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In 1869, PT Barnum revealed his secrets to making money to the world, in a speech. It contains his unique insights on business, advertising, fiscal prudence, and long term planning, told in Barnum’s own engaging and personable style.

Barnum’s business and personal advice is as applicable today as it was 150 years ago.

Here was a millionaire, a business leader, a celebrity, saying that he knew a formula for success potent at any
time and for anyone.

Five days before he died in 1891, P.T. Barnum wrote,

“I fully believe that if you faithfully follow my methods you cannot fail.”

A MUST read!!

Interested in making money on the Internet? Click this link and get a free PDF copy of P.T. Barnum’s speech.

New life and adventure are as close to you as your imagination. It’s pure magic.
Why? Because your imagination is the gatekeeper to your spirit of play.

Remember, way back to those magic words, “Let’s pretend?” They triggered play
instantly. Without effort, you transformed whatever was at hand into a new and
exciting experience. It carried you into a world where there was nothing you could
not do.

As ethnologist Sally Carrighar observed : “It [play] furnishes its own energy.” Play is
a renewing experience, not a draining one. What a welcome companion to carry into
the minutia of one’s “daily grind.”

In today’s society we are nearly overwhelmed by conditions that inhibit natural,
imaginative playfulness. We are governed by goals, objectives, deadlines and
quotas. Some are imposed on us and some we impose ourselves.

We are poorer because of it. It’s no wonder that so many people passionately look
forward to retirement. At one time I worked in a state governmental agency. What
was said then may still be true: Every state worker knew the exact date of his or her
retirement.

Why not turn the imagination loose in our work and other daily responsibilities,
making the exciting energy of play an actual part of ourselves?
Your playful imagination can do wonders for both your morale and your
effectiveness. Here are two examples from my own experience:

Early in World War II while I was waiting to be called into active military duty, I
worked on a farm. When I finished milking the cows I had to run the hand-operated
cream separator. If you’re old enough you will remember them.

After pouring the fresh milk into the large funnel on top of the separator, I was no
longer in the milk house. I transported myself to the deck of a U. S. Navy aircraft
carrier. When I grabbed the handle on the side of the separator and started my huff-
and-puff cranking, I was no longer rotating the disks inside the separator to get
them up to needed centrifugal force for separating the cream from the milk. I was
winding the engine of a navy fighter plane just as I saw them do in movies and
newsreels. I was readying the plane for take off to engage the enemy.

Twice a day - early morning and late evening - I turned the handle faster and faster
and faster right up to take off time: That is, that moment when the cream was
separated. Charles Schulz’s Snoopy had his Red Baron, and I had my enemy
somewhere over the Pacific Ocean.

Not only did my playful imagination turn the chore - and it was a chore - into an
adventure, but to the farmer’s delight, my dedication to naval duty paid off for him.
The butterfat count went up considerably, and he got more money for his cream.
Here’s the point. This was pure play on my part. However, if increasing the butterfat
count had been the objective of my activity, it would no longer have been play. Play
delights in the activity itself. The joy and satisfaction do not depend on some
preconceived result or goal.

The other example was in my work as a hospital chaplain. It came about as I began
taking a professional interest in the experiences of play. I had already identified
within myself one of the satisfying values that came from my childhood play -
adventure. So I asked myself, “How would that Kansas kid make an adventure out of
this work?”

Within seconds the answer came. He would imagine himself as an undercover agent
in a prison where the people (patients) were confined against their will. His job was
to secretly plot with them to find ways to escape. Of course, this had to be hush-
hush and shared with no one. In reality this was not difficult because nothing in this
imaginative setting inhibited me from doing the actual work I was to do.
To my delight I discovered that over time this new sense of place increased my
creativity both within the hospital and in the community.

So it can be for you. The examination of your childhood play will reveal specific
values that you gained or realized in your private play. With these identified, your
imagination can show how to pursue them in your here and now.

Doing this does not mean one’s whole time will be spent in a playful nature. There
were many times when the situations of my work were far from playful and were not
experienced as such. But from time to time I could mentally move into my playful
image and receive the energy and savor the detachment that play brings.

(c) Cy Eberhart 2006

As a hospital chaplain Cy Eberhart, (now retired) was a firsthand witness to the
entire spectrum of human emotions: personal successes and failures; the deepest
despairs and the great peaks of joy. Two questions remained foremost in his mind:
How was it that some could find inner strengths that brought courage and hope and
others could not? What was to be learned from these experiences that would have a
positive and creative effect for daily, routine living?

His lectures, writings, workshops, book In the Presence of Humor and his living-history
performances of America’s famed humorist
Will Rogers offers some of the
answers.

If you know anything about computers, you know there really is not intelligence driving these machines. The only output you can expect from a computer is only as good as the input.

Some software programs work efficiently and seems intuitive to our needs. While, other software programs are slow and clunky and can’t be trusted to provide the desired output.

Our subconscious mind is very much like a computer. The subconscious mind is the driving force behind our lives and manifests whatever we input. This is why children who are given positive feedback and reminded of their infinite abilities succeed in life while children who are abused and given negative feedback have a hard time getting through life. While we are children, it is up to our parents to feed our subconscious mind, but as adults, we must take full responsibility for what is input in the subconscious.

A well-programmed subconscious mind makes the difference between happiness and sadness, success and failure, realizing possibilities and despair.

It is easy to program your subconscious mind and I see it as these 10 simple steps.

1. Be the guardian of everything that enters your mind. Know that everything you see hear and feel goes directly into your subconscious mind and you must manage the information you allow in. Eliminate negative information as much as you can by limiting the amount of news you read, stop seeing violent movies, read only positive information. Keep the positive information flowing into your mind and your subconscious will naturally become more positive.

2. Speak kindly to yourself. When you look in the mirror do you like what you see? Do you compliment yourself on your most outstanding attributes? Stop all negative talk to yourself immediately. You are a perfect creation of God and you have beautiful traits that need recognizing. Remind yourself of your great eyes or your winning smilewhatever sets you apart from everyone else in a positive way. Your subconscious will thank you.

3. Surround yourself with positive people. Negative people can quickly lead to negative thoughts. Make sure your group of friends are those that love and admire you for the great person you are. Eliminate any time spent with anyone who brings you down. You can’t afford the hit to your subconscious mind simply to maintain a negative friendship.

4. Use affirmations to your advantage and the optimum times when your subconscious mind is listening. Immediately upon waking and immediately upon going to bed are the times when your conscious and subconscious mind are closest. It is at these times when you get the biggest bang out of your affirmations. Use positive affirmations at these times to super-program the subconscious. Some examples of positive affirmations are:

• I am one with the creative power that is materializing all my desires.
• Money is my friend. I have plenty of money.
• I freely express my creativity

5. Be grateful Oprah Winfrey has done a magnificent job of reminding us all how important it is to have gratitude in our lives. Having gratitude allow us to realize the blessings we already have and keeps us open to receive so much more. Make a list of everything you are grateful for and grow this list as time goes on. On any day when it seems that nothing is going your way refer back to this list and remind yourself of all the blessings you already have. Your subconscious mind needs to know what you are grateful for so it can manifest more of the same for you.

6. Manage your time. There are twenty-four hours in the day for everyone. The wealthy and the poor all have the same amount of timethe difference is in how they use their time. On the first day of each month plan, what you wish to accomplish. At the beginning of each week, make lists that support your plan along with all the necessary tasks that keep life going. Daily make lists of tasks you will accomplish that support all of the above. Keep your to-do list with you and check off all of your accomplished tasks. Your subconscious mind needs to see all the tiny accomplishments it takes for continued growthnot all those little checkmarks on your to-do list will go unnoticed.

7. Surround yourself with your favorite things. Begin today placing your favorite things in full view in your home. Whether these be family pictures, treasures from your travels or sport memorabilia, always keep these things visible. You should be completely comfortable at home and your subconscious mind will benefit your renewed feeling of comfort and the peace you will have at home when you have your favorite things around you.

8. Set aside time for you. Everyone needs time to reflect. Whether you pray, meditate, practice yoga, or just read positive information. Set aside an hour each day for yourself. Your subconscious mind needs to know just how important you are and nothing shows this importance than having time for yourself. Many believe there is not a free hour in the day for themselves. Whether you have to wake an hour early or go to bed an hour later having an hour of peace is an important way to clear your mind and open yourself to the possibilities your subconscious mind can offer.

9. Be the person you admire Make a list of the attributes you most admire in others and incorporate these into your own lifeone by one. Once you begin to admire yourself, your subconscious mind will have a higher opinion of you as well.

10. Maintain a lighthearted/happy spirit. Never allow the pressures of the day to bring you down. Make it a point to be light hearted and happy as much as humanly possible. Dwelling on the negatives of life badly affects your subconscious mind. Keeping a positive spirit will keep your subconscious mind well programmed and open to wonderful possibilities.

David Zack Holmes writes his features from a southern point of view. To read more articles see: http://www.davidzackholmes.com

Nowadays, the practice of obtaining a criminal background check of job applicants seems to be gaining ground. More so if the job requires you to interact with external sources a lot, e.g. jobs involving dealing with children or the ones in health care industry.Of course you, the job applicant, need not worry if you have done nothing wrong. It goes without saying that some one with a past record might stop him from getting certain jobs. Though it will be harsh on the applicant, interests of others are well protected by such action. Similarly, some one who has never been convicted of a crime has nothing to worry about.

However at some places you may have to pay for your own criminal background check, whereas elsewhere employer will pay for you. In either case, applicant will not be confirmed until the criminal background check returns a clean record. Certain types of background records like conviction as a child molester will obviously not get job in a school.

If you have a record which is likely to show up on your criminal background check record, but you are confident that it will not come in the way of your getting the job, then you should make a disclosure about that. Usually many application forms have a question which asks if you have ever been convicted of a crime. If you do not mention about it, and it shows up on your criminal background check, then you can forget about getting that job. However, if you have been honest enough and make a mention then it will help you.

It all depends on the circumstances. If you are honest about your past, you have a chance at being hired. Always be honest about your criminal background check and you will find a job. It might take you a little longer, but there is something out there for you if you just keep trying. There are places that will give you a second chance if you seem to be worth that chance. If all those who have a done something that shows or is sure to show up on their background check record, then unemployment levels will reach staggering proportions.

Learn more here –

clearing your criminal record

background check criminal record software

Some men may not know or do not have the slightest idea if
a woman is ready to be kissed. These men may be sitting
beside their dates talking too much they suddenly realize
how the lips of their dates are so kissable.

Their imagination will then take control, but this would
also mean disaster if done wrong. This may often leave
these men without a second chance for another date with the
woman.

If a guy finds himself talking to a girl and wondering if
she’s ready to be kissed, he may softly touch her hair and
give a compliment about it.

If the girl shows a favorable reaction, this may be a sign
of getting closer to a kiss. Get closer and try reaching
for her hair again.

Touch the hair tips and simply gaze on her lips and eyes.
The fact that she does not mind about you getting closer to
her is a sign that she is comfortable. This is a sign for a
guy to go and kiss the girl.

Some guys try to go out on an adventurous date in order to
make the kissing move more suave and natural. One
particular example is a guy who usually takes a girl to a
small boat ride on a river.

Upon sailing along the river, he happens to direct the boat
to a place covered with trees and fireflies - truly a
romantic place to kiss.

A guy can also take her date to some ancient ruins in a
local spot and manage to spend time walking until dark.
These ruins usually light up at night.

The guy can take his date to the top of the ruins where
they can see the city all beautifully lit up. This is when
the guy should make a move and kiss his date.

Find more tips at LayAid.com

[Keywords: sex, relationships, love, man, woman ]

Most people have, at one point in their lives, experienced back pain – and unfortunately, some have continually suffered since then.

Having back problems, especially if the pain is recurring, would affect one, in that it would limit the range of activities that one may be able to do. One will have to be more careful in anything that would involve his or her back – whether in carrying out normal household chores, in exercising and in lifting weights especially those involving the back muscles, or in any activities in the course of one’s job that involves lifting of heavy materials.

Acute: If the pain you experience in your back lasts only in short period of time – from a few days to a couple of weeks – then yours may be what is called an acute type of back pain. Acute back pain is usually caused by a trauma to the back, such as injuries to the bony elements and soft tissues of your back. This type is one that has been known to be a very sharp pain, usually felt deep in the lower back, and on a specific portion – like the left side, right side, center, etc.

Chronic: If it is one that lasts for a longer period as a couple of months or a paint that recurs – then it may be a chronic type of back pain. Chronic back pain may have resulted from arthritis, nerve damage or perhaps from a previous injury. Patients for this type of back pain will usually experience numbness and a burning sensation from the back down to one’s legs. Also, the legs will feel what is usually called a pins-and-needles type of pain.

Neuropathic: Previously placed under the chronic category, but due to different feel of the pain, which has been described by patients as severe, stabbing, lightning-like, etc – have paved the way for this third type of back pain. In this specific case, the signs of the original injury are no longer seen, but certain nerves continue to tell the brain that there is still pain. The pain may be felt along the nerve path from the spine to the arms or legs.

Causes of back pain continued..

[Keywords: back pain, causes of back pain, type of back pain, chronic back pain, acute back pain, neuropathic pain ]

Channeling is much easier to do than most people suspect. As a matter of fact we have all seen people channeling and you have probably done it yourself many times, even though you may have been unaware of it or didn’t know what to call it. It’s actually a very natural state to be in.

Have you ever watched a musician perform who seems to be in an exalted, blissful, out-of-body state while performing music that is just sensational? It may seem as though time is temporarily suspended while amazing music pours effortlessly through the performer. They may appear to be in a trance, and may not even recall any details of what was going on around them during the performance if asked about it afterwards. If you have, then you have witnessed channeling.

Some of the great people that come to my mind are Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, almost any of the great blues performers, and many more. I’m sure that you can think of several right now that you have seen.

They just seem to get into a slightly trance-like state, kind of get out of their own way, and let the music flow through them. That, my friends, is channeling.

Throughout the ages artists, musicians, writers and performers of all types have shown us great examples of channeling. They often referred to it as being inspired.

Some writers will tell you that they have a muse, which is a being that helps them to become inspired. To be inspired means to be filled with spirit.

Other types of channeling are, for instance, channeling healing energy, as in the case of an energy healer who channels healing energy into the energy body (or aura) of an individual in order to restore balance to either their physical or emotional well-being.

Also, certain sensitive people are able to channel helpful information and messages from Angels, Spirit Guides, Master Teachers, loved ones who have passed on, etc. The information they bring through is often comforting and uplifting.

When attempting to channel any type of healing energy or message it is advisable to work in a sacred space, beginning with saying prayers of protection first, and asking that only the highest and purest form of energy be allowed to channel through.

I’m sure that many performers also have some sort of pre-performance ritual that they do as well, be it prayer, quieting the mind, meditation, deep breathing, etc. This type of practice facilitates your connection with spirit, or the source of your inspiration.

So, in reality, channeling is not something weird or out-of-the-ordinary only reserved for the spiritual medium who presides over a séance on Halloween night while trying to make contact with the spirit of Harry Houdini.

Channeling is a natural state of being. It produces feelings of well-being and exaltation, for both the person who is acting as the channel or the conduit for this energy, and for the audience or receiver as well.

The greatest works of art and music the world has ever known have been delivered to us here on earth to enjoy by those who were truly inspired to open themselves to greatness.

What gift do you have waiting inside to share with the world? Take a chance. Open yourself up to the greatness within you. By sharing that part of spirit that resides within you, the world will surely become a better and brighter place for us all.

Copyright © 2005 Sherry Sims

Sherry Sims has spent the last 20 years assisting people as a professional psychic, intuitive counselor, energy healer and teacher. Helping people to resolve personal and relationship issues has been at the core of her work. She gently assists her clients to accept their true power which allows them to begin taking control of their lives through healing, awareness, and self-love.

To learn more about creating happiness and fulfillment in your life you will want to sign up for her free newsletter: SIMPLE MAGIC - Creating the Life You Want.

For more articles by Sherry Sims please visit http://Mystic-Hearts.com

Do you know how truly blessed you really are? I can hear you’re “yeah, buts” when you think about your answer to this question.

Yeah but, I don’t have any friends, yeah but, I am up to my ears in debt, yeah but, my mother is dying of cancer, yeah but, I’m so overweight, yeah but, my son is a drug addict, yeah but, yeah but, yeah but.

Do you know how truly blessed you are in spite of the yeah buts? There is not one person in this whole wide world who is immune to difficulty and challenges. It is a part of our human existence. It is incredibly easy to get caught up in what is wrong in our life instead of being in gratitude for all the blessings we have been given.

I am just as guilty of this. I am very impatient with life. I want what I want when I want it. The problem with this is I have trouble appreciating where I am and what I do have. I am too often thinking life is ok, but just wait until the time comes when I have this or that. Then my life will be great.

Guess what I realized? That “someday when” may never come. What a waste it would be to get to the end of my life and to never have fully seen the gifts, the blessings, the beauty and the love without this veil of “it’s not quite good enough yet” covering it all up.

Of course there are moments when I can be present and feel grateful, but they are too few and far between. Today I was reminded by a dear friend that life is in the here and now and when life throws us lemons, we need to make lemonade!

This friend is also a compassionate wife whose husband has been challenged by an illness that has recently forced him into a wheelchair. They had just returned from their first trip with the wheelchair. In her words, “It was so difficult to travel; the world is not very accessible. As time passes, we remember the wonderful things about the trip and less about the struggles. Traveling, like so many other things over the past two years, is changing for us. At home, he seems so able and life feels so full. In a different environment, it is clear just how much he’s lost. This opened up the wounds for us again, and we needed some time to grieve. Now we know that we need to travel smarter, and there are trips that aren’t possible for us anymore. Life is full of losses, but also of gifts. We haven’t lost sight of how many gifts we’ve been given. I’m grateful for everyday together.”

It’s easy to forget we are not alone, we are all one. We are all faced with challenges at one time or another in our lives, but we are all on the same journey through life. We all basically have the same lessons. They are lessons of love, joy, forgiveness, and healing for our selves and others. At times, my challenges seem insignificant in comparison to others, and at other times they don’t, which is exactly why we need others. Other people serve as a mirror to our selves and our own life and help us learn. When we are unhappy because life doesn’t seem fair for one reason or another, by being in relation to others we get to be reminded that things aren’t so bad and also how great life can be.

After hearing from my friend, I am jolted back into present time and into appreciation and gratitude. I have my family, my health, my career. There is money coming in, food on the table, and wonderful friends to share stories and laughter with. I have people who love me and I them. I have choices and freedom and a connection with an infinite source of love-a higher power. And, I am fortunate enough to be able to have dreams of where I want to be in my life and the insight to keep it all in perspective.

There will always be someone in the world who is in more pain or less fortunate than we are. Send them blessings. There will always be others who seem to have it all and there are always going to be others who think you have it all. Send them blessings too and then remember, no matter what, we all have blessings and gifts in our life to be grateful for, we just have to sometimes be gently reminded.

Debra Betterly, Ph.D. is a Life Coach whose specialty is midlife mastery. This article is derived from her eNewsletter, “Second Acts”, a spirit-mind-body approach for women re-inventing the second half of life. Please visit http://www.amazingjourneycoach.com where you can receive her free eCourse, “Eight Steps to Creating Positive Life Changes in Midlife” http://www.amazingjourneycoach.com/eightsteps.html, subscribe to her free monthly eNewsletter, learn more about her “Midlife Mastery Club” membership along with other transformational programs.

Creativity is a quality that we all have buried inside of us, one way or the other. It involves the invention of something new or the re-invention of something already existing to make it useful of interesting.

Some people’s creative abilities are closer to the surface and one can easily see the manifestations of them. People say that their creativity is “inborn”. For others, expressing creativity takes more time and cultivation. The important thing to note is that we can all be creative. You just have to take steps to extract it from within you. Try the following:

1. Change your perspective.

You might have heard the phrase ‘Think outside the box’. You should try looking at the situation from a different point of view. Change your perspective. Consider all factors that are affected by your problem or your concern. Try to breakdown the problem into several elements then shuffle them. Think of what would happen if an idea is replaced. This aspect is important in enhancing creativity because it helps you remove possible fixations that may hinder creativity.

2. Mentally move away from your current location.

Imagine how another person would react if subjected in the same situation. Picture how different situations would continue when dealing with the same problem. Application in different settings can be also be done; and then from there, adapt a solution to the current setting.

3. Let your imagination run wild.

Exercise your imagination. Modification can trigger creativity because you see things in a different light. You can also try to exaggerate or think of the extremes, be it magnification or minimization of something. Thinking of the possible differences between these two situations could produce ideas. This is the ultimate brain exercise.

4. Your comfort spot.

The environment has to be right. You should have somewhere you can focus without being unnecessarily disturbed so you can give a problem your full attention. This should extend to the people you are with. You tend to do better at something when you are with like-minded people. To put it simply, hang out with creative people to help enhance your creative abilities.

Most of the time, people tend to be more creative when they are with people who are doing the same thing. It was also found that if you wish to be more creative, you should try hanging out with creative people.

5. Time, time, time.

You can’t rush creativity. Hurrying does not help in the outflow of ideas. Your mind tends to go into a state of slight disarray when you are trying to force things. Studies show that results produced in this state are generally lacking. If you are low on time, then keep a list of activities like this one close to you. Go over each of the activities and exercise each one. Give it time.

6. Get help…communicate your ideas to others.

A different view of the problem could help. Better yet, many different views! Never be shy to ask. Diversity is very helpful in relation with creativity. Organize a brainstorming session. The spontaneous generation of new ideas helps in formulation of more ideas. The products of brainstorming can be the raw material in the construction of the idea.

Remember that in brainstorming, 4 rules are followed for it to be successful:
- There should be no criticisms. Criticism hinders the free flow of ideas. This can be postponed until the session has ended.
- Combining and/or modifying ideas are encouraged.
- Quantity is preferred over quality in brainstorming.
- Weird or strange ideas are encouraged.

These are just some ideas to get your creative juices going. They can be adapted to suit each individual. A large amount of it is down to you. How inventive can you be? How open are you? Remove the boundaries from your mind and you will find your creativity will increase.

Donald Ogilve owns a Self-Improvement website, www.masteryourfate.com. Click here to unleash your creativity now.

Some days you have no get-up-and-go. You feel an overall “blah”
feeling. That’s natural — every day can’t be our “best day.”
That’s just the way it is. Some people feel lethargic and blah
all of the time. They erroneously think that it’s a part of
their inner being, and they simply embrace it. They let life
continue along with just one blah day after another. Some folks
embrace it so much that they sit on the couch staring at the TV
all day. But, it simply doesn’t have to be that way. If you just
don’t have the motivation you need for today, use the “Energy
Breeds Energy” method to get yourself up and going. Here’s how:

Just get started. Yes, it’s that simple. Start doing what you
usually do — take your bath, get your clothes on, feed the
kids, and go to work (that’s housework and/or “workplace” work).
Just start doing what it is that you usually do. Go at it
mechanically if you have to. After awhile, the energy you
produce from “just doing it” will create even more energy. Soon,
you’ll be feeling pepped up, and before you know it, you’ll have
a day of proud accomplishments behind you. I wouldn’t be
surprised if you find that you accomplished even more than usual!

Try it. You might banish those “blah” days forever. Plus,
you’ll have reinforced your knowledge of how powerful
self-control really is!