The Official Website of Michael Corthell

The secret of a blissful happy life consists of practicing laughter, silence, breathing and meditation  

Mindful Breathing  does three things; captures oxygen, provides focus and reduces stress. by Michael Corthell At a marina, not far from where I sit writing this article, a message is displayed on their roadside marquee. It says, ''EXHALE, You're Home.'' That says it all as far as our society's stress and health issues are concerned. People work, are all up tight and they feel that they cannot 'breathe' until they are on vacation. What has to happen is that we all have to learn to breathe mindfully to reduce their stress all of the time. It is best not to wait until you must control your breathing.  Don't wait until you're extremely stressed out, in a panic or an arguement before minding your breath. Be prepared through practice. ''Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.''    —L. Frank Baum, Author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Mindful, (controlled) breathing not only helps your body functioning

  A sure way to judge someone's heart and soul is by observing their treatment of not just some animals, but of all animals...and all creation for that matter. The Village Vegan  Love of animals is a universal impulse, a common ground on which all of us may meet. By loving and understanding animals, perhaps we humans shall come to understand each other. Louis J. Camuti

  Beyond Procrastination:  Front-loading your work, works best. “It is easier to resist at the beginning than at the end.” ― Leonardo da Vinci

by Michael Corthell We set goals, but then we procrastinate. We write a to-do list, and then don't follow through. This happens time and time again. Wow, what's the problem? Many of us are really good at thinking about and planning what to do, but really awful actually doing those things. Why is that? ''Do not put your work off till to-morrow and the day after; for a sluggish worker does not fill his barn, nor one who puts off his work: industry makes work go well, but a man who puts off work is always at hand-grips with ruin.''     ― Hesiod There are a thousand and one ways to be unsuccessful in life, but the surest way just might be procrastination. Procrastinators sabotage their own plans. They lay down stumbling blocks for themselves. They actually choose ways to fail. Twenty percent of people identify themselves as procrastinators. Procrastination for them is a lifestyle ― a very maladaptive one. About procrastination:

“I am not an angel," I asserted; "and I will not be one till I die: I will be myself.” ― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre The primary problem with our current culture is that while it honors merit, equality, and a level playing field, at the same time it also greatly honors those with wealth, power, and celebrity, no matter how they are achieved. “He - and if there is a God, I am convinced he is a he, because no woman could or would ever fk things up this badly.” ― George Carlin

by Michael Corthell While the gift of sex and procreation is a very important part of this earthly life, many religious teachings including those of Jesus say that neither of these will play a role in the afterlife (or the 'beforelife') because our souls and our spirits, which are the essence of who we really are as created beings have no gender. Our biological packaging is for procreation and gives most of us either a male or female gender assignment at birth, but it is increasingly recognized in the society today that not all of us fit neatly into gender assigned categories, either physiologically or psychologically. The truth is, that human beings are a combination of masculine and feminine energies (yin-yang balance). The physiological representatives of these energies is manifested in the hormone testosterone, and estrogen, we all have some of each in inverse proportions(normally). Generally speaking those who are male at birth would have more testosterone t

  “Do one thing every day that scares you.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt Fear can be useful you know. It doesn't have to shut you down... it can wake you up too!

“Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol, morphine or idealism.” ― Carl Gustav Jung The desire to escape from pain,  is what creates even more pain.

by Michael Corthell Habits run our daily life. Pretty much everything you do is based on a habit you’ve developed at some point in your life. Some habits are helpful, while others can also work against you. Even worse – there are a few 'bad habits' that can have a negative, long-term impact on your capacity to live a fulfilling life. Everyone wants to be healthy, strong, full of energy and life, as well as happy. Then why do so many of us have habits that take us in the polar opposite direction? Because getting rid of a habit requires change. And of all the things we do in a day, changing is by far the hardest. The only proven and proper way to get ride of our bad habits is to replace them with good, health ones. Smoking, gambling, eating junk food, drinking too much alcohol, spending too much time on the Internet, and even sex. Some seem benign, like gaming on the Internet, or binge watching our favorite shows. But, when these activities disrupt our pr

“Why do they always teach us that it's easy and evil to do what we want and that we need discipline to restrain ourselves? It's the hardest thing in the world--to do what we want. And it takes the greatest kind of courage. I mean, what we really want.” ― Ayn Rand Making a 'living' isn't the same as 'making a life'.

by Michael Corthell Deciding on a career may seem seriously difficult—it is a serious decision, but it doesn't have to be difficult. However, the problem can be in trying to match your aptitude and the skill-sets, to the right job or career. ''Communication—Interpersonal Connectivity—is one of the key factors in all personal and career successes.'' But, the best advice in this article, no matter what I write below is this: Do what makes you happy . Why? Because  research has shown that a career that you absolutely hate can be worse for your over-all health than having no job at all and being poor. So, by being very aware of what your 'likes' and 'enjoyment' levels are when planning a career, plus making sure that you factor in everything involved in deciding on that career, you can go a long way in ensuring your satisfaction. Let's take a look: The first step then involves three questions: What do I want? What makes me happy? Wha

“The best way out is always through.” ― Robert Frost Trees symbolize patience, your lawn: persistence. “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” ― Calvin Coolidge