We are creating our reality, every moment, every day.  There are three elements that go into helping us achieve our goals: our thoughts, our feelings, and our actions.  When we understand the law of attraction and consciously use these tools to attract what we want into our lives.  I rave about “The Secret” DVD all the time, it is wonderful!  There’s a new QuickTime video they have online, free, which gives us some empowering affirmations.  It’s beautifully done.  And a book and audio book version of The Secret is now available, too.  Rather than listening to commercials on the radio, or negativity on talk shows, I like to drive around with CDs like this that remind me of all the possibilities in life, all the potential that is available to each one of us all the time.
http://thesecret.tv/secret-to-you/

I’m always on the look-out for great new home remedies, and I found a bunch to share with you!  If you have some to add, please post to the discussion board for everyone in our community.
-To soothe skin from a minor burn or rash, spritz on some mineral water, like Pellegrino or Perrier.  Dermatologists often use this method to treat itching and redness following laser skin resurfacing.  The trace minerals act as anti-inflammatories.
-An inexpensive face mask: plain yogurt!  The lactic acid in yogurt acts as a natural exfoliant.  It helps to clear acne and fade discoloration and fine lines.  Just leave it on the skin for 15 to 30 minutes.
-Itchy from mosquito bites?  Make a paste from baby aspirin and apply directly to the bite.  The anti-inflammatory ingredient will reduce swelling and itching.  It’s also good for pimples and ingrown hairs!
-Olive oil is great for soothing minor eczema and psoriasis flare-ups.  There are no chemical irritants that you might find in store-bought creams.
-For nausea, diarrhea or upset stomach, take a spoonful of fruit syrup from a can of peaches.  Flat soda also does the trick.
-A foot massage is the antidote for a headache.  Focus on the acupressure points about a third of the way down the sole of the foot, near the toes.  A footbath is also very soothing.

We all work hard, we’ve got our goals that we want to reach, and sometimes we get discouraged when it seems like things aren’t going our way.  Between the newsletters, the websites and my books, I’m writing every day.  It can be difficult basically being a one-person crew and competing against websites that have lots of staff and financing.  But what keeps me going is that this is my dharma, my passion and my purpose.  I don’t give up because this is important to me.  My husband sent me this quote from basketball superstar Michael Jordan: “I’ve missed over 9,000 shots in my career.  I’ve lost almost 300 games.  26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot, and missed.  I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life.  And that is why I succeed.” I think each one of us has got what it takes to make our dreams come true.  After all, we wouldn’t have the dream if we were not capable of fulfilling it.  So whether you’re shooting baskets or writing newsletters or selling fruit or teaching kids or whatever it is, keep up the good work!  I’m rooting for you!

I’m a meditation teacher, and when I tell people that the first thing they usually say is: “I don’t have time to meditate.”  I hear it all the time.  Yes, we have busy lives, but if we understood how much more time we would have if we did meditate then it wouldn’t be a problem finding the time!  Meditation embodies the whole “do less and accomplish more principle.  When we center ourselves and breathe, we better prepare ourselves to face the challenges of the day ahead.  We end up being healthier, and happier, so we have less stress in our lives, and take fewer sick days.  The other “obstacle” that I come across is that we often don’t have the space to meditate.  Our appointment book is cluttered with “to do” lists and our homes and offices are cluttered with excess stuff!  There’s hardly room to sit and relax.  It is important to make some sacred space in the areas we live and work where we can get away from all the chatter.  We can assign ourselves a meditation chair, for example, one where we always go and the minute we sit our mind and body get the signal that it is time to meditate.

Try the “so hum” meditation and see how it feels.  “So hum” loosely translates to “I am that,” meaning all of creation.  In this meditation the mantra so hum follows the breath.  While sitting comfortably, eyes closed, inhale as you silently say to yourself: “So” and then exhale as you silently say to yourself: “Hum.”  After a few breaths, you will notice that your mind settles down and you may slip into silence.  If you are interrupted by a thought, go back to silently repeating “so hum” along with your breath.  I have many meditations up on the psmeditation.com site so please check them out!

We love our pets, and there is scientific evidence that shows that our pets are helping us be healthier and happier.  A UCLA study concluded that people who live with pets have fewer doctors visits and spend less money on medication than those without pets.  Other studies have shown reduced cholesterol levels in pet owners, and lower blood pressure overall.  Where we live, it is important to keep cats and small dogs inside, away from the coyotes and cars.  But the dilemma for many who would like to live with a cat is the litter box situation.  Well, there are lots of solutions now!  My friend Sandra (www.creatingblissmeditation.com), a minister who performs marriage ceremonies for animals, told me about this amazing kitty litter that is both scoopable and flushable.  It’s made out of corn, all natural, and naturally odor-free, no perfumes necessary.  It’s soft on kitty’s paws and there’s no tracking.  And it’s totally safe for pipes, even for septic tanks!

Are you a right brain dominant person or a left brain dominant person?  The right brain tends to be holistic, creative.  The left brain is more linear and logical.  The right brain processes more nonverbally while the left brain processes verbally.  When we understand how our individual brain functions they we can make better accommodations for ourselves when it comes to learning things.  It’s very interesting!  I found a cool website that has a f/ree “Hemispheric Dominance Inventory Test.”  I’d be interested to see how our community scores, so when you’re done, visit the discussion board and let’s talk more about it!

http://brain.web-us.com/brain/braindominance.htm

Communication is key to the success of a relationship, and listening is half of that equation.  Probably the most important thing we can do in a relationship is to listen to the other person.  When we feel heard, and understood, we feel safe and cared for.  Listening is active and sometimes we have to practice to learn how to really do it well.  Here are some tips:
– Focus on the person speaking.  Let that person talk while you hear what they have to say.  Make eye contact, and give feedback with body language such as nodding your head when you agree or understand.
– Pay attention to what is being said.  Try to understand before you speak.  Look for the main points that the person is sharing, and observe the person’s body language as they are speaking.  This will give you clues as to how they feel about what they are saying.
– Ask questions.  It shows the person that you care about what they are saying.  Ask them to clarify any points that you don’t understand.
– When appropriate, take notes.  When you’re in a meeting and will be asked to remember the information later, write down what you need to know.  Think about how this information is relevant to you, and that will help you to remember it.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is usually thought of as a childhood condition, but many adults must learn to cope with it, too.  When we were children, the diagnosis of ADHD didn’t exist, but now as researchers are learning more, we see that it is often a lifelong disorder.  I shudder to even call it a “disorder” because it really is a “difference” more than anything.  I speak from personal experience.  We’re busy, we’re distracted, we’re disorganized, but we’re also a lot of fun!  ADHD is genetic, so a lot of us found out we had it after our kids were diagnosed.  It may have been a problem for us in school, but now that we have selected careers in which our differences are an asset, we doing quite nicely, thank you!  Just how to handle the day to day challenges or distractability and disorganization?  Make lists.  Lots of lists.  I’ve got sticky notes all over everything.  I have to write stuff down or I forget.  I’ve also found through my own research that ADHD is often a Vata imbalance, so following a Vata routine really helps to keep me in balance.  And marrying someone without ADHD, someone like a Pitta, who is organized and plans ahead, is very helpful!  Keep things like keys in the same place all the time so that you don’t have to waste time hunting them down.  In the coffeyshop I have my first book: “The Healthy Family Handbook,” and in it is a chapter on “Concentration.” I wrote this book when my son was diagnosed and I researched all the natural remedies available.  I also joined an organization called ChADD (www.chadd.org) which introduced me to other people going through the same thing I was.  And I would recommend any book by Dr. Ned Hallowell  the guy is awesome, and he has ADHD, too!  The Wild Divine is basically a bio-feedback computer game that is amazing for teaching us how to relax and respond to our body’s cues.  Good stuff whether you have ADHD or not!

I’m always getting those jokes e-mailed to me – you know the ones, male bashing or putting down women.  I don’t like them, I know they’re supposed to be funny, but most of the time I find them to be mean spirited.  It’s okay to laugh at ourselves and our human tendencies, but we don’t have to put each other down.  We need to appreciate each other, and love each other, warts and all, as they say!  After all, we’re good for each other.  Consider this: a study from the University of Virginia has determined that human touch helps the body respond to stress.  And when it is the touch of someone we love, the affect is even more profound.  When our partner holds our hand, the effect is that he or she is actually reaching a part of our brain that activates the immune system!  Love helps us to live longer, healthier lives.  Regular human contact with a loving partner can be like medicine for us.

I love color!  In fashion, in art, in nature; it’s everywhere, and it is such an important part of our lives.  And when it comes to home decor, we have so many choices.  I have those big color books of swatches that the different paint companies put out.  When I go into someone’s home to decorate I take into account the style of the home, the family’s lifestyle, and the homeowner’s personality.  What appeals to you?  What are you drawn to?  I found this really fun quiz called “The Color Sense Game” from Pittsburgh Paints.  The questions don’t focus on color as much as they do on sensibilities.  It’s really interesting!  And in the end, it pegged me pretty well as “Al Fresco.” Then you can go through and see the same room decorated in several different color schemes in “your” palette.  Lots of fun!

http://www.voiceofcolor.com