Listening to Your Inner Voice

Sometimes one of the hardest things to do is to listen to your inner voice. You know that voice, the one that tells you if something is a good idea or not. Unfortunately, sometimes our heads or our egos get in the way of the listening to that little voice...

How many times have you thought - if I had just listened to that little voice instead of thinking too much or just pushing through? Like taking "one last run" on a ski day only to get hurt? Or just having a bad feeling about something, but doing it anyway only leading to mishaps?

Several years ago I came face to face with the consequence of not listening to that little voice. I was on vacation with a couple of girlfriends in Maui and two of us decided to wake up early the first morning go swimming with wild dolphins.

We were excited when we got to the local beach early and spotted several dolphins out past the waves. What we also noticed was the size of the waves - they were huge. At the waters edge, I said I was not going in and my friend kind of looked at me shocked. I had heard that little voice telling me to stay on the beach, but then I did a funny thing - I went in anyway.

Not ten feet out, I knew I was in trouble. I was being sucked down by the undertow. I couldn't stay up, one wave after another pushed me down and all I could think was, "Kelly, this is so stupid. You knew not to go into the water and your Irish got you into this. You have two beautiful children at home and this is your choice?" Needless to say I was pissed at myself, swearing at my stupidity and then the survivor stepped in.

I saw a large rock over to my left and I knew if I got there I could at least catch my breath and decide how to get back to shore. Somehow I got to the rock and clung. Over and over I keep thinking about God and the hymnal words, "clinging to the rock." I smiled and knew it was going to be alright - I was clinging to my rock, my God. I caught my breath and managed somehow to dash myself against the rocks at the water's edge. Thus I made it to shore, be it battered, bleeding and shaken.

When I finally made it out of the water, a healer I did not know happened to be on shore waiting for me and my oh my, the scolding I received! I didn't even say a word and in she started, "Kelly, what are you doing? You have work to do here - people need you. You heard the voice, now you have to listen better. What are you thinking? You know you have important work to do..." On and on she lectured until she knew I was properly chastised. Then she had me smelling flowers and walking barefoot to try to get back into my body. It worked and I never saw her again after that day.

I was shaken that morning on the beach, and honestly I think still am, but in a good way. I listen better. I heard that voice years ago on the beach but I ignored it. I made a choice - yes, free will. We always, always have choices that can either lift ourselves up or push ourselves down. We decide over and over every day.

Interestingly, I think I made the right decision to go into the water that day. The lessons I learned from that experience were profound and have always stayed with me - for the better. It was terrifying and life-affirming in the ocean. I learned to trust my inner voice. It had been there all along, guiding me, but I chose not to listen. Now, I choose to listen.

Kelly Ballard is a workshop leader, Intuitive Guide and Healer. Through workshops, private sessions and guided meditations Kelly specializes in helping others discover positive solutions for immediate change/growth in their lives thus drawing their most abundant life into reality. Find out more information about her services and meditation CDs at http://www.kellyballard.com - Contact her directly at 720-984-4232 or email kelly@kellyballard.com - She lives in Boulder, CO.

Motorhome Insurance Top Tips

One of the most common mistakes people make when taking out insurance for their motorhome is insuring the motorhome under a standard car insurance policy. It may seem that the policy is very similar, but it could leave you without the correct cover.

For example - a specialist motorhome insurance policy will cover your camping equipment as well as your vehicle. Options such as new for old cover are often limited under a car policy.

Another consideration when comparing insurance policies for your motorhome is whether breakdown cover is included. As with any breakdown service, the one provided with your motorhome insurance policy could prove invaluable should your motorhome breakdown whilst on holiday. Good questions to ask your breakdown provider is whether there are length or weight restrictions for the service they provide and whether they have coverage in Europe. You may think you have been sold specialist motorhome breakdown cover, only to find that your vehicle is too long or too heavy to be recovered, leaving you stranded.

If you secure your motorhome with an alarm or tracking device, look for insurance companies that will recognise this and reward you with insurance discounts. You should also be able to earn a no claims discount on your policy and even get a discount for being a member of a motorhome club or online forum, so check what discounts you are entitled to.

Extra cover benefits such as European cover and European breakdown may be available at extra cost, therefore, if you don't plan to travel outside the UK, you could ask for these benefits to be removed, saving you money on your premium. Another way to reduce your premium is to limit the mileage in your motorhome each year or increase your voluntary excess if this is possible.

When ringing around for insurance quotes, remember to ask the right questions and only pay for the cover you need.

Heather Robinson of Caravan Guard Limited. Caravan Guard Limited specialise in motorhome insurance.

Finding a Freelance Writing Voice

While it is of paramount importance to be versatile and flexible in your freelance writing career, it’s also important to have something that separates you from the rest of the competition. What makes you a different (or better) freelance writer than the other guy? Personally, I think that one of the greatest factors that can differentiate you from the crowd is a unique writing voice.

What is a Writing Voice?

You could say that a freelance writing voice is akin to finding a certain style or manner in which you write. It is partly because of their unique voices that people like Michael Crichton, Tom Clancy, and Mitch Albom are able to achieve the level of success that they do. There is no one else who can write quite the same way as Michael Crichton does. That’s his voice.

To truly stand out as a freelancer, you’ll want to find your own writing voice as well. There is no exact science to finding your unique style, so it will largely be a matter of trial and error before you can say that your writing is truly your own.

Voices of Inspiration

One of the greatest ways for you to find your own freelance writing voice is to look to other freelance writers for inspiration. This doesn’t mean that you should simply emulate their style, because that’s their style and not yours. That said, you can look to these other writers to get a sense of what is possible and why their distinct style of writing is different from that of everyone else.

For example, when you check out the blog of Chris Bibey, you’ll find that he makes extensive use of rhetorical questions. In many of his posts, he will pose a quick question and then respond to it himself, usually by saying that there is no single answer that will fit at all times. This style works for him and it’s a style that I immediately recognize as Chris Bibey’s.

Defining Factors of My Voice

In terms of my freelance writing voice, I find that I have a tendency to use compound sentences (just like this one). I also have a preference for sentence inversion, because it brings emphasis to the uniqueness of the circumstances. This style is used extensively in my feature articles and product reviews, as well as blog posts like this.

Do you have a writing style that is distinctly your own? Have you found your freelance writing voice?

Save Money And Stay Cooler with a Whole-House Fan

Handyman columnist James Dulley explains the benefits of a whole-house fan as a way to save money on summer cooling costs. A whole-house fan is a large fan you install in the ceiling of the uppermost floor of your home. When turned on the fan draws a enormous amount of air up and out of your home. In short, a whole-house fan is the super-charged version of opening the windows at night to let the cold air in and closing them in the morning to trap the colder night air inside. A whole house fan is also extremely energy efficient compared to an air conditioning unit. Dulley writes:


Depending upon its size, a whole-house fan uses only 10% to 20% as much electricity as a central air conditioner. Also, it uses significantly less electricity than a window air conditioner, yet it keeps the entire house more comfortable, not just one room. Installing one generally provides a good payback on the investment.

While I've never lived in house with a whole house fan, several of my neighbors over the years have had them and the effect is impressive. A home filled with hot stifling air from a scorching summer day can be quickly filled with cool night air in a matter of minutes. If you have a whole-house fan, tell us how it works in the comments.