May 1st is Global Love Day!

The following was written by Harold W. Becker, President and Founder of The Love Foundation, Inc.

Have you ever noticed that when you are fully present in your life, everything flows and the possibilities are endless? Thoughts of the past naturally conjure positive feelings and the future seems bright and filled with potential. These are the moments we flow with grace and ease and experience life as a beautiful expression. We notice the subtle perfection all around us and our hearts expand with a distinct knowing that all is well.

Then there are the moments when we pick up on a suggestion, whether from someone or something on our path or think about a past memory that stimulates a sense of hurt these are the unresolved emotions in our consciousness that have crystallized in form. In a split second, we transport ourselves out of the present moment, via our thoughts and feelings, to a point where we start reliving this painful stuck emotional energy. It then begins to color our present and future experience with all of the unresolved emotions like anger, guilt, shame, worry, greed or fear.

What is the difference between these two realities? When we are aware of our thoughts and feelings and trust the process of life, we remain in an unconditional and timeless state of consciousness and act according to our heartfelt wisdom. Everything is interconnected and we empower our imagination with potential while we seek to fulfill our hopes and dreams. Obstacles and mistakes are recognized as serving to refine our goals rather than block our path and we allow them to be a part of the journey. Love is our guiding emotion.

To the contrary, when we react to a situation identifying with our fears and doubts, we give away our creative responsibility and attach ourselves to a moment in time and space. This incomplete perspective or emotional response is eventually accepted as truth simply because we did not know how to let go. From childhood on, these energetic limitations repeat themselves throughout our lives until we decide one day to release our attachment to them.

We can choose to detach from these distressing limited memories through forgiveness, both for ourselves and all the characters and circumstances that we once perceived to have caused us to feel hurt, harmed, violated or victimized. This is our key to personal freedom and our ability to flow with life once again. When we heal and release ourselves from our own limitations, we also heal and free the world around us.

Unconditional love is indeed timeless since it is impossible to ever attach ourselves to anything when we remain present and loving in our perspective.

Copyright © 2008 - Harold W. Becker. To learn more about Global Love Day, visit http://www.celebratelove.com/globalloveday.htm and http://www.thelovefoundation.com/Global_Love_Day.htm.

Thought for Today!

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean he was really friendly.

So I asked, “Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!” This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call “The Law of the Garbage Truck.”

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they’ll dump it on you. Don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so…

“Love the people who treat you right. Forgive the ones who don’t.”

Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

Copyright - 2008 by David J. Pollay. Visit his Website and “take the garbage truck pledge.” Go to:
www.BewareofGarbageTrucks.com

5 Tips For Women on Communicating with Men

1. Speak about solutions, not problems. When presenting a proposal or plan of action, talk less about the problem and more about what you think should be done.

2. Be direct when you make a request. Don’t talk about a problem and wait for him to offer his support. Often men feel manipulated when women are not direct. It is as if he “should do it” without her having to ask.

3. Give him more space when he moans or groans. Don’t give him a pat on the back. Avoid doing anything that demonstrates a feeling of motherly empathy.

4. Get to the point when making a suggestion. Avoid talking too much about problems. Remember, men hear sharing as complaining.

5. Only complain when you have a solution to suggest. Take less time to explain the problem and quickly move on to suggest a solution.

Copyright © 2008 - John Gray. These tips are from John Gray, Ph.D. He is the best-selling relationship author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. Dr. Gray offers a practical guide for improving communication and getting results.

2 Reasons to be a Happy Tax Payer

1. The care and feeding of the “Goose that Lays the Golden Eggs” - how much do you think sidewalks, freeways, police, firemen and aircraft carriers cost? And pay with happiness, knowing that you’re feeding the goose that lays the golden eggs - the golden eggs of freedom, safety, justice, and free enterprise. Some goose! Some eggs!

2. It is always only a percentage of what you earn. Hope to pay exorbitant taxes - it means you have had a GREAT year! Your tax check is your achievement certificate of a remarkable year.

These tips are from my friend and Professional Speaker, Jim Rohn, America’s Foremost Business Philosopher

Thought for Today!

When you put energy into something to make it better, you receive energy from it. You don’t have to pour a lot of energy into being happy. You simply decide to be happy. Like everything, happiness is a “Choice.” It helps to think about happy things. You need to learn to be happy where you are, so you can be happy when you get to where you are going. - Larry James

From the article, “Networking: A Woman’s Contact Sport!“

Trust Yourself

LoveNote. . . Being able to share yourself in an atmosphere of safety and trust is the key to overcoming the fear that inhibits love. ~ Harold H. Bloomfield, M.D.

LoveNote. . . To love yourself as you are, you must let go of, disengage from, all thoughts and feelings about how you really should be. ~ Paul Williams

We must learn to trust ourselves enough to be the person who can accomplish what we want in a healthy love relationship. Then, and only then, can we be free to do the things necessary for our reality to become what we desire it to be.

Trusting yourself is an essential part of contribution in a healthy love relationship. For your relationship to mature, you must trust yourself enough to share yourself fully with the one you love. Trust is what makes sharing yourself with another possible.

Trust stands behind a guarantee that the giver will never lose, only gain. To hold sacrifice higher than giving is to scoff at the very idea of trust.

Trusting yourself breeds courage. Self-disclosure demands some risk of getting hurt. Your demonstration of courage, that is. . . revealing your true self to your love partner, in an atmosphere of unconditional love and acceptance, can open up new conversations that will support further disclosure in the most sensitive areas of your relationship, perhaps in the areas that count the most.

Trust yourself unconditionally. To the degree that your trust is conditional, you will have unrealistic expectations. That is not trusting yourself. You will find yourself getting in the way of what you say you want. Trust yourself. Stay out of your own way. And trust a higher power, with no strings attached. Trust God and do something!

Learning to trust yourself is to accept yourself for who you are. Trusting yourself enough to withhold nothing, to be totally open with your lover is emotionally enriching. Not everyone, however, is ready for the kind of openness trust creates. Trust works best when it is mutually enjoyed.

To your love partner, not withholding could be perceived as “moving too fast.” This could mean the beginning of the end. People are different. Situations are never the same. Trust yourself to say what needs to be said, when it needs to be said. Slow down a bit. Test the water and remember not to use testing the water as a cop out. Live life full out. Life is too short to withhold yourself from those that you care about.

In spite of all your efforts to ease into not withholding, some people will pull away. When you feel this happening, take time to have a conversation about it. Let people know what’s on your mind. More than likely, they have similar feelings, yet are afraid to confront them. So, they distance themselves from you, which, in effect, constructs a barrier only love and loving conversation can break through.

When you have tried loving conversation and your love partner is still affected by your openness, you have a choice to make. If you allow being with your love partner to inhibit you in being who you are, it may be time to reach some new agreements or choose someone new to be with. It may be necessary to move on to what’s next.

Copyright © 2008 - Larry James. This article is adapted from Larry’s books, “How to Really Love the One You’re With: Affirmative Guidelines for a Healthy Love Relationship,” “LoveNotes for Lovers: Words That Make Music for Two Hearts Dancing” and “Red Hot LoveNotes for Lovers.” Author Larry James presents seminars nationally for singles and couples. Subscribe to Larry’s FREE monthly “LoveNotes for Lovers” eZINE. Contact: CelebrateLove.com, P.O. Box 12695, Scottsdale, AZ 85267-2695. - CelebrateLove.com

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The Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two “wolves” inside us all.

One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”