My heart is in your keeping though.

You will not mind my writing here

To tell you that I love you so.

I know that you must think it queer

For me to love and not come near

But linger by some frozen lake

This most romantic time of year.

I sometimes give my head a shake

And ask if there is some mistake.

It’s lonely out here ‘mid the sweep

Of bitter wind and icy flake.

My love for you is dark and deep,

But it’s a promise I will keep

As from afar I watch and weep,

As from afar I watch and weep.”

With Valentine’s Day knocking on the back door, I think the following items are the worst gifts that one can ever give to the most important person of one’s life, that too on this very important day.

Plastic Flowers

Exactly what were you thinking when you decided to gift plastic flowers to your beloved? Going by the philosophical bent of mind, one might think that like those pathetic plastic flowers, their relation would also last forever, and would stay evergreen, like that of Romeo and Juliet! But lets be realistic, do guys/gals really like/wants plastic flowers? I know, that I would never like such a gift. Why? Well, it gives me the idea, that my lover is either cheap, and doesn’t think me to be worthy of living flowers, or he doesn’t know me that well, because I love real red roses, or any real flowers in that case.

So, here is some advice..If you can’t afford real flowers from the florist, just go and pick a few from your neighbor’s yard!

Gift Certificates

If you can’t think of a gift other than a gift certificate for your beloved, then you must be really dumb!Come on, a gift certificate? Whether you are in a serious relationship or not, a gift certificate should be avoided, even if you are in the worst of situations. The only reason being is, if you would have paid a little attention, I’m sure your love interest has dropped hints about things he/she likes. Perfume, chocolates, flowers and jewelery for ladies, and may be some cologne, steak dinner, a cigarette holder, some gadget for men, anything but a gift certificate.It only takes your imagination, or just a part of your common sense to find a great gift, so please don’t settle for a boring and simple gift certificate.

Membership to a fitness center

What’s so great with this? All that you are trying to say is, your lover is FAT and needs to put his/her wait down! Not smart enough as a gift, especially for the great occasion as VALENTINES DAY!There is no harm with wanting to make sure that both you and your counterpart are physically fit. But do you feel that, giving a membership to a gym, on Valentines Day, would get you going? The most logical answer would be NO! Man, Valentines Day is for treasuring the one you have, not for bashing them with their insecurities or imperfections.

Cheap or artificial Jewelery

Remember those cheap, flimsy rings you wore as a kid? Those even left your fingers green, or some other color when you washed your hands!That was cute when you were 4; but it does not remain so, when one turns 24. So don’t be as cheap as to buy some artificial jewelery for your beloved. If you can’t afford a piece of jewelery, then try something else. Don’t become one of those names, who got dumped by their lover, because of a cheap or artificial piece of jewelery.

Home Appliances

What is that? Home appliances are things you buy couples as a wedding gift. It is just not the thing that you gift your honey for a gift on Valentine ’s day. Throw that idea out immediately and find something else. How about a teddy bear or a necklace? No toasters or blenders! Please give a break!

The Present You Bought For Your Ex

NO, NO, NO! Absolutely NOT! If you can’t figure out why this is a major mistake, then you aren’t worthy of having a new boyfriend/girlfriend at all!

And the number 1 worst gift is:

NOTHING AT ALL! This is simply not taken. If you love and respect your man/woman then you need some time to do something special for them on this very special day. You don’t have to buy them expensive dinners sets, jewelery, teddy bears or any of the other gifts. Just a simple card and an I LOVE YOU can work wonders. Gifts don’t have to be store bought, but they do have to be heart felt. So be creative. If store bought gifts aren’t your type; just do something special to show that you care for your lover.

Sean Carter writes on holidays, Valentine’s Day and world
events. He also writes on family, relationships, celebrations, religion, love and friendship. He is a writer with special interest in ecard industry and writes for 123greetings.com. He is an
active blogger at Valentines Day Blog.

A long week behind me, when Friday is done

The highway that takes me to friends near and far,

The highway, my driveway, at home in my car

My house is still hours away in the gloom

My house, it stands empty, no light in the room

The neighborhoods glisten with twinkling lights

The neighbors all listen to carols tonight

And still, I keep driving in silence towards home

And still, I keep thinking of Christmas alone

My friends and their families, children’s faces aglow

My friends have decorated trees with presents below

I think of little faces, big eyes and bright smiles

I remember the excitement I have not seen in a while

I love those little children, their families, my friends

I love to think of them when Christmas begins

I decided, right then, with those thoughts in my mind

I decided a tree was what I must find

Some trees would have homes, ornaments and lights

Some trees would be lonely, no family tonight

I started my search for the ugliest tree

The one no one wanted would come home with me

I turned off the highway and into the lot

My heart raced with excitement that once was forgot

I ran to the steward of the large majestic pine

And described the tree that soon would be mine

“You don’t want that tree,” rebuked the young lad

Then he proceeded to show me the best that he had

“This tree is noble, it’s full and it’s green”

“You better get it quick, before it is seen”

I shook my head, before I turned away

Someone sacked it and packed it, and started to pay

“I don’t think that you heard me,” I told the young man

“I want an ugly tree. Do you understand?”

“We don’t have such a tree,” the boy reprimanded

“Our trees are perfect, the ugly ones are stranded”

I hoped back in my car, undaunted at best

I could tell this adventure would put me to the test

At the next stop, I encountered a more severe fate

Reprimanded by the manager, a young man and his date

At the third stop, the salesman, told me with a grin

“The ugly trees were disposed of and thrown in that bin”

At the fourth try, the sales man said, “don’t call me lazy”

“But I’m not going searching for man who’s half crazy”

The fifth and the sixth stops results were the same

They showed me their best trees, claimed my quest was insane

They all tried to tell why their trees were the best

The tree that I wanted was not like the rest

Some thought I was looking for a discounted tree,

But price was no objection, for a companion ugly

My anticipation waned, my enthusiasm guarded

In hopes to find an ugly tree that had not been discarded

On my seventh attempt, fiercely stuck to my plan

I was greeted by a patient and elderly man

He listened, he smiled and nodded his head

“I have just what your looking for,” was all that he said

We walked through a forest of wide trees and tall,

We walked to a corner, away from them all

And there in the darkness, laid flat on the ground

Was the ugliest tree that this man had found

“No charge,” he said, “for a tree gnarled and twisted”

“I will pay for my tree, it’s great,” I insisted

“Wait here,” he exclaimed, “it’s your day my son!”

He came back with another, even uglier one.

Then we strapped them both to the top of my car,

We wrapped them in blankets, for the ride was still far

And then to my home, where they stood side by side

Decorated, and beautiful, and lit up with pride

I awoke Christmas morning with the fresh smell of pine

A gift from the trees, now companions of mine

In the glow of the fireside, we three reminisced

Of my childhood, of Christmas, and people we missed

How happy I was with my fine company

How happy they were to have a family

We listened to carols, drank cocoa, and smiled

We gave thanks to the day, celebrating a child

The old year was ending, a good one well done

My companions, reminders, Christmas is for everyone

- Bill “Big Dog” Billups -
Friend, Mentor, VIP Sales Guru

______________________________________________________

Words of Wisdom

“A good conscience is a continual Christmas.”
- Benjamin Franklin

“At Christmas play and make good cheer, For Christmas comes but once a year.”
- Thomas Tusser

“At Christmas I no more desire a rose
Than wish a snow in May’s new-fangled mirth;
But like of each thing that in season grows.”
- William Shakespeare

______________________________________________________

John Mehrmann is a freelance writer and President of Executive Blueprints Inc., an organization devoted to improving business practices and developing human capital. http://www.ExecutiveBlueprints.com provides resource materials for trainers, sample Case Studies, educational articles and references to local affiliates for consulting and executive coaching. http://www.InstituteforAdvancedLeadership.com provides self-paced tutorials for personal development and tools for trainers. Presentation materials, reference guides and exercises are available for continuous development.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

There is only one story.

The Hero’s Journey:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharsis).

d) Gives you a universal structural template upon which you can superimpose your situational story.

and more…

LEARNING FROM JAMES BOND

One critical and amusing stage of the Hero’s Journey / Transformation is the giving of magical gifts by the Supernatural Aid / Mentor. You can see this in the most successful stories, including those that do not seem like Hero Journeys, such as The Godfather (1972), Annie Hall (1977) etc.

The most successful Bond stories run through the Hero’s Journey by the book. Alot can be learned about this stage simply by analysing the James Bond franchise, including:

a) Q always gives Bond his gadgets at a particular stage of the story.

b) There are always a specific number of gadgets.

c) The gadgets are always used at particular stages of the story.

d) The gadgets are always spent by a particular stage of the Journey.

Learn more…WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

Iraq’s chief enforcer of pain

The sanctity of human life

By the thousands he did disdain

Dissidents he did abruptly contain

Outmaneuvering and people eliminating

The butcher of Baghdad cold and calculating

The mass murderer unrepentant and self-exalting

Saddam, the one who confronts

As defined in Arabic

Preferring bullets over ballots

Callous cruelty over kindness

Organizing concealed opposition activity

He ascended the national ranks

Through a series of sham trials

Executions, assassinations, and intimidation

Saddam and his Baath party swiftly removed

Any group or person suspected of challenging Ba’ath rule.

Tightly controlling conflict

Between government and the defense

To secure his repressive rule

He went to every expense

And was quickly to dispense

With political opponents

Choosing to cement his own authority

Forcibly, ruthlessly, and firmly

Becoming leader of the Baath Party

Practicing one-party rule repressively

Creating a police state militarily

Employing censorship and violence unapologetically

Unkind and cruel to Iraq’s Shia, Kurdish and Marsh Arabs

Massacring the Kurds

Consolidating power in a nation

Riddled with profound tensions

Iraq had been split

Along social, ethnic, religious, and economic fault lines

Such divisions did define

The dictator’s rise at that time

Improving living standards

Via modernization and education

Yet as for his rule and dictatorial organization

He never withheld torture or assassination

Anything to ensure self-promotion and aggrandization

Thousands of portraits, posters, statues and murals

Were erected in his honor all over Iraq.

His presence could nearly give his closest men a heart attack

Uplifting himself to a place of deity

Plastering his face seen on the sides of office buildings

Schools, airports, shops, and currency

Worshipping himself arrogantly

The devilish dictator had many enemies

Knocking off every questionable character

Even those accused falsely

Killing the innocent who didn’t favor him

Using the governmental apparatus to cause destruction

Saddam fought Iran, had blood stained hands

Ivaded Kuwait, espousing himself to be great

He defied the International Community

Despised and likely bribed UN inspectors

Yet justice eventually came

When he was convicted and found guilty

By an Iraqi Special Tribunal

He was hanged like a war criminal

Given no proper funeral

The lesson to be learned

Hurt people hurt people

If you hate yourself

You will respond with hatred

Toward everybody else

Saddam never knew his father

His wounds went deep

Saddam’s 13-year-old brother died of cancer

His stepfather treated Saddam harshly

Is it any wonder therefore what he would be?

Saddam’s self-hate turned to tyranny

Sadly afflicting and massacring his citizenry

Killing both his daughter’s hubbies

Insidiously inflicting perpetual cruelty

Shall be his life legacy.

Paul Davis is a FL real estate professional, life coach (relational & professional), worldwide minister, and change master.

When I’m weak

And feeling lonely.

Hold me

When I’m hurting

Because people

Have been cruel to me.

Hold me

When I can’t take it anymore

And life seemingly

Has on my dreams

Shut the door.

Hold me

When I’m broken to the core

Am inwardly bitter and sore

And my heart is tore.

Hold me

When there is no kind word

Anywhere to be found

And it seems you’re not around.

Hold me

When I feel rejected

Overlooked and neglected

Corrupted and infected

By life’s circumstances

And my hard labor

Seems to produce no advances.

Hold me

When my loved ones don’t understand

Nobody is near to hear or hold my hand.

Hold me

When I’m crying out inside

When there’s nobody to listen

And in whom to confide.

Hold me

When I feel beaten down

Overwhelmed and like I’m going to drown

Sinking deep into situations

Beyond my control.

When I feel inadequate within

Come tenderly and make me whole.

Hold me

When I’m bleeding within

Cannot seem to win

When my head does spin

When things are moving far too fast

And my endurance doesn’t seem to last.

Hold me

Before I have a breakdown

Become incapacitated

Unable to get around.

Come quickly

Remove my frown

And let Your love abound.

Hold me

When my confidence is low

When I don’t know where to go

What to say or do

And feel without anyone to turn to.

Hold me dear God

When I feel disappointed in You

Wondering where are You?

Hold me

Uplift and sustain me

By Your Holy Spirit

Fill and empower me

So I can happily live

Above and beyond me

Help me when I’m weak

To be strong in Thee

For therein is my victory

Nevertheless

When I am battle weary

Gently and kindly hold me.

Even a warrior needs love

From God above.

Paul Davis is a FL real estate professional, life coach (relational & professional), worldwide minister, and change master.

After the program I turned to her and said, “Yes, I agree that disease can be a teacher, but if one does not know that they can eliminate their disease then it’s just another box. A glorious box, perhaps, with great lessons and insights to be gained. But, it is still a box and something that we ‘can’t change.’ And in that box there is no freedom in choice, only degrees of helplessness.”

When I was sick with what my doctors said was an incurable infection in my spine, I was sent to a psychiatrist who wanted me to work with him so that I could learn to live within what he called “my human limitations.” He said that there was a good chance I would spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair and he could help me face that reality with dignity. I told him that I didn’t want to learn how to live in a wheelchair with dignity, but that I wanted instead to learn how to get well. He said that I was living in a dream world.

We argued for almost an hour. He read from my medical records and I quoted from scripture and self-help books saying, “All things are possible if only I believe.” It became a very heated discussion. He told me that I was in denial and I told him that I thought he was a jerk. He confronted me with all the evidence that he knew about me being an angry young man who was afraid. And I threatened him with bodily harm.

Finally, I stood up and told him, “I won’t believe you! I am not my medical records, I am not my past, and I won’t use what is going on now as a predictor of my future!” As I walked out of the office I heard him ask, “Who do you think you are?” With that question filling my mind I went back to my hospital room. This hospital stay happened to be for the fourteenth surgery on my spine.

At first I was just angry and resented him for confronting me. Then that anger, mixed with the fear I had within my own beliefs, really plugged me in. But the more I thought about what he had said, the more I had a sense that he was getting to a core issue when he asked, “Who do you think you are?”

Oh, I had read positive books. I had sayings and positive affirmations on my wall. I had started my days with various rituals that were supposed to be meaningful. Yet, when I stood in front of the mirror after shaving to declare my reality I would begin with “I am a survivor.” The entire universe would respond with “Ok, survive this” and I then would own up to all the rest of what I had been taught: I am the adult child of an alcoholic parent…I’m terribly co-dependent. My small self and the saboteur within were always separating me from my good and my ego was always leading me astray.

I was so busy owning up to my human frailties and shortcomings I had no clue about my divine magnificence and authority. And from that limiting perception of self I began to realize that there was no way I would be able to create the health I wanted. That’s when I changed my mind. I was no longer going to validate suffering and disease as the great teacher.

It was nine years and thirteen surgeries later before I was whole and infection free. It then took another five or six years for me to create my body so that it was pain free. I wasn’t always on track or disciplined with what I thought I should be doing. But I did it. There were days, weeks and even months when I was angry and depressed, but I kept using the tools of choice as I knew them and, finally, I created the health that I wanted.

Certainly, I learned some great lessons while I was sick. And the most important lesson was: I am not my stuff, I am not my past, I wasn’t even what was going on in my now. I was and am a magnificent expression of the Divine, and the rest I get to make up.

Looking back, I know the psychiatrist gave me just what I needed when he asked, “Who do you think you are?”

For 30 years Terry McBride has been a highly sought-after speaker in the health and wellness field and personal growth movement. Terry gives workshops to organizations throughout the U.S. helping many to live happier, healthier, more enjoyable lives. His book ‘The Hell I Can’t!’ chronicles his powerful story of self-discovery and healing. Terry went from a healthy twenty-two year old man to being physically crippled with the deadly e.coli bacteria eating away at his spine and flesh. Incredibly, Terry refused to accept what he considered a ‘living death sentence’ from the day’s top medical teams. With traditional surgical and psychological possibilities exhausted, he began to explore philosophies and theologies from around the world – a quest that enabled him to regain his health and reclaim his life through combined teachings from both east and west, literally transforming his life! If you would like to read or listen to more inspirational stories from Terry, please visit his website: http://www.terrymcbride.net.

The first thing you will need is a new copy of Dragon Naturally
Speaking.

I picked up my copy at Staples for $59 a few months ago and I
believe it was the best software investment that I have ever
made.

If you have used voice recognition software in the past, I’m
sure you’ve had a few bad experiences with it. But I’m here to
tell you today that the latest version of Dragon Naturally
Speaking is an amazing piece of software and after just a short
training period, you can dictate articles at an amazing speed.

After you have used and mastered Dragon Naturally Speaking, I
then want you to dust off some of those PLR articles you have
collecting digital dust on your hard drive.

Pick three of the most popular articles centered around the
particular niche you are currently targeting for this article,
read them once, and then open your Dragon Naturally Speaking
software.

Paraphrasing what you just learned in those three articles, you
should now be able to write yourself a kick butt 300-500 word
article on that particular niche in a matter of minutes just by
dictating it off the top of your head.

Another thing that makes this a little easier is to take a list
of Long tail keywords on the very same niche and make sure and
intertwine these into your article making this particular
article very SEO friendly.

As you have heard time and time again from this forum, article
marketing is one of the most powerful ways to generate traffic
to any website.

This article will help even the playing field for those of us
who cannot or do not like to write articles.

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One of the most common pitfalls writers make is in the use of passive and active verbs. When speaking, most people tend to use active verbs without thinking, but when writing, many revert to a passive approach. This is a more formal style, which although suitable for some types of writing, can be boring and lifeless to the reader. To keep your writing lively and interesting, you should look to use active verbs in the majority of your writing. Technical writing also favours the use of active verbs, sometimes called ‘the active voice’ as it removes ambiguity from the writing and assists with a reader’s understanding of the content.

You can generally spot a passive verb in a sentence by the other words used. The sentence will contain words like ‘were’, ‘was’, ‘been’ or ‘being’.

For example:

- Your letter has been filed. (passive)

- I have filed your letter. (active)

- The customer will be informed. (passive)

- We will inform the customer. (active)

Use your thesaurus mercilessly. Many verbs are overused or don’t convey they subtlety of what you, as the writer, are trying to get across. The English language is rich in vocabulary and you should exploit it. Most verbs will have alternatives that convey a subtly different shade of the action you are describing.

For example:

- He said…

This is fine, but is relatively lifeless and uninteresting for the reader. Try:

- He mumbled…

- He shouted…

- He whispered…

- He boomed…

- He stuttered…

- He sobbed…

In all of these variations, it is still clear that something was said, but the manner in which it was expressed is also now evident.

Adjectives and Adverbs

Many experienced writers believe that adjectives and adverbs are overused, especially by inexperienced writers. In general, you should monitor your use of adjectives and ensure that they are kept to a minimum. Use adjectives only where you believe they are necessary and where they add definite detail to your work. Some rules to try and remember as you write:

- A descriptive verb will usually be more effective than an adverb.

- Lengthy use of adjectives and adverbs makes reading difficult for the reader.

Analyse your sentences and descriptions. If you are using more than one adjective or adverb in each, try removing all but the most vital one, and see whether the sentence reads better. in some cases, you may wish to use a simile or a metaphor to convey an image of what you are trying to describe. This will help reduce the number of adjectives and adverbs but is not appropriate in all cases.

Paul Docherty has over 13 years experience of technical and business related writing, as well project managing complex technical writing projects. More of Paul’s writing can be seen at http://www.freewritingadvice.com

Article Idea #1: Keep a Dream Journal

I’m not talking about writing down your “night” dreams in a journal. This dream journal is a book of your ideas. We writers have busy brains. We often get tons of ideas every single day. Some ideas we follow, while countless others are forgotten about. Purchase a small, pocket-sized notebook and write, “My Dream Journal” on the cover. Every time you have an idea, write it in your Dream Journal. You’ll build a vast number of ideas using this technique alone.

Article Idea #2: Read lots of magazines and newspapers

I’ve gotten several ideas for fictional stories using this method. The Internet has made it even easier for us to access many news stories and articles online. If you can’t afford subscriptions, get online and do a quick search for a handful of your favorite newspapers and/or magazines. Headlines and unique stories often spark another article or story idea. (Don’t forget to build your “stash” in your Dream Journal!)

Article Idea #3: Read similar articles on the same subject

Do you know what you want to write about? A quick search on Google will give you similar articles on the same subject. You can find articles on a variety of subjects in free articles directories online as well. A few personal favorites are: Ezine Articles, Lady Pens, and Go Articles.

Article Idea #4: Do keyword research

Yahoo has a cool keyword selector tool that I use a lot when writing articles. Type in a word or simple phrase and click on the arrow. After a few seconds, you’ll get a list of similar words and phrases that people have searched for. This is a fast and easy way to get a few ideas for articles when you’re feeling stuck.

Hope Wilbanks is co-owner of Out Of The Box Writers { http://www.outoftheboxwriters.com/ }, a place where writers can write without being boxed in by writing “rules.” Are you boxed in? Step outside your box: http://groups.google.com/group/outoftheboxwriters

Naturally the article directory will read it by a human (as opposed to by software) and make sure that the content that you’ve come up with complies with their regulations and restrictions. They’ll also be sure to remove anything that’s unacceptable like HTML coding and foul language.

(Quick story, I recently had an article REJECTED at Helium because I used the word ‘damn’…so just be careful as you start swinging dubious words around.)

Once your niche marketing article has been put into the article directory servers (which are spidered by the biggest search engines VERY frequently) an interesting game of supply and demand takes place. If Google, for instance, spiders the article directory and finds things within YOUR niche marketing article that it needs, it will pull that article and put it up as a natural search ‘find’ to those people searching for it. (Very valuable!!!)

For instance, if this article was about “Martians That Croon” (it’s not, don’t worry) and there was a large GOOGLE demand for that kind of content, then Google and Yahoo! and the billion other search engines would ‘lift’ YOUR article to the head of the class and put it in their search engines to be ‘found’ by people doing natural searches for “Martians That Croon.”

Now, some article directories are better loved than others (that should NOT be a surprise) and that love changes every day…but ezinearticles.com is continually praised as being one of the best places you could ever find.

If you feed the engines what they love to eat…when they NEED to eat…you will be rewarded for your niche marketing article. I guarantee it.

To see how your niche marketing article can become beyond powerful, visit my article marketing, page. Then visit the rest of Kevin Browne’s work at his new site http://www.become-a-copywriter.com