There is a story I’d like to share; perhaps you’ve heard it. Two business owners were situated across the street from each other. The problem was these two men despised each other. Each merchant sold similar merchandise and were consistently at work trying to best the other in everything. When one got a customer he would stick out his tongue at the business owner across the street and laugh wildly. One night as these rivals were sleeping God came to one of them in a dream, “I am tired of your behavior,” God said. “Tonight you must decide what I can do for you that would make you happier than anything else in the world. I will do this for you if you will simply stop bickering with your rival across the street, I can make you wealthy, give you a long healthy life or anything else your heart may desire. You can choose anything you wish. What would please you?” The man pondered for a moment and was about to answer when God continued, “You must understand there is a condition to granting your fondest desire.” “What is that?” the man asked in his dream. “Whatever I give you I will give your competitor twice as much of the same,” God said. The man thought a moment and replied, “I would like to be blind in one eye.” Perhaps it was this premise that brought “You’ve Got Mail” to the big screen. Of course this was a remake of the Jimmy Stewart classic, “The Shop Around the Corner.” In this 1998 film Joe Fox is a high-class businessman who, although not an intentionally bad individual, is developing a store that will put a neighborhood bookstore out of business. Never mind the fact that the struggling store has been around for decades or that the owner knows more about books than Joe ever will. Meanwhile, Joe has developed an email romance with a woman he has yet to meet. In the end the woman he had fallen for turns out to be the owner of the bookstore closed by his business decision. The rivalry between Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan is at counterpoint to their personally engaging emails. On one hand they really like each other and on the other they really don’t want anything to do with each other. As an online business owner you have the chance to concentrate more on the needs of your customers than on the competition that is found throughout the web. You do not need to view other websites as rivals. By spending time concentrating on growing an organic email list, developing traffic and ensuring you have positive Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies in place, and developing customer trust you will have the greatest potential to develop a business that is about more than rivalry. In a best-case scenario you have a greater capacity to meet the needs of your customers because that is where your focus will be. And when you focus on the customer they recognize and respond.

“Life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.” – Author Unknown Believe it or not, the use of motivational quotes can have a positive impact on your resolve to move forward in business. We all suffer through moment of self-doubt and find ourselves somewhat incapacitated in our entrepreneurial endeavors. This article draws from a select group of quotes and ideas that may help you jumpstart your willingness to move forward. “In the factory we make cosmetics. In the store we sell hope.” – Charles Revson You have customers to think of. In the end, you sell more than a product you also sell something intangible, but altogether needed – an emotional attachment to the product. Some people don’t care about how they connect to a product on an emotional level, but many do. How have you developed your product to have an emotional appeal? “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” – Anne Frank Anne Frank endured Nazi repression and her life represents one of dedication and willingness to help others. She did not become bitter in the midst of great difficulty she simply found ways to make things better. How does this thought mesh with your entrepreneurial efforts? “A person who graduated yesterday and stops studying today is uneducated tomorrow.” Author Unknown Have you stopped learning? Sometimes it becomes easy to rely on what we have always known because it just takes too much work to do otherwise, yet ongoing education can help you take the entrepreneurial spirit and apply it to new methods. Never loose the joy of learning and then share what you’ve learned with others. “That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.” – Abraham Lincoln Look at the successes of those around you. Don’t view their success as something to envy, but as the encouragement you need to see that success is possible. “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.” – Will Rogers You may have failures in your past and it may be easy to dwell on those failures as evidence of your inability to do anything meaningful in the future. By living in the rear view mirror you fail to see opportunities and potential success ahead. “The buyer buys the seller not the salt.” – Author Unknown You may sell a certain product, but what you are marketing is trust. If your customers trust you then they will trust the product. Conversely you can have the best product available, but if people don’t trust you they will never make that all-important first purchase. Print this article out and refer to one of the quotes and thoughts each day. It may be the encouragement you need to turn the corner and make positive steps forward in your business. Let me leave you with one final question to consider. Believe it or not, your answer is important. “What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?” – Robert Schuller

It seems like violent crime is everywhere these days. From the local nightly news to the front page of the morning paper, we are constantly reminded that we live in a dangerous and unpredictable world. Crime statistics confirm these reports – according to the FBI, there were a reported 1,390,695 violent crimes in 2005. Today, it’s more important than ever to be able to defend yourself if it becomes necessary. But what exactly does “self-defense” mean? Is it about being bigger and tougher than a potential attacker? Does it mean carrying a gun in your purse? Not all of us are capable of fighting back physically, and sometimes fighting can make your situation more dangerous. Plus the laws concerning self-defense can be tricky – lethal self-defense is not always the solution from a legal point of view, no matter how frightened you may be in a situation. Your Best Defense The key to self-defense is preparation. You don’t have to be paranoid, and you don’t have to carry a gun. The best way to defend yourself is to be aware of your surroundings and to know what to do if you feel threatened or unsafe. Here are some things you can do to avoid being a victim: • Be aware of your surroundings. Always pay attention and observe what’s going on around you. Criminals often choose victims who appear to be preoccupied or distracted. • Avoid isolated places. Whether you’re finding a parking spot at the mall or going out for an evening stroll, make a point to be around other people. You’re significantly less likely to be attacked if you are in a well-lit, high-traffic area. • Trust your instincts. Don’t worry about seeming paranoid. If a person or situation doesn’t seem right to you, get away immediately and tell someone. You’re far less likely to become a victim of a violent crime if you’re alert and aware. Unfortunately, there’s no 100% guarantee. For a little extra peace of mind, you may want to consider some additional non-lethal self-defense options: • Pepper spray: A small but powerful deterrent. It causes temporary blindness, difficulty breathing, and an intense burning sensation. Spraying an attacker with pepper spray gives you extra time to get away and get help. • Stun guns: Stun guns are available in a variety of sizes and deliver a powerful jolt of electricity that temporarily disables an attacker for several minutes. • Personal alarms: A personal alarm or panic sensor can be worn around the neck and pressed if you’re in a dangerous situation. The noise can startle and scare away an attacker – and it draws attention to you. By staying alert and using non-lethal self-defense products, you are minimizing your risk of becoming a victim. You don’t have to live in fear. A little preparation can help you feel empowered in an unpredictable world.

This new time in the history of planet Earth is creating a transformation of spiritual consciousness that is a quantum evolutionary leap for all of humanity. In times past, spiritual pursuits, spiritual awareness and spiritual growth we largely separate from the pursuits of ordinary life. In more recent times, spiritual growth has been seen as a path to bring greater healing, and greater ease in one’s physical life. These views of spirituality were partial, related to steps in a process that humanity’s consciousness has been involved with, and now a new and expanded view of spirituality is emerging. Initially, human souls existed as the Oneness of spirit, and as the process of physical incarnation developed, souls descended more and more completely into the experience of physically manifest reality, which at that time required a separation from the world of spirit. This separation was necessary for a time, so that souls could experience the fullness of individuality and the complete immersion in physical manifestation. Within this current time period, this cycle of complete immersion reached its zenith. Humanity went as far as we could in exploring the many myriad ways of expressing individuality within physical form. The cycle has begun to shift now, as the spiritual evolution of the Earth has progressed into a vibration that is manifesting more light. The increased presence of God’s light on the Earth is accelerating humanity’s transformational process, speeding up both external events and internal shifts in consciousness. Dearest ones, there is emerging now in the consciousness of humanity a growing awareness of the Oneness of all of life, and a need to come together and create unity in ways that have never before been seen on the Earth. This need comes both as the result of the current global crises, which require concerted effort on the part of all people, and also as the result of the spiritual evolutionary process which seeks to move into the next level of growth and awareness, embracing both the full individuality and uniqueness of each soul, and also the unity and Oneness of all souls and all embodied life. In the new times that are arriving, spirituality will be understood not as separate from physical life, but as the foundation, essence and core of physical life. Spirituality will not be an “extra’ pursuit that people pursue as recreation, or solely as the means to help deal with challenging life circumstances; it will become an essential component of all choices, activities and directions that are taken. Changes are happening even now, to the Earth and to our physical bodies, that will make possible a much more integrated, harmonious and peaceful way of life. These changes may not be immediately apparent to us on a conscious level, as there is so much purification and transformation happening in our daily lives that much of our attention is focused on simply getting through each day, and in dealing with the hefty challenges before us. You may be able to perceive these changes through your dreams, or through the quiet whisperings of your intuition, that speak of the new times that are ahead. It is important to understand that times of massive change also bring many challenges, and emotions of fear, uncertainty, and a feeling of being lost and without a sense of security. Now is the time to create within yourself an inner connection with your own soul essence and spiritual center. There are many ways to create this connection, through prayer, meditation, spiritual practice, yoga, dance, authentic movement, art, music and so on. It is your inner longing and request to be more connected with your inner being that will activate this movement. Then, you will begin to be drawn to people, practices and methods that will help you to deepen this inner connection. God answers all souls’ prayers and all souls’ desires to return home to the center of spiritual beingness. Your prayers and intentions will activate new paths, new directions and new ways of seeing, feeling, understanding, and relating to yourself, to others and to all of life. Now is the time when so much is possible for us all, to enter fully and completely into the divine spiritual manifestation of our soul’s essence, both individually and collectively. Allow yourself to listen deeply to the deepest whispers of your hearts calling, and to follow the truth of your inner being. In this way you will create a new life for yourself, and in doing so you contribute to creating a new and brighter future for us all.

Depression is a feeling that we get when something bad happens and we are unable to deal with it. Even though depression is now known to have serious effects if it persists for a long length of time, the actual causes of depression are not well defined. There are some theories that suggest a multiple number of reasons, both internal and external factors which can cause depression. There are other theories about the cause of depression arising from genetics. With this theory the family and their behavior has a predisposition towards depression. There are numerous studies and research that has shown family members who are affected by depression have a genetic makeup that is very different from family members who are unaffected by depression. It has been noted that changes in the brain structure or even brain functions may be one of the causes of depression. While there is no clear evidence of brain functionality or genetics as being predisposed towards depression, there is ample research data to suggest that this is the case. Low self esteem and pessimism are thought to be the other causes of depression. With these mood traits a person suffering from low self esteem will regard themselves with feelings of pessimism, worthlessness, a desire to end their life and perhaps even attempts at suicide. In this case the person who suffers from low self esteem and depression will only see the negative aspects of life. These low self esteem and pessimistic feelings maybe some of the causes of depression, as they invoke the response towards depression. Being overwhelmed by stress can easily lead a person into a state of depression. The many pressures that we face in our lives and the great expectations that are placed on us contribute to this feeling of stress. Therefore as more stress enters our lives depression begins to set in. Low self esteem, pessimism and stress are considered to be psychological causes of depression. Other causes of depression can include any physical changes that occur to our bodies. Severe medical conditions like Parkinson’s disease, heart attacks, strokes and diabetes can make the individual believe that there is nothing worthwhile living for. This emotional state in many cases causes the person to drop into a depression phase. By feeling depressed the rate of recovery is delayed. While it is not completely clear what the exact causes of depression are, there is agreement that certain physical, emotional, and genetic traits can lead towards depression. Whatever the actual cause is, the end result is that the individual who is suffering from depression has a very poor quality of life. Therefore until we can define what are the real causes of depression, all that we can do is to help them become better.