HARVEST LIFE GRACEFULLY

Harvest Life Gracefully : I am back! Check out my new blog site!

2010-09-29T15:30:00.001-05:00

Hello my dear followings! I am back! I got my website up and running now! Instead of using blogger I will be using the blog on my website. I posted a feed on this blog to help you get to my blog site. The blog feed is just above this posting. It is call Harvest Life Products.Please go check it out and follow me there!
Thank You!

Tapestries of Hope

2010-09-23T22:15:00.000-05:00

I received this email and I would like to share this with my fans. To me, it sounds like this could be a very interesting documentary. It would be great if you can check out the website and if you get a chance go see the documentry.

Hello, my name is Monica, and I'm an intern for Michealene Risley, director of Tapestries of Hope, a documentary on young rape survivors in Zimbabwe. Information about the documentary can be found at http://www.tapestriesofhope.com/. I believe the documentary is very much in line with the purpose of your blog, "Harvest Life Gracefully," and we would greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word about the upcoming premiere of Tapestries of Hope. The documentary will be screened in over 100 theaters across the United States on September 28 at 7:30 PM.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Taking a break

2010-08-18T08:50:00.000-05:00

Some of you may realize that I had not posted much lately, this is because I been working on my new website, this post is to inform you that Harvest Life Gracefully is going to take a break for a few more weeks in posting blogs. As I am working on my new website call, Harvest Life Products. Go check it out at harvestlifeproducts.com Send me comments, or ideas if you wish. They would be much appreciated and welcomed.
I will be selling natural products for healthy living. Such as products in these catagory: Health, Beauty, Fitness and Sexual Health.
I will be back soon to post about positive living.
See you soon!

Harvest Life Gracefully: Accepting the Higher Power

2010-08-11T22:12:00.000-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully: Accepting the Higher Power

Accepting the higher power as being greater than yourself is the most important aspect to harvest life gracefully!

Take a minute and ponder upon electricity and gravity can you control them? Would you not say that these natural powers are greater than ourselves because nothing in our own power can change or control them. Interesting enough with understanding this comes acceptance.

When I accepted that electricity and gravity is a power greater than myself, then I was able to gain the concept that their is a spiritual power who is greater than myself and the natural spiritual law. With accepting this I learn to put my faith and trust into this power. By doing so I tapped into something that is strong and useful for my internal and external growth.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Communication

2010-08-09T16:45:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully: Communication by Jane Jonas

Being able to communicate in a positive way is needed, when you harvest life gracefully.

As most of you know I am a survivor of abuse. Abuse has caused me not to trust. The abuse caused negative thinking. When someone said or did something that I did not like, I would think that they were out to get me.

In order for me to calm the fear of "they are out to get me" I needed to learn to express to the person how I felt about what they had said or done, and then I ask for clarification of what was meant by it. I soon realize most people were amazed that I interpreted the words or actions as I did. Then I would realize that my fear was groundless. But how would I know if I didn't express myself? This is a way to build trust.

Lets us remember to ask our higher power for the courage to ask for clarification instead of sitting in our fear. Sitting in fear is not the way to harvest life gracefully.

Harvest Life Gracefully: The opposite of fear is faith

2010-08-06T07:55:00.000-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully: The opposite of fear is faith by Jane Jonas

One of the steps to harvest life gracefully is to examine your life, as I was examining my life I notice whenever I made bad or unhealthy choices in my life the main emotion I was feeling was fear. I am assuming that this is true for most people, would you not agree?

The problem with fear is, it stops us from enjoying life and the people in our lives. Often times I believe we act out of fear because we are afraid that our experiences from the past will recur so we will do things trying to control the future. Allowing to have fear control you is like being weight down with a ball and chain attached to your body. Fear prevents peace of mind and serenity. To harvest life gracefully is learning to replace fear with faith. Remember this faith is action. Lets practice letting go of behaviors and habits that we clung to whenever handling fearful situations.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Never Too Late

2010-08-05T08:07:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully: Never Too Late by Jane Jonas

The wonderful thing with harvest life gracefully that it is never too late to begin again.

How delightful and joyous to know that we have the freedom to choose to begin again when we make mistakes or find ourselves on the wrong path. Who to know today could be the turning point of a new and more insightful way to harvest life gracefully.

Do you know that it is never too late to become more spiritual and turn to our higher power? The higher power waits for us patiently.

Do you know that it is never too late to let go of your burdens and put them in charge of our higher power?

Do you know that it is never too late to make amends to the people that we hurt or caused harm to?

Do you know that it is never too late to forgive the people that has hurt us?

Do you know that it is never too late to change what is needed to change?

Do you know that it is never too late to harvest life gracefully?

If we learn anything today let it be the knowledge that it is never too late to begin again: we are welcome to do so without shame!!!

Harvest Life Gracefully: A prayer

2010-08-04T18:13:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully: A prayer

I received this prayer today in my email. Meditation and prayer is an excellent way to harvest life gracefully. It keeps us focus on what we need to do and what is important. This prayer says it all! Please pass this prayer on to your friends.

I'm praying for you this day. I know God will bless you more and more each day!!
Relax your mind and humble your heart to focus on Christ. Allow God to be the only person on your mind while you read this prayer. If we can take the time to read long jokes, stories, etc., we should give the same respect to this prayer. Friends, who pray together, stay together.
If you pray this prayer, change the number.

Dear Lord, I thank you for this day. I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God. You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought that was not pleasing to you. I ask now for Your forgiveness.

Please keep me safe from all d anger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You.

Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. Let me continue to see sin through God's eyes and acknowledge it as evil. And when I sin, let me repent, and confess with my mouth my wrongdoing, and receive the forgiveness of God.

And when this world closes in on me, let me remember Jesus' example -- to slip away and find a quiet place to pray. It's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will.

Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak.. Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others. I pray for those who are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those who are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for t hose who don't know You intimately. I pray for those who will delete this without sharing it with others. I pray for those who don't believe But I thank you that I believe.

I believe that God changes people and God changes things. I pray for all my sisters and brothers. For every family member in their households. I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes that they are out of debt and all their needs are met.

I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than God. Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight. I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees them and every mouth that confesses them willingly..

This is my prayer.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Acceptance

2010-08-03T09:08:00.000-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully: Acceptance by Jane Jonas

To harvest life gracefully does not require you to like everybody but to accept everybody. I don't believe that is is humanly possible to like every single person you meet, because there will always be somebody that will say or do something that we disagree with. I bet I affect some people in the same way. In fact I know I do! The differences in people will make for variety in our life and it would be helpful to welcome and appreciate it. Just like we appreciate the variety of flowers in our gardens.

It is only necessary to accept people who are different than us, we don't have to like them, regardless of our beliefs, race, color or background. The differences in people will spice up the adventure in living if you would only allow it.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Caretaker

2010-08-02T09:03:00.000-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully: Caretaker by Jane Jonas

Does this sound like you? Are you are caretaker? How about this? Would you think that you knew what was best for everyone. If only they would follow your advice then they would be fine. Then when they did not follow you will be become frustrated and angry feeling rejected?
Understand this! In order to harvest life gracefully we must remember that we are not in charge. Do you like it when people try to control you? If you are like me you would probably resent it. So I am sure that people will resent us if we did the same. We are powerless to change anyone but ourselves. I believe that if we are too busy in other people's lives, it is because we are running away from ourself. Would you not agree?

Harvest Life Gracefully: Personal Rights

2010-07-30T07:33:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully: Personal Rights by Jane Jonas

Practicing your personal rights is a wonderful way to harvest life gracefully.

Yesterday when I was cleaning I ran across this sheet of paper which I had hung onto for years. I remember that I had gotten this from my therapist in my early days of learning how to harvest life gracefully. Listed on this paper was our personal rights, after studying the rights for a while, I then realize exercising these rights shows confidence, high esteem and respect for oneself. Often, people who has been abused especially during childhood will think and feel that they have no rights, because of how they had been violated. Today I decided to share these rights to you.

As a person I have the right to:

Be myself
Refuse requests without feeling selfish.
Be competent and be proud of my accomplishments.
Feel and express anger.
Ask for affection and help ( I may be turned down,but I can ask)
Be treated as a capable person.
Be illogical in making decisions.
Make mistakes - and be responsible for them.
Change my mind.
Say "I don't know."
Say "I don't agree."
Say "I don't understand."
Have my opinions given respect.
Have my needs be as important as the needs of others.
Tell someone what my needs are. (They may not choose to do anything about it.)
Take pride in my body and define attractiveness in my own terms.
Grow, learn and change,and value my age and experience.
And sometimes make demands on others.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Self-Acceptance & Strenghts

2010-07-28T20:25:00.002-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully: Self-Acceptance and Strenghts by Jane Jonas

I discover to harvest life gracefully I need to concentrate and focus on my strenghts.

I believe for those of us who has grown up in a dysfunctional family or who has been abused and bullied usually develop an overwhelming sense of something is wrong with ourselves. If I allow this belief to control who I am then I will become withdrawn, and it will lead to feeling powerless and helpless. To overcome this insanity is self-acceptance. For me, self-acceptance is to honesty recognize my shortcomings and defects as well as all of my good points. Only by accepting and using my positive qualities will I be able to develop the strength to reduce defects in my character.

Have you ever heard this statement?

"What I am is God's gift to me. What I make of myself is my gift to God."

I like it very much because it help me to focus on how I want to grow as a person.

Harvest Life Gracefully: What If?

2010-07-28T08:40:00.000-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully: What If? by Jane Jonas

How often do you waste hours of your time by being wrapped up in your thinking wondering what the people in your life is thinking, what is she/he is doing or be doing next? How often do you ask yourself this question, “What if? What if this happens, or what if he/she does this or if he/she does that? How often do you think about how to solve his or her problem wanting to take responsibly of fixing it to make it better? For me, it only cause undue worry and anxiety. Then I wake up and realize what I been doing and remember it is time to let go and let god and see what will happen. I can not change or force anything about another person. I can not control what another will think or do. My happiness is not depended upon another person. It is depended upon being content with myself. I believe that if I spend time thinking about another person or uncontrollable situation that it is a form of control and I am risking the health of my mental well-being. Therefore my goal is to harvest life gracefully and I won't risk my mental well-being by being wrapped up in other people's business.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Discouragement

2010-07-27T07:30:00.000-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully: Discouragement by Jane Jonas

I am sure that there have been times in our lives that we had felt discouragement, helpless and powerless. What do we do about it? There is no such thing as failure unless we quit. But it seems natural to most of us to throw up our hands in defeat during times of distress. I realize now, that discouragement is actually a indication that something in our life need changing. This is the time to meditate for direction and to keep trying and not to give up. Eventual the answer will come, that is a given, Just think how wonderful and proud you will feel after winning your personal battle. Harvest Life Gracefully, is not giving up, you will win at the end.

Harvest Life Gracefully : Appreciative

2010-07-26T13:19:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully: Appreciative

To harvest life gracefully is to let our love ones know how well we love and appreciate them. How often do we take the people we love for granted? If you are like me, you would probably agreed that it feels great when our love ones says “you are appreciated. So often mentally we will tell ourselves how fortunate we are to have this or that person in our life. But do we actually let them know that! I think oftentimes we think just because we are in their lives that they should automatically know how well we appreciate them. This includes are spouse, partner, siblings,children, friends and co-workers.. Let us remember this, it is important to let our love ones know how much we appreciate them and love them.
This help to create a happier relationship and positive attitudes among the people in your life. It can boost self-esteem and confidence to the people we love. This also can help a person that may be feeling discouraged, it could make a difference between “giving up or holding on” Harvest Life Gracefully by spreading the attitude of appreciation.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Graditude

2010-07-23T10:49:00.001-05:00

As we continue down the road of Harvest Life Gracefully, it is easy to say Thank You to the miracles in our lives. How about the small every day to day gifts? If you look deep enough you will always find something that you can be grateful for. It is important if you want to harvest life gracefully to take time out and appreciate the small things in our lives. By doing so you will gain an attitude of gratitude. Living life with the attitude of gratefulness, will create a positive, happy,and contentment
feeling within yourself. People will notice this change and will want to be your loyal friend.

A good ideal for showing gratitude to the people in your life is: Buy or make thank you cards and set a time limit, two weeks, a month or whatever will work for you use all of the note cards up! Sit back and take in the good feelings from the results. You"ll Love the feeling! This is the way to harvest life gracefully!

Harvest Life Gracefully: No Pain No Growth

2010-07-22T08:23:00.000-05:00

In order to harvest life gracefully you need to face your emotional pain,if faced it will lead you to learn more about yourself. Remeber this, everything we experience has its value. If you think about it, exactly how much do we really learn when things are going well. Nothing! we just coast along in life just for the ride. Nobody likes pain, it hurts and we want it to go away, therefore pain causes us to challenge whatever is wrong that needs changing. One may want to look at this as an adventure though our journey in life. With each new emotional pain faced, adds more value and fulfillment to you and this is just another way you can harvest life gracefully.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Comparing

2010-07-21T00:21:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully- Don't Compare
When we compare our talents against others this is not the way to harvest life gracefully. We are all equally special in our own way. If other people have talents that are different than yours' this does not mean that one is more special or better than the other. It just means that we are different. To harvest life gracefully means that it is our responsibility to develop the talents we have. We need to find the courage to stop comparing ourselves to others and start looking at our own talents because everybody is born with talents that will make your life fulfilling.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Know Thyself Be Honest

2010-07-20T10:58:00.001-05:00

Know Thyself Be Honest is a step to harvest life gracefully, we spend so much time thinking and not enough time feeling. Constant thinking will leave you physically tense by the end of the day. This usually will cause for restless nights. This is a sign for you to stop and examine your life. Were you thinking about hurts or guilt's? Maybe you are thinking about unfulfilled needs from childhood. Working on this slogan "Known Thyself Be Honest" will free yourself to harvest life gracefully.
Maybe it is time for you to examine your life, by keeping an journal or talking to a trusted friend.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Love

2010-07-19T08:49:00.000-05:00

Love is an attitude and not an emotion. If you want to make progress and harvest life gracefully we need to love others with an attitude of unselfish
concern for others. Love is the opposite of being selfish. Treating others with respect as you expect to be treated, you then, will chose not to harm others, steal from them, or deprive them to satisfy our own selfish desires.
Harvest Life gracefully by asking yourself are you acting in the best interest of others in mind? This is the true meaning to harvest life gracefully.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Honesty

2010-07-16T07:20:00.001-05:00

To Harvest Life Gracefully successfully calls for honesty in word and deed. Dishonesty and being a fake will lead to suspicion, mistrust,and hatred, destroying our relationships. To have loyal friends and to have relationships to grow and thrive we need to be honest and tell the truth. This is the real basis of developing trust between people. Therefore when you are in need you can confidently look to others for assistance.

Harvest Life Gracefully: Setting Boundaries

2010-07-15T20:03:00.001-05:00

Some of us had the misfortune not to be cared for and nurtured as children, often resulting in being taken advantage of as adults.. Because we have been abandoned, neglected, or violated by people who were supposed to care for us, we have problems with being clear-sighted when its' safe to trust others. Therefore, we often allow others to walk over us, we respond by being a people pleaser so we will be liked. To harvest life gracefully we need help learning to set boundaries to protect us from people who might take advantage of our vulnerability. We need to look for spiritual minded people who will help us to draw healthy boundaries in our life.

Harvest Life Gracefully update:

2010-07-15T18:54:00.000-05:00

My dear followers of Harvest Life Gracefully blog,

I have decided that I will be changing what I will be posting. Instead of posting articles. I will be posting about positive living in my own words.
I believe that no matter what we are facing in life, be it, if it's healing from abuse, being a parent, dealing with relationships or whatever it may be, we first need to evaluate,examine and then improve if needed our attitudes,and perceptions about the situations that we are facing. In other words I will be posting food for your thoughts. Please feel free to comment on anything that I post or if you have your own food for thoughts, please do share them. They will be totally welcomed as we all need encouragement in order to harvest life gracefully.

I hope you all will like my new format.

Jane Jonas

Understanding long term effects on students who are being bullied is to harvest life gracefully.

2010-07-12T18:03:00.001-05:00

Another way to harvest life gracefully is to understand and educate yourself about the long term effects of being bullied at school. I can understand these effects, base on my own personal expierences. It will cause low self-worth, feeling like a nothing, you will even question why you are alive and be confuse to what your purpose is. It is not unusual to conteplate or even attempt sucide just to escape from the emotional pain. I can't imagine nothing any worse than feeling unloved, unwanted and having no place in this world. These are all thoughts and feelings that I expirenced by being verbally bullied thoughout elementry, middle and high school. I agree with Vickie Britton in her article below, that you can and probably suffer the lasting efects twenty or thirty years later. I have certain triggers that will take my mind back as if it is still happening today. This is not easy for the people I am close to. Beccause they don't always know how to respond. If you get a chance read what I have already posted on my story page in how anxiety sunk in during my high school years and how the anxiety caused even more misery to my life. I hope everyone will take the time to understand and educate themselves on this subject matter. I believe it is also important to understand and educate what causes a bully to be a bully.

The Long-Term Effect on Students Victimized by School Bullies

Apr 10, 2010 Vickie Britton
Students who were bullied in elementary, middle, or high school may suffer lasting effects even twenty or thirty years later.

Most adults have a horror story or two about the school bully. But for some students, the harassment may begin as early as elementary school, escalate during middle school and continue through high school. Years of emotional and physical bullying can cause lasting damage.

Bullying is a form of abuse. One child or a small group may be singled out for harassment, often for little or no reason. Once it becomes a pattern, this form of behavior can spread throughout a classroom or school until a single child or group of "outsiders" is subjected to daily verbal or physical abuse by others.
Types of Bullying Commonly Experienced

For many bullied students, the school years are filled with anxiety and dread. Ex-students recall being singled out for abuse by name-calling, being shunned and ostracized, and even beaten. Students recall being pushed into walls, knocked to the ground, and sustaining cuts and bruises on a daily basis.

Bullying often occurs in contained areas such as school buses or bathrooms. It may also take place in the classroom, school cafeteria, gym locker room, or even in the hallways between classes. Some provide painful testimony of verbal abuse, such as repeated name-calling. Others are jabbed with sharp objects such as pens in the hallway or they're mocked and humiliated in the gym shower or locker room. Many report that teachers and other adults knew what was going on but did nothing to stop the continual bullying.
The Lasting Effects of Bullying

The pain of being bullied in school can be felt years later. Many victims of bullying bear emotional scars that haunt them decades after the abuse has stopped. Many students who had been bullied in middle school or high school report feeling a sense of withdrawal from others, fear of expressing opinions, even fear of closed-in spaces or other places similar to the ones where the bullying occurred. The effects of this trauma are felt for years.

Read more at Suite101: The Long-Term Effect on Students Victimized by School Bullies http://clinical-psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/the-long-term-effect-of-students-victimized-by-school-bullies#ixzz0tVhiVPxV

Understanding if you are spoiling your child is harvest life gracefully

2010-07-09T00:49:00.002-05:00

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Learning how to be assertive in an respectful way is to harvest life gracefully

2010-07-07T04:25:00.002-05:00

Being assertive in an respectful way is another way one can harvest life gracefully.
I believe it is important to learn to be assertive to reach true happiness,and gain confidence in yourself. Stephen G. wrote the article below about being assertive, and gave some great tricks on how to become assertive. It will take practice and being patience with yourself if you have a problem with being passive and shy. With determination, and faith we can become what we want dream of being.

The secret in how to be more assertive is judging when to assert yourself and having the confidence to do so. If you're not asserting yourself then you're simply not getting the most out of life.

Some over assertive people drive other people away by imposing their thoughts feelings upon others. By reading situations with clarity we can not only stand up for ourselves, we can do so without putting others down.

People who do not assert themselves miss out - Pure and simple! I don't want that for you or for anybody, life is far too short, so to me it makes just too much sense that you should tackle this problem if it is causing you to miss out too.

Think about what I'm about to teach you next as an Assertiveness Training Course and if you learn thoroughly how to improve assertiveness then your reward for passing will be the best thing ever - A better life!

Here is the first step to Becoming More Assertive

Don't Get Angry

Aggression is not assertion, therefore being aggressive is not asserting yourself in fact it is showing a lack of self control.

Asserting yourself requires you to say what and how you feel and put those comments out there without using anger as a tool.

Inner strength is a powerful factor in having an assertive mindset and sometimes being insistent requires us to find strength that we never thought we had. Everyone has amazing inner strength and courage they just have to harness it to overcome shyness.

It's Not As Hard As You May Think

Asserting ourselves is easier than some people may think, some times we only need to give ourselves a little nudge in the right direction.

The real solution to being assertive is to overcome your personal obstacles be they Aggression, Shyness, Laziness, Lack of Judgment or lack of confidence. Each perceived weakness should be tackled individually and this will help you assert yourself on a regular basis.

Know Your Barriers - Work On Them

Once you learn to be bold and insistent you will never feel that feeling in the pit of your stomach that makes you want to scream, shout, cry or just run away. Face your individual barriers one by one.

These are the fundamental elements involved in how to improve assertiveness:

*Control your Aggression

*Overcome shyness

*Get motivated and beat laziness/procrastination

*Improve your social skills

*Building confidence

In becoming more assertive, you need to know these barriers so that you might break them down.

Too Lazy Vs Too Scared

Some people are just too lethargic to stand up for themselves, whilst others are scared and they fear they consequences.

Fear isn't a valid excuse, because if you let fear control you then others will use that fear and you may become a slave to it.

Laziness on the other hand is a whole other thing. If you just can't be bothered then that attitude will carry over into and pervade every area of your life, rendering you incompetent and in the eyes of other an failure.

Beat laziness and get motivated to stand up for what matters to you. That's were a lot of people find their passion - In matters of personal importance.

In conclusion

Take on each barrier to assertion and each strength you develop will in turn assist in other areas. It's synergistic and very fulfilling to improve your life in the areas that hold you back.

While it always takes some effort to change, the benefits are well worth the effort.

Tackling some assertive activities and standing up for yourself is a primary factor in becoming more assertive and getting what YOU want out of life.

Don't spend another minute of your life looking at those people who are assertive and get what they want, because they have the confidence to make their voice heard. Life is too short to be a shrinking violet and have your voice in the shadows.

Get out there and voice your opinions, say what you mean and make yourself heard.

How To be More Assertive By Stephen G

Teaching your child how to cope with anger is to harvest life gracefully

2010-07-05T22:08:00.002-05:00

Teaching your child to cope with anger is to harvest life gracefully. Here are some tips from Leah Davies an educator, these tips are geared for teachers in the classroom, I think these tips are also excellent and helpful tips for parents to use in helping your child to cope with anger. I believe, anger is an healthy emotion but if it is not dealt with in a proper and acceptable way it can be very destructive.

Helping Children Cope with Anger
By Leah Davies, M.Ed.

All human beings experience anger. But children, in particular, have difficulty channeling their strong emotions into acceptable outlets. Anger is a response to a real or perceived loss or stress. It results when a person's self-esteem, body, property, values or sense of entitlement are threatened. It is often a reaction to feeling misunderstood, frustrated, hurt, rejected or ashamed.

Children often blame other people or events for their anger instead of assuming responsibility for it. If children do not learn how to release their anger appropriately, it can fester and explode in inappropriate ways or be internalized and damage their sense of self-worth. When children express their anger inappropriately, it may mean that they lack coping skills to deal with their emotions in positive ways.
To assist children in becoming emotionally competent so that they are ready to learn, educators need to help them:

1. Understand their anger and the emotions of others.

2. Develop positive social interaction skills.

3. Realize that they are responsible for the choices they make.

4. Learn how to express anger in ways that aren't harmful to themselves or others.

How can educators do this?

* Model acceptance of each child as a valuable human being worthy of respect.

* Accentuate each child's strengths.

* Make your expectations compatible with children's level of development.

* Provide a safe, responsive, predictable environment.

* Provide children the opportunity to make choices.

* Send honest, congruent messages, making sure your words match your facial expressions and body language.

* Be fair, supportive, firm, and consistent. Never ridicule a child.

* Watch for and acknowledge appropriate behavior.

* Teach decision making and problem-solving skills.

* Use role-playing, puppets, or videos to teach social skills. For example, how to treat each other or how to work out disagreements.

* Involve children in making rules such as:

o We are kind to each other

o We listen to others

o We use self-control

o We work out differences peacefully.

* Make the rules clear and follow through with meaningful consequences which are appropriate for the age of the child.

* Be aware of nonverbal signs that a child is angry such as a red face, tensed muscles, or clenched fists.

* Understand that a child's headaches, upset stomach, or withdrawn behavior may be a symptom of repressed anger.

* Watch the child carefully, noting the antecedents to aggressive behavior. Ask yourself:

o What happened right before the outburst?

o How was the child feeling?

o What does he or she need/want?

o What can I do to make the situation better for the child?

* Anticipate angry outbursts and arrange activities to reduce them. For example, if the child gets angry when it is time to go inside, talk with the child ahead of time and share your expectations. Then comment when the child acts appropriately.

* Arrange the seating to decrease conflict. Separate children who arouse angry responses in each other.

* Help children understand that anger is a natural emotion that everyone has. Say things like, "It's okay to feel angry. Everyone feels angry sometimes, but it is not okay to hurt yourself or others."

* Stop any aggressive behaviors. Say, "I can't let you hurt each other," or "I can't let you hurt me." Then remove the child or children as gently as possible.

* If the child is out-of-control, provide a quiet place where he/she can calm down.

* Resist taking a child's angry outburst personally. Deal with the child in a calm, matter-of-fact way.

* Acknowledge strong emotions, helping the child control him/herself and save face. For example say, "It must be hard to get a low score after you tried so hard."

* Assist the child in using a vocabulary of feeling words. Read books that ask the children to verbalize a time when they felt various emotions.

* Use feeling words to help the child understand the emotions of others. For example, "Mary is sitting alone and looks very sad; she may be lonely," or "When Joe tripped, he looked embarrassed."

* Help children understand their own emotions by putting their feelings into words. For example say, "It made you angry when they called you names."

* Listen, reflect and validate without judgment the feelings the child expresses. After listening, help the child identify the true feeling underlying the anger such as hurt, sadness, disappointment, fear, or frustration. For example, "That hurt when your best friend was mean to you," or "It was scary to have them gang up on you."

* Encourage the child to accept responsibility for the anger and to gain control over him/herself by asking him/herself the following:

o Did I do or say anything to create the problem?
If so, how can I make things better?
How can I keep this from happening again?

* Facilitate communication and problem solving with the child or between children by asking questions such as:

o What do you want/need?

o How can I help you?

o What can you do to help yourself?

* Help children understand that they can choose how to react when they feel angry. Teach them self-control and positive ways to cope with their negative impulses. The following are choices they can make:

o Stop and think

o Calm self by breathing deeply

o Count slowly

o Tense body and relax

o Find a quiet place or sit alone

o Write about feelings

o Tell someone how you feel

o Problem solve

o Look at books or read

o Draw or play with clay

o Exercise, walk or run

o Play music or sing

o Rest or take a shower

o Hug someone, a pet or a stuffed animal

* Stress that the children must accept responsibility for their actions. Reinforce any constructive steps.

* Establish an open, caring relationship with other adults who care about the child, so that jointly you can help the angry child meet his/her psychological needs of being accepted, secure, and recognized as a valuable human being.

* Help the parent or guardian understand that giving in to a child's outburst or exposing him/her to verbal or physical violence can be detrimental to a child's growth and development. If needed, provide parenting information or suggest a parenting class.

* If the problem is beyond your scope of expertise, seek additional assistance and/or recommend professional help.

* Lastly, find healthy outlets for your own strong emotions, so that you will be open to the needs of the children with whom you work.

Harvest Life Gracefully with learning and having fun with your children during summer month

2010-07-01T21:32:00.002-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully,with having fun with your children during the summer months. Summer can be both a fun and learning expiernce for you and your children. This article that I am posting will give you ideals and ways that you can incoperate learning and having fun.

Using Fun To Teach Your Children
By: nlwest21 | Posted: Jun 30, 2010

The summer is the best time of year that every kid enjoys. They don't have to keep up with homework, getting to class on time, and waking up while it is still dark outside. It is a time where they can enjoy the fresh air and to relax with their friends. With all of this going on they will often forget a good deal of information that they learned during the school year.

One way that you have the ability to help them is to provide a way that they can keep learning during the summer months. The challenging part is trying to do this without them actually catching on to what you are trying to do.

Road Trip
The easiest way for most kids to learn and remember what fun facts is to make it fun. When attempting to refreshen their minds on U.S. history why not take them to someplace historical in your area and make a vacation out of it. There are numerous fun places you are able to take them too including, Gettysburg, St. Augustine, The Alamo, and a whole lot more.

Art
Art might not be the most essential subject - but it can still assist them to work on their imaginative juices. Have them make something using seashells that they have collected. Take them out on walks around the park and have them collect plants, flowers, and leaves and place them in a scrapbook.

Not all art is something that has to be drawn or painted. Pick out a random painting or picture or have them compose a short story, poem, or riddle. Give them the name of the painting and thirty minutes to create something of their own. This is a great way for them to utilize their imagination and decide on what they think the picture is talking about. You might be amazed by their ingenuity.

About the Author

Learn new ways to Teach Kids Facts to kids and keep them sharp during the summer. Have them create paintings and Funny Riddles that they can be proud of.

Harvest Life Gracefully take control of your destiny by making your own choices

2010-06-28T21:07:00.001-05:00

Dreaming, choices, and decisions is all part of Harvest Life Gracefully to attain life success. Reading this article by Gary Eby will give you a clear understanding how choices and making decisions affect your life successes. The ideal is to motivate oneself, to take control of your own life, live the life you always dreamed about by making your own choices, then take full responsibility for your own actions. You can attain success if you take full control of your life. Life is taking risks and then to learn from failures. Failures are not a sign to give up. Do you recall hearing this statement? "If you first don't succeed, try and try again." Lets Harvest Life Gracefully and start taking control of our own life.

Let Your Destiny Manifest Itself To Attain Life Success
by: Gary Eby

What drives you? What is it that defines your entire persona? What are you living for?

Unfortunately, most people have are way ward of the very purpose they exist. Can you remember those days of your youthful exuberance when you undoubtedly believe you can achieve anything? Filled with unfathomable enthusiasm and driven with a determined resolution.

Sadly for most those days are long gone, they are the ghost of their former selves. Battered and beaten by the ravages of stress from work, society and life itself. So many haven’t dreamed in for so long that they actually don’t know what they want any longer! Don’t you think it’s time to stir up that dream inside of you? Your dreams and your destiny are not determined by “CHANCE” but by “CHOICE” It is solely your Decision.

The life you have now is the result in direct correlation to the Choices you’ve made in the past. But, sometimes you are hindered and stuck in mediocrity because you were afraid to make a sound Decision. You are just flowing along the stream that forces of nature roll you along. The kind of cavalier “Que Sera Sera” attitude is not only inexplicable it’s repulsive and inexcusable. Isn’t it time you got involved with your own life? Isn’t it time to start living through your own Decisions and take responsibility for your actions, be it the Choices you make in your life.

It’s your life, live it the way you see fit. It is a concept so simple yet people indignantly miss it therefore missing out how prolific it really is!

I believe that you can attain anything in life if you act on it and persevere to achieve it regardless the hindrances looming over. It’s your Decision, it is your Choice!

Quoting from Lewis Carrol’s Alice in Wonderland… Alice asked the cat, “Would you please tell me, which way I ought to go from here?” The cat answered, “That depends a great deal on where you are heading to.” Alice exclaimed, “Oh, I don’t much care.” “Then it really doesn’t matter which way you go, the cat remarked poignantly.

What are you trying to accomplish with your life? What do you want to attain? It’s your Choice, you are in direct control. Take responsibility for your actions and refrain from blaming others for your failures! Make a sound judgment for your Decisions, start by getting serious and get going! Life goes on, with or without you!

Here is an inspiring quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” Never let anybody steal your dream or vision!

You need to make a Decision! Don’t go on through life idly staving away when there is boatload of opportunity in front of you. It is much easier to make a course correction that it is to get started! It takes careful planning and solid preparation with corrections on the side. But before they can do that they had to make a Decision to take off first.

How do you process a Decision?

It is vitally important to grasps all the concepts. Never make 100% assumptions while only having 10% facts. It is illogical and impractical, you need to consider various solutions and objectively evaluate their consequences. Weighing the best and worst case scenarios, and then make sure that the Decision is congruent with your Goals, Plans and Mission statement. Lastly you must always effectively convey your judgment to your support team.

An ideal support team would be your family members, close friends, relatives who are helping out your cause, refrain from consulting with those who are dragging down.

Remember you are the architect of your life. You must be willing and able to make Choices. Your destiny is determined by Choice not by chance!

About The Author

Gary Eby, a member of the Jim Rohn Speaker Bureau, is gifted to teach deep truths in a clear and easily understandable style. His messages are power-packed and often filled with laughter and practical illustrations. He has shared the stage with great speakers such as Jim Rohn and Les Brown. Not only is Gary a sought after speaker, but he is also an author whose personal development book Lefthanded Soldiers has received worldwide attention. You may receive a free copy at http://cli.gs/garyeby

The author invites you to visit:
http://garyeby.com/

Update on "My Story" on Harvest Life Gracefully

2010-06-26T22:18:00.000-05:00

Dear Followers, I just posted a update on "My Story" See part 8 on "My Story" page of my blog. I must apologize for taking so long to post an update. I have been really busy working two jobs and going to school learning how to be an internet marketer. Hopefully my load will lighten soon and I will be able to post more often. Again I do apologize, Thanks for following me, I really do appreciate your support.

Jane Jonas

Understanding how to deal with stress is to harvest life gracefully

2010-06-24T18:50:00.001-05:00

Understanding how to deal with stress is to harvest life gracefully, because if you don't stress can kill you or make you very sick.

I can't count how many times each day I hear from people how stress out they are.
Stress is a health risk, It can elevate your blood pressure,causing stroke or heart attack some other conditions are skin rashes, stomach problems,body aches and pain.
If stress is not properly dealt with it can kill you. Therefore I posted some video's, in fact, there are 6 parts on dealing with stress from BBC. Hope they will help!

Four Keys to harvest life gracefully and have a successful life

2010-06-23T16:28:00.002-05:00

Similar to my 5 steps to harvest life gracefully, Trenton Nunnally wrote about Four Keys to a Successful Life. If you like what he has to say, he has a blog you can go to at http://abundancemastery.blogspot.com.

The Four Keys to a Successful Life
by: Trenton Nunnally
In today's bad economy, many people are feeling frustrated and down about their financial situations. Lots of people are struggling to find a job, support their family's, and generate enough income to keep their heads above water, and stay afloat. As an expert in the mindset of successful people, and what it takes to be successful, I've found there are four keys to living a more prosperous, happy, and successful life.

Mentality is one of the biggest factors in leading a successful life. With education and the mindset of a winner, you will be able to overcome all most any obstacle life may throw at you. In addition to this, the more you learn and act upon the things you have learned, the better your chances are at becoming successful.

Controlling your emotions is a very demanding task that you must master in order to lead a successful life. In mastering this critical life skill, you will be able to better control your feelings about, or in any situation you may come in contact with. Further more, developing the skill of being able to keep your emotions intact, will in turn give you confidence, peace of mind, and more faith you ability's and what you can accomplish for your life.

Spirituality is a very important part in leading a successful life. Just like your body, you must feed your soul with only positive words, and thoughts that increase your spirit, and align your life closer with God. When you do this, you will notice that your faith, and desire will break all the chains that bind you, and are holding you back from living the successful life you know you were meant to live.

The fourth key to leading a successful life is being physically fit. Exercising and proper diet increases energy, confidence, and spirit. With that said, these two things will help you become more motivated, more out going, and increase drive, causing you to get more done, so success comes faster.

In these tough times, in what seems like a divided world via (rich and poor) these 4 keys to success are the building blocks to a better, more productive, and well rounded life. You must decide for your self, how bad you want to be successful. If you're willing to dedicate your life to success, and you use these four tools I have just given you, then make no mistake about it, you will be successful.

About The Author

Trenton Nunnally is a success, and abundance author, teacher, coach, speaker, and trainer. His work's have revolutionized how we think, feel, and act toward achieving, success, and abundance in our lives. You can visit Trenton Nunnally blog at http://abundancemastery.blogspot.com/

To stand by people whenever in need is to Harvest Life Gracefully

2010-06-20T23:59:00.001-05:00

In this life people all over the world need support from others.We all need people to stand by us, to harvest life gracefully is to stand by people in need. Watch this musical video as people all around the world are singing the song "Stand bybe Me" I found it to be very moving.

Playing For Change: Song Around the World "Stand By Me" - The most amazing videos are a click away

Positive Thinking is to Harvest Life Gracefully

2010-06-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully by using affirmations to change your thoughts and attitude.

Affirmations Work and Here's Why
by Gwen Phillips

Affirmations work because:
• Our present reality is a direct result of our thinking
• Affirmations change our thinking.
• Changing our thinking, changes our reality
There are many ways you can practice affirmations. You can write them down; you can post sticky notes around your home, on your desk or in your car. You can use affirmations with the "mirror technique". You can use affirmations during meditation and visualization.
Here are some basics you need to know to begin using affirmations:
Use the Present Tense
Affirmations should be stated in the present tense. For example; "I am whole and healthy now." Try not to affirm something in the future tense, as in “I am going to be healthy”. Our subconscious minds will always be waiting for something to happen.
Use Positive Statements
Create affirmations in the most positive terms. Avoid negative statements. State what you do want rather than what you don’t. Don’t say something like “I don’t want to be sick anymore.” Instead state something positive such as “I am healthy and happy.”
Use Repetition
The importance of repetition is key. Positive statements need to become imbedded into our subconscious mind. Many times we have been thinking negatively for so long we don’t even notice. First, begin to notice. Then when you hear yourself saying something negative, stop right there and replace the thought with one of your affirmations. We need to repeat these affirmations until they become the first thought. Later on we will talk about various ways to practice affirmations which will help you do just that.
Use Strong Positive Emotions
Affirmations coupled with emotions are particularly powerful. Try to use affirmations that resonate with you. Focus on what you are saying and what the words mean. Don’t just say them in a rote fashion as though repeating your grocery list for instance.
Use Persistence
Not being persistent is one of the reasons that many people say affirmations don’t work. It takes practice and persistence. Regularly practicing will work, but only using affirmations for a short while or just here and there will not produce the results you are looking for in your life. Make it a part of your daily routine. It will become easier the more you practice and when you start to see the results then you won’t want to quit. As they say “don’t stop before the miracle happens.”
Use Belief
However, you don’t necessarily have to believe your affirmations initially. Your belief will grow. It may help to realize that whatever positive affirmation you are using is in actuality true. We already have within us the ability to have the results we desire. The truth is already alive in potentiality just waiting for our permission to manifest.
Here are a few sample affirmations to get you started.
I am free to be myself.
I am free to be at one with the Universe.
I am free of resentment and forgive myself and others.
I am worthy of love.
The more I love, the more that love is returned to me.
Love is eternal and ever-lasting.
I am responsible for my life and always maintain the power I need to be positive and have joy.
I am at peace with the Universe
I love and accept myself.
I am unique and loving, loved, and free.
I am safe and always feel protected.
I am surrounded with loving, caring people in my life as I see them through the eyes of love.
I am loving and accepting of others and this creates lasting friendships for me.
I am trusting of my inner self to lead me in the right path.
I do all I can every day to make a loving environment for all those around me, including myself.
I am always connected with the Divine Love in the Universe.
I am clear and focused through my inner vision.
Allow your life to be blessed. Start creating and using affirmations.
For more ideas and complete instructions on creating and using affirmations, sign up for my free e-course. It’s fun and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Find a surprise at the end of each lesson.
Author's Bio

Written by Gwen Phillips. Get your free e-course for creating fresh, powerful affirmations and creative ways for using them. Visit http://www.newperspectivetoday.com to sign up

To live one day at a time is to harvest life gracefully

2010-06-18T08:40:00.000-05:00

To live one day at a time is to harvest life gracefully. Below is a meditation that I use to keep me focus on one day at a time and not to worry about all of the what if's. I hope that this meditation will help you. Purchase this pocket positive book to help you each day to focus on what is important in life and to harvest life gracefully. It helped me tremendously, I am sure it will help you too!

Just for Today

Just for today, I will try to live through this day only,
and not tackle my whole life problem
at once. I can do something for twelve hours
that would appall me if I felt that I had to
keep it up for a lifetime.

Just for today, I will be happy. This assumes to
be true what Abraham Lincoln said, that
"most folks are as happy as they make up
their minds to be."

Just for today, I will try to strengthen my mind.
I will study. I will learn something useful.
I will not be a mental loafer. I will read
something that requires effort, thought and
concentration.

Just for today, I will adjust myself to what is,
and not try to adjust everything to my own
desires. I will take my "luck" as it comes,
and fit myself to it.

Just for today, I will exercise my soul in three
ways: I will do somebody a good turn, and
not get found out. I will do at least two
things I don't want to--just for exercise.
I will not show anyone that my feelings are
hurt; they may be hurt, but today I will not
show it

Just for today, I will be agreeable. I will look
as well as I can, dress becomingly, talk low,
act courteously, criticize not one bit, not
find fault with anything and not try to improve
or regulate anybody except myself.

Just for today, I will have a program. I may not
follow it exactly, but I will have it. I will
save myself from two pests: hurry and indecision.

Just for today, I will have a quiet half hour all
by myself, and relax. During this half hour,
sometime, I will try to get a better perspective
of my life.

Just for today, I will be unafraid. Especially I
will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful,
and to believe that as I give to the world, so
the world will give to me.

-Kenneth L. Holmes

To Forgive is to Harvest Life Gracefully

2010-06-16T23:06:00.004-05:00

To forgive is to harvest life gracefully. To live life and feel free is to learn how to forgive the people that has hurt you. This article by David Samuel gives you lots of thoughts and ideas to think about. I also posted a few great books on forgiveness, that I recommend for good reading.

The Truth About Forgiveness - How to Really Forgive Permanently
By David Samuel

Forgiveness is a very popular concept. Everyone who is interested in self healing and personal development is talking about forgiveness and how that is being compassionate etc. However, many people find it difficult or impossible to truly forgive. Some people may think they have forgiven, but a little inquiry and you will find that they still harbor ill feelings. This article will explore why it is so difficult to truly forgive and how to correct that.

Let us say for example, you have had some terrible things done to you by your parents and other people, as many people may say they have. It is even a common expression now for people to get together and talk about how their parents messed them up. Indeed that is true, we are a product of our upbringing, and I deal with that in many other books and articles I have written, but that is not the subject of this article. Here I would like to discuss how the idea of forgiving people is actually counter-productive to your personal growth, freedom and happiness. Why would you need to forgive someone? Because of something they did to hurt you.

That is obvious. However, the question is; 'why are you hurt?' Being hurt is a two part process. First, it is the action that is done by the other person, which in some cases could be God or Mother Nature who rained on your holiday. Second, it is what has been hurt, that is your ego. And this is what we need to work on. If you stick your hand in a snake hole, you are invading its home, making it feel attacked, and it will bite you. Depending on the snake, you may die soon after. Is that the snakes fault? Does the snake need to be forgiven for acting out of instinct and doing what it is designed to do? Whose fault is it really? Every creature has its nature, and it will act according to its nature. You cannot change that, otherwise you are taking the part of God and deciding that you want to change the world you have created. That is a bit arrogant I am sure you will agree. We simple humans have no ability to comprehend the reason and methods of creation in our present conscious state, and so who are you to tell God what He should be doing? I use the word God here merely for simplicity in our discussion, you should take the concept and fit it to whatever force you believe is behind the creation of all things. God is a convenient word to save space and time instead of saying 'The Cosmic Force of All creations, the Beginning-less Beginning, the Cause of All Causes, That incomprehensible Thing which came before all Things and will remain after.' Why do you need to forgive anyone? Because you are hurt. Why are you hurt? Because things did not go the way you wanted them to go. Who are you to tell God how He should have made things or people function?

We all make the big mistake of seeing humans as different than other creatures in nature. You say your mother is not a snake or a dog, she should have known better. That is not true, if you look objectively. Humans have the capacity for higher thinking and conscious actions, but how many actually use that capacity? Not very many at all. People just live by instincts. We are born with our animal instincts for self preservation, procreation and other animal requirements to keep the species alive. In addition to those natural ones, other instincts are developed in our personality as we grow up. I choose the word instincts because it is more accurate than personality or character traits. The reason I say that instincts is a more accurate word, is that although the difference is that an instinct cannot be changed in other than very rare occasions, personality traits should be easy to change, but the reality is that they are not. And so what traits and characteristics we develop as a child are added to our basic instincts and become part of that overpowering force which we are slaves to obey.

Only those few people who have determined that they are fed up enough with their life and want to change have the potential to change those learnt instincts, if they are fortunate enough to receive proper education and training in doing so. The rest of humanity is slave to live out their life ruled by what they have become through no fault of their own. The preceding sentence is all you really need to learn and accept in order to let go of the impossible and purely ego based concept of forgiveness. Being hurt or angry at someone for doing what is their nature to do, that they are helpless to counteract, is saying that you want God to change the world. Even God is limited in His powers, but you want to be more powerful than that, saying that you should be able to stick your hand in the cobra's den and pull out its young babies to play with them, and not get bitten.

Let us prove now that even God is limited. There are rules to the universe. Any scientist will tell you that if certain principles in nature where to change, then the entire universe would collapse. And so God is limited by the very rules that He created. Put simply using a card game of poker as the example, even God cannot beat four aces with a pair of two's. You want to forgive someone who has hurt you, but the true cause of your pain is because you are denying reality. Then who is the fool? There is nothing to forgive but there is much to accept. When you mature enough to accept things as they are, there will be nothing to forgive. Yes, mature is the correct term for all of you who know how an immature child can demand many things and get very upset because they do not understand that they simply cannot have what they want. It is that simple. Your mother did what she did, for example, and you are terribly hurt and suffer. If you would forgive her, then you would be fine, but it is just not possible, you cannot find forgiveness in you in any way. Hard as you try, year after year, try to forgive her, is not possible.

The pain continues, the regret, the repetitive thoughts that she should not have done that, how could she, etc. You suffer and need to forgive her, all the books and teachers tell you that forgiveness is the key, you must forgive in order to move forward in your spiritual growth and emotional healing. But you cannot forgive her and you suffer now even more because she is preventing you from growing and healing. Your life is limited because of her and what she did, even now robbing you of the ability to forgive. Maybe you convince yourself that you have forgiven her but there is still some bitterness or regret or negative thoughts about the pain that linger, and so your forgiving is all in your imagination and not truly completed, and for this you suffer more, you are worse, not better. I am saying that it is not possible to forgive. Forgiveness is an illusion to cover up a selfish ego concept that the world and everyone in it should live and act the way YOU want them to. If you threw a stone at a brick wall, you will hit the wall and maybe chip off some of the stone or bricks, causing permanent damage.

If you threw the very same stone into the sky to hit a cloud, perhaps you even got the stone into the clouds, there would be no damage and the stone would fall right back down to you, having made no effects on the sky or cloud at all. It is you who has become as thick as a brick wall, when in reality your true essence is like a cloud in the sky. Free and pure, without any fixed form, able to come and go without hindrance, and impossible to damage. Stop wasting time and energy trying to forgive someone for doing what they had no choice but to do, and spend that energy on realizing your true nature. In this way, you will have nothing to forgive, yet all will be freed, you will be released and truly healed of your pain. All your pain is due to your behaving like a brick wall, thick and limited, solid and immovable. Find the reality of your nature and release those learned instincts and habits that make you hurt people, and most of all, yourself. There is no one to forgive, there is no need to forgive, there is only the need to see and accept reality. Accepting reality is being objective. Objective people cannot get insulted or hurt because they know that a walk in the rain will get you wet, and so why should you be upset if you get wet for walking in the rain. I do not forgive because there is nothing to forgive.

I accept the reality of the nature of the person. A thief's nature is to steal and that is what he will do. I will learn not to deal with the same thief again. Accepting the reality of the nature of the person and do not give them the opportunity to continue doing what they have done in the past and will most likely repeat in the future. In this way you will not continue to injure yourself and as you stop stabbing the knife in the same place, the wound will heal on its own very quickly. As the old joke goes, man goes to doctor and says it hurts when he lifts his arms above his head, and the doctor says; "So don't do that." There is nothing for forgive, people are what they are, but if it hurts you to expect and want anyone to be different than their nature makes them be, then don't do that. Please visit my forum shown in my signature and get a free copy of my eBook, "Understanding Words An end to Anger and Conflict" We have changed the web site and would like to hear what people think. If you send in your comments, I will reply with another free eBook, "All IS Mind"

http://EntrepreneurMonk.com -- Have No Regrets. Look Forward.

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Finding and defining your purpose in life is to Harvest Life Gracefully

2010-06-15T11:24:00.000-05:00

Finding and defining your purpose in life is to Harvest Life Gracefully.
Often time I am sure we all ask ourselves why are we here? What is our purpose.
This article that I am posting will help you how to find your purpose.
Go ahead and harvest life gracefully by finding your purpose. Harvest Life Gracefully recommend this book in helping anybody that is looking for their purpose in life.

Have you ever wondered how to even define purpose, much less how to find your life purpose? Well, my hope is that this article will help you do both.

There is two parts to Purpose: Being and Doing.

Being dictates who you are. It's your identity. Doing dictates what you've been called & designed to do.

So here is my definition of Purpose:

When you find a Role where you do what you love to do and use what you're great at doing to become a solution to problems that you feel called to fix. That's where you will find your purpose.

It's that one sweet spot where these 4 things intersect: Passions, Talents, Needs & Calling.

Passions:

Passions are the fuel for your life. When you are doing something you are passionate about it will wake you up in the morning quicker than a strong cup of the old Starbucks Coffee. When it comes to Purpose, your Passions answer the question "What" What should I be doing I my life to be satisfied?

Talents

Talents are those things you do easily that others with they could do like you. The funny thing is that when people say to you they wish they could do what you do, you laugh at them because it comes so easy to you; you figure everyone else can do it just as easily. The truth is, your talents are given specifically to you. To make a difference in this world! Talents answer the question "How" How can I make the greatest amount of change with the least amount of effort?

Needs

Needs are the third essential component in finding your life purpose. Why needs? You don't have Passions & Talents for nothing! You have the previous two things because you have been designed for a role where you will do what you love to do and use what you're great at doing to become a solution to problems! Needs answer the question "Where" Where will I make the greatest contribution in life? Purpose isn't just about you having a satisfying life. Purpose is actually about you serving, or contributing to the betterment of the world. So instead of being one of those people who just complain about problems. Become a problem solver! And how do you actually do this? Hint...hint....You only use your talents to become a solution to the problems you see. Again...your talents come easy to you. You perform nearly perfect every single time. So you use what comes easy to you to fix problems and since you're great at what you do. You'll fix these problems easy & fast!

Calling

Finally, there's Calling. Sometimes we can spend out whole life devoted to the wrong thing. I personally believe in a God who calls people to do great things with their lives. Calling is the last component because you pay attention to what God is calling you to devote your life to. Why? Because when you're working with him. It will all work out in the end!

So that's how define purpose & go about finding it at the same time.

RK Castillo has helped nearly 300,000 people start their journey to finding their purpose. Click this link If you'd like to answer the question What is My Purpose. Or here's another article where you can learn how to Define Purpose in your life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=RK_Castillo

Harvest Life Gracefully by being inspired with Quotes about life

2010-06-14T11:22:00.000-05:00

Another great way to Harvest Life Gracefully is to read quotes about life, love, forgiveness etc. Quotes like I posted below helps one to think and be inspired to feel and change any negative attitudes we may have. Here is a book of quotes that I recommend to get inspired.

Quotes and Sayings about Living Life to the Fullest ...

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature.
- Helen Keller

Live life to the fullest.
- Robert Louis Stevenson

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.
- C. S. Lewis

Fall seven times, stand up eight.
- Japanese Proverb

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
- Mark Twain

We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.
- George Bernard Shaw

Yesterday is ashes. Tomorrow is green wood. Only today does the fire burn brightly.
- Eskimo Saying

Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
- Thomas Jefferson

The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.
– Joseph Campbell

Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.
- John F. Kennedy

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt

To thine own self be true.
- William Shakespeare

Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often.
- Anonymous

Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...
It's about learning how to dance in the rain.
- Vivian Green

Life is too important to be taken seriously.
- Oscar Wilde

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, Begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it, Begin it now.
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared.
- Eddie Rickenbacker

Sayings and Quotes about Loving Life to the Fullest ...

Loving is the most unmitigated and courageous act I perform in a day.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Love conquers all.
- Virgil

Harvest Life Gracefully, teaching your kids about money

2010-06-09T19:18:00.001-05:00

Teaching kids about money is another way to Harvest Life Gracefully. Money is a big issue in this society, it causes many problems among families and individuals alike.
To Harvest Life Gracefully is teaching our kids the right attitude about money. If you want to Harvest Life Gracefully below is an article that gives 5 creative ideals to teach your kids about money. Harvest Life Gracefully also recommend this book to teach your kids about money.

Alexa von Tobel

Founder and CEO, LearnVest
Posted: June 9, 2010 12:41 P

5 Creative Ways to Teach Kids About Money

Many people, myself included, advocate that personal finance should be taught in elementary and middle school curriculum alongside traditional subjects like reading, writing and arithmetic. (It is our lifeline!) It is critical that kids start to learn the value of money, short-term and long-term saving and budgeting at an early age. At the same time, parents recognize that introducing the basic concepts of money management to kids at home is just as important and offers an immediate solution to improving their child's financial literacy. Figuring out how to actually do this in a fun and engaging way is the challenging part.

I've been inspired by several recent stories in the news and by feedback from LearnVest users. So, I've pulled together what we've found to be five creative and effective ways to introduce the topic of money management to young children below. For the most part, these suggestions are geared for children age 7-15, but can be shaped so they are age appropriate.

Since I do not yet have children (still saving!), I am going to share what others have found to be most effective and ask that anyone with additional tips, advice or anecdotes from your own experience to please share them below. We are listening!

1. Make a game of saving money at the grocery store

Bring your kids along next time you go to the grocery store and ask them to help find the price per unit for the general grocery items. By comparing brands and looking for the best prices, kids will get in the habit of looking for deals and understand the value of the dollar. Be sure to calculate how much you save on their choices and put that money towards a savings account, a charity of their choice, or something fun like an afternoon trip to Baskin Robins. Not only will they learn about saving, spending and sharing, knowing they are part of the decision-making process will keep them engaged and eager to continue this behavior.

2. Get creative with games and puzzles

I recently read an article about a first-grade teacher in Port Richey, Florida, who used puzzles and games to teach her students about the basic concepts of budgeting and saving. The Florida Council on Economic Education awarded her the Governor's Award for her clever and innovative approach in "Budgeting Positive Behavior."

Using Jigsaw puzzles, Carmen Johnson awarded her first-graders with pieces to a puzzle each time they completed tasks on time. Once the puzzle was completed, they could turn it over and receive a prize. Johnson compared earning puzzle pieces to handling money, along the lines of "the more responsible you are, the more you can earn; the more you can earn, the more you can save; the more you can save, the more you good things you can get."

While Johnson did this in the classroom, parents can replicate this at home. You can also play board games that explore different concepts of money management with your children, who are slightly older in age. Monopoly, Game of Life, Moneywise Kids and Payday are among those highly recommended by LearnVest users. The Internet also provides a vast wealth of resources. Piggybank, Money Word Games and Change Maker are all great options as well.

3. Use allowance as an opportunity to discuss money management

We know allowances can be controversial. That said, providing an allowance for young children whether it be for completing responsibilities around the house or not, can help them start understanding the basic concepts of cash flow and savings at an early age. We particularly like the 3-jar allowance/piggy bank system, in which the child has three clear jars: one for saving, one for spending and one for charity.

A middle school history teacher once told our class that he and his wife gave their kids two dollars a month and they had to put one-third in savings, one-third set aside for charity and one-third free to spend however they wanted. The size of the amount wasn't important but the dialogue and indirect learning that his children picked up on likely lasted a lifetime. Whether you're five years old or in the middle of your teens, this lesson should resonate. The fact that it still sits with me after 15 years makes it an important lesson that I learned sitting in sixth grade history class!

It's is up to you on how to advise dividing up the money, but it's important that children practice handling and managing the money they earn early.

4. Give time, a service or old toys/clothes to a charity

This family routine came in from a LearnVest reader, and we really liked it. Kids can learn a lot about necessities and wants by recognizing what people live without. A common routine, but one that should not be overlooked, is having a family donation to a charity for those less fortunate. Ask your kids to search for items, toys, or clothes that they no longer use and contribute those items a collection box.

Around holiday season, suggest that they give a service that can save money for others (i.e. babysitting one night for free or taking on responsibilities around the house for free). This will not only be a family activity bringing everyone together in the decision making process, but teaches children habits of giving/service that will hopefully last a lifetime.

5. Bring an article or a question about personal finance to the dinner table

Allocating a specified time to talk about household finances or a current event that pertains to issues such as savings, unemployment and consumer spending is a great way to maintain a dialogue with your kids on money management. By including them in the conversation about household finances and eliciting their feedback and questions, you can empower them with a sense of responsibility and confidence when it comes to personal finance.

If they have a question about purchasing an item they really want, run the numbers with them so they understand how much they earn from part-time jobs and how much they can save in one month, on year, etc. for that special purchase. My parents did this with me, and I always felt like I was an 'adult' with my money because of it.

In conclusion, since this precious education is not yet taught widely in schools --- we can bring it home! Please share with us any great lessons you have.

Follow Alexa von Tobel on Twitter: www.twitter.com/alexavontobel

Under Stress you can Harvest Life Gracefully by listening and enjoying a Mountain Stream

2010-06-07T21:06:00.003-05:00

I recommend these two videos to watch on your own TV. They are great stress relievers. You are bound to feel peace and contentment from watching either one of these wonderful DVD. .

Owning a Amber Alert GPS 2G device is a way to Harvest Life Gracefully

2010-06-04T13:45:00.000-05:00

Owing a Amber Alert GPS 2G device is a ideal way to Harvest Life Gracefully

Amber Alert GPS 2G is a wonderful child tracking device for any parent to have. The device was lauched on August 24, 2009. Read the Press Release,below that gives you information about this ideal device for all parents.

August 24, 2009 02:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Amber Alert GPS Launches Child Tracking Device and Gives Inaugural Commitment to Kids Award to the Utah Amber Alert Plan

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amber Alert GPS today launched the Amber Alert GPS 2G, a child tracking device enabling parents to always know where their children are. In conjunction with the launch Amber Alert GPS founder and CEO Russ Thornton presented the inaugural Amber Alert GPS Commitment to Kids Award to the Utah Amber Alert Plan for their efforts to work collaboratively with other state and federal organizations to create a cohesive system and their overall commitment to the safety of children.

“With more than 800,000 children under the age of 18 missing annually, we recognized the role we could play in helping reduce that number significantly just by educating parents and providing a product with comprehensive, yet easy-to-use features”

As part of the presentation, Amber Alert GPS formally introduced its latest product, Amber Alert GPS 2G, a new child safety product aimed at keeping kids safe by allowing parents to know where they are at all times. U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, demonstrated to the attendees the simplicity and efficiency of the Amber Alert GPS 2G by locating his twin grandsons by texting “WHERE” to the device.

Amber Alert GPS 2G gives parents the ability to limit their children’s boundaries by creating a safe zone, create a “bread crumbing” trail of their route through a series of alerts, an alert that notifies parents when their child reaches their destination, voice monitoring, and even the ability to monitor the speed of a vehicle your child is riding in. Children also have a button they can activate to alert the parent they need help. All of the features are easy to use and all activity can be controlled through a cell phone.

“With more than 800,000 children under the age of 18 missing annually, we recognized the role we could play in helping reduce that number significantly just by educating parents and providing a product with comprehensive, yet easy-to-use features,” said Thornton. “We see Amber Alert GPS as an integral part of the way we can enhance the current systems in place to ensure children are safe and parents have peace of mind.”

Amber Alert GPS 2G was created by Thornton after his 3-year-old son went missing at an amusement park for 45 minutes. The experience inspired him to develop a product that would not only prevent such incidents from happening, but provide a quick resolution in the event a child did go missing.

Continued Thornton, “The fear and agony of losing your child, even for a brief amount of time, is an experience we hope to help eliminate for other families. If our efforts result in saving just one child, we will have done our job.”

You can harvest life gracefully when you enjoy life

2010-06-03T16:06:00.000-05:00

Enjoying life is an important aspect in how to harvest life gracefully. Here are some tips from Ellie Ward.

Some depressions are created by our lack of good reason to go on. Most of the cases, we don't value our true presence on this world. This might be our past: someone hurt us or underestimated our love, this might be even the present. This might be the lack of any will and desire to do anything to change our life now. I am offering you one very simple but very practical way to inspire every day of your life.

Step 1

Start focusing on each small thing you do. "Simple things in life make us happy." - said Oscar Wilde. He was right. Focus on you making yourself your coffee. After that enjoy drinking it. Try not to think about anything, but you, the day outside.

Step 2

Empty your mind from any thoughts and concerns. It is hard, especially when you have to take care about family. It is important though. At least for a while.

Step 3

Do things you liked to do as a kid: go out and play with your kids or the neighbor's kids, play with a ball, go out bicycling, throw rocks in the water, count the stars, run under the rain.

Step 4

Look at the sky and enjoy the nice day. Or the rainy day. Or the snowy day. It is nice anyway. Let your thoughts fly without any care.

Step 5

Don't ever compare with other people. There is nobody like you. You are charming and great, and sexy, exactly the way you are.

Step 6

Never ever punish yourself for someone else's lack of love: if someone hurt you, go on, tell yourself the person didn't deserve your love and start a new exciting life NOW.

To harvest life gracefully is knowing the signs of abusive parents

2010-06-02T21:00:00.000-05:00

Knowing what the signs are of abusive parents is another way to harvest life gracefully. We all need to be concern about child abuse and not be afraid to take a stand against it. One way of doing this is to be able to recognize signs of abusive parents.

Abusive Parents
Living with abusive parents can have long time psychological effects on children. Hence, knowing about abusive parents is important to help children in your neighborhood or class who suffer from abuse from their parents. This article will give you some valuable information on abusive parents.
Abusive Parents
Child abuse is a definitely a serious issue and more so when it is done by the parents themselves. Though most people will not believe that parents can abuse their own children, it is a problem that is faced by many young children irrespective to class, race, gender and country. Most people think that child abuse by parents is only physical, however, this is totally untrue. Rather, there are various types of abuse that children can suffer from the parents.

Parental abuse can be emotional, physical and sometimes even sexual. However, the most common and severe parental abuse is when they neglect their children physically as well as emotionally. Exposure to such kind of abuse can cause serious distress in children as the people who are supposed to love and take care of them while in distress are the ones who are actually hurting them. As abusive and neglectful parents can cause severe physical, mental and emotional damage to the children and hamper their normal development, it is important to recognize and take care of children who are being abused by their parents. Hence, let us take a look at abusive parents facts and the effects they can have on children.

Abusive Parents: Causes

One of the common reason for parents to become abusive towards their kids is that they themselves have experienced it during their childhood. Many people do not even realize that they are abusing their children because such kind of behavior would be something that they would consider as normal. Some parents take aggression and violence as a way of controlling their children. Apart from this, parents who are suffering from certain kind of mental illness or personality disorder can also be abusive towards their children. Moreover, children with parents who have a drinking problem or substance abuse can also become victims of parental abuse as they may be neglected by their parents totally. Read more on dysfunctional family as a cause of difficult childhood.

Abusive Parents: Signs

As the abusers in this case are parents themselves, recognizing the signs of abuse can be a little difficult for an outsider. Moreover, children who are victims of the abuse may not come up with the issue because of the fear of getting hurt by their caregivers again. Nevertheless, there are some signs that one can look for, if they suspect that a child is undergoing abuse by his/her parents. Read more on types of child abuse.

Signs of Physical Abuse
Physical abuse is surely the one that can be recognized easily. Physical abuse like hitting, pinching, beating, shaking, burning, etc. are often used by parents as ways of punishing their children for some wrongdoing. They think that it is the best way of disciplining their children. However, this causes the development of fear in children towards their parents. Children who are being physically abused by their parents can be seen with unexplained and frequent injuries like cuts, bruises and welts. They may shy away from touch or may seem to be afraid of going home.

Signs of Emotional Abuse
Little children need love and attention from their parents during their growing up years to feel secured. This should be done not just by buying them gifts, but also by hugging and kissing them. Also, kids like to be appreciated for their achievements by their parents, even if it is small one. However, when this does not happen and the child is humiliated at every step by the parents by calling her a stupid or a fool, the kid can be said to be a victim of emotional child abuse. Such parents may call the child worthless and constantly compare her negatively with other children. Emotionally abusive parents may punish their child by yelling and threatening her or may be by ignoring her completely.

Children who are exposed to domestic violence i.e. if one of the parents is abusing the other, the child can be called a victim of emotional violence. Children who are emotionally abused by their parents are usually fearful, anxious and withdrawn. They may not show any kind of attachment towards their parents or caregiver. They may exhibit extreme behaviors i.e. some kids may behave like adults, while others may show infantile behavior like throwing temper tantrums, rocking, thumb sucking, etc.

Signs of Child Neglect
Parental neglect is said to be one of the most difficult type of abuse to detect as well as to define. Neglect can be defined as a situation where the parents completely ignore the children, both physically as well as emotionally. Such parents may not bother to fulfill their children's basic needs like proper food, clothing, etc. They may leave their children unsupervised at home or at places where the children are not safe. Some of the warning signs that people can observe in a child who is neglected by his parents are filthy and ill fitting clothes, untreated physical injuries and health problems, etc.

Signs of Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse of children is not uncommon, though hardly spoken of. In most cases, the culprit is a close friend or relative and in certain cases, parents themselves. Though people think that only girls become victims of sexual abuse, this is actually quite untrue. Rather, even little boys can become victims of sexual abuse. Children who are abused sexually are usually filled with shame and guilt and are likely to blame themselves for the happenings. Some of the signs that a sexually abused kid may show include difficulty in sitting or walking, making efforts for avoiding a person, showing knowledge about sexual acts, etc. Know more about signs of child molestation.

Abusive Parents: Effect on Children

Growing up in an environment where their physical, emotional and mental needs are not fulfilled does have a strong negative impact on the minds of children. Though the scars left by physical violence will not last for a long time, the emotional scars etched on their minds are permanent and can damage their life as adults. Read more on the psychological effects of child abuse.

* Children who have suffered abuse from their parents usually find it difficult to form and maintain long lasting relationships as adults. As the emotional needs like trust, security, reliability, etc. are not fulfilled in the relationship with the parents, the children are not able to form good and healthy relationships because they do not understand that these are the basic things that are required to maintain a loving relationship.
* Living with abusive parents can hamper the self esteem of children as parents constantly telling them that they are stupid and worthless for a long time, may make them that it is actually true. As adults, they may not be ready to take up challenges like higher studies, better job, etc. because they may consider themselves as incapable of such achievements.
* The emotional damage caused by sexual abuse, especially by their parents will be most severe. They may live with the feeling of shame and stigma throughout their adult life. Sometimes, this may lead to the occurrence of severe mental as well as psychological problems in the person.
* Children of abusive parents may have difficulty in expressing as well as for controlling their emotions. They are also likely to get addicted to alcohol or drugs, just to relieve the painful thoughts caused by parental abuse.

You may like to read more on:

* Child Abuse Facts for Parents
* Child Abuse Statistics

I hope you have understood the dangerous effects that abusive parents can have on the psyche of children. Hence, if you suspect a kid in your neighborhood or may be in your family undergoing abuse from his/her parents, it is important to make certain efforts to save the child from the damages caused by it. Children who are abused by their parents can be helped with proper treatment and therapy. Though most people ignore such things due to the fear of interfering in other people's lives, you must remember that a step made by you can make a huge difference in the life of an innocent child.

By Deepa Kartha

You can harvest life gracefully when helping an emotional abused women

2010-06-01T08:05:00.005-05:00

You can harvest life gracefully when helping a women who is being emotional abused. The tips below are helpful in helping.

Responding to Emotional Abuse: How You Can Help Someone You Know

Violence against women, or woman abuse, happens to more women than we think. Most women who are physically assaulted by their intimate partners are emotionally abused. However, not all women who are emotionally abused, are physically abused. It is likely that you know a woman who is being emotionally abused by her partner. It could be your friend, sister, neighbour or co-worker. Whatever your relationship to an abused woman, it is difficult to admit that someone you care about its being abused. Very often, people want to help, but do not know how. If you know a woman who is being emotionally abused, and want to help, these are some things you can do:

1. Gather information about emotional abuse and the resources available.

You don't have to solve the problem, but you can provide support and information.
Look in the front of your phone book for the crisis line or women's shelter for services in your area.
Get information on emotional abuse so you can understand what she is going through.
If the woman does not speak English, there may be services in her language, or cultural interpreters available.
If the woman has a disability, or is deaf, make sure you refer her to appropriate services.
2. Recognize that emotional abuse has as much, if not more, of an impact on a woman's overall health and well being as physical violence.

She may become ill, depressed, anxious, or use alcohol or drugs to cope. If she has a disability, it may get worse due to the abuse.
Encourage her to take care of herself. She may want to speak to her family doctor or a counsellor who deals with woman abuse.
If she has children, it may be difficult for her to go out on her own. You could assist her with child-care so she can attend appointments or have some time to herself.
3. Assure her that you believe her and that you take emotional abuse seriously.

Listen and be understanding. Encourage her to talk about what she is experiencing.
Let her know you will keep what she has told you private.
Let her know that you are concerned for her safety and well being and want to provide support. Never tell her that she is lucky that she is not being hit.
4. Do not blame her or make excuses for her partner.

Alcohol or drug use, a job loss, or a bad childhood does not cause abuse.
Having a disability or living with someone who has a disability is not a justification for abuse.
The family's cultural or spiritual beliefs are not the cause of the emotional abuse. Woman abuse happens in all cultures.
Understand that it is normal for an abused woman to deny what is happening, or make excuses for her partner.
Encourage her to understand there is no excuse for any form of abuse.
5. Support her to be safe.

Understand that emotionally abusive partners also commit physical assault, murder, or murder-suicide. An abused woman is at most risk of being killed when leaving her partner.
Take her fears seriously. She may have been threatened by her partner and be fearful of him.
Let her know that she can go to a shelter for abused women.
Suggest that she develop a safety plan.
Encourage her to learn about her legal rights and the rights of her children.
6. Ask her how you can help.

Do not take over. Her partner already controls her.
Remember that she will make the decisions that are best for her.
7. Help her to recognize her strengths and feel better about herself.

Women who are abused demonstrate incredible strength when they balance the everyday demands of life, such as home, children, work and school.
A woman's self-confidence and esteem may have been greatly eroded by emotional abuse.
She may believe that she cannot make it on her own.
She may start by taking steps towards independence, such as going back to school or getting a job.
Encourage her to set small and realistic goals.
8. Respect her decisions and support her if she stays. A woman may not want to leave her partner, even if you think that is what is best for her.

Many people do not understand how difficult it is to leave an abusive partner. Do not tell her that you would have left a long time ago.
She may lose her home, car, farm and farm animals, and financial support for herself and her children if she leaves.
She could be isolated from her cultural community. She may not speak English and be fearful of being on her own.
She may not have access to physical supports she needs to be on her own.
Understand that abusers often use children or threaten to abduct their children if she talks about leaving.
Respect her decisions and tell her she will not lose your support if she stays.
Recognize that identifying emotional abuse is the first step, and that it may take time for her to make changes in her life.

Harvest Life Gracefully parenting with love and logic

2010-05-31T15:15:00.001-05:00

Harvest life gracefully- parenting with love and logic, I recommend this book to read. It makes so much sense!

Make Your Kids Responsible for Their Actions
Do You Only Care About Your Kids' "Image"?
By Jim Fay

A joke hit the Internet recently. The problem is that it is not a joke. It's a serious concern to all those who work with today's youth. A high school staff met to design the perfect recording for their telepjavascript:void(0)hone answering machine. The staff looked at several possibilities and finally agreed on the following:

To lie about why your child is absent - Press 1
To make excuses for why your child did not do his work - Press 2
To complain about what we do - Press 3
To swear at staff members â€“ Press 4
To ask why you didn't get information that was already enclosed in your newsletter and several flyers mailed to you - Press 5
If you want us to raise your child - Press 6
If you want to reach out and touch, slap or hit someone - Press 7
To request another teacher for the third time this year - Press 8
To complain about bus transportation - Press 9
To demand that your child get a higher grade - Press 0

If you realize this is the real world and your child must be accountable/responsible for his/her own behavior, class work, and homework, and that it's not the teacher's fault for your child's lack of effort, hang up and have a great day.

I have consulted in many schools and know how overloaded teachers are today. I have witnessed the fact that teachers donâ€™t have enough spare time during the day to eat or go to the bathroom, let alone to do all the things society asks of them. This being true, why do you suppose a staff would spend its time fantasizing about this kind of thing?

Sad to say, the teachers are recognizing a national epidemic. It's the "Jet-Powered Turbo-Attack Helicopter Parent Model" epidemic. It rears its ugly head in all communities, but is especially excessive and out of control in the more affluent communities where parents have the financial resources and power to intimidate schools and community agencies.

If this is not you, just read on for the enjoyment.

Many of today's parents are obsessed with the desire to create a perfect image for their kids. This perfect image, or perfect life, is one in which their kids never have to face struggle, inconvenience, discomfort, or disappointment. It is a life in which the child can be launched into adulthood with the best of credentials. These kids look great on paper. Their high school and college diplomas show high grades even if they were not earned. They lead a life where their mistakes are swept under the table. I have often heard these parents say, "It's a competitive world out there and I want my kids to have every advantage. What they do when they are young should not hold them back later."

These parents, in their zeal to protect their young, swoop down like jet-powered, attack helicopters on any person or agency who might hold their children accountable for their actions. Armed with verbal smart bombs, they are quick to blast away at anyone who sets high standards for behavior, morality, or achievement.

Declaring their child a victim is a favorite tactical maneuver designed to send school personnel diving into the trenches for protection. Teachers and school administrators become worn down by this constant barrage. As they give in to parental demands that their children not be held accountable, standards are eroded and teachers gradually think, "What's the use?"

It is horribly disappointing to watch kids learn to blame others for their lack of success instead of becoming people who reach goals through effort and determination.

All this has caused me to look back thirty years ago to the time when we first wrote about Helicopter Parents. I now realize that those parents were relatively harmless compared to the modern-day version. I daily hear about the "turbo jet-powered models" designed for deadly attack. Some of these parents are not satisfied with protection, but even prefer to destroy the infrastructure of the very agencies that are dedicated to helping their children grow into educated, moral human beings.

Now you tell me. Is it possible for children who have never had to stand on their own two feet, never had to be responsible for their own actions, or never had to face and solve the smaller problems of childhood, to have the tools to face the rigors of adult life in America? We all know the answer to that.

Can the young adult who gets that perfect job perform well enough to keep that job if his grades from school were the result of teacher intimidation instead of vigorous study? The company who hires this person won't be easily intimidated by parental pressure in the face of substandard performance.

A perfect image and perfect school transcript are poor substitutes for character and the attitude that achievement comes through struggle and perseverance.

I have worked with many parents who have fallen into this trap. They all love their children. They all want the best for them. They talk about how they don't want their kids to struggle like they did. They are prone to rush to blame others for any lack of achievement on their children's part. These parents are willing to hold others responsible for their children's actions. However, they are often willing to change their parenting style once they see the crippling effects of this parenting style. Many of these parents have said to me, "I now realize that even if I succeed in creating a perfect life for my kid, there is little chance that he/she can maintain it without my help."

YOUR CHILD CAN RISE TO THE TOP

One very astute father once said to me, "Jim, I've got it. There is a huge group of trophy kids growing up today who wonâ€™t have the character and resilience to compete in the labor market. If my kid grows up knowing how to get what he wants through struggle and character, he will be the one with the true advantage. He will stand head and shoulders above the others because he has the tools to create his own perfect life. Now that I have learned that I can discipline my child without losing his love, I have the courage to abandon my old crippling parenting style. The Love and Logic approach to raising my kid will give all of us the tools it takes to make this happen."

Jim Fay is president and cofounder of the Love and Logic Institute in Golden, CO, and coauthor of the best-selling book, Parenting with Love and Logic. For more information about Love and Logic parenting and teaching techniques, call 800-33/8-4065.

Harvest Life Gracefully tips on how not to forget to remove your baby from the car

2010-05-28T10:38:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully follow these steps and you will never forget to remove your child from the car. This will avoid unnecessary harm or deaths of children.

How to Remember to Remove Your Baby from the Car
nethopperz Member
By nethopperz, eHow Member

I am heartbroken each time I watch the news and learn that another parent has forgotten their baby in the car and returned to find that something horrible has happened. I will be a parent soon and these are the things that keep me awake at night. After careful thought, I would like to offer some free and relatively easy solutions that may help new parents to overcome unexpected diversions that too often direct your attention away from your baby.

Step 1

Develop a new routine to always check the back seat of a vehicle before you leave it, whether it is yours or not. Another important thing to do when you approach a vehicle is to look completely around it for hidden obstructions like children or toys. When you reach your destination and exit the vehicle, immediately open the back door and look into the back seat. Do this whether you know that you have your baby in the car or not. It is imperative that this becomes a habit for both parents and for anyone who will ever transport your child. If you are certain that you dropped the child off at the daycare or if you know that today is not your day to drive them, remember... making a careless mistake on the wrong day has needlessly cost the lives of too many young children.

Step 2

If you are an employer, you have the ability and should make it a priority to watch after employees who transport young children prior to coming to work. Designate several rows of parking spaces for parents only. Have a few people routinely walk through the parking lot each morning to check those cars for forgotten children. This is a perfect job for security guards whose job is to patrol the parking lot anyway. Offer them an incentive to perform these checks. Also, post signs in the entrance of your building with a reminder about leaving small children in vehicles unattended.

Step 3

Become better acquainted with your co-workers and develop a habit of asking other parents of young children how their children were doing this morning and what color shirt did their teacher have on this morning. Just that type of reminder may cause a person to remember that they never actually dropped the child off. Pay attention to small details. When you walk into the building from the parking lot, keep an eye out for car seats and casually look into cars as you walk past.

Step 4

What's in your backseat?

For the parents of small children who take them to daycare daily, be sure that your daycare has a list of emergency numbers, including several work numbers. Ask that they call each number and let someone know if you have not dropped your child off with them after a certain time. Check your cell phone each morning after arriving at work to be sure nobody has left messages for you. If you use Microsoft Outlook, set daily reminders asking whether you remembered your child. If you carry a briefcase with you to work, always put it in the back seat in the floor beside your child's car seat. That way, you will have to open the back door to retrieve it and you may discover an important surprise when you least expect it.

Step 5

Hopefully, some of these tips will help parents to remember what is most important. If work becomes too stressful and you have difficulty focusing on the things that you are supposed to do, stop for a moment. Take a deep breath. Exhale slowly and ask yourself, "Why am I at work?" Your most obvious response is "to make money." Why do you need money? To take care of your family because they are important to you. Do not forget this! Take an extra 10 seconds out of your hectic morning commute to simply check the back seat of your car!

Step 6

If you are a parent and you are reading this article at work, stop what you are doing and go check your car. Do it right now! Tell your boss that you need a breath of fresh air. If this article helps save just one child, then it will be the most important thing I've ever written for this website.

Harvest Life Gracefully by keeping your children safe

2010-05-27T21:43:00.004-05:00

Harvest life gracefully by keeping your children safe. This article gives you excellent advice on how to keep your children safe.

This article is from Time.com By Jessica Reaves.

How to Keep Your Child Safe

It's every parent's worst nightmare: A child is snatched from the playground in broad daylight never to be seen or heard from again. And it feels like it's happening all the time. But while it may seem like we are in the midst of a kidnapping epidemic, the truth is much less scary. According to data from the U.S. Justice Department and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), kidnappings are on the decline.
Each year, between 200 and 300 kids are taken in "stereotypical" kidnappings (i.e. grabbed from their homes or playgrounds and then murdered or held for ransom), and 50 to 150 are murdered. Officials expect this year's total number to dip to near 100, hopefully dragging down the murder rate accordingly. And despite what you might reasonably think after hearing the terrible stories of Elizabeth Smart (who was returned safely home more than nine months after her abduction) and Samantha Runnion, the specter of kidnapping by strangers should not be parents' primary concern; parents themselves perpetrate more than 98 percent of all kidnappings, according to the DOJ. While about 700,000 missing children reports were filed in 2001, only a tiny percentage of those cases were non-family abductions. And here's one piece of positive news: 94 percent of kidnapped children are returned to their parents.

But even as the number of kidnappings declines, and the statistical probability of kidnapping grows smaller, parents continue to be understandably anxious. How can I protect my child? How can I make sure that my child is alert without scaring him too much?

When a stranger approaches

Ernie Allen, president of the NCMEC, understands and applauds the impulse to educate our children, and urges parents to be alert without giving in to fear. He admits it's a tough line to walk. "We need to be prepared, to think about every eventuality, but we don't want to dwell on the worst that could happen," he says. "We don't want to terrify our kids or leave ourselves paralyzed with fear." Here, Allen offers some suggestions for parents.

Know where your kids are, especially young children.

Don't let them go out alone; there is safety in numbers.

Know who they're with.

Speak openly with them about their safety.

Practice what you talk about; go over scenarios and ask your kids what they would do.

We need to empower our children, says Allen. "We need to rethink what we've told our kids over the years." "Don't take candy from strangers" is good advice. But in the vast majority of non-family abductions, perpetrators don't fit kids' idea of a "stranger" — they're not necessarily scary or creepy.

The NCMEC has a "No, Go, Tell" plan for kids, which goes like this:

Kids have the right to say no. If a grown-up comes to a child asking for help looking for a puppy or for directions, the child should get a trusted adult to help instead.

Kids don't have to be polite. We put a huge premium on making sure our kids are polite to a fault, especially to adults, and that translates into: "do what the man says."

Communicate. If a child feels frightened, they should be encouraged to talk with a trusted person: mom, dad, counselor or teacher. The message for parents? Listen to your kids.

Here are a few facts about non-family abductors: They tend to be male, and, despite the "dirty old man" tag, most are younger than 35 and of average or above average intelligence. In an overwhelming number of cases, their motives are sexual. Most are not true strangers to the children they take; they target one child and seek their confidence, often by developing a casual relationship with them.

All in the family

Beyond the terrifying sketch-artist renderings of anonymous kidnappers, there is the grim reality of family abductors, who make up the vast majority of kidnapping offenders.

If you're dealing with a messy custody battle, or you fear a member of your family may be planning to abduct your child, Allen emphasizes that there are things you can do:

Keep the lines of communication open and establish an atmosphere in your home that encourages kids to talk to you about what's going on in their lives.

Teach your children your telephone number and area code, teach them how to contact you or close friends.
Tell them you love them and that you always want to see them, no matter what anybody else tells them.

Most family-member abductions happen only after the offender has talked about taking a child, so it's important, says Allen, to pay attention to what you consider threats.

If you identify a family member who talks about taking a child, collect and keep pertinent information (social security numbers, credit cards, etc.) about them on hand.

Address the legal issues: have a valid custody order, don't just assume anything.
And finally, one last piece of advice for all parents, courtesy of the NCMEC: Take lots of pictures of your kids. Photos work when it comes to finding children, says Allen, and it's very important for families to have recent, full-face photos of their children, as well as accurate information about their hair color, weight, height and any distinguishing physical characteristics. Parents may also want to keep dental and medical records on hand in a safe place. This can speed up the process, and this is a situation where every hour counts. Seventy-four percent of abducted children who are murdered are killed within the first three hours of their kidnapping.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,321889,00.html#ixzz0pBj6a3iT

Harvest Life Gracefully by accepting your parents and forgiving them for their errors

2010-05-26T12:54:00.000-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully by forgiving your parents for their own trials and errors. When we look back at how our parents raised us, there are so many of us who had expectations of what our parents should or should not have done. These expectations can cause us to have bitterness and anger directed towards them. We have the tendency to forget that they are human beings trying to survive in this world with the skills and tools which they had learned. Some has better skills, others don't it all depends on what was taught and learned. We are products from our own learning experiences. I found the article below that will give you food for thought on this subject manner.

Parenting Tips on the Ability to Forgive and Reconcile

By Kim Siang Ng

Do not let children grow up thinking it is okay to be bitter or angry with their parents or worse, hate their parents. As parent, you do not plant the seeds of bitterness or anger in the mind of your children by pouring your bitterness or unhappiness onto your children. Instead show your children the greatness of togetherness by taking them to visit their grandparents or have meals together on a regular basis. Single parent is more prone to affect the young mind of their children by telling them events or incidents committed by the other parent that had hurt the single parent's feelings. Problems or issues between the parents are best kept amongst themselves and not turn to their children. It is not fair for either of the parents to expect their children to take side or sympathize with either of them.

As children, we were taught to love, respect and be filial to our parents. We are required to respect our parents from time immemorial just simply because they are our parents! Take note that we are not taught to respect "good", "perfect", "wonderful", "nice", "great" or "fantastic" parents. No human is perfect in this world and our parents are just ordinary human beings, so they do make mistakes and errors in their life.

It saddens me to see that the relationship between parents and children can turn so terribly wrong sometimes. Whatever that had happened in the past, there must be something that the children can be grateful for. What about the parental care given to the children while they were still infants? At the minimum, any parent would have invested money and considerable efforts in bringing up their children and provide their children with certain levels of education to make their children what they are today. Furthermore, these children were well taken care of to become a healthy adult today. Even if our parents had failed us miserably in the past, just treat them as they are today and forgive them for their past.

The children must not let the anger blinds their eyes so much that they failed to see the kindness that they have received from their parents. They must not be so ungrateful that they took things for granted. There is no point in keeping negative memories of the past. One cannot keep all these negative emotions bottled up and remain unforgiving forever.

During their twilight years, the parents welcome their children's presence and company more than anything else. A visit by their children will bring them warmth and comfort to their hearts and tears of joy. No matter what had happened in the past, choose forgiveness and reconciliation rather than animosity.

Ng Kim Siang
He is a Systems Analyst by profession and has spent a large part of his career managing large technology projects in the Banking industry. He holds a Master in Business Administration from the University of Bath UK and is currently pursuing a Diploma on Pre-School Educator Course. Visit his website now to discover more... http://www.TipsToEnrichYourLife.com/parenting

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_Siang_Ng

Harvest Life Gracefully understanding sexual abuse

2010-05-25T08:35:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully, watching this video will give you a better understanding of childhood sexual abuse. It describe exactly what a child feels, and why it is so difficult for them to tell.
The speaker in this video is a survivor of sexual abuse and does a very good job in telling what a child goes through. I recommend this video to anyone that knows of a survivor or has experience child hood sexual abuse. Very Helpful! I recommend these books for help and support.
Excellent reading.

Harvest Life Gracefully Blog Talk Radio about positive parenting

2010-05-24T07:51:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully by listening to Blog Talk Radio on the principals on positive parenting.

Harvest Life Gracefully, positive parenting tips

2010-05-21T16:44:00.000-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully, some tips for positive parenting

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Tips for Positive Parenting

May 20, 2010 by Leslie Leyland Fields for Beliefnet

Many parents today feel overwhelmed with feelings of inadequacy and guilt. I am convinced that many of our struggles come from believing that it is our job to be perfect parents. But we don't need to get caught up in false beliefs that cause stress and worry. Read the eight truths about parenting that will free you to be a more positive parent.

Leslie Leyland Fields is a mother of six and author of "Parenting Is Your Highest Calling, and Eight Other Myths That Trap Us in Worry and Guilt" (Waterbrook). She lives in Kodiak, Alaska.

1. You May Not Feel Loving Every Minute
Before we have children, we believe we’ll always love them unconditionally. But it’s not too many years after they arrive that the I-love-you/you-love-me-back arrangement is gone. In the hard times, we can easily jump to the wrong conclusion: I don’t feel loving toward my child, therefore I must not love my child.

The question is not, “Am I feeling loving toward my child?” but “Am I being loving toward my child?” If we’re supporting, encouraging, and disciplining our kids--if we're committed to their highest good--we are loving them. Don't worry about fluctuating feelings.

2. We Don't Need to Obsess Over Success
Increasingly, parents seem to measure their success by the achievements of their children. But this current obsession is leading to all kinds of excesses, including overscheduling and overprotection. We need to let go of our obsession with success, both for our sakes and our children’s. Our children need breathing room, unstructured play time, and the ability to make mistakes and learn from them. Most of all, we need to value and love our children not for their achievements, but simply for who they are.

3. Our Kids Have Their Own Purpose
Before we became parents, many of us believed that children would bring us happiness, fulfillment, as well as tons of fun! We soon discover that these moments do arrive, but along with them come many moments of, well, not so much fun. All parents feel surprised at how much work parenting is. But in many ways we receive more than we give. Children teach us how little we know—the beginning of real wisdom. Children expand our hearts. They free us from our self-focus and open us to the needs and love of others. Children don’t exist to fulfill us. Ultimately, they are here to find their own purpose and to contribute to the world in some way.

4. There's No Parenting Formula
While there are many helpful parenting books out there, some offer formulaic models based on behavior modification, obedience training, and rigid discipline. The underlying assumptions: we should be in control of our children at all times, and children shouldn’t mess up our lives. Raising children is inherently messy, thrilling, and unpredictable. Parenting "experts" and "one size fits all" parenting formulas cannot raise our children for us. We raise our children. Our children are too complex, creative, and unique to be raised by recipes or formulas.

5. We Don't Have to Buy Them Happiness
We often think the best measurement of our parenting skill is how happy our children are. Toward this goal, we put TVs in our kids’ rooms, go into debt for lavish birthday parties and vacations, and fix the foods our children clamor for instead of what they need. Our job as parents is not to make our children happy, but to help them become good people—compassionate, honest, responsible, hard-working. When a 10-year-old already obsessed with video games asks for an iPod, or a 16-year-old wants us to buy him a car, we may need to say no. The 10-year-old needs to gain some maturity and discipline; the 16-year-old could earn the money for a car. Our job is to help our children distinguish between their short-term happiness and the long-term good of their character.

6. Is Not Our Only Calling
Yes, we are called to love our families, but also to love our neighbors. When we focus exclusively on our children, we risk turning them into idols. Our children can grow up oblivious to others’ needs and the needs of the planet, believing they are the center of the universe. Enjoy your family and cultivate times of togetherness, but also enlarge your children’s scope. Take them with you as you volunteer. They’ll gain an outward, compassionate focus that can enable them to become generous citizens and good parents themselves someday

7. We Can Be Less Anxious
“I just want my kids to be safe.” How many times have I said this and heard other parents say the same? Of course we want our kids to be in safe cars, schools, and homes. But this desire for safety can spiral out of control, fed by fear, and lead to what some are already calling “the anxious generation.” Too much caution will cripple our children with fear and limit their enjoyment and effectiveness in life. As parents, we need to practice safety, but we also need to practice trust and faith. Kids need challenges and adventures to stretch their abilities and give them self-confidence, problem-solving skills, and courage—attributes every successful adult needs.

8. We Don't Need to Be Perfect
Many of us live with the realities of divorce, single-parenting, blended families, teen pregnancy, and many other less-than-perfect circumstances. We often feel like failures, and worry about our children’s security and success and their own future families. But there is no perfect family. Families throughout history were often marked by imperfection, yet the children from those families still accomplished much. With attentive parenting, we can help turn adversity into strength. For instance, I travel often to teach and speak. While our family is apart, my kids have learned to cook and manage the house. Our own family limitations never limit our children’s faith or their possibilities.

Harvest Life Gracefully how to relieve your stress video

2010-05-20T15:09:00.000-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully how to relieve your stress watch this video to find out

Harvest Life Gracefully-positive living for abused survivors about self-care

2010-05-19T18:40:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully, survivors of abuse, follow these tips about self-care, for positive living. Having an Emergency Self-Care Plan is essential to abuse survivors' well-being. All survivors experience periods of depression that are accompanied by loss of self-worth and self-care. This Emergency Self-Care Plan provides a checklist to follow when times are tough.
Abuse survivors, when they are going through rough times, are likely to find self-care difficult. Here is a checklist to guide you through those tough days.

1. Spiritual care. Pray. Read sacred scripture. Be involved in a 12-step program. Whatever your beliefs, spirituality nurtures a person's heart and soul, all that is good within oneself. Begin and end the day with spiritually caring for yourself.

You are worthy of care from your Higher Power. You are a new creation being nurtured by our Beloved Creator.

2. Personal hygiene. Make sure you bathe, shampoo, and brush your teeth. Sounds obvious doesn't it? Yet, these are the things that go by the wayside so easily. This is a good time to treat yourself to a bubble bath or fragrant body wash and shampoo.

A corollary is to wear clean fresh clothing every day. Dress up not down. Sloppy clothing reinforces self-negation. Attractive clothing reinforces good self-esteem.

You are worthy of tender loving care. You are a precious treasure, a rare jewel.

3. Nutrition. Have a "Healthy Emergency Menu Plan" planned and written down for the difficult days, and have foods stocked. Breakfast might consist of yogurt, applesauce, a piece of toast, and a glass of orange juice. For lunch try a garden salad, banana, a bowl of soup or half a sandwich, and a glass of milk. At dinner, make sure you have a piece of good protein, a vegetable, small potato or rice, a fruit, and a glass of milk. Need more calories than this simple menu provides? Add them wisely. Write them down on your emergency menu plan.

Stay away from fast foods, salty foods, and sweetened foods. Don't turn to alcohol. Drink plenty of water, around 8 glasses a day. Mint tea will help soothe the stomach and the nerves.

You are worthy of good health. You are an unfolding, beautiful lily or a cactus flower.

4. Exercise. What is important is to have an ongoing fitness program that you especially rely on during the rough days. Physical activity helps ground you in the present, and it relieves depression. What will work for you on an ongoing basis? Join a fitness program. Take swimming lessons. Play tennis. Are you a runner? Do you ride bicycles?

You are worthy of being fit. You are a frisky colt or perhaps a chestnut stallion.

5. Laugh. I'm not kidding. View humorous DVDs, CDs, old TV programs, or read books that make you laugh. Do you know that author, Norman Cousins, cured his cancer by making sure he laughed every day. The endorphins released by laughing lift depression, and ease both physical and emotional pain.

You are worthy of laughing heartily. You may not be a dancing elephant, but how about a dancing giraffe?

6. Self-Affirmation. Do you value yourself? Survivors have great difficulty in valuing themselves. When I was a teenager and young adult I covered my mirror, and would not look at my reflection in store windows. I hated myself. I had suicidal thoughts at times. It has been a life-long process to learn to believe in myself. Doing self-affirmation breaks open the rock shell of self-hatred and self-negation and lets the light come in.

Start a written list of self-affirmations, even if you don't believe them. Here are some starters: I am worthy of tender-loving care. I am worthy of good health. I am worthy of being fit. I have gifts and talents. I am a child of God. I am worthy of good healthy relationships. Add to your list. Write a hundred affirmations. You are worthy of at least that many.

You are worthy of developing your gifts and yourself. You are a soaring eagle, an unfurled flag.

Having an Emergency Self-Care Plan is essential to abuse survivors' well-being. All survivors experience periods of depression that are accompanied by loss of self-worth and self-care. This Emergency Self-Care Plan provides a checklist to follow when times are tough.

Judy Brutz, Quaker healer and author, writes and leads retreats for abuse survivors. She lives in Idaho with her family. She enjoys being in nature, photography, knitting for peace, and volunteering in the classroom by listening to children read. Visit her web site http://judybrutz.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Judy_Brutz

Harvest Life Gracefully, accepting these tips for mental clarity

2010-05-18T07:40:00.000-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully accepting these tips for mental clarity.

How to Achieve Mental Clarity

Author: Christopher Lloyd Clarke

Of all the resources that you rely on to navigate your life, the one you take most for granted is also the one you use on the most. It's your mind.
Most people don't think of their mind as a "resource" but if you think about for just a moment you'll realize that it's true. Your mind is your greatest asset, and it's something that you rely on for just about everything you do.
Where would you be without your intelligence, imagination and creativity? How would you survive without your memory, your intuition or your ability to reason? You rely on these mental faculties every day of your life, so where does that leave you if your mind is unclear?

Where did my clarity go?
When you are born into this world, you begin life with a mind that is pure and untouched, like a blank canvas waiting to be coloured by experiences. As time goes by, you gradually develop the mental capabilities that you require in order to live a normal life. You develop your intelligence, creativity and memory, but at the same time you also build up a great deal of mental "junk". You may find yourself bound by more and more responsibilities. You accumulate memories, good and bad. You are bombarded with information via television and radio, and you are surrounded by the noise of industry and the hustle bustle of modern life. Is it any wonder that our mental clarity suffers?
Without mental clarity, it's easy to become stressed and confused, to lose touch with your purpose in life, and to become unhealthy or exhausted.
Most of us really never stop to question the way we live our lives. We just accept all the noise and drama and forget about the simple joy of living in the moment, freely, as we did when we were children.
So how do you reclaim clarity? How do you reclaim the simple inner peace that you had when you were young? How do you wipe the canvas of your mind clean without losing all the powerful mental faculties that you have developed throughout your life?

The first step towards improving mental clarity
There are a number of things you can do to gain mental clarity, but the first recommendation I'll make is that you learn how to meditate. Through meditation you will quickly learn to achieve mental stillness, and you'll dramatically increase your ability to concentrate. Can you think of a better method for improving mental clarity than taking command of you own mind in this way?
The practice of meditation not only clears away all of the repetitive thinking that circulates in your mind, it also strengthens your ability to stay focussed and clear during your normal daily life.
Meditation also stamps out the biggest enemy of a clear mind...stress.
If you've never meditated before, then meditation might be a bit unfamiliar to you. Perhaps you think of meditation as something that is reserved for Eastern mystics or Tibetan monks. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hundreds of millions of everyday people just like you use meditation to experience enhanced mental clarity and to improve their overall quality of life.
Think of meditation as "taking your mind to the gymnasium". In many respects, your mind is a muscle that you've never really trained. You've been feeding it information all your life, but like an untrained house pet, it may have become quite unruly and undisciplined.
Start by learning how to meditate. I guarantee you that meditation is easier than you might think, and that the results you will experience, especially in the long term, will astound you.

Further steps to achieve enhanced mental clarity
Meditation is your most powerful tool for improving mental clarity, but anything that improves your overall health and eliminate stress will also be hugely beneficial. Here are 7 more suggestions that will help:
1. Avoid taking drugs unless they are essential to your physical and/or mental health. 2. Limit your alcohol intake. 3. Exercise regularly. 4. Eat a healthy, well balanced diet. 5. Make sure you get enough sleep each night. 6. Spend some time in nature, away from the calamity of city living. 7. Avoid stressful situations whenever practical.
Even if you are only able to implement a few of these suggestions for improving mental clarity, you'll still be taking very positive steps forward.

Over to you...
When you reclaim your clarity of mind, you unleash all the mental faculties that you have developed during your life in a whole new way. It's like cleaning the windscreen of your car for the first time. All of a sudden, you can see clearly, you can see where you are going, and life becomes more of a pleasure cruise than a foggy drive.
And you know what? You don't necessarily have to change what you are doing with your life in order to experience this renewal. You don't have to change your occupation or relocate yourself in order to experience dramatic, positive change. When you learn how to clear your mind through meditation, the change takes place on the inside...within your mind itself.
But it's all up to you. No one else can do it for you, and there's no shortcut for improving mental clarity. However, if you are ready to invest a little bit of time and effort in the daily practice of meditation, I guarantee that you will not only experience dramatic changes in your mental clarity, you'll also find yourself feeling happier, younger, freer, and more relaxed than you have in a long time. There is every chance that in the near future you'll become another one of the millions of people around the world who wonder "how did I ever live without meditation?"

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/how-to-achieve-mental-clarity-2385825.html

About the AuthorMeditation really is one of the most powerful ways to experience inner peace and to improve your quality of life. For more information about guided meditation and to learn how to meditate for free, please visit The Guided Meditation Site.

Harvest Life Gracefully when you need Encouragement

2010-05-17T13:14:00.002-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully- Listen to this song of encouragement "Hold On"

Harvest Life Gracefully- positive parenting- knowing how to cope with bullies when parenting

2010-05-16T15:44:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully by knowing, bullies are a part of life but learning to deal with them can be learned.

You Can't Stop School Bullies Until You Stop Adults Who Teach Them How

Author: Marilyn Barnicke Belleghem M.Ed.

Children who are bullied need to know they are not the problem. Bullying is about the bully needing to feel powerful. They believe their wants are more important than anyone else's. They have learned to be abusers.

Bullying always involves
·        Intimidation through specific tactics meant to instill fear
·        Threats of emotional, physical and psychological harm
·        Discrimination by accusing the victim of being inferior or wrong
·        Isolation of the victim from others who may give support.

We must help the victims. This can be done by;
·        Listening to their stories of life at school
·        Watching for changes in behaviour, especially from happy to fearful
·        Observing their play and listening to how they interact with others
·        Asking about any indications that hint at being afraid or avoiding people or places.

You are looking for fear of the school yard, anxiety about who will be in their class, talk of having no friends, worry about their teacher's treatment of them and in general a focus on feeling safe rather than excited to be able to learn and grow.
We can identify bullies by;

·        Watching the way they talk to and about other children
·        Observing the way their parents speak to them
·        Look at who their friends are and the interaction between them
·        Paying attention to the types of games they play and TV programs they prefer.

Signs include belittling and name calling, talk of "getting" other people, a superior attitude with lack of care and empathy for others and forming groups where the group acts aggressively against siblings, younger children or members of a race, religion or sexual orientation. Bullies often present as confident and popular so people believe they are not the cause of the problem.

Parents must hold school officials accountable to stop abusive behaviour on the school yard and in the classroom. The first place to look is at the principals and teachers who bully students.

Every school year parents work to keep their children out of certain teacher's classes because those teachers are bullies. It is often the parents who are least involved in their children's lives whose children get the abusive teachers.

Too often children are seen as the problem, their aches and pains and reluctance to go to school are looked at but not the classroom environment.
·        Parents can work together.
·        Get supportive people to work as a group to hold bullies accountable.
·        Avoid TV programs that show bullies in action.
·        Be Self aware of tactics you may use to get your way
·        Watch the way others speak to your child and confront abuse.

People who bully are usually going about their lives confident that the victim's physical and emotional reactions were because they are too sensitive, not mentally well and author of their own misfortune.

Bullies have usually been bullied. They are afraid of appearing weak or fearful. They need to tell their story of who has bullied them and how that behaviour has influenced their life to break the chain. It may be a parent, sibling, grandparent, friend, neighbour, role model on television, religious leader or teacher. Legal tactics include bullying as do many other forms of business interaction. Many workplaces are filled with bullies. War is bullying to the extreme.

There are lifelong repercussions of bullying that effect the way a person functions in their home and in society. Bullying causes a loss in self confidence, hinders achievement, disrupts routines, brings fear into the lives of parents and children, prevents parents from protecting their children out of their own fear and leads to Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

Accountability involves forgiveness. Bullies need to,

·        Hear the impact of their behaviour on their victim
·        Be willing to accept responsibility for the harm they have done
·        Compensate the victim
·        Apologize

Society must evolve to a point where bullies are held accountable and their behaviour is seen as unacceptable if we are to ever live in peace as people, nations and globally.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/you-cant-stop-school-bullies-until-you-stop-adults-who-teach-them-how-512110.html

About the AuthorMarilyn Barnicke Belleghem M.Ed. is a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist who consults to families in business on relationship issues including bullying. More About Marilyn
Marilyn is author of books on personal growth through travel. Questing Home: A Safe Place for My Holy Grail is her third book and is about Marilyn's experience of being bullied by her former husband, his lawyer and others as she went through the process of divorce.
Read the Preface and Chapter One Free

Harvest Life Gracefully-positive living, spirituality and learning who you are

2010-05-15T11:25:00.000-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully- positive living and spirituality learning who you are

A simple story sharing a simple and profound exercise which can prepare us for meditation on emptiness.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall - Who Am I? A Preview to Emptiness Meditation

Author: Christopher Boozell

Once upon a time, a young man decided to pursue the path of enlightenment. He asked many people if they knew a teacher who could teach this path. Everyone in his village told him to seek out a particular guru in the next village.
He did so, asking the spiritual teacher to become his master and show him the path to enlightenment. "Certainly", replied the guru. "Here is what you do - every morning when you get out of bed, look at yourself in a mirror and ask yourself 'who am I?' If you do that, soon you will be enlightened."
"What?" cried the young man. "That's silly - it would never work!"
"Hmmm," said the master. "OK. Maybe you should go see the master another village over. I hear he is even wiser than I am."
A bit disappointed that first master wasn't able to help, and a little insulted that the man would even have suggested something so foolish, the young man went to the next village where he found the second guru. "Will you help me find enlightenment?"
"Of course!" said the second guru. "But I must warn you - the path is very demanding. You will be challenged in ways you can't even imagine right now. Are you willing to give up everything you have and do whatever I say?"
"Yes! Yes!" said the young man. Finally! This teacher obviously knew what he was talking about. So the young man settled into discipleship with the second guru, dutifully performing every meditation, every prayer, every ascetic act demanded of him.
After five years of rigorous study and deep meditation, the guru said to the young man, "You have been a fine student, and done everything I have assigned you with excellence. Are you ready for the final instruction?"
Excited, the student assured his master that he was ready for this last step to enlightenment. His guru told him, "OK, here it is: every morning when you get out of bed, look at yourself in a mirror and ask yourself 'who am I?' If you do that, soon you will be enlightened."
"W-what??" sputtered the young man. "That's it? You could have told me that five years ago!"
"You're right, I could have - but you were not ready to hear, yet. That is why you came to me, instead of doing what the first teacher told you."

Beside being mildly humorous, this story has a couple of lessons for us, if we'll hear them.

The spiritual path is not necessarily complicated, or esoteric. Zen teachings work to drive this point home relentlessly: "Stop fooling around. You are living smack dab in the middle of Truth - just get it!" In other words, it is possible to come to spiritual realization without jumping through tons of hoops.
As simple as spiritual Truth can be to experience, it usually isn't easy and we often can't get at it without significant preparation. This is why study, meditation, prayer, and ethical behavior are so critical to our development. Such practices are intended to give us the perspective necessary to recognize what has always been in front of us.

On top of that, the exercise offered by both teachers in this story really is useful as a pre-cursor to meditating on emptiness. Try it the next time you look in a mirror. Look yourself in the face and ask, "Who am I?"
This is not a rhetorical question. Answer yourself. Who are you? There will be a lot of quick, easy answers: you have a name, you are a husband or wife, a son or daughter, a father or mother, an employee, a friend, an enemy... You are many things. When you have run through those obvious answers, which come easily and are just as easily dismissed as incomplete answers, keep going. Keep digging. See what you find. Where is the truest you, the ROOT you?
Do this every day. At first, you could feel a bit narcissistic, but you'll soon realize this exercise is not even close to that kind of self involvement. (By the same token, any temptation to criticize perceived flaws will quickly fall away). As you continue searching for anything concrete on which to rest the answer to this question of who you are, your idea of self can begin to change. The storyline about your own reality will morph, possibly leading to a fresh relations with yourself, the world around you, and the Divine.
Ultimately, this is just another technique, as is meditation. But every time you use one of these special practices to make a shift in perspective, you become healthier. See where this one can take you.
Vigilate,
Chris

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/meditation-articles/mirror-mirror-on-the-wall-who-am-i-a-preview-to-emptiness-meditation-2365157.html

About the AuthorFor more information on Christian meditation check out Christopher Boozell's website: http://www.tantricchristianity.com/lesson_signup.html where you may sign up for a free mini-course on meditation! You can also read related to emptiness meditation in my blog.

Harvest Life Gracefully when dealing with defiance in teenagers

2010-05-13T20:06:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully when dealing with defiance in teenagers. Here is an article with 5 simple steps by Jamie Sullivan

Defiance is a common behavior in most teenagers, worse in some. Typically, when kids reach the teenage years, they are trying to establish independence. While being independent is a good thing, defiance is not. If you find you have a teen who continually acts out, challenging your authority, the following five steps will help. While a number of steps in dealing with a defiant teen are available, we have provided you with the ones in which we feel the strongest.

1. Choose your Battles - You need to understand that teenagers are going to act out from time to time. This type of behavior is a part of the growing process, similar to a baby bird trying its wings. Expect that throughout the teen years, you are going to be faced with numerous challenges, some major and some minor. If you choose your battles wisely, you are not constantly harping on your child about something but only the really, important things. This does not mean you have to accept back talk but know when to battle and when not to battle. Allow your child a little breathing room to experiment without going over the line.

2. Understand your Child - Of all these steps for dealing with a defiant teen, this one is extra important. It could be that your child is being defiant for a reason. For instance, he or she may be having trouble with another student or teacher at school, perhaps someone has said or done something inappropriately and your child does not know how to handle the situation. Instead of talking about it, the problem manifests in the form of defiance. Therefore, before you assume your teen is simply being difficult, make sure you know what is going on in his/her life.

3. Yes and No - Set the rules with your child, saying yes when you mean yes and no when you mean no - then sticking with the decision. Often, children will be defiant simply because they know they can get away with it. As the parent, you have to set some firm rules and keep to them!

4. Guidance - All teenagers need guidance. Without it, they are like fish out of the water, flopping around hoping they do okay. With a defiant teen, you cannot impose strict rules all at once, but if you add guidance in gradually and identify penalties, you will find your teen is more apt to adjust. Keep in mind that defiance in the form of hostile behavior is a desperate cry for help stemming from deep-seeded problems. Your child might be the victim of bullying or be considering some type of self-harm. With guidance, you are taking a huge load off the child that inside, is appreciated.

5. Activities - Of our final steps for dealing with a defiant teen, get your teenager involved with activities, with or without the family. Boredom is a common problem during teenage years so give him/her something to do. This could be through a program at school or an independent activity to include martial arts, dance, baseball, etc.

Did you know a lot of parents nowadays have difficulties in dealing with their defiant teenagers? You don't need to be among one of them when you know how to deal with your defiant teenagers using these tried and tested techniques. Find out about them here. http://www.ManageYourChild.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamie_Sullivan

Harvest Life Gracefully- positive parenting - A BraveHeart Women video about emotional stress of parenting

2010-05-12T20:12:00.002-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully by getting tips on how to deal with tantrums

2010-05-12T08:54:00.000-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully, learn how to deal with your child's tantrums.

Tantrums are a part of every family. We have seen them from our own children or from a friends. Here are some ideas that may help you next when your child decides to throw one.

Break Your Toddlers Tantrum Cycle

Author: sue rees

I'm sure that many of us have come across a child having a tantrum. Either our own, a grandchild or a friends. In all these cases something may have triggered it.
Frustration, tiredness, anger, hunger, discomfort, to manipulate parents into buying them something and to seek attention. Understand your child and what sets him/her off and you will be able to manage the event better.
Described as equal to having a blown fuse. They can be displayed by screaming, kicking, bursts of yelling, head bashing and throwing themselves on the floor. They sometimes show signs of destruction and can hurt themselves badly if not watched.
Tantrums most often occur during ages 1-3 years (hence the terrible 2's). But have been known to happen in some four year olds. I have witnessed this in teenagers also.
They show expressions of frustration, which occur most frequently when children's language skills are not fully matured and they cannot express themselves clearly.
As children develop they want to make decisions on their own but have trouble conveying themselves properly.
Some ideas that may help to manage a tantrum episode are ….
To stop them from having a tantrum in the middle of the supermarket is ignore the event. Walk away from the situation, walk into another isle, keeping a close eye on him/her at all times. As soon as he/she realises that they are alone he/she will stop crying and start looking for you. You need to comfort them, get down onto your knees and have eye contact with him/her, speak calmly without yelling. All children want to be spoken to lovingly and directly, doesn't matter what age. Yelling will only make matters worse, so stay calm, you are the adult here. Teach children how to act and behave in a manner that is acceptable.
Another way to handle a tantrum is to change the focus by diverting their attention to something else. “Hey, look at that bird at the window.” By moving their thoughts into another direction will calm the situation.
Don't reward the tantrum by giving in to his/her demands. If he/she wants a biscuit before dinner and you have already said no, don't reward their behaviour by letting them have one just so they will cease the action. Do this and you are teaching them that if they act this way they will get what they want from you or a caregiver.
It is not bad parenting when a child has a tantrum, it is a part of their progress. Children will eventually grow out of this stage in his/her life. They will learn to communicate better and understand language. Situations will become less frustrating, he/she will learn to understand more and this will help them to assess any problem and deal with it maturely.
　
　
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/break-your-toddlers-tantrum-cycle-1909371.html

About the AuthorSue Rees, I have studied Child Psychology and certificates in Children's Service's, worked with children for many years. Have a daughter of my own and eight nieces and nephews.
Have a look at my website and tell me what you think. www.ideasforweightloss.blogspot.com

Harvest Life Gracefully-Spiritual Practices to Empower Abuse Survivors

2010-05-11T10:53:00.000-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully by empowering yourself with sprirtual practices.
Click on link below, this is an article from Judy Brutz that gives good tips on how to incorporate spirituality into your life.

Spiritual Practices to Empower Abuse Survivors

Harvest Life Gracefully- A dedication song for my Mom

2010-05-10T10:18:00.000-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully- Mother's Day
Yesterday was Mother's Day, I was not able to post this dedication song to my Mom yesterday because I was gone working all day at a group home, I'm a live-in weekend staff and had no access to a computer. I felt sad that I could not reach my Mom or my children could not reach me. But today I am able to, I am happy to dedicate this song to my Mom. I Love You Mom. Thanks for all that you have given me. I would not be who I am today if it wasn't for you.

Harvest Life Gracefully-Pretty or Smart - Why not Pretty & Smart?: General: BraveHeart Women

2010-05-07T13:04:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully a interesting video to watch. The website where this video is posted is inspiring, it is uplifting for your spirit and soul, go and check it out by clicking on link

Pretty or Smart - Why not Pretty & Smart?: General: BraveHeart Women

Harvest Life Gracefully- Feeling gratefull for Mothers

2010-05-06T12:16:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully by feeling grateful for mothers, They are a true example of love and strength and made from the image of the Higher Power. Sunday is Mother's Day and I will tell my mom on this day how much I love and appreciate her.

Harvest Life Gracefully Remember Your Mother on Mother's Day

2010-05-05T12:08:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully by remebering your mother on Mother's Day.

Mother's Day is on Sunday, This is a day that we need to take time out to feel grateful for our mother. Without her we would not have life.

Here is a bueatiful site that will help you appreciate your mother, it also gives you ideas on how you want to celebrate Mother's Day.

Mother's Day Articles,Articles on Mothers Day,Mothers Day Festival Articles

Harvest Life Gracefully-Survivors can be proud and feel like they have accomplished wonderful things.

2010-05-04T00:39:00.000-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully because survivors can be proud of themselves. There are many reasons why survivors can feel proud of themselves and feel that they have accomplished a lot, just read this article and believe!

Abuse Survivors: Remembering Your Strengths

by Kali Munro, M.Ed., Psychotherapist, 2002.

Being a survivor of abuse means feeling all kinds of painful feelings. It gets overwhelming at times, and many survivors forget how much they've accomplished and how far they've come. It's easy to get discouraged and feel like nothing is ever going to get better or that you have not accomplished anything. But the truth is you have accomplished a lot. Here are some of the accomplishments that you can be proud of:

Focusing on your healing when it felt like there'd be no end or point to feeling so much pain;

Hanging in there and keeping yourself alive when living felt unbearable;

Holding on to hope when you felt lost and hopeless;

Reaching out for support when there was no support for you as a child;

Calling someone for help when you were scared;

Speaking your truth when only a few people or no one would listen;

Protecting yourself from abusers and getting yourself safe;

Never giving up on yourself, even when others did;

Reaching out a hand to a friend in need when you were in a lot of pain yourself;

Accepting an extended hand when you felt like no one could ever care about you;

Daring to trust when no one in your life was trustworthy;

Loving your friends and partner when your childhood taught you betrayal and hatred;

Being yourself when you were trained to deny yourself;

Believing in a better world when you know full well the suffering human beings are capable of inflicting on others.

It takes great courage and determination to face abuse, to keep yourself safe, and to heal.

Harvest Life Gracefully- Positive Parenting- 25 WAYS TO TALK SO YOUR CHILDREN WILL LISTEN

2010-05-03T10:10:00.002-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully- Positve Parenting, learn 25 ways to talk so your children will listen. This is a helpful advice for any parent that struggles to get their child to listen.

Click on link below to read

25 WAYS TO TALK SO YOUR CHILDREN WILL LISTEN

Harvest Life Gracefully- enhance your self-esteem

2010-05-02T15:33:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully-Read this article about how to enhance your self-esteem

This article, by Harry Henshaw, Ed.D., LMHC is about how to enhance a person's self-esteem with the use of positive affirmations and therapeutic relaxation music. The article discuss what self-esteem is really all about and how to effectively enhance how a person feels and thinks about himself.

Positive self-esteem is very important for our general health and wellness as human beings. Having positive self-esteem is also important for promoting any type of healing, whether physical, emotional or spiritual. Poor or low self-esteem on the other hand can be quite detrimental to our well-being and even our very existence. Negative self-esteem can create anxiety, stress, loneliness, depression, problems with relationships, seriously impair academic and job performance and also can generate an increased vulnerability to drug and alcohol abuse and dependency. On the other hand, a person with positive self-esteem tends to be more motivated in taking on and creating a life that he loves, living it powerfully and in this process be authentically related to others in his community. Having positive self-esteem appears to be necessary for having a happy and healthy existence regardless of who we are or what profession we are taking on in life.

What is self-esteem? We commonly think that self-esteem is merely about how we feel about ourselves at any particular moment. While seemingly existing in degrees, we tend to believe that we have positive or negative self-esteem and that we make that determination simply by how we feel about ourselves. However, within a conversation of Transformational Counseling, our feelings or emotions do not exist alone or have an independent existence. We do not just simply feel. Rather, for every feeling or emotion that we have, either positive or negative, there is a corresponding thought that we have about ourselves that generates the experience of self-esteem. Whether positive or negative, self-esteem is merely how our organism experiences the thoughts that the individual has about himself or herself. If a person has positive thoughts about himself he will experience positive or good self-esteem. On the other hand, if the individual has negative thoughts about who he thinks he is then he will experience poor or negative self-esteem. Therefore, to truly understand what self-esteem is all about and more importantly to be able to alter it when necessary for ones wellness or healing, we must first get it that self-esteem is really about our thinking, and more specifically about the thoughts that we develop or create about ourselves. The thoughts or beliefs that we have about ourselves are crucial in that they determine or create the structure of our experience of self-esteem and the various emotions associated with it.

We also tend to think of our self-esteem as being something that is shaped by the events that take place in our life, particularly those from our past. We tend to believe that who we think we are and how we feel about ourselves is merely the product, effect or caused by the experiences that we have had in the past, that we are who we are by virtue of what has happened to us as human beings. More specifically, we tend to think that the cause in the matter of who we think we are and our self-esteem is due to circumstance, situation or others, people, places and things. We do not tend to think that our self-esteem is something we actually developed or created. Within the work of transformation, it is not the past, circumstance, situation or others, that determines our underlying self-image and corresponding self-esteem. We created our thoughts and with it our emotions from the meaning that we gave to the events that took place in our life, especially at an early age. As meaning making machines we give meaning to everything in our life including and most importantly to ourselves. At an early age the meaning that we give an event tends to be made out to be all about us. While events do happen it is not the events that are important but rather the meaning that we give them and especially how we made it out to be about our identity.

Given the fact that our thoughts determine our feelings or emotions and equally important that we are truly responsible for their creation, to change or transform our self-esteem, how we tend to feel about ourselves, amounts to us altering how we see or conceive of ourselves in the world in the now and this work is our responsibility alone. It is our self-image, how we define ourselves as an individual in the world in the present, that determines our experience of self-esteem and it is this that we are truly responsible for creating and equally responsible for transforming. When we alter or transform our definition of ourselves in the present we change how we feel about ourselves and with it our experience of reality and life in general. If we do not get it that we are responsible for what we think about ourselves and that we are the real author of our self-image and self-esteem we will continue to blame something or some body, remain powerless and stuck in life. The question of how to actually go about altering or improving an individual's self-esteem is one that has been debated for many years by professionals both in the mental health and addiction arenas.

Self-esteem can be improved or transformed in several ways. One way to improve ones self-esteem is to do the work of transformation as outlined in my articles, Transformational Counseling and The Conversation of Transformation. To improve ones self-esteem in this manner is to become present to ones self limiting belief, that which has stopped us in life and in the process create new possibilities for oneself, a new self-image from which to begin to live life into. Another way to improve an individual's self-esteem is through the use of positive affirmations. Given that the basis of self-esteem is the thoughts that a person has about himself, an individual with poor or negative self-esteem is believing negative thoughts or ideas about who he thinks he is. The individual may think, for example, that he is "worthless" or "not good enough" and as a result will tend to experience poor or negative self-esteem. Within the work of transformation and Transformational Counseling, the thought that is at the basis or core of our self-talk is defined as a person's Self Limiting Belief, the fundamental or core belief about who we think we are. Unless this core thought or belief that a person has about himself is changed or transformed he will continue to experience a poor or negative self-esteem and as a result of this negative thought pattern create or generate life experiences that will match and validate what they think about themselves. Given such a cognitive and emotional situation life will continue to appear as it has in the past and ones future will merely be the probable almost certain future.

Utilizing positive affirmations can be a very powerful tool for transforming what a person thinks about himself and as a result improve the individual's self-esteem. Consistent use of positive affirmations will transform the negative beliefs about who a person thinks he is into positive ones, will begin to alter the basis and structure of his self talk or inner voice and produce a transformation from poor self-esteem to positive self-esteem. While utilized in a various ways, working with positive affirmations will be more effective when delivered through or combined with therapeutic relaxation music. What therapeutic relaxation music does to enhance the effect of positive affirmations is to create a very relaxed audio environment for the individual to become even more open or suggestive to the language of positive affirmations. When therapeutic relaxation music is combined with binaural audio tones the audio space that is created for the delivery of positive affirmations is even more relaxing and as a result very powerful. In addition to utilizing a unique type of therapeutic relaxation music, the infusion of either theta or alpha binaural tones is crucial for the success of this type of intervention. When therapeutic relaxation music and binaural audio tones are combined in this fashion the individual will experience a very deep state of relaxation and as a result be more open to the reception and eventual acceptance of the positive affirmations.

The key to the effective use of positive affirmation in this or any other type of intervention is consistency. The self-image and the negative thoughts about who a person thinks he is that generates his experience of poor or negative self-esteem is well established in the his belief system. In many cases the development of a negative self-image took years to create and has been reinforced through repetitive behavioral validation. Once a person creates and then believes that a self-limiting belief is true he will continually act as if it is true. This seemingly fundamental belief will appear to the person as true and as a result will continually be acted upon and thereby be reinforced through ones behavior. Much of that person's behavior will be to continually validate who he thinks he is. Ones behavior will always be directed at supporting, reinforcing and validating what the person believes is true about him. While necessary for ones well-being and health, such a transformation of ones self-image from being basically a negative one to one that is fundamentally positive does not happen instantly. As with the development of an individual's negative self-image, the development of a more adequate belief about the true nature of the individual will necessitate consistent and repetitive work by the person. Basic to this process is that the individual must fully embrace his sense of complete responsibility for the development of his self-image and also for its transformation. To do otherwise will only leave the individual feeling powerless and unable to create the life that he or she truly desires and unless there is consistency and repetition such a transformation will simply not happen.

Enhancing My Self Esteem is an audio product that will effectively transform the very structure of an individual's thought or belief pattern, the basic ideas and language structure that he uses to define who he thinks he is in the world. This product was designed specially to change the self-talk that a person experiences on a daily basis by changing the ideas or beliefs that the person has about himself, the very foundation or backdrop of his inner conversation. As our identity is merely language, change the language in a person's mind and his life transforms. By listening to this product an individual has the opportunity to practice or repeat fifty positive affirmations that will empower them to alter their life. Within a conversation of Transformational Counseling, committing an affirmation to spoken word makes it so or real especially if it is done repeatedly. Listening to positive affirmations before sleep also allows the person's mind to begin this restructuring or reprogramming process even while the individual sleeps by taking the words and language into their dream state. By consistently listening to and practicing the positive affirmations in this product the individual will have the opportunity to begin to redefine themselves, who they think they are in the world, from one that is negative to one that is positive and enhancing for their life. With the acceptance of the words and language of the positive affirmations will come an improved self-image and with it an experience of positive self esteem.

I am currently using Enhancing My Self Esteem with all the clients that I counsel at the Holistic Addiction Treatment Program in North Miami Beach, Florida. All of the clients that I have worked with who are experiencing a drug and/or alcohol dependency problem also have very low self-esteem. My clients tend to be very depressed and unmotivated in many if not most of the various domains of their life, including and especially with their recovery. When given to my clients as homework, consistent use of Enhancing My Self Esteem alters how they think and improves how they feel about themselves. With an improved self-image and enhanced self-esteem my clients become more motivated in their life and especially with their recovery. If a person continues to experience low self-esteem and there is no intervention to disrupt the underlying cognitive process taking on improving their life and working the 12 Step Program will be meaningless and eventually given up completely as so many other things have been in the past. It is my belief that not altering or transforming the fundamental structure of ones self-image accounts for the great percentage of individuals who begin recovery and eventually relapse. The work that is essential to successful recovery is for the individual to be able to redefine who he thinks he is, to alter his self-image, the very foundation of his experience of self-esteem and life. Who the individual believes he is will determine what he does and how he will be in and appear to others and the world.

Harry Henshaw, Ed.D., LMHC
www.enhancedhealing.com

Dr. Henshaw earned his doctoral degree in Human Development and Counseling from Boston University and has designed and implemented mental health and substance abuse programs in outpatient, residential and hospital settings in Illinois, Massachusetts and Florida.

Dr. Henshaw is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the State of Florida, a certified Clinical Supervisor and a member of the American Counseling Association & American Psychological Association. Trained in neuro-linguistic programming, Dr. Henshaw is also certified to practice and teach hypnosis in the State of Florida.

Dr. Henshaw is also in private practice in Hallandale Beach, Florida and utilizes the technology of Transformational Counseling. In addition to his work as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Supervisor, Dr. Henshaw has developed a series of audio helath care products for use by professional providers and the public.

Harvest Life Gracefully- Do You Believe?

2010-05-01T17:31:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully- learning how a parents role can affect a child's behavior development

2010-05-01T12:13:00.000-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully by learning how a parents role affects a child's behavior development. Here is an article about this.

It's Important to Educate your Child from Early

Author: wawan

Parents have important role for their child behavior development. Children behavior is developed for how their parents taught/educated on their early age. If a child gets bad leader from their parents or from people surrounding/the environments he/she lives then child will become for what he saw the most and will copy them.
There for parents should be good role model in front of their child. A child is very fast to absorb all kind of things and behavior he/she sees, hear and learn because they couldn't separate the good and bad for what they absorb. For them is like an "informal education". Parents should realize to give their child good examples and became good leader/role model in the child daily life.
For an example, if parents use polite language for daily communication in front of their child; if the parents like to write, read or paint or exercise, automatically their child will copy those activities. These will become good "capital" for their child's future. You will be so proud of your child and realize that they got "the capital" from you as their role model and good leader for them. Do you agree?
Below are tips how to educate your child from early age, which you can do at home - daily:
1. Give your child good example and involve them actively in some activities. You can leader them to re-organize the toys every time they finished playing with it. Softly leader your child to start reading book along with you, as it will become good alternative for your child. Provide them with children book story with attractive and colorful illustrations. This will attract them to like reading and open their view as well as to bond the good relationship between your child and you as parents.
Teach them how to write and prove them with board or some parts of your house wall as a media for them to transfer their imagination and creativity into that media. You can see how creative and imaginative your child is.
2. You can softly and patiently exampling your child with discipline in time management. Child until 5 years old needs more time to rest/sleep compare to adult. A mother should teach their child when she/he can play and when she/he should rest/sleep. These will help the child to have strong immunity in health.
3. Always avoid your child from bad examples. Please don not argue, lie, in-discipliner, hits/fight, use strong language in front of your child. Please also guide your child when seeing television/movie and continuously advice your child from time to time. A child is very easy to copy what they seen.
4. Spare time with your children. These days, most of the parents are busy and lots of them are working yet it's important to spare time with your children hence to have parent-children interactive. This will show how much you love them and strong parents-children bonds. It's good for you and your children future.
So parents… good luck

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/it039s-important-to-educate-your-child-from-early-2261492.html

About the AuthorWAWAN - Ultimate Parenting Tool

Harvest Life Gracefully a healing tip from abuse

2010-04-29T12:48:00.003-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully a healing tip from abuse

Survivors typically experience feelings of terror and being overwhelmed. Many experience flashbacks. I find that guided meditation and having a breath prayer helps to reduce anxiety and to center individuals suffering from trauma.

Breath Prayer And Guided Meditation Help Abuse Survivors

Author: Judy Brutz

Survivors typically experience feelings of terror and being overwhelmed. Many experience flashbacks. I find that guided meditation and having a breath prayer helps to reduce anxiety and to center individuals suffering from trauma.
Find a safe place where you are able to pray and experience a guided meditation. Prompts for the guided meditation are included below.
1. Imagine that Jesus or a Holy Presence, who conveys love, acceptance, comfort, and welcome, is by your side. Breathe in the sacredness. It's all right if you do not sense the presence of the sacred. Breathe in and out slowly, noticing how you breath feels. Rest. Allow yourself to relax.
2. Quietly, softly, you are asked, "What is it you want?" You know this is a spiritual question and you consider what your greatest need is. What do you say?
3. You are asked, "What name for God do you prefer to use?" You answer. What name do you say?
4. Take the name and the phrase and play with them, trying different sequencing of words until there is an easy rhythm and your Breath Prayer resonates with you. Notice how the prayer flows with your breathing.
5. Write down your prayer. Place reminders, post-its, in many places, bathroom mirror, a dot on your watch. Make it a practice to say your prayer as you go through doorways, or when you look at the time, or when you go to your computer, or when you pick up your keys. What makes sense for you?
6. Here are examples of Breath Prayers that my hospice patients formed. "God be with me always." "Bless me, Lord." "Jesus, heal me."
To heal and be transformed, seek the help you need from spirituality, social workers, and other sources. You do not need to be alone, or trapped by the trauma you experienced.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/breath-prayer-and-guided-meditation-help-abuse-survivors-2191593.html

Havest Life Greacefully- Tips on Healing-Sexual Abuse, Rape, and Incest – Comfort through Creativity (Ezine Ready)

2010-04-28T23:38:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully sharing some tips on how to heal from sexual abuse

Trauma from sexual abuse, rape, and incest does not have to result in devastating life-long problems. One of the very best tools to a victorious life, rather than remaining a victim, is to give your pain and anger a voice. One’s “voice” does not necessarily assume speaking. Allowing one’s inner child to speak refers to finding some creative outlet to tell one’s abuse story. Through creative self-expression one will find comfort from the entanglement of an abusive past.Sexual Abuse, Rape, and Incest – Comfort through Creativity

Author: Donna Eder

Trauma from sexual abuse, rape, and incest does not have to result in devastating life-long problems. One of the very best tools to a victorious life, rather than remaining a victim, is to give your pain and anger a voice. One’s “voice” does not necessarily assume speaking. Allowing one’s inner child to speak refers to finding some creative outlet to tell one’s abuse story. Through creative self-expression one will find comfort from the entanglement of an abusive past. A creative voice can take on many forms. The form may be drawing, painting, writing (poetry, an article, essay, script, or book), creating a video, composing a song, journaling, dancing, or some other form to externally express one’s internal sexual abuse, rape, and incest issues. A creative voice allows the confusion, pain, and shame, a release from its inner bondage. The first (and only) step to beginning to give oneself a voice through creativity is to foster safety. One must be in (or find) a safe, non-threatening, calm, and safe space within and around oneself. In this safety one ensures no other pain will penetrate or be accumulated. This is critical. Expressing one’s voice necessitates appreciated vulnerability. One’s safe place is to be nurtured above all else. Everyone deserves dignity, respect, kindness, and validation, not to be further victimized. A safe place will ensure esteemed disclosure, albeit not guaranteeing understanding. There is no one right way or wrong way to “working” a creative outlet. However, it is an essential component to healing. Comfort is kindled through creating an end product that shares what has been silenced. One’s creations do not have to make sense to others. They are purposed as tools to express one’s pain. If they work for you then they work. They tell the story that could not be told in a verbal way, at that time. They don’t even have to make sense to oneself. Their purpose is to let go of the shame and silence that sexual abuse, rape, and incest have, for too long, held one captive. Sense cannot be made of the nonsensical. One’s creations are neither good nor bad. One does not need talent, propensity, quality, or quantity. The only ingredient is a silenced voice that requires emancipation. Through sharing one’s creative voice with oneself (and perhaps some other trusted person or persons), one’s seclusion, pain, and shame begin becoming unbound. The creative process for self-healing is not time-stamped. It is neither ever finished nor always constant. It grows and changes as one grows and heals. The one known variable is that giving a voice to the victim within, promotes comfort and healing. One’s identity, pain, and shame are given two wings to fly away. One’s new voice challenges encased old inner voices and tapes. There may be a time when what one hears from themselves is too alarming and overwhelming. Be patient and kind to honor oneself in the disclosure process. It may be that one will need to set aside her creative voice in order to pick it up at a later time. Even this is partly curative. Nothing cures sexual abuse, rape, and incest remnants in one’s life. How one responds to them will determine how healthy and functional one’s life becomes. Creatively voicing oneself is an effective and important method to communicate one’s lost inner child. Disclosure through a creative outlet will birth the comfort one seeks in order to be able to move on. To break free from remaining a victim of sexual exploitation, creatively claim your voice. Ó 2009 Donna Eder

About the AuthorDonna Eder is a published author and internationally juried artist. Her passions are compassion, teaching, and creativity. She has a Master of Arts from Columbia University, NY.

Harvest Life Gracefully- Exclusive Videos - Former Child Star Todd Bridges - Oprah.com

2010-04-28T17:21:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully- Watch these clips about Todd Bridges, interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, about his struggles, after being sexual abused as a child and then not being believed by his father.

Exclusive Videos - Former Child Star Todd Bridges - Oprah.com

Harvest Life Gracefully- time for reflection on parenting

2010-04-28T10:50:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully by reflecting on parenting.

Parenting and nature have more in common than you'd think. Natural parenting expert Mark J Stevens tells you why.

Top 10 Things Nature and Parenting Have in Common

Author: Mark J Stevens

The separation of humans and nature is an illusion. We humans have artificially distanced ourselves from nature to a certain extent. But we are just as much a part of nature as the trees, birds, and rivers.

1) Human children and nature’s other offspring all need food, light, air to breath, and an advantageous environment.

2) Love flows through the veins of human parents and through the mommy and daddy fish that protect their eggs in rushing rivers.

3) Not only human children cry, pout, or scream when they want that extra something they shouldn’t be eating too much of at the dinner table. Children of other species often do their best to aggravate their parents.

4) Both children and nature contain surprising elements such as a wonderful heritage provided by intricate genes. Human parents, animals, and even plants have a great deal in common from a genetic point of view.

5) We all have certain strategies or instincts with which we select our partners to bear our children.

6) We all have a home -- whether it is a house, a hut, a cave, a meadow, a forest, or a nest -- we are all parents and/or children and we are all part of nature.

7) Nature and parenting contain a flexibility to be blown by life's storms, yet return to stand strong and steadfast. We bend, but do not break.

8) When loved and introduced to nature by parents, children’s “natural intelligence” increases and they remain closer to their natural roots.

9) Children’s closeness to parents and closeness to nature are both important and go hand-in-hand. Parents give children love and information. Equally important is the information and love children receive from their environment, which their parents indirectly provide them with by placing children in the lap of nature.

10) Parents and nature change form with time. But we all endure!

Healthy parenting and interaction with nature help drive our children’s natural senses. A natural stepping-stone to allow relationships across the entire ecosystem is thus formed. Children thereby remain part of their natural surroundings, instead of the missing piece of a puzzle.

About the AuthorMark Stevens, American author of Luisa's Nature (Wyatt MacKenzie Publishing, Fall 2007), is a journalist for Crain's Automotive News Europe. Fluent in French, Spanish and German, Mark has enjoyed extensive world travel throughout much of his life. Shaped by the rural New Jersey setting of his youth, Mark continues to explore the richness of nature with his wife and two children on the outskirts of Munich, Germany. http://www.luisasnature.com

Harvest Life Gracefully-by teaching respect

2010-04-27T06:54:00.003-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully by teaching our children to respect adults

Teaching a child to respect you and other adults starts when they are toddlers. Here are simple and easy things you can do to ensure your child learns respect.

Author: george ferguson

If you've tried bribing punishing negotiating and even screaming - but your child still doesn't listen then read how these parents stopped the bad behavior once and for all... I am sure many of you have been exposed to a child who simply does not respect adults through their actions or words. Children learn these behaviors when they are toddlers. The first thing any parent needs to do is to teach the child to respect their parents. 'No' is one of the first words a child learns because a parent is usually telling them 'no'. They are mimicking your words no rebelling against you at this age. There is a big difference. I'm not suggesting you stop telling your child 'no' what I am suggesting is how you tell your child 'no'. When we are raising our children we need to choose our words carefully it will effect they way they see themselves and others around them. Children need boundaries as we all do teaching these boundaries through love will help develop a healthy sense of respect for themselves and others.
As your baby starts to crawl and walk they discover many things that are interesting to pick up and touch. Not all of these things are appropriate for them handle. For example if your child is reaching for a breakable item most people will shout yell or firmly say 'NO'. This tone of voice and volume is what stops the child from picking up or touching this item. Sometimes it will cause the child to cry bringing guilt to the parent for using such harsh tones and volume of voice therefore comforting the child and bringing confusion to the child's mind. First to shout 'NO' then you give comfort. Another way to handle this situation is say to the child 'this is not for baby (or use child's name) in a calm voice. While removing the item for the reach of the child or removing the child from the dangerous area. Distract the child with another toy or object that is appropriate for him/her to have at this time. Now life would be so perfect if it was that easy most children will return to the object in question and continue to touch the object in question. At this time a firm 'no' is appropriate. Do not feel guilty as the child begins to cry as you are only looking out for his/her safety and setting boundaries of your parental wisdom. Remember a child left unattended for a few seconds or minutes will usually find something interesting to catch their attention.
If your child is past this stage and already in the toddler stage of saying 'no' to mommy and daddy you will need to change this habit quickly. It's not so cute when your high school child tells you 'no' when you ask them to do something. Whenever your child does something you think is cute and you laugh at them they will continue this behavior knowing they got a positive response from you. Picture this same action from a 10 year old or older it may not be so cute. At that time you punish them for a behavior they were once receiving positive feedback. This is confusing and hurtful to a child. Be consistent with praise and discipline on their behavior. When a child says 'no' out of rebellion this is not acceptable behavior. You will need to nip it in the bud. Start by speaking lovingly to the child explaining they may not say 'no' to you. You will need to decide with your spouse an appropriate discipline for this action. At this time you will explain to your child if they say 'no' this discipline will take place. Mind you you will need to communicate this so that they understand. Always ask your child to repeat to you what you just informed them. This is to verify they understood what you are asking of them and it also reinforces it in their mind. Most children at this time will test the boundaries and see if you will follow through with your actions. You need to be consistent on your discipline. Teaching your child is THE most important job you have being consistent is the key to this. If you are busy washing dishes making the bed or cleaning house you will need to stop what you are doing and take care of this issue. Your words tone of voice and actions are all under a microscope with this child. They will mimic your voice tone words and actions.
So far I have discussed a child learning to talk with disrespect. I also want to focus on children interrupting. As I pointed out earlier your child and his/her upbringing is the most important job you have. I also need to emphasize that there are times your child will need to learn not to interrupt you and other adults. This is a social skill they will need later in life. No one likes to be interrupted. Teaching your child they have to wait until it is their turn to speak is a valuable lesson. How you teach your child to behave will make the difference for them later in life. A rude and misbehaving child is not one other people will want to be around. If you have friends avoiding playmate times with you or your child is having difficulty making friends you may need to reevaluate how you have taught your child to behave. It is never too late to teach your child respectful behavior. Remember you cannot be a hypocrite you must respect to get respect.

Harvest Life Gracefully- Be inform -APA Position on Child Abuse – from We Are Adult Survivors of Child Abuse and Neglect -

2010-04-26T18:56:00.002-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully by being inform, a while ago I posted the first part on APA position on child abuse, since it was a while ago, I decided to repost part 1 as well as posting 2,3,&4.
This is interesting reading.

APA Position on Child Abuse – Part 1 - We Are Adult Survivors of Child Abuse and Neglect -

APA Position on Child Abuse – Part 2 - We Are Adult Survivors of Child Abuse and Neglect -

APA Position on Child Abuse – Part 3 - We Are Adult Survivors of Child Abuse and Neglect -

APA Position On Child Abuse – Part 4 - We Are Adult Survivors of Child Abuse and Neglect -

Harvest Life Gracefully-Learn the Difference between "self-esteem" and "self-respect"

2010-04-26T14:56:00.000-05:00

There is a significant difference between self-esteem and self-respect. Self-respect is extremely important and is the result of a mindset that is grateful and humble and is focused on the interest and caring of others. Self-esteem, where there has been much praise and thinking highly of one's self, can prove to be disasterous to oneself and to others.

What is Self-respect and How Does it Relate to Self-esteem?

Author: Mark Arens

The terms "self-esteem" and "self-respect" may seem at first glance very similar, if not exactly the same. But they are indeed very different things and have very different consequences, especially when cultivated at a young age.

Psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors and other experts for years have encouraged parents and teachers to cultivate self-esteem in kids. About thirty years ago, it became very popular among child experts to tout self-esteem as the solution to all our children's problems. We've heard it a million times—high self-esteem is good, low self-esteem is bad. But what does this really mean and what effect does it have in the long term?

Self-esteem means simply thinking highly of one's self. Many parents, teachers and psychologists feel that by showering a child with praise, he or she will grow up with a positive attitude and confidence. But often self-esteem that is left unchecked can develop into destructive behavior: thinking less of others, ungratefulness, arrogance, cockiness. The pursuit of self-esteem can become, as described by family psychologist and parenting expert John Rosemond, "an excuse to do your own thing—regardless of whether or not the "thing" in question is anti-social—and quickly mutate[s] into self-worship."

Self-respect, on the other hand, is a mindset that allows us to become grateful, humble and well adjusted. Self-respect encompasses respect not just of ourselves, but also of others. In fact, by respecting our fellow humans we can learn to respect ourselves more. When we have self-respect, we love ourselves but do not become arrogant or cocky. As Rosemond puts it, "A person growing in self-respect understands that he is an imperfect being who was given the gift of life in order to serve."

Self-respect is akin to the Golden Rule: in order to receive respect and learn to respect ourselves, we must learn to give respect to others. And while having confidence is not a bad thing, people who are over-confident (and who are often seen as arrogant) haven't learned this principle—that in order to get respect from others and from ourselves, we must first learn to give.

Self-respect is gained "not by being told how wonderful you are," Rosemond writes. "But by developing respect for others."

As you've probably experienced, people who have grown up being told how great they are usually aren't very fun to be around and don't make very good friends. But people who have been taught to take an interest in and care about others while maintaining a positive attitude about themselves tend to be the type of interesting people with whom we enjoy spending time.

By encouraging our children's individuality and growth by teaching them to be confident yet humble and respectful, we can help them become adults who have healthy, stable relationships and friendships, and respect for themselves and others.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/self-improvement-articles/what-is-selfrespect-and-how-does-it-relate-to-selfesteem-610730.html

About the AuthorHelp your children to gain self respect by taking one step at a time. One way to accomplish this is to help your child set goals.

Harvest Life Gracefully Watch This Motivational Video About Life

2010-04-25T16:11:00.000-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully and watch this inspirational and motivation video about life.

Harvest Life Gracefully-Welcome to Narcissism 101

2010-04-24T10:51:00.001-05:00

Do you think you may be living with or have a relationship with a person that may have a narcissism disorder, here is a wonderful site that will give you helpful information about narcissism and how to live with and Harvest Life Gracefully. Click on the below link to check out this wonderful site. You just may get some answer to your prayers. Go now and find out!

I recommend this book from Amazon.com, Click on the picture to purchase and learn more about "The narcissism epidicmic and living in the age of entitlement".

Welcome to Narcissism 101

Harvest Life Gracefully-Family Secrets - Telling the Truth - Goodhousekeeping.com

2010-04-22T17:46:00.002-05:00

Clicked on the below link, to read an interesting article about keeping family secerets. It clearly explains when a family secret should or should not be told. According to Evan Imber-Black, Ph.D., who is the director of the Center for Families and Health at New York City's Ackerman Institute, and the author of The Secret Life of Families, says it all depends upon the person you keeping the secret from has a right to know or if it is a privacy issue. She says that if the feeling of shame, is part of keeping the secret, a secret, then usually there is a right to know, and should be told.

Family Secrets - Telling the Truth - Goodhousekeeping.com

Harvest Life Gracefully- Spiritual Development and Healing Practices from Marianne Williamson - Oprah.com

2010-04-20T10:54:00.001-05:00

I found this helpful article that will help anybody who is or want to practice my Step Two of Harvest Life Gracefully.
As explain in my Step Two of Harvest Life Gracefully, to give yourself up to the power that you believe in, who is Greater than yourself, click on the link below to read. This article I believe will help you in your spiritual development. It gives you 10 ways how one can stay connected to our spiritual self.

Spiritual Development and Healing Practices from Marianne Williamson - Oprah.com

Harvest Life Gracefully- Helpful Tips About Healing Childhood Pain–From Self-doubt To Finding Your True Purpose � Hope and Healing with Elaine

2010-04-19T15:06:00.002-05:00

I found this wonderful article that I recommend reading. I believe it would be helpful to anybody that is healing from abuse.
April 19, 2010 Helpful Tips About Healing Childhood Pain–From Self-doubt To Finding Your True Purpose � Hope and Healing with Elaine

Harvest Life Gracefully- Philosophy on life

2010-04-19T12:23:00.000-05:00

Watch this video about philosophy on life, I found it to be very thought provoking.

Harvest Life Gracefully recommend a book to read.

2010-04-17T19:59:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully recommends reading this book if you had been sexual abuse or know someone that has been sexual abuse. Below is a review from Dennis D. Muhumuza posted today on the Daily Monitor Truth Everyday.

Title: Hush: Moving from Silence to Healing after Childhood Sexual Abuse
Author: Nicole Braddock Bromley
Reviewer: Dennis D. Muhumuza

When she was still a little girl, Nicole Braddock Bromley was sexually abused by her father. Sexual abuse is a global tragedy, with untold victims living in silence for fear of stigmatisation. But it came to a point where Nicole could brook no more. She wanted to help herself and give others the courage to speak out as well. Not only did she break the silence, she topped it with a book, Hush: Moving from Silence to Healing after Childhood Sexual Abuse, in which she stresses that breaking the silence is the first step to healing.

“Silence delays the healing process by perpetuating the hurt, shame and guilt of adult survivors. It imprisons us in a dark closet…it also protects sexual offenders by allowing them to continue to abuse their victims,” she writes. “Telling released me from my past so I could embrace the future.”
Published by WordAlive Publishers, the 181-page book is interspersed with uplifting stories of survivors of abuse who have broken out, forgiven those that hurt them and made a difference. Although counsellors do help, Nicole argues that true healing comes from God. She’s aware that many might not believe God cares by asking questions like, ‘If God loves me, why did this happen?’ She says she was there once and that such questions are normal.

“That said, I also believe that you’ll never find genuine healing outside of a relationship with God,” she notes. “I would be doing you an injustice to tell you that breaking the silence and accepting the truth about your abuse is the end of healing. I’ve heard many speakers say that you should never expect to overcome the pain of sexual abuse. They say that you’ll always feel empty inside because of it…I know from my own experience that knowing God was what quieted my questioning heart and allowed His healing waters to flow in and out of my life…what God has done for me, He is longing to do for you.”

Hush is not at all preachy and is written with a sincerity that emboldens those who are afraid of dealing with an ugly past thrust on them by fate.

Harvest Life Gracefully- Step 2 and 3 explanation is completed.

2010-04-17T19:42:00.001-05:00

The explanation of step 2 and step 3 has been completed. Check it out on my Harvest Life Gracefully Steps page. Just click on the tab. Hopefully I can complete explanation parts of step 4 and 5 soon. As soon as I get them completed, I will get on with telling the rest of my story, on my story page. Just click on My Story tab to get to my story.

Harvest Life Gracefully by being inform about Prevent Departure Program

2010-04-16T18:15:00.001-05:00

Harvest life gracefully by keeping yourself inform about
the Prevent Departure Program, it is a useful tool to prevent international parental child abduction. Any parent that is in a bad relationship could be at risk. Please click on below link for more information.
Prevent Departure

Harvest Life Gracefully- Child Abuse Prevention Month time to advocate for our children | The News-Sentinel - Fort Wayne IN

2010-04-16T16:20:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully by keep in mind that April is child abuse prevention month. We need to be a voice for our children. Usually out of fear our children cannot speak for themselves. We need to do everything possible to end child abuse. Click on the link below and read about some of the behaviors and physical signs of abuse. If you see this in any child, it is your responsibility to take action to protect the child. Call law-enforcement or your child protection agency in your area if you suspect abuse. Harvest life gracefully by doing your part to end child abuse.

Child Abuse Prevention Month time to advocate for our children

| The News-Sentinel - Fort Wayne IN

Harvest Life Gracefully- by Watching this Video: Family Circle Household Tips

2010-04-15T13:21:00.002-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully by using these great household tips from "Family Circle" Editor Margit Ragland, interviewed by Harry Smith from the "Early Show" Watch this video now!

IMDb Video: Family Circle Household Tips

Harvest Life Gracefully by being informAPA Position on Child Abuse – Part 1 - We Are Adult Survivors of Child Abuse and Neglect -

2010-04-15T09:09:00.002-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully by being inform about what the
American Psychiatric Association’s Position Statement on Child Abuse and Neglect that was approved in May 1991. I found this information on "We are adult survivors of child abuse and neglect" blog. This is only Part 1 and when the other parts are posted, I will also post it on my blog.

APA Position on Child Abuse – Part 1 - We Are Adult Survivors of Child Abuse and Neglect -

Harvest Life Gracefully- Keep your child safe

2010-04-14T18:14:00.000-05:00

Harvest life Gracefully by keeping your child safe. I discovered a product that tracks your child's location at all times. Amber Alert GPS is the product. I recommend this product for any parent. No more fear, worries or anxiety when your child is out of your site. Watch the video to learn how it works. Click on the Amber Alert picture to get product Now!

Harvest Life Gracefully- by protecting our children from abuse-Child Abuse: Parental Abuse on Children

2010-04-14T17:10:00.001-05:00

Harvest life gracefully by being aware of child abuse. April is child abuse month. We need to protect our children from abuse. Abuse needs to end. We all need to help to end abuse. Our children is our future. We are responsible to report abuse if we suspect abuse. Click on link below to learn about parental abuse on children.

Child Abuse: Parental Abuse on Children

Harvest Life Gracefully by Loving Yourself First by Margaret Paul, Ph.D.

2010-04-13T14:18:00.002-05:00

Harvest life gracefully by loving yourself. Click on link below where you can read how important it is to learn to love yourself. This article makes a lot of good sense. Read it now and see for yourself, I think you will agree with me, in order to harvest life gracefully is all about learning to love yourself.

Loving Yourself First by Margaret Paul, Ph.D.

Harvest Life Gracefully, Getting into the minds of sex offenders- The Most Dangerous Child Sex Offenders in America - Oprah.com

2010-04-12T16:30:00.002-05:00

Oprah Show gets into the minds of sex offenders. Click on link below to watch the video, if you want to gain some sort of understanding. Very revealing and educational in how to keep your child safe.

The Most Dangerous Child Sex Offenders in America - Oprah.com

Harvest Life Gracefully-Spanking May Make a Child More Aggressive - US News and World Report

2010-04-12T13:20:00.001-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully by positive parenting and understanding that spanking a child is not positive parenting. Children learn by example, if we spank or hit they learn that hitting is OK. Spanking causes fear in a child, the child does not learn how their and why their misbehavior is wrong by spanking them. I believe spanking is abusive.

Spanking May Make a Child More Aggressive - US News and World Report

Harvest Life Gracefully- part 6 of my story just completed

2010-04-10T21:32:00.001-05:00

Another update on my story, check out my story page for part 6 on my childhood sexual abuse and forgiveness.

Harvest Life Gracefully-Pup Helps Kids In Child Abuse Cases Relax - Family News Story - WBAL Baltimore

2010-04-10T13:43:00.002-05:00

Pup Helps Kids In Child Abuse Cases Relax - Family News Story - WBAL Baltimore

Harvest Life Gracefully- self esteem video- "I Believe" by Yolanda Adams

2010-04-03T15:55:00.005-05:00

Harvest Life Gracefully,live positively by watching this video whenever feeling down or loss in confidence.

Harvest Life Gracefully- Read This -5 Child Abuse Prevention Tips for Parents Who Grew Up in Dysfunctional Families, by Author of Parenting Book

2010-04-02T17:20:00.004-05:00

5 Child Abuse Prevention Tips for Parents Who Grew Up in Dysfunctional Families, by Author of Parenting Book

Posted using ShareThis

Harvest Life Gracefully- update on my story-part 5

2010-03-30T19:23:00.006-05:00

My story has been updated see part 5 on "My Story Page" of my blog. I hope that my grammar,spelling, and sentence structure are fine, as I didn't took much time to edit. So please forgive me if I did a poor job. Check it out now!

Harvest Life Gracefully "Be a Voice"

2010-03-27T23:41:00.002-05:00