Informative Articles

Capturing That Illusive Thing Called Time
CAPTURING THAT ILLUSIVE THING CALLED TIME
"The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing."
- -Stephen Covey
So often I hear people say, "I can't afford to take time out of my busy schedule to plan!" To that I respond by saying, "If you are that tight on time, then you can't afford NOT to take time out to plan." I'll illustrate my point with a real-life example.
Over the past year I have worked with two very bright and capable women who have a lot in common. I'll call them Carol and Marilyn (not their real names). Both are professionals working in similar fields. Both supervise a large team of employees. Both are married to spouses who also work outside the home. Both are mothers of school-age kids. Both are about the same age. Both struggle with managing the volume of paper and electronic information they receive daily. Looking at these women from the outside, they appear to have a lot in common.
And they are very different. Carol and Marilyn independently hired me to help them get organized. Before teaching them a process I use to manage paper and de-clutter their offices (visit http://www.orgcoach.net rimthefat.html), I spent some time talking with them about their priorities. Why? Because organizing one's physical environment without first clarifying priorities is like rearranging deck chairs on The Titanic!
Although I am devoting the majority of this article to a discussion about time management, I want to first point out the difference between management and leadership. Management works within the system. Leadership works on the system. Stephen Covey reminds us that "fundamental to putting first things first in our lives is leadership before management." It becomes critical to ask yourself, "Am I doing the right things?" before "Am I doing things right?"
Once you are clear about your priorities (doing the right things), planning and organizing around those priorities is essential. This is because we are a society that is urgency addicted. We tend to focus on that which is urgent — whether the activity is important or not. Stephen Covey sums up the problem very well: "It's important to realize that urgency itself is not the problem. The problem is that when urgency is the dominant factor in our lives, importance isn't. What we regard as "first things" are urgent things. We're so caught up in doing, we don't even stop to ask if what we're doing really needs to be done."
If you struggle with a strong urgency mindset, read on. I guarantee that you will feel more satisfied and fulfilled when you take steps to focus your time and energy on what's most important and avoid those activities that are less important or not important to you.
TIME MANAGEMENT MATRIX
"What does it matter how much we do if what we're doing isn't what matters most?"
=-Stephen Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
In his book First Things First, Stephen Covey offers a wonderful tool for analyzing how you spend your time — the Time Management Matrix. Covey has broken time into four quadrants:
Quadrant I: Quadrant of Necessity
This quadrant represents activities that are necessary for you to focus on, because they are urgent (time-sensitive) AND important to you. These are some of the kinds of activities that fall into Q-I:
* Pressing problems / crisis
* Deadline-driven projects
* Last-minute preparations for scheduled activities
We tend to focus on Q-I activities because they are urgent and the need to do these activities makes itself known to us. These activities are hard to ignore because our life experiences have taught us that when we ignore Q-I activities, we get into trouble.
Quadrant II: Quadrant of Quality & Personal Leadership
This quadrant represents activities that are important, but because they are not urgent, they are easy to put on the back burner for "when I have more time." In order to focus on these activities, one must be proactive. Here are examples of activities that fall into Q-II:
* Preparation/planning
* Prevention
* Values clarification
* Exercise
* Relationship-building
* True recreation/relaxation
The more time we spend in Q-II, the more quality we add to our lives. If we neglect Q-II activities long enough, sometimes they become Q-I activities (urgent and important). For example, exercise is generally considered a Q-II activity because there is no deadline by which you must exercise. However, if you neglect exercise long enough — "I'll do it when I have more time" - it may become a Q-I (urgent) activity when your health care provider tells you that you will face major health problems if you don't start exercising regularly.
Unfortunately, "more time" never comes. We all get 168 hours a week. Check out my 168 Hour Exercise at http://www.orgcoach.net/pdf/168hour.pdf for a good time analysis tool.
Effectively translating these high-leverage Quadrant II goals into action requires a framework for effective decision-making about how you spend your time. Most people struggle to find time for the important but not urgent activities in their already-overflowing schedules. Covey reminds us that "the key is not to prioritize your schedule, but to schedule your priorities."
Quadrant III: Quadrant of Deception
This quadrant represents activities that are not important and urgent (time-sensitive). Q-III is known as the Quadrant of Deception, because we get deceived into believing that these activities are important because they are urgent, even though we've identified these activities as not important.
The word "urgent" means that the activity is time-sensitive or deadline-driven. For example, an incoming phone call is considered urgent because the phone is ringing right now. It may or may not be important, but if you don't answer the phone now, it will stop ringing. Here are examples of activities that fall into Q-III:
* Unimportant interruptions & phone calls
* Unimportant mail & reports
* Some meetings
* Many "pressing" matters
* Many popular activities
The activities represented in this quadrant are ones that we would do well to say no to or renegotiate. The only exception to this would be activities that are important to someone who is important to you. You may deem an activity important because you value a relationship.
Some Q-III activities may be related to tasks required by an employer. For example, an employee is asked to write a report that he does not see any

value in creating, but because the employer wants it — and he values his job or that relationship — the Q-III activity becomes a Q-I activity. If a large portion of your work is filled with activities that fall into Q-III, it may be time to consider career move.
Many of us are "urgency addicted" - a self-destructive behavior that temporarily fills a void created by unmet needs. This type of addiction is as dangerous as other commonly recognized addictions and dependencies.
Quadrant IV: Quadrant of Waste
This quadrant represents activities that are not important and are not urgent. Here are examples of activities that fall into Q-IV:
* Trivia, busywork
* Reviewing junk mail
* Some phone calls
* Escape activities
* Viewing mindless TV shows
Most of us do not spend much time in this quadrant because we simply don't have time to waste. The most common Q-IV activity I encounter in my work with busy people is escape activities. When the stress level gets high enough, some people escape from reality by doing activities that do not address or resolve the problem. This is considered wasteful.
Note that the same activity can fall into Q-II or Q-IV. You are the only one who can determine which quadrant the activity belongs in. If you are treating yourself to true recreation and relaxation (resting and renewing yourself), you are in Q-II. If you are engaging in an escape activity (avoiding the problem and not finding a solution), you are in Q-IV. The motivation behind the activity determines which quadrant you are in.
The goal is to manage activities in Quadrant I, focus on activities in Quadrant II, and avoid activities in Quadrants III and IV - activities that you've deemed as not important. And yet, because so many of us are urgency-addicted, we tend to spend the bulk of our time in Quadrants I and III - doing activities that are urgent and important or urgent and not important.
Now that you have a tool to help you measure how much of your time you spend doing activities that are not important to you, it's time to make some conscious choices about how you spend your time in the future.
WEEKLY PLANNING - A TRANSFORMATIONAL KEY TO RECLAIMING YOUR LIFE
"The greatest value of the planning process is not what it does to your schedule, but what it does to your head. As you begin to think more in terms of importance, you begin to see time differently. You become empowered to put first things first in your life in a significant way." –Stephen Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Let's revisit my clients, Carol and Marilyn.
Carol has fully embraced the weekly planning process. She is noticeably more at peace now than she was when we first started working together. Her quality of life has dramatically improved as she has clarified priorities and has done weekly planning to ensure that she focuses her time on Quadrant I and II activities and avoids Quadrant III and IV activities.
Marilyn has not embraced the weekly planning process. She is too busy putting out fires (Quadrant I) to spend time planning (Quadrant II). And the more she neglects Quadrant II activities - relationship-building, self-care, values clarification, and planning her schedule to accommodate what is most important in her life - the more Quadrant I activities she has to deal with. She generates her own fires and then feels compelled to put them out.
When we neglect activities in Quadrant II long enough, they often become Quadrant I. Then our schedules get filled with urgent activities. When urgency rules, stress levels go up, and we do not feel that we have any choice about how we spend our time.
A client recently started her coaching call with me by sharing her frustration about not having enough time. She went on to list all of the things that she HAD to do that day. After hearing her say "I have to…" about six times just for that day alone, I asked her, "Do you CHOOSE to do these things?" She recognized that she did not HAVE TO do any of the things…that she CHOSE to do most of them, and she might choose to either delegate or not do one of the things that before felt like a HAVE TO. The realization that these activities were a choice completely shifted how she felt about them.
Language is very powerful as we do our planning. Be aware of your self-talk as you make choices for the week. Listen especially for should, gotta, and have to in your self-talk. Those trigger words may signal that you may not be feeling at choice, even though you probably are. Unless someone is holding a gun to your head, you have a lot more choice than you realize.
Stephen Covey has created a six-step weekly planning process. I've found that this process does not work nearly as well if I skip any of these steps:
1. Connect to your own personal mission statement.
2. Review your key roles, beginning with SELF.
3. Identify what you choose to do this week for each of your key roles.
4. Calendar in WHEN you will do what you chose in Step 3.
5. Exercise integrity in the moment of choice as you live your week.
6. Evaluate how your week went as you prepare for the next week.
To review this planning process in greater detail, visit http://www.orgcoach.net/sixsteps.html. This process has transformed my life as well as the lives of many of my clients.
People are motivated change by two things: increasing pleasure or decreasing pain. Weekly planning is a tool that has the capacity to help you increase pleasure and decrease pain in your life. I challenge you to go to your calendar NOW and schedule one hour a week for the next month — preferably at the same time each week — to do your weekly planning. I'll bet that the quality of each week will go up and you will feel a much greater sense of accomplishment because you will have heightened your focus on what's most important to you.
While you have your calendar out, I request that you add a note to e-mail me a month from now at mailto:orgcoach@gte.net and let me know how following this six-step weekly planning process has affected your life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kathy Paauw, a certified business/personal coach and organizing/productivity consultant, specializes in helping busy executives, professionals, and entrepreneurs de-clutter their schedules, spaces and minds. Contact her at mailto:orgcoach@gte.net or visit her website at http://www.orgcoach.net and learn how you can Find ANYTHING in 5 Seconds –Guaranteed!

Tags: sex, food disorders, eating, stop smoking, drugs

Informative Articles

Candle Burning to Petition the Male Saints
Last NAN I explained how to petition the female Saints with special requests. This time around I'll provide some instruction on how to ask to be put in the cosmic care of the Male Saints . These are very ancient pagan rituals, which have been popularized by the Christian Church. The basic methodology is to put your request under the appropriately coloured candle on the suggested day of the week along with an image of the Saint (which you can often find on the Internet) and/or a symbol or emblem that represents the Saint.
Saint Anthony of Padua
On a Tuesday burn a brown candle for special requests, a green candle for financial help or an orange candle to find a husband. St. Anthony's is a wonderworker when it comes to finding lost articles, improving the memory and bringing back a strayed lover. His emblem is the lily.
Saint Alphonsu Liguori
On a Thursday, light a purple candle to ask for help with sore, aching muscles, joint pain and arthritis. Anything to do with the bones.
Saint Aloysius
Burn a blue candle on a Wednesday to settle domestic disputes and also banish flu, fevers and contagious diseases.
Saint Bartholomew
On a Tuesday burn a red candle and ask this Saint to reveal the truth to you if you feel like something is being hidden or concealed from you. You can also ask him for protection from violence, violent death and protection and healing while undergoing surgery. His emblem is the butcher knife.
Saint Benedict
Burns a white candle on a Saturday to ask for protection against a variety of evil influences: against poisons, evil temptations, contagious diseases, safety during storms, and assistance during times of healing and death. Saint Benedict also helps heal animals and increase prosperity. His emblem is a raven or a broken cup?.
Saint Alex
On a Sunday, burn a pink candle to ask for protection from astral attack, violence and enemies. His emblem is a crucifix.
Saint Blais
On a Wednesday burn a blue candle to increase positive communication and self-expression. He also helps with diseases of the throat. His emblem is a comb or two unlit crossed candles.
Saint Florian
Burn a red or orange candle on a Sunday to protect the home and for help with any kind of emergency that has to do with home such as a flood, fire, bankruptcy, infestation etc. His emblem is a burning house.
Saint Christopher
No Wednesday burn a red candle for protection from accidents, sudden death, and against storms. Christopher protects motorists and travellers so he is the one to pray to for a safe journey.
Saints Cosme and Damian
Burn two green candles on a Wednesday for help with doctors and health, to get a correct diagnosis and for general physical protection. He can also clear obstacles from you path.
Saint Cipriano
On a Saturday burn a Purple candle to protection from womanizers, liars, cheaters, and negative attitudes. He helps homeless people and those who have been convicted from getting a heavy sentence.
Saint Expedite
On a Thursday light a yellow candle to settle disputes, curse your enemy and to reverse a negative situation around. This is who you petition to if you need things to change quickly or suddenly.
Saint Gerard Majella
On a Monday, light a white candle to petition to become pregnant. He also helps the falsely accused be declared innocent. He also assists mediums, prophets, psychics and clairvoyants in seeing the truth.
Saint Francis of Assisi
On a Monday light a brown candle to petition for peace, conflict resolution and to gain spiritual wisdom. He helps to reveal and dismantle evil plots. He is also an environmentalist and is concerned with matters of ecology and conservation.
Saint George
On Tuesday, light a red candle to

conquer fears, acquire courage and to overcome jealousy. His emblem is the slaying of a dragon.
Saint Ignatius
On a Saturday light a white candle to protect the house from burglary and evil spirits. His emblem is a book and a plum
Saint James the Greater
Light a red candle on a Tuesday to clear obstacles from your path, conquer or remove enemies and for justice to prevail. His emblem is a cockleshell
Saint John the Baptist
On a Tuesday light a green candle to petition him for good luck, fertility, prosperity and protection from enemies.
Saint John Bosco
On a Sunday, light a yellow candle to petition him for favours to do with children, students and educational matters.
Saint Joseph
Light a yellow candle on a Sunday for help with selling a home, finding job, for protection and a happy marriage. His emblem is a lily or a pitcher with a loaf of bread.
Saint Lawrence
Light a red candle on Wednesday to petition for a peaceful, happy home and family, for financial assistance and spiritual strength.
Saint Jude
Light green, white and red candles on a Sunday to petition for a miracle: for hopeless cases that seem impossible, to help with addictions or to help someone get out of jail.
Saint Lazarus
Light a yellow candle on a Sunday to ask for help with sickness, disease, addictions, and better health and to obtain prosperity.
Saint Martin De Porres
Light a purple and white candle on a Thursday to bring harmony to your household. You can also petition him for better health and increased financial security. His emblem is a broom and a crucifix.
Saint Martin Caballero
On a Tuesday light a red or white candle to ask for protection from evil, to rescue someone from evil influences and/or to draw customers to your business. Petition him for money, luck prosperity.
Saint Patrick
On a Sunday light a white candle for prosperity, luck spiritual wisdom and guidance. His emblem is a shamrock and a saint.
Saint Paul
On a Tuesday light a blue or a red candle for courage, patience, overcome opposition and to settle disturbed conditions in the home.
Saint Peter
Light a red and a white candle to petition him to remove obstacles, business success, strength, courage, forgiveness and good fortune. His emblem is two crossed keys.
Saint Peregrine
On a Sunday light a white candle to petition him for help with cancer.
Saint Pius the Tenth
On a Sunday light a white candle to ask for special favours to be granted by those in authourity (such as a boss or government agency.)
Saint Raymond Nonnatus
Light a red candle to prevent gossip, false accusation and for a happy and peaceful home.
Saint Louis Beltran
Light a white candle for help learning languages and protection from evil, accidents, sickness and enemies. He is the one you invoke when children are possessed by spirits.
Saint Roc
On a Wednesday light a yellow candle to restore health and to be protected from contagious diseases.
His emblem is a dog.
Saint Sebastian
Light a red candle on a Tuesday to petition for justice, to overcome rivals, remove obstacles from your path, success and good fortune. His emblem is arrows.
Saint Thomas Aquinas
Light a white candle on a Monday to improve concentration and memory, for understanding, for mental stamina and to help pass exams.

About the Author

Sam Steven's metaphysical articles have been published in many high-standing newspapers and she has published several books. You can meet Sam Stevens at http://www.psychicrealm.com where she works as a professional psychic. You can also read more of her articles at http://www.newagenotebook.com where she is the staff writer. Currently she is studying technology's impact on the metaphysics.

Tags: sex, eating, drug and alcohol addiction, chemical addition, shopping

Informative Articles

Candle Burning to Petition the Female Saints
Here they are, our Ladies of Mercy and Divine Benevolence. Petitioning the Saints for Special Favours has been a big subject in the chat rooms lately, so in the spirit of Christmas and the Goddess energies associated with these martyrs and popularized pagan deities, I have compiled a list that tells you how to use candle burning to request favours.
When you ask the Catholic Saints for help, it is common to write your request on a piece of paper and place it on the appropriately coloured candle. If a totem animal, emblem or object is suggested, you can also place that item, or a picture of that item on her altar as well. If you can find a picture of the Saint in a religious store and place it on the altar that is even better.
Saint Agnes
Burn a white or blue candle on a Friday to ask for her help to: keep a husband faithful, find a soulmate, or reveal dishonesty in a relationship (find out the truth about someone). Her animal is the lamb.
Saint Ann (also known as Anne and Ana)
Burn a white candle on a Monday to ask her for a peaceful and happy home. She is the patron Saint of grandmothers, housekeepers, housewives, mothers and women in labour. Petition her for help with the deaf and the blind.
Saint Barbara
Burn a red candle on a Saturday to drive a way evil, to protect your relationship from rivals, to protect yourself from meddling in-laws, to clear your path of obstacles, to help someone be released from prison and for protection from storms. She is also the patron saint of wives whose men are at war. Her emblem is the Tower.
Saint Maria Goretti
Burn a pink candle on a Friday to ask for fidelity in marriage, help with an abusive or battering male partner and a pardon from the death penalty.
Saint Brigid of Kildare
Burn a yellow candle on a Sunday to ask her: to become fertile, for healing, for happiness and health of pets and farmyard animals, to assist with breeding livestock, for inspiration, for literary gifts (especially poetry) and the gift of prophecy. Her symbol is a cow.
Saint Clare of Assisi
Burn a white candle on a Monday for protection against astral attack and for help overcoming addiction to drug and alcohol.
Saint Catherine of Alexandria
Burn a yellow or white candle on a Saturday to petition her for beauty, fertility, a peaceful death, confidence, seductiveness and confidence when public speaking. Her symbol is the wheel.
Saint Dymphna
Burn a blue candle on a Monday for help with nervous disorders, mental

afflictions, epilepsy, insanity, obsession and astral attack. Her symbol is a sword pointed downwards.
Saint Cecilia
Burn a green candle on a Wednesday for success in a career in the arts, particularly if you are a musician, poet or singer. Her emblem is an organ.
Saint Francis Xavier Cabrini
Burn a white candle on a Sunday to help with matters of immigration, with moving to another city or state or for matters pertaining to health, education or insurance.
Saint Helen of Jerusalem
Burn a pink or red candle on a Friday to ask for the return of a strayed lover and to overcome sorrow, obsession and unhappiness. Her emblem is a cross.
Saint Joan Of Arc
Burn a grey candle on a Tuesday to petition her for spiritual strength, freedom from prisons of all kinds (emotional and otherwise) and for ways to overcome rivals and energies.
Saint Lucy
Burn a white candle on a Wednesday to ask her to help with insoluble or impossible problems, depression, and protection from the evil eye or astral attack, to help you to find the right lawyer and to conquer temptations or addictions.
Saint Martha
Burn a green and/or a white candle on a Tuesday to ask for aid with financial problems, the necessities of life, to bring a lover closer, to keep a husband or boyfriend faithful, to subdue or conquer romantic rivals or enemies or bring a new love. Her symbol is a dragon.
Saint Philomena
Burn a pink or green candle on a Saturday to help with desperate situations, problems with children, unhappiness in the home, the sick, selling real estate, food for the poor and mental illness. Philomena is a favourite of single mothers. Her symbol is an anchor.
Saint Rita of Cascia
Burn a white candle on a Sunday to assist with an abusive relationship, to relieve loneliness, for deliverance from evil and for spiritual fortitude and strength
Saint Therese of Liseux
Burn a yellow candle on a Wednesday to be loved by all, for popularity, for help with addiction and alcoholism, for protection from black magick and to restore faith. Her emblem is a bouquet of roses.

About the Author

Sam Steven's metaphysical articles have been published in many high-standing newspapers and she has published several books. You can meet Sam Stevens at http://www.psychicrealm.com where she works as a professional psychic. You can also read more of her articles at http://www.newagenotebook.com where she is the staff writer. Currently she is studying technology's impact on the metaphysics.

Tags: smoking, drug and alcohol addiction, drug and alcohol, chemical addition, addictions

Informative Articles

Can Exercise Harm You?
When you exercise, your brain releases chemicals called endorphins that produce a feeling of euphoria ? the so called ?runner?s high? that people can become chemically addicted to.
Without it, you feel irritable and out of sorts till you exercise again. So you go on exercising, never stopping to listen to what you body is saying. And what its saying is, ?Stop.?
The reason exercise addicts keep pushing themselves probably lies in what happens when they don?t work out. Psychologists at the University of Massachusetts at Boston studied the psychological consequences of being unable to exercise. They compared 30 male and female runners who had been laid low by minor injuries for at least two weeks, with a similar group who continued to run. Those who could not run displayed more signs of depression, anxiety and confusion, and they were far less happy with themselves and their bodies. Like other addictions, exercise, they say, appears to have withdrawal symptoms.
Of aches and pains
Over indulgence doesn?t harm only the mind, but the body as well. Initially, the exercise will do what it?s supposed to, give you a fit body but once you cross the line, it can get lethal. Muscle damage, osteoarthritis, heart problems they?re all waiting to make an appearance.
The body has its limitations and if you push it beyond that limit, you will harm yourself.
Obsessive exercise tends to happen among new exercisers, people who have only just started working out. So keen are they to get fit that they overstep the limits.
The initial signs of unaccustomed exercise can be exhaustion, but that leads to a build up of fatigue. This can do ?irreparable harm to the body.?
It isn?t only muscles that are at risk, so are bones. Some ?recreational? athletes push themselves to the point of injuries such as shin splints or stress fractures, and then refuse to rest, causing greater and perhaps permanent damage.
Even a

morning walk is not without risk. Too much walking can lead to osteoarthritis.
When you?re walking, you are working against gravity. So more than exercising your muscles, you are harming your knee joint. A lot of patients who walk up to an hour everyday come up with complaints of aches in the knee. In fact, jogging also harms the knees. Too many sit-ups can also hurt. More than 10 a day can weaken the spine. Moderation, as usual, is the key.
You should begin gradually, and combine different types of workouts, something that obsessive exercisers forget. A complication factor with people who get hooked to exercise is that they tend to perform the same workouts day after day, further increasing the chances of permanent damage.
Thinking right
Never work out so much that you feel completely exhausted at the end of it. About 45 minutes to and hour, four to five days a week, should be your limit. Your workout should leave you feeling fresh and energetic. And make it a pint to take a day?s break every week. This is important because your body needs to relax and rejuvenate.
The key to achieving this lies in your attitude. Exercising is the way to healthy life. So if you do it only to please yourself when you stand on the weighing machine, you defeat the whole purpose of the exercise. Felling healthy should be the priority. So stop fighting with your own body and you?ll be a happier person.

About the Author: Indy Stewart is a fitness expert and has a wealth of knowledge and expertise on the subject Muscle Building. He has written extensively on issues relating to Weight Lifting over the years. More information visit: http://www.bigmusclesbuilding.com/ Source: www.isnare.com

Tags: drug and alcohol addiction, shopping, drugs, sex, gambling

Informative Articles

Benefits of Meditation
Benefits of Meditation for Individuals
and for Society as a Whole
Robert Elias Najemy
How is Meditation Used Today?
People from all walks of life, in all the countries of the world belonging to all the possible religions, meditate for a wide variety of reasons. The same technique offers something different to each according to his needs and motives. Some of the motives for which people meditate today are:
1. To relax the body, mind and rejuvenate one?s flow of energy in order to more effectively face the responsibilities of one?s demanding and active life.
2. To heal illnesses (especially psychosomatic ones).
3. To overcome emotional problems.
4. To develop a more relaxed and positive view towards life.
5. To develop a peaceful and more clearly functioning mind.
6. For greater ability to penetrate into the core of problems and find inspirational solutions. This has been found especially useful by scientists and businessmen.
7. To tune into a creative inspirations for artistic expression.
8. For freeing oneself from addictions such as cigarettes, alcohol, narcotics and tranquilizers.
9. To purify one?s character.
10. To develop will-power.
11. As a method of self-observation and self-discovery.
12. To develop the latent powers of the mind.
13. To create a relationship with God.
14. To develop an inner relationship with the Divine.
15. For spiritual growth, self-knowledge or enlightenment.
16. To transcend the identification with the body and mind, and experience spiritual realities.
17. For the ecstasy of union with the Universal Spirit, which is the essential reality of the universe.
Scientific Research on the Effects of Meditation
on the Body and Personality
Numerous scientific experiments on people who meditate and similar control groups who do not meditate, have given repeatable results concerning the effects of meditation on a person?s body and personality.
Most of the following studies have been made on persons practicing Transcendental Meditation. (However, my personal opinion after 34 years of practicing various forms including T.M., is that most forms of meditation will give the same results)
1. DEEP PHYSIOLOGICAL REST is shown by a distinct drop in the metabolism rate, as measured by the oxygen consumption by an individual in meditation, waking activity, sleep and hypnosis.
2. Another indication of the deep rest is that the number of breaths needed to be taken each minute during meditation drops significantly.
3. Good news for those with heart problems is that meditation is also extremely restful and rejuvenating for the heart.
4. Another indication of the deep rest produced by meditation is the significant drop in the blood lactate level. The lower the lactate level the more rested and rejuvenated is the muscle tissue.
5. Tests show meditation?s deep calming effect through the decrease in skin conductivity.
6. Brain wave measurements during meditation show a higher incidence of alpha waves indicating a restful alertness. There is a sense of peace and yet a wakeful awareness in one?s environment.
7. Another scientific study showed that meditation induces greater communication and interaction between the two hemispheres of the brain.
8. Perhaps the best documented and well known effects of meditation concern its ability to reduce blood pressure in those with high blood pressure.
LONG TERM PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES
9. In the long run both the heart rate and breathing rate develop a slower pace as the body experiences less mental-emotional stress and learns to waste less energy. The body becomes more relaxed and more efficient.
10. Persons who meditate experience much more stable health. They have less illnesses in general in their lives.
LONG TERM PSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGES
11. Studies have also shown that those who meditate regularly react more quickly and more effectively to a stressful event.
12. Meditation also increases one?s perceptual ability and motor performance.
13. Studies on high school students showed that those who meditated had a higher «intelligence growth rate» than those who did

not.
14. Memory recall is also enhanced by meditation.
15. Many psychological studies have been made in work environments concerning meditators and control groups of non-meditators.
Meditators had above average increases in
a. JOB SATISFACTION
b. PRODUCTIVITY,
c. Improvement in their relationships with coworkers
d. Improvement in their relationship with their supervisors.
16. A large number of psychological tests have been done on those who have been meditating for various periods of time. A test made on those who had been meditating for only two months in comparison to non-meditators produced the following results:
a. Meditators had greater inner-directedness than non meditators.
b. They measured higher self acceptance.
c. Greater spontaneity and creativity.
d. Greater self-esteem.
e. An increase in the capacity for intimate contact with loved ones.
f. Less anxiety .
17. Prisoners who stared meditation showed:
a. A marked decrease in mental illness.
b. Their behavior became more socially acceptable.
c. Less anxiety and less aggressiveness.
d. Became inclined to more positive activities such as sports, clubs and educational activities.
OTHER LONG TERM PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES
18. After 4 to 6 weeks of meditation, meditators with hypertension have found their blood pressure fall.
19. A group of meditators who had been suffering from bronchial asthma found significant relief.
20. Meditators checked for their consumption of cigarettes after starting to meditate showed marked decrease.
21. Meditation significantly reduces ones need for or dependency on tranquilizers. alcohol and or drugs.
22. Other tests made on meditators show that they need much less sleep to recover from sleep deprivation.
23. Meditators show significant decrease in the illness after starting meditation.
24. Meditators showed greatly increased ability to recover from psychosomatic illnesses.
25. Insomniacs who start meditation require much less time to fall asleep.
26. A study on athletes showed that, after starting to meditate, there was an improvement in their performance on various athletic events as well as their intelligence as measured by intelligence tests.
27. In one other study it was found that meditation has the tendency to normalize a person?s weight. That is if he is overweight, he tends to loose, and if he is underweight, he tends to gain.
SOME CONCLUSIONS
CONCERNING THESE RESEARCH STUDIES
The conclusion is obvious.
Meditation increases whatever is good and life supporting in a person.
It strengthens our immune system, harmonizes our endocrine system and relaxes our nervous system. It creates health and vitality.
On a mental level it develops inner peace, clarity, self-confidence, self-acceptance, creativity, productivity and eventually greater self-actualization.
It makes our work environment more satisfactory, improves our relationships with coworkers, supervisors and subordinates. It makes us more creative, more responsible and more productive.
On a spiritual level it puts us in contact with our inner voice, with our inner strength, with our inner spiritual wisdom and love.
Think now, what would happen if many people in our society meditated? How would it affect our society?
Think what would happen if you meditated daily.
(Adapted from the forthcoming "The Art of Meditation" by Robert Elias Najemy. His book "The Psychology of Happiness" (ISBN 0-9710116-0-5) is available at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/holisticharmo-20 and http://www.HolisticHarmony.com/psychofhappiness.html. His writings can be viewed at http://www.HolisticHarmony.com where you can also download FREE articles and e-books.

About the Author

Robert Elias Najemy is the author of over 600 articles, 400 lecture cassettes on Human Harmony and 20 books, which have sold over 100,000 copies.
He is the Founder and director of the Center for Harmonious Living in Greece with 3700 members.
His book The Psychology of Happiness; ISBN 0-9710116-0-5 is available at www.amazon.com and http://www.HolisticHarmony.com. where you can view and download FREE articles and e-books.

Tags: smoking, eating, drug and alcohol addiction, sex, compulsive behavior

Informative Articles

Are You Relationship Ready? Take the Quiz

Take the test - - are you ready for a relationship?

Most singles are seeking a committed relationship and date with that goal in mind. Many are not ready for commitment for a variety of reasons, but they don't want to be alone, and so they date to find a partner anyway. When their dating strategy doesn't align with their readiness status, these singles unconsciously set themselves up for failure, complicating their lives and those of their dating partners.

Just because you want something doesn't necessarily mean you're ready for it. Many variables can interfere with your readiness for a committed relationship with someone you meet, such as being involved with someone else, going through a divorce, financial trouble, career demands, family obligations, physical health challenges, or mental/emotional health challenges such as addictions, depression, or anxiety disorders.

It would be a tragedy to meet your soul mate and not be ready for them. Getting involved in a relationship before you are ready can create a shaky foundation of unfinished business that eventually brings a relationship crashing down.

To assess your readiness for a committed relationship, rate yourself in each of the following ten areas. Try to be objective and honest with yourself. We recommend asking close friends and family members for their opinions as well.

READINESS REVIEW FOR SINGLES

Rating Scale: Rate each item on a scale from 0 to 10

8-10: This area of my life is strong and would be an asset to my next relationship

5-7: This area needs work, but most likely would not sabotage my next relationship

0-4: This area could interfere with the success of my next relationship

1.I KNOW WHAT I WANT

I have a clear vision for my life and relationship. I can envision my perfect life in rich detail that feels strong, very real, and keeps me motivated.

2.I KNOW MY REQUIREMENTS

I have a written list of at least ten non-negotiable requirements that I use for screening potential partners. I am clear that if any are missing, a relationship will not work for me.

3.I AM HAPPY AND SUCCESSFUL BEING SINGLE

I enjoy my life, my work, my family, my friends, and my own company. I am living the life that I want, and I am not seeking a relationship out of desperation and need.

4.I AM READY AND AVAILABLE FOR COMMITMENT

I have no emotional or legal baggage from a previous relationship. My schedule, commitments and lifestyle allow my availability to build a new relationship.

5.I AM SATISFIED WITH

MY WORK/CAREER

My work is fulfilling, supports my lifestyle, and does not interfere with my availability for a new relationship.

6.I AM HEALTHY IN MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT

My physical, mental, or emotional health does not interfere with having the life and relationship that I want. I am reasonably happy and feel good.

7.MY FINANCIAL AND LEGAL BUSINESS IS HANDLED

I have no financial or legal issues that would interfere with having the life and relationship that I want.

8.MY FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS ARE FUNCTIONAL

My relationships with my children, ex, siblings, parents, and extended family do not interfere with having the life and relationship that I want.

9.I HAVE EFFECTIVE DATING SKILLS

I initiate contact with people I want to meet, and disengage from people who are not a match for me. I keep my physical and emotional boundaries, and balance my heart with my head with potential partners.

10.I HAVE EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIP SKILLS

I understand relationships, can maintain closeness and intimacy, communicate authentically and assertively, negotiate difference positively, allow myself to trust and be vulnerable, and can give and receive love without emotional barriers.

RESULTS: Add up your scores to determine your relationship readiness:

80-100: GREEN Light: You are well on your way to the life and relationship you really want

50-79: YELLOW Light: Continue to work on the areas needed and take it slow in relationships

0-49: RED Light: Take a break from seeking a partner, focus on your life and prepare for the relationship that you really want

NOTE: We suggest that ANY area rated 0-4 result in a "Red Light" and that you consider taking a break from seeking a partner until that area is improved.

You may freely post this article as long as a) it is posted in its entirety; b) you provide a link back to http://www.consciousdating.com; and c) you do not post on an adult-content site.

About The Author

David Steele, MA, is the founder of the Relationship Coaching Institute and a pioneer in working with singles. He has helped thousands of singles and couples get what they want from relationships. His new book, Conscious Dating; Finding the Love of Your Life in Today?s World, teaches readers precisely how to get what they want in their own life. To learn more, visit http://www.consciousdating.com David's conscious dating site

Tags: gambling, compulsive behavior, smoking, addictions, chemical addition

Informative Articles

Are You Codependent or Independent?

Why is it that depending on others to fulfill our self worth is a concept that we all can relate to? Sacrificing what our thoughts, emotions, decisions, and likes or dislikes are, for the betterment of someone else?s.

It is as if depending on the other person who you hold so high is more fulfilling then standing alone, independent of the other. It?s root resides in a past when a person didn?t realize they really had wings that could fly. Therefore, for fear of abandonment, they suppressed their own self worth, avoided confrontation, and then continued to please who they were dependent upon.

In contrast, the counterdependent person who has someone codependent towards them, is pretending that they don?t need anyone else and have concluded that people only need them.

Both codependency and counterdependency are an internal defense systems that shield and protect from past wounds of abandonment. They both are dysfunctional and lead the codependent person down a tattered road of unfulfillment and eventually depression.

Perhaps, it could be said that all of us are, to some degree, dependent upon others because, after all, we are social creatures who inevitably need each other in some capacity.

However, when it saps your very core of enjoying the gift of life God gave you, then the sun never rises and the darkness only gets darker.

We came into this world alone and we will also leave that way!

Inner strength comes from a true respect and love for yourself, no matter what the situation or condition is. Although, deep within many of our wounded souls, that love is not strong and therefore self respect is not properly attained.

This is where your deep-seated self-worth is obtained and how you perceive yourself. In addition, it is the weakened aura you emit to others see you that is not totally erect, but somewhat wilted.

Many of our true societal problems, whether they are insecurity, control issues, codependency, addictions, manipulative personality disorder, seclusion, or simple anger, stemmed from a lack of self love, self worth, and self respect. Hence, people

replace one problem for the another!

If you are lonely inside and do not feel as though you can love the real you, then any and all subsequent relationships will feel that same inner turmoil until your inside is truly loved!

These social problems listed above can intertwine, commingle and cross each other?s boundaries in a very insidious manner.

There is not one issue more serious than the other, they are more or less on an equal plane and being dependent on another, is certainly no exception.

By not allowing one?s self-worth to be determined by another?s perceptions, by not feeling that being loved by another is conditional on living up to the expectations of others, or merely pleasing them, is absolutely critical to healthy functioning!

Taking full accountability for the way you feel instead of others making that discerning determination allows you to be self dependent, kicks out the crutch, and makes you stand alone.

As scary as that may seem to some, it is by far the best way to perceive your self-worth. Trusting that you can own your own emotions, whether they are anger, happiness, setting boundaries, or leaving, is how we can come to the serene life we always dreamed of as a child.

These decisions and self-adjustments for the better can be made! It takes a personal acceptance and a subsequent love for yourself: then the fragile person previously tethering by a string, is now firmly tied unto itself, immersed in self confidence and independent, not codependent.

About The Author

Brian Maloney - ValuePrep.com

Want to improve your personal values? Get high-quality-relationship advice from a 'Logical' standpoint. Visit http://valueprep.com

**Attn Ezine editors / Site Owners**

Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your website as long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include our resource box as listed above.

valuepre@valueprep.com

Tags: chemical addition, food disorders, shopping, addictions, drugs

Informative Articles

Are You Afraid of Change?
Change, no matter how you cut it, can certainly be a
daunting task. There are so many ways to change; your
image, attitude, environment, perceptions, addictions, and
how you treat others.
However, let?s explore the reasons for change. Firstly,
aspects in your life that negatively affect self progression,
whether put upon yourself or not, scream loudest to be
changed.
Many times the guarded vaults inside ourselves mask this
need for change, due to false pride, or the mere
misperception of how change can improve our quality of
life. As a result, a vicious cycle of negativity will hover if
these changes fail to be made.
So then, how do we know when to prioritize a needful
change so that it can be properly made?
No matter how blind one can get, signs from friends and
family, or negative reactions to your conduct by others can
definitely be the most telling, and that?s where you would
start.
This recognition is a crucial beginning point, because if you
can?t recognize and then admit, then you will always be in
denial of your infractions.
For example: If you are a drug addict or any type of addict
for that matter, the only way you are going to get clean of
that chemical is not by force from the state or your family,
but from within.
This introspection, though through a haze of chemicals or
denial is tough, cannot be overstated in its importance.
Although, when done with logic and perspective, it can be
utterly empowering.
How does someone muster up enough will to make a
critical change?
Despite what everyone else will think, whether bad or
good; knowing yourself through

introspection is indeed the
best route with which to take, and will nullify all those
external forces.
This, in part, is where your power to make that change will
be generated. Instead of worrying how others will perceive
you in your plights, simply put, …don?t!
Trusting yourself above everything else is fundamentally
how change can start to be implemented. In addition, when
a change for the better has been made, subsequent changes
can and will be made more smoothly with less internal
conflict.
Understanding the power of your own mind and how it can
heal itself when given a chance is what I hope people can
take from this article.
You do not have to be afraid of change!
Positive changes in life should always be sought out, and
dispelling your fears through self trust can arguably become
your best ally in making your next change.
–by Brian Maloney-ValuePrep.com
Want to improve your personal values?
Get high-quality-relationship advice for
guys and gals from a 'Logical' standpoint.
Visit ValuePrep Relationship Advice
**Attn Ezine editors / Site Owners**
Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your
ezine or on your website as long as you leave all
links in place, do not modify the content and include
our resource box as listed above.

About the Author

Brian Maloney is an online writer assisting others in understanding their personal values within their relationships. As site owner of the new ValuePrep.com, solid writing on relationshp advice is what you can expect from him in the future along with his first book to be released in 2005/6.

Tags: addictions, sex, drugs, chemical addition, food disorders

Informative Articles

Are You Addicted To Your Activities?

Activities - such as sports, creative projects, reading, work, TV, meditation - can be a wonderful way to relax, express yourself, or connect to yourself. Or they can be an addiction. How can you know the difference?

* Angie would surf the channels whenever she felt stressed or alone.

* Karen would lose herself in a book when things felt overwhelming.

* Keith would retreat and meditate when his wife wanted to talk.

* Patty?s work schedule left her little time at home.

* Carl spent more time in the garage fixing things than with his family.

* Patrick?s love of running was interfering with his family time.

Whether or not an activity is an addiction depends upon your INTENT.

* When the intent of an activity is to avoid the pain of aloneness and loneliness, it is an addiction.

* When the intent of an activity is to avoid the pain of rejection or the fear of domination, it is an addiction.

* When the intent of an activity is to put off doing something you don?t really want to do but need to do, it is an addiction.

Whenever an activity is used as a way to avoid something - painful feelings, difficult or boring tasks - it becomes an addiction. It?s really no different than using substances such alcohol, drugs, or food to avoid painful feelings or challenging tasks. The problem with using addictions to avoid painful feelings is that the feelings don?t actually go away. They are just numbed for the moment but are silently eroding one?s sense of self. We can get away with it only for so long before it shows up in some way - illness, divorce, depression, and so on. And avoiding tasks means that the tasks pile up, eventually causing the very stress we want to avoid. Our society is filled with ways to avoid. Yet it is avoidance that leads to the very feelings we are striving to avoid!

When the intent of an activity is to take loving care of yourself by providing yourself with fun, creativity and expression, relaxation, personal growth, spiritual growth, physical health and well-being, then it is a loving action rather than an addiction. It all depends on your INTENT.

Next time you want to participate in your favorite activity, you might want to notice your intent. Do you want to relax and watch TV or are you avoiding some difficult feeling or task? Do you find yourself scheduling

more work than you can really handle to avoid dealing with aloneness, loneliness, or conflict with a mate, or are you really loving your work and feeling fulfilled by it? Are you exercising to support your health or to avoid feelings?

Once you become aware of using an activity to avoid, here?s what you can do about it:

1. Welcome the feeling you are trying so hard to avoid. Pay attention to the feeling - fear, loneliness, aloneness, agitation, boredom, anxiety.

2. Make a decision to learn what YOU might be doing to cause this feeling rather than continuing to avoid it.

3. Explore what you might be doing to cause this feeling. How are you not taking care of yourself that is causing your painful feeling? Are you procrastinating, judging yourself, or not standing up for yourself in conflict? How are you avoiding responsibility for your own well-being? Are you allowing yourself to be a victim, waiting for someone else to make you feel better?

4. Once you understand what you are doing to cause your distress, then you need to ask ?What would be the loving action for myself?? You are asking this question of your highest self, or of your spiritual guidance if you are connected with a source of guidance. If you open to learning about what is loving, ideas will pop into your mind.

5. Now you need to take the loving action on your own behalf - complete a task, stand up for yourself and speak your truth with someone, and so on.

6. Re-evaluate how you are feeling. Are you feeling more peaceful and more powerful? You will feel more peaceful if you have taken the loving action. If you are not feeling better, don?t just turn back to your addictions. Look for another loving action until you find what really makes you feel safe on a deep level, not just the temporary pacification of an addiction.

You will find your addictions fading away as you learn to take loving care of yourself.

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?" She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone sessions available.

Tags: smoking, eating, stop smoking, drug and alcohol, drug and alcohol addiction

Informative Articles

Another Reality TV Show or a Reality Check?

Quote of the month: *The secret weapon for success is knowledge, so what you don*t know can hurt you. - Geela

These days there is a growing trend towards reality TV shows that are based on external shallow values. With the appeal of junk food, it has a powerful hypnotic effect even on the strongest minds. But while reality TV may seem like a harmless form of entertainment, the damage (which is done so subtly) is very powerful and therefore it deserves a closer look. So the question is *Do we really need another reality TV show or perhaps it*s time for a reality check?*

The popularity of reality TV shouldn*t come as a surprise considering the fact that we live in a culture that worships vanity, rather than virtue, and lives by the mantra of *He with the most toys lives,* rather than *He with the most joys lives.* It*s been said that circumstances don*t make a man, they only reveal him. Likewise, reality TV is merely a reflection of what our society has become - a materialistically driven society where the love of power and money overcomes the power of love. It*s a reflection of a society that is not only devoid of a solid wholesome value system, but is also separated from spiritual roots. It*s also a culture that thrives on living on the edge, characterized by thrill-seeking and addictions (including the addiction to stimulation).

So here is the true reality behind reality TV. Reality TV, which is in the business of making us feel good rather than be good, actually contributes to the growing problems in our society by celebrating human weakness rather than human excellence. Reality TV doesn*t empower us, but rather overpowers us by taking our innate power and inner knowing and spirituality away from us, leaving us feeling insecure, inadequate, less fulfilled, isolated and confused by virtue of the promotion of anti-social behavior, excessive self-indulgence, self-entitlement, greed, compromised integrity, obsession with winning at all costs, and erosion in morality.

When you consider the magnitude of the challenges that are facing America today, it becomes obvious that what we need is certainly not another mind-numbing reality TV show, but rather a good reality check. Whether we recognize it or not, America is in desperate need of healing and true revival. It needs a jump-start, not only in the economy, but most importantly a jump-start in the spirit. After all, we are only as strong as our spirit, because when the spirit is weak it*s easier to become overwhelmed by what life throws our way. But when the spirit is strong, no turbulences can effect us, much like a ship in the vast ocean that can sail smoothly as long as there are no holes in it to make it sink.

America could use a reality check if only to reexamine our value system, which is out of balance and has led to social ills and failing systems and institutions. In a conflicted state of uncertainty, doubt and fear, it*s only natural for people to feel overwhelmed, wishing to escape from reality. However, reality TV proves only an artificial relief. It*s obvious that we are looking for love (real joy, fulfillment, meaning and purpose) in all the wrong places. In a culture that demands instant gratification, and relief from everyday anxieties, a quick fix (for coping), seems to be the chosen drug of choice.

So now for that reality check. The reality is that the prevailing mentality in American

society today is *more is better,* acquiring external riches as opposed to internal riches and that you can get something for nothing. There is a sense of entitlement and an expectation of wanting the good life without having to work hard for it. This is reinforced, glorified and perpetuated by the media with shows like *The Lifestyle of The Rich and Famous.* When all you see is glamour, but not the hard work and sacrifice that goes into achieving success, it only inspires more envy and the desire for a *get rich quick* scheme leading to the erosion of morality and integrity.

From environmental pollution to spiritual pollution, we can no longer ignore our failing systems and institutions. From an Enron economy with ballooning budget deficits (which is really a reflection of a deficit in integrity) and a vanishing social security system (which creates social insecurity) to politicians doing what*s politically correct instead of what*s in the best interest of the community, to a failing education system as reflected in poor test scores which lag behind those of other nations, to the break-down of the family system (where kids find themselves home alone growing up with their peers, gangs or TV without nurturing parents to instill in them solid wholesome values system), we are planning to fail by default.

Our spiritual bankruptcy is evident practically in every facet of our lives, resulting in social ills from perversion, to the phenomenon of people going from being heroes to zero. We can no longer ignore the senseless violence in our schools and crime on our streets, increased teen suicide (often due to hopelessness, low self-esteem, lack of direction and a solid, wholesome value system) and substance abuse. Americans are more stressed out today than ever before despite the fact that we have the highest standard of living in the entire world. The true reality is that America is going, slowly but surely, from being a nation of producers and innovators to a nation of insatiable consumers (even the holidays are too commercialized to enjoy) while drowning in debt just to support a lifestyle we can*t even afford. All of these problems can be traced to the pursuit of materialism, which is a by-product of the American Dream.

But rather then play the *blame game,* it*s far more productive to approach the reality TV issue in terms of what you can do to improve your own life. A reality check is a good starting point. Remember, the true spirit of the American Dream was all about perspiration, innovation, risk and reward with the focus on a wholesome values system, integrity, a strong work ethic, community and being of service. All of which creates total prosperity (from health to wealth) with purpose, meaning and real joy. Now that*s a reality worth striving for!

Copyright © 2004, Geela

Author of *The American Dream*

http://www.Geela.com

Geela is an award winning singer/songwriter/composer, columnist, and author of the best-selling book *THE AMERICAN DREAM,* her true- life story of how she came to America as a young immigrant with nothing and overcame incredible obstacles to achieve mega-success. She founded ONE SPIRIT, ONE WORLD to help children and promote a culture of peace and harmony. Get a free sample of her music and her book at http://www.Geela.com

Tags: drug and alcohol addiction, shopping, smoking, stop smoking, chemical addition