In mentioning “uncomfortable” in my i-Ching post I don’t mean getting out of the oft-quoted “comfort zone”. Just coming online might have been enough to test you on that. And you passed… because here you are.

I don’t mean prosperity mindset, as opposed to poverty mindset or vice versa, when I say that many people get into a flustered or confused state due to the big guns always focusing on the mighty dollar and the million dollar business.
That’s obviously their style and, seemingly, their obsession.

And, Yes… for them it’s easy, now.
But it wasn’t so easy when they started.

What they have is what they put in the time to build. Maybe they would be more use to those just getting started if they shifted their sales talk away from the current gains slightly, and reminded newcomers that you don’t become a millionaire overnight.

Look… there’s no harm in just wanting to be able to earn enough to keep the roof over your head and keep the wolf from the door.  Why the hell can’t they seem to understand that? Instead of beating you over the head and making you feel as if you’re being treated like some kind of leper for just wanting to make some money?

Probably because, if they did shift their sales talk to what better suits you, rather than what best suits them, then they would think their chances of clobbering you with a high ticket item… and catching you on even stage three of an ever-decreasing OTO… would reduce the cashflow into their pocket.

Like I said before… there’s no harm in just wanting to be able to earn enough to keep the roof over your head and keep the wolf from the door.

Not everybody can see themselves as the owner of a business that brings in more money than they ever saw before. Probably the majority can’t see it.

Don’t forget, we live in the UK.  You might be in the USA. Either way, we have the advantage of living in one of the wealthiest and most advantaged countries in the World… despite the economy. Other countries are poor by comparison. They don’t have our resources… and most of the natives living in those poor countries also don’t have our educational advantage.

Sheesh…
THEY need help most of all. They need to be nurtured into the wealth concept. It’s alien to them.
However, they still need to be educated into the idea that whatever they choose to do as a means of making money online has to be treated AS IF it were a big business money spinner.

The bitter-sweet reality is in the fact that there are multiple streams of income to be obtained from projects involving Free resources. Mighty oaks from little acorns grow. The bitter aspect being… obsession with the mighty dollar puts such projects and resources below the level of the high-achievers.

Such programs don’t bring in enough quick cash for the “gurus” to feel it worth their time to reveal those things, even if they know about them. And many big-hitters DO know about them. In fact, they often demean the value of those programs, saying they’re a waste of time or don’t work.

What they’re really saying is, “if it’s not going to net me $250 an hour from the kick-off, and I can’t leverage it to make $500, then I don’t wanna know.”

If the high-achievers did give such tips it would provide real and actual HELP for those who NEED that help. Instead of that, it comes down to the little guy (or gal), who might not be earning so much himself (or herself) to take on the mantle of mentor or guide.

Current exchange rate from GBP to PHP, for instance, (that’s UK pound to Philippines peso) is now UP, at 1.00 GBP to 79.2376 PHP. It was around 90PHP when I visited Philippines in October 2007, the pound having suffered since.  But, take it from one who knows… You can buy a hell of a lot more in Philippines for your pound equivalent than it’s possible to buy with an actual pound in UK.

My point being this…
When you see a Blog where someone is ecstatic about having earned $3.25 or suchlike, from spending God knows how long clicking on PTR (pay to read) eMails or websites for 0.001 per click… probably from an Internet cafe where power supply is liable to drop at any time… and often… THEY really mean it.

The piddling $3.25 (as we might regard it) is worth 159.080PHP currently to a Pinoy family.  One person could live modestly for 3 days on such an amount 2yrs ago.  Even if  things have drastically changed since then, such an amount would cover two days still.

It IS possible to make a good, healthy income from the Internet… and I don’t necessarily mean from the above method. But there are easy, simple ways for those with modest aspirations and less money at their disposal… IF ONLY they are prepared to accept that the money will not come overnight.

I think hyped up statements like “suck cash from the Internet like a vacuum on steroids” might be responsible for many broken dreams. Don’t you?

Executed properly, with a stepped and structured plan, when such riches come they can come from many sources. Most people wouldn’t believe it possible. But because of the small cost necessary to get started, where there is a cost, and what appears to be small monetary reward in such things on an individual basis, most don’t consider them or think it worthy of their time to pursue.

Writing this has been useful and helpful to me.
Cathartic, really.

I can only hope that by sharing it in this Blog it might also be useful and helpful to whomever may need it and find it. If GoogleBot identifies some value in this post, then there might be AdSense ads appearing on this page.

However…
this has not been optimised with targeted keywords in order to achieve that.
Does that mean that this post has no value if Google ads don’t appear?
Only you, the reader, can say…
and that will obviously depend on your own circumstances, views, and opinion.

Posted in the Spirit of Love and consideration for those less advantaged.

Namaste, Shalom, and God Bless.

Ken

This is shared because I know for a fact that there are many who are, or who often find themselves still, overwhelmed and confused in their quest to make money online. What method to choose… where to start… and whom to trust?
In addition, there’s what do I need… is it essential… and what’s the next step?

My use of “appropriate” refers to my chosen interpretation of the reading as far as it relates to my perceived circumstances on the day. Maybe the reading is also appropriate from the cosmic influences of the day. That is only my presumption, but it seems logical in so far as these readings have not followed a chronological order during the long period in which I have received them. A true student would be better informed about that, and not guessing.

What follows next is the reading, with my interpretation in bold italic.

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
Ken’s Personal I Ching Hexagram:
Hexagram 18: Repairing What is Spoiled

General Meaning:
Something is starting to rot and it is time to repair the damage. In the world of human affairs, indulgence and corruption grow like weeds in an untended garden; they must be faced squarely, and rooted out through bold action. Eliminating corruption — and the sloppiness that leads to it — is one of the most ennobling of all human enterprises.

(Corruption, in this sense, means being spoiled. And, unless we’re careful, that spoiling could lead to total decay, unless rooted out and/ or rectified. The sloppiness reflects, in my case, a lack of prior preparation and organisation of the information to be used in building what I had a vision to create.

As for indulgence… that’s tied in with the sloppiness of collecting all we can grab for fear of missing something. In such cases we see a Special Offer or something cool that “might come in handy later”, so we grab it… even though we cannot make immediate use of it. Problem is… without prior organisation… that cool tool is forgotten or gathers dust in some dark corner of our hard drive.)

Correction of flaws in the system clears the way for fresh, new beginnings.

(Recognise that the above has happened, is happening, and regain focus on your objective. Be brutally effective in reducing your eMail subscriptions to those that REALLY serve you and which you faithfully and diligently read.)

The time has come to become lean and efficient. The weeds must be rooted out now, before the garden is overwhelmed. Fighting decay, sloppiness and corrupt agendas is not a simple matter; all steps must be evaluated carefully. Planning must precede action. Resist the temptation to strike out prematurely. Gather strength behind you, and summon your inner resources, because arresting decay is no simple task. When you do act, make your strike as precise and clean as the path of the surgeon’s knife.

(This, more or less, warrants a repeat of my previous remarks.
In this case, for me (at least), it means being brutally effective, but careful, in reducing programs and ideas for income generation to those that REALLY serve my purpose in achieving what I wish to achieve… and in the manner by which I see most fitting to all concerned that the goal shall be achieved.

There is, of course, a third choice one could make. That’s covered by the  surgeon’s knife referred to above. Many have chosen that act in the extreme. Many times the thought occurs to me that it might become my chosen action…
but then I sit quietly and consider the mental stigma of having quit, for once in my life. Rediscovering what I first started wins the day.
Wearing blinkers and bullshit deflectors is helping to keep me on track.)

What caused this post?
Simply that I recently learned of a procedure that would help me in a certain task I need to perform. But I can’t for the life of me remember who shared it, where I read it, or even if I made notes of it.  The sudden realisation of the extent of my self-inflicted overwhelm, fostered by the endless “must haves” thrown at us, is what caused me to share this.

Is that “passing the buck”? Abdicating responsibility?
No… Not at all. I AM responsible, and I accept that. The steps I’m taking to rectify that for the future are in the last line, 2 paras above.

Despite what some people might think… the i-Ching is not about predictions.
Studying the hexagrams and taking an honest, in-depth look at yourself, rather than simply reading, can often calm a mind that’s confused about things happening in your life from choices you made.  The wisdom of the i-Ching can, and usually does, offer prudent steps you can take to get out of a mess.

For my money, there is certainly a great deal of wisdom in the i-Ching.
We just have to be honest with ourselves and be prepared to see it.

Posted in the Spirit of Love and consideration for those feeling confused or overwhelmed by the amount of “stuff” being constantly thrown at them.
Even if you ARE honest and accept Personal Responsibility.

Namaste, Shalom, and God Bless.

Ken

Today, Thursday 6thAug, 2009, at 6AM Eastern all prices for Clickbank Pirate will increase. That will be in less than 3hrs, at 1100hrs UK time, as I write this.

So… if you want in, and I suggest you take a very quick and serious look at it… you better get your skates on.

No small surprise that Clickbank Pirate has been MUCH more popular in the first 24 hrs than Soren Jordansen and Cindy Battye, it’s creators, anticipated!

And to think I almost let it pass? Phew… beats me. But still, common sense prevailed and I gave in because Clickbank Pirate fits in perfectly with what I’m working on in the background. More on that in another post.

Word from Cindy has it that Soren’s tearing his hair out with the rate of business and enquiries. Greatly exceeded their expectations to have quite such a mad rush. Still, you probably agree that it’s a nice problem to have.

When I first heard about Clickbank Pirate, then saw the promo material, I saw the potential as far as a real chance for newbies to make an income was concerned. I just knew it was vastly under-priced.

And the honesty in revealing the REAL results of the beta-testers satisfied me that these are genuine people that have created such a product. That was a refreshing change from the usual over-inflated and, I’m sure in many cases, bogus stats claimed in other such promotions.

Soren and Cindy have gone to town with the splash /squeeze pages for many of the products too; they really do the business. You can see one in action, right here. And don’t forget, each product will have such a page that will deliver a free report and eMail follow up series promoting Clickbank Pirate (and other CB products) using your links.

All done and ready for you. I think you might like it.
Personally… I love it.

Now, time to go and get this post “out there”… and time ticks fast for you to go see before the price goes up. With their honest “No Risk Guarantee” you should go straight in here and read the sales page after; otherwise you might just miss out.

Ah, yes… almost forgot to mention… I tagged this and the previous post to “Techie Challenges” for the very simple reason that, as far as I can see,
there aren’t any!

Good Luck… and have a Great Day.

KenW

“turnkey business”, “autopilot profits”, “automatic riches”, “plug and play”, “do nothing and get rich”, “fully automated income”… yada, yada, yada.

As you have probably guessed from the tone of my posts, some posts at least, I am NOT a fan nor a believer in hype and bullshit. What you’re about to read is neither hype nor bull. Apologies for the straight-talk if you’re offended by that word, but we all know what it means when we see Bull****… so why mince words.

If you’re in the arena of make money from home on the internet, either as a fully-fledged work at home business or if you simply need to make money from home on the internet as means of making a bit of extra cash… then you MUST read this and ACT on it NOW if you’re stuck in making your dreams happen… OR if you would like to do better than your current results provide.

You should have heard by now, about 2 producers of excellent products, Soren Jordansen and Cindy Battye. Well… yesterday Soren and Cindy released their highly anticipated ClickBank Pirate and, as usual, the market was flooded with promotions for this new product. Not much new in that fact, nor the fact that some people are already going nuts about it.

What’s ClickBank Pirate?
and what’s so darn good about it that people in the know are raving over it?

ClickBank Pirate is their turnkey system for making massive Clickbank commissions on autopilot. And, dear friend… for once you should BELIEVE what I write about it being a turnkey system and about it being on autopilot.

Too often we see claims of “turnkey”, “autopilot”, “plug and play”, “do nothing and get rich”, “fully automated income”, and then, when you commit yourself and buy into it, what do you find?

In this case, with Clickbank Pirate, I think it’s different.
In fact…
I know it’s different, because I’ve seen what’s inside ClickBank Pirate.

Whilst it’s true that nothing can ever be quite as simple as “Sign up, do nothing, and let the money roll in”… ClickBank Pirate is as close as you’re ever likely to get to having exactly that when you join.

The Training area, affiliate toolbox, and pre-written emails are probably more than you might usually find, or expect to find (based on what most other programs provide).

Everything is provided for you.
ALL you have to do is read the instructions and follow those instructions.
Drop a few links here and there, in a few well-chosen places, then watch what happens. Soren Jordansen and Cindy Battye have created ClickBank Pirate with the newbie marketer in mind.

They even provide advertising resources that you can use at no cost…
but maybe I shouldn’t tell you that because I didn’t know until after I joined.
Think… unadvertised bonus here. Yes? Got the idea?

But, as good as all that is for ME, there could be a problem for YOU…

Clickbank Pirate has been MUCH more popular than Soren Jordansen and Cindy Battye, it’s creators, anticipated in this first 24 hrs!

I’ve already purchased my ClickBank Pirate membership, and all that they offered along the way, and… for me being the sceptical, anti-hype, anti-guru that I am… which I AM… I bought the lot!

The website stated that the current offer would only be available for one week or until they reached 1000 members.
Now… less than 24hrs on the market and there’s already approaching 3,000 members and growing at an insane rate as word spreads.

The grapevine tells me that Soren himself has said that they will be pulling the current offer TOMORROW.

So you probably have less than 24hrs to check it out and get on board.
You really should seriously consider the offer on this page:
http://cbpirate.com

This really is one of the easiest things I’ve EVER seen in all my years on the ‘Net… and it’s for everyone, whether you’re a novice or an expert at internet marketing. It must be… because everyone from novice to expert is jumping all over it right now.

This is the first time I’ve seen such a promise delivered, after they say:

• You don’t have to sell anything
• You don’t need to learn HTML or any other techy stuff
• You don’t need to have your own website autoresponder, domain etc.

All you have to do is send some traffic to one of the links they give you…
sit back and count the Clickbank commissions ticking in.

Every Genuine Review should consider any potential or obvious negatives.
To fulfil that obligation, and not come over as another hyped up promoter,
which I’m not… because I bought into the WHOLE Clickbank Pirate system… the only potential negative I feel is in the fact that Soren and Cindy did NOT pull the plug on Clickbank Pirate as they said they would.

But then…
with the options provided within the Clickbank Pirate system, and a little bit of lateral or creative thinking, and the growth of newcomers to the Internet, there should be no more risk of saturation with Clickbank Pirate than there is risk with ANY product in any niche.

If you can cut and paste, you have what it takes to make money with the Clickbank Pirate system.
Yes… in this case… Clickbank Pirate IS a system.

But you do have to be quick…

Start here NOW
http://cbpirate.com

You only have a few hours or so at this rate! Hope you make it in time!

P.S. Everything about the Clickbank Pirate system is over the top, including their bold statement of confidence in the performance of Clickbank Pirate:
They virtually guarantee your success because you simply plug in to their proven system - they do all the hard work for you.
It’s all explained here on the page

You have nothing to lose because you’re covered by the usual guarantee.
Clickbank Pirate is Great Stuff, and you really shouldn’t wait.

Clickbank Pirate provide you with a squeeze page you can see in action, right here, that will deliver a free report and eMail follow up series promoting Clickbank Pirate (and other CB products) using your links.
I think you might like it.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and if you can add value to it by leaving a useful comment, that will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, and may your Spirits guide you.

ahhh… they wuz the daze.

Adapted from lyrics of “Do You Love Me”, from Brian Poole and the Tremeloes
(or the Trems, as we knew them) from 1963.

The question is…

Did yuh miss me when I wuz away?
Did yuh hang my picshur on yer wall?
Did yuh miss the things that I like to say?
Or did yuh even miss me at all?
Did yuh even miss me at all?

Hello… Hello…
It’s good to be back

again, ahhh… early ’70s, I know, but they wuz still the daze.

“Hello, Hello… I’m Back Again” by Gary Glitter (the alter-ego of Paul Gadd).
Maybe best not dwell too long on the artist, due to his latter years publicity.
Sad end to a career that brought so much fun into a great many lives, in an era where pop suddenly had glitz and glamour as well as good music.

So… “What’s all THAT got to do with the headline?” you might ask.
Then again, you might not ask… or even care about the connection.

I mean… a previous post only made brief mention of a few words oft spoken by the late Hughie Green and it provoked a comment.
Who can tell what response might come from anything that you or I write,
or what memories might be invoked in the reader?

Anyways… my absence since (I don’t know when, and I’m ashamed to look) might well be accounted for in the fullness of time. If not here in this Blogsite, then elsewhere on the ‘Net. And I don’t mean from a newspaper headline.
But then again… not ALL news is negative. Who knows?

Let’s begin with a Thank You to Mandy for showing concern for me, or (at least interest in) my whereabouts. Thanks Mandy… I appreciate that.

Before anyone jumps to a wrong conclusion here, Mandy and I are not dating.
Myrna wouldn’t approve, Mandy wouldn’t want it, and… to be honest… I don’t need anymore confusion in my life right now or in the far distant future.

But Mandy’s kind interest, her question, and three other recent small gestures, the latest being Sunday just gone, caused me to come up with the analogy mentioned in the headline. The note I wrote at the time follows next.

“Internet Marketing, especially for beginners, is like an online dating site.
You get lured in by hype and fancy promises, then, when you hit a snag, you find that support is thin on the ground… if, indeed, there is any support.”

Lots of previous and recent experiences caused that little gem to manifest.
Those experiences were mostly negative, yet the positive gestures were what actually caused the thought to germinate and find its way to the tip of my pen.

It’s as if the yin has power over the yang, which we all should know that it does, but not always do we notice when the good has actually triumphed.

My birthday occurred during my absence and two members of an online Group, where I’ve been Welcomed, each chose to leave a birthday greeting.
I’d not been in there since way before any thought of my birthday, and the last thing I might expect would be birthday greetings from the membership.

Their messages weren’t found until weeks later, and then, on Sunday as I was clearing up a pile of eMails, one email from another business said there was a message for me in my members’ area.

I’d not been in that place either, since whenever, so I went there and found another birthday greeting. Now… you might be wondering “What’s the big deal that makes a 60something guy get all fussed up over a few birthday greetings from strangers?”

Well… I hope you’re not thinking that, but if you are, take my advice and go sit quietly, on your own… in silence… and try… just TRY to imagine what it would be like if you were like that all the time… on your own and nobody cared.

All three greetings were from the hearts of those people.
None had an agenda.
There were NO sigfiles, NO pitches, NO URLS…
nothing but genuine interest and a demonstration of interest, care, and…
what I believe to be a genuine desire to communicate.

Unlike so-called member forums where almost every invitation to be “friends” comes with a pitch for the best thing since God created Woman.

What makes me Believe so strongly that those greetings were sincere?

I can only answer for the two from the same source.
And I can do that because only last night, the Sunday referred to above,
I was invited again to visit the Group providing the source of those greetings.

A big celebration was to take place,
but why on earth should they choose to invite me?

Folks… I’m gonna tell yuh…
Providence DOES provide,
Faith WILL move mountains,
and a Sincere Heart WILL bring resources to your door.

On my previous invitation to the Group Conference, there was a member speaking of a charitable project he had been working on to provide a school for children in southern India. He spoke of his project, gave a demonstration of a product he had created to raise funds, and praised the support he had received from the Group in order to make all that happen.

He also spoke of his future aims, goals, and dreams.
Last night he announced that he will leave for India within the next month.

Is it a coincidence that I have a similar dream for another part of Asia,
that I should find that Group and be invited to join their previous conference when nobody, not that I’m aware, knew what my dream is…
or where it might be for?

Especially when there’s another guy in the Group DOING something similar for similar results in another disadvantaged part of the planet, yet also in Asia?

And ask yourself this… is it another coincidence that the Group’s organiser invited me again… a passing casual who showed an interest months ago…
and invite me on the night when the same guy announced “Dream Fulfilled”?

There’s a little bit more to this, but I’ll leave you now with that to ponder.

Oh… and the analogy of the Dating site?
Glad you asked.
Think about Relationships and you should have the answer.
Or was it a feeble attempt at spider fishing? Waddya reckon?

Namaste, Shalom, God Bless.

Ken

Tesco carrier bags have been made smaller.
Morrison’s carrier bags have been made bigger.
What might be your perception on those facts?

Could it be that one company is assisting the media in their doom and gloom over the economy?

Could it be that the other company are bucking the system and having big bags so that curtomers will subconsciously buy more to fill them?

Could it be that the first company are on a cost-cutting exercise to still further their profits, satisfy their greed, and to keep shareholders happy? A case of “Bugger you, Jack, I’m all right!”

Or might it be something as simple as me going to the quickcheck checkout, where the bags are customarily smaller due to the nature of that particular checkout? You know… ten items or less.
(I DO wish they would, at least, write it correctly as “ten items or fewer”.)

Anyway… that’s all trivia for this Blog. Even so, it might give you something to ponder over, if only in passing through here.

What’s more relevant to marketing online, and important to me, is the following, and how we choose to perceive it… especially newcomers to the shady world of online marketing.

A few weeks ago I found a page, the company’s page, not an affiliate capture, offering a service that normally sells for $74/month. The page had the usual hype and spiel about the hordes joining, but stated, “we are currently taking on new clients so….. The next 50 people (slash 6) to join save HUGE and it’s just $29.95/month”.

Guess what… Today they have a “special promo” running, and, believe it or not… “The next 50 people (slash 6) to join… yada, yada, fluff n waffle”. That sort of marketing stinks; it taints, by association, those who market ethically, and all the hype and hoopla brings the whole industry into disrepute.

I was going to say “profession” but such practices are, to my mind, akin to what is known as “the oldest profession”, and I’m not about to prostitute myself or my good name by taking part in it. Mind you, I shall still comment.

Depends on one’s perception, I guess, and possibly length of online presence. The latter must surely be useful for others to access, especially Newbies, and as you can see from this Blog, I’m not shy of telling it as I see it.

Whichever way you choose to see it, or however you percieve it, is a matter between yourself and your conscience. What we choose to see, or do, comes down to what we Believe in. If those Beliefs are misguided, then the responsibility falls with us as individuals and we must step up to the plate and accept the consequences.

Same applies to conscience where accepting the consequences is concerned. Much better for me, as an individual, to share what I see with others whilst following my Beliefs with a clear conscience… however misguided my Beliefs might turn out to be… than for me to allow myself to be held hostage to someone else’s modus operandi.

“Whatever you do to, or for, another, you do to, or for, yourself; be it good or bad”.
Napoleon Hill

Go forth, do good, and prosper. Leave a comment on the way out, even if it’s just to say how sceptical and negative this post has been. All comments are gratefully received, especially the nice ones… which all have been so far.

I recently claimed a profound quotation as my own. No-one has disputed that, or provided a vaild source at this time. Another just came to mind and, although I can’t find a source for this one either, I’m sure I’ve heard it before and might have worded it incorrectly in my extensive search.

If you recognise it, or know the source, please tell. Yer tiz…
“the applause of a single person is indeed a great thing”

Namaste. Have a Great Day.

KenW

Strange question, especially with me not declaring any allegiance to any fixed dogma, even moreso that the question just came off my fingers, and isn’t even the focus of this post. Maybe I write more on this later, or whenever.

Even so… due to my upbringing in a Church-oriented family, for which I am grateful, there’s a large volume of teaching locked inside. That teaching often rises to the surface in times of concern, or when my emotions cause me to feel concern, rightly or wrongly, especially in relationship matters.

Shadow, my K9 buddy, is a wonderful therapist. Living alone, after a near-lifetime of being one of a pair in one way or other, isn’t easy if one is wrapped up in efforts to escape a self-inflicted black hole.

Even harder when there’s a four-legged companion with needs to be catered for as well. Time flies, and priorities become distorted, bringing focus to the task in hand, rather than personal or doggy needs.

No… this post isn’t a “feel bad for Ken” plea. It’s not about dogs either, nor the merits, benefits, or restrictions, in having a dog. Maybe I write more on that later, or whenever, as well.

And, No… I’ve not flipped. There really is a point to this. It’s just that I often mention Shadow and the things that come into my mind when we’re out walking. This is another of those “revelations” from dog-walking.

The weekend of May 03rd, 2009, Myrna was away for a family wedding in Manila which the President of Philippines Republic would be attending, and Myrn hoped to meet her. Philippines were hit by three typhoons over that weekend.

Later, Myrn told me that she, with Mimi, her youngest daughter, was stranded for more than a day when a road became washed out and impassible. For safety sake the wedding trip was aborted and they returned home as soon as possible.

Communication is poor at the best of times and, on that occasion, a full week passed with absolutely no communication from Myrna… I was unaware of the typhoon situation. When you consider that, even now, we’ve still only had 3 chat sessions from April 29 through May 14, you might understand my concern.

My reaction was bad, and Myrn was left in no doubt of the fact. On the other hand, my relief and gratitude for the safe return of Myrn and Mimi goes without saying. What also should leave no doubt in the mind of the reader is how bad I felt for the way I reacted… after the facts of the matter became known.

Hence, the second half of the title of this post and the reason for writing it.

Myrna also felt bad and apologised for leaving me in the dark, and that covers the leading half of the title. Not so much for atonement by one moreso than the other, but simply for atonement between us.

It was after the dust had settled from our little upset when a walk with Shadow brought the term “atonement” to mind and, with it, another glimpse of self-realisation. Ingrained Church teaching caused me to think of “atonement for my sins”, which, in a way, I suppose it was. Being more of a “free-thinker” I found the following definitions.

You will see that the first definition comes from an English test, presumably from the days when Religion was being taught in schools. For me, the second definition is more to the point, especially in our personal case.

Definition of atone (verb)
forms: atoned; atoned; atoning
turn away from sin or do penitence
http://www.english-test.net/gre/vocabulary/words/088/gre-definitions.php#atone

Atonement \A*tone”ment\, n.
1. (Literally, a setting at one.) Reconciliation; restoration of friendly relations; agreement; concord. [Archaic]
http://www.hydroponicsearch.com/spelling/simplesearch/query_term-atonement/database-!/strategy-exact

Similar circumstances of concern, and doggy-induced thoughts, occurred in late February, and that was covered by the Pascal quote in my previous post.

Conducting a relationship, or trying to, on a trans-global scale, has more than a few challenges. Frustrations are equal for both parties, but response, reaction, and even perception are a matter for the individual.

There again is where the self-realisation kicks in. I’m grateful for that and, along with the following Bible entry I remember an old saying that’s also appropriate… “Too soon old… too late smart”. I’m also grateful that the smarts came before I became TOO old.

“Don’t judge, and then you won’t be judged. For others will treat you as you treat them. And why worry about a speck in the eye of your brother when you have a board in your own? Should you say, ‘Friend, let me help you get out that speck from your eye,’ when you can’t even see because of the board in your own? Hypocrite! First get rid of the board. Then you can see to help your brother.”
Matthew 7: 1-5

Be gentle and ready to forgive; never hold grudges. Remember the Lord forgave you, you must forgive others.
Colossian 4: 13

The Martian in me reveals and, thankfully, the Venusian in Myrna is forgiving. We are each understanding of the other, and Myrn’s Yin supports my own Yin in helping to balance my Yang. I say “Bring on the Yin”. What say you?

The Bible quotes go to show how deep the learning goes… or does it rather show how willing we are to accept the teaching? Or maybe it supports the Aristotle quote from my previous post, “You can never learn anything that you did not already know”?

Answers on a postcard take too long. Just leave a comment, if you please.

Namaste… Have a Great Day.

KenW

I’d been walking with Shadow and the words of Pascal came to mind. On return to my chalet, I did a search for the quote found later in the article below, and found this article in an interesting site.

Tomorrow, or should I say much later today, I shall try to post my reason for writing it in this Blog, almost 3 months after the event. Needless to say… in that time the intended article has made itself scarce, but I’m sure it will fit in well with what I have for you in my next post.

Hi, Victor

Whilst walking with my K9, the famous words of Pascal came to me.
On return home I checked the source before using the quote in an
article I was about to write. Your site was amongst several found on
the first page of results. The following article says just about everything
I’d planned to say.
http://www.powerattunements.com/article143.html

I request permission to publish this on my new site, with full credits and
reference back to your site if you will permit me. You will necessarily wish
to see that the article is requested for a bona fide site; to that end, the
domain in question is located at:-
http://www.kenwoolcock.com

Ken Woolcock

As always… enjoy the reading and the message within.

The Secret Of The Masters
by Asoka Selvarajah, Ph.D

It was Aleister Crowley who made a profound observation that I have always remembered from the time I first read it. He pointed out that there is one - and only one thing - in common in the lives of Jesus Christ, the Buddha, Mohammed, Moses and other great spiritual teachers. Apart from this, their lives and teachings were totally different. So too were the people they preached to and the message they taught. However, there is one unique experience that they all shared in exactly the same way.

Think for a moment what it might be. It’s not an easy question……

I won’t keep you in suspense. Crowley points out that all of these founders of world faiths, without exception, retreated into a wilderness prior to receiving and delivering their great revelation to the world. Jesus was baptised by John and promptly disappeared into the desert for forty days and forty nights. The Buddha escaped from the samsaric slumber of the royal palace in which he was born, and went to meditate under a bodhi tree for many years before enlightenment came. Alone, Moses disappeared to the top of Mount Sinai and received the ten commandments, and more, from the burning bush of God. The Prophet Mohammed spent much time in a lonely cave at night in the hills outside Mecca before he received the Koran from the Angel Gabriel.

Silence. Retreat. A Wilderness experience. Communing deeply within. This is the X factor. It can truly be said that prior to this inner retreat, there was actually nothing spiritually distinctive about these people at all. Virgin birth apart, the life of Jesus prior to this isolation is hardly even discussed in the Gospels. The Buddha was one of many Indian princes. You couldn’t have picked Mohammed out in a crowd. And Moses, though an accomplished magician at the time, and leader of a nation of homeless and hungries, still had his best days very much ahead of him.

When they returned from the place of silence and solitude, they came with FIRE! The flames of that fire spread with unquenchable force. It set light to the world. The truth they revealed differed very markedly, according to their own times, as well as the history and traditions of the people they taught. But it was new. It was powerful. It came from a place where most of us never go. It was divine revelation.

Perhaps none of us will start a major world faith or would even wish to. Yet, the power these spiritual masters tapped is available to us all. In fact, they are the first to say this. This power can transform our personal and spiritual development. It is the power to break the boundaries of our own limitations and ego consciousness.

Now, from this dramatic comparison of the lives of the Spiritual Masters, we have a strong hint of how to get there ourselves. It is through silence, withdrawal and inner stillness. It is only by BEING, i.e. willing to spend time with ourselves, to conduct our own retreats. This is how we can truly break through the barriers and blocks that prevent us from realising who we really are and what our life destiny is.

If you need any more persuading, consider the following from some of the greatest minds that have ever been:

“All of Man’s problems stem from his inability to sit quietly with himself”
Pascal

“You can’t teach anybody anything, only make them realise the answers are already inside them”
Galileo

“When you go into the space of nothingness, everything becomes known”
Buddha

“You can never learn anything that you did not already know”
Aristotle

“The Kingdom of Heaven is within you.”
Jesus Christ

An old story relates that the Gods debated as to where to hide their wealth of wisdom and spiritual power. They finally settled on hiding it deep within Man himself. They knew he would look for it everywhere across the planet except there!

Thus, if you wish to make progress in anything - spiritual, material, or even financial - the place to start is to go within. This is where the Inner Genius lies, the Higher Self, the Power of God. Spend time with yourself in contemplation. Wait upon that inner voice. Do not bring your preconceptions with you. Allow what comes to be virgin-born.

How different this teaching is to that of the world; even of the spiritual authorities. The Church will tell you that spiritual growth comes through regular attendance, good works, holy communion and other outward forms. The business world will tell you to attend more seminars, read up on presentation techniques, and jump onto the latest trend.

However, the wise person knows that inner victory must always precede outer. There are no shortcuts. This way of silence is tougher. It takes time and patience. It is out of sorts with the ways of the world, which is precisely its power. You may not even know how to begin or what to expect. Just begin. Schedule regular time for it. All questions will be answered in time. By You!

It is the way the Masters have walked. It is the way they recommend. Practise it yourself. Begin today.

by Asoka Selvarajah, Ph.D

Copyright © 2002
Spiritual Awakening Network is a registered trademark
Spiritual Awakening Network/All rights reserved
http://www.powerattunements.com/article143.html

Please leave your comments on the way out, but come back soon for more.

Have a Great Day. God Bless

KenW

Useful tip for submitting forms on websites and, if you didn’t read “F5” already, I suggest you go there now. It’s a short read and this is along the same lines.

The title of this post was earmarked as “Technophobic relapse” but, in view of Steve just challenging me (in a way), that title shall wait for the next occasion when I have a “senior moment”.

It happens, folks, and it ain’t no fun… either the “senior moment” or the consequences of same. Although… I tend to just laugh. I mean… what else is there to do?

OK, here goes… there was a need for me to add a service in a business of which I’ve been a member for years, also to use a secondary eMail address.
So I filled out the form and submitted it.

All goes well, so far… and it wasn’t just a case of giving the new eMail. There was a form and some text to go with it. Because they already had my primary eMail address, I gave them my Yahoo! Wrong move!

Having great trust in my company, their technology, and their ultra-safe eMail system, I had no reason to make a copy of my submission.
Or so I thought!
Yahoo, in their wisdom, and in the interests of my great care and safety, didn’t even sift the validation request to the Trash folder.

That bit of protection was something I could have done without. I had to go back to my company, write up the message from memory, fill in the form again, and then hit Submit.

Folks… I wanna tell yuh… if you haven’t already done so, and you need a secondary eMail account… Please do yourself a favour and visit the Big G. Google at least have the grace of giving you the option to decide whether or not your own damn eMail receipts are valid, junk, spam or not.

This little whoopsie was not my fault, other than trusting Yahoo.

The validation came through instantly to my GoogleMail, as you would expect, and it did go in the unknown sender folder. Subsequent eMails from the same source (and various departments) have all gone in as recognised and safe since being whitelisted. Big bully for Google there.

Incidentally, when you have a Google eMail account, you automatically have two eMail addresses; YourID@googlemail.com - and YourID@gmail. com

How neat’s that? Good, eh?

Big Tip is this… the above case was more frustrating than hard work or mental gymnastics. The amount of actual text was not as much as the form filling, so it would not be much help, or very easy, to make a text file copy for the details required in the form fields.

Sure, it could be done, or Roboform would have much of the detail required for a standard form, but it still wouldn’t get the darn vaildation eMail through, would it? And that was the problem in this case.

However, when you need to submit a form in a website, and unless you can be sure to fill it in quickly, write it up in Notepad first, as a plain text file. That way, if there should be a technical glitch, or the website does a timeout on you, you won’t have to write the damn lot up again.

Summary:-

1. Yahoo are becoming as bad as AOL for trashing your eMails.
2. Go to Google and get a GMail account.
3. Write your Form submissions in Notepad in case of gremlins.

In case you hadn’t realised it yet… I’m having a great time writing this Blog.
And I mean that most sincerely, folks, I really do.
Anybody remember Hughie Green?

Good Morning. Time now 06.26.
I might as well stay up now, dontcha think?

Ken

So… little things mean a lot. You’ve heard it said, I’m sure. But, I wonder… what are the little things that mean a lot to you?
For many, it’s those three little words; you know the ones, “I Love You”.
I guess we all like to hear, and say, those little words, don’t we?
I know I sure do… both ways, verbally giving and receiving.

There are another two words which, to my way of thinking, are equally important. This follows on from the earlier post on “Gratitude” and serves as a demonstration of how one thing can lead into another, whether it’s the same subject or not. In this case it is the same subject.

I reckon we like to hear those other two words just as much as the previous three words, don’t you? And the two new words are “Thank You”. Or, you can go one better and say “Salamat po” or “Thank you very much”… either sounds good to me. What do you think?

Going back to the subject of Gratitude, it’s been said that it’s more blessed to give than to receive. No argument there. And one should give with a good heart if the giving is sincerely meant, not given in the hope or expectation of some favours in return. No argument there either.

But what if the gift receives no acknowledgement from the receiver?
What then?
Unless, of course, the gift is given by an anonymous donor, in which case the beneficiary is unable to say a personal expression of Gratitude.

This applies in families, in relationships, and between people who might only have a passing acquaintance, or even between good friends.

It doesn’t apply only to material things either. A simple act of kindness, or help in a small way could be as valuable to the recipient as material things. All of those are examples of Giving… and all deserve recognition, whatever the connection between giver and givee.

Might there not come a time in any relationship when the giver who gives with a good heart becomes weary of giving because the gift is accepted without recognition?
Is it wrong to expect a simple “Thank you”?
Surely that doesn’t fall into the category of giving in order to receive… does it?

I leave you with that thought as I go back to bed at 5am,
and please leave your thoughts to this post, that post, and the one before that and I shall Thank you, as always.

Salamat, and bonne nuit… ou bonjour, wherever you are.

KenW