Inspiration Content

My friend Hugh Jeffries died. He was a wealthy man. His wealth was of the kind that you can take with you when you go. I do not know what his tangible estate measures. That is unimportant now. This I do know�his contributions to the lives of others were the true measure of his success and wealth.

He was a wise and compassionate man. He offered, in every conversation I had with him, words of encouragement and kindness. When I expressed frustration or anger, he counseled forgiveness and understanding. When I ranted about the mediocrity of people�s lives, he reminded me that every human soul is great and we cannot know the value of another�s daily contribution by their anonymity.

Hugh worked with many of the great and famous personal development teachers. He believed in me and supported my work. I took that as high praise. It was only after my ego got out of the way that I realized that Hugh believed in and supported everyone he encountered.

I think it is important to note that Hugh knew that every word and deed is a causal agent that produces effects. He lived his life accordingly. He believed that everyone has something valuable to contribute and everyone has the potential for greatness.

Each word spoken and deed enacted by Hugh is a measure of his greatness.

We may not be ever be able to know exactly what kind word saved a person�s life or what supportive gesture contributed to someone�s happiness and success.

Hugh often said that each of us could make difference in the world. It wasn�t just a philosophical statement. He set about to do that; and, he succeeded.

Hugh made a extraordinary difference in thousands of lives, who in tu will make a difference in the lives of countless others. His loss is deeply felt by all who knew him; but more importantly, his gift of himself to each of us will live on as we lea to live by his example.

Now that is a legacy, an estate to leave behind. Hugh died a wealthy man indeed.

I mou his death. I celebrate his life.

I will always remember his smile. It was in his eyes. It overflowed out of his heart.

�That Man is a Success
Who has lived well,
laughed often and loved much;
Who has gained the respect of intelligent men
and the love of children;
Who has filled his niche
and accomplished his task;
Who leaves the world better than he found it,
whether by improved poppy, a perfect poem,
or a rescued soul;
Who never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty
or failed to express it.
Who looked for the best in others
and gave the best he had.�
�R.L. Stevenson

�We have never come at the true and best benefit of any genius so long as we believe him an original force. In the moment when he ceases to help us as a cause, he begins to help us more as an effect. Then he appears as an exponent of a vaster mind and will. The opaque self becomes transparent with the light of the First Cause.�
�R.W. Emerson

� Leslie Fieger. All rights reserved worldwide.

Leslie is the author of The DELFIN Knowledge System Trilogy: The Initiation, The Jouey and The Quest plus many more success publications. He also the co-author of The End of the World with Hugh Jeffries and Alexandra's DragonFire with his daughter Ashley. Subscribe to his free and ad-free eZine at http://www.ProsperityParadigm.com or http://www.LeslieFieger.com.

Reprinting and republishing of this article is granted only with the above credit included. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright.

Do you find yourself asking questions when tough times come like, �Why has this come my way?� or �What did I do to deserve it?� It has sometimes crossed my mind, �Why me?� when I�m faced with what seemed like an insurmountable problem.

Never allow negative thoughts to rule when you have the temptation to quit!

I have leat not to dwell on negative thoughts when I am tempted to quit. God knows that the battle for success is first won in the mind. In his instruction book, the Bible, he tells us how to overcome - �Fix our thoughts on what is true and good and right.�

1. The truth is, there is hope

In the first chapter of the Bible we read how God created the world and said, �It was good�. The world was perfect when God created it. He then created man and woman and gave them free will. Our choices brought sin into the world. The perfect world he created was ruined and we now suffer from the effects of rebellion, selfishness and pride.

God didn�t abandon us to our choices. He sent his Son, Jesus, to this imperfect world to rescue us and give us hope of a better future. No matter what problems you are facing there is always hope. We all hurt. We all make mistakes. That�s life. It�s a jouey. God wants to help us in our jouey. God either helps us by removing our mountain or giving us the courage and strength to climb the mountain.

2. The truth is, Jesus understands our struggles

When we don�t know what to do next, we can pray. Why pray? We pray because Jesus understands our suffering and he has told us to ask for his help. He said while on earth, 'Come to Me all who are heavy burdened.' God tells us that He can be 'our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.' He suffered greatly during his time on earth. You can talk to him because he cares about you and knows what you are going through. He knew physical suffering, rejection, betrayal, hunger, cold and sadness. He wept and even questioned God. The Bible describes him as a 'man of sorrows acquainted with grief.'

Never doubt in the dark what you have leat in the light. In a run-down Ethiopian hospital, two days jouey from were we were working, I underwent exploratory surgery and was diagnosed with a large ulcer in the bladder. According to the doctor, who had seen several ulcers in the bladder in Asia, there was no known cure. Remembering to never doubt in the dark what you have leat in the light, I tued to one of my favorite verses. �Who is among you who�walks in darkness and deep trouble and has no shining splendor in his heart? Let him rely on, trust and be confident in the name of the Lord, and let him lean upon and be supported by his God.� (Isaiah 50:10)

What does it mean to trust or rely on God? Trusting in God is believing that he is big enough to bring good out of what is happening. It's when we wake up in the moing and say, �God, I know you love me and answer prayer, so I thank you for answering my prayer today.� Bill and I called on the name of the Lord to heal me. Three months later I was reassessed and there was no sign of the ulcer!

Never give into temptation Life can be cruel and when we are down we often get beaten the most. We are most vulnerable when going through difficult times. To help you make wise choices, talk over decisions with someone in whom you have confidence. Had someone given us that advice years ago while under pressure, we would not have made an unwise financial choice.

It's a choice to try to see the good in our situation, a choice to trust God even when we don't understand what's happening or why, a choice to respond to Him and not harden our hearts, put up walls and defend ourselves when we are tempted to do just that. It means relying on Him for direction, when we get it, obeying Him and continuing to trust that He knows best.

As we have discovered, staying afloat through hard times is a choice we make, actually a series of choices as we go through our day. The solution to our particular situation may not come in the way we expect. The tough times you are facing may be leading you to what might be your most important choice. Download the 25 minute movie free.

A right relationship with God may be the ultimate answer to many of the problems you face. Would you like to have a relationship with a powerful God who loves you and wants to help you?

Inteational traveller, author, and speaker, Wilma Watson has been helping people overcome life�s challenges for over 35 years. Her encouraging words have helped thousands reach their full potential. Wilma is the producer of a unique website that makes spirituality fun and simple. Visit her site at http://www.ydyc.org

�Rejoice! You have won the jackpot!� Here you are, not knowing where your next meal is coming from, totally exhausted physically and emotionally. Then the phone rings and in an instant you�re up, running and screaming, laughing and crying all at the same time. Your downcast attitude has instantly tued to joy. Your fatigue..... What fatigue? You remember it no more because an outside force has swept you literally off your feet and changed your whole life around.

What happened from one moment to the next? An influx of adrenalin set your feet a-tapping and your circumstances are remembered no more. �Yeah,� I can almost hear you saying, �I would be happy, too, if only I won the jackpot!� If only... then! Are you one of those �if only� people? Is your happiness and joy dependent on exteal stimuli? Then come along with me and let�s see what David did whenever he was surrounded by all his enemies.

David, probably more than any person in the Bible, really knew and loved the Lord. He had come to know the meaning of the Lord�s lovingkindness; His unconditional love poured out on the cross to buy back the debt you could never pay. David walked and talked with God in total trust. In the Psalms we notice that every time he cries out to the Lord, he ends up praising Him for His goodness and mercy!

In Psalm 35:1-8 he begs the Lord to plead his cause and to stand up for him as if in battle. Then, sure that the Lord will do what he had just asked of Him, he exclaims: �my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation. All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?� Then he promises the Lord that when - not if - he is delivered from his troubles, �I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.� (v. 27) and finishes his song of praise (psalm) with: �Let them shout for joy, and be glad..; yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.�

Start praising Him in the middle of your difficulties. Then shift your focus from the trouble and the negative, whining, nagging voices in your head to the Solution. The devil will try to have you focus on the problem and magnify it out of proportion. Put all your energy onto the author and finisher of your faith. He alone has the solution! Trust Him and, like David did, thank Him for the outcome. Have the vision before you of more than what you want the outcome to be. Why? Because He is the God of more than enough. He supplies all of your needs according to His riches in glory. (Phil. 4:19) Then choose to forget your problems and call them � yes speak to them � a thing of the past, and wait expectantly for the solution which He has in store for you. Believe me, His blessings are far better than any temporary jackpot euphoria! While you are speaking your blessings and awaiting your miracle, He will shower you with His Peace.

�How excellent is they lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.� (Psalm 37:7-9) Now go on, put on some praise music and get your feet a-tapping. Sow the seed of praise and reap your harvest of blessings!

Achieving financial freedom is not a hundred meters dash. It is a marathon. Financial freedom is much more than quitting your day job. It involves living in a realm above financial worries. If you are still grappling with personal financial issues or still working for money, it does not matter whether you are an employer or self employed, you are yet to attain financial freedom.

There is no easy road to financial freedom. The path is riddled with potholes. Sometimes, things do not go as planned. More often than not, there is a big world of difference between planned and actual. Reality sometimes springs some nasty surprises.

You need to know upfront that things will very likely not go as planned. Sometimes it does. You need to be ready to give all it takes, and to pay the price. If you desire financial freedom hard enough, you will find in yourself the inner strength to rise up each time you stumble. Success does not just happen. If you believe the pop up ads on financial freedom that assault you online, you can believe anything. Nothing valuable and enduring comes easy. There is nothing like increase without labor (physical, mental or both). It is a basic law of nature. If you attempt to violate this principle, you are on your own.

When things go wrong, it is a good time to stop and re-evaluate what you are doing.

You may be doing something wrong. Go over your processes and make amends. Read up some more and acquire more skills and techniques. Work smart. Pure hard work does not take you far these days unless you work smart. Continuous improvement is the key. Get better by the day. A setback is a good opportunity to lea. Success makes you feel cool; you are doing just fine. Failure or setback sends you right back to school. You come out stronger and wiser.

You may be heading the wrong way. No matter how far down the road you go, if you are on the wrong road, the only way home is to tu off and retrace your steps. Get the correct road map before you proceed. If you find out further down the wrong that you are using the wrong map, shut down and begin again. You may have wasted a lot of time, energy and resources on a wrong venture. As painful as it is, your best way forward is to cut your losses and call it a day. Start afresh, on the right path this time. Who you are and where you are going is the major determinant as to what the right path for you is.

It may even be that you are on the right path, doing the right things. Hang on there. Don�t give up. You don�t know how close you are to a breakthrough. Sad stories abound of people who gave up just before dawn. If you are on the right path doing the right things, then keep on keeping on. You may not see the results from where you are standing. It does not mean that you are not making progress; it�s just that it is not obvious to you, or those around you. Keep at it. Your progress curve may be going flat, don�t give up. You have to go through midnight before you hit dawn. When you cannot see beyond your nose, it is quite tempting to throw in the towel and retu home. See it through to the finish line.

Don�t lose sight of your dream, don�t allow circumstance make you lose focus and go looking for a short cut or quick fix. Easy come, easy goes. Stay true to yourself. The experiences you go through in the jouey and the person you become after going through the process is much more important than the destination itself. Nothing satisfies more than being yourself, who you were bo to be.

Usiere Uko is the webmaster of the Financial Freedom Inspiration website and editor of the monthly Financial Freedom Inspiration Newsletter, a free ezine to inspire you to exit the rat race and fulfill your God given dreams. To subscribe or visit the site, please click on the URL below. http://www.financial-freedom-inspiration.com. He is also webmaster of http://www.newdawninspiration.com

Wreaths are like rings. They represent the Universal Circle ("Let the circle be unbroken �" as the song lyric goes) and also the idea of circulating love, wealth and prosperity for yourself and neighbours. Usually they are hung on the front door, over the fire place or over the dining room table to commemorate special occasions or the changing of the seasons.

To make the frame for your wreath you will need strong thread, glue and branches from the appropriate tree. Try to make your wreath from branches you find on the ground, however if you can't, be sure to thank the tree if you end up breaking off any its limbs. However, probably the easiest way is to buy a pre-fabricated frame for it at Walmart or a local craft store. Most craft stores sell very nice circular frames made from vaished grape vines that look very natural and authentic.

A wreath can be complicated and hung with a coucopia of herbs, fruits and flowers or it can be as simple as a bunch of pussy willows braided together and formed into a circle. Below I have made a few suggestions for different wreaths you can make to suit different purposes.

LOVE DRAWING WREATH

For this you all you need is some kind of circular armature, or the above mentioned grape vine wreath. However if you want to make your own circle, the branches from any fruit tree (apple, cherry, or orange) are perfect. Leave as many leaves on the branches you can and make sure they are thin and pliable enough so you twist them into a the circle. Once you have constructed the circle decorate it with dried roses. Pink and red are the best colours. The darker the red, the more sexy the wreathe. You can dry your own roses in advance. However, if you have no dried roses available, fabric flowers will work just as well. Tie the buds of the roses into the wreathe and then decorate it with pink, red and white ribbons, Although kind of lush and girly, it is designed to bring love into your life.

PROSPERITY DRAWING WREATH

This little wreath is beautiful, simple, classy and it smells great. Use a grapevine armature and intertwine sprigs of basil, rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage, and bay leaves. All of these herbs draw wealth to the home. You may attach small oranges or kumquats. For an added dash of spice to your life, stick each orange with pins which have been threaded with cloves - an orange stuck with cloves is an ancient way of drawing money to you fast.

CHINESE PROSPERITY DRAWING WREATH

Use dried or fresh red, orange and yellow chrysanthemums, which symbolize autumn, protection and money. With this one you can use a Styrofoam board backing to affix the flowers to the backing. Or you can tie them to a grapevine armature. Decorate with red ribbons.

PROTECTION WREATH

Take long thin branches of holly that still have berries on the vine and braid and twist them into a circle. Holly is known to protect from evil spirits and bring blessings to the home. Decorate with a white ribbon.

CORNOCOPIA OF THE GODS WREATH

Take pine or spruce branches and using wire and players, twist them into a circle. Decorating this is not unlike decorating a Christmas tree, only you are going to attach pomegranates, oranges, walnuts in their shelves, kumquats, pine cones, acos, bay leaves and chocolate covered coins. I like using fresh stuff, but there are many versions of the wreath that could be made using plastic replicas of food such as grapes strawberries and oranges. Finish this masterpiece off with gold, yellow and green ribbons.

MARTHA STEWART'S OSHUN HAPPINESS WREATH

I stole this one off of Martha Stewart who probably didn't realise that she was inventing something that would honour the African Orisha of the Rivers, Love, and Wealth, Oshun. It is Oshun who takes care of love and relationships, money, and all the things that make life sweet.

For this one you will need hundreds of pins, and bags and bags of pink, orange and yellow gumdrop candies. Use the pins (or use glue) to press these candies onto their backing. The effect is a sunburst of joy. Finish it off with a big bow of pink, yellow and orange ribbons, However save this one for the mantelpiece. Oshun is not the only being that loves sugar. You don't want an army of birds or squirrels attacking your front door!

Samantha Steven's articles have been published in many high-standing newspapers and she has published several books. If you wish to buy Samantha's books about metaphysics click here http://www.insomniacpress.com/author.php?id=110 You can meet Samantha Stevens at http://www.psychicrealm.com where she works as a professional psychic. You can also read more of her articles at http://www.newagenotebook.com

(excerpted from The Challenge to Succeed series)

Two thousand years ago on April 15th one of Jesus' disciples came to him and said it was time to pay taxes (that's how I know it was around April 15th), but they had no money. In response to his disciple's statement Jesus said "no problem". Now why could he say "no problem"? Well, word had it that Jesus was a miracle worker. If you hand a problem to a miracle worker what they are inclined to say is "no problem". You've got to hang out with people like that.

I belong to a small group and we do business around the world. These guys are all miracle workers. What an incredible group. If you hand any of them a problem guess what they say, "no problem". How many books will they read to solve a problem? As many as it takes. If they need to consult - how much consulting will they do? As much as it takes. How early will they get up? As early as it takes. "No problem"... you got to hang out with people like that. You cannot believe the thrill of being associated with miracle workers, people who will do whatever it takes to get the job done and perform miracles.

When asked about paying the taxes Jesus said it was "no problem". In fact, he said it was going to be easy - he told the disciple to just go fishing. Now it couldn't have been any easier than that, especially for this disciple whose name was Peter, because Peter was a fisherman. Now if you can fish and you should fish and you don't fish - then that is why you do not get a miracle. But Jesus told his disciple to go fishing and the first fish that he caught to look in its mouth. Peter, who was used to strange things happening, agreed. Well, the first fish Peter catches, he looks in its mouth and finds coins. Peter then adds up the coins and they are exactly enough to pay his and Jesus' taxes.

"Wow!", you might say, "That is a miracle!" Here is why we call it a miracle - simply because we don't quite understand how it works. That's all. Doesn't mean it doesn't work, it just means we don't quite understand how it works. Which is true of all miracles. In fact, for most of us - our whole life is a miracle.

How about this miracle... God says if you plant the seed I will make the tree. Wow, you can't have a better arrangement than that. First, it gives God the tough end of the deal. What if you had to make a tree? That would keep you up late at night trying to figure out how to make a tree. God says, "No, leave the miracle part to me. I've got the seed, the soil, the sunshine, the rain and the seasons. I'm God and all this miracles stuff is easy for me. I have reserved something very special for you and that is to plant the seed."

I have found in life that if you want a miracle you first need to do whatever it is you can do - if that's to plant, then plant; if it is to read, then read; if it is to change, then change; if it is to study, then study; if it is to work, then work; whatever you have to do. And then you will be well on your way of doing the labor that works miracles.

To Your Success,

Jim Rohn

Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn's Weekly E-zine. Copyright 2005 Jim Rohn Inteational. All rights reserved worldwide. To subscribe to Jim Rohn's Weekly E-zine, go to http://Jim-Rohn.InspiresYOU.com

The jouey through life, full of many twists and tus, can at times leave you breathless, wondering where you went wrong. It appears that going wrong is the only obvious explanation for the turmoil that might be face. With the soul parched, struggling to find meaning and purpose, the desolate landscape of a desert saps the life right out of each step. With the heel dragging, the footfall landing on cacti, the hot sand blistering the feet, you don�t remember when the lush landscape of abundance deserted you. Yet, as I have ventured through many a long desert-jouey as part of my life-path, I have discovered the desert to be an important aspect of a well-lived life.

Each person will have a unique life-story to live, a unique life-purpose to manifest, and a unique passion to embrace and share with the world. This is where the desert really does its most miraculous work. The moving dunes, the sun-baked rock, the flash-floods and weathered and shaped terrain beholds a grandiose beauty that is inspiring to the visitor. There is superb and profound strength found in such a place and a beauty that is hard to deny when the observant and disceing eye stops the chattering mind and really takes it in all the detail.

Often times the parched soul will be unaware of the riches that are all around as they travel the road of life this way and that way in desperation. The desperate struggle to survive this blasted fuace and seemingly desolate landscape causes an anxious panic as one mirage after another is chased into oblivion. Each time a mirage is chased, the traveler will come closer and closer to the lesson and leaing that is screaming from within. This inner-voice of wisdom is difficult to hear over the moans of self-pity and cries of anguish and pain.

In time, the traveler�s will begin to settle as the pain of festering blisters and excruciating thirst bring their attention back to the body�s wisdom. Noticing the state of self and a quiet inner-voice, realizations of what is not wanted, the imagination begins to form a vision of what is wanted that will shape a new reality and reveal an invisible path within the desert landscape.

Although weakened and discouraged, the traveler slows the pace and balances the sight between the horizon and self; what is wanted and what is not wanted. As this awareness grows and panic subsides and surrender takes place, the traveler can now begin to see the fruit blooming in the desert. This is what it is to change the focus from an old lifetime of values to a new path to the truest inner spirit.

New values can be formed and discovering the great wealth in the smallest grain of sand, honoring it with gratitude and blessing, more abundance can be found, allowing the trail toward the oasis to reveal itself. Now aware, the senses are heightened and whispers on the wind tell stories of others who have traveled and leaed on this road to inner-truth. Observing the nature of the wild new wisdom is also found and finding that first watering hole bringing temporary relief and refreshment to the weary traveler.

However, the jouey is not over it is soon discovered and leaving the waterhole is a must. Staying too long will only lengthen the duration of the jouey and potentially leads to new calamities as wildlife and other travelers come with their own stories to live. With a courageous step, the traveler ventures forward again back into the wildeess of the desert, momentarily overwhelmed with the inhospitable heat that wants to consume. Focusing the awareness again, remembering the lesson leaed the sight is set back to the present and self, to find the balance between the two worlds so that insight will reveal itself. A personal alchemy is practiced with focus, intention, and attention, showing the way back along the invisible path that reveals itself to the aware. Each step brings many instances to observe and lea, to disce and hone, and the traveler gains clarity of what is wanted and what is not wanted.

The most difficult aspect for some in such an inhospitable landscape is the art of gratitude and yet gratitude is the gift to the teacher within who will grow stronger. Giving in gratitude, the teacher is able to impart the lessons judiciously and expediently, making the hidden path visible and straighter than the meandering wide road of malcontent. The malcontent traveler often finds themselves sitting alone beside the road panting with want while the grateful traveler finds companions that make the jouey light. Even so, there are generous lovers of life who will extend a hand to the malcontent, if only they will pick themselves up after a period of encouragement and compassion.

Part of my life-story also saw me in the midst of struggle, blind and groping for the toilet handle so that I might flush the crap out of my life. With the passing of time, my experience lends to observance as my awareness grows and gains clarity. With clarity increasing in focus I clear out what I don't want in my life and continue to make room for what I do want in my life. With quick refreshing experiences of what success may be, an overwhelming desire to lean into the momentary comfort takes over and I rest. Before long I realize I cannot stay here and must continue the jouey.

On the first leg of the struggle my panic kept me lost, blind, and desperate. Then the observance of wants revealed a path as I watched for what showed up, and my gratitude solidified my vision of who I am and where I want to go. Again I continue, able to trust in the process, weathering the storm, grateful for the shade, the sun, the water, and each piece of fruit discovered on the way. The time arrives when I now see the lush green on the horizon, the desert harshness has lost its� edge, and the truth of who I am blossoms forth bringing riches to the world.

The most miraculous and joyous truth of this jouey is that the blossoming riches for the world are also for myself. The grateful heart, the giving heart, the observant wisdom, all know the intimate balance of the elements and forces of nature; not just the raw laws of the wildeess but also those of humanity and spirit. In honoring these lessons and sharing the bounty is service to humanity and to self, to Spirit and to spirit, to Love and love through the gentle art of generously giving and graciously receiving.

Lee Down is a professionally trained Spiritual Life Coach committed to the development of the human spirit. His vocation and business, One Man Can Human Capital Development has evolved from human resources, to career and life coaching until the inspired writing, also available on his site, paved a new path into the realms of Spirit. Discover power, passion, and purpose. Enjoy abundance, love and fulfillment.