Mind Matters with Rita Milios, The Mind Mentor

“My Special Dream” WRITING CONTEST

2009-05-25T07:51:00.000-07:00

“My Special Dream” WRITING CONTEST for Kids 8-14 offers Prizes for All Entries

Author’s Contest Launches Dream Share,

Award-Winning Book that Can Help Kids Overcome Fears

Hudson (Tampa Bay), FL -- Dream Share from FL publisher, Rose Heart Publishing, is a new middle-grade novel by psychotherapist, author and educational consultant, Rita Milios that was just announced as an award-winning finalist in the 2009 Florida Writer’s Association Royal Palm Book Awards Competition (children’s book category). The author is launching Dream Share with a new website, www.DreamShareBook.com and a “My Special Dream” Contest for kids ages 8-14 years old.

Kids can write about My Special Dream (200 words or less) and email it to the author, who will read all entries and pick a Grand Prize Winner and two other winners. Every child who enters the contest will receive information sheets--Tips for Remembering Your Dreams and Common Dream Symbols. Full Contest details are below.

“Kids are always fascinated by the topic of dreams,” says Milios, who often speaks at schools and educational conferences on the topic. “Dreams are not only fun, they can provide valuable information about a child’s emotions and state of mind.”

Milios offers dream resources for teachers and parents, as well, at her website, www.DreamShareBook.com. (See details below.)

About the “My Special Dream” Contest for Kids:

Do you have a Special Dream to share?

What makes the dream special? Was it…

• Fun? Exciting Scary? Adventurous?

• Did it teach you a lesson?

• Did it help you solve a problem?

• Did you see someone you care about that you miss?

• Did you go someplace you’ve never been before?

• Did you see things you’ve never seen?

• Were you able to do something you’ve never done before?

Write about your Special Dream (200 words or less). Email it (using your first name only) along with the your parents’ email address and the permission note below (*). to rita@DreamShareBook.com. Kids ages 8-14 may take part in the Dream Contest. Dream Share author, Rita Milios will read all dream entries and pick the winners:

• GRAND PRIZE winner receives a Dream Share Slumber Party Kit (An autographed copy of Dream Share and an autographed copy of My Dream Journal Book by Rita Milios, six "I Have a Dream to Share" buttons, coupons for free pizzas and a special “phone visit” (with parents’ permission) from the author during the Slumber Party!

• Second Place Winner receives an autographed copy of Dream Share and a "I Have a Dream to Share" button.

• Third Place Winner receives an I Have a Dream to Share button and a coupon for 50% off the book, Dream Share.

• All Contestants receive (email) Tips for Remembering Your Dreams and Common Dreams Symbols information sheets.

Deadline for Entries: July 4, 2009

Winners announced at www.DreamShareBook.com on August 1st 2009.

(*) PERMISSION NOTE: COPY AND SEND WITH DREAM ENTRY to:

rita@DreamShareBook.com. Put “Dream Contest” in the subject line

I, ___________(name of parent) give my permission for my son/daughter to enter the “My Special Dream Contest.” I give permission for my child’s entry, if it is the Grand Prize winner, to be published on the Dream Share website. (Parents of Grand Prize winner, upon notification, will also be required to fax a signed, written agreement.)

See www.DreamShareBook.com for more about dreams & Dream Share learning supplements, including Dream Quizzes, a book excerpt, reviews of the book, Dream Share and Teacher Resources: Student Book Review Project, Rookie Researcher Scientific Investigation Project and more.

About Dream Share: Dream Share: When dreams come to life, the adventure begins!

Twelve-year old Sam and his older brother, Nathan, share an out-of-body experience that begins when Sam is drawn into his brother’s comatose state. The brothers enjoy visiting many mysterious realms beyond the physical, including those where whatever you imagine becomes real. But then each of the brothers is confronted with a monster, as their worst nightmares come to life. Only when Sam discovers how to use his mind to “see more deeply” do the boys understand that reality is what you perceive it to be, and that only by finding Truth can they find their way back home again.

In a back-of-the book section, Dream Share: The Story Behind the Story, readers find an author interview that discusses actual information about the book’s paranormal topics (What happens when a person is in a coma? What are “out-of-body” experiences and how do they occur? Do “alternate” realities really exist?) as well as their own Dream Journaling pages.

About Rita Milios:

Rita Milios is a licensed psychotherapist, author and workshop presenter. She makes presentations at schools and educational conferences and frequently speaks about dreams…as both nighttime fantasies and as aspirations.

Known as both The Mind Mentor and The Dream Lady, Rita is an expert in the use of the creative mind. She has for the past twenty-five years, researched and written about dreams, intuition, meditation, visualization, creativity and other mind-related topics. Rita presents workshops on dreams to children, teens, adults and teachers and writes books and articles for people of all ages.

Rita’s children’s books include Sleeping and Dreaming, a non-fiction book about sleep research and dreams for grades 3-4 that has been featured in variety of teacher and student workshops, including one associated with the JFK Center for the Performing Arts; Discovering Positive Thinking, a book for grades 5-7 that helps kids achieve and maintain a positive attitude, take charge of their thinking and envision success; and Discovering How to Make Good Choices that demonstrates how to set goals, look ahead and prepare for the future. Rita’s workbooks for teachers include Imagi-size: Activities to Exercise Your Students’ Imaginations, a teacher workbook with creativity and self-esteem exercises and the It Was Just Awful Teacher/Counselor Workbook (forthcoming) that helps kids dealt with the death of a loved one.

· PDF file of the “My Special Dream” Contest rules and entry guidelines is available. Email rita@ritamilios.com to request a copy.

• Contact the author to purchase autographed books or to discuss an author presentation.

--
Rita Milios, LCSW, The Mind Mentor, author, psychotherapist & speaker on topics of writing, education and personal development
www.ritamilios.com
www.DreamShareBook.com

Why Do We Dream?

2009-03-08T14:42:00.000-07:00

Why Do We Dream?

Scientists tell us that we all dream every night. As a matter of fact, we each have about 6-8 dreams every night, during our REM (rapid eye movement) sleep periods. But we often do not remember our dreams.

Dreams seem to have several purposes. Some dreams are just memories of our mind doing the job of “filing away” information we have learned during the day. Other dreams, however, come from our inner minds with messages for us. They come to tell us things we need to know, but may not be paying attention to. Dreams are one way our inner minds “talk“ to us.

Hidden Messages in Dreams

Dreams often contain messages – messages from ourselves to ourselves. Dreams may come to say, “You’re doing fine. Hang in there.” Or the message may be, “You’ve gone off in the wrong direction. Take a close look at you’re doing in your life right now. You need to make some changes.”

Dreams come in many forms. We can have creative dreams, like Einstein and Edison are said to have had. Some dreams, called precognitive dreams, may “show” us a future event. Many others are problem-solving dreams. They give us advice about how to solve a problem in our lives.

Reoccurring Dreams

Reoccurring dreams are especially important. These are dreams that come over and over again. They always contain the same message. This message is one that your inner mind is trying to get you to notice. Your inner will patiently give you the same dream over and over for years until you finally “get the message”.

Rita Milios, The Mind Mentor, is a transformational psychotherapist, author and speaker from Hudson, FL (www.ritamilios.com). Hear more from Rita on dreams on Blog Talk Radio.

Good Grief: What’s Normal and When Should You Seek Help?

2008-11-02T13:48:00.000-08:00

It is quite normal to be sad and upset when someone that we care about dies. The term grief describes a person’s emotional reaction to the death and mourning describes the cultural and social expectations and behaviors that surround the event (attending a funeral service, for example).

While each person experiences grief in their own unique way and there is no one “right” way to grieve, therapists generally encourage grieving individuals to feel their grief, rather than deny it. Experiencing the feelings of sadness instead of avoiding them, talking about these feelings with others and finding meaning in a life where the loved one is no longer present are all part of what is called the grief process.

Normal Grief

The steps above outline a “normal” grief process. In normal grief, the initial intense feelings associated with grief and bereavement–intense sadness, a profound sense of loss and a deep yearning for the loved one–subside and become manageable within a few weeks or months. Interest in life returns and the bereaved person gets back to the tasks of daily living. Formerly overwhelming painful feelings subside and thoughts of the deceased cease to dominate the person’s life.

Abnormal or “Complicated” Grief

However, approximately 10-20% of grieving people do not experience “normal” grief. For them, the grief process is prolonged and/or intensified. They often experience anger and resentment about their loss and have difficulty accepting the reality of the death. In 2001, a set of twenty questions, called the Inventory of Complicated Grief, was developed by leading psychiatrists to distinguish complicated grief from normal grief. The symptoms of complicated grief fall into two categories: 1) feelings related to separation distress (longing and searching for the deceased, loneliness, preoccupation with thoughts of the deceased) and 2) feelings related to traumatic distress (disbelief, mistrust, anger, shock and detachment from others).

When to Seek Help

Grief is generally diagnosed as “complicated” when it has lasted for more than six months and at least four of the following symptoms occur several times a day. The symptoms must also be intense enough that they are distressing and disruptive to normal life activities:

• Trouble accepting the death
• Inability to trust others
• Excessive bitterness or anger related to the death
• Uneasiness about moving forward (making new friends, taking part in
daily activities)
• Numbness or detachment from life
• Feeling that life is empty or meaningless without deceased
• Sensing that the future is bleak or holds no meaning
• Abnormal agitation, jumpiness or irritation

A bereaved person fitting the above criteria would be considered at risk for complicated grief and should seek professional help for managing their grieving process.

Rita Milios, MSW, LCSW, "The Mind Mentor," is a psychotherapist, author and workshop leader from Hudson FL. Her most recent books include "It Was Just Awful," a book for children experiencing traumatic grief, and the "It Was Just Awful Companion Caregiver/Counselor Workbook."

Synchronicity - Coincidence or Much, Much More ?

2008-09-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

As a transformational psychotherapist and a spiritual coach, I always encourage people to look within themselves for answers. Occasionally, this leads to unexpected results.

One fall evening I received a frantic - and later to be realized, prophetic - phone call as I was sitting down to a special family dinner. It was from a client, and she sounded terribly frightened and confused. Something so strange and out of the ordinary had happened to her that she could not make sense of it.; yet she was sure that it contained a “message” for her.

I calmed my client down and asked her to tell me her story. It seems that she had been walking out the door to go to a special event of her own. She had dressed up for the occasion and had put on a certain pair of pierced earrings. She specifically remembered using extra care to secure the earring backs, as she wanted to be sure not to lose one of these earrings. They were very special to her and were expensive as well. Ready to go, she went into the garage to her car. Then she heard a small ping, and looking down spied an earring that had apparently fallen out, despite her efforts. However, her real surprise came when she retrieved the earring. Picking it up, she gasped. The earring was still together, with back and front connected. How was that possible? She knew that she had put the earring through her ear. The only way that it could fall was if it had come apart. But it hadn’t. What was going on?

I didn’t have an answer for her right away. The only thing that could think of was that she had apparently been offered a spiritual gift called synchronicity. Synchronicity takes many forms. Though it usually comes as a “coincidence” that is not really a coincidence (such as being in the right place at the right time to receive help just when you need it), synchronicity can also take a more “mysterious” form, such as the one mentioned above. The key element in synchronicity is that the incident offers a “message” to the participant. This message is often not recognized by others, who will see it as “mere” coincidence or misinformation. Yet for the person involved, the message they perceive serves to heighten their awareness of - and often their belief in - the spiritual realm. The mystery of synchronicity may be seen as a spiritual “hello,” a tap on the shoulder from the spiritual realm, as if to say, “Pay attention. We are here. Notice us and believe in us.”

I have seen this happen often to people who are new to the spiritual path. It is as if their spiritual “helpers” or “guardian angels” are using a bit of drama to assist them in the building of their belief, which is often difficult at first. While many people believe in a spiritual realm, few think of this realm as a place where spirits can actively interact with people and involve themselves in our daily affairs. To achieve this leap of faith we need “proof” and synchronicities, often appearing at a crucial stage in a believer’s path, provide this proof.
But beyond the belief building factor, synchronicities may serve a greater purpose as well. They may be used to establish, for the first time ever, a link between a person and their own intuition. Once belief in the existence of an interactive spiritual realm has established, a person often begins to listen for “messages” more directly. They may even come to expect and desire such messages. One tried and true avenue for these messages is intuition.

Intuition and synchronicities are very similar. They both involve messages from sources that are beyond those which are normally available to us. But while synchronicities may occur without our having to do anything, intuition is a two way street. We must purposefully and consciously open our minds to intuition as a form of communication if we are to further strengthen our initial contact with it - and through it, our contact with the spiritual realm. For it is through intuition, in reality, that all direct communication with the spiritual realm occurs. There are no telephone calls, no e-mails from space and spirit, only those subtle and fleeting thought-feelings that we call intuition. Even when we are gifted with a synchronicity, it is only through our intuitive faculties that we are able to discern the meaning and significance of such an event. Without intuition, synchronicities really are “mere coincidences”.

As we go through life, we change and grow, and hopefully evolve spiritually as well. Accessing intuition is an important part of that process. Once we begin to train our minds to become more aware of our own unique intuition cues, to understand how we receive our own particular intuitive messages, we can begin to discern which thoughts are true intuitions and which are the products of our wandering minds. This is an important step because only intuitions can “translate” messages from the spiritual realm and give us an accurate reading of our inner guidance.

Synchronicity can provide an important initial contact with the spiritual realm. It can open us up to our own spiritual natures and set us upon a spiritual path, which we then can follow with faith and confidence, secure in the belief that there really are spiritual “helpers” who can assist us along the way.

Live Fear Free: CHOOSE to Reduce Your Fears

2008-07-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

Fear or anxiety don't have to run your life. By taking charge of your feelings and thoughts, you can change your life...for good.

Whenever you feel fearful, stressed or anxious, ask yourself the following questions and take the following actions:

• What are my fears? Where am I feeling threatened in my everyday life? (Accept the feeling “I am afraid”.)

• Would I feel better if I had a choice? What can I control in my current situation? (Choose to act, regardless of fear. You will find that you can feel afraid and still do something.)

• How can I now follow through, based on my choice? (Moving ahead, even though afraid, allows fear to dissipate; stifling it would only cause the fear to persist.)

• Now that I have exercised my choice, has my fear level changed? (Notice any reduction in the level of your fears. Use this feedback to give you courage to face
future fears.)

Remember, you have a choice. You CAN control your fears; they don't have any real power over you...unless you choose to believe that they do. By taking charge of your thoughts and your feelings, you are exercising an inherent POTENTIAL within your mind. However, that potential could remain simply an alluring possibility...unless it is accessed and used. Don't let that happen. CHOOSE to live fear-free!

Rita Milios, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, author and workshop leader on topics of spiritual growth and personal development. Visit her Speaking area and Bookstore at www.ritamilios.com for additional relevant information and resources.

Visualization Tip # 3: “Schedule” Visualizations & Goals

2008-06-23T16:15:00.000-07:00

To make your visualizations more powerful and get the results you desire, it is a good idea to create a regular time every day to do this mental work. Set aside a few minutes each day when you can sit or lie quietly and mentally project your visualized goals. A good time to do this might be just before you fall off to sleep. Another good time is shortly after awakening in the morning, before you start your day.

Begin by focusing your attention on your mental screen. Bring onto your mental screen an image that you want to vivify with your mental energy and then project. Take a few minutes to clearly visualize your intention or goals, making the image as realistic as possible.

When you have “energized” the image with your concentrated and pointed attention, the next step is to “release” it into the world. Intend that the image will be released to “do its work” (wherever and however that is to take place…and this is not for you to be concerned about). Then imagine the image flowing out of your head from your “third eye”–the area between your eyebrows–into the atmosphere around you.

Mentally say to yourself, “It is done, and it is so.” Then take your mind off the visualized goal and set it free it to do its work.

Rita Milios, LCSW, The Mind Mentor, is a transformational psychotherapist and author from Hudson, FL. Her latest book is How to Use Quizzes, Surveys & Polls to Power-Promote Your Book or Website! Read more helpful articles at www.ritamilios.com.

Visualization Tip # 2: Practice Visualization Exercise

2008-06-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

Using the method in Visualization Tip # 1, Setting the Stage, try the exercise below.

“Practice” Visualizations

Close your eyes and image a movie screen (or if you prefer, a blackboard) about six inches away from your face and up a couple inches above your eyes. First imagine (or “draw”) on your screen or blackboard a geometric figure, a square, circle, or triangle. Keep visualizing this figure over and over for about twenty seconds. Each time your mind wanders, simply bring it back, reproducing the same image over and over. Repeat this exercise with the other two geometric figures.

Then imagine on your mental screen or blackboard a figure, a stick figure or a cartoon-like figure. You do not need to get details. (Most people don’t really see details like hair and eyes on their figures.) In fact, when you “see” an image or visualization, it is in the form of a thought–picture, a sort of mix between an actual image and just the thought of that image. Don’t expect pictures like those on television. Trying too hard to get a “good” visualization will hamper your results. Sometimes you “sense” an image more than you actually see it.

Next, animate the figure on your mental screen. Have it move, talk and become active. When you can comfortably imagine and visualize this and other types of scenes fully and vividly in your mind, you will have mastered to art of creating powerful visualizations–visualizations that get results.

Rita Milios, LCSW, The Mind Mentor, is a transformational psychotherapist and author from Hudson, FL. Her latest book is How to Use Quizzes, Surveys & Polls to Power-Promote Your Book or Website! Read more helpful articles at www.ritamilios.com.

Tips for Creating Powerful Visualizations

2008-05-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

Tip #1 for Creating Powerful Visualizations

Set your Mental Stage

By using visualization you can “program” your mind to help you achieve your goals. The key to using visualization effectively is to make the mental pictures, the scenes that you create in your mind, real. Add all the action, energy, and emotion you can muster to the movies in your mind. The more they appear and feel real to you, the more certainly you are creating your future reality.

Start by visualizing in the proper place. Close your eyes and “look” inside your mind. What do you see? Total blackness, probably. Now start to imagine a scene in your mind. Where in your head is this scene taking place?

For many people, visualizations are pictured somewhere in the area of the forehead, often right between the eyebrows. While this is OK, it is more effective to move your mind–movies out away from your head. Picturing your scene between your eyes takes more concentration because your eyes instinctively follow your inward gaze. It is better to move your mind’s movie screen out about six inches from your face. This allows you to be more relaxed, and to have more spontaneous, creative images.

Next time...a visualization "practice" exercise.

My Vision of Heaven and the Afterlife Contest

2007-10-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

My Vision of Heaven and the Afterlife Contest

$100 PRIZE for Best Entry – 100 words or less!

Sponsored by Rita Milios, the Mind Mentor (Webiste: www.ritamilios.com; Blog http://mindmentor.blogspot.com/)

Do you believe in heaven? The afterlife? A 2003 poll conducted at ChristianWebSite showed that up to 83 % of the people polled believe in an afterlife (slightly higher numbers among Protestants). Most major religions have an afterlife as part of their belief system. Yet, the specifics of what this “place” might look like are seldom discussed.

I believe it is important that we begin to co-create a vision of what our beliefs in the afterlife might be. Shared visions become more important as we realize that our collective consciousnesses have a role in bringing reality into existence. Today, more than ever, we must take responsibility for the creations that result from our focused thoughts, intentions, and mental images. The power of the collective unconscious is now strengthening to the point where we can no longer afford to carelessly “feed” negative mental images. Instead, I hope that we can begin to counteract some of the negative images with a conscious focus on positive co-creations.

The law of attraction, popularized by the video The Secret, tells us to keep our mental focus on what we want, and not on what we don’t want.

With the My Vision of Heaven and the Afterlife Contest, I hope to encourage people to begin co-creating a vision of what the afterlife might hold, so that we can release one of the major causes of fear and negative mental energy in our collective unconsciousness….the fear of death. As a grief counselor. I also feel that it is important to begin a dialogue about this topic so that when each of us faces the final stages of our earthly life, we can do so with hope and peace in our hearts.

Please pass along this Contest announcement to all whom you feel might be interested in helping with this Visioning project. Thank you for your assistance!

* If f you know of any internet radio hosts, websites or ezine editors who might like to help by interviewing Rita about this project, please email Rita at rita@ritamilios.com.

Contest Instructions:

• Describe your vision of the afterlife – what it looks like, what goes on there, what experiences you perceive may take place. Keep your description to 100 words or less.

• Email your entry to rita@ritamilios.com. With Heaven Contest in the Subject line.

• Please also answer these 3 Mini-Poll Questions about your after life beliefs:

1. Is your afterlife belief based on ___religious conviction ___spiritual beliefs

___personal experience ____other (explain) __________________________________

2. Where do you perceive the after life to take place? ___in the sky ___in another

dimension parallel to ours ____elsewhere (explain). _____________________________

3. What is the most important thing you think people should know about the afterlife?

• Contest entries will be accepted through October 30, 2007. Winner will be announced on www.ritamilos.com and at the blog, Mind Matters with Rita Milios, the Mind Mentor (http://mindmentor.blogspot.com/) on Nov. 1, 2007.

Rita's FL Writing Workshops Fall 07

2007-07-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

Fellow writers:

I am speaking at two writers' conferences in FL this fall.

I will be presenting "Clever & Creative Ways to Market & Promote Your Book" at the WOW (Wizards of Words) 2007 Conference in Tampa on Sept. 14 & 15.

The conference link is http://www.wizardsofwords.org/tampa.html.

Then at the Florida Writers Association Annual Conference in Orlando, Nov. 9-11, I will presenting "Creating a Story Plan" and will be offering career mentoring sessions.

That conference link is http://www.floridawriters.net/dnn/Conferences/AnnualFWAConference/tabid/61/Default.aspx.

I will look forward to meeting and speaking with any blog readers who attend...come right up and say
hello...

Also visit my website, www.ritamilios.com, for more Book Promotion advice.

Best Wishes,

Rita

Time to Opine...or When to Write Op-Ed Pieces

2007-05-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

Following the University of Virginia shootings, I sent off a quick op-ed piece to the St. Petersburg Times. In it, I listed several tips for parents, to help them help their children cope with the onslaught of media images and information.

In doing so, my intention was to be helpful. But I also recognized this as a good opportunity to get my name (and credentials) into the local newspaper. Now, I get no big thrill out of simply seeing my name in print....I prefer to see it printed on the "pay to the order of" line of a big check. But sometimes, like when you are new in town, as I am, you need to "get your name out there." And op-ed pieces can do that in a great way at the local level. By writing a short three-paragraph piece, I branded myself in my community as an "expert" in my field (psychotherapy), and I let an audience of potential clients know of my existence...all for free. I kind of like that.

The key to successful op-ed writing for increased visibility is: 1) Tie your writing to "news"....a current event, a time-related event (anniversary, reoccurring theme--such as making resolutions at the beginning of a new year, etc.), a recent scientific study, or an unusual, quirky idea, event or gimmick. 2) State your viewpoint (this is, after all an "opinion" piece) and why your opinion should matter (you are an expert, you have experience, etc., etc.). 3) Wake 'em up! Don't be boring. Use shocking statistics, bold statements or dramatic accounts. 4) Write tightly. Most op-ed pieces are short...75-100 words is good, or if you must, you can use up to 200-250 words--but that's the max.

You can whip up a piece and submit it online, which is good, because timing is everything. You've got to be in there with your piece while the news is still news.

Here's a handy link where you can find details for submitting op-ed pieces to the nation's top 100 newspapers. A local daily that covers your area should be in here somewhere. (Many of the listings have hyperlinks to the actual submission page.): http://ccmc.org/oped.htm.

So, go ahead, be opinionated...just do it for a good reason!

Rita

RitaMilios.com relaunching soon.

2007-05-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

Launching May 11, come visit www.ritamilios.com and explore our new look!!
New authors and self-publishers will find helpful Book Promotion ideas.

Writers of all genres, check out the Writer's Resource Page for helpful articles and links.

Also, for those interested in self-transformation, check out the Spirituality/New Age Page for articles and resources.

The Speaker's Page will keep you posted on Rita's upcoming workshops and events.

Hope to see you there!
Rita Milios, The Mind Mentor
www.ritamilios.com

Intention Gets Results!

2005-12-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

In my last post I promised I'd update you on the results of my little experiment with intention....that being the act of placing a heart-felt intention into an ancient Sedona "intention" rock formation, a thing that apparently has been done for thousands of years by many others–from the ancient Anasazi Indians to modern days mystics (like myself). So here's the scoop....

Since making my intention last month to "let go of my fear and allow myself to launch onto the national scene in large-scale way"--I have been "discovered" by a seminar promoter, landed a speaking gig, along with free airfare and expenses, in Arizona, fearlesslessly...and this is the KEY word here...fearlessly made connections with several "high-powered" people in my region, that should lead to potentials for some lucrative business collaborations, and made a commitment to fearlessly (note the repetion of that key word again) jump into the world of radio!

OK, so it will only be internet radio at first, but hey, it's a start, and I do have some initial indications that my show, Mind Matters, with Rita Milios, the Mind Mentor (why re-create the wheel?) will be able to acquire a decent audience and move into traditional broadcast mediums. In case you are interested (and I hope you are), the show will cover "all things mind"--from creativity and innovation, to mind-body healing, to emotions and mental health to paranormal. In addition to Q/A, I will have guest interviews, contests, and lots of opportunitites for audience participation. Since you may not know me, think of a cross between Dr. Joy Brown, Dr. Phil and Louise Hay (author of You Can Heal Your Life), with a bit of a Dolly Parton (the say-whatever-is-on your-mind and I really do honestly care about you part, not the big hair and big...) parts.

OK, enough of the commerical...on to the point of this post. Like I said in my previous post, during the moments of placing my intention into the Sedona rock formation, I really did feel the energy shift in me. But was it the mystical powers of Sedona's energy field? Or was it just myself givng myself PERMISSION to do what I already really wanted to do? Probably a little of both.

I do believe that energies play a role in our consciousness. (I am an energy healer, after all, in addition to being a psychotherapist, incongruent as that may seem.) But I also know that it was myself, and myself alone...not my mother, not others in my life, not circumstances...that was the cause of my "holding back." I've known this (and have been working on it) for quite a while. But, aside from the obvious reason--fear of responsibility--I could not figure out why I was having such trouble getting rid of that last bit of residual resistance.

Timing...I think all things do have a time when they are "meant to be." I've always been a bit ahead of myself. I sometimes write books that are ahead of their time (my book Planetary Initiation, written fifteen years ago, is more pertinent today than it was when I wrote it...more people today "get it".) I get anxious to "move on with it" to the next level of spiritual growth. Yet, sometimes, I must wait for the time to be right. Thankfully, I believe that "the time" for me is finally here!

In the end, intention is really just a decision. I'd made the same decision and had the same intensity of desire and emotion around my decison to "move onward and upward" many times before. But it was not until I put that decision out to the universe in a heart-felt intention-- with the right energies and the knowledge that it was, and is, the right and perfect timing for me--not until then could I fully and completely give myself over to the totality of it, to the commitment, the responsibilities and the POWER.

We are, I think, more afraid of our power than of anything else. For with power, comes not only responsibility, but the need for action as well. There is a time for planning, a time for preparing, and a time for following through. Only when I was fully ready to take action and follow through in a complete and focused way, was I really ready to fully commit to my intention.

Intentions are indeed powerful things. But in the end, they are just decisions...and they do nothing unless they are acted upon. What I got in Sedona was "permission" to take action--and the intention /decision to stop allowing things to get in my way...the "just do it" mentality.

With that focused intention, I unleashed within myself a wellspring of potential energy that had been waiting and ready to spring into action. And by getting out of its way, I have allowed it to do its work.

And it is like witnessing a miracle.

How a FOCUSED MIND & INTENTION Created SUCCESS

2005-11-19T09:25:00.000-08:00

I was amazed....and it's hard to amaze me..."mind tools" teacher and MInd Mentor ...by the power of a simple INTENTION to set into motion creative action.

Even though I teach this stuff, somehow when it comes to my own life, I'm always a bit surprised (and always grateful) when it works so easily....

I was in Sedona a few weeks ago, and went to an energy vortex, where you could look out onto a rock formation that was said to be the place where Natives for thousands of years went to mentally set their intentions for whatever they wanted to create, or to have come into their lives.

So I put forth my intention....and as I did, I began to feel a loving energy flow into my heart...so I reinforced my intention with even greater focus, and added my heartfelt wish that my intended activity would allow me to be an even greater FORCE FOR GOOD in the world.

Now, several weeks later, back at home in Toledo, it's hard to explain, but I do feel different. I am more confident, more assured of my ability and my RIGHT to do the work that I have dedicated myself to....and unexpected opportunities are beginnning to flow.

Every day, I feel the energy within me growing stronger, like a thing that is alive and stirring...and I know that it is readying itself to break free...and when it does it will set into motion everything that is needed to complete all the goals I have worked for...and intended...for many years.

I will keep you posted as to what forms this emergence takes....

For now, I'd like to hear your comments...feel free to answer here or at my website, www.riatmilios.com

And I'd like to leave you with a few thoughts about how to use the power of intention for YOUR own goals. Here you go:

INTENTION: is an action or goal - it is mostly an intellectual event

- it involves the use of the will to attend to (lend awareness or consciousness to) something

- INTENDING is a process; it includes action plus emotion (therefore energy)

- it involves a mental steadiness; the personal will is aligned with higher consciousness

- intent creates a “clear field” through which mental energy can flow

- intent carries consciousness

- intent is affected by love or positive motivations

- intent creates a coherence of brain waves

- one person’s intent can create a resonance (and therefore coherence with) the brain waves of another

- intent creates the possibility for the alignment of wills for greater creative potential

- intent makes it possible for a “resonate transfer” to take place; when at least one person in a pair holds a “true” intention (one that is aligned with the greater will of the soul) doubt [which hinders the intent] from the other can be dispelled

Intention does not “live” in time and space; it exists in the realm of knowing vs. thinking

- Intention is a quantum event; it is information based, not energy/matter (as we know it) based; intention is therefore guided by coherence of thought and depth of thought, vs. content of thought

- Quantum information contains an additional measurement (of “spinning up” or “spinning down”), as occurs in chaos theory and physicist Carl Pribram’s implicate (potential) and explicate (manifested) realms of creation

- The next “information age” will be “the age of knowing” (intuitively and instantaneously)

Holding an Intention:

- sets the blueprint (goal)

- builds energy

- “invites” assistance from higher mental realms

Ways to Increase an Intention:

1) add desire

2) add need (it is said that “even herbs resonate to a person in need of their service”)

3) increase concentration, focus and intensity of the mental thought or state of mind

4) add the intentions of another consciousness that is in resonance with your
intention

Please make your comments...here or at www.ritamilios.com....

Blessings....

Rita

Get a Positive Mindset

2005-11-18T12:50:00.000-08:00

Most of us don't spend much time thinking about the way we think. But thinking is a habit, and the way we talk to ourselves in our minds is a habit. Bad habits, such as negative self-messages and put-downs, get bad results: low self-esteem, depression, lack of motivation. Good habits, such as talking to yourself in a positive way, focusing on positive thoughts, and being positive with other people, get good results: success, happiness, peace of mind. While no one is positive all the time, there are ways to gain a positive "mind set" so that positive thinking becomes a habit.

Eliminate Negative Self-Talk

You probably don't realize how many times a day you send yourself negative mental messages. The habit of negative self-talk goes unnoticed after a while. But studies show that most people hear between 300 and 400 negative message per day - many of them in their own minds.

Start monitoring your inner dialogue. Write down each negative message that you notice over two or three days. Mental comments such as "That was stupid," or "I knew I'd mess it up," simply serve to reinforce a poor self-image and a lack of confidence in our own power to control our lives.

Begin today to consciously change negative thoughts. Whenever you feel yourself starting to think a negative thought, STOP. Don't finish it. Change the thought a positive one before it leaves you.

Give Yourself a Mirror Pep Rally

Another way to create the habit of positive thinking is to give yourself a "mirror pep rally." Each morning (or whenever you feel the need) look at yourself in the mirror and say: "I am a positive person. I look for and see only the positive in every situation. I am thankful for the good that comes my way, and the lessons that I am allowed to learn."

Don't Worry

Like positive thinking, worrying is a habit, too - a bad habit. Worrying is a waste of time and it does nothing to change a situation. Not only is worry wasteful, it is destructive and self-defeating, dragging you into a chasm of imagined fears and doubts that serve to undermine your positive outlook. Would it not be better to put your worries out of your mind? Here are some tips to help you reduce your worry time:
• Maintain a worry-time schedule. Set aside one half hour each day to do all your worrying. During this half hour, worry to your heart's content, playing out all the possibilities to their ultimate catastrophe. But at any other time during the day, you must not indulge in worrying.
• Gradually reduce your worry-time. Start with a half hour a day. After a week, cut it down to twenty minutes, then ten minutes. Then eliminate your worry-time altogether.
• Create an imaginary "safe place" to contain your worries. One psychologist keeps three jars on his desk-top. The first is labeled Doubts. The second is labeled Fears. The third is labeled Worries. Whenever he has a doubt, a fear, or a worry, he simply lifts the lid on the appropriate jar and "tosses" the feeling inside.

For more articles, visit www.ritamilios.com

CREATIVITY AND SELF-ESTEEM

2005-11-14T11:19:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Mind Matters...I look forward to your comments.

Here is a short article for you...I'd love to hear what you think.

CREATIVITY AND SELF-ESTEEM:
THE INTIMATE CONNECTION

by Rita Milios,
The Mind Mentor

Creativity and self-esteem - for the person fortunate enough to have an abundance of both, the world is a wonderful place. It is filled with opportunities, challenges, and most probably, success. But does having one give you an edge for obtaining the other as well?

IT’S ALL IN THE HEAD

If there is a connection between self-esteem and creativity, it is a mental one. According to psychologist William Grey, our feelings act as “organizers" for both our mind and our personality. When our feelings are suppressed or out of reach, our mind's ability to organize, synthesize and correlate thoughts - to do the ground work necessary for creativity to take place - is hampered. On the other hand, when we are in touch with our feelings, we have freer access to our creative source.

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING

It appears that an essential element in emotional well-being - and creativity - is attitude. How you think leads to how you feel. If you think, "I’m not good enough" (to perform a certain task, to get a new job, to be in the company of certain people), then you won't be. You will fulfill your own prophecy - not because there is something innately inferior about you, but simply because you will have closed off the opportunity to try, and therefore to possibly succeed. Do this enough times and you will come to believe, and even expect, your failure to continue. To succeed you will then need to change the belief that holds you - and your creativity - down.
Beliefs are created in the mind, by the thoughts you hold in your mind, the thoughts that you focus on and give your attention to. You might want to try the following simple exercise, designed to help you take charge of your thinking and gain a more positive outlook:

PRACTICE POSITIVE SELF-TALK

What kind of messages do you give yourself all day long? It has been estimated that the average person's mind processes about three to four hundred negative statements per day. Do you say, "I knew I’d never get it right," or do you call yourself a "dummy" when you make a mistake? Stop it! Catch those negative statements before they have a chance to become "programmed” into your mental state. Change the negative statements into positive ones, instead.
Start by keeping a log of how many times you make a negative statement to yourself during a typical day, either out loud or in your mind. Also log how many times you pay attention to the negative statements of others around you. Becoming aware of just how much negative programming you are experiencing is an important first step. Then begin catching yourself in the act. just as you are about to make a negative statement. Say, “STOP!” Change the negative statement to a positive one. You might say, “I did have a problem this time but now I know more about how to make it right the next time.” And you will. With practice you will gain a more positive outlook. Over time, you may find that not only has your attitude improved, but your creativity has increased as well.