Why are you here? What is your purpose? Humans have sought to discover the meaning of life for a very long time. What we and our ancestors have overlooked, however, in the course of this endless search, is that there is no one answer. The meaning of life is different for every individual.

If Life Is A Game…These Are The Rules.

Each person has his or her own purpose and distinct path, unique and separate from anyone else’s. As you travel your life path, you will be presented with numerous lessons that you will need to learn in order to fulfill that purpose. The lessons you are presented with are specific to you; learning these lessons is the key to discovering and fulfilling the meaning and relevance of your own life.

Once you have learned the basic lessons taught to you by your own body, you are ready for a more advanced teacher: the universe. You will be presented with lessons in every circumstance that surfaces in your life. When you experience pain, you learn a lesson. When you feel joy, you learn a different lesson. For every action or event, there is an accompanying lesson that must be learned.

As you travel through your lifetime, you may encounter challenging lessons that others don’t have to face, while others spend years struggling with challenges that you don’t need to deal with. You may never know why you are blessed with a wonderful marriage, while your friends suffer through bitter arguments and painful divorces, just as you cannot be sure why you struggle financially while your peers enjoy abundance. The only thing you can count on for certain is that you will be presented with all the lessons that you specifically need to learn; whether you choose to learn them or not is entirely up to you.

The challenge of Rule Two, therefore, is to align yourself with your own unique path by learning your individual lessons. This is one of the most difficult challenges you will face in your lifetime, as sometimes your path will lead you into a life that is radically different from others. Don’t compare your path to those around you and focus on the disparity between their lessons and yours. You need to remember that you will only be faced with lessons that you are capable of learning and are specific to your own growth.

If you are able to rise to this challenge, you can unravel the mystery of your purpose and actually live it. You cease being a victim of fate or circumstance and become empowered – life no longer just “happens to you.” When you are working toward fulfilling your true purpose, you discover astonishing gifts within yourself that you may have never known you have. This process may not be easy, but the rewards are well worth the struggle.

If Life Is A Game…These Are The Rules.

What Game are You Playing?

John and Linda Ballis

Wheel of Life book

For more helpful tips on balancing your life and further articles revisit this blog regularly, http://wheeloflifeblog.com or go to our website http://wheeloflifebook.com and purchase our book “The Wheel of Life’s 8 Keys to Success”

There are many features that can be included when designing and building a home to be sustainable or environmentaly friendly. The following list gives many features that when incorporated can greatly increase star ratings and make a house much friendlier to live in. As an added bonus, heating and cooling costs are reduced which also reduces the impact on the greater environment.

Different climates will need an emphasis on different areas like window size and insulation so make sure you understand your area when designing your house. The list below works well in the cooler southern states of Australia.

For more information on building Sustainable Homes email Linda

linda@wheeloflifebook.com or visit www.thesolarman.com.au

Is it more money, a new car, a promotion at work? Sometimes we get lost in the materialism that’s all around us and forget that happiness really lies within ourselves.

If we take a moment to reflect, our eyes can be opened to the joy behind what may seem on the surface, at least, to be the stumbling blocks in our lives.

A thankful spirit is a healthy spirit. As the twists and turns of life lead to feelings of being out of control, sometimes our attitude is all that we have control over…the following reflection may help you develop a thankful attitude. Sometimes life is all about how we look at it!

Click here for The Road to Happiness Movie

I am thankful for…

• the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.

• the taxes I pay because it means that I am employed.

• a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.

• my shadow who watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine.

• the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.

• all of the complaining I hear about our government because it means we have freedom of speech.

• my huge heating bill because it means I am warm.

• the lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means that I can hear.

• the alarm that goes off early in the morning hours because it means that I am alive.

• the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby.

• weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been productive.

Remember to be happy it is up to you.

John and Linda Ballis

Wheel of Life book

For more helpful tips on balancing your life and further articles revisit this blog regularly, http://wheeloflifeblog.com or go to our website http://wheeloflifebook.com and purchase our book “The Wheel of Life’s 8 Keys to Success”

Think You’ll Never be Rich?

…It’s all in your Head

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get rich easily, while others seem destined for a life of financial struggle?

The answer is simple. Everyone – yes, YOU too – has a ‘personal money blueprint’ .

The money blueprint that is ingrained in your subconscious mind is the single most important factor in determining your financial life.

It means that people can work hard, be highly intelligent, and have truckloads of business knowledge or job skills, but if their money blueprint is not set for a high level of success, nothing they do will help them achieve lasting wealth.

T. Harv Eker Millionairre Mind Feb 2012

But YOU CAN CHANGE your blueprint at Harv Eker’s ‘The Millionaire Mind Intensive’

Learning how to reset your money blueprint could make the most dramatic change you will ever experience in your life.

Join Harv Eker’s program for just one weekend and you will discover how you can change your mindset and your financial future – forever – to create natural and automatic success!

Harv has spent the last fifteen years helping over 1,000,000 people from more than 100 countries create financial success, showing them how to replace unconscious, limiting attitudes with thoughts, habits, and actions that lead to undreamt of wealth.

Harv has featured in many regular media appearances including CNN, Fox News and CNBC.

“There is a secret psychology to money,” says T. Harv Eker, internationally renowned speaker and author of 11 top-selling books and courses, “The truth is, your ‘money blueprint’, ingrained in your subconscious mind since childhood, is the singlemost important factor in determining your level of wealth.
Most people don’t know about it, that’s why most people never reach their financial potential.”

In these uncertain financial times, Harv will show you how thoughts lead to actions, which lead to results – the very same key to attaining great wealth that all rich people use.

With the Millionaire Mind Intensive you’ll learn how to:

• Create your own personal economy that thrives at all times
• Focus on making a fortune while others are focused on fear
• Transform your money blueprint immediately and change your financial life forever

You need NO advanced education… NO special skills… NO timing…
NO luck… NO special connections… NO high IQ!

To master the inner game of wealth you need a Millionaire Mind.

T. HARV EKER’S MILLIONAIRE MIND INTENSIVE

Appearing in These Capital Cities:

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For a Limited Time Only – All Ticket Classes receive :

• T. Harv Eker’s ‘Get Hardwired for Success’ eBook – How to Reset Your Inner Money Thermostat and Create Wealth
• Success Secrets from Millionaires who started with Nothing – Audio interview with T. Harv Eker
• The 4 Deadly Money Mistakes – Audio seminar with Action Guide

Experiencing success requires an investment in yourself. It’s an investment that pays for itself many, many times over when you start attracting true abundance into your life. The mega-wealthy have made that same commitment, that’s why they are ahead of the rest of the population.

That’s why you must attend the Millionaire Mind Intensive and play full on for 3 full days. If you’re determined to do that, here’s how to register:

Raise your standard of living and take control of your destiny TODAY!

Book NOW: Just click here

Remember, NOTHING will change in your life if you keep doing what you’ve always been doing until now.

Harv’s events truly change people’s lives! The Millionaire Mind Intensive will change yours too.

You’ll learn, right there right then, how to reset your money blueprint so that you create natural and automatic success.

This is your opportunity to shake the financially limiting habits of a lifetime – identify and reset your blueprint for money and success forever in a single weekend!

All the best,

John and Linda Ballis

Wheel of Life book

For more helpful tips on balancing your life and further articles revisit this blog regularly, http://wheeloflifeblog.com or go to our website http://wheeloflifebook.com and purchase our book “The Wheel of Life’s 8 Keys to Success”

What is forgiveness?

Generally, forgiveness is a decision to let go of resentment and thoughts of revenge. The act that hurt or offended you might always remain a part of your life, but forgiveness can lessen its grip on you and help you focus on other, positive parts of your life. Forgiveness can even lead to feelings of understanding, empathy and compassion for the one who hurt you.

Forgiveness doesn’t mean that you deny the other person’s responsibility for hurting you, and it doesn’t minimize or justify the wrong. You can forgive the person without excusing the act. Forgiveness brings a kind of peace that helps you go on with life.

What are the benefits of forgiving someone?

Letting go of grudges and bitterness can make way for compassion, kindness and peace. Forgiveness can lead to:

• Healthier relationships
• Greater spiritual and psychological well-being
• Less anxiety, stress and hostility
• Lower blood pressure
• Fewer symptoms of depression
• Lower risk of alcohol and substance abuse

Why is it so easy to hold a grudge?

When you’re hurt by someone you love and trust, you might become angry, sad or confused. If you dwell on hurtful events or situations, grudges filled with resentment, vengeance and hostility can take root. If you allow negative feelings to crowd out positive feelings, you might find yourself swallowed up by your own bitterness or sense of injustice.

What are the effects of holding a grudge?

If you’re unforgiving, you might pay the price repeatedly by bringing anger and bitterness into every relationship and new experience. Your life might become so wrapped up in the wrong that you can’t enjoy the present. You might become depressed or anxious. You might feel that your life lacks meaning or purpose, or that you’re at odds with your spiritual beliefs. You might lose valuable and enriching connectedness with others.

How do I reach a state of forgiveness?

Forgiveness is a commitment to a process of change. To begin, you might:

• Consider the value of forgiveness and its importance in your life at a given time
• Reflect on the facts of the situation, how you’ve reacted, and how this combination has affected your life, health and well-being
• When you’re ready, actively choose to forgive the person who’s offended you
• Move away from your role as victim and release the control and power the offending person and situation have had in your life

As you let go of grudges, you’ll no longer define your life by how you’ve been hurt. You might even find compassion and understanding.

What happens if I can’t forgive someone?

Forgiveness can be challenging, especially if the person who’s hurt you doesn’t admit wrong or doesn’t speak of his or her sorrow. If you find yourself stuck, consider the situation from the other person’s point of view. Ask yourself why he or she would behave in such a way. Perhaps you would have reacted similarly if you faced the same situation. In addition, consider broadening your view of the world. Expect occasional imperfections from the people in your life. You might want to reflect on times you’ve hurt others and on those who’ve forgiven you. It can also be helpful to write in a journal, pray or use guided meditation — or talk with a person you’ve found to be wise and compassionate, such as a spiritual leader, a mental health provider, or an impartial loved one or friend.

Does forgiveness guarantee reconciliation?

If the hurtful event involved someone whose relationship you otherwise value, forgiveness can lead to reconciliation. This isn’t always the case, however. Reconciliation might be impossible if the offender has died or is unwilling to communicate with you. In other cases, reconciliation might not be appropriate. Still, forgiveness is possible — even if reconciliation isn’t.

What if I have to interact with the person who hurt me but I don’t want to?

If you haven’t reached a state of forgiveness, being near the person who hurt you might be tense and stressful. To handle these situations, remember that you can choose to attend or avoid specific functions and gatherings. Respect yourself and do what seems best. If you choose to attend, don’t be surprised by a certain amount of awkwardness and perhaps even more intense feelings. Do your best to keep an open heart and mind. You might find that the experience helps you to move forward with forgiveness.

What if the person I’m forgiving doesn’t change?

Getting another person to change his or her actions, behavior or words isn’t the point of forgiveness. Think of forgiveness more about how it can change your life — by bringing you peace, happiness, and emotional and spiritual healing. Forgiveness can take away the power the other person continues to wield in your life.

What if I’m the one who needs forgiveness?

The first step is to honestly assess and acknowledge the wrongs you’ve done and how those wrongs have affected others. At the same time, avoid judging yourself too harshly. You’re human, and you’ll make mistakes. If you’re truly sorry for something you’ve said or done, consider admitting it to those you’ve harmed. Speak of your sincere sorrow or regret, and specifically ask for forgiveness — without making excuses. Remember, however, you can’t force someone to forgive you. Others need to move to forgiveness in their own time. Whatever the outcome, commit to treating others with compassion, empathy and respect.
Forgiveness#04

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/rss/MayoFull.xml

John and Linda Ballis

Wheel of Life book

For more helpful tips on balancing your life and further articles revisit this blog regularly, http://wheeloflifeblog.com or go to our website http://wheeloflifebook.com and purchase our book “The Wheel of Life’s 8 Keys to Success”

There were both new houses and retro-fitted houses on the tour and talks given by all home owners on the features that had been incorporated into the houses.

The retro-fitted houses included adding insulation to walls and ceilings and foilboard under the floor to minimise heat loss. Also added was double glazing on windows and adding thick drapes and pelmets to hold heat in the house (or block it out in the summer).

A further feature was solar panels on north facing roofs with panels to view output from the panels as well as solar hot water systems.

Another feature that was shown was bushfire prevention precautions that had been taken with tanks and sprinkler systems as well as making sure there weren’t trees and shrubs and mulch too close to the house.

We saw several raised garden beds and an elaborate efficient composting system.

The 2 new homes had similar features with a major one being orientation on the block. Both houses had the living areas facing the north so that heat gain during the day would be maximised to avoid artificial heating. Both homes used minimal heating showing the advantage of smart house design in creating energy efficient buildings.

Eaves were added with dimensions designed to block hot summer sun but allow access to winter sun by taking advantage of the changes in the height of the sun from summer to winter. This was one thing having a major effect on the need to heat/ cool the houses.

All in all a very succesful day, tahnk you to DRREA, with everyone learing new ways to add energy efficiency features to their homes.

We believe we may have just what you are looking for with “The Wheel of Life’s 8 Keys to Success” book with a bonus beautifully presented relaxation meditation CD for only $29.95, (retail value more than $125.00). We are using this offer for this season only to help launch our book and this CD will be sold individually for $97 at the end of this promotion.

Instead of the usual Xmas hamper or bottle of wine, make yourself stand out, and give your most important family and friends this life changing book with bonus meditation CD that will help them balance their lives. This book will not only show your family and friends how much you care about their wellbeing but it will also give them the tools needed to live more balanced, happier and healthier lives.

The importance of life balance is not only a great gift for your family and friends but is also a great gift for you because family and friends that have a balanced life are happier, healthier, more motivated, more consistent, more productive and more contented. This will make your relationships easier and more fulfilling which is an added advantage in the New Year and all because of your Xmas present to them. This is a wonderful example of giving to others with the benefits returning to you.

The right XMAS gift ideas can be an investment in your future. By demonstrating to your family and friends that you deal with daily how much you appreciate them, through well-chosen Xmas gifts you spread good cheer that can carry over into the New Year, fostering continued good relations. Your family and friends are foundational to your life; they keep it running smoothly, day in, day out. So choose gifts they’ll appreciate as much as you appreciate them. This book is a reference book that can be used for years to come.

As your family and friends reflect on the year passed and start to focus on the New Year ahead this is the ideal time to help them with this process and give them a copy of this life-changing book. You will reap the benefits in your friendships with better relationships for years to come. Most people report a happier and more contented lifestyle when they have more balanced lives which is definitely worth the investment.

When you order more than 10 copies of our book we will also autograph each copy with your family and friends name to add even more value to your gift.

Order your gift packs now to guarantee delivery before Xmas or email us on support@wheeloflifebook.com for multiple copies.

May your Life be Always Balanced!

John Ballis & Linda Ballis

P.S. As we have a strong belief in the importance of giving back to society, 10% of the sales of this book are donated to B1G1, a philanthropic “Buy One, Give One” initiative.

In our hectic lives, it’s becoming more difficult to achieve a balance between all the demands we face.

Remember that one person’s daily schedule might be paradise for some but a nightmare for others. So allow yourself to determine your own measure of work/life balance and, as a result, the impossible will become not only possible but extremely enjoyable and fulfilling.

It’s no secret that many of us are feeling too overwhelmed, pressured and short of time to pursue the things that would actually make us feel good. Even worse, the sheer array of paths available to us to achieve work/life balance (WLB) is enough to send our stress barometers sky-rocketing even higher.

It seems that at every turn there is a program, workshop or seminar designed to offer us that elusive quality of life called “balance”. We can access information more easily than ever before, but the big challenge is how we can locate the right path that will lead us, as individuals and families, to a real improvement in the quality, appreciation and joy in our lives.

In an increasingly hectic world, it’s becoming more difficult to achieve a balance between all the competing demands we face. Often, work alone becomes our focus, to the detriment of health, personal relationships and family life. Globalisation, longer working hours and increased workloads, shifting demographics and an increase in single-parent families are only a few of the conditions adding to the growing pressures we face in finding a balance between our work and our lives outside it.

Within a generation, Australia has experienced unprecedented social change with profound implications for the way men and women use and manage their time. Many workplaces have come a long way in accommodating workers’ family responsibilities, with legislative provisions, agreements and workplace policies in place to allow us greater flexibility about how we can more fully participate in family life.

The work/life balance initiatives we are experiencing such as job sharing, flexible working hours, working from home and paid maternity and paternity leave are all steps in the right direction but, as we know, family-friendly workplace policies do not necessarily translate to work/life balance in our personal lives.

Only last year, a new project to examine the work/family balance titled Striking the Balance: Women, Men, Work and Family (initiated by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission) was set up to investigate the pressures facing both men and women in our efforts to combine paid work and family responsibilities. Fundamentally, we need to move beyond the perception that balancing work and family is largely a woman’s concern.

Perhaps the reason much of the work/life balance literature focuses on women is in part due to the significant increase of women in the paid workforce over the past 40 years. Between 1966 and 2002, the labour force participation rate of married women increased from 29 to 58 per cent. However, according to the Striking The Balance Project With Work and Family, studies show that of Australian women with two or more children, only 43 per cent are in the workforce, compared with 82 per cent in Sweden and 62 per cent in the UK.

Another reason we still think of balancing work and family issues as a woman’s issue is partly that the advocacy role played by women in changing gender roles in Australia, along with traditional ideas of children and the home, is seen as the woman’s domain. But as long as paid work and family balance is framed as the concern of women only, and specifically one for women with young children, men will continue to be seen as the secondary parent and carer.

Clearly, work/life balance is not just a women’s issue. Many men are also finding it difficult to juggle priorities, which include a deep need to care for their children. However, while women re-entering the workforce have sought to juggle work and family responsibilities by working more flexibly, men have not done so to the same extent. Men are generally working longer hours and fathers predominantly continue to work full-time while mothers take on part-time work. In June 2002, about 6 per cent of employed fathers and 57 per cent of employed mothers worked part-time. It’s therefore evident that men as well as women want to lead balanced lives.

As well as longer working hours among both sexes, the ageing of the Australian population and our rising longevity are placing new pressures on Australian families to do the work of carer, in particular for ageing relatives. At the same time, changes to the welfare role of government, especially in the financing of aged care, economic globalisation and the need for Australia to continue to compete with the dynamic economic powers of our region have increased pressure on us as Australians at work. We are increasingly caught between the pressure of paid work and the pressure of care.

But back to our individual sense of achieving work/life balance. What steps can we take personally to ensure we are living as balanced a life as possible? Here are some useful tips to ensure you live your most balanced, fulfilling and joyous life from now on. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the immediacy of work demands, which tend to require immediate attention. It takes great effort and broad vision to keep a focus on home, leisure, relaxation and fun when work seems more pressing and important. But here is where we should start.

Evaluate and become aware

First and foremost, we need to apply self-review and assessment. We need to observe where we currently are before trying to make changes. Though this may sound obvious and a pretty basic step, it’s one that many of us fail to do properly at the beginning of our plan for change and then we’re left wondering why things still don’t seem to be any better than before. Any change in behaviour, or time allocated to changing behaviour, usually only lasts when our underlying values and beliefs towards this behaviour are understood. Look closely at the key areas of your life in which you seeking to find more balance.

The areas in most need of redressing may be leisure time, social activities and sporting/fitness pursuits, community engagements or time spent with members of your family and friends. We all have different priorities depending on age, stage of career and levels of motivation to change. However, the importance of assessing where we are in each of these life domains cannot be underestimated. To quote Socrates, “The unexamined life is a life not worth living.”

Address your stress

A life out of balance has many tell-tale signs. One is stress and all that goes with it. We feel overwhelmed, tired or, even worse, exhausted. Our tempers may be short and our irritability high. Look closely at each of the symptoms and make it a priority to address these immediately. Remember the role our perceptions play in relation to how stressed we feel. If we’re in a rush and we panic to complete and get everything done in the day, our perceptions towards our behaviours may need fine-tuning.

In developing relaxation and stress reduction strategies (such as breathwork and/or yoga practices), we automatically experience a mental perceptual shift, which can contribute enormously to a renewed sense of balance. List everything you feel might be affected by an adjustment in self-perception. Often, we may hugely overestimate what’s humanly possible in one day. Juggling demands such as work deadlines, parenting, housework and downtime with friends and family will never go away, but our perceptions towards these conflicting demands can change — and they can change instantly.

Manage your time meaningfully

In many of the seminars and workshops on time management I conduct, it never ceases to amaze me how we have a tendency to think good time-management equates to fitting more activities into the same amount of time. Increased balance in life has nothing to do with fitting more in, but rather fitting more things in our life that are meaningful to us.

To this end, we would benefit most by completing a thorough self-audit of what actually means the most to us. If five things have equal importance — for example, the family’s wellbeing, financial security, physical fitness, health and enjoyment of life — then simply put an emphasis on only the activities that lead directly to the enhancement of each of these life domains.

How many times have you heard somebody say they would go to the gym and work out if only they had the time? My answer to someone who says this invariably revolves around whether or not they truly believe physical health is a major priority and desired state of being for them in the first place. It’s amazing how we can seem to fit in the things that are truly important to us.

Plan purposefully

What is the use of sitting down and planning our day ahead if we’re still left feeling like we haven’t achieved enough or if there is a pervasive sense of dissatisfaction? Too often, we assume that engaging in the exercise of planning is equivalent to ensuring we are creating work/life balance.

We need to do more than just plan. We need to align our plan with our overriding purpose and sense of why we are doing what we are doing. As a psychologist, I like to suggest it’s always the bigger picture that helps shape and determine the smaller picture, not the other way around. In other words, think big when initiating change. Take a large vision of how life could be at its best and paint with a large brush. Use big strokes to guide and direct behaviours that lead somewhere, not just to the end of the day, month or year.

Work/life balance is not about dividing our day into equal parts where we attribute equal amounts of time to equally important activities. This is a common misunderstanding among many of us, myself included when I began to analyse what work/life balance meant for me.

I have many colleagues and friends who spend disproportionate amounts of their time dedicated to a very few activities. But the activities engaged in are the most meaningful and delicately planned commitments for them. From an outsider’s perspective, it would be easy to say these lives are lop-sided or out of balance, given the time dedicated to very few tasks in a week. But again, work/life balance has nothing to do with evenly distributing activities throughout a day, and everything to do with engaging directly in meaningful and purposefully planned behaviours.

In the decades to come, the definitions of work/life balance will continue to change and broaden so our sense of balance in life will not just be relevant to how we juggle the demands of home and work alone. As many researchers are now indicating, we need to regard WLB as an issue of importance for males and females alike, inside and outside of the corporate culture, where predominantly WLB initiatives were designed to influence employees’ behaviour, attitude and performance. Staff retention and lower absenteeism are not the only relevant motivating factors for implementing WLB strategies. Businesses are beginning to realise their employees are much more than the role they play at work.

Importantly, there’s a lot to be positive about in terms of our own individual sense of work/life balance. For one, there are more avenues open to us to explore regarding our mental, psychological and spiritual health. No one path will work for everyone, but with a commitment to increasing our daily levels of life satisfaction, enjoyment and appreciation of life, no matter what our circumstances, we can commit to making a harmonious and balanced life a reality, not just something others espouse.

Remember that one person’s daily schedule might be paradise for some but a nightmare for others. So allow yourself to determine your own measure of work/life balance and, as a result, the impossible will become not only possible but extremely enjoyable and fulfilling.

Tips to Regain Work/Life Balance in Your Own Life

• First establish your own behavioural patterns: Take a journal of your schedule for one month. Note your biggest time-wasting or least productive activities throughout your day and evening. Commit to reduce the total time involved in these activities by half. You will be amazed at the time being wasted over a month.
• Work/life balance is not about fitting more in to your day. It is about engaging the things that bring satisfaction, fulfillment, enjoyment and meaning on a professional and personal basis. To do this try and establish what your core values and desires are. What do you want your motivation to be other than just the idea of getting everything “done” in a day? Once you have established your these, eliminate everything in your daily life and work that do not contribute to your levels of satisfaction, fulfilment and enjoyment.
• Look at all of the important life domains including, physical and emotional health, friendships and family. What areas can you identify that are in need of development? Are there unnecessary financial or professional pressures that could be eliminated by an attitude adjustment? Eliminate unwanted sources of stress and worry where possible and commit to your decision to change your life. Ask for, and seek help and support where you need to.
• Make exercise a top priority and upgrade your nutritional status by increasing the amount of brain power foods in your diet. Memory enhancing foods are also “feel good foods” and great energy providers. These include, fish, nuts, dark berries, tomatoes, broccoli and cocoa. Try for one month to eat more plant rather than animal based foods and see how good you feel.
• Practice proper breath work at least daily, or even better, begin to meditate regularly if you haven’t already. This is a wonderful boost you can give to your daily sense of balance and control. Gradually, your meditative practice will bring great shifts in your perceptions and attitudes towards life and others.

Janet Taylor

Janet Taylor is a Psychologist specialising in the design, delivery and assessment of Corporate Health and Wellbeing Programs. She has a particular interest in Men & Womens Work/Life Balance issues. www.infinitehealth.com.au

21 December 2009. Posted by WellBeing Natural Health & Living News

John and Linda Ballis

For more helpful tips on balancing your life and further articles revisit this blog regularly, http://wheeloflifeblog.com or go to our website http://wheeloflifebook.com and purchase our book “The Wheel of Life’s 8 Keys to Success”

It has only taken 4000 years, but Western medicine is finally catching up with the East and embracing the healing power of mindfulness, writes Nicole Brady.

VIRTUALLY overnight, mindfulness has hit the mainstream. Once a niche therapeutic tool, it is now taught to athletes, primary school students, cancer patients, the anorexic, the obese, corporate lawyers, prisoners, bankers and medical undergraduates. In short: anyone and everyone.

The truth about mindfulness is that its proponents have been spreading the word for a long time. Thousands of years, in fact. But as Western science has started endorsing many of the techniques of Eastern orthodoxies, mindfulness has crossed over from fad to commonplace.

At its essence, mindfulness is about living in the present, letting go of worries about the past and fears for the future.

”Basically, in a mental state of mindfulness you are able to engage fully in what you are doing and you are able to let unhelpful thoughts come and go as if they are just leaves floating down a stream,” explains Russ Harris, the Melbourne-based author of the bestseller The Happiness Trap (2007), which popularised mindfulness as a tool.

”You’re able to let painful, difficult feelings flow through you instead of getting caught up in a struggle with them and being pushed around by them, so it’s hugely helpful for dealing with any manner of negative or stressful thoughts.”

Sports psychologist Jonah Oliver works with professional golfers, the Australian Olympic team and AFL newcomers the Gold Coast Suns. He gives the example of an AFL player lining up to kick for goal at a crucial moment.

”Traditional sports psychology would tell the athlete that they need to clear their mind, they need to be calm, to have unwavering self-belief and they need to talk to themselves positively,” Brisbane-based Oliver says.

”But those at the elite level are filled with doubt, worry, negativity, angst and anger – and trying to get rid of all that can be the problem in itself. If I’m standing in front of goal and trying to kick and I’m telling myself, ‘It’s OK, I’m a good kicker, take a deep breath, relax and do all this stuff’, then I’m actually not focusing on my kick, I’m too busy focusing on my negative thoughts.

”Mindfulness is about accepting that experience, it’s about saying ‘Of course I’m nervous, of course I’ve got worries and doubt – why wouldn’t I? I’m trying to kick a goal in front of a huge crowd at the MCG and I’ve missed my last three shots.’ Of course my brain is going to pop up those strong thoughts.”

If, says Oliver, the player accepts the thoughts as they arise (”Hello, there they are!”) and takes a ”mindful or focusing breath” then he can bring himself ”into the present moment and go through the pre-kick routine”.

On a smaller stage, Maryse Mannit is witnessing the benefits of mindfulness training among pupils at Fountain Gate Primary School.

The school is such a convert it has decked out an old portable as a colourful ”empowerment room”, where groups of grade five and six students are taught mindful meditation techniques one hour a week for 10 weeks.

”We’ve noticed a huge difference in the children, especially the boys,” says Ms Mannit, the school’s well-being co-ordinator. ”They focus a lot better in the classroom now and out in the yard we’re finding that they are more able to control their tempers because they are more aware of their feelings and what they are able to do about them.”

Leyton, one of her students, reads his summary of the program: ”It’s helped me deal with my anger and stress … when I feel worried I take a deep breath and calm down.”

Janet Etty-Leal, the teacher-turned-consultant who introduced Fountain Gate to mindfulness, has been teaching mindful meditation for a decade. It is, she says, an antidote to the fleeting attention spans modern life demands of young people as their focus flits between homework, Facebook, email, SMS and listening to their favourite song.

Dr Craig Hassed, senior lecturer in the department of general practice at Monash University, teaches mindfulness to senior students at private schools such as Geelong Grammar and MLC. As well as helping teenagers to focus on their VCE studies, the skills assist them with other life issues.

”Let’s take a year 12 student who has had an argument with her friend and she’s going over it and over it in her mind and getting more angry and resentful and hurt. The mind is like a train of thought [that] pulls up and the person unconsciously gets on and goes to the end of the line and all you find at the end of the line is anger and hostility, self-doubt, self-criticism, fear, depression … ” Dr Hassed says.

”What we say is: ‘We can’t stop the train of thought from coming but what we can do is determine whether or not we are going to get on the train.’ ”

It’s a skill that needs practice, but once mastered may have many applications, psychologists say. At Monash, Dr Hassed has overseen the inclusion of mindfulness training into the medical curriculum – a world first, he says – saying that it offers benefits to the students as well as their future patients.

At the Royal Women’s Hospital, Dr Naomi Thomas teaches it to women with cancer, helping them to manage their pain and fears. University of Canberra dietitian Andrew Simpson says one of the tools used to help those with eating disorders is ”mindful eating”, where they focus on what they are eating and how it makes them feel.

Dr Harris believes the technique has been building in popularity in the 30 years since Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn first taught that mindfulness could be used by those who did not also subscribe to the beliefs and traditions of the Eastern religions it sprang from 4000 years ago.

He sums it up in The Happiness Trap: ”The main goal … is to free you from the tyranny of your mind so you can focus your attention on more important things.”

Nicole Brady September 18, 2011
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/how-to-pay-no-mind-to-the-rantings-and-ravings-of-the-mind-20110917-1kf2d.html#ixzz1YI1fuMKq

John and Linda Ballis

For more helpful tips on balancing your life and further articles on meditation revisit this blog regularly, http://wheeloflifeblog.com or go to our website http://wheeloflifebook.com and purchase our book “The Wheel of Life’s 8 Keys to Success”

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John and Linda Ballis

For more helpful tips on balancing your life and further articles on building perserverance revisit this blog regularly, http://wheeloflifeblog.com or go to our website http://wheeloflifebook.com and purchase our book “The Wheel of Life’s 8 Keys to Success”