According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary “apathy is defined as the following: lack of emotion; lack of interest; indifference”.

Wow, that’s pretty depressing. However, look around you. Don’t many of you work with people with this attitude. I don’t, because I run my own business. However, I can remember when I worked for others and how many of the people I worked with fit this description. At that time, I couldn’t understand how they could be that way. While I left corporate America, for my own separate set of reasons, apathy was certainly not one of them.

Unfortunately in the business that Chuck and I run we also see too much apathy. Of course, we get people who show what I like to call “pretend interest”. They figure if they pretend an interest in something else, maybe no one will notice their apathetic behavior.

The individuals who pretend an interest in creative real estate will call us, and want us to guarantee that they will succeed (without any effort I might add). NOTE: NO ONE CAN GUARANTEE YOUR SUCCESS BUT YOU. Or they will want to know how quick they can make a million dollars (again, without doing any work). Or, how do I know it will work for me, in my area. As far as their area, creative real estate works in most areas. However, will it work for them, that I can’t answer. They have to decide if they are going to work at it or not, they have to put the effort out. I put effort out every day and get rewarded for it. I realize, however, “if there is no effort, there is no reward”. For these individuals, because they are so apathetic about everything, of course it won’t work. They don’t want to work. They are too indifferent.

If you find yourself with the above characteristics, and want to make a change do the following. Find something you have an interest in, that you are not indifferent to, and watch your emotions soar. I am not telling you to quit your job, unless you really want to or need to. Look at your job in a different light or look for something you would like to do, and research it. Find out how you can start it in your spare time, or part time, and build it up so you can get out of where you are. Once you do that you’ll have a new purpose for yourself. Put all of yourself into it, heart and soul.

Don’t let apathy make you say, “I’m not good at anything”, “I don’t know what I want to do”, etc. These kind of statements are just perpetuating your apathetic behavior.

If it is not your job that is making you apathetic, take a good hard look at yourself, and be honest so you can find out what it is and do something about it. Sometimes it is as easy as finding a new hobby, or doing something special for yourself – dinner, a movie, walking, whatever, will make an enormous difference. If that doesn’t help, go talk to someone on a professional level, but do something to remove the apathetic behavior, and I don’t mean by using “pretend interest”.

As Nike is so fond of saying, “Just Do It!”

Copyright 2003 DeFiore Enterprises

About The Author

Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 17 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit homebusinesssolutions.com” target=”_new homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our FREE “how to” Home Business Solutions Digest, it’s like having your own personal coach: mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com” target=”_new mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com

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Pain is a great motivator for change. If we are unable to produce an income, we go into debt just trying to survive. If we get failing grades, we know we need to study. When we suffer embarrassments or humiliation, we need to learn to stand up for ourselves and speak out. To improve ourselves, we need to be highly motivated. This can come in the form of a friend’s rags to riches story, an inspirational movie or self-help books, perhaps on the Law of Attraction or the Science of Getting Rich.

Keeping motivated and positive is crucial. The A to Z tips below will help in actualizing the Law of Attraction.

A – Accomplish what you set out to do. Surround yourself with positive people, places and things. As Robert Kennedy once said, “Some see things as they are and ask why. I dream things that never were and say why not!”

B – Believe you can succeed. Believe this not just in your head but with your whole being.

C – Consider all things from all sides. Motivation doesn’t just happen, we make it happen through determination. Life is better understood when we take even the smallest things into account.

D – Don’t stop trying. Only then do you fail. Thomas Edison said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

E – Enjoy what you do. That makes motivation so much easier. Thomas Edison was a very motivated person who said, “I’ve never did a day’s work in my life. It was all fun.”

F – Friends and Family are the foundation of your support. Always remember this.

G – Give all you’ve got and more. Whether it is at home, work or school, when you give more than is asked of you, you feel more motivated to improve yourself.

H – Hope feeds your dreams. Dare to dream and dream of hope. This will be the force that gets you through.

I – Intentionally avoid negative people. There will be people who try to bring you down, even friends. Don’t let them. You may need to sever some ties with some people.

J – Just. Be just yourself and be just to yourself and others. If you try to please everyone else, you end up not pleasing anyone, especially not yourself.

K – Keep putting one foot in front of the other. If you keep trying no matter what, you haven’t failed. A motivated person will keep moving forward no matter what life dishes out. The result is an improved self.

L – Love yourself first. Before you can love others, you must love yourself.

M – Make it happen. Putting your dreams to work is motivation.

N – Never compromise the game. It should always be fair.

O – Open you mind as well as your eyes. Always be open to new ways of seeing things. You never know but that you could find the best way to reach your goals this way.

P – Practice what you preach. If you do what you say and say what you do, you keep motivated and honest. It also makes sure you correct your mistakes rather than ignore them.

Q – Quitters are never really in the game and winners are in all the way. Which are you? Quitter or winner? The choice is yours.

R – Ready, set, go! Get motivated, move forward and don’t stop. Others will be less likely to get in your way when they see your determination.

S – Stop putting things off to the last minute. This results in hurried carelessness. If Noah had waited until the first drop of rain fell to start building the Ark, it would have been a leaky tub.

T – Take responsibility for yourself. Self-improvement comes from self-discipline and self-control. Self-motivation goes hand-in-hand with these.

U – Understand the thoughts and feelings of others. Communication is key to the Science of Getting Rich and communication is more than just talking. You must listen at least as much as you talk.

V – Visualize your dreams and aspirations. If you can see it, you can achieve it. That will provide motivation to see it through.

W – Want your dreams to be reality. This is the crux of motivation. Believing in your dreams will make you want to improve yourself to make them real.

X – ‘Xtra’ motivation. Motivate yourself to have the extras you need – extra time for yourself, your family and friends, to give and get extra help at work, etc.

Y – You are yourself. You are unique in every way. No one else is like you. That uniqueness gives you value in your life, so make the most of it.

Z – Zap the negatives in your life and zero in on the positives. Dare to dream and go after them.

To know more about Law of Attraction and find the Missing Ingredient of “The Secret”, visit Atul at http://www.abundanceattractionlaw.com

“Time management” is a myth. Time ticks by, whether you achieve what you want to or not in the run of a day or week. “Time waits for no man” as the saying goes. The only thing that you can manage, time-wise, is YOU.

The following tips will help you on the road to a less hectic schedule.

1. Get Organized

It’s hard to manage your schedule if you spend a great deal of time hunting for keys, team notices and school papers. Once you are organized, with a workable system in place, you will find that managing your schedule will become much easier.

2. Call a family meeting

In order to reign in the overwhelming schedule that most families have, you must get input from all the concerned parties.

Ask each family member to pick one or two activities that they are passionate about. Though you may want your children to be exposed to a number of activities, remember that downtime is essential for children. An overscheduled life leads to stress, burnout and a lack of interest. Contrary to popular thinking, it won’t necessarily make your children “well-rounded” but you can be sure it will make them stressed, irritable and generally unhappy. Children don’t like the pressure of too many activities any more than adults do.

In our household of six, we limit our children to one sporting activity to promote health and fitness, and one “community minded” activity, like Scouts or Brownies. This works very well, and allows us two nights off per week, when there are no activities scheduled at all. It did, however, mean some compromises. When we scheduled our son and daughter for Cubs, we had to switch our daughter’s tap dancing to a different night, at a different location. All worked out in the end, as we now drive a little farther for the dance school, but I use the hour that she dances to get groceries at the local supermarket.

We also encourage reading, playing outside with friends, and musical pursuits through school band. We find that the kids are happy with their schedules and are not stressed out over activities. It also leaves plenty of downtime and homework time in their schedule.

3. Learn to say “No”

Sounds simple, doesn’t it. Go ahead and practice it now. “NO”. However, when someone calls you and says “We really need your help”, it becomes very hard to say that little word. Despite impassioned pleas, the cause that wants your assistance will NOT fold without you.

Go ahead and donate your time to one or two causes that you are passionate about, and tell the rest that you would love to help out, but you are not able to give them the attention they deserve. Thank them for considering you, but you must decline.

Saying “No” is a way to honor yourself by allowing you to give your full attention to the one or two causes you choose. Doing so means that your cause benefits and your soul benefits by the calm that can enter your life when you devote yourself and your time to what you genuinely love.

4. Use Unique Storage Ideas

Sounds like an odd suggestion for managing yourself, time-wise, but it’s really a great idea.

Most people do not like to admit that they read in the bathroom. However, most of us do. So store any magazines that you want to read in the bathroom. I also print off newsletters that I want to read and store them there. I am always guaranteed two things – time to read and a few minutes of peace and quiet away from my overly energetic toddlers.

By using my time to multitask, I can read the articles that interest me without taking up work time or family time.

5. Delegate

Our children all have “chores” according to age and ability. The toddlers (ages 3 and 4) are responsible for picking up their toys and putting them away. Since they know exactly where the storage areas are, it’s very easy for them to do. They can also set the table and help with sorting the laundry. They love to load the washer, thinking that it’s just a big game.

Our older children (ages 10 and almost 12) are responsible for emptying the garbage cans and the compost containers. They also take care of shovelling snow off of the back steps, getting the newspaper and the mail and doing laundry. They make their beds, and keep their rooms tidy. The only beds I have to make below to my husband and me, and our youngest daughter.

Hubby and I equally share our household chores. This means that we cook, clean up or do laundry and housework depending on who is available. This also means that neither of us is solely responsible for all the household duties, which is a great stress reliever in itself.

6. Use a Master Calendar

We have a huge dry-erase style calendar that hangs right by my desk. All activities are scheduled from here, and my husband and I each make note of upcoming events in our individual planners. This allows us to have an overview of all activities, meetings, Doctor appointments, school happenings and special events like Cub camps and dance recitals. We also sit down for a few minutes together each day and review our schedules so we can each make the other aware if things have cropped up during time apart.

If you work opposite schedules of your significant other, “sticky notes” strategically placed are a gigantic help.

7. Develop a Flexible “Daily Plan”

Quite by accident, we have developed a rough outline of a few necessary activities for our day. When we were having septic system troubles, we were forced into a routine of no more than two loads of laundry per day so that the septic field had time to absorb the water. And guess what? We kept that system. It’s a relief to know that I only ever have to do two loads of laundry per day, one in the morning and one at night. And I was quite surprised to find that this worked exceedingly well despite our large family.

We don’t get backed up with laundry now, and there are even days when we only have to do one load. HURRAY!

Scheduling regular activities into your day or week makes it easier to carry them out. Grocery shopping gets done when I take our oldest daughter to dance lessons and items for mailing get taken to the postal outlet when we drive our son to Tae Kwon Do. This sort of multi-tasking works well for us, as well as streamlines our time and makes the most of trips we have to take anyway.

8. Adjust Your Expectations

Perfection is unrealistic. There will be days when you seem to get nothing done. This is NORMAL. By staying open to change, you don’t get yourself so worked up when things appear to be going crazy. Know that not every day will be efficient and work well. Know that there will be times when you have uncooperative kids, a cranky car, traffic, classes that run late, etc. etc. Just smile and take a deep breath and know that you have a chance to try again tomorrow.

9. Take Adult Time Out’s

Some days, after dealing with two toddlers all day, then two school aged kids, a business and a full-time student spouse, I really don’t feel like cooking. So I declare a “Weird Supper Night” and the kids are allowed to have anything they find in the refrigerator, as long as they have something from each of the four food groups. This is my “Adult Time Out”. I don’t cook, the kids think it’s hilarious to each pickles, pepperoni, milk and a bagel and I can relax.

This works especially well on nights when we do have an activity scheduled and hubby and I have had to work late.

10. Schedule Downtime

Write it on your calendar. Go to the gym alone. Go get a facial or a massage. Run on your treadmill or take a brisk walk. Turn off the television and play a game with your children. Honor your family by scheduling downtime into your week. As well, try to take a 20 minute block at least once per day where you do something just for you. Children and partners will all adjust. And you’ll be in a better frame of mind when you return to them. All around, everyone wins.

By Jill Chongva
Align Your Life Organizing & Office Services
vadiva.com vadiva.com
Telephone (204) 489 0932

Jill Chongva is the owner of Align Your Life Organizing based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her 5 years organizing experience, combined with her 19 years in Administration, plus her ability to multitask as the mother of 4 children under the age of 11, gives her a wide variety of skills, tips and tricks to offer her exclusive clientele.

All rights reserved in all media © 2004-2005

I have made it an intention of mine to create a day of celebration that I will call, “Beyond Valentines Day.” This is intended to be a day of total inclusion. It will be a day when all are invited, without exclusion, to celebrate the one reality that is beyond our personal and illusory feeling of separateness.

This feeling of separateness is at the core of our broken relationship to the source that creates all. This source is Love. This is not just some sweet idea but is the core of who each and every one of us truly is. To know this is to be in real communication and communion with oneself and ones neighbour.

Most every one of us has had a glimpse of this eternal ground of oneness that is the foundation of life beyond our individual life situations. Beyond Valentines Day would be a celebration beyond simple ego adieu relationships that are often fraught with division rather than the beauty of the union of divine opposites that is our true relationship to Love.

Beyond Valentines Day can be celebrated on your own or with friends, partner, Lover or animals. There is no right way to celebrate as this is a practice of Love and compassion. It is something that you commit to. In that sense you commit to your self and the beauty that you are. You may not feel attractive, you may feel unloved but this is not who you are. To often our focus is on the other to give us something we think we do not have. You thus forget that you are far more miraculous than we might ever imagine.

The sorrow that goes unsaid is that you have forgotten this miracle of creation that you are and will always be. You are, if you would know it, a walking Valentine that finds its joy in giving of itself. Giving of yourself, however, often makes you feel vulnerable unless you know, that is to feel directly, the ground of being from which Love arises.

Many of us shrink our hearts around this time of Valentines Day. I remember this feeling well. For me there was a sense of shame, a sense of being unworthy in some way when on that day I did not give or receive a card. On Valentines Day I would hope that no one asked me did I get a Valentines Card. To say no reminded me that there was no one special in my life who loved my heart. Of course this was not surprising as I did not love my heart either.

On the new radical Beyond Valentines Day you commit to recognising your own heart.

Do you know it? Do you have the courage to allow it to be open? There is no real security for the heart. It is a paradox. In protecting it you have to shut it and in shutting it you close out the very things you long for. Often when you think it will break it breaks open. It hurts often because we cling to the past. Many of us we would not know what or who we are without it. This is often why we will not let it go.

Loving begins at home with you.

All things want to be Loved. There isn’t anyone of us living in form who cannot be healed and made more whole. This wholeness arises from our deeper connection to that which is creation and which is our very being. How much do you Love yourself? How much do you have joy in your self?

Right now sit still for a moment and ask yourself, “What right now is wrong with this very moment?” Often you will find yourself going quiet. What tends to be wrong is the projection of your imagined life situation into the future. This gives you a feeling of anxiety. You might imagine, no money, no job, no friends, or no Love. The same thing occurs in projecting the past into the present moment and thus missing life as it is.

To have a friend is to be a friend.

To have a Lover is to be a Lover. This starts at home with your own heart. You are already wired to be this. This is your natural state. There is a beauty that resides within you and cares for you would that you commit to recognising it. Once it is known it is a Lover that does not leave you. You have, however, to find it and learn to abide in it. Are you prepared to risk finding this real source that is forever?

Beyond Valentines Day is for those who would be radical and affirm their right to the celebration for Love that they are in reality not separate from. This can be a time when you treat yourself with a kindness and tenderness. This is a kindness and tenderness that you might reserve for a lover except that Love does not hold itself in reserve other than when it becomes ‘my love.’

There isn’t a day or a moment when you cannot be a Lover. You may be numb to Love but there will come a time when that numbness begins to unfreeze. It will pain you. It is like blood returning to a frostbitten finger. It can hurt like hell. Life will have you open your heart. Your essence is the timeless experience of Love. You can join this dance of forever but you cannot leave it. Most of us who are living in this world identified solely with time and space have forgotten this.

Why not learn to fall in Love with who you are.

Many of us feel very unloved and unloveable. Written deep into the tissues and cells of our body and mind is a script that repeats the same old messages. Only this is not the real message except that you give it all your attention. This gets you lost in time. As Mister Eckhart the great German mystic tells us, “Time is the one thing that keeps us from God,” which is another way of saying time is the one thing that keeps us from knowing what it is to be Love. We have forgotten the timeless that is the source from which we are all created and have our being in.

On Valentines Day pour yourself a luxurious bath; buy some candles and aromatherapy oils. Make your home a place that smells sensational. Get a movie that will make you laugh out loud. Telephone a friend who is in doubt or who is struggling at this time. Buy yourself the ingredients to make your favourite meal. When you cook it pour yourself into it slowly while not thinking about the past or the future.

Get some inspirational poetry or music to play on your DVD or CD player. Do something, anything that is an expression of gratitude for the life that you are given in this moment. Not the next moment, or tomorrow but right now. Do it now as a gift to yourself so that you begin to do it in the next moment. In this way you become the habit of Love which is paradoxically ever new.

Gratitude is the simplest but most profound practice.

It is one of my favourite practices because you can do it at anytime and for a long time. You can even live it forever. It allows you to expand and raise your vibrational rate so that you can receive what you want. To begin with it may feel awkward and unnatural. It is unnatural because each of us has made it so in our own lives. Lovers are not ungrateful. They are dancers of thankfulness. They say thank you for the being that they are that is not just the personality each of us identifies with and protects from harm.

Want a Valentine in your life then commit to being who you are.

Commit to Love as an inside job. This is the only place where you’ll find it that will give you any real sense of security. Then when you find it give it away without reward. This is what it is to be a Lover. All real Lovers are not beggars. They are simply like a flute that allows the music of the spheres, the music that is the resonance of Love to play through them. This is a practice. It is a risk that you have to take until you become the knowing of Love. In that knowing there is no risk at all. Until you are that knowing Love is always risky.

Risk making a fool of yourself for Love.

Risk taking time to be tender with the sweetest part of yourself. If you do not know how to be in touch with that start finding out. Do what it takes to find out. It certainly isn’t out in the world where all is change. As Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Want to be in love then be a Lover. Learn to be what you truly are. This is what it means to become as a little child.

So on this coming Valentines Day why not go beyond.

Spend time in deep awareness. Do not rush. Lovers do not rush. There is nowhere to go, nothing to do except be with what is. Be still and know that you are Love. This stillness can enter all your activities if you would practice being at the centre of who you are. This is the work of Love and it begins in the homeplace of your own heart. Begin now. Begin to be the main attraction in your life beyond your life situation. To be is to be Love. To know this is to have enough and to be enough unto your self.

This is he Blessing and you are already it.

Tony Cuckson is a Storyteller, and Anamcara. This Celtic term means “Soul Friend.” He specializes in providing insight for the spiritual journey and writes a FREE weekly ezine entitled Blessings for YOU. Visitors to Irish Blessings Matter website get the opportunity to develop a purpose driven life through articles, newsletters and other programs.

Get your free report called “7 Ways to It’s a Wonderful Life” at irishblessingsmatter.com/ irishblessingsmatter.com