How to Use Humor to Improve Your Relationships

Humor has long been considered one of the most effective tools to judge the quality of any relationship. If there is laughter present, you can assume that the relationship is a healthy one. When the laughter ceases you can be quite certain that the relationship is on the down slide. This laughter barometer can be applied to any relationship at home, at work and at play. Laughter means that you're having fun and fun means that things are going well.. Look at the relationships around you. Do the couples laugh a lot together? Has the laughter stopped in some of your relationships?
Here are a few ideas you can use to make certain that laughter remains an ever-present reality in your relationships thus ensuring their quality and endurance. Remember introducing humor to previously humorless relationships might take time but the results will be worth the effort. Start slowly by working on your own fun loving, cheery disposition. Laughter and humor are contagious so it will not be long before others catch the bug.

• Remember that a sense of humor is learned, not inherited.


• Begin to cultivate an atmosphere of humor and laughter in your relationships. Try to enjoy and share humor as often as you can.


• Learn to laugh at yourself. If you don't, you leave the job to others.


• Watch comedy movies and television programs as often a possible.


• Encourage others to share their humor. Listen and appreciate it when they do. When someone sees that, you have enjoyed their humorous contribution they will be eager to continue sharing.


• If you don 't laugh as much as you used to and want to correct the situation start associating with humorous, fun loving people and avoid the downers.

Who Controls Your Mind

Who Controls Your Mind?

Few people are aware of the thoughts that pass through their minds. Thinking is performed like a habit, in an automatic manner. If the thoughts are positive, then it is all right, but if they are negative, they may cause trouble.

The mind is like small child, who accepts and takes for granted whatever it sees or hears, without judgment and without considering the consequences. If you let your mind behave as it likes and give it complete freedom, you lose your freedom.

We are constantly flooded with thoughts, ideas and information coming through the five senses, other people, the newspapers and TV. These thoughts, ideas and information penetrate the mind whether we are aware of this process or not.

This outside flow influences our behavior and reactions. It influences the way we think, our preferences, likes and dislikes. This means that we let outside powers shape our lives. So where is freedom?

Most people think and believe that their thoughts originate from them, but have they ever stopped and considered whether their thoughts, desires, likes and dislikes are really theirs? Maybe they are outside influences that they have unconsciously accepted.

In order to reduce the power of outside influences and thoughts on your life, you need to be aware of the thoughts and desires that enter your mind, and ask yourself whether you really like them, and are willing to accept them into your life. Analyze your motives and actions, and you will be surprised to find out that many of them were triggered by outside influences.

Learn not to accept every thought that you encounter. Find first whether it is for your own good to follow it. It may not be so easy at the start, because the mind will revolt against this control. If you want to be the master of your mind and life, you should not let other people's thoughts; desires and motives rule your life, unless you consciously choose so.

4 Little Known Secrets of Meditation

Secret #1: The True Purpose of Meditation
Many people feel a sense of fascination when confronted with the possibility of mystic visions, psychic intuition and heightened mental functioning. While meditators often report these sorts of improvements, these experiences should not be the primary reason for practice. The purpose of meditation is to bring us back to ourselves.
As we become healthier, happier and realize greater self-awareness, the other benefits of meditation begin to follow naturally -- improved mental functioning, greater intuition as well as greater access to unconscious resources and abilities.
Secret #2: Distraction Does Not Equal Failure
Meditation is not work in the sense that you have to "force" yourself to concentrate completely for long periods. If we consciously try to prevent thinking, it's going to have a negative impact on the meditation.
Instead, whenever we become lost in thought or confusion, we simply acknowledge those thoughts and then gently return the attention to the object of the meditation. We do this as many times as distraction or thought occurs. Eventually, the mind becomes calmer and discursive thought begins to slow.
Secret #3: Insight Alone Is Not Enough
Insight alone will not transform our lives. Meditation is likely to help us by giving us larger perspectives and increasing clarity of thought. However, although our sense of inner guidance might become stronger, unless we ACT on that guidance, we will never manifest the changes we truly want in our lives.
This doesn't just mean we need to take action in our outer world, for example, having an honest conversation with a friend or paying a bill.
It also means we must actively request the assistance of the unconscious in a clear and persistent way. When you do that, as I teach in "Secrets of Meditation, Energy and Manifestation," you find yourself magnetically drawn toward your dreams with an irresistible impulse.
Secret #4: Learn To Let Go
Once you have made your request, it's important that you let go. Don't be concerned with HOW you're going to get what you truly want in your life. Needing to know how can hamper the process of making it manifest in the outer world. Learn to trust your unconscious.
Some changes -- perhaps all of them -- will happen automatically. I have personally found that many of my destructive habits simply dropped away with minimal conscious effort.

Humans Who Are Disrespected Seek Revenge

The easiest way to gain enemies is to disrespect people. Inherently for some reason, humans who are disrespected more often than not seek revenge. This should be a warning of what happens in business deals, corporate brainstorming (with regards to hard earned and developed Organizational Capital) or even an outcast member of society. What is the most unfortunate situation in all of these instances is that the whole of the group loses from the possible ideas and innovations of these individuals. A corporate executive who starts to attack their peers at work starts and unending spiral of negativity, thus killing productivity, innovation and higher thought which is what a company most needs to succeed. In the case of an individual in society, we end up with those who withdraw their talents to the whole or plot the demise of the fiber holding the civilization together. We see this with vindictive writers, uni-bomber, and small fringe groups promoting their agendas.
As an observer of culture and society, philosophy and psychology, innovation and invention, science and religion, industry and philanthropy; I can safely say that although we have done better than any other previous civilization or country, we can do better and we must work on the elements which are needed to improve the flow of thought. Having participated in almost all categories of the human endeavor in our civilization, both from on the inside and outside, it often amazes me how we as a society over look some of the most obvious quick fixes to the unnecessary over indulged sound and fury which slows the forward progression of mankind at every turn. Think about this. The best time

Quotes to Think About

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance? That principle is contempt prior to investigation. ? Herbert Spencer"
Albert Einstein - "We are seeking for the simplest possible scheme of thought that will bind together the observed facts."
"If we do not expect the unexpected, we will never find it.” Heraclitus
"Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives." - William James
"I feel that if we could be serious for an hour and really fathom, delve into ourselves as much as we can, we should be able to release, not through any action of will, a certain sense of energy that is awake all the time, which is beyond thought.” Jiddhu Krishnamurti, Madras, 1961

The ABCs Of A Great Life: J Is For Joviality

Laughter, humor, a lighthearted sense of being - all of these are an important part of a well balanced breakfast, er, life. Without humor, there is no hope. Without laughter, no love. In addition, with a heavy heart, we live only a life of sadness and despair. Our ability to laugh at our foibles and laugh with our friends is a key indicator for predicting how readily we'll bounce back from difficulties and how well we'll handle the curveballs that life throws our way, and a quick smile is always the best defense in a situation that's hit a sour note.
In addition, medical studies have shown that indeed, laughter is the best medicine. Not only does it flood our brain with "feel good" hormones and exercise our body's core trunk muscles with spontaneous and deep contractions, but it noticeably and effectively raises our immune system's defenses in ways that are only now being fully explored - an effect which lasts considerably longer than the laughter that triggered it. Laughing lowers your blood pressure and exercises the heart. It relieves stress and helps generate an overall stability of well-being.
People with notably jovial attitudes are seen as friendlier and better adjusted, and people are drawn to them like flies to honey. Socialization with peers becomes smoother and more enjoyable, and people can't wait to rejoin and reestablish the acquaintance of those with a good sense of humor.
Of course, this does not include "humor" that hurts - biting sarcasm, "witty" putdowns, jokes made at the expense of others, mockery and other such imposters. It is doubtful that any of these recreate the same effects as true humor and lightheartedness, and I know that they attract far fewer friends.
Go on laugh! It's good for you. Learn to bring laughter and joviality into your life and every step of the way will be filled with the warm embrace of good times spent with good friends in good health. Salut!

Desire is the First Step

Desire is the First Step

When a member of a species determines it wants something a thought is born, which triggers a desire and thus starts the brain into a cycle innovation and strategy. If it is hunger in a Bald Eagle, it means flying over the river to catch a Salmon. If it is a tourist who is cold, it means going in and buying a sweatshirt. This comes first and is the reason we must first discuss the flow of thought before we attempt to discuss any other issues in our society.
You see a species and this includes mankind will attempt to solve the problems or fulfill that which it desires. We cannot change that it is human nature. We must recognize this fact before we attempt to fix anything else in the World we live. We must make sure that we allow for the free flow of thought and of course the freedom of thought. We must value thought and not underestimate the desire instincts of our species. A penny for your thoughts is a very good price, you should be buying, that is definitely a buyers market so take all you can get. Yet, we do not. Different cultures feel different about the flow of thought. Moreover, even we are worried about the past freedoms, which were taken in other civilizations and have pondered what would happen with the thought police.
Recently we saw the movie "Minority Report" with Tom Cruise discussing such possibilities as the thought police. To this day people are concerned from writings of science fiction writers about the thought police concept and 1984 is mentioned each time we discuss the Department of Homeland Security; Big Brother syndrome and the fears it evokes are alive and well to this day. Such possibilities would in fact be the death of freedom, civilization and what we believe to be the proper direction of the human race. Desire is innate; suppression of innate desires is disastrous. Think about it.

Mental Health Stigma ?

What is Stigma?
Stigma is the use of stereotypes and labels when describing someone, and it is often attached to people who suffer from mental health issues. We don't fully understand how the brain works yet, but one thing we DO know is that it is an organ. Yet our society doesn't readily accept brain disorders the way we accept other organ disorders. Why is this so?
Stigma is a harsh reality for people who have mental health problems, because it prevents them from enjoying a normal and productive life. So many people today feel uncomfortable about mental health issues, despite the fact that there is growing evidence that more and more people are developing these problems. In fact, many people are so uncomfortable with the stigma that they would rather suffer in silence than get help they need.

Powerful Ways To Fire Up Your Motivation

It's so difficult to go on when everything seems to fail, isn't it?  Are there times in your life when you really want to call it "quits" because you just can't see any good results from allthe hard work you have done?
Hold your horses!
Never ever, think of giving up.  Winners never quit and quitters never win.  Take all negative words out of your mental dictionary and focus on the solutions with utmost conviction and patience. The battle is never lost until you have abandoned your vision. However, what if you are exhausted physically, mentally, and most of all emotionally?  Here are some sources of motivation to prompt you in reaching the peak of accomplishment.

1. The Overwhelming Feeling of Attaining your Desired End


2. The Reward System


3. The Powerful Force of Humanity


4. Take Care Of Your Health

Happiness To be

Happiness is a state of mind, so your state of mind at this moment makes all the difference.
You need to ask yourself, is it what you want, the thing that is going to make you happy?
If the answer is yes, does this mean that what you have must not be good enough?
We go through life searching, searching for a better job, better house, better car, better relationship, sometimes for many people this is a full time "occupation, always searching!
It seems to be a vicious circle for many of us, because the last job was the better one, now it is not, somehow it's lost its appeal, just as when you bought your car, it was going to make you happy but that was only for a short time, you soon became unhappy once you saw another newer model, so the car that was your dream car is no longer a dream.
Where does it end?
Well the answer is simple; it ends exactly where it starts, in your Mind.

How to be Happy

How To Be Outrageously Happy

You can be as happy as you want whenever you want. Zen masters have proven this - all you have to do is just "be" with whatever you have right now. Yeah, I know. Sitting on the floor contemplating your blank space may not be what you are after. Highly successful people are outrageously happy because they have fulfilling ways to meet their values. What are values? Well I am not talking about Dan Quayle and Murphy Brown, or Limp Bizkit's recent family value tour. Values are simply what are most important to you.

Do your values move you towards great possibilities? Is your energy directed towards meeting your values in ways that excite you and make you stronger, capable of going for even more? When you are clear on your values, your vision is bright, and you will feel primed to go for it.

About Self Love

How do I love myself?
Love of Self is simply a view of Self. If you view yourself with a great deal of compassion, and suspend all judgment, then replace that judgment with understanding, and compassion, you will come closer and closer to love your authentic self. So many people have taken on the views of others during their earlier years, and have not learned how to replace those views with the pure truth.
The way to do this is to immediately stop insulting yourself, cutting you down, and degrading yourself. This is paramount! Instead of saying: "I stink at this" say: "I am doing my best, and that is all that is needed." You have to bring all of the small insulting lies that you tell yourself up to your conscious awareness.
In order to truly love yourself, you must change how you view yourself, and that can only be with complete compassion, care, respect, and honestly taking a conscious effort to change the verbal abuse you dish out to yourself when you are not even aware of it most of the time.
Honor what makes you "different" because that is your unique Light that you are on this Earth to shine! Treat yourself the way you wish someone else would treat you, and always give yourself a heartfelt hug for the sacred person that you are.

Important Things to Know / Remember About Life

Important Things to Know / Remember About Life

• I love you not because who you are, but because who I am when I am with you


• There is no one in this world that worth your tears, and if they are, they will never make you cry.


• If someone loves you not in the way you would like to, it does not mean that they don not love you in their own way


• A good friend is the one that will hold your hand and will touch your heart.


• The worst way to miss someone is to sit right next to him or her, knowing you will never be with him or her.


• Never stop smiling even when you are sad. Someone might just fall in love with your smile.


• Do not waste your time with someone who does not care wasting his or her time with you.


• You might be just "a someone" in this world, but for someone, you are the entire world.


• You might need to need many "wrong" people before you will meet the "right" one. Like that, you will highly appreciate them will it will happen.


• Do not cry when it is over? Be glad that it happened.


• Do not "fight" for things to happen. The best things in life happen when you least expect them.


• Be a better person and know always where you are coming from and who you are before you meet someone new, and hope that they will know you whom you are.


• There will always be someone that will heart you, but you need to keep on trusting people? Just with more caution.

Inspired For Women

Inspired For Women
One man can make a difference. I've been saying this and writing around this subject matter for over a decade now. It is not to the exclusion of women as I originally used the phrase in reference to mankind or society if you prefer. A decade ago, my pursuit of the quest to make a difference, to be involved, to inspire ended up taking a back seat. Survival in the moment and dealing with family and health issues took the front seat. Now, most of that is behind me and to a large degree it has been women who have made the difference in my growth and healing; unique powerful, loving, nurturing women.
This post serves as a reminder, an acknowledgement, a song of praise, if you will, for women. It's important you realize just how powerful and wonderful you are as a woman, as a female, as someone who has a unique blueprint different from the male of our species. Your gift is priceless when used well with integrity and you conduct yourself from this seat of female power. It's not the media's and popular culture's representation of female wiles, cunning, and manipulation. No, it's the power of the nurturer and spiritual values.
I speak partly from my own experience that has a depth and richness that is so hard to explain. It also includes influence from historical perspectives and the recognition that almost every great man in history has attributed a large part of their success to the great woman in their life. I attribute it to the call in my heart and the need in my soul for that connection and healing balm that only the company of a woman can provide. How can words possibly express such complexity and yet such simplicity so that it is understood and owned by all women
It is my desire to empower each of you to be the greatest woman you can be. If I had any advice for your day-to-day living, I'd say look to women who are mature in experience and who have a healthy perspective on love, life, and relationships. Women who are successful in their relationships and careers without compromising the highest values that ring so true in all of our hearts.
I can also say that I have much to offer in one-on-one coaching as a result of my own life experience with women and my perspective on the unique power of women. I do this with female clients in my coaching business now and it is a huge honor for me. It pains my heart to see women limiting themselves due to poor self image and beliefs developed from family, peers, society, media and boys or men who have caused pain.
Do not hold back, be all that you are made to be.
Yes, one man can make a difference, but the truth is, Women make all the difference!
Peace, love, harmony - it is power.
Be divinely beautiful; it radiates from within.
Best wishes, Lee
Make a Difference

Love the Opportunity

Love the Opportunity
Somebody said you have to love what you do, but that is not necessarily true. What is true is that you have to love the opportunity. The opportunity to build life, future, health, success and fortune.
Knocking on someone's door or making that extra call may not be something you love to do, but you love the opportunity of what might be behind that door or call.
You can be inspired by having found something; even though you are making mistakes in the beginning and even though it is a little distasteful taking on a new discipline that you haven't learned before. You don't have to love it, you just have to learn to appreciate where you live, appreciate opportunity and appreciate the person who brought you the good news; that found you.
Appreciate the person who believed in you before you believed in yourself, appreciate the person who said, "Hey, if I can do it, you can do it."
If you will embrace the disciplines associated with the new opportunity you will soon find that your self-confidence starts to grow, that you go from being a skeptic to being a believer. Soon when you go out person to person, talking to people, you will find it to be the most thrilling opportunity in the world.
Every person you meet - what could it be? Unlimited! Maybe a friend for life. The next person could be an open door to retiring. The next person could be a colleague for years to come. It is major stuff. In addition, sometimes in the beginning when we are just getting started we don't always see how big it is.
So, before you are tempted to give up or get discouraged, remember all success is based on long term commitment, faith, discipline, attitude and a few stepping stones along the way. You might not like the stone you are on right now, but it's sure to be one of the stones that lead to great opportunities in the future.

Facing the Enemies Within

Facing the Enemies Within
We are not born with courage, but neither are we born with fear. Maybe some of our fears are brought on by your own experiences, by what someone has told you, by what you've read in the papers. Some fears are valid, like walking alone in a bad part of town at two o'clock in the morning. However, once you learn to avoid that situation, you won't need to live in fear of it.
Fears, even the most basic ones, can destroy our ambitions. Fear can destroy fortunes. Fear can destroy relationships. Fear, if left unchecked, can destroy our lives. Fear is one of the many enemies lurking inside us.

How strong are you?

How strong are you?
I am not asking if you can carry 150 lbs. of weight. What I'm after is your strength of character. How resilient are you to hang on to your dreams amidst the raging forces of discouragement and criticisms?
There are far, too many individuals who never experienced the joy of attaining their desires because other people's influence has significantly (and sometimes negatively) affected their crucial decisions.
Are there instances in your life when other people said that you should not continue your plans because they're never got to work? What did you do? Did you continue your endeavors or did you just follow their command?
If you always adhere to other's beliefs and opinions even though they are contrary to yours, you're just torturing yourself. It is as if you don't have a mind of your own. You are like a shadow following the moves of someone else.
You may listen to other people's advices, but never let them control you. If their advices would contribute to your success and well being, then follow them. However, if they would hinder you and stray you away from what you really want in life, then you have to make a stand and pursue your heart's aspirations.
Sure there would be criticisms. However, if you always avoid them, then you will never be truly happy.
As one famous person said, "There is a sure way to avoid criticisms, be nothing and do nothing. This remedy never fails." True enough.

The Beauty of Life

An unexamined life is not worth living."-- Socrates
I have just finished reading a most astounding statement from A.H. Almaas's book Space cruiser Inquiry. In this book, which discusses the concept of open inquiry as an optimal way to get in touch with your true being, he gives a beautiful description of the beauty of life. The simplicity and beauty of this sentence struck me hard! He says, "The beauty of life is that it can be a continuous opening to the full range of experience and richness possible for the human being."
This was an extremely beautiful quote and had a very true ring to it. Life CAN be lived to be a continuous opening to the full range of experience and richness possible for the human being. In life you can find out what you're capable of doing; to continually explore, and then act on the discovery of that exploration to create more experiences to learn and grow even more. You can learn to become more flexible. You can start to experiment with your range; what you are capable of doing with your life. What you choose to do can be below the range of what you can do, but that is your choice; not a limitation that you are unaware of.
The important distinction is that you become aware of your full range of possibilities and then choose which possibility you want to act on rather than being limited because you are unaware of what you can do. Life offers us this chance to continually open up and become more aware of the powers that are residing within us. Are you using the change for this kind of growing that life offers? Or have you stopped inquiring and accepted the limited position, which tells you that you can't grow further? What you believe will determine what you do about exploring your true being and capabilities. What will you believe?

The Power of Inspiration

The Power of Inspiration

INSPIRATION can be a powerful thing. It can keep you going when all around you cry out "quit!" It is even more powerful than motivation, as motivation gives you your basic reasons to keep going--it tells you why you want to do what you do, because motivation is based on goals. These, in turn, may be based on necessity want or desire. However, inspiration fills those reasons with hope, possibility and enjoyment and keeps the "grind" from becomingt oo grindy. However, just what does inspiration consist of? I speculate two elements: vision and mission. Proverbs 29:18 says 'Where there is no vision, the people perish." A vision is the first step toward turning your motivation into inspiration. A person with a vision sees down the road. He can sense what it will be like six weeks, six months, a year, two years, five years and more ahead.
But how do you get a vision?, you ask. First, you need to narrow your perspective. You can’t attempt to "ride off in all directions at once," so to speak. Try to decide what it is you are looking for, so you'll know it when you see it. In other words, try to have in mind some general goals as to where you want to be six months a year, etc. from now. These goals will not only form the basis of your motivation but should also serve to limit to an extent the scope of your activity.
Once the vision is firmly implanted in your mind, let it become your driving force. Let the vision excite you with the possibility of its fulfillment and you will automatically begin the next step--you are on a mission. Your mission is to bring about the realization of the vision. If you keep the vision in mind, you will move forward in the mission, accomplishing enthusiasticallysystematically that which is necessary to bring the vision into reality. You will have developed a sense of excitement, importance and urgency, which will keep the fires of inspiration burning in your heart and moving you ever onward and upward.

Quotes For Positive Mind

1. Unless the secret of inward peace is also the secret of escape from fear, it does not meet a need I believe is almost the central need of mankind. If it be asked, "Why are so many people in the modern world anxious, worried, nervous, irritable, depressed, bad sleepers, and not quite well?" the answer in most cases is that they are frightened. . . . What, then, is the way to escape from the power of this ever-present enemy? I know none except learning that we are in the keeping of a God who will never desert us. . . . There is no fear where love is, and the love of God is always present. . . . Till we have faced that fact, we are not ready to understand what God does actually for those who trust in Him. But when we have learnt that truth, we may go on to say, "Come what may, we know that He will be with us and therefore need not fear." We may have to suffer in the body, but His sustaining grace will never leave us. We may lose our dear ones and so be wounded in our very hearts, but His grace will give us strength to carry even that cross. We may have to face poverty; but if so, He will do for us what He has done for thousands and teach us how to be poor and yet content. We may have to face hunger of the heart, and no one who knows what that means will ever think lightly of it; but even through that fiery trial, His love will sustain those who turn to Him.

---A. H. Gray

2. I have now reigned above fifty years in victory and peace, beloved by my subjects, dreaded by my enemies, and respected by my allies. Riches and honors, power and pleasure, have waited on my call, nor does any earthly blessing appear to be wanting for my felicity. In this situation, I have diligently numbered the days of pure and genuine happiness which have fallen to my lot: they amount to fourteen. O man, place not thy confidence in this present world!

--- Abd-er-Rahman III

3. Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.

---Abraham Lincoln