Self~Empowerment: Today’s Self-Communicate – 08/01/17~

Today’s self-empowering communication to positively affect yourself:

Repeat with me: I AM SUCCESS EVERY MOMENT!

“I am nourishing my life around what I love doing and what I enjoy sharing! I am nourishing my life with much more gratitude, much more amusement, and much more embrace! I am nourishing the better version of myself…”

to continue a greater life!

Image Source: https://www.pinterest.com/edcharfauros/mind-nourishment~

Great day to you, as a great day continues~

Edward F. T. Charfauros

Life Guide and Author

Get the book: https://amazon.com/author/edwardftcharfauros

Original: https://edwardftcharfauros.com/2017/07/31/selfempowerment-todays-self-communicate-080117/

Chasing Pleasure

For most, pleasure is something that’s constantly sought, this is a direct link to what keeps the mind in a state of agitation. When one can just be with things as they are, pleasure is no longer needed for the mind to be at peace.

We live in a pleasure seeking society, when it’s cold we want the pleasure of warmth and when it’s hot outside, being cool is the pleasure sought. Chasing after this pleasure is how many people spend their entire lives and if it’s not learned to just be ok with things as they are and not constantly have to alter the way that you feel, there will be very little peace in your life. We life mostly in a place where we’re afraid of the feeling of discomfort because it means looking at ourselves. Although our true essence is the love of all creation, this isn’t seen because the Conditioned Mind doesn’t allow it to be so.

Once a practice is developed that allows some discipline to at least slow the mind down, it can be seen how chasing after pleasure occupies most of our waking hours; we’re in a constant agitated state trying to have things the way we think they need to be in order to experience the pleasure of being at peace. The problem with this is nothing stays the same so we have to constantly make adjustments to experience this peace. It’s truly exhausting to live in this way, but it’s the way many of us spend most of our time. It doesn’t have to be this way, but the only way it won’t be is if one can be with what occurs and not want it any different than what it is. This doesn’t mean one can’t have pleasure, just understand pleasure isn’t what allows you to be at peace, only accepting things as they are will allow peace and that’s only because one sees the pleasure in that.

Ignorance Isn't Bliss

Truly diabolical is the Conditioned Mind and what makes it so is it isn’t seen nor understood that your enemies cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts can.

If you don’t learn to understand your own mind and the way it controls you, the control will never wane and although you will be alive, you will be no different than a plant which is basically controlled in the same way. A seed in its natural environment does what it’s conditioned to do to grow into a plant, but it just happens there’s not much else to it. People think they have free will and choices, but without truly understanding how the mind becomes conditioned so it can control, there is only bondage. This will have to be thoroughly investigated if it’s to be understood and even then it will not be easy to break the hold of the deeply engrained conditioning that’s in place. I know this from my experience and at least today by understanding the conditioning in place, its control has waned to a large degree. But make no mistake knowing all about the mind and understanding how it controls you are two different things.

Many are much more knowledgeable then me when it comes to knowing about the mind, but not many understand the conditioning in the way it has been revealed to me. There was total bondage for many years and because there wasn’t an understanding of this, it kept me ignorant to the control my own mind had over me. This ignorance was not bliss, it caused suffering to many, but nobody was with me all the time except myself so it caused the most suffering to me. This is what the Conditioned Mind does, it wrecks havoc internally which in turn manifest as unloving behavior externally. Truly diabolical is the Conditioned Mind and what makes it so is that this isn’t seen nor understood. And what truly needs to be understood is that your enemies cannot do you the harm that your own unguarded thoughts can.

Self~Empowerment: Today’s Self-Communicate – 07/31/17~

Today’s self empowering communication to positively affect yourself:

Repeat with me: I AM SUCCESS EVERY MOMENT!

“I am continuing thankfully for this day to enjoy myself and enjoy others! I am continuing gratefully for this life to play and share with others! I am continuing lovingly for all the opportunities everywhere in between…”

to continue a greater life!

Image Source: https://www.pinterest.com/edcharfauros/mind-nourishment~

Great day to you, as a great day continues~

Edward F. T. Charfauros

Life Guide and Author

Get the book: https://amazon.com/author/edwardftcharfauros

Original: https://edwardftcharfauros.com/2017/07/30/31-2/

A Dry Time

A friend of mine calls them dry times. Dry times are those times in your life, more specifically in your spiritual life when there seems to be a void. A time when all the things you typically do to nourish your soul seem to have stopped working. Some of you understand the dry times very well. You have lived through them. You may be going through one right now. Maybe you have recently come out of such a time. Here are few examples of how a dry time may express itself.

You are going through life pretty much like you always have, but one day things seem different. The sky is not as blue. The breeze is not as cool. The sunshine is not as bright. The snowfall is not as white. Rainbows don't provide much of a thrill. And very few things seem to give your heart much of a thrill. You are doing the same things you have always done. Except now you are enjoying it less. Very few things seem to excite you. When you try to describe how you feel you use the word "bored" more than you have in a very long time.

Your job once gave you a reason to get up in the morning. It was challenging. It was rewarding. Now, it is a job. You go. You put in your time. You come home. Nothing has changed. It is the same job. Nothing has gone wrong. You still like the people you work with and you still are paid well for your efforts. But, it just seems to bore you.

You have a great family. You love them. You would die for them. You long to be with them every opportunity you have. When one visit ends you begin planning the next one. When you are together you laugh, you cry, you really enjoy your family. You have a wonderful marriage. Your children are healthy. They are doing well in school. Life is good on the home front. But, something seems to be missing.

You have an amazing spiritual network. You have been on mission trips with some of them. You have taken vacations with some of them. Your children have grown up together. You have attended weddings, funerals, ball games, parties, seminars, workshops, and baptisms together. You look forward to being with them every opportunity you have. But, it seems stale.

Your personal spiritual life seems to be going well. You are doing all the right things. You read you Bible regularly. You pray consistently. You participate in an enriching small group. You occasionally teach a class. You sing on the praise team. You are even thinking about chaperoning a youth trip. You love your church. You love God. You love God's people. But, you feel empty.

Songs that once moved you tears now seem old and tired. Sermons that should touch your heart do not. Prayers seem shallow and repetitious. When people around you are weeping with compassion you are gazing out the window or checking your phone for messages. There is no place you would rather be than in an assembly worshiping God, but you just don't feel anything.

It is a dry time.

What do you do?  Where do you go when your well is dry? Where do you go when your heart is empty? Where do you go to find joy? Where do you turn to when you to be refreshed? Where do you go when your soul needs to be restored? Where do you go when you need hope?

John (chapter 4) tells a story about woman going through a terribly dry time. In fact, dryness was about all she knew. Her home life, if you call it that, was a complete mess. She was lonely. She was rejected. She was isolated. Perhaps the saddest part of her story was that she had reached the point that she was resolved that this was all that her life would ever be. At one time she longed to have a real relationship, but that was so long ago she could barely remember what it was like. As was her routine when this Samaritan woman needed to refill her water jars she went to same well where she had always gone for water. She made sure she went during the middle of the day so that so that she would not bother anyone, and would not be bothered by anyone.

When Jesus initiated a conversation with her she was reluctant. Almost annoyed. Yet, there was something about Him that caught her attention and took her completely by surprise. He seemed to care about. He had no ulterior motive. He listened to her. He answered her questions. He actually heard her. He knew her even though she had never met him. He talked to her like a real person. He treated her like she mattered. He gave her hope. Her offered her a solution to her dry world. "This water," Jesus said, "if you will drink it will quench your thirst."  "You'll never be thirsty again." "This is living water."

She drank the water.

She came to the well to fill her jars with water. She left having had her dry and empty spirit refilled and refreshed. As she shared her story others came from their dry world to drink of the living water.

Are you in a dry time? Follow the example of the woman at the well. Spend some time with Jesus. Get alone with Him. Dig into the Word. Go to a place of beauty and soak it in. Be still.  Call or visit an old friend. Listen to your favorite music. Take a long walk. Rest. Listen. Play with a child. Serve someone who cannot return the favor.

Drink from the well of living water. After you drink. Share your story. You never know who else might be going through a dry time and God may use you to lead them to the living water.

A Dry Time

A friend of mine calls them dry times. Dry times are those times in your life, more specifically in your spiritual life when there seems to be a void. A time when all the things you typically do to nourish your soul seem to have stopped working. Some of you understand the dry times very well. You have lived through them. You may be going through one right now. Maybe you have recently come out of such a time. Here are few examples of how a dry time may express itself.

You are going through life pretty much like you always have, but one day things seem different. The sky is not as blue. The breeze is not as cool. The sunshine is not as bright. The snowfall is not as white. Rainbows don't provide much of a thrill. And very few things seem to give your heart much of a thrill. You are doing the same things you have always done. Except now you are enjoying it less. Very few things seem to excite you. When you try to describe how you feel you use the word "bored" more than you have in a very long time.

Your job once gave you a reason to get up in the morning. It was challenging. It was rewarding. Now, it is a job. You go. You put in your time. You come home. Nothing has changed. It is the same job. Nothing has gone wrong. You still like the people you work with and you still are paid well for your efforts. But, it just seems to bore you.

You have a great family. You love them. You would die for them. You long to be with them every opportunity you have. When one visit ends you begin planning the next one. When you are together you laugh, you cry, you really enjoy your family. You have a wonderful marriage. Your children are healthy. They are doing well in school. Life is good on the home front. But, something seems to be missing.

You have an amazing spiritual network. You have been on mission trips with some of them. You have taken vacations with some of them. Your children have grown up together. You have attended weddings, funerals, ball games, parties, seminars, workshops, and baptisms together. You look forward to being with them every opportunity you have. But, it seems stale.

Your personal spiritual life seems to be going well. You are doing all the right things. You read you Bible regularly. You pray consistently. You participate in an enriching small group. You occasionally teach a class. You sing on the praise team. You are even thinking about chaperoning a youth trip. You love your church. You love God. You love God's people. But, you feel empty.

Songs that once moved you tears now seem old and tired. Sermons that should touch your heart do not. Prayers seem shallow and repetitious. When people around you are weeping with compassion you are gazing out the window or checking your phone for messages. There is no place you would rather be than in an assembly worshiping God, but you just don't feel anything.

It is a dry time.

What do you do?  Where do you go when your well is dry? Where do you go when your heart is empty? Where do you go to find joy? Where do you turn to when you to be refreshed? Where do you go when your soul needs to be restored? Where do you go when you need hope?

John (chapter 4) tells a story about woman going through a terribly dry time. In fact, dryness was about all she knew. Her home life, if you call it that, was a complete mess. She was lonely. She was rejected. She was isolated. Perhaps the saddest part of her story was that she had reached the point that she was resolved that this was all that her life would ever be. At one time she longed to have a real relationship, but that was so long ago she could barely remember what it was like. As was her routine when this Samaritan woman needed to refill her water jars she went to same well where she had always gone for water. She made sure she went during the middle of the day so that so that she would not bother anyone, and would not be bothered by anyone.

When Jesus initiated a conversation with her she was reluctant. Almost annoyed. Yet, there was something about Him that caught her attention and took her completely by surprise. He seemed to care about. He had no ulterior motive. He listened to her. He answered her questions. He actually heard her. He knew her even though she had never met him. He talked to her like a real person. He treated her like she mattered. He gave her hope. Her offered her a solution to her dry world. "This water," Jesus said, "if you will drink it will quench your thirst."  "You'll never be thirsty again." "This is living water."

She drank the water.

She came to the well to fill her jars with water. She left having had her dry and empty spirit refilled and refreshed. As she shared her story others came from their dry world to drink of the living water.

Are you in a dry time? Follow the example of the woman at the well. Spend some time with Jesus. Get alone with Him. Dig into the Word. Go to a place of beauty and soak it in. Be still.  Call or visit an old friend. Listen to your favorite music. Take a long walk. Rest. Listen. Play with a child. Serve someone who cannot return the favor.

Drink from the well of living water. After you drink. Share your story. You never know who else might be going through a dry time and God may use you to lead them to the living water.

Have you tried this? Your RAS never fails.

Someone recently asked ,how do you get inspired when you don’t know what to write ?

Anyway, Love explaining my little theory…  about better blog writing .

What about you? Do you struggle in this important activity?

It’s true , Rome wasn’t built in a day so, at least here me out.

This is my cure to your writing dilemma ....

Truth is ….don’t get caught in that fear of “what to write trap” because that’s one way to weaken your writing mojo.

Funny enough.

Surprisingly even an old timer...  like me can show you how to unleash your creative power.

Believe it or not... the answer lies in a bunch of nerves that are located somewhere between

the Medullla Oblongata and Mesencephalon.

GO TO BELOW SITE FOR MORE INFO ON RAS

http://www.reticularactivatingsystem.org/

Psychologists refer to this sensation as our RAS = RETICULAR ACTIVATING SYSTEM

It’s main function is to filter out what you’re hearing and what’s in your subconscious mind.

Similar to how a secretary filters out the nuisance phone calls to prevent the Company Executive from getting interrupted.

It goes without saying that we are all consumers by nature.

For instance.

You want to buy a luxury car and research everything about it online.

The next day you might  be driving on the way to work and that same car you were looking for starts appearing just everywhere.

You see those cars would have been there anyway.

It’s your RAS that hones in on that vehicle.

So how does this relate to Marketing , especially writing blogs ?

Well basically if you want to get good at this skill just like me you need a trigger point.

A couple of years ago I decided to get good at email Marketing.

So I began to start listening to other Marketing Guru’s podcasts so I could learn to master this skill.

Basically all you have to do is start with an idea and  every time you’d be randomly doing an activity like

Chatting to a friend

be driving, or doing the gardening

And all of a sudden ideas will just start popping into your head.

So yep no need to struggle writing content anymore my padawan …..  as all the answers lie in your RAS.

Cheers & Have a great day!

Carlo

Direct Response Copywriter 

Self~Empowerment: Today’s Self-Communicate – 07/30/17~

Today’s self empowering communication to positively affect yourself:

Repeat with me: I AM SUCCESS EVERY MOMENT!

“I am the cause of dazzling my imagination with more fun and excitement to continue a memorable life! I am the cause of wooing my emotions with more inspiration and aspiration to continue a motivated life! I am the cause of loving my self with more gratitude and affection…”

to continue a greater life!

Image Source: https://www.pinterest.com/edcharfauros/mind-nourishment~

Great day to you, as a great day continues~

Edward F. T. Charfauros
Life Guide and Author

Get the book: https://amazon.com/author/edwardftcharfauros

Original: https://edwardftcharfauros.com/2017/07/29/29-4/

Invest in early childhood development

Invest in early childhood development

Believe It or Not, You Are Like God!

According to Genesis 1:26-28, God made us in His image, in His likeness. Nothing else in God’s creation was made in His image. If we were made in God’s image, there is something about us that is distinctive, exceptional, and even Holy. In what ways are we like God? Unlike any other creature in the world, we possess the gift of free will. We are capable of choosing our actions, choosing between good and evil. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the garden was placed there by God, so that we would be able to exercise our free will. Why did God give us the gift of free will, when He knew we would succumb to temptation and choose evil? It is only through free will that we can express love. God loves us infinitely, and all He asks of us is to love Him in return and to love one another. This is God’s purpose for us. This is why we were created. There is no greater gift we could have been given than the ability to choose to love.

God placed in us all the qualities necessary for us to act in love. Christ revealed to us the attributes required to love as He loves us in the Beatitudes of Matthew 5. We all possess the potential to develop these attributes. However, we must exercise our free will and choose to become what God intended us to be. If we cannot love a God who died for us, who loves us so much that “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6-8), how can we love anyone?

Although it is our God-given nature to be good, we often choose evil. Evil is the lack of love. In essence, when we sin we choose to withhold love. Instead, we choose to love ourselves. For example, when we steal, we choose to consider our needs or desires greater than another’s. When we gossip, we delight in portraying another as more flawed than ourselves, and thereby, making ourselves to feel we are better in some way. When we engage in sexual activity for the sake of sex, we use the other person as an object simply for our transitory physical pleasure, without respect or regard for him/her as a loving human being. When we allow ourselves to fall into alcoholism or drug addiction, we do not regard the consequences this has on our families and friends. It is purely the quest for our own transitory pleasure, which ultimately destroys us. Selfishness and the lack of love destroy us. We were made to love.  

We cannot experience God’s kind of love, infinite love, divine love, apart from Him. We cannot resist the temptation of evil without Him. Christ implants the Holy Spirit within us to teach us and guide us, to help us develop those attributes that allow us to act in love. Humility teaches us to deny ourselves and allows us to open the door to love. Meekness is required to control our negative emotions and desires. It teaches us patience and helps us deny the desire for instant gratification. Mournfulness reminds us that we are flawed and that we are no better than anyone else. It allows us to be honest with ourselves. It teaches us that becoming like Christ is our goal. Mercifulness teaches us kindness and compassion for all human beings. Forgiveness is the greatest gift we can give to others. Our ability to have mercy on others is tested daily. These are only some examples.

God created us to love and He placed in us the attributes necessary to truly love others as ourselves. However, He also gave us the ability to choose to act in love. Every day, we have numerous opportunities to love or withhold love, to love God or reject Him, to love others or love ourselves. We are able to love others as God loves us through the Holy Spirit within us who reveals Christ to us and who allows us to know God. Saint Seraphim of Sarov says "the true goal of our Christian life consists in the acquisition of the Holy Spirit." We have the ability to acquire the Holy Spirit by knowing and loving God.

St. Clement of Alexandria said that "The greatest of all lessons is to know oneself; for if one knows himself, he will know God; and if he knows God, he will become like God." Because we were made in the image of God, we have the ability to know God and love as He loves. We have the potential of becoming like Christ. It is a process, a daily journey we take with God at our side, until He calls us out of this world. At that moment, we will experience a metamorphosis. We will be like Christ, pure and sanctified, filled with His divine love.

Discover who you are in Christ. The attributes given to us by Jesus in the Beatitudes are those valued by God. Developing these traits teaches us how to love and helps us live happier lives with more fulfilled relationships. They unlock our potential. Do you possess these traits and to what degree? Find out what attributes you need to develop in order to reach your potential. The FREE workbook, “Who Am I? Discover Yourself” also includes “8 Steps to Healing Wounded Relationships” as taught by Christ through the Beatitudes.

We often spend time caring for our physical health, exercising or watching what we eat, but we do not always spend enough time on our spiritual or emotional well-being. Often, ignoring our emotional health leads to anxiety and stress. Our physical well-being may extend our lives, but our spiritual welfare determines the quality of our lives. Take the time to reflect on your spiritual and emotional development in order to realize your potential and help you improve your relationships.

      

This 14 page workbook in pdf format includes:

• 3 questionnaires to help you discover yourself
• A chart to help you analyze the traits you possess, which are valued by God
• Opportunities for reflection
• Identify which attributes you admire in yourself and others
• Determine which characteristics are your strengths and weaknesses in developing better relationships

Follow this link to receive your FREE workbook TODAY: http://www.helenkamenos.com/free_workbook/

   

Settled Mind Creativity

The world's rewards are not true rewards because the world only holds you in captivity to it. Sit often to develop the discipline that allows the mind to settle and watch what happens.

Prior to nine years ago I never wrote anything in my life. Today I'm a writer because that's where my creative energy took me. Regardless of your talent, musician, writer, singer, actor, good at your day to day job, a parent, or whatever, let your creative energy engulf you. It's what I do, it's how I see what I see. Don't fall prey to what the world offers, find what your own heart offers. Become the instrument the Universe plays its beautiful music through, whatever that music manifest as; mine manifest as writings. Understand though you don't need anything to complete you, you are complete as you are. Understanding this will help you to just watch your inner creativity arise. I know this from experience and only the tip of the iceberg has been seen for me. When my mind settled, writing arose. All I did was look inward. It amazes me to this day that not only was I used to write a book, but I'm also used to write a daily article that seems to touch lives.

I'm often asked if there is going to be a second book, I always respond, there's no need the first one says it all. Not needing anything different is where I have found my peace and it's not something that I'm willing to give up. I really enjoy what has happened to me. I've had the honor of connecting with the hearts of many people and it has been my greatest gift; it's only because of the creativity that has arisen from having a settled mind. The world's rewards are not my rewards because the world only holds you in captivity to it. Sit often to develop the discipline that allows the mind to settle and watch what happens. I would have sold myself short if I tried to do what has been done to me and it's just not something I'm willing to now try and take control of. I prefer to remain the instrument and it's because the Universe is doing a far better job than I ever did with my life. My part is to be willing to basically stay out of the way and watch the settled mind creativity arise.

Self~Empowerment: Today’s Self-Communicate – 07/29/17~

Today’s self empowering communication to positively affect yourself:

Repeat with me: I AM SUCCESS EVERY MOMENT!

“I am choosing to be happier, much more positive and optimistic from this moment forward! I am choosing to be much more amusing, joyful and playful with my day from this day forward! I am choosing to continue a greater mood to continue a greater day…”

to continue a greater life!

Image Source: https://www.pinterest.com/edcharfauros/mind-nourishment~

Great day to you, as a great day continues~

Edward F. T. Charfauros 

Life Guide and Author

Get the book: https://amazon.com/author/edwardftcharfauros

Original: https://edwardftcharfauros.com/2017/07/28/29-5/