Author Archives: marcia

Hive Collapse and Pesticides

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‘Highly Likely’ Insecticides Trigger Bee Colony Collapse: Harvard Study

Activist Post

Two widely used neonicotinoids—a class of insecticide—appear to significantly harm honey bee colonies over the winter, particularly during colder winters, according to a new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). The study replicated a 2012 finding from the same research group that found a link between low doses of imidacloprid and Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), in which bees abandon their hives over the winter and eventually die. The new study also found that low doses of a second neonicotinoid, clothianidin, had the same negative effect.

Further, although other studies have suggested that CCD-related mortality in honey bee colonies may come from bees’ reduced resistance to mites or parasites as a result of exposure to pesticides, the new study found that bees in the hives exhibiting CCD had almost identical levels of pathogen infestation as a group of control hives, most of which survived the winter. This finding suggests that the neonicotinoids are causing some other kind of biological mechanism in bees that in turn leads to CCD.

The study appears online May 9, 2014 in the Bulletin of Insectology (link at bottom).

“We demonstrated again in this study that neonicotinoids are highly likely to be responsible for triggering CCD in honey bee hives that were healthy prior to the arrival of winter,” said lead author Chensheng (Alex) Lu, associate professor of environmental exposure biology at HSPH.

Since 2006, there have been significant losses of honey bees from CCD. Pinpointing the cause is crucial to mitigating this problem since bees are prime pollinators of roughly one-third of all crops worldwide. Experts have considered a number of possible causes, including pathogen infestation, beekeeping practices, and pesticide exposure. Recent findings, including a 2012 study by Lu and colleagues, suggest that CCD is related specifically to neonicotinoids, which may impair bees’ neurological functions. Imidacloprid and clothianidin both belong to this group.Lu and his co-authors from the Worcester County Beekeepers Association studied the health of 18 bee colonies in three locations in central Massachusetts from October 2012 through April 2013. At each location, the researchers separated six colonies into three groups—one treated with imidacloprid, one with clothianidin, and one untreated.

There was a steady decline in the size of all the bee colonies through the beginning of winter—typical among hives during the colder months in New England. Beginning in January 2013, bee populations in the control colonies began to increase as expected, but populations in the neonicotinoid-treated hives continued to decline. By April 2013, 6 out of 12 of the neonicotinoid-treated colonies were lost, with abandoned hives that are typical of CCD. Only one of the control colonies was lost—thousands of dead bees were found inside the hive—with what appeared to be symptoms of a common intestinal parasite called Nosema ceranae.

While the 12 pesticide-treated hives in the current study experienced a 50% CCD mortality rate, the authors noted that, in their 2012 study, bees in pesticide-treated hives had a much higher CCD mortality rate—94%. That earlier bee die-off occurred during the particularly cold and prolonged winter of 2010-2011 in central Massachusetts, leading the authors to speculate that colder temperatures, in combination with neonicotinoids, may play a role in the severity of CCD.

“Although we have demonstrated the validity of the association between neonicotinoids and CCD in this study, future research could help elucidate the biological mechanism that is responsible for linking sub-lethal neonicotinoid exposures to CCD,” said Lu. “Hopefully we can reverse the continuing trend of honey bee loss.”
“Sub-lethal exposure to neonicotinoids impaired honey bees winterization before proceeding to colony collapse disorder,” Chensheng Lu, Kenneth M. Warchol, Richard A. Callahan, Bulletin of Insectology, online Friday, May 9, 2014. Press release source.

from:    http://www.activistpost.com/2014/05/highly-likely-insecticides-triggered.html

Suggestions to Stop Procrastinating

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How to Stop Procrastinating: 7 Timeless Tips

by Henrik Edberg

“Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week.”
Spanish Proverb

“How soon ‘not now’ becomes ‘never’.”
Martin Luther

“A year from now you may wish you had started today.”
Karen Lamb

One of the most common problems is procrastination. We know what we want to do and should do. But still we end up spending hours upon hours doing “easier” work or escaping via TV, blogs or music.

Now, nothing wrong with a little escape from time to time. But if you procrastinate too much you will not get the most important things done. And you will also send yourself into negative spirals where your self-esteem plummets and you spend your days or more in a vague negative funk.

So what can you do? Here are 7 timeless tips to help you to stop procrastinating and start living your life more fully. And if you want to then you can learn much more about becoming more productive, focused and minimizing stress in my training kit The Art of Relaxed Productivity.

1. Stop thinking. Start doing.

“To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing.”
Eva Young

A bit of planning can certainly help you to achieve what you want to achieve. A lot of planning and thinking tends to have the opposite effect.

You think and think and try to come up with “the perfect plan”. A plan where you don’t have to make mistakes, where you will never be rejected, where there will be no pain or difficulties. Such a thing does of course not exist. But as long as you work on that plan you can protect yourself.

2. Don’t blow a task out of proportion.

“If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it.”
Olin Miller

”Putting off an easy thing makes it hard. Putting off a hard thing makes it impossible.”
George Claude Lorimer

By over thinking and putting things off you are not only trying to protect yourself from pain. You also make mountains out of molehills. The quotes above are so true it isn’t even funny. The more hours and days you put something off the worse it grows in your mind.

Because you are dwelling on it. And so it expands in your mind. And since you are putting it off you are probably thinking about it in a negative way. This makes a little thing a big Godzilla, a horrible beast that is threatening to ruin your life.

So plan a little and then take action.

Often you don’t even have to plan, you have been there before and you know what needs to be done. So stop thinking and just do it no matter how you feel and what you think. How you feel right now changes as quickly as the weather so it’s not the perfect guidance system or anything. And you don’t have to obey what it says (it’s not chains made of iron). You can just do what you know is right anyway.

3. Just take the first step.

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

When you start to look too far into the future any task or project can seem close to impossible. And so you shut down because you become overwhelmed and start surfing the internet aimlessly instead. That is one of the reasons why it is good to plan for the future but then to shift your focus back to today and the present moment.

Then you just focus on taking the first step today. That is all you need to focus on, nothing else. By taking the first step you change you mental state from resistant to “hey, I’m doing this, cool”. You put yourself in state where you become more positive and open, a state where you may not be enthusiastic about taking the next step after this first one but you are at least accepting it. And so you can take the next step. And the next one after that.

The thing is, you can’t see the whole staircase anyway and it will shift and reveal itself along the way. That’s why the best of plans tend to fall apart at least a bit as you start to put it into action. You discover that your map of reality doesn’t look like reality.

4. Start with the hardest task of your day.

“Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.”
Dale Carnegie

Maybe you have an important call to make that you also fear might be uncomfortable. Maybe you know you have gotten behind on answering your emails and have big pile to dig into. Maybe you have the last five pages of your paper to finish.

Whatever it may be, get it out of your way the first thing you do.

If you start your day this way you will feel relieved. You feel relaxed and good about yourself. And the rest of the day – and your to-do list – tends to feel a lot lighter and easier to move through. It’s amazing what difference this one action makes.

5. Just make a decision. Any decision.

“In a moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing to do, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”
Theodore Roosevelt

We feel bad when we sit on our hands and don’t take action because it’s unnatural. The natural thing is to be a decisive human and take action.

When you procrastinate you want to do something but you don’t take the action that is in alignment with that thought. You become conflicted within.

What you do always sends signals back to you about who you are. Sure, doing affirmations where you say to yourself that you are confident can help you. But taking the confident actions you want to take over and over again is what really builds your self confidence and a self-image of you being a confident person. When you procrastinate you lower your self esteem and send signals back to yourself that you are a ,well, a kinda lame and indecisive person.

6. Face your fear.

“Procrastination is the fear of success. People procrastinate because they are afraid of the success that they know will result if they move ahead now. Because success is heavy, carries a responsibility with it, it is much easier to procrastinate and live on the “someday I’ll” philosophy.”
Denis Waitley

I think this is true. It’s easier to live on that “someday…” thought. It’s harder to just take action. To risk looking like a fool. To make mistakes, stumble and not avoid that pain. To take responsibility for your own life.

The easier choice can come with a sense of comfort, with a certain level of success, pangs of regret for all the things you never dared to do and a vague sense of being unfulfilled. You wonder about what would have happened if you had taken more action and more chances.

The harder choice gives you, well, who knows? But it will sure make your feel more alive.

7. Finish it.

“Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task”
William James

“Much of the stress that people feel doesn’t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they started.”
David Allen

Not taking the first step to start accomplishing something can make you feel bad. But not finishing what you have started can also leave you in a sort of negative funk. You feel fatigued or stressed and sometimes you don’t even know why. It’s like someone zapped your inner power.

If that is the case, go over tasks and projects what you are currently involved in. Is there something there you know you want to finish but haven’t yet? Try to get that finished as soon as you can you will start to feel a whole lot better.

Just be careful. Don’t think you have to finish everything you started. If a book sucks, read something else. Using this as an excuse to quit something that feels hard or unfamiliar is not a good idea. But there is no law that says that everything has to be completed.

from:    http://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2009/04/23/how-to-stop-procrastinating-7-timeless-tips/

Observation and Reality Change

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Want to Change Your Reality? Just Switch the Channel…

The holographic mind

By Meg Benedicte

During this extraordinary year of transformation, our planet is morphing from the dying, outdated 3D model of Duality into an alternative 5D paradigm of Unity Consciousness. This is often met with perplexing confusion, as the human mind attempts to grasp how it is possible for a planet to change so dramatically. But once we understand the complex workings of the universe it is easier to not only comprehend but actively get involved.

There is much debate between scientists and spiritual scholars about the origin of creation and the role that living consciousness plays. Similar to the chicken vs. egg argument…does the mind evolve from matter (thoughts as biochemical reactions in the brain), or does matter evolve from mind (spirit creating matter).

My experience supports the narrative that “creation arises from consciousness”…it is the source where ideas originate. All visions, intentions, artistic expression, and imagination are ignited from the trans-material consciousness called “Spirit‟. It is the creative spark of our physical world of matter.

In Quantum Physics everything in nature exists simultaneously as separate particles that also have a wave function. Based on the “Observer Effect‟, the small atoms in our physical world are influenced by the presence of our conscious mind. Particle-waves function as possible probabilities until observed by a conscious mind, whereby the exchange would collapse the wave-function and form a particle. The quantum field exists in a state of waves probabilities (virtual particles), as possible holograms of potential outcomes.

So how does this work? Our brain operates much like a computer or television, creating our material world from a holographic array of frequencies converted into a solid image. Just as a hologram functions as a lens, encoding and decoding frequencies, our brain similarly transforms incoming frequencies into our sensory perception of reality. Therefore, our personal reality is determined by the frequencies selected…like channel surfing from the couch.

In the quantum field our brain animates our external world like the engine of a movie projector – creating a holographic reality by running snapshot “freeze frames‟ of observed perception (images) together similar to a movie film. The consciousness streaming through our mind becomes the “creator‟ of time and space of our physical experience, not the other way around!

When our brain switches channels, we experience a shift in our perceived reality. It may materialize in an “Aha” Moment, or more dramatically, like relocating to a new city or country, or changing careers. In this manner, our brain not only switched channels, it jumped timelines. The human brain ‘receiver’ is selecting one slice of holographic reality from an infinite kaleidoscope of slices.

In a way, our Universe works like sliced bread and in any moment we are selecting one of the slices. With this knowledge, we can consciously choose our slice of reality from the vast quantum field by refining and raising our brainwave frequencies and intentioned focus. We are not stuck in a dark, dismal world. That is just one of infinite slices accessible to us. We have the ability to switch channels any moment we desire with our mind’s consciousness, just like clicking your remote to a new channel.

The human brain has a complex network of microtubules transmitting photon packets of “light consciousness‟ in a quantum field of order (coherence). The human brain ‘receiver’ converts the photon waves of data from the quantum fluctuations into our holographic reality. Our ability to tap into this universal intelligence depends on the strength of our body’s superradiance, our capacity for cellular metabolism of photon light and our brain’s reception of a wider-range of higher frequencies

It is our personal ‘energy signature’ that magnetizes a select range of information within the quantum field. During altered states of meditation our brain relaxes and expands to larger numbers of wave-lengths in the Zero Point Field, opening our mind to awaken to new thought, visions and perceptions.

It is very empowering to know we can choose our slice of reality, the hologram that we live in. At this time in history, we have the opportunity to jump tracks onto the parallel slice of 5D Earth, onto the 5D timeline. All we need to do is elevate our brainwave frequencies higher into the 5D range so that our brain can lock onto that channel of reality.

The only obstacle to switching channels is our ego fear and doubt. For the ego mind wants to stay in 3D Polarity to feed on emotional charge. It will resist our decision to switch timelines to the 5D hologram. But we have the solution – during conscious meditation our focused intention and visions will raise the brain into higher frequencies (25 hertz and higher) that are beyond the reach of the ego mind. It is in the non-polarized Still Point that we select the new channel of 5D Earthly reality from the universal superhologram.

Not only can we switch channels to the new 5D Earth but we can alter our reality in numerous ways. Our mind is open to an infinite array of options at any given moment. If something is not going the way we envisioned, we can lock our focus on another solution and switch to that channel. There are infinite possibilities! All we have to do is free up our mind and open to the vast quantum field of infinite solutions…and change our lives forever!

Copyright (c) 2014 Meg Benedicte * All Rights Reserved * http://newearthcentral.com You may copy and distribute this material as long as you do not alter it in any way, the content remains complete and you include this copyright notice.

from:    http://consciouslifenews.com/change-reality-switch-channel/1173242/

Fracking – Quakes in Oklahoma 5/09

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5/09/2014 — 3.9M (4.0M) “Frack-quake” @ wind farm in Oklahoma + USGS “Frack-quake” Animation

Not much more to add to the description of this article.  The title speaks for itself.

3.9M (4.0M) “Frack-quake” @ wind farm in Oklahoma + USGS “Frack-quake” Animation

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Here are the USGS statistics on the current 3.9M event:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usb000qfz9#summary

fracking wind farm earthquake may 9 2014 oklahoma

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Fracking has been confirmed, by the USGS / AGU, to be the cause of these multiple larger earthquake events in Oklahoma.

Here is an animation showing the earthquake swarms:

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http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/ceus/products/newsrelease_05022014.php

“The rate of earthquakes in Oklahoma has increased remarkably since October 2013 – by about 50 percent – significantly increasing the chance for a damaging magnitude 5.5 or greater quake in central Oklahoma.

oklahoma

A new U.S. Geological Survey and Oklahoma Geological Survey analysis found that 145 earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater occurred in Oklahoma from January 2014 (through May 2; see accompanying graphic). The previous annual record, set in 2013, was 109 earthquakes, while the long-term average earthquake rate, from 1978 to 2008, was just two magnitude 3.0 or larger earthquakes per year. Important to people living in central and north-central Oklahoma is that the likelihood of future, damaging earthquakes has increased as a result of the increased number of small and moderate shocks.

Oklahoma’s heightened earthquake activity since 2009 includes 20 magnitude 4.0 to 4.8 quakes, plus the largest earthquake in Oklahoma’s history – a magnitude 5.6 earthquake that occurred near Prague on Nov. 5, 2011. The 2011 Prague earthquake damaged a number of homes and the historic Benedictine Hall at St. Gregory’s University in Shawnee. Prior to the 2011 Prague earthquake, the largest earthquake of Oklahoma’s history was a magnitude 5.5 earthquake that occurred in 1952 near El Reno and damaged state buildings in Oklahoma City.

“While it’s been known for decades that Oklahoma is ‘earthquake country’, we hope that this new advisory of increased hazard will become a crucial consideration in earthquake preparedness for residents, schools and businesses in the area,” said Dr. Bill Leith, Senior Science Advisor for Earthquakes and Geologic Hazards at USGS. “Building owners and government officials should have a special concern for older, unreinforced brick structures, which are vulnerable to serious damage during sufficient shaking.”

USGS statistically analyzed the recent earthquake rate changes and found that they do not seem to be due to typical, random fluctuations in natural seismicity rates. Significant changes in both the background rate of events and earthquake triggers needed to have occurred in order to explain the increases in seismicity, which is not typically observed when modeling natural earthquakes.

The analysis suggests that a likely contributing factor to the increase in earthquakes is triggering by wastewater injected into deep geologic formations. This phenomenon is known as injection-induced seismicity, which has been documented for nearly half a century, with new cases identified recently in Arkansas, Ohio, Texas and Colorado. A recent publication by the USGS suggests that a magnitude 5.0 foreshock to the 2011 Prague, Okla., earthquake was human-induced by fluid injection; that earthquake may have then triggered the mainshock and its aftershocks. OGS studies also indicate that some of the earthquakes in Oklahoma are due to fluid injection. The OGS and USGS continue to study the Prague earthquake sequence in relation to nearby injection activities.

Collaborative USGS and OGS research to understand earthquake rate increase in the central Oklahoma area includes quantifying the changes in earthquake rate, assessing the implications of the increased small and moderate earthquake activity for large earthquake hazards, and evaluating possible links between these earthquakes and wastewater disposal from oil and gas production activities. The OGS is also focused on seismicity in north-central Oklahoma.

To more accurately determine the locations and magnitudes of earthquakes in Oklahoma, the OGS has increased the number of monitoring stations and now operates a seismograph network of 15 permanent stations and 17 temporary stations, many of which are on loan from the USGS. There are also three permanent seismic stations operated by the USGS and the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology. Data from this network are shared in real-time with the USGS National Earthquake Information Center, which provides 24×7 reporting on earthquakes worldwide.”

from:    http://dutchsinse.tatoott1009.com/

UFO CHase in Turkey

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UFO Chased By Military Jet & Helicopter In Turkey, April 22, 2014, UFO Sighting News.


 Date of sighting: April 22, 2014 at 13:30
Location of sighting: Doganbey, Seferihisar, Turkey
Source: Email report
Source UFO Site:  http://siriusufo.org/turk-askeri-jetinin-ufoyla-it-dalasi/#sthash.E41cLInn.dpuf

Updated on May 10, 2014: The person who sent this report to me, emailed me again to let me know its not his site, but a famous site in Turkey, maybe related to Dr Greer Sirius sites. The person gave them the report and they posted it there in Turkey. SCW

This email report came in today and he is from Turkey and was recording a military helicopter and F5  jet chasing a UFO. It would be cool if we had some video of it, but the photos on his site attest to them being real. The photos are 4.5MB in size…straight out of the camera. I told him to change it so his site loads faster, but this is some proof of them being real. SCW


 Eyewitness states:
Event date April 22, 2014 Tuesday 13:30 waters of Seferihisar Doğanbey in realized .. That day, in Seferihisar Doğanbey in the treasures of the land identified and photographed the UFO, then it emerges very fast and suddenly manoeuvres. The F-5 fighter aircraft and a military helicopter UFO are in the same frame of 7-8 individual photos to view… In addition, this very important event taken during these extraordinary photographs, the metallic object a UFO chased by a F-5 fighter aircraft and military helicopters chased in a clear format that as seen…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs8HPUPH3kc
from:    http://www.ufosightingsdaily.com/2014/05/ufo-chased-by-military-jet-helicopter.html

UFO Approach to ISS 5/09

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UFO As Bright As The Moon Visits Space Station, May 9, 2014, VIDEO, UFO Sighting News.

Date of sighting: May 9, 2014
Location of sighting: Earths Orbit at ISS
Source: NASA Live HD Cams
Streetcap1 site: http://www.streetcap1.com
 
This UFO glides past the ISS and flashes as if trying to signal them. Streetcap1 of Youtube caught it on May 9th. Its very strange that the UFO is so bright like the moon and then grows in brightness only to disappear. The color of the UFO matches that of the space station due to the suns odd angle and reflection from its surface, which causes the orange hue. SCW
Check out the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux_1tFpEDYs

http://www.ufosightingsdaily.com/2014/05/ufo-as-bright-as-moon-visits-space.html

Your Color Scope for Saturday, 5/10

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Saturday, May 10:   Hazy White

This is a day of ups and downs as emotions are close to the surface and you are feeling somewhat out of control. There are things that will be popping in and out of your range of vision. Some of these you can easily dismiss as illusory while others can make you question what you saw just saw. No, you are not going crazy. There is a kind of intersection between a number of dimensions going on today and they are leaking through one to the other. Along with that will come hunches and intuitions from your deepest self. That is the voice of the point of deepest connection of your essential being. Pay attention. There can be some interesting messages, some of which just might lead you to make some changes in the way you are doing things, the path you are taking, perhaps even some life choices.

The Overall Color-Scope 5/3-15

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May 4-15:   The theme of these days is Unchartered Waters. Things have shifted so that everything is new. There are no maps, so proceed based upon your inner knowing and the wisdom of the heart’s connection to the Universe.

 

Overall Color for these Days:   Fibrous White

This is a time for knowing the difference between Have-to-Do and Want-to-Do. You are in a place now where certain decision are waiting to be made and they turn upon your knowing the difference between these two things One is the old way; the other is the new way. Which will you choose? There is neither right nor wrong here. There will be times in your future to work again with this concept, however it might be a bit more difficult. Ask yourself whether there is there a melding of the two. Perhaps, however you must reconcile these within yore own soul. The melding is part of the morphing, the changing from then to NOW. Things take time within this dimension, and we are aware of that. There is no strict timeline here. These things are hinted at to point to what is available to you and let you know that should you wish, they are there for you Now. These days will bring many issues up before you. You will be seeing things in a new light, and you will actually feel your perspective shifting. You can go from one choice to another even within minutes. As this happens, it is good to be with the one choice then the other to see them for how they fit WHO you are. There is much to be known right now about your self. Be gentle with yourself these days. Take time. Do not rush. Leave worry behind. When it arises just accept the fact that it is there for you to get embroiled in should you choose, but if you choose not to, then breathe, breathe in light, know you are light, and know that everything will work out. These are difficult times, but you have the power, the strength, and the knowing to move forward. And know that there is always guidance for you should you ask. If you are confused by the signals that come your way, then go within and feel what is right. Feel what harmonizes with WHO you are, and you will know.

On the larger scale, expect to see and hear more reports of sightings of ET crafts. There is a great deal of worry within the communities of the Universe as to where the Blue Planet is going right now. They are cooperating with Gaia and will continue to monitor the conditions here. They will not take any direct action unless they are asked by the Planet herself to do so. Politics will be confused and confusing as politicians say one thing and contradict themselves in the same sentence. There is much uproar going on right now within the political world in all countries. New alliances are forming, some of them under the surface. People are becoming more vocal and are seeing through the sham that has been presented to them as freedom and fact. Truly, as The Many has said, this is a time for the Individual. People are recognizing kindred spirits, some in individuals that formerly they would have nothing to do with. Communities of spirits and like-minded are arising. Then there are those you will see in these days who are turning away from it all, with their fingers in their ears, refusing to accept that change is happening, and not the kind the politicians were speaking of. This is a change that is fueled by the true desires of the people that is based upon real knowing and compassion. Things are getting rocky, and will get rockier, but it is all part of creating something new. There will be more Earth movements and shifts. The current in the Earth that has been reworking and rechanneling itself will begin to be seen as tornadoes, volcanoes, and quakes shake things up. There are winds that will come out of nowhere, whirling at hurricane force in places that are not used to such things. There will be a lull in the high areas of the world, but then things will quickly progress to weather patterns that are out of season. More landslides can occur as the earth shifts and moves. There is a momentum within the events of man that is being stirred up through the Gaia connection. You will be seeing more of this during these days.

What is Your Life’s Purpose?

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5 Questions to Discover Your Life’s Purpose

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” ~E.E. Cummings

At twenty-five I was happily married and had a great career, many friends, and lots of money. During that time, I also became deeply depressed, was put on medication for anxiety, and entered what would be a very long relationship with psychotherapy.

It was a real struggle for me to understand why I wasn’t happy when I had everything that I thought was important in life. Was I selfish? Were my expectations too high? I honestly couldn’t understand what was missing and how to fill this huge void that gnawed at me every day.

When I look back at my life, twenty years later, I realize that I really had no idea who I truly was or what made me happy. I kept expecting something or someone to answer this question for me.

The journey to find out who I was and what really mattered to me eventually involved divorce, the loss of my career and most of my possessions, and overcoming a serious illness.

It pretty much took the loss of everything I thought defined me and made me happy to admit to myself that I honestly didn’t know myself very well at all.

Who am I? What do I believe in? What is my purpose? What fills me with joy and wonder? These are questions that I am just beginning to understand after forty-five years of living my life, and I have to admit that getting there has been extremely difficult.

The hardest part for me was just knowing where to begin. After much therapy, meditation, self-reflection, and reading, I asked myself five big questions that served as a launch pad to begin my journey of self-discovery.

If you are ready to begin the process of truly understanding who you are meant to be, start here:

1. What or who would you be if you knew you couldn’t fail?

The risk of failure terrifies most people. How many times have you wanted to change jobs or careers, move to a new city, promote a cause that is important you, or become an expert in a certain area? Think about it. No risk of failure.

If you were 100% certain that you could be or do anything you wanted and not fail, do you know the answer?

2. What is your Ninety-Second Personal Elevator Speech?

Probably the most important and poorly answered question in most job interviews, this is similar in nature. You can certainly include your career or career accomplishments in your personal speech, but think of this from the perspective of how you might answer this if you were making a new friend or going on a first date with someone.

How would you describe yourself so that the person asking the question would truly understand who you are and what is important to you?

3. What are your core personal values?

Personal values are the things that you believe are important in the way you live. They give you a reference for what is good, beneficial, important, useful, desirable, and constructive. Once you are able to determine exactly what values are most important to you, you can better determine your priorities.

In fact, having this information about yourself is the key to making sure your daily life is aligned with those values.

4. What makes you genuinely happy?

This one is closely related to your core personal values. However, ask yourself this question once you’ve really nailed down what those values are.

For example, if family is one of your core personal values, will taking a job that involves tons of travel make you happy? Take it a step further and really consider dreams you had when you were younger or currently have about what will make you truly happy.

5. If money were no object, how would you live your life differently?

Many people equate happiness and success directly to the amount of money they have. How many times have you heard someone say, “If I hit the lottery, I’d…”

But remember, this question isn’t really about money at all. It’s more about thinking outside the limits we tend to put on our aspirations and actions because things seem out of our reach financially.

You may not be able to do those exact things, but once you know what those true desires are, you expand your thinking and begin to develop a plan to work towards goals you may have never imagined possible.

These are tough questions and the answers may not come easily or quickly. In fact, I found myself having to think and re-think my answers several times. This work is hard but necessary in order to really understanding yourself on a deeper level.

While I can’t say that I now know everything about myself, answering these questions completely changed the negative internal dialogue that was limiting my ability to see myself as I exist today and the me that I can become in the future.

But the biggest change came from revisiting dreams and aspirations that I had long ago put on the back burner while I was stuck in the process of “getting things done.”

My dreams of writing about things that are truly meaningful to me, finding a fulfilling and passionate relationship, being more present with my children, and discovering a higher power are all coming true now that I am focusing my energy in the right direction—and that direction was to look within.

So, find a quiet place and allow yourself plenty of time to go through and really think about each question and then just go for it. Go ahead. Begin your journey. Change direction. Create new dreams or rediscover dreams you left behind. Now that I have started, I haven’t looked back since.

Source: “5 Questions to Discover Who You Are and What Will Make You Happy,” from tinybuddha.com, by Dona Middleton

Photo credit: varun suresh

– See more at: http://theunboundedspirit.com/5-questions-to-discover-your-lifes-purpose/#sthash.IFWfnSiM.dpuf

Mount Baldy, Indiana Mysterious Holes

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Mysterious ‘Man-Eating’ Holes Appear in Sand Dune

By Marc Lallanilla, Assistant Editor   |   April 28, 2014
mount-baldy
  A number of deep holes have appeared in the shifting sands of Mount Baldy, Indiana, then disappeared within a day.
Credit: NPS

Last summer, 6-year-old Nathan Woessner was walking across the sands of Mount Baldy in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore when he suddenly disappeared into a deep hole.

It took a team of rescuers about three hours to pull Woessner to safety from beneath 11 feet (3.4 meters) of sand and sediment, according to the Chicago Tribune.

More holes have appeared in Mount Baldy, forcing officials with the National Park Service (NPS) to close part of the park, located 55 miles southeast of Chicago on the shores of Lake Michigan. But why are these dangerous holes suddenly appearing in the sand dunes?

We don’t know exactly what’s going on out there,” Ken Mehne, law enforcement specialist for the park, told the Tribune. “We can’t let folks out onto the area until we know it’s safe.”

Deep holes appear and disappear

The incident deeply affected geologist Erin Argyilan, a professor of geosciences at Indiana University Northwest. She was doing research at the base of Mount Baldy when she heard the screams of Woessner’s parents.

“I cried for three days,” Argyilan, who was pregnant at the time and was unable to assist in the boy’s rescue, told the Tribune. “I couldn’t help in the moment. So now I have to do what I can to learn why this is happening.”

Other experts are also interested in the strange holes in Mount Baldy, several of which have appeared since last year, only to collapse and be filled in with sand a day later. Some of the holes were so deep they could not be measured with the researchers’ measuring tapes.

Is it quicksand?

According to scientists, quicksand — that old trope of jungle-adventure movies — actually does exist, though it’s not as deadly as it appears in Tarzan films.

Quicksand is a sloshy mix of sand and water that looks solid when viewed from above, but will collapse into a more liquid form if a heavy object, like a human or animal, disturbs it. After liquefying, the mix tends to solidify, trapping the legs of an animal in wet, heavy sand.

There are also dry forms of quicksand, according to researchers. Experiments under controlled laboratory conditions have shown that manmade sand can suck an object under its surface, but this type of deep, dry quicksand has never been observed in nature, and it’s not been established that Mount Baldy is an example of dry quicksand.

Using ground-penetrating radar

NPS crews have teamed with the Environmental Protection Agency researchers to get to the bottom of the mysterious holes in Mount Baldy. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has been used to get a better understanding of the large sand dune.

The GPR surveys revealed a layer of soil buried beneath the shifting sands that now cover Mount Baldy. That layer of soil was exposed to the surface during part of the 20th century, according to an NPS statement.

“This particular dune has a complicated history,” Argyilan said, referring to Mount Baldy. The site was once mined for sand used in the manufacture of glass Mason jars. There are also manmade structures like an old wooden staircase buried beneath the surface of the dune.

Old photos reveal what’s buried

Argyilan has examined historical photographs of the area to determine what has changed since the 1930s. Trees and grass that once covered Mount Baldy are now also buried.

These discoveries have led researchers to what they consider their leading hypothesis: Some items buried beneath the sandy surface — trees, brush or manmade structures or debris — “were buried by the rapid landward movement of the dune during the late 1900s,” according to an NPS statement.

“The age of the materials and the wet conditions during the spring of 2013 may have forced these materials to become unstable, collapsing and creating openings to the surface,” according to the statement.

The National Park Service is continuing to use GPR and core samples to determine what lies beneath Mount Baldy, and how that may contribute to the appearance of deep holes in the dune. For the time being, the area remains off-limits to park visitors.

from:    http://www.livescience.com/45182-mysterious-man-eating-holes-appear-in-sand-dune.html