A number of people have asked about my own methodology for creating a complete piece of music at the piano. At the risk of oversimplification, the steps are as follows:

1. I sit down at the piano without any thought of creating something and tune in to my feelings.

2. I start to play the first thing that comes to mind. In other words, my fingers come before my brain. I let it all hang out and see where the music wants to go. If something resonates or has energy I stay with it until the energy dissipates. If the music does not seem to want to go anywhere I get up and leave.

3. Now, (assuming that I am on to something) I draw bar lines - enough for an 8-measure phrase. I then write down the chord changes on top - hopefully for the entire 8 bars. If the entire 8-bars don’t come, I try for four - but I usually succeed in filling up this 8-bar space. I’ll then pencil in the melody, but only the first 2-bars.

This way, I let the rest of the melody come of its own accord. The first 2-bars is enough to allow me to improvise the rest until it gels into its final form

4. After the first 8-bar section is complete (or incomplete, it doesn’t matter) I’ll write down another 8 or 4-bar phrase and listen for the next section of music - if there is a next section. If something comes I follow the same procedure as above.

What I usually try for in this section is contrast. Something different. In this regard, I do usually start out with a preconceived idea of what the final form of the music will be. It will be A-B-A form 90% of the time. Knowing this allows me to use the techniques of composition (repetition and contrast) better.

Although this seems to contradict the idea of letting the music tell you where it wants to go (improvisation) it is useful in composition to give shape to the music. I explain this in more detail in my online class.

5. Now, I have the rudimentary parts of the entire piece. If I only have the A section and the B section does not want to come, I leave it and come back to it. Sometimes it never comes and that’s all right too. I can then combine different sections to different pieces of music and all works out. I give it a title (nature titles for me since that is my inspiration).

6. The piece is finished only after I play it a number of times and it has a chance to gel. I can’t think of a better word for this process. After you play what you have written down a number of times, the music settles into what it will finally become. You just know when the piece is finished. It is an intuitive thing. Sometimes I’ll repeat sections a number of times because the inspiration is fresh and because it feels right. Other pieces are very short because more repetition of a section just does not work.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

Let’s face it. The world will not end if there isn’t another new age music CD on the market. So why bother? Why play when most people don’t care or want to hear the kind of music you like? The answer lies in the nature of art itself, for the world really does not need art. It can survive without painting, sculpture or music. It can survive, but it would be a pretty dreary place.

But the main reason we play is not for the world but for ourselves. We must play for ourselves first and if people hear and like it fine. If not, that’ s fine too. As long as we don’t deprive ourselves of the enriching experience improvisation can bring.

When I first started playing I wanted to create something others could admire. Something that people could say, wow, listen to that. That guy is really good. But I was miserable and miles away from the true purpose of playing music. It wasn’t until a year or so later that I realized that if I don’t please myself first, no one would be pleased. Nor did it matter if others were pleased or not.

So, what is new age piano improvisation good for? Absolutely nothing - except the joy it can bring to you and to me when we enter the flow and the music pours out of us. It is so precious to be able to do this. So fleeting it may be too. A second or a minute of forgetting yourself at the piano is a sacred act. One that grows and develops. It matures of itself. Much like meditation. If one practices the art, one grows in proportion to that practice.

But this kind of growth is spiral in nature. There are times that the music seems lifeless and dull. At these times we feel the same inside. But a day or two later, we are in a new place and the music flows like water. This is a mystery, this process. One can only go with it and not fight it. You are creating art second by second when you improvise. This kind of beauty is fleeting - but is the most precious. Guard it. Cherish it. And if you feel inclined share it with the rest of the world.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

The human race is finding that the repeating of history is not working with regards to killing our own species. Although only one-percent of all the humans who have live on the planet in recent recorded history of 2000 years have been killed in a war; we still see the tit for tat, reciprocal responses which seem to transcend the generations. The best way to achieve political will if in fact you are willing to wait, is to make them weak thru gifts or making their lives too easy, thus taking away their need to fight for their rights. Once this is achieved they enter a realm of mediocrity and lose all motivations to fight, innovate, press on or wage war against you. Once you have a populous at that point you can slowly turn up the heat and all the little froggies will remain in the pot without jumping out until it boils over. Sure they will bitch and moan about it as the heat gets too hot, but not a one will rebel or fight you for your agenda.

How do we know this is fact? Well we see it in the United States and the middle class who duly allows mediocrity to overcome them. We see this in nations we have rebuilt after wars, they become weak, enjoy their lives and demand the status quo not willing to fight the gradual changes. Those nations who wish to serve their will must take a long term approach and empathetically empathize their enemy and then slowly over generations turn up the steam and modify their thought processes convincing them that they are happy, free, lucky, better, smarter, stronger, enlightened. Once they have reached the purported created reality and perceive that they have arrived, they will no longer look towards fighting and you can then have your will with them. Once a nation or a culture reaches a point of instantaneous self gratification for every humanly innate urge, they have arrived at a point that they are not willing to sacrifice that which they have for that which is right.

It is for this reason that Carl von Clauswitz needs to rethink his strategy of reciprocal response to include additional long-term approaches on war and consider the benefits of Sun Tzu to this regard of empathizing your enemy to serve your will? Think on that humans.

“Lance Winslow” - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

Dances with Wolves is another successful story that follows the Hero’s Journey template almost by the book. Mirroring the Hero’s Journey template allows the screenwriter to write effective screenplays and stories.

1. Hero’s strength of character; nature [John Dunbar pulls his boots over his soon to be amputated leg].

2. Introduce a Supernatural Aid / Mentor [the General on the hill top].

3. Hero commits an extraordinary act [suicide sequence; John’s fellow soldier initiates the Call to Adventure] the soldier’s reactions provide the Refusal].

4. Mentor recognizes the Hero as such and offers magical gifts (John Dunbar’s desire to see the frontier before it’s gone; Cisco the faithful horse and promotion].

5. Hero begins his journey [trip to Fort Hayes with Cisco].

6. Meeting the Threshold Guardian [the officer who commits suicide]. Warnings of danger [can drive you insane - like the officer].

7. Journey to the First Threshold with the (dangerous) Joker.

8. Danger of the journey developed; references to an antagonism [John finds skeletons along the way; killed by Indian arrows].

9. Character and natures of the Hero and Joker developed [camping sequence].

10. The magical nature of the First Threshold (this New World we are entering) illustrated [we see the majesty of the prairies].

11. Foreshadow of the adventure [”Indians are nothing but thieves and beggars”].

12. Hero arrives at the First Threshold. It is foreboding, dangerous and unwelcoming. But the Hero sees value there. There is resistance to entering [the Joker won’t stay; John Dunbar has to pull a gun on him].

13. There is no way back [the Joker departs].

14. The Hero feels strangely comfortable with the decision he has made.

15. Hero is wary of danger in the First Threshold [John is edgy - he pulls a gun on Cisco].

16. Danger illustrated [John finds a dead dear].

17. Hero overcomes initial doubts and fears [gives the dead deer a funeral; he literarily burns them].

18. Hero aware of an antagonism [John Dunbar realizes that the smoke may attract the Indians].

19. We are introduced to an Antagonism [the Pawnee].

20. The danger of the Antagonism illustrated [the Pawnee kill the Joker].

21. Hero enters deeper into the First Threshold and meets an ally [John begins to get comfortable and meets Two Socks].

22. Hero in the Belly of the First Threshold and becomes familiar with his ally [John completely at home and the relationships with Two Socks is developed].

23. Hero meets a new Mentor. The hero does not recognize the Mentor but the Mentor is aware of him on some level [Kicking Bird runs away - he knows white people inhabit this place and are coming in increasing numbers].

The 106 stage Hero’s Journey and complete analysis of Dances with Wolves and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

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You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://www.managing-creativity.com

Since pearls are so rare and possess such a high degree of natural beauty, they have been considered to be among the most splendid of gems for many centuries.

The people of India and Persia (Iraq) were among the earliest to collect pearls, because of the rich fisheries of Ceylon and the Persian Gulf, the Indian and Persian princes in the last century, acquired huge collections of pearls that have never been equaled, these collections would be worth hundreds of millions of dollars today.

Pearls A Natural Wonder

Natural or real pearls are made by oysters and other mollusks. Cultured pearls also are grown by mollusks, but with human intervention; that is, an irritant introduced into the shells causes a pearl to grow. Imitation pearls are man-made with glass, plastic, or organic materials.

Because natural pearls are very rare, most pearls used in jewelry are either cultured or imitation pearls. Cultured pearls, because they are made by oysters or mollusks, usually are more expensive than imitation pears. A cultured pearl’s value is largely based on its size, usually stated in millimeters, and the quality of its nacre coating, which give it luster. Jewelers should tell your if the pearls are cultured or imitation. Some black, bronze, gold, purple, blue and orange pearls, whether natural or cultured, occur that way in nature; some, however, are dyed through various processes. Jewelers should tell you whether the colored pearls are naturally colored, dyed or irradiated.

Clams, oysters, mussels and many other mollusks with limy shells are known to produce pearls. But very few kinds yield gem pearls of jeweler’s quality. The pearl is an abnormal growth of mother-of-pearl, or nacre, imbedded in the soft bodies of these shellfish. It is built up, layer upon layer, in the same way as nacre is added to the lining of the growing shell and always has the same color and luster. For example, over the country, hundreds of good-sized pearls are found each year in the oysters we eat. Unfortunately these have no commercial value regardless of whether they have been cooked or not because they are dull opaque white or purple like the shell of the parent oyster. In recent times almost all pearls of gem quality come from the oriental pearl oyster which has a bright shimmering translucent nacre.

A pearl starts growing when some irritating foreign substance such as a sand grain, bit of mud, parasite or other object becomes lodged in the shell-producing gland called the mantle. Pearls formed in the soft flesh where nacre can be added on all sides are most likely to be spherical and the most highly prized. By far the great majority are flattened or variously distorted and have little value. Size, color, luster and freedom from flaws are other essential qualities. Unlike other gems, such as diamonds, pearls have an average life of only about 50 years. In time the small amount of water in a pearl’s make-up is lost and its surface cracks. Because they are mostly lime, necklaces which are worn often are injured by the acid secretions of the human skin.

Though, the pearl is not technically a stone at all, it’s beauty has earned it a place in the Big 5 of precious stones. Jewelry artists have long appreciated the pearl and continue to utilize its charm in their creations

Buying pearl jewelry can be fun, exciting and confusing. Whether you’re considering a gift of pearl jewelry for someone special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn the terms used in the industry.

Pearl jewelry: pearl rings, pearl earrings, pearl necklace, pearl pendants and pearl bracelets are some of the most sought after jewelry creations. Your eyes tell you how beautiful a piece of pearl jewelry is, but how do you know you are getting your money’s worth?

A little knowledge can go a long way to help you purchase a beautiful piece of pearl jewelry at a fair price.

When shopping for pearl jewelry online, apply these tips.

1. Shop with companies you know or do some homework before buying to make sure a company is legitimate before doing business with it.

2. Take advantage of information and referrals from an Internet company you have come to trust.

3. Get the details about the product, as well as the merchant’s refund and return policies, before you buy.

4. Look for an address to write to or a phone number to call if you have a question, a problem or need help.

The pearl is the birthstone for the month of June.

Sam Serio is an Internet Marketer, musician and a writer on the subject of jewelry and gemstones. For more information on jewelry and gemstones, we cordially invite you to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com to pick up your FREE copy of “How To Buy Jewelry And Gemstones Without Being Ripped Off.” This concise, informative special report reveals almost everything you ever wanted to know about jewelry and gemstones, but were afraid to ask. Get your FREE report at http://www.morninglightjewelry.com

The funeral rite concluded
With the pastor shaking hands,
Offering words of comfort
I didn’t quite understand.

The undertakers came forth
And summoned pallbearers’ four.
They marched beside the coffin
Carrying it steady toward the door.

I didn’t cry or whimper
As I followed right behind.
But deep within I screamed
Don’t leave O Mother of mine.

Please don’t go to the grave;
Let’s chat just one more time.
Let’s talk about the ‘good old days’
Don’t leave, O Mother of mine.”

But onward moved the casket
Down the stairs to the limousine;
With Mother laying incognizant
Of my agonizing scream.

As we rode toward the ossuary
Thoughts were swimming in my head;
Why didn’t the whole world stop?
Didn’t it know my Mother was dead?

But the world kept ’bout its business
And within I felt so sad,
‘Cause my Mother didn’t get the honor
I thought she should have had.

As we drove into the cemetery
I knew it wouldn’t be long,
Before I had to sing at last
My final farewell song.

I stood at the gravesite
Grief festering in my breast:
Scriptures read, prayers prayed,
Mother committed to eternal rest.

Looking out the car’s rear window
As we mutely drove away;
I saw a heavenly angel fly
To where my Mother lay.

Then I knew that all was well,
That Mother was just fine.
That I would live and grow and serve
Until, alas, my time.

Thank you Lord for reassuring me
That the grave is not the end.
That Mother is patiently waiting for me
Just around life’s toilsome bend.

But now there’s work I must perform
That no one else can do;
Some hurting, aching souls to soothe,
Broken dreams to help renew.

And in the process of reaching out
To brighten someone’s day;
I sense way deep within myself,
That I too will be okay.

Saundra L. Washington is the author of two coffee table books: “Negative Disturbances, Homilies that Teach,” and the book from which this poem is taken, “Room Beneath the Snow, Poems that Preach.” Looking out the Rear Window was written shortly following her mother’s death. She can be contacted at: http://www.clergyservices4u.org

My eyes opened.
I am still alive;
Living on planet earth.
Though unconscious for many hours;
Unaware of existence,
Unknowing of life,
Incognizant of humanity
Living in a space of void,
Resident of nothingness,
Here, but not here.
There, but not there.

Now, awakened
I know I am here.
Thank you Lord! I guess;
I may prefer to be there.
Heard it is less troublesome,
Than here.

But, I accept here.
Though I am told there is better
And You know I want to be there
With You,
Yet,I thank you for here,
For now.

Here, I am able to hope for there.
Adds meaning to my life here.
You always visit me here
And we sometimes talk about there.

You review with me my assignment here
That must be completed
Before I can travel there.
And you remind me that
Even while I am here,
I get a little closer
To there every day.

I admit I do sometimes wonder about
What is going on there
And who is there
But no one who relocates there
Ever revisit here to tell me.

Well, I am awake and ready
To start my “here” business.
I cannot neglect it
Because what I do here
Determines what I do there

And

Which there I go to.

You placed me in time here,
Even though You went back to eternity there.
You did not abandon me here.

You speak with me daily
And do not withhold your loving-kindness
You cover me with the shield of wisdom
And do not forsake me in my struggles
Here.
Even as You prepare a place for me
There.

Thank you Lord
For being here and there.

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, will be available soon.

8

The strength

Rain II
Second Hour

His solar-plexus were sore, there was no cure for its comfort, he knew that, and the ongoing, oncoming chills, chills that reached into the marrow of his bones changed the pigment of his skin, it was the charging cold rains doing, its continued tedious haggling dominance; thus, bleaching his skin a pale white, an egg-white, blotches of egg and pale white stains. He remained, still remained, at a halt for a moment: thinking (not of his pigmented skin, or his marrow in is bones feeling like fruit jam), just thinking (perhaps of the old dead): the old Landlord had worked hard all his life (G

Family Values in Ancient Times:

Many people of the present make some very grave and disturbing assumptions about prior unethical behaviour by humans. My theories may be biased and overly appreciative of a time before Empire and there is less data due to the destructive power of Empire and the hegemony to go on. However, that data is more pure and less likely to have been promoted or propagandized for the interests of power-mongers. Top scholars and those who are regarded as great academics still debate whether women ever had equal rights and some state there never were matriarchal societies of great note. It would be a surprise for me if there were not many different approaches used in various cultures and millennia before the Ice Age we just experienced and thereafter, leading up to what we call history. Much of history today has all the markings of hegemony akin to the Middle Ages according to John Ralston Saul who says it “has come to resemble the obscure and controlling scholasticism of the Middle Ages.” (1)

Could it be that ethics and moral behaviour had higher importance in the communal houses of the Kelts and North American Indians, as well as other societies throughout this awesome world? We now know it has been traversed by ancient humans who loved and played all over the place for a far longer period than we have been lead to believe even though many may not be aware of these facts. Is it possible that basic principles were easily communicated and respect was the goal of people long ago? Why even debate the point about power and money - they had little need of it. Western society still has much of the ingrained misogyny of millennia of macho Mediterranean mores and the rest of the world is far worse. What greater issue is there than incest and family violence? It rots the fabric of families and society as a whole. This quote from respected anthropologist Carlton Coon about the ‘hunting societies’ of prehistory sets a stage we need to appreciate and evaluate.

“While under certain circumstances, in some societies, a young man may marry a woman past menopause, he may manage to have sexual relations with other women, and may eventually get a nubile second wife.” (2)

This seems a workable arrangement that includes education and the planning of families to avoid unnecessary abortion or mouths who aren’t truly cared for, doesn’t it? The older woman presumably would be able to satisfy the early sexual energy of the young man, without leading their social or tribal culture into all the problems associated with children having children such as often happens today. The young man might even develop some sexual techniques and understand his urges better than pure lustful infatuation or the need to run off to fight in order to get rape and pillage payment for some Lord or Caesar. Then when financially and emotionally prepared for parenting he might actually do a decent job. Coon was able to observe this still exists in some Neolithic societies of the present day. When the second wife arrived it might present some problems but in most cases the first wife would probably enjoy helping the new wife to understand her opportunities better. Yes, I do overstate the case, I suppose, but in the Keltic clandoms it was even better than I am suggesting.

Kids were a resource and source of pride for the whole clan. In the dynamic of raising a child this allowed for many things to occur in a more mature environment with less emotional blackmail. That does not lessen the aspirations parents have for their children but it makes for a lot less vicarious pressure, as parents have to spend all their waking hours attending to the needs of kids; who see a way to get what they want by playing to the unrealistic parents who have yet to learn what they need to know. There are aspects of North American Indians tribes that show a similar approach to child-raising. The Stadacona Indians sent some of their children with Cartier, much as the Kelts shared educational opportunities with trading partners. Aunts and uncles do the disciplining of children among the Cree. The extended family and communal living is very clannish and even Gibbon noted there were heraldic Indian regalia that mirrored those of British heraldry.

The Hurons and Iroquois are most like the Irish or Norse Kelts in their social structure. Crimes committed by a member of a family or clan (tribe) are paid for by the whole family. With this kind of policing or morals bureaucracy would starve for want of something to do. The compassion and behaviour modification of a family is better than that of the police or prisons, I think. The women of the Iroquois were the decision makers in most cases except the daily running of a war once it was approved. These women owned the assets or leaseholds. No one owned land just as was true in the land use laws of the Kelts which the English had to expunge along with all other just and fair culture when they finally forced Ireland under their rule. The Indians still practice Potlatch or the giving of respect and assets despite the 1920s law against it in Canada. We can all imagine the Tax collectors don’t like this kind of custom. It was much more than mere taxes the government sought and the Supreme Court has ruled the government and Catholic Church were intent on the total destruction of Indian beliefs, in recent rulings.

“In any event, the incest tabus recognized in any given hunting society bear some relationship to his choice (or to his and/or her parents’ choice) of a marital partner. Of these prohibitions there are three basic and quite different incest tabus, prohibiting intercourse between father and daughter, mother and son, and brother and sister. These prohibitions are not based on instinct or the inductive experience of the genetic consequences that sometimes result {Like the idiots and haemophiliacs or sexual deviates who lead us as a result of ‘noble’ heritage - to war and other great heroic endeavours.}. Some individuals violate them, but if so the violations do not result in marriage.

To a considerable extent these primary incest tabus are based on two kinds of antisocial results. Parent-child intercourse would disrupt the lines of authority between generations, lines that hold the family together. Brother-sister intercourse during adolescence would inhibit intermarriage between families, reducing their interdependence. Were a married woman to have intercourse with her brother, it would create a state of serious conflict between her husband and his brother-in-law, two kinsmen by marriage who, in certain cultures, might need each other’s confidence and help.” (3)

The ‘controlling scholasticism of the Middle Ages’ referred to by Ralston Saul was part of the continuing effort to destroy these real family values. The marriage laws of the Kelts had to be eliminated because these laws were equitable and fair to women and children. Bastards were not ever possible in Keltic society and the idea of a single mother was totally different than it is today. Of course, the payment of mercenaries including the rape and pillage which enabled men to gradually lose all decent tabus or constructs based on the ancient means of care for each other that were part of all the systems Brotherhood developed, through common sense. The elevation of Gods from the state of hero (mere human) to Divine Rights and separate from Nature, is at the root of a lot of it. Heyerdahl thinks Odin was a Keltic king in southern Russia around the time of Christ and I find that entirely likely. When man began to say other men were unable to comprehend nature and needed an interpreter for the collective soul of humanity and all life, things began the downward drift to the hegemony that often even denies man has a soul.

The extent of character assassination by academics that do not delve into the reasons for Caesar’s propaganda or quote others who did not employ due diligence is as evident today as it ever was. The people who focus on Keltic sacrifices and trophy head customs are telling a fact but not the whole truth. What is abortion and capital punishment if not sacrificing the life of people, perhaps for a common good? Victorian prudishness developed the ’sins and demons’ fear-mongering of Jehovian greed even further. In fact the Western Tradition has succeeded in the destruction of all Ancient Knowledge if you were to believe what is allowed to be disseminated through ‘official’ or educational channels. The Temples of Saphos and Mesopotamia joined all Mediterranean cultures in some form of forced prostitution for women, while the Biblical ‘Devoted Ones’ were sacrificed when the priest or his cronies were through with other obvious and disgusting uses of them. Often the orphans and waifs caused by the changing laws and racial unrest and prejudice fomented in these times, led souls to a place worse than the Hell ruled by the Catholic created Satan. The excellent book called The Golden Bough by Sir James Frazer gives ample evidence from credible sources about burning Red Heads and women of all classes being forced to sell their bodies and give the money to the Temple. It may have started with Abraham (and other Ur-Story proponents with their harems) and his baby-factories but it was certainly not the way of ancient Kelts even after his time. The Indians of North America and the natives of Hawaii are ample testimony of the diversity of Keltic egalitarian approaches.

Author of Diverse Druids, Columnist for The ES Press Magazine, Guest writer at World-Mysteries.com

Its day one and this was the most exciting day in Justin’s life. He made the choice to stop gambling. It’s been a long exhausting journey that he thought would never end. His journey towards self destruction began five years ago. A simple few bets cost him his future financial freedom. He lost all of his retirement money and all of his savings. The only things left in his life were his wife, two kids and a dog. He was just about to lose his job due to poor attendance and performance. He was at bottom with no where to turn. His wife had also been emotionally distraught due to his lies, disappearance, lack of interest in the kids and their personal intimacy. No one was really very happy at this point in time.

Justin’s wife realized he had a problem a year earlier and she didn’t know what to do. She contacted various programs through the internet and then found I Stopped Gambling So Can You http://www.istoppedgambling.com/ website. There she began to educate herself on gambling addiction. At the website she found something for everyone. She showed the site to friends and family and finally her husband.

Justin read through the manual and found out he could relate to it. He remembered how many times he wanted to stop gambling, but couldn’t stop. He even thought about going to a Gamblers Anonymous meeting because he heard a lot of good things about them. He finally decided that the I Stopped So Can You website was going to help him stop gambling. On day one he had a lot of thoughts running through his mind. He remembers that first morning when he woke up and realized how gambling had controlled his life for way to long. He was not going to allow this anymore. He was nervous because he remembered all the other futile attempts at stopping. This time was different. He had a calm feeling about the direction he wanted to take his life and he was now in control of his destiny. His goal was to take one day at a time. This will help him to succeed in his quest to stop gambling.

Day one Justin changed the direction of his life for the better. He will always remember that this is his life and there’s no reason to spend his hard earned money on gambling. Gambling was a self destructive part of my past.

In one day Justin accepted his situation, made a plan and followed through. He believes that his life for the first time in five years is headed in the right direction.

Congratulations Justin on day one!

Mr. Howard Keith has an extensive background in dealing with compulsive gamblers, relatives and friends of gamblers and teenage gamblers.
Mr. Keith believes there are many alternatives to aid in the recovery of a gambling addiction verses a twelve step program. A large percentage of his emails were from compulsive gamblers looking for an alternative to Gamblers Anonymous and twelve step programs. Gamblers Anonymous also helps a significant number of people each year but there is a large percentage that does not stay. These are the people Mr. Keith is hoping to reach.