James Smith’s Info Serv

Author: Denise Ryan

I know you all have had them - weeks from HELL! That is what this week has been for me. There was a discovery of a database disaster, a man who cheated on me called, I saw a surgeon about my hip (very bad news), and just this morning USAA called to tell me of some unauthorized use of my credit card. I am praying to the great cacao bean in the sky to end this madness!

Apparently I am much better in retrospect than I am in an actual relationship. The cheater wants a second chance - I was so great, I believed in him, he was so grounded when he was with me, blah, blah, blah. Whatever. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. I already feel it’s shame on me. The whole thing just brings up some very yucky feelings and still manages to bother me.

Then the surgeon - ah! I got to see the recent x-ray of my arthritic hip. There is zero cartilage left. Zero. The bone is forming all kinds of spurs and cysts - it’s a veritable bone party in there. And, I didn’t know this, but bones have nerves (like teeth) and every time I walk or move a certain way, those nerves are rubbing together. The surgeon was shocked I was still walking 5 miles a day. Little does he know it’s merely so I can continue my chocolate habit and simultaneously fit into my clothes.

They are going to give me a steroid injection in my hip next week, but the only real solution is surgery. After you realize this, they have you watch a little video. That is what pushed me over the edge - seeing how they have to scrape out the leg bone and jam a plastic rod in there to link with the new fake hip. I had no idea - I don’t know what I was thinking, but this is no outpatient procedure. Three to four days in the hospital, no driving, I’ll need some kind of home care or I can go into a rehab facility (basically a nursing home). Two months of recovery time (and that’s on the good side) - and I work for myself - if I don’t speak, I don’t earn any money. And it ain’t like this is going to be cheap.
Read the rest of this entry »

Author: Ed McDonough

That’s usually the response, along with a puzzled look on their face. How could a life coach possibly help me, I don’t have any problems with my life?

Life Coaching isn’t just about solving problems. It’s about making your whole life better. It’s a way for you to hone in on the things that are really important to you, and then develop a sensible plan to bring them into your life one step at a time. Coaching is about you getting from where you are now in your life to where you want to be, in the most straightforward and practical way.

When you partner with a mindful coach, you form a special kind of association. It’s an ongoing partnership that helps you produce fulfilling results in your personal and professional life.

As you go through the process of coaching you will strengthen your learning skills and improve your ability to move through life in a more balanced and peaceful fashion.

Beginning with the greatest desire you have, your coach will use exploration and reporting, along with a consistent commitment, to move you forward step-by-step towards your goal. This process accelerates your progress by providing greater focus and awareness of the choices being made.

Together you and your coach will set a baseline at where you are today and then concentrate on what you are willing to do to get where you want to be tomorrow. It’s a marvelous way to stay focused on the future while you monitor your progress on a daily and weekly basis.

In the most clear-cut terms, to be successful at reaching your life goals and seeing your most wanted dreams and desires come to fruition, you need knowledge, awareness and simple action. Life coaching is your opportunity to be guided by someone experienced at successfully setting a goal, developing a concise plan to reach it, and then following the plan until the goal is achieved.
Read the rest of this entry »

Author: Kozan Huseyin

Do you have a life goal? Is it a big goal or small? The problem with most people is that they set goals, but because they are so small, they actually hit it, and wonder what happened! In this article, I aim to get you to your destination.

Before we look at destinations, it is important to understand this principle of journeys. We know some people live in the same home from birth to death, while others set the standard life goal of having a life partner, hopefully a soul mate, children, and a home.

Though this is a goal we all pretty much want, and deserve, the truth is that whatever you set for yourself in life, and strive to achieve, you will achieve! I remember a poem that in essence said - if you bargain with life for a penny, that is all it will pay.

You must realize that whatever you want from life, it will deliver. Whether riches, happiness or whatever you seek, you will find. Even Jesus told us that one, and so many more people - the greatest minds, and people have told us.

So make your dreams bold and big and remember - if you shoot for the Moon and miss, you will land amongst the stars! Let us begin, and let us look at this success thing, because it is important.
Read the rest of this entry »

Joan Kenley’s Talking Matters - Can You Choose a Better Life? - March 11th

WITH

HARVEY CAPLAN, MD AND DEBORAH JENKINS

We hope you’ll enjoy our thought-provoking theme: “Can you Choose a Better Life?” There are intriguing questions as well as challenges.

The program will let you in on the ABCs of what makes a happy life, and you’ll appreciate our informative guests.

We’ll offer conversations about how much negative self-talk fills your day. Did you know there are various types of happiness? We’ll tell you about the difference between short and long term therapy. Hear about Attention Deficit Disorder becoming more frequently diagnosed in adults, what there is to know about anti-depressants, and how physical pain affects your feelings of self worth. How do you grieve when you lose a relationship, a job, or a friend is another important topic. And you’ll be surprised about what can’t bring real happiness.

You’ll also hear about:

* How many ways a heart can break
* What causes your deepest fears
* How forgiveness and compassion can change you
* What gives life meaning - and much more

Harvey Caplan, MD first intended to become a cardiologist when he was chosen to help found the first teen contraception clinic for Planned Parenthood. He then focused on the field of human sexuality and a broad spectrum of psychotherapeutic techniques. Dr. Caplan lectures internationally and has taught in several universities and graduate schools. His private practice is in San Francisco.

Deborah Jenkins is the author of the motivational self-help book “Massive Abundance - How to Create Prosperity in Your Life”. She has worked for numerous corporations as a dynamic communications consultant in sales and presentation skills. When Deborah isn’t coaching others, she enjoys her role as a Martha Stewart look-a-like celebrity, and is frequently featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Author: Martin Mak

The notion of accelerating the way your brain works may seem implausible but it is entirely realistic. As a matter of fact, constant changes in society and in the economy is making it more imperative to learn the tricks of the brain. That is, how to accelerate your learning and improve your memory. Like everyone else, you will soon need to learn in better and more powerful ways. If you do not, the growth of knowledge and advances in technology will make much of what you presently know obsolete. If you do, you not only will comfortably adapt to the future, but you will also participate in recreating it.

Since the late 1970s we have been living through a watershed in human history, that is, the computer revolution. There is no going back to the way things were. Both our society and the economy are notably different from the way they used to be. The computer revolution has been changing the way we work and the way we form and conduct personal relationships. Indeed, it has been changing the way we live.

But what part of our lives is changing the most? It has arguably had the deepest and most sustained effects of the way in which we use and understand our own minds. If we look at the profession of psychology, you’ll see that he influence of computers and computer science is unmistakable. Consider as an example, MIT psychologist Steven Pinker’s 1997 book titled How the Mind Works, which draws largely on research based on computer models.
Read the rest of this entry »