Planning the Perfect Bathroom

Everybody gets bored of how their room is decorated at one time or another, and so everyone will wish that they could redecorate their room. You don't actually need to spend a fortune to make your home look like new again, you just need to be aware of a few great tips.

Kitchen Renovations

The kitchen is the hub of any modern home, even if you don't cook you will still use this room on a daily basis. Whenever friends or family come over you always seem to meet in the kitchen! Kitchens get a lot of use, and so they can show the signs of age very quickly. With a few tips you can preserve your budget whilst also letting your kitchen look brand new.

If you have florescent lighting in your room then it can make the whole room look very dated. The easiest solution to this is to replace them and install something which makes your room warm and lighter. There are many different options which you can use here, including track lighting, ceiling lighting, or recessed lighting.

The second thing that you should look at renovating are your cabinets, these get dirty very quickly. Just a simple lick of paint might be enough to breathe extra life into them.

If however you have solid wood cabinets then you might not want to paint over it, you could simply sand the wood down and refinish it. You might also want to remove the centre panel and replace it with something more fashionable like a piece of clear glass.

Renovating other Rooms

The living room or family rooms are the two places that could do with a lot of renovation as they get a lot of use. If you don't have enough money to buy furniture then you could buy covers to put over your existing furniture and make it look new. New drapes can also give an old room a new look.

If there are any stains on your carpet then replacing a carpet would be a very expensive option. You could use some strategically placed rugs to hide the stains. You could also replace the carpet with laminate flooring.

Bathroom Renovations

Bathrooms also get a lot of use, and so need careful attention when renovating them. You should start by looking at your sink and bathtub, as these often start to look grubby very quickly. You can change what the whole bathroom looks like by just replacing these fixtures.

You could also paint all of the walls, but make sure you choose a paint which will cope with the steam in the bathroom.

Other Rooms

Other things which you will need to consider are storage space, nobody seems to have enough room in their house for everything that they need. This can cause many rooms to look dull simply because there is so much clutter. There are many different storage solutions which may be of interest to you, including colorful plastic bins for children's toys, or attractive wicker baskets.

The room which doesn't get much attention is the garage, this could benefit from a few of these tips! Especially the storage tips! Garages would benefit from peg boards to store tools, and possibly racks and shelves to store other tools and big bulky items such as bikes.

Being especially interested in discount drape fabric and drapery hardware, John Bakers wrote large numbers of detailed reports on this specific matter. Through his reports on drapes and discount drape fabric the author demonstrated his knowledge on the subject.

Stucco Damage At Sidewalk

Common Mistakes in Basement Waterproofing

Waterproofing your home's basement to protect against flooding and water damage can be a significant undertaking both in time and money, but it can be a great investment that saves money over the long run if done properly. The number of professional companies specializing in basement waterproofing is growing every day, and it can be very difficult to decide on which contractor to choose for your project. Making the right choice is very important, though, because a less than competent basement waterproofing company can use unnecessary methods that could end up costing you more than you need to spend.

While the specific methods that can be used to waterproof a basement are easily researched by anyone with an Internet connection, the actual application of those methods and whether or not the entire gamut is actually necessary usually involves a bit of speculation by contractors. While most basement waterproofing contractors are honest people, there are definitely a few out there who will tell you that you need a multiple-step solution that could cost thousands, when in actuality your problem could be solved by one or two inexpensive procedures.
Picking the wrong basement waterproofing company is the first mistake that many homeowners make, but it is easily avoided.

If your basement waterproofing project is not an immediate emergency involving a flooded basement, make sure that you get free quotes from several local companies before settling on your choice. Ask each company representative what they think is necessary to waterproof your basement, and get an estimate on what it will cost. Then sit down and compare the different methods and estimates before deciding which is the most cost effective.

A second common mistake in basement waterproofing is having too much done. In many cases, a simple fix such as internal wall coatings or servicing your basement floor drain is all that's really necessary to keep your basement from flooding or getting water damage. Some companies may insist that major excavation and the installation of footer drains and exterior waterproofing is necessary as well, but this might be a way for them to make a little more money from the job. Although this type of in-depth basement waterproofing really is sometimes necessary, just make sure that you get several other opinions before committing to any large jobs.

Finally, a very costly basement waterproofing mistake occurs when amateur home owners try to waterproof their basements themselves in order to save money. If you don't have any experience in basement waterproofing, this can be a very costly mistake that ends up losing you money in years to come. It's always best to leave complex home improvement projects like basement waterproofing to the professionals rather than attempting to do the job yourself. True, there are a very few less-than-honest basement waterproofing companies out there, but the vast majority are professional and honest, and with some careful research and price comparisons, you should be able to make an educated decision that will increase the value of your home.

Lorain County Sewer and Drain makes Elyria basement waterproofing easy and affordable. Visit our site today to learn more about basement waterproofing.

Rust Stains On Concrete Floor

Home Insurance - The Ultimate Saviour

'Home sweet home', this very saying reasonably soothes the warm and cozy feeling of the people. It is actually the place where we tear off our masked face and tend to remain in our own self. In other words, a home relieves us from every type of tension and permits us to rest in peace after our routine hectic daily schedule. Now, in India the real estate sector is one of the booming areas which is registering high growths during the past couple of years. Furthermore, the liberal government policies are helping people to realise their dreams of building their beautiful homes whenever they want. Quite interestingly, this world tends to become a better place when we proudly become the owner of a small plot of land. In order to help out the people of this democratic country, the Indian Government is now-a-days taking necessary steps to pave the path of building homes, a very easy and hassle free task. Thus, of late the good news have been showered upon the people and i.e., low interest rates of the home loans.

In India, more and more public sector and the private sector banks are lending helping hands to the people and that too without any high costs. Actually, this concept or the home insurance can be referred to as the onion rule. As per the onion rule the exceptions of the people are never ending, in fact they crumb for more even at the cost of their tears. The moment a cover is peeled off from the onion a fresh new cover welcomes you, likewise the varied covers of dreams also wait for the right time to be actualised. Therefore, when the home loans started to gain momentum, the home insurance product also peaked the graph at the same pace. Now, the question is what condition is compelling more and more people to opt for the insurance product? Actually, to sprout more and more beneficial options for the people, recently many new developments have taken place. Most importantly, numerous banks are boasting of insurance arms these days which are either associated with them directly or through an associated company. Moreover, to enable people to enjoy the insurance over in a very hassle free manner the Indian banks are joining hands with the top notch insurers. Thus, the icing on the cakes during these days can be referred to as double.

Now-a-days, house insurance cannot be ignored blindly as many natural and man made factors always stay alert to damage your beautiful creation. Thus, once insured, you can at least fill the monetary loss without any tension. Furthermore, the flexible terms and conditions of these insurance products and the low premium rates are further acting as the plus points. For instance, the natural calamities such as flood and earth quake cannot be ignored and other factors such as robbery and breakdown of fire can be the most obvious factors which might cause certain damage to your personal asset. However, in this case, one thing must be borne in mind and i.e., the various types of insurance policies.

Actually, there are two types of insurance policies such as home insurance and property insurance. In case, you opt for the first option then you would get compensation for the damage of your fragile asset and in case the situation is otherwise, then you would get compensation for your personal belongings. Thus, the choice is up to you as to which insurance product would offer you the best benefits and that too at very cheap rates.

For more to know on Health Insurance just visit PaisaWaisa.com.

Roof Raking - Home Safety Advice

Knowing how to use the snow roof rake correctly is essential to both your safety and health. There are ways that you can make roof-raking safe and you can reduce the effort that you have to put into the raking.

Snow-Raking Can Be A Difficult Job

You will find that raking the snow off your roof is much more difficult than raking your yard. For one thing, a roof is inclined and this is why you have to either use a manual tool to remove the snow or you will have to call in a professional to rake your roof for you. Gravity can help you, however, if the snow fall does not come down for a very long period of time, because the snow will eventually melt, which will keep the ice off of your roof with very little effort from you.

Aluminum Or Hard Plastic Roof Rakes

You will need an aluminum ladder and a roof rake to rake your roof. Roof rakes are attached to the end of an aluminum or hard plastic tube to enable you to reach the entire roof area. If you want a roof rake that will last you for a while, then you will want to choose an aluminum one over a plastic one. YOu will need an aluminum ladder to allow you to get up to the roof area and rake the roof to prevent ice. You can even use a chemical deicer if you desire.

Raking Your Roof Safely

There are a few things that you need to refrain from doing when clearing the snow from your roof.

1. Do not climb on the roof to clear off the snow. The mixture of the slippery snow and ice with the inclined roof are a combination that can be quite dangerous.

2. Do not pound or chop on the roof to remove the ice or snow. You could damage your roof if you do.

3. Make sure that your aluminum ladder is anchored firmly to the ground and it offers you firm footing for raking. You may even want to consider having someone hold the ladder to ensure that it does not move while you are raking the roof.

Alternatives to Roof Raking

If you want to save yourself time and energy, you can install de-icing cables on your roof. These cables are installed in a zigzag pattern across the roof and parallel to the gutters. You use a controller inside your home to warm up the cables to melt the snow and ice without any effort from you.

Andrew Caxton is the author and editor of many resources published at http://www.lawn-mowers-and-garden-tractors.com A focused website that offers the best articles on lawn care and snow removal, read more at snow roof rakes.

Hole In Roof And Roofing

Albuquerque, New Mexico Home Builders

Albuquerque is the home to various national and local home builders. You can search online for sale of new homes and Albuquerque's new homing communities. Below you will find information about Albuquerque home builders and their homing communities.

Pulte Homes - Pulte homes are a national home builder building custom homes across US for forty years. They are known for known for their innovative and unique designs. Pulte homes has two new home communities located in the main city of Albuquerque. To get an insight into these communities and their pricing visit Pulte homes online.

Beazer Homes - Beazer Homes is another national home builder with its headquarters located at Florida. Beazer homes offer quality homes at reasonable prices. They also have two upcoming new home communities in Albuquerque with a pricing range of $100K - $300K. Visit Beazer homes online for more information about their floor plans, home pricing, new home designs and new home subdivisions.

Greater Albuquerque Housing Partnership - Greater Albuquerque Housing Partnership (GAHP) was founded in 1966. GAHP is a local home builder building homes across Albuquerque. They also assist low income home buyer families. GAHP has four new homing communities in Albuquerque out of which one is already sold. The pricing of these community homes lies in the range of $150K - $450K. Visit Greater Albuquerque Housing Partnership online for more information about their Albuquerque new homes for sale and new home communities.

Bealhen constructions - Bealhen construction is a local home builder building premium houses across Albuquerque. Bealhen constructions have over four new homing communities in Albuquerque. View floor plans, quick move-in homes, home pricing and community locations by visiting Bealhen constructions online.

John Kaltenbach Homes - John Kaltenbach Homes is a custom home builder and contractor in Albuquerque. For almost twenty years this home builder has been known for contemporary designs. John Kaltenbach Homes has many new houses to offer around the year at good locations. To know more about these houses including their prices visit John Kaltenbach Homes online.

Lee Michael Homes - Lee Michael Homes is a local home builder building quality and stylish homes across Albuquerque at affordable prices since fifteen years. Lee Michael Homes has three new homing communities including one which is located at Wyoming. . For more information about Lee Michael Homes subdivisions, or to view available floor plans, new home designs and pricing, visit Lee Michael Homes Communities online.

Paul is a principal of NewHomesSection.com. Search New Mexico real estate, Albuquerque home builders and New Mexico move-in ready homes today!

Pondless Waterfall - The History

In the early 1990s, a rubber sheet material, manufactured by Firestone and Goodyear, became a popular construction material used in building ponds and waterfalls. One innovative entrepreneur in Chicago began pre-cutting various configurations of rubber and packaging it with a skimmer, filter, sump pump and tubing, creating a do-it-yourself kit.

It was not long before the word got out on how profitable pond construction was and even professionals were becoming "pond experts". Why not, if in one day you can dig a hole, pile dirt at one end, cover it with a rubber sheet, cover the sheet with rocks, fill it with water, drop in a sump pump, hook up a tube, and presto change-o, $6000 profit in 6 to 8 hours?

Well, the pioneers had a great thing going, but they made a fatal mistake, they started shouting "gold" and "jackpot"! Soon the rush was on. It is called competition and it came from every angle, manufacturer, supplier, retailer, wholesaler and especially installers.

As would be expected, this get-rich-quick fever turned into an epidemic, forcing up the price of pond liner kits to equal the cost of professional concrete construction. Since this craze started, proponents of liners maligned concrete construction, professing liner superiority over concrete construction. Making false statements about the integrity of reinforced concrete, they have attempted to elevate the benefits of rubber liners.

In searching for the facts about concrete ponds and waterfalls from reading the literature of the greed-driven liner pond industry, it cannot be found. You ask why? Because if the facts were known, who in their right mind would invest in a pond liner unless they were going to use it for a limited period of time.

The track record for pond liners speaks for itself:

More than 40% of all waterfalls will have serious structural damage within the first 3 years of construction.

An incredible 60% of homeowners say they are dissatisfied with the way their waterfall turned out upon completion of the project.

35% of liner ponds and waterfalls are leaking water within nine months of completion for one of several reasons.

65% of "do-it-yourselfers" say they wished they were informed of the pros and cons of liners from the beginning or that they had hired a professional.

These statistics are from the pond liner industry itself. I can confirm and attest to these numbers myself. I have built over 1,900 reinforced concrete waterfalls and ponds over the past 26 years and have ripped out and replaced scores of defective liner ponds and replaced them with concrete ones with lifetime warranties. Just prior to retiring, in August in 2007 I replaced a $276,000 liner pond and waterfall in Rancho Santa Fe, CA with reinforced 3500 psi concrete due to gopher damage! Pond liner installers provide no warranty against damage from rats, mice, ground squirrels, gophers, tree roots and sharp objects and this one refused to do anything to correct the problem.

Reinforced concrete pondless waterfalls have a lifetime warranty. Liner pondless waterfalls have only a one year warranty on labor, and a 20-30 year warranty against factory defects. But it has no warranty against damage caused by, mice, rats, gophers, tree roots, ground squirrels, sharp objects, etc.

Reinforced concrete pondless waterfalls use high-efficiency, above-ground pumps that are easy to service (3-year warranties).

The 1/3 HP pump is low profile, extremely quiet, and easily hidden with plants next to the falls, or the pumps can be placed in another part of the yard by extending the flexible PVC suction and return lines. The liner pondless waterfall uses a sump pump that is placed in the basin, and then buried with hundreds of pounds of gravel. In order to service this pump (only a 2 year warranty), all the stinky, slimy, rocks need to be first removed from the basin.

The pump in the reinforced concrete pondless waterfall produces 5,900 gallons per hour with a draw of only 350 watts (retail $430). A sump pump is supplied with the liner pondless waterfall kit (they advertise as the "premier" pump on the market ). However it produces 5,600 gal/hour (102 gal. less) at a whopping 912 watts power draw (50% more than an above-ground pump). It costs a whopping $530 more per year to operate (at $.13/kwh). The sump pump costing $600 retail, $175 more than a centrifugal pump. Many liner installers refer to it as "the best warranty in the industry" and it is only for 2 years, as compared to a centrifugal's 3 year warranty!

The rocks of a reinforced concrete pondless waterfall are all securely mortared in place (covering the concrete shell). Consequently anyone, especially kids, may climb on the rocks without them shifting, possibly causing serious injury. Rocks will move and shift in the liner pondless waterfalls and in just a few months, the unsightly liner is exposed in the falls and the perimeter of the pond.

During construction of the concrete pondless waterfall, many design liberties can be taken, such as altering the length, width or shape of the water feature as the project progresses. Unlike a liner pondless waterfall, the parameters have already been established by the manufacturer of the pond kit.

The concrete pondless waterfall can utilize the large, open basin to install an Aquafill automatic water leveling device. In addition, the basin can be made smaller because the space for water is not taken up by rocks as it is in the liner pondless waterfall basin. The only rock that exists is on top of the galvanized or plastic plank cover.

Wow! Check this out... reinforced concrete waterfalls are 1. secure & stationary; 2. permanent;3. they will last for decades; 4. Cost less to build; 5. Simple to operate; 6. Simple to clean; 7. Virtually maintenance-free; 8. Three-year pump warranty; and 9. More natural in appearance and less liability. Lemons or apples? You decide!

The liner revolution is fading fast, the truth of their limitations are coming to light and their track record is badly tarnished. Leaky liner customers are fighting back with litigation nationwide and are winning because they were not told the whole truth in the beginning.

Before wasting your hard earned money, do your research and use your own God-given common sense. Begin with the internet by searching "pond liners vs. concrete.

"A man with experience is not at the mercy of a man with an argument."

For more free information and photos go to: http://watergardenauthority.com/Pondless_Waterfalls.html Waterfall & Pond Construction Manual: Store Price $249 Now get a PDF file only $39.95 go to: watergardenauthority.com/Waterfall___Pond_Constructi.html

Douglas C. Hoover; CEO of Aquamedia Corp, Master Waterfall Builder, architect, engineer, freelance writer, author, designer & builder of well over 1,900 waterfall and ponds in CA (26 years). Author of "Waterfall and Pond Construction Manual" and developer of the "Water Feature Digital Design Library 4.0" Free downloads, no sign in- http://www.askdoughoover.com

Ceiling Plumbing Leak Repair

Sacred Love - The Second Law of Nature - Growing From Challenge

J came to me totally turulated, her husband had packed up and left her. She was distraught. She described the disaster in a way youd expect her to. He did this and I feel that, and poor me and nasty him. I said to her you only have two choices, see this differently or just give it time. You cant change the reality that he left, you can only change how you deal with it She didnt want to wait for the three years it takes to get over most dramas, she wanted to get through this now, permanently and without holding anger for the rest of her life. It took 2 hours.

This second law of nature challenges our conventional way of looking at things. The ego sees the world and thinks how can I change it, your true nature sees the world as asks how can I change my attitude to it. In other words the ego wants the world to look how it sees right, and to look less like it sees wrong. Whereas the true nature, knows the world is perfect and it is our ego thats screwed up.

The two most important words for the ego, are blame and victim. The two enemies of our true nature are blame and victim, because by using these two instruments of deception we can avoid what nature intended. We can avoid growth.

We need to make a choice around how we are going to think about life. To think one way when all is going well, and another when all is not going well is delusional. There are those who dont have any interest in spiritual practice or healing, until something goes wrong. But this is a delusion of the ego, it wants an all upside existence. When all is great who cares about balance? When all is crappy, I do but this individual does not understand the teaching of natural law. It says that the downer they are trying to heal with balance, was caused by imbalance. It is a way of life, this balanced thinking, not just a one off flash in the pan when life is crappy.

P came to me for help. He was a tennis pro and was rated in the worlds top 100. He was having periods of depression after tournaments. We looked at the process of his thinking and it was all based on winning. When he won he was as high as a kite, but after he was low and depressed. I explained the laws of balance, uppers and downers, he got it. I said so are you going to cool your celebrations of uppers. He replied no way, now I know what causes the downers, its ok, Ill just take a few days off with my dog on the beach to let them go through me.

We make choices, if those choices are about accepting rather than fighting reality, we have grown. More than a better or worse way to be in the world, this second law of nature is about how to think about our choices, have real expectations and stay centered in life.

We all want to deal with the challenges of life in the best and most effective way possible. To deal with the dramas as they happen and stay open hearted and devoted to our family and work. We dont want problems, especially the same ones recurring over and over. Yet, for the most part they do. We can change our city, change our lover, change our job but nothing helps in the long term, until we change the way we think about things.

For me, it is like not being bitten by the same dog twice. If something happens that disturbs my heart or mind, I try to find the cause so that it wont be an issue if it happens again.

I went through a divorce that hurt. I healed my pain after 2 years but didnt want it all to happen again. Or, if it did happen again, I didnt want to nearly die like that first time again. So, I studied the science of letting go, of relationship and applied the laws of nature to the whole thing. After getting past blame and victim, which took another 2 years I found the answers and since then, I have had several important relationships break and Instead of becoming vitriolic, I have been able to stay loving all the way through those breakups. It still hurts, but I know how to deal with the hurt so much faster.

In knowing the difference between my constructed ego, conditioned responses and true nature, drama has become an opportunity to grow through my own blockages. Like one relationship where I invested over $150,000 in a business together and when we broke up she took my half of the business. I looked at it from a different viewpoint, not a victim (she took) instead of invested (helped her). This way, I didnt waste my whole energy fighting in court and got back to living with love. I stay friends with her even now. Really is shouldnt take more than an hour or so to deal with this stuff, instead of years of resentment.

Nature never grows in straight lines. Every day the weather is different. Trees grow fast one season and slow the next. It seems, if we observe that nature grows in cycles, and we see these cycles are between chaos and order, (same as challenge and support, growth and rejuvenation) that our lives too, have periods of calm and periods of turmoil. Some people think that turmoil is normal and productive, others think that calm is normal and productive. But neither is true.

There is a tension which is called life, that tension is an active tension, a joyful bright and affirmative tension. Below that tension, life becomes slothful and valueless, self depreciating. Above that tension life becomes stressful, hyperactive and rigid. Your body knows the difference. Jammed shoulders and stiff necks come from hyper tension obesity and pot belly come from sloth. Your body knows the ideal tension.

So it is not a matter of avoiding tension or challenge because this is just one side of natures coin. Nor is a matter of infatuation with sloth and peace. Maximum growth occurs between too much and too little tension and we, like nature will swing along this path, making adjustments as we go. Those infatuated with peace will get huge challenge. Those infatuated with challenge will get huge peace.

H came to me. He had a stroke some 12 months before and was undertaking remedial work to get functionality back into his body and mind. He wanted to heal at the cause, and we discussed the sudden rest that he had been given by nature. I was always healthy, happy, working on the business, keeping fit, doing yoga. I cant understand why me I asked how much of your life was devoted to just being. To just being you He replied we used to go on holidays and I would watch the TV every night with my wife I responded yes, that is not what I am talking about. I mean closing down, really concentrating on rest, allowing your whole being to be in the moment He replied I dont understand what you are talking about I said I know and welcome to a stroke

Imagine a magnificent ocean, a wide expanse of magnificent seascape with blue sky, vast expanses of tranquil and wonderful oceanic stillness. Beautiful isnt it. If you were watching TV, reading a magazine, meditating you might not notice it. That stillness is your true nature and you cant experience that by relaxing in front of TV. It requires a certain tension to find it. Now imagine you are in the scene, now you are on the water in a boat, now there is a different perspective, now it is not a scene but an experience of a scene, there is a sense of self consciousness. Now you will tell me how it feels to be in that scene. One is the spontaneous awareness of a scene, the other is a personal experience I .

This is the difference between who you are naturally and who you become with ego. The ego creates self consciousness, a sense of ME in everything. When we are in every scene, the dialogue is me, me ,me ,me, I, I, I, I , I the conversation is I feel this, I believe this, I want this, I like that, I am doing this and soon I will be doing that. It is my business, my house, my cat, my dog In this dialogue you and everything around you are merged, inseparable. You will even say my children

The benefit of this conversation is that you take everything personally so you are highly self conscious about what you do. The problem is that you expect this Me, or that I, to be fixed and rigid. You build your life around mine, My, our, me, I, us. That is akin to saying the boat in the ocean is fixed and the ocean is happening around it. Or, more poignantly, sitting on earth, which is spinning through space, and saying, ah look at all the stars in space spinning around my earth, me, my home

The ego thinks it is the center and that all else is floating past. It has opinions about everything and will give advice but rarely receive it unless it agrees with pre existing beliefs. So the ego becomes rigid, it becomes solid, or at least people hope that it is solid. Then, challenge happens and the only way to stay solid, is to accuse the ocean of making a mistake, or the stars for holding a full moon, or the past life for bringing bad karma. All blame so that the ego, which is really nothing but a collection of erroneous beliefs, can stay rigid and fixed.

This is like a tree in the forest refusing to bend when the wind blows, because that wind should never be blowing here in the first place

Ys origins are European. Her heritage is Catholic and her mother died recently. Her mother was 90 years old and had cancer. The mother died overnight with very little discomfort. Y went into drama and grief, she held that grief for months and months. When she finally came to me for a consult I asked why. Her answer was because this is normal for our culture I asked her what she wanted from me and her response was I want to forget my mother because it is time to get over this grief I said That is not how you get over grief, grief isnt necessary in the first place Her response was it is in my family I offered my condolences and told her I couldnt help.

When the way things are becomes fixed, we have no way to change the consequence. When the ego becomes so fixed, it is like calcification in the muscles of our body, no blood can travel there, so no healing can take place. Similarly, when the ego becomes rigid, no love, no consciousness can travel there, only rigid thoughts can enter. So, whether that lady Y, sat on the couch, watched TV, or did yoga meditation for the next 10 years, the ego was fixed, her beliefs unquestionable, nothing could penetrate her ego. Only her own death could make that shift.

We want something solid to base our life upon, but we have forgotten who we really are so we have started basing our life on that sense of I, or Me, or we. We have begun to believe that the intangible, flexible, ever changing, ever growing, adaptive ego, is fixed and so all the worlds problems become the conquest between egos. Your thoughts, which you think are right and my thoughts which you think are wrong and your right to act to change or exclude me.

Instead of this ego based thinking you can wake every day, ignorant. Yes, that is what I said, ignorant. You can wake every day as if you know nothing about anyone. You can enter the world open minded, open hearted, treating every challenge as an opportunity to expand your ignorance, and therefore become wiser, rather than righter. This chapter lists those opportunities and helps you grow, evolve and mature through them, rather than fix and avoid.

F, came to me for a consultation. He was a corporate tycoon and had a net worth of over a billion dollars. He was in his 50s and his partner was in her 20s. He was an athletic, clever and ethical businessman, with what seemed to be a quite stable existence. But, he was addicted to alcohol. The first 2 consultations we had, he turned up drunk so I refused to work with him.

Finally we made an appointment at 7.ooam and managed to share the morning. I opened the meeting. so tell me where you are atF well I have this alcohol issue Me. no, no, I dont want to know the outcome of the situation, I only work on the cause, your ego is getting drunk, because it isnt getting what it wants, not youF well I dont feel very happyMe no, no, I dont want to know the outcome of the situation, I only work on the cause tell me about youF I am in love. And I have pulled back from my business in order to make this relationship work, but she is still not happyMe F, if you were a tree and one day you said to nature, I am going to stop being a tree, I am going to stop making oxygen, stop all this photosynthesis, I am not going to draw water up through my roots, bugger it, I am going to spend my time cuddling a rose bush. What do you think nature would sayF, I have no idea what you are talking aboutMe nature destroys anything that does not fulfill its purpose. So, if a rose bush stops making roses nature would take all the materials and reuse them, thats the great recycling system of nature.F, soMe what do you think the purpose of a billionaire, aged 55 is?F I have no ideaMe maybe its to use the knowledge and power of their 55 years to create a bigger vision of what they can do in their livesF but I am tiredMe no, you are boredF yes, ok, I dont want to do more property dealsMe so, with your knowledge and power, what vision could you have for your life so that instead of taking less responsibility for the world, you take moreF but I just want peace and quietMe nature wont let that happen, you can hide on an island somewhere, and tell everyone how happy you are, but youll need lots of dope, rum and anything else to numb your brainF you know, I started drinking when I got bored, I thought it was time to stop work, but I love working, I just dont need to do the old stuff as much, I could put time into helping people and building homes for people, and I could have a family of my own but I need to do this, its been my dream all my life, man I forgot

F cried right there in front of me, for 10 minutes he cried.
Me wake up each day and ask, how can I take more responsibility. When a person starts looking to retire from responsibility, they retire from growth and life. And nature destroys anything that isnt fulfilling its purpose. Purpose means growth. Chaos and order.

http://www.chriswalker.com.au Chris Walker is a world leading change agent, an environmentalist and author of more than 20 books. Born and bred in Australia, he consults to people and organisations throughout the world on improved relationships, health and lifestyle through the application of the Universal laws of Nature. The result he offers is that we stay balanced, share loving relationships, work with passion, enjoy success, and live our personal truth. To learn more about Chriss work and journeys to Nepal, visit http://www.chriswalker.com.au -- http://www.chriswalker.com.au