Mind Body and Spirit Festival

The MBS (Mind Body and Spirit) Festival is on again from 8 - 11 November 2007 at the Darling Harbour Exhibition Center .

The MBS is Australia’s largest event for personal growth, natural therapies, alternative healing, self development, spiritual awareness and much more. Click here to go to the MBS website.

The Journey will be at Stand D 48 - come and visit us, I will be working there Thursday and Friday!

The Five Love Languages

So what are the 5 Love Languages? Each person feels and shows love in different ways. Let’s see if you recognize yourself and your loved ones by reading the description of the 5 Love Languages.

Click here to read the description of the 5 types. You can rate the article on the bottom of the page, if you wish. Once you’ve read the article you can answer the question below:

1. What is my primary love language?
2. What is my partner’s primary love language?
3. How can I show my partner my love in the way she/he understands the best?

If you’re not sure, ask you partner: ‘What would make you feel loved right now?’
You might choose to start a list with ideas on what makes him/her happy and use the ideas on a daily basis. Watch how your relationship is blossoming!

Journey Women Early Bird Ends This Wednesday

Some of you have asked me about the course ‘The Journey’ offers for women. Here it is:

JourneyWoman early bird offer ends this Wednesday 31 October!!!

• JourneyWoman 2008
• 24 - 28 January
• Hunter Valley, NSW
• Prics: $ 1495

To receive the $200 discount, you will need to book and pay $1295 by this Wednesday. This event is booking out fast so we recommend you call the Journey office on 1300 304 414 to secure your booking!

212° The Extra Degree

Are you reading lots of books and newsletter and are going to seminars on a regular basis? All those activities will give you more knowledge and probably make you "think " about what you want to change or give you ideas to do something. Until you put that knowledge and those thoughts in to action nothing happens.

Having been inspired by this 3 minutes movie I would like to share it with you. It will make you aware how going that one extra step can make a massive difference.

Click here to Watch Movie

Thought for the day

If you always do what you've always done
you always get what you've always got

STAGES OF A RELATIONSHIP

1. COURTSHIP

‘Falling in Love’, a very passionate, very romantic, idealised relationship. The challenge at this stage is for each person to allow themselves to become vulnerable, to take the risk that by opening themselves to the other person they may hurt. Usually the partners are blind to any problems and there is no other reality.

2. HONEYMOON

The relationship is happy and stable at this time. The emphasis is on the couple’s ‘sameness’. They do everything together. The challenges are being able to separate enough from their family and developing the expression of their positive emotions, love and sexuality.

3. DIFFERENTIATION

Some differences start to emerge. The couple do less together and more as individuals. Each is able to see aspects of their partner that they may not have seen before. They no longer are perfect. It is a challenge for many people to be able to tolerate the decrease in the intensity of the relationship and an increase in the emotional distance will be perceived as evidence of the partner being selfish, stubborn, uncaring or withdrawn.

4. CONFLICT

It is common during this stage to feel quite disillusioned with your partner and to tend to blame them for any difficulties. ‘If only they would change, everything would be alright.’ There are many challenges to face during this stage, developing the necessary skills:

• Express negative emotions to their partner; hurt, anger, fear
• Communicate openly and honestly
• Raise issues as necessary
• Resolve conflicts constructively
• Open themselves to self examination and to increase their self awareness
• Take responsibility for their own part in the interactions of the relationship

The risks for this stage are that many couples lose faith in each other, lose their sense of hope for the future, deciding that they have ‘fallen out of love’ and decide to separate.

5. MUTUAL INTERDEPENDENCE

This stage is characterised by the following aspects:

• Both are able to act independently, feel capable and competent in their own right
• Both are able to provide support for their partner when needed
• Both partners feel that their needs are being met both physically and emotionally
• Both partners are staying in the relationship by choice – not because of expectations of others such as family or religious beliefs or to avoid the fears of leaving.
• Both are able to take individual responsibility

The couple should now have increased respect for both themselves and their partner, increased trust in the strength of the relationship and increased hope for the future. The challenge now is for the couple to be flexible and adaptable enough to adjust to all of life’s changes over time. They should be able to tolerate closeness without fearing suffocation.

JOURNEY DVD – WE NEED YOUR STORIES

Laurie Collins is creating a DVD that testifies to the power of The Journey. This will be a powerful DVD for all of us and is funded by those whose lives have been enriched and transformed through The Journey as a THANK YOU.

WE NEED YOUR HELP WITH STORIES – Laurie will be in Sydney 8-12^th October to assist with filming and would like to use your stories as testimonials.

How has your own life changed, and how that has rippled out to your loved ones and greater community? Can you think of someone who would be good to interview, it may even be yourself?

Please email me with your stories and let me know if you are around Sydney 8-12^th then please let me know.