Courage of this ^^ proportion has its roots in love. May not mean much to many, but it would certainly mean something to someone.

Perhaps, courage and understanding are interconnected in a strange way, such that, one 'emanates' from the other.. However, your point's noted with 'appreciation'..


BTW, I'm yet to find courage in endeavoring to learn the meaning of IMHO, something I regularly chance to encounter in this Internet world!

Coming from agoraphobia, that ^^ is very traumatic. It can become very hard to trust others after, and more difficult to trust yourself to handle situations that can be perceived (real or imaginary) to lead to similar incidents. I hope you gain your courage to overcome these fears daily and not have them cripple you.

IMO - in my opinion
IMHO - in my humble opinion / in my honest opinion

Ask away. Thats how i learned these and other abbreviations

A humble man may not 'necessarily' be an honest man.. Conversely, an honest woman may not 'necessarily' be a humble woman..

Therefore, whoever 'invented' IMHO, technically shouldn't have placed honesty and humility on the 'same' echelon..


However, I'm finding courage to express my sincere appreciation for that 'helping' hand that you've extended so spontaneously toward my 'newly acquired knowledge' of 'those' abbreviations..I'll certainly refer to you, for clarification of doubts, in future, as well. Thank you 'Pansy'!

You can also google for the answer...

I 'chose' to prefer 'you' over 'Google' for reasons not yet known to myself. However, I'm finding courage to 'find out those reasons' ASAP.

Finding Courage to admit (to 'you') staying awake at 3:29 AM simply to 'understand' the 'underlying essence' of 'quotes' such as 'the one under consideration' presently.

Dont overload your brain kaus...one day at a time. Lol!

Eventually, 'breaking' out from the 'infinite looping' of finding courage, 'wisdom' taking its toll in ensuring me to 'pay heed to your good advice'.. Thank 'you'


Keep 'smiling'. Take care of your 'health' and 'heart'.

a little something on inner courage... (excerpts)

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Finding Your Inner Courage - By Jack and Suzy Welch

http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/stories/2009-02-11/finding-your-inner-courage

Motivating the troops is job one. But how do leaders motivate themselves?

This (sic.Your) question brings to mind William Thackeray's historical novel The Virginians, which poignantly describes George Washington's fortitude as he led his disheartened soldiers during the most daunting days of the American Revolution. "Through all the doubt and darkness, the danger and long tempest of the war, it was only the American leader's indomitable soul that remained entirely steady," Thackeray wrote.

Washington, of course, faced life and death on the battlefield. But even in business, leaders at every level sometimes need to tap into the kind of inner strength he so valiantly displayed. In these difficult times, one day you can be dealing with collapsing sales forecasts and the next with letting go employees whom you've come to consider family. The future can seem bleak at best, and yet you know you must stay upbeat to set the right example for the troops.

Everyone is wired differently, of course. But to answer your question, we have seen five methods of self-sustenance work particularly well over the years for leaders who, like you, realize how important it is to keep themselves motivated so they can continue to do the same for their people.

The first two have to do with pride. In any uncertain environment, it's only natural to feel as though you don't have all the answers, and humility certainly has its place. It galvanizes a leader to stay open-minded to ideas from every quarter. But to remain motivated as a leader, you just can't abdicate your confidence. You need to look in the mirror every morning and gear yourself up by saying, as awkward as it may sound, "I'm not going to be the one who lets this place fail. It won't happen on my watch." There will be days when it's tough to muster such chutzpah, but the minute you start doubting yourself, you run the risk of falling into a self-created vortex of defeat.

The second kind of pride is institutional. We've seen leaders motivate themselves by stepping back from the blocking-and-tackling that's crucial in difficult days to dwell on the big picture: their organization's mission. Just as Washington must have drawn resolve from the overarching purpose of the Revolution, so, too, can leaders recharge by remembering where their companies have been, what they've done right, and where they are going when the fog finally clears.

Recessions almost always involve layoffs, and as a result, some leaders become increasingly remote, feeling it's too painful to engage with people they might have to dismiss. Don't do it. You can gain immense energy from getting inside your people's skin, embracing their concerns, and hearing how much they need leadership. So fight to stay connected. Your people—and your hopes for them—can only add to your determination to survive.

Another way we've seen leaders motivate themselves is by envisioning their challenge not as an intractable problem but as an exciting puzzle to be solved.

Take the case of Steven Heydt, president of Elite Island Resorts. As HOTEL BOOKINGS started to dip, he came up with an innovative plan to allow customers to trade certain fallen stocks (at their July 1, 2008, value) for credit at his hotels. "When things are so quiet, you have to think out of the box," Heydt said. Such creativity and can-do is a great example of how leaders can energize themselves not just by unleashing their emotions but by igniting their brains.

Finally, leaders can energize themselves by letting others inside, reaching out to supportive friends and colleagues. Let their belief in your abilities feed your confidence and spirit. The old saw "It's lonely at the top" is pablum. It's only as lonely as you let it be.

Your question is a good reminder that leadership has different seasons. It's easy to find personal motivation in an upswing. In the heat of battle, however, you need to dig deeper and discover your "indomitable soul"—so you can share it with the people who need you most.

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Inner Courage = Peace By Lisa A. Miles

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/05/28/inner-courage-peace/


Two words you don'��t see thrown together as equals much are courage and peace.

“Coraggio,” what my violin teacher in college implored me to have before an audition, is what you need to conjure in order to face a daunting task. Peace is that elusive component of life that is only a little more attainable than its sister condition, joy (which a lot of depressives and goths will say they never even heard of).

But if you consider those moments when you have to throw caution to the wind and go after what speaks to you in this life -- or simply speak your mind, no matter the outcome, you should be able to find peace.

We tend to think of courage somehow as active and peace as stillness. But even when flagrantly exhibited by the image of, say, fighting off a lion,�� -- no matter how physical, how external to the body, how far a projection the sheer audacious grasp -- having inner courage is what'��s behind outward bold acts. It is something that brings deep personal satisfaction. It becomes peace.

I got to thinking about the interplay of these two words, and again about "gentle strength," (something I've written about here before) after I saw a print ad quoting MSNBC All In host Chris Hayes:

"Whether it'��s Rosa Parks on a bus or a striking worker on a picket line, the moments that have given birth to the greatest progress are when people found the inner courage and peace to look power in the eye and say 'No.'"

Like the "gentle strength" of the Sioux woman carrying a heavy burden of wood on her shoulders, activists through the ages have found deep satisfaction by acting on their convictions of equality and freedom. As the martial artist who knows stillness of soul in the fight, those in physical and emotional distress can proudly fight battles.

And as anyone struggling in their career can find, going after a genuine life and speaking your unique voice can bring peace with yourself, no matter the outcome.

So if you are looking for a life that resonates as true, you can not be afraid to be yourself. You can not be timid and withdraw. If you have something to say, speak it. When others need to be challenged, do it. Especially if what you have to say is for the good of many beyond yourself.

You do not have to clip your myriad interests in fear of rejection, nor mince your words if harsh statements need to be stated and wrongs need to be countered.

You do not have to worry about being defined by others. If you have inner courage and follow all of your convictions, you will define yourself and your life, and this will bring peace at its most powerful.

Is this real life?

The Power of Prayer to heal cancer

Jesus
"Prayer is not an old woman�s idle amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action" - Gandhi

This article looks at the Power of Prayer and its ability to heal cancer.

However sceptical or nonreligious we may have been in the past, for many people the challenge of cancer is a spur to investigating or re-engaging with the spiritual aspect of our natures. Often the experience of cancer can have a transformational impact - causing us to become more truly ourselves, more connected to our own values and life purpose and more in touch with a sense of the spiritual.

Frequently people who are sick will call upon prayer to help with the challenges they face. But does prayer work, or is it just a panacea for the desperate? Does praying actually have a physiological effect or could it be just the effect of the placebo at work?

Dr William Kelley, an American working in the field of nutritional and metabolic therapy, urged his patients to trust in God, to read the bible and to pray. He believed a positive attitude could play an enormous part in helping to kick out disease. And at Duke University Medical Centre in Carolina, doctors have noticed that patients with a God live longer than those who neither believe nor pray regularly. Doctors are now conducting research into this discovery.

Open quotes

a positive attitude could play an enormous part in helping to kick out disease.

There are two types of prayer - that which the individual does for themselves, and that which is received - either knowingly or not - from others. Numerous studies show that in the former case, those who pray contemplatively or meditate - in both Western and Eastern traditions - can positively influence their health.

There are many possible explanations for this, depending on your beliefs. First, those with strong religious beliefs of various traditions believe that by asking for healing through prayer, a loving and omniscient deity will respond.

For many this is an unquestionable belief - important and hugely valuable to those who hold it, but impenetrable to those who don�t.

Secondly, there are points of view that do not require faith to explain the effectiveness of prayer. The act of prayer requires the supplicant to become quiet, release tension and let go of stress. This in itself has a positive physiological effect. Dr James Le Fanu, medical correspondent in the Daily Telegraph describes an extraordinary piece of research by Professor Luciano Bernardi of the University of Padua. �There is a marked similarity in the physiological effects of chanted yoga mantras and the repetitive Latin of the Rosary Prayer, Ave Maria... Surprisingly, they have a common thread, with the Rosary�s strong repetitive element having been introduced to Europe by the Crusaders who took it from the Arabs, who had in turn borrowed it from the Tibetan monks and yoga masters of India.

The act of prayer requires the supplicant to become quiet, release tension and let go off stress.

Professor Bernardi found that the reciting of the Rosary and yoga mantras slows the respiratory rate to six breaths a minute, which coincides with the rhythmic oscillation of nervous impulses controlling the heart rate. This synchronicity of respiratory and heart rates boosts oxygen in the blood, while improving circulation to the brain."

There have also been developments in the last ten y ears or so that are bringing ogether the findings of science with what the mystical traditions have been teaching for centuries, which is based on sound physiological principles.

These are so compelling that in the US alone there are 80 medical schools which now run courses for exploring the role of religious practice and prayer in health.

The relatively new science of Psychoneuroimmunology looks at the relationship between our thoughts and emotions and our bodies. Scientists have demonstrated that when we have a thought or feeling our brain produces neuropeptides, substances that allow brain cells to communicate with each other. Other cells in the body - most significantly the immune system - have receptors for these neuropeptides, and respond accordingly.

As Deepak Chopra, a medical doctor and international speaker on the mind/body connection, says, "Your immune system is continually eavesdropping on your internal dialogue."

Tranquility produces the natural equivalent of valium in our systems; nervousness produces adrenalin; excitement produces interleukins.

In his audio programme, Magical Mind, Magical Body, he describes how different emotional states produce different chemical changes in the body. For example, tranquillity produces the natural equivalent of valium in our systems; nervousness produces adrenalin; and excitement produces interleukins, which, when manufactured chemically are hugely expensive anti-cancer drugs. He suggests a ride on Magic Mountain at Disneyland (so long as you like that kind of thing!) as an enjoyable and cheap way of producing these powerful chemicals - naturally!!

Thirdly, prayer activates hope. Research by Greer on coping styles shows that those who react to a cancer diagnosis with hopelessness and helplessness have a much lower chance of survival than similar patients with a fighting spirit.

Being Prayed For

The second aspect is that of receiving prayer. There have now been numerous studies on this subject, perhaps one of the most well known being conducted by cardiologist Randolph Byrd and published in 1988. Byrd�s work took place with coronary care unit patients and was scientifically rigorous using a randomised, double-blind protocol. Over ten months, 393 patients in the unit were - with consent admitted to a prayer group (192 patients) or a control group (201 patients). They were prayed for by Christians outside the hospital.

They were prayed for by Christians outside the hospital

Neither the doctors nor the patients knew who was receiving prayer. Although when the study began the patients were all of a similar state of health, over time the patients receiving prayer showed much better recovery rates than the others. The prayed-for patients were five times less likely than control patients to require antibiotics and three times less likely to develop pulmonary oedema. While twelve of the control patients needed intubation to help with breathing, none of the prayed-for patients did.

Another impressive study was conducted more recently in 1998 by Dr Elisabeth Targ at the California Pacific Medical Centre in San Francisco. Her study (again a double-blind experiment) was conducted with patients with advanced AIDS. Those patients receiving prayer had six times fewer hospitalisations, which were also of a significantly shorter duration than those people who received no prayer. Even Dr Targ herself was surprised, "I was sort of shocked," she said in an interview with ABC News, "In a way it�s like witnessing a miracle. There is no way to understand this from my experience and from my basic understanding of science."

Yet another study is by Dr Mitchell Krucoff at Duke University Medical Centre in North Carolina. He studied the effects of prayer on patients undergoing cardiac procedures such as catheterisation and angioplasty. His findings show that patients receiving prayer have up to 100% fewer side effect from these procedures than people not prayed for.

Open quotes when bacteria are prayed for they grow faster; when seeds are prayed for, they germinate quicker closer quotes
A leading researcher and writer in this field is Dr Larry Dossey, who has written extensively about the power of prayer. On his website, he cites examples from the plant and animal world. When bacteria are prayed for they grow faster; when seeds are prayed for, they germinate quicker; when wounded mice are prayed for they heal faster. He says "I like these studies because they can be done with great precision, and they eliminate all effects of suggestion and positive thinking, since we can be sure that the effects are not due to the placebo effect.

So if it isn�t the placebo effect, what the heck is going on?

An explanation that is gaining more and more scientific veracity is the idea that rather than being separate individuals, each one of us is connected energetically - as suggested throughout the aeons by mystics of many traditions.

Deepak Chopra is an eloquent speaker on this subject. He describes us individually as waves that are part of an ocean of consciousness, and gives the example of our breath to explain this.

Oxygen is the foundation of all our tissues, and as we breathe in and out we are literally building our bodies. He claims that in our bodies there are around a million atoms that were once in the bodies of Christ, of Gandhi, of Leonardo da Vinci.

We are exchanging our bodies with the body of the universe all the time. In fact, 98% of the atoms in our bodies are exchanged within a year. We are connected. And our thoughts are powerful.

Open questions this way, prayers can energetically influence - for example - a cancer patient in a UK oncology wardClose quotes
In this way, the prayers of a nun in a convent in Ireland, or a monk in a temple in the Himalayas, or a rabbi at the Western Wall in Jerusalem can energetically influence - for example -a cancer patient in a UK oncology ward.

Chopra says "What physicists are saying to us right now is that there is a realm of reality which goes beyond the physical .... when in fact we can influence each other from a distance." It is a view that is also held by Larry Dossey, who proposes on his website that "consciousness is not confined to one�s individual body. An individual�s mind may affect not just his or her body, but that of another person at a distance, even when that distant individual is unaware of the effort."

So if you are a religious believer, all of this simply gives some scientific background to what you already believe to be true. If you are a sceptic, this latest research shows there are undoubtedly healing forces in nature that science is only beginning to understand. Whichever camp you come into, prayer is effective and is an important element in the healing journey.

I've posted this I think twice on here already, but maybe 2 years ago, here it is again, well worth a read.



Sally jumped up as soon as she saw the surgeon come out of the operating room. She said 'How is my little boy? Is he going to be all right? When can I see him?'

The surgeon said, 'I'm sorry, we did all we could, but your boy didn't make it.'

Sally said, 'Why do little children get cancer? Doesn't God care any more? Where were you God, when my son needed you?'

The surgeon asked, 'Would you like some time alone with your son? One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes, before he's transported to the university.'


Sally asked the nurse to stay with her while she said goodbye to son. She ran her fingers lovingly through his thick red curly hair.

'Would you like a lock of his hair' the nurse asked.

Sally nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of the boy's hair, put it in a plastic bag and handed it to Sally.

The mother said, 'It was Jimmy's idea to donate his body to the university for study. He said it might help somebody else.

'I said no at first, but Jimmy said, 'Mom, I won't be using it after I die. Maybe it will help some other little boy spend one more day with his Mom.' She went on, 'My Jimmy had a heart of gold, Always thinking of someone else. Always wanting to help others if he could.'

Sally walked out of Children's mercy Hospital for the last time, after spending most of the last six months there. She put the bag with Jimmy's belongings on the seat beside her in the car. The drive home was difficult.
It was even harder to enter the empty house. She carried Jimmy's belongings, and the plastic bag with the lock of his hair to her son's room. She started placing the model cars and other personal things back in his room exactly where he had always kept them. She laid down across his bed and hugging his pillow, cried herself to sleep.

It was around midnight when Sally awoke. Laying beside her on the bed was a folded letter. The letter said.

'Dear Mom,

I know you're going to miss me, but don't think that I will ever forget you, or stop loving you, just 'cause I'm not around to say I LOVE YOU. I will always love you, Mom, even more with each day.

Someday we will see each other again. Until then, if you want to adopt a little boy so you won't be so lonely, that's okay with me.

He can have my room and old stuff to play with. But if you decide to get a girl instead, she probably wouldn't like the same things us boys do.

You'll have to buy her dolls and stuff girls like, you know.
Don't be sad thinking about me. This really is a neat place. Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon as I got here and showed me around some, but it will take a long time to see everything. The angels are so cool. I love to watch them fly, and you know what, Jesus doesn't look like any of his pictures. Yet, when I saw Him I knew it was Him.

Jesus himself took me to see GOD! And guess what Mom, I got to sit on God's knee and talk to Him, like I was somebody important.

That's when I told Him that I wanted to write you a letter, to tell you goodbye and everything. But I already knew that wasn't allowed.

Well you know what Mom, God handed me some paper and His own personal pen to write you this letter. I think Gabriel is the name of the angel who is going to drop this letter off to you. God said for me to give you the answer to one of the questions you asked Him

'Where was He when I needed him, 'God said He was in the same place with me as when His son Jesus was on the cross. He was right there, as He always is with all His children.

Oh, by the way, Mom, no one else can see what I've written except you. To everyone else this is just a blank piece of paper. Isn't that cool.

I have to give God His pen back now. He needs it to write some more names in the Book of Life. Tonight I get to sit at the table with Jesus for supper. I'm sure the food will be great.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I don't hurt anymore. The cancer is all gone. I'm glad because I couldn't stand that pain anymore and God couldn't stand to see me hurt so much either. That's when He sent The Angel of Mercy to come get me. The Angel said I was a Special Delivery. How about that.

Signed with Love from God, Jesus and Me.

Lu, joe, i reposted your comments here ---http://mingle2.com/topic/439564

Thank you