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     Pleasant weather is beginning, here at THE CAT'S MEOW! Winter's last-ditch fight to hold on will soon give way to sunny days and warmer temperatures! It's almost time to plant a garden, and there are plans to make for Easter/Eostar. Baby birds, bunnies, and foals are being born, as the "new year " begins...and THE CAT'S MEOW is undergoing a "rebirth"! We've added books and VISA from Amazon.com, updated the LINKS page (where all our favorite contributors are listed), added lots of new links to our RESOURCES and HEALTH & HEALING pages, and have almost completed a special tutorial for those of you who've always wanted to publish an onlne ezine like TCM! Watch for announcements of further improvements in our website! And now, we offer you today's 'internet potpourri'....

     Should any of these gleanings inspire you, be sure to visit our website for further information and helpful resources!

     For those who are interested, here's a good explanation of the Vernal Equinox (aka "the first day of Spring")...but, it is interesting, also, that the local tv weatherman stated that the day on which the light and darkness were of equal length was actually Monday! (Other than the obvious -- and well-known -- "calendar error thru the passage of time", can anyone explain why we are still celebrating this event 4 days late? Tradition is wonderful, but inaccuracy detracts from significance! It's rather like combining Lincoln's and Washington's Birthdays into "President's Day...we no longer immortalize either of these great men; it's just another excuse for retailers to claim they're having a sale by marking their over-priced merchandise down to something resembling its true worth. Ah, well, in the world to come, we will not have such worries!)

All About The First Day Of Spring

The first day of spring is March 20th (sometimes March 21st), and it is also known as the vernal equinox. The vernal equinox occurs this year at 8:01p.m. EST March 20th.

This means it is the exact day separating winter from spring. Actually, to be more precise, it is the first day of spring north of the equator - in the south it is the first day of autumn.

Equinox is a Latin word, which means, "equal night." This is the time of the year (and there are two days in each year) during which the day and night are of equal length.

Spring is the time of year when winter is ending yet summer has not yet begun. It is time to put away the winter coats and get out the swimming trunks. Before long the flowers will bloom and the air will buzz with insects.

Practically what spring means is that from this point until the fall equinox your days will be longer and your nights shorter.

Traditionally, spring has been associated with the start of life. This is the time when the earth wakes up from its sleep (winter) and the world appears to be reborn.

This was a very important time in the past, as people stop eating their winter stores and begin planting their crops. In addition, the temperature was greater so people did not need to spend much of their energies figuring out how to stay warm.

Eggs play a very important part in ancient myths regarding the vernal equinox. Of course, birds begin to lay their eggs in Spring, which was very significant to ancient folks.

According to folklore, this is the one time of each year when an egg could be stood on end. If an egg can be balanced on it end during this equinox, at exactly the say time when the day and night are also in balance, then earth and nature are said to be in harmony.

The Spring equinox was considered the start of the pagan new year. This was the day of resurrection of the sun god from the underworld of winter. He met his goddess, Eostre (which comes down to us in the words East and Easter), who was a diety of the dawn. She was associated with new life, and many of the traditions of Easter (Easter eggs and rabbits – symbols of fertility) are derived from these ancient pagan rituals and beliefs.

Reprinted from MountainWings

BIT OF WISDOM:

"Instead of asking him to give
the things for which we pray,
All that we need to ask from God is this:
Show us the way."

- James A. Bowman

TEACHERS OF LOVE
By: Joseph J. Mazzella

I have had so many teachers in my life. I have had teachers in school. I have had teachers at home. I have had teachers in stores, on streets, and at playgrounds. I have had teachers in books. I have had teachers in nature. I have had teachers everywhere I've gone, stayed, and lived. The teachers that I have valued and enjoyed most of all, though, have been the teachers who taught me about love.

Teachers of love are not as rare as you would think either. I have seen teachers of love everywhere. The person who smiles happily when they drop money in a charity box is a teacher of love. The handicapped child who offers smiles, laughter, and hugs more freely than we adults ever will is a teacher of love. The person who sets corn out for starving deer and seed out for hungry birds in the winter time is a teacher of love. The big dog who shares half his food and a place in his doghouse with a little neighborhood puppy on a cold winter's night is a teacher of love. Everyone who spends their lives sharing great love though countless little acts of kindness is a teacher of love.

You want to know something wonderful. You can be a teacher of love too. You can be a person who gives encouragement and joy to a soul in need. You can be a person who cares for a sick friend, who helps out a hurting heart, and who shares cheerfulness and kindness with everyone everywhere. You can be a person who picks up trash off the ground and plants flowers and trees in it. You can be a person who saves a dog or cat by adopting it and offering it your love. You can be a person who works hard everyday to make the world a better place by choosing and sharing all the love and joy you possibly can. You can be what God wants each and everyone of us to be: a teacher of beautiful, glorious, and unconditional love.

Reprinted from Mr Mom (out of print)

"No matter what age you are,
or what your circumstances might be,
you are special, and you still have something unique to offer.
Your life, because of who you are, has meaning."
-- Barbara De Angelis

'Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like.'
-Will Rogers-

Think big. Don't let negative thinking discourage you. You want to be a "dreamer." Dream of the possibilities for yourself, your family, and for others. If you had a dream that you let grow cold, re-ignite the dream! Fan the flames. Life is too short to let it go. (Also, check out my article "Dare to Dream Again," Which has been read by close to a million people in the last 4 months alone. You can see it at the website.)

2. Believe it - Yes, your dream needs to be big. It needs to be something that is seemingly beyond your capabilities. But it also must be believable.
You must be able to say that if certain things take place, if others help, if you work hard enough, though it is a big dream, it can still be done.
Good example: A person with no college education can dream that he will build a 50 million-dollar a year company. That is big, but believable. Bad example: That a 90 year-old woman with arthritis will someday run a marathon in under 3 hours. It is big alright, but also impossible. She should instead focus on building a 50 million-dollar a year business! And she better get a move on!

3. See it - The great achievers have a habit. They "see" things. They picture themselves walking around their CEO office in their new 25 million-dollar corporate headquarters, even while they are sitting on a folding chair in their garage "headquarters." Great free-throw shooters in the NBA picture the ball going through the basket. PGA golfers picture the ball going straight down the fairway. World-class speakers picture themselves speaking with energy and emotion. All of this grooms the mind to control the body to carry out the dream.

4. Tell it - One reason many dreams never go anywhere is because the dreamer keeps it all to himself. It is a quiet dream that only lives inside of his mind. The one who wants to achieve their dream must tell that dream to many people. One reason: As we continually say it, we begin to believe it more and more. If we are talking about it then it must be possible. Another reason: It holds us accountable. When we have told others, it spurs us on to actually do it so we don't look foolish.

5. Plan it - Every dream must take the form of a plan. The old saying that you "get what you plan for" is so true. Your dream won't just happen. You need to sit down, on a regular basis, and plan out your strategy for achieving the dream. Think through all of the details. Break the whole plan down into small, workable parts. Then set a time frame for accomplishing each task on your "dream plan."

6. Work it - Boy, wouldn't life be grand if we could quit before this one!Unfortunately, the successful are usually the hardest workers. While the rest of the world is sitting on their couch watching re-runs of Gilligan's Island, achievers are working on their goal - achieving their dream. I have an equation that I work with: Your short-term tasks, multiplied by time, equal your long-term accomplishments. If you work on it each day, eventually you will achieve your dream. War and Peace was written, in longhand, page by page.

7. Enjoy it - When you have reached your goal and you are living your dream, be sure to enjoy it. In fact, enjoy the trip too. Give yourself some rewards along the way. Give yourself a huge reward when you get there. Help others enjoy it. Be gracious and generous. Use your dream to better others. Then go back to number 1. And dream a little bigger this time!

Chris Widener "Live the Life You Have Always Dreamed Of!"

Made For Success

Five simple rules to live by:

'War is costly; Peace is priceless.'

Reprinted from eEncourager

Inspiration Line is a FREE weekly e-mail magazine for people seeking encouragement and fresh perspectives. Our intent is to inspire through motivational articles, poems and uplifting quotes, while balancing the equation with lighthearted humor, historic wonders, interesting news and helpful tips on relationship skills, pet care, health issues, world travel and more.  www.InspirationLine.com

T. G. Desrosier, Author tom@dare2believe.com

Miracles
T. G. Desrosier, Author
tom@dare2believe.com

"Good fortune and prosperity come from hard work and tenacity. Luck? Miracles? Fairytales all!" (Joe the Pragmatist)

Joe walked briskly through the warehouse; he would have to rush this one if he wanted to make the afternoon shipment. A worn clipboard; he held it before him, glasses perched upon a generous nose... Reading the next item on the order; He hardly slowed his pace. "Abrasive cutting wheels... Isle ten." He mumbled.

Yes callused hands, a workman's garb... Here was a hardness; a man who had struggled mightily to achieve what he had. Yeah, Joe was no nonsense. "If you want it bad enough, then go get it!" That was his motto.

Joe had purchase his company on a hunch by the way... You know, one of those thoughts or ideas that occur out of the blue, but inspires us act?

Anyway, it was an old weather-beaten warehouse; the neighborhood was pretty run down and no major roads were close by. But still, he had this hunch and it wouldn't go away. The loan officer at the bank thought he was nuts...

But hey, Joe didn't give it a second thought... That gut feeling all those years ago; nor the wonderful success his business was enjoying today.

And he hadn't thought much of the close call he had yesterday either. It was just one of those things after all...

Joe had been walking through the warehouse as usual; His cart partially full of small boxes. He had cast his eyes down to his clipboard... "let's see, what's next... a dozen stainless steel sleeves in assorted sizes. Isle four..." And just as he was starting off, he suddenly had one of those "gut feelings"; it caused him to stop and look up. And just in time too.

Ed, his Forklift operator was at that very moment losing control of a pallet load of the heavy motor casings...

Whammm!!!!

The pallet fell; spilling its contents... Joe, with a healthy degree of dispatch, jumped back a few feet; That was close!

The pallet, with its motor casings had just missed Joe by inches. "That was a close one!" Thought Joe.

"What concerns me is not the way things are, but rather the way people think things are." (Epictetus(55-135))

Joe's wife Betsy knew Joe was wrong...

"How can you be so blind as to not see all that God has done in your life!" She would often scold him...

"What are you talking about! Everything we have, I earned! No one has given me anything!" He would respond...

Oh, if only he could see the truth. She thought. Oh well. That was her Joe.

Betsy was convinced about miracles. Utterly! In fact, it had not been that long ago that such had changed her life. She had been on the brink of suicide... Her life had been overpowered and consumed by the guilt of her stillborn baby.

"If only I would have lived more healthy and been more careful..." A mantra she repeated over and over; there was nothing in her life but this guilt.

And then that fateful day, a small voice from deep within. She didn't know why she knew, but she did... This was a voice from the hereafter; from the world of spirit; from the world of God. And this voice had simply said, "God still loves you." That's all.

That was it... "God still loves you."

And it was enough! All of a sudden, the punishing guilt was gone; yes, the crushing, oppressive, seemingly irrevocable weight of the world was gone... Just like that!

"God still loves you." It was a miracle.

"You have to mow your lawn whether you know the origin of the universe or not." (Edward W. Kolb)

Behold... The close calls, the uncanny successes, the intuitive hunches... Yes things we cannot explain, but in retrospection we see that they have served as greatly. For such comes directly from God.

Lo...

I looked but could not see it! I listened but could not hear it! I grasped but could not touch it!

But still... I know its there! Such is my path upon this world. Such is my reason for being.

Yes, onward, ever onward, we would go to a destination that perhaps only God would know. And it makes little difference whether we are enlightened or not; whether we have found our inner child or not; whether we meditate or chant Mantras or not; whether we are self-actualized or not! For should we stray or wander, take heart! With a gentle nudge of his mighty hand, we shall not digress for long.

A Final Word:
Digress: To turn aside or ramble.

An Inspired Dollop!

Your life is truly grandiose; resplendent in love, in service, in growth...

Even if you don't know it.

Going deep...
Copyright 2003, T. G. Desrosier
All rights reserved

Reprinted from Dare To Believe

When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life.

-Greg Anderson, American Author of ''The 22 Non-Negotiable Laws of Wellness''

Reprinted from Motivational Quotes

     By the time you read this, the US will have begun war with Iraq. North Korea, too, remains a threat to our national security. More than ever, we must,as good world citizens, pray to the Higher Power and support our military forces (who are just doing the job they have been called to do). These prayers appeared in our 2/25/03 edition; they are being reprinted for our new subscribers and anyone else who may have missed them.

The Twelve Peace Prayers

The Prayer of St Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred . . . . . let me sow love
Where there is injury . . . . . pardon
Where there is doubt . . . . . faith
Where there is despair. . . . . hope
Where there is darkness . . . . light
Where there is sadness . . . . joy

Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled . . . . . . . as to console
To be understood . . . . . . as to understand,
To be loved . . . . . . . . .as to love
For it is in giving, that we receive,
It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned,
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life

Baha'i Prayer for Peace

Be generous in prosperity,
and thankful in adversity.
Be fair in judgment,
and guarded in thy speech,
Be a lamp unto those who walk
in darkness, and a home
to the stranger.
Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light
unto the feet of the erring
Be a breath of life to the body of
humankind, a dew to the soil of
the human heart,
and a fruit upon the tree of humility.

Buddhist Prayer for Peace

May all beings everywhere plagued
with sufferings of body and mind
quickly be freed from their illnesses.
May those frightened cease to be afraid,
and may those bound be free.
May the powerless find power,
and may people think of befriending one another.
May those who find themselves in trackless,
fearful wilderness---
the children, the aged, the unprotected--
be guarded by beneficial celestials,
and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood.

Hindu Prayer for Peace

Oh God, lead us from the unreal to the Real.
Oh God, lead us from darkness to light.
Oh God, lead us from death to immortality.
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti unto all.
Oh Lord God almighty, may there be peace in celestial regions.
May there be peace on Earth.
May the waters be appeasing.
May herbs be wholesome, and may trees and plants bring peace to all.
May all beneficent beings bring peace to us.
May thy Vedic Law propagate peace all through the world.
May all things be a source of peace to us.
And may thy peace itself, bestow peace on all and may that peace come to me also.

Jainist Prayer for Peace

Peace and Universal Love is the essence of the Gospel preached by all Enlightened Ones.
The Lord has preached that equanimity is the Dharma Forgive do I creatures all, and let all creatures forgive me.
Unto all have I amity, and unto none enmity.
Know that violence is the root cause of all miseries in the world.
Violence, in fact, is the knot of bondage.
"Do not injure any living being."
This is the eternal, perennial, and unalterable way of spiritual life.
A weapon, howsoever powerful it may be, can always be superseded by a superior one; but no weapon can, however, can make Peace.

Muslim Prayer for Peace

In the name of Allah,
the beneficent, the merciful.
Praise be to the Lord of the Universe who has created us and made us into tribes and nations That we may know each other, not that we may despise each other.
If the enemy incline towards peace, do thou also incline towards peace, and trust God, for the Lord is the one that heareth and knoweth all things.
And the servants of God, Most gracious are those who walk on the Earth in humility, and when we address them, we say "PEACE."

Native American Prayer for Peace

Oh Great Spirit of our Ancestors, I raise my pipe to you.
To your messengers the four winds, and to Mother Earth who provides for your children.
Give us the wisdom to teach our children to love, to respect, and to be kind to each other so that they may grow with peace of mind Let us learn to share all good things that you provide for us on this Earth.
You are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call.
You are the cornerstone of peace.

Shinto Prayer for Peace

Although the people living across the ocean surrounding us, I believe are all our brothers and sisters, why are there constant troubles in this world?
Why do winds and waves rise in the oceans surrounding us?
I only earnestly wish that the wind will soon puff away all the clouds which are hanging over the tops of mountains.

Zoroastrian Prayer for Peace

We pray to God to eradicate all the misery in the world: that understanding triumph over ignorance, that generosity triumph over indifference, that trust triumph over contempt, and that truth triumph over falsehood.

Sikh Prayer for Peace

God adjudges us according to our deeds, not the coat that we wear:
that Truth is above everything, but higher still is truthful living.
Know that we attaineth God when we loveth, and only victory endures in consequences of which no one is defeated.

Christian Prayer for Peace

Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS, for they shall be known as the Children of God.
But I say to you that hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you pray for those who abuse you.
To those that strike you on the cheek, offer the other one also, and from those who take away your cloak, do not withhold your coat as well.
Give to everyone who begs from you, and of those who take away your goods, do not ask for them again.
And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

Jewish Prayer of Peace

Lord of the World, I stand before you and before my neighbors?
Pardoning, forgiving, struggling To be open to all those who have hurt and angered me.
Be this hurt of body or soul, of honor or property, Whether they were forced to hurt me or did so willingly, Whether by accident or intent, Whether by work or deed?
I forgive them because we are human?
I am ready to take upon myself the commandment, Love your neighbor as yourself.

From Chemo Angels For Jesus

Reprinted from More From Rondout

BURDENS GIVE US WINGS

An old legend relates that long ago God had a great many burdens which He wished to have carried from one place to another on earth, so He asked the animals to lend a hand. But all of them began to make excuses for not helping: the elephant was too dignified; the lion, too proud; and so on. Finally the birds came to God and said, "If you will tie the burdens into small bundles, we'll be glad to carry them for you. We are small but we would like to help."

So God fastened upon the back of each one a small bundle, and they all set out walking across the plain to their destination. They sang as they went, and did not seem to feel the weight of their burdens at all. Every day the burdens seemed lighter and lighter, until the loads seems to be lifting the birds, instead of the birds carrying the burdens.

When they arrived at their destination, they discovered that when they removed their loads, there were wings in their place, wings which enabled them to fly to the sky and the tree tops.

They had learned how to carry their burdens, and their loads had become wings to carry them nearer to God. Burdens we carry for others may become wings of the spirit, to lift us into happiness such as we have never known.

Reprinted from Chemo Angels For Jesus

Clutter-Clearing and Your Authentic Self
By Stephanie Roberts

Have you ever felt so discouraged, your life so out-of-control, the universe so unresponsive to your needs and desires, that you couldn't help it: you just had to clean up? By paying attention to these impulses we recognize the deep connection between our personal environment and our innermost selves. It's as though by shifting the arrangement of our belongings we hope to rearrange the molecules of our emotional lives as well.

Feng shui teaches us that our spaces both reflect and affect our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. When our homes become cluttered and disordered, other aspects of our lives tend to feel gridlocked as well. It's a chicken-and-egg kind of situation. Not only does a cluttered home reflect a distracted and cluttered mind, it also makes it hard to focus and think clearly. It gets easier and easier to stop making the item-by-item decisions that could put you back in control of the mess and help you to feel more in control of your life.

Eventually, we give up. The task seems overwhelming, and the clutter is so pervasive that we can't figure out where to begin. We slog through our days thinking "someday when I have the time I've got to clean this up." Clutter clearing becomes an abstract goal that awaits a mythical future time when our calendars will be free of obligations, we will awaken one weekend morning well-rested and energized, and mysteriously through some unseen grace we will have acquired the focused clarity and enthusiasm that will finally inspire us to dive in and get it done. We wait for the moment to be right before we begin, so beginning never happens.

We're approaching the clutter challenge backwards when we think this way. Regaining a sense of clarity and order is more easily achieved by putting our space in order than by trying to order and control our thoughts in a disorganized space.

Clutter saps your energy and erodes your spirit. Clutter makes it difficult to get things done, enjoy peace and quiet, or spend time the way you really want to. It adds to your stress, slows you down and drains your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual strength. Clutter is disempowering.

In feng shui terms, clutter is both a symptom and a cause of stuck energy. Opening the dictionary we see that "clutter" derives from the Old English word "clott", which means: "to cause to become blocked or obscured." Like a blood clot blocking circulation in our veins, clutter prevents energy from circulating through our homes and our lives.

As a feng shui consultant, I have worked with many clients who complain of feeling creatively or professionally blocked, or who bemoan the lack of a sense of purpose or direction in life. What I usually find in their homes are lots of things that don't reflect their personality or future aspirations. These people are surrounded by objects that have been allowed to wander in unchecked at the door or that linger on the shelf long after the relevant stage of life is past.

On an energetic level, all this stuff is preventing a clear vision of self. Anything that is neglected, unwanted, or unappealing to you will drag your energy down every time you look at it. Even a beautiful object of great value does nothing for you or your home if you don't like it. This is why we include "anything that you do not love" in a holistic definition of clutter.

Everything that surrounds you should be working for you in some way. If the things in your space are not supporting you and contributing to the positive quality of your life, it is time to do something about it!

The defeat, fatigue, and depression that you feel when you think about your clutter will start to evaporate as soon as you put yourself in action. The hard part is getting started, but once you do the magic will begin.

Clutter-clearing creates space for us to discover our true path in life and to define who we want to become. With this new vision we can consciously choose to surround ourselves with objects and imagery that reflect and support our authentic concept of self.

© 2003 Stephanie Roberts

[exerpted from "Clutter-Free Forever!", Lotus Pond Press, 2003]

Reprinted from Insprational Angels

There were four clergymen who were discussing the merits of the various translations of the Bible. One liked the King James Version because of its poetically beautiful English.

Another liked the American Revised Version best because it is more literal and came nearer to the original Hebrew and Greek.

Still another liked New International Version because of its up-to-date vocabulary.

The fourth minister was silent. when asked to express his opinion, he finally replied, "I like my mother's translation best."

The other three expressed surprise. They did not know that his mother had translated the Bible.

But he assured them, "She translated it into life, every day of her life, and it was the most convincing translation I ever saw."

Reprinted from Life'a Adventures

Hole Ting

"Hole Ting1"

"Hole Ting!"

That's what my two-year-old says.

He has developed the habit of wanting it all.

My wife will often offer him a spoonful of food from her plate.

I will break off a piece of what I am eating and hand it to him.

He shakes his head.

He emphatically says, "Hole Ting."

He doesn't want a piece.

He doesn't want a spoonful.

He wants the whole thing.

I wondered, "Where did he get such behavior?"

Who taught him that?

Where did he pick it up?

Hole Ting?

Why didn't he want to share? Why wasn't he satisfied with what was given to him? Wasn't the piece sufficient? The piece was plenty and he could get as many as he could eat.

Why did he want the whole thing?

Was he acting like a child or an adult?

As I watched other children, I saw that it was more innate for children to want the whole thing.

They wanted the whole toy without sharing. They wanted all of mama's attention. They wanted the swing or the tricycle all of the time.

Hole Ting

People don't want to share.

They want it all.

Hole Ting

It's not just for kids anymore.

A MountainWings Original

Reprinted from MountainWings

SIOUX INDIAN STORY
--Author Unknown

My grandfather took me to the fishpond on the farm when I was about seven, and he told me to throw a stone into the water. He told me to watch the circles created by the stone. Then he asked me to think of myself as that stone person.

"You may create lots of splashes in your life but the waves that come from those splashes will disturb the peace of all your fellow creatures," he said.

"Remember that you are responsible for what you put in your circle and that circle will also touch many other circles. You will need to live in a way that allows the good that comes from your circle to send the peace of that goodness to others. The splash that comes from anger or jealousy will send those feelings to other circles. You are responsible for both."

That was the first time I realized each person creates the inner peace or discord that flows out into the world. We cannot create world peace if we are riddled with inner conflict, hatred, doubt, or anger. We radiate the feelings and thoughts that we hold inside, whether we speak them or not. Whatever is splashing around inside of us is spilling out into the world, creating beauty, or discord with all other circles of life.

Reprinted from CAUS
To either subscribe or unsubscribe please send an e-mail to majordomo@caus.org and in the BODY of the e-mail type either: subscribe caus-list or unsubscribe caus-list

A very special movie: PEACE BEGINS

Change Your Mind, Change the World

"If you do not change direction,
you may end up where you are heading."
~ Lao-Tzu

While visiting Los Angeles this February, I found myself on a freeway that branched off to other freeways without offering the street exit I needed. I felt increasingly anxious to be traveling at high speed on unfamiliar highways with no apparent way to exit to surface streets. As each new exit showed itself to be yet another freeway, my anxiety turned to panic. As soon as I noticed I was panicking, I thought to myself, "There must be another way to get where I'm going," and began to change my mental state from panic to calm as I realized I could circle my destination by choosing freeways that took me in the general direction I needed to go. Simply knowing that I was able to change direction was all I needed to give me hope. A few minutes later, I was greatly relieved when I found a street exit that landed me fairly close to where I wanted to be.

For those times when you need a new direction and can't afford to go in circles for a little while, you can rely on inspiration. Harry Houdini (Erich Weiss) learned this lesson on June 17, 1913, the day he performed an underwater escape from a trunk dropped into in an ice-covered river. Houdini broke free from the trunk and swam into the ice-cold water... where he realized he couldn't find his escape hole in the ice! He located an air pocket to breathe from, but could not tell which way to go to get out of the freezing cold water. The ice was too thick for him to break through, and he was rapidly losing strength as the frigid water chilled his body to the bone. Just as he began to think this would be his last performance, he heard his mother's voice calling his given name, "Erich!" He followed the direction of her voice to find his way directly to the hole! When he got home to his hotel, Houdini received a telegram saying his mother passed away while he was in the icy river. While Houdini was devastated by his mother's death, he never forgot how she seemed to have been with him when he was most in need of help. "If God in his greatness ever sent an angel on earth in human form," wrote Houdini, "it was my mother."

Could you benefit from taking a new direction in your life? Ask yourself if there is anything you view from a negative or fearful perspective, or if you have a dream you fear is impossible to achieve. Tell yourself that things are getting better all the time, and even seemingly impossible situations can turn around. After all, when you change your mind, you change the world.

Cynthia Sue Larson

Reprinted from RealityShifters News, a free ezine featuring articles, stories, book reviews and websites for shifting reality. Subscribe at http://realityshifters.com/ and receive free gifts when you recommend this web site to your friends

Make Better Choices for a Better Life

Every moment that unfolds in life presents us with an invitation to choose either the path of what will better us -- as when we choose conscious kindness over unthinking cruelty -- or a path that will make us more bitter -- as when we unconsciously embrace a resentment instead of working to release it. To be Wise is to choose in favor of the Better Path, even though the bitter one often seems easier.

-- Guy Finley

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