A decent boldness

"years from now, it won't be the things that you did, that you will regret the most,
it will be the things you didn't do"

If you are anything like me, I'll bet there are many instances when you look back on your life and say to yourself....dang, I wish I'd done that!

So what keeps us from doing the things we know we should or we know we would like to do? Mostly fear, sometimes procrastination and many times we are just a little too timid. The cure.....a decent boldness!

I say decent boldness as opposed cockiness or arrogance. A decent boldness is a reasoned decision with a slight risk taking element to it. And I say boldness as opposed to using a word like courage. Courage is a difficult word. It brings back associations for a lot of people of things like when you were bullied as a child. Sometimes you can be a little lacking in courage and still find some boldness.

The good news is that boldness kicks the crap out of fear and procrastination.

Here are just a few examples of ways you can use boldness to your benefit;

*speak out when you feel an injustice
*take the first step to start a friendship
*share a thought or idea
*ask for help
*flirt
*take a chance
*try something new
*ask for a raise
*ask for forgiveness
*start something new
*make a suggestion
*write a comment on a blog
*start a business

The list could on forever, a decent boldness is all we need to change our lives for the better. And as Virgil said...fortune belongs to the bold! We can find great fortune, if we have the courage and character to make bold decisions.

"It's an exciting time for those with a decent boldness"

I think this is one of my most important articles and I urge you to print off the card at the top of the page and carry it around with you for a week. I'm more than certain that you will start the habit of making bold decisions and your life will improve in little and large ways.

Over a hundred years ago Goether wrote: "whatever you can do, or dream, you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it" Smart guy.

"Now, if I might be so bold as to ask a favour of you...please pass this article on to someone else who might benefit from it"

Eduardo

Thinking is fun

"it takes so little effort to exceed your own expectations"

I'm often asked how do I come up with the ideas for the Truthteller site? It's really quite easy since I figured out a little secret. Of course I'll share it with you (if you'll buy me a beer).

I made quite the discovery when I was on holidays in Mexico this past January. It changed my world. I learned how to think!

You laugh, but no one ever taught me this vital skill. Oh, I could operate in this world and get by reasonably well, but thinking was difficult. Parroting others was easier. I could function by following the thoughts of others. My information was gleaned from books, magazines, newspapers, TV and radio. Original thought was scarce at best.

Then one day I was sitting alone by the ocean, in the early morning, when my 'eureka' moment hit me. It opened the flood gates on my brain and ideas started pouring out. The idea for this blog was born at that moment. I was so excited I almost wet my pants!

It was so damn simple that I was convinced that I must have been born with a few less brain cells than most, to not have realized it earlier. But now amigos, as they say, 'the genie was out of the bottle'.

Enough already, I can hear you say! Tell us Eduardo, this great secret you speak of? Ok, hold onto your shorts, here it is....

'SILENCE, STILLNESS AND SOLITUDE'

Incredible huh? If you have the BIG 3, silence, stillness and solitude, then your brain opens up like the flowers to the mornings sun. Ideas will start popping up all over the dang place. You are on your way to discovering your inner genius.

So why don't they teach this stuff in school? Why don't more people practice this simple technique. Glad you asked grasshopper!

You see most people are too busy to think. They think that they are being productive if they are busy. Sometimes they are being productive, doing efficiently, what doesn't need to be done. Thinking is like a foreign language to them. They just don't understand that they are parroting and not thinking.

"It's not that you can't afford the time to be quiet and still. It's that you can't afford not to"

So there you have amigos. If you want to open your mind and let your inner genius out, all you have to do is get some of the good stuff....quiet, stillness and solitude!

Once all the world's noise is absent, then nature wants to fill the vaccum (with thoughts). All that is required of you is to monitor the thoughts coming your way. If the thinking is negative....reject it. If it's positive....accept it. Later on, record it. The result is thinking, the fun and easy way.

Where do I find my quiet, stillness and solitude? In the car, in the shower, in my office, but best of all....in nature. Something about nature inspires me. Particularly being close to water seems to jump start my brain. I'm sure you can think of your own place to escape the distractions and noise of the world?

WARNING: I can not be held responsible for all the good things that might come your way, as a result of your implementing the Truthteller concepts!

Eduardo

"you can be mediocre at anything, just make a minimum of effort and don't bother with that stupid thinking thing"

What do I believe in?

I was wondering to myself, why is that so many of us live unsatisfied and unfullfilled lives?

I came to the conclusion that few people believe in anything greater than themselves. Few have ever looked inward and asked themselves...what do I believe in?/strong>em>

Before you jump to pronounce to yourself...I am a Christian, Buddist, Islamist or I believe in God, Allah or nothing at all, I ask you to try a simple experiment with me. Print off the card you see above and carry it around with you for a week. See what answers percolate up from your mind.

It's very easy to say, well, I've always believed in so and so. That's the easy answer and requires no reflection.

When you have a strong belief in something, it gives you direction and meaning, thus a life that is fullfilled and satisfied. I believe that we all need something to believe in. We need a compass for our lives.

What we believe in has incredible ramifications for our lives. For instance if you believe that, life is difficult and then you die, then you are going to respond to things much differently than someone who believes, life is meant to be fun, easy and over-flowing with abundance.

I just had this inspiration this morning, so I printed off the card and will be trying out this experiment on my myself, to see what comes up.

Smile, it looks really good on you!

Eduardo

You can download the card by right clicking on it and then hit...save as, give it a title and save to your desktop. Then just print it off....enjoy.

200 plus articles!

"HELP, I started writing and can't stop"

This blog has been a blast and I feel I've learned a lot by doing it. I am so grateful to all of you who have taken the time to read and consider some of the things that I've written (even if they are a little kooky sometimes)

I would have thought that 200 articles would have emptied out my head, but....sorry, I'm just getting warmed up!

Eventually I would assume that I will have nothing more to say. However, let's see if I can make it to 300!

Smile, it looks really good on you.

Eduardo

You are getting sleepy......

"Everything you wanted to know about hypnosis, but was afraid to ask"

Most people picture an old man with a gray beard swinging a watch in front of someones eyes and saying “your eyes are getting VERY heavy…’ and that person “going under”. Then the old man “commands” that person to stand and cluck like a chicken. Well, that’s all “stage hypnosis” which is entertainment, but only about 10% real.

Actually hypnosis is simply the mind working in it's “NORMAL state".

It has often been said that we use only about 10% of our minds, but that is BUNK. It's just not "tuned" correctly, similar to listening to a radio that is receiving several stations at once. Have you ever tried to do something and messed it up? You then try again and make a worse mess and end up angry, with your blood pressure rising, and your pulse racing? Or you're on your way home from work thinking about something your boss said and you get cut off so you get hot under the collar and your face red, and go home immediately getting into a fight with your family?? What if you could go home with a CLEAR mind-- relaxed and totally normal?

Now, think what it’s like to be active in your favorite activity and you are enjoying it so much that you enter ‘the zone” as it’s called. Everything goes perfectly and you aren’t even aware of all the other junk going on around you, or any past problems, etc. Hypnosis is a perfectly normal, natural, protective process that allows us to voluntarily "focus" the mind to the point that it "bypasses" all the crap that floats around inside. It’s like a radio with NO static or other stations coming through.

For instance, have you ever been driving on a highway and arrived at your destination many miles from your starting point only to realize that you don't remember driving that trip at all? Think of how much information your mind had to process for you to do that safely. Or have you ever watched a movie and got so involved that you "were there" and it was all totally real? THAT is the state we call hypnosis. It is actually a HEIGHTENED state of relaxed awareness where the mind is ,at least for that short time, CLEAR and working the way it should. The hypnotist merely helps guide the mind to that state of "clear" by your focusing your thought on his words and directions.

Self hypnosis is the same thing, except YOU do the focusing on your own instructions that you decide beforehand to use. Once you reach 'the zone' you can "program" your mind with suggestions that will be extremely effective later, sometimes even years later. There is no such thing as "going under" and not coming out, because if you reach that depth, you will simply 'go to sleep" normally, and wake up when you feel rested enough.

It can be accomplished by slow relaxation techniques, or virtually INSTANTLY by overloading the conscious mind with several simultaneous instructions. Once in "the state" , suggestions can be given for almost anything. NLP (neuro linguistics programming) can be added to the suggestions to make them VERY powerful influences on normal life.


Hypnosis is great for habit control (if not compounded by OTHER problems), memory improvement, motivation, and it is GREAT for relaxation and quiet meditation. It's wonderful for pain control, problem analysis, programming goals, and so much more. It is simply the mind doing what it was meant to do without interference from anything else! The human mind really is capable of a LOT more, if we can remove the "clutter". Next time you hear someone say we only use 10% of our mind, tell them, if only you could get DOWN TO that level, it would be great!!

Here is the golden opportunity you have been waiting for, let Chappy explain how to use self hypnosis.

Before you go , sit back, relax, and picture yourself in your favorite place. See it clearly, complete with sights, sounds, colors, smells, -- everything-- your absolute FAVORITE place. Now, notice that everything is changing to the color BLUE--see everything there changing to the color BLUE. You notice that it is STILL beautiful, and feels so much more relaxing and peaceful. Listen as the sound gets softer and softer, and the blue gets deeper. Now say the word BLUE out loud, and notice that you feel better than you've felt in YEARS-- totally CALM, relaxed and just absolutely WONDERFUL! Now slowly open your eyes and take a minute to notice how you feel. Contact me with "hypno" in the subject line if you would like to know more..

We really CAN control our minds, with a little guidance and practice. Now whether you "believe" in the hypnotic state or not, wouldn't you feel better and enjoy life much more if you simply relaxed and could easily "tune out" the trash that goes on all around us all the time?

This article is written by the Truthteller friend and guest writer...Chappy...also known as David Carter

Thank you again Chappy for a brilliant article!

Eduardo

Eat more and lose weight

Why is it that so many things, turn out to be the opposite of what we would expect?

If you are having difficulty dropping those unwanted pounds, perhaps you just are not eating enough. I'll bet you've never heard that before? Turns out that losing weight is easier than we thought.

Heres how it works; when you reduce the amount you eat, you are sending a message to your body to go into survival mode. When your body goes into survival mode it wants to preserve all it can. It fights to retain it's reserves (fat). So losing weight becomes a struggle (and at Truthteller we don't like struggles).

When you eat, you actually expend a great deal of energy to digest the food. This burns calories. Nothing you can do will burn more calories than the process of digesting your food. You can run for an hour and you won't burn as many calories as you will by eating.

Now of course by eating you are taking in calories. The trick is to burn more off than you take in. So when it comes to eating it is best to eat smaller amounts and to eat more often. What you want to do is graze instead of eating big meals. Each time you eat you start the calorie burning process.

And do you know which foods burn the most calories when you digesting them? It's protein, foods like meat, beans and eggs. So you can see why diets like the 'Atkins Diet' which feature low carb consumption and high protein meals have been proven to most successful.

The biggest mistake people make is missing a meal like breakfast. Try eating 5 times a day (smaller portions). DON'T send starvation messages to your body by skipping any meals. Your body needs to know that you love it and that you live in abundance!

Now add a little exercise and watch the pounds disappear. And the same theory applies to exercise. It's better to do a little, more often, than just one big exercise session. Each time you exercise enough to elevate your heat rate you start your metabolism working and it keeps on working burning those calories, for awhile even after you quit the exercise. A good brisk walk 3 times a day will do wonders for you, even if it is only for 10-15 minutes at a time. Simple and easy.

Try to consume fresh vegetables and fruit, whole grains and drink plenty of water. Drinking water will give you that full feeling and take away cravings.

And finally, picture yourself exactly as you would like to be. Don't compromise by saying I'd like to lose 10 pounds when you know you would be happier losing 20 pounds. Settle only for what is best for you! You deserve nothing less than a perfectly happy and contented body. Love it and it will love you right back.

BONUS TIP; Everything is possible (losing weight) if you can find the fun in it. Let me give you an example. I just returned from the gym where I played 5 games of squash. When I came off the courts I was soaking wet with sweat from my head to my socks. And I was happy and can't wait to do it again. Why? Because it was fun, it was a game. Now I just need to figure out how to make eating smaller amounts more often fun? It shouldn't be that hard!

"life was meant to be fun, easy and over-flowing with abundance"

Eduardo

P.S. Most people could triple the amount of exercise they get, if they put the refrigerator and the TV at the opposite ends of the house.

Wow, I'm impressed!

"my magic cards have been sent out to 9 different countries"

The requests for the magic cards have kept me busy and I love it! If you haven't got yours yet, just email me at

edsemail@shaw.ca

I'll email you back the page and you can print as many as you like. Send them on to your friends.

Smile, it looks really good on you!

Eduardo

The International Foundation For Peace And Quiet

"I have a plan to save lives and raise the worlds' thinking power"

This is a BIG idea from Eduardo! I've decided to start 'The International Foundation For Peace & Quiet' and you can be one it's founding members!

The world has become much too noisy and according to the World Health Organization (WHO) two in every 100 deaths from heart disease may be caused by stress related to NOISE! Imagine that, 10's of thousands of people around the world are dying from exposure to, too much darn noise!

Even when you are sleeping your ears, brains and body continue to react to sounds and in return they raise levels of stress homones. This can cause physiological changes that can be life threatening. (think snoring)

In addition as we have learned your brain functions much better in peace and quiet. It's hard to concentrate and think in a noisy environment. Great ideas are born in..silence.

But fear not good people, Eduardo has a plan! Once you make your generous donations to my new foundation, we will start hiring the 'Peace Quiet Secret Police Force' Their job will be to seek and destroy anything or anybody making unnecessary noise. Soon we will have peace and quiet on the planet. Lives will be saved and the increased thinking will lead to all kinds of incredible innovations and ideas to better the planet. Cool, huh?

(of course any excess donations will go into my pocket, to fund my private research. You've already been witness to some of my incredible ideas, just imagine what I could think up if you sent me enough money so I could retire to a tropical island and just kick back with a margarita and think)

Thanking you in advance...

Eduardo

FREE.....Magic Cards!

"don't you just love...FREE stuff"

I've had a surprisingly strong interest in my 'Magic Cards' and it occurred to me that if you were interested in them, than I would like to share.

So for a limited time only (as long as I'm still on the planet) if you would like some of these cards for the introductory offer price of....FREE. Just send me an email and I will forward the 8 snazzy cards you see pictured above.

They work best if you use one card per week and meditate on the message. So you'll have 8 weeks of fun and ideas. Just put the card you are playing with, somewhere you will see it often and let it do it's MAGIC. And did I mention, that, they are FREE!


But wait...there's more....yes, with me, there's always more! I just had another great idea. If you have an idea for something to put on one of magic cards, hit the comment button below and let me know. Wouldn't it be great if we had 52 cards, one for each week of the year.

I'm looking for originality so please don't send quotes from other writers. Make up your own and have fun with it. If you've read some message you like, just re-write it using your own words. Let's do it.

The only condition I have of this free offer is that you share them with others. I'll email them to you, and you email them on to your friends....it's just that easy!

I think it would be a hoot to pass them around the planet. So just drop me a line at;

edsemail@shaw.ca

and before you know it they are on their way to your inbox. GO!

Eduardo

Thinking is fun and easy!

"it takes so little effort to exceed your own expectations"

I'm often asked how do I come up with the ideas for the Truthteller site? It's really quite easy since I figured out a little secret. Of course I'll share it with you (if you'll buy me a beer).

I made quite the discovery when I was on holidays in Mexico this past January. It changed my world. I learned how to think!

You laugh, but no one ever taught me this vital skill. Oh, I could operate in this world and get by reasonably well, but thinking was difficult. Parroting others was easier. I could function by following the thoughts of others. My information was gleaned from books, magazines, newspapers, TV and radio. Original thought was scarce at best.

Then one day I was sitting alone by the ocean, in the early morning, when my 'eureka' moment hit me. It opened the flood gates on my brain and ideas started pouring out. The idea for this blog was born at that moment. I was so excited I almost wet my pants!

It was so damn simple that I was convinced that I must have been born with a few less brain cells than most, to not have realized it earlier. But now amigos, as they say, 'the genie was out of the bottle'.

Enough already, I can hear you say! Tell us Eduardo, this great secret you speak of? Ok, hold onto your shorts, here it is....

'SILENCE, STILLNESS AND SOLITUDE'

Incredible huh? If you have the BIG 3, silence, stillness and solitude, then your brain opens up like the flowers to the mornings sun. Ideas will start popping up all over the dang place. You are on your way to discovering your inner genius.

So why don't they teach this stuff in school? Why don't more people practice this simple technique. Glad you asked grasshopper!

You see most people are too busy to think. They think that they are being productive if they are busy. Sometimes they are being productive, doing efficiently, what doesn't need to be done. Thinking is like a foreign language to them. They just don't understand that they are parroting and not thinking.

"It's not that you can't afford the time to be quiet and still. It's that you can't afford not to"

So there you have amigos. If you want to open your mind and let your inner genius out, all you have to do is get some of the good stuff....quiet, stillness and solitude!

Once all the world's noise is absent, then nature wants to fill the vaccum (with thoughts). All that is required of you is to monitor the thoughts coming your way. If the thinking is negative....reject it. If it's positive....accept it. Later on, record it. The result is thinking, the fun and easy way.

Where do I find my quiet, stillness and solitude? In the car, in the shower, in my office, but best of all....in nature. Something about nature inspires me. Particularly being close to water seems to jump start my brain. I'm sure you can think of your own place to escape the distractions and noise of the world?

WARNING: I can not be held responsible for all the good things that might come your way, as a result of your implementing the Truthteller concepts!

Eduardo

"you can be mediocre at anything, just make a minimum of effort and don't bother with that stupid thinking thing Eduardo talks about"

Everything is possible!

"this just in......a professional work environment is unproductive"

Yep, another study that confirms what we already knew. The so called professional work place has been found to lead to:

*day dreaming
*surfing the internet (guess what employees look for)
*playing games like solitare
*emailing friends
*gossiping
*more sick leave
*higher turnover of staff
*and assorted other time wasting and non productive activities

On the other hand a fun work environment leads to;

*reduced stress
*higher creativity amongst staff
*better retention and recall
*happier and healthier employees
*less sick days
*less staff turnover
*more productivity

So there you have it amigos, if you clown around at work....it's all good! Take your joke book to work and your boss will love you. Find the fun in everything you do and anything is possible. Your work day will seem shorter and you might actually enjoy going to work.

The real exciting news about this is, that if you are looking to be a big success at anything, its best to pick something you really like to do. This is the key to 'getting abundance in your life' and having fun at the same time. Hey, that sort of sounds like the motto for this site!

Wow, they did a study and found out that Eduardo was right all along...now, who would of thunk that?

Eduardo

P.S. If you need some proof that this theory works, just look at Hugh Hefner...he never gets out of his pyjamis, is surrounded by beautiful naked ladies all day long and he made an incredible fortune at the same time!

Monday Morning Inspiration...

To get your week off to a good start, here are a few of the most inspiring quotes I could find;

Make no small plans. They have no magic to stir humanity’s blood
and probably themselves will not be realized.
Make big plans; aim high in hope and work,
remembering that a noble, logical plan once recorded will never die,
but long after we are gone will be a living thing,
asserting itself with ever-growing insistency.
Remember that our sons and daughters are going to do things that will stagger us.
Let your watchword be order and your beacon, beauty.
Think big. Daniel Burnham

This quote makes me think that sometimes we don't reach our goals because they are not big enough or worthy of us. Therefore they lack the magic and motivation to move us forward.

"The man who follows the crowd, will usually get no further than the crowd. The man who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been before.
Creativity in living is not without its attendant difficulties, for peculiarity breeds contempt, and the unfortunate thing about being ahead of your time, is that, when people finally realize, you were right, they'll say it was obvious all along.
You have two choices; you can dissolve into the mainstream or you can be distinct.
To be distinct, you must be different. To be different, you must strive to be what no one else but you can be." Alan Ashley Pitt

Gives hope to us oddballs?

And finally my personal favorite...

"its not losing touch with my inner child, that I'm worried about. It's losing touch with my outer adult"

Eduardo

P.S. Feel free to let us know what your most inspiring quote is?

insignificant effort

a kind gesture
a smile
a gentle touch
to a wounded soul
your insignificant effort
can mean so much

to the lonely
to the depressed
feelings are so intense
your karma echoes
you changed your world
your pyschic reward
will be immense

Eduardo

Smile, it looks really good on you!

Just for today, be an observer!

"you can see a lot, just by watching" (Yogi Berra)

Just for one day, take up my challenge! I challenge you for one day, to be more than just a watcher, be an observer. Observe everything; people, animals, nature, television, buildings, movement.....anything and everything!

Try not to judge or impose your thinking on what you are observing....JUST OBSERVE! I think you will be surprised what you observe. As the Italian proverb says...

"to him that observes, everything is revealed"

Of course this will mean that you will hold back from making comments on what you observe. So the idea is that you will do only that talking which is absolutely necessary to function. This would be a major challenge for some people I know!

So what can you expect to get from this simple exercise? Well, amigos you will see others in an entirely different light. You will notice not so much what they say, but what they intended. You will see when people are hurt, happy and confused. You will notice how others are being treated. Mostly you will notice that what people say and what they are feeling can be entirely different.

You will learn to appreciate nature and everything around you in a way that you never saw before. The little things you never noticed before will become apparent. You will gain insights into what is happening in your world. And as a side benefit, the less you talk the more people will think you are intelligent and considerate. Just remember to not just listen but to observe.

What is the most interesting thing that you can observe? Yourself! Observe how you react to everything in your world. Now that can be a mind bender.

It's only for one day, so give it a try!

"Smile, it looks really good on you"

Eduardo

Clean up your life!

"hoarding (or some call it collecting) what is not essential, is actually just an outward manifestation of a fear of poverty"

How much do we really need? Have you ever noticed how much stuff we collect? How many times have you bought something, only to discover later, that you don't really use it?

We all in western civilization have more stuff than we need. Everything we accumulate that is not used becomes a restriction on our freedom. Stuff needs to protected, maintained, stored, cleaned, insured and takes up space. And then someone comes up with a newer and improved model and we collect more stuff. Usually, we keep the old stuff and we end up with more and more stuff.

Some measure their worth, by the amount and value of their stuff. These people need counseling. The way some folks boast about their possessions, is akin to thieves boasting after they have pillaged and plunder the defenceless innocents.

Have you ever noticed that the wisest and most enlightened humans that walked the face of the planet lived the simpliest lives? Now I'm not suggesting that I'm going to start walking around in a loin cloth and give away my belongings but I am going to start a program of 'daily decreasing'.

Everyday, for a 30 day trial period, I'm going to look for something to; give away, throw it out or sell it. I think it would be liberating to reduce the amount of stuff that I posess. Why don't you give it a try?

"it would be good if everyone learned to appreciate the simple things in life. And we simple things will be happy if you do"

Eduardo

Which is better...competition or creativity?

"why do we insist on trying to do things the hard way"

Most of us were raised to believe in the benefits of competition. If we worked a little harder or did something a little better than the next guy it would lead to some form of victory or success.

I now believe we would be better served if we changed our focus from competition to creativity. The end result would be that we become happier and more successful. Less stress and more reward.

Competition attempts to be like. In competition we analyze the opponent and copy what we think we see as successful. Then we try to do a little more or do it a little better. That sounds logical but there is a major flaw in that strategy. And that is that it breeds sameness. We end up trying to do the same thing only a little better.

The great achievors in life are focused on creativity. Creativity leads to newness. A new way to do things and not just a slightly better way. A totally new product instead of a slightly better one.

To create something is much more satisfying. It leads to whole new ways of doing things. It is exciting and not just a grind.

Competition is an outdated model that leads to modest gains. Creativity can blow the doors open and do what has never been done before.

The greatest things in life are those that you created!

Eduardo

Right now I'm using my creativity to create a shorter work week!

Good answers come from good questions...

"ask yourself questions that can only lead to a positive outcome"

Or you could say great answers come from great questions...let me explain. I often notice how different people respond to their life's problems.

Some begin with beating themselves up. Something in their life will go wrong and their first response is something like....

why me?
why am I so stupid,
or why do these things always keep happening to me?

You can see if you exam these questions that the answers are probably not going to be very much fun or instructive. It's this type of thinking that causes some to give up hope, when sometimes that is not necessary.

So what we need are empowering questions that can only lead to a positive answer. Here are a few examples...

* How can I turn this situation into an advantage for me?
* What can I learn from this?
* What is good about this?
* How have others handled this, in a better way?
* Who can help me?

"everyone deals with problems, most give up but some actually profit from their mistakes"

Eduardo

Never let go of hope. One day you will see that it all has finally come together. What you have always wished for has finally come to be. You will look back and laugh at what has passed and ask yourself... why did I let myself get so worked up?

Just when I was starting to think I was pretty smart...

"every once in awhile I get these great flashes of insight, only to later discover that insight and stupidity can look the same"

See the card above, I made that one up yesterday and thought to myself...'that's quite clever'.

My thinking was that if we looked for the fun and the humorous in everything, we might actually find it. I was very pleased with myself and set out to test my premise. All day long I was looking for the fun. When I met with clients I was in such a good mood, since I had put myself in the right frame of mind by looking for humor and fun. This was working really well until...

After work I headed to the lake, again to find the fun. Then disaster struck! I accidently knocked my brand spanking new expensive cell phone into the drink. As it gently floated away out of my reach, I thought to myself...'there's no damn fun in me right now'

This lake is the place where I go to find 'my happy place'.
And so far it has claimed 2 (yes I said 2) digital cameras and my new fancy cell phone from me! GRRRRR!

So I know what you wise guys are saying.....Eduardo, remember your line about...that's good because.....
well amigos, that's good because......I'll get back to you on that one.
On second thought, that's good because...it gave me something to blog about!

Smile, it looks really good on you!

Eduardo

My little magic cards

"let me share another great idea"

When I need ideas or want to concentrate on a particular thought, I make up these little cards you see pictured above. I put it where I can see it often (in the car or taped to my computer) This keeps me focused on one thought at a time (which is all my brain is capable of).

You can use this idea to help manifest the things you want or to work on a negative habit.

You should try this! It is really simple and it works. If you want to share my little card, just right click on the image and download it onto to your desktop and print away. Or even better, make up your own and have something specific to your needs.

I used these cards on various articles throught this blog, so click on the home button and scroll through to see some examples! If you see one that will work for you, just right click on it and download it to your computer and print away.

Smile, it looks really good on you!

Eduardo

I was going through withdrawal....

"My computer caught a virus, and it left me speechless"

For the past couple of days I was without my soapbox (computer) lots to say and no way to get to the internet. It's amazing how dependent I have become on technology.

I tried jotting down some ideas on paper but habits are hard to change. But all is well and I'm baaaaack!

Eduardo

There are no secrets...

"of course I can keep a secret. It's the people I share it with that can't keep their big mouths shut"

Doing research for articles to write I keep coming across sites with titles like...
"the secret to success"
"the secret of happiness"
"10 secrets to finding love"
and on and on....

Now obviously this makes for a headline that attracts attention, however are they really secrets?

Personally I don't think so because nothing remains a secret for more than a few moments. We are by design blabber-mouths. We can't wait to share good news and especially bad news. It's built into our DNA.

Even the book and the movie THE SECRET is and was no secret in what the message was about. Much of the premise (the law of attraction) has been written about for hundreds of years. Millions of books had been sold on the topic before The Secret was released. It was in reality, extremely creative marketing and not any kind of secret!

Here is a quote from James Allen who was born in 1864 in England...

"dream lofty dreams; so shall you become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day become. Your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last reveil"

or how about this one, also from James Allen...

"our life is what our thoughts make it. A man (or a woman) will find that as he alters his thoughts towards things and other people, things and other people will alter towards him"

So there you have it, the premise of the best selling book and movie is hundreds of years old and the thoughts of James Allen, Lau-tzu, Buddha, Jesus, Aristotle, Confusious and many great thinkers have been copied, borrowed and swiped for centuries. NO secrets....just good marketing!

And if you are thinking of sharing a secret with a friend, consider this proverb...

"tell your friend a lie. If he or she keeps it secret, then tell them the truth"

Eduardo

The secret to a long life...revealed right here!

You may not realize it, but, just because you read this blog, you are going to be one the first people on the planet to find out about..

"The secret to a long healthy life"

This is a Truthteller exclusive! I will be applying for a patent on this remarkable idea, so don't try and steal it for profit!

This afternoon I had one of those eureka moments, and almost drove off the road. I was driving home and thinking about the Law of Attraction. For those few who don't know what that is, here is what everyone on the Internet is all abuzz about..

"what you think about most, is what you attract into your life"

Your subconcious mind is taking your predominant thoughts and manifesting them into reality. Stay with me, this gets interesting.

So I was thinking about what message your subconsious gets when you never or rarely laugh. It must be thinking....this is no fun, let's get out of here, as soon as we can. So then it starts manifesting a retreat from life (you die early) To do that it needs to manifest poor health.

Now what about a person who laughs a lot? Then the subconcious must be interpreting this as...this life thing is fun and easy, let's stick around as long as possible. And to keep you around for a long time, it needs to keep you healthy.

Brilliant logic right? I can see the future with Laughter and Longevity Schools springing up everywhere. Maybe we could franchise the idea and really cash in. You send me your money to invest and I'll (laugh all the way to the bank).

I'm feeling so good about this idea, I'll leave you with a couple of my favourite laughter quotes..

"I am thankful for laughter,

except when milk comes out of my nose" (Woody Allen)

and then there is this...

"the first day I found your blog Eduardo,

I couldn't stop laughing all day long.

One of these days, I think

I'm going to read it" (unknown)

Eduardo

P.S. This is a reprint of an article I wrote several months ago. I just re-discovered it and thought it worthy of posting again, I hope you enjoyed it!

Friends with benefits...

"a true friend is someone who thinks you are a 'good egg'
even though, he knows you are slightly cracked"
(Bernard Metzer)

Research has shown that those of us with good friends, will live longer and be happier and healthier. I don't need to quote any study because there have been so darn many to support this theory.

So lucky me, I've just finished a mini-vacation with some really great friends. Sad to see them go but looking forward to the next reunion with them.

Friends liven up your life with twisted jokes and embarassing stories. They are the source of my best belly laughs. They must be the world's best stress reliever.

Now just in case you looked at the above photo and got the idea that my friends are all females, sadly that is not so! It's just that the are so much better looking than their husbands and boyfriends and I wanted my site to look really good! And just in case you got the wrong idea from the article title...that's funny, but not so!

"many people will walk in and out of your life,
but only true friends show up with cold beer on a hot day"

Eduardo

"I wish you as many wacky friends as I have. As a matter of fact, if you want, I could lend you one"

Ok, the holiday is over...

regular blogging will resume tomorrow! I hope there is still someone out there that cares!

Eduardo

Advice from Dilbert

Here's some interesting career thoughts from Scott Adams, the guy who writes the Dilbert Cartoon\

If you want an average successful life, it doesn’t take much planning. Just stay out of trouble, go to school, and apply for jobs you might like. But if you want something extraordinary, you have two paths:

1. Become the best at one specific thing.
2. Become very good (top 25%) at two or more things.

The first strategy is difficult to the point of near impossibility. Few people will ever play in the NBA or make a platinum album. I don’t recommend anyone even try.

The second strategy is fairly easy. Everyone has at least a few areas in which they could be in the top 25% with some effort. In my case, I can draw better than most people, but I’m hardly an artist. And I’m not any funnier than the average standup comedian who never makes it big, but I’m funnier than most people. The magic is that few people can draw well and write jokes. It’s the combination of the two that makes what I do so rare. And when you add in my business background, suddenly I had a topic that few cartoonists could hope to understand without living it.

I always advise young people to become good public speakers (top 25%). Anyone can do it with practice. If you add that talent to any other, suddenly you’re the boss of the people who have only one skill. Or get a degree in business on top of your engineering degree, law degree, medical degree, science degree, or whatever. Suddenly you’re in charge, or maybe you’re starting your own company using your combined knowledge.

Capitalism rewards things that are both rare and valuable. You make yourself rare by combining two or more “pretty goods” until no one else has your mix. I didn’t spend much time with the script supervisor, but it was obvious that her verbal/writing skills were in the top tier as well as her people skills. I’m guessing she also has a high attention to detail, and perhaps a few other skills in the mix. Probably none of those skills are best in the world, but together they make a strong package. Apparently she’s been in high demand for decades.

At least one of the skills in your mixture should involve communication, either written or verbal. And it could be as simple as learning how to sell more effectively than 75% of the world. That’s one. Now add to that whatever your passion is, and you have two, because that’s the thing you’ll easily put enough energy into to reach the top 25%. If you have an aptitude for a third skill, perhaps business or public speaking, develop that too.

It sounds like generic advice, but you’d be hard pressed to find any successful person who didn’t have about three skills in the top 25%

Eduardo

P.S. So I'm sitting here thinking what am I in the top 25% for skills. Let's see...I'm definately top 25% when it comes to doing nothing, I'm might be flattering myself but I think I might be top 25% at writing and I'm not that great at anything else. So if I can make a career of being a lazy, no good writer.....then I think I'm going be rich!

Abundance without trying?

"it just makes sense that if you are full of gratitude, that you will receive more abundance"

There is a perfectly logical reason why feeling gratitude leads to abundance. By abundance I mean;

health
wealth
wisdom
love and
spiritual satisfaction

When you are feeling gratitude it gives you positive energy. In this state of positive feelings your mind is open and receptive to empowering ideas and thoughts. Even your brain chemistry changes as it is flooded with endorphins which produces a euphoric feeling. Anything is possible.

Its logical therefore that you can accomplish more from this state. Your thinking becomes more clear and productive. Those who practice gratitude also tend to be the happiest people on the planet.

In a state of gratitude you are feeling abundant. Your mind naturally loves this feeling and wants more of it. And since your mind wants more, it effortlessly begins looking for more to be grateful for. Thus, you find more abundance. More gratitude equals more abundance. Simple and logical!

By contrast those caught up in a 'lifetime pity party' have shut down their potential.

They have blocked the flow of energy and guaranteed that their misery will continue. Can you even think of one good thing you've ever accomplished when you were feeling sorry for yourself? The negative depressed feeling sorry for himself or herself person is more apt to want to crawl into bed and withdraw from the world.

So get into the gratitude habit. It's really easy. Here's how...

Just before you go to sleep and when you first awake your mind tends to be quieter and more clear. You are more receptive to universal thought. This is the times of your day when it is easiest and most productive to attract positive empowering messages.

These 'golden moments' are the ideal time to practice gratitude. It's as simple as thinking of 3 things that you experienced in that day (evening) or previous day (morning) that you can feel gratitude for. That way you will go to sleep and wake up with positive energy.

Keep some paper and pen beside your bed to write down any thoughts or ideas that might be productive for you. There it's that simple!

"Life was meant to be fun, easy and over-flowing with abundance"

Eduardo