Tardis’ Neighborhood

Conditions differ from circumstances. Circumstances are changeable conditions which merely "stand around about you," and, of them, have no stability. They are created by man, and can be overcome by man.
But, differing from circumstances, there are certain conditions which seem to be so "fixed" that they obstruct your progress toward success. They are of two kinds: undesirable facial features, and malformations of the body. They are often so fixed that it seems impossible to change them.
Yet, the limitations of all such conditions can be overcome! It has been done hundreds of times, and that which has been done, can be done!
Of course, you cannot change your height from four feet eight inches to six feet two inches, but in all dealings with others, you can overcome the limitations which you think are due to a stature of four feet eight inches! You can carry yourself in such a way that others will think of you as a king. Napoleon, though short of stature, made himself the commanding figure among all classes and manner of men, merely by the way he carried himself. He did not increase his stature, but he overcame its limitations.
Whether or not you succeed in overcoming conditions, which it seems impossible for you to change, depends on your vision of the powers of your soul, on your faith in its possibilities, and on your use of expression as the means of overcoming the limitations. If your ideal of the possibilities and powers of your real self is limited, then you hinder yourself in climbing out from under the conditions. But, if you realize that your soul is infinite, and that its possibilities of expression are limitless; then, no matter what the partial manifestation, no matter what the restricting condition, no matter what the limitation-you can climb out from under it, by changing your expression!
In essence, your soul is perfect-embracing all possibilities and all powers.
In manifestation, you limit yourself by limiting your expression.
You can change your expression!
You can change your body!
But, to change the bodily form, you must change its expression first!
If you are locked in a room, with the key on the inside of the door, on your side, you will fail to get out-no matter how much you butt your head against the door-unless you first turn the key to unlock the door.
But, it is easy to succeed in getting out of the room, if you turn the key in the lock first, and then open the door.
If you have failed to climb out from under the limitations of bodily conditions, it is because you have been attempting to batter down the form of the limitations without first changing its expression. To succeed means "to climb out from under." It does not mean to batter down, to smash, or to '' reduce to nothingness.''
You can always change the expression of any form of life.
And, changing its expression will change its form.
Soul expression is soul-in-action.
Activity comes first!
Every soul loves the beauty of activity more than it loves beauty of form; for, in active expression, there is a beauty which has a greater and stronger appeal than the beauty of form.
Do you not prefer the living, romping, active, companionable dog-even though he may not be perfect in form-to the most perfect clay model of a dog any artist ever designed?
As a mother, do you not prefer the active, living child-even if its nose is not perfect- to the most beautifully formed and perfectly featured doll in the world?
And, young man, do you not prefer the living, loving, joyously expressive maid, to the perfect wax figure in the department store window?
It is beauty of expression which we most love! It is beauty of expression which attracts others most!

Although almost every day at Six Apart is Take Your Dog to Work Day, Friday was extra special because it was the official Take Your Dog to Work Day! Plus, as lovers of blogs and animals, we think it's great that active blogger and Human Society's President and CEO, Wayne Pacelle, thinks having dogs around the office is a good reminder of "who we're working for."

We realize some people have it ruff and aren't lucky enough to be able to bring their dog to work, but hopefully these pictures taken at Six Apart last Friday will get your tails wagging... And let me tell you, it's harder than it looks to get all the doggies and their fetching owners in one picture.

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, today is the summer solstice. For ancient civilizations, this day was akin to our modern day New Year's Eve and was viewed as a time to reflect and renew. So why not kick off your summer celebration with a new theme?

See all of our themes in the Design Area.

Or choose from one of  these brand-new themes. (Available under "New.")

A couple of months ago, we told you about Blog It powered by TypePad, the first cross-platform blogging application for Facebook the enables you to post to your Vox blog - and ALL your blogs - with a single click.

Within a week, Blog It had nearly 4,000 active users posting tweets and creating blog posts, as well as updating their status messages with the title and link to the published post. Today, Blog It's Facebook application has nearly 10,000 users. But here's the thing: You're not always sitting in front of the computer when the inspiration to blog strikes. And at Six Apart, it is our goal to provide you the tools you need need to blog where you want, and when you want.

Which is why this week we introduced Blog It for iPhone, a free web application just like the one we introduced for Facebook - only now - on your iPhone. Built specifically for iPhone's Safari browser, Blog It for iPhone enables you to post blog entries or status updates from wherever you are to more than a dozen different online services. And just like the original Facebook version, you can choose to share your posts with the people you know across various social networks.

To start blogging with Blog It for iPhone, go to  http://blogit.typepad.com with your iPhone's Safari browser and install the Blog It icon onto your mobile desktop. Then, all you have to do is click the Blog It icon and start creating posts!

Whether you're riding the bus to work, cheering on your team courtside, or enjoying a picnic by the lake, now it's easier than ever to Blog It.

Wealthy people share common traits. That's why they are wealthy. If you want to be extremely wealthy, learn and own these traits:1. PERSISTENCEOn your way to achieve wealth, you will definitely face some obstacles. Overcome the obstacles and move on. Do not give up and be persistent. Wealth is achieved only by removing a series of stumbling blocks along your way to riches.2. INVEST OR BUILD A BUSINESSExtremely wealthy people are either businessmen or investors. Look at some of the richest people in the world. They all own companies. To create wealth, you must involve yourself in business or investing. This is where the money is. Start your own business and grow your wealth.3. INNOVATIVETo be very wealthy and to stay wealthy, you need to be very innovative. Being innovative ensures that you always come up with new ideas to create wealth. Look around you for some opportunities that can make you rich. Be observant and critical. 4. DO WHAT YOU LOVEIf you are not doing what you love, forget about getting rich. Wealthy people get wealthy because they do what they love. They love what they do so much that they forget that they are actually working. Find something you love and create business around what you love.5. GIVE IT BACKDonate some of your income to charity you believe in on a regular basis. Some extremely wealthy people even have their own foundations. They donate a percentage of their wealth to the cause they believe. The more you give, the more you receive. Do not hoard wealth, share it with people around you.6. CONTINUOUS LEARNINGKeep learning to improve yourself. Extremely wealthy people believe that the greatest asset in the world is your mind. Your mind shapes your destiny. Invest in your greatest asset by reading books, listening to audio tapes or attending seminars. 7. LEVERAGEExtremely wealthy people do not do everything themselves. They know when to let go. They hire the right people to do it. Bill Gates doesn't write software, he hires programmers to do it. To be very rich, you must know how to leverage. Hire people and use tools to do some of your work. If you do not leverage, there is so much that you can do, and this puts a limit on how much money you can make.Besides the above traits, extremely wealthy people dream big and they take action to have their dreams come true. Furthermore, they persevere and have strong desire in achieving their dreams.

We will be performing scheduled maintenance on Vox tonight (Friday, June 6, 2008) from 11:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. PDT. Although we don't anticipate this maintenance to be highly disruptive, we always like to give you advance notification when there is a slight chance of some downtime.

As always, thank you for your patience - and have a great weekend!

Update: There WILL be downtime between 11:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. PDT. so please plan accordingly.

In individualistic success models, success is not due to the individual’s relationship with his external environment or place in society, but, rather, a matter of individual accomplishment or, in some cases, a measure of his relationship with God. These models had their roots originally in Protestant Calvinism and are the typical ones you will see in “Success” books. Examples discussed includeThe Protestant work ethic modelThe American success modelNew Age ModelProtestant Work EthicAccording to Max Weber (1904, 1905), it was John Calvin who introduced the theological doctrines which combined with those of Martin Luther to form a significant new attitude toward work. Calvin was a French theologian whose concept of predestination was revolutionary. Central to Calvinist belief was the Elect, those persons chosen by God to inherit eternal life. All other people were damned and nothing could change that since God was unchanging. While it was impossible to know whether a person was one of the Elect, one could have a sense of it based on his own personal encounters with God. Outwardly, the only evidence was in the person's daily life and deeds, and success in one's worldly endeavors was a sign of possible inclusion as one of the Elect. A person who was indifferent and displayed idleness was most certainly one of the damned, but a person who was active, austere, and hard working gave evidence to himself and to others that he was one of God's chosen ones. Calvin taught that all men must work, even the rich, because to work was the will of God. It was the duty of men to serve as God's instruments here on earth, to reshape the world in the fashion of the Kingdom of God, and to become a part of the continuing process of His creation. Men were not to lust after wealth, possessions, or easy living, but were to reinvest the profits of their labor into financing further ventures. Earnings were thus to be reinvested repeatedly, ad infinitum, or to the end of time. Using profits to help others rise from a lesser level of subsistence violated God's will since persons could only demonstrate that they were among the Elect through their own labor.Selection of an occupation and pursuing it to achieve the greatest profit possible was considered by Calvinists to be a religious duty. Not only condoning, but encouraging the pursuit of unlimited profit was a radical departure from the Christian beliefs of the Middle ages. In addition, unlike Luther, Calvin considered it appropriate to seek an occupation that would provide the greatest earnings possible. If that meant abandoning the family trade or profession, the change was not only allowed, but it was considered one’s religious duty. The norms regarding work which developed out of the Protestant Reformation, based on the combined theological teachings of Luther and Calvin, encouraged work in a chosen occupation with an attitude of service to God, viewed work as a calling and avoided placing greater spiritual dignity on one job than another, approved of working diligently to achieve maximum profits, required reinvestment of profits back into one's business, allowed a person to change from the craft or profession of his father, and associated success in one's work with the likelihood of being one of God's Elect. “American Dream” Success ModelThe present model of business and career motivation, the one most closely associated with the “American Dream” which emphases individual achievement, competition, and domination has been around for at least the last 50 years. Unlike the Calvinist work ethic that is based, the motivation for moneymaking is no longer saving for the future, but, what Thornstein Veblen, the famous 19th century economist characterized as “conspicuous consumption.” Luxury homes, luxury cars, fancy electronic gadgets, and exotic vacations create the illusion of wealth. The philosophy of the Amway Corporation, now known as Quixtel in the U. S. is a good illustration of the concepts involved.Amway Corporation is a direct selling organization that produces and markets products using a Multilevel Marketing system (or MLM for short). Multilevel marketing is a form of direct selling in which manufacturers authorize independent contractors to sell their products directly to consumers, bypassing intermediaries and retail stores. Using the garage or a spare bedroom as a warehouse and a home office as a business hub, a distributor makes a profit by buying wholesale from his or her company and selling to customers at retail prices. MLM is also a recruiting business. A distributor is permitted to sign up other individuals to become part of his company’s distribution force--and is paid a commission on the wholesale product purchases made by recruits. Both methods then furnish consumers with new options in acquiring consumer items they desire. The motivator for work and sole measure of success measured is money and the goods that money can buy: This is a business, and a main reason people work at any business is to earn money that not only will help them pay their bills, but also meet other goals. Those may be short- or long-term goals, and they could be large (like buying a new house) or small (like saving for a vacation). A better standard of living is a common motivation and reward for people starting any kind of business. Money - and what it can buy - is the universally recognizable indicator of success that distributors use to motivate and establish credibility for their business.(http://www.amway.com/InfoCenter/questions/question20.asp)Another important aspect of this success model is that one has only one self’s to blame for one’s own success for failure. And yet given the low success rate in Amway, "...the data from one investigative report reveal that only 1,000 of over 200,000 distributors ever achieved the rank of Direct Distributor or higher," it is also quite clear that the company does not offer success to anyone who enters the business [Bromley, 1995:151]. How can all these well-meaning people not succeed?The only ideologically accepted explanation is that these well-meaning people had no commitment to "the dream.” Amway is a performance-based business that rewards people in direct proportion to their effort. The bigger the financial goal, the more time and effort a distributor will need to put into his or her business. With an Amway business, a distributor can work as much or little as he or she likes. The rewards are based directly on the distributor's accomplishments. (from Amway The product is irrelevant. It is keeping the dream alive and resisting everything that could possibly rob one of The American Dream that counts. For "the dream" is God’s blessing, the divine will, the American Way, family, morality, and the free-enterprise system. . Recently, the American success model has been taken a battering. The competition for business markets and jobs is stiff. The faith in business has been eroded by corporate fraud scandals, massive layoffs, and outsourcing. However, at least for now, it remains the predominant success model in today’s America.New Age Views on SuccessNew Age philosophy got its name from the belief that we are at the threshold of a New Age. New Agers contend that the world is going through a paradigm shift, a time when accepted ways of thinking and acting change drastically, because of new discoveries.For example, the invention of writing and of agriculture triggered paradigm shifts that led to a completely new way of living. According to New Agers, we are going through a paradigm shift through new discoveries in physics and psychology. The judgmental (left)) side of our brain limits our possibilities for creativity. In contrast, the right side of our brain tells us that reality is what we make it. We need to be more creative in order to live up to our possibilities. In fact, some New Agers believe that we are actually gods, possessing mysterious powers that we do not know that have, including the ability to transform reality to conform to our desires. We have these abilities because there is already an underlying oneness between our beings and the universe. Nuclear physics discovery that matter and energy is the same suggests that everything is made up of the same energy. Hence, we, as energetic beings, interact with the energy of our environment to create our own destinies. The link between spirituality and money is evident in many New Age “self-help” books that combine techniques for psychological and spiritual well-being with techniques for financial success.8 According to New Age thinking, your spiritual health and financial health are closely related. As a result, the idea that “reality is what you make it” often translates into “your economic reality is what you make it” Being open to new experiences and goes along with taking new risks and investments. The New Age movement has adapted many of the same tools used by the Eastern and Wicca tradition that we have discussed: crystals, Tarot cards, meditation techniques, astrology, etc. However, they have developed two powerful motivational tools of their own: affirmations and visualizations.Affirmations are positive statements Simply repeat them to yourself as you go about your daily routine. You don't even have to consciously "listen,” just play it in the background. Your subconscious mind hears and retains the spoken affirmations and thus begins creating a more prosperous mindset. Your mind will especially pick out the personal issues and focus on them. Examples are:    There is limitless supply and it is mine     I release my need for financial insecurity     I am financially secure     I am surrounded by loving, giving people     I release my need to feel needy     I have everything I want or need     I release my fear of wealth and wellness     I am healthy and wealthy     I allow myself to prosper     I trust that I will create abundance     I have more than I need in every area of my life     I open myself to receive the abundance of The Universe     I release my need for debt     I am solvent     I am safe and secure     I enjoy a steady flow of positive energy     I am loved, accepted, acknowledged and appreciated Active, creative visualization is focused daydreaming. You create in your mind's eye a vision, a thought, and that thought has energy. As with dreams, your mind seems to work best with pictures. As such, visualizations, coupled with affirmations, are powerful tools of creation.

Get your closets ready because the 2nd Annual SHOP SF Event is less than two weeks away, and Gen Art is offering Voxers an exclusive 25% discount on VIP and General Admission to this one-of-a-kind shopping fête.

The event will showcase over 40 local designers specializing in stylish clothing, jewelry and accessories for both men and women. These local designers were culled from the Gen Art alumni, local art schools, as well as the Bay Area's hottest emerging designer boutiques. With so many amazing looks to choose from, you'll be sure to find head-turning styles perfectly tailored to your individual taste. After all, that's what we think being a Bay Area resident is all about, don't you?

When: Saturday, June 14th

VIP Preview Hour: 12:00 - 1:00 P.M. (Includes access to the VIP lounge, Shu Uemura Lash Bar, complimentary coat check and a gift bag.)
General Public: 1:00 - 6:00 P.M.

Where: 511 Harrison Street (at 1st Street0
San Francisco, CA 94105

RSVP for the event at Gen Art and enter offer code VoxShopSF to save 25% off VIP or General Admission.

Wondering how you can say "Thank You" to Gen Art for their generous offer? Raid the closet of your boyfriend, husband, father, or best male bud, and bring a paper bag full of menswear (in good condition) to donate to The Saint Vincent de Paul Society. Donations will go to help more than a thousand people trying to overcome poverty, homelessness, substance abuse and domestic violence in the Bay Area. Plus, for your kind offering, you'll receive a Goorin Bros. hat or accessory.

Let us know in the comments if you'll be attending this exciting event. We can't wait to see you there!

The Purple Ribbon Project is an international project with the long-term goal of bringing an end to all interpersonal violence. While none of us can hope to stop interpersonal violence on our own, the Purple Ribbon Project encourages us to change our own behavior by being a responsible role model, setting an example, and promoting violence awareness and respect.

The Purple Ribbon Project believes in order to stop the violence, we must first see to it that every man, woman, and child is aware of the problem. We must ask them to consciously stop tolerating, enabling, or engaging in this self-destructive epidemic among humans. Stopping violence is everyone’s responsibility.

What can you do to participate in this effort? First, you can answer today's QotD, "What could we do to create a world with less violence?" or respond to today's Vox Hunt and "Show us something purple." You can also wear a purple ribbon or tie one to your car or find ways to be a positive role model.

Learn more about how to get involved with the Purple Ribbon Project and let us know about your efforts to make the world a more peaceful place in the comments.

You've heard everywhere that submitting articles can increase your  online exposure, but here's a quick run down of all the other benefits  you can expect. Believe me, it really is worthwhile writing articles. 1. You'll brand your web site, business and yourself  by submitting articles to ezines. You could include your name, business  name, your credentials, web site address and email address in your  resource box. With more articles published, your name will become  synonymous with quality products. 2. You will become known as an expert on the topics you write about.  This will give you and your business extra credibility which will help  you compete against your competition. 3. Your article might also be placed on the publisher's  home page. If they publish each issue on their home page this will give  you some extra exposure. 4. You might get extra exposure if the ezine publisher  archives their ezine on their site. People might want to read the back  issues before they make the decision to subscribe. 5. You will get free advertising. This will allow you to  spend your profits on other forms of advertising. You  could buy advertisements in other ezines that don't publish your  articles. 6. You might get extra income from people wanting to hire you to write  other articles, books, or even ask to speak at seminars. This is a great way to multiply your income. 7. You could allow ezine publishers to publish your articles in their  free ebooks. Since people give them away, your advertising could  multiply all over the internet. 8. You will get your article published all over the web when you submit  it to an ezine publisher that has a free content directory on their web  site. They'll allow their visitors to republish your article. 9. You'll gain people's trust. If they read your article  and like it, they won't be as hesitant to buy your product or service.  You will then be able to increase your profits. 10. You could get your article guaranteed to run in an ezine. You could  agree to run one of their articles in your ezine if, in exchange, they  run yours in their ezine. It's a win/win situation. The real benefit of writing articles is that it is a long term promotion strategy. Yes, you will get traffic straight away, but as time goes on, your article will be picked up time and time again.