Thanksgiving Day Miracle

Growing up, I had always heard about the fabled, “Thanksgiving Day Miracle.”  For me it was like Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny.  While I could hear or see evidence of its existence, I never got to witness it directly. 

What was wrong with me?  Why had I been cheated out of the “Thanksgiving Day Miracle?”  Wasn’t I good enough?  I had gotten decent grades in school.  I had listened to my parents – as good as any child could be expected to.  I had kept my room clean – well perhaps I could have done a better job on that one.  I had spent the past year standing up to bullies in my attempt to somehow assuage the afflictions of the weak and powerless.  Santa and the Easter Bunny thought I had done a sufficient job to warrant their holiday gifts.  Heck, even the Tooth Fairy seemed to appreciate the way I was popping teeth out of my skull.  But still, I never got to witness the glory of the “Thanksgiving Day Miracle.” 

In hindsight, it’s not so difficult to see the follies of my youth.  How often do we attach ourselves to some unrealistic expectation of what “ought-to-be?”  With my newfound maturity (ok, maturity may be a bit of a stretch), I can clearly see that I was living the “Thanksgiving Day Miracle.”  For me, the “Thanksgiving Day Miracle” was that I did not need one.  After all, even though my family bounced around the poverty level, we still had a home.  I had a room that was my responsibility to keep clean.  I had two loving parents.  And I had been blessed with the ability to stand up for those who were unable to do so themselves.  My “Thanksgiving Day Miracle” came to me every day of the year.  I am grateful to have been blessed with an “Every Day Miracle.”

How are we each blessed?  There are so many things in our lives that are worthy of our gratitude, that they often go unnoticed.  For many of us, our “Thanksgiving Day Miracle” is that we take time to acknowledge some small fraction of them.  Gratitude is perhaps the most critical ingredient for happiness.  Let us – at least for this one day – take time to share with ourselves, and those we love, what we are thankful for.  

Bejeweled: 12 Essential Life Lessons of an iPhone MMO Game:

After many nights of me lying in bed trying to go to sleep, while my wife endlessly swiped away on her iPhone, she has finally convinced me to try her favorite addiction: Bejeweled 2 Blitz.  For those of you who have already tried your hand (or fingers) at this narcotic, you know just how addicting the game can be.  For those of you who have not yet tried it, I am not sure if I recommend it or not.  I have only been playing it for one night see, and I am not sure what the long-term effects may be.  However, if you would like to try it, I will give you a free sample, but you must pay me $1 each time you play thereafter.  See, I did learn something from New Jack City. 

If you have never played the game, it really isn’t much different from many of the other casual games out there; save that in this version, each game is only one minute, and your score will be compared with the scores of all of your Facebook friends.  After one night of playing, here are some of the Life Lessons that I have picked up:

1.  I am not nearly as brilliant as I seem to think I am.  Perhaps I should not put myself up on a pedestal.
2. My friends are far smarter than I give them credit for.  Perhaps I should tell them sometime.  Unless of course, they already know, and have put themselves up on the pedestal I just vacated.
3. Never look at flashy lights; they are only there to distract you.
4. Sometimes things line up perfectly, but we just don’t see it; damn those flashy lights!
5. When stuck, sometimes it helps to change our depth of focus from short to long, or long to short. 
6.  Don’t fixate on color; we must be open to the full spectrum, else we miss rewarding opportunities.
7. While we may not be able to get a lot done in a minute, we can waste a lot of time in 60 second intervals.  Be mindful of every moment.
8. While some playing fields may be easier to navigate than others, we must do the best with what we've been given.
9. Sometime it’s ok to ask for help.
10. Sometimes help that is offered is not the best solution.
11. Sometimes, we just need to put the game on hold so that we can sleep.  Recovery is essential to performance.
12. In the end, it doesn’t matter what your score was; it’s just a game.

Music for Memory Enhancement

In the midst of global Cold War, two forces are locked in an epic struggle for power. The stakes are high. The winner will dominate the world economy for decades to come. Deep within the heart of the Soviet empire, a scientist made a discovery which would come to change the world of learning.

Georgi Lazanov, MD, was charged with the task of uncovering ways to improve the education of Soviet children. His work would lead to a break-through revelation. Although his discovery would not enable the Soviets to win the Cold-War, his contribution to education would serve the World.

Pulling on his expertise in Raja Yoga, Georgi Lazanov, MD had discovered that certain styles of music could enhance brain functioning. Vedic teaching, the source of Yogic practices, has pulled on the use of music to create enhanced mental states for thousands of years. Dr. Lazanov drew from this tradition when he published his studies that showed that certain pieces of Baroque music could boost memory retention dramatically. The pieces that led to dramatic improvements in memory were noted to pace at 60 beats per minute. Later studies would demonstrate similar memory enhancement with other genres of music that also contained a 60 beats per minute structure.

Some of the brightest minds in Western culture made it a habit to listen to Classical music regularly. Most of us have heard that listening to Classical music while studying can improve grades in school. The key though, is not just to listen to Classical music. It is to listen to specific pieces of Classical music. In order to dramatically increase your memory proficiency, you should listen to music with 60 beats per minute. This is one of many critical tools we utilize in Mindful Measures in order to boost retention rates by nearly 10x's. Try our products today and you will join a new wave of people who are experiencing remarkable results.