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		<title>Say Goodbye to Every Year the Right Way</title>
		<link>http://misticcafe.com/2011/12/say-goodbye-to-every-year-the-right-way/</link>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:20:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>amandahb</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Broadening Your Horizons]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[Many of us can&#8217;t wait to say goodbye to 2011 because it was a year filled with heartache, financial ruin, devastation, etc. To put it bluntly, it was one hell of a year! Luckily, 2012 is right around the corner &#8230; <a href="http://misticcafe.com/2011/12/say-goodbye-to-every-year-the-right-way/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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<p>Many of us can&#8217;t wait to say goodbye to 2011 because it was a year filled with heartache, financial ruin, devastation, etc. To put it bluntly, it was one hell of a year! Luckily, 2012 is right around the corner and you can begin anew. However, before you dash out of 2011, you may want to conduct an ending ritual. It&#8217;s a way for you to contemplate what happened in 2011 and how you want 2012 to be different. Warning: This will take honesty. If you&#8217;re not willing to take an honest look at 2011, whatever ritual you do won&#8217;t work.</p>
<p>I purchased <a href="http://store.ohotto.com/endings-a-conscious-inventory-and-release-of-last-year-p161.aspx" target="_blank">Robert Ohotto&#8217;s Endings: A Conscious Inventory and Release of Last Year</a> and conducted my ending ritual today. I had a lot of baggage to release, again. I was amazed at what came up and am determined to make 2012 a great year! No more excuses, no more giving advice when someone doesn&#8217;t ask for it, no more worrying because it only creates more worrying; no more people pleasing, no more worrying what this or that person will take, and no more B.S. in my life!</p>
<p>If you really want to start 2012 on the right foot, consider purchasing Robert&#8217;s Endings MP3 download. It could change your life now and in the future.</p>
<p><strong>Wishing You and Yours a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!</strong></p>
<p>Amandah</p>
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		<title>Thornton Wilder&#8217;s Our Town Teaches You to Appreciate Life</title>
		<link>http://misticcafe.com/2011/12/thornton-wilders-our-town-teaches-you-to-appreciate-life/</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:00:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>amandahb</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Healthy and Well]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[Recently, I re-read Thornton Wilder&#8216;s Our Town. I read this play when I was in high school. But like most teenagers, I never really paid attention to it. I rediscovered Our Town by watching an episode of My So Called &#8230; <a href="http://misticcafe.com/2011/12/thornton-wilders-our-town-teaches-you-to-appreciate-life/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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<p>Recently, I re-read <a class="zem_slink" title="Thornton Wilder" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thornton_Wilder" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank">Thornton Wilder</a>&#8216;s <em><a class="zem_slink" title="Our Town" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Town" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank">Our Town</a></em>. I read this play when I was in high school. But like most teenagers, I never really paid attention to it. I rediscovered <em>Our Town</em> by watching an episode of <em>My So Called Life</em> on Netflix. Rayanne, <a class="zem_slink" title="My So-Called Life" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108872/" rel="imdb" target="_blank">Angela Chase</a>&#8216;s party animal of a friend, tries out for their high school production of <em>Our Town</em> and is cast as Emily and delivers a remarkable performance. It was a tear-jerker.</p>
<p><strong>Synopsis of Our Town</strong></p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/ourtown/summary.html" target="_blank">Our Town</a></em> is introduced and narrated by the Stage Manager who welcomes the audience to the fictitious town of Grover&#8217;s Corner, New Hampshire on a May morning in 1901. The stage is sparse and the Stage Manager introduces the characters; they pantomime their activities and chores throughout the play. The &#8216;big event&#8217; of George Gibbs and Emily Webbs wedding happens in Act II. The &#8216;bigger event&#8217; of Emily&#8217;s death in childbirth happens in Act III. The audience sees the town gathered in the cemetery for Emily&#8217;s funeral. They also see the deceased residents of Grover&#8217;s Corners at the funeral who <em>try</em> to warn Emily not to go back and observe her childhood. Emily realizes they were right after she sees her and her family and how they really weren&#8217;t &#8216;present&#8217; in each other&#8217;s lives.</p>
<p><strong>What Our Town Can Teach You about Life</strong></p>
<p>It&#8217;s in Act III where Emily realizes that the residents of Grover&#8217;s Corner don&#8217;t realize life while living it. They hurry through their days without noticing what&#8217;s happening around them; they brush-off their children because they&#8217;re too busy preparing meals or cleaning. They don&#8217;t stop to savor their food and drink, clothing, sleeping, etc. They won&#8217;t know how much they missed until they die and then it will be too late.</p>
<p>Today, most people waste time in various ways from being couch potatoes to hurrying about from one place to the other. They play video games instead of getting outside in the sunshine and exercising. They waste time worrying about this and that; they waste time being lazy. <em>To quote Simon Stimson, &#8220;they move about in a cloud of ignorance; to go up and down trampling on the feelings of those &#8230; of those about you. To spend and waste time as though you had a million of years.&#8221;</em> I couldn&#8217;t have said it better.</p>
<p><em>Our Town</em> may have been published in 1938, but its message is applicable today. If people don&#8217;t realize what a precious gift life is, they&#8217;ll have regrets on their deathbed. They&#8217;ll have wished they did this or that; wished they would have taken more risks; wished they would have taken a job opportunity in another state or country; and so forth. Don&#8217;t allow this to happen to you! Pickup a copy of <em>Our Town</em> and learn from the people in Grover&#8217;s Corners. Allow Emily&#8217;s spirit to teach you that life is in the here and now. Once it&#8217;s gone, that&#8217;s it. There&#8217;s no coming back and rejoining the human race.</p>
<p>Amandah</p>
<h6 class="zemanta-related-title" style="font-size: 1em;"><strong>Related articles</strong></h6>
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</ul>
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		<title>Interview with Farouk Radwan of 2 Know Myself &#8212; Part II</title>
		<link>http://misticcafe.com/2011/12/interview-with-farouk-radwan-of-2-know-myself-part-ii/</link>
		<comments>http://misticcafe.com/2011/12/interview-with-farouk-radwan-of-2-know-myself-part-ii/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 11 Dec 2011 12:00:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>amandahb</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Healthy and Well]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[Here&#8217;s Part II of my interview with Farouk Radwan, owner of 2 Know Myself.com, a website that offers visitors practical solutions to most life problems.  About Farouk Farouk Radwan is the founder of 2knowmyself.com, the one who wrote all the 2000+ &#8230; <a href="http://misticcafe.com/2011/12/interview-with-farouk-radwan-of-2-know-myself-part-ii/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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<p><strong>Here&#8217;s Part II of my interview with Farouk Radwan, owner of <a href="http://www.2knowmyself.com" target="_blank">2 Know Myself.com</a>, a website that offers visitors practical solutions to most life problems. </strong></p>
<p><strong>About Farouk</strong></p>
<p><strong></strong><em>Farouk Radwan is the founder of 2knowmyself.com, the one who wrote all the 2000+ articles found on the website and the author of all 2knwomyself.com&#8217;s books.</em></p>
<p><em>He’s a <a class="zem_slink" title="Motivational speaking" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivational_speaking" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank">motivational speaker</a> and trainer, he is studying psychology since he was 17, in addition he is the owner of the company <a class="zem_slink" title="Empowerment" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empowerment" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank">Empowerment</a> (based in Egypt) which is specialized in delivering <a class="zem_slink" title="Personal development" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_development" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank">personal development</a> courses to individuals and corporations.</em></p>
<p><em>Learn more about Farouk Radwan at <a href="http://www.2knowmyself.com/" target="_blank">2 Know Myself.com</a>.</em></p>
<p><strong>Interview Questions</strong></p>
<p><strong>1.</strong> <strong>I noticed the article category titled “Attraction <a class="zem_slink" title="Psychology" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychology" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank">Psychology</a>.” What is it? How does it work? </strong></p>
<p>All research findings have shown that attraction, like any other process, is governed by rules. If someone managed to know these rules then certainly he will be able to use them to attract others to him.</p>
<p>The Attraction psychology section in the site attempts to explain how attraction works. It also contains practical advice that can help people attract friends or even lovers to them.</p>
<p><strong>2.</strong> <strong>The book <em>How to make someone fall in love with you</em> (Based on the psychology of falling in love) sounds intriguing. If someone doesn’t want to fall in love with you, how healthy is it to <em>make</em> someone fall in love with you? How effective is it for long-term relationships? If someone <em>brain washes</em> another into falling in love with them; wouldn’t the relationship be considered fake or false? What happens when ‘reality’ sets in? </strong></p>
<p>People always ask me that question because it touches an important ethical point. Any kind of knowledge can either be used in a good way or a bad way. For example, if you really love someone then you will have to change personality in order to appeal to him instead of fooling him just to let him believe that you are the one he is looking for.</p>
<p>The previous advice covers half of the techniques in the book. The <strong>second important point</strong> is that sometimes the main reason people fail to attract others is that they do behavioral mistakes. By changing their behavior permanently in such a way that makes them more attractive they will manage to attract the person they love and they won’t be fooling anybody.</p>
<p><strong>3.</strong> <strong>What do you hope visitors gain from visiting to 2 Know Myself? </strong></p>
<p>I really wish to make people live better lives. If someone was feeling really bad, and I managed to life his mood even a little bit then I will feel really happy.</p>
<p>I want people to learn how to deal with their emotional problems so that they can live happier lives.</p>
<p><strong>4.</strong> <strong>What is your personal philosophy?</strong></p>
<p>Life is like a battle, only those carrying swords cut their way through.</p>
<p>In other words, life is not simple. It was not designed for the lazy or for the coward. If you want to reach what you want in life then you must be brave and start fighting back.</p>
<p><strong>5.</strong> <strong>Anything you’d like to add? </strong></p>
<p>Well it&#8217;s not about me but it&#8217;s about you. I think your blog, <a href="http://www.misticcafe.com" target="_blank">MisticCafe.com</a> is really helping people as well and that’s why it caught my attention. I am really happy that I got this chance to know you. Just keep up the good work. <img src='http://misticcafe.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><em>I&#8217;d like to thank Farouk for his interview. I found his website to be very useful and refreshing because it offers practical solutions to life&#8217;s problems. I love science and like how Farouk ties in psychology and science within his materials.</em>  ~ Amandah</p>
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		<title>Interview with Farouk Radwan of 2 Know Myself &#8212; Part I</title>
		<link>http://misticcafe.com/2011/12/interview-with-farouk-radwan-of-2-know-myself-part-i/</link>
		<comments>http://misticcafe.com/2011/12/interview-with-farouk-radwan-of-2-know-myself-part-i/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 10 Dec 2011 12:00:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>amandahb</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Healthy and Well]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Just Think]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Motivation and Inspiration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tips and Tricks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forgiveness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Happiness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health and Wellness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Interpersonal Relationship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law of Attraction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mind and Soul]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self-esteem]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[Here&#8217;s Part I of my interview with Farouk Radwan, owner of 2 Know Myself.com, a website that offers visitors practical solutions to most life problems.  About Farouk Farouk Radwan is the founder of 2knowmyself.com, the one who wrote all the &#8230; <a href="http://misticcafe.com/2011/12/interview-with-farouk-radwan-of-2-know-myself-part-i/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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<p><strong>Here&#8217;s Part I of my interview with Farouk Radwan, owner of <a href="http://www.2knowmyself.com" target="_blank">2 Know Myself.com</a>, a website that offers visitors practical solutions to most life problems. </strong></p>
<p><strong>About Farouk</strong></p>
<p><strong></strong><em>Farouk Radwan is the founder of 2knowmyself.com, the one who wrote all the 2000+ articles found on the website and the author of all 2knwomyself.com&#8217;s books.</em></p>
<p><em>He’s a motivational speaker and trainer, he is studying psychology since he was 17, in addition he is the owner of the company Empowerment (based in Egypt) which is specialized in delivering <a class="zem_slink" title="Personal development" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_development" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank">personal development</a> courses to individuals and corporations.</em></p>
<p><em>Learn more about Farouk Radwan at <a href="http://www.2knowmyself.com/" target="_blank">2 Know Myself</a>.</em></p>
<p><strong>Interview Questions</strong></p>
<p><strong>1.</strong> <strong>What as the motivation behind creating 2 Know Myself? Why did you create the website?</strong></p>
<p>I was passionate about psychology and after reading for years I felt that I have something to deliver to people through my writings. Honestly, I had the intention of making it an internet business since the first day I started.</p>
<p><strong>2.</strong> <strong>What makes 2 Know Myself different from other personal development and or self-help websites? </strong></p>
<p>2knowmyself offers <strong>practical solutions</strong> to most life problems. You can hardly find an advice on 2knowmyself that is just based on a theory or my personal analysis, but instead you will only find practical advice that is backed by research findings and real life experiments.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>2A.</strong> <strong>What do you think of the ‘new age’ movement in the 21<sup>st</sup> century? Can people really transform their lives by reading popular books like <em>The Secret</em> and others like it? Is it that easy to ‘think a thought’ and change your life? Or, is there actually work involved? </strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Of course, I believe people can dramatically change their lives through books and personal development. However, when it comes to <em>The Secret</em> I strongly believe that <strong><a class="zem_slink" title="Optimism" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimism" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank">positive thinking</a> that is not backed by hard work and real life actions</strong> will not lead anywhere. Let&#8217;s suppose a person wants to lose weight, if he lied in bed and started imagining his ideal body he will only gain more weight unless he starts moving!</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">So &#8230; positive thinking, optimism and all of these factors can help the person who takes actions and not the one who lies in bed waiting for miracles to happen.</p>
<p><strong>3.</strong> <strong>What is <a class="zem_slink" title="Neuro-linguistic programming" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuro-linguistic_programming" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank">NLP</a> and how can it help people change their lives for the better? </strong></p>
<p>NLP in fact is not a new science; it&#8217;s just a collection of information that was already available before in the form of complex psychological principles. The people who came up with NLP simplified this complex information into simple techniques in such a way that allowed the average person to apply them and make impressive changes to his life.</p>
<p><strong>4.</strong> <strong>What would say is the “Number 1” obstacle in peoples’ lives? How can people overcome the obstacles in their lives?</strong></p>
<p>False beliefs! <strong>A human being can do whatever he believes he can do, that is the only weak point in the chain is his own belief system</strong>. Let’s suppose that I had to lift a heavy object in order to keep moving in the same direction. If I was a very powerful man but believed that I am weak, I will never try to lift the weight that is standing in my way and will become helpless.</p>
<p><span style="color: #333399;"><strong>In short, without false beliefs you can do miracles</strong></span>.</p>
<p><strong>This concludes Part I of my interview with Farouk. Part II of my interview with Farouk will post tomorrow.</strong></p>
<p><em>I&#8217;d like to thank Farouk for his interview. I found his website to be very useful and refreshing because it offers practical solutions to life&#8217;s problems. I love science and like how Farouk ties in psychology and science within his materials.</em>  ~ Amandah</p>
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		<title>Interview with Vanessa Lee from Smile Inside</title>
		<link>http://misticcafe.com/2011/12/interview-with-vanessa-lee-from-smile-inside/</link>
		<comments>http://misticcafe.com/2011/12/interview-with-vanessa-lee-from-smile-inside/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:45:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>amandahb</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Healthy and Well]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Just Think]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Motivation and Inspiration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forgiveness]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[The following is an interview with Vanessa Lee, owner of Smile Inside, a personal development organization that advocates for the wellbeing and personal development of youth. Vanessa Lee graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Education from Ohio University and was &#8230; <a href="http://misticcafe.com/2011/12/interview-with-vanessa-lee-from-smile-inside/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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<p><strong>The following is an interview with Vanessa Lee, owner of Smile Inside, a <a class="zem_slink" title="Personal development" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_development" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank">personal development</a> organization that advocates for the wellbeing and personal development of youth.</strong></p>
<p><em>Vanessa Lee graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Education from <a class="zem_slink" title="Ohio University" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.324,-82.094&amp;spn=1.0,1.0&amp;q=39.324,-82.094 (Ohio%20University)&amp;t=h" rel="geolocation" target="_blank">Ohio University</a> and was selected for an advanced program that provided extensive experience and training in innovative methods of teaching. She has over 300 hours of professional development along with additional training that has contributed to her knowledge in the field of personal development. </em></p>
<p><em>Ms. Lee developed and co-facilitated a mentoring program and developed and facilitated a grade 7 girls program at <a class="zem_slink" title="Debney Park Secondary College" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-37.7823,144.9328&amp;spn=0.01,0.01&amp;q=-37.7823,144.9328 (Debney%20Park%20Secondary%20College)&amp;t=h" rel="geolocation" target="_blank">Debney Park Secondary College</a>. She also worked with students and groups at The Grange Primary, Newport Gardens Primary, and Derrimut Primary and continued working for Mackillop Family Services on a freelance basis with individuals on social, emotional, and academic levels.</em></p>
<p><em>Vanessa’s experiences inspired her to develop and provide resources for professionals who work with youth as well as for parents and their children ages 5-12. Visit <a href="http://www.smileinside.com.au/" target="_blank">Smile Inside</a> to learn more. </em></p>
<p><strong>Interview Questions</strong></p>
<p><strong> 1. How did you come up with the idea for <a href=" http://www.smileinside.com.au " target="_blank">Smile Inside</a>? What was the inspiration for it? </strong></p>
<p>I started out teaching in Kansas City, Missouri and saw how social problems affected families which had an impact on learning in the classroom. I wanted to contribute to the world and thought if young people had all the tools they needed to deal with life then the social problems wouldn’t be so bad, families wouldn’t fall apart as much, and kids would embrace learning and follow their dreams. I believed that an ideal way to do this is through education in schools, but was disappointed when I learned over the years that the things I thought should be considered priorities were shoved to the side to make way for test preparation. How can a child be expected to learn if they are struggling emotionally? Another huge hindrance is that teachers just don’t have enough time, support or resources to manage to the best of their ability.</p>
<p>I was really inspired by the courses and camps that taught me about myself and made such a huge difference in my life in middle school and high school. I was disappointed to learn that these sorts of experiences weren’t accessible to everyone and that it just wasn’t a priority in the school curriculum. I feel it is in everyone’s best interest to have access to these types of programs and activities.</p>
<p>Smile Inside is about advocating for personal development in schools and providing the services and resources that schools’ and those who work with youth deserve and need.</p>
<p><strong>2. What do you think about the increase in bullying among today’s youth? Does Smile Inside educate youth about bullying? What about educating parents and educators about the short and long term effects of bullying? How can bullying be avoided in the future?</strong></p>
<p>I find bullying heartbreaking, especially among young people. I was a student welfare coordinator in a 7-12 high school in Australia for 3 years (similar to a counselor) which gave me a greater insight on how bullying affects lives. Victims need support and coping strategies which is a part of Smile Inside’s method, but this is only a band-aid approach. There is a disturbing lack of empathy in bullies, but there are also emotional issues which cause their behavior. One of my intentions in developing the Smile Inside programs and resources was to eliminate bullying behaviors. There are a number of reasons why bullies act out and they, along with everyone else, can benefit from support, guidance and positive attention. Some of the activities emphasize that everyone deserves respect by focusing on the development of empathy. Participants are also given the opportunity to express themselves, explore their self-talk, and learn coping skills. Other activities give individuals the confidence they need to battle insecurity which is often a cause of bullying.</p>
<p>I would hope that all parents and educators understand the importance of dealing with the bullying issue, but this is not always the case. In schools, most teachers do their best to stamp it out but again, lack of time, support and resources work against them. Parents sometimes get involved but they can go about it in the wrong way. Smile Inside’s main aim is to educate youth, but the anti-bullying strategies are communicated to teachers, and parents in most cases.</p>
<p>I think a reasonable way to abolish bullying is through focused detection and intervention efforts using a Restorative Justice approach. I also think a prevention/intervention effort using a “heal the bully” approach is effective. These kids are hurting so much on the inside that causing others suffering is one way they cope with what’s going on internally. One activity I do with youth is called, “The Problem with Villains”. It gets participants working out how to rationalize bullies’ behaviors and brainstorming solutions to solve the problem in a group situation where bullies are present, but not targeted. Once bullies realize their behavior may be coming from a problem in their life they are more likely to soften and be open to help and healing. This indirect approach is more effective than the confrontational, negative attention they receive when they ‘get in trouble.’ Schools need more support and resources to tackle this issue properly. This could be done with more government funding and by creating strong partnerships with organizations that specialize in this area.</p>
<p><strong>3. According to the website, “Smile Inside trains Educators, Student Welfare Coordinators, Youth Workers, Camp Counselors, Secondary School Nurses, and Chaplains to increase their effectiveness when working with groups of youth via peer observation.” What benefits have youth received as a result from Smile Inside working with people in the above fields?</strong></p>
<p>Professional development is a never-ending process to become the best we can be in our field. Gaining inspiration and new ideas from fresh approaches helps these professionals to hone their skills and try new things. The youth benefit because the ones they trust are enhancing the style of their interactions with them. A new tactic just may work with a child who before, they had problems reaching.</p>
<p><strong>4. How does Smile Inside help young people be true to themselves when parents, peers, society, etc. want them to be something they’re not? </strong></p>
<p>The Smile Inside philosophy maintains that an individual with an authentic sense of self, social skills, and resilience will be well-equipped to face life’s challenges and find success in all aspects of life. In other words, if they know and feel confident in who they are, they can remain true to their convictions and stand up to adversity when it comes their way whether that be in the form of a parent, a peer or an employer.</p>
<p>The soon to be independently-published resource, Smile Inside: Experiential Activities for Self-Awareness, Ages 14-15 specifically gives youth the space to develop their sense of self. It helps them to explore their mind, needs, values, morals, perception of self, emotions, abilities, interactions with others and interests through activities, reflection, and discussion.</p>
<p><strong>5. Is it easier for youths to master their behaviors and minds versus adults? What can adults learn from today’s youth in this area?</strong></p>
<p>This is a difficult question to answer as everyone is unique. I am not so sure that age is a factor; some are more ready than others depending on many conditions. I do believe if young people are given access to techniques that will support their ability to master their behaviors and minds they have a definite advantage in succeeding in life.</p>
<p>Adults can learn so much in all areas from youth if they are willing to listen. Young people have a lot to offer and there is much to gain from their perspective. As far as learning to slow down, focus and follow our hearts, let’s hope we can be inspired by whoever is doing so, child, teen or adult.</p>
<p><strong>6. What is your ‘personal philosophy’ for life? </strong></p>
<p>Love, peace, and happiness. <img src='http://misticcafe.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><strong>7. Anything you’d like to add? </strong></p>
<p>I am very excited to finally be publishing two resources that I have been working on since the age of 14. I have been collecting all the activities that have made a positive impact on me and have been testing, revising and creating even more since. They are in the form of handbooks for those who work with youth titled, Smile Inside: Experiential Activities for Self-Awareness Ages 12-14 and Smile Inside: Experiential Activities for Self-Awareness Ages 14-15. I am also in the process of trialing a resource for parents which is a positive reinforcement system for children, ages 5-12.</p>
<p><strong>How Can Vanessa Lee and Smile Inside Help?</strong></p>
<p><strong>I’m a kid coach</strong>: In primary schools I get to see them in action in the classroom and work with them in and outside of the classroom on academics, social skills and self awareness. In the past, I have also worked with middle school aged students in relatively the same manner. At the present, I am also being contracted to work with individuals, mostly young people who are having academic, social, and emotional difficulties. Quite a few of them are in foster care or residential units.</p>
<p><strong>Counseling</strong>: When I work one-on-one with young people in an academic setting whether it be at a school or private tutoring, I find that part of the job is counseling. I like to empower young people with skills that help them become who they truly want to be. If their goal is negative, I strive to steer them towards a more positive outcome through a variety of methods. Having individuals looking at their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual (if appropriate) levels of self is a wonderful base to help them realize their potential.</p>
<p><strong>Meditation and Yoga</strong>: I trained as a yoga instructor and I use what I have learned to help others. Silencing the mind, using a mantra to focus, slowing the breath, creative visualization and using balancing poses to focus are all techniques that I incorporate into helping youth to learn self-awareness.</p>
<p><strong>Visit <a href=" http://www.smileinside.com.au " target="_blank">Smile Inside</a> to learn more about Vanessa Lee and her organization.</strong></p>
<p>Amandah</p>
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		<title>What&#8217;s the Point of Life?</title>
		<link>http://misticcafe.com/2011/11/whats-the-point-of-life/</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>amandahb</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[A very &#8216;short anecdote&#8217; based on the 10 random words from Writing Prompts – Creative Copy Challenge #194. Posted: 17 Nov 2011 08:02 AM PST Put Point Bizarre Weave Spiral Weird Goofy Pop Cult Fan “Oh what a tangled web we weave, &#8230; <a href="http://misticcafe.com/2011/11/whats-the-point-of-life/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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<p><strong>A very &#8216;short anecdote&#8217; based on the 10 random words from Writing Prompts – <a class="zem_slink" title="Creative Copy Challenge" href="http://www.creativecopychallenge.com/" rel="homepage" target="_blank">Creative Copy Challenge</a> #194. Posted: 17 Nov 2011 08:02 AM PST</strong></p>
<p>Put<br />
Point<br />
Bizarre<br />
Weave<br />
Spiral<br />
Weird<br />
Goofy<br />
Pop<br />
Cult<br />
Fan</p>
<p><em>“Oh what a tangled web we weave,<br />
When first we practise to deceive!”<br />
~ <a class="zem_slink" title="Walter Scott" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Scott" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank">Sir Walter Scott</a></em></p>
<p>Melanny pondered Sir Walter Scott’s words as she gazed at the ocean from the deck of her Malibu home. She’s been contemplating life since her childhood best friend Karrey overdosed a few weeks ago. Melanny tried to help her, but she couldn’t. No one could. <em>Life really is a spiral. We think we move backward, when in fact, we continue to move forward. How bizarre is that? What is the point of life?</em> She continued to stare at the ocean.</p>
<p><em>Karrey had a goofy, weird sense of humor – some people thought she was over the top. She loved The Cult and was a huge fan of music from the 1990s. Karrey loved alternative music but would listen to Pop music now and again. She was a free spirit through and through. Why did she have to put those damn drugs into her body?</em> Melanny was searching for answers that may never be answered.</p>
<p><em>Amandah T. Blackwell</em></p>
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		<title>Clearing Out the Albatrosses of Your Life</title>
		<link>http://misticcafe.com/2011/11/clearing-out-the-albatrosses-of-your-life/</link>
		<comments>http://misticcafe.com/2011/11/clearing-out-the-albatrosses-of-your-life/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 Nov 2011 12:00:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>amandahb</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[Short story based on Writing Prompts – Creative Copy Challenge #185 Posted: 17 Oct 2011 06:07 AM PDT Loquacious – talking or tending to talk much or freely; talkative; chattering; babbling; garrulous Sedentary Artistic Voracious Fluorescent Rad Delicious Rotund – &#8230; <a href="http://misticcafe.com/2011/11/clearing-out-the-albatrosses-of-your-life/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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<p><strong>Short story based on Writing Prompts – <a class="zem_slink" title="Creative Copy Challenge" href="http://www.creativecopychallenge.com/" rel="homepage" target="_blank">Creative Copy Challenge</a> #185</strong><br />
<strong> Posted: 17 Oct 2011 06:07 AM PDT</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Loquacious – talking or tending to talk much or freely; talkative; chattering; babbling; garrulous</li>
<li>Sedentary</li>
<li>Artistic</li>
<li>Voracious</li>
<li>Fluorescent</li>
<li>Rad</li>
<li>Delicious</li>
<li>Rotund – round in shape; rounded: ripe, rotund fruit</li>
<li>Decapitate</li>
<li>Slimy</li>
</ul>
<p>The loquacious people in her life are sedentary when it comes to cleaning up and taking responsibility for their lives. She, on the other hand, is artistic and rad.</p>
<p>Their <em>slimy energy</em> engulfs her; it’s like they have a <em>voracious appetite</em> for destroying her spirit. They’d like to decapitate her because they can’t stand how <em>delicious</em> her life is.</p>
<p>Their rotund faces are nothing more than masks hiding their anger, frustration and pain. Their happiness is artificial like fluorescent lights. Luckily, she knows how to clean her energy. She won’t be sucked into their drama.</p>
<p><em>Amandah T. Blackwell</em></p>
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		<title>How to Focus on What You Want</title>
		<link>http://misticcafe.com/2011/10/how-to-focus-on-what-you-want/</link>
		<comments>http://misticcafe.com/2011/10/how-to-focus-on-what-you-want/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:00:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rebecca</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[Let me ask you something: How well do you focus on what you want? If you&#8217;re like me, you watched The Secret and read the book but haven&#8217;t manifested the life of your dreams. If you&#8217;re like me, you probably &#8230; <a href="http://misticcafe.com/2011/10/how-to-focus-on-what-you-want/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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<p>Let me ask you something: How well do you focus on what you want? If you&#8217;re like me, you watched <em>The Secret</em> and read the book but haven&#8217;t manifested the life of your dreams. If you&#8217;re like me, you probably keep asking, &#8220;What am I doing wrong? Why isn&#8217;t the <a class="zem_slink" title="Law of Attraction" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Attraction" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank">law of attraction</a> working? How can I make it work for me?&#8221; I had a &#8216;light bulb&#8217; moment (Aha moments are so 2000s), and came across the <em><a href="http://www.intuitive-connections.net/2004/nondoing.htm" target="_blank">The Secret of Doing Without Doing</a></em> by Dr. Robert Anthony.</p>
<p><strong>How to focus on what you want</strong></p>
<p><strong>1. Think about what you want</strong>. Do you really and truly know what you want? You may <em>think</em> you know what you want, but you may actually not know what you want. Knowing what you want for your life is imperative. Write down everything you&#8217;d like from having peace of mind to a new home. Get clear about what you want.</p>
<p><strong>2. Tune-out the negative hype</strong>. I&#8217;m reading *<em><a href="http://outwittingthedevil.com/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_term=books%20by%20napoleon%20hill&amp;utm_campaign=Outwitting%20The%20Devil" target="_blank">Outwitting the Devil</a></em>, which is annotated by Sharon Lechter. You may be surprised how easy it is to &#8216;hypnotize&#8217; people with hype. Look at the media. If you constantly tune-in to the news or read the newspapers, you&#8217;re programming your subconscious for negativity.</p>
<p><strong>*</strong>Get the book from your library and read it. You&#8217;ll be amazed at what you read. The first two chapters are slow going; however, Chapter 3 <em>A Strange Interview with the Devil</em> will knock your socks off!</p>
<p><strong>3. Stop listening to others</strong>. You don&#8217;t have to focus on what you family and close friends think and say. If the people closest to you constantly whine and complain, it may be time to surround you with people who are like-minded.</p>
<p><strong>4. Learn to think for yourself</strong>. If you read <em>Outwitting the Devil</em>, you&#8217;ll learn how parents, teachers, religious leaders, bosses, co-workers, friends, etc. can easily influence your thoughts. I&#8217;ll use myself as an example. I was a rebellious child and teen. However, it wasn&#8217;t until a few years ago that I realized I was a &#8216;closet&#8217; people pleaser. I did everything my mother and father told me to do, even though it never felt right. I allowed my father to control and manipulate me for a long time. It wasn&#8217;t until he got sick that the &#8216;wheels&#8217; in my head began to turn. I realized I &#8216;wasted&#8217; my entire life pleasing others instead of pleasing myself. This was a bitter pill to swallow. The irony is my father would say to me, &#8220;Did you think? Learn to think for yourself.&#8221; Talk about a contradiction!</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve been struggling lately with doing things that feel right for me. I just realized that I often put others needs before mine. Instead of saying, &#8220;How does this honor me?&#8221; I say, &#8220;What will so and so think? What will they feel?&#8221; I&#8217;m still not honoring me and my feelings. I think what happened was, I got tangled up in &#8216;spirituality now&#8217; and forgot about me along the way. I now know I need to take my own advice and take my <a href="http://misticcafe.com/2008/08/3-ways-to-stand-in-your-power/" target="_blank">power</a> back!</p>
<p><em>It&#8217;s never too late to break the cycle of people pleasing. Learn to set strong boundaries with people, no matter who they are. Stop allowing people to control and manipulate you.</em></p>
<p><strong>5. Don&#8217;t apologize for wanting a better life</strong>. If your family and friends are stuck in &#8216;poverty&#8217; mode, there&#8217;s no law that says you must join them. Don&#8217;t apologize for wanting a better life. Who knows, maybe you&#8217;ll inspire those around you to &#8216;clean up&#8217; their lives. You can be the catalyst for them.</p>
<p><em>Rebecca</em></p>
<p>&#8220;Any idea, plan, or purpose may be placed in the mind through repetition of thought&#8221;. ~ <a class="zem_slink" title="Napoleon Hill" href="http://naphill.org" rel="homepage" target="_blank">Napoleon Hill</a></p>
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		<title>Are You Helping or Interfering?</title>
		<link>http://misticcafe.com/2011/09/are-you-helping-or-interfering/</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:00:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rebecca</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[I learned another life lesson about caring for the people who mean most to me. I love my sister, niece and nephew dearly and am trying to help them break the cycle of dysfunction; however, after reading my September 29, &#8230; <a href="http://misticcafe.com/2011/09/are-you-helping-or-interfering/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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<p>I learned another life lesson about caring for the people who mean most to me. I love my sister, niece and nephew dearly and am trying to help them break the cycle of dysfunction; however, after reading my September 29, 2011 horoscope (I know), I realized my caring has crossed the line into interference.</p>
<p><strong>Here&#8217;s my September 29, 2011 horoscope from <a href="http://www.12house.com/home/welcomehome.cfm" target="_blank">12House</a></strong>:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #000000;">Sometimes caring too much can be taken the wrong way and people start to interpret your helpfulness as interference. While it&#8217;s true you care for your family and friends and are concerned about their welfare you don&#8217;t want them to think you&#8217;re being intrusive. As much as you&#8217;d like others to come to you should they need help, you don&#8217;t want to push your ideas onto them. The line on how much you can care for one another should be made clear.</span></p>
<p>Ouch! I had no idea I moved into the land of interference until I read the above horoscope for September 29. I thought I was being a kind, loving and caring sister, Godmother and aunt looking out for the people she loves the most. I had no idea I intruded on their right to make mistakes and learn from them. I had no idea I&#8217;ve been pushing my ideas onto them. This was and is a big wake up call.</p>
<blockquote><p>Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don&#8217;t interfere as long as the policy you&#8217;ve decided upon is being carried out. ~ Ronald Reagan</p></blockquote>
<p>From this point forward, I&#8217;ll no longer be interfering in the lives of my sister, niece and nephew. If they need or want my help, they can call, email or Skype me. It&#8217;s true; I want the best for them. But they have free will and can do whatever they want. On the flip side, I&#8217;ll no longer be a willing participant in their or other peoples&#8217; Private Idaho&#8217;s. Everyone has the power within them to shift their lives for the better. It&#8217;s up to each and every one of us to tap into that power and change. No one can do it for you.</p>
<p><em>Rebecca</em></p>
<p><em>&#8220;Anytime there is a struggle between doing what is actually right and doing what seems right, then your ego is interfering with your decision.&#8221;</em> ~ Darren L. Johnson</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>SyFy&#8217;s Alice is More Than an Adventure &#8212; It&#8217;s a Mindset</title>
		<link>http://misticcafe.com/2011/09/syfys-alice-is-more-than-an-adventure-its-a-mindset/</link>
		<comments>http://misticcafe.com/2011/09/syfys-alice-is-more-than-an-adventure-its-a-mindset/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:00:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rebecca</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[I love the SyFy channel! I also love Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll; it&#8217;s one of my favorite children&#8217;s books. Needless to say, I was overjoyed in 2009 when the SyFy channel presented Alice, an original mini-series based on &#8230; <a href="http://misticcafe.com/2011/09/syfys-alice-is-more-than-an-adventure-its-a-mindset/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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<div class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 224px"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Syfy.png" target="_blank"><img class="        " title="SciFi logo" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c9/Syfy.png/300px-Syfy.png" alt="SciFi logo" width="214" height="167" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Image via Wikipedia</p></div>
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<p>I love the <a class="zem_slink" title="Syfy" href="http://www.syfy.com" rel="homepage" target="_blank">SyFy channel</a>! I also love <a class="zem_slink" title="Alice in Wonderland" href="http://www.amazon.com/Alice-Wonderland-Lewis-Carroll/dp/0575043326%3FSubscriptionId%3D0G81C5DAZ03ZR9WH9X82%26tag%3Dsavvy-writer-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0575043326" rel="amazon" target="_blank">Alice in Wonderland</a> by <a class="zem_slink" title="Lewis Carroll" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Carroll" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank">Lewis Carroll</a>; it&#8217;s one of my favorite children&#8217;s books. Needless to say, I was overjoyed in 2009 when the SyFy channel presented <em><a href="http://www.syfy.com/alice/" target="_blank">Alice</a></em>, an original mini-series based on <em><a class="zem_slink" title="Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (Illustrated Junior Library)" href="http://www.amazon.com/Wonderland-Through-Looking-Illustrated-Library/dp/0448060043%3FSubscriptionId%3D0G81C5DAZ03ZR9WH9X82%26tag%3Dsavvy-writer-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0448060043" rel="amazon" target="_blank">Alice in Wonderland and Through The Looking-Glass</a></em>. I was extremely overjoyed when Alice came out on DVD. About a week ago, I was thinking about the mini-series and lo and behold it was on the SyFy channel. Talk about the law of attraction coming into play! Sadly, I missed the first two hours and caught the ending. I said to myself, <em>I wonder, would the library have the DVD?</em> Sure enough, I was able to request the DVD. I was thrilled! Here&#8217;s what I learned.</p>
<p><strong>What I learned from watching SyFy&#8217;s Alice</strong></p>
<p><strong>1.</strong> The people brought to Wonderland Through the Looking-Glass where labeled oysters. Why? According to Hatter, &#8220;For the shiny little pearls they carry inside.&#8221; What are the pearls? The pearls are <a class="zem_slink" title="Emotion" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotion" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank">human emotions</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Takeaway</strong>: All of us are oysters &#8212; we&#8217;re precious. And, emotions are precious because they act as a guiding system for us. When you feel angry or revengeful, it&#8217;s an indication that something is off.</p>
<p><strong>2.</strong> When Alice arrives in Wonderland, she meets Ratty and says, &#8220;I have some money.&#8221; Ratty grabs the money, crinkles and tastes it says &#8220;Blah!&#8221; Ratty takes Alice to see Hatter; she&#8217;s trying to find Jack Chase who&#8217;s really Jack Heart (<strong>spoiler alert</strong>). She says to Hatter, &#8220;I have some money.&#8221; Hatter replies, &#8220;Pieces of paper. Pointless.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Takeaway</strong>: Money is <span style="text-decoration: underline;">nothing but paper</span> and coins. That&#8217;s it! You can have all the money in the world, but go to a different world and it could be deemed useless. Cultivate a prosperity mindset, and you&#8217;ll attract abundance to you. It has nothing to do with pieces of paper. This was a HUGE revelation for me. I could see my PROSPERITY SWITCH turn-on in my <a href="http://misticcafe.com/2011/09/how-to-dissolve-mind-viruses/" target="_blank">brain</a>.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;Instant gratification is a complex business.&#8221; ~ King of Hearts</p>
<p>&#8220;The Queen just wanted to feel the good, not the bad.&#8221; ~ Charlie, Knight.</p></blockquote>
<p><strong>3.</strong> Alice is taken to see Caterpillar (<strong>spoiler alert &#8212; he&#8217;s the head of the resistance</strong>) because she wants to get her father back (<strong>spoiler alert &#8212; he was taken to Wonderland</strong>). Caterpillar says to Alice, &#8220;The effects of your <span style="text-decoration: underline;">powerful emotions</span> on our frail senses are devastating. For example, Patient 243 couldn&#8217;t get the precious high of &#8216;flying high&#8217; out of her system, so we&#8217;re bringing her back down to Earth in a controlled environment. Patient 671 drank too much self-importance so we&#8217;re shrinking his considerable ego little by little back to its original size. The oysters, your people, are contaminating our world. They must go back dead or alive before it&#8217;s too late.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re all vulnerable mix the wrong feelings together with the right kind of bad, with the wrong kind of good and you end up with a total breakdown.&#8221; ~ Caterpillar</p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Takeaway</strong>: When you combine emotions such as hate, revenge, anger, lust, ecstasy, stubbornness and other emotions, you&#8217;ve mixed a deadly combination that can have major repercussions in your life. Again, your emotions are your guiding system. When they <em>flare up</em>, it&#8217;s an indication that something within you is off course or off balance. Slow down and meditate on what&#8217;s happening in your life. Being quiet is a great way to finding solutions to your problem.</p>
<p>I recommend you rent Alice &#8212; it&#8217;s a fast-paced, adventurous story that teaches you at the same time. Who says you can&#8217;t learn anything constructive from TV?</p>
<p>Rebecca</p>
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