Discernment and Judgement

Discernment is an inner guide or compass. It is loving and expansive, and offers freedom, honor and options. Judgment on the other hand dishonors, condemns, and contradicts.
Judgment is all about others. It always sets up a polarity or emotional value of this is good and this is bad. An example of this is: A person looks at a brown car and decides brown cars are boring and ugly.
Being judgmental forms a vicious cycle. The very nature of judgment is to always focus or look at the bad. Moreover, "like attracts like" looking for the bad becomes the black DOT, or primary focus. The alarming reality of this is, not only does one only focus on the bad in others, but also that is all they can see about themselves. To be honest, one first becomes intimate with their own feelings of shame and inferiority. Then as a way to get relief, they target someone else to shame, so they can feel superior (rather than inferior).
Discernment on the other hand is assessing a situation objectively, with no emotional attachment, to decide what ones decision is. In this case: A person looks at the brown car and decides they do not care for the color of the car. Discernment is all about oneself this is not for me. Discernment does not offer excuses, blame others or make empty promises. Discerning individuals do not change the facts to what they think they should say, they conform their actions to the facts.
Discerning individuals accept others just as they are. In addition, they are aware they have choices or options that can assist them so their best interest is served. For example, I accept that my co-worker talks a lot about how "rough" her life is. For me, this is not something I enjoy hearing or taking a part in. In a conversation if I notice she is doing this, I have options on what I can do. I can change the direction of the conversation to a topic that we both enjoy; I can excuse myself from her company, etc. Discernment is all about choosing what kind of experience and life you want for yourself.

Keep Hope Alive - Emily Dickinson

"Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all.." ~ Emily Dickinson
A bittersweet quality permeates the air in September. In the northern hemisphere, we say our reluctant goodbyes to summer. When September rolls around there is something in our early programming that kicks in. We gear up for all of the activities associated with fall. Kids return to school and we all begin to pick up the pace.
We never really do finish school while we are alive on this planet. We continue to learn life lessons and hopefully grow through all of our experiences. Much of our earlier training at home and school prepares us to face life as warriors or worriers. The good news is that we can learn to become more resilient if we are willing to do our "hope" work. That's right. That wasn't a typo. I meant, "hope" work. Too many of us have been basing our lives for far too long, on what is reasonable and evident rather than on faith and belief.

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 for who you are.


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

Alone But Not Lonely

In today's fast paced society, we have become accustomed to filling the eeriness of silence with fluff. We turn to many distractions as a means of escaping feelings of idleness or boredom. However, the main thing we wish to elude is loneliness. Solitude does not have to alienating or lonesome. In fact, solitude and loneliness are distinctly separate.
The death of a loved one or the inability to find people who understand you can leave you feeling isolated. Webster's dictionary plainly describes loneliness as "being without companions. It's natural to experience emptiness while longing for love or acceptance. Loneliness is therefore an emotive state that can be experienced whether or not one is physically alone.
Geoffrey F. Fisher said, “In cities no one is quiet but many are lonely; in the country, people are quiet but few are lonely we tend to fill loneliness with all types of distractions. For example, some single women would rather spend a Friday night with a man they have no genuine interest in, than spend the night alone. They long for a way of killing time while they await the man they are actually seeking. Then there are young adults who are involved in cliques where they cannot really relate to their companions. However, they would rather feel accepted on a superficial level than risk feeling outcast. So, what is it about being alone that scares us?
Do not be spooked by the unfamiliarity of silence. Silence can be an amazing thing. It teaches you how to truly listen. It teaches you to pay attention to what is going on inside of you. Only when we are alone, can we have the space and peace we need to think without being outwardly influenced. It therefore becomes easier to make important decisions as well as identify whatever feelings are culminating within.
Get in touch with yourself so that you can make conscious decisions rather than simply react to emotions. Appreciate the time you have to yourself. Let the peace and understanding you find had better equip you for the commotion of today's world.

Resource:
Denni Gill is an up-and-coming Canadian poet.

Can Money Buy You Happiness?

Well, doesn't that depend on what is causing you to be unhappy, in the first place?
If you've just lost a loved one, no amount of money will make you happy, only time and your own attitude will eventually lessen the pain and hopefully bring some joy back into yourlife.
However, if a stack of unpaid bills is facing you each day, wouldn't enough money to pay them, not make you happy? If you are someone you love, needs expensive medical care and you can't afford it, would money not be the happy answer?
So, before we adopt some of these truisms about money, we should see how they apply to the reality of the situation. Money is not a "magic bullet", but then in life, what is?But the effectiveness of money, like most of the things we use and have come to rely on in our world, it is all relative.
Being without money does not automatically make someone unhappy, but neither does having money guarantee happiness. Rich people are happy because they don't have to be worried and unhappy about not being able to pay bills, make purchases they want, travel, entertain and so on.
But if they became ill and money could not help, they would be just as unhappy and miserable as the poor person who cannot afford the treatment in the first place.
Money cannot buy anyone more time, but it can give you more freedom to choose how you use your time.
A very happy by-product, choice!
"Freedom of choice", if there was ever a magical phrase, that one is it! Money buys that happiness!
Lack of money or too little money, limits the choices we can make in and about our lives.

What is Meditation?

Negative forces like jealousy, hatred, fear, doubt, worry, despair, guilt, resentment, anger, pride hatred and anxiety surround us. These are the dominating forces of the universe. These negative forces day in and day out constantly attack us. The only medicine to fight this deadly disease is Meditation. Through Meditation, we can get everlasting peace that is what we know the "Divine Peace". To grow in light and to fulfill ourselves in light and purity we need to practice meditation regularly.
What is actual Meditation?
Meditation does not mean just sitting quietly for 15 to 20 minutes. It requires concentration. You have to calm and quieter your mind. It requires conscious effort. You have to free yourself from repetitive and unwanted thoughts that distract your attention. As you learn to calm your mind, you feel a new creation is dawning inside of you. When your mind is vacant and tranquil your whole existence becomes an empty vessel. You will attract infinite peace, joy peace happiness. This is actual meditation.

How many ways are there to Meditate?
1. Silence your mind. Once you do that, you are in a position to please and Fulfill God.
2. The Second way to meditate is to empty your heart. Human heart is full of chaos and turmoil. As you empty your heart, there is a Divine peace and harmony, which will fill your heart.
3. The third thing is through prayer. Prayer is nothing but a communion between Spirit and Form. If you pray from your heart all your fears, doubts, sorrow, resentment and anxiety will be eliminated and joy, peace and tranquility will fill your heart.

Positive Self-Talk

One of the most powerful influences on your attitude and personality is what you say to yourself. It is not what happens to you, but how you respond internally to what happens to you, that determines your thoughts, feelings, and your actions. By controlling your inner dialogue, or your "self talk," you can begin to assert control over every part of your life.
Your self-talk determines the majority of your emotional life. The words that you use to describe what is happening to you, and how you feel about external events, will trigger the emotions of happiness or unhappiness that you experience. When you see things positively and you look for the good in every situation and in each person, you will become a very positive and optimistic person. Since the quality of your life is determined by how you feel moment to moment, you should make it a habit to only think and talk about what you want and keep your mind off what you do not want.
Remember that it is impossible to learn, grow and become successful without adversity and difficulties. You must rise above them in order to become a better person. So, welcome each difficulty as a learning experience and look into the situation to find something good or beneficial in it.
Always, keep your thoughts on your future and on your goals. Constantly think about the person you want to become. When things go wrong temporarily, respond by saying to you, "I believe in the perfect outcome of every situation in my life." Resolve to be cheerful and pleasant in every situation. Resist every temptation to respond to a situation negatively. View disappointment as an opportunity to grow stronger, and talk to yourself and others about it in a positive and optimistic way.
When you practice positive self-talk, and keep your words and your mental pictures consistent with your goals, nothing can stop you from being the success you are meant to be.

Changes Happens or Made

Choke? This is the time when you feel overwhelmed, confused, and fearful and often do nothing. Spending too much time in this phase can seriously undermine your energy, usurp your resources and make it more difficult to deal with the change. Handle the Hurdles? You "wake up" and realize you have to do SOMETHING, sometimes anything. Occasionally people in this phase can see the priorities and begin to handle them- more often they avoid the most important issues in an effort to just do something.
Access Support? This is the turning point. You realize that you cannot do it on your own. You need a trusted ear. You require someone who can see through the confusion of the change and help you build a viable plan of action. Albert Einstein said that we cannot solve a problem on the same level at which it was created. In order to find that other level you need someone who can look at the whole picture, someone who isn't clouded by the emotional responses, someone who has your best interests in mind.
New Possibilities? Embedded in each change is a possibility. If you continue an old pattern of behavior or thinking? You will miss it. Unfortunately, we are often myopic when it comes to recognizing creative solutions. This step requires someone to help you see and hold the larger possibility, the picture that you may be missing.
Grow to the Next Level? Many people skip over this part. If you do - the whole gift that is at the center of the change will elude you. In order to "do the change", make it work FOR you, it is essential that you develop the qualities, the skills, and the heart to effectively work with the change. As you do this you begin to recognize whole new levels of satisfaction and power within yourself. These developments are yours- you will use them in everything else you attempt in life. They become second nature.
Enjoy? This is the fabulous stage when you can step back and look at the whole experience you have been through. You recognize yourself as the prime navigator of the change. You can feel the sun of success, the warm breezes of pleasure as you begin to really ENJOY where you have arrived. In addition, you KNOW that if needed you can navigate CHANGE again.
If you are going through a divorce, or if success has been yours and you still find yourself unsatisfied, or if there is a new change that has occurred or is on the horizon? Give yourself the gift of the effective support and mentoring that will move you through it to the warm, safe harbor you desire..

Positive Mental Attitude

1. Smile
2. Laugh
3. Greet people courteously
4. Be enthusiastic
5. Dream. Engage in 'Imagineering'. Set a goal. Aim high.
6. Act. Work your plan. Don't be an 'Excusiologists'.
7. Be single minded in your purpose.
8. Love your work.
9. Be focused at all times. Be dedicated, disciplined and regular in your work.
10. Show commitment.
11. Strive for excellence. Set your own benchmark.
12.'Sharpen the saw, 'Polish the brass' everyday.
13. Be humble and open- minded. Always wear your 'white belt'.
14. Be open to change. Don't be afraid of taking risks.
15. Don't be judgmental. Forgive and forget.
16. Develop a loving attitude to all around you.
17. Accept adversity and disappointments. Overcome them and emerge stronger.
18. Cultivate a working philosophy of life: Turn every experience, 'good' or 'bad', into a 'learning' experience.
19. Be your own critic. Strive for improvement. Be a life-long ardent student of life.
20. Live each day as though it were your last.
21. Lead. The five key *facets of leadership are..... Focus, Authenticity, Courage, Empathy, Timing.
22. Remember, we are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.
Always, keep your face to the sun,and shadows will fall behind you.
Note:
*(Taken from one of the motivational Leadership article)

Be Positive

This may sound quite aberrant to most of the younger generations who are not really exposed to the personality development articles, books or motivational lectures.
Being positive does not indicate that we aren't able to handle a situation, which is of abstruse nature. Being positive means, seeing the opportunity, and seeing the best option that is available in any situation.
Generally people criticize themselves, time and other previous situations whenever, they are caught up in a problem, jinx etc.
People are bound to make mistakes; and they should, in fact to make your brains work. Yes, when you commit mistakes or things go wrong, as they may sometimes, you do not have to feel inferior, rather be strong and fight back, make yourself capable to handle such situations. Above all learn; the more you learn, the more you achieve. As it is very precisely said:
Arise, awake and stop not till you goal is achieved.
Here, goal may be anything; it might be effective handling or learning.
When i say LEARN; i mean:
L -LeadE -EffectiveA - AlertR - Realistic, ready, reasonableN - Natty (smart)
Remember, being effective, alert, realistic and natty not only helps and enables you to act pragmatically, but it also helps you in learning.
So, fear not my dear, rather strike hard and effectively. May this article bring lots of positive personality changes in you transforming your sole into a blend of intellect, boldness and bring out the natty features of yours whenever a hard task arises.
Last but not the least: "Believe in you".

Power of Positive Beliefs

I am an educator as well as a coach and am interested in what it is that brings out the best in the people with whom I work. Over the last few years I have read a great deal of research on the power of beliefs. I am convinced that it is essential that I hold, and communicate to my students or clients that I believe in their ability to learn, to heal, and to grow.
We have to hold and project these beliefs even when, or perhaps, especially when the person we are working with does not hold them. In a recent study, it was found that teenagers from economically disadvantaged families were more likely to attend college if their parents, especially their mothers, were optimistic about the teens chances of enrolling in college.
I read once about a teacher who was given a list of student names with numbers ranging from 125 to180 after their names at the beginning of the school year. Believing that she had been given a class of gifted students, she worked hard all year to provide opportunities for these students to do well. At the end of the year, she asked for another class of gifted students since they had all performed outstandingly. She was told that the numbers were their locker numbers, not their IQs.

The Two Choices We Face

Each of us has two distinct choices to make about what we will do with our lives. The first choice we can make is to be less than we have the capacity to be. To earn less. To have less. To read less and think less. To try less and discipline ourselves less. These are the choices that lead to an empty life. These are the choices that, once made, lead to a life of constant apprehension instead of a life of wondrous anticipation.
And the second choice?
To do it all!
To become all that we can possibly be. To read every book that we possibly can. To earn as much as we possibly can. To give and share as much as we possibly can. To strive and produce and accomplish as much as we possibly can. All of us have the choice.
To do or not to do. To be or not to be. To be all or to be less or to be nothing at all.
Like the tree, it would be a worthy challenge for us all to stretch upward and outward to the full measure of our capabilities. Why not do all that we can, every moment that we can, the best that we can, for as long as we can?
Our ultimate life objective should be to create as much as our talent and ability and desire will permit. To settle for doing less than we could do is to fail in this worthiest of undertakings.

Sharing Your Experiences and Your Potential!

Who dares to teach must never cease to learn. - John Cotton Dana
Example isn't another way to teach, it is the only way to teach. --Albert Einstein
Many people are living way below their potential. When you have started to play the game of how much potential you can summon up inside you, you can start to teach others.
It's no fun, if we are in this alone. It's no fun to be the only one in the gym. You want to share with your friends. Life is not only about you; it's about others as well. Imagine what kind of world we would be living in if everyone started to tap into their true potential. Imagine no more feeling bad about you. Imagine rising to the heights!
Let me take that back! Don't imagine any of them! CREATE THEM! YOU CAN! I DARE YOU! Are you ready for the greatest challenge in your life? You have so much in you. Don't let this life be lived in vain. I am on the same journey you are. There is so much that we can do for each other. I urge you to take this sincere message about your potential as seriously as possible. We don't know how much time we have left, but we can control how that time is spent! What do you want to do? Grab a towel, let's head to the gym of life's experiences and see what we can do with all that's available!

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.
For example, a guy says, "I'm digging ditches. Should I love digging ditches?" The answer is, "No, you don't have to love digging ditches, but if it is your first entry onto the ladder of success, you say, 'I'm glad somebody gave me the opportunity to dig ditches and I'm going to do it so well, I won't be here long.'"
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."
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.

Why Be Great?

Have you ever thought of what it would take to make you "truly great" at what you do?
Look around you at your employees and co-workers and ask yourself whether any of them are "truly great" at what they do. No doubt, some of them really excel at their jobs and at life, while others just seem to get by. What is it that separates those that excel from those that don't?
Is it education? Training? Commitment? Willingness to work extra hours?
Do those that excel posses better communication skills, or maybe those that excel also have better technical knowledge?
If you put these factors to the test, I think that you will be surprised by the answers. Because those that truly excel at anything have one key factor in common. Those that excel at anything are simply those that are most passionate about it.
With the Olympics just completed, you saw world- class athletes competing with one another to see who was the best of the best. You saw hundreds of dedicated, passionate athletes whose skill levels are so high that the difference in their performances are measured in tenths or even hundredths of a second. The worst of these athletes still possess amazing skills and perform at levels far above those that most of us could ever even conceive.
Certainly, the Olympic athletes have amazing talent, but they also work with an unprecedented dedication to perfect their skills. However, for them, it's a labor of love because of the passion that they feel for their sport. They did not become great in a day; instead, they have dedicated their lives to being great.

What is it that inspires you?

Have you ever thought? What inspires YOU? What is it that drives you day in and day out?
What is it that inspires you?
You can begin to see that if nothing inspires you, excites you, or lights up your life you are really missing something. You are just like a robot performing task after task. We believe that deep down you have places where you can be touched. You have a place that is solely ours. Solely for you to show the world. Can you name it?
However, what inspires you? What makes you go to that space where you continue to do what you do for hour after hour, when you forget the need to eat and drink. What is it that inspires you?
Some artists suggest that it is their imagination that inspires them. The need to tell the world what is going on in their heads. The links that they make. The different ways of viewing the world. After all literature, music and visual arts are all about the originator communicating with the rest of us.
When we tap into whatever it is that inspires us, we become a full member of society. We are able to share our ideas, thoughts and emotions. As we share and show our dreams, emotions, ideas, and thoughts then we gradually become to understand the person we truly are.
So, the role of inspiration is more than we first thought. More that just a drive to action. It actually enables you to understand the very essence of yourself and what you have to offer the world.
Inspiration gives you understanding.Inspiration gives you an identity.Inspiration gives you a way of being.
Can you really live without knowing what inspires you?

Human resist to change

All of us are resistant to change, whether it's in using a different tool, a technique a choice in partners, or lifestyle.
The ones that resist the most have big labels like, orthodox, traditionalist, and extremist. They are the defenders of the faith, of the known, and of the accepted.
Some of the rest of us are followers, disciples, and supporters; we are the middlemen, the ones that support the orthodox, the traditionalist and the extremist because after all without us what would these people be defending. We are the ones the cast the deciding votes for this group and the next group which are the leaders, the explorers and the visionaries.
All of these people are grouped together on a small planet with intention, it didn't happen by accident. What we are doing is creating chaos, and what chaos does, is drive us to create order or make sense of what it is we are doing.
In my day job, I am paired up with all of these kinds of people every day in their homes and I may spend as long as two hours in conversation with them.
I understand that those that I bring into my life represent opportunities for change and I bring them to me deliberately for purpose of change. I also know that I will not always recognize them as such. I know that opportunity always knocks more than once and that I live in choice and freedom that is unconditionally mine by my very nature as a spiritual human being. This one area flows easily from me without all the resistance. Symbols of resistance are acknowledgements for me that I can relate to and move past from awareness of their existence, and they do not need to be changed or ignored, but simply noticed as I would notice a turn in my path or a pothole in the road.
Resistance may be a human condition, but it is also spiritual because that is what we are, and it has purpose.

Who are you?

I have a question for you.
Who are you?
This may be a simply enough question but before you attempt to answer this question let us go on a voyage of personal self-discovery, which will allow you to find an acceptable answer.
The difference between the "Living" and the "Non Living" is the existence of the spiritual soul that manages the physical body from birth to death. The soul expresses itself through the five senses of the physical body. Without the soul, the physical body cannot express or maintain itself.
The reflection you see when you look into a mirror will be that of your physical body which gradually ages. Your soul is "seen" through your personality. You may look old when you look in a mirror but you could feel and act like a child.
The word "I" is used to refer to the experiences and wishes of the soul with statements such as "I am", "I love" and "I hope".
The word "My" is used to refer to the physical body, possessions and activities with statements such as "My hand" "My car" or "My job"
The advantage of knowing "who I am" is to realise and use the powerful spiritual energy that is within your body.
So back to the question, who are you?
I cannot give you the answer as only you know. I have just set the question to make you think.

7 Strategies to Overcoming Anxiety and Panic Attacks

1) READ: - Read as much as possible about anxiety and understand what are some of the causes. (Email me for link to books).
2) PROFESSIONAL HELP: - Go to a counselor or therapist to find the underlying cause of the anxiety. The physical discomforts are trying to get your attention - Pay attention to a greater dis-ease within. Pray God to send you to the right person. He will.
3) RELAXATION: - Listen to a tape or CD for RELAXATION This was one of the things that helped me tremendously. I needed to reprogram my mind with positive and true statements that were life giving and empowering. Click below for CD's and cassette tapes to help you overcome anxiety and panic attacks. Breathing correctly is a part of relaxation.
4) EXERCISE: - Physical exercise has tremendous value. It releases chemicals that generate good feelings, called pheromones. It's good to feel good!
5) HEALING IN GOD'S WORD: - Meditate on scriptures that enhance your trust in God. One scripture that helps me when I really let it sink in is: Matthew 5:25-34. Am I not more than a bird to God? You better believe it and so are you! Birds don't work or store up food yet God takes care of them. Wow! The next time you see a bird think about that!
6) MAP YOUR JOURNEY: - Create a time line by drawing on a sheet of paper when your first signs of discomfort started. Write down what major events happened at that same time. Note the year/date. Go back as far as you can. This process helps you to take a bird's eye view of your life. When I did this exercise, I found that the first time I experienced a full panic attack was in 1984 and I had just made a major move from someone very dear to me. I also discovered that their agoraphobia before any panic attack ever appeared. Do this it will help you understand what has been going on and what triggers extreme anxiety. (You may need to use than one piece of paper).
7) God’s Power to Heal: - Remember, God still heals. We must let go of all the passed disappointments, and betrayals. God is not like any human being with whom we have had a relationship. God faithful and just. Jesus walked this earth so you can talk to Him about yours trials. Pray as the early disciples did, "Lord, increase my faith". FAITH is the opposite of anxiety. Faith not only pleases God but keeps us trusting in God's fatherly care. I am a witness!! Praise God!

Easy Ways You Can Feel Happier, Be Healthier and Live Longer

Let's just say? First thing when you popped out of bed this morning, you woke up and found a little yellow post-it note stuck on the bathroom mirror that could transform your life. You smiled, instantly recognizing this very familiar word.
With so much to gain and absolutely nothing to lose, are you ready to take these 10 tips to heart so you can giggle a little, snicker some, chuckle boisterously, cackle raucously, snort unexpectedly and hoot and holler through happy tears of joy? Wrap yourself in a humorous perspective and laugh your way to a seriously healthy, happy and upbeat life!
Here are five easy ways to grab more giggles and exercise your funny bone?
1. Get a Funny Buddy. Unite yourself with a laughing partner, friend, buddy or companion that you always know you can turn to for a laugh. Make a laughing agreement and shake on it, then surround yourself with more funny people. Make an effort to be around these lighthearted folks every chance you get.
2. Lose your wits. Be super silly for 10 seconds and let your brilliant foolish kid out to play.
3. Be a Silly Spectator. Stand back and scope out the outlandish, outrageous and crazy hilarity of humans. You will thank me the next time you are trying to ward off feelings of frustration and boredom in line at the DMV, out shopping or in the waiting room of the doctor's office. Take it up a notch, bring your entertainment home with you, and imitate their quirks, qualities or peculiarities that made you snicker earlier in the day.
4. Make Over the Ordinary. Recount your everyday experiences in a fun way and relive them! People laugh at the stuff they can relate to. It's the ordinary, everyday, run of the mill things we find funny. Some of the best sitcoms and funniest comedians (Seinfeld is a perfect example) create material out of the everyday perils of life. It's their passion and strong point of view that strikes an emotional cord in us and makes us burst out with laughter. Go for it and liven your stories up with attitudes, opinions, voices and dialects. Be spontaneous and let it fly!
5. Give Your Stories a Pay Off! The best stories have a punchy point, a profound lesson or a great big finish. Start with the end in mind. Give your friends a payoff for their attention. When you get close to the end, stop, take a deep breath and give the story a moment of silence. Let 'em dangle in anticipation before you end with a big bang! Adding more energy, impact and volume will give your story meaning, closure and give you the rewards of laughter.