Imitation is the best form of flattery

A couple of years after I had my language school up and running,inspired by Michael Gerber's classic book on small business development,The E-Myth (which he sent to me for FREE all the way to Greece,as part of a special promotion offer) I decided it was time to take my business to the next level.

So I embarked on the grand mission of designing an operations manual for a new,improved version of my school,LEXIS,fashioned after the ideal language school of my dreams.This model,in turn,would provide the basis for a future franchise model.Meaning that the manual would act as a mold for as many identical clones of LEXIS as I could envisage (I've always been a big dreamer).

With the zeal comparable only to that of a just-converted -from -atheism-reborn Christian I set out to write the business model of my dreams.But first I knew I had to study the best language schools I could find.I knew I had to pick other entrepreneurs' brains,so I came up with a plan.For six months I embarked on a mystery shopping tour of all the best franchised language schools in Thessaloniki and Athens.I was interested in their adult students programmes.I visited more private schools I could care to remember,I talked to countless director of studies and secretaries.

And I wrote down everything: location,classroom layout,colours,level of service( it sucked,mostly),prices,curriculum,structure,teachers,brochures,you name it.The most productive part,though,was talking to the actual owners,the franchisors.I managed to do that by expressing interest in becoming a franchisor to their business.In order for them to persuade me to join their franchise they spent many,priceless hours explaining to me the benefits of their business models.In other words they were educating me for free on how their success came about!

All this resulted in a 4-month language course programme specifically targeting adult students that wanted results(and a certificate) fast.When we first launched this,it met with resistance and doubt because all 'normal' language courses for adult students lasted between one to 2 years.''It cannot be done''.''You are imposters''.''Your advertising is misleading'' etc.

Eight years(and many hundreds of certificates for our students) later a lot of language schools in my town have incorporated the four month language program in their courses as well.When I found out about this at first I was half angry,half amused.How dare they?It was the product of my hard work!But then I noticed a weird thing happening: the more schools or teachers imitated our four-month program,the more students kept pouring in and enrolling to our classes!It was no coincidence,I've kept track of it!

How could this be?Oughtn't there to be less students with more competition?

Actually no.Here's how it works:

-The more people spread the message of it,the more potential students were informed of the benefits of that particular program and so the more demand there was for the lessons.An idea,any idea,that circulates,attracts more and more supporters as time goes by.So the initiator of this idea reaps the most benefits,because she's at the top of the pyramid.Others reap benefit too,but not as many as the initiator.When prospective students come to the school now,they do not need to be educated about the actual value of our program,they do not need to be won over.They are actually pre-informed and ready to enrol,no effort to convince them on our part!

You see there is an absolutely irrefutable law in our universe,the Law of Reciprocation.That is,the more you give away of anything,the more (tenfold or sometimes even more) the universe has to give you back in return!    

Our program helped other school owners to find more students,so the more students they had because of us,the more the amount of students that enrolled with us multiplied!When I realised this I actually started handing out freely the whole construction of our program,to be taken and imitated by anyone that wished so.In fact there was a school that actually copied our information leaflet almost verbatim!

Just for the record,the school that copied our programs verbatim closed down within a year;if imitation is just copying,no incorporation of something creatively new and no credit given to the original,the copy is short-lived.Because the universe wants growth and expansion and cannot tolerate sterile copy-and-paste).To avoid the trap of ingratitude,I always inform to whoever might want to know where and how I found my inspiration regarding our 4-month program.And I still send out of town prospective students to the schools I found my initial inspiration from.

So do imitate and do let others imitate you,your ideas,your insights,dresscode,inventions,aha moments,writings,inspirations,works of art,furniture arrangement,special techniques,designs,business models,pc hacking codes,flirting methods,food recipes,flowerbed arrangements,perfected method of anything.

Do it freely,joyously and generously.

Do it because you like helping others help themselves help you.This is the true circle of life.What goes around,comes around multiplied.

Go read Steve Pavlina's excellent article on why he released all copyrights to his writings to see how this works in action by a master of its kind.And whenever you find yourself tempted to keep a particularly clever or helpful finding or ivention of yours just for yourself,say out loud:''Everything I give away,I receive back with interest.The more I give,the more interest I receive''.

Be a giver,be a receiver,be both with love and joy and gratitude.Because giving and receiving,as you are well aware of,are the two sides of the same precious coin of Life!

photos from here

                                           Love,peace and life exchange

                                                          Eirini


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Dogs,men,bosses and heroes never cry

     

                                          

                                     Common wisdom has it:

 Dogs,men,bosses and heroes never cry.I'm sure you've heard of that one before.


                                     -Dogs don't cry.

 No,wait,dogs do cry and whine and but they do not shed tears.

 No,wait,they do shed tears,but not real tears.Their eyes just get watery.

                                      -Men don't cry.

                        No,wait,men do cry,but only in private.

 No,wait,if they cry in private,then they are not real men.So real men don't cry,even in private.

                                       -Bosses don't cry.

    Mainly because bosses are notorious for making other people cry.

No,wait,bosses don't cry because crying is considered a sign of weakness and inefficiency.And bosses are supposed to be strong and efficient.
                         

                                   -Heroes don't cry.

 Because crying is reseved for weak people,like not-so-real men and inefficient bosses.



                                      And heroes are neither.

Hell,if not even dogs resort to crying,then you wouldn't expect a mighty hero to cry,would't you?

Do you honestly believe dogs or cats or all animals for that matter don't cry?Think again.If you are lucky enough to have a furry pet call you their own,then you'll agree with the experiernce of most dog owners who can attest to the fact that their dogs cry for the same reason a human does:because they feel lonely,unhappy or plainly in pain.All animals do that.And it is a sign of both arrogance and lack of perception on our part to suggest the opposite.

In fact,even crocodiles cry with real,emotional tears.Do you know how often crocodiles in the wild feed?If you went without food for as long as they do,you too would cry tears of joy when food,any kind of food,would come your way!

Now let's take bosses.Me for example.I cried at work yesterday.Twice.Ι guess that makes me douby weak and inefficient.

The first time I cried was because I was in intense low back pain but my workaholic instincts were too strong for me to stay in bed;I gave in and off I went to work.Bad idea.Once thereI tried sitting down to work.It hurt like hell.Tried reclining on the leather lounge couch.Still hurt.

Then I tried pacing up and down the corridors.It hurt so badly that I first cried out in pain,then locked myself into my office and wept.Because I was not in control.And because I know that every illness or condition in our body indicates a problematic thought pattern,according to Louise Hay's amazing book Heal Your Body.


According to the book,we suffer from low back pain whenever we face financial problems or worry about money.Everything in life works as a subtle metaphor for whatever goes on inside our heads and hearts.Our back represents our support system.When one worries about money,he/she feels ''unsupported'' in life.Hence they experience back pain.So I wept not only because of  the pain but also because after all those years of preaching about an abundant universe to everyone who would listen,my body mortifies me by showing to me how much I still worry about money.

After I was done weeping,I decided to do the sensible thing:go home and lie down.But how was I supposed to walk even the few steps required to get myself out of the building?Every step was torture,notwithstanding the sturdy support of one of my teachers.Still,I had no option.While waiting in the street for the taxi I called,lots of people who knew me passed by and I had to explain why I was doubled in two with pain.When I finally managed to get myself into that taxi I wept once more because it was a most humiliating experience having people see me like this and wonder why on earth I was at work when obviously I needed medical help!

And no,that was not the first time I wept at work.Like five months ago when I heard the news of my sister being diagnosed with cancer.When I left the hospital I couldn't bear it to go home and have my children see their mum like that.So I went to work instead,because there was not a soul there at the time.Then I found some leftover wine from our last Christmas party,got myself drunk on that and cried to my heart's content.

By the time three of my teachers arrived,I was almost delirious with sobbing and they had to lock us all into my office so that students wouldn't catch a glimpse of me in such a state.I remember one of the teachers putting the shutters in my office down,another offering me a cigarette(which I smoked in three puffs and felt sick afterwards,because I had never smoked in my life before) and another put my head in his lap until I stopped crying.When I came to my senses again,I apologised to everyone profusely,but I felt as if I was just doing damage control.

But wait a minute,why is crying considered a sign of weakness anyway?Because here's an interesting fact I found out about life that I'd love to share with you:

Crying is not a sign of weakness.Since birth,it is an indication that you are alive!

And that goes for all creatures on the face of this planet that are in possession of tear ducts.

If you have a pet and you can see tears rolling down their furry faces,find out if they are in pain physically or emotially or both.Most of the times,it's because you,the pet owner,did or did not do something right that it is causing them pain and distress.Find what that is and do everything in your power to rectify it.If you aren't sure what's wrong,pay attention and give lots of love!You can't err this way!

If you are a man or near a man who is crying,consider this as the most normal thing in the world and treat it accordingly.You are/he is a real man because you are/he is real.And real people do cry.If you consider yourself inhuman,go join your supernatural league and leave the rest of us mortals in our tear-ladden lives.

If you are a boss or planning on being one some day,teach yourself some humility by learning to be vulnerable in front of your stuff when the situation asks for is.And by vulnerable I mean crying as well.No,they won't respect you less for it.In fact,they might even respect you more for it.Provided you don't engage in the habit too often,that is.

If you are a hero,or a super hero with special powers or you are aspiring to be one,think of Achilles.Yes,that one,the demi-god,the invincible slaughter-machine hero of Illiad.Not only was he the prototype hero of all times,but he also was notorious for weeping like a sissy.And kill hordes of people of course,but that's another story.So if you are a super hero and for some reason or another you cannot cry,do us and yourself a favour and either move to another universe or add crying into your super powers.Because,you see,in this dimension crying will always be what it has always been:

A sign of emotional strength and empowerment!

Love,peace and emotional healing

Eirini

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Stop lying for a healthier,sexier you

Telling lies can make you less sexy and affect your health.

I'm not making this up,it's a proven fact.

How can lies affect your health and your sex appeal?

Easily.

Whenever you tell a lie (white lie,innocent lie,big lie,small lie,fib,exaggeration,half truth,it's all the same) your body perceives this as a kind of threatening situation (it takes lots of effort to keep a lie from coming out and your subconscious knows how much of a hard work this is going to be) and releases stress hormones such as cortisol into your bloodstream.

These stress hormones have a double effect on your body:

-they are causing your heart rate,breathing and blood pressure to increase.

This,in turn,can lead to serious conditions such as artery disease and stroke.If you lie on a daily basis or have been keeping a big secret for years,you're significantly more at risk.The more you lie,the more you jeopardise your health,it is an accumulative thing.

-they consistently weaken your immune system,as nervous and immune system are closely connected.

A weak immune system means not only that you are prone to many illnesses and diseases,but also that you are deprived of your sex appeal.

Why?

Because the stronger your immune system is,the more genetically attractive you are to members of the opposite sex (This makes a great deal of sense genetically as people with strong immune systems are more likely to have offspring that will successfully fight off disease and will have more chances of survival).And this holds true for both men and women with strong immune systems.

Bottom line:

-The stronger your immune system,the more attractive you appear.

-The more lies you tell,the weaker your immune system. 

So:

More lies=less sex appeal

                                                     More truth=more sex appeal

Seeing that our immune system ages as we age,it stands to reason that the older you get,the more truthful you should be (you can't afford to weaken an already weakened by age immune system)!Even if you are super young,I bet you could do with some of that extra sex appeal that truthfulness can give you!

Telling lies has even uglier consequenses on a subtle energetic level. 

Whenever we lie,we create a negative vibrational field that literally surrounds us like a cloack,a 'cloack of deception'..This 'lying aura' adds up to our already overburdened by everyday challenges energy system.It makes us feel tired,lethargic even.It affects our clarity of mind,our decision making process,the way we see the world in general and leads to more confusion.Often,when all this becomes too much,the breakdown of the system in a form of an illness or disease is inevitable.

Lies that have not found their way to the light (truth) and are still kept as lies adhere to our energetic field like ugly,big or small (depending on the level of deception) black tumours.Other people subconsciously pick up on that when they come in contact with our energy and clam up or are plainly repelled by it.They either communicate with us with more lies of their own,mirroring our deceptive ways,or they fail to totally and completely trust us and open up to us.

The more truthful and honest we are to ourselves and especially to others,the more pure and shining our aura appears,attracting all kinds of wonderful experiences to us.A totally truthful person comes across as charismatic,loveable and special,simply because lies and deception are such common occurances nowadays that we fail to notice them and only their absence attracts our attention.Simply put,we are irresistibly attracted to truth and truthful people.We admire them,trust them,seek their company.A totally truthful person can even possess extraordinary telepathic abilities.

You believe you are always truthful and honest?Think again.

Think of all those times you lied or supressed the truth for the sake of convenience or out of charity:''I absolutely love that (monstrosity of a) couch''! ''Your (hideous) new haircut is fantastic'' Men lie to women,women lie to men,women lie to each other, men lie to other men,grown ups lie to children all the time!Parents tell no less than 3000 'white lies' to their childtren as they grow up to have their own way.Seems like everyone on the face of the earth lies constantly!

Break the cycle now.  

Get rid of old or new lies that burden your energetic system.Come clean.Free up your energy and life force you've been using to hold lies and deception in place so that you can use it to accomplish your goals and the life of your dreams!''The truth shall set you free!''Of course,before it sets you free,it's gonna make you miserable.It requires a great deal of courage to admit to a lie or dishonesty and face possible consequenses.But the freedom that awaits you after that is so breathtaking,so liberating and sweet that it is worth it!

And resolve to be as honest and truthful as you can from now on,because it is easier tellingp the truth in the first place than burying it under a mountain of lies and then trying to rectify things back to normal!

photos from here

Love,peace and truth

Eirini

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So what do you really want for your children?

                    

''Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children,now I have six children and no theories''.
                                                                 John Wilmot (English poet)

It was over 15 years ago when I first read Dr Wayne Dyer's classic book ''What do you really want for your children?''.

I had a baby and a toddler back then and I would devour every book I could get my hands on related to parenting.In hindsight,I can confidently and honestly declare that all of them were the crappiest waste of time ever.Because every parenting experience is as unique as a child,because theories only work on animal training,not divine human beings,because all these books ever do is raising unreal expectations and contributing more to the parents' guilt for not having 'the perfect child'.

Dr Dyer's book,now that was a different matter.That gem of a book proved not just the only useful and sound advice I ever got on raising kids,but a life changer too that totally rocked my ideas on how I perceived myself as a parent.I guess its message boils down to the truth that the only tool you'll ever need in raising happy,healthy kids is you being a good role model for every value you want to instil in your children.

In terms of traditional parenting,I am a lousy parent.

This is why:

I DO NOT BELIEVE IN DISCIPLINE WHEN IT COMES TO RAISING CHILDREN

That's because discipline:

a.is only useful when accompanied by the word 'self'.The only person you can ever successfully discipline is yourself.All other forms of discipline are doomed to fail because they violate a person's free will and therefore meet with either resistance or/and built foundations for neurotic personalities than only learn to obey blindly disregarding their own inner guiding system

b.discipline only serves to make a parent feel in control and vent his/her frustrations on children who have failed to meet parental or societal expectations 

c.discipline is ultimately superfluous if a parent serves as a good role model because children are more likely than not to follow and model their behaviour after that of the most influential adults around them 

d.God,whose children we all are,does not believe in discipline either.He just gives us the gift of life and a whole universe to play and create in,then gets out of our way and let us learn by exercising our free will

                          So this is what I really do want for my children:



   -I want them to feel deeply loved throughout their childhood

These are the years that my kids are filling up their love tanks in preparation for their adult life which is inevitably going to be challenging and full of frustrations.If their love tank is empty they'll end up as neurotic adults unable to love or successfully deal with any of those life challenges.This is my primary role as their mother:unconditional love provider.


-I want my children to be able to feel good no matter what

Children instinctively know how to live in the moment by always looking for new ways to have fun,they just need their parents to show them by example that this is a habit worth practicing for the rest of their lives.

-I want my children to be risk takers

This.Is.The.Only.Surefire.Way.For.Them.To.Lead.Fulfilled.Lives.and not to watch life go by as they hide themselves in the sidelines.In order to teach my kids that I have to bite my tongue a thousant times a day and try not to stop them when they take risks,from climbing a tree as three-year-olds to staying out late as teenagers.I encourage and praise them when they are fearless and bravely face negative consequences of their risk taking (like falling and scraping knees and elbows),I refuse to show sympathy if they come to me whining about them.


-I want my children to have their own set of values

Hopefully they'll adopt some or most of my husband's and my values.Do I hope and strive for it?Show me a parent who doesn't.Do I try to impose them on my kids or brainwash them into adopting them?A big no!God gave them a free will for a reason!So I try to respect their choices and values even if they are radically different than mine.

-I want my children to be free thinkers

The greatest life lesson I can teach my kids is that,in order to become happy and independent adults,they have to avoid the herd mentality syndrome,learn to think for themselves,even if that means disregarding and defying all kinds of societal control and authority figures,including myself.

-I want my children to make learning a life-long habit


And this means I have to confess to my kids that,although I am a teacher myself,this is what conventional education stands for: SCHOOL=Seven Crap Hours Of Our Lives.True learning,of the kind that stays with you for ever,can only happen outside of a classroom(That's why I've given to my kids unlimited accesss to the World WIde Net,but I guess this is a subject for another post!).

-I want my children to be super-confident in all areas of their lives

 So I am laying the foundations now by praising ten times more than scolding,by encouraging and urging on much more than disapproving and being sceptical.


-I want my children to learn how to keep themselves healthy
 
By keeping them out of a doctor's practice as much as it is humanly possible(even and especially when they are sick),by instilling in them a healthy fear and mistrust for man-made chemicals,drugs and pills and by teaching them that their body is almost totally under the control of their conscious and subconscious mind.


-I want,like every sane parent on this planet,my children to be happy

Of course I do.I want all the above for my kids because I hope these will be convenient means in helping them to find happiness.But I also do realise that,no matter how much I'd love to,it is ultimately out of my control to give them that.My children are both masters of their own destiny and also in the hands of God who loves them more than I can even begin to imagine.So I rest assure in that knowledge,which may deprive me of any fake notion of either parental omnipotence or inadequacy,but replaces them with a calm trust in the process of Life itself instead.


                                                Now your turn.

What do you really,really wish for your children,or future children,grandchildren,great-grandchildren or children of humanity in general?

photos from here and here

                                            Love,peace and even more love

                                                              Eirini


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A story about bull leaping and overcoming addictions

photo from here

Imagine yourself on a small,beautiful island ''set like a jewel in the dark blue sea,washed by waves on every side''(Homer) some 4000 years ago ago.

  Somewhere on this island near the palace is the bull ring,consisting of an outdoor fenced area.Unlike modern rings,this one is surrounded by a low masonry structure that seems to offer inadequate protection from the bull's rage to spectators gathered around it.

There is a group of six boys and girls,none older than eighteen, lined up in the middle of the arena.They are tall,their stature and built of a noble kind with well-proportioned figures,long,powerful limps,facial features even and regular,big dark eyes,long black hair.

Both boys and girls are bare chested.They are all wearing a closely-fitting loin cloth,richly embroidered.Their waist is tightened by an embroidered girdle and they have boots made of soft animal skin on.Ample jewellery and arrangement of their hair indicates their high social rank;they belong to the nobility of the island.They are acrobats about to take part in a dangerous bull leaping game involving spectacular jumps on the back of charging bulls.It is the sacred ceremony of ''tavrokathapsia''.

In the middle of their row stands tall and proud a young princess.Her curled black locks,adorned with beads and gems,are arranged into a tight and elaborate coiffure.Her intricate neclace indicates her royal status,golden armlets and wristbands adorn her arms and wrists.Just like everyone in her team she is aware of the danger of her undertaking.She has no weapon to defend herself against the rage of the bull.Her courage and skill are going to mark the only difference between either glory or a gory death.

But she's had months,years even of practice.She has done this a thousant times before in a private arena with smaller and tamer animals,her trainer always by her side.Now she's ready for the big event.Her family,friends and suitors are all there,watching her,waiting for her to demontrate her superiority of spirit over the wild power of the bull.

She is fingering her magic golden ring engraved with the sacred knot that was ceremoniously given to her at the temple yesterday.She is confident that the knot can keep death away from her.Still,it would be a disgrace and bad luck for her family and the whole island if she were to be injured today so naturally she is more than a little anxious to perform well.She closes her eyes,whispers the ancient prayer,an invocation to the divine Almighty to guide and protect her.

Her audience is cheering,the bull is released.He is a huge,piebald beast,much bigger than the bulls we are used to seeing nowadays,with bigger horns,specially bred and reared for this ceremony.He is confident and arrogant.His strong animal instincts inform him that he is there to play and perform only (unlike bulls in bullfighting who instinctively know they are going to be tormented to death).But like most strong and arrogant creatures he cannot tolerate weakness-he won't hesitate to gore to death each and everyone of the young acrobats if they let him to.

Now the bull,urged on by specially assigned ringmasters,charges headlong into the line of jumpers.Each member of the team is getting ready for their role.The young princess remains motionless,facing the galloping bull.She locks her eyes into his,utters the ceremonial words:''Sacred brother,I honour your courage and strength,and I am matching them with mine!"

Then she forgets everything else as her training skills take over.She starts counting,1,2,3...and when the bull is right in front of her she grabs his horns and vaults herself over the animal.The bull immediately jerks his head upwards,giving her the necessary momentum to perform her first somersault.If she misses that first,incredibly violent upward jerk she is doomed,because immediately afterwards the beast will start jerking his head sideways in an attempt to throw her off.

But she is perfectly trained.Still counting in her head,with expert precision,she turns a back somersault and lands on the bull's back.Then she turns one more somersault and gracefully lands on the ground,where a boy of her team is waiting to steady her if she needs it.

The spectators cheer and call her name,she waves and bows to them,the bull gallops away towards the other side of the arena where the rest of the jumpers are ready for him.She did it,she accomplished her feat!

There comes a moment in everyone's life when we have to face an addiction or destructive habit,just like the Cretan princess faced the bull.It could be anything,from a drug/smoking/drinking addiction to shopaholic or workaholic habits,from sugar addiction (my thing!) to procrastination habits,you name it and there's probably someone out there suffering from it and despairing that they'll ever get over it.

Of course,just like in modern bullfighting where the bull is brutally killed,you can opt for ''killing'' your addiction with aggressive means such as drugs,pills,technology etc.

But can you really ''kill'' an addiction?Can you really eliminate it without having some part of you dying along with it?

Any addiction or destructive habit is deeply rooted in one's soul,not just one's body and mind.It is our soul that is looking for convenient crutches in the shape of an addiction to lean on,to get through life's hardships and troubles.An addiction is a comforter,a pacifier,your feel-good factor in a cruel,indifferent world.Eliminate it with external means and you kill a part of your soul as well,the part that needs to be understood and appeased first.If you don't do that,it will come back to haunt you in the form and shape of another addiction,disease or problem.No,you can never get rid of that bull.

So what's the answer?

You have to face your bull.And face it unarmed.No weapons,no tecnology,no substitutes.Just your willpower.Don't buy into the rant: ''It cannot be done without any help.Impossible.You need....(add anything here'').Yes,it can be done.By you.If anybody else ever did it,so can you. 

Face your bull.This is when you finally decide to do something about your addiction.Don't run away from it.Don't just ''avoid triggers".It'll keep following you to the ends of the earth until you finally confront it.Face your addiction or destructive habit bravely.Ask for the help of a power bigger than you,get a talisman if you need to.Just keep in mind,no matter how helpful all these are,it's you that 'll have to jump over that bull,you that will have to overcome your addiction,one brave no at a time.

This is when you grab your bull by the horns,this is when the craving kicks in,you are overwhelmed by its power,can you do it?

Dr G.Pascale writes in this excellent article:

''...the most mysterious moment in the whole process,when the leaper is upside down and can't hold control,when he/she is wholy in the hands of the divinity.....the time of conversion,when the whole body of the leaper[representing the whole mind of the addict] turns round and renounces itself (the addiction),replacing it with new hopes(for an addiction-free life).''

But wait!No matter how heroic or determined you are,you cannot accomplish your feat without lots of training first.Train your willpower by saying no or yes to a few less addictive and easier to do things.Wake up earlier every day,work out more,save some money,deny yourself a couple of things to develop your willpower muscles.

Then,when your soul tells you you are ready,go for the big leap fearlessly and confidently.

I'll be there mentally,ready to catch you and steady you up after the leap if you need to.And I hope you can do the same for me.

Photos from all the above links

photo from here

Love,peace and empowerment

Eirini

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How to unlock your potential

My area of expertise is not unlocking potentials or unlocking anything else for that matter.

In fact my area of expertise is quite the opposite.I am an expert at locking myself into (and out of) every possible place you can imagine.

I am not exaggerating.Family,friends,employees and just about any locksmith in town can attest to that.I am an expert at accidentally locking myself into and out of places.

I guess it has something to do with my deep dislike for keys.Ever since I can remember myself as a kid I just couldn't get keys.Try as I might,I couldn't unlock the door to our new appartment for the first year after our moving there.I tried and tried and fumbled and frantically twisted and turned the key in every possible direction,but to no avail.Locks and keys seemed to sense my frustration and incompetence and conspired to deny me access to my own home.

I coped by developing my parkour skills.I've always been a daredevil as a child,so climbing over the railings of the terrace of the building next door and jumping into our balcony wasn't a big deal.Considering the fact that we lived on the fifth floor,I guess I can now understand why neighbours and family alike were horrified each time I did it.(Little did they appreciate the fact that I was paving the way for future parkour artists)! They made me promise never ever to try this again.I nodded in agreement.Until the next time I couldn't unlock our door,that is.

Things haven't improved much since then.For example,after I had a new lock installed in the small secretarial office at work I was the last one to master the art of unlocking it.Mortified,I'd watch how almost every single one of my employees could effortlessly turn the key and open the door while I just couldn't! We're talking about the competence and efficiency of a true leader here!

And of course there are all those times that I managed to get myself locked into my own school.Like when I asked my secretary to lock the door behind her after she left at night because I wanted to stay in and work late.It was midnight when I realised I had no keys with me.Our head teacher Panos was urgently summoned (in his sleepers,poor guy!) to get me out of there.

Or those times when students,teachers and I were repeatedly locked in the school premises.We cater for adult students mostly,some of our lessons finish at 10 o'clock in the evening or even later and so we're the last to leave the building.Now the policy of the building states that whoever of the owners leaves the premises after 9 o'clock has to lock the entrance door behind them.That's because the elevator,being made of transparent glass,offers a unique view over the entire town and so has become a great attraction to kids,young lovers and generally all kinds of mischief.

my youngest honing his parkour skills in LEXIS elevator

I somehow keep misplacing (or giving it,upon request,to teachers,secretaries or cleaning ladies) my own key to the building entrance door.Imagine the astonishment of passers-by watching a group of people climbing out of a side window of a building,right in the center of the town,that late at night!Or a bunch of students in front of a locked entrance door with me frantically calling everyone I could think of that might have a spare key to come and get us out!

Same thing with the keys to our appartment.Locksmiths in my town know me by my first name,that's how good a customer I am to them.Whenever they are called in,instead of a greeting I get a ''Oh,it's you again'' grin.I even get discounts on account of my being a regular.Redardless of the amount of spare keys I keep or hide around,I always end up running out of them! Having four kids who keep losing theirs doesn't help much,either. 

But the question you want answered here and the reason why you are reading this post is,how do you get to unlock your true potential,right?

You see,everything physical in this life acts as a subtle (or sometimes blatant) metaphor for everything else that is happening within ourselves.''As within,so without''.Look for patterns in your life.They'll reveal to you similar thought patterns which,in their turn,compel you to act accordingly.

 Here's how it works:

-You need the right key to unlock a door.

-You also need the right attitude

.

Why the right attitude?Well,consider my incompetence with keys and locks.Inanimate things consist of energy and so they can detect your energy and react accordingly,almost with a will of their own.Objects respond to your intentions and your frustrations.In my case locks did their best to confirm my belief that I was incapable of unlocking them.

Now here's your metaphor:

-To unlock your true potential use a very high,almost (but not quite) unattainable goal as key

-Have the right attitude,or else even the right goal is rendered useless

You cannot unlock your true potential if you are doing the same safe,predictable stuff every day of your life.The more you stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone,the more you expand your identity to achieve things you previously thought were beyond your reach.If you aim higher,you'll get much better results than if you ask and settle for little.

So pick up an outrageous goal.You know which one I mean.A goal so high that takes your breath away and makes you dizzy with excitement and anticipation.The one you've always dreamt of achieving but you brushed off as impossible for you.This is your key.And it's readily available to you.

Each time you set an intention-I repeat,an intention,not a mere wish-you get your hands on a key.That special key that unlocks the treasure chest of your hidden potential.This is where you keep unimaginable reserves of all the willpower,strength and physical abilities you'll ever need to easily achieve your dreams.But you'll have to dream big.Cozy,safe little wishes just won't do.You almost operate on autopilot to achieve small,easily attainable goals.You don't get to use those hidden reserves in those cases simply because they are not needed.And if you don't use 'em,you're gonna lose them.

So here's your key;your outrageous goal.Now don't go about making the same mistake I did with locks.If you believe you can't unlock the door then you won't.A wishy-washy belief like''Maybe I can,I'm not sure though,we'll see...''is the equivalent of my awkward fumbling with keys.It just doesn't work this way.You 'll have to mean business.

Tell yourelf:''I can do that.If anyone ever did it then so can I''. Imagine it clearly,plan it in detail,give thanks for it in advance and do your best not to obsess about it,because it's already on its way to you.

  Make a list of outrageous,awsome goals right now.Start writing them down,don't stop until you are done.Pick up one that feels right,one that attracts you irresistibly.This is your golden key.Now start unlocking your potential.

Even if you can't unlock it the first time around,don't worry!Try again and again.Still nothing?I refuse to let a stupid lock get in my way,so there's always my plan B method:a cool parkour manouvre to get you into every place that your subconscious denies you access to!

photos from here and parkour.com

Love,peace and unlimited potential

Eirini

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How to be a people magnet

There is one and only one secret to attract people and be a likeable person.

No,it's not having lots of money

No,it's not good looks and physical attraction

No,it's not about using some cool tricks

No,it's not about being social either

What is it then?

Simple:

Find something about a person that wows you and fall in love with it!

Focus on it,enjoy it,think about it as often as you can,give them gredit for it,compliment them often about it,email them about it,tell other people about it,sing a song about it,write a short story about it,draw a picture of it,write in your gratitude journal about it,thank God for it!

Does it work?Like a charm!

With everyone?Yeap!

All the time?Almost!

Even with strangers,even with people you've just met?Them too,even with people you've never met,like contacts in social media!

But you'll have to mean it.You'll have to really,really love that special thing or trait or whatever it is that makes that person unique.Feigned or half-hearted interest won't do.Flattery is out of the question either.Keep things simple: focus on that one thing you love about them and all else will fall into place.

Why is that so?Why loving something about someone else will make them like you,seek your company,love you back?

  

Simply because love begets love.

If you want to receive,you'll have to give first and give in abundance.

Why love just one thing about them and not more?Isn't more better?

Of course it is.But if you focus on that one big thing about them first,you'll gradually start finding more exciting,wonderful things to love.And they'll subconsciously start doing the same for you.

Have you ever noticed how many people pass through our lives every day,every month,every year?Think of all your aquaintances.Most of them are indifferent to you.Even worse,you might harbour an undetected dislike towards some of them.And I'm not even talking about the ones that you actively dislike or even hate.But lukewarm or negative feelings beget lukewarm and negative reactions.So you'll have to start with one thing you absolutely love about a person and build from there!

One thing for you to like is easy to find.It's not hard work,because everyone has at least one trait or characteristic you definitely like.So focus on that one,be it physical,mental,emotional,spiritual or whatever and wait for more to surface. 

You think there are people you can find absolutely nothing to like about?

Look again.Look harder.Try harder.

Sometimes we just don't want to find things to like about someone.Why?Because there is this one big thing we don't like about them and we keep focusing on that...

And I say,forget about the thing or things you don't like.Find and focus on a positive one instead.Keep at it long enough and you'll start finding more to like until all negative feelings towards that person start melting away.

Try it for yourself.Try it for a week.No,give it a try for a day.You'll come to realise two things: 

1.It's much more difficult than you think

Because thinking negative thoughts,including thinking negative stuff about people,is easier than the other way round.Negativity is a weed,it takes no effort to grow,positivity is a rare flower that takes effort and sweating to cultivate.

2.You'll get magical reactions from people because of it

Because love always begets love!

  And if you want to learn more effective ways to show and express your love to everyone,here's an excellent ebook on how to send love!

photos from here

Love,peace and MORE LOVE!

Eirini

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