Knowing the Future is an oxymoron.

I cannot know the future; I can only experience the present.

Until the present presents itself, it is unknown.

The future is yet to happen and yet to be created.

It is just a possibility of what may occur based on present thinking.

It is my perspective and my perceptions of my present reality that create my future.

To know my future, I would have to be aware of everything that is occurring in this present moment and every other present moment that has ever occurred in my life so far. This is beyond the capability of the conscious mind.

My future can never be exactly the same as my present reality because change is the nature of reality.

The only thing that I can know with certainty about my future is that something will change, and that makes the future uncertain.

Prophecies and predictions are just an attempt to influence and persuade an uncertain mind of its fate.

It is my destiny to know that I do not know, because in my heart I choose not to know.

Knowing the Past is not an intuitive sense of knowing.

It is knowledge accrued through past experience.

Past knowledge is an experience through which I have passed.

Should I choose to repeat the experience then this knowledge is of use to my Self.

Should I choose not to re-experience my past, I am obliged not to give it another thought.

Past knowledge will often create resistance in the present.

Without past knowledge, I have no option but to follow my instinct and my intuition.

My intuition will instinctively guide me on my path.

My past knowledge will create obstacles, hurdles, crossroads and dilemmas to navigate and to overcome.

My past knowledge is filed under headings of what was good or bad for me and what was right or wrong for me.

My past experiences of a dual reality world will always create at least two choices that make my future unpredictable and dependent on chance or misfortune.

My past is never on the path of my destiny.

To re-experience it is my fate.

Knowing the Present is the key to consciously creating the future.

My future is a recreation of my present thinking.

Whatever I focus on in the present moment becomes my experience in the future.

The focus of gratitude & appreciation in the present allows my gifts to be re-presented in my future.

Being totally present in each moment of reality requires absolutely no reference to my past or my future.

Thoughts of the future are always sponsored by my discontentment with the present.

The more I focus on my fears of the past, the more I project them into my future.

Knowing the present requires an intuitive sense of knowing and the attribute of Presence.

Being my Presence is the essence of knowing the present moment.

Being my Essence allows me to know each moment and be present.

When I feel my own presence, I receive the gift of Life.

This is the present that presents itself in each present moment of my reality.

Whether it involves hiring and negotiating staff, arranging an event, signing a contract, agreeing to terms, arranging a conference or convention, or negotiating with a hotel or other conference/ convention venue, organizations must follow a professionally designed, organized, well planned, in depth and detailed negotiating strategy. While most larger organizations have far larger and better trained and talented staffs, with generally designated staff members with specific negotiating skills, that is often not the case with smaller and medium sized organizations. Those organizations often end up being poorly represented by unqualified staff, or by a well meaning but untrained volunteer, also lacking expertise. These organizations often confuse experience with expertise, and merely because someone has done it before, they believe he is a negotiator. However, while experience merely means that someone has done something, expertise requires training, knowledge and specific training in an area.

Often, these smaller to medium sized organizations hire an outside company or consultant to negotiate or arrange something in their behalf. As someone who has spent more than three decades negotiating, arranging and coordinating all aspects of events, conferences and conventions, the disconcerting thing is that I have often observed organizations “hurt” by these outside contractors, because they are often not the correct contractor for their needs.

Organizations should carefully understanding what their needs and requirements are, as well as their objectives, prior to hiring an outside contractor. For example, one of the most common errors I have observed is organizations hiring a company that specializes in group hotel room bookings, to arrange the contract for their conference or convention. While these types of companies can be quite useful with small groups using under about fifty rooms per night for their meeting, groups using more than that, especially if for more than three nights, who are also doing events, banquets, etc., at the property, often can do far better by not using that kind of organization. An easy way to understand this is to understand it from the hotel’s perspective. Booking companies are paid a commission (generally 10%) on the room revenue generated, but not on other aspects. While it is usually true that the hotel will not offer a better room rate if booked directly, it will almost always match that rate when a sufficient number of rooms are being booked. However, since the hotel has to pay the commission to the booking company, it reduces the flexibility of the hotel in terms of other concessions, especially regarding Food and Beverage, complimentary meeting rooms, and many other important concessions. An organization should identify all its needs before negotiating with a hotel, and then use a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) procedure to obtain as many concessions as possible.

The major point is that organizations should understand that the difference between optimum negotiations and adequate representation can represent a sizable amount of money, and when the negotiations are less than adequate, as I have so often observed, the savings is even more than substantial. Organizations need to emphasize negotiations as part of their overall leadership training program.

These two digital single lens reflex (slr) cameras – the Canon EOS Rebel T1i and T2i are amazingly flexible still AND VIDEO cameras for the amateur photographer on your Christmas list. These cameras are a far cry from using a phone to take pictures and video. They truly are best Christmas presents for serious photogs.

Independent Review
Add the fact that Consumer Reports (CR) rated Canons as #1, #2, and #3 in a recent issue covering advanced cameras. The EOS Rebel T2i ranked #2 and is a CR recommendation while the EOS Rebel T1i ranked #3 and is a CR BEST BUY. The magazine also graded the manufacturer high in reliability.

It Gets Better!
At this hour Amazon lists the T2i as a #2 bestseller and the T1i as a #5 bestseller in the digital slr category. Both are user rated as 4+ (out of 5) stars.

What’s The Difference Between The Models?
The T1i is the first Rebel model with video capabilities. The T2i is the newest Rebel and has more advanced features – higher resolution (18 vs. 15.1 MP), higher low lighting range (6400 vs 3200), and expanded compatibility memory cards. But you will pay a price for the newest features.

So Would The Shutterbug On Your List Like Their Gift?
Love is a more accurate term – anytime you shoot an event, the video capability comes into play. For example, suppose you are attending a wedding. You can shoot stills in the church (slrs are excellent low light camera) and action in the reception (you know, the groom dances with his mother).