Self Improvement Talk For You

The origins, history and production of Singing Bowls.

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:44:52 PDT

The knowledge of singing bowl production would have spread throughout Asia along established trade routes. Many believe that the Buddha, Padmasambhava, crossed the Himalaya mountains from India into Tibet. He bought the teachings of the Buddha into the country and also the knowledge of singing bowls. Contrary to popular belief, singing bowls were not used during any religious practices but were used instead as begging bowls and for food. During this period monasteries only used the singing bowl as a chalice.

If the singing bowl was not produced for religious practice then the obvious question is: what were they used for? There are accounts of travelling smiths who would make the bowls with materials gathered during their travels. Other theories suggest it was the monks themselves that produced the bowls. If so though, why were they used for eating and not meditation? What was the reason for having the bowls 'sing'? The fact is no one can be entirely sure who produced the earliest singing bowls as there is no concrete evidence to support either theory.

Ancient singing bowls were traditionally made of seven various metals, each one symbolising a different planet in the solar system. The sound produced by the singing bowls would vary depending upon how the different quantities of metals were mixed together. The metals would be combined to form an alloy which would be left to cool before being beaten into the familiar bowl shape. However, each of these ancient bowls varies and can have more or less than the seven traditionally used metals. This would support the theories that it was the travelling smiths who produced the bowls as, during their travels, not all the metals would have been available which explains why each bowl might be of a different composition.

Coaching Leaders for Change - 5 Ground Rules

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:39:29 PST

How do you convince leaders to change?

Executive coaching offers a tremendous opportunity to leverage the talent and resources of leaders.

Coaching is no longer reserved for problem leaders. It is frequently sought by top performers whose organizations value their growth potential. But not all coaching is the same.

Establishing Ground Rules

Here are five principles that should be clarified at the outset of the coaching process. In the beginning, coaches must clarify the ground rules with the executive they will be coaching, as well as with the sponsoring organization.

1. Confidentiality, expectations and commitment: The coach must be clear about what will be shared with the leader�s boss and what will be kept confidential. Aligning coaching goals with the organization�s objectives is crucial.

2. Reporting relationships: There must be clarity among the organizational contact (boss or HR representative), coach and leader.

3. Methods of information gathering: Key stakeholders, team members, direct reports and others involved will be contacted by both the coach and the leader.

4. Making judgments, setting objectives and monitoring progress: The coach helps the leader and key stakeholders maintain objectivity. Coaches must focus on one or two behaviors, without judgment, and facilitate honest sharing about progress.

5. How, why and when the coaching will end: Coaching parameters must be set at the beginning of the engagement, with milestones for assessing progress and a completion date (usually 12 to 18 months).

It is critical to clarify at the outset who the client is. When the coach and leader understand that the company is the actual client, then the ground rules are easier to accept. Once the ground rules have been established, they cannot be bent.

Measuring Coaching Success

Success isn�t measured by:

- How well the leader performs with the coach�s help. It must be judged on how well he or she performs after the coach has left the scene.

- How leaders feel about their own progress. It must be judged on the changes stakeholders perceive.

- The leader�s positive feelings toward, and relationship with, the coach. True success is measured by results.

Coaching can be daunting for some leaders, as they must be willing to be vulnerable and open. It is exhilarating for those who embrace it and commit to change. Unlike management science, academic theory or consulting, coaching is an exciting interpersonal journey. Coaches and their clients form strong bonds built on trust, openness, confidence and achievement.

Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D. writes articles for business and executive coaches and consultants. She provides articles on leadership and executive development for sale, and formatted into customized newsletters. Get Patsi's Secrets of Successful Ezines 7-Step Mini-Course to learn what you need to know to publish a successful ezine. http://snipurl.com/Ezine_MiniCourse

Effectively Delivering Your Message

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 03:27:00 PST

Whether you�re preaching a sermon, trying to sell something or wanting to nail down that presentation, delivery is everything. The best way to successfully deliver any message is to keep it fresh, keep it short, keep it simple and keep it fun.

When I started developing my first slide show years ago, I paused to reflect on what was right or wrong with most presentations. Placing one slide up on the screen and talking for an hour was something I didn�t want to do. I had seen that same mistake made over and over in high school and college. The only things more boring then bad slide presentations are chalk talks and object lessons.

People new to speaking often depend on gimmicks. They often feel more comfortable using chalk board, an overhead projector, audience giveaways or something they can hold in their hand or place on a lectern for people to focus on. While these kinds of things can be useful in some cases, they can also be a distraction. A professional Speaker should never create a gap between themselves and their audience. You can steer clear of that pitfall by limiting the use of gimmicks and avoiding topic saturation.

The worst classroom nightmare that can happen to a junior or senior high school student is to end up with a teacher fresh out of college. They are easy to spot because of a misplaced passion to teach everything they have ever learned in one semester and burn up more chalk then a cheap ice cream company. Saying too much about any topic is as bad as not saying enough. An overuse of presentation graphics and technology detracts from your subject.

While tools like PowerPoint are a blessing to Speakers who were once chained to cumbersome and often unreliable slide projectors, they are not a substitute for content. Content will always be king. Editing content is an art form that must be learned through experience. Like many Speakers, most of my early gigs were for community groups, service organizations and clubs. They were, needless to say, unpaid. However, those engagements were excellent proving grounds for my material and provided good opportunities for me to sharpen my speaking skills.

The best way to understand what�s right or wrong with a presentation is audience reaction. No matter how much you know about any topic or how passionately you present it, the audience will decide whether or not your presentation deserves their attention. Getting that attention means editing and presenting your content to suit them.

You can grab on to your audience by focusing in on the most interesting aspects of any topic. Let�s say your topic is CORN. Most people are not going to care about how many tons of it are produced by farmers each year or what it takes to get it to market. They have already seen that on the Discovery Channel ten times over. Tell them what they don�t know about the crop. Focus in on unusual uses, unique growing methods and uncommon processing procedures. Inform your audience by entertaining them.

Maintaining audience interest means speaking WITH them, not AT them. An audience will judge you by the first twenty words that come out of your mouth. This doesn�t mean that you have to begin with a joke or story, it just means you have to start with sincerity. Say what you feel, not what you know and NEVER reintroduce yourself. During the first five minutes of your presentation, you will either gain or lose your audience. Begin with the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE and WHY of your topic. Those old journalistic building blocks serve professional Speakers well.

If content is king, comfort rules! You cannot successfully deliver your message to a room full of uncomfortable people. Your audience should be comfortable in every way imaginable. More then a few event planners have felt my wrath when I found horrific conditions present at various Speaking venues. I learned, early on, to verify any and all essential equipment and set-ups the day before my arrival. Arriving at least two hours before my audience on the day of a presentation was also important. That allowed time for any quick fixes.

Every member of your audience must be able to clearly see you, hear you and view any screen or monitor comfortably. If seating is portable, rows should be kept short. People like the ability to come and go as needed. Chilled water must always be available. A good listener is a comfortable listener.

You cannot get your message across if no one understands what you are talking about. Speakers often justify boring presentations by claiming that listeners will not appreciate the topic if they are not given the �big picture.� These are Speakers who imagine an audience filled with Intellectuals or Professionals who appreciate the highbrow approach and hang on their every word. Anyone who has ever attended an average Financial Planning or Real Estate Investment seminar knows how tragic and ineffectual this kind of presentation can be.

If some Speakers put too much into a presentation, others depend on fluff and sideshows leaving their audience with nothing but a momentary high to take home. There is a big difference between a coaching session and public speaking. Coaches put on a show and depend as much on audience participation as they do on hype to get a point across. Coaches create an event and motivate participants, while professional Speakers deliver a message and enlighten their audiences.

Most Speakers I have met live on credentials. They write their own introductions and hope to impress an audience with all kinds of educational and professional accomplishments. Few live up to their resumes. That�s because the focus is on them, not their message. With the possible exception of personality cults or celebrities, most people come out to hear the MESSAGE and not the Messenger. Given that, your delivery of that MESSAGE had better be good!

Let�s revisit the essentials. Keep your presentation FRESH, keep it SHORT, keep it SIMPLE and make it FUN. This is a delicate balancing act. While you never want people to feel cheated because you didn�t say enough, it�s no better to say so much that they end up with a headache from trying to take it all in. Likewise, you do not want them to perceive you as a novice because you over-simplified things, depended on gimmicks, told too many jokes or replaced popular material with new stuff just to keep it crisp.

Every professional Speaker must balance content, technique, technology and audience satisfaction. It�s a comfort zone that you reach through trial and error. You�ll know you are there when audiences accept, enjoy and appreciate your message.

Habits: You Can Put Your Mind & Body on "Autopilot" and Reach Your Goals Automatically!

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 22:01:42 PST

Did you know that habits are incredibly powerful tools for personal growth and success?
Think about the habits you have now and how they affect virtually every aspect of your life. Your weight and health are determined by your eating habits. Your relationships with people are determined by your social habits. Your success at work is determined by your work habits. You have sleeping habits that dictate how well you sleep. You have sexual habits. You even have buying habits; just take a look around your house and you will quickly see them. Our character, health and virtually every aspect of our lives are indeed determined by our habits.

If you ask ten people on the street what the word habit means, nine out of ten will tell you that a habit is a negative action that people do over and over again, like smoking, or procrastinating, or eating too much. Bad habits get all the press. Let�s look at the results of just one bad habit: smoking. Every year, over 400,000 people lose their lives to smoking-related illnesses in the United States. Imagine then, the negative power that exists in just that one bad habit. It is staggering.

Now I want you think about an even greater power, a power that can bring you success, health and happiness; a power for positive, permanent, and automatic personal growth: the power of positive habits. Let�s look a little closer at the meaning of the word habit. Random House dictionary defines habit in this way:

Habit: An acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary.

The important words in this definition are acquired and almost involuntary. Let me ask you a question. When is the last time you sat down and said to yourself, "Today I am going to add a new habit to my life?" I would venture to guess that you have probably never said those words. As you read this article, you will see how easy it is to add positive habits to your life and the great power they have to change it. Think about the words almost involuntary. This means the habit is so powerful in your mind that it is almost unstoppable! With respect to bad habits like smoking, procrastination, and overeating, this is very bad. But with positive habits, this is very, very good.

What is a positive habit? A positive habit is simply a habit that produces positive benefits, actions and attitudes you want to acquire and make a part of your life. Why is there such great power in positive habits to effect change? Because habits, by their very nature, are automatic. After a period of time they can become permanent.

So how do we go about adding new positive habits to our life? It�s really quite easy. You simply begin repeating an action, attitude or thought process every day for at least 21 days. Research has shown that an action that is repeated for a minimum of 21 days is likely to become a permanent habit. Remember that positive habits have positive benefits and you will reap those benefits for as long as you maintain that habit. So now that we know what positive habits are, and how to acquire them, let�s look at some simple positive habits from the book that will help have a healthier body and be more productive.

Positive Habit #3 - Take Flax Every Day for a Healthy, Trim Body and Lower Cholesterol!

What is flax?

Flax is a blue-flowering plant known for its oil-rich seed. People have been eating flaxseed since ancient times, it has a pleasant, nutty flavor. The health benefits of flaxseed and flaxseed oil are significant and for that reason this habit is recommended as a primary habit for health and a trim and fit body. Here are some of the benefits of flaxseed and flaxseed oil:

Flaxseed contains both soluble and insoluble fiber. Several studies have shown that flaxseed can help to lower cholesterol in the same way that other soluble fiber foods like oat bran and fruit pectin do. A study at the University of Toronto showed that total cholesterol levels dropped 9% and LDL (the "bad" cholesterol) decreased 18% among a group of women who ate milled flaxseed cooked into bread every day for a period of 4 weeks.

Flaxseed is one of the richest sources of lignans and alpha-linolenic acid. Studies suggest that lignans may help to prevent certain cancers. Flaxseed is one of the few plants in the plant kingdom that provide a high ratio of alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) to linoleic (omega-6 fatty acids), it is an excellent source of healthy polyunsaturated fat.

A new study has confirmed that the positive habit of taking flax seed daily can help you get a trim and fit body. I interviewed Dr. Sam Bhathena, a researcher at the Phytonutrients Laboratory of the US department of Agriculture, he said, "we have observed that flax seed meal is much more effective in lowering cholesterol then soy. Several other studies have shown that in general, omega-3 fatty acids, lower lipid deposition, and help in reducing body weight."

Omega-3 fatty acids � More than half the fat contained in flaxseed is omega-3 fatty acid type, an essential fatty acid. There have been numerous studies reporting the health benefits of consuming omega-3 fats. Recent studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids which are abundant in flax seed can help protect you from coronary artery disease, stroke, high blood pressure, autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. Studies on the effects of flax seed on breast cancer are now under way. Omega-3s can also help boost your metabolism, helping your body to burn calories faster.

Flax is available as raw seed, ground seed and also as an oil which is made by cold pressing flax seeds. You can purchase raw flax seed, ground flax seed and flax seed oil at most health food stores. The easiest way to incorporate flax seed into your diet is to buy ground flax seed meal and add it to your food.

� Substitute for cooking oil or shortening in baked goods.
� Add ground flax seed to pancakes, waffles and cereals.
� Put ground flax seed on salads.

Here is a great recipe for a super health shake. Make a protein shake with 8 ounces of your favorite juice such as apple or orange, add 2 tablespoons of flax seed oil, 2 tablespoons of soy powder, 1 tablespoon of lecithin, fresh fruit such as bananas, papayas or blueberries. Blend with a hand blender or an electric blender. This power shake will provide you with the health benefits of soy; omega-3�s, fiber, antioxidants, and enzymes from the fruit, and the fat loss benefits of lecithin.

Positive Habits #56 - Be More Productive With the 4-D Habit

Many of us are stressed out by the negative effects of work overload in our careers. The 4-D habit is a very simple positive habit that will help you to prevent work overload. Every time you are faced with a new task to perform, apply the 4 D�s as listed below. You will find that your workload will be reduced as you apply this screening and decision making tool to each task you are confronted with. Decide on the most appropriate choice � and take action.

Do It Now � take immediate action, do the task right away, don�t procrastinate.

Dump It Now � make a quick decision and dump the task.

Delegate It � give the task to someone else. This is a very critical aspect of time management. Your time is valuable; make it a habit to work on tasks that you do best and delegate the tasks that can be performed by someone else.

Defer the Task � make an immediate decision to postpone the task to a later time. Make sure to schedule a time to complete it.

Typical Mistakes Made in Formulating Suggestion for Self Hypnosis

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 06:25:20 PST

Self hypnosis is a powerful force that can be used in the attainment of goals or to bring about change in one's health. Best results are done by repeating a suggestion for approximately three to five minutes while in a relaxed state of mind.

How your suggestion is formulated is important. There are seven basic rules of thumb:

1. Say you want to quit smoking, it's important to avoid using a negative--a "not"--in your suggestion such as �I am not going to smoke.� The reason being is that the brain skips over "nots". To experience this first hand, if you are in a situation where you can stand, please do so and do the following. Alright, are you standing? The next instruction is "Please do not stand!" Did you sit immediately or were you somewhat confused thinking something like, "He just asked me to stand and now I'm supposed to do what??"

The truth is that the brain skips over the "not," and unless I had put you in a situation for you to question it, you would have continued to stand. This is why when you say, "I am not going to smoke," the brain interprets it as �I am going to smoke.�

2. Avoid using "not" in the past tense. For instance, you'll find that with self hypnosis you'll stop smoking. Avoid then thinking, �I don't smoke any more.� either consciously or as a self hypnotic suggestion. Even though at that moment you feel accomplished, it becomes like boomerang and for a while you'll be free of smoking and then the habit of smoking will return just as a boomerang returns.

3. Likewise avoid using �try.� Avoid saying, �I'm trying to (whatever)." Trying indicates that you didn't succeed--you tried but just didn't make it.

4. Avoid the phrase, "going to" as in I'm going to lose weight. If someone tells you that he/she is going to come visit you, what is the first thing you want to know? When, right? The word "going" causes anxiety which stands in the way of success. I'm going when? tomorrow? next week, next month, next year?

5. "Giving up" and "Doing Without"--avoid using both. Giving up is means the same as not being able to "cut the mustard," or "make the grade." "Doing without," is synonymous with being a bad girl or boy and made to go to bed without desert.

6. Avoid suggestions such as �I am less anxious� or �I am more relaxed around strangers.� These suggestions have you perceive others as "strangers" or you as being "anxious" and keep you in that frame of mind.

7. Also avoid suggestions with �I have to� or �I must� or "I got to." Psychologist find that when their patients think in those terms, they become more anxious and irritable which actually reduces their IQ making it more difficult to achieve their goals.

If you want to lose weight, in addition to many of the above problem suggestions, there are several others:

1. "I'm so hungry I could eat a house or horse." First, hungry is a powerful word that only results in empty feelings. Secondly a house or horse is a pretty big item.

2."I'll start my diet tomorrow." The word diet is "die" with a "t" on the end of it. It means starvation.

3. "I'll eat today and starve tomorrow." If you knew that you were going to starve tomorrow, what would you do today? Eat, right?

4. "I quit eating so much." The word quit is again a problem since elementary school. Afterall, do you want to be a quitter? Even though you consciously know how you are applying the word such as in "quit smoking," too, unconsciously it's connected to being a quitter. So why use the word--especially when so many other far more powerful words and phrases that can be used?

5. "I'm losing weight." No one wants to be a loser. This is ingrained in each of us since elementary or preschool. So why use it in your thinking.

These are all no-no's. For more information on how to formulate affirmations and suggestions for self hypnosis to attract what you want in life, see the resource box.

Richard Kuhns B.S.Ch.E., NGH certified, a prominent figure in the field of hypnosis with his best selling hypnosis and stress management cds at http://www.DStressDoc.com and http://www.PanicBusters.com. He aims to raise awareness in using self hypnosis for self improvement. To find out more please visit http://www.dstressdoc.com/SelfHypnosis.htm

Have you Tried the Latest New York City Sensation?

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 08:32:48 PST

In the smog and rat race of our brave new world, have you ever set time aside to reflect and wonder if you could change or at least learn from your past? Do you even think it is possible to learn from your mistakes? Do you even remember your mistakes?

What if I told you there was a way to step back in time and reflect on your past and create a future that insures you don't make the same mistakes again, would you like to try it? It will take as little as 5 minutes and on the other hand you can do it for as long as you like.

Have you tried Walking Backwards, That's right simple by walking backwards you can physically walk your mind back in time. Now of course walking backward is not that easy and ho by the way it's a killer workout, it works your balance, agility and stability, and it targets your Glute and Hamstrings, which are trouble areas and very weak for a lot of people in fact weak Glutes and Hamstrings are in part a contributing factor for back pain.

Have you seen Steven Hefferon the "Backward Walking Man of Central Park"? Those that have, get up pretty early, Steve likes to walk first thing in the morning before heading into his office, most of the time before 6 AM not to beat the heat but to beat the distractions, it freaks people out a little bit when they see me walking backwards and while Steve does not mind explaining what he is doing it does make it hard to keep focused on stepping back in time.

If you would like to learn how to walk your mind back in time, the first thing you need to do is to practice walking backwards. Any path that is paved and has an edge is great for practicing. If you are still hesitant try holding someone's hand and doing it together.

The hard part is training your mind to think backwards, so one technique is to think back on birthdays, holidays or special events than as you get better at thinking back concentrate on details of the events and sooner of latter you will think of the blunder, embarrassing moment and yes even the mistake�

Don't get me wrong this is not just about walking back into mistakes but feel free to walk your self back when you have moment of greatness and genius. Backup your life to a time when you could do no wrong, when you felt the best, the safest and the felt like you could do anything, feel free to walk your self in to a feel good moment and stay there for a while and than use that feeling to create achievement in your life today�

Look you can sit on the couch and watch reruns or Hogan's Heroes, or Get Smart or Gilligan's Island and have the same type of memories but If you want to create change in your life, get you butt off the couch and walk your mind back in time and learn from your mistakes and hold on to the times that made you feel good or even the times of greatness.

Let me add final summation to the experience, as the final step in creating change and to live the changes you want to live, there is a simple formula to any situation you find yourself in and it goes like this�

STOP, you're self from reacting like you would have�

THINK, for a moment what is the best way to handle this situation�

ANTICIPATE, How the outcome is going to be so you become in control of the situation and not always have to put out fires�

You see I heighten my success by learning from both from the highs and lows, understanding what I did, why I did it and what my thought and beliefs were at the time.

I know now, that I need to live my life Expectedly and Pro-actively. I start each day with thoughts of achievement; knowing what I need to get done will get done. The words I choose to use throughout the day are also critical in reinforcing the outcome of my day. And of course my actions fulfill my expectations.

Holly cow why did it take me 40 years to learn that, why did my mother not explain it to me or why did I not learn this in the 20 plus years I was in school. Or did I, and just needed to grow up to appreciate it.

While growing old may suck, it does help you appreciate the good the bad and the ugly in life.

I like to thank Matthew Furey for teaching me these techniques, you see I went from being computer geek to co-founding losethebackpain.com and becoming and Internationally Known Back Pain Expert, it took a while but I did it.

See you in the park�

Article courtesy of Steve Hefferon, CMT of The Healthy Back Institute. You can take advantage of the many available free resources on their website by visiting http://www.losethebackpain.com

The Personal Development Way To Eliminating Procrastination

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 20:55:28 PST

Are you a procrastinator? Do you hold yourself back from achieving the things you want to achieve in life because you never get round to starting/ Or, are you the type of person who starts many projects but finishes none?

Would you be interested in learning a simple, effective and easy to to try method for eliminating your tendency to procrastinate? If so, then prepare to become one of those elite individuals who always finishes what they start and someone who always gets the job done!

The first step to eliminating procrastination is to identify the things that need to be done. This should be approached on a daily basis. Start by making a simple list that outlines all the key actions you should take for the coming day in order to get the results you want.

Now go down your list and number them in order of importance. Beside the most important activities place the number 1 and beside the lesser important activities place the number 2, and depending on how large your list is you may want to include a number 3 category. That is, number 1 being the most important and number 2 being the second most important. Have at least two activities that fall into your number 1 category and at least two that fall into number 2 and number 3 categories.

Try to be realistic. When I first started using this method I would place up to 20 items on my to-do list. This was far too much. I had been a procrastinator all my life and to expect myself to complete a list of 20 to-do items was asking the impossible. I soon realised that if I started with a list of 4 or 6 things to do, I would complete all of them. Eventually I upgraded to an A4 size blank diary and almost everyday the pages are filled and tasks completed.

As best you can try varying the tasks and ensuring they are concerned with different areas of your life. This way you will stop yourself from becoming bored with monotonous tasks and you will also keep your motivation high as you see yourself moving forward in different areas.

On your list rearrange the items so that your number 1 priority activities are at the start, the next is your number 2 and so on. Leave a space next to the item and underneath it leave a few lines.

Once you have your list in numbered sequence write beside each one the best time of day for starting the activity. This will give you a way of staying focused on what you need to do and ensure you carry it out in an orderly way ' we don't want you to procrastinate and leave all the items until the end of the day!

Now ensure that you take each of your priority 1 items in turn and tick them off after you do it at the time you specified. In the space beneath, write down a quick description of your feelings. How does it feel now that you have completed the tasks you assigned for yourself. Then reward yourself with a small treat. Anything that you feel is a small treat will do, whether it's just a cup of coffee, bit of chocolate or a piece of cake.

After you have finished your tasks that have a number 2 rating use the same procedure as mentioned above. Tick off each item in turn and jot down how you feel and any additional notes or comments. Ensure you give yourself a special treat after you complete this category. Something that you would not normally give yourself or you would only give yourself on a special occasion. You have really broken through your procrastination and have made real strides in your development of your personal motivation. Keep in mind that it is usually the anticipation of the activity that causes you discomfort and not the activity itself. I find that once I start an activity it becomes relatively easy to finish it.

Also ensure you give yourself a break. Give yourself a break. The length of time you take should depend on the taks you have just completed. Even if the tasks are not at all demanding it is always advisable to set, at least, a few minutes aside to rest and look over what you have achieved. A good time to do this is when you are rewarding yourself.

The plan/do/reward approach to eliminating procrastination works! Use it and you will soon be filling out and completing lists that right now would seem impossible for you to stick to and more importantly you will see the results of your action sin your life. Your personal development will be assured!

Michael McGrath

We Have to Understand the Success Stories

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 18:31:03 PST

We can make our life much easier if we follow the rule: "learn from the mistakes of others". The other point of view is to forget about this rule, because only a few people know exactly how to use it. The rest of us, as usually - learn from our own mistakes; who knows, maybe it's a part of our personal self-improvement? But there is another strong tool; it is called "We Have to Understand the Success Stories". There are thousands such stories of great achievement, and their number is growing every day. In other words, every man who reached his life goal or reached financial independence making a huge sum of money has his own success story. And now, the secret is that studying these examples makes you successful, because with every story like that, you understand the principles of becoming rich, you understand the way people are growing their wealth, you become really inspired, and you just accumulate experience, the experience every one of us needs most of all.

There is a saying: "we are that we eat". Think about it and you'll realize that this is very true. Also you can refer this quote to your intellectual and spiritual food which may come from different sources, like books, good movies, discussions with clever and intelligent people. As we are speaking about success stories, you should realize that consuming such meals everyday, gives you the spirit of a winner. It happens so because, involuntarily, by reading such positive material we are being influenced in an indirect manner, we begin to be modified through our subconsciousness.

It's the best school of becoming rich and successful in your business. These stories will teach you all the best qualities a real businessman should have. Why? Because the people from these beautiful stories already possess all these qualities. You just have to read carefully, understand the moral, and make the story become your reality. Believe that it's easy. Who said that you can't possess all these good qualities? Just think that all of them were made for people just like you. Just imagine that punctuality, organization, motivation, optimism, wisdom, desire for money, success - it's a part of you and your life. This great school is here, it's free, just go and read it, study it, everything depends on you.

Let's see what exactly can you learn from these success stories: First of all you get inspired, and inspiration is the fuel which gets you through all the difficulties you meet on your way to wealth. After inspiration comes the motivation: make a plan of the things you wish to own after earning your first million. The next is knowledge; the knowledge of the principles of becoming rich and successful. You'll understand the way a rich man thinks, the way he works; you will assume all the good qualities that such a man possesses. You'll find the straight way in order to gain an immediate success. And the most important is that you'll get the experience which will show you the shortest way to your dreams.

Success stories leave their prints on us. These prints lead to self-confidence and self-confidence increases our power of influencing people and things around us, to attract the things and events we need in order to become what we want to become. Move on, go and write down on a piece of paper your own success story. You have all the right to do it. Nobody can stop you. Go and become successful, rich and happy.

Visit http://www.money-and-success.com in order to find out everything you need to know to become rich and successful.

Mattson Dave

How to Double (Even Triple) Your Efficiency

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 07:29:14 PST

To be really efficient, you must plan everything. Write down the things you need to do for a scheduled period (let's say for the coming week). Then evaluate if you're really efficient in doing all of those things.

You must practice efficient time management, which entails the delegation of your tasks. You can delegate those that you're not really capable of doing to someone else who can do them better. And if you don't enjoy doing something, the more you should assign it to someone else. Remember that you can reach success much, much faster only if you actually love what you're doing.

If you think the task requires your full attention, then find out everything you need to know and do before you start doing it. You need to adequately prepare for any task in order to do it much better.

You might think that planning and setting goals are a waste of time, that you should jump right into your tasks to save time.

Big Mistake!

By preparing beforehand, you will know exactly what to expect and accomplish when you're actually doing the tasks. You will be likened to a guided missile, fully focused in finishing anything you ought to do. You won't have to waste time thinking of what to do next.

But what if you lack knowledge in doing something? How do you prepare for such things?

Learn everything you need to know about the subject. Read books, listen to audios, attend seminars, ask advice from people knowledgeable in the subject, etc.

If you learn about something without actually applying the lesson, you might easily forget it. To resolve this, spend some time contemplating on what you've learned. Think about how you can apply it to real life, on how you can apply it now or in the future. See how you can benefit from this knowledge and imagine yourself actually applying it to people around you.

Knowledge is power, only if you apply it. You may not be able to apply what you've learned immediately; but by utilizing this technique and infusing the knowledge into your inner being, you will be able to summon it in times when you need it.

Michael Lee

Anxiety Panic Attack & Agoraphobia-- Impact of Conclusion Thinking

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 22:32:54 PST

This article is based on a technique that demonstrated an 80% success rate in eliminating symptoms of anxiety panic attack. This is a description of the third session with the first client named Jane with whom this technique was discovered. Jane had uprooted her family and moved from Florida to NJ to be with her sisters and mother six months prior to the onset of agoraphobia panic attacks. I had in-home sessions with her as she was house-ridden.

Generally the original source of panic attacks is poor nutrition or a side effect of medication which was true for Jane. But even after stopping the offending medicaton or adjusting the diet, the anxiety panic attack response often continues as it has become a conditioned response.

The challenge was to shift Jane and the dozens of clients after her from the conditioned response of anxiety to freedom. According to Clara Weekes� book, Healing Your Bad Nerves (out of print), there are three phases to the anxiety panic attack. Initially there�s an alarm. This is also true of the general adaptation syndrome (GAS). The alarm is what takes us away from our homeostatic level. It's the stressor. The next phase is the physical reaction�activation of the fight/flight. At this point breathing quickens and becomes upper chest, muscles tighten, extremities become cooler, heart rate quickens, blood pressure increases� all preparing the individual to either fight or run. More about stage three later.

However, what was not understood by Jane (and many professionals treating anxiety) is that the fight/flight is not only activated when there is a real physical threat, but any time her ego, and or family, social or financial status is perceived to be threatened. Yet, fighting or running from these types of life stressors is an inappropriate means of handling them. For instance, would you run away from your supervisor who criticized your work? Or punch him in the nose? Of course not, these are inappropriate responses, but nevertheless the body is activated to either fight or run. Not knowing this, the individual is left with the body in gear and totally at loss as to why. Jane's doctor came to a conclusion and said, "Because this happens when you're in wide open spaces like a super market, you have agoraphobia. Aside from some medication to take off the edge, we don�t know how to cure it or even why it happens."

In the first two sessions with Jane I gathered information about her, (especially her life's disappointments) discussed nutrition, and outlined the goals. In my third session with Jane I provided an explanation of Hans Selye's GAS along with Clara Weekes� three stage theory.

Essentially the third stage is an exaggerated over reaction of the second stage (maybe as much as 100 times in magnitude) and this is because in the absence of any real physical threat, as previously noted, Jane and others do not understand that the second stage can be kicked in simply with something so basic as a threat to ego.

At this point, Jane had the frame work of understanding on a conscious level what has happened to her. The next challenge is to change the frame of reference from, �I have anxiety attacks,� (which is actually a conclusion) to �I notice tension in my chest,� (an observation). I needed a way of her understanding that she was jumping to conclusions and that conclusions for her are dangerous. Now I could have explained the difference in conclusions and observations a hundred times and it would have had little value. I needed to provide an actual example for Jane to experience to connect on both conscious and the subconscious level.

Looking about my home, I had found an old object. When I picked it up to move it out of the way, I discovered part if it missing--I had jumped to a conclusion�that it was complete. I needed something to build a shift from internal focus to external focus. Her internal focus was on her breathing and muscle tension which contributed to her jumping to conclusions which invoked the third stage.

When she wasn�t looking, I positioned the object on her kitchen table. I then pointed to it and asked her what she saw. She identified the object from her point of view. I asked her if she made an observation or a conclusion and she thought it was an observation. I then asked her if she felt right in her observation and she did�anxiety sufferers like to be right and up until now, she�s been �right� about muscle tension and breathing tightness being a panic attack from her perspective.

I then picked up the object so she could see the missing part and her mouth dropped open in surprise. Using this device provided all the hypnosis I needed. Although the entire event took no more than a minute, in that time period Jane, as well as countless others with whom I�ve since used this device, was hypnotized. It was less than ten seconds of �Wakened Hypnosis� that provided the shift from conclusion to observation�the key to getting beyond the third phase of Clara Weaks� model.

We then took ten minutes to look at the difference between observation and conclusion. If we named the object it was actually a conclusion�a dangerous one if we tried to use the object functionally. From observation it was an object approximately 4� in length with one end being 2 �� in diameter with the other end approximately 3� in diameter. The end with the smaller diameter had a section approximately �� in length that flared outward with one section slightly elongated. On one side of the object was a protrusion which connected to both ends. It took another three minutes to complete the observation without coming to any conclusions such as handle and spout.

I noted that we�re rewarded in school by our ability to take A and B and come to conclusions which in this case are dangerous and from observation, we�d be hard pressed to figure out it what the object was.

This example has a lot more impact from a visual perspective as is on the dvd of the program at my website.

Her homework was to observe objects and write them down�an external focusing technique�practice observation with the understanding that one day she�ll simply be able to observe muscle tension and be free of jumping to conclusions. They say the definition if insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different outcome. Why is it that standard procedures keep trying to have panic anxiety sufferers focus inward and control breathing? It is clearly insane to keep doing what doesn't work when the results of such misguided approaches are so poor.

Richard Kuhns

Leadership Power Stress: (Part 2) Three Keys to Renewal

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:46:26 PST

Power stress is part of the experience that results from the exercise of influence and sense of responsibility felt in leadership positions.� - (Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee, Resonant Leadership, Harvard Business School Press, 2005)

Leadership requires the exercise of influence or power. It involves responsibility for the organization, and it requires the sacrifice of personal needs for those of company. Leaders are under continual scrutiny and evaluation. All these things increase the pressure and leads to power stress.

Without awareness of power stress, and what is needed to renew oneself, leaders are vulnerable to burnout and dissonance with the people they lead.

The Leadership Paradox

Daniel Goleman, authority on emotional intelligence in organizations, calls this the leadership paradox: �For leaders, the first task in management has nothing to do with leading others; step one poses the challenge of knowing and managing oneself.�

This includes:

- Connecting with the deep values that guide us
- Imbuing our actions with meaning
- Aligning our emotions with our goals
- Keeping ourselves motivated
- Keeping ourselves focused and on task

When we act in accord with these inner measures, we feel good about what we do. Such emotions are contagious. When we as a leader feel positive, energized, and enthusiastic about our work, so do those we influence. But we can only maintain high effectiveness when we are able to manage the cycles of sacrifice and renewal.

Three Keys in the Renewal Process

Step one is to be vigilant and aware of when we are out of touch with ourselves and those we lead. We can�t know this without having a highly developed sense of self-awareness and other-awareness, two key elements of emotional intelligence.

Honing the skills of awareness leads to mindfulness � becoming aware of what�s going on inside and around us on several levels. Mindfulness is living in a state of full, conscious awareness of one�s whole self, other people, and the context in which we live and work.

Two other elements contribute to recuperation and renewal: hope and compassion. Hope enables us to believe that the future we envision is attainable. Closely tied with an attitude of optimism, hope helps us to move toward our goals and visions while inspiring others.

The third critical element for renewal is compassion. Connecting with other people�s wants and needs gives us another source of energy and recuperation. Compassion lifts a leader out of the small-minded worries that center on oneself. It expands our world by putting the focus on others. It is such connection and compassion that will prevent leaders from falling into the trap of arrogant self-absorption. That shift allows leaders renewal of spirit. And renewal of spirit is not only crucial for leaders in sustaining themselves, but also for maintaining the efficacy of leadership.

The Brain and New Age Rhetoric

Before you dismiss the concepts of mindfulness, hope and compassion as being new-age rhetoric, pay attention to the research. Recent studies in management science, psychology and neuroscience all point to the importance of the development of mindfulness and the experiences of hope and compassion. These practices are supported by scientific evidence.

It boils down to the brain. The brain processes information and sends signals to the sympathetic or parasympathetic nervous systems. These two systems create bodily reactions of either fight, flight, or relaxation and calm.

Optimal functioning involves both systems, those that lead to action, and those that lead to recuperation. Unfortunately, in organizations little emphasis or encouragement is given to renewal and recovery activities.

Here are some common recovery rituals that involve the parasympathetic nervous system responsible for renewal:

Meditation
Walking (also a way of meditating)
Yoga and stretching
Sports (either team or individual, competitive or not)
Dancing and singing
Humor and laughing
Listening to music
Seeing films
Reading books (novels as well as business related)
Doing volunteer work
Teaching classes
Participation in religious or philosophical groups
Hobbies
Family projects

Of course, each of these activities involve the whole body and both nervous systems. The key is in one�s attitude. It is possible to let ambition and competitiveness interfere with the relaxation and recovery processes at any time. Again, the key is in being aware and mindful of how we manage our thoughts, our bodies and our spirits.

There is a big difference between good leadership practices that can be defined and tracked, and trendy, empty words commonly found in popular magazine articles. These ideas � that leadership power stress can be managed by employing mindfulness, hope and compassion for renewal � are not only logical, but validated by scientific research.

As relevant practices, they are also applicable. They not only make sense, but they can be easily adopted in the context of a leader�s work world. There are several exercises one can engage in to develop self and other-awareness, to increase mindfulness. Like many leadership development tasks, it is best to engage the services of a qualified executive coach.

This is part 2 of a 2 part article on Leadership Power Stress by author Patsi Krakoff. In part 1, we examined the causes of power stress.

Patsi Krakoff

Leadership Power Stress: (Part 1) Sources

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:45:19 PST

Power stress is part of the experience that results from the exercise of influence and sense of responsibility felt in leadership positions.� - (Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee, Resonant Leadership, Harvard Business School Press, 2005)

Leadership requires the exercise of influence or power. It requires having an impact on others to make things happen. It involves responsibility for the organization. Leaders are under continual scrutiny and evaluation. All these things increase the feels of pressure and stress.

For people who head organizations, choices are rarely simple and clear. Communications and decision making are incredibly complex. Worse, leaders are often called upon to get results and lead people over whom they have little authority.

There is no doubt that it is lonely at the top. Affiliation with others is known to relieve stress, yet leaders are selected for their high need for power and achievement. Under pressure, a leader will work harder rather than reach out to others.

Furthermore, the higher one is in position, the less authentic the feedback. Leaders are prone to CEO disease, where the feedback going upwards is distorted or diluted.

Sources of Leadership Power Stress

Here are a few sources of stress that are unique to people in leadership positions. Leaders experience increased stress because they:

- Must make important decisions with conflicting and complex data
- Must influence others over whom they have little authority
- Have a high need for power
- Are driven by power and achievement over affiliation with others
- Must continually get results no matter what
- Lack realistic and authentic feedback from others
- Constantly fight fires, solve problems and crises
- Must take responsibility even for uncontrollable events
- Are more visible to stakeholders, the public and customers
- Are subject to unrelenting evaluation from peers, boards, and competitors
- Must exercise constant self-control
- Must place the good of the organization above personal impulses and needs
- They work for organizations that encourage self-sacrifice and long hours
- They work for organizations that undervalue renewal, recuperation, and relaxation

Such high levels of stress have deleterious effects on the immune system, leading to physiological states that cause diseases. Worse, power stress leads to destructive psychological states.

A leader may withdraw unto him or herself in an effort to protect from stress. Conversely, he or she may strike out at others in inconsistent ways, with inappropriate expressions of anger or emotions. The leader may double up his or her efforts to achieve results, and in the process, miss important information from people. This further alienates people, who may begin to perceive the leader as arrogant and no longer receptive. There is no doubt there is a substantial cost incurred as a result of leadership power stress.

Power stress causes a leader to go from resonance to dissonance. Once this happens, there is a lack of trust, and consequently, a lessening of influence over the troops. Results falter, and the leader becomes ineffective in a downward spiral to burnout.

The Cycle of Sacrifice and Renewal

The problem is not simply power stress. It has always been a part of leadership reality. The problem is too little recovery time. There is no half-time on the field. While the pressure and stresses will not relent, there must also be greater attention to recuperation on both a personal and organizational level.

Leaders sacrifice themselves continuously on the job. Some leaders have learned skills that deliberately and consciously step out of the destructive patterns to renew themselves � physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Leaders who manage the cycle of sacrifice, stress, and renewal are mindful of what it takes to turn situations around. They are able to motivate themselves and others by being optimistic, focusing on values, and connecting with others.

They can�t do that without mastering stress and renewal. This involves paying attention to mind, body, heart and spirit. These effective leaders know that without attending to themselves first, they won�t have the energy to maintain resonance, to manage other people.

This is part 1 of a 2 part article on Leadership Power Stress by author Patsi Krakoff. In part 2 we examine the cures for relieving power stress.

Patsi Krakoff

How To Easily Overcome Challenges In Your Life

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 23:34:20 PDT

Imagine the following scenario: A woman buys her lunch every day from a fast food outlet near her job. After some years, she finds herself 30 pounds overweight, and feeling unhealthy and lethargic. So what does she do? She chooses to bring a lawsuit against the fast food outlet, claiming that the food served there was the cause of her being overweight and in poor health.

Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? The only thing more absurd than the story itself is the fact that it is not fiction. There are people who have sued fast food chains for causing their weight problems.

This is an example of one of the ways in which many of us spend enormous amounts of energy trying to deny the undeniable and universal fact that we are all ultimately responsible for our own choices and our own lives.

How much easier would we make it for ourselves if we could accept this fact rather than resist it? But how can we embrace the truth: that we are living the lives we choose to live, that we are enjoying or suffering the consequences of our own choices, and that blaming others for our problems and shortcomings is nothing more than a comfortable fantasy?

We must acknowledge the truth of our lives, however unpleasant this may be. If we are overweight, in a bad relationship, in a dead-end job, we need to accept that this is where we are, at this moment in time.

If we don't accept the truth of our situation, it will be impossible to figure out how we arrived in this place where we do not want to be. And there is usually only one reason: We made choices, and these choices were based on our thought patterns at the time that we made them.

The good news is that our thinking and our choices are changeable. Nothing is set in stone! There is time to right the wrongs.

We have a responsibility to ourselves and to the world to stop blaming those around us and start looking inside ourselves for the answers. Yet changing our thinking is only the first step.

Once we have mastered the art of positive, creative consciousness, we have the ability to make choices and choose actions that will enhance our lives and bring us closer to our purpose and destiny.

Imagine that a woman decided that she was unhappy with the extra pounds she'd gained after many years of eating fast food on a regular basis. Imagine that this woman took the time to really understand and accept that she - and no one else - was responsible for her eating choices. Having
acknowledged this fact, she then decides to make the changes in her lifestyle to become the healthier, slimmer person she wants to be.

Instead of looking to blame someone or something else, she's now chosen to make the changes necessary in her thoughts and actions to create the life they want.

It is not an easy road, but it is the only worthwhile path to take. Personal growth depends on taking responsibility for your life, no matter how good (or bad) it may seem.

Antonio Thornton

How to Stretch Time - 24 Hours Is Enough!

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 20:21:27 PDT

Recently, as I participated in a live-to-air TV training session on Time Management (for Pacific Knowledge Television) a caller rang in with a question. He is in the computer industry, and wanted to know how he could balance his heavy and demanding workload with the demands of a young family. The question lingers in my mind - for a large sector of society it is a serious matter.

The issue is how we view time. It seems that we never have enough.

My man desperately wanted to know how to find the time to enjoy his children. His question is cried out in offices, classrooms, boardrooms and homes throughout the western world.

Today many of us live in a world of sensory overload, of speed, and a sense of time-poverty. Technology moves faster and faster. We feel as if we can never catch up, that there is never enough time. But it's illusion. Time hasn't changed - we have.

So - what can we do? Here are a few strategies for you.

Whatever we Focus on Enlarges:
If our whole attention and our top priorities are our important and demanding work, our families, our relationships and our health will suffer. In order to find time for these areas, which so often get lip service, three actions are needed - 'mind-space', time allocation, and physical action. A good intention is useless unless acted on. You might have to take time out from work to regularly do things with your family, or for yourself. In most jobs that time will easily be made up with extra hours, or you can arrange 'glide-time'.

What are your KPI's (Key Performance Indicators)?
How can you judge your efficacy as a parent or partner? How much time do you allocate? Make appointments with yourself and your family on a weekly basis, treat them as seriously as appointments with a key client, and you'll find the other 'stuff' fits in and around your core personal activities.

Schedule in the Important People In Your Week
If you don't block in 'special' time with your special people, they'll eventually get tired of waiting. Do you remember the old song by Harry Chapin, 'Cat's in the cradle'? The little boy, waiting for his dad to spend time with him, kept saying, 'One day I'll be just like you'. When his dad was an old man, longing to see the son who never came, he found that indeed, the promise had been delivered. If you wait for 'spare time' you'll never have it.

Live in the 'Now'
Today many of us have forgotten how to live in the moment. We make bedfellows of stress and anxiety. We focus either on the past and what we could have done better, or in the future - planning or worrying over coming events. We're so busy squeezing more in to every moment that most of us forget to be 'present'. We therefore miss the joy of the experience. And so time seems to race by - because we're not 'in' it.

Change Your Language
Notice your words, and how the people around you speak. How often do you hear 'I'm so busy', 'I can't fit it in', 'I have no time', and 'I'm always late/overworked/tired/have too much to do'? Start to use affirmations like 'I'm getting much better at my time management' or 'There is always enough time to do the things that matter'.

An Attitude of Gratitude
Practice honouring the moment. Develop a sense of gratitude for the gift of life, for the beauty of small things. Find something in every event to appreciate. This is not just 'Pollyanna' behaviour - it will enhance your health and stretch your hours.

Enjoy the Mundane
Next time you wash the dishes, the car, mow the lawns, feed the children, sort out the paperwork on your desk or any other simple task, enjoy the activity for itself. Try not to spend the time in which your body is occupied thinking about something else. Don't wish the task was completed - honour the moment and the experience. You'll be more relaxed when you finish. Time will expand instead of leaving you with the feeling of hurry, pressure and impatience often felt with a mundane task. And many times you'll be surprised to find that it was a pleasant duty instead of the chore you didn't want to do.

Meditate
Learn to meditate, or if this seems too hard, try every day to sit quietly for at least 10 minutes. Focus on a plant or some other object. As thoughts drift into your mind acknowledge them and let them go. Breathe deeply from your abdomen, mentally saying 'Breathe out' with every outgoing breath and 'Breathe in' with every incoming breath. This helps you slow down to the natural rhythms around you. It 'stretches' time.

Robyn Pearce

Six Steps to Focusing on Your Dreams

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 21:18:08 PDT

Have you ever heard or read that in order to achieve your dreams you have to focus on them? It certainly sounds easy enough. But if that is the case, then why do people have such a hard time doing it? Maybe it is because people do not really understand the full meaning of the word focus. Let us take a look at the definition.

Focus: To bring to into focus or make clear� focusing a camera.

To concentrate - to focus one's thoughts.

Obviously there are two parts to focusing. First you must clarify, and then you must concentrate. But how do you do this? Let me give you a couple of steps for each.

Step 1. Clarification � Know your dream

You must know specifically what you want the end result to be. Do not worry about how you are going to get there. Just simply get a clear picture in your mind of what it is that you want and how it is going to feel once you have achieved your dream. If there is a car that you want, then go test-drive it. If there is a house for sale that you want, then go to an open house. Do whatever you can to make sure you have that clear picture in your head.

Step 2. Clarification � Know why you want your dream

Once you have that clear picture in your head for what you want, then you need to look inside yourself and figure out why you want this particular dream. This will help you when times are dark and you need to remember the reason that you are going through what you need to in order to achieve your dream.

Step 3. Concentration � See your dream

Every day, take at least five to ten minutes to close your eyes and imagine yourself as you would be having already achieved your dream. Imagine how it would feel and what would be different. Make it as real as possible. Really get to know what it will feel like once you are living your dream. Do not just imagine it, but feel it as well.

Step 4. Concentration � Work towards your dream

Do something every day that will help you progress towards your dream. This can be just about anything. If you do not know where to start, then use this time to research your dream. In this day and age there is always a way to get information. If time is an issue for you, then look at how you spend it. Do you watch television? Get a video course that will help your towards your dream. Do you play video games? Use your computer to instead find information on how to achieve your dream. What kind of books are you reading? Instead of fantasies or romance novels, try reading a book about your dream. If you only spent thirty minutes each day working towards your dream, you would be amazed how far you could go.

Step 5. Concentration � Be persistent and consistent

You can do every single one of the four steps above, but if you only do them once, it will make no difference. If you do them only occasionally or when you feel like it, you will make little if any progress and most likely become quickly discouraged. You must be consistent with these steps, following them daily, and you must be persistent with these steps, following them until you succeed.

Step 6. Concentration � Live your dream

As you work towards your dream, you will almost always find negative people. The most common of these people are well meaning friends and family who care about you and do not want to see you fail. The only thing that they do not realize is that failure is a part of success. You will fall down as you reach for your dreams. Just realize that this is part of the journey and get back up and keep going. When friends or family make their feelings known, thank them for their concerns and let them know that you appreciate it. Then get back to making your dream a reality. The best gift you can give someone is to show by your own example that you really can live your dreams.

Follow these steps and see just how great and wondrous life can be. If you are not sure about things, then do a thirty-day test. If you truly follow these steps for thirty days, then just watch how much closer your dreams truly become. It will not be easy. No new habit is. But let me ask you then, are your dreams worth it?

Good. Then go for it. Reach for that dream!

Nick Schultz

Organized and Loving It � Working at Home In Style

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 03:45:12 PDT

Over the years, I�ve tried it all, different ways to get organized, with much trial and error. Some worked, some didn�t. I tried some of those fancy looking matching desk sets. They looked beautiful and for some, I�m sure they are perfect. But for me, they took up too much valuable space. Space I needed to proof my work, keep my reference books, or keep those essentials that I use on a regular basis. For me, when I work I want everything within an arms reach. I want to have immediate access to the tools I need to complete my assignments.

I have a corner desk, and on it I have my computer, printer, fax, phone, etc. Beside my desk I have a two-drawer filing cabinet. This was possibly the greatest thing I�ve ever done to organize my business. In it I have my files and supplies that I use on a regular basis, such as, client stationery, client files, a file for my receipts, all personal correspondence, paper, folders, etc. Whenever these files get bulky with client documents, I simply empty them into the main filing cabinet. For example, my main clients, whom I�ve been working with for 20 years, their files in the main cabinet are quite large. It�s nice to have the smaller file close by with just their recent correspondence. Plus, when I need a folder, an order slip for my books, a copy of my stationery, it�s all right there. AAAHHH, now that�s convenience.

Now for the receipts� file. I keep it monthly. At the beginning of the month, I simply replace the file with the new month�s file. That way, at tax time, I don�t have to go through a whole year�s receipts and divide it up. It�s already separated.

Here are some other organizational tips you might find beneficial:

Mail�We have a round basket by a small table by the front door. All incoming mail goes in there first. Then when I have the opportunity to sort through it, I get it and put it in its appropriate place. Always pitch anything you aren�t keeping. All business-related mail is sorted and put away immediately. Anything that might need work done on it is logged into my Daytimer and then put in the To Do Bin.

Desk�Your desk should have on it only those items that you use on a regular basis. Look around. What haven�t you used in the last month or two? Start dumping. Find another spot for it. But find the RIGHT spot for it.

No Piling of Anything Allowed. This is one of those habits that can be so easy to get into. Definitely one that I catch myself doing a lot! But I stop myself now because I know it will just be brushed off to the side and forgotten. Too often I miss something important and regret the piling blunder again. You will be amazed how much more organized you will feel if you just don�t do this one thing. And time yourself. You think you are too busy, but it takes seconds and how long does it take to look for that missing document.

Daytimer�Now this isn�t only for Time Management. Your Daytimer can have a space for all your business cards, appointment cards, etc. How great it is to have all these cards right in the same place. On the date of your appointment, you simply grab the card and off you go. Also, recently I�ve started using the Outlook Express to log in appointments as well. It has a calendar and I can look to it to get a feel for the day and the week to follow.

Three-ring Binders � I saved my best for last. I do a lot of research in doing publicity for clients and also have a lot of e-mails that I need to print and save. I use paper that already has the wholes punched for insertion into a 3 ring binder. I will print out important research, client e-mails I need to save, work that I�ve done so I can review it later, etc., on this paper and then put it into the proper binders. I have a binder for all clients, research, PR, myself, and miscellaneous. You would be amazed how clearer things are in a binder than tossed in a file cabinet. For my business it works tremendously.

Start the beginning of the day and the end of the day with a clean-up. What a tremendous feeling that is. When you are done with a project, away it goes. When you start the next project, out comes all the material you need.

There�s nothing like the feeling of sitting down in the morning to a nice clean organized desk and office. Once you feel this a couple of days, you want to experience this every day so you�ll take the appropriate steps to make it happen.
Diana Ennen

Three Simple Steps To End Low Self Confidence

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 21:08:56 PDT

Low self confidence affects everyone at different times of one�s life. Self confidence is a trait that is needed in order for us to accomplish our daily goals and achieve success in all areas of life. It is expected that one may experience short time periods of low self confidence much like how professional athletes encounter a slump from time to time. However, prolonged periods of low self confidence can be a serious problem to one�s physical and mental health.

Low self confidence can at times feel like an impossible task to overcome. The reality is that we are usually only a few simple steps and practices away from achieving high levels of true confidence and poise. There are many practical tips one might use to solve their own low self confidence problem. I will introduce three simple steps that are easy to understand and building blocks for establishing self confidence.

The first tip is proper breathing. The importance of breathing is crucial to developing self confidence. I am referring to methodical breathing that gives one a sense of physical balance. We all breathe all the time even though we are rarely aware of it. That is why we do not know how to increase the power and capacity of our lungs.

One simple exercise on breathing consists of standing straight with your head turned slightly back. Fill your lungs with air by taking a deep breath and count up to ten before exhaling powerfully. As you exhale, maintain a continuous low hum and be free of any trembling. The purpose of this exercise is to instantaneously provide you with a stimulus before an important encounter. This exercise should be performed twice a day at a minimum of five minutes per session. This deep breathing will develop your lungs over time. You will notice yourself having much less occurrences of being out of breathe and also much more control when you are affected by emotion that accelerates your senses.

The second tip is maintaining effective physical motion. Many people fear that others will ridicule them because of the awkwardness of their physical movements. Other people are embarrassed because of clumsiness in which they cover themselves with ridicule. They then think and focus on this in their minds which causes further constraint in their gestures and mannerisms.

It is very simple to cure this condition. You must make up your mind to conquer this weakness by acquiring ease in all of your movements. Awkwardness occurs only in public. We are never embarrassed alone in the privacy of our home. Like all things, repetition of any act will diminish the emotion that gives rise to it. That is why consistent physical exercises are needed to reprogram one�s outlook on this problem.

You can practice this tip after your breathing exercises. The object is to acquire an easy, relaxed carriage from repetition. One exercise to achieve this is as follows. Expand your chest as far as possible while throwing back your head and extending your arms. Use smooth movements not jerky ones. Try to extend yourself further every time you perform this exercise. As you do this, hollow out the back so it becomes a perfect arch. Next one should walk through a room and focus on keeping their steps of even length and body erect.

The focus of this tip is to remove all jerky and abrupt movements which portray timidity. You will eventually feel relaxed in public and move in a very slow and controlled fashion. This tip alone can increase one�s self worth dramatically.

The third tip is to practice speaking. A forceful speech will always convince an audience. Eloquence is one of the true gifts of self confidence. One major reason for this is that one�s mind is always fixed upon the object he or she wishes to attain by arguments. This eliminates all unnecessary wandering of thoughts.

Clearness of conception will be reflected and poise will manifest itself in someone who no longer feels himself to be the object of laughter or mockery. In addition to mental focus, there is a distinct physical exercise that can give you powerful speech.

Open your mouth as wide as possible and then shut it rapidly. Open it once more to its fullest extent and then shut it to a point where the jaw fatigues. This exercise is used to combat �heavy jaw�. This is a feeling in your jaw that restricts pronunciation of words and causes people to hesitate or feel uncertain about their speech patterns. In addition to this exercise, practice reciting long sentences containing difficult consonants. This will give you the self confidence to speak more fluidly in public.

Begin practicing these tips right away. Remember to focus on your breathing, your posture and your speaking. These tips are simple to apply and integrate in to your daily life.

joe czarneck

Finding The Secret

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 19:53:00 PDT

There is a vast secret that many have known throughout the ages. Thousands of us are awakening to discover it for ourselves. This powerful knowledge, when applied, is enough to transform our planet into the peace on earth we all say that we want. It even transforms my life--and yours, too.

It's simple. Too simple, some will say. Yet, in all its simplicity, it is difficult to comprehend intellectually, and far more difficult to BECOME this secret every day. At first, as with any new idea, the automatic response is, "That's nonsense." As we begin to practice this secret we begin to hope it is so. This is followed by an attitude of "Let's see if it can be done." Then it IS done. �Why wasn't this done long ago�

Here's the key concept, developed in my own words:

There is only one God--one Energy Field, one Great Spirit, Allah, Power for Good, in all creation. This Power is Love, which delights in individualizing Itself in many forms, the most diverse, the better. We can use this Power. My ongoing thoughts and attitudes produce my environment.

All ancient wisdoms taught that God is All There Is, in different words. In every religion, God, or Love, expresses Truth. In all religions, philosophies--yes, even science--this One offers Himself/Herself/Itself in different ways. There is no separation between all the religions! There can be no separation between races, nations and neighborhoods, for Energy, or God, does not separate, cannot divide. God creates by uniting.

As I realize this more each day, I continue to expand my circle of love to include more and more people and ideas, no matter how weird or destructive. "He closed his circle to keep me out, but I expand my circle to bring him in," is an old, true quote. We have an assignment, folks. We are here to create heaven on earth, wherever we are in our daily lives.

There is no separation. We are all made of "star stuff." We are all One. Why not give unity consciousness a chance and get about our business?

reveleanor@InsightsBooks.com

www.InsightsBooks.com

Spiritual Growth, Science of Mind,

Present Moment books & more

Rev. Eleanor Richard

The Mind-Body Connection

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 19:54:58 PDT

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "You are what you think about." Whenever one
thinks a positive or negative thought, it has repercussions that affect the
entire person. Your mind and body are one, there is no separation between
the two. The health and well-being of one is directly tied to the health
and well-being of the other.

So how does one go about changing his or her mind-set? How can someone
harness this incredible power of the human mind in order to better control
his or her physical health and strength? The first step is to change your
attitude. It all begins with this concept. Once one understands that his
or her attitude controls his or her thoughts, he or she can begin to
understand the totality of his or her individual make-up and the world that
he or she can create for themselves.

In other words, your perspective can change the outcome of any given
situation. For example, let's say someone gets fired from his or her job.
On the one hand, a person may perceive this as a disaster. He or she has no
income, a reduced livelihood and the potential for financial ruin if he or
she allows him or herself to become despondent. This is one potential
outcome.

The other side of this coin is to understand that one door closing is
another opening up. Getting fired is the opportunity to find a better job.
One that pays more and one that is more fulfilling to the individual.
Oftentimes, one is stuck at a certain point in his or her life and getting
fired from his or her job can be the catalyst for change. The next job he
or she gets is a step up and his or her life can be improved dramatically.
This is the other potential outcome of getting fired.

So, which of these possibilities is correct? Both and neither. It all
depends on the attitude and perception of the person who experiences it.
Always keep in mind the concept what you think about, you bring about.
Thinking that getting fired is a horrible thing will make it so. Thinking
of a firing as an opportunity in life will make it so, as well.

This is not an easy thing to incorporate into one's life. It takes patience
and practice. Try starting out with a simple mental mantra like, "I can do
this" or "It is all about how you look at things". Repeat these phrases and
others of a positive affirmation and it will get easier. Think positive and
your mind will become conditioned to the fact that things are how you view
them. But one must also take action on this knowledge by living these
concepts in practice.

If you believe the world is a cesspool of depravity, this is what you will
see. Believe the opposite - that the world is a place of goodness and
well-meaning people and this will become the reality. Take charge of your
mind and attitude and this will lead to whatever your heart desires.

Antonio Thornton

Hypnosis And The Amazing Unconscious Mind

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 22:51:01 PDT

The study of the human mind is an extremely complex, fascinating process of discovery. We know that our mind controls everything we say or do, think or feel. We also know that often times we feel a certain way but we can’t explain why, nor do we have the power to change how we feel even though we want to or know that we should.

Sadness or emotional pain of any kind is not typically a welcome feeling. But often we are powerless to overcome it. Intense mental struggles are essentially the battle between our conscious and our unconscious minds.

The conscious part of our mind is the part that we are aware of, that processes thoughts and images that we acknowledge and affirm. It houses our imagination and our creativity. But the conscious mind is limited by what’s around us, by what we are part of or exposed to.

Our unconscious mind is the part of our mind that is silently working all the time, processing and storing thoughts and images outside of our awareness, without our actual knowledge. It’s where the fundamental core of our beliefs, our views, our abilities, even our emotions and behaviours reside. It’s where we store our inner answers, the place we often refer to as “deep down”. When we use that expression, we are basically stating it for what it truly is, a part of our minds that we know is there, but we are unaware of what it is doing or telling us.

We utilize our unconscious mind continually, without ever knowing it. The unconscious mind is where the power really resides. It is where we can be influenced, affected, and moved emotionally. But we lack the ability to consciously tap into it.

Hypnosis takes us straight to that unconscious part of our mind so that we can tap into it, take from it, and apply what we’ve collected on a conscious level at some time later. Where hypnosis is effective is in the part of the mind that holds our fundamental beliefs. It is at that level of depth that influence can be applied effectively.

That is why hypnosis is directed at the unconscious mind, where it can have the most benefit. It won’t prevent feelings of sadness. It will help you tap into the core of the matter, and help identify it and draw it out on a conscious level, where you can deal with it more effectively.

Barrie St John

4 Effective "Small Changes-Big Difference" Self Improvement Tips

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 04:29:15 PDT

The world today is zooming by and we have to find ways to cope with the speed of changes in order not to be left behind.

The world's population is growing by the minute and the skills that are available via the standard academic channels are replicating at the same rate. Thus, if we want to succeed in this world, we have to engage in any kind of self improvement effort. If we simply go with the flow and not take the initiative to further our personality and skills, chances are, we will not amount to anything, at all.

Just as a book should not be judged by its cover, we wish you read this entire article on self-help before actually making a judgment.

Here are four effective tips that might be of interest to you.

Self-improvement tip 1: Enroll yourself in interesting self help and development classes.

If you really want to stand out, you must have a extra to offer, whether to your personal or business life. Several classes on various topics and activities are available nowadays. Choose those that interest you most, or those that are similar to your chosen career.

Self-improvement tip 2: Maximize all your senses

Learn to listen more carefully, see more clearly and feel more deeply. Initially you will be surprised at this tip, because you do use your five senses daily. However, you will be shocked, upon closer scrutiny, how little you use them. If you learn to be more sensitive to the people around you and your surroundings, the better you will be able to handle life's challenges, whether small or big.

Self-improvement tip 3: Relish your "me" time.

Since a lot of people nowadays focus most of their time and energies on working and making money, "ME" time is probably one of the most precious rewards to yourself. Use your alone time wisely. Reflect on your day, breathe and savour the moment. Try not to waste it on the small stuff and use it to study your life path and see if you are still on the right track. Your alone time is a great time to get yourself back on course.

Self-improvement tip 4: Cherish your relationships.

Man is a social animal, Aristotle (greek philosopher) said. It is inevitable that we socialize. Thus, we must know how to take care of our relationships. Working hard is great, but, remember, money can't buy the kind of happiness that is obtained from healthy human relationships.

Many of us are now enrolling in various self help courses, not just for skills development, like communication skills and career skills, physical development, like Yoga and Boxercise, but also for personality building, like meditation and public speaking. Some people even choose to join groups of people with the same interests, like dancing or singing, to further theirs while trying to pass the time.

All in all, we are always seeking ways to better ourselves, not just to be able to adapt to the changing times, but also to move ahead. Presently, simply having a university degree will not suffice anymore. You have to have something extra to offer in order for you to excel.

There are many ways you can improve yourself. In fact, there is no single and uniform technique for everyone because we all have unique personalities, lives and aspirations. Decide what works best for you and wait for the rewards to come in. We live in a extremely competitive world. We owe it to ourselves to enjoy what career and personal development can bring.

Andrew Chin

Preparing to get organized

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 07:25:05 PDT

Actually the only thing you need to do to prepare yourself for a professional organizer visit is, contact them.

Here are two major misconceptions regarding the first visit.
#1 You do not need to clean up your disorganized area.
#2 There is no need to 'buy' anything for the first visit.

Many people think the organizer has never seen anything like their problem area. Whoa! They are so very wrong. We have seen it all.
One of our very first priorities is making you feel at ease. From the very beginning you will be reassured.

We will work together or not. This all depends on what exactly it is you need done.
If, for instance, you have piles of paper which are overwhelming you, we will need to decide together what needs to be purged or saved. While doing this everything will be put in specific piles for filing later. It's good to have a shredder for personal information or offers from credit card companies, etc. These items do not need to get in to the wrong hands! Identity theft is a major issue in today's world.
I believe in setting up a client specific structure. Everyone has different needs. In order to fulfill your needs we will work towards what works for you and you alone. Many clients end up with an extremely simple filing system. After all, if you've gone from 'nothing' to 'something' you don't need to be overwhelmed once again.

Other people need much more detailed systems, again, it's client specific.
Large corporations, for instance, are inevitably more complex than a working family.
We're not limited to filing systems by any means. For the family it could mean a closet, kitchen or garage.
For which there is no need for filing.
For the corporation it could mean analyzing their systems for a more efficient work flow. Reevaluating
specific job responsibilities as well as downsizing, if necessary. Not to mention seminars for the employees on organizing or time management. Or, possibly a particular employee is struggling with time management or disorganization. This situation often is impeding the company's profits.
As far as purchasing containers or some sort of filing cabinet, etc. There is no way to know what you will need, until your needs are evaluated. In some cases this may take numerous visits to narrow down.
Another issue often confronting an organizer is what exactly is it you the client want. Do you want to get ready for a move? Or, do you want to learn new techniques to help with you be organized. There's a big difference and you will need to make this decision before the organizer arrives.

Kyna Morrison
Apt Organizing
www.aptorganizing.com

Five Key Tips to a Super Powerful Memory

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 21:58:20 PDT

Are you constantly forgetting things? If you're like most people, then you probably said yes. And as we all know, the older we get, the worse our memory seems to become.

Can you do anything about it? Of course you can!

If you want to have a more powerful memory you'll find these tips to be absolutely indispensable.

Memory Tip #1: Being able to focus and use your full attention is essential if you want to give yourself the best chance of remembering something. If possible, make sure your surroundings are as quiet and distraction-free as possible when attempting to memorize something.

Memory Tip #2: Being interested in what you're trying to memorize is definitely an asset. If you don't have any immediate interest in the subject matter, focus on the benefits you will gain by remembering it.

For example, you'll pass that exam, which will give you the best shot at a good job, and your girlfriend or boyfriend will think well of you. This will give you the motivation to put your full attention on what you want to memorize.

Memory Tip #3: Use some creativity. Conjure up some vivid mind pictures linked to what it is you need to remember. This is a technique used by all the professionals who entertain us with their amazing memory feats.

Here's a quick example. Suppose you are trying to memorize a shopping list. You need to buy a new hat and this is item ten on your list. Ten rhymes with hen. Imagine a hen wearing the most outrageous hat you can think of. Make the picture big, bright and bold. If you do this correctly you certainly won't forget to buy that hat!

Memory Tip #4: Practice makes perfect in this as in other things. Set yourself memory challenges. It's vitally important that you exercise your memory on a regular basis if you want to see tangible results.

If you really work that memory regularly, you'll soon find that it's better than you think. Think of your memory as being like a muscle. Any muscle that isn't exercised frequently will atrophy due to lack of use. It's the same with your memory. Use will strengthen it, and you'll soon be dazzling your friends and family with your amazing memorizing ability!

Memory Tip #5: Here's another useful tip. Whenever you're studying something really important that you want or need to remember, play some Mozart in the background. Studies have shown that the brain synchronizes itself to sound frequencies it's subjected to. If you need to concentrate, the frequencies found in the music of Mozart are among the best to harmonize the brain.

Use a few of these strategies and watch your memory improve by leaps and bounds.

SA Easton

The Second Defense for Managing Stress

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 19:37:59 PDT

The second defense to managing stress is your musculature. Assuming you're a pro at abdominal breathing, (the first defense to managing stress) your next goal is to next become aware of how your muscles respond to the effects of stress.

Whenever, your unconscious mind perceives a threatening situation it prepares you to fight or run. Now for the irony: It really doesn't have to be a life-threatening situation, but instead whenever your ego, family, financial, or social status is threatened, your body prepares to fight or run. Example, you are at a party and the subject is automobiles. You own a Chevrolet and like it very much, but someone makes a comment about Fords being far superior to Chevys and you either defend your choice of auto with your own opinion or you say little or nothing.

What just happened? Your ego was threatened. If you didn't own a Chevy it would have been a non-event. But since you own a Chevy, we'd find that your breathing became shallower, muscles tightened in your jaw and or forehead, sweat gland activity increased... This means your body was partially prepared to fight or run from the situation. Most likely you wouldn't be aware of these changes, however, if we attached biofeedback instruments we could easily quantify the changes (the indices of stress).

But neither fighting nor running is an appropriate reaction to this kind of stress, but none the less you're body is activated to do so. Typical muscular reactions are as basic as those learned during childhood with bracing of the shoulders, clenching the jaw, gritting teeth... They are still with you today.

Every day the effects of stress bring new challenges to our egos. In time these reactions often become magnified and often times becomes the norm resulting in headache, neckache, backache, or TMJ.

Awareness is the first step to change, i.e. awareness that you have reacted to stress. Next is to engage the first defense against stress by consciously shifting to abdominal breathing and secondly to release muscle tension throughout your body.

However, it's often difficult to tell the difference between relaxed vs. tense muscles. In fact the purpose of using biofeedback instruments is to quantify the difference between a tense and relaxed muscle. And part of the normal training is to use a conditioning muscular awareness exercise.

Practice the following once each day:
1. Slowly tense a particular group of muscles keeping the rest of your body relaxed.
2. Cause it to become tense and hold that tension for a few seconds.
3. Slowly let the tension go as you breathe deeply.
4. Remind yourself that you prefer the relaxed feeling over the tense feeling.
A muscle sequence would go like this:
5. Make a fist with your right hand.
6. Then a fist with your left hand.
7. Push you right hand into the arm of the chair to tense you forearm and upper arm.
8.Repeat for the left arm.
9. Lift your shoulders high to tense them leaving your arms just hanging loose.
10.Push you head into the back of a chair to tense the neck.
11. Scrunch your facial muscles.
12. Tense your forehead.
13. Arch your back.
14. Take a Deep Breadth and hold it to tense your chest. � Push out with your abdomen.
15. Tense your buttocks.
16. Tense your right and then left leg.
17. Tense your right and then left foot.
This is a general relaxation that will take approximately twenty minutes. If for some reason you can not tell the difference in feeling between muscles that you tighten and the same muscles when you relax them, the next step would be to seek professional biofeedback training.

Learning to manage stress involves some practice sessions. Specific stress management cd programs are available to handle general muscle tension, neck and shoulder tension, stuttering/lazy tongue, abdominal breathing, childbirth conditioning, painless dentistry�Performing these exercises produces real results in a short period of time.

Richard Kuhns

More money, more health, more happiness!

1986dan@gmail.com (ahDan) — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 19:35:05 PDT

You can change the quality of your life by doing these

simple steps �

1. Change the way you feel.

Emotions are very important in our life. When we feel down, our

life seems bleak and we feel unmotivated to do anything. Good

news is that you can change your mood simply by thinking of

pleasant memories from the past. Our mind is incredibly powerful.

We just need to be able to steer it in the direction we want

it to go.

2. Change the way you think

This one is tricky. Here I am not talking about simply forcing

your self to be unnaturally positive about everything. I am

talking about developing an understanding of things around you,

so you will be able not to be negative. Through understanding

why things happen, you will be able to not get mad at unimportant

things. You will simply let them go.

3. Change the way you relate to other people.

When we relate to others it is highly important to understand

where they are coming from. Just think how many times you were

upset at someone simply because you did not understand them or

their point of view. If we will start looking for understanding

first, in any situation, instead of simply reacting, we will

avoid half of the problems that we have in our lives today.

4. Change the way you think about money.

Money is a sticky subject. People, from the time immemorial,

had issues with money. Be it, calling money evil, or putting

it on a pedestal, there was always a lot of drama surrounding

this subject. The fact is though - money by it self is natural.

People do good or bad things with money. But in it self money

is just an energy that flows from one person to another. It

also plays an incredibly important role in our lives. It is

like glue that allows everything to work in this physical world.

And just as glue isn't the most important part of any object,

money isn't be all and end all. However, it is so important

that without an idea of some sort of an exchange of currency,

this world would not be able to function. So with that in mind,

money is another vital skill that we need to learn, to fully

participate in this worlds affairs. We need to know how to ear

it, save it and spend it. All of that is very important to our

existence.

5. Change the way you think about your self.

You can't affect any sort of change in your life if you do not

like your self. Your self worth will influence everything

you do. If you do not think you are worth it, your chances

for success in anything diminish significantly.

One of the ways of increasing your self esteem would be to pay

attention to any success that you achieved, however small.

Learn how to forgive your self when you fail. This is a way of

conditioning your mind to look at your self as a valuable being.

6. Use creativity in every aspect of your life.

One of the greatest and most fulfilling things we can do

to change our life is to use our own creativity as much as

possible in our daily life. Being creative is one of those

things that is integral in our life yet we pay almost no conscious

attention to it. If you feel that your life became a drag, all

you have to do is to awaken your creativity again and it will be

transformed in an instant.

One of the surest ways to awaken your creative ability is

to simply use it as much as possible. You can also check out

a program where you go through an intense boot-camp to do the

same (www.burstcreativity.com). Whichever way you do it however,

you must do it, if you want to sky rocket your satisfaction

in life.

7. Change the way you think about your body.

You probably heard many times that our bodies are our temples.

Even though we often don't treat our bodies as such, it is

worthwhile to make an effort in that department. You see one

of the best arguments I know for this is simply that everything

in life is interconnected. If we don't take care of our bodies,

both from physical exercise and nutrition point of view, they

simply will not function very well. And if we don't feel well

physically, you can bet that we will not feel well emotionally,

neither. Another point to bring up is the reverse of the previous

statement - you can easily improve your out look on life by taking

the time to improve how you take care of your self. It is not

difficult to start feeling great if you haven't exercised in

a while or you are eating really badly.

8. Change what you eat.

Nutrition, although previously mentioned, definitely deserves more

emphasis. Today obesity is one of the biggest problems in

North America. If we don't change that soon it will become

catastrophic as the population ages. So how do we actually

improve our eating habits? We educate our selves. The best tip

I know in changing the way you eat is ... (drum roll) ... learn

from an expert. Go see a nutritionist. Not only a good

nutritionist will be able to craft an ultimate way for you to eat,

but they would do it in a customized way specifically made for your

body and situation.

9. Pay attention to what is happening around you.

We lead very busy lives. Work, kids - it seems that every minute of

the day is taken by something important. In this constant

rollercoaster it is easy to get "stuck on yourself". We sometimes

loose perspective and stop seeing what is happening around us, as

we are trying to deal with our own problems. If we do, it can cause

innumerable problems and friction with people around us.

The best practice to avoid that is, from time to time, to become

an observer. Develop the ability to view your life from the third

person perspective. This may be a difficult concept to understand,

but getting help in this department is easy. Most meditation

traditions teach exactly this principal.

10. Give only what you would like to receive.

Give on to others what you would like for your self - is one of those

ancient Christian sayings that rings true in our modern time.

To bring it to the modern era, let's look at it from a business

perspective. Psychology that applies to sales process also applies

in many other arias of our life. In sales in order to persuade

the prospect to buy, we use such techniques as mimicking, sincerity

and others designed to make that person trust us. But in reality all

we are doing is practicing that old principal of making others feel

how we want to feel. We are creating an emotional experience for

another person and they reward us with a sale. This as well as all

the other principals we discussed is very simple. All we need to do

is apply them one by one and we will become happier better human being.

Alexander Tretjakov