My First Mashup

Posts Tagged ‘Crowd Of People’

The highest motive in life is to be like water. It fights nothing or no one. It flows from and back
to its source and in the flowing it smooths and wears away all resistance.
Taoist Proverb

If you knew today that you wouldn’t get exactly what you wanted but that something even better was trying to make its way to you, would you step aside and open the door to invite it in? Or, are you standing at the peep-hole of life’s doorway, waiting to see what shows up before you risk opening the door?

If you weren’t resisting, where would life be taking you? Sometimes we are looking for things to
show up that matches the perfect pictures we have in our mind. We miss the opportunities that come dressed in disguise.

Recently, I was struggling with an important decision. I was feeling unhappy, and frustrated about my options. Rather than let go of trying to control the outcome, I was doing everything in my power to resist what was. Believe me, it was causing me alot of physical stress and needless suffering.

Then I had a dream about being in my car which was parked and wedged in between two other cars. Feeling stuck, I reacted by pulling the car forward onto the sidewalk. In the process, I hit an old historic building and it came tumbling down in pieces. Alarmed by what had just happened, I quickly drove to the courthouse to report my crime. I went through a crowd of people and finally found a bailiff to assist me.

I believe my dream was showing me two ways of proceeding with my waking reality. I could force my will which could result in destruction or, I could stop resisting what was happening and look for the answers in disguise.

The next morning I received the final clue which completely changed how I viewed my predicament. It came in the disguise of a customer service representative that I called to help me
with an address correction. This man was so helpful and pleasant to talk to that I wanted him to know it. He responded by telling me that it was because he was a happy person. He shared the following secret to his happiness.

A few years ago things were not going well for him. He realized that he couldn’t change what
was happening but that he did have a choice about how it would affect him. Now he wakes up everyday and makes the choice to be happy. Since he started making this a conscious, daily
choice his life has changed. He now has a great life.

I knew while talking with him that I was getting more than help with my address correction. I was receiving a gift about how to look at my own situation. It wasn’t what I expected to hear coming disguised in the form of a customer service representative.

Later that day, while driving down the road, I noticed a car in front of me. The license plate had the word “bailiff” on it. Confirmation that the universe had just sent me to the customer
service representative who held the answer to my dilemma. More importantly I recognized the disguise.

The truth is that none of us have control over anything or anyone. We only have control over our response to what is happening in our life. We have the ability to respond. We have the choice
to be happy or miserable.

The messy stuff in life is also part of the fabric of life. When we try to avoid it, by denying or resisting
it, we also avoid the opportunity to live authentically.

If you look at a piece of fabric or knitting, there is always one side that looks beautiful. Then, when you turn it over, there is the messy side. The side that contains all of the loose yarns and threads. You can’t have one side without the other. Both are necessary for creating the finished piece. And,
the same can be said about life. It’s not about perfection but opening to the life that
you are living and working with what life presents you.

Remember, there is always a gift in life and it often comes dressed in disguise.

Nancy Bishop is a Life & Prosperity Coach providing a menu of coaching programs and services to women at midlife who want to find more time, energy and abundance to live life more authentically and abundantly. Visit her website http://www.yourlifeyourway.com for more information and to subscribe to her monthly newsletter.

Depending on your line of work, you may be called upon to give a stress management presentation or organize a workshop. Usually, the person who gives a stress management workshop is a public speaker, physician, counselor, or Yoga teacher.

Who should be the speaker in a stress management seminar or workshop? You are looking for someone who is outgoing, knowledgeable, full of positive energy, works well with the public, and can communicate clearly. This same person should be able to give solutions to stress reduction “off the top of his or her head.”

Depending upon your familiarity with stress management, time for preparation, and how comfortable you are with giving a presentation, you may be the best qualified person for the task. Public speaking challenges are many, but all are manageable. Each component of a presentation can be prepared and refined, until you have a “masterpiece.” When you have given a few stress management presentations, you can refine any components that are “weak.” You will know what parts of a presentation are weak by the reactions of your audience.

Research and identify with the line of work. As an example: Health care workers, customer service, and manufacturers, each experience stress, but their jobs create unique stress situations. With this in mind, make yourself familiar with the every day stress situations that go with the particular jobs in your audience.

Preparation and research are part of every presentation, but after your first presentation on stress management, you will have a template to build on, improve, and constantly revise. You should speak in terms that will be familiar to your specific audience. For example: As collective groups, health care workers, teachers, and customer service representatives, have their own interests and jargon.

You will want to provoke interest, understanding, and participation. At the same time, you want your specific audience to respond favorably. You must also anticipate reaction to your presentation. Therefore, make sure that your points are reasonable and have credible resources; you will receive a favorable reaction from your target audience.

Your speaking voice can be worked for projection, clarity, and pitch. Many people are unhappy to hear the sound of their speaking voice played back through a recording device, but most of us can work our unique voice to get the most out of it. By using a mirror, audio recorder, digital recorder, or video recorder, you can get the most out of your voice.

? Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
About the Author

Paul Jerard is director of Yoga teacher training at Aura in RI. He’s a master instructor of martial arts and Yoga. He teaches that along with fitness. He wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students who want to be a teacher.

http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html