A Tribute To Zig Ziglar

“Success means doing the best we can with what we have. Success is the doing, not the getting; in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be.”

Zig Ziglar

If one is looking for pleasure in life, they look to their desires. If one is seeking truth, they look for answers. If one wants to get motivated, they pick up a Zig Ziglar book.

On Thursday, Zig Ziglar died of complications from pneumonia at a hospital in Plano, Texas. He was 86 years old. Ziglar had suffered a brain injury after falling down a staircase in 2007.

When one thinks of making a difference in this world, they can think of Zig Ziglar. As a talented author and speaker, his international appeal has transcended every colour, culture, and career.

Zig Ziglar has been a popular figure in the motivational speakers circuit for three decades. He wrote more than 30 books aimed at helping people to lead more productive and balanced lives. His books include Born To Win, Better Than Good, and How To Get What You Want and are available on Amazon.com.

Here are some famous quotes by Zig Ziglar:

“Every choice you make has an end result”

“Remember that failure is an event, not a person”

“You are the only person on earth who can use your ability.”

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude”

“Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes”

“People don't buy for logical reasons. They buy for emotional reasons.”

“Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will”

“People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.”

“If you can dream it, then you can achieve it. You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want”

“If you want to reach a goal, you must "see the reaching" in your own mind before you actually arrive at your goal”

“The foundation stones for a balanced success are honesty, character, integrity, faith, love and loyalty”

“You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win”

“It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through”

“I believe that being successful means having a balance of success stories across the many areas of your life. You can't truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles”

Zig Ziglar - Attitude Makes All The Difference – BRILLIANT:

 

In all his teachings and motivational speeches, Ziglar had a way with words. He could inspire, enlighten, and encourage people whenever he spoke. He focused on human nature. He challenged people to think creatively and outside the box. He raised the confidence in one’s mind, enlightened their soul, and proved to be more than just the common man.

He may not be with us physically now, but his motivational quotes and books will live on in the minds, hearts and spirits of those who are inspired by him.

“Even in tragedy, God through His word offers hope for those who seek and believe. It starts with the promise of a better tomorrow, of life everlasting, of eternal peace. It’s called faith, and it offers hope where none existed.”

Zig Ziglar

R.I.P

Should Cannabis Be Legalised?

“I used to smoke marijuana. But I'll tell you something:

I would only smoke it in the late evening.

Oh, occasionally the early evening, but usually the late evening - or the mid-evening.

Just the early evening, midevening and late evening.

Occasionally, early afternoon, early midafternoon, or perhaps the late-midafternoon.

Oh, sometimes the early-mid-late-early morning. . . . But never at dusk.”

Steve Martin

LOL

Cannabis is a derivative of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa.  Cannabis contains a chemical called THC (Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol).  THC is a mind-altering drug.  People usually take it for the effects it has on their mood and their feelings.  THC is also a depressant drug, that is, it slows the brain down, particularly if taken in high doses.  It can give people hallucinations, make them feel sedated or sleepy or it can act as a stimulant.

Marijuana is the dried leaves and flowers of the cannabis plant.  It may range in colour from green to grey or brown. It may be fine like dried tea, or leafy.  Marijuana is usually smoked as a rolled cigarette, but it can be eaten if combined with food, most commonly cookies.  Other names for marijuana include dope, pot, grass, spliff, dak, buds, ganga, hooch, zol and weed.

Hashish, commonly referred to as hash, is made from the resin of the cannabis plant.  Hashish is often sold in hard cubes and may be brown to black in colour.  It is usually smoked with tobacco (rolled into a cigarette) but can be eaten as well.  Hashish is more potent or powerful in its effects than marijuana.

Hashish oil is a concentrated form of hashish.  It is very potent and small amounts can produce marked effects.  Marijuana, hashish and hashish oil are often taken through a pipe or bong which cools the smoke through water.  Sometimes hashish oil is taken by a process called spotting.  Spotting involves heating implements to combine with hashish to produce smoke - often cutlery knives are used on a stove.  Burnt tips of knives are usually a sign they have been used for this purpose.

How cannabis works

When smoked, cannabis is rapidly absorbed through the lungs into the blood, its level peaking in the blood about 30 minutes after being taken. However, cannabis is highly lipid soluble - that means it is attracted to fat cells. It is quickly taken from the blood and stored in fat cells. The THC is then released very slowly, and unevenly, back into the blood.

Different figures are sometimes quoted about how long THC can remain in the body's fat stores. The general answer is that it stays in the body for a very long period compared with other drugs, potentially for several months.

Effects of cannabis use

It is not possible to accurately summarise or predict the immediate effects of using cannabis because each person may experience individual and different effects.

These effects will depend on:

·         how much cannabis is taken, the way it is taken and the form in which it is taken

·         how strong it is

·         how experienced the user is

·         the general physical health of the user

·         the mental health of the user

·         the user's mood when they start taking the drug

·         the setting in which they take the drug

·         whether other drugs are taken as well.

Short-term effects

Although cannabis is a depressant or brain-slowing drug, people often say that being intoxicated (stoned, wasted, out of it) is a very stimulating experience.  The user feels very happy or high, loose or uninhibited.

Some people find that using cannabis is a negative experience.  They may feel anxious, self-conscious or have paranoid thoughts.  Some experience acute anxiety and panic.

People who are intoxicated on cannabis usually feel more sensitive to things around them and sensations can seem different. For example, time can seem to slow down, colours seem brighter and richer and new details and meanings can be seen in things.  People concentrate less well, often talk and laugh more than usual and can have problems with their balance.

If large doses of cannabis are taken, the resulting toxicity can cause symptoms of confusion, paranoia, panic attacks, hallucinations and feelings of unreality.  New users may also experience acute paranoid experiences which usually stop after intoxication wears off.

Cannabis also often impairs short-term memory and attention and makes it harder to complete complex tasks, especially tasks which involve doing several things at once.

Longer-term and chronic effects

A number of longer-term effects have been seen in people who use cannabis heavily. Some New Zealand researchers define heavy use as using 10 times or more in a 30-day period.   Heavy cannabis use effects can include the following.

·         An increased risk of developing cancer of the respiratory tract.  These risks are more likely to do with smoking as the method of taking cannabis, rather than the properties of the drug itself.

·         An adverse effect on people with pre-existing cardiovascular disease, since cannabis use significantly raises the heart rate.

·         A risk of developing chronic bronchitis, possibly irreversible obstructive lung disease, possibly lung cancer and cancers of the aero-digestive tract.

·         Heavy use of cannabis is sometimes associated with a reduction in energy and drive.  This has been referred to as "amotivation".  This problem is more likely to be an acute effect which will go away if cannabis use stops.  There is poor evidence of this syndrome existing even among heavy, long-term cannabis users.

·         Heavy cannabis use affects the ability to learn.  This is related to decreased concentration levels, reduced short-term memory and difficulties with thinking.  These problems go away if cannabis use stops.

·         Chronic, heavy cannabis use can reduce sex drive in some people.  It can lower sperm count in males and lead to irregular periods in females.  This problem goes away if cannabis use stops.

·         People can become dependent on cannabis.

·         Many people with mental health problems also use cannabis.  Generally, it is not a good drug for such people to use.  People with mental health problems need to try to keep their brain level or stable.  Cannabis excites and then slows the brain down.  In particular, it can make anyone who has ever been paranoid, more paranoid.

Signs and Symptoms of Cannabis or Marijuana Use:

If someone is intoxicated by Cannabis:

·         They may have balance problems and have trouble walking.

·         Their eyes may appear red and bloodshot and dilated pupils are common.

·         They may exhibit memory difficulties.  

·         The user can become hungry  -often referred to as getting the munchies

·         When the effects start to wear off they may become sleepy.

Getting hooked

As with other drugs, dependence on cannabis is influenced by a number of factors, including how long you’ve been using it, how much you use and whether you are more prone to becoming dependent. 

Compared to other widely used drugs like alcohol, tobacco and opiates, a smaller percentage of cannabis users become dependent.  Dependency is also less severe compared to many other legal and illegal drugs.  Adolescents are much more susceptible to marijuana dependence and to problems related to marijuana abuse than adults.  Researchers found that pot has a 9% addiction rate, which is low when compared with the legal substance of nicotine, which has a 32 % rate of addiction.  Heroin's addiction rate is 23 %, but the study found that about 10 % of pot smokers become daily users.

You may find you have difficulty stopping regular use, and you may experience psychological and physical withdrawal symptoms when you do stop.  Withdrawal symptoms can include cravings for cannabis, irritability, mood changes, appetite disturbance, weight loss, difficulty sleeping and, in some people, sweating, shaking and diarrhoea.

If you've only been using for a short while there should be no problem stopping, but after continued regular use of cannabis, stopping can become more difficult.  You’re also at risk of getting addicted to nicotine if you roll your spliffs with tobacco.

The active ingredient of cannabis, THC, is detectable in urine for typically 14 to 28 days for frequent use of the drug or around 5 days for a one-off use, at a cut-off level of 50 ng/ml.  The reason for this long retention time is that THC binds with the body's fat reserves - and leaches out over a number of days.  You will also undoubtedly have patients who claim that they are positive due to passive smoking.  Let us assure you that this is not the case.  The cut-off level of the test is set at a level much too high for passive smoking to affect the test results.

Check this world map for legal areas of cannabis use.

“Federal and state laws (should) be changed to no longer make it a crime

to possess marijuana for private use.”

Richard Nixon

What do you think?

5 Visionaries Who Experimented With Drugs

“Whether you sniff it smoke it eat it or shove it up your ass,

the result is the same: addiction.”

William S. Burroughs

Is intelligence related to an increased likelihood of recreational drug use?  It's an interesting hypothesis, and one that's been gaining momentum in recent years.  If a definitive link between intellectual capacity and drug use does exist, it will likely be some time before anyone establishes one.  Having said that, this much is for certain: history has more than its fair share of experimenting experimentalists.

Let's meet 5 of history's most influential scientific and technological visionaries, along with their drugs of choice - namely Cocaine and LSD:

1. Sigmund Freud — Cocaine

“Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self esteem, first make sure you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes”

Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, was a physiologist, medical doctor, psychologist and influential thinker of the early twentieth century.  He articulated and refined the concepts of the unconscious, infantile sexuality and repression, and he proposed a tripartite account of the mind’s structure—all as part of a radically new conceptual and therapeutic frame of reference for the understanding of human psychological development and the treatment of abnormal mental conditions. Notwithstanding the multiple manifestations of psychoanalysis as it exists today, it can in almost all fundamental respects be traced directly back to Freud’s original work.

To Freud, cocaine was more than a personal indulgence; he regarded it as a veritable wonder drug, and for many years was a huge proponent of its use in a wide array of applications.  In a letter written to his fiancé, Martha, Freud wrote:  "If all goes well, I will write an essay (on cocaine) and I expect it will win its place in therapeutics by the side of morphine and superior to it... I take very small doses of it regularly against depression and against indigestion and with the most brilliant of success."

Freud published such a review, titled "Uber Coca" in 1884.  Interestingly, Freud's paper was one of the first to propose drug substitution as a therapeutic treatment for addiction.  While replacing morphine with cocaine is something we now know to be counterproductive to recovery, the concept of substitution therapies persists to this day.  

2. Thomas Edison — Cocaine

“If we all did the things we are really capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves”

Thomas Edison held a world record of 1093 patents for inventions such as the light bulb and phonograph, the transmitter for the telephone speaker, and key elements of motion-picture apparatus, as well as other bright inventions. He also created the world's first industrial research laboratory.

In 1863, French chemist Angelo Mariani invented "Vin Mariani," a Bordeaux wine treated with coca leaves, the active ingredient of which is none other than cocaine.  The ethanol content in the Bordeax could extract cocaine from the coca leaves in concentrations exceeding 7mg per fluid ounce of wine.  Thomas Edison, the prolific American inventor and notorious insomniac, was one of many people of the period known to regularly consume the cocaine-laced elixir.

3. John C. Lilly — LSD

“You don't have to suffer continual chaos in order to grow.”

John C. Lilly was a physician and psychoanalyst. He made contributions in the fields of biophysics, neurophysiology, electronics, computer science, and neuroanatomy.  His eclectic career began as a conventional scientist doing research for universities and government. However, he gradually began researching unconventional topics. He published several books and had two Hollywood movies based partly on his work.

Lilly was a pioneer in the field of electronic brain stimulation.  He was the first person to map pain and pleasure pathways in the brain; founded an entire branch of science exploring interspecies communication between humans, dolphins, and whales; invented the world's first sensory deprivation chamber; and conducted extensive personal experimentation with mind-altering drugs like LSD and ketamine.

It bears mentioning that Lilly's experiments with interspecies communication, personal psychedelic use, and sensory deprivation often overlapped.

4. Steve Jobs — LSD

 “That’s been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains”

Steve Jobs was the co-founder and CEO of Apple and formerly Pixar.  LSD was a big deal for Steve Jobs.   Evidently, Jobs believed that experimenting with LSD in the 1960s was "one of the two or three most important things he had done in his life."   What's more, he felt that there were parts of him that the people he knew and worked with could not understand, simply because they hadn't had a go at psychedelics.   This latter sentiment also comes through in his recently-published biography, wherein Jobs goes so far as to associate what he interpreted as Bill Gates' dearth of imagination with a lack of psychedelic experimentation:

"Bill is basically unimaginative and has never invented anything, which is why I think he's more comfortable now in philanthropy than technology. He just shamelessly ripped off other people's ideas."

"He'd be a broader guy," Jobs says about Gates, "if he had dropped acid once or gone off to an ashram when he was younger."

5.  Bill Gates — LSD

“If geek means you're willing to study things, and if you think science and engineering matter, I plead guilty. If your culture doesn't like geeks, you are in real trouble”

Bill Gates is an American business magnate and philanthropist. Gates is the former chief executive and current chairman of Microsoft, the world’s largest personal-computer software company, which he co-founded with Paul Allen. He is consistently ranked among the world's wealthiest people and was the wealthiest overall from 1995 to 2009, excluding 2008, when he was ranked third; in 2011 he was the wealthiest American and the second wealthiest person. During his career at Microsoft, Gates held the positions of CEO and chief software architect, and remains the largest individual shareholder, with 6.4% of the common stock. He has also authored or co-authored several books.

Strangely enough, Bill Gates totally did experiment with LSD, though an excerpt from a 1994 interview with Playboy reveals he was much less open about it than Jobs:

PLAYBOY: Ever take LSD?

GATES: My errant youth ended a long time ago.

PLAYBOY: What does that mean?

GATES: That means there were things I did under the age of 25 that I ended up not doing subsequently.

PLAYBOY: One LSD story involved you staring at a table and thinking the corner was going to plunge into your eye.

GATES: [Smiles]

PLAYBOY: Ah, a glimmer of recognition.

GATES: That was on the other side of that boundary.  The young mind can deal with certain kinds of gooping around that I don't think at this age I could.  I don't think you're as capable of handling lack of sleep or whatever challenges you throw at your body as you get older. However, I never missed a day of work.

Now if you feel intellectually challenged, please do not go out there and experiment with drugs – it is not the answer to life’s challenges!

Were you surprised by these results or did you expect it?


(Source references include an article "10 Scientific and Technological Visionaries Who Experimented With Drugs" by Robert T. Gonzalez at io9.com)

Are You A Chocoholic?

Do not panic — chocolate can be good for you. Studies show that eating chocolate, primarily dark chocolate, may contribute to improved cardiovascular health. That's because chocolate comes from cacao beans (or cocoa beans), which grow on the cacao tree and are full of natural plant nutrients. It has the highest percentage of cocoa solids, therefore more flavanol antioxidants. Chocolate is essentially food of the earth.

Antioxidants

Scientists theorize that plants naturally produce antioxidants to help them survive harsh growing conditions and to protect them from environmental stress.  These same compounds can aid the humans who eat the plants too.  Recent studies suggest that the antioxidants in foods may reduce the risk of many kinds of illness, from heart disease to cancer.  Antioxidants like those found in dark chocolate and cocoa have also been linked to some of the hallmarks of good cardiovascular health such as enhanced blood flow, healthy cholesterol levels and, in some cases, reduced blood pressure.

Dark chocolate and cocoa contain high levels of cell-protecting antioxidant compounds.  Two tablespoons of natural cocoa have more antioxidant capacity than four cups of green tea, 1 cup of blueberries and one and half glasses of red wine.

Antioxidants work by protecting your cells from damaging molecules called free radicals.  Free radicals are basically unstable oxygen molecules that can trigger changes in the structure of normally healthy cells.  This damage is thought to be an underlying cause of many chronic diseases.  Antioxidants neutralize free radicals.  Free radicals are a natural by-product of life, but as we get older the natural antioxidants our body makes to fight them off begin to decline.  The best way to recharge your antioxidant power is to get them through your diet.

The kinds of antioxidants found in chocolate are called polyphenols, a large class of molecules found in fruits and vegetables like oranges, soybeans and berries.  Dark chocolate and cocoa are particularly high in a sub-class of those compounds called flavanols, which are also found in red grapes and tea, hence the well-known benefits of red wine and green tea.

The reason dark chocolate and cocoa rank so high is that the antioxidants are very concentrated. More than 10% of the weight of the dry raw cacoa beans consists of polyphenols alone.

Heart health

Good heart health depends on wide open, flexible arteries that are free of blockages and can deliver blood efficiently throughout your body.   Studies have shown that consumption of dark chocolate or cocoa may help with all those vital functions.  Natural compounds in cocoa and dark chocolate may aid the cardiovascular system by improving blood flow and reducing blood pressure. Scientists have also discovered that cocoa may help maintain healthy arteries.  Both cocoa and dark chocolate have been shown to help your arteries relax, widen and maintain their flexibility, which may aid in lowering blood pressure.

Chocolate contains little or no cholesterol. Any cholesterol comes from the addition of milk ingredients. Remember: chocolate is a plant-based food and plants do not produce cholesterol.

Blood sugar

Despite its "sweet" reputation, chocolate has a low glycemic index — the measure of a food's impact on blood sugar levels. This means that eating chocolate, unlike other candies or sweet foods, will not cause your blood sugar to spike and then crash. This up-down, yo-yo effect can wreak havoc on your mood and energy level, and even throw off your natural hunger cues, making you feel hungry when you really aren't.

Vital Minerals

As plant-based foods, cocoa and chocolate naturally contain minerals that are vital for your health, especially your heart:

·         Copper:  One average dark chocolate bar has 14% of the daily requirement for copper, a critical mineral that aids in the absorption of iron and is a key component of enzymes that form skin-strengthening collagen.  An unsweetened baking chocolate bar delivers a whopping 22.5% of the daily requirement.

·         Magnesium:  One average dark chocolate bar can deliver nearly 12% of your daily magnesium requirement. Studies show magnesium may help reduce the risk of several chronic illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.  Symptoms of magnesium deficiency can include leg cramps, migraines, fatigue, loss of appetite, depression, nausea and vomiting.

·         Potassium:  Cocoa and chocolate are natural sources of potassium, which studies have shown to be a key factor in affecting blood-pressure and stroke. The more potassium present in the body, the less likelihood of developing high blood pressure or stroke.

·         Calcium:  One serving of milk chocolate provides approximately 8 % of the required daily allowance for calcium. Calcium is the chief supportive nutritional compound for your bones and your teeth but may also aid in weight maintenance.

·         Iron:  Cocoa and chocolate naturally contain iron, a key component of overall good health.  On average, a dark chocolate bar has nearly 7% of the required daily allowance.  The main function of iron is to help carry oxygen from the lungs to the muscles and other organs. If your body is low in iron, fatigue, irritability and headaches may occur. If the iron deficiency becomes significant, you can become anaemic.

Brain food

Eating chocolate makes us feel good. But why exactly?  This is what they do know: chocolate contains more than 500 natural chemical compounds, some of which have been categorized as mood-elevating and pleasure-inducing. The following is a list of the compounds believed to have some effects on the brain:

·         Theobromine:   Chocolate is one of nature's most concentrated sources of theobromine, a mild, natural stimulant and molecular "cousin" of caffeine.  However, theobromine does not strongly stimulate the central nervous system, nor does it have the same "eye-opening" power as caffeine. Theobromine has also been shown to reduce coughing and has been used in "natural" cough medicine preparations as a cough suppressant.

WARNING:

Chocolate can be dangerous for many animals, but especially dogs, because it contains theobromine, a stimulant naturally occurring in the cacao bean.  Consumption of theobromine can lead to toxicity and even death in some animals.  It also may be dangerous for cats to ingest theobromine.   However, they are not as much a worry as dogs, who are known for their robust eating habits.  Cats are more discriminating in their diets and are unlikely to devour a significant quantity of chocolate.

·         Caffeine:   Chocolate contains relatively small amounts of caffeine, about as much as a cup of decaffeinated coffee.  A 1.5 ounce milk chocolate bar has 11 mg of caffeine, while a similar-sized dark chocolate bar has 27 mg of caffeine. In contrast, a 12-ounce mug of coffee has 200 mg.  

·         Phenylethylamine (PEA):  This compound may be responsible for some of the pleasurable feelings you get after eating chocolate because it releases natural feel-good chemicals called endorphins in your brain.  PEA is released by the brain when people are falling in love. Perhaps this explains why chocolate and Valentine’s Day are so closely linked.

Is chocolate addictive?

A chocolate craving is really just a desire for pleasure, and has no physiological cause. In one study, people who reportedly craved chocolate were given cocoa, which contains all of the compounds and nutrients believed to cause chocolate cravings. However, their "cravings" were only satisfied by pieces of white and milk chocolates, which contain far fewer of these compounds. This indicates that people may have a strong desire for the taste of chocolate, but this desire is not connected to a physiological dependency.

There's no getting around it — chocolate is high in fat and calories but eaten in moderation, chocolate can easily fit into a healthy, balanced diet. So enjoy — in moderation.  Just like everything else in your life.

2012: The End of Time?

“We are the architects of the world”

Gregg Braden

December 21^st is not too far away and people have many mixed ideas of what is to come.  I believe it is a time for change, starting now, to join together in peace and harmony and take steps to rekindle love and hope on our planet Earth before it is too late.  This is a reminder of an article I wrote earlier on Global Oneness Day 2012 coming up on Wednesday, 24^th October.

You ARE part of the global community. You ARE a member of the human family... and the larger than human family that includes everything.  

Imagine a world where everyone feels welcomed and wanted...

Imagine a world where everyone knows, deep in their hearts, that they belong...

Imagine a world where we all recognize that we are part of one global family...

It may sound like a dream, but it’s not.

GLOBAL ONENESS DAY was created to spread the message of oneness in the world so that you can be empowered to create a culture of peace and prosperity, creativity and love.  Please join tens of thousands of people all over the world to celebrate the oneness of life and help spread the spirit of oneness far and wide.

Many leaders will share their deepest wisdom, insights, prayers, music and meditations in celebration of our oneness including GREGG BRADEN, one of my favourite authors and visionaries.

New York Times best-selling author of DEEP TRUTH, FRACTAL TIME, THE GOD CODE and THE DIVINE MATRIX, Gregg Braden is internationally renowned as a pioneer in bridging science and spirituality. For more than 22 years, Gregg has searched high mountain villages, remote monasteries, and forgotten texts to uncover their timeless secrets.

Here is one of the latest articles he has written which I urge you to read:

2012: PERIL OR PROMISE?

The real truth about the future of the world

We’re living the end of time.

Not the end of the world, but the end of a world age—a 5,125-year cycle of time—and the way we’ve known the world throughout that time. The present world age began in 3114 B.C. and will end in A.D. 2012. Because the end of anything also marks the beginning of what comes next, we’re also living the start of what follows the end of time: the next world age, which ancient traditions called the great cycle.

From the epic poems of India’s Mahabharata to the oral traditions of indigenous Americans and the biblical story of Revelation, those who have come before us knew that the end of time was coming. They knew, because it always does. Every 5,125 years, the earth and our solar system reach a place in their journey through the heavens that marks the end of precisely such a cycle. With that end, a new world age begins. Apparently it’s always been this way.

For at least four such cycles (or five, according to the Mesoamerican traditions of the Aztec and the Maya peoples), our ancestors endured the changes in global magnetic fields, climate, diminishing resources, and rising sea levels that come with the end of time. They did so without satellites and the Internet or computer models to help them prepare for such a radical shift.

The fact that they lived to tell the story stands as a powerful testament to an undeniable truth: it tells us beyond any reasonable doubt that the inhabitants of our planet have survived the end of world ages in the past. Beyond simply surviving, our ancestors learned from the difficulties that can accompany the change. In the words of their day, they did their best to tell us what it means to live such a rare moment in history. It’s a good thing they did, because such events are few and far between. Only five generations in the last 26,000 years have experienced the shift of world ages. We will be the sixth.

The present world age isn’t something that will simply fade away into the sunset of a time that seems to perpetually linger somewhere “out there” in our future. Just the opposite: our world age has an expiration date. It ends at a specific time, with a specific event, on a day that was marked on a calendar more than 2,000 years ago. There is no secret about that date. The Maya who calculated it also inscribed it as a permanent record for future generations. The date is etched into stone monuments that were built to last until the end of time.

When the date is translated to our familiar system of time, the message becomes clear. It tells us that our present world cycle will conclude with the winter solstice that takes place on December 21 in the year 2012. It’s on this date that the mysterious Maya identified the astonishing astronomical events that will mark the end of our age . . . and they did so more than two millennia ago.

To put into perspective just how rare the ending of such a cycle really is, consider that the last humans to witness the shift from one world age to the next lived in the year 3114 B.C., approximately 1,800 years before the time of Moses and the biblical Exodus.

The Maya viewed our emergence into a post-2012 world as the beginning of a new cycle of history. From this perspective, the solstice on December 21, 2012, becomes a powerful window for our collective emergence into our greatest potential. Such a moment is so rare that we have been preparing for it since the end of the last world age, and it will be another 26,000 years before the same opportunity cycles around again for our descendants.

The possibilities of such an emergence bring to mind the ancient accounts of the Garden of Eden, a place that once held all of the possibilities of our greatest joys and heartfelt desires. If we’re to believe the calendars, myths, and prophecies, it is just such a potential that awaits us following 2012. We could create a second Eden that picks up where the first one left off.

Biblical correlations do suggest, in fact, that the last time an Eden appeared upon the earth was about 5,000 years ago, at the end of the last Great Cycle. During that time, the planet’s inhabitants had everything they needed to live in balance with the earth, enjoying vital, healthy lives. As the choices of our post-Eden ancestors planted the seed events for everything that would unfold as the cycle that followed, they set into motion the patterns that define our world today. Some, such as forgiveness and peace, serve as powerful reminders of what is possible in our lives; while others, such as betrayal and war, have become the great challenges that divide us as people, families, and nations.

From cycles of weather to the balance of carbon dioxide between the oceans and the atmosphere, nature shows us that a pattern will repeat until something new replaces it. The change that accompanies the 2012 convergence of cycles is a rare opportunity to wipe away the patterns that we’ve outgrown from the past. At the same time, it’s also a precious choice point to set healthy, new patterns in place for our future and the future that belongs to our children . . . and to theirs.

“To tap the force of the Universe itself,

we must see ourselves as part of the world rather than separate from it”

Gregg Braden

Do You Have "Shiny Object" Syndrome?

I often read people discussing the “Shiny Object” Syndrome and I honestly had no idea what it was.  I thought maybe it had something to do with jewellery or glossy paper!  Today while reading my emails I came across this article from Jack Canfield who explains perfectly what it is all about.  Enjoy!

Beat the "Shiny Object" Syndrome

Variety is the spice of life. But if you – like me – view the world as an exciting buffet of opportunities to learn, try and create new things, you know that variety can be dangerous. 

The problem is that it’s easy to get distracted from the goals and commitments you’ve already made. Rather than seeing things through to completion, you abandon the goals and projects you’ve already started to chase after whatever new thing has just caught your eye.

I call this “shiny object” syndrome, and it has derailed the success of many people who could be very successful – if they only could maintain their focus long enough to complete a goal.

If you frequently abandon commitments in favour of new interests and projects, here are five techniques I’ve found helpful in evaluating new opportunities.

•    Postpone Your Decision.  It’s easy to get swept away with excitement when you stumble across something new and exciting. Try waiting a few days before making a final decision about whether or not to commit to the new opportunity. During this self-imposed cooling-off period, you’ll probably find that your enthusiasm wanes and you’re better able to evaluate whether this new opportunity will move you closer to your goal.

During your waiting period, make a list of all things you could possibly do with your time, including both the new opportunity and your existing commitments. Ask yourself where you would schedule time for the new activity or project. You’ll quickly see that there’s not enough time for everything you want to achieve, and you’ll see exactly what you would have to give up to squeeze the new opportunity into your schedule.

•    Use Review Board.  I’m constantly coming up with new projects that I want to do, as well as fielding exciting joint venture proposals from colleagues. Rather than making the executive decision to take on a new project and then delegating the work to my staff, I now seek my team’s buy-in first. If they say that taking on a potential new project would require sacrificing a more important existing goal, the idea is put on hold.

If you don’t have a staff or co-workers, create your own review board. Ask people you trust and who understand your goals for input before you commit to taking on any new projects or work.

•    Inner Board of Advisors.  Create an imaginary group of mentors that you can turn to for advice. Simply create some quiet time, close your eyes and ask your board for advice about the opportunity you are considering. Your inner board of advisors can include anyone – alive or deceased, famous or not, people you’ve met and people you’ve only read about. Mine includes author and activist Helen Keller, as well as President John F. Kennedy. Although both are deceased, I get very distinct guidance when I ask for their help and open up to their wisdom.

•    Forced Choice Technique.  Write a list of all of the things you want to do. Then prioritize your list using a forced comparison. With this technique, you compare items one at a time, from the top of the list to the bottom. Start by asking which you would rather do – item 1 or item 2. Take the winner and compare it to the next item on the list. Then compare that winner – let’s say it is item 3 – and compare it to item 4. Once you’ve done a forced comparison with all items on the list, you’ll have identified your number-one priority.

Now go back to remaining items on your list, and start the forced comparison process again with the first two items. Repeat the entire process until you have prioritized the entire list of activities. This will help you gauge the importance of the new activity or project you are considering in comparison with everything else you have already committed to.

Finally, ask yourself the following two questions: “What is the most effective use of my time now?” and “What’s the most important thing to do today?” This will help you maintain focus in a sea of choices.

•    Muscle Testing.  Your body never lies. So when in doubt about your enthusiasm for the fun opportunity you just discovered, simply ask your body for its input. The easiest way is to use the standing body lean. With this process, you stand and ask your body to show you a “yes.” After a few seconds, your body will start to lean forward or backward. Then ask your body to show you a “no,” at which point it should lean the opposite direction. Once you’ve calibrated yourself, ask your body whether you should act on the opportunity. The answer you receive in the form of a simple lean will reveal what truly is in your best interest.

Maintaining the focus you need to complete goals can be difficult when the world offers so many exciting things to learn, do and experience. Use these 5 tips to ensure that any new opportunities you choose to pursue will support, rather than detract, from your existing commitments. By resisting the adrenaline rush that comes from starting something new, you’ll find it easier to complete more of what you start – delivering a sense of accomplishment that’s hard to beat.

Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com