Sometimes, I can't believe how accurate these little tests are. How do they do it?

What Louise Pool Means

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life. You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you. At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself. You are a very lucky person. Things just always seem to go your way. And because you're so lucky, you don't really have a lot of worries. You just hope for the best in life. You're sometimes a little guilty of being greedy. Spread your luck around a little to people who need it. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know. You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are influential and persuasive. You tend to have a lot of power over people. Generally, you use your powers for good. You excel at solving other people's problems. Occasionally, you do get a little selfish and persuade people to do things that are only in your interest.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Want to know how to be creative? There are several techniques you can use to unleash your inner creativity. In this film brain guru Tony Buzan talks about how to develop your creative thinking, and apply it in many different ways.


How To Improve Your Creative Thinking

Step 1:

Everyone is Creative

It's a misconception that some people are not creative. The brain has a million brain cells, and has huge powers of creativity. Many people are just not trained to tap into their brain's creative potential.

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Step 2:

The Left & Right Brain

The left brain tends to deal with words, logic, numbers etc, and the right brain tends to deal with colour, shapes, rhythm etc. However, it's another misconception that creativity is purely right-brained. Real creativity involves both sides of the brain.

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Step 3:

Speed of Thought

Training the brain think faster can help improve creative thinking. Exercise the brain with things like sudoku, crosswords, puzzles and chess, and try to do them as fast as possible.

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Step 4:

Originality of thought

Try to think about things in as many different ways as possible. Think 'outside the box.'

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Step 5:

Flexibility of Thought

Most people tend to focus on one way of perceiving the world around, to improve your creativity try to discover and explore as many perspectives as possible.

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Step 6:

Imagination & Association

Great creative thinkers use their imagination, and then try to make links and associations between things. Find new connections between things is a way of creating something new.

What Your Easter Egg Says About You

You are a deeply spiritual and passionate person. Easily moved, you feel emotions strongly and clearly. You are compassionate, loving, and kind. People feel inspired by your strength and convictions.

The Easter Egg Personality Test

I used to work in a psychiatric outpatient clinic. One of the steps in treating mental health disorders is to put the patient on a schedule. This is to provide some stability in their daily lives and stop their minds from dangerously going haywire. But what if you, as a sane person, have too much stability in your life? It's boring. It's stagnating. It's debilitating. And it may lead to depression ...

So why not go a little haywire in your daily life? Living in the moment is dangerous. It can open you up to all kinds of new experiences. You never know what might happen.

Here are some ideas on how to break out of your daily routine:

• 1. Change your path. Take a different way to go to work, school, shopping. Look around you and really take in what's going on around you. Be aware of the sights, sounds and smells of your surroundings and the people you encounter.
• 2. Create something in a medium you have never used before. Knit a scarf if you have never knitted (This one's for guys, too. In Turkey, it's only the men who knit.) Paint or draw, if your usual medium is writing.
• 3. Eat something you have never eaten before. It doesn't have to be snake or chocolate-coated termites, although I can recommend ostrich steak for red meat lovers.
• 4. Celebrate being alive. Gather some friends and throw a party. If the climate allows, have it outdoors.
• 5. Take a day off work and go on a mini vacation. If you're a really conscientious person in employment, make sure you go on a day you're supposed to be at work. Shock yourself and take a sick day. Enjoy your day off by following your nose. Do exactly what you feel like doing in the moment. Except for feeling guilty for bunking off work.
• 6. Do something really silly and childish that makes you roll in laughter. Or just be a kid again. Take a ruler and challenge someone to a fencing match. Grab a co-worker and do a tango. Slide down a slide or swing to your hearts content. Take a friend along and you'll soon be laughing yourself silly.
• 7. Boldly go where no man has been before. Or at least where you haven't been before. If you can afford it, visit Paris. Or visit the wrong side of the tracks in your town. Or the right side of the tracks, if you're on the wrong side.
• 8. Spread some art around. I once printed and decorated a whole stack of cards with positive messages on them and spent the afternoon surreptitiously hiding them between the products in supermarkets and in menus in restaurants. It's the opposite of stealing, but feels naughty.

Routine suffocates creativity, so make a little space to live in the moment. What do you really want to do now? Follow your instincts. You may find it such fun and so liberating, you'll want to do it more often. And more often. And even more often. Until it takes up not only part of your life, but is your life. Go on, live a little. You won't have to call the medical emergency services.

I was initially a little dissapointed, as yellow and green are not my favourite colours, but then I read the description ...

Your Heart is Yellow and Green

Your heart is caring and generous. You are kind, understanding, and forgiving. You bring objectivity and rationality to relationships. You're good at giving your partner freedom and space.

What Are the Colors of Your Heart?

These are part of a new range of mixed media jewellery. I've painted bits of sea glass and other beach finds with glass paint, then added a collaged word and wire-wrapped the lot.






Hope you like 'em!

I am so chuffed. Anmol Mehta has chosen to feature one of my articles in the Carnival of Meditation, Yoga and Spiritual Growth. This carnival is chock a block with brilliant articles from some of the best bloggers in the spiritual growth and personal development arena. Do go and have a read.

In my salad days, when I was green in judgment, I did a lot of experimenting with ceremonial magick and the likes. As is often the case, I got to the point of hubris and attempted to boldy go where I wasn't yet equipped to go. The upshot of this was that I ended up going around the bend and had to bring myself back. I did this mainly by taking myself off to the islands for 3 months. Every morning, after my walk down the beach. I'd spend an hour meditating and chanting the mantra EHYEH ASHER EHYEH. This is the original Hebrew for I AM THAT I AM, the answer god gave when Moses asked via the burning bush who he was.

A few years ago, I came across one of Deepak Chopra's books where he mentions the mantra SO HUM. This is in it's very essence the same as the other two I had been reciting for years. Although I still use the I AM THAT I AM version when I'm feeling dramatic (nothing more fun than standing with arms outstretched chanting in a sonorous voice), I now generally prefer the Sanskrit version for my daily meditation. All of these mantras bring about the union between your self and the divine, but I like the naturalness of the SO HUM mantra. It's called the universal mantra because of the fact that its vibration is already a part of the breath, and everybody breathes. Sooooo... is the sound of inhalation, and Hummmm... is the sound of exhalation. Simple.

A Mantra is a sound repeated over and over until it becomes one with your mind and pushes you into an altered state of consciousness. In a state of higher awareness, you can connect with your soul and ultimately with divine consciousness. The repetition of a mantra, no matter what language, is the easiest way to focus on sound and your breath and clear your mind of all other distractions.

The main reason for reciting the SO HUM mantra (or I AM THAT I AM or EYHEH ASHER EYHEH) is to get aligned with your divine nature. Other benefits that come with regular practice are relaxation, peace and self-healing.

How to do a SO HUM meditation?
Find a comfortable posture for meditation, either sitting with a straight spine or lying down in the corpse position. Put your hands in gyan mudra
and focus on the rhythm of your breathing. Once your breathing is regular, say SOO silently to yourself whilst inhaling. As you exhale, say HUMM. Keep focussing on your breath whilst silently repeating the mantra. Let your mind become absorbed in the sound of SO HUM and your actual breath. If any thoughts arise, let them come and let them go. Just refocus on the mantra. Keep breathing smoothly.

I also use this mantra if I'm getting stressed out in public. One of my pet peeves is getting stuck behind a bunch of slow or non-moving people on narrow pavements. It's no use telling myself that these people are just being sociable and that this is a good thing; my blood starts boiling. I can't raise my arms and start chanting I AM THAT I AM in deep sonorous tones (well, I could and I guess it would have the desired effect), but silently focussing on the SO HUM mantra offers a civilized and silent alternative to quietly balance my energies.

I've started a new blog on living in the Seychelles. It's a personal blog, so it's allowing me to be a little more caustic than I can be on this site. If you're at all interested in island life or my other unevolved self, please take a look.

Living in Seychelles
a journal of my sometimes luscious and languid, sometimes stifling and sweltering life in the tropics

These are two pages which are charged with Reiki healing energy. Whenever I need a little boost or feel a need for healing I visit these pages.

This page is charged with healing energy from various Reiki practitioners and is very soothing. Beautiful imagery as well.

The Reiki Threshold shares this page of free Reiju. It's a picture of Usui Sensei which seems to send out his healing energy. Very effective.

If you know of any other sites that offer this type of healing, please let me know. I'm always on the look out for Reiki or other types of energy healing.

Here's another way to find out what you really want out of life. The questions aren't necessarily easy, so take your time.

1. If you won a $1 million, what would you do differently in life?
This is not about buying your dream house or going on a world cruise or even donating the lot to charity (because money is the root of all evil?). Think about what you would actually change, the different activities you would engage in. (Okay, maybe you do want the house, because you have a need for a secure home base to pursue your activities. Or you'll go on a world cruise, because that's where you can find the most people to start your new evangelistic religion...)

2) If you were going to die in 6 months time (and had perfect health in the meantime), how would you spend the time?
It's possible, if you are living completely on purpose, that you wouldn't change anything. There was some writer or the other, who just continued writing when he was told he only had a few months to live. He obviously felt he was living his life purpose. But are you? I can certainly think of a couple of things I'd like to squeeze in. There are still a few places I want to visit, a lot more dancing to do and so many more things to create.

3) Which one quality of your character, if you were to develop it further, would serve you the most fully in life?
This one requires some self-knowledge. How are you? Which characteristic of yours would be most useful to fulfil your dreams? Check out your other answers first, if you, like me, find this question difficult.

4) If you had a magic wand, and could grant any one skill or a ability, what would you choose?
No, I don't mean facebook inspired superhero abilities. What is it you really need to learn or do to be most in alignment with your dreams? For instance, if you want to hold workshops, learning how to teach would be useful.

5) What is it that gives you the most joy and satisfaction in life?
There are moments where you are totally in the flow and time seems to disappear. Activities can also trigger those "my cup runneth over" feelings, where you are so full of joy that you feel your heart will burst. What are you doing when you get these feelings? I can dance the night away, debate into the wee hours of the morning. Creating anything also puts me into a space time warp.

6) What legacy would you like to leave?
Imagine you were writing your obituary. What would you like to be remembered for? Try and go for more than just being a nice caring person, great parent, etc. Dream big. A guru? A media moghul? Or known for your involvement in saving the whales? Or eradicating malaria? (Even Bill Gates has his dreams he is working towards.)

7) What one great thing would you dare to dream if you knew that you could not fail?
This one is usually somehow connected to the last question. Climb Everest? (It doesn't matter if someone else has already done it. If you want to do it as well, go ahead and make it your dream.
If you're already doing all or most of these things, you are really on track with your life purpose. If you aren't, ask yourself why you aren't and then start moving in that direction.

Sometimes we have more than one purpose in one life. To take Bill Gates as an example again, he built up Microsoft (and whatever anybody says about the guy, he did build the company) and now he wants to eradicate malaria. As you fulfill a dream, another takes its place. Or sometimes, life purpose changes and another dream becomes your new dream. At which point, you might want to consider asking yourself these life purpose questions again.

Now, go out and do all of those things that you wrote about. Why wait until whatever? Do it now.

Your Interpersonal Intelligence Score: 72%

Your Interpersonal Intelligence is High You are definitely a "people person." You enjoy spending time with others. You instinctively understand people, and you are both a good counsellor and mediator. However, there are definitely times when you've had enough. And that's when you cherish being alone.

How Does Your Interpersonal Intelligence Rate?

I can think of a few reasons why you should love your belly:

• In many cultures a big belly is seen as a sign of prosperity.
• Guys like soft bellies to lie on.
• So do many women. (We don't care about six-packs. Guys do.)
• Buddha was a wise guy and look at his belly!
• Ever seen anyone rub the Buddha's belly in a Chinese restaurant for luck?

In Japan, the belly (hara) is seen as the source of spiritual strength.The word hara refers both to the belly and to the qualities of character that emerge as a person activates the life force concentrated in the belly. A "person of hara" is one who lives with creativity, courage, confidence, purpose, integrity, and endurance. Even in English, someone who is "gutsy" is thought to be brave, adventureous, earthy and in touch with their instincts.

In the yogic energy system, both the solar plexus chakra (life force) and the sacral chakra (creativity, sexuality) are located in the belly. All twelve primary acupuncture meridians are, according to Chinese medicine, energetically connected to the abdomen in some way. Physically, most of our organs are in the abdominal cavity as well. (A book I read written by an SAS guy suggested rolling into a ball as a defence when getting beaten up. I hope never to have to use this knowledge, just as I don't really want to use the V-strike on anybody.)

One way to honour and learn to love your belly is through hara massage. A self-massage of the stomach will bring fire to the belly (for both men and women!) and is deeply relaxing and grounding.

How to give yourself a hara massage

• Spend a few minutes doing deep abdominal breathing. As you inhale, feel your belly expanding and, as you exhale, feel it fall. Every time you exhale, allow your whole body to relax more and more deeply.
• Gently rub around the outer area of your stomach in a clockwise motion.
• Press gently under the right ribs and then the left.
• Press around the solar plexus in a clockwise motion.
• Press around the sacral chakra area (below the navel).
• Rub the whole stomach region in a clockwise motion.
• Relax with your hands on your abdomen and breathe deeply into your belly.

Deep breathing, hara massage and becoming grounded are of bringing energy to the lower part of the body. This is why, although many advocate doing abdominal massage in the morning, I prefer rubbing my belly in bed before going to sleep. It tends to pull the energy away from the head and into the lower energy centres of the body.

Whether you then choose to go to sleep or engage in other activities is entirely up to you...

Can you think of any other reasons you should love your belly?

I actually have my own set of soul divination cards that I made myself as well as a pack of Tarot cards, but sometimes it's just fun and more inspirational to get an online reading. I especially do this when I'm stuck in a creative block or needing some guidance of a different kind in my life. These are 3 sites I visit regularly.

Angel Cards by Doreen Virtue are great when you need comfort and guidance in your life. I've only recently discovered them, but am amazed at their accuracy. I have this one in the sidebar as well. There are also other online card readings on the site.



Osho Zen Cards are very deep and meaningful. They are also great creativity prompts.

Life Positive has a few fun divinations, from Tarot to the Laughing Buddha to spiritual guidance from the Bhagavad Gita.

Randomness rules, ok!

The only TV programme I make sure I never miss is Lost. Shah Rukh Khan could come knocking at my door and I would ask him to wait if Lost were airing right then. Perhaps I am so addicted to this programme, because my own life is so similar. I, too, am "stranded" on an island in the middle of nowhere where meaningful coincidences abound.

Part of the show's appeal is that it is so much like real life. Fiction doesn't usually like coincidences; they can't fit into a plot neatly and there are all those awful loose ends that need to be tied up. And, just as real life is full of meaningful coincidences, so is Lost, even if we, the viewers, can't make much sense out of them yet. I am confidently hoping that all will be revealed, both on screen and in my life ...

Meanwhile, I am keeping track of these synchronicities in a journal. The psychologist Carl Jung coined the term synchronicity to describe the meaningful coincidences that can serve as clues to what you should be paying attention to. Or as Deepak Chopra puts it: “A coincidence is a clue to the intention of the universal spirit, and as such it is rich with significance”.

If you pay attention to the synchronicities in your life, you will notice some kind of common thread of shared meaning or purpose. You know that you are on track with fulfilling your life purpose, when these "messages from the Universe" start multiplying. And multiply they will, the more you notice them.


Sometimes it is difficult to make any kind of sense out of these coincidences. This is where keeping a synchronicity journal is really useful. With the benefit of hindsight, you will often see the relevance of an event in our life. And, with practice, you can make the connections ahead of time.

Life has certain themes that it plays out, sometimes over and over again. Organising your journal in this manner can help you to connect the dots between these synchronicities. Look back over your life and identify certain themes that keep coming up. Or themes that you would like to come up, as in goals or wishes manifesting and start a new page for every set of significant coincidences.

My synchronicity journal has a page dedicated to India, my soulmate, my dream of a spiritual retreat centre and my spiritual development. It's full of cross-references from one area of my life to another. For instance, I grew up listening to stories about India from my mother who lived there. Often, I'll be the only non-Indian at a party full of Indians. It's the only food I can actually cook. The smaller coincidences are books that I come across "accidently" literally finding them on the street, living across the Indian Embassy, etc. The night before I "was moved" to the Seychelles by a series of coincidences, I watched a Bollywood movie which was filmed right on the beach (in the Seychelles) I was going to. Recently, I met a woman who wants to move to Goa to open a spiritual retreat centre. And last, but not least, I found a new love a couple of months ago. Indian.

These are just some of the larger themes that seem to crop up in my life. There are many smaller coincidences which confirm the direction I have taken and am going. I list mostly all in my synchronicity journal. It all helps to clarify the big picture.

Where will I flow from here, I wonder? Lost is on tonight; maybe I'll find out more about my life ...