ex will come up in the conversation. If this happens, just tell them that you appreciate their support and quickly change the subject. The more socializing you can do, the more you will occupy your mind with other things.

Treat Yourself
Dealing with heartbreak can zap your energy and dampen your spirits, so a little self-pity is allowed. Treat yourself to a new pair of jeans or something else you have been holding back on. This will give you a small taste of the empowerment and control that you are lacking in your life. Of course you should be careful not to go overboard. Rewarding yourself outside of your means can bring on feelings of guilt. Dont go on a rabid shopping spree; just find that special item that will bring a smile to your face.

Dont Punish Yourself
Too many people torture themselves after a break up by listening to sad songs or browsing through old pictures. You should give yourself only one day for pain and suffering. Use this time to get all of the tears and moping out of your system. After this you need to promise yourself that each day you will take another step towards moving on. Everyone deserves one day to wallow in depression, but after this point you simply need to try harder.

Set New Goals
This is the most important step in getting over your heartbreak. You need to visualize the future and where you want to be one year from now. It is best to stay away from relationship goals and instead focus on your personal aspirations. Career ambitions, fitness goals, and financial aspirations are all great places to start. Set incremental goals that will allow you to see progress as work towards the finish line. Each achievement will instill a new level of confidence in you.

Understanding how to deal with heartbreak is the first step in overcoming it. It is true that time heals all wounds, but only for those who want to be healed. Give yourself a short time to be sad, but then motivate yourself to control your destiny. You are the same wonderful person that you were before the break up, and your life will flourish again once you perceiver through this trying time.

Not every relationship has to end after a break up. Find proven strategies for how to get your ex back at GetBackMyEx.com

Spirituality

How Gratitude Can Change You Life

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, the holiday that has its origin in the Puritan's tradition of giving thanks for a good harvest. The Puritans weren't the first in this regard. Many religious and societal traditions are based in the concept of gratitude. What all these traditions may or may not have known is that recent scientific studies point to a direct link between gratitude and a deep satisfaction with life. Not only is it good to give thanks, it is good for you to do so!

In a study at the University of California at Davis, Professor Robert Emmons came up with some very interesting and illuminating results from his research project on gratitude and thankfulness. Professor Emmons found that people who kept gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded hassles or neutral life events. In addition, participants who kept the journals were more likely to make progress towards their personal goals in life.

The study also notes that people with a strong disposition toward gratitude have the capacity to be empathic and to take the perspective of others. Grateful individuals place less importance on material goods; they are less likely to judge their own and others law of success in terms of possessions accumulated; they are less envious of wealthy persons; and are more likely to share their possessions with others relative to less grateful persons.

If the practice of gratitude is so beneficial to our overall well-being, how can we learn to cultivate it more? My gut feeling is that the type of gratitude we normally experience when we see others that are less fortunate than ourselves is not enough. If it were, we would all be much happier as we are surrounded by evidence of the suffering of so many people in the world today. It seems that we need to look directly at our own lives in order to be truly grateful and thereby reap the benefits of gratitude.

The concept of gratitude is directly related to the idea of the power of positive thinking. Concentrating on what we do have versus what we don't have seems to be the key. Reminding ourselves on a daily basis of all the things that come our way keeps us grounded in gratitude instead of want. At any given moment during the day we can stop in the moment and be thankful. Keeping a record of these moments, journaling, is what Professor Emmons recommends. When life becomes overwhelming we can look back at our musings and see just how lucky we really are.

Indeed, further results of the University of California's study show that a daily gratitude intervention (self-guided exercises) with young adults resulted in higher reported levels of the positive states of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness and energy compared to a focus on hassles or a downward social comparison (ways in which participants thought they were better off than others). There was no difference in levels of unpleasant emotions reported in the three groups.

As we are told not to sweat the small things so too can we be very grateful for the little joys in our lives. I just got back from running to school to drop-off something for my daughter. Upon entering the house, which is warm and toasty compared to the rainy, cold day outside, I was greeted by my three dogs with tons of kisses and love. They now lie by my feet as I type away. The house is peaceful and quiet like my own personal sanctuary. I glance out my windows and see nothing but the foliage that envelops my home. These are the little moments that that we can become attuned to in gratitude. There are hundreds of such moments in any given week if we are mindful of them. They add up and build upon one another to create a more centered, content and positive perspective on life.

Furthermore, the research reports that grateful people do not deny or ignore the negative aspects of life. Again, my intuition tells me that given the perspective that gratitude gifts us, we are undoubtedly more equipped to handle life's challenges. One's attitude can determine how effective one is in coping with what life throws in our direction. Our perspective on life determines our reality. If we approach things with a perspective grounded in say the belief that life is unfair, everything that turns up will look unfair. But as we practice gratitude, we are endowed with its gifts of optimism and the necessary energy required to take on our lives.

How can you start to practice gratitude? Begin with the art of mindfulness, being totally present in the moment. Notice all the little things that surround you, things you might take for granted if you hadn't stopped to really look. Offer acknowledgement of these small gifts much like my moment in a warm and peaceful home with my dogs. Write them down in a gratitude journal. The little things make up the fabric of our days, our months, and our years. Oftentimes we hardly notice them because we are so caught up in the task of living. As they say, stop and smell the roses.

Stop and consider what you have been given in life. Are you blessed with financial security? Do you have loving children, a supportive family? A nice home? Are you in good health? Do you enjoy your work? Do you have wonderful friends? What does nature give to you? Do you have a supportive and loving mate? Concentrate on what you do have and not what you lack.

Research also tells us that the act of giving back to the world has much the same effect as gratitude. Interestingly enough, Emmons study also found that participants in the daily gratitude condition were more likely to report having helped someone with a personal problem or having offered emotional support to another. The act of gratitude and the act of giving back therefore reinforce each other and lead to the inevitable ...more fulfilling, meaningful and happy lives.

These are things that we all know to be true in the abstract and yet we can take them from the abstract into the specifics of our own existence. Start practicing gratitude today. Pull out a notebook and write down just one thing. Commit to adding to this journal everyday. A good time might be before bedtime when you have time to reflect back on your day. Think of all the good things that occurred. Perhaps a brief but meaningful exchange with a child or a friend. Maybe a great cup of coffee. When you put down your pen and paper, you might just go to sleep easier. That's yet something else for which to be grateful.

You can live a life that truly works and you can achieve peak performance in all areas of your life. You can not only survive life's unexpected changes and transitions but also thrive. Powerful change is possible. You are fully capable of creating a life that you choose.

Life Coaching is a proven, powerful, one-on-one professional relationship that promises to improve the quality of your life! Learn how to create positive change in your life. Visit http://www.changecoachshelley.com and take your free customized Life Quiz and also Shelley's Blog at http://shelleyblog.changecoachshelley.com for more tools for personal growth and power. Contact Shelley Stile at shelleystile@changecoachshelley.com today!

Abraham Lincoln