From Slave Camp To Freedom

“Shared by Carla”

It was a lush green open road in Eastern Canada, with the mountains on my left and the sparkling blue ocean on my right. My husband, Denis, is ex-military and had lived a good portion of his career on the east coast of Canada, so when we discussed where we might go on vacation this particular summer, we chose Nova Scotia so that I could finally see Peggy’s Cove. I’d never been there and besides, I joked, it was named after me!

So finally, we were here, and Denis was driving. And as much as the view was breathtaking, what was I doing? I was sitting in the passenger seat with my head down, my nose in my iPhone as I attempted to return the gazillion emails that had been pouring in as usual while I was on my vacation.

Vacation? Yeah right! I don’t think I knew what a vacation was. My husband Denis had to plead with me to get me to look out of the window!

A year before we took this east coast trip, we had enjoyed a vacation at a beautiful five-star resort in Kona, Hawaii. Prior to that trip, Denis asked me, “Honey, are you planning to take your laptop and iPhone with you?” He knew they were part of my anatomy and just like my arm or leg, they go everywhere with me. So while he wasn’t crazy about my taking them along, he accepted it. I decided to set some boundaries on my technology use, figuring I probably shouldn’t go on another vacation with my eyes glued to an electronic screen instead of locked into my husbands’! I would not check email on either my laptop or my iPhone during our hours together when we were both awake. Because Denis sleeps more than I do, I would check email in the early morning hours after I got up when he was still sleeping. It worked out well, and I realized that having to contain my technology us e wasn’t a problem and in fact, made it easier for me to be fully present when he and I were together.

But despite my best efforts to rein in my technology habits in Peggy’s Cove, I let them get the better of me. At last, I had an epiphany. Technology is for me to use to accomplish my goals—it’s not there for it to use me! I needed to disconnect from it and reconnect to my husband, myself… to life!

It’s especially challenging for me to unplug from my devices and plug into family, friends, and myself because of the nature of my work. As an author-preneur and internet marketer, I get to enjoy the blessings of running my own business. My friend Sandy Gallagher says, “Technology gives us freedom,” and I completely agree. I have lots of control over my own time. It’s no wonder that several of my clients have become good friends. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with authors and entrepreneurs who are dedicated to bringing light and love into the world.

If I want to spend an entire day with my two-year-old grandson James because I’m hungry for a “James Day,” I can do it—as long as my son, Michel, and my daughter-in-law, Kayla, are okay with it. I have freedom, independence, and choice. I’m extremely fortunate, and every day I write in my journal about what I’m grateful for. But the truth is that like everyone, I have to be aware of how easy it is to get sucked in by technology devices, email, social media, and text and phone calls from other people that aren’t necessarily my priority. I’ve had to learn to contain my use of communication technology, and life is better because of it. How about you?

By Peggy McColl

Peggy can help you to realize your success (both mentally, spiritually, and in “the real world”), whatever your chosen field may be!  Whether you want to build your business, publish your book, or make money online, Peggy has the proven track record and over 25 years of experience to help you achieve your goals.

“Shared by Carla”

Have you ever wondered how children can sit through replay after replay of their favorite Lion King or Little Mermaid video? It amazes me that they’ll voluntarily watch the same show every day without a single complaint or request for something new.

What’s more amazing, though, is that adults do the very same thing with their days.

The majority of men and women play “movies” in their heads again and again, relentlessly focusing on the review of past events, most of which are unpleasant and disturbing experiences that have come their way.

If they’re actually able to stop their contemplation of past events, they allow impressions of their current surroundings and results to govern their lives. And, once in a while for variety’s sake, they’ll contemplate the future by either worrying about it, or daydreaming and wishing that something better might come along. And then they wonder why bad things keep happening to them, or why they never rise above the issues and obstacles in their lives.

Frankly, they would be better off watching The Lion King 40 times a day – because at least then, they’d be immersed in a creative and upbeat, positive process. See, most people have never learned how to “program” creative and upbeat “movies” in their heads because they’ve never been taught the value of creative visioning and purposeful thinking.

If you doubt me, listen to the varied conversations going on around you. Sadly enough, I can readily predict that you’ll hear a Dante’s nightmare of disconnected thoughts with very little effort put forth in carrying on a purposeful (much less positively-minded) conversation. While it is true that people are free to think anything they please, as long as they remain set in their ways, there is very little that can be done to change the unpleasant experiences that keep cropping up in their lives.

There is, however, a strong movement that is stirring the multitudes into a new conception of living. The study of the mind – and its veritable unearthly power – is at last taking its proper place in modern civilization. Proper use of the mind and its various faculties will give you anything you choose – but the emphasis here is on the word “proper.” To move in this favored direction requires study and focused, consistent effort … with a good measure of creative juices stirred in.

In the classic movie, Miracle on 34th Street, Kris Kringle tells young Susie Walker she can become whatever she chooses through the aid of her imagination. Kris went on to explain, the “Imagi-Nation” is a place we can all go … just like the British nation or the French Nation.

Although this may seem a cute line from a movie, it’s also a very healthy way to view the imagination.

Your mind is a place you can purposely go to. And FREE WILL is your passport. No one is ever refused entry. There are no borders or limits put on the size of what can be built. And best of all, it’s a universal nation that allows all of us citizenry!

Just as the oak tree develops from the gene that lies within the acorn, and a bird develops from the gene that lies asleep in the egg, so too will your achievements grow from the organized plans that first begin with your imagination. An image in your mind is the first stage of the creative process in life. From your imagination your visions and plans arise.

In his bestselling book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill wrote, “You will never have a definite purpose in life; you will never have self-confidence; you will never have initiative and leadership unless you first create these qualities in your imagination and see yourself in possession of them.” He went on to say that, “… imagination is the most marvelous, miraculous, inconceivably powerful force the world has ever known.”

Now, let’s use our imagination and start to build a picture. I want to introduce you to an interesting concept that I have taught in my seminars for years. If you grasp this concept to the fullest, you can BE, HAVE or DO anything your heart desires … and I mean anything.

I want to talk about Fantasy – Theory – Fact. The premise underlying this concept is that everything has its origination in the form of Fantasy, which some adventurous soul dared turn into a theory and then became bold enough to turn into a fact. The entire transition, of course, is the result of the highest form of positive thinking, concentration and what could very easily be construed as erratic behavior.

Give this serious thought for a moment. The idea of moon landings, communicating by email, traveling on jets, cellular phones or wearing synthetic garments was, a very short time ago, sheer fantasy. Today, they are considered commonplace. How did that happen? Well let’s take a few moments and give it some thought.

This entire cosmos is filled with thought stuff – a creative form of energy. Your marvelous mind has factors that you can, with little effort, develop to use to improve the quality of life, not just for yourself, but for human kind. Imagination is one of those creative faculties.

The individuals who were responsible for the conception and creation of the email, cell phones and any of the thousands of modern conveniences we enjoy today had a highly developed imagination. Furthermore, they were not easily influenced by the opinions of the masses, the naysayers who historically have criticized and ridiculed anything they do not understand. These pioneers used their mental faculties to fantasize, to build wild and wonderful pictures in their mind. Then, holding their thought with their will, they began to watch their fantasy unfold into a theory and then into fact. They seemed to have an innate awareness that if they could visualize it, they could do it.

Hence, the fantasy was turned into a theory followed by thoughts of how they could, not why they couldn’t. That is how we got out of the cave and into the condominium.

Let your mind play. Fantasize a much better form of life than you presently enjoy. Try it – you’ll like it! Draft your future with imagination, ponder and calculate with intelligence and awareness, then knit it carefully with care.

Your mental growth or development will determine what the future holds for you. Go to your mental nation and build a beautiful picture of where you want to find yourself one year from today. Then, devise paths and find tools to help get you there.

A few ideas:

• Design an effective program for your own personal development.
• Build a worthwhile library.
• Make a list of 12 good books you will read and refer to – one each month.
• Select programs that will help you understand the awesome powers you possess and how to utilize those powers in practical ways to improve the quality of your life.
• Commit to reaching new goals. The only barrier separating you from your goal is ignorance – ignorance of how simple … and simply powerful … your mind really is.
• Replace the ignorance with knowledge. And replace your old movies with the movies you’ve always wanted to write – they’re there, just waiting for you in your Imagi-Nation.

Use your imagination.

By Bob Proctor

For millions of people, Bob Proctor’s name is synonymous with “success.” And he is  known as America’s greatest prosperity teacher. How did Bob come so far? He is linked to the forefathers of the personal development movement going back to 1908:

“Shared by Carla McNeil”

“Shared by Carla”

I have always wanted to live in California. In 1989, after graduating with my certification in elementary education from Clark University, I packed my car with everything I owned and headed West to follow my dreams.

I set off on my adventure in February and took the southern route from Boston to California. I was so excited to find a fun place to live, get a great teaching job, and start my new life! The trip was fantastic. I visited all sorts of friends and family along the way. Once I reached California, I got scared. The fear of doing it all on my own was so strong that it pulled me back home to the safety of my family.

I moved back home with my mother, in Boston, and eased into my teaching career.  Like others who abandon their dreams, I had to push away that ever-present feeling of regret that I didn’t stay in California. The regret became more distant but it never really disappeared.

Fast forward, ten years later, I was still in Boston and getting my masters degree, when my mother was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. I became her primary care giver. It turned my life upside down, and yet I cherished the time I was able to spend with her.

When my mother passed away, I was devastated. It underscored the rut I was living in. I wasn’t satisfied with my job, or anything, really. I felt stuck, and my heart KNEW there was something else.

A decade later, in 2009, I went to a personal development workshop. The facilitator asked: “What’s something that you’ve tamped down, pushed away and told yourself, ‘No I can’t do that’?”

What immediately surfaced was going to California. It had been 20 years since my cross-country journey. That very moment, I decided to go back. Instantaneously, I felt the weight of regret from all those years lifted. I was so excited!

That night, I woke up to the “old, nagging” voice of doubt and fear: “Who the hell are you? You can’t do this. You have a perfectly good job; your family and friends are here. What will you do? Are you nuts?”

Then another voice appeared (from the movie, “The Princess Bride”): “My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!”

I thought I was going crazy. The voice kept repeating that phrase over and over again. What was going on?

All of a sudden I heard myself saying, “My name is Ruth Wishengrad, you killed my spirit, prepare to die!”

The voice of doubt kept echoing in my mind. So I screamed louder, “My name is Ruth Wishengrad, you killed my spirit, prepare to die!” I kept repeating this until the “You can’t do this” and the “Who do you think you are” voices were gone.

Finally! I heard what my heart wanted me to do. I was going to California, no matter what. I didn’t know WHERE in California I was moving to, or WHAT I was going to do, I just knew I was doing it.

Once I made the decision, things started showing up to support my dream. My friend, Kate, said she had some vacation time and would love to accompany me. Then another friend said I could ship my car to where she lived in Arizona. Amazing things continued to appear.

It felt like that scene in “Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade”, where he stood at the edge of the cliff, not knowing what would happen, and knowing that if he didn’t take that step into the unknown, it would spell disaster for him and everyone else. So he took the step, and the path magically appeared before him. This kept happening over and over for me. Every time I would stop, listen and say YES to me, things showed up, every time. I kept ‘taking a leap of faith’.

A year after I moved to California, an opportunity came for me to take a songwriting class for free. I was terrified to take it. I couldn’t even press ‘send’ on the registration form because my hand shook. What was I afraid of? The class was free, after all. Maybe I was afraid to let myself become who I truly wanted to become. I couldn’t let myself be afraid of that, could I?

So, once again, I took that leap into the unknown, and the rewards have kept coming ever since. That was the beginning of my breaking free of my fears and allowing my voice to be heard in so many ways.

It was fifteen years ago this week that my mom passed away. Back then, I was devastated and thought my life was over.

In the last year, since I have found what makes me happy and makes my heart sing, my mom has been visiting me more often in my dreams. It feels fitting to honor my mom’s passing with the birth of my dream. I was determined to make a change and live the life I love and I HAVE!

I’m now a singer and songwriter, creating music that heals and touches the lives of children and adults. I call them Songs to Change Your Tune™.

What dream have you been putting on hold? Take the leap of faith and your life will never be the same.

By Ruth Wishengrad

“Shared by Carla McNeil”

A life-changing trip opens a U.S. teen’s eyes to the beauty and struggles of a far-off land… and the universal secret to true happiness

Recently, I was given an amazing opportunity: the chance to join my mom on a trip to rural Kenya.

When I was asked if I wanted to take this trip a couple of months ago, I didn’t know much about it, or what to expect. I only knew we were representing the Proctor Gallagher Institute, and that we would be observing the progress the Unstoppable Foundation has made toward building schools and sustainable communities with the resources the Proctor Gallagher Institute has been contributing.

“Sure,” I thought. “Why not?” It sounded like a fun adventure, something new and different.

I soon realized it was going to be much, much more than that. By the end of my first day, I knew that this was going to be an experience that would change me forever.

Within moments of landing at the airstrip in Narok, Kenya, we were greeted by James, a Maasai Warrior.  With his beaming smile and warm welcome, I liked him right away. We arrived in camp and were met with singing and more smiling faces. In fact, smiling faces were a constant theme throughout the trip.

The camp we stayed at is run by Me to We/Free the Children. We would begin and end our days at camp with local Maasai and Kipsigi tribe members assisting us with everything. What I noticed at the camp was the same thing I noticed right away at the schools: these people are 100% present when they are with you. We were without Internet or cell service and had electricity for only an hour in the morning and two hours at night. My mom and I turned off our phones and computers and didn’t touch them again until our departure. I think this made us more present as well.

We ended each day by gathering together with the group and sharing the highlight of our day. This was a challenge for me at first, since I was the only non-adult. But it was so interesting to hear everyone truly open their hearts to each other and learn how they were affected by the things they had observed that day. It wasn’t long before I was ready to join in.

On the way to our first school visit, we passed lots and lots of people walking barefoot with loads on their backs or heads, and children walking in torn clothing herding cows. The work they were engaged in looked difficult and tiring, yet every person we passed turned with a bright smile and energetic wave. We were met at this first school by large groups of children that gathered confidently around me, hugging, smiling, holding my hand, asking me questions, and laughing. I was able to connect with these kids with ease; they loved to have their photo taken and then see it on the screen.

After the visit, my cheeks ached from smiling so much. I have never experienced so much unfiltered joy.

It was easy to feel bad about how little these kids have. They lack many of the most basic necessities — things that we in the West take for granted, like clean running water and electricity. Being on this trip gave me a new appreciation for what I have, and how easy my life is in comparison to the lives of so many others, not just in Kenya, but around the world.

Yet it was also impossible not to notice their joy and playfulness in spite of their circumstances. It made me realize that joy is an inside job. You don’t need a fancy phone or the newest car or the latest clothes to be happy. Surrounding yourself with people you care about, enjoying and celebrating everyday moments—that is the real secret to happiness, and the best way to live your life.

This trip also stirred a passion inside of me that I didn’t know existed. Watching and listening to the Unstoppable team and the facilitators at Free the Children talk about their work and goals opened my eyes to the possibility of working in developing countries myself someday, to help secure the safe and healthy living standards that all human beings deserve.

Today, back home in the U.S., my thoughts are filled with memories of our journey. I can still hear the laughter, see the uninhibited smiles and feel the hugs I received from strangers welcoming me into their community and world. These are moments I will never forget. I am so grateful to have gone on this trip, and I know without a doubt that it was only my first of many visits to this beautiful land and its people. I have been touched forever.

By Emma Combs