Personal Growth and Development

The Mirror Exercise - Self Reflection

2013-03-19T03:50:00.002-04:00

Several years ago, I learned a wonderful exercise from Jack Canfield that I'd like to share. It's called:
The Mirror Exercise

I’d like to ask you all to consider upping the ante whenever you’re ready, by doing this exercise without clothes on as you stand looking at yourself in the mirror.

The purpose of this is to look deeply into your eyes and see the love and vulnerability that lies beneath the surface and see that you are very loveable and perfect as you are right now!!!

It's a very powerful and effective means of healing the hurts within and changing the tendency to criticize yourself so harshly.

Here it is:

Say your name
Appreciate yourself for:

a) achievements
b) Disciplines kept
c) Temptations overcome

Say, "I Love You"
Take it in and receive it, breathe.

This is one of the most simple and effective yet powerful self esteem and self confidence building exercises. It replaces the negative self talk that dominates our thoughts with loving, affirming positive self talk. It is recommended to do this every day for 40 days.

Every night before going to bed, stand in front of a mirror and appreciate yourself for all that you have accomplished during the day.

Look deeply into your eyes and notice your mirror image looking back at you.

Say your name and begin to appreciate yourself for the following things:

1. Any achievements (business, financial, educational, personal and emotional)

2. Any personal disciplines that you have kept (exercise, meditation, prayers, eating well)

3. Any temptations that you did not give in to (lying, drinking too much, etc.)
Maintain eye contact with yourself throughout the exercise. When you are complete, end by continuing to look into your eyes and say, "I love you" Then stand there for another few seconds to feel the impact of what you have done and experienced. Imagine that you are the only person in the mirror listening to someone else talking to you, loving you. The trick is to keep your self fixed on your eyes as you speak and allow the feelings to flood through your body. You may cry, or laugh or think this is ridiculous and perhaps be embarrassed and feel stupid,

but challenge yourself to go the distance and take it all in. It's intense.
Example: Here is a sample of what it may look like:

"______ I want to appreciate you for the following things today. First I want to appreciate you for going to bed on time last night without staying up too late and surfing the internet or watching too much TV. Great job, you got up bright and early this morning and you had a really good conversation with ________. And then you meditated for 20 minutes and took a shower. You took care of everything that you needed to and you ate a healthy, nourishing breakfast. You got to work on time and led a great staff meeting with your support team. You did a great job of getting everyone comfortable enough to share their concerns. And you were great at drawing out the quiet ones. Let's see and oh, then you ate a really healthy lunch, soup and a sandwich. Great job for drinking your water today and keeping your commitments. Congratulations on that one! You also stayed in a good mood all day. You didn't let other people’s problems become yours. You maintained your boundaries and said "No" when you needed to. And you didn't take anything too personally today. Good job!... you also finished editing that project that you wanted to finish and did a great job on that too. I like the way that you have been managing your time lately and maintaining time for yourself and keeping your self care as a priority. I like the way that you appreciated others for having done a great job today also. That was really nice and it helped them to feel really good. They just lit up when you said those nice things to them today. It was great that you took time to spend that special time with ________ That was really special particularly when you showed that you really enjoyed their company. And now you're going to bed again when you need to in order to be bright and bushy tailed tomorrow a.m.. You were really great today... And one more thing, - I love you!"

Don't be surprised if you have some really weird reactions the first time that you do this exercise. You might feel guilty, or scared, silly, embarrassed or uncomfortable. We're just not trained to be kind to ourselves and acknowledge ourselves.
It’s so common to beat up on ourselves and called ourselves names and then want to reach for food to ease the discomfort.

Believe me the more that you do this exercise, the better you will feel. Don't believe me, try it yourself!

Let me know how it goes.

Note: Jack suggests that if you find yourself lying in bed and notice that you haven't done it, then get out of bed and do it. He says that the part of looking at yourself in the mirror is a very important part of the exercise. Remember you will only get out of it what you put into it.

If you are living with other people, you want to do this in private and tell them that you are taking time for yourself and not to interrupt you.

Shane Koyczan "To This Day"

2013-02-28T09:31:00.004-05:00

Shane Koyczan "To This Day" http://www.tothisdayproject.com Help this message have a far reaching and long lasting effect in confronting bullying. Please share generously.

Find Shane on Facebook - http://on.fb.me/Vwdi65
or on Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/koyczan

I send out one new poem each month via email. You might like to join us. http://www.shanekoyczan.com

"My experiences with violence in schools still echo throughout my life but standing to face the problem has helped me in immeasurable ways.

Schools and families are in desperate need of proper tools to confront this problem. This piece is a starting point." - Shane

Find anti-bullying resources at http://www.bullying.org

Dozens of collaborators from around the world helped to bring this piece to life. Learn more about them and the project at http://www.tothisdayproject.com

Buy "To This Day" on BandCamp http://bit.ly/VKGjgU

or iTunes http://bit.ly/W47QK2

Credits:

Ryan Kothe
Mike Healey
Will Fortanbary
Brian San
Diego De la Rocha
Gizelle Manalo
Adam Plouff
Mike Wolfram
Hyun Min Bae
Oliver Sin
Seth Eckert
Viraj Ajmeri
Vishnu Ganti
Yun Wang
Boris Wilmot
Cameron Spencer
DeAndria Mackey
Matt Choi
Reimo Õun
Samantha Bjalek
Eli Treviño
Ariel Costa
Caleb Coppock
James Mabery
Samir Hamiche
Waref Abu Quba
Deo Mareza and Clara
Josh Parker
Scott Cannon
Thomas McKeen
Kaine Asika
Marcel Krumbiegel
Teresa del Pozo
Eric Paoli Infanzón
Maxwell Hathaway
Rebecca Berdel
Zach Ogilvie
Anand Mistry
Chase Ogden
Dominik Grejc
Gideon Prins
Lucy Chen
Mercedes Testa
Rickard Bengtsson
Stina Seppel
Daniel Göttling
Julio C. Kurokodile
Marilyn Cherenko
Tim Darragh
Jaime Ugarte
Joe Donaldson
Josh Beaton
Margaret Schiefer
Rodrigo Ribeiro
Ryan Kaplan
Yeimi Salazar
Daniel Bartels
Joe Donaldson
Daniel Molina
Sitji Chou
Tong Zhang
Luc Journot
Vincent Bilodeau
Amy Schmitt
Bert Beltran
Daniel Moreno Cordero
Marie Owona
Mateusz Kukla
Sean Procter
Steven Fraser
Aparajita R
Ben Chwirka
Cale Oglesby
Igor Komolov
Markus Magnusson
Remington McElhaney
Tim Howe
Agil Pandri
Jessie Tully
Sander Joon
Kumphol Ponpisute
James Waters
Chris Koelsch
Ronald Rabideau
Alessandro & Manfredi
Andrea López
Howey Mitsakos

Giant Ant Studios
Leah Nelson
Jorge R. Canedo Estrada
Alicia Katz
for having the bravery to helm such a monumental project.

Brett Wilson
Joni Avram
for their generosity of spirit and tireless support.

Olivia Mennell
Maiya Robbie
Stefan Bienz
Corwin Fox
Aaron Joyce
Christina Zaenker
Melissa Bandura
for creating such a beautiful piece of music and having the patience to explore this art form with me.

Christi Thompson
Jess Sloss
for keeping me organized and making me appear to look like I know what I'm doing.

Loretta Mozart AKA my Grandmother
Sandy Garossino
Nea Reid
bullying.org
for never saying "You can't do that." For always saying "OK... how can I help?"

Beautiful Body Language, What's that? 02/19 by PrissaJean Beauty Talk | Blog Talk Radio

2013-02-19T23:33:00.001-05:00

Beautiful Body Language, What's that? 02/19 by PrissaJean Beauty Talk | Blog Talk Radio

You Already Have the Life You Want

2013-02-19T12:54:00.002-05:00

This amazing article could possible change the way you think, take a moment to read this and apply the lessons learn.

Enjoy! P

You Already Have the Life You Want

Written by Tyler Tervooren - 27 Comments
Categories: self improvement

Here’s an idea: you already have the life you’ve always wanted. In fact, you’ve alwayshad it. Confusing, I know. Most people don’t distinguish between the life that theyactually want and the one they think they want.

See what I mean? Plenty of people think they want to be fit and healthy, but what theyactually want is to eat fast food and watch TV, so that’s what they do. Many think they want to be more open-minded, but what they actually want is to be right all the time, so they tune out opposing viewpoints.

Simply put, whatever it is you actually want out of life is what you’re actually getting from it. Everyone has dreams, but not everyone pursues them. Without a direct connection between something you want and something you can do to get it, a dream will always remain just that - a dream.

So how do we bridge that gap? How can we turn what we think we want into what weactually get? Here are some strategies I use. Maybe a few of them will work for you:

Focus on one thing. When I get the idea to make a big change, I usually want to do 100 things all at the same time. This never works. Focus on one thing that will improve your life and don’t move on until you’ve mastered it.

Find a daily action. Big changes don’t always happen overnight, but what you do every day between sunrise and sunset is the most important part of ensuring it actually does happen. What’s one little thing you can do right now without waiting for anything else to get started? Ask yourself that every’ single’ day.

Reflect on your changes. Is this big transformation you’re after actually making you happier? Best to take a second every now and again to make sure you’re not perpetually suffering from ‘the grass is greener on the other side‘ syndrome. Make sure you’re headed the right direction.

Change your environment. Sometimes I don’t realize just how much my surroundings affect my behavior. A routine environment perpetuates routine behavior. If you want change to come a little easier, change the scenery for a while and build a new set of behaviors to associate with it.

Rebalance relationships. Just like your environment, the people you’re around influence how you act. Truth is, your friends don’t want you to change even if they say they do because that makes them uncomfortable. The first time I decided to be a writer, I hung around with all the same people that didn’t understand me. The second time I decided to be a writer, I started hanging around other successful writers. Which one worked?

Eliminate barriers. Sometimes they’re mental, and sometimes they’re physical. Either way, you have to get creative to find ways around them. If you don’t have the time to do something, how can you fit it into little sessions that will add up over time? If you don’t have the money to do something, what else do you have that you can trade for what you want?

Ask for help. We all get stuck. I do regularly. I used to have too much pride to ask for help ‚’I'd rather figure it out on my own. Now I realize that’s foolish and asking for help is a hell of a lot faster and easier. There’s no shame in being more efficient.

Find a role model. One of the fastest ways to success is to model it. Who’s already done what you’re trying to do? What things did they do that got them there faster? What slowed them down? Model what worked, avoid what didn’t.

Relax already! Active relaxation ‚’doing things that engage you but aren’t your main focus ‚’ can bring a lot of clarity when you’re obsessing over something. I can brainstorm all day, but it doesn’t mean I’ll come up with a good idea. Those usually creep in when I finally take a break and do something else.

Tyler Tervooren writes for a highly skilled team of risk takers at Advanced Riskology. Follow his updates from the tops of mountains on Twitter: @tylertervooren.

Crossroads: Labor Pains of a New Worldview (Documentary)

2013-02-15T23:44:00.003-05:00

Crossroads: Labor Pains of a New Worldview (Documentary)

A new documentary exploring the depths of the current human condition and the emergence of a worldview that is recreating our world from the inside out. Weaving together insights and findings from biology, psychology, network science, systems science, business, culture and media, the film reveals the inner workings of the human experience in the 21st century, urging viewers to step out of the box and challenge their own assumptions about who we really are, and why we do what we do.

“The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.” -Isaac Asimov 'Crossroads: Labor Pains of a New Worldview' places evolutionary context to today's escalating social unrest, natural disasters, and economic failures. It illuminates the footsteps of an integrated worldview, penetrating its way through the power of social networks to the forefront of our personal and collective awareness. A refreshing reality check for all viewers and a clarion call for those who carry the seeds of the emerging worldview. Scientists and thinkers featured include: Amit Goswami, Neale Donald Walsch, Elisabet Sahtouris, Bruce Lipton, Peter Joseph, Caroline A. Miller, Nicholas Christakis, James Fowler, Michael Laitman, Ervin Laszlo, Dean Radin, Dave Sherman, Annie Leonard, Jairon G. Cuesta, and John St. Augustine.

Your Life inThe benefit of watching yourself on video

2013-02-15T23:23:00.002-05:00

If you were to combine all the beautiful, magical, sad and funny moments from your lifetime, what would this montage look like?

Lookatyourself.net was created based on the concept of self observation and self reflection. We learned how we can benefit from recording ourselves and watching it back.

We recommend telling a few purposeful stories into the camera on your phone and watching it back. Recording yourself as much as possible is the best thing. When you see yourself on camera and you "dont like how you look/act/sound" etc. It is a great exercise in personal growth. And remember to not be so hard on yourself. You will immediatley start making improvements on your posture, on the little nuances in your voice, etc.

How would watching it make you feel? And how do you think it would help you approach life each and everyday?

Worried that he was forgetting and not fully appreciating some of the best moments of his life, video director Cesar Kuriyama decided he was going to record a single second everyday for the rest of his life, so that he would have a very real way of remembering these experiences.

**Watch this interesting 8-minute TED Talk to hear how it’s helped him re-evaluate life, and why one second a day can help you do the same. What do you think?**

The way to a happier, healthier you.

2013-01-15T02:12:00.002-05:00

dd Mindfulness expert Andy Puddicombe wants to make meditation accessible to everybody: for a happier, healthier you.

Why you should listen to him:

Andy Puddicombe wants you to take a break -- not just from work, but from your own mind, which is so full of anxieties about the world and anxieties about its own anxieties. To help you do that, Puddicombe, a former Buddhist monk, co-founded Headspace, a project to make meditation more accessible to more people in their everyday lives. Puddicombe also writes prolifically for the Huffington Post and the Guardian, on the benefits of mindful thinking for healthy living.

“Most people assume that meditation is all about stopping thoughts, getting rid of emotions, somehow controlling the mind. But actually it's … about stepping back, seeing the thought clearly, witnessing it coming and going.”

Finding Perfect Love

2013-01-12T02:24:00.001-05:00

Last week, the incredibly inspiring author of Wabi Sabi Love: The Ancient Art of Finding Perfect Love in Imperfect Relationships wrote an article about mastering the art of the Japanese ancient tradition, Wabi Sabi.

This practice – which is about finding ways to love your partner’s flaws rather than letting them drive a wedge between you – is one worth applying to any relationship.
To tell us a little more about it, Arielle gave us this 5-minute exclusive interview before speaking at Awesomeness Fest, in November last year.
We were endeared by a story she tells about a wife and her husband’s menacing poppy seeds in the kitchen. Is there a similar situation that would apply to you and your partner where you could use a little Wabi Sabi too?

FinerMinds Team

In our quest to boost your personal growth, we hope to inspire and support you through our content! You can also check us out on Facebook.

View all posts by FinerMinds Team

How A Sensory Deprivation Chamber Will Change Your Life

2012-12-27T21:04:00.000-05:00

How A Sensory Deprivation Chamber Will Change Your Life

“The sensory deprivation chamber has been the most important tool I’ve ever used for developing my mind for thinking and evolving.” – Joe Rogan

Joe Rogan, stand-up comedian, actor, writer and commentator talks about his experience in a sensory deprivation chamber in this not-to-be-missed fascinating five-minute video.
Likened to being immersed in a coffin with water, it’s understandable how this may fill many with fear and anxiety.
Although if you can get past this initial preconception, and you allow your mind to become untethered from your body, you’ll begin to contemplate your own existence and that of the Universe with immense clarity.
Joe explains that it acts like an onion, slowly peeling away layers of your thoughts, distinguishing which ones are important and are serving you, and which are not.
Transformational Coach Doc Barham, who has used sensory deprivation chambers for over 15 years, has this to say about their effectiveness:

“The principle is simple: when you eliminate visual, auditory, kinesthetic, proprioceptive, and other stimuli to the human nervous system you are more easily able to relax deeply and focus. As a result, you can do profound things.”

If you’ve used a sensory deprivation chamber, we’d love to hear whether you found it to be transformational, relaxing or even uncomfortable.

Positive Questions for Powerful Change

2012-12-27T20:31:00.002-05:00

Positive Questions for Powerful Change

by Susan K. Minarik

What if you could trick your brain into making all the right choices for you?

What if you sneakily set it up to choose the apple over the chocolate cake, or to stick out its tongue at your impulse to put that tempting trinket on your credit card?

Way back in 1980, Master NLP trainer Rex Steven Sikes, discovered a simple way that anyone can use to direct their thinking toward finding the solutions they were after. He called it Directed Questions™. Unfortunately, the method never got the attention it deserved.

Then, in 2008, Noah St. John stumbled on the method one morning in his shower when he was mulling over the lack of results he was getting using affirmations to create new behaviors. He called it Afformations™ and has been making a great living telling people about it ever since.

In that same year, motivational trainer Kevin Hogan picked up the idea and gave it the descriptive—and non-trademarked—name “positive affirmative questions.”
That’s what I call it, too; I abbreviate it as PAQ . And because it’s one of the easiest and most powerful tools you can add to your personal growth toolkit, I want to share it with you today.

So, What’s a Positive Affirmative Question?

Simply put, a PAQ is a question you ask yourself in order to focus your brain on a positive behavior or attitude that you want to create or expand.
Their power comes from your mind’s need to search for answers to questions that you pose to it, and from the fact that, unlike affirmations, PAQs don’t give your brain something to argue with.

Let me give you an example. Suppose you want to lose weight. You could bombard your brain with an affirmative statement like “I enjoy eating healthy foods and exercising every day.” That might help. But if it were true, you would be eating healthily and exercising already. So some part of your brain considers it a lie—or, at best, a wish—and refuses to see it as a reality.

But suppose, instead, you asked yourself questions like, “How many ways can I find to eat healthier foods?” and “How can I add more activity to my day?” How do you think your brain would react?

Here are a few more examples of positive affirmative questions:
(Note: when you say “I wonder…” you’re really asking a question.)

Why do I feel so good about myself now?
What’s good about this situation?
How quickly can I finish this project and do a fantastic job?
I wonder how soon I can reach my ideal weight?
How many ways can I find to stay within my budget?
What are some fun ways that I can learn this faster?
Why am I seeing so many great traits in my partner now?
Why am I feeling so much more confident now?
What’s good about this situation?

Why Positive Affirmative Questions Work

Rex Sikes, the fellow who calls these Directed Questions™, explains that questions direct the mind. They send it inexorably on a search for answers. They focus you on what you want and help you discover avenues for getting it. And what we focus on becomes dominant in our lives.
Sikes claims they have 300-400 times more power than affirmations do.
Because PAQs are rooted in positive assumptions about your life rather than negative ones, they’re empowering. They utilize your imagination and creativity and put your focus on you want instead of what you lack. “Why am I so fortunate now?” “How can I slim down and enjoy the process?”
A third reason for their power is that the answers come from within you. They’re from the expert who knows you best, not some outside authority or guru. So they feel more authentic, making it natural for you to accept the answers they generate for you.

When PAQs Backfire

Unlike affirmations, PAQs have a very low backfire potential. When you use affirmations your mind has that tendency to argue with you. If you say “I easily and confidently close sales,” your brain is likely to scoff, “You do not, you big coward. You fumble and bumble and blow it every time.”
Well, on rare occasions—and I do mean rare– some PAQs can backfire, too. It’s happened to me. “Why am I so happy now?” was a signature question for me a couple years ago. It’s what motivated me to start my blog, High on Happiness and I use it to this day.
Sometimes, in the beginning, when I was in a particular funk and I asked it, a grumpy inner voice would growl at me, “I’m not happy. I’m a miserable wretch.” And you know what I did? I refused to accept that as an answer and growled right back, “I know you’re not happy. But why am I so happy now?” And my brain would, Oh!” as if it understood now, and go in search of things that were delightful, or comforting, or satisfying in my world.
Of course I was a newbie with PAQs at the time. If I had understood them as well then as I do now, I would have known to rephrase the question: “What are some ways I can begin to feel happier now?” or “I wonder how many things I can find to feel happier about?”
I could even have used a PAQ to find a better question. “What are some questions I could ask to help myself feel happier now?”

How to Put Positive Affirmative Questions To Work for You

By now, you probably see how easy it is to create PAQs. First, you decide what you want—a change in attitude, a new approach to something, a behavior change, even a tangible acquisition.
Next, you form a question based around it, using words like “why,” “what,” “how,” “how many,” “how quickly” and “I wonder.”
Finally, you take action on the answers—not only because the answers will lead to success, but to reinforce the whole process and prove its worth to you.
Sikes recommends that you think up questions for yourself every morning and every night, and that you practice with the method for 21 days in a row. If you decide to adopt this as your positivity practice for the month, I guarantee that one month from now, you’ll see concrete evidence of this little tool’s mighty power.
You can start right now. Ask yourself, “How many ways can I show Susan how much I liked this article?”

12/21/2012 What is going to happen? How to become part of the shift.

2012-12-18T05:43:00.002-05:00

12/21/2012 What is going to happen? How to become part of the shift.

Sacred knowledge of vibration and the power of human emotions.

This is the video that we review in our most recent blogtalkradio Look@Yourself Podcast.

2012 Crossing Over, A New Beginning OFFICIAL FILM [Brave Archer Films®]

2012-12-18T02:47:00.001-05:00

2012 Crossing Over, A New Beginning OFFICIAL FILM [Brave Archer Films®]

Since it is just a few days before the "Mayan Apocalypse" We are going to share all the good 2012 stuff we can find. So far everyone is saying the same things...

- The world isn't ending
- We are moving into a new age
- The collective consciousness is raising
- People are waking up

All I know is that I am excited, and I am not buying into the doomsday preppers "end of the world"

The media is taking the Mayan prophecy and interpreting it for us with fear.

A World of Love is Coming!' This is the OFFICIAL RELEASE of the Full Length Documentary film '2012 Crossing Over, A New Beginning' a film written, directed, filmed, edited and entirely independently funded and produced by Amel Tresnjic.

Please share the message and support the film by making a small donation. It is the key to being able to make films like these possible, and unfortunately not many people realize that.
This film has been completely independently funded, produced and released for free. Your donation is very much appreciated. All donations will go towards spreading the message and production costs of the next film entitled 'Spiritual Awakening, Rise of the Kundalini.' To donate visit Paypal below! (You don't need to have a PayPal account to make the donation, simply click on 'don't have an account' and fill out the form) Please Note links don't work on mobile devices! https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=HB8K...

You can also get a Downloadable Digital HD copy RIGHT NOW for a small fee of $15! To get your copy of the Film, visit PayPal by clicking on the link below:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=4HRL...

"Thank you ALL for sharing the message of LOVE. Most people don't realize that the entire crew of the film... is just ME :-) I created the film with the intention to make our world a better place... and the response has been AMAZING. There are no paid ads or any mainstream support. By the power of the people the film is NOW getting translated into more than 14+ languages. Thank you for those who believe in the message and are donating their time to translate it:-) The message of LOVE is spreading all over the world AND THAT'S ONLY BY THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE! Thank YOU ALL! "

Love and Peace Amel

Plot: Dec 21, 2012 is on everyone's mind. What will it bring? Is it the end of the world? A new beginning for mankind? Or just another year on the calendar? Brave Archer Films presents '2012 Crossing Over, A New Beginning.' The feature doco explores a positive spiritual perspective on the events of Dec 21, 2012. The film investigates the galactic alignment, consciousness awakening, cycles of evolution, our binary star system with Sirius, the fear agenda in the media, who's behind it, love vs fear and much more.

The film is loaded with amazing revelations of the current times we live in, from exceptional astrologer and teacher Santos Bonacci, spiritual leaders Bud Barber, George Neo and much more. The doco is shot entirely in Full HD, illustrated with high end animations and includes original music by Jonathan Kent.

Please rate the film on IMDB! Thank you!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2461760/

Film Credits:
Written, directed, filmed, edited and entirely
independently funded and produced by Amel Tresnjic.
Including Original Music by: Jonathan Kent
Produced by Brave Archer Films®
http://www.bravearcherfilms.com

DanielleLaPorte.com

2012-12-07T23:55:00.005-05:00

Desire More : Danielle LaPorte : Video Poem from Danielle LaPorte on Vimeo.
A multi-media program for creating goals with soul. Digital, audio, e-support, video, web-app, and a gorgeous print book. Ambition turned inside out. You'll never feel the same way again. DanielleLaPorte.com + TheDesireMap.com

Danielle LaPorte is the creator of The Desire Map, author of The Fire Starter Sessions (Random House/Crown), and co-creator of Your Big Beautiful Book Plan. An inspirational speaker, former think tank exec and business strategist, she writes weekly at DanielleLaPorte.com, where over a million visitors have gone for her straight-up advice — a site that’s been deemed “the best place on-line for kick-ass spirituality”, and was named one of the “Top 100 Websites for Women” by Forbes.
You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter @daniellelaporte.

A Credo for Making it Happen - Danielle LaPorte

2012-12-07T23:52:00.001-05:00

A Credo for Making it Happen - Danielle LaPorte from Danielle LaPorte on Vimeo.

Everything is progress... Do what you say you're going to do... Respect your fear... This is 2 minutes of what you need to hear every day to go after what you want in life + work -- from Danielle LaPorte's newest book, THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS. For best results, watch this every morning before you get your shine on.

Danielle LaPorte is the outspoken author of the forthcoming book The Fire Starter Sessions: A Soulful + Practical Guide for Creating Success on Your Own Terms (from Random House/Crown). A business strategist and inspirational speaker, she’s the creator of The Spark Kit: A Digital Experience for Entrepreneurs and co-author of Your Big Beautiful Book Plan. To date, over a million readers have visited DanielleLaPorte.com, lauded as "the best place on-line for kick-ass spirituality."

Danielle has been featured in Elle, Body + Soul, Vogue Australia, Better Homes & Gardens, Globe & Mail, The National Post, The Huffington Post, Entertainment Tonight, USAToday and BusinessWeek.com. She was a news show commentator for CBC, and is a former director of a Washington-DC think tank, where she managed a team of analysts studying global trends for the likes of the Pentagon and the World Bank.
A list of "Top 10 Blogs by Women That Might Change Your Life," describes Danielle LaPorte like this:
"She’s confidently contrarian, feminine, decisive, and creative. She combines spirituality with sound business principles. She has an e-program, a line of chic, minimalist notecards, and gives coaching sessions at $1000 a pop. She’s been listed, ranked and quoted. At the core of her success is her ability to write. She writes beautifully, lustfully, and poignantly and is quite possibly the most talented and insightful writer publishing on the web. If you haven’t experienced daniellelaporte.com, you are missing the best of the web."
Based in Vancouver, BC, you can find her on Facebook daniellelaporte.com/facebook and on Twitter @daniellelaporte

This girl is cool and this video is inspiring. nuff said.

How to Re-Program your subconscious mind

2012-11-25T19:40:00.000-05:00

C'mon over to http://www.marieforleo.com/2012/09/your-subconscious-mindwhere the main discussion happens after the episode!

Your subconscious mind holds approximately 97% of the of your brain's processing power and scientists will tell you that the power of the subconscious mind is perhaps a million times greater than the conscious mind.

That's why it's critical to get your subconscious mind onboard when you're trying to make something happen in your life.

In this video you'll learn from Dr. Cathy Collautt, a metaphysician and manifesting consultant, about the 5 steps you can take in your life to get your subconscious mind on board with your conscious goals, and in turn get anything you want.

Step 1 is that after you recognize what the resistance you are having is, you need to stay humble.

Step 2 is to get specific and really narrow in on what your subconscious mind is looking out for. You'll interview your subconscious mind and really get into to the details.

Step 3 is that you need to make a promise to work things out with your subconscious - not to work against it.

Step 4 is to dowse your subconscious mind with positive examples and case studies of people whose lives have improved as a result of getting what you want. The point here is to let the subconscious mind know that it's possible to satisfy all sides of your heart and mind.

Step 5 is to solidify and affirm. The more you ingrain your new perspective in your subconscious mind, the most you can capitalize on its power and its resources to facilitate and execute toward your goal on your behalf.

According to Dr. Cathy Collautt, it's not about fighting yourself to get what you want. It's about gentle introspection and really looking within to the tools that already exist inside of us and have the power to catapult us into anything we truly want in life.

If you enjoyed this video, subscribe to our channel and sign up for your free weekly business and life advice at http://www.marieforleo.com

And if you're interested in more videos on spiritual stuff like this one, check out our YouTube playlist on that exact topic here:http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEA6BDA790659DB9D&feature=plpp
Thanks for watching!

My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/marieforleo
Subconscious Mind on my website:http://www.marieforleo.com/2012/09/your-subconscious-mind/
Subconscious Mind on YouTube: http://youtu.be/fVJrzLMhyxs

Positive Thoughts with Marie Forleo

2012-11-25T19:25:00.000-05:00

We saw Marie Forleo on TV today on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday. Happy to share her with you guys.

C'mon over to http://www.marieforleo.com/2012/11/downside-gratitude/ where the main discussion happens after the episode!

Positive thoughts and gratitude are expected around Thanksgiving, but having positive thoughts and reflecting on what you're grateful for on a consistent basis is proven to transform your life.

In this video you'll learn how gratitude and positive thoughts will improve your life and kill self-pity, jealousy, bitterness, regret, and other negative thoughts. Having positive thoughts and being thankful on a daily basis is a mood booster that will change your outlook on life.

In a study, people who kept a gratitude journal and focused on positive thoughts for three weeks measured 25% higher on life satisfaction.

If you enjoyed this video, subscribe to our channel and sign up for your free weekly business and life advice at http://www.marieforleo.com

And if you're interested in more videos on personal growth like this one, check out our YouTube playlist on that exact topic here:http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF09676920DB8DB33

Thanks for watching!

My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/marieforleo
Positive Thoughts on my website:http://www.marieforleo.com/2012/11/downside-gratitude/
Positive Thoughts on YouTube: http://youtu.be/U1F1m-hRcWE

Dr. Wayne Dyer - Wishes Fulfilled - Full Length

2012-11-17T03:01:00.003-05:00

Dr. Wayne Dyer reveals how the ancient wisdom of the Tao Te Ching helped him shift from ambition to a new kind of meaningful consciousness in this empowering exploration of the dynamics of our thought process

Enhancing Your Intuition

2012-10-19T19:35:00.005-04:00

Meet John P Morgan

2012-08-22T00:01:00.003-04:00

@jpmorganjr

Explorer, connector & creator. Traveller, smart-ass and all around hyper-active human being. http://facebook.com/jpmorganjr

London · http://jpmorganjr.com

Jason Silva - Get A Little Awestruck: The Biological Advantage Of Being Enchanted

2012-08-16T23:48:00.000-04:00

The Biological Advantage of Being Awestruck - by @Jason_Silva from Jason Silva on Vimeo.

This powerful 3-minute video discusses how awe was biologically selected by evolution to help us survive, thrive and continue to adapt.

Based on the ideas of psychologist Nicholas Humphrey, and his study The Biological Advantage Of Being Awestruck, this video beautifully draws on Humphrey’s explanation of awe:

“….consciousness is a magic show that you stage for yourself inside your head, which lights up the world and makes you feel special and transcendent… this magical theater provides a reason to live, a love of occupying the present moment, and a desire to sustain it into the future, that over time has proved stronger than anything else, and accounts for humanity’s swift and triumphant success…”

What we loved how this video is how it connects biology with the importance of keeping our consciousness in a state of enchantment. Pretty amazing, right? Tell us what you think below.

Opening Your Solar Plexus Chakra (Your Power Centre)

2012-08-16T23:46:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago we looked at our second chakras (also known as our sex-sacred-sacral-chakra), and at how having a blocked second chakra can prevent us from having a healthy sexual relationship.

As many of you found this article to be very useful and therapeutic, we thought it would be great to follow on and look at how we could unblock our other chakras, and at what each of of these energy centres do.

Next on our hit list is our third chakra, also known as the solar plexus, which draws vital energy up into the center of our personal power. Someone with a weak solar plexus chakra will tend to give their power away to others just to keep peace in relationships.

When this center is blocked, unbalanced or closed, you’re more likely to feel like a victim in the world, or feel powerless to other people and circumstances most of the time. You may also have a low self-esteem and find it difficult to express yourself in the work environment, in your relationships and in everyday life. As for the physical symptoms, these often include stomach pains and stomach anxiety.

If have problems expressing your power, suffer from a low self esteem or often feel powerless, watch the above 10-minute video by master energy therapist Carol Tuttle, which focuses on releasing conflict in your third chakra, so that you’re able to fully and clearly claim your power. The video includes a few simple visualization exercises and affirmations to help you reclaim your power centre straight away.

Want to learn more about your chakras? Take a free chakra test to see if any of your chakras are unbalanced and affecting your life.

Do you sometimes keep silent just to ‘keep the peace’? Where do you feel it in your body when this happens? Tell us about it below and whether you found the above video to be helpful.

Welcome to Look@Yourself.net

2012-08-16T23:26:00.002-04:00

Visit our YouTube Channel full of great personal growth videos

2012-08-16T23:25:00.000-04:00

If you are looking for a few good personal growth videos to watch, feel free to check out our YouTube channel.

What You Really Need To Succeed

2012-05-10T22:51:00.003-04:00

Intelligence Is Overrated: What You Really Need To Succeed

Albert Einstein’s was estimated at 160, Madonna’s is 140, and John F. Kennedy’s was only 119, but as it turns out, your IQ score pales in comparison with your EQ, MQ, and BQ scores when it comes to predicting your success and professional achievement.

IQ tests are used as an indicator of logical reasoning ability and technical intelligence. A high IQ is often a prerequisite for rising to the top ranks of business today. It is necessary, but it is not adequate to predict executive competence and corporate success. By itself, a high IQ does not guarantee that you will stand out and rise above everyone else.

Research carried out by the Carnegie Institute of Technology shows that 85 percent of your financial success is due to skills in “human engineering,” your personality and ability to communicate, negotiate, and lead. Shockingly, only 15 percent is due to technical knowledge. Additionally, Nobel Prize winning Israeli-American psychologist, Daniel Kahneman, found that people would rather do business with a person they like and trust rather than someone they don’t, even if the likeable person is offering a lower quality product or service at a higher price.

With this in mind, instead of exclusively focusing on your conventional intelligence quotient, you should make an investment in strengthening your EQ (Emotional Intelligence), MQ (Moral Intelligence), and BQ (Body Intelligence). These concepts may be elusive and difficult to measure, but their significance is far greater than IQ.

Emotional Intelligence

EQ is the most well known of the three, and in brief it is about: being aware of your own feelings and those of others, regulating these feelings in yourself and others, using emotions that are appropriate to the situation, self-motivation, and building relationships.

Top Tip for Improvement: First, become aware of your inner dialogue. It helps to keep a journal of what thoughts fill your mind during the day. Stress can be a huge killer of emotional intelligence, so you also need to develop healthy coping techniques that can effectively and quickly reduce stress in a volatile situation.

Moral Intelligence

MQ directly follows EQ as it deals with your integrity, responsibility, sympathy, and forgiveness. The way you treat yourself is the way other people will treat you. Keeping commitments, maintaining your integrity, and being honest are crucial to moral intelligence.

Top Tip for Improvement: Make fewer excuses and take responsibility for your actions. Avoid little white lies. Show sympathy and communicate respect to others. Practice acceptance and show tolerance of other people’s shortcomings. Forgiveness is not just about how we relate to others; it’s also how you relate to and feel about yourself.

Body Intelligence

Lastly, there is your BQ, or body intelligence, which reflects what you know about your body, how you feel about it, and take care of it. Your body is constantly telling you things; are you listening to the signals or ignoring them? Are you eating energy-giving or energy-draining foods on a daily basis? Are you getting enough rest? Do you exercise and take care of your body? It may seem like these matters are unrelated to business performance, but your body intelligence absolutely affects your work because it largely determines your feelings, thoughts, self-confidence, state of mind, and energy level.

Top Tip For Improvement: At least once a day, listen to the messages your body is sending you about your health. Actively monitor these signals instead of going on autopilot. Good nutrition, regular exercise, and adequate rest are all key aspects of having a high BQ. Monitoring your weight, practicing moderation with alcohol, and making sure you have down time can dramatically benefit the functioning of your brain and the way you perform at work.

What You Really Need To Succeed

It doesn’t matter if you did not receive the best academic training from a top university. A person with less education who has fully developed their EQ, MQ, and BQ can be far more successful than a person with an impressive education who falls short in these other categories.

Yes, it is certainly good to be an intelligent, rational thinker and have a high IQ; this is an important asset. But you must realize that it is not enough. Your IQ will help you personally, but EQ, MQ, and BQ will benefit everyone around you as well. If you can master the complexities of these unique and often under-rated forms of intelligence, research tells us you will achieve greater success and be regarded as more professionally competent and capable.

You’ve Got to Know Exactly What You Want

2012-03-28T16:06:00.000-04:00

1) You’ve Got to Know Exactly What You Want

When you want to tap into your human potential and make things happen in life, you’ve got to start out by knowing just what you want to accomplish. You definitely won’t hit a target that you can’t see, so the initial phase of transmuting your ideas into physical reality is to come up with an idea. Often we find that we are pulled in different directions, and it’s difficult to juggle between our various priorities and determine which one is the most important. You’ve got to know exactly what you want to do with your life, and figuring that out the first step toward peace and freedom.
We can only do one thing with a marked level of genius, and the way to do it is by pouring ourselves into it fully. When we’re divided among a million little things, our true strength is weakened and we end up with a mediocre life. With that said, it’s critical to dig deep and uncover our heart’s truest worthwhile desire. From that place of knowing, we can proceed confidently as we push aside everything that doesn’t contribute to that end. If you expect to make something happen and enjoy it later, you’ve got to know exactly what you want!
Basically, the whole idea is to focus your efforts into a single cause. Once you’ve accomplished that incredible feat, things will be falling into place left and right. A lot of people say they don’t know what they want to do with their lives, and the net effect is that they wait for other people to tell them what to do. There’s no room at the top for complacency—just focus and determination. Something tells me you have it in you, but there’s no avoiding the truth of what’s I’m explaining here. Save yourself the heartache and absorb the lesson now, so that you can get on with molding your life in whatever way makes you happy.
The bottom line is that we make ourselves whatever we are, and you’ve got to take responsibility for that so that you can steer it in one way or another. As long as you are on autopilot, thing is going to make itself happen for you. You’ve got to make things happen, and it starts with figuring out what you want to make happen. Sometimes these things are so obvious, and maybe that’s why they are overlooked by 97% of the population. In order to avoid this trap, it’s important to realize that you’ve got to know exactly what you want to do with yourself!
Whatever the reason, it is truly unfortunate that so many people are living lives of quiet desperation when everything could change in an instant if they simply decided exactly what they wanted to do with themselves. There is an incredible power that lies waiting inside each of us for the catalyst of a real decision. My recommendation is to search your own heart and meditate deeply on the topic so that you can come up with the best idea of where you really want to go. If, for any reason, you have trouble coming up with a decision about how to move forward, what you should do is just choose some concrete goal to move toward as a placeholder.
The most important thing is that you are going after something in particular, the bigger the better, and as you move in the direction of some end that you have designated, something is activated inside your mind and soul and you become unstoppable. You’ve got to know exactly what you want out of life, and when you do, it will serve as your footing, providing you with poise and balance as you tread along your journey.
Step 2: Now, Believe in the Idea.