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Astrology for Dummies 4!

This week we bring the last article in our Astrology for Dummies series of articles. This week it’s also a more technical, in depth look at the study of Astrology. In the past three weeks we have brought to you three articles on Astrology. This week it’s Astrology for Dummies #4. As always, it is to understand human behavior through a different medium, Astrology!

The Quadruplicities

All the zodiac signs belong to one of three Quadruplicities. These show the different ways in which we react.  They are as follows;

Cardinal

Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn.

These are the initiatory signs.  These people are restless and like to get things started. They like to be in at the start of a project and actively involved with something. They enjoy meeting challenges.

Fixed

Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius

These signs are determined and reliable.  They dislike change and prefer to maintain the status quo.  These are the most loyal and dependable people of the zodiac.  They will always resist being forced to change direction.

Mutable

Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces

These signs are extremely adaptable and flexible. They adjust to the demands others make on them.  These people enjoy change and can be easily bored.  Others may find them inconsistent.  

Polarities

Each sign of the zodiac can be classified as either, positive or negative, masculine or feminine. Aries is a positive, masculine sign and the next sign Taurus is negative and feminine.  This pattern continues through the zodiac.

Positive and Masculine signs:

Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, Aquarius.

These signs are forceful and concerned with pursuing their objectives. They like to create new circumstances.  

Negative and Feminine Signs:

Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, Pisces.

These signs are more concerned with their subjective inner reality than outer experience. These signs adapt to circumstances imposed by others and will more readily accept changed circumstances.

That’s all we have for you on our Astrology for Dummies series. We thank you for the support, input and comments that you have giving us thus far. We appreciate it. Expect more from us as of next week, where we will bring you the last in our Astrology for Dummies and more motivation & inspiration.

*Astrology data by

Focus Multimedia Limited and

KOCH Media

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Statistics suggest that when customers complain, business owners and managers ought to get excited about it. The complaining customer represents a huge opportunity for more business.

Zig Ziglar (via beinchargeofyourlife)

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A sand pendulum that creates a beautiful pattern only by its movement.

But  why does the ellipse change shape?

The pattern gets smaller because energy is not conserved (and in fact decreases) in the system. The mass in the pendulum gets smaller and the center of mass lowers as a function of time. Easy as that, an amazing pattern arises through the laws of physics.

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Astrology For Dummies 3!

This week we bring Astrology for Dummies #3. This week it’s a technical, in depth look at Astrology, the planets that govern the zodiacs and much more on the makes of the study, Astrology. Please read, and tell us what you think. We would love the feedback. In the past two weeks we have brought to you two articles on Astrology and understanding what makes for our behaviors in this forever changing social blast known as humanity.

Mars – Aries

Mars is the planet of energy, assertiveness and aggression. Its sign and house placement in the our lives show us how much we channel our energies. Often, our Sun sign energies will be aided in their expression by the direction shown by Mars in our Astrological: How we take action. How we express our anger.  What drives us? Mars also relates to our sexuality.

Mars, along with the Sun, tells us a lot about our understanding of the male principal. What is our inner image of the male? Those with Mars strongly placed in their Astrological chart can be competitive without being argumentative and assertive without being aggressive. They are capable of taking effective action as soon as it is needed and can pace themselves so as to always have abundant energy.

Venus – Taurus & Libra

Venus is the planet which concerns our ability to love and relate with other people. She is associated with the need for harmony and the urge to share and co-operate with others. The sign and house placement have Venus in our Astrological birth chart shows us in which environment are we most likely to give and receive love: How we find it easiest to express emotion in our personal relationships. What kind of marriage partner are we attracted to? Venus also relates closely to our value system. The sign and house placement in our Astrological chart will tell us a great deal about what we attach most importance to. It also follows then, that Venus is connected with money and possessions.

Mercury – Gemini & Virgo

Mercury is the planet which rules everything that relates to our mental skills, intelligence and communicative powers. The mythological Mercury was the Messenger of the Gods. He also ruled commercial enterprises and - an interesting connection – he was the god of thieving. Most people would agree that advertisers and salesmen do not always behave honestly!

The sign position of Mercury in our Astrological birth chart will show how our thinking takes place and what kind of things we are likely to think about. It affects how we make decisions, how we communicate thoughts, ideas and concepts to others. The sign in which Mercury is placed affects what we actually notice and process and value and there is much truth in the saying 'As a man thinketh, swath he'. Thoughts and ideas have to come before experience. Thoughts are powerful and we must therefore be careful about what we are thinking. If our experiences tend to be negative, perhaps that is because our beliefs and thoughts are too.

The Moon – Cancer

In astrological interpretation, our Moon sign tells us everything we need to know about how we work on an emotional, intuitive level. The Moon describes our childhood, our roots and what helps us to feel safe. Our Moon sign shows us what will be our first, instinctive reaction to new events or people. The Moon tells us a great deal about our mother, or chief nurturing parent, and our domestic situation in childhood and in adult life. The sign in which the Moon is placed even tells us something about our food preferences.

The Sun – Leo

The Sun symbolizes our father image. Good aspects: we have integrated the masculine principle well because of our healthy relationship with our own father. Bad aspects: the Sun shows some difficulty with authority figures, the male principle and the expression of assertiveness, courage and strength.

Pluto – Scorpio

Pluto is the planet of the end and beginning, disintegration and regeneration. Pluto symbolizes the most unconscious part of ourselves and yet the most powerful drive within us. Whichever area of the Astrological birth chart this planet touches, it forces us to deal with crisis and if we co-operate with this enormous influence, personal growth can ensue. We must learn the lesson of letting go with Pluto.

Possessiveness and compulsion must give way to the acceptance of the need  to relinquish old attitudes, emotions and possessions. Pluto moves very slowly, taking between twelve and thirty-one years to move through each sign. The sign in which Pluto is placed is very important generally but it is the house position and aspects which are crucial in the Astrological birth chart, though of course these are colored by the sign too. As Pluto moves through each sign, it brings out crucial and permanent changes in humanity's attitudes and experiences.

Jupiter – Sagittarius

Jupiter's position in the Astrological birth-chart shows us where we are most likely to possess a sense of optimism and confidence in life. This is where we have trust and faith and feel that we can fulfill all of life's promises. This is where we can take risks. As a result of our confident attitudes in this area of life, we are most likely to be successful where Jupiter touches our birth chart.

Saturn – Capricorn

The position of Saturn in the Astrological birth chart is one of the most important of all. The sign and  house in which Saturn are found tell us about the frustrations and restrictions that the individual faces and also tell us a great deal about that individual's internal pain. Saturn tells us about what we fear most. He shows us what depresses us most and where we feel most inadequate in  life.

Guilt and disappointment are often found where Saturn lurks too. What we must remember, however, is that the Saturn principle is very necessary for our growth. The pain and frustration push us on to greater achievements and allow us to grow in consciousness. Saturn's lessons can be hard but if we learn them well we can be capable of great achievements in the area of the Astrological birth chart which he touches.

The important thing with Saturn is to accept responsibility for our actions and our fate and understand the value of patience. Saturn's delays can lead us into a journey of self-discovery and a life-long process of education. The ensuing wisdom and self-discipline can bring us the sense of accomplishment we feel when we have created our own destiny through our own efforts.

Uranus – Aquarius

Uranus marks the area of the Astrological birth-chart where we are most in touch with our originality and independence. Uranus encourages us to rebel against what is and to forge a new path. We may do this regardless of what our families have encouraged us to believe or value and regardless of what elements of security we might lose in the process: Where we most desire to show our non-conformity.  Where we are most likely experience changes in life.

As  Uranus spends  a  seven year period of time in each sign, all those people born  in one  generation  will have Uranus in the same sign. For this reason, the house position of Uranus is regarded as being more important than the sign position. Nevertheless, Uranus' movement through the signs tells us a   great deal historically about the ways in which innovations and technological advances will occur.

Neptune – Pisces

Neptune symbolizes our ideals and shows us where we yearn for perfection and merging.  Neptune heightens our perceptions, giving us the capacity for compassion and imagination. If Neptune is strong in the Astrological birth-chart, the individual will be highly creative, with a potential for self-sacrifice. Negatively, Neptune can lead an individual into deceptions and hypersensitivity.

Neptune is connected with our fantasies, with our dream world and therefore with drugs and alcohol, the theatre, music, television, films and theology & spirituality. Neptune is all that is mysterious in life. This planet can dissolve one reality and replace it with another taking us towards dissolution or allowing us to contact higher realms.  

Next week it’s Astrology for Dummies #4. I thank you for the support, input and comments that you have giving me thus far. I appreciate it. Expect more from me as of next week, where I will bring you the last in my Astrology for Dummies series and more motivation, inspiration and self improvement.

 *Astrology data by

Focus Multimedia Limited and

KOCH Media

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Astrology For Dummies 2!

This week in our Astrology series we bring you Astrology for Dummies #2 and we go in depth with all the twelve signs of the zodiac; Aries – Taurus – Gemini – Cancer – Leo – Virgo – Libra – Scorpio – Sagittarius – Capricorn – Aquarius – Pisces. We believe the knowledge of our qualities and disadvantages will put us in a good road to positive interactions with each other. Astrology is one of the few studies we think can bring us to that very reachable dream of self consciousness and self realization.

Aries (March 21 - April 19)

This first sign of the zodiac is associated with new beginnings and creativity. The Aries individual strives for challenges and likes to find new adventures. Mars is the ruler of this sign and Aries people are likely to be leaders. They are always competitive, brave and confident. Aries individuals are excellent at starting up projects but will often fail in seeing these projects through. A lot of great leaders and pioneers were born under this sign. Aries individuals do need to work very hard at seeing another's point of view.  Like the true fire sign, their tempers are furious and they find it almost impossible to compromise on issues about which they feel strongly. They are helpless at dealing with the mundane and unpleasant tasks of life, whilst naturally undemanding and most often aggressive.

Taurus (April 20th - May 20th)

This sign appreciates and works at developing harmony and peace, as we might expect of a sign ruled by the planet Venus.  They enjoy the comforts of life, but of course, the comforts of life cost money and they understand this and plan to achieve financial security, to afford and they may be quite materialistic at times. They have a talent for creating a happy, comfortable, peaceful and luxurious home. They are affectionate and warm with children and friends. They must periodically examine themselves and their lives and avoid falling into an unchanging and sometimes boring way of life. They sometimes miss out on opportunities because they are unwilling to take risks and feel threatened by change.

Gemini   (May 21st - June 20th)

Ruled by Mercury, this is an intellectual, rational sign. In direct contrast with the previous sign of Taurus, Gemini finds it difficult to commit. They prefer fast changing circumstances, constant stimulation and ever new experiences for they are intimidated by responsibility. The wit and charm of these people makes them popular socially, though they can be cool and lacking in sympathy in more intimate situations.  In love, these people are flirtatious and excitable but they can quickly move on to someone who is more superficially attractive. They will not tolerate possessiveness in a long term partner. Gemini people are easily bored. Their minds are constantly on the go and looking for something new to order and analyze. They are ideally suited to journalism, the legal profession, the transport industry or any work in which their mind can be constantly stimulated and they can use their excellent communicative abilities. Gemini must beware of flitting constantly from one situation to another and avoiding commitment and its rewards forever. They must also resist the urge to deceive others - Mercury is also associated with thieving and lying! They also need to come to an acceptance that they cannot be young and irresponsible forever.  

Cancer (June 21st - July 22nd)

Those born under this sign are the most sensitive in the zodiac. Well aware of their vulnerability, they are most concerned to build around them a secure family and domestic life. Home life is sacred and the Cancer individual will be devoted, sympathetic and loyal to his or her loved ones. As they have so much invested in other people, they can be very clinging and possessive. These people are quite demanding of others and will resort to manipulation to get their own way. Ruled by the Moon, Cancer is a moody and changeable sign. They may find it difficult in facing up to the harsh realities of life, preferring to live in the world of their imagination. They also love reminiscing for they have wonderful memories and are very sentimental about them.  

Leo (July 23rd - August 23rd)

Leos have a natural ability to command respect and love from others. It is their generosity, warmth and heroism which is so attractive. Their integrity is absolute and because of this they lack the ability to manipulate. They are always open and frank, rather naïvely thinking that it is best to tell the truth. There is an innocence and playfulness in Leos which comes from their love of life and their zest for getting the most out of every experience.  Leos have huge hearts and can be easily hurt by rejection. They always feel that they have excellent advice to give others but this will often be misinterpreted as arrogance and can alienate people. The trust and respect that Leo can arouse in others makes them born leaders.  

Virgo (24th August - 23rd September)

Virgo people set themselves almost impossibly high standards. They will always do their best to achieve perfection and they expect the same level of commitment from family and colleagues. They have clear, rational minds which they apply to solve practical problems and success on this practical level brings them their greatest happiness. Virgos are not afraid to perform humble tasks and they are so careful and persistent that often they will succeed far beyond everybody's expectations. Virgos plan everything to the last detail as they have a genuine fear of disorder. Virgos may alienate others through their nit-picking criticisms of all around them who constantly fail to live up to their high standards. Many Virgo people  choose to  live  alone as  they  are not  good at surrendering  themselves to  passion.  They must remember not to drive their loved ones away from them with ruthless criticism.

Libra (23rd September - 22nd October)

Libra is the sign of marriage and partnership. Above all in life, they seek harmony. Their approach to life is essentially intellectual and they are capable of great mental detachment. Librans are always charming and popular socially. These people always want to please other people and be liked by them. It is quite easy for Librans to put their own opinions, needs and ambitions on hold in order to fit in with those around them. They are constantly trying to find a balance in life and do this by means of their associations with others. Their ability to see both sides of an issue and their strong sense of justice make it very difficult for Librans to actually make a decision or commit themselves. Their ability to be a friend to everyone can sometimes smack of hypocrisy. They value tact more than honesty. They can also be totally indecisive and their love of the good things in life can make them self-indulgent.  Librans may also be attracted to careers in the arts or selling luxury goods where they can use their strong sense of salesmanship.

Scorpio (23rd October – 23rd November)

This is a powerful sign which has a great ability to follow through on plans in a determined way. The intense passion and energy of these individuals makes it imperative that they act from the highest and purest motives as once set on a course, they will almost always succeed. But they will also be capable of influencing others enormously as their charisma and sense of commitment is overwhelming. They are more vulnerable than they immediately appear. They are extremely sensitive and quite easily hurt. And their hurts are remembered for a long time.  They are very good at behind the scenes work and in research. Some are attracted to detective work and healing professions and some to work in which they deal with financial resources. They are often concerned at some point in their lives in what is hidden - hence their association with sexuality, money, death and the occult. They are the most resentful sign of the zodiac and very easily jealous.

Sagittarius (24th November - 21st December)

Those born under this sign are extremely broad minded, optimistic and confident. They are generous and understanding and totally uninterested in petty jealousies. These people always have faith that things will turn out right in the end, no matter how bad things may be. Their positive thought patterns tend to attractive positive experiences to them. These people are honest to a fault but rarely talk about it. It is essential for them to be independent as freedom is the staff of life to them. They certainly value contact with foreign cultures as they consider this to be a valuable way of broadening the mind. They are often motivated to pass on their learning to others and can make very gifted teachers. Infidelity is often an issue in a Sagittarius marriage as, for these people, there is always a new adventure beckoning around the corner. Sagittarians need to develop some of the cool logic of the opposite sign of Gemini, to balance their lofty idealism.

Capricorn (22nd December - 19th January)

The sign of Capricorn is ruled by the stern planet Saturn and those born under this sign often find life laborious and demanding. They pit themselves against life, working in a determined, careful way until they reach the top of the mountain. Only then do they feel secure and fulfilled. The Capricorn path is often a very lonely one as they have no time, even when they long, for pleasure and relaxation. Capricorns can endure any hardship and deprivation if they feel they are nearing their goals. Often they achieve their greatest success later in life. These individuals are never afraid of responsibility, domestically or professionally. For whatever reason, they are likely to attract far greater responsibilities than other people. Family members may feel neglected as the Capricorn relentlessly requires possessions and status. Whichever professional arena they choose, and they can excel in any, they will undertake their duties with great seriousness. Capricorn individuals must beware that they do not miss out on life's joys because they always have their nose to the hustle of trying to work hard.  

Aquarius (20th January - 18th February)

Aquarians are gifted thinkers. Aquarians are humanitarian and motivated in all they do by the desire to make the world a better place. These individuals love to work in a group. They love their work if it gives them the opportunity to express original ideas. Sometimes, they are seen as rebellious - this occurs when they do not have an appropriate outlet for their original ideas. They are quite stubborn about having their own time and territory and for this reason they can be difficult to live with. They do need to remember that their loved ones want to be treated in a special way, rather than with the same tolerance and affection as anyone who comes into their orbit. They are likely to have friends from all walks of life and enjoy sharing their interests and ideas with them. They are often inclined to get involved in campaigns to alleviate suffering, inequality or pollution.

Pisces (19th February - 20th March)

People who are born under this sign are gentle, dreamy people who often prefer to avoid the realities of everyday life. It is sometimes not easy for them to be their own person. They are so sensitive to the moods and needs of other people that they will automatically adapt to fulfil those. They have limitless sympathy for the human condition. They are so changeable that they cannot always be relied on. They can be quite economical with the truth at times. These individuals are not robust and have little resistance to illness. They can quite often fall victim to addiction in an attempt to escape from reality.

Love and marriage is often the most important thing to them. They enjoy all aspects of domestic life and display their affections easily. They can succeed in the arts, in music or in the healing professions. They must avoid dishonesty and their tendency to become caught up in worry, even paranoia. Their almost ever present feeling of discontent can drain their energy and encourage them to dream away the time and miss valuable opportunities.

Next week we’ll bring you the third article on our Astrology for Dummies series. With any question with Astrology and or me Mordecai III, please send me a message. Thanx...

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Astrology for Dummies!

The Cosmos have been a fascination and a wonder for human kind for thousands of years and we’ve always wanted to know about it. How big it is! How far does it go? In the quest to know about the universe we came to find out the more we knew, the more we find out we actually know a little. But there was a twist! We found out there is more than one universe. There were more. A universe multitude! Even when we could see deep through the multi-verse, we found out we actually can not see far enough. It’s too big! Then we came to a realization, as the human species, we’re actually quite microcosmic to the multi-verse, the multi-verse of which we do not even know the exact magnitude of.

The more we became enlightened about the multi-verse, the more it gave us headaches on getting to know it more. It actually would have been a quest for self discovery. We learned about the cosmos to get to know ourselves a bit more. Maybe we wanted to know about how was it possible we are here? Why us? Maybe the cosmos could tell us about ourselves. But it did! In a form of a study long discovered. Astrology! It is a study of supposed planetary influence on humanity. How we are and why we are! Students of Astrology would often say that the universe is a mirror pointing straight at us. We might have been looking at ourselves! The universe tells us about why we act the way we do in everyday life as individuals. In astrology, the day of your birth even the time of your birth, determines the person you might be, later life.

The Astrological star signs are divided into four elements; Fire, Earth, Air and Water.

Fire -  Aries,  Leo and  Sagittarius 

Earth -  Taurus,  Virgo and  Capricorn

Air -  Gemini,  Libra and  Aquarius

Water -  Cancer,  Scorpio and  Pisces

Fire

Those who are fire signs have a sense of energy and warmth about them which inspires those around. The fire signs are highly generous and positive. Even when things are not OK they always have a sense that they will work out eventually. Fiery people are always stimulating, are independent and enjoy the spontaneous life. They always have creative thoughts but often do not show or discuss their creativity because of the fear they will be seen as outrageous. They usually have a very high passion for the things they wish for but unfortunately the passion quickly runs out when not constantly stimulated.

Earth

Earthy people are quite practical in their undertakings and relate to the world through the physical senses. They expect tangible results in their efforts. They are determined and persistent and patient in working towards goals and other people will find them very thorough, organized and dependable. It is important for earthy people to feel secure and for this reason many of them can be quite materialistic. These people are quite “at home” with the responsibilities of family life and with finances. Experience is more important to an earthy person than theoretical speculation and it takes a great deal of convincing for an earthy person to change direction.

Air

Those who are air signs understand the importance of inter-relationship communication and the exchange of ideas is very crucial to these people. They are intellectual, curious and ideas are as important to them as actual experience or objects. These people can co-operate with others and remain objective in difficult situations, they are sometimes extremely objective! Airy people like to form connections between their experiences and refuse to be guided merely by their feelings or instinctive reactions. It is possible with Airy people that they will be incapable of making decisions because they can see all options and see a majority of outcomes.

Water

The water element is always very much in need of involvement with others. It lives by its feelings and intuitions and can tune into atmospheres and the feeling of others immediately. Its imagination, sympathy and compassion are enormous. The sensitivity and vulnerability of watery people is immense. It is sometimes difficult for these people to maintain their separateness and they may often withdraw into themselves in order to avoid being hurt. These people live through other people and will be emotionally demanding in their relationships.

As you have witnessed, Astrology is quite an interesting study to delve in. By getting to know ones self better, Astrology can guide you through the inconsistencies that one has and hopefully you’re able to be a better person. A person who lives in this, over a billion people, maze called humanity needs to know and study humanity for better and positive interactions. This was the first Astrology installment and next week we’ll have the second Astrology installment which will be in-depth and detailing each star sign.

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Creative Problem Solving & Creative Thinking Tools!

No matter who you are or whichever industry you work in, creativity is always needed because it brings to you the advantage of being competitive, efficient and the advantage of being highly productive. Creativity is the exercise of creating new and innovative products and ideas that add value to the world and can be marveled or used by people. Some people are said to be born creative, no matter how true the statement is, we’re in the age of information. What does that mean for me and you? It means we can learn whichever skill and technique to put us on par with the people who are said to be “born with it”.

What does that mean? It means you can enter any industry, learn, improve, be productive, be efficient and be creative while you’re at it. This is the time where there are even less excuses as to why someone is ignorant, unaware or inefficient. Everything can be learnt by anyone, anywhere in the world. Creativity is also one of the things you can learn like any other skill. Today I have for you creative problem solving & creative thinking skills that, I hope, can improve the many aspects of your life.

The Five Ws!

The first tool to learn and use in our quest for creative problem solving is the Five Ws. What are the Five Ws? They are one of the widely used creative problem solving tools the world over, in almost every industry especially in science, law and research. The 5 Ws are What? Who? Where? When? And Why? To solve a problem we have to establish one first. The problem we have for now is the lack of creative action and thought. We so badly wish to be creative. We want to improve the quality of our work and life.

What’s the problem? The nkinga ( Zulu language translation of the word “problem”) is that we seem to be lacking in creativity. Who is lacking in creativity? Me/you, the guy/lady in the street. Where - the place you find yourself in? Work, home, business or sports? When did you realize you had a problem? Why do you think you have a problem and why do you think it is worth your time to solve it? The answers to those questions will greatly improve the process and the time you spend in finding research and learning the techniques pertaining creativity.

Divergent Thinking!

Divergent Thinking is said to be coined by the psychologist J.P Guilford. It is a thought process which is used to generate creative ideas and innovations by exploring multiple possible solutions to a matter that is required to be solved. The divergent thought process is made to give a manner of fluid and formlessness to creativity so that many possible solutions are explored, collected, recorded and discussed almost simultaneously to creatively bring forth new ideas, products and new ways of doing things.

A problem solving, creative thinking process tool that promotes Divergent Thinking is called Brainstorming. We all know it, right? We have learned to use it once in our lives, especially in school, right? But why is it that when we’re faced with problems that we seem to find difficult, we never think to use this simple tool called Brainstorming? Everyone knows it but for someone who has never heard it before; what is Brainstorming? It is a system of pooling possible ideas or solutions to a problem in the hope of solving it. After we have pooled possible solutions we go on a process of assessing which ones are realistic and viable to use in solving our problems or challenges.

A very powerful creative thinking tool is by the educational scientist and creative researcher James Mel Rhodes called the 4 Ps of Creativity. The 4 Ps of creativity are elements for any creative innovation, product, idea or research. The 4 Ps are - Person, Process, Press/Place and Product. This creative process tool is made for efficiency in almost every field of study, industry or business one might find themselves in. Once used, it will give you a renewed viewed for your work and the situation one might be in.

Person - This element in the process pertaining the 4 Ps deals and covers aspects on the personality, intellect, habits, fears, attitudes and value systems of a person or people to name a few. This evaluates the person/people who may use or create/produce the creative subject/product in discussion.

Process - This element applies to the perception, thinking, interest and communication in ways to producing the product in discussion.

Press/Place - This element refers and is in relation to an environment to which people find themselves in. Questions such as landscape, the weather and population of a place can be asked when pertaining this element.

Product - This element refers more to the thinking, the ideas and information that has been transmitted to people in the form of words, audio, material, food or anything tangible.

In different fields of study, people who are part of that field have grown to have or know patterns & steps taken to creating something new and innovative. Knowing the process, patterns & steps greatly improves the speed or extent to which one can be efficiently creative.

Be it difficult, Ludwig van Beethoven and Vincent van Gogh had patterns & steps to their work/field of study. Based on that, they were able to creatively produce pieces of art that continue to be marvelled by the world even in the difficult situation they found themselves in. We can say they were born creative, but knowing patterns of creating made them the people they were. We can also achieve such standards by learning the process & steps and using creative thinking tools. We can learn to be creative and the by the grace of the divine we will...

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Creativity and the need for Mental Strength and Fortitude!

As much as in life, in the journey of creativity you need to have the factor of mental strength. It is something that should not be overlooked, for there are foretold difficulties on the road ahead. You will get frustrated where some people may not find your creation very useful and you’ll get the critique you’re not ready to hear. It is easy to become depressed when you’re a creative because of the love of your work and the criticism that may come. Mental strength and fortitude is something that is most desired in your life as a creative to liberate yourself from the burden of worry and to persevere in difficult life situations.

In the past weeks I brought you stories of two of the most creative minds in world history, Ludwig van Beethoven and Vincent van Gogh. I brought you the stories of these two gentlemen because of the difficult life situations they found themselves in.

When it was difficult to be creative, to create, these men found ways through hardships and they created some of the greatest pieces of arts in world history. Beethoven changed the way music was viewed, composed and appreciated and Van Gogh changed the way people viewed, appreciated, traded and created painted art.

Beethoven imagined, created and composed music while in one of the most difficult life situations a musician would ever find themselves in. He found he was becoming deaf and was completely deaf when he made some of his greatest works in musical history. How depressed can a person be to find out he cannot even hear the beauty in the music they create?

At some point Beethoven actually had thoughts of suicide because he believed his life lost meaning. He felt completely powerless, but his love for music & the mental strength to believe he has the power to still compose music regardless of the situation, liberated him and because of that, we remember him still.

Van Gogh also imagined, created and painted art while in one of the most difficult life situations anyone could ever find themselves in. He was gripped by mental affliction in the prime of his life as a painter where he suffered from depression and mental instability. He is remember for cutting his own ear off with a razor.

Was subsequently taken to an asylum and diagnosed with depression. While at the asylum he imagined, created and painted the most sought-after pieces of art in world history. The pieces of art that he painted are said to be the most expensive in world history.

I believe both these gentlemen had aspects of a psychological term called Hardiness coined and introduced by Suzanne C. Kobasa. Mental Hardiness is the ability to have healthy mental focus in situations of life stress to subsequently be creative and efficient in the field you’re in.

In our last installment in the series pertaining #Creativity we clearly explain this term, Mental Hardiness. We will also have for you creativity techniques that you can use to enhance your creativity in work, sports and in life in general. Thank you for reading my series of articles. There’s more to offer. I thank you...

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Creativity And The Element Of Play!

A child is given blank white papers and a few crayons to draw and play with. She writes, draws and she scratches on the first white paper until it is without any free space. She realizes she can’t use it anymore, so she picks another blank piece of paper and continues her play. Paper after paper she discovers there’s a lot of shapes she can conjure up, and they can come in different colours too. Some big, some small, some flat, some round and some triangular. Every shape drawn with a new and different colour somehow seems like it is new and unknown, a new discovery. After a while she starts to discover new colours when she draws a shape over another with a different colour.

Without even noticing, she enjoys the exercise and can’t seem to stop herself. The only time she’ll stop is when she wants something to eat or drink, when something or someone distracts her or when she’s tired or sleepy. You go to her stack of pieces of art and you see a few you seem to be drawn to ( ;-) . You notice how well some colours and shapes go together and how invigorating they are. You want to frame a few and you realize the creativity she has in her tiny mind and hands.

Playing is usually a great trivial occupation for one to amuse themself with. Playing is fun. The benefit to it is that it keeps one youthful & optimistic and being fully creative requires a form of play to it. To children it comes naturally because of their innocent, carefree and unaffected spirit. As grown-ups we once possessed this attribute that makes children so effective in being creative. Situations of life and growing up made us lose one of the most important aspects of creativity; play!

What contributes to the child being creative in making youthful pieces of frame-able art? First of all her “work station” was conducive to the creation of art. She had all she needed; papers and crayons which ensured she keeps going without being halted by any shortage of resources. Firstly; what is creativity? It is the imaginative and inventive ability to create something different or new. So having all you need when being creative is paramount to being able to create something that wasn’t there in the beginning.

Our young artist discovered, through her tools, what she was capable of. She learnt of ways on how to efficiently use her tools and workstation. In due time she found she enjoyed the exercise. Creativity is all about learning ways of creating. The whole process works even better when one discovers the fun creativity comes with. Also, when one frees themselves from the need to make perfection. That is when their creative juices keep flowing and attempt after attempt brings them closer to creating something that can be marvelled or used in the near future.

One aspect that helps the process of being creative through playing is removing or limiting distractions. Distractions such as mobile phones, the radio and/or the television must be limited, removed or switched off to increase your level of creativity. When you’re playing computer games, are you listening or watching the news at the same time? Of course not, it defeats the process of wanting to play your computer games or listening to the news. The exercise of playing is creativity, and vice versa, and we need to focus on it because life rarely gives us the time.

Next week we have for your a few definitive psychological finds, terminologies, studies and creative thinking skills & examples to greatly enhance your process of creativity. Thank you so much for reading and following my blog. The quest is to learn to be creative. We will succeed...

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Ways To Enhance Your Creativity

We would like to make aware to you that we believe creativity is something you can learn and cultivate. In the next series of blogs & articles we will teach you how to be creative and how to sustain it even when you may find it difficult to do so. The mind is one incredible organ, capable of learning, learning and learning. Even when you feel you don’t want to learn. It is forever oblivious to your selfish ways. It wants to absorb information and new skills. On your behalf it will learn. Even negative and trivial things, it will learn. So why not teach it something quite worth it. Something like Creativity?

Creativity is the gift that keeps on giving. It is unrestrictive. It is uncontainable. It keeps you fluid. It gives you youthful exuberance. It is beautiful. Where can one use creativity? We have to say; creativity is not only for arts, writing, science and economics. It can also be used in everyday life. Everyday communication, I believe, can use some sort of creativity. Someone texts you; How are you? Saying to them “I’m fine thanx” is something any other person would think to reply. “How are you?” “I’m alive my good old friend. I’m alive. It’s just beautiful”. With that, you put a creative spin to it.

The point I’m making is that creativity usually breathes life into the mundane. So what’s the first step you can take to enhancing your creativity? It is curiosity; being curious! Curiosity cannot be overlooked when creativity is concerned because through it; we are forever learning. We discover new things, new and different ways to act or communicate. When one is curious, he tends to acquire the great skill of being attentive. The skill gives you the opportunity to fully grasp what is happening around you. Your level of comprehension increases quite exponentially when you’re attentive. And best of all, you gain focus.

An important way of enhancing your creativity is accepting the fact that you can never be correct all the time. It is OK to be wrong. It is OK to make mistakes. No one is ever right all the time anyway. So why worry yourself about being correct all the time? To worry yourself about not making mistakes? There is no such thing as perfection. There isn’t! So accept that and free yourself from being correct all the time and pursuing perfection. Allow yourself to make mistakes. It is OK. You’re human. You’re improving because creativity is a forever “work-in-progress”. No one is perfect at creativity. Free yourself from that burden.

Do not be afraid of being different. Sometimes I ask myself; How do you recognise something that is born of creativity? It is different from the next. That is why people accept and want to associate with it; because it is different. Kanye West was different, the creativity he had improved when he accepted being different. It is OK. Never do normal because it is already being done by “normal” people. Normal makes them to be mediocre. That is not you. You’re not normal, you are different. You are creative.

Relax, be at ease and rest. Do not force yourself to be creative. Relax and envision what can be different to what already is. Relax and daydream! You’re not trying to work hard and hurt your brain. Daydreaming is supposed to be fun, it relaxes you. So be at ease. Take deeper, slower breaths. Ease your shoulders or seat comfortably. The most important is to rest. Allow yourself time to rest your body and mind. Take quick naps or sometimes longer naps over the weekend. Take an extra 10 to 20 minutes in the bath. Allow your brain to refresh. It is important...

Stop criticising yourself. Stop it! Being a critic isn’t your job. Your job is being creative and working on sustaining it. There are people who will critique you. So let them worry about that. All you have to do is concentrate on creating and being creative. Please try and re-read this article/blog to refresh your memory on what you need to do to be creative, stay creative and enhancing your creativity. We’re still in the quest to discovering ways of learning how to being creative. We will succeed...

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