Christmas True Meaning and Traditions

Christmas True Meaning and Traditions

Christmas has had a long and varied history. It has been celebrated for centuries by different people, at different times, in different places, and in many different ways. Here you will find links to information about the different ways that the holiday we know as Christmas has been celebrated, or not celebrated, over the years.

»Watch video about the history and origins of Christmas

An Ancient HolidaySome of our modern Christmas traditions have much older roots, going back to pagan European traditions.

»See how people celebrated the winter solstice

SaturnaliaSaturnalia was a Roman celebration in honor of the god Saturn.

»Discover what the Ancient Romans celebrated on December 25th

An Outlaw ChristmasThe Puritans didn't believe in the jovial Christmas holiday, so they banned it.

»Find out the penalty for celebrating Christmas

Christmas ReinventedAmericans embraced Christmas in the 19th Century, even inventing some of their own Christmas traditions.

»See how Americans created their own vision of Christmas

A Christmas CarolCharles Dickens' classic tale reflected and influenced changing ideas about the nature of Christmas.

»Learn how Scrooge and Tiny Tim changed Christmas

Enjoy Christmas with Santa Claus at the North pole, an award-winning Christmas web site. Send a letter to Santa Clause or a Christmas card to a friend.

»Santa Claus and Christmas at the Northpole

The True Meaning of Christmas

"The Real Truth About Santa Claus

"Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus!

A famous letter from Virgina O'Hanlon to the editorial of The New York Sun, first printed in 1897.

We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:

Dear Editor---

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so.

" Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?Virginia O'HanlonVirginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Thanksgiving History - Myths & Facts

Happy Thanksgiving from Drive Thru History! from ColdWater Media on Vimeo.

The First Thanksgiving

They spent two months at sea to reach a strange new world, and barely survived once they got there. Learn how the Pilgrims reached America and lived to celebrate the first Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving - History, origin, and traditions of an American holiday!

1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln

Full text of the October 3, 1863 decree that finally made Thanksgiving an official U.S. holiday.

Black Friday: Biggest Shopping Day of the Year?

Tradition has it that "Black Friday," the Friday after Thanksgiving, is the biggest shopping day of the year in the United States. Retail insiders say that is probably not the case.

Cyber Monday: Biggest Online Shopping Day of the Year?

The first Monday after Thanksgiving has come to be known as "Cyber Monday" because it is supposedly the biggest online shopping day of the year. The actual statistics don't back that up.

Does the Tryptophan in Turkey Make You Sleepy?

Theoretically it could, says About.com's Chemistry Guide Anne Marie Helmenstine, but the true lethargy inducer in any Thanksgiving dinner is more likely to be the carbohydrate count.

The First Thanksgiving - Myth vs. Fact

What historians really know about the 1621 harvest feast in Plymouth, Massachussetts and how it evolved into the Thanksgiving holiday we know today.

FDR and Thanksgiving

It was Franklin Delano Roosevelt who, in his 1939 Thanksgiving Proclamation, gave the annual holiday its current date: the second-to-last Thursday in November. About's 20th Century History Guide Jennifer Rosenberg explains why he ordered the change.

A Folklorist's View of Thanksgiving

Esaúl Sánchez and folklorist Roger D. Abrahams discuss "the ubiquitious, universal, populist turkey and Thanksgiving."

The History of Thanksgiving

"Travel back to Plymouth and hear from some pilgrims to find out what the original celebration was actually like!" -- From the History Channel.

The Myth of Holiday Suicides

Does the suicide rate in the United States increase over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays? Experts say no. Here are the facts behind the urban legend.

Plymouth Rock

The real story behind the legendary landing spot of the Mayflower in 1620.

The Pregnant Turkey

Netlore Archive: For a Thanksgiving laugh, mom stuffs a roast turkey with a cornish game hen as a practical joke on her naive daughter.

The Presidential Turkey Pardon

Why do U.S. presidents feel compelled to issue an official pardon to a turkey each year before Thanksgiving? Did the "tradition" really start with Harry Truman? Or was it Abe Lincoln?

Thanksgiving in the Melting Pot

Anthropologist Dr. Sidney Mintz discusses holiday customs, food, gender roles, and commercialization.

Thanksgiving Day Myths

By historian Timothy Walch, director of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library in West Branch, Iowa.

Top 10 Myths About Thanksgiving

"If by Thanksgiving, you have in mind the Pilgrim festival, forget about it being a family holiday. Put away your Norman Rockwell paintings. Turn off Bing Crosby. Thanksgiving was a multicultural community event. If it had been about family, the Pilgrims never would have invited the Indians to join them."

A Virtual Tour of the Plimouth Plantation

It's 1627 all the time at Plimoth Plantation, the living history attraction in Plymouth, Massachusetts, that recreates the life of the Pilgrims and their Native neighbors. Take a virtual tour with About's New England for Visitors Guide, Kim Knox Beckius.

Wampanoag History

Detailed history of the Native American tribe without whose assistance the Pilgrims would have had little to be thankful for.

Talking about Stephen King Under The Dome

Stephen King Under The Dome

Under the Dome

By Stephen King

In his on words, Stephen King's Under The Dome On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester's Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into it and fall from the sky in flaming wreckage, a gardener's hand is severed as "the dome" comes down on it, people running errands in the neighboring town are divided from their families, and cars explode on impact. No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when -- or if -- it will go away.

Dale Barbara, Iraq vet and now a short-order cook, finds himself teamed with a few intrepid citizens -- town newspaper owner Julia Shumway, a physician's assistant at the hospital, a select-woman, and three brave kids. Against them stands Big Jim Rennie, a politician who will stop at nothing -- even murder -- to hold the reins of power, and his son, who is keeping a horrible secret in a dark pantry. But their main adversary is the Dome itself. Because time isn't just short. It's running out.

Stephen King’s Under The Dome

Book trailers are an interesting recent development in marketing. The very concept doesn’t make a whole lot of sense at first, seeing as books don’t actually have visual scenes to make a trailer out of, but done properly, they can be pretty effective tools for creating buzz around a new novel. And sometimes, they can be pretty cool. The trailer for Stephen King’s new book, Under The Dome, falls squarely into the “cool” category. The novel follows the inhabitants of a small town that is trapped in a huge, clear dome by unknown forces.

Some say King’s best years are behind him; I disagree. That’s not to say I enjoy every last one of his books – hell, the man’s written so many, there’s no way they could all be great. But when he’s on, he’s one of the best writers in modern horror (and sometimes science fiction). To me, it seems that he’s at his best when he gives himself room to breathe, page-wise. The Stand is brilliant; so is It. Both are over 1000 pages. The Dark Tower series, his masterpiece, unfolds over the course of seven increasingly long books. Under The Dome will be 1088 pages long; hopefully, that means we can expect the epic storytelling and surprisingly personal character development the author, at his best, is capable of.Check out the trailer below; it’s short, but it got me kinda pumped for this book. UNDER THE DOME BY STEPHEN KING

VISIONS OF 2012 DOOMSDAY

VISIONS OF 2012 DOOMSDAY

Dear Friend,

Are you tired?

Tired of all the misinformation out there about 2012?

If you've done even one Google search on the topic you know what I'm talking about... SURVIVE 2012

Where well-meaning “experts” went wrong... and why all the governments of the world ultimately decided not to tell you the truth.

What is really going to happen in December of 2012... and exactly how millions will be devastated, and your world will be turned upside down... forever.

How you can safeguard your life... and the lives of your family members. Because you really can survive... and spiritually thrive in the wake of this life-changing event.

VISIONS OF 2012 DOOMSDAY - (1)
VISIONS OF 2012 DOOMSDAY - (2)
VISIONS OF 2012 DOOMSDAY - (3)
VISIONS OF 2012 DOOMSDAY - (4)
VISIONS OF 2012 DOOMSDAY - (5)


The Underground Kingdom of Light - 1
Journey Into The Resistance Movement - 2
Galatic Wars - 3
Liberation of the Planet Earth - 4
Vision 2012 - 5

It will begin suddenly, without warning. Many scandals that will disclose true backgound about how the System works will shake human masses. Disclosures about how international energetic megacompanies earn billions selling oil, preventing at the same time inventions of free energy to come to public. Disclosures about pharmaceutical trusts that earn money with "healing" diseases that are spread with viruses created in hidden laboratories. Disclosures about efficient cures for AIDS, cancer and other diseases that are known for quite some time, unkonwn to human masses. And about world media and censorship there, which is a logical consequence of a fact that few individuals own most worldly known newspaper, media and telecommunication companies. And finally disclosures about a secret world government that has most prominent politicians as its puppets and which creates profit out of wars and human suffering for millenia, a small group of beings that you work for in your jobs and voluntarily give them a significant amount of your monthly salary.

When lists with names, supported with facts will be known, human masses will arise. When facts will be known about what is happening in the stock market and where the money really goes, this will create a world stock market crash and fall of the current monetary system. Riots will begin as a consequence of released emotional energy which was suppressed for so long. In the chaos of those days members of the Resistance movement will reveal themselves to humanity and give guidance and support. They will penetrate to the surface from their undergound realms and bring along technology that will help humanity to get over those critical moments. They will cure most of currently known diseases with their medicaments. With their free energy sources they will end world energy crisis and stop environmental pollution. They will bring information that will open the eyes of people. Finally people will realize that they have lived in quarantine for millenia.

Money will disappear and will be replaced with exchange of goods based upon vibrational economy. The Resistance movement will assist in establishing new world government which will be chosen by humanity with its free will and that will lead humanity based on the principles of the Galactic codex. At that point the energy field of the planet will be cleared significantly. Memories of Atlantis will be returning to people and they will begin to create a New Atlantis, a new civillization of light. Buildings will be constructed in a combination of Atlantean and modern architecture which will be in harmony with nature. Many will be in a pyramidal or half spherical shape. Spiritually developed individuals will begin to gather in New age communities, so called islands of light. Everybody there will follow his vision aligned with the divine plan in deep connection with the universe.

When people will release the past, everybody will experience clarity of mind, emotional aliveness and physical health. The basic cell of society in islands of light will not be a family of personalities (father, mother and children) but a family of souls (twin souls, soulmates and other members of a soul family). People will connect there energetically and telepathically with angels, guides and extraterestrials. Through islands of light a physical connection between the surface of the planet and extraterrestrial civillizations will be established.

There will be teleportation chambers in islands of light through which it will be possible to travel into the Resistance movement, for some people into the Atlantean network and also towards the Pleiadian motherships. When the network of light will be strong and stable enough this will enable mass landings of Pleiadian starships. The Pleiadians will assist humanity during its transition towards the New age and with the process of acceptance of this planet into the Galactic confederation. They will anchor energy columns that will guide planet Earth throuh its transformation during its entry into the inner section of the tachyon belt.

When the critical mass of consciousness will be achieved the first wave of Ascension will occur. Motherships of the Galactic confederation will hover as brilliant white clouds above the islands of light, where teleportation beams will descend and lift the volunteers into the motherships. Those volunteers will reappear on Earth shortly in Ascended state in their rainbow bodies of light. Soon afterwards another critical mass will be achieved and the second wave of Ascension will happen. Masses of Ascended masters that will return to Earth will prepare humanity for the third wave of Ascension and for the Evacuation. Great planetary cataclisms will begin then as a cleansing of the physical matter of the planet. At the moment of most intensive cataclisms a polar shift will happen and that will trigger the third wave of Ascension with final Evacuation. Linear time as we know it will end and Earth will enter a new, higher dimension. This is a moment when the Mayan calendar ends, a moment in 2012.

HALLOWEEN AT THE WHITE HOUSE

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Currently you're able to find the nation's premier haunted houses, costumes, pumpkins, crafts, monsters and more. PLEASE, GO GREEN - HALLOWEEN: HOW TO GO GREEN - HALLOWEEN

(1) Halloween at the White House

(2) Halloween at the White House

(3) Halloween at the White House

Not a moment passes at Organizing For America without volunteers and leaders across the country taking their creativity to the next level. Last week, during our October 20 Day of Action, we had students launching ideas in Ohio and neighbors working together in Michigan to create one of the strongest advocacy pushes in the history of OFA. Once again, this Halloween, we want to call on you to put on your creative hats (it'll look great with that costume) and show us your carving skills!

A pumpkin can be many things; for some, its decoration. For others it's what your grandmother calls you while she's pinching your cheeks. Here at OFA, we think a pumpkin on your front porch can also be a way to show your support for health reform! Last year on October 31, four days before we elected Barack Obama as our 44th President, individuals carved images and messages into their festive orange pumpkins. Our friends at YesWeCarve.com showcased the amazing results.

We want you to send us pictures of your carved pumpkins! You can recreate some of the carvings above. Click Here for some stencils, or come up with your own! Send us pictures to halloween2009@dnc.org. We are so close to the one year election anniversary mark, and we are close to making health insurance reform a reality. Bring your friends, family, and (b)roommates together and make a party out of carving your message to show your community your support for reform NOW. Let's scare the naysayers away!

Instead of another bad Halloween joke, I'll just leave the creativity in your hands....Be sure to send us pictures!

"IF TOMMORROW NEVER COME"

"The Time of My Life" by Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi

"IF TOMMORROW NEVER COMES" If I knew it would be the last time that I'd see you fall asleep, I would tuck you in more tightly and pray the Lord, your soul to keep. If I knew it would be the last time that I see you walk out the door, I would give you a hug and kiss and call you back for one more. If I knew it would be the last time I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise, I would videotape each action and word, so I could play them back day after day. If I knew it would be the last time, I could spare an extra minute or two to stop and say "I love you," instead of assuming, you would know I do.If I knew it would be the last time I would be there to share your day, well I'm sure you'll have so many more, so I can let just this one slip away. For surely there's always tomorrow to make up for an oversight, and we always get a second chance to make everything right. There will always be another day to say our "I love you's", And certainly there's another chance to say our "Anything I can do's?"

But just in case I might be wrong, and today is all I get, I'd like to say how much I love you and I hope we never forget, Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, young or old alike, And today may be the last chance you get to hold your loved one tight. So if you're waiting for tomorrow, why not do it today? For if tomorrow never comes, you'll surely regret the day, That you didn't take that extra time for a smile, a hug, or a kiss and you were too busy to grant someone, what turned out to be their one last wish.So hold your loved ones close today, whisper in their ear, Tell them how much you love them and that you'll always hold them dear, Take time to say "I'm sorry," "please forgive me," "thank you" or "it's okay". And if tomorrow never comes, you'll have no regrets about today.

"Somewhere in Time", we'll shareone love,one life.And with each gentile touchi knowthis much,its true.And when we kiss,i see forever,and in your arms,im lost, you find me again.No words, no writes,describe this pain inside,no matter how hard i tried,i die inside,to let you go,To say goodbyemy heart breaks foreversomewhere in time, i knowwe'll meet againYou're in my heartYou're in my souland if you go away from mei cant let go.Until begin,i know,we'll meet againSomewhere in time.

"Two Wolves - Cherokee Words of Wisdom" , An old Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson about life... "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. "One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego. "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. "This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too." The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?" The old chief simply replied, "The one you feed."

IN MEMORY OF PATRICK SWAYZE TRIBUTE 1952 - 2009

IN MEMORY OF PATRICK SWAYZE TRIBUTE 1952 - 2009

Patrick will be greatly missed.

We invite you to sign the Book of Condolence .

Discussion link posted by James Everitt :

Tribute to Patrick Swayze (August 18, 1952 September 14, 2009)

Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi "The Time Of My Life" memoir book, which Swayze co-wrote with his wife of 34 years, Lisa Niemi, will be published on September 29. 2009.

In a career spanning more than thirty years, Patrick Swayze has made a name for himself on the stage, the screen, and television. Known for his versatility, passion and fearlessness, he''s become one of our most beloved actors.

But in February 2008, Patrick announced he had been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer, the final battle to pancreatic cancer was lost September 14, 2009. Always a fighter, he refused to let the disease bring him to his knees, and his bravery has inspired both his legion of fans and cancer patients everywhere. Yet this memoir, written with wisdom and heart, recounts much more than his bout with cancer. In vivid detail, Patrick describes his Texas upbringing, his personal struggles, his rise to fame with North and South, his commercial breakthroughs in Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and the soul mate who''s stood by his side through it all: his wife, writer and director Lisa Niemi.

A behind-the-scenes look at a Hollywood life and a remarkable love, this memoir is both entertainment and inspiration. Patrick and Lisa''s marriage is a journey of two lives intertwined and lived as one--throughout their years in Hollywood and at home on their working ranch outside Los Angeles, and culminating in the hope and wisdom they''ve imparted to all who know them. This book will open the door for families, individuals, and husbands and wives to grow, bond and discover entirely new levels of love and sharing, proving that life shouldn''t be lived as a series of endings, but rather as the beginning of greater strength and love.

Actor Patrick Swayze made peace with the notion of dying from pancreatic cancer after initially finding his diagnosis a "cruel joke", according to a memoir to be published later this month. The Dirty Dancing star, 57, who lost his 20-month battle against the disease on Monday, wrote that fighting his cancer had been an "emotional rollercoaster".

But in excerpts of the memoir "The Time Of My Life" , released on Wednesday, he wrote later; "I began thinking to myself, I've had more lifetimes than any 10 people put together, and it's been an amazing ride. So this is okay."

Please, visit the Official Patrick Swayze International Fan Club Website , where you can offer your prayers to Patrick Swayze's loved ones and fans. "Ditto, the Love inside, you take it with You!"

"Patrick Swayze Pancreas Cancer Research Fund"

Patrick's wife Lisa has contacted us with news of a Research Fund in Patrick's name.

Here is Lisa's message: "Stanford University is coalescing existing research activities on pancreas cancer to form a Pancreas Cancer Center. This center will expedite application of emerging technologies and the development of molecular targeted therapies all focused on pancreas cancer. Of course, our wonderful Dr. George Fisher, Jr. is involved with all this and setting up this fund in Patrick's name.

Checks should be made out to:

"Patrick Swayze Pancreas Cancer Research Fund"

& sent to:

Stanford Cancer Center

875 Blake Wilbur Dr.

Palo Alto CA 94304."

Telephone: 650.234.0600

Fax: 650.234.0645

givinginformation@med.stanford.edu

Sincere thanks to Lisa for sending us this news and we back the Research Fund with all our support. Please promote the Research Fund if you can, thanks.

"Patrick Swayze Pancreas Cancer Research Fund"

In Memory of Patrick Swayze who died from Pancreas Cancer, please help find a cure, thank you! Giving Opportunities and Ways of Giving

Patrick will be greatly missed.

We invite you to sign the Book of Condolence .

Patrick Swayze's Best Movie Moments

Even though we all knew that Patrick Swayze was battling cancer the actor's death last week did come as a bit of a shock.In a career that has spanned almost thirty years the popular actor has made thousands of women fall in love with him in Dirty Dancing and thousands of women cry in Ghost.So to celebrate his career and a life that has been cut tragically short FemaleFirst takes a look at some of the actor's best movie moments.

- Nobody Puts Baby In A Corner (Dirty Dancing)

Johnny Castle is arguably Swayze's most memorable role and was the one that shot him to fame. But it's the final scenes that are the most famous.Johnny, even though he has been fired, returns to the resort to perform the final dance of the season with Baby. He criticises the Housemans for their choice of Baby's seat, he utters the film's most famous line, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner," as he pulls her up from the family's table.

- Dalton vs Jimmy (Road House)

Ok so Road House wasn't the biggest hit of Swayze's career, totally under-appreciated if you ask me, but it contains one of the best fight scenes that the actor was every involved in.Shirtless, which is always a plus, the scene showed off his martial arts training in a fight that ends when he rips the other guy's throat from his neck, perhaps not for the faint hearted.

- Sam Says Goodbye To Molly (Ghost)

Ghost was Patrick Swayze's other mammoth movie when it was released back in 1990, yes it really was almost twenty years ago.And the ending is still a movie moment that brings a tear to my eye. By the end of the film Molly can now hear Sam. He is then enveloped in bright light, which makes him visible to both Oda Mae and Molly.It's time for Sam to go to heaven after sharing a kiss with Molly and saying a final goodbye to Oda Mae he walks towards the bright light. Not a dry eye in the house.

- Surfing Into The Void (Point Break)

Starring alongside Keanu Reeves in the 1991 movie Point Break it has, over the years gained a bit of a cult following.Swayze starred as a surfer who liked to rob banks in his spare time while Reeves played an FBI agent hell bent on catching these criminals.In this scene Reeves catches up with Swayze on the coast of Australia, where he's ready to take a suicide plunge into the biggest wave of his life.Ok so Swayze does play the baddie of the piece but he is ready to die doing what he loves best, what a guy!.

- Unchained Melody

And we couldn't look at Swayze's best movie moments without including the pottery scene with Demi Moore from Ghost.It remains one of cinema's most famous love scenes and is regularly parodied, have you seen The Naked Gun?

Patrick Swayze Tribute 1952 - 2009

Discussion link posted by James Everitt:

Patrick will be greatly missed.

We invite you to sign the Book of Condolence .

Tribute to Patrick Swayze (August 18, 1952 September 14, 2009)

Find more music like this on Tributes Radio

H.R. 1: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (GovTrack.us)

H.R. 1: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (GovTrack.us)

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Reasons You Don't Find Love And Money

Reasons You Don't Find Love And Money

By Tony Teegarden"

The best way to find "love", James, which, incidentally, is just as true for finding money, is to focus less on these by-products of a life well lived and more on a life well lived. -TuT quote

Hmm I hope you read that two or three times like I did. What a smack of reality.

Ask yourself...Are you only focused on finding that perfect partner?

Are you only focused on that new car?

Are you only focused on that new suit?

Are you only focused on that next credit card bill due?

A friend of mine the other day said that she was dating someone that she was quite fond of and was very happy with him. She said that it seemed such a thing happened when she wasn't even looking for it.

How many times have you heard someone say that and you said..."Why can't that happen to me?" Or, for those of you that are married, have you ever seen someone get a new car, new home etc...and you said to yourself the same thing?

Probably because you were trying too hard. You were focused on the by-products of a life well lived instead of a life well lived.

She was focused only on a life well lived rather than the results of it and is reaping the rewards in a happy relationship. (I know the types of books she reads and the company she holds so it doesn't surprise me.)

Imagine if we were mentally engaged in our home based business or network marketing business the same way?

Could you focus simply on your exposures, lead calls, follow ups, your personal development and keeping your commitments to your companies process?

If that was the case you would end up with the by-products in a matter of time.

Now I know what it means to keep the main thing the main thing. When you do, you end up with all the by-products you could ever want with out focusing ALL of your attention on them.

More importantly with the above attitude you don't cary any attachments to those by-products. They are free to come and go with out you being emotionally attached to them. This could be a whole new blog post unto itself.

Now, I can already hear someone saying, as they read this, "Tony, are you saying that I should not be focused on what I want? What about the law of attraction and visualization and dream boards!"

If you have read the Attractor Factor or read into The Secret, yes you do want to know what your by-products are. But these systems also state that you are to picture them, get clear on them, then allow the universe to take over as you take the sustained action.

A lot of times the by-products show up in your life in such a way that you could never predict. Just trust that they will. Don't ask how.

I just see people try too hard and never get past the "I want..." stage. They say they want but never really take action or if they do it's not consistent action towards their by-products.Most just simply give up too early.

There has to be sustained action taken and you have to put emotion and passion into it. Which isn't hard when you know why you're doing it.

So when you know that by-products are not your key to happiness and that it's the pursuit of the by-products that lends to your fulfillment, what do you do next?

You simply live your life well, with character, honor and respect. These are the products I choose to focus on.To serve, to love and to commit to my life's vision.

Everything else is a by-product.It's when the heart is already filled with joy that we can bring joy to others lives. Now that's a by-product that I bet you can't find on a dream board.

Tony Teegarden is a home based entrepreneur and has been self employed for 15 years. He lives in Clearwater Florida and blogs at Spiritual Marketing Philosophy

Article Source: Tony Teegarden

James Everitt, Check Out My Blog Post: http://push.pickensplan.com/profiles/blog/list?user=3iweq7i55m25n

Support T. Boone Pickens' Energy Independence!

From the desk of T. Boone Pickens

Hey Army,

You all set to take on Washington?

So am I.

We've got less than three weeks until a new Congress is seated and our new President is sworn in. But before we muster the troops and charge up Capitol Hill, I want to share an experience of mine that not only changed how I do business but how I look at life.

Forty years ago, the small company I founded was looking at a big deal. In fact it was our biggest deal ever. That's when a friend of mine, Dow Hamm, gave me a piece of advice I've never forgotten: "Boone, you'll spend just as much time on a big deal as on a little deal." And, he pointed out, you'll find plenty of lagniappe in a big deal.

What's lagniappe? I'll tell you what it is. When we get America to end its addiction to foreign oil, new jobs will be created in new industries we can't even begin to imagine. When we stop sending $700 billion a year to foreign countries and start spending that money on energy produced here in the United States, start-ups that none of us have ever heard of will get the seed capital they need to get off the ground and become industry giants. When we go all out and develop wind and solar and other renewable energies, the breakthroughs that American companies will pioneer are going to have other countries sending us billions of dollars for our technology, for our equipment, and for our know-how.

Over the last 50 years, I've done more than my share of big deals. But this one here with you, the Pickens Plan, is by far the biggest. And it's going to pay off bigger than any of us can ever imagine.

That's what lagniappe is. Now let's go get plenty of it in 2009.

-Boone

P.S. We’re closing in on 1.4 million in the Army. Let’s get to 2 million by Inauguration Day. Please Click Here and invite a friend or family member to join us as we march on Washington next year.

Divided We Fail

As 2008 comes to a close, the Divided We Fail team has been reflecting on the past year. It's astounding to realize how far we've come -- but with one year ending, another begins, and our work to bring affordable health care and long-term economic security to all Americans is entering a new stage.

In the past year, we united over 1.6 million people pledging to fight for health care reform and long-term economic security for all Americans. We made our voice heard in the halls of Congress, where over 2/3 of our representatives have now pledged to reach across the aisle and deliver meaningful action for the American people. And we spread our message to every corner of the nation.

It wouldn't have been possible without the thousands of faithful activists and supporters like you who attended debates, collected pledge cards, spoke out online, and reached out to family and friends.

Now it's time to turn our eyes to the future -- and with 2008 coming to a close, it is time for everyone to make a New Year's resolution. Will you make a resolution to hold our leaders to their promises and support Divided We Fail in the 2009?"

I resolve..."• "...to tell President-Elect Obama to keep his promises on health care and financial security when he becomes president." GO >>• "

... to tell my friends, family, and colleagues to join Divided We Fail this year." GO >>• "

...to stay engaged and active our fight for bipartisan action on health care and long-term financial security."

The Divided We Fail Team has already settled on our resolution: continuing our call for an end to the bickering, and a start to real solutions for the American people.The first step? On January 13th, we'll be taking signed pledges to Capitol Hill to remind Congress that millions of Americans have signed on to our campaign -- and are ready to hold them accountable if they fail to act.

And for the next 12 months, we'll be increasing our grassroots activity: hosting events across the country, taking to the airwaves again, signing up more volunteers, and growing even more active than before.

Divided We Fail's diverse coalition of members will be the umbrella under which our leaders can come together and hammer out the solutions to our nation's crises. We hope you'll continue to stand with us.Thank you for all your work and support, The Divided We Fail Team

P. S. This ad from Divided We Fail tells President-Elect Barack Obama that we're ready to help support him as he addresses the critical issues of health care and financial security. Join the Divided We Fail Movement!

New challenges, New Opportunities!

As a new year begins, many Americans are reflecting on 2008 while looking ahead to the challenges and opportunities we’ll face in 2009.

The past year brought change to our country. Millions of Americans participated in our political process for the first time. Folks came together to work for common goals, and the bonds of citizenship grew stronger in cities and towns across the country.

But alongside these accomplishments, many Americans also faced tremendous economic hardship.

Too many families are dealing with the strain and loss stemming from this financial crisis. In 2009, our nation must come together to forge solutions to the challenges we face.

To start off the new year, tell us your goals for 2009 in the discussion forum click here:

P. S. Check out the Open for Questions Feature Here. We’ll close this round of questions and put together our responses in the new year.