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NEWSLETTER VOLUME 1, #10

Ideas for people pursuing an empowered life,


CONTENT

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A "LESSON FROM THE JUNGLE..." (Top)

Communicating with power

Watch congos and coyotes if you want to learn how to deal with threats. They will also show you how to act in crowds and how to climb the hierarchy. As they live in tribes, they have the correct social behavior down pat. Howler monkeys and those packs of wild dogs that roam the edges of jungles might seem ferocious at first glance (and you don't want to interfere with their next meal) but most of their snarls, growls, bared teeth, snaps and bites are just "posturing".

And even if members of both those groups often squabble, these rarely end in bloodshed; disputes are quickly resolved and daily business is soon back to normal. In jungles, where the competition is known to be rather intense, individuals of every social order must learn how to deal with power.

Simply stated, having power means knowing what you want and letting others know it with a certain degree of assertion. As things can get a little testy when everyone focuses on the same banana, if you are well understood, it's more likely that your needs will be met and your place in the overall scheme of things will be respected. Nature's management principle is « altruistic self-interest » so personal power establishes order and "negotiations" are easily settled and trespasses forgiven.

Communicating with power means having the confidence you will reach your goals and the realization that the people you exchange with can help you.

Powerful people thus empower others and encourage them to express themselves openly. In this way you can see where and how they can be of help… or not. Acquiring power to actualize your needs means developing 5 important aspects of yourself: a strong physical image, emotional authority, intellectual assertiveness, spiritual accessibility and transactional force.

A strong physical image is a presence consistent with self-esteem: Walk proud, stand tall with your shoulders back and fix a steady gaze. Consider that you have something of value to offer the world, look people in the eye, greet them with a firm and friendly handshake. In a sure, even tone, tell them who you are and what you want; use body language - movement and gesture - to emphasize your point and display your passion. Then wait for complete answers.

Emotional authority will come from calming your inner fire while you wait; you do this by having confidence in your abilities and by recognizing that you merit success. Deal with any answers given to you as if you expect the other to find creative solutions to problems and communicate your willingness to help. And then creatively suggest how your needs can be served. Radiate confidence and project an honest "can do attitude" that shows your will to work out every detail.

Intellectual assertiveness means being honest, direct, proactive and tenacious. It implies having self-respect and thereby respect for others. From this position you'll see your own goals, needs and desires as equal to those of others. Then assert - by cooperating, negotiating and influencing. And stick with it… with "unbending intent".

Spiritual accessibility means being available to others and listening to them with empathy. Powerful people try to understand before wanting to be understood because they realize that ideas are a transactional force. They invest in that force by establishing a network of collaborators with whom they exchange data, share connections and get support for common interests.

Transactional force continues to communicate even after you are no longer in physical contact with others. What do your ideas say about you after you've left? Don't muddy up your stated needs - or desires, instructions, requests, etc. - with meaningless patter or with non-descriptive words, slang or techno-jargon. Get to the point in a clear and concise way. Develop an effective vocabulary to explain how others can help you.

Congos and coyotes know that communicating with power will get them all they need and want from life.

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AN EMPOWERING TECHNIQUE, TOOL OR EXERCISE (Top)

Need a quick idea or concept? Do have an upcoming deadline and a creativity block? Try "sensual thinking". As your emotions are directly linked to your subconscious mind, they can be used to "attract" ideas, concepts or whole streams of thought from "out there".

You can consciously send "e-motion" - i.e. energy-in-motion - to attract ideas from "out there". Attraction is a magnetic force and so a current of energy can stimulate the mind to attract "intelligence" from an electromagnetic "collective unconscious" mind. Check out the technique by clicking here.

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OUR FEATURED COSTA RICA TOUR (Top)

In the jungles, empowerment is more than a theoretical pursuit. Examining Nature's successful self-management processes, this stimulating training package designed for business people - owners managers and independent workers - so they discover "entrepreneurial spirit" as a creative force.

A small-group adventure, the tour demystifies the latest techniques, tools and exercises to enhance « creative capital ». The training curriculum explores themes to demystify how to manage a happy, creative and powerful life. Click here for the daily itinerary.

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A WEB LINK TO HELP YOU WORK AND PLAY (Top)

Times of trouble and uncertainty are when we should develop a healthy skepticism about what we are told and asked to believe. These times are always accompanied by rumors wherein the most improbable theories, lies, calumnies and conspiracies are offered as panacea or new science. The Internet is an especially quick and nasty way to spread both fear and false hope.

The following links let you ascertain truth from folly: The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal at http://www.csicop.org debunks both wacos and ufos, while http://www.skeptic.com applies "reason, science and method" to study everything from creation myths to conspiracies. http://www.forteantimes.com calls itself the "journal of strange phenomena" while http://www.secularhumanism.org fuels the debates from edge of religion and philosophy. And check out the wide world of alternative medicines and related psychobabble at http://www.ffrf.org.

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SOME INSPIRING QUOTATIONS (Top)

The only truly happy people are children and the creative minority. Jean Caldwell

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to ones courage. Anais Nin

If it doesn't absorb you, if it isn´t fun, don´t do it. D.H. Lawrence

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to success is more important than any other one thing. Abraham Lincoln

A musician must make music, a painter must paint, a poet must write if he is to be at peace with himself. Abraham Maslow

There is only one success. To be able to live your life in your own way, and not give others absurd and maddening claims upon it. Christopher Morley

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A BIT OF A GIGGLE (Top)

It happens often enough that people aren't very happy with their career choices and they come to envy the path not taken. When he uncovers this, the consultant will tell the story of Ata the stone carver to kick off a lively discussion.

Millennia ago, when the mighty Sorcerers of Mesoamerica were designing great cities and ordering giant heads to be crafted from stone, Ata was the greatest of their carvers. He cut stones into stellae and statues and marveled how the Sorcerers could see buildings that were not yet built.

Ata enjoyed and was proud of his work - even if it was very physically demanding - and he was happy enough but would often think, "If only I had become a Sorcerer then I would have great powers and I wouldn't have to work so hard."

One day Ata walked home from work exhausted. The Sun was still bright and hot and so he sat at the side of the road to rest for a moment. Basking in the warmth of the day's last rays, he thought: "The Sun gives us light and heat and helps grow our crops so surely it must be the most powerful of all things. If I was the sun, that would be even better than being a Sorcerer."

Continuing on his way, Ata happened upon the greatest Sorcerer in the land and he excitedly stopped him to say: "Mighty Sorcerer, I want to feel what it is like to be powerful. Can you transform me into the Sun?"

The Sorcerer answered: "You can be the Sun." And as he said it, he reached over to Ata, grabbed him and tossed him into the sky where he indeed became the Sun. And he felt strong and powerful. He shined down on the world far below and was truly happy.

A few days later, a large puffy white cloud appeared in the sky, drifting about and, nearing Ata, blocked his sunrays and cast a shadow on the world. Ata was surprised and thought: "Surely this cloud is more powerful than me as it completely nullifies my heat. If only I was a cloud, then I would be the most powerful of all."

The Sorcerer heard him and answered: "Ata, you may be a cloud." And so he was transformed and he floated about the sky feeling blissfully happy. But the next day he saw a huge black cloud drift his way. As it surrounded him, it began to spit fire, roar and then spill water. The drops fell to the Earth and Ata saw the world respond by sprouting to life and he saw the water continue to flow and rush down the mountains, become streams and a mighty river that moved everything in its path.

Ata thought the black cloud full of water must be so powerful to become a river running over the Earth to make it grow, and then he thought, "If only I was water in a river how mighty I could be. Then I would be truly happy."

Again Sorcerer heard and answered: "You may be the river."

So Ata flowed along, feeling the great rush of being water. When he got to a bend in the path, a huge boulder jutted out at him. The boulder held the water back, swirling it on itself and forcing it to bend to its will.

Ata thought, "A rock!! At last I have found the most powerful thing. If this rock can hold back the force of a river, then it is the most powerful. If I were a huge rock, I'd be happy." And so the Sorcerer made him into a boulder and Ata stood there, holding back the water and feeling very powerful and happy.

Imagine that one day a man stepped into the river, waded over to that boulder and cut off a large piece of it. Ata was stunned - no longer was he so powerful if a mere man could come along and cut him up. "If only I could be a man strong enough to cut up stones, then I would surely be happy." he thought.

And then the Sorcerer appeared to Ata and told him: "As you dream so you become. When you awaken, you'll see that you are a great stone carver and that real power comes from being happy with who you are!"

And so - are you happy with who you are? What are you going to do about it?


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