Archive for the 'Marketing + Selling' Category

Chicken Soup with Chopsticks (Excerpts from Chapter One)

Saturday, August 9th, 2008

Does God care if I marry a gentile?
Even as I started dating a Chinese girl, I knew I was embarking on a remarkable adventure. I just had no idea where and how far the adventure would take me. The more events unfolded, the more I realized that my view of the world and how I lived in it were being profoundly and permanently altered…

If the problem with marrying a gentile was that my religion prohibited intermarriage, why should that bother me? Perhaps not everything in Judaism made sense, and as an intelligent and thinking individual I could take from my heritage what I felt was meaningful and disregard the rest…


The possibility that God Himself does not want a Jew to marry a gentile is not something I recall being taught explicitly. This may be because, even though I believed in God in my own nebulous way, I didn’t take seriously the proposition that God authored the Torah. For one thing, I considered many claims in the Torah absurd: that the world is less than 6,000 years old, that Noah lived more than 900 years and built an ark to house the planet’s animals, and that a sea parted miraculously to enable the Hebrews to escape their Egyptian pursuers. As far as I was concerned, these were stories with possible moral messages but not actual facts. If the Bible were true, then the theory of evolution, and much of science, must be wrong. In a world where humans went to the moon, performed brain surgery, and saw and talked to people on the other side of the planet, I had far more trust in what modern science presumed than in what the Bible stated…


Quest for a Life Partner


I was expected to marry one of my people. Not to do so would be a shocking betrayal of my family. The prohibition against intermarriage was so ingrained that it was hardly an appropriate subject to bring up for a family discussion…


Whereas my siblings sought only Jewish spouses, I kept my options open. I was not convinced of the necessity to restrict my search for a mate to those of my religion, especially as we constituted a tiny minority (a fraction of one percent) of the human population. Moreover, I encountered females, from various religions and backgrounds, who were extremely nice, good-natured, and attractive. My motto about intermarriage, as in other areas of life, was “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”


Sino-Attraction


In the summer of 1994, three years after I left my parents’ home in Montreal and was living on my own in Toronto, I met Belinda. I was twenty-nine; she was twenty-five. We quickly became friends.


“Would you like to see my snake?” Belinda asked, as I dropped her off in front of her building.


My heart pounded and raced.


“Okay,” I heard myself saying. I knew that sooner or later she would show me her pet. I hadn’t reckoned it would be so soon.


Belinda ran inside and returned shortly with a tiny corn snake tucked into her sleeve. Once in the car, she let me hold it. It was the first time I had held a snake. Instinctively, I applied my peripheral vision to the clammy, slender creature in my palm, imagining it was some inanimate object.


Belinda reached for my other hand. “What do you think about our relationship?” she asked.


It was the first time we had held hands. Thoughts of the biblical symbolism of the serpent and the fact that she was Chinese pulsated through my mind. At the same time, I was taken aback by her forthrightness. It was only our second date.
I took a slow, deep breath.


“As you know, Belinda, I’m marriage-minded. You told me you were too. But, I’m not interested in just getting married, having children, and leading a normal life. That’s the minimum of what I would expect. I want to reach for the moon, grow together with a life-long partner, embark on an adventure with this person that would make a difference in the world.”


The snake began to slither its way up my sleeve, and I pleaded for help. I don’t recall anything else we talked about that evening.


* * *


When I met Belinda, I had little interest in religious Judaism. I was unaware of its unique spiritual treasures and their relevance to today’s world. In fact, like many of my peers, I had an affinity for secular Jewish culture, and that is where it stopped…


In college and university I took courses in political philosophy and became interested in Marxism, Platonism, socialism, humanism, feminism, and any other “ism” that was popular in academia. I wondered if any of them was the key to fixing the world and ushering in a utopia. I delved into the teachings of Christianity and Buddhism. I traveled to the Arctic for a month, hoping to taste native spirituality. I joined the army and sought, but did not find, patriotic pride. I spent two summers in Israel working on a kibbutz and interviewing the vatikim, or elders, those idealists who left the relative comfort of their European homes in the ’30s and ’40s to go to a harsh and barren land and pioneer a new experiment in socialism. At one point I seriously considered moving to a kibbutz and dedicating my life to the principle “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” Later, when I moved to Toronto, I toyed with New Age ideas and started frequenting an ashram…


Belinda and I began to explore different religions together, and we frequently talked about spiritual matters. We also talked about Disney, travel, computers, and Indian food. We were amazed at how much we had in common. Like typical romantic couples, we spent most of our free time with each other, sometimes engaging in juvenile activities. One of our favourite pastimes was to go to parks and look for trees to climb. Once we played an entire game of Chinese checkers seated high up on tree branches, with a bag of snacks hanging beside us.


I knew that when my parents found out about my latest girlfriend they would vehemently oppose the relationship unless, perhaps, Belinda were to convert to Judaism. I feared being ostracized by my immediate family. Perhaps on a deeper level, I feared cutting myself off from my ethnic roots. As painful as these thoughts were, they did not deter me from pursuing the course on which I had already embarked.


If you find these excerpts interesting, you will find this true story fascinating.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Discover more at www.PaperSpider.Net
Order: 1-888-BOOKS-88. Wholesalers: Ingram, Baker & Taylor
Click to learn more about Jack Botwinik.

Your Dream Loves You - Do You Love Your Dream?

Thursday, August 7th, 2008

“Your Dream loves you but the question is,
do you love your Dream?” John Di Lemme

Have you ever read or heard something that made you stop dead in your tracks? That is what happened to me when I read the statement that was sent to me from my friend and mentor, John Di Lemme. John created “FindYourWhy.com” and he is the worlds leading authority on making millionaires out of ordinary people. That is one of his dreams.

John is a constant inspiration to me. John writes to me many times a week and I read his words carefully but today his message hit me like a Heart Attack. We all have dreams and goals and they come from our heart to our mind. I feel that our dreams are created from love, thus, our dreams love us. Do we love our dreams?

Dreams are given to us by our creator. We would not have been given a dream if we did not have a way to make it materialize. The dream is our gift from our creator. GOD is my personal savior. You may call your creator by another name. That is your choice. My God is love and so is our dream. If we truly love God or our creator, we must take our dreams and goals seriously and love them as well.

We have created our dreams out of love but do we act on them? If not, than we are not loving the value of our gift, the dream. To love and appreciate the value of our dream we must take action on them everyday. I believe that when you take action on your goals and dreams, miracles happen. Miracles happen out of the love of God, self and your dream.

When you love your dream and act upon that gift you will see your destiny manifest itself in your life. Your manifest destiny comes from loving your dream and making it happen.

Frank Gasiorowski - EzineArticles Expert Author

Frank Gasiorowski, Ph.D. Philosophy/Humanities is an Author, Speaker, Radio and TV Guest for http://www.90DayGoals.com and Voice-Over narrator on the new BIBLEMIX CD. Frank is one of the founders of the “Total Self Mastery University” http://www.TotalSelfMastery.com with Dr. Mike Davison. Frank is the Founding Director of F.A.I.T.H. Ministry. http://www.FindAnswersInTheHEART.com

Resolving Needs - What Your Employees Wish For!

Monday, August 4th, 2008

For your people, they want to do a great job - no, really, despite your experiences,
they do. And what might seem to ‘the management’ the important things,
just don’t stack in the day-to-day reality of the workplace.

Here’s why.

Your people want to focus on looking after their customers, yet there are
many things, often just little things, that get in their way. Removing these little
things they are having to tolerate, allows them to deliver the very best service
to their customers. Yet they are reluctant to get this clear. For some reason.

You need to find out.

So. Ask them!

Yet why is this so difficult for some managers? Partly to
do with not wishing to open challenging dialogue; not even thinking there might
be issues or to dismissing needs of their people as irrelevant, amongst others.
These issues, so vital to the well-being of their people and therefore their relationships
with their customers, get missed.

So, how do managers get around
this.

Easy

They just ASK. They ask in ways that work,
but basically, they just ASK.

There are a many ways to do this.
Ongoing dialogue; focus groups; feedback; 360’s. But a really simple way to get
to the bottom of what is bothering your people is, one-on-one to simply ask them
this simple question:-

“If you had three wishes in your job, what would
they be?”

So why do we ask for three wishes? Because
often there are one or two issues that are ‘givens’. Like more staff, more pay
etc. Three wishes gives a bit of scope in the replies. If you can, allow your
people to personalise the returns, but only if they want to. Once you’ve got
your people being constructive around changes - and you let them tell you, you
can respond, often very quickly and make things a lot better.

Understanding
the little things, makes a big difference to the people who are vital to your
success - who create the business for you. Don’t miss the chance.

EzineArticles Expert Author Martin Haworth

Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide,
mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He
has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website,
http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com
(Note to editors. This article may be edited for use in your publication or
newsletter as long as a live link to the website is included)


…helping you, to help your people, to help your business grow…

Michael Schumacher - 2006 Make or Bust?

Friday, August 1st, 2008

To Michael Schumacher this 2006 season must be one of his toughest challenges yet. For a multi world champion and arguably the best driver the world, coming 3rd last year must have been devastating. The truth is, had it not been Michael driving that Ferrari, even third in the championship would have been a dream.

He has already hinted that he may retire at the end of his Ferrari contract at the end of this season, so this year really is a make his mind up year. With this in mind Michael will only have one goal in mind, to win the championship.

Ferrari had a massive leaning curve last season, when they did not take the new regulations seriously enough and probably had the wrong manufacture of tyres. However the rules have changed again and there will be an open playing field come the first race of the season. The team is fired up, Ross Brawn the technical director is fired up and you can bet Michael will want to end his F1 career in glory. Personally I think only winning he championship will keep him in a F1 car!

A benefit to Michael and Ferrari this coming season is the reintroduction of changing tyres during a race. It was argued that Bridgestone tyres last year just didn’t like the endurance type races. The truth is no one really knows, but this year will certainly give us an idea. Michael is well known for his involvement in the technical side, aiding his team to make better technical decisions. He is also known for his driving in the wet, often being able to stay out longer on dry or intermediate tyres or just judge things better. He can bring this all back next year, when the visits to pit during races are for more than just fuel.

The truth is I tend to support the underdog in motor racing, so I don’t tend to shout Michael on. But it has to be said he is one of the greatest F1 drivers ever, if not the greatest. We might not see it now when we compare, Senna, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart etc. But I think in many years time when Michael has retired, we will look back and see him as the genius from Germany.

Mark is webmaster for Driving Experiences and Car Breakdown
Cover and Best Breakdown Cover.

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone and Find New Action

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

Big easy chair. Cool one! Games back to back. This is the
life. Hard day at the office or the plant. On the road. In
the field. Any excuse will do. Too tired for anything new. Learning takes effort. Trying new stuff. Building. Seeing “down” the road.

Surely you can see the sign. Don’t park here! UNLESS you have
decided your road is finished - DONE! New business - great rewards are ready for the picking when you get outside of your old comfort zone and energize the team.

GET UP!

Simply do something different. Turn around. Move the worn out furniture. My wife did last week (I still don’t like it!). At least she has not “messed” with my office. Just the new focus on the present means out with the old - in with NEW stuff.

Take a new route. Try a new restaurant. Go to work 1/2 hour
earlier. Get off work at noon. Test the waters! Surprise your
spouse with flowers or a new fishing rod.

Nothing earth shaking! Simple changes in your routine can
liven up your day. Add a spark to your step. Take time to
smell the roses. New perfumes. Notice beauty! People/things.

LITTLE BY LITTLE

Do NOT change everything at once. At home or the office. It
will upset the norm. Disturb the troops. Others will simply
not understand.

Your staff will go bonkers. Water cooler talk will be crazy
with YOU as the subject. Has he/she lost their mind? Our goal
is to add ENERGY. Change gets our adrenaline pumping. A new
excitement fills the air.

Others will want in on the new ACTION. Most of us can use a
little more excitement in our lives. At home and the office
are good “working” ground. Watch your business grow with the
renewed interest and enthusiasm. Home life, too.

==============================================================
ACTION TIP - YOU are the catalyst to success. Waiting on others can be fatal to your growth. Set NEW goals. NEW challenges. Begin with small changes. Make LIFE exciting. Give your Business ACTION leadership.
==============================================================

Don Monteith - EzineArticles Expert Author

Don Monteith spent 32 years as co-owner of several franchises and a personnel/staffing business. Every year, his firm placed hundreds of job candidates in their dream job. Today, Don shares his business and career expertise through his newest websites on the Internet. Lots of FREE ideas - suggestions - ready for your perusal and study.

http://www.Career-Coaching-Central.com
http://www.HowToGetYourDreamJob.com

Bill O’Reilly Versus The Dallas Morning News

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

Bill O’Reilly of Foxnews is once again in a major snit:

O’REILLY: “Enter Dallas Morning News columnist Macarena Hernandez, who wrote these astounding words: “Were the complainers angrier about the red, white and green Mexican flag fluttering in the Georgia air than they were about the horrific murders? Do they watch FOX’s “The O’Reilly Factor,” where the anchor and the callers constantly point to the southern border as the birth of all America’s ills? It is one thing to want to secure the borders and another to preach hate. Taken literally, such rhetoric gives criminals like those in southern Georgia license to kill.”

O’Reilly countered with this:

“(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

I’d always said if I were a poor Mexican, I would try to cross the border and earn money here and send it back to my family. I don’t blame the illegal aliens. I blame the federal governments of both Mexico and the United States of America. I mean, I don’t think you could deport 11 million people.

And if I were a poor, Mexican worker, I’d do the same thing that these people do. I have nothing, you know, they’re hardworking, most of them. They’re good people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O’REILLY: So there’s the proof that Macarena Hernandez is a liar. “

He then proceeds with a tirade about responsible journalism. Good for him since all journalism is not as responsible it ought to be. Nor is O’Reilly’s!

In O’Reilly’s April 8th, Foxnews Talking Points, he says the following,

“And the concept is very simple bringing attention to the chaotic border situation by launching a media attractive protest. So three cheers for the Minutemen. Like their ancestors in Concord and Lexington, they’re making a statement. And we all should respect that.”[3]
What O’Reilly was asking his viewers to shout “three cheers” and to show respect for was a group of Americans I have been reporting on for some time. In my column with the American Chronicle, I reported the following:

“Former Texas and Goliad chapter president Bill Parmley, one of the group’s original organizers, resigns over Minuteman founder Chris Simcox’s refusal to deal with the racism in the group.[4] “Bill Parmley, former coordinator for Texas, quit after alleging Simcox botched the organization’s financing. He also warned that some members of his Goliad, Texas, chapter, which recently was shut down, were “racists” and “wanted to go after Mexicans as a whole,” not simply report undocumented immigrants to the U.S. Border Patrol.”

Note that phrase, “wanted to go after Mexicans as a whole”.

“J.C. Hernandez, a third-generation Texan, is the founder and president of Americans for Zero Immigration. Hernandez was working with Minutemen organizers in Texas and said he expected to play a leading role in the upcoming patrol. He also wants the right, he said, to make a citizen’s arrest of suspected illegal immigrants. “When you fight a war you don’t fight it with rhetoric,” Hernandez said. “When you fight a war, man, you go in and kill the enemy…. A signal has to be sent to Mexico and all those countries that we are tired of it and we’re not going to put up with it.”

The Houston Chronicle reported:

“Parmley said he has become concerned that some of the Minuteman activists in his region have a vendetta against the Goliad County sheriff, who is Hispanic. He asserted they also have made comments about shooting illegal immigrants or letting them die from dehydration. That’s their mind-set, and I don’t want my name and my reputation associated with a group of people who are racist like that,” he said.”[7]

O’Reilly cannot have it both ways. He accuses Macarena Hernandez and the Dallas Morning News of irresponsible journalism and yet what is O’Reilly doing? He, along with the rest of the folks at Foxnews, wants us to shout a hearty “three cheers” (and show respect) for a group that:

Wants to go after Mexicans as a whole.

Wants to fight a war NOT with rhetoric but wants to KILL the enemy (Mexicans).

Wants to shoot illegal immigrants or let them die from dehydration.

(I grant you that this hornet’s nest erupted in the local Texas Goliad Minuteman chapter. But is this “mindset” true throughout the Minuteman network only unexposed because there is no one as honest as Bill Parmley to take a stand against this racism? This anti-Mexican Xenophobia.)

Then, amazingly, O’Reilly claims, “And if I were a poor, Mexican worker, I’d do the same thing that these people do. I have nothing, you know, they’re hardworking, most of them. They’re good people.”

You cannot say that, Bill. You don’t encourage the American people, through your responsible (?) journalistic venue, to cheer and respect a monstrous group of anti-Mexican bigots who want to go after Mexicans as whole to shoot them or let them die of dehydration. You do not wish that on “good people”, O’Reilly.

Maybe O’Reilly should take another look at responsible journalism.

Douglas Bower - EzineArticles Expert Author

Expatriates Doug and Cindi Bower have successfully expatriated to Mexico, learning through trial and error how to do it from the conception of the initial idea to driving up to their new home in another country. Now the potential expatriate can benefit from their more than three years of pre-expat research to their more than two years of actually living in Mexico. The Plain Truth about Living in Mexico answers the potential expatriate’s questions by leading them through the process from the beginning to the end. In this comprehensive guide, you will learn not only how-to expatriate but will learn what to expect, in daily life, before coming to Mexico.
BUY BOOK HERE: http://www.zyworld.com/theolog/PlainTruth/Home.htm

Business Management and Fair Compensation

Monday, July 28th, 2008

Organization run smoother when every one gets to sit at the table and eat and no one is forced to eat scraps, treated like a lesser or not paid fairly for the job title or the work that they do. If you are economically enslaving your work force or are turning your vendors into a cash flow bank in slow payments then you will not get their best efforts.

If you pay people less than their labor is worth they will not give you 110% of their efforts and that goes for the top CEO down to the mail-room, which maybe CEO some day, remember that. And who better than someone who understands the company from the top to bottom too? Indeed the shareholders want to be paid by increased value of their holdings and you better make sure your customer is also satisfied with your products or services.

Many people complain about the compensation of the CEOs yet their real complaint is they believe they are not making what they should? Well are they putting out the maximum effort or are they allowing the Union to try to get more than their labor is worth in the Industry and actual market.

Labor in companies is always a factor of the market place and it should reflect that whether it is the management compensation of a CEO or the front line worker who makes it all happen day in and day out. Please consider all this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Lance Winslow - EzineArticles Expert Author

Which MLM Opportunity?

Friday, July 25th, 2008

So, you have become an MLM Opportunity Seeker and you have made the decision that you want to change your life. Perhaps you have been introduced to an MLM/Network Marketing Opportunity through a family or friend, or even friend of a friend.

Amongst the barrage of information available it can be very confusing in evaluating the Best Work At Home MLM opportunity. There are so many home based MLM Opportunities out there! Choosing which MLM Business is best for you involves a process which cannot be rushed and must be a decision made amidst all the fog of hype and excitement upon which it may (usually!) be presented.

It would take a hundred pages to got through the steps needed to choosing which MLM Home Business Opportunity to be part of, and indeed there are many books already written on the subject, but I will touch on two essential points which I think are essential in choosing which MLM Opportunity to be part of, and funnily enough, they do not depend on the company itself. Don’t get me wrong, the MLM company is important, but the most important aspects of choosing an MLM Opportunity is your WHY and WHO you are going to be working with.Many of the successful people in Network Marketing will tell you that in order to succeed in your MLM Opportunity, you need to have a strong enough WHY.

Why do you want to start a MLM business? Every MLM Opportunity is a challenge if you haven’t got a driving force, a solid basis on why you are taking this path. If there is no desire, actually, no Burning Desire, that real forward motivation, you will not succeed in your MLM Opportunity. Why? Well building a network marketing business is a challenge and a journey. Many times in any journey we face obstacles and minor challenges, and it is our ability to manage these obstacles that allow us to reach our destination, our WHY. In Network Marketing it is easy to get discouraged and give up on your MLM opportunity once you have reached a small hurdle. So, think about WHY you want to be involved in MLM. Is it to spend more time with your kids? To have the freedom to travel all around the world? To be able to play golf when you want to? To not to have to answer to a Boss? Understanding your desires is the first step in evaluating an MLM Opportunity.

The second step is to find WHO you will be working with in building your MLM business. MLM is a new business for many of us, a new way of doing things to what we are accustomed to. Many times the people who have exposed the MLM business Opportunity are themselves just starting out in the business, hence it is essential we find somebody ‘upline’ who will help us, train us, coach us, MENTOR us to reach our WHY. MLM is about duplication, duplicating the success of some individual who is successful in a particular MLM Opportunity. By learning the steps in which this MENTOR has built their business, we will be able to build our business in the same way. This has been a brief overview on choosing an MLM Opportunity, and is just a summary on the factors I consider important in helping people determine which MLM Opportunity is right for them. Choosing which MLM Opportunity paradoxically almost has very little to do with what company you choose but in the dreams and desires you possess and the people who must find who will help you achieve your dreams.

Alvin Narsey (http://www.parttimeincome.org) is a Professional Network Marketer who LEVERAGE’S the Internet for his MLM Business Opportunity by employing cutting edge AUTOMATION SYSTEMS and Resources which allows him to put his business on AUTOPILOT. Take a F-R-E-E TOUR to learn how YOU can achieve your dreams the same way. CLICK HERE FOR FREE TOUR! http://www.parttimeincome.org

The Global Auto Sales Race Heats Up

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008

In the global automotive industry things are really heating up as the traditional players fight for a top spot in the race for global dominance. General Motors Corp., which has been number one in terms of global auto sales for over 75 years, is fighting to keep that title in the face of growing competition from Toyota. Last year Toyota was trailing General Motors by only 261,805 units.

Though it looks inevitable that Toyota will claim top spot, increased sales in China (GM is now #1 in China beating former top dog Volkswagen) and surging sales in India have buoyed global sales for the General despite declining sales in North America. General Motors boss Rick Wagoner recently stated “If we can keep growing where the opportunities are to grow, someone’s going to have to hustle pretty hard to catch up with us like that.” That said, according to the Wall Street Journal being #1 is no longer a top priority for Rick Wagoner and General Motors.

Ford Motor Company, once #2 globally, is in third place with sales at just over 6.2 million units. Strong sales in Europe have offset a seemingly endless sales decline of blue oval vehicles in North America. Once best sellers like the Ford Focus and Ford Explorer now sit on dealer lots as more innovative and fresh competition lure away new buyers. Ford would be wise to devise a more coherent product planning strategy instead of letting great cars waste away without any clear vision.

This is quite evident when you look at the recently discontinued Ford Taurus and Lincoln LS, vehicles that carried substantial brand equity at one point but failed as they became stale and irrelevant amongst their respective competition. If Honda and Toyota can keep the Accord and Camry nameplates going after more than 2 decades, why has Ford had such a difficult time doing the same?

The big news isn’t just at the top of the list. Riding high on a global sales increase of over 11% in 2005, Hyundai Automotive Group is in high gear. The Korean automotive giant has moved into sixth spot behind DaimlerChrysler. Since 1999, Hyundai has passed established players such as Honda, Fiat, Nissan, and Renault. Hyundai doesn’t plan on getting too comfy in sixth spot as they’ve set their sights on being in the top five by the end of the decade.

They’ve got their work cut out for them as fifth place DaimlerChrysler is currently selling about 1 million more vehicles annually. But I wouldn’t bet against Hyundai. In the last 10 years they’ve beaten just about everyone’s expectations.

Volkswagen is holding steady in fourth place with over 5.2 million vehicles sold in 2005. 2006 and 2007 should see modest increases with the introduction of the next generation Golf (now known as the Rabbit) in North America and new models such as the Volkswagen Eos.

Although nothing is for certain in the auto industry, one theme holds true. No car company has an inherent right to the top spot. It has to be earned through great cars and trucks. In this list the big winner is the consumer.

Peter Johnson is the chief writer for all-about-car-selection.com and The Owners Manual e-zine.

Expressing Your Love Through Service

Sunday, July 20th, 2008

A client of mine told me that she had been making food for a friend of hers who was very ill. “I find that my heart opens and I feel so happy when I am doing something for someone else. I need to do this more, but I don’t know what to do.”

Doing service is a powerful way to open the heart and fulfill the soul. Those people who do service know how much joy they receive from giving to others. The more inner work we do to fill ourselves with love, the more our heart overflows to the point where we may feel compelled to help others.

There are many forms of service and we each need to find the way that works best for us. There is no right way. We can serve by helping one person, such as being a Big Brother or Big Sister to a disadvantaged child, or we can be of service by helping whole groups, such as raising funds for environmental projects. We can offer our time building houses for the poor, or we can offer money. We can choose to be of service to people, animals or Mother Earth. Your service may be in being a loving parent to your children, helping a friend in need or being a loving mate who supports the other’s highest good in many little ways.

Doing service is a matter of discovering your passion and then offering your time and love. You might have a special interest in protecting the environment, stopping child abuse, helping the homeless or caring for the dying. You might offer service through your creativity, creating beautiful drawings, ceramics or quilts to donate to charitable causes or give as gifts. Tuning in to your feelings of what brings you joy will lead you toward knowing how you want to be of service to others.

Steve discovered his passion for helping the elderly when his father became ill and was in a convalescent home. A hard-driving businessman, Steve was surprised to find how joyous and fulfilled he felt when he visited his father and brought his humor and compassion to the other elderly at the home. Being with the elderly was so satisfying, Steve decided to cut back on his work and spend more time at the home. He had discovered what makes his heart sing.

Toni had always loved animals. One day she discovered that there was a wonderful animal sanctuary not far from her, a place that took in animals no one else wanted. Toni started to volunteer there and found that it brought her great joy to help maintain this loving sanctuary.

Work, too, can be service. When you experience your work as helping people and you love doing it, it is service, whether you are a hairdresser, a teacher, a physician, an auto mechanic, a therapist, an attorney or a bus driver. While you get paid for your time, no one can pay you for the love you put into it. Love is always a gift that comes through you.

In fact, anything you offer that expresses your love is service - your time, creativity, encouragement or a warm and caring smile to a hassled store clerk. Service is not only expressed in specific works but also in your intention in each and every moment. Have you ever smiled at a stranger or offered a compliment just because you noticed something in him or her that caught your eye? When was the last time you said how much you appreciate someone? When your heart is open to others, service can be a way of life.

The practice of service does not have to be done only on an individual level. It is possible for whole families to participate in service projects. Rather than relaxing around the house and watching TV together, you can participate in a local environmental or social project. Families who do service together generally maintain a higher level of values and unity than those who do not create the time for such activities.

Each of us needs to find the service that excites us, enlivens us and fills our heart with joy as we express God’s love through our actions. Giving for the pure joy of giving feeds the soul. We love God by loving the children of God and serving them in any way we can. It is through service that we can truly grow spiritually. Through service, we are confronted with our issues and given the opportunity to practice our lovingness and expand beyond what we think our limits are.

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including “Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?” She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: www.innerbonding.com or margaret@innerbonding.com.