5 Things We Can Learn From Asia'h Epperson

What can we possibly learn from Asia'h Epperson? In my opinion we can learn alot, but before I explain my point let me tell you who Asia'h Epperson is .

Asia'h is a young lady from Joplin. MO, who is 19 years of age and was a contestant on American Idol. She initially auditioned in Atlanta, and made the trip to Hollywood. Wat made Asia'h Epperson unique, at least in my opinion, was the adversity she encountered during her auditions. You see several days before she auditioned her father passed away, but she still went on stage and gave a tremendous, and moving performance.

So what can we learn from Asia'h Epperson?

1) Adversity: meaning that no matter what obstacles are thrown in your path you continue to move towards your goals, and dreams.

2) Focused Goals: Asia'h knew what she wanted, and apparently knew this early on. She had goals that were very clear and focused. You need that laser vision in order to stay true to your target.

3) Be Yourself: Ms. Epperson before the audition changed he song selection to better reflect what she was feeling after the death of her father. She could have easily chosen a song to woo the audience, but instead chose a song that allowed he true feelings and emotions to be seen. That made Asia'h Epperson special and allowed many of us to relate to her.

4) Believe in Yourself: Asia'h Epperson did not make it to the finals, and she exited with grace and style. Even though she didn't make it, she was voted off 3/6/08 she still has the confidence, and belief in herself to know that she will succeed in reaching her goals and dreams.

5) Avoid the victim mentality: It could have been real easy for Asia'h to give up and blame it on the circumstances that killed her dad, but she didn't. She did not feel or act like a victim of circumstance. Asia'h Epperson did not et any of that effect her mental state or cause her to develop the victim mentality.

In closing her is a bit more about Asia'h Epperson: Favorite Quote: "Speak it into existence! You receive blessings through struggle. Appreciate it!" Musical Influences: Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Toni Braxton.

I think we all need to take what we have learned from Asia'h Epperson and use it in our own lives.

Ray Roman writes for several of his blogs. More articles on Asia'h Epperson can be found at the Asia'h Apperson tribute blog.

Learn the Art of Living Your Dreams

As an adolescent, did you have dreams of how your future was going to turn out? Do you remember the excitement of growing up enough to get behind the wheel of a car, because that meant you were soon going to start making those dreams become reality? Now, ten years and a couple of kids later, you are still no closer to your dreams than when you were are youngster? You need to learn the art of living your dreams, and there is no time like the present.

Of course, over the years maybe your dreams have changed. You love your children, and you would not trade them for the world, but life is still not what you hoped it could become. You no longer dreaming of traveling the world and going to a gala event every other night, but you have a desire for a better job, more money in the bank, a nice car, and maybe a dream vacation.

Did you know that your view of life is usually a predictor of how it will actually turn out? If you constantly dwell on what is wrong in your life, how will you recognize when something right comes along. If you have an attitude of "I can't", you cannot discover that you in fact can accomplish what you desire.

For example, what if you wish you had gone to college after high school. Dwelling on past perceived failures, you might miss a golden opportunity. You see yourself as too old or too poor to go back to school. How do you know? What if you changed you mindset and started to believe in yourself. If you did, you might discover income sources or scholarships for non-traditional college students especially set aside for parents who want a better future.

How many times do you lament over not having enough money? Instead of wasting another day on empty wishes, you need to learn the art of living your dreams. Expect life to get better; develop a habit of thinking positive thoughts, and looking for opportunities to make things better. The key is: you need to learn to expect to find them.

No, it does not necessarily mean what you want will simply drop in your lap or be left on your doorstep. You will have to be an active participant in living your dreams. But, the point is, if you have the will to believe that good things will come your way-they will. Why? You will be expecting to be blessed, you will not just wish it, and lament the opposite. You can learn the art of living your dreams.

Paul Sutherland is an Accelerated Business Growth Coach. His company - Daniel Thomas International is also heavily involved in personal development and growth. Now a website www.perfected-products.com has been created. Here you will find some of the very best tried tested and proven methods for creating the life you really want.

"If you believe you can or can't - you are correct"

Henry Ford -the father of the production line said

"If you believe you can do it or if you believe you can not do it - either way you are correct"

This is true because your conscious mind can only process 7 of the millions of bits of data that the unconscious mind receives through our senses every second so filters out all that is unimportant or does not confirm your beliefs.

Your beliefs controlled your past thoughts that controlled your actions to produce your current results.

Although your beliefs are influenced by the conditioning from Family, Friends, media and your past experiences they are changeable by the conscious mind so your past results need not continue into the future unless you choose to allow them by not changing.

So if you are not getting the results in life that you want you must change something. As Albert Einstein said "To do the same thing over & over but expect different results is a definition of insanity"

A thought, like everything is made up from atoms which are 99.99% space surrounding a central nucleus of matter encased by an electron energy field at various distances from the center depending on the amount of energy it contains.

What you think about you give energy to so it is attracted to you faster. The more you think of something the more energy you give it and the words you use are the thoughts you give your power to.

When you are in an emotionally charged state of mind you turbo charge your thoughts & words and are more suggestible to manipulation from others. This is why the news & soap operas are bad for your mental, physical & financial health. The dis-empowering negatively charged news & soaps that only show the worst of people so are depressing thus encouraging people to buy junk food or expensive gadgets in the vane hope that having the product will magically turn your life into the successful life shown in the ads despite the fact that Happiness or Success are feelings that come from within you.

Successful people do not do depression -for long because as soon as they realize they are getting down they take steps to get back to the empowering state by:

* Look up * Sit up straight * Stand up * Remember happy times * Walk around quickly (10% faster than normal) * Sing a happy song. * Talk to their mentor or support group * Re-Focus on their growth & contribution to others as fulfilling these needs will automatically fulfill all the needs of the 4 lower personality types where most people get stuck. *Remember that positive thoughts are 100's times more powerful than negative. * Ask themselves "What can I learn from this"

To find out how to win in the Metal Game of Life or how to Help Feed the Poor Children of the World while learning to control your life visit www.PhilipAllen.SuccessUniversity.com/specialoffer or email Philip@PhilipAllenReviews.info

To find out how to win in the Metal Game of Life or how to Help Feed the Poor Children of the World while learning to control your life visit http://www.PhilipAllen.SuccessUniversity.com/specialoffer.htm" For a Better Future or email Philip@PhilipAllenReviews.info

How to live a successful life

Life is a Gift. If you really understand this gift and blessing then you will understand that it can be whatever you want it to be. If you want it to be bad it can easily take that shift and if you want it to be a success and want to be a winner in the game of life then that can also happen.

Only a few changes in daily routine and slight change in the way you think and do your activities will change your destination from failure to success.

Not one ever thinks or wants to fail in life. Everyone wants their life to be filled with joy and happiness. However, not everyone is living a happy life. Statistically only 5.9 % of the people around the world are living the life which the dreamt of and rest 94 % of the people are struggling through there life.

You must have spent some time thinking about it why is it that way? Well the answer to the question is not all that difficult, infect its very easy. The only difference between success and failure is the implementation and persistence.

Many of us know what activities are good for us and which skills are required to achieve success in life. Many of us have even started to walk on the path to success but after sometime for one reason or the other we have stopped.

Another factor that leads to disappointment and failure is the fact that people attend the meetings , Seminars or Conferences and they know that whatever that was discussed there is something that could change their life too. However, as soon as they go outside the start living the life as they used to with almost zero change in there daily routine.

Implementation is what got the 5.9 % of the successful people their success. Now next time if you come across some idea or activity that you know hold immense significance to change your life then take that step, attend that seminar. You have to make time for such activities. Furthermore, not only you need to attend such events or listen to motivational and inspirational speeches but you have to take the initiative to implement all those things into you life too.

This Implementation part will not lead to success right a way. The results might take some time but if you stay persistent enough and you have crossed the initial hiccups then you are surely on your way to changing your life and joining that small group of people who enjoy their life at fullest.

Syed Muzaffar Aqleem Tirmizi is part of the operational management in leading cellular operator in Pakistan, specializing in providing training solutions for individuals, teams and organizations.For your training needs or operational analysis could be contacted at tirmizi@tirmizifinancials.com or visit http://www.tirmizifinancials.com or http://www.ma-tirmizi.com

JOHN MARTZ

John Martz is a cartoonist, illustrator, and designer living in Toronto, Canada. He has done work for Yahoo!, CTV, Hallmark, Scholastic, Macleans Magazine, Chick-a-Dee Magazine, and others. He is also the editor of the popular cartooning and illustration blog Drawn!, a daily destination for thousands of creative individuals.

Blog: www.robotjohnny.com

Portfolio: www.johnmartz.com

Drawn!: www.drawn.ca

When did you first decide to become a graphic designer/ illustrator? Was there a pivotal moment?

I think it was a pretty natural transition. I always knew I wanted to be a cartoonist, and I was lucky enough to have parents that always encouraged it. I think I read every book on cartooning from the local library at least three times.

One summer my mom enrolled me in a computer animation summer camp, where we learned to use Autodesk Animator ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autodesk_Animator ) and it totally blew my mind. I can remember creating a bouncing ball using "squash and stretch" which I read about in that big Disney book The Illusion of Life, and the instructor asking how I knew to do that. I remember spending all my paper route money on buying the software; which was probably hundreds of dollars.

So I had been using the computer to create art since I was a young kid. When we upgraded to Windows 3.1 and got CorelDRAW, that's when I discovered the program could export artwork as TrueType fonts, and I began to design and create my own typefaces in high school.

Once in highschool, I eventually became the editor of the school paper, but to me the job was exciting not because of any editorial duties, but because I got to do the design and layout of the paper (and fill it with my cartoons).

When graduation hit, I had applied to college for both graphic design, illustration, and animation. I think I was hoping to go to school for animation, but I remember submitting my application in late, and not getting in, so the decision of where to go to school was sort of made up for me by my own carelessness, and I ended up studying graphic design.





Who or what inspires you?

My list of creative influences grows and changes each day, especially thanks to Drawn!, but some of my biggest influences are Charles Schulz, Jim Henson, Richard Scarry, MAD Magazine, Chuck Jones, B. Kliban, Jack Ziegler, the Marx Brothers, Woody Allen, Dr. Seuss, Rankin-Bass specials, Hanna-Barbera...

I'm also a bit of a bibliophile, and buy more books than I often have time to read. My bookshelves are loaded with design, cartooning, animation, illustration, and comics-related books. (library here: http://www.librarything.com/catalog.php?view=robotjohnny&shelf=list) There's nothing I love more than browsing a used book store and finding some hidden treasure.






Where does your training come from? Self-taught? College/Art School?

As mentioned above, I studied graphic design. Illustration-wise I'm self-taught, having read countless books on cartooning and animation as a kid, but I think my design education has been invaluable to my illustration career and that my skills as an artist are greater for having learned design principles and things like hand-drawn typography.






How do you keep "fresh" within your industry?

If by keeping fresh, you mean keeping up with trends, I'm not that sure I do. And I think that's a bit of a bad thing anyhow. I create for myself, primarily. I think creating, and reading Drawn! every day keeps my inspired and aware of what's going on with other illustrators and designers. It's natural to absorb and adopt from others, so I can only hope that what I create is a natural composite of my own aesthetics and everything else that inspires me.

What are some of your current projects?

My most recent fun project was for the Space channel here in Canada (think Sci Fi network). The channel is playing a marathon of superhero movies on Christmas day, and I was involved in creating all the promotional design and animation.

It was a lot of work, but an incredibly fun project in which I got to hand-letter all the type and create a series of animated illustrations in AfterEffects with Santa Claus as a superhero.

I'm also currently working on some more animated work for Chef Boyardee, for which I'm just providing the character design, and it involves kids and monsters, which is one of my favourite combos.

Which of your projects are you the most proud of? And why?

I don't know really. I recently completed a comics/illustration project which had me recreate my mom's 1968 high school yearbook as a series of drawings... It's about 80 pages consisting of over 1,000 mini caricatures. If anything I'm proud I even finished it! I'll be posting the entire thing online, and selling copies once my site relaunches in the new year.

I'm also pretty happy with my recent batch of warm-up drawings ( http://flickr.com/photos/robotjohnny/sets/72157602145380761/ ) since they are the result of pure doodling, and one of the most uninhibited creative things I've done in along while.

Are there any areas, techniques, mediums, projects in your field that you have yet to try?

I'd love to try my hand at screen printing. I think my style and my love of typography would suit the medium quite well.

Any advice to the novice designer/ illustrator?

Never stop having fun. Once you stop having fun, it becomes a job, and jobs are boring. When things get boring or start stagnating, you're doing something wrong. Keep playing, keep trying new things, never stop doodling or experimenting.





What makes a designed piece or illustration successful?

My final year design teacher told me the secret to creating good design, which I try to apply to my illustration and cartooning work. He said, as long as you have two things -- contrast and dimension -- you can't fail.

Obviously there's more to it than that, but my work is consistently better when I keep that bit of advice in mind.

What do you do to keep yourself motivated and avoid burn-out?

I always have a sketchbook on the go, and need to draw in it constantly. It's also good to just get away from the studio for a bit. I'm writing this from a local coffee shop, but anything helps to just avoid the blahs of being at work all day long -- browsing a used book store, catching a movie, even just a quick walk with the iPod can help recharge my batteries.





Finish this sentence. "If I weren't a designer/illustrator I would have been a..."

Hmm... In high school I was fascinated by movie special effects, and watched all sorts of specials and videos on the behind-the-scenes stuff. Back then that stuff was hard to find because there weren't any DVDs with bonus features yet. And this was, of course, pre-CGI, so everything was a combination of matte paintings, animation, pyrotechnics, electronics, and puppetry which seemed like the most brilliant marriage of everything that interested me as a teenager.

And finally, what is the best thing on prime-time TV right now?

Boston Legal. Hands down.

The Power of Subliminal Messages

Have you ever been watching a commercial about chocolate and all of a sudden you just need to have a candy bar or a cup of cocoa? You are not really hungry. You just had dessert. So, why do you want chocolate so much, you are willing to get in the car and drive to the nearest convenience store.

Commercials have used the power of subliminal messages to give the subconscious a boost toward making a purchase.

Although subliminal messaging has been frowned upon, and maybe even outlawed, the experts have already proven our unconscious thoughts can influence how we behave. So, if it works for buying a candy bar, it should work for other aspects of life as well.

So, have you ever really wanted to change something about yourself, but you do not seem to have the willpower to accomplish the task. For example, you might desperately desire to lose weight. But, you are a comfort eater, and once you get stressed, the diet is down the drain?

Maybe you are not a very confident person and you tend to put yourself down. You really want to improve your self-esteem, but you do not know how to go about it. In the meantime, you do not have the love and friendships you desire. How can you learn to like yourself better, so you can also trust in relationships with others?

The power of subliminal messages can help you change how you think about yourself, your bad habits, your willpower and more. Scientists have already proven how words that you do not even consciously recognize can help you change your thinking. Although you are simply going about your business, subliminal messaging is hard at work.

Admitted, the process seems totally dishonest. After all, it is invading your being without your consent or knowledge. No wonder the practiced has been banned. But, what if you had total control of your personal message and had full knowledge of its silent power to help you change? Then, would you consider trying it to help you break bad habits, lose weight, concentrate better, quit procrastinating, and the list goes on . . .

Today, you can actually download a program to your computer that will feed your mind subliminal messages every time you open up your laptop or turn on your monitor. You choose the message. For example, if you want to lose weight, you can program the computer to reach your subconscious with a message to help you reach that goal.

Once you reach one goal, program the computer to feed your mind the next message concerning something you want to change about yourself. Although you are in control of the information fed to your brain, you will soon forget. For example, as you type a paper for college, your eyes are seeing a message to stay on task or work smarter, not harder. The words are so fast, your will not be thinking about anything other than the task at hand. So, if you want to use the power of your own brain for self-improvement, consider subliminal messages. Advertisers have already proven the process really works. However, now you are in complete control. You can program your computer to help change you life.

Paul Sutherland is an Accelerated Business Growth Coach. His company - Daniel Thomas International is also heavily involved in personal development and growth. Now a website www.perfected-products.com has been created. Here you will find some of the very best tried tested and proven methods for creating the life you really want.

Dublin Sketchers - 1st Sketch

Merrion Square Park - South Entrance

Your Body as a Beloved Treasure: Learn to Love Yourself Completely

Human beings often forget the sacred value of the physical body. Many people treat their body like a beast of burden, something to be used rather than respected, nurtured and protected. In order to navigate transitions in life you must shift your thinking. Your capacity to live each moment to its fullest is ushered in through your body and how deeply you feel, see, hear, taste and smell through every experience. The greater your health, fitness, and mental dexterity, the greater your capacity to experience your life. Even when a person is limited by physical restrictions, ailments, or emotional burdens, we each have the choice to make the body we have at this moment the best it can be. You must believe your body is a beloved treasure; your body is not ALL you are, but it is an integral part of who you are.

Health: The Journey of Self Discovery and Learning Health isn't just about working out and being thin. Health is a life long process of getting to know yourself, paying close attention to the messages your body sends you and constantly learning what health practices are best for you. As each year passes the human body changes and a lifestyle choice that worked five or ten years ago may not be the best option now. A potential pitfall is the complexity of much of the health information available. The best course is to identify healthy practices that are easily integrated into your existing schedule and to make changes that are simple.

Celebrate a New Life with the Simple is Do-able Model The truth is that for most of us a complicated or dramatic lifestyle change is less likely to result in new behaviors. The Simple is Do-able model of health exploration and self-discovery facilitates small changes in the beginning. Once you have accomplished small shifts towards healthier living you will see you can make any change you want big or small.

Simple is Do-able Goal Setting Exercises The most important part of the Simple is Do-able model is to set realistic goals. The path to a healthier body and mind is a lifelong endeavor and if you want it to be fun and exciting setting goals you can achieve is important. Exercise 1: Stretching is fun! Think about a cat first thing in the morning. Stretching first thing in the morning is a way to say, Hello body, and is a powerful way to build your body's resilience. The more flexible you are, the less likely you are to sustain injury and the more energy you feel. Exercise 2: Breath is life.. Most people don't pay enough attention to breathing, especially when dealing with stress and exhaustion. Take notice of your breathing. Are you taking short, shallow, tight breaths or does your breath flow freely and deeply. Our bodies need oxygen and lots of it. Traditional and alternative medicines alike associate deep breath with reduced stress and greater energy, vitality, and health. Exercise 3: True Nourishment is DeliciousRegarding food, there are so many theories and so many dietary plans that many people are overwhelmed. According to the Simple is Do-able model there are some basic rules of thumb: ∑ Choose whole foods rather than highly processed foods. ∑ Eat meat in moderation. ∑ Consume organic whenever it is available. ∑ Drink clean water. ∑ Take time to enjoy every bite. Eat slowly and with an attitude of gratitude for every flavor. Exercise 4: Get your Heart Going Choose a form of exercise you enjoy. I repeat, choose a form of exercise you enjoy. If you cannot answer the question: What form of exercise do I enjoy doing, then explore all kinds of options. Try something new! Go with a friend to a martial arts class, hire a personal coach or trainer, ask a friend to be your walking buddy or learn something you've always wanted to but thought you couldn't. Keep exploring until you find one or more options that you can do two or three times a week.

In every way - physically, mentally, emotionally - living like your body is a beloved treasure and gift will help you feel stronger, fuller and better! Taking great care of your body is an action, not a thought so get ready to DO something. One small action after another, throughout your day and life, adds up to optimal health. With each action that supports vibrant health you are learning how to love yourself more and say I am worth it!

Corrie Woods is a Women's Life Coach and author of The Woman's Field Guide to Exceptional Living. Through coaching, personal growth retreats, teleclasses and writing she supports and inspires women. Explore free resources at http://www.womansfieldguide.com.

2001Contd.

2000-2001Contd.

Water colour
Watercolour
Much lighter use of paint.. watercolour
Pen and Ink
Acrylic

2000-2001

Use Your Personal Power

Unless you choose to do great things with it, it makes no difference how much power you have. - Oprah Winfrey

For the past twenty years, Oprah has been a powerful role model for me. I am not unique; millions of men and women have been greatly inspired by her power and wisdom, her charisma and her ability to stay open and real as her success rose to amazing heights. Here is a woman who, as we know, has grown up in a poor and abusive environment. She made a clear decision that she would not let her circumstances dictate her life. She stood tall and went after her dreams. What an inspiration for all of us!
I see how much power there is in me. I am talking about personal power. What is it? Passion? Energy? Courage? Personal power is probably a combination of all that, mixed with a willingness to be open and honest about who I am. It is also about being totally committed to my inner truth, my inner knowing, and to be unafraid of revealing that truth to the world. I love being in alignment with that. That's when I can see everything flowing effortlessly in my life.

The question then becomes: What do I do with this personal power? Well, for me today, it is about starting Living Beyond Recovery. I listen to my inner guidance and I hear loud and clear: the special gifts my higher power entrusted me with must be shared with millions of men and women! At first it scared me, of course. But as Oprah said, unless I do great things with my power, how can I face myself each day? So here I am, trying to figure it all out, one day at a time, sharing what I have with you all. What I do is teach others how to love themselves. Not a small order. That's my mission, my gift to share with you. That is my path.

Coaching Questions: Where is your personal power? What do you choose to do with it each day? Are you willing and ready to do great things with it? What is gnawing at you? Are you listening? Are you ready to take action and share your special gifts with the world? What an exciting endeavor!
Share with someone who is supportive, share with us on our blog http://livingbeyondrecovery.blogini.com or write about it in your journal. Get closer to the idea and start taking one small action each day. Don't let one more day pass by without sharing your power with the world. After all, this is the very reason we are here. Go for it!

Ghislaine Mahler is the founder and the driving force behind Living Beyond Recovery. She has been a Life and Executive Coach for the past 12 years and in continuous recovery since 1986. You can contact her at info@LivingBeyondRecovery.com or 203-691-6467 or visit her website at http://www.LivingBeyondRecovery.com .