“Habit is a cable. We weave a thread of it each day, and at last we cannot break it.” –Horace Mann

While intelligent human beings are capable of thinking skillfully, it is their habits of mind that provides the fuel to activate strategic thinking. In order to engage skillfully in problem solving, decision making, or knowledge generation, they must possess be disposed and inclined to manage their impulsivity, display empathy, be inquisitive and persistent. Habits of mind provide the dispositions necessary to do the skillful thinking.

Research in effective thinking and intelligent behavior by many authors  indicates that there are identifiable characteristics of effective thinkers. These are not necessarily scientists, artists, mathematicians or the wealthy that demonstrate these behaviors. These characteristics have been identified in successful mechanics, teachers, entrepreneurs, salespeople, and parents-people in all walks of life.

Habits of mind transcend all subject matter commonly taught in school. They are developmental qualities that are never completely mastered and therefore are applicable to adults as well as students. Thus they can become infused in the culture, values and norms of the entire community. While there is not a finite number, the following list provides sixteen examples to illustrate what is meant by habits of mind.

* Persisting

* Thinking and communicating with clarity and precision

* Managing impulsivity

* Gathering data through all senses

* Listening with understanding and empathy

* Creating, imagining, innovating

* Thinking flexibly

* Responding with wonderment and awe

* Thinking about thinking (metacognition)

* Taking responsible risks

* Striving for accuracy

* Finding humour

* Questioning and posing problems

* Thinking interdependently

* Applying past knowledge to new situations

* Remaining open to continuous learning

Towards A New Vision: Learning to Behave Intelligently

These habits of mind may serve as mental disciplines. When confronted with problematic situations, intelligent people habitually employ one or more of these habits of mind by asking themselves, “What is the most intelligent thing I can do right now?”

*”How can I learn from this, what are my resources, how can I draw on my past successes with problems like this, what do I already know about the problem, what resources do I have available or need to generate?”

*”How can I approach this problem flexibly? How might I look at the situation in another way, how can I draw upon my repertoire of problem solving strategies; how can I look at this problem from a fresh perspective?”

*”How can I illuminate this problem to make it clearer and more precise? Do I need to check out my data sources? How might I break this problem down into its component parts and develop a strategy for understanding and accomplishing each step?”

*”What do I know or not know; what questions do I need to ask, what strategies are in my mind now, what am I aware of in terms of my own beliefs, values and goals with this problem? What feelings or emotions am I aware of which might be blocking or enhancing my progress?”

*”How does this problem affect others? Who else might I turn to for assistance? How can we solve it together and what can I learn from others that would help me become a better problem solver?”

SUMMARY

The archaic concept of intelligence connotes a state of being. Either you have “it” or you don’t. It assumes that if you don’t have “it”, no amount of effort will ever help you acquire “it”. This article suggests that instead we examine those learnable, teachable patterns of behaviors that describe intelligent action which, when practiced over time, can become habituated.

Children develop cognitive strategies and effort-based beliefs about their intelligence when they are continually pressed to raise questions and to accept challenges, to find solutions that are not immediately apparent, to explain concepts, justify their reasoning, and seek information. The goal of education, therefore, should be to liberate and develop more fully these habits of mind and the skills associated with them. When we hold children accountable for this kind of intelligent behavior, they take it as a signal that we think they are smart, and they come to accept this judgment. The paradox is that children become smart by being treated as if they already are intelligent.

Drawn from research on human effectiveness, descriptions of remarkable performers, and analysis of the characteristics of efficacious people, twelve examples habits of mind were elaborated. They are characteristic of peak performers whether they be in homes, schools, athletic fields, the military, governments, churches or corporations. They are what make marriages successful, learning continual, workplaces productive and democracies enduring.

Some students identified as “gifted” are reluctant to take risks; they lack flexibility, are poor listeners, prefer to work in solitude and are quick to jump to conclusions. Some students deemed “slow” however, are often insightful, venturesome, humorous, wondrous and exploratory. Neither labels, genetics, test scores nor numbers of right answers can adequately define intelligence. Rather, it is being in the habit of applying skillful thinking to perplexing problem situations.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” –Aristotle

Admin’s Note: As Habits of Mind are becoming increasingly implemented into education we can expect in a decade or more new generation that will be more capable in dealing with their life challenges. However, it is something that every person can apply in creating better and more meaningful life.

If trees could talk, this would likely be the first thing they’d say. Why?

We marketers now have unlimited resources to convey our messages and actively promote our products & services…for FREE and WITHOUT DEPENDENCE ON PAPER!

But do we? No. We print Sunday newspapers that house droves of paper coupons…99.2% of which get tossed. Junk mail piles into our mailboxes before its inevitable transfer to the trash bin. The paper waste examples seem limitless.

I’m not a ‘tree hugger’, but I have heard a lot about rain forests getting wiped out…the same forests that deliver my daily oxygen (something I like having around). But back to business…

For a time, we had a good excuse for not shifting away from paper for marketing purposes. The internet was new. Websites were static. Social media had not yet evolved. Today however, the game has changed. we now know that Social Media is (and will continue to) rapidly replace traditional paper-dependent mass media. The genie has left the bottle and it won’t be going back. Websites are highly interactive now in version 2.0 and high tech advancements will continue to advance marketing opportunities along rapidly. Social Media and Networking creates self-aggregated groups (loyal to a common affinity) and new opportunities marketers have only dreamed about.

Traditional ‘Targeted Marketing’ & ‘Loyalty Marketing‘ strategists are just beginning to realize the power of Social Media (what we termed ‘Conversational Currency’). They will eventually realize far greater consumer traction through peer-to-peer conversational engagement. And yes, the inevitable deployment of loyalty incentives that don’t rely on anything paper.

When this happens…and it will…the trees will rejoice (albeit quietly). Tell me what you think…let’s engage in conversational currency.

Join the world’s largest mind-over-matter experiments!

“The Intention Experiment is an extraordinary advance in our understanding of consciousness as a field of all possibilities where intention orchestrates it own fulfilment. If you want to empower yourself and use the laws of intention to manifest your material reality, read this book.” – Deepak Chopra, author of Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment

The Intention Experiment is the first book not only to synthesize the scientific evidence about human intention, but also the first to explain how to use this power in one’s life, individually and collectively. The Intention Experiment is a groundbreaking exploration of the science of intention. It is also the first book to invite you, the reader, to take an active part in its original research with the aid of a team of highly experienced scientists who number among the world’s most prestigious investigators into consciousness research.

Become a part of scientific history!

Using The Intention Experiment website to coordinate your involvement and track results, you and other participants around the world will focus your power of intention on specific targets, giving you the opportunity to become a part of scientific history. The Intention Experiment forces you to rethink what it is to be human. That discovery demands that we pay better attention to our thoughts, intentions, and actions. McTaggart’s book shows you how you can.

Visit for more info: http://www.theintentionexperiment.com/

My Garden, said the bird. “I sing and splash in the birdbath and drink the cool water. I eat the seeds that appear like magic.”

And the caterpillar says, “My garden. I have all that I want to eat and there are plenty of places to lay my eggs after I become a butterfly.”

Our dog, Angel, says, “My garden. I chase the cat that walks along the top of the fence, and I lay on the cool grass as I rub my nose in the dirt.”

My Garden, says the Birch tree, as she lowers her branches toward the flowers below, standing proudly silent, welcoming the sparrows and the yellow finches to rest on her branches.

And the proud owners say, “My garden,” as they sit quietly, admiring the beauty that emanates through and around them, ever the same, yet ever changing.

They Listen, as the chattering of the birds harmonize with the fountain that gently bubbles and reflects the wispy clouds above.

What food for the soul. What lasting peace that lingers and gives strength to each day in … My Garden.

Poem by Stuart R. Wisong

Research From Dr. Masaru Emoto, says that human thoughts are directed at water before it is frozen, images of the resulting water crystals will be beautiful or ugly depending upon whether the thoughts were positive or negative. Emoto claims this can be achieved through prayer, music or by attaching written words to a container of water. Since 1999 Emoto has published several volumes of a work titled Messages from Water, which contains photographs of water crystals next to essays and “words of intent”.

Let’s choose our  thoughts wisely for better world!

Millions of water drops

drops of water
millions of drops
Falling down the rocks

Millions of water drops
Glittering in the sun
Shining like pearls

Millions of water drops
Ending as a river
Finding way to ocean

Millions of water drops
Creating childrens happiness
Laughter and joyfullness

Millions of water drops
Soon will tide reach
White long shores

Millions of water drops
Animating Waves
into forming caves

Millions of water drops
splittering from above
till reaching top of the hill

Millions of water drops
Without them no sound
No whispers of the living

Millions of water drops
Watch the clearness
From crest to earth

Millions of water drops
For tribe’s best
Beware of waste

Millions of water drops
Treasured should they be
As belonging to all humanity

(march 2008, Switzerland)

Mencita (Carmen) Monoi Angel

Jo Dunning’s Abundance Project goes until 15th July, however the energy of the project will remain after that date and is accesible through her videos on the YouTube and radio sessions in World Puja Network archives. She is doing a great job in helping of raising our own Consciousness. You can learn more about her work on her website: http://www.jodunning.com/

June 26, 2009

Quick Note From Maureen Before We Jump Into The Latest Article Guided by Spirit: First of all I want to thank each of you on behalf of all of us on The World Puja Network for sharing this ‘credible’ journey with us. There is so much NEW happening over this next three months on The World Puja Broadcasting Network that it is impossible for me to put the details of everything into a newsletter and include the articles that Spirit prompts me to write every month.

I hope you won’t mind that in some places I’m just giving a few details and then suggesting that you please check out the website wherever “see website for details” is written if it sparks an interest in you ok? We are jazzed to share all of the particulars of wisdom, empowerment, global community and opportunity with you.

It is obvious that Spirit has a serious expand the World Puja Network’s portal of Light plan. There are plans in the making that haven’t been fully revealed to me yet, though I can feel the Beings of Light busy in the kitchen ‘up there’ cooking up a feast. I will serve it to you as quickly as I get it sent down to me. One thing I know for sure, it’s never going to be the ’same old’ anything on The World Puja Network and it’s going to feed every single one of you, consistently.

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. New Article: “There Is a Price and a Prize in Heeding the Message of the Soul.”
2. New Hosts, New Shows, New Opportunities For YOU to Become a Host on The World Puja Network. A few details of each…

   Please welcome World Puja’s newest host, acclaimed Author and Master Teacher Gary Springfield. He begins “Light Activation to 2012″ next week. Gary captured everyone’s heart and activated everyone’s soul at our live gathering in March of this year. For decades he has been called upon by some of the top celebrities in the world as well as stay at home mom’s to help them incorporate a grounded plan bring their authentic lives to the surface and into balance..

   In August, Karis Cooper, devoted environmentalist, launches “Project Green Life” and Angela Russell, CEO of Know Wonder films and documentaries, dedicated to changing humanities imagination of itself, launches “Know Wonder” on the World Puja Network. (all details on our website.)

   Interested in Becoming A Host on The World Puja Network? Check out the way to be considered by going to our website and click on the link Become a Host.

3. Special guests this month on “The World Puja Network” include: Neale Donald Walsch and Caroline Cory who are chatting with me and Rabbi Michael Lerner hosted by Steve Bhaerman, amongst our few dozen other brand new shows this month. All of our hosts have you covered for a month of empowerment, support and greater clarity for the times ahead. (details on our website.)
4. New: The Launch of Two New Broadcasting Channels on The World Puja Network, “The Authors Corner” and “Children of the New Earth.” I am over the moon about both of these new editions. (details of the particulars on our website and a way for you to engage with both.)
5. New “Powerful Living Sessions.” No More Fearless Living Sessions, it’s Power Time in a big way. Powerful living is the way of Mastery. Fear has no chance to grow when you’re living powerfully. (details below and on our website.)
6. A Big Thank You To Our Sponsors This Month: “Get Hydrated Now,” “Know Wonder Entertainment,” and “Women’s Empowerment Retreat in Costa Rica.” Click on their logo on our Home Page to learn more about each.
7. Photon.Net The World Puja Network’s technical engineering, hosting and oftentimes graphic design company is also expanding. Details below and on our site under “Meet The Team.”

Dearest Hearts,

As always, I pray you are well. On this past solstice of June 21, 2009 a major doorway opened and supported a massive leap in consciousness to those who were prepared and aware. It is evidenced that the energy just prior to the Solstice and then fully escorted in on the 21st, is powerful, fast acting and will be staying. As a result we need to know how to play properly in it.

This energy that we are in now, ready or not, is manifesting thought into reality lickity split. Mind control is a must now. This new energy pushes us even deeper into the Mystery. Learning how to live in this new atmosphere is a top priority.

This new in-rush of energy is rapidly making a clean sweep of people, situations and ‘things’ not harmonious with this new cycle of time, while simultaneously and quickly creating magical meetings to bring people into alignment with others who they will be playing with and creating with during this next cycle of time. The serendipity is almost as staggering as the wipe-outs.

Several have shared that they feel like chess pieces being moved around on a chessboard. We are and it’s fun once you align with the game.

Many have shared that they feel like they are losing their memories, and indeed they are. It’s not a mind dis-ease. The memories are simply former stories written and produced by a third dimensional mind. There is no further need for them where we being moved to. They are irrelevant, thus intentionally being cast out. The trick is not trying to remember them or re-tell them. Stay in the moment. That’s where the magic happens.

And still more have shared that they sense pressure inside and around their physical bodies. It’s true. The new energy on this Planet is pushing the Soul deeper into the physical body to ordain our Divine natures. Expect more, not less of this amped up energy as you descend and ascend simultaneously.

Here’s some insight to all of the above. More than two decades ago, while in meditation, Spirit clearly conveyed three things to me that all of humanity would need to know for future life, meaning now. I documented all three in the first book I ever wrote, “The Nature of Bliss.” I will share them with you here.

The first is that we would be called upon to live like mystics and enjoy it. The second, we would not teach nor tell what we did not experience, and third, “you will come to know that there is a price and a prize in heeding the message of the Soul. The price: Life as you have known it will never be the same. The prize: Life as you have known it will never be the same.”

This foretelling had everything to do with now.

First, “we would be called upon to live like mystics and enjoy it.” Each of us is smack dab in the middle of living our lives deep in the Mystery, a place neither apparent to our senses nor obvious to our intellect. No doubt a challenge to the mortal mind, yet a rather thrilling game to the Divine Mind.

I am prompted to encourage every one of you to take an honest appraisal of your life right now. If you are still playing the third dimensional game of attempting to control any thing, person or circumstance in your life, please stop it. It’s not working, it will never work and the new energy that rode in on this last Solstice will make your life a living hell if you don’t give it up.

The flip side is that living like a mystic is actually fun, when you get the hang of it. It’s like going to a surprise party everyday. When you enter your day wide open with no preconceived notions, anything seemingly magical, can enter. When you’re not predicting your future and jamming up every corner of your being with struggle and worry, Spirit starts to play and surprise you at every turn. To play in between our notions is a favorite pastime of our Creator Source that never deals from the top of the deck!

Added to that mystical living actually creates spontaneous combustion, a rapid chemical change inside of our bodies that ignites our Souls and Divine Natures into action. When that alchemy occurs we sincerely get to play in the realms of infinite potential. That is the Law and the Promise.

Next, “you’ll never teach what you don’t know.” This message wasn’t meant for those acknowledged as teachers. It means all of us. We are all teachers, just as we are all students. What sort of credibility does any one of us have if we are teaching or telling or parenting or coaching anyone about what we have nothing but an intellectual construct about? Have you ever noticed that the energy is not quite there or you’re not taken seriously and to heart if your sound advice is just textbook or metaphysical book orientated, minus the actual Life experience?

Then there is the third point, the deep one. “There is a price and a prize in heeding the message of the soul. The price: your life as you have known it will never be the same. The prize: your life as you have known it will never be the same.”

For this one I will share a true story with you so you really get a clearer picture. This is not a story for stories sake it’s a revealing to assist you in the third message received from Spirit.

Prior to my hiatus where I went to the meet the future Maureen, my former mind had made up two decisions that I thought would serve my heart and soul. At the time those decisions were made I did not seek counsel with my Soul, with Spirit or my cast of Angels, Guides and Teachers, that pal around with me. I was a woman who had made up her mind, period! There was nothing further to discuss.

Feeling pretty confident and ready for some big changes I came back to Planet Work and the place called home. While gone I had made great strides in casting off a lot of dead internal weight. Coming back I was unwilling to cast off the manner in which I had finally found my peace, my freedom and my authentic nature. Easier said than done.

At first it was difficult to integrate these practices, with a load of responsibilities, however I was determined not to lose ground or contact with the Me I had met while on hiatus.

My Soul had noticeably settled way down and deep inside of me, and the noise of my mind had remarkably settled down as well. There was no going back, even if I did slip a few times.

Two days before the Solstice, through a very quick serendipitous sequence of events, I met someone whose every word left a deep impression inside of me. His wisdom went beyond most wisdom I had heard from anyone in a very long time. I ingested it over dinner for almost five hours. I knew my Soul had called forth this meeting purposefully. Not interested in figuring it out, I just noticed.

The next night, I went to my brothers 65th birthday party and celebration of the Solstice. Nearly everyone at the gathering had something to say to me about “the Light coming from me,” or “the difference in my energy.” Interesting to just listen and take further notice.

The next day, Sunday, the day of the Solstice I received an unexpected phone call. The phone call had to do with the decisions my mind had made prior to my leaving on hiatus, one in particular.

During that call a single question was posed to me that would either be answered by my mind, or my soul. That question and my answer to it had the seeming ability to make my minds wishes come true.

Time stood still. My entire body began to sweat, though I was ice cold. The bottom of my feet and the palms of my hands felt like pins were going through them. Becoming both light-headed and nauseated to the point of distraction, I realized the question was hanging in mid-air.

I heard my voice give an answer that could only have come from my Soul. My mind was nowhere in the vicinity. Having stood up I had to grab the back of my sofa to stabilize myself.

The two decisions my mind had ‘definitely’ made were gone in an instant, when I voiced my response. When I hung up the phone, I sat down realizing that there was an obvious exchange that had taken place inside of me. I had finally let my Soul take its rightful position in my life, ahead of my mind. Finally. I sat for a long time in a bit of shock and a lot of awe.

Yes, there is a price and a prize in heeding the message of the Soul. Both will change your life, forever.

Remember: Live like a mystic and learn to enjoy it. Never teach what you do not have the experience of and when your soul knocks, let it in. Indeed there is a price and a prize for heeding the message of your soul.” Collect your prize. The time is Now.

Copyright Maureen Moss 2009.
Please feel comfortable to share this or parts of it with others. I just ask that you include my name and website
http://www.worldpuja.org
http://www.maureenmoss.com

Powerful Living Sessions: The days of my private (or public) sessions in teaching fearless living are over. Powerful Living Sessions are what is being offered now. Are you ready for the shift?

If so, please E-mail maureen@maureenmoss.com

About Photon.Net’s Expansion:

Photon.Net ( http://www.photon.net ) is the internet company that provides the internet resources for The World Puja Network, and maintains the worldpuja.org web site. Started by World Puja’s Chief Technical Officer (Randy Barris) over 12 years ago, Photon.Net provides web hosting, web development, e-commerce, multimedia and webcasting services, internet consulting and more, to a global client base.

Photon.Net has been especially resonant among conscious clients, those serving the world — healers, authors, artists, musicians, environmental groups, spiritual groups, educational groups, and all kinds of inspired movements like food safety, new energy, and global meditations. The World Puja audience is known for operating at a high level of consciousness, so it was a natural match between World Puja and Photon.Net.

If you want your web site hosted with a company also operating at a high level of consciousness, choose Photon.Net for your internet services (or switch your current web site over — they will help make it easy). Help support conscious commerce, and you will receive the personalized attention you can’t get from big corporate conglomerates. Join their affiliate/referral program for an easy way to earn money on the internet, even if you’re not a client.
http://www.photon.net

Until next month I wish you each Love, Joy, Blessings and Abundance.

Know you are loved!

Namaste,

Maureen Moss
President of The World Puja Network, LLC
http://www.worldpuja.org
E-Mail: Maureen@worldpuja.org
Or: Maureen@maureenmoss.com

“When you don’t cover up the world with words and labels, a sense of the miraculous returns to your life” Eckhart Tolle

Quick Benefits Can’t Justify Cutting Down Forests

Many Wars Are for Control of Scarce Resources

By Wangari Maathai

East African Standard

May 23, 2007

Responsible management of resources is linked to peace and security.

Indeed, many conflicts are caused by competition over national resources. This is partly because as resources become more scarce or as people become selfish, greedy and corrupt, there is a drive by the powerful and the privileged to control them at the exclusion of others.

Unfortunately, those who feel excluded look for means to seek justice and dignity. That is how dissatisfaction begins and is nurtured until conflicts, clashes and wars emerge. There is, therefore, need to educate ourselves about the link between the environment and peace and security.

If the link was appreciated, many conflicts would be pre-empted. The environment would be a priority in national budgets and development plans. But the link is poorly understood and many people are unwilling to consider it. The environment is still treated as a luxury, drawing attention only when it is to be exploited to provide timber or land.

People look at forests, for example, and see land and shambas, rather than a resource that provides primary services such as water, regulates climate and rainfall, cleans the air and is a habitat for wildlife. Because the environment is not adequately appreciated, governments would rather prioritise the Internal Security ministry and buy guns and bullets.

Peace cannot be found where the voice of the minorities, the poor and the powerless are ignored and marginalised. These ills are not accidents. They are allowed and tolerated by leaders who refuse to be fair and just. They refuse to manage national resources sustainably and distribute them equitably.

When resources are not sustainably managed, they may be polluted, excessively exploited and destroyed by greedy and corrupt individuals and organisations. When they are not equitably shared, extreme poverty is tolerated amid excessive wealth. When this happens, the community that feels excluded may accept discrimination and injustice as their destiny.

But some may seek justice using other means at their disposal. Some opt for violence, destruction and death. For fairness and justice to reign, there is need for a system that allows that to happen. It should be democratic even though that can mean different things to different people.

Whatever it is called, if peace is to be found within national or regional borders, it has to be a system which respects human rights and the rule of law; includes diversity in the society and ensures that the minority have their say even though, in a democracy, the majority might have their way.

There are hardly any wars fought today that are not over the need to expand borders, access and control water, minerals, grazing and agricultural land or access to forests or coastlines. If countries want peace and security, the leadership must work for justice and fairness for all. They must work for equity, human dignity and the rule of law.

One of the resources we should particularly care about is the forest. Not only because forests provide humanity with many services, but also because without them, the long-term life of the nation is undermined. But in Africa, many investors clear indigenous forests and replace them with commercial plantations of imported trees or crops.

This is partly because forests are wetter, more fertile and investors can make quick profits in a short time. We justify the destruction by promising jobs and wealth. But at what cost? Countries must weigh the short-term benefits of quick profits and jobs against the long-term interests of the present and future generations.

Wangari Maathai

Wangari Maathai is the founder of the Green Belt Movement, an environmentalist, a civil society and women’s rights activist, and a parliamentarian. You can read about her life and her organization through her two books, Unbowed: A Memoir and The Green Belt Movement. You can also scan condensed versions of her life and achievements, including being awarded the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize.

Since winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Wangari Maathai has become a spokesperson for a number of important initiatives.

The Green Belt Movement is a grassroots non-governmental organization based in Nairobi, Kenya that takes an holistic approach to development by focusing on environmental conservation, community development and capacity building. Professor Wangari Maathai established the organization in 1977, under the auspices of the Maendeleo Ya Wanawake (National Council of Women of Kenya).

The Green Belt Movement organizes poor rural women in Kenya to plant trees, combat deforestation, restore their main source of fuel for cooking, generate income, and stop soil erosion. Maathai has incorporated advocacy and empowerment for women, eco-tourism, and just economic development into the Green Belt Movement.

Members of GBM plant trees on an eroding hillside. Photo by Mia MacDonald

Since Maathai started the movement in 1977, over 30 million trees have been planted. Over 30,000 women trained in forestry, food processing, bee-keeping, and other trades that help them earn income while preserving their lands and resources. Communities in Kenya (both men and women) have been motivated and organized to both prevent further environmental destruction and restore that which has been damaged.