Confessions of a Lover of Books and Learning

Written by Susan Dunn, MA, The EQ Coach™


Continued from page 1

There’s alsorepparttar used book option at amazon.com, as well asrepparttar 130646 plethora of free learning material onrepparttar 130647 Internet. You don’t have to spend a cent, and you don’t have to leave your house.

Some questions for you about books:

1.Do books upliftrepparttar 130648 spirit and allow a pleasant distraction?

“When I am attacked by gloomy thoughts, nothing helps me so much as running to my books. They quickly absorb me and banishrepparttar 130649 clouds from my mind.” ~Michel de Montaigne

2.No matter what your stage or age, is there a book out there for you?

”Books … are like lobster shells. We surround ourselves with ‘em, then we grow out of ‘em and leave ‘em behind, as evidence of our earlier stages of development.” ~Dorothy L. Sayers

3. Are books wonderfully user-friendly?

“Books arerepparttar 130650 quietest and most constant of friends; they arerepparttar 130651 most accessible and wisest of counselors, andrepparttar 130652 most patient of teachers. ~ Charles W. Eliot

4. If you’re living without books, are you missing out on something?

”I cannot live without books.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

5.Do you value books more than other material possessions?

”Knowing I lov’d my books, he furnish’d me From mine own library with volumes that I prize above my dukedome.” ~Shakespeare

6.Does reading books bring refinement?

”You despise books; you whose loves are absorbed inrepparttar 130653 vanities of ambition,repparttar 130654 pursuit of pleasure or indolence; but remember that allrepparttar 130655 known world, excepting only savage nations, is governed by books. ~ Voltaire

7.Are those who don’t study history forced to repeat it?

”Without words, without writing and without books there would be no history, there could be no concept of humanity. ~Herman Hesse

8.Do books expose you to good people you might not otherwise meet?

”The reading of all good books is indeed like a conversation withrepparttar 130656 noblest of men of past centuries who wererepparttar 130657 authors of them, nay a carefully studied conversation, in which they reveal to us none butrepparttar 130658 best of their thoughts.” ~ Rene Descartes

9.Are books a part ofrepparttar 130659 Information Age?

“The rules have changed. True power is held byrepparttar 130660 person who possessesrepparttar 130661 largest bookshelf, not gun cabinet or wallet.” ~Anthony J. D’Angelo

10.Do books broaden your horizons?

”It is books that are a key torepparttar 130662 wide world; if you can’t do anything else, read all that you can.” ~Jane Hamilton

Here’s torepparttar 130663 joys of reading, to hyacinths forrepparttar 130664 soul!

©Susan Dunn, MA Clinical Psychology, The EQ Coach™, http://www.susandunn.cc . We know how much you value your personal and professional growth, so we've amassed the tools you need -- customized coaching, distance learning courses, support, and resources. Visit the eBook Library – http://www.webstrategies.cc/ebooklibrary.html and get some hyacinths for your soul. Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc for FREE eZine.


Cultivate A Friendship With Death

Written by Dr Tim Ong


Continued from page 1

It is therefore essential for us to be familiar with our own spirituality. It isrepparttar only part of us that continues after death. This 'fact' is in accordance with all major religions.

Cultivate a Habit of Acceptance.

It is funny how when good things come to us, we readily accept them as though we deserve them or we have worked hard for them, yet when calamities befall us we quickly look for an external source to blame.

This is especially so when misfortunes such as terminal illness befall us. We may blame God, and later blame ourselves or people around us.

We should cultivate a habit of neutrality regardless of whether good or bad things come our way. Otherwise, we can become very bitter about life when negative things happened. Looking for someone or something to blame only serve to prolong our own suffering. Death is an enemy when we resist it, butrepparttar 130644 moment we accept it, it turns into an ally.

However, cultivating a habit of acceptance does not mean not doing anything to correct or improve our conditions. It does not mean, for example, that when we are diagnosed with a terminal illness we do nothing about it. It is only sensible to seek treatment, if it is available to us. Onrepparttar 130645 other hand, it also means we must know and accept when curative treatment is no longer possible.

We fear death only when we refuse to face it. Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous people who would take advantage of our fear of death to sell their 'cure'. In my experience withrepparttar 130646 terminally ill, I have come across countless stories of dying people being duped into parting with their savings and properties inrepparttar 130647 hope of achieving a cure.

Be a Blessing to Others.

This is our greatest and most reliable ally atrepparttar 130648 time of death. Knowing that we have been helpful to others and that we have tried to live a blameless life takes awayrepparttar 130649 fear of death. If our life has been an honest one, free of any conscious intention to hurt any living beings, we have nothing to fear when death approaches. Our mind will be at peace, undisturbed.

Onrepparttar 130650 other hand, those who lead selfish lives, and harm others to get little advantages for themselves, find themselves imprisoned in tiny, dark cells when they move torepparttar 130651 other side.

Therefore, while we still can, we should give our best torepparttar 130652 world and to people around us. Lend a helping hand to others and help to lighten their loads. Bring joy torepparttar 130653 joyless and comfort to those in need of comfort. There are many who are less fortunate than us. Count our blessings and be a blessing to others.

Tim Ong is a medical doctor and author of the online "Build From Within" newsletter series. He is also the webmaster of The Self Improvement Site (http://www.theselfimprovementsite.com), Klinik Ong (http://www.klinikong.com) and Caring For The Terminally Ill (http://www.caring-terminally-ill.com). You may sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.theselfimprovementsite.com/signup.html


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