Yazir

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein is an orthodox Jewish rabbi with a unorthodox job.

In his position as founder and chairman of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews it is his task to foster and encourage Christian support for Israel and Jewish causes.

Based upon his success in raising over one hundred million dollars from the Evangelical Christian community over the last few years, it’s fair to say he’s done a good job.

Where does the money go?

According to their website , funds are channeled into several humanitarian projects in both Israel and abroad. These include:

“Project Isaiah 58″, designed to provide heating fuel, warm clothing, food, and shelter for elderly Jews and orphans living in the former Soviet Union.

“On Wings of Eagles” which offers support and financial aid to Jews from Ethiopia, Argentina, Arab lands, and other remote regions throughout the world who are “making aliyah” and resettling in the land of Israel.

“Guardians of Israel” which helps alleviate the suffering of poor Israelis with food, housing, childcare, and career training. This is especially helpful to those whose lives and families have been devastated by terrorism.

In addition, their program “Stand For Israel” mobilizes Christian leadership and grassroots support for the small embattled Jewish state.

Amongst Rabbi Eckstein’s friends and supporters are Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Pat Boone, and Pastor Ted Haggard,president of the National Association of Evangelicals.

This is not to mention a wide array of Israeli politicians,including former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who appreciate Rabbi Eckstein’s contribution to building bridges with the Christian world and garnering their support to aid the beleagured Israeli economy.

Surprisingly enough, within the Jewish community there are also those who do not support the rabbi’s efforts. These include Abe Foxman, President of the Anti-Defamation League.

It is the feeling of Rabbi Eckstein’s detractors, that the underlying and ultimate goal of those Christians who contribute to Israel, is to win over the Jewish people to the Christian faith. Based upon a long history of persecution and proselytizing by the Church, these fears may be well understood.

Rabbi Eckstein, however, tries to see a larger picture.

In today’s political reality, where fundamentalist Moslems are trying to eradicate the state of Israel, where missles in Iran are painted with “Death to the Jews” and “Death to the Crusaders”, it is best for Jews and Christians to form a common bond and join together against their mutual enemy.

Jews, says Rabbi Eckstein , should be aware, acknowledge and appreciate the friendship and support of the Evangelical community. In an op-ed column in Israel’s Ha’aretz newspaper he writes “At a time when the rest of the world is arrayed against us, Evangelical Christians are true friends who stand alongside us.”

The Evangelicals, explains the rabbi, believe in the Biblical promise, written in the Book of Genesis, that those who bless the Jewish people, will also be blessed. For one not to come to Israel’s aid in this time of crisis, is unthinkable.

In addition, like the Israelis, the Evangelical Christians, hold similar moral values and share a determined loyalty to freedom and democracy.

In regards to theological differences Rabbi Eckstein’s guiding principle is “to cooperate whenever possible, oppose whenever necessary, and teach, sensitize and build bridges at all times.”

Rabbi Eckstein is also not a man to mince words. At a recent question and answer session conducted at the 11,000 member New Life Church of Colorado he was asked whether more Jews were accepting Jesus.

Rabbi Eckstein’s response to the audience caught many of them by surprise when he replied that most Christians think Jews are thinking a lot about Jesus, but they’re not. He added that, more Christians are becoming Jewish than Jews are becoming Christian.

The rabbi also has a sense of humor about his theological differences of opinion with the Christian community. “When the Messiah comes ,we’ll ask him. Is this the first time you’re coming or the second? And that should resolve the matter.”

What are Rabbi Ecksteins goals for the future?

It was recently discovered that one of the lost ten tribes of Israel, the tribe of Menashe, is presently living and practicing their ancient Jewish customs in northeastern India along the border of Bangladesh.

To arrange for the transfer and resettlement of the 6,000 members of Bnei Menashe to Israel, the costs will be some eight million dollars. Rabbi Eckstein has pledged to the Israeli government that he will take on that responsibility.

In his eyes and those of his Evangelical Christian supporters, it represents the fulfillment of the Biblical prophecy of the ingathering of the Jewish exiles from the four corners of the earth back to Israel.

There is no doubt Rabbi Eckstein will get the job done. But not without a little help from his Evangelical friends.

Do you feel powerful? Do you feel as if you could tap into a well of power, and that whatever you set your mind to will come to pass?

Fact is, you are created to be very powerful. When Adam was created, God told him to name all the animals and have dominion. Naming your child, a pet, or a company denotes ownership. It allows you to have complete control over it. He was given everything it would take to be a success. Furthermore, God made you in His image. Can you imagine the power you would have if you were to relinquish everything totally to Him and allow Him to guide you in everything you do?

Here are the six main ingredients to tap into the awesome power that is waiting to be unleashed from within:

1. Purpose

You were created for a purpose. Spend time in the Word and determine the purpose that lies before you right now. Is your main purpose to raise the best family, be successful in your business, or help as many people you can?

2. Faith

Purpose is powered by faith. Without faith in the best outcome it will be difficult to attain, persevere and see the desired end-result. 3. Passion

Put passion into your drive! Passion is the opposite of fear. If you fear it – guess what – do it! Allow your passion to zap through the fear. Whatever is worth going for and seeing to completion always as an opposing force. If God is asking you to do something, then expect competition. However, once you make the decision to forge ahead, coupled with your faith, your inner power will make you an overcomer.

4. Preparation

Analyze what is desired from you. Work on building up your personal growth. Learn all you need to know about becoming the success you are purposed to be. You do this by taking extra courses, having a mentor, and spending time in the Word of God for direction and faith building

5. Plan

Be sure to make a plan. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail! Have it in your heart, your mind and even write it down so it’s always before you. Know your competition, ask for Wisdom to carry it out to the best of your ability, and stay focused.

6. Action

Lastly, faith without action is dead. Start – one tiny step at a time. Nothing happens in isolation. You have to put all the effort into it that you can muster. The more you put into it, the better the results, and the more faith and confidence you will develop.

Consider this wise quote:

“Failure is an event, not a person. Yesterday ended last night.” Zig Ziglar.

New Years Resolutions

It’s that time of year again – time to road test the New Year Resolutions. Off we go, clutch engaged, engine on, tank fuel of motivation and determination, headlights on full beam pointing to where we want to get to……now where did I put that damn map?

New Years is always a great time for evaluation, reflection, goal setting and clean slates. January is peak time for new gym memberships and enrolments to weight-loss programmes. The air is alive with chants of “4 days without a cigarette” and “I’ve lost 2 kilos”. Yet all this excitement, commitment and activity can fade within a few short weeks or months of the year.

What is the secret to success? What can you do that will ensure that you achieve your desired outcome?

The first step is to examine what it is that you want to achieve. Are you seeking to achieve a positive outcome or seeking to avoid a negative outcome? Does your goal indicate something that you want to move towards, or something that you want to move away from?

For example; a person who wants higher income could either state that they want ‘to enjoy financial freedom’ (moving towards a positive outcome), or alternatively that they ‘don’t want to struggle financially anymore’ (moving away from a negative outcome).

In the first example the person is focused on what they want to achieve. In the second example the person is focused on what they do not want to occur. The universe will always deliver what we focus on. Setting goals in the positive, (what we want) not only increases our overall ‘chances’ of successful achievement, it also provides a nicer view in the headlights!

The second step is to consider the reality of your goal. In order to be realistic your goal must tread the fine line of being achievable and of being challenging. Imagine yourself standing at the centre of a children’s see-saw. On one side is a far-fetched outcome, on the other is an outcome you can achieve with ease. Now weight your goal so that it perfectly balances between these two alternatives. Goals which are too difficult or too easy are soon abandoned and forgotten.

Take the reality check and ensure that you can answer ‘yes’ to the following five questions;

1. Is this something you REALLY want? 2. Is this something you can INFLUENCE? 3. Is this something you can CONTROL? 4. Is this what is this is REALLY about? 5. Are you doing this for YOURSELF?

The final step in setting the goal is the measurement, or the arrival point – the ‘what?’ and the ‘when?’ How will you know when you have arrived at the outcome? When will you get there? What will you be seeing, hearing and feeling that will tell you that you have arrived?

Take time to actually visualise the outcome you are seeking, tapping into the sounds, thoughts and feelings as you do so.

Now that you have a clearly defined, measurable, realistic, positively stated goal, it is time to get out the street directory and work out the nitty-gritty of the roads. How are you going to get there?

This is your road map – your directions. The more effort you plan into your journey, the easier the journey will be. If you have ever headed off in the car and travelled blindly into the city with a vague idea of your destination, you will know just how much chaos those unforeseen one-way streets, no right turns and pedestrian zones can cause. At best they cause delays, at worst they involve cancelling your plans altogether. Taking time now to plan your journey will ensure that you arrive at your destination on time and by the easiest route.

In planning your journey, consider what it is that you need to do, who is involved, what obstacles might hinder you, what are the steps along the way, etc. Incorporate your answers to the following questions into your plan;

What is the first thing that you need to do? What is one thing that you need to do every day? Who is on your team to help you achieve this outcome? Who do you need on your team? What obstacles are in your way? What will you do to overcome these obstacles? What is missing? What are you tolerating? What are you not telling yourself? What is one big step you can take? What good experiences have you had in the past? Why were they successful? What negative experiences have you had? What did you learn? How and when will you review your progress?

Write your goal and your actions down and put them in a prominent place to maintain your focus. Oh, and one last thing, just like we celebrate New Years Eve, make sure you plan now for your celebration for achieving your goal.

Happy New Year and Happy Travelling!

I’d like to thank Coach Chris Barrow for creating a new GAP for me when he shared that besides having a very successful coaching practice that generates over a million dollar per year, he also makes it a point to take 6 weeks of time away from the business, so that he can come back from these breaks more rested and rejuvenated.

While I have reached the 6 weeks of time off mark yet, I have scheduled into my year 4 weeks for rest and rejuvenation and I must admit while it’s sometime challenging to leave something I love so much, my family supports me by making sure I stay true to my word, and so do my clients by understanding and allowing me to slip away.

In fact, this next week I will be staying in one of my client’s condominiums in Charleston SC for several days, something my entire family is looking forward to. How’s that for support! On the way, we will be stopping over in Columbia SC for a “Sunday On Purpose”, so if you happen to be in the area drop in to the Unity Center of Columbia. I’d love to meet you.

I’m not promising that there will be an ezine issue next week, but who knows. It’s often during my times of R&R that my creative juices get to flowing the most.

By the way, when was the last time you took some time off to rest and rejuvenate yourself? Are you past due? If so, what are you going to do about it? And that’s the last coaching I’ll be giving for at least a week.

That’s it from Flat Rock NC where it’s another beautiful day in Paradise.

©2005 Brad Swift of Life On Purpose Institute, Inc. This article can be reprinted freely online, as long as the entire article and this resource box are included.

Over 90% of computer phones (VoIP) are not secure because they use a public known codex (publicly known encryption of sound packets) and a publicly known protocol to transport voice conversations. Therefore, users of these type of services are unknowingly exposing themselves to anyone who wants to listen in or access their confidential information. In addition, because of the public openness, the user’s computer’s vulnerability can result in a costly computer crash and total loss of all information.

Peer-to-peer computer phones are on unsecure lines.

There are five areas to address when checking for Security when looking for a VoIP Service Provider. Here’s how a VoIP Service should protect your security, whether on dial-up, wireless, satellite, or cable connections.

1. Call Security: A VoIP service’s audio (your voice) should compress your voice into proprietary encryption packets to travel across the internet, and return back to voice at destination. That particular VoIP service should host proprietary software, and as such, the only one that can interpret the voice and data contained in those packets.

2. Computer Phone Identity: When your first download and install a VoIP provider’s computer phone, a confidential phone number and password should be given to protect against unauthorized installation. To protect against unauthorized installation, your computer phone’s setup process should combine the phone name and hardware data from the PC on which it was installed to create a unique ID string known only to that VoIP’s own server. Because of the association between the unique ID with that particular PC, it prevents one person from reconfiguring their VoIP service’s computer phone to spoof another. It also prevents someone from copying that VoIP service’s software to another PC and then using it without having gone through the password-protected installation process.

3. Client Server Model: The VoIP service should follow a client-server model. The client is the softphone offered by a particular VoIP service. That particular VoIP service’s Server should be behind a highly secure proprietary firewall hosted in a professional facility. Any information shared should therefore only be between the client and server of that particular VoIP service. This means, that unlike some peer-to-peer solutions, private information about “buddy” lists or call patterns, etc., remains entirely confidential.

4. Softphone Setup: Firewalls vary widely and each network configuration may be quite different. When a VoIP service’s softphone first initializes, it discovers its ability to reach that VoIP’s service server, as well as a variety of ports and protocols for placing calls, depending on the results of its discovery. In a strict environment, the VoIP service’s softphone uses the same path the proprietary firewall already permits for web browsing (typically TCP ports 80 and 443). This allows users to make calls from anywhere without compromising or reconfiguring their own firewalls.

The VoIP service’s softphone should be able to initiate conversations with that VoIP service’s server and keep the server updated as to its status. By doing this, no public IP address needs to be setup for the PC running the computer phone. It also enables user flexibility without concern about security or privacy when moving from network to network. The VoIP service’s computer phone should be compatible with Network Address Translation (NAT) and Port Address Translation (PAT), and the kind of dynamic addressing that is found in wireless “hotspots”, hotel internet access, and dial-up.

5. Monitoring Capability: A strong security model should include an auditing mechanism to monitor usage and activity. This means that each computer phone should include its own usage log, enabling users to look through their own personal history of inbound, outbound, and missed calls. In addition, the VoIP service’s website should provide users the ability to view all individual phone call charges using the already set up confidential number and password.

Dee Scrip and her close friend Andy Murray operate the website http://www.whypay4calls.com. Where you can experience a 7 day free trial with a secure line on patented technology. NO contracts, obligations, or hassles!

We are used to think that communication is between people, that we need to communicate to express our feelings, our ideas, to create bonds, good feelings, harmony,…and we all know that good communication is key in relationships, whether this being with partner, friends, family, neighbours, business,…

In absolutely everything good communication is the key to success.

But have you ever thought that you need to have good communication with yourself as well? And that good communication with yourself determines your happiness and bad communication with yourself determines your unhappiness?

Yes, because we can have all the money in the world, and houses and cars and goods and relationships, but if we do not have good communication with ourselves we may be very unhappy and also not able to appreciate and be thankful for all we have.

So, how can we achieve good communication with ourselves?

First of all, you need to welcome yourself for who you are: you are a wonder, wonderfully made, unique in richness, gifts and talents.

You need to be yourself and not try to be someone you are not, it would create inner discomfort.

Then, how do you talk to yourself?

You might say: “I do not talk to myself, I talk to people!” Yes, well, but what are you thinking and telling yourself in your head?

Do you beat yourself up?

I believe 99% of the population has obtained a PHD in “Beating ourselves up”!

Ok, so how about first of all stop doing it, start finding good things in you, take responsibility for all your weakness and do something to change them, simply?

How about starting by asking yourself:

* Do I accept, or better, welcome myself?

* Am I appreciating who I am?

* Am I respecting myself?

* Do I love myself?

* Do I support myself?

And very important,

* Am I thanking myself for all that I have done and overcome and achieved and simply for being alive and taking care of myself?

Do you know that the quality of your life depends literally on how you communicate with yourself?

You can literally make yourself happy or depressed.

It is about your thoughts about yourself, what you expect and the meaning you give to events, other people, and situations.

Your happiness in fact depends also on the meaning you give to events, situation, people, because you can choose a meaning that empowers you or one that disempowers you. What goes on in your head really determines your happiness or unhappiness. We have such a power.

How about if next time that you find yourself thinking about an event you choose to expect the best?

And how about next time that you have a discussion with your partner you choose to give an empowering meaning, maybe reframing the situation, maybe asking yourself if you need to know more information before getting a little annoyed?

How about deciding that from this very moment on you are going to make yourself happy?

And how about deciding that from this very moment on you are going to make yourself FEEL GOOD, REALLY GOOD?

Remember you can choose your thoughts at every moment, choose empowering ones!

Copyright Piercarla Garusi 2006. All rights reserved.

Since ancient times it has been known that your word is a cause set in motion. In fact, the universe itself is claimed to have emanated from a single primordial sound. In the science of yoga, it is believed that certain Sanskrit words, known as mantras, can bring about magical results, thus you can secure abundance with a certain mantra, peace with another, and so on.

On a more practical level, your word still remains highly potent.

With your words, you can wound someone, sending them into spirals of defeat, and with your words you can heal someone, raising them up from a dismal place to soaring hope and motivation. In fact, the entire field of self-improvement is the transmission of words that will assist others to get a firm perspective and move forward with their lives, fulfilling their dreams and desires.

On a personal level, too, your words affect you. What you say to yourself about anyone or anything affects you, too. If you speak well of someone or something, you bring more of that harmony into your life. And if you speak ill of someone or something, you bring more of that frustration and anger and conflict into your life.

Psychological literature often speaks of numerous cases where a parent’s words, spoken casually, can affect the destiny of a child. And the most potent words that a parent can use to affect a child are those spoken at the time of dying…since these are the last words, and the moment is so highly-charged and the awareness so acute, these words become an imperative that the child now feels obligated to never disown.

Words are further charged with the emotion behind them. The stronger the emotion, the more highly charged the words. Many a love affair has fallen by the wayside because of emotionally charged words, which are later regretted.

Despite all this, people use words with the utmost casualness. People wreck their own lives and that of others through the careless use of words. They also accept the words of others as a given truth, when, in fact, all comments by others are merely opinion.

Words are causes set in motion, they are reality-creators.

The most marvelous aspect of words is how they can bend time. The brilliantly crafted words of Shakespeare or the eloquence of Martin Luther King still shape our lives. Words are so sacred that whole buildings are used to archive them and make them available for consumption.

A person can rise from poverty to wealth, from sickness to health, and from loneliness to loving companionship simply through exposing themselves to the most beneficial stream of words.

Words not only steal hearts, but shape reality as well. The earth can be a better place because of your choice of words. You can fill lives with the miracles of your words. You can be an agent for positive change and bring out the best in yourself and others simply by how you use words. Words are psychic shape-shifters…use them wisely.

Gratitude is our true companion. It is the essence of an expanded awakened consciousness.

Gratitude opens us up to possibility.

Kindness, steadfastness, peace, compassion, humility, forgiveness, generosity and all other virtues flow from Gratitude.

The longing for Gratitude can initially lead us on a journey that focuses on the external rather than the internal. The false notion that Gratitude results from external circumstances and things imprisons us. The ensuing compulsion to focus on what is missing in our lives, rather than celebrate what brings us joy, drives us to accumulate more of what we don’t needmore things. We develop a strong need to be gratified. This is not Gratitude.

The perception of lack breeds gratification. This choice robs us of a consciousness that cultivates Gratitude, cheerfulness, joy and enthusiasm.

Most human beings are at the effect of gratification.

You do not know your joy because you do not know your own self-fullness.
A Course in Miracles

Gratitude is an inner virtue. Cultivating it spawns a wealth consciousness.

Gratitude is not an event; it is a way of life.

To maintain Gratitude we must welcome all the happenings of our lives. The limited personality mind will tell us that one cannot always be in the realm of Gratitude.

We must ask ourselves these questions:
1) “At what point my life did I decide that cheerfulness and joy are a thing of the past?”
2) “Am I willing to rekindle the flame of Gratitude, cheerfulness, joy, and enthusiasm that lies dormant within?”

Without discipline we are not likely to establish ourselves in the wellspring of soothing, nurturing, and enlivening energies that Gratitude supplies.

Everything in the physical world is subject to change. Relationships, careers, homes, finances, health, and our bodies all change. The changes can range anywhere from gentle to startling. They can be happy or unhappy, welcomed or resisted.

Gratitude is part of the eternal world. If it were a condition based on the external, then any change would diminish it and deprive us of its healing essence.

Building a foundation on that which changes breeds fear, distrust and uncertainty. These are not conducive to cheerfulness and joy.

Our inner nature is the essence of Gratitude. It is unchanging. Our attention is either focused on it, or it isn’t.

Daily meditation on Gratitude creates a reservoir of energies that spontaneously support us during the times of emotional chaos or upheaval that we experience.

Creating an inner foundation is essential for each of us. This internal support is cultivated by the thoughts and words we place our attention on.

If you are cynical now and you do not redirect your energy you will be a master at cynicism years from now. The joy and cheerfulness will be something quite alien to you.

Accordingly, if you begin to place your attention on enlivening thoughts and words, you will build a foundation that will spontaneously support you throughout life. Enthusiasm will replace apathy.

Discipline yourself with activities, thoughts, and words that vibrate with your inner essence.

Below is a list of words that you can read daily. You will be amazed at how this can shift your consciousness.

By the time you finish reading it you may find yourself thinking of other words that vibrate at this frequency. You may even find yourself looking back over the list to see if your word is already there. I have. It’s contagious.

Admiration/admirable, abundance, ambitious, adoring, amazing, available, affectionate, adventurous, awesome, award-winning, authentic, amorous, accurate, articulate, attentive, appreciate, ardent, aesthetic, actualize, amusement, agreeable, brave, best, believable, buddy, bond, beauty, buoyant, bright, balance, calm, caring, capable, concerned, comfort/comforting, contribution, charitable, courageous, cheerful, coach, confident, chipper, cooperative, capable, celebrate, champion, charm, chirpy, clarity, clear, content, character, consecrate, compassion, dashing, debonair, delight/delightful, dependable, dear, devoted, diligent, dedicated, determined, dutiful, dynamic, daydream, delectable, delicious, encouraging, easy going, eager, effective, enlightening, excellent, enthusiastic, exciting, emotional, ethical, easy, endearing, energy, elder, ecstasy, enjoyment, ebullient, exhilarating, empathy, fun, funny, fantastic, friend, friendly, forgiving, full, faith, fortunate, fulfilled, fondness, fascinating, freedom, fervor, faithful, favorable, giving, good, gifted, great, generous, go-getter, genius, gorgeous, gay, gracious, Gratitude, games, gusto, giddy, heart, honest, helpful, hopeful, happy, hero, hug, heartfelt, healthy, hearty, heavenly, hobbies, hilarious, handsome, harmony, heaven, ideal, inspire, incredible, imagination/imaginative, interesting, indulge, important, intent, intelligent, integrity, insight, invincible, joy/joyful, jolly, joke, jazzy, kindness, kissable, keen, kindhearted, knowledge, love, laughter, life, lucky, lovable, likable, luscious, laughs, loving, loyal, lover, lively, lightness, loyalty, liberty, luxury, magnanimous, mature, mischievous, miraculous, marvelous, nice, neat, nurturing, noble, nutty, natural, nonchalant, nirvana, original, optimistic, outgoing, outstanding, oodles, patience, play, pleasure, pleasing, perfect, perceptive, patient, pleasant, positive, practical, pride, passionate, paradise, presence, quick, quiet, quality, responsible, reliable, reasonable, radical, remarkable, ready, radiant, rapture, revelation, refreshing, renewing, sweet, smiling, sensitive, super, sensational, stable, skillful, strong, sensible, sympathetic, suave, sharing, serene, silly, sufficient, sincere, spirit, sunny, satisfied, silly, simple, sentimental, savor, sacred, sumptuous, trust, truthful, terrific, thoughtful, tender, useful, upbeat, understanding, unique, unusual, valiant, vicarious, vacations, value, vivacious, vision, virtue, wonderful, wise, witty, worthy, warm, whimsical, worship, wishful, welcome, x-tra special, x-traordinary, x-cellent, x-pert, youthful, zing, zany, zealous, zippy, and zesty.

Thanks, I needed that.

I hope you enjoyed the list.

If you inspire joy, and others react to you with joy, even though you are not experiencing joy yourself there must be something in you that is capable of producing it.
A Course in Miracles

You inspire joy in me.

Blissings,
Matt Garrigan

Matt Garrigan is a motivational speaker, the founder of LifeForce Educational Corporation and the creator of The Liberty Experience Training, The Mastery Course and the Awakened Potential Course. Matt has been a pioneer in the human potential movement since 1980. His exceptional goal oriented coaching techniques, expanded consciousness training, awareness counseling, integrity coaching and spiritual guidance have assisted thousands of individuals in transforming the quality of their lives. As a motivational speaker Matt’s ability to uniquely integrate many different philosophies and practices, combined with his steadfast commitment to empower people, makes his work a potent, life enhancing experience that sheds light on new possibilities in communication, relationship, prosperity and enlightenment.


You may reprint this article in your newsletter as long as appears exactly as printed above including the links.


© Matt Garrigan – http://www.mattgarrigan.com

• Do you see the positive everyday?
• Are you able to “reframe” (make lemons into lemonade) circumstances in Life?
• Are you able, at the very least, to get a lesson to better yourself from each and every Life experience?

Did you know that I like acronyms? I do (in case you didn’t know) because acronyms make it easier for me to remember things, and they make for a wonderful and powerful format to present material from. So here is my latest acronym: I.M.P.O.R.T.A.N.T.

Integrity – The root word means “to be whole”. Are you being a whole person or just a partial person? If just partial, how come? Is your “walk” congruent with your “talk”? Do you operate from your own values and beliefs, or those of others?

Most Important – “The most important thing about the most important thing is to keep the most important thing the most important thing.” In other words, do you know your priorities and values, and operate from the most important (highest priority) to the least important (lowest priority)? Do you make choices based on your values?

Passion and Purpose – Do you know what really, really, really lights you up? And do you feed that passion? Do you know why you are here? Do you know your “calling” in Life? Do you know your purpose? Do you live “on purpose” (vs. accidentally)?

Optimism -Do you see the positive everyday? Are you able to “reframe” (make lemons into lemonade) circumstances in Life? Are you able, at the very least, to get a lesson to better yourself from each and every Life experience? Are you hopeful? Do you offer “an encouraging word” to those around you?

Real – Are you being the authentic you? Are you on YOUR Life Path? Are you marching to the beat of YOUR own drum?

Time-off and Time Management – Time and money are a lot alike…..do you know how you are spending your time? Do you have a time plan or a time budget? Do you set time limits on yourself? Are you able to just relax and “chill-out”, and not have to “do” anything? Do you take time to recharge your batteries? Do you take time to just play?

Attitude – Our attitude affects the way we see Life and the way we connect with others. Are you aware of your attitude? How do you “adjust your attitude” when it needs adjusting? Who do you rely on to give you feedback about your attitude?

Negotiable vs. Non-Negotiable – Do you know your absolute limits, meaning those places and spaces that you are just not willing to accept under any circumstances? Likewise, do you know your absolute “gotta have” areas and will not settle for anything less? And furthermore, do you know what you are willing to compromise or negotiate in your Life?

Top Line – These are sources of energy for us…What are the positive “Top-Line” people, places, activities and attitudes that are going to serve you best in your Life? Do you put yourself in these Top-Line situations?

So there you have it, the new I.M.P.O.R.T.A.N.T. acronym.

By the way, what is I.M.P.O.R.T.A.N.T. to you?

Let me know what you think about this, or better yet, send me your own version.

Ken Donaldson has been based in Tampa Bay offering counseling, coaching, and educational programs since 1987. His REALationship Coaching programs empower people to have more successful lives, businesses and relationships by building a powerful relationship with themselves first. Visit his website at http://www.REALationshipCoach.com for more information and sign-up his free e-program Illuminations and Sparks of Brilliance. Ken is also the author of the upcoming book Marry YourSelf First!