Welcome to Michael's Article Collection

Welcoming our Wounded Selves

"I just want to get rid of the part of me that gets angry so easily.""I hate the part of me that thinks about food all the time.""I just want to kill the part of me that is so needy."For the last 35 years I have been counseling individuals, couples, families and business partners and have authored eight published books. In the course of my work, I often hear the people I counsel wanting to get . . .

"He Hate Me": Turning Their Bad Attitude Into Your Great ...

"He Hate Me" was the nickname of Rod Smart, a leading rusher in 2002 for the Las Vegas Outlaws of the now defunct XFL pro football league. Looking for an edge, the XFL allowed players to put nicknames on their uniforms. "I was always saying, 'he hate me,' all through camp in Vegas," Smart said. "If I didn't get the ball, I'd talk to the other running backs and say, 'he hate me, man; this coach . . .

Creating An Effective Personals Ad That Gets Results: Do'...

Creating a great ad means selling your strengths and attributes. Think of this as creating your personal resume. Many of the online systems provide a multiple choice matching along with an essay. After someone finds you with a "match", it is your essay portion that can make you shine. It is crucial to fill out the essay completely, with at least 2 or three sentences per question asked. You can . . .

Nurses, Bedpans And X-Rated Hospital Gowns

Tuesday last I awoke from my nightly slumber with terrific pain in my chest, much like an elephant break-dancing on my chest. It was painful just to breathe, but like the trooper I am, I shrugged it off and set about my daily routine. Rather than improving, the pain intensified.I went to my office and started the day's work only to find it almost impossible. Fortunately, my one daughter is a pa. . .

Solving Personal Problems Is a Job Skill

What personal problems do you have? Do you have to buy a new car, but have limited funds? Are you thinking of taking some classes, but are afraid of taking a class that is not marketable for your job? Fun education is not something you think about. Do you have trouble keeping to a personal budget? You barely scrape by until the end of the month. Here's some advice about solving some personal pr. . .

Six Fatal Mistakes to Avoid While You Still Have a Job

Good for you if you currently have a job. But NEVER take it for granted that you’ll have a job forever! You could lose this job because you have lost favour with your boss or your boss’ boss. You could lose your job because the company you work for is filing for bankcruptcy. You could lose it because the company has been bought over by a competitor and your position has been taken over by someo. . .

Reading Women: Body Language Briefing

Body language is the meaning behind the words or the “unspoken” language. Surprisingly, studies show that only up to an estimated 10 percent of our communication is verbal.The majority of the rest of communication is unspoken. This unspoken language isn’t rocket science. However, there are some generalizations or basic interpretations that can be applied to help with the understanding or transl. . .

The Best Way to Quit Smoking: Fasting to Quit

Most quit smoking books, maybe all of them won’t tell you what I’m about to tell you next. Fasting is one of the best methods to quit smoking, if not the best. It will give you what you need to quit smoking. A lot of us feel we can’t quit smoking but we can. We fast so God will give us what we need to finally quit for good.You should fast for three days to quit smoking. Fast on brown rice and w. . .

Aftermath of a Child’s Near Death Experience

An 18 month-old girl lay dying of diphtheria in January of 1944. It was before the widespread use of antibiotics. In fact, the antibiotics were reserved for the troops fighting in World War II. That’s where the little girl’s father was…on Iwo Jima.The young mother took her fever-ridden child to the hospital in hopes that something could be done to save her precious child. The mother was told th. . .

5 Time Savers You May Not Have Tried Yet

1. Do tasks less frequently Run a report every 6 weeks instead of every 4 weeks. Clean house every 10 days rather than every 7 days. Hold a meeting twice a month instead of every week. 2. Race yourself Look at the clock & commit to have the task done by a specific time. You’ll stay focused, avoid distractions & probably work with higher quality.3. Make the most of 15 minutes Can you find an ext. . .

First Date Tips and Tricks

The first date: what to wear, where to go, what to say, what to do and what not to do. All this pressure to make a good first impression can be daunting. After all, you know practically nothing about each other and the whole point of a first date is to judge (as much as we don’t like to admit it) whether or not we think we’d like to get to know each other better. But first dates don’t have to b. . .

Unplug from the TV Matrix: Begin a New, Genuine, Creative...

In the movie The Matrix, humanity was enslaved by machines that plugged into their brains and created an artificial reality, while sapping their energy. Only when people unplugged from this Matrix would they begin to see, feel, and live in the real world. It is not too different from how many people live a good chunk of their lives plugged into a television set. The TV creates an artificial rea. . .

Turning Their Loss Into Your Job Gain

It isn’t the end of the world, even if it seems like it. Losing your job can be a heart-breaking experience. After all, your security in life and your abilities is now in question. You can feel disillusioned, and there is the ever-nagging question of: What do I do now? Well, you start over. Don’t develop a “victim’s mentality”. When one door closes another door opens for greater opportunities. . . .

5 Great Freedoms of Success

WHAT IS SUCCESS?The dictionary describes it as – to prosper, to obtain one’s wish or accomplish what is attempted. It is the state of being happy, successful and fulfilled in life. When you walk with the wise you learn the secrets to success. Here are secrets for success that are seeds to the great freedoms of success:You have the POWER of CHOICE: Successful people know that they have control. . .

How to Burn Fat- Doctors' Proven Weight Loss Secret #1

Let me ask you a personal question. As you read these words, right now-- are you burning fat?If you don't know the answer, you need to know about a simple, inexpensive way to make sure. Every time. Every day. And I'll show you why and how this simple, doctor-proven technique can be your most powerful weapon in your fight against fat.No matter what weight loss program you are currently on, would. . .

Can a Microbusiness Help You Enjoy a Better Retirement?

Not having enough money for a comfortable retirement tops the list of financial concerns among aging Americans, according to a recent Gallup Poll. It even outweighs peoples’ worries about having a serious illness or accident. With statistics showing that Americans can expect to live 20 or more years after reaching retirement age and our longevity continuing to inch upward, these fears could. . .

Get Angry And Then Get Results

Leadership is not about winning a popularity contest, it's about getting great results. To do so, leaders must challenge people not to do what they want to do but what they don't want to do. This means getting people out of being comfortable achieving average results to being uncomfortable doing what's needed to get great results. Of course, people so challenged will often get angry with you. P. . .

You Know How, but Do You Know Why?

An unexamined life is not worth living – Socrates All too often we get caught up in how we should go about achieving a specific goal. We decide that we need to make something definite happen and then focus our efforts on what is required to accomplish the task. More important than knowing how to make something happen, is knowing why you want to make it happen. Knowing why will keep you focused;. . .

Why Would People Want To Read Faster?

A question often asked is why people would want to read faster? Without wishing to be flippant, the answer to this question is essentially two-fold:(a) because they want to; and(b) because they need to.Below we will examine some of the reasons why someone may want to read faster and, more pertinently, why they may need to read faster. To conclude, we'll also look at some of the practices that. . .

Skimming - Will It Improve Your Reading Speed?

A cornerstone of the ability to speed read is the ability to skim. However, many argue that skimming is in fact cheating - i.e. you're not really reading at all! The following is a brief outline argument in favor of why skimming will improve your reading speed (and ability).Basically, skimming is the most rudimentary form of reading. The object of skim reading is not to necessarily comprehen. . .

Benefits Of Speed Reading

Obviously few people want to undertake the task of learning a new skill, such as speed reading, if there is no direct benefit. Life's just too short.So, what are the direct and indirect benefits of learning to speed read? The answer to this question very much depends at what stage in your life you are at. Here are some to consider:High school / pre-college studentsHigh school, pre-college, s. . .

Can Anyone Improve Their Reading Speed?

A question that is often asked of speed reading trainers is whether or not anyone can improve their reading speed. The simple, straightforward, answer to this question is "yes", they can. However, this is not to say that the leaner will not have to provide some input of their own: after all, all learning is a form of trade-off. In this regard, the following are seen as the four essential ele. . .

Which Is More Important, Reading Faster Or Comprehension?

It is an almost instinctive reaction to think that reading faster equates with comprehending less. Empirical evidence, however, seems to indicate otherwise - individuals who read at slower rates are just as likely not to fully comprehend what they have read as those who read too fast.Consequently, trying to find an optimum between the speed you read at and the overall comprehension you have of. . .

Does Speed Reading Take The Joy Out Of Reading?

A common enough remark is that speed reading takes the joy out of reading. However, is this entirely fair? Would it not be fairer to say that being able to speed read actually increases the joy of reading? To answer this, we need to look at some of the reasons why we are speed reading in the first place!It should always be in the forefront of your mind that speed reading is a skill. It is a. . .

Is Speed Reading For Everyone?

A common question asked in speed reading circles is whether or not having the ability to speed read is suitable for everyone. The straightforward answer to this question is: "yes". The more complex answer is: "it depends".Below we set out some of the circumstances under which it may be beneficial to be able to speed read and other circumstances where it may not be so beneficial to be able to . . .

Various Speed Reading Techniques

The ability to speed read is an important skill in today's world, where - whether we are students or at work - we are often expected to read hefty amounts of materials on a daily basis. As a result, improving your speed reading technique is something each and every one of us should not only do, but maintain. What, then, are speed reading techniques?Speed reading - the essential elementsBefore. . .

Effective Use Of Your Online Time

The Internet is increasingly becoming a major time killer for many of us. Involuntarily, we started to spend more time online than we really can afford. Here is how it goes: you were sitting at work, you needed to find some crucial information to finish that project at hand, you went on the Internet to look for the information, you run a web search or started browsing through web directory, and. . .

10 Depression-Blasters for Overcomers

Have you ever fought a battle with depression? I've had my battles with mental misery and it's no fun! It's incredibly difficult trying to succeed in your business or in building relationships when depression has you cowering under its torrential rains of gloom. When you're depressed it takes much of your energy just trying to survive your inner battles with the blues. This can cause you to bec. . .

And How Do We Feel This Morning?

Without question, going to the hospital is teamwork from the time you arrive until you are wheeled out the front door. Everyone is working together for the common good of the patient, or at least a crack at his bank account. That is as it should be in such mercenary endeavors.Spending a few days in the hospital recently reinforced this in my own mind. Although my time in the hospital was brief,. . .

An Image Makeover that will Change Your Life Forever

Have you ever met people who exude charm and charisma? They have mysterious power and personal magnetism that is attractive to everyone. Some of their captivating qualities are good manners, poise and a great personality. Charm and charisma are virtually indefinable but can be narrowed down to a number of outstanding characteristics. To make yourself a more captivating person identify the trait. . .

The Playful Spirit

On the road to enlightenment, don’t forget to laugh…….It’s been called the “ id” by Freud, and hedonism by zealots. In truth, the animal self is the part of us that reacts naturally. Labeling this limits our experience of it. Still for the sake of reference I’ll describe this very free, intrinsically joyful aspect of being as “animal.” Animal encapsulates it. The living world seeks out pleasur. . .

Learn the Six Secrets of Chemical Romance

What is Chemical Romance? It’s a scientific approach to seduction that reveals how to unleash the natural chemicals in the body. Have you ever felt an instant connection with someone you just met? Have you ever fallen in love at first sight? If yes, then you have experienced the powerful effects of chemical romance. When you are in a heightened state of arousal your body releases powerful . . .

Life Lessons - an Inpirational Story

Ju was physically abused as a child. She lived with a mother who was diagnosed with post depression and a father who was a wife abuser. Her parent divorced and left six of them with her mother. She left school at 15 and went to work waiting tables to help her mother feed them all. At 18 she met and fell in love and was married soon after. Then she found out that her husband drank too much, slep. . .

The Golden Ratio and Feng Shui

The golden ratio is a very important concept in feng shui due to the way it implies aspects of balance and perfection of shapes. Feng shui is based on the search for harmony between the human beings and the environment in which they are. Feng shui is always looking for balancing the elements and objects which surround living beings and compose their environments. The environments in which the h. . .

Neolithic Feng Shui

The practice of feng shui is believed to have started six thousand years ago in the Neolithic times. This way, and according to some discoveries which back up this affirmation, feng shui can be placed among the most ancient practices of not only China but the entire world as well. Since those times, it has been carried from one generation to another as well as it has been acquiring new knowledg. . .

What Program is on Your Inner TV?

What’s playing on your inner TV? Your inner TV is the screen in your mind upon which you create various scenarios. Perhaps the channel is “Reliving the Past.” Maybe it’s “Controlling the Future.” Is your channel on “Obsessive Thinking” where you are ruminating over and over about a situation or about how you want to handle something? Our mind tends to go on and on making up stuff, as if what it. . .

What You Judge Won’t Budge

Sheila was stuck. Even though she was trying to hard to change some things in her behavior - especially her anger and her clutter, she found herself doing these things over and over. Then she would get upset with herself, telling herself she was stupid and incompetent.How often do you tell yourself that you are wrong, bad, inadequate, unworthy, a jerk, stupid, and so on? I’ve found, in the many. . .

How To Get From The Front Door To The Car

Somebody (I don't know who) said that an INFP is someone who gets lost between the front door and the car. I am INFP and that statement describes me very well. An INFP will know that the car is the goal but will take so many side-trips (physical, intellectual, and emotional) that the car may never be reached. You might expect, then, that an INFP would be at a total loss for organizational abili. . .

12 Tips for Taking Smart, Calculated Risks

1. Think of someone you admire. Would they take this risk?2. Never risk more than you can afford to lose.3. If you have everything to gain and nothing to lose, take the risk.4. Risk taking is like any positive quality -- it’s a habit that gets better with practice.5. Timing is vital to good risk taking.And don’t take the risk if:1. There’s a good chance you could lose EVERYTHING.2. You’re riski. . .

Are You Part of the Wake Up Crew?

Many people living on the planet right now have volunteered to accept the opportunity to play teaching, healing, inspirational and leadership roles during this current planetary transformation. These assignments have been accepted by the individual’s soul prior to birth. Most folks have a kind of amnesia concerning these agreements. The energy fields of natural Power Spots have the capacity to . . .

More Than One Way to Find God

Glorious the nonsectarian Magic Genie Faith Builder thinks there is more than one way to find your faith in God. He believes that each of us is entitled to find our faith in God in our own way and in keeping with our individual beliefs.Sometimes it takes a little fantasy to believe in what we cannot see or understand. That’s where your imagination comes in. That’s why the faith that is buried d. . .

What Fills Inner Emptiness?

Samantha is a very giving person. She gives to her family and her friends. She volunteers at a local hospital and helps build homes for low income families. She is a spiritual person who prays daily. Yet Samantha has a big empty space inside her, a black hole of sadness that nothing seems to fill. How can this be? She is doing everything right - doing service, praying and trying in many ways to. . .

What Really Creates Emotional Intimacy

Think back to a time when you felt really close and connected with someone - a time when you felt emotionally intimate with this person. Think about a time when you felt light and playful with someone, or a time when laughter flowed easily, or a time when you felt you could tell your deepest secret and it would be accepted.We all yearn for that deep connection with someone, yet few people seem . . .

What Is The Most Important Righteous Requirement Of God's...

To live "under the law" is to live under the expectation of fulfilling God's moral standards through one's own human ability. However, rather than experiencing the joy of a clean conscience, we sometimes feel enslaved to legalism and guilt. The problem is not with God's moral standards but with the sinful nature of humanity. James 1:14-15 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his o. . .

Mindfulness and Beliefs: Irrationally Yours

I can't help it--I am a confirmed neuroscience geek.So I was very excited to attend the fifth brain lecture in a series (yes, I bought season tickets!) sponsored by Oregon Health Sciences University. You see, the guest speaker was Dr. Michael Gazzaniga, the father of cognitive neuroscience, and his topic was The Ethical Brain--which happens to be the title of a book he will publish this June. H. . .

Wealth Building: Let The Wealth Building Secrets Of J. Pa...

One of the shortcuts to creating wealth is to learn from those who have achieved great wealth. The late John Paul Getty is known as one of the greatest wealth builders in American history. He was kind enough to distill his wealth building rules for anyone who desires to amass wealth like him to follow. Do you want to be fabulously rich? Then learn from the master wealth creator himself, and fol. . .

Vocalization - The Biggest Hurdle In Speed Reading

Very often, when perusing materials relating to improving your speed reading skills, you'll see comments to the effect that vocalization is the biggest hurdle in speed reading. Moreover, if you do happen to be one of those people who vocalize when you read, you'll need to overcome this practice if you want to significantly increase your reading speed.All of this is a roundabout way of saying t. . .

Interpreting The Most Common Dreams

The most common dreams, according to surveys by www.psychicsuperstore.com are dreams of falling, being naked, and of your teeth falling out. Close runners up include dreams of flying, and of exams.Strangely, these dream themes are fairly consistent across all cultures, and may well reflect a deeper facet of the human condition than we would ordinarily suppose. Lets look a little closer at the i. . .

Divorce: How To Survive A Divorce And Move On With Your Life

One out of every two marriages in America is failing. American families are crumbling and vanishing. Most families have become dysfunctional, and it is widely becoming fashionable to come from a dysfunctional family. Divorce is on the rise all the time. Your self-esteem - what you think of yourself in relation to other people - is the basic secret of your success or failure in life. Here are so. . .

Is The Person You Think About The Most Missing God's Point?

Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." "This is the first and great commandment." "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Question, how can you keep the greatest two commandments of God listed in the scriptures above if you're always thinking about yourself? The . . .