James Smith’s Info Serv

Author: Tony Hall

There is an old saying that states something along the lines of, “A mountain has only one peak, but many paths that lead up to it.” It’s a phrase well worth taking heed of.

When you sit down and define what it is you want from life you must have an ultimate outcome and it should be based upon how you really want to feel inside. So, for instance, your ultimate emotional goal may be to be happy, healthy, and financially free. Achieving that will be like climbing to the top of your own particular mountain but what path will you take to get there? It would make sense for the journey to be enjoyable wouldn’t it?

A few years back I had a family holiday in North Wales with my sons and my elderly parents. Whilst there we decided we would like to visit Mount Snowdon (one of the highest peaks in the UK) and get to the top. There are a number of routes up, with paths varying in their degree of difficulty, but with young children and elderly grand-parents the easiest route was chosen - the mountain railway.

It was an enjoyable ride, with great views and opportunities for taking photographs all the way up. And on reaching the end of the line it was just a short walk up to the actual peak. It was well worth it with fantastic views for miles around. Our little goal was achieved and we had had a great time getting there.
Read the rest of this entry »

Author: John Vespasian

If you ever spend a holiday in Egypt, don’t forget to visit the place where the barrack of archaeologist Howard Carter used to stand one century ago. When you inquire about the exact location, your guide will point at a promontory in the sand, a small elevation in the Egyptian desert that looks no different from the other dunes.

Tourists who visit the place stand still, examine the spot, and look around, wondering if the guide is telling them truth. Those visitors are actually not interested in looking at the desert. What has brought them there is the story of Howard Carter, a man who, thanks to his curiosity and persistence, became the most famous archaeologist in History.

Despite his modest origins and lack of academic degrees, Carter’s profound interest in the history of Ancient Egypt led him to read all available books on the subject and, little by little, he earned a reputation of specialist in Egyptian antiquities. His initiative and hands-on experience in excavations led him to develop the theory that the tomb of one Pharaoh, Tutankhamen, had not yet been found.

Carter’s hypothesis conflicted with the prevalent idea at that time, held by professors and specialists alike, who sustained that all tombs in the Valley of Kings had been already found. When Carter was in his early forties, he teamed up with an English wealthy landowner, Lord Carnavon, obtained a concession to excavate the Valley of Kings and began to look for the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen.
Read the rest of this entry »

Author: Michael A Verdicchio

Last week my wife and I were in Spokane, Washington for a wedding. A friend who we stayed with is really into jogging. I asked her if she had ever heard about Cliff Young.

Even though the story of Cliff Young happened twenty-six years ago, he is still a hero in Australia. And as I told our friend about what Cliff accomplished, I began to think about parallels from his story that still apply today.

There appears to be a lot more obstacles in our world today then there were a few short years ago. Many people are confused about the current economic situation. Some people even feel success is no longer an option; they feel like everything is against them.

Those feelings, however, are just a response to negative thoughts. The truth is, the only thing that can stop you from success is you.

Cliff Young didn’t let anyone or anything stop him. Back in 1983, plenty of people thought that he was crazy to even consider running in a race. After all, this was no ordinary race. This was the Sydney to Melbourne race, considered to be the world’s toughest race. The distance is 875 kilometers, or just over 543 miles!
Read the rest of this entry »

Author: Michael A. Verdicchio

There are times in life when almost everyone has thought about giving up. Frustrated and feeling like nothing is working for them, a person can get to the point of saying, “What’s the use in trying anymore?”

Reaching that point in life, most of the time a person chooses one of two courses. If someone is really discouraged, they can choose to accept their “plight in life.” They see their dreams or goals as unattainable. They believe that for them, “This is just the way that it is.”

But others choose a different path. Yes, they too may be discouraged. They may very well be very frustrated and feel like giving up. But, instead, they choose not to give up. They choose to keep trying.

Life is not without challenges and setbacks no matter who you are. With the current economic situations many of those challenges seem to be magnified. It can be tempting to think, “Why bother trying anymore?”

This is not only true with economic challenges, but with relationships, illness, special projects; it’s true with any number of different things. But no matter what it is you are thinking about “giving up” on, before you do, consider two important questions.
Read the rest of this entry »

Author: jsolution

What is it you want out of life? Once you decide what it is you want to do and where you want to be, you then must realize what you have to do to change your thinking to achieve these desires. When we were babies, we knew exactly what we wanted. We cried loudly with no inhabitions holding back until we got what we wanted. As we got older, we were clear about what we wanted and headed straight toward it with no fear. Along the way, we would hear someone say, don’t do this or that and as we got older the negative words would be more intense. As we go thru our lives, we somehow get stuck trying to figure out what other people want us to do. As a result we now do a lot of things we don’t want to do but what pleases others.

So how do we reclaim ourselves and our true desires? How do we get back what we really want with no fear, shame or inhabitions? How do we reconnect with our real passion. We start on the smallest level by honoring our preferences in every situation, no matter how large or small. Don’t think of them as petty, they might be inconsequential to someone else, but they are not to you. To renown your power and get what you really want out of life, you will have to stop saying,” I don’t know, I don’t care, It doesn’t matter to me. When you are confronted with a choice, act as if you have a preference. Ask yourself, “if I did know,what would it be? If I did care, which would I prefer? If it did matter, what would I rather do.
Read the rest of this entry »