How to "Do" Happiness and Get Ahead Even in Difficult Times

It hardly needs pointing out that one of our core desires is to be happy. Yet happiness is as elusive as the Scarlet Pimpernel for most of us. We are caught up in the uncertainties of life and the daily worries of survival in an environment that seems to be getting tougher rather than easier.

All the talk about the energetic shift, ascension and the like are of little help when you are facing your own demons in a world that appears basically unfriendly and dangerous. Most of us are at a level of our cognitive development where we need to see proof that the things we are doing are working.

There is now an unprecedented number of alternative therapies about and alternative medicine is booming. For good reason, because more and more of us are waking up to the fact that the old ways of dealing with our emotional health, which also ultimately dictates our physical well being, have ceased to work.

Our growing understanding of universal laws makes it clearer by the day that the draconian methods of old suppress the body's natural healing powers rather than supporting them.

In case you wonder what this has to do with your ability to "do" happiness, let me tell you this: It has a great deal to do with it. Only when you understand your body and mind and how it functions as part of a much larger part, namely the universe, can you begin to understand what is involved in becoming truly happy.

Happiness basically consists of three things: A healthy working and living environment, a healthy body and a healthy mind. This in itself is not rocket science, however, most people make two fundamental mistakes on their happiness quest. First, they underestimate the importance of their immediate surroundings on their mental and physical well being. (I have written about the dangers of geopathic stress and EMR, electro magnetic radiation extensively and will cover this important subject again in another article.)

Second, they spend too much time figuring out why they are unhappy instead of working out how they "do" unhappiness. This is a common flaw in many therapies and personal development work. The emphasis is on understanding why you have problems. Yet, the answer to this question is so simple, that it would put most psychiatrists and therapists out of business tomorrow. The reason is always to do with unresolved early live trauma, if you have persistent problems, and if you encounter isolated problems they will be linked to an undigested experience later in your life and finally, environmental factors can seriously affect your mental and physical well being.

The point though is this: While it is necessary to neutralize unresolved negative emotions to clear the road to happiness, you do not need to know, nor analyze in great detail why you have these problems. You just need to know how to clear them and there are a number of techniques you can learn easily.

Remember this: You will always get what you focus on. It really is as simple as that. If you focus on why you have a problem, now, that might be interesting knowledge to have, alas it will do precious little to solve your issues. On the other hand, when you work on figuring out how you do unhappiness and begin to see the often absurd pattern you are running, you will stop running them automatically over time.

So my advice to you is this: Learn techniques to increase your cognitive awareness. Focus on the how rather than the why of your actions. You will be amazed what you uncover. And your ability for true happiness will grow accordingly and your life will become more successful too.

Mercedes Oestermann van Essen is a human development coach, energy therapist and author. She has created the Happy Venn Diagram for environment, body and mind, a unique approach for happiness and success. Get your free report, 5 Little Known Keys To Happiness

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How to Say Happy Father's Day in Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, and German

If you think back to when you were a child you can probably remember sitting in the front room eagerly waiting for your dad to get home. You can probably envision the excitement that you felt when his car turned into the driveway or even when you heard the garage door open and he pulled inside. You couldn't wait for him to walk into the door so you could give him a huge hug and tell him everything that had happened to you during the day.

For most kids their dads are their rocks. No matter what is going on with you, whether it is good or bad, you knew you could always tell your dad what was happening. The best part of being able to tell your dad what was going on is that it seemed like he could magically fix everything for you. As a little kid falling and scraping your knee required a kiss from Mom to make it better, but when your bike had a flat tire it was only Dad who could make it right.

No matter where you live, whether it is in a remote village in Alaska or on the island of New Zealand, how you view your dad is going to be similar to how other children view their dads. The relationship that a child has with their father has even withstood the sands of time. Dads all across the world play with their kids when they are young and teach them to drive when they get older.

It is because of this relationship that a child has with their father that all across the globe we celebrate Father's Day. The date that Father's Day is celebrated on in various regions around the world varies, as does the language you use to wish your dad a Happy Father's Day. However, despite these differences the main point is to show how dads how much they mean to us.

Here is how you would say "Happy Father's Day" in a variety of different languages:

• Portuguese - Feliz dia do pai
• Spanish - Feliz dia del padre
• Italian - Giorno di Padre Felice
• Polish - Wszystkiego Najlepszego Z Okazji Dnia Ojca
• Dutch - Gelukkige Vaderdag
• German - Alles Gute zum Vatertag
• French - Bonne fete des peres

One thing that is interesting to note is that most countries follow the American custom of celebrating Father's Day on the third Sunday in June, but there are a handful of other countries that follow their own customs. Austria, Costa Rica, and Belgium celebrate Father's Day on the second Sunday in June. New Zealand and Australia celebrate it on the first Sunday of September. Russia doesn't celebrate the event on a Sunday instead the celebrate it on February 23 every year. China also has a specific date for Father's Day, which is August 8. Iran and Germany have no specific date for celebrating Father's Day instead they celebrate it based on certain events. Iran follows the Islamic calendar, so they celebrate it on 13 Rajab, while Germany uses Ascension Day, which comes from the Bible, to decide what date they are celebrating the event.

No matter what day you celebrate the event or what language you use to tell your father Happy Father's Day celebrating Father's Day is all the same. The day is set aside to show our father's how much we love and respect them for everything that they have done for us.

Gwen Addison is an avid writer and greeting card sender. She highly recommends sending your dad a personalized Father's Day Card with easy-to-use greeting card software.

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Christmas and Ascension

The energy of this Christmas season has been interesting. Christmas has always been one of my favorite times of the year. I love the lights and displays that everyone decorates with, the music and the love that people express at this time of year.

This Christmas is entirely different. Though people seem to be decorating more this year than in past years, the enjoyment of it is not there. The stores have very little in them and I have not heard one person wish anyone a 'Happy Holiday'.

I love window shopping, just walking around looking at what is available. This year, window shopping is very depressing. I walk around the stores and feel such sadness and depression. When I first experienced this, I thought it was because this is our first Christmas without Samantha. But, I soon realized that this was not it. I was feeling the energy that was being left in the stores by other shoppers.

People are so sad and depressed this Christmas. We are finding no joy in the Holidays this year. I have been meditating on this and realize why this is so.

Christmas is a very third dimensional Holiday. It is extremely stressful. People put lots of stress on themselves to find the perfect, most expensive present possible. They spend time with family that they usually avoid most of the year. They max out their credit cards and eat until they are miserable. This is all very unspiritual.

Humanity is now moving into the fourth and fifth dimensions. There is no place in these higher dimensions for materialism such as Christmas represents. These higher dimensions are places of Love and Peace. Our third dimensional Christmas does not represent either of those qualities. We must move past the materialism and into a more spiritual based honoring of this Holiday Season.

The Christmas Season occurs at the time of the Winter Solstice. The Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year. It is the time when the Earth is about to be reborn and the days become longer. It is a time of letting go of the old and beginning anew. This is the time of new beginnings, a New Year when we can create a New Reality.

These are the concepts of the Holiday Season that we will be celebrating in the higher dimensions. These are the more spiritual qualities that we will be embracing during the holidays in years to come.

So, take some of the stress off of yourself this Holiday Season. Step out of the third dimensional Holiday Season and into the fifth dimensional Holiday Season. Let go of the stress and disappointment you have experienced in 2006 and move into 2007 with a heart filled with Hope for the future, Joy to be alive, and Peace on Earth.

Rev. Claudia McNeely DD - http://www.askclaudia.com - is a world renowned Psychic/Healer who offers accurate psychic readings, emotional healing, spiritual counseling, life coaching and many forms of alternative healing for healing in body, mind and spirit.

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Christmas Traditions with origins in the Civil War era

These days we read so many articles detailing the origins of various Christmas traditions - the placement of a ornamental tree inside the home, egg nog and other culinary delights, and the Christian adoption of the season to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Many would be surprised to know, however, that a number of seasonal traditions actually have their origins in the Civil War era.

During this tumultuous time of brother against brother, the holidays were still celebrated (mainly in the South) with the hope of a swift conclusion to the conflicts that divided our nation for many years. It is said, too, that the states were split on the issue of celebrating the holiday as much as they were on subjects that led to the war in the first place. Being that the nation was young, this generation grew from a Puritan time where celebrating Christmas was considered sinful, due to the roots of many traditions being steeped in paganism that the early Christians sought to suppress. It wasn't until the early nineteenth century when US states finally legalized the holiday - the first three being Alabama, Lousiana, and Arkansas.

These days, we might catch a glimpse of traditions we observe now in the Christmas scenes in Gone With the Wind and other movies depicting the time. They, however, only tell part of a story. Here follows just a short list of Christmas mainstays and traditions that evolved from this time in history.

Santa Claus

While the legend of Santa Claus has its roots in a much earlier time - reaching as far as the origins of Christianity itself - it is the modern depiction of this jolliest of elves that saw its creation in the mid-nineteenth century with Thomas Nast. Nast, a widely-known cartoonist of the day (arguably credited with being the father of the modern-day political cartoon), created the visage of Santa Claus for Harper's Weekly around 1863. The billowing white beard, nose like a cherry, and wide-girthed figure bearing a sack full of toys soon became synonymous with the secular aspects of the holiday. These days, contemporary depictions of St. Nick do not stray from Nast's original vision.

Christmas Carols

Did you know that many of the songs we sing during this joyous occasion had originally been written during the darkest time of our nation's history? Indeed, one could argue that some Christmas carols are actually the forerunners of the modern day protest song, as some carols penned in this time were actually thinly veiled commentary on the war. "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," written by minister Edmund Sears, touches upon the desire for peace during this time, while Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" contains strong anti-war sentiment. Of course, one likely doesn't sense this because the more blatant verses of Longfellow's poem are omitted in the traditional carol we sing today. By contrast, Phillips Brooks' "O Little Town of Bethelem" touches on the hope for peace in the aftermath of conflict.

Care Packages

While the troops were out to war, it was not uncommon for a soldier to receive gifts while at battle. Barrels of food and drink, warm clothing, and trinkets from home were especially prized and brought a modicum of cheer to an otherwise dismal situation. One could easily liken these gestures to traditions we hold today in sending care packages to our men and women overseas.

From the songs we sing to the icons we identify, one would be surprised to know how the Civil War influenced our contemporary observance of the Christmas season.

Kathryn Lively is The Write SEO [http://www.thewriteseo.com], providing freelance content and marketing assistance for websites like GoStaffordVA.com, the official site of Stafford County tourism, preserving Civil War history for visitors. She works for CINIVA Systems, Virginia Web Design.

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First Manassas - The Civil War's First major Land Battle

On July 16, 1861, General Irvin McDowell's Federal army, 35,000 strong, marched proudly out of Washington, heading for a confrontation with the Confederate army at Manassas, Virginia, a key railroad junction. The talk had all been confident that the Federals would defeat the South easily. After all, the Philippi Races had shown the Confederates to be untrained and weak.

No one wanted to hear the naysayers, those who cautioned that the Northern army, too, was untrained and unready. The prospect of preparing for a long war was rejected, and those who, perhaps, knew better were shunted to the back of the cheering throngs. Even President Abraham Lincoln had commented, "You are green, it is true, but they are green also; you are both green alike."

The summer sun shone down hot on that July day, and a holiday mood was in the sultry air. Behind the ranks of troops, the citizens of the city decided to drive out to the country in their buggies and watch the exciting battle that was about to take place.

McDowell's troops only covered twenty miles in two days due to the heat, the long baggage trains lumbering along behind, the inexperience of the soldiers, and the ungainly size of the army. On the afternoon of July 18, the army approached a little river called Bull Run. On the opposite side, General Pierre Beauregard waited with his 22,000 Southern troops, entrenched along an eight mile long line. Beauregard had known the Federals were coming, and he knew something the Federal command did not know: not far away, in the Shenandoah Valley, General Joseph Johnston and his 9,000 soldiers were on the march to Manassas.

The Federal officers then made their fatal mistake-they delayed their attack in order to rest their troops. By the time their troops were in position, it was too late. Joe Johnston's regiments had arrived by the Manassas Gap Railroad. When McDowell made his attack on July 21, he was now facing 31,000 grim Confederate soldiers.

The sound of Northern guns, pounding the Confederate positions, began while it was still dark. The battle had begun in earnest, and at first it seemed as if the Federals would easily take the day. The Southern army was being pushed from one position to another.

One brigade, from Virginia, as indicated by the regimental flag, stood firm behind an officer sitting still on a tall black horse. Another Southern officer pointed with his sword, crying, "There is Jackson, standing like a stone wall! Rally behind the Virginians!" His men turned again to the battle. Brigadier General Thomas Jackson's own brigade, later known as the "Stonewall Brigade," was in the center of the fighting. Jackson's men were giving voice to loud, ululating howls that would become known as the rebel yell.

The battle continued into the afternoon, as both armies struggled to control Henry House Hill. A unit of Southern soldiers approached the Northern batteries. They wore blue uniforms, and the artillery troops thought them to be Northerners. The Southerners captured the batteries. The guns fell silent, giving the Confederates the opportunity to charge. In addition, new, fresh Southern soldiers arrived from the trains, and the Northern attack collapsed.

General McDowell gave the order to withdraw, but the greenness of his army was now exposed. They moved, however, without panic until they crossed Bull Run and crashed headlong into the Washington spectators. Carriages blocked the road and bridges, and troops and civilians tangled with each other. Soldiers threw down their arms and struggled to get through the mess.

The Northerners expected the Confederates to chase them down. The Rebels, however, were exhausted and scattered as well. Their officers were unable to form a charge against the retreating Yankees, and the battle wound down. There would be no more fighting for days to come as both sides licked their wounds.

In Washington, as well as the rest of the North, the population was stunned. Their proud army, which had so recently paraded through the city streets, had been soundly defeated. The victory celebration-already planned-would not be needed. The quick victory that would have decided the war did not occur. Citizens and government alike took a sober assessment of the future and realized that the war was going to be long, hard, and bloody. The casualties on the Northern side were 2,896 men, killed, wounded, and missing; numbers that seemed high-at the time.

Although the South had lost 1,982, their view of this first major battle of the war was completely different. They had defeated an army of superior size and proved that one Rebel could beat ten Yankees. Although the military knew that the war would not be easily won, Southern citizens went to bed on the night they heard the reports convinced that the war would be over soon. Like the citizens of Washington the day before the battle, they could not have been more mistaken.

First Manassas (or Bull Run) was the first major battle of the Civil War. It was apparent after this battle that the war would be long and costly. The 150th anniversary of this important event took place on July 21-24, 2011.

Donna Gruber Adair is a former teacher of high school English and creative writing, with a degree in history. Her short stories and poetry have won awards. Her new book, An American Odyssey, is available at Amazon.com in soft cover or for Kindle or at http://www.createspace.com/3618194.

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Alton Civil War Prison

Positioned near the intersection of William and Broadway can be found the remnants of the Alton's dark fleeting moment of glory. All that remains of Alton's previous Civil War penal complex is a small state marker and a few leftover bricks derive from the cellblocks of Illinois first Penitentiary.

No prison is a pleasurable location to take a vacation to even if that holiday is escaping from a war zone. As the Civil War waged on, this Union prison acquired a ghastly and lingering reputation as the death center for thousands of Confederate army soldiers taken as prisoner by the opposing Union forces. Their prison conditions were deplorable as the cells were nothing short of breeding grounds for anguish, disease and malnourishment. The pent up resentment felt by the conflicting forces produced unheard of acts of cruelty among the guards and the prisoners. This prison from its moment of activation endowed a series of horror accounts from those who came home afterwards.

Alton prison was a construction project like no other. It embodied the states first penitentiary and opened its doors to receive prisoners in 1833. The men who were incarcerated there would be forced to labor during the daylight in the local quarries while they were housed in their prison cells as nighttime approached. This unique structure was the only Penitentiary in America at the time was in existence for twenty seven years before finally closing its doors only to be revived into another life.

The first building of the penitentiary was concluded in 1833 and held 24 cells, however as further prisoners were incarcerated funds become available for expansion with additional cells. As of 1846 there were 96 cells added with more scheduled to follow. At the time of its closing the prison had grown to 256 cells. The actual size of its cells has been determined to be 4 feet wide and a little over 7 feet long. Most reports seem to indicate that there were three men in each of the cells. Even though the quantity of cells had been significantly augmented the prison was still extremely overcrowded and consisted of acutely unsanitary conditions. As the year 1841 was ushered in, Dorothea Dix's reform movement centered upon prisons as they targeted Alton for its unhealthy environment. Her group exposed a grim and horrific picture of rats and vermin while the prison population was continually plagued by various diseases. Although she proposed closing the facility in 1847, it remained open until 1860 when it was finally abandoned.

During the initial years of the Civil War the prison had been transformed into a military post. This demonstrates to be a beneficial advantage for the Army since it was located along the Missouri border making it accessible by river. The original military garrison to be stationed at the former prison consisted of several companies from the 13th U.S. Regulars who were at the time under the command of none other then General William T. Sherman with local troops commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Sydney Burbank, a West Point graduate with seasoned infantryman experience. In December of 1861 an assignment was given to Lieutenant-Colonel James B. McPherson to scrutinize and provide his recommendations for the possible use of the facilities as a military detention center. The proposed numbers of prisoners were estimated at 1,750 with a final cost of the planned improvements amounting to $2,415. In February of 1862, the first prisoners arrived and the complex was placed under the authority of the 13th U.S. Infantry division with Burbank as the commanding officer. There were several Army units assigned to Alton upon the departure of the 13th Infantry. They were followed by the 77th Ohio Infantry, then the 37th Iowa Infantry, the 10th Kansas Infantry and finally the 144th Illinois Infantry. Of interest is the fact that the Illinois 144th was composed entirely of Alton area citizens.

The prison was constructed as a fortress style and made entirely of stone. The walls attained a height of 30 feet which were just about escape proof. Since the prisoners were maintained in solitary confinement in most prisons those in Alton had limited access to the prison yard where the latrines and drinking water was located. As a consequence of this limited freedom the public viewed the prison as extremely humanitarian for its time. Unfortunately for the prisoners, shortly after they had been relocated to Alton the water supply was found to be highly contaminated.

During the subsequent three years there were in excess of 12,000 Confederate soldiers incarcerated within the prison walls. Being a military detention center it still had a diverse populace with the majority of the prisoners naturally being Confederate soldiers. Common citizens were not above being detained within the confines as well. Several women have been listed for crimes relating to treasonable actions while it is known that two of them eventually dying while incarcerated in the prison. Other crimes which would initiate imprisonment are spying, making anti-Union comments, saboteurs, southern sympathizers or those aiding escaped Confederate soldiers. A third group of prisoners held at the penitentiary were the bushwhackers or Civil War guerrillas who were imprisoned by the Union government for acts such as bridge burning or vandalizing railroads.

The conditions found in the prison were exceptionally harsh and oppressive with the death rate at an above average level. Punishments were dealt out ruthlessly for any infraction and these penalties could range from a brutal beating to outward flogging. Being inmates were undernourished and disease ridden, the high temperatures of summer and the bitter cold of winter took a heavy toil on the lives of the prisoners at Alton prison.

It was not unusual for outbreaks of serious consequences to occur. Pneumonia, dysentery, smallpox and rubella were continually taking its share of the prisoners, while scurvy, fever and malnutrition plagued the prisoners on a continual basis. The inmates suffered greatly from a lack of clean clothing, edible food, fresh water and proper medical care. It was the dreaded smallpox which averaged 6 to 10 deaths daily resulting in prisoners being sent to the quarantine hospital on a Mississippi River island once known as Sunflower Island and later changed to Smallpox Island. The island is now hidden underwater but previously one can find the graves of 300 Union officers and their prisoners who died of smallpox infections.

The death toll for Alton Prison is estimated at 1500 to 2200 Confederate soldiers. The nearby Confederate Soldiers Cemetery in Alton was never properly tended to and as a result most of the graves are unidentifiable.

On July 7th of 1865 the prison closed its doors as the last of its inmates were released. The building was eventually torn down and the land reclaimed as a city park. Stones from the buildings within the prison walls ended up in structures located around the Alton area.

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