Photo by James Whitesmith

The first thought Jamie Stewart has each morning is, “Will my husband get a job today?” Since he got laid off, Jamie’s life has become very uncertain. “Will we get evicted?” To counter these scary thoughts, Jamie reaches for the remote and turns on the television. The familiar face of Jamie’s favorite evangelist comes on. “The Kingdom of Heaven is assured to those who believe!” Bolstered, Jamie gets out of bed and starts her day believing that everything will be okay. Her faith will protect her.

As the season of Lent approaches for Christians around the world, this week’s journal article will take a look at how, for millions of people, organized religion fulfills some basic human needs. Whether you’re “religious” or not, looking at why organized religion is so meaningful to those who participate in it can help bridge the gaps between those of different faiths.

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Photo by D Sharon Pruitt

As a Whole Life coach, I couldn’t let Valentine’s Day pass by without talking about LOVE. It’s that romantic, heady, amazing force that drives every aspect of life.

You may never have thought of it, but love relationships go through stages that are similar to the development stages of a business. This week’s article will compare the stages of love and the stages of a relationship. By the end, you’ll have some strategies for managing each stage.

The Seed Stage

In a business, the seed stage is the idea stage. It’s when you’re thinking, “Maybe I ought to go into this business.” Relationships have seed stages too. It’s when you’ve met someone and you like them. You start to REALLY like them. And they like you back. You’re thinking, “Maybe I ought to pursue this.”

Well, just as with a business idea, you have to keep your head about you. Before you decide to invest the time, energy, and emotions into a new relationship, take some time. Keep it cool. It’s like the line in that Jennifer Paige song, “It’s not like everything I do depends on you.” Too many people start trying to be what they think the other person wants them to be. “He likes sports so I’ll start learning football terminology.” “She’s involved in church, so I’ll start going with her on Sundays.”

Don’t get me wrong, there’s no problem having shared interests. Just make sure that you don’t lose yourself. It’s better to adopt the attitude that says, “Look. I’ll be me and you be you. If you see something you don’t like, there’s the door. If you like what you see, keep coming by.”

Here are some keys for navigating the seed stage.

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Photo by jdanvers

What comes to mind when you think of the following things? Passion. Commitment. Dedication. Goal Setting. Perseverance. Training. Personal Sacrifice. Dreams. Risk Taking.

Those words sure don’t sound like they are describing a game, do they? Those are some pretty serious words. And yet those are the very words to describe the forty odd football players who’ll be competing in this weekend’s Super Bowl match. Tell me. Do you think those guys think it’s a game?

This week’s topic is “What’s Your Super Bowl?” Now, many of you out there are probably NOT sports fans and are wondering, “What’s going to be in this for me?” Well, even if you don’t know a football from a disco ball, you will get something from this week’s journal. You don’t have to be Tim Tebow to know that sports can be a metaphor for success in every area of life.

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Photo by loran

Let’s face it. Most of us have had a tough couple of years. Newscasters, politicians, and pretty much everyone in the country have been talking about the economic recession we’ve experienced.

“This is the worst recession since The Great Depression.”
“Unemployment figures are going through the roof!”
“Well, in THIS ECONOMY, what do you expect?”

But I have a secret that I’m going to share with you. This secret is the key to both being happy during ANY economic condition and to attracting abundance no matter what is going on. Are you ready?

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Photo by cliff1066

The crowd is roaring. The noise from the clapping and stomping is deafening. “De-fense.” De-fense.” The basketball player raises his arms to shoot. The clock is ticking down—five, four, three… The crowd gets even louder. “De-fense. De-fense.” The player shoots the ball. As it soars through the air, the clock runs out. “Beeeeeeeep.” If the ball goes in the basket, his team wins the championship. If it misses, they lose.

Sometimes the difference between winning and losing comes down to a millisecond--or a point, a stroke, a nose, or a dime. As any amateur or professional athlete knows, there is often a thin razor’s edge between victory and defeat.

It’s not only in sports. Surely you’ve caught yourself wondering, as you drive through an affluent neighborhood while admiring the homes, “What do they have that I don’t? How did they get all this? Are these people better than me? Are they more worthy?” The answer is, “No.” Everything they have achieved, you can too.

Bob Proctor writes in You Were Born Rich, “You are every bit as good, or as powerful, as anyone you see, know, or even hear about. Remember, since the difference between them and you is only in the area of accomplishments, and since there is something you can do that will vastly improve the results you are achieving presently, you have the potential to become even more successful than they are.”

What’s the difference, then, between those people who are wildly successful, and those who simply get by? How can you get to the other side of that razor’s edge?

There is an easy five-step plan that, if you follow it, will help you get to the other side. The steps of the plan follow the acronym SHAVE. They are:

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