As we close in on the election next week, I am sure many of you have heard of the “America Wants Change” mantras, ads and seen the signs displaying the two or three word phrase.  With our country experiencing things it hasn’t experienced in years (and some would argue decades), it is no wonder everyone is clamoring for and desiring change.

Yet, will it really be a new president that will bring that change?

I think not. 

“You must be the change you want to see in the World.”
-Mahatma Gandhi, Indian Political and Spiritual leader

I think Gandhi had the right idea.  He was seen as somewhat of a political, definitely a Spiritual,  leader in his time.  I like his thought. 

Yet, how does one BE the CHANGE in the World?

Great question.

I know for myself a lot of times I get caught up in the worldly expectation of success, meaning money, action, goal setting, goal completing, achieving, making things happen, etc., etc.  Yet, that is all about the “having” and the “doing” in order to GET the RESULT.

It has nothing to do with the BEING part of the equation, which I have shared before is the first part of doing the math.  One gets to be, than do, than HAVE the result (or change, as Americans put it). 

It isn’t about the economy.  It isn’t about the money crisis.  It isn’t about the gas prices.  It isn’t about our external world economy or who is buying oil from whom.  Or who is creating a war with whom. 

Those are all RESULTS.  

I know if I get all caught up in the results and the “doing” of getting those results, then I lose myself in the shuffle of life and the equation tends to fall apart.

I believe that in order for America to experience change - it gets to come from within each and every one of us being ourselves and doing our part (after being, of course) to make that change BE the RESULT.  Without being real and focusing on what we want within, then the rest is all just details.

America doesn’t want to change the economy.  I think America really wants a change of heart.

Enough on my soap box here…..

In closing, I want to share with you an amazing article that I discovered online that goes right along with Gandhi’s quote and intention of that quote.  It is a beautiful summation of what I believe is what will create the real change (not just a Presidential election) in America.

Found at www.positivepath.net  

Top Ten Things You Want To Think

About If You Want To Change The

World

By Michael Angier

Mahatma Gandhi believed that we must be the change we want to see in the world. This was well demonstrated when he helped India gain its independence. Gandhi was a revolutionary man, but he accomplished India’s emergence as a nation without starting a revolution. In fact, he advocated no violence. One of the most powerful countries in the world yielded to the commitment of one man and the dream of millions.

What change can we effect? What’s the difference we want to make in the world?

Gandhi said, “In a gentle way you can shake the world.” Here are some things to think about how to do just that …

1. Know that all significant change throughout history has occurred not because of nations, armies, governments and certainly not committees. They happened as a result of the courage and commitment of individuals. People like Joan of Ark, Albert Einstein, Clara Barton, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison and Rosa Parks. They might not have done it alone, but they were, without question, the change makers.

2. Believe that you have a unique purpose and potential in the world. It’s not so much something to create as to be discovered. And it’s up to you to discover it. Believe that you can and will make a difference.

3. Recognize that everything you do, every step you take, every sentence you write, every word you speak-or DON’T speak–counts. Nothing is trivial. The world may be big, but there are no small things. Everything matters.

4. To be the change you want to see in the world, you don’t have to be loud. You don’t have to be eloquent. You don’t have to be elected. You don’t even have to be particularly smart or well educated. You do, however, have to be committed.

5. Take personal responsibility. Never think “it’s not my job”. It’s a cop-out to say, “What can I do, I’m only one person.” You don’t need everyone’s cooperation or anyone’s permission to make changes. Remember this little gem, “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.”

6. Don’t get caught up in the how of things. If you’re clear on what you want to change and why you want to change it, the how will come. Many significant things have been left undone because someone let the problem solving interfere with the decision-making.

7. Don’t wait for things to be right in order to begin. Change is messy. Things will never be just right. Follow Teddy Roosevelt’s timeless advice, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

8. The genesis for change is awareness. We cannot change what we don’t acknowledge. Most of the time, we aren’t aware of what’s wrong or what’s not working. We don’t see what could be. By becoming more aware, we begin the process of change.

9. Take to heart these words from Albert Einstein–arguably one of the smartest change masters who ever lived: “All meaningful and lasting change starts first in your imagination and then works its way out. Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

10. In order for things to change, YOU have to change. We can’t change others; we can only change ourselves. However, when WE change, it changes everything. And in doing so, we truly can be the change we want to see in the world.

The following is inscribed on the tomb of an Anglican Bishop in Westminster Abby (1100 A.D.) …

When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country.

But it, too, seemed immovable.

As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it.

And now, as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realize: If I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family.

From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country, and who knows, I may have even changed the world.

Since my 10-point list above was inspired by Gandhi’s belief, it seems appropriate to end with another of his quotes: “Consciously or unconsciously, every one of us does render some service or other. If we cultivate the habit of doing this service deliberately, our desire for service will steadily grow stronger and we will make not only our own happiness, but that of the world at large.”

© Copyright 1995-2001 Success Networks International.

This article was contributed by my colleague, massage therapist guru, Zogisle.  Thanks for your thoughts/wisdom in sharing this Z!
I share this to have you create your own thoughts/ideas on whether or not to get a flu shot this year (or ever). 
I hope it helps! 
Here’s to your health! 

You may want to do your own investigation before having yours…

Each year, just as multiple reminders on the need for and efficacy of getting a flu shot hits the news wires, you start asking yourself the same basic question: “Should I get a flu shot?”

My answer is an unequivocal no. 

Based on everything that I know about flu shots, I think it’s pretty clear that their main effect is to tax and possibly weaken one’s immune system.

Study the information yourself - It is your body~ 

Take a look at a number of flu videos.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g5fxGu3Cxc 
There are a number of reasons why flu shots should be avoided, and almost all of them are related to the ingredients. Here’s the most glaring reason: One in a million people who get the flu shot develops a neurological disease called Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Guillain-Barré syndrome tends to develop without notice, and is marked by extreme muscle weakness and other symptoms related to nerve dysfunction. If one in a million people who get the flu shot can develop a devastating neurological condition, how many others who get the flu shot suffer from a number of uncomfortable symptoms that are never properly or accurately diagnosed? It’s just not realistic to think that the ingredients in a flu shot can cause severe neurological damage in a small percentage of the population while leaving everyone else completely uninjured. Why take any risk of creating serious damage to your body? The best defense against the flu and the common cold is to live healthfully every day. And if you do develop the flu or a cold, give your body time to rest and heal, you can cleanse yourself of your weakest cells.

  The First Half of this makes sense, but I like the second half better.  
 


Eat  right!

Make  sure you get your daily dose of
fruits and  veggies.


Take  your vitamins and bump up your vitamin C.


Get  plenty of exercise because
exercise helps build your immune  system.


Walk  for at least an hour a day,

go  for a swim,


take  the stairs instead of the elevator, etc.


Wash  your hands often.
If you can’t wash them,
keep a bottle of  antibacterial stuff around.


Get  lots of fresh air.
Open doors & windows whenever  possible.


Try  to eliminate as much stress
from your life as you  can.

Get  plenty of rest.

This article came from a gentleman in his 80’s, a registered Democrat, who actually lived through the times of the Great Depression, previous wars and these times.
I found this to be a very intriguing statement that shifted my own thinking/perception.  No matter whether or not you agree on the current war and economy situation, whether you believe George Bush helped cause it all or whether or not you are a Democrat, Republican or not partial to any party (who can blame you) - this is an interesting thought process shared below.  I do not endorse this message - am simply sharing it because it provoked some deep thought in my own perception of America today and yesterday. 
I look forward to seeing/hearing what it may provoke in you.  Feel free to share with me your thoughts after reading this. 

Everyone has a different opinion on the war, and our current President. But this article probably makes sense to those  who remember. Read it and give it some thought. What a difference 60 years makes!

President Bush did make a bad mistake in the war on terrorism. But the mistake was not his decision to go to war in Iraq .Bush’s mistake came in his belief that this country is the same one his father fought for in WWII it is not!

Back then they had just come out of a vicious depression. The country was steeled by the hardship of that depression, but they still believed fervently in this country. They knew that the people had elected their leaders, so it was the people’s duty to back those leaders. Therefore, when the war broke out the people came together, rallied behind, and stuck with their leaders, whether they had voted for them or not or whether the war was going badly or not. And war was just as distasteful….. and the anguish just as great then as it is today. Often there were more casualties in one day in WWII than we have had in the entire Iraq war. But that did not matter. The people stuck with the President because it was their patriotic duty. Americans put aside their differences in WWII and worked together to win that war.

Everyone from every strata of society, from young to old pitched in. Small children pulled little wagons around to gather scrap metal for the war effort. Grade school students saved their pennies to buy stamps for war bonds to help the effort. Men who were too old or medically 4F lied about their age or condition trying their best to join the military. Women doubled their work to keep things going at home. Harsh rationing of everything from gasoline, to soap, to butter, was imposed, yet there was very little complaining.

You never heard prominent people on the radio belittling the President. Interestingly enough in those days there were no fat cat actors and entertainers who ran off to visit and fawn over dictators of hostile countries and complain to them about our President. Instead, they made upbeat films and entertained our troops to help the troops’ morale. And a bunch even enlisted.

And imagine this: Teachers in schools actually started the day off with a Pledge of Allegiance, and with prayers for our country and our troops!!!

Back then, no newspaper would have dared to point out certain weak spots in our cities where bombs could be set off to cause the maximum damage. No newspaper would have dared complain about what we were doing to catch spies. A newspaper would have been laughed out of existence if it had complained that German or Japanese soldiers were being ‘tortured’ by being forced to wear women’s underwear, or subjected to interrogation by a woman, or being scared by a dog.

There were a lot of things different back then. We were not subjected to a constant bombardment of pornography, perversion and promiscuity in movies or on radio. We did not have legions of crack heads, dope pushers and armed gangs roaming our streets.

No, President Bush did not make a mistake in his handling of terrorism.He made the mistake of believing that we still had the courage and fortitude of our fathers. He believed that this was still the country that our fathers fought so dearly to preserve!!

Here is a contribution from my friend and colleague, Alan Lavitt (www.alanlavitt.com), in response to my article last week entitled, “The American Dream Has SHIFTed”.  Thanks Alan!  This is a great message!

I liked the write-up on “The American Dream has SHIFTed”.  For me as of today, my American Dream follows, this is from Napoleon Hill’s book “Think And Grow Rich“, it is entitled the 12 Pillars that constitute Enduring Riches” or I feel the “REAL” American Dream… 1.      Positive Mental Attitude – “Observe that it heads the list”2.      Sound Physical Health3.      Harmony in Human Relations4.      Freedom from Fear5.      Hope of Future Achievement6.      Capacity for Applied Faith7.      Willingness to Share ones Blessings with Others8.      To be Engaged in a Labor of Love9.      An open mind on all subjects toward all people10.  Complete Self Discipline11.  Wisdom with which to Understand People12.  Financial Security – “Observe; with great benefit, that money comes at the end of the list of the twelve things that make men rich”

When I sold real estate full-time as a career for several years, I was always telling my clients or even hearing other homeowners say, “Buying a home is living the American Dream!”

I don’t know when/where this phrase originated or who first coined it, however, it took off and has stayed a part of “Americana” as much as apple pie and the Stars & Stripes.

Admittedly, not having been married with a family of my own, I purely saw home purchasing as an investment to create financial wealth (hence why this has fallen into my wealth category this week in my newsletter).  I would have renters in my properties and/or purchase fixer uppers to eventually rent or sell immediately.  That was my use of the “American Dream”.

Yet as I look around today at the housing market, the economy, the mortgage banks closing left and right, the amount of foreclosures increasing every month (steadily so for the past two years) all over America…..I believe the American Dream has slightly been tainted, if not refocused - or as I am sharing today - SHIFTed in the minds of Americans (I’ll explain what this means in a bit).

I don’t believe buying a home is the real American Dream.   In fact, I don’t think it ever really has.  That was just something that somebody bought into long ago, maybe as a sales pitch from someone who thought it was a great way to get into the minds and hearts of those purchasing real estate.   And it worked - hook, line and sinker.

What people really want today (and what I believe they have always wanted and what the real “American Dream” is) is security.   Sure, one can argue, that a home can provide that.  However, as people wonder if they even have a home tomorrow, or a paycheck, or a job or their health…..is it really a home that will give them that “feeling” of security.  I think not.

People are abandoning their homes in droves these days and saving what little money they have, not to save their home, but rather to find an apartment to put first and last month’s rent on.  This I found out as fact according to my good friend and colleague, Alan Rhein, mortgage expert and loss mitigation supporter for those going into foreclosure.

Does that sound like the “American Dream” to you?

America is experiencing a SHIFT right now.

What is this SHIFT?

It is simply this: 

Super/Supernatural
Heightened
Instant
Focus
Transfer

People’s focuses have suddenly changed.  Shifted into a new gear of sorts.  The transfer, for most, has been immediate.   Some may have seemingly even been supernatural - seemingly out of this world, inconveivable.   No control could be maintained on your end.

People are scrambling to maintain their securities in this life, this human existence, so they can feel safe, so their families can feel secure, so at the end of the day, they have a place to sleep at night (whatever form that may come in these days), food on the table and some form of income coming in (and this, too, may not come in any normal form they had been accustomed to).

Yes, America is experiencing a SHIFT that hasn’t been felt this deeply, since reportedly the Great Depression.

How are you feeling this SHIFT?

I would love to hear how you are sorting through your life at this time.  

How has your definition of the ”American Dream” transformed? 

What super/supernatural experiences have you been having as a result of this change/shift? 

I don’t believe that not one single person, no matter how much of a positive thinker you are, no matter how much money you may have (or had), you are affected in some way.  If not directly, then indirectly.

Feel free to write to me and share your story.  I am compiling another ebook, possible book, that tracks these times and would be honored to have your SHIFT shared.  There will undoubtedly be many amazing comeback stories and life changing/enhancing transformations.

I wish you well on this journey of SHIFTing times. 

As I write this, the 2008 election is only 14 days/two weeks away.  I must confess this election has more of my attention/focus than any other in this lifetime.   Never before have I ever watched ALL of the debates in their entirety, never before have I even sat through commercial ads on TV or the Internet, never before have I been this excited about an outcome.

Something is special about this election. 

Do you feel it?

Do you sense change around the corner?

No matter whom you feel led to vote for, I am hopeful that you will vote on Tuesday, November 4th.  That is what matters most.  With our country experiencing a very tenuous time, I think this is one of the best choices can make at this time.

Please vote and make a difference.

Here are two commercials I found that I thought were helpful for any McCain or Obama supporter, whichever one you might be today.

Enjoy!

CLICK HERE for a McCain focused commercial

CLICK HERE for an Obama focused commercial

Article contributed by Health & Wellness Consultant Lupita Meza-Sostak of Enagic USA, Inc.  Courtesy of MSNBC/Associated Press.

Here’s to your health!!

Your ‘pure’ bottled water has contaminants, too

Study finds 38 chemicals in 10 brands, including those common in tap water

Many people seeking purity opt for bottled water rather than the kind from the tap. But new research shows contaminants lurk there, too.  View related photos

updated 12:19 a.m. PT, Wed., Oct. 15, 2008

Tests on leading brands of bottled water turned up a variety of contaminants, including cancer-linked chemicals three times higher than California’s health standard, according to a study released Wednesday by an environmental advocacy group.

The findings challenge the popular impression — and marketing pitch — that bottled water is purer than tap water, the researchers say.

However, all the brands met federal health standards for drinking water. And most of the detected contaminants are common in tap water, too.

Story continues below ↓

Lab tests detected 38 chemicals in 10 brands, with an average of eight contaminants found in each kind of bottled water. Tests showed coliform bacteria, caffeine, the pain reliever acetaminophen, fertilizer, solvents, plastic-making chemicals and the radioactive element strontium.

The two-year study was done by the Washington-based Environmental Working Group, an organization founded by scientists that advocates stricter regulation. It bought bottled water in California, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.

Sam’s Choice, Acadia post high levels
Researchers tested one batch for each of 10 brands. Eight of those did not have troubling levels of contaminants. But two brands did, so more tests were done and those revealed chlorine byproducts above California’s standard. The researchers identified those two brands as Sam’s Choice sold by Wal-Mart and Acadia of Giant Food supermarkets.

The other eight, which researchers didn’t identify, carried legal levels of many contaminants. Some of those chemicals, like arsenic and the solvent toluene, have been tied to health risks. Some of the contaminants apparently came from pollutants often found in tap water, and others probably leached from plastic bottles, the researchers said.

In the Wal-Mart and Giant Food bottled water, the highest concentration of chlorine byproducts, known as trihalomethanes, was over 35 parts per billion. California requires 10 parts per billion or less, and the industry’s International Bottled Water Association makes 10 its voluntary guideline. The federal limit is 80.

Water researcher Dr. David Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment of the University at Albany, who had no role in the study, singled out trihalomethanes as the biggest concern because of strong research links to cancer.

“These are levels that should not be in bottled water,” he said.

Giant Food officials declined to comment. Instead, company officials released a brief statement asserting that Acadia meets all regulatory standards.

Acadia is sold in the mid-Atlantic states, so it isn’t held to California’s standard. In most places, bottled water must meet roughly the same federal standards as tap water.

The researchers also said the Wal-Mart brand exceeded California’s limit by five times for a second chlorine byproduct, bromodichloromethane.

The Environmental Working Group said it notified California’s attorney general of its intent to sue Wal-Mart. The group wants the company to label its bottles in California with a warning of cancer-causing chemicals. Wal-Mart did not respond to a request for comment.

Joe Doss, president of the International Bottled Water Association, said he would not defend any company that is exceeding the standard in California. “If they have exceeded it, they should meet it,” he said.

Chlorine linked to birth defects
The chlorine byproducts, which studies have also linked to birth defects, presumably come from chlorine used as a disinfectant, which ends up in public water systems. Tap water is often repackaged and sold as bottled water, and the researchers say that was true of these two brands.

“In some cases, it appears bottled water is no less polluted than tap water and, at 1,900 times the cost, consumers should expect better,” said Jane Houlihan, an environmental engineer who co-authored the study.

The researchers recommend that people who are worried use a carbon filter for their tap water.

Choosing nutritional products can be about as confusing as choosing our next President of the United States. 

Which one will do good by you and which one can you trust for the short and long term?

If you are an athlete, which products will enhance your performance and keep you going for the long haul - always allowing you to perform at your best?

If you are that busy entrepeneur who runs multiple businesses and has employees to look after every day, what product is keeping you clear headed and focused, all the while keeping you and everyone around you productive?

If you are a working mom - which product will give you the energy to go from morning ’til night?

After several years, and much personal experience with and research on, I found the best products for me.  It wasn’t easy, however, it has transformed my health and I have not been to a doctor in nearly two years - a record for someone as active and fully-plate loaded as myself!  I have also finished the top of my age group in triathlons and kept running all aspects of my business all on my own at the same time! 

How do you plan on doing that for yourself?  What proactive steps are you taking to take the preventative measures for your own health and lifelong well being? 

Or will you simply wait until you have symptoms of some sickness to get you to a doctor?

With the mounting possibility of stress I know that many are experiencing with everything going on in our world, nutritional supplementation and eating healthy are two of the top ways to ward off any sickness, emotional eating habits or stress-related disease (ie cancer, heart attacks).

FREE resource - CLICK HERE for a website that gives you free information on nutritional and food supplementation

I am also offering up energy scans out of my office in San Clemente for anyone that is local and wants to travel to see me.   For large groups, I am willing to come to you.

The energy scan is done with unique technology, called The Compass, that scans your energy and shares a report with you in minutes that tells you where you are deficient or lacking your nutritional needs - quite possibly long before you note any symptoms that usually send you to the doctor or urgent care room. 

Then it also tells you what you can do to be proactive in taking the steps to regain balance within your cells and entire systems within your body that keep you happy, healthy and moving forward in your work and personal effectiveness. 

This has been the single most valuable tool I have found to support my own overall health and well being.

I will offer these consultations, which normally range from $30-75 in value, for FREE, anytime for the rest of October!

CLICK HERE to learn how the technology, The Compass, works and contact me at 949-940-0399 for your very own valuable consultation.

I look forward to serving you and helping you take a more proactive approach to your health and well being.

Yours in Transformational Success,

Lois Tiedemann

949-940-0399

This past Monday I was supposed to have lunch with my good friend and mortgage expert, Bruce Dippong.  Bruce has contributed to this newsletter and after building a solid foundation to our business relationship, we wanted to start building our own networking group together this week.

Instead of seeing Bruce for lunch at 12:30 as planned, I attended his memorial service at 1 p.m., after his sudden death last week.

It’s funny how life can throw you curves sometimes.

Bruce was an amazing and passionate man, filled with life, love and joy.  Even with the market as it is, he was always optimistic and loved helping serve his realtors, his clients and above all else, his wife and daughter.  His 58 years of service on this earth were, undoubtedly, a blessing to many, I noted as I saw all his friends and family at the service.

I was reminded of the frailty of life and the importance of simply living every day “as if” it were my last.

The importance of the really significant things that matter most - family, friends, love and happiness.  The rest is just details and trivia.  Gas prices, economy, market conditions…..all pale in comparison to the true fruits of a life well lived.

Bruce knew that and lived it.

Here is an inspirational reading I want to dedicate to my friend, and, as I know he would want, to all of you who read this.  In honor of Bruce, here is one contribution I will make in his honor.  One that I know he would endorse and be proud to be a part of.

“TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE”

This is the beginning of a new day.  God has given me this day to use as I will.  I can waste it - or use it for good, but what I do today is important, because I am exchanging a day of my life for it!  When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving in its place something I have traded for it.  It want it to be gain, and not loss;  good, and not evil; success, and not failure; in order that I shall not regret the price that I have paid for it.

-Dr. Heartstill Wilson

Thank you, Bruce.  For blessing us one more time.

Hello,  Here’s an important book designed to raise your “sales IQ.” If you don’t yet have this book, you owe it to yourself to get it. For a limited time, you also get $3,000 worth of bonus sales tools. Don’t miss this deal! All the best,  

Yours in Transformational Success,

Lois Tiedemann

  Let’s face it, selling isn’t rocket science. It’s harder … To penetrate space, scientists need master only the immutable laws of mathematics and physics. Simple. So simple, in fact, the basics are taught in high school. Selling, on the other hand — prospecting, pitching, negotiating, closing and more — demands understanding the dynamics of the human mind and how to influence the myriad forces that inform its decision-making. Obviously, to succeed you have to know what you are doing! This book will transform you from a sales person with an average sales IQ (and income) to a brilliant top dog producer. Top Dog Sales Secrets is packed with real-life examples, successful scripts, and powerful, proven advice to rapidly increase your sales. You’ll learn how to: 

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