Best Free Training Mental Spiritual Health

The Best Free Trainings
First Annual Mental & Spiritual Health Collection
A Collection of Reviews of Some of the Best, Absolutely Free, Training & Educational Resources to Support Mental & Spiritual Health
as Posted from November 2007 November 2008 by Michael Greer on The Best Free Training blog
Copyright 2008, The Best Free Training blog & Michael Greer For info, email: greers_pm@yahoo.com or visit: http://www.bestfreetraining.net
Introduction ....................................................................................................3 About High Density Audios..............................................................................5 Suggestions: Working with Free Training Sites.....................................................8 PhilosophersNotes Video Collection: Inspire Yourself, Motivate Yourself, Find Joy! .. 10 50 Things Im Going to Do Today ..................................................................... 11 A New Earth: Are You Ready to be Awakened? [Eckhart Tolle & Oprah] ................ 13 Alpha Break................................................................................................... 16 Introduction to Your Mind................................................................................ 18 The Science of Happiness: Part 1, A Little Theory ............................................... 19 The Science of Happiness: Part 2, Some Fun Stuff.............................................. 22 The Science of Happiness: Part 3, Train Yourself to Be Happier ............................ 24 Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT): Manage Pain, Balance Energy & Emotions ... 27 Zaadz Notes: Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman .......................................... 29 Mastering Eckhart Tolles The Power of Now ...................................................... 31 Free Spiritual Caffeine from Brian Johnson ........................................................ 34 As a Man Thinketh.......................................................................................... 35 Abraham Maslow & His Self-Actualizing Individual .............................................. 37 The Fundamental Principles of Personal Wealth .................................................. 39 How to Be Creative......................................................................................... 41 Media Education for the 21st Century ............................................................... 42 Health Issues for Aging Populations .................................................................. 45 _____________________________________________________________________________
A special thanks to Brian Johnson, whose amazing work at his Zaadz, PhilosophersNotes [http://philosophersnotes.com/bestfreetraining], and ThinkArete websites has inspired me both personally and professionally. Following his intellectual trail of bread crumbs, I have grown, laughed, and have been led to much of what is good and valuable in this collection of reviews. Look for credits and links to his work throughout. Whoo- Hoo! Go, Brian! --- Mike G
Didnt find what you were looking for? This collection was prepared in November, 2008. Since we publish new reviews every week, please keep checking The Best Free Training blog to see our latest posts. Go to: http://www.bestfreetraining.net
Copyright 2008, The Best Free Training blog & Michael Greer email: greers_pm@yahoo.com or visit http://www.bestfreetraining.net Page MS - 2
Introduction
This is a collection of reviews culled from my blog, The Best Free Training, during its first year of publication (November 2007 November 2008). The reviews listed here describe some high-quality, free, training and education products that can contribute positively to your mental and spiritual health. Clarification: By mental health I mean the ability to think clearly (reason well) about matters that are important to you. By spiritual health I mean that sometimes difficult-to-achieve feeling of well-being that comes from a sense of inner peace or inspiration. Most of the items reviewed here have the potential to help you improve your mental or spiritual health. None of the items reviewed here are particularly religious. That is, they do not advocate for a particular belief system that is based on a specific deity or religious denomination or doctrine.
About The Best Free Training Blog

Today there are thousands (millions?) of free training items available. Many of these are little more than veiled advertising for their sponsors, providing just enough to peak your interest in their products or services, yet stopping short of providing real value. Others are haphazardly thrown together or designed by people who have no real knowledge of their subject. On the other hand, some free training is full-featured, creatively designed and presented, and amazingly valuable. But who has time to sort through the glut of freebies to find the good stuff? The purpose of The Best Free Training blog is to share information about the best free training and education products I can find. Whether its a simple, home-made tutorial or a high-budget, high-production, commercially-produced session. If it seems to be really good stuff, then Ill check it out and tell you whats so great about it! For more on what I mean by the best free training go to: http://www.bestfreetraining.net/?page_id=18
About Me (Michael Greer)

I am currently an independent contractor working as an author, trainer, and consultant in the field of Project Management. At the same time, I have several decades experience designing, developing, and presenting training. I have also managed teams of instructional designers and media developers and subject matter experts as they tried their best to create high-quality training on all sorts of topics in all sorts of industries. So Ive experienced a lot of training, evaluated
training effectiveness, and made a lot of recommendations about how to improve training. (Go to www.michaelgreer.com for more.)
Disclaimers
1. The publishers of the training items reviewed here have not paid for their reviews. I found the training items online, I examined them, and I wrote my reviews. Sometimes, at their discretion, publishers posted a Comment after the review adding their opinions and thoughts. But I am solely responsible for the opinions expressed about a training item unless I include a quote with someone elses opinion. 2. I am not responsible if the publishers a) change the URL [online location] of their training items, b) change the content of their training items, c) stop making their training items available for free and start charging fees, or d) simply quit offering their free training item. 3. The information in the reviews presented here is accurate at the time of publication. And Ive checked the URLs [links] to make sure they are accurate at the time of this publication. However, things can change especially website link locations, etc. So, forgive me if you find inaccuracies and know Ive done my best to eliminate them. 4. Ive also done my best to make sure that the items reviewed here are generally good stuff! A couple of items in this collection may have mature or controversial content. So I strongly recommend that parents examine for themselves any item they will be having their kids use! Its up to the reader to judge whether any particular product recommended here is suitable for your kids developmental level, your familys values, and the interests of your particular kids.
Suggestion: Be Creative & Find More Stuff!

The items reviewed here are just the tiniest tip of the iceberg of all the available free training items out there! So, when you are checking out one of the products reviewed here, consider examining the publishers other products or think about how you might find more freebies for yourself. And if you find some really great stuff, then please let us know at The Best Free Training blog http://www.bestfreetraining.net -- so we can share your treasures with other learners!
About High Density Audios

This collection includes a bunch of intense, idea-filled audios which I call high density audios. Examples of these include 50 Things Im Going to Do Today, As a Man Thinketh, and The Fundamental Principles of Personal Wealth. These items are crammed with content and no matter how many times I listen to them, I hear at least one new concept that seems to be useful. So, rather than be frustrated that I cant get everything in one listening, Ive decided to simply treat these as a special class of training that should be listened to over and over again. After giving this much thought, Ive decided that heres whats going on: The consciousness that I bring to these items is different every time I listen to them. Whats on my mind depends on the specific issues I am facing that day. Below is a graphic depicting some different broad topics (each containing an urgent idea or two) that might be whirling through anyones mind on any given day.
OK. So I have concerns in some of the various domains above spinning around in my consciousness. Then I go out for my exercise, strap on my MP3 player, and crank up one of my high density audios. Below is a graphic of what starts flying through my earphones and into my brain: Lots and lots of ideas, piled one on top of the other, each trying to plant itself in my brain but my brain not necessarily allowing the idea to be planted.
Finally, at some random point in my listening-exercising, something from the audio connects powerfully with something thats bubbling around in my consciousness. Flash! I get a new insight into how to better deal with this issue. The graphic below shows how something from the audio linked up with something that was bothering me, career-wise. The bottom line: I come away with a new idea, career-wise, that I didnt have before I went out for my exercise! Very cool!
So thats why it is so useful to listen to these high density audios over and over again. As you can see in the diagram, Whats on My Mind can be whirling all over the place and its almost never the same from day to day. So yesterdays issue isnt the same as todays issue which means I get to find another new and different idea popping out of the audio providing another (surprise!) insight. This is very cool, indeed. So some reviewers might say something high-sounding, like this: These audios are timeless classics that can be enjoyed over and over again. [Yawn] But what Im saying is this: These high density audios are crammed with plenty of ideas. Every time you listen if you do so in an active way youre likely to get at least one new, unexpected insight into how you can improve your life! And thats a really nice surprise.
Suggestions: Working with Free Training Sites

As The Best Free Training blog evolved, I found myself signing up (registering) for many free training sites so I can evaluate them. As you can imagine, it wasnt long until I found myself overwhelmed by user names, passwords, confirmation emails, and other stuff I needed to track. Thinking you might also have this problem, I thought Id share what Im doing to keep it all organized and some thoughts on dealing with free online training sites in general. 1. Get a separate, free, online email account and use if for all your casual online contacts. Many free training sites, and many shopping sites, etc., require you to provide an email address. I have set up a couple of free Yahoo accounts (that I use to register for anything online. I also provide these addresses to people visiting either of my websites. This way, if the email address gets into the hands of spammers, I let Yahoos powerful spam filter (and their unlimited free online storage) deal with it. I reserve my private, toppriority email address for my clients. (This account is the only one from which I pull email onto my computer and into my local Outlook software.) 2. Keep a list of all your registration info in a file on your computers desktop. I use a simple Notepad file and list the site name, URL, my username, password, etc. for each training site I register with. Then if I forget how to sign in, I can check this list. And as the file grows larger, I can easily use Notepads Edit, Find function to search for key terms Im looking for. 3. Create passwords and user names that are different from your top priority ones you use for banking or shopping sites. (OK. This may be a big duh! but I felt I should mention it) 4. Install McAfees free SiteAdvisor software -- http://www.siteadvisor.com/ - and use it. SiteAdvisor is a small, free program you can download from McAfee that will tell you whether a website you are about to visit (i.e., a site listed among a list of search results) might try to download spyware or adware to your computer. If a site is marked green, then its been tested by McAfee and will likely be free of spyware or adware downloads. Also, when I visit any website, SiteAdvisor makes a little green box appears in my browser if a site is clean, indicating the site is OK. (NOTE: I make it my policy to recommend only green sites on this blog but, since a sites policy could easily change without my knowing, its safer to surf with SiteAdvisor.) 5. Try to give something back to the free training website. After all, they are providing you with something of value and you pay nothing for it! Here are a couple of ways you can give the site owners something in return:
a. Click on ads and check out their advertisers. The ads or sponsors appearing at websites will pay the site owner a small fee (usually pennies or fractions of pennies), for each referral coming from that website. Clicking on an ad and reading about a sponsor only takes you a couple of seconds, but it can help support the site and keep it available to us all for free. (And besides, some of the ads could alert you to products or services you might want to try.) b. Send a brief email of thanks to a website owner or leave a comment in a feedback form. As owner of a website and a blog, I can tell you that I really appreciate it when someone takes the time to drop me a note thanking me for something they found to be valuable. I can show you the numbers I have thousands of daily visitors, yet I only hear from a couple of people per week!
How to Use This Guide

Each review is made up of these parts: * Title The Title of the Review * Categories from The Best Free Training The categories in which this item is filed on The Best Free Training blog. * Date of Publication The date the item first appeared on The Best Free Training blog * Topic Broad description of the content what the training is about. * Format The media format & special features of the training. * Reviewer/email: Who wrote the review and their email address. * Overview An overview paragraph or two about the item. * Comment A detailed discussion of the item * URL Usually appearing at the end of the review, its where you can find the item online, as of the publication date.
I hope you find these reviews to be valuable and that you get some great new skills and knowledge from these free training products!
PhilosophersNotes Video Collection: Inspire Yourself, Motivate Yourself, Find Joy!

Mental Health, Not Training - But Amazing Friday, November 14th, 2008 Topic: Motivational, inspirational, gratitude-inducing collection of videos Format: Web-based collection of videos Reviewer/email: Mike G - greers_pm@yahoo.com Are you feeling discouraged? angry? a little hopeless? Then this amazing collection of 26 free videos compiled by Brian Johnson at his PhilosophersNotes website is just what you need. Witness the triumph of a four-fingered concert pianist and experience powerful, moving videos featuring Michael Jordan, Steve Jobs, Dr. Randy Pausch, Tony Robbins, and many other less-famous (but equally amazing) heroes. And while youre there, pick up your free PhilosophersNotes audio download and PDF on Eckhart Tolles A New Earth and John Elliots Overachievement.
URL - PhilosophersNotes video collection http://www.philosophersnotes.com/videos
50 Things Im Going to Do Today

Mental Health, Mike's Favorites, Not Training - But Amazing Thursday, February 7th, 2008 Topic: Self help (how to achieve success and peace) Format: Audio download (*.mp3) [free registration required] Reviewer/email: Mike G - greers_pm@yahoo.com This 42-minute mp3 item from LearnOutLoud.com is written and narrated by Brian Johnson, Philosopher and CEO of Zaadz, Inc. Listening to this, in an active, open-spirited way, with your problems and goals in mind, you will find at least one new thing to try that will make a positive difference in your life. Its sometimes funny and irreverent and always positive, encouraging, and lifeaffirming.
Comment
Philosophers are supposed to quote great thinkers. Brian Johnson does this and brings you insights from: Ghandi, Emerson, Wayne Dyer, James Allen (see last weeks As a Man Thinketh review), and many more. Philosophers are not supposed to make this Homer Simpson noise: Whoo Hooo! Nor are philosophers supposed to repeatedly exclaim, How cool is that!? And they most definitely are not supposed to advise you to Squeeze your kegle or Floss your teeth. At one point he proclaims, Have you ever noticed that those huge problems you faced seem to vanish the moment you faced them head on? The things that really kick our ass are the ones we avoid. So the lesson I see is, Dont show em your ass take em head on! Trust in [your power to overcome them]. If I were lucky enough to have a young friend who was amazingly wellversed in classical philosophy, modern philosophy, and the writings of self-help people like Wayne Dyer and he just came in from surfing and we were sitting around in front of the fire place, and he wanted to give me a pep talk about how to live a more positive life Well, he might just maybe give me the kind of high-quality, amusing, and inspiring 50 Things to Do that Brian Johnson provides here. On the other hand, why wait for this kind of friend to show up? Download Brian Johnsons 42 minute mp3 and take him with you when you exercise or when you are commuting and you are almost guaranteed to finish your
listening with one or two specific good ideas about how to overcome your problems and your negative self. This is great stuff! I will be listening to it often. URL -- http://www.learnoutloud.com/Catalog/Self-Development/Health-andFitness/Zaadz-50-Things-Im-Going-to-Do-Today/15427# NOTE: This is an example of what I call a high density audio. For some suggestions on using high density audios for personal training, please see my article: About High Density Audios on page MS-3 of this document.
A New Earth: Are You Ready to be Awakened? [Eckhart Tolle & Oprah]
Mental Health, Mike's Favorites Wednesday, September 24th, 2008 Topic: Self help and meditation (transforming your consciousness, improving your life) Format: Website with online videos, audios and PDF transcripts, as well as a workbook, discussion group and other resources Reviewer/email: Mike G - greers_pm@yahoo.com If youve ever sat quiet and still, lost in a sunset or listening to the sounds of birds chattering or waves lapping the shoreline, or simply stared into space and discovered a few minutes of tranquility in what seemed like a timeless and formless place, then youve probably experienced being truly present. If youd like to experience more of such moments and extend the sense of peace they bring into the rest of your life, then you may be ready to be awakened. In this amazing collection of on-demand webcasts, Oprah and best-selling author Eckhart Tolle lead 10 online classes and take you through A New Earth chapter by chapter. Watch the webcasts on Oprah.com or download them from iTunes and take them with you. Plus, get transcripts, listen to audio meditations and the theme song for the A New Earth Web classes.
Comment
Whats So Great? This series is not a guru talking to his followers. Rather, thanks to Oprahs interview style, it is an amazing mix of common sense, skepticism, enthusiasm, awe, and (yes, really) enlightenment. Youll hear callers from around the planet as they phone in their real-world, practical obstacles to finding peace and awakening. And youll learn how, little-by-little, you can awaken and just maybe take the rest of the planet with you. My Perspective Ive recently been listening to the audios (MP3s) of many different teachers as Ive been trying to get better at my fledgling practice of meditation. In most of these MP3s, the teacher is not directly challenged by anyone, nor are his or her pronouncements rephrased for clarification. In general, the listener is expected to put it all together for themselves and, through practice or attending a seminar or buying something more, to gradually begin to develop a deeper understanding of the teachings and how to apply them. Frankly, I expected more of the same here. A Pleasant Surprise! I was pleasantly surprised by these audios. They are clear, interesting, and easy to grasp. They have a down-to-earth feel and real, back-porch conversational flavor. I found myself feeling that I was attending a jovial kind of group therapy with a wise-cracking Oprah gently grilling and challenging a wise old professor to make this somewhat ethereal stuff become real, concrete, and (best of all) attainable by anyone! Throughout the sessions, Oprah serves as the supreme translator, taking the abstract and making it real and applicable by sharing her own real-life experiences. Whats more, she helps the callers from all over the world to translate their questions for Echkart Tolle so he can respond in a clear, instructive manner. I truly believe that together, this amazing odd couple (Oprah & Eckhart Tolle) generate several times the energy and light that either of them could generate alone. I learned a lot and, better yet, I was comforted and encouraged to pursue my own awakening. Whats Available * Resources for New Students, Including Tips for reading A New Earth and a discussion of Religion and A New Earth * Workbook and Companion Guide with study questions, etc.
* Online discussions and blogs * Webcast Archives, including Videos or Audios with accompanying transcripts of the discussions of 10 Chapters * 6 Bonus Audios with guided meditations [NOTE: I have been using the audio/MP3s only. I have not seen the videos. The audios are great and stand alone, as far as Im concerned! -MG] My recommendation? It will cost you nothing but a couple of hours time to find out for yourself whether you are ready to be awakened. So give it a shot! Youve got nothing to lose but your numbness! URL - A New Earth: Are You Ready to be Awakened? http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahsbookclub/anewearth/pkganewearthwebca st/20080130_obc_webcast_marketing
Alpha Break
Mental Health | Monday, January 7th, 2008 Topic: Meditation, relaxation, energy recovery Format: Audio download (*.mp3) [free registration required] Reviewer/email: Mike G - greers_pm@yahoo.com Alpha Break (from Effective Learning Systems (http://www.efflearn.com/default.php - is one of many free items available from LearnOutLoud.com - http://www.learnoutloud.com/Free-Audio-Video The catalog description says it best: Use your Alpha Break MP3 download any time during the day. Its a positive alternative to a coffee break. While it lasts only 10 minutes, it will help you relax and lower your brainwave frequency to the alpha state (7-14 Hertz). At this level of mind you will quickly raise your energy level, generate new ideas, make decisions, or just renew your positive attitude. This is a clean, simple, and effective tool to help you train & calm your brain. I intend to have this available at all times on my mp3 player for emergency calming & focusing!
Comments
I agree 100% with these words of a user named Magenta who posted a review at the products web page (See URL above.) She said: Bob Griswald, of Effective Learning Systems, has a warm and friendly voice which immediately inspires trust and a willingness to relax, enjoy and learn. There is none of the spiritual pretentiousness, all too often found in other guided visualisations. This is a direct, practical approach which covers a lot of ground in a little time. It leaves you relaxed, energised and positive. I recommend it to one and all. I especially like what she said about none of the spiritual pretentiousness. The mini-meditation is presented as a practical experience, encouraging you to recapture your focus and energy not some sort of exercise in cosmic transcendence. And it works for me! So open your mind, suspend your disbelief, and give it a try! Logistical notes: * You will need to set up an account with LearnOutLoud.com to get any free items from them. But you dont need to provide a credit card or other personal documentation just an email address. You simply take your free item to your cart for checkout and download it. * The Alpha Break audio begins with a brief (and, I believe, appropriate) promotional message on behalf of Effective Learning Systems. Its approximately 1 minute and 10 seconds in duration. The audio then continues for the remaining
12 or 13 minutes, uninterrupted. So if you intend to use this audio repeatedly, as I do, you can simply fast forward to 1:10 and start there. URL -- http://www.learnoutloud.com/Free-Audio-Video/Self-Development/Prayerand-Meditation/Alpha-Break/23027 Comment by Jeff Griswold January 8, 2008 @ 2:16 pm Thank you, Mike, for your review of our Alpha Break MP3 program. As you said, it is available at http://www.learnoutloud.com as well as at our website http://www.efflearn.com. I had not seen Magentas review of the program, but it sounds like it captures the essence of our programs pretty well. For anyone reading this, I would like to invite you to visit us or Learn Out Loud to browse the more than 100 self-improvement/personal development titles we offer. While the others arent free, they are affordable and very powerful. They are available in CD or Tape from http://www.efflearn.com or on MP3 from http://www.learnoutloud.com.
Introduction to Your Mind

Mental Health | Friday, February 22nd, 2008 Topic: Meditation, peace of mind, self help Format: Audio download (*.mp3) [free registration required] Reviewer/email: Mike G - greers_pm@yahoo.com This free training consists of two guided meditations by Mi Ka El: Awareness in the Now and A Change of Mind. Find a quiet place to sit, close your eyes, play these guided meditations, and learn to quiet your mind.
Comment
These days meditation is mainstream. Medical professionals tell us meditation has all sorts of health benefits; psychologists tell us it can contribute much to mental health; and philosophers tell us it is an essential step in building a more peaceful world. Ive tried meditation. And now, after several years of practice, I have made it a daily part of my life. So I know, first-hand, the many benefits meditation provides. However, lets face it: Meditation can be difficult at first. The main obstacle that would-be meditators encounter is how to quiet the mind: You close your eyes and your brain begins serving up thoughts of all sorts fears, worries, hopes, wishes, your to do list, and on and on. For most new meditators, the mind can easily whirl out of control and leave them frustrated instead of at peace. In these two free guided meditations by Mi Ka El (Awareness in the Now [under 9 minutes] and A Change of Mind [under 12 minutes]) you will get direct and practical experience flexing your mental muscles and learning to rein in your thoughts. I wish I had known about and used these items when I began to meditate. I believe they would have helped me. In any case, I will return to them frequently for help And I believe they can help you. These are two more great free items from LearnOutLoud.com Specific item URL -- http://www.learnoutloud.com/Free-Audio-Video/Religion-andSpirituality/Spirituality/Introduction-to-Your-Mind/17551
The Science of Happiness: Part 1, A Little Theory

Mental Health, Not Training - But Amazing, The Basics Monday, May 26th, 2008 scientists now believe happiness is a skill that can be learned, just like skiing or playing a musical instrument: With daily practice, you get ever better. (from Willing Your Way to Happiness, DenverPost online) If youre like me, when you first hear people talking about taking charge of their own happiness, you think of Al Frankens wacky new-age SNL character Stuart Smalley, who repeatedly chanted to himself, Im good enough, Im smart enough, and doggone it, people like me! Not long ago such positive affirmations were touted as one of many keys to happiness by a pop-psychology press overflowing with slickly packaged little books that were guaranteed to change your life. And while their hearts were in the right place, many of these authors had little or no scientific basis for the practices they were recommending. In recent years, however, the Science of Happiness has emerged as part of the field of Positive Psychology. Today, Harvard educators teach overflowing classes on the subject to academic groups all over the world. And the University of Pennsylvania offers a Masters degree in the field. As youll see if you follow the links in this series, there is a solid and growing body of science to support this simple assertion: You can train yourself to be happier.
Comment
This is the first in a 3-part series of posts: The Science of Happiness. This Part (Part 1, A Little Theory) is for all you skeptics that are saying to yourselves, This is a crock!! It provides some links to resources that will acquaint you with some of the science related to happiness. (You can skip this part if you dont need any convincing about the fields legitimacy.) In Part 2, Some Fun Stuff, Ill provide some links to some more entertaining information stuff thats less focused on scientific evidence and more on getting you motivated to learn about happiness and how you might achieve it. In Part 3, Train Yourself to Be Happy, Ill provide an overview and some links to specific steps you can take to train yourself to be happy And yes, its really just a matter of training! I became interested in the Science of Happiness as a result of banging together three ideas that, for me at least, were fairly compelling news. These ideas are: 1) Researchers using MRI have been able to isolate the portions of the brain that are related to happiness and watch them in operation, in real time. 2) Weve learned that the brain is plastic. Throughout our lives, we can make
actual physical changes to the brains structure depending on how we use it or what we ask our brains to focus on. 3) The new Science of Happiness (based on Positive Psychology) is developing some science-based tools and methods to enable us to train our brains to help create more happiness in our lives. Stimulated by these ideas, I began poking around a little more and came across this amazing finding: The left pre-frontal cortex of the brain the place where we experience positive emotions can be physically increased in size after 8 weeks of training in mindfulness meditation or even mindful yoga. (This essentially tells me that meditators have bigger happiness muscles!) Then theres this finding: People who experience more positive emotions have more antibodies in their immune system. (Whoa! Thats very cool, indeed!) But rather than my rehashing what Ive been discovering, Id like to share a couple of great resources that you can investigate for yourself. The first is an article in Harvard magazine. Heres a couple of quotes from that article about the origin of the broader field of Positive Psychology which has spawned the new Science of Happiness: For much of its history, psychology has seemed obsessed with human failings and pathology. The very idea of psychotherapy, first formalized by Freud, rests on a view of human beings as troubled creatures in need of repair.A watershed moment arrived in 1998, when University of Pennsylvania psychologist Martin Seligman, in his presidential address to the American Psychological Association, urged psychology to turn toward understanding and building the human strengths to complement our emphasis on healing damageThat speech launched todays positive psychology movementThe University of Pennsylvania offers a masters degree in the field. International growth, too, is strong Though not denying humanitys flaws, the new tack of positive psychologists recommends focusing on peoples strengths and virtues as a point of departureTheir lab experiments might seek to define not the conditions that induce depraved behavior, but those that foster generosity, courage, creativity, and laughter. - from The Science of Happiness: Psychology Explores Humans at Their Best by Craig Lambert in a Harvard Magazine online article: http://harvardmagazine.com/2007/01/the-science-of-happiness.html The above article is a great overview of the field and includes interviews with both leaders in the field and friendly critics, as well as lots of links to their books and book reviews. Its a good introduction to the Science of Happiness.
You can get more good introductory material by attending (virtually, of course!) a free 2-hour seminar titled Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness with Tal Ben-Shahar, instructor of psychology at Harvard. In this seminar, Ben-Shahar provides a fairly entertaining, yet research-based, overview of the Science of Happiness, weaving together findings from research studies with examples of how these findings may be applied in relationships and your work life. And he even throws in a few fun experiential exercises to help make the concepts real. The seminar is available in video, audio, or MP3 download from the WBGH Forum Network. Heres the URL: http://forum.wgbh.org/wgbh/forum.php?lecture_id=3283 These two sources will provide you with good overviews of the solid research and theories behind The Science of Happiness. In the next Part of this series, Some Fun Stuff, Ill share some web-based resources that will get you a little more involved and motivate you to tackle the resources in Part 3, Train Yourself to Be Happy. [Thanks to Brian Johnson whose PhilosophersNotes on Martin Seligmans books Authentic Happiness & Learned Optimism inspired my investigation of this topic.]
The Science of Happiness: Part 2, Some Fun Stuff

Mental Health, Not Training - But Amazing, The Basics Wednesday, May 28th, 2008 positive psychology suggests we can actually re-wire our brains to be more optimistic. and positive psychologists say we could make ourselves 10-15% happier. Mark Easton reporting for BBC Twos The Happiness Formula This is Part 2 in a series of three posts on The Science of Happiness. In Part 1, A Little Theory, I recommended some resources that provided a somewhat academic overview (including the origins) of the the Science of Happiness. In Part 3, Train Yourself to Be Happy, well get into specific steps you can take to train yourself to be happier. In this Part (Some Fun Stuff) we highlight some of the resources available from the website supporting the BBC Series, The Happiness Formula. To be fair, the resources recommended here arent so much wild and crazy fun as they are entertaining and well-produced, in the typical BBC fashion.
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The Happiness Formula, an online resource from BBC News, is an entertaining collection of articles and videos that you can ramble through and get a sense of some of the different dimensions of the new Science of Happiness. Here are some the materials available: Articles * The Science of Happiness (an overview of the field and the BBC series) * Britains Decline in Happiness (Whats happened since the 50s to contribute to the decline in Happiness in Britain Much of this will sound familiar to many Americans!) * The Politics of Happiness (Should governments try to improve happiness of their citizens?) * Test Your Happiness (Take a test designed by psychologist & Professor Ed Diener from the University of Illinois.) * What Makes You Happy? (Pictures and testimonials submitted by ordinary people express what makes them happy.) * Is There a Happiness Formula? (?? Pleasure + engagement + meaning = happiness. ??) * Happiness & Public Policy * Searching the Brain for Happiness (What neuroscientists are discovering.) * Does Diversity Make Us Unhappy? ( multicultural communities tend to be less trusting and less happy.)
* Does Happiness Live in Cyberspace? (Will the internet make the world a happier or less happy place?) * Scientists Short-Cut to Happiness (ways to control happiness in the brain artificially.) * The Health Benefits of Happiness (It may be even more important than quitting smoking!) * Staying Happier for Longer (How to increase lasting happiness.) * Happiness is Smile Shaped (Research traces levels of happiness throughout life.) * The Undervalued Component of Happiness (Whats the role of contentment?) Videos * The recipe for happiness (8:07 min) * What is happiness (2:26 min) * The power of happiness (10:40 min) * What really motivates us? (2:06 min) * Bhutans happiness formula (8:39 mins) * The politics of happiness (10:27 mins) * Think yourself happy (3:13 mins) Find Out More - A reading list related to the Science of Happiness This website provides lots of interesting content. And its presented in a light-hearted, though well-documented, journalistic format. If this stuff doesnt spark your interest in the Science of Happiness, then youre just not paying attention! URL http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/happiness_formula/ [Thanks to Brian Johnson whose PhilosophersNotes on Martin Seligmans books Authentic Happiness & Learned Optimism inspired my investigation of this topic.]
The Science of Happiness: Part 3, Train Yourself to Be Happier

Mental Health, The Basics Friday, May 30th, 2008 We found specific interventions [i.e., assignments or exercises] that make people lastingly happier, and we believe this study holds implications small and large for the future of positive interventions and perhaps for clinical interventions. - from Positive Psychology Progress: Empirical Validation of Interventions a research paper published in American Psychologist by Martin Seligman, Tracy A. Steen, Nansook Park, & Christopher Peterson So heres the deal: If you want to train yourself to be happier and youre not sure where to start, heres some very good news: You dont need to spend a lot of energy analyzing and worrying about your weaknesses. Instead, you can simply identify some of your key strengths and build on them by performing some relatively simple exercises that have been proven to increase happiness.
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This is Part 3 in a series of posts on the Science of Happiness. In Part 1, A Little Theory, we looked at the origins and roots of the Positive Psychology movement and the Science of Happiness. In Part 2, Some Fun Stuff, we examined some popular resources from the BBC that provided interesting background and, I hope, motivated you to take charge of your own happiness. In this Part (Train Yourself to Be Happier), well look at some specific steps you can take to increase the happiness in your life. So lets get to it! Step 1 [highly recommended, but optional]: Become familiar with two books by Martin Seligman. If youve looked through the links in Parts 1 & 2, youve undoubtedly come across the name of the man who is usually identified as the founder of Positive Psychology, Martin Seligman. His book, Authentic Happiness, is filled with wisdom and specific tools and strategies that can help you create a happier life. Dr. Seligman also wrote another landmark text, Learned Optimism, which examines why you should and how you can learn to develop an optimistic perspective. Ideally, you would get both of these books and immerse yourself in their wisdom to develop a solid foundation for your happiness. However, since this blog is about free training resources (and the books must be purchased), Ive made this Step optional. (But you could at least get them from the library, right?)
Step 2: Identify your signature strengths (and dont worry about your weaknesses!) I do not believe that you should devote overly much effort to correcting your weaknesses. Rather, I believe that the highest success in living and the deepest emotional satisfaction comes from building and using your signature strengths. Dr. Martin Seligman in Authentic Happiness So, how do you find your signature strengths? Easy! You go to Martin Seligmans Authentic Happiness website ( http://www.authentichappiness.org ), sign up for your free membership (over 700,000 people have already done so!) and work through the VIA Signature Strengths Questionnaire. Youll need a half hour or so, but this will measure your most important character strengths. According to the website: The ranking of the strengths reflects your overall ratings of yourself on the 24 strengths in the survey, how much of each strength you possess. Your top five, especially those marked as Signature Strengths, are the ones to pay attention to and find ways to use more often. FYI: There are a whole bunch of other fascinating scientifically tested questionnaires, surveys, and scales at the Authentic Happiness website. You can use any of these to Develop insights into yourself and the world around you Step 3: Work through three key exercises which were used by the researchers (see intro quote from this Post) to help develop happiness in their research subjects. * Gratitude visit. You have one week to write and then deliver a letter of gratitude in person to someone who had been especially kind to you but had never been properly thanked. * Three good things in life. Every night for one week, write down three things that went well each day and provide a causal explanation for each good thing (i.e., describe why it happened). * Using signature strengths in a new way. Take the inventory of character strengths online at http://www.authentichappiness.org and get individualized feedback about your top five (signature) strengths. Then use one of these top strengths in a new and different way every day for one week. Thats it. And sure, they sound fairly simple. But remember, the researchers found empirical evidence that these exercises developed lasting happiness in the subjects who completed them! So, if you follow the steps above if you really engage the exercises you are likely to increase your happiness. Further Information:
* To read a PDF version of the research report referred to above, Positive Psychology Progress: Empirical Validation of Interventions go to this URL: http://www.ppc.sas.upenn.edu/ppprogressarticle.pdf * To read a PDF version of Time Magazines The New Science of Happiness (including Eight Steps Toward a More Satisfying Life some practical suggestions from University of California psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky, based on research findings Satisfaction (at least a temporary boost) guaranteed!) go to: http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/images/TimeMagazine/TimeHappiness.pdf [Thanks to Brian Johnson whose PhilosophersNotes on Martin Seligmans books Authentic Happiness & Learned Optimism inspired my investigation of this topic.]
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT): Manage Pain, Balance Energy & Emotions
Fitness & Nutrition, Health & Safety, Mental Health Monday, June 30th, 2008 Topic: Meridian endpoint tapping to balance energy and emotions, manage pain Format: 87-page downloadable PDF manual, newsletter, email support messages Reviewer/email: Julie.G.L / email: feedback@bestfreetraining.net I was a total skeptic until I tried the techniques to rid myself of chronic pain plus other negative emotions and IT WORKED. I downloaded and printed the entire free 87-page manual and signed up for their free emails. (Which I havent had time to read). This could seriously change some peoples lives. I already have my doctor (a licensed MD and naturopath and an incredibly intelligent woman) telling people about it, since Im the third person to tell her how great it worked.
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Julie.G.L continues: [Using these materials, you can teach yourself] meridian endpoint tapping to balance energy and emotions, eliminate pain, etc. without drugs and/or surgery (sounds crazy, I know. Someone has to read this guys background before it makes any sense. And it helps to have a basic understanding of Eastern medicine and a somewhat open mind.) This said, I still felt like a nutcase trying it, but IT WORKED. More than once. Im still using it. According to Insight Journal: Gary Craig, a Stanford Engineer, has introduced a new technique [EFT] to help the more than 19 million people in America suffering from some form of anxiety disorderEFT is a simple technique of stimulating specific acupuncture points by tapping them, while simultaneously thinking about the issue. No talk therapy is incorporated, nor are drugs, and patients are not exposed to the anxiety-inducing environment or situation, as commonly employed in
techniques such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Over 225,000 people have downloaded the free EFT training manual and another 5,000 to 10,000 download it every month. Known as simply The EFT Manual, it has been translated by volunteer practitioners into nine languages. The EFT website is reported to be the sixth most actively visited natural health site in the world. See the full article online at: http://www.anxiety-and-depressionsolutions.com/articles/news/042806anxietytreatment.php On the website, you can see that EFT is endorsed by: * Deepak Chopra, MD: EFT offers great healing benefits. * Norm Shealy, MD, author of Soul Medicine: By removing emotional trauma, EFT helps heal physical symptoms too. * Eric Robins, MD, Co-author of Your Hands Can Heal You: I frequently use EFT for my patients with great results. * and several other respected authors. URL of EFT website: http://www2.emofree.com/
Zaadz Notes: Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman

Mental Health, Mike's Favorites Monday, October 27th, 2008 Topic: How you can (and why you should) train yourself to be more optimistic Format: 16 minute MP3 download Reviewer/email: Mike G - greers_pm@yahoo.com This is a nice, tight little summary of Martin Seligmans book Learned Optimism. Written and narrated by Brian Johnson, this audio distills Seligmans work and provides specific examples of how you can apply Seligmans techniques to your own life in order to become more optimistic and, in turn, happier and more successful. If youre a pessimist and tired of the pessimistic world-view this free audio could begin to change your life in 16 minutes!
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A confession: I have this audio in my MP3 player and listen to it frequently especially when Im feeling overwhelmed or tending toward pessimism. In 16 minutes of listening to Brian Johnsons clear, enthusiastic explanations of Seligmans work, Im usually able to recalibrate my brain and change my explanatory style to one thats more optimistic and, ultimately, more productive. This audio and Seligmans book, Learned Optimism, is not one just another fluffy self-help book. Its author, University of Pennsylvania psychologist Martin Seligman, was the president of the American Psychological Association who used his 1998 presidential address to urge his fellow psychology professionals to begin the study of positive psychological states and
how to help people achieve them. This turned out to be the foundation of the modern Positive Psychology movement. In the intervening years, inspired and guided by Seligmans work, many clinical studies and experiments have shown that not only optimism, but happiness, can be learned in short, that you can train yourself to be more optimistic and happier! So download this great little MP3 and learn how you can change your explanatory style (the lens through which you view your life) to become more optimistic, happier, and possibly even more successful! URL: LearnOutLouds Zaadz Notes Learned Optimism http://www.learnoutloud.com/Free-Audio-Video/Self-Development/EmotionalDevelopment/Zaadz-Notes-Learned-Optimism/15248 (More great stuff from Brian Johnson is available at Philosophers Notes.com)
Mastering Eckhart Tolles The Power of Now

Health & Safety, Leisure & Entertainment, Mental Health Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 Topic: Self help (transforming your consciousness, improving your life, improving Earth) Format: Online audios and PDF transcripts (available in series, as produced, now through September 3) Reviewer/email: Mike G - greers_pm@yahoo.com
Seven world-famous spiritual teachers reveal powerful information and practical steps you can take right now to experience the spiritual awakening described by Eckhart Tolle in A New Earth, The Power of Now, and his online lessons with Oprah. This free online course from Bill Harris and Centerpointe Research Institute will help you learn Tolles transformational power of the Now and how you can experience it. (NOTE: Enrollment is limited, first-come, first-served.)
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CAVEAT: I have not completed this course, nor can I review it! This is because each of the teachers is scheduled to present his or her audio and transcript lessons between now (7/23/08) and September 3. However, I am recommending this free course on the strength of the reputation of its presenters. I fully expect it to be valuable, should you be seeking enlightenment through Eckhart Tolles The Power of Now. Mike Greer Bill Harris, Director of Centerpointe Research Institute says in this introduction to the course: I thought Id have to charge a significant amount of money for this course, but when the other teachers volunteered their time and expertise, I quickly changed
my mind Oprah has put an enlightened teacher on television in front of millions of people. Now I want as many people as possible to really benefit from this information, so I and the other teachers are giving this valuable course away for free. Our gift to the world. Your teachers: * Byron Katie, spiritual teacher, best-selling author, workshop leader, and creator of The Work * Zen master Genpo Roshi, creator of the Big Mind process, a method for quickly experiencing profound transcendent states of awareness (what Tolle calls Presence) usually taking decades to master * World-famous philosopher, author, spiritual teacher, and founder of Integral Institute and the Integral Spiritual Center, Ken Wilber... * Renowned spiritual teacher and meditation master, Diane Hamilton * Enlightenment teachers, authors, and workshop leaders, Saniel Bonder and Linda Groves-Bonder * Sally Kempton, Yoga Journal columnist and one of todays most insightful and experienced teachers of meditation and spiritual growth * And me, Bill Harris, Director of Centerpointe Research Institute and creator of Holosync meditation technology, used by over 700,000 people in 173 countries to create deep meditation and easily access what Eckhart Tolle refers to as Presence in their daily lives. From the course introduction: Youll learn: * The transformational power of the Now and how you can experience it * Getting out of your mind and into the Now * What Eckhart Tolle calls Presence, and how to access it * Using your body to enter the Now * The source of suffering and emotional pain, and how to end it * Transforming fear into peace * Why Time is an illusion, and how it keeps you from the Now * How you can step out of the world of Problems. * How to free yourself from unhappiness * The Power of Now and relationships * Finding your purpose * Plus, keys to awakening Eckhart Tolle didnt mention * And much more. Remember, enrollment is limited. So if you want to experience this free course, you should sign up ASAP. URL: http://www.masteringthepowerofnow.com/
UPDATES: A couple hours after posting my review (above), I downloaded and listened to (while exercising) the first audio, an interview with Genpo Roshi. I enjoyed his wide-ranging examples of his own search for the now, his free and easy conversational style, the integration of his own philosophical concepts, and the couple of interruptions (to correct his facts) by his off-mike wife. So far, so good! I learned some useful stuff from this audio. Later, I listened to the interview with Ken Wilber and was blown away! This is a really valuable interview that might change your entire perspective about the way consciousness is evolving in the world!
Free Spiritual Caffeine from Brian Johnson

Goals Clarification, Mental Health, Mike's Favorites, Not Training - But Amazing Monday, April 7th, 2008 If youre poking around in this blog, theres a good chance youre interested in learning something new. That little voice inside that wants you to GROW has brought you here So what are you waiting for? Are you stuck? If so, maybe what you need is a brief, daily exposure to one of Brian Johnsons eclectic collections of concentrated wisdom for the busy self-actualizer! What caffeine does for your brains synapses, thinkArete.com will do for your spirit. Want to start you day with a quick inspirational video? Youll find 24 of them here some wildly edgy, some beautiful but most of them will get you moving. Need a big idea to get you in focus? Youll find a whole collection of quick-click gems here, organized by author Wayne Dyer, Carlos Castaneda, Socrates, Jesus, Dalai Lama, Shakespeare, Nietzsche and loads more. Prefer to have your big ideas delivered to you? Then sign up for the free Big Ideas newsletter and start every day with a new big idea. As you can tell from the list of names above, Brians not working any particular ideological agenda. He just wants to nag you until you Grow. Stretch yourself. Rip off the tie. Jump out of the cubicle. Dream. Think. Dare to be crazy Change the world. Push the human race forward. So accept the challenge!] URL http://www.thinkArete.com
As a Man Thinketh
Mental Health, Mike's Favorites, Not Training - But Amazing Thursday, January 24th, 2008 Topic: Self help (how to achieve success and peace) Format: Audio download (*.mp3) [free registration required] Reviewer/email: Mike G - greers_pm@yahoo.com This is an audio reading of James Allens 1902 classic little book As a Man Thinketh. Listening to this, in an active way with your problems and goals in mind, you may discover that you are the master gardener of your own soul, the director of your life. And you may be inspired to take charge of the thoughts that shape your being.
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This mp3 item is from LearnOutLoud.com and is read by read by Brian Johnson, Philosopher and CEO of Zaadz, Inc. In less than 54 minutes, this audio-narrated version of Allens great little 1902 book provides the authors beautiful, and ultimately quite useful, interpretation of the Bibles Proverbs 23:7, As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. The essence of the book, for me, is in these words: A mans mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed seeds will fall therein and produce their kind. Just as a gardener cultivates his plot so may a man tend the garden of his mind discovering that he is the master gardener of his soul, the director of his life. When you get this it is truly empowering! It means that the obstacles you face, the problems you are suffering, the successes you dream of are all within your power and, ultimately, rooted in your own thoughts! OK. Ill leave the profundity to the audio book. Now here are my specific, practical suggestions for how you might use this profound audio program to improve aspects of your life: 1. Download it, then place it in your iPod or mp3 player or burn it to CD. 2. Prepare to listen in your car (while commuting maybe?) or while you are exercising (as I did/and do) or some other time when you can listen actively and concentrate. (The audio can be challenging, I know after all, it was written back when everyone was literate enough to unravel substantial sentences and
comprehend rich language!) 3. Before you start the audio, think about a problem or obstacle you face, a goal you want to achieve, or an issue you want to resolve. Then try to gently hold this issue or goal in the back of your mind. 4. OK. Now start the audio and just go with it. Your mind will help you see the implications. I have used the 4 steps above to discover several powerful insights into how I have been getting in my own way or how I might take specific action to meet a goal Ive been trying to reach. I predict that if you do the same, or some variation of active listening in an open, engaged way, youll discover some specific actions you might take to improve your life as well. I will be revisiting this little audio on a regular basis! URL -- http://www.learnoutloud.com/Catalog/Self-Development/Instructional/Asa-Man-Thinketh/15183 NOTE: This is an example of what I call a high density audio. For some suggestions on using high density audios for personal training, please see my article: About High Density Audios on page MS-3 of this document.
Abraham Maslow & His Self-Actualizing Individual

Mental Health Wednesday, August 20th, 2008 Topic: Abraham Maslows research on the self-actualizing individual Format: 25-minute MP3 download Reviewer/email: Mike G - greers_pm@yahoo.com Almost everyone is familiar with Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow gave us the term self actualization and did substantial research on self actualizing individuals. According to Wikepedia: Maslow studied, what he called, exemplary people such as Albert Einstein, Jane Addams, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Frederick Douglass rather than mentally ill or neurotic people His mission, according to Brian Johnson (author and narrator of this free audio) was to to understand great people, the best specimens mankind he could find while inspiring people to become a self-actualized individual. In this free MP3 audio download, Brian reviews Maslows 19 characteristics of self-actualizing people and challenges us all to adopt some of these to be all we can be.
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This is another great free audio from LearnOutLoud.com, written and narrated by Brian Johnson (formerly of Zaadz Notes and now creator of PhilosophersNotes). According to Brian: Maslow established common characteristics among selfactualizing people. In fact, he profiles 19 of them in Self-actualizing people: A Study of Psychological Health, a chapter in his book Motivation and Personality.
Brian briefly reviews each of these characteristics and challenges us all to consider them and become all we can become. The 19 characteristics are: * Perception of Reality * Acceptance * Spontaneity * Problem Centering * Solitude * Autonomy * Fresh Appreciation * Peak Experiences * Human Kinship * Humility and Respect * Interpersonal Relationships * Ethics * Means and Ends * Humor * Creativity * Resistance to Enculturation * Imperfections * Values * Resolution of Dichotomies Free Audio Download - Zaadz Notes: Abraham Maslow at LearnOutLoud.com [click here] http://www.learnoutloud.com/Free-Audio-Video/SocialSciences/Psychology/Zaadz-Notes-Abraham-Maslow/15250 URL -- Wikipedia background on Maslow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Maslow
The Fundamental Principles of Personal Wealth

Goals Clarification, Mental Health Monday, March 3rd, 2008 Topic: Self help (how to achieve success and wealth) Format: One-hour audio (*.mp3) Reviewer/email: Mike G - greers_pm@yahoo.com This audio reveals the thought patterns and world view shared by many wealthy and successful people. It includes specific examples of obstacles and common situations you might face, then states specifically how a successful (wealthattaining) person would react to these obstacles. Actively listen, with your own concerns in mind, and you can develop strategies for succeeding.
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One of my favorite teachers, Dr. Wayne Dyer, suggests that one of the most powerful way to change your life is to act as if. That is, if you want to be healthy, act as if you already are healthy, making the choices and doing the things that a healthy person would do. Or if you want to be a writer, act as if you are already a writer, making the choices and doing things that a writer might do. By acting as if you have achieved them, you can begin to manifest your goals and dreams. In training terms (behaviorally speaking), this is the process of training yourself to think differently and perform differently in order to achieve different results. However, as powerful as this act as if strategy is, it is difficult to translate it into a generalized model for success. I wonder, for example, Given X situation, how would Ted Turner, or Bill Gates, or Donald Trump handle this? This amazing little audio can help you answer this question. It provides you with samples of the ideas and thought patterns that are shared by wealthy and successful people. It illustrates how they might respond to the world and the obstacles the world presents. And it shows how they would go after their goals and overcome these obstacles. Here are a few of the things you will hear: * If you begin to feel impatient, the words, I am patient with my progress come into your mind (and then you look for signs of progress). * If you are faced with a complicated or large task, the words, I proceed one step at a time, come into your mind. * You give of yourself that which causes benefit to others in a way that does not jeopardize your ability to continue to do so. This process of giving causes a benefit will be received in return * Each time you successfully complete a hard or unpleasant task, you
strengthen your willpower and confidence to tackle any situation you face. * You adapt to and use those things in your environment that you do not have the power to change or that you need not change to accomplish your objective. You change those things you can and must change to accomplish your objective. Through this you gain wisdom and increase the ease by which you cause benefit those who refuse [this effort] commit themselves to a life of struggle without benefit. As you can see, each of these quotes contain both a world view (philosophy) and a specific way to think about given situations. This audio is filled with such advice. So many things are presented here that you will benefit from listening to it over and over again. When you approach it, it would be useful to gently hold a problem or issue in the back of your mind that youd like to solve. The answer will likely reveal itself to you while you are listening. CAVEAT: I have no idea whether the anonymous author of (or person recording) this audio is a renowned expert. I do know that there is much valuable wisdom in this hour-long audio. And I do know that he has made it available to the world for free. In his words, This is a gift - There is nothing to buy - ever! The messenger gives the message as a gift to all who choose to receive it. No strings attached. This program is not for resale and donations are not accepted. Technical Note: This free 1 hour audio download is approx. 54 MB. So a highspeed connection will make downloading more convenient. Thanks to LearnOutLoud.com for bringing this to my attention. URL: http://tfppw.com/ NOTE: This is an example of what I call a high density audio. For some suggestions on using high density audios for personal training, please see my article: About High Density Audios on page MS-3 of this document.
How to Be Creative
Mike's Favorites, Not Training - But Amazing Saturday, December 15th, 2007 Topic: Creativity, personal growth, career growth Format: Printed guidelines, illustrated with line drawings [must download free Adobe Acrobat file] Reviewer/email: Mike G - greers_pm@yahoo.com OK. This is probably NOT training. However, it is one of the most exciting, liberating things Ive ever read. According to the source website (ChangeThis.com), [author Hugh] MacLeod, an advertising executive and popular blogger with a flair for the creative, gives his 26 tried-and-true tips for being truly creative. Each point illustrated by a cartoon drawn by the author himself. If you are wishing for the ability to create your vision, then read this internalize this and work to make your wish come true! [Visit Hugh MacLeods blog, www.gapingvoid.com.] CAUTION: INCLUDES SOME STRONG LANGUAGE & IMAGES! CHECK IT OUT BEFORE USING WITH KIDS. URL: http://www.changethis.com/6.HowToBeCreative
Media Education for the 21st Century

General Academic, Internet, Mental Health, Not Training - But Amazing Monday, September 8th, 2008 Topic: Media education, internet culture, participatory culture, and what it all means for parents, educators, and trainers Format: Downloadable 72-page PDF document (free registration required) Reviewer/email: Mike G - greers_pm@yahoo.com Ever get the feeling that those net-savvy kids who are always texting each other, mousing around Facebook & MySpace, uploading videos, and otherwise acting like Star Treks interconnected Borg are somehow different from previous generations? Well, apparently they are! According to Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century: more than one-half of all teens have created media content, and roughly one third of teens who use the Internet have shared content they produced [these] teens are actively involved in what we are calling participatory cultures. So how do participatory cultures work? And what do they mean for parents, teens, educators, and employers? This somewhat theoretical, yet eye-opening, report identifies four forms of this participatory culture (Affiliations, Expressions, Collaborative Problem-solving, Circulations) and three concerns for parents, policy-makers, and educators (The Participation Gap, The Transparency Problem, The Ethics Challenge).
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Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century is a fascinating research and strategy document put together by Henry Jenkins, Director of the Comparative Media Studies Program at MIT and the MacArthur Foundation and presented free by LatitudeU. From the Executive Summary (bold added to help with scanning): A participatory culture is a culture with relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement, strong support for creating and sharing ones creations, and some type of informal mentorship whereby what is known by the most experienced is passed along to novices. A participatory culture is also one in which members believe their contributions matter, and feel some degree of social connection with one another (at the least they care what other people think about what they have created). Forms of participatory culture include: * Affiliations memberships, formal and informal, in online communities centered around various forms of media, such as Friendster, Facebook, message boards, metagaming, game clans, or MySpace). * Expressions producing new creative forms, such as digital sampling, skinning and modding, fan videomaking, fan fiction writing, zines, mash-ups). * Collaborative Problem-solving working together in teams, formal and informal, to complete tasks and develop new knowledge (such as through Wikipedia, alternative reality gaming, spoiling). * Circulations Shaping the flow of media (such as podcasting, blogging). Three concerns suggest the need for policy and pedagogical interventions: * The Participation Gap the unequal access to the opportunities, experiences, skills, and knowledge that will prepare youth for full participation in the world of tomorrow. * The Transparency Problem The challenges young people face in learning to see clearly the ways that media shape perceptions of the world. * The Ethics Challenge The breakdown of traditional forms of professional training and socialization that might prepare young people for their increasingly public roles as media makers and community participants. A central goal of this report is to shift the focus of the conversation about the digital divide from questions of technological access to those of
opportunities to participate and to develop the cultural competencies and social skills needed for full involvement. The remainder of this extensive document explores all of these areas and makes related policy recommendations. This document is a must read for all parents, educators, and vocationalbusiness training professionals. URL - Media Education for the 21st Century at LatitudeU. http://www.latitudeu.com/onlinetrainingcourse/MediaEducationforthe21stCentury PresentedbytheMacArthurFoundation/detail.aspx?iResource_ResourceID=388& CourseID=359
Health Issues for Aging Populations

Brain Health, Fitness & Nutrition, Health & Safety, Mental Health Friday, August 22nd, 2008 Topic: Introduction to the study of aging and its implications for families, society, and health care Format: Website with PDF files of slides from lectures, suggested readings, links, and reference list Reviewer/email: Mike G - greers_pm@yahoo.com Given the huge and aging baby-boomer population, health-care institutions and society in general face some trying times. As voters, as children with aging parents, as older citizens in need of quality health care, we all need to know more about the issues involved so we can help determine the fate of these institutions. This free course from Johns Hopkins: Introduces the study of aging, its implications for individuals, families, and society, and the background for health policy related to older persons.
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This course: Presents an overview on aging from different perspectives: demography, biology, epidemiology of diseases, physical and mental disorders, functional capacity and disability, health services, federal and state health policies, social aspects of aging, and ethical issues in the care of older individuals. The course objective is To introduce students to a range of health issues that older persons, their health providers, and society face in the next decade. These include the demographics and biology of aging, an understanding of the basic
health and mental health issues, and policy decisions that state and federal government will need to solve related to these issues. CAVEAT: The free, open courseware materials presented here are not designed to be self-paced, individualized instruction. Rather, they include chart and graph-filled lecture notes (slides) that were presented by an expert instructor, but without the instructors narration. However, there is plenty of meat in the slides, the extensive reading lists with links to online resources, and other materials. The bottom line: You will not be spoon-fed this content but if you actively engage it and prepare to connect the dots on your own, you are likely to learn a substantial amount. Heres a detailed list of Lecture Materials (slides) Lecture 1: Overview/Introduction to Class Lecture 2: Demography of Aging Lecture 3: Biological Basis and Clinical Aspects of Aging Lecture 4: Physical Disorders Associated with Aging Lecture 5: Mental Disorders of Older Persons Lecture 6: Functional Capacity and Disability Lecture 7: Health Services for Older Persons: Ambulatory and Hospital Care Community-based Long Term Care Lecture 8: Prevention of Disease and Compression of Morbidity Lecture 9: Health Services for Older Persons: Institutional Long-term Care Lecture 10: Informal Caregiving for Functionally Impaired Older Persons Lecture 11: Innovative programs for chronically ill older persons Lecture 12: Federal Health Policies Related to Older Persons Lecture 13: State Health Policies Related to Older Persons Lecture 14: Ethical Issues in Health Care for Frail Older Persons Topic List of Readings each containing several citations and links to online federal reports, journals, etc. (Note: Many links are to free government reports. Some links are to abstracts of articles that require paid subscriptions to view the complete article.) * Demography of Aging * Biological Aspect of Aging * Physical Disorders of Older Persons * Mental Disorders Among Older Persons * Functional Impairment, Disability, and Compression of Morbidity * Health Services: Acute and Long-Term Care * Preventive Health for Older Persons * Family Caregiving for Patients with Long Term Care Needs * Federal and State Health Policies for Older Persons * Ethical Issues in Long-term Care * Social Aspects of Health and Aging
Other Resources includes a list of suggested textbooks, websites, and more. So, if you are up to the challenge of organizing your own learning experience, this is an amazing collection of expert materials that will teach you a great deal about the health issues related to aging. URL http://ocw.jhsph.edu/courses/agingpopulations/index.cfm
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Did you know? At The Best Free Training we post new reviews every week of the best free training and educational materials we can find! Go to the home page to find the latest posts: http://www.bestfreetraining.net/
My New Blog Inspired Project Teams

This blog a collection of some of my favorite quotations and great ideas, in somewhat random order, that could help you create a more inspired project team. The quotations are followed by a few suggestions (Challenges) for applying them to your situation. Youll find the latest posts at: http://www.inspiredprojectteams.com
The Structure of the Posts

Most of the posts contain these sections:

Quotations One or more quotations that could inspire project managers or project team members. Reflections Suggestions or questions to think about on your own, as project manager or project leader. Team Challenges Questions and suggestions that you can use as a project team, either formally or informally, to challenge yourselves to stretch and grow. Project Manager Challenges Some specific actions for project managers or team leaders to encourage your teams inspiration.

Best Free Training Mental Spiritual Health

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Best Free Training Mental Spiritual Health

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The Best Free Trainings

First Annual Mental & Spiritual Health Collection

About The Best Free Training Blog

About Me (Michael Greer)

Suggestion: Be Creative & Find More Stuff!

About High Density Audios

Suggestions: Working with Free Training Sites

How to Use This Guide

PhilosophersNotes Video Collection: Inspire Yourself, Motivate Yourself, Find Joy!

URL - PhilosophersNotes video collection http://www.philosophersnotes.com/videos

50 Things Im Going to Do Today

Introduction to Your Mind

The Science of Happiness: Part 1, A Little Theory

The Science of Happiness: Part 2, Some Fun Stuff

The Science of Happiness: Part 3, Train Yourself to Be Happier

Zaadz Notes: Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman

Mastering Eckhart Tolles The Power of Now

Free Spiritual Caffeine from Brian Johnson

Abraham Maslow & His Self-Actualizing Individual

The Fundamental Principles of Personal Wealth

Media Education for the 21st Century

Health Issues for Aging Populations

More PDF Collections

New Reviews Every Week!

My New Blog Inspired Project Teams

The Structure of the Posts

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