Don't Worry...Be Happy

Genuine Happiness Comes from Within

Sometimes, when we feel like the world is just too heavy, we look around and find people who continued to live fascinating and wonderful lives. And then thoughts come popping into our minds like bubbles from nowhere – “How did their life become so adorably sweet? How come they still can manage to laugh and play around despite a busy stressful life?” 

As we pause and observe for awhile we may realize that they started to work on a place called ‘self’.

So, how does one become genuinely happy? Step 1 is to love yourself.

A theology professor once said that “loving means accepting.”  To love oneself means to accept that you are not a perfect being, but behind the imperfections must lie a great ounce of courage to be able to discover ways on how to improve our repertoire to recover from our mistakes.

Genuine happiness also pertains to contentment. When you are contented with the job you have, the way you look, with your family, your friends, the place you live in, your car, and all the things you now have – truly, you know the answer to the question “how to be genuinely happy.”

When we begin to discover a small start somewhere from within, that small start will eventually lead to something else, and to something else. But if you keep questioning life like  and looking for the negative in everything, you will never be able to find genuine happiness.

I believe that life is about finding out about trying and failing, wining and losing, right and wrong. These are things that happen as often as you inhale and exhale. Failure in a person’s life has become as abundant and necessary as air. But this should not hinder us from becoming happy.

You may be at a down point in your life at the moment and wonder, how can we be genuinely happy in spite all these?

Take one step at a time.

Every time you exert an effort to improve the quality of life and your being, whether it is cleaning up your room, helping a friend, taking care of your sick dog, failing on board exams and trying again, life gives you equivalent points for that.

Imagine life as a big score board like those which are used in the NFLs. Every time you take a step forward, you make scoring points. Wouldn’t it be nice to look at that board at the end of each game and think to yourself “Whew! I got a point today. I’m glad I gave it a shot.”, instead of looking at it all blank and murmur “Geez, I didn’t even hit a score today. I wish I had the guts to try out. We could have won!” and then walk away.

Genuine happiness isn’t about driving the hottest Formula 1 car, nor getting the employee of the year award, earning the highest 13th month pay, or beating the sales quota. Sometimes, the most sought after prizes in life don’t always go to the fastest, the strongest, the bravest or not even the best.

So, how do you become genuinely happy? 

Every one has their own definition of ‘happiness’. Happiness for a writer may mean launching a best selling book. Happiness for a basketball rookie may mean getting the rookie of the year award. Happiness for a beggar may mean finding a lot of money. Happiness for a business man may mean corporate success.

So, really now, how do we become genuinely happy? Simple. Its about doing and making the best out of every single thing. You don’t have to have the best things in this world. When you find yourself smiling at your own mistake and telling your self “Oh, I’ll do better next time”, your willingness to stand up again and try – that will make you a genuinely happy person.

When you learn to accept yourself and your own faults. You pass step 1 in the project “how to become genuinely happy”.

Love and accept others as you love yourself.  Laugh at your foibles.  Be empathetic and kind to others.  Do something for someone else and do something for yourself.  Don't give so much away that you have nothing left for you.  It takes courage to be happy.  Be of good courage.

BANABU

Fran Watson

Who Is In Control?

I woke up late this morning, after a very peaceful night's sleep. I read and meditated for about half an hour and when I came downstairs I began my task of filing and then dong some cleaning and I realized that sometimes it is the simple tasks that can be the most important in clearing my mind to be able to take on more difficult tasks later. By clearing my "working space" I also clear the working space in my mind.  

I have been learning a lot recently about minimalism, appreciating simple things in life and I recognize that I have too much stuff.  I also realized that my "stuff", the things "living" in my house are the things that are often in control of what I do.  The things constantly need to be moved, looked after, and they take up space.  Now some of these things may be important, but I recently cleaned out my pantry and at the back I found cake mixes that were several years outdated.  If I hadn''t had so much "stuff" in my pantry, I would have noticed that sooner.

I also have too much food in my freezer.  I live alone, so I don't really need to have a big freezer anymore, but since I do I often will buy things to put in it.  The problem is, if I don't eat it soon enough it gets freezer burn and is then wasted.  So who is in control?.....my stuff.

I retired from my day job almost 5 years ago and brought home boxes of papers and books from my 25 years of career counseling.  My thought was that I would use this "stuff" as I continued to work in the field part-time from my home.  I have not yet opened some of the boxes.  They are sitting upstairs in one of the bedrooms just taking up space.  So who is in control?....again my stuff.

My kitchen table is a "catch-all" for all kinds of papers, pens,, pencils and more, and this is where I work.  Is it any wonder that sometimes I feel scattered?  I think it is time that I begin to control my life instead of being controlled.  I will begin today to spend a minimum of 15 minutes per day cleaning some aspect of my world.  This may involve giving away books (gasp, the horror, but am I really going to read them all?) or perhaps some of my material (but really, I am going to quilt some day........) or even some of my yarn?  I have a whole container of knitted scarfs and toques to give to someone or some group.  Yes, today is the day I take control.   How about you?

To your success
BANABU

Fran

What Innovation Can Do to Your Life

If you've ever marvelled at somebody's creative prowess, guess what, you can create and innovate too. It just takes time. Everyone is born creative. The box of crayons in kindergarten were not limited to those who possessed potential; because the truth is, everybody has potential.

You know how long it took to learn to ride a bike or drive or to learn a new habit? It's the same with innovation. It takes a  bit of practice and a lot of time before this mind function comes easily when called. This article will provide you with a few tips on how to bring innovation into your life.

First of all, follow the beat of your own drum. Allowing for the input of other people will only bring cacophony to the music you are trying to make. If you have an original idea, don't waste your time and effort trying to make people understand. They won't. And the "so-called help" you will get probably will come in the form of negative feedback. If all the geniuses listened to their peers, we would probably still be living in the middle ages.

Spend time on it. Exercise. Take a walk. Run a mile or two. Send all those endorphins coursing through your veins. Exercising certainly clears and relaxes your mind and allows for anything to pop up.

Record your dreams. Aren't some of them just the craziest things that your conscious mind would never have thought of? If you've had these dreams before, and I'm sure have, this only shows you the untapped innovative power you have lying within. So jot down those notes. Those dreams may just create an innovative spark in you.

Find your own style. You can always tell a Van Gogh from a Matisse. You'll know Hemingway wrote something by the choice of words on the paper. So it is the same with you. People will appreciate your innovation more because it is uniquely yours and that no one else would have thought of what you were thinking. That will let people see how valuable an asset you are.

Don't hide behind nifty gadgets or tools. You don't need the most expensive set of paints to produce a masterpiece. The same way with writing. You don't need some expensive fountain pen and really smooth paper for a bestseller. In fact, J.K. Rowling wrote the first book of the Harry Potter Series on bits of tissue. So what if you've got an expensive SLR camera if you're a crappy photographer? Who cares if you've got a blinging laptop if you can't write at all? The artist actually reduces the number of tools he has as he gets better at his craft: he knows what works and what doesn't.

And remember, nothing will work without passion.

What wakes you up in the mornings?

What keeps the flame burning?

What is the one thing that you'll die if you don't do?

Sometimes people with talent are overtaken by the people who want it more. Think the hare and the tortoise. Ellen Degeneres once said that if you're not doing something that you want to do, then you don't really want to do it. And that's true. Sometimes you just want something so badly you become a virtual unstoppable. And that is passion. Passion will keep you going.

Don't worry about inspiration. You can't force it; inspiration hits when you least expect it to, for those unpredictable yet inevitable moments you should prepare. An idea could strike you on the subway, yet alas, you poor unfortunate soul; you have no sheet of paper to scribble down a thought that could change the world. Avoid these disasters. Have a pen and paper within your arm's reach at all times.

I hope this article has helped you bring more innovation into your life. Keep in mind that you're doing these things for your own satisfaction and not anybody else's. But soon enough they will notice, and everything should snowball from there.

Remember... you are unique.  There is no one in this world quite like you.  No one capable of doing or being like you.  Step forward along your unique path to your unique future.

BANABU

Fran Watson

The True Story of Rudolph The Reindeer

I was just reviewing some of the email I got around Christmas time and found this story.  To me it fits the description of BANABU, so I wanted to share it here for you.

The True Story of
Rudolph

A man named Bob May, depressed and broken-hearted, stared out his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night. His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap, quietly sobbing.  Bob's wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer.

Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never come home. Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked, "Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?"

 

Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears. Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger. It had been the story of Bob's life.

 

Life always had to be different for Bob. Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too little at the time to compete in sports. He was often

called names he'd rather not remember.

 

From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in. Bob did complete college, married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with
his little girl. But it was all short-lived.

 

Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of all their savings and now Bob and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment in the Chicago slums. Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938.

 

Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined to make one - a storybook!

 

Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope. Again and again Bob told the story, embellishing it more with each telling.

 

Who was the character? What was the story all about? The story Bob May created was his own autobiography in fable form. The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. The name of the character? A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose.

 

Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day. But the story doesn't end there. The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book. Montgomery Ward went on to print, “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores.

 

By 1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph. That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Montgomery Ward to print an updated version of the book. In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Montgomery Ward returned all rights back to Bob May. The book became a best seller.

 

Many toy and marketing deals followed and Bob May, now remarried with a growing family, became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter.

But the story doesn't end there either. Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph. Though the song was turned down by such popular
vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore , it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry. "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception of "White Christmas."

 

The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning back to bless him again and again. And Bob May learned the lesson, just like his dear friend Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad. In fact, being different can be a

blessing.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR

Enjoy life... it has an expiration date

Fran

New Beginnings

Building A New And Better Universe - Building A New And Better YOU

That is our goal.  Getting better each and every day.  Releasing our bad habits and creating new habits that will help and not hinder us.

What goals have you set for 2016?
What habits are you going to build?
Who will hold you accountable?
How will you know if you succeed?

Why not state your goals in the comments section below.  Share your goals and your determination to achieve them.  I'll start.

1.  To write a letter to my daughter who is far away on the 1st day of each month.  (I started early, so I have completed 2 so far.)
2.  To update my website.  (It is a mess, I have neglected it for a while now.)
3.  To write a blog post every week in 2016.  (I have 4 blogs, and I hope to be able to write a post for each one each week, but will commit to writing at least one post per week.)

This is a start.  I hope to add more as the year progresses.  Now, how about you?

Fran

Habits - good or bad?

Habits

UNCONSCIOUSLY we are forming habits every moment of our lives. Some are habits of a desirable nature; some are those of a most undesirable nature.

 

Some, though not so bad in themselves, are exceedingly bad in their cumulative effects, and cause us at times much loss, much pain and anguish, while their opposites would, on the contrary, bring as much peace and joy, as well as a continually increasing power.

 

Have we it within our power to determine at all times what types of habits shall take form in our lives? In other words, is habit-forming, character-building, a matter of mere chance, or have we it within our own control? We have, entirely and absolutely. "I will be what I will to be," can be said and should be said by every human soul.

There is nothing more true in connection with human life than that we grow into the likeness of those things we contemplate. Literally and scientifically and necessarily true is it that "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

 

The "is" part is his character. His character is the sum total of his habits. His habits have been formed by· his conscious acts; but every conscious act is, as we have found, preceded by a thought. And so we have it - thought on the one hand, character, life, and destiny on the other.

 

And simple it becomes when we bear in mind that it is simply the thought of the present moment, and the next moment when it is upon us, and then the next, and so on through all time.

 

One can in this way attain to whatever ideals he would attain to. Two steps are necessary: first, as the days pass, to form one's ideals; and second, to follow them continually, whatever may arise, wherever they may lead him.

 

Always remember that the great and strong character is the one who is ever ready to sacrifice the present pleasure for the future good

 

You decide what habits you will allow to control you and what habits you will control.  It takes time to make or break a habit.  Allow yourself 30 days of continual repetition before the habit becomes established.  You can change any aspect of your life if you work at it.

 

Good luck....

 

BANABU

Fran

Develop Your Intuition

The Road to Intuition

Have you had that experience when all of a sudden you just had this
huge hunch that something is about to happen, and to your surprise,
that "hunch" was eventually translated to reality?

When you feel strongly about something without a logical basis to
that thought, that's called intuition. It comes in three impressions:
clairvoyance or "the third eye", sensing clearly and feeling through
listening.

Clairvoyance is when your eye goes beyond what it can see. This is
when you know what is happening somewhere else.
Sensing clearly is basically what we refer to as "hunch" or "gut
feeling." This is the time when you are overwhelmed with a feeling
and you can't explain it and all you can say is "I just know."

On the other hand, feeling through listening is being able to
"listen" between the lines. Intuition also happens at times when a
certain sound, whatever it is - be it a car's honk or a bird's
twitting - ushers in an intense feeling.

It is claimed that only a number of people are gifted with intuition.
Astrologers even insist that people born under the Scorpio or Pisces
signs are naturally intuitive it almost borders on E.S.P. But studies
have been developing left and right that proclaim that anyone can
develop intuition.

Why the need to develop intuition, you ask? Why not let your
emotional and psychological state remain as it is?

First and foremost, intuition promotes good communication. It makes
you more sensitive to the people around you; it often keeps you from
hurting those you love because you are intuitive enough to understand
them. Intuition also makes you far more creative. Intuition means
releasing more creative juices for any means of expression. Lastly,
intuition has a healing power. This healing power is not in the
physical sense, but in delving deep into your soul to eradicate some
negative energy buried in it.

With that being said, are you ready to develop your intuition? Here
are some ways to unlock this gift:

1. Hypnosis
Hypnosis is not limited to watching a pendulum move back and forth.
You can perform self-hypnosis or you can obtain hypnotic programs
that can strengthen your intuition.

2. Meditation
Meditating means finding peace in yourself. If your mind and heart
are cluttered with too much baggage and hurt, you wouldn't be able to
quiet down that part of you that could eventually initiate intuition.
There are many ways to meditate: take a yoga class, or just simply
practice some breathing that could bring you straight to Zen.

3. Think positive!
A worry-free, fear-free state can do much to improve your intuitive
ability. By staying positive, you attract good energy that would be
able to recognize imminent feelings and events.

4.  Just let go.
What does this mean? If you are on the brink of making a huge
decision, let go of all the inhibitions and head to a quiet place
where you could find out where the letting go has brought you.
Sometimes you just have to listen to the voice within you, and that
voice wouldn't come out unless you let go.

5. Never expect.
After letting go of the inhibitions and all those things that stop
you from thinking and feeling clearly, don't expect an answer right
away. Never expect that the "hunch" would fall on your lap
immediately. Give it a little time - then you just get surprised that
-- wham! -- now you have your answer.

6. Believe in your first impressions.
When you see someone for the first time and think that he is a bit
too arrogant for your taste, chances are that impression actually
holds true. Most of the time, first impressions are brought by
intuition.

7. Stay happy!
All you need to be intuitive is to stay happy! Happiness attracts
immense power and such power includes intuition. In tapping your
intuition, your motivation must be happiness and contentment. Given
that premise, intuition will fall to you more easily.

Intuition is helpful, because sometimes it leads you to something
that cannot be achieved otherwise. A lot of lives have been saved by
intuition alone. Decisions are easier when armed with this gift.

BANABU

Fran Watson

Develop intuition now and reap benefits you have never imagined.

How Are You Doing?

Every time I log into Facebook, it asks me "What's on your mind?"  I wonder why they want to know, are they really interested in who I am and what I am thinking about or are they just trying to figure out how they can market to me?

Have you ever felt that when people ask the question, "How are you doing?" they are just waiting to tell you how they are doing, but they want to be polite and ask you first? 

It seems to me that it happens more and more often.  People also ask the question as they pass you on the street, but they really don't expect you to stop and tell them.  "Hi, how are you doing?" they say as they walk on by.  I sometimes wonder what would happen if you stopped and said, "Actually, I'm not doing very well.  I had this (operation/accident/event) happen and ......"  Can't you just picture them squirming and wanting to get away?

How many times have you asked the question and not waited for the answer?  Or just expected someone to say "great, how are you?" as they pass on by. 

Well, today, I want to really ask you... "How are you doing?"  Are things going well in your life?  Do you need a little help or support?  A listening ear?  If so, post a message below or send me an email.  I will take the time to listen and respond to you.

Have a great day!!

Fran Watson

Resilience

"To become resilient, it is important to take care of yourself.  Simplify your life.  create balance by streamlining and prioritizing activities.  Make sure there is enough time for faith, fun, and family.  Eliminate unnecessary tasks and give permission to yourself to rest.  Don't be afraid to ask for help.  Pace yourself.  Learn as much as possible.  Keep a sense of humour.  And remember:  the key to resilience is the acceptance that the only certainty in life is change itself." - Diana M. Amadeo

 

Simplify your life - what are some of the things you can do without?

Streamline and prioritize activities - do you really need to do everything? 

Time for faith, fun and family - do you have a "family night", a time to sit down together to get to know each other better, to play some games or watch tv together?

Eliminate tasks - what can someone else do for you?

Permission to rest - yes, it's ok to take some time to just sit down and relax - not only is it ok, it is necessary for life and health and balance.  Read a book, watch a movie, sit out in the sun.

Ask for help - we are not "superman" or "superwoman", people like to be asked for help, it makes them feel needed.

Pace yourself - don't try to do everything at once.  If you have a large project to do, do one step at a time,  break it into small bites.  As they question goes, "How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time."  It is how you accomplish anything - one small step at a time.

Learn as much as possible - try to learn one new thing each day.  At the end of the year you will have learned 365 new things.  Read a chapter of a book each day.  You will be amazed at how many books you will have completed in a year.  15 minutes per day = 91 hours in a year.

Keep a sense of humour - learn to laugh at yourself when you make a mistake.

Accept that change is inevitable and go with the flow!

 

BANABU - Building A New and Better Universe / Building A New And Better "U"

Fran Watson

 

 

The Bottom Line

FACE IT.....nobody owes you a living.

What you achieve or fail to achieve in your lifetime is directly related to what you do or fail to do.

No one chooses his or her parents or childhood, but you can choose your own direction.

NOTHING is carved in stone.  However if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got. 

You can change anything in your life if you want to badly enough.  Too many of us are hung up on what we don't have, can't have, or won't ever have.  We spend too much energy being down, when we could use that same energy - if not less of it - doing, or at least trying to do, some of the things we really want to do. - Terry McMillan, Writer

Time plays no favourites and will pass whether you act or not.  Every time you wake up and ask yourself, "What good things am I going to do today?" remember that when the sun goes down at sunset, it will take a part of your life with it.

Excuses are for losers.  Benjamin Franklin said that "He who is good at making excuses is seldom good at anything else."  Those who take responsibility for their actions are the real winners in life.

Winners meet life's challenges head on, knowing there are no guarantees, and give it all they've got.

It's TIME to TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE.  BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.

"You can truly be whatever you want to be...you only have to want it badly enought to succeed."  Lillian Vernon. 

Dare to dream....to take risks...  Never think it's too late or too early to begin.

As Dr. Norman Vincent Peale said:  "The Greatest POWER we have is the power of choice.  It's an actual fact that if you've been moping in unhappiness, you can choose to be joyous instead and, by effort, lift yourself into joy.  If you tend to be fearful, you can overcome that misery by choosing to have courage.  Even in darkest grief you have a choice.  The whole trend and quality of anyone's life is determined in the long run by the choices that are made."

So what do you choose to do today?

Fran Watson
www.franwatson.ca

Illusions of Limitations

This video was sent to me today. I wanted to share it with you.

May it touch your life.

Fran

Overcoming fear

Most of us are filled with fear of one kind or another: fear of change, fear of success, or fear of failure. We fear making mistakes, being alone, ending relationships or starting new ones. Many individuals fear aging, rejection, abandonment, and unemployment. Fear can keep us stuck in our lives! It can keep us from ending unhealthy relationships or from leaving a work situation that is no longer satisfying. In fact, it can keep us from reaching our goals and realizing our dreams! When we are helped to move beyond our fears, we can lead lives that are both challenging and fulfilling.

It is normal for all of us to feel fear in new situations, especially when we are venturing into unknown territory. Therefore the question is, if we all feel fear when entering into the unknown, why is it that some people are able to move forward in their lives, in spite of their fear, while other individuals become paralyzed? The real issue then, is not the fear itself, but how we hold our fear. If we hold our fear from a place of power or choice, we can take action, in spite of our fear. If we hold our fear from a place of pain or powerlessness, we become stuck or paralyzed.

Susan Jeffers, in her book Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway, divides fears into two categories: 1) Fear of things that can happen to us, and 2) Fear around taking action. She states that at the bottom of all our fears is the basic fear, “I can’t handle it”. If I lose my job, I wont be able to handle it. If my boyfriend leaves me, I won’t be able to handle it. If I go back to school, what if I can’t handle it? What if we believed that whatever happened to us, or whatever we did, we would be able to handle it? What would there be left to fear?

Mike Kemski (BANABU originator) states that fear is a starting point. It helps you to identify what it is you need to overcome and then you can go ahead and work on changing your fear into your focus.

Therapy can help individuals to face their fears and come out on the other side of them. It can help empower clients by teaching them to stop playing the “when / then” games. “When I stop being afraid, then I’ll do it.” Or, “When I feel better about myself, then I‘ll do it”. In fact, it is only in going out and actually doing what we are afraid of, that we overcome our fear, and as a result, feel better about ourselves in the process! Psychotherapy can provide the encouragement and support that individuals need to overcome their fears and to transform their lives.

What are you afraid of? Failure, success? Many times we fear to do things because we are afraid we will succeed and then our lives will change and then what will happen? Will we lose some of our friends? Will we move on and leave them behind? What will we have to do? Will we have to continue to make more and more changes? The answer is yes. This can indeed happen if you move past where your friends are and they don't want to change. But don't let this fear hold you back. Take control of your life and go where you need to go.

To overcoming your fears!!

Fran Watson

BANABU

P.S. Click here for more inspiration

Valuing Minutes

Yesterday I attended an online conference with Janet Legere and she talked about segmented intention. Paying attention to what you are doing and intending it to be successful.

This morning I pulled my daily quote from my tin and it said, "With this dawn, this new day, I value each minute."

I was taken back to my recent Time Management Workshop where I shared with the participants the value of time - 1440 minutes in a day.

Wasting 15 minutes a day works out to 91 hours per year. What could you do with those 91 hours?

If we read an average of 12 pages a day (about 15 minutes) we could read 17-18 books per year. We can learn a new task, become an expert in our field of study, or upgrade our education.

We could exercise and stay in shape while tuning up our heart. 15 minutes 3 times a week will maintain a healthy body.

We could spend the time in personal meditation or spiritual contemplation to bring balance to our lives.

We could devote 15 minutes of quality time to someone we care about. We could choose a different person each day. We could write a letter, send a card, make a phone call or a personal visit. We could sit down with someone and ask them a question and really listen to their answer.

Take a few minutes to think about how you spend your time and how you could spend it better.

Do some tasks that take only 5-15 minutes and feel good about having accomplished something.

Plan your day to include small tasks as well as large tasks, write down what you intend to accomplish - you will have a much better chance of succeeding.

To your successful day!!

Fran

BANABU!

Intuition

The Road to Intuition

Have you had that experience when all of a sudden you just had this huge hunch that something is about to happen, and to your surprise, that intuition was eventually translated to reality?

When you feel strongly about something without logical basis to it, that's called intuition. It comes in three impressions: clairvoyance or "the third eye", sensing clearly and feeling through listening.

Clairvoyance is when your eye goes beyond what it can see. This is when you know what is happening somewhere.

Sensing clearly is basically what we refer to as "hunch" or "gut feel." This is the time when you are overwhelmed with a feeling and you can't explain it and all you can say is "I just know."

On the other hand, feeling through listening or clairaudience is being able to "listen" between the lines. Intuition also happens at times when a certain sound, whatever it is - be it a car's honk or a bird's twitting - ushers in an intense feeling.

They say only a number of people are gifted with intuition. Astrologers even insist that people born under the Scorpio or Pisces signs are naturally intuitive it almost borders on E.S.P. But studies have been sprouting left and right that proclaim that anyone can develop intuition.

Why the need to develop intuition, you ask? Why not let your emotional and psychological state as it is? First and foremost, intuition promotes good communication. It makes you more sensitive to the people around you; it often keeps you from hurting those you love because you are intuitive enough to understand them. Intuition also makes you far more creative than ever. Intuition means releasing more creative juices for any means of expression. Lastly, intuition has a healing power. This healing power is not in the physical sense, but in delving deep into your soul to eradicate some negative energy buried in it.

With that being said, are you ready to develop your intuition? Here are some ways to unlock this gift:

1. Hypnosis

Oh yes, get yourself hypnotized. Hypnosis is not limited to watching a pendulum move back and forth. Perform self-hypnosis or you can avail of hypnotic programs that can strengthen your intuition.

2. Meditation

Meditating means finding peace in yourself. If your mind and heart are cluttered with too many baggage and hurt, you wouldn't be able to quiet down that part of you that could eventually initiate intuition. There are so many ways to meditate: take a yoga class, or just simply practice some breathing that could bring you straight to Zen.

3. Think positive!

A worry-free, fear-free state could do so much to improve your intuitive ability. By staying positive, you attract good energy that would be able to easily recognize imminent feelings and events.

4. Just let go.

What does this mean? If you are on the brink of making a huge decision, let go of all the inhibitions and head to a quiet place where you could find out where the letting go has brought you. Sometimes you just have to listen to the voice within you, and that voice wouldn't come out unless you let go.

5. Never expect.

After letting go of the inhibitions and all those things that stop you from thinking and feeling clearly, never expect for an answer right away. Never expect that the "hunch" would fall on your lap immediately. Give it a little time then you'd just get surprised that -- wham! -- now you have your answer.

6. Believe in your first impressions.

When you see someone for the first time and think that he is a bit too arrogant for your taste, chances are that impression actually holds true. Most of the time, first impressions are brought by intuition.

7. Stay happy!

See? All you need to be intuitive is to stay happy! Happiness attracts immense power and such power includes intuition. In tapping your intuition, your motivation must be happiness and contentment. Given that premise, intuition will fall to you easily.

Intuition is helpful, because sometimes it leads you to something that cannot be achieved otherwise. A lot of lives have been saved by intuition alone. Decisions are easier done if armed by this gift. Develop intuition now and reap benefits you have never imagined.

BANABU

Fran Watson

Habits

A habit is something that you do so often and so regularly that it becomes automatic. This is a behavior that you can easily repeat.

Our habits are directly related to our comfort and well-being. The process of adapting to our environment is what creates a habit. With habits we don't have to constantly experiment or deal with unknown risks.

Our habits help define us. The way we adapt to our environment and how we typically behave say a lot about who we are as human beings. What do we know about someone with the habit of not eating meat? What about someone with the habit of smoking cigarettes? How about the person with the habit of running five miles each day?

Do you have a habit that you would like to get rid of?  I was just listening to Bob Proctor (Six Minutes To Success) this morning and he talked about habits and what we need to do to be successful.

Replace Rather than Change a Habit

Habits are extremely difficult to change because they are tied to our identities. Notice that I haven't said anything about "breaking a habit." I avoid that terminology because, as Bob said,  a habit is dependent on repetition. Therefore, if we replace the activity that is the former habit–such as lighting a cigarette after dinner–with some other activity–such as taking a walk or chewing a stick of gum–the repetition ceases and the coding of the smoking habit is reduced dramatically.

The key to succeeding in replacing old habits with new ones is ensuring that the new behaviors are more appealing, effective, and beneficial than their predecessors.
In effect, replacing less effective habits with more effective ones, and creating new habits that foster greater success and well-being, is the most expedient ways to increase and expand your personal brilliance.

"It’s impressive to recognize that all the great leaders in all walks of life, and during all periods of history, have attained their leadership by the application of their abilities behind a definite major purpose. It’s no less impressive to observe that those who are classified as failures have no such purpose but they go around and around like a ship without a rudder, coming back always empty handed to their starting point.”  From Napoleon Hill's The Master Key To Riches

Think about the things you do that are habits that serve you - taking a shower, getting dressed, brushing your teeth, driving your car, etc.  What are some of the things you would like to change.  Think about their polar opposite.  As Mike Kemski says everything is a duality - black and white, pros and cons, clean and dirty - look at what is the exact opposite of the bad habit and choose to make that a good habit.  Think about it and practice it daily for at least a month in order to make it a habit.  If you miss a day, start over. 

It takes 3 weeks to make or break a habit and in 90 days you can completely change your life.

Choose which habit you will transform to create a new and better U

To your life changing success

BANABU

Fran

What's Happening?

Hi

I hadn't realized how long it had been since I had posted until today. Since April I was involved in a local event - The Diversity Festival- which was held on July 7th and involved people from all walks of life - health and beauty, massage, cultures, United Way, local vendors, animal rescue, immigration, alternative lifestyles - wow, it was amazing. We had a day in the park and two performances of Dragon's Breath. I was in both and also in the one we did in Almonte in May. It took a lot of my time but it was energizing and satisfying, and it was Building A New And Better Universe for many!

I recently began to listen to Mike's material again and I will soon be able to offer some of it to my blog readers. If you are interested, please leave a comment below. In particular I have been relistening to Mike's 11 Principles. I will be posting some of my thoughts over the next few weeks.

Hope to see you here again soon.

Fran
BANABU

BANABU

I get a lot of email and sometimes I don't read it all (gasp!!)

This morning I was looking for a particular piece of mail and came across some stories that were sent to me around Christmas. They brought tears to my eyes and one in particular stood out as fitting the theme of Building a New and Better Universe and I thought I would share it here today.

The Old Man and The Gas Station

The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn't been anywhere in years since his wife had passed away. It was just another day to him. He didn't hate Christmas, just couldn't find a reason to celebrate. He was sitting there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last hour and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a homeless man stepped through.

Instead of throwing the man out, Old George as he was known by his customers, told the man to come and sit by the heater and warm up. "Thank you, but I don't mean to intrude," said the stranger. "I see you're busy, I'll just go."

"Not without something hot in your belly." George said.

He turned and opened a wide mouth Thermos and handed it to the stranger. "It ain't much, but it's hot and tasty. Stew ... Made it myself. When you're done, there's coffee and it's fresh."

Just at that moment he heard the "ding" of the driveway bell. "Excuse me, be right back," George said. There in the driveway was an old '53 Chevy. Steam was rolling out of the front.. The driver was panicked. "Mister can you help me!" said the driver, with a deep Spanish accent. "My wife is with child and my car is broken." George opened the hood. It was bad. The block looked cracked from the cold, the car was dead.

"You ain't going in this thing," George said as he turned away.

"But Mister, please help ..." The door of the office closed behind George as he went inside. He went to the office wall and got the keys to his old truck, and went back outside. He walked around the building, opened the garage, started the truck and drove it around to where the couple was waiting. "Here, take my truck," he said. "She ain't the best thing you ever looked at, but she runs real good."

George helped put the woman in the truck and watched as it sped off into the night. He turned and walked back inside the office. "Glad I gave 'em the truck, their tires were shot too. That 'ol truck has brand new ." George thought he was talking to the stranger, but the man had gone. The Thermos was on the desk, empty, with a used coffee cup beside it. "Well, at least he got something in his belly," George thought.

George went back outside to see if the old Chevy would start. It cranked slowly, but it started. He pulled it into the garage where the truck had been. He thought he would tinker with it for something to do. Christmas Eve meant no customers. He discovered the the block hadn't cracked, it was just the bottom hose on the radiator. "Well, shoot, I can fix this," he said to himself. So he put a new one on.

"Those tires ain't gonna get 'em through the winter either." He took the snow treads off of his wife's old Lincoln. They were like new and he wasn't going to drive the car anyway.

As he was working, he heard shots being fired. He ran outside and beside a police car an officer lay on the cold ground. Bleeding from the left shoulder, the officer moaned, "Please help me."

George helped the officer inside as he remembered the training he had received in the Army as a medic. He knew the wound needed attention. "Pressure to stop the bleeding," he thought. The uniform company had been there that morning and had left clean shop towels. He used those and duct tape to bind the wound. "Hey, they say duct tape can fix anythin'," he said, trying to make the policeman feel at ease.

"Something for pain," George thought. All he had was the pills he used for his back. "These ought to work." He put some water in a cup and gave the policeman the pills. "You hang in there, I'm going to get you an ambulance."

The phone was dead. "Maybe I can get one of your buddies on that there talk box out in your car." He went out only to find that a bullet had gone into the dashboard destroying the two way radio.

He went back in to find the policeman sitting up. "Thanks," said the officer. "You could have left me there. The guy that shot me is still in the area."

George sat down beside him, "I would never leave an injured man in the Army and I ain't gonna leave you." George pulled back the bandage to check for bleeding. "Looks worse than what it is. Bullet passed right through 'ya. Good thing it missed the important stuff though. I think with time your gonna be right as rain."

George got up and poured a cup of coffee. "How do you take it?" he asked.

"None for me," said the officer..

"Oh, yer gonna drink this. Best in the city. Too bad I ain't got no donuts." The officer laughed and winced at the same time.

The front door of the office flew open. In burst a young man with a gun. "Give me all your cash! Do it now!" the young man yelled. His hand was shaking and George could tell that he had never done anything like this before.

"That's the guy that shot me!" exclaimed the officer.

"Son, why are you doing this?" asked George, "You need to put the cannon away. Somebody else might get hurt."

The young man was confused. "Shut up old man, or I'll shoot you, too. Now give me the cash!"

The cop was reaching for his gun. "Put that thing away," George said to the cop, "we got one too many in here now."

He turned his attention to the young man. "Son, it's Christmas Eve. If you need money, well then, here. It ain't much but it's all I got. Now put that pea shooter away."

George pulled $150 out of his pocket and handed it to the young man, reaching for the barrel of the gun at the same time. The young man released his grip on the gun, fell to his knees and began to cry. "I'm not very good at this am I? All I wanted was to buy something for my wife and son," he went on. "I've lost my job, my rent is due, my car got repossessed last week."

George handed the gun to the cop. "Son, we all get in a bit of squeeze now and then. The road gets hard sometimes, but we make it through the best we can."

He got the young man to his feet, and sat him down on a chair across from the cop. "Sometimes we do stupid things." George handed the young man a cup of coffee. "Bein' stupid is one of the things that makes us human. Comin' in here with a gun ain't the answer. Now sit there and get warm and we'll sort this thing out."

The young man had stopped crying. He looked over to the cop. "Sorry I shot you. It just went off. I'm sorry officer."

"Shut up and drink your coffee " the cop said.

George could hear the sounds of sirens outside. A police car and an ambulance skidded to a halt. Two cops came through the door, guns drawn. "Chuck! You ok?" one of the cops asked the wounded officer.

"Not bad for a guy who took a bullet. How did you find me?"

"GPS locator in the car. Best thing since sliced bread. Who did this?" the other cop asked as he approached the young man.

Chuck answered him, "I don't know. The guy ran off into the dark. Just dropped his gun and ran."

George and the young man both looked puzzled at each other.

"That guy work here?" the wounded cop continued.

"Yep," George said, "just hired him this morning. Boy lost his job."

The paramedics came in and loaded Chuck onto the stretcher. The young man leaned over the wounded cop and whispered, "Why?"

Chuck just said, "Merry Christmas boy ... and you too, George, and thanks for everything."

"Well, looks like you got one doozy of a break there. That ought to solve some of your problems."

George went into the back room and came out with a box. He pulled out a ring box. "Here you go, something for the little woman. I don't think Martha would mind. She said it would come in handy some day."

The young man looked inside to see the biggest diamond ring he ever saw. "I can't take this," said the young man. "It means something to you."

"And now it means something to you," replied George. "I got my memories. That's all I need."

George reached into the box again. An airplane, a car and a truck appeared next. They were toys that the oil company had left for him to sell. "Here's something for that little man of yours."

The young man began to cry again as he handed back the $150 that the old man had handed him earlier.

"And what are you supposed to buy Christmas dinner with? You keep that too," George said. "Now git home to your family."

The young man turned with tears streaming down his face. "I'll be here in the morning for work, if that job offer is still good."

"Nope. I'm closed Christmas day," George said. "See ya the day after."

George turned around to find that the stranger had returned. "Where'd you come from? I thought you left?"

"I have been here. I have always been here," said the stranger. "You say you don't celebrate Christmas. Why?"

"Well, after my wife passed away, I just couldn't see what all the bother was. Puttin' up a tree and all seemed a waste of a good pine tree. Bakin' cookies like I used to with Martha just wasn't the same by myself and besides I was gettin' a little chubby."

The stranger put his hand on George's shoulder. "But you do celebrate the holiday, George. You gave me food and drink and warmed me when I was cold and hungry. The woman with child will bear a son and he will become a great doctor.

The policeman you helped will go on to save 19 people from being killed by terrorists. The young man who tried to rob you will make you a rich man and not take any for himself. "That is the spirit of the season and you keep it as good as any man."

George was taken aback by all this stranger had said. "And how do you know all this?" asked the old man.

"Trust me, George. I have the inside track on this sort of thing. And when your days are done you will be with Martha again."

The stranger moved toward the door. "If you will excuse me, George, I have to go now. I have to go home where there is a big celebration planned."

George watched as the old leather jacket and the torn pants that the stranger was wearing turned into a white robe. A golden light began to fill the room.

"You see, George ... it's My birthday. Merry Christmas."

George fell to his knees and replied, "Happy Birthday, Lord Jesus"

As it said on the bottom of this particular email -- "This story is better than any greeting card." (Although the season has passed) - MERRY CHRISTMAS AND GOD BLESS!

BANABU
Fran

Familarity

Familiarity breeds contempt - This means that the more you know something or someone, the more you start to find faults and dislike things about it or them.

However familiarity can also cause us to look pst someone or something and not see the true beauty of the person or thing.

This morning I was reading "The Messages of Easter" by Elizabeth Peal Allen of Guideposts and was struck by the following in the message: "Our vision is so often dulled by familiarity. We go along in our habitual way, maybe looking at the ground, or so distracted by our thoughts and inner stress that we don't really see what's around us. We even miss miracles."

How many times have you driven somewhere, only to arrive and think, "when did I pass the gas station or traffic lights or whatever...." We put ourselves on auto pilot and just drive. Have you ever automatically turned a certain way when you were planning on going somewhere else?

"One of the messages of the Easter story is simply this: Open your eyes. Look for a touch of beauty and brightness in an unexpected place. Search for a trace of Christ's likeness in the face of the person serving you in the grocery store, or riding with you on the bus, or sitting beside you in the doctor's waiting room. Be alert for wonders and you'll find them everywhere." (EPA)

What a wonderful message - Open your eyes. Just look around you at all the wonders of spring - the trees are budding, the grass is growing and soon the flowers will begin to peek through the ground. People will begin to come out of their houses and go for walks. Take the time to really see them, to say hello. Your life will be better for this.

BANABU

Fran

Steps to Building A New And Better You

"A Better You" Your 7 day program to self-development

I have lost count of how many times I've read and heard of celebrity marriages failing almost left and right. Just this morning on the news they announced another Hollywood split and the magazines at the checkout counter have headlines that scream about breakups. Not that I care (and really I don't). It seems strange that we often see movie and TV stars as flawless people, living the fairytale life of riches and glamour. However, we all have to stop sticking our heads in the clouds and face reality.

So what does it take to be a cut above the rest? Here are some of the things you can think about and improve on that should be enough for a week. At the end of the week, recycle the steps and go through them again until they become habits.

1. Know your purpose: Are you wandering through life with little direction -hoping that you'll find happiness, health and prosperity?
Identify your life purpose or mission statement and you will have your own unique compass that will lead you to your truth north every time. This may seem tricky at first when you see yourself to be in a tight or even dead end. But there's always that little loophole to turn things around and you can make a big difference to yourself.

2. Know your values: What do you value most? Make a list of your top 5 values. Some examples are security, freedom, family, spiritual development, learning. As you set your goals for 2012 - check your goals against your values. If the goal doesn't align with any of your top five values - you may want to reconsider it or revise it. The number shouldn't discourage you, instead it should motivate you to do more than you can ever dream of.

3. Know your needs: Unmet needs can keep you from living authentically. Take care of yourself. Do you have a need to be acknowledged, to be right, to be in control, to be loved? There are so many people who lived their lives without realizing their dreams and most of them end up being stressed or even depressed for that matter. List your top four needs and get them met before it's too late!

4. Know your passions: You know who you are and what you truly enjoy in life. Obstacles like doubt and lack of enthusiasm will only hinder you, but will not derail your chance to become the person you ought to be. Express yourself and honor the people who have inspired you to become the very person you wanted to be.

5. Live from the inside out: Increase your awareness of your inner wisdom by regularly reflecting in silence. Commune with nature. Breathe deeply to quiet your distracted mind. For most of us city slickers it's hard to even find the peace and quiet we want even in our own home. Try just sitting in a dimly lit room and play some classical music. There's sound, yes, but music does soothe the savage beast.

6. Honor your strengths: What are your positive traits? What special talents do you have? List three - if you get stuck, ask those closest to you to help identify these. Are you imaginative, witty, good with your hands? Find ways to express your authentic self through your strengths. You can increase your self-confidence when you can share what you know to others.

7. Serve others: When you live authentically, you may find that you develop an interconnected sense of being.

When you are true to who you are, living your purpose and giving of your talents to the world around you, you give back in service what you came to share with others -your spirit - your essence. The rewards for sharing your gift with those close to you is indeed rewarding, much more if it were to be the eyes of a stranger who can appreciate what you have done to them.

Self-development is indeed one type of work that is worth it. It shouldn't always be within the confines of an office building, or maybe in the four corners of your own room. The difference lies within ourselves and how much we want to change for the better.

To Building A New And Better You (BANABU)

Fran

Saving The Environment

The following is an excerpt from an article posted by Emily of Live Renewed

on "Save The Environment and Your Wallet by Buying"

Shopping is a favorite pastime for many women. Whether it’s high-end designer shopping or bargain hunting, most of us women love to shop, myself included.

But as my family has been moving toward living a more green and simple lifestyle, I have found that where and how I shop has significantly changed over the past few years. I now purposely seek to buy things used before I purchase them new, and my favorite places to shop have become garage sales and thrift stores rather than Target and the mall. We can all make a difference in our world, and on the environment, by changing our shopping habits.

Read more here: http://green.yourway.net/save-the-environment-and-your-wallet-by-buying-used/

Building a New And Better Universe by reducing, reusing and recycling!

You can do your part...

Fran