Positive Growth Daily

Sitting in my room one day at treatment, I was feeling extremely down, so for some reason I wrote this poem.

2015-04-17T12:47:00.000-07:00

Hey guys and girls. Thank you for stopping by to check out this post. Today I just want to offer a glimpse into some of the journey I have been on during the last five and a half months while being in recovery. At the time that I wrote this I was sitting in my room at the treatment facility I went to and I was not in a good place. I hated everything about the place.
I was desperately concerned for my then girlfriend of 15 years, who had now lived a whole month homeless because I lost my house and had to finally admit that I was no longer progressing in life. I was in fact regressing. I feel like I had to draw the line.

I had 18 years of extreme drug use under my belt, and no sober time since the age of 15. I was really scared and wanted desperately for us to attend the same treatment center and to begin this new chapter of our lives together, the same as we had for so so long. She was not ready to enter treatment again. So once again the drug that had completely destroyed my entire life in just under a year, landed another crushing blow, right to my temple it seemed.

So, we parted ways. To this day I remain, almost 1 year later, bewildered, and still hurt by the split. Throughout the 5 months I have been in recovery I have spent, and continue to struggle many hours feeling troubled and wishing with all my heart that I could somehow rationalize or find a way to explain or justify everything that has happened to us, especially to her, since we parted ways.

Recovery is a trip. If I wasn't in such shock, and experiencing so much upheaval, I mean really, massive change in my life it would not be possible to experience such powerful emotions. I know that if I was still using I would rarely, if ever, be forced to experience the melancholy that I have dealt with the past five months. I even have some proof of that.. I mean, I wrote a freaking poem for crying out loud. That has never been my style. I mean, nothing has ever led me to write a poem before.

Needless to say, it's not a cheerful poem. I don't know any of the rules to follow when formatting poetry, so bear with me if it's off. I would also be very thrilled if anyone would care to take the time to offer some feedback to me about the poem. I don't care if you say it was terrible, I just want an idea if it is worth trying to write some more poetry, or if the grasp I currently have of writing poetry is poor, and I should not waste the time. I often compose essays of all types for people as a service, I even used to freelance professionally writing resumes for a time. But I have never felt the urge to write a poem. Perhaps the only reason I experience any emotion when I read it is because I know what events are behind each line. So please let me know. Thank you guys, I really hope you have a great day.

Crossing the Divide

With you now gone, I remain all alone.
No longer hearing your sweet voice on the phone.
The only sound now, a loud dial tone.
Broken and scattered, as though once a whole stone.

No understanding how this came to be.
Looking in the mirror, I no longer see me.
For you I will climb the tallest mountain, I will swim the deepest sea.
I was alive when I was yours, why would you ever set me free?

What we had was real, nowhere near fake.
Something so beautiful, I pray we re-create.
We can be in love again, we'll just replace the hate.
True love comes once every lifetime, you are my soul mate.

Here are a couple of Positive Affirmations for you:

"Every day I wake up excited and eager to start a new adventure."

"Everything I touch turns to gold."

"I love myself for my ability to overcome anything."

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The Field Manual to Becoming a Better Leader

2015-04-12T02:28:00.000-07:00

Field Manual to Becoming a Better Leader

Hey everyone, I have a brief favor to ask of you. I wrote this Guide on Leadership today, and I believe that I am going to offer it as a free report and build an email list with it. I would love some feedback if anyone has a minute.

Is it enough content to receive as a gift? Lord knows I have received drastically less on countless occasions.

Did it contain enough good information for you?

If that was your first contact with an individual business, would you be inclined to feel any way about that business after this first contact?

Any other feedback is very welcome. and I am very grateful.

How to Become a Better Leader

A leader is not born.

A leader is created, and the whole process starts inside our mostly unnaccessible minds.

How can you become a strong leader who inspires others, drives people toward excellence, holds people accountable, and instills in them a sense of trust? Learning the personal components required to be a great leader is a terrific first step.
Here are some things you can do to become the leader you aspire to be:

Control yourself. Every great leader in history has had to first gain dominion over both self-discipline and willpower. Among many other things this helps encourage an unwavering focus that they hold on seeing the big picture. You must first set a goal and then you must methodically reverse engineer that goal in order to determine your path to accomplishing your desire. If you do not possess a goal, or if you are unable to maintain the drive to achieve it, it will be impossible for you to lead others to attain theirs.

Be consistent. Always maintain personal reliability as one of your core goals and something that you pride yourself on. Follow through in everything you do. This can present great challenges. Keeping your word is mandatory. You must also possess great discipline. As a leader it is mandatory that you arrive wherever you need to be, at whatever given time is required of you. Whether you want to be there or not. You will not be permitted the ability to occasionally just mail it in and head back to the office the following day. By maintaining a strong resolve, and resisting the temptation to give up, you will be setting an example that others will want to live up to.

Choose your emotional response to a situation carefully. Sometimes you'll need to practice the art of silencing your inner thoughts when they are not appropriate in order to set a positive example. I still struggle with this one almost daily. I'm not going to offer any advice on this subject until I develop more personal mastery of it. I am 100% certain that it does continually play a significant role in your pursuit of success and successful leadership.

Project your goals. If the people you're leading don't completely understand the bigger picture that is the reasoning for their work, then they won't share your vision or work ethic. Every step of the way, communicate with your team to make sure they're on the same wavelength with you, and to ensure that they understand what is expected of them.

Get your team involved in both the planning process, and the implementation of your ideas. This gives everyone a greater sense of ownership toward the end result.

Praise team members highly, and offer criticism in a constructive manner. The way that you offer both praise and criticism can often can play a significant role in your ability to lead effectively. Make sure you publicly praise people when it is deserved. You'll give that person a sense of accomplishment and an enhanced drive to achieve more even more outstanding results. The adulation bestowed upon the individual will stand out to the other members of the team, and they in turn will crave the same recognition.

Every human possesses a wide array of deeply instilled desires that are essentially universal. A few of these major emotional desires include the need to feel acceptance, to feel needed, and the core need to feel appreciated. This is to me a foundational concept of leadership that I understood early on but for a long time I was unable to express what the understanding meant. The manipulation of these principles is just a brief look at the application of the many emotional persuasion techniques you will be required to use in order to lead effectively during your lifetime. First, you must recognize, assess, and then make an effective appeal to people’s emotional triggers in order to help guide them to the best solution or rationale. Guiding people to feel strong emotions is likely the most effective motivational technique one can utilize.

There will always be mistakes. If a team member drops the ball, first console them if it is appropriate, and then offer them constructive criticism. It is occasionally beneficial to offer a private moment of individual encouragement. Far more often, by using constructive criticism you will enable the whole team to learn from a single mistake To break it down, you reinforce the confidence of the employee who committed the error to help establish renewed confidence. That done, you demonstrate the nature of the error and the proper execution of the solution to the whole team to ensure a higher level of individual efficiency.

We all know about drama. I despise drama, I can't stand people who exist to cause drama, it is an extremely unnecessary fact of life. One problem with drama is it exists under the surface everywhere we go. All it takes to sow the seeds of dissent amongst your team is for someone to feel slighted or disrespected in any way. Encourage a proactive, solutions based environment where they feel free to express their views and opinions. Always take the time to answer any questions that they may arise. People under your direction will remain tolerant of your leadership more consistently and reliably if they feel comfortable dealing with you. Whatever individual relationship strategies you choose to implement strive to treat everyone respectfully and equally. As a leader it is helpful to possess relationships based on mutual trust and respect. This is not always feasible, but it is a bonus when it is accomplished. The nature of a relationship is that it is an ongoing process that requires consistent maintenance. Be aware that as the leader it is your perrogative to set the emotional tone and to set the standard. So learn, develop, respect and then trust your people if you are aiming for a positive result.

Know your people. You can't truly lead a group of people unless you truly understand their hopes, dreams, struggles, fears, and goals. It is absolutely imperative that you get in the trenches to an extent with your team. Like any relationship in life, the more you miss over time, the farther you distance yourself from that relationship. You need to listen to, and empathize with your HR lead when she tells the team that she had to put her dog down over the weekend. It is equally as important to be quick to offer congratulations to your top salesman after he recounts a heroic story of his son's football game on Saturday. If you do not demonstrate to your people that you are, and will remain there for them through thick and thin; then you might as well just quit before you go down in flames.

During the past ten years I have had a lot of experience leading groups of people. Regardless of what my current project was, I have always remained a constant observer of other people and their methods, reactions, and interactions with one another and relative to different situations. I have developed on some basic level an understanding of how people are likely to react to a given situation in a certain environment.

In response to an uncomfortable situation, or any other type of occurrence that provokes a stressful response from everyone; the greater majority of people will react by initially studying the reaction of their peers, and then after hopefully being provided an intelligent response they will follow suit. This seems to often be the case when people are in a social environment in which their actions can be viewed by others. I suppose one driving force behind this 'move as a herd mentality" might be a primal need to feel supported during stressful or uncomfortable times. A person will always turn towards something comforting to them in response to experiencing an undesirable condition or effect.

Learn how to create a Personal Leadership Development Plan!

As a child in elementary school, children begin to be conditioned to blend in with others, they become discouraged to ever stand apart. In today’s society, with a significant percentage of parent’s remaining indifferent in their efforts to raise well adjusted children, our whole labor force is conditioned from the start not to excel, but rather to stay within the group. A large percentage of the time, in my personal observations, many people carry on through life with their head down; steadily placing one foot in front of the other along their daily routine. I believe a partial reason for this is that when people always do the same things that they have always done they never have to take any risks. They never have to deliberately make themselves uncomfortable or step outside of their comfort zone.

At the same time that they are trying to just keep their head down until they can complete their day and leave work; they are also upholding a sustained effort to not rock the boat. For in many people’s individual paradigm, standing out from the herd has always only resulted in pain. It is likely that standing out may not have ever significantly delivered to them any pleasure. When this is truly the case, those unfortunate people have effectively been brainwashed to never make any waves. They will follow that pattern until hopefully they one day will recognize it and be able to break free.

So do what you can to stand apart from the crowd, rock the boat, give yourself permission to be silly, and be the center of attention if you don't already do these things. You deserve it. Who knows? You might really enjoy it. I promise you that it has a positive effect on everyone. I rarely feel much free than when I am the center of attention in a social setting. I enjoy helping to make the people around me laugh, it helps all of us to feed off of each others positive energy.

I got off on a tangent for a minute, but a good point to remember is that it is vital that you always understand as much as possible about your team members and the way their minds work. What is it that drives them? Do they have aspirations and dreams? Are they primarily motivated by seeking pleasure? Or do they function in order to avoid pain? It is important to be able to differentiate between these two factors. Once you are certain of what drives them, you can essentially develop a pattern or rubric that will lead you in your future interactions. In the making of this rubric, you are intelligently planning the methods and emotional strategies you will use in dealing with each different employee. Always remember too, that it is your job as the leader to effectively manipulate the team's emotions in order to inspire and to keep them driven. By actively working with them and learning whether they are guided by pain or pleasure you will understand your employees and their specific actions on a much deeper level. You will also be able to relate to them much more efficiently. Hopefully that also translates to them being able to relate to you more efficiently as well. This is a key ingredient that you must maintain in order to consistently produce the highest rate of efficiency and quality that your team can offer.

This point is redundant, but it offers a slightly different perspective on the delivery of the message. Talk to your team members, get to know them. To be truly effective and gain maximum results from your team, you need to be a part of their circle to an extent. At the same time, your team needs to understand on an emotional level that you are the leader.

Essentially, when the proverbial shit hits the fan, you are the only one whose ass is on the line. The buck needs to stop with you. You need to make your team understand this in whatever way it takes. And then you must possess the intestinal fortitude to make the tough call when everything rides on your decisions. Imagine an emergency situation, someone is dying on the floor and needs someone to assist them or they will perish. In instances such as these there is only one person who takes charge and sets the tasks or performs the tasks themselves. That person is a natural leader. Not everyone can perform under that kind of pressure. I have witnessed many people stand in the corner, screaming hysterically, while I alone did what was necessary to bring someone back to life. For any team, or social grouping of people to function efficiently, and remain successful, there can only be one leader. If you are that person, I recommend reminding your team of this fact subtly and consistently. You must ensure that that fact is most definitely understood by every team member.

You need to develop the ability to be approachable, supportive and instructive at all times. Your team needs to feel comfortable with any thought, solution, or problem that they come across and needs to bring to you. A good leader listens to any ideas her team members generate in order to gather different view-points and help develop the most efficient solution.

In your team members estimation, you must always remain their leader first; and their friend second. The basis for this concept stems from the fact that often in your day to day interactions you may be presented with instances in which you are required to make tough decisions concerning your team. Obviously your personal morals must always guide you in every decision that you make. Your allegiance will always be expected to remain to your job or career and the welfare of your business entity as a whole. This is often where the tire hits the road. You have been placed in the leadership role because your leaders possess confidence in you that you will make the correct decisions. Thus there may perhaps arrive many instances in which you will be prompted to decide between the welfare of the company or the welfare of your friend/employee. Often in life situations present you with no good option for a solution. Those days it can be hard being a leader.

There are many hats to wear when you are in a leadership position. I think that is one of the things that drives my passion for business and entrepreneurship. I need the constant action, the demand for nimble thinking, and I work best when I am consistently working on 5 problems at once. My mind tends to operate in this manner all the time anyway, no matter what I am doing. The responsibility of leadership is not necessarily for everyone though. Remember, your team members will always be looking to you for guidance, support and approval.

Gaining mentoring or experience you will continue to naturally develop your leadership skills. I view everything that we do during our lifetimes essentially as individual games. Leading people can be equated to playing a game. The universe will always deal you your hand. From there on out it is up to you to execute the correct strategy and win the hand. I compare it to a similar game that we play to achieve success and security in our lives. Every day we are all allotted 24 hours during which time we can work to improve our lives, we can stay the same, or we can progress towards the negative.

Of course this game is not equal or fair. Not everyone is permitted the same head-start. Some people are blessed indeed to begin with a stacked deck, lots of money and the ability to experience life on their own terms. But everyone has the chance to arrive on that level by seizing every opportunity that the universe may place in front of them. Success in anything we do will always require foresight and planning. It will always require sharp skills and well developed fundamental abilities. To experience repeatable success in life or business you must remain confident always. You must be without doubt fear. We could conduct a long conversation in order to outline fundamental principles of success. The point is, everyone that becomes successful does so by becoming skilled and efficient at all of the fundamental components that accomplishing success is based upon.

Make the tough call. There are times when you have to bite the bullet and make some unpleasant decisions. Firing, demoting, and holding people accountable for their actions can be very hard at times. As a leader, it's your responsibility to handle these matters. The buck must stop with you. If you display any desire or tendency to waver, be swayed or not remain 100% confident during times of drama and tough personal decisions with your team members, your team will witness this, and it will then have the potential to be latched onto and forever seen as a weakness that you possess. You must always remain iron in your resolve concerning your important choices. Your team must have the conscious understanding that from their perspective; the world is black and white, right or wrong, and only you set the rules, and possess the answers. As before, consistently encourage any and all feedback as well. Many minds tend to make light work.

In order to perform as a successful leader, you must have a well developed plan and have established goals that you accomplish in your progression to your overall goal. You must always keep your team on track, and you must always be leading your team members to a specific eventuality, or long term mission, or goal.

Regardless of where your leadership role takes you, believe that you are a strong leader. Remember that in order to lead others, you must be disciplined in your life, and at all times focus on remaining comfortable with yourself. After all, your actions are a requisite component of establishing credibility. Strive to always honor your word. Do everything in your power to never break a promise. If you develop a well earned reputation as the one person that will never let others down once you give your word.. Imagine briefly what possessing that sort of professional and or personal reputation would be worth individually all by itself.

To gain respect from other people, it is important that you always strive to lead by example in every area of your life. If there is one lesson I have learned that I wish I knew 15 years ago, it would be to have devoted myself, from the earliest possible time, to becoming absolutely sensational at one specific thing. Kevin Trudeau explains in his wonderful book and cd series, entitled; “Your Wish is Your Command”, that it requires 4,000 hours devoted to the repeated practice of one ability or skill to attain the level of unconscious mastery. This is the highest level of human function you can obtain. In essence, it means that you have mastered the skill to such a degree that you can accomplish the same results repeatedly, at the same exceedingly high level, every single time without your mind having to think one conscious thought. “He can park the truck in his sleep”. Would be someone pointing out another person’s presumed unconscious competence.

So, very early on, take time to explore what you like to do, find something that provides a good deal of value to other people, this activity will in return prompt people to exchange their energy, or “money” to you in exchange for one of your solid performances. Hopefully you can find something that you love to do, and then proceed to do everything you can to be the very highest skilled person in accomplishing that task on the planet. If you are even somewhat successful at this, then your fortunes are already awaiting you. And it has been said that you will never work a day in your life.

When you follow these simple guidelines, you will be on your way to becoming a true leader!

Here are a couple of Positive Affirmations for you:

"The light is increasing in my life every day."

"I always feel healthy and happy."

"My life is improving daily."

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The 10 Day Negative Thought Fast

2015-04-02T19:24:00.001-07:00

The 10-Day Negative Thought Fast

Would you like a simple way to really change your life? Instead of merely getting by, you'll find that your life can truly be exceptional when you focus on positive solutions rather than the constraints of your challenges.

This 10-Day Negative Thought Fast, originated by Emmett Fox, one of the most popular self-help authors and speakers of the early 20^th century, is an adventure you’ll reap many benefits from.

Here are the rules:

1. If you break any of the other rules, you must start the 10 days over from the beginning. To get the full effect, you must complete 10 consecutive days. Giving up negative thoughts is a little like giving up a drug; you've got to stop using them completely, otherwise you haven't truly quit.

2. You cannot focus on a negative thought or remain in a negative emotional state for more than five minutes. Ideally, the time should be much shorter. Five minutes should be plenty of time to recognize what's going on and put a stop to it. Remember, even one instance of lingering for more than five minutes means starting over.

3. You must focus on solutions. When the negative thoughts start, the idea is to immediately start contemplating possible solutions. Spend your time solving your challenges instead of focusing on them.

If you're like most people, you've probably had the same challenges for quite a while without resolution. It's time to try something else instead of dwelling on what's wrong.

This sounds deceptively easy, but you may be surprised how difficult it is to give up negativity. We tend to think that worrying helps in some way. But you've probably been worrying about a lot of things for a long time and they haven't improved.

When you're faced with a negative thought (and there will be many!), the best response is to think to yourself, "How can I solve or improve this challenge?" The point is to immediately begin focusing on solutions. When you ask a good question, you’ll receive good answers.

Over the 10 days, you’ll begin to form a habit of immediately recognizing a negative mental state and then focusing on solutions for what you feel negatively about. If you continue the process after the 10 days are completed, you’ll develop a permanent habit that will only require a minimal amount of maintenance.

You might need several attempts to complete the full 10 days. It's common to have numerous slips on day one and then a few others later in the process. Refrain from beating yourself up over it. Remember, you're focusing on solutions.

Taking Your Focus Away From A Negative Thought

One way to help keep the negative thoughts at bay is to ask you positive questions like the following:

· What's great about today?

· What do I like the most about this?

· What am I most proud of?

· What am I most looking forward to?

If you're filling your mind with positive thoughts, there's no room for the negative stuff. And since we can only consciously think about one thing at a time, making the most out of your thoughts makes sense.

Try this 10-day adventure and see if it doesn't change your life. You'll be so amazed at the results that you'll never want to go back to the old way of dwelling on the challenges in your life. So start this process today and change your life for the better.

Here are a couple of positive affirmations for you:

"I believe in myself and my abilities."

"I am of great worth."

"Today I abandon my old habits, and take up new, more positive ones."

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13 Ways to Increase Your Happiness

2015-03-24T19:54:00.004-07:00

Increase Your Happiness

Being happy isn't as hard as it sometimes appears. In this article, I will cover a dozen things that will be sure to increase your sense of happiness and make your life more fulfilling.

Social relationships are essential for our happiness. Interaction with other people provides each of us an important outlet for our feelings, emotions, opinions etc. It also provides us a method of feeling validated when people agree with us or side with us in our personal beliefs. We need social interaction to keep our self esteem levels high and to make us feel socially accepted and validated.

Practicing gratitude is a very basic, yet very effective tool to increasing happiness. Expressing gratitude works in the moment to increase your happiness real time. As you go through your day notice small things that you are grateful for. Pick them out and acknowledge them. I have an app on my phone called ‘My Gratitude Journal’. Three times a day it will pop up and then allow me to list the things I am grateful for. Using this app has opened my eyes to just how much I have to be grateful for in my life. Take the time to start practicing gratitude every day. Expressing gratitude also demonstrates to the universe that you are thankful for what you have now and opens the door to more abundance in your life.

Turn off the news. The news in my opinion is just government control through the media specifically designed as another method to keep the general population’s individual and collective vibration as low as possible. Watching the news may “keep you up on what is happening”, but you can get much better and more accurate information by just keying in to certain RSS feeds that will keep you even more informed and not show you consistently depressing stories that lower your vibration and reduce your energy and happiness levels.

Go to church occasionally. Or your local temple, or whatever house of worship you believe in. Being part of a spiritual group with its social elements, singing, prayers and meditations encourages inner peace and serenity. I leave church feeling better every time I attend.

If you don’t already know, learn how to manage your time well. I know from life long experience that when you constantly allow things to back up and complete everything at the last minute it allows more stress and fear into your life. When I stay organized and do not procrastinate I feel much better about myself and my self esteem soars.

Laugh vigorously every day. Laughter is scientifically proven to increase our happiness. If you are feeling down, laughter is the best medicine. Sometimes taking a self deprecating attitude with your friends or peers will encourage more laughter. I know it does for me.

Communicate your feelings, affections, friendship and passion to the people in your life. When you express your feelings and do not allow them to bottle up inside of you it is very freeing. Your relationships will prosper and your emotional balance will be greatly improved.

Tied in with the last tip, try not to keep pent up anger or frustrations, this will lead to an increasing case of distemper that will eventually end up in you doing something you will regret by hurting someone or yourself. It can also lead to health problems such as high blood pressure, heart problems, stroke and a number of other negative situations. Find a healthy outlet for your anger such as exercise or meditation.

Hard work leads to a great sense of personal contentment. It strengthens in us our sense of personal value and our self esteem and pride that we can get the job done. If possible, find ways to enjoy hard work by doing productive things that bring value to your or others lives. Chop firewood for your family or a neighbor. Mow the lawn’s of single mothers or the elderly. There are many ways you can provide value to yourself and others and increase your happiness and sense of self worth.

Learn something every day. Learning is a joyful exercise. Learning broadens our horizons and can open up whole new worlds that we were not conscious of previously.

Get cardio exercise as often as you can. Run, jog, walk, play basketball, swim or do any other active thing. Our body was designed with the idea that we would be consistently active. Do yourself a favor and exercise consistently. It not only gives you the endorphin rush and keeps your body in shape and all the millions of positive things that it does for you, really, sometimes it helps you feel more alive.

Do your best to avoid exposure to negative elements that create stress and lower your vibration such as loud noises, traffic jams, toxins and hazardous places.

Meditate daily. Meditation has been one of the most important methods that I have used to improve the quality of my life since I began my quest a few years ago. Meditation helps to quiet the mind. It lowers your blood pressure, it helps slow the aging of the brain and of the body. There are a million benefits that I could list that would occur for you if you began meditating just fifteen minutes a day. Put on headphones and go to Youtube and find a meditation with the right guided voice for you, or the right music in the background. Sit back and just allow yourself to quiet your mind and get in touch with the inner you. It is beyond worth the time and effort you have to spend to do it.

These are some simple yet effective methods that you can introduce into your daily routine to help raise your vibration and happiness level. You may already utilize some of them. If that is the case then that is tremendous. If you find just one thing on this list that you can implement in your life and it helps you in any way to increase your happiness then it was worth writing this article.

Here are a couple of positive affirmations for you:

"I increase my vibration every time I smile"

"I am open to receiving wealth in all forms"

"I am grateful for all of the abundance in my life"

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How to Dress for Success on a Budget

2015-03-13T18:58:00.001-07:00

How to Dress for Success on a Budget

Are you interested in dressing professionally or dressing for success? Whether you would like to make a good impression at work, at a job interview, look professional and successful for an important business meeting, or just because, you may soon start shopping for new clothes. Unfortunately, when it comes to dressing professionally and dressing for success, it is easy to get carried away. This can cause difficulties if you are on a budget.

If you are looking to dress for success, but you do not want to have to spend a large amount of money doing so, you will want to take the time to examine your local thrift stores. Thrift stores often have a large selection of career clothes. These career clothes can also often double as elegant or formal wear. When shopping for dress for success clothes at your local thrift stores, you will just want to thoroughly examine all clothing pieces before you purchase them. Be on the lookout for items that are missing buttons, or ones that have stains. You may also want to see if your local stores have any sales, as many thrift stores are known for having heavy sale or discount days.

You can also shop for dress for success clothes by examining specialty used clothing stores. These stores are similar to thrift stores, but you are often presented with a larger product selection, as well as clothes that are in better condition. These specialty stores are nice, but they can sometimes be difficult to come by. You can use your local phone book or the internet to come across local used clothing stores in your area. Generally speaking, those who live in or around larger cities often have the best chance of success.

Yard sales are another one of the many ways that you can find professional or elegant clothes for sale, when shopping locally. The only problem with taking this approach is that you never know exactly what you may find. If you are not careful, you can waste a lot of time searching for elegant or formal clothing at yard sales. What you may want to do is examine your local newspapers, as many people hosting yard sales will advertise their sales, as well as outline a few of the items that they have available for sale. Another great method that I have recently discovered is finding a Facebook group that only discusses yard sale, or items for barter or sale at a fraction of the retail price. I have yet to utilize this method but there are consistent posts daily in the several groups I am a member of and each post is someone selling absolutely anything. This method is convenient because if you have a smartphone you can do some browsing on your breaks or downtime and also from the comfort of your own home. It does not involve any traveling from store to store wasting time and gas and possibly building frustration. Join several of these groups specific to your town, city or county and check them often and I believe you will be pleasantly surprised with what you will find.

If you are looking for new clothing, as opposed to used clothing, you will want to turn to the internet. The internet is a great way to shop for dress for success clothes, as you have a number of different options. For starters, you will want to focus on traditional clothing retailers or those that have a focus on clothes designed for employment and or formal events. Be on the lookout for any sales or sections where discontinued items are listed, as many are offered at reduced prices. This approach can also be used to shop for new clothing locally. One site that I have had a lot of success with is No More Rack. They sell low to upper-mid range quality products of all types for pennies on the dollar. When I was earning a substantial income I literally made dozens of purchases from this place. Anything from a couple tablets to a few nice dress shirts, two nice watches, a pair of sunglasses, I mean I can not even list everything I bought off of that site. But you have to be on the ball to get the best quality and selection because every morning, I believe at 8am EST they unveil their new stock for the day. Early risers reap great benefits by scoring good quality merchandise for a fraction of the retail price. Give it a shot. The only downside I can see is that you might turn into a hoarder. But, you win some you lose some you know.

In keeping with using the internet to help you dress for success, you may want to examine online auction websites, such as eBay or QuiBids. These websites are nice, as you often have a large selection of products to choose from. You can also find dress for success clothes being sold in both new and used conditions. If you plan to use online auction websites, it is advised that you closely read all product descriptions, examine pictures, as well as keep a close eye on shopping costs. In some instances, you may find yourself paying more for shipping than the clothes themselves. It is also important to read up on the reviews that past customers have left regarding the merchant selling your item. You will get a great idea of the quality of service and the reliability of shipping time from these reviews.The above mentioned ways are just a few of the many ways that you can go about dressing for success while sticking to a budget. Although you do have a number of other options, such as borrowing clothes from friends or family members, the above mentioned approaches are a few of the most common and successful approaches taken. To find the best deals, I would say that just like when you are car shopping, that you regularly keep your eyes and ears open. One last piece of advice I suggest is that you set a firm budget of the total amount you can spend before you ever go shopping and then stick firm to that budget. I know it sounds like common sense, but I also know that I very rarely actually make the effort to do it. I hope this gave you an idea or at the very least kept you interested today. Take care and have a great day.

Here are a couple of Positive Affirmations for You:
"I raise my vibration with my positive attitude every day."
"I am exercising daily and every day I feel a little bit better."
"I am open to receiving money and rewards from the Universe."

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I am back from treatment and starting completely over.

2015-02-27T00:57:00.000-08:00

If there is anyone still reading those posts then that is great and I hope you keep checking back because I promise I will be focusing more time on this blog from here on out. I want to tell you a little more about my story because I generally shy away from that and just blog about topics that I feel might help people or that I have an opinion about. It is time to make this blog a more interactive blog and that starts with me letting you all have a brief look at who I am.

For the past 18 years I have been deeply immersed in the midst of a very heavy addiction. I have gone through just about every drug at one point or another. But over the span of 2007-2013 I was prescribed 200 mg of methadone every day as well as other narcotics. I then was dismissed from the pharmacologist who I was seeing and had to take up with a general medical doctor. Well she reduced my dose over a couple of years and finally cut me all the way off of methadone in 2013, this led me to the use of heroin. This drug quickly destroyed my life in about 8 months. My home was foreclosed, I spent 60 days last year in jail, and there have been other repercussions as well.

In November of this year, you can see I said I was going to be gone for a couple of months, well that was because I checked myself into an inpatient treatment facility. I was there for 70 days and now live in an Oxford House, which is a good safety net for me because I need that accountability held over my head or I fear I would succumb to using again. This is my first go at being sober since I was 15 years old. It's ironic but one of my renters used to call me a hypocrite for using drugs every day on a need for survival basis and yet at the same time teach other people about personal development and how to make money with internet marketing.

The thing is, I am very passionate about personal development and I am very passionate about helping other people reach their goals as well. On a side note, service work is going to play a Huge role in my recovery I already know, and I am grateful for that. I am also very passionate about making money, and the problem with that during my drug use was that I was earning a huge income but I was "investing" it back into the company only to wake up 12 hours later after being up a couple nights and not even remember the $800 purchase I had made the night or two previous. Then when I would get back on my computer I would have 30 windows open, and in order to open more I would just have to close the ones that I thought had been open longest, or that I couldn't remember details about. I know, I know, I definitely was not practicing all of what I preach.

This little guy is what I feel like right now in this moment though. I know that I have so incredibly much in me to offer to this world and I am ready to quit living a life of continual procrastination and begin truly adding value to people's lives. Two things drive me; improving myself and helping others' do the same, and earning a nice income so that I can help my family and live comfortably. I am truly aware that it is only in the adding of value or providing value to others' that we are even able to earn income. If you are not doing that, then you are a huckster and your earning days will be short lived.
So I have many goals now that I am sober, and I have come to the realization again that all of these goals are attainable providing I stick to the program and take it one day at a time, and play the tape to the end, and all that treatment jargon. The jargon is not really for me, but the message is the same. I am going back to school at the end of April to finish my degree, and I have taken on a volunteer position with a local non-profit company helping them with their social media management and some other web based jobs but I truly want to get back to my main focus of providing websites that people actively want to visit.

I shut down my actual money making sites while I was in treatment because I could not afford the hosting while I was in there with no one to work with them or run them for me. I will be hoping to set them up again in April, but until then I am going to be focusing on this website. I will be concentrating on providing good content in the blog and also see about actually setting up the rest of the website. When I first started this site I started with a couple of pages but then this site fell to the back burner as you can see from the total amount of posts I made over the 2014 year. But 2015 is a new year! I am making a commitment to myself and to anyone reading this to actively post to this site and see where it can take us. It is time to get back to things for the pure passion and fun of them again.

It is weird feeling emotions again, it has been a long time. If you read this whole post, I appreciate it, and I hope to give you another reason to come back real soon. Have a great day, take this message that I keep having to remind myself of, I think it is a good reminder for us all:

Here are a couple of positive affirmations for you:
"I give gratitude to the universe every day."
"My life is filled with joy and laughter."
"I see the positive in every situation."

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I love this meditation - Bob Proctor - Abundance Meditation

2015-02-25T22:50:00.001-08:00

I love this meditation! Check it out if you have about 20 minutes, you will enjoy it.

Give a Little Love, Get a Little Love in Return

2014-11-08T22:04:00.000-08:00

Embrace Love in Your Life. Express Love to Others and You Will Receive Love in Return.

Good evening, and thank you for checking in here on my original and first blog that I ever created. Maintaining this blog, (albeit very haphazardly and hit or miss over this last year) developed in me the courage to put my viewpoints and beliefs out in the public, world-wide forum that we know as the internet. I try to post heartfelt and credible information that you can count on to at least help point searchers in a successful direction.

I will be posting hopefully every day until the last week of November and then I will be absent for a period of a couple months. I have made my other sites dormant already but if you are up for it check back here at the end of February. I am sticking with a mainly personal development focus but I have a passion for internet marketing as well so I can't keep that topic from coming out when I have something that I believe in to discuss or have solid grasp on a certain subject. My aim is always to help educate and offer real life solutions to problems if I believe I have them.

Anyway, with that behind us, today's post is very simple and straight forward. If you are currently having a hard or stressful day, then it is mandatory for you to watch this video. If your day is going along just fine, then I believe you will still want to watch this video. This video is all I have left to say today. As you watch you will quickly grasp the fundamental message of the video. I hope it makes you smile inside (and outside) as it did for me.

Thanks again for stopping by. I hope you can come back soon. I am in the process of creating an ebook or kindle book that I am striving to complete before I leave. When it is finished I will have it as a giveaway on this site for a short period so wish me luck that I may finish in the next week or so. Have a great day, take care of yourself today.

Here are a couple of positive affirmations for you:

"I am a positive magnet for wealth and success."

"I garner respect from everyone that I meet."

"It is my intention to earn an extra $10,000 in three months or less. I accept this or something better."

Connect with Me.

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On Skype, add me: stickdogg13

Facebook Business Page.

Seek Personal Development Guidance on the Internet

2014-11-04T19:08:00.000-08:00

Finding Help From An Internet Personal Development Business

You have decided to make changes in your life, so where do you begin? The internet is an excellent resource for personal development. Online you will discover a multitude of options. There are life courses, life coaches and online tutoring. There is free information on self improvement, and there is access to paid courses and e-books.

As the world grows more interested in taking control of their lives, wealth has become more than a word to describe financial success. Wealth now includes the life of overall “well being.” We want to get the most joy from our lives that we can possibly get. Today's coomon person is gaining momentum in their quest for personal development at light speed as opposed to any other time in history. The search for truth and awareness dominates our thoughts most days. No longer are we content to just exist.

If you have come to a crossroad in your life, then it is time to identify the problem areas that are holding you back. If you crave balance and harmony, then seek out internet personal development businesses and the website guru’s who make a difference. Steve Pavlina is an excellent online source for gaining valuable tools, information and insights. This site is the personal development hub. I have utilized it myself numerous times over the last couple of years. On it, you will be able to access his articles and guest interviews. There are also pod casts on personal development topics as well as leads to other internet personal development businesses. If you don't find what you're looking for reading my articles, then this is the number one place online I can refer you too.

One of the hottest personal developments books to hit the markets in the last decade is “The Secret”. In the book, The Law of Attraction is introduced and somewhat vaguely explained. It is explained simply and leads readers to the belief that the Law of Attraction is simple to use to create what you want in your life. The book addresses thoughts, feelings, and actions working together as the creative forces you need to harness in this life to achieve effortless attraction. It goes on to discuss intention and visualization as tools to encourage positive emotions which lead to positive events unfolding in your life to match those emotions. “The Secret” represents a new billion dollar Law of Attraction niche where many experts have appeared overnight to sell the unwitting their version of the Law of Attraction. LOA knowledge is centuries old and is the newest personal development craze because it has just recently become popularized. Just do your research before investing in any LOA products and verify for yourself that the product seems to be helping a great number of its users before just spending money, this lesson has been very hard for me to learn personally so if I can save anyone else the trouble then I am all for it.

Also consider spiritual sources and guidance. Finding oneself can mean turning yourself completely over to a higher power. Understanding what spiritually means to you, and how it operates within your life is a key element that helps a person maintain hope throughout the search for improvement in their life. Faith is a very powerful emotion and having faith in something greater than oneself is good for the soul. Speaking daily affirmations as a part of your daily routine can help to slowly improve subconscious beliefs as well as leave a person in conscious good spirits. If you can fit a few in your routine I highly recommend some daily positive affirmations. The topic can be spiritual in nature or just focus on overall improvements taking place in your life.

No matter what station you are at in life, challenges are sure to never stop coming. They are presented daily to both build character as well as to keep us grounded. Many people do not have the proper knowledge or proper armament to face struggles continually throughout their lives. Everyone needs help at one time or another. Start here on this very site, then journey over to Steve Pavlina. There is promise in the message delivered by internet personal development sites, seek it out. For most people, such sites can restore hope and offer inspiration. An investment in yourself is the number one focus of personal development and the only way you are going to improve your current situation in life.

Here are a couple of positive affirmations for you:

"Money comes to me by new methods every day."

"I am constantly full of happy energy."

"I love myself completely at all times."

Connect with me:

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Get One Month of Evernote Premium for Free, Only Here.

2014-10-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

Good day. I just wanted to offer a friendly tip on how to become better organized in your personal and business life. The tip is: Download and use Evernote starting today! You will be able to keep all of your notes, to dos, recipes, pictures even, whatever it is that you need to keep track of, keep it all in one place in Evernote. If you use this link you will receive one full month of Evernote Premium for Free! So what have you got to lose by getting a paid product for free that will help you become more organized? Once the month of Premium is over you can just let it slide down to the Free Level and keep on clipping articles off the internet or whatever all you want.

Get your one month of Evernote Premium for Free Here.

I hope you take advantage of this amazing tool and get a lot of use out of it. Take care and have a great day.

Here are a couple of positive affirmations for you:

"Wealth flows to me easily and on a consistent basis."
"I am sound in mind, body and soul."
"I am overflowing with self confidence."

Connect with me:

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Facebook
Facebook Fan Page
LinkedIn

Some Truth Regarding Search Engine Marketing

2014-02-11T22:46:00.000-08:00

What Is The Truth About Search Engine Optimization?

A great many people within today’s world believe that websites are a quick ride to fame and fortune overnight. These same folks also believe they can become successful without putting in hard work. I am here to tell you; this very rarely happens and if it does it is accomplished by those with experience in internet marketing.

Most people are also sold on the dream that SEO is the cure-all to their financial woes and they are going to become rich. Successful websites are not always successful in the beginning and sometimes beginning an internet website can prove be to very difficult and time consuming.

Google Search Engine Marketing:

Google is a search engine that your internet website must be listed within. Keep in mind that Google has approximately one hundred billion internet web pages, and this number increases daily. You have to ask yourself, with those kind of figures, why should Google index your one little business website? To be frank, you may not get indexed if you aren’t careful.

Your website is completed, now what?

More than likely when your website is completed, it will join a huge population of other websites waiting to be indexed while it sits dormant, waiting for the google god to smile upon it. There are of course ways to list your business, but a word of warning, this sometimes can prove complex, and it is very easy to make a mess of it if you don't know what you're doing.

Search Engine Optimization:

When your website is up and running, you must jump into what is called “Search Engine Optimization”. SEO is not a one-step process. SEO is something which must be constantly performed in order to first obtain and then retain your search engine rankings.

Your primary goal should be to bring customers to your website, then once you have prospects attending your site you need to focus on converting the prospects into sales.

You must also market your site, you have to do this in order for your products and services to get in front of your potential customers. Keep in mind, you must first draw these potential customers into your business website before you can sell them anything.

Sometimes waiting to get indexed brings long waiting periods and frustration for some website owners. Some business website owners complain of a long waiting period before their website appears on the Google Search engine. The truth is, that more than likely you are going to wait at least a short while before internet traffic will find your business within the Google Search engine. With this being said, SEO is not the cure all for your websites' marketing strategy and you would make a mistake if you solely depend on it for your marketing strategy.

There are some alternatives to search engine marketing. Some great alternatives are email marketing, article marketing, blogging, writing newletters, social marketing and advertising with AdWords and other pay per click networks. These are traditional methods within the internet advertising arena and have been found to work well and be both cost and time efficient.

That's all well and good but isn't search engine marketing truly crucial as one of your fundamental marketing needs?

Some marketing experts will gladly inform you that your business should not rely on Google or the other search engines for success. As a businessman you should definitely not expect to make all of your money through traffic from the search engines. However the use of search engine traffic should be incorporated into a well rounded marketing plan. Your plan should also include some article marketing, some email marketing and basically a little bit from each of the a-fore mentioned marketing disciplines in order to become successful and a source of reliable income.

While I know these things I am writing about to be facts, it is still extremely hard for me to realize consistent success. I understand a whole bunch of knowledge when it comes to internet marketing and its processes but the execution of each taks to perfection is what it comes down to. You must create a plan for every result that you want to obtain and stick to that plan. This is a fact that I am coming grudgingly to understand. The days are gone when you could just wing a one or two page website and expect to make gobs of money. The internet marketing game takes precision in both planning and execution. You must also do at least a little bit of work, usually a lot of work, each day in order to become successful. If you are considering venturing into the internet marketing field, just take a look around and take heed of the hundreds of thousands of other people who are trying to be successful at it right now, and the thousands of people who have given up at it already. This practice is not for the faint of heart or the people who are looking for overnight success. It is truly a process during which you must constantly adapt your methodology and practices and stick with it through the hard times. If you stick with anything long enough you will become successful. I remind myself of this every day.

Please leave any comments or remarks you have below, I look forward and am trying to elicit more participation from my readers on my different sites. This is just another of the many tasks that need to be completed and require consistent time and effort in order to be rewarded with your goal. If I can help with anything please leave me a question or comment and I will get right back to you. Have a great day and happy marketing!

Here are a couple of positive affirmations for you:
"Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better."
"My body is in extremely good shape and I am appreciative of it every day."
"I am beaming with a happy confidence."

Connect with me:
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Facebook Fan Page
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LinkedIn

Create Your Own Morning Ritual - Your "Hour of Power"

2014-02-11T03:54:00.000-08:00

This evening I was on the site Everyday Visualization watching a video on how to visualize correctly when I came upon the end of the video. Carl Harvey in a brilliant move decided to let related videos come up at the end of his videos on this site. When this occurred I was led to watch a video that left a great impression on me and jolted me to take positive action that will change my life. I am very excited about this new development. Now, having a morning ritual is just common sense. Every personal development guru tells you to do such a thing. Tony Robbins says to have your "hour of power", or your "fifteen minutes to fulfillment". I have always let this wisdom go in one ear and out the other. Today is different. I caught this very inspiring video which I am going to embed right here in this post so that hopefully you will have the time to watch it and it can motivate you to begin every morning with a great start and a positive ritual as well. I know in my heart that doing this is going to play a big role in helping to turn my life around and lead me to accomplishing my goals much quicker than I would have at my current pace.

Now, if you don't like to hear profanity, I suggest you skip this video. The speaker is great, he is full of emotion and conviction and persuasion, but he drops quite a few "f bombs" throughout the video. I'm not too sure why he would include those in his recordings, but hey, to each his own. He definitely got his point across to me, and I am very glad that he did. So, if you don't mind a little profane language, take the half hour and watch this video. It will change your life.

I hope that video helped to inspire you to begin including a morning ritual in your day if you do not already practice one. I am making a personal commitment to begin every day following the outline set forth in this video. I truly feel in my heart that it will bring about a great deal of positive change in my life. I am very excited to embark on this fresh new adventure in my life and I can't wait to see all the positive results and changes that I will soon realize from starting every day with my morning "hour of power". I would love to hear any comments you might have about your own morning ritual, or whether or not you think it is a good idea to practice a morning ritual.

Please also visit me at Plan for Life Success and MarketerLink for more personal development practices and teachings and internet marketing training and resources.

Here are a couple of positive affirmations for you:
"I set out each day to improve my level of consciousness."
"I strive at all times for personal perfection."
"I have love for everyone in my world."

Connect with me:
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Facebook Fan Page
LinkedIn
Twitter

What is Your Personal Development Growth I.Q.?

2013-12-18T19:41:00.000-08:00

Do You Know Your Personal Development Growth I.Q.?

Have you conducted a checklist or some other form of assessment that focused on you and where your life is going lately? Many goals are never reached due to a lack of self-assessments. It is frightening and overwhelming to sit down and have to face all by yourself. Yet, in order for personal development to happen, that is exactly what we must do. Overcome the fear or the urge to procrastinate if that is something holding you back. It is when we just jump into a project and get it done that we get things accomplished. Personal Development work is easy to put off. I know, I do it all the time. But as you work your way through a few tasks and start learning more about yourself and how you can improve you will really feel great.

Do You need a Life Coach to help you achieve your goals?

Get yourself a small notebook to be used for all thoughts concerning you. Inside these pages you will keep notes, to-do lists, inspirations and basically, everything about you. When you put yourself on paper consistently, it becomes a life management bible. Seeing who we are in written form is magic to personal growth. There is value contained here about your purpose in living. By privately writing down your daily to do’s, aspirations, and even your five year plan, you will start to form the outline of where your life is going and where your life has been. The notebook becomes your primary resource for your own personal development growth. The more you review it and add to it, the more self aware you will become of your behaviors, habits and limiting beliefs. It is a constant reminder of your goals and dreams. You want these to be constantly put in your face in order to encourage self-actualization. No matter how terrifying it may sound to write all these things down, remember, it permits constant opportunity to change your life on the very next page.

Discovering your personal development growth I.Q. involves redrafting the pages you’ve written about yourself into new pages that focus on the you that you aspire to become. Writing these pages is a foundation to helping you change your life and circumstances. It gives you a psuedo road map to follow. It is only through doing a consistent assessment of your life that you will be aware of things that can be improved, and then develop methods by which to do so. Questions about who you are and where you are going will be consistently recurring during the writing of these pages. You will take more ownership of your life and your circumstances when you have this all down on paper. It is easier to take personal responsibility for what happens to you if you acknowledge it with pen and ink and are then able take the whole thing in. When you record the things that happen to you and your daily discoveries, these lessons become accessible over and over again. You will also be able to build off of the fact that you have that information now collected. You will also now have information to evaluate in order to formulate your plans.

You cannot grow if you do not know. So much happens to us in the course of a day, yet sadly it is common for not one of those things to involve planned, predetermined growth. It will help usher countless improvements into your life if you take a half a hour each day and devote it to learning about yourself.

Once you have a collection of daily records and other self learning's, you will possess a veritable study guide for your life. During the writing it is necessary to critique yourself honestly. Applaud the little successes you come across when you review your journal because it is assured that had you not written them down as they occurred, you would have forgotten them entirely. Life is a continual process of renewal and opportunity. To measure your personal development growth I.Q., look back on the pages of yesterday and see if you have been taking steps forward, or maybe a step or two backwards. What lessons did you learn? What new lessons stand out to you while you review it at a later time? What is within your power to change? How will you begin taking the baby steps it takes to recreate yourself tomorrow? It is true that taking as little as one different step forward than you took the previous day will set you on a new path of discovery. Your journals will be your own personal road-map to follow for life.

There is also an added bonus to writing these things down. In the act of recording them you will purge any weight they may be holding over you or your emotions. You will experience a great feeling of relief. We need a release for all the crap that piles up in our conscious mind. When we allow ourselves a continual outlet for our thoughts and frustrations we will experience a much healthier mind and a far better attitude. That is the other main reason that people record things in journals. Now more than ever, as we have twenty four hour access to more information than a million people could consume during their lifetimes, it is imperative that we provide ourselves with a method of consistent mental release. In order to experience a high quality of mental health we need to release our pent up feelings and emotions; and we need to rid ourselves of some of the vast amount of information that we attempt to store in our mind forever.

Days have a habit of melting into months, and then years. The next thing we know, we look up and ten years have gone by. Sadly, there will always be some people that remain in the exact same place and situation that they found themselves in ten years before. Whatever you do, do not allow that to happen to you. Nobody wants to experience that. These people will ask themselves why their lives didn’t turn out the way that they had planned. We must never allow ourselves to forget the fact that time is always moving forward. It never slows or stops. In order to keep up with time we need to make consistent progress in our lives. It is my belief that we owe it to ourselves to give everything that we possess to realize the accomplishment of our goals and dreams.

Constantly remind yourself to encourage positive things to occur in your life. Take the time to sit down and begin your Life Journal right now. You will thank yourself for the rest of your life once you build this daily habit into your routine. Use the process of simply recording your thoughts and experiences to begin the process of reinventing yourself and your life.

Here are a couple of positive affirmations for you to try out:

"I am in excellent physical shape and I am completely healthy."

"I enjoy my job every day."

"I love myself and I forgive myself an occasional mistake."

Connect with me:

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This life coaching site offers a free step by step life coaching plan. It's not a real, live life coach. But it is free, and that to me makes it worth checking out. I love finding great value, especially when it is something that I am passionate about.

The Path to Personal and Professional Development

2013-12-18T06:02:00.000-08:00

The path to personal and professional development is different for everyone. Depending on what your interests, dreams, and goals have become, your path to personal and professional development will be different than anyone else. Personal development and professional development are undoubtedly linked. Without professional development and success, you cannot achieve personal development and your personal dream. Because of this, there are some typical similarities on the path to personal and professional development.

The first step on the path to personal and professional development is to decide what exactly you want to do with your life and your career. To do this, you must examine your strengths, weaknesses, interests, skills, and talents. Discovering more about yourself and what you want from life will help you to find your way to a rewarding and fulfilling career that will take you where you most want to go.

Once you have decided what career path you want to take, you have to figure out how to get there, and how you will obtain your ultimate dream. Most personal and professional development requires some kind of furthering education beyond high school. If your career can be started without education, you may want to start your career and continue your education while working.

There are many ways that you can do this. There are part time and nigh classes available through most community colleges and small universities. One great way to continue your personal and professional development is through online colleges and universities. These learning institutions allow you to advance in personal and professional development on a flexible schedule that allows you to work around your career.

Another part of personal and professional development is recognizing your obstacles, and how you need to overcome them. For example, resources such as Federal Financial Aid or your local community college financial aid department will be able to assist you in overcoming obstacles such as payment of high tuition and book costs for college courses. Another example of overcoming obstacles might be surrounding yourself with a positive and motivating support system, while removing yourself from negative comments of current family and friends.

A large section of your path to personal and professional development is setting goals and a timeline for achieving them. Having a dream is great. But that dream will be much easier to achieve if you set obtainable, periodic goals, rather than focusing on the larger goal of your dream. Setting goals and creating a timeline for success is a great way to advance your personal and professional development.

Once you have set your goals, created a timeline for success, and made those first steps toward achieving your first minor goal, you will be well on your way down the path to personal and professional development. There are many books, websites, and magazines that will help you on your way. For additional help and information, you may wish to look into hiring a personal and professional development coach, trainer, or consultant. These professionals can greatly help you in your self assessments, as well as goal setting and finding resources to help you meet your goals for success.

The Importance of Personal Development Seminars

2013-12-17T16:23:00.000-08:00

Personal development seminars exist for many reasons. Primarily, because in today’s world there is such a calling for them. The world is culpable in draining hope from the human spirit, leaving one gasping for renewal. What the world takes away, these seminars can restore in better form. They are a place for others to connect, to receive a universal message through learning.

Knowledge is the key to change. Vital educational tools for advancement in life can be collected by attending personal development seminars. Strong associations can be established for support in accomplishing goals. Positive support systems are necessary for feedback. Seminars unify people in ways most day to day situations cannot. The collective energy found in seminars is amazing. Where else can you find so many others searching out the same feeding as you are? These seminars for change are meant to be life altering. For many it is good medicine for the soul. Gaining valuable knowledge you can apply in your own life is equivalent to being reborn.

Renewed purpose is self-discovery at its best. Personal development seminars are designed to teach you a new way to see your life. The possibilities for success in areas such as business or personal relationships become endless. The point of seminars is to empower you. To give you a new vision of life. To help you get the life you want. To help you restore balance to your life. To change you.

Balance is delicate, unspoken force operating in our world. So much meaning in our lives is dependent on how balanced our lives are. If one area is weak, it can affect all other areas as well. On top of that, balance affects mental health and physical health. Poor choices result from a life off kilter. Dysfunctional behavior can be right behind. Being proactive in restoring balance can begin with attending a personal development seminar. Identifying the sources of imbalance and creating a self-improvement plan is one of the many offerings of seminars.

The instructors at these seminars are a well of information. Not enough could be said to applaud the amount of inspiration they bring to the wanting soul. They are able to transform lives with words. Few people can exit a personal development seminar without feeling invigorated and blessed by the experience. Between the knowledge learned and the delivery of it by the instructors, everyone walks away with new aspirations.

Growth is necessary for opportunities to flourish in life. Life balance can be a friend or a foe, and must be checked through regular maintenance. No one else determines the outcomes in your life but you. Insight can be found through seminars. So can renewal in life purpose. Passion for one’s life can be returned. Valuable tools for change are gained at personal development seminars. Support systems and lifetime relationships are created. The world is hungry for what is good insides you. It is when this happens, you must know how to put the good back in. It is for this, personal development seminars exist.

The Importance for Students of Personal Career Development

2013-12-17T05:04:00.000-08:00

Personal Career Development: Start as a Student

For several decades, high schools across the United States have instituted a Career Day for seniors. This is a day when local area business professionals visit the high school and introduce career options to high school students. However, these Career Days are not enough to truly assist the high school student in making plans for the future. This is the reason that many young and middle aged adults are now seeking the guidance of personal career development coaches.

While personal career development coaches offer a much needed service to those who did not plan for their future at an early stage, more should be done to assist the younger generations in personal career development. When high school students have a clear understanding of the best career choices for them, the end result is better planning, more college enrollments, and a more productive society for the future.

Many high schools now offer a Career Week to address these personal career development issues. The Career Week is a continuation of the Career Day. One or two days of the week are dedicated to introducing seniors to career options by seasoned professionals in the community. The rest of the career week is dedicated to assessments much like those offered by personal career development coaches.

The personal career development assessments allow the high school students to explore their interests, values, strengths, and weaknesses. These personal career development assessments are then run through a computer system, which produces a report that outlines the best career choices for that high school student. The high school students then take the personal career development further by going through The Occupational Outlook Handbook.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook is one of the best personal career development tools in the high school arsenal. This publication is put out both in book and electronic form by the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. The handbook allows students to explore personal career development options by providing information about career details, job and industry outlooks for the future, average salaries, and required education.

Once the high school students have completed the personal career development assessments and explored career options, each high school student engages in a personal career development interview with a high school counselor or personal career development coach. This interview allows the student to more fully explore and discuss career options, and make a decision about the path that they want their career to take. The counselor or personal career development coach then provides the high school student with several resources to help them start on their path to personal career development.

Another part of the personal career development activities is a visit by the counselor or the personal career development coach to senior classrooms. In these sessions, information is provided about the importance of goal setting in personal career development. The students are given resources for practical goal setting, and begin to lay out their personal career development plan on paper.

The importance of personal career development for high school students is not a new concept. However, schools are just now starting to really put the plans for education in personal career development into place. With these initiatives, more high school students will be prepared to begin education or careers soon after high school, thereby creating a much more productive society for our future.

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Personal Growth and Development Systems

2013-12-16T15:23:00.000-08:00

Personal growth and development systems exist for those wishing transformation in their lives. There are individual platforms of self improvement available. Resources such as life coaches and internet personal growth systems are abundant for those seeking change.

Life planning: This area of expertise provides skills and strategies for encompassing your life through total awareness. Coaches or mentors outline specific weak areas needed for improvement and help to develop an individual plan for success. It could involve setting goals, motivation, or time management. The realm of life planning may also involve physical or mental self-help, or even financial. Also included in life planning systems is resource management guidance.

Executive or Professional systems: Many companies offer personal growth and development systems seminars to give their employees better tools for success. They understand the employees need for better strategies in effective communications and time management. This area specifically focuses on career potential. It is said that those who attend the seminars have a higher self-esteem and are more confident in their career interactions.

Financial/Legal systems: Debt consolidation and financial planning companies remain a booming industry. They are created solely to help people get control of their finances and manage their money better. Debt reduction and negotiation companies have structured systems to help their clients reduce their debt ratio.

Mental/Medical self-help systems: These systems are more complex, and require educated professionals. Assessments, evaluations and diagnosis are the defining techniques used in this area. There are often situations such as depression, or anxiety disorders, which must be handled by professionals. Physical limitations or problems must also be handled by those trained to do so.

Religious/spiritual systems: Over the two decades, this personal growth and development system has exploded. People no longer content with what the world means have returned to spiritual ways to feel better. They seek renewal, cleansing and support from surrendering to a higher source. This is a highly successful arena for personal change. It becomes a moral and personal responsibility for improving your life. It provides faith and hope delivered from religious leaders or spiritual content. The message is eternal.

Self improvement/personal transformation systems: Next to religious and spiritual systems, this platform for life change is undeniably meaningful. Resources exist in numbers for self-improvement. Life coaches, seminars, and internet sites are just a few ideas to consider when seeking a personal transformation. Any area of your life you need help on exist in self improvement systems. Tools for successful living can be learned and a support system can be developed. It is an invigorating and powerful source for self awareness.

There are many systems available for those needing help with their lives. No longer does one have to settle for the hand life dealt. Just by reaching out, comes the answers. Human potential is not limited to circumstance. Optimism comes back to your life by taking the upper hand on weak areas. Through diligence and persistence, you can reclaim and recreate your life circumstance. Do not fear asking for help from any of these personal growth and development systems. They are specifically created with you in mind.

How to Develop Your Personal Career Development Profile

2013-12-16T01:18:00.000-08:00

A personal career development profile is best described as you personal plan for a successful life. The personal career development profile enables you to discover your strengths, weaknesses, skills, talents, and interests. Armed with this information, you further develop your personal career development profile by determining the best career choice for you, what goals you have for your successful career, and how you will get there. The personal career development profile also helps you to discover what resources you have to help you get there.

The first step in developing a career development profile is to discover your strengths, weaknesses, skills, talents, and interests. This can be done through a number of ways. You can find books, workbooks, and websites with questionnaires that will help you discover these things about yourself. You can also enlist the assistance of a personal career development profile software or online service that will provide questions for you to answer then analyze the information and tell you about yourself.

The next step in developing a career development profile is to investigate what careers suit your personality, strengths, talents, skills, and interests. If you have chosen to enlist the assistance of a personal career development profile software or online service, this step will automatically be completed for you. If not, you can discover careers that fit your interests by searching using key words and phrases at the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook Online.

You can also use the Occupational Outlook Handbook Online to find out more detailed information about careers chosen for you by personal career development profile software and online services. This can be a great help during your next step, which is to narrow down your choices to one career that you decide to pursue.

Once you have decided on a career that is right for you, you will need to determine what has to be done to get there. This can be discovered by visiting professional association websites related to the career that you are most interested in. This information, too, can be found at the Occupational Outlook Handbook Online. Once you know what you have to do to get there, it is time to set your goals.

When you set goals for steps to get into your chosen career, keep a few important things in mind. First, you will want to lay out not just the steps, but when you will complete that step and what resources you have to help you reach the goal. You will also need to remember that you are not just trying to get into the door of your chosen career. If you are happy staying in an entry level position for the rest of your life, feel free to stop there. But most of us want more success than that.

When you are outlining the goals for your personal career development profile, you want to include all of your goals for reaching the top most level of your chosen career field. These goals will act as your timeline for your career. Outline what degrees you will need, how you will get them, and how many years you anticipate between promotions based on your growing level of education. Keep the goals reasonable, but don't make them so easily attainable that you become lazy.

Now that you have your goals, you are finished with the development of your personal career development profile. Keep this important tool as you work your way into and up in your chosen career. If you ever find yourself doubting your position in your career or your career choice, revisit your personal career development profile to get yourself back on track.

How To Begin A Personal Development Plan

2013-12-15T14:53:00.000-08:00

Recreate your life with a personal development plan. Devising a solid map to improving your life requires taking an honest look at your life. If you wish to re-invent yourself, each area of your life must be dissected .Knowing what it is you wish to change is how to begin the process. You must have a focus for learning a new set of behaviors. Think about where you are now and where you see yourself upon completing a goal. A goal is like a finish line, you run forward for the accomplishment. You aim for the prize.

Setting goals is top priority in a personal development plan. It requires a specific and clear intention followed by action. Once you have established your goal, it should be followed with consistent behaviors which are conducive to reaching that goal. How do you learn new behaviors? By educating yourself. Seeking knowledge on your specific area of focus is crucial for replacing old behaviors or habits with new ones. Plenty of resources exist today for self-help. On any level, you can find information to teach you how to identify problem areas in your life. If in the process you find yourself overwhelmed, frustrated or just plain stuck, consider using a life coach.

Life coaches are a wonderful resource for success with a personal development plan. They can provide a strong support system. They have knowledge of self-improvement tools and skills to teach them to you. A life coach will give you positive feedback and encourage you to persevere. Not everyone can do it alone, that is why life coaches exist. There is a lot to be said about someone cheering you on as go for it. They can help monitor your successes and setbacks.

Whether or not you choose to use a life coach or go it alone, be sure to zero in on your strengths. It is easy to fall prey to loss of confidence from not focusing on strengths. Learn new skills to complement your strengths and confidence. It is amazing how learning affects over-all well being.

When you create your personal development plan, realize magic doesn’t happen overnight. It is becoming conscious of your world and how you operate within it. Daily you must make choices that benefit your goals. By doing so, eventually the prize does appear. You must also realize that personal development is a life choice. Some people appear content to meander in their world, oblivious to needed changes. However, life is meant for change. If you do the same things over and over, you will get the same results. Self improvement in life settings and circumstances should always be considered relevant and necessary.

You can recreate your life with a good personal development plan. Self-assessment of problem areas of your life is the first step. Set realistic goals. Choose actions and behaviors which benefit the goals. Maintain a positive support system. And most of all, applaud yourself for wanting something different for your life.

How to Create a Personal Leadership Development Plan

2013-12-15T04:34:00.000-08:00

Many people think that management and leadership go hand in hand automatically. But just because you are a manager does not mean that you are a leader. Many management techniques are being thrown out the window in favor of leadership skills. But making the transition between manager and leader can be difficult for some. The best way to become an effective leader is by creating a personal leadership development plan.

The first thing that you need to do to create a personal leadership development plan is to understand the difference between management and leadership. While some do not see the difference, others cannot explain it. Quite simply, management is something that you do. It is a career. Leadership is having strength and courage in your convictions, and the ability to see those convictions manifest in reality.

Discover The Importance for Students of Personal Career Development

So what are your convictions? You may think that you know what you believe in, but it is important to take a step back and actually list your beliefs and values. There are many assessments available that can help you do this. This important step in creating a personal leadership development plan will likely teach you things about yourself that you yourself did not realize were true. It may seem like a waste of time, but until you know what your convictions are, you cannot manifest them in reality through effective leadership.

Once you have a clear understanding of your convictions, you need to apply them to your organization. Do not look at numbers and people. Look at the overall purpose and mission of the company. Then, narrow your view to your team, and finally yourself. If you do not see your values and beliefs reflected in your actions, the actions of your team, and the actions of the company, then your work is cut out for you.

When creating your personal leadership development plan, first outline your beliefs, ethics, and values. Then, outline the ways that those beliefs, ethics, and values show in your actions within the organization. Are there ways that you need to improve? What support does your team need to obtain personal and organizational success that you have failed to give them? After all, their success is your success. Write down all of your thoughts and ideas for manifesting your convictions in the reality of your team and organization. This is the bare bones of your personal leadership development plan.

Next, do your homework. Talk to your employees, team members, customers, and suppliers to learn what more you can do or be that will assist you in manifesting your convictions and your personal leadership development plan. Sit back and listen to the ideas and feelings of others. This is the only way that you can learn from other perspectives what is needed for organizational or team success. Until you are aware of the changes that need to be made, you will not be able to make any changes for the common good of the organization and your employees.

Remember that while you may be able to affect change in your own small part of the world, the organization as a whole may not reflect your convictions any time soon. Change within large corporations is either very slow or nonexistent. Watch for signs that your personal leadership development plan is making a difference in your immediate environment.

Here are a couple of Positive Affirmations for you:

"I love and approve of myself."

"I am too valuable to the world to waste any time on self pity or doubt."

"Following my intuition and heart keeps me safe and sound."

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The Importance of Personal and Social Development in Business

2013-12-14T15:56:00.000-08:00

Many people wonder why they do not have the success that they want in business. Most of the time, the reason will be right under their nose; they are just unable to see it. The first thing that someone who is not successful in business should ask is, "Am I successful in my personal life and relationships?" If the answer is no, then you now have your answer as to why you are not successful in business. You cannot have a successful career if you do not have adequate personal and social development.

The business world is not your entire life, as much as it may seem to be. Your career is but one aspect of your life that also includes friends, family, and personal needs and issues. The only way to have success in your career is by having success in personal and social development. A balance must be struck. True success cannot be had in one area of your life and not another. This is how personal development, social development, and business development are all linked together.

Personal development is about how you handle your life, thoughts, feelings, emotions, and reactions. Personal development techniques include goal setting, changing to a positive mind set, and learning to deal with all situations in a positive manner. These skills will transfer to the workplace in business development. Without goal setting, time management skills, and positive thinking, a successful career is not possible.

Social development is about how you deal with other people. Obviously, people skills and social development are necessary for business development and a successful career. How you interact with your co-workers, your boss, and your customers, clients, or prospects is just as important as your actual work performance. Social development skills include situation management, stress management, problem solving, dispute resolution, and communication skills. Without proper social development, you cannot have a successful career.

Besides helping with your business development, personal and social development will help you to realize how successful you truly are in your career. Through personal development skills such as time management and organization, you will be able to better manage your finances and household. This will allow you to better see and enjoy the fruits of your labors. Social development will also help you realize your success as you develop stronger relationships with your friends and family, and gain more support from these groups than you ever have before through improved communication skills.

There are some obstacles to personal and social development, just as there are obstacles to business development. But all in all, by developing your personal, social, and business skills, one will undoubtedly resolve the others. For example, if your business development is hindered by a lack of support, working on social development skills like communication can gain you the support you need from friends and family. If you have trouble developing social skills due to hindrance by past events or criticisms, then you can focus on personal development by changing your mind set.

Overall, happiness and success in all areas of your life are dependent upon a balance between personal and social development. Whether your ultimate goal is to become a successful professional or an efficient housewife, personal and social development will work for you to help you realize your goals and become successful in every aspect of your life.

How to Find the Best Personal Development Coach

2013-12-14T03:40:00.000-08:00

A personal development coach is a great asset to the person who really wants to work on their personal development skills. The personal development coach can help you to recognize aspects of yourself that you have never noticed before. The personal development coach can also help you to set goals and overcome obstacles using resources that you may not have been aware of previously.

But how do you find the best personal development coach for you? There are many ways that you can find a personal development coach. You can simply search the internet using your typical search engines, or you can search directories that are made available specifically for personal development. Finding just any personal development coach is actually pretty easy with these tools.

But you don't want to find just any personal development coach. You want to find the best personal development coach for you and your needs. This will take a little bit more time and effort, but will be well worth it as you see the difference in your results. There are many things that you should take into consideration when trying to find the best personal development coach for you and your needs.

The first thing that you will want to keep in mind when looking for a personal development coach is accreditation. There are many people out there calling themselves personal development coaches without having the training necessary to do so. This is an unregulated profession, so it is very easy for someone to take their own experiences and use them to sound professional and train others. While this experience is important and enables you to relate to the coach, the best personal development coach will also have a degree or some other type of certification that lets you know that they are qualified to be your personal development coach.

The next thing that you will want to look for when finding a personal development coach is specialization. Many coaches are trained in the general skills relating to personal development. However, the best personal development coach will be thoroughly trained on one specific aspect of personal development. This specialization might be in business planning, social skills, time management, managing others, professional or career development, or other personal development issues.

You should also look for a personal development coach that you can get along with. Taking a trial run or initial meeting will allow you to determine if you can actually work with and learn from the coach that you have found. If the coach you find is not willing to do this, then you probably need to find another coach. You will not be able to get anywhere if you are more focused on how much you dislike your coach than you are on your personal development.

Finally, you will want to consider price. The cost of a personal development coach will be based on several factors: amount of experience, type of certification or accreditation, specialty, and coaching schedule. If you are unsure how much coaching you can afford, the best thing to do is to call around and ask what the cheapest plan is with that coach. Sometimes you can convince a personal development coach to work with you on payments, or to lower the phone time and up the email time in your coaching plan to limit costs.

Personal Trainer Ideas for Business Development

2013-12-13T14:01:00.000-08:00

Taking on the role as personal trainer for business development, especially in a large company or corporation, can be quite a daunting task. Where most people who involve themselves in personal development or small business development, those who are meeting with a personal trainer for business development probably do not really want to be there. These people are only meeting with the personal trainer because it is being required by the company or corporation.

The challenge in these situations is to make the personal training fun and interesting so that business development is possible, even when working with unwilling trainees. Ideas for business development training that are innovative, interesting, and captivating for your reluctant audience is the solution. Here are some tips for personal trainer ideas for business development that can help you overcome the challenge.

1. Use acronyms. If you do not have an acronym for a phrase, make one up with your imagination. Funny acronyms are a great way to hold attention and get points across. This is also a great way for the personal trainer to make business development ideas stick in the memory of the reluctant listener.

2. Use games to break the ice and create a fun atmosphere for learning. This is an old but reliable idea that the personal trainer for business development could and should take advantage of, especially when working in groups that are strangers.

3. Keep topics as brief as possible. One website offers an explanation of negotiation techniques in less than six hundred words. Making complex topics like negotiation into short explanations will keep your audience interested, and more information and techniques will seep into their memories for application in business development.

4. Play games to reinforce key points. After explaining a series of techniques, the personal trainer can use buzz word bingo or a similar game to keep the ideas flowing for business development.

5. Use ridiculous scenarios to prove a point. The personal trainer can use funny hypothetical situations as demonstrations of what not to do for business development. This is a great idea that will lead to more ideas and more participation from the members of the group.

6. Use role playing to improve skills. The personal trainer who uses this idea will be very successful in business development aspects such as management techniques, interviewing processes, and workplace social issues. By getting your participants to actually participate, you will be more likely to promote actual business development instead of bored and inactive listeners.

7. Use funny stories to show the importance of time management. There are many funny stories and analogies available for use for this idea for this aspect of business development. You can find them in books, articles, and on personal trainer websites.

8. Introduce fun team building games and activities. An important aspect of business development is learning to work together as a team. The personal trainer can introduce fun games as an idea for team building as a weekly Friday office ritual. These activities will promote the continuation of business development after the personal trainer and ideas are long gone.

How Personal Development Training Assists Management

2013-12-12T23:30:00.000-08:00

Most management professionals today enter their first management position straight out of college. These management professionals think that they are prepared for anything after four or six years of schooling and higher education. But when they begin to encounter real life scenarios on the job, they are at a loss. Why? They lack the basic personal development skills that are required for good management practices.

This is main reason that companies and corporations are paying big bucks to put their management through personal development training. Business schools teach management theory and practices, but do not provide practical applications. And, while time management and organizational skills may be stressed, personal development is not really focused on during this schooling.

Personal development training assists management in many ways. First, personal development training incorporates assessments that allow management to discover their weaknesses and strengths, and learn how to strengthen weak areas. This assessment and correction may involve many aspects of personal development, but is an important first step toward more effective management.

One of the important ways that personal development can assist management is through learning how to set obtainable goals that lead to an ultimate goal. This is helpful not only in planning goals for personal purposes, but in planning goals and a timeline for an ultimate goal when managing a team of employees.

Time management and goal planning are important aspects of management. Without these skills, deadlines cannot be met. Another important aspect of time management is delegation. Management must learn to delegate tasks so that more work gets accomplished in the end. Additionally, management should be able to assist employees with time management and goal planning skills for the benefit of the team, management, and the company.

Another way that personal development training assists management is through the development of social skills. This aspect of personal development training will assist management in dealing with and communicating with their employees. This type of personal development management training typically focuses on dispute resolution and problem solving abilities.

Much of how management deals with others has to do with mind set. If management treats the employees like they are underlings rather than equals and refuses to listen to new ideas, it is an indication of a superior mind set. The best way to resolve this issue is to learn that as a manager you do not know everything, and listening to the ideas of others is a worthwhile venture. These skills can be developed through personal development management training.

Personal development training also assists management through stress management techniques. Stress management is important when trying to meet deadlines, and work a team through helping to meet deadlines. This is also part of social development, as management learns how stress affects the way that they deal with their employees and clients. Changing how management deals with stress will improve office relationships and communication.

Personal development training assists management in many other, more subtle ways. Leadership skills, motivational techniques, and customer management skills can all be improved through personal development training.

The Thieves of Personal Development

2013-12-12T09:25:00.000-08:00

Nothing is worse than having a dream for yourself and entities getting in the way to keep you from it. The sad truth is those barriers to your dreams are usually self-created. Personal development is hindered by four main thieves operating on a daily basis within your life.

- Attitude

- Motivation

- Habits

- Time

Everything you do is a choice. With you choices is always an outcome. On another level, you could call it taking a personal responsibility for yourself. If your life isn’t flowing in the direction you wish, then perhaps it is time to dissect these four areas in a self-evaluation.

Attitude: Accomplishing great things in your life is impossible if your thoughts and words are contrary to it. When you wake in the morning are you happy to have the new day? Has your mind closed down to the potential each day brings? Doing an attitude self-check is essential to personal growth. Without maintenance on our attitude daily, it is near impossible to embrace opportunities which bring dreams closer to reality. If you take a good look around you, you will see people stuck on auto pilot, caught up in stoic repetition. An indifferent attitude is almost worse than a bad attitude. As you grow older, it becomes even more necessary to feed your mind, wash your belief systems and do daily maintenance checks on your attitude. Being unaware of poor thoughts is a poor excuse for not being able to reach out for your dreams. Attitude accountability is reaching out for resources and self-help tools purposely. By not doing so, this thief surely will steal your joy of self-discovery.

Motivation: Simply put, motivation is having an “iron will”. If you do not mean to do something, you won’t. You might dance around thoughts of doing something while melting away on your couch, but until you actually initiate your will through actions, it is only fluff. The hard truth is you are the biggest poser in your own life if you have no motivation to accomplish a wanted dream or goal. No one said finding motivation would be easy either. Every single person has or has had difficulties with motivation. It remains a number one challenge in personal development. There will always be the little voice inside you telling you to get motivated later. Until you make up your mind to exercise your will now, motivation will elude you, keeping it thief number two in personal growth.

Habits: Habits keep you in your comfort zone. Habits provide security. They feel safe, whether they are good habits or bad ones. They can also keep you from moving on into new and uncharted areas of growth. Which habits do you possess? Are they a part of your problem or part of your solution? Sometimes poor habits become so ingrained into who you are, you don’t even notice how they rob your dreams. Developing new habits that are in sync with your goals, is the key to personal development. You must emit behavior which supports the results you want. The reason they are called habits is because you do them over and over and over. To keep this thief robbing your life, you must find ways to eliminate unproductive habits.

Time: The word speaks for itself. It is a universal container for holding all of our life meaning. Finding time, not enough time, out of time…and to each and every human is a lifetime. This is your food for thought: at the end of your life, how will you have defined your journey in regards to time? Did you make time work for you or did you do time? Each moment belongs solely to you, to your choices and to your dreams. Respect the value of each moment life gives you for all things meaningful.