Self-help or self-improvement is a self-guided improvement[1]economically, intellectually, or emotionallyoften with a substantial psychological basis. Many different self-help group programs exist, each with its own focus, techniques, associated beliefs, proponents and in some cases, leaders. Concepts and terms originating in self-help culture and Twelve-Step culture, such as recovery, dysfunctional families, and codependency have become firmly integrated in mainstream language.[2]

Self-help often utilizes publicly available information or support groups, on the Internet as well as in person, where people in similar situations join together.[1] From early examples in self-driven legal practice[3] and home-spun advice, the connotations of the word have spread and often apply particularly to education, business, psychology and psychotherapy, commonly distributed through the popular genre of self-help books. According to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, potential benefits of self-help groups that professionals may not be able to provide include friendship, emotional support, experiential knowledge, identity, meaningful roles, and a sense of belonging.[1]

Groups associated with health conditions may consist of patients and caregivers. As well as featuring long-time members sharing experiences, these health groups can become support groups and clearing-houses for educational material. Those who help themselves by learning and identifying about health problems can be said to exemplify self-help, while self-help groups can be seen more as peer-to-peer support.

Within classical antiquity, Hesiod's Works and Days "opens with moral remonstrances, hammered home in every way that Hesiod can think of."[4] The Stoics offered ethical advice "on the notion of eudaimoniaof well-being, welfare, flourishing."[5] The genre of mirror-of-princes writings, which has a long history in Greco-Roman and Western Renaissance literature, represents a secular cognate of Biblical wisdom-literature. Proverbs from many periods, collected and uncollected, embody traditional moral and practical advice of diverse cultures.

The hyphenated compound word "self-help" often appeared in the 1800s in a legal context, referring to the doctrine that a party in a dispute has the right to use lawful means on their own initiative to remedy a wrong.[6]

For some, George Combe's "Constitution[1828], in the way that it advocated personal responsibility and the possibility of naturally sanctioned self-improvement through education or proper self-control, largely inaugurated the self-help movement;"[7] In 1841, an essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson, entitled Compensation, was published suggesting "every man in his lifetime needs to thank his faults" and "acquire habits of self-help" as "our strength grows out of our weakness."[8]Samuel Smiles (18121904) published the first self-consciously personal-development "self-help" bookentitled Self-Helpin 1859. Its opening sentence: "Heaven helps those who help themselves", provides a variation of "God helps them that help themselves", the oft-quoted maxim that had also appeared previously in Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac (17331758). In the 20th century, "Carnegie's remarkable success as a self-help author"[9] further developed the genre with How to Win Friends and Influence People in 1936. Having failed in several careers, Carnegie became fascinated with success and its link to self-confidence, and his books have since sold over 50 million copies.[10] Earlier in 1902 James Allen published As a Man Thinketh, which proceeds from the conviction that "a man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts." Noble thoughts, the book maintains, make for a noble person, whilst lowly thoughts make for a miserable person; and Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich (1937) described the use of repeated positive thoughts to attract happiness and wealth by tapping into an "Infinite Intelligence".[11]

In the final third of the 20th century "the tremendous growth in self-help publishing...in self-improvement culture"[12] really took offsomething which must be linked to postmodernism itselfto the way "postmodern subjectivity constructs self-reflexive subjects-in-process."[13] Arguably at least, "in the literatures of self-improvement...that crisis of subjecthood is not articulated but enacteddemonstrated in ever-expanding self-help book sales."[14]

The conservative turn of the neoliberal decades also meant a decline in traditional political activism, and increasing "social isolation; Twelve-Step recovery groups were one context in which individuals sought a sense of community...yet another symptom of the psychologizing of the personal"[15] to more radical critics. Indeed, "some social theorist [sic] have argued that the late-20th century preoccupation with the self serves as a tool of social control: soothing political unrest...[for] one's own pursuit of self-invention."'[16]

Within the context of the market, group and corporate attempts to aid the "seeker" have moved into the "self-help" marketplace, with LGATs[17] and psychotherapy systems represented. These offer more-or-less prepackaged solutions to instruct people seeking their own individual betterment[citation needed], just as "the literature of self-improvement directs the reader to familiar frameworks...what the French fin de sicle social theorist Gabriel Tarde called 'the grooves of borrowed thought'."[18]

A subgenre of self-help book series also exists: such as the for Dummies guides and The Complete Idiot's Guide to...compare how-to books.

At the start of the 21st century, "the self-improvement industry, inclusive of books, seminars, audio and video products, and personal coaching, [was] said to constitute a 2.48-billion dollars-a-year industry"[19] in the United States alone. By 2006, research firm Marketdata estimated the "self-improvement" market in the U.S. as worth more than $9 billionincluding infomercials, mail-order catalogs, holistic institutes, books, audio cassettes, motivation-speaker seminars, the personal coaching market, weight-loss and stress-management programs. Marketdata projected that the total market size would grow to over $11 billion by 2008.[20] In 2012 Laura Vanderkam wrote of a turnover of 12 billion dollars.[21] In 2013 Kathryn Schulz examined "an $11 billion industry".[22]

Self-help and mutual-help are very different fromthough they may complementservice delivery by professionals: note for example the interface between local self-help and International Aid's service delivery model.

Conflicts can and do arise on that interface, however, with some professionals considering that "the twelve-step approach encourages a kind of contemporary version of 19th-century amateurism or enthusiasm in which self-examination and very general social observations are enough to draw rather large conclusions."[23]

The rise of self-help culture has inevitably led to boundary disputes with other approaches and disciplines. Some would object to their classification as "self-help" literature, as with "Deborah Tannen's denial of the self-help role of her books" so as to maintain her academic credibility, aware of the danger that "writing a book that becomes a popular success...all but ensures that one's work will lose its long-term legitimacy."[24]

Placebo effects can never be wholly discounted. Thus careful studies of "the power of subliminal self-help tapes...showed that their content had no real effect...But that's not what the participants thought."[25] "If they thought they'd listened to a self-esteem tape (even though half the labels were wrong), they felt that their self-esteem had gone up. No wonder people keep buying subliminal tape: even though the tapes don't work, people think they do."[26] One might then see much of the self-help industry as part of the "skin trades. People need haircuts, massage, dentistry, wigs and glasses, sociology and surgery, as well as love and advice."[27]a skin trade, "not a profession and a science"[28] Its practitioners would thus be functioning as "part of the personal service industry rather than as mental health professionals."[29] While "there is no proof that twelve-step programs 'are superior to any other intervention in reducing alcohol dependence or alcohol-related problems',"[30] at the same time it is clear that "there is something about 'groupishness' itself which is curative."[31] Thus for example "smoking increases mortality risk by a factor of just 1.6, while social isolation does so by a factor of 2.0...suggest[ing] an added value to self-help groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous as surrogate communities."[32]

Some psychologists advocate a positive psychology, and explicitly embrace an empirical self-help philosophy; "the role of positive psychology is to become a bridge between the ivory tower and the main streetbetween the rigor of academe and the fun of the self-help movement."[33] They aim to refine the self-improvement field by way of an intentional increase in scientifically sound research and well-engineered models. The division of focus and methodologies has produced several subfields, in particular: general positive psychology, focusing primarily on the study of psychological phenomenon and effects; and personal effectiveness, focusing primarily on analysis, design and implementation of qualitative personal growth. This includes the intentional training of new patterns of thought and feeling. As business strategy communicator Don Tapscott puts it, "The design industry is something done to us. I'm proposing we each become designers. But I suppose 'I love the way she thinks' could take on new meaning."[34]

Both self-talk, the propensity to engage in verbal or mental self-directed conversation and thought, and social support can be used as instruments of self-improvement, often by empowering, action-promoting messages. Psychologists have designed series of experiments that are intended to shed light into how self-talk can result in self-improvement. In general, research has shown that people prefer to use second person pronouns over first person pronouns when engaging in self-talk to achieve goals, regulate ones own behavior, thoughts, or emotions, and facilitate performance.[35] If self-talk has the expected effect, then writing about personal problems using language from their friends perspective should result in greater amount of motivational and emotional benefits comparing to using language from their own perspective. When you need to finish a difficult task and you are not willing to do something to finish this task, trying to write a few sentence or goals imaging what your friends have told you gives you more motivational resources comparing to you write to yourself. Research done by Ireland and others have revealed that, as expected, when people are writing using many physical and mental words or even typing a standard prompt with these kinds of words, adopting a friends perspective while freely writing about a personal challenge can help increase peoples intention to improve self-control by promoting the positivity of emotions such as pride and satisfaction, which can motivate people to reach their goal.[36]

The use of self-talk goes beyond the scope of self-improvement for performing certain activities, self-talk as a linguistic form of self-help also plays a very important role in regulating peoples emotions under social stress. First of all, people using non-first-person language tend to exhibit higher level of visual self-distancing during the process of introspection, indicating that using non-first-person pronouns and ones own name may result in enhanced self-distancing.[37][38] More importantly, this specific form of self-help also has been found can enhance peoples ability to regulate their thoughts, feelings, and behavior under social stress, which would lead them to appraise social-anxiety-provoking events in more challenging and less threatening terms. Additionally, these self-help behaviors also demonstrate noticeable self-regulatory effects through the process of social interactions, regardless of their dispositional vulnerability to social anxiety.[38]

Scholars have targeted self-help claims as misleading and incorrect. In 2005 Steve Salerno portrayed the American self-help movementhe uses the acronym SHAM: the Self-Help and Actualization Movementnot only as ineffective in achieving its goals, but also as socially harmful.[3] "Salerno says that 80 percent of self-help and motivational customers are repeat customers and they keep coming back 'whether the program worked for them or not'."[39] Others similarly point out that with self-help books "supply increases the demand... The more people read them, the more they think they need them... more like an addiction than an alliance."[40]

Self-help writers have been described as working "in the area of the ideological, the imagined, the narrativized.... although a veneer of scientism permeates the[ir] work, there is also an underlying armature of moralizing."[41]

Christopher Buckley in his book God is My Broker asserts: "The only way to get rich from a self-help book is to write one".[42]

Kathryn Schulz suggests that "the underlying theory of the self-help industry is contradicted by the self-help industrys existence".[43]

The self-help world has become the target of parodies. Walker Percy's odd genre-busting Lost in the Cosmos[44] has been described as "a parody of self-help books, a philosophy textbook, and a collection of short stories, quizzes, diagrams, thought experiments, mathematical formulas, made-up dialogue".[45] In their 2006 book Secrets of The Superoptimist, authors W.R. Morton and Nathanel Whitten revealed the concept of "superoptimism" as a humorous antidote to the overblown self-help book category. In his comedy special Complaints and Grievances (2001), George Carlin observes that there is "no such thing" as self-help: anyone looking for help from someone else does not technically get "self" help; and one who accomplishes something without help, did not need help to begin with.[46] In Margaret Atwood's semi-satiric dystopia Oryx and Crake, university literary studies have declined to the point that the protagonist, Snowman, is instructed to write his thesis on self-help books as literature; more revealing of the authors and of the society that produced them than genuinely helpful.

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Self-help - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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http://www.RealizationSystem.com

"There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self." "Every man who knows how to read has it in his power to magnify himself,to multiply the ways in which he exists, to make his life full, significant and interesting." AldousHuxley

Terms such as self-help, self-improvement, personal development, self growth, and personal improvement are often used interchangeably to describe self-guided improvement economically, intellectually, or emotionally usually with a substantial psychological or spiritual basis. Philosophies traditionally start with a metaphysics: a theory of the essence of things, of the fundamental principles that organize the universe. These are generally referred to as universal laws, and the law of attraction, i.e. that like attracts like, is the fundmental law of the universe upon which other universal laws are based. Metaphysical books therefore deal with causation mainly rather than with effects, and applied metaphysics (known as New Thought) is the practical application of metaphysical knowledge to real life desires and needs.

Our classic self-help books focus onsubjects that have become very popular in recent years such as: the law of attraction, subconscious mind power, positive mental attitude, self-healing, creative visualization, attracting and manifesting wealth, overcoming addictions, conquering anxiety, stress & depression, self hypnosis,autosuggestion, mind power techniques, overcoming negative thinking, affirmations, mental and spiritual healing, personal magnetism, thought-power, memory improvement,mind reading, self-mastery, scientific prayer, meditation, human emotions andrelationships, public speaking, etc., many of which have in the past gone under the headings of new thought, mental science, or new-age thinking, but are generally known as self-help, self-improvement and personal development books. If you visit your local book store you are sure to find lots of shelf space devoted to self help, personal development, self-improvement books, as the personal growth industry is a rapidly expanding one.

These self help books are not about mind tricks andwishful thinking, they are aboutreprogramming the subconscious mind using well established techniques such as autosuggestion, visualization and positive affirmation in order to establish healthy new thought patterns and a prosperity consciousness which will attract an abundance of all good things into one's life. Positive thinking and a positive mental attitudecoupled with deep desire and initiative open the floodgates to greater good. These self-help books and self-improvement audio lectures and self- development audio books teachpractical psychology and positive philosophy for everyday living based on sound, time tested principles. The world is changing for the better, despite all appearances to the contrary, and it is through adopting the various formulas for success explained and outlined in the type of self-help books, self-improvement ebooks, and personal development audio books and lectures found on our web site that an individual can in time rise above and overcome life's problems and challenges as he or she travels the path of self-discovery, self realization and self mastery which we all eventually must travel.

These wonderful self-help books, self-improvement books, ebooks and personal development audio books and lectures contain priceless gems of wisdom that can transform an individual's thinking and attitude completely, and help them to build the life of their dreams. No matter what your current situation in life may be, you too will benefit greatly by reading and listening to theseself help books, ebooks and audios. If you are truly seeking answers to life's perplexing problems, you are sure to find them within the many great new thought self-help books, personal improvement audio books, self-improvement ebooks and self-help articles featured on this web site.

The best self help books, self-improvement ebooks, and personal development audio books and lectures on the internet are just one mouse click away, so enjoy your time here, explore all we have to offer, and visit us often as our web site is continually being updated with new life-changing material. Sign-up for ourfree 21-day "Pathway to Prosperity" eCourse and you will automatically receive regular newsletters from us via email with information about new thought self-help books, ebooks and audio books as they are published.

Most of the self-help eBooks featured on this site are in Adobe Acrobat Reader (.pdf) format, which is by far the most popular format for electronic books. Most modern computers, both PC's and Mac's, come with Adobe Acrobat Reader pre-installed, but if it is not already installed it can be downloaded free from adobe.com.

We have provided descriptions and excerpts from most of the featured self help books. We have also provided direct links to Amazon.com if the self-help books or self-improvement and personal development audio books are available from them.

PayPal and 2CO (2CheckOut.com Inc). are authorized payment processors and retailers for goods and services provided by SelfHelpBookSites.com.

Most of the products for sale on this web site are instantly downloadable once payment has been received. If you do not receive an email with your download detailsfollowing payment, and for some reason we are unable to provide them, you will receive a prompt refund. Although there is no way to return a digital product once it has been downloaded, if you are unhappy with any eBook or audio book purchased, we will happilyoffer you an alternative eBook/audio of similar value at no additional cost.

Do You Want More Energy, Radiant Life, Health, Wealth and Happiness? By: A. C. R.

Rise at five o'clock in the Summer and at six o'clock in the Winter months.

Now for five minutes rub your body from head to foot briskly with a dry flesh brush. Then have a quick shower, or better still, a sponge bath, and finish off with cold water and a brisk rub.

Now when you are physically pepped up, and all aglow with each cell of your outer skin radiating above the average amount of radiant life, contacting more abundant life, make yourself comfortable in a straight-backed chair.

Now for ten minutes go over the many good and unexpected things God has given to you in the past.

Fill your mind with the Positive, Constructive Sunshine of Your Thoughts, praising the Kingdom, Power and Glory of the Source of all Life. The Father Principle of all Love and Life, and all Understanding, within each one of us, that we call God.

Will that this Divine Source of all Knowledge shall direct your Thoughts and Words and Deeds.

Realize that your every Thought and Word and Deed is really a Prayer to the Divine Source of all Life, and is always establishing your exact position in the Universe, and showing your relation and unfoldment to Divine Guidance.

And now when you have raised your mental and physical and Spiritual rates of Vibrating, Radiant Life, and by willing that you shall be guided by your Inner Voice have put yourself in tune with the InfiniteNow put your Mental Thoughts in order for the Day by going over every detail of the work you are to do and are now planning out in a positive, constructive way.

Plan out your work directed by Divine Understanding from within, ever conscious of that "Wee, Small Voice""The Oracle of God"that will guide your daily work in harmony with Nature's Laws of Life, when you are "In Tune with the Infinite."

This Divine Power within is unlimited in Love, Wisdom and Understanding, and is always anxious to give you everything you are willing to trust this Power to give.

Be confidential with God within, put all Fear, Worry and Doubt out of your heart.

Make the mental picture of your day's work as you wish it to be, and realize what you give to life, life will in turn give back to you; for life attracts like throughout the Universe.

Now go to your breakfast and daily work, doing each task in hand a little better than you did the day before.

Eat your breakfast and live your working day in this wonderful constructive Radiant Understanding of the abundant supply of Life that is all around you, and is a part of you, all guided by Divine Unfoldment.

Be Natural, Be Sincere, but do not become a religious fanatic.

Live each hour with a strong desire to be Kind to your horses and cattle that you feed and care for.

To the wonderful perfect grain that Sunshine, Rain and Divine Understanding has given you from the productive Soil of your Western Ranch.

Scatter Sunshine and Love as you go, to mankind, to your family, and to all life, with which you come in contact.

See and Feel the constructive love that all Life gives to you.

How your Cattle and Horses trust you and want to be where you are.

How your Saddle Horse will follow you about, ever anxious to do your bidding.

Truly you have Dominion over all Life with which you are in contact.

Then are you living a constructive life that will produce Health, Wealth and Happiness for you.

And now before you go to sleep at night, make a positive, constructive Demand to your Inner Self, to the Source of all life within you.

"I desire to do God's will, to be directed by Divine Guidance, to Radiate more sunshine, and love, each day. To do my work better and more in harmony with Nature's Laws, and to be a Man amongst Men, loved by all with whom I come in contact, by the Animals I serve and care for."

"I realize that God's Kingdom within me is the source of all my supply of Health, Wealth and Happiness."

Try this and see how wonderful is the reward of living a constructive, Spiritual Life in tune with the Infinite.

Continued here:
Self Help Books & Self Improvement eBooks for Personal ...

You are very welcome to our self improvement web site, many thanks for visiting.

If you want to explore the i-choose-self-improvement.com site randomly right now, please go right ahead, have fun.

You may find the site contents map helpful as it lists, and gives direct access to, every page on the site.

On this web site we have over 100 pages of free information that we want to share with you, which includes, for example:

NEW Amazon has just published the second edition of my new Kindle ebook which answers the following key questions and will help you to overcome interview nerves and land your ideal job: * what should I expect at an interview? * what and how do I need to prepare? * how do I set myself up for success and stand out from other candidates? * what questions will I be asked and what are the best answers? * how do I deal with difficult or awkward questions? * what questions should I ask? * what's the best way to rehearse? * what's the best way to follow-up an interview?

This second edition has an extra chapter - what is the best way of getting an interview?

Click here to go to Amazon's Kindle ebook store and see details of the book.

NEW - now also available as a paperback book. Click here and see details of the book, 'Interview Questions and Answers'. Thank You.

Why did we create this web site?

The overall purpose is to help people help themselves to create the future of their choice, by choice, deliberately, using their inner resourcefulness.

Two famous Americans sum it up for me: Henry David Thoreau said, "most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them", and William James said, "compared to what we ought to be, we are only half awake".

Having spent over 30 years of my life as a self employed consultant, working with hundreds of companies and many thousands of people, I have experienced too many individuals heading for the grave, half awake, with their song still in them.

And, most often, NOT by choice, but because they did not know HOW TO be fully awake. How to release and realise more of their potential. How to be all they could choose to be. How to create the future of their choice.

And, most of the time, that was because no one ever told them or helped them to learn self help development (e.g. setting and achieving goals).

The best investment you will ever make.

Investing in improving yourself cannot be beaten as a strategy for success and amazing benefits on many levels, ranging from material success and money to personal growth and building self esteem to happiness to enriching the people around you to changing you and your family and friends and society to creating the future of your choice.

In addition, the significance of self improvement is that ALL improvement ultimately is SELF improvement because things don't do themselves, someone has to do it - guess who?

However, it is often in the doing it that things get tricky.

To illustrate the point, let's say that you decide to run a marathon as part of your self help personal improvement initiative.

Unless you are already an accomplished athlete and just running for the fun of it, you will probably NOT just turn up on the day and start running (i.e. not if you want to succeed anyway).

You know you will have to do some training, get into a fit condition, and get the right gear, do some planning etc. etc.

Daft as this example may seem, just turning up and starting is more or less what many people do when embarking on self improvement. For many people buying the latest fad personal development idea or gadget is like impulse buying - there's a felt need that needs instant gratification. Come back a few months later, though, and "business as usual" is the norm as old habits have re-established themselves.

However, if you manage your self improvement the right way - the i-choose-self-improvement way - you will achieve life changing benefits.

If you do self improvement the wrong way, you may finish up feeling disappointed, frustrated, disillusioned; having wasted time, energy and money; and with your self esteem a bit battered.

I've spent 30 years and more learning what works, and helping others to do so, and I want to share this experience with you on this site. (click here to find out more about who I am).

Finally, this web site is for YOU, so do relax, read on and enjoy browsing the 100 plus pages.

Do use the navigation buttons to explore. They will connect you with the 15 or so major aspects of successful self improvement.

And be sure to use the links provided on most pages to access extra material.

In particular, when you see a link in bold, this indicates that that material is available through the page link but not directly via a navigation button.

Use this link to access the site contents map if you wish. It lists, and gives direct access to, every page on the i-choose-self-improvement web site.

You might want to come back here though (or click the process button) to see the i-c-s-i structure and method suggested for outstanding self improvement results and success.

Please click on the links at the bottom of this page, or the navigation buttons on the left, to get started.

It's your choice, of course, but you may want to start with the self diagnosis link to identify your self improvement strengths and weaknesses.

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"The site is very well made: the information is interesting and explained in a comprehensive and fun way" - Aiko, Canada

"Inspirational and informative" - Grace, Australia, Gracedong@liquidideas. com.au

"You have an incredible website with very helpful and useful information. Thank you" - Brennan, USA _________________ "I like your website, it is very good. It shows how to bring improvement in life and how to get good results. It's really good" - Vijendrasingh, India _________________ "I like most of what you advocate. I wish someone had taken the younger me aside and advised your ideas" - Theresa, UK

"This is a very good site. It will definitely help a lot of people personally" - Femi, USA _________________ "I read the article on Left vs Right vs Whole Brain thinking and have found it extremely interesting" - Sneha, United Arab Emirates _________________ "Great information, thanks" - Stephan, Zimbabwe _________________ "Great self help" - Priscila, USA

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Self Improvement: How To Self Help And Achieve The Future ...

"The most extensive step-by-step personal development program on the internet... that focuses on your mind, body, emotions and soul"

Dear Reader,

Today, I am going to show you a step-by-step method that will take you from where you are today to where you want to be.

Whether you are someone looking to boost their self-esteem....achieve financial independence... or simply get peace of mind

...this simple method can help you achieve literally ANYTHING.

But before we get into details, I'd like to explain...

If, my dear friend...

... then, I congratulate you, because, you, most likely, already know what I am about to tell you. And you don't need any help from me or anyone else.

But if, on the contrary, you cannot relate to any (or all) of the above categories, then, you should read on to find out how you can...

...and much more.

I am John Robson, the founder (with my wife, Patrice Robson) of Higher Awareness.

About twenty years ago, I left the world of engineering to get rid of the emptiness and dissatisfaction that was eating away my existence.

It wasn't any financial crisis or something that made me take this decision. In fact, my circumstances were ideal for an engineer of my age.

I had a very comfortable job... I earned well... and everyone respected me...

But deep inside, I didn't feel satisfied... A part of me felt incomplete.

I did everything I could to suppress that feeling of emptiness.

Nothing worked.

Then, I resigned from my job... and changed several jobs after that.

But all my attempts proved fruitless...

The chaos was now taking over my personal life as well. It began to overshadow my very existence...

I began to have a difficulty in making decisions... I got angry very quickly... I couldn't even sleep properly...

Eventually, I got so frustrated that I felt like giving up was the only way...

Then, one day...

I had a realization that changed my life... FOREVER.

I realized that the only person who could change my life was MYSELF.

So I set on a journey of self-exploration and began searching for the real purpose of my life...

I started reading every book on personal and spiritual growth... and taking every course I could.

Within a few years, I had taken over 120 personal development programs and read countless books on the subject.

The Result: I felt fulfilled and was living a life of meaning and purpose.

However, just taking the uplifting courses didn't do that for me.

Sure, they lifted my spirits and taught me some insights... but they didn't provide the daily, step-by-step tools to keep me on track. And as a result, I would often feel like going back to my old self.

To overcome this...

I went on a quest to build such tools myself...

I kept modifying my system with time... And with its help, I kept growing.

My life became more joyful... and fears and problems seemed to disappear.

People were intrigued... naturally.

They started asking me the secret to my happiness... They wanted to learn the 'techniques' I had used to achieve those results.

What really surprised me was that there were so many people like myself... who had similar problems as I once had. Their individual challenges were different but the core reasons for their struggles were, more or less, similar to mine.

This led me to the road I have been travelling ever since...

I took all the tools I had created for myself and used them to design a step-by-step process for others... that would gently keep them on track without making them feel overwhelmed with information.

I started organizing workshops at my home... and within a year, I had over 1000 students whom I was helping from my living room.

I gave them a powerful set of tools that would help THEM uncover their innate inner wisdom... the imagination, creativity and intuition that already lied inside them.

You see, relying too much on 'gurus' or others is actually downright dangerous if you don't know what you're doing like driving drunk or not wearing a seatbelt.

So, the programs I developed focused on helping each person discover for themselves who they really are... their own inner purpose... style... character and inner processes- their souls (we are all unique).

And the results were miraculous...

I must admit that it is one of the best investments I have ever made. I continue to gain new insights about myself and I am expanding my consciousness at the deepest level possible as I meditate on the emails. I feel a deep shift in my confidence and I am gaining more clarity on which direction to take my business. I have been considering signing up for this course for approximately 2 years and I intuitively knew that this was the perfect time for me to do this. So glad I did!

- Michael Taylor

Just a few years ago, I got access to your material when I was in an absolute financial mess. I am ever so thankful. Fast forward a few years and I have now a job I work two weeks every month and am earning almost $130000 a year and have just moved into my first house that I bought myself. My life has gone from strength to strength and I am a single mum with a 16 yr old son and 7 yr old daughter and I've accomplished this all in that shirt time. I wanted to send you a heartfelt thank you for helping me to turn things around, and for your kindness in my time of need.

- Nikki McGrady

I have just completed the Know Yourself program, and I am enjoying this wavy path to self discovery, it feels almost like unraveling a knotted rope and then being at the helm to use it as a trapeze artist might to fly through the air! I literally laughed out loud as I came to the end of it because my very worries at the beginning are actually the biggest opportunity for growth and healing! I am very excited to continue with your courses to heal and grow. I am now doing the Awareness & Intuition workshop which I absolutely love, and am having fun with. I also just received the 'Next Step' email to Who Am I, and I felt the time management, goal setting and success tracking programs immediately grab me as a must!

- Tessa Miller

Thanks so much....deeply grateful for the knowledge, wisdom and understanding gained over the period I have been receiving your email. Your work has impacted me in many positive ways.. I look forward daily for your insights. I have nothing but high praises and a sense of deep and profound gratitude for the work you do.

- Peter Leon

Although it's only been a week, I'm just so amazed by all that I'm learning & becoming. Personal development has always been important. Next to breathing, now it's become my main focus in life. Knowing, and learning the truth about who I am, has restored my self confidence and self awareness at a level it was never at. Before, I didn't always know that I could trust my intuition, nor my innate abilities. Change is good.

- Catolyn

As the word spread, more and more people became interested in my personal development resources... Then, a friend suggested that I make them available to people on internet.

In 1999, I launched HigherAwareness.com with my wife, Patrice...

...and to date, more than 7000 people have used our approach to achieve the life they desire for themselves.

Over the last fifteen years, the Higher Awareness program has seriously evolved... we kept adding new resources to suit the needs of our growing community.

And today, we have hundreds of resources that help people like you break through their fears, self-doubt, and insecurities and create a peaceful life for themselves.

Our personal and spiritual resources are condensed under four major steps...

These four steps contain the essence of a happy life... and our program takes you by the hand and shows you how you can evolve from being an unfulfilled person to being content and living a life of purpose.

Here are some of the things that you'll discover as a part of the Higher Awareness program:

"I have been receiving your higher awareness e-mails for about a year now. I love reading them, and have saved them all in a folder. I have appreciated each piece of wisdom they contain, many of which have come at just the right timing for me, often directly correlating with something in my life. This intuition series also came at a time when I was looking to listen more deeply to my inner wisdom, and couldn't have been a better answer for me. Your work has continued to show me the magic workings of the universe. I have really enjoyed this series so far, and I want to say thank you. I hope you continue to reach out to the souls of the world in this way that you do."

- C Donald

"Receiving Higher Awareness daily the messages seem to have been written directly for me and in my spiritual growth they also seem perfectly timed. I am currently in a small local group but would be interested at some point to write about my journey. Thank you so very much."

This simple mind hack is often taught by psychotherapists... and can help you achieve phenomenal results in overcoming other negative forces such as self-doubt and insecurities etc.

Here are a few more growth secrets you'll discover:

"Thank you. I really enjoy these Awarenesses, and look forward to them daily. They really give me a good feeling of life and becoming a better person from the inside out. I forward them to family and friends around the entire U.S.A. The ones that really hit home I put in my favorites' e-mail list, so I can refer to them from time to time, to re-energize that thought when I need it again, or for a pick me up to get me going each day."

- KB

- JS

As a part of our Higher Awareness program, you'll have complete access to a rich array of resources that will help you go from where you are to where you want to be. Here's what you'll get as a part of your membership:

- Sue Hulen

- Nieves Sancho

- Phyllis Foster

Personal and spiritual growth is a life-long journey. And our aim is to help YOU become your best self and achieve the life you want... one step at a time.

As a part of our Higher Awareness program, you'll have access to hundreds of growth resources... and this might seem a lot to you, at first. But these resources are designed to help you develop every single aspect of your being and transform your life completely.

You can, and should, focus on one area first... heal it and develop it... and then, when you feel satisfied with that particular part of your life, move on to the next one.

- KM

You don't have to follow a timeframe to grow with us. All you need is commitment and willingness to change your life from its current state to the one you have dreamed of.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

- Mark Twain

There's never been a better time to take control of your life and start living the way you want to... than NOW.

Imagine being able to live a life free of insecurities, self-doubt, worries... to earn as much as you want to achieve all of your goals... have peace of mind... spend enough time with your family and be your best self.

All of this is possible... and you have the chance to make it possible NOW.

We'll be raising our prices in September, this year. So, NOW is your chance to get this goldmine of life-changing resources for a bargain price.

If, for any reason, you think Higher Awareness is not the right program to help you turn your dreams into reality... let us know and we'll send all your money back... No questions asked.

People spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on their education... But there is no school that teaches you the most valuable skill in life. i.e, how to live it.

- JP

- Adam Smith

-Esther Dorothy Lucio

- PN

No matter how educated you are or what degree you hold, these things have no value... unless they help to make you a fulfilled human being and create a life for you that you deserve.

Our Higher Awareness program, however, is going to change your life forever. No exceptions.

So, this, without any doubt, is going to be the best investment of your life.

Sincerely,

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Self Development Courses, Personal Development Programs

Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings so that you shall come easily by what others have labored hard for. Socrates

People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy. Oliver Goldsmith

Let us strive to improve ourselves, for we cannot remain stationary; one either progresses or retrogrades. Mme. Du Deffand

The safest principle through life, instead of reforming others, is to set about perfecting yourself. B. R. Haydon

Change yourself and fortune will change with you. Portugese Proverb

What you dislike in another take care to correct in yourself. Thomas Sprat

The highest purpose of intellectual cultivation is to give a man a perfect knowledge and mastery of his own inner self; to render our consciousness its own light and its own mirror. Frederich Leopold von Hardenberg

What are the aims which are at the same time duties? They are perfecting of ourselves, the happiness of others. Immanuel Kant

Whenever you see a man who is successful in society, try to discover what makes him pleasing, and if possible adopt his system. Benjamin Disraeli

A scrap of paper and a stub of a pencil beats the best memory. Michael Wardinski

Each of us must work for his own improvement, and at the same time share a general responsibility for all humanity. Marie Curie

Every man has in himself a continent of undiscovered character. Happy is he who acts as the Columbus to his own soul. Sir J. Stephen

Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself. Leo Tolstoy

I believe that true identity is found in creative activity springing from within. It is found when one loses oneself. Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship. Louisa May Alcott

Discontent is the source of all trouble, but also of all progress, in individuals and nations. Berthold Auerbach

The greatest of faults, I should say, is to be conscious of none. Thomas Carlyle

Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anyone else expects of you. Never excuse yourself. Henry Ward Beecher

It was the sacred rule among the Pythagoreans that they should every evening thrice run over the actions and affairs of the day. Dr. L. Watts

Never neglect an opportunity for improvement. Sir William Jones

Remedy your deficiencies, and your merits will take care of themselves. Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Everyone has naturally the power of excelling in some one thing. Proverb

Circumspection in calamity; mercy in greatness; good speeches in assemblies; fortitude in adversity: these are the self-attained perfections of great souls. Hitopadesa

Practice yourself in little things, and thence proceed to greater. Epictetus

The farther a man knows himself to be free from perfection, the nearer he is to it. Gerard Groote

If you have great talents, industry will improve them; If moderate abilities, industry will supply their deficiencies. Nothing is denied to well-directed labor: nothing is ever to be attained without it. Sir Joshua Reynolds

There is nothing noble about being superior to some other man. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self. Hindu Proverb

What you are must always displease you, if you would attain to that which you are not. Saint Augustine

Live up to the best that is in you: Live noble lives, as you all may, in whatever condition you may find yourselves. Henry W. Longfellow

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A Spiritual Family Reunion to Co-create a New Future

with Barbara Marx Hubbard & co-teachers Patricia Ellsberg & Patricia Albere

LIVE Advance September 13 18, 2015 Earthrise Campus at IONS in beautiful Petaluma, California

If so, were delighted to share that Barbara and her closest colleagues will be offering a live, intimate Advance for you to go to the next level of your evolution and vocation of destiny as well as to commune, awaken and co-create with extraordinary souls that share your commitment to conscious evolution.

This Evolutionary Family Reunion, to use Barbaras words, will immerse you in the latest insights and evolutionary practices as we continue to pioneer new possibilities for humanity.

Over five beautiful days, we will divine the design of evolution in our lives and in the world and establish ongoing co-creative relationships in a true communion of pioneering souls.

Youll know yourself as a sacred evolutionary being that is part of an emerging co-creative culture, through the mirroring of the group and embed this template in your bones.

Receiving this template is no small thing. It will act as an evolutionary accelerator as your body, heart and mind remember from this point forward what it is like to relate to others from your deepest Essence and engage in co-creative soul collaborations.

This experience is, in a word, liberating. It frees you from social facades and lesser agendas, giving you the permission to show up fully, radically, authentically as YOU not just a separate egoic self but a Universal Self in all your glory. A radiant soul, on a mission.

As the group welcomes you into your unique expression as an awake, empowered evolutionary, you will learn to call others into their authentic divine expression as well.

True to Barbaras passion, this gathering will very much be a co-created experience with Patricia Ellsberg also teaching, along with YOUR full co-creative participation.

From the intimate group that attends, Barbara aims to form a cohesive core of conscious evolutionaries that can act as a kind of advanced guard for the birthing of a new era, each working in teams to manifest your vocation of destiny.

Youll experience what it means to work in evolutionary pods and discover a true sense of spiritual family, forming long-term bonds that can nourish you for years to come.

Well also be activating kundalini practices, which are designed to awaken your evolutionary energy and accelerate your personal transformation, giving you more power for your vocation of destiny.

It will be unforgettable.

Lets hear from Barbara in her own words:

I am writing to invite you to the first Evolutionary Family Reunion! This is the beginning of a global communion of pioneering souls. We will be creating a new sacred space for humanity.

As Agents of Conscious Evolution (ACES), we are called now to explore, nurture, and give birth within ourselves and the world to a new human and a new humanity. We are called to shift the system from fear to love before a collapse occurs.

As an ACE, you KNOW that our crisis is a birth. We can and indeed MUST go the whole way in our lifetime. We are all members of Generation One. This is it. Now is the time. We are the ones.

It is our purpose, our joy and our privilege to be alive right now as the tipping point of this Shift of the Ages to the new humanity.

During this Advance, we will join together on an ecstatic journey to become a "new human," which is nothing less than your full potential self at the dawn of the new era of conscious evolution. We will celebrate being "born" into the new field of consciousness arising on Earth, which is generated by the emerging humanity.

Be prepared to enter a resonant field so powerful that you never need go back again to a sense of separation.

Together, well step across the threshold to the next stage of YOUR Conscious Evolution.

You are evolution, self-aware. You have inherited the powers of co-creation. This is the promise of all the great faiths, now being offered to us. In the course of our time together, you will do many things, such as:

As we join in evolutionary communion and are each liberated to speak the inner words of Spirit in our own language, the walls between us will start coming down. We will feel the ecstasy of the actual collective awakening of our species god-like powers infused with unconditional love.

We will begin to feel the Noosphere getting its collective eyes through US, and infuse the awakening nervous system of humanity with your love and creativity.

We will give reality to our visions and make them real in our world.

Patricia Ellsberg and I are so delighted to join together to offer this as THE most extraordinary Advance that we have ever conceived.

We ourselves have been experiencing an embodiment of the Universal Human. We have been practicing our own conscious evolution. We are no longer teaching about the evolution. We are transmitting and embodying the Impulse of Evolution within ourselves, to all participants. We are literally creating a morphogenetic field of shared resonance and inner expression.

During this Advance we invite you to do the same, as we become voices of evolution together, ever more potent, connected pioneers of the emerging world.

Join us for this five-day sacred journey as members of a consciously evolving family of humanity.

The highly experiential format is designed for Agents of Conscious Evolution like you to activate every level of your body, mind and soul. You will receive a profound initiation that will help you awaken to a life rich with community one that is filled with joy, love and service to the important changes of our times.

All of this will take place in a beautiful and healing setting. The Earthrise Retreat Center in Northern California sits on 200 acres of rolling oak-studded hills, offering stunning views and sublime peacefulness wholesome, healthy food, made from ingredients from the campus gardens, is also included! It is the home campus for The Shift Network, and youll have a chance to personally connect with many of the leaders youve seen from a distance as well.

If you have yearned to go beyond glimpses of an expanded state to a life in which you sustain this higher frequency and create your life and larger work from there no matter WHAT your age this is the event for you.

Note that this special retreat is the only one that we will offer in 2015 with Barbara and is limited to only 50 registrants. We expect all the slots will be taken by the more than 3900 graduates of Barbaras programs, so if you are feeling called to participate, please read the detailed description below and sign up right away to reserve your spot.

We invite you to the greatest adventure on Earth!

Sunday Evening

Welcome to the Adventure!

On this first evening Barbara will set the scene, touch on aspects of her own evolutionary experience since Birth 2012, and invite participants to share their own experiences since saying YES! to the greatest evolutionary adventure of all time.

The journey will begin with powerful, guided meditation with Patricia Ellsberg and an invocation of intention for the subsequent five days, and beyond.

Our Evolutionary Family will form. Well explore ways that we can empower each other to become our full potential selves during the advance and when we step out and into the world as active pioneers of the New Humanity.

Music will help stimulate the Impulse of Creation and together we will affirm our intentions, lovingly signalling to it that we are ready to emerge AS higher consciousness.

Old memetic codes that have destroyed millions of human beings and entire species of animals and plants are dying. In their place, new memetic codes are arising on which to build our work and success as Conscious Evolutionaries.

On Day 1, Barbara will call upon the impulse of evolution to take us the whole way in becoming Universal Humans. Patricia Ellsberg will establish the resonant field in which we will envision the evolution of our species at the dawn of the first age of Conscious Evolution.

Well evoke the power of the creative force of universal evolution within us, animating and activating it as never before. Youll learn to form Universal Human Pods small group structures that enjoin us and act as lightning rods for the divine.

Midday, youll have time for lunch, silence and rest, walks around the stunning center grounds, and contemplation, journaling, and connecting with other members of your new Evolutionary Family.

The afternoon will be dedicated to Eros, Teleros and the Universal Love Story. Well deepen our exploration of Conscious Evolution as the new worldview of optimum potential for humanity, and cultivate resonance and revelation for its manifestation.

Barbara will share from her forthcoming book The Universe: A Love Story, coauthored with Marc Gafni and Daniel Schmachtenberger. Together, we will discover that love is the direction, process, purpose and promise of evolution itself.

In the evening, well utilize the Wheel of Co-creation as a contextual social symbol for the next stage of our evolution and a new form of social love and cocreate a sacred space to quicken our own evolutionary potential.

On Day 2, you will dive into an evolutionary approach to the fundamental problem facing humanity the exaggerated illusion of separation.

The problem facing humanity from the beginning has been an abnormal illusion that we are separate from Spirit, nature and each other.

Each of us has within ourselves a whole community of wounded, local selves that feel separate from Essence, acting as inner critics and goading to us toward improvement yet often upsetting us deeply and distracting us from our Essence.

Barbara will use her story of being dominated by her compulsive local selves and discovery her Essential Self to describe the nature of the Essential Self and the local selves.

Rather than abandon, medicate or expel the local selves, youll learn practices for healing them, releasing them from the excruciating pain of separation and uniting them with the Beloved.

Well engage in a sacred ceremony that will invite the Beloved to take dominion, as well learn how to form a Universal Human Pod, a revelatory way of sharing and speaking as Essence.

On the morning of Day 3, you will begin to embody your full potential self. Barbara will transmit the 52 Codes of Conscious Evolution in the voice of the Universal Self, also known as The Word, and invite you to do the same, making what was once spirit, flesh.

This aural alchemical process will create a resonant field to hold the highest frequencies of being for everyone present and that will extend to the larger, emerging Evolutionary Family.

In smaller pods, youll share one of the Codes and attempt to maintain the frequencies of deeper communion and communication as a steady state, a vital capability as you go forth in the world as a New Human.

In preparation for the afternoon, well explore the process of becoming a wholly integrated Universal Human, deepen our work in the Universal Pod and fuse with our Essential Selves.

Having worked with the Universal Self on the personal level, the afternoon will be dedicated to interbeing. Patricia Albere, founder of the Mutual Awakening Process will guide us in an experience of the Universal Self as a collective reality.

According to the Story of Creation in the Christian tradition, On the 7th Day God rested.

On Day 4, we will act out a new ending to the Story of Creation on Earth, expressed in Barbaras inspired myth, 8th Day of Creation, when humanity woke up at the Tree of Life with the powers of gods.

During the reunion of the Cosmic Family, Lucifer goes home to God and The New Adam and the New Eve experience the Sacred Marriage at the Tree of life, reclaiming the Garden at the next stage of evolution.

The peoples of Earth are invited to place their gifts in the Book of life. A grand celebration occurs.

This is a call for actors in a new play to come forth upon the stage of history. In the afternoon, well participate in a dramatic reading of the Cosmic Family Reunion, with an inspired cast taking part in bringing alive this new ending for all of Creation.

On Day 5, you will experience you and your new Evolutionary Family already being born as a universal species into a universe of infinite intelligence and love.

The New Humanity has arrived...

As the resonance builds, we envision a world of light, innovation and creativity and help manifest entirely new systems and technologies that allow every living being to thrive.

Stephen Dinan, CEO of the Shift Network will join us to share more about his Vision 2020 in the context of evolutionary potential of the Wheel of Life.

Together, well envision vast celebrations of the arrival of ONE, Global Family, as well as our next steps on this Evolutionary Adventure, leading up to 2020, the next big milestone for the New Humanity.

If you are an evolutionary and you are riding the waves of deep change in this changing and challenging world and you want to make a difference and contribute to a more peaceful, joyous and loving world, you dont want to miss the insightful, evolutionary and loving teachings and sharing of a wonderful role model for conscious evolution that is our dear beloved Barbara Marx Hubbard and the wonderful and visionary friends she teaches with. You are not alone in your evolutionary consciousness and sharing with an enlightened community of kindred spirits makes all the difference in the world. ~ Adriana Colotti Comel, Mexico City, Mexico

I find myself marveling at Barbaras capacity to be both authentically living from her Essence, while also allowing her most vulnerable human self to be present. She is a great model of inspiration for what it means to live with passion and enthusiasm, at any age. Just being in her presence (her laugh!) consistently fills me with joy. And WOW, her guests include leading edge evolutionists that share relevant wayshower skills, but more importantly, ignite powerful ripple effects through the participants to co-create a hopeful, collaborative, sustainable future. ~ Celeste Hamman, Austin, TX

One of the biggest insights has been to see how much great wonder and passion is happening across the globe. To learn about and connect with these amazing people has been life changing. The weekly sessions are an integral part of my week and I can feel the transformation becoming more embodied. Each week I connect with someone or something that deeply moves me, and I can feel the change permeate my being. >~ Nikki Thompson Roma, Queensland, Australia

Being with Barbara on this marvelous journey is far-reaching, exciting, challenging, and non-threatening. It will surface more questions and give you tools to accompany them into the next cycle of evolution and personal transformation. ~ Pam Falkowski, Vancouver & Long Island

Barbara was for me to teacher that appeared at exactly the right moment while I am in an exciting, inspiring but at times also confusing and overwhelming transition in my life. Barbaras teachings really made me so much more aware of my interconnectedness to all human beings on the planet and empowered me to make my biggest contribution and enrich my life at the same time. Life transforming! ~ Anna Herremans, Panama City, Panama

Through the past months with Barbara, her luminary guests and my evolutionary circle I have come into a much deeper knowing of my own soul calling...I clearly know that the time spent in communion with her and others has brought distinctions for me as to what my next steps will be along my path and has inspired me to move forward and declare who I am in my fullest expression. ~ Gaye Abbott, Austin, TX

Barbara has guided me to look for what is good. To accept that the old paradigm is crumbling and to let it be.. and to focus our attention on what is working ... and now eventually becoming innovative, exploring new ways of being and thinking that support a precious new paradigm that we the people are co-creating together... and it feels good.. People used to talk about how we are all one and I didnt really get it... I get it now.. From an evolutionary perspective we are now REALLY recognising ourselves as a whole organism with an evolving consciousness ...we have the power to direct our future ....and that is exciting... If you would like to more deeply connect with your passion, your vocational arousal...feel more empowered... and contribute to co-creating a world that is compassionate, caring, just, loving creative and sustainable, then get involved... you will be pleased you did! ~ Mia Peace Cairns, Qld Australia

Barbara Marx Hubbard is co-founder and chairperson of the Foundation for Conscious Evolution. An evolutionary educator, speaker and social innovator, she is the author of six books communicating the new worldview of conscious evolution, including the bestselling Birth 2012 and Beyond.

In 1945, when she was 15 years old, the first atomic bombs were dropped on Japan. This terrible act prompted Barbara to ask the fundamental question: What is the meaning of our new power that can be used for the good? And What are positive images of the future equal to these new powers? This defining moment propelled her on her lifes quest to find answers to these questions. The insights she has gained has led to her definitive message of hope that our crisis is a birth of a more universal human and universal humanity.

As a co-founder of The Evolutionary Leaders Council she is co-chairing with Andrew Cohen a global dialogue on The Meaning of Conscious Evolution. Barbara is also the subject of a recent biography by Neale Walsch entitled: The Mother of Invention: The Legacy of Barbara Marx Hubbard and the Future of You.

She is currently the producer and narrator of an award-winning, on-going DVD series entitled Humanity Ascending: A New Way through Together. Part One: Our Story, translated into seven languages, has been selected for the prestigious Spiritual Cinema Circle. Part Two: Visions of a Universal Humanity, now brings together cutting-edge scientific, social and spiritual visionaries to create a positive vision of our future equal to our new capacities.

In 1984 her name was placed in nomination for the vice presidency of the United States on the Democratic ticket, calling for a Peace Room as sophisticated as our war room, to scan for, map, connect and communicate what is working in America and the world.

As a citizen diplomat in the former Soviet Union during the 1980s she co-chaired a number of Soviet-American Citizen Summits, introducing a new form of conferencing called SYNCON to foster synergistic convergence. This model brings opposing groups and functions together to seek common goals and match needs and resources including the growing edge of human capacities, spiritual, social and scientific/technological of the whole system.

Patricia Ellsberg is a social change activist, workshop and tele-seminar leader, life e coach and public speaker. In 1971, she helped her husband, Daniel Ellsberg, release to the press the Pentagon Papers, a top secret history of US involvement in Vietnam, which helped end the Vietnam War. The Oscar nominated documentary, "The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers," tells the riveting story of this era and Daniel and Patricias role in changing history. A central theme of her life has been bridging spiritual experience with social activism. Working closely with her sister, Barbara Marx Hubbard, in furthering social transformation through Conscious Evolution, Patricia guides people to make a shift from ego to essence, so they live with greater joy, purpose and meaning. Patricias special gift as a coach is transmitting and helping people access a profound sense of joy and wellbeing through the artful use of guided meditation. She is currently coaching and teaching The Emergence Process and her own teleseminars on the theme of Finding Mother-Love Within.

Stephen Dinan is the CEO of The Shift Network and a member of the prestigious Transformational Leadership Council and Evolutionary Leaders group. As the former Director of Membership and Marketing at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, he was the driving force behind the Shift in Action program. He is also the author of Radical Spirit(New World Library), and a forthcoming book Sacred America, Sacred World. Stephen directed and helped to create the Esalen Institutes Center for Theory & Research, a think tank for leading scholars, researchers, and teachers to explore human potential frontiers.

Patricia Albere is the founder of the Evolutionary Collective and an internationally known contemporary spiritual teacher and author. Her unique discovery of the essential components that create an awakened we space is transforming our understanding of what is possible in the space between us and in creating new fields of higher collective consciousness. Her work creates a powerful field of shared consciousness that reveals previously unimagined potentials for human development that can and are moving humanity far beyond the limits of personal growth.

Our gathering will be hosted at EarthRise, a beautiful, semi-rural conscious living center located within the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) campus. This is also the office headquarters for The Shift Network, and youll have an opportunity to engage with senior Shift leaders during the time with Barbara.

Enjoy being amid 194 acres of rolling hills, where hiking trails meander through pristine native live oak woodlands and the surrounding open space offers panoramic vistas of the California landscape. A beautiful meditative labyrinth made of river stones lies high on the hill overlooking the valley below.

Other special features include a beautiful permaculture garden that provides fruits and vegetables for the kitchen, a meditation hut nestled in a peaceful oak grove, a sweat lodge, a fire circle and multiple sitting areas for quiet contemplation.

Local ingredients are the inspiration for the cooking and include luscious organic fruits and vegetables, free range poultry, hormone-free meat and dairy products and extraordinary cheeses. They use organic produce from local farmers and their own permaculture garden whenever possible. The chef draws upon flavors and techniques from around the world to create a diverse cuisine with alluring flavors.

EarthRise provides sleeping accommodations in a mix of single, double and couple rooming options. All of the rooms have recently been renovated, and are simply and attractively appointed with a desk, a clothing bureau, linens, blankets and towels, and include access to a shared kitchen for tea and coffee. All housing accommodations are situated near to one another and next to the retreat space.

EarthRise at IONS is located just 35 minutes north of San Francisco. It is easily accessible from the East Bay and North Bay, as well as from San Francisco.

As you may know, this is a rare opportunity to learn directly from a master teacher and connect with a global community of like minds and hearts who are doing this important and transformative inner work.

If youre serious about conscious evolution, then you owe it to yourself, your loved ones and our world to join this one-of-a-kind gathering.

If youre ready to join with your spiritual family to co-create a new future, click the register button below to reserve your space now.

The 5-day gathering will take place from September 13-18, 2015. Plan to arrive at the retreat center by 5:00pm Pacific on September 13 and depart from the retreat center after 3:00pm Pacific on September 18.

$1325 tuition

Room and meals for the week are additional, starting with dinner on Sunday and ending with lunch on Friday:

Original post:
The Agents of Conscious Evolution Immersion with Barbara ...

Welcome to the home of Meditation and Modern Buddhism in Orlando! Modern Buddhist meditation is for everybody, regardless of religious background, race, ethnicity, or orientation. We happily welcome everyone, including people of all faiths, to our center.

Our center offers a variety of classes, workshops, and meditation instruction, so there is something here for everyone! Presented in Western context and in a casual and friendly atmosphere, we learn Buddha's advice on how to solve life's difficulties with a peaceful and happy mind. No previous experience of meditation is needed and each class can be taken on its own, or as part of a series.

What are the benefits of meditating?

When the turbulence of distracting thoughts subsides and our mind becomes still, a deep happiness and contentment naturally arise from within. This feeling of contentment and well being helps us cope with the busyness and difficulties of daily life. So much of the stress and tension we normally experience comes from our mind, and many of the problems we experience, including poor health, are caused or aggravated by this stress.

Just by doing breathing meditation for ten or fifteen minutes each day, we will be able to reduce this stress. We will experience a calm spacious feeling in the mind, and many of our usual problems will disappear. If we then learn the insights of Buddha's Lamrim meditations we can create profoundly positive changes in our lives; difficult situations will become easier to solve, we will naturally feel a warm heart toward everyone we meet, and all of our relationships will continuously improve.

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Meditation in Orlando

Retirement planning is very complex and varies by individual. The following 4 retirement calculators are designed for different retirement planning situations financially.

This calculator gives out saving guideline based on your retirement saving target.

If you have your own retirement saving schedule, this calculator estimates the amount you can withdraw every month once retired.

If you are retired or close to retirement, this calculator estimates how long your retirement saving lasts based on the amount you plan to withdraw every month.

Retirement occurs when people end employment completely. Some people may "semi-retire" by decreasing their work hours. The retirement age varies for different countries, but it is generally between the ages of 55 and 70. Also, the age is different for males and females in some countries. Most people choose to retire when they are ready, but some are forced to retire due to various reasons, mostly due to illness or disability.

One of the most important factors that affect the decision to retire is whether a person is financially "ready" to retire. Planning for retirement means making sure that you will have enough income to live on comfortably when you decide to stop earning your own living. In general, wealthy people tend to retire earlier.

Today, the amount required to save for a comfortable retirement is considerably larger than it was for the Baby Boomer generation. Experts now suggest that you should save at least eight times your salary at the end of your career to make sure that you will have enough to live on through many years in retirement. In the United States, more than 60% of workers believe that they will need to save at least $500,000 before they can retire. Yes, that is a great deal of savings, so you should start as early as possible, making use of the best retirement savings plans, and keep it up without interruption.

In most situations, people financially rely on the following programs after retirement:

Social Securitythis is a social insurance program run by the government to provide protection against poverty, old age, disability, etc. In the United States, approximately one-third of the working population expect Social Security to be their major source of income after retirement. Conversely, more than 50% of retirees expect Social Security to be their major source of income.

Pensionmost public servants in the United States are not covered by Social Security, but by pension programs. Some private employers also provide pension benefits.

Retirement Savings Plansthis normally refers to 401Ks and IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts) in the United States. These are the savings from personal income, including tax benefits. Many employers also provide a 401K "match" on top of an employee's personal contribution.

Investment Incomethis is income such as stock dividends, real estate rental income, bank savings account interest, and so on.

Personal Savingsthis is the money you save in your bank, such as saving accounts, CDs (Certificates of Deposit), checking accounts, etc.

To financially plan your retirement, please use this retirement calculator to estimate each source of income listed above and add them up.

One reason people tend to underestimate their retirement saving needs is that they fail to properly account for the impact of inflation. We live at a time when inflation is relatively low, and so we do not perceive its effects. But inflation accumulations bit by bit; prices go up in one area like foodstuffs, and later in another like housing. Over a period of years these price increases can have a profound effect on how much money you will need in retirement.

Remember that inflation won't stop once you retire. Prices will keep going up over that 25 to 30 year period. So you must take into account the continuing erosion of spending power that will take place. You have to bear in mind that every $100,000 you have saved up may only have a real worth of $70,000 when you retire, and even less five years later. The average inflation rate in the United States for the past 30 years has been around 4.3%. Please check the Inflation Calculator for more information.

It's important to make use of the best instruments available to save for retirement. You will have your social security, of course, but we are warned that it will deliver less in the future. Some workers, particularly government employees, have pension plans. Then you should get started as early as possible with Retirement Savings Plansthis normally refers to 401Ks and IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts) in the United States. The former calls for defined contributions from your salary that are matched by your employer, and both remain free of tax while you keep the money in the plan. The latter allows you to make tax-exempt savings contributions. You should also make use of CDs and money-market accounts for risk-free savings at the best interest rates available.

All of this will help you to beat inflation in the long term, and the retirement calculator will help you to determine how much your money will be worth.

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Calculator Retirement

Employee engagement is a property of the relationship between an organization and its employees. An "engaged employee" is one who is fully absorbed by and enthusiastic about their work and so takes positive action to further the organization's reputation and interests.

An organization with 'high' employee engagement might therefore be expected to outperform those with 'low' employee engagement, all else being equal.[1] There are, however, a range of definitions that have emerged around concepts relating to employee engagement. Research has looked at the involvement, commitment and productivity of employees. Organizations have often had a focus on how to generate engagement, rather than seeking objective ways to measure it. Care must therefore be taken when looking at some of the statistics presented around engagement.

William Kahn provided the first formal definition of personal engagement as "the harnessing of organisation members' selves to their work roles; in engagement, people employ and express themselves physically, cognitively, and emotionally during role performances.[2]"

In 1993, Schmidt et al. proposed a bridge between the pre-existing concept of 'job satisfaction' and employee engagement with the definition: "an employee's involvement with, commitment to, and satisfaction with work. Employee engagement is a part of employee retention." This definition integrates the classic constructs of job satisfaction (Smith et al., 1969), and organizational commitment (Meyer & Allen, 1991).

Defining employee engagement remains problematic. In their review of the literature in 2011, Shuck and Wollard [3] identify four main sub-concepts within the term:

Definitions of engagement vary in the weight they give to the individual vs the organisation in creating engagement. Recent practice has situated the drivers of engagement across this spectrum, from within the psyche of the individual employee (for example, promising recruitment services that will filter out 'disengaged' job applicants [5]) to focusing mainly on the actions and investments the organisation makes to support engagement.[6]

These definitional issues are potentially severe for practitioners. With different (and often proprietary) definitions of the object being measured, statistics from different sources are not readily comparable. Engagement work remains open to the challenge that its basic assumptions are, as Tom Keenoy describes them, 'normative' and 'aspirational', rather than analytic or operational - and so risk being seen by other organizational participants as "motherhood and apple pie" rhetoric.[7]

Prior to Kahn's use of the term in the mid-1990s, a series of concepts relating to employee engagement had been investigated in management theory. Employee morale, work ethic, productivity, and motivation had been explored in a line dating back to the work of Mary Parker Follett in the early 1920s. Survey-based World War II studies on leadership and group morale sparked further confidence that such properties could be investigated and measured.[8] Later, Frederick Herzberg concluded [9] that positive motivation is driven by managers giving their employees developmental opportunities, activity he termed 'vertical enrichment'.

With the wide range of definitions comes a variety of potential contributors to desirable levels of employee engagement. Some examples:

Eileen Appelbaum and her colleagues (2000) studied 15 steel mills, 17 apparel manufacturers, and 10 electronic instrument and imaging equipment producers. Their purpose was to compare traditional production systems with flexible high-performance production systems involving teams, training, and incentive pay systems. In all three industries, the plants utilizing high-involvement practices showed superior performance. In addition, workers in the high-involvement plants showed more positive attitudes, including trust, organizational commitment and intrinsic enjoyment of the work.[10] The concept has gained popularity as various studies have demonstrated links with productivity. It is often linked to the notion of employee voice and empowerment.[11]

Two studies of employees in the life insurance industry examined the impact of employee perceptions that they had the power to make decisions, sufficient knowledge and information to do the job effectively, and rewards for high performance. Both studies included large samples of employees (3,570 employees in 49 organizations and 4,828 employees in 92 organizations). In both studies, high-involvement management practices were positively associated with employee morale, employee retention, and firm financial performance.[10] Watson Wyatt found that high-commitment organizations (one with loyal and dedicated employees) out-performed those with low commitment by 47% in the 2000 study and by 200% in the 2002 study.[12]

Employees with the highest level of commitment perform 20% better and are 87% less likely to leave the organization, which indicates that engagement is linked to organizational performance.[13]

In a study of professional service firms, the Hay Group found that offices with engaged employees were up to 43% more productive.[14] Job satisfaction is also linked to productivity.[15]

Increasing engagement is a primary objective of organizations seeking to understand and measure engagement.

Some additional points from research into drivers of engagement are presented below:

Commitment theories are rather based on creating conditions, under which the employee will feel compelled to work for an organization, whereas engagement theories aim to bring about a situation in which the employee by free choice has an intrinsic desire to work in the best interests of the organization.[20]

Recent research has focused on developing a better understanding of how variables such as quality of work relationships and values of the organization interact, and their link to important work outcomes.[21] From the perspective of the employee, "outcomes" range from strong commitment to the isolation of oneself from the organization.[19]

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Employee engagement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

IVA-Boston conducts ongoing abolitionist vegan education for its volunteers and the public.The chapter was founded by an area volunteer who started the Boston Vegan Association in 2007. With the launch of the IVA, the BVA ceased activities so that its volunteers could join IVA-Boston and continue on with their abolitionist advocacy in and around Boston as part of theIVA. Like any IVA chapter, IVA-Boston maintains a grassroots approach to advocacy while functioning as a part of the the IVA, and is therefore fully alignedwith the IVAs mission. We avoid activities inconsistent with or which do not fulfill the IVAsmission. For that reason, IVA-Boston does not participate in campaigns focused on a single issue (e.g., fur), promote vegetarianism, lobby government officials, or otherwise attempt to reform welfare laws, which take it as a given that it is permissible to use animals as our property.

To develop ourselves as activists, we meet monthly for Advocacy Practice meetings and we periodically conduct or participate in the IVAs animal rights reading groups. The reading groups improvenot only our own knowledge of animal rightsand the abolitionist approach, but also serve as introductory animal rights education to newcomers and the public alike. Newcomers may also learn more about the IVA and veganism through our orientation meetings.

In addition to our animal rights reading groups, which are open to the public, we distribute our ownliteraturein busy pedestrian zones and at a popular area events, where we consistently engage members of the public in abolitionist conversations. Our volunteers have disseminated an abolitionist message via MBTA ads (see left), brought Prof. Gary L. Francione to the Old South Meeting House for a discussion on abolitionist animal rights, andoffered our literature free to abolitionist groups around the world (a campaign that has now been taken up by the IVA).

Our animal rights reading groups last several meetings over 2-3 months, and run at least twice per year. Newcomer orientations and advocacy practice meetings occur on the first Sunday afternoon of each month, though we often push back a week if a major holiday causes a scheduling conflict. To stay informed about all meeting times, dates, locations, and topics,sign up for our monthly newsletter(below), which is generally sent about a week before our meetings. We also post meeting events on ourFacebook page.

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IVA-Boston The International Vegan Association