Thursday, April 30, 2009

Your Home Can Help or Hinder you Landing a Job

Is your home cluttered and dirty? Is your home unwelcoming? If you answered yes to either of these questions and you are looking for a job, your home could be hurting your chances at success. Clean, remove clutter, and organize your home. Next, use the magic of Feng Shui and simple manifestation techniques to help you land the job of your dreams!

A home that is dirty, filled with clutter and unorganized is not a happy place to live in. The energy is stagnant and negative. Consequently, the people living in this environment will suffer. Clutter will literally bog you down and you will feel stagnant, unable to move on in your life. It will make you inefficient, because you are constantly searching for things. Stress, because searching for things causes anxiety. Lack of productivity and energy, as negative energy of clutter depresses.

This environment is hardly conducive to aiding you in a job search.

If you are living in these conditions, begin by cleaning your home thoroughly.
Next, get rid of the clutter. Clutter is anything that isn’t used or liked.

Sometimes, we hold onto stuff for sentimental reasons. Clutter can also be just too many objects on a given surface. If you collect stuff and don’t wish to get rid of those objects, another option is to rotate them. For instance, if you have six objects on a side table all vying for attention, store three away for half the year. Now, the three objects will look nice and you won’t have that cluttered look.
If you have things around that aren’t being used or enjoyed, that stuff is not giving off good energy and will make you feel stagnant in your life.

If the prospect of organizing is akin to a trip to the dentist, start with a small space. If cheap psychological tricks—like rewarding yourself for a job done—work, employ them. Conversely, do not try to organize a space so large that the project could take weeks—forcing you to look at depressing piles of things waiting to be organized or removed. Take that large space and divide it into easily managed projects.

The payoff for a clean, organized home or workplace free of unwanted clutter is immense. The energy in your home or workspace will change—stale and negative energy will be replaced with positive, powerful, life-enriching energy. The space will feel lighter. And that good energy will make you feel more energetic and happier. When you know where to find your belongings, you will find yourself with more time—to be more productive or to actually relax. Finally, a clean home—one that is as free as possible from dirt, mold and allergens—is a healthier space.

Once your home is organized and clean, you are ready for the fun and exciting part of your journey—using Feng Shui and manifestation to help you get your job. The following is a basic introduction to Feng Shui.

It is beyond the scope of this posting to give more than a rudimentary explanation of Feng Shui, but I hope this will interest you to study this remarkable practice further. Feng Shui is based all about energy, or chi and the placement of objects to increase good energy.

There are two levels of Feng Shui; the visible and the invisible. Moving, removing or adding objects is visible, but changes also occur on the invisible level. When I go to my chiropractor because my back hurts and he realigns it, I instantly feel great. One reason is because the pain is released, but the other reason is that energy is now flowing properly throughout my whole body, so it adds to my sense of well-being. When an object is in the correct place, it too exudes positive energy, which radiates and fills the space. When a room is in proper alignment, you cannot help but to feel good in it.

Another aspect of the invisible level of Feng Shui is to first visualize a particular outcome that you would like as a result of making a change. For example, you will learn how to add objects to a room to strengthen or bring love into your life. When adding these objects, you need to focus your thoughts on the object and visualize having a strong and happy marriage or finding your soul mate.


Above is the Bagua Map, used in Black Sect Feng Shui. to help you find a job, you will concentrate on the Career, Wealth and Helpful People categories. Picture the Bagua placed over your entire home or a single room. The door to the home or room must be in one of the three quadrants—career, knowledge or helpful people.

· Water flowing represents cash flow:
o Put a water fountain in entry room of your home..
o Put a water fountain in the wealth corner of the home or in the wealth corner of a room, like the entry or bedroom.
o Photograph or art depicting water
· Flowers
o Put fresh flowers anywhere in home for bright energy and to uplift spirits
· Fresh plants and bird feeders outside represent growth—as in career
When you add any of these objects, visualize yourself accepting the job of your dreams. Look at these objects on a daily basis and keep those positive thoughts in mind.

By the author of the award winning book,

Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet, copyright 200

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Susan Boyle Reveals our Misassumptions

The first time I saw the YouTube video of Susan Boyle, I was pretty much blown away by her voice and the energy she invoked from the audience.
But what sticks with me is the reaction of the very attractive judges—first of mockery when she stood before them, then once they heard Susan’s voice, of delight and amazement.

Why is there amazement that an ordinary looking woman can hold a tune and have a beautiful voice? Why on earth would people make the assumption that an average looking person, or a disabled individual, or even terribly disfigured soul can’t sing?

Statistically, more ordinary people have great voices than very attractive ones do. It’s simple—let’s say that 75% of the population is ordinary looking and the rest fall on either side of the spectrum. Does it make any statistical sense that only the gifted in looks would also be gifted in voice?

Of course, ones singling ability has nothing to do with ones looks. What set Susan Boyle apart was her willingness—her courageousness—to face an audience and judges so warped as to assume only good looking people could sing.

The reality is, we have lots of famous singers who are pretty mediocre (at best) singers. They do, however, have other attributes: good looks, confidence, and performance ability. Virtually all of today’s female icons that could not even begin to compete with Susan’s voice. Instead, they know how to wear attention grabbing clothing, to dance and move; and they look great. These singers pick easy songs to sing that anyone who can carry a tune could pull off.

So why is the world so amazed with Susan Boyle? Certainly, she can sing and has a lovely voice. But are we amazed at her voice or is it her courageousness—her chutzpah—to stand before judges as an ordinary looking woman and ask to be given the chance that floors us? If so, shame on us.

On the other hand… many people, listeners of popular music only, may never have heard such a fine voice as Susan’s. Many are simply moved by her angelic voice.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Fiddlehead Fern Recipe

I love fiddlehead ferns! Every year, I look forward to the few weeks that they are available. Just called White Plains, NY Whole Foods and they said they'd be available in 1-2 weeks. A local farmer may have them in your area. Keep your eyes peeled for them and try them if you haven't already.

Fiddleheads are earthy and nutty--a bit like a cross between asparagus, artichokes and yum. I like my fiddleheads with salt and butter only, but you can add garlic, red peppers, or lemon.

Fiddleheads
Salt
Lemon, optional
Butter or extra virgin olive oil

Trim stem down to 1-2" and remove any mushy parts. Soak and rinse several ties, to remove dirt.

Bring water to boil and cook 1 minute. Drain and rinse with cold water. Heat oil or butter in a saute pan, add fiddleheads and cook 5 minutes, or until they begin to brown. Salt to taste and lemon juice, optional.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Avoid the Convenience Foods

We are a nation that loves convenience and speed. Precooked frozen dinners, dehydrated food, meal-in-a-bag or can or box and microwave everything food. You can buy a frozen, microwavable egg and bacon breakfast! Or, how about luncheon meats with cheese and crackers all in one nifty package and ready to eat? We even have instant rice that takes five minutes to cook.

The length and names on the list of ingredients on most of these convenience foods is astounding. Unless certified organic, most prepared foods contain preservatives, artificial (chemical) flavors and colors, loads of salt, sugar and hydrogenated fats. Not listed would be pesticide residue from the ingredients in the product. I shudder to think about the meat source in processed food.

But these foods are a great time saver, you might argue. This instant rice takes only five minutes to cook! While the rice only takes five minutes to cook, everything else will take a half hour or more. How difficult is it to boil water or broth, add rice and allow it to simmer while cooking the rest of dinner? Instead of ending up with some pasty white stuff that has been stripped of most of its nutritional value, you can sit down to some wholesome and delicious real grains of rice.

The manufacturers of processed food want you to believe that you are saving a great deal of time and energy by buying their products. But, cooking healthy, tasty meals does not have to take a long time. If you plan well, you can cook for more than one meal at a time. The damage to the environment of excess packaging, the high cost of purchasing ready-made food and the low nutritional value (or downright unhealthy food) should convince you to make your own meals. In my opinion, processed food just tastes awful. Even if the stuff were nutritious I couldn’t eat it. Believe me, once you get used to the taste of real food, you will not want to eat processed food.

Raw, organic food tastes better than non-organic! Organic apples, sans the wax coating, actually taste and smell like apples! The clear, clean tastes of organic produce are unbeatable.

Most organic food is no longer much more expensive than non-organic and the gap is getting smaller every day. Buying raw ingredients instead of prepackaged is less expensive. Additionally, the long-term costs to our health and to the health of our planet should be an incentive to pay a little extra for organic ingredients. Also, if you invest in healthy organic food, you will probably save in doctor’s bills because your body will remain healthier.

Possibly the best reason to cook from scratch (or close to it) is that you add your love to the meal which affects everyone who eats your food. Think about when you have eaten meals prepared by happy, loving cooks. No matter what the meal was, it probably tasted good. Likewise, if you can avoid doing so, don’t cook if you are angry or depressed. The negative energies that you emit will enter the food.

Excerpt from the award winning book, Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet, copyright 2007.

Earth Day is April 22

Earth Day is April 22. This year, make a vow to switch to reusuable tote bags instead of paper or plastic!

The following paragraph was in my first book, Harmonious Environment, published two years ago. Before the book came out, I rarely saw people using reusable shopping bags--now I see them everywhere! I'm not saying this paragraph made the difference (although I am hoping it made some..)The point is, consciousness about the need to green up our lifestyles has firmly taken root.

Tote Bags for Shopping
A monumental waste of resources and a source of pollution are the billions of plastic and paper shopping bags we dispose of after one trip to the store. Try collecting some tote bags and use them when shopping instead of plastic or paper. Once you get used to them, you will love them! They can hold a ton of stuff and are tough—so no more ripped open bags with your purchases scattered everywhere. For the holidays this year, buy them for your friends and family—let’s start a revolution!

By the author of the award winning book, Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet, copyright 2007.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Cold Noodles and Sesame over Salad

I have adapted this from the traditional Szechwan Chinese dish. Serve this with a salad, below. Warning: This is addicting! It is also a vegan recipe.

1 pound Chinese-style dried noodle (found in Asian food stores, the noodle looks like spaghetti, fettuccini or angel hair, but tastes different) or spaghetti/fettuccini
5 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons ginger, minced
3 tablespoon black or white sesame seeds
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 cucumber, cut into long thin shreds

Sauce:

2 tablespoon San-J® All Purpose Szechuan Hot and Spicy Sauce
1 cup crunchy or smooth natural peanut butter
3 tablespoons soy or tamari sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Hot pepper flakes to taste
Water

While heating water to cook pasta; sauté ginger, sesame seeds and garlic. Adjust heat to low and add ingredients for sauce, stirring well. Add small amounts of water until you like the consistency—should be thin enough to coat the pasta easily. Taste the sauce, as you may want to add more of one or more ingredients. If it is too hot and spicy, add more peanut butter. Cook pasta, drain and toss in the sauce. Embellish with cucumber. Serve room temperature or warm.

Soy Dressing

This is excellent dressing for a salad served with cold noodles and sesame. Also, try as a dressing for cold cooked vegetables, like broccoli or asparagus.

3 parts olive oil

1 part white rice vinegar

1 part soy sauce

crushed garlic

Pepper

Friday, April 3, 2009

Your Home Can Help or Hinder you Landing a Job

Is your home cluttered and dirty? Is your home unwelcoming? If you answered yes to either of these questions and you are looking for a job, your home could be hurting your chances at success. Clean, remove clutter, and organize your home. Next, use the magic of Feng Shui and simple manifestation techniques to help you land the job of your dreams!
A home that is dirty, filled with clutter and unorganized is not a happy place to live in. The energy is stagnant and negative. Consequently, the people living in this environment will suffer. Clutter will literally bog you down and you will feel stagnant, unable to move on in your life. It will make you inefficient, because you are constantly searching for things. Stress, because searching for things causes anxiety. Lack of productivity and energy, as negative energy of clutter depresses.
This environment is hardly conducive to aiding you in a job search. If you are living in these conditions, begin by cleaning your home thoroughly.
Next, get rid of the clutter. Clutter is anything that isn’t used or liked. Sometimes, we hold onto stuff for sentimental reasons. Clutter can also be just too many objects on a given surface. If you collect stuff and don’t wish to get rid of those objects, another option is to rotate them. For instance, if you have six objects on a side table all vying for attention, store three away for half the year. Now, the three objects will look nice and you won’t have that cluttered look.
If you have things around that aren’t being used or enjoyed, that stuff is not giving off good energy and will make you feel stagnant in your life.
If the prospect of organizing is akin to a trip to the dentist, start with a small space. If cheap psychological tricks—like rewarding yourself for a job done—work, employ them. Conversely, do not try to organize a space so large that the project could take weeks—forcing you to look at depressing piles of things waiting to be organized or removed. Take that large space and divide it into easily managed projects.
The payoff for a clean, organized home or workplace free of unwanted clutter is immense. The energy in your home or workspace will change—stale and negative energy will be replaced with positive, powerful, life-enriching energy. The space will feel lighter. And that good energy will make you feel more energetic and happier. When you know where to find your belongings, you will find yourself with more time—to be more productive or to actually relax. Finally, a clean home—one that is as free as possible from dirt, mold and allergens—is a healthier space.
Once your home is organized and clean, you are ready for the fun and exciting part of your journey—using Feng Shui and manifestation to help you get your job. The following is a basic introduction to Feng Shui.
Bagua Map
It is beyond the scope of this posting to give more than a rudimentary explanation of Feng Shui, but I hope this will interest you to study this remarkable practice further. Feng Shui is based all about energy, or chi and the placement of objects to increase good energy.
There are two levels of Feng Shui; the visible and the invisible. Moving, removing or adding objects is visible, but changes also occur on the invisible level. When I go to my chiropractor because my back hurts and he realigns it, I instantly feel great. One reason is because the pain is released, but the other reason is that energy is now flowing properly throughout my whole body, so it adds to my sense of well-being. When an object is in the correct place, it too exudes positive energy, which radiates and fills the space. When a room is in proper alignment, you cannot help but to feel good in it.

To help you find a job, you will concentrate on the Career, Wealth and Helpful People categories. Picture the Bagua placed over your entire home or a single room. The door to the home or room must be in one of the three quadrants—career, knowledge or helpful people.
· Water flowing represents cash flow:
o Put a water fountain in entry room of your home..
o Put a water fountain in the wealth corner of the home or in the wealth corner of a room, like the entry or bedroom.
o Photograph or art depicting water
· Flowers
o Put fresh flowers anywhere in home for bright energy and to uplift spirits
· Fresh plants and bird feeders outside represent growth—as in career
When you add any of these objects, visualize yourself accepting the job of your dreams. Look at these objects on a daily basis and keep those positive thoughts in mind.
By the author of the award winning book, Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet, copyright 2007

Roasted Kale

This recipe is addictive. Eat with your fingers like french fries! One bunch 2 people.
Preheat oven to 425.
Kale, spine removed, wash and dry very well.
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Sprinkle some salt and pepper on kale and coat with oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake 510 minutes, turn kale and bake approximately 10 minutes. Kale should be crisp but not brown.