Mind Trap

When there’s a need for something outside yourself it’s because of a mind trap. Until this is seen you will remain trapped as you seek to quiet your mind with the next thing you think is needed…

You will never find the peace you’re seeking because seeking is a mind trap. Peace is something that’s already within everyone, but because of the way our minds are conditioned, the seeking of peace becomes a mind trap. Unfortunately a mind trap makes the very thing you’re seeking impossible to grasp. A mind trap is the reason you constantly look for something from the outside. Until this is seen you’ll remain in a mind trap thinking peace is in the next thing reached for. Alcohol, gambling, drugs, sex, religion, social status, programs, therapy, self help books, politics, and on and on, this is proof that there’s a mind trap. I can’t stress this enough as this mind trap has to be seen if you‘re to experience peace in your life.

Why there’s a mind trap is because of the inability to just be. When the need to look for something arises, the mind trap begins. This mind trap is a vicious cycle that’s very difficult to break. Breaking free of the mind trap and being at peace isn’t something attained or achieved. It’s by doing less (detaching) that peace is experienced. Too many people get lost (mind trap) trying to find peace through outer attachments. Since peace is something that’s already within you, the mind trap is a circle because it becomes about finding what’s already there. This is not easy to see, but look inward so the mind trap can be seen for what it is; the cause of why there’s a need to seek a peace that’s already in place…

A Journey Toward Perfection

A Journey Toward Perfection is a in-depth study of the attributes recorded in the Beatitudes of Matthew 5, the attributes God bestowed upon us when He created us in His image. He created us to love. These traits are crucial in experiencing the love of God and learning how to love others as God loves us. These characteristics are central to our Christian spiritual growth.

The disciple John often referred to himself as the “disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23) because he knew the love of God personally. It was John who wrote the most quoted verses in the Gospels concerning God’s love: 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16)

“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love” (1 John 8)

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul called love the “greatest gift” we have received from God and declared that if he does not have love “I am nothing.” What kind of love is this? What is required to experience this kind of love? The disciples and the early Christians knew God’s divine love intimately. This was the fire that ignited the Christian faith. The Good News is that God loves us infinitely!

Christ left his throne of glory and entered our reality as a man to invite us into an intimate relationship. He suffered rejection, betrayal, lashings, crucifixion and death in order to show us how much He loves us. All He asks in return is that we love God “with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind…and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).

Learn how to develop an intimate experiential relationship with God. Improve your relationships with others. Discover how these attributes can sustain you through the many trials and tribulations of your life. Comprehend how love truly conquers all. Experience God’s true presence in your life.

To read sample chapters, go to:  "A Journey Toward Perfection" Sample Chapters

© 2017  Helen Kamenos  All rights reserved

http://www.helenkamenos.com/

The Surprising cure to Business failure!

Have you been there? I’m sure we all have.

The all too familiar light bulb moment pops up in our mind from nowhere.

You want to start a business.

And with unbridled enthusiasm you want to share your talents and skills to the world. Suddenly boom! Crash! Something happens.

And you start getting that queasy feeling inside the walls of your stomach.

Could it be from last night’s re-heated dinner? Somehow I don't think so. So instead of getting closer to your dreams you start seeing nightmares in the form of not one , but two or three unforeseen obstacles.

Meaning you struggle to get things happening. And you lose your energy, your passion, and your desire to succeed. Suddenly you hit a road bump, and grind to a halt.

It’s almost feels like it’s Game! Set and match!

Worse still those little voices inside your head keep whispering “it’s now time to give up”. You know what if you love what you do there’s always going to be days when you want to throw in the towel.

Trick is not to listen those little inner voices because your next success could be just around the corner.

Truth is ... whilst it’s tempting to throw in the towel , it’s far more satisfying when you push through those walls of resistance and make that breakthrough.

P.S Running a Business is not a bright shiny object pastime

Best Carlo

Direct Response Copywriter 

Here's the problem with Success!

You have probably seen this person. Somewhere at the TAB , footy or local pub.

The sort that only talks about which wager he won not the time he lost everything bar - the clothes on his back.

Truth is there's no pointing sugar coating things.

And as much as we like to see victories it's more important to reflect on our losses.

Why ?

Because this is where personal growth start to kick in.

And there's no substitute for that. Any wise Entrepreneur will tell you they experienced some hard lessons along the way- essential in building character.

So if you are looking for the quick fix.

Maybe this gig isn't for you. Takes a lot of balls , hard work , and perseverance to make it in the business world.

For more than 2 years I've had to walk on some pretty hot coals and been rejected on a number of occasions.

By clients and Employers.

But the fact that I'm still hustling means I haven't been defeated.

So encourage everyone in my network to stay strong , be committed , and focused to reach your goals everyday.

You see Success is Sexy.

But getting there ain't.

Best Carlo

Direct Response Copywriter 

Remarkable Success Story + Bamboo Tree

Have you heard of the Bamboo Story.

The story goes like this......

You take a little seed. You plant it, you water it , you fertilise it.

After a whole year nothing happens.

The second year you water it and fertilize it, and nothing happens. 

The third year you water it and fertilize it, and still nothing happens. How discouraging this becomes! 

By this stage you haven’t even seen a twig , bud , or anything.

Certainly by now it would be much easier to have given up. But somewhere deep down inside a little voice tells you to keep nurturing the plant.

It's well into the fifth year now and you still continue to keep watering and fertilising the seed without giving up.

But lo and behold after the fifth year, the Chinese bamboo tree sprouts and grows NINETY FEET IN SIX WEEKS! 

Life is very much like the growing process of the Chinese bamboo tree.

Quite often life is discouraging. And when it seems all is lost we become overcome with fear which leads to that one dreaded word “Give up”.

Worse still.... it  becomes more disheartening when you do everything right and watch others succeed with less talent or knowledge.

The true sign of resilience is to look beyond where you are now.

And keep growing your crop.

Whether it's 1 ...  2 ... years or 3 years down the track

Simple fact.... we all like different results with the same effort but TRUE success takes hard work & great attention to detail.

Why am I recounting the Bamboo story?

Because it's taken me about 2 years to see just tiny results from my efforts.

There were times I couldn't visualise any progress. But I kept going.

I know it's not easy.

But deep down inside I believe you too can achieve the same.

And when you do enough of it everyday rewards will await you.

1% at a time.

Till suddenly........ 

you sprout up like a Bamboo TREE!

Best Carlo

Direct Response Copywriter 

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/

   

The Path to Happiness

What makes you happy? Is it a new car, a new wardrobe, money, success, or accomplishments? Is it security, fame, popularity, or being loved? All of these give us pleasure, but what actually makes us happy? Most agree that family and good friends bring us happiness. This is because the path to true happiness leads to love. It is love that we seek. It is love for which we long. The moments when we experience love are the most memorable and the most treasured. As American songwriter, Todd Rundgren wrote, “Love is the Answer:”

And when you feel afraid, love one another
When you've lost your way, love one another
When you're all alone, love one another
When you're far from home, love one another
When you're down and out, love one another
All your hope's run out, love one another
When you need a friend, love one another
When you're near the end, love one another
We got to love one another

Christ also taught that love is the answer. However, Jesus taught that giving love is the answer. We may look at our lives and wonder what is missing. We may have relationships with challenges or maybe they are in chaos. Christ taught us not to be concerned with others loving us, but rather, to focus on loving others. He often taught in parables, such as the Good Samaritan, who stopped to care for a man beaten almost to death by thieves. He described the Prodigal Son, who asked his inheritance from his father and squandered it until he was starving. In humility, he returned to his father to beg for employment. His father welcomed him unconditionally, threw a party to celebrate and simply loved him as if he never left. Christ taught about forgiveness, compassion, and going the extra mile, when someone asks you for a favor. He even taught us to love our enemies.

God is the source of love. He gave us the ability to love, when He created us in His image. Our purpose in life is to love. We have been given talents and gifts that we are expected to share with others. We are to look for ways we can be a blessing to others. In scriptures, the word “blessed” means happy. The Beatitudes are the blessings Jesus listed at the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:3-11. Jesus talked about these blessings as attributes worthy of being pursued to bring us happiness because they teach us how to love as God loves. They teach us divine love.

Those who seek happiness in life take on these attributes in their daily lives. This is not an easy path in life to follow because genuine love requires sacrifice. Christ asked us to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him. In other words, He asked us to deny our ego and self-centeredness by becoming humble, sacrifice our worldly desires by becoming pure in heart, and follow His example by loving others. The path to happiness is the Journey Toward Perfection, the journey toward love. Love is the answer. 

© 2017  Helen Kamenos  All rights reserved

http://www.helenkamenos.com/