They can be used daily. Morning and evening works best but the beauty with affirmations are that they can be adapted to suit that individual’s need and to endorse positive feelings at times most needed.

By their very nature, affirmations have to be written in a positive style such as:

I am going to resolve this problem today.

I am going to do well in my job interview because I am the best person for the job

I will not be bullied or get upset today

Affirmations must never be written or used in any manner other than a fully positive slant. Written and repeated sufficiently, they endorse a powerful message within the subconscious and conscious mind, if they are not written with a positive message, then the benefits will be limited for example:

I hope to do well in the my job interview today

The difference between statements is immediate. One is a powerhouse of energy and the other is a wishy- washy’ statement of hope.

To utilize the true benefits of affirmations, it’s important to consider where they are needed the most. Then write them to suit those needs. Different variations of the same message can be used too:

I am not going to get stressed today

I will remain calm and in control today

I will solve that problem and I will feel great

Once written, they should be repeated aloud, as many times as is necessary. They can also be repeated throughout the day and last thing at night. When repeating the affirmations, just ensure that they are said with conviction and emphasize key words that endorse the positive message:

I am not going to get stressed today

I will remain calm and in control today

I will solve that problem and feel great

The inner qualities include skills, ability to commit, ability to set priorities, ability to accept failure, will to say no, and so on.

We have self-awareness, personality and other details within as well that helps us to find ways to improve our personal life.

Consider brainstorming, long-term goals, short-term goals, evaluation of these goals, and see where you can make positive changes.

A space for relaxation should be instantly warm and welcoming. It should bring a sense of tranquillity to the individual immediately and evoke feelings of safety and emit a sense of peace. This personal space forms an escape from the everyday stresses for as long as is necessary. Care should be taken to ensure that the space is protected and secure especially if being used for meditation as complete peace and quiet is needed, so if there are children around, advise them that the space is off-limits and similarly, any phone in the room should be unplugged during that quiet time.

If using a room in the house, take a look around and see whether the furnishings are conducive to feelings of relaxation. If not, there may be things that you can do to increase those necessary feelings of ambiance at little cost. A cluttered space will not provide a relaxed environment so de-cluttering is an essential and actually quite therapeutic.

The room should be light and airy too with minimal furniture if possible to allow for freedom of movement and space.

Creams and beige colouring have a peaceful quality but essentially, the room can be decorated to suit that individual’s taste. In fact to personalize a room, it should mirror the user’s personality and this will allow them to take ownership of the space and to be able to enjoy their time there.

Pure essential oils can enhance a room immediately and as there are so many uplifting or relaxing essential oils, it will not be difficult to choose ones that suit any mood. For relaxation purposes, good old favourites such as Lavender or Geranium will not go amiss and for uplifting the spirits and mental clarity- Rosemary, Bergamot, Lemon or Clary Sage would be fine. Oils can be used in an oil burner quite safely and would provide an almost immediate benefit.

Equally, a private space in the garden can be incredibly inviting and care should be taken again to consider the appropriate environment first. A garden seat or bench is useful and shelter from rain is wise so that the space can be used in all-weathers. Consider any planting scheme carefully with a choice of colours that holds attention and appeals to the senses. Any plant fragrances will work to tease the senses and provide a greater response of peace and tranquillity. Whilst preparation can take some time, it is worth the time and effort because once the perfect space has been created, it will certainly aid any tension releases.

Be creative when choosing the right space, creativity is worth more than an extravagant splurge of money and it will mean more individually and become more welcoming and significant as a result. There is no need to restrict to one particular space either and this is of course dependant on the individual, but the garden, a room in the house, a favoured spot by a stream can all offer the same benefits some quality alone time in an aesthetically pleasing spot that soothes the senses and calms the frazzled mind.

Once any space is chosen or created then it’s important to use it as often as is required. Patterns of relaxation can be formed quite easily by using the space every day and if the same time of the day are chosen, then the body starts learning how to relax and this shaking off of any tensions begin the moment the room is used. This then becomes an instinctive response to relaxation.

First of all let me address this quote. Given the times that Mr. Hill lived in, we can forgive him for using the term “men” but let’s agree that this quote applies to everyone equally.

If we are completely honest with ourselves, every one of us has come up short when it comes to finding plans that work. In fact, in most cases, when we have a new idea that we want to implement in our lives, our first attempts almost always falls short.

There is no “failure” per se but rather, a choice. Do we choose to draft new plans and keep going? Or do we give up on the idea and move on.

The first thing you should recognize is that this quote should be taken to heart when it comes to fulfilling your ultimate goals and dreams in life. I’m talking about that goal you may have to ditch your desk job and start the animal sanctuary you’ve always dreamed of owning…. you know what I mean… the BIG dreams.

Right now you may be working on a big goal or a big idea and things may not be going so well. Remember this quote and remember to adjust, adapt and expand your ideas but NEVER give up if the goal is important to you.

You can do it… you just need to persist. And sometimes that persistence will be the only thing to keep you going.

Here are 4 powerful techniques that you can use to raise your energy and lift your spirits when you feel a lack of motivation.

Audio immersion. This is a technique that I have seen a number of people use in a variety of ways. The general idea is to combine inspirational music with some form of physical movement. As an example, you might want to find a song that really makes you come alive. A song that you like to sing along with. Turn the volume up a little. Then, as the song is playing, grab a pen and paper and begin writing down powerful statements to yourself.

You might write words like “I am energized”, “I have supreme confidence”, “I am incredibly productive”, “I have undying power” or any other statements that resonate with you. You can also shout these sayings out loud but I prefer the pen and paper method because you can’t always shout out loud, especially if other people are around you. This method is a sure fire way to increase your energy and motivation levels.

Positive and Negative Drivers. This technique involves analyzing very personal things about yourself that impact your emotions. The idea here is to list as many things as you can think of that cause you to feel drive. For example, you might have a goal of running a marathon but you have not had the drive or motivation to go on a run. You would rather lie on the couch.

In order to get yourself off of the couch, you would start by listing all of the positive things would result if you were to go for a run. This might include things like increased energy, happiness because you are proud of yourself, excitement of moving towards your marathon goal and of course contentment that you are preserving your health.

At the same time, you would also list all of your negative motivators. Things that might occur if you DON’T commit to your running goals. This might include things like self let-down for not sticking to your objectives, reduced energy or even proving your doubters to be right (this can be a huge one). When you combine the positive drives with the negative drivers, your energy and motivation levels can’t help but to be impacted and improved upon.

Comedy and Movement. This is a technique that I use all of the time and when I show other people, they really enjoy it. The idea is to combine the good feelings of comedy and laughter with the increased energy brought about by body movement.

There is no “right” way to do this so I will illustrate with an example. Go to youtube and search for a comedian or clips from a funny show that always makes your laugh. Even if your mood is really low at this point, simply watch the clip with no expectations for instant mood enhancement. You are simply observing at this point. Watch the clip twice if need be. Then, search for a second comedy clip and simply cue it up. Don’t play it yet.

After the first clip is finished, stand up, move your chair out of the way and do some kind of fast body movement. This can be anything that gets your heart pumping (leg raises, jumping jacks, shadow boxing, etc…). Do this for a minimum of one minute.

Once your mini exercise session is done, return to your computer and watch the second comedy clip. You will find your energy level rising and you will very likely have an easy time laughing at this clip. Repeat this process a few times if need be.

These 3 techniques may seem basic on the surface but can have a huge impact on your life. Experiment with them and see how it can improve your energy and motivation levels.

are literally trading the minutes, hours and days of your life in exchange for your current

activities. Most of us spend 40 (and often more) hours per week trading the precious moments of

our life for our job. Two questions immediately rise to the surface:

1. Do you consciously recognize and appreciate each day of your life with the awareness

that none of us know how much or how little time we have left?

2. If so, are you making a fair trade (i.e. are your activities worthy of your life energy)?

When I rst understood this lesson at both an intellectual and emotional level, my honest answer

to both of the above questions was NO! I was not necessarily taking my life for granted but I also

did not truly appreciate my days. I was devoting my time to a number of things that did not make

me happy and I was avoiding facing my fears. My mindset was I will deal with it at a better

time.’ Deep down I knew I was simply avoiding the issue altogether.

Speci cally, I am talking about my professional career. Although I was quite successful, had a

great salary, great security, excellent bene ts and room to grow in the organization, I did not

enjoy the work. I would start my day and look forward for it to be over. I did not work with any

passion. Worst of all, I was trading my life for this career.

Because this was the only profession I knew and spent many years establishing myself, it never

actually occurred to me that change was possible. I simply assumed that I would have to stick it

out and hopefully do well enough nancially so that I could retire early and THEN begin to

enjoy my days.

Then I got involved in personal development programs. I started to learn more about life and

more about the mind. I quickly realized that I had been operating my life following a set of

beliefs and paradigms that were not necessarily ideas that I agreed with. I had always assumed

that everyone disliked their job and it was just something we all had to go through to earn our

retirement’.

When I found out that there were many people who loved their work and had found a way to

make a living based on their passions, I was very intrigued. I was also wary of the idea because it

sounded too good to be true.

As I started to study some of these people and learn about the inspiring lives they were living, I

realized a very important distinction between them and myself. Unlike me at the time, they DID

appreciate the value of each living day and they also structured their life in such a way that they

were trading their days for a purpose worthy of them and their true values.

When I compared them to myself, I was trading the days of my life for something that made me

unhappy. When I dissected it further, I was choosing this lifestyle because I was too afraid to

change. I was afraid to give up the salary and bene ts, afraid to give up the position that took so

many years to obtain, afraid to admit to others that I was unhappy and afraid to decide what I

truly wanted out of life.

The more I thought about it and the more I studied personal development teachings and success

stories, the greater my desire for change became. I started to reprogram my mind so that the pain

of remaining status quo was actually more intense than the fear of change. I know many personal

growth programs advocate positive thinking, but negative motivators inspire action for all of us.

It certainly worked in my case.

Not only did this new mindset drive me to nd my true passion and true calling in life (speaking

and coaching), it helped me establish a sense of personal freedom that can best be described as

liberation. There came a point where my self image literally shifted and I saw myself safely and

con dently walking away from the career that I had so desperately held onto for many years.

The days of my life were far too important and valuable to be spending them doing something

that had no meaning for me. After I resigned from that position, I made a personal commitment

to dedicate the rest of my working days doing only that which I love.

I now love my work. I look forward to my days. I look forward to new projects and new

opportunities. I never think about retirement because I never plan on retiring. When you do what

you love, why would you ever want to stop?

If you are reading this article and can share a similar story, please contact me directly as I would

love to put together a special edition of my newsletter to pro le all of the inspiring and uplifting

stories of people who are living their dream.

Part of the reason for that I suppose is that it’s going to be different for everyone – at least in the detail, but perhaps in general there are things we all want.

We all want to be loved, for example. (Don’t try and hide, I know you do too!). We all want to feel safe and secure, and we all need that spice of life – variety, don’t we?

But the bottom line is, we feel we’re living positively when we feel we’re getting somewhere. And in order to feel that, we have to have an idea where we think we want to get to, right? Just getting by doesn’t feed the soul. Paying the bills may be necessary, but it won’t warm the heart.

Today, in case you’ve lost the knack, dare to dream. Where do you want to be in a year’s time? In five or ten? And before you dismiss this with thoughts of “it’s for others, but not for me,” remember that old Chinese proverb: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” And, I would add, often with a simple step too.

What single, simple step could you take today that would start your odyssey? It needn’t be expensive or expansive, just personal and definite.

And who knows, once you’ve taken it, tomorrow you may find it so much easier to take the second.