Now that you’ve learned the basics of visualization (see my article on the first steps toward visualization), lets take it to another level.

After practicing the relaxation techniques to get yourself in the right state of mind to visualize the next step is to do a visualization. One that I like is to imagine yourself climbing a mountain. Around and round you go through the circular paths. This is a metaphor for life’s journey. Eventually you reach a plateau. The plateau represents the here and now. You are placed firmly on the ground in your present life. To one side of the mountain you see a village. The village is filled with the details of your life. Review all of it. Review the highlights and the times that were most challenging. See the common thread that helped you through every event that you have ever been through. See how strong you were and are. Look at the clever ways in which you overcame obstacles as only you can.

Turn to the other side of the mountain in your visualization. See the valley that is empty and full of possibilities. This is your future. As you stand firmly in the here and now, what are all the possibilities for tomorrow? See them, paint them, expand on them, change them. Extend your life and see yourself as healthy and energetic and able to live a long time with all the strength and vibrancy that you’re going to need to accomplish all that you set out to achieve.

This is a visualization to review the past, observe the present and to create the future.

Debbie Simon, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, NY State Licensed Psychotherapist and Life Coach. Specializing in visualization/manifestation; 20 years experience; seasoned, skilled and intuitive.

Life is all about working today and planning for tomorrow which sometimes we forget to do due to many issues. You would be working so hard for savings so that you can enjoy a good life and your children can avail best of education. But, do you keep track of your income and expenses. Have you ever planned that how much you need to earn in the coming 5 years? If your answer is negative then financial planning services may help you.

If you have a well thought out financial plan then you can have great benefits in the future. You can do it all by yourself or you can hire a professional financial planning services firm. A good financial plan can change your financial outlook and it can remove several financial bottlenecks. In fact, financial planning services are various financial tools which can provide you help while you need finance.

You can plan your business expansion or your children’s education or some family protection or your retirement, by utilizing these services. Financial planning services may provide you valuable advice about individual and corporate pension planning, group employee benefits plan, investment planning, insurance advices, tax planning, residential & commercial lending advices etc. These financial solutions are needed by every family for securing the future and for decorating the present.

Furthermore, financial planning services can help you to protect and grow your savings and investments in a tax efficient way because it is very difficult to save tax and at the same time plan for savings. Financial tools also protect dependents and it also increases the after-tax legacy you pass on to your beneficiaries. These and many more services make the life of your and your dependents easy.

These days it has become easy to enquire about various financial planning services over the Internet. You can check your requirement and budget and check about various services accordingly. So, for decorating your present and for securing your future use these secure services

Anton Kadin is an expert in the domain of asset management and investment solutions. Written from experience and with expertise, his write-ups provide guidance to individuals and businesses on asset management UK, investment solutions UK wealth management company and financial planning services.

In most of the Western World – Europe, the Anglophone countries and increasingly Westernized Asian countries such as Japan and Korea – diamond engagement rings are a traditional part of the courtship and marriage process. Although plain gold bands for the actual wedding are also traditional, diamond jewelry in the form of a diamond wedding ring set has become much more common. Interestingly, the custom of rings for marriage predates the concept of diamond engagement rings by several centuries.

Diamonds Haven’t Been Forever

Diamonds have been worn as adornment as far back as the days of the Roman Empire, but weren’t used in diamond wedding rings until Archduke Maximilian I of Hapsburg presented one to Marie of Burgundy on the occasion of their wedding in 1477. The concept of engagement rings had started about 250 years earlier as a result of a papal decree; Pope Innocent III decided that couples should go through a longer betrothal period prior to taking vows. Upon announcing their wedding plans, it was customary for the man and woman to exchange plain metal bands – gold for royalty, silver for nobility, bronze for the upper and middle (merchant) class, and iron for peasants.

The Market for Diamond Engagment Rings is Created

The practice of presenting diamond engagement rings is shockingly recent – and in fact, goes back less than sixty years. In fact, it was the result of a corporate marketing strategy designed to convince people of the existence of a “historical tradition” that in fact had never existed!

It was the DeBeers company – a corporate entity based in South Africa that today controls over half the world’s diamond supply – that came up with the most successful “catch phrase” of all time – “A diamond is forever.” This campaign, which began around 1950, resulted in the creation of the new “tradition” of diamond engagement rings.

A similar attempt was made in U.S., again in an attempt to convince the public that it had long been “traditional” for men to receive engagement rings. American men didn’t fall for it, but eventually, a similar marketing campaign resulted in today’s extensive market for “his and hers” diamond wedding ring sets.

Diamond Jewelry and Weddings Today

Regardless of what advertising executives say, it is important that those who have a wedding in their future do what is economically comfortable and meaningful for them. After all, millions of dollars have been spend for diamond wedding ring sets to celebrate weddings that lasted only a few years or months. On the other hand, there are couples wearing plain, simple gold bands who have gone on to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversaries.

For those who are curious however, the “rule of thumb” – established by the diamond industry – is that men should plan on spending about six months’ salary when considering the purchase of diamond engagement rings.

When you give a speech or other public speaking presentation, make sure you have something to give to the audience members. This will help them to remember you and will also give them a way to contact you later on. Here are 3 tips on how use as a handout the next time you make a public speaking presentation to others.

Find out in advance who your audience is comprised of. This will help you to connect with them and to have a better experience when you give your speech. If you are speaking to a civic organization such as Rotary, you will have a diverse group of professionals from the local community. Give these people a one page outline of what you will be speaking about. Make sure to have your contact information on the handout. Do not give this paper to them until your talk is finished, or they will be likely to look down at it and read instead of listening to you.
When speaking to a group of people who are all in the same line of work, or at least a similar profession, prepare a two to three page handout that can be interactive. You may ask them to write something down and to share what they have written with the group. Depending on how much time you have, you may want to give them an exercise they can do with a partner or in a small group.
If you have lots of information to share with a group you are speaking to, refer them to a blog or website where they can get this information at their convenience. Offer them a special deal if they visit and sign up for your information. You may want to give them a discount code or a free special report for looking at your website or blog.
Using these 3 tips when you give a speech will help you to connect more completely with your audience. Public speaking can open many doors for you and it is good to receive training from people who speak to audiences on a regular basis.