Maria Duval - Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?
What do YOU really want in life? Or, what do YOU want out of life? The one's that don't understand the difference are what some would refer to as losers in the 'game of life'. Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

Most people don’t discover what they truly want in and out of life until it’s time to for them to die! Most would agree and say; that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

Most people spend the very best years of their lives watching television or doing things they dislike all together. An author described humanity by saying, “Most people die at twenty and are buried at eighty.” If you are one of these living zombies, most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

What do YOU really want in life? What is it that YOU will look back over and have pride in? The one's that don't understand the difference are what some would refer to as losers in the 'game of life'. Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

Some people struggle in answering such a question. When asked what they want or what their goals in life are, many are unsure and confused. They dillydally in their indecision, hardly giving any thought about what they want in life. People without definite goals are letting time pass them by and are letting their true happiness be put on hold! Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

If you are undecided about what you want out of life, do not worry; do not lose your composure. There are many ways of discovering your true purpose in life.

To discover what YOU want in life, try looking deep into your heart. Oftentimes, people are ruled by logic. People live by what they think they SHOULD be or by what OTHERS would like for them to be. This discovery process is the perfect time to listen to your own heart. What your heart desires comes from the whispers of your 'authentic' or 'Real self'. Your authentic self is the ‘real you’. The you, you may not be yet, but do not despair, you will get there if you listen to your heart and do not lose hope. If you would only understand, that God has a purpose for you to fulfill. Only YOU can do the job, are you then ready or do you need more time for indecision? The thing you enjoy the most is probably 'IT'. When time stands still and nothing else even matters, that’s how it will feel once you have found 'IT'. The one's that never experience that feeling of accomplishment are what some refer to as losers in the 'game of life'. Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

Listen to your heart to be able to hear your authentic self. What your heart says usually feels right. What your heart desires is what you usually love to do and this represents your passion. Anything done with passion is like child's play, where the task is accomplished without hesitation or effort. You pour out your very best and feel no pressure or resistance. No dead-lines or time tables! There are those who would remind you that only loser's in the game of life are rushed and running out of time! Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

You will totally enjoy doing things that are your passion. Setbacks, difficulties, and obstacles will make it more challenging for you, but should not deter you from pursuing your goals. God only allows these things to entertain you and to re-enforce what is true. Naturally, there may be barriers that may prevent you from reaching your goal, but your heart’s desire will find ways to overcome these barriers so that you may ultimately get everything you want in life and be able to laugh at the dopey obstacles you overcame.

Remember this: God supports people who are pursuing their passion and those who are pursuing their destiny. He is patient and ever watchful. He believes you will get there when the time is right. If only you had as much faith in yourself, the time would go by more quickly until the real passion in your life would boil up and introduce itself! However, if you never meet, some would say it's the way things go for losers in the 'game of life'. Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

However, this does not mean that you don’t use your head. People are born with both the mind and heart. Your duty is to live your best life and be in harmony with your mind and heart. The poet Rumi wisely said, “Live completely in the head and you cannot feel the breath and rhythm of life. Live completely in the heart and you may find yourself acting like a love-struck fool with poor judgment and discipline. It’s all a matter of fine balance - the head and heart must forge a lifetime partnership if one wants to live a beautiful life”. A life full of passion and joy is what God wants you to have! To not obtain it would be the fate of the ones who lost at the 'game of life'. Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

Listen to your instinct-It was God who put it into you for a reason. Part of human nature is the mysterious and spontaneous reaction to and about things. Often times, these are called instincts. Your ‘real self’ drives your self communication and guides you via your instincts. Instincts are those gentle nudges that urge you to act and follow a certain path. Your role then, is to listen attentively. God, and all he wants for you, is waiting just around the corner-you may be able to reach it now, if only you would try again! It is liken to the childhood game of hide-and-go-seek! If only you weren't so frazzled you would see the humor in this all! God does and he is smiling, just around the corner. There is a reason 'they' refer to all this as the 'game of life'! The one's that give up are what some would call losers in the 'game of life'! Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

Often times, we listen to what others say and allow them to run our lives. Parents often do this to their children. “We come from a family of doctors, so my son must also be a doctor.” How often do we hear this from parents who have good intentions for their children? Parents unconsciously block the true expression of their child’s real self and calling. Friends and critics will discourage you and point out the multitude of impossibilities of your dream ever coming true. Before heeding their advice, evaluate the accomplishments of the critics. Did they achieve their dreams? Do they dream big at all? When the prize is within reach, the cost becomes much less important. This will then be my mantra! God has a plan and I’m in it! Everything I do with ease, everything I enjoy, and what is at the very depths of me, is what I am to do and what God is waiting for me to understand. The one's who say 'the cost is still too high’, haven't been close enough to the prize and are destined to end up losers in the 'game of life'. Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

Remember, it is your destiny that is in line, not your friends. It doesn’t mean, though, that you will not listen to what other people say. Hear them out just the same. Why? Because it is all part of the game silly! But the final decision should be and will be, yours. Those that allow others to permanently side track them are what some would call the loser's in the game of life. Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

There is only one thing to remember: Every person, to live truly and greatly, must define how he wants to live and what his brightest aspects of life will look like. Listen to your instincts and follow your heart’s desire. You will never go wrong. God is waiting for you just around the next corner. Don’t despair while you are this close to the prize! The cost is never ‘too much’ when you are trying to attain ALL that God has waiting for you! You are a part of ‘the’ big picture and therefore you are valuable not only to you and your loved ones, but also to God and His big picture! Reach just a bit further and it is there waiting for you to grasp and control it, it is the real you, standing there just around the corner with God, and grinning ear to ear! The one's that don't put in the extra effort are the ones that lose out of all God's grace and rewards and end up as loser's in the 'game of life'. Most would agree and say; “that’s a shame”, wouldn't you?

Theresa Twogood is Executive Director of OLIN e-Publishing Company- http://olin.tk -Denver Colorado-USA.

What Is Your Purpose?
Are you living a purposeful life? One of the main factors involved in people who are feeling depressed and unhappy is the simple fact that they feel their lives lack meaning and direction. Fortunately, it is simple to give your life meaning and direction. All you need to do is find a purpose for your life.

Even if you aren't depressed and unhappy, defining your purpose can help you. Knowing who you are and what you want out of life can help you achieve more and be more. It can also help you make better decisions each day.

Finding your purpose may take some time and thought because what you are doing is very important and very meaningful. You are going to create your personal mission statement. Nothing is more important than that mission statement because ultimately it will define what you do and who you are. Try to set aside several hours to focus your energy on this task. If you don't have a large block of time then you can set aside smaller time periods and work through these five steps one at a time.

Step One: Look Back

Think about your past especially the high points and successes. Make a list of all your successes and all the points of pride and accomplishment. Spend time simply thinking about your childhood, school years, and other phases of your life so you can make a list that is as complete as possible. Do you spot any trends among these accomplishments and successes?

Step Two: Look Inside

Make a list of positive words or attributes that people use to describe you such as hard working, creative, passionate, or determined. Then make a list of words or attributes you use to describe yourself. What are your gifts and talents? Make sure to list the ones that you don't currently use as well as those you currently develop and utilize. After reviewing and comparing these lists make a list of five or six core values that are your top priorities.

Step Three: Look At Your Dreams

Now take the time to dream a little. If time and money were no object how could you contribute to the world, your family, your career field, your friends, and your community? What are your passions? What moves you, excites you, or angers you?

Step Four: Look Ahead

Review your notes from Steps One, Two and Three and identify your top goals and priorities. Make a list of these and then number them in order of importance.

Step Five: Look For Your Mission

Your mission statement can have three levels. The top level should be a simple one-sentence action statement that becomes your personal mission or vision. Simply complete this sentence: My mission is to ...

For example, "My personal mission or vision is to nurture, educate, and stimulate enlightenment for human development".

The second level can be your professional mission statement. Some people may decide that they don't need a separate professional mission statement. I don't because as a teacher and writer I feel my professional mission is the same as my personal mission as a mother, wife, friend, and community activist.

The third level is actually a longer and more detailed description of your mission or vision.

For example, "I chose the action verbs nurture, educate, and stimulate because I believe
at heart that I am a nurturer. That is why I write, that is why I garden, that is why I teach, and that is why my family is so important to me. I love taking the germ of an idea, a tiny seed or an eager mind and helping them grow and reach for new possibilities. I think it is no great stretch for a nurturer to also be an educator. I am a lifelong student. Whenever I learn something new about the world or the people, animals or plants that inhabit it I cannot wait to share the knowledge either through my writing or a classroom and hope that knowledge will help others learn and grow as well. Last, but perhaps most important, growth does not have to be a passive, boring experience. It can be active and fun. I believe true growth and learning only occur when the experience is stimulating. I chose enlightenment because I cannot imagine a greater gift to the world or to the individual than to be enlightened. I know every article and story I've written in my lifetime did not enlighten, but in recent years I have been working to reach that goal. It does not have to be a grand enlightenment, for often small shafts of light can have a profound influence on another and that is what I hope to provide. And, finally, human development, because I cannot imagine a more impact-filled area than human development. I am a strong believer in the fact that we should spend our lives in continuous development and we should each do our part to help others develop, too. If we do not continue to develop and grow as an individual, and as a society, and as a world, then we cannot hope to survive let alone thrive".

Creating my own personal mission statement did change my life. It helped me to change careers, start my own business, and make important decisions about my professional life and personal life. Having a mission statement and giving myself a vision for my future has helped me give my life focus and purpose which has greatly added to my personal happiness. Why don't you give it a try?

Inspirational writer Deanna Mascle publishes two inspirational ezines, Daily Quote and Words Of Inspiration. Find more inspiration at http://daily-quote.net

AUTHOR REVEALS MISSING ELEMENT IN AGE OLD MYSTERIOUS PROCESS
Be assured that Law of Attraction is working for you. It is just that it may not be working the way you want it to work. That is to say, it is bringing into your life, those circumstances which reflect your overall vibration or you could say, it is reading the "sum total" of your thoughts and delivering to you accordingly. Most people are not aware that the manifestation of your pereonal circustances is an AUTOMATIC AND INVOLUNTARY process just like breathing or blinking your eyes. You can "take control" of an automatic and involuntary process. For instance you can do deep breathing or hold your breath and you can blink your eyes fast, slow or not at all when you concentrate on these involuntary processes. Now realize you can take control of the manifestation process also but even if you do, you must control the sum total of your thoughts with its resultant "vibration". When your vibration is on a high level and a natural positive level (which is your natural state) then you will attract only great and abundant circumstances. However, if you are not controlling your thoughts then your uncontrolled thoughts are controlling and creating your circumstances. Fate, luck, Destiny or God are NOT creating your circumstances in life, but if you believe that they are then you will still manifest your own circumstances while simultaneously manifesting the "ILLUSION" that your circumstances are being created by outside forces. Nevertheless, your circumstances will be created by you on a subconscious or "unconscious" level. At this point you might not realize that all your circumstances are created for you, BY YOU and unbeknown to you while you never come to understan that you truly do...create your own reality. Once you come to that understanding and awareness, you can then start to "control" all that which you manifest. A new book by Seth Manne entitled "MANIFESTING THE ULTIMATE: PERFECT HEALTH, MASSIVE WEALTH, TRUE LOVE AND INFINITE HAPPINESS" has recently been published and quotes from the book and ordering information can be found at http://www.consciousessence.com. You will be able to read two free chapters and all chapters summaries at http://www.millionaireinternet.com. There, you will get some great insights into the manifestation process. The author states that this book presents a missing element to the manifestation process that is not available in 99% of the books and presentations in the marketplace. It is your choice as to which of the three types of people you want to be...1.People who make things happen...2.People who watch things happen or 3.people who say "what happened". You CAN learn to make it happen, you know. You just need the correct method and the missing element.

Author Seth Manne is one of the foremost experts on the "SETH MATERIAL" in the world today. The Seth Material was written by best selling author, psychic and channel Jane Roberts who died in the late 70's. Jane's books were dictated to her by Seth who described himself as a conscious energy mass not focused in a physical body. Jane has come to be known as the mother of literary channeling.

If You Only Knew the Power that’s At Work Inside of You!
Do you realize that as a born again Christian you have an awesome power inside of you? Yes, you do! Everything may be turned against you right at the moment and you’re feeling about as low as can be but, if you knew how to tap into that power, you would be gliding right over the obstacles.

The power resides inside you, whether you realize it or not. But… you have to tap into it. When Jesus Christ came down to earth, He revealed Himself as a man. You can relate to Him as a human being, not just as some nebulous unseen energy force. The word “Christ” means anointing. Jesus, the Christ, brought God’s anointing down to earth. That anointing is the Spirit of God:

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me: because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn.” (Isa. 61: 1-2)

The Holy Spirit was His life line to God. It was the power of His Resurrection! His earthly, flesh and blood body �" now glorified �" is in heaven. You are part of the Body of Christ if you have accepted Him as your personal Lord and Savior! The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead now lives in you! (Rom. 8: 11) That was the whole reason He came down �" to reconnect your spirit to the Spirit of God. This is almost too awesome to fathom!

Do you believe that, according to the riches of God’s glory, you are strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man? (Eph. 3: 16) Furthermore, you can do all things through Christ, who strengthens you. (Phil. 4: 13)

That sounds simple and easy. However, there are some elements that you have to do in order to be on the receiving end of that power. The above-mentioned verse (Eph. 3: 16) is a prayer. The apostle Paul is praying for his followers to be strengthened with might by the Holy Spirit in the inner man. So what does it mean, then? Do you have the power on the inside or don’t you?

From the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit resides in you. If He were to operate at your whim in His absolute power, I believe you’d be obliterated. No earthen vessel would be able to contain it!
Without faith it is impossible to please God. God will not be mocked. He will never impose Himself on anyone or anything. Faith is what activates His power in your life. Firstly, you need to believe that He is God, that He is alive, and that He answers all your needs.

Secondly, you must have the desire to get to know Him intimately. (Heb. 11: 6) God is a god of relationships. The more you get to know Him by spending time with Him on a daily basis, the more His power will become manifest in your life and your faith will grow accordingly.

Thirdly, you must ask Him. He already knows what you’re in need of. But, as in any relationship, He wants you to come to Him. It’s a two-way street. His power is there to equip you to fulfill His purpose.

The awesome power of God is at work in you. But it’s proportional to your faith and love for Him because in everything God must have the glory:
“We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” (2 Cor. 4: 7)

I pray with Paul that you come “to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Eph. 3: 19)

“Now unto Him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Unto Him be[the] glory” (Eph. 3: 20)

Ann Stewart, author of With Wings As Eagles, has been there and done that! Come see how she learned how to attract God's favor and receive her miracle:http://lifealteringwords.com/with-wings-as-eagles. There is no greater gift than HOPE! Subscribe here to her inspirational newsletter: http://lifealteringwords.com

You Are Empowered By God
by Karon Thackston ? 2006, All Rights Reserved Did you know God has provided ways in His word to empower His children? Did you know there are specific things you can do to contribute to answered prayer, good health, a peaceful life and more? It's true! Once we are saved, we don't just float through our days hoping to catch God in a good mood when He is willing to answer prayer or provide for our needs. His word gives us many things we can do continually to set His hand in motion. Covenant Promises Open your Bible to some of the verses where God states the promises He is willing to bestow on His children. For instance, Deuteronomy 28 is filled with blessings. What do you notice about how this chapter begins? "Now it shall come to pass, IF you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God?" Then, at the end of the blessings section of this chapter (verse 13) what do we see again? "And the Lord shall make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only and not be beneath, IF you heed the commandments of the Lord your God?" If we do what God instructs us to do then He will give us all He has promised to give. This if/then type of promise is called a covenant promise. It operates the same as when an attorney draws up a contract between two people. One party agrees to do a particular thing and - after it is done - a second party agrees to do something else. God empowers us to have control of certain circumstances by offering us these covenant promises or blessings. You Go First God usually wants us to take the action He has laid out in His word before we are rewarded. He empowers us to do what we should then rewards us once we have done it. Luke chapter six holds other good examples of ways God has empowered us. In verse 37, Jesus instructs, "Judge not and you shall not be judged. Condemn not and you shall not be condemned." Verse 38 continues in the same way by saying, "Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over; men shall give unto your bosom. For with the same measure you use, it shall be measured back to you." Again, we go first. If we give, we shall receive. Whatever measure we use to give to God, that's the same measure He will use to give to us. We have the control. We make the first move. I Peter 3:7 shows yet another good example. "Husbands, likewise, dwell with [your wives] with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered." When husbands treat their wives as God says they should, they give more power to their prayers. The husband's prayers are not hindered because of his actions. If he treats his wife in an ungodly manner, his prayer will be hindered. In this example, the husband has the power. As you read through your Bible this week, make note of the times God empowers us. You may want to make a list or mark the verses in your Bible as you find them so you can remember when to act and what to do to release God's best in your life. Many times our actions are all that stand in the way of answered prayers. Is God waiting on you?

Tired of prayers that seem to go unanswered? There is a defined process in God's word that brings about powerful results. Karon's book, The Faith Process (http://www.marketingwords.com/faith.html), shows you 10-steps that will empower you to receive everything that's rightfully yours as a child of the Almighty God.

My comments on an article by Mildred Mann
COMMENTS ON “‘HOW TO FIND YOUR REAL SELF’ By MILDRED MANN” I am interested in improving myself and, if I can, showing others how to do that also. I came across the above mentioned article and thought that it sounded interesting. It was. One of the first things that she mentions is her own search for meaning. Although she states she was an atheist, and her idea that the human body was worth only $2.94 before inflation, I think she was searching. That is my own opinion�"no one elses. I really think it takes an incredible amount of faith to be an atheist. Anyway, back to the original. She said she ‘was dragged’ to a lecture where she heard “You are a special enterprise on the part of God” and she knew in her spirit and soul that that statement was correct. That began a search for the truth. As can be expected, she found that she really and truly is ‘a special enterprise on the part of God.’ God created us in His image and after His likeness and supplied us with everything we need to stand on our own feet. He even gave us ‘free will’ which the vast majority of us misuse horribly. The results of our misuse of our free will is evident all around us. We accept what others say and do and then blame them when our life doesn’t work. We act like we are not respond-sible for what has happened to us. Or some of us just say “It is God’s will” when we are the ones who did what we wanted, when we wanted, how we wanted and to whom we wanted. She reinterates that both ideas are wrong. God gave each of us a Self-consciousness. Most of us don’t use it the way He intended. We are. It isn’t what we do�"we just are. We are supposed to live as a child of God �" not a child of fear. We are given the power to create a life of abundance and most of us do not do that. The thing that really impressed me about this article was that she was able to define to the detail what we need to do to live an abundant, healthy life. She discussed in detail the parts of the mind-conscious, subconscious, and super-conscious. She describes how each functions and how to become an integrated human being. I think the one thing that I really liked about her article was how much she stressed that our resentments have such a major control over our life. She talked about how to get to the bottom of them and get rid of them. Once we have eliminated the resentments, we can teach ourselves to think properly which is NOT with negative garbage. We need to learn to live in a state of NOW because, in actuality, now is all we have. She talks about relaxation and meditation and where to find the good stuff to meditate on. She reaffirms to me that most of us really do attract what we don’t want because we focus on what we don’t want and what we focus on becomes reality. It cannot be otherwise. If I want garbage I focus on garbage. If I don’t want it I don’t focus on it. If I focus on how much I owe others it gets bigger and bigger. If I focus on what I can give to others, that gets bigger and bigger. Her last paragraph is powerful I think: “Always remember one thing. You need no intermediary between you and your God. Your God knows you, but you have not as yet known your God. Go find Him, and you will then discover that you really are ‘a special enterprise on the part of God.’”

Rose Brophy is a retired addictions counselor living in Pa. with her cat. She has five children, two are in-laws, and three grandchildren.

Understanding Personal Growth
I want everyone to be free of constraints and conditioning, whether cultural, environmental or societal. When this happens, people will live with joy, love, gratitude, and abundance. When people engage fully in a Personal Growth journey they experience a new sense of freedom and purpose that they never had before. Personal Growth is, at its core, about nurturing the growth of an individual. We are holistic beings with a mind, body, and spirit. We live in a world where we are increasingly challenged to draw upon our full potential. Personal Growth helps us to rise to the occasion�"to become all that we may be and adapt to the lightning-speed changes in society. Personal Growth and Spiritual growth are very intertwined. As Teilhard de Chardin said, We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. Is it an innate force that propels us forward to engage in life and everything around us? Some say the force is God, the Universe, the Divine Spirit, or something else. For me, it is the Spiritual that both moves and defines us. Personal Growth is the connection to that innate power, which allows an individual to grow and live life to the fullest. Many people are not aware or do not understand what Personal Growth is. I believe one of the core reasons is because it is called by so many names. Personal Growth may also be known by: self help, personal development, self-improvement, new age, and many others. In my opinion, once we choose a name for the concept of the growth of an individual, even more people will understand what’s possible for them and the world. I feel that Personal Growth is the best name. Personal Growth is a solo journey and one you don’t have to embark on alone. Even though you take the journey yourself, others are working on their journey as well. When we support each other everyone grows exponentially. For me, Personal Growth is a way of life �" a way of being, thinking, feeling, and acting. It begs the questions: What do you think about during the day? How do you feel most of the time? How proactive are you in life? To what level are you playing in life? Who are you? We are creatures of habit. Have you been thinking, feeling, or acting in a certain fashion for too long and want to break with old patterns? By fully embracing Personal Growth and taking action to change, you can transform your life and start thinking, feeling, and acting in brand new ways.

Manny Goldman is the founder and the visionary force behind PersonalGrowth.com. His vision is to create a community through PersonalGrowth.com that will transform the lives of billions of people. A community where it is normal for each person to share in each others’ successes, provide valuable support, encouragement and accountability. He envisions a world where Personal Growth is common practice and each person living their dreams to their full potential. http://www.personalgrowth.com