There are some amazing stories of the healing powers of singing in choirs or groups and current medical research is now able to support and verify that singing can change peoples’ lives.

In Melbourne, Australia, a former Opera Australia Principal singer, Jonathon Welch, decided he wanted to use his talents to help the disadvantaged. He formed a choir of the street people of Melbourne and they called the group, ‘ The Choir of Hard Knocks ‘. After months of hard work, the choir went to the people and were an instant success. Ultimately, The Choir of Hard Knocks performed six sold out shows at both the Melbourne Town Hall and the Sydney Opera House, released a Christmas CD and now appear regularly around Melbourne at corporate and community events. In the words of participant: ‘ The choir just gives us hope to keep going…that we are not useless…we’ve got a heart, we’ve got a soul and we can do something with ourselves…’

In Britain, Bill in his 80′s, was slipping into Alzheimer’s disease, locked in his own world and losing his ability to communicate. His wife Jean joined a group called ‘Singing for the Brain’ and took Bill along to participate. By the third session, Bill was enjoying himself; he now had a new lease on life, his personality started to change and he became much as he was before, now able to hold and generate a conversation. Jean’s take on this program was this: ‘ I don’t know what it is that changes in the brain when people with Alzheimer’s sing, but obviously something does change and there is something very beneficial about it.’

The Levine School of Music in Washington D.C. formed a Senior Singers Chorale in 2001 and over a period of 3 years examined how singing under professional direction could affect the health of people aged 55 or older. The average age of the participants was 80 and after 3 yrs the members of the chorale were compared to a control group, who did not participate, and the chorale singers reported:

1. 30 fewer doctor visits             2. Fewer eyesight problems         3. Less incidence of depression      4. Less need for medication       5. Fewer falls and other injuries.    

The seniors themselves reported: a) feeling better both in daily life and while singing  b) their everyday voice quality was better  c) the tone of their speaking voice did not seem to age as much  d) easier breathing  e) better posture

A German study found that singing boosts the immune system and general well being of participants with one researcher reporting: ‘ Singing is similar to meditation and walking in terms of its positive effects on health.’

Apart from those effects, it is also true that singing gives pleasure, builds community and has the capacity to overcome the problems of distance, age, gender, culture, status, language, sexual orientation and any other divise social label.

To learn how singing heals and enhances life go to www.solutions4everyone.com.au for a more detailed expose.

Cheers

Terry

A tragic waste of life – she was so caught up with her emotional distress, that she was not able to consider that there could be a solution to her problem.

Every day, somewhere in the world, someone will be so overwhelmed by the enormity of their problems that they will commit suicide. This is not a solution to a problem but a ‘cop out’ or an escape from reality. Problem solving skills can be learned and are an essential part of every person’s education.

So what is Problem Solving?

Problem Solving is a TOOL…to help you solve an immediate problem to achieve a goal.

Problem Solving is a SKILL…once you have learnt it you can use it repeatedly e.g learn to ride a bike and you can ride forever

Problem Solving is a PROCESS…it involves taking a number of steps along the way before reaching the target

Learn more about how to develop problem solving skills by going to: www.solutions4everyone.com.au

Cheers

Terry   

Life is a journey from where you are now to God only knows where and God only knows when, so how can you make a plan? Well, even though we don’t know many of the details about where our life is taking us and how long our journey is going to take, we need to plan to make the most of the present time and perhaps, at least, have some say about how your life is going to go, in so far as that is possible. For example, decide to study for a particular profession or acquire a particular skill to do a specific trade or become an artist and have a say in what your life is going to be.

Otherwise, you will be entirely at the mercy of the raging current, like a cork on the water, having absolutely no say whatsoever in how your life will unfold. Much better if you can plan your life journey and have a definite say as to how it unfolds. As mentioned previously, life is short and unpredictable but you can have some minimal control over how you live it.

At the very least, you can make a plan for what you hope your life will be and work towards following it as far as you can. Who knows when a bridge will collapse, or an earthquake occur or some other unforeseen tragedy happen to change the plan. That will change your future but a good plan will influence your present and give you a feeling of security and peace of mind.

For more information about life maps go to www.solutions4everyone.com.au

Cheers. 

There is evidence to show that people who think positively, who have an expectation of success in what they do and who believe in themselves, will not only see the glass as half full, but also will achieve their goals and targets and attract what they believe.

Einstein asked the question: ” Is the Universe friendly to our desires?” by which he meant, do we work in harmony with the universe, with nature, or do we fight and compete with everyone else for a share of the riches of the world. There is an abundance of riches in the world and we should use our energy being creative rather than wasting time and energy fighting with others for life’s resources. The secret is to be grateful for what we have and apply our creative energies to making it better and more abundant.

You can learn more about this when you go to: Solutions4Everyone.com.au

Cheers.