December 24, 2008

TWAS THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS...

I hope you will forgive an old cynic like myself for horning in on a Christian celebration but this is my favourite time of year. I will leave all the usual comments about religion, politics, economics, stupid drivers and any of those other rants that spring so easily to mind and simply say a big Merry Christmas to everyone within eye shot. Two things are roaming through the vastness of my consciousness this morning: one is that this is a time to be grateful and might be the perfect time (day even) to make a list of those things that I am grateful for - please join me. And the second thing is something that I am really, really grateful for - for those of you who don't live in this corner of the world, it may be hard to understand the power of a chinook, but this morning when I look into the sky, I see the beginnings of a chinook arch and the temperature has risen 5 degrees in the past half hour! Now, I'm really grateful for that.

Anyway, to each and everyone who is reading this today - may the spirit of the season bring peace, joy and love to each of you.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

December 18, 2008

FEEL THE FEAR

While driving in to work this morning I had a lot of time to think due to the icy winter roads and forced slow down in speed. I began to feel fear creeping into my consciousness as I listened to all the negative and disastrous news coming from the car radio. I don't know about you, but fear is a palpable physical sensation for me and I generally experience it in the pit of my stomach and if bad enough, it almost causes nausea. Anyway, when I got to the office, I turned on my computer and lo and behold, there was a terrific joke from my sister in law and the following from James Arthur Ray:

Ten Tips for Thriving in This Economic Winter
Many of you have read and commented on our recent conversation about how it's a season to sow, how there's so much fear in our world right now and how it's related to some of the universal laws that modern society has forgotten.

If you missed the conversation or need a refresher, check it out here: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.
Well, you asked for some quick, easy-to-apply tips on how to thrive in this economic winter and on how to apply the knowledge you learned during our conversation... So here you go!

1. Clearly define what inspires you.
There's a big difference between taking action out of inspiration versus desperation. Use this season as an opportunity to hibernate into the recesses of your own mind and define what you choose to create in your next spring.
2. Control your focus.
Energy flows where attention goes. Are you focusing on lack or opportunity?
3. Feed your mind.
What's your constant mental diet? Do you spend hours in front of the scare news or are you reading good books, attending more positive seminars, watching uplifting DVDs and listening to powerful CDs?
4. Strengthen your body.
Your physical health and vitality have a tremendous impact on your performance as well as your mental and emotional fitness. Exercise releases stress as well as strengthen your body and mind.
5. Inventory your friends.
Doom and gloom attracts more doom and gloom. Jettison those "energy vampires" around you and surround yourself with opportunity seekers.
6. Quiet your mind.
Take time to meditate daily and to slow down if only for a few minutes. Ten to fifteen minutes of meditation will relieve hours of stress and increase creativity and resourcefulness.
7. Rid your life of escapist activities.
Overindulgence in TV, sleep and alcohol only accelerate the problems you're attempting to avoid.
8. Make a daily gratitude list.
Focusing on all the good, gifts and God in your life puts you in the right line of thought, feeling and their subsequent actions, which will attract and create more good, gifts and God.
9. Change your attitude.
Realize that everything that's happened in your life thus far is here to serve you, teach you and help you grow. Find the lessons in your past results, forgive yourself for anything you could have done better and apply the lesson to move forward and create a better future.
10. Get resourceful.
For the next three days, go to a place where you can have uninterrupted time... Come up with 20 new ideas to grow your income, create new results and improve your life. You cannot leave your spot until you have twenty. And no editing! All ideas are good ideas. Do this for three successive days with 20 new ideas each day.

Now take your list of 60 unique ideas and pick the three to five most powerful and leveraged ones to put into action. Pick these three to five based on: ease of implementation, rate of return and speed of return.
And so during this winter season, remember: It's not about resources... there are plenty of them. It's about resourcefulness. Get resourceful and get busy.

To your continued wealth and happiness,

James Arthur Ray
President/CEO
James Ray International

If you don't know who James is, just Google him and sign up for his updates.

December 2, 2008

LET ME BE PERFECTLY CLEAR

Just in case you think I was too harsh when commenting about the Perfect Storm in my previous blog, and just in case you think that I am blaming this mess on the PM, then let me be perfectly clear. Stephen opened the door to the possibility of a non-confidence vote that he could lose by sneaking in a clause to the financial update that would eliminate the government funding that flows to all political parties based on votes received in the last election. All three opposition parties are broke and this money is basically propping each of them up. When you back a political animal into a corner - what do you expect will happen? This whole mess is ALL about politics and the economy is a convenient whipping boy for the three stooges. Mostly I am just disappointed in our PM for allowing himself to be put in this situation where we are going to spend our energy and efforts fighting politics instead of solving the economic riddles. I was very confident after the election that we would be on sound economic and political footing. In absolutely no way do I think this joke of a coalition is the least bit capable of shepherding us through the economic maze.

Memo to the PM's office, the Governor General and all the media wags - GET US OUT OF THIS MESS AND GET ON WITH RUNNING THE COUNTRY THE WAY THE VOTERS WANTED!!!!

THE PERFECT STORM

Batten down the hatches, there's a big one brewing. Those dark clouds you see on the eastern horizon are heading our way and it might be time to get off the Ferris wheel. Here's the recipe to create a "perfect storm" if you live in Alberta:

1. elect a provincial premier who is out of touch with the people and industry
2. add a pinch of arrogance and watch him tax the province's biggest industry so that they move to adjoining provinces where they feel more wanted
3. add insult to injury by backtracking half way without admitting your mistake
4. call a federal election a couple of weeks too late so that the economy begins to loom large as a serious threat to prosperity
5. see the PM make a serious error in judgement in the middle of the campaign in the province he really needs in order to elect a majority
6. watch oil and commodity prices drop like a stone around the world from the view of a resource-producing nation - sweat should be breaking upon your brow about here
7. elect a minority government with a leader who doesn't receive advice well but promises a new era of cooperation
8. watch our neighbours to the south elect a new president who promises change and see one of their biggest industries go through the throes of bankruptcy causing the loss of many jobs in our biggest province
9. watch that same neighbour's outgoing leader pour billions of dollars of debt into a faltering economy without a plan other than to attempt to save jobs (and votes) at home
10. stir in a cup of arrogance and pour the cooperation down the drain while presenting a mini-financial update that requires approval of the House of Commons, by cutting the funding lifeline of the opposition parties who are attempting to plead the case of their now unemployed supporters
11. start back stepping faster than the guy who dropped the bad smell on the elevator, on all of your economic plans or lack thereof, thus making yourself a lame duck PM
12. stir this mess up and hand the bowl to a media maven without political, constitutional or legal experience who goes from being a figurehead to having to make the biggest decision of her life, while being pummelled from all sides by conflicting and self serving opinions masquerading as advice
13. stand and watch as the economically strongest country in the world dissolves into political chaos with the 3 stooges on centre stage directing the orchestra
14. bring to a boil the populace that is seeing their savings vaporize into thin air while the politicians dance to the strains of "What a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts."
15. Steve, errrr...... Stephen, it's time to do the honourable thing, otherwise think Joe, er...Joseph Clark
16. Yet another election showing through the dark clouds
17. Can you name the 3 lame ducks in the election pot this Xmas?

Good Luck to us all!

December 1, 2008

DEAR PRIME MINISTER

Stephen, may I call you Steve - no OK, Stephen, stop playing hopscotch with the country and start acting like the Prime Minister of all the people! I have been a supporter for a long time and most of the time you're right on the mark. These days you have decided to sink to the level of the competition with some petty politics and snide remarks. You are above that fer gawds sakes.

I urge you to take the high road ( leave the 30 million for a later date) and tell the public, in an honest and forthright manner why it is best to wait a bit longer before making stimulus promises rather than let them think that the opposition method of pissing in the dark is in our best interests.

As for that ticky-tacky trinity of testosterone-challenged toadies that masquerade as an opposition - you can't run your own parties in terms of elections or finances - why would we ever think you can run the country!

And I love the media comment about how a coalition government would have four wisemen to advise on financial matters. Whoever wrote that is either 15 years old or has had a frontal lobotomy to remove their memories of these "wiseguys" actual time in political leadership.