Black Cat Makeup Artistry Vocal Mews (Muse)

Sneak Peek of our Mad Hatter Tea Party Family Theme Shoot 2013

2013-08-03T18:15:00.000-07:00

Updates

2013-07-28T13:15:00.001-07:00

Its been rather hectic the past month. Adopted 2 pups that were rescued from Texas Kill shelters( I will post more about them) They were in the newpaper Front Page in Independence Kansas! Canada bound Canines. Looking forward to seeing the articles and will post once I get the article. The people that have come in to our lives I am feeling truly blessed in knowing them and meeting them.
My posts have been very far between just contening with the day to days, and working on getting these two pups home. I swear I am never bored always doing something. We had a photoshoot with Country Artist Kory Wlos of Alberta, Canada. Phenomenal man, and family... We had a terrific day with the Alice and the Mad Hatter, the White Queen and little Cheshire Cat. I'll post those images as well. I swear I should hire someone to upkeep my blog. Nevertheless I will backup and posting in no time. :D
Meow for now

Would like your input please...

2013-07-04T13:01:00.001-07:00

Up for suggestions.... Just recently adopting 2 babies from a shelter in Texas., (one pup is in the Houston Area and the other I believe he is in Fort Worth area) Looking into transportation for them. Trouble is the heat factor. Airlines will not transport out of texas if the temperatures are 75% plus. It is a good thing to keep in mind when arranging transport from some states. Aaska Airlines is more lenient when it comes to transporting. If anyone can offer suggestions on transporting these two please let me know email - blackcatmakeupartistry@gmail.com

Meet Zoey

2013-06-19T20:36:00.002-07:00

Meet Zoey

Shar pei cross..... she is a beautiful little girl.

She is from Texas. A few short days ago her life was on the line and she was to be euthanized. Grateful I am to the wonderful people that pulled her from the Shelter .. https://www.facebook.com/fwaccurgents?fref=ts. Thankful for Suzanne and Cindy and the veterinary clinic .... Zoey is being well looked after until she is fit for travel to her new forever home....I will keep you updated...

There are many more like Zoey who need your help for medication, spay ,neutering, housing, fostering, transport and more. As at 06/15: Zoey is SAFE AND PULLED FROM SHELTER. "ZOEY" staying in a vet hospital right now.
WILL NEED ALL THE DONATION YOU CAN FOR HELP HER IN HER LONG WAY TO RECOVER.
Pledges and Donations can be make it calling directly to vet ABBOTT ANIMAL HOSP at 281-893-5000, sent to PayPal/ImmagineOne@gmail.com or mailed to S.A.L.T., 2809 Ryan Place Drive, Ft.Worth,Texas 76110. Rescue Group is Saving Animal Lives in Texas /S.A.L.T. is the name of the Rescue. Mailing address is : 2809 Ryan Place Drive, Ft.Worth,Tx. 76110 or PayPal: ImmagineOne@gmail.com

Rescued Pups... :D

2013-06-19T16:19:00.001-07:00

This little rascal I am referring above is a little Peanut. is currently awaiting transport to his new parents, also needs clearance from the vet for his doggy health passport.... His name has not been chosen....yet...

and this little sweetheart is below is Zoey, currently in veterinary care and will be for at least 2 months. I will be posting updates as I get on these two little ones.

and of course posting the new family pictures.

They are 5 months old at best. Abandoned or surrendered... Hours away from having their brief lives taken from them some guardians stepped in to rescue and help them. These are but only two. We are working on adopting these two and putting together the plans to get them here.

Zoey

2013-06-17T10:19:00.001-07:00

Zoey is a pup in Texas... We've been taken with her plight... Only one of many that is neglected , abused and thrown away in our throw away society. A number of caring people have donated to the rescue shelters, vets and other agencies to help in the care, vet, housing and medication. I encourage you to donate ... Its heartbreaking as it is because of people that Zoey is in this medical state that she is in. People have taken on themselves to be the charges of animals birds cats dogs... We've selfishly domesticated many, yet put them down, or abandon them when they need us the most... I am most saddened when I see this. Step up to the plate....https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=658917204123010&set=p.658917204123010&type=1&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=499350983471128&set=vb.100001886936691&type=3&theater

Pledges can be called in directly to vet ABBOTT ANIMAL HOSP at 281-893-5000, sent to PayPal/ImmagineOne@gmail.com or mailed to S.A.L.T., 2809 Ryan Place Drive, Ft.Worth,Texas 76110. PLEASE!!! this girl has a long way to recover and the rescue cannot do it alone, HELP "ZOEY" to have new life!!!..Thank you again.

Some bears close to where I live :D

2013-06-12T21:16:00.003-07:00

PITT MEADOWS MEET& GREET

2013-06-12T21:13:00.005-07:00

We are going to be in Maple Ridge on the 23rd later we are having a meet and greet to meet John Morrison ( Photographer ) & myself Shellykaren (Makeup Artist)

https://www.facebook.com/events/156065447906606/?fref=ts

We'll be doing workshops in the upcoming months as well. If you would like to come out that would be great.
If you have any questions you can drop an email, blackcatmakeupartistry@gmail.com
www.johnmorrisonphotographer.com

Psychology of Stress Part 9 Emotions

2013-05-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Emotions are the language of everybody’s mental and emotional state of being. They're commonly tied to an individuals social and physical sensory feelings. Emotions are the sort of feelings used to react to fear, joy, love, sadness, hate, disgust, pleasure and stress. All the same, there are times when individuals have to command or suppress their emotions to prevent damaging behaviors.

Individuals who don't know how to command their emotions are often engaged in a fight, substance abuse, or undue stress that may literally put their lives in danger. This is commonly caused by parental upbringing, social developing, inherent nature, and biological and genetic factors.
Individuals who don't know how to command their emotions commonly exhibit the following symptoms:

 Unrestrained, intense anger.

 Impulsiveness in substance use, sex, driving, stress, etc.

 Doubt about relationships, values, self-image, and goals.

 Lack of self-regard.

 Suicidal leanings.

 Chronic boredom.

 Consistent dread of abandonment.

 Extreme mood swings that include recurrent intense depressive disorder and anxiety.

 Unstable personal relationships.

Experts state that individuals who don't have power over their emotions require a way to start gaining self-confidence, and realize their self-worth.

Emotions are needed in order to live life fully. All the same, individuals need to distinguish their emotions and decide if they're appropriate to given situations to prevent consequences.
For a few individuals, an emotion may be strong enough to take over what the brain dictates. It overrules logical reasoning that often results to damaging emotional reaction and loss of inner peace.

To avoid unneeded conflicts, experts suggest self-talk. This helps in taking a step back and analyzing the given set of circumstances before reacting. This process gives way in balancing logical thinking and emotional responses. As a result, individuals will learn to separate feelings from truth and may effectively express thoughts that are not deleterious to anybody.

When an individual understands how to manage emotions effectively, he's frequently described as:

 Somebody who has high emotional intelligence.

 Somebody who understands how to effectively handle conflicts.

 Somebody who has logical reasoning.

 Somebody who has inner peace.

 Somebody who's secure and confident about himself.

Becoming that individual who understands how to command emotions, particularly in public, is easier said than done. All the same, following these simple steps may help defeat this challenge:

1. Command emotions by controlling thoughts. Damaging thoughts reduce energy required to take action. Pessimists are broadly depressed and insecure individuals who don't know how to manage

emotions, particularly on stressful situations. On the other hand, favorable thoughts allow individuals to center on the great side to confront situations in a rational fashion by not letting emotions impair their sound judgment.

2. Learn how to decelerate anger. Anger pushes individuals to state or do hurtful or destructive things that can't be unsaid or undo later on. Hold back anger by learning self-command. Visualize conceivable consequences of action due to anger; this is commonly enough to stop for a while and think a few times before stating or doing anything.
3. Sustaining a balance diet and engaging in daily exercises may likewise affect the power to command emotions. These have been proven to have great effects on the way individuals feel.

Psychology of Stress Part 8 Frustrations

2013-05-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

The day-to-day labor of work, chores and responsibilities may frequently lead to stress, which may then induce impatience and frustration. If you discover yourself becoming more and more aggravated, think about putting into place a series of steps aimed at keeping you relaxed and collected. Centering on life's positive minutes and keeping a mental picture of your goals may help thwart frustrations, and lead to a more patient mind-set on life, which will give you a total greater quality of life.
 Analyze the set of circumstances you're in to see if there are any positives. Centering what's going right at the moment may help you calm down.

 Write in a journal each day, making a point to jot down any little achievement the day brought. This will help keep you in a favorable mindset.

 Center on end goals, not the obstacles in front of those goals. Maintaining a clear-cut mental picture of what you wish to occur will help you remain patient if met with obstacles.

 Brainstorm resolutions to small issues as they arise, so they do not snowball. Having a lot of solutions at hand will help you recognize you have choices, and do not need to lose your patience or get upset at the drop of a hat.

 Do not procrastinate. If a task is at hand, do it as promptly as you are able to, so you don't become stressed by an ever increasing work load or to-do list.

Psychology of Stress - Tips to Destress part 7

2013-05-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

If you're like most people, you have too much to accomplish and too little time to accomplish it. Between your career, taking the youngsters to and from school and paying bills, it appears you are always one step away from nervous debilitation. However, you are able to de-stress your life by abiding by a simple set of rules and sticking with them. Abide by the tips below for a happier, less-stressful life
Become healthy to de-stress your life. Drink less caffeine and more water. Consume a well-balanced diet with less red meat and a lot of fish, fruits and veggies. Go to sleep at the same time every night, get up the same time every morning and get 7 or 8 hours of continuous shuteye each day.

Coordinate your home and your office. It's difficult to really get this done, particularly if you're a pack rat sort, however your mind will get a lot less clouded when your desk is clean. Check out web site*s like Lifeorganizers.com for tips on how to do away with clutter from each room of your house.

Understand how to say no. Do not feel you have to take part in each event at your youngster’s school or volunteer for additional tasks at your career. If you try to accept too much you will deplete your energy and feel like a loser. Say no, however be honest about it. Let individuals know you have too much work on your plate already.

Trust that the best will happen. It takes a lot of power to be blue, angry, or resentful. Look at life in a favorable (or at least in a neutral, sensible way) and you'll feel more pleased and less stressed. Care drains your power while positivity adds to it.

Discover a career you love to de-stress. As you spend most of your week at work, make certain you are doing what you like. If your career is the primary source of tension in your life, look for a different career, go back to school at night to study something you like or begin your own business. It is better to be satisfied running your own small business than distressed in a high-paying executive position.
( so again, find what feeds your soul. Easier said than done. I know, but one step at

Make time for yourself. Go get a manicure during your lunch hour rather than working halfway through it. Take time out prior to dinner to browse at a bookstore or take a walk in the park. Write a "simply for me" agenda and stick with it even during your busiest weeks.

Surround yourself with uplifting, happy individuals. People who share your interests and have a favorable mental attitude make wonderful companions. Avoid gossips and negative individuals. They will wear your down and cause more tension by giving you unnecessary things to fret about.

Psychology of Stress - Part 6 Take command of your brain

2013-05-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

It's believed that we only utilize ten percent of our minds. We frequently speculate about what we would be able to do of if only we utilized a hundred percent of our minds. The powers that we refer to as paranormal, supernatural or extraordinary are natural powers that we're all gifted with yet they lie dormant inside us. We do not know how to utilize such powers and think those who do different or unique.

The sole difference is that they have discovered a way to tap into those dormant powers and get at them. Such gifts or powers might include energy healing, extrasensory perception, levitation, astral projection, telekinesis, stress relief in the highest and more. The greatest issue with the utilization of brain power is that most individuals don't fully comprehend the brain and mind. If we had a better comprehending of the brain and mind more individuals might be willing to take the necessary steps to access the might of the subconscious brain. However, for now we'll center on how to utilize the extraordinary powers of the brain. This can absolutely help us with our stress issues.

The first step to using brain power is to trust it exists. Belief is the key. If you do not trust in the power of the brain, it is not going to work for you. How may you expect something to work if you do not trust it may? Your automobile won't start if you do not put the key in the ignition and turn it on. Trust is the key that turns on your amazing brain power.
Have you ever had a feeling, simply knowing something, yet you chased the thought away then later thought I should have listened to that "little voice" We are talking the same thing here.

Do away with doubt and dread. In order to utilize your brain power effectively, you have to suspend all doubt and dread from your brain. Doubt and dread are the two biggest enemies. As long as you doubt the power of your brain, it won't work for you. As long as you're afraid, you are producing your own obstructions that keep you from getting at the power of your brain.
Learn to consciously center your brain. The brain is easily distracted. You have to learn to center your concentration without letting outside misdirection deter you from your goal. This may take time but the more you practice the simpler it will get.

Accept the fact that your brain has limitless potential. It's ageless and timeless. Your brain reaches on the far side the confines of the physical material universe. Everybody has

limitless potential. Accept that fact and it will get to be simpler to tap into that potential. It has been stated that whatever you trust you may accomplish. Live by those words and it will get to be so.

Utilize the tools of affirmations, visualization and meditation to tap into your brain power. If you have hardship trusting in the powers of the brain then you need to re-condition or reprogram your brain before you may start utilizing your brain powers. The beliefs that have been deep-rooted in our conscious and subconscious minds throughout our lives affect our life conditions.

You have to replace the old dog-tired program with a new one. For example, if you trust you'll bomb instead of win, in all likelihood you'll bomb because that is what you trust. If you trust that brain powers are nonsense then nonsense is what you'll get. Affirmations and visualization may help you shift that mentality. Meditation may help you to center your brain and learn how to concentrate. It may likewise help you to look inside and tap into your inner potential.

Psychology of Stress part 5

2013-05-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Mindfulness meditation is a process some two thousand five hundred years old, instructed by Buddha himself. Practitioners seek to attain and then sustain a calm sense of self-awareness, allowing for an objective view of their ideas, emotions and self. It's still practiced by a lot of people today as a means of combating tension and nurturing personal spiritual growth
Meditate
Pick out a calm place. Block out as much light as you are able to.

Seat yourself utilizing a correct posture. Sit down on the floor, fold your legs so your knees touch the floor, fold your hands and place them just below your bellybutton and keep your back straight up and down to maximize energy flow throughout your body.

Direct your eyes towards the floor. Do not stare: simply let your eyes hold a soft focus. Center on the space a few inches in front of your nose.

Inhale and out, in and out. Standardize a rhythm method. Practice paying attention to the way the air feels when it fills your lungs, and the way it feels as it leaves your body. Duplicate this process till you accomplish a state of wakeful calm.

Try not to ponder. If ideas pop into your mind, simply let them taper off. Especially avoid thinking about stress-inducing subjects or things that you have heavy emotions about.

Center on your breathing. The goal of mindfulness meditation is merely to get to be aware of the self through non-awareness of everything except the self. Its basic strategy is merely to center on nothing but your breathing: in and out, in and out. Keep your sessions brief, particularly at first. Begin with ten to thirty minutes at a time is recommended.

Practice as often as you are able to. Meditate as many times per day as you potentially can, keeping your sessions between ten and thirty minutes.

Locate like-minded individuals in your city or town. Check to see if there is a society or affiliation specifically for mindfulness meditation close to you. Meditation is most beneficial when it gets to be a lifestyle, not simply an idle practice utilized in isolation.
If you go to my website , the website offers more than makeup artistry, but helpful informative articles that you have been following here in my "blog" I am working to transfer my posts over to my site so save the site and follow my blog feed there.
http://www.blackcatmakeupartistry.com Again here you will find other informative articles, and more.

Psychology of Stress part 4

2013-05-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Breaking old habits and beginning fresh ones is difficult at any age, however becomes particularly harder as the years pass. Habits are conditioned conduct that have developed over time. The precepts of behavior modification utilize this conditioning procedure to develop fresh habits and eliminate old ones. Favorable and damaging reinforcements are the tools utilized throughout this procedure.

Behavior therapy principles are based on a branch of psychology called behavioral theory. Behavior--whether great or bad--is deemed a conditioned habit. The procedure of behavior change is an issue of reconditioning old and fresh conduct. B.F. in the mid 1900s a theory of operant conditioning formed the basis for the precepts behind the behavior therapy approach. This approach is useful for promoting behavior changes in youngsters, and has been utilized to treat people with anxiety disorders and OCD.

Part of behavioral conditioning involves the conditions leading up to a conduct. These conditions set the stage for the behavior to happen. The cueing precept makes use of these pre-conditions as a way to explicate new conduct. Once the wanted behavior is carried out, favorable reinforcement, or a reinforcement is given. The utilization of reward works to shape an individual's motivations towards the desired behavior. For bigger tasks, or goals, the precept of successive approximation may be utilized to reward an individual as he advances through each successive step towards a goal.

When formulating a fresh behavior, or habit, doing away with undesirable conduct becomes part of the change procedure. Behavior therapy makes use of negative reinforcement strategies to phase out undesirable conducts. The extinction precept works by bit by bit removing whatever favorable reinforcements are

attached to an unsuitable action. A different technique--called the satiation precept--encourages the person to indulge in the undesired behavior till she loses interest. A more direct form of negative reinforcement is based on the penalty precept where the undesired conduct is paired with an unfavorable stimulus.

The procedure utilized in altering an emotional behavior is made up of similar strategies that involve favorable and negative reinforcement. The avoidance precept brings in a negative reinforcement prior to an unsuitable conduct, like an angry outburst. The fear reduction precept is utilized to eliminate an unsuitable fear response by desensitizing an individual to the feared event, or object. This is accomplished by gradually exposing the individual to the situation in steps, till he no longer goes through feelings of fear.

A crucial part of formulating a new behavior is maintaining a new routine till it becomes a steady part of an individual's lifestyle. The replacement precept uses favorable reinforcements to maintain a fresh behavior by substituting a more powerful reward in the place of the reward being utilized. This is done by presenting the fresh reward directly after the old reward is given. In order to further fortify a fresh behavior, the precept of decreasing reinforcement uses fewer favorable reinforcements separated out in longer intervals. This encourages an individual to work harder and longer for the same reward.

Concept of Change Psychology of Stress Part 3

2013-05-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

To alter a mentality you first have to understand that your mentality needs changing. A lot of individuals do not understand that they need to alter their mentality. Then there are those who are in denial, which implies they understand, however are too frightened to make the alterations. Finally, there are those who understand and do. Which one are you?
To alter a mentality we have to alter habits occasionally long time ones. Look at this definition of mentality: a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you'll interpret and respond to conditions.

This means a correct mentality might potentially alter each decision we make for the better. On the other hand, a wrong mentality may alter it for worse. So it appears, a mentality is really crucial if it has this sort of power over our lives.

Center on the favorable and let the damaging slide. This is simpler said than done, however doable. The alternative is centering on the damaging. After all, you may only center on one at a time, so there's a decision. Choose the favorable every time and see how much better the situation comes out.

Unlearn the negativity in your life. If you learned it, which you did, then you may unlearn it. Someplace in the past negativity was programmed into your brain. The only way to have a favorable shift in mentality is to kick the damaging one out!

Be cognizant of what you say. The words that come out of your mouth go into your ears. If you're becoming critical of yourself and or other people this feeds the cycle of negativity.
It may only bring you and other people around you down. Speak words of encouragement
lift yourself up to an elevated level of performance and productivity. As a result, you'll experience success rather than failure.

Face fears head on and do not look backward. It's when you look backward that the old patterns begin to look good, as they're what you understand. If you want to alter a mentality for the better then you can't go back. If you go back it will shift too, however for the worse. When you let a damaging mentality rule it always gets worse never better. There's nothing correct about wrong!

Quit hanging out with naysayers and people that totally stress you out... let them go today. If not, they'll be happy to help you wallow in self pity and negativity. They do not want a shift in mentality and they do not want you to have one either. The old saying misery loves company is still as true nowadays as it ever was.

Trust in yourself and understand that life is what you make it. You truly do hold the winning hand; however you have to play your cards correctly.

Understanding your Triggers - Psychology of Stress Pt 2

2013-05-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to live without stress? No! Thinking about tension in terms of "defeating" it is beating the creature with the wrong stick. Stress is oftentimes handled as an unwelcome guest.

Let us set the record straight. Tension is an inseparable part of life. Stress is what drives you. Stress gives you that push and motivation when, say, you're gearing up for a crucial exam, or working on a vital project, or going to give a substantial presentation, or preparing to appear for an employment interview.

Stress, by and of itself, isn’t awful. It turns good or bad depending on how you perceive it and how adequate you think you are to handle it. Confronting stress is a skill and an art. If you would like to live a happy and productive life, you have to learn how to cope with it.

Triggers
Stress is energy: if you do not process it the right way, it will devour you. Coping with stress is a science. Anyone who prefers to live a happy and rich life has to learn it. It's worth committing some time and effort to controlling something that has so many extensive consequences for the tone of our lives.

How come stress occurs?

Tension is an inevitable part of life. Your tension might develop out of any of the following three emotions-

Frustration - it's a state of dissatisfaction coming up out of unrealized needs or unsolved trials and tribulations. It's characterized by feelings of tension or anxiety. For example, you might be frustrated due to the very much deserved promotion that you didn't get, a disagreement with your employer, mounting debt, or something as simple as getting to the office past your start time. Aside from outside conditions, frustrations might be due to a few personality traits, like
unrealistic expectations, unwillingness to change, maybe it’s or lack of achievements.

Conflicts - This is a circumstance when you are caught between suitable however incompatible wants. For example, you want advancement in the work place, however are not willing to relocate to a fresh and new city; you desire a penthouse however must get rid of other luxuries that you are capable of savoring right now.

Pressure- This is the requirement that the business of living gets to you and its definitely inevitable. Your job requires more time, youngsters need some more cash, and your wife needs more attention. Sound familiar doesn’t it?

Psychology of Stress pt 1

2013-05-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel blue, strained, or anxious? Millions of people struggle with tension, anxiety, or mood issues. They may wear and tear on your body leaving you feeling fatigued, drained, and empty inside.

Over time, tension and anxiety can build causing you to be less productive, uneasy, tense, and even unhappy. A poor mood may make you irritable, impatient, and hurt your relationships. You might find it tough to center, stay motivated, or achieve tasks.

Your mood and mental well-being impacts every part of your life for better or worse. While poor feelings may negatively impact your activities, relationships, and work. A happy balanced mood gives you the tools you need to be successful and savor life.

Gaining and maintaining a positive mood may be tough. Trust me, I know this too well.
But finding balance and understanding what the triggers are can certainly help you manage.

Psychological stress doesn't simply make your head feel like it's in a vice. New studies show precisely how it tears away at each body system—including your brain. However, the experience of tension in the past blows up your reactivity to tension in the future. So take in a big deep breath and get rid of stress now.
The reality is:
Technical advances have amplified the business day. time off has shriveled. Laptops find their way on holidays. Grieving time has shriveled. divorce is rampant. There is no job security. People tell you, "Just snap out of it".

Stress has gotten to be so endemic it's worn like a badge of bravery. But the effects of tension are even more profound than envisaged. It gets through to the core of our being. Stress isn't something that merely grips us and, with work lets go. It alters us in the process. Think about the premature deaths, whether it be medical or even yes suicide, all can attribute to psychological stress which manifests as well in physiological form.

Granted we do get sensitized to stress. This sensitization leads the brain to re-circuit itself in reaction to stress. We understand that what we're coming across might be a normal, daily episode of tension, but the mind is signaling the body to react unsuitably. We might not think we're getting worked up over running late for an engagement, but our mind is treating it as if our life is on the line.

The revelation that tension itself changes our power to cope with tension has produced yet another noteworthy finding: Sensitization to stress might happen before we're old enough to forestall it ourselves. New studies advise that animals to humans could experience still undetermined developmental periods during which exposure to tension is more detrimental than in later years. What we now think is that stress happening when you're young might permanently rewire the minds circuitry, throwing the system awry and leaving it less able to cope with normal, daily stress.

The fresh blueprint of how we react to stress likewise might explain why individuals have different tolerances for tension. In the past stress tolerance might have been chalked up to mental fortitude.

Today it's clear that our ability to withstand tension has less to do with whether we're strong-minded than with how much and what sort of stress we come across in the past.

From this evidence investigators have reasoned that the stress reaction is "wired" into the mind, that we inherit the same indigenous reactions that jump-started hunter-gatherers to break away from a saber-tooth tiger without having to give their actions thought. Only this same life-or-death response is now called into play largely by non-life-threatening conditions. Studies have determined the same fight-or-flight circuits all working overtime in reaction to such variegated stressors as extreme exercise, the death of a family member, and nearing deadlines.

There's no one-size-fits-all way to bring down stress. For instance, "study upon study has demonstrated that simple relaxation doesn't work in many individuals. Telling somebody who has been sensitized to stress to simply relax is like telling an insomniac to simply nod off.

What you don't need to do is resort to quick fixes that have no stamina. Smoking, drinking alcohol, gorging on food; these are sure-fire stress losers. They might give the impression that they're relieving stress, but they will not work over time and eventually you'll be right back where you began.

Series on Stress - Begins May 16th 2013

2013-05-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

The next series of posts will be on Stress. A few articles that provide merely the basics as everyone deals with, or copes ( I am not fond of that particular word) however everyone does work through things differently. I do strongly encourage that at times it may not seem like it helps but sometimes talking with someone can. Someone outside of the immediate issue for they can see it from another perspective. Do not shut the doors to that. I know you may be thinking and scoff, wondering "what makes you the expert" I am not an expert but I do understand stress, I understand the different levels having been on a stress roller-coaster. I myself have taken the front seat of the roller coaster instead of the back where you get whipped about thrashed and tossed around. Where I am now. sitting at the front not always gripping the rails for dear life, I watch for what is coming ahead, I can't always control it but I have worked through better understanding how I can contend with the things that may come around the bend. If you ever wonder I will not hesitate to share my story and I will, for it is not just mine. Thinking here how you wonder how sometimes books or movies are written? How they seem far fetched? To crazy to believe? Trust me, those stories belong to someone and have happened to someone.

Now as far as this series, I hope that the information helps you or perhaps can be passed to someone that it may resonate with. Again I am always available to share, to listen to offer my thoughts. I'm just an email away.

blackcatmakeupartistry@gmail.com

Meditation and Stress Reduction

2013-05-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

Meditation is important for two purposes: First, meditation can help you visualize success. Second, it will also let you reduce your stress. Stress is a proven killer. Keeping yourself rested and balanced is the key to reducing its negative impact on your health. The videos below will help you with meditation and stress relief.

http://youtu.be/3W_qQxThecg
http://youtu.be/Tn9HQqE96Rs
http://youtu.be/Nu5irWStNvA
http://youtu.be/uzj2FIq1Seo
http://youtu.be/yeKFYOlrRTs
http://youtu.be/9Ogh3f5kqRY
http://youtu.be/JJFbs0sC8Hk
http://youtu.be/HH-LLwOAZZs
http://youtu.be/42L2G3x6-ik
http://youtu.be/gsBbacmlCH4
http://youtu.be/iA7LEDGWRGs

Determination

2013-05-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Determination is the act of coming to a decision or settling on a purpose. Like all the other skills and traits in the guide, determination is another required ingredient in the recipe of success. The videos below will help you get determination, and keep it.

http://youtu.be/fzgeh6c4ihE
http://youtu.be/mnrHqsOzXCs
http://youtu.be/JGRjMNBfl58
http://youtu.be/rtNiTbdSWlU
http://youtu.be/jgy_Tabk8CU
http://youtu.be/ZtLt0SiExv4
http://youtu.be/7EJnsZYDaOA
http://youtu.be/TfV_85O01oY
http://youtu.be/OPTQ-2fwQ38

Confidence

2013-05-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

Confidence

If I had to pick one trait that was the most important, it very well could be confidence. Confidence is the trait that fuels all the other ones. If you truly believe in your ability to reach your goals, you will be able to persist, focus, etc...

If you feel your confidence is wavering, check out the videos below for a boost.

http://youtu.be/8SC7-EUkFNo
http://youtu.be/VHQgxZ4owPk
http://youtu.be/7RtgkXBro70
http://youtu.be/d_FWTqjld48
http://youtu.be/pFYm8w6R03Y
http://youtu.be/0wvS1G5aVAg
http://youtu.be/qkyeJWU3hA4
http://youtu.be/dFPxw_Q5ICU

7 Critical Steps to Positive Thinking

2013-05-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

We live in a world where we often feel out of control.
We stress about news stories that we can’t change, relationships we can’t salvage and other more personal issues as well.
There is one thing we CAN control though - how we think. We have full control over how we react to the trials and tribulations in our life. We can view every setback as another failure piling up, or we can view our setbacks as lessons on the way to success.
If you are interested in learning how to think positively, then check out the 7 critical steps in this guide.

ARE YOU YOUR OWN WORST ENEMY?
Obstacles. Hurdles. Barriers. Roadblocks. These are all common sights along the road to achievement.
If you have ever worked towards a goal that most people would label as “unrealistic”, then you have undoubtedly faced one challenge after another. In fact, when you reach the point where you feel like giving up, that is usually when things get even tougher.
Believe it or not, these external obstacles are actually the easy part. They are obvious. We can examine them and devise a plan to work through them or around them. For example, if you want to start a business but lack the funding, there are a variety of tangible action steps you can take to resolve your funding issues.
The real barriers to success are the internal roadblocks. This is where it gets difficult. This is where you battle your own self doubts, worries and feelings of unworthiness.
You may have the best work ethic in the world. You may have the strictest discipline and self control. But if your mind is listing all of the reasons why you shouldn’t have what you truly want, you are fighting a losing battle.
For many of us, these negative tapes have been playing the same disempowering messages in our minds for years.

In my business I hire a lot of writers for various projects. Some of these people have incredible talent. They can weave words together and communicate a powerful message with ease and grace. But they spend all of their time ghost writing or freelancing for other people. Many have never published their own book.
Why? For one reason or another they don’t believe in themselves. They don’t think they are ready. They choose to sit on the sidelines watching other people publish successful work while they maintain the status quo.
They are waiting for some defining moment to give themselves permission to finally publish their own work. The problem is, this moment will never come as long as they remain blind to their capabilities.
The only way to cross the invisible line from feeling unworthy to feeling powerful and capable is to change the internal dialog. Instead of repeating patterns of thought telling you why you can’t do something, you flip the switch. You spend time every day reprogramming those internal tapes. When an old disempowering message begins to play, you train yourself to switch it to a positive.
Slowly but surely you forge a new path. A new way of thinking. A new internal dialog. Instead of being your own worst enemy, you become your own cheerleader. It is in that moment that everything in your life changes.

WHY BEING REALISTIC HOLDS YOU BACK
If you want to be certain that you will never face a challenge or find yourself in a difficult bind, then it is very important to have tame and realistic goals. Goals that you know you can achieve with minimal effort and hardship.
However, if you want to have any degree of excitement and experience real growth in your life, then you’re going to have to make plans and set goals that other people will very likely label as unrealistic.
These kind of goals often come with a high degree of risk. You rarely know how you are going to achieve them until you get started. And more often than not, the result you achieve will not be exactly what you set out to do in the first place.
Many of the famous entertainers, doctors and scientists that we admire in our society today became well known because they achieved unrealistic goals. They had the courage to set the goals and the perseverance to bring them into reality.
Unrealistic goal setters tend to be happier, more positive people. They have high levels of energy because they thrive on challenge and love the thrill of achievement.
Setting and pursuing unrealistic goals is not always a walk in the park. You are going to face resistance.

Many people abandon some of their biggest goals and dreams after well meaning friends and family talk them out of it. There is a very good chance that the same thing will happen to you once you start changing your life and setting big, unrealistic goals. When this happens, it is very important to look at the source of advice.
If you are being talked out of an exciting idea by someone who lives a boring, risk-free life, realize that if you choose to accept their advice and abandon your dream, you are also very likely going to create a boring risk-free life.
If you want to keep your biggest goals and dreams alive and build momentum to start putting them into action, seek advice from other like-minded goal setters and get feedback that encourages you to go for it. Spend more time hanging around people who are less concerned with risk and failure and are more interested in living an exciting life.
Once you become an unrealistic goal setter, you will never look back.

RIDING THE WAVE OF MOMENTUM

If there is an area of your life where you are currently unhappy with your results, you can use this momentum principle to shift your direction immediately.
Earlier this year I realized that running my business was becoming so demanding that I was spending all of my time on daily demands and investing almost no time into my own personal development. I knew this was hurting me

because I thrive on feeding my mind with inspirational and business education.
I decided to start a new routine of waking up at 4am to get some quality study time in. This was way outside of my comfort zone. I felt tired for the first few days and questioned if this was really a good idea. But I tried it for a few days. A few days turned into a week. After that, I was feeling great and I wanted to keep the streak going.
Before I knew it I had literally forged a new identity. I was now up at 4am to get a head start on the rest of the world. I felt proud of myself. And more importantly, the extra hours I was investing into training my mind and motivating myself were paying off. My mood was better, my business was thriving and new ideas were flooding into my mind all of the time.
The momentum has continued and it is still my routine to this day. Realize that you are one decision away from starting your own streak. Make today the day you get started, and tap into the power of momentum.

DO YOU LOVE OR HATE YOUR WORK?
I have worked for a huge company where it was easy to become just another face in the crowd. It was your typical corporate setting where you would find many people who truly hated being there.
There was one lady in particular who’s cubicle I would pass on a daily basis. Practically every time I walked by, she would be on a social networking or celebrity gossip website. If managers were in the area, she would quickly perk up and look busy. When the coast was clear, back she would go to the time wasting.
I also remember her being negative and miserable a lot of the time. I actually felt really bad for her.
As someone who dropped out of the corporate life to pursue something with more meaning for me, I can see with hindsight exactly what was going on. She hated her position and did not want to be there. But another part of her believed that she must keep this job because there was no other option.
Thinking back, I’m sure she wasn’t a lazy person by nature and I bet she had hobbies or other interests outside of work that made her feel alive and positive. She could immerse herself in these activities for hours and feel like no time had passed at all.

This is the kind of engaged, focused activity that makes people feel genuinely happy. For me, I know I always feel my best when I have put my heart and soul into a project that has meaning for me and that I am passionate about. Its even more powerful if you can get paid for it!
The challenge then becomes, how do you align your entire life so that you spend the majority of time engaged in the kind of work that makes you come alive? How do you find something that you are already good at, already enjoy, and want to become the best at?
All it takes is the willingness to try something new. If you are in a job you hate and have passion for something totally different, you don’t have to quit your job and risk the farm. But you can take on a small passion project that you devote your weekends to.
Sometimes, all you have to do is start and you will create the momentum you need to remap the entire direction of your life in a new, more exciting direction.

IGNORE THE MINUTIA
I have a brand new sense of detachment from the worry I used to carry.

My mind is much more free to focus on the aspects of my business that are most important to me and my team is more empowered to do their work without me interfering.
Sometimes all we need to do is let go, detach from worry and trust others who play a role in our lives. Everyone learns, grows and benefits from the opportunity.

REMOVE THE FEAR OF MISTAKES
When you start a new project or take on a new task in your life, do you spend a lot of time worrying about making mistakes?
In my first job out of university, I took a position that involved traveling to customer sites to implement fairly complex software systems. I had very little experience compared to the other consultants who performed the same role. My company was billing out my time at very expensive rates so the customer’s expectations were very high.
Inevitably, there were times where I messed things up; usually due to lack of experience. In some cases the mistakes would impact other parts of the business, cause down time or delay project deadlines. Obviously the client would not be happy in these circumstances.
Almost 100% of the time I was able to turn a stressful situation like this into a win for both myself and the customer. Here was the simple process:
1. Take Ownership: I made sure that the client knew I was taking full responsibility for the problem. I apologized for the mistake and assured them I was going to do everything possible to correct it.
2. Focus On The Solution: Instead of getting frustrated, upset or panicked, I forced myself to only

dwell on potential solutions. I would call colleagues for support and research the problem thoroughly and eventually a solution would present itself.
3. Go Above And Beyond: Once a solution was determined, not only would I implement and test the solution, I would do anything else beyond the call of duty that proved to the customer that I cared about doing a good job. It could be something simple like writing a process document on how the problem was resolved or something more complex like adding features to their system that they didn’t pay for (as a bonus).
In many cases, I was able to turn the once frustrated/upset customer into a raving fan. The fact that I made a mistake was so easily forgivable because I earned the respect and admiration of the client through my actions.
Learn to accept the fact that you are going to mess up at some point (in life or in business). When you commit to excellence and do what it takes to correct mistakes when you make them, you not only pick up a ton of technical skill, you also earn the support of the people you deal with.

DISSOLVE YOUR SELF DOUBT
All of us have great skills and abilities that we have been born with or that have come to us very naturally. Some people tap into these talents and use them to create exciting opportunity in their lives. Many people, however, never fully express themselves and their own capabilities and they pay a great price for it.
Take a close look at anyone who has suppressed themselves in at least one area of their life. They had a talent of some sort but decided not to pursue it any longer for one reason or another; failure, ridicule, pain and so on. In essence, they gave up on a dream.
What you will notice is that people who have gone through this kind of experience tend to carry some kind of burden with them. There is a part of them that always wonders what might have been if they had not given up on their dream. The entire dilemma has been caused by one root issue and it debilitates huge numbers of people all of the time. That issue is self doubt.
When you doubt yourself or your ability to persist in the face of adversity, you immediately cut yourself off from the internal strength and the resourcefulness required to succeed in life.
Think about professionals, in any arena, who are at the top of their game. They are admired and respected by

everyone and you know by watching them, that there isn’t a shadow of doubt in their mind that they have what it takes to accomplish their goals. Even when they miss the mark or have a temporary set back, they have conditioned themselves to move forward with the knowing that their next attempt will be successful.
The key word here is “conditioning”. These elite professionals have carefully and repeatedly programmed their mind with thoughts of success, winning and self confidence. Very often it was done deliberately with the understanding that pique confidence comes as a result of practice. Just like you practice if you want to be a better singer, athlete, speaker or business person.
When you learn how to dissolve your own self doubt and replace that doubt with a strong, confident inner voice that tells you to keep going in the face of adversity, you allow all of your natural talents flow. When you reach this level of life, you automatically feel happier and you look for more opportunity to get even better at what already comes naturally.

CONCLUSION
The power of positive thinking comes down to you.
Take control of your thoughts and face life head on. Don’t let fear control you. If you face a setback then learn a lesson and charge forward!
Now that you have read this guide you have already armed yourself with enough knowledge to change the way you think TODAY.
Start taking the most positive step you can take - believing.

Good Morning

2013-05-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

We've been busy and I am still working on getting www.blackcatmakeupartistry.com completely up and operational. More articles to be written and contributors are welcome.

Have a wonderful weekend. Look for new articles come Monday. In the meantime, bookmark www.blackcatmakeupartistry.com, as you will be sure to find more articles, images and more!

Miaow for now

Happiness

2013-05-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

In the movie, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Judi Dench's character, Evelyn, says,
“Nothing here has worked out quite as I expected." Maggie Smith's character, Muriel, responds,
"Most things don't. But you know, sometimes what happens instead is the good stuff."
Brief but powerful, this short exchange tells us a lot about how to achieve happiness.
What comes to mind when you think of "happiness?" Does it mean joy or excitement? How about comfort or fulfillment or peace or being satisfied? How about feeling loved? Happiness means different things to different people, but we know it when we feel it.
One thing it must mean is loving and accepting ourselves for who we are. Yet, from an early age we all receive criticism from others. Often these people are simply trying to train us in how to live safely and well. Parents and teachers and society all have rules for our benefit; these rules can be interpreted as criticism even when they are

positive, and we receive a great deal of negative criticism along the way as well.
We don't like criticism from others, but from a very early age we internalize it and begin to criticize ourselves. Studies have shown that as much as 87% of our self talk is negative.
Because of this, our self-esteem is threatened from an early age. We want acceptance from others, but we don't even give it to ourselves. All the negative emotions and all the shades of insecurity (fear, anger, hate, jealousy, envy, depression, anxiety, and sadness) begin by the time we're toddlers. We can combine all this under the umbrella of unhappiness; unhappiness drains our energy, distracts us, and causes us to act in self-defeating ways.
Unhappiness doesn't have to be our fate. Our first step toward happiness requires that we confront and deal with our fears. Everyone has them – EVERYONE – fears are natural, but every – EVERYONE – can overcome them and make peace with them. Our second step toward happiness is to learn some techniques for positive self-talk and behavior.
Like anything else of value, happiness takes some work, but it can be achieved. These ebook will show you first, how to fight fear and live peacefully with uncertainty, and second, how to think and act to facilitate happiness.

1. HAPPINESS IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF FEAR
Since unhappiness comes from a set of beliefs that we learn and perpetuate, isn't it logical to you that we can become happier by challenging and changing those beliefs? You are right, we can. We can make some basic decisions and implement them on a daily basis. At some point, we can even replace the old thinking with new thinking so that choosing the option for happiness becomes automatic. There will always be new challenges to our thinking, but we can meet those challenges successfully.
Happiness is not magic, and it's not magical thinking. It doesn't belong to a lucky few. Moving from a state where you experience a lot of negative emotions like anxiety and depression to happiness requires commitment and courage.
If you want to be happy, you have to entertain the possibility that you can be. Many people come to believe very early in life that life is a game they can't win. They spend the rest of their lives collecting evidence to prove that they are incompetent, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Here are two facts that might surprise you

There are only two emotions: fear and love. All fear is the fear of loss.
From the time we leave the safety and comfort of the womb, we are bombarded with various messages to tell us we will lose. In the womb we had comfort and security and nurturance without having to do anything. Inevitably, we experience a series of losses during the ordinary events of growing up which cause us to become preoccupied with avoiding loss instead of with celebrating life.
Norman Cousins once said, ”The tragedy of life is not death, rather it is what we allow to die within us while we live." He's right, you know. In the areas of your life that aren't working, how much denial and avoidance of loss are you practicing? How many of these self-protective games have you played?
Quit before you start. If you don't enter the game (that's any aspect of life you're avoiding), you can't lose.
Quit in mid-stream. If you quit before the game is over, you might be a quitter, but you've saved yourself from being a "loser."
"That's OK, I didn't care anyway." You never committed to it anyway, so it doesn't matter that you lost.
Dumb game. If you decide that the game's stupid, it doesn't matter that you lost.
Endless game. If you keep halfheartedly playing the game without ever coming to a place where you win or lose, then at least you haven't lost.

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Did you find yourself in one of these? Just about everyone does. If you saw yourself, GOOD! You just took the first step to turn yourself around. That takes courage, but you can't change what you can't see.
The next step is to make a commitment; you need to commit yourself to changing both your attitude and your behavior. Spend some time looking at the areas of your life that you're unhappy with – what are these areas and what negative thinking and avoidance behavior are you practicing in these areas? Now, let's begin to discover how to confront this thinking.
In his excellent book, What Happy People Know, Dr. Dan Baker talks about fear and love:
“We need to be willing to charge headlong into the inferno of our most horrific fears – eyes open, intellect and spirit at the ready.... That takes courage, and that's when courage is one of the prerequisites for happiness. But where does that ability come from? What power grants the strength to overcome the sick, shaky feeling of fear? Only one power is that strong: love. In the ultimate analysis, human beings have only two essential, primal feelings: fear and love. Fear compels us to survive, and love enables us to thrive. ... For you to be happy, love must lead this dance."
Dr. Baker goes on to talk about appreciation as the highest, purest form of love. It's higher than romantic love,

the love parents have for children, or the love children have for parents. It’s the strongest love there is, and it's the only thing strong enough to be the antidote to fear.
Dr. Baker describes his feelings during the loss of his infant son. It was at this time in his life that he discovered the feeling of what he calls “Appreciation.” He felt that his son, even with his brief life, was a gift full of joy and love whose presence would never leave him. On Dr. Baker's part, he was feeling an unselfish love, the purest form of love, the love he calls appreciation.
An attitude of appreciation can help you survive all the difficulties in this world without being destroyed by them. It’s the type of love that allows you to enjoy an experience while being able to let go. This attitude can help you when you lose loved ones, when unfortunate things happen, and even with confronting your own death. You face the fact that these negative things happen and you've chosen to experience and enjoy the good things, including your own life, while you have them. Dr. Baker concludes that the constant fear of loss is what creates our unhappiness and that once we face and accept this, we will be able to be happy.
Dr. Brené Brown states some similar ideas in her book, Daring Greatly. She says that our unhappiness is caused by anticipation of things going wrong. Using herself as an example, she talks about how we all suit up in our suits of armor in an attempt to keep ourselves safe from all the

negative things in the world. The problem is, of course, this doesn't keep the bad things from happening, but it does shut out a lot of the good things, including all of our positive emotions. She believes that we lose so much more than we win because of negative projections. Her solution is to know who you are, to believe in your inherent worth, and to face things as they come.
I recommend both of these books to you. They are excellent in their courage and simplicity. Telling the truth to yourself and standing in your courage are not easy things to do, but they will bring you the happiness you are looking for.
Replacing fear with truth and courage is the road to happiness. The following chapters will help you confront your negative thinking and behavior and replace it with truthful, courageous thinking and behavior. These are skills you or anyone else can learn if you have a true desire to do so.

2. HAPPINESS IS AN OPTION: CHOOSE IT
If we're so smart, why aren't we happy? For one thing, a lot of us don't really believe it's possible. But the secret is - happiness is a choice, just as unhappiness is a choice.
You don't believe me? You probably have lots of reasons not to. You may have faced external circumstances that challenged you and even threatened your survival. You may have internal demons that challenge your relationships or career or friendships or your own peace of mind. You may be full of confusion and doubts and can’t see your way to being happy until you have answers for these things.
Many of us accept the fact that unhappiness is a natural state for us. We accept it, and fight like brave soldiers to survive in spite of it. We trained ourselves to be unhappy through thousands and thousands of negative responses. We can train ourselves to be happy by choosing, time after time, the response that will give us happiness.
In the past we responded with anger, impatience, jealousy, and fear, but each time we choose peace, acceptance, forgiveness, and love, we are telling ourselves that this is an option. Remember the old question," Which would you rather be, happy or right?" Well, this choice comes down to "Would you rather dwell on being right and be unhappy, or would you rather dwell on having a response that makes

you happy." “Right” is subjective. It doesn't make you wrong or weak to choose being happy; it makes you smart.

3. PUT HAPPINESS FIRST
One thing we can agree on is that we all want to be happy, right? You might think so, but studies of people in every stage of life have shown that we virtually never put happiness first. It is always a by-product of something else and never the main event.
When you look at this breakdown, you might agree that it sounds fairly accurate:
Question: "What will make you happy?"
Elementary school – children in third grade listed their wants as trips to the amusement park, dolls that talk, bicycles, no more homework, and video games.
High school students – this age group wanted to be popular, to have a boyfriend or girlfriend, to excel in sports, to get a drivers license, they have nice clothes, and get into a good college.
Mid-20’s group – this group wanted a meaningful relationship, a better job, more money, a good apartment.
Mid-40’s group – this group wanted better relationships with their spouses, more respectful children, better job opportunities, financial security, less stress, and more personal time.
Mid-60’s group – this group wanted health, security, respect from others, status in the community. Once in a while, they mention peace or comfort or even happiness.

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Never was the word " happiness" mentioned, but when people of every age were asked why they wanted bicycles or a drivers license or a better job, they always said it was because that would make them happy. They believed that happiness would be the end result of obtaining all of these things, but they never stated it directly. The result of that is that they’re putting off their happiness until they have the things they think will give it to them. The solution is to choose to be happy now while they're working for whatever it is they desire.
In many cases, happiness is as easy as realization of it. What's standing in the way of happiness is all the negative self talk and training that brought us to a point where we thought we had to have something – whatever that thing is – in order to be happy. In many cases, it's just as easy as flipping a switch.
The solution, then, is as simple as making the decision to be happy now.

4. TELL THE TRUTH
Have you ever come across the type of person that you felt you just couldn't trust for some reason? You didn't know exactly what it was, but he just wasn't on the level. Or how about the type of person who always has a story, it's just not a story you believe. Most of us have come across those types – they're easy to spot because they're obvious. The truth is, though, we all have some “masking” in us.
As we were growing up and forming our ideas about how to act safely in this world, we all began to wear masks in varying degrees. We say and do the socially acceptable things, and we defer to people in authority over us, no matter what our age. We've been doing it for so long and it's so automatic, that many of us have no idea what we really think or feel. We do it because we don't want to be rejected by others and because we’re not so sure about ourselves to begin with.
These masks keep us safe. They also imprison us. All of our “shoulds” and “have to's” and “ought to’s” obscure who we really are. Some people are afraid of repercussions if they decide to be more authentically themselves. But authenticity is not a license to be boorish, and most people know that, so fear of repercussions is invalid. A few people may be threatened by your authenticity in and of itself, but more people will probably welcome it, and

studies have shown that the more authentic you are, the more authentic people you attract.
The more people trust themselves and are comfortable with themselves, the more authentic they become in what they say and in their behavior. The more people give up their masks, the more they can explore and celebrate their real self. This releases all the energy that went into maintaining their masks so that it can be put into celebrating their lives.
Do a little investigating into what you think and feel. Is an authentic? Is it working well for you? Is it time to replace those old thoughts and feelings with more authentic ones, ones that represent who you really are.
We are all changing and growing all the time. Choose the beliefs, feelings, and values that are real for you now. You will be freer, more alive, and happier.

5. LET IT GO
The surprising thing about judging is that the more judgmental we are about others, the more judgmental we are about ourselves. The real reason to let things go is that we ourselves will benefit from it.
Judgment is all around us all the time. We learned it as children. We heard from parents, friends, religious leaders, and the media. So, we began to do it ourselves at an early age. The result of all that judging is that we have a lot of opinions; many of them may easily be based on bias that we have learned in the past but may not be valid today.
Our habit of judging is exhausting since, now more than ever, we are bombarded by the media with more things to judge. Furthermore, media concentration on negative events leaves us stressed and anxious.
Another aspect of judgment is forgiveness. People have a problem with forgiveness because they feel that if they forgive someone who did something wrong, they are letting that person off the hook. So, a way to look at that is to concentrate on what it is doing for you, not what it is doing for the other person. When you let something go, you are freeing yourself from that burden of resentment that you have been carrying around with you. You have become more compassionate person. The great benefit is not in your compassion for the person who wronged you,

but in the compassion you are showing for yourself. By becoming less judgmental, you have freed yourself. It's not an easy concept to understand or to practice, but it works.
Take a look at all the people and things you are judging. Are your judgments valid? One question to ask yourself in each case: "Is this hurting me or helping me?" If it's not helping you, you should try to drop it. Does that sound simplistic? It's really not. We are talking about happiness, so the bottom line is to let go of whatever is hurting you. It never had any value. The more negative judgments you can release, the greater your happiness and freedom will be.

6. BE HERE NOW
Remember the statement, “All fear is fear of loss."? Closely connected with that idea is the idea that unhappiness exists when we think about or regret something in the past or when we worry about something in the future. When we live in the present moment completely, we don't experience unhappiness.
Have you ever known someone who wanted something so much but was afraid she wouldn’t get it (for instance, a woman who wants to get married or have a baby) that she can't be happy in the present moment? Or, have you ever known someone who is so unhappy because of an event in the past (for instance, loss of a spouse through death or divorce) that he can't be happy in the present moment? I think we all have. But this is a choice those people make, knowingly or unknowingly. If they choose to let go of that memory or that fear in the present moment, they could begin to be happy. It doesn't mean giving up on their dreams or ignoring the memory of their loved ones; it means choosing happiness now.
Maybe, like those people, you are concentrating on something in the past or something you are afraid you won't get in the future to the extent that you can't enjoy today.

The difference between people who live unhappy lives and those who go on to thrive is not what happened or didn't happen to them, but how they reacted to it.
Living in the present will increase your happiness for another, obvious reason. When you increase your attention on something, you increase your ability to enjoy it. Make a conscious decision to be present in each moment. It increases your power and effectiveness and deepens your experience.
Letting go of the past and the future and fully enjoying the present will increase your happiness.

7. BE HEALTHY TO BE HAPPY
Your attitude can go a long way toward making you happy. How conscientious you are about checking your attitude to make sure that you're telling yourself the truth and confronting your negativity will make a big difference to your happiness. But I think you have to agree that without good health, it's impossible to maintain peak happiness.
Take a look at this list and pick out something to do that will help you improve your health and maintain it.
1. Exercise – did you know that people who exercise regularly live about 5 to 7 years longer than inactive people? Try to get about 30 minutes of exercise on most days.
2. Watch Your Weight – obesity is linked to heart disease, type II diabetes, several other health conditions, and reduced life expectancy. Find out what your ideal weight is and find a plan to help you get there. It's easier than ever these days because we all have more options. Do it.
3. Stop smoking – people who smoke die about 10 years earlier than if they had never smoked, BUT if you stop smoking, you can get most of those years back.
4. Get enough sleep – get the amount of sleep that is right for you. Doctors generally recommend around seven

hours per night. It helps to repair your body and regenerate you overall.
5. Eat smart – it easier than ever these days to eat healthfully because we have a lot of choices. To make it simple, try to build your diet around vegetables and fruits, lean sources of protein, and complex carbohydrates. If you take the time to learn a little bit about good nutrition and food choices, you'll find that there's enough out there to choose from so that you can be healthy and not feel deprived.
6. Floss – you might not know how important this is, and not just for your teeth. Flossing removes bacteria that could otherwise cause inflammation in your gums. This inflammation activates your body's inflammatory response; this in turn raises your blood pressure and puts you at risk for heart disease and stroke. It can also damage brain tissue. Studies are showing that inflammation is at the core of much disease today; flossing is an easy way to guard your body against inflammation.
7. Socialize – people with a strong social network of family and friends live longer than those who are not connected to others. Connection is an antidote for stress.
8. Get a check up – you will live a longer, healthier life if potential problems like diabetes or heart disease are caught early.

These are minimal things you can do to stay happy and healthy. Consider them. They take a little work, but there's a great payoff.

CONCLUSION
Are you thinking by now that happiness sounds like it's a lot of work? I agree. But isn't being miserable a lot of work, too? Not many things are more exhausting than depression. Or disappointment. Or all the other negative things that we feel through our negative self talk, negative attitude, and negative reactions.
If you're skeptical about how well this approach to consciously seeking happiness will work for you, why not give it a try? If it's too much trouble, your misery will be waiting for you to reclaim it.
I wish you great happiness.

20 GREAT HAPPINESS QUOTATIONS
1. The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but is liking what one has to do. – Sir James M Barrie
2. There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval. – George Sanayana
3. But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads? – Albert Camus
4. There is only one way to happiness, and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will. – Epictetus
5. Happiness depends on being free, and freedom depends on being courageous. – Thucydides.
6. Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence. – Aristotle
7. Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits. – Thomas Jefferson

8. Happiness is experienced when your life gives you what you are willing to accept. – Ken Keyes Jr
9. To win one's joy through struggle is better than to yield to melancholy. – Andrew Gide
10. Nine requisites for contented living: Health enough to make work a pleasure. Well enough to support your needs. Strength to battle with difficulties and overcome them. Grace enough to confess your sins and forsake them. Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished. Charity enough to see some good in your neighbor. Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others. Faith enough to make real the things of God. Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future. – Johann von Goethe
11. All animals except man know that the principle business of life is to enjoy it. – Samuel Butler
12. It is the chiefest point of happiness that a man is willing to be what he is. – Erasmus.
13. One is happy as a result of one's own efforts – once one knows the necessary ingredients of happiness – simple tastes, a certain degree of courage, self-denial to a point, love of work, and, above all, a clear conscience. – George Sand
14. Some pursue happiness, others create it. – Anon

15. No man is more cheated than the selfish man. – Henry Ward Beecher
16. Five great enemies to peace inhabit us: avarice, ambition, envy, anger and pride. If those enemies were to be banished, we should infallibly enjoy perpetual peace. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
17 Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; love more, and all good things will be yours. – Swedish proverb
18. Few are they who have never had the chance to achieve happiness... And fewer are those who have taken that chance. – Andre Maurois
19. Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. – Abraham Lincoln
20. Happiness is: a good martini, a good meal, a good cigar and a good woman...or bad woman, depending on how much happiness you can stand. – George Burns

Confidence Factor

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Every day, in one way or another, people are faced with challenges, and while some are relatively small, others can be quite overwhelming. Therefore the need for confidence is essential if the individual is going to be able to handle these life issues adequately and effectively. Get all the help you need here.
The Confidence Factor
Harnessing The Power Of Unlimited Self Confidence

There are several different levels of confidence. An individual should display a certain level of confidence in different situations. This can be developed with a little practice and positive reinforcement.

Humans And Confidence
The following are some of the reasons why humans need the element of confidence if they are going to be able to function competitively:
• Confidence is needed when the individual is faced with a problem that requires the individual to seek help form others. Most people who are confident in their own person and capabilities will see or feel no threat in seeking assistance from other sources. This level of confidence is displayed in the ability to seek and use other points of views or efforts for the betterment of all.
• Confidence is also needed in the everyday workings of life. Those who are confident will find that they are able to get others to follow their lead without too much effort or objections. This is mainly because more people will be naturally drawn to the leadership qualities that the confidence displays.
• Confidence also allows the individual to have a certain unshakeable amount of faith and strength in his or her decisions, thus enabling them to carry out duties and actions which are positive and beneficial. Without this sort of decisive decision making, a lot of things will not be able to be completed or it will encounter snags which no one wants. When it comes to problem solving and getting the tasks completed well, confident people are usually the prime candidates chosen.

Answers To Lack Of Self confidence

Most people are very private about their emotions, especially if these emotions are not of the positive sort. However when it comes to lack of self-confidence, there is very little one can do to disguise the weakness which is usually very evident.

Know The Signs
There are several notable signs that clearly show the lack of confidence in an individual, and with some practice, these signs can be used to help the person identify the areas where there is a lack of self-confidence and work towards overcoming this negativity. One of the obvious signs is when the individual if full of excuses as to why he or she should not be considered for a particular task. To make matters worse, when the task encounters problems, the individual would probably be one of the first to bail.
Other signs would include the ever ready excuse given should something go wrong, even if it was accidental. When it comes to confident people, they would just apologize for the mistake and move on. If they decided an explanation should be forth coming, only then, will they extend this courtesy. Otherwise they are confident enough to presume that an apology will suffice.
If an individual is seeking answers for their lack of self-confidence, then the first place to look would be within oneself. Lack of confidence usually stems from deeper issues, such as being consistently told or reminded of the individual’s uselessness, being put down a lot, being laughed at and many other possible and probable negative remarks that are so embedded in the mind, that the individual is unable to function without drawing on and being reminded of this negativity.

Other ways of seeking answers to solve this dilemma of lack of self- confidence would be to listen to as much motivational material as possible. Reading motivational material is also encouraged, as it will help to give the necessary guidance needed to alter the mindset and perception of things and the people around.

10 Tips To Boost Self-confidence Instantly

Building self-confidence usually does not happen overnight and takes some practice and concerted effort. The building of self-confidence is done through constant application. As the self-confidence is exercised, it becomes easier and better to exude.

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Useful Tips
The following are some tips that can be promptly applied to help an individual boost their self-confidence levels immediately:
• Questioning the worse possible outcome and accepting that it’s not the end of the world.
• Trying new things and achieving some level of success, even if the success is small, will help the individual build self-confidence levels instantly.
• Listening to music that lifts the spirits and inspires the individual to get the task done quickly and efficiently is also another option.
• Making plans and sticking to them even when everyone says it is not doable will help to boost both the outcome and the confidence levels.
• Using meditation to draw on the inner strengths also helps to boost self-confidence instantly. There are methods where the breathing styles help to cause a chemical reaction within the body to give that extra boost.
• Exercising is also a great self confidence booster, as here again the chemical reaction within the body allows it to push limits.

• Facing fears will also give the individual the inner confidence to overcome challenges.
• Creating something that is useful and compliment drawing will certainly contribute positively to instant elevated self-confidence levels.
• Realizing that past mistakes don’t dictate the individual’s capabilities to venture forth is also another form of boosting self- confidence levels.
• Improving social skills will also help the individual to attract more positive attention, thus contributing to elevated confidence levels.

Adjusting Your Belief System To Unlimited Confidence

The belief system of an individual generally dictates the other aspects of the individual’s life and daily decisions. Therefore, with the correct belief systems in place, it is possible to garner the unlimited confidence levels to be capitalized upon.
The belief system usually is the dictating factor of our thought process and is a very powerful tool or asset which should be used as often as possible, if it helps to ensure better confidence levels built. Essentially, the belief system makes up the individual’s whole outlook on things, and therefore it is very important to ensure the belief systems are all based on positive ideas and input.

Keep Things Positive
Having positive core values will help the individual to search for the best and most accurate solutions to everything, as nothing less would be acceptable. This will help the individual strive for a more complete confidence level in anything and everything he or she decides to dabble in. The surroundings of the individual also play a role is dictating the kinds of values that the individual eventually adheres too.
Spiritual health is also a condition marked by the diminished sense of fear and the willingness to strive forth until the end goal is achieved. This mind set will also contribute to the individual’s self- confidence levels being built up consistently. The daily experiences of peace, joy, gratitude and unconditional love all give way to a better and stronger ability to cope with various different situations. This exposure will eventually create an unlimited amount of confidence in the individual. The inner source of infinite power will help the individual tap into the self-confidence whenever the need presents itself. This ability to call on the seemingly dormant self-confidence is a definite advantage to tap into when facing challenges that require a higher level of risks and decision making.

Your Body And Self-Confidence

Image is almost always a dominant factor in confidence, therefore having a good image in the form of a healthy and attractive body, will automatically boost the self-confidence levels of the individual. The connection between the way in which the individual perceives his or her body conditions definitely plays an important role in the confidence exuded.

Build A Positive Image
The following are some ways to help the individual build up a good body image to ensure their self-confidence is not shaken in any way:
• Choosing an activity that is enjoyable to the individual will help them stay with the activity until the positive results can be seen in the form of a fine tuned body and good health. When the body image is respected and there is no shortage of compliments, the elevation of their self-confidence can be very evident.
• Joining a group fitness center that helps to create healthy body and mind images will also help the individual to fine tune this part of their lives, building self-confidence to ensure the gradual and natural confidence levels.
• Most men and women today take the extra time and trouble to create the ideal look that enhances their basic assets. This is only done with the main intention of not only attracting attention, but also to help boost their self-confidence. Being complimented often is one of the best ways to build up the self confidence levels in a person.
• People who have good body contours will definitely behave in a more confident manner which is usually envied by those around.

How To Speak Confidently

Being a confident person requires some conscious effort, but it’s well worth the time as most people respond well to confident individuals. Even if what is being said is not totally interesting or accurate, a confident person is usually able to capture and hold the attention of the audience long enough to make a point.

Speak Effectively, Speak Confidently
The following are some tips on how to speak effectively and confidently:
• Practice regularly by picking up conversations with anyone at any time. This will help the individual build up a good base, and thus be able to gauge by the session, the effectiveness of his or her contribution to the conversation.
• Knowing a little about the interest and mental capacity of the listening audience will help the individual gear the conversation topics to ensure their interests and attention span are effectively captured. This is a very important rule to follow, as confident people usually only indulge in topics that they feel will lock in the attention of the listener.
• Using simple words and sentences will be the normal choice for the individual who is confident as they would not want to bore the listener with language skills that are not appreciated. Keeping the information spoken in short and point form sentences will also further display the skills of the confident speaker.
• Being mentally prepared is also another important trait of a person who is able to speak confidently. Armed with the relevant information, the speaker is able to make a confident

delivery style that will be evident in both the content of the material being presented and in the demeanor in which is comes across.
• Volume is something that is often overlooked but is no less important when the individual is intending to present information. The vocal volume used should be loud and clear as this will definitely hold the attention of the audience.

Confidence In Relationships

Any relationship should ideally have some level of confidence. Without the confidence element, there are usually insecurities that can creep into the relationship and cause the parties to doubt each other and have other negative thoughts and presumptions about the relationship as a whole. Therefore the confidence factor plays an important role in the relationship.

Success In A Relationship
The following are some reasons as to why having confidence or working at incorporating confidence is an important ingredient in any relationship if it is to achieve some level of success:
• Things that contribute to destroying a relationship are not always tangible and from outside sources. They are usually the contribution of the individual who is not very confident, thus allowing negative thoughts and actions to surface in the course of the relationship. Therefore it is not always the circumstances, but usually the mindset of the individual that causes the problem.
• Being physically and mentally fit also allows the individual to have the energy to contribute positively to the relationship. People who take pride in being at the top of their game both mentally and physically are usually well able to provide and exude confidence, and this is an attractive feature to have in the relationship arena. Others are usually hypnotically drawn to such confidence.
• The confidence factor also gives the individual the leeway to have his or her view actively sought after, as in most cases this view point is taken to be highly valued and its content full of positive substance.

Supercharge Your Self-confidence

Self-confidence is a very attractive and beneficial disposition to display. Being super self-confident is an even more attractive aura to own and this can be done with a little concerted effort on the part of the individual.

Useful Pointers
The following are some tips on how to be super self-confident, as this is definitely the way to get people to accept the individual without reservations:
• Perception is very important, as what the mind sees it accepts, and only after the initial acceptance does the mind question further. The body language of a confident individual is very evident in the way the individual presents himself or herself. Such people usually walk and speak in a manner that is unmistakably different and impressive. Therefore if the individual is serious about projecting this image, some practice and observations are called for. Practicing in front of a mirror is sometimes the best way to critically view the entire “package”.
• People, who are super confident are able to hold eye contact comfortably. This eye contact is very important in engaging the other party’s complete and undivided attention. This is usually a common practice which comes very naturally to a super confident individual. Holding a gaze does not in any way make them uncomfortable, and this is clearly evident in their ability to garner eye contact whenever they engage others in conversation.
• Personal affirmations are also another effective tool in getting the individual to accept and see themselves as confident and capable. Constantly chanting mantras that have a positive connotation and sound will help the unconscious mind pick up and firmly plant these in the individual’s mindset, thereby effectively conditioning the individual outlook of anything and everything. There is power in the mind and thought process, and super confident people understand the need to constantly reinforce the thought process with positive inputs.

Overcoming Hardships Confidently

Going through hardships can be a very difficult experience to endure, and having the lack of confidence to face the problem will further cripple the situation. Therefore it would be in the best interest of the individual to learn or acquire some skills on how to overcome hardships confidently.

Helpful Methods
The following are some tried and true methods that have been used by those people who depend on their confidence levels to get them through hard times:
• Confident people are usually acutely aware of their individuality and uniqueness. Instead of avoiding the “gift” they embrace and capitalize on it as often as possible. This allow the confident individual to eventually use this positive element to keep their mind focused on good and beneficial things and ideas that will eventually help them out of the difficult situation. Therefore by exploring various different activities and through processes, one will eventually be able to identify something that can help to define the individual and thus elevate the confidence levels from within.
• Confident people are usually very prepared to give anything and everything their very best, even in the eye of possible defeat. This commendable factor, is one of the important platforms that sometime works to their advantage, and allows them the skill and knowledge to get out of hardship. Learning to fine tune this ability is one of the traits of a confident person.
• Perseverance is also another characteristic present in the makeup of a confident individual. A confident individual is able to focus completely on the task, no matter how much hardship.

Tuning Your Internal Voice To Confidence

A lot of people today rely on their inner voice to help them make decisions, and with time and practice, this has proven to be a good and beneficial way to get things done.

Succeed
The following are some reasons why and how tuning the internal voice will help to build confidence:
• Practicing the art of listening to one’s internal voice is something that requires the individual to focus and clear the mind. Being able to have a clear mind will allow the individual to really listen to the inner voice. Meditation is one good way to exercise, as it eventually helps the individual to call on the mindset that facilitates the inner voice.
• Being acutely aware of the body and keeping it in optimum conditions will help the individual to be in a better frame of mind and health. When the body is healthy, the mind is able to explore and tap into the positive energy it exudes, thus making it easier and clearer to connect to the inner voice.
• Learning to tap into the energy that dreams can bring forth will also help the individual to be able to focus on such dreams and the inner voice will keep positive energy surrounding it. Science has over the years been able to prove that constant and almost obsessive thinking of a dream will eventually give the individual the energy and confidence needed to put the dream into reality. There is nothing more powerful than the body and mind which is driven by confidence.

• Healthy beliefs also contribute to the eventual success of the individuals who have learned over time to trust their instincts. The positiveness of the beliefs will give the individual the confidence to strike out and achieve the tasks given in a successful manner.

Wrapping Up
Having confidence will surely boost your chances of becoming a success in life. Many people believe that confidence is a sign of intelligence, competency, and self-worth. If you are projecting a negative image of self-confidence others will likely pick up on this with undesired results. Take time to practice some of the tips that were listed above and use the knowledge to help you boost your self-confidence to new heights. Being a success starts with high confidence, and high confidence starts as soon as you read this and practice the steps. Good luck!