daily blog

Shopping can be a nightmare especially for those who can’t be seen buying anything sexier than a tube sock. Buying swim wear in public, for one, might just be the worst. You’ve got the nosy bystanders waiting to see what you’d pick out from the rack next, the seemingly judgmental store attendants raising their eyebrows every time you ask for a suit in your size, and the mean stores who decided that a common viewing area or central mirror is better than individual mirrors in each dressing room. It’s not only psychologically excruciating but it can also be considered suicide!

Before you get a *serious heart attack* from embarking on your swimsuit quest, you have to look at yourself in the mirror and identify what your assets and “areas of improvement” are. Don’t worry, nobody is around to judge you. And everything that you could think of is only between you and the mirror. I suggest picking out a clean mirror in a room with sufficient lighting so you can’t miss a single flaw, like a minute dimple or stubborn mass of flab. You are your worst critic, however, you should love your body with all its imperfections because if you don’t, who else will?

If you’re faced with a little unwanted tummy or belly bump, stay away from complicated suits and stick to the basics. There’s a perfectly good reason that God hasn’t phased out the one-piece. If you don’t even want to think about details too much, a classic black number would do because black is known to conceal a few extra pounds. But there are quite a number of one-piece suits out in the market today which have elegant and snappy bust bands that capture the eye and create the illusion of a slimmer midsection. Printed suits could also be used to your advantage. Narrow horizontal stripes, for example, add shape at the waist while vertical lines pull the torso in opposite directions causing the body to look longer. Two contrasting colors between a suit and its shirrings across the middle of the body will showcase the waist and draw attention upward. I think the Mineral Blue Ruched Satin Swimsuit from Donna Karan New York would look absolutely flattering on any kind of figure. It has ample top support, a slimming ruched detail that runs from the neckline down to lower hip, and adequate coverage for the back and bottom. The best part about it is that it almost looks like a two-piece.

Whether you have a full or humble bosom, the secret to finding the right suit is to look for something with sufficient support partnered by a flattering cut. Deep and voluptuous cuts and halter necks highlight the shoulders and arms while they provide support. Underwire and neck lines that are parallel to the ground puts everything right where they should be. A triangle bikini top can also be quite the winning piece. The Christian Dior Pink Smocked Houndstooth Bikini Top would give the right amount of lift while its herringbone pattern would add just a hint of class.

For dressing up a slightly heavier bottom, avoid anything that would cut through those hips and thighs such as boy shorts and bum-binding style bikinis. Instead, opt for a moderately high-cut bottom which will streamline the legs and make them appear leaner and longer. You will realize that there’s really no need for extreme measures such as *laser liposuction* just so you could fit into one. Coral Ruffled Bikini Bottoms from BCBG Max Azria have ruffled trims around the hips and plenty of coverage. If that still doesn’t work for you, I suggest you hit the beach in hip and stylish board shorts that aren’t too big nor too tight. The lace-up closure band should rest perfectly on your hips and this will let you move and groove anywhere, anytime. All designer pieces mentioned above are available at www.bluefly.com for your viewing and buying pleasure.

Your body is your blank canvas while the swim suit you put on is your art. Be as creative and as fashionable as you can be, but always put comfort and support first. If you put a suit on and you feel like it’s restricting or it doesn’t hold anything in their place, then you might as well move on to the next one. Your swim wear will only look breathtaking on you if it fits you right.

For more valuable information on bikini, swim wear, please visit http://www.microbikini.com

Take a look at my 2008 festival season handy guide to preparation for your festival, whether the sun is beaming or the skies are pouring!

Tip 1. Wellies are a must! In recent years people have opted for hiking boots, but should the weather become really wet, the mud will ride up your legs and you will be more concerned about this than the great acts on stage. If travelling by car, why not leave your wellies in the boot, that way your tent will be kept clean, if you have no car, why not seek for a cheap boot bag to store your boots in.

Tip 2. There is a myth that you need loads of toilet roll, but nowadays most festivals are handing out eco rolls at the gate, so you can benefit from more space in your bag, and save the environment.

Tip 3. Try not to take too much money, and if you need to, spread it around. Ensure you keep all your money in one place, if you do and you lose it, you lose everything and that means no BEER!

Tip 4. Be careful with your mobile and if need be, take an old mobile phone that has a spare battery, if you lose it, you can still enjoy the festival.

Tip 5. The nights are dark and the toilet visit during the night is much easier with a torch. Have one handing near the door of the tent and ensure it has new batteries ready to go.

Tip 6. Wet wipes are a godsend, they are easy to use and will be a godsend all weekend! Just ensure you seal the top after use to prevent drying out. You should also take some small freezer bags with you to ensure everything stays dry during the period the tent is up.

Tip 7. Arrive early to get a good spot, and look for the high ground to reduce the risk of flooding. Start from the bottom and peg it to the floor first so the wind should not embarrass you.

Tip 8. Water is key. You will need it for your hands, but more importantly for your teeth. Why waste time queuing? Simply use a mouthful of water and brush your teeth by the tent.

Tip 9. Sun lotion is a must, so apply as soon as you wake and at intervals throughout the day. The worst feeling is when you are burnt. Visit Superdrug and get a handy little mini tube of sun lotion, or search online for free samples. Always keep your lotion handy, you will need it during the day.

Tip 10. Finally, some people are boring and buy dull wellies, you will see these abandoned around the field when you are leaving. If you get stuck driving away from the festival, simply stick an abandoned welly under each back wheel and see the difference in grip! You see, wellies are not just for wearing!

A great store for wellies is Freds Clothing, they have a massive range of funky wellies, clothing and festival equipment including Hunter Wellies. Remember that your wellies will last you many years, so ensure you take them home with you after the festival.

Tony Ryder is an online reporter based in Lincoln, UK and works freelance for local music and fashion websites.

As February winters come to a close, we wave goodbye to days of pink hearts and roses and say hello to green sprouts of Spring. Interesting that both Valentine’s and St. Patrick’s Day both carry an air of blossoming new hope and renewal of joyful splendor, where matters of the heart and life are concerned. Also notable are the colors associated with each, pink and green, both coincidentally representative of the energy of the Heart Chakra. So is green, just the new pink of Spring?

With the approaching “March” on life, we discover flowering blooms abound, precious first breaths and steps from our dear animal friends, and the onset of springtime cleaning of both our inner and outer closets, as we all take stock of what to let go of, and the new we would like to usher in. For many, that new involves change and the desire to let our dreams flourish and our hearts fill with hope. Optimism and abundance are irresistibly bountiful; helping us forget any lingering, dismal feelings. We find ourselves singing a new tune, as the melodies of birds and the phosphorescence of vibrant butterfly swarms enrapture our hearts.

But what do we know of this “green little gig” that envelopes our souls with such needed freshness? A little “Luck of the Irish” might just take us farther than we are aware, so let’s explore. Here is what one Historian, Jason Spence, has to say:

“St. Patrick is the origin of the ‘Luck of the Irish.’ He was a kidnapped Brit who was enslaved and found God on the hills herding sheep as a slave. He escaped. Became a Bishop and returned to bring the faith to the Pagan Irish who believed in the Druids. He received inspiration from God to use the three leaf clover called a shamrock, to explain the Trinity to his flocks who were the descendants of the Celts and Viking invaders. They believed in the ancient Druid’s religion of magic and many gods of nature. That there occurs four leaf clovers was explained that they were the result of God’s melting the Druid beliefs with the Trinity of the Christian beliefs. Irish soldiers conscripted into the British army began wearing the shamrock on their uniforms to bring them “magic” and avoid being killed in battle. Because they were blessed and used by St. Patrick, they believed they were on God’s side and protected by God. This is known as “Wearing of the Green.”

Green, yes green. A color that represents many things to many people–a melting pot of symbolism. The word green is closely related to the Old English verb growan, meaning “to grow.” And isn’t that what Spring is all about? Everything blooming, growing…a never-ending, cyclical process. Growth is our natural state and anything less than this, simply is “unnatural.” Speaking of which, the most common association for green seems to be found in its ties to nature, naturally. Culturally, green has much broader and sometimes contradictory meanings, ranging from it symbolizing hope and growth, to death, sickness, or even what some might call “evil.” Romans used green holly and evergreen as decorations for their winter solstice celebration, Saturnalia, which evolved into a green celebration called Christmas. It is also the traditional color of Islam and was symbolic of resurrection and immortality in Ancient Egypt, where the god Osiris was also depicted as green-skinned. Irish legend states that green clothes attract faeries and aid crops and the “Wearing of the Green” thus symbolizes the birth of springtime. It is known to signify witchcraft for its association with spirits of early English folklores and literatures that also traditionally use it to symbolize nature and its embodied attributes of life, fertility, and rebirth. In metaphysics, the Seven Rays system of Alice Bailey, which classifies different metaphysical personality types of humans, designates those of the third ray of creative intelligence as being “on the Green Ray,” while psychics who see auras refer to those with a green aura as typically having health/healing related occupations and being nature lovers. To me, green is the earth and it’s gardens and the caring for it. It’s the color that stimulates transformation, harmony, fertility, abundance and prosperity, endurance, stability, and regal presence. It represents safe passage (like the green traffic light), balances emotions, calms, and is also the alchemy of consciousness from one realm to another through the spiraling energies of DNA. The feeling of green is earthy and yet still feels very much like liquid, with a fluidity that is enchanting. Think enchanted forest or Emerald Bay of our very own Lake Tahoe, Nevada. And yet mostly, for me, green denotes love.

It is in the stories of the medieval period and in Hinduism that we come to learn how green is a true expression of the all-encompassing heart. Medieval stories portrayed it as representing love and the base, natural desires of man, while the Hindu’s use it to symbolically represent the fourth or Heart Chakra. You see, not only is pink indicative of love and the heart, but green is also a very powerful color linked with unconditional love. This fourth Chakra lies center of our Chakra energy system and is the most powerful energy, in my opinion, that exists. It acts as a bridge between the upper and lower three Chakras; a bridge between all worlds and illusionary divisions. As our Heart Chakra, green has great healing power and protective qualities. It is the one thing we humans can use powerfully when we learn to naturally access it and stay centered in the presence of it’s energy constantly. The Heart Chakra is an impenetrable force of healing that has no boundaries or limitations. It asks that we see, feel, think, and act on a whole other level that is motivated by nothing more than love. When we come from the purity of our hearts and commit to that compassion and acceptance, it implores us to embrace the essence of our being and know the beauty of all of existence, as an extension of ourselves. The Heart Chakra is the jewel of all Chakras, and it’s green energy is the emerald beauty of all gems.

Coincidentally, this brings us back to where we began. Back to a little “Luck of the Irish” energy. It just so happens that the most prominent Irish ring is the Claddagh ring, which has a history dating back to over 300 years and is one of history’s most meaningful and respected jewels. The features of the Claddagh ring symbolize some of the best virtues of human life. The heart held in the hands show love and the hands represent friendship and togetherness, the crown on the heart symbolizes loyalty–all virtues that have increasingly been forgotten in today’s materialistic world. No wonder many people remain fascinated by this Irish ring. People wish that some things would never change. And even though change is natural and inevitable, the core foundation of love that has transcended time, is one thing it wouldn’t hurt to hold on to, and could only benefit us more as we deepen and broaden through its evolvement. Our values and how we treat and honor ourselves, others, and everything around us are telling of what we see as our creation, in respect. Another description of the ring expresses how the heart represents the hearts of each and every member of mankind, in addition to the element which gives everlasting music to the Gael. (Remember that springtime song of birds and love ringing in our ears). The ring is also based on and directly correlative to the Shamrock, one of the oldest symbols of the Holy Trinity among the Irish. This interpretation describes the crown as a symbol of the Father, the left hand as the Son, and the right hand as the Holy Spirit, all caring for the heart in the center, symbolizing humanity. Throughout each varying symbolism, a single theme shines through, specifically that the ring symbolizes the trinity of “Love, Loyalty, and Friendship” or, in Gaelic, “Grá, Dílseacht agus Cairdeas” (pronounced ‘graw, dealshocked ogis cordiss’).

“The hands are there for friendship,

The heart is there for love.

For loyalty throughout the year,

The crown is raised above.”

Taking all of this into account, it becomes very clear, why we find ourselves immersed in good feelings, as we leap into Spring. With all this energy of beauty, renewal, healing, life, and love, it’s no wonder we don’t opt to wear, live, and breathe green all year round. And yet we can, because although the seasons change, the one thing that remains constant, but ever-growing, is the emanating power of our hearts. I am then reminded of the English folksong, “Greensleeves,” which echoes green as the color of lightness in love and the anonymous Irish street ballad, “The Wearing of the Green,” published by Dion Boucicault, from the Irish Rebellion of 1798, which ends in these words:

“And where, please God, we’ll live and die still wearin’ o’ the green!”

Through that emerald glow of love, we can create and be in that lovely energy any moment of the eternity of our lives. And the more we share our green, we can carpet the earth with velvet lawns of unconditional experience. Wearing love and life on our sleeves for always. Sounds good to me! Let us remember and reflect while we embrace the opportunity to begin anew, by planting tomorrow seeds, in the now of today.

With gratitude, I am journeying to England & Ireland mid-March (synchronously) for work, including research and energy experiencing, to help complete my newest painting of my series, which embodies the sacred energy of the Heart Chakra and the enchanted beauty of the Celtic, Druidic, & Cosmic Ancients.

Tania Marie is a Reiki Master Teacher, Visionary Artist, & Host of Sacred Journeys to Egypt, residing in Incline Village, NV. For more information about her work and services please visit http://www.taniamarie.com or call (775) 343-9244. Treatments & classes available by distance or at Reno & Tahoe locations.

*Great men are the gifts of kind heaven to our poor world; instruments by which the Highest One works out His designs; light-radiators to give guidance and blessing to the travelers of time. Moses Harvey.

*Grief, like a tree, has tears for its fruit. Bulwer-Lytton.

*She grieves sincerely who grieves unseen. Martial.

*Well has it been said that there is no grief like the grief which does not speak. Longfellow.

*We hear the rain fall, but not the snow. Bitter grief is loud, calm grief is silent. Auerbach.

*It is dangerous to abandon one’s self to the luxury of grief; it deprives one of courage, and even of the wish for recovery.

*Nothing speaks our grief so well as to speak nothing. Crashaw.

*If our griefs were seen written on our brow, how many would be pitied who are now envied! Metastasio.

*Great grief makes sacred those upon whom its hand is laid. Joy may elevate, ambition glorify, but sorrow alone can consecrate. Horace Greeley.

*Grief, which disposes gentle natures to retirement, to inaction, and to meditation, only makes restless spirits more restless. Macaulay.

*All the joys of earth will not assuage our thirst for happiness; while a single grief suffices to shroud life in a sombre veil, and smite it with nothingness at all points. Mme. Swetchine.

*What is grief? It is an obscure labyrinth into which God leads man, that he may remember his faults and abjure them, that he may appreciate the calm which virtue gives. Leopold Scheffer.

*Griefs are like the beings that endure them–the little ones are the most clamorous and noisy; those of older growth and greater magnitude are generally tranquil, and sometimes silent. Chatfield.

*He that hath so many causes of joy, and so great, is very much in love with sorrow and peevishness, who loses all these pleasures, and chooses to sit down on his little handful of thorns. Jeremy Taylor.

*I pity the man who can travel from Dan to Beersheba, and cry, it is all barren. Sterne.

*When a man is full of the Holy Ghost, he is the very last man to be complaining of other people.
D.L. Moody.

*There is an unfortunate disposition in a man to attend much more to the faults of his companions which offend him, than to their perfections which please him. Greville. *Those who are moved by a genuine desire to do good have little time for murmuring or complaint. Robert West.

*Habit is a cable. We weave a thread of it every day, and at last we cannot break it. Horace Mann.

*The chains of habit are generally too small to be felt till they are too strong to be broken. Johnson.

*To learn new habits is everything, for it is to reach the substance of life. Life is but a tissue of habits. Amiel.

*Habits, soft and pliant at first, are like some coral stones, which are easily cut when first quarried, but soon become hard as adamant. Spurgeon.

*That beneficent harness of routine, which enables silly men to live respectably and happy men to live calmly. George Eliot.

*The law of the harvest is to reap more than you sow. Sow an act, and you reap a habit; sow a habit, and you reap a character; sow a character, and you reap a destiny. G.D. Boardman.

*It must be conceded that, after affection, habit has its peculiar value. It is a little stream which flows softly, but freshens everything along its course. Madame Swetchine.

*The will that yields the first time with some reluctance does so the second time with less hesitation, and the third time with none at all, until presently the habit is adopted. Henry Giles.

*The habit of virtue cannot be formed in a closet. Habits are formed by acts of reason in a persevering struggle through temptation. Gilpin.

*To be perpetually longing and impatiently desirous of anything, so that a man cannot abstain from it, is to lose a man’s liberty…Jeremy Taylor.

*I will govern my life and my thoughts as if the whole world were to see the one and to read the other; for what does it signify to make anything a secret to my neighbor, when to God (who is the searcher of our hearts) all our privacies are open? Seneca.

*Like flakes of snow that fall unperceived upon the earth the seemingly unimportant events of life succeed one another. As the snow gathers together, so are our habits formed. No single flake that is added to the pile produces a sensible change; no single action creates, however it may exhibit, a man’s character. Jeremy Taylor.

*And it is a singular truth that, though a man may shake off national habits, accent, manner of thinking, style of dress,–though he may become perfectly identified with another nation, and speak its language well, perhaps better than his own,–yet never can he succeed in changing his handwriting to a foreign style. Disraeli.

*If we look back upon the usual course of our feelings, we shall find that we are more influenced by the frequent recurrence of objects than by their weight and importance; and that habit has more force in forming our characters than our opinions have. The mind quotes takes its tone and complexion from what it habitually contemplates. Robert Hall.

*Happiness: The soul’s calm sunshine. Pope.

*Happiness is the natural flower of duty. Phillips Brooks.

*Happiness is a rare cosmetic. G.J.W. Melville.

*Happiness is where we find it, but rarely where we seek it. J. Petit-Senn.

*We are no longer happy so soon as we wish to be happier. Landor.

*Happiness never lays its finger on its pulse. It we attempt to steal a glimpse of its features it disappears. Alexander Smith.

*Beware what earth calls happiness; beware all joys but joys that never can expire. Young.

*Happiness is not the end of duty, it is a constituent of it. It is in it and of it; not an equivalent, but an element. Henry Giles.

*Happiness is always the inaccessible castle which sinks in ruin when we set foot on it. Arsene Houssaye.

*The sunshine of life is made up of very little beams, that are bright all the time. Aiken.

*He who has no wish to be happier is the happiest of men. W.R. Alger.

*Happiness is a sunbeam, which may pass through a thousand bosoms without losing a particle of its original ray. Sir P. Sidney. *The happiness of the tender heart is increased by what it can take away of the wretchedness of others. J. Petit-Senn.

*Happiness and virtue react upon each other–the best are not the happiest, but the happiest are usually the best. Lytton.

*Hunting after happiness is like hunting after a lost sheep in the wilderness–when you find it, the chances are that it is a skeleton. H.W. Shaw.

*A sound mind in a sound body is a short but full description of a happy state in this world. Locke.

*The body is like a piano, and happiness is like music. It is needful to have the instrument in good order. Beecher.

*That state of life is most happy where superfluities are not required and necessaries are not wanting. Plutarch.

*Wouldst you ever roam abroad? See, what is good lies by thy side. Only learn to catch happiness, for happiness is ever by you. Goethe.

*The common course of things is in favor of happiness; happiness is the rule, misery the exception. Were the order reversed, our attention would be called to examples of health and competency, instead of disease and want. Paley.

*True happiness is of a retired nature, and an enemy to pomp and noise. It arises, in the first place, from the enjoyment of one’s self, and, in the next, from the friendship and conversation of a few select friends. Addison.

*When we are not too anxious about happiness and unhappiness, but devote ourselves to the strict and unsparing performance of duty, then happiness comes of itself–nay, even springs from the midst of a life of troubles and anxieties and privation. Humboldt.

*Happiness in this world, when it comes, comes incidentally. Make it the object of pursuit, and it leads us a wild-goose chase, and is never attained. Hawthorne.

*There is a gentle element, and man may breathe it with a calm, unruffled soul, and drink its living waters, till his heart is pure; and this is human happiness. Willis.

*To be happy is not only to be freed from the pains and diseases of the body, but from anxiety and vexation of spirit; not only to enjoy the pleasures of sense, but peace of conscience and tranquility of mind. Tillotson.

*Without strong affection, and humanity of heart, and gratitude to that Being whose code is mercy, and whose great attribute is benevolence to all things that breathe, true happiness can never be attained. Dickens.

*I have lived to know that the great secret of human happiness is this: Never suffer your energies to stagnate. The old adage of “too many irons in the fire” conveys an untruth–you cannot have too many –poker, tongs–and all, keep them going. Adam Clark.

*The haunts of happiness are varied and rather unaccountable, but I have more often seen her among little children, and home firesides, and in country houses, than anywhere else…Sydney Smith.

*The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions–the little, soon-forgotten charities of a kiss, a smile, a kind look, a heartfelt compliment in the disguise of a playful raillery, and the countless other infinitesimals of pleasant thought and feeling. Coleridge.

*God loves to see His creatures happy; our lawful delight is His; they know not God that think to please Him with making themselves miserable. Bishop Hall.

*The happiness of life consists, like the day, not in single flashes of light, but in one continuous mild serenity. The most beautiful period of the heart’s existence is in this calm, equable light, even although it be only moonshine or twilight. Now the mind alone can obtain for us this heavenly cheerfulness and peace. Richter.

*Happiness no more depends on station, rank, or any local or adventitious circumstances in individuals than a man’s life is connected with the color of his garment. The mind is the seat of happiness, and to make it so in reality, nothing is necessary but the balm of gospel peace, and the saving knowledge of the Son of God. Anonymous.

*Harvest: Nature’s bank-dividends. Haliburton.

*The husbandman is close to the heart of nature, lives in touch with God, and so, more than many, shares His deep content, His tranquility, and builds up a character of hardy independence, of kindly considerateness for His servants, and of helpful ministry to the poor…Believe in God, believe in nature, and do your duty; and the farm life, with its regular round of duties, its simple loves, its high thoughts, its wise economies, its immediate touch of earth, its charming gossip, its pleasant human interests, and its many windows through which we may catch sight of the face of God, will yield us all we need for a simply, manly, godly life…Do not despise your work. Do it well. Be a whole man to it while you are at it. Israel’s great men did not think it beneath them to inspect their flocks. The patriarchs were shepherds and cultivators of the soil. Job was a shepherd. Moses was a shepherd. David looked well after his flocks. Gideon was accosted by God when he was threshing wheat. A great and noble life does not depend on rank or place, but on purpose, faith, love, character and service. John Clifford, D.D.

*The year’s food only is grown in the year. Each year the world depends for James Taylor upon something freshly given it which it cannot provide for itself. As the harvest approaches the wolf is at the door. Nothing stands between us and starvation but the harvest covenant of the ever-faithful God: “Seed-time and harvest shall not cease.” Away, then, with our fancied independence!…We pray in the line of the harvest covenant when we say, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Illustrated Christian Weekly.

*The life of agricultural industry has better guaranties than the crown of kings…In its simple and steady processes it reveals the Father’s care for His children. John Clifford, D.D.

*It is the peculiarity of all the cereals that they are never found growing wild… Presbyterian Witness.

*Health and cheerfulness mutually beget each other. Addison.

*A hale cobbler is a better man than a sick king. Bickerstaff.

*Reason’s whole pleasure, all the joys of sense, lie in three words–health, peace, and competence. Pope.

*The root of sanctity is sanity. A man must be healthy before he can be holy. We bathe first, and then perfume. Mme. Swetchine.

*Refuse to be ill. Never tell people you are ill; never own it to yourself. Illness is one of those things which a man should resist on principle at the onset. Lytton.

*He who overlooks a healthy spot for the site of his house is mad and ought to be handed over to the care of his relations and friends. Varro.

*The morbid states of health, the irritableness of disposition, arising from unstrung nerves, the impatience, the crossness, the fault-finding of men, who, full of morbid influences, are unhappy themselves, and throw the cloud of their troubles like a dark shadow upon others, teach us what eminent duty there is in health. Beecher.

*Home-keeping hearts are happiest. Longfellow.

*Be persuaded that your only treasures are those which you carry in your heart. Demophilus. 937. What sad faces one always sees in the asylums for orphans! It is more fatal to neglect the heart than the head. Theodore Parker.

*If you should take the human heart and listen to it, it would be like listening to a sea-shell; you would hear in it the hollow murmur of the infinite ocean to which it belongs, from which it draws its profoundest inspiration, and for which it yearns. Chapin.

*Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. Moore.

*In a better world we will find our young years and our old friends. J. Petit-Senn.

*If I am allowed to give a metaphorical allusion to the future state of the blessed, I should imagine it by the orange-grove in that sheltered glen on which the sun is now beginning to shine, and of which the trees are, at the same time, loaded with sweet golden fruit and balmy silver flowers. Such objects may well portray a state in which hope and fruition become one eternal feeling. Sir Humphry Davy.

*Troops of heroes undistinguished die. Addison.

*We can all be heroes in our virtues, in our homes, in our lives. James Ellis.

*Each man is a hero and an oracle to somebody, and to that person whatever he says has an enhanced value. Emerson.

*The gentle breath of peace would leave him on the surface neglected and unmoved. It is only the tempest that lifts him from his place. Junius.

*The heroes of literary history have been no less remarkable for what they have suffered than for what they have achieved. Johnson.

*Nobody, they say, is a hero to his valet. Of course; for a man must be a hero to understand a hero. The valet, I dare say, has great respect for some person of his own stamp. Goethe.

When it comes to embracing net technology silver surfers are leading the way, according to recent research from two leading online advertising and measurement companies.

Those aged 55 and over are classified as silver surfers, referring to the prevalence of grey hair amongst the age group and research has identified that it is they who are logging on in ever greater numbers following the widespread roll-out of broadband across Europe. At the end of 2007 almost twice as many silver surfers were using the internet as at the start of the year, with a survey from net Value recording a staggering 90% increase.

So, proof that the older generation has eagerly embraced the internet and for them one particular feature is a godsend: online banking. Indeed, a survey by the European Interactive Advertising Agency (EIAA) found that 53% of silver surfer respondents did their banking online, taking advantage of the convenience of arranging their finances from the comfort of their own home.

The EIAA survey also found that older people spend almost 78% of their weekly average 8.8 hours online for personal reasons. As well as banking, the older generation also spend a lot of time investigating their family tree and shopping. They also spend more cash per head on the internet than any other age group, including surprisingly those in the 18 – 24 range, blowing apart the myth that the net is a youngsters’ phenomenon.

The major UK banks have not been slow to pick up on the rise of the silver surfer and typically offer products designed to appeal to more affluent people, particularly those looking for a monthly income from interest payments. So, in addition to providing day-to-day online banking via a current account most banks now offer online saving accounts, many of which offer a higher rate of interest than would be available through the branch network.

For example a monthly income online savings account can be set up to transfer the monthly interest automatically into the account-holder’s current account. Monthly income accounts are very popular amongst retired people as are other types of accounts that offer significantly higher interest rates in return for tying up the capital for a specified period.

It is these types of accounts that are attracting affluent and net-savvy silver surfers, although they are not exclusively for that age group. But, while the amount of older people on the net continues to grow you can be sure that banks will be rolling out accounts designed to appeal to them in ever greater numbers.

Disclaimer:
This article has been written for information and interest purposes only. The information contained within this article is the opinion of the author only, and should not be construed as advice or used to make financial decisions. Expert financial advice should always be sought and any links contained within this article are included for information purposes only.

Living with ovarian cancer can be very tough on a woman. Even if she gets her cancer diagnosed early, the treatment process itself can produce complications that can make her life miserable. For example, chemotherapy is known to make people sick, while surgery carries with it a lot of pain. But at least these options will bring about long-term survival, when they are used with ovarian cancer in its beginning stages. Yet, what about women who are living with ovarian cancer that has progressed to something much worse? They suffer both the complications of treatment Cnn the fact that their chances of living long aren’t very high.

With that being said, what’s the best way to go about living with ovarian cancer? Well, first a woman should network with other women who are also living with ovarian cancer. These women can be found on ovarian cancer message boards and/or at ovarian cancer support groups. Sometimes you can contact people who are part of these groups Cnn they are often in a similar situation as you.

Secondly, you should consider going to clinical trials. These are research studies in which new drugs or other ovarian cancer therapies are tested. Granted, there’s no guarantee that such things will stop your ovarian cancer, but it at least gives you some form of hope. You are also providing invaluable research data for scientists who are looking to see what will kill the cancer tumors and what won’t. Even if the treatment can’t save your life, perhaps through your participation researchers can gain the knowledge they need to form future treatments that could save the lives of other women.

Finally, when you are living with ovarian cancer, you should find a way to develop your spiritual side. This doesn’t necessarily equate to being religious, though if you are religious it doesn’t hurt to hold on to it even more. But with true spirituality, you are looking at things on a level higher than obeying commandments or even seeking ‘heaven’. With true spirituality you are looking at your existence in relation to the overall universe and God. Even atheists can become more spiritual, by partaking in the things of life that bring an ethereal sense of joy. For example, going camping and enjoying the beauty of nature is one way of increasing a person’s spirituality. Embarking on your own personal talents, such as painting or writing is another way you can get in touch with your spirituality.

In conclusion, you do not have an easy road ahead when you are living with ovarian cancer. However, you can make life more Cnn by: talking about your disease with other women who also have it, partaking in clinical trials and developing a deeper sense of spirituality in spite of living with ovarian cancer. These things won’t make your cancer go away, but they may help you find more comfort as you go through each day.

You can learn more about ovarian cancer as well as the symptoms of ovarian cancer on my website http://www.OvarianCancerPrognosis.net My website includes a whole range of articles focusing on the problems caused by ovarian cancer, treatments and of course what you should do if you think you have ovarian cancer.

Just the other day I was asked by a family why I spend so many hours on my website and now my blog. At first I was sort of offended by the question. But the longer I thought about it the more it made me realize why I am so passionate about what I do.

I later shared with my wife the details of the thought process I had gone through after being asked that question and I explained to her that few people do what they do for a living because they are passionate about it. When I get an idea for reaching out to more people and improving the quality of their lives through my site I can’t wait to sit down at my computer and make it happen.

As she listened intently I reminded her of a movie we had watched with our kids called “Facing the Giants” in which a football coach at a Christian high school was facing tremendous pressure internally as well as externally as a result of his teams inability to put together a winning season during the previous 6 years. Many of the parents wanted the guy tossed out.

One night as he is leaving the school building he overhears the comments of parents who have called a meeting specifically to discuss how they should get rid of the coach and bring in someone new. Well, as you can imagine this guy was shocked and went home extremely discouraged. He spends the night beating himself up over the matter. As his wife wakes up in the middle of the night to find him in this state of mind she reminds him that he simply needs to put his faith in God.

Well, that morning he is seen walking in an open field with Bible in hand and praying to God. What this coach did not realize was that there was an older gentleman who had spent years walking the halls of the school and praying for all the students and teachers. Later that day this gentleman walks into the coach’s office and tells him a story about 2 landowners who had been praying for rain because there had been a drought in the area for years. One finally decides that he is going to go out into his field and sow his seed even though there was no visible sign of rain. The gentlemen then asks the coach, “which man do you think received the rain?”, to which the coach replies “the one who went out and planted seed in preparation for the rain”.

I share this story with you today to ask you, “what is your motivation?”. Are you willing to go out everyday and sow seed in your field in preparation for the rain? Unless you’re living out in death valley at some point you will get some rain.

In this business called internet marketing, online marketing, blogging, e-commerce or whatever you want to call it, you will go through a period where it seems that all your work is for nothing. You have to know that if you are putting into place all the required elements for a successful business that you are actually “getting your field ready for the rain”. When the rain comes you will be ready to reap a bountiful harvest.

Everyday I go out into my field and pull weeds and plant more seed. I don’t worry about seeing immediate results. If making money is your only motivation then you’ll soon be frustrated and quit. You should be working your blog or website because you enjoy it. You have to be driven by something much deeper. The money is just the frosting on the cake. My cake is that I get to communicate with people that I would otherwise have never met and I get the chance to help them live out their dream with my tips and encouragement. I help them become more satisfied individuals. Thats my passion. That’s my motivation.

What’s you Motivation?

Luis Castillo is a successful online marketer who’s website http://www.internet-home-business-builder.com has helped hundreds of aspiring online entrepreneurs.

This article may be posted freely on websites, blogs, classifieds and other online media as long as the authors’ name and links remain intact.

Sometimes what people perceive as truth is in actuality a myth, and a myth brings up questions that cannot be answered, because they should never have to be asked. Religious people in particular have asked the question, “Where did black people come from?” And we can assume a Racist may ask the same question in a more negative context.

One idea that has surfaced comes from Genesis 4:15. After Cain killed Able the Bible says that Cain felt insecure about life and God said, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” and “the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.” Some have concluded that this “mark” was black skin. Others have said that Genesis 9:25; “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brethren.” (This was a curse Noah placed on Canaan for his father Ham’s lack of respect.) It’s been suggested that the people of Africa can trace their ancestry back to Ham, the apparent conclusion being that the black race has been in slavery more than any race in human history; therefore, it is concluded that this curse was genetically followed into Ham’s offspring. This curse however was placed on Canaan, not Ham. Canaan’s descendants were the Canaanites and they dwelt in what is now modern Israel (Genesis 9:15-19). Now let’s see the evidence against both these theories.

The question, “Where did black people come from,” is not valid, based on scientific discoveries. In fact the question should be, “Where did people with blue eyes and blond hair come from?” A question like this has an answer, for a question like this is not rooted in a myth. Friends’, this is an attempt to explain to you the genetic mutation that is the white, blond haired, blue eyed people. This is not a racial issue; this is about bringing to light some facts that may cause only a Racist Google perhaps a religious extremist to be uncomfortable. This is about truth, and the question is not being brought up so as to encourage any kind of hate.

Scientists agree that the only race with an eye color other than brown is of Caucasian decent from some where in their blood line. According to new research people with blue eyes have a single, common ancestor. “Originally, we all had brown eyes,” says Hans Eiberg from the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Copenhagen. A single individual not only caused the mutation of blue eyed people, but the mutation of the Caucasian race. A team of scientists tracked down the genetic mutation which they say occurred between six thousand and ten thousand years ago. They say the mutation affected the OCA2 gene, which is involved in the production of the pigment that gives color to our hair, skin and eyes called melanin. “A genetic mutation affecting the OCA2 gene in our chromosomes resulted in the creation of a ‘switch,’ which literally ‘turned off’ the ability to produce brown eyes,” Eiberg says. The reduction of melanin in the iris of ones eyes dilutes brown eyes to blue.

Eiberg and his team examined the DNA from mitochondria, the cells energy making structures, of blue-eyed individuals in various different countries. Since the genetic material comes from females, it can trace maternal lineages. Segments of ancestral DNA are shuffled over the course of several generations, and the individuals have varying sequences. The segments that have not been reshuffled are called haplotypes, and if a group of individuals share Google haplotypes, this means the sequence arose rather recently in our human ancestry.

“What they were able to show is that the people who have blue eyes in Denmark, as far as Jordan, these people all have this same haplotype, they all have exactly the same gene changes that are all linked to this one mutation that makes eyes blue,” Hawks said in a telephone interview. “From this we can conclude that all blue-eyed individuals are linked to the same ancestor,” Eiberg said. “They have all inherited the same switch at exactly the same spot in their DNA.” In the January third online edition of the journal Human Genetics Eiberg and his colleagues detailed their study.

This genetic switch somehow spread throughout the world, and the mystery still remains on how we come from a time not too long ago when everyone on Earth had brown eyes, and (because of an increased amount of melanin in the body), everyone had darker skin, to the present where twenty to forty percent of the population has blue eyes, blond hair and lighter skin tone.

Is it not interesting that Adolf Hitler was under the impression that blue eyes, blond hair, and white skin were attributes to the ultimate race? This is an interesting question because scientists have discovered that individuals with lighter iris color have a higher prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) and an increased risk of ARMD progression than those with darker iris color. Also there is an increased risk of unveal melanoma in people with blue or gray iris color. The “weakest nations”, Hitler said, were those of “impure” or “mongrel races.” Well what he considered to be the ultimate race was descended from a genetic mutation no more than ten thousand years ago. If what Hitler says about the weakest nations is true, then this would surely not apply to those of African decent, for they are as pure blood as it gets. If what some religious people claim about a genetic curse or a mark on Cain is true, then this curse or mark would more likely be the white skin and lighter colored eyes, and without a doubt it would not be black skin and brown eyes, since people with black skin and brown eyes have always been around since human beings walked the Earth.

This subject which has just been addressed may now be an issue to some of you, but hopefully some of you who didn’t care before, are starting to. We all care about the truth, this is a certainty. If we don’t care about the truth, and share the truth with others then we are being selfish, and should be Google responsible for the ignorance of those around us. There are two sides to every story, and we’ve heard the one side that was used for years, now the other side has just been presented to you with scientific backing. We care about the kind of truth that is indisputable and not based off of stories told by vicious dictators or religious extremists, this is a truth that surely can offer positive change to our world and is strongly encouraged to share with others.

L.L Brunk

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/15/AR2005121501728.html

I have always heard, and believe it is so, that you can’t have an arguement with an enlightened individual. For most, to be enlightened brings up the idea Li image of a guru or devotee with a spacey, non caring look and demeanor. It strikes us as someone who might not be all there and isn’t real. However, to be en-lightened is also a way of mind to be that is not detached, but less heavy, less burdened and less needful to be noticed. This leaves most Westerners out of the picture of course, since being full, burdened and noticed is what most minds need to feel good about themselves.

What are a few traits that point towards an Li mind?

An En-Lightened mind does not have to win or be right in order to be whole. Where two or more are gathered together either as a company or a church, there is usally an argument. We often see that someone in the discussion has to win the argument or the point whle the others simple have to give up. Everyone contributes to the big picture of what needs to be understood, but one has to win it seems. To be enlightened is to perhaps contribute, but to not need to win. How often those who win the point or arguement by virtue of the power of their personality, lose the truth in time. If they are not enlightened, they will try harder to win the point back to the harm of all. We don’t always have to win or be right in any particular moment to be enlightened.

An EN_lightened mind can easily use such phrases as “I am sorry you feel that way,” or “That’s an interesting view, and may be part of the story or question we are seeking to undersand.”

An EN-lightened mind can accept the way things are and not insist on fighting and resisting as if by sheer will, it can change what is and won’t change. If it can’t change the facts, it can accept them and feel either the joy, embarassment, hurt, pain, anger or despair the facts might be causing. To feel them, is to disarm them. An enlightened mind realized that to fight reality, things as they really are, is to stay stuck in time, revel in pain and make no forward movement in growth. An En-Lightened mind can say things like “my father has Li died, I will miss him.” “I have lost my job, it will be interesting to see where this leads.” “I seem to suffer in underachieving, but accept where life has taken me.” “I have lost many friends, but gained others in the process.” “I have health challenges, but I am not my body or my health challenges. I am just fine.” In short, an EN-lightend mind can say, “Is that so,” and mean it.

An EN-lightened mind can say with ease, “I don’t know everything about that. I will look into it.” It can say “I realize you have not learned all you can about this topic, so let’s talk about what you understand, not what you don’t.”

An EN-lightened person doesn’t judge others one bit. The have no need to feel superior, more knowing, in charge or even “more blessed.” We are who we are. All of us come from different place, have different experiences, experience different chemistry and genetic predispositions. While our consciousness all live in a limited five sensed carbon based wet suit, they are similar but not identicle. Our senses come with filters and we tend to like the people who filter their world as we do and dislike those who have fewer filters or even more and see things differently. How boring a place it would were it to be any other way!

An En-Lightened person recongizes that skepticism is the fuel that makes progress work. It’s like walking. If you don’t go into a more or less forward stepping controlled crash, you can’t move. Walking is a controlled crash an looks great when well done! If there was no doubt as to how things are or skepticism about how others inform us of how things are, we would be so stuck as to preclude any further growth or movement. For better or worse, most Churches and religions are agents of getting stuck. They impede the joy of both sex and science. They lock in stone that which was meant to flow more easily and enforce in one age that which is scorned in the next, leaving whole generations of humans obeying at once, that which they now don’t have to because it only took the Church 400 years to come to their senses. To ask questions is to get better answers. To be told you ask too many questions, or doubt the organization too much, is to be labeled as not a team player. Teams are good but so is the Lone Ranger who thinks outside the box, is skeptical of the current information and willing to press on looking.

One cannot become EN-Lightened by refusing to throw off the burdens that simply don’t work or have proved to be untrue over time. Religion is one of the few aspects of humanity that tends to NOT rid itself of that which obviously does not work or serve the people well. Religion accumlates information, even wrong information and tends to insist it still needs to find a place to fit that bad information into the plan. Thus we have doctrines that contain so much trash and untrue information, few can understand it and the contradictions are chalked up to not having the mind of God to understand it, when in fact it is a simple case of clean out the attic and you’ll find what is important. When science makes a mistake, it informs itself by saying, “that’s not true, and we cannot use this information to explain this or that phenomenon. When religion makes a mistake, it says “we did not,” then kills the one who pointed it out and adds the bad information to the teachings that confound the locals even more. When it confounds too much, it is declared a mystery and the questioner can rest assured they are not smart enough to even ask the right questions, much less understand the mind of God in the answer.

Being enlightened is really a function of being less burdened in the head and thoughts that we are so capable of playing over and over again until we pop. Meditation, while not easy, can help us put spaces between the thoughts and quiet the noise that we think is thinking, but is really what the brain does when the mind is doing useful work. That’s why some say we need to go out of our mind before we come to our senses.

Being enlightened is partly a function of acceptance of things as they are along with not having the need to be right, in charge or the final word, as all these things are subject to change. You can’t have an argument with an enlightened being….I like that.

It seems the more experience I gain in the field of psychotherapy, the more clients I interact with, the more I live my own life, the more I believe the attempt to inappropriately control events is at the core of unhappiness. The use of control is paradoxical: we believe taking control will bring us security and happiness, yet in many cases it causes unhappiness, anxiety, and malaise. In this article I will explain this premise, and support my observations with some findings regarding happiness.

I am often confronted with clients who have addiction problems, depression, marital issues, anxiety, and anger issues. It is my contention that these difficulties have a common thread: control.

Let’s start with depression. I have several clients who hold onto their pessimistic attitudes and beliefs. They are holding on to this style of living, as uncovered in therapy, as a security blanket against disappointment. In other words, they believe if they keep a pessimistic attitude, they are less likely to be disappointed. I purport that this is an attempt to control what is inevitable. Disappointment is a part of life. Being let down, disappointed, or hurt is part of the human existence. Granted, these people have experienced either an inordinate amount of these negative emotions, or they have been hypersensitive to events which were less than positive. But their current malady has as much to do with an attempt to prevent future hurt as much as with the scarring of the past hurt. And I contend this is an inappropriate attempt to control.

It is often easy to see how anger can be a result of wanting to control, and increasing the emotional reaction when control is impeded. Using children as an example, when you tell your child to do something, and they do not, or they talk back, or they ignore you, it is common to become angry. It is relatively clear how this is related to control: in this case the desire to control your child’s behavior. It is also reasonable to understand how it may escalate when this desire to control is obstructed.

This is not to say all anger comes from issues surrounding control. Anger often is a result of fear or hurt feelings in addition to thwarted attempts to control. And although this could be related to control, or the reaction to a lack of control, this is not the forum for that.

Another example of how anger relates to control is when driving and stuck in traffic. One may become frustrated with the inability to get where they need to be in the timeframe they expected. The situation has become out of their control. They may try to exercise control by switching lanes, trying to cut in front of others, or by leaving the highway and trying an alternate route. This can further complicate the issue. The bottom line here is that the inability to control the situation, the feeling control has been taken by extenuating circumstances, has led to the feeling of frustration and anger.

There are often many contributors to marital issues. Difficulty with losing or feeling one has no control is occasionally one of the problems. Some couple’s presenting for therapy do so as a result of arguments. These arguments sometimes stem from issues surrounding not behaving in a fashion that is consistent with the other’s expectations. And, as you can probably ascertain by now, this again relates to control, or the lack thereof. One partner wants something handled in this way. The other disagrees, either outwardly, or by not altering behavior. Arguments escalate or avoidance occurs. All are a result of wanting to have your way in the situation, and not getting it, or having the other try to take it away.

Addiction is often characterized by a loss of control. This loss of control is in regard to a substance or behavior that initially brings relief or pleasure. The actual substance use often starts as an attempt to control feelings. Many people who end up addicted begin substance use in an attempt to manage (or control) feelings and moods. They do not like what they are experiencing, and want it altered. For example, perhaps they had a rough day at work, and want to relax. The use the substance to alter their mood, hence taking control of a mood they otherwise felt was being controlled by external events (whatever contributed to the bad day). This theory can be applied to any such negative mood state. Eventually, they come to over rely on the substance, and eventually, the substance dictates the mood. This is true of other problems as well, and a vicious and self-feeding cycle can begin. But at least one part of the core of it is a desire to control.

Next lets address anxiety. Although anxiety is a general term, we can also call it being worrisome. When and why do people worry? Generally, we worry about the future, whether distant or near. An example would be worrying about your child being out with friends. This may seem like a normal situation to worry about. After all, you do not know what your child may be doing, or may be concerned with their decision making skills (rightly so, as teens have been known to make poor decisions). In psychology it is believed every behavior or action has a reward. In the case of worrying, the reward is to foresee a problem and take action. But often the worrying continues when no action is possible. Worry is often an attempt to control, or a wish to control, what is uncontrollable. When worrying, or anxiety, serves the purpose of aiding preparation, it is a worthy pursuit. But once what can be done is done, worrying is ineffective. These feeling then stem from a desire to control an outcome, and the anxiety about not knowing the outcome; or more simply stated, not being in control.

This is also true in dating, and other common life events. For example, when one meets someone they are interested in, many people start wondering about the experience. What do they think of me? There are these positives, and these negatives, will it work out? Is this someone I see myself with in the future? What about the obstacles, can they be overcome? Is this my soul mate, my other half? All of these questions, that can be common to those beginning a relationship, are an attempt to know the unknowable and thereby control the outcome. Rather than relaxing and letting things unfold, which leaves one somewhat vulnerable, we humans try to figure things out, often in futile attempts to know the future, and gain control.

I believe, in the brief format provided, I have adequately demonstrated how control, either the desire to have it, or the loss or removal of it, is involved in the above issues. I will now discuss some of the effective ways to address and minimize its affect. I will start with how those in addiction recovery combat it. Of course, I believe much of what is applicable to addiction treatment and recovery will be effective with depression, anxiety, anger, or the other issues discussed.

In addiction treatment, which has been my primary area of expertise for years, people entering recovery are often told the virtues of “acceptance,” (please see page 449 of the book “Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd edition for further explanation) “letting go and letting God” and “live and let live.” These saying are all geared at helping the substance dependent individual practice letting go of control, allowing things to happen, and not fretting about the future. The goal of the 12 steps of addiction recovery is “Spiritual Awakening.”

As long as we are on the spiritual, lets discuss religion and faith. In several articles I have read some keys to happiness were discussed. These articles, which varied in some respects, had a common theme: faith. According to these articles, those that have faith, faith that things happen for a reason, faith that things will work out as they are supposed to, faith that a higher power is acting on their behalf, are happier than those who do not share these beliefs. Although other keys to happiness are discussed in these articles as well, I do not believe that the role of faith should be minimized. If you believe things will work out, there is no need to worry, or hold onto depression or a pessimistic view to protect you. If you believe things are as they are supposed to be and that in the end there is a good end product to be had from seemingly negative events, you will be happier. Faith cannot be minimized.

However, faith does not necessarily require belief in God. Faith can simply be the belief that you will benefit from this in the end. This may be through personal growth, a life lesson, or simply a nudge in the right direction by your unconscious. Even the most vehement atheist might be able to accept that the unconscious is a power that influences behavior. And if that atheist can believe their unconscious is helping by pushing in a positive direction, then the faith necessary for happiness can be found.

The power of letting go of control is evident through the recent movement in psychology to incorporate Eastern thought and beliefs. From Linehan’s Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for certain mental health issues, to the recent well written book “The Mindful Way Through Depression,” Eastern thought has been slowly but effectively adopted and often proven effective by the psychological profession. This is nothing new. I recently completed reading a book written in the 1970′s with a similar theme that was again geared at psychotherapy. All of this writing and use of Eastern thought for improving mental health seems indicative of its benefit.

Although Eastern thought does not explicitly discuss faith as in Western religion, there is a letting go of control that is incorporated into its thought. The main theme of the aforementioned books are accepting things as they are, and returning to the present moment. There is a sense of understanding humility, that there are powers greater than you at work in the natural flow of the universe, that things will unfold in a natural order.

My favorite thought in Buddhism is the second noble truth. Loosely translated, it amounts to desire being the root of all suffering. It means when one wants things to be different than they are, when one attaches themselves to good feelings and attempts to avoid bad feelings, when one attempts to control their life to exclude everything they do not like, suffering occurs. The way to happiness is through non-attachment, letting go of expectations, being in the present, not making judgments, and simply accepting life as it presents itself. This is a tall order for sure. Even wanting to be this way defeats the point (there is again desire to be other than you are). But striving toward it by simply reminding yourself occasionally that the present is what it is, that everything doesn’t have to conform to your desires, can bring happiness.

I believe I have presented a thoughtful argument that inappropriate attempts to control are a root cause for discontent. I also believe I have offered some practical thought for how to combat it, and to bring more (not complete) happiness to life.

William Berry MS., CAP.
Program Director
Addiction Education Consultants
http://www.addictioneducationconsultants.com
954 306-0722