Have you ever wondered if there is more to life than what you’ve experienced so far?

Perhaps there are desires and dreams buried inside of your heart that you haven’t seen for a while.

There are a lot of misconceptions about dreams, and many people are not encouraged to dream.  Maybe you’re one of them.  For most of my life including the early parts, I was not encouraged to dream.  I scarcely recall a teacher or adult in my early years who has made a difference in my life in ways that I can remember – until I learned to dream again with role models I found as an adult.

I love this definition of a dream by Dr. John C. Maxwell:  “A dream is an inspiring picture of the future that energizes your mind, will, and emotions, empowering you to do everything you can to achieve it.  A dream worth pursuing is a picture and blueprint of a person’s purpose and potential.”

It’s never too late to start dreaming.  And there’s hope to dream again – this time, with excellent tools to help you succeed.  As someone who has battled through disappointment, inner heartache and deep emotional hurts, I believe you can re-start as many times as you need to pursue your potential and purpose.

Uncover your buried desires, re-ignite your dreams, and design a meaningful life you love!

For practical tips, transparent stories, affirmations, prayers and soul-searching exercises, I invite you to check out my new book (co-authored with a dear friend and colleague) and music CD here:

http://www.RisingDelight.com

It’s time to let the light within you shine!

Is the West the Best When It Comes to Medicine?

By Charlotte Hunt

I was born in 1962, a time when the first oral polio vaccine was developed. It was a time when western medicine was gaining a list of “firsts”. The measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, pneumonia, and meningitis vaccines were being developed for the first time and the human heart transplant was a medical first. Then in 1980, The World Health Organization proclaimed that smallpox was finally eradicated. At the time, western medicine was the answer to the ultimate healing of the body and mind and the only practical medical option that my American parents believed in. I grew to believe that as well.

When I was in my early to mid-twenties, I began having periods of great fatigue, stomach problems, stiffness, and soreness throughout my joints and body. I sought the help of western doctors and specialists who, after finding no evidence of irregularities in my blood work, stated that my problem was stress and would be alleviated by reducing the stress in my life. For years, I suffered with symptoms that had no reasonable or definitive explanation according to western medicine practices. Eventually, after my fourth year of symptoms, doctors informed me that I most likely had a condition called, “Fibromyalgia” syndrome which at the time was misdiagnosed and misunderstood as a condition solely based on stress and depression.

During that time, I was working at a radio station and produced a radio talk show called, “The Other Side of Medicine” with Dr. Krystosic, a chiropractic physician, speaker and an author of several books on natural and eastern medicine. After one of the shows, I spoke with him about my symptoms and experience with doctors. Immediately, he suggested that come to his office and discuss the option of eastern medicine and some natural herbs. I was suspicious and doubted that his praise of eastern and natural medicine could make a difference. Nevertheless, I had an office visit with him and took his suggestion of trying a mixture of charcoals, an over-the-counter homeopathic substance which was available in its purer form before being misused by some to get positive results for drug testing.

Two days later in the midst of running a radio program, an overwhelming urge to run to the bathroom came over me. Something growled in my stomach with a forewarning that if I did not run that moment, not even God Himself would be able to restore the years of humiliation I would suffer in that station’s studio.

Wisely, I made it in time to witness something come out of my body that belonged in a made-for-television horror movie. By the end of that day, not only was I a few pounds lighter, but for the first time in years, I felt great. I had energy, strength and a noticeable absence of pain from my stomach and body. I have not experienced what the doctors referred to as Fibromyalgia since. Although, I was not ready to give up the ways of western medicine, I was becoming a believer that there was more to the medicine of the eastern culture than I gave credit.

I wanted to know more about these two cultures of medicine that were effective in their own ways, yet seemed to fight against each other in the way they approached the body, mind and healing. As I researched, I found the main differences between eastern and western medicine in the following areas:

For me, both cultures of medicine have their advantages and disadvantages. I love the eastern medicine’s connection of the body and mind and view of an imbalance regarding illness. Their view looks for the disharmony of the body and listens to the patient’s body instead of placing the end assessment on the numbers and levels of tests. However, I am concerned with such practices as acupuncture that seems to rely on a continual need for body adjustments instead of permanently correcting the physical issue.

I’m concerned about western medicine’s focus of symptom relief over body healing and the stress of numbers and statics of tests to be the sole determining factor of a patient’s illness. However, I love its ability to provide surgical procedures and certain needed drugs that can heal or alter the problem of a patient.

Eastern medicine, I believe healed the imbalance and problem I was experiencing in my twenties while, western medicine was a life-saver after I was properly diagnosed with advanced Rheumatoid Arthritis in my thirties. I was able to receive an intravenous medicine called, “Remicade” that not only slowed down my disease but put it into remission so that my blood work no longer shows the RA factor in my body. Western medicine also provided seven surgeries to my hands and feet that have eliminated severe pain, deformed joints, and allowed me to walk properly again. Outside of some minor scarring, one would never know that I ever suffered or was disabled by Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Today, I am fifty with a birthday at the end of this month. A month ago, I sought care from western medicine regarding lumps in my left breast and pain and pressure in my abdomen and side. The physician believed my problem was connected to liver issues. The doctor offered possible explanations and suggested over the counter medication in the interim. Again, after running numerous tests (except for a mammogram) my blood work came back normal and nothing was found to be the problem. I also researched natural herbs, such as turmeric and charcoal and sought care from eastern medicine. Currently, I no longer have pain in my abdomen or back and the lumps have disappeared.

It is interesting that in the New Testament of the Bible the Greek word, therapeuō, where we get our English word for therapeutic, is mostly used when referring to Jesus healing others. The word is a verb with two meanings; to heal, cure, and restore to health AND to serve and do service.

Perhaps, understanding that definition from the Great Physician would lead us to believe that both cultures could and should be used for the benefit of our lives. A mixture of restoration to health from the mechanics of the west and the guide and gardener service of the east would be the ultimate blessing to us all on Earth. We need the doctor as a “mechanic” providing testing, research and technical care to seek out those things that are not working well in the body in an effort to fix and correct the problems. Yet, we also need the doctor as a “gardener” providing touch, maintenance, guidance, and an overall view of care that goes beyond the function of the body to the healing of the mind and spirit as well. Like the diversity of human cultures, the diversity of medical cultures should be embraced for the differences and additions they can bring to the table to benefit all.

Ultimately, we as patients must take the first steps and make choices for healthy living in the prevention of needing medical care. As for my future care, I will incorporate the benefits of both.

Copyright © 2013 by Charlotte D. Hunt All rights reserved.

REFERENCES:

Medical Advances Timeline, http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0932661.html, Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Dr. James D. Krystoik, D.C., http://theothersideofmedicine.com/shr/index.html

Copyright 2000-2002 by Marel Norwood, PhD. All Rights Reserved. http://www.stresssolutions.info/vrs.htm, Hammer, pp 3-19, 35-45, 51-61, 383-402 Beinfield & Korngold, pp 3-47, 380-386, Elias & Ketcham, pp xi – xxvi, Kaptchuk, pp 1-33

http://www.vaxa.com/eastern-medicine-vs-western-medicine.cfm, Copyright ©VÄXA International All rights reserved. VÄXA International 4801 George Rd, Suite 190, Tampa, FL 33634

ABOUT CHARLOTTE:

Known to those she mentors as, “the encourager who helps people hope again,” Charlotte D. Hunt is a counselor, retired international runway model, award-winning author, national speaker, and founder of Dream Madly Ministries. Her story and experiences have been featured on two national documentaries and PBS specials, have impacted lives world-wide, and encouraged over 500 individuals to rededicate and commit their lives through her story’s viewing on The 700 Club.

Charlotte has spoken before and mentored celebrities, political figures, educators, psychologists, district attorney’s offices, churches, communities, survivors of abuse, reformed prison inmates, and everyone in between-encouraging them to hope further than what their pain believes.

Charlotte learned the power of encouragement, hope, faith and perseverance through a journey of abuse, addictions, hardships, tragedies and a realization there is always a purpose in the midst of the pain. Despite a curse of her past, she became a musical director, background vocalist, studio musician and jazz artist working, touring and recording with world-renown performers in the music industry, an instructor at the prestigious Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Off Broadway touring and commercial actress, voice-over artist, international runway model and national radio personality.  To learn more visit http://CharlotteHunt.com

Living in a fast-paced area, we have learned to cherish any pockets of time in which moments are carved out.  It is like taking a moment as it happens and capturing it so we could remember it forever.

One such moment is when my husband, kids and I visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium during Spring Break.  It is a glorious display of the intricacies of creation!  Marvelous works of fish, birds and seahorses – among much more.

In times like these that are set aside for us to enjoy each other as a family, and get reminded of all the variety there is in the animal kingdom, we are awed yet again at the wonderful variety of humans that God has created in each of us.

There’s a purpose for each and every life.  You may or may not know what that purpose is exactly, but I’ll bet you have an idea of what is important to you and your family.

If you were to sit down with a piece of paper and write out 3-5 things in your life that you couldn’t do without, what would they be?

What exactly does it take to grow a profitable, sustainable business…professionally?

Building a solid, profitable business from home takes time, energy and skill.

Patience, perseverance and passion.

With good old-fashioned hard work, mix these ingredients together over a flame of unquenchable vision (often referred to as the “why”) and over time you’ve created a lasting legacy for your children’s children.

I believe with all my heart that one of the key ingredients to setting a strong foundation in anything, including business, is to stay true to ourselves and our families.  That means embracing who we are – just the way we are.  It means knowing that we’re valuable in this world.  And finding our gifts, heart, abilities, personality and experiences to be good enough to share.

It’s truly an awesome thing when you can say you love what you do…and do what you love!  Ah, the beauty of being engaged in your work and knowing it makes a difference…

As much as we love what we do, isn’t it sometimes possible at the end of the day to become disconnected from who you are or why you do what you do?

Here at Work At Home Wednesday you’ll find stories & tips to help you renew your passion, cultivate your gifts and develop the skills to grow a profitable business.  Part of that skill set is knowing who you are and bringing that into what you do.

While this is geared towards those of you in home-based businesses or direct sales- feel free to join the discussion whether you’re in real estate, insurance, you’re a writer, photographer, or you run a shop.

Click here for the most recent Work At Home Wednesday post!

Topics include: Living Your Deepest Values, Listening Skills, Appreciation & Encouragement, Cultivating Confidence, People Skills, People Skills for Prospecting, Blogging, Online and Offline Marketing Strategies, Following Up with Style, Harnessing Hindrances, and more!

1.  Check in every week (or as much as you can!). This is the best way to network with other moms and business owners.  If you’re not a mom, you’re more than welcome to join in.  You never know when an insight or story will inspire you or someone you know.

2.  Let’s make this interactive. Comment and share your thoughts, a story, a tip, a question, or your heart.

3.  Start developing mutually beneficial relationships. You never know when or how we can help each other out.  Write a post featuring another entrepreneur you’ve met here.  Share what you appreciate about them and introduce them to your readers.

I’d love it if you’d spread the word about this to others, too.

Click here for the most recent Work At Home Wednesday post!

At first glance it may appear that most people are quite busy over the holiday season.  There are decorations, festivities and meals to cook.  There are people, Christmas cards and schedules to coordinate.

What about you?  What are your plans over this season?

When I was a little girl, I loved looking at the bright, beautiful Christmas lights.

I imagined a cozy, happy family enjoying being together.

I still imagine it.

And while I’m imagining, I’d like to say: Merry Christmas to you and yours!!

What I treasure immensely is real, purposeful CONNECTION.  It is a theme in my life and a gift that I delight to give.  When there are opportunities to connect with old friends, college buddies and close family, I will be intentional about cherishing those opportunities and letting others know they are appreciated.

After all, we never know how long we will have on earth to let them know that we love them.

This season, I look forward to giving positive time, listening, gifts and words.

What do you look forward to about connecting over the holidays?

It felt so very good, like drinking nectar for my soul.

Due to incredible busy-ness (which of us here are not ever busy??), I had allowed my habit of free writing each morning to slip and I felt the effects of being disconnected with myself.

It’s been almost 2 weeks since I’ve listened to the inner workings of my soul. I enjoy those times. I enjoy when I really get to hear from God. I enjoy writing down thoughts and feelings. I have been busy with getting the marketing for my book and CD, sales pages, squeeze pages and those kinds of things done. Those things are good too. But I notice a distinct difference in my attitude. I’m less happy generally. It’s as if my inner rhythm had been thrown off, now asking for balance to be re-established. I’m more than happy to re-establish it. I know it’s the best thing, the right thing, the thing that most pleases God.

So I set my timer to 15 minutes and free wrote whatever came to mind.  I’d like to share a piece of that writing here from my heart to yours:

I prefer to go a slower pace, if that means establishing a sustainable rhythm for me and my family that honors everybody’s needs.  That is the highest priority for me.

One cannot so much say, “Slow down,” unless one has a means of pouring something in as a substitute.  For instance, slowing down in our westernized society carries with it a sense of loss or less productivity, accomplishment, or success.  However, without “slowing down” as our minds understand it, we cannot truly tune in and listen to the real sounds that move us.  The motions we make are emptied of meaning, value and substance.

Motion, to be effective, must be preceded and bathed in emotion, of the pure and right kind, as given by God.  We can only have this kind of passion when we are in deep communion times with God.  We can only do this when we are still and listening, not when we are running around trying to get a million things crossed off our to-do lists.

I believe in setting goals.  When we have clear goals to boundarize our days (not sure if boundarize is a word), then we can slow down without guilt when we need more time to reflect and process.

A goal is basically a clarified desire set to a date.  When you know what you want and project it out to the future of when you want it by, you’re setting a goal.  I can say that our family wants to go to Disneyland for Winterbreak, but until we put an actual date on the calendar, that remains a desire yet to be born.

I have honestly struggled with setting goals, because setting them requires being attuned to our desires.  During the times that my desires were buried underneath the surface of my everyday life and responsibilities as a stay a home mom, I wasn’t all too aware of what I wanted.  So, setting goals was not something I habitually did, until recently as I’m growing out of my comfort zone.

I now prefer to think of myself not so much as “slowing down” as I am “listening up.”  And in order to “listen up,” I require an environment of stillness that I intentionally carve out of my busy days.

I am thrilled to be learning ways to use music and sound.  I’m also excited to be hosting a class at the end of November to share my findings on how to process and master your emotions using different techniques.  You’re invited to the online gathering!  You can register here:  http://DesignWithJinnia.com/Master-Your-Emotions

Listening is such an art in itself and a beautiful one at that.  Do you know there’s a difference between hearing and listening?  What do you suppose the difference is?  I’d love to read your answers!

Are you struggling in your business; making calls but
feel like you really aren’t getting anywhere?

Does it feel like it is easier for everyone else?

Did you know that most home business owners start out feeling
this way? Even the ones who go on to wild success!

The key is to really work on your mindset and begin to
“reframe” the self talk that flows through your
brain, doing you no good!

Remember . . . thoughts are your most valuable asset! Your thoughts
will determine whether you make it or not. Through your thoughts,
you condition yourself to take inspired action or not.

Here are some thoughts the unsuccessful person often things about:

“This is never going to work.”
“I’m no good at this.”
“It’s easier for “Insert Name” because “Insert Reason.”
“Nobody is interested in this product.”
“People in my town are different.”
“The economy is bad.”
“This is too much work.”

Now, feel the difference in just reading a different way of
thinking things through:

“What could I do differently for a different outcome?”
“How can I improve this part of my business so this doesn’t happen
again?”
“What have I learned from this?”
“That was just an odd thing that happened and not indicative of the
future.”
“I refuse to let one little bump in the road stop me!”
“How can I turn this into a learning experience for my team?”

Obstacles are a part of life, and these same challenges are also a
part of business. Everyone experiences setbacks or situations that
don’t go like we think they should have or we want them to. The key
is not to focus on the challenges, but instead on the learning
lessons! Focusing on setbacks is just a way to justify quitting or
procrastinating.

Seize each opportunity as the next step on your way up the ladder
of success!

We may not even know that we feel a certain way, especially if we are used to methods of coping with our situations, rather than finding the cause for them.

Methods like running away from the problem, avoiding the person who we perceive to be the problem, or escaping to a “better place” in our head.

These methods may seem to work for a while.  We even likely feel less pain.  But the problem with them is that we become numb and even asleep to finding the real solution, the real root of the issue.

Then our feelings get locked in our body and our perspective gets skewed to where we don’t see solutions that are right in front of us, waiting to be discovered.  A lot of the answers to your problems and my problems are right in front of us, or within us.  The fact that I believe that God leads me, guides and teaches me, amplifies the power for me to find these answers, because He is so powerful.

Case in point, for the past 2 weeks I have experienced this up close and personal.  Without going into details, suffice it to say, I had been blocked from receiving love from an individual and blocked from seeing the solutions for our relationship and friendship, that are so expansive and limitless.  God wants us to be free of resentment and jealousy and yet here I was, struggling with those feelings.  And until I expressed them on paper through free writing, I was denying them, or strategically burying them without being fully aware of what I was doing to jeopardize the relationship.

I am thankful to God for opening me up to bring my feelings and emotions to Him for healing, in powerful, relevant and effective ways.  Instead of avoiding the person, or running away from the situation, I faced it head on and literally felt the block lift up and away from me.  And then I saw the most beautiful, wondrous and amazing solutions to continue our relationship moving forward.

How do you deal with feelings that you may have that get in the way of your relationships?

Writing as an everyday habit was not something I did.  I wrote as a way to release emotions, and that wasn’t needed every single day.  However, recently I learned something important and it’s about cultivating habits you want to keep for life.

Let me ask you…what do you cherish in life?  Time with your family?  Freedom to do what you want?  The gift of self-expression?

That which we cherish, is that which we make time for.  And making time for something, I find, is not to be taken lightly.  Time is beautiful, time is precious, and time slips quickly.  The degree to which we expend energy to capture time, is the degree to which we are successful in carving out time.  Time eludes.  We must snatch it with passion.  Without passion, time is just something we watch tick away.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life living in regret of what I’m doing with my time.  I want to steward it with excellence and use it to yield delicious returns for my God, family, friends and clients.  I want to live so freely, so in tune with my God-given desires, that my very heartbeat and outward expressions draw people near to Him.  That is my life purpose.

As I wrap up this post, I want to ask you, what kinds of things excite you?  What makes you come alive?  Chances are, those things are put in you for a great purpose – one that you may or may not think you live up to now.  But, each day that you step into it, no matter how big or small of a step, you are one step closer to realizing your potential.  And your potential is as vast and wide as the expanse of stars that fill the sky.  And like the stars, your potential – whether you see it or not, is there.

If you were to lie down and look up at the night sky filled with stars twinkling and dancing, what would you see yourself doing if you were one of those stars?

If you want to get from where you are to where you want to be, it’s
going to involve change. You must be the one to make changes. The
world will appear to change around you, but really, it’s about the
changes you are willing to make.

Most of the time, these are some of the things that need changed:
Your thoughts – this is a critical area.

Your core beliefs about yourself. These are the things you’ve made
up in your mind (I’m not good enough, not smart enough, etc.)

The people you listen to – if they aren’t encouraging you and
moving you forward. Why listen?

Your habits – these are not hard to change.
What you watch, read and listen to – TV, books, radio, etc.

The news can be a great source of negativity. It’s extremely
de-motivating. And, believe it or not, you can live without it.

It’s not easy, in the beginning, but it is worth it. It takes 21
days to develop a new habit. Decide today on some new habits you
want to create and get excited about the positive effect those
changes will have in your life.

Most people find that giving up TV frees up plenty of extra time to
work a business. Most people can find the 10 – 15 hours weekly it
requires to successfully build a home business just in that time
alone.

You can achieve anything you set out to achieve. It is possible.
And, it requires you to make the decision, chart the course and
then set out on that course. You may veer from course at times, but
hold steady to your decision to achieve your goal and get yourself
back on track as quickly as possible each time you stray.

Start today to map out the changes you are committed to making in
your life. It’s okay to start with small, baby steps, but don’t be
afraid to stretch yourself outside of your bubble. Stop getting
“ready” and start taking action.

Life is not a dress rehearsal. Every hour and day that passes is
time that cannot be reclaimed. You are in charge of every hour in
your day, so make it count.

Mahatma Gandhi said it best – “You must be the change you want to
see in the world.”

Change starts with you, make it start today.