Becoming Your StellarSelf

Roman Holiday: Love Potion No. 9

As I mentioned in a previous post, one of the things that has struck me about Rome is the interweaving of the sacred and the profane in every part of the city. An example of this was my discovery of an incredibly unique and wonderful store called Ai Monasteri, which features products made in the ancient monastic tradition. This beautiful store, set up like an old pharmacy, carries a variety of wines, liquors, preserves, honeys, beauty products, candies and teas produced by monks from 7 different monasteries throughout Rome. In addition to these more typical souvenir-type products, they also carry a variety of elixirs and remedies, made from ancient recipes. When the store was established in 1894, herbal remedies were their focus. And many of the products are made from recipes dating back to pre-Christian Rome, which were preserved through the writings of the monks during the Middle Ages.

There are remedies for all that ails you, including stress, joint pain, weight control, melancholy, sleep disorders, fatigue, eyesight, cholesterol, circulation, digestion, skin health, coughing, smoking cessation and much more.

One of the elixirs that caught my eye was the Elixir Dell' Amore, which is described as: "The formula and modus operandi used for this “Love Potion” dates back to the 16th century. It was rediscovered in the Ricettario Senese (Sienese Book of Prescriptions) by one of our ancestors at the end of the 19th century. Only ten bottles of this exclusive liqueur are made each year, as it requires an extremely careful, drawn-out process. People were told to drink this elixir when they were not in the mood for love to arouse desire and give them energy. It is made by carefully adding officinal plants during the long distillation process, making this drink extremely tasty and effective."

The other elixir that sparked my interest was the Elixir Della Felicita', described thusly: "Happiness is quite easy to find. Sometimes, often by chance, our thoughts return to the past and we remember and re-live happy moments. Sitting in a comfortable and quiet corner of your home in a peaceful moment with a glass of this herbal liqueur in your hand will almost certainly help you to dig up such lost moments."

If you are interested in their products, they can be ordered through the Ai Monasteri website. Their PDF catalog contains detailed descriptions of their many wonderful products.

Dec 17th Bloggers Unite in Acts of Kindness

Last month I wrote about my intention to participate in BlogCatalog's challenge for bloggers to commit an act of kindness, then post about it on December 17. The goal of this effort, dubbed Bloggers Unite in Acts of Kindness, "is to expose their kindness and generosity as well as serve as an example to non-bloggers that volunteering for a charity, donating to a cause, or simply doing something kind for another person has a ripple effect around the world." A few people have expressed the opinion that kindness should be practiced every day, and I wholeheartedly agree. But I also feel that it doesn't hurt to remind ourselves about the power of simple acts of kindness.

So, I decided that I wanted to write about my experience volunteering at a local hospital that offers Reiki to people with cancer, as well as their spouses and caregivers. I am one of almost 40 Reiki practitioners who have signed up as volunteers for a wonderful program that offers a variety of educational and support services, including holistic programs such as meditation and yoga classes, as well as massage and Reiki.

Last week, I gave Reiki to four people -- two people with cancer, one spouse and a caregiver. I find it very satisfying to work with people with cancer, as they find the Reiki sessions very helpful in helping them relax, and it often helps to reduce any pain or discomfort they may be feeling. And the two people I worked with reported feeling much better as a result of the session.

Interestingly, I found that the spouse and caregiver had the "heaviest energy". For those of you who are not energy workers, I'm not sure how to describe it other than to say that I felt something like mild electrical energy flowing through me very strongly and rapidly out through my hands for the entire time I was touching them. I feel this to some extent with everyone, but in their cases, it was much stronger than usual. Both of them fell asleep during their sessions, and woke up with beautifully peaceful smiles on their faces. When I asked how they were feeling, they both said that they felt "wonderful." And I felt that they looked wonderful, too. In receiving this healing touch, the stress and tension on their faces melted away, revealing their true, beautiful, luminous selves.

I felt great satisfaction from the "thank you"s and appreciative smiles, and in return I thanked them for coming in for the program. As with any other act of giving, when one gives Reiki, one also receives it. And as I left the hospital to drive home, I felt light -- in body, mind and spirit.

Resources:
Reiki In Hospitals
Network For Good
Volunteer Match
Goldberg, Carey “For good health, it is better to give, science suggests.” Boston Globe, (November 28, 2003)

Abundance Checks Revisited

I discovered that my post on Abundance Checks, from August 2007, is one of the most frequently read archived posts on my blog. Because it seems to be of interest to readers, and because it only covered the new moon dates through 2007, I wanted to provide updated information for 2008. I found that the US Naval Observatory has moon phase information through 2035 (and going back as far as 1700). Here are the new moon dates and times (GMT) for 2008:

January 8, 11:37 am
February 7, 3:44 am
March 7, 5:14 pm
April 6, 3:55 am
May 5, 12:18 pm
June 3, 7:23 pm
July 3, 2:19 am
August 1, 10:13 am
August 30, 7:58 pm
September 29, 8:12 am
October 28, 11:14 pm
November 27, 4:55 pm
December 27, 12:22 pm

Image from the cover of Elliott Smith's New Moon

Welcome to the 107th Carnival of Healing

Welcome to the the 107th Carnival of Healing, a weekly round-up of personal blog posts on the topics of holistic health, wellness, spirituality, and self empowerment. Before I begin, I'd like to offer a big thank you to Phylameana lila Désy for creating and nurturing this Carnival.

Now, on with the show...

We received an amazing response to the call for entries, and I want to thank everyone who submitted an article. Following you will find a collection of musings, advice and practical exercises touching upon all aspects of wellbeing -- mind, body and spirit. I have grouped them into categories, in no particular order, by topic:

Some Things to Think About, Some Things to Try:
In her post, Another Driving Meditation: Krishnamurti, Radio and Distractions, Isabella Mori of Change Therapy invites us inside her head to witness a spirited dialogue she has with herself while driving. The part of herself that is seeking distractions from the here-and-now debates the centered part that was hoping to do some driving meditation, while various expert voices chime in with their opinions! She comes to the realization that "thinking about meditating is not the same as meditating; it's just another distraction."

Raymond David Salas over at Zen Chill encourages us to turn to our “miracle activation” button when faced with overwhelming challenges. He then gives us specific instructions for activating it, his thoughts on how and why it works, then encourages us to trust in the wisdom of our higher selves. Read his post, How to Push the "Miracle Activation" Button, to find out more.

Matthew Spears of Loving Awareness offers a meditative exercise that can be done with a partner, or with oneself, to help overcome the false sense of separateness we often fall into. In his post, The Unity In Love, he states that "Love is always a journey towards oneness, toward unity. Loving yourself is loving another, and loving another is loving yourself. Realizing and living this attracts you to experiences that manifest it to you, rather than separation and conflict."

Drawing from the concepts of Imago Relationship Therapy, Alex Blackwell at The Next 45 Years discusses the power struggles that can occur in couples when one or the other partner feels that his/her needs are not being met, and is unable to ask for what is needed in an objective, emotionally-neutral manner. See his post, Power Struggle to Power to Love.

David B. Bohl over at Slow Down Fast Today! points out that we need to think twice when we discount our achievements, not just for our own sake, but for the sake of those around us -- When You Discount Yourself, You Discount Me. "Why can’t we just realize that discounting ourselves hurts others, and have more compassion for them than we show in our self-centered discounting? I believe that if we could just change this one thing in our lives, we could become people we can’t even imagine now."

Motivational Speaker - Craig Harper talks about The Power of An Idea, stating "My objective in sharing these short stories is to impress upon you that anyone can take an idea, build some momentum, overcome a few challenges, deal with the obligatory crap that life dishes out and create something amazing and at the same time re-invent themselves."

On the Metaphysical Side:
Shirley at Fun Spirit says, "We’ve all heard lots of stress relief technique remedies like exercising, eating right, getting enough sleep and relaxing. Now I’m adding one more to the list – meditation with crystals. Sure, to some it may sound silly, stupid, or like mere wishful thinking. How could a stupid rock help anyone relax?" In response to her own question, Shirley refers to some scientific evidence, along with her own observations in her article, Stress relief - rocks that help you relax.

Chris at Martial Development explains that "with the ability to see human auras, it is possible to understand the workings in the human body. Depending on the colors and the intensity of the aura around the individual, the condition of the individual can be deciphered." In his post Developing Your Ability to See Auras, he provides us with some practical exercises for developing our ability to see people's auras.

Addictions:
Jolynn Braley at The Fit Shack discusses a news article about a study on the combined effects of sugar, fat, and salt on laboratory rats. It appears that their brains responded to these substances the same way they would to opium or morphine. In her article, Fast Food, Heroin, and Food Addiction, What’s the Connection?, she reflects on how this may tie in to people's addictions to certain unhealthy foods.

And Tracee Sioux, author of Quit Coping looks back at her history of coping with stress from her new perspective as a non-smoker, and sees things in a different light. "Since a distructive behavior, smoking, clouds every memory and emotion since I was 13 years old do I have to reinvent my own history to let smoking go?" Check out her post Reinventing History.

Physical Health:
Tupelo Kenyon extols the virtues of five simple exercise that can be done by almost anyone for an investment of just 15-20 minutes per day. Read his article 5 Tibetan Rites - Easy Yoga for Busy People to learn about the benefits he has reaped from his simple, but effective daily practice.

Debra Moorehead at DebraMoorehead.com (who, by the way, will be hosting next week's Carnival). How Amanda Lost 35 Pounds in Six Months Debra presents her first podcast, an interview with Amanda Faris who lost 35 pounds in six months by following Debra's diet that she had posted last year.

Jeni at Savvy Skin reminds you to Protect Your Skin When You Fly. She encourages you to use moisturizer in order to offset some of the drying effects of airplane travel, and offers up some product recommendations.

Matt Wolfe, guest blogger at Be Healthy and Relax offers some tips on How To Relax for sports fans whose teams didn't make it to the playoffs, and anyone else in need of some stress relief :)

Fitbuff at FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog sings the praises of the New Wii Fitness Game Coming Soon (to a store near you in early 2008), which allows you to have fun while burning calories. While the current wii is very interactive, "the Wii Fit will incorporate a 'Wii Balance Board' that will sense the player's full body motion, allowing for jumping, leaning, and endless other possibilities."

Societal Health:
In her article, Socially Sustainable, Lisa Nave makes a case for social sustainability, saying that "When we practice environmental sustainability, we act in accord with what is healthy for the earth as a whole. We let our knowledge in science and nature guide our actions. When we practice social sustainability, we act in accord with what is healthy for humanity." She outlines some of the ways in which she envisions it, then invites you to contemplate ways in which you can make your life more socially sustainable.

Jimmy Atkinson at Nursing Online Education Database lays out some major healthcare policy issues and how 9 of the presidential candidates (Democratic and Republican) stand on those issues in his article Comparison: Presidential Candidates on Major Healthcare Issues.

And that's it for this week's Carnival!
For more information or to see past Carnival of Healing submissions and guidelines, please visit the Carnival of Healing homepage. And, if you didn't have a chance to view last week's Carnival of Healing, you can find it at Therapeutic Reiki.

Just Thinking About It...

The October 2007 issue of Women's Health, featured an article entitled "Muscle: Defined." In it, there was a short section with the caption Best.News.Ever, which talked about a 2007 study that found that women who visualized weight training, over a period of time, gained almost as much muscle strength as women who actually trained. I wanted to read the original scientific article, but there was no citation in the magazine, and a Google search failed to reveal any recent research in this area. The only reference to a journal article that I could find was on Sports Medicine About.com, which referenced a 2004 study conducted by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

About 13 years ago, I was working as a research assistant for a public health research facility. I was part of a neurophysiology laboratory where they were studying muscle fatigue. They would place extremely thin needles (like acupuncture needles) into people's arms, then have them move their muscles. They would record the neuronal activity of their muscles, observing how long it took for the muscles to fatigue.

Twice weekly, the researchers would take turns presenting their latest research, along with discussions of the current state of their field of study. One time, one of the post-docs from our lab made a presentation, and mentioned a study that had just been published, which indicated that muscle strength could be built simply through the act of thinking about moving one's muscles. Several of the senior researchers chuckled at the idea, and dismissed it as nonsense. But I was fascinated. The study had shown significant increase in muscle strength in a controlled study -- over the period of a month, people who simple thought about exercising a particular muscle gained almost as much strength as those who actually did exercise it, and those who neither thought about it, nor moved it (they had their hand put in a splint and were not given visualization instructions), didn't gain anything. It seemed there had to be something to it.

Since that time, several studies have supported this idea, and it seems that it is becoming common wisdom -- many professional athletes and trainers now accept the idea that you can build muscle strength through consistent, repeated visualization of a physical action. Not that the idea of mind over matter is in any way a new concept!

StellarSelf Hosting 107th Carnival of Healing: Request for Content!

On Saturday, October 13th, Becoming Your StellarSelf is hosting the 107th Carnival of Healing. The Carnival of Healing is a weekly round-up of personal blog posts on the topics of holistic health, wellness, spirituality, and self empowerment. If you have written a recent post on any of these topics, I would love to include it in the Carnival. (please, no more than 1 entry per author)

So, if you have a post that you would like included in the October 13th Carnival, please submit your link using the online submission form by Friday, October 12th. For more information or to see past Carnival of Healing submissions and guidelines, please visit the Carnival of Healing.

Thank you! I look forward to seeing your submissions!

#106 - Oct 06 2007: hosted by Therapeutic Reiki — We Are One World Healing
#107 - Oct 13 2007: hosted by Becoming Your StellarSelf
#108 - Oct 20 2007: hosted by Debra Moorehead (fellow Priscilla Palmer Self-Development lister!)

Teach Your Children Well

I was enamored with an article by Pat Burson in the September 17th issue of Newsday entitled "Raising Grateful Children" based on an interview with Jeffrey Froh, PsyD, who is Assistant Professor of School-Community Psychology at Hofstra University. Froh's research focuses on the development of gratitude in children and adolescents, and in the article he offers suggestions for ways that parents can help model and cultivate an attitude of gratefulness in their children.

For example, parents can make sure to express gratitude for the things and people in their lives ("I'm so thankful that I have such loving people in my life"). They can also make it a point to acknowledge their children's expression of gratitude ("That was very nice of you to thank your sister for sharing").

And Froh practices what he preaches – he has been helping his 10-month-old son write thank you notes and keep a gratitude journal since his son was 3 months old :)

I wanted to find out more about Froh's work, so I took a look at his website. In his research, he has found that cultivating gratitude in one's life leads to many positive things including goal striving and achievement motivation. It can also buffer against materialism and foster intrinsic goal pursuit (pursuit of goals for personal satisfaction rather than external reward). People with intrinsic goals report higher levels of well-being than those with external, materialistic goals.

As an applied developmental psychologist, I was happy to see the mainstream media promoting positive parenting practices. It's nice to read about what parents can do to raise happy, healthy children. It's also great to see researchers like Froh advancing the field of positive psychology – an area from which we can all benefit.

Positive Thinking Day

Kirsten Harrell, over at Think Positive! has been participating in Positive Thinking Day by having people nominate the most positive folks they know by writing essays about them. The subjects of the most impressive entries are then eligible for a variety of prizes. April Groves of My Beautiful Chaos is the winner of an autographed copy of my book. Congratulations, April!

The Meme-ing of Life

In the spirit of the W-List, life coach and blogger Priscilla Palmer has created a list of outstanding self-development bloggers. She contacted me to let me know that I have been tagged, so it is my turn to nominate self-development blogs I admire. I'm flattered to be listed amongst this collective of bloggers from a wide array of perspectives.

Priscilla's intention for the list, in her words, is:

Personal development is a large topic that includes but is not limited to (law of attraction, goals, time management, physical fitness, education, motivation, inspiration, and social skills). This list should include any blog you feel can benefit us in our growth process.

Below I have started a list of my favorite blogs/bloggers, and I have tagged each of them to add to it on their own blogs. I would like to take this list just one step further, and ask that once you have added to the list you let me know. That way I can update my list to include all of your wonderful additions.

Here are my recommendations, in alphabetical order, followed by the list:

E Murphy at The Active Life [Please note corrected link]
Lisa McGlaun at LifePrints - Good News for a More Compassionate World
Lynn McTaggert at Living the Field
Monte Ladner at Fitness Rocks

Personal Development List (up to date):

Aaron Potts at Today is That Day
Adam Alexander at Adam’s Peace
Adam Kayce at Monk at Work
Adam Khoo at Adam Khoo’s Philosophies and Investing Insights
AgentSully at Life Learning Today
April Groves at Making Life Work For You
Argancel at C’eclair (for those who speak french)
Ash aka Mr. Biggs at One Powerful Word
Al at 7pproductions.com
Alan Torres at Made to Be Great
Alex Shalman at AlexShalman.com
Alexander Kjerulf at The Chief Happiness Officer
Alexys Fairfield at Unraveling The Spiritual Mystique
Albert Foong at urbanmonk.net
Alvaro at Sharp Brains Blog
Amber at Random Mangus
Amie Ragan at Psychology of Clutter
Amy Hedin at There is no Maximum to Human Potential
Andrea Learned at Learned on Women
Andrea J. Lee at Money, Meaning, and Beyond
Andy Wibbels at AndyWibbels.com
Anita Pathik Law at Power of four Way
Anmol Mehta at AnmolMetha.com
Anna Farmery at The Engaging Brand
Antonio Thornton at AntonioThornton.com
Ariane Benefit at Neat & Simple Living
Ask Lucid at Ask Lucid Spiritual Development
Barb Melloh at The Law of Attraction Info
Barbara Sliter at Creatorship
Belle Wong at Abundance Journal
Bill Perry at Lucid Blog
Billy Smith at The Organic Leadership Blog
Blogfuse at LifeDev
Brad Isaac at Achieve It
Brian Clark at Copyblogger
Brian Kim at briankim.net
Brian Lee at geniustypes.com
Brooke at Plain Advice
Bob at everyeveryminute
Cam Beck at ChaosScenario
Cara Lumen at The Success Magnets With Cara Luman and Your Second Wind Blog
Carlon Haas at Possess Less Exist More
Catherine Carter at Continuum Wellness
Chris Cree at SuccessCREEations
Chris Marshall at Martial Development
Chris Melton at Soupornuts.com
Chris Owen at Pink Apple
Christine Kane at ChristineKane.com
Christine Valters Painter at Abbey of the Arts
Clyde at Feeling Good
Colin Beavan at No Impact Man
Conceive, Believe, Achieve at Conceive, Believe, Achieve
Crabby McSlacker at Cranky Fitness
Craig Harper at Motivational Speaker
Curt Rosengren at Occupational Adventure
Cyres at Cyres Matters
Damian Carr at Soul Terminal
Daniel Sitter at Idea Sellers
Darren Rowse at Problogger.net
Dave Schawbel at The Personal Branding Blog
Dave Schoof at Engaging the Disquiet
Davers at Language Trainers Blog
David Allen at The David Allen Company
David Bohl at Reflections on Balance
David Fitch at David Fitch.com
David Richeson at 360 Degree Success
David Rogers at How to Have Great Self Confidence
David Seah at David Seah.com
David Zinger at Slacker Manager
Dawud Miracle at dmiracle.com
Dean Lacono at Law of Attraction for Beginners
Debbie Call at Spirit In Gear
Debbie LaChusa at 10 Step Marketing Collection
Debra Moorhead at Debra Moorhead.com
Denise Mosawi at Destineering.com
Des Walsh at Thinking Home Business
Devlyn Steele at Tools To Life Guide
Dick Richards at Come Gather Round
Dominic Tay at Personal Development for Winners
Don Simkovich at Hey Don
Donald Latumahina at Life Optimizer
Donna Karlin at Perspectives
Donna Steinhorn at Rethinking
Douglas Eby at Talent Development Resources
Dr. Charles Parker at The Core Psych Blog
Dr. Hal at Northstar Mental fitness blog
Drew Rozell at Drew Rozell.com
Dwayne Melancon at Genuine Curiosity
Edward Mills at Evolving Times
Ellen Weber at Brain Based Business
Emily G. W. Lilly at The Science of Waldorf Education
Emmanuel Lopez at The Adventures of Motivatorman
Ellesse at Goal Setting College
Elly Jolly at Jolly Life Coaching
Enoch Tan at Mind Reality
Eric Napier at Quotation Collection
Erin Pavlina at Erin Pavlina.com
Frank Kanu at Frank Uncovers Excellence in Leadership
Frank Roche at KnowHR Blog
Galba Bright at Tune Up Your EQ
Gary at Personal Strategic Plan
Gilad Buchman at Sigsug
Gleb Reys at Personal Development Ideas
Grayson at Modern Worker Blog
Greg Butler at holistic-personal-development.com
Greg Frost at ChargedAudio.com
Geoff R at Gearfire.net
Gretchen Rubin at Happiness Project
Gustav at Success-is-in-you.com
Guy Kawasaki at How to Change the World
Gyanish at Diethack
Halina Goldstein at The Inner Travel Journal
Hilda Carroll at Living Out Loud
Heather Goldsmith at A Creative Journal
Henrik Edberg at The Positivity Blog
Honman at Open Your Mind to Prosperity
Inkedmn at The Cranking Widgets Blog
Isabella Mori at MoriTherapy
Itzy Sabo at Email Overloaded
Jacklyn Ker at Inspiring and Empowing Lives
Jarle Husefest at The Personal Development Blog
Jason and Michael at Black Belt Productivity
Jason Ivers at A Miracle a Day
Jason Womack at Fit and Effective
Jay White at dumb little man tips for life
Jean Browman at Transforming Stress Into Power and Cheerful Monk
Jeannette Maw at Good Vibe Coaching
Jeanie Marshall at Empowerment and Meditation Blog and DailyAffirm:  Positive Affirmations Day by Day
Jeff Lilly at Druid Journal
Jeffrey Phillips at Think Faster
Jennifer at Goodness Graciousness
Jennifer Mannion at Heal Pain Naturally
Jenny and Erin at Jenny and Erin
Jeremiah Owyang at Web Strategy by Jeremiah
Jerry Hart at Blue Print to emarketing
Jerry Lopper at Personal Growth
Jessa at clairvoyantGuidance.net
Jim stroup at Managing Leadership
Jim Walton at Black In Business
JoLynn Braley at The Fit Shack
Joan Schramm at Accelerating Momentum
Joanna Young at Coaching Wizardry
Joanne at I’m Happy Fish
JodeeB at You Already Know This Stuff
Joe Vitale at Dr. Joe Vitale at Zero
John Pratt at John Pratt International
John Place at John Place Online
John W. McKenna at The Leadership Epidemic
John Wesley at Pick The Brain
Jon at Join The Secret
Jonathan at Smart Wealthy Rich and Freelance Folder
Jory Des Jardin at Pause: Meaningful Work
Josh Bickford at Reach For Magnificence and Reach for Magnificence
Josh Kaufman at The Personal MBA
Judy Martin at The Work/Life Monitor
Julia Rogers Hamrick at Julia’s Blog: Journal of the Journey Home to Eden
Julie Bonner at Declutter It
Kailani at An Island Review
Kammie Kobyleski at Passion Meets Purpose
Karen at Journey with Water Learner
Karen Lynch at Live The Power
Karen Wallace at The Clearing Space
Karl Moore at Karl Blog.com
Karl Staib at Karl Staib.com
Kathy Mallary at Coaching Biz Tips
Keith Ferrazzi at Never Eat Alone
Kenton Whitman at kentonwhitman.com
Kevin Kinchen at Creative Power of Thought
Killeris at Attitude, The Ultimate Power
Kim and Jason at Escape Adulthood
Kim George at Doing What You Can Do
Kirk Nugent at Kirk Nugent.com
Kirsten Harrell at Ipopin
Krishna De at Biz Growth News and Todays Women in Business
K.L. Masina at Be Conscious Now
Leah Maclean at Working Solo
Laura Young at The Dragon Slayer’s Guide to Life
Lee Nutter at bmindful
Leo Babauta at Zen Habits
Life Reflection at Universe in a Single Atom
Linda Salazar at Awaken The Genie Within
Lisa Braithwaite at Speak Schmeak
Lisa Gates at Design Your Writing Life
Lisa Van Allen at Finish Strong
Liz at Internet Marketing Strategies
Liz Strauss at Successful Blog
Lodewijkvdb at How to be an Original
Lola Fayemi at Real World Spiritual and Personal Development
Lorraine Cohen at Powerfull Living
Luciano Passuello at Litemind.com
Lucid at Spiritual Suggestions
Lumosity at Brain Health Blog
Lyman Reed at Creating a Better Life
Lyndon Antcliff at LyndonAntcliff.com and Cornwallseo.com
MT at MindTWEAKS
Maddy at Illuminated Minds Want to Know
Malathy Badri at Laws of Universe
Manny at Success Books
Maria Garcia at Get Organized Now
Maria Palma at The Good Life
Marianne Williamson at Journal
Mark at The Naked Soul
Mark Forster at Get Everything Done
Mark LaPierre at The Winding Path
Mark McManus at Build Your Life To Order
Mark W Shead at Productivity 501
Martin Avis at Kickstart Daily
Mary K at Becoming Your StellarSelf
Matthew Cornell at Matt’s Idea Blog
Meg Haworth at Life Lessons From Your Soul
Melanie Benson Strick at The Success Blog
Merlin Mann at 43 Folders
Michelle at aMusing My Genius
Michelle Moore at Happiness Blog
Michael Port at The Think Big Revolution
Michael Vanderdonk at TOACH Performance
Mike Janssen at Opgestroopte Mouwen
Mike Kemski at BANABU
Mike St. Pierre at The Daily Saint
Mr.Wang at Mr Wang Says So
My Everyday Planner at My Everyday Planner
Nancy Mills at The Spirited Woman
Nancy Tierney at Unconditional Confidence
Neil Patel at Quick Sprout
Nic Askew at Monday 9AM Blog
Nick Smith at Life 2.0
Nneka at Balanced Life Center
Organize-It at Organize-It
Pamala Slim at Escape From Cubicle Nation
Pamm Larry at My Spiritual Dance
Patricia Singleton at Spiritual Journey of a Lightworker
Patti Digh at 37 Days
Paul at Paul’s Tips
Paul Piotrowski at Self Help Wisdom
Paula Kawal at Paula Kawal.com
Peggy Payne at Peggy Payne’s Boldness Blog
Peter at I Will Change Your Life
Peter Aldin at Great Circle
Peter Haslem at Necessary Skills
Phil Gerbyshak at Make It Great
Philippe Matthews at Shockwealth
Priscilla Palmer at Personal Development Demands Success
Quint Jensen at Win Your Mind
Raymond Salas at Zenchill Powertools
Real Modern Man at Real Modern Man
Reg Adkins at ElementalTruths
Ricardo at Wake Up Tiger
Rich Schefren at Strategic Profits
Rick Cockrum at Shards of Consciousness
Rick Cooper at The PDA Pro
Ririan at Ririanproject
Rob at 7Breaths
Rob Cooke at Leave the Office
Robert at Compassionate Council
Robert at Myselfdev
Robert Ashcroft at PDSS Online
Robin Skeen at Robin’s Reflections
Robin Yapp at Yapp 3.0
Robyn McMaster at Brain Based Biz
Roger Von Oech at Creative Think
Rolf F. Katzenberger at Evomend
Rosa Say at Managing With Aloha Coaching
Ryan Marle at The Alpha Project
S.J. Yee at Personal Development for the Book Smart
Sam at Aquire Wisdom and Live with Passion
Scott Adams at The Dilbert Blog
Scott Berkun at Berkun Blog
Scott Bernadot at Keeping The Secret
Scott Ginsberg at Hello, My Name Is Blog
Scott H Young at Scott H Young
Scott McArthur at McArthur’s Rant
Self Pursuit at Self Pursuit
Senia at Senia.com Positive Psychology Coaching
Seth Godin at Seth’s Blog
Shane Navratil at Zoomstart
Shauna Arthurs at Breathing Prosperity and Follow Your Path
Shaheen Lakhan at GNIF Brain Blogger
Simone at Dynamic Living
Simone and Mandy at Outfit Inspirations
Slade Roberson at Shift Your Spirits and Spiritual Blogging
Sleeping Dude at How to Wake Up Early
Sonora Jayne Case at Positive Realities Coaching
Spike at Organize It
Start Up Coach at Take Charge of Your Life
Stephanie and Jeffrey at Brains on Purpose
Steve Beisheim at Jumping Ship Happens
Steve King at The Green Geek
Steve Olson at Steve-Olson.com
Steve Pavlina at stevepavlina.com
Steve Roesler at All Things Workplace
Stephen at HD bizblog
Stephen Hopson at Adversity University
Steven Aitchison at Change Your Thoughts
Success Current at SuccessCurrent.com
Surjit at Gurushabad
Susan Sabo at Productivity Cafe
Suzanne Bird-Harris at Learning Curve Coaching
Takuin Minamoto at Takuin.com
Ted Demopoulos at Blogging For Business
Terry Starbucker at Ramblings From a Glass Half Full
Tiffany at Little Red Suit
Tim Ferris at 4-Hour Workweek and Lifestyle Design Blog
Tim Taylor at My Agapic Life
Tom Peters at Tom Peters.com
Tom Spanton at TRCoach
Tom Van Brunscot of Transformation Economy
Tony Chimento at Living Forward
Tony D Clark at Success From The Nest
Torlink at You Create Reality
Travis A. Sinquefield at Disorganizational Behavior
Travis Wright at Cultivate Greatness
Trizoko at Trizoko.com
Trevor Gay at Simplicity is the Key
Troy Worman at Orbit Now!
Tuck Self at Rebel Belle Blog
Tupelo Kenyon at Tupelokenyon.com
Ubertech at Geeks Guide To GTD
Vera Nadine at Vera Nadine.com
Vickie at Contemplate This
Wade Millican at The Middle Way
Wally Bock at Three Star Leadership
Wan Qi at Meditation Forum Mantras
Wild Bill at Passionate Blogger

and these collaborated sites:
Burst Blog
Change This
Change Your Thinking
Daily PlanIt
Did I Get Things Done
GTD Wannabe
Jobman2
Joyful Jubilant Learning
Life Coaches Blog Stratagies for a Greater Life
Lifehack.org
Lifehacker.com
Transformational Girlfriends
Unclutterer

"Seven Spiritual Laws of Success" DVD Giveaway

Recently, I was asked to review a new DVD, Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, which is based on Deepak Chopra's book of the same title. I have decided that if I am provided with review copies of books, movies, etc., I will pass them along. So, in that spirit, I am giving away the DVD. Simply leave a comment on the review post or email me at blog @ stellarself.com with your request to be entered into the drawing. The winner will be chosen using a random number generator on August 31st.

Abundance Checks

Note: I have posted the 2008 new moon dates in a subsequent post.

Last month, a friend waved a QuickBooks printed check at me and asked, "Have you filled out one of these?" I noticed the Payee line read, "Paid in Full." He explained that someone told him to write a check out, without a specific amount, as part of an abundance exercise. I had heard about the idea of writing a check out to yourself for whatever (usually large) amount of money you wanted the Universe to deliver to you, but I hadn't heard of an open-ended check. Then, yesterday, my friend Margarita, founder of Yes!Circle, a forward-thinking entrepreneurial community in DC, forwarded this email to me. It seems like a fun exercise, and one that will keep the idea of the generosity of the Universe top of mind.

One practice I have followed for some time is a monthly tradition connected to the new moon called new moon Abundance Checks. Abundance checks are a tool we can use to create more abundance in our lives. They are written within 24 hours after a new moon. Surprisingly, you really don't even need to believe that the check will work when you write it. You will however be amazed at the results, as you will see increased abundance in some area of your life. It is not always financial, but certainly in an area that you need.

There is a traditional manner which has been handed down that is easy to follow. If you do not have a checking account you can draw a check on a piece of paper and fill it out the same way--the results will be the same, more abundance for you. Here's how to do them:

1.) Within 24 hours after a New Moon, take a check from your check book. Where it says "Pay to," write your name.
2.) In the little box on the same line where you would fill in a dollar amount write "Paid in full."
3.) On the line underneath your name, where you would write out a dollar amount, write "Paid in full."
4.) Sign the check: "The Law of Abundance."
5.) Do not put a date on the check. Do not write a specific dollar amount in the check. Put it in a safe place and forget about it.

The Universe will take it from there. Many people are skeptical about trying this until they do it. After the first time they realize the power of these checks and do them routinely every month. And remember, abundance can come in many forms--love, health, material prosperity as well as energy, success and satisfaction. Try it yourself and see what manifests in your own life and please let me know what you think.

8/12 6:03 pm
9/11 7:45 am
10/11 12:01 am
11/9 6:04 pm
12/9 12:41pm

StellarSelf Helping Celebrate Law of Attraction Blog Carnival's 1-Year Birthday!

I am a big fan of Evolving Times, a blog dedicated to "musings on the Law of Attraction, conscious evolution and personal growth." Edward Mills, the author, is a wonderful writer, and has developed a great community of kindred spirits around the topics of conscious, positive living. I was introduced to Evolving Times when I entered one of my early blog posts (interestingly enough, about a Portland farmers market), which Edward featured. When I heard that there was to be a one-year celebration with giveaways, I wanted to show my support. So I have donated a copy of my new book, which is now one of many amazing prizes being given away this month. I highly recommend you check it out!

The Grass Is Actually Pretty Green Right Here

Today, several things fell into place for me, new contacts were made, and I felt very fulfilled in my work. I felt truly grateful that I am doing work that I love. Gratitude came very easily to me.

Life naturally has its ups and downs, and I'm definitely not is such harmony every day. But every day, I try to remind myself to take a moment to give thanks for what I have in my life right now – even if it isn't my ideal situation. When I look at my current situation with gratitude, my outlook on life is much more positive, and I am less likely to "sweat the small stuff."

As the Dalai Lama points out that, “Even a small event, if you are looking at it very closely, appears very big, beyond your control,” but if you look at it from a different perspective, it can seem quite manageable. He says that he keeps his blood pressure low, and his happiness level high by looking at things from different angles. What can seem bad or sad from one angle, can seem positive when viewed from another. So adopting a continuing attitude of gratitude helps to keep things in perspective.

In all the books I’ve read on intention and being a co-creator of an abundant, happy life, such as Catherine Ponder's Dynamic Laws of Prosperity and Wayne Dyer's Power of Intention, the importance of giving thanks in strongly emphasized. There is something very powerful about including these words in your daily thoughts. So, make a conscious effort to focus on all the good things that you have, and, as I suggested earlier in this book, give thanks.

Let's Get Spiritual...Spiritual

About eight years ago, a friend gave me an audio version of Deepak Chopra's, Creating Affluence. I listened to it several times, and was intrigued by what Chopra had to say. Drawing from the Vedic tradition, Chopra explains "the mechanisms by which the unmanifest become manifest." It was my first formal exposure to the concepts of intention and the law of attraction.

A couple of years later I revisited this topic by reading Chopra's book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, which focuses on the essential points from Creating Affluence. Then a couple of months ago, I heard that Seven Laws had been turned into a DVD, and consequently, I received an email asking if I would be interested in receiving a review copy.* I thought it would be interesting to see how Chopra's words would be translated into a images, so I happily agreed.

The key concept behind The Seven Spritual Laws is that we have the ability to co-create our lives, our reality, with the Universe. In Chopra's words: "When we put ourselves into harmony with nature, we create a bond with our own desires and the power to make those desires materialize." An article in the Summer '07 issue of Pathways Magazine (a DC-area holistic resources publication), the DVD is described as a "...powerful voyage into a virtual labyrinth of life [that] reveals the universal laws, as explained by Chopra, for living a more purposeful and satisfying life. Join Deepak and friends as they investigate the true meaning of success and the mechanics through which we can manifest our greatest desires and dreams."

The DVD co-bills Chopra with Olivia Newtown-John. Chopra had apparently helped Newton-John in her meditation practice during her battle with cancer. Through that experience, she says that she learned to recreate her life in a more positive, balanced, meaningful form. The video takes the essential points from the book and expands on them with groovy graphics, touching testimonials and mellow music by Newton-John. The movie has a What the Bleep? feel to it as it interweaves Chopra's descriptions of the seven laws, interviews with people who are living the principles of the laws, an ongoing vignette about a couple that learns to live the laws, and images of Newton-John wandering through CGI backgrounds.

For viewers new to Chopra's concept of the seven laws, this DVD could be an entertaining introduction to his ideas. But because I came to this with an already strong impression of this area of his work, I often found the interviews and images distracting. The DVD comes with a handy study guide, which outlines the seven spiritual laws. I found this helpful as I wanted to revisit the key points even after watching the video a couple of times.

I really enjoyed the audiotape I had of Creating Affluence in part because of Chopra's eloquence and his soothing voice, so I was disappointed that the DVD did not contain more of him. For a nice dose of Chopra, you can view an online video of his appearance on The Colbert Report last December to promote his book Life After Death.

The 64-minute DVD is available on Amazon.com or Chopra's website.

*I will be giving away the DVD in a drawing to my newsletter readers. Details in the August issue of StellarSelf News. To sign up for this free monthly newsletter, please visit the StellarSelf website.

Everyday Qi

My colleague, fellow wellness coach Ellen Britt, has assembled an amazing group of speakers for a free teleconference. The series was launched last week with a live interview with Dr. Alan Sears who has some radically interesting ideas about exercise, heart health and weight management. She is offering this 12-week series at no charge (she makes her money by selling the recordings at a later time), and I highly recommend it. I'm looking forward to hearing tonight's speaker, Dr. Symeon Rodger.

Here is the letter that she sent out announcing the series. Even though it has already started, you can still sign up.

You've probably heard the term *Qi* (pronounced *chee*), that ancient Asian term that means one's vital energy. The Chinese knew that if your Qi was blocked or stagnant, illness was sure to follow.

It's no different with your own life if your EveryDay Qi is blocked or slow, you are headed for trouble. You may struggle to stay fit, maintain your weight, keep your junk food cravings under control, and cope with your soaring stress levels, but nothing you do seems to work.

You know you have to do something, but where do you turn for real help, with all the health and wellness hype and jargon that's out there?

If your EveryDay Qi is blocked, you turn to the Masters, but who are these Masters? They are the Masters of EveryDay Qi.

And you don't have to climb the high Himalayas or live for years in an isolated mountain cave to have access to their wisdom. This is your opportunity to learn from the best.

Just by enrolling in the EveryDay Qi Wellness Intensive, a totally free 12-week teleseminar series featuring LIVE in-depth interviews with some of the most respected names in health and wellness today.

Our speakers will be teaching you cutting edge wellness information such as:

*accessing the 5 Keys to everyday bliss
*why the cardio workout is a myth
*getting unshakable inner peace...on demand
*being a savvy hypnosis consumer
*using biofeedback to sky-rocket your personal development
*increasing your wellness with every action you take
*why losing everything could be the best thing that happens
*the ancient Hawaiian healing system to manifest health and wellness
*how your can use A.D.D. to your advantage
*implementing a simple technique to amp up your energy
*how to get fit...even if you are *over the hill*
*eliminating stress and anxiety...permanently
*reactivating your native fat burner

...and much, much more!

You will be learning from the most respected health and wellness EveryDay Qi Masters on the planet, including...

*Dr. Joe Vitale (one of the prominent teachers in The Secret movie...plus...
*Dr. Al Sears, M.D.
*Tellman Knudson
*Michael Lovitch
*Dr. Symeon Rodger
*Maryam Webster
*Jon Benson
*Peter Shepherd
*Stephen Pierce
*Mark Joyner
*Ryan Lee...

The EveryDay Qi Intensive begins Wednesday, April 11th at 8PM Eastern so get this written into your calendar now!

Seats are limited, so make sure you reserve your place early...and did I mention that for a limited time the EveryDay Qi Intensive is totally FREE!

P.S. If you can't make Wednesdays, register anyway...all calls will be recorded and available later
for your listening...but only if you register.

==> http://www.everydayqi.com