Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Nature is Part of Us

I was reading in a book by Ken Wilber, called A Brief History of Everything and he writes the following:

“Molecules awoke one morning to find that atoms were inside of them, enfolded in their very being. And cells awoke one morning to find that molecules were actually inside of them, as part of their being. And you might awake one morning and find that nature is part of you, literally internal to your being. You are not part of nature, nature is part of you. And for just that reason, you treat nature as you would treat your lungs or your kidneys. A spontaneous environmental ethics surges forth from your heart, and you will never again look at a river, a leaf, a deer, a robin, in the same way.

This sounds very weird and far out – until you have that experience. You might ask the Apollo astronauts about it.”

Friday, September 21, 2007

Free! Three Great Books!

I have uploaded three of the greatest books of all time to my website. The three books are:
  • Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
  • As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
  • The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles

These are the books that inspired the movie and the book, "The Secret".

The three books are in the public domain and therefore available for downloading and distributing. The books require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view them (they are PDF files).

The link for the book downloads is here. Scroll to the bottom of the page.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Praise for "Think and Grow Rich!"

"This is the best single book on personal success ever written; it made me a millionaire—-starting from nothing."
-- Brian Tracy, author of Getting Rich Your Own Way

"It's the classic of all classics."
-- Harvey Mackay, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive


"The cogent advice articulated by Napoleon Hill is as relevant and pertinent today as the day it was written.”
-- Donald R. Keough, former President and CEO of Coca-Cola, now Chairman of Allen & Company, Inc.


“I first read Think and Grow Rich! 30 years ago at age18. I found it to be the most fascinating book I had, or have ever read, excluding the word of God. It is much more than instructions on how to obtain wealth. It strengthens your spirit, your soul, and promotes the proper attitude to achieve peace, endurance, and a loving family—the real measures of success in life. My life has been richly blessed as a result of reading and rereading Think and Grow Rich!. Dr. Hill performed a wonderful work for mankind and was a useful vessel for God when he wrote this book for all people and all ages. I know all readers will be enriched upon reading this new edition of Think and Grow Rich!."
-- Emerson B. Hall, President of TruBody Shaving Gels


"Think and Grow Rich! has had a tremendous impact on my life. My company, Contours Express, would not exist if not for this book. And now, seven years, 15 additional readings, and more than 350 fitness centers later, I still find new personal and business applications each time I read it. Without question this is the greatest business book ever written."
-- Daren Carter, founder of Contours Express fitnesscenters, located in six countries


“Dr. Hill’s original work transformed the 20th century. This newly revised version will do the same for the 21st century. No writer, thought leader or guru of personal growth and development comes close to Napoleon Hill. This landmark work takes his stature to an even more monumental level.”
-- Bill Brooks, author of The New Science of Selling andPersuasion


“Here comes the all time classic self-help bestseller gently adapted to be most relevant for the challenges we all face today. If you believe pursuing self-improvement is important for enjoying a full and meaningful life, you will want to make sure you have this book in your personal development library.”
-- Charles C. Manz, author of Temporary Sanity: InstantSelf-Leadership Strategies for Turbulent Times and co-author of Fit to Lead


"Ross Cornwell has made it easier than ever to learn from a giant of a leader and thinker. Napoleon Hill's wisdom applies to us all, any generation, any background and station in life! Napoleon Hill has served as Mentor to Millions. Why not you?"
-- Ty Boyd, CEO of Ty Boyd Executive Learning Systems and author of The Million Dollar Toolbox


“I thought Think and Grow Rich! was a classic and could never be improved. I was wrong. I am sure Dr. Hill would be greatly pleased to see how his work has been honored and enhanced by this outstanding new edition.”
-- Wally Amos, founder of Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies, author of The Cookie Never Crumbles:Inspirational Recipes for Everyday Living


“Think and Grow Rich! is timeless and will continue to change lives. It’s powerful in turning people's dreams and passions into life-long realities. It did mine and still remains my number one reference book."
-- Don L. Price, professional speaker, author,sales/marketing & positive change solution provider


“It took me 17 years to become World Champion, but I always knew, deep down, that I would win the 'big one' someday. Napoleon Hill's Think And Grow Rich! changed my life. It inspired and excited me, and with the belief in myself I received through its pages, I, too, passed the 'persistence' test and achieved my lifetime goal. This life-changing book will help you achieve your goals too!”
-- Peter Ebdon, World Snooker Champion 2002


“Think and Grow Rich! was one of the first motivational books I ever read. Often I pick it up and read a chapter....the ideas NEVER go out of date."
-- Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE, keynote speaker, speech coach, sales trainer, Past President of the National Speakers Association


“Zen teacher Richard Rose said a spiritual seeker could find Enlightenment by following Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich!, and substituting ‘God’ or ‘Truth’ wherever the book says ‘money.’”
-- August Turak, founder of Raleigh Group International, Elsinore Technologies, Inc., and the Self Knowledge Symposium Foundation


"I was introduced to Think and Grow Rich! as a high school student. This book was recommended to me by my teacher who taught a class called 'Everyday Living.' At that point in my life I suffered from low self-esteem, and this book was a motivating factor for me. It gave me a new lease on life when I realized I could do anything if I had the desire and believed I could achieve my goals."
-- S. Truett Cathy, founder, Chairman and CEOof Chick-fil-A, Inc

The best way to truly learn the value of this book is through a study group. Please contact me via email to register for my online book Study of "Think and Grow Rich".

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Bottled Water - Think Again!

"Millions and millions of dollars are spent each week on advertising campaigns to give consumers the perception that bottled water comes from some pristine mountain spring or magical underground aquifer assuring purity and quality. However, the fact is that bottled water is often times little more than just tap water in a bottle... sometimes worse!

You see, the Federal regulations that govern bottled water only require it to be as good as tap water, not better. There are no assurances, regulations or requirements that bottled water be any higher in quality than tap water, and according to some recent studies, it may often be of lower quality."

Click here to learn more.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Think and Grow Rich Online 6 Week Seminar


Think and Grow Rich Webinar
6 Week Online Book Study
Beginning October 2nd @ 7:00 PM

This is your chance to be part of a MasterMind group that will be studying the classic book, Thick and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill. This is a book that will change your life!


From Wikipedia:

Think and Grow Rich! (ISBN 1-59330-200-2) is a classic motivational book. Written by Napoleon Hill and inspired by Andrew Carnegie, it was published in 1937 at the end of the Great Depression. In 1960, Hill published an abridged version of the book, which for years was the only one generally available. In 2004, Ross Cornwell published Think and Grow Rich!: The Original Version, Restored and Revised (Second Printing 2007), which restored the book to its original content, with slight revisions, and added the first comprehensive endnotes, index, and appendix the book had ever contained.


The text of Think and Grow Rich! is founded on Hill's earlier work, The Law of Success, the result of more than twenty years of research based on Hill's close association with a large number of individuals who managed to achieve great wealth during the course of their lifetimes.
At Carnegie's bidding, Hill studied the characteristics of these great achievers and developed fifteen "laws" intended to be applied by anybody to achieve success. Think and Grow Rich! itself condenses these laws further and provides the reader with 13 principles in the form of a philosophy of personal achievement.


Reflected in these principles is the importance of cultivating a burning desire, faith, autosuggestion and persistence in the attainment of one's goals. Hill also discusses the importance of overcoming many of the most common fears that can adversely affect one's thinking and potential.


Hill in his introduction to the book refers to the "Carnegie Secret", a conception which he reports is the foundation of all success and appears to be the premise of the book. Hill promises to indirectly describe this "secret" in every chapter, but never state it plainly, believing the use of the secret is only available to those who possess a "readiness" for it, a disposition Hill describes as essential to the concept itself.


Think and Grow Rich has sold consistently since its first publishing. According to one publisher, the book has now sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. Think and Grow Rich is currently ranked #9 on the BusinessWeek Best-Seller List for paperback business books and has been on the aforementioned list for 22 months as of April 2007.


“Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.” -Napoleon Hill

Cost: $89.00 (price includes the book “Think and Grow Rich”)
Payment Method: Check or Cash

Contact Marty McEvoy at marty@martymcevoy.com to regsiter!


Make checks payable to Practical Empowerment, LLC

If mailing a check please mail to:

Practical Empowerment
114 FS Drive, Suite D
Viroqua, WI 54665

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Napoleon Hill Quotes

A goal is a dream with a deadline.

Action is the real measure of intelligence.

All achievements, all earned riches, have their beginning in an idea.

All the breaks you need in life wait within your imagination, Imagination is the workshop of your mind, capable of turning mind energy into accomplishment and wealth.

Any idea, plan, or purpose may be placed in the mind through repetition of thought.

Before success comes in any man's life, he's sure to meet with much temporary defeat and, perhaps some failures. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and the most logical thing to do is to quit. That's exactly what the majority of men do.

Big pay and little responsibility are circumstances seldom found together.

Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.

Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once, whether you ready or not, to put this plan into action.

Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.

Don't wait. The time will never be just right.

Edison failed 10, 000 times before he made the electric light. Do not be discouraged if you fail a few times.

Education comes from within; you get it by struggle and effort and thought. Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.

Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed on an equal or greater benefit.

Every person who wins in any undertaking must be willing to cut all sources of retreat. Only by doing so can one be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as a burning desire to win - essential to success.

Everyone enjoys doing the kind of work for which he is best suited. Fears are nothing more than a state of mind.

First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.

Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness.
Happiness is found in doing, not merely possessing.

Hold a picture of yourself long and steadily enough in your mind's eye, and you will be drawn toward it.

Ideas are the beginning points of all fortunes.

If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.

If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self.

If you must speak ill of another, do not speak it, write it in the sand near the water's edge.

It has always been my belief that a man should do his best, regardless of how much he receives for his services, or the number of people he may be serving or the class of people served.
It is always your next move.

It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed.

It takes half your life before you discover life is a do-it-yourself project.

Just as our eyes need light in order to see, our minds need ideas in order to conceive.

Man, alone, has the power to transform his thoughts into physical reality; man, alone, can dream and make his dreams come true.

Money without brains is always dangerous.

More gold has been mined from the thoughts of men than has been taken from the earth.

Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure.

Nature cannot be tricked or cheated. She will give up to you the object of your struggles only after you have paid her price.

No accurate thinker will judge another person by that which the other person's enemies say about him.

No man can succeed in a line of endeavor which he does not like.

No man ever achieved worth-while success who did not, at one time or other, find himself with at least one foot hanging well over the brink of failure.

No man is ever whipped until he quits in his own mind.

One must marry one's feelings to one's beliefs and ideas. That is probably the only way to achieve a measure of harmony in one's life.

Opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat.

Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.
Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel.

Procrastination is the bad habit of putting of until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.

Reduce your plan to writing. The moment you complete this, you will have definitely given concrete form to the intangible desire.

Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.

Success in its highest and noblest form calls for peace of mind and enjoyment and happiness which come only to the man who has found the work that he likes best.

The battle is all over except the "shouting" when one knows what is wanted and has made up his mind to get it, whatever the price may be.

The best way to sell yourself to others is first to sell the others to yourself.

The ladder of success is never crowded at the top.

The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail.

The man who does more than he is paid for will soon be paid for more than he does.

The most interesting thing about a postage stamp is the persistence with which it sticks to its job.

The starting point of all achievement is desire.

The starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly in mind.

Weak desires bring weak results, just as a small amount of fire makes a small amount of heat.

The way to develop decisiveness is to start right where you are, with the very next question you face.

The world has the habit of making room for the man whose actions show that he knows where he is going.

There are no limitations to the mind except those we acknowledge.

There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it.

Think and grow rich.

Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.

Understand this law and you will then know, beyond room for the slightest doubt, that you are constantly punishing yourself for every wrong you commit and rewarding yourself for every act of constructive conduct in which you indulge.

Victory is always possible for the person who refuses to stop fighting.

War grows out of the desire of the individual to gain advantage at the expense of his fellow man.

We begin to see, therefore, the importance of selecting our environment with the greatest of care, because environment is the mental feeding ground out of which the food that goes into our minds is extracted.

When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.

When your desires are strong enough you will appear to possess superhuman powers to achieve.
Wise men, when in doubt whether to speak or to keep quiet, give themselves the benefit of the doubt, and remain silent.

You can start right where you stand and apply the habit of going the extra mile by rendering more service and better service than you are now being paid for.

You give before you get.

You might well remember that nothing can bring you success but yourself.

Your ability to use the principle of autosuggestion will depend, very largely, upon your capacity to concentrate upon a given desire until that desire becomes a burning obsession.

Your big opportunity may be right where you are now.

World Day of Prayer

On September 13, 2007, more than 1 million praying friends from around the world are joining in prayer with Silent Unity. Unity World Day of Prayer 2007 Please join us in this day of prayer. Your prayers do make a difference.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Sunday, September 9, 2007

As a Man Thinketh...

"What we think, we become."
Buddha quotes (Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.)

"A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes."
Mahatma Gandhi quotes (Indian Philosopher, internationally esteemed for his doctrine of nonviolent protest, 1869-1948)

"If you think you can do a thing, or think you can't do a thing; you're right"
Henry Ford quotes (American industrialist and pioneer of the assembly-line production method, 1863-1947)

"We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world."
Buddha quotes (Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.)

"Any thought that is passed on to the subconscious often enough and convincingly enough is finally accepted."
Robert Collier quotes (American motivational author, 1885-1950)

"A man is what he thinks about all day long."
Ralph Waldo Emerson quotes (American Poet, Lecturer and Essayist, 1803-1882)
"If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought."
Peace Pilgrim quotes (American Teacher and Spiritual leader and Peace Prophet, 1908-1981)

"When we think of failure; Failure will be ours. If we remain undecided; Nothing will ever change. All we need to do is want to achieve something great and then simply to do it. Never think of failure For what we think, will come about."
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
"One comes to believe whatever one repeats to oneself sufficiently often, whether the statement be true of false. It comes to be dominating thought in one's mind."
Robert Collier quotes (American motivational author, 1885-1950)

"Life is a mirror and will reflect back to the thinker what he thinks into it."
Ernest Holmes quotes (American author and founder of the Religious Science Movement 1887 - 1960)

Friday, September 7, 2007

Trying to Solve the Problem at the Level of the Problem

I had a great teacher wants tell me that I could not solve the problem at the level of the problem. This meant I had to step out of the problem and look at it objectively. I had to look at it from the outside looking in. This is where a good coach is really valuable. I have tried to solve some business and personal problems by myself and could never find a solution. Then one phone conversation with my coach or mentor and just like that the problem is solved.


How is that so? Well, let me explain.

You and I make decisions and solve problems based on our own individual map of reality, which is only the map and not reality. The term the map is not the territory is a remark by Alfred Korzybski. His view was that an abstraction derived from something, or a reaction to it, is not the thing itself, e.g., the pain from a rock falling on your foot is not the rock; one's opinion of another person, favorable or unfavorable, is not that person; and so on. One of the principles of Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) is the map is not the territory. NLP has been described by its creators as “the study of the structure of subjective experience.” The subjective experience is how people experience and conceive reality.


So we make decisions and solve our problems based on our map of reality. In the book, A Course in Miracles, which is really an incredible way to train your mind, the first six lessons are as follows:

  1. Nothing I See Means Anything.
  2. I have given everything I see all the meaning that it has for me.
  3. I do not understand anything I see.
  4. These thoughts do not mean anything.
  5. I am never upset for the reason I think.
  6. I am upset because I see something that is not there.

Another way to look at all of this is that within your mind you have beliefs, values, filters, meta programs and then throw in your conditioning, self-image/confidence, barriers of self-limitation and your personality. This is your map of reality. It is not reality. Your map of reality can be changed and that starts with a decision by you.

For any outcome you want, there is a certain way of thinking and acting that will get it for you. What are you thinking and how are you acting. The results that you are getting in your life are based on your map of reality. You are both the director and the actor. You can change your map and change your results. The truth is all things are possible and all we need to do is decide what we want and to really go for it.

Who would you be, what would you do, and what would you have if you knew you could not fail?

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

A Practical Suggestion

We have an intellectual faculty that has been given to us called our Will. Now most people think that the Will is like something we force, brute determination. But it is not like that at all. The functions of the Will are to decide, place, shift or remove attention. The word attention is derived from two Latin words, ad meaning towards and tendere meaning to stretch. This control of attention is done as either a self-determined act of personal will or in obedience to outside influences. Attention is the creating energy that brings about your reality. Energy flows to where attention goes. The Will can be strengthened through use and with proper nutrition and exercise.


All bad feelings are focusing on what you do not want. When you focus on what you do not want, you are both unhappy and you get what you do not want. Use your will and take your attention off of what you do not want and put your attention on what you do want. The power of decision is your own. You have the power as to how you focus your mind.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Every One of Us Has the Power

I read a beautiful quote by Dolores Huerta last night that I wanted to share with you. She writes, “Every one of us has the power. We need to use it and not be afraid to use it. We need to share what we learn. We have to go beyond our fears. If we don’t come out of our own comfort zone we can’t do anything.”


Dolores Huerta is one of the most significant labor leaders in U.S. history. http://www.doloreshuerta.org/ Along with Cesar Chavez, she co founded the United Farm Workers union in 1962, and dedicated her life to the struggle and dignity of migrant farm workers.

Monday, September 3, 2007

Stress Reducers

52 PROVEN STRESS REDUCERS

1. Get up fifteen minutes earlier in the morning. The inevitable morning mishaps will be less stressful.

2. Prepare for the morning the evening before. Set the breakfast table. Make lunches. Put out the clothes you plan to wear, etc.

3. Don't rely on your memory. Write down appointment times, when to pick up the laundry, when library books are due, etc. ("The palest ink is better than the most retentive memory."- Old Chinese Proverb)

4. Do nothing you have to lie about later.

5. Make copies of all keys. Bury a house key in a secret spot in the garden. Carry a duplicate car key in your wallet, apart from your key ring.

6. Practice preventive maintenance. Your car, appliances, home and relationships will be less likely to break down "at the worst possible moment."

7. Be prepared to wait. A paperback book can make a wait in a post office line almost pleasant.

8. Procrastination is stressful. Whatever you want to do tomorrow, do today; whatever you want to do today, do it now.

9. Plan ahead. Don't let the gas tank get below onequarter full, keep a well- stocked "emergency shelf'' of home staples, don't wait until you're down to your last bus token or postage stamp to buy more, etc.

10. Don't put up with something that doesn't work right. If your alarm clock wallet, shoe laces, windshield wipers-whatever-are a constant aggravation, get them fixed or get new ones.

11. Allow 15 minutes of extra time to get to appointments. Plan to arrive at an airport one hour before domestic departures.

12. Eliminate (or restrict) the amount of caffeine in your diet.

13. Always set up contingency plans, "just in case." ("If for some reason either of us is delayed, here's what we'll do..." Or, "If we get split up in the shopping center, here's where we'll meet.")

14. Relax your standards. The world will not end if the grass doesn't get mowed this weekend.

15. Pollyanna-Power! For every one thing that goes wrong, there are probably 10 or 50 or 100 blessings. Count 'em!

16. Ask questions. Taking a few moments to repeat back the directions that someone expects of you, etc., can save hours. (The old "the hurrieder I go, the behinder I get" idea.)

17. Say "No!" Saying no to extra projects, social activities and invitations you know you don't have the time or energy for takes practice, self-respect and a belief that everyone, everyday, needs quiet time to relax and to be alone.

18. Unplug your phone. Want to take a long bath, meditate, sleep or read without interruption? Drum up the courage to temporarily disconnect.

(The possibility of there being a terrible emergency in the next hour or so is almost nil.)

19. Turn "needs" into preferences. Our basic physical needs translate into food, water, and keeping warm. Everything else is a preference. Don't get attached to preferences.

20. Simplify, simplify, simplify.

21. Make friends with nonworriers. Chronic worrywarts are contagious.

22. Take many stretch breaks when you sit a lot.

23. If you can't find quiet at home, wear earplugs.

24. Get enough sleep. Set your alarm for bedtime.

25. Organize! A place for everything and everything in its place. Losing things is stressful.

26. Monitor your body for stress signs. If your stomach muscles are knotted and your breathing is shallow, relax your muscles and take some deep, slow breaths.

27. Write your thoughts and feelings down on paper. It can help you clarify and give you a renewed perspective.

28. Do this yoga exercise when you need to relax: Inhale through your nose to the count of eight. Pucker your lips and exhale slowly to the count of 16. Concentrate on the long sighing sound and feel the tension dissolve. Repeat 10 times.

29. Visualize success before any experience you fear. Take time to go over every part of the event in your mind. Imagine how great you will look, and how well you will present yourself.

30. If the stress of deadlines gets in the way of doing a job, use diversion. Take your mind off the task and you will focus better when you're on task.

31. Talk out your problems with a friend. It helps to relieve confusion.

32. Avoid people and places that don't fit your personal needs and desires. If you hate politics, don't spend time with politically excited people.

33. Learn to live one day at a time.

34. Everyday, do something you really enjoy.

35. Add an ounce of love to everything you do.

36. Take a bath or shower to relieve tension.

37. Do a favor for someone every day.

38. Focus on understanding rather than on being under stood, on loving rather than on being loved.

39. Looking good makes you feel better.

40. Take more time between tasks to relax. Schedule a realistic day.

41. Be flexible. Some things are not worth perfection.

42. Stop negative self-talk: "I'm too fat, too old, etc..."

43. Change pace on weekends. If your week was slow, be active. If you felt nothing was accomplished during the week, do a weekend project.

44. "Worry about the pennies, and the dollars will take care of themselves." Pay attention to the details in front of you.

45. Do one thing at a time. When you are working on one thing, don't think about everything else you have to do.

46. Allow time every day for privacy, quiet and thinking.

47. Do unpleasant tasks early and enjoy the rest of the day.

48. Delegate responsibility to capable people.

49. Take lunch breaks. Get away from your work in body and in mind.

50. Count to 1,000, not 10, before you say something that could make matters worse.

51. Forgive people and events. Accept that we live in an imperfect world.

52. Have an optimistic view of the world. Most people do the best they can.

From The American Lung Association

Back to School

This is the week that most children will start back to school. I have the deepest respect for the job that teachers do and for all of their hard work.

Most of us, who have 35-40 hour per week jobs, have no idea the hours that teachers work. Yes, most teachers are able to take some time off in the summertime, but they also use this time for continuing education and learning new skills for the classroom. Teachers spend hours preparing for class, teaching in the classroom, talking with parents and helping students outside the classroom. They spend time looking for the right word, the right book, the right picture or the right song that will inspire the child to the greatness that lies within them. Do you realize the commitment that it takes to be a teacher? I do not think we do. The really great teachers never read the story, they tell the story and that takes practice and more practice. The story is a metaphor for learning. The songs they sing to our children have to be memorized and practiced.

The word education comes from the Latin word educere. This means to draw out from within or to bring out something. It is not about memorizing more facts and figures. I believe the knowledge and the wisdom is within us already. The teacher brings forth the knowledge and wisdom that is within us and shows us how to express it. So it takes a lot of work to bring out the greatness and uniqueness in every child, especially when the world that they live in everyday is all about conformity and sameness.

The results we experience in life are an expression of our awareness. How do we expand our awareness? Through effective education, mentoring and coaching.

So this week, take a moment and say thank you to a teacher. Tell them that you appreciate all that they do to make a difference in the lives of children. One of my favorite teachers who I have great respect and admiration for her work is Ms. Shannon, who is the early childhood kindergarten teacher at the Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School, in Viroqua, Wisconsin. Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School: Faculty. If you read about her work at the website, you will understand why she is a teacher. Today, Labor Day, she is in her classroom preparing and rehearsing for the week so that her students receive the best. That is commitment.