Hello,  

In this issue:

A note from Beth and Neill

  - Self Discovery

Feature Article

  - Little Known Ways to Rebuild
    Intimacy in Your Relationship

Focused Attention Update

  - Thank You and Survey Results

Is It Really True?

  - New Rules For The Game Of Life Quiz
    Do you Agree or Disagree?

 
Please forward your Focused Attention eZine and share these relationship-enhancing articles with your family, friends, and colleagues.

If you are not subscribed and wish to be -> Subscribe here

Add " *@FocusedAttention.com " to your whitelist or address book in your email anti-spam program, so that you are sure to receive future issues!
 
A Note From Beth and Neill

Self-Discovery

Everything Old Is New Again

Hi {!firstname_fix},

Have you noticed how everything seems to cycle back into popularity. Bellbottoms, guys with long hair, tie-dyed shirts--they all seem to be coming back in full force. We read somewhere that it takes about 40 years for things to get recycled back into popularity.

We've decided not to wait 40 years to bring back The Full Cup Test, an exercise that we used in our seminars awhile ago. We named it this based on an old Zen story, that goes something like this:

"Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), was visited by a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.

Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he could no longer restrain himself. "It is overflowing," he said, "No more will go in!"

"Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

It's Hard To Receive When Your Cup's Already Full

We just love what this story teaches and we strive to keep emptying our own cups so we're able to learn new things.

One way we do this is to think of the tea as a metaphor for the cultural beliefs that fill our minds. This tea comes in many varieties: beliefs about what life means, who we are, how we should act, and many others. These beliefs motivate our actions and dictate the direction we will take on our life's journey.

The question we often ask is; are the beliefs that we hold as the "truth" our own beliefs--ones that are truly in harmony with our personal values--or are they beliefs that were handed down from past generations and we have just adopted them without question.

Question Authority

As we start to question, we are able to empty our cups, which allows us to taste new, and more satisfying varieties of tea. We believe this is essential for our continued learning and growth, and for us to evolve into the highest expressions of ourselves.

 

We also believe that our deepest discoveries emerge in relationship with others. Since we connect with others through language, our most powerful learning happens through dialogue--sharing our stories, discoveries, and ideas.

To support this in our community, we're bringing back a modified version of The Full Cup Test. If you've been with us a while, you might remember when we introduced the idea of a monthly quiz as a fun way to stimulate conversation for self discovery. Well, here it is, and this time we are calling it:

Is It Really True? ~ New Rules For The Game Of Life Quiz.

There are no right or wrong answers, our goal is to stimulate dialogue about some of our commonly held cultural beliefs. The point is for you to examine whether or not:

  • you believe the statement,
  • this belief conforms to your personally held values
  • it supports you in living a conscious life that is in harmony with what you value most

You can read more about this, see if you agree or disagree with the first statement, and start playing this game of self discovery right now. Just scroll down to the new section of this eZine:
Is It Really True?

Until next month . . .

With love and great appreciation,
Beth and Neill

 

 
Feature Article


Little Known Ways to Rebuild Intimacy
in Your Relationship
by Beth Banning and Neill Gibson

Seven Steps that Rebuild Intimacy - A Seven Part Series
Make sure you don't miss any of these important steps. We're posting one a day for seven days in the Creating Intimacy Category of our New Age Self Help Blog.

Do you ever find yourself worrying about your relationship--wondering if you're even on the same page anymore? Are you mostly concerned about how to rebuild the intimacy you once had?

If any of this sounds familiar, don't give up now, there is hope. It's likely you still believe your relationship is worth some effort or you wouldn't even be reading this article.

Read on and discover seven simple ways you can rebuild the relationship intimacy you once had. Learn how to heal old wounds so you can walk forward hand-in-hand with renewed hope for your future together.

Rebuild Intimacy

Step 1: Create a Safe Space for Open Dialogue.

Many experts will tell you simply to let your partner know how you feel, what you want, and how you want things to be. Then somehow, if you just get honest enough, everything will start to get better.

While we agree that honesty is the best policy, we also believe that . . .

Read more ... >>

 
 

Focused Attention Update

The TeleSeminar Survey Results Are In!

Stop Settling - Discover What You Really Want

Last month we asked for your help by taking our TeleSeminar Survey. Your input is very important to us. It helps us know that everything we offer to our community is on topics that will support you.

So if you were one of the many people who responded . . .

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

We really appreciate the gift of your time and your thoughtful responses.

The results are in and the very first Focused Attention TeleSeminar will be:

Stop Settling - Discover What You Really Want
and How to Get It

So keep your eyes open for your announcement letting you know how to participate in this personal growth opportunity, right from the comfort of your own home.

For those of you who participated in the survey, you'll soon receive an email letting you know how to get your Thank You Gift. The results of our survey were very interesting and your gift message will include an unexpected surprise.

Once again, we're so grateful for your willingness to support us in knowing the best way to support you.

Until next time ...

Wishing you all the best,
Beth and Neill

 
Is It Really True?


New Rules For The Game Of Life Quiz

Welcome to our new, interactive quiz. Every month we'll offer a statement that reflects an underlying culturally held belief. You can play along simply by clicking on the link below that says whether you agree or disagree with the statement.

The link will take you to our blog. when you get there you'll see that we've started the dialogue by offering our thoughts about the statement, explaining our reasons for either agreeing or disagreeing.

We hope that you'll comment by sharing your own experience, understandings, or thoughts in relation to what you find there.

Please remember, there are no right or wrong answers. This is just our way to stimulate a dialogue that will support each of us in having more fun with our beliefs.

After all, any belief that is so serious it can't be questioned may better be replaced with one that allows you to enjoy life more. So by all means, let's keep this fun!

 

Here's the first statement. Is it really true?

Fear of getting a ticket is the best way to stop people from speeding.

Agree Disagree

Please click your choice to play along.

 

Next month, we'll remind you of this statement and let you know how many people agreed and disagreed. Then we'll give you the new statement for the next month.

We'll look for your response.

Don't wait, Join in the conversation today!