A New Trend with Christmas Trees for ALL Faiths and Cultures

Possibly the most well known symbol for Christmas - that has delighted families and friends for hundreds of years while at the same time frustrated superintendents, cleaning staff, and environmentalists to the same degree is the Christmas tree.

For those who celebrate Christmas the TREE is a big thing. For most of the rest of world though, and actually the majority of the world, this time of year can mean the same as every other day, or it might possibly mean spinning a dreidel (if Jewish and/or a gambler) and eating delicious and fat filled deep fried potato latkes (once per year isn’t so bad… not 8 days worth though!)

A significant issue that has arisen with the use of Christmas trees relates to what multi-faith families can or should do.

This idea came as a result of speaking with one of my clients who converted from Christianity to another religion who, although content with her choice and new religion, misses celebrating with a Christmas tree.

Further, she wants her young son to experience all of the fun that can be had with decorating the tree and the general festivity of decorating, etc.

With so many multi-faith families these days and with so many people who are not religious but would like to celebrate the holidays for the pure fun of it, I would like to propose an alternative for celebrating the holiday season for ALL faiths, while at the same time using a tree (preferably a fake one):

A Gratitude and Wishing Tree!

Rather than the some old tree each year, and having it represent Christmas (why should those who are not Christian go without?), make it a tree upon which your family can hang lights, bulbs, AND words and pictures of people, experiences, achievements, goals, and other material items that they are both grateful for and that they desire in the upcoming year.

This by-passes the more religious nature of the tree and makes it fun for ALL people of ALL faiths and religions (even those with no religious affiliation).

In my eyes Christmas and Hanukah are primarily about gratitude, not unlike Thanksgiving. With this in mind and to foster the experience, why not make it a Gratitude and Wishing Tree!?

This also, of course, makes sense to have the gifts beneath it AND it is multi-denominational for all faiths AND children (adults too) who have always wanted to experience what it is like.

I would even encourage putting a menorah (Hanukah) on the top and hang dreidels off the pine needles! – just don’t light the menorah or you may have a personal experience similar to Chevy Chase and the Griswold’s in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation!

If you decide to do this, definitely take a photo of it and send it to me. If you allow it, I will post it and we can view and delight in the many creative Gratitude and Wishing Trees and possibly begin a global trend!

What Is In a Friendship: Giving OR Receiving?

Through the best of times and ideally through the worst of times, there are people in our lives who we can count on for support, an open mind, and a caring nurturing way of being - who sometimes feel like they are more family than our own blood relatives - our friends.

True friends, are those dear souls who we celebrate life with, grow with, share in the spice of life with, and who support us through our tough times as we also support through theirs.

Just speaking with a friend who unconditionally loves you and will listen to what you have to say without judgement, and instead holds the space for you to ‘get it out’, is absolutely important and useful to our evolution as people.

Friendship, though, is not just a one way street. A true friendship is a mutual exchange of aligned connection. This means supporting each other, listening to each other, working together through the thick and thin of life, doing best to stay open to each other even if there are issues between the two.

I hope that you are like me and have had close friendships with a variety of incredible people throughout your life.

At the same time I have seen the reality that relationships can change dramatically over time.

I remember having nearly 0 friends growing up - until high school, when my whole life changed. I had a dream high school experience with many great friendships and many great adventures and experiences. I recall overall, that high school life just seemed to get better and better each year – The movies American Pie and High School Musical, to a degree (and without singing), mirror my teen experiences. I even recall times when my group of male friends and I would go out, it felt like we were a posse of sorts!

After high school and into University, although I made many friendships while some old ones dissolved, my dream social life continued up until my 3^rd year, when most of us became more serious about having to face the idea of what type of ‘career’ we would pursue when we completed school for the first time in our lives within 1 or two years.

Life began to change - not just for me, but for everyone I knew. Friends moved to different cities, different countries, began having families and of course priorities changed. This was and is the natural flow of life and of the rhythm of being human; it is also the law of attraction.

Over the past year especially, I have noticed a dramatic change in friendships both personally as well as for many many countless others I speak with.

As someone who is a natural ‘giver’ and who many would agree with is a ‘giver’ I know one when I meet one and throughout my life I have met many.

One particular change or trend that I have noticed over the past year is the number of friendships that are changing. Perhaps over the past couple of years you have seen a number of friendships decrease or dissolve and have been wondering ‘what the #@*% is going on?’

The great news is you are not alone!

Many ‘givers’ are awakening. ‘Givers’ give to others and truly care about others, while expecting little to nothing in return.

(You are likely a ‘giver’ if you read these Be-Inspired articles or blogs.)

You see, ‘givers’ typically give and have little to nothing left for themselves. ‘Givers’ are also not very good at receiving as they have been practicing and have become masters at giving not receiving. ‘Givers’ typically fight for the underdog, want the best for everyone, and often ‘wear their hearts on their sleeve’.

For those of us who are like this, we are entering interesting times. For those of us considered ‘givers’, we have a great number of friends who we likely consider as friends and who are great receivers. In fact, when it comes to the law of attraction, people who give typically attract those who receive just as ‘receivers’ typically attract ‘givers’.

In most cases, both ‘givers’ and ‘receivers’ do what we do to such an extreme, that we were likely ‘givers’ or ‘receivers’ since we were very young and without any awareness whatsoever.

Recently though, those of us who give, while at the same time are not great at receiving, are beginning to awaken.

As a giver who is awakening who is now looking for respect, care, a helping ear from the receiving ‘friends’, it is becoming very obvious and common that those ‘friends’ – the ‘receivers’, are not willing, not interested, or do not have the drive to do so. This results in the ‘givers’ feeling a rift with these ‘friends’ and a ‘parting of ways’ or the connection dissolving.

This ‘phenomenon’ has been growing over the past year and the realization that is arising from the awakening is that those ‘friendships’ were possibly and likely not necessarily true friendships in the first place, but rather more of a reciprocal and mutually beneficial relationship between a ‘giver’ and a ‘receiver’.

Some of the indicators or potential flags that show that you might be in this type of conditional ‘giver’ and ‘receiver’ relationship vs an authentic unconditional friendship include the receivers saying or showing:

-“My family is my priority and I just can’t take time away from them”

(ironically, when THEY NEED you, they will take time away from their family to get your help for themselves)

-‘Time’ or ‘scheduling’ issues’ in getting together with you

-Forgetfullness and therefore missing schedule get-togethers – after the 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th times

-You will hear from them when THEY want to speak with you, rather than when you contact them

– this is usually clear when you leave messages and they do not return your call until they are ready (meaning longer than a few days)

-They say they will call, e-mail, or text you but do not until it is convenient for them or at all

These indicators are more common that one would think and it is important to acknowledge that these are potential signs that the ‘friendship’ is likely not mutual and that conversations need to be had to sort it out or to just let them go.

Five Powerful Elements to Consider About Friendships:

1. True friendship is about mutual exchange and respect of each other – giving to each other, supporting each other, and growing together - with no excuses.
2. To experience and attract true friendships – that include respecting you, who you are, and your opinion about life - YOU must respect you, who you are, and your own opinion about life and not accept friendships that will do anything less.
3. To develop a true friendship, rather than a 50/50 inauthentic connection, giving unconditionally is a must. This is different from giving and then expecting the other to give back, which would constitute a conditional ‘friendship’. 
4. It is important to be at peace with being on your own and without friendships. This will be far more useful than having ‘one-sided friendships’ that you give your power and energy away to. Although at the same time, be open to the fact that new ones will come in.
5. Be compassionate and give your ‘friends’ A second chance… not 5 second chances, not 10 second chances, A second chance… a chance to show that they are also willing to and interested in supporting, giving to, and growing the friendship.

I have gone through several stages in my own life, in which the friendships I had were with people I considered as my soul brothers and sisters. Over time, as their focus and priorities changed and as did mine it was inevitable that those connections would end or simply not exist as they once did.

The light, at the end of tunnel so-to-speak, is that along with your changes and a clearer understanding of what you are looking for in a true friendship, new friendships will also enter into your life.

Now that we, as ‘givers’, are becoming more conscious about learning how to give AND hopefully practicing receiving, new friendships that are created will have a wonderful potential to last for the rest of this lifetime.

If you are reading this and realizing that you are more of a ‘receiver’, and YOU are awakening as well, consider this an opportunity to reconnect with those ‘givers’ who have likely been giving all along.

Show your gratitude to them – call them, tell them how important they are to you because of who they are (not because they give to you and you still need them). More importantly – be committed to the connection and to growing it, respecting them and being a part of a true friendship in giving and/or supporting them on the few occasions they call out to you for help.

Either way, although it is not easy sometimes to let go of once important connections, it is important to do so to allow the even more profound connections that are awaiting you.

As some of the old ‘friendship’ doors close, many new wondrous ones are about to open!

“To me, fair friend,

you never can be old

for as you were ~

when first your eyes I eyed,

such seems your ~

beauty still.”

-Shakespeare

From Wimpy to Elite: Techniques for Strengthening Your Mind Muscle

The happiest people in the world, the most successful people in the world, the most genius people, and the wealthiest people all share at least this one common trait... and it is possible for anyone to develop if it isn't already naturally a part of your makeup ... in today's blog article.

The purpose of this article, is not to discuss anything related to your physical prowess, strength or the lack thereof as is evident in the reference to wimpiness in the title! Rather, we are about to explore a muscle that is likely the most under-utilized muscle in our entire system and possibly the most important to your functioning at a high level… the muscle of your mind.

You see your mental strength, mental endurance, and mental flexibility are what will make the difference between you being able to make it through a boring movie to being present and collision-free when driving; from being clear minded, free of rampant emotions, to being able to visualize and summon your desires by working with the law of attraction; from ‘losing it’ with a close friend or family member and being able to handle any major world cataclysm that may occur from a state of peace.

If there is one thing that most people do not do and should, that would be to increase their mental strength, mental flexibility, and mental endurance!

In this article we are going to explore exactly how to do this with some exercises you can practice, as well as share with your friends, family and other loved ones.

Consider me your Mental Coach for the duration of this article!

What most people fail to recognize is that nearly all sports are much more mental than they are physical! In tennis, if you hit a bad shot, that one shot can stay with you until you finally lose the match because you were so upset about it. And the same goes for every sport!

If you are not present when lifting a weight in competition or if an Olympian is not present when speed skating they won’t even come close to placing and in many cases injuries ensue!

If you are exercising and not present mentally, it is easy to pull a muscle, or experiencing something worse!

I am sure you would agree that strengthening the mind is something that should be taught from grade 1 and continued on for life and without question, the greatest geniuses and masters of our time are those who are masters of their minds.

Those masters of the mind are either very strong mentally in endurance and can therefore outlast others (such as neurosurgeons who need to be able to maintain focus for long periods of time), or they are mentally flexible, such as scientists and artists who can think outside of the box and come up with cures or masterpieces.

Lastly, they may be simply very strong mentally in that they can process many pieces of information at once, or, one piece of information that requires a deeper level of understanding and awareness, such as lawyers who have come to learn legal jargon, and philosophers who have developed their depth of understanding into the complexities of the foundation of existence itself.

The truth is, it is absolutely possible for anyone to develop mental strength, endurance, and flexibility. Below you will find a few techniques that I have come across that you can practice to turn your mind into a well sculpted thinking and creative machine that you can use at will.

1. Taught to me by my mentor and teach Sue Maes-Thyret:

Grab three strings of yarn. At one end tie them together to a door knob. Next, start braiding them. This is not the difficult part. The next step is as you are braiding them notice if your mind wanders from the act of braiding. Whenever your mind strays from the act you must untie the strings and start over. Give this a go and share your results below at the end of the blog.

2. Sue gave a variation on the above for which you don’t need any yarn or tools. Simply count out loud and when you notice your mind wandering, start over. You will likely be surprised at how far you can get… or rather at how far you don’t get!

3. For flexibility, and this is one of the most powerful techniques that I know for manifesting what you desire… choose an area of life you are experiencing a challenge in and take 3 minutes to come up with benefits for that challenge - saying them out loud.

Here is how it might sound: The challenge may be that you might not have the amount of money you want. A benefit of not having enough money is that it allows you to become creative with creating money. It allows you to use our points that you have accumulated through miles. It allows you to put less focus on material objects and the collection of material objects and instead to focus on other non-material items that do matter.

The key with this exercise is to do it for 3 minutes at a time. During that time, as you do, you will be stretching your mind creatively and therefore increasing your ability to think outside of the box of the mind.

4. Meditate. A strong mind does not just mean being able to think A LOT! It also means being able to turn it off at will when you want it to be off or when you don’t need it. The best mental exercise for this, bar none, is meditation. This is different from thinking creatively, or being able to focus for long periods of time. This actually involves letting go of the mind so that it is in a state of rest and ready for when you do need it.

The most effective form of meditation that I teach involves lying or sitting down on a comfortable bed, chair, or on the floor. You then set your timer/watch/iphone for 15 a minute countdown, then close your eyes, and finally simply allow your mind to do whatever it is doing. If it is silent, great. If it is wandering, great. If it is thinking, that is fine. Allow it to do whatever it is doing.

After practicing this for a period of time, you may notice something wonderful, that your mind may actually be relaxing more and more each time you do it; perhaps your mind becomes silent for a shor time or possible for long periods of time.

5. Keep these keys in mind:

a. Just like exercise, don’t overdo it! Do not do these exercises to the point of exhaustion. Instead do them until you have reached no more than about 95% of your capacity!

b. Do not do anything else while you are practicing these techniques. For example, driving and trying to count with your focus on the numbers is NOT a wise idea!

c. If you cannot last for 3 minutes, work your way up to 3 minutes over time, and, feel free to switch up the topic each day!

d. Consistency is key. It will be far easier to make this a habit than doing it on day 1, skipping a few days, and then having to restart the process. Like a train, more energy is typically needed to get it going than to keep it going!

e. Switch up the exercise and create a routine. Day 1. could be counting aloud. Day 2. could be braiding. Day 3. could be the benefits exercise.

f. Take breaks! It is better to do these exercises with breaks than to do them to the point of exhaustion.

g. You want to be able to handle two types of states of mind… a heavy mind and a no mind state. The no mind state involves 1 set of practicing meditation for 15 minutes every day. The heavy mind involves high repetitions with a lot of heavy emotional weight. This way ideally you will be able to handle both high mental weight along with no weight resulting in a lean mind that is at peace.

You now have some exercises to practice firming up, strengthening, toning, and beefing up your mind muscle!

Now get to it!

Your Mind Coach,
Joshua

What Are Dreams?

A dream is one of the most fascinating, bizarre, frightful, whimsical, and wondrous experiences that a human can have.

Likely the most common question that I hear in the work that I do is, “What are dreams?”

Although dreams themselves are often quite complex and appear to go completely outside of what we deem as real and normal, dreams are actually quite simple to explain.

Dreams are typically one or a combination of the following four possibilities:

1. An Astral Experience

When we fall asleep a layer of our consciousness essentially leaves our bodies and travels in what is called the Astral state. Akin to our bodies having energy fields emanating from them, all things have energy fields.  

This means, when your sleeping, a layer of your consciousness leaves your body, moves around, travels, meets with other beings, and essentially has an adventure of its own – EVERY NIGHT! – whether you recall it or not. 

In some instances, people remember walking through their own house or seeing themselves sleeping, travelling through walls and as outlandish as this may sound even to other worlds. Believe it or not, this is something that occurs for everyone AND if you wish to, you could actually train yourself to do this consciously.  

Let’s say, for example, that tonight you would like to travel to Peru when you come out of your body. If you have mastered the art of falling asleep, but staying awake (also called Astral Travel), then you could do exactly that.  

I remember years ago, when I had first found an on-line course for learning Astral Travel, the first night as I was falling asleep, I was able to stay conscious even though I was falling asleep.  

As I did that, I recall rolling out of my body and then seeing my own body sleeping. It was a very bizarre experience, one that I have found many of the enlightened masters and teachers from around the planet have also experienced. 

While I was awake, yet sleeping, I was curious and had the thought of whether I could fly. Within what felt like an instant I began to rise off the floor and my head literally went through the ceiling and I could see between the floors.  

If that last sentence didn’t cause you to close out this page and unsubscribe from this e-zine, then I am glad you are still with me. 

I realize this may sound out of this world – IT IS! You can actually find thousands of websites and books that explain it and if you go to countries where their culture’s histories dates back thousands of years you will find that they all know about this. It is common place in ancient lands and for native indigenous tribes. 

Everything that exists in our physical reality also exists on the Astral plane. There are, however, other beings, objects, and energies that also exist in the Astral plane that do not exist on our waking conscious plain. Spirits who are deceased amongst other interesting and unusual elements exist in the Astral realm and are available for us to connect with if needed.  

This means, that some mornings, when you awake and recall dreaming about flying through the air, or travelling to another place, or meeting with a deceased love one, it is possible that you were simply slightly awake while on the Astral plane and as such really communicating and interacting with it/him/her.

2. Your subconscious working through a challenge, resistance, blockage, or issue.

While sleeping, because your mind is in a greater state of peace and rest than when you are awake, your mind is more open, less critical, and therefore more able to work out and sort out problems and issues that you have had either that day, that month, that year, or even from early on in this lifetime.  

These types of dreams are the mind’s way of releasing and can take the form of images, objects, places, thoughts and sensations which can manifest as what we call dreams. In some cases, the mind will create virtual worlds that allow it to release and problem solve. In the morning, upon awaking, you may remember lessons learned, quotes, images, special experiences that can actually help you during the day. 

In high school, I remember a close friend’s father who was an engineer and when he was challenged by an equation in the daytime, he would sleep on it and while sleeping, by morning, the solution would pop up! 

References to this type of dream can be found through the work of well known psychologists Dr. Sigmund Freud and Dr. Carl Jung and the advent of Dream Interpretation and Dream Analysis beginning in the 1800s. 

In today’s world, we find virtual dictionaries attempting to define what a butterfly or water might represent in a dream. As such it can actually be useful to keep a log of your dreams and begin to create your own Dictionary for dreams.

3. Past life memories.

One of the more mysterious of possibilities for dreams includes the likelihood of past life memories. Although most people do not recall past lives and some religions do not believe that past lives exist, there is a wealth of knowledge around the planet that past lives are a reality of sorts.  

None-the-less, this is becoming more common and some objective research has been done to corroborate the reality of past lives and the possibility that when dreaming, we might be recalling one.

4. Prophetic visions of the future.

One of the most overwhelming of all the possibilities is that dreams sometimes are visions of the future. If you have ever had a dream about an event or experience and then it occurred, this shows you that it is possible to forecast our future, or, in some way create what we saw or experienced in our dreaming state. 

From what I have heard from many is that typically these types of dreams are not usually optimistic and it is possible that the dreams are serving as a tool to help one to come to peace with whatever was seen or felt in the vision.

Over the many years of exploring consciousness and dreams, I have come to understand there is strong reasoning to why we typically only remember the types of dreams represented by option #2. This is because most people are not quite ready to handle or remember who they have been in previously lives, nor are we prepared to foresee what is to come either good or not. 

The one thing I do suggest is to use the dream, no matter which possibility it is, to explore and release our feelings about what we saw and experienced. 

The more inner work, one does, the more dreams tend to open up and we tend to recall more. Because of the accessing of more inner power, by doing the inner work and self exploration, we become stronger and become more able to handle all that dreams have to offer. 

Although this means we may see things that are unpleasant, it also means we may experience and see wondrous richness and can be truly touched in profound ways. 

Sweet dreams…

Everything I Ever Needed to Learn I Learned from Superhero Comic Book Movies

Superhero and comic book movies these days, are not typically for the faint of heart… However, superhero abilities, at least that we see in the world of fiction, are truly inspirational!

Characters such as Superman, Batman, The Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Iron Man (Tony Stark), Thor, The Flash, the Hulk, Spiderman, Elektra, and the many others you have likely heard of or seen are causing us to reconsider what is possible.

Although highly unlikely and improbable, falling into a vat of toxic waste and developing super human powers to fly, be invincible, hear other people’s thoughts, and move metal through telekinesis, would be a dream come true!

For now, none-the-less, these movies inspire us to move beyond our mental limits and dream about possibility.

Of course, looks don’t hurt! We more easily remember how the characters looked in their uniform than recall who wrote the script! Who wouldn’t when remembering Halle Barry’s Cat Woman character in black leather or Chris Evans in his greatest buff form in the more recent Captain American.

 

When you think of the original Superman movies with Christopher Reeves from the 1970s, we don’t even think about Christopher Reeves himself, nor do most people know who created the character or the writers of the script that he spoke from.

We simply remember Christopher Reeves running through the street opening his shirt, where we saw the Superman symbol and felt exhilaration, knowing something truly remarkable was about to occur.

Most of us have no idea who created the scripts and lines that serve as the backbone for the incredible dialogue and inspiration that comes from our favourite characters.

To an even greater degree, the assumption is that if it is a fictional comic book or superhero movie, it will be all special effects and no substance.

 

The truth of the matter is that most superhero and comic book films contain incredible wisdom developed by the writers of the script and then delivered by the actors who play the characters. And the inspiration that comes can truly affect our lives in significant and positive ways.

 

Below you will find the top 5 truly inspirational messages society could learn from the many superhero blockbusters and writers who channelled the lines that captured our attention.

 

As you move along, see if can guess where they come from… the answers will follow at the end.

 

Top 5:

1. Likely the most well known quote from all of the superhero movies:

 

“With great power, comes great responsibility.”

The teaching:

It is not so important or significant that you have power, but rather what you do with it that matters. And we can choose to use that power to either help OR hurt people.

 

If the individual who said this were still alive today, what would he say about the state of world affairs? What would he say to the world leaders of our today? What would he say to the high school presidents, to the strong and to the weak?

 

If you saw this movie, you likely felt the compassion, wisdom and care that this person had and how that can inspire us to strive for more to really help those who need our help and most importantly to use our inner power wisely, without ego and instead from an inner calling for the greater good of all.

 
(Regardless of how cheesy any of this may sound, that is also another subtler lesson that these movies offer… be cheesy and corny sometimes!)

2. One of the more well known quotes from a comic book movie:

 

“Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.”

The teaching:

This is one of the most profound quotes I have heard from a comic book movie.

 
What does this say? Falling is a natural part of life. We fall, so that we can practice rising again.
 

As we become masters of falling or failing in life, and then getting right back up, we begin to develop belief in ourselves and realize that No thing can ever keep us down, that we can move through whatever challenges and obstacles present themselves in life, that we CAN pick ourselves right back up.

 

The contrary side of this is when we fall and then simply stay down sad and depressed that life isn’t how we want it to be and we essentially exist in an abyss of low energy miserable and feeling sorry for ourselves, others, and for the rest of the planet.

 
This lesson teaches us not to just stay sitting in the misery – Instead, pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, let go and move onward!
 

3. If you are particularly visual or a feeling person, the following quote is especially significant for you:

  

“Sometimes you have to run before you walk.”

The teaching:

Many people who tend to be very visual also like to see things perfectly and as perfect. We want pictures straight on a wall, our rooms or offices perfectly decorated, perfectly conditioned, perfectly organized, and especially before we allow anyone to see whatever it is that we want perfect.

If you have ever been hesitant in people seeing you without makeup, hesitant to begin a business idea or put up a website because your inner perfectionist wanted it to be perfect first, then this quote is a quote for you start living by.

 

This superhero serves to remind us that sometimes we need to just dive in, throw caution into the wind, express ourselves as best we can, even if we haven’t come up with the perfect method or perfect words, even if that thing is only half completed. Sometimes, we need to run before we think we have perfected walking!

 

4. We all have emotion. If you are human or expressing humanness, then there is a 99.99% probability that you have emotion that you both suppress and express.

 
It is also likely that at some point you have felt what this character felt…
 

“Even now I can feel it, buried somewhere deep inside, watching me, waiting... But you know what scares me the most? When I can't fight it anymore, when it takes over, when I totally lose control... I like it.”

The teaching:

Dumdumdum… can you hear the ominous music… This movie helps us to see the dormant possibility that is waiting inside of us if we hold back our frustration and anger instead of release it or vent it out safely.

 
Frustration not expressed, becomes anger. Anger not expressed becomes rage. Rage is what becomes uncontrollable and either eats us up inside or causes us to do harm to ourselves, others around us and to our environment.
 

There is no need to go green like this character! Now is the time to begin learning methods and tools to release and vent. Be an example for your kids, especially for males teaching them how to let out frustration and vent thoughts in a healthy way.

 

Be a model for expressing anger if it has gone to that level in a healthy way so that your kids, when they are around other people who are in anger, know how to deal with it and do not become defensive OR offensive. This is one of the few emotional capabilities that our society has shunned that has actually served to work against us NOT for us.

5. Likely my personal favourite and most powerful quote that I have heard from a comic book superhero movie. This movie series consisted of 5 films and currently has a new one in production. This quote is the least known because it wasn’t actually shown in the movie theatre as far as I can recall. It was in a cut scene but viewable on a special edition DVD series:

 

“I wish you could just see the world as I see it. Because when you really look at it, it is just one world.”

The teaching:

From each of our own points of views and perspectives we can easily see the differences between us… Differences in borders, philosophies, beliefs, cultures, values, religions, genders, colour, and sexes. But at 400,000 feet up, from outer space, we are one planet.

 

…If only we all took the opportunity to look at life from the higher, broader field of view that this quote inspires, we would look at all life and realize

We are one.

 

Speaking about one, have you felt oneness with these quotes and recall what Superhero movies they are from? Here is the list:

  

1.  Spiderman: by Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben

--after Peter misused his power against a bully at school.

2.  Batman Begins: by Bruce Wayne’s father to Bruce

--after he has fallen down a well when he was a child.

3.  Iron Man: Tony Stark when speaking with mentor and father figure Obi

--referring to how Tony Stark acts without much thought… sometimes.

4.  The Hulk - 2003: Bruce Banner explaining what it feels like when he becomes the Hulk

5.  Superman IV (my least favourite of the Superman series, but my favourite quote from them all): Superman when flying with a young boy in his arms high up in the atmosphere where no borders to countries were visible.

Be sure to comment below and list your favourite superhero or comic book movie and a quote that moved and inspired you. Additionally or alternatively, vote for your favourite quote above and let's see which of these wins as the favourite in this blog!

 

Let’s complete with a brilliant quote from a truly cheesy comic book movie:

 

“Some lessons can’t be taught. They must be lived to be understood.”
-Elektra

Are You Canadian? Regardless, Read this, Watch the Videos and Post Your Comments!

Not too long ago William Shatner, famed Star Trek Captain, star of TJ Hooker, actor in many many many tv shows and movies had an absolutely hilarious skit leading to the saying "I am Canadian". It had the audience in stitches, belly laughter, and in pride of being a Canadian.
Click here to watch
--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOnQROgk1IM

To this day I still remember when movies were played about 25 years ago, when we would stand for the playing of Oh Canada at the beginning.

I am still proud to say that I am Canadian but on another hand ashamed that I am a part of a country that is being governed by our current government.

If you are not aware of the following items, I hope they are of use... they are all public record and available from many locations.

If you know me at all or have read my e-newsletter that I have published over the past 7 years, you would know that I almost never or up to this time very rarely spoke about politics. I didn't speak about politics as it is often just opinion and the purpose of my work is not to try to sway you but to offer a possiblity and an option to better who we are.

You likely also know that my most important values are honesty, being treated equally and in a fair manner, and integrity. What you are about to read is what I haven't said in the past 7 years, but have researched, had my own thoughts and beliefs about, and spoken through and shared with friends and colleagues.

I now wish I had done more of this and shared with you as I now wonder what Canada would look like. I also know it is never too late and that now is the time to share my views on this topic - on the Canadian landscape.

I encourage and ask you to read through this blog article in its entirety, watch the videos and that you forward this information to your contacts... you can copy and paste this article in its entirety OR forward this page to them. Either way, watch the videos below and share what you can.

As always it is your choice to do so... what you see here is a list of important items to consider especially considering that Canada has an election coming up in the next month.

What most Canadians are unaware of is that there are injustices occurring across Canada and in some cases against our own Constitution and therefore illegal. In what is supposed to be a democratic country with the freedom of expression (as long as it does not cause bodily or emotional harm to anyone else) more and more innocent Canadians are being threatened, removed from their work positions for speaking the truth, and arrested or having their names smeared for speaking the truth.

Some key items occurring, under the authority of the Stephen Harper government, are actually in direct violation of our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Canada - the simple truth is that some Canadians either don't know that these issues are occurring or unfortunately they seem so big they don't think that they can have a voice, make a difference and create change.

Here are just some of the travesties occurring under the Harper Government:

"A Commons committee has found the minority Conservatives in contempt of Parliament, essentially charging the ruling party with breaking the rules of government."
--http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20110321/ottawas-brink-of-election-politics-week-begins-110321/


"Technicality means Harper government will never be found in contempt of parliament, says @DavidAkin:
This afternoon in the House of Commons, MPs began debating "concurrence" in the contempt report from the Procedure and House Affairs Commitee (PROC). Under the procedural rules, three hours of House of Commons time is allotted for that debate. At the end of that debate, MPs will vote to "concur" with that report which would mean that, for the first time ever, a government would be found in contempt of Parliament.

But there is simply not enough time in the House of Commons calendar today to squeeze in three hours of debate before the House adjourns at 5:30 p.m.

Under the rules, it is up to the government to schedule the remainder of time of debate on the contempt report and its subsequent vote. But the government can reschedule that any time over the next 10 sitting days. That will never happen because this Parliament ends Friday.

So bottom line here: This government will never be found in contempt of Parliament."
--http://vote.this.org/technicality-means-harper-government-will-nev

"Canada remains the only country to ratify Kyoto and then publicly renounce its 2012 emission targets."
--http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canada-gets-ready-to-walk-away-from-kyoto-protocol/article1825976/


"Just what is the "secret agenda" lurking behind the friendly sweater?

Actually, I don't believe there is one. The truth is that Stephen Harper has already laid out an agenda that would fundamentally change this country - in ways most Canadians would oppose.

While this agenda is not "secret," my guess is few Canadians know about it. That's because Harper, realizing it would be unpopular, unveiled it when Canadians weren't paying attention - in fact, we were sleeping. Sometime in the dark of night last June 20, the Harper government posted a plan on the Department of National Defence's website - called Canada First Defence Strategy - to spend an eye-popping $490 billion over the next 20 years on the military.

Given all the recent buzz about the size of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout in the United States, it's striking to note that Ottawa quietly announced a plan to spend nearly half a trillion dollars on the military, almost in passing."
--http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=10484


"Deposed nuclear safety chief Linda Keen is taking the federal government to court to overturn her “unlawful” firing by the Harper cabinet over the Chalk River, Ont., isotope fiasco."
--http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=69786fb3-3dc6-4210-b992-dba4e1ae28e6&k=54411


"Since (the reactors in Pickering and Darlington) started operating, the amount of radioactivity in Lake Ontario as measured has more than doubled," he said. "All of that comes from nuclear reactors, mostly the Canadians ones… We unfortunately still have a very smug and complacent nuclear industry in Canada."
--http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110317/pickering-nuclear-leak-lake-ontario-110317/20110317/?hub=TorontoNewHome


"Health Canada raided my loving family – at gunpoint – and kept us prisoners in our own home for 11 hours while they confiscated both business and personal property. I am a naturopathic doctor who sells 100% safe natural products. One of the excuses for the raid was that the totally harmless folic acid (a vitamin) that I sell, did not conform to regulations. Instead of informing me by letter or phone call, Health Canada used SWAT team tactics, which caused us extreme emotional distress as well as irrecoverable financial loss. This unreasonable search and seizure is proof-positive that Health Canada cannot be trusted with the powers it already has.

The Food and Drug Act gives Health Canada the power to "seize and detain for such time as may be necessary any article by means of, or in relation to, which the inspector believes on reasonable grounds any provision of this Act or the regulations has been contravened."

Health Canada has for many years been using this clause as an excuse to remove from the market entirely safe products which are incapable of harming anyone, and in our case are products that many count on to build and maintain their health.

By means of Bill C-6, Health Canada intends to extend its confiscatory powers to every industry that sells consumer goods of any kind. If Bill C-6 becomes law, then every consumer in Canada will be affected by this runaway bureaucracy."
--http://www.michaeljournal.org/billc6.htm


"Canada's 2011 commercial harp seal hunt has begun, and the government of Canada has sanctioned the slaughter of 400,000 baby seals.

In a stubborn and defiant challenge to the rights of other countries to say "no" to seal products, the Canadian government continues fighting the EU ban on seal products and ignores the facts. But there is no economic, scientific or ethical argument that can support the shooting, clubbing and skinning of defenseless seal pups."
--http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/590/374/008/

"Health Canada imposes draconian measures that resulted in the Suicides of 2 people and the hospitalizations of many more. Are they really protecting the Health of Canadians or the Health of the Pharmaceutical Industry. In 2003 Health Canada seized Truehope's product Empowerplus as it was coming across the border, knowing that it was going to cause harm to Canadians.

Truehope is now involved in a court case against Health Canada, that if won will allow for more freedoms in the Health food industry and prevent Bill C-51 from coming in. If passed, Bill C-51 will basically be the end of the Health food industry as we know it by ushering in Codex. This is a call to action."
--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cOc4EmbS1I&feature=related

And what may be amongst one of the worst items listed here is the following:

“Last summer I had the pleasure of meeting a young girl from Whitby - 18 year old Natasha Borris who was arrested and removed from a GO train and detained for 24 hours without access to counsel or being allowed to call home. Hers is one of many experiences that call out for full investigation. How could so many abuses of civil liberties occur in Canada?” said Green Party Leader Elizabeth May. “Natasha is a bright, passionate and upstanding young Canadian who is concerned for her country and the environment. Though she was never charged, she was warned not to attend any further rallies. Our youth should be encouraged, not intimidated.”
--http://greenparty.ca/media-release/2011-04-14/statement-green-party-canada-g8g20


Where does this end? If we do not stand up for ourselves now, what will Canada look like in 4 years? Will we have to spend millions of dollars again and again for elections in another 2 years and 2 years after that?

If this hasn't been enough... the following should be:

Some Canadians have likely forgotten or never even knew about the following in the first place (I didn’t know about this first one until a couple of minutes ago):

---If Harper did this in University, he would have received an F and/or been expelled… then he did it again…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoAgWUJSLgM

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/article713427.ece

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtZUNxmIIzA

---And Canadians voted for him even after this!

More importantly we see a more real Harper here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MG049D7Zls

I am a teacher of the law of attraction, a life coach, international advisor for businesses and executives. In all cases and all around I always encourage everyone to tap into your heart and soul and act from that place.

We have elections coming up May 2nd in Canada and I once again am suggesting you do the same as I always have... check in with your heart of hearts and get a sense first if it is for you to vote. Second tap in and decide who you are called to support.

I am not a fan of voting strategically just to remove the current Harper government. My suggestion is to decide which party most resembles what you want to see and more importantly do your best to see through the image, perception, and manipulation by the many parties who simply say what they know you want to hear. I have decided on a party simply because it is the most honest of them all from what I sense and they also use sound logic and numbers to back it up.

If you went through this entire article and are now here at the end, here is some slight comical relief for all of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTDSV7Cs3Pk&feature=related – Rick Mercer Show

My name is Joshua Zuchter

and

I AM CANADIAN !!!

Have You Ever Been Without Your Purse or Wallet?... read the result...

About 2 weeks ago I had gone to a friends house where they, myself and my god daughters of course play Wii each time we get together.

That occasion however, something occurred that led me to a strong realization and a very different reality.

When I play Wii there, I of course take my wallet out of my pant pocket and place it on a shelving unit in their home. Normally, when I leave, I of course pick up my wallet and return it to my pocket. Well, two weeks ago, we played Wii, had a great time and I left.

The next day as I getting ready to meet a colleague for lunch I spent the better part of 20 minutes trying to find my wallet in my home. It turns out, I realized I had left it at my friends' home - over an hour away.

And now we come to a harsh reality that you hopefully don't create for yourself. I had no money in my home!... nada! I always typically either rely on cash in wallet or on my debt or credit cards. Has this ever happened for you? Is any of this sounding familiar?

Realizing that my debt cards, cash, and credit cards were at my friends, it was a Saturday morning, I was already late for my lunch meeting... AND my friends were going to be away the next day, I scrounged and found some ones and toonies... hopefully what would be enough for lunch. I also spoke with my friends and arranged to go later that afternoon to their home after my meeting to pick up my wallet.

So far so good... then... the weather took a turn and we had a blizzard. There was no way I would have made it to my friends in less than 3 hours with the way the weather and traffic was so I put it off to the next day. Fortunately we were able to make arrangements, I picked up my wallet and everything was good again in my world... except...

I had a profound shift in thinking...

You see we all assume that everything is fine... if we need money, we use our debt cards or credit cards, we assume the sun will come up each day, there will be water flowing out of our taps, electricity to run our homes, computers, the internet, gas flowing to our cars whenever we go to the gas station, and medical help anytime we truly will need it.

This one seemingly small experience opened me up to a new way of thinking and is one that I hope alters how we look at our day-to-day activities.

Let's take a short trip down memory lane... In 2003, if you lived still live in the eastern portion of North America, we had a major power surge that knocked out power for over 55 MILLION people in Ontario and eight U.S. states. It was summer, which also meant that if you lived in a tall building, there would be only backup generator power for elevators. At the time, most plug in radios did not work so many people were speculating that it was a terrorist attack and we were instantly cut off from the world in a massive way! Remember... that was almost 8 years ago... meaning we now rely much more heavily on technology and electricity than we did then. Also, in Toronto, Canada, we now have many many more buildings than we did then.

Some areas lost water pressure because water pumps had no power and therefore people had no water - which even further led to the potential contamination of the water supply in parts of the United States. A boil water advisory went out... but could only really be used by people who actually had electricity. Trains running into and out of New York were shut down. I remember the rail system in Toronto ceased. Air Canada flights were grounded. Oil refineries shut down and as such were slow to resume gasoline production. And here is likely the one factor that people don't consider... cellular communications were disabled... and you couldn't recharge your cell even if you wanted to. Traffic lights, were knocked out and pedestrians became traffic directors because there are obviously not enough police officers to direct at every single major intersection in large cities like New York and Toronto. It took four days for full power to be restored and even then we were asked to minimize consumption.

When I forgot my wallet at my friend's home and realized I had no available cash on hand, I realized much more than the simple and fairly logical (duuuhhh!) thought to carry some cash at home... I realized I had no flash light, no batteries, no extra food, no extra water, no supplies, no blankets, no.... etc, etc.

I mention all of this, and my intent is not to come across as an alarmist. but all we have to do is look at areas of the world that have become largely inaccessible due to earthquakes such as Haiti and Chili, or look at areas that have been affected by severe weather patterns to the same degree that New Orleans had after hurricane Katrina.

In my work as a life coach and someone who lives from the truth of synchronicity, law of attraction, intuition etc, lately, I have also been feeling this inkling that now is a signicant time to prepare... not to act out of fear, but simply to prepare. Ideally we would all plan to have backups of supplies just in case the weather goes like it has here in Ontario dumping huge amounts of snow that we haven't seen in years.

I also recently moved out of the city and therefore what once took 3 minutes to drive to a major highway, now takes a good 15 and for that matter about 5 minutes by car (about 30 minutes walking) to get to a simple variety store!

Scientists for the past 5 years have been discussing the possibility of massive coronal ejections from the sun that if occur would be the strongest in over a century and would knock out everything that is electrical. Now I don't know any of those scientists, so perhaps the media or government is making them up, but I realize it would be wise to prepare for these types of emergencies just in case. What would you do if all-of-a-sudden there was no electricity?

Back in 2003, I remember seeing the night sky and stars for the first time from the street from different parts of Toronto. I was living on the oldest street in Toronto that had huge trees that also covered the entire road so had to use my cell phone light just to make it to the house I was living in. People were on their porches, playing guitar high fiving each other, and it was actually an experience that many were able to make the most of. But that only lasted for 2-4 days. What if that occurred for a week or a month?

Here is another thought... Last year in 2010 we had the G20 event take place in Toronto. I remember the week before after they had installed the fencing throughout the centre of the core of downtown and had begun to close just one of the major entryways to the downtown. I had a bit of a surreal experience - I was driving in for a gathering and what normally took me 30 minutes took 2 hours to get to. I remember sitting in my car, windows rolled down, literally stopped and hadn't moved in 5 minutes, people parked and thinking... this is what we see in movies when there is a max exodus out of a city.

I realized at that time, it would be important to have some extra items in my car such as a flashlight if it were night time, some extra water or food etc. And most importantly some extra patience!!!

What if, though, that had been the winter?... similar to what made headline CNN news just about 2 months ago when the Canadian military rescued 300 people from their cars along the 402 highway due to the winter storm that brought over 5 feet of snow in a 48 hour period. In case you missed it approximately 360 vehicles had been stranded, some people had been in their cars for over 25 hours before being rescued and having not eaten in that time and likely not having had any water on hand. I am sure if it had been me I would have likely got out of my car and begun to form groups of people to rescue each other and pool our resources. Some people though, may not have done that and instead might assume that they were going to be rescued at some point before they became so dehydrated that they couldn't move.

My intent for this post is to bring to our consciousness that we need to become more aware and prepare. If nothing occurs and we never experience a knock out solar eclipse, another hurricane like Katrina, no more power outages, no lack of food and supplies, then at least we were prepared and can sit back and enjoy all that we have saved.

Something though, tells me that either way it is a good idea to have some supplies that will last a good three months.

If you have read this far, and don't think I have lost it, then now would be a good time to begin to research and at least purchase the basics.

I will be posting future blogs on this topic that will contain the top sites I have found, some excellent check lists for preparation and essentially... the essentials.

Do leave a comment below if you have felt similar sensations or a 'calling' to prepare. Do also list any links you may have to items that will helpful.

In my opinion, the preparation far outweighs the expense and possibility.

I hope this blog has given you some food for thought... never leave your purse or wallet at your friend's home after playing Wii! :))

Here is a beginner checklist with more to come:

-cash in bills of 20s and less up to about 300.00 per family member - this is a general number - you decide how much you would like to have on hand per family member
-extra blankets
-a ton of extra toilet paper - this would be one of the least thought of and most important items to have... imagine running out of toilet paper and all of it is gone from the grocery stores! Yikes!
-3 flashlights - and at least one for each member of your family
-5 sets of extra batteries in all sizes per person and per flashlight
-bottled water stored preferrably in glass
-bees wax candles
-boxes of matches
-backup generator if you own or rent a home
-extra gasoline if you have safe storage and can gain permits for this - research this before doing this!
-protein - this would be the most important nutrient you can have - ideally find some excellent protein bars that you like and stock up on 5 boxes - use them before the expiry and rotate with new ones as the expiry nears
-cans of tuna
-freeze dried food
-dehydrated food
-silver and gold in coins not bars
-solar panel backup charges to charge cell phones, car motors etc.
-if you are having a house built and have to choose between gas or naturaly fire place... go with at least one being a natural fireplace
-fire wood
-shovel in your car for your car
-all of your documents in one place - passport, health card etc for quick access
-vitamin D in the liquid form - preferrably spray or drops
-a very good high quality multi-vitamin and multi-mineral
-backup your computer(s)
-paper notebook
-deck of cards

Live Like a Hot Chick

I am truly fortunate and humbly in gratitude to be surrounded by and working mostly with women, whom I prefer to call Goddesses and Queens.

In fact over the past 10 years since I have been coaching, approximately 95% of my practice has been focused with women.

While I was growing up and learning about energy and spirituality, I was typically the youngest and at the same time, typically the only male. So I consider myself to have lived a blessed life amongst many Goddesses and Queens.

Recently, a friend/colleague/client sent me this description from a book she is reading - Thank you to RM for sending this through.

This very accurately describes the way any women should feel when she is coming from her soul and as such her authentic and centred state. Although I have not read the book, my sense is that it would be a good one for any women wanting to further enhance her ability to both be feminine and powerful, natural and authentic.

Here is a quote from the book:

“Hot Chick” (definition): A confident woman. She knows what she wants and gets it. She is aware of her flaws, but she doesn’t obsess over them and instead thinks that maybe (just maybe) they actually add to her unique beauty. She is passionate. She loves life. She is comfortable in her own skin and owns her sexuality, but uses it purely for good.

She does not use other women as her enemy and competes only with herself to do her best at all times and to be her best at all times. She is forthright, honest, and disarmingly herself. She is having fun, and she is sexy, and you just want to be around her to soak up some of these good vibes.

She isn’t perfect, but she doesn’t care because she is hot... (From the book "Live Like a Hot Chick" by Jodi Lipper and Cerina Vincent)

If you have read this or plan to, then do leave a comment below. Let us know how it was and what you enjoyed most from the book!

My humblest regards:),
Joshua

A Perspective on What Is Success?

Some fun things to consider:

One of my favorite quotes is:

"Success is a trendy word. Don't aim for success if you want it, just do what you love and it will come naturally." -David Frost

While this is true for some perspectives of success and for others not so much, here is a wonderful viewpoint on success:

SUCCESS:

At age 4 success is . . . . Not piddling in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . . Having friends.
At age 17 success is . . . Having a driver's license.
At age 35 success is . . . Having money.
At age 50 success is . . . Having money.
At age 70 success is . .. . Having a driver's license.
At age 75 success is . ... Having friends.
At age 80 success is . . .. Not piddling in your pants.

Create success ALLWAYS! ;)

Perhaps Buying Silver IS Important!

Hi Everyone,

If you are familiar with my e-zine Be-Inspired, you will find it is all about inspiration, the power of the mind, energy, spirituality, life clarity and all that helps you to expand your mind, consciousness, and your ability to live a fulfilled and rich live and to enrich others' lives as well.

This blog is all about all of the fun, cool, and neat things and interests I have that you can benefit from and hopefully that enrich your experience. Still relevant to Be-Inspired, but much more broad in its scope.

You will read about some wild ideas and ones that seem to be coming into reality such as investing to create wealth in elements such as gold and silver, the possibility of the world going through some shifts over the next few years and what you will want to consider for preparation if that is important to you.

There will be videos, audios and many more cool items to help you and your loved ones to move through life smoothly, peacefully, and with some kind of adventure.

You will also find funky and incredible health products that may serve you, amonths other things.

With that said, here is a little diddy on something I was just blown away at finding out today... January 1st, 2011 that you definitely need to know about.

While I am at it... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

In 1991, I enrolled in a money course led by one of my mentors Sue. At that time, she suggested to us that we begin to buy gold bars and store them in our homes.

At that time, very very few people were discussing this topic... mainly because the internet was not very functional, there was no Youtube and most people were finding out about investing in gold and silver through books here and there and by visionaries who could see with near 100% psychic clarity a future to come.

At that time, and for most of my life up to that point and for a while, I had always had financial troubles and so my focus was always more about survival than it was about investing.

Years later, in fact last year, I began to purchase a bit of silver. I had completely forgotten her message and through a friend heard about it the vale of investing in Silver and Gold.

I purchased the first silver at that time at about $17.00 per ounce (which represents a silver coin). Well, wouldn't you know, today I checked and it has increased in value by about 66% !!! It is now worth over $30.00. So I have nearly doubled my investment within a year.

Let's look at this for a moment to consider this and understand how this relates to you... You likely personally invest in RRSPs, RESPs, retirement funds, mutual funds, bonds, and you likely know of others who do the same. Let say that you made 14% this past year on even just one of those investments over the year. Using the same numbers as the silver at $17.00. If you had a mutual fund valued at $17.00, with an increase of 14%, you would have made $2.38 (14%, by-the-way, is a very, very good return in a market where many can lose money on their investments but most average about 5-8%).

So looking at these numbers imagine what you would have made if you took even just 10% of your current investments that are in stocks or that you contribute to RRSPs and had invested them in silver.

The numbers we are using are very small as there are some individuals and even large companies investing in silver and gold who are purchasing quantities of 10,000 ounces or 1,000,000 ounces of silver. Imagine if you invested $10,000.00 in silver last year - today it would be worth $16,600.00. You would now have an additional $6,660.00 in one year. For those who purchased gold, well it has increased even further.

I mention this because if you and I had invested way back when my mentor suggested we should and continued each year... well, let's just say, we would be e-mailing and reading this blog from golden castles somewhere ;)

In case you would like to learn more about silver and gold, check out the following links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTBXc8z3vDw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUMOhC2a_hU&feature=related

http://goldbasics.blogspot.com/search/label/Silver

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd886W7MGuo

Further, and four more important points I have found in nearly all of my research on silver and gold...

1. Silver, now worth about $30.00, some say may one day outprice gold which is now at a little over $1400.00 per ounce! - because it used in more items around the planet.

2. Silver, because it is easier to purchase for the majority of people - a silver coin is $30.00 where a gold coin is $1400.00 - is the easier purchase in many cases.

3. Buying in coins may be more advantageous than buying in wafers or bars. If the world does shift over the next 2-3 years in interesting ways and our dollars are worth nothing, metal COINS will be easier to use to make purchases and to trade than bars.

4. Do not store your coins/metals at a bank. Find a safe place in your home or purchase a safe to keep them their. Who knows what can happen if crisis breaks out and banks are not open or close temporarily!

I hope this has been helpful. Do write below and add your thoughts or questions on this topic and if you have experience with investing in gold and silver also be sure post - your positive and helpful comments are always welcome!