Feng Shui Website and E-books

I am proud to announce, on behalf of my husband Gordon Sproul, two new Feng Shui E-books!

Gordon has converted his book, On Higher Ground, into an e-book that is available for instant download on his Feng Shui website, Harmony by Design. This book has previously been available only through his Feng Shui seminars and workshops.

On Higher Ground is a compilation of twenty-one short stories, documenting his struggles and the lessons he learned from them while living in a Feng Shui challenged home. Gordon shares with his readers his personal journey through some very difficult times in his life and how he was able to overcome and grow through the principles of Feng Shui.

Gordon's second e-book, Feng Shui Faux, deals with faux painting with the use of Feng Shui principles. He discusses the different elemental colors and the influences and bearing they have on your home and life. He teaches how to group colors together that provide positive energy, nourishment, and support and how to avoid combining colors that create negative energy and personal strain.

Feng Shui Faux is also available en español.

Both e-books are available on Gordon's website, Harmony by Design.

Mind Mapping: Creative Problem Solving

A fellow writer turned me on to mind mapping a while back as a way to stimulate my inner creativity and never run out of ideas and materials to write about. I've discovered since then that mind mapping is a great tool to use in many other areas of life as well.

The human brain is said to be able to hold only a handful of ideas at a time. Mind mapping allows you to put that first handful of ideas down on paper so your brain can process a whole new set of ideas.

Here are two of the many great uses that I've found for mind mapping.

Mind Mapping for Problem Solving

Using a mind map whenever faced with a problem, no matter how small or how large it may be, can relieve a lot of the stress when dealing with life's problems. Mind mapping often reveals solutions you possibly wouldn't have thought of had you not used a mind map.

Here are some of life's problems I've explored using a mind map:

· Increasing household income
· Meal ideas
· Increasing daily physical activity
· Eating healthy
· Dealing with a teenager

Use mind mapping when faced with any problem life throws at you.

Mind Mapping for Creativity

Mind mapping is a wonderful tool for unlocking your creativity. I use mind mapping for creativity on a regular basis, particularly when I'm starting a new project.

I'm happy to say that since I started mind mapping, I haven't experienced writer's block. I'm not saying I never will again, but when I do, I know I have a powerful tool at my disposal.

Mind mapping is a valuable tool for many areas of life. If you've never checked into mind mapping, do yourself a favor and look into it.

You can find out even more about mind mapping by visiting the following sites:

http://www.mycoted.com/Mind_Mapping

http://www.jcu.edu.au/studying/services/studyskills/mindmap/index.html

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newISS_01.htm

Basic Skin Care

On the surface, skin care might not seem a very big concern. But, as most of us are aware these days, there are many reasons why taking good care of your skin is vital; skin cancer and a youthful appearance being only the beginning.

Let's examine the fundamental steps in daily skin care for optimum health.

Cleansing

Clean skin is the base of healthy skin, and all skin care routines begin here.

If you have sensitive skin, and even if you don't, using an all-natural skin care cleanser is highly recommended. I had a horrible complexion until my DOM (Doctor of Oriental Medicine) gave me a mixture of ground herbs to use as a facial cleanser. I mix a small amount of this powder with a small amount of water and use the paste to cleanse my face.

The result; clean skin without any added oils, waxes or artificial ingredients.

There are plenty of good, natural skin care cleansers on the market for you to try. Or, if you are under the care of a DOM, you may want to ask him about facial cleansing herbs.

Toning

Most skin care regimens aren't complete without the use of a skin toner. Witch hazel is a natural astringent and does not contain chemicals, which can be harsh or overly drying. Give it a try.

Moisturizing

Replenishing the skin's moisture is very important. No matter what you use to clean your skin, some amount of moisture will be lost.

Again, because of my highly sensitive skin, I have never found a moisturizer that doesn't cause breakouts. So, after watching my husband use pure Aloe Vera gel mixed with high quality vitamin E oil (not all vitamin E oil is created equal, so read the label) and noticing fewer and fewer wrinkles on his face, I decided to give it a try. Wouldn't you know it; I've found a moisturizer I can finally use. And, it really combats those wrinkles too, an added plus.

Aloe Vera has healing properties as well, so any existing blemishes are healed by the use of aloe.

Examining

You should make it a habit to examine all of your skin on a regular basis. Mark it on your calendar to do this at least once each month.

On each skin examination, make note of any unusual spots and keep an eye on them. You should talk to your health care professional about any new moles as well as old ones that have taken a different shape or seem to be growing.

Anything that is raised or has a rough shaped on the outer edge should be discussed with your health care professional.

Be sure to examine every inch of your skin, even the places you think are not likely to show signs of cancer. Skin cancer has been known to show up on the bottoms of feet, between toes, on the underside of breasts and even between the buttocks. So check everywhere.


Protecting

Skin cancer is a growing concern in our nation and most of us have read our share of articles touting the necessity of applying sun screen.

Get in the habit of wearing sunscreen whenever you’re in the sun.

If your face is sensitive to it, like mine is, try different oil free facial sunscreens. And, if you absolutely cannot wear sunscreen on your face, never spend time in the sun without wearing a hat to shade your face (but, beware of U.V. reflection off the surface of water, as it can be just as damaging).

Proper skin care is vital to your overall health and by using natural products you can nourish your skin as well as keeping it clean, healthy and protected.

Announcing Garden Beautiful!

After my last post about gardening for Body, Mind & Spirit health, I thought it was only fitting that my next post be one to announce my newest blog.

So, without further ado . . . I'm proud to announce the birth of Garden Beautiful!

This is a blog dedicated to everything beautiful in gardening (and the not-so-beautiful things that must be done for beautiful results).

Please take some time to visit and subscribe to Garden Beautiful. You'll be glad you did!

And, please, leave your comments! As with all my blogs, I highly welcome comments with suggestions for future posts, as well as your own similar gardening experiences.

Gardening Your Way to a Healthy Body, Mind & Spirit

Recently, I've been working on a PLR article package on gardening and am starting a new blog on gardening as well, named Garden Beautiful. It's not quite ready to go (it's there, but I haven't posted anything as of yet) but I'm hoping to have it up and going strong by tomorrow evening at the latest.

All this writing about gardening, and the fact that I've been outside doing the springtime work in my own gardens, has brought to mind the many health benefits there are for your body, mind and spirit, through gardening.

I want to share some of my insights with you.

Healthy Body

Gardening begins its health benefits by getting you outside. This is good for your body in many ways. After a winter of being cooped up inside, when you're prompted by your garden to get outside and begin your season of gardening wonders, your body becomes saturated with fresh air.

Breathe deep! Let every cell in your body be filled with freshness. Expel the stale air of winter and replace it with fresh air bursting with new life. Can't you just feel your body being rejuvenated?

With the spring gardening chores comes the second body benefit, exercise. Now you're outside, breathing in spring's freshness and you're bending, stretching, twisting, pulling, digging, lifting and planting. You're getting in shape and enjoying every minute of it. As summer approaches, your garden won't be the only thing looking good. :-)

Healthy Mind

I'm one of those people who really likes to garden alone. When I’m in the solitude and peace and quiet of the garden, I tend to do a lot of thinking. My mind opens up to fresh, new ideas. And, notions that I'd never entertained before present themselves as solutions to life's problems. My mind fills with ideas, for new and current writing projects, for home improvement, for landscaping, for relationships and many other aspects of my life. In fact, this presents me with a small problem of another kind: how to harness all these ideas so I don't lose them once I leave the garden.

There's also something about spending time in a garden, whether it's working or just enjoying, that is a nearly instant stress reliever. Maybe it's the peace and quiet. Maybe it's the soulful appreciation of nature's beauty. Whatever it is, it's a full proof remedy for life's stresses.

Healthy Spirit

Gardening is therapy for the spirit. As you garden you are given time for reflection and meditation. The very act of gardening -- the bending, stretching, twisting, pulling and planting -- along with the serenity of nature, puts your mind in a perfect state for meditation and spiritual renewal.

Gardens have long been a favored place of spiritual rejuvenation as well as meditation and prayer. Through time spent in your garden, whether actively gardening or simply relaxing, your spirit connects with the sights, sounds, and smells and reaches out, becoming one with the serenity of your surroundings.

Be sure to take full advantage of the opportunities for spiritual renewal in your garden.

Gardens provide more for your health than fresh fruits and vegetables. Take every advantage of the health benefits a garden provides for a healthy body, mind and spirit.

Life is too short to be without a garden!

Women Who Think Too Much

Today, more than ever, many women have a tendency to think too much. While, on the surface, this wouldn't seem to be a problem, it has many potentially dangerous consequences.

Overthinking can cause sometimes irreversible damage to any number of aspects of a woman's life: relationships, health, self confidence, career, family, and her emotional well-being for starters.

A woman who doesn't get control of her overthinking can experience paralysis in many different areas of her life. In extreme cases, overthinking may even cause a manifestation of the physical being as well.

So, how can you get control of overthinking in your own life? Where can you look to find help for someone you love?

Find the answers and help you need in Women Who Think Too Much: How to Break Free of Overthinking and Reclaim Your Life by Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, Ph.D..

Positively Powerful: Part 2 - The Power of Positive Affirmations

There are two kinds of affirmations: positive and negative. Every time you think or say a familiar negative thought – “I’m fat,” “I’m ugly,” “I’ll never be successful,” etc. – you are practicing negative affirmations. You have to learn, to not only let go of these negative affirmations, but to replace them with positive ones.


The How and Why of Affirmations

We know from Positively Powerful: Part 1, that what the mind believes, it achieves. This concept has been taught by numerous parenting specialists with regard to the affects parents’ words have on their children. They note that a child will live up to his parents’ expectations of him, whatever those expectations may be. If little Johnny’s parents continually say to him, “You are such a naughty boy. Why can’t you do anything right?” his mind will take over and his behavior will grow progressively worse. He’ll grow up thinking and feeling that he truly cannot do anything right. If, on the other hand, little Susie’s parents spend the same amount of time telling her what a good little girl she is and how talented, she will grow up feeling good about herself and her choices and abilities. This is the basic principle of affirmations.

How we see ourselves is influenced, in large, by what has been repeated to us over and over by our parents, our siblings, our society, and our selves. We have to get our minds to stop believing the garbage we have allowed them to believe for so long and make the conscious, controlled effort to reshape them into believing we are the way we want ourselves to be; thin, healthy, peaceful, successful, etc.

A positive affirmation is a brief, positive statement that focuses the mind on what you want it to believe rather than what it has believed in the past.

Let’s examine the basic principles of positive affirmations; first, in creating them, then, in repeating them.

Creating positive affirmations

Take a deep, personal look into yourself as you are right now. Note any negative thoughts and feelings that come to mind as these are the areas where strong negative affirmations have been at work. You will need to replace that negativity with positive affirmations.

Now, switch your focus and see yourself as you would like to be. Write down your thoughts and feelings. Write down what you look like in this picture, how you feel, how you see yourself, and how others see you. Take your time and be as specific and thorough as you possibly can.

Writing Your Positive Affirmations

There are two guidelines that are vital in writing positive affirmations.

First, your affirmations need to state things that you want, rather than things that you do not want; they need to be positive.

Second, they must be written as though they are true at this moment; in the present tense.

Here are a few examples of powerful positive affirmations:

* I am happy with my body. It is perfect in every way.

* All areas of my life are filled with abundance and love.

* My creative energies flow freely within me.

Giving your affirmations power

Now that you have these wonderful, positive affirmations, here are 4 steps you need to know to give them power.

1) Keep them short

The shorter your affirmations are -- while still meeting the two vital guidelines -- the better. Power lies in their simplicity. It is easier for the mind to grab hold of an affirmation if it doesn’t have to sort through too much detail.

2) Daily repetition

The more often you repeat your affirmations aloud, the quicker you will see their results. I suggest repeating them 10 times, at least twice each day -- upon rising and before bed are the most beneficial.

3) Seeing is believing

Write your positive affirmations on index cards, note cards, greeting cards, or anything else you can get your hands on, and put them in every area you frequent throughout your daily routine.

By keeping them in sight and repeating them often (even if silently at times), you will turbo charge their power potential.

4) Mirror, mirror

One of the most effective places to post your affirmations is on your bathroom mirror. This puts them in sight every morning and every night, but the mirror also serves as a powerful tool in another way.

By looking into your own eyes in the mirror as you repeat your affirmations aloud, you are looking deep into your soul and engraving your positive affirmations there.

This is possibly the most powerful tool of all.

* * *

Remember, be persistent, be passionate, and be confident in the power of your affirmations and you will soon be on the path you always dreamed of.

As a Feng Shui master, my husband teaches that you must have 3 things in order for the universe (this includes God, the master of the universe) to bring about your desires: 1) strong intentions, 2) proper placement, and 3) direct participation.

If you follow the guidelines in this article, not only will you have met all three of these principles of Feng Shui, but ultimately, you will reap the benefits of your positively powerful affirmations.