Give to receive through igive.com

Everybody has their favorite cause of charity.  You may dream how you could manage to donate more than you already do.  You may also be aware of the principle that as you give of yourself, you actually invite more abundance into your life in unexpected ways that will enrich you.  This principle in mind, its possible to create different kinds of wealth for you while you also share wealth with others.

The www.igive.com system is a great way to refocus some of your current spending to support the causes and organisations of your choice.  As you choose to shop on-line, to buy items you were planning to buy somewhere anyway, companies you support will donate up to 26% of money you spend on your purchases.  As it stands, over 630 companies participate in this system and many more are poised to join.  You can also contact your preferred suppliers if they're not already involved and encourage them to request more information.

Also, you have no need to worry that you may be paying more for products and services on-line through the participating companies.  In fact, special discounts and other deals are offered solely to igive.com members.  Knowing this, what prevents you from rethinking how and where you shop?  The modern age encourages people to think more about environmentally-conscious choices.  By choosing to use igive.com, you will use less fuel to travel to your favorite outlets and stores and promote sharing of wealth with organisations that will greatly benefit.

Share the idea with friends, family and anyone you think could benefit. The world will become a better place as the result of such initiatives that empower people to assist others in need.  To be grateful for what you have, more discerning in what you buy, and more aware of your purchasing power, you can help almost anyone.  

Proactive speaking strategies

People approach me and ask about how to get into public speaking.  I often begin by referring to my own experience and how I began by taking initiatives to make conference presentations in 25 countries as part of my Ph.D. research.  Yet, my presentations branched out form the purely academic to cover varied areas based on my places of employment, community involvement and affiliations.  I didn't feel that I could simply offer a repeatable recipe for people to model.  So, I wrote this article to offer some more general guidelines.  I always suggestion self-examination.

Most professional speakers I've met or heard about tend to have developed their knowledge and skills in a particular field and then, branched out either consciously or unexpectedly.  Sure, other opportunities will present themselves, but you have to know where to look, how to keep your senses open, and you also benefit from learning how to nurture your skills.  Its a proactive thing.  Are you taking action to move forward in an area of interest? 

1) Do you know how to market yourself effectively?  Getting involved in local public speaking groups can boost your skills and confidence, but you also need to reach out and actually go into communities and offer to speak.  Practice is as important and getting your name "out there."  Who would you like to know about your availability? What can you do to tell them who you are? Why not take steps to present a speech at a public function like a wedding, retirement or awards dinner? All practice matters, even if you don't yet have an idea of your target audience.

2) How would you step outside-the-box? : Back in school, if you ever had a "career day," or took part in job shadowing, 'public speaker' may not of been one of your many options.  I recall such a high school career day.  Many people took part; local farmer, musicians, a fireman, policeman, electrician, plumber, government job representatives, local athletes, doctor, nurse, dentist and small business people promoted their fields.  Personally, I spent most of my time at speaking with a chef.  I learned how to fold a variety of napkin formations to decorate gourmet tables.  I didn't aspire to become a professional chef, but I chose to gain insight into a person's motivation and to recognize the value of developing transferable skills.

3) How do you tap into networking? : If you think about why you desire to something, this will often lead you to figure out who would benefit from it.  If you work on improving your talents and skills, and take time to reach out and offer what you know to others, you will find that people will point you in meaningful directions.  One thing often leads to another.  One speaking engagement can lead to other people finding out who you are, and contacting you to speak for their organisation.  Its part of a larger process.  You need to talk about your hopes and desires.

4) Who are your mentors? You are already your own person, but to think about who inspires your professional aspirations can be very helpful.  Do you know their life stories? To consider public speakers, you will recognize many different types of people.  You may think of comedians, artists, writers, professionals who discuss their expertise at conferences and seminars, psychic intuitives, motivational and self-help gurus, religious or spiritual leaders and others.  All of these people have a following because of something they have done that interests other people.

5) What is your measurable plan?  You can always be doing things to improve on what you know and to be working toward reaching certain goals.  However, you will be far more productive if you identify a schedule or timeline by which you plan to accomplish these goals.  You may not be able to know how many paid speaking engagements you'll have this week, but you can make a point of volunteering your time to speak somewhere and to meet people there.  You can begin by counting initiatives and the number of letters you write to specific people and organisations.

Angel retriever

Do you ever wonder how Higher Forces might work through creatures other than humans?  Animal-assisted therapy reveals some animals develop and exhibit a special intuition.  Something mysterious and delightful could also be going on.

Consider a retired engineer was feeling sorry for himself.  He felt increasingly vulnerable, as he was losing independence.  He was embarassed about repeated angina attacks in public places.  In essence, he was frustrated with his growing lack of control over his life.  His attacks struck him without warning.  His senses were unable to anticipate things.  He had become reactive when he would've preferred to be proactive.  The pain drained his strength, his morale and his outlook. 

After an attack at a dog training seminar where his golden retriever had suddenly urged him to leave the auditorium, a lightbulb went on.  As he proceeded to have an attack, the dog came to his rescue.  He licked his arms and face, and never left the man's side.  As his medication took effect and he slowly recovered, the engineer began to think his precious Dakota was also trying to tell him something.  The man could've sworn the dog's eyes changed color before and after.

He thought back to how this dog would paw at him as he lay on the couch.  At times, the dog would get agitated, as if for no reason.  Minutes later, the man would have an attack and then blame the dog for getting him too excited into a medical emergency.  He was reluctant to give Dakota credit for sensing when these attacks were going to occur.  Animal premonitions?  Could it be more?  The man wasn't religious, but something was intervening.

On another occasion, the man was working at his desk at home, when the typically docile dog pushed his head up the man's arm and onto his leg, causing him to spill al his coffee.  he chose to take medication at that point and go to bed.  He had taken a warning.  Clearly, he wasn't in control, but curiously, it was almost as if the dog was.  He took complete charge, climbing on the bed and looking straight in the owners eyes.  The animal's presence and attention reassured the man.  The dog was so quick to respond.  Perhaps its a special gift?

Seizure alert dogs exhibit classic "alerting" as they sense a person is about to have an epileptic or diabetic emergency.  Yet, these dogs are typically trained to perform a medical partner role. Seeing eye dogs are also rigorously trained to assist the visually-impaired.  This in mind, Dakota was never trained how to alert anyone of a crisis, and was never taught how to sense oncoming heart attacks.  This dog's family line has no history of assisting humans in medical scenarios.  It has emerged as a heavenly calling.   It was Dakota who finally drew a man's attention to the severity of his heart problem.  After 6 years, he's still alive and managing his health more effectively because of his guardian angel retriever.    

What are you waiting for?

Perhaps you feel you need permission from someone to take the next step in your growth process.  What do you feel you must do before you can improve on who you are? You only answer to yourself.  No person is going to give you permission.  This might really be your imagination playing tricks on you to prevent you from getting to what your heart and soul yearn to do for you.

From a young age, maybe you were morbid.  You may have created excuses for why you just refuse to find the time to push a little harder, read a little longer, think a little deeper or go that extra mile to stretch a part of yourself.  Its a matter of deciding that is what you will do. Taking time to build on what you know, to expand on what you see, is like a way to celebrate your life.  You can find numerous ways to express gratitude for being alive, for being here to grow.

You may have experienced people brush you off by saying things like,  "later," "next week," "another time," or even  "someday."  Yet, life teaches you many such supposed postponements just get perpetually postponed.  Its like the avoidance strategy.  How does it make you feel when people give you the cold shoulder?  This treatment may seem to make you feel as if you don't matter, like you aren't a priority or, you aren't worth that person's time. 

Turn the tables and look at you. If you silently tell yourself similar things, like, "I'll get to that personal growth seminar when you get to it," or, "I'll read that new motivational book and get organized when I have time," then what are you really saying about how much you value yourself?  If you refuse to spend time getting to know yourself, your strengths and weaknesses and you're unwilling to work on trouble spots, you will always stay as you always were.  Choose to move ahead instead.

"How much of human life is lost in waiting?" ~Ralph Waldow Emerson 

The Wishing Chair for real!

You may have heard of some unique dreams in your time.  Enid Blyton is the British author who wrote a child's fantasy The Wishing Chair. In case you missed it, this tale is about a flying rocker that was wished to destinations.  But, did you ever know anyone who aspired to travel high into the sky on a regular lawn chair? The weekend of July 7th, this is what really happened.  And no, this really isn't a whopper...

Ken Couch decided to fly this way from Oregon to Idaho.  I'm unsure if he was a boyscout, but he didn't float up unprepared.  He took instruments to measure his altitude and speed, a global positioning system (GPS) device in his pocket, and four plastic bags holding five gallons of water each to act as ballast (he could turn a spigot, release water and rise).  He also took a parachute.  Never can be too careful?   Almost nine hours later, the 47-year-old gas station owner came back to earth in a farmer's field near Union, short of Idaho but over 193 miles from his home.

Couch was inspired by Larry Walters, who, in 1982 rose three miles above Los Angeles in a lawn chair lifted by balloons, just to prove he could. Walters surprised an airline pilot, who radioed the control tower that he had just passed a guy in a lawn chair. Walters had to pay a $1,500 fine for violating air traffic rules.  Would you say this leisure activity is for those as crazy as the birds?

As it happened, this was Couch's second flight.  Back in September 2006, he had a trial run where he floated off the ground for six hours.  Modeling Walters, Couch used a B-B gun to pop the balloons, but he went into a rapid descent and eventually parachuted to safety.  Apparently, that experience wasn't enough for the thrill-seeker that dreamt about a far more challenging dream. 

He clocked a time of ~25 miles an hour.  Below him, a three-car caravan filled with friends, family and the dog followed him and watched his peaceful journey in awe.  He said later he could hear them from his serene vantage point.  He made a wish to reach safety and, it worked!

When he decided to land, he popped enough balloons to set the craft down.  He only suffered minor rope burns. Yet, after he jumped out, the wind unexpectedly grabbed his chair, along with his cam recorder, and the remaining balloons and swept them away. He's hoping to get them back.  If by chance you know anyone who saw a mysterious lawn chair floating along videotaping  backyard, or you have any information that could lead to its wherabouts, do let Ken know.  Although people in planes and control towers filmed some of his record-breaking flight, he likely captured the most incredible footage himself! If only he could find it?

His wife hasn't decided if she'll accompany him next time. And yes, he's already suggesting there will be a next time, destination to-be-determined.  It may depend if he can rig a floating love seat? Now, if you had the choice, would this adventure interest you, to be swept away on a lazy afternoon?