TOPIC: POLICE

Role of police in society

The police, along with the military, represent the coercive arm of the state. In
Australia the police are operationally independent of the government. This means
that although the government is responsible for the police budget, the legislation
that creates the laws under which police operate and for appointing the Chief
Commissioner, the police decide how they will go about their various duties
(Finnane 1994: 31-38).
The separation of powers between the police and government is considered an
important tenet of liberal democracy. The separation of powers assists in ensuring
that the police are not used in a partisan political way to harass and punish political
opponents and dissidents. There is also a separation of roles and powers between
the courts and the police. It is the police role to bring suspected offenders before
the courts and the courts' role to decide on guilt or innocence and, in the case of
conviction, decide on punishment.
The police have various roles. Officially, the core functions of the police include
enforcing the law, keeping the peace and protecting life and property. In carrying
out these functions the police have a broad discretion. How police discretion is used
and how the various police roles are prioritised will have an impact on the policing
of political protests. Strict adherence to enforcing the law at a protest, for example,
might involve mass arrests for minor offences. Such mass arrests will inevitably
impact on police resources and might undermine capacity to undertake other police
functions. Mass arrests might be perceived as provocative by an otherwise peaceful
crowd, escalate conflict and lead to breaches of the peace that might threaten life
and property.
A hard or uncompromising attitude to protests prioritises enforcing the law
regardless of the consequences for keeping the peace, whereas a more conciliatory
style of policing political protest generally prioritises keeping the peace. When
keeping the peace is prioritised police will generally only make arrests in a protest
situation where the offences are serious and on balance the risk to life and property
in not making the arrest outweighs the risk to life and property associated with
making the arrest.
In democratic states, policing should comply with the law, be accountable and
respect human rights.
Australia does not have a bill of rights but the right to protest is set out in the
International Covenant of Political and Civil Rights. The right to protest is also
recognised as an important part of Australia's social traditions and is now a part of
Victorian and ACT legislation through the enactment of Charters of rights.

TOPIC: DISCRIMINATION
Discrimination is all about being treated differently to everyone else because of
something about you that someone doesnt respect. Get info on common reasons
for discrimination, signs of discrimination and what you can do about it.
Everyone has the right to be treated fairly and respectfully, but when you
discriminate, you choose to treat someone differently based on a characteristic
about them. If someone is treated badly or unfairly because of that characteristic,
its known as negative discrimination.
Common reasons that people are discriminated against include
Their sex or gender
If they have any kind of disability
Their race
Their age
Their sexual preferences
Discrimination is often linked with bullying and harassment (when someone
behaves in a way that is intended to disturb or upset another person). Its actually
against the law to be discriminated against in a lot of areas of public life including
in the workplace, education, accommodation, government services, and when
accessing goods, services and facilities.
There are many different signs and actions that can indicate discrimination may be
taking place. Some examples include:
Someone saying hurtful things or attacking you repeatedly
Being made fun of
Being excluded or left out
Being made to feel inferior because of someones comments, remarks or actions
Having a group of people gang up on you
Being made to do hurtful or inappropriate things
Being threatened
Finding yourself having to defend who you are and what you believe against
stereotypes and untrue claims
Basically if youre being made to feel uncomfortable, are offended by someones
comments/actions, and/or feel judged because of particular characteristics, then
someone could be discriminating against you.
If you do feel like youre being discriminated against, there are things you can do to
address it:

Try and take action yourself. Explain to the person involved that their behaviour is
offending you or making you uncomfortable.
Keep a diary. Document everything that has happened, including any attempts that
youve made to address or resolve the situation.
Get informed. Formal processes for handling issues of discrimination can be very
different depending on where and when the discrimination has occurred/is
occurring. Check out the Australian Human Rights Commissions website for
information on your rights and your options.

TOPIC: SELF-WORTH
13 Tips to Building Self-Esteem
In order to build your self-esteem, you must establish yourself as the master of your
own life. Every single minute of your life is a moment you can change for the better.
If youve been delaying some action for half the day, dont dwell on it or beat
yourself up for it, shift your focus to the present moment and what you can do right
now. Start with the smallest or the most important task.
self-esteem3.jpg
PHOTO: VANESSA PAXTON
The following are tips to help build continuous upward momentum towards higher
self esteem.
1. Start Small
Start with something you can do immediately and easily. When we start with small
successes, we build momentum to gain more confidence in our abilities. Each
completed task, regardless of how small, is a building block towards a more
confident you. What are some small actions you can take immediately to
demonstrate that you are capable of achieving goals youve set for yourself? For
example, clean your desk, organize your papers, or pay all your bills.
2. Create a Compelling Vision
Use the power of your imagination. Create an image of yourself as the confident
and self-assured person you aspire to become. When you are this person, how will
you feel? How will others perceive you? What does your body language look like?
How will you talk? See these clearly in your minds eye, with your eyes closed. Feel
the feelings, experience being and seeing things from that persons perspective.
Practice doing this for 10 minutes every morning. Put on music in the background
that either relaxes you, or excites you. When you are done, write a description of
this person and all the attributes youve observed.
3. Socialize
Get out of the house or setup a lunch date with a friend. Socializing with others will
give us opportunities to connect with other people, and practice our communication
and interpersonal skills.
4. Do Something that Scares You
As with all skills, we get better with practice and repetition. The more often we
proactively do things that scare us, the less scary these situations will seem, and
eventually will be rid of that fear.
5. Do Something You Are Good At

What are you especially good at or enjoy doing? Regularly doing things that you are
good at reinforces your belief in your abilities and strengths. I (Tina) can be very
efficient with completing errands or administrative work. Whenever I have a few
hours filled with ways in which Ive maximized my time, I feel highly productive and
this boosts the confidence have in my abilities as an organized and efficient person.
6. Set Goals
According to a study done at Virginia Tech, 80% of Americans say they dont have
goals. And the people who regularly write down their goals earn nine times as much
over their lifetime as people who dont. By setting goals that are clear and
actionable, you have a clear target of where you want to be. When you take action
towards that goal, youll build more confidence and self-esteem in your abilities to
follow through.
7. Help Others Feel Good About Themselves
Help somebody or teach them something. When you help other people feel
about themselves and like themselves more, it will make you feel good
yourself. See what you can do to make others feel good or trigger them to
Maybe giving them a genuine compliment, helping them with something or
them what you admire about them.

better
about
smile.
telling

8. Get Clarity on Life Areas

Get clarity on the life area that needs the most attention. Your self-esteem is the
average of your self-concept in all the major areas of your life. Write down all the
major categories of your life, e.g., health, relationships, finance, etc. Then rate
yourself on a scale of 1-10 in each area. Work on the lowest numbered category
first, unless they are all even. Each area affects the other areas. The more you build
up each area of your life, the higher your overall self-esteem.
9. Create a Plan
Having a goal alone wont do much. Get clarity on your action items. One of the
biggest reasons people get lazy is because they dont have a plan to achieve their
goals. They dont know what the next step is and start to wander off randomly.
When youre baking a cake, its a lot easier to follow a set of clear instructions, than
randomly throwing ingredients together.
10. Get Motivated
Read something inspirational, listen to something empowering, talk to someone
who can uplift our spirits, who can motivate us to become a better person, to live
more consciously, and to take proactive steps towards creating a better life for
ourselves and our families.
11. Get External Compliments
As funny as this point suggests, go find a friend or family member and ask them
What do you like about me? What are my strengths? or What do you love
about me? We will often value other peoples opinions more than our own. We are

the best at beating ourselves up for things not done well, and we are the worst at
recognizing what weve done well in. Hearing from another person our strengths
and positive qualities helps to build a more positive image of ourselves.
12. Affirmations & Introspection
Use affirmations, but in the right way. Some people think that when theyre in a
slump, using positive affirmations will help them get out of it. I love affirmations, but
Ive realized you have to use them in the right way. Sitting on your couch and saying
I am highly motivated and productive does nothing. Say something like I am
sitting here being very unproductive right now, is this the ideal me? What would be
my best self? Your affirmations have to be the TRUTH. Once youre honest, take the
first step towards doing the thing, no matter how small.
13. No More Comparisons
Stop comparing yourself to other people. Low-self esteem stems from the feeling of
being inferior. For example, if you were the only person in the world, do you think
you could have low-self esteem? Self-esteem only comes into the picture when
there are other people around us and we perceive that we are inferior. Dont worry
about what your neighbor is doing. Accept that itll serve you more to just go down
your own path at your own pace rather than to compare yourself. Pretend youre
starting over and begin immediately with the smallest step forward.
Self-esteem comes from self-dominion. The more power you have in getting yourself
to take the right actions, the more self-esteem you will have. Your level of selfesteem affects your happiness and everything you do.

OPPORTUNITY
One of most powerful ways to change your life and the lives of others is by spotting
opportunities for improvement. Opportunity is in front of your eyes right now and
you dont see it. So how do you open your eyes wider? How do you see the hidden
opportunity that exists everywhere in your environment?

Develop relationships with highly creative people Creative people see

opportunity everywhere and their insight will rub off on you. The best way to learn
to see a world of possibilities is to hang out with people that spend most of their
time actively creating things. People who create art, literature, businesses, graphics,
websites, ideas, music, markets, products, or anything else constructive. Find ways
to spend your days and nights talking about creative ideas and thinking about
possibilities. With Web 2.0 and social media your opportunity to meet other creative
people and share ideas is greater than ever before in human history. No matter
where you are, if you can connect to the internet, you can meet and hobnob with
creative people from every corner of the globe. What an amazing possibility this is.
Think of the endless opportunity our connectedness provides.

Write down everything that surprises you Many great opportunities are fueled by
surprises. Surprises are usually funny, amazing, and insightful. Carry a small
notebook and digital camera everywhere and document everything that surprises
you. You will find endless opportunity to create things from your surprises.

Journal about problems Some people say there is no such thing as a problem;
there are only opportunities. I concede they may be right. For every problem there
is a solution and that solution will have value to others. Documenting obstacles and
problems and the solutions you use to overcome them is an opportunity for you to
bring value to others.

Journal about possibilities Imagine grand possibilities and write them down.
Imagine inexpensive limitless clean energy. What would it look like? How would we
use it? Imagine yourself being the greatest possible person you can be. What would
you be? Imagine your dream business. Imagine the future you would create if you
could create any possible future. What would it look like? Write it down. Find the
opportunities hidden inside your imagination.

Be open to unorthodox ideas If your first reaction to an idea is defensive, stop

yourself and think Wait, listen, let them finish. Listen to the entire idea and then
imagine the possibility of the idea. Dont shoot down an idea just because it
sounds far out or strange. Give it a moment, wait for your defensiveness to pass

and then look at it again. Sleep on it or wait several days to get your prejudices out
of the way. It has taken years of persistence for me to accept several unorthodox
ideas that have proven valuable.

Eliminate limiting beliefs and mindsets Are you one of those people that say Im
just not that creative. Do you think playing with gadgets is frivolous? Are you a bit
too serious? Are you easily offended? Are you willing to indulge your curiosity or are
you afraid of looking foolish? Do feel a need to follow the rules without question? All
these things come from limiting beliefs and mindsets which will limit your ability to
sense opportunities. Identify and smash your limiting beliefs.

Be grateful Being grateful is the antidote to resentment and complacency.

Resentment and complacency block your ability to see clearly. The best way to clear
resentment and complacency from your mind is to be grateful for where you are
right now. Be grateful for your gifts and your weaknesses. Be grateful for your
success and your setbacks. If you are grateful for all things, including those that
appear to go wrong, you will be able to see them for the opportunities they are.

CULTURE
How to Respect Cultural Diversity
Self-Awareness
Intercultural respect begins with the awareness that your culture is no more
valuable or "correct" than any other. Being part of the majority culture in a given
country does not change this; in fact, it only makes that awareness more important,
since it may be even easier to see your culture as normal and dismiss or mock
others for being strange. To show respect for any cultural differences you encounter,
keep in mind that you see the world through a cultural "filter" that not everyone
shares.
Education
Lack of understanding often plays a role in intercultural tension, so it's important to
educate yourself on other cultures to help minimize that tension. For example, a
German doctor who deals primarily with patients from Peru is likely to find that his
patients' view of time is different from his own. He may place a high value on
punctuality, while the patients see arriving after the appointment time as
completely normal. Neither is right; they're just different ways of dealing with time.
Educate yourself on the cultures around you so that you're prepared and equipped
to deal with any disparities.
Engagement
It's natural to gravitate toward those with whom you share a culture, but interacting
with those from other cultures will broaden your worldview and help you show
respect when cultural differences arise. Without being pushy or critical, ask
questions and exchange views. Take an interest in what it means to be a member of
another culture, being careful not to make unfair or insulting comparisons. For
example, it is not uncommon for the parents of Chinese university students to
choose their child's area of study, but Western cultures may see this practice as
controlling or even wrong. Instead of making judgments, talk to members of the
other culture to understand the context of their decisions.
Flexibility
Be willing to defer and adapt to another culture when differences arise, as this is
often the ultimate show of respect. For example, an American traveling in Palestine
may be repeatedly offered cups of tea, food and myriad other forms of hospitality. In
the United States, it's often more polite to decline, with the goal of not
inconveniencing your host. In other cultures, however, declining anything offered is
considered disrespectful; on the other hand, it is often perfectly acceptable to take
one sip of tea and leave the rest untouched. Deferring to another culture is in effect
saying, "Let's do things your way. I respect and value your way of life."

ECONOMICS
Lesser Known Issues
Bounded Rationality
Economic theory generally assumes that individuals are completely rational, and as
such, make rational decisions. Recent books on behavioral economics, notably Dan
Arielys Predictably Irrational have brought forth evidence that people do not make
rational decisions at all. Bounded Rationality is the idea that individual decision
making is limited by personal information, cognitive limitations, and time
constraints. The basic idea of economics is that people act in ways to maximize
their self-interest. We do things that will increase our utility, or happiness. It
seems logical that we would make rational decisions in order to accomplish that.
Unfortunately, information asymmetry (described below), cognitive biases (read
about them in my previous list) and other factors conspire to bound our rationality,
and people often make choices that lead to outcomes that go against their desires.
Lipstick Effect
Economics has many categories for goods. Luxury Goods are items that people
buy more of as their income rises, as opposed to Necessity Goods like food and
shelter, whose demand is unrelated to income. Examples of luxury goods include
fine jewelry, expensive sports cars and designer clothing. The Lipstick Effect is the
theory that during an economic calamity, people buy more less costly luxury goods.
Instead of buying a fur coat, people will buy expensive lipstick. The idea is that
people buy luxury goods even during economic hardships, they will just choose
goods that have less of an impact on their funds. Other less expensive luxury goods
besides cosmetics include expensive beer and small gadgets.
Information Asymmetry
Information asymmetry is a prevalent issue in economics. In most sales
transactions, the seller has more information than the buyer, and as such has the
opportunity to try to pass off low quality or defective products for higher prices. This
leads to buyer distrust and the old idiom: Buyer Beware.Adverse selection is a
market process where information asymmetry causes negative results. A good
example is health insurance. Insurance companies depend on a mix of clients: they
need a certain number of healthy individuals (low-risk) to pay premiums and not use
a lot of services so that the premium prices can average out. However, the people
most likely to buy health insurance are people who need it because of health
problems (high-risk). These people are more costly to the insurance companies
because they need more services than a healthy person. The insurance companies
do not know every new policy applicants health status (but they certainly do
everything in their power to find out as much as they can), and this lack of
information requires the companies to raise premiums to mitigate the risk. This
increase in premiums causes the healthiest people to cancel their insurance. This
leads to a further increase in premium price as the insurance companies now have a
riskier group, which leads to the now healthiest people canceling their insurance,

continuing the adverse selection spiral, until the only people insured are the direly
ill. At this point, the premiums paid will not even begin to offset the costs of the
sick. In theory, this could lead to the collapse of the health insurance industry,
however, this is an unlikely scenario as their risk is diminished by things such as
employer offered insurance, which includes a large set of healthy individuals who
average out the risk. Another information asymmetry example is the Market for
Lemons, a term coined by the economist George Akerlof. The used car market is
the classic example of quality uncertainty. A defective used car (lemon) is
generally the result of untraceable actions, like the owners driving style,
maintenance habits and accidents. Because the buyer does not have this
information, their best assumption is that the vehicle is of average quality, and
therefore will pay only an average fair price. As a result, the owner of a car in great
condition (cherry), will not be able to get a price high enough to make selling the
cherry worthwhile. End result: the owners of good cars will not sell their vehicles in
the used-car market. This reduces the quality of cars in the used-car market, this
reduces the price buyers will pay, this further reduces the quality of cars sold. You
get the idea.
The Samaritans Dilemma
This is the idea that giving charity reduces an individuals incentive to help
themselves. When given assistance, the recipient has two choices: use the aid to
improve their situation, or come to rely on the aid to survive. Obviously, good
Samaritans give assistance in the hopes of the former, that the recipient will use the
aid to improve their situation. For example, when a country gives financial aid to
another country who has experienced a natural disaster, we assume that the money
will go to helping the victims, cleaning, rebuilding, etc. Arguers against charity often
bring up this dilemma, claiming that beneficiaries of such aid lose incentive to work
or become productive members of society. This can be seen in action when people
who want to give a dollar or two to a homeless person do not, because they are
afraid the person will buy booze with it. A transfer of wealth of a couple of dollars
from someone who can spare the dollars to someone who will use the dollars to
improve their situation is a wonderful arrangement. However, if the recipient of the
dollars is not going to use the money for a noble purpose, and instead is going to
buy illicit drugs with them, it is a less desirable arrangement, and most charitable
people would decline to give the dollars. Heres the problem: it is hard to know how
the person you are giving the dollars to will use the funds, so people might instead
opt to not give to any homeless people. Now the individuals who would have used
the money to improve their situations suffer.

SUCCESS
Achieving Better Success
Success is a subjective notion, if there ever was one. But for simplicity's sake, let's
assume the higher you are on Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the better you're doing.
In case you don't remember the levels from Psych 101, essentially, people can't be
their best possible selves (self-actualization) until lower-level needs are met first. In
other words, you can't be an ideal version of yourself if you don't have enough food
and money to pay the bills, or enough love and esteem to feel good about your
value as a human being. So, what can you do to move yourself up the pyramid?

Check out the findings from several studies, which shine a light on what it takes to
achieve more in life.

Increase your confidence by taking action.

Katty Kay and Claire Shipman, authors of The Confidence Code, wrote a stellar
article for The Atlantic on this subject. Highlighting scads of studies that have found
that a wide confidence gap exists between the sexes, they point out that success is
just as dependent on confidence as it is on competence. Their conclusion? Low
confidence results in inaction. "[T]aking action bolsters one's belief in one's ability
to succeed," they write. "So confidence accumulates--through hard work, through
success, and even through failure."

Broaden your definition of authenticity.

Authenticity is a much sought-after leadership trait, with the prevailing idea being
that the best leaders are those who self-disclose, are true to themselves, and who
make decisions based on their values. Yet in a recent Harvard Business Review
article titled "The Authenticity Paradox," Insead professor Herminia Ibarra discusses
interesting research on the subject and tells the cautionary tale of a newly
promoted general manager who admitted to subordinates that she felt scared in her
expanded role, asking them to help her succeed. "Her candor backfired," Ibarra
writes. "She lost credibility with people who wanted and needed a confident leader
to take charge." So know this: Play-acting to emulate the qualities of successful
leaders doesn't make you a fake. It merely means you're a work in progress.

Improve your social skills.

According to research conducted by University of California Santa Barbara
economist Catherine Weinberger, the most successful business people excel in both
cognitive ability and social skills, something that hasn't always been true. She
crunched data linking adolescent skills in 1972 and 1992 with adult outcomes, and

found that in 1980, having both skills didn't correlate with better success, whereas
today the combination does. "The people who are both smart and socially adept
earn more in today's work force than similarly endowed workers in 1980," she says.

Train yourself to delay gratification.

The classic Marshmallow Experiment of 1972 involved placing a marshmallow in
front of a young child, with the promise of a second marshmallow if he or she could
refrain from eating the squishy blob while a researcher stepped out of the room for
15 minutes. Follow-up studies over the next 40 years found that the children who
were able to resist the temptation to eat the marshmallow grew up to be people
with better social skills, higher test scores, and lower incidence of substance abuse.
They also turned out to be less obese and better able to deal with stress. But how to
improve your ability to delay things like eating junk food when healthy alternatives
aren't available, or to remain on the treadmill when you'd rather just stop?

Writer James Clear suggests starting small, choosing one thing to improve
incrementally every day, and committing to not pushing off things that take less
than two minutes to do, such as washing the dishes after a meal or eating a piece of
fruit to work toward the goal of eating healthier. Committing to doing something
every single day works too. "Top performers in every field--athletes, musicians,
CEOs, artists--they are all more consistent than their peers," he writes. "They show
up and deliver day after day while everyone else gets bogged down with the
urgencies of daily life and fights a constant battle between procrastination and
motivation."

Demonstrate passion and perseverance for long-term goals.

Psychologist Angela Duckworth has spent years studying kids and adults, and found
that one characteristic is a significant predictor of success: grit. "Grit is having
stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not
just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a
reality," she said in a TED talk on the subject. "Grit is living life like it's a marathon,
not a sprint."

Embrace a "growth mindset."

According to research conducted by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, how people
view their personality affects their capacity for happiness and success. Those with a
"fixed mindset" believe things like character, intelligence, and creativity are
unchangeable, and avoiding failure is a way of proving skill and smarts. People with
a "growth mindset," however, see failure as a way to grow and therefore embrace
challenges, persevere against setbacks, learn from criticism, and reach higher levels

of achievement. "Do people with this mindset believe that anyone can be anything,
that anyone with proper motivation or education can become Einstein or
Beethoven? No, but they believe that a person's true potential is unknown (and
unknowable); that it's impossible to foresee what can be accomplished with years of
passion, toil, and training," she writes.

Invest in your relationships.

After following the lives of 268 Harvard undergraduate males from the classes of
1938 to 1940 for decades, psychiatrist George Vaillant concluded something you
probably already know: Love is the key to happiness. Even if a man succeeded in
work, amassed piles of money, and experienced good health, without loving
relationships he wouldn't be happy, Vaillant found. The longitudinal study showed
happiness depends on two things: "One is love," he wrote. "The other is finding a
way of coping with life that does not push love away."

COLLEGE
Something else an academic education will do for you. If you go along with it any
considerable distance, it will begin to give you an idea what size mind you have.
Whatll fit and, maybe, what it wont. After a while, youll have an idea what kind of
thoughts your mind should be wearing. For one thing, it may save you an
extraordinary amount of time trying on ideas that wont suit you, arent becoming to
you. Youll begin to know your true measurements and dress your mind
accordingly.
J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
Your ability to expand your mind and strive for lifelong learning is critical to your
success. By dedicating yourself to learning, you can get ahead in every aspect of
your life. All it takes is a commitment.
The most successful people read an average of 2-3 hours per day. They belong to
organizations that encourage learning the most current information and share ideas.
For people dedicated to continuous learning, it means that they attend annual
conventions and go to every session available that has new insights that can help
them to be more effective in getting the results for which they are responsible.

The Importance Of Lifelong Learning

Learning is the minimum requirement for success in your field. Information and
knowledge on everything is increasing every day. This means that your knowledge
must also increase to keep up.
Expand Your Mind

This brings us to a very important point on intelligence, information, and lifelong

learning.

There are three different kinds of education that you can acquire, either deliberately
or in a random fashion. These three kinds of learning are maintenance learning,
growth learning, and shock learning and Ill go into detail below.

1) Maintenance Learning

Maintenance learning refers to you keeping current with your field.

This keeps you on pace and prevents you from falling behind. Many people think
that reading an occasional book and keeping current with blogs and newsletters is
the equivalent of adding to their education.

This is not the case

Maintenance learning is the same as checking the stock market reports each day to
find out the sales prices of various stocks and securities. This information does not
add to your knowledge of the companies, the market, or the investment potential of
a particular stock.

Maintenance learning is absolutely essential. Its similar to light physical exercise

that keeps you at a particular level of fitness. It wont increase your level of fitness
or improve your conditioning in any way, but it will keep you in shape.

2) Growth Learning

This is the kind of learning that adds knowledge and skills to your repertoire that
you did not have before.

Growth learning helps you expand your mind. Youre acquiring information that you
didnt have that enables you to do things that you could not do previously. Some of
the very best thinkers in the world today are producing some of the very best
material and ideas that you can use for continuous education and to help you
expand your mind.

You can find this information by doing a quick search online. You can discover great
ideas by listening to podcasts, reading blogs, and reading books. You can discover
incredible information without having to buy anything at all.

3) Shock Learning

Shock learning is learning that contradicts or reverses a piece of knowledge or

understanding that you already have.

Shock learning can be extremely valuable if you act upon it.

Peter Drucker, in his book Innovation and Entrepreneurship, said that the primary
sources of innovation in a company are the unexpected succeses or the unexpected
failures. Something that happens that is completely inconsistent with the
expectations of what should have happened.
This shock can give you insights that can enable you to either take advantage of a
major change in the marketplace or guard against a serious reversal.
Unfortunately, most people are creatures of habit. When something happens that is
completely unexpected, they choose to ignore it in favor of the old information with
which they are more comfortable. Dont be afraid of change.
Always change and adapt.

SLEEP
Dream analyst navigates the symbolism of sleep
Donna Koehn The Tampa TribunePublished: June 17, 2012Updated: March 18, 2013
at 06:01 PM
Even an expert in dream analysis has that naked dream. You know the one: You're
wearing nothing in public but your birthday suit and a look of horror. Lauri Quinn
Loewenberg of Apollo Beach had it the night before appearing on "Good Morning
America" with Diane Sawyer to interpret a dream sequence on "Desperate
Housewives." Fortunately, she knew the dream wasn't prophetic, just an indication
that her psyche was gearing up for the show.
"When you dream you're naked in public, it usually means you are concerned about
how others view you," she says. It's one of the most common dreams she
encounters in her work. Loewenberg has made a career of interpreting dreams,
which she calls "a conversation with yourself." The naked dream's meaning might
seem obvious, but others are less so. A sexual dream is rarely about sex, for
instance. "Dreams are a continuation of your thoughts from the day before," she
says. "Instead of thinking in words, you're thinking in dreams in symbols, stories and
emotions. It's just another language." Analyzing your dreams and determining what
they're trying to tell you is easier if you know some common themes and symbols
dream experts use to decipher meanings. Loewenberg includes more than 1,000 of
them in an index in each of her three books; the latest is "Dream on It: Unlock Your
Dreams, Change Your Life" (2011, St. Martin's Griffin). The symbolisms are
archetypes, meaning they carry the same definition for most people. For example,
dreaming about a tornado usually means you're feeling anxiety or stress in your
waking life. The author says she started recalling her dreams when she was 2 years
old, and kept a dream journal throughout her childhood. A pivotal moment came at
age 19, when her grandfather, who recently had died, appeared to her in a dream.
"When I woke up, I could still smell his Old Spice," she says. That experience led her
in 1996 to study dream analysis and the archetypes described in the teachings of
psychiatrist Carl Jung and others. Loewenberg's experience in theater, her
photogenic beauty and her encyclopedic knowledge of dream symbols make her a
popular TV talk show guest. She has appeared on "The View," "The Today Show,"
"Anderson Cooper 360," "Sleep" with Sanjay Gupta, "The Daily Buzz" and "Dr. Oz."
She also hosted her own special, "In Your Wildest Dreams," on Discovery Health.
Every day, from the waterfront Apollo Beach home she shares with her husband and
12-year-old son, she offers dream interpretations to listeners via radio stations
around the country. When people tell her their dreams, she often asks questions
rather than merely stating what's what. For a dream of falling, she'll ask the
dreamer if he or she has a fear of failure or a recent loss of status. Often, the
dreamers have an ah-HAH! moment of recognition. Frequently, they then open up to
her about emotional problems and concerns. When the same themes start recurring
with hundreds of people, she believes it reflects a trend in society. "Recently I've
been hearing lots of dreams of drowning, of falling, of being chased. I believe many
of these are due to the economy, to the feeling people have of drowning in debt or

not being able to get ahead of it," she says. Loewenberg says even those who claim
not to dream do so every night. Most nights, we dream five or six times, waking
briefly between dreams as part of our regular sleep cycle. The first dream of the
night is sometimes a continuation of whatever you were reading or watching on TV
before going to bed, making it the "clearing-out-the-house dream," she says. Then
your subconscious gets busy with the real stuff. While the first dream lasts about
five minutes, the others can be up to 90 minutes long. To better remember your
dreams, Loewenberg recommends staying in the same position when you awaken.
This seems to cause the mind to more readily remember the dream you were
having. Writing it down immediately is a help, as is telling someone quickly. If you're
really intense about finding out what your subconscious is trying to tell you, she
advises drinking plenty of water before going to bed, so you will be awakened from
a dream by a need to use the bathroom. Dreaming that something bad has befallen
a loved one doesn't mean it will. Dreams aren't prophetic, Loewenberg says, but just
your subconscious making sense of whatever you are experiencing or avoiding in
your waking world. In a dream, a cigar is rarely just a cigar. "Most people look at
dreams the wrong way," Loewenberg says. "We tend to look at our dreams. We
need to look through them." Loewenberg will present a free seminar on
"Understanding the Dreaming Mind" on Aug. 10 at the Osher Lifelong Learning
Institute at the University of South Florida. Call (813) 974-8036 for information. Here
are some common dreams and what they might mean: Being chased: You likely are
running from some issue you'd rather not face. What or whom are you avoiding?
Car: A car in a dream represents how you are traveling through life or through a
particular situation. It also can refer to how "driven" or motivated you are. If you're
speeding in the dream, slow down and take life a little easier. A car with no brakes
means you are having difficulty stopping something bad from occurring. A crashing
car may indicate you are headed for a rude awakening. An out-of-control car means
you have lost control of something in your life. A car that won't start indicates you
are having trouble getting things up and running or that you have lost your drive.
Alcoholics often dream of lost cars or ones that can't be controlled. Cheating: Unless
you have a good reason to suspect your mate is cheating on you, this dream is
more likely to suggest that your loved one is doing too much of something (golf?
work?) that is taking away from your relationship. If you're the cheater in the dream,
the reverse is true. Are you neglecting your mate? Death: Represents change, the
old dying off to make way for the new. Could be the end of a relationship, or the end
of an old part of your life. You might be moving away to go to college or about to be
married. Fear not rebirth is around the corner. Dead people in a dream usually
refer to issues that are dead, or should be. Are you holding a pointless grudge? Dog:
Symbolizes someone you feel is a loyal companion a mate, a friend or co-worker. A
dog also represents something you have loyalty toward or want to accomplish:
living healthier, quitting smoking, eating better. The type of dog can give you clues:
a German shepherd might mean you need to be guarded in a relationship; a husky
could mean you're carrying a burden. Flying: No, not sex. Your dream is showing you
that you have the ability to break free from earthly woes and soar to new heights.
Can also be a pat on the back from your subconscious for doing a good job. Enjoy!
House: No matter whether you dream of your actual house or some random dream
house, it symbolizes you, your state of mind, the dwelling place of your soul. The

state of the house reflects yourself at the time of the dream for example, an old
house might mean you worry your views are out of date. If it's a house in which you
used to live, it signifies who you were when you lived there. You might need to
figure out what is putting you back in that place emotionally or why you want to go
there. Nudity: What is causing you to feel embarrassed, vulnerable or unprepared in
real life? Are you going to be or have you recently been in a situation in which all
eyes are on you? Sex: No, it doesn't mean you desire sex with that person in the
dream. Pick three words that describe the person, and it might mean you want
those qualities in yourself. It's not always a physical union but a psychological one
you need. If you have sex with someone of the same gender (and you're not gay),
you might have done something recently that makes you proud of your gender.
Teeth: Most often symbolize words. If your teeth are falling out, you've been
gossiping or speaking without thinking. If you are spitting out your teeth, there is
something that needs to be said. If your teeth are crumbling, you may be feeling
voiceless. Water: Your emotions. The state of the water will reflect the state of your
feelings: calm, clear water means clarity in emotional decisions; murky water
means confusion; rising water or a flood might signify depression. If you are under
water, you may feel overwhelmed by something.

TIME
A Bibilical View of Time: Shifting from Chronos to Kairos
Being reactive is often despised. Were told that being proactive is the best course
of action.

But which is a better model for effective time stewardship? The horse with blinders
who plows the ground for hours and hours every day? Or the hawk whose sharp
senses are scanning the area?

Ephesians 5:15-16
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of
the time, because the days are evil.

In our zeal to be good stewards of our time, we can miss the wisdom of the Bible.
We end up running headlong down a path that we think is correct, but we just get
further away from where we should be.

Such is the case with chronos and kairos. Both are Greek words which mean time,
but they imply different things.

Chronos refers to minutes and seconds. It refers to time as a measurable resource.

Kairos is the word used for time in Ephesians 5:16 (which I examined in more detail
here). Kairos means an appointed time, an opportune moment, or a due season.

The Chronos Outlook

We tend to think of our time in a chronos mindset. We think of having 24 hours in a

day. We define our workweeks by the number of hours that we work. We have a list
of things to do and only so much time to get everything done.

Being conscious of our minutes and seconds is a good thing. We should number our
days as the scripture says. Our time on earth is so brief, and we want to be good
stewards of every second that we have to glorify God on this earth.

But ironically, this chronos mindset can make us miss what Paul is saying in
Ephesians 5. Paul instructs us to redeem the kairos to pay attention and take
advantage of the opportune times and seasons.

A Kairos View

We only have such a brief opportunity to shepherd our kids when theyre still young
children. When a friend is experiencing pain, we have a brief window of time in
which to reach out to them.

When friends of ours were going through a rough spot in their marriage, I went to
lunch with the husband. Yes, it took up some of my chronos time. But I was able to
share the gospel with this unsaved friend of mine, we prayed together, and he
expressed an interest in learning more about Christ. It was a kairos opportunity.

Changing Our Mindset

This requires us to make a mental shift. Instead of looking at our time as grains of
sand slipping through an hourglass, we view our time as opportunities flying by.
Instead of viewing our time as seconds ticking by, we realize that not every second
holds the same worth.

Some moments are more valuable than other moments. The five minutes that I
have a chance to share the gospel with an unsaved friend is a more valuable five
minutes than when Im processing my Email. I have to take advantage of my
opportunities.

We must change our view of what effectiveness really is. Though we want to use our
minutes and seconds wisely, biblical effectiveness is not necessarily us ramming as

much as we can into 24 hours. Its not us putting our head down and plowing the
field with as much vigor as we can muster.

Instead the effective steward is a focused watchman whose senses are attuned to
the slightest hint of an opportunity. Hes a hawk on the lookout.

The effective steward not only recognizes these kairos opportunities but has the
courage to leap upon them with all his might. And the effective steward has
organized his schedule in such a way that leaves him open to seizing these
opportunities.

Dont let your diligence towards chronos choke out your attention to kairos.

CHANGE
How to Embrace Changes
1. Reduce expectations.

In each of my lifes circumstances, I had high expectations for my family, my

business, and my marriage. I had expected each to remain constant and to last
forever. But Ive learned that nothing lasts forever. Nothing.

You can have reasonable expectations of how youd like something to turn out, but
you cant marry yourself to that result. Reducing or having no expectations about a
relationship, a business, or a situation can help you accept whatever may come
from it.

When you set reasonable expectations, and dont expect or demand a particular
outcome, youre better able to manage any changes that do come your way.
Unreasonable expectations of life, however, will likely be met with loss,
disappointment, and pain.

2. Acknowledge change.

For the longest time, I refused to believe that change was in the realm of possibility
in a situation. Ive since learned that change can happen quickly and at any point.

Be aware that change can happen in your life. This means understanding that
things can and will be different from how they are now. Acknowledging change is
allowing it to happen when it unfolds instead of approaching change from a place of
denial and resistance.

3. Accept change.

I desperately tried to prevent and stop change from happening in my business and
marriage by trying to forge ahead even in futile situations.

Instead of resisting, allow change to unfold and try to understand whats

transforming and why.

Circumstances will not turn out the way you want them to, and its perfectly all
right. Embracing the situation can help you deal with the change effectively, make
the necessary shifts in your life to embrace the change, and help you move forward
after the event.

4. Learn from the experience.

If you accept and embrace change, you will start looking for and finding lessons in
it.

When dramatic changes were happening in my life, I refused to acknowledge them

at first, so change left me distraught and without meaning. Once I reflected back
and finally accepted the changes, the lessons I started absorbing were profound.

Change becomes your greatest teacher, but only if you give yourself permission to
learn from it.

5. Recognize youre growing stronger.

When you accept, embrace, and learn from change, you inevitably grow stronger.
The ability to continuously accept change allows you to become as solid as a rock in
the midst of violent storms all around youeven if you feel afraid.

6. Embrace the wisdom.

The more I permitted change and impermanence in my life, the more I grew as a
person. Embracing change has brought newfound strength into my life and
surprisingly, more inner peace.

When you proactively embrace change and learn to accept it as a part of life, you
are filled with more calmness, peace, and courage. When life fails to shake you up
with its twists and turns, you realize that changes cant break you.

Youve reached a level of understanding in life that some might even call wisdom.

While by no means have I reached that place called wisdom, Im working through
my aversions to change. I now openly welcome and embrace it.

When we can accept change, learn from it, and become all the better for
experiencing it, change is no longer our enemy. It becomes our teacher.

OBSESSION
Is it love or obsession?
I have truly only loved two men in my life. One when I was fourteen years old
(innocent love) and the other my husband, who passed away in 2008 (mature and
supportive love). In between those two relationships, I dated many men but I either
was not really interested in them or they were relationships of obsession.

Let me write first about my two genuine loves. I met Tau (Im from Brazil so forgive
me for the peculiar name) when I was thirteen. We stayed together until I was
eighteen. In those years we traveled and learned about being in a relationship
through loving each other. It was an absolutely trusting, and innocent relationship;
as neither one of us had much history. We were discovering life together. Everything
was new, exciting and we were there for each other. And that was a time in our lives
where everything was a superlative: I love you more than anything in the whole
world. Ill kill myself if I have to live without you and such other thoughts.

By the time I met my husband I had plenty of history and had accumulated a lot of
heavy baggage. But there was also plenty of wisdom which I had picked up along
the way. It was this wisdom that allowed me to really love and be loved.

I had learned that when we need someone in order to exist and our body aches
when that person is not around, it is not love, it is obsession. It is about us thinking
a particular person has the power to rescue us. And we want to be rescued because
we dont trust our own ability to take care of and provide ourselves with a rich life.

Loving someone means we dont need them but instead we want to share our lives
with them, and most importantly we want to support them on their life journey.
That means giving them the foundation to let them go and be whatever is going to
allow them to grow as people and to fully experience life. There is a huge difference
from you have to stay with me no matter what or you cant do this to me to Im
here loving you; go try out life.

In obsessive relationships it is all about us not the other person. And in a strange
way, even though these relationships are all about us, we have no power. By
needing someone we give our power away and sometimes the recipients can be
quite cruel; a game that gets set up: I give you my life and you can abuse it
because the truth is Im needy and you resent me for that.

Love happens easily and naturally. No games. Two people meet and they are ready
to journey together. No imprisonments or psychologically empty deals. It is simply: I
love you and I want the best for you. You love me and you want the best for me.
Thats real love.

So I believe if we truly want to experience a deep and loving relationship we need to

start by loving ourselves. That is the only way well be able to meet someone and
share love and life without being needy or always being scared if the other person
leaves our world will crumble. Because that is not love; that is obsession.

DETERMINATION
1) Believe you will succeed. For success to become a reality, it is absolutely crucial
that you believe in what youre doing. This is easy at the beginning because youre
focused on what you stand to gain from achieving your goal. As time goes on, you
may gradually forget how excited you were and start to lose that inner fire.

To avoid this possibility, be sure to keep your vision strong and clear in your mind.
Visualization, when done right, is among the most powerful of all life skills. Write it
out in full detail, or create a visual reminder like a vision board with drawings,
paintings or magazine photos that represent your goals. Revisit and focus on these
reminders frequently.

2) Have confidence in your abilities. Your confidence may be strong at the start but
it can quickly fade when you encounter obstacles or setbacks. If this happens,
remember that you once believed that you had the ability to achieve success.
Remind yourself why you felt that way.

In fact, you will find it helpful to write these reasons down when you first set a goal,
and then keep reading them back to yourself when you feel your confidence starting
to fade. Keep in mind that any obstacles or setbacks are temporary and part of the
learning curve. Strong confidence in your abilities is enough to propel you through
to success.

3) Determination. Believing in your eventual success and your ability to achieve it is

a great start, but you also have to be determined to make it happen!

Keep your determination strong by refusing to be held back by obstacles, and

reminding yourself daily why your goals are important to you. Determination is like
an ember that burns in your belly, refusing to let you give up no matter how rough
the going gets. Sometimes determination end up being the key life skill leading to
success.

4) Motivation. Staying motivated can also be a challenge, especially once the

newness and excitement of your goals have worn off and its beginning to feel like
work.

Nine times out of ten, motivation requires a simple decision to remain optimistic
and inspired. Find ways to keep your motivation high if your goal is truly important.
Read books by people who have achieved impressive results. Talk to other
successful people who have demonstrated tenacity and gone on to achieve amazing
results. The more you pump yourself up, the stronger your motivation will stay.
Being your own cheerleader is a success life skill.

5) Awareness. Finally, stay on the lookout for any signs of self-sabotaging behavior
or vanishing interest. If you notice that youre acting in ways that dont further your
goals or support your success, get to the root of the problem quickly so you can get
back on track. Be alert to any tendency to undermine your resolve or give up, and
deal with it swiftly.

Trust that you can accomplish amazing things

You are capable of success in every area of your life. Its not about talent,
circumstances, or luck. Its about learning and applying certain life skills and then
monitoring your results and making little adjustments in your approach.

Setting goals is something we do naturally. The trouble is, most of us tend to do it

almost unconsciously without taking the time to perfect the process. Then, when
things dont turn out the way we had hoped we internalize our disappointment in a
way that creates doubt in our own abilities.

Become an advanced student in the school of life

Many people think that qualities like confidence, communication, creativity,

motivation, focus, courage, and determination are something you are born with. I
believe those qualities are learned life skills that anyone can master if they are
willing to apply themselves. These are advanced life skills and the better you
become at them, the more successful your life will be.

When we were in school, much of what we learned was difficult to focus on because
it had very little practical value. But the kind of life skills we are talking about here
have enormous practical value because they can literally transform the quality of
your life. Find Your TRUE SELF is a concise guide to learning and applying these
specialized life skills.

If you really want to ramp up your level of success, ask yourself this question: Have
I made up my mind to become an advanced student in the school of life? If you
havent yet made that personal commitment then perhaps now would be a good
time!

GUITAR
5 Interesting Facts About Guitar That Will Make You Think

Play guitar? Like rock music? Chili peppers? Hendrix? Indie? All of the above?
Read these facts. If you thought the instrument (or the genre) was good before,
well, brace yourself.
(#1 and #3 are our favorites.)
People have invented guitars that should not be physically possible
Scott-Rippetoe-Largest-Electric-Guitar
The longest guitar in the world is over 13 meters long. Thats about 40 feet, or 6-7x
as tall as you are. The strings are thick, but because theyre so long, the same pitch
is maintained as if you were playing on an ordinary-sized one, which we think is
pretty cool.
The shortest guitar? Just 10 microns long. A micron is one millionth of a meter, so
10 microns means that smallest guitar is 1/100,000 of a meter long. Yep.
The only thing is that you need special equipment to play either one. If youre a
guitar player, your fingers are probably nimble but not micron-level nimble.
The researchers at Cornell who invented the microscopic guitar also invented other
microscopic musical tools that can be used to play it. Who on earth was paying
them to do that?
People pay millions of dollars for guitars like these
Would you put down a million dollars on a signed guitar? Some musicians can
command prices like that. Click below to see the top 10 most priciest guitars sold of
all time some might surprise you.
Top 10 most expensive guitars.
But, guitar is the cheapest instrument to get into by far
The #1 reason why people dont learn musical instruments? Cost. Not many can
afford to go out and buy a piano or nice keyboard ($1,000+), and a limited,
cramped keyboard is anything but satisfactory.
Guitars are awesome because they dont need fancy components to sound good.
We have done extensive reviewing of the top guitars and top guitar amps you will
see that the top options, in 2016 at least, are crazy inexpensive. The prices are
almost suspiciously low, which is why we reviewed every piece of equipment before
recommending it.
The low cost of your first guitar and amp is one of the reasons why many people get
into guitar in the first place. But, not everyone makes the cut

Guitar is the easiest to learn but the learning curve keeps non-dedicated
musicians off the frets
Broke My Guitar
Most consider guitar to be easy to learn, hard to master. But theres more to it than
that:
Right when you start playing, you are going to be awful, to the point where you
cannot play a single song. Continuing on the keyboard example: even as a
beginner, you can play some basic jingles fairly easily.
In guitars case, you have to stick with it for at least a few weeks (or days,
depending on how much you practice) before you can play anything good.
But once you get over the hump, you can play a ton of songs, mainly because most
of the famous songs arent actually that hard to play you just need to develop the
basic skillset first.
In just a few weeks, you will be able to play songs like:
1.

Clocks by Coldplay

2.

Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin

3.

Otherside by RHCP (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

So, a lot of people who are looking to jump right into being a rockstar are put off by
guitar. But everyone who makes the decision to buy one and stick with it for at least
a few weeks or days will love just how easy playing starts to become.
Guitars have been around forever, but the instrument actually just recently gained
popularity
Guitar Evolution
The guitar has been used for millennia the first one can be traced archaeologically
back to 3,000 4,000 years ago. And they were used in all parts of the world, too
not just one particular region or country. Everyone has always loved guitar.
That being said, guitars were never really that popular in the grand scheme of
things. Without modern tools, making a good one was really difficult, and as such,
they were really expensive. Only a select few had them the kings, the wealthy
merchants, etc.
Like we said, though now, things are different. Guitars can be mass-produced and
still sound great, so everyone has a chance to try.
Oh and the electric guitar wasnt invented until recently, either the first one
came about in 1930. We have nothing against acoustics we play them every day
ourselves, and the sound is certainly unique but the electric guitar is on a whole
new level. It created rock and roll, and these days, just decades later, dozens of
genres can be played with even a cheap electric guitar and electronic amp.

HEAVEN
Introduction
People often ask the question, "What will heaven be like." Although the Bible
discusses heaven, it is not possible to understand the full nature of heaven from a
human perspective. Since heaven is where God lives, it must contain more physical
and temporal dimensions than those found in this physical universe that God
created. We cannot imagine, nor can we experience in our current bodies, what
these extra dimensions might be like. Even so, we are given enough information in
the Bible to understand many of the things that will be different in heaven
compared to our lives today. Some of the information on this page is speculation
(with alternative possibilities), but is based upon what the Bible says about heaven.

The end of the seventh day

Genesis, the first book of the Bible says that God created the universe in six days.1
By examining all the passages of the Bible that describe the creation of the
universe, one can conclude that the six days of creation are six periods of time or
ages that God created the universe, the earth, and life on it. The Bible tells us that
we are currently in God's seventh day of rest2 and encourages us to enter into that
rest.3 God's plan for the universe is to allow a large number4 of spiritual beings
(both angels and humans) to choose to spend eternity with Him.5 At the appointed
time, God will call an end to the present universe6 and judge those who reject His
invitation.7

The eighth day

On the eighth day God will create again - this time an entirely new universe.8 The
new universe will have entirely different physical laws. Here are some of the
differences that stand out:

The new earth will have no sea8

There will be no Sun or moon9
Gravity will be absent or greatly reduced10
No more death, suffering, pain11
Believers will receive a new body12
Heaven's characteristics
Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and
BackThe characteristics of the new creation tell us that it will be vastly different
from what we are used to on earth. Probably most noticeable difference will be the

lack of gravity. The New Jerusalem is described as a 1,500 mile cube. Structures of
this size would automatically become a sphere in this universe, because of
gravity.10 Therefore gravity will either be absent or significantly reduced in the new
creation. There will be no Sun or moon. This makes sense, since there will be little or
no gravity. Without gravity, the new creation would not be bound to its source of
heat and light. The lack of the Sun is not a problem for the new creation, since the
Bible tells us that the glory of God Himself will provide illumination.13 The
illumination provided by God14 is probably not the same kind of electromagnetic
radiation (photons) that we call light. The illumination provided by God certainly
involves the wisdom and knowledge that He possesses.15 With this kind of light,
there would be no need to visually see things, since this would severely restrict our
ability to "see" everything as God sees them. There will be no oceans, which means
that there will be no water cycle. It would be difficult for a water cycle to operate
without gravity. There will be the river of the water of life, which flows from the
throne of God.16 Given its source, it seems likely that it may not be liquid water as
we know it.

The laws of thermodynamics seem to be absent from the new creation, since the
Bible tells us that there will be no heat.17 In this universe, the second law of
thermodynamics controls virtually everything that happens. The law states that
heat flows from hot bodies to cold bodies. Stars cannot shine, animals cannot
consume food to produce energy to move, and chemical reactions cannot occur,
since all these processes require the exchange of heat. This law is also called the
law of entropy or decay, since the ultimate result of heat flow is that the universe
continues to become more and more disordered. Science tells us that the universe,
as we see it now, is temporary. It has a moment of creation, and without God's
intervention, will eventually expand to produce a collection of cold, lifeless matter.
Obviously, such a universe would not be acceptable for housing eternal beings, such
as those described in the new creation. As discussed previously, the processes
requiring heat flow seem to be absent from the new creation. These include the
Sun, the sea and a water cycle, and growing old and dying.11 Although there is
described a tree (the tree of life) that bears fruit in heaven, it doesn't seem to be
there for eating. In fact, the Bible says, "the leaves of the tree are for the healing of
the nations."18 Given all the violence and genocide that has been perpetrated on
the earth over the centuries, there will be need for healing among all the people
groups. The lack of eating in heaven19 goes along with the idea that
thermodynamics will be absent there. Finally, the Bible says "the creation itself also
will be set free from its slavery to corruption,"20 suggesting a release from the laws
of thermodynamics.

Some Christians believe that there will be eating in heaven. They cite the great
wedding feast of the Lamb. Is this meant to be taken literally? Of course, the most
important part of the wedding is not the feast, but the marriage. Are we going to be
married in a literal physical marriage to Jesus Christ? I think most males would feel

uncomfortable with this concept. We will be with our Savior and our Father in
heaven and see Him face to face. I believe that the Jewish wedding was chosen to
represent the celebration that will happen in heaven, since it was a most joyous and
lengthy event known to the people for whom the message was given. One can be
certain it will be a great celebration, whether or not we actually eat food.

The new creation will be a place of awesome beauty and is described in terms of
precious jewels and metals. Although the description may not represent literal
earthly jewels, it is intended to represent the amazing beauty of its appearance, as
John, the apostle, saw it. For a preview of the description, see Revelation, chapter
21.

Heaven's timelessness
Heaven exists outside the dimensions of both space and time. The Bible says that
God exists outside of time and created time, probably as the means of
implementing cause and effect. Without cause and effect, actions don't have
consequences and choices don't have repercussions. So, the universe was created
temporally for people to choose to love or reject God. Once the choices have been
made, there is no longer a need for time to exist at all. So, when the Bible says God
destroys the present universe, that includes the universe's dimension of time. So, in
fact, it does not matter when you die, you will end up in heaven with all the other
people you know who went to be in heaveneither before or after you (relative to
this universe's time scale). This includes your ancestors and descendants. Since we
are not restricted by time in heaven, could you look back at your life on earth and
watch it happen? Probably not, since the Bible says that "the former things will not
be remembered or come to mind" (Isaiah 65:17). When God destroys the present
universe, it will have been as if it had never existed. Not even God would have
access to it (Isaiah 43:25). How do things happen in the absence of time? Good
question! Obviously instantly! There will be no more waiting for anything.
Everybody will be able to talk to Jesus for an infinite "amount of time" all
"simultaneously." The English language doesn't even have the proper words to
describe how things will be in heaven.

Where is heaven?
Asking where heaven exists is a little like asking where the center of the universe is.
In fact, the universe doesn't have a center, since everything is moving away from
every other thing. The Bible indicates that heaven does not exist in this universe,
but is God's abode. In fact, the Bible indicates that even the highest heavens (of this
universe) cannot contain God.21 Since we human beings are restricted to the space
time dimensions of this universe, we can never go in a spaceship and find heaven,
since it is not any place to which we can travel. However, there is a way to get
there.

What will people be like in heaven?

With physical laws being so different in heaven, it is apparent that our current
bodies would not be acceptable in such a place.22 The Bible poses the question,
"But someone will say, "How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do
they come?" (1 Corinthians 15:35). The answer to the question is given in a series of
comparisons:23